The Arts Ardane 01

"I'm not doing that again, I was so sick I wanted to die when I woke up."

Devan laughed, "I said the same thing, and then got drunk again the first chance I had. Mom knows that."

"Oh, you're as bad as she is!"

Danica stomped off and flopped down on her bed to pout. Devan finished washing and dressed, then headed to the kitchen to get something to eat. She knew Danica wouldn't be pouting long, because she had to get ready for school as well. Devan didn't even know why she was going really, as there was little to nothing the master could teach her. She had learned all of real value he had to offer, and everything else was meaningless herb gathering and grinding.

Devan sighed and pushed those thoughts out of her head, turning instead to the more pleasant thoughts about meeting Serhan that evening.

~~~~~~~~~
* . . . *
~~~~~~~~~

Devan left school early, finding that she was bored to tears now that she had exhausted the spells in the limited library there. She knew she was going to be stuck in a long discussion with her mother before she could get out of the house this evening, so the more time she had, the better. The master was trying to convince her to stay and help teach, allowing him to expand the school, and thus was willing to let her do about anything she wished.

As she left the school, she found Danica standing at the edge of 'the bowl', a huge old sinkhole that had sides steep enough to shield the surrounding area from the eruption of spells.

Devan knew what Danica was here for. Her sister had been working hard on the fireball spell now for nearly a month. Devan could not figure out why her little sister had not already learned the spell, because she obviously had everything down. It seemed as though each time she tried, she made a mistake in a different part of the spell while everything else was perfect.

Danica started to gesture and chant, and Devan stopped nearby without moving into Danica's range of vision. Devan crossed her fingers, encouraged that everything was coming out perfectly thus far.

Danica finished intoning the chant in a loud voice and moved her arm in a throwing motion. Devan whooped a cry of delight when the fireball manifested itself and exploded in a bright flash, engulfing the bowl in its expanding flames.

Devan ran over to her sister, who had dropped to her knees and looked a little weak. Devan gathered Danica up in her arms, congratulating her. Danica absolutely beamed from her sister's praise and from the applause of the other students when she finally heard it.

"I told you that you could do it Danica! Now will you stop complaining and just study?"

Danica smiled up at her weakly, "Did you want to take a nap the first time you did that?"

"Not with the fireball, but the first lightning bolt turned my knees to water."

The master approached then and offered his own congratulations, as well as his arm to lean on to assist Danica in returning inside.

Devan waved to her sister and a few other friends, then started walking home. While she walked, she alternated between planning her argument with her mother, and thinking about what she was going to wear that night. She also found she spent a lot of time thinking about Serhan, and not all of those thoughts were born of arousal. Several times during the walk, she shook her head in an attempt to push those thoughts away. Falling in love was the last thing she wanted to do at this point. That was something she would *think* about once she had determined whether he was worth it or not. She was decided she would never again give her heart to an ass that would just cheat on her or leave her.

Try as she might, she still found a smile on her lips as she thought about Serhan's smile, or his arms wrapped around her, or any number of little things she had barely noticed consciously.

~~~~~~~~~
* . . . *
~~~~~~~~~

Once more two male figures stood facing each other in the dim light of an unknown, non-descript structure.

"I told you, I always hit my mark."

The sound of coins jingling was the only answer to the words.

"I'll get to the next tonight, well ahead of schedule. You'd better have the coin."

"I think you're dangerously overconfident. It's going to get the better of you some day."

"Jealousy is unbecoming. Just watch, and have the coin ready. You might learn something."

~~~~~~~~~
* . . . *
~~~~~~~~~

The argument with her mother had become heated near the end. Devan was ready to head into town, and her mother just kept arguing in circles. It was only her father's intervention that ended the argument and gave Devan the break she needed to kiss her mother goodbye before leaving for the evening.

As she had the night before, she stopped at the barn to get rid of her 'safe' clothes. Because her father was in the house, she only stashed the clothes and exited the barn's back door to walk into town. She was going to have a tougher time resisting her desires tonight, not having cooled them somewhat with her fingers in the loft.

While she walked, Devan popped the top two buttons on her powder blue dress. The result was that the upper globes of her breasts, tightly constrained by the intentionally undersized cut of the dress, were exposed along with an ample amount of cleavage. She was already somewhat aroused, and her nipples pressed against the material of the dress to good effect. The hem of the dress stopped just short of her knees, offering a good view of her long shapely legs.

Devan knew she was going to have a nightmare of a time getting the thing clean later, but decided it was worth the effort to draw Serhan's eyes.

He was watching and waiting for her when she arrived at the square. There were fewer people around the well this night, evidence of the fear the murders in surrounding area was causing.

"You look beautiful," Serhan said when she reached him.

"You look quite handsome too. Is that a new shirt, just for me?"

Serhan smiled and plucked at the fabric, "You like it?"

"Mmm hmm, I never noticed all those muscles before," she said with an exaggerated raise of her eyebrows.

The old man who lit the torches was already approaching, since it had taken Devan much longer to escape the house this evening. He glanced about warily, giving concerned glances to each of the young people that had chosen to venture out despite the news of the killings.

Devan sauntered toward the bench they had shared the night before, smoothed her gown, and sat down. Serhan sat down, very close to her, looking into her eyes and smiling.

There was little conversation that night and the kissing quickly progressed into heavy petting. Devan was barely restraining her desire for the young man, and she could sense the urgency in his touches as well. The only roaming journeys his hands took to her more intimate spots involved a few soft caresses of Devan's backside, carefully disguised by his hands spending a lot of time on her lower back as they kissed.

Devan couldn't help but encourage him a little, and she wondered if she didn't need it even more than he did. She guided his hands to her ass, drawing an aroused smile from him, and then the tongue wrangling kisses continued.

What little restraint Devan had left was beginning to wear thin. She was intensely attracted to Serhan, and he was showing a gentlemanly restraint that only made him all the more attractive. Her hand found its way between his legs of its own violation, and she didn't offer the slightest resistance when one of his hands started to caress her breasts.

They were startled out of their aroused trance by a commotion in the square. They both stood up and Devan instinctively put her hands into her spell component pouch, preparing to unleash her magic if necessary.

Most of the young couples scattered, but Devan was pleased to note that Serhan stood his ground, though he looked nervous. Eventually, a couple of the town's militiamen approached them and told them they should go home immediately, as someone believed they had seen a dark clad person creeping around the town.

It took a great deal of convincing to keep Serhan from trying to follow her home. They promised to meet again the next night if circumstances allowed and Serhan finally turned toward his home after a final kiss. It took a threat of using magic on the man to prevent one of the militiamen from trying to follow her home as well. Devan wasn't truly worried, as it all seemed like paranoia to her, but she kept what she needed to hurl lightning bolts close at hand as she hurried home, just in case.

Devan gathered up her safe clothing without incident and listened with amusement to her mother's excuse of sharpening the scissors. When she entered her room, she found Danica dead asleep. It was hardly surprising, as Devan remembered being utterly exhausted the night after she had first cast the fireball spell as well.

She stripped down and pulled on a nightshirt, then slid into bed. The sudden interruption and somewhat tense walk home had cooled her passions somewhat, but lying in her bed, they returned.

Devan glanced over at her sister, knowing that if she had been knocked out after her first fireball, Danica would be lucky to get up in the morning. It was unlikely that she was going to notice anything going on in the room until well into the morning.

All the heat Devan had felt with Serhan that night returned to her in a rush. Reaching beneath the sheets, she bunched up her nightshirt just below her breasts. With another wary glance at her sister, she pulled aside her panties and parted her legs.

Her pussy was already soaked, and she rubbed that wetness into her folds with a slight shiver. Two fingers rubbed up and down the parting of her lips, penetrating between them slightly. She wiggled those fingers back and forth slowly as she stroked them, rolling her wet folds with gentle pressure.

Devan's thumb rolled the erect bud beneath her hood with every few strokes of her fingers. Her hips began to hump rhythmically upward toward her fingers slightly as she caressed the aching need between her legs. Her pleasure mounted slowly, beginning as a faint tingle in her depths and slowly building with every stroke of her fingers.

As her pleasure grew in intensity, so did the speed and pressure of her fingers. Her other hand moved between her legs as well, taking over for her thumb and rolling her throbbing clit with increased speed and pressure. The fingers of her other hand began to penetrate deeper with each stroke, eventually pushing deep inside her. Devan could almost feel Serhan's cock penetrating her as she drew nearer to release.

At last, the pressure within her seemed to swell to an almost painful intensity. Devan buried three fingers deep within her, moving them back and forth slightly. Two fingers of her other hand rubbed her clit in tight circles until the bubble within her burst.

She choked back the squeal of pleasure that threatened to escape between her lips as she came. Her entire body stiffened, arching her back up off the bed slightly for a moment. As she sank to the bed once more, her orgasm rolled through her like an earthquake, causing her to tremble for nearly a full minute.

Devan pulled her fingers from her depths once her quivering died down. This set off a powerful aftershock that caused her to clamp her legs tightly together and arched her back once more. Devan brought her sticky fingers to her mouth, cleaning them and moaning quietly from the taste of her sweet wetness.

She lay slightly panting for breath for quite some time, finally pulling her panties back over her still quivering sex and straightening her nightshirt. She drifted off to sleep with a smile of contentment on her face.

~~~~~~~~~
* . . . *
~~~~~~~~~

Devan heard her parents talking about the slaying the night before when she awoke in the morning. Another young woman had been found murdered, a young man who had apparently been coupling with her unconscious nearby. It had happened at a cluster of farms that could almost be called a village, which were less than a quarter of an hour away at most.

Danica was still sound asleep, and Devan proved to be right in her estimation that her younger sister would not be up to go to school at the regular time. The master expected such when a student mastered a strong new spell, and would not be surprised by her late arrival.

Devan had to spend a lot of extra time washing, finding that her loins were covered in the dried evidence of the previous nights masturbation. She could not remember having ever been that wet before, and the soft, intense orgasm that she had experienced was something that was entirely new to her as well.

Devan knew there was no way she was going to convince her mother to let her leave that evening without a fight, so she decided to circumvent the argument. She waited until her mother was busy with chores, leaving her a note stating that she was going to stay in town with a friend that night. A bag of clothing and other necessities in hand, she hurried away before anyone could see her hasty departure.

Calling upon a few of her friends, Devan found the town abuzz with the news of the murder the night before. The young woman had a loose reputation in the area, and thus she was well known to nearly everyone through that infamy. It hit closer to home than the previous slayings, and all Devan's friends were in a virtual state of panic.

Devan was about ready to just surrender and go home, thinking there was no chance Serhan or anyone else would be out tonight. She walked toward the wagon yard where Serhan worked and all thoughts of returning home fled from her instantly.

Serhan was lifting a heavy load into one of the wagons preparing for departure. He was bare-chested, glistening with sweat, and every firm muscle in his body rippled as he worked. Devan instantly felt her juices flowing and knew there was no way she was leaving town without seeing him tonight. She also knew there was little chance she would be able to resist her desire to couple with Serhan this night, carefully laid plans be damned. He had a hold on her heart, and her body seemed a complete slave ready to satisfy his every whim.

A woman a few years older than Devan approached while she stood enraptured by the sight of Serhan at work. Erin had been a student at the school, but had never really acquired the drive or skill to work the Art well. She had eventually dropped out upon marrying, but was still close with many of the students, Devan included.

Devan managed to break away from her trance, walking along with Erin to the well to draw some water. Erin had hardly missed Devan's state upon encountering her, and they talked in low whispers about Serhan, giggling often, as they returned to Erin's house.

When Erin discovered that Devan meant to stay in town that night, she asked if Devan wished to stay with her. Her husband was away from town, and she certainly welcomed the company, especially with the news of a killer on the loose. Devan agreed, glad to have a place to stay so she would not have to return home, and the pair chatted throughout the day.

The closer it got to evening, the more Devan anticipated meeting Serhan, and the more intensely aroused she became. As during her walk, her arousal was mixed with troublesome thoughts about Serhan that pointed to her heart trying to weasel its way into her plans.

~~~~~~~~~
* . . . *
~~~~~~~~~

Once again, the sound of coins changing hands broke the silence of a shadowy structure.

"I told you, I'm that good."

"Well, you'll have to wait now before you'll have a chance to try your luck for the last. Everyone is on edge and there isn't likely to be a soul outside tonight. You'll not make your mark this day, and I doubt you'll do so in time to meet the agreement."

"We'll see about that. Haven't you learned yet not to underestimate me?"

"Know this; if things start getting out of control, I'm gone. I'll not be left in any situation that puts me in danger."

A derisive snort pierced the silence, "You're a coward."

"I'm practical."

"I suggest you practice that practicality, and don't try to cheat me of what I'm owed."

"I don't owe you anything yet, but I know better than to go back on my word."

"Just remember that. The night creeps up on us, time to get to work."

~~~~~~~~~
* . . . *
~~~~~~~~~

Serhan was easy to spot in the square this night, because he was the only one there. The sense of fear in town was absolutely palpable, and not a single one of the other young men and women who usually frequented the square had dared to come this evening.

Devan sauntered up to him, wearing a cream-colored top that was scandalously transparent and a matching skirt that was scandalously short. She was walking quickly, and doing little to hide the desire in her eyes. Spending the better part of the day daydreaming about Serhan had left little doubt in her mind where she would let things go tonight.

"It looks like we have the square all to ourselves," Serhan said when she reached him, lifting one of her hands, and kissing the back of it while looking up into her eyes.

Devan blushed and cast her eyes downward demurely for a moment. Her heart had leapt in her chest when he made the gesture, and that frustrated Devan more than a little once she realized her heart was trying to take over the situation.

She decided there was one quite simple way to overcome those softer feelings, and it was something just as intense within her at the moment. Devan let all the desire and arousal within her show in her expression as she spoke, "Maybe we should let the square have a break from being trampled on tonight and go somewhere else."

"Did you have somewhere in mind?"

"Somewhere private," Devan suggested with a crooked smile.

Serhan perked up, and Devan noticed something else was perking up as well. That interesting bulge in the front of his trousers was getting even larger, and even more interesting.

"I think I know a place," he replied and offered her his hand.

Devan smiled and allowed him to lead her away from the square and toward the edge of town. She soon guessed where they were going, to an abandoned house with a few ramshackle outbuildings that had stood empty for a few years now. The family that had lived there had simply packed up and left one day without a word. The townsfolk had considered tearing down the one room dwelling and its outbuildings several times, but had always hesitated thinking perhaps the family might return.

They reached the small dwelling and Serhan led her toward it, confirming Devan's suspicion. Rumor had it that many a young couple had used the old tumbledown house as a place to have their first sexual encounter. It was far enough on the edge of town that sounds of pleasure, even loud ones, would not carry with any volume to any other house in town.

When Serhan opened the door, the light of the full moon shining through the dingy windows revealed numerous makeshift pallets covering the floor of the building. Most looked like they were well used, to say the least, but a pair seemed to be newly put together. One even had a blanket upon it that seemed a recent arrival.

Devan's coy smile as she spoke revealed beyond any doubt that she was kidding and knew exactly why they were there, "Hmm, no chairs. Where ever will we sit and talk?"

Serhan smiled back, obviously knowing what she was thinking, "We could sit over there, it's pretty clean," he said gesturing toward the pallet with the newer blanket.

Devan sauntered over to the pallet and knelt down, Serhan right behind her. When he knelt down, Devan pulled him close and kissed him with a hot passion. The kiss lasted for some time, their hands roaming over each other's bodies, and they broke from it hesitantly.