The Arts Ardane 03

Snapping out of his stunned state of disbelief, Danell managed to mutter, "Deal."

Feeling needy and a little wanton, Devan sultrily pulled down the cotton cloth in a slow tease. Danell's eyes moved from her bared breasts as she revealed the red curls on her mound and her moist folds. Even as the thin undergarment dropped to her ankles, Devan realized that she would need some small animal to cast the spell on once she got it.

Stepping out of her panties with one foot, she lifted them from the floor with the other, giving Danell an even better look at the hidden pink treasure between her nether lips. Transferring her payment from her toes to her hand, she held the panties out to Danell. He didn't hesitate in the slightest when he took them, rubbing the slightly damp crotch between his finger and thumb.

"I'm going to need something to cast the spell on. I suppose I'm going to need to borrow your mouse, too." Reaching down between his legs, Devan's eyebrows arched upward in surprise when she felt the size of his swollen manhood. She nearly gave in to her own need at that moment, but knew that he couldn't possibly resist bragging to someone if she did. Having always harbored some curiosity about whether she could make a man come with just her hands, she thought she had the perfect solution.

Wriggling her fingers into his robe, she traced her fingers over his erection through his undergarments. "Okay, you can borrow him," Danell said in a rush.

A sly smile spread across Devan's face. "That was a little quick. I haven't offered anything in trade yet."

"I thought..." His face flushed with color, even as his manhood throbbed beneath her fingertips.

"Too late, you've already made the deal. I don't think you'll consider it a bad trade, though." Tugging on the tie of his robe, she loosened the knot and parted his robe. When she pulled down his underwear, the sight of him confirmed her estimation of his size. Once again, she nearly succumbed to temptation, and once again, she resisted.

Wrapping her hand around the swollen organ, she slowly stroked it while cupping the dangling orbs beneath in her other hand. "Not a word to anyone – ever – or we stop right here."

Danell nodded enthusiastically and let out a long groan.

"And be quiet," Devan admonished.

He clamped his mouth closed and nodded again, his hips twitching and his cock swelling in Devan's stroking hand.

Letting her hand rasp over his turgid flesh a little faster, Devan leaned in to whisper, "Does that feel good?"

"Yes," he responded in a stifled grunt.

"Good," she purred and once again increased the speed and pressure while stroking her fingers over his jewels in her other hand.

The pace of his breathing steadily increased, as did the frequency of the pulsing throbs in his manhood. A dribble of pre-cum dripped onto Devan's hand, prompting her to lick her lips and nearly bring her hand to her mouth to taste him. Once again, she resisted.

Noticing his eyes locked on her breasts, jiggling from her ministrations and tingling from her own arousal, she huskily whispered, "You can touch them, but that's all."

He reached out almost before she finished speaking, sighing as his fingers brushed over the firm globe of her right breast. His fingers moved to her nipple only a moment later, relieving some of the almost painful tingling from her arousal that Devan felt.

After a quiet moan, Devan said, "That feels good." From the sounds of his rapid breathing and the look in his eyes, she doubted he even heard her.

Devan stroked him even faster, her mouth watering as she watched the purple helmet of his cock swelling above her pumping hand. She'd never actually watched a man reach his peak before, and found the thought exciting. Hearing him groan, she looked up to see his eyes and mouth both tightly closed. She looked back down as his muscles tensed, just in time.

A thick stream of semen spurted from him, arching up to spatter over her hand and leaving a sticky trail on his chest. A second spurt followed, and then a final welling of his seed coated the tip of his organ and her still slowly stroking hand. His knees were wobbling, and his whole body trembled.

Fascinated by the sight, Devan kept stroking his shaft until he had to remove his hand from her breast to catch his balance. She uncurled her hand from around his shaft and brought her fingers to her lips.

Still panting for breath, Danell watched her lick his semen from her hand and shivered. Her own aching need overwhelmed her, and she grasped his hand to pull it to her sex. Extending two of his fingers, she thrust them into her depths. After a pair of instructional tugs, he caught on to her desire and stroked the digits inside her.

Still licking his cream from her fingers and savoring the bitter, salty taste, Devan rubbed her bud with her free hand. Only a few seconds later, she bit her lower lip as she too climaxed. As her strength left her, she and Danell both sank to their knees to fight for breath. Devan let out a sharp gasp as his fingers slid from inside her in the process.

Grasping his wrist, Devan pushed Danell's fingers upward toward his mouth. He sucked them, tasting her juices. At the same time, Devan picked up her panties, now lying on the floor at his feet with a dollop of his cum decorating the cloth. Careful to avoid his seed, she rubbed the cotton over her damp folds to coat them in her milky nectar.

Pressing the panties into his hand, Devan struggled back to her feet. He remained on his knees, still fighting for breath and staring at her sex right in front of his face. The temptation to pull him between her legs was almost irresistible.

"N-not a word to anyone, and you go fetch me the spell and the mouse now," Devan managed to get out.

Danell nodded and struggled to his feet. "That was..."

Devan shook her head, pulling her robe closed at the same time. "Just go. This isn't going to happen again. You should really get over being shy, because you have a nice cock and a soft touch. Now get dressed and go."

Danell swallowed and nodded his head, bending down to pull up his shorts, also spattered with his semen. He managed to force his trembling fingers to function well enough to close his robe, and then walked slowly toward the door. He glanced back when he opened the portal, but Devan gave him a stern glance and waved him on his way.

As soon as he closed the door, a quavering sigh bubbled from Devan's lips, and she let her robe fall open once more. Tightly pressing her hand over her sex, she shivered once more and brought her fingers to her lips to taste her own juices. After licking her fingers clean, she properly tied her robe and sat down to await Danell's return.

Danell had mastered his breathing upon his return. He placed the mouse in its small cage and a copy of the spell on the table in front of her. He cast his eyes downward for a moment and said, "Thank you." He then hurried toward the door and out of the room.

Devan smiled, imagining that he would likely come again in his own room very soon, probably with her creamy panties pressed to his nose.

Mouse and spell both forgotten in the face of that image, Devan's robe opened once more. She reached another orgasm in her chair before returning to Laurel's room to sleep for the night.

~~~~~~~

*D<~>D***********

~~~~~~~

Devan skipped her classes for the day, a little surprised when Lauren offered no scolding whatsoever. The older woman had simply said, "Everyone needs a break now and then," before leaving.

After feeding the mouse, Devan sat down to study the new spell. Only taking breaks to relax her eyes and for a quick meal, she felt the warm tingle that signaled she had mastered the spell in late afternoon.

Although tempted to try the spell out immediately, she knew that a brief rest would help her recover from the strain of studying the spell, and that in turn would give strength to the magic when she unleashed it. Hoping to speed up her recovery, she lay down on the bed for a rare, brief afternoon nap.

Though she slept longer than she had intended, Devan still awoke well before the end of classes for the day. She couldn't remember anything from it, but she'd obviously awakened from an erotic dream, considering the way she felt. Deciding that was the last distraction she needed at the moment, she walked over to the table to cast her new spell for the first time.

Centering her mind, she took the tame little mouse out of its cage. The creature curiously examined its surroundings, but made no attempt to flee. It likewise didn't react when Devan cast the spell, obviously used to the odd words and gestures.

When the magic sprang to life, Devan closed her eyes and concentrated. A little laugh and a smile marked her success when she could see through the mouse's eyes and direct its movements. She could sense that the magic worked especially well with the highly trained mouse, and decided that she would ask Danell to train a mouse for her to use with the spell. If he managed to stay quiet about their last transaction, she thought that she would enjoy the trade for that service as well.

Shaking those thoughts out of her head, she nudged the mouse into motion. It crawled down from the table with the tenacious skill of the species, scurrying across the floor toward the door. Devan then discovered that she had some limited contact with the creature's mind when she sensed it seeking out a means to leave the room. After she gave the mouse free reign to explore, it quickly located a hole large enough to squeeze through to reach the space between the walls.

From there, Devan offered general directional guidance, but otherwise let the mouse follow its instincts. If she had found this spell during the course of normal studies, she would have dismissed it as nearly worthless. Having found a need for the spell before gaining the magic, she had to admit that the way she judged the value of spells was rather narrow. In the back of her mind, she made a note to broaden her horizons. If other minor spells such as this could prove so useful, she would do well to study them.

The mouse navigated the school with remarkable speed, rarely entering the areas where humans dwelled in favor of the hidden spaces of the building. Soon enough, it found a way to enter Aristel's room.

At that point, Devan assumed tighter control, sending the creature directly toward the side of the bed she'd seen disturbed in her previous observations. Though naturally dark beneath the bed, Devan found she could utilize all of the mouse's senses to see perfectly. The creature naturally gravitated toward some loose boards beneath the bed.

Devan nudged her charmed rodent toward the boards, and it quickly found the means to squeeze beneath the floor. Though far too long a drop for the tiny mouse, Devan knew that the distance was easily within reach of Aristel to access the long-sealed cellar below. At first, she could see no evidence of anyone having entered the cellar. Then, she recognized broken cobwebs and a single, partially obscured footprint.

Deciding that she'd learned all she could at the moment with the mouse, Devan ordered it to return to her. When the creature arrived, she put it back in its cage and sat down to consider how to proceed.

~~~~~~~

*D<~>D***********

~~~~~~~

Lauren returned that evening to find Devan pacing the floor. "You don't look like you spent the day relaxing," the brunette observed.

Devan shook her head and said, "I learned a new spell, but I'm finding it has irritating limitations."

Seeing the caged mouse on the table, Lauren guessed, "Animal control?"

"Yes. I suppose I could find a different animal to charm, but I don't want cages full of animals to take care of all the time to deal with different situations. If I wanted to look after animals, I would have just stayed on the farm."

A slight smile tugged at the corners of Lauren's mouth as she responded, "I suppose that has something to do with your lack of interest in herbs as well."

Devan let out a short chuckle and continued to pace, lost in thought about how to overcome the barriers she'd encountered. The mouse had shown her enough to prove that Aristel was up to something, but she needed to get closer to find out what.

Lauren asked, "Exactly what problems are you encountering?"

Devan answered, "Well, I would either need to teach a mouse to fly, charm some sort of flying bug, or have some way to cast spells with the mouse as a focal point from a distance."

Lauren knew immediately that Devan wasn't pondering possible problems she would encounter with the spell. The redhead was attempting to find a solution to something she'd already encountered. "The last is possible. You aren't the first to lament the difficulties presented by that spell, and one found a way to deal with it. There is such a spell that does exactly what you described as your last solution. It will allow you to cast spells over the charmed animal from any distance that you can control it, and even cast spells through the creature as though you were present in its location."

That stopped Devan in her tracks. If she could work her magic through the mouse, she could disable the wards on Aristel's door and unlock it with ease. While such things were difficult – and nearly impossible to hide – from the outside of the door, they were simple from within the room. "Do you know the spell?"

"Oh, of course," Lauren responded and winked. "I used to have a positively charming cat that everyone adored when I was young and prone to interest in gossip. The spell is very difficult. It wouldn't normally be considered within your ability for several years now. I have the feeling that your skill and determination will allow you to overcome those barriers, however."

"So you'll teach it to me?"

Lauren walked past Devan to the cabinet where she kept her spellbooks, patting the redhead on the bottom as she spoke. "Of course. You'll need to keep up with your regular studies, however. I won't allow this to interfere with the school curriculum. No matter how stifling I find the course of study here, I'm obligated as one of the instructors to follow it."

"I understand," Devan said with obvious excitement in her voice.

The older woman pulled out the appropriate volume and flipped to the page with only the slightest glance, the pages of her spellbooks so familiar to her that she could almost determine what page she was on by the simple touch of her fingers. "We'll copy the spell this evening, and you can look over it a little. I would suggest that you don't attempt to start on it tonight, however. I have a few bottles of wine stored away, if you'd like to take the opportunity to relax a little tonight?"

"Sure, why not," Devan responded, hoping it would take her mind off her steadily building sexual frustration. She'd gone longer without sex before, but never because she had no choice.

A short while later, while examining the copied spell, Devan had to agree that the inflections and gestures of the spell were going to prove difficult. Like Lauren, she had confidence that she could overcome those barriers to learn the spell, however. When Lauren returned to the room with her wine and two glasses, Devan put the spell aside for the evening.

Lauren guided the conversation, starting first with the common ground of things magical. After a while, she moved the conversation on to womanly discussions, eventually turning the topic toward sex.

The brunette instructor could barely contain her desires as Devan relaxed enough to openly discuss intimate details of sexual encounters later in the evening. Lauren took many opportunities to touch the younger woman during their conversation, and found that Devan didn't flinch away or react at all.

In the end, she had to excuse herself as Devan prepared for bed, quickly making her way to her private office to tame the heat between her legs with her fingers.

~~~~~~~

*D<~>D***********

~~~~~~~

Devan kept her promise, maintaining all her normal studies while concentrating on the new spell in all her spare time. As she watched the redhead study, Lauren had to amend her original estimation of the young woman's ability. Devan was picking up the difficult spell with ease beyond even Lauren's genuine endorsement of the young woman's skill. This revelation only increased the older woman's respect and desire for Devan by the day.

Word arrived two days later that another theft had occurred on the road just outside town. Much to Devan's irritation, the Master of the school still did not relax the restrictions upon the campus. Concentrating on the difficult spell helped to distract her from that reality, and so she did so in every spare moment.

Early in the evening of the following day, Devan pronounced the last word of the spell. She stiffened and trembled as a hot sensation of near orgasmic energy seemingly flooded her every pore. The feeling was far stronger than that accompanying any other spell Devan had ever mastered, leaving her feeling as though she were floating above her seat in the sensual caress of the magic.

When the sensation finally faded, she slumped forward with a loud gasp, which caused Lauren to look up from her work. The older woman quickly crossed the room and asked, "The spell is yours?"

Devan could manage only a weak nod, feeling as drained as if she had spent the entire day hurling the most powerful spells she knew.

Covering the redhead's hand with her own, Lauren caressed Devan's fingertips and said, "Congratulations. That spell was far more difficult than anything you've previously studied, and you'll likely feel weak for an hour or two. Why don't you let me help you into the bath? I've always found that helps to speed my recovery."

Her eyes heavy and feeling as though she barely had the strength to sit up, Devan muttered, "Okay," willing to try anything that might get her back on her feet sooner.

Lauren had to assist Devan to stand, and support her faltering steps to the tub. The brunette then helped Devan out of her clothes, finding it nearly impossible to prevent her hands from straying to the younger woman's revealed skin.

Devan sank back into the water with an exhausted sigh, letting her head rest on the edge of the tub. Lauren had to close her eyes and take a deep breath as she watched the water gently lap around Devan's breasts, the peaks breaking the surface of the water like two small islands.

She turned and said, "I think it might be time for some wine. That always helps me recover as well, and I believe a little celebration is in order."

Devan smiled and gave a small nod, letting the warmth of the bath seep into her body.

Lauren returned with the wine and held out the glass to Devan, who took it and sipped with a moan of satisfaction. In her weakened state, it felt as though the alcohol went directly from her lips to her head. The warming sensation added to that of the bath to give Devan a little energy.

Lauren took a sip of her wine and said, "As I said, I believe the curriculum is too restrictive – especially for one with as much talent as you. If you think you are up to the task, I would be willing to continue teaching you advanced spells. You will still have to keep up with your normal studies, of course."

"That might keep me from feeling so bored and stifled around here. It will probably just make the rest of the men even more jealous for me to have private instruction, though," Devan said, and then rolled her eyes before taking another sip of wine.

Lauren scoffed and waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. "Let them be jealous. Perhaps it will spur them on to greater achievement. You may very well be the best thing that ever happened to this school. The Master might just come to understand the advantages of teaching according to a student's skill, rather than an intractable set of norms."