The Beginning Ch. 17-18

"Vince has gotten so much worse since Swati started seeing Ronald. He was unbearable before, but he's outright hostile now. I genuinely think he's looking for a way to kill me, either because he buys Byrav's Kool Aid, or because he blames me for Swati and Ronald.

"Huh, what a coincidence! The woman I love and the man I hate both think I'm why Swati and Ronald are together. How about that?"

I heaved a big sigh and just sat in silence for a while, watching a few wispy clouds drift across the sky.

"I really miss you, you know? I wish you were here with me, teaching me about all this. Can you guys imagine what it would be like to teach me how to cast a spell or how to wield a weapon?

"That's how it should have been. It should have been you; both of you.

"There are nights I lie awake and wonder if things could have turned out differently. Maybe if you hadn't kept all this from me, maybe if you'd told me sooner... I might have Emerged earlier, might have been able to help when we were attacked. Heck, maybe we would have been at the Academy, and the attack might never have happened! So much could have gone so differently..."

I just sat there in silence, imagining all the ways my life could have been different if things had unfolded differently four years ago. Deep down, I knew that nothing could have changed the events of that night, and I'd accepted it years ago; I still couldn't help but wonder.

If there was some sort of time travel spell that I could use to go back and save them, I'd have cast it in an instant.

The events of our lives are not ours to change. They are merely ours to experience. Wonder not what could have been different, but embrace what was, what is, and what will be. That, is the only path forward.

"Wonder where I read that?" I mused aloud, before heaving another sigh and standing up. Dusting myself off, I used the fire spell to incinerate the rest of the candle, akin to how the ancient Greeks would burn their offerings to the gods.

When all that was left was a tiny pile of ash from the wick, I cut the spell off. Taking a deep breath, I blew the ashes out over the lake. The particles were too small for me to actually see where they landed, but I always liked to imagine that they'd scatter across the lake, some of them finding their way to the Gates in the center.

"I love you," I whispered in goodbye, before turning around to head back to my Abode.

***

The living room lights were off as I opened the front door.

"Rayka?" I called, taking my slippers off by the light of the streetlamps outside.

"In here," she responded as I shut the door, finally noticing the faint glow emanating from our bedroom, the door to which was ajar.

My eyes took a second to adjust to the darkness, but once they did, I could safely make my way through the living room. Even though Rayka had moved in a while ago, we hadn't changed the layout of our Abode much, other than adding in an additional wardrobe for her clothes, and a weapons rack next to the front door.

I glanced over at it, making sure that my practice sword, quarterstaff, and bow and quiver were all there, next to Rayka's twin daggers and throwing knives. All the weapons were made of wood, weighted realistically.

From what I was told, once we were done with our training, the Academy's Weaponsmiths would help us forge our own weapons. I didn't really know what the process entailed yet, but I was excited to find out. Similarly, when we were ready, Armorers would make us Armor that would go on the mannequins in our clothes wardrobes.

A few months after I'd started casting spells, Rayka had explained that the wardrobe with all the little drawers was for me to store any excess Media that I collected over the years. I'd started filling them up, but even when she added in her own collection, it still wasn't even a quarter full.

It still amazed me how abundant in metal and mineral resources the Academy dimensions were. Vast portions of those resources were actually traded in the Mundane world, the revenue from which, combined with stock market revenues, financed Academy operations or expenses out there. It really was a neat little system.

"Honey," I said, as I pushed open the door to our bedroom, "how much mo—"

The question died in my throat as I took in the scene before me. Rayka had taken the time I'd spent at the Gates to light dozens of fragrant candles, which suffused the room with a pleasant, tropical scent. The dancing flames sent shadows flickering across the room, the soft light playing across the expanse of soft skin that was postured enticingly on the bed.

She was reclining against the headboard, one leg bent at the knee, her heel flush against her crotch. A thick red ribbon encircled her chest, tassels flowing down from where her nipples would be, rippling as they hid her body from view. A huge, intricate knot lay in the valley between her breasts; a quick tug, and it would all fall away.

"Well?" she asked, smiling coyly and crooking a finger at me. "Don't you want to unwrap your present?"

I stood there for a second, my throat dry, frozen like a deer caught in the headlights. I'd seen her naked before, but there was something about the scant light playing across her skin, the red of the ribbon, and those brief flashes of what it was hiding, that just seemed to elevate my arousal.

My member straining against the cloth of my briefs snapped me out of my trance, and I ripped the shawl off my shoulders with a flair. Sending a quick shot of magic through my trousers and bracers, I rushed towards the bed as they fell to the ground.

She rose up to meet me halfway, her lips crashing passionately against mine as we knelt on the bed. Her warm hands gripped my back tightly, nails digging into my skin.

As our tongues danced with each other, my hands roamed across her back, the interplay between the texture of the ribbon and her velvety skin sending thrills through my body. I brought my hand around to the front, reaching for the bow, but she swatted it away.

"Use your teeth," she whispered into my ear, her sensuous tone and warm breath causing my rod to twitch.

Noticing the movement down below, she locked eyes with me, a sultry expression on her face as she slipped her hands into my underwear. Gripping my erection with both hands, she stroked me slowly, maintaining eye contact. The deep-set trust and love that her eyes seemed to convey were a softness that clashed with the lewdness of her actions, and it had a discernible effect.

If there was one thing Rayka knew, it was how to push all the right buttons.

A tight squeeze brought my attention back to her, and she smirked and bore her neck, a clear indication of what she wanted me to do. I was, of course, more than happy to oblige.

Bracing her back and her head with my hands, I leaned forward to kiss her jaw, before leaving a trail of kisses down her neck. I'd learned where a few of her own buttons were, her hands pausing as my teeth grazed across that spot on her neck.

Our bodies had learned how to move together over the years, and she responded instinctively as I leaned forward. Reclining completely, her hands moved to my back as I kissed my way down to the knot between her breasts. Tugging at what I thought was the right tab with my teeth, I grinned as the entire knot came undone, bearing my prize in all its glory.

"Well done, my hero!" she proclaimed, wrapping her hands around the back of my neck, her eyes twinkling with mirth. "You may now claim the spoils of your victory!"

Her choice of words, calling me her "hero", reminded me of something. It was like a memory that was there, yet forgotten, like a word that's on the tip of your tongue. The analyst in me wanted to stop and figure it out, but all power had been diverted to my auxiliary brain, and it was rather single-minded in its intent.

It certainly didn't help that the tip of my tongue was wrestling with hers, as she ground her pelvis against mine. Wriggling my hands out from under her, I pushed my briefs down, her feet rising up to help push them all the way off my legs. I moaned as she continued grinding against me, her hot wetness coating me with slick fluids.

She gripped me with one hand, pointing me to her opening, her other hand gripping the backside of my neck as I slowly pushed my way in.

"That's it," she moaned, throwing her head back as I sheathed myself in her, "show me how well you wield that staff!"

I couldn't help but pause as her double entendre made its way through my lust-clouded mind. As it took root in the funny centre of my brain, I crashed onto my forearms, laughter wracking my body.

"Really?" I wheezed, "That's what you went for!"

"Shut up!" she exclaimed, trying to act indignant, but I could see the corners of her mouth lifting up into a smile.

I rolled off her as she started laughing too, the mirth leeching away our arousal. We just lay there for a while, chortling like teenagers. Each time I thought we were done, I'd look at her again, and it would set off another wave of laughter.

We eventually managed to stop, her head resting on my chest as I traced patterns on her shoulder.

"I totally killed the mood, didn't I?" she asked, looking up at me and pouting.

"It's okay," I replied, kissing the top of her head, "that was so worth it."

"I think somebody might disagree," she argued, wrapping a hand around my deflated staff, and tugging at it softly.

"Oh?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Well, if you wake him up, he may demand retribution."

"I think I can manage that," she breathed, straddling me and kissing me deeply.

It didn't take long for me to return to peak hardness, my member brushing against her velvety folds as she humped against me. She broke the kiss and leaned back, rising up to take me in. She hissed softly as she sank back down on to me, and I took the chance to play with her breasts, squeezing them and tweaking her nipples, which caused her to shudder with pleasure, her lips clamping down around me.

Bracing herself with her arms on my shoulders, she rode me leisurely, giving me a show as she gyrated on top of me. I lay quiet for as long as I could, but it was eventually too much, and I grabbed hold of her waist. Reading my expression, she fell flat against me, her hands knotting in my hair as we kissed.

Shifting my grip to her firm behind, I started directing her movements, and we slowly ramped up to an energetic rhythm, our bodies moving in sync. Her breath caught as she came, and I took the pause as an indication to move even faster, driving myself powerfully into her, as wet slapping sounds filled the room.

The increased stimulation elongated her orgasm and set off multiple smaller ones, the waves of pleasure undulating across her body as she broke the kiss, tossing her head back and yelling in release. The way her lips twitched against my shaft was too much for me; grunting loudly, I thrust up into her one last time, my entire body going taut like a drawn string as I exploded into her. We crashed down together, our combined fluids leaking out of her and down our sweat-slicked bodies, neither of us bothering to extricate ourselves from the tangle of limbs we'd become.

"Happy birthday, my love," she panted, planting soft kisses against my chin. I could only nod in response, my heart jackhammering harder than after any of my training sessions.

"Wait!" I shouted, untangling myself and sitting up in a panic, "Training! Swati is going to kill me. Maybe literally."

"Relax," she murmured, giggling as she pulled me back down and snuggled into me, "did you really think I wouldn't plan for us to be up all night? I've already made arrangements."

"What arrangements?" I asked her, turning my head to fix her with a piercing look.

"You don't want to know," she replied, her expression somehow mischievous and cryptic at the same time.

"Rayka Morkitov," I stated sternly, sitting up on my forearm and turning towards her, "if you don't tell me, I will have to tickle you."

"No!" she exclaimed, hitting my chest, "You can't resort to the same threat every single time!"

"Does that mean that it doesn't work anymore?" I asked her, waggling my fingers menacingly.

"Stop!" she groaned, as I moved my hand towards her. "Fine, I'll tell you, but you'll wish I hadn't!"

"I'll be the judge of that," I responded, dropping back down and turning on my side to look at her.

"Well," she said, coquettishly, tracing patterns on my chest with a nail and avoiding eye contact, "I may have told Ronald that I wanted to keep you up all night, and I might have suggested that he do the same to Swati."

"Oh my God," I mumbled, feeling my ears warm up as they undoubtedly went red, "you didn't! Rayka! They- I- Ron-"

"Oh, but I did," she whispered, bringing her lips to my ear. "I told Ronald that I planned to wear you out so much, you wouldn't be able to move tomorrow, much less spar."

I just looked at her, dumbfounded, a weird mix of arousal and embarrassment running through me.

"I see someone likes that idea," she continued, nibbling my ear as she stroked me to hardness again. "Now, you wouldn't want to make me a liar, would you?"

"No," I whispered, pushing through the embarrassment as I pushed her onto her back and positioned myself above her, "I certainly wouldn't want that."

"Attaboy," she said approvingly, smiling widely. "Now, show me what you can do."

******

A/N: If you've enjoyed reading this tale, please do vote, and consider leaving a comment or shooting me an email. You're more than welcome to do so anonymously. There's nothing better than reading that someone likes your work.

If any of you have any questions, I'd be more than happy to start answering them, as well. Thanks for reading this far!