The Ghosts of Talverton Keep

"Worried about unexpected visitors? I promise, you invited me." Jerome is at the doorway, still shirtless, with the two glasses of wine.

"More concerned about the storm." You beckon him in. He sets the glasses down and in one smooth motion, takes you in his arms, unfurling kisses on your throat, pulling you down towards your bed.

You let him lay you back, as gentle as a feather while you play with his chest, tracing little circles with your fingers on his chest. His eyes catch the flickering firelight at an odd angle, lighting up, and his smile glints in the shadow. You feel his hardness pressing against you.

He starts to bunch up your skirts and you grope in his trousers for his cock. It jumps forward in your hand, the bulbous head still rock hard. You look him in the eyes and then slowly, agonizingly slowly, you trace your outer lips with his cock. He shudders above you, unable to look away, his whole body taut.

"Fuck." He moans.

"Stay with me." You say, your voices light as warm waves of pleasure fan out through your body. He groans in frustration as you reverse, gently sliding him up and down in little hidden patterns outside, never entering.

"From the moment you first arrive here, you've been horny, right? Really fired up." You begin.

:"Yes." He says, holding your gaze. You shiver, teasing yourself with him, rubbing your clit with his cock, his body suspended above you, but still. Holding your gaze. Never breaking from staring into you. "That is true."

"And what have you done about it?" You ask, reaching up to run a hand through his hair, letting your breath come steady and rhythmic. "Have you fucked anyone here?"

He shakes his head. "No. Most days, I am grateful for my workshop. I can relieve myself there with few interruptions."

"Is anyone else here fucking? From the outside world." He shakes his head, slowly rocking his body in time with yours, not thrusting, just slowly grinding without penetration.

"Well there's your problem." You arch your back up, spreading your legs wide up into the air. You fold one leg around his slim hips and pull him in.

"Don't you know that these worlds are powered by orgasms?" His eyes go wide as he slides inside you, his thick satisfying cock stretching you perfectly.

"Fu-fu-fuuuuck." He keeps pressing down and in, seeming to swell inside you. Finally, after you are full to the brim, he bottoms out and holds it there. His eyes never leave yours.

"Tell me more." He commands, grinding his hips against your clit in a way that leaves you breathless.

"These creatures, the aliens that inhabit the metal, they are powered by sex." You explain, struggling to keep focused as he slowly, leisurely, pulls his way back out, stopping to flex inside you along the way. Your eyes are welling up from the sensation. You pull at him impatiently with your legs but he never waivers, gently beginning to push himself back in.

"They draw their life from it," You are so wet, sopping as he bottoms out once again, grinding into you. "Fuck!" You shout in frustration, raking his back with your nails. This is becoming too much.

"It's a need, a hunger - it's seeping in through the walls of this world." He sloshes into you, your sex clenching, building in waves as he thrusts aggressively.

"A hunger, yes!" He says, the bed creaking under the assault, his eyes wild with passion but never closed. He reaches down and works your clit sending you higher and higher. "A need!"

"That's why . . ." you huff but are unable to finish your thought.

"OH GOD!" You shout, your voice ringing in the stone room. The orgasm seizes you, like a rogue wave, catching you off guard and hurtling through you. You throw your head back and arch your back off. He plunges in to the hilt and buries his face in neck, biting at your throat and squeezing your breasts.

"Aaghggnnn!" he cums in thick ropes deep within you, as everything comes in a gush. Your breath comes in gasps as you clutch him to your chest, your sweaty bodies mashed together.

He gives a deep, satisfied sigh, and then, in ragged breaths, you feel him nuzzle you, urging you over in the bed so he can pull the thick coverlet over you both, as the fire slowly fades to embers.

###

Knock knock. The morning light feels odd, but waking up in an unusual place always feels a little disorienting. You roll over, feeling the empty space in the bed. No sign of the good doctor - tastefully slipping out while you sleep.

Knock knock. The sound is slightly more determined this time. "Time to be up, miss Brenna." Isla's voice is firm for one so young.

"Alright, I'm up." You answer, padding off to the bathroom, as Isla brings in a tray and some fresh clothing. You splash some water from the pitcher over your face and chest, noticing your shirt torn in a few unfortunate places.

"Oh! You really did get cut up a bit." Isla says as you come out of the bathroom. Some of your scratches must have come open as you find a little blood on your fingers. She dabs at your neck with a cloth napkin while you make short work of the eggs, fruit and nuts that make up your breakfast.

"What do you think you will be doing today?" Isla asks. She gestures over to your bed where she's laid out a fresh outfit. "Will I need my riding boots today?"

Your head is still a whirl from last night so you pull on the fresh cotton shirt, jerkin and riding skirt, but fend off a hair piece that Isla tries to install on your head.

"I'm going to head to the village and speak with Aileena," Isla purses her lips to speak but you are already rushing ahead, "I need to see if their cleansing spell worked. If you must, I'll meet up long before nightfall at the city well."

"But Miss Brenna," Isla begins as you start down the hallway, "the stables are that way!"

"Don't worry about me, I just need to check on something." You answer, already descending down the stairs to Jerome's workshop. But a quick search in the dank, jumbled space proved fruitless, no sign of your amorous doctor.

You jog back up the steps and catch Isla pulling the sheets from your bed.

"Oh no, you don't need to wash anything." You say.

She jumps, guilty.

"Sorry miss, you got some blood on the sheets and I need to get it cleaned up." She explains.

"Actually, I'm looking for Dr. Jerome Kerr." You ask. She looks at you bemused. "Where could I find him? He's not in his laboratory."

"Well, I don't see much of him. Most of the time he is working down there with his experiments and all, or meeting with Lady Josephine." She points down the hallway.

"But if you go up those stairs two flights, his room is on the far east corner of the keep."

"Thank you!" You hustle along the stone steps and come to his somber wooden door. You knock, the thuds feeling extra loud in the morning light but no sound returns from within. You try the doorknob, but it is locked. Peaking down at the bottom of the door, you see that someone has even sealed off the gap between the wood door and the stone floor.

"Jerome?" You call out, but no response. Finally, you shrug and head down to the stables to mount up and ride to the village.

###

Aileena is at her forge first thing in the morning, oiling her armor. She gives you a tense smile as you untangle yourself from the saddle and reach solid ground. She comes over and helps you tie up the reins on a nearby ring.

"So, did it work?" You blurt out. She shakes her head. .

"Yes and no." Aileena begins. "There were a few that appeared during Caelan's watch but they did not cross the circle."

"That's good!" You say.

"But, by the time I joined him, they had started to gather near the north side of the village, about fifteen of these apparitions, all pressing in at one spot. They rushed through all at once."

She looked down and kicked the dirt. "Caelan was so brave, he pushed me out of the way. They seized him." Her voice cracks.

"They held him fast as two more crawled into his mouth. It's a dreadful thing, to be possessed by spirits. It does terrible things to you."

She shudders. "Now he lies in his bed, hot with fever."

"Oh no! Is there anything I can do to help?" Aileena pulls her armor on.

"The spirits inside him are fierce, and the longer they stay, the more harm they can do. I relieved some of their fever this morning," she grimaces, "but he needs more than I can provide."

"I'm headed into the woods to find the silver berry of the weeping vine. It should relieve his fever until the spirits pass." She grabs her bow and shoulder bag.

"If you want to help you can either come with me and search or stay here and tend to Caelan." She pauses for a moment and lowers her voice. "Although there is another way." She looks around nervously. "You could speak to Nyree. She may be able to expel the spirits with her magicks. I would go myself but we are no longer speaking."

"I've faced down my share of disagreeable witches," you say. "Where can I find Nyree?"

Aileena wrinkles her nose.

"Well, you don't lack for courage, I'll give you that. Follow the river north, when you get to the giant fallen log, follow the estuary up the foothills, it leads to a fire pool where she likes to linger on cool mornings like this."

"River to the Log, up the mountain, hot springs. Got it." You answer.

Aileena gives you a curt nod and then sets off at a jog towards the tree line.

You wander along the grassy field between the village and the forest where Caelen, Aileena and you had cast the circle the day before, the dew illuminating the spiderwebs in the morning sun. Your skin feels prickly and painful as you squint into the light, cutting a swath towards the river.

CRUNCH. The usual swish of grass is interrupted by a heavy crunch, like crushing a handful of tortilla chips under a boot. Looking down, you see the grass here is scorched - a patch almost six feet wide has burned away. You reach down, a long blade of charred grass breaking away in your hand, crumbling to glassy flakes.

"What happened here?" You glance back towards the hut shared by Caelen and Aileena. You could make a quick stop to see how he is doing.

###

You hear his moans before you even reach the door. The whimpering, groaning of a suffering man. Pushing open the wooden door, you call out.

"Caelan? It's me, Brenna." The table and cook station are messy and unkempt. From the door on the far side of the room, you hear a hoarse voice.

"Brenna?" Caelan answers.

You cautiously make your way through the main chamber to the bedroom. Two spartan bunks are on opposite sides of the room with a small table next to one, and a simple wood dresser next to the other.

In the far bed, Caelen is bare chested, a white sheet tangled around his waist. He looks up at you, wild-eyed and in distress.

"Brenna! Thank god!" He moans again, his eyes screwed shut.

"I'm here, what do you need?" You ask. His body is covered in a thin layer of sweat.

"Please, you've got to help. Aileena, she did what she could but it's . . . it's too much."

He moans and writhes in the bed, his skin flush and you see the problem. The thin blanket is tenting around his enormous erection, hard and throbbing, threatening to tear the sheet off the bed.

"The . . .spirits did this to you?" You ask incredulously. "Isn't this something you can take care of yourself?"

He shakes his head angrily.

"How I wish I could - when I try . . . " he reaches to pull back the blanket but his arm stops, suspended in air. He strains, trying to push, to brush the blanket and throbbing member beneath but the arm simply refuses to obey his command.

Then, like a jolt of lightning, his whole body goes rigid, and he lets out an anguished shout. After a moment's spasm, he swallows, gingerly moving his limbs again but careful to avoid his midsection.

"They are cruel, these wicked spirits," says Caelan. "They are here with me, savoring my frustration, my sensation. They feed on it. Please, help me!"

"Can I help you? Can I give you some relief?" You ask. His eyes are pleading.

"Yes, anything!" He cries out. You sit next to him on the bed, his hot chest pressing against your shoulder.

"It's getting worse." He mutters. "They are chewing on me, in my head. Eating me from the inside."

Gently, you pull back the sheet, exposing his cock, thick and engorged. It looks angry, with a full head and leaking precum. You gently brush it with your fingertips and it jumps. You feel his body, muscles tensing and untensing.

"Don't worry, I know what to do with this." You say, soothingly.

You gently massage the head, wet and throbbing, before working your way down the shaft.

"Oh god." he moans, as you slowly work a rhythm up and down, occasionally tugging on his balls as his hips start to rock in motion with your hand. He twists his head back and forth in ecstasy, completely at your mercy.

"There, there. I've got you." You whisper in his ear, working his cock in a slow steady stroke, his precum oozing everywhere.

"Uhnnnnn." You can tell he's close, he's groaning and twisting this way and that as you pick up speed. You plant kisses on his neck, but his eyes are squeezed tight, lost in the sensation.

"Let it go, let it all out . . ." you whisper, working his cock with one hand and pulling at his swollen balls with the other, building and building. He swells in your hand.

"Oh fuuuuck. Oh Seannnnnnn!!!" he moans and erupts, shooting hot ropes of cum all over your arm and the floor. It flows like a river over your hands and legs.

HISSSS. The air crackles and there is a rending twisting noise. Caelen arches his back, pulled upwards by an invisible force, pulling him free of you.. It smells like burnt electronics and for a moment, the world blips out of existence and you see a vast white expanse stretching around you in all directions. An empty void.

THUMP. His hips slam down on the bed, bruising your side and the world is solid again.

"Caelan?" He slumped over, breathing slow and deep. His body is covered in sheen of sweat, and copious amounts of cum, but his skin is no longer hot to the touch.

"No, no, no one saw me leave." He mummers softly, distantly and then he is out.

You pull him back onto the bed, folding the sheet around him. He remains deep asleep. You see his veins pulsing in his neck and can swear you hear his heart thudding away, slow and deep, within his chest.

Well, at least he is resting. No chance of interrogating him about his sister . . .or Sean for that matter right now. You are tempted to touch yourself, relieve some of your own heat from the excitement but you fear that he will not last long in this state.

You take a moment to wash yourself up with a pail of water before heading out towards the river to find the Witch Nyree.

###

The river is fast moving and deep in the middle but at the edges, it lazily meanders over smooth stones. Crossing a wooden bridge, you make your along the river side, picking your path around the squat bushes.

The sun, now blazing and high in the sky, begins to bake your skin, making everything itchy and uncomfortable. Even in the heat, you pull up your hood to avoid its searing rays.

Finally, you come to a huge fallen tree, stretched out over the river like an imposing wall. Per Aileena's instructions, you peel off, following a slim estuary up the foothills of the mountain. The path is steep going and you make several switchbacks before coming to a lookout.

From this vantage point, the whole valley stretches out before you. You can see the village, an awkward dozen of wood and stone buildings nestled between the wide bend of the river and the thick forest. You can see the road, beating a path to Talverton Keep, standing dark and ominous even in the midday sun.

Craning your neck, you can even trace the path of the road to where the well house is - obscured by the tall firs. Beyond it all, the high cliffs of the mountains, green and beautiful.

"Breathtaking, isn't it?" You hear a woman's voice from above you. You glance up but see only the telltale puff of steam from somewhere up the trail.

"The hike is worth it if you enjoy the view." The voice is melodic, as if each word was underscored by softly chiming bells just on the edge of hearing.

You scurry up the rough cut path, pulling yourself around to the other side of a decent-sized boulder when you see the hot springs, pouring steam into the air. Standing in the middle of the pool, clad in only the glistening water, is a beautiful golden-eyed woman.

". . . hello." You manage to stutter. "Are you Nyree?"

"That is who I am here, in this place." She answers.

HaHA! You knew it. The moment you heard the unreal tamber of her voice you knew something was up but now, seeing her lips out of sync, it is clear that she is being translated.

"What language are you speaking?" You ask.

"The language of my people." She responds. "The ones from beyond." She glides through the water, steaming droplets clinging perilously to her curves before regretfully returning to the pool.

"You remember my words on the sands of Anthestaria, you came to this place." Her voice is enchanting, you feel yourself getting swept away just standing listening to her as she draws close.

"Do you remember me Brenna? When we made love in the train car beneath the City? Or when we held each other on the couch in your office?" She starts to reach for you. You put your hands up in protest.

"Hold up, how could that be you? If you are one of the beings from the meteorite, how could you be in the metal of the well house and the metal of Quilp's city or in Kalchik's hotel?" You ask.

She cocks her head, her eyes glittering and vast.

"Such a linear question. We simply are - and we are grateful." You find yourself at the edge of the pool, her face unexpectedly close to yours.

"We are what you need us to be, Brenna." It is odd, hearing but not hearing your own name.

"I think I am beginning to understand." You answer. "When someone uses your metal, they give you a starting place but you form the world. You fill it with beautiful people and pull in ideas and stories from the people who enter."

Nyree gently traces one wet finger up the side of your arm. You choose to allow it.

"It works for you because your people need sex." Her eyes flare and you are suddenly aware of her heart beating very fast, her breath synchronizing with yours in an intoxicating way.

"It is the fuel to your fire - it gives you life and powers your world. Except, in this world, they created a bunch of sexually repressed catholic peasants. Hardly those that would inspire much romance."

"It is not just sex," says Nyree. "It is the passion for life. The gasp of a lover, the moan of satisfaction, the moment of release." Before the words have left her lips, you knew it to be true. It wasn't just about sex, it felt deeper, more real, inside these worlds.

Her lips look soft and you wonder, for a moment, what it would be like to kiss this beautiful naked woman before you.

"Usually there is someone inside with you, someone designed to keep everything running the way it should but there's no maintenance minotaur here, is there?" Nyree shakes her head.

"That's why everything is breaking, isn't it? The monsters and the curses and the hauntings. It's the world malfunctioning." You say. Nyree begins to sway, raising her hands above her head.

"Your name is a sacred one amongst our people, Brenna, we know that you will heal this world." The water from her fingertips catches the light like a cascade of shimmering diamonds.

"We all have a part to play." She finishes.

"Then what is your part in this world, Nyree?" You ask. She gives you a smile.

"I am a witch, and you have sought me out for a cure. Rest your concerns, your friend will live. Instead of that, I offer you a trade. One gift for one act of service." Her whole body gives a little tremor of pleasure at the word 'service' that makes your heart beat a little faster.