The Last Flowers Ch. 08

~*~:~*#S#*~:~*~

Something moved next to Sarielle, but she was still half asleep. Gradually, she came into awareness, opening her eyes to the soft morning light. Last night she'd lain with Ellowyn in the shadow of a pear tree. Now the dirt beside her was empty. Ellowyn had crept a few metres away to stroll between the trees. She waved her arms in the air as she twirled. Leaves burst forth from the branches she passed. Flowers bloomed and fruit hung heavy. The nymph danced through the grove, breathing life and abundance. Her expression was one of pure joy. She giggled with the thrill of it.

"Are you going to leave any for us to do?" Willow said, waltzing over.

Ellowyn stopped spinning and grinned at her. "Willow!"

She launched herself at her, collecting her in a hug. When she pulled back she reached to stroke the pale pink flower by Willow's ear. In her excitement, she must have forgotten about herself. Out popped a row of buds, unfurling white flowers with magenta tips. The various sized blossoms circled her head like a crown. She gazed around her in wonder, a huge smile on her face.

Sarielle's lips curved to mirror hers. Ellowyn was incredible. This magnificent creature before her had amazing power and magic. That wasn't what Sae was admiring though. She'd been captivated by her before witnessing that display. Ellowyn was everything adorable she could think of. Beautiful and playful, sweet and innocent. Sarielle loved her, as much as she knew the word to mean, which wasn't a great deal. She was from a place where it was common to marry the first person you had a relationship with and the village had pretty slim pickings. She'd come to think the only way to escape an unhappy marriage was to not get married in the first place. To find someone so lovely was like a dream. She'd never had someone care so much about her, someone who didn't expect, or demand, anything from her.

Ellowyn finally noticed her staring. Her eyes creased with joy and she pranced over to her. "Welcome to the morning!" She kissed her hair. "Are you hungry? There's lots of fruit. Look!"

Sarielle chuckled, wincing at the pain from her ribs. "Ow." She held her side and gingerly sat up. "I saw. You've been busy." She admired the flower crown, and noticed the new details she'd added to her bodice. A tiny vine curled around minute flowers in a pattern around the edge. It looked like embroidery and jewels. "You look so pretty, Elle."

That made her smile. She gasped and stuck her fingers into her hair. They came away with a large flower pinched between them. "Here." She slid the stem into Sarielle's hair behind her ear. "I've grown it a root so it will survive for many days if watered. A little bit of magic can keep it going longer though."

"Thank you." Sarielle gave her a kiss. "I feel so blessed to have met you. You're everything I could have dreamed about in a woman. I'm not sure what love is. It's sort of a myth in our village. But I think I love you...or at least like you a great deal."

Ellowyn's pink eyes shimmered. She made a cute sound and squirmed in place. "I would hug you so hard, but I can't." She shuffled closer on her butt and gently touched her arms to Sarielle's shoulders. "I love you too. And the other elhuvens. But you the most. You're the best mate ever." She kissed her cheek. "You're so brave and smart. I hated watching you go off to fight without me. I was so worried something would happen to you and I'd never get to give you my seed."

Something fluttered in Sarielle's stomach. "You want to give me your seed?"

~

~*~:~*#E#*~:~*~

Ellowyn hummed shyly. "I used to imagine what she'd be like, the girl I'd give it to. She'd be a beautiful creature and kind of heart, so many of the things you are. I knew she'd fascinate me, but I never thought she'd leave me in awe as much as you do."

Sarielle smiled at her but didn't speak. They both sat peacefully, watching the scene in front of them. Sage had seen Sarielle's flower and was excitedly pointing it out to Willow. The older nymph laughed and grew one of her peony-like blooms in the palm of her hand. She carefully wove it into Sage's hair and kissed her forehead. Hevani and Abelia had just woken up and were admiring the transformation of the grove. Kerensa had already done a circuit of the new gardens and had taken to collecting the spoils the orchard now offered. Ellowyn hadn't seen Rozenwild since she'd first awoken. After invigorating a couple of the orchard trees, the sassy nymph wandered off somewhere, swirling her arms and leaving a trail of changed greenery in her wake. Ellowyn didn't question it or follow her. Rozenwild was a nymph who needed time to herself, and she got nasty if anyone disturbed it.

Ellowyn helped Sarielle to stand and guided her to a fallen tree. She gestured for her to sit on it and went to find her some breakfast. With their magic, they could make even out of season plants bear fruit. She scampered up the trunk of a pear tree to select a nice one, then darted over to a peach tree, and also picked two shiny red apples. She delivered them all to Sarielle before going to gather some blueberries.

"That's plenty," Sarielle said when she brought them back, grabbing her hand to stop her running off for more.

"Are you sure? I know you eat a lot."

"I'm sure, thank you."

"Okay. Help yourself to as much as you like. It won't run out." She bit into the apple she'd picked for herself. It was sweet and so juicy that it dribbled down her chin.

Sarielle had just finished eating when Rozenwild came back. From the side of her head grew a gigantic red flower, eight inches across. A large and a small one completed a band across her head. Ellowyn was glad her friend could express herself again. After being so weak for so long, they all felt like showing off. But the pollen Rozenwild was emitting was excessively heady and only got stronger as she drew near. Sarielle's face went blank and she squeezed her legs together.

"Rozenwild, can you keep your pollen to yourself? You're making the elhuvens uncomfortable."

"That's the point," she muttered.

Why would she deliberately release pollen? Was she trying to attract an elhuven to mate with? Kerensa seemed happy to have sex with her. Did she not like Kerensa?

She was headed straight for her. Kerensa turned around and jumped back in fright. Her eyes fixed on the huge flower and her mouth fell open.

"Whoa. That's...enormous."

Rozenwild stood there with a devious look and burning eyes. Her aura was some wicked mix of haughty and daring.

"Smell me," she demanded.

Kerensa made a face, clearly taken aback and a little horrified.

"I said..." Rozenwild took a hold of her shoulders. "...smell me." She turned her head to the side and pulled Kerensa's face into her largest flower. She gave the girl enough time to take a whiff then released her. The elhuven crumpled to the ground with her hands held to her crotch.

Everyone who'd witnessed this looked on in shock.

"Rose, what the fuck?" Ellowyn said.

"Rozenwild!" Willow hurried over. "How could you? She crouched beside Kerensa and helped her sit up. "What ever did you do that for?"

The offending nymph stood smugly with her arms folded. "Proving a point."

Willow rubbed Kerensa's back. "What was this about?"

The elhuven smirked. "I insulted her flower."

"We must remember that that we come from different cultures, and this will lead to misunderstandings from time to time. Kerensa, a nymph's flowers are like her face. You wouldn't like it if I said something unpleasant about your face, would you?" Willow glared at Rozenwild. "I know you're hot-headed, but you can't do cruel things to these girls. They've been trained to be subservient and meek. We don't want them to fear us."

"I'm sorry I said your flower had no scent. It doesn't change the fact it had none," Kerensa said frankly.

Rozenwild pouted and walked off in a huff.

Willow sighed. "Forgive her. She's...difficult at times. She doesn't take criticism well and she's always been so proud of her flowers. This must have been hard for her."

~

~*~:~*#R#*~:~*~

Kerensa wasn't really listening. She knew she had to go after Rozenwild. She'd said those words to get back at her, but it wasn't anger she'd seen in Rose's eyes when she left. It was hurt.

In a forest of green, giant red flowers were hard to miss. She could see it bobbing through the trees down by the stream. She jogged down the slope and walked along the pebbles. Rose saw her coming but didn't move from the rock she was perched on. Kerensa stopped a couple of metres away.

"Hey."

"Hi."

"Sorry."

"What for?"

"I shouldn't have goaded you like that." Kerensa fiddled with her hands. "I'm getting braver than I used to be. Thanks to you."

She shrugged, but didn't turn her head from the water. "It's true. It didn't have any scent. I was too weak to produce it." She sniffled. "It was my last flower. I knew I wouldn't be able to make one next year." Her eyes were glassy with tears. "It was so small."

Kerensa took a seat beside her and rubbed her back.

"I wanted to die."

Shocked, she pulled back to look at her.

"Some days, I'd had enough. I'd felt myself slowly becoming a withered corpse, watching my leaves fall and flowers struggle to bloom. It was spring and I was nearly bare. A hundred years and no one had come. I just wanted it to end."

Kerensa nuzzled her shoulder. "It's okay. I'm here now. I came."

"When I saw you out there I thought, 'She won't be able to smell me.' Then I realised you wouldn't be able to see me either."

"I did see you."

"Only because you stopped. I wanted to show you what I can do. So this morning when I discovered how much power I had I decided I was going to do just that. I should have done it in private, so it went a different way, but I wanted everyone to see. I wanted...to show I wasn't weak anymore."

"They're your friends. You don't have to prove that to them."

"I know. It's just..." She wiped a tear from her cheek. "He took my power away."

The sorcerer had taken so much from her. Now she was back, but she wasn't a placid creature. This rose had thorns.

Kerensa sat there holding her for a while, until she felt her calm down. "Well, I can tell that you've turned your flowers off, but are you going to do something about the mess you made?"

Her head tilted. "Did my pollen cause an issue back there?"

"No, this mess!" She pulled her skirt up to show her the slime coating her legs. "Judging by the look you had in your eyes, I think I know how you intended before to work out."

Rozenwild smirked. "Damn Willow getting in the way." She shook her head. "I can help with that if you help me get in the mood."

"How?"

She smiled. "Will you touch yourself for me again?"

Kerensa froze as it dawned on her. "You saw that?"

She chuckled. "Yes, flower. You were putting on quite a lovely show."

Kerensa blew out her breath and moved to sit on the grass. Tentatively, she parted her legs. Her swollen vulva tingled when the air hit it. Clear slime covered her lips and the six rings piercing them. The sight actually made her hotter, but also embarrassed. She was such a whore. Her fingers reached for her clit, already poking out, begging for attention. They slid either side of it, gliding back and forth in the copious fluids.

"Don't be shy." Rozenwild crawled over the rock to get closer.

Kerensa briefly met her eyes, but she felt so exposed. She wanted to do a good job for the nymph. She wanted to be sexy and powerful too. She dared to move her hand lower, to grope her vulva, flinging the rings around. It felt so good her breath hitched. Before she'd come to the forest she'd started jiggling her lock when rubbing her clit to masturbate. She could play with the rings the same way, gently tugging on them to feel a stretch. Kerensa moaned and bucked her hips. This was amazing. She dipped a finger between her labia. It slid into her hole with no effort and lazily circled around. She looked at Rozenwild and found her mesmerised by the display.

The nymph met her eyes and climbed off the rock. She crawled over to her putting one hand on either side of her waist. Her mouth came to greet hers, planting a kiss on her nose, her cheek, and finally her lips. Her narrow tongue snuck into Kerensa's mouth to tease hers.

"Eek!" Kerensa lost her balance and fell onto her back.

Rozenwild chuckled and nuzzled her throat. She kissed her collarbone and her sternum. The neckline of her blouse was tugged down and those plump lips smacked against her nipple. Kerensa sighed in content, but tensed when she felt a finger run through her folds.

"Relax, petal." Rozenwild combed Kerensa's hair and kissed her again.

The finger swirled around, brushing her clit and dragging over her piercings. Kerensa waited for it to enter her, for anything to plunge into her aching cunt, but it didn't come.

She grew restless beneath her nymph lover. Her vagina wanted a huge cock buried in its depths.

"Rose, I..." Her hips lifted to meet something that wasn't there.

Her lips formed a smiled. "Just making sure you want it."

"I've wanted it since you puffed pollen in my face."

Rozenwild pulled back to consider her for a moment. "You don't need as much coddling as I thought."

She lowered herself and something pressed against Kerensa's opening. The root slid in her juices and then it was lodged in her all the way to the hilt. Kerensa flinched, but it was more out of anticipation. It was smaller than she'd been expecting and had gone in effortlessly.

"That was easy."

Rozenwild raised an eyebrow. "What were you expecting?"

"Uh...something less pleasant."

She snorted and pumped her root a couple of times. It suddenly felt tighter in Kerensa's passage.

"Oh."

Rozenwild smirked. She thrust the thicker root faster, building speed. Kerensa rocked with her, enjoying the feeling. Her pussy was full and it was amazing. She had a gorgeous plant girl's cock in her vagina and she loved it.

Her breaths came quicker and she tried to meet each thrust with desperation. Her thighs tightened around Rozenwild and she came with a soft mewling sound. Rozenwild didn't stop while she regained the strength in her limbs. She kept ploughing into her, forcing her appendage deep. Kerensa's panting lips were covered in a kiss and Rozenwild rolled her nipple in her fingertips.

"You're not done."

The sound of their breaths filled her ears, accompanied by the squelching and slapping from her cunt. Her insides stirred again, wanting more. Something bigger fucking her harder.

"Faster," she breathed.

Rozenwild giggled. "I can't go much faster, but I can give you something else you'll like."

The rod inside her swelled, filling out room she didn't know she had.

"Ohhrrrrmmh. Oh, That's mmm." She lifted her head to see the thick root slamming in and out of her hole. It had to be nearly four centimetres wide! It should have horrified her, but she couldn't help but be turned on. "I'm such a whore."

"No, it's natural to enjoy it," Rozenwild said softly.

"That thing is huge!"

She smiled and kissed her cheek. "This is about as small as any of us would use on someone. You can take more." She tickled her ribs. "Not today though. We'll get you used to this size first."

It got bigger than that? And she could take it? The thought thrilled her a little.

The new girth made her feel wonderfully full. The root tugged at her narrow entrance on every stroke, so thick and firm. She felt she was going to lose herself again. Rozenwild jerked and slowed. Her root twitched and something squirted into Kerensa's cunt. Her channel clenched the intruder hard, her hips bucking. She whimpered as everything dropped out from under her and her legs went stiff. Rozenwild finished shooting sap into her and collapsed half on top of her, breathing hard. Kerensa was still floating back into herself when she received a kiss.

"You are glorious," Rose said breathlessly.

They rested for a moment, before Rozenwild extracted her wilting root. It was covered in honey-coloured sap. More flowed out of Kerensa when she eased up. She didn't really know how to feel about that. It wasn't semen after all and it couldn't get her pregnant.

It oozed out when she stood up and she caught some on her hand. "There's so much of it."

"It washes off. Or I could lick it off?"

Kerensa was horrified. Rozenwild dipped a finger into Kerensa's snatch, making her yelp, and brought it to her mouth. Kerensa leaned away, but couldn't stop her stuffing it between her lips. It was surprisingly nice.

"Mmm, it's sweet."

Rozenwild snorted. "That's why Willow shouldn't have done all the talking."

~

~*~:~*#E#*~:~*~

The joy and calm of the morning was over. Now Ellowyn was restless. There were nymphs out there somewhere and nothing to stop her from finding them. She'd gone with Sarielle to drink and bathe in the stream, but she couldn't wait any longer. As soon as they were back in the camp, Ellowyn pranced over to Willow.

"I'm going to walk the forest to look for survivors."

"I'm coming with you," Sarielle announced.

Sage stood up. "I'd like to come too."

"Are you sure? They'll be lots of walking?" Ellowyn told her.

"I'd like to feel like I'm helping."

Willow linked arms with Sage. "I can bring her back if it's too much."

"Uh, I guess you guys want someone to mind the peaches?" Rozenwild asked, coming into the campsite with Kerensa.

"That might make them feel at ease." As the group moved off Ellowyn looked over her shoulder. "No seducing. You've had yours."

The sultry nymph gave her a wicked smile, but she'd behave. Mostly.

The group hiked to the spot where the hexed tree stood. It was no more than a blackened mound of crumbly ash. All that remained of the nymphs nearby were barely recognisable, disintegrating trunks. They counted them as they combed the area to the east, all the way to the ravine edge, slowly adding to their tally. But they didn't find a single living tree. As they headed southeast, they passed Amaranth and the spot Ellowyn had stood.

"This is me," she said, jumping in the hole. She left it to crouch beside the small rotting corpse not far away.

"Do you know who that is?" Willow asked.

Ellowyn wiped the tear from her cheek and nodded. "It's Dianella."

"Oh, no, little bud." Willow hugged the tree.

"She was the baby of the tribe," Ellowyn said for the elhuven's benefit. "Just seven years old. When everyone screamed to get away I grabbed her hand and made her come with Amaranth and me. We ran as fast as we could. I heard her cry out and turned back, but I got stuck before I could get to her."

"She never stood a chance." Willow kissed her bark, tears flowing freely down her face. "I knew we wouldn't find her alive, but it's as if I couldn't accept it."

Ellowyn knew what she meant. She'd watched Dianella turn into a tree, seen her leaves stop growing, felt her grow weak and her presence leave. Even she couldn't really believe she was gone.

"I'm glad she had you to comfort her while she turned."

Ellowyn wished she could forget that part. She was haunted by the memory of the young nymph screaming in terror, begging for her help.

Warm fingers rested on her shoulder, starling her out of her head. She squeezed Sarielle's hand and stood up. There was a lot of ground left to cover. They finished paying their respects and started out again. But it didn't go as well as Ellowyn hoped. Coming across to the west they found only bodies. Sage pointed out a group of three huddled close. Two of them were twisted together, having clung to each other as they turned. Willow ran into the centre of them.

"They're all gone," she sobbed, falling to her knees. "Everyone's gone."

Sage crouched to console her. "Don't give up."