The Last Library Ch. 04

***

Mera lay back on her bed. The worst of her tears had faded and she rubbed at her scratchy eyes with one arm. The barbarian had been wrong in his guess that she was upset at the thought of being alone again. She had heard him thinking as he stood outside her door even through her pain.

No, her sorrow had come from old memories. While the soldier she now knew was named Ashur had been learning how to use the facilities, she had started to make a simple dinner. What she had not recognized until he was musing about his post-return plans was that the stew she had made was Colphon's favorite. Having someone, especially a male, in the house had instantly reverted her to old habits, even after all this time and, for a split-second, she had almost called out her long-dead partner's name to tell him that it was ready.

She had caught her tongue before it could betray her, but the realization had brought many of those memories back to her and it wasn't long before her tenuous control on her emotions started to erode. Hiding in her room, she did her best to hold back the worst of the pain, but much of it still leaked from her eyes into her pillow.

Now, she sat up and wiped the last of the crusty residue from her face and stepped out into the main room. Her guest had finally fallen into a fitful sleep so she moved to the kitchen and disposed of the uneaten food. Even had she been hungry enough to eat, she didn't trust her own mental state right now. She would have to be very careful about it over the next few weeks so as not to let on to her guest.

With a shake of her head, she thought about that little turn of events. She had returned to the cell with the intent of leaving him the books and food, but when his hand had gently fallen on her head and she had seen directly to his heart...

She had known he was a decent man by his surface thoughts, but the direct contact of his hand on her head had given her more insight than he could possibly know. He wasn't just a decent man, but a truly good man. The flavor of his thoughts and emotions in that moment had convinced her that his speech was the truth. He was genuinely tired of the fighting and war that he had chosen for his profession and probably should have retired long ago. More importantly, however, she saw that he had integrity and honor. He fought to protect those in need, not just for the sake of battle. He nurtured instead of denigrated, even when the latter was easier to do. This weary soldier did the right thing, even when it hurt. And in being the man she saw him to be, she had changed her mind and decided to take him home.

With the kitchen cleaned, she stood outside his bedroom door and listened to the whispers of his mind. There was nothing concrete or definite that she could distinguish, just a soft murmur that brushed gently across her mental ears. After a few moments, she turned and went to her own bed where the fatigue from the long trip and heavy emotions dragged her down in moments.

***

Pulling her wet fingers from her crotch, the panting pink woman sat up straight and threw the soaked hand across her mouth in an attempt to stifle her moans. She had been so focused on reaching her release that she hadn't been aware of Ashur in the hallway until his curiosity had finally intruded on her thoughts. Once she got her panting under control, she finally uncovered her mouth and licked the residual fluid from her lips. She looked down at her hand and saw the expected alternation of pink and purple on her skin.

She had been caught! Having been alone for so long, she had forgotten that the bedroom doors weren't really all that soundproof and had given voice to her passion. Well, she thought, if it got him excited then they were even.

All throughout the day, he had been admiring her; not knowing that she could hear most of what he was thinking...and how hard he was thinking it. She was certain that she could almost feel his lips on her skin earlier in the Vice-Secretary's quarters and the memory made her moan.

He was getting to her.

She wasn't falling for him by any means, but he was honest, kind, thoughtful, and more intelligent than she had originally given him credit for. It didn't help her libido that he was good looking and had a rumbling voice that sometimes shot straight to the pleasure centers of her brain. However, when she caught the lascivious thoughts he had been having throughout the day, it had built her up to almost unbearable levels. Finally, she could take no more when he had realized that his own fantasies were making him hard. She had raced to her room, hurriedly stripped her dress off, and fallen on the bed with her legs splayed open. One of her hands shot down and dipped between her lips to lubricate the tips of her fingers before using them to stroke her clit. Her pelvis made little thrusting motions that seemed out of contact with the rest of her body.

Panting, she stroked her other hand across her stomach, over her breasts, and stopped at her throat where her fingertips lightly caressed the areas that Ashur had been fantasizing about kissing earlier. Even now, his lips and warm breath seemed to be nuzzling there and the thought drove her onward to her first soft orgasm. It shuddered through her body causing her fingers to stop for a moment as her muscles locked up. Once they had released, her fingers had returned to their work, but hadn't quite seemed enough for that really nice big one.

Wondering what the big soldier across the hall might have in his pants, she slipped one and then two fingers inside herself and started to steadily work her hand up and down, curling her fingers inward on each downstroke to rub that most sensitive spot on the roof of her now sodden canal. Her moans grew in strength and volume as she brought herself ever closer to what was probably a mind-shattering orgasm. Her breathing was rapid now, her moans louder. She knew she was close and was getting ready for that last stretch when her mind picked up his speculation outside her door; stopping her immediately.

Once she was certain that he was in his room, she lay back and listened. His own lustful thoughts came drifting across the hall once he had undressed and had started to enjoy himself in the same way she was. Her hand wandered back down and she started to stroke slowly again. Soon, she heard his arousal intensify and could almost feel his hand stroking faster. This caused her to speed up her own efforts, returning her fingers to their previous slippery work.

Already worked up from her earlier efforts, her climax hit long before his did and she grunted into the pillow she held over her face. Her quivering hips bucked and writhed until the waves of ecstasy finally started to settle... which was right when Ashur's own release hit and washed over her. Mera bit down on the pillow and rode the aftershocks that worked through her until he finished. With one last, deep gasp, the satisfied woman tossed the pillow off her face and passed out.

***

Dropping heavily to sit on her bed, Mera braced her elbows on her knees and buried her face in her hands. Well, one question was answered, but that answer had paled in comparison to the infinite questions she had.

Now she knew how Ashur had arrived at the entrance, but it shouldn't have been possible. How had the end of the tether ended up so close to the surface? For that matter, what was it doing so far away from where it should have been? She had tried to think about that while showing her houseguest the viewer controls, but still no answer had presented itself. By her estimate, that particular tether should have terminated almost a day's walk from where he fell in which meant that the tether had moved or been moved.

And that thought scared her so much that she curled up into a ball on her bed.

No mortal in this age should have the power to alter the tether terminus. Modern mages had to beg and plead to stronger entities for their magic, but none of those beings would give power to harass the Library in any way. Not only did the Gods themselves forbid it, but many of the lesser "demons" had needed the use of the Library and wanted to stay on good terms with its staff.

And so, above all of the other concerns of "how", the biggest question in her mind was "Who"? Who had the strength to change something about the Library and felt comfortable defying a decree of the Gods? In her mind, it could only be the originator of the Cataclysm. There could be no other answer and she started to tremble.

They were still out there. The one who had destroyed her world and banished her to this limbo had not disappeared and they were waiting for her.

Her tremors came to a slow halt when she realized that she could not hear Ashur's mind in the house anymore. In her terror, she had shut almost everything else out, so she had not heard his exit. She had left him in the living room and he knew not to wander into the Library proper yet which meant that he was in one of two places.

Rising from her bed, she hugged her arms around herself and wandered out into the living area. He had left no note or other indication of where he might have gone, but she had a good idea that he was back in the Auditorium. When she opened the door to the big room, the wave of despair and loss hit her before she had even turned her gaze to the controls.

The wide-eyed soldier was turning the dials almost frantically and what she could see from her edge-on view of the projector screen showed an image that jumped back and forth with such rapidity that she had to look away. Knowing that he was focused on his task and not wanting to disturb him, she moved along the wall and stood next to the front row of seats. Finally, the frenzied activity of the man came to an abrupt stop and the image froze on a group of men.

The soldier sat immobile for almost half an hour before slowly standing. She watched his slow steps and her eyes filled with tears when his hand hesitantly and fearfully rose to the screen. His mental cry of anguish ripped through her mind and she moved to stand behind him as he crumpled to the floor; wailing and sobbing for the loss of everyone he knew. After a few moments, she knelt next to him and took him in her arms. The last of the Tibori heard the question in his mind and could give him no answer. She hadn't been able to survive the long, lonely millennia with her sanity intact. The best she could do was offer him comfort.

Intending a soothing buss to his forehead, her lips unconsciously veered towards his. The fragile grip she had on her own emotions was threatening to give way and when she silenced him with a second kiss, she felt the walls beginning to crumble. Pulling him to his feet, she led him back to the house.

***

With her legs hanging over the edge, Mera lay back on the lowest catwalk that encircled the Well's core. She watched the twisting of the giant ball of magic and allowed herself to be mesmerized by it. Breathing slowly and deeply, the Caretaker pushed out her consciousness to trace the Writing on its surface, checking spell and ward statuses and ensuring that the tether was still recharging. Everything looked good so she let her mind drift.

The last few days had been quietly hectic. She had returned to patrolling the Shelves for creatures since the Library had informed her that there had already been at least three different incursions while she dealt with the barbarian. In the first two days, she had found several small quadrupedal lizards, a tall mammal, and numerous others. For most of them, the overlaps were still active and she was able to send them home with no fuss. Others had required assistance which meant "convincing" them to follow her onto the Transport and a trip through what she had come to call the Ether Paths. Finally, she had cleared them all out of the Library and was able to take time for routine maintenance.

Now that she had finished with ensuring the Library was in "good health", she could take a few moments to herself. As they had done so often during her rest times, her thoughts returned to the morning after her cathartic night with Ashur. As frantic and emotional as their coupling had been that evening, the passionate lovemaking had been a wonderful counterpoint that had been a poultice for the lanced wounds on their hearts.

And it had been good. The big soldier was nicely sized all over, reaching all her best pleasure spots as she rode him. At first, she had thought the hard and fast orgasms had been due to several thousand years of abstinence, but once he had taken over, his motions had drawn more from her until she begged to feel his release. Even now, she could still feel herself starting to get aroused from the memory and nearly lifted her dress up here in the Well.

Shaking herself free of the reminiscence before it took over, she rose to walk across the catwalk to the Well's entrance. There was something that had been poking around the outer edges of the Library that she would need to attend to soon.

***

The water was warm. She couldn't remember ever waking from bad injuries with the water being warm. By the time the ethobucil salts usually got done with her, the tub was cold and she was on the verge of shivering. Now she was actually comfortable and the change surprised her for a moment before she realized that she wasn't alone.

Laboriously, Mera opened her eyes, squinted in the bathroom light and saw parts of arms and a head. Ashur was asleep against the tub. It would seem that the gentle barbarian had been watching over her while she healed; another testament to his compassion and good nature. She watched his slumbering face until a twinge in her side made her twitch involuntarily and he woke at the sound of splashing water.

It was pleasant in his arms as he lifted her from the cooling water and helped her. Less pleasant was the extreme fullness of her bladder which she had to ask for his help with. The bright red of his face as he comprehended what she was asking almost made her laugh and lose control before he could get her set back down again. She found that she enjoyed making this grizzled veteran blush and resolved to see how many times she could do it for the next few days.

Unfortunately, she had few chances. The wounds she had received in her deadly fight had sapped most of her body's energy. Even with the help she could feel entering her from the Well via the female statue, she could do little more than eat, sleep, and other necessary processes. Eventually, little by little, her body did recover and, while she no longer needed quite as much aid getting around, she still took some small pleasure in consternating her helper...until he turned it around on her. Her brief moment of shock was replaced by a warm glow of arousal at his soaking revenge and she acted on that arousal to enjoy herself in a way that she hadn't been able to in a long time. She amazed herself that she was able to take him down her throat after not having attempted anything like it since Colphon and enjoyed the animal grunts that he let out during his orgasm. It was amazing to feel his cock swell and pulse in her mouth. Her only regret had been that almost all of his spend had gone immediately down her esophagus with only residue left for her to see what he tasted like. Even so, her own self-inflicted release had been the high point of her day.

***

She recognized this feeling.

She knew the danger of it and fought it off because, if she didn't, she didn't know if she would be able to recover and return this time.

Once again sitting on the catwalk in the Well, she stared at the magical conduit that led to the drained tether and tried her hardest not to wish that it would still be recharging.

It wasn't. The tether was back to full power and ready to send the lost soldier home.

She knew that he needed to return and pick up his life again. It wouldn't be fair to keep him here in a life of danger that far surpassed what he would face fighting against other humans. At least in a military battle, his death would be accomplished with some brevity, either with a sword thrust or bleeding out from some wound. It would be quick and relatively easy.

If he stayed by her side without the protections that she enjoyed, the odds of him dying in a vastly more painful and lingering way rose dramatically. More than a few of the beasts and creatures she faced over the centuries had the ability to stroke and devour pain from the mind and the body. Others took days or years to digest their prey, keeping it somewhat alive for as long as possible. A regular human stood little to no chance of surviving, even with her help.

No, she couldn't keep him here no matter how much she wanted to. She had to send him back along the tether...

And be alone once more.

She fought the feeling off again. The Library could ill afford another century of her being "indisposed".

It would be better if she could let him keep his memories of his time here and hopefully try to talk at her when he thought she might be watching him through the viewer, but she simply couldn't risk his mind being inadvertently read by the wrong mage and revealing that the Library still existed and how. It was too dangerous for her, for him, and for the Library itself. To keep them all safe, he would have to forget.

She knew that she would still spend her free time keeping track of his goings on until it became too painful or other duties eventually kept her away for too long. Watching him would give her some comfort and, hopefully, let her transition back to a solitary existence without worrying about losing herself again.

Heaving a deep sigh, she stood and left the Well, making her way to the tether to verify the bad news. To her resigned dismay, it showed every sign of being nominal.

"Damn," she muttered, echoing her sentiment from weeks ago, but for the opposite reason.

She would have to tell him in the morning and get him ready, but she needed his help one last time. The rogue mist creature was still knocking at the edges of the Library's perimeter and she worried that it might make its way through without being handled.

The thing was frustrating.

Had it come through one of the overlaps, she would simply have done her best to hold it off until the Library passed out of its space, but it had actively come sniffing around the field boundaries from a reality that had no contact with the Library at all. She still didn't know what had drawn it in the first place and it worried her a little that it could travel through dimensions to find her home, but at least she had an idea on how to stop it or at least keep it from regaining a corporeal form that could threaten her.

Unfortunately, she would be putting Ashur in a decent amount of danger, even with the weapons and armor he was using and she mentally catalogued the armory for something that might give him more of an advantage, but nothing came to mind that wouldn't require a few weeks of extra training or magic of his own. She eventually decided that he would have to face the thing with what he had, but she would pack extra healing and medicinal supplies. Hopefully, they could dispose of it without serious injury.

Laughing to herself, she started back to the house, trying to remember when her plans had ever gone according to design.

***

She couldn't tell him.

She tried and tried, but whenever she opened her mouth to start the conversation, her throat and chest locked up.

And he had been hurt.

She had stared down at his broken body in the tub and the worries and reservations she had contemplated just a few short days before had come to pass. She couldn't allow him to stay, couldn't keep him here, couldn't see him be injured and shattered like this again.

But she couldn't tell him.