The Runesmith Chronicles Ch. 08

He tapped lightly on the leaves finding them to be surprisingly stiff and almost wooden in strength, "'Dell are you awake?"

Two of the leaves in front of him folded down followed by the white and blue petals, revealing a bleary-eyed Aradelle.

"Hello beautiful," he said copying Ikuno's greeting from yesterday.

"Kal?" she poked her head out of the bud and looked around for a moment, "Just you?

Kal smiled, "Ikuno's still sleeping, I didn't think it was possible, but you wore her out so much I thought I was going to have to carry her part of the way back. I have a feeling she might be a little sore this morning."

"Good, that's a soreness she will enjoy and she deserves it for everything she has done for me," she said looking down and running her fingers over her belly for a moment. Kal reached up and moved her hand over the small bundle of magic he could feel coming from that area.

Placing his hand over hers he said quietly, "It's still amazing to think that's my child in there."

Aradelle's iridescent eyes shone as she looked at him, "You really can feel her, can't you?"

"I think so," he said, "I can't be for certain but that little ball of magic appeared not long after I filled you up the first time."

She slid her hand out from beneath his, so he was touching her belly then laid her hand over top, "So what brings you here this early? Or were you just coming to say goodbye?"

Sighing, Kal reluctantly removed his hand and produced the ceramic jar, "There was another reason we came to see you but with all that happened, we forgot about it. So, I was wondering if I could just scoop up some," he looked into the bud to see the middle was bone dry, "nectar... Umm..."

Aradelle looked sheepish, "I absorb any extra back into my body. So, you will..." she buried her face in her hands unable to say more.

"Get some straight from the source again?" said Kal grinning.

Aradelle nodded behind her hands her petite body shaking with embarrassment.

Setting the jar down inside the center of the flower he reached up and pulled her towards him, then pulled her hands away from her face and kissed the shy alarune. On a whim, he brought both of her arms behind her back and held her wrists together with one of his larger hands. Aradelle gasped as he broke the kiss, making his way down, he began to nip and kiss around her neck.

"Are you going to claim me like you did Ikuno?" Aradelle said breathing heavily.

Kal paused, "Yes," Aradelle gasped, "but not yet." She groaned in disappointment, "When you give yourself to me I will happily take you as mine."

"What you said about trust yesterday works both ways, Ikki loves you, and I trust her. I think I could give myself to you now without regret." Aradelle was starting to pant as Kal's free hand ran over her alabaster torso occasionally brushing across her small blue nipples.

"Give it time 'Dell, you are carrying my child, and Ikuno cares for you very deeply, which means a lot to me. I can say honestly that I already care about you deeply as well, but I want to be able to tell you I love you and mean it the same way I do with Ikuno." Kal kissed his way down to her small breast and took her nipple in his mouth teasing it with his tongue.

Aradelle leaned her head back and gasped at the sensation closing her eyes, "Ikuno is a lucky woman."

Kal kissed his way down to her belly, "Soon enough, you will be too."

Kal searched out one of her vines and wrapped it around her wrists as he removed his hand, he knew it was a token gesture as she could release her arms any time but she seemed to enjoy it, getting even more worked up.

Nectar was running down her legs in small rivulets but Kal ignored it, placing a hand on each knee he attempted to pry her tightly closed legs apart. Kal quickly checked to see if the vine was still around her wrists. Seeing it was still there, he tried again to open her legs but with much more force, as her legs opened Aradelle began panting harder letting out small high-pitched moans with each breath as her sex was displayed to Kal. She turned her head to the side in embarrassment but her real feelings were betrayed by her rocking hips as she searched for some kind of stimulation.

Kal brought his hands up to her bottom, taking a cheek in each hand he leaned forward and gently flicked the little yellow pearl between her nether lips. Aradelle grunted and her whole body flinched at the touch, at the same time a small flood of nectar came pouring out of her slit. A nagging feeling in the back Kal's mind told him he was forgetting something, but he pushed It away. Completely focused on the alarune he leaned forward and took her swollen clit in his mouth tracing small circles with his tongue. Kal took his time working her up slowly, even stopping every so often if he felt she was getting too close. Aradelle whimpered in need pressing her sex against his mouth as her body shivered with pleasure. Deciding she'd had enough, Kal gripped her behind and sucked her clit into his mouth switching between swirling his tongue around it and flicking it back and forth.

Aradelle's legs clamped down on Kal's head as she came, her back arched with her head thrown back and mouth open but no sound came out. Aradelle released her hands from the vine and brought them forward, tangling them in Kal's hair as her body undulated rubbing her sex up and down Kal's face quickly coating him with her sugary sweet nectar. Kal stoically rode out Aradelle's climax and as her body relaxed he quickly adjusted his hold, putting one arm behind her back the other under her knees, cradling her as she came down. He held her to his chest and kissed her forehead as her breathing returned to normal.

"Spring," said Aradelle once she had recovered, her shining solid blue eyes looking up at him.

"Hm?"

She put a hand on his cheek, "This spring after you and Ikuno have planted our daughter's seed I want you to come back and make me yours."

"I promise 'Dell," he answered and leaned down to kiss her. They stayed like that for a long moment before Aradelle broke the kiss and snuggled into Kal's chest, sighing contentedly.

Kal loved Ikuno but he had to admit there was something primal and satisfying about holding the smaller alarune like this, he felt powerful and protective in a way he never got the chance to with the larger woman. Eventually, Aradelle sighed and glided out of his arms to stand up. Looking out towards the edge of the clearing, she smiled and raised a hand, waving.

"Hi, Ikki!" she yelled, holding up the small ceramic jar with one of her vines, it had been completely filled to the point of overflowing, coating the end of the vine, "Kal said you forgot something!"

Ikuno came stomping over, Kal's and Aradelle's eyes widening at the look on her face.

Clueless as to what to do in the face of a jealous looking oni Kal stood rooted to the spot.

Ikuno leaned down so their noses were almost touching and growled, "You could have woken me up!"

"What?" said Kal utterly confused, that was not what he expected her to say.

"You could have woken me up! Instead, I showed up too late to join in and had to settle with getting myself off out in the trees while watching you two!" she held up her hand to Kal's face and he could certainly make out the familiar scent of Ikuno's sex on her fingers. "Do you have any idea how much it turns me on to watch the two people I care most about making love?" she glared at him in challenge. "And you are way too easy to tease sometimes, Kal," she said her face splitting into a huge grin at her prank.

"Dammit Ikuno, I thought you were really mad at me!" he said as his body sagged in relief.

"That was mean, Ikki!" Aradelle piped in.

"I am mad at you! You didn't wake me up so I could join in!"

Kal blushed, "Actually, I didn't plan on this when I came out here, I thought I could just scoop some up from what we made yesterday, I didn't know 'Dell would reabsorb it all overnight." He looked over at Aradelle and smiled, "Not that I'm complaining about how things turned out."

Aradelle gave him a sultry look, "Neither am I."

"Okay you two, cut it out," said Ikuno. She walked over and took the jar from Aradelle's vine, securing a lid on it, "I do need to get home sometime today, and you are expected back at your farm as well." Giving Kal a stern glare, she continued, "Not to mention after watching you two my fingers weren't nearly enough, and I want to get home in time for you to do that to me."

Goodbye hugs and kisses were given, with no shortage of fondling and teasing from Aradelle after Ikuno claimed the tent in Kal's pants for herself later on, before they walked back to the shack to collect the rest of their belongings and head home.

---

Two weeks flew by for Kal and soon enough they were back visiting a very different looking Aradelle, Besides the rounded belly her white skin had turned orangish-yellow while her hair had gone a deep purple and her arms and legs were now fiery red where they used to be blue the only things that remained the same were her iridescent blue eyes and the yellow markings above her slit. Kal thought she looked like a pregnant fire sprite standing in a flower.

Kal and Ikuno were also joined by a very grumpy looking Perra who had insisted on coming along to the birth of Kal's daughter and became even more insistent when they tried to ward her off by telling her that she wouldn't be birthing a baby, but a seed. Looking back Ikuno and Kal both thought they should have tried to dissuade her with tales of the trip over the mountains, as the trek had left the girl sore, much like Kal's first trip, and with a couple of bumps and bruises from where things had gotten icy further up.

The actual birth was surprisingly anticlimactic for the humans, with Aradelle laying back in a reclining position and calmly announcing "here she comes," moments before a baby-sized, smooth, almond-shaped seed slid out into Kal's waiting arms, Ikuno had insisted he should be the one to 'deliver' his daughter.

Aradelle stood up looking very pleased with herself while Ikuno positively beamed at him.

Kal held the giant seed in his hands that was also his first child and daughter, for the life of him he had no clue what he was supposed to do next.

Perra leaned over his shoulder, "Aww, isn't that sweet, Kal, she has your eyes!"

Kal was at a loss for words as the other three burst out in laughter.

Once Aradelle had regained her composure she asked Kal, "What will you name her?"

"Me?" asked Kal, "Why me? Shouldn't you name her?"

Aradelle leaned over and hugged Kal, "She has a very special opportunity to be one of only a few alarune to ever be named by their father," she said running a hand over the smooth shell.

Kal looked up at Ikuno, "Help?"

Ikuno laughed and raised up her hands in defense, "Nope, 'Auntie Ikki' as 'Dell called me earlier, is staying out of this one."

Kal looked down and tried to imagine a baby alarune with her mother's white and blue markings beneath the hard brown shell.

"Eludora... her name is Eludora," he said.

Aradelle bounced up and down clapping her hands, "Eludora sounds wonderful! I love it!"

They sat and chatted amicably for the next few hours until a change in the sun's light warned them their visit was almost over. Eludora was passed to Perra and Ikuno who both said a couple of words of encouragement, Perra thought it weird until they explained that Aradelle would pass on some of her memories to the new alarune and that she wasn't just talking to a seed. Then she was passed to Kal, not trusting his voice he just held the seed tight to his chest, Ikuno could see that he was unwittingly pushing some of his own magic into his daughter but didn't see any harm in it so kept quiet. Kal planted a kiss on the hard shell surrounding his daughter and handed her back to Aradelle.

"You're a good man, Kal." she said and kissed him lightly on the lips, "I'll be looking forward to seeing you in the spring."

"Goodbye, Perra, it was nice to meet you," she said to the girl.

"Same here Aradelle, I look forward to seeing you again," replied Perra with a well-practiced curtsey.

Aradelle then turned to Ikuno and kissed her hard, "I will never be able to thank you enough for all you've done for me, but I'll certainly try when you come back in the spring."

"Sounds good, just stop before my legs turn to jelly next time," Ikuno said grinning.

"No promises," replied Aradelle.

"Goodbye." Aradelle moved to the center of her flower holding Eludora tightly to her chest. Her legs came up and back bowed as she curled protectively around her daughter. Aradelle closed her eyes and sank down into her flower's bulb, her flower petals fell to the ground and the harder outer leaves folded up and over the two forming a protective cocoon for mother and daughter to wait out the cold winter.