The Soul Refiner Bk. 01 Ch. 19-21

"You might more properly call me Tarud now, though the men refuse to do so."

"Unsurprising. I can't picture you as a merchant, or a farmer. Please my friend; can you tell us what, by the Radiant Sea, has been happening here?"

Chapter 21

"... so I think that our enemy sabotaged the slaves somehow. I'd have to see them to try and determine how. Fortunately, as most of the workforce in Kuru has already been healed, the demand for those slaves will be much lower. Even so, we are operating in the dark. None of this tells us who our enemy actually is."

Tarun nodded in frustration as I finished my tale, clearly agreeing with me, and just as clearly frustrated as I was.

"If you are correct about the sickness being spread by a demon, I think we can rule out K'ratha," he said. "The K'rath may harness demons, but they've seen the effects of letting their poison run rampant. And they respect, or at least fear, the king."

"Everyone of sense fears Ramana." I replied. "Whoever moves against him is blind, or a fool.

"Even if we discount the K'rath that still leaves Ootrin, Metic, and I've even seen evidence of the Pure trucking with demons. Did this mysterious delegation you spoke of show any signs of where that came from?"

"None. A few of them were fair of skin and hair, which could mean something, or nothing. All our neighbors have enough northern families to produce such a group easily. Their robes were shapeless, and they concealed any markings or adornments. I couldn't even find out what luminary from Ramana City was traveling with them. Whoever it was had enough clout to meet with Bani'kari directly, and get a suite in his manor. That doesn't say much, however. He'd give the keys to the city to anyone who'd offer him a chance at hurting Kuru." The former captain dragged his hand over his face.

"It's too little to work with." I said. "I think Bani'kari is being played for a fool, but without proof of demonic manipulation all this is still within the bounds of what Ramana allows, if barely. Carrying word of the 'bandit' attacks would put pressure on Bani, but it won't bring royal intervention anytime soon. Not with Ootrin and Metic raiders waiting for any opening. If we want this issue resolved, we need to deal with it ourselves, or drag the ugly details to light." I paused. Tarun was staring at me with a quizzical expression. "What?"

"I've never known you to be so... involved." He left the sentence hanging, leaving the question implied.

"This sickness is more dangerous than people think. And I've been encouraged to take a larger hand in it. The gods are watching."

He nodded slowly. "The sick in Bani seemed mostly fine. All those treated by our visitors recovered, at least temporarily. I suppose that would suit their purposes, ensuring support that way.

One way or another, we won't solve this issue tonight. I've set aside a room for you in my home for you to sleep as long as you're here. Do you need a bed servant? I've employed some of the stranded travelers, to keep them occupied."

"He's taken care of." Myta spoke up for the first time in this meeting, though she'd been listening intently. Her tone had a bite to it, and Tarun raised a surprised brow.

"As you will. I'll see you in the morning, assuming no emergencies tonight." He left abruptly, though not before instructing a runner to guide us to our room.

"You know," I said to Myta once we were alone. "A bed servant isn't a servant who shares the bed with you. At least, not always."

"Strip, master. Let me take care of you. I can feel your stress, and it's making it hard to think. She completely ignored my teasing as she shed her armor and clothing, somehow managing to do so faster than I could even remove my boots. A second later her hands were on me, helping me disrobe. With a sure grip, she pulled me to the wash basin, located near the fire. In no time at all the provided cloth was in her hands, stroking over my back and limbs. The hot water and rough cloth were a balm to me, cutting away the seat and road dust of the past two days. Clearing my nostrils of the scent of burning flesh.

The warm heat began to relax my muscles, and the slight breeze on my damp skin revitalized me. Myta didn't linger overly long, though she did stroke my skin more than was strictly necessary, trailing her fingertips along my limbs and back. I found her touches soothing. They stilled my whirling thoughts, grounding me in the moment. When she tugged me over to the bed, I didn't resist, allowing her to guide me. I ended up laying on my front, my shoulders propped up on a pillow, and Myta straddled my hips. With strong fingers, she dug into the muscles of my neck and shoulders. We had no oil, but she kept the rubbing to a minimum. Instead pressing her fingers down, then moving them in small circles. With expert pressure, she eased my tension, never passing my tolerance.

"Are you able to feel my sensations? The way we share them in out inner worlds?" My question was barely coherent. I sounded drunk to my own ears, the relaxation allowing my deep tiredness to surge to the forefront.

"Not exactly master. I feel... your needs, and you presence, always next to me. As if I were standing next to a boulder, but my eyes were closed, I'd still know it was there. I can't define the sensation exactly, but you're always there."

I nodded my head, or tried to at least. I wasn't sure if I had succeeded. I had been wound tight for weeks at this point, from the time I left Kuru. Not that I begrudged Myta, but my quiet life had become anything but ever since she joined me. My lower back was in terrible shape, her ministrations causing my muscles to twitch uncontrollably. Spinning around, she massaged my feet, then worked back upwards. Sliding herself up my back as she needed the room. Only when she had finished my entire back side did she dismount me.

"Please roll over, master." We were back to requests, rather than demands, apparently. My lips curled into a smile as I complied, but I caught her chin in my hand before laying back down fully. I pulled her into a firm kiss, then followed it with a peck on her forehead.

"No one will take your place, my flame. Not so long as you choose to remain with me."

"I am bound to you, master. I can never leave you." Her words could have been resentful, angry. Instead they sounded determined. I gazed at her for a long moment, trying to order my thoughts.

"Myta, right now you are mine, completely. But I need you to choose that. When your sickness is healed, you may want to take a different path, you might grow past your need of me." I put my fingers over her lips, as she opened her mouth to protest. "The first thing I will do, after you are healed, is search for a way to sever our bond safely. I told you already, as long as you choose that connection, I will not release you. But I will not poison our spirits holding on to something that has gone sour. Do you understand?"

I removed my fingers from her lips, and she nodded, but remained silent. Her eyes had a stubborn cast to them and I smiled again, a little sadly. I knew that emotions couldn't be willed into being, but they could be nurtured. I lay back on the bed, looking at her expectantly, until she straddled me again. Her fingers resumed their magic dance over me, but now her pelvis ground against mine with every movement she made. It was more stimulating than relaxing, and my shaft quickly hardened between us. Deliberately, she rubbed her sex against me, parting her lips around my shaft. Teasing me, with the warmth and wetness of her core.

Myta soon abandoned all pretense of a massage. Trailing her fingertips over my skin, she grazed me lightly with her nails. My hairs stood up as I shivered in reaction and she smiled a wicked, little smile of satisfaction. As though she enjoyed her power to make me react. As though she could wipe away my words with a flood of sensation. That was fine by me. More than fine, it was what I wanted. Her devotion.

Sliding down my legs, she nuzzled my cock, and then began to ply it with her tongue. Cleaning her own juices off of me in long, slow strokes. Gripping my hips, she dug her thumbs into the sensitive spots just inside the ridge of my pelvis, the tingling shocks of pleasure causing my hips to buck, and fluid to seep from my tip. Eagerly she lapped at me, then laid out next to my legs, her head resting on my stomach. I stroked her hair as she teased the head of my cock with her lips and tongue. Just having her there, lazily teasing me, was an indulgent thrill. Much deeper than the physical sensation, I loved her attentive explorations. The little noises she made, the feel of her cheek rubbing against me, her hair trailing over my skin.

When she nudged her head into my petting hand, I honored her request. My fingers tangled in her hair, and them my fist clenched, pulling it tight against her scalp. It was one of my favorite things, controlling her head like this, and had become one of hers as well. With an approving noise, Myta continued to tease me with her mouth I kept my grip tight, only just allowing her mouth to reach me, and so she resorted to gently suckling on my tip. Her little, pleading whimpers were intoxicating.

When I finally pushed her head down, she made a satisfied hum around me. Her hand cradled my balls, her thumb slipping around the base of my shaft, angling it just a little away from my stomach. Pointing it straight to the entrance of her throat. She pulled at my hand, trying to plunge down on my shaft, but I tightened my grip and kept the movement slow. Savoring the feel of her hot, wet mouth descending on me. My endowment wasn't huge, but it was still too long to all fit in her mouth. When I reached her throat she swallowed, stroking my head with the action.

I pulled her back, until her lips rested just behind my crown, then pushed her down again. I kept my grip firm, my other hand resting on the top of her head, moving her up and down my length at an increasing pace. Shem made encouraging, and steadily more urgent, noises as my motions became more rough. When I could no longer stop my hips from bucking I fucked her mouth, as her hand gently massaged the unattended portion of my shaft. She was whining as she swallowed, her mouth milking me until I erupted down her throat.

Myta's noises cut off then of course, her throat too busy accepting my seed. My senses were washed away for a moment, my body locked into a rictus of pleasure. Holding her head in place even as her attentions became too much for my sensitive flesh. When I regained my control, I pulled her mouth off of me, and then released her hair. Wriggling, she used my stomach as a pillow again, laying a brief kiss on my still twitching cock. Trailing her fingertips over my rapidly softening shaft.

I had a thought to return her affections, but she was radiating pure contentment through the bond. I was reveling in the afterglow in any case. My muscles were weak, and I was lethargic, so I let myself drift off while petting her hair.