The Trials Ch. 02

His arms moved to encircle her as his lips pressed gently against hers. She felt his breath brush over her face as he exhaled. His face withdrew slightly, his eyes looking into hers, and all she could think was that she wanted him to come back. And so he did. His mouth began moving slightly, the muscles of his lips coordinating in their complex fashion to move them about, at once bringing them forward and then back again. Fera still didn't know what to do with her own but she began to move them in ways that seemed reasonable. She was so focused on this interaction, it was engulfing. She had to remind herself to breathe, which came in strong gusts through her nostrils.

The kiss lasted for a time longer, but then his lips began to roam beyond the confines of her own. Now his cheeks were beside hers, leaving her to look over his shoulders as he kissed her neck. A little lower, now at her collarbone. Her chin raised instinctively to expose herself. She again noticed the glow of the ring, which seemed to be twice again as strong as it had been. At the same time, the ambient white light whose origin she had never identified was dimmer than before. The effect was to cast subtle shadows upward on their forms. She forgot about it again as he reached her breasts. His breath swept over her chest and he cupped each breast in a hand. His hands seemed the perfect size to cup them, to grasp them. The sensation was electrifying as he took a nipple into his mouth. What that strange cell had done was all well and good, but this... it felt so different. He moved to the other nipple, leaving the first to cool as saliva evaporated from its now firm peak. She watched in rapt attention, not noticing the awkward strain on her neck as she angled her chin.

Soon he was moving on, still lower, his hands now resting on her ribs, then her hips. It was as though each kiss revealed a new part of her body that she had forgotten about -- a rediscovery of lands which she thought seen and charted long ago. She found her hands moving from his shoulders to rest on his head as though to guide him, though in truth they did no such thing. The lower he went, the more the sensations and her anticipation grew. It was like a storm cloud on the horizon, growing closer and more fearsome with each moment. Yet even as she was certain it could not grow any larger, it would advance again. It seemed it must take up the entire horizon, towering into oblivion, yet still it grew larger. She let out an involuntary murmur which echoed throughout the chamber. The pink-red glow was all that fell on them now, still swelling with each breath she took. Finally he reached her womanhood, and it took only moments for her to climax. The glow within the chamber was almost blinding, but in that moment she could not separate what was happening within from without.

Fera's legs trembled slightly and she felt the need to sit and catch her breath. As though hearing her wish, a shape emerged from the floor which resolved into a bed. It was large and soft, like something royalty must use. Surely she had never slept on anything so comfortable. As she sat, the man -- what should she call him? -- stood. His member hung before her, easily accessible, and she gingerly reached out to touch it. It was such a strange object, soft and stretchy yet still fleshy on the inside. She lifted it, seeing the underside and the pouch that rested beneath. During her manipulation it seemed to change in character, extending slightly and bearing more shape. How bizarre! She looked up at his face to see desire, with a hint of pleasure. So it was the same for him, then? She considered for a moment and then wrapped her hand around it, correctly assuming that this would increase the pleasure. Within her gentle grasp it swelled yet further, stiffening into a rigid, rod-like shape with a still-spongy tip. It was quite fascinating how such a transformation could take place. She moved her hand to and fro, watching the skin move and feeling the structure that lay beneath. But truly, she didn't know what to do with it.

Smiling, he bent forward to pick her up and lay her back on the bed. He first lay down next to her, sharing an embrace over their whole body that was not possible before. As they kissed she brought her knee up, bent as though to somehow bring them closer. Without breaking the kiss he slid his hand down along her side to rest on her knee. He pushed, turning her on her back with her legs apart. As he knelt before her, some deeper instinct told Fera what was to come. He leaned over her, guiding his member to rest at the entrance to her gates. Just the feeling of it resting against her was exciting. Then, slowly, he guided it forward.

The spongy tip of his member and the rubbery flesh of her lips each gave way somewhat, piling up so that the first bit of distance accomplished little, but then his rigid core met resistance. Fera had not realized how slick she was until considering the logistics of his entry. Ever so slowly he inched forward, creating a sensation of filling unlike anything she had experienced before. Each new increment brought a new sense of wholeness as her body adjusted to accommodate him. He was inside of her. It almost struck her as profound, the intimacy of it. He kissed her again, resting there for a moment, before beginning a similarly slow departure. Seeing it outside of her again, Fera wondered that such an object could create the sensation she had just felt.

She wrapped her arms around him, inviting him back, and he obliged. Fera's body moved automatically in response, her hips angling slightly and her stomach retracting, then returning in an almost undulating fashion. Oh, the filling! Forward he moved, then back again. A rhythm emerged. His body closed the remaining space between them until their bellies touched and her nipples rubbed against his chest. The feeling of his body meeting hers when he was fully forward added yet more sensations to the boiling pot. As it grew the give of the bed seemed to enhance the rhythm, pushing her forward to meet him.

The incessant rhythm drove her wild. Short exhalations accompanied each impact -- for they were impacts now -- and Fera had lost control over her voice and breath. Moans began to fill the dome. Her mental capacity was consumed entirely by the rhythm of his thrusts. The glow of the chamber grew steadily. Fera was not sure whether she drove it or it drove her, but she could no longer change her course now. She was hurtling down a steep mountain slope, and whether she managed to keep her feet under her for the next step was inconsequential. In the final moments the slope dropped from under her, receding faster than she could fall. She hurtled through space, waiting to see where she would land.

Another orgasm flooded through Fera. Her thighs squeezed against his hips and she clung to him, immersing herself in his body. Not long after this moment an entirely new thing happened: the man's rhythm faltered and he pressed himself into her, a groan escaping his lips as his head tilted back. She could feel his muscles contracting as he held himself against her, and she sensed a subtle sensation of warmth and wetness -- almost unnoticed amid the echoes of her own orgasm, but the sudden stillness highlighted it. They held the position, breathing while the muscular contractions faded, until the man finally withdrew. His member, though still engorged, was no longer supporting itself so rigidly. Slick with juices, it hung there for a moment as though hesitating before he moved to lay beside her again. Fera felt some additional wetness that hadn't been there before. She reached down, only for her fingers to come away with a gooey, sticky substance. Though intrigued, Fera could not muster the mental energy to dwell on it long. In the wake of the receding orgasm, the light of the room was beginning to dim. Waves of exhaustion washed over Fera as it struck her how long she had been awake and how much she had been through. She didn't even roll over before falling asleep.

---

Two young men, garbed in rough woolen shirts with collars thrown wide open, sat atop a hill overlooking a small valley. The sun, now nearing its zenith in a mostly clear sky, fell on them somewhat uncomfortably. But there was nowhere else to sit while keeping an eye on the small stone edifice that terminated one end of the valley. Their tightly woven straw hats stopped the worst of it at least. Anyway, the summer was nearing its end and they would miss these warm days soon. Spears rested beside each of them, though there was little chance they would need to use them against some wild animal. A small bundle of supplies also sat nearby, which they had brought along to sustain them for a few days of waiting. Those supplies were almost used up, which had them concerned. It normally didn't take this long.

They waited, sometimes chatting, but one of them had had the foresight to bring a book, which he decided was a much better distraction than poking at the grass with a stick. He sat cross-legged with his back to the sun and his hat tipped back to protect his neck. The other rested on one elbow, with one knee propped up and a stem of straw hanging from his mouth. The straw was a habit Tomand had not yet broken and Sam never seemed to remind him when he did it absently. Tomand happened to look up first from his engrossing work and saw that the edifice had opened. He grabbed the supplies and roused the other with a "Sam, c'mon!"

They worked their way down the grass-covered slope, which was steep but also quite smooth and free from obstacles. The interior of the stone room was cast in shadow, not receiving direct sunlight, so you could never guess who you might find until you reached the doorway. Of course, if the council bothered to tell the people they sent to watch, they would know already. Tomand speculated on who they might find, but all Sam could say in reply was "We'll see, Tom." They reached the doorway and Sam whistled. Before them lay a young woman, curled into a fetal position with one hand under her head. Her red hair, a truly unusual trait in these parts, was fanned out behind her. She was lean and muscular, which they could see even with her curled up as she was. Tomand first put a blanket over her, then put his hand to her shoulder to wake her.

Fera's eyes opened slowly, which was a sign of how deeply she had slept. Sunlight flooded in from a doorway, which was comforting to see after so long in an unnaturally lit cave. She had been roused by something touching her shoulder. As her field of view widened, she saw there were two figures standing over her. She got up, holding the blanket about her as best she could.

When the woman stood Tomand saw that she was as tall as he was, and her red hair hung down to the middle of her back. Her physical stature, coupled with the look she held on her face as she rose, left him feeling slightly intimidated even holding the spear. Putting on his friendliest smile he said "I'm Tomand Brieson, and this is Sam Copeland."

"I am Fera Venucia. Where am I?" Her accent was thick and initially Tomand was not prepared for it. After a brief replay of the response in his mind Tomand said "You're in the hills above Pontham. You just got out of the temple." He gestured to the double stone doors in the back of the small room. Fera glanced back, recognizing the doors she had tried and failed to open before. "I'd imagine you're pretty hungry," he offered, digging through the supplies to find something to give her. He produced some dried jerky, which he held out to her. Fera did not immediately take it, first considering whether it was safe. She was quite hungry, and thirsty besides, and if these two had wanted to kill her they would have used those spears while she was fast asleep. Tomand mistook her pause and blushed. "Ah, yes, I suppose you'd like some clothes."

He fished out the spare clothes they had brought, which were quite oversized considering they didn't know who they'd be giving them to beforehand. He placed them on the floor and then stepped outside, putting his back to the outer wall. Sam followed, standing to the other side of the door. Fera let the blanket fall and picked up the shirt, eyeing it. Outside Sam was making silent exclamations over this beauty. Tomand was inclined to agree, though outwardly he made angry silencing gestures. Fera stepped outside, still adjusting to the sunlight. The clothes were baggy on her but in the heat of the summer they really looked quite comfortable -- except for the sandals, which were crude but accommodating. Tomand reached out with the jerky again and she took it. Next he offered the water skin, for which Fera was grateful after a mouthful of the jerky.

Tomand began walking down the valley. "We're here to help you after you got out of the temple," he explained. "People come out naked in a place they've never seen, it can be kind of disorienting. There's a path to the town, but it's not used a lot so it can be hard to pick up." Fera hesitated, then followed. She was not sure she wanted to go to town, but she also didn't like the prospect of starting from scratch out here, wherever here was. It was clearly not where she had entered. Looking about as they exited the mouth of the valley, she saw she was on the slope of the mountains, almost certainly somewhere in the Iontahc range. Given what she knew already, probably the eastern end of the range. She turned as she walked. Behind her loomed a truly stunning peak -- part of the Edoron no doubt, a landmark that could be seen even from Ultōrēn. Then her home would be somewhere that way...

"Where are you from?" Tomand asked, bringing her back from her thoughts. "Your pardon if I offend, but I've never met anyone who looks or sounds like you," he said.

"I am a battle-maiden of the Ultōrēs."

Sam, who had been drinking from the skin, started choking. "Holy shit," Tomand breathed. "I've heard stories... I mean -- what are you doing here?"

"My company was ambushed and killed. I was the only prisoner taken. They sent me here," she said flatly. Sam edged away.

"But we would never do something like that!" Tomand blurted. Sam, now recovered from his choking fit, interjected. "No," he said slowly, "the Cognitians wouldn't, but the Scutum would. I bet those bloodthirsty bastards are getting restless."

Fera was confused. "Cognitians? You speak Scutum, is this not where we are?"

A pained expression crossed Sam's face. "There have always been two parts to the Scutum, the ones in the lowlands and the ones up here," he said, gesturing to the mountains surrounding them. "We live in peace, and they raid. They don't need to, but they do anyway. We used to call the two parts the 'Inner Society' and the 'Outer Society' of the Scutum but these days most folk call themselves Cognitians."

Fera was still confused. "Why?"

"That's the name of the people that used to live here, before the Scutum arrived. There's a few people who have studied the past -- like Auxentus -- that could tell you more. Anyway, I'm not surprised you haven't heard of us. We're very isolated up here. The north and east are blocked by mountains, and the southern coast is nothing but cliffs. The Scutum form a wall to the west and we just live here," Sam shrugged. "Anyone who comes this way meets them. We trade with them and they trade with everyone else."

Fera could appreciate how this might be. She had heard the stories of those brave souls who had crossed the mountains only to find desert as far as the eye could see. She still didn't understand how she had come to be in the hands of these farm boys, but she decided this would be better addressed in the town.

By this time they were walking on a decidedly downward slope, following a vague path under the shade of tall trees. This was an old forest. There was little undergrowth and Fera could see quite far amongst the thick trunks. Bits of sunlight played across the floor and the slight rustling of the breeze instilled a sense of tranquility. They walked for a time in silence. Fera took the opportunity to organize her thoughts and experiences from the temple. Only now that she was back and grounded in reality did it strike her how profound the events were. That glowing, the manipulation of matter... it was magic. Something she had never encountered before -- something that, as far as she knew, didn't exist. She had never heard so much as a rumor that such a thing might really, truly exist. How did the world not know of this?

"The temple," Fera broached carefully, "what is it about?"

Tomand glanced over and grinned. "Great time, huh?"

Fera frowned. Yes, some of the experiences had been pleasant in the utmost, but others had been commensurately unpleasant. And many of them seemed, in her estimation, to be mortally dangerous. On the whole she found the ordeal deeply draining. Fera was not sure she would ever be quite the same. The last one had been quite... nice, though.

Tomand's grin died with the lack of reciprocation. He went on: "It's been here forever. Since before the Scutum arrived. We send everyone through it as a rite of passage." He started grinning again. "They call it 'The Trials.' The name was also passed down from before we arrived. It's silly if you ask me." His grin took on a sad cast. "Still, a few of the people that enter don't return. I lost one of my friends that way." He shrugged. "I just don't see what you could possibly do wrong."

Fera certainly could. "Are you not worried that your mind might be swept away?"

"I -- well, no." Tomand stammered. "Maybe it's different for women, but for men you finish and it's over." He blushed somewhat, but he was also absorbed by this new possibility. Could you really die like that?

Fera was also absorbed into thought. Could men really be so different? Maybe she had not pushed far enough and there was a limit after all... But no, she was certain for some of those experiences that if she had gone farther she would not have come back.

"The light. And the... " Fera floundered about for a word, "the shapes. How do they happen?"

"It's magic. It draws from the energy released by the person. That's about the limit of my knowledge, but there are others in the town who know more." Tomand paused, hesitant to continue. "The temple guides the energy naturally. But people can guide it too, so I'm told."

Fera walked in silence, her mind racing. Guide it to do what? How had no one else discovered this?

"Anyone can use this?" she asked.

"Yes, I think so. It's not easy though. Most people just never learn. Maybe they don't have the time, or a good partner."

"Don't tell anyone about this," Sam interjected. "If others knew of it then our home would be overtaken."

"Why is that?"

"The magic only works here in the mountains, in the area around the temple."

Ah.

"Really, that's all I know." Tomand insisted. "I've never used it myself. I'm an apprentice blacksmith."

Fera eyed Tomand up and down. He was of her height -- average for a man, topped by dark brown hair that was carelessly swept to one side. His shoulders were broad and he was moderately muscled, but he did not have the look of a blacksmith.

"You work as a blacksmith?" she asked. She thought she delivered it in a neutral tone but Tomand seemed prepared to defend himself. "Yes! ...I started pretty recently. I grew up farming with my father, but I wanted to do something else." His tone suggested there was more to say, but he left it there. Sam picked it up on his behalf. "He's been living with me for the last year and a half. His father won't even speak to him. He's lucky to have a job at all. Nineteen is a bit old to begin learning a new trade."

Tomand looked abashed but Sam went right on. "Fortunately for him old Hammond never had a son of his own to teach. He took Tomand right up, said anyone can learn if they have a mind to."