To Save a World Ch. 05

Their current dwelling, finished in just about a week, looked straight out of childhood fantasies. Climbing the swaying, creaking, five-meter vine-and-wooden ladder so far has never failed to make him smile out of sheer excitement. Five outwardly radiating beams of magically 'grown' branches as thick as Aaron's thighs served as support beams for their floor, following the curve of the trunk of the mighty tree to form a rough semi-circle, and then kind of extending upwards and then back, so that it served as the pillars as well as the beams above. The floor and the bottom half of the walls were made of planks efficiently hewn with Trasnu's stone tools and Serche's ever-versatile magical capabilities, secured by tough vines. The rest of the walls and the floor was just enclosed with dry twigs and leaves. If they rolled over hard enough they would fall down and break their back.

To be honest, it wasn't really much of a house, merely a floor to sleep on with enough room to stand, and enough area to pace in a small circle (if he made sure his steps were really small). But it was awesome. From his vantage point up above he could see more of the sea of green that surrounded them. Absolute swirls and billows of plants chaotically competing with each other in the race of life, clinging to trees like ocean waves crashing upon some mighty cliff, the view coupled with the crisp freshness of the air devoid of any pollution, and finally topped off with the pure earthy smell of thriving life. Standing there in the early morning mist, gazing out his makeshift window, he often felt as if he was in paradise. That was why the creation of the treehouses was something that would always stick in his mind. It happened at least a week after the start of their training.

Not that the treehouses were the only important thing they created. It could even be argued that everything else was even more important, just more conventional and less cooler. There was the great hall, for one, which is basically a living room, kitchen, storage place and armory all in one. It was a primitive but sturdily-built structure, made in the more traditional way by erecting four wooden posts in dug-out holes, and had wooden beams secured with tough vines. The roof was several layers of durable leaves, weighted and secured in place by more sticks and plant material. Located in the middle of the clearing which they made into their home, it housed the stone ring where they made their fires, their makeshift log-table, their utensils, stacks of firewood and a few baskets with foraged odds and ends.

It was more like a hut, really, but Aaron called it the great hall because 'great hut' sounds stupid.

Something Aaron never expected was to be able to actually cook. Surprisingly enough, Serche and Trasnu were able to instruct them into making pottery with just mud - yes, mud - lying around specific parts of the riverbank. It boggled his mind; they used wooden bowls in order to let river-side mud sit for days, changing out the water regularly in order to remove unwanted particles and extract the clay. Once finished, they mixed water with the fine, left-over dirt in order to shape various sizes of crude pots, dried it, and then baked it in the fire. And then voila, cooking pots. They were crude, delicate things, not at all the pinnacle of cooking experience, but they worked.

Well, mostly. Some of them cracked the moment they touched the fire. Which was why they made several versions of the stuff. Once they got the hang of it, it worked okay.

He supposed that he shouldn't be at all astonished at the ingenuity of their beastmen friends, but making a pot out of good, ole mud? Aaron never thought even thought of the possibility. The most he knew of making pottery is buying them from stores. Nevertheless, he definitely felt a lot better once he realized that he could eat something other than roasted rabbit and bird. Not only that - further defying all expectations, Trasnu was even able to procure some salt. Salt! In the middle of the jungle!

It turned out to be the product of the beastmen's guilt - having a sharper sense of taste than their human companions and used to the mostly unvaried diet of their stay in the forest, they were extremely apologetic that it took them this long in order to notice how he felt about their food. It took the beastman several weeks of following different tributaries of the river in order to find rock salt deposits, his effort amounting to several handfuls of ground salt.

To be quite honest, the whole thing amazed and embarrassed Aaron. He felt like he was being treated differently, especially since he seemed to be the only one concerned about it. Lydia never seemed to mind at all.

Also, he wondered how they were able to tell that he was inwardly complaining about the food at all. From the way he was chewing? It was a question better left for another day.

Nevertheless, he accepted the offering as graciously as he could. The salt, and now the valuable crockpot that the group made and fired from earth, expanded their options agreeably. He hadn't realized how much his morale could be affected by food until the first time they feasted on some peasant stew, seasoned with salt a variety of wild spices picked that very same day.

He laid on the ground lazily, a hand rubbing his bloated stomach in the fashion of a man so thoroughly satisfied. He sighed deeply, the spicy taste of the delicious stew still on his tongue, the fare sitting warm and heavy in his gut. It was already dark, the firelight hypnotic, the merry crackling of it a lulling sound.

"I'm going to live in this world," Aaron suddenly piped up. The young man propped an arm behind him and looked at his companions with a sudden intensity. "I haven't really said it out loud before, but I am. I belong here now, in this place, with you guys."

"Well, you certainly will, young lad. At least for a few more days. My praise for remaining alive," Trasnu drawled lazily.

Aaron shook his head. "Not just survive. Live. I... I don't know what I want to do yet. No idea at all. But want to eat delicious food like this. I want to explore this world and its crazy magic. I want to see places, know people. I want to have fun and adventures with you guys." The sudden conviction of it brought little tears in his eyes.

There was silence in the camp for several moments. "Well, I reckon things are going to be much more interesting with you around. You wouldn't be able to get rid of the Old Hunter anytime soon." Trasnu grinned.

"Me neither." Serche agreed.

Lydia's eyes held unspoken promises. In the firelight, the peculiar color of her eyes and hair shimmered like actual flames. "I will be where you are."

Aaron laid back down with more than a filled stomach, but also a full heart. It was the very first time that he felt a glow of well-being and confidence in the turbulent, fantastical situation that he found himself in. For the first time ever, he actually looked forward to the future. And all because of some stew.

The next memorable event happened just the day after that, during Aaron and Lydia's early-morning, riverside routine.

It was early in the morning, the skies only beginning to brighten with the promise of a new day. The brisk, cool air was invigorating, the smell of sex readily distinguishable in the riverbank. The pair was both deep into their lovemaking session, rutting out in the open as usual. Aaron was toiling above Lydia, her legs slung unto his marked, sweaty shoulder, while his hard cock leisurely plundered her steamy insides over and over again. It was quite remarkable that he still heard the approaching footsteps amidst the moans and coos of his eager lover - but hear he did, and when he looked up he found the source of the noise to be none other than Serche.

The sight of a witness to their mindless rutting almost made Aaron cringe in surprise, but it sure was not enough to make his cock go down. He kind of just parked his cock balls-deep into Lydia and stopped, panting, waiting to see how this new development would unfold. The demon touched gave a small moan of satisfaction. "What is it? What's wrong?" She inquired breathily, curious as to what broke their bubble of lust.

"Oh please, don't mind me, my masters. Forgive me if I've disturbed your... activity. I am merely passing by. Oh, and maybe be a little bit gentler in pounding your lady into the ground, please. There might be sharp rocks around, and wounds are basically death sentences here, as far we are from civilization."

The shaman barely glanced at them, nonchalantly approaching the water and passing right by the mating couple as she shed her clothing in a few movements. Aaron shamelessly drank in her appearance, his lust-emboldened state mindlessly burying himself to the root into Lydia's twitching quim. The young woman gave a small moan, drawing herself up to keep the voluptuous Serche in her gaze as well. She was quite significantly shorter than Aaron, so she had to tilt her head up to whisper directly into his ear.

"Would you like to take her as well?"

Aaron didn't respond, never even blushed in surprise as he normally would. Not that he needed to at all, seeing as how his cock twitched inside Lydia at the idea.

"Ooh, somebody liked that thought. I wouldn't mind, my master, if that's what you're worried about."

On the water, Serche was facing away from them, her back so squarely to them that the perfect curves of the side of her breasts were readily apparent as she raised her hands to comb back her hair. The shallow water hid everything just below the swell of her hips, getting deeper as she waded further in, the curves of her body hypnotically disappearing into the water as if by magic.

"Look at her," Lydia whispered breathily in his ear, gyrating her hips ever so slightly to spur on the man in between her lewdly splayed legs "She's putting on a show, just waiting to be taken by her rightful owner. Look at that body, my master. Look at those curves. So ripe. Just waiting to be plucked."

"Stop that." Aaron admonished noncommittally, all the while burying himself back into Lydia's tight, hot sheath almost involuntarily. His hooded eyes were focused towards the receding form of Serche, and although he talked otherwise, his imagination ran uncontrollably wild. Concocting scenes of absolute debauchery that flashed into his mind's eye for a split second before being replaced by another. He tried to shake it off, to focus on the woman in front of him - hell, to focus on the woman he was currently in. But his brain wouldn't have it. Neither would Lydia, apparently.

His muscles burned with exertion and sheer arousal, his cock buried into Lydia almost crackling with a heat that radiated throughout his whole body. The shameless young woman continued to whisper filthy things into his ear, her hot breath tickling his lobes.

"She's- oh! She's just a little bitch in heat, waitin - to be- taken..." The young woman trailed off as Aaron began driving into her with a vengeance, setting her down back into the unyielding ground for her back to be bruised by the punishing rhythm he was beating unto her willing cunt. Her words were replaced with melodious cries of approval. She loved it - every second of it, and she never failed to let him know, her keening moans and whimpers encouraging, her spread legs locked around her lover's buttocks, her hooded eyes begging him for more - always more

"Fine," his voice was low, rough "You want me to have her? You want her to be in your place? You want this cock-" He punctuated with a powerful thrust, "Inside her instead of you? Maybe I should go over there right now..."

"Noo. Me first. I- ah, I deserve to go first."

"You do, don't you?" He increased the frequency of his thrust, holding her close, her body bent almost in half as he hitched her pliant legs into his arms to give him better room to pound her deserving hole. Their passionate actions freely made indecent, squelching, slapping sounds, broadcasting their lovemaking to the forest for all to hear.

Suddenly, Aaron disengaged his cock with a plop and a gasp of surprise from Lydia. He manhandled her on her hands and knees in the gravel, and then squeezed back in. The maneuver took no more than several moments, and then they were fucking away again, blind to the world. Her small ass did its best to absorb his motivated thrusts. The hypnotic vibration of her flesh occupied all of his attention, framed by his hands glued to her hips and complimented by the peripheral spectacle of his well lubricated, shiny cock disappearing into her body. Lydia came several times, but he ignored it, plowing through her quivering, grasping cunt, intent in his own release.

He stayed like that, glued to the image before him and thoroughly absorbed in the moment as his climax mounted like a roaring wave. Finally, he buried himself into his lover as deep as he could and unloaded his eager seed well inside of her. Lydia gave a final, whimpering quiver as she too came apart at the feel of her lover's warmth claiming her from the inside.

Spent, his deflating cock popped out of Lydia's accommodating sheath. It was immediately followed by a rush of his cum escaping out of her hole to race down her legs. The sight of a twitching, panting, thoroughly pleasured Lydia with his cum dripping out of her brought another twitch in him, but with a look at the brightening sky he mastered his urges and helped her up. It would be breakfast soon. He dusted her hands and knees as she swayed on her feet, her eyes vacant, her breathing seeming to end in low hums of satisfaction as she panted her exhaustion away. She was in her drunken state, while whatever magical mechanism in her reveled in the abundance of the magic generated by their lovemaking session.

He gently took her in his arms, her diminutive weight presenting little problem as he gently carried her into the clear, swirling waters of the river to get cleaned up. Serche was nowhere in sight, he hadn't even noticed her leave. Lydia had her arms wrapped around his neck and was adorably nibbling on his shoulder. About waist-deep in the water, she looked at him. "I meant what I said, you know," She smiled at the look of surprise in her lover's gray eyes. "I don't mind other people, just as long as I get to be first, always."

Aaron tried to regain his composure. "I don't need that. I don't want any other, except for you." Lydia snorted and chuckled knowingly.

"If you say so." Her eyes laughed at him merrily as he resolutely looked at anywhere but her. He didn't need any more things to think about, but there it was. His mind bent on payback, he suddenly wiggled his finger on her sides as she erupted into a peal of laughter and uncontrolled squirming, resulting into a huge splash as he dropped her into the frigid waters.

She surfaced, gasping, the water just deep enough to hide everything just below her collarbones. "Mean!" Lydia declared, before launching a dedicated attack towards said mean person - mocking her with laughter - by way of water splashes. Aaron returned the assault, and they played for a while until they felt they were clean enough to head back to camp.

For her part, Lydia was having the time of her life. Her existence so far has always been a struggle for survival, clawing her way through day after day. Battling hunger. Enduring pain. Numbing her humanity as she faced off with other souls as desperate as she is, in the unforgiving streets of Searle, in the prisons of the town's brownjackets, in the slaver's predatory caravan.

Now here she was, in an eternally sunlit paradise (it hasn't even rained ever since they got here!), in the company of friends, a wonderful, otherworldly lover, and brimming to the roots with magic so potent that most of the time she felt like she was floating on air.

It's true, Trasnu's exercises were tough. Between those, the work they did to continually improve their camp, and Aaron's arduous attentions, she felt wrung out every single day. Every night she would go straight to sleep right after their nightly lovemaking, like a candle puffed out of existence. But every morning she wakes up with a smile on her face and a lightness in her heart, readying her to face whatever physical challenges that she might face.

Their current setting may not have the common comforts of the city, but it boasted a different charm altogether. They had to fetch water several times a day, using heavy, wooden jugs that their beastmen friends fashioned, but the water was pure and sweet, and the surroundings were pleasant enough to enjoy the walk. She didn't mind the repetitive food, or sleeping on bare wood. Lydia has eaten worse fare - or not at all, and has stayed the night in much less pleasant spaces. Compared to that, this was paradise indeed.

Trasnu and Serche, although both foreign, were kind to her. Trasnu even started calling her 'mistress' once, thinking her association with Aaron brought her on the same level as he. She huffed and puffed and made such a fuss about it that the Old Hunter agreed to drop the act with an amused smile in his face. But what do you know, ever since then he's been calling her 'mistress' whenever he wanted to tease.

One thing she found strange about the male Rakan was that he never, ever looked at any of them that way. She prided herself on her uncanny penchant for observation and judging one's character, and she usually noticed things like that very easily. Especially things which are sexual in nature, perhaps because of her dusk-touched heritage. She understood why he would be hesitant. He might merely see them as children, and his yearnings may be for people more his age. He has also blatantly expressed subservience to Aaron, which he may see has a better claim to both of the females in the group - and is a better match for the them anyway, age-wise. He might feel as if he might infringe on the territories of his master, especially with his strong expressions of loyalty (which, she theorized, is a strong part of their Clan's culture).

But they were in an isolated situation, and they were in a position where one did not really have much of a choice with regards to channeling their sexual tensions. She also assumed that it has been a long time since he has relieved himself of his cravings, if he had some at all. Lydia could not imagine one would feel particularly inclined under lock and chains. She'd even notice Serche's barely concealed appreciative interest towards Aaron, and even more so towards her. But with Trasnu - not so much as a glance.

Well, if he wouldn't tell, she really had no business nosing about the older man's preferences. She supposed that she should be feeling safe, knowing there would be nothing to rock the group from that front. But on the contrary, she felt a little uneasy, feeling like she couldn't get a read on Trasnu at all.

Oh well. There was nothing to be done about that. Besides, far more interesting things occupied her mind.

Serche glowed like the morning sun. Her health really took a turn for the better ever since their forced isolation on these unknown grounds. Of particular envy of hers was the Rakan woman's glowing, silver hair. It fell from her head like moonlit ocean waves, shining like threads of silver under the proper light. And so long, falling past her hips. The woman had taken to styling her hair in intricate braids that she would spend hours doing, threading it with a seemingly random assortment of branches, feathers, and colorful flowers. Her figure, too, is something that Lydia particularly loved to look at. It was the perfect mixture of power and grace, working muscles and feminine curves. Her breasts look especially attractive - so different from Lydia's modest ones, they jutted out of her proudly even while she tried to confine them, as if defying her wishes to announce to the world her desirability. If she was any shorter she would be extremely curvy, but as she stood tall her curves were more evenly distributed into a subtle but not at all unnoticeable hourglass figure.