TRC - Searching for the Sky Ch. 14

"You didn't know this when you started?"

She shook her head, "I've never used something like that before. I've never felt the desire to use one."

"I can take care of your immediate problem, but we need something more long term. How did you deal with this before?"

"You're just going to casually fuck me once we get out of here?" she snarled.

"Don't read into it, cleric. I wouldn't touch you under normal circumstances."

"I'm not good enough for you? Maybe I need more feathers or fur to get you hard?"

Closing his eyes, Kal looked down and rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration. "I'm pretty sure my son was just born yesterday to a very human woman. Getting back on track, you haven't always been like this, how did you manage your urges before?"

Chastened by his words, Elta told him a quick version of her time with Priest Ondeh and his acolyte. "It'd be better if there were some way to fix my head than be a slave to my desires for the rest of my life," she said, her expression sour.

"You aren't broken, your lust is just a lot stronger than a normal woman's, and that needs to be addressed. Perra told me on the way here that the tanner's boy has been pursuing you, have you considered taking him up on the offer?"

"Absolutely not," the cleric answered with a fierce shake of her head. "I just told you how I was passed around among the initiates back in the capital, I won't go through that again."

"The boy owes me a favor, I can call it in to ensure his discretion."

Elta opened her mouth to refuse but hesitated. "Are you sure there's no way to fix me?"

"Of course not, but the other option is becoming bound to me so I can root around in your head and see what needs fixing. Even then there's no guarantee, it's not like I've done anything like that before. It's just as possible that I might make your situation worse."

"Perra?"

Kal winced, "She might be able to, but with as much as she hates what she's done to you already I don't think she would be okay with such a drastic and permanent change to your personality. It might hurt her more than it helps you. No offense Elta, but I love her, not you. I won't ask her to put herself through that for your sake."

"Damn you, Kal."

He looked at her in confusion.

"Why... Why can't you be like the High Priests and Priestesses tell us wizards and mages are supposed to be? Why do you have to be a boy who I watched grow up? Why don't you walk around like some arrogant god among men? Why do you have to be a farmer who happened to learn magic a couple of years ago? Why do you have to wave in my face how much you love Perra and Talin and Dax and all the rest? That was something I didn't believe a mage was even capable of until I met you. But most of all... why do you have to act like you give a damn about me?"

"You answered your own question. I grew up meeting you in town. I grew up as a farmer tending to the earth and have never thought of myself as better than those around me. I try to be a good person and though I won't be able to be there for those I love all the time, I never want them to imagine for a second that I no longer care about them. Caring about the things important to your loved ones is part of that, and you are a huge part of Perra's life right now. She worries about you incessantly. Besides doing it for Perra, I care because it's the thing a good man would do."

"Dammit Kal! Just let me hate you!" she screamed. "We are going to leave here and you are going to fuck me out of this insanity I'm trapped in! I've been fantasizing about having sex with you since I put that damn thing inside me last night and in a few minutes you are going to make all of my lust addled dreams come true! I will never be able to settle for the tanner's boy if you do that." Her voice dropped, "I need to hate you."

Kal stared blankly at her, "You need to hate me? Fine. You said you remembered my mother? I'm the reason she's dead."

Elta took a step back, "What? No! How?"

His face was cold as steel, "It doesn't matter how. Suffice to say that if it weren't for my actions, she might possibly be alive right now."

The cleric's eyes narrowed in suspicion, "Possibly? Explain."

"No," his cold demeanor broke for a moment, "it doesn't matter anyway. Just understand what I'm saying is the truth."

"Nice try," she said, shaking her head. "Perra speaks too highly of your mother. If you killed her in cold blood, she would have nothing to do with you."

Kal's shoulder's slumped, "What do you want from me then? I try to be a good person, sometimes to a fault as Daxas reminded me with Kogen. You're a member of the church, isn't my having monster girls as lovers supposed to be enough reason to hate me?"

"When I first came to town it would have been, but not anymore." Elta sighed, casting a quick glance behind her as though she could see her naked and sweat covered body lying on the ground. "As messed up as my mind is, I really don't want to go back." Thinking for a moment she let out a sharp bark of laughter.

"What was that for?" asked Kal.

"Part of me expected you to try to sleep with me before our duel. Now here about to do just that, and you don't even want to."

"I said I wouldn't earlier, not that I don't want to. You're still attractive and desirable, I just don't like the idea of being with a woman who genuinely doesn't want to. I also don't enjoy the side effect of doing so."

The cleric gave him a half-smile, "That makes me feel a little better." She summoned a magic circle in front of her hand. The central sigil told him it was the spell to return to one's body without needing to wait for the person who pulled you into the astral realm. Months ago, he learned the drawn style of the same spell from Kelthor. As she activated the circle, she looked up at him in confusion. "Side effe--?" was as far as she got before disappearing.

Kal smiled as the farmhouse and surrounding area returned to the dull gray landscape of the astral plane. Focusing on returning to his body, he vanished a moment later.

------

The mage awoke fully expecting to be getting attacked by the cleric, or even having sex with her already if she had enough time before he came back. Instead, he found himself in the tent alone with voices coming from outside.

"Take this and get Kal away from me as soon as he wakes up," he heard the cleric say.

"Why? And when is he going to wake up? What's been going on?" asked the harpy, her voice taking on a panicked tone in her confusion.

"She or I will explain later," said Kal as he exited the cleric's tent. "It looks like she's come up with a different solution." As he spoke Elta turned toward him. At the sight of the mage her face flushed. An arm that hid her breasts from Kuto now became a hand furiously tugging at a nipple while the other one covering her sex now dove between her legs. "It apparently requires me to be gone. Kuto, help her however you can," he said, quickly taking Perra's toy from the harpy. "I'll be at Felli's or in the storage room." Kal's haste rune shone, making the glowing image of the rune appear above his bracer. He was already jogging toward the exit when the floating copy of the rune spun up enough to activate, sending him streaking across the remainder of the cavern to the ramp that would take him back outside. A few of the small glowing stones scattered about rocked for a moment from the wind created as he sped past.

Kuto looked over at the cleric, who was slowly starting to recover from Kal's momentary presence. "I'm not used to all of this chaos. I need some explanations before I help you do anything."

Elta almost laughed at the harpy's words. She still had yet to figure out what her next move was, asking for help wasn't even an option yet. "Kal took me on a dreamwalk. We discussed my options there. When I woke up, my body wasn't nearly as desperate as I had expected. Since I'm not on the brink of insanity anymore, I'm going to try to deal with this myself." She took a long shuddering breath, "If I can't do it then I hope you and Perra have room for another in your bed. Even if he doesn't bind me to him, I'll belong to him in a different way."

Kuto's eyes widened in wonder at what the woman could mean but decided not to press. "What are you needing?" she asked.

"Water and food, but I can make those," the cleric lifted an arm and took a quick whiff. Turning her head to the side she let out a small cough. "But first... a bath," she said looking over at the icy waters of the cavern's pond. It might be exactly what she needed right then, but it wasn't going to be pleasant.

Sighing, she beckoned the harpy to follow her to the water's edge.

------

The Goddess stood from where she had been watching the humans and harpy in her scrying pool. Her face made it plain that she was not happy, despite the favorable outcome.

"No more 'helping'," she told the woman next to her sternly.

"Yes Mother," replied Ardolan as the Goddess vanished. She looked back down the pool where the harpy was helping the cleric into the pond located off to one side of the cavern. Her mind raced as she tried to figure out how things had ended up this way without her or the Goddess lifting a finger.

------

Kal sat back in one of the chairs in the storeroom. While he was away, the harpies asked Perra if it would be okay to divvy up the storeroom and put in some living spaces for when they visited Felli and stayed overnight. Perra bought the lumber while the harpies transported everything and the farmhands then put it all together. There were now six rooms in what used to be the large storage area, with plenty of space to add more in the future if they wanted. One room was filled with dry goods for the times when Rone or Marda stayed up there. Of the rest, only three had furniture while the remaining two were empty for the time being, set aside to be furnished when Lada or any other children got older and needed them.

The room he claimed reminded him of those found at various inns he'd stayed at during his travels. A bed with a nightstand, shelves for one's belongings, and a small table with two chairs were the only things in the room. He wondered for a moment how they were preparing their food when staying up here before figuring they probably went over to Felli's and cooked on the magically heated slab of rock over there.

Kal had yet to figure out exactly how the original creators made the stone cooktop work. His own attempts to recreate it had ended with disastrous, and sometimes explosive, results as the stone he used cracked or shattered when heated. He felt he was getting closer when he ran out of time and left on his journey to retrieve Ikuno.

Sighing, he moved over to the bed and laid down. He was concerned for Elta but knew that he couldn't go check on her. Not that they really needed his help, Kuto had certainly proved herself to be a capable woman many times over since she came to the farm. Her recent infatuation with him and Perra was a refreshing change from her no-nonsense, regimented attitude from before he set out.

Having updated Perra on Elta's situation and having nothing pressing that he could work on without Ria, he let his eyes close as he relaxed from the day's stress.

------

The clicking of talons on the stone outside his door woke him, he gathered from the unhurried pace that there were no emergencies. Kal feigned sleep as the door to the room creaked open. It squeaked again as the harpy stepped in then closed it quietly behind her before coming over to the bed.

Stepping up onto the bed, she put one foot on either side of his waist and sat down on top of the mage. "I'm pretty sure most humans don't grin in their sleep," she deadpanned.

Kal wiped the smile from his face for a moment before breaking into another and chuckling. Opening his eyes, he looked up at the harpy. "How is she?"

"Slowly getting better," said Kuto, shuffling down onto his thighs and reaching for his belt. "She can't even think of you right now without starting to play with herself immediately. Before I left, she assured me that the feelings were fading though it might take a while."

"So, you think she will be okay without someone checking on her tonight?" He raised an eyebrow at her actions, "Now?"

Kuto finally got his belt undone and used her wing-claws to unfasten the front of his trousers. Tugging them down, she freed his cock which was already semi-hard and gradually getting bigger. "Yes, she'll be fine for tonight. The answer to your second question is, no," said the harpy moving up and over his prick before sitting down at his waist. "I'm waiting until we are with Perra for that. However, I've been helping out a highly aroused woman for the past couple of hours and being around her has gotten me going too." She scooted back and Kal felt the wetness of her sex on the top of his cock. Continuing to slide backward, she gradually bent his prick down until it pointed toward their feet. "I really need some relief at the moment," she said, smiling down at him. "Don't worry, I'll take care of you afterward."

"I wasn't worried. You don't come across as the type to play those kinds of games."

"Not at first," she said in a husky voice as she rubbed herself back and forth on his shaft, soaking the top without taking him inside her. Shifting her hips back, she brought her clit up against the top of his prick and began moving again with a long moan.

"This would be a lot more comfortable if you pushed it up instead of down."

Kuto shook her head, "If I slip you will go straight inside me. Much as I want that, I want our first time to be with Perra more."

Nodding in acceptance, Kal reached up and covered the harpy's breasts with his hands. They were little more than small bumps on her chest, reacting slowly to her arousal and Kal's proximity. As he ran his thumbs over her nipples they swelled significantly, filling his hands as the feathers on her chest pressed through the gaps in his fingers. The way a harpy's breasts stayed hidden until stimulated amazed him as much now as it did the first time he noticed the mysterious enlargement of Felli's chest.

With her eyes closed and a grin of ecstasy on her face, Kuto continued rubbing her clit along Kal's cock. After a few minutes, her hips started to stutter as she approached climax. Kal's hands left her bosom for a moment before going to her hips to steady her.

As she was about to come, Kal lifted her from his prick, getting an unhappy moan from the harpy. Setting her on his chest, he snaked his arms beneath her legs and took handfuls of her bottom as he brought her sex to his mouth. The bird-like anatomy of her legs brought her clawed feet up next to his head but Kuto reached out and grabbed a particularly thick and sturdy rail on the headboard, he didn't think it was coincidence that it left her in a perfect position for what he was about to do.

The mage only took a moment tasting her slick yet nearly flavorless juices before sucking her clit into his mouth and attacking it with his tongue. Kuto's feet gripped the rail fiercely as she drew in a deep breath, holding it as she came. Her body shook and shuddered above him as Kal continued flicking his tongue across the sensitive nubbin, not stopping until she started pushing away with her legs. Her breath exploded from her lungs and she panted for a couple of seconds before drawing in another lungful of air and holding that as well. A short time later she let out a ragged moan as her body started to relax.

Kal moved his hands to her hips as she lay back on top of him. Her change in position exposed another smaller target for his tongue.

"You'd better stop that, or we won't be waiting until we get back to Perra," said the harpy between pants.

Kal chuckled as he stopped teasing the sensitive skin around her pucker.

When Kuto's breathing slowed, she flipped over while still laying on top of him. Grasping the rail again in the new position, she cleaned him of her fluids with her narrow tongue before slowly sliding her lips all the way down to the base of his cock. He couldn't even tell when he slipped into her throat, something that Rone had warned him of some time back while describing his first night with Felli. Experiencing it for the first time, he had to say that Rone's praises of a harpy's mouth were warranted.

"Kuto? I'd like to watch you do that."

The bird-girl stopped for a moment, then pulled off of his cock with a popping noise. "Not this time Kal, we are just taking care of a need right now. After you've made love to me properly, I'll be happy to stare up at you while your friend here disappears down my throat," she said before taking him into her mouth again.

His hips gave an involuntary jerk as the image popped into his head, "Keep talking like that and I might put you on your knees and take away the option," he replied through gritted teeth.

She hummed around his cock in approval before bobbing up and down on it in earnest, working her tongue and throat muscles to try to get him off quickly.

Thoughts of shifting positions fled as he tilted his head back, letting out a small grunt from the intense sensations coming from his prick. Reaching down, he put his hands lightly on the back of her head. Kuto stopped for just a second to nod her acceptance. Bending his knees and putting his feet flat on the bed, he held the harpy in place as he began to roughly thrust into her mouth. Almost immediately, she reached up with her wing-hands and directed him to grab a fistful of her hair while taking his other hand and placing it on her bottom.

He wasn't sure what she wanted him to do down there but was unwilling to ask, getting an answer meant she would have to take his cock out of her mouth. He gathered some of her juices from her folds on a finger and pressed it against her rear entrance. As it slid through the ring of muscle, he gripped her hair and began shoving his cock into her throat again. If the noises Kuto was making were anything to go by, she was loving every second.

Kal quickly realized there was no way he could hold out for long doing this. The feeling of burying himself in her throat over and over coupled with the sight of her dripping pussy in front of him and his finger sawing in and out of her bottom was just too much. Shoving her head down, his prick erupted in her throat as he sunk his finger all the way into her ass. Shot after shot poured straight into her stomach until she began pressing back against his hand from the need for air. The last few spurts landed on her tongue as she breathed heavily through her nose, refusing to let him out of her mouth until he began to soften.

After carefully cleaning him up and allowing him to tuck his dick back in his pants, Kuto laid down next to him and snuggled in under his arm.

"That was a helluva warm-up," she said.

"I'll have to remember there's only one drawback to going down on a harpy."

Confused and slightly insulted, she looked up at him and asked, "What's that?"

Tilting his head back, he pursed his lips and let out a little puff of air.

Kuto's face reddened as a single small feather floated down.