Ravir looked at the small wooden gate. In the chilly darkness, he could barely see the off-white paint. It had an arch and tall, stone walls dwarfed the opening. Unchecked climbing vegetation clambered over the side entrance, the riotous flora also hiding it from sight. The young man mused it must be nice to look at during the daytime. He expected flowers to be all over the entire façade.
The guardsman took the trail leading through a copse and observed the enormous estate from the cover of the trees. The woolen cloak protected him from the cold, yet he felt it in his bones. His hands were clammy, and nervousness threatened to overcome the heightened expectation of the night’s delights.
Then imagination took over, bringing to mind the image of the waiting woman lying on an enormous bed, naked under the sheets. Smiling at him. Running her tongue over luscious lips as the curves of her body sinuously moved under the glossy sheet. Ravir felt the growing heat at the fleshy expectation slowly drive the chill back. It brought an eager smile to the youthful face.
He wasn’t a virgin. The few visits to the town’s house of pleasure ensured that Ravir had some experience. Though the first time, he was dragged into the encounter by Wardis and Inthas.
His earliest carnal brush with the opposite sex was a fumbling tryst with a woman several years older than him, a worker in the royal estate a few miles to the west. But what he lacked in expertise, Ravir made up for it in eagerness and stamina. At least that’s what his partner told him. It was a memory he’d rather forget. The lustful ventures into town with the Constable and the dartaa thankfully gave him a modicum of exposure on what to do.
Yet what awaited him was someone who had sex as a pastime. A master of fleshy delights. That thought daunted him and tempered his ardor, yet the promise of novel pleasures lit a lustful fire that kept feeding eager loins.
“Be careful and watch your behavior.” It was all his grandfather said when Ravir told him of the invitation after narrating details of his first patrol. Both knew it was a command. Royalty was statinos, a term from the ancient language meaning those above. It also meant obedience was expected. People ignore such matters at their own peril.
The lady could easily make up a story to make his life miserable, and the coachman would bear witness to whatever his mistress said. Not that Ravir didn’t like the situation. Sex and gold. For the young man, it was an opportunity. His excited and aroused imagination wandered into lewd scenes of wanton excess. He was ready to be wrung dry.
***
The side gate opened as he neared the wall. The coachman was apparently waiting for him. No words were spoken, merely a gesture for Ravir to follow the man after the gate was closed. The pair went to the back of the house, but contrary to the youth’s expectation, his guide halted well before the servant’s entrance. A hand was pressed to the wall, and a small hidden door opened noiselessly.
The coachman didn’t enter and stood aside, handing the youth an unlit candle. Ravir entered and as the door shut, the taper flickered into life. He stared at the object. Ensorcelling objects was a very expensive affectation. To spend such a fortune on a wick spoke of the wealth of the waiting noblewoman. As far as he could determine, it was from beeswax, a costly ingredient by itself. Nor did he observe wax melting and dripping onto his hand.
His eyes moved to the path waiting for him. The corridor was a narrow one, enough for one person, and followed the contour of the enormous structure. As he slowly walked forward, the illumination revealed the beginnings of a flight of stairs that rose and turned with the adjoining wall. Smiling with anticipation, he went up the narrow steps, taking care not to make a sound. The walls were of stone, but Ravir thought it best to avoid any possibility of attracting attention.
Finally, the third landing found him in front of a wall. It was also made of stone. A tentative push on one side moved it a few inches. He had heard of such secret revolving doors, but it was a first for the young man. Ravir shifted it slowly further, his curious eyes eager to take a peek at what was waiting for him. It was a bedroom. A dimly lit one. Yet, he could see the opulence and sumptuousness of the large space.
A fragrant air wafted into his senses, fueling the pulsating excitement in his body. He stepped into the chamber and let the hidden door close behind him. The magicked candle went out, and Ravir left it on a side table. His sight never left the bed and the figure lying there on her side, silently watching him. The darkness made it difficult to see the waiting figure’s expression, but a raised hand slowly beckoned. The youth grinned. He was already hard.
***
Ravir was in incredible ecstasy. Pleasure came in heightening waves. Lady Latima was experienced indeed. As he dreamily gazed on the voluptuous beauty astride him, an errant observation poked its head out of pleasure-laden clouds and told him he had never enjoyed such fleshy bliss. The satisfaction given by the town’s women of negotiable virtues was but a candle to a towering fire.
His host did everything herself. All he had to do was strip off his clothes and be on his back on the large luxurious bed. It was his first time on such silky sheets, and the caress of the velvety cloth increased his sense of touch. It made the young guardsman a great deal more sensitive to the accomplished ministrations of the nude, supple figure adorned only by a thin belt of bejeweled gold.
A flesh toy, the amused observation ran across his mind. Not that I’m complaining.
It was a reflection made more blatant by the absence of conversation. The woman merely pointed to his clothes as he neared the bed and flicked her hand. Ravir immediately understood. As soon as he was naked, the woman sensuously crawled out the red sheets and stood nude before him. Several years older than him, and Ravir didn’t care. The young man immensely appreciated the delectable vista standing in front of him. This close, he could smell her alluring sex. Even as his eyes hungrily took in the luscious vision, a gentle push dropped him on the waiting bed. Then she started on him.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Now, all he could think of were the unbelievable sensations as the lustful and sensuous form slowly gyrated on his loins. Her back was to Ravir, long hair waving in concert with her motion. Their moans of lewd ecstasy filled the room. He would have preferred looking at her face, but for that night, she owned his body.
Everything combined to flood him with lust—the fragrance in the air, her scent, the smell of sex, the subdued lighting, the luxury of the bedding. Everything. Ravir was climbing up the heights of his most carnal experience and he didn’t know where it would end. The slow and one-sided foreplay was merely an appetizer.
His fogged mind wondered why he had not reached sexual release. The lascivious and erotically unusual things the Lady Latima did during foreplay would have been enough to trigger his orgasm. Ravir was already in the haze of stuporous delight. He couldn’t imagine that such ecstasy was possible with the tongue. But it was always nearly at the point of the looked-for release, yet the sought-for pleasure cruelly barred. He didn’t know whether his tormented senses could take more.
Magical incense, he concluded fuzzily. Something in the air. Probably that fragrance.
Then the woman changed the pace of her movements, inner muscles gripping his organ. Ravir let out an involuntary, continuous groan of pleasure. The acute feeling of inner flesh upon his sensitive glans as she sought her own enjoyment was maddening. Sensation upon glorious sensation was piling up. The young man’s addled brain could barely hold on to other thoughts. Lady Latima was definitely wringing him dry.
The continued waves of sexual pleasure threatened to drive reason from his mind. He wanted to grab his partner, turn her over, and plow her until he reached bliss. Yet the young man knew that would be the height of foolishness. It would end the night’s pleasures and he’d be lucky to get home in one piece. That sole remaining rational thought kept him docile, caging the lustful beast within. Yet Ravir wondered if he’d be able to walk home after the noblewoman finished with him.
Then, still impaled, his partner turned to face him. The resulting feeling of caressing flesh on his manhood pushed Ravir deeper into blissful agony. With emerald eyes looking at him, the beautiful face moaned as she continued her movements. The image and the sound of her voice added to his arousal. It was getting unbearable for the young man.
The muscle pressure was stronger now and his member threatened to burst. But the longed-for relief didn’t happen. Whatever enchantment was used clearly left the key to unbelievable ecstasy with his partner. Ravir once again bore the heightened and almost unbearable pressure of unreleased sexual tension. The sensitivity of his sense of touch had increased. He could barely breathe.
Suddenly, the woman flattened herself against Ravir, brushing her breasts against his chest. It sent a torturous ripple of pleasure through his addled senses. The carnal movement, her scent, and the continued sex pushed the man into orgasmic yet painful ecstasy. A fresh wave of denied ejaculatory delight deluged his enraptured mind.
His eyelids started to close and Ravir knew he was slipping into unconsciousness. The repeated denial of release was too much. In his mind’s eye, he saw the edges of his awareness closing, rapidly narrowing to a pinprick of light. Then something abruptly exploded in his consciousness. The shock dragged him back, but an unfamiliar pain had begun.
His chest felt like it was being torn open from the inside. Excruciating pain erupted. It was as if a ragged, raw hole had been ripped within him. Ravir sensed it was closing quickly, but the terrible agony remained. His vision was unfocused. Whether it came from the bizarre pain, from the sex, or a combination of both, he couldn’t tell. Despite such impairment, Lady Latima’s face swam into focus. Incredibly, it was etched with shock and horror. She was staring at his chest.
***
A fresh wave of torment flared up. Dimly, he sensed something was squeezing itself out of his chest. With a final, violent lunge, it was free. The pressure immediately ceased and relief from the continued pain came, but the sight of a dark blob engulfing his naked partner greeted him through unfocused eyes. It rapidly covered the woman, not giving her the chance to cry out, even as she tumbled off the bed.
Ravir tried to lift himself up by his elbows, but the agony kept him from standing up and going to Lady Latima’s aid. He felt extremely weak, though thankfully, whatever opened up inside him had closed. The air in the room had inexplicably turned freezing cold and the lit candles had gone out. Only two globes of light remained, giving illumination to the large space.
Yet even the radiance of the apparently magical orbs was dimmed. Then the young man noticed the deadened sound in the room. Whatever that thing was doing to the noblewoman was being done in deadly silence. He wanted to shout and call for help despite his enfeebled state. But a clamp of deathly coldness had clutched his already dry and struggling throat.
Several soundless seconds passed. Ravir laboriously propped himself up against the cushioned headboard. He was recovering, but his legs were still weak and breathing was a struggle. As sudden as it disappeared, sound returned to the room. A muffled movement caught his ear. Then Lady Latima was standing at the foot of the bed, her back to the man, and her head was at a horrifically distorted angle. She righted her dislocated head to the sickening accompaniment of cracking bones, raised it, and gave out a loud hiss.
As the sibilant sound echoed around the room, the young man saw a dark mass was still wrapped around her nude lower body. It had become grotesquely opaque, and Ravir could see the outline of the figure’s ribcage and internal organs. It was being rapidly absorbed by Lady Latima’s form. Then she turned her attention to him. The head fully revolved to the rear first, followed by the body.
The figure stared at him. Ravir was terrified, barely noticing that he had held his breath, and his back was pressed tight against the upright panel. The naked shell looked like Lady Latima. The man wouldn’t have known the difference if it wasn’t for what he had witnessed. Then it raised her hands, reaching out to him.
“Father,” it said, the voice sounding like the woman, yet it was halting and uttered slowly as if the speaker was getting used to the human throat. The emotionless and sepulchral tone punctuated the dissonance. A horrible timbre wrapped up in one word and the way it was spoken.
Absolute, glacial terror gripped Ravir. Yet as the numbing sensation clawed its paralyzing way, an unexpected flicker ignited within him. It was a strange feeling. The spark of a flint. It was enough to drive Lady Latima swiftly and violently backward several steps. His awareness found itself clear of fear and his body strengthened. But only for a few seconds.
Adrenaline kicked in, and Ravir immediately jumped off the bed, scooped up his clothes, and ran to the hidden door. A shoulder slammed into one side of the wall, sending paroxysms of agony through his body. The secret entrance remained closed. It had locked itself when it swung shut.
He ran to the chamber’s door, holding his clothes with one hand as the other flung objects at the creature on the other side. Lady Latima was still swaying from whatever drove her back. As Ravir neared the exit, he suddenly found a naked form blocking the way.
What was formerly the noblewoman was clearly affected by what struck her. Motions were disjointed, her face was blank, and the mouth gaped. It was as if it had lost control of the possessed body. Yet whatever power it had was potent, enabling the creature to move instantly to block Ravir.
The man briefly glanced at the monster and saw in its eyes that cognizance and control were swiftly returning. To his horror, it looked like the creature was trying to grin and say something. It was rapidly adjusting to the body it occupied and the world it had entered. A few minutes more and it would be completely adapted to its new surroundings.
A swift kick to the torso, accompanied with a fist to the bizarrely bobbing head threw Lady Latima to the floor. He ran to the door and flung it open. Mercifully, it wasn’t locked. Lady Latima apparently made sure the house was empty during her diversions.
Naked, Ravir made his panic-stricken escape.
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