AETHER BEASTS

"Aiden, wake up."

I opened my eyes to see Sandra's face inches away from my own, a worried look in her eyes. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and sat up.

"You ok?" I asked. I'd known she'd been passed out, but I hadn't known how to check for any other injuries. After all, there could have been more defensive the home had that I hadn't noticed.

"We're all fine." She shook her head. "A bit dizzy and I've got a killer headache, but that's all. Hope has it the worse since she's only level one."

I sighed in relief and then stood from the chair to take a look around. The pieces of wood from the broken door were gone, presumably cleaned by one of the ladies, and to my surprise, Misty was cooking some tea on the stove while Hope was helping her. The small girl, or more accurately, lady, looked worse for wear, but as Sandra had said, nothing too serious. She simply looked tired and worn out, nothing some rest wouldn't fix, though after we made it out of the labyrinth

"What happened, Aiden?" Sandra asked, placing a hand on my shoulder. "We passed out just as Zirani broke cut off Allana's hand."

I yawned and checked on Zirani's bond before I wandered. She was still resting, but as far as I could tell, she would make a full recovery.

"Allana was a hag," I explained, and Misty and Hope turned their heads to listen. "She did something to stop Zirani or me from being able to use our aether, and so, I, err, asked."

I hesitated for a second. "I asked the lost queen for help."

Sandra's eyes widened. "And?"

"And we made a deal." I shrugged. "It wasnt that bad, she just wanted me to stop keeping her locked up. She didn't attack or even threaten me, so I guess that's progress."

I could feel her through our bond and knew that she was dormant, sort of like sleeping, but deeper. It seemed that even though she'd helped me she was still not ready to interact, not that I really cared. She may have saved my life but that didn't excuse everything she'd done.

"And Zirani?" Misty asked as she set some cups on a tray and walked over.

She handed Sandra and me a cup, before offering the last to hope who shook her head. Misty shrugged and took the last cup for herself.

"Zirani's resting," I answered. "The hag did something to her, but she managed to break free."

"So Allana's dead?" Sandra asked.

I nodded with a grim smile. "Withered to ash."

We lapsed into silence as we drank our tea. I savored the warmth and flavor of the tea, which was the best I'd ever had.

"This stuff is ok?" I glanced at my cup then at Misty. "Right?"

She smiled. "I made it using some of the herbs I found. It's very much safe."

We finished the tea and then proceeded to ransack the home of anything that looked even remotely valuable. There were a few locked chests that we stored to open later and plenty of herbs that Zirnai might find interesting. I even took the chair since it was very comfortable, and would be wasted here.

By the time we were done, Zirani was stirring and Hope was asleep on her feet. Misty picked her up without any sign of effort. Hope probably felt as light as a feather to her.

"Zirani, you awake?"

She manifested herself instead of responding. through our bond, and I worry glanced over at Hope, but relaxed when I saw that she was fast asleep. "I'm fine, and it seems so are you."

"We are, for the most part," Sandra said. "We have the Hope, so we need to get out of here."

Zirani looked over at Hope and shook her head. "Why someone as weak as her would venture into a labyrinth is beyond me. I'm going to need some time to draw out a circle. It's going to be harder in here, but we can use cores as a substitute for lack of ambient aether."

"Oh yeah, was anything she said true?" Misty asked. "Allana, I mean. She went on about so much, but was it all fake?"

I shrugged. "I don't know."

I paused before adding, "I could ask… her, but she's asleep, and she wouldn't help without wanting something in return."

Misty shook her head. "Nevermind then."

As Zirani moved to the center of the main room which was pretty clear now after our looting, I headed to the other room just to see if there was anything of value in there. In the end, there was only a small chest and an exotic flower, both of which I took. As I was turning to leave, Sandra entered the room, a devious smile on her face.

Before I could say a word she pushed me against a wall and pressed her lips to mine.

I was frozen for but a moment before I wrapped my arms around her, and opened my mouth so that our tongues could meet in a dance of passion and need. After everything that had happened, I could use some release and it was clear Sandra felt the same.

My hand trailed along her back, down to her tight ass, which I squeezed and groped with both my hands, needing the firm flesh.

She moaned and pulled back. "I need you."

"Same here," I replied with a grin as she fell to her knees and began to pull down my trousers. My manhood was pressing against my underclothes, and Sandra licked her lips once before pulling them down in one swift tug, letting me out of my prison.

"Damn," I groaned as she wrapped a smooth and around my member and slowly began to move it up and down, staring at the head hungrily. She leaned forward and began to lap at the tip while her hand worked my shaft, up and down, in a smooth and slow-motion that sent waves of pleasure coursing through me.

"Sandra, I- Oh!"

She released me from her grip, then in one smooth motion leaned forward and swallowed me halfway down her throat, her tongue slathering my tip then shaft in attention. The warm wetness of her mouth felt like bliss, and the pleasure only increased as she took me further into her, until I reached the back of her throat and beyond. Her eyes were watery but filled with lust as her lips reached the base of my manhood. Sheathed fully inside her mouth, every part of me was engulfed in wetness and heat.

Then she began to swallow, massaging me with her throat in a way that set me off.

I groaned loudly. "Sandra I'm, ah, cumming!"

She closed her eyes and made an "Mmm." sound as burst after burst of my seed spilled into her throat and straight into her stomach.

She swallowed all I had to give her and then slowly pulled back, cleaning me with her tongue as she did.

"Now, fuck me!"

I didn't need to be told twice, but I wanted to try something different.

She stood and quickly shucked her pants off followed by her combat robes and was about to pull me to the bed when I stopped her. Her confused look turned into one of surprise when I lifted her up by her ass and aimed myself at her dripping entrance.

I grinned then pulled her down at the same time I pushed up into her.

"Oh, Aiden, fuck!"

Her cry of passion echoed through the room along with my groan as her tunnel wrapped around my silken flesh in the most pleasurable way.

"I'm going to bounce you ok?"

"Yes." She nodded frantically. "Do it."

I pulled her up until only my tip was inside her and then brought her down, pushing myself up as I did. Up and down she went, her ass bouncing as I speared in and out of her, all the way to the entrance of her womb. Each time I bottomed out, she would spasm against me and scream in pleasure which would, in turn, cause me to groan as her tunnel tightened reflexively, wanting to milk me.

And milk me she did. We didn't have long so I didn't hold back and pounded up into her until I could feel her orgasm rising through our bond. It was faint and weak, but I could feel it, which said something about how powerful the pleasure she was feeling must be.

"Aiden, Aaah." She threw her head back and moaned as her tunnel tightened into a vice grip.

I was a moment behind her, but before I spiled inside her, I felt someone watching us, not from outside but from within me. Before I could think further on it through, the dam burst, and I bottomed out in her and shot my seed into her womb, coating it white.

I stumbled over to the bed and onto my back, bing Sandra down with me. "That was… fun."

She snorted. "You could say that. I'm glad you're ok, Aiden. I know I don't show emotion that often, but I do, erm, I, err, l-love you."

I smiled and wrapped my arms around her before kissing her cheek tenderly. "I know, Sandra. We are bonded now, and I can feel your mention, as faint as they currently are.

I paused. "And you know what, I love you too."

She had tensed after asking the question, obviously waiting for my reaction and at my words, she relaxed into my embrace with a soft exhale.

There was a minor shift in one of my bonds, and I frowned as I checked on Zirani's and then the lost queens. After Allana's death, the bonds had become clearer, though they were still faint. I could tell Zirani was working on the circle, and the lost queen seemed to still be dormant. I shrugged. I must have thought it up, I was in a piece of a world with a lack of ambient aether so maybe that had caused something to happen or maybe I was still tired.