Part One - Third Year - Chapter [013]

Night had fallen upon us, it was peaceful here around the lake. There were no wild animals around - at least none that could harm us.

Arslan had said this lake was named Crystal Vinymar Expanse. I could see why. 

The water was transparent blue clear. 

And as night had fallen and darkness had taken over the mountainscape. The lake had become a mirror for moonlight.

With only the light from our campfire.

I could barely make out anything through the darkness. 

The crickets and animals cried their usual sounds around us, the wind gently swept across from us at just the right temperature. 

Night had also brought cold temperatures. I had already changed into my fantasy uniform.

My outfit consisted of several layers I would just have to throw on.

After our little swim, I was able to dry off and hang my clothes in a tree nearby.

In my pack or inventory, I found the healer's uniform, consisting of black leather pants and tons of layers of robes. 

I struggled to put on a robe I had, while Arslan came up from the lake to our little spot. I was able to hide even a little bit by putting on underwear before he came up.

He just sort of sniffled and looked at me - probably gauging how awkward that situation back there had been. Yet he didn't pay any mind - it was like he was used to this type of thing, like it was normal to him like he knew exactly what buttons to press to get me to do his bidding.

I could feel like he couldn't take his eyes off me - yet he still managed to get dressed. 

Finally, I found some pants - they were made of a stretchy material, almost like some tactical gear, they did have lots of pockets, and they were just my size. 

This would do for now at least.

"Do I look like a proper mage now?" I proposed modeling my little outfit to Arslan, it even had a scarf and everything. I just needed some kind of healing pendant with a mysterious backstory. Or some kind of staff with a powerful crystal attached to the base, made of wood enshrouded by magic.

Just kidding! 

Arslan got dressed too 

He wore a white dress shirt that opened almost below his chest.

He was dressed in leather pants and wore brown boots. The boots had white fur on the top of them. 

For me, Apollo had prepared black hiking shoes that matched with the cargo pants. 

My outfit kept me pretty cozy now that the temperature was dropping. 

Arslan didn't even seem to shiver. 

He just sat heavily by the wood pit he had made. 

From his satchel, he took out a small pad with blank pages and a seal that had some kind of print on its bottom side.

It was quite beautiful, the handling part was made of a sort of crystal with intricate sketching. 

"What's that?" I speculated. 

"It's a fire spell - to get the firewood started," he pondered. "Don't you know about seals? Healers at the Red Lions told me this is the most basic type of magic," he explained. 

[Seals Context?] Apollo propped up in my head. 

"Yes please!" I shouted desperately. 

[By infusing magical lettering on wax seals - one can reclaim that mana and use it for other purposes by inking it on paper] 

"Of course, I know about seals -" I tried desperately to keep him from being suspicious.

"I've just never seen one like this," I said holding my breath. 

"Oh well that's because it's Red Lion proprietary, you don't get these unless you join the guild - that's why you should team up with us, I bet you'll love our science building. I've never been myself, but we always get potions whenever we ask for them, so I don't see why it shouldn't be great. We're the Red Lions after all." There was a lot of pride behind his sentiment - like a crazed frat boy who got sold on the idea that his school was the best.

"Of course - I'm sure it's great!" I urged Arslan to keep going. 

He placed the seal in some ink, he was perfectly precise, it seems he's been doing this for quite some time. 

Then the seal went into one of the blank papers he had, the ink turned red.

Then he burrowed the paper into the fireplace.

The paper caught on fire and it slowly started burning.

Arslan made sure to use some air to populate the fire until it was big enough that the wood started catching on. In a couple of minutes, the firewood was complete. 

"Woah - you're good at that!" I said smiling. He smiled back. 

There was a moment of silence as we started at the fire getting bigger until it reached a plateau. The temperature around us started warming up. 

"Listen - " he said grabbing the back of his neck.

"About before, we don't have to talk about it, but I'd rather we do." He was apologetic in his words.

I mean all signs pointed out that he was also into guys. 

But I didn't know how self-indulgent this was. 

What were the rules of this world when it comes to same-sex relationships? 

"I just wouldn't know where to start," I pleaded. 

"How so?" he turned towards me, begging my full attention. 

"I don't know - don't you think it's weird?" I begged the question, not sure where I was getting at. 

"What do you mean weird? Intercourse between two men?" he pondered. 

"Yeah - " I blushed. 

"It's the most natural thing in the world," he suddenly started.

Not a trace of any prejudice in his voice.

He was being totally serious.

"Women are for making babies and men are for the dominant's pleasure." He continued. That actually took me off guard.

"You mean the one on top?" I pondered.

"I mean the man," he explained.

I guess gay relationships in this world were normalized, more than I would have imagined.

"That sounds like you're gonna be rough with me, I wouldn't want that," I started.

He was taken aback. 

"I'm rough because I have to win, otherwise I'm not the man," he suddenly proposed.

I think I knew where this was getting at.

This was another side of masculinity I had never had the experience or pleasure to handle firsthand. 

But here it was - right in front of me. 

"What happens if you're not the man?" I suddenly gained an interest in the topic.

He pondered for a minute. 

"I'd just rather be the man - " he pleaded.

"People might think I've gone soft, that's why I don't fuck around with other warriors, things get messy and the battle of egos is not something I enjoy," he explained.

Other warriors, huh?!

"That's fair - but it can be rich for both of them," I replied. 

"Then you'll have to teach me how…" he said without missing a beat.

I got flushed once again.

"You mean - " he suddenly interrupted me. 

"I want you to be my wife tonight Aiden," he stared down at me.

He was being fully serious.

I couldn't believe it, here he was, standing right in front of me, my dream guy.

Asking me to do it with him.

This was unavailable. 

"I don't want you to think I'm being a whore just so you put a good word for me with The Red Lions - " he looked almost offended. 

"That has nothing to do with this - I want you for my pleasure," he explained.

Having a guy say that to me out of the blue was so refreshing. 

I wanted to as well. 

"Well if I'm gonna teach you my ways, I'm gonna need some way to lubricate," I said sassy crossing my arms.

I was playing, but it seems I triggered something in him. 

"I saw a plant like that somewhere - I'll be back," he said standing up and going off into the darkness.

I heard his steps fade away. 

I realized my nerves were big enough to swallow a whole shark.

I was giddy, I was excited, I was all of the things. 

Finally! The man of my dreams. 

This was my moment. And I was going to enjoy it! 

After some time he came back, with an Aloe plant in hand. 

"This will do, right?" There was no going back down - it was now or never.

I just nodded, my cheeks were flushed, and I felt my face burning up. 

He sat down only inches from me, he wasn't initiating. But our shoulders were touching. 

"First we cuddle - " I said feeling like I was out of my mind for doing something like this. But I slowly put my hand on his back and started slowly caressing him. He was such a big man, that my hand traveled in circular motions.

Finally, I could feel his back muscles with my hand.

He also put his arm around me, inching me closer to him.

"You want me to snuggle you up?" he said cheerfully. 

"That would be nice - yes," I said so he just embraced me even harder.

At this point, I could feel how hard I was inching to come out of my pants. 

"You like that?" he asked as he moved his hand across my body.

Moving his hands under my robe, his hands were cold to my skin, but soon they warmed up. 

His touch was soft, but his hands were hard and raspy. I liked this sensation. 

"This is the part where you kiss-"Just like that I felt his breath on my neck, he started kissing it and burrowing his face into my clothes. 

"This is - the part - where I - kiss you," he said in between kissing my skin. It was maddening. 

Then he met my face with his, our lips inches from each other. 

"I've never kissed a man before," he explained. I was confused about that but didn't say anything.

"I thought you said man-on-man was the norm here?" I whispered.

"It is - but no one has ever wanted me to do it like this -" his lips were just teasing mine. He took a deep breath and went back to hiding his face in my neck, pecking softly at it. 

"Yet it's all I've ever wanted-" he explained in between mumbles.

That gave me enough confidence.

I pulled at his chin and asked him gently to face me once more.

I just closed my eyes and touched my lips with his.

I could feel him making weird faces like he didn't know how to react, but I softly intertwined my lips with his

Maybe he was expecting something rougher.

I could feel he was afraid.

Putting my hand on his thigh, my pinky confirmed he too was inching for his clothes to be torn apart from his skin.

It was soft and tender our jagged lips touched one another.

Then just like that a smile crept from behind his teeth a soft chuckle, he made me laugh too.

And we went back to kissing.

In a moment he found pleasure in it and started touching my lips with his passionately. 

This was just the best.