Elegy for a Star - Ch. 1 - 10

Chapter 1 - Gwendolyn

The only source of guidance through the blizzard was a red light in the distance. 

Gwen tried to shield herself from the cold with her cloak, but the wind was stabbing through her like knives. She couldn't even hear the slow crunch of her boots through the snow with the rush of air deafening her. As long as she could see that light though, she would be fine.

Or so Gwen told herself. In truth, her movements were growing more and more sluggish, her feet were aching, and she couldn't feel her fingers all that well. She was close, though. Close enough to take another step forward. Then another.

The young swordswoman had been traveling for weeks from Dewhurst to Mournstead, and she still had days left to go. It was just Gwen's luck that something like this would intervene. She was lucky, however, to have been close enough to some sort of civilization so that she at least had a chance. That wasn't often found on the road, in between Flames. Normally something like this would be a death sentence, and she knew that many around the world were having a worse time than she was having right now. All she had to do now was persevere, just as she'd learned in the temple, and she would be through. Aros protect me, she prayed.

The crimson light turned out to be just what she needed: refuge. A stone hovel, a single window with its shutters torn away. It took Gwen a moment to figure out where the light was coming from. It seemed that the entire room was glowing. As she neared the eroded stones and the snowdrift at the doorway, she spotted the source of the glow. A trapdoor—its rug covering shifted aside by the wind—filled the room with shafts of red rays and illuminated its surroundings. A pittance of decrepit furniture and a few windswept carvings were all that filled the room.

Gwen approached the light. The red light. Red light was bad. She tried listening beyond it, but the wind was too loud. On the bright side, she felt warmth, and warmth was very good right now. Very, very good. But what was behind it? It was either find out or freeze, and Gwen knew the choice she had to make. Fingertips digging into the groove around the door, she found some purchase and pulled upward. It was a clumsy effort with how numb her fingertips were, but after a few failed attempts, she managed. The moment the door was open wide enough, Gwen slipped through and pulled it shut behind her.

The red light was almost blinding in here. It must've been, Gwen had figured, for its ambience to shine so far, and through so much. Though she had escaped the sound of rushing wind, she entered into a loud, droning bass that shook her to her core. Just what was happening? Gwen shrugged off her rucksack and brought a gloved hand down to the hilt of her sword. She quickly realized that she couldn't feel anything in her hand. There was no way she could hold a blade right now. Instead, she lifted that arm to block the source of the light so that she may more easily glance around its periphery.

The basement that she'd slipped into was a little wider than the hovel above. It smelled musty and fetid. Just what was going on down here? With the brightest of the light blocked by her arm, Gwen could spot a silhouette of a crouched person just ahead. As she approached, it began to fill out as the shadow of a woman upon her knees, arms outstretched in the air.

"What is going on?!" Gwen shouted to her, but there was no response. She rounded the woman, putting the light behind herself, to see the figure's face. She was a pretty woman with sharp and exotic features. Even bathed in red, she could make out her dark hair, porcelain and unblemished skin, and the full eyebrows, raised in awe. Dark make-up looked as though she'd only just applied it. Gwen waved a hand in front of her face, before dark pool-like eyes sprung open.

A hand shot up—a fist, a claw—from the woman's lap. Her claw-like fingers were wrapped in shadow and looking for a quick kill. Gwen fell backward just in time to miss the strike, but she felt that rush of air just beyond her chin and lips. She landed on her rump with a thud. She cursed, rolling to the side and up onto her feet. She'd left her heavier mail in the pack. It'd be too cold to wear in this weather, not to mention too heavy for a march. She was only wearing heavy layers of wool and a sheepskin cloak and while that may work for what may amount to scrapes and bruises, but against magic she wouldn't stand a chance. She'd prefer to not have it on at all. The best defense against magic was to not get hit in the first place.

"What are you doing here?" The woman hissed, getting to her feet. Her hands were like sharp knives; a black haze surrounding them. They weren't like that before, were they? By now, Gwen's fingers were aching from the thaw, and she risked drawing her sword. The ring of steel echoed in the small basement. Thankfully, it stayed in her grip, too.

Gwendolyn's blood was pumping, heart was rushing. She adopted a proper stance for fighting Wyrden—that being a stance that would allow her to be mobile, which was difficult in these tight spaces. Regardless, she retorted, "I could ask you the same thing. What is this?"

"Something far too important for you to interrupt," the woman replied. It sounded as though she were trying to convince Gwendolyn of this fact, rather than just posturing. Gwen's eyes narrowed, and she glanced through the glare of the light. The figure was standing in front of the brightest portion, which allowed her a bit more of a view. Beneath the source of the light, there was a ritual glyph. Powders of some kind would be arranged upon the ground in very specific ways there, in order to power some great magic. She couldn't tell which patterns or materials from this distance, which was unfortunate. Knowing anything about the ritual's preparation and reagents may give her a clue as to what it was supposed to do. Whatever it was for, it was in progress, and someone she didn't particularly like wanted to complete it.

"Who are you?" Gwen asked.

Gwendolyn's question was answered when she saw the woman's hand rise toward her. Instinctively, she moved to the side, just as shadowy tendrils jetted toward her. They struck the wall behind her, tearing stone and breaking it into chunks that went crumbling to the ground. Gwendolyn gathered her feet underneath herself and launched toward the figure. She slashed her blade into her, cutting cleanly across, only to find the woman had turned to black mist.

The mist regathered behind her, coalescing back into the figure Gwen thought she had cut. With a backhanded swing, she brought the blade to the woman's neck, only for it to be caught by the mage's claw. She struggled with her for a moment, trying to overpower her with both hands, though she couldn't get the figure to budge. The ritualist simply watched her, serious, perturbed, like she was little more than an annoyance. She realized that frost was forming along her blade, and before she knew it, the steel snapped like a twig, splintering into shards before the Wyrden's uncanny grasp.

"What are-.." A force pushed the air from Gwendolyn's lungs and compressed her stomach. She was on her back in seconds, her head striking the ground and causing her vision to grow blurry. Pain shot through her head like a vice. Where was her sword? Hadn't it been in her hand? What happened to her? 

Gwendolyn thought for a moment that she was done. That it was over. Her gut churned at the thought that she hadn't amounted to anything in her short life. That she would die and not even know what she'd been killed for. Wrong place, wrong time. Resentment twisted her lips, and as her opponent took a few steps forward, Gwendolyn turned onto her stomach and began to crawl away. Her head pounded, and were she to try and stand, she would have certainly fallen over.

Fuck this, she thought, Fuck all of this.

"Just where are you trying to go?" The figure chuckled, thumbing over her shoulder, "You're going the wrong way if you want to leave." As she closed the distance between her and Gwen, she planted a boot upon the swordwoman's back. "I never understood why insects skitter and struggle even when their wings have been torn and their legs plucked, but it will never get old to me. Accept your end, warrior. Turn over and let me watch the light fade from your eyes."

Gwendolyn coughed and swiped her arm out wide. Her palm smeared through the ritual glyph, scattering its powders and dusts across the floor. The design, which commonly required precision to an obsessive point, was ruined. The woman hadn't even realized where she'd crawled to, and was in shock as she saw her work undone. Spoiled.

"No.." The figure breathed, taking her foot away from Gwendolyn. The red light began to ripple, pop, and started to expand. "What have you done to my work? To the people of this world?" Gwendolyn hoped that it'd been some world-ending ritual that she had interrupted, to make her approaching death more meaningful. She somehow doubted it, but still, she hoped. It gave her some small measure of peace.

The light grew and grew, forcing Gwendolyn to bury her face against her arm, eyes squeezed shut. The droning grew to a crescendo before it all just burst with a rush of air. The droning turned to naught but a damaged ringing in her ears. The light faded to a dim blue light of a glowstone. For a moment she wondered if she was just dreaming, or if this were what hypothermia felt like. Maybe she was freezing in a snowdrift right now, imagining all of this. Once again, she doubted it. Gwen rolled onto her back to look at what had happened. She saw the woman she'd been fighting, mouth agape, eyes wide. Whatever she was feeling, this was catastrophic to her. Gwen followed her eyes to where the light had been, but at floor level, she only saw a pair of bare feet.

As she lifted her head, she saw a naked woman in the center of the room, standing just above her, looking just as surprised as anyone else.

Chapter 2 - Tess

"Where..?" Tess muttered as her eyes adjusted to the dark room. It had just been so bright a second ago when she… when she was doing what? She felt ill at the thought that she didn't know what was going on, or where she was. She could tell by the breeze that she was naked. That was… unfortunate, but maybe not what was most important right now. 

She glanced about. A woman with sharp features, black pools for eyes and raven black hair was looking directly at her, horrified. To her left was a warrior, a woman with short, silver hair and heavy, warm clothing. She felt something under her feet and saw a small runic symbol made of powders, with one side of it smeared. There was the sound of rushing wind just outside.

As she looked down, Tess saw the fall of the hair on her head. It must've reached about shoulder height, and looked to be a beige color. Oddly, however, and possibly of greater import, Tess could feel an unusual weight between her legs and some warmth against her inner thighs. She couldn't remember much, but she remembered enough to know that this was new. And with that same glance, after leaning forward enough to peer over her full bust she spotted the culprit. A fat cock hung heavily between her legs, nearly reaching mid thigh. It was smooth and hairless, with a swollen head. "What.." She blurted.

The dark-haired woman pointed at Tess in accusation, "Where is she? What are you?" Tess was about to explain that she wasn't sure what was going on, when suddenly the silver-haired woman jumped forward and plunged a dagger into the chest of the other lady present. Tess' eyes went wide, and the dark, assailed woman howled in pain before vanishing into a black mist.

The dagger, bloody, was now redirected toward Tess, and the confused woman put her hands up beside her shoulders, "Wait!" It was embarrassing to think that she was naked and held up by a dagger. Right now, however, it seemed more prudent to keep her hands up, rather than cover up. 

She took an appraisal of the silver-haired woman. She was young and beautiful, with gray eyes and hair that was cut to the nape of her neck, falling messily about her face. She was covered in melting snow. That's right, Tess thought as a memory dawned on her, I was cold. Had she froze? Was she being revived? The answer eluded her, but the fact that the dark haired woman seemed surprised by her presence didn't bode well for that theory.

The pretty eyes of her captor were locked onto Tess' cock. Was she shocked or horrified? Tess wasn't sure, but she would've felt more embarrassed about the exposure if she didn't notice her observer's bright, blushing face.

"Who are you?" The silver-haired woman demanded, eyes refocusing on Tess' face..

"My name's Tess. And yours?"

 The dagger dropped an inch, "Gwendolyn." Her gray eyes slipped toward the heavy object between Tess' thighs again.

Tess smiled slightly, realizing just how attractive she found Gwendolyn, especially with that serious, blushing look and the dagger in her hand. She looked dangerous and beautiful and vulnerable all at once. The thought gave Tess a fluttering in her chest. Focus, she thought, You're in danger, remember?

"I'm not a threat," Tess insisted, "I just want to get dressed. Do you have clothes?"

Gwen's eyes flicked away from Tess' groin and toward the naked woman's face. "Only my spares. They're in my pack, but I don't know if they'd be getting bloody on you yet. Can't trust you." Gwendolyn threatened, raising the dagger once again. Her grip was strong. Her eyes were steel. Tess knew she wouldn't want to pick a fight with Gwendolyn. And with what, anyway? She was naked, unarmed, and hadn't a clue as to their whereabouts.

Gwen pushed the topic, "Why were you being summoned, Tess? What's with the ritual?"

"I don't know, I swear," Tess insisted, and as she began to lower a hand to gesture at the powder beneath her, Gwen jabbed the dagger threateningly. Tess' hand whipped back into position to demonstrate a peaceful, subdued posture. She looked down at the ground, pointing at it with her head, "I just got here. I don't know what's going on. All I remember is my name. At least, I think it's my name."

Gwendolyn looked suspicious, but her eyes calmed somewhat, "And the ritualist didn't know who you were." Gwen lowered the dagger a bit once more, taking a deep, calming breath. "In my pack, large pocket, there's a white sheet. Wrap yourself in that," she directed, putting the dagger down and backing up until she could see her broken blade upon the ground.

As Gwen collected her sword, Tess went to the indicated pack and opened it up. She saw a number of things. Among them were some spare clothes, a sleep sack, and a chain necklace with some sort of twisted symbol on it. Which god was that again? Tess couldn't say. She wasn't even sure if she used to know. There were a good many of the divine, each with their own particular signature. Tess collected the sheet, rolling it up into her arms as she drew it out of the pack. She left the rest alone, not that she saw anything that was worth stealing in this predicament anyway.

Standing up, she wrapped herself in the sheet, just atop her breasts, down to the mid thigh. It wasn't the most concealing, but she didn't expect large linens to be in someone's traveling pack. She could feel that thick length between her legs pressing against the front of the sheet, bulging it outward.

By the embarrassed look on Gwendolyn's face, and the way she poorly attempted to redirect her eyes from it, Tess guessed that her captor noticed it just fine, too.

"So, I guess you see it too, huh?" Tess asked with a helpless look toward the ceiling, "Believe me, I'm as confused as you are."

"See what?" Gwen asked, crouching on a clear part of the floor and sprinkling some twigs and bark in a specific arrangement. She looked to be intentionally not giving Tess her attention.

Tess took a couple steps toward her, to better investigate what she was up to. Gwen didn't protest, but seemed wary, for one reason or another. There was a flick of her eyes toward Tess. "The addition. You know, between my legs. I didn't have that before," Tess explained. Then she gave a sigh and surrendered, "I don't think I did, anyway."

"You're probably a demon," Gwendolyn explained, taking out some small, white, translucent crystals the size of salt. Unlike salt, they glittered brightly. She sprinkled them atop the bark in a different pattern. "See?" She pointed toward the ritual circle that had brought Tess here, before returning her hand to her own ritual pack, "Those leaves there? They glow." Tess didn't quite understand, but in the dark of the room she could better see the glowing plant bits, shredded and sprinkled into the half-smeared pattern of the ruined circle.

"So?" Tess asked, genuinely curious.

"So," Gwen continued, adding a separate pattern to the top of her own ritual circle, made of some black grain, "Bioluminescent plants are used in rituals pertaining to otherworldly spirits." The swordswoman snapped her fingers over her own creation, and with a flash of light, a small but warm campfire formed.

While Tess could feel the heat, smell the buttery sandalwood, she could smell no smoke, see no spark, and no matter how close she got, the heat never became unbearable or painful. She looked between the two ritual circles; one working, and the other ruined. They were completely different patterns, completely different reagents, and thus completely different purposes. "What about the rest of it?" She asked Gwen.

"Not sure. That looks like iron powder, but my alchemy isn't good enough to tell for sure."

"What's that for?" Tess followed-up.

"Binding evil."

Chapter 3 - Sleeping Arrangements

"Evil?" Tess stammered.

"I see it used in demon-summoning rituals where the ritualist press-ganged the demon into servitude. Usually makes for one very upset infernal," Gwendolyn explained in a dry, tired tone, "But you aren't a demon, as far as I can tell. Or at least you don't know if you're one. You're just… some perversion. Go to sleep. We're traveling early tomorrow."

Perversion. Tess could feel a sinking in her chest at that word. Suddenly there was some resentment of the beautiful, argent-haired girl, "Excuse me?"

Gwen stood up and faced Tess, raising an eyebrow, "What is it?"

"A perversion? I didn't ask for this. I don't even know what this is. Can you lay off the insults?"

Gwendolyn's eyes widened just a hair, and there was a palpable feeling of remorse coming from her now. "I apologize," she offered, "That was wrong of me to say. All I meant is that you're… unusual, but not outwardly demonic. You are just like anyone I've met, except.. You have a.." Her voice tapered off. The woman's eyes darted to the ceiling.

"A cock?" Tess offered.

Gwen's face burnt red, but she hissed, "A lack of memory." She turned and went to her belongings, unpacking her brown sleep sack. 

"I don't have two sets of sleep gear," Gwen explained, "I've been traveling alone."

Tess sighed. She figured. Who would carry two sets of sleep sacks? "I'll make do with the floor, I guess. At least there's a fire, right?" Tess knew it was going to be a painful night, and one that granted very little sleep.

Even Gwendolyn must have felt that the stone floor wouldn't heat up anytime soon. It was chilling, like ice. She let out a sigh and gestured to the sleep sack, "You can sleep in it too. Just for tonight." The thought made Tess' cock twitch, which was certainly an unusual sensation, especially as it began to stiffen and push against the sheet she'd wrapped around herself.

Gwendolyn must have noticed, because she cleared her throat and turned, working to set up the sleep sack near the fire. Tess bit her lip and blurted, "I'm sorry."

"It's a normal, healthy response. Think nothing of it," Gwen stated, and Tess almost believed she meant that, "I certainly won't." By Gwen's tone, Tess imagined she would be thinking about it a lot. She didn't trust Gwendolyn's stoic and honorable facade.

"Just.." Gwen paused, standing up straight and pointing toward Tess' length, "We're sleeping back to back."

"Oh. Right."

When all the preparation had been made, it was time to sleep. Tess began to awkwardly shift her sheet-wrapped body into the sleep sack when Gwen interrupted, "What are you doing?"

"Oh. Do you want to get in first?" Tess offered.

Gwen huffed, "No, you need to take the sheet off."

"Oh." Tess paused, looking down at the sheet that still revealed an ample amount of cleavage, "I just thought you'd be more comfor-..."

"I'd be more comfortable if you didn't get too hot in the sleep sack," Gwendolyn suggested, "I take it you didn't do much traveling before you were summoned here."

"I don't remember," Tess reminded Gwen, even though she didn't need to.

Gwen nodded, "Right. Look, if you sweat in your sleep, we're going to wake up wet and have to waste time trying to dry off, lest we freeze to death on the road." 

 "It's already going to be hard enough to split the cold weather clothing," Gwen added.

Something dawned on Tess and she pointed toward Gwendolyn, "What about you?"

"I'm undressing too. We'll put our clothes at our feet so that they're warm in the morning."

"Oh," Tess blurted, "Oh…"

Now even Tess' face must be red, because Gwen held up a hand to pause, "Nothing, and I mean nothing, is going to happen. You try anything and you're getting a knife in your windpipe, demon or not."

"Right," Tess said, holding her hands up, "I understand. You don't have to worry. Promise."

Soon enough, Tess was naked in the sleep sack. There was hardly any room left. Even if Tess was rather slender in most places, she had no idea how Gwendolyn would fit in this with her. It was definitely not made for two. Regardless, she couldn't help but look when Gwen was undressing.

Bent forward to remove her trousers, Gwen was in nothing but her smallclothes; a white bra and a pair of bottoms that looked almost like skin-tight shorts that reached only to the very tops of her thighs. They hardly even covered her ass, which was, Tess thought, absolutely divine. Full and plump, with the perfect layer of rounding fat to it. Wide hips and full thighs completed the image of that perfect ass.

Tess was eyes wide when Gwendolyn cleared her throat, "Do you mind?" She was looking over her shoulder at Tess, who blurted a quick apology and rolled over the other way. The mental image remained, though, and Tess could feel the blood rushing from her head and into her new appendage. It thickened and swelled between her legs, and Tess could feel her heart rate quicken.

Before she knew it, Gwen was stuffing her clothing and boots past Tess' body and into the foot of the sleepsack, before trying to squeeze into it with Tess. The feeling of skin-on-skin contact caused the hair on the back of Tess' neck to bristle, and she had to let out a tense breath through pursed lips. You can do this, Tess thought, It will feel normal soon and you'll sleep.

As the pressure of Gwen's body squeezed against her, there was a pause, "We'll.. Have to spoon. I don't think there's enough room for our legs to be bent in different directions, or for us to lie on our backs."

Part of this revelation thrilled Tess, and all she could say was a quiet, "Okay. Do you want me to turn over?" The thought that she'd be pressed up against that perfect ass of Gwendolyn's drove her crazy. If there wasn't enough room in the sleepsack, there was less of it with the swelling of her cock. It remained pressed up against her belly, trapped against the sleepsack. It reached an inch above her navel, which seemed obscene.

"What? With that thing pressing against me? No," Gwen said, "Absolutely not." The tone of her voice sounded uncertain, but Tess wasn't looking at Gwen and couldn't quite tell for sure. After that, Tess was wedged against the side of the sleepsack as Gwen navigated her way inside.

Spooning was an understatement. They were squeezed together, the sleepsack stretched taut. Tess could feel Gwen's modest chest pressed against her bare back, the warmth of her sex, the softness of her thighs.

"Comfortable?" Tess asked with a shaky breath.

"I'll manage," Gwen replied stiffly, and after a bit of a pause, she asked, "What about you? Are you going to make it?"

Tess could only think of Gwendolyn's naked body against her own, and the cock trapped against her body and the soft material of the sleepsack. "I'll manage," she echoed. She wasn't as confident as she tried to sound, though.

They wished one another an awkward goodnight and tried sleeping.

Chapter 4 - Miri

Tess woke with a groan. When had she fallen asleep? It seemed to take forever, trying to remain calm with their awkward sleeping arrangement. She wasn't anymore comfortable with it—not that she was complaining—and could feel that her erection hadn't settled even a little bit. In fact, she could feel a great deal of some warm fluid against her belly, the wall of the sleepsack, and her hand when she reached to feel. It was wet, slippery and a little sticky. As her hand explored, she realized it was all over her cock, her groin, her belly, leaking from the swollen head of her cock.

"Gwen?" She whispered under her breath. The swordswoman pressed against her back didn't reply.

For a time, she tried going back to sleep, but it wasn't happening now. What time is it, she thought. If it were close enough to wake-up, she'd just stay put and wait for Gwen to rise from her slumber. But somehow Tess doubted that was the case. It didn't feel like she'd been sleeping for long. 

Besides, this was a problem that she had to take care of sooner or later. She couldn't imagine Gwen would be offering to take care of it for her, so Tess began the arduous process of trying to extract herself from the tight confines of the sleep sack and Gwen's soft, warm body. It took some doing, and when she was about halfway out, she felt a hand on her ass. Tess stopped in shock.

"What are you doing?" Gwen was pushing on Tess' ass, clearly trying to keep it out of her face, "Do you mind?"

"I need to take care of something," Tess replied, slipping the rest of herself out of the sleepsack, "Sorry for waking you."

"Right," Gwen said, clearly staring at Tess' erect cock, standing a solid ten inches from her pelvis, and almost as thick as her forearm, dribbling precum onto the floor. Gwen swallowed and said, "Should I.. do you want.."

"What?" Tess asked, sounding overly excited.

"I just meant.." Gwendolyn started again, stopping before she said anymore, "Never mind. Just keep it down, okay?"

"Alright." Tess sounded deflated as she replied. At least one part of her was deflated, because her cock definitely wasn't. It shook from side to side as she walked to the other end of the fire, taking the sheet and folding it into a thick bundle before she placed it on the floor. The fire had heated the floor and the walls by now, and Tess found herself comfortable as she sat down, her back supported by the smooth stones.

She looked down the length of her body, and at the fat length protruding from her pelvis. She hadn't had an opportunity to explore before this, so there was some excitement in doing so. She reached to grasp her shaft around the base, feeling that her fingers didn't quite reach all the way around. The thought excited her, and she found more precum dribbling from the tip of her cock. "Whew.." she huffed as she gave one long stroke up and down her length. More precum leaked out with that squeezing, milking motion.

With her other hand she explored beneath her dick, feeling a hefty pair of balls, tightly held in a big, hairless sack between her legs. They felt so full in her palm, and she cupped and massaged them. Her hips rocked forward and a small whimper escaped her throat. Her body shook, muscles quivering as she experienced new sensations again and again. Her eyes squeezed shut, she bit her lip, and tried to keep things quiet as she stroked again and again. A pressure built in her core, unfamiliar in some ways and familiar in others. Was she going to cum?

I want to watch, she thought, opening her eyes. The sight that greeted her was that of a young woman leaned up, face-to-face with Tess. One eye yellow, the other an icy blue, she smiled a wicked smile, and looked quite the mischievous thing. Tess screamed, and the stranger clamped a hand over her mouth. Tess' hands shot up to remove her assailant's hands, but she was far too strong. She didn't even budge. "Quiet, sweet thing," the stranger whispered, leaning forward to delicately tease the words into Tess' ear, "Let's not wake the stern one, yeah?" This close, Tess could see that this woman was naked, with a heavy chest and full thighs. Her waist tapered into the swell of hips. More importantly, she had small fangs and lips painted red. Two horns protruded from beneath her hair on either side of her head, curling forward into dangerous points. Her hair was stark white, not silvery like Gwen's, but a solid color, like snow.

"You're the demon," Tess squeaked against the woman's palm.

The demon clicked her tongue and snapped her fingers, "First try. I'm quite impressed." The demon rocked her hips forward, sliding her sex up against the underside of Tess' length. Tess let out a low moan.

"Name's Miri," the demon added.

"I'm-.."

 "Tess," Miri finished, "I know." Miri let out a bit of a sigh and asked, "Why are you pumping this all by yourself? And with your own hand?" She rocked her hips forward again, grinding herself against Tess' length. Even Miri whimpered this time.

Tess' breath caught in her throat as she tried to respond, so Miri continued, "A cock like this needs to be shared, Tess. So how about it? Want some help?"

"Yes-.." Tess thought for a moment that there might be some demonic pact magic going on, but right now she was so horny she couldn't risk stopping for any reason. "Please."

"Good girl," Miri praised, kissing Tess on the forehead, "You're already about to burst, poor thing." Miri slipped off of Tess' lap and instead positioned herself behind her, supporting Tess' back and head against her chest and shoulder. "How's this?" Miri asked, bringing a warm, soft, foreign hand to her length.

Tess nearly came then and there, such was the thrill of having someone else 'take care' of her like this.

"Oh, dear," Miri hummed, "Not yet, darling. Hold on for me, just a little bit. I want you to enjoy this for a little longer."

Tess put her hands up to her face, an odd feeling of embarrassment dawning on her as she tried to regather whatever composure she'd lost upon Miri's arrival. "That-.. Feels.. Aah~.."

Miri's hand began slowly pumping up and down Tess' length. Tess' hips bucked, far beyond her control. Her breath quickened and hitched. Her toes curled and her feet planted upon the floor so that she could better work her cock through Miri's lovely hand.

"Oh my," Miri cooed, "I'm glad I showed up. What a mess you would've been without my help." That hand of hers sped up, really pumping Tess' cock now.

She wasn't going to last much longer. Her whole body was quivering like a string pulled taut. "Haa~.. Aaa~.. M-Miri.." Tess whined.

"Go ahead. Cum for me, Tess," Miri lost all restraint on her pacing and began to thoroughly milk Tess for everything she had stored in those heavy balls of hers, "Let me see it. I bet it feels so good, doesn't it? Don't hold back-.."

Tess gasped, her body shivering, her cock throbbing in Miri's grip, before a jet of pearly cum shot above her head, striking the wall behind her. The second caught Tess directly in the face, leaving a creamy streak from her hairline to her chin. The third painted her breasts, then her stomach, again and again. 

"Gooooood giiiirrll.." Miri cooed, praising Tess for her orgasm.

Miri didn't stop, so neither did Tess, until eventually she was fully drained, leaving only little spurts of cum escaping from the tip of her length. Tess was a panting, quivering mess by the end of it.

"Well, color me impressed," Miri hummed with a look of amusement plain in her voice, "Or color you, I suppose. You really painted yourself, huh?""

Tess could only pant, trying to catch her breath. Her legs felt weak and she was certain that she wouldn't be able to stand.

"Perhaps this binding won't be such a chore after all," Miri mused.

"Binding?" Tess huffed, wiping a hand down her face. She felt drained and dizzy, "You're bound to me? That's what the ritual was?"

"Oh, no dear. I'm not bound to you," Miri consoled Tess, before a hint of malice showed in her voice, "You're bound to me."

Chapter 5 - A New Day

"Time to get up," Gwen said with a light nudge of her foot against Tess' thigh.

Tess' eyes opened, slowly at first, until it dawned on her what had happened and where she was. She expected to be covered in cum and have to explain herself to Gwendolyn, but she was clean. Spotless, even.

"I, uh.." Tess started.

Gwen waited a moment, but wasn't patient enough for Tess to gather her thoughts, "You figure things out alright, last night?"

"Huh?" Tess was still confused as to what had actually happened last night. When did she fall asleep? Had Miri talked to her more after that?

Gwen sighed and explained, "I mean.. With your dick. Did you figure out how to calm it down?"

"Oh," Tess had to stop herself from bringing up Miri, if only from the excitement that came with remembering their encounter, "Yeah, I think so." The looked between her legs to see those thick, long inches now lying down against her thigh. 

There was another pause, and Gwen turned about to go to her belongings, muttering, "Good." She looked as though she were about to say something else, but thought better of it. Tess was curious, but didn't want to pry.

"So…" Tess started, placing her hands atop her lap for what scrap of modesty she could provide herself.

Gwen went to pack her belongings. It looked like she'd begun doing so a while ago. The sleep sack was all rolled up, the broken longsword was wrapped up and bound against the pack. Judging by the swipe marks going through the fiery ritual circle that Gwen had made last night, she must have gathered up the reagents she'd used. All that was left now was some burnt wood chips.

"So?" Gwen replied, "You need to get dressed. I set some things aside for you." Gwendolyn gestured to a short stack of clothing beside Tess, "Try them on."

The clothes that Gwen provided turned out to be a wool coat with a simple, white cotton shirt underneath. Some cotton pants meant that she was going to be freezing below the waist, but she could only expect so much from Gwen's spare clothing. Her undergarments, at least, looked warmer than most. Britches down to mid thigh and a small shirt with built-in cups. Luckily however, she had a nice, warm pair of leather-and-fur boots.

Tess tried on the clothes, finding the britches and pants to fit well, but the bra and shirt to be a bit small. It should've been obvious that this would happen. Gwen had a lovely bust, but it was an average size; not too big, not too small. Tess was a few sizes past average, though. Her chest provided more than a handful. There was no way she was going to fit into it. She handed the cupped shirt back to Gwendolyn.

"I have bandage wraps," Gwendolyn offered, "We could wrap up your chest for support." Tess was touched by her concern. The angry and tough facade seemed to slip for a moment, showing a compassionate and sympathetic face.

Tess wouldn't turn that face down for anything, "That would help. Thanks."

"Hold this end to the side of your chest," Gwendolyn explained, holding the spool of medical cloth out in front of her. Tess took the end of it and squeezed it just under the armpit while the silver-haired warrior maneuvered around her, dragging more of the ribbon out to cover Tess' chest. She overlapped the end and kept it tight, starting just above Tess' small, dusty pink nipples.

Tess felt a heat burning between her legs, realizing that the britches she was now wearing were starting to bulge outward. She shifted a little in her position while Gwen kept wrapping her up. With the process halfway done, Tess only looked even more stacked than she was, with the way her breasts swelled just slightly at the edge of the tape, above it and below it. Gwen's work was a bit slower now, and Tess wondered if she might be distracted, or if that was just Tess' wishful thinking due to the blood rushing from her head.

Once the wrapping had gone just above the bottom of Tess' ribcage, she felt nice and secure. The tightness of it wasn't the most comfortable, but at least she wouldn't need to worry about chafing.

"Really?" Gwen sighed.

Tess looked up and was about to ask, but she noticed Gwen looking down at her 'gift.' It strained against the britches, making an obvious bulge. "What can I say," Tess started with a joke, trying to keep the mood light, "It likes you."

Tess had never seen someone roll their eyes harder than Gwen did after that line.

"It's not that bad itself," The warrior replied, much to Tess' surprise.

"What?" She was dumbfounded that Gwendolyn would say something kind about her 'perversion,' a word that Gwen called it just yesterday.

Gwen shrugged, hefting up her pack, "It's.. big. You're well endowed." Tess looked surprised still, staring at Gwendolyn like she'd just grew a third eye. Gwen added, "And that is all that I meant. Come now, we need to move."

Tess was speechless all the way out of the cellar, until they climbed to the surface above. The world looked colorless and dim, with a blanket of snow as far as the eye could see as its backdrop. "What happened?" Tess asked, only for Gwendolyn to point to the sky. Tess spotted an inky splotch deep beyond the atmosphere, and the sun began to peek out from behind it.

"Thyr is moving out from behind the Black Sun, so it'll warm up soon. Which is good for us, since neither of us have the gear to survive another eclipse," Gwen explained, much to Tess' wonderment. Accompanying the partial eclipse in the sky were massive moons, three in all, that appeared far closer than the eclipse did. Tess remembered these; There were five in all. One of them, a stark white orb, was so close it looked like a cannon could fire its payload upon the moon's surface. Tess could almost remember its name, but ultimately it evaded her.

"The name of it.. that moon ahead, what is its name?" She asked.

"Kalyke," Gwendolyn answered. "There is Elara and that one is Proteus," the silver haired woman pointed to the rust colored moon and the yellow moon respectively. "Umbriel and Janus are on the far side for now," she added, "Or behind the other three, possibly. Who knows? The Black Sun changes their paths as it moves."

Tess stumbled, nearly getting a face full of snow before she redirected her attention to the path ahead. She took a deep breath and trudged on. Marching through snow was never easy, and this was no exception. In no time at all, her thighs burned, her feet ached, and she wondered how Gwen was doing this so easily. Or at least making it look easy.

In an effort to distract herself, Tess spoke, "So where are we headed?" It was probably a question she should have asked earlier, but the hopelessness of her situation made her dependent upon Gwen, so where else was there to go but where the warrior went? Wherever that was.

"Hastenburgh," was the swordswoman's reply, "That will leave you with some ability to earn coin and eventually to travel wherever you wish to go from there."

That left a bad taste in Tess' mouth. She didn't want to leave Gwen's side. Gwen was the only person that saw what happened to her. She needed the silver haired woman to vouch for her when she proves to know nothing about the way things are. She decided to not react aggressively, which would only damage the situation. "What about you?" Tess asked with a soft voice.

"What?"

Tess had to repeat herself over the sound of boots crunching snow. This time she was loud, and not so meek as before.

"Oh," Gwendolyn replied simply, "I'm going to join the Expeditionary Corps. It is my purpose." She took a deep breath and turned around to face Tess, "I'm going to fight the Black Sun."

Chapter 6 - Camp

Gwen had said that they'll make it to Hastenburgh tomorrow, but that they shouldn't risk traveling more for tonight, given that it was still colder than normal, with Thyr mostly covered by that black hole in the sky. Tess had more questions, but couldn't keep pace with the warrior she was following, so Gwen told her to conserve her breath for travel, and they could talk later. Tess found it difficult to let these questions linger in her mind, but wanted just as badly to get to Hastenburgh and see what Gwendolyn was talking about.

They made their camp underneath a large boulder with a sharp overhang that could protect them from most wings and any rain. Gwendolyn was busy with another campfire ritual when Tess took a seat beside it.

Gwen was sprinkling the shiny salt when Tess asked, "How do you do that?"

"Practice, creativity, and hoarding a lot of useless junk," She answered, "You don't remember anything about circles?"

"They're round," Tess offered.

Gwen gave her a blank stare for a couple seconds before continuing to build her ritual, "Okay, there's a few parts. One is your goal. What are you trying to do? Imagine what that thing takes or what it's represented by. My goal right now is to make a fire."

"Alright," Tess nodded. She looked Gwen over as the woman explained, finding it hard to focus when it dawned on her once again how beautiful her companion was.

Her attention was brought back quickly, "Then there's your reagents." She gestures to her circle, "I represent building a fire with wood chips, some quartz dust for the flint, and a bit of charcoal to symbolize warmth."

Tess was hung up on the charcoal part. "Why not add… straw, or pine leaves? Wouldn't that make more sense?"

Gwen gestured to her circle, "That's the creativity of it. As long as you have the right intent, and it makes sense to you, there's a chance that it works. This is what works for me. Maybe for you, you could do flask oil, ipe bark and pine leaves, or something. But this is what works for me."

"Where does the magic come from, then, if it can just be whatever you want?" Tess could remember that the gods gave magic, that one's blood gave magic, but not this.

Gwen snapped her fingers over the circle and their campfire burst to life. Tess found it even more amazing this time than last, given that she understood a bit more. "Somewhere between the Soul and Stars. That's what my sister always told me," Gwen replied with a wistful look.

"I get it that the reagents you use are a representation of yourself. Your soul. But what about the stars?"

"See how I have them arranged?" Gwen replied. It wasn't easy to see past the bright light of the fire, but through the rippling haze of heat, Tess could see that each reagent was placed in a very specific way.

"Constellations?"

"Mmhm," Gwen confirmed, "Each constellation has its own magical profile. They each rule over certain aspects of our reality. Knowing which pattern to put each reagent into is just as important as the reagents you use."

Tess muttered to herself, "Soul and stars." Gwendolyn nodded and Tess pushed further, "Will you teach me?"

Gwen sat back and warmed her hands by the fire. The light danced over her soft features and gave her light hair an orange, blazing hue. "I can't teach you anything about your soul, and if you are a demon, then you may not have a soul to use."

Tess' enthusiasm deflated for a moment, before she remembered Miri. Miri was the demon, not Tess. Tess should be more than capable, right? Hopefully Miri's ministrations last night didn't taint her in some way.

"But you can teach me the stars?" Tess persisted.

Gwendolyn nodded, "I can. It's good knowledge for anyone to have."

"Gwen?" Tess asked.

"Gwendolyn," she corrected.

"Gwendolyn, thank you."

"You're welcome, Tess. Now get some sleep."

But sleep didn't come to Tess so easily. Last night she'd been so distracted by other things, not to mention exhausted from the events that day. Tonight Tess had so many questions spinning up in her mind that sleep just wasn't a possibility until she'd mulled over at least a few of them. So while she sat beside the campfire, she looked into its fiery core as if expecting to find answers.

Tess knew that the best way to solve a problem was to list out all of the questions. Where did she come from? Why did she only remember some things and not others? What's with the dick? Who's Miri and…

"You called?" A familiar voice whispered into her ear. Tess turned and once again, Miri's golden gaze was staring her directly in the face. She nearly screamed before the demon clamped a hand over her mouth. "Relax, sweetness, I'm just here to talk. I'd never hurt you, unless, you know, you're into that thing."

Tess' eyes were wide, looking back and forth across Miri' features. She was too unusual to just pick a point to look at. There was definitely human-like familiarity, but even beyond the strange eyes, the fangs and the horns there was something decidedly inhuman about her. There was this uncanniness to her face that wasn't unsettling, but was just different. A gracefulness to it. Something beautiful. She was sculpted, not born by chance.

Tess took Miri's wrist lightly and moved her hand away. Miri obliged. Tess knew from before that if the demoness wanted, Miri could easily overpower her, so she was relieved to not have to fight against her. "Where were you?" Tess hissed under her breath, "I didn't even know if you were real. You just disappeared."

Miri just smiled with a softness that put Tess at ease. The horned woman reached out to brush some hair from Tess' face. There was a comforting warmth being in Miri's presence, something beyond what the fire was providing. There was something about Miri that made Tess want to be closer to her. To be important to her. To make her happy.

"Sorry for leaving," Miri cooed, "I had some things to attend to."

"Like.. like what?" Tess stammered at those big, golden eyes staring into her. Miri was dressed oddly. They weren't clothes per se, but some rubbery, skin-tight wrap that only concealed strips and small areas here or there. A line up across the navel connected the top and bottom areas. The top consisted of two cups that kept full breasts high and presented The bottom was a small covering of Miri's modesty (if you could call it that) that did nothing to conceal her rear end. There was so much to look at and ponder about her new companion that Tess wasn't sure where to look or what to examine. 

Just seeing her sweet face again and smelling the caramel notes of her scent had something stirring deep within Tess. Miri used a clawed finger to hook some hair around a horn. She looked down at Tess' lap and purred, "Looks like someone's happy to see me again. I'm glad I made such a good impression last time."

"Miri, please.." Tess insisted, "Just.. answer some questions. There's too much that I don't know."

"But that's so boring," Miri complained, slipping away from Tess. She floated in the air, lounging backwards on it as though she were reclining on cushions. "But fine, ask your questions, Tess."

"Well, like I said, what was it you were 'attending to?'"

"Boring. Ask something else," Miri said, dismissing the question with a wave of her hand.

There was a twitch of irritation in Tess' face, but she didn't push it. "Okay, well, where did I come from?"

"How am I supposed to know?" The demon responded.

"Well, I was hoping.."

"This is all new for me too, you know." Miri added in a way that milked Tess' sympathy.

"So you're like me?" Tess inquired, hopeful for definitive answers, "Summoned? Unable to remember much?"

"On the memory front, I think I got the better end of the deal," Miri mused with a fanged smile.

Tess' confused look must've asked the question she did not have the composure to voice.

"I suppose it hasn't been made totally clear just yet. We're sharing this body, you and I. That's not your body. It's not mine. It's ours." Miri explained.

This wasn't the surprise to Tess that Miri may have expected. To be truthful, she had expected something like this. How else could Gwen not have heard her last night? How else could Miri have known her name? Of course, she didn't know for sure, but it was one of the suspected answers that Tess had thought possible.

"I remember more than you do," Miri continued, "Which makes me think we only came to this body with so many memories, and most of them were mine." Miri huffed and added, "Just a guess. Don't ask me to figure out the arithmetic behind that one."

"Can Gwendolyn see you?" Tess asked, moving along before Miri decided to perform her vanishing act again with only one question answered.

Miri shook her head, "Well, in a way, when she's looking at you, she's seeing me, too. Again, that body is mine too. Don't forget it."

"Right, of course," Tess said, apologetically, "But if she were awake, would she see you floating there?"

Miri slipped through the air like a fish in water, moving in a figure eight before ending up hovering just above Gwendolyn's half covered form. She reached out to poke Gwendolyn's face, but Tess hissed, "Don't! Start with the rock. Don't wake her." 

Miri instead reached out to touch the rocky wall that they've camped against, but her hand stopped flatly upon the surface, "I can't go through this."

"Probably because I can't see past it. Your limit is what I can observe, I think," Tess offered, and Miri floated back toward her and nodded her agreement.

"Look at the big brain on you, Tessy," Miri quipped with amusement.

Tess wasn't sure if it was sincere or not, but didn't linger on the thought either way, "Well, if you don't know where I came from. Do you know where you came from?"

Miri nodded. Tess just looked at her expectantly, and one of those claw-tipped fingers pointed upward toward the sky. Tess didn't have to move past the rocky outcropping to look at where the demoness pointed. She knew.

"The Black Sun."

"That's the one," Miri acknowledged, "And I bet we'd find more answers there, too."

Tess looked confused, "How do we even get there? It's it.. You know, in the sky?"

"Further than that, actually. Maybe ask your pretty little traveling partner." Miri floated to be face-to-face with Tess, "In the meantime, you need sleep." Miri put a hand to Tess's face and with index and pinky fingers she closed Tess' eyes.

Chapter 7 - The Pack

"Tess, duck!" Gwendolyn shouted

Tess immediately planted herself into the snowy ground. The warrior flicked her arm and a spinning dagger caught the wolf that had been charging Tess from behind. It whined and circled around to try a new angle.

Their march today had been interrupted by some howling. Gwendolyn tried to circumvent the danger, but the wolves had already locked onto their scent. The sudden, eclipse-driven winter had likely starved the pack for a few days, so they were willing to take on some danger for the possibility of food.

When Tess lifted her face from the snow, her vision was blurry. She could still see Gwendolyn several paces ahead, a wolf with its teeth buried into her left arm. Gwendolyn didn't even cry out. Her face was focused and professional, even as she skewered the wolf's midsection with that broken sword, peeling it from the wolf's stomach and spilling its steaming guts into the snow. Gwendolyn pulled her arm to the side, toppling the creature, and gave it one strong hack across the neck.

There wasn't enough time to consider the violence, the gore, the death. Survival was all that ran through Tess' mind. Her gaze snapped to the side to see a gray blur charging Gwendolyn from behind. "Gwen!" She cried out. The warrior looked toward her and then spun to face the charge. It was too slow, and Gwendolyn was taken to the ground by the beast, her blade knocked from her grasp. With the snow in her eyes, it was too blurry to tell exactly what was happening, but she heard Gwendolyn struggle.

"Hold on!" Tess shouted, scrambling to her feet, only to be taken back to the ground, chest first. There was a weight on her back that kept her from rising, growling in her ear mingled with the sound of her panicked breathing. "No! No!" She cried out, but she heard a crunch and felt the weight immediately lift from behind her. She spun onto her back, and saw the wolf floating in the air. Its jaw was snapped down to meet its neck, its eyes unfocused, its entire body limp. Holding it by the scruff was Miri, floating just above.

"You can-.." Tess started, but Miri was already on the move. Tess followed the motion and saw Gwendolyn on her back, the wolf atop her. Gwen had her gloved hands pressed into the canine's chest to keep it at bay, but the wolf was beginning to overpower her, outmaneuver her, snapping its jaws wildly just in front of Gwen's face. Miri glided toward the struggle and pulled the wolf back just a bit, helping Gwen to push the beast enough to draw another dagger and drive it through the wolf's vulnerable neck.

The beast toppled, and the rest of its pack soon fled in a chorus of yelps and barks.

Tess rolled over onto her back, panting. Something burned along her shoulders and her chest felt sore, but she didn't care. She just wanted a moment to breathe. A chance to close her eyes.

"Are you okay?" Gwendolyn asked. Tess didn't have to open her eyes to know that Gwen was standing just above her.

Tess let out a heavy breath, "I think so."

There was a pause before Gwen asked, "Is that your blood or one of the wolves'?"

"I don't know."

Tess opened her eyes and saw both Miri and Gwen standing over her. Miri was licking blood from her fingertips. Gross. Gwen extended a hand to her, "We best make tracks before they come back. No doubt they'll be stalking us for a long while."

"No rest breaks. Got it." Tess replied neutrally.

"Yeah," Gwen nodded, "No breaks."

Even if they hadn't been attacked by the wolves, today's march was even worse than yesterday's. Not only did Gwen and Tess discover a number of bleeding yet superficial wounds along Gwen's arm and Tess' back, but she was already sore from the day before. Even worse, they had begun an incline up a hill, leading to a mountain. How was she going to ascend that, hurt and sore and unacclimated to this environment? 

Still, she was determined to go wherever Gwen went, if only because of what Miri told her last night. Speaking of, Miri remained with them this time, floating upon her back just beside Tess, keeping an easy pace. To say that Tess was envious of the imperceptible-yet-tangible demon was an understatement. This morning had proven that Gwendolyn couldn't see her demonic second half.

One saving grace was that Thyr showed past the Black Sun in full now, and the snow was quickly melting at their altitude, which made each step a little less exhaustive and the wind less biting. Tess still lagged behind Gwendolyn either way.

This was good for communicating with Miri. Miri could read her thoughts, but that was a disturbing concept to Tess, so she liked to keep it audible, even if it changed nothing. It was more comforting. "How did you do that?" Tess whispered.

"Do what?" Miri responded, as loudly as she could to rub it in to Tess that she, at least, didn't need to be silent like Tess. The sound traveled the surrounding hills, but Gwendolyn didn't see to hear it. Or, at least, she didn't acknowledge it.

Tess scowled, "You know what I'm talking about."

"Oh, you mean when I saved your lovely asses?"

"Yes."

Miri gave a girlish laugh and slipped through the air to be in front of Tess, lying prone in the sky, arms supporting her chin. "Guess our bond is good for something. Maybe it means that I make us telekinetic. Or maybe I'm just our personal ghost that fucks shit up. Who cares?"

"I care," Tess replied.

Miri frowned, clearly feigning offense, "I haven't heard a thank you yet."

Tess felt bad for that. Miri had not only saved Tess, but saved Gwendolyn when Tess couldn't. "You're right. I'm sorry," Tess said softly, "Thank you, Miri. You saved us."

"You're welcome!" Miri chirped.

"Did you say something?" Gwen asked.

Tess's heart sank in her chest for a moment. But maybe some conversation Gwen could distract her from her burning calves. She tried taking some longer strides to catch up to Gwendolyn, to be within speaking range, before pressing some questions.

"No, no," Tess said, "Well.. I mean, kind of."

"No breaks, Tess. Sorry," the silver-haired woman replied, maintaining her pace.

Tess felt embarrassed by Gwen's assumption, but didn't take it personally. She did ask for a lot of breaks this morning and the day before. "You mentioned the Expeditionary Corps. Fighting the Black Sun? How does that work?" Tess was genuinely curious, beyond just what it meant for her and Miri's connection. How were mortals meant to battle against some celestial object? How does one take a blade to the stars?

"Oh," Gwendolyn replied, looking over her shoulder, like she was surprised to hear Tess asking about it. "Well, the Expeditionary Corps doesn't really share the specific secrets, but they take recruits and train them," Gwen started, hiking up her rucksack higher upon her shoulders, "When a recruit is ready, they're sent into the Black Sun."

"How?" Tess immediately asked.

"They don't share the specifics," Gwendolyn repeated, "But they found a way. While there, they battle against its denizens before returning."

"Its denizens?" Tess asked, confusion dripping from every syllable. For every answer, five more questions came to mind. Miri, aware of Tess' every thought and feeling, gave a laugh that Gwendolyn was deaf to.

Gwendolyn nodded, a motion that Tess only detected by the back of her head. "Yes," the warrior added, "The Old Gods."

Tess was tired of echoing every phrase that Gwendolyn spoke, and just requested, "You're going to have to run me through it all."

"It's a lot," Gwendolyn explained, "But I'll give you the short version." She took a breath and remained in silence for a moment. The crunch of snow was all Tess heard for a few long moments before Gwen broke the silence, "A long time ago, and I mean a very long time ago, there were gods for everything. A god for this mountain, for that river, for the roads we walk, for the fire in our stoves.

"Well, it was like that for a long time before those gods started to get curious. Guess they didn't know where they came from, just like we don't. The gods might be our caretakers, but they didn't make us. Anyway, they left, abandoning their powers and gifts to the pantheon that chose to remain—those that we worship now—to go search the entirety of the celestial black for their own answers.

"But the story goes that they found something terrible, and it changed them. When they came back, thousands of years later, they were what you see in the sky."

Tess looked up at that inky hole in the blue sky and imagined it as some great city owned by a myriad of gods.

"It's hard to see right now, with Thyr so close to it," Gwendolyn added, "But there's a stream of Thyr's light leaving it and pouring into the Black Sun. We call that stream the Arc, but someone else can teach you about that. Point is, the Black Sun is eating our star, and once it has, it will eat us. Not like it would matter at that point."

"How-.." Tess blurted.

Gwendolyn seemed to predict her question, "Our God of Light, Uthr. He resides in Thyr. He is constantly at battle with the denizens." Gwen sighed, "But he's losing. The Expeditionary Corps helps by delving into that fucking thing and killing what we can in support of Uthr."

Chapter 8 - New Experiences

They kept watch that night, wary of wolves or other dangers. Despite Gwen's concern, Tess was familiar with the concept of a camp's watch, so after some convincing, Tess was given first watch.

"Miri?" Tess whispered, looking around for her body-partner. There was some irksome feeling of jealousy that Miri could get in touch with Tess whenever she wanted, but not the other way around. She wondered if Miri felt the same way, about Tess' fortune of being the one to be seen and to interact with the world. Well, at least interact in a visible way. She still didn't understand how Miri could affect the world around them when she was just a prisoner of Tess' mind. Of their mind. She wasn't sure how to phrase it to be respectful to both of them.

A warm hand came to Tess' shoulder. There was a brief startle, but she turned to see Miri's face looking into her own. "You called?" The demoness whispered.

"I'm trying to puzzle this thing out," Tess explained, sitting cross-legged by the fire. The crackling and the distance should be enough so that Gwen wouldn't be able to hear her.

Miri looked uncertain, floating around to levitate in front of Tess, tapping her chin in thought. "Thing? You mean the inexplicable merger of our minds, bodies and souls into a single entity that can not only communicate to itself with two distinct personalities but has the power-..."

"Yes," Tess interrupted.

But Miri continued, "...to allow the unseen personality to still affect the world as though it were the physical body-..."

"Yes."

"But with a huge girlcock?" The demon said with a mischievous smile.

"Miri!" Tess whispered harshly.

"That thing?" Miri inquired, feigning curiosity.

"Yes," Tess confirmed, "That thing."

"Oh. Well, good luck."

"Miri, please." Tess said in an exhausted tone.

Miri let out a sigh and rolled onto her back. Well, as much as someone floating in the air could. She reclined and supported her head with her hands. "Tess, I'm not sure how I can help," the horned one replied with a lazy whine, "I could try to dig into your head to figure out more about you, but that seems quite invasive. Not to mention dangerous."

"I'm surprised you didn't make yourself at home already," Tess mused, to which Miri scoffed.

"I would never," Miri said with a wave of her hand, "I'm all about consent, darling."

Tess looked away from the fire to the darkness that stretched beyond. She could see lights up in the higher mountains. Gwen had said it was Hastenburgh up there, and that they would reach it tomorrow. They may have made it sooner if they weren't interrupted by the wolves, and slowed by their wounds. Tess was relieved to be done with the traveling soon.

"So you think we need to go to the Black Sun for answers?" Tess asked.

Miri nodded, "That I do, sweetness."

"And the only ones that do that are the Expeditionary Corps?"

"Among others, but that would be our easiest way."

Tess hummed in thought, "Alright. So we join the Corps."

"Babe, I'm sure you didn't need my help to puzzle that one out," Miri said with a little laugh. Tess rolled her eyes, and Miri asked a question of her own, "How much more time until we wake small, bright and beautiful?"

"Not sure," Tess said. Gwen had already said that the orbits of the moons were irregular due to the Black Sun's pull, and without some reference she had no means of knowing what time it was. "Maybe a couple hours?" Tess estimated.

Miri slipped through the air and ended up face-to-face with Tess, cupping Tess' cheeks in her warm palms. Tess went eyes wide as she stared into that gorgeous face Miri possessed. "Wanna fuck?" Miri proposed with a soft whisper.

"What?!" The word was too loud, Tess knew immediately, and the pair both waited in silence and stared at Gwendolyn's sleeping form to make sure she wasn't waking up. She didn't move, at least.

Miri broke the silence first, "Do you want to fuck? Easy question."

"Miri, we're the same person," Tess insisted, "Aren't we?"

"To others, maybe. But to us, we seem to be two pretty distinct halves, don't we? Besides, in the other case, how would it be any different from jerking yourself off?" Miri nudged Tess with the curve of one of her horns, "How about it?"

It isn't that Tess didn't want to. She wanted it. She very much wanted it. A part of it felt wrong, though, and she couldn't place exactly why. Was it too good to be true? Was there some downside to consorting with a literal demon? What would it look like if Gwen saw her? There were so many questions that Tess wanted to have answered before trying something like that.

Regardless, there was a lot less room in her pants than there was a second ago. Her cock swelled and filled with excitement, bunching up in her underwear and forcing her to shift and pull at her clothes.

"Miri.." Tess protested.

The demoness laughed, "Well, someone wants to, at least."

Tess could feel her willpower breaking down. The only thing that could go through her mind was just how amazing it had felt last time, and that was just with Miri's hand. Who knows what kind of pleasure she could experience being stuffed into Miri's pussy. The thought left her cock fully erect, showing through her pants as a bulging tube running down the inside of her thigh.

"Oh, come now, where was all of this hesitation last time?" Miri spoke so sweetly, "Tell you what, maybe we start small. How about another handjob? Wouldn't that feel nice?"

They'd already done that much, hadn't they? What's the harm in doing it again? On the scale of perversion, it wouldn't be going any further than she'd already gone, right? What's the harm?

"Yeah," Tess replied with a husky, distracted note, "It would."

"There we go, baby," Miri whispered, bringing a hand up Tess' thigh, just a hair's breadth from touching Tess' length through her trousers, "Can I touch it?"

"Yeah," Tess replied with a hazy look in her eyes.

"Do you want me to?" Miri purred, leaning in and nipping at Tess' ear. The sharp poke of fangs gave Tess a little jump, but it was ultimately pleasant.

"Yes," Tess affirmed once again.

"Yes, what?"

"Miri, please." Tess whined, arching her back and bringing her hips forward.

Miri kept her hand drawn back to keep any contact from happening until she got what she wanted, "Yes, what, Tess?"

"Please touch it," Tess started, her back arched sharply now, "Touch my cock. Make me cum."

Miri's hand laid down atop the bulge in Tess' pants and she purred, "You are just precious, Tess." Miri let out a warm breath along Tess' ear and assured her, "Right away, dear."

Chapter 9 - Spectator

"Uuhn~.."

The sound had been repeating for some time now, and it drew Gwendolyn from her rest. The moment her senses came to her, she knew what was going on. Really, again? She hadn't had many male traveling companions. How often do they need to even do that? She heard a repetitive, wet, slick sound mixed with Tess' little moans and whimpers.

Well, if Tess wasn't going to keep watch, Gwen might as well. She didn't want to interrupt Tess' moment of fun, of course, so she rolled over in her sleeping sack. For a time, she kept her eyes closed, and could hear the slick sound stop, and Tess' whimpers broke down into panting breaths. Gwen kept her eyes closed and did her best sleeping impression.

It was something that she was particularly skilled at. Growing up in the Mirabenise household meant following some strict rules and becoming really good at breaking them. Evading bedtime was a basic skill for any royal delinquent.

After a time, Gwendolyn opened her eyes, but the sight in front of her was nothing that she could've expected.

Tess was there, leaning back, legs splayed. Her face was a mask of pleasure; hips and thighs quivering with unabated excitement. The surprising element was the white-haired, horned woman with a small hand embracing Tess' cock, giving it swift, firm pumps from mid-length to tip. The whole shaft was coated in something shiny and slick.

Gwendolyn scrambled for her sword, causing Tess and the beast to gasp simultaneously. Broken steel drawn, Gwen spun around to face the threat.

"Gwen!" Tess blurted, "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to wake you!"

The demon looked surprised and remarked to Tess, "Oh, she's hot." It dawned on Gwendolyn that she was sleeping naked in her sleep sack, and now stood fully exposed. It was not the primary thought in her mind, though.

"What is that?!" Gwen snapped, pointing the end of her blade in the horned one's direction. Both it and Tess looked dumbfounded.

Tess' eyes were wide when she asked, "You can see her?"

"What the fuck is she, Tess?!"

"Oh my," Miri said, floating up into the air and crossing her arms underneath her barely-covered breasts, "This is getting interesting."

Tess held up a hand for Gwen to pause, "Just calm down, I can explain."

"You knew about this and said nothing?" Gwen asked, lips parted in surprise.

Tess held up her hands helplessly, "I didn't think you could see her. She's been with us the whole time, but you haven't said anything. I thought you'd think I was crazy."

"She has certainly not been here the whole time," Gwen insisted.

"She has," Tess replied, "I promise you, Gwen. Her name is Miri." She scrambled for answers, looking around, "Maybe it's to do with nighttime."

Miri's mouth makes a circular shape, "I wonder if it's to do with sex." The demon lets out a giggle, "Tess' horny cock makes me visible to others."

Both of the other girls turned to look at her with puzzled expressions.

"Just a guess." Miri shrugged.

"Gwen?" Tess asked.

Gwendolyn looked at her, and Tess gestured downward. Following her hands, Gwendolyn observed the hard length jutting up between Tess' legs. A slick liquid dribbled from the tip, running down the underside and over that tight sack that held those two hefty orbs. It throbbed. For the first time, Gwen was noticing just how pretty it looked. It was big and thick, yes, and masculine in that sense, but it was smooth and hairless, a pleasant, warm color, not an angry red or purple. It almost looked feminine, in a sense.

"I think she likes it," Miri hummed.

Gwen snapped toward Miri's direction, "You don't know anything."

Tess pleaded, "Gwen, can I finish what we started? Please?"

"Yes, but.." Gwen paused. Her head was full of thoughts, a braided rope of ideas that couldn't be untangled enough to focus on any particular one.

Miri quipped with a little giggle, "Maybe she wants to take over where I left off."

Gwendolyn's eyes shot daggers at Miri, but she couldn't find the heart to outright deny it. She came up with something just as good: an alternative. "I just need to make sure she's not going to kill you," Gwen insisted.

"That's okay," Tess replied hastily, "That's okay, I don't mind. Miri?" The poor woman looked desperate, her gaze toward the demoness conveying desperation.

"Well," Miri hummed, floating down toward Tess and positioning herself just in front of that 10-inch pillar of girlcock, "Don't mind if I do." She brings her hand back to Tess' length and smooths it along her shaft and that swollen head, collecting all of that clear liquid and using it as lubricant to spread around and make her pumps slick, smooth and wet. "Let me know if you want to take over, milady," Miri quipped toward Gwen.

"I'm not-.." Gwen managed to get out before she lost focus on her own words. Tess looked so happy, head rocked back, eyes closed, lip quivering. Miri was doing that. And on Miri's end, Gwen wondered what it must feel like to have that big, powerful dick in her palm. To feel it throbbing. To feel it swelling as Tess grew closer to orgasm.

When Gwen raised her eyes to see Tess' face again, she saw the woman looking right back at her. Or rather, at Gwen's body. Suddenly Gwendolyn felt exposed, but she made no move to get dressed or to cover herself. Miri's hand picked up pace, and from Gwen's perspective, she was squeezing firmer the closer her hand grew to the tip. When Miri's hand started pumping from the very base of that long shaft, the only comparison that Gwen could imagine was a proper milking.

Tess was still watching Gwen's body, too. Why was she doing that?

"Gwen…" Tess murmured huskily.

Gwen's voice caught in her throat, and Tess added, "Fuck-.. You're gorgeous."

"It's Gwendolyn," she managed to whisper, but there was no force or will behind the words. Was Tess thinking of her? "What are you doing?" Gwen gasped, just as weakly as before.

"I want to think of you," Tess asked, "I want to think it's you making me cum." Miri let out a wicked laugh, sounding all sorts of amused.

"You.." Gwen paused. She adjusted her footing, looking down at the length of her naked body, exposed for Tess to see.

Tess only nodded, lip pinched between pearly teeth, breath coming in needy huffs.

"Whatever you need to do," Gwen offered, turning a bit to the side and crossing her arms. What else was she supposed to do with them? She certainly wasn't going to pose. Or should she?

As if given permission, Tess gave out a soft cry. Gwen could only describe it as beautiful and sweet. A gentle, erotic note extended to Gwen in appreciation. Gwen looked over at Tess as Miri's hand went faster and faster.

"That's it, that's it-.." Miri encouraged, as a jet of cum shot from the end of Tess' cock.

Gwen was mesmerized, watching rope after rope of white cum fire into the air a few feet before mingling with the melting snow beside the fire. Tess bucked her hips, whining, whimpering, and gasping as each spurt of cream came out.

Eventually it slowed down in intensity, but lasted for quite a while as it began coming out in creamy swells and pouring over Miri's small hand. Tess was quivering by the end of it. Her eyes were lidded, her lips parted. She looked dizzy.

Gwen breathed a single word.

"Wow."

Chapter 10 - The Wanderer

To say the next day was awkward was an understatement. Gwendolyn didn't want to discuss anything that had happened the night before, so Tess was left with worries, questions and assumptions at best. She tried to focus instead on their journey.

According to Gwen, they should be arriving at Hastenburgh today. Tess only saw an enormous mountain jutting up from the ground ahead of them, and when she asked if Hastenburgh was at the base of it, Gwen insisted it was at the peak. Tess had no idea how this was going to work, then. The mountain looked as though it would require a week for even the most skilled climbers, and as far as she knew, there was no climbing equipment in Gwen's pack. There must be some other trick.

It revealed itself sooner, rather than later. At the base of the mountain, just behind a path that begins to scale its cliffs with numerous switchbacks, was a small town. It wasn't densely populated, as far as Tess could see. Just a few hovels were present, smoke pouring out of their chimneys to stave off the remaining cold. The people she saw roaming the streets were all garbed in yellow, wearing masks.

"Should I be worried?" Tess asked.

"No," Gwendolyn responded, "This is a Waypoint. The devout of the Wanderer maintain these as traveling hubs."

"The Wanderer?" Tess echoed. Gwen had been teaching her about the constellations in the sky, pointing them out here or there as they appeared. The Wanderer was one of them, responsible for all things regarding travel, uncertainty and adventure. It was one of Tess' favorites. "People worship the constellations?"

"Not usually, but these folk do," Gwendolyn explains, "They don't share much and they stick to themselves, but they lend their services to those willing to pay."

Up ahead, Tess could get a better view of these so-called devouts. Their masks were wooden, taller than their own faces, with odd, circular holes drilled into them that give room for the eyes and mouth. Lines of painting give these masks a tribal look to them. Each one seemed to have their own unique design. Other than that, they wear heavy, yellow robes that stand out against the white snow and conceal the devout from toe to tip, aside from their hands, which range from all of the typical colors one would expect of a human.

They passed through the town's only street. There was little there that wasn't a necessity. Tess could only describe it as ascetic; a living of deprivation. "What do they use the money for?" Tess asked.

Gwen just shrugged, "They don't tell, and we won't be asking." She gave Tess a stern look that implied it wasn't something to be tested. Tess never planned on asking anyway, but she registered the seriousness of their interactions with these devout of the Wanderer.

At the end of the street, closest to the base of the mountain path, was a platform guarded by two devouts with pole-arms. Glaives, if Tess had to put a name to them. The platform was intricately decorated, made of silver metals, with an inlay of three different colors—red, blue and yellow—in the pattern of three different constellations. 

Tess immediately recognized the Wanderer as one of them, but the other two required some thinking. One of them must be the Archer. Or was it the Devil? The constellations for truth and lies, respectively, were difficult to tell apart aside from one difference. The anchoring star, that being the brightest star in the pattern, was different for the Archer and Devil, but the constellations were otherwise nearly identical.

The third constellation evaded her, however. It looked familiar, but Tess hadn't mastered everything Gwen had taught her yet, and due to the night sky's rotation, she hadn't seen all there was to see of the stars yet, either. Especially when there had been so many other distractions at night.

The jingling of a coin purse brought Tess' thoughts to the present. Gwen was sprinkling a few silver coins into one of the armed devout's outstretched hands. After Gwen ceased further payment, the devout pointed toward Tess.

Gwen shook her head and explained, "That is for her. I have a voucher from the Corps." She flashes a small piece of parchment to the devout, who examines it quickly, and then nods.

The pair of them are guided onto the circular platform, and Tess speaks softly to Gwendolyn, "I'll pay you back."

"I don't expect you to," Gwen responds, "Consider it a favor."

"One of many," Tess added.

Gwen cracked a smile and nodded. That was nice to see. She can usually be so stern. The warrior reached over and gave Tess a pat on the back. "Quiet now, and try not to vomit," Gwen requested.

Tess' eyes widened and her mouth opened to ask the obvious question, but she was immediately distracted by a shining light all around them, bursting upward from the glyph below. Tess felt her insides lift within her body, and her heels rose off of the floor, gently lifted by some unseen force. The light grew and grew until she felt that lift grow stronger, and she was suddenly flung into the air. The wind and noise vanished as the world was swept away from underneath her in the blink of an eye, until she was catapulted into the stars.

Flipping over and over herself, Tess slipped beyond the stars, beyond unknown planets and moons. She felt pulled in every direction at once and lost all sense of up and down. The lights around her stretched and bended as if seen through a lens. When she caught glimpses of her own body, she appeared stretched and smeared across the backdrop of stars. She tried screaming, but everything was silent save for the sound it made rattling around her own head.

She couldn't say when, but eventually there was a loud funnel of wind and Tess' clothes were blown around her body violently. It wasn't the first thing she noticed, but she did eventually realize that the cold was suddenly gone. When Tess opened her eyes, she was somewhere completely different. The inside of a castle. Gwen was beside her, looking pale and unsteady, but there were many other onlookers too. Tess was overstimulated and struggled to keep her footing, still unable to separate up from down.

Tess dropped to her knees and vomited.