My heart was pounding in my ears. My body was refusing to calm down after the treatment Aejerla gave me, and now I was going to return the favor. I had never done this in my life, but hey, I supposed that when I returned home, I could still say I was a virgin, because after all, I hadn’t done it with a human woman yet. Uh oh… was this bestiality? God, I hoped not. 

Aejerla smiled, toying with her clit as I approached. “You seem hesitant,” she noted. “This is not something you must do often. If I intimidate you to the point of worry…”

I shook my head. “No. I want to do this,” I told her. 

“I see,” she replied with a nod. “Perhaps we should set up a system? We can make the act secure under a cryptic usage of words. Should you say a certain word we define previously, we stop, with no further questions.”

I smiled to myself, even as I approached, my heart blasting. Aejerla just invented safe words. Good for her. “My word is… farmer,” I replied.

Aejerla gave me a cocky grin. “Still thinking of the Lazy Farmer upstairs?” she asked slyly.

I gulped. I was determined not to be taken out of the moment, but I couldn’t help but spare a thought for Kaendeer and the Finger upstairs. Well, Kaendeer and the Finger’s finger. Bleh.

Still, this is what I wanted. If I was going to be in this world, I had to accept their ways. When in Rome… except this Rome was inhabited by tall elf girls who… who… who smelled intoxicating.

The closer I got to Aejerla’s love instrument, the stronger the smell became. Was this what a human girl’s vagina smelled like? It was making me light-headed. It didn’t smell like anything I smelled before. It smelled like… desire. I was reaching forward with my tongue before I even knew what was going on. 

Aejerla gasped at first contact. Her legs squirmed, getting used to the feeling of my tongue. My tongue may have been inexperienced, but… I mean, I had my own vagina. I could make a pretty reasonable guess as to what felt good. I started by slowly lapping up and down her slit, realizing that if I made my tongue go flat and wide, and going in, it would lead to greater effects, so of course, that’s exactly what I did.

When I started, Aejerla acted a lot more like a shy sub than I had thought, but before long, she seemed to remember not a few minutes ago when I mentioned I liked how intimidating she was. She seemed to get into it. She adjusted herself quickly, then grabbed the back of my head, clearly looking at me as she gave a low laugh. “You like how your Mistress tastes, don’t you?” she asked in a low voice.

I broke away from eating her for just long enough to moan a single, “Yes!”

“You’re such a good little serf,” she told me, grinding her hips, mashing her pelvis into my tongue. God, even her thighs were so muscley. Just as I was admiring them, as much as I could, she moved them in closer, tightening her grip on my face with her thighs alone. My pussy was on fire. I moaned into her love instrument and my hands flew to her thighs, stroking them lovingly. They were so hard yet so smooth. 

Her taste was just as intoxicating as her smell. I ground my own pussy into the very air with desperation, taking in her scent and taste, learning on the fly every trick I could find to please her better. Her moans were low and guttural… powerful… commanding. She took one hand off of me, grabbing the nearby table with her free hand as she rode my face on the chair. “IN the name of the heavens… you make me want to say such things to you.”

I worked up the effort to tear myself away from her love instrument, if only for a moment. “Say them,” I nearly growled. “I’ll say the word if you say something too rough, and we can talk for a bit. I want to hear you say it.”

Aejerla’s eyes glowed, then playfully darkened. She flexed both arms, then used her hand on the back of my head to force my mouth back onto her love instrument. Gleefully, I obliged, realizing her clit was both sensitive and could take a lot. I began licking and even lightly sucking on her clit, rewarded with my Mistress’ moans. “Heavens above, you’re such a weak, pathetic serf…” she moaned. “Serving your Mistress with such reckless abandon. You love how strong I am, don’t you?”

I did. The idea of me being her weak little bitch only made me wetter. 

She ground her strong-smelling, now-leaking love instrument right up against my tongue. “Weak little guardians like you were made to serve strong guardians like me,” she commanded. “Say it.”

“I was made to serve you,” I almost moaned. “I’m a stupid, silly little girl. My only use is to serve strong guardians like you. Weak little guardians are made to serve strong, powerful, smart guardians like you.”

“Gods and stars,” she moaned, mashing me against her cunt again. “I feel my ending approaching.”

Aejerla’s entire body tensed as her orgasm approached. I could practically feel every muscle in her body tense, then release with the force of a tempest. She made a higher pitched squeal before making a low, commanding roar as her juices began to flow. 

She was a squirter. Maybe her species were squirters, I wasn’t sure. All I knew was that her juices were every bit as addictive as their smell, and I was all too eager to use my tongue to lap them up and clean her off, licking around her folds to catch every wayward drop. I wasn’t just eating my Mistress, I was humiliating myself by cleaning her, by being her personal tool. And I absolutely loved it. 

Aejerla inhaled and exhaled a few times, her wonderful muscley chest rising and falling with each breath. When I dared to look her in the eyes, next, her eyes were filled with this kind of adoration. “Gods and stars,” she repeated, slowly and sensually. “I truly hope you stay.”

“I take it I did a good job?” I asked, almost bashfully. Timidly. 

Aejerla didn’t respond with words. Moving slowly as first, as if she was mustering up the strength, she lifted me off of the ground with the strength of her arms alone whilst getting up off the chair herself. She pulled me by my waist to her height as she stood, wrapping me in some kind of Nelson while we were facing each other, and buried her face in my neck.

This was probably some kind of show of affection to her, so I tried to match her, and even kissed her neck. We remained like that for a little while until she eventually let go. As she did, I couldn’t help but notice the sounds of the tavern returned to normal – either Kaendeer and The Finger had managed to learn how to be quiet, or they too were finished.

Aejerla had maintained her composure too, even after that, I imagine, out-of-character show of affection. “How are your feelings?”

I sighed. “I’m feeling better,” I admitted. I hated feeling jealousy the way I did, especially given Aejerla and I just basically did what I hated Kaendeer for doing. Though, to be fair, it was more than jealousy I was feeling.

Aejerla made herself decent as she spoke. “I see the way you look at the Lazy Farmer,” she noted. “I can only assume you’re caught in your ways, though I had thought that this tryst would serve as a healthy distraction.”

You’d think the Loquiroot would help identify words that I couldn’t understand, like ‘tryst.’ “How long have you known the Lazy Farmer?” I asked.

Aejerla paused, then her look of distrust I’d seen so many times returned to her face. “You know her,” she observed. All but accused.

“I encountered her before Kaendeer had met up with her, yes,” I admitted. Nervously, I played with my hands. “But I’m a stranger to your lands. I can’t just tell you, ‘you shouldn’t trust someone you’ve known for a bit, you can only trust me.’”

“Speak,” Aejerla ordered, losing her friendly tone she’d cultivated with me.

“I bumped into her when I was out at the pond near this place. I was drinking the pond water-”

“You tried to drink the pond water?” Aejerla interrupted.

“Yes, I drank the pond water,” I answered grumpily.

“You are going to feel the heavens erupting from within you soon,” she noted grimly. “Proceed.”

“She addressed me. Her attire was different, more well-kept. I don’t know the politics of these lands, but she introduced herself as… a Finger.”

Aejerla paused. “Emma,” she warned. “This is not a light accusation.”

“Yeah, Fingers… serve the Hands?” I guessed.

“In a manner of speaking. They operate as the informants and errand-runners of the Hands. Their work has been known to include spying. Annoyingly…” she paused. “Their work also includes sowing distrust of villagers between one another.”

I nodded understandingly. “I’m not saying to do anything without further evidence. I’m just saying, this is what I heard.”

“And does anyone else know of this?” Aejerla asked.

I huffed. “Kaendeer does, but the Finger threatened her life, I think,” I admitted. “But then she didn’t. I don’t know. It was weird. The Finger also pointed out that if the Lordship wanted to raze this land, they could before ‘luncheon.’ They’re not looking to just take this place over. They’re looking for something else.”

Aejerla nodded, keeping along with every word. “I see,” she replied. “For now, you aren’t to stray too far. Definitely stay away from the pond water. Perhaps find a place to lie down, the next few hours are going to get very uncomfortable for you.” Against all of her troubles, she gave a small laugh. “You’re quite the trouble, Stranger. I trust you know this.”

My cheeks burned. “Yeah,” I admitted.

Without another word, Aejerla opened the door to the tavern, earning an “Eep!” from me, given I wasn’t fully dressed yet. I scrambled to dress before someone could see me, as Aejerla returned to her duties. Once I sheepishly tiptoed out of the back room, I found Kaendeer and The Finger merrily sharing drinks at a table, with Aejerla happily serving them, clearly either putting on a great act or disregarding my words entirely.

Like clockwork, as I approached them, my stomach began to churn. Kaendeer noticed me first and smiled in a friendly fashion, with The Finger following suit. I didn’t much like The Finger’s smile.

That said, The Finger was more clever than I would have liked to admit. “Your stomach hurts, does it not?” she asked.

I stared at her for a bit. I didn’t see the point in lying, so I nodded.

She nodded back with sympathy. “I understand this place has a Wise Woman known for her knowledge of how the bodies of The Herd work. The Herd are a rather stupid species, you must know – forgive me – so it is a notable thing that the Wise Woman found her position in the first place. Should one ask me, it is a testament to her great knowledge.” She gestured around the table. “I would be happy to make the trip with you, should you enjoy the company.”

“Um, no thank you,” I replied quietly, trying not to make direct eye contact with either Kaendeer or Aejerla, lest the Finger think I was giving her away or something.

Aejerla spoke up. “Perhaps it would be pertinent,” she said, placing another beer down on the table. “And perhaps now would be the perfect time to drink up, Stranger. If you trust me, especially with what we have said to each other most recently, this is an opportunity you would not want to miss.” She looked at me meaningfully, then walked back to the bar. What was that about?

I turned back to The Finger. My stomach was only getting worse. It was clear this was not going to be a run-of-the-mill stomach ache. Soon, I might not be able to walk at all. As much as I wanted to lie down, this was going to be my best opportunity in a bit to do anything but lie down. I looked at Kaendeer, then at The Finger, and slowly nodded.

Few further words were exchanged before The Finger and I, without Kaendeer, left the tavern in search of…

“The Tower,” The Finger explained. “The Wise Woman lives there, acting as speaker for the ground and the sky. Not a thing comes from the soil or water from which she does not know. And if she doesn’t, she dedicates her very life to knowing until there is scarcely anything left to ascertain.”

“Can I ask a question?” I abruptly asked.

The Finger gave me a sly look. “If the question relates to my position, keep your voice low,” she said in a voice above a whisper. People were walking around us, but as one might expect of medieval peasants, even if most weren’t human, they cared very little about others and just went about their day. 

“What do you want with Great Yield?” I asked.

“Nothing,” she replied as if it was obvious. “I as an entity with wants scarcely exist. I operate fully under the desires and goals of The Lordship.”

I huffed. “Sounds terrible.”

“The Lordship’s goals align with my own, and the Lordship’s treasures meagerly line my pockets,” The Finger replied. “Look at that farmer there.” She pointed to a farmer, inspecting their fields. “Do you understand the difference between them and myself?”

I looked at the farmer. “They’re a farmer and you’re not?”

She shook her head. “Nothing. We are born into a situation where we must make our own lives with the resources given to us. The farmer was given a farm. I was given my connections. Both of us used our own, and both of us must.” She paused as we walked, then picked up a stray chisel made of soft iron from a workbench outside a house. “I chose my profession as much as this chisel chose its shape,” she commented, running her rich soft hands along the tool. “You, if your story is true, should find familiarity in finding yourself unable to change your situation much.”

“It sounds like Kaendeer chose hers,” I grumbled.

The Finger sighed. “Kaendeer has quite the spirit, but also has incurred much of the wrath of the Lordship due to her insubordination,” she answered. “The Lordship, which brings light and knowledge to many of the outposts. Which brings order. Which brings peace.” She paused. “Many of the outposts in this area were locked in brutal wars before The Lordship’s guidance brought an end. Take a look around you.” She gestured around us. “This outpost is small. The loss of even a few dozen lives could make this outpost a lost cause.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that Kaendeer left the Lordship and you didn’t,” I pointed out.

“And perhaps ‘leaving the Lordship’ is a concept those who do not even know the Lordship do not understand,” she countered. “Do you imagine the Hands would be particularly pleased with my double life?”

“I don’t think Kaendeer would be pleased to know you want to infiltrate and destroy Great Yield…” I grumbled again. 

“Infil- repeat?” The Finger asked again, baffled. 

“Well, that’s why you come around here, right? To spy on the people, to learn their weaknesses.”

The Finger, to my surprise, laughed. “Gods and Heavens, no. I said what I said because if others knew of my identity, or Kaendeer’s past, a war would break out. That’s why I and Kaendeer said if you talk out of turn, her life would hang in the balance. They would assume wrongly, and she would be the one to bear the brunt of their anger, on both sides.” She stretched as we walked. “No, my intentions are, in fact, honorable. I simply lead a double life to… I suppose to have it both ways, as it was. To be able to live a life under the guidance of the Lordship, and to live amongst the farmers, in a peaceful way.” She turned to me and smile. “One could say I am greedy.”

The color drained from my face. She wasn’t a spy at all. This was a game to them, just a dangerous game that no one else could be involved with. They were literally only having fun, and I fucked it up by telling Aejerla. 

“Kaendeer was the one to convince me,” The Finger continued. “I had thought she was rather stupid to give up her life under the guidance of The Lordship. She had affluence, influence, intrigue… what else could one want? And yet, she found the life of the poor farmer interesting, even glamorous. Her line of work comes with a lot less security, and a lot more hardship, and yet…” She scratched her chin. “And yet I can’t disagree with her motives. It would appear life is a lot less simple than I had thought. As it turns out, one does not win life like a game. Acquire too much power and you do not win – rather, the rules simply change.”

“Yeah,” I replied, not paying too much attention. I needed to get back and defuse the situation, stat.

“And the rules will never not change,” she continued. “There is always more you need to do. The only way to feel content is not to fulfill every need – rather, to get rid of the very need to begin with. Affluence helps, but only thinking of affluence seems to misunderstand the idea of destroying need in the first place.”

The Finger’s conversation was interesting, but my growing stomach ache and my worry over Kaendeer and a possible war took up all of the space in my mind until we reached the Tower. It really didn’t live up to its name – it was scarcely taller than the tavern, but it was, to be fair, the tallest building in the outpost. 

The inside of the Twoer was exactly what one would expect from a place occupied by a ‘Wise Woman.’ The place was made of a charming yet aging wood, clearly one of the oldest buildings in the village. Shelves were lined with jars and samples, and the ceiling had a break in the far wall to allow a staircase to a second floor. Peter Jackson himself couldn’t envision such a cute and perfect Middle Ages feel of an old coot’s room.

The Tower was occupied by another member of the Gorigae. She was clearly older, but not in the Herd’s way where there were gray hairs and wrinkles. It was all in her eyes. Her eyes looked like they contained two entire lifetimes within them, even though her body seemed as young as Kaendeer’s or Aejerla’s. Her skin was similar to Kaendeer’s, with a greenish tint, though her demeanor screamed less “I’m an adventurer!” and more “Oh no, social contact with others!”

Nevertheless, she listened well to my plight. She was clearly impressed with my clothing, even though it was starting to smell, and was delighted to help. 

“And what can I call you?” I asked once I had the opportunity to ask a question of my own. I got used to not asking for names anymore. 

The guardian smiled. “You may call me the Wise Woman,” she told me.

Something clicked. “Sorry, ‘woman?’” I echoed. “Wise Woman?”

“Yes,” she nodded, confusion on her face. 

“What’s a ‘woman?’” I asked. “I thought the word was ‘guardian,’ not ‘woman.’”

She looked at me puzzledly. “Those are two different things, my dear,” she told me, then looked at The Finger. “Lazy Farmer, might there be a translation error?”

“There very well might,” the Finger said with a nod. “The Stranger here speaks in manners most strange. Her words and mind are currently under the effects of the Loquiroot.”

The Wise Woman stared at me for a few moments longer. “I do hope you choose to stay in Great Yield a few moons longer, dearest. I truly do.” She disappeared under a table, then quickly re-emerged with some kind of pestle and mortar, then took some dried leaves from a jar. She ground up the leaves until they were a fine powder, then mixed them with some kind of other powder, then put the powder in, what else, a glass container of beer.

I looked at it in her outstretched hand. “This is supposed to cure my stomach ache?” I asked, looking at the container. 

“A stomach ache. How succinct. Perhaps you could become Great Yield’s lorthew.” The Wise Woman didn’t think it strange that I hadn’t picked up her solution yet, and held it patiently out for me.

I clicked my tongue and took the solution, casting a look towards the Finger. She made a motion towards the solution, and I looked back. It wasn’t like it was chunky or steaming or anything, but it was still a sewage-colored jar of fluid that smelled like piss. I breathed heavily a few times then stopped breathing through my nose and drank it.

Even though I tried to turn off my olfactory senses, it was clear the drink was absolutely disgusting. I barely got it all down without throwing it back up, and immediately, I felt my stomach muscles clench. I couldn’t tell if I was too late or if this was the solution working, but either way, the Wise Woman was ready with a chair. I sat down and breathed heavily for a few minutes, with each second occupied by how much the clenched muscles in my stomach hurt. They weren’t unclenching. 

“I… need… help…” I managed.

“It’s only pain,” the Wise Woman instructed. 

Helpful. With my eyes squeezed shut and my hands on my rippling stomach muscles, I sat and breathed as the pain moved through me like a snake, eventually leaving through my feet to the floor. Eventually, I stopped breathing so hard and opened my eyes, blinking a few times.

The Wise Woman and the Finger were both staring at me. “Are you feeling better?” the Wise Woman asked.

It wasn’t completely gone, but it was subsiding to the point where I could walk again. “I think so,” I answered, experimentally standing up. My stomach was sore, like I just did a bunch of sit-ups. “Thank you. How much do I owe you?” I asked, before turning pink in the realization that I didn’t have money. Or whatever they passed off as money here.

The Wise Woman gave me a quizzical look. “How much?” she repeated, as if she did not understand.

The Finger was quick on the uptake. “This perhaps might be a cultural difference,” she murmured. “She believes you would ask for compensation for your services.”

Well, not that much of a cultural difference. If the Wise Woman didn’t want to charge patients for simple remedies, she might have liked Canada. Nevertheless, the Wise Woman all but scowled at me. “I serve the village, not the individual,” she told me tersely. 

“Of course, I’m sorry,” I replied quickly, not even knowing what I was apologizing for. “And, uh, I’m a fan of your work. I mean… I believe that your work is of… particular value.”

The Wise Woman didn’t stop looking at me strangely. I thought I was a smooth operator with most of the people here, but it turned out that I was just lucky and that pheromone effect Aejerla talked about seems to have given me a boost. “Thank you,” she said slowly. “Though I take it you have only known of my work now.”

“Actually…” I replied slowly, not knowing how good it may have been to reveal this. “I thought your work on pheromones was smart and spot-on… I mean, astute. Correct. You know.” I was getting flustered, and not in the fun way.

The Wise Woman was not the only one to noticeably perk up when I mentioned pheromones. “Oh, so you must be the one who finds the powder sweet…” The Wise Woman murmured, if only to herself. She blinked a few times, then produced some kind of cloth. “Perhaps I can accept payment.” She took her cloth and wiped it across my probably-sweaty forehead before I could object. “This shall do.”

I definitely was disrupting history somehow with this premature discovery, but it was elf-people history, so I was fine with it. “You are, uh, welcome,” I replied, instinctively taking a step back. A stranger just wiped my forehead, indicating that my sweat was a good payment for medicine. By the end of my stay here, nothing was going to faze me. 

As if no other words were needed, the Wise Woman disappeared to the upper floor of her Tower, mumbling to herself, and I was left just with the Finger and the last remnants of my stomach ache. The Finger was grinning at me. 

“You really are full of so many surprises, Stranger,” she told me.

“I take it you know about pheromones?” I asked slowly.

She nodded. “And I, in turn, take it the Vassal talked to you about them.”

“What, you know her name too?” I asked hoarsely.

The Finger laughed. “No, I do not. My relationship with her is not of such a nature. But then again, I imagine someone with your pheromone levels would not be able to resist capitalizing on such relationships when they fall into your lap as such.”

I gulped, saying nothing, turning pink yet again. I’m sure my silence was damning. 

“It does explain a great deal why I had found you so captivating,” she mused further. “I had not expected to feel such infatuation from another person again. I had not felt it in such a long time.”

“Not since Kaendeer?” I guessed.

“Gods and heavens,” the Finger swore, looking urgently at the ceiling. “Hold a quieter tone. Not everyone in the village knows of such intimate information. It is not yours to give.” She quickly opened the door to the outdoors, and we were out of the building and back in the main streets in a flash. “And for your curiosity, no, it was not her,” she added. “I had only felt such infatuation once, with a person who had not felt the same way towards myself. It was not to be.” She started walking back to the tavern, with me in tow. “Ah, what bitterness is unrequited longing.”

“Yeah, I know how you feel,” I admitted. “Not even love, just… wanting to be their friends.”

“To me, there isn’t much of a difference,” she admitted.

“Right,” I nodded, remembering. “Where I come from, there are a bunch of humans. I am a member of their group… or, at least, kinda. Not really. I want to. But they don’t really care about me. It’s like… they can look at me and see right through me, you know?”

“I imagine we both know the feeling well,” the Finger replied.

“So… you don’t have nefarious plans for the Village? No ulterior motive, no plan to worm your way in…” I started carefully.

“That is correct,” the Finger replied, nodding. “I imagine the Hunter will tell you as much. You are under no obligation to tell me, but I hope you understand how tumultuous a matter this can be.”

“So, uh… hypothetically…” I began uneasily. “Let’s say I thought that you were actually a danger to Great Yield and had told The Vassal about your real identity.” I cringed, looking back at the Finger, who had stopped in her tracks.

She was looking straight forwards, then back at me. “…Is this truly a hypothetical?” she asked me with a fully blank face.

With the guiltiest expression I had, I looked at the ground and slowly shook my head. In response, the Finger quickly turned on her heels and started walking back from whence she came. 

“Follow,” she ordered swiftly, with a near breathless voice. I looked behind us towards the tavern, as if Kaendeer and Aejerla were standing there waiting for us. Of course, they weren’t, so I just followed the Finger. She walked swiftly past the Tower, and back towards the woods that I had first come from. It was getting dark, and I couldn’t help but pause before the Finger looked back at me. Her gaze carried such urgency that I felt like I had no choice but to steel myself and follow her.

I ran to catch up with her as she walked with purpose down a path in the forest. “Why are we heading into the woods?” I asked her.

“We’re making sure we stay out of sight of the outpost,” she told me flatly. “You have made both you and myself people of interest there. And interest is the last thing either of us need.”

“…Why would I not want that?” I asked.

“Because now that you’re involved, anyone investigating would like to know more about you. Either your story isn’t true and you are lying, in which case you shall likely die once that is found out, or your story is true and you have no past they can dig up, which is so uncommon and suspicious that you likely will die anyway.” The Finger kept walking with purpose. 

“Can’t you just deny it, and I’ll just say that I was mistaken or something?” I asked.

“I certainly can. You will die for such an accusation,” she replied matter-of-factly. 

I felt numb but still kept my pace. “So why not just do that? Seems like you won’t lose anything there.”

“Where you come from, traveling to the Great Beyond seems a taboo and fearful thing, even moreso than in our world. You seem genuinely terrified of losing your life. I am simply trying to help you.”

“I don’t get why,” I replied, nearly tripping over roots while trying to keep up with her in the dense woods.

She was walking over the roots like it was the most natural thing in the world. “Perhaps it’s the infatuation,” she sighed, “but I like you. I would like to tend to your needs as well as my own. I know I cannot go back, but I have made my peace with that.”

“…What about Kaendeer?” I asked.

She was silent for a bit, still walking. “I have made my peace with that too,” she replied gravely, then stopped, giving me a mournful smile. “I imagine you had wanted to prevent a war with your words. Given what you thought you understood, I suppose I could see what you thought you were doing. But it gives me no pleasure to say that you will often meet your end on the path you take to avoid it.”

“…So what, you’ll never see her again?” I asked, now worried.

“Likely not. Either she shall be made some sort of suspect and executed, or she shall be fine as long as I stay away. In either case…” She looked back towards the direction we had come from, and remained silent. “In either case,” she repeated, continuing to walk.

“I’m amazed you’re not furious at me, then,” I commented.

“It is our burden to bear for keeping this secret and thinking nothing shall come of it,” she admitted. “If nothing else, you are the reminder the heavens sent us that nothing is chiseled in stone when it comes to fate, and that nothing should be taken for granted.” She stopped. “‘Taken for granted.’ Poetic.”

We walked for a while longer until we came upon the same cottage I had encountered before. The Finger walked up to it, opening the door. “Come.”

“This is yours?” I asked.

“In a manner of speaking. Please,” she motioned. I slowly followed her inside, and found a quaint little setup, including a stove and a few dry goods, as well as a single bed. It wasn’t a spacious cottage, but it likely would have served one, or two, just fine. 

Once we were settled, the Finger spoke again. “Kaendeer and I had spoken on many occasions about an outcome such as this. We had known that no one would understand someone under the Lordship’s employ sympathizing with a rebellious outpost. It simply does not happen, and yet…” She trailed off, gesturing to herself. “We had known that if need be, one of us would have to abruptly leave, and the other would understand. I can only guess the state of life is much more stable where you come from, so this must sound brutal and unneeded.”

I merely nodded.

“You are in our world now. Accept it,” she brusquely stated, starting a fire in the stove. The sun was now setting, and without the stove’s fire, we would be without light soon. Even so, the Finger took great care to block all of the windows, no doubt ensuring the light from the stove would not escape. 

“So what’s going to happen to her?” I asked.

She only stared at me. “It is not up to me to know such a thing. I can only hope, as can you.”

“What’s going to happen to you?” I inquired further.

“Refusing to work for the Lordship while under its employ ends only one way,” she told me. “Come tomorrow, I return to my post, as I always do. To do otherwise means death for me, and given how – forgive me – clueless you are, it likely would mean death for you.”

“So… what, you’re adopting me?” I asked.

“I am offering for you to lodge here. The rest of your fate is up to you,” she told me. “You are likely no worse off than you were when you woke up. Possibly, you are better off.”

I couldn’t argue with that. “So that’s what’s going to happen to me,” I murmured to myself.

“Should you want to make yourself useful, tend to the house. Learn to gather, learn to cook. I can attempt to show you some things I have learned in my time away from my duties. You are starting with a roof over your head and some tools at your disposal. It is more than nothing, and more than some have.”

“Yeah,” I said quietly. “Thank you for taking me in.”

“This is, no doubt, what both Kaendeer and myself would want.”

“Even though I fucked both of you over,” I scoffed to myself.

The Finger paused, looking at me strangely. “Is this another translation error?”

“Oh, sorry. Even though I betrayed you,” I clarified.

“Yes, you have,” the Finger acknowledged. “Truth be told, if you were anyone but yourself, I am sure anger and rage would play a part in my reaction. Truth be told, even with my… infatuation, had you not had intercourse with Kaendeer, I do not know what my first reaction would be. But now, at this moment, you need care. She saw to it, so, so shall I. If you still feel guilt for what you had done – and you should – perhaps you can do your best to atone for it by making yourself useful as opposed to a burden.”

My cheeks burned. I definitely deserved this. It felt silly to feel about people I had only met today, but I wanted nothing more than to just turn back the clock and undo what I had done. Given the world, it almost felt worth it to ask if there was some sort of magical root that could turn back time, but if there was, I couldn’t imagine regret and reminiscence were feelings this world’s inhabitants would feel. 

After her speech, I sat down on the bed, with the Finger sitting down next to me. She was clearly putting on a brave face for me, but I could feel this was affecting her. I awkwardly stared ahead while she sat, forlorn and thinking.

The room was eerily quiet, even with the fire crackling. I had grown so used to hearing ambient sounds everywhere – electronic hums, cars on streets, people and their effects everywhere – that to just hear fire with a soft ambience of nature was almost soothing, even in this tense moment. 

I could hear the Finger’s breathing. I could practically hear her heartbeat. My relationship with her had been weird, no doubt, but I couldn’t not be there for her, especially now. Timidly, and no doubt awkwardly, I raised my arm and brought it to her shoulder, rubbing it supportively. “Is this okay?” I asked.

She felt my hand rubbing her shoulder for a few seconds. It was a slightly awkward angle since she, like all of her species, was taller than I was. Eventually, she slumped her back and leaned her head into my shoulder. “Yes,” she told me quietly. 

The only light in the room was the fire, seemingly lit only for the purposes of giving us a temporary light. I couldn’t stomach food anyway, so I was okay with it. More and more, I was feeling comfortable again around The Finger, but in a different way than our first encounter. Our power dynamic was long gone. My distrust for her was long gone. As to whether there were any feelings of disdain for me, from her end… I couldn’t say. 

“I am sorry,” I said into the darkness.

“Life can be brutal,” she said, just as quietly. “I could blame you for that, but I see nothing I could gain. And from my understanding, I perhaps gain some understanding back in a time of need.”

“And maybe Kaendeer is okay, maybe-”

“Cease,” she said with a weak voice. “A glimmer of hope only benefits those who can see the source of the glimmer. We do not know, so we should not presume.”

I remained silent for a bit, continuing to rub her shoulder. “Yeah, I guess,” I replied quietly. “Thank you for being so kind to me.”

“You are under my care now,” she affirmed. “And, no doubt, in some way I am under yours.”

“And there’s only one bed in this cottage,” I noticed, looking around the dark room, a room that, mostly, was the cottage.

“I am afraid that, unless you should want to sleep during the day, that is our situation,” she informed me. “This was not some plan to become your friend overnight.”

“I mean, even then…” I ended up murmuring, mostly to myself. I could feel my heartbeat slightly quicken. “What’s good for the goose…”

“I do not understand,” the Finger said slowly to me.

“What’s your name?” I asked. I liked how I could ask in this world. It was easier to ask this than to even ask my old friends back home if I could join their Discord call. Something about this world felt calming. Right.

The Finger was silent for a few seconds. “My name is Lahiel.”

“That’s a beautiful name,” I told her. “Mine is Emma.”

“Emma. How exotic,” Lahiel told me quietly. “I know that in your world, a name means not much, so if this is purely for comfort purposes…”

“We’re going to be sleeping together anyway,” I found myself saying. “It it seems as though you’re the one that needs comfort, not me.”

I could feel Lahiel shudder next to me. “I… I suppose…”

I’m sure in my world this could have been a case of ‘time and place.’ But in this world, it was clear that Lahiel was taking care of me, and I felt some sort of duty to do the same. She wasn’t just helping me out, keeping me alive and giving me a place to stay, she was also being vulnerable with me and thinking of me the whole time. It was time for me to think of her too; especially her needs. 

We didn’t say anything more for a long time. We didn’t change our behavior either. I was comfortable remaining there, rubbing her shoulder, and I could tell she was too. The fire was beginning to die down by the time my hand had even changed its pattern, and even then, it was to grab her by the waist and bring her closer. I may have been Pheromone Queen in this world, but I was still awkward Emma in my own.

Still, especially after being with Aejerla, it was nice to take control, even if it was… soft control. Lahiel was still looking forwards, and I found myself slowly bringing my other hand to her chin, and turning her head, bringing her gaze to mine. We both saw the glimmer of the fire in each other’s eyes.

“W-would you like to know the most intimate thing the Herd can do in our world?” I asked her.

“Show me,” she said in a voice above a whisper. 

Despite being shorter than her, I pulled in and angled our lips together, kissing her on the lips. Finally, I was kissing another guardian, even if she was outside of my species. It felt every bit as good as I’d hoped since I first felt feelings for Kaendeer, and my body instantly felt that jolt of passion, that once-in-a-lifetime feeling you get from kissing a person you want. Not even necessarily a person you love, just someone you want. All of the dormant feelings from the pond came rushing back to me; every little tingle of anticipation and will-I-won’t-I from our first encounter. It was electric.

Either Lahiel could feel that electricity or the lips were a particular erogenous zone for the Gorigae, because while she clearly did not know what to do back, Lahiel near-instantly moaned into the kiss, quickly cupping my face. We didn’t even open our mouths and yet it was like both of us were on cloud nine. We could feel the connection between uis, like it was always there and we were just denying it to ourselves. Like if we just looked harder, we could see that every second of our connection, even throughout the betrayals we felt, we always wanted each other.

I broke away to see a much more far-away, glassier look in Lahiel’s gaze. “Gods and heavens, how taboo,” she murmured. She pushed her lips together to mimic the feeling of the kiss we’d just shared, then, urgently, reached forward again, kissing me with a lot more readiness and passion, though still keeping her lips closed.

I was ready to rock her world. We enjoyed closed-mouth kissing for a little while longer, with her especially enjoying it, given how her body was shuddering and yearning for more, moving in to try to feel as close to me as possible, in that way desperate teens do during their first really passionate kiss. I waited until I felt she’d gotten comfortable with the kissing before opening my mouth and experimentally running my tongue along her bottom lip.

She practically jumped at the contact. At once, she was nearly pulling away from me and simultaneously wanting more, moving in and moaning again. ready to play the expert despite having very little kissing experience myself, my tongue prodded at her mouth’s entrance until she got the idea and I was granted access.

It was like I was showing Lahiel a whole new world. I couldn’t even say when we had graduated from both of us sitting down to her on the bed and me on top of her while we made out, but it’s where we ended up. She was a surprisingly good kisser for someone that had never done it before – not even someone who had never done it but wanted to, someone who had seemingly never conceived of the idea – and I had a lot more to teach her, and myself, about the art of kissing.

I couldn’t stop my hands from roaming down her body if I tried. I had expected her body to be lithe like Kaendeer’s, but she was surprisingly curvy in the right areas. She still had a fit body, no doubt thanks to her line of work, but she also benefited from the affluence of her work under the Lordship, clearly. I enjoyed feeling and grabbing what I could, especially under her top, which she hastily discarded with zero shame.

Lahiel likely did not know how gifted she was in the chest department. I knew a lot of The Herd back home that prayed daily for a being like this to come into their lives, elf-woman or non. I knew how much she loved feeling my tongue on her lips, and I knew that Aejerla was appreciative of my tongue’s efforts, so, as swiftly as I could, I moved on to her neck. As soon as her breasts came into view, faintly outlined by the light of the fire’s embers, I knew that my mouth would have a field day pleasing them, but I wanted to enjoy every inch of my bedmate. Lahiel could not keep quiet, whimpering and moaning her appreciation to the stars as I kissed, licked, and nibbled her neck. I could feel the success of every motion my tongue made. Lahiel was like a giddy eager lover on her wedding night from the way her body swayed and pleaded for more. 

When I had moved on to Lahiel’s nipples, her moans took on a nature I hadn’t expected. Unlike Aejerla, who acted with some kind of surprise, Lahiel took these new sensations in stride, cradling my head as I used everything I had so recently learned to make her squirm. I could feel her body gyrating and moving with my actions, and every flick of my tongue across her nipple made her jilt and whimper. The only breaks I took were to get up and briefly look into her eyes while the embers of the fire were still there. I knew exactly what kind of look was on my face, and she matched my expression with one of her own; a look of wanting.

I didn’t rush things. I took them slow. I would go to make love to her breasts with my mouth, then we would go back to kissing (which seemed to be more sexual to her). After a few more sessions of kissing, she eventually glanced down at my shirt, and, in such a human way, bit her lip and looked at my shirt. 

“I’d like to try,” she breathily told me. 

I felt a smile creep onto my face. Getting up, I motioned to one of the windows, wanting to uncover one of them now that even the embers were fading. I saw her nod (at least, I was reasonably sure I saw that) and unblocked the closest window to us, allowing a soft moonlight, barely enough to let us see each other, to permeate the room. Still standing in front of the window, I started to raise my shirt up over my stomach.

I had never done anything like strip-teasing before, and yet, with Lahiel’s needy passion and clear want, I couldn’t help but tease her. “You want to see my body?” I asked her softly.

It didn’t translate too well initially. “Well, yes, of course,” she said, as if it were obvious.

I tried to make my teasing tone more evident. “Mm, I dunno… Tell me you want it.”

Her head cocked to the side, seemingly understanding in real-time what I was doing. Even still, she hesitated. “…You want me to tell you?”

“I want to hear you tell me how badly you want it,” I told her. “Tell me that you want to see me. Tell me what you want to do to me.”

“How intriguing,” she marveled. I knew she was into teasing – what else would one call what she was doing with Kaendeer in front of me in that room in the tavern? – but this was clearly new ground for her. “I have wanted to see your body since I first saw you, Emma. You have opened my eyes to many possibilities and many pleasures, and now, I would like to give those pleasures to you. I want to see your breasts, and now that I know what I can feel thanks to your mouth, I want to do it to you too.”

Not bad for her first go. I smiled and moved my hips back and forth as I slowly raised my shirt higher and higher, inch my inch, feeling myself get wetter even though my breasts weren’t even visible to her.

She could tell now what my game was, and practically whined in response. “Please, Emma. I want this. I want you to be the first person I share this pleasure with.”

Mmm, now that was a sexy thought. I gave my best sexy smile as I let the pajama shirt I wore rise up, slowly. Higher and higher, showing more and more. I paused slightly after showing off my underboob curve, then slowly, rose it higher and higher, until my nipples were in view.

It had the intended effect. I swear I saw Lahiel’s pupils dilate in the dark. Slowly, using my hips as best as I could, I walked back to her, while she was now sitting upright on the bed, and sat on top of her, wrapping my legs around her. It looked like she was in heaven. She smiled gratefully up at me before I held my breast in front of her face and she started to experimentally ran her lips along my nipple.

And oh fuck, were my nipples more sensitive than I had thought. I thought I could do a better job at holding out than she did, but I instinctively moaned when her lips started to make contact. I couldn’t help but grind my definitely wet pussy against her pelvis as I felt her lips, then her tongue, start to play with my nipples. Each touch was like a little burst of passion that spread like a little fire across my whole chest. Each time she flicked my nipple, or gave a little suck, the heat would travel all around me, landing right at my cunt, which soon felt like it was on fire. And the most sexy thing about it was that she knew exactly how to do it despite never having even considered it just yesterday. No boy could ever do this. She was just… better.

I wanted to be the strong dominating one, but I ended up whining and moaning while pathetically humping her, not wanting her to stop but also desperately wanting my poor pussy to be pleased. As with when I was pleasing her nipples, she broke a few times to kiss and make out with me, which hit different while I was sitting on her like that. I wrapped my legs around her, hoping to feel the heat of her cunt against mine, just wanting her more and more each second we were kissing and worshipping each other’s bodies.

Finally, after she broke away from my chest the third time, instead of going up to kiss me, she simply slowly looked into my eyes, wordlessly telling me it was time. We both wanted it. We both knew it. Almost as if under a spell, I got off of her, standing up, and began to take off my pajama bottoms. Nothing slow, no strip tease. The time for teasing was over. I needed release.

If she was my height, or anything close, I would have loved to suggest a sixty-nine, but it was clear logistics weren’t on our side here. Our eyes locked and instantly fought a battle over who would be the first to please whom, until I gave in and sat myself down on the bed, spreading my legs for her. Lahiel responded by smiling slightly, and getting on her knees in front of the bed.

It was everything I needed. From the moment her tongue first made contact with my needy love instrument, I threw back my head and moaned my appreciation. It was odd – it was like even from the moment we started walking to the forest, it was like I knew, somehow, somewhere, we’d end up like this. Even though we were brought together by the bitterness of the inevitable, by my actions and Kaendeer’s uncertain fate, it still felt like we needed to make this happen. Our connection by the pond was so real, so vivid, and finally, it had culminated in her lovingly licking my pussy up and down, and me moaning in apprecation, my hands on her head, grinding my crotch into her face. 

“Oh wow, oh fuck…” I moaned, my body moving on its own. Lahiel practically had to hold me down so she could maneuver herself for my greatest pleasure. I kept my head back and panted, wanting this moment to last forever but knowing that I was too worked up not to immediately let loose.

I knew from my own masturbation patterns that as long as I had a good rhythm going, it didn’t take long to make me cum, and Lahiel had a good grasp on that pattern. Without me even needing to tell her, she sensed my oncoming climax and braced both herself and myself, keeping up her pace while I rode out my peak and writhed against her.

I saw why the people here said ‘God, stars and heavens’ when they were overcome – it’s all I could see when my first orgasm hit me. My body’s nerves all condensed together, then shot off like an explosion. It felt like I was flying above the bed for a brief moment. I was panting heavily, stars dancing in my vision, and I was only brought back down to earth by the most insane of realizations – I was going to cum again. Lahiel had played it out perfectly, and I was about to experience my first ever set of rolling orgasms. 

It hit me like a train. If I thought the first one was strong, the second one was overpowering. My moan escaped my mouth without me ever hearing anything. Amidst all of this, Lahiel sat diligently between my legs, all of the power in her hands, or in this case, her mouth. She was making me go cross-eyed. Love-crazy.

“Fuck, I… hah… holy fuck… hah… hahah… let’s, let’s fucking do this every day… I want to get addicted to this…” I panted in a trance. In this moment, I could literally have sex until I die and I wouldn’t complain. 

And Lahiel wasn’t done yet. I wouldn’t know how much time had passed – fifteen minutes? Thirty? She just kept going at it. Every time I thought that would be the peak, she showed me a new height. I panted and screamed and hung onto her head for dear life, and each time, she’d squeeze the essence of life out of me, making me feel like my soul was leaving my body each time. It was like I didn’t know what sex was before her. I didn’t know what living was. No one would be able to top her. She was just… the best. No two ways about it. 

She rose her head a few times (once to kiss me, how naughty) but only when she got to her feet did it become clear that somehow, our eternity had ended. Once she did, she couldn’t help but chuckle. 

“You look more drunk than I have yet seen you,” she observed. “And that is saying a great deal given your lack of capacity for drink.”

I could only murmur incoherently in response. It was true; everything in this world got me drunk, but I was only an addict for this. I wanted more. A part of me even wanted her down on her knees again, or even for us to switch places, but along with my soul, she had managed to suck all of the energy out of my body.

It was clear she could sense this. She chuckled again, telling me, “You have done quite enough for me today in showing me the way a mouth can please a guardian. Perhaps it would do you well to sleep now. You have had a whirlwind of a first day, and there is much to learn and much to do over the next few days.”

Graciously, she did not expect a full or reasonable response. I think I collapsed back onto the bed right after, so I was glad she didn’t expect to have a full conversation. Especially after her amazing performance, I would have gladly given her some pillow talk – I may have hung out with guys in my world, but I didn’t want to act just like a guy and fall asleep right after sex – but my body clearly gave out. I was asleep before my back even hit the bed, even though I could feel Lahiel adjusting me and effectively tucking me in.

I had not yet known what the world was even called. I was supposed to wake up in my own bed in Toronto that morning, and what I found instead that day – Kaendeer, Aejerla, Lahiem – was more magical than any kind of “magic” our world could even imagine. If I woke up in that bed, and it wasn’t a mere dream, I knew my first goal would be to find out if Kaendeer was okay, consequences be damned. If I woke up in my bed in Toronto… I don’t know if I’d have words to voice my sheer disappointment. I’d sleep every day if I knew that sleep was the only way to return here. I certainly wouldn’t give those dumb boys the time of day anymore.

One of the first things I asked Kaendeer was if magic existed in this world. It seemed frustrating at the time that she didn’t give an answer, and yet, by spending one short day in her world, I think I knew now why she could not answer me. Everything in this world was magical; it was all around us. The surroundings, even if the grimy outpost of Great Yield, but also ,the people, the way they looked and acted, the way they differed, the way they were the same, and the way I carried the key to infatuation for every one of them. Yes, I would want to live in this world, and yes, I’d want to help Kaendeer and Aejerla and Lahiel and even the Wise Woman, but also… if I also had power, if I could also introduce a bit of my magic to this world right back, of course I was going to use it. If I woke up in this bed, in this world, full of attractive polyamorous sexy Gorigae guardians that, in general, all wanted me… who was I to deny them?

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