Aelion had been transported to an unknown place in the presence of something he did not know, a living orb that pulsed like a heart. It possessed a rough surface and scales. Upon observing the thing more closely, he truly perceived what was happening: it had coiled around itself.
He had barely taken a step towards it when an omnidirectional wave of flame was triggered. His skin was the first target of the burns and calcination, then his muscle fibers, his muscles; only his skeleton remained, which finally turned to dust: the flames had simply disintegrated him.
In the mausoleum, the wave of flame had manifested as a shockwave that threw him several meters backward. Aelion landed on his back, a slight pain running through his body, but nothing serious. He could still get up. One thing was clear: the sword seemed to have rejected him, and in a very violent way. He realized that he might have been too hasty, as the artifact had Ego properties, and one of them meant having a pure heart or having a connection with the hero who had defeated the two creatures.
On one hand, his pride was rather hurt since he often claimed not to be as pure and innocent as people believed and asserted; having it confirmed in this way pinched his heart slightly. As for the second possibility, it couldn't be possible since he did not know the hero. However, this did not discourage him. He tried again, not once or twice, but more than four times without success; each time he touched the blade, he found himself in the presence of the mysterious orb which always repelled him, burning him to the bone.
"Argh!! I think I'll stop for now, and maybe talk to the goddess about it."
The idea was simple: talk to the creator who could possibly modify the conditions or maybe just give it to him if he asked.
The goddess's altar! I might receive her blessing, thought Aelion, tired.
It wasn't physical fatigue since he had no serious physical sequelae except for burns on his fingertips which he didn't even feel any pain from. Everything was happening mentally, hence his exhausted and tired expression. If he went further, he would be transported into the sword's mental domain; he preferred to leave that for later. He was hungry and his stomach was crying out in famine.
---
After discussing with Aelion about their future collaboration, Seraphina had gone to rest to sort out her thoughts. Just like Aelion, she had noticed the static state of the outside and decided to talk to him about it when she felt better. So, she lay down calmly, enjoying the comfort of the bed while burying herself in her sheets, no pressure, no hurry. She plunged into a restorative sleep.
A few minutes later, she had felt someone's presence enter her room and slip delicately into her bed; she knew who it was but didn't have the strength to turn around and confront him.
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm tired too, I wanted to rest..."
"Why not in your room then?"
The young man began to kiss her back while moving up to her neck, then to her cheek. He whispered the following words in her ear:
"I wanted to hold you close to me," he said in a calm and composed voice, almost sensual.
Seraphina didn't know why his words, seemingly ordinary, had such an effect on her. Aelion wrapped his arm around her hip, grabbed her waist, and pulled her body closer to his with a sudden yet measured gesture. His fingers traveled over her body, caressed her skin, and seized all the sensual assets she possessed. When she felt his fingers sink slightly into her buttocks, a slight moan escaped her lips.
She could lie to herself, but her body would always remind her of the truth: she unconsciously desired the man named Aelion Draveth. Why? Perhaps she knew, perhaps not, but for now she wanted to lose herself in these feelings. This feeling of being at the mercy of an artist, in the presence of a masterpiece whose success he would never cease to admire.
It wasn't over; attacking her buttocks was just the beginning; this time, she felt him focus on her chest. She loved the way he took them in his hands, felt them, kneaded them, and more than anything, how he manipulated her nipples. Her body reacted accordingly; she wanted to express what she felt, but she bit her lip, she wanted even more. And in response to her thoughts, Aelion moved down her body towards her secret garden. There, he had not penetrated her; his fingers had taken hold of her clitoris, which was already swelling; he only gave it innocent little taps, but that was enough to make her capsize.
"Ah.. Ah... AHH!!!!!"
Her body arched forward under the effect of the two simultaneous stimulations. She had climaxed, and not just a little. Seraphina had succumbed; she only had one desire, to turn around and kiss him wildly and without restraint, like a predator devouring its prey. Just as she was about to execute her act, she woke up abruptly. Her hair was disheveled and the bed was disfigured. Her sheets were wet; however, there was no one by her side.
"So it was a dream then..." added the young woman, both disappointed and relieved.
She couldn't have borne showing herself in such a light in front of Aelion; the previous night she had touched herself, and now it was an erotic dream. Seraphina had never found herself in a situation where she felt such feelings; it was only when she met him that it was triggered.
"What are you doing, Seraphina, thinking about a man? Wake up! Don't fall for the first guy who was nice to you!" she cried, scolding herself for her attitude.
Her desire sometimes took over; yet when it arose, it increased in intensity; she had to stifle it because who knows what it might push her to do.
"I should go cook something for him.... No, rather to change my ideas."
Sitting on the bed, her gaze was lost in the void for a moment, then, shaking her head and scratching her hair in embarrassment. She had to clean her sheets first.
When Aelion headed towards the kitchen, the smell and the sound of Seraphina humming were already there. When she turned around, she was surprised to see him tired, with burns on his fingertips that she hadn't noticed earlier.
"You look more tired than when I saw you; what were you doing?" initiated Seraphina, intrigued.
"Oh, nothing too serious, I was just wandering around here and there," continued Aelion, hungry.
"Tell me, you didn't happen to enter my room, did you?" retorted the woman, curious to confirm whether what had happened was just a reverie or not...
"Of course not! Unless you invite me yourself," he confirmed, while pulling out a chair and sitting down.
"So you'll only come if I invite you... interesting," the glint in her eyes had become more teasing and mischievous, her mind drifting into other fantasies.
"I'm not sure I know the context in which you're placing your words," expressed Aelion, lost.
Seraphina smiled for the first time and answered him.
"And you, I don't know if you're pretending not to know or if you're just too attached to etiquette..."