“Wow, that’s a loaded question. I’ve kind of devoured books since I was a kid, so my taste is pretty varied.”
“How delightful. Would you do me the honor of telling me the plots of some of your favorite stories as we walk? I would very much enjoy learning what sort of thing is to your liking.”
He’s interested in what I read? Like actually interested? I’d ask what planet he’s from, but that seems kinda on the nose,she silently mused.
“I suppose. Let me think where to start.”
Ella wound up digging deep, regaling her alien companion with her recollections of Earth literature ranging from silly little books she read as a girl to heftier tomes from her college years and everything in between. Draikis absorbed her words like a sponge, asking questions with great interest and noting interesting plot points that Ella hadn’t even considered in some of her read throughs.
In this manner, time passed surprisingly quickly as they walked, leaving the expansive compound and venturing out into what appeared to be a wild and uninhabited forest. There were mountains peeking up through the trees in the distance, while hills and valleys were visible periodically through breaks in the trees.
The air was warm and clean, but also carrying a hint of healthy, fecund moisture. This land was pristine, and as they walked, Draikis pointed out a number of details in between Ella’s retelling of her favorite stories.
It seemed the Norvalian Sect resided in an area removed from others, both as a function of their priestly existence as well as a matter of impartiality. As they were the religious order of the overseeing Dotharian Conglomerate, a bit of distancewas only right to prevent any appearance of favoritism should their services be called upon. Namely, the interpretation of the religious laws that bound all residents of this world and all within the realm.
As far as Ella was concerned, after walking on eggshells in a giant monastery compound where every male gaze seemed to hold a bit of contempt behind it, this was something of a godsend. Here they were, out hiking in a beautiful wilderness, and there was pretty much no chance they’d stumble upon a group of drunken campers or rowdy teens. In short, it was almost perfect.
Soon, the outing would very nearly achieve that status.
“It’s this way,” Draikis said, redirecting them down a set of stones that approximated a staircase, though they were clearly natural in origin. “Watch your step.”
Of course, always the gentleman, he took her hand and helped steady her for the winding descent, holding it the entire time with his firm grip. The little pathway rounded a curve then became a short climb. Where it had appeared this was a downhill journey, now she realized it was actually up they were traveling.
The trees soon parted to bright sunlight, the stones at their feet now expanding to include the rocky terrain all around them. She smelled it before she saw it. An unmistakable whiff of pleasant mineral humidity that delighted her nose.
“Oh my God. Hot springs?”
“Yes. Restorative ones at that. With your skin now intact, it should give it an extra boost to finalize the healing process. That, and it will simply feel nice to soak for a while. Of course, without runes, you will not enjoy the full effect of the waters, but we will remedy that situation soon enough. For now, let’s just enjoy the day. You’ve walked a long way and most assuredly deserve it.”
The springs themselves came into view only a couple of minutes later. A curve of stone formed the peak of this rise, andoff to one side was a large, flat area worn into the stone itself in which several pools softly burbled away, a cool spring feeding the freshwater ones that lacked the steam of the hot ones. Trees with burgundy leaves and patches of soft violet grass and vibrant multi-hued flowers made the whole thing look like something out of a fairytale.
“I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“You do not have springs on your world? But you said?—”
“Yeah, we have springs, but I’ve never visited any likethis. It’s beautiful. Thank you, Draikis.”
“It is my pleasure,” he said, unpacking not only a nice spread of food but also large towels and even a pair of thin but soft robes.
“You think of everything.”
“Not everything, but I do try to anticipate. I find life is much easier when you do.”
“No argument here.”
His grin threatened to melt her into a puddle, but as distracting as his handsome face was, what came next put that momentary flutter to shame.
“Uh, what—” she began to utter as he pulled his tunic off in one fluid motion, revealing a gymnast’s body of strong, long, lean muscle rippling beneath his violet skin. Delicate, detailed rune tattoos covered his body, carefully placed on each muscle group and interlinked with fine lines. The one in the middle of his chest was far more ornate. Impressive, really. But it was also different in another way. It lacked the faint glow the others seemed to emit, bands of dark ink intersecting it at several places in swirling runes.
Before she could utter a word, his boots and trousers joined the pile of clothes. Ella felt her breath catch in her throat, and not at his gorgeous musculature or the ornate rune tattoos over his muscles, linked by fine lines that ran all across his body.
“Holy shit,” she quietly gasped as she took in the impressive girth of his swinging manhood as he waded into the water, utterly at ease and without a lick of shyness.
“Come on. It’s perfect!”
“Uh, yeah, it is…” she stammered, swallowing hard.
To say he was endowed would be a massive understatement. And speaking of massive, that particular beast, while clear in nature and function, was particularly alien in design. He was wider at the head than the base, for one, and both elevated rings, and what looked like someone had implanted a dozen bouncy balls under his skin, ran the length of him. And a significant length it was. She could only wonder what those might feel like if she?—
