forum Feathers Anew 2.0 (1-1, Closed, Mature)

Started August 27, 2022 by @Serpentess health_and_safety language

tune

Every body was a new set of experiences and sensations, and Valiel always enjoyed figuring out what worked for her various forms.

The Ahkrethian bite was different from anything she'd ever been a part of, and it was all she could do to hold onto her mind. Phalakros was so incredibly tender, and yet, somehow, hs shyness melted away to reveal a strength she hadn't seen from him in any other context. Not a passionate overpowering strength, but a quiet one that showed restraint when she seemed to be getting a bit overwhelmed.

The whole thing was just… so intense, and Valiel enjoyed every second of it, but occasionally she needed a moment to process, and he gave that to her. She tried to match his movements, give him what it seemed he wanted, doing her best to keep up in a form that was new to her.

She wound up held tightly to him, her arms around him as far as she could get them, his hand tangled in her hair, which she quite liked.

(Is that ok? I can edit if it doesn't quite match the vibe you're going for)

(It’s fine. And, like I said, I need to develop Ahkrethians more, and pretty much revamp them as well, so yeah, there’s leeway)

Phalakros had been honest when he’d said that he didn’t want to force her. Which was why he accommodated her every need. And she accommodated his.

To have a woman so comforting, so understanding… And, the way she held him… Though he generally avoided being touched, hugs and being held was something he genuinely adored. It soothed him, made him feel safe. And Valiel, despite knowing her for barely a day, was the first person in ages to make him feel safe without also unintentionally frightening him.

As their moment came to a blissful end, Phalakros tenderly licked the wounds he’d made. The bite marks quickly healed until they were barely visible scars. He then went to cleaning the blood from her neck, licking what he could get before wiping the rest off with his fingers.

As he did so, Phalakros noticed small red feathers on top of his scales. He had completely forgotten about them, particularly since they only showed up when he was… well, with a woman. The little feathers would grow out from under his scales, covering all of them, and also certain spots of his neck and face that highlighted his features. They would linger for a little bit longer, but once he completely calmed, they would vanish back under his scales.

His eyes drifted back to Valiel’s neck and he finished cleaning the last traces of blood from her, then started wiping off his mouth and chin.

Valiel was perfectly content to hold and be held as she came down from the rather intense moment.

Then Phalakros started cleaning her neck, and she had to bite her lips to contain the moan that rose unbidden.

He was so gentle with her, and his tongue so soft, it was soothing to her, at the same time as the intimate touch was nearly driving her mad. She couldn't tell if he was just being attentive, or really seeking to blow her mind, but the level of focused attention in that area was making her dizzy.
He finally pulled back, and she sighed. As she looked at him, she noticed little red feathers in places he didn't have any before. They hadn't been there before the bite, so…
Well, that's good.
He started wiping off his face, and she saw her chance.
"Here, let me."
She reached up with both hands and cupped his jaw, wiping it clean with her fingers, slowly, gently making sure she got everything off.

Phalakros paused at her words, then moved his hand away when she started wiping off his chin and jaw. His eyes flickered close and a loud moan nearly escaped him. But, he turned it into a loud purr instead.

Such delicate fingers cleaning his still sensitive jaw. It was… hard to describe, or even focus enough to attempt describing it. Damn, she was thorough. And, it was marvelous!

His free hand held her shoulder, gently kneading it. He was barely even aware that he was doing it, but it was necessary to release some kind of energy. Otherwise, he might end up doing something that he didn’t want to do, no matter how tempting it was.

(You're totally fine!)

Purring is always a good sign. Valiel thought to herself. She kept up her cleaning, before realizing that his hand on her shoulder was getting more frantic. Normally, that would be a good thing, but… well. They needed to pause.
So she finished up and kissed his cheek, before settling into his arms.
She was reminded then that she still had wounds, though they felt much better. However, they were still there, and she felt like she could heal them now. Endorphins always helped.
Valiel tugged on the small string of light that existed in her soul and mind, and directed the end of it towards her wounds.
Within seconds all of them had healed and closed nicely, and between the endorphins and the lack of all pain, the Skin-changer felt incredible.

Being wrapped up in Phalakros certainly helped as well.

When Valiel stopped, it confused Phalakros for a moment. Though, it was probably a good thing she did stop. He was starting to lose it there for a moment.

Her kiss made him smile, and he gently rested his head on her shoulder. He continued to purr, quite content in Valiel’s arms.

A few minutes later, he sensed something was different with Valiel and he started to massage her back again. That’s when he noticed that her wounds were gone.

A grin spread across his face and his purr grew louder. She’d been able to heal herself. She would be alright!

He closed his eyes, nuzzling into Valiel’s shoulder. It was short-lived though. He heard a familiar laugh that instinctively made him tense, his purr dying in an instant.

“Well done. Your first step in passing on the bloodline since I arrived. I am proud of you, Phalakros. Very proud,”a gurgling voice cooed, speaking in a language that was both familiar and not.

Phalakros glanced up and saw one of the serpents that stalked him. Just one, sitting on a tree root nearby with a creepy smile.

“Let us see how the second step goes. Shall we?”the serpent, an incarnation of Phalakros’ Alter-Ego, hummed. It then faded away.

Phalakros fought back a whimper and hid in the safety of Valiel’s shoulder.

Valiel smiled as Phalakros began rubbing her back again. His purr was so soothing…
He stiffened, and she immediately snapped out of her happy state. She looked up at him, to see him glancing around at things that weren't there.
Oh, no, nooo… He buried his face in her shoulder, in obvious, sudden distress, and she tightened her grip on him.
"Hey, right here, focus right here Phalakros, you're safe and they can't get to you. Nothing's going to hurt you or me." She nudged calm in his direction, glad she'd eaten a big meal. The energy needs of this level of magic weren't huge, but she was about to be using it a lot.
"What are they telling you?"

Her words and grip soothed him a bit, but Valiel’s magic had the most effect. That wave of calm helped push him away from the terrifying thoughts rushing through his mind. But, the serpent’s words still nagged at him.

“Just one. Just it. And, I… I do not think you would wish to know,”he answered shakily.

He wasn’t sure how she’d react if he told her why his Alter-Ego was proud. That the depth of their connection was in the blood, deeper than blood. Which meant that Phalakros was putting Valiel at risk. What if she had his child? And, what if that child wasn’t Ahkrethian, but something much darker and more terrifying?

Valiel nodded, glad it was just the one slithering menace. She rubbed Phalakros's back gently.
"I don want to know what they're saying, Phalakros. It could help me know how to help you."
She meant that seriously. If he had a particular fear that they were preying on, maybe she could help him overcome it.
At the very least, she would at least know her enemy a little better, and it would allow him to talk this out.

Phalakros leaned into Valiel, needing her comfort, her presence. He was starting to shake as his Alter-Ego’s words continued to haunt him. Those horrible, terrifying words!

“I… I do not wish to hurt you, in any way. Yet, I… I fear that you are in danger as long as you are near me. I cannot escape this thing. No matter how much I wish to!”he explained, hiding in her shoulder again as tears welled in his eyes.

Phalakros wanted to save her from his dark side, but he didn’t know how. The only option that came to mind was leaving, but he didn’t want to do that. But, it meant that he would likely kill Valiel. It hurt to think of either outcome, and it was hard to tell which hurt worse.

Valiel just held him and thought for a bit. She had an idea, but it was a terrible idea, and she wans't even sure he'd go for it.
"Phalakros… would you be free of the dark if you could be?"
If this was such a part of him that separating them would hurt or kill him, then she'd scrap the idea.
But if he could live happier and healthier… if he could live without fear… then she'd be willing to risk it.

Phalakros lifted his head to look at Valiel. There was a hopeful gleam in his eyes, but it was weak, like he was already expecting the idea to not work.

“I would love to. I would gladly, eagerly, try anything that would get rid of this menace in mine head. Yet… I do not know that anything would help. ‘Tis deep, the connection. Far deeper than blood. I know there is a name for it, yet I know not the name,”he mentioned.

Phalakros sincerely hoped there was a way to be rid of the damned Fiend inside him. But, even Lucitius didn’t know a way. Though, that could be simple ignorance on Lucitius’ part. From his words, Phalakros’ situation was unique.

Valiel nodded slowly. She did have an idea.
"How do you react to the magic I use, Phalakros?" She sort of knew already, but she wanted to talk this through with him.
He wasn't from here, so maybe all of the things he'd clearly tried didn't cover this already.

Phalakros thought about her question for a moment, trying to remember all of his reactions to her magic.

“Hm… Your calming spell works quite well. And, your light spell has not hurt me. That is, it has, yet also not. It hurts the… other. It only seems to hurt me, yet it actually does not. ‘Tis… strange,”he explained.

He wasn’t sure if she’d used any other spells on him, but those were the ones he remembered most prominently. He wondered what she was asking, but he figured it had something to do with her idea. And, he was quite curious what her idea was.

Valiel nodded slowly. That was what she'd thought had happened before, but hearing it confirmed gave her hope.
"Skin-changers are not inherently magical. We are shapeshifters, but that is the extent of our powers. However, in the far north of the Hinterlands, there is a place we go to get our magic." She smiled at him gently. "That magic flows from what we have always simply called The Fountain. It is available to all, and is the source of the light magic I use."
She kissed his shoulder, not wanting to set him off. "If… if we were to go to The Fountain… we may be able to use the magic to separate you from the Fiend… infuse you with the light instead of the dark."

Phalakros listened closely to her words, intrigued. Though, as she explained her idea, doubts crept in. Whispers from a distant watcher spoke of how Valiel was lying, and that Light wouldn’t save him. He did his best to ignore the voice, using Valiel’s kiss as a focus. It definitely helped.

“‘Tis… worth a try. I know not if it will work, yet if it might help in any way, I will gladly follow your lead,”he said.

Valiel nodded quickly. "I don't know if it will work either, but it's worth a shot." She smiled at him, although the smile faded slowly.
"It is in the Hinterlands…. in the north, in the cold, among the beasts. From here it's probably about 3 weeks of hard flying. A couple months on the ground." She looked at him, worried. "We don't have to try, but I will guide you and protect you once we're in my homelands if we do…"

Phalakros nodded, then listened to her warning. With a timid sigh, he nodded again, understanding her words. He then caressed her cheek.

“I know you left there, and likely do not wish to return. And, that it is also far from here. Yet, I do wish to try. I… I could not bear it if I hurt you like I did before, or worse. I… I simply could not,”he said softly.

His Alter-Ego’s words echoed in his mind. ‘Passing on the bloodline’. That terrified him the most. Phalakros didn’t want to know what would happen if that creature’s genetics were continued alongside his own. It was already terrifying by nature. Its offspring…

Valiel nodded as he caressed her face. "Then we'll go. The Fountain is guarded, so that it won't be vandalized, but it is open to all who wish to use its magic correctly." She smiled at him. "And we fit that bill."
He was spot on. She didn't want to go back, she'd left for many reasons, but for him, she'd give it a try.
Although the thought of voluntarily returning to the Hinterlands made her begin to tremble, just a bit.
"Just know… you'll see many things you wish you hadn't, and probably some of those will be from me…"