Chapter 8 #2
“And I thank you for, well, everything. This place, your friendship, oh, and that little bit about saving my life. Yeah, thanks for that too,” she added with a chuckle.
“I am glad to have not only saved someone in distress, but to have made a new friend in the process.”
“Me too. Hey, is that cool spring safe to drink? I’m kinda parched.”
“It is all perfectly safe, though the hot springs have been known to amplify one’s runes a bit more than the cold ones.”
“You’ll have to explain that to me. But in a minute. Be right back.”
“Of course,” he replied, swimming to a partly submerged rock and taking a seat, the water now barely over his waist.
Ella climbed out and knelt by the cool spring, cupping her hands and downing several gulps of the refreshing water.
“Oh yeah, that hits the spot.”
She turned back to find Draikis watching her and felt her nipples harden under his gaze in an instant.
He had to have noticed, but she could clearly see his glorious cock just beneath the surface, and it did not rouse.
She wasn’t exactly insulted, but it was a rather odd reaction, or rather lack of one, for a healthy man.
Ella carefully slid back into the hot spring and swam over to him.
His rune tattoos, she noted, were faintly undulating in his skin.
It was a living pigment, she’d learned that much while still a Raxxian prisoner.
But this? It was far different from the little marking behind her ear. Draikis noted her gaze with amusement.
“Here, watch this,” he said, scooping up a handful of the hot water and drinking it down.
The tattoos flared brighter for a moment, then faded to almost normal, but retained just a tiny bit more brightness than before. All but the one on his chest, that is. That one remained dark and dormant.
“What was that?”
“As I said, the waters can enhance one’s runes. Some more than others. I happen to be a bit more susceptible than most.”
“But that one isn’t brighter.”
“My Infala? No, it wouldn’t be. The blocking runes placed when I took my vows prevent any connection, even if I drink these waters. It is quite sequestered and will never find its match.”
“Doesn’t that make you a little sad? You’ve said the Infala is the most important rune.”
“Yes, by far. But it’s okay. I may never bond, but this is what I’ve sworn my life to.”
“If you took an oath—”
“Vow.”
“Right. Vow. If you took a vow, why bother with that?”
Draikis was at a rare loss for words for a moment. “It–it’s complicated.”
“Then explain it to me. Not like we don’t have time.”
He grinned. “Ever curious, how refreshing. What a delightful trait you possess.”
“Thank you.”
“To answer your question, let’s just say that sometimes in the past, even the most sacred of vows were not enough if one’s Infala awoke. And as children can only be conceived between divergent races if the Infala bond is present, such unions could cause problems.”
“Wait, you’re saying pregnancy isn’t an issue without the Infala if you’re from different races?”
“Yes. You should know this.”
“I, uh—”
“But, of course, your world is new to the Conglomerate.”
“Yeah, there’s a lot to learn about intimate stuff I suppose.”
“Indeed. But you do know that the sexual infections of uninitiated worlds are a thing of the past, do you not?”
No STIs? And no unwanted pregnancies? Holy hell, no wonder these guys need more than just a vow.
“Uh, yeah, of course,” she lied, still amazed at what she’d just learned.
“It was because of some early instances the order devised the blocking runes. It helps the weaker among us and ensures none will break their vows.”
And there it was. This gorgeous man had not only taken a vow, but he’d modified his own body’s rune thingies to reinforce that vow.
She understood why, but with the connection she felt between them, the ease of laughter and conversation, Ella couldn’t help but wonder what might have been if only not for his priestly situation.
Still, she could enjoy his company for what it was. She was the one friend-zoned this time, but it wasn’t something she could take personally. And so it was she spent the afternoon soaking, snacking, napping, and having an all-around fantastic day with her alien friend.
It was only when they began to pack up to leave that the exertions of the walk there presented themselves in just the first few hundred meters.
“You look unsteady,” Draikis noted with concern. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I guess my legs are a little more tired than I thought.”
He paused a moment, then took her hand and turned back to the springs.
“What are you doing?”
He stopped and turned to meet her gaze. “I would not risk you falling on the walk back. Not if it becomes dark along the way. You need to recover. It was my fault for pushing you too hard.”
“Nonsense. It’s not your fault. I’m fine.” And you can push me hard anytime you like she silently added, her mind drifting back to his fantastic cock. Something she’d seen many times over the course of the day yet remained equally impressive.
“No, it would be foolish. You need to conserve strength for the application of your runes. Rest is what’s called for. We have enough supplies, the weather is good, and the air by the springs remains naturally warm, though I can also make us a fire for the night.”
“Are you sure? Won’t the others miss us?”
“I’m positive. And no, they will not be concerned. If we were to be gone for another day, perhaps, but they knew we were on an outing. Now, come. Sit and relax. Eat something. I’ll gather wood and make a fire, then we can get an early night’s sleep.”
She did as he asked, sitting far enough from the springs to not feel damp from the humidity but close enough to be relatively warm. The fire he started soon shifted that to downright toasty, and not long after, the two curled up to sleep.
Well, that was certainly one hell of a day, Ella mused, nestling close to Draikis, the little spoon to his big one, his warm arm draped over her like a comforting weighted blanket. I guess we’ll wait and see what tomorrow brings.