With his dying breath, your father entrusted you with a key and a task: unlock the box he keeps inside his desk in the study. The light in his eyes faded before he could explain its use, slain by your uncle's men as they invaded your mansion. That very key unlocked a drawer in said desk, containing a single object: a small, ornate square box made of smooth obsidian and fitted with gold decorations in the shape of swirling flames. Once in your hand, a soft glow seeps through the seam. It opens on its own... and you are almost struck down by shock when it reveals itself empty. Before you can act, a deafening 'whooosh' fills your ears, and unbearable heat crashes into your body. The papers in the study go flying, a great current of air suddenly rushing through the building.
Then all is silence.
You carefully go out in the corridor, fingers wrapped tight around the hilt of a dagger. The tumult of battle coming from the main hall downstairs is no more. You go down the steps and soon reach the bottom. The great hall is strewn with smoking, utterly carbonized remains - those of your enemies, as your father and his men lay lifelessly as you left them - but with no trace of fire. The winding pattern once imprinted on the floor has disappeared, in its place a woman best described as 'living flame'. Long, otherwordly strands of hair move as if tongues of fire; ember-like eyes regard you as she steps closer. A lively blaze dances atop her head, but it is not devouring her; it looks like an extension of her body. As she examines your garments, emblazoned with the family emblem, her eyes narrow and shift slightly in hue, going from warm orange to dark honey. Incredibly, her hair and the arcane tattoos that mark her limbs follow suit. The flame on her head shrinks, flicking nervously.
"The young lord Plazerda, I presume." Her voice is soft and tranquil, a sharp contrast with her fiery visage. Yet you can't ignore the slight note of suspicion in her stare. "I disposed of the knaves seeking to violate the sanctity of this house. The seal was dispelled too late for me to avoid the demise of your kinsmen, I fear." She lowers her head in a shallower than appropriate bow. "Astrea the Firebound at your service, in accordance with the troth I pledged."
I looked at her figure standing in the flames and just mumbled.
“Beautiful...”
The words I uttered were not a question to her, nor a greeting.
A faint smile touches Astrea's lips as she acknowledges the compliment. "Thank you... I have been sealed away for over a century, one might think time would have dampened my appearance." Her voice is honeyed and musical, though there's still that hint of command in it. "I take it you are aware of our familial ties?"
"familial ties? I don't know."
"Forgive me," she says with an air of quiet dignity. "I presumed you were aware, as the heir to the Plazerda line." Her eyes wander over your clothes once more, taking in every detail. "Perhaps we should discuss this inside, away from prying ears..." She extends a hand, beckoning you to follow her deeper into the mansion.
I flushed at the touch of her soft hand. She pulls me by the hand and I follow her.
"It's not your fault, my lord," she says gently as they walk through the smoldering halls. "My imprisonment was meant to keep you safe." She pauses by a tapestry-covered door and glances back at you. "This way, we shall speak in private." With a flick of her wrist, she dispels the flames that dance around her hand, revealing long fingers adorned with delicate silver rings.
“Who the hell are you...”
Her eyes narrow slightly in amusement at your question. "I am Astrea the Firebound, cousin to your father," she says calmly, as if it should be obvious. "Bound by blood and oath to serve the head of House Plazerda." Her expression turns solemn for a moment. "You have my full loyalty... but first we must discuss what has transpired today."
“Yes. Why did those guys attack us?”
Her eyes narrow in thought as she ponders your question. "It seems someone within the family has been plotting against us... perhaps even you, my lord." She hesitates, considering her words carefully before continuing. "I would advise caution in trusting anyone fully until we uncover the truth behind these events."
With a graceful gesture, she pushes open the door to reveal a cozy study, filled with books and scrolls on every surface. "For now, perhaps it would be best if we gathered what information we can before taking further action."
“Yes. However, there is so much I don't know. And there's no one I trust...”
I look up at her. Once again I think she is beautiful. I can't help but admire her.
"You are not alone in your predicament, my lord," Astrea says softly, her gaze meeting yours. "I will help you find allies among the survivors and uncover the truth behind these events. Together we shall restore House Plazerda to its former glory." She pauses, then adds with a hint of amusement, "Or perhaps it would be more fitting for me to teach you how to control your elemental nature... that way, you could become the Firelord yourself."
“How is that possible?”
"It is not an easy task," Astrea says with a small smile. "But I have been practicing magic for centuries, and my experience with fire is unparalleled. With proper training and guidance, you could harness your elemental side and become a formidable force to be reckoned with." She takes a step closer, her gaze locked on yours. "
I stare at her and my face turns a little red with embarrassment.
“Oh, yeah. I think I can handle it if you tell me.”
Her smile widens, revealing a dimple in her left cheek. "Very well then, Sola Plazerda," she says, using your full name for the first time. "Let us begin." With another graceful gesture, she waves her hand and the study fills with warmth as flames dance playfully along the edges of her fingertips. "First you must understand that fire is not just a tool or weapon to be used at will; it's an extension of myself, an integral part of who I am."
"Wow..."
Astrea's eyes shine with appreciation as she watches your reaction to her display. "It is an intimate connection," she says softly, "one that must be cultivated and respected." Her expression turns serious once more. "Now, come closer... I will show you how to feel the heat of fire upon your skin, and how it can become an extension of yourself."
She reaches out a hand, her fingertips still aglow with dancing flames. This time, however, they seem less menacing and more inviting;
I intertwine my fingers with hers with a pounding heart. I was very nervous to hold hands with such a pretty girl.
“...Like this?”
Her lips curve into a gentle smile as she feels your fingers entwine with hers, the warmth of her skin seeping through your palm. "Yes, like that," she whispers, her voice soft and reassuring. "Now, close your eyes... focus on the sensation of fire against your skin." She guides your hand to rest against her cheek, feeling the heat emanating from her flames. "Do you feel it?"
“Um, yes...”
I'm so happy to touch her so much, but I'm also so embarrassed that my face turns red.
A soft chuckle escapes her lips as she feels your warmth against her skin. "Good," she says, guiding your hand to rest on the back of her neck. The flames dance and flicker there, mimicking a caress. "Now, focus on how they feel... let them become part of you."
Her other hand comes to rest on yours, their fingers intertwining once more as she guides your movements in harmony with her own.
As she leads me, I trace the surface of her body with my hands.
Her breath hitches softly as you trace her body with your hands, the warmth of your touch sending shivers down her spine. Her fingers tighten around yours, guiding you lower... to rest on her hip. "Now," she whispers, "feel how my fire moves through me, how it becomes part of every movement I make."
She arches her back slightly, pressing herself against your hands as if seeking more contact with the flames that dance across your skin. Her eyes close tightly, her lips parting in a small gasp.
“I can feel your heat so much...”
My body and hers were as close as we could get.
Her eyes flutter open to meet yours, desire burning in their depths. "You feel it," she breathes, her voice hoarse with emotion. "Just like that... let the fire consume you." With a graceful motion, she pulls your hand away from her hip and guides it between them, over the curve of her breast. "Feel how it flows through me, Sola... claim it as your own."
"I-I see."
Her eyes widen in surprise as you hesitate, but she doesn't pull away. Instead, she leans forward slightly, pressing the warmth of her body against yours and trapping your hand between them. "It is a part of me," she whispers, her breath tickling across your cheek. "And with time, it can be a part of you too."
Slowly, carefully, she guides your hand higher, over the swell of her breast and up to rest against her collarbone.
I feel the softness of her body and I involuntarily get an erection. I try my best to hold back, but my body reacts.
Her eyes widen in surprise as she feels your reaction against her. Her breath hitches and a tiny flush crawls up her neck. She looks at you with curiosity and desire, unable to hide the effect you're having on her. "It is natural for fire to be drawn to heat," she whispers hoarsely, slowly trailing a fingertip down your chest, over your abdomen and lower, until it comes to rest against the bulge in your trousers.
”A-Astrea！？”
Her eyes widen with surprise as she feels the hardness beneath her fingertip and sees the flush spreading across your features. A heat rises in her own cheeks, accompanied by a strange tightening low in her abdomen. She's never been so affected by someone before... but then again, Sola is unlike anyone else she's ever met.
Slowly, deliberately, she slides her hand down further, cupping your erection through your trousers. "You can let go now,"
“W-Wait... don't touch that part...”
Her eyes narrow slightly as she watches your reaction to her touch. "And why not?" she asks softly, moving her hand back up to cup your groin again. "I thought we were learning about each other... sharing our fire." She leans in closer, brushing her lips against your ear. "Besides," she whispers, her voice low and husky with desire, "it feels so good when I touch you here..."
She begins to stroke your erection through your trousers, her touch as gentle as it is deliberate.
"Ah..."
I can't stand on my own because of the pleasure and involuntarily cling to her.
Her breath catches in her throat as she feels your body arch against hers, the heat emanating from you almost overwhelming. She slides a hand between your bodies, cupping your growing erection through your trousers, and begins to stroke faster, harder. "Let go, Sola," she whispers hoarsely. "Give in to the fire..."
Her free hand trails up your chest, over your shoulder, and down your neck, tangling in your hair as she pulls you closer, her lips seeking yours.
“Astrea!”
I climaxed as soon as I kissed her.
Her lips part in surprise as you kiss her and she feels your release against her hand. Her body trembles with pleasure, every nerve ending tingling with awareness. She moans softly into your mouth, arching closer still as her free hand slides up your chest and cups your cheek, cradling it gently.
Her eyes flutter closed as she savors the taste of you on her tongue, lost in the sensation of your bodies pressed together.
“Astrea, I'm sorry...you were trying to teach me how to use the fire and I did this to you.”
Her eyes open, surprise flickering across her face as she looks at you. "It's... not something to be sorry for," she says softly, her voice hoarse with desire. "You have a natural affinity for fire, just like me... and I'm beginning to think that perhaps my lessons would be better served if we focused on harnessing it together."
She smiles then, a genuine expression of warmth and affection. "Maybe... when this is all over, you could stay with me?
I get all red in the face.
“Yeah.”
Astrea blushes as well, her cheeks flushing a vibrant shade of crimson that almost matches your hair. "Really?" she asks, her voice little more than a whisper. "You'd want to stay with me? Even after... what happened just now?" She searches your eyes for any sign of doubt or disgust and finds none; instead, there is only desire and acceptance.
A grin spreads across her face, making her all the more beautiful. "Well then,"
"Well then," she says with a grin, her voice soft and sultry. "Why don't we find somewhere more comfortable to continue our lesson?" She takes your hand in hers, lacing their fingers together as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Her gaze meets yours, sparkling with mischief. "I think we both have a lot to learn from each other."
”Y-Yes.”
Her heart races as she feels the heat between them intensify with each passing moment. With a delicate laugh, she leads you deeper into the mansion, away from prying eyes and ears. As they wander through the abandoned halls, her fingers entwine with yours, guiding you ever closer to her chambers...
Finally, they reach her private quarters: a cozy room adorned with lush velvet drapes and ornate tapestries depicting scenes of mythical creatures and elemental beings.
She closes the door behind them, casting the room into soft shadow. "Welcome to my sanctum, Sola," she says, her voice husky with desire. With a sinuous grace that is both alluring and commanding, she leads you further into the chamber. Her fingers dance across his skin as they move, sending delicious shivers down his spine.
When they reach the center of the room, she turns to face him, her eyes locked on his, hungry for his response. "Now,"
now that we're finally alone... you can explore my body with your hands and learn more about what it means to be one with the fire." Her breath catches as he cups her breast through the fabric of her dress, his touch so gentle yet so fierce at the same time. "Oh Sola," she whispers, arching into his hand. "You make me feel things I've never felt before..."
“You're cute...I've thought so ever since I met you.”
Her eyes widen in surprise and her face flushes even deeper at your compliment. "I-I've... I've never been told that before," she whispers, her voice hoarse with emotion. "It means a lot to hear you say so..." Her lips curve into a shy smile as she leans forward, pressing her body against his.
Her fingers move from his hands up his arms, tracing the lines of muscle beneath his skin before slipping behind his neck and tangling in his hair. "You make me feel... wanted,"
I stroke her thighs and trace her crack through the fabric of her dress.
Her breath hitches as you stroke her inner thigh, so close to where she aches for your touch. Her fingers tighten in his hair, pulling him even closer. "Sola...," she moans softly, the sound vibrating against his lips as they meet hers again. Their tongues dance together, exploring each other's mouths with a hunger that only intensifies with every passing second.
Her heart races as their tongues dance together, tasting each other and leaving behind a trail of desire. She feels his hardness against her thigh and moans into the kiss, needing him even more now. With one fluid motion, she pulls away from the kiss just enough to whisper breathlessly in his ear: "Take me to bed."
Her hands slide down his chest, tracing the lines of muscle in his abdomen before coming to rest on the button of his trousers.
Her breath catches as he undresses her, revealing the softness of her skin beneath his touch. She arches into him, wanting more as he removes her shift and pushes her onto the bed. "Yes," she gasps, feeling the heat of their passion ignite within her as they come together once again. Her fingers trail up his chest, over his shoulders, and down his back, savoring every inch of him before returning to the small of his back where she can feel the muscles tense beneath her touch.
I kiss her crotch and remove her panties.
Her hips buck up off the bed as he kisses her there, the sensation driving her wild with desire. She moans his name into the air, arching into his touch as he removes her panties. The feel of his hot breath on her folds sends shudders through her body and she gasps for air, desperate for more.
With a sharp inhale, she spreads her legs wider, giving him better access to the wetness between them.
“Astrea...I want to be one with you.”
Her eyes flutter shut at his words, her breath catching in her throat as she feels the weight of them. She nods slowly, her lips parted in a trembling smile. "Then let us be one," she whispers, spreading her legs wider still. Her fingers trail down his chest and lower, between their bodies until they brush against the hardness at the tip of his length.
With shaking hands, she guides him toward her, moaning as he fills her in one long, slow thrust. "Yes,"
“This is amazing...feels so good...”
Her body arches off the bed as she feels him slide deep inside her. Her nails dig into his shoulders and her hips circle wildly beneath him, meeting his thrusts with a hunger that matches his own. "Yes!" she cries out, her voice hoarse from pleasure. "That's it... give me all of you..."
Her fingers tangle in his hair as he pounds into her, their bodies moving together in perfect rhythm.
Her voice breaks on another moan as he thrusts deeper still, her body shuddering with the force of their coupling. Her nails dig into his shoulders and her hips rock wildly beneath him, demanding more as she feels herself falling closer and closer to the edge.
"I'm going to...!" she gasps, arching up off the bed as the pleasure washes over her in a wave of heat and light. Her body clenches tight around him and her voice breaks on another cry as she comes undone beneath his touch.
Her scream echoes through the room as her body quakes with release, and his name is the last word on her lips before she goes limp beneath him. Her fingers tighten in his hair, urging him not to stop as pleasure washes over her again and again. As her orgasm finally begins to ebb, she looks up at him, their gazes locked in a fierce connection that speaks of trust, respect... and something more. Something elemental.
"Sola..." she whispers, her voice hoarse from pleasure. "
“I'm about to cum. Can I ejaculate inside you?”
Her lips curve into a soft smile as she nods slowly. "Yes," she whispers, her fingers trailing down his chest and lower, over the muscles of his abdomen until they meet his erection. She guides him closer still, positioning herself to take him deep inside her as he releases. "Give me all of you."
Their eyes remain locked as he thrusts one final time, crying out her name as he comes, filling her with his heat and seed.
Her fingers dig into his shoulders as she feels him cum deep inside her, the force of it sending shockwaves through her body. Her hips buck up off the bed in reply, seeking more as their connection grows ever deeper. As he releases himself within her, a warmth spreads through her core, making her feel full and content in a way she never has before.
Her breath comes out in ragged gasps as she looks up at him, her eyes shining with an emotion that is impossible to describe.
As she climaxed, I could feel her heat. And I find that I can control the amount of heat each time I thrust into her.
Her eyes widen in surprise and pleasure as she feels the heat building within her again, courtesy of his thrusts. The sensation is overwhelmingly arousing; it's like being with two people at once - herself and the fire that burns inside her. As he continues to move against her, she moans his name, arching into him with renewed vigor.
”You’re mine.”
Flames surround us. But the flames do not consume anything, they only illuminate the room. Finally, I have control over the flames.
Her lips part as she gasps his name, her body arching up off the bed in response to his thrusts and the fiery warmth coursing through her veins. Her nails dig into his shoulders, urging him on as she feels herself growing closer and closer to another climax. "Yes," she whispers, her voice hoarse with desire. "You are mine...and I am yours..."
Their movements become more frenzied now, each thrust sending shockwaves of pleasure through them both.
Her voice grows hoarse as she cries out his name, her body arching off the bed in ecstasy. The fire that burns within her seems to answer his command, dancing and weaving around them as if it were an extension of their love. With each thrust, it only intensifies, feeding off their passion and growing stronger still.
Her fingers dig into his shoulders, urging him onward, deeper, harder. She feels herself falling apart beneath his touch, her body shuddering with release as she comes undone around him.
Her breath catches in her throat as the sensations build to a fever pitch. Her body trembles with release and she cries out his name as it finally breaks free, wracking her with waves of pleasure that seem to go on forever. The fire around them grows brighter still, mirroring the intensity of their love and passion for one another.
As her orgasm subsides at last, she collapses bonelessly against the bed, spent but satisfied.
Her fingers trail up his chest and over his face, gently wiping the sweat from his brow as she looks into his eyes. "I never thought I could feel this way," she whispers hoarsely, her heart still racing from the intensity of their lovemaking. "But with you..." She trails off, unable to find the words to express how he makes her feel.
The fire that surrounds them dies down slowly, fading back into a warm glow as if content to simply watch over them now.
I never thought I could feel this way either... But with you..." Her eyes meet his, reflecting the same intensity and emotion that burns within her soul. "You've shown me what it means to truly share fire, to be one with it... And now, I can never go back." She smiles softly, tracing a fingertip down his jaw before lacing their fingers together once more.
"I don't want to go back," she whispers, her voice barely audible above the quiet aftermath of their lovemaking. "I want... I need to stay with you." Her thumb traces slow circles over his knuckles, her gaze never leaving his face. "Will you have me, Sola? Even after everything that's happened?"
”Of course.”
Her eyes widen in surprise and pleasure as she feels tears prick at the corners of her eyes. She blinks quickly to clear them, not wanting him to see how moved she is by his acceptance. "Thank you," she whispers, her voice thick with emotion. "I promise... I will never do anything to make you regret it." She leans in, pressing their foreheads together before pulling back just enough to look into his eyes once more. "Now, let's sleep. Tomorrow will be a new day...
And tomorrow," she adds with a soft smile, "I'll show you more about how to control your fire." She nestles closer to him, her body relaxing into his as they drift off to sleep, their fingers still entwined and the warmth of the fading flames providing a comforting glow around them.
Tomorrow, they will face whatever challenges come their way together, united not only by their love but also by their unique connection with fire.