Heartstone

Mating Frenzy

Yaz felt himself struggle in his dreams. Something seemed wrong and even within his sleep he realized that he was dreaming and wanted to wake. He mentally shook himself, trying to claw himself out of a slumber that felt as if it had an unnatural hold over him. But sleep would not relinquish him easily.

He felt a feminine hand gently caress the side of his face

At last, he felt himself begin to break free of his dreams. He hovered in between sleep and reality for long moments, feeling himself being tugged back downwards, a deep need to return to his dreams almost overpowering him. But that strange, unnatural desire to continue sleeping alarmed him. So he fought against it.

He opened his eyes to daylight and then fought to sit up. He looked down at himself. He felt a few blades of grass tear as he sat up as if they had grown over his bones. He shook his head. At last, the fog left his brain, and he could think clearly.

He looked around. Why had he been sleeping? How long had he been asleep? His body was lightly littered with forest debris. A mouse scampered out from under his pelvis and scurried off. With a start, he realized that he must have been napping for days!

The last thing he remembered was arriving at a safe place with Arwin and the nymphs. Arwin had been injured. As they'd begun treatment, Kalla had pulled him away, outside of the tree circle to speak with him...and that was all he could recall.

They must have put him to sleep using magic.

Alert to danger now, he anxiously stood up and shook himself off. He strode away from the spot he'd been sleeping in, a grassy section not far from the tree circle. What had happened while he'd slept? What of Arwin?

Yaz dashed into the circle. He stopped short at the sight in front of him.

Arwin danced on the moss, completely naked, hand-in-hand with a pair of gorgeous nymphs, both of whom looked to be with child now, though that definitely hadn't been the case earlier. The other nymphs, including Kalla, were nowhere to be seen. Arwin had changed, physically.

"Dammit!" Yaz groaned. He realized now what had happened. The nymphs had kept the skeleton asleep with their nature magic so they could take advantage of his new friend. Not a terrible imposition and Arwin was obviously enjoying himself, but the young man probably had no idea what was going on.

Yaz cautiously walked over.

The nymphs warily smiled at him but didn't bar his approach, nor did they run off.

"Arwin!" Yaz tried to catch the man's attention. "Arwin!" he shouted, waving his hands.

Arwin glanced up. "Hello!" he cheerfully greeted the skeleton. "Have you come to play too? Do! It's so much fun!" He laughed and gathered the pair of delectable lovelies to him, kissing them both.

"Arwin, I'm sorry," Yaz told him. "I forgot to warn you. It's common knowledge, and so most people know not to do it. You never drink the milk of a nymph if they've gone into heat."

Arwin laughed as if Yaz was crazy. "Are you kidding? It's like drinking life itself! And look how happy it makes them when I do!"

Yaz ruefully shook his head. "Arwin, the milk does something to the brain. It takes over us. It changes us and makes us their reproductive slaves. Nymphs do this when they're mating." He was not overly worried because he'd woken in time before his new friend suffered any permanent effects. Recalling the touch that had woken him, this was likely on purpose.

"I love mating! And so do nymphs!" Arwin exclaimed.

Yaz looked at the nymph who was eagerly coupling with Arwin, and he saw the deep curve of her belly. With Arwin occupied, the other nymph wandered away a couple of meters and sat down on the moss, visibly exhausted. She was only watching and smiling, showing little interest in joining. No doubt she and the other pregnant female would wander off soon.