The Pleasure Keeper

The young woman squatted upon the edge of the ridge. Beyond her spread a low valley, shaded by white dusted stained orange by the falling sun. A lazy river spread across the wake of this valley, and little houses of simple construction scattered piecemeal like stray grains of rice on a near empty plate. There was a small keep at the center of the valley, where she presumed the local chieftain held reign. She had traveled long and far and her leather vestments were covered in filth. Her dark hair was cut shaggy and short, just over her shoulders, and grey eyes squinted down from her brown, sun battered skin. She carried a flute in her hands and a long dagger strapped to her waist.

"Can't imagine I'll make any money here. But I'll have to give it a shot." She spoke to no one as she fingered the grooves of her flute, setting down the narrow country road. The air was cold and she could tell winter was close. If she was lucky, she'd be able to get a horse and ride out of this mountain valley before the snows. If she was unlucky... well, she'd be stuck here a long time. But Temora had always been a lucky girl, blessed with clever fingers and a nimble tongue. As she walked down into the grassy valley, the low, leafless branches of the birch trees rustling, she began to play her flute. The tune was lively, simple, and catchy, and she hoped it would help her attract attention.

The peasants of the mountain village were mostly herders, and they stood at attention and watched as she strolled down the river road. She saw several of them point her out, and some of the boys took up their staffs and followed behind her, keeping their distance but clearly curious. One woman came to meet her, holding a staff of her own. Her hair was silver and grey and she had a face that looked as though it was often caught in the wind. She wore a dress of homespun cloth, woolen and woven with strands of vibrant colors.

"Who are you?" she said. Her skin was pale, as were those in this land, and her eyes dark and tilted.

Temora stopped and lowered her flute to her side. "I am Temora Honeytongue. I come from the northlands. I am a bard, trained in the ways of northern song and dance."

The woman squinted at her. "That explains your color. We don't get outlanders here very often. I'd keep moving if I were you."

Not a pleasant welcome, though she'd heard the folk of these mountains were not so keen to speak to strangers. But she was Temora Honeytongue, she who had won the favor of lords and ladies in all distant lands. Surely she could win over some village wench. "Surely you do not begrudge me hospitality. I am happy to work for a place to bed, and play a song for a horse. I do not seek to stay long, as I hope to reach Kakila before the snows fall in the mountain passes."

The older woman frowned. "You're too late."

Temora cursed under her breath. "So the snows have fallen?"

"Yes. You could go back the way you came." The old woman gripped her staff. "From the Karyg, I presume?"

"I... uh... I can't go back," she replied, her mouth tightening. "There's not more I can say, but I can't go back. I don't mean to be trouble, really." The sun was setting and the air was growing colder. Snowflakes touched her sunburned cheeks. "If there's anywhere I could stay, just for the night."

The old woman's mouth twisted. She looked up at the darkening sky. She sighed. "You may stay with myself and my granddaughter, but I ask you do not make your presence known more than you already have." The staring peasants had dispersed now, but Temora knew she'd made an entrance. The quiet valley did not see bards like her very often. "This is not a safe place for young women."

Temora bowed low. "I am grateful. And I will do my best not to bring harm to your house. I promise." She didn't ask why it was unsafe. Perhaps the men of this land were handsy or perhaps the woman was just being overprotective.

The older woman nodded and gestured with her head for Temora to follow. She led the young woman through the village. They walked along the river until they reached a small house apart from the others, with a thatched roof and stone walls. A large garden lay outside, barren and now dusted with snow. Ancient idols sat on the edge of the roof, symbols of the religion of these people, foreign to Temora. She nodded reverently at them as they passed, anyway. In her years of traveling, she had learned to respect the gods of any land she entered. The old woman opened the door and Temora followed her inside.

A fire burned in the center of the room, and the floor was covered with woven mats. There were many windows, shuttered against the cold, and tapestries hung upon the walls. A table stood at one end of the room, and a small alcove for cooking lay at the other. Sitting by the fire was a young woman, maybe eighteen or nineteen years of age. Her skin was pale and her hair was red as fire, held back from her face by a black silk scarf. She wore a bright orange dress, tied with a sash of green and yellow. Her eyes were sharp and intelligent, and when they fell upon Temora, she felt an odd prickling on the back of her neck, that tingled down her spine and further below. Her heart twitched and a flush entered her cheeks. She cleared her throat and shifted her stance, lowering her head.

"I am Ai," the young woman said. "Grandmother Daiyu, who have you brought here?"

"She is a bard," Grandmother Daiyu replied. "Her name is Temora Honeytongue. She has asked for hospitality for the night. I could not refuse."

Ai nodded, and smiled. She had a lovely smile. "I can't remember the last time a bard came through these lands. Please make yourself comfortable, Temora. I'd love to hear a song."

Temora took off her boats and coat and sat down on the floor. Daiyu tended to the stew, her beady eyes watching Temora closely. But Temora only had eyes for Ai. She had heard tell of how beautiful highland girls were, but eyes delicate porcelain features, titled eyes with dark pools, and soft lips were truly entrancing. She began to play a song on the flute, one from her homeland, that showed off how skilled her fingers were. She hoped that would impress Ai. The girl seemed entranced by the music, swaying her head back and forth as Temora played. When the song ended, there was silence.

"That was beautiful," Ai said. "I've never heard anything like it. Are there many bards in your land?"

"Not many, not anymore," Temora said. A twinge of sadness flickered over her. "And it's been a long time since I left my home."

Ai leaned closer to her, her eyes sparkling in the firelight. "Why? You're very good. Why not stay and make your fortune there?"

Temora lowered her eyes. "It's complicated. I... I have no home anymore."

Grandmother Daiyu served out the stew. It was simple fare, a rice porridge with mushrooms and onions, but it was warm and filling. Temora ate gratefully, grateful for the shelter. When she finished, she looked up to see Ai staring at her, as if expecting something. The girl licked her lips.

"The food was good?" Temora said. A smirk crossed her lips.

Ai grinned back, and licked her lips again. Temora looked back at Daiyu, but the old woman didn't seem to be paying attention to the girls. She was looking outside, with a wistful expression on her face as the snow came tumbling down from the black sky in little spits. "Another song, Temora." Ai leaned back, her legs spreading under her dress, so Temora got a view of her well-shaped calves, but nothing more. Disappointing, but Temora was patient.

She placed the flute to her lips. This time, she played a song from the Karyg, a merry little ditty. Ai recognized this one and rose to her feet. Her hips gyrated as she began to dance. Temora kept playing, watching the girl's graceful movements. She could tell Ai was trained in dancing, though what purpose did she have for that training in these mountains? Perhaps the peasants held festivals here, where they could forget the harshness of their lives in dance and drink and song.

When the song ended, Ai was panting. Her face was flushed and sweaty and Temora couldn't help but imagine how flushed she would look in an entirely different scenario. Ai sat down again and smiled at Temora. Her hand brushed over the top of hers, just for a moment.

"It's late," Daiyu said. "You have chores tomorrow, Ai." Ai looked as though she wanted to protest, but at the look in Daiyu's eyes, she nodded and began to clean up. "Temora, you can stay in the old barnhouse. We don't have any goats right now, but there's a hay pallet you can sleep on. I'd like to provide better," she said, glaring at Temora as though she was expecting a complaint.

"That's fine by me." Temora got up and cast a glance at Ai, who smiled coyly back. She didn't think there was any chance that she could really make a pass at the pretty farmgirl with her vigilant grandmother about. But Temora Honeytongue always found a way to get what she wanted. After all, it was hardly the first time she'd tried to seduce an innocent, beautiful young woman.

She swung on her coat and slipped into her boots as she stepped out into the cold. The snow was tumbling down faster now, and she hurried to the barn, Daiyu stumping alongside her with a lantern in hand. "I'd start a fire in here, but I'm afraid we're low on wood. I have some furs," Daiyu said, rummaging about the back of the barn.

"Don't worry about it," Temora said. She stepped inside, nose wrinkling at the smell. There were no goats now, but there definitely had been once upon a time.

"What? You'll freeze."

Temora laughed. "Oh, I'm going to be just fine. Good night, Daiyu."

Daiyu stared at her, holding up her lantern. Her face darkened. "Just remember what I told you. It's not safe for young women here."

Temora frowned. "I don't understand you. What do you mean by that?"

"There's... never mind. Just don't do anything perverse."

Temora gasped. "I'm offended you'd suggest such a thing." The crafty old bat was trying to get in the way of her and Ai. Well, Temora wouldn't have it. She was Temora Honeytongue, and when she wanted a woman, she had her. But she was crafty as always. "I'm a chaste, sensible woman. Perversion couldn't ever cross my mind."

"You've been warned," Daiyu said, sniffing. "Good night." She turned and retreated to the hut.

Temora closed the barn doors, shutting out the howling cold. She sat down on the pallet and shrugged off her coat. She extended her hand, and from the tips of her fingers rose five small flames. She leaned forward and lit up the coals in the long dead firepit. A sly smile touched her lips as she kicked off her boots and lay back, spiky hay poking her in the back. Her fingers still smoldered as she laid her hands behind her head. While bards were rare in her homeland, mages were not.

She closed her eyes, and though of Ai's lips, her red hair, her pale skin. She imagined the girl unknotting her dress. Temora's breath came faster and she let her thighs spread. Her hand slipped between her legs. Her fingers stroked over her clit, feeling herself grow hotter. Her nipples hardened and tingled with anticipation. Ai's face flashed before her, her red hair tumbling down around her shoulders.

Temora moaned, her hips thrusting against her hand. The fire crackled as her breathing grew quicker and quicker. Sweat slicked her brow as her imagination ran wild. Ai would be a virgin, but she wouldn't shy away from the touch of another woman. No, she'd want Temora to teach her everything. Her moans rose and fell, her fingers rubbing in quick, deft strokes. She could hear Ai panting in her ears, moaning softly.

"Temora," she would whisper. "Yes, Temora."

The mage's hips bucked up and down as she fingered herself, her pussy soaking wet. She could feel Ai's soft skin pressed against hers, and Ai's hot breath on her neck. Temora moaned as she came, her body trembling. The fire blazed up in the pit, sending embers shooting out. Temora panted as the fire died down, sweat slicking her body. The scent of her cunt was thick and mixed with the musky odor of goats, hanging heavy in the barn.

"Ah, Ai." She closed her eyes, imagining the beautiful farmgirl snuggling up against her, kissing her lips, her hands exploring every inch of her body. "I'll have you. I know I will."

#

When she awoke, the barn was dark. The coals were dead and her clothes were cold. She had to urinate. Groaning, she got up and slipped back into her coat and boots, stumbling out into the dark. The smell of her cunt drifted out with her. The snow wasn't falling anymore, but it lay in a thick layer over the ground as she walked out into the fields. Squatting down, she pissed, melting the snow beneath her. As she finished, she heard a strange, grunting noise. Some sort of animal?

She pulled up her trousers and walked through the darkness. Moonlight penetrated the cloudy sky, and she saw a shadow standing ahead of her in the field. The shadow was grunting, panting desperately. As Temora drew closer, she saw that it was a woman, squatted down, back turned to her. Her arm was furiously cranking in front of her and Temora realized that this woman was doing exactly what she had been doing a few hours ago. She licked her lips. She'd never seen anyone masturbate in public before. It was strangely arousing.

The woman grunted louder and louder until she suddenly groaned. Her hips thrust forward, then back, and her body trembled. Her hair was red, Temora thought, in the pale light. Redder than any hair she'd ever seen before. The woman sighed and stood up, and Temora got a clear view of her face. It was Ai.

The girl stiffened as she saw Temora. Her mouth opened but no words came out. She backed away. "I... uh... I..."

Temora smiled. "That was quite a show, Ai. I'm glad you enjoyed it."

Ai bit her lip. "You watched?"

"I watched. And I liked it."

Ai blushed bright red. "Oh. Oh my. I... I didn't think..."

"It's okay." Temora walked forward and touched the side of her face. Ai shivered at her touch, but did not draw away. "Do you like me, Ai? Do you want me?"

Ai's eyes were wide. "I don't know," she whispered. "I... yes."

Temora kissed her. Ai whimpered as their lips pressed together. She was a sweet kisser. Temora stroked her cheek. She knew that she should let the girl go, but she couldn't. This was the sort of thing that happened to her all the time, and she never said no.

"Were you thinking of me?" Temora whispered. "When you were pleasuring yourself?"

"Yes." Ai closed her eyes. "I... oh, you make me feel strange."

"Good strange or bad strange?" Temora asked, kissing her again.

"I don't know." Ai leaned into the kiss, her tongue slipping between Temora's lips.

"But I like it."

Temora grinned. She knew how to work this one. "Come back to the barn with me. Let's keep each other warm. You'll love it, I promise."

Ai glanced back towards her house. Daiyu wouldn't be able to see them from here. The girl nodded. "Okay... okay. Let's go."

They hurried back to the barn, holding hands. Temora felt a surge of triumph as she led the young girl inside. She had Ai now, she knew. That was her way... she had seduced the Nymph Princess of Karyg, after all. And that was why she was on the run. But Temora couldn't help herself. When she saw someone beautiful, she had to have them. She took Ai's tongue in her mouth again, pressing her into the straw pallet. The dead coals glowed red again, lighting the room dimly. For a while, the two women pawed at each other and kissed and teased, hungrily tasting and driving each other to heat. The air grew thick with the scent of arousal.

Finally, Temora pulled away and stood up. "I want to see you, Ai. All of you."

Ai bit her lip. "I've never... never done this before."

Temora's voice grew hard. "Do it. Be a good girl for me."

Ai bit her lip and nodded. She stood up and began to untie the sash around her waist. Her dress fell open, revealing a small, perky chest with pink nipples already hard with excitement. She let her dress slip down to the floor, standing naked before Temora. Her red pubic hair was a puffy, shaggy mess.

Ai's cheeks flushed. "Do you like it?"

Temora stepped closer and ran her fingers through the red fluff, her other hand reaching up to tweak the girl's nipple. Ai whimpered. Temora pushed apart the fur of Ai's mons, exposing the pink pussy lips below. They glistened with arousal. She touched them and they parted easily. Ai moaned, thrusting against Temora's touch.

"You are so beautiful. Lie down on the pallet." Ai obeyed, laying back, her legs spread. Her eyes were dark with lust. Temora knelt between her legs and placed her hands on Ai's thighs. She slid her fingers across the folds of Ai's labia, prying them apart. With her other hand, her thumb continued to flick and stimulate the girl's nipples. "Do you want me to fuck you, Ai?"

Ai whimpered, bucking her hips. "Yes. Yes, I want you to fuck me, Temora."

Temora grinned. She slid a finger inside Ai. "You're so tight. Fresh and beautiful. I really am your first, aren't I?"

Ai nodded, moaning as her back arched. Temora tugged at her nipple. The moan turned to a mewl. Temora thrust another finger inside, feeling Ai's inner walls clench around her digits. She pressed in deeper, stretching Ai, feeling the girl's soft wetness. Ai squealed, her legs quivering.

"You're mine, Ai," Temora said. "I know you wanted these fingers."

Ai's eyelids fluttered and she groaned. "Yes, ever since I saw you play the flute. I knew I wanted those fingers."

Temora laughed. She leaned forward and took the nipple into her mouth, sucking on it in rhythm with the fingers drilling Ai's cunt. The girl was a natural, thrusting her hips whorishly against Temora's practiced fingers. But Temora wasn't going to rush this. She was going to take her time with Ai. The coals glowed and roared and then dimmed again, as she brought Ai close to the edge and then slowed her best, making the girl writhe with agony. Her body dripped with sweat, glistening in the dim light.

"Temora..." Ai begged. "Please... please... I need it."

Temora pulled away, leaving Ai whimpering. The girl stared up at her with wild, pleading eyes. "It's late," Temora said. "Maybe we should go to sleep."

"No!" Ai screamed. "Please, Temora... don't tease me. I need it. I need you." She reached out for Temora and tugged her down. Temora laughed as Ai tried to take her lips. She resisted, just long enough to drive Ai crazy, and then gave in to her, kissing her deeply. Ai moaned into her mouth. Temora slid her fingers back inside her, fucking her hard.

"Good girl," Temora whispered. "You want my fingers, don't you? You love them."

Ai nodded. "I love them. Please, Temora. Please, keep going. Don't stop."

"Shh, I won't stop," Temora promised, kissing her again. "I won't stop until you cum. Until you cum all over my fingers like a good girl." Ai groaned at those words, her hips thrusting harder and harder against Temora's hand. Temora could feel her getting closer, and she curled her fingers, searching for the girl's special spot. When Ai let out a sudden shriek, Temora knew she'd found it.

The smell of Ai's cunny was thick in the air, and Temora loved it. She was driving the girl closer and closer to orgasm. But as she drew her to the climax, a certain other strange smell touched Temora's nostrils. They flared. It wasn't cunt.

It was magic.

Ai screamed, her body thrashing back against the hay pallet. Temora placed her hand over the girl's mouth to muffle her. But as she did, she saw someone materialize from the dark. A woman, pale and wispy, with ice blonde hair, dressed in translucent black robes. A cruel smile crossed her ageless face. She twisted her finger and as though she was drawing the life from Ai, a thin stream of pale, hissing steam flew from the girl's cunt, into the woman's body. The mysterious woman shuddered, her eyes fluttering, voice twisting to shrill in the same orgasmic pitch as Ai.

And then Ai was finished, sweaty, flushed and utterly spent beneath Temora. But the mysterious woman was laughing, her shoulders shaking.

"Who the fuck are you?" Temora said, rising from the bed. Her fingers, still slick with Ai's arousal, lit on fire. "Some sort of sorceress?"

The woman cocked her head. "You could say that." She raised her hands. Her skin was so pale it was almost blue, and her eyes were dark pits. Her hair was long and silver, and her ears were pointed. "I am the Lady Hezerael. They call me the Pleasure Keeper. Long has it been since I saw a woman writhe in such an orgasm. Oh, it was so... delicious," she said, licking her smoldering fingers.

The door to the barn slammed open. Daiyu stepped in, her staff extended. "What in the name of... you?" she said, face twisting in an expression of both fury and terror. She raised her staff, and from the tips of her fingers, lightning crackled.

"Oh, Daiyu, how nice to see you again. How is your cunt?" The witch laughed. "Let me see if I can conjure it up." She snapped her fingers and a wraithlike apparition rose before them. Temora gaped in horror. It was Daiyu, much younger, almost as young as Ai. A woman's head between her legs. Her face contorted as her lips parted, whispering a name Temora couldn't hear. And then, the apparition disappeared.

"How lovely that one was," Hezerael said, licking her fingers and twitching with delight. "How long has it been, then?"

"Fifty years." Daisy's eyes smarted with angry tears. "Fifty years since you stole my orgasm."

Temora looked down at Ai. "I... I don't understand what's going on."

Hezerael laughed. "This valley is my realm. I feed off the pleasure of other women, and take their pleasure for my sustenance. Long ago, I seduced Daiyu and stole from her all her orgasms. Her ability to feel pleasure. Her cunt will always ache with need, but she can never achieve satisfaction. I've now done the same with her granddaughter. And you, sweet, beautiful bard," she said, turning to Temora. "Your fingers are quite gifted. And you know how to use your tongue. You're quite the prize."

Temora raised her hand and fired a shot of flame at the witch. Daiyu responded with lightning. But Hezerael banished both elements with a flick of her fingers. "I am far too powerful for that, you fools. With each orgasm I steal, I grow stronger."

Temora's hands shook with shame. This was her fault. "I brought you here, didn't I? With my lust and perversion."

The witch laughed. "That's right, silly bard. Your lust for that sweet farm girl has stolen pleasure from her forever."

Temora looked at Ai, who still looked dazed. Nude, the girl rubbed at her pussy, slowly at first, then more desperately. Her fingers grew more frantic and panicked and then she looked up at Temora, terror in her eyes. "I can't feel anything!"

Daiyu swore. "Curse you, evil, evil woman! And you, bard!" She glared at Temora, tears trickling down her cheeks. "I knew you were trouble. A whorish, wicked girl with only perversion on your mind. You've ruined my granddaughter, ruined her."

Temora's shame turned to anger. This witch was a monster, taking an innocent girl's beautiful, pure pleasure for her own power. "You give it back to her. Take my pleasure, not hers. I'm the one who seduced her. I'll give you it all."

Hezerael ran her dark, lifeless eyes over the bard, appraisingly. "You act so willing to give up pleasure. But I can see the conflict in your heart. You are addicted to the pleasures of the flesh." She faded into smoke and reappeared behind Temora, dragging a long, sharp nail across the bard's shoulder. "You do not really wish to make this trade. And truthfully, I think it would be a waste. I see another use for you."

Ai was weeping, pumping her fingers into her pussy. "Please, please, I can't never feel that again. I need it. Please."

Temora felt the cold hiss off the witch's breath on her ear, felt her nipples tingle and harden. She felt a compulsion to submit, to bend to the woman's will. But not for free. "What do you want from me?"

"Return to my dwelling. Be my student." Hezerael's voice was almost as honeyed as her own, dripping into her ears like syrup. "You will have unlimited power, my dear. So long as you do my bidding."

"Don't do it, Temora," Daiyu growled. "You can't trust that demon."

"Give them back their pleasure." Temora sighed. "I'm sorry, Daiyu, but I've caused you and Ai too much trouble. And I deserve what's coming to me. So long as you both get what you deserve."

Hezerael sighed. "What a boring wish. But if you learn from me, serve me, I will grant your request."

Ai whimpered, burying her head in her grandmother's shoulder as the woman draped a blanket over her nude form. "Temora... I'm scared."

Temora looked back at the pretty girl whose life she'd ruined. She smiled, as bravely as she could muster. "Don't be. I'm Temora Honeytongue. This witch can't break me."

Hezerael laughed. "Oh, we shall see about that. We shall see about that." The smoke swirled around Temora, swirled around Hezerael, and soon she was enveloped, spirited off into the darkness.

#

She found herself suspended in the air, naked. Her lean, muscular frame was wired with scars from days dark and hopefully forgotten. She was hanging spread eagle, invisible restraints holding her upright, her legs spread wide so her cunt with its dark, beaded hairs was on display. Her breasts, full and dark-nippled, were slick with sweat. She was rotating slowly, in a dark, endless, amorphous space. She felt her nipples harden as Hezerael's laughter trilled through the shadows.

"I love what you've done with the place," Temora said. "It's very... dark."

"This is the void, a bleakness within the old keep of the valley," Hezerael said, materializing out of the gloom before Temora. "This is my home. My domain. The place where I was born. And where I will teach you the ways of pain and pleasure. Turn you into a tool at my disposal."

"You say it like that's a threat." Temora smirked. "I'm used to being at the whims of powerful women."

Hezerael traced a finger along Temora's jawline, tilting her head back. She ran her sharp nails down Temora's neck, over the rise of her collarbone. Down between her breasts, pausing for a moment at each nipple before moving further down to her navel, circling it before sliding down to the top of her cunt, tracing through her pubic hair. "You are a beautiful creature. I can see why you're so adept at seduction. You know how to use your body to its best advantage. How to use your hands and lips to tease."

"So what's next?" Temora asked. "You tease me? Torture me?"

"Yes," Hezerael whispered. Her hand rose up and wrapped around Temora's throat. She squeezed until Temora gasped for breath. And then she released her, letting her gasp and wheeze. "Torture you. You see, bard, I know you're used to this sort of thing. Your hands and lips are skilled, but your true talents lie in other places. Places you do not understand."

"What are you talking about?" Temora said. "I know exactly what I'm capable of."

"Oh, really?" Hezerael snapped her fingers and Temora felt a sudden burning on her breasts. She looked down to see glowing symbols upon her breasts, ancient runes. "Do you recognize these?" Hezerael asked. "They're runes of pleasure. Each one will increase your sensitivity to sexual stimulation. But only if you desire it. Only if you let yourself be ruled by your lusts and your hungers."

Temora moaned. Her skin was suddenly tingling all over. She felt her nipples harden further, her pussy grow wet. "So... so what? It's just pleasure?"

Hezerael laughed. She circled behind Temora, tracing her finger over the bard's skin, sending shivers up her spine. She pressed her breasts into Temora's back, and she could feel the witch's nipples, hard and pointed, digging into her shoulder blades. She gasped at the sensation, the heat of the witch's skin against hers.

"The runes of pleasure will make you even more sensitive to pain," Hezerael said, dragging a nail across Temora's buttocks. The bard gasped as her skin shrieked with pain, the nail marking out a glowing line of hot, painful magic. "My touch will give you pain and pleasure in equal measure, and I will take you to heights you could never imagine." She grabbed Temora's breast and squeezed it hard, pinching the nipple with such force that Temora felt as though she might scream. The sensation was incredible, like nothing she'd ever felt before. She moaned and writhed in the restraints, gasping for breath. "And as you grow closer to orgasm, your skin will grow more sensitive. Each touch will send shocks through your body. And then, when you come, your whole world will go white."

Temora panted. Her arousal was growing, her cunt pulsing with desperate need.. "I can't..." she whispered. "It's too much."

"No, it's not." Hezerael bit down on her earlobe and tugged on it. She slipped one hand between Temora's legs, feeling her soaking wet cunt. "You want this. You want it more than anything else in the world." She pressed her fingers against Temora's clit, rubbing it furiously. The bard screamed, writhing in the restraints, her hips bucking against Hezerael's hand, trying to get away from the overwhelming sensations. But there was no escape. The pleasure was too much.

"Fuck me," Temora groaned. "Fuck me, fuck me, fuck me!"

Hezerael laughed. "I thought you'd never ask." She released Temora from her magical restraints and the bard dropped to the ground. Hezerael knelt behind her, grabbing her by the hair and yanking back her head. "Beg me, my sweet slut."

"Please, mistress," Temora moaned. "I need your touch so badly. I'll do anything for you. Just fuck me, make me cum. Please!"

Hezerael smiled and conjured a long, curved dildo that glowed with a mysterious, starry pattern. She ran it over Temora's cunt, making the girl moan with anticipation. And then she plunged it inside her. Temora howled, her hips thrusting back against the toy, feeling its length stretching her out, filling her completely. "Do you like that?" Hezerael whispered, twisting the dildo inside of Temora. "Do you like being filled with my magic? Knowing that I own you?"

Temora moaned, unable to speak. The witch began to pump the dildo in and out of her, fucking her hard and fast. "Oh, yes, yes, yes!" Temora cried. "Yes, fuck me! Fuck me, fuck me, fuck me!"

Hezerael began to chant an incantation. The dildo pulsed and hummed. It began to glow brighter and brighter, until it was almost too bright to look at. Temora closed her eyes, lost in the sensation. She could feel herself getting closer to the edge, feel the runes burning on her chest, feel Hezerael's fingers digging into her hair. The witch kept fucking her, faster and faster, and then the bard came, screaming as she reached the peak. She floated through the darkness, the witch floating with her, cloudy galaxies drifting by. She mewled like an alley cat, begging for relief. But Hezerael kept going, kept fucking her, kept driving her higher and higher. She couldn't take any more, but she knew she didn't have a choice. All she could do was give in.

And she gave in. Until her voice was hoarse and her cunt was sore and her hips had thrashed and her neck ached from the exertion.

Finally, finally, the witch let her go. She was still floating in the darkness. She felt her nipples harden as Hezerael dragged a nail along them. She opened her eyes to see the witch's dark eyes watching her. Soulless, demonic, but in a strange way, sad. Temora felt her heart ache, in tune with her cunt.

"You were born here? In this keep?"

"Born of sexual repression. Of a woman unsatisfied, all her life. Pawed at by a brute who knew nothing of pleasure and less of love." The witch's voice grew distant and lonely. The darkness grew more wispy and ethereal. The sobbing of a woman could be heard in the distance. "I was born of wretched, virulent, troubled passion. And my desires were enormous. Perverse. My magical powers greater. It swallowed the keep, as my appetite grew." They were floating in the void together. The witch was still robed.

Temora's breath hitched. "Show me."

"Show you?"

"I want to see you. All of you." She reached out and touched the side of Hezerael's face. She could feel the sadness in her, the loneliness. It made her ache. She wanted to understand. "Please."

The witch sighed. "Very well." The robes dissolved into smoke and the smoke revealed skin. A pale, muscular frame, lean and taut, with small, perky breasts topped with blue-black nipples. She had no hair on her cunt, no hair anywhere, but a silver, silken mane that cascaded down her back. Her lips were full and smoldering and her eyes burned like hot coals. Temora gasped at the sight, at the beauty of the naked witch, floating before her in the void.

"You're... beautiful," she whispered.

Hezerael smiled sadly. "It's been so long since anyone has said that about me. I forget what it sounds like." She drew closer to Temora and pressed their breasts together, their lips meeting in a kiss. The witch's lips were soft and smoky and tasted of fire. "Tell me again."

"You're beautiful." Temora kissed her again, feeling the witch's hand slipping between her thighs, touching her sore cunt, making her gasp. She felt Hezerael's other hand slip around her throat, squeezing gently. She whimpered at the sensation. "You're beautiful," she repeated. "So beautiful."

Hezerael laughed. "Do you know what they call me? The people of this valley. Do you know what they call me?"

"The Pleasure Keeper," Temora whispered, remembering Daiyu's words.

"Yes." Hezerael smiled. "That is what they call me."

And then she pushed Temora away.

"But not to you," the witch continued. "You will call me Mistress. And you will serve me with your body and your soul and your mind. For if you do not, I will make sure your pleasure never ends. That you live in this endless void, with only my touch to keep you company. That your cunt never ceases to ache with need. That your body is forever aflame with lust." Her hand glowed with an orange flame and Temora saw her own reflection within its inferno. "Do you understand, slave?"

Temora nodded, eyes wide. Her breath was short, her heart racing. The witch's words echoed in her ears and she knew they were true. She knew that Hezerael would take everything from her. "Yes, mistress."

The flames in the witch's hand died. "Good. Very good. Now, you may sleep. Rest well, slave, for tomorrow we begin your training."

Temora nodded again, but did not close her eyes. She watched as Hezerael conjured a bed of red silk, and lay down upon it. Her dark eyes closed and her chest rose and fell with deep, even breaths.

#

Time did not flow in this void as it did in the real world. Temora's life became a haze of fog, darkness, and sadistic pleasure. She did not know how much time had passed, whether in this world or the world outside, but she knew that she was learning. And fucking.

She was doing a lot of fucking.

Hezerael taught her so many things. Things she'd never dreamed possible, things she never wanted to dream. The witch would take her body, bind her and use it, drive her to heights of pleasure and pain she could never have imagined. Temora was helpless before her, powerless, and yet somehow she felt free. Her body was no longer her own, and so she was no longer responsible for it. She was free to surrender herself to the witch, to submit to her, and to feel things she'd never felt before.

The fire lash stroked across her ass cheeks, reminding her to pay attention. On all fours, glowing shackles round her hands, her legs spread with a steel bar as she floated through the ether. She merely grunted, her backside long since grown used to the kiss of flames that Hezarael could conjure up. She bit her lip as the lash came down again. "You are being punished, slave. Pay attention."

"Yes, mistress," Temora whispered. She closed her eyes, focusing on her breathing. She tried to clear her mind, but it was difficult. Her body was tingling, her nipples hard, her cunt soaking wet. She wanted nothing more than to come. She was desperate for it.

Hezerael traced the tip of the lash over Temora's shoulders. "Do you remember what I told you, slave?"

"Yes, mistress."

"Then say it."

Temora took a deep breath. "The runes of pleasure make me more sensitive to pain. When I desire pleasure, the runes will activate, increasing my sensitivity to sexual stimulation. But only if I desire it. Only if I let myself be ruled by my lusts and hungers."

"Very good. Now, show me." The witch knelt behind Temora and ran her hand over her backside. Her fingers were soft and cool and the touch made Temora shudder with desire. "Activate the runes, slave."

Temora took a deep breath and focused on the pleasure. On the feeling of Hezerael's fingers on her skin. On the thought of orgasm. She moaned as the runes on her chest began to glow, their heat burning into her skin. Her nipples throbbed and her pussy ached with need. "Please," she whispered. "Please, mistress. Please fuck me."

Hezerael laughed and brought the lash down across her back. The fire licked at her skin, making her scream in agony. And yet, somehow, she found the pain beautiful. She found the sensation of the lash against her skin exquisite. The witch whipped her again, harder this time, and Temora gasped in ecstasy. The pain was wonderful. It made her cunt even wetter, even hotter. She groaned as Hezerael struck once more, bringing the lash down on her ass. "Thank you, mistress," she whimpered. "Thank you for punishing me."

"You're welcome, slave." The witch ran her fingers over Temora's backside. "You've been very well behaved these past few days. You deserve a reward." She snapped her fingers and the shackles around Temora's hands and legs vanished. She fell forward, onto all fours. Her skin was slick with sweat.

"What... what sort of reward?" Temora asked. Her eyes were dark with lust. She could feel her body trembling with anticipation.

Hezerael smiled. "A very special one." She raised her hand and from her fingertips materialized a long, thick cock, glowing with runes. It pulsed with energy and power. It cinched onto her waist. "Do you know what this is?"

Temora's eyes widened. She'd never seen anything like it before. "It's... a magic cock, mistress?"

Hezerael laughed. "Yes, it's a magic cock. And do you know what I'm going to do with it?"

Temora shook her head. She had no idea what Hezerael had in mind, but whatever it was, she knew she would enjoy it. "I don't know, mistress."

"I'm going to fuck you in the ass with it." Hezerael stepped behind Temora and grabbed her by the hips, pulling her back so that her ass was sticking up in the air. The bard moaned as she felt Hezerael's fingers spreading her cheeks apart, exposing her tight, puckered hole. The witch pressed the tip of the glowing cock against her opening, and Temora gasped as she felt it enter her.

"Oh gods!" she cried out. It was not the first time she had been penetrated in her backdoor, but never with something this big. It stretched her wide open, filling her up completely. The runes on the shaft glowed, sending waves of pleasure through her body. "Oh mistress... it's so big..."

Hezerael laughed and slapped her ass, hard. "And you love it, don't you?"

"Yes, mistress!" Temora cried. "Yes, I love it! Fuck me! Fuck my ass!"

Hezerael obliged, thrusting the cock in and out of her, fucking her hard. Temora moaned as she was taken by her mistress, her cunt dripping wet with arousal. The pain of the whip was still fresh on her skin, but the pleasure was even better. She rocked back against Hezerael, matching the rhythm of her thrusts. Her tits flopped in the air as she floated freely in the void, bouncing her ass on her mistress's cock. The witch groaned as she fucked her, her hands squeezing Temora's hips tightly.

"Yes, slave," she hissed. "Yes, take it. Take it all."

The cock began to expand inside her. It crackled with electricity in her rectum.

"Mistress?" Temora moaned. "What are you doing?"

Hezerael grinned and grabbed her hair, yanking back her head. She kissed her deeply, her tongue sliding between Temora's lips. "I'm going to make you come, slave. I'm going to make you come harder than you've ever come before." She increased the pace of her thrusts, pounding Temora's ass. The cock pulsed and glowed, growing brighter and brighter. Temora moaned, feeling herself getting closer to the edge. She could feel the runes on her chest burning, her nipples tingling. The cock inside her was filling her with an ecstasy she had never experienced before. Little jolts of electricity shot through her asshole into her cunt and she began to drip into the endless darkness. Her muscles clenched as she felt her orgasm approaching.

"Yes, mistress," she moaned. "Yes, fuck me! Fuck my ass!"

Hezerael laughed and continued fucking her, increasing the pace even more. She slammed her cock in and out of Temora's ass, the force of the thrusts making her float forward and back, impaling herself on the glowing shaft. She screamed as the orgasm tore through her, a searing, blinding whiteness that exploded in her mind.

The glowing cock erupted in a shower of sparks, the pleasure overwhelming them both. They floated in the void, their bodies entwined, lost in the ecstasy of orgasm.

#

Temora did not know how long she had been in the darkness. Months, maybe years. Sex and spankings blended the eternities away, and she felt no compulsion to leave. Sometimes, her past tugged at her. Memories of Ai, and Daiyu, and people from times even before then, old friends and lovers forgotten. But the pull of Hezerael was intense. She couldn't shake her, and she wasn't sure she wanted to.

Sometimes Hezerael would conjure up memories and images of other women, orgasms she had stolen. She would have the wraiths pleasure Temora. And the wraiths became her tutors as well.

One taught her how to use her mouth in ways she'd never thought possible.

One taught her about different types of ropes and knots.

Another taught her how to feel the pulse of a woman's cunt through her fingers.

And one even taught her the proper method to engage in tribadism.

And Hezerael was always there, but never with them. She would watch with a strange, sad hunger, but never joined in. And so Temora began to suspect that her mistress had never been able to enjoy true sexual pleasure, only the twisted, stolen kind that she could take from others. Until Temora, it seemed. She and Temora fucked like true lovers, in almost every way imaginable. Except one. The one most women who enjoy other women engaged in with gusto.

One day, she resolved to change this. "Mistress, let me taste you." She kneeled before the witch, her eyes longing and devoted. "Please, let me put my tongue into your cunt."

Hezerael looked down at her, her face twisting with regret and desire. "No, my student. I don't... I've never... I couldn't allow that."

Temora felt her heart ache for her mistress. For this creature of power and beauty who could not experience pleasure the same way as other women. Who was denied the most intimate act of all. And then an idea formed in her mind. An idea so outrageous, so ridiculous, that it might just work.

"Mistress, do you trust me?" she asked, looking up at the witch.

She seemed taken aback. No one had ever asked her that before, clearly. "I... yes, I suppose I do."

"Then trust me with this." Temora leaned forward, taking Hezerael's hand in hers. "Let me try something. If it doesn't work, we'll go back to the way things were before. But if it does..." Her voice trailed off, and she smiled.

Hezarael studied her face. "Very well. What do you propose?"

Temora grinned. "A spell. A ritual. We will combine our magic, and I will try to cast a spell on you. A spell to release your inhibitions, to allow you to experience pleasure the way any other woman can. If it works, you must free me, and consider our training complete. If it fails..." She exhaled. "I'll stay here forever. And I'll help you steal pleasure from other women, so they cannot feel it anymore." And live in the dark world of her anger and repression.

Hezerael hesitated for a long moment. "I don't want to lose you."

"You won't. But I don't belong here. And you deserve to feel real pleasure."

Something crumpled in her expression. She nodded.

Temora smiled and led her mistress to the center of the void. The two of them sat facing each other, cross legged. They joined hands and began to chant, their voices rising in a haunting melody. The runes on Temora's body glowed, as did the ones on Hezerael's skin. They grew brighter and brighter, until they were surrounded by a halo of light. Then, suddenly, the light faded, and they were left in the darkness once more.

"Did it work?" Hezarael asked.

Temora shrugged. "There's only one way to find out." She reached up and cupped her mistress's face, pulling her close and kissing her. Their lips met and Temora felt Hezarael melt into the kiss. The witch moaned as she felt Temora's tongue slip between her lips, exploring her mouth. Temora tasted her, her smoky sweetness, and it was the most delicious thing she had ever tasted. She wanted more, needed more. She slid her hand up the witch's thigh and pressed it against her cunt. Hezerael gasped as she felt Temora's fingers slide into her.

"Yes," Hezerael moaned, her hips thrusting against Temora's hand. "Oh, yes, I've never felt this before. This is so... different."

"Good different?" Temora asked.

"Yes, very good different. Please, keep going."

"Lie down, Mistress." Temora was in charge now, and Hezerael obeyed. "I'm going to taste you now." The woman's pale, almost blue skin extended down to her hairless cunt, which was engorged, the clitoris exposed and blossoming. It was like a flower waiting to be pollinated, and Temora couldn't wait to do it. She licked her lips and lowered her head, taking Hezerael's clit between her teeth, biting gently. The woman gasped, her body trembling with pleasure.

Temora sucked on the clitoris and then released it, taking her time. Her tongue scraped the folds of the witch's labia as her finger gently pumped in and out. Hezerael's hips squirmed and the runes on her body glowed. "Do you like it, Mistress? Do you like my mouth on your cunt?"

"Yes," Hezerael whimpered. "Oh yes, I like it very much." She moaned and her hands grabbed at Temora's hair, pulling her closer. "Don't stop. Don't ever stop."

Temora pulled her fingers loose, causing her mistress to groan in displeasure, but she slid her hands underneath the woman's pale buttcheeks and lifted her up. The flesh of her perineum gave way to the rosebud pucker below. Temora's tongue happily swept from the clitoris down to the perineum, before circling teasingly around the rim of her asshole.

"Oh gods," Hezerael cried out. "That's incredible."

Temora grinned and continued to lick her mistress's ass, teasing her rosebud. Her teeth gently nipped those pale buttcheeks, sparks of pleasure skitting across the runes as the witch continued to writhe. They floated through the void, Temora leisurely slapping her tongue from asshole to clitoris, savoring the taste as her mistress grew wetter and wilder. Eventually, she felt her mistress shifting, adjusting her hips.

"Is something wrong, Mistress?" Temora said, blinking as the smell of Hezerael's cunt flooded her nostrils. But to her surprise, she felt Hezerael's hands grip her ass and her breath soft on her own labia. "Oh... oh... my..." Temora gasped as she felt the witch's tongue circle her own asshole, licking her perineum. A shiver went up her spine, her nipples tingling with pleasure.

Hezerael laughed, a giggly, uncharacteristically childish shriek. "You like that, don't you, my slave? You like feeling my tongue on your ass?"

"Yes," Temora moaned. "Yes, Mistress, I love it." She thrust her hips back against Hezerael's mouth, her tongue darting in and out of Temora's tight hole. She could feel her body loosening, softening, melting. And then she felt her mistress's hand reach around and press against her cunt, slipping a finger inside. Temora returned the favor by returning to work on her Mistress's genitalia, her tongue lapping faster to match the salvo being delivered to her own loins. They were floating through a void that grew brighter and more starry, locked in an ethereal sixty-nine. Hezerael added another finger, curling them inside the sensitive spot within, sending shivers of pleasure through her body. Temora groaned as she felt herself getting closer and closer to orgasm. She could feel the runes glowing on her skin, feel the magic coursing through her veins. She was close, so close, and then...

Her body convulsed as waves of pleasure washed over her, drowning her in a sea of bliss. Hezerael's cunt exploded against her mouth and they moaned and howled into each other's loins for what seemed like an eon. Their moans and their twitches and their spasms echoed and the void flickered and glittered and exploded with them, with time and space hanging loose and frayed at the edges.

Then the void was gone. And the cold grass of the forest floor was underneath her. Her hair was matted with leaves and dirt. And the sky above was filled with stars. The night sky, not the endless, unyielding blackness of the void.

Hezerael was there too, lying next to her. She looked different, somehow. More human, more alive. They were both naked.

"You did it," she whispered. "You freed me."

Temora smiled and brushed a strand of silver hair from the witch's face. "I told you I would."

Hezerael sighed. "I suppose you did." She paused for a moment, studying Temora's face. "And I've given it back. All the pleasure I stole. To Ai and Daiyu and everyone else. Some, perhaps too late."

"How long has it been, since I left?"

Hezerael looked up. Birds were chirping. "Through the winter. It's spring. The snows are melting." She pulled her knees up to her chest. "You can leave now. Go on to your next adventure."

Temora could hear the hurt in her voice. She closed her eyes. "Let's not think about that. Just lie with me, for a while." And the once witch laid beside the bard, and they fell asleep with the birds and squirrels chittering in the trees. And all felt right with the world, just for a moment