Happily Ever After?

Artorius rose to consciousness below water. His eyes snapping open, seeing the light refracting on the surface above him. Using powerful strokes with his limbs until he broke the skin of the water. Inhaling sweet clean air into his lungs, wiping the water from his blue eyes as he bobbed above the waves treading water. He spotted an almost white beach not too far off. A distance he could easily swim to and started paddling towards it. He observed a few more things as he paddled to it. This beach was as wide as the eye could see and behind him was just a light blue ocean spreading into the horizon with nothing beyond. He was completely naked, his clothes and armour were gone along with his weapons.

The waves decreased, allowing his feet to reach the sand beneath. Water dripped off his tall muscular form, warm sunshine kissing his skin but not overbearingly so. This place felt like a strange paradise. As he waded his way out of the water he tried to recall how he came to be here. He had been battling the dark sorceress Scherazade, he remembered winning, then an explosion, then starting to grow faint. He kept looking around, wandering down the beach. Until he stiffened and grew still. Brushing his golden brown hair out of his face, to clear his vision and be sure of what he was seeing.

There in front of him was a tallish woman, bronzed skin with long wavy dark hair running down her back. Just like him she was completely nude, sitting in the sand, feet dipped into the edge of the water watching the waves cresting and falling. Her round thighs, wide hips, dark triangle of hair, narrow waist and full breasts were completely visible to his eyes. Along with a pattern of symbols on her right wrist woven into the skin. But the profile of her face was what truly surprised him, elegant, refined, beautiful and ever so familiar. When she turned to look at him with a warm smile on her luscious lips and a mournful look in her slanted purple eyes: He recognised her immediately.

"Sheherazade?! I killed you!" He exclaimed in a deep gravelly timbre.

She let out an amused huff, then spoke, her voice sounded wise yet imperious. "You mortally wounded me." She rolled her eyes. "The explosion killed me. But I'll call it your win." She chuckled.

"... but if you are dead, how are we talking?" He was puzzled, his handsome face scrunching up, beyond confused.

She hung down her head and let out a defeated sigh. "You don't understand how much it stings that my end came from a buffoon like you." He huffed even though he was quite used to her verbal jabs. She rolled her eyes before continuing in a more soothing tone. "Think about it for a moment, what's the last thing you remember? Then your presence here with me will make sense."

Artorius paced as he thought aloud. "Running down the mountain top, my gut wound was bleeding heavily..." He looked down at his abdomen. The taut tanned skin didn't have a mark on it. That couldn't be right. "... The mountain top blew up, rock flying everywhere, narrowly missing me. As the debris settled, I saw the rest of my party running up to aid me, then... I had bled out too much. The world went black." His face went pale as the reality dawned on him. His legs struggled to hold him up, he collapsed onto the sand next to Sheherazade. "I died?"

Sheherazade gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder. "Sorry... I bet you thought as the 'hero' you'd have the dramatic escape and walk into the sunset with your wizard." She gave him a halfhearted smile.

He weakly sniggered. "... or the ranger, maybe both. I was trying to swing that." He grinned.

She laughed, the curve of her smile highlighting her cheekbones. "More randy dog than 'hero' aren't you? Those ladies deserve better. I'm sure when they feel sad and lonely as they mourn you... the barbarian will happily offer to comfort them after they've all had several drinks in your honour. Then end up pounding the sadness away." She playfully teased.

Artorius pouted. "They would... wouldn't they?"

Sheherazade giggled, tilting her head. "I have devoted so much time to getting to know your little group, all so I could crush it. I can say with relative certainty... oh yeah! But they'd probably feel guilty and embarrassed about it the next morning if it's any consolation. He may be one of your oldest friends but he's not above having your leftovers." She joked, her mouth forming into a mischievous smile.

He shook his head before looking at her suspiciously. "How do I know this isn't some elaborate trap or manipulation?"

She rolled her eyes again. "Because it isn't, I'm dead. There's no point to our fight anymore. I have failed; my people will fall into civil war without their queen and the artifact now blown to pieces. You won, nothing I can do about it now. If you truly want to keep the fight going, I'm sure you can find a rock nearby to bash my skull in. But it would be somewhat unsporting to try to fight someone when they don't want to fight you... and they're unarmed." To demonstrate the point she made the hand gesture that would normally be used to throw a magic bolt his way and nothing happened.

"Your magic is gone!?" Artorius raised his strong eyebrows in surprise.

"This is the afterlife... or wherever we go after death. I think the true afterlife is walking inland. I've felt a weird urge to go that way, but I wasn't ready yet." She pondered.

"How do you know? I still don't understand why we're naked?" He mused, his face still pulling a confused expression.

She snickered, her eyes surveying his body briefly pausing at his sizable appendage, with the dusting of brown hair between his legs. "Never heard the phrase, 'you can't take it with you'? Why would you bring your material possessions?" Her tone turned more serious, almost melancholy. "My people have stories of this beach, those who were on the brink and come back, describe walking along it. Not quite feeling the urge to walk inland yet. But I feel it strongly, it's why I know I'm not on the edge, I'm gone... Time must work differently here, I have seen three moons go by, just watching the waves... thinking. It can't have taken you long to bleed out after the hole I made in your side... and yet you have only just arrived." She rolled her tongue around her mouth.

Artorius thought on her words, his own eyes drifting to watch the waves. "Are we the only ones here? I don't think any of your henchmen made it out."

She answered wistfully. "They arrived not too long after I did, all but one have already made their way inland, he was pulled back..." She grew a ponderous grin. "I never thought I'd be in the situation where I'd be having a civilized conversation with my arch nemesis, while completely naked. I'm honestly surprised at how much I'm enjoying the view." Her eyes ran up and down him again.

He chuckled. "I have always assumed I would enjoy the sight of you with no clothes on. I've had many imaginings of us naked together."

She curiously looked at him. "Oh? I have a suspicion of the context. I bet it's going to be absolutely depraved."

"So many dirty dreams where me and you had a nasty old hate fuck." She burst out laughing. "Honestly, they left me feeling angry, turned on and moderately ashamed. To the point I'd feel like I had to ask our cleric for absolution. It was very confusing. Now I actually have you naked next to me..." He flirtatiously raised an eyebrow.

Sheherazade was still chortling as she responded. "Gods, even death won't stop your libido, will it?"

Artorius went full smoulder, flashing her a charming smile. "Oh, I was good to go right up until the fatal blood loss."

She sniggered. "Yes... that would make it difficult to maintain any tumescence."

His smile turned to a grin. "But I assume since there is air to breathe here and I have a pulse, it's fully possible."

She raised her arched eyebrows at him wearing a bemused expression. "Tell me, how did these dirty dreams go? Who is in charge, me or you?" She asked with sultry intrigue.

He leaned a little closer to her. "Sometimes it was 'I caught the dark sorceress, now I need to punish her like a bad girl'. Or 'The evil queen has me and is going to make me her plaything'. It depended on which one of us had the upper hand during our ongoing feud." He eagerly explained, growing moderately erect as he recalled the memory."

Sheherazade's lips twisted into a lascivious grin. "Which turned you on more?"

Artorius' grin grew wider. "The dreams where your nails and teeth bit into my skin, screaming as you squeezed tightly around me. Desperate to take me as deep as possible."

She snickered. "What a diplomatic, yet filthy answer. Just for the record, if I had ever captured you, and had you at my mercy. That second scenario probably would have happened." She ran a finger across his stubbled jaw, her lips moving closer to his ear. "But you would never have been able to tell a soul about it."

"I guess it's a good thing I'm dead then." His gaze darkened as he turned his face to hers.

She eyed him playfully, her tone inviting. "Since the bulk of our relationship was always you trying to chase me and stop me. I see no reason to break with tradition now... Catch me if you can 'hero'."

Sheherazade leapt to her feet and began sprinting away from him. Her toned limbs worked hard to increase the distance between them. Artorius quickly rose and started running after her, awkward as it was with a partial hard-on. But the chase excited him, the act of the hunt, seeing her round behind jiggle with each bound. She briefly glanced back, throwing a mischievous smirk his way. The game was clear, when he caught her, he was going to take her. It was going to happen shortly, he had the advantage. Without her magic she was a normal woman and he was bigger and stronger than her. His strides longer and swiftly closing the gap between them, until she was little more than an arm's length away.

He leapt to tackle her, his arms wrapping around her as they fell into the wet sand at the water's edge. The thin waves tickled as they lapped against them. He rolled her onto her back and perched above her. Leaning down to press their lips together, engaging in a needful, urgent kiss. Sheherazade yielded to him, her tongue sliding against his, running her hands through his hair. He trailed a hand over her chest grasping a breast, pinching a nipple before moving it between her legs. Seeking her entrance and thrusting his fingers inside against her sweet spot whilst caressing her nub with his thumb. Finding her already somewhat silky and wet but determined to make her wetter. For what came next, he needed her to be soaking, the pace he craved, demanded no less.

Sheherazade sighed into his mouth, liking his touch. She lightly bit his tongue pulling her lips away from his. Grazing them down his jaw to his neck and pressing her teeth into his skin. He let out a sharp breath, now beyond tempted to replace his fingers with his cock. With his spare hand he grasped her hair, drawing her mouth from his neck and holding her down to the sand. He briefly noticed a pattern with symbols woven into the skin on his left wrist. He ignored it, returning his focus.

Sheherazade smirked, purring playfully. "You said you wanted me to bite you."

Artorius grinned, meeting her eyes. "Sure, when I'm pounding deep in you. But first I want you dripping wet and aching for it."

He licked her neck, then moved to clamp his mouth around her nipple. Sucking voraciously and nipping it between his teeth, hearing her let out a moan. She arched up her back, pushing her breast further against his mouth. He pumped his fingers deeper and rubbed his thumb faster. Making her writhe beneath him, her hips jerking and her insides growing wetter. She caressed her hands through his hair, over his skin and tracing his muscles beneath her fingers, clinging to him.

He broke his lips away from her nipple. Raising himself over her as he parted her legs with his knees. Keeping a tight grip on her hair, forcing her to remain looking at him as he nestled between her legs, brushing his tip against her folds. Angling himself at her entrance and slamming his hips against hers. Both of them letting out a groan as he tightly filled her.

Artorius aggressively slapped his hips into Sheherazade. Each moan she let out spurred him on more. Surrounded in her taut, silken insides, with her legs and arms wrapped around him. Planting his elbows either side of her shoulders, bringing them closer, her face beneath his, filled with bliss and her eyes going glassy. Digging her fingernails into his back, he let go of her hair. His focus solely on driving himself inside her as hard as he could. She found his lips, kissing him, merging her tongue with his and feeling him growl into her mouth. She bit his lower lip, their eyes meeting before she trailed her lips down his neck then sinking her teeth into his shoulder.

He let out another groan, losing himself in her. He snaked a hand between them, his fingers flicking her nub as their skin smacked together. She threw her head back, her spine arching and hips rocking for him. Eager to take him as deep as she could, moans pouring from her. His own exerted grunts above her. Their surroundings falling away. The sound of the waves, the feeling of the breeze. Eclipsed by each other's breath, their skin pressed together and bodies merged in delicious pleasure.

Sheherazade's ecstasy mounted, progressively building to something she had never felt as intensely before. Coming at the hands of a man she had found more infuriating than any other. She trembled and shook, letting out mewls and whines, his relentless hips driving into her. She squeezed him, until finally letting out a scream. Her muscles tensing up, insides clamping down and spasming around him. He intently watched her finish, seeing her face twist in rapture. His pride swelling at conquering the body of his nemesis and relishing how it felt to be inside her as it happened.

But he was not done yet.

He pulled out and flipped her onto her knees. Leaving her resting on her elbows as he angled himself along her folds again and thrust back inside. She squealed as he hammered into her. Still feeling sensitive as his hips smacked into her ass, his hands roughly grasping her hips to aid his efforts. His face went slack, becoming utterly absorbed in the activity. He briefly loosened one of his hands to slap his palm across her ass, alternating between cheeks. Each slap caused her to yelp and squeeze him, making him let out a series of groans.

Artorius leaned down, clasping her throat and pulling her upright with him. Moving his hand from her hip to hold and squeeze her breast whilst he furiously pounded into her. Sheherazade was reduced to letting out guttural mewls and moans. One of her hands sneaked her fingers to her nub, whilst the other feathered over the hand he had on her throat. He grazed his lips against her cheek. Continuing the merciless pace of his thrusts, liking how he could feel her legs, hips and breath shaking in front of him.

She was going to ascend to ecstasy again imminently and this time she was going to take him with her. He was so close, his own muscles beginning to tremble whilst his cock was pulsing and twitching. After a few more thrusts Sheherazade let out another scream, potent rapture shooting up her spine. Her limbs going taut and her insides crushed and shivered around Artorius for a second time. Wrenching him over the finish line with her. Euphoria surged through him, his legs feeling weak as his balls pulled up and compulsively spurted into her depths. Both of them went limp, collapsing back onto the sand. Breathless and panting.

Sheherazade rested her head on his arm as they both lay there. After a while Artorius broke the peace and quiet.

"Fuck!... I wish we had done that before we died!" He jokingly lamented.

She raised her eyebrows and sniggered. "At what point during our near perpetual rivalry do you think that could possibly have happened? We were always trying to fight or antagonise each other."

He chuckled then grinned. "I definitely felt a certain kind of atmosphere between us when we were trapped in that cave, remember... with those child-eating hags. We even called a temporary truce... both of us finding the hags far more detestable than each other." He reminisced.

She took a few moments to recall those events, then laughed as they came to her. "Gods.... Those bitches... they were such a pain in the arse. Their constant hit and run tactics, their traps, those beasts they kept summoning..." She remembered with chagrin.

He recalled with scorn. "That acid those things spit out ruined my armour and a perfectly good pair of trousers." He then switched to a smirk. "On the other hand, it virtually dissolved your robes. I saw more of you that day than I ever had before... until now."

She tilted her head giving him a wry smile. "So, what you're actually saying is, seeing my elegant regalia ruined, reduced to what were effectively skimpy rags got you in the mood."

He grinned. "Well... yes... but, once we had won and the battle was over... there was that moment between us. That felt... odd... tense... intimate. We could have fought or fucked. We ended up fighting but... that moment right then. If that answers your question." His face was surprisingly serious.

Sheherazade thought, going over her own recollections of the event. "You're right... it could have gone either way. Instead of flirting we started arguing over loot." She pondered.

He chuckled. "Of the two types of booty I could have had that day, I am certain which one I would choose now."

Tittering. "Since coming here, I have come to realise that hindsight is a real bitch." She lamented.

"I know, even in my brief time being here... along with the very recent post coital clarity... I realise there's so much we could have done if we weren't so fixated on each other." He mused, a moment of ponderous silence persisted.

She snickered and nodded. "I would probably have conquered half the continent and you..." She playfully patted his chest. "... would have a mountain of gold and a harem of gullible women."

He laughed. "While I do like the sound of gold and a harem... preventing the spread of your burgeoning empire was probably a wise course of action."

She chuckled. "Ah... it's for the best. The upkeep would have driven me insane, being in charge was a headache. Keeping all those factions happy, a relentless nightmare."

"The fact you even got all those clans to play nice was an achievement for the ages. You were truly an outstanding nemesis to have." He grinned.

She let out a playful yet exasperated huff. "And yet you were beyond annoying as a nemesis. A true idiot savant. So many of your plans relied on sheer dumb luck, yet they nearly always succeeded. I swear it must have been divine intervention. You lucky, lucky, bastard!"

Artorius sniggered, still wearing his grin. "I have been told by many a seer that I'm 'favoured by the gods'. But it's nice to hear from someone who's not just off their tits on hallucinogens most of the time." She laughed. "Looks like my luck ran out though, I'm here the same as you. But all things end and it's a good finish to my tale."

She wore a mischievous grin. "I'm sure many put gold on it ending as a booze and sex induced coma."

He laughed. "I mean... that's what I would have chosen. But I would have missed this... this moment." He nuzzled up closer to her. "So, I'm not that sad about it." Then he wrapped his arms around her. "Besides, your end was still pretty amazing, in tales it'll be remembered that it required a mountain top blowing up to take you out." He smiled at her warmly.

Sheherazade smiled back. "That's surprisingly comforting. In the weirdest way, you have been the one man all these years I could always rely on to show up. Without fail, especially when I didn't want you to."

He pretended to shiver in horror. "Me?... Reliable? Perish the thought. I was just devoted to annoying you." She giggled. He affected a jovial yet seductive tone. "Perhaps you and I should have another round, to make up for lost time?"

She grinned as she ran a thumb over his chin. "Why not? But afterwards, shall we walk inland together?"

"Another adventure? Sounds good to me." He beamed.

He planted another kiss on her lips. This time it was tender, passionate, holding her close to him while Sheherazade cupped his face in her hands. Running her fingers across his cheeks. Their bodies pressed together even as their kiss ended. Artorius kept trailing his lips down from hers, her neck, her chest, briefly sucking on a nipple before continuing to her stomach then between her legs. Kissing his way along her inner thigh before placing his mouth on her most intimate of places.

He licked up and down her folds, listening to her sighs. Then worked his way to her nub, pressing his lips around it and starting to gently suck. He took his time as there was no rush. He was on a beach with a beautiful woman, and not just any woman. He was going to savour this, being with her, then enjoy whatever comes after. She ran a hand through his hair, softly brushing her fingers against his scalp. He wrapped his hands around her legs, spreading them wider, continuing to listen to her sighs. Flicking his eyes up to watch her, she lay there breathing deeply, her eyes half closed. He liked how her breasts rose and fell, along with how truly relaxed her face looked.

He added his tongue to his efforts, swishing and swirling it over. Soon rewarded with Sheherazade beginning to writhe and moan. He continued, determined to pleasure her and make her ache with need. Delighting in how her fingers continued to massage his scalp, especially when she added her other hand. Sending gratifying tingles through him. He slowly increased the speed of his tongue and the strength of his sucks.

Artorius feathered his hand up her thigh, stroking his fingers along her folds before slipping them inside. Slowly pumping them in and out, taking care to stroke her sweet spot. Her hips started to roll, unconsciously trying to take his fingers deeper. Her moans became louder, mewls being added to the noises she made for him. She was still deliciously wet from their previous intertwinement, his fingers sliding in with no resistance. Her internal muscles lightly squeezed, clinging to them as he thrust them up to his knuckles. Her back arched, legs and hips trembling along with her breath. He felt her nub twitch between his lips, before clamping her thighs around his head as she let out a squeal. Her insides tightly wrapped around his fingers, eyes rolling back as she was filled with ecstasy surging through her body.

As Sheherazade came down, she released his head. Muscles going slack as she relaxed on the sand, her face filled with bliss. He raised his face from between her legs, raising up to meet hers. He leaned down to kiss her again, whilst she wove her fingers around the back of his neck. Sliding them to his shoulders encouraging him with a gentle push to roll over and allow her to be on top. He obliged, manoeuvring to lie atop him. She arranged her legs to straddle him, giving him a quick peck on the lips as their kiss finished. Kissing her lips down his chest, caressing her fingers across his skin. Playfully licking a nipple as she moved downwards. Artorius smoothed his hands across her arms as she travelled. Growing more excited as she made her way to her destination.

Grasping his cock in her hands, stroking it up and down a few times before giving his tip a tender kiss. She flashed him a sultry grin.

"How many times have you imagined me doing what I am about to do?" Puckishly raising her eyebrows.

He gazed at her, utterly enthralled. "Too many." He uttered with anticipation.

She giggled, then parted her lips, taking his cock head into her mouth, resting her hands on his hips. He couldn't help the groan he let out, especially as her warm wet mouth took more of him in. He clasped his hands either side of her head, tenderly holding her and pushing her hair back. Enraptured by her purple eyes looking up at him, as her tongue's teasing sent tingles through him. Caressing his underside as she moved her mouth up and down. For so long he had nurtured fantasies of her doing this to him, in three different scenarios. The first, where he was in charge, making her suckle on him as he had her at his mercy. The second, where he was her prisoner and she was mercilessly torturing him, bringing him to the edge over and over, denying him the chance to fall off. The third, just like this. A tender gentle effort, loving almost. Slowly bringing him to his finish, generously giving him pleasure.

As Scheherazade was only taking him partway down, she added a hand to his base, lightly stroking him. He submitted the urge to start subtly jerking his hips upwards, so absorbed in what she was doing. His face going slack, eyes glazing over, his lips slightly parted to let out his moans and sighs as she played with him. Just like his efforts with her, she felt no urgency to finish him off, leisurely sucking and stroking him. Resting her elbows on his hips, her remaining hand cupped his balls, rolling them in her palm. This simple act sent a delightful shiver through him. That far off finish seemed ever so much closer. Adoring the feeling of her silken lips, her soft fingers and flexible tongue.

His legs and hips commenced to tremble, cock twitching and pulsing between her lips. Letting out shaky breaths until a rapturous feeling claimed him. She pulled her mouth from him, stroking his full length with her hand. He grunted as his balls pulled up, spraying out a rope that landed on his stomach. His muscles went slack as his pleasure left him. Scheherazade lifted her face up and smiled at him. Moving to straddle his hips, resting her hands on his chest.

"I hope that lived up to your expectations." Sheherazade grinned.

He answered breathlessly. "Oh, it definitely did. I want to keep going... but I need a minute." Flashing a winning smile.

She giggled. "Still not satisfied?"

"I want more of you, what can I say?" His winning smile changed to a sigh. "I waited so long to have you, now that it's actually happening it feels like a dream."

She lowered herself down to lay on his chest, resting her chin on her arms crossed in front of her to watch him intently. "Maybe... but it could only happen here. We would never have been able to escape the problems life brought."

His expression grew pensive. "Perhaps we could have... we didn't have to choose the paths we did."

Her smile grew resigned. "We were never going to make other choices. My place was always as a queen. Desperately trying to hold together a people destined to collapse. A wholly futile effort I see now. If I had my time again, perhaps I would have been selfish. Left fate to take its course and sought out happiness. It probably wouldn't have been with you though." Giving him a knowing grin. "You are incapable of keeping it in your trousers, I would have been just another notch on the bedpost." Finishing with a titter.

He gave her a wry smile. "I was an unattached man, I never made any promises or told any lies. Besides, you keep calling me a fool, but you never noticed that you stole something from me not long after we met. Back when I was a young, fresh faced adventurer. It took me an embarrassing amount of time to notice it was gone... but, you definitely took it and have had it all this time."

She raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "What did I supposedly steal from you?"

He held her face in her hands. "My heart, you remorseless thief. No other woman can claim what you hold, yet I could never have you. It's been a series of meaningless affairs, waiting in the vain hope that one day you would give me yours. That you would choose a different path. The second I had you I would have forsworn all others."

She cast her eyes down. "You say that, but you thrust a blade through my chest."

Artorius regretfully sighed. "What you were going to do with the artifact was going to cause untold devastation. No one has ever got the required offering correct, that nonsense about 'a noble soul giving up something pure and precious, and something that is believed to provide purpose and meaning'. Each recorded failure was catastrophic. You wouldn't be dissuaded... I had no other means to stop you. It tore me apart to do it." He stroked his thumbs against her cheeks. "You blasted that hole in my side as retribution. I ended up on this beach, same as you."

She let out her own regretful sigh. "That artifact was the final chance for my people. The consequences seemed worth it. I realise now, they weren't... even if I had somehow succeeded. I felt like I needed that power, the only way to stop my people's enemies, deter them from what they were planning. You were never going to convince me otherwise though."

"What if I had talked you down?" He raised an eyebrow. "Found that perfect combination of words, or destroyed the artifact without taking out the mountaintop? Would you have come with me, left it all behind?" His eyes searched her's for the answer.

She chuckled. "Run away? With the one man who has never feared me, but always shown me respect. Who has been infuriatingly noble the whole time, barring his prolific bed hopping." He chuckled as she raised an eyebrow at him. "The only man who could get close enough to kill me." She playfully huffed. "After a few days of sulking about my life's purpose coming to nothing. The answer is yes." Giving him a warm smile.

Artorius beamed at her. "We'd have had so much fun adventuring together!"

She grinned. "Maybe, but your party would've needed an adjustment period." She rose up from his chest. "Especially the wizard and the ranger..." She reached back and grasped his cock and positioned him against her entrance before sinking down on him, causing them both to groan. "... once we would've started doing this..." She brushed her thumb across his lips as she tightened her insides around him. "... this part of you would be mine exclusively." She rested a hand on his chest as she brought her face closer to his. "Because I wouldn't share you." She purred.

Sheherazade pulled her thumb from his lips, planting it on his chest next to her other hand as she began to rock herself on top of him. He grasped her hips, his own matching the movement, whilst his hands encouraged her. The pair of them settled into a rhythm, both sighing and moaning as their hips kept meeting. Eyes fixed on each other as they made love.

Artorius brought his knees up, in order to thrust up into her a little harder. Marvelling at the woman above him, beyond delighted to finally be with her. Savouring the joy of being inside and her weight on top, enthusiastically riding him. She began to bounce her hips, raising herself higher and dropping back down. Moaning as she put more of her balance on his chest. Wearing a blissful expression as she increased her pace, their skin slapping together.

He thrust up even harder, contributing to her bounce and liking how her breasts jiggled. It caused her to lose her grip on his chest, her hands sliding to his shoulders, forcing her chest to press into his. She kept rolling her hips as his tempo persisted, slipping a hand between them for her fingers to find her nub. Rubbing it, as she rested her face above his. Both of them gazed into half lidded eyes, their breath kissing each other's skin. Pleasure building between them along with intimacy.

Sheherazade relished in the feeling of true connection, how he reached inside her like no one else. Her willingness to accept, fully envelop all of him in her warmth brought Artorius comfort and joy like nothing else. They let out moans in tandem, lost in each other's bodies. All else was of subdued importance, the past and all that happened before. What mattered was the now, that moment, the mounting ecstasy that formed as a pair.

Their breaths grew shaky, legs and hips trembling. It didn't take much longer for the couple's undulating bodies to reach the edge. She shivered and let out a scream, her muscles growing taut as her insides tightly embraced him. Spine arched, eyes rolling back and toes curling as a powerful rapture took her. His legs felt weak, urgently digging his fingers into her hips as he buried himself deep with one final thrust. His balls pulling up, gushing into her depths forcing an almighty groan from him. Feeling an unforgettable euphoria.

She gave him a tender kiss as they both went limp. Panting, chests heaving. She stayed on top of him until he softened. Both of them enjoyed the lingering feeling of connection as they remained merged. Until she rolled off him, settling next to him, her hand resting on his chest. He ran his thumb over her lips, holding her chin.

Artorius wore a blissful smile as he gazed at her. "I guess it's time to go to what's next, love of my life."

Sheherazade wore the same blissful smile as she returned his gaze. "I think so too, my soulmate. Love of my afterlife."

They lingered in the moment for a minute longer. As they started to sit up he felt a painful yank on his heart that dragged him a foot closer to the water.

He exclaimed in alarm. "What was that?!" Frantically looking at Sheherazade.

Her face filled with surprise at first. Then morphing into a bittersweet smile with a heartbroken look in her eyes. "It seems you're not dead, something is pulling you back."

His eyes widened, filling with despair. "No! I don't want to go back! I want to stay here with you! How do I stop this?!" He cried out in desperation.

Tears pricked the corners of her eyes, she spoke softly, soothingly. "You can't, it's beyond your control."

Another painful yank seized his heart, dragging him further into the water. He tried to fight it, wrestling against the pull but he couldn't close the distance growing between them.

"I could just come back right away! I won't leave you! Not now!" His words were filled with sorrow.

She walked over to him as he struggled to resist the unseen, unstoppable force. She gave him one final loving kiss. Her tone was comforting and full of warmth. "Don't you dare. You have a life to live, so live it. You'll be back here one day. Come and seek me out, one last time. I love you Artorius." She held his face in her hands.

He cherished her touch, his muscles quivering with the strain of fighting the inevitable. He studied her face, trying to indelibly burn every detail into his memory. Fixing on those beautiful purple eyes as they gazed into his blue for the last time. His lips trembling, knowing he couldn't hold on much longer. "I love you too, Sheherazade."

Her bittersweet smile widened. Then he was met with another excruciating yank, this one so powerful it dragged him deep and fast into the water. Sinking deep beneath the waves, watching the light on the surface grow further and further away. Forcing that last breath from him, as his lungs filled with water and the light faded altogether.

Artorius' eyes snapped open to the blue sky as he lay on his back. He violently took in a breath, coughing with the shock.

"Thank the gods! He's alive!" The wizard announced.

"For a second I was worried that it wasn't going to work." The cleric sighed in relief.

"I was so scared that we lost you buddy!" The enormous barbarian picked him up and held him in a crushing hug.

As Artorius processed that he was amongst the living and truly separated from Sheherazade, tears poured down his face. Slowly turning into quiet sobs. His party surrounded him, laying hands upon him offering comfort.

"I understand, you came so close to death, it must be upsetting." The wizard said in a soothing voice.

"On the upside, Sheherazade is completely dead. She didn't make it out, she was annihilated. We'll never see her again." The ranger offered in a chipper tone.

Artorius at hearing those words escalated from sobs to howling wails, full on ugly crying.

The barbarian empathetically patted his head. "It's been a rough day, man. Let it all out, don't keep it bottled up."

"I patched you up as best I could, but we need to get you to a proper healer to get you fully fixed. You are a mess right now." The cleric declared.

"I can carry him no problem, let's get you down this mountain, Artorius." The barbarian volunteered.

Artorius was shifted onto the barbarian's shoulders and given a piggyback. He breathed deeply trying to calm down and think. There were ways to bring people back; they were rare and costly in ways more valuable than gold. But they required an intact body, Sheherazade's was no doubt destroyed in the explosion. The idea of using someone else's body felt... wrong. As he cogitated on the practicality and ethics of maybe creating a body for her, there was another boom behind them.

A pillar of light shot down from the sky into the crumbled mountaintop. As Artorius and his party turned to face it, he felt the wound in his side sealing and his broken bones mending. Warmth spreading through him, along with a burst of energy. He threw himself off the barbarian's back and began sprinting up the mountain to the top. His instinct drove him, the symbolled pattern on his left wrist glowing ethereally. He needed to reach the light.

His party followed after him, not even close to matching his speed and drive to reach the summit. His feet pounding into the rock and earth as he ascended. Finally reaching the top. A dome of magical energy covering the centre of the crater in which hovered a large purple orb. Some kind of chrysalis to his eyes. As he approached, getting closer, the chrysalis began to open. When he entered the dome, it dissipated, and the chrysalis snapped open. Out fell an unconscious Sheherazade or something that looked like her.

Artorius ran over, cradling her bare form. Smoothing his hand across her cheek, praying to any god who would listen, that she would open her eyes and it would be 'her'. As if he was answered, slowly her purple eyes opened to meet his. Giving him a tired yet loving smile. He beamed, tears of joy creeping from his eyes.

"How? I thought you were gone. How has this miracle happened?" He uttered with bewilderment.

She let out an almost hysterical belly laugh. "You lucky, lucky bastard!" He continued to look with complete bewilderment. Once she finished laughing, she began to explain. "After you were pulled into the water and brought back, the 'artifact' appeared on the beach. It showed me that fate has a twisted sense of humour. You stumbled upon the exact offering and ritual steps the artifact demanded to activate it. 'A noble soul giving up something pure and precious, and something that is believed to provide purpose and meaning'. You sacrificed true love and your chance at ultimate power by destroying the artifact, then died. Which satisfied the conditions." She held up her right wrist, the pattern of symbols also glowing. "Once you were brought back, the ritual was fully complete, it brought me back too. That power was never meant for one person. I hope you meant what you said, we're stuck together forever now, sharing it. You... lucky... lucky... bastard!" She finished with a grin.

He burst out laughing. He pulled off his cloak and wrapped it around covering her, then held her close. "I was wholly serious. And I honestly couldn't be happier... to be an idiot savant."

As she started to laugh again, he drew her face to his for a kiss, needful, loving, warm. Both urgently holding each other in joyous relief.

Then Artorius' party crested the summit and collectively saw the moment, their tender loving embrace. Whilst all were momentarily stunned, the ranger and the wizard looked on with jealousy, anger and confusion.

The barbarian threw his fists into the sky and yelled with jubilation. "YES! FUCKING FINALLY!"

Causing both the ranger and the wizard to snap their attention to him. Raising an eyebrow at him and mimicking the others' sentiment. "Wait, what?!" They both exclaimed.

The barbarian then gave both of them a bemused yet sympathetic expression. "For him it's her, it's always been her. Sorry to tell you... but they've been dancing around each other for years. Neither of you have been around long enough to notice it yet."

The cleric sighed. "He's right, I mean just look, that's love."

Both the wizard and the ranger had tears pricking the corners of their eyes.

"But I thought..." Whimpered the wizard.

"So, he was never?..." The ranger's lip trembled.

"I know, he's a scoundrel. Come here, hug it out." The barbarian consoled them.

They both clung to the barbarian having a threeway hug. The cleric rolled his eyes and smirked as he watched the barbarian's hands lower to squeeze each of their rears.

'I like this.' The cleric thought to himself. 'I always hoped this would have a happy ending.'

End