Ashore
Along the shores of the Lorian coast, Khimi looks down at his hands, the leather pouch that he so furiously fought to cling onto during their violent swim had somehow emptied itself along the bottom of the sea. The roaring blaze before him reflects his mood, constantly shifting and breaking with the occasional lick of the rain or swaying and shaking with a gust of wind. The leather pouch wrinkles in his hand as he looks up at Lumi. Since they first broke through the surf, Lumi had run from the water and immediately attempted to reach out to their companions with magick. Regardless of his repeated failures, he had continued to try, occasionally sobbing and shouting at the sea.
Khimi’s jaw tenses as he tosses the leather pouch into the fire. The wet hide sizzles, refusing to burn until it dries and catches flame. The only things he had managed to hold onto other than Lumi were Rashid’s shamshir and a spare tunic. The air is colder than he expected, and during the night he saw his breath forming with the evening chill.
For hours, Khimi attempted to pull Lumi away from the coast to find food and shelter, but Lumi refused. Lumi pleaded and begged to stay somewhere the others could find them, and despite his best efforts, Lumi’s exhausted stubbornness had proved to be far greater than he anticipated.
With a heavy sigh, Khimi drops onto the sand beside the smoky fire, trying to imagine where they may have landed based on his limited understanding of the currents. The flora is usual and nothing seems to produce any type of edible fruit. The fauna is just as unique, wolves howl in the distance and uncomfortably large crabs skulk along the beach. If I get hungry enough… I guess I’ll eat a damn crab. He had caught crabs in his youth along the Emerald Coast, but these crabs are several times the size and their claws seem much more capable of snapping bones in half instead of leaving knicks and bruises.
Lumi prays before the fire, his legs tucked under him as he whispers hasty words to his gods. Khimi can not be sure if he is in conversation, or if he is pleading with himself, but he can see the fire and intensity in his eyes. He’s going to pass out if he keeps this up. Lumi’s head dips forward into the sand, prostrating himself before the fire with tears in his eyes.
“Sâye,” Khimi mutters as Lumi’s tail flails in front of him. “Please.”
Lumi sits up and turns his head to look back over his shoulder, his eyes brimming with tears, “No,” he growls stubbornly. “We’re not leaving till I know they’re alive.”
Khimi clenches his jaw and puts his chin on his knees. “Lumi,” he begins softly. “We have to get a move on… we need water. We need food. Shelter. If it rains, we’ll be in the wilderness, cold and wet.”
“Khimi!” Lumi snaps, pushing his feet straight before him. “We’re already cold and wet, what does it matter?”
“Fucking hells,” Khimi chokes, pressing his hand through the gritty sand. “Lumi, do you think they wouldn’t go to the first town they could find? Do you think they’re just waiting on a beach somewhere for us to rescue them?”
Lumi rises abruptly and stares down at Khimi, fire raging behind him. His lips thin into a scowl. “Khimi… this is my fault. This was my idea… what if Mido and Augustus… w-what if Ennui died?”
“What of it?” Khimi asks before he licks his dried and cracked lips. Without a source of clean water, he has begun to feel increasingly irritated. “They all knew there would be risks,” he insists, his tone cold and unwavering.
“H-how can you say that… ? I thought you liked Ennui and Augustus?” Lumi whispers, his eyes becoming soft, deep pools. “You’re upset…”
Khimi forces himself back to his feet and looks down his nose at Lumi. “You’re godsdamned right I am upset, Lumi… what do you think is going to happen? We are lucky to be alive, do you think anyone else had even a decent chance of surviving that? I used every ounce of magick I had in me to try to bring us closer to the coastline… the others can’t do what I can do.”
“We haven’t seen any bodies wash up thoug–”
“Lumi!” Khimi growls and grabs his wrist. “There is an endless coastline they could wash up on. Or they could have sunk to the bottom of the sea… listen to me,” he says, his tone becoming calm as he continues. “We’re going to leave here and head along the coastline until we hit a town.”
“B-but… I just want to kno–”
“Stop it!” Khimi shouts, grabbing hold of Lumi’s shoulders, “We need to worry about us right now. We need water.”
Lumi’s eyes well with tears as he hangs his head forward, his rounded ears twitch as Khimi shakes him back and forth. “Just tell me they are all going to be okay.”
“I won’t lie to you,” Khimi says and pulls Lumi against himself. His fingertips brush through the back of Lumi’s hair, gritty with sand. “But we can hope they are alright and take care of ourselves.”
Lumi presses his cheek against Khimi’s wet shirt and brings his arms behind his waist. “Mido and Augustus only came because of Saint Nina… if something happened to them… it’ll be my fault.”
“It’s not,” Khimi whispers softly as he holds Lumi against himself.
Lumi’s body emanates the comforting warmth he had grown used to since their time being together. A soft, radiant glow that blossoms from within, leaving him warm to the touch. Little sun, the name he had heard Lilith call Lumi repeatedly throughout her stay. With his cracked lips, he places a kiss between Lumi’s ears before releasing him.
“Can we get a move on then?” Khimi questions as he glances up at the stars. “We really do need water…”
Lumi clicks his tongue and shifts his feet through the sand. “If we can find a basin I can purify it and make fresh water… but it needs to be a pond or a puddle. Something where water is still… are you sure that you don’t want to stay on the beach a bit longer?”
“No,” Khimi mutters as the cold air surges through him, chilling his bones. As he steps further away from the fire, the fog of his breath becomes more obvious. “Put the jacket on, Lumi. You’ll freeze,” he insists as he grabs the outer jacket of his kaftan and begins to pull his arms through the sleeves.
“It’s too big,” Lumi grumbles as he picks up the fur-lined jacket. “It’s still sort of wet.”
Khimi rolls his eyes and turns to Lumi “Put it on,” he demands while he looks him up and down. “You don’t even have boots for fucks sake.”
Lumi’s toes wriggle in the sand, “I-it’s not that cold,” he announces while he pulls the jacket on. The jacket consumes his body, the dark leather falling just short of his ankles. “I look so stupid.”
Khimi releases a snort and forces himself to smile, “Would you rather freeze?”
“No,” Lumi insists as he shrugs the shoulders of the jacket further up his body. “It’s fine… it’s just hideous.”
Khimi takes a branch sticking out of their campfire and holds it above his head. “Come on,” he insists. “We’ll find a puddle to make freshwater or something along the way.”
“We don’t even know where we’re going,” Lumi grumbles, following Khimi’s lead and grabbing a makeshift torch from the fire. “We’re just gonna… wander the beach?”
Khimi rolls his eyes as he begins to walk towards the treeline with Lumi at his heels. “It isn’t like the Desert Cities here… it could snow any day.”
“Snow?”
“Never mind,” Khimi sighs as he trudges through the wet sand and into the dirt. “It’s… frozen rain. No one has ever told you about snow? How the north is blanketed in fields of white?”
Lumi races to keep up with Khimi’s face, “I had seen stuff like that in paintings, and I heard one of the Lorian girls at the temple talk about it.”
“It’s cold and miserable… and though I have never been to the north. There was a mage who made snow to entertain in the Desert Cities… it’s so cold. It’s prickly and hot, absolutely undesirable.”
Khimi pauses and takes one last look back at the beach, the fire he had constructed earlier in the day continues to roar, the flames reach into the sky as they eat away at the few logs of driftwood he had managed to find. His hopes for the others had been short-lived as he thinks back on their final moments on the ship. As they had surfaced from the water after they were taken from the ship, Ennui had given him a knowing look in her eyes before she let them both go. Khimi’s fingers tighten on the impromptu torch. You better be alive, Ennui.
Through the cold of the night, Khimi walks along the edge of the forest and grassy plains until they stumble upon a dirt path headed to the north. His stomach churns with hunger and his lips are parched. If there had been one thing that was important in travels through the Desert Cities it was water. Khimi nearly laughs to himself at the thought that it would have been any different here. With an entire sea to his east, Khimi feels more thirsty than he has in years.
After several hours Lumi’s pace slows, his feet dragging after marching through the night. He shivers as he pulls the jacket tighter around himself. Khimi stops and turns, his torch has long since faded and Lumi walks behind him with an orb of burning flame above his palm. There had been several spots along the way, in which they could have made their camp, but the hope of running water kept them pressing on.
“Lumi?” Khimi whispers as he looks back over his shoulder.
Lumi remains still, the glow from his fire flickers around them. “Khimi, I’m tired…”
“Just a little bit longer,” Khimi grumbles as he turns back and grasps Lumi’s hand. “I can carry you if you’re too tired,” he suggests softly.
“N-no, it’s okay… I promis–”
Khimi crosses the distance between them in a few quick steps, squatting and urging Lumi onto his shoulders without a word. “Just a little bit longer,” he whispers as Lumi’s thighs straddle the back of his neck.
Lumi ignites the flame above his palm and holds it above Khimi’s head as they walk through the grassy field and muddy paths. “I could have walked…”
Khimi remains quiet as they traverse the trails and paths through the forest and fields. The Lorian sea bashes against the coast and the sound of its waves echo through the forest. The winds that remain from the storm blow over the tips of the tall pines, their towering trunks bend and want to break. Lumi’s light fades from his palms as his body slumps over Khimi’s head. With ease, Khimi manages to lower Lumi along his back, his head resting on his shoulder. The first signs of daybreak appear, the sun’s rays crack through the dense gray skies and shine across the field.
Khimi closes his eyes as the sun kisses his skin, the warmth of Lumi’s breath over his shoulder. Just a little bit longer, he thinks, pulling Lumi up along his back as he continues through the grassy field. The muddy footpath widens and meets with another large path. Trails from wagons mark the path and large puddles appear in the mud. Khimi recalls Lumi’s words about purifying the water. He wonders how desperate he must be if he drinks the water from a puddle. Staring down into his reflection, he smiles as he catches a glimpse of Lumi’s face, his cheeks pressed against his shoulder, his arm extended ahead of him awkwardly.
Driven by thirst, Khimi continues onward until he hears the sound of water flowing. Along the edge of the woodline, he pushes through the brush into a small clearing. Budding ferns, unfurled in the morning light surround a small creek. Water flowers over stony pebbles, and into a pond, clear as crystal. Finally, he thinks as he nears the water, squatting and cupping his hand. He brings the water to his nose, a faint metallic scent lingers. Crisp, quenching water fills his mouth as it passes his lips. Khimi shakes Lumi awake and allows him to slip from his shoulders.
Lumi groans as he looks over the verdant meadow and rubs his eyes, “Where are we?” He questions groggily.
Khimi ignores him and cups both of his hands into the water, drinking handfuls of the water before turning to him. “Along the Lorian Sea. There are wagon tracks along the road, probably a few days old but it’s hard to tell with the weather. There is probably a farm or village up ahead,” he says as he clears his throat and prepares to drink more.
“You’re gonna get sick if you drink like that…” Lumi whispers, cautiously edging near the water in the overgrown coat. Lumi cups his hands in the water and brings it to his lips. “Khimi,” he whispers before he takes his first sip. “Everyone… they’re gonna be okay.”
“Don’t be so sure, Lu–”
“They are!” Lumi says confidently then finishes and clears his throat, his eyes rise into the branches of the pines around them. “I can feel them… they’re gonna be alright.”
Khimi purses his lips in thought. Lumi always had an optimism and hopefulness, unlike anyone he had ever met. Yet, he still can not contain his skepticism as he remembers Ennui’s last nod and the feeling of the surging waves breaking over them. “Did the gods tell you this?” He asks, his eyes still gazing into the reflective water in his hand.
Lumi looks at Khimi out of the corner of his eyes, “No… I just know,” he says, with a hopeful smile.
“Well then… since you’re a diviner now, do you know which way is the quickest to the town?” Khimi asks, managing a smile as he meets Lumi’s eye.
Lumi purses his lips in thought as he squats closer to the edge of the water, the cold mud squelching between his toes. “Mmm, I dunno… you’re the navigator,” he says as his ears twitch suddenly. He stands abruptly and turns back towards the road. “I hear something… from the north,” he closes his eyes and tilts his head in concentration. “Horses I think… ?”
Khimi takes another sip of the water and flicks the excess water from his hands as he rushes back through the foliage. “Hurry up,” he calls back to Lumi as he hurries to the road.
Lumi drinks as he rushes behind Khimi, “What’re you doing?” He shouts as he breaks through the brush and onto the road.
“Fetching us a ride,” Khimi announces with a laugh as he brushes the sand and grit from his jacket.
A horse approaches from the north with a single rider at a full gallop. All too quickly, Khimi realizes even if he wants to call out and stop the rider, there would be no safe way to stop them without an accident. Fuck. Lumi rushes beside him as the dappled stallion rushes past, the rider, covered from head to toe in heavy clothing tilts his head in their direction but does not halt his pace. Mud and dirt sling behind them, kicking high into the sky from the horse’s speed.
Lumi smacks his lips thoughtfully, “Well… I guess we’ll be walking.”
Khimi looks down at Lumi’s feet caked with mud up to his ankles. “C’mon,” he sighs as he squats beside him, “You shouldn’t be walking in the wet without boots.”
“N-no no, really,” Lumi insists, looking at Khimi with a nervous expression, “I don’t mind walking,” he says but begins to climb onto Khimi’s back anyway.
Khimi scoffs as he holds onto Lumi’s thighs and begins to walk along the road to the north. “We’re lucky we washed up somewhere close to civilization,” he says, grunting as he pulls Lumi up further. “Maybe we’ll find somewhere by the end of the day.”
“Khimi,” Lumi whispers into his ear as he leans over his shoulder, “Can I put my feet into your jacket?” He asks, with a hint of desperation. “My toes are cold.”
Khimi blinks slowly as he takes in Lumi’s question. “What?” He asks before he shakes his head and opens the pockets along the outside of his jacket. “Sure,” he mutters, grimacing as he helps guide Lumi’s muddy feet into the pockets of his kaftan.
Bringing his hands around Khimi’s neck and holding on tight, Lumi smiles and laughs softly, “I don’t think anyone would stop for us now… we look like some creature that crawled out of the sea.”
“Hells, you’re probably right,” Khimi laughs while Lumi’s feet pull against the jacket.
Hours after, Khimi had carried Lumi along the muddy path until his arms had begun to grow sore. The path seems to widen the further north they travel and as the midday sun pushes through the parted clouds, Khimi pauses along the side of the road to rest. Among the high stalks of grass, they soak in the sun, resting their eyes. Lumi pulls himself beside Khimi and tucks his feet between them. Together, their heat makes the chill in the air slightly more bearable. Khimi rolls on his side and brushes his fingers along Lumi’s side, feeling the heat radiating through his clothing. How is he so warm? As he runs his fingers along his body, gentle purrs rise through him.
Khimi chokes as he looks down at Lumi’s feet, “How the hells am I going to buy you boots without any coin?” He whispers under his breath to Lumi sleeping beside him.
Hermon’s Well
The following morning at dawn, they arise and continue their trek throughout the day. After several hours of walking through the frigid air in the early morning, the buildings rising in the distance is a welcome sight. Lumi hurries ahead of Khimi, running as quickly as his feet can carry him, his feathery hair flopping in the wind as his tail swings behind him. Khimi smiles and shakes his head as Lumi screams excitedly. How can you be so happy?
A signpost taken with rot is painted with the town’s name, Hermon’s Well. As they begin their passage through the outskirts of the town, Khimi’s attention immediately is drawn to the palisade walls that surround the town. Wooden guard towers rise up along the entrance which appears to only allow in one wagon at a time. The name of the town is unfamiliar to Khimi, but he is glad to have stumbled upon civilization. Guards with bows longer than those he had seen within the Desert Cities stand along the top of the small wooden tower. Lumi looks up and waves at the figure in the tower before he begins to cross through the threshold. Khimi grabs hold of his shoulder as the guards’ faces pinch.
“Where do you think you’re headed?” A broody-looking man wearing a wool cap inquires from above.
“We’re just loo–”
Khimi claps his hand over Lumi’s mouth and smiles up at the guards, “We’re just passing through. We’re heading to Cochon and are seeking shelter for the night.”
Lumi looks back at Khimi with a hand still over his mouth, a look of disbelief on his face. He grumbles through Khimi’s hand as the guard begins to call down to them again.
“You can enter, where do you hail from, travelers?” A second, more youthful guard peers down at them with his arms crossed. “Your clothing is unusual… and the feline has nothing on his feet.”
“I’m an as–”
Khimi’s face pinches angrily as his hand tightens back over Lumi’s mouth. He had dealt with these sorts of situations before, the more far-fetched or curious the story, the less amicable the reception would be in a setting such as this. “From the south!” Khimi calls out, “Around the Isles,” he lies with a smile on his face. “My friend lost his boots in deep mud some distance back. Chance there is a cobbler or tanner?”
The broody-faced guard leans forward and musters a crooked smile at the two of them, “There are a few folks who work with leather here in Hermon’s Well… but most folks here work the salt fields to the north. If you have coin, you can stay at the inn. Valentina owns i–”
“You might not find a room though,” the youthful guard interrupts as he begins to climb down the ladder to the interior of the palisade wall. As he crosses through the threshold he continues, “A few other travelers are taking up most of the rooms.” He pauses as he looks them up and down. “Your friend alright?” He asks, nodding to Lumi.
Lumi’s face is red with anger, his teeth tease against Khimi’s palm. “He’s fine,” Khimi snorts, “just a bit worked up after the journey.”
Finally, wriggling his mouth from Khimi’s hand, “Is there a devilkin? Two men? Li–”
“He’s just exhausted,” Khimi suggests as he lifts his hand back over Lumi’s mouth.
The guard atop of the palisade with dark circles around his eye clears his throat, “I want to hear what he has to say. He’s piqued my interest.”
Khimi groans and releases his hand, whispering into Lumi’s ears, “Don’t say too much.”
“Was there a devilkin and two guys that came through? A canis? Or a Lorian with reddish hair?!” Lumi asks excitedly, his hands moving with hurried motions.
The youthful guard looks up to the other and whistles. “Well, a devilkin came along… she’s still at the inn. We almost didn’t grant her entry… but she made a convincing argument and flashed some impressive names. Who are we to turn down someone related to a consul?”
Lumi purses his lips and whispers to himself. “That isn’t Ennui.”
Khimi scoffs and hides his smile, he had heard all manner of lies from Ennui before. That is definitely her. “Might I ask what she looked like?” Khimi asks as he begins to approach the youthful guard.
“Pale as snow, eyes like fire. Horns pitch as night… long ass whip of a tail,” he says while he moves his hands along with the details of her body. “She looked a bit deranged when she first got here… but she cleaned up nice. Looks like a proper lady now.”
Khimi raises his brow at the guard’s words, Proper lady? Maybe it isn’t Ennui. “And nothing about the others?”
The brooding guard scoffs and leans down over the railing. “How do you know so much about who is in Hermon’s Well?”
“So the others are here too?!” Lumi shouts with merriment in his voice.
“Just the devilkin,” he shouts back, “The inn is filled with travelers headed south from Cochon… something happened.”
“Something,” The youthful guard mocks, “By something he means vampires,” he mumbles. “So color us surprised when you say that you’re headed off to Cochon.”
Khimi places his hand on Lumi’s head and brushes his fingers through his feathery hair. “It’s just a stop along the way… one of many,” he confesses with a shrug.
“Vampires?” Lumi questions, looking between Khimi and the guards. “I’ve only just heard about them recently…”
The youthful guard sighs and motions for them to enter the town, “Well if you don’t know about vampires then you’re definitely going to need shelter. Hermon’s Well can keep you safe. The town’s praetor is kind… he’s been here some years. A bit eccentric, but he seems to care about everyone’s well-being. We’re fortunate.”
Past the palisade walls, the town opens up into an odd assortment of buildings that spread out over a distance. The buildings at the center of the town are uncomfortably grand compared to the random assortment spread along the outer edges of the palisade walls. An ancient well sits in the very center, partially covered with wooden planks. Children pull at the rope along the well and draw water into buckets. Being this close to the sea… there should be salt water in that well, he thinks as the youthful guard walks them to the inn.
The inn’s porch curves around the front and sides of the building, offering a place to rest and relax. Despite its purpose, the dark stone bricks and slate roof give off an unwelcoming appearance. The only source of warmth and friendliness comes from the rectangular windows, which emit a soft glow from within. However, the most unwelcoming aspect of this place is the devilkin leaning casually against one of the wooden columns supporting the porch. Ennui. The red flax gown she wears accentuates the fiery nature of her eyes and gives her a more feminine appearance. The black boots rise to her ankle, unlike her usual mid-calf boots. Their faces light up as Ennui rolls her eyes and forces a smile.
“Ennui!” Lumi shouts as he runs across the commons with open arms.
The youthful guard looks at Khimi with a baffled expression, “Ennui?”
Khimi straightens the smile that had formed on his lips and gives the guard a reassuring nod. “It’s a nickname. You know… just something the two of them came up with.”
The guard looks skeptically at Khimi as he adjusts the red tunic nervously. “Where did you say you were from again?”
“The Golden Isles,” Khimi lies again, giving the guard a knowing side-eye.
The guard chokes and looks Khimi up and down, pausing on his shamshir, “Just don’t cause any trouble, okay?”
“We’ll be good,” Khimi promises the guard as he approaches Ennui, who had already been set upon by Lumi.
Lumi embraces Ennui like a leech on flesh. His legs are wrapped around her waist, his arms pulling tight around her side and pressing against her breasts. Her efforts to fight him off are half-hearted at best. Her scowl slowly softens as she meets Khimi’s eyes and beats at the top of Lumi’s head with the end of her palms.
“Get off, Lumi,” Ennui sighs as she hangs her hands to the side. “I don’t have a cock for you to suck… go back to your meat stick,” she mutters as she smiles at Khimi.
“It seems he’s grown fond of you,” Khimi suggests with a casual lean against the wooden column. “He’s cried day and night about you… worried you died.”
“I’m too fuckin’ mean to die,” Ennui says with shocking quickness. “Besides…” Her voice becomes soft as she places her hand on the back of Lumi’s head. “I did promise you,” she whispers, holding Khimi’s gaze.
Khimi raises his brow, “Was it a promise?” He asks with a coy smile as Lumi nudges his head under her arm.
Ennui rolls her eyes and cleaves Lumi from her side like an unwanted pest, “It was. I believe I promised to protect your precious…” Her voice trails as her eyes turn to Lumi.
Lumi looks up at her, “I got mud all over your… dress,” he says bashfully. “Did you happen to see Mido or Augustus?”
“Egg?” Ennui croaks, “No… but I pray he is better at swimming than he is at fighting,” she says, chuckling to herself before she chokes back her laughter. “I’m sure they’re fine. They’re big boys.”
Khimi takes a step closer to Ennui and embraces her. Her eyes grow wide in shock. “I’m glad you made it,” Khimi confesses softly as her horn brushes against his ear.
Ennui’s tail whips behind her, “I-I admit I was shocked to wake up in the first place… but enough of that. We’re alive, let’s get you something to eat. You both look disgusting.”
“Well, we haven’t bathed in weeks. Unless you count the Lorian sea,” Khimi responds as Lumi wanders about the porch aimlessly.
Lumi waves them to the door as he peers them through, “It smells… like pork and cabbage?” He asks, trying to pick up on the curious scent.
Ennui turns from Khimi and clicks her tongue as she pushes her way through the door past Lumi. “The cook is pretty good; everything she’s made has been divine.”
The inside of the inn is surprisingly tidy. Several tables in the room are filled with patrons. The crowd looks up from their tables and glances at them without breaking the conversation. Even though Lumi had never been overly fond of meat, his hunger is intense enough to cause his mouth to salivate. The pungent smell of the boiling cabbage is almost welcome.
Khimi leans in against Ennui and nudges his elbow against her side, “Have you met any vampires up here?” He questions under his breath.
Ennui purses her lips in thought, “I don’t think so, but they can walk around us mostly undetected… I suspect the only reason those clowns let you two through the gate is because you look foreign and disheveled. Maybe they took pity on you both.”
“Pity?” Khimi laughs, an amused look in his eye. “Do I look pitiable?”
Ennui places her hand on Lumi’s shoulder and guides him through the inn, “You both look pitiable… I’ve seldom seen you look so haggard. Though Lumi always looks like he’s stumbled down a sand dune.”
“What?” Lumi croaks as Ennui pushes him through the hallway.
Khimi laughs under his breath as he follows Ennui into the kitchen. Much to his surprise, no one seems to be bothered by their appearance. The lupo woman wearing a smock gives them a quick glance before she returns to her cleaver. Another youthful lupo looks up at them with a smile, her hands occupied with a ball of dough.
Ennui grabs a wooden bowl from the cupboard and ladles a heaping scoop of brothy cabbage from a cauldron. The two cooks in the room do not look up from their work and seemingly ignore Ennui altogether. Hells did she do to be allowed in the kitchen? She laughs as she hands the two of them bowls and encourages them to follow her back into her room.
At the end of the hall, Ennui forces a door open to an uncomfortably small room. She stands in the hallway waiting for them both to enter. The wall hosts wooden floors and wood-paneled walls. A bed that barely looks large enough for Lumi to lay comfortably. The bedding looks to be made of a coarse, itchy fabric, and Khimi can find no sign of Ennui’s belongings in the room.
“You’re sleeping in a closet?” Khimi whispers as he brings a spoon of the broth to his lips.
Ennui’s laughter fills the room, she covers her mouth to stop herself from laughing. “No, no… the inn only has a few rooms. This closet is for you and Lumi.”
Lumi shrugs and slides onto the bed with his bowl of pork and cabbage nearly splashing over the edges. “Looks fine to me,” he mumbles before he brings the edge of the wooden bowl to his lips and slurps at the broth.
“Can we switch?”
“No, but you can both use my bath. Since you’re disgusting… one at a time though.”
Khimi follows Lumi’s lead and brings the bowl to his lips, slurping half the bowl before pulling back. “Thank you… Ennui. For everything.”
Ennui smiles and steps back through the threshold of the door and into the hallway. “I’ll be upstairs when you need a bath.”
Lumi raises his bowl cheerfully and offers her his thanks. As the door closes behind her, the room is left in darkness. Khimi greedily gulps down the remaining soupy mixture as he sits beside Lumi on the bed. Instinctively, his hand moves to the back of Lumi’s head, brushing through the matted locks. Even in the dark, Khimi can feel Lumi’s eyes on him, and within a heartbeat Lumi’s bowl splashes to the ground, as warm lips press against his, the weight of Lumi’s body pressing onto his waist. Khimi almost stops Lumi, but he feels his fingers, still warm from the bowl pushing into the waist of his trousers. Unable to stop himself, he forces his tongue into Lumi’s mouth and sucks on his lips.
The door creaks open and light from the hall floods into the room, Khimi looks past Lumi to see Ennui’s silhouette in the doorway.
“Oh, fucking hells. Lumi, a word?” Ennui groans before slamming the door shut with a piercing bang.
Lumi sighs and sidles off of Khimi’s lap, “Don’t go anywhere!” He instructs with a hint of laughter.
Khimi sighs in the darkness and leans back across the bed, his feet still hanging off the bed. The light enters the room, only to quickly vanish with Lumi’s exit. The weight of their journey finally hits him and he closes his heavy eyes.
***
Khimi groans in his sleep, dreams of traveling far off lands with Lumi are disturbed by a sudden warmth against his body. The familiar hot breath caresses his cheek, but he is still too exhausted to open his eyes. The scraping of Lumi’s fingernails across his skin, across his chest. The room feels cold, but Lumi is so warm against him, an intense heat, a welcoming warmth on a frigid night. It is all too easy for him to give in. The shirt comes over his head with ease, Lumi’s fingers working it over his musculature with deft fingers. Khimi participates, but only enough.
“Let me take care of you,” Lumi whispers, his lips just against Khimi’s ear.
The soft jingle of Lumi’s tail ring echoes through the room. Khimi can barely hold his eyes open long enough to glimpse Lumi’s silhouette in the darkness. Instinctively, he reaches for Lumi’s ass, cupping the soft cheek, feeling along the curves. His fingers glide beneath the tail and move down to that impossibly warm entrance. It’s wet, eager, it clenches on his digit with hunger.
Khimi can barely form the words through his gravelly voice, “You prepared yourself?”
Lumi kisses the corner of Khimi’s lips. “Ennui didn’t want me to… get hurt.”
Khimi groans against Lumi’s touch, his hands glide along his chest, rolling the coarse hairs between his fingers. “How considerate of her,” he manages after another groan.
“Just rest,” Lumi whispers while his hands dip down into Khimi’s trousers.
Khimi leans his head back, allowing Lumi his freedom. Had this been any other time, he would already be deep inside of Lumi. But he can barely keep his eyes open, carrying Lumi through the night, unable to sleep through most of the previous night, he can hardly muster the energy to speak.
“I’ll keep you warm, Khimi,” Lumi whispers tauntingly, his tail swaying behind him. His lips trail down to Khimi’s nipples and bite hard. He pulls back and wipes his lips of saliva, “I am the Saint of Flames, after all.”
The pain does not bother Khimi, but Lumi’s words do. His cock threatens to rip through his trousers, pushing the fabric taut.
“You’re supposed to light a fire in my heart… not my cock,” Khimi challenges, a weak smile on his lips.
“I can do both,” Lumi teases, his fingers dipping into the top of Khimi’s trousers.
Lumi pushes the fabric down Khimi’s thighs, and Khimi’s cock leaps forward with a springy bounce, tapping against his asscheeks with a steely rigidness. A low moan escapes his lips, a wanting smile crosses his face.
“It always surprises me,” Lumi begins quietly, “how I can manage to fit such a beast inside me. It’s just… so thick, hard, and…” his voice trails while he gradually moves down Khimi’s body and onto the floor between his legs, “delicious.”
From the impossibly heavy balls, Lumi’s tongue licks in a long stroke all the way to the covered tip, a clear trail of saliva in its wake. Propping himself up with Khimi’s legs, he kisses along the thick veins at the side, tasting every bit of Khimi’s cock.
Khimi holds back groans of pleasure through his clenched teeth, his hands pull at the itchy fabric beneath him. Any time he is faced with Lumi’s insatiable lust, it is always a battle. He can almost imagine the warmth of Lumi’s insides around his cock, he wants it desperately.
“L-Lumi,” Khimi mumbles.
Lumi shushes him softly, his coarse tongue teases along the shaft. His hand tightens above his balls, pulling down on the sack with slight pressure. Cupping them then gently, he jostles them, unable to fit them both in his hand. Lumi’s tongue makes its way to the tip, where he laps over the leaking slit.
Khimi’s breath is heavy already, he can feel himself breaking under Lumi’s advances. Despite their time together on the ship, there had only been a handful of times they managed to find privacy to be intimate. Khimi knew that eventually the lack of intimacy would break Lumi, and here, now, it is manifesting.
“Oh, Khimi,” Lumi whispers, his face pressed against his cock, rubbing his lips against the shaft. “I-I missed you.”
Khimi laughs to himself. I’ve always been here, he almost says, he did not know if Lumi was referring to his cock.
Lumi takes Khimi’s shaft in both hands, guiding the tip to his lips. His prickly tongue swirls over the head, lapping up the drooling precum with a primal need. It dives beneath the foreskin, pushing against it, causing it to pull taut over the flared tip. It does not take long for Khimi to feel the urge to cum, but he tilts his head back onto the bed and fights against it. He calls out Lumi’s name in the darkness, his face pinched in pleasure.
The air seems to crackle with anticipation as Lumi’s lips finally envelope Khimi’s throbbing length. Khimi’s eyes roll back and teeth grind, the sheer pleasure of the sensation overwhelming him. In the darkness, his body glistens with a cold sweat.
Lumi’s tongue makes self-indulgent licks at Khimi’s salty taste. It curls and strokes, like a slowly unfurling flower, seeking out the most sensitive spots. He moans and hums in pleasure, the vibrations making Khimi shiver. He wriggles and bucks against Lumi’s mouth, a silent plea to cum.
Lumi’s lips begin to stretch around the head of Khimi’s cock, his eyes flutter open. Even in the darkness, he can imagine Lumi’s full lips wrapped around him, the way his tongue dances around the head, is almost too much for Khimi to bear. He arches his back, lifting himself off the bed slightly, as if willing Lumi to take more of him into his mouth.
Lumi, sensing Khimi’s desire, obliges eagerly. His throat opens wide, and he slowly begins to lower himself, swallowing more and more of Khimi’s cock, bit by bit. Khimi’s breath hitches as he feels the thick, wet heat of Lumi’s mouth around him, so different from the cold around them.
As Lumi’s head bobs up and down, he places one hand on Khimi’s hip, the other grasping the base of his cock. He uses his grip and his lips to create a tight, pleasurable suction, pulling Khimi’s shaft in and out as he sucks and swallows.
Lumi releases a handful of low and eager whimpers, his body shaking suddenly. His throat clamps down with an inviting tightness. His saliva and the slickness of his throat create a slippery path for Khimi’s cock to slide in and out, and Khimi’s hips respond instinctively. He thrusts gently, matching the rhythm of Lumi’s bobbing head. Lumi’s eagerness is overwhelming; Khimi can feel his orgasm building deep within him.
Lumi’s mouth fills with saliva, his tongue sliding along Khimi’s shaft. Khimi’s moans grow louder, the ebb and flow of his hips growing more erratic. Sweat beads his skin, and he feels like he’s on the edge, about to fall into the abyss of pleasure.
He grabs Lumi’s head, his fingers splaying through the feathery strands of his hair. “Lumi,”
he gasps, his voice hoarse with desire. “I’m close.”
Lumi does not skip a beat. He keeps his mouth moving, his throat constricting around Khimi’s aching shaft. The sensation is too much for Khimi to handle. He arches his back, his hips bucking wildly as he thrusts deeper into Lumi’s willing mouth.
Lumi’s lips are wet and warm, his tongue sliding along Khimi’s length, teasing and sucking as if he wants to draw out every bit of essence from him. Khimi can feel his orgasm surging forward, pleasure building within him, threatening to consume him whole.
Then it breaks. It crashes over him in a fiery wave. Khimi’s body convulses, his muscles jerking and throbbing with force. With a final gasp, he erupts into Lumi’s mouth, his cum spurting forth in a hot, salty torrent.
Lumi sucks greedily, swallowing Khimi’s seed as it fills his hungry belly. His lips and tongue never falter, milking Khimi’s cock while the orgasm continues. As the last few jets of cum escape from Khimi’s throbbing length, Lumi gently pulls away. Khimi’s cock slips from between his lips, the last drops of cum dribbling from his chin and down his chest. His lips glisten with the evidence of their tryst and he continues to lick and suck on his cock, tasting the salty seed.
Lumi lifts his head, wiping the remaining cum from his chin with the back of his hand, and licks his lips. His eyes glint mischievously as he smiles up at Khimi. “Now… let me ride you,” he whispers seductively, his voice still tinged with desire.
Khimi’s eyes widen at Lumi’s words, his breathing still ragged from the intensity of their encounter. Lumi crawls up Khimi’s body, his movements slow and deliberate. Khimi’s hands roam over Lumi’s muscles, tracing the lines of his features. Each touch is a caress, a kiss, a promise of more to come. Lumi reaches his destination and straddles Khimi’s hips, leaning down to capture his lips in a deep, passionate kiss. His tail shakes behind him, brushing against Khimi’s spent cock.
“Come’on, Khimi,” Lumi teases while he pulls back from their kiss. “Don’t you wanna fuck me?” He asks, his tongue dragging over Khimi’s lips.
Khimi’s lips push violently back against Lumi’s, his hand tugs into Lumi’s blond locks and presses their mouths together hard. The taste of his own seed is fresh on Lumi’s tongue, but he does not care. Lumi is right, he wants to fuck him, he wants to feel his cock married to his flesh. Feel the warmth of the boy’s insides hugging him tight. His cock grows more rigid by the moment until it’s painfully swollen. There is no time to catch his breath.
Lumi reaches down between them, taking hold of Khimi’s shaft, and guides it against his body. With slow gentle strokes, he tests Khimi’s rigidity. His asscheeks, slick with oil rub up and down his shaft, preparing him for the pleasure he is about to experience.
Khimi pulls back from their kiss, his lips still against Lumi’s cheek. “You need to cum,” he whispers, reaching for Lumi’s arousal in the dark.
Just as Khimi’s fingers reach the soft shaft, he feels the slick of Lumi’s cum coating his fingers. “I did,” Lumi whispers.
Khimi releases a snort, “Before?”
“When I was tasting you,” Lumi admits in a whisper, his lips pressing back to Khimi’s.
Their tongues dart out to taste the other while Lumi positions himself above Khimi’s throbbing length. They gaze into each other’s eyes, the raw, animalistic desire still burning within them. Khimi’s fingers trace Lumi’s hips, his skin glistening with sweat and burning with heat. He feels a sudden, overwhelming need to be inside his lover, to possess him completely.
Lumi lowers himself onto Khimi’s cock, the warm, engorged flesh slides into the overbearing heat that is Lumi’s insides. Pleasure washes over Khimi as Lumi settles onto his lap. The sheer magnitude of Khimi’s cock is felt by Lumi as his body envelops it completely. A squeak of heated pleasure breaks through Lumi’s lips.
Khimi moans deeply, his hands gripping Lumi’s hips tightly. He feels Lumi’s warm, tight flesh around him, clutching him like a vice. Lumi leans forward, their lips meeting in another passionate kiss, Khimi’s tongue sliding between Lumi’s lips, their tongues dancing together. Lumi shifts his hips, sliding up and down on Khimi’s cock, their bodies moving in unison. Their sweat mingles, slicking their skin, Khimi’s muscles flexing and rippling as he moves. Lumi’s tail wraps around Khimi’s thigh as if to hold on. He pulls back from their kiss, his hands behind him on Khimi’s thighs.
Khimi’s cock throbs inside of Lumi, pulsating with each throb of his heart. Lumi moans deep in his throat, his lust-glazed eyes rolling back in the heat of pleasure.
Khimi grips Lumi’s hips tighter, his thrusts becoming more erratic, his breath becoming ragged. Lumi’s cock, still leaking cum, bounces and jumps against Khimi’s stomach, the foreskin pulling back and forth over the sensitive head. Lumi’s eyes roll back in pleasure, his head falling back, exposing his delicate neck, still adorned with Nina’s choker.
Khimi’s eyes lock onto Lumi’s, their gaze charged with raw, animalistic desire. His thrusts become more frantic, his body trembling with the need to release his own seed into Lumi’s warmth. Lumi lets out a guttural moan, his hips bucking wildly, his tail whipping back and forth, brushing through the sweat forming on Khimi’s thighs.
“Gods, you feel so good,” Khimi groans, watching the reflective glint of Lumi’s eyes.
Lumi’s mouth opens in a flash of bright teeth. Unable to speak, he only whimpers, feeling along his swelling abdomen, pressing against Khimi’s cock inside.
Khimi feels his balls tighten, his orgasm growing closer with each thrust. He can feel Lumi’s tightness gripping him harder, pulling him deeper into him. Their bodies move together perfectly, their breaths ragged and heavy, their lust heavy in the air.
Lumi’s eyes flutter shut, his head thrown back as he lets out a whimpering cry, a stream of cum spurts across Khimi’s chest.
Their movements become more erratic, their skin slick with sweat, their bodies glistening in the dim light. Lumi’s tail twitches then slaps greedily against Khimi’s thigh. Khimi knows he is close, Lumi’s tightness pulses, milking him, urging him closer.
Khimi grits his teeth, his hips bucking harder, his cock sliding in and out of Lumi with brutal force. Lumi’s muscles clench around him, the sensation so intense that time seems to freeze for a moment. Lumi’s breath hitches, his back arched while another stream of cum launches over Khimi’s abdomen.
At that moment, Khimi loses control. His cock throbs and twitches with Lumi’s increasing tightness. Khimi’s cum spurts deep within him, coating his insides with warmth.
Lumi’s eyes roll back in his head as Khimi’s cum fills him. Lumi whimpers and Khimi groans, their panting breaths mixing in the air. Sweat trickles down their bodies, intermingling with the stickiness of their mingled fluids. Lumi’s tail twitches and wriggles, still grasping for more of Khimi’s thrusts.
Khimi’s climax is powerful and prolonged, his cock swelling and trembling inside Lumi. Lumi continues to ride Khimi, bouncing up and down eagerly, his cock, still glistening with cum, twitches, and jumps, leaving a trail of sticky fluid on Khimi’s stomach. His growing erection betrays him, hard and throbbing.
“My, my,” Khimi whispers, his fingertips ghosting over Lumi’s side. “You’re insatiable.”
Lumi tilts his head back, licking his lips as he guides Khimi’s hand to his swollen stomach where his cock rests. “Feel yourself inside me,” he murmurs seductively. “Tell me you don’t want to fuck me again.” His lustful gaze never leaves Khimi’s face, filled with desire and anticipation.
Khimi’s eyes never leave Lumi’s while he carefully traces the outline of his cock within Lumi’s body. “I want to fuck you again,” he growls, his voice low and raw.
Lumi gives a taunting smile in the dark. “Maah-e-man.”