All Nimbian had ever wanted in life was to live free. Life had been simple and enjoyable for him when he was just a simple woodsman minding the King's forest. The forest was also known as Faygludin, which was elvish for the Faerie Wood. Of course that was before the Queen had fallen and turned over the throne to her nephew.
Many things had changed then. Light elves, their hated cousins that had once been as they were before their betrayal, had been defeated. Peace had not only been restored to the splintered elven peoples, King Risingmoon had welcomed them back amongst the dark elven people. Many had surrendered, accepting his terms. Those who had not were hunted down without mercy and slain.
It had taken years to find them all. The island of Innowendyn, the homeland of the dark elves after they had been banished thousands of years past, was hundreds of miles across. Alesha, Kelnozz's human consort from another world had likened the size of Innowendyn to a kingdom on her home world called Australia. Nimbian had listened raptly to her description of her homeland, until he learned of how nature had been all but stripped aside in favor of technology.
Lindaria, Nimbian's predecessor, had fallen in the battle when the light elves had come to Loralost with murder and pillage in their hearts. Kelnozz had needed someone to fill the role and had offered the role to Nimbian. It had taken the ranger over a week to make the decision, but he had finally accepted. No small part of his decision was swayed by the honor of being entrusted by such a legendary figure to be his advisor. Thirty years later Nimbian often wondered if he had chosen wrongly.
He still felt King Risingmoon deserved every bit of respect he was given, which was considerable, but Nimbian's own role of unending ceremony and politics left him drained and disillusioned. He often found himself pining for the relaxing ambience of his favorite grove in the Faygludin, with the brook burbling noisily and the birds singing their songs while he puffed contentedly on a pipe with his favorite smokeweed in it.
Nimbian's one consolation was that he was heading out on the morrow to the Faygludin. It was to investigate rumors of missing livestock among the free-ranging ranchers that roamed the plains to the west of it, but he planned on spending at least a day walking through the wood as he once had, enjoying its beauty and simplicity.
But for now he had another dinner to attend. Nimbian sighed and wondered how a man of action and adventure such as Kelnozz put up with it day in and day out. With a smile Nimbian realized the King probably fared worse than he, for on many occasions the king was absent, either attending to an errand personally or having a private dinner with Alesha and their son, Bobocateya. Lately both the King and his wife were gone. Court rumors had them traveling abroad looking for some ancient elvish legacy. One fanciful story he heard involved Thoragloorin, the ancient lost elven homeland on Belurian. Nimbian had chuckled when he heard that. None even knew where Thoragloorin was said to have existed, let alone whether it could have survived the five thousand years that had passed or the ruin and sacking no doubt visited upon it by the light elves and their dragon allies ages past.
Nimbian glanced in the silver and gold framed mirror a final time, adjusting his jacket a bit, then headed out of his suite for the dinner that awaited him. He sighed and shook his head at the absurdity of court life. His manner changed as soon as he entered the public halls, a smile finding its way to his face and a casual air about him. One thing Nimbian had insisted in life was that no matter how complicated it tried to become, there was always some enjoyment to be found in it.
*****
Clad in his leathers and armed with his long sword, bow, and dagger, Nimbian led his horse through the light underbrush of the Faygludin. He had refused to allow any of the home guard to accompany him, and finally he had been forced to sneak out in the middle of the night to avoid them. Their captain, Joslinda, was a very determined woman. She had recently inherited her post as Nimbian had, and she was determined to serve it flawlessly.
Nimbian breathed in the damp air of the forest, smelling the mild dampness in the air and reveling in the feeling of life and warmth it gave him. It had taken him two days of riding to reach it and, if he could find reason to justify it, he would spend five times as long amongst the thick tropical trees ere he returned. Already he had found the small rill that led to his favorite place. He patted his pouch at his side appreciatively, hardly able to wait for the chance to sit upon the bank and puff upon his pipe.
It was at that spot, sitting upon a rock and basking in the rare ray of sunshine that battled through the thick leaves overhead that she found him. Nimbian exhaled a plume of smoke slowly, enjoying the rich flavor of it, and noticed only after it was gone that a figure stood upon the far side of the stream staring at him from where she nearly blended into the bark of the tree beside her.
Nimbian hopped to his feet, surprised. He smiled, remembering how well she moved through the forest and how often she had come upon him. Somewhat embarrassed he also remembered how he had been getting better at spotting the signs of her approach, this time however she had easily crept past his guard. To much time spent at court had dulled his senses.
"Well met, Alsathoolia," Nimbian said, bowing deeply to her. When he raised his head back up she had disappeared. He turned just in time to see her stepping out from behind a tree on his side of the small creek. He allowed himself only the quickest of glances at her beautiful body, for falling enraptured with her beauty had caused many lesser men to be led to their dooms for the lustful thoughts. Nimbian's own thoughts had been no less lustful, but such was his respect for her and for the forest that he had always contained them. For that respect she had shown respect in kind and they had become friends over the years. They would share knowledge with each other as well as simply conversation and the pleasantries of friendship.
"Nature's blessings upon you, Nimbiantha," the nymph responded, smiling sadly. "I regret that I do not come to you as I have before."
Nimbian raised an eyebrow inquisitively. Her nature was somber, something that surely did not bode well. He discarded his more casual nature and picked up again his mantle of responsibility to the land of Innowendyn. "What ails you, my friend?"
"Not me alone, Nimbian, the entire forest. Strangers came unto this forest many seasons past, after you answered the call of your people."
Nimbian nodded, "Yes, I know of this, you told me they had come and gone, slain by the forest for their harmful ways and absorbed into the earth and the air around them."
Alsathoolia nodded, frowning as she did so. "Such is the might of the ancients of the forest that they consider themselves beyond reproach. There are things alive here that see even your eldest as children."
She spoke of things Nimbian knew. The elves had been on Innowendyn for 5,000 years. Innowendyn had been there since Viconia was created, and the forest possessed a life far greater then any realized, even Nimbian who had once lived amongst its greatness.
"They took these invaders into their roots, feeding off of their richness and sustaining themselves for many years. The foulness that was in the souls of those you call light elves was greater then any believed, for it has spread. Some of our mightiest have fallen prey to that corruption, and they strike out against the land about them."
Nimbian scowled. He had hoped something as simple as a few stray wolves had claimed the missing lambs and cattle. Now he knew better, and he knew it was a dire peril indeed if Alsa was worried over it.
"Their corruption will spread if it is not stopped," the nymph said matter-of-factly. The look in her eyes alone told him of her need for him to help them.
"The dead must be dug up and burned first," Nimbian said, thinking of the problem as a puzzle with solutions that would put it back to right. "And for those who have awakened and hunger for the blood of the living, if they can not be made to see the will of the woods then they must be drawn out and burned as well. By fire and by stone alone can they be freed from the madness that has claimed them."
"I knew you would understand, Nimbiantha," she said, stepping up to him and placing her hand against his cheek. "You have ever been as close to one with the nature of this place as any mortal who is not of us can be. I would ask but one thing of you ere you do this."
Nimbian nodded, reaching up to her hand and feeling the deep warmth within it. "Anything, Alsa. Ask me and it shall be yours."
"I would have your seed so that this place will forever have you as a part of it," she asked him.
Nimbian's eyes opened and his mouth dropped. He stuttered for a few minutes before he let himself look in her eyes, his dark skin hiding his blush. "I would be honored!"
"Then show me how it is the first born do such things," she said, stepping closer to him.
Nimbian hesitate a moment longer then gave her what she wished, pulling her to him and kissing her on the lips. Her kiss tasted of the forest, of grass and wind and nuts and oak. He drew in her essence and reveled in it, finding himself growing quickly and unmistakably aroused by feel of her in his arms. He released her, against his wishes, only long enough for him to start pulling his own clothing off.
Alsa laughed lightly, "Do all of your kind make such haste when breeding?"
Again Nimbian was forced to blush. He was nearly three centuries old and still she was able to embarrass him much as though he were yet a child. "Well, I need to deal with the spreading corruption still," he said, searching for an excuse.
"It has been dozens of seasons in reaching this point," the nymph said to him with a smile, "have patience and seek not haste, it will only rush an untimely end."
Truer words Nimbian could not conceive, even though she was referring to life in general, it held true in many things, including making love. He finished taking his clothes off and cast a quick glance at his horse, which was contentedly grazing on some grass on far side of the small clearing. He turned back to the nymph and pulled her into his arms again, feeling her strange warmth and the resilient texture of her skin against his.
"Very well, let us take things slowly then," he told her, kissing her again. She responded well enough for a creature who, for all her resemblance to an elf, was totally alien. She learned quickly, understanding the movements he made against her and responding when she could.
For his part Nimbian went slowly. He was patient and tender, teaching her the ways of men and women and doing his best to bring her pleasure as he did so. She was relaxed, pliant and completely uninhibited to his advances, allowing him to do anything he desired to her and reciprocating as much as she could.
Nimbian kissed her all over, from her mouth and neck to her beautiful breasts. She showed a general increase in her own ardor, but it had little to do with the way he would lick and nibble on her nipples or the way he tried to tickle the spots many women found sensitive. Her growing interest came from the attention he paid to her and the devotion he gave her as far as trying to bring her pleasure.
Nimbian proceeded further down, intent upon sparking a reaction in her. He tasted her below and found her warm and ready to receive him. Again she tasted of the forest, of nuts and wood. He was astonished at how different she was from anyone he had been with before, and a part of him felt some fear at the strangeness.
"Nimbian, be with me, I am not as you are and the things you do bring me no more pleasure then having you with me does," Alsa said gently to him, drawing his attention back up to her.
The woodsman looked up at her, studying her beautiful face for a long moment. He crawled up to her and kissed her again, suspecting that even if the eroticism was lost on her the mere contact was special for her. He held himself against her opening and gently found the entrance to her, pushing himself in with a couple of tentative thrusts.
Nimbian could not describe the pleasure that he felt. Her pussy clutched him firmly with muscles strong as an oak yet soft as grass after a spring shower. He moved himself within her, his hands pulling down on her shoulders so he could insert his length into her fully on every thrust.
"I see why your kind does this," she said softly. "So much contact, so much fervor. Among those given to haste this must be wonderful."
Nimbian grunted in agreement, unable to think straight as he plunged himself into her alien depths time and again. He was lost in the wonderful embrace of the nymph, an embrace that so enveloped him he felt as though he were truly one with the forest. He felt and he experienced things far greater then he ever had before. He felt as though a part of him had been touched that had never been touched before, and in turn he had reached out to touch something greater then he had ever understood. Nimbian knew, in that moment, that he would never be the same again.
"Give me your seed, Nimbiantha," Alsa whispered to him. "Fill me with it and let me nurture undying life from it."
Nimbian groaned, suddenly driven to the edge by her words and by the way she tightened down on him. He did not understand it but he did feel the growing need to sate his need. He drove himself into her and exploded, his fluid bursting into her in great spurts that threatened to overwhelm him. He continued to thrust against her, coaxing every last drop of his essence from him that he could. Finally he was spent and collapsed on top of her.
"I am again honored by you, friend of the forest," Alsa said to him as he rested against her breathing heavily. Nimbian mumbled his own thanks to her but it was lost as he was exhausted from his ordeal. Alsa held onto him cherishing the contact that so many of her cousins would never know, rooted in place as they were, and let him drift off into sleep.
Alsa rose after a long time had passed, sliding the still drained dark elf off from her. She rose and walked to the center of the clearing where sunshine often made its way down. She knelt there, dropping to her knees and digging a small hole in the ground with her hands. She moved then and squatted over the whole, looking like nothing more then a light elf that was relieving herself. No fluid issued forth. Instead a small round object fell free from her after a few moments. It rolled to the bottom of the hole and lay there, pulsing faintly in the light. Already roots were beginning to emerge from it, sinking into the ground in search of sustenance. Alsa smiled and patted the dirt back on top of it, burying it within the rich earth.
She rose and returned to where Nimbian slept, sitting next to him with patience and a stillness that one not born of the forest could never understand or reproduce.
*****
Nimbian was aware of his surroundings before his eyes opened. The smell of the forest was strong in his nostrils, and the feel of the grass and the warm earth beneath him nearly overwhelmed his sense of touch. He opened his eyes and saw the patches of blue sky through the leafy boughs high overhead. He smiled, feeling at peace with himself and the world more then he ever had.
"Few of your type can survive such a mating, Nimbiantha," the nymph said, her voice music in his ears. "You are the only one I have ever known to do so."
Nimbian sat up and looked at her, tears in his eyes at the all encompassing beauty of the world around him. He smiled and shook his head slightly, amazed. "What happened to me? Why is everything so... so real?"
Alsa smiled at him and offered him her hand. He took it and let himself be helped to his feet. Even the sensation of her palm against his made him feel newly alive. He gasped and looked at her hand and then up at her face.
"What are you, Alsa?" he asked, unable to explain the strange feelings he had experienced while touching her.
"Your kind and others think of us as solitary creatures like yourselves, alive until our time is up and then gone. We are not. I am a part of this forest, its child, sister, and mother."
Nimbian closed his mouth slowly, yet did not speak for he found he did not have any words to express his amazement. Her voice was beautiful and harmonious with the wind in the trees, the calls of the tropical birds, and even the chirping and scuttling noises of the insects around him. Yet beyond that he saw her and felt her differently. He understood what it was that she meant. She had an inner strength and spirit that blended into the very air around her. He looked around and saw it all around him. She truly was a part of the forest.
"And what of me?" Nimbian asked finally.
"A part of you has joined with the forest," she said with a smile. "Through me it found your spirit to be kindred. You have been granted an honor few outsiders have ever been given, and you are the first among this forest."
A faint stench of something rotting caught Nimbian's attention then. He turned to the south staring into the dark depths of the Faygludin. "What is that smell? Is something dead?"
Alsathoolia followed his gaze. "You truly are special, Nimbiantha, for few could understand the ways of the forest so quickly."
"I do not understand, what do you mean?"
"Already you sense the corruption caused in the southern reaches. The forest chose you wisely."
Nimbian nodded absently, trying to reach out with his senses and understand better. After a moment of studying the air and the ephemeral mists within it he gave up and turned back to the nymph.
"But you are part of the forest, Alsa, you chose me as well."
She nodded. "You do learn quickly, Nimbian."
Nimbian smiled, brightening up considerably. "That is the first time you have ever called me by my shortened name, always before it was my full given first name, why is that?"
Alsa smiled as well. "You share a part of the forest with you and in return the forest shares a part of you."
Nimbian nodded, again nearly overwhelmed at the thought of being so honored as to being able to impact and influence the entirety of the Faygludin. He turned around, studying the trees at the edge of the small clearing, then the water of the stream, and finally even the sparse grasses around his feet.
"It is... a lot," he said at length, unable to find the words for it. "I am honored beyond description, of course. I shall do my best to be worthy of it the rest of my life."
Alsa watched him, a pleasant smile upon her face. "Then you know the depth of your commitment as well, be at peace among us, Nimbian, and may we all live to see many bountiful seasons."
Nimbian nodded, grinning like a child. He sobered up quickly when he caught a fresh scent of the corruption and turned to face it anew. "Let me begin to show that desire now then, for this festering wound within the forest will only grow worse if it is not dealt with."
With that Nimbian headed south, stepping lightly over the stream on some rocks and then blending into to the forest so well that he was all but invisible. His horse he left behind, feeling with his new communion with nature that it would only slow him down and interfere with his ability to feel the land. Alsa watched him go for a moment longer, then turned and looked at the seed he had planted. Already a shoot had broken through the surface, miraculous growth that surprised even her. He truly was special, for one not born of the forest. For the briefest of moments she wondered at what life would be like apart from the forest, alone and out of touch with her surroundings. Not alone entirely, for in her wondering she assumed she would be with Nimbian.
Alsa shook her head after a moment, wondering at where that strange thought had come from. More than just the thought, the sudden motion of shaking her head as well. Such idiosyncrasies were unknown to her. Nimbian's help and influence was needed to help save the forest, but perhaps in taking him into their arms the forest had given itself a different fate.
Nimbian spent the rest of that day and the following two trekking through the mighty jungle. At long last he happened across the first of the corruption. The trees seemed darker, smaller, and twisted. It was a gradual process, but he knew it for what it was the moment he saw it. It was only the border, however, and the trees might yet be saved.
The elf pushed onward, watching with a sickness in his heart as the corruption grew. In short order strands of cobwebs ran from branch to branch, and then soon it grew worse, with entire webs spanning groups of trees. The webs were large, too, and though none dared approach him, he saw the spiders that had spun them. They grew larger the further he went as well.
The first spider to launch itself at him was the size of a fox. He dodged it and kicked it into a tree, drawing his sword and stabbing it to be certain. Other spiders, he saw, were larger. They ringed him, mostly just watching but occasionally one would attack. Before too long Nimbian found himself facing groups of spiders. He dodged their clumsy attacks, but they made up in numbers what they lacked in finesse.
His arms beginning to tire from the hacking and slashing, the spiders suddenly broke off and left him alone. It was as though he had hit a wall that prevented them from progressing. Wiping sweat from his brow, Nimbian looked around nervously before continuing onward.
Soon enough he learned the reasoning behind the spiders retreat. Only his heightened awareness in the forest saved him from the leaping attack of a panther. The panther, however, was not as it should have been. The spiders showed an unnatural sense of teamwork and intelligence, whereas the panther showed other special talents. The first would be the mottled coloring of its fur, making it blend into the shadows more easily. Next was the extra appendages that grew out of its shoulders, looking like nothing so much as tentacles with barbed claws on the ends of each. One of them, in fact, had scored a stinging strike against his arm as it had sailed past him.
Sword firmly in hand again, Nimbian turned to face this latest threat. Of course it could never be so simple as a single opponent. Instead he saw three of the mutated cats. Beasts that had been caught in the corruption of the forest and turned into something darker than they had once been.
The first one underestimated him, lunging in and snapping at him while its tentacles whipped forward at his head. Nimbian's sword slashed the ends of the tentacles off while his boot kicked the creature square in the jaw. It fell back, hissing and snarling, then lunged forward without thought or reason.
Nimbian spun, putting the wounded panther between himself and the other two, then lashed out again with his sword. The panther tried to come at him, but his sword stabbed into its shoulder, sending it crashing to the ground. The other two leapt over it as it struggled back to its three good legs, forcing Nimbian to retreat in a hurry. Their teeth dripped venomous looking saliva, promising any bite they inflicted would be slow to heal, at best.
He held them at bay with his sword held out in front of him, sweeping back and forth. He pulled his dagger with his other hand, feeling better armed with both weapons. He continued to back up, hoping to use a tree as a barrier to help him separate the two panthers, when things took a turn for the worse.
He found a tree, but instead of it working for him, a root burst free from the ground and wrapped around his ankle, tripping him and sending him crashing to the ground. His only salvation lay in that both cats leapt at him at the same time, tying one another up in midair. His long sword was of no use in the close quarters he found himself in when they landed upon him, but his dagger thrust upwards repeatedly, disemboweling one of them and drawing the fight out of it. The other one bit into the sleeve on his arm, trying to drive its teeth into his arm.
Nimbian pushed his arm upwards, forcing it into the back of the panther's mouth and preventing the panther from getting the leverage necessary to chew on him. He could, however, smell the fetid breath of the beast and his enhanced senses told him without a doubt that the panther's saliva was indeed envenomed.
When the creature realized it could not bite him effectively, it changed tactics. Nimbian felt the claws of its rear legs trying to rend at him. The tentacles lashed at his head as well, missing mostly but occasionally scoring a stinging strike against him. With a Herculean effort, he rolled and tossed the panther away from him, then rolled back quickly in the other direction.
Nimbian was on his knees when the panther was once again on its feet and crouching to jump at him. He threw his dagger, slick with the blood and viscera of the other panther, and succeeded in making the panther flinch and spring to the side to avoid the clumsily launched attack. It gave Nimbian the time he needed to dive to the side and grab his sword from the ground.
The panther jumped again, seeing Nimbian's back to it. The woodsman twisted on the ground and set his sword against the ground. The panther saw it too, and tried to twist in mid air away from it. Gravity, inertia, and momentum being what they were, it failed.
Nimbian pulled himself out from beneath the spasming panther and walked over to the first panther he had wounded. It snapped at him and tried again to regain its feet, succeeding for a short time. Nimbian slashed at it, hacking into side and back of its neck and severing its spinal cord. The panther collapsed to the ground, dying in short order.
Breathing heavily and examining himself to make sure he was not injured seriously, Nimbian reclaimed his dagger and then surveyed his surroundings. The stench of the taint in the air was nearly overpowering, but by forcing himself to ignore it he could function. The wolves had a reek about them as well, similar yet different than that of the forest.
He fought the urge to breath deeply, suspecting he might vomit if he did, and instead stepped forward, heading to an area where the foul contagion seemed yet stronger. His route remained unopposed for the better half of an hour before he had to pause and build up the strength to continue onwards against the vile odors emanating from ahead. The decay and death was so raw and offensive that every step and every breath was a fight consisting of both willpower and endurance.
Around him the trees leaned closer, as though they were trying to choke him. The light from the sun grew fainter as they blocked it, shrouding him in darkness. The ability of the elves to see in darkened conditions, as well as the gift of the forest that Alsa had shared with him, allowed him continued vision.
Finally he saw what seemed a ring of trees surrounding a pit. He stepped up to it, not knowing what he might find within, and was forced to turn and retch when he did so. Inside of it the bodies of numerous light elves lay cocooned in roots and insects. Vines, thick and ropy, plunged into the bodies like veins, drawing the sustenance out of the dead. The smell was overpowering, dropping Nimbian to his knees in spite of his reserves of endurance.
Limbs from the trees dipped down, supported by vines that slid around him while he was overpowered. He realized and tried to fight but it was too late, already he was lifted from the ground by the vines wrapped around his waist. He gagged and coughed, struggling with renewed energy, but against the mighty trees that held him he had no strength. His sword fell from fingers slick with sweat, standing upright from where it landed point first in the dirt at the edge of the pit.
Finding the last bit of will left to him, Nimbian dug a torch from his pack and pried the branches and vines away from his belt enough to let him retrieve his flint and steel. The trees, seeing his arms as being no threat now that he was captured, never paused to stop him.
Nimbian clutched the torch under one arm and struck flint to steel, sending sparks into the oil soaked head of it. In three strikes one caught in it and in a matter of second Nimbian had nursed it to a flame that showed promise. A few more seconds later, seconds that had the trees squeezing the breath from Nimbian and causing him to see spots, and the torch was fully lit.
He held it to the trees imprisoning him, gasping to try and breath through the crushing weight being applied to him. The trees recoiled from the fire, letting him go from first one branch, then another, and finally altogether as he singed them all. He fell to the ground, landing roughly and having what little wind remained in him driven from him. Gasping for air, he reached for the torch he had dropped and felt the flames lick at his fingers.
Too tired to curse, he snatched his hand away and grabbed the torch as it was meant to be handled, and slowly rose to his feet. He brandished the weapon, keeping the trees away and grabbed up his sword as well. The trees remained several feet from him, withdrawing their branches fearfully from him. Nimbian slowly regained his breath, but wondered what he was to do next, for the stalemate could not last.
A noise from the pit drew his attention to it. Something within it was moving. Eyes wide with horror, Nimbian watched as one of the corpses moved. It rose up to its feet slowly, insects crawling over the flesh and in and out of the openings in it, and began to shamble towards him. Nimbian shook his head, not understanding how it was possible, then he saw the tiny roots running through it, feeding off it and giving it a perversion of life. It had become a symbiotic relationship between the plant and the corpse, with the magic of the forest allowing it to tap into the mind of the now undead light elf.
Others began to move as well in the pit, filling Nimbian with a sense of dread that made his own veins feel as though they were filled with ice. He looked at his torch, as though seeing it for the first time, and through it into the pit.
Insects skittered away from where it landed, as did a few snakes that Nimbian had not realized were also in the pit, some of them quite large. The flames spread rapidly, more so than the greatest of forest fires he had seen in his time. The putrid corruption had dried out the area, it seemed, and made it more vulnerable to the purifying flames. The ground shuddered beneath his feet, surprising him, and then he saw the contents of the pit actually heave, attempting to smother the flames.
Already they had spread too much, however, preventing them from being put out. The walking corpse reached the torch and bent down to it slowly, picking it up and holding it up. The flames had already spread and now licked at its feet. Mouth open in a soundless scream of rage, it threw the torch at Nimbian and started climbing out of the pit towards him again. Nimbian dodged the torch and stood waiting while the unnatural thing approached him.
He slashed at it with his sword when it was close, finding it had little to no defense. His sword, however, had as much of an impact upon the unnatural thing as it would have against the trunk of an oak tree. His arm ringing, Nimbian stared at the part tree, part elf that stalked him in horror. An arm, blackened by the flames that now sheathed the corpse, crashed into him, sending him stumbling backwards. Nimbian was shocked by the force of the blow, and he clutched his chest to make sure no flames had landed upon him.
He hacked again at it, this time being ready to dodge when it lashed out at him again. It seemed a dangerous game of cat and mouse, with him landing the majority of the blows, but a single strike from the other thing causing him far more pain, if not injury. Behind it, the flames in the pit began to grow. Nimbian kept the fight going, doing his best to keep his adversary from getting too close to him, meanwhile the fire grew into an inferno. The stench of the smoke, part rotten wood and part rotten flesh, felt so deeply ingrained into him that he was not sure he would ever be able to smell anything clean and fresh again.
Finally the avatar of the forest he fought crashed to the ground in front of him, the roots, flesh, and bones succumbing to the heat. Nimbian saw that it still tried to pull its way towards him, trying to destroy him. He lashed out at its head repeatedly hacking and chipping away at it until it rolled free. Still the body came at him, burning just as brightly. Nimbian, body exhausted from smoke inhalation and exertion, continued to chop away at it.
Nimbian awoke at night. The stench of burnt flesh still surrounded him, but underneath of it all somehow it smelled cleaner. He looked around and saw Alsa's smiling face looking down at him.
"What..."
Alsa smiled. "The forest thanks you, Nimbian, you have saved us all."
Nimbian smiled back, then closed his eyes and rested again.
*****
When next the ranger awoke he was laying in a glade not so different from the one where he had made love to Alsa at. He smiled at the memory and slowly sat up. His arms and back ached a little from the exertion of swinging his sword so much, and he felt a residual tightness in his chest from the smoke he had inhaled. All in all though, he felt surprisingly good.
He glanced down at himself and gasped. He was nude, laying on a grassy hill in the clearing. He looked around and saw his equipment lying nearby, or at least his weapons and gear. His clothing was nowhere to be found.
He stood up slowly, stretching as he did so. He luxuriated in the movement and found himself smiling. The air was sweet, fragrant with growth and pollen, and the sounds of the Faygludin were those of life and happiness. He quickly forgot about his nudity and wondered about some lunch.
"You slept many cycles, friend Nimbian."
Nimbian turned, smiling as Alsa walked up to him from where she had emerged from the forest. He could not help but feel his body responding to her as she approached, but rather than be embarrassed he simply let it be.
"Hello Alsa, how is the forest?"
She smiled and cocked her head to look at him. "Can you not tell?"
Nimbian grinned. "It seems well, but you know it better than I. Besides, I knew better than to ask how you are."
"I am well, Nimbian," she admitted, surprising him. She smiled at his consideration as well, something that should have surprised her.
"You destroyed the source of the evil within the Faygludin, the forest heals and recovers. My sisters and I retrieved you from the darkened area, your flesh was weak and does not well serve your spirit."
Nimbian blushed, glancing down at himself. Seeing his erection he chuckled and was reminded of just how much a man he forever be. "You mean this?" Nimbian asked, gesturing at it. "Think nothing of it, Alsa. It simply means that I find you beautiful and I desire to mate with you again."
Alsa looked at him in surprise. "Is the desire to reproduce so strong in your kind? Only those that live short lives usually have such drives."
"No, no, well, yes, I suppose we do like to reproduce," Nimbian admitted. He chuckled and added, "but I must confess that elves, and other races like humans, halflings, and even dwarves, mate for pleasure as well."
Alsa nodded. "I remember well, I see how it could be so for you."
Nimbian had hoped for more, but he understood that they were so different that he might be hoping for the impossible. He smiled at her and glanced about again. "My clothes?"
"Why do you wear such things? You need no protection here," Alsa asked him, though she seemed to be troubled by something.
"In truth, I am not bothered to not have them," he admitted. "But I must, sooner or later, return to my people and when I do, they will expect me to be attired thusly. My people have no taboos against nudity, yet as a matter of social acceptance such things are expected."
Alsa blinked, not entirely understanding him. "They were burned badly by the fires, they have been reclaimed by the forest."
Nimbian's eyes widened. "Oh!" He said, surprised. He shrugged and smiled. "Alright, well I guess I had better make some more then. My equipment is fine, so I'll have to see about getting some hide to work with."
Alsa stepped up closer to him, holding out her hand. "The forest is grateful to you, Nimbian, it will provide for you."
Nimbian smiled at her. "There is no need. I am grateful to the Forest for what it has given me. The time spent with you and how I feel now."
"I would spend time with you again, if you wish it," Alsa said softly, surprising both of them.
"I thought you did not need to mate again so soon?" Nimbian asked, surprised, confused, and excited all at the same time.
"I do not," she said. "I... I wish to learn this pleasure from you that you speak of."
The grin on Nimbian's face nearly split his head in two. He stepped up to her and took her in his arms. "Then let me show you how haste can be a good thing," he said.
They kissed, Alsa's flesh feeling more familiar to him this time. She learned quickly from him as well, going from a novice with closed lips to someone able to properly return his open mouthed embrace. Her hands, following his lead, traced across his body feeling the contours and shape of it. Then Nimbian left her standing as he lowered his head to her breasts again, taking them in his hands and then tracing his tongue around them and circling to her nipples one at a time.
Alsa's breathing grew faster as she let herself experience the new sensations. She had been open their first time together, but mating with him had brought some of his essence into her, changing her. Now she felt different, more excited. More needy. More prone to be hasty. She cradled his head in her hands as he licked and nibbled at her breasts, tasting her earthy nature and sending exciting new sensations through her.
Nimbian dropped to his knees soon, his erection raging with need. He ignored it as best he could, wanting instead to focus entirely on giving Alsa the pleasure only he could. He urged her legs apart and pressed his face between them, inhaling her natural aroma that reminded him of the forest after a spring rain. His nose pressed against her mound, which was untouched by the growth of hair of mortal races. His tongue reached out, parting her lips, and found them moist and reminiscent of the honey made from clover.
Alsa sighed happily, the sound of a gentle breeze the branches of a tree. Her hands again cradled Nimbian's head against her, and she found herself leaning into him as his tongue danced wonderful circles within her. It was the sensation of intimacy, of closeness, and of sharing two things that could not be the same yet struggled to be. She ached for it and wanted to share it in return with him, for they could never have the closeness she shared with the rest of the forest.
Nimbian was guiding her to the grassy floor of the forest then, helping her lay down and then returning to her willfully parted legs. He licked and sucked at her gently, laboring to bring her pleasure such that she had never known before. He could hear her moans and sighs and knew that she was somehow different than she had been when he had first made love to her. What had changed he did not know, but he relished it regardless.
"Nimbian," she whispered, her eyes open and staring at him across the expanse of her flesh. "I would give you this pleasure as well. I want to share it with you, to let you feel what I do."
Nimbian smiled, joy bursting through him. "I feel it, Alsa. I feel it deep inside and to know you feel that way makes it even better."
"Turn about so that I may do it to you, nature is about a circle of growth and passage, let us create this circle here," she said, not entirely understanding him.
Nimbian was not certain what she meant at first, but when she reached down for him it suddenly became clear. He frowned, wondering if he could last, and decided he should try. After all, she was quickly becoming one of the most important things in his life. Even more so as she seemed to be taking on an identity separate from the forest.
In short order Nimbian was above her, his mouth working on her sex while his erection was placed between her lips. She worked it with no sense of familiarity, sucking on it and moving her tongue across it. Nimbian slowly worked it in and out of her lips, letting her understand the need for friction as well.
Alsa thought back to the mating habits of animals and, indeed, even their own mating several days ago. She remembered the frantic pace at which he had bucked inside of her and she understood what it was he needed. She tightened her lips around his shaft and let her mouth slide up and down his length, taking him awkwardly at first, but then with growing ease into her throat on each thrust.
Nimbian growled into Alsa's slit, feeling the suddenly powerful feeling she had evoked in him. Going from beginner to skilled veteran at oral sex with such speed left him speechless. Fortunately, speech was not required in his condition. Instead he worked his tongue around her more fiercely, struggling to bring her to his level of enjoyment.
Every drop of Nimbian's pre-cum that leaked out of his engorged cock and into her mouth was a thousand words of understanding, sensation, and fulfillment to Alsa. She could tell how close he was and understand him better every step of the way. She also felt his need and knew that he would soon erupt in her mouth. It excited her to know this, something that would have further surprised her only a few weeks past. She also could tell what he really liked, and on his next plunge into the depths of her throat she held him there, twisting her mouth and neck to surprise and stimulate him further. She swallowed repeatedly, making him groan into her, which sent wonderful feelings through out her body.
Nimbian knew he was there and he knew he could not stop it. He also knew, with someone such as Alsa, that recovery and speed was not a problem. She would wait forever for him to be ready again, if need be. He captured her clit within his lips and let his tongue vibrate against it as his seed rose within him and then exploded through him.
Alsa withdrew her mouth, feeling him stiffen and swell, and let Nimbian's seed rush into her mouth. She tasted him, enjoying the richness of him and was grateful that, unlike her root bound brethren, she could enjoy such a treat directly. With his cum also came greater understanding. Not only of Nimbian, but what it meant to be mortal. She felt herself opening more to him and aching to be one with him.
Nimbian crested down slowly from his release, still trying diligently to help her find her own. Alsa continue to nurse from his manhood, making him tremble with the increased sensitivity in it. She licked him clean and sucked a few more drops from him before he finally felt he could handle no more. He pulled away from her slowly, then turned around to continue working on her.
"Nimbian, please... I... I need to be with you," Alsa said, not understanding what she was saying but knowing the words were right. "I would try to be one with you, as we were before but this time to share with each other."
Nimbian had no idea what she meant, but he did feel up to the task, he was glad to notice. He positioned himself at her entrance and was barely able to thrust into her before she was burying him inside of herself with her own frantic thrusts.
"Kind of hasty, aren't you?" Nimbian asked, a friendly smile on his face.
"Yes... hasty," she responded, clearly lost in the sensations.
Nimbian realized she was hard at work and decided it was a damn good idea. He let himself go to the feelings of their coupling and rutted away at her. He was again amazed at how incredible she felt, both velveteen and smooth as well as firm and perfectly fitted. Somehow, in spite of only recently climaxing, he felt himself ramping up for another one within her.
"Yesssss, give me your seed!" Alsa moaned, able to know how close he was as well with her special talents. She was reaching new levels of excitement herself, changed again as she was by the infusion of Nimbian's spirit with her own.
Nimbian grunted and came in her, trying his best to drive his cock so deep inside of her that she would never be without it again. She shuddered and ground herself back at him, pushed over the edge that she had never known existed by his climax. Nimbian kept bucking at her, trying to empty every last bit of fluid in his body into her until he succeeded at the one thing remaining to accomplish; he passed out.
*****
Near the northern reaches of the Faygludin the plant that had grown from the nut Alsathoolia had planted bulged from a large bulb that had grown out of its stalk. Something pulsed within it, distending the fibrous skin of the plant. Something lived within it, something that wanted out.