Chapter 38 An Eager Student

“I have been thinking about the Flow lessons,” Anaise took the conditioner off my hands and put it aside, “Do you know why very few murks usually witness them?”

“I would assume that there is no reason for them to learn something they cannot do.”

“You are partially correct. But it is also about status, and many wermages would react negatively, even violently, if you start to ask them questions on magic. Grand-uncle Virnan is an exception but even he took me aside to teach. Some things run deep. And you should keep it in mind if you find yourself at one of my lectures, or have a desire to ask someone about Flow.”

“I see. Thank you for the warning,” I smiled at her. I didn’t notice it back when Virnan taught her but now, that it was pointed out to me, it felt obvious. When I explained to him the infinite series Anaise was right between us: listening attentively to both of us speaking and pointing out her discoveries. Yet when it came to her Flow lesson I found myself left alone at the window. With neither of them bothering to explain nuances to me in the process.

She smiled back at me and turned around, a wave of red flowing into my view. Her tail and hair shining even in the dim light of the bathhouse.

“As you can imagine my mother intended for you to listen in on my lectures as my servant,” Anaise kept talking as she moved her hair aside, allowing me to untie her sash with ease, “You would stand in the corner as if to assist me and not interfere with a lesson otherwise. Even to ask a question. Especially to ask a question.”

Her sash slowly unravelled in my hands, sliding off her body. I looked at her swaying tail, intrigued by the custom cut of her kaftan. Wermages loved to show off their ‘magical’ parts and tails were definitely counted as such. The kaftan was split into two tails with the cut going high enough to let the real tail out. The shift underneath, from what I could discern between the tail swings, didn’t. Instead, it had a tail hole with a stitched-in ribbon to tie to the tail itself. Letting the fabulous appendage outside without leaving a gaping hole afterwards.

“While my mother can definitely order someone to teach you, neither you nor her would welcome the issues it would cause. People talk, especially between Kiymetl Manors. Not only will you be faced with additional scrutiny but they might use you to undermine mother’s authority.”

“Even simply observing your lessons would be enlightening for me,” I assured her as I slowly folded her sash in my hands. A wide and long piece of cloth, full of embroidery. Great for holding up wermage clothing, identifying their status or position.

And wrapping over my eyes.

“You?” Anaise turned around to look at me incredulously, “Is that the same Erf we are talking about?”

Unsecured, her kaftan easily parted, revealing more of her thin shift underneath. Making her state of dress extremely informal and inviting to my gaze. Her eyes sparkling with mirth as she noticed mine wandering over her body.

“No,” She smiled, as her hands took the sash away from me, “Despite saying all that, you won’t be satisfied nor content. I know you well enough by now, Erf. You want more.”

The sash slid down from her fingers and softly landed on the floor, “It isn’t in your nature to stay blind. You wish to explore every nook and cranny. To see and taste. To experience it all.”

“Yes?” I swallowed. Were we still talking about Flow? I wasn’t so sure anymore.

“I knew you would,” Anaise took my hands and slid them on her waist under the kaftan, “So I came up with a better proposal for you.”

“Instead of standing still and listening to some old wermage mumble about common truths,” She pulled my hands upward, “I will teach you about Flow myself. Starting from the beginning, I will lead you all the way through. Now, what say you?”

“Aye. I didn’t even realize it was an option.” My voice was surprisingly hoarse.

Covered by her kaftan, my hands slowly trekked up across the fine linen of her shift. My fingers acutely aware of her body heat and the thin fabric that separated me from her skin. The green eyes looked into mine, a lower lip bitten by the pearly teeth.

“It isn’t,” Her voice hitched as my palms slid up under her breasts, my thumbs and index fingers circling the curves around, “Except for you.”

“You will find me a very curious student. Eager to know more,” I quietly spoke as my hands made the next move, cupping her breasts completely. Grazing her twin hard nubs through the cloth only to let them settle comfortably between my fingers.

Anaise took a shuddering breath, but never took her eyes away as if challenging me to keep looking at her. A loud rumble in my palm akin to another one within my chest. A strand of hair, wet from the steam of the bath, stuck to the corner of her lips.

And then she moved. Forward. Pushing herself into my palms. A tiny whine of pleasure on her lips matching a groan from mine. A grin of satisfaction when she heard it, “Then you will find me a very welcoming teacher. Eager to show you more.”

I leaned in for the kiss, but a tiny finger met my lips instead, “I will require something from you, however. As I’ve said before, no one should know of this arrangement. You can tell my mother if she asks but no sooner.”

Wait so she was talking about Flow all this time? Damn, another minx!

She bit her lip and glanced away, her ears down, “And you will have no other teacher but myself. Not even my grand-uncle. I might be young, but I have years of knowledge to teach you. The knowledge that he himself had found exemplary! And if you ask me something that I do not yet know - I-I will ask for you, from those who do. And we will learn t-together.”

My lips kissed the tip of her finger, only to stretch into a smile, “Hmmm, Should I learn from a grumpy and senile fox-”

“Erf!”

“-or a beautiful and wise beyond her years' mistress,” I kept talking, “I believe my answer would be obvious.”

My hands slid deeper in and around her body. Pulling her kaftan even further apart and pulling her into a hug. A tiny squeak was all that she could manage before my lips claimed her own. A kiss, initially sloppy, quickly turned into a soft and gentle one as she copied my actions. Her eyelids finally hiding the green from me. A gentle shrug of her shoulders and the kaftan joined the sash on the floor, her body relaxed in my embrace.

“T-this means, we are in accord.” Anaise panted when our lips broke apart.

“We are. My beautiful mistress.”

A tail slid across my body, clamping on me and pulling me flush with her body.

“But I also want more lessons of my own. Not the math I usually study from you. Teach me more of that curved geometry.” She demanded.

Now I would be stupid if I didn’t know an invitation when it was right in front of my face.

Anaise yelped as I easily picked her up in a bridal carry, “Erf! What are you-”

“We shouldn’t discuss such things at the entrance when a whole bath is waiting for us.”

“Wai-”

“You don’t want to listen to my lectures while lounging on a massage table?”

“Well, yes. But-”

“Or just imagine listening to my voice as you relaxed in the warm waters.”

“M-maybe-”

I placed her carefully at the bench near the bath, her legs partially submerged,

“Just relax, Anaise. I am not going anywhere,” I spoke gently into her large yet blushing ear. She clenched her legs with every word, “Everything has a time and place. There is no need for further negotiations at this time.”

My hands slowly unravelled her red mane, letting it spread across her back like a river of red. Her ear pushing slowly on my lips, full of heat. A gaze of green eyes. Different this time. Expectant, not observant.

Wondering.

“No…” her ruby lips slowly spoke.

“Do you know what makes you so desirable? Or what makes me so interested in learning Flow? Or you, learning math? It is that hidden promise for more. Things that are too far are unfathomable or unapproachable, while things that are always with you are mundane and common. But certain things are just close enough to make you reach for them.”

My hand reached out and scooped some water into a bowl, “They can even make us lose our minds, force us to chase them forever. Making us absolutely sure that we can reach it if we push just a tiny bit further. Take one extra step.”

Warm water trickled down from the tipped bowl. Right on the chest of the heavy-breathing wermage. Fine linen now transparent and clinging to her curves.

“It was once said that there are four things that we should pursue. Four parts to travel on the road of life. Dharma - dutiful, virtuous and right way of living. Make sure that the road you chose is just. Artha - means of living and prosperity, to make sure that you can weather your path in life.”

I spoke softly as I kept the water pouring. Making sure that the stream would fall on one of the twin peaks poking through the wet cloth. I kept her distracted as I teased her more and more, enough that Anaise didn’t realize my other hand joined as well.

“The last one, Moksha, is just as important as the first one. Self-realization and freedom from the path you have chosen.” I scooped up more water, “But there is one more thing missing.”

The stream moved down on her body, pouring from a height right into her lap. Her legs conveniently spread apart by me. A shudder and a moan were my awards.

“Kama. The longing, pleasure, and love. For one cannot walk the path with no desire to push them forward. It would be hollow and without purpose.”

Anaise didn’t move as the water exposed the hint of red between her legs. Her tail didn’t block my sight as it had done before, choosing to wrap tightly around the bench. I put the bowl aside, its work complete, as my hands continued to caress her legs. Slowly pushing the wet shift higher and higher. Revealing the creamy skin underneath.

I stepped down into the pool, unconcerned for my shirt, lowering myself closer to her lap. Her knees in front of my face, trembling. Her gaze looking down from above, anticipating. Her fingers on the marble bench, crushing.

Note to self, no handjobs for the foreseeable future.

“You have done great progress on the first two and the last will be something you will reach yourself. But now let me teach you about the third: the principles of lust, the Sutras of Kama.” I slowly spoke as my cheek gently rubbed on her inner thigh. My hands slid under her dress and grabbed her hips, pulling her even closer to me. Or me closer to her.

“Let me teach you.” I planted a soft kiss on her skin.

Her legs clenched around my head, hands combing through my hair and pushing it away so Anaise could see my face, “Your lessons have been most illuminating so far. Do not disappoint me, and remember the promise you have made yesterday,” She demanded breathlessly.

Keeping my head firmly secure, she slowly started to pull her dress higher and higher. Watching my face as the shadows of the cloth slowly revealed the tiny slit in front of me. The thin line of pink, surrounded by creamy folds. A shuddering breath and the cloth was off, revealing the red fuzz above her petals. A familiar scent in the air and heat of her things - the young woman in front of me knew what she wanted.

And Anaise wanted it now.

Without saying anything, I let my tongue out. A loud squeak of surprise from her, clearly not expecting my reach, but it was too late. The tip of my tongue slipped through her open guard and reached the treasure within, feasting on her juices.

Despite her magical ears and tail she didn’t look, feel, or taste any different.

Just a beautiful girl, seeking pleasure in my arms.

And I refused to say ‘no’ to her.

In the meantime my hands pulled out a knife, fingers pushing on its edge. Emanai knew steel, they were even aware that there were different types of it. But they were still far off corrosion-resistant alloys. So I had a very short period of time while the blade was sharp enough to cut wermage hair with ease.

“Erf?” Anaise asked when I stopped my ministrations.

“I haven’t forgotten my promise,” I slowly replied as my fingers gently massaged oils into her skin, right over her mound. Teasing her without providing the same levels of pleasure my lapping tongue did just moments earlier.

She groaned, “It can wait.”

“It cannot. The blade will be useful for few moments until it would start pulling on your hair again.”

Anaise growled but strategically placed kisses quickly calmed her down. To a degree.

“I want you to feel it. That burning desire in your body. I want you to experience it and learn the relief it brings at a later time,” My hand gently stretched her skin as the blade shaved the offending hairs. My tongue and lips exploring her folds whenever I would stop talking. Keeping her horny and stock-still, almost on the edge of her release.

Not only did it help to keep her in place exactly where I needed, but it also kept her tail straight and away from my face.

“I want you to know that this feeling clouds the heads of many. Men and women alike. Know about it. And in doing so, be sure that no one could use it against you.”

My fingers brushed against the smooth skin, devoid of hairs.

“Your skin looks beautiful, my Lady.”

Tiny fingers joined mine, as she explored her flesh with me. A sigh of pleasure and content. A hand on my chest. A hard grip on my shirt.

Uh oh.

She yanked me out of the bath and onto the bench, effortlessly like a cork from a wine bottle.

“Ana-?

“Be quiet.” She huffed yanking my shirt up.

Her shift struggled against her rapid movements but Anaise pulled it off without a second thought. She climbed on top of me, her naked form glistening with sweat. Instinctively grinding on my shaft, lubricating it with her juices. Getting me ready in more ways than one.

Her hand reached out for my manhood but took it carefully enough. Frantically trying to guide it into herself.

“I don’t thi-”

“Either help me or shut up.” She huffed as my shaft slipped out yet again. Her tail, ramrod-straight and out as if to make sure it would not interfere.

A perfect handle to adjust her position.

She gasped loudly as my hand grabbed the root of her tail. A wanton moan, full of lust as I pulled on it, twisting her hips forward. Aligning her entrance precisely to my shaft. A throaty scream as I pulled her down, scorching grip on my rod. A hiss of pain.

“Don’t move!” Anaise demanded before I could say anything and grabbed me again, placing a hand on her stomach. A few seconds and she sighed with relief, her hips gyrating gently. Trying new things with me inside of her, seeking new pleasures with each move.

“An important rule of Flow,” She grinned, rocking in my lap, “Remove weapons from a wound, or a healing spell would work around it. Or don’t, if you wish for it to heal a certain way.”

I groaned and grabbed her tail once again.

“It can wait,” I repeated her words.

XXX

In the end, the only casualty had been the marble bench. My bones had been non-magically reinforced, while Anaise was nothing but vigorous as she enjoyed the process with the fervour of a first-timer. Something obviously had to give.

The dust had settled, the foxes were satisfied. And now I sat on my bed all giddy inside. Making yet another lousy twang. The strings I’ve gotten from Albin as a peace offering weren’t perfect, but I had to give him credit - he had no idea of my requirements and he had done a good job by providing me with a vast variety of them.

Now I just had to pick the best out of the bunch. And keep ignoring the snickering cougar that likened my experiments to the braying of a mule.

“It sounds a bit like a lyre or kithara, just…louder…” Yeva mused.

“They are close. You might even consider it to be a descendant of the kithara. And the boldness of the sound comes from the hollow body that enhances the sound of the strings.” I eagerly replied as I stretched another string. At least someone was not outright dismissive of my glee.

“Will it sound similar to it too?”

“Yes and no, I would say. It has similar pitches and more, but it also has things that are harder to achieve, like there are no horns that I could bend, instead I have to bend individual strings.”

“It sounds off, somehow,” She furrowed her brows and crawled closer, “Not as crisp.”

“I agree, it sounds like someone is dying,” Irje butted in.

Yeva giggled, playfully swatting in her direction, “They all sound like that when you are tuning them.”

“Ignoring the uncivilized critics on my side,” I pushed the grinning face away, “I am surprised that you noticed. And it is intentionally so. The other instruments concentrate on only six separate pitches that work perfectly together with the sixth being the double frequency of the first. An octave.”

I plucked the correct strings as I spoke to make my statements more obvious. Emanai words felt rather odd in me, my lips said ‘full circle’ while my mind thought of an ‘eight’, “The difference is that this instrument goes through four octaves. But instead of playing it as if I had four separately tuned lyres, the pitches are more evenly spread apart. Allowing me to strike a chord from any position and expanding the range of melodies immensely.”

My fingers picked up speed as the last string was finally set. I strummed a few chords to confirm that all six were in harmony and kept going without a break in between. The itch in my fingers pushing me to play more and more in the quiet silence of the evening. Losing myself with a happy smile as I listened to the eerie familiar music. That was probably never been heard before in this world.

A suckling sensation in my stomach, a blunt reminder of a home I somehow forgot.

“Something like that,” I blushed, realizing that I had a quiet audience around me.

“Oh…” Irje quietly murmured, “I, er, you aren’t planning on becoming a performer slave? Domina supports you well already.”

She waved her hands frantically, “I don’t mean it is bad, it’s very good! Just whom are you planning on using it on?”

I blinked, “No one, really. This was something I wished for myself. For you and Yeva if you like it.”

Irje sighed and shook her head, “Of all the things you chose for yourself is yet another skill to please the others… You need to care for yourself too, you know.”

“This is care for myself. Trust me I will be playing even if I was alone.” I smiled back.

There was a tug on my shirt.

“Can you play some more, then?” Yeva asked.

I silently pulled her closer and began to play again. I plucked the strings without singing, content with just the music by itself. Soft melodies of Sol and stars spreading through the air as my body quickly adapted to the instrument in my lap. Brand new but painfully familiar.

A hum joined my melodies. Yeva’s. Another familiar melody but of a different kind. I remembered myself singing similar songs before. When I worked in the Chimgen fields, sweating from the sun and cutting the wheat without stop. Simple melodies of the slaves that made their everyday life just a tiny bit easier.

My fingers quickly adapted to her voice, playing the correct tunes and she started singing in return. A tiny gentle voice, singing the tale of a young girl that got lost inside the Forest. How frightened she was, only to chance upon the Fairies and not the Things.

They dressed her white and washed her feet. And took her off into their lands. Away from trying times and deathly tolls.

I felt her grip and wetness on my shirt. But she sang strong and I didn’t dare.

And so I played.