Of Thorns and Glamour

The Festival of the Joining

We traveled there via carriage kindly provided by Adair. We barely talked for a few hours as Inchiki was nose deep in a book. He sat across from me, looking out the window. I fiddled my thumbs, "So what happens in this festival?" I ask him, he clears his throat and looks at me, setting down the book beside him. "Merry and mayhem I assume?"

He leans forward, his elbows on his knees, and clasps his hands. "It's a mating ritual." He smirks at me, and my cheeks flair.

"No." I say, not believing him. I laugh nervously, but he grins. "I don't believe you."

"I'd thought you'd be enthused, giving your needs earlier." I glance away. I knew it was a joining party, but I didn't think it went so far. "Adair has been trying to get me to go for years."

I felt slightly jealous of the idea now of Inchiki going with someone else but I shook it out. "I don't intend to-" I cut myself off, "Can we please stick to the reason why we are going there?" I was feeling nauseous.

He frowns, "Lily." I look at my hands, falling down my anxiousness. He repeats, "Lily." I look back at him and he grabs into my fidgeting hand. "I would never, never force you to participate." I look out the window. "You and I, we are-"

The carriage stops. Inchiki clears his throat again, the conversation ending as if it never happened. "I'll meet you after your done changing, just don't drink or eat anything unless I give it to you. Accepting it means you're willing to participate in the activities of whoever gives it to you."

I nod and we both exit the carriage, it's an open plain surrounded by a dense forest and very close to a mountain range that stands tall in the distance. The sky was pink with a few stars coming out as it was near sunset, but I can hear the festivities in the distance. We walk over a hill and below are many tents, two very large tents at the far end. A great fire taller than any man burns brilliantly in the center.

A friend of Adair comes up to me, a young nymph in clothes that reveal much. "Let us prepare to be greeted." I look at Inchiki, who nods and walks away from me. I follow her to a tent, thankfully no one in it was frolicking inside. Nymphs, selkies, dryads, nagas, and other creatures were mixed and mingled helping one another get dressed. I was brought to a naga, who's golden skin matched her golden snake body, and eyes that flashed yellow in the light. She was devastatingly beautiful.

Soon I was donning clothes that left little to the imagination. "To bad you're so tiny, you'd be the perfect candidate." She commented while fastening small gems and flowers throughout my hair. It was mostly left down, and thankfully covered exposed skin.

"Perfect candidate?" I ask her, almost regretting it, as if it could be anything I wanted to be.

"I think your friend is going to be the one though." Another girl says next to me her big deep dark eyes almost black and silver hair. "If I were you I would make sure you offer him a drink soon."

Everyone was being so cryptic, the naga clicks her tongue, "Finished." There is no mirror, but I look down at my clothes, my breast are meekly covered by a light blush pink material that was silky and soft, it was held up by two straps that tied around the back of my neck and strapped around my very exposed back. My arms had loose sleeves that draped down and exposed my arms as it didn't close on the top. It ended at my wrist which had cuffs that were golden with little gems. My belly was exposed, but my hips held a skirt that draped over my nether regions and slits that ran up to the top of my thighs exposed more skin. I jingled in my movement of my hips with the chains and gems and bells that hung from my belt that held the skirt up. I wore no shoes, only my ankles had golden chain tied around each one with more bells and gems.

It was a little much to say the least.

"Thank you for helping me." I curtsied, the outfit noisily followed my movements, but I kept feeling drafts and my breast moved easily. Hopefully the make up on my face distracts from how much I'll be blushing all night. I breathed deeply and followed the naga out of the tent. We took a path between tents that I could hear many voices and some already getting wild inside.