DRAFTS Mystical Tantra

Chapter 3, The tastiest

After escorting him to the house, Temple Master told him to come to the cherry tree after resting to meet everyone. Alone again, Mc was still confused about everything that that happened but the wine left a nice aftertaste, considerably rising his spirits. The glass cooled his palm and after the sip earlier, all his exhaustion was already washed away. With no reason to sleep anymore, he walked around the house with happy feet.

Like the exterior, the inside was also made from dark wood. The color ate the light, making the room appear dimmer and smaller than it really was. The main room when entering consisted of a stone bed in one corner, covered by many thick blankets. Mc hated the cold, so even if it wasn't a matress, he was still relieved at the amount of quilts. A cracked open window was above it, pale blue curtains swaying on each side. The outside showed the the bamboo forest, so he didn't think twice before pulling them close while tactfully ignoring the view. He'd already seen enough of it. Should he get his hands on nails, he won't hesitate to nail the cloth securely in place.
There was no heater but the wall connecting to the bathroom had a small fireplace in it with wood already stacked besides it.
The other side held a simple desk, one chair and a mirror. It was placed in a way that showed the reflection of the bed. His gaze lingered on the mirror. He forgot about how disheveled he looked after walking the whole night. The silver hair fell in strands, stuck together by dried sweat and the handprint from slapping himself earlier still looked fresh, almost as red as his eyes.
Heaving a sigh, he only glanced at the empty kitchen before cradling the glass to his chest and entering the bathroom door.

The room was bathed in a azure light due to the large, round window. Its plate was made from different pieces of blue glass shards, coming together in a simple mandala. The view of the forest was blocked while protecting his privacy and still letting the room be illuminated. Beneath it stood a large bathtube. The material was some kind of rough black stone but the inside was carved out smoothly.
On the windowsill lay a collection of herbs and dried flowers. The temple master also provided a few dark blue outer robes and thin, white inner ones. Towels weren't lacking either, situated in a small chest. Next to it was another one, filled to the brim with scented candles and a few bundles of matches. On the wall above was a smaller mirror and a simple sink with a wooden toothbrush already prepared for him.
After having seen his appearance in the mirror again, he did feel dirty, making a bath sound rather tempting. He was relieved when he saw at least the water system was modern. Hot water came out of the pipe instantly. The steam warmed the room.

Taking the old mans advice, Mc carefully placed the glass on his head while staring at it through the mirror to make sure it didn't shake too much. He looked a bit silly as he slowly took off his clothes. Mission accomplished without spilling a drop, he put it back into his palm and leaned over the big stone to choose flowers.

He took his time, stretching a bit while scanning the herbs and waiting for the bath to fill. Except for plum blossoms, his nose couldn't pick up any scents so he was forced to go with roses. They were the easiest to detect. He threw a handful of them into the water before following and sitting down. He leaned his head back to give his hair a short wash before he tenderly held the wine close to himself as he didn't want the glass to turn hot. His eyes turned a bit blurry while he intently watched the glass losing its shine. Both of them got engulfed in the blue steam.

With the petals dancing in his nose, he didn't spare the roses even a second of his attention, instead thinking of the taste he got to try earlier. One sip was so gentle in taste, yet so powerful in his memory that he craved to drink more. Perhaps after a eerie night like that, the cold rim looked unreasonably seductive. Considering it deeply, he licked his lips.
As if sensing his thoughts, characters showed themselves on the condensation.
'Drink'. The handwriting was beautiful.
Mc shook his head and blinked, not sure if he saw right as the words were quickly covered by the water vapour. Did he like it that much that he started hallucinating again? This time he was more alert and clearly saw how each line was drawn. 'Drink'. Short, yet effective. He wanted to drink and the wine wanted to be drunk. His fingertips tingled in excitement. In face of want, man was always weak, so without contemplating anymore, he directly brought the glass to his lips again. The cold was so enjoyable on his mouth that it was painful to part even after a big sip. Tongue lightly licking the rim after, the edges of his vision turned purple again. Seems like he didn't just imagine it earlier. He was dazed for a second until he saw new words in the glass. 'More'.
He obliged, taking care to leave at least half. A drop flowed from the side of his mouth to his collarbone, stopping in the shadow of it. He quickly swept it up with his finger before sucking it deep into his mouth, like he was enjoying a delicasy.
The wine tasted so good, he wanted to drink it whole and even swallow the glass. His pupils were blown, goosebumps spreading even in the hot water.