Arakim's Legacy(#Wattys2015)

Untitled Part 12

The sun was high in the sky and edging towards the afternoon, turning the balmy morning into a choking heat. The animals had taken to their shelters seeking relief and shade from the scorching heat. Arakim could almost taste the impending storm in the air and was eagerly waiting for its cooling effect. He stepped inside his cave, thankful for its shaded coolness. Usually he wasn't bothered by the humid and hot forest but since the arrival of Adani's family, there had been a growing restlessness and anticipation in him.

The inside of the cave was illuminated by the midday sunlight streaming through the opening. The chamber was bare of furniture and could only boast of the big brick-mud bed that took almost the entire wall, right side of the cave opening.

Arakim could vividly recall the day he built the bed with Adani's help. It was a few days after he began training with Adani, lying on the floor of the cave while thinking about his grandfather, cousins and his subjects. He became unsettled and frustrated and before he knew it he was chopping wood into flats long strips and joining them to build a lidless box, large enough to hold four of him inside and wondered what he was going to put in it.

When Adani suggested mud, Arakim laughed but later found the logic in her suggestion and started moving mud from the riverbank beside the cave into the box and drying it layer by layer using magical fire as there was no kiln. It was good, physically exerting and a relaxing way to practise magic and he ended up with a brick-mud bed which turned out to be the best idea. Dried mud was hard but cool to lie on even when the forest was burning hot with that earthy smell that mud had, smiling at the recollection while walking across the chamber and removing his cloak and weapons.

"What are you smiling at?''

Arakim hissed in surprise at the voice, wondering how he could have missed another's presence behind him and without a thought, only instinct, spun around and threw his knife across the room. The only reason the blade didn't slam into Mena's forehead was because the woman moved too fast. She dropped to the floor with a hiss of her own, crouching, with knives gripped in both hands.

"What were you thinking, lady?'' growled Arakim. "I could have killed you.'' Heart galloping in his chest when he realised what almost happened, skin suddenly chilled.

Mena snorted, straightening up while flicking a hand as if the idea was so ridiculous, it didn't bear consideration.

"Please, you wish'' And smiled derisively. No hint of fear or surprise in her entrancing green eyes.

"What are you doing here?'' demanded Arakim, running his fingers through his hair, angry at himself for what could have been an unmitigated disaster.

"Following you, of course.'' Lifting her perfectly arched eyebrows and started stalking him. Drawing Arakim's attention to that spectacular body clad in black sleeveless leather shirt and leggings encasing those strong long legs, transforming anger into instant lust.

Standing a few feet from him, Mena stared silently at him, waiting.

Trying not to swallow a tongue that suddenly became too big for his dry mouth, Arakim narrowed his eyes at her, suppressing the shiver that went through his body.

"Why?' voice a little hoarse. Arakim swallowed to clear his suddenly dry throat.

Slowly shifting her weight, Mena shrugged. "Curiosity.''

Looking around the cave for a second and turning back to face him. Almond-shaped green eyes with yellow rays travelled from his head to his feet and back again, scorching him wherever it touched. Arakim was gratified to see an answering flare of lust in Mena's eyes, turning them more yellow than green and the hitch in her breathing pushing her ample breasts up with its movements. Good, I wasn't the only one, thought Arakim. The air in the room grew warmer from the sexual tension. The pair just kept staring at each other unable to look away.