Aphrodite's Daughter

Chapter 5

Coastline, En route to the village of Eresakros

I’m going to be perfectly honest with you. Despite knowing that Nomiki was a giant (and most likely powerful) water horse demi-creature in human form, I had a difficult time taking her challenge seriously. For starters, she reminded me far too much of my air-headed sister, Sonata Dusk. Her attitude, mannerisms, appearance, and hell, even her voice was eerily similar. Yes, Sonata could be VERY annoying at times, but not enough to send me into a sputtering rage.

What exactly was I supposed to do? She just stood there with a polite smile on her lips, waiting for me to make the first move. Up to this point, most of the spells/abilities that I’d utilized in combat were similar to those I’d made use of in my siren body. How strong was she? Did she have a healing factor? Would I even be able to keep up with her in my human body? Was Flash even aware of his own demi-god powers and how to control them? There were just way too many variables for my liking. I bit my lip and tapped my foot anxiously while she waited.

It was clear that she didn’t intend to kill me or Flash but I knew that accidents could happen all too easily. Given how new I was to this form, I could wind up using too much power and kill (however unlikely) Nomiki without intending to or she might do the same to us. Then there was Princess Iliana to consider. However tough she may have been, she was still just an ordinary human. After a considerable spike to my blood pressure, I sighed and stepped forward.

“How do you propose we do this, Nomiki? I’d like to avoid collateral damage if possible.”

Nomiki rolled back and forth on the balls of her feet. “Hmm. Well, that’s a good sign. At least you aren’t a bloodthirsty brute like Lord Aries. He’s all about causing maximum carnage and destruction regardless of the cost to those around him. That’s why we all try to keep him content at the parties held atop Mt. Olympus. With enough sex and wine, he usually—”

I rubbed the bridge of my nose. “Ok, we’re getting a little off topic here.”

“Oh! Right. Sorry about that. My mind tends to wander sometimes.”

“Yes, I… noticed. In any case, we need to establish some ground rules. Preferably, I’d like this contest not to involve any grievous injuries or dismemberment of limbs. Including Princess Iliana. Bear in mind that neither Flash nor I are particularly adept with our powers yet. We haven’t tested the upper limit of what our bodies are truly capable of. Does that make sense?”

Nomiki nodded emphatically. “Sure, it does. I mean, that’s the whole reason I was sent here!”

I closed my eyes for a moment to keep myself from getting too angry at the demi-creature’s blasé attitude regarding basic safety standards. “Who’s supposed to go first? Or are we to combat you as a team? Wouldn’t want to infringe upon your sense of honor…”

Nomiki shrugged. “Oh, that sort of thing doesn’t matter to me one bit. You guys can team up if you want. I’ll just wait until you’ve finished discussing what’s gonna happen amongst yourselves. In the meantime, I’ll help myself to some more of that yummy roasted octopus~”

I reluctantly padded over to where Flash was standing while Nomiki gnawed on yet another tentacle. The uncertain expression etched upon his face mirrored how I felt about the whole situation. Did I really want to fight this water horse-girl creature? No, but the bout between us would at least serve as a learning experience. I had yet to use my powers to their full extent. Let alone, figure out if I still had all of the same abilities I once possessed as a siren. So far, it seemed that a lot of them carried over to my human body, albeit in a diminished capacity.

It made sense. Human bodies were smaller and far more fragile than that of a fully-grown siren. How these hairless primates even managed to survive long enough to evolve and become the dominant, sapient race on the planet was beyond me. Save their guile, I suppose. Being the craftiest creatures around counted for something. After letting out a shuddering sigh, I placed my hands behind my back in order to hide how nervous I was. My skin had already begun to break out in sweat, of course, but at least that wasn’t as visible as me twiddling my fingers together.

“So… I take it that you got the gist of our conversation?”

Flash shuffled uncomfortably but nodded. “Yeah. Would you like to team up?”

I rubbed the back of my neck. “I don’t see that we have much choice in the matter. She’s a powerful servant of Poseidon and there’s no telling what kind of abilities she possesses. I know you’re supposed to be the son of Zeus, but let’s face it Flash: you and I are both novices in this whole questing hero business. We might as well take any advantage we can get.”

“Speaking of advantages, are you going to be ok fighting Nomiki like… well, you know.”

I cocked my head to the side. “Huh? What exactly do you mean by that?”

Flash blushed and gestured towards my chest. “You’re not wearing anything to protect yourself, Adagio! No armor. No sandals. Not even a weapon. Supernatural abilities aside, you’re still naked. What if you get hurt during the fight and—”

“In case you haven’t noticed, that’s literally the whole point of being a daughter of Aphrodite! Trust me, Flash; my body is far more durable than it looks. Armor and weapons would just end up slowing me down. Think of it as an agility and dexterity buff. I’ll take the lead since I have better control over my strength and you can be my support. How’s that sound?”

Flash didn’t seem convinced. He’d seen me fight the cyclops when we first met but I’d emerged the victor more due to the use of guile and dirty tricks instead of brute strength alone. This contest would be different. Although a bit air-headed, I had to assume Nomiki was at least smarter than a lumbering, one-eyed behemoth hellbent on satisfying his lustful urges.

My traveling companion bit his lip and looked as though he’d swallowed something bitter. “Ok. I saw what you were capable of when you fought the cyclops. But please… just be careful. Don’t underestimate Nomiki either. There’s no telling what other powers she might have. If at any point during the fight I feel like you’re in danger, I won’t hesitate to step in.”

“Well, aren’t you the noble, heroic little demi-god? Or is all that bravado a ploy to win over a fair maiden’s heart?” I teased.

At a loss for words, Flash blushed and avoided looking me directly in the eyes.

I gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze as a gesture of reconciliation… and perhaps, it was a little bit affectionate too. The gesture wasn’t as bold as, say, a direct kiss to the lips, but I didn’t hold myself to human standards. Never have. Probably never will. Who knows? My opinions regarding matters of courtship had much room to change, expand, and grow. Especially, now that I was no longer the predatory tyrant of the sea I once was. Let’s just say that sirens were never known for being romantic. More like… fuck or be fucked. But I digress. We had a fight to win.

I approached Nomiki with a sharp-toothed grin, cracking my knuckles all the while. “My apologies for the delay, sweetie. We can start whenever you’re ready.”

Instead of some flashy attack meant to bedazzle and awe, Nomiki simply ran at me at blinding speed. She was so fast that I barely had time to put up my arm to block an incoming spinning-back kick. The impact was so strong that I nearly lost my balance and fell flat on my ass. However, my legs absorbed most of the shock. Even though it was far from pleasant feeling all those tiny pebbles digging into my bare feet. With her momentum expended, I took the opportunity to strike back by kneeing her in the ribs. She managed to dodge it by just a hair.

Undeterred, I started swinging at her with the fiercest punches I could muster. Rather than dodge them, she intercepted each punch with her hands. Each time, the impact made a thunderous smacking sound as flesh met flesh. Had we been normal humans, I’m certain some bones would have been broken. More likely, however, the combatants’ hands would have been shattered into a bloody mess. Our bodies were made of sterner stuff.

Sensing that I was only exhausting myself and getting nowhere fast, I decided a change of tactics was in order. Brute strength alone would not win me the day. Nomiki was just too strong for me to overpower physically. I jumped back far enough to put some distance between us and concentrated on my magic. Or rather, I took in a deep breath and let my diaphragm expand. It was siren magic, of a sort. At least by human standards. I let it all out at once and an ear-piercing scream filled the air as I loosened a sonic attack at my foe.

Nomiki must not have expected that I was able to pull off such an attack. Her eyes widened in surprise as the shockwave hit her dead in the chest, sending her hurtling towards a rocky outcropping. I winced when I heard the rocks crumble apart. That had to hurt like Tartarus. Even so, she emerged from the rubble, slightly dazed but not much worse for wear, save for a few cuts and scrapes. With a savage grin, she called forth an undulating blob of compressed water and shot it out of her fist like a shooting star. Before I could even gasp, the damned thing slammed into my stomach.

My body skidded across the ground for what felt like hours but I’m sure it was only a few seconds. Pebbles, plants, dirt, and whatever else happened to be in the way scraped across my poor back. Fuck did it hurt. The burning sensation I felt all over my backside, surely meant that I was cut up badly and bleeding. With some hesitance, I reached behind my shoulder blade and it came back covered in blood. I hissed in pain and took a few shallow breaths to try and focus my resolve.

“Adagio! Are you alright? You’re bleeding! Let me—”

I held out my arm. “No. I can handle this. Just give me a second to catch my breath.”

Flash looked like he wanted to argue the point further, but kept his peace. “If you say so…”

Nomiki came bouncing over to where we were standing and clapped. “Wow! That sonic attack sure was impressive. It’s been a while since anyone surprised me like that. Kudos!”

My back still felt like I was being flayed alive but the skin and muscle were healing. Albeit slower than I preferred. Now, more than ever, was I grateful for not being your average, run of the mill, human woman. I would have bled out otherwise. “Thanks, I guess. Your little water ball trick threw me for a loop as well. Would you mind teaching me how to do that some time?”

Nomiki nodded emphatically. “Sure, Dagi! Uhh—well, that is if you can even learn how. I’m not exactly sure what you are, so… it might be impossible. BUT! I can manipulate any form of water at will since I am a servant of Lord Poseidon. Isn’t that just the coolest thing in the whole wide world?! I can be like PSSHEW and instant geyser!”

I rolled my eyes at her childish display “Whatever you say, Nomiki.”

Her ability to control water was unsurprising. She was born of the Sea God’s will, after all. For a moment, I closed my eyes and tried to plan my next move. What I really wanted to do was call this whole fight off, take a long soak in the baths, and guzzle down wine until I got shitfaced drunk. Maybe have a little sex on the side. I’d yet to experience what that was like for human females. It all depended on my state of consciousness and the ferocity of my libido. Alas, that was not to be. I was stuck battling a Sonata-like hippocampus instead. Joy of joys…

The sonic blast that I’d fired at Nomiki before was more out of instinct than a carefully executed attack. I’d merely imitated what I normally did when I was still a siren and it happened to work. Good to know, overall, but it left me curious as to what my human body was capable of. Some part of my mind, subconsciously, lamented that it might take decades of experimentation and accidental discovery to unlock my true potential. Ugh! I didn’t have time for that now!

I happened to glance back at Flash and notice the guilt radiating off of him. The worry etched upon his face said it all: he felt bad about not protecting a woman that he cared about. Damn him and his chivalrous sense of honor! As much as it annoyed me, I couldn’t help but feel somewhat flattered. It was the first time anyone had ever bothered giving a shit about my well-being. I suppose Iliana cared about me too in her own way, but it wasn’t quite the same. At least she had the sense to stay out of the fight. The last thing we needed was for her to become gravely injured because she was stupid enough to think that she could face one of Poseidon’s minions in combat.

Nomiki’s face suddenly appeared close enough to my own that I could feel her breath. And, yes, it was unpleasant smelling. Like fish left out in the sun. “Do you wanna continue the fight some other time, Dagi? You look like you’re thinking about something. Is it food? ‘Cause I’m getting kind of hungry again. Maybe you could grill up some more—”

I blushed profusely. Angered and embarrassed at having gotten so lost in my own thoughts as to ignore everything else around me. “NO! That won’t be necessary. I’m sorry for… being distracted. I promise that I’ll direct my undivided attention to our little contest.”

Satisfied with my answer, Nomiki didn’t hesitate to resume where we’d left off. Before I knew it, her foot swung towards my head at blinding speed. Completely unprepared to dodge the kick, it connected with my jaw and sent me stumbling onto the ground. Through gritted teeth, I struggled to get up, spat out a glob of blood, and tried to regain my composure. Fuck that hurt! I was just grateful that she didn’t knock out all of my teeth. With a feral yell, I charged at her.

We continued to exchange blows for quite some time. Adrenaline fueled my muscles to push harder, strike faster, and finish the fight quickly. Unfortunately, as amazing as adrenaline can be, it is not a proper substitute for martial training. As much as I hated to admit it, Nomiki clearly had the advantage over me in that regard. She was used to fighting in both her forms. I wasn’t.

The exhaustion I felt was only further compounded by the need for my body to use up precious energy to heal my injuries. Demi-goddess or not, if I didn’t rest soon, I’d collapse. I don’t think I was quite at the point of dying just yet… but I sure felt like shit. Achy muscles, blurring at the edge of my vision, increased respiration. Was I really that out of shape? No, I reasoned. It was more due to the fact that Nomiki had inhuman strength and wasn’t holding back when she hit me.

I probably looked like a mess too. What, with all the cuts and scrapes all over my body. Probably some bruising too. Not to mention, my hair was all sweaty and clung to me like a wet rag. Proud though I was of my golden-orange locks, I seriously contemplated getting them cut down to a length that was more manageable in combat. Or at least a tie. I suddenly realized why Iliana liked to keep her hair so short. It made her look a bit more masculine but didn’t get in the way.

Nomiki giggled. “This has been super fun, Dagi! But—umm—you don’t look so hot. Are you sure you don’t wanna call it quits? I mean, you’ve done pretty well so far. Had you been a mortal, there’d be nothing left of you but a bloody smear.”

My pride wounded, I screamed at her. “I’LL SHOW YOU BLOODY SMEAR!!”

There it was again. The ancient siren magic that had been my closest ally for centuries. Its eldritch power flowed through my veins like an eerie green fog, rejuvenating my body and focusing my mind. Unlike the harmonious magic that Equestrian ponies favored, its strength came from emotions. Somewhat similar to the type changelings used, but more specifically, negative emotions. That’s not to say, siren magic could not be powered by positive ones, such as love. Rather, negative ones were more efficient when it came to overall output. Wrath being the most prevalent. However, lust came in a close second. Not ideal but it worked in a pinch.

I was never known for being a patient creature. My temper had always been short, and it took little effort to grate my nerves. Yes, I was fully aware of my flaw and openly admitted that it could be troublesome when dealing with other sapient beings and whatnot. Nomiki was no exception. Everything about her annoyed me. Eyes glowing red, I laughed at the confused expression on her face. That airhead had no idea what she was in for.

It happened so quickly that I barely had time to react. While charging at her with what I can only assume was a terrifying, predator-like visage, Nomiki formed yet another one of those water balls in between her hands. Except, this time she did something different. Instead of it shooting forth at me, it turned into a beam of crystalized ice. That bitch was trying to freeze me in place! There was no possible way I could avoid the beam. It was coming at me far too fast.

Time seemed to slow down as it drew closer. I was prepared to feel the freezing cold hit my skin, until I saw Flash jump out in front of me. That idiot! Damn his stupid sense of honor. I watched on, utterly helpless to stop him, and cried out when the beam struck him in the chest. In a matter of seconds, he was entrapped in a massive chunk of ice up to his neck. This wasn’t your ordinary run of the mill ice either. The distinct, blueish glean indicated that it was enchanted.

Nomiki looked upset. As though she felt bad about hitting Flash instead of me. I didn’t give a shit about her feelings. Instead, I concentrated as much hatred as I could muster (which was a lot) into the palm of my hand and blasted her with reckless abandon. A screaming torrent of emerald-green light surged forth and knocked her back into the cliff she was standing in front of.

Ignoring the resounding crunch of shattered rocks, I rushed over to Flash’s side. “You fucking idiot! Why would you do such a thing?! I don’t—you might die!”

Through chattering teeth, Flash smiled. “I-I didn’t w-want you to g-get hurt, Adagio.”

“Fine. Just shut up and save your strength. I’m going to try and melt the ice. Hold on.”

Drawing upon my hatred of Nomiki once more, I enveloped the ice chunk with my magic. So long as it was under my will, the flames would not harm Flash Magnus. It took every ounce of strength and concentration I possessed to melt that damnable ice. I’d been pouring out a continuous flame for over a minute when it finally started turning into a puddle of water. Shaking and utterly exhausted, I collapsed onto the ground next to Flash.

“Fuck. I can barely see straight. This sucks….” I rasped.

Iliana ran towards us and wrapped Flash up in a wool blanket. “Are you ok, Adagio?”

“Quite frankly, no. But I’ll manage. Just make sure Flash gets warmed up as quickly as possible. Otherwise, he might die of hypothermia. I’d suggest building a fire.”

Iliana’s brow scrunched in confusion. “Hypo-what?”

I growled in annoyance. “It means his body will get too cold. Keep Flash safe for me.”

“I… can do that. What will you do in the meantime?”

I cracked my knuckles. “Servant of Poseidon or not, Nomiki will pay. I’ll see to that.”

Iliana placed her hand on my shoulder. “Adagio, I strongly advise against this path of vengeance you are so intent on following. The Olympians are not to be trifled with. Surely, you have seen firsthand what even their minions are capable of. Please, be reasonable about this…”

Tendrils of green haze flickered out of the corner of my eyes when I turned around to look at her. Iliana was terrified of me. Not only could I see it on her face, but I could sense it too. I had to hold myself back from savoring her terror. “What do you know of reason, Iliana? I’m thousands of years your senior! A mere mortal cannot fathom what I have been through!”

“Perhaps not. But I know when your stubborn pride is getting the better of you, Adagio.”

“My pride,” I screeched, “You have some nerve calling me—”

Even though she was still frightened, Iliana stood up and stared directly into my eyes. “Yes! It blinds you to what truly matters. Rather than sate your lust for violence, tend to Flash Magnus. Is his life more important to you than petty revenge? Ask yourself that, Adagio. Then speak to me.”

In a mere instant, all my anger faded away. Replaced by gut-wrenching guilt and embarrassment. How could I expect Iliana to take care of Flash while I went on a murderous rampage? It sounded completely foolish when I thought about it… mostly because it was. Ugh! Why did I have to start growing a conscience now of all times? After a heavy sigh, I shuffled over to Flash and slung him over my shoulder as gently as I could. Yep. His skin felt as cold as winter’s snow. There was no doubt left in my mind that we needed to start a fire immediately.

While Iliana was gathering as much wood as possible, Nomiki came scampering over to where I was sitting. For the time being, I was using my magic to spread flames across Flash’s body until we were able to get a regular one started in earnest. It was exhausting since I hadn’t gotten a chance to rest yet but I had to keep it up, lest he die. The hippocampus offered me a look of sincere concern when I peered over my shoulder. All I offered in return was a dismissive snort.

“I was going to rip you to shreds but Iliana stopped me.” I informed her.

Nomiki shuffled her feet. “Yeah. I kind of got the impression you were SUPER pissed off.”

I scoffed. “That’s putting it mildly, sweetie. Can we just call it a day? I’m tired, sweaty, and ache in about a thousand different places. Plus, Flash needs to be taken care of.”

Nomiki nodded slowly. “That’s ok with me, Dagi. I’ll let Lord Poseidon know how powerful you are. But—um—do you have any plans to, like, usurp their thrones or anything like that?”

“How the fuck should I know? I’ve barely figured out how to function as a human, let alone make a power play against a gaggle of gods and goddesses. You go tell your master that I am content to let the Olympians do whatever they please, so long as they don’t meddle in my affairs. Have I made myself clear? I’d rather there not be any unfortunate misunderstandings.”

Nomiki rubbed the back of her neck and chuckled. “Sure. Crystal clear. Is Flash gonna be ok?”

“That remains to be seen no thanks to you. However, it helps that he is a demi-god.”

Nomiki made a sound that was somewhat of a cross between a burp and dry-heaving. “Sorry, I get queasy whenever I’m nervous. Like, you don’t understand how much trouble I’ll get into if he dies! Please, Dagi. You gotta try your best to save him!”

“And I will but I need you to go away and let me concentrate.”

Nomiki let out a dejected sigh but complied with my request. “Fair enough. I’ll just… go back to Lord Poseidon and let him know what happened. Hey—ah—Dagi, I wasn’t trying to kill you either. Sometimes, I underestimate my own strength and go overboard. Hehe.”

My annoyance with her lessened. Only slightly though. “You do that. But I expect you to honor our agreement. The same goes with the Olympians. If they fuck with me, I fuck with them.”

“Yeah, I know. Good luck and I hope that Flash Magnus feels better. Bye!”

Nomiki at least had the decency to transform into her natural form a few paces away from where I was tending to Flash. And just like that, she was gone. It was as if she’d never been there to begin with. Meanwhile, Iliana came back to our makeshift camp with a bundle of firewood. Mostly dried up twigs and scrub brush. Flammable enough, I suppose. Once she set up a stone fire pit, I ignited the tinder with my magic and laid Flash onto a blanket next to the flames. Only time would tell if he’d recover or not. Deep down, I couldn’t help but feel it was my fault.

Iliana stared daggers at me while I took off Flash’s armor. “What are you doing?!”

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m going to share my body heat with him. It’s easier if we’re both nude.”

Iliana blushed and coughed. “Right. I knew that. Just don’t get any funny ideas!”

While I snuggled up behind him, I raised my brow. “What sort of idea would that be, Princess?”

Iliana huffed in frustration. “Don’t play coy with me, Adagio! You know what I mean.”

I chuckled. “Perhaps~ Did you want to fuck him first? If so, we could come to an arrangement that suits—”

“No, I’m not interested in that sort of thing. Erm—with Flash, anyway. All I’m saying is that I don’t want you to take advantage of him while he’s vulnerable. It’s dishonorable and shameless.”

I ran my fingers through his hair. “There’s no need to get your toga in a twist, sweetie. I would never do such a thing to the man whom I owe a life debt. And, if Flash happens to be interested in such an activity with me, then we’ll discuss it. On our own terms.”

Thus mollified, Iliana stayed quiet for a moment then sighed. “I’ve seen the way he looks at you, Adagio. He is love struck. Hopelessly smitten with you. Considering how beautiful you are, is it any wonder why he feels that way? Do you harbor such feelings for him as well?”

The only sound between the three of us was Flash’s soft snoring. I’m sure that my cheeks were turning red but hoped that in the dim light of the evening, Iliana wouldn’t notice. “I… don’t know. I suppose he is handsome enough for a human.”

“You are dodging the question.”

“Cut me a break,” I groused, “Being human is a new experience to me, Iliana. Even when I was still a siren, finding a mate was never high on my list of priorities. Do I love, Flash? No, I can’t say that I do. At least… not yet. I have, however, grown increasingly fond of him.”

Iliana smiled. “That is enough. I can see that the flame is there, growing slowly.”

I scoffed. “Fine. Whatever. Go make yourself useful by finding us dinner or something.”

With a smug expression, Iliana laughed and set off into the wilds with her bow. I presume it was so that she could hunt down some hapless creature for our nourishment. No matter. I was perfectly comfortable where I was, sitting next to the fire, and snuggling up against Flash. Wait. Did I just admit that I—Mother Siren, I did! Ok, so maybe his broad shoulders and muscular frame made me feel at ease somehow. Why did my feminine instincts have to kick in now?!

His skin was still a bit chilly, but much warmer to the touch than before. I paused for a moment and took in a deep breath. The musky, manly scent of his sweat filled my nostrils. It was oddly pleasant to me. Did humans have pheromones? They must have. Or at least, to a lesser degree. Just as I was about to ruminate over the direction of my life, Flash groaned softly and began to open his eyes. I froze, not knowing what to do. How would I explain the situation?

“Ugh… Adagio, is that you?” He rasped.

“Yes, it’s me. We’re cuddling by the fire, so that you can warm up. Don’t be alarmed but I took the liberty of stripping you out of your clothing. Sharing body heat is easier that way.”

“Oh. That would explain why I feel your breasts squishing up against my back.”

I let out an amused chuckle. “Quite the charmer, aren’t you? Are you always this smooth with the ladies or am I special?”

Flash’s face turned beet red. “I-I’m not… used to whatever this is.”

“Well, neither am I. But here we are.”

Flash took hold of my hand and rubbed the back of my palm with his thumb. “Just to be clear, I think this is nice. And I’m glad that you’re trying to help me.”

“Mhmm. I can agree with that. Flash, I… want to thank you for saving my life. If you hadn’t jumped in front of Nomiki’s beam, I’d be the one in trouble. So… thanks. I appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

I leaned forward and kissed his neck. “I’m sure you would. Is there anything I can do to repay your act of valor? I don’t like owing someone a life debt. My pride as a siren will not allow it.”

“Adagio, you don’t owe me anything. Saving someone’s life isn’t like buying livestock.”

“Of course not. But I want to do something for you. Just name your price.” I urged.

“I don’t know what to tell you. Surprise me, I guess…”

I couldn’t very well offer him coin, that would have been a pointless gesture. Flash wasn’t the type of man to be swayed by gold anyway. For an embarrassingly long time, I stewed in silence, trying to come up with a suitable reward. An idea finally popped into my mind… but I was hesitant to go through with it. After screwing up my courage, I shifted my position and told Flash to lay flat on his back. He looked confused for a moment until I slid my hand in-between his legs, cupped his ball sack and began massaging it with my fingers ever so carefully.

“Just relax. I want to make you feel good in the best way I know how~”

“Adagio, I-I’m not sure if this is—” Flash whimpered.

“Are you telling me to stop?”

“No. Keep going. It feels great…”

He was still only semi-turgid, so I grasped his shaft instead and began pumping it up and down with the gentlest touch I could manage. After continuing this routine for a little while, his cock became erect and increasingly hot to the touch. I’d nearly forgotten how sturdy he was down there. It was just so thick and veiny. I giggled when a tiny little bead of precum formed at the tip. I must have been doing something right. This was totally different from how sirens did it. Yet, I somehow, instinctively, knew just what to do. How strange.

I brought my lips closer to his head and took in a deep breath. Sweet Oceans! That musky scent I’d smelled earlier was so much more intense. “What would you like me to do, Flash?”

“I-I don’t know!” Flash squeaked.

I ran my tongue along the underside of his shaft and licked off the precum from the tip. “You shouldn’t have to think too hard~”

Now that I was starting to feel frisky, I took his length into my mouth and began sucking. I had to be careful not to take in too much at once, lest I wind up making a fool of myself by gagging. What? I told you he had a monster cock. I wasn’t lying about that! After a while, I really started getting into it, making all kinds of lewd slurping noises as I bobbed my head up and down. I could tell it was driving Flash wild because he grabbed my head and started moaning.

“Adagio, my—oooh—that feels so good—I don’t think I can last much longer…”

Rather than stop my ministrations, I just kept going faster and faster. For extra measure, I played with his balls too. Human males seemed to enjoy that for some reason. In no time at all, he was panting, pushing his hips upwards, and curling his toes. After a loud groan, my mouth was suddenly filled with a few globs of thick, sticky cum. I nearly choked on his load.

I’m not sure what I was expecting as far as taste was concerned. For the most part, his cum didn’t have much flavor to it. A bit salty with a somewhat fishy aftertaste. With some difficulty I swallowed all of it and cleared my throat afterwards. Honestly, I didn’t mind the taste. I’d had worse. I suppose men must love it when a woman swallows their baby batter because Flash looked like he was in a state of utter bliss.

His semi-turgid penis rested upon his leg, red and shiny with a little bit of cum oozing out the tip. I took it upon myself to clean up his mess by carefully squeezing his cock and licking up the rest that came out. When everything was said and done, I laid back down next to him and snuggled up against his chest. He responded by sighing contentedly, pulling me closer, and placing an affectionate kiss atop my forehead. To be honest, snuggling like this was kind of nice.

“Did you enjoy that, Flash?” I purred.

“Yeah. It was great. One thing though. I’d like to make you feel good too if—”

I placed my finger on his lips to silence him. “Not right now. You’re still recovering. Perhaps later, when you’ve gained back some of your strength, we can discuss my needs.”

“Ok. I just didn’t want to be rude, since you seem pretty excited…”

Absentmindedly, I realized that my crotch was pressed up against his leg. And sure enough, when I reached down to check, my lips were wetter than the ocean. “Ha… so I am. Like I said: normally, I wouldn’t hesitate to take you up on your offer but these are extenuating circumstances, Flash. I can afford to wait a little while longer.”

Flash hugged me tightly. “Don’t hesitate to ask me when the time is right.”

I chuckled and nibbled on his ear. “I’ll hold you to it then. Who knows? Maybe next time we can make each other feel good by fucking properly. It’s about time you popped your cherry, hero.”

Flash’s cheeks flushed pink. “Oh—erm—wow that’s… you’d want to do that with me?”

“Sure, sweetie. If I didn’t want to, I wouldn’t have suggested it in the first place. Is there a problem?”

“No! Of course, not. I’ve never—you know—made love a woman before. Especially, not to one as beautiful as you, Adagio. I don’t know if I’m up to the task…” Flash muttered.

Now, it was my turn to blush. “Sex isn’t that complicated, Flash. You get me nice and wet, then you slide your marvelous, demi-god cock into my clamshell. Obviously, you have to time your thrusts with some finesse but I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it with enough practice.”

Flash began coughing violently. “Enough… p-practice?!”

I was just about to tell him that it wasn’t a big deal when Iliana decided to show up. The smug expression on her face told me that she’d stayed out hunting longer than what was strictly necessary in order to give us some private time. She had a goat slung over her shoulder, so I guess we at least had something substantial to eat for dinner. Choosing to remain silent, she simply walked over to the fire and began butchering the carcass. I stared daggers at her, daring the Spartan Princess to make some witty comment about the situation between Flash & I.

Iliana pointed her dagger towards us. “I’m going to give Flash the heart, liver, and a section of haunch. He needs the nutrients. What part do you want, Adagio?”

“I’ll take whatever. I’m not picky.”

Iliana smiled. “Very well. It shouldn’t take too long to cook. Enjoy each other’s company in the meantime. You both deserve some rest after the fight.”

I was a little pissed off at her cheekiness but I held my peace. Instead, I focused my attention on cuddling Flash and resting my head against his chest. Before long, I felt my eyelids begin to get heavier and heavier until I could no longer stay away. I dozed off in Flash’s embrace. Maybe, just maybe… it wasn’t so bad to be vulnerable every once in a while.