Chapter 4: Negligent Discharge
Malik, a novice mage, travels to the far end of the civilized world on a mission to learn from a mysterious druid known as Nella. While under her tutelage he's torn between acting like the fine upstanding mage he was brought up to be and giving into his more base desires, Nella's way of life being far more liberated than what he's used to. All the while Nella seems intent on teasing the poor mage to his breaking point.
~28,500 words
Note: Tags apply to the work as a whole.
>The weeks fly by as I learn from Nella
>Though she did her best, I found great difficulty in trying to learn arcane translation and decipher the language of animals
>Even after days of constant lessons I had only managed to learn how to talk to and command the simplest of creatures, like field mice or forest squirrels
>Despite this Nella assures me that with more practice I'll be able to reach her level of mastery and talk to the mightiest of beasts
>I remain hopeful, but in quiet moments I sometimes worry what would happen if I fumble my words in front of a dire wolf given my lack of martial skills
>Not that I'd have to worry about anything like that today, Nella said that we'd be going down to the village for a ceremony
>Two legged beasts are thankfully much easier to talk to and with some assistance from Nella I had picked up much of the old tongue, able to recognize most words and converse with the villagers
>Sure, I still occasionally mixed up my words, but at least I didn't have to worry about an angry half ton killing machine lunging at me if I accidentally angered whoever I was talking to
>After the morning stretches were done Nella left me alone as she went into her garden to gather ingredients for some unknown purpose
>She soon returned, and with a mortar and pestle begins to grind up what appears to be berries, some kind of powder, and water together
>I lean over her shoulder as she sits on the ground, grinding up a kind of reddish paste in the mortar
>"Hey, what's that concoction you're making? Some kind of potion?"
>She looks up from her work
>"No, this mixture is as mundane as can be. No side effects from ingestion at all." She takes a claw and dips it into the red paste, then licks it clean. “It does taste slightly sweet though, probably from the red berries."
>"Then what's it for?"
>"It's for the ceremony later today. We'll apply this red paste to our bodies like a paint, to help ensure the ceremony goes smoothly and my blessings are gifted to all the villagers."
>"Oh, and what kind of blessings will you be giving them?"
>"The usual, blessings of fertility and health, same as I do every year. But unlike the previous seventy three times I've done this for them I'll have a partner to help me!"
>"And what will I be doing?"
>Nella gives a lazy shrug and turns her attention back to mixing the paint
>"Just a few miscellaneous things, nothing too difficult. Just do what I tell you and everything should work just fine. However…" Her gaze slowly rises back to me. “I will need you to keep a very specific state of mind during the ceremony."
>"And what's that?" I ask with a confident smile
>"Your mind should be clear of any strong feelings during the ceremony in its entirety. Any errant thought, traitorous emotion, or strange idea could potentially sour the magics involved."
>"What? If this is a ritual for fertility and good health then shouldn't I be thinking about, you know, fertility and good health?"
>"It doesn't quite work that way." Says Nella, turning her attention back to the paint. “As the master of the ceremony it's my state of mind that matters the most. I'll be the one providing the majority of the magic for the ceremony as well as focusing it toward the villagers, however, since you'll also be playing a part in the ceremony there's the chance of you tainting the energies involved with your own emotional state. Just keep an empty mind and everything will be fine. Trust me, I've been doing this a while."
>I look down and cross my arms
>"And, uhh, what would happen if I did accidentally think about something I shouldn't?"
>"If the incorrect emotional energies are applied then the ritual would fizzle out and we would have to try again, all the way from the beginning. Very inconvenient given how long it all takes to setup."
>"I'll…do my best then. Actually you know what? I'm going to go take a little walk through your garden to clear my head, get myself in the right mindset." I end my little lie with a smile
>"A good idea Malik." She says with a nod of the head. “I'll let you know when the paint is ready. Go ahead and clear your mind, let your thoughts fade and emotions dull. I will need you to be a blank slate during the ceremony."
>"I will try, see you soon."
>I turn and begin walking towards the hot spring Nella showed me some weeks earlier
>My mind turns dark with doubt
>Would I really be able to keep my head clear of lustful thoughts while Nella performed the ceremony?
>It's incredibly unlikely
>For the entire time I've been with Nella the mere sight of her body has set my mind ablaze with lustful thoughts
>Her barely concealed breasts with four nude nips teasing me below them, plush fur, motherly hips, round ass, it's like her body was designed to drive guys like me wild with want
>And the litany of lewd acts we do together isn't helping, if anything my need for her grows greater with each day
>Every night I feel her warm body press against mine, every morning my mind wanders as to how the position of Gaia we were performing could be turned into a sexual position, every jiggle of a breast or brush of a paw gets me hot and bothered
>The only way I've been able to keep my lustful urges dealt with is with a sneaky trip out into the forest all by lonesome, usually with an excuse that I needed to heed nature's call
>But once I was sure I was out of sight I would drop my loincloth and empty my balls rather than my bladder
>Then I would take a quick dip in one of the pools to make sure Nella couldn't smell any carnal juices on me, then return to her as if nothing strange had happened
>Speaking of which, this seems like a good spot to choke my chicken
>I take off my loincloth and relieve my carnal urges, then take a dip in one of the hot springs in post nut bliss
>It isn't much longer until I hear Nella call for me through the trees
>I dress myself then hurry back to the clearing in front of her hut
>She's standing in the middle of the clearing holding the bowl
>I approach and she dips a finger into the soupy red mixture
>"It's time Malik. I'll apply this paint onto you then myself, once the proper symbols and runes are on our bodies we can then walk down to the village and begin the ceremony. I told Arin when to expect us so the village should have everything already setup."
>"Can't wait." I say, hiding my own self-doubt behind an eager smile
>Nella begins applying paint to my mostly naked body
>Stripes across my arms, wavy lines across my back, thin lines under my eyes, zig zags across my chest, and arrows pointing downward on my belly
>She works quickly, turning my body into a kind of canvas with her paint tipped fingers
>While finishing up some designs on my thighs she suddenly turns my loincloth upward exposing my manhood
>I stare wide eyed as she calmly gives my cock and balls an even coat of red paint
>Were it not for the cold wet feeling of the paint, and the incredible swiftness of her actions, I have no doubt that I could have very well blown another load right then and there
>But thankfully I merely go from flaccid to half chub
>She soon lets my loincloth fall downward and resumes her painting
>When done she takes a step back to check her work
>Apparently satisfied, she hands me the bowl
>"Hold this while I do my own paint." She says
>I take it, then silently observe as she works
>Several lines accenting her eyes, arrows across her muzzle, dots from her neck down to her chest
>She briefly raises her bra to paint her areolas red then makes several thin circular rings around them, her nipples at their center
>Her four belly nipples each receive a single circle broken into four segments, far less fancy than the design her two upper breasts received
>Nella then makes a complicated rune accented with many loops and flourishes on her lower belly before continuing downward
>She dips her entire paw in the paint bowl then raises her loincloth, sticking the paint laden paw between her legs
>She rubs it back and forth across the entirety of her womanhood, dribbles of paint running down her thighs as she stands bow legged
>I avert my gaze to prevent myself from fixating on her crotch and turning this awkward moment into an embarrassing one
>A few seconds later I look back at her to find that she's already covered her legs in swirly designs and more strange symbols
>She straightens her back and puts her paws on her hips as she looks down to survey her handiwork
>"Alright, I think we're ready." She announces with a pleased grin
>I set the bowl down and walk closer
>"Uhh, if you don't mind me asking, what exactly is the purpose of all this paint? I couldn't help but notice how much of it ended up between our legs."
>Nella laughs, looking downward at her own paint splattered crotch
>"I did apply quite a bit down there, didn't I? Malik, this paint serves as a sort of guide for the magical energies that I'll be releasing today. When I give my blessings anyone wearing similar paint will be able to 'catch' them, so to speak."
>"So the villagers are painted up as well?"
>"Oh yes, just like us. And remember how I said one of my blessings was fertility? Well, for the blessing to work the magic needs to be able to reach the loins. Hence why our crotches are going to be red and sticky for a while."
>"Guess that means a dip in the hot springs after this is all over."
>"You read my mind!" Nella says with a smile, patting me on the shoulder
>We then turn to the village, the sight of their scattered wooden huts and small fields of crops soon entering my vision
>Strangely, nearly every adult member of the tribe seems to be standing in one big line on the perimeter of the village, all of them facing us as we approach
>What wasn't obscured by clothing was covered in complex designs made of red paint, just like Nella said
>However, their faces are hidden behind wooden masks, each mask bearing a vague resemblance to the face of the beast folk wearing it
>I would be dishonest if I said the sight didn't unnerve me
>Over a hundred barely clothed tribals, each covered in red and bearing unblinking wooden mockups of their own faces, all staring at us silently as we slowly approach
>I whisper out of the corner of my mouth as we near the stoic line of beast folk
>"Nella, what's with the masks?"
>"Just traditional tribal wear Malik, nothing to worry over. They wear them for special occasions, like my blessings."
>"Are we supposed to have masks too?"
>"Yes, we'll receive ours from Arin. As the village elder it's his job to hand them out."
>Her words manage to calm me
>We reach the line of tribals and stop
>Two of them part and Arin steps out in front of them
>It's easy to tell it's him from the wolfish mask and hunched posture
>He raises his arms in the air as his voice bellows across the crowd
>"Brothers! Sisters! I bring to you a being of great magical power! Carnella of the forest!"
>The crowd erupts into a series of whoops and hollers as her name is said
>Arin turns around to quiet the crowd down
>I glance towards Nella
>"Did he just call you Carnella? Did I hear that right?"
>"It's my full name, he's being formal."
>When Arin had the crowd under control he turns back arounds to me and Nella
>"Carnella of the forest! Mistress of the land! Guardian of the trees and tamer of beasts! Elder druid of the natural order! Preserver of life and healer of the sick! Defender of the natural way! Deliverer of children! Caretaker of the sacred garden! Maternal master of…of…of…"
>The old wolf pauses, then scratches his head as he searches for the right title
>Nella leans forward and whispers
>"Maternal master of bodily magics."
>"And maternal master of bodily magics!" Arin shouts again, raising his arms up in the air. “Carnella! I call upon you to bless my people with gifts of health and fertility! Grant my request, and you and your apprentice shall receive your sacred masks."
>Nella bows
>"I shall grant your request, elder wolf."
>The crowd once again explodes into jubilant whoops and hollers
>A rabbit man emerges from the crowd and hands Arin two masks, whispering something into his ear
>Arin nods, then walks to me and Nella
>"Sorry." He whispers. “There was a miscommunication and we accidentally made another bear mask instead of one for your human apprentice here."
>He holds out the two masks in front of us
>One bear mask is clearly very old, with moss growing in its corners and wood stained dark with years of use
>The other one is newly carved, with a polished surface and unblemished complexion
>Nella smiles and takes the older of the two
>"No worries Arin, my apprentice can use the new mask. I've grown rather fond of this one."
>Nella brings it to her face, resting the mask's 'muzzle' on top of her own and securing it with a leather strap going across the back of her head
>I take the newer mask and bring it to my own head
>It's a very loose fit, with no muzzle of my own to keep it held up it manages to be awkwardly front heavy
>Still, I manage to tighten the leather strap to its furthest extant to keep it somewhat secure on my head
>"It looks good on you Malik. How is mine?" Asks Nella, her voice somewhat muffled
>I look up to see two familiar dark eyes behind a false wooden face
>Only now do I realize that her mask has her lips curled into a sly grin, her expression permanently mischievous
>"You look good." I respond
>She turns towards the crowd
>"May the ritual begin!"
>The crowd erupts into a cacophony of noise once more, the beast folk barking, shouting, growling, roaring, and gekkering as they make their way back to the village
>We follow them towards the center of the village to find the bonfire setup but not yet lit, with a raised wooden platform several feet off the ground in front of it
>On the platform is a table with various items already preplaced for the ritual
>Nella and I step onto the platform as the beast folk make a circle around the bonfire
>"Light the bonfire so we can get this thing started Malik. And remember, from this point on you need to keep an empty head. Your mind should be a blank slate, an empty canvas, a calm and waveless ocean." Nella orders
>I give a quick nod and turn towards the tangled mass of logs and sticks, putting my hands in the air as I focus solely on creating a blazing inferno between them
>I close my eyes and will the flaming ball into existence, my face soon bathed in warmth
>I open my eyes to see an undulating blaze in front of me
>Now, I will it towards the bonfire
>Unlike the time I performed the spell in front of Nella the ball moves at a decent pace towards the mass of wood
>I'm happy at how far I've progressed with my magical skills since meeting her, but then again, I have to remind myself how the spell I just performed is one of the sim-
>Right
>Blank slate
>The flame touches the bonfire and it erupts into a roaring spectacle
>The fire grows and the beast folk link their hands together and begin dancing around the rising flames, similar to how I observed them when I first arrived
>I move back to Nella's side
>She's taken a bowl and some of the ingredients from the table and has already combined them into a powdery mixture
>"Put your hand above the bowl Malik."
>I comply, holding my right hand out
>She takes a knife with one hand and grips my wrist with the other
>In a single motion she makes a large slash across my palm, blood dribbling down into the bowl from my wound
>I grimace under the mask but otherwise remain steadfast
>The bear gently squeezes my hand to coax more blood from it
>"Normally I'd use my own blood but with an apprentice around I might as well use yours. Benefits of seniority."
>"Whatever you need, I'll give it to you."
>"That's the spirit! And don't worry about the cut, I'll heal you up after the ceremony is over. Don't want my star apprentice to die from an infection."
>"Thanks."
>The cut stings as she draws yet more blood from it, finally releasing my wrist once a sizable pool had dripped into the bowl
>Nella stirs the contents of the bowl together then moves next to the fire
>She takes a handful of the bloodied powder and throws it onto the fire, a series of loud pops, crackles, and bright red sparks exploding from where the powder makes contact
>The fire grows in intensity as Nella eventually empties the entire bowl into the flames, the circle of beast folk continuing to dance and sing around us as the ritual progresses
>She continues to mix several more bowls worth of ingredients and add them to the fire, all the while using me for any blood, saliva, hair, or eyelashes the mixtures required
>After throwing the final bowl into the fire she raises her hands and shouts
>"May the body grow strong! May the blood flow freely! May the muscles harden and the fur grow thick! I imbue this fire with the wild strength of a galloping stallion! With the red-hot blood of a wolf on the hunt! With the steely muscles of an indomitable grizzly! With the warm fur of a white fox! May the fire grow higher with these blessings!"
>An undulating purple and red mass of magical energy grows between her paws and she heaves it into the bonfire
>When it impacts the wood the flames briefly scream upward, growing to nearly a hundred feet tall before crashing back down
>When it does several fiery beasts emerge from the fire and fly outwards
>A horse, a wolf, a bear, and a fox all race in different directions before dissipating into the air, nothing but sparks and bits of ash left in their wake
>After gasping in awe at the spectacle I return to Nella's side
>"I thought you said you weren't one for showing off your spells? You could have seen those flames from the capital!"
>She shrugs with a shy smile
>"I like to put on a show every now and then, but just for the villagers. You have to understand this is only time of the year they get to see magic like this and good entertainment is hard to come by."
>"And one hell of a show it is! So, what's next?"
>"We're halfway done with the ritual, the fire is now fully imbued with the magical energies for the blessing of good health. All that's left is to imbue it with the blessing of fertility and then release them."
>"And how do we do that? By mixing more things up and throwing them into the fire?"
>"Not quite." Nella leans down close to me, the muzzles of our masks coming side to side. “The blessing for fertility is made more through actions than materials. We will be performing several positions of Gaia together, channeling and directing our bodily energies into the fire. That's why it's especially important for you to keep your head clear for this one."
>I gulp, and give a quick nod
>"Positions of Gaia, keep my head clear, got it."
>"Good. We'll begin by doing some positions separately, then joined."
>I open my mouth to ask what precisely 'joined' means but stop as she sits on the wooden platform and closes her eyes, entering a state of meditation
>I close my mouth sit beside her, attempting to clear my head of intrusive thoughts as we feed the fire our energies
>After a couple silent minutes the fire roars with a new heat and I open my eyes just in time to see jets of hot blue flame briefly fly out from the bonfire before retreating back into its center
>"That's all we can accomplish in this position." Says Nella, turning to me. “Let's move to the next one."
>She stands up and I follow, mimicking her as she then spreads her legs and joins her palms above her head like a giant bearish triangle
>This continues for what must be the next hour, the two of us assuming new positions of Gaia every time the fire burst with blue flame
>The entire time I'm doing my best to keep my head clear, to not think of anything but featureless black voids and waveless oceans
>But as the minutes tick by it becomes harder and harder to keep my mind from wandering to furry, plush, red paint covered places
>Every time we switch positions I catch a glimpse of Nella's body lit by the flame and each time I feel a new stirring down below as my eyes are graced with her form for just a fleeting moment
>Her paint splattered crotch barely hidden by that dainty little loincloth
>Those two massive melons barely held up by her deer skin bra
>Her soft belly accented with those four strange nipples laying flat against her fur
>I wonder if they're just as sensitive as the nipples on her upper breasts
>If someone, in a purely hypothetical scenario, were suck on her nips would she prefer they be her upper two or lower four?
>And I wonder if she would like it if someone tugged on her ears when-
>I feel a new wave of heat coat my face
>Time for another position of Gaia
>And good timing as well, the position we were currently in had me standing on one leg and my sense of balance was never exemplary
>I open my eyes and look towards Nella
>She's switched to standing on two legs but has yet to assume another position
>"What's next?" I ask
>She stares into the fire for a few moments, silently judging it
>Nella finally puts her hands on her hips and responds
>"Time for the last phase of the ceremony. Get on the ground and lay flat."
>"Got it."
>I lay down on the wooden platform and wait for Nella to lay beside me
>But she doesn't
>Instead she walks over, leans down, and lifts my loincloth up before touching my member with a claw
>It instantly springs to life as a torrent of warm lusty feelings crawl up my spine
>Wasting no time, Nella straddles my pelvis before getting on her knees and spreading her lips, my cock disappearing behind a wall of brown fur stained with paint
>Filled with a familiar feeling of barely constrained lust I grab her hips as my mouth tries to form words
>"N-Nella, are you sure this is really n-necessary?"
>She adjusts her position slightly and I grunt a wave of pleasure hits me
>"Maybe not strictly necessary, but doing a few while joined makes the ritual progress much faster. The coupling of two bodies assists in manifesting the necessary magics, the joining of two to make a third is the natural way, after all." She leans down and lightly slaps my cheek. “But you'll need to do a better job at concentrating and keeping a clear head! I could tell some errant thoughts were slipping in at the end of the last position."
>Her eyes glare with stern disapproval, the flickering flame of the bonfire reflected in them
>I rapidly shake my head in an affirmative
>"Y-yes ma-am."
>"Good. Now we'll proceed just like the last time we were in this position. Just lay flat and keep an empty head, I don't want you screwing up this ritual in its last moments."
>I nod once more and let my head hit the platform, my hands sinking down to her upper thighs as I try really-really-hard to not think about the one thing I definitely shouldn't be thinking about
>Focusing on my breathing, I stare blankly upwards as Nella makes a few different hand gestures above me as the bonfire bursts with new flames of purple and white
>As she does so she'll occasionally shift her weight from left to right, or forward to backward, and my cock will rub against her slick walls causing me no end of unwanted pleasure
>I try gritting my teeth, closing my eyes, thinking of crusty old nuns and blank spaces
>Yet none of those things manage to dull the pressure I feel building between my legs
>Every micromovement she makes sends a torrent of lusty feeling straight from my cockhead to my brain
>Every slight jiggle of a barely covered breast in the corner of my vision fills my cheeks with heat
>The feeling of her warm, soft fur between my fingers leaves me wanting to be surrounded by it, crushed by it, I want every inch of my body to be covered by two inches of hers
>By the gods…I want…I want…
>I slip briefly into a dreamy stupor
>And when I return Nella has an undulating orb of red smoke floating between her paws
>And…and…and…oh shit
>Her hips make the smallest of adjustments and the orgasm I've been trying to hold at bay comes rushing forth
>My hands grip her thighs, fingernails digging into her fur as I futilely try to stop the coming tide
>I can do nothing but let my body take over as the orgasm hits me in waves
>My hips buck upwards, my cock reaching the furthest depths of Nella it could
>Nella briefly glances downward, clearly sensing that something is off
>Our eyes meet and I explode inside her, grunting involuntarily as my peak is reached
>My cock's coated in a gooey warmth as I cum buckets within her, each burst accompanied with a buck of my hips and gritted teeth
>When I finally start to come down from my high I stare upwards to see the ball of red smoke disappear between Nella's paws
>Then I hear a fiery sputter and turn my head towards the fire
>Flames and smoke belch from the fire in a strange fashion, as if the fire is choking itself out
>Finally, it gives one last burst of flame before going out entirely, the once burning mass of wood now just a smoldering pile of blackened logs
>My mind turns to one of panic
>I have now royally fucked up
>I look towards Nella, my frazzled mind desperately trying to come up with some kind of apology
>The bear stares at the smoldering fire for a few moments before returning my gaze
>Rather than yelling, or screaming, or outright mauling me then and there she simply gives a slow shake of the head side to side
>Nella then shifts her weight off of me and stands up
>I do the same, briefly glancing downward to see a mixture of our fluids dripping down her thighs
>She stares at me blankly from behind her mask, its mischievous grin turning ominous as thoughts of my inevitable punishment rise to the surface
>I put my hands out in front of me as I try, and fail, to form an apology
>"Nella, I, uhhh, I didn't mean to…"
>Full of shame, I look around us to see the villagers still in a circle around the bonfire
>They're motionless, all facing the little wooden platform Nella and I are standing on
>I have to assume they're all feeling a mix of shock and disgust, whatever goodwill they once had for me has no doubt vanished since I fucked up their yearly ritual
>Surrounded by emotionless wooden masks, I decide to do the only thing I can do, and leave