by Sahara Kelly
"Mmmm…" said Sami. "Alana-love, you kicked every other concubine firmly out on their asses."
"It was something else, sweet one," added Hari, who then got his own mouth soundly kissed in gratitude.
Alana struggled up onto the pillows and put her arms around their shoulders, bringing them in close to her body. It felt natural, warm, and comforting—like being snuggled in a basket of puppies.
"Why me, guys?"
"What do you mean, dear delight?"
"Why did you pick me? Why was I the one allowed to buy your vessel?"
Chapter 15
"In truth, we do not know, Alana," Hari answered her question. "The Guardian is the one who handles our assignments—but we can tell you that there is always a good reason for his choices. Perhaps it is that you will bear a child someday who is destined for great achievements?"
Alana pondered this statement.
"Or maybe you will be able to provide love and satisfaction to a man who will very much need what you can give him now," added Sami.
"There are as many reasons as stars in the sky, Alana-delight," murmured Hari, circling her nipple delicately with his finger.
"But whatever they are, we are certainly glad that the Guardian sent us to you."
"So, do I graduate? Was that my final exam, so to speak?" She had to ask even though she was dreading the answer.
"Well, yes and no," said Sami, grinning. "Under ordinary circumstances, your achievements would have guaranteed your graduation—we'd have a small ceremony and that would be it."
"But? I sense a definite 'but?' there, Sami," stated Alana, poking him in the chest. She nearly bent her finger backwards.
"We—" Sami nodded across her at Hari, who'd replaced his finger with his tongue and was doing lovely playful things to her nipple, "...we have received new instructions. Apparently the Guardian is very impressed with your abilities and would like to meet you himself. How do you feel about a field trip?"
Alana jumped up, nearly knocking Hari off the bed with her breast.
"Ooof."
"Sorry, Hari, but this is sooo exciting. Can I really meet the Guardian? Can I go with you two someplace, or will he come here? How's this going to work? Are you going to, like, scatter my particles and re-energize them or something? Like a transporter beam? Um—do I want that?" Thoughts burbled out of Alana's mouth so fast she lost track of them herself.
She only sputtered to a stop when she realized that once again, her genies were cracking themselves up with laughter.
"Hey—cut it out, you two." She smacked Hari gently upside the head and tugged Sami's ear. "I've never met a Guardian before—he's a pretty big honcho to you guys. I think it's thrilling..."
Trying hard to quell the giggles, Hari and Sami took deep breaths and resumed their positions as bookends to her delightful library.
In an effort to concentrate, Sami focused on her breast this time, while Hari, sensualist that he was, cupped her mound and kept his hand still, allowing the warmth to penetrate to her still-recovering clit. It trembled slightly, recognizing the touch of a master.
"No, my love, there is no transporting or anything—we are not aliens and this is not 'Star Trek'. We will simply lie together and concentrate, and you will find your consciousness will travel elsewhere. There is a journey involved, but you will travel within our vessel, not an energizing beam. There is no 'Scotty'. Our vessel does not, in fact, have any engines. Its purpose is not to travel through space so much as it is to navigate temporal distortions and..."
"Okay. Too much information, Hari. You lost me right after 'this is not Star Trek'. Just as long as I know it's safe. Oh—what do I wear? I do get clothes for this trip, right? I don't have to float through wormholes or whatever in my birthday suit...or some kind of early Turkish handkerchief..."
Sami closed his eyes and rested his head on her breast. Hari leaned his forehead on her shoulder.
"The essential woman. We should have known," he groaned.
"Well, it's important to me, guys. A girl has to look her best when meeting the Guardian, don't you think?"
Hari chuckled. "I don't think you need to worry on that score, Alana-delight. The Guardian has only permitted two other students to visit Anyela in our memory, so he must already think you are something quite special."
"He will love you as we do, Alana," added Sami with a quick lick to her sensitive skin. "But do not worry—we shall provide you with all you need."
"Perhaps it would be best for you to rest for a little while, this has been a physically challenging experience—especially for you, love..."
Hari slid his hand beneath her and caressed her naked buttocks. "Are you sore, Alana-sweet?"
Alana thought for a moment, examining her body's reactions. "Actually, no. Which I find quite surprising—I thought I wouldn't be able to sit down for a week."
"I promised you we'd not hurt you, didn't I?" said Sami. "Hari is very good at gauging how much you can take."
"Hari is very good, period. As are you, Sami. I have absolutely no complaints..." she smiled, and stifled a yawn.
"That is good to hear," smiled Sami.
He exchanged glances with Hari, who nodded. "Rest now, treasure of our hearts, you have a big day ahead of you..."
Sami leaned over and dropped the lightest of kisses on Alana's eyelids.
She slid bonelessly down from the pillows, sound asleep.
*~*~*~*
She awoke alone.
Tucked beneath the softest of comforters, Alana struggled back to consciousness and stretched her spine. Something was different. Perhaps it was the fact that she couldn't feel anything warm and hard and male next to her. She pouted and opened her eyes.
"Whoa, Toto—this definitely isn't Kansas..." She sat up and looked around.
No way was this the result of Sami's decorating magic.
She was in the middle of a very large bed, swathed with sheer hangings. The room seemed round on one side, with hundreds of little glass windows high up on the curved wall. The glass was in different colors, so the light glittering through caught the refracted tones and bounced them all over the place. It was a cross between a rainbow and a disco ball, and it made her pupils contract fiercely.
She rubbed her eyes and slid off the bed.
Beneath her feet was the most luxurious oriental carpet she'd ever seen. It almost seemed a sin to walk on it.
"You like my rug?"
Sami's voice startled her.
"It's exquisite, Sami. I've never seen anything quite so incredible..." She passed a toe delicately across a teal blue design. "The colors are so rich and bright."
"It's a favorite of mine. A gift, from someone special—long ago." There was something in his voice that caught Alana's attention, but before she could pursue it, Hari came in behind Sami with coffee in his hands.
"Greetings, Alana—and welcome to our home. Did you rest well? We decided on Sami's room for you, not for any special reason, but because he won the toss..."
Hari's smile could have charmed the shell off a turtle, and Alana couldn't help but smile back.
He crossed the room, took her in his arms and kissed her long and passionately.
"Wow," she breathed.
Sami pushed Hari out of the way. "My turn," he grinned, pressing his chest firmly against her naked breasts and devouring her mouth.
"Hmpf" squawked Alana, dropping onto the bed. "God, you guys know how to wake a girl up in the morning, don't you?" Her breath returning, she looked at the coffee. "Is that for me? Or are we going to jump each other's bones here? I want to know, because I kind of like a schedule, and I want to see the rest of your home too...if that's okay? Not that I don't want sex, because I do, I mean, well right at this moment...um—"
She realized she was looking at them from the bottom of a rather large hole she'd just dug with her mouth. She opted for evasion. "Where's the ladies' room?"
Hari grinned, passed her the mug of coffee and led her to a door. "Help
yourself to whatever you need, Alana-love. When you're done go through that door," he gestured towards another opening, "and you'll find us."
She entered their bathroom with a great deal of curiosity.
It did seem, however, that Sami's exotic decorating touch didn't extend to creating an "Arabian Nights" themed bath.
The fixtures were lovely—a bath big enough for ten at least, a large shower with a myriad of showerheads that shot water at just about every part of the body, a toilet that looked just like—well, a toilet, and a massive vanity with many small cupboards around its huge central mirror. There were deep crimson towels folded neatly on a small vanity chair and a deep crimson rug on the floor.
The soaps, shampoos and lotions were all—no surprise—Blue Lotus. God, she had to take some of them back with her. She couldn't imagine being without that fragrance now.
The shower was as refreshing as she had guessed—she'd had to turn off a couple of the more personally-oriented jets—and she felt ready for anything as she toweled off the last drops of moisture and smoothed the Blue Lotus lotion all over her body.
She caught sight of herself in the mirror and paused.
She'd changed. Or had she? Her hair was the same, her face looked exactly as it had always looked. Her skin was glowing, but that could be the shower and the rub with the lovely bath towel.
She realized that she was holding her body differently. Her back was straighter, her breasts thrust forward with nipples taut and prominent, and her hips seemed curvier. She looked, in a word, sexual. She realized that what had changed was inside her, not outside. Her body was now sending out little pings of sexual sonar—she had a new awareness of what her body could do, and she liked it. Smiling, she sent up a prayer of thanks to the Patron Saint of Hallucinations. Whoever he was, he was certainly putting in overtime on this one.
It took moments for her to find Hari and Sami.
This must be their kitchen, she supposed, because there was an interesting blend of modern conveniences. There was a totally modern microwave—and a few antiques, including a cooking pot, which looked as if Caesar might have whipped up a stew in it, resting on a shelf.
The guys themselves lounged on stools that could have come from the most modern furniture store or Achmed's Bazaar a thousand years ago. Such was the nature of furniture. Form follows function. Alana grinned at the wayward thought.
"You are happy, love?" asked Hari as he moved towards her.
"I am clean, happy, feeling the caffeine do its job, and ready for anything," grinned Alana. "Do I get clothes yet?"
"Nope," answered Sami wickedly. "We don't dress indoors."
He was right. Both were splendidly naked, slightly aroused, and enough to make a girl cream her nonexistent knickers just from looking at them.
She sighed. "Can I see the rest of your home before we get off track and into each other?" she asked wryly.
Sami chuckled, and Hari grasped her hand.
"This way, Alana, let's satisfy your curiosity and then turn our attention to satisfying something else..." He smiled wickedly.
The vessel was surprisingly large.
The kitchen door led to a passage. Hari opened a door and said simply, "My room."
She peeked in. There was a definite touch of the austere, which suited Hari, she thought. Black and white ruled the day—a huge four-poster bed was draped in a black spread and covered with white cushions. Brass fixtures were scattered around the room and the windows at the top of Hari's wall were iridescent. The light that bounced in fractured into brilliance rather than color.
Her attention was caught by a painting—the only one on the wall—of a woman, sitting by a fountain, letting the water drip through her fingers. Light danced across her soft blonde hair and touched her beautiful breasts as she leaned over the ripples.
"Oh Hari—how lovely," she breathed, allowing her critical eye to absorb the mastery of the artist.
"Um—yeah. I like it." Noncommittal.
Alana registered his comment. Hmmm, she thought to herself. And again, hmmm.
Leaving Hari's room, they moved down the passage, passing what looked like an office or library, and into the large living area. There were comfortable, over-stuffed couches, a couple of well-used recliners, a large television and—yes—a cable box on top of it.
"We have only just learned of your DVR technology—and have secured a unit that will probably be installed when we arrive at Anyela," said Sami, waving at an unopened box, which loudly announced it contained Japanese technical equipment.
"Ah, testosterone rules," she muttered, smiling at the pride of the gender in high-tech.
She moved towards a beautiful display case—probably French, she mused, noting the elegant carvings and exquisite craftsmanship.
Proudly sitting by itself on one shelf was a glass flower.
She moved closer.
"This is truly amazing guys—what is it?"
Sami moved over to her side and opened the door to the cabinet.
"Is it Venetian? Murano maybe? Fifteenth century?" Her eyes were glued on the flower, spellbound by the light that trickled into the petals, bounced around the different shades of blue that drifted from a deep purplish-navy to a pale white blue, and then hit the vibrant yellow center.
It seemed almost alive as it rested on a swirl of flat green leaves.
"Your knowledge of such things is impressive," said Hari, moving to her side and pressing a kiss to her cheek.
"Yes, it is Venetian—early sixteenth century, actually, and commissioned for us by —by a friend. It is a Blue Lotus."
He said no more, and she glanced at him. He stared at the flower but she could tell his thoughts were elsewhere.
"I am glad you have gifts from your friends with you when you travel," she said gently, linking hands with both Hari and Sami and squeezing them.
"To judge by Sami's carpet and this flower, they care a great deal for you. Thank you for allowing me to see them."
Suddenly the room rocked a little and Alana gasped, glad that she had two strong hands to cling to.
Sami met Hari's gaze over her head.
"We're here."
Chapter 16
She stepped through a door into Paradise. Or at least what could well have passed for Paradise.
The first thing that struck her was the light. It was brilliant, very white, and reminded her of photos she'd seen of Greek islands, where the light seemed different than other places. She walked forward slowly, eyes wide, taking in her surroundings. It was nothing short of fantastic, in the real sense of the word.
There was color—color everywhere. Gardens spilled their blooms around her, massive trees offering shade, and smaller shrubs covered with incredibly tinted blooms. Gently guided by Hari and Sami, she moved down a stone path, feeling the warmth of the tiles caressing her bare feet.
She heard laughter ahead and the sound of water splashing. She turned and glanced at her companions, a question in her eyes.
"These are the Pleasure Gardens of Anyela," said Sami.
"This is where we spend some time in our youth and freedom, discovering the joys that giving and receiving pleasure can bring," added Hari, nodding down a path that led off to their left.
Alana followed his gaze. She saw a young couple in the dappled shade of some kind of giant palm tree, locked in an embrace that was incredibly passionate. It wasn't until the woman raised her leg to clasp the man's thigh that Alana realized he was buried deep inside as they kissed. Rocking back and forth, they moaned, completely oblivious to the world around them.
Hari encouraged Alana to move on.
"Let us allow them their pleasure, Alana-love. It is acceptable to explore the physical nature of love here, but not to treat it as a spectator sport—we try to maintain a little privacy—although..." Hari's eyebrow rose as they rounded a corner and passed an alcove containing a bench where an enthusiastic young man on his knees was devouring the pussy of a very receptive young woman.
> "Perhaps things have become a little more open since we left, my brother," murmured Sami, walking her past the panting couple.
"What's that?" She pointed at a magnificent structure that had just become visible in the distance. "It looks like the Taj Mahal's baby brother."
Sami grinned. "That is the Temple of Time, Alana-delight. The Guardian traditionally has his quarters there, and it is also the place where the wise men of our world gather to oversee the passing of time. None have seen it except for the Guardian and the Ancients who monitor such things."
They had reached a large open area, the smooth marble tiles underfoot had given way to terracotta, and fountains were splattering luminous water droplets everywhere. A large pool—more like a lake, really—was surrounded by urns overflowing with plants in every color she could imagine and some she couldn't. People were sitting, lying, reclining, and sprawling all over the place. There were some who were dressed, some partially so, and others completely nude. They shared one thing in common, thought Alana uncomfortably. They were all gorgeous.
She sucked in her stomach, only to let it out on a gasp as she watched one lovely woman cry out and writhe in the throes of orgasm at the hands of her lover.
I'm in the middle of a real-life orgy.
No, she amended, watching a nubile young woman with delicately green-shaded skin and blue hair shed her silks and scamper into the water, followed by an amazingly erect young man with beautifully sculpted buns. Make that Club-Med, galactic- style.
More trees, some palms, some looking like weeping willows with huge white flowers hanging from their branches, clustered along the boundaries of the water, offering shade to those who had chosen to lie on the many floating leaves. And what leaves they were. Some were over six feet across, and about as far from a frog's lily pad as Alana could ever have guessed. These leaves were occupied by all kinds of people in just about every position of sexual ecstasy.
There were couples enjoying the simple pleasures of straightforward fucking, sending ripples across the water to others who enjoyed the rocking motion as they, in turn, found their pleasure.