by Albion, Rex
Roxy looked at Vandal in surprise and he shrugged subtly. He had no more idea what she meant by that last comment that Roxy did, but he had noticed there were no children around. It was obvious why, given the purpose of New Albion for the Awoken but it seemed there was an explanation for the locals to cling to anyway.
“I was naturally nervous of the forest still but soon grew to love it. It’s so beautiful. One day, we found a great rock that just seemed to thrust out of the ground. Not a boulder, mind you,” Flora said, putting her hands a couple of feet wide to suggest a boulder, then shooting them out to arm’s length. “A great big rocky outcrop. Only it didn’t stick out from a mountain, it just shot up from the forest floor, like a god had dropped a great big pile of mashed potato from their dinner and flattened off the top.”
“Ricky hadn’t seen it before either, when he was a kid in Tinshire, he was only allowed in the forest with his father, who was a woodcutter. He wanted to climb it,” Flora said, smiling at Roxy and speaking to her directly. “You know how men show off at any opportunity. Taking their shirts off, and letting you see their muscles.”
Roxy laughed, “He’s very proud of his muscles. Don’t tell him, but I don’t mind looking at them.”
“Ricky took his shirt off, and by then, he’d been eating properly for a few months. He was lean as a greyhound but putting on muscle with better food and his new job to exercise him. Bless him, he was bone tired most days, but we found enough time to make it work. He was never quite so shapely as your Vandal though,” Flora cackled. “But he climbed that cliff like a monkey up a ladder and shouted down that the view was amazing.”
“The next time we walked out there, he brought a picnic basket. That’s what he called it, but it was just a tatty old thing that he’d cleaned up as best he could and stuck an old shirt in to stop stuff falling through the holes. It was so romantic though, a picnic in the forest with my sweetheart,” Flora sighed. “When we got to our rock, he produced a rope and told me we were going to eat our meal up there! I took some persuading, I can tell you, but he tied the rope around the basket and his waist and showed me how to climb up. It wasn’t as hard as I thought, and the view struck me dumb. I could see for miles above the treetops. We weren’t the first people there either, there were ancient ruins up there.”
Vandal didn’t interrupt, but Roxy kept throwing glances at him. It was pretty clear where Ricky and Flora had been courting each other.
“We took to it as our favourite place to be alone, and never once saw anyone else nearby. The foresters were over the eastern side of Tinshire, and the hunters too. They still keep that habit. As spring turned to summer, we decided the time was right for both of us and planned a long day alone if the weather was right. We’d picked a perfect day and got up with the sunrise to go out there.”
“Flora, that’s so romantic, how wonderful,” Roxy said.
“It was, and after we’d broken our fast up there, while the sun was still low in the sky, we fooled around for a while, there was a lot of giggling and kissing as I recall. We’d only touched each other through clothes, and when we finally undressed, it was a bit of a revelation. Ricky had scars and he shuddered when I touched them, but he seemed to calm right down when I kissed them, he got very quiet,” Flora chuckled.
“I bet he did,” Roxy said.
“His eyes practically popped out of his head when I revealed these,” Flora said, cupping her hands under her breasts and wobbling them for effect, “of course, they were a bit perkier then, but they still do the trick. I think he still sees them as they were. I tried to pull his pants down, but he was like a flagpole by then, and slapped my hands away before I could hurt him. He couldn’t undo the laces of his britches fast enough and then it was my turn for my eyes to go wide. He wasn’t gifted by Amoria, but he wasn’t cursed and his cock with the first I’d seen, it seemed plenty big enough to me.”
Flora looked at Vandal, shifting uncomfortably on the bench, “Like that, right, Roxy? We should make them wear kilts, so they don’t feel so restricted when they hear a good story.”
“Vandal wouldn’t heart of it, and I found some nice tartan,” Roxy grumbled.
“What about those gladiator ones? They call them kilts but they’re mostly just leather tongues overlapping. Nice and freeing and modest enough if they have the length and they don’t look girlie,” Flora suggested. “I’m sure Vandal would look very handsome showing off his thighs in one of those.”
“I’ll have to look for one, maybe I could persuade him, he does have great thighs,” Roxy agreed, favouring Vandal with a lascivious leer.
“He can always wear something under it if he’s shy,” Flora suggested helpfully and gave him a big wink. Vandal was pretty sure she was only interested in helping Roxy take advantage of his body though, not in his own taste in clothing.
“He’s not shy, I don’t think, and we’ll need some clothes to wear for services, when we get the Temple up and running properly,” Roxy said.
“I think we should let Flora finish her story, so we don’t use up her whole day,” Vandal suggested.
“By the time we were naked, which took a while because it was hard to keep our hands off each other, we were both eager for the main event. I lay on my back, in the grass, and Ricky tried to couple with me, but you know how it is. We were clumsy and it wasn’t working,” Flora laughed. “Some of the older girls had told me things when they were in their cups, so before he got too frustrated, I got on all fours and presented himself like a beast.”
“Much easier, I think,” Roxy nodded.
“It was, he took hold of himself, and slid in so easily, I was dripping wet and read by then. I didn’t need any more warming up for him. We found our rhythm and he broke me in, but I only squeaked a bit at first, then it was all I could do not to shout the forest down with my lust. He filled me up to the hilt, and his thighs slapped against mine as he pounded into me. It was amazing for both of us. I was panting and moaning, and the filthiest things were falling from my lips. I thought he’d be horrified, but it just seemed to encourage him, and he gripped my waist hard and used it to draw me back against him as he took me,” Flora said. Vandal swallowed at the images she was conjuring.
“I bet Vandal wishes he had that kilt now, it’d be much more comfortable,” Roxy teased.
“He’d probably have his hand on his cock already,” Flora chuckled. Vandal protested but they weren’t listening to him and discussed his hypothetical desire to beat his meat as he listened to the story, as if he wasn’t there. He gave up and crossed his arms. Eventually, they were done with the ribald comments about his cock and how it strained against his purple pants, and Flora continued.
“I began screaming and wailing like a banshee after a while,” Flora said. “I had my first climax that day, with my first man. But Ricky, bless him, managed to keep going all the way through as I clenched around him. I was nearing my peak again, my face pressed against the sweet grass, and my fingers practically ripping it up in my lust.”
“Sounds amazing,” Roxy said.
“It was so good when he cried out, and I could feel every inch of him, slamming into me and starting to pulse. It was all new to me, every sensation, every pleasure, every wet thrust and passionate cry,” Flora said, enthusiastically, her eyes closed as she recalled every detail. “Then I felt something in the grass, and I don’t know why, but as Ricky pumped his seed deep inside me, I tore it up in my fist and clenched it tight. Then I screamed the name that was on the tip of my tongue as my little death overwhelmed me.”
“You screamed his name? I bet he loved that,” Roxy said.
Flora laughed. “I’m sure he would have, but no, I screamed out an entirely different one.”
“What?” Roxy prompted.
“Amoria,” Flora said, confirming Vandal’s guess. “It was her pendant I’d found, buried just under the grass and covered in mud, and somehow her name came to me. I knew who the Goddess of Love was, of course, but like I say, s
he’d never been worshipped in Tinshire that I know of.”
“How did it feel? Did Ricky mind?”
“It felt amazing, I don’t mind telling you. I think Ricky was surprised, but it’s hardly a sin to cry out the name of the Goddess of Love when you’re being deflowered. I was overcome with passion though, and I wonder if Amoria wasn’t guiding us a little,” Flora said.
“I’m sure she was,” Roxy said. “What a lovely way to finish your first time.”
“Finish? That was just getting started,” Flora laughed. “Ricky fell back on his backside, gasping for breath, and I turned around on all fours, the pendant still in my fist and thought I’d embrace him, and we’d lie in the summer sun together.”
“But that’s not what happened?”
Flora shook her head, “I crawled toward him, and saw his cock still hard, soaking with our juices and twitching against his tight muscles. I didn’t know what had come over me, no pun intended, but I licked up those white trails and took him in my mouth for the first time. I sucked him hard and fast, and it felt so natural.”
“Guided by the goddess,” Roxy breathed, “I’m sure of it.”
“I don’t like to claim such blessings but perhaps I really was, or perhaps I’m naturally wanton,” Flora shrugged. “Ricky was at his peak then, and I’d barely sucked him for a quarter of an hour before he filled my mouth, and I had to gulp his seed down fast to stop it spilling out. Then, we fell asleep in the sun, happy, content, and spent.”
“Flora, that was an amazing story. What a wonderful day. I bet you were still frisky when you woke up and made it even more memorable,” Roxy said.
“Oh, it was memorable alright,” Flora cackled.
“Do tell? Did you get very naughty when you woke up? Or keep at it for hours and hours?”
“I wish!” Flora said. “No, we learned a very important lesson about having fun outdoors though.”
“What was that?” Vandal asked.
“Sunburn really hurts! We slept too long, and we were like ripe tomatoes when we woke up,” Flora cackled. “I had a cherry red bum and back and my arm too. He had a big white stripe across his chest where my arm had been, and sunburn from his face to his feet. Before you ask, Vandal, no, his cock did not escape.” Flora laughed until tears ran as she described how they’d struggled to get their clothes on, climb down from the plateau and stumble back to town inch by agonising inch.
“The herbalists took pity on us, but even their best lotions and sleeping draughts only took the edge of the worst of it. We went from barely being able to keep our hands off each other to a week of lying in our beds, barely able to move or sleep. Let that be a warning to you both!” Flora said, wiping tears from her eyes. “It’s funny now, but it wasn’t at the time.”
“No, I can imagine that must have put a dampener on the whole thing,” Roxy said.
“It did, but we were straight back up to our plateau before we’d completely healed, we put up a canvas on some poles though, and made love under some shade. Though we had to be gentle for another week and our skin was peeling horribly,” Flora giggled.
“Thank you for telling us the story, Flora,” Roxy said.
Flora smiled. “Thank you for listening, both of you. Would you like another drink?”
“Yes, please,” Roxy nodded, and Flora led them inside.
Vandal followed, his mind full of questions.
Chapter Thirty-Four
“Did you ever find out more about the pendant?” Vandal asked as he sipped his fresh glass of delicious lemonade.
“No, sadly not. The important thing though is that neither of us forget Amoria’s name. We never did find any other sign of whoever dropped my pendant. We can only guess a traveller who took shelter up there perhaps centuries ago.”
Vandal and Roxy shared a look, but the goblin shook her head almost imperceptibly. She didn’t want to reveal the truth just now. Perhaps because it would spoil the surprise later, but Vandal could wait, although it was tough not to say anything. He wanted to see the look on the gardener’s face one day soon, when she found out.
“I’d washed the pendant off, and we knew it must be Amoria, though we’d never seen her image before. It still felt right that I’d screamed her name, like a small blessing from her,” Flora explained. “That’s how the seed of our faith was planted. We found out what we could in Tinshire, and eventually found an incomplete copy of the scriptures. When we saw the few pictures in it, we could see the pendant was of her. Over the years more worshippers have joined us now and then. We gather and perform the services we’re able to decipher, as often as we can.”
Vandal had to bite his lip to stop himself asking which services they did, because the ones Roxy had pointed out were going to be quite something. He’d expected to start very small, not have a readymade flock so quickly. He wasn’t even sure Roxy would be bold enough for some of those services, let alone himself. Flora was clearly comfortable with them, but she had no way of knowing just how little they’d had time to read and understand.
“We have a complete book of the scriptures, Flora. We’re still learning them ourselves, but as soon as we can, we’ll bring you to the Temple and you can study them too. I’m sure together we can get more copies too,” Roxy said.
“That would be wonderful, Priestess. I would love nothing more than to worship the goddess as she requires.”
“It will be as soon as we can make the Temple presentable, Flora. We have work to be done before then.”
“And gardening will help?”
“Yes, eventually, as we grow the congregation and improve the grounds. Flowers are one way we can gain the goddesses blessings. We need to cut wood for buildings too and gather other resources. It’s hard to explain briefly, but we need to pick flowers regularly to honour Amoria. That’s one part of it,” Roxy explained.
“Well, would it help if I gave you flowers when you leave Tinshire?” Flora gestured around them. “I have plenty and they don’t last forever so those the Guild don’t sell for people’s vases end up in the compost. I can’t give you all the flowers we have, as it’s part of how we support the Guild but there are always some available and I’m happy to give you as many as I can from my own garden, as well,” Flora said.
“That would be wonderful of you, Flora and would surely help. We were expecting to have to pick a lot of wildflowers and we’d be better off concentrating on other things. There’s such a lot of work to do,” Roxy said.
“We’d better get started on teaching you the basics then, had we? Then you can get on. I don’t want to delay you any longer than I have.”
“That would be wonderful, and then I can start growing things at the Temple too. We have plenty of sunny space,” Roxy said. Vandal knew she meant the plateau and could only imagine how Flora was going to be once they saw it.
“I assume your young man will be helping with fertilising your garden?”
Roxy blushed and giggled. “He’s been working on that already.”
“I think you misunderstand,” Flora said, with an understanding smile. “The seed of Amoria’s worshippers has divine influence. Perhaps you’ve sensed it?”
“I, suppose I might have,” Roxy mused.
“Have you tasted his seed? Swallowed him?” Flora asked boldly. There was no trace of teasing or the like, she was being completely serious.
Roxy nodded. “Before and after we were called to serve Amoria. I love to suck cock.”
“It is a great pleasure, and an honour to Amoria,” Flora agreed. “But did you not notice a difference in his scent? His flavour? The rush as his seed spilled into your mouth, across your tongue and you took it down your throat.”
Roxy shifted uncomfortably, wriggling in a way that made Vandal picture a wet patch would be left on the bench when she stood up. “I might have but I confess, Flora, I underplayed it. Sucking cock has always been a huge thing for me, so I may not have realised if Vandal’s cum was different. I loved the natural flavours.”
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“I understand, but the scriptures do speak of it. You can use the energy of his seed, and your own juices, to encourage your flower beds to grow,” Flora said. “I don’t mean you have to toss him off over your roses, amusing though that might be, but making love in the garden will help, I believe. Ricky and I don’t go to the forest anymore, it’s too strenuous to climb up there, but our garden blooms even better than this and we aren’t clerics. Just don’t forget to find some shade.” Flora grinned. “You’ll probably find a better explanation in the complete scriptures, and I think there are divine magics clerics of power get access to that help as well.”
“Thank you so much, Flora. I’ll make sure to look for those passages straight away,” Roxy said.
“Shall we get you kitted out then?”
“Yes please.”
Flora explained that a new gardener had several simple things to buy when they joined the guild. A hand trowel and fork for potting plants, some pots, seeds and a small book. It was called Gardening for the Gormless, which Flora assured her was a bit of humour and not intended to be mean. It was illustrated with colour plates that reminded Vandal of 19th century naturalists' careful drawings.
Because they were priests of Amoria, Flora found some second hand items for them, and gave them the best price she could, without cheating the guild.
They weren’t all worshippers of Amoria, but she promised to round up anything she could that would help a new garden take root,
“I’ll round up anything I can that will help a new garden take root,” Flora said, and paused. Then she sighed when they didn’t seem about to laugh at all. “Take root? No? Oh well. There’s an appendix with some gardening puns. I'm sure you’ll pick them up.”