3 comments/ 9206 views/ 7 favorites The Forest Nymph Ch. 01 By: SageOfTheForlornPath I collapsed to the ground, exhausted and racked with pain. For three days and three nights, I had been running without pause. On the horizon behind me, a pillar of smoke wafted up into the heavens, letting the world know that the city of Troy had been destroyed. On that fateful night, the armies of Greece had broken through our mighty walls and set the city ablaze. While my body was as dry as sand from thirst and blood loss, I couldn't help but cry in misery and agony. It was only last season that my family celebrated my twentieth birthday, I had reached the league of manhood, but I was unable to protect my parents or my siblings. I remembered waking up to the sound of our front door being smashed in as the soldiers broke into the city. My father and brother were killed without mercy and I was stabbed in the side, a near fatal blow. I remembered falling to the floor, unable to stand or move as blood poured from my wound. Like savages, the soldiers took turns violating my sisters and my mother in front of me before killing them all and leaving me for dead. With the fires of the burning buildings illuminating the dark night and smoke tearing at my throat, I staggered out of my home and fled the city, running past the horrors of the soldiers slaughtering my fellow Trojans. I was supposed to be a soldier of Troy, a valiant warrior that ignored all injuries and fought to death for my city and its citizens. But not once had I thought to put on my armor or even lift up a sword. Not once did I think to go into battle to fight for Troy and all the people within its crumbling walls. I just ran, ran like a coward. Ignoring my burning thirst, the blood oozing from my side, and the rough ground slashing my feet after my sandals broke and fell away, I ran beneath the searing heat of the sun during the day and the pearled scythe-like moon at night, unaware of my surroundings and lacking the knowledge of why I was running at all. Now I was here, sprawled out on the ground of a forest and unable to take another step, with my only relief coming from the cool night air and soil beneath me leaching away the intense heat burning within my aching body. I was more tired and in more pain than ever in my life, but the only relief I desired was the relief of death. My family was dead and my home was destroyed, what was the point of living? Now I could only hope the ferryman Charon would pity my poor soul and bring me across the river Styx without payment. As I prayed to the gods for a quick death, the sound of footsteps reached my ears. They were so soft on the forest floor that I wasn't sure if it was truly a person or an animal. All I knew was that I was not alone. "Please don't help me. Please, just leave me here to die." I murmured with my voice raspy. The stranger crouched down and placed their hand on my cheek. From just that small touch, I knew it was a woman. She had the softest skin I had ever felt and the tender care that seemed to radiate from her palm and fingers eased my pain and calmed my shaking muscles. The woman leaned forward and her long soft hair brushed against my skin, making me shiver. As her face approached mine, I desperately wished I had the strength to open my eyes and see her face before my death. "It is not time for you to leave this world, you still have a life to live." She whispered softly in my ear, speaking with the most beautiful voice that had ever blessed my ears. She wrapped her arms around me and gently rolled me over with my head on her lap. I strained to open my eyes, just to get the slightest glimpse of her. All I saw was a green and blue glow and the silhouette of her long hair. She pressed her fingers against my lips and poured water into my mouth from her cupped palm, quenching my burning thirst. The water that ran down my throat felt like liquid crystal that was as cold as the sea in winter, cooling my aching body and calming the fires of agony within me. "Sleep, sweet soul. Let your mind and body rest and heal so that you may continue to enjoy the bliss of life." She cooed, brushing her soft hands against my face as my mind fell into warm darkness. My eyes slowly opened and I gave a soft sigh. My whole body felt like it was bathing in warm wine, and while I was so exhausted that I couldn't move, I did feel more rested than before I fell asleep. I looked around, having only the strength to move my eyes. I was lying at the base of a tree on a bed of moss, as soft as pillow and covered in a sheet of some mysterious material that was as smooth and flexible of water, but did not feel like it was made of animal skin or a woven material. I was wrapped in a blanket of the same material, and while it was quite thin, it held in more warmth than a thick wool quilt. Up above me, the branches of the tree were bent down towards the ground and interlaced, forming a tightly knit canopy of wood and leaves, thorough enough to keep even the most persistent rain from leaking through. The canopy was so extensive that it formed two walls with the tree as the third, creating a small egg-shaped bedchamber, almost like an animal den. It was still night, but the forest seemed different from any forest I had ever seen before. Every tree and leaf seemed to have the faintest of auras, while the stars and moon glowed brighter than ever before. The air was filled with fireflies, further illuminating the forest and constantly moving around the lush fruit that hung from every tree. About twenty paces away was a babbling brook, giving off the soothing sound of water on rock. This place was a true Eden. My body wasn't so much exhausted now as it was peacefully tired, and every ounce of pain that had racked me before was now gone. While the night air was cool, it was in no way chilly and uncomfortable. The bed of moss I was lying on was incredibly warm and soft, and with the blanket over me, it felt like I was wrapped up in my own bed. My eyes widened as a figure of light came into view, walking through the shallow brook. The figure approached and the light around them became dimmer and more focused, letting their features be distinguished. It was the woman from before, the woman who had saved me, and she was far more beautiful than I could have possibly imagined. Her skin was a light greenish-turquoise shade, while her long hair was of a much deeper and more bluish hue. Her eyes glowed like the stars above us and the smile upon her soft lips was more beautiful than a sunrise in Troy. She had the face of a goddess, with features that were illuminated seemingly by the light of the heavens. Her body was quite shapely, with a narrow waist but large round breasts and full hips. She was wearing a dress of the same material as the sheet I was laying on, but it was covering her body so that her smooth thighs and slim belly were exposed, letting me see the tribal-style tattoos on her body. She stepped out of the creek and walked towards me, with the plants glowing brightly around her with each step of her bare feet. I held my breath as she crouched down beside me with her tender smile, completely hypnotized by her beauty. She placed her soft hand on my cheek and I couldn't help but shiver from her touch. "You are safe, weary traveler. I am Serenity, the forest nymph, and this is my paradise. Rest and recover without worry or fear." She said sweetly. Her voice washed over me like warm rain. I tried to respond, but I was too tired to even use my voice. After running for three days without food or rest, my body was still half-dead from exhaustion. Serenity's smile brightened and she stood up, grasping on of the fruits hanging above and plucking it from the branch. She crouched back down and sank her teeth into the fruit. I watched her smooth cheeks contract and inflate as she sucked the juices from the fleshy orb. With her mouth full, she relinquished the fruit and crouched over me. My heart fluttered as she slowly leaned down and pressed her lips against mine. This was the first time I had ever kissed a woman, and the experience was better than I could have possibly imagined. Her lips were softer than rose petals and were as warm as sunlight after a chilly night. With our lips connected, she transferred the fruit juice from her mouth and into mine. It was the sweetest nectar that I had ever sampled, and the second it touched my tongue, I could feel an addiction to it forming. Once I had drank it all, she ended the kiss and sucked more juice from the fruit, then resumed transferring it to me. She did this several times with several more fruits, draining them of all liquid and then giving them to me with a soft kiss. Through her efforts, my thirst was quenched, my hunger was removed, my body was resupplied with the nutrients that it had been deprived of, and I gained enough strength to speak. "What is your name?" The nymph whispered. "Felix." I said softly, making her smile. Serenity then moved over to my side and gently lifted the blanket and my bloody tunic to examine my injury. I jerked and writhed in pain from the fabric touching my wound, which had gone all the way through me and nearly tore my organs. While the twin wounds had clotted and were no longer bleeding, the skin around them and the wounds themselves were dark from infection. I would be lucky to last a week before rotting from the inside out. "Why do the gods despise me so? Everything in my life is ripped away in one fell swoop, but the sweet embrace of death will only come in exchange for time and agony..." I cursed with tears falling from my eyes. "The gods do not despise you, they took pity on you by letting us meet. Do not despair when your life is far from forfeited." Serenity murmured. I turned to her and saw tears rolling down her cheeks like liquid pearls. She held her face over my wound and let her tears fall onto the infected flesh. I jerked as a mix of pleasure and pain surged from the wound, partnered by the sound of hot metal being dipped in water. Serenity's tears pelted my wound, curing my infection and mending my flesh all the way through. The intense sensations that filled my body were slowly snuffed out and I became limp, drained of what little energy I had. Serenity moved up on top of me and placed her hands on my cheeks. "Do not despair Felix, do not try to escape your pain by forsaking your life. Just sleep dear soul, sleep." She hummed. She then leaned forward and kissed me on the forehead. "Sleep." She whispered again. My eyelids slowly lowered, and in the moments before I fell into the realm of dreams, I could feel Serenity lying down beside me with her arm across my chest, holding me in her tight embrace as she pulled the blanket over us. Shining brightly through my eyelids, the sun woke me from my deep slumber. I gave a yawning sigh as my body slowly fell back under my control. I was still alive, but had what I seen really happened? Finally able to move, I sat up and looked around, hoping that my encounter with Serenity had not just been a sweet dream. I was still on the bed of moss beneath the interwoven canopy of branches, and twenty paces away was the babbling brook I had seen from the night before. I looked down and spotted one of the fruits that she had bit into before kissing me. So she did exist... I slowly stepped out of the tree nook, struggling to maintain my balance and wincing in pain from the scars under my feet. After my sandals broke, the skin had been nearly torn off the bottom of my feet from the running. I staggered into the brook and collapsed, breathing heavily. A red streak could be seen running away on the surface of the water as the dried blood from my injuries and clothes were washed off. I rolled onto my back, letting the cool water run over me while I gazed up at the sky. What was I supposed to do? Was I just supposed to keep running once my injuries healed? Find a new home or city and try to start a new life? Would I ever see Serenity again? I thought back to when we had kissed and the euphoria that filled my mind from that blissful touch, the sweet taste, the softness of her lips, and the tender care that seemed to radiate from her. I opened my eyes as the sound of a soft tune reached my ears. I rolled back over and looked up the river, gasping as I saw her. Serenity was walking down the babbling brook, humming a soft tune and dancing with each step. With a smile on her face, she sat down when she reached me and gently kissed me on the forehead. The sensation of her lips against my skin made it feel like the water around me was as warm as tea. "Good morning." She said sweetly as she moved my head onto her lap. "Serenity..." I murmured, unable to believe she was real. "I'm glad to see that you are alright. As a nymph, I am unable to leave this forest, and I have never had company before. It is so nice to have someone with me." She whispered with a tender smile. I was still unable to believe this beautiful woman was real. Here I was, saved from an agonizing death by a forest nymph, more beautiful than any goddess and as sweet as the fruits that hung in her orchard. "Once you are fully healed, will you dance with me? I love to dance and I would love it even more if you joined me." She hummed as she brushed her hands against my cheeks. I shuddered as a wave of pain coursed through my veins like sludgy poison. "How can you dance when Troy is nothing but ashes? How can there still be happiness in the world when so many men have been killed, women violated, and children enslaved over the course of a few days? How can I go on when the monsters of Greece tainted and destroyed everything that I held dear? There is nothing for me left but pain and misery and nothing in this world but war and loneliness." I cursed as painful memories returned, drawing tears from my eyes. "Shhhhhhh" Serenity hushed as she wiped them way. "There is still so much in your life for you to cherish; this beautiful world full of wonder and happiness, your life and the majesty of life itself, and the gift you have of being able to see the years go by and watch the world in its eternal metamorphosis. Your life is not fated to hold only pain is misery, it is a cascade of choices for you to find your own path to happiness. And if there really is nothing in this world other than war and loneliness, then stay here with me. Live with me in this forest so that we can banish each other's loneliness and be together and happy for the rest of our lives. Please Felix, don't leave me." She cooed, wrapping her arms around me and holding me tightly. At that moment, I could not imagine anything outside of Serenity's embrace. Was there honestly anything in the world that could bring me more bliss than being held by this gorgeous woman? Was there anything in this world that could make me happy, other than Serenity's sweet touch? Besides, I was still alive when I should have died. I possessed a life that should no longer belong to me, what right did I have to selfishly do what would make me happy when I didn't deserve to be happy? If I were going to continue living, I would not live for myself; I would live to make others happy. And if staying alive and staying with Serenity would make her happy, then that was my new reason to live. "Serenity, I will stay." I said softly. The nymph smiled and kissed me again on the forehead. "In these woods, your only worry is healing so that you will have the strength to dance with me. Thank you Felix, I know the life we will live together will be a beautiful one." She hummed. We were lying on the bed of moss, enjoying the cool shade of the interwoven canopy right above us, while everything else cooked under the midday sun. I had my arm around Serenity and the nymph was leaning her head on my shoulder with her arm across my chest. "Who are you Serenity? I know only your name and that you are a forest nymph, nothing else. Please tell me more, I want to learn more about you." I asked. Serenity hummed in reply and pressed herself against me tighter before replying. "I was born in these woods as the daughter of Helios and his human lover. I was conceived and brought into this world in secret, for my parents loved each other and loved me so much that they wanted to keep me safe from the horrors of the world. Wherever a nymph lives, they can never leave, so my parents searched the world for the most beautiful place for me to live. They came here and I was born under this tree. Out of love, my father granted me a great gift; the Light of Outsight. Everything that the sunlight and moonlight shines upon is in my sight, letting me see the world from this forest. I've been here ever since, waiting for company. What about you? Tell me about your life." She purred. I looked up at the branch and shuddered as the memories came back. "I was a warrior of Troy during our struggle with the armies of Greece, having been recruited into the army at fifteen. Originally I had wanted to be a poet and knew nothing of fighting, but with the skills the army trained me in and the thought of protecting my family and home, I had the strength and resolve to slay my enemies and survive every battle. I quickly rose through the ranks and became well respected by the royal family for my achievements in battle. I became one of the most celebrated soldiers in Troy. Few others had greater death-counts than I was; I was a war-hero. I had a younger brother, four years my junior. I also had twin sisters, both barely in adolescence. My parents loved us all and were proud of my accomplishments in the war, all brought on by my will to fight and protect what was important to me. When the news finally came that the war was over and our enemies had left our shores, I was so happy. I was happy that I would no longer have to fear for my family and have to kill to keep them safe. Maybe now I could retire as a soldier and do something with my life that would let me use my heart instead of my sword. On the night that we retrieved the wooden horse left for us by the Greeks, everyone in Troy celebrated the end of the war. For ten years, the city had been oppressed by the fear of death, with families praying every night for the safety of their members and love failing to bloom as people strayed away from each other, either afraid to get married one day and become a widow the next, or too busy training and honing skills for survival. Late into the night, everyone sang and drank as we celebrating the veil that had been lifted from Troy, freeing us from fear. That night, I was awoken by the sound of our front door being kicked down and soldiers streaming in. Before I could get to my feet, I was stabbed through the side by an enemy spear and left to bleed out. In a pool of my own blood and in too much pain to move, I could do nothing as the troops beheaded my father and stabbed my brother to death. Then they made their way through the house, knocking over all the furniture and walking all over me. I could hear the screams as they found my mother and sisters and the soldier's laughs as they dragged them into the den. My sisters... they were so young and so innocent... they screamed the loudest as the soldiers ripped off their clothes and violated them. I struggled to move, but one of the soldiers was standing on me with his full weight and my blood loss was making me delirious, pouring from my side like fluid from a torn wineskin. Once the soldiers had their way with my family, they killed them and left, leaving me for dead. A torch was thrown through the window, landing next to a rack of scrolls. It seems like the whole house was burning in a matter of seconds, with me lying among my butchered family. With the smallest spark of strength in my bleeding body, I got to my feet and staggered out of my home. I was supposed to be a legendary warrior and a war-hero, but I just ran like a pathetic coward. Everything after that point became a blur of pain as I ran out of the city, past hundreds of people being raped and killed by Greek soldiers. I remember the sun searing my back as I ran during the day and the cool air giving me some relief as I ran at night. I don't remember the changing scenery, but I remember my sandals eventually breaking away and gripping my side to stop the bleeding. Finally, I remember being found by you. The Forest Nymph Ch. 01 I shouldn't be alive like this, I should have fought through the pain to protect my family, and either gotten them out of the city or died with them. I didn't do anything accept lie on the floor and then run. I'm a weakling and a coward, and it's my fault that my family is dead." I said with a raspy voice as tears began to roll from my eyes. Serenity raised her head and looked at me with an expression of deep sadness on her face. "Do not say that Felix, it is not your fault. What happened to your family was out of your hands. Mourn the loss of your loved ones, but don't blame yourself for their deaths. Don't try to heal your wounded heart by stabbing it with the blade of self-loathing and misery. Do not doom yourself to a life of self-pity and suffering, work and hope for a future where you can be happy." She murmured. "All hope of happiness died with my family and was burned with my home." I said dryly. "Then let that hope grow anew, with me as your family in this forest as your home. You have to let your wounds heal or else you will never be well and you will be poisoned by your own hatred forever. You have to stay alive and be happy; I need you with me. I don't want to be alone again." She whispered as her own tears began to fall. The sight of her tears extinguished my own pain and filled me with hers. I slowly reached out and wiped them away. "I will be with you and you will not be alone. By all that I am, I swear to you that you will not be alone." I promised. Serenity regained her smile and moved up, gently kissing me on the cheek. The next few days blurred together into a torrent of relaxation. All day and all night, Serenity and I would lay in our moss bed, snuggled up tightly and holding each other. The days and nights were filled with napping, talking, and eating the sweet fruits that hung from the trees. With Serenity in my arms, I could feel my body being rejuvenated far faster than it would be normally. Serenity was the most incredible woman I had ever met. While she had the youth and beauty of a woman my age, she had lived the lifespan of a human many times over, and with the gift of outsight, she had watched the goings on of the world for hundreds of years. Many of our conversations were about history and the past; I would tell her about my childhood memories and she would recant the incredible things she had seen in the world. Serenity was also very complicated, with several attributes within her mind. On one hand, she was the sweetest and most gentle spirit I had ever met, but in her heart, I could feel the flames of passion and the resolve to fight for what she cared about, much like myself. She was also incredibly patient and nurturing, nursing me back to health and always at my side, rarely separating from me for more than a few minutes. I stepped out of the tree chamber, wincing slightly with each step. Every day I would walk around and test my limits. Each day brought far less soreness as the day before, and I knew that I would have regained my full health and strength by the next morning. I had woken up by myself and was looking for Serenity. Having to lean on every tree for support and putting what little strength I had into each step, I slowly staggered through the woods. I finally heard the soft coo of her voice and stopped dead in my tracks, leaning against a large tree. I looked out at the shallow brook and saw Serenity, lying in the water amidst the smooth zones. My heart skipped a beat when I realized that she was naked. Serenity had nothing on her body but a thin sheen of water, making her turquoise skin glisten in the sunlight. She was writhing and stretching in the water as she worked her fingers between her legs, massaging the soft lips of her slit. She had her long smooth thighs clamped tightly around her hand and every movement she made caused her round full breasts to bounce and shake. She was giving a very soft but high-pitched moan as she touched herself, rolling her head from side to side while she ran her fingers through her long silky hair. It was in all honesty the most gorgeous thing I had ever seen in my life. No god or goddess could ever hope to create a piece of art as awe-inspiring as the scene before me. The scene would forever be imprinted in my memory, but to me, that wasn't good enough. I wanted to have the image of Serenity in this state tattooed on my eyelids so that I could always see her this way. Not to mention the fact that I had the greatest erection in my life... Serenity began to pick up speed, rubbing her slit with more energy and enthusiasm. Her moan increased in volume as her whole body trembled. Finally, she released a scream of ecstasy and arched her back as she achieved an orgasm. In that few moments of bliss, her body was wrapped in a glowing aura, her long hair seemed to merge with the water and become like liquid, her skin shimmered like light through glass, and her voice seemed to carry a hypnotic chime that made my every square inch of my body shake in euphoria. All of the plants on either side of the brook began to sway and bend as they were vitalized by the energy Serenity was emitting. Finally the forest nymph became still and silent, lying in the shallow water with her chest heaving. Her body was so beautiful that I just wanted to run my tongue along every square inch. Reluctantly, I decided I should go back. The sensations she had been giving herself had mostly likely distracted herself from her ability of outsight, but now that she had calmed down, the world would again be under her view. I had to get back to the tree chamber before Serenity found out that I had been watching her. As I silently made my way back through the forest, I could have sworn that I heard Serenity whisper my name. The rain pounded the forest in a relentless torrent, forcing every leaf and blade of grass into submission under the weight of each drop. Serenity and I were curled up in our tree chamber, completely dry and warm. I held out my hand into the open and felt the rain. It was incredibly warm to the touch, much warmer than I had ever felt, and every drop seemed like it was as large as a grape. "I think I'm fully healed." I hummed with a stretch. "Then will you dance with me?" Serenity asked with a tender smile. "Now? In the rain?" I asked. "When it's raining is my absolute favorite time to dance. The rain is one of my favorite aspects of nature. No matter how bad things may be, when the rain begins to pour, all the sadness and grief in the world is washed away. It's just so pure and soothing, and when I dance, I feel like I can release my soul and let the rain wash it the way it washes the land." She purred. I gained a small smile. "Very well, let's go out." I replied. With the same smile, Serenity stood up and grasped my hand, pulling me to my feet. We stepped out into the rain, instantly becoming soaked as the drops drummed on our bodies. We moved out into the creek and began to dance, with Serenity guiding my movements and me enjoying the chance to finally stretch my muscles. True to what Serenity described, a new sensation infatuated my senses as the rain fell down on us in warm sheets, one that I had never experienced before. It felt like my soul was leaving my physical form and floating up into the sky above us, letting me look down on our bodies from a bird's eye view. My limbs seemed to move without my directions as I forsook my physical existence for a transcended one, as naught but a glimmer of light or a wisp of steam floating in the air. The rain seemed to pass through my soul, sending ripples and shivers through every aspect of my sentience. All the pain that had been tormenting me since I fled from Troy was now leaving me. Serenity had healed my physical injuries and now the rain was healing my emotional ones. I still missed my family, but no longer did I blame myself for their deaths or have a hole in my chest in place of my heart. Floating and twisting through the sky as a transient specter, I looked down and could see Serenity's soul leaving her body as well and float up to me. With our physical forms continuing to dance like empty puppets, our souls began to wrap and bind around each other's, twisting like twin vines desperately reaching for sunlight. This was it; this was where I was meant to belong. I was truly home. When I originally told Serenity that I would stay and never leave her, I said it because I didn't see a point in leaving, as I didn't think there was anywhere in the world that could make me happy and I didn't deserve to be happy at all. But now, I didn't want to leave because I was happy, happy to be living in this beautiful forest with Serenity. Finally, our souls retreated back into our bodies, which were lying in the shallow brook in a tight embrace. I shook my head from side to side and gasped from the returning feeling of my physical form. Serenity just had a sweet smile on her face. "You felt it as well?" She asked. "That was the most amazing thing I've ever experienced. Is that how you feel whenever you do this?" I panted. "Yes, but the feeling is only half as jubilant when you don't have someone to share it with." She hummed. Then she slowly leaned over and kissed me, filling every corner of my mind with a physical and emotional euphoria, a thousand times greater than the first kiss we shared. "I love you Felix." She cooed. I was just about respond, but a well of cold sorrow began to form in my heart. A memory kept on flashing in my mind, keeping me from speaking. It was what I had heard about the mystical nymphs from the bards of Troy. "No... you don't." I whispered. Serenity lost her smile. "You are a nymph, a being of pure sexuality. It doesn't matter who I am, you would be feeling these same exact feelings. No matter who arrived in your woods, let it be a half-dead wanderer like me or one of the soldiers that destroyed my home, your feelings for that person would be exactly the same as your feelings for me. It is in your nature as nymph to love whoever you meet and give yourself to them. I'm not the man you love, I am just the man that showed up." I said with my voice raspy. For several seconds, the only sound was the pelting rain and the running water of the creek. Finally, Serenity slowly reached up and placed her hands on my cheeks. "No my love, that is not true. The way I feel about you, I could never feel for someone else. Felix, I've been lying to you. Every question I asked about your life, I already knew the answer to, even when I asked you your name. I have the gift of outsight, and for the last several years, the only thing I have watched is you. Ever since I first saw you behind the walls of Troy, I felt something that I had never felt for anyone else; adoration. I watched your life, your heart, your words, you actions, your emotions, and everything else that makes you who you are. You are a man who is willing to fight with every ounce of strength he has for what he cares about, a man that is willing to carry the weight of his family and city on his back in the battlefield, and yet a man with a heart so kind and pure as to be a poet. I could not take my eyes off you Felix, not since the first day I saw you. And with every day that I watched over you, my feelings became stronger and stronger. It didn't take long for me to realize that I loved you with all my heart and soul. Every night, I dreamed of someday being with you, of being held by you in the bed we would share, and the warmth of your love. On the night that Troy was ransacked and you fled, I guided you across the empty landscape. The Light of my father's lantern lets me see all of the world and it also let me reach out with my soul and link it to yours, drawing it to me so that we could finally be together. I love you Felix, I love you in a way that I can love no other." She whispered. Her words shook my entire world and erased the cold doubt in my heart, freeing me to finally say the words that I desperately desired to speak. "I love you too Serenity, I have loved you since the moment I saw you. Not only did you save my life, but you also gave me something to live for, and that desire is a treasure that I thought I had lost in Troy. I love you Serenity, and I want to spend the rest of my life here with you." I murmured. We locked lips, kissing passionately for several seconds. Serenity eventually pulled away, shivering in arousal. "I saw you yesterday, I saw you watching me. For so long, I have wanted you to see me that way, to be so exposed and so open to you. Now, I want us both to be that open, do you?" She whispered. "More than anything else in the world." I replied before giving her another kiss. With a smile, Serenity rolled up on top of me, straddling my lap. With a coy smile on her face, she slowly pulled the straps of her dress off her shoulders, exposing her large luscious breasts. They seemed to be even fuller and more beautiful than I remembered, as perky and energetic as she was and with nipples like pinky joints. We rolled over again, this time so that I was on top of her. We kissed for several seconds, letting our tongues slip past our lips and wrap around each other. After several seconds, I pulled away, kissing her several times on the cheeks and forehead. I began to move down, running kisses along her smooth neck, around her collarbone, and the middle of her chest. With one hand massaging her left breast, I began tracing my tongue around the nipple of her right, making her moan and gasp in arousal from the stimulation. I wrapped my lips around the nipple, sucking on it like a drunken man trying to empty the last drop from his wineskin. I switched between her breasts, lathering them with my tongue, massaging them with my hands, and sucking on her nipples hungrily. Her breasts were so warm and soft that I wanted to fall asleep while using them as pillows. Finally, I relinquished her welcoming breasts and continued to move down, dragging my tongue down her flat belly and licking the rain off her soft skin while I pulled off her dress, revealing her womanly slit. I wanted to taste her insides so bad that I couldn't think straight, but I also wanted to savor this. Before I moved to her slit, I continued kissing her body, running my lips along her long smooth legs, while relishing the feeling of her soft skin with my hands. After I had kissed every square inch of her voluptuous thighs, I moved back up to her slit. It looked like a rose in mid-bloom and smelled as sweet. I finally reached in between the hot lips with my tongue, making Serenity arch her back and give a shrill whine of euphoria. I reached farther up, kissing her lips with my own while I sampled her essence. Her juices tasted like the juices of the fruits in the trees; sweet and addictevly delicious. The inside of her slit was so warm and so soft that it felt like I was tasting her innocent soul itself. With each flick of my tongue, Serenity would give another moan. As I orally explored the interior of her body, she was rolling her head from side to side, chewing on her hair, running her fingers through mine, and gripping the riverbed for dear life. Finally, I pulled away from her slit. I was done with mere build-up, I wanted to truly demonstrate my love for her in the only way a man can. I sat up and undressed, revealing my throbbing erection and making Serenity purr with anticipation. I suspended myself over her and we kissed for several seconds. "Are you ready for this?" I asked. Before replying, she wrapped her arms around my neck. "I'm not ready, I'm desperate." She said with a kiss. I kissed her back and grasped my throbbing manhood. I pressed it against the lips of her slit, taking a few moments to savor the anticipation and the intimate feeling. I slowly began pushing it in, inch by inch. Serenity wrapped her legs around my waist and dug her fingernails into my back, moaning like a banshee from the feeling of me penetrating her. I slowly worked myself into her, coming to a stop when I felt her hymen. "I'm ready my love, take me." Serenity whispered in my ear. I kissed her neck several times in response and pushed the last few inches of my phallus all the way into her, rupturing her hymen and deflowering the sweet nymph. Serenity screamed in both pleasure and pain as I took her virginity. I pulled my manhood out almost the whole way, exposing her blood on the shaft. The golden liquid seemed to glow as it rolled off into the river. I slowly pushed it back in, causing Serenity to give a second moan. Moving back and forth, I began to establish of rhythm, driving my manhood deep inside her beautiful body. As the rhythm of lovemaking became more and more inscribed in my memory, my mind began to wander and take note of the sensations of our surroundings. In the midst of our consummation, our minds began to unravel. As the warm waves of rainfall and the thin creek held us with their shallow hold and lapped at our skin, it felt like the ground was shifting beneath us. It was as if we were on the trembling ocean, but we could not penetrate the surface. The rain fell down on us with gentle thumps and the waves of water flowing down the shallow creek were like a warm blanket of liquid, sealing us in pure bliss. As we linked ourselves physically, we opened the bond between our minds. Our souls again reached out and began to wrap around each other like serpents. In an endless number of spirals, our souls intertwined over and over again as we desperately tried to show the love we felt. It was a futile attempt, because there were no words or actions that could express how much we loved each other. The volume of our affection was incomprehensible. But regardless of the impossibility of that feat, the spiritual proximity I felt with my darling Serenity was a form of emotional ecstasy that I had never experienced before. The two strands that were our souls began to unravel like string, and split up into countless smaller threads. These threads too wrapped around each other over and over again, twisting endlessly as we made love. Our souls repeatedly dove into each other as if they were vapors, in a desperate attempt to fuse into a conjoined dyad of sentience. As every last barrier between us was broken, we began to break away from our physical forms. Our perceptions of reality were warped, as our senses were switched between us. Sometimes I would view reality through my senses, then it would switch and I would perceive everything through Serenity, using her senses. I could feel the warm rain running down my back, then it switched, and I could feel the rain dripping off of her eyelashes through her senses. I could feel my lips against hers and I was looking into her beautiful eyes, then it switched again, and I shared her sense of touch as the water and wind kissed her skin. I could feel her heartbeat as I held her in my arms and I could feel my heartbeat through her as we held onto each other for dear life. Serenity was experiencing the switching of perception as well, and was feeling everything through both her senses and mine. With our minds being shuffled over and over again, I was amazed that our bodies were able to maintain the rhythm of lovemaking. At last, we both experienced a simultaneous climax, and the physical joy in our minds overwhelmed our brains. After what felt like hours, our interlocked completion came to an end. We both collapsed, lying in the stream with our faces barely out of the water. We were holding onto each other tightly and gasping for air. "I love you." We both murmured. "I think it's time for us to get out of the water and dry off." I said tiredly. "Me too, I want to go to sleep, but only with you holding me." She purred in reply. I sat up and reached under her. With one arm against her back and the other under her knees, I picked her up, relishing the warmth of her naked body against my bare chest. Serenity buried her face in the side of my neck and held onto my shoulders as I carried her back to the tree chamber. The Forest Nymph Ch. 01 I laid her out on the soft moss bed and got down next to her. With her back against my chest and my arm around her waist, I wrapped us in the blanket. The second the sheet reached my chin, I could feel any chills from the water taken away and my body drying. "That was so beautiful, I've been dreaming of us being intimate like that for years." Serenity purred. "I just wish I could be immortal like you so that we would have all of eternity to relive that moment." I hummed. Serenity rolled over and brushed her fingertips against the side of my face. "You can be. All I have to do is think about life without you and the tears that will rise will heal you and restore your youth." She whispered. I clutched her hand and gently kissed it. "I would fight against Hades himself to keep my youth, just so that you wouldn't have to cry." I murmured with my lips against her hand. "Besides you promised that you would stay with me." She mused. "I did and I will make that promise again to convince you that I will always be here to make you happy. By all that I am, I swear to you that you will never be alone." I promised. Serenity smiled and kissed me. "I love you, Felix of Troy." She whispered. "And I love you, Serenity of the nymphs." I replied. Then my dearly beloved rolled back over and I wrapped my arm around her, holding her close as we both drifted to sleep. The Forest Nymph Ch. 02 Serenity wrapped her lips around my erect phallus, making my whole body jerk in an instantaneous euphoria. No matter how many times she sucked my manhood, I could never get used to the incomprehensible feeling of it entering her soft mouth. I had never experienced oral sex meeting her, but I knew that no human attempt could create the bliss I was feeling. Her saliva seemed to vibrate and change in temperature on the shaft and head, with a sweet sugary feeling sinking into my skin. Her mouth was softer than a summer breeze and as deliciously wet as the fruits that hung from the trees of our orchard, but the muscles in her cheeks and tongue were strong enough to crush stones and she could work them better than her own hands. When my manhood entered her mouth, I could feel the strength of her muscles working on the shaft and sending the massage-like bliss all the way through my member. She sucked on my erect cock with such skill that it felt like she had forty tongues and they all were somehow rubbing against every exposed spot. With Serenity lying on top of me, I buried my face in between the cheeks of her perfectly sculpted ass. I covered her very full (yet very well toned) thighs in kisses before sending my tongue up into her wet slit. The gorgeous nymph gave a muffled moan through my cock in her mouth as I sucked on the wet lips, savoring the taste of the nymph's juices flowing from her gates of paradise. As I slathered the inner-walls of her sweet body with my tongue, I worked my finger in an out of her anus, making her hum and purr. Eventually, she relinquished my manhood and sat up, letting me lick her anus. She gave a soft moan and squeezed her round breasts as she felt my tongue anally penetrate her voluptuous body. "Oh Felix, I love your touch! I love feeling of you in my heart and in my body." She moaned as she ran her fingers through her long lustrous hair. "And I love the taste of your flawless body and your sweet soul. I love to sample the divine rejuvenation that you bless me with." I replied as she moved off my face and gave me a tender kiss. She shifted again, straddling my lap. She purred and hummed in arousal as she grinded the shaft of my cock against her wet slit. She wrapped her hands around the head and slowly guiding it in, shivering as it entered her. Chewing on her lips, she began to bounce up and down on my dick, driving it deep into her magic-enriched body. I wrapped my arms around her waist, picking her up myself and slamming her back down with all of my strength. As Serenity bounced on my lap, I held out my tongue and licked her breasts, which were bouncing with the same enthusiasm as the nymph's lust for sex. After only a few minutes, Serenity gave a shrill moan as she had one of her magical orgasms, illuminating the tree chamber with her sexual aura. I pulled out of her and she quickly got on her hands and knees, shaking her rear with a coy smile on her face. I sat up and got behind her, stroking my ready cock. I pressed the head against her anus and pushed it in, making Serenity moan in ecstasy. "Oh yes darling, just like that! Felix, I want you deep inside me!" She called out. Taking the rhythm I had mastered over the years, I began slamming my cock into her tight asshole. The forest was filled with the clapping of her cheeks against my thighs as I drove my member as far up into her body as possible. As I stretched her anus as far as it could go, Serenity had her face buried in her elbow and was rubbing her pussy with her other hand, giving a rising moan with each thrust. Finally, I looked up and groaned as I came, coupled with Serenity's second orgasm. Thick streams of semen shot from the head of my cock, filling her anus until the white slime was overflowing. Her arms and legs buckled and she collapsed, rubbing her semen-filled anus. "I love the feeling of you essence inside of me." She purred. I laid down beside her and wrapped my arm around her slender waist. "And I love the feeling of being able to hold you and be inside of you at the same time." I replied as I kissed her neck. Her turquoise skin tasted so sweet, I couldn't get enough of it. She then rolled over and kissed me, slipping her tongue between my lips. "I never get tired or used to making love to you. Every time is just as magical and incredible as the first time." She hummed. I smiled and placed my hand on the center of her chest, feeling her heartbeat. "Me neither. I must admit that I am obsessed this beautiful body of yours. I'm so curious and I just want to keep exploring it. You are the most gorgeous thing that has ever blessed my eyes and I'm desperate to memorize every detail and secret. But every time, there is a new inch on your body that I want to study and admire for hours on end. I am haunted by the fact that I will never completely understand you, but that also relieves me, because every time we are intimate, I am surprised and amazed by something new." I replied. "Well you can never be sure, you might someday know everything about me. After all, we have the rest of eternity to spend together." Serenity said softly before we both fell asleep. Three years had passed since I arrived at the forest, and they were without a doubt, the greatest years of my life. Every day consisted of lounging in the shade of the trees, swimming in deep sections of the creek, and taking long strolls through the woods while basking in the sun. Every night consisted of dancing in the moonlight or sleeping in out small tree chamber, pressed tightly together under the warmth of our blanket. My diet was entirely made up of the addictively sweet fruit that hung from the branches of every tree. They supplied all the nutrients I required and I never grew tired of them. I would gorge myself on them until I was filled to the brim, and then curse the fact that I could not eat any more. It was a very simple life, one without any exertion of obstacles. Every moment was filled with unending happiness and relaxation. It was in all sense a perfect life, and with the help of Serenity's healing powers, it was a perfect life that would never end. The sun was shining brightly as we walked along the shallow creek, picking up pretty stones. In a life where there are no obstacles or hardships, Serenity and I sought playful challenges in abstract art, taking small pieces of nature and rearranging them to create works to represent nature as a whole. My old clothes had been replaced with a new outfit of the same silky material as Serenity's and our bed sheets. Serenity's hair was adorned with flowers and she was carrying a basket of interwoven vines. "Oh, this one is perfect." She said sweetly as she picked up a piece of mica, perfect for the collage she was working on. Just as I was about to speak, the sound of a twig snapping reached my ears. My whole body became rigid as three years of relaxation were pushed aside by my military training. "Serenity, scan the area, I think we aren't alone." I said softly, trying to be nonchalant. Serenity looked at me with worry on her face. "There can't be anyone here. Everyone and everything beneath the sunlight and moonlight is under my watch. No one could have possibly entered this forest without me noticing. It was probably just a squirrel you heard." She replied as she stood up. "Please, just give one thorough search." I muttered as I finally looked around, scanning for any movement. Serenity closed her eyes, focusing her mind on her outsight to examine the forest for any intruders. She finally gave a sigh and opened her eyes. "There is nothing, we are the only ones here." She said reassuringly. While my mind was put at ease, my muscles did not relax. "Sorry, I just always worry about us. After all, this is just a small forest out in the wilderness, not a sacred garden on Mt. Olympus." I mused. "Well you can be at peace, as this forest is our private Eden." She said sweetly. Just as the words passed her sweet lips, an arrow shot past my face, grazing my cheek. With blood running down my neck, I grabbed Serenity's wrist and we ducked down behind the bushes along the creek. "What is going on, I thought you said you didn't see anyone?" I cursed. "I didn't and I still don't, something must be blocking my sight." She replied with her voice filled with fear. Behind us, I could hear over almost half a dozen sets of feet hitting the ground, coming towards us. This wasn't just a stray hunter or explorer, this was a group with the intention of search and capture or search and destroy. Whoever it was, I would die before letting them harm Serenity. "Come on, and stay close." I said as Serenity and I got to our feet. We sprinted along the side of creek with arrows flying past us. With every step, I could feel my body returning to its original strength. Even after three years of relaxation, my muscles had not forgotten the strain of battle and my reflexes had not dulled to the demands of fighting. The Felix that been living in peace was stepping aside, and the Felix that was originally a Trojan war-hero was returning to fight. Up ahead of us, a soldier stepped out of the brush with a sword in his hand. From the plate designs of his bronze armor and the shape of his helm, I instantly recognized him as soldier from Mycenae. It wasn't too long ago that I would slaughter over a hundred of them in each battle... I charged ahead of Serenity and the soldier lashed out with his sword, trying to deliver a one-hit kill. I dodged the clumsy stab, knocked his arm aside, and tackled him. I knocked him to the ground and pinned him. Before he could try and slash me with his sword or grab a stone from the creek, I snapped his neck by slamming him in the jaw with my palm. I stood up and retrieved his sword. While the shape and weight was different from my old Trojan sword, my body recognized the form and function upon contact. Serenity stared at me with wide eyes as I slashed the air, familiarizing myself with the art of swordplay. "When we run, stay close. When I fight, stay back." I instructed. Serenity nodded and grasped my hand. We ran into the woods, keeping our senses open to the presence of enemy soldiers. "I can't see them at all with my outsight. Somehow they are blocking my vision completely." Serenity cursed with worry. "Then how about we find our why..." I cursed through gritted teeth. I then released Serenity's hand as I spotted four soldiers up ahead, standing in a clearing. Following my instructions, Serenity slowed down and I increased my speed, jumping into the clearing and surprising the soldiers. Without the slightest hesitation, I slashed the throat of the first, sending a fountain of blood from the laceration. I then turned and blocked a slash from another soldier, responding in kind by sidestepping behind him and lopping off his head. I quickly stepped back, dodging the arrow from the third soldier. Before he could draw another one, I shattered his bow with a wide slash and drove the tip of the sword straight through his chest, managing to pierce his armor with my full strength. I looked back at the forth soldier as he pulled out a horn to the signal the rest in the area. Just as he began the call, I knocked the horn out of his hand and then stabbed upwards, piercing him in the lower jaw and driving upwards until my sword burst through the top of his skull and knocked off his helm. I let loose a howl of pain as an arrow shot through the air and stabbed my shoulder, piercing the muscle and flesh with ease. Serenity stifled a scream at the sight of my injury and the blood streaming from it. Gritting my teeth, I ripped out the arrow and turned to see the approaching crowd of Mycenaean soldiers. There were over two-dozen of them, all armed and ready. "For Serenity, for my family, and for the city of Troy, I will kill all of you!" I roared at the top of my lungs. The first soldier jumped out into the clearing and tried to stab me with his spear. I ducked to the side and stepped forward, stabbing him through the gut and making him cough up blood. I grabbed the soldier's spear as he fell to the ground and used it to stab the next that entered my range of killing. Running him through, I stabbed him in the chest and slammed him into a tree, lodging the blade in the trunk and pinning him there. The third soldier charged with a large battleaxe, swinging from the side with enough force to cleave me in half. Sending all my strength to my legs, I jumped over the attack and stabbed him between the shoulder and the neck, killing him in a single blow. As he fell to the ground, an arrow launched by the fourth soldier struck my palm, bursting out of the back of my hand. Ignoring my agony and the blood streaming from my fingers, I charged towards him before he could reload. I swung my hand, stabbing him in the eye with the tip of the arrow. With the soldier screaming in pain, I ripped my hand off and then slammed the arrow, forcing it all the way into his skull and ripping away his life. I turned and raised my sword above my head, bringing it down on a soldier with a shield and a spear. He blocked the attack with his shield, and before he could respond with a spear thrust, I swung my hand in front of him, spraying his face with blood and blinding him. He staggered back, trying to wipe the blood from his face. With that quick opportunity, I slashed his throat and gave it a wide bloody smile. With red fluid flying from the soldier's throat, I ripped off his shield and threw it, sending it flying like a giant discuss and striking an oncoming soldier in the head. Even with his helmet on, the blow shattered his skull. The sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth all charged towards me, armed only with swords. Snarling and roaring like an animal, I carved them all down without mercy. I pierced the armor of the sixth with a stab as if it was made of parchment and then I cleaved off the arm of the seventh and grabbed his sword while he bled to death. Using the two swords, I blocked the coordinated attacks of the eight and ninth, kicked the eighth to knock him back, and then beheaded the ninth with a twin-scissor slash. With the eight still on the ground, I raised my swords above my head and stabbed down into his chest, tearing through his lungs and soaking the ground with blood. Soldier after soldier charged towards me with the intent of murder, but with a sword in each hand and the thought of protecting Serenity in my heart, I slaughtered them all without hesitation or opposition. As I tore through the armor of my nineteenth victim and slashed him from shoulder to hip, I lurched forward in pain and looked down. An arrow had pierced my chest, driving through my body and passing just under my heart. "Felix!" Serenity screamed. Ignoring the injury, I slashed the throat of my twentieth enemy, sending yet another fountain of blood flying into the air. Another arrow was launched, striking me in the gut. I staggered back with blood pouring from my mouth. I looked up and spotted the soldier that had launched the arrows. His friends were running past him, taking advantage of my injury. With what little strength I had, I stabbed the first that came close, managing to pierce his heart, but lacking the power to send it driving through the back of his armor. A third arrow was launched, stabbing me through my right lung. Barely able to stand on my feet, I could not stop the rest of the soldiers from delivering their attacks. With swords and spears, they stabbed me through the torso, attacking from all angles. With every organ torn to shreds, I could do nothing but shout in frustration and vomit blood. Knowing that I could no longer fight, the soldiers pulled their weapons out and let me fall out of the ground. With my mind falling into darkness and my body refusing to respond, I was unable to help Serenity as the soldiers grabbed her, tying her up and dragging the sobbing nymph away. For the second time in my life, I had failed to protect what was important to me. No matter what I did and how hard I fought, I could not keep those that I loved safe. And this time, the strength to run was not in me. As my blood soaked the ground and my eyelids slowly sank, a bright flash filled my senses. The sky was filled with golden clouds, moving faster across the blue abyss than a stampeding horse fleeing from hungry wolves. I took a deep shuddering breath, realizing that I was alive. Had that really happened, or had it only been a bad dream? I looked at my chest and had the breath ripped from my lungs as I saw the amount of blood that soaked my shirt. My wounds had disappeared, but the blood was still wet. It had really happened, and that meant... "Serenity!" I called out as I bolted to my feet and stepped forward. The ground didn't greet the bottom of my foot and my whole body instantly panicked as I began to fall. I looked down and almost swallowed my tongue at the scene below me. I was flying through the sky, several miles above the safety of solid ground. A hand reached out behind me and pulled me back before I could fall off of whatever surface I was standing on. "Easy noble Trojan, I didn't save your life so that you could fall to your doom." A deep voice said. I turned around, facing a man with clothes of silk and blond hair. He and I were riding through the sky on a chariot of solid gold, pulled by four horses made entirely of condensed fire. My eyes had to be deceiving me, for there was no way the man that had just pulled be back from a terrifying death could be who I thought he was. "Is it possible... are you really Helios?" I gasped. "Well I am certainly not that brat Apollo. I am indeed Helios, the god of the sun and moon. I am also the father of Serenity, as you well know." He nodded. "Serenity, what happened to her?!" I demanded. "That is what you will learn from the others." He said, obviously trying to hide his fear and worry. "From the others, you mean the rest of the gods?" I asked with my voice shaking. "But of course. Welcome Felix, to Mt. Olympus!" He called as he held out his arm. I looked ahead and my jaw sank so low that it was almost ripped from my skull. With the sun shining on the sea of clouds and giving them a golden shade, a colossal temple of diamond and marble was built into the summit of the tallest mountain in the world, Mt. Olympus. The temple was decorated with statues of the gods and surrounded by courtyards containing entire geographical areas. Fields, forests, and even lakes were all being held in creases of the colossal mountain, held up so high that no one on the ground could ever see them The courtyards were filled with the mystical creatures of legend, all living peacefully in their Eden. Winged horses flew between gargantuan pillars, the Ceryneian Hind grazed in a sunlit field, the Laelaps was lying in the shade of a tree while chewing on a bone, several hundred phoenixes were all perched in a small forest, with each tree charred from the death and rebirth of the birds, and the Teumessian Fox could see seen wandering among the cliffs. Helios and I passed through a towering gate of solid glass and the golden chariot came to a halt on the marble floor. "Come with me, Zeus and the others need to speak with you." Helios said as he stepped off the chariot and walked down a glowing hallway. In utter astonishment at what he had just said, it took me a moment to shake myself awake and follow him. Helios led me to a large set of doors, both made of sterling silver. With a flick of his wrist, Helios opened the doors without touching them and brought me through. We entered a circular room with every surface made of a precious mineral, jewel, or metal. The walls were lined with thrones, and sitting in each was a god or goddess. Without having ever seen them before, I could instantly identify deities like Athena, Zeus, Poseidon, Apollo, and all others. I couldn't believe my eyes; I was actually in the presence of the gods. I would have normally bowed, but my mind was too fixated on Serenity.