This story was written by Chaos Grey.  Don't steal it.  Any
resemblance to real people or actual events is coincidental.
I am not resonspible for anything that may result from someone
attempting to do anything written in this story.  Though, please
send any accounts, photos, sketches, or videos that you may get
while attempting to recreate events in the story.

To contact the author and tell him now much you liked the story
or send him photos, videos, accounts, etc.of actions similar or 
pertaining to those found in this story,
email: thechaosgrey@yahoo.com

This story contains:
Fantasy, Rape, Transformation/Werewolf

____________________
The Maiden of Kiaben

     The yearly festival at Lom Hareth was possibly the most
important week of the year for the surrounding villages of
Quiem, Shardose, and Lethcurn.  The Sacred Stones in on the
Lom Hareth plateau were of significant value to the
religions of all three villages, and although their
traditions were different in ceremony and holidays, the week
long celebration of Kiaben was key to all three and had been
since their founding.  The fact that the three villages had
come to celebrate the same week in the same way so many
years ago formed a certain brotherhood amongst the people
and made it easy for the cultures to mix and mingle.

     Not only a religious celebration, it was a most
magnificent party and a wonderful place for youths to meet
and relationships to blossom.  Six months after Kiaben was
often the wedding season.  The blood ties in the various
villages were far reaching, and every family had some
relation in one of the neighboring villages.  Kiaben was a
time of reunion, of renewal, a welcoming of spring and life.

     The tents were set up the week before, and the flat,
grassy plains would be decked out in brightly color
pavilions.  Merchants came from all over to set up shop on
Lom Hareth, and while the majority of the visitors were from
the three villages, there were always plenty of strangers
who traveled from far and wide to see the wonders that went
on there.  It was a magical time, after all, and every night
of that week the mystical lights and sounds of the Life
Queen would play about the plateau.

     It was believed that she slept during the cold winters
– or maybe she was dead and the stones marked her grave –
but that during the Kiaben, she awoke and favored her
children with her radiance.  That was the legend, anyway,
and no sage or warlock had any other explanation for the
phenomenon, and poets and bards came from across the world
to experience what so many of their brethren had written
about in verse.

     The old castle that sat on the edge of the plateau had
long ago been converted into a tavern of sorts, and
travelers often paid a pretty coin to stay in the comfort of
the stone walls.  The most of villagers, especially children
and elderly, would return to their homes via carts and
wagons that volunteers would drive back.  Some stayed the
night in the field, sleeping in a huge tent set up for just
that purpose.  Outsiders were not welcome in the tent, but
it was a comfortable place to sleep – especially for those
too drunk to make it home or young lovers seeking a little
more time to be together.  It never rained during the week
of Kaiben, never once was there a sudden cold, or anything
that would make it a less than perfect evening and that was
counted amongst the goddess’ blessings on the faithful.

     To say that the fair was large would be an
understatement.  There were few from the three villages who
were not there – most of the shop keeps relocated their
wares to the fair and the farmers would not start tending
their fields until the week after.  It was an amazing
spectacle of sights and sounds and crowds.

     But there were two people who stood out in this over-
whelming crowd, two that, when someone would begin to
describe them, the others would nod and say they knew
exactly who was being talked about.  Two that everyone knew
of, even if they had never spoken to either of them.

     She was Joressa, and she had been crowned Princess of
Kiaben once again.  It was her fourth year as the princess,
and, being seventeen, she had only been allowed to be
crowned such for four years.  No one under thirteen was
permitted.  It was an honor to be given the title, and one
every young girl dreamed about.  The princess was said to be
the living avatar of the Life Queen.  Crowned on the second
evening of the seven day celebration, she was to be the
embodiment of beauty, grace, civility, modesty, and
kindness.  Virtuous, honest, and chaste – few girls were
ever the Princess more than once for most were married soon
after.

     Not Joressa, much to her parent’s dismay, and that of
all the other girls who coveted the crown.  A maiden still,
she could have had any man she desired, but her heart had
gone out to none of them, though they still tried.  She
blushed again when the crown had been placed on her head,
and she told the officiator that she did not deserve such an
honor, as she had done the last three years.  The marriage
proposals would come quickly now, and she had been besieged
the rest of the week to dance and flirt.  She was glad that
the week was coming to an end.

     Joressa was beautiful, of that there was no doubt.  Her
auburn hair flowed in wavy tresses down past her shoulder
blades, the red high-lights catching the light and glowing
like hot coals in a dark high.  Her eyes were green, deep
dark emerald green, and gleamed like polished gemstones.
Her skin had a honey hue to it, a warm tan that would grow a
bit darker as spring ebbed into summer.  She was thin, but
strong from working on her father’s fair, solid and yet
curving.  Her breasts were round and full, and many elderly
women shook their heads at her not having children yet,
saying her curving hips and hour-glass frame was perfect for
birthing.  She was everything the Princess of Kiaben should
be, and every man wanted her for his bride.

     The other one that everyone knew was a stranger.  Few
had caught his name, but all had seen him.  His clothes were
the finest of quality, unlike anything seen in this area
before.  A noble to be sure, and a handsome one at that.
Though nobles had been seen at the festival, none were like
him.  He had no entourage, no servants, not even a carriage
or horse, if the rumors were true.  He simply appeared on
the plateau on the evening of the third day and had been
there since.

     He was tall and broad, obviously very muscular under
his silken shirt and leather jerkin.  He walked with
authority but with a light step, his head high, but his eyes
seeking and aware.  He did not look down on those around
him, but met there gaze with a bright, cheerful smile.  He
was pleasant in conversation, engaging and well-informed
about events near and far, and a comforting voice, deep and
resonating especially when he laughed.  His face was
chiseled and tan from being outside, and he had a bit of
trim stubble about his face, giving him the look of a
traveler.  His hair was black, and long and thick, pulled
back in a pony-tail to keep it from his face – and odd hair
style for the men of this region.  His eyes were pale blue,
like pools of liquid sky.  He was unlike anyone who had
attended the Kiaben, and the rumors about him spread very
quickly through the celebration.  After two days, he was
said to be a traveler from across the great sea, and the day
after that, he was king of a great nation far away.

     Joressa had heard the tales and rumors, but she did not
believe them so much.  This happened every year, and in the
end, the truth was far less grand than the fairytale.
However, she still sought out the stranger – as Princess of
Kiaben, she was expected to greet foreigners and welcome
them and explain the ways and customs of the celebration.
Usually, foreigners sought her out – she guessed to see the
one who had been picked as Princess and see if they would
have better luck winning her than the locals.  This man had
not – in fact, it was the seventh day of Kiaben now, and he
had been here for four days, and she had not seen him once.
Surprising and yet not so.  It was a large place after all,
but from the way people talked of him, she would have
thought him easy to find.

     It was just before lunch on the seventh day of the
ceremony when Joressa saw him.  It took a good ten minutes
to finally make her way to the man – the crowd seemed to
open up to let him pass but close soon after he walked by,
and Joressa found herself pushing past people – some who
tried to stop her and engage her in conversation – in order
to pursue.
     
     When she finally got to him, his eyes were already on
her, and she curtsied politely.  “Greetings, traveler, to
Kiaben.  I am sorry I could not greet you sooner, as is my
duty.  I am Joressa, Princess of Ceremonies, and I thank you
for coming to this celebration.”

     The man, who stood a full head taller than the girl,
and she was not short for her age, smiled.  “Pleased am I
that you found me, then, if it is your duty to do so.  You
need not have wasted your time, but I thank you all the
same.”  He bowed politely then turned to go about his
business, whatever that may have been.

     Joressa was stunned.  No one had ever said so little to
her and turned away; no one had ever dismissed her so
lightly, especially on Lom Hareth at the Kiaben.  She was
not offended by his words, just shocked at them.  She rushed
to follow, staying at his side.  She held the skirt of her
red dress to keep from stepping on the hem.  The cream-
colored bodice was tight around her waist and squeezed and
lifted her breasts, exposing her amble cleavage.  Most men
seemed to be unable to keep their eyes any higher than her
chest; the stranger’s never seemed to roam lower than her
eyes.  She was bewildered.

     “Milord, I beg you, let me accompany you awhile.  If
you have any questions about the celebration, I would answer
them.”

     “Milady,” he said, turning and bowing to her again.  He
was polite and sincere, not a hint of annoyance in his
voice, just plain truth.  “You need not bother with such
trivialities as entertaining a wanderer such as myself.  I
have learned all I need know about this place, the villages,
the ceremonies, and the festival.  I have gotten to see your
beauty with my own eyes, and for that I am grateful we met
at last, Princess Joressa, but surely you have a better way
to spend your morning that exchanging dutiful pleasantries
with me.”

     He turned to leave her once again, and though she wound
normally have let someone leave after so gently and
explicitly saying that he did not want her company – no,
that he did not need her company; he never said he didn’t
want it – something compelled her to speak again.  “But,
Milord, we have not yet met.  I have introduced myself, sir,
but I still do not know your name.”

     He chuckled, and shook his head.  “Forgive me, lady,
for I have done you a great disservice, indeed.  You have
played the fair and gentle hostess, and I, it would seem,
have been the poor guest.”  He faced her directly and he
flourished a bow, flaying his velvet cape out with one hand
in a wide, sweeping gesture and he lowered himself before
her.  “I am Lycar of House Moonsong, which I have no doubt
that you know nothing of in these parts.”

     “Nay, gentle sir, I have never heard of your house and
family.”

     Lycar nodded.  “I am far from home, Princess, and very
far indeed.”

     “Why do you come to these distant lands?  I would
imagine that there is little here that could interest
someone who has traveled so widely.”

     He laughed again.  “Nay, good lady.  There is much in
the world that still holds delight for me.  Every new place,
a new reward.  The Kiaben, for example – I have been
traveling many years now, and never have I seen anything
like the Night Spectacle.  It is truly a thing of beauty and
wonder.”

     “I am glad the festival has pleased you, lord.”

     “It has at that.”

     “It is close to the noon-time meal; would you allow me
to accompany you at least till then, Milord?”

     “Lady, I would be honored.”  He offered his arm to her,
and she took it, hooking her elbow around his thick, strong
forearm.  His body was like stone, it was so dense with hard
muscle.  “But please, no more of this ‘Lord’ nonsense.  Call
me Lycar, or Moonsong if you need be formal with me.  I have
a name, after all – it would be a pity for it to go unused.”

     She smiled at him, her white teeth sparkling in the day
light.  “And I am Joressa.  One week out of a year does not
make royalty out of me, sir.”

     “It suits, you though, Joressa, royalty does.  You have
a regal baring and the making of an excellent wife.  But I
embarrass you!” he added, noting the flush in her face.  “I
apologize.  I do it often, it seems, without meaning to.”

     “Do not apologize – it is that I do not take
compliments well.”

     “Never-the-less,” he said, patting her arm with his
hand, “I should not have spoken so familiarly.  After all,
the way rumors fly about this place, if we are not careful,
by tonight, people will be speaking of our wedding.”

     At that, Joressa laughed.  It was the truth, and Lycar
spoke it plainly.  She liked that about if, and grew to like
it all the more as the minutes they spent together stretched
out to hours.  They took lunch together; he bought their
food, paying with a few gold coins from his heavy money
pouch – paying double what was needed, but leaving before
the merchant could make change.

     They took their meal a bit of a ways from the festival
to sit amongst the grass and flowers that were beginning to
bloom on the plateau.  It was a bit of a walk to get away
from the crowd and the noise, and no doubt rumors were
already spreading about how Joressa was seen leaving the
celebration with the stranger, but she didn’t care.

     Lycar carried it all, their meat and fruit and cheese
and flagons on a large tray.  His arms never tired from
holding it, and not a drop was spilled from their cups even
as he set the tray on the ground.  She apologized for not
having a blanket for them to sit upon, but Lycar laughed at
that.  He was a wanderer, he said, and very used to lying on
the ground.  He was unlike anyone she had ever met – so rich
and refined and yet so at ease and practical.

     They chatted away the afternoon, both very comfortable
with the other’s companionship, and it wasn’t until the sun
started to dip lower in the sky at Joressa realized just how
late it had gotten.  “Lycar, I must be off,” she said,
rising quickly to her feet.  She started to scoop up the
empty dishes as she spoke, “I must get myself ready!  The
masquerade is tonight, and I must lead the dance –“

     She was getting frantic, worried that she was being a
terrible hostess, but she knew well the duties she needed to
perform this evening.  He grabbed her arm in his hand, his
strong grip hurting her for a second before he loosened it
some.  “Mind not these dishes, Joressa.  This is not so base
a job that I cannot do it myself.  You have your
responsibilities this night.  Go to them.”

     She looked into his eyes, about to argue, but his kind
smile and gentle gaze warmed her and she could not help but
smile herself in return and acquiesce.  “Okay.  I will be
off then.”

     “I have a gift for you, if I may.  A token for you,” he
paused a moment, then added, “to assure that I get at least
one dance this evening.”

     His displayed his hands to her, large, strong, yet
empty.  He flourished them about, an elaborate, whimsical
gesture, and then, suddenly, he was holding a flower, like a
rose, but unlike any such bloom she had ever seen.  It was a
large, bulbous flower, with large, soft petals of a most
delicate yellow-orange color.  It was fragrant, the rich
perfume reaching her nose even from a distance.

     “It’s a magic thing, my dear,” he said, as he offered
to her.  She took it, marveling at its beauty and wondrous
scent.  “I cut it two years ago from a bush in an enchanted
garden, and it had not wilted or dried, not one petal has
fallen or bruised.  And I have kept it all that time in my
pouch,” he said, tapping the leather pouch that rested on
his hip.
     “Nay, good sir Lycar.  That is not possible.”  Her
fingers ran over the cut base of the flower stem, and as she
thought, it was still wet.  “This flower had been cut not
more than an hour past, if that.”

     “But how could I have done this, when you were with me
this whole time?  And where around these parts could I find
such a flower?”

     “When you strolled off not half an hour ago – was for
but a moment, but a moment is all it takes.  And while I
have seen many of the blooms in this area, even I cannot say
what might live on this plateau and grow during the Kiaben.”

     “Fair enough, sweet creature.  Doubt it, if you will,
but I speak true.  Some hours from now, if I lie, it will be
drying and falling away, and I will not have assure myself a
dance – “

     “Nay, Lycar.  You will have assured that you get no
dance at all,” she teased him, not really meaning it, but
showing that she would not be played by his tales.

     “But, if the flower is as strong and sweet-smelling
this evening as it is now, then I shall have my dance.”

     “If it is as you say, Lycar Moonsong, then I shall wear
this flower in my hair tonight, and you will have every
dance.”  She turned and started to skip away, a joy in her
heart unlike she had ever known before.  She clutched the
flower to her breast, enjoying the pleasant smell, and even
his tale, wishing it could be true.  It was a beautiful
present, one way, but a truly remarkable and rich treasure
the other.

     “I will hold you to that,” she heard his voice call out
to her.

     She turned back briefly and called back, “You need not
hold me to my word!  I would look forward greatly to keeping
it!”

     *         *         *         *         *

     It is not known how word spread through the festival,
but whispers began soon after Joressa returned from her long
lunch bearing the unusual blossom in her hands and beaming
so happily.  Rumors exploded – “In love,” they said.
“Betrothed,” others swore.  The stories roared like wild
fire, and everyone had their own version, but all were
focused on the young lord who had spent the country maiden
off her feet.  Most people agreed that it was about time
that Joressa chose a man, and while the stranger was
pleasant enough by all accounts, many shook their heads at
such an arrangement.  Of course, there were plenty of men
who were disappointed that she seemed to be taken.

     Nighttime darkened the sky to black, and soon after the
last rays of the sun flickered and died from the few clouds,
the Night Spectacle began once more for the last time this
year.  Bright lights leapt and twirled in the sky, showering
the plans with color and twinkling sparks.  There was no
need for torches or fires, the lights were bright enough to
illuminate the field in a gentle glow, and they stretched
across the tire plateau, leaving no dark shadows or patches
of gloom.  They were warm, and they eased the soul to watch.
The world was awash with the gentle sounds of singing, a
sweet woman’s voice.  There were no words, at least not that
she sang, just a touching, gleeful melody.

     Musicians played in time, their songs specially written
to accompany the angelic voice that flowed from the earth.
Bards and minstrels tried their skills here every year,
playing to the Life Queen’s song.  Some wrote lyrics and
joined in the singing, others just played their music.  It
was quite the time for all.

     And on the last day, the masquerade.  All but the
Princess of Kiaben wore masks and met in the fields to dance
away the last evening.  Most of the festival cleared out
during the day, all the shops removed leaving only the food
and drink pavilions still standing.

     It was customary at the dance for singles to wear very
elaborate masks, like a peacock flaring his feathers to
attract a mate, and for couples to only wear plain ones
since they would come together and most likely not leave
each other’s side, not for long.  It was a simple
distinction, but tradition.  Everyone carried a candle as
well, for the dancing continued long into the night until
the Night Spectacle exploded into thousands of tiny sparkles
at drifted to the ground and disappeared and the Life
Queen’s presence left these hollow grounds – usually only
the young ones managed to stay that long – and when the
lights were out and darkness consumed, everyone would remove
their masks and light their candles to reveal their
partner’s face and to share a kiss with that person, the one
with whom you ended the Kiaben.

     It was not difficult or unusual for many young people
to find the one person they wanted to be with and dance with
them until the festival’s end in order to receive that kiss.
It was also not unusual for these couples to share more than
a kiss that evening; the fading lights were said to contain
the Life Queen’s essence and it filled those it touched with
vigor and passion – or so the rumors went.  Parents often
frowned upon their children staying until the end of the
Night Spectacle since many of them remember those times when
they, themselves, stayed, but it was part of the tradition.
It was a common belief that the Life Queen blessed a
marriage that blossomed from a kiss at the end of the
Kiaben.  There were some who said that the Life Queen
blessed more physical unions, and that blessing was a child
which is why weddings were so quick to come after the
Kiaben.  A few understood that one was simply a kinder way
of saying the other.
     
     Joressa, as the Princess, was honor-bound to stay to
the end and dance, though with whom was of her choosing.
Even still, as the night waned, it was common for brawls to
spring up from the men trying to get the Princess to dance
with them.  Since none knew when the Kiaben would end, it
did so suddenly with no warning and never at the same time,
man struggled to be dancing with the Princess as much as
possible in order to win the kiss and, they hoped, her hand.
Joressa had awarded three kisses to date, but nothing more.
     
     She wore white, as was the tradition of the princess.
It was a beautiful dress of shimmering, flowing silk,
trimmed with lace and sparkling white jewels.  She did look
the part of royalty, done up as she was.  In her hair, the
only splash of color, she bore the flower that Lycar had
given her.
     
     Joressa stepped out into the empty field just as the
lights and music began; the crowd partying to let her pass
and take her place.  There was a wide circle around her
created by the crowd as all eyes were upon her.  She began
to dance, alone, letting her body twist and bob as the Life
Queen’s soul bid her.  She dipped and weaved, and the crowd
watched in a hush.  Each year Joressa was able to let go
more and more.  She could feel her body moving, but she had
no control over the step of her feet and the sway of her
hips.  It was the Life Queen who danced before the crowd in
all her glory – the first time a human had so invoked her
spirit so completely – and everyone there stared, wide-eyed,
realizing that they were seeing something unique, something
special.
     
     Joressa danced for some time like that, and no one
moved at all.  Her revelry ended, as it always does, though
this one lasted far longer than any before, and Joressa was
left standing in a wild circle all alone.  She looked out
into the crowd, waiting.
     
     Some minutes passed as they always did, before the
first courageous man stepped forth from the crowd and
approached her.  He flourished a cape – albeit clumsily as
one not used to such a motion - and swept his hat off his
head, bowing low to the Princess.  He held his free hand out
to her and, offering to take her hand and start the dance.
She curtsied to him, but shook her head.  The man, thus
rebuffed, stood back up and stepped back into the crowd.
     
     This was not uncommon – it was part of the tradition.
It was rare that the first one was chosen, which is why so
few would attempt it, but there was the chance.  The
Princess of Kiaben, after all, was often swayed by the Life
Queen with whom she should dance.  Of course, that is to say
that the Princess did not, herself, consciously make the
choice, either.
     
     A few other men  tried their luck – they approached,
bowed, and held out their hand only to receive a shake of
her head for their efforts.  When he stepped out of the
crowd, a hush fell.  Most had assumed that Joressa was
waiting for him to approach, and they were curious as to why
he waited so long.
     
     Lycar, for they all knew it was him behind the mask,
was dressed in regal finery.  He was the only one who seemed
to fit with Joressa, the way she was dressed.  He stepped up
to her and bowed low, his strength and grace evident in his
every move.  He impressed the crowd with his elegance and
poise.
     
     Joressa curtsied and took his hand.  The band started
up, joining in with the Life Queen’s voice, and the two
began to dance together.  The crowd watched for some
moments, amazed by how they looked so good together, before
slowly the mass broke into pairs as couples moved in to join
with Joressa and Lycar.
     
     “I see that you found my story to be true,” Lycar said
as he swept Joressa gracefully around the field.
     
     “I did, and I was amazed.  I am sorry I doubted you,
Lycar.  I never should have thought you anything but true,
especially after your gracious manner, and yet I questioned
your word –“
     
     Lycar laughed.  “Think little of it.  Why should you
believe me for such a fantastic tale.  It was true, but not
believable.”
     
     “I have difficulty accepting such a rare and wonderful
treasure.”
     
     “It is a token of my appreciation to you and your
duties as Princess.  You have already accepted it
graciously, Lady.  Let us not ruin that.”
     
     Joressa smiled at him, amused by his words.  “I will.”
     
     They danced for hours, taking a few breaks for food and
drink, but being true to her word, Joressa turned away any
other man who tried to cut in with her dance.  Some took the
rebuke harshly, but most realized their efforts were in vain
before even trying.  It was most strange for the Princess to
dance with only one person all night, but it was not against
any rules or traditions.  And more than just her own desire,
Joressa felt the push of the Life Queen for her to remain by
Lycar’s side.  Every feeling in her body told her that this
was right.
     
     And then, Kiaben ended.  The lights exploded suddenly
and silence descended upon the plateau as the showers of
sparkling, twinkling dust rained down upon everyone, gently
coating everything in colorful glitters that faded into
total darkness.  It was a truly awe-inspiring sight, and it
was so every year.  Then a flame lit up, and another, then
another.  Candles burst to life, revealing a face in the dim
orange glow, and then faces leaned in, lips met, and couples
kissed.
     
     A light lit up Lycar’s face, and Joressa, the only on
the field without a candle, leaned in towards him, rising up
on her toes to bring her face closer to his.  He leaned down
a bit, and kissed her sweetly upon her lips.  It was a soft,
gentle kiss – pure like freshly fallen snow and silken like
a flower petal.
     
     But neither relented their kiss, even as others around
them began to cheer and laugh – often such amusement over-
took the revelries after their kiss ended.  Lycar and
Joressa’s did not end.  Her hands slid across his rough
cheeks, savoring the feeling of his skin before slipping up
into his dark hair.  Lycar reached around her with one arm
and lifted her into the air, holding her face level with his
own and squeezing her body tight against his.  There lips
didn’t part, and their kiss grew and burned hot, like a
small flame exploding into a wild fire.  Soon her airs were
about his neck, and in her passion, her tongue flicked
across his lips and into his mouth, free his own from
between his teeth.  She had never kissed a man with such
fervor before, and she could only feel hot elation as
emotions welled up within her.  It was wild, like
electricity bursting inside of her and rippling through
every inch of her flesh.  She had never before felt so moved
by a man, by being in his arms.  Pressed up against him so,
and her only thought was how much closer she wanted to be to
him – and she blushed as she realized the only was to
satisfy that need for closeness.
     
     The crowd was thinning, but they were not the only
couple left, lingering in their passion when Lycar set her
down.  Joressa stroked his face again, gazing dreamily into
his eyes.  She wanted to say something but knew now what
words she should utter.  She was embarrassed to be
forthright, but she didn’t doubt that Lycar would be too
proper to try to suggest anything.
     
     “Milady,” he whispered.  “I will regret the loss of
light for it will mean no longer being able to gaze upon
your face, but I fear I need to extinguish this flame.”
     
     His words surprised her and she looked down at the
candle in his hands only to see that the wax had melted over
and was covering his hand.  “Lycar!” she shouted in surprise
and quickly blew the flame out.  She knocked the candle from
his grasp and broke away the hot pieces of wax.  “That must
hurt terribly.”
     
     “No,” he said.  “Not so much.”
     
     She brought his hand to her lips and gently kissed the
singed flesh.  “I wish I could do more to ease the pain.
You needn’t have kept old of that.”
     
     “You have eased all my pain, Princess, and I was glad
to do so to see you longer.”
     
     She smiled.  The was little light left, most of the
candles had been extinguished and only a few small pin-
pricks drifted in the dark sea of night, and they were
disappearing one by one.  The sounds of kissing was obvious
in the darkness, and soft moans of pleasure from couples who
had already moved beyond kissing.  There was moment all
around them as they stood in the field as more and more
bodies succumbed to the temptations of flesh and desire.
     
     “Does this always happen here?” Lycar whispered.
Joressa could hear the smile in his voice.
     
     “Truth be told, I have never lingered past the end of
the ceremony.  I had never felt compelled to stay with the
one I had ended the dance with.”  Joressa suddenly blushed
as she realized how he might take what she had said.  She
had meant it, but she felt like she had been terribly
forward.
     
     “And you felt like staying tonight,” Lycar spoke, his
hand stroking her hair.
     
     “Yes,” Joressa whispered.  “I want to stay tonight.”
     
     Suddenly she was scooped up as he lifted her from her
feet into his arms, easily holding her weight.  “I wanted
you to stay as well.”  He leaned in and whispered.  “I do
not care much for the company, though, my dear.  I would
prefer to be with you alone.”
     
     She beamed and kissed his cheek.  “And I with you,
milord.”  She did not want her first time marred by the
presence of others.  “I feel, however, that escape may be
difficult.”
     
     “Nay,” he replied.  “I see well enough in the dark.”
He was moving, then, twisting and turning and he strolled
through the throng of coupling bodies that sprawled across
the ground.  Mostly they were in pairs with some distance
between one group and another, but every so often, several
pairings came together in a mix of arms and legs squirming
and mingling as passion drove men and women to seek each
other.  Joressa had heard of such things, where women and
men switched partners during the night or would even start
joining efforts with one another, turning a couple into a
threesome or more.  In the end, everyone ended up curled up
with one person and waking with them in the morning, but it
was not always the same one that they first started with.
     
     Lycar seemed to have no problem negotiating his way
through the field, and while his movement was graceful and
gentle, Joressa felt as though he was moving tremendously
fast.  Then they were in a forest, and he was ducking and
weaving under branches and around brush; Joressa was amazed
by his swiftness and his ability to maneuver in the
prevailing darkness.  She could see nothing but shadows.
     
     He lowered her to her feet.  “I think we have escaped
prying eyes.”
     
     Joressa was a little embarrassed, not quite knowing how
to proceed.  She understood the basics of sex, and her body
was telling her what it wanted, but she didn’t quite know
how to get there.  Would it be improper of her to remove her
cloths?  Was Lycar ready for such a thing?  She was nervous
about being naked before his eyes, but at the same time she
wanted to expose all of her to him.
     
     He took the next step, stripping off his cloak and
gently laying it upon the ground like a blanket.  He stepped
out of his boots and stepped onto the thick cloth and held
his hand out to her.  Her eyes were adjusting to the
darkness and she could see the shadowy outline of his large
frame.  She took his hand and stepped out of her own shoes
onto his cloak.
     
     He drew her close and kissed her again, and Joressa
just let herself be swept away by her feelings, letting her
body what felt right.  Her fingers, shaking a bit with fear
and excitement, unbutton Lycar’s vest and then pulled it
down and off of him onto the ground, then started in on his
shirt.  His hands were around her, and once his vest was
off, he was working the clasps on the back of her dress.  By
the time she had his shirt undone, her gown fell away from
her body, leaving her naked before him.
     
     His shirt was off, and the rest of his cloths fell away
into a pile on the ground.  “If you don’t mind, Joressa, I
would like to be able to see you better.”
     
     “And I, you, love,” she whispered, confused by his
words.
     
     Lycar held out his hand and mumbled something Joressa
could not understand.  And then the forest lit up.  There
was a small globe of light in his hands, glowing like a
small flame but slowly the light grew until it shed the
illumination of a small campfire.
     
     Joressa stared in awe at the light in his hand, taken
my the wonder of it all.
     
     Lycar smiled, amused by her surprise.  “I have traveled
far and while, my dear.  It is a simple thing to learn such
tricks as this.  I know far more.”
     
     Joressa’s eyes drank in the sight of the man who stood
before her.  He was actually bigger and broader without his
cloths, it seemed.  His body was thick with muscle, his arms
thicker and more defined that even her town’s black smith.
Lycar looked like he could lift a horse above his head if
her so chose.
     
     His eyes fell across her in return, and though a little
embarrassed, she did not shy away of cover up her nakedness.
She stood there before him as she was, on display for him.
     
     And they were together again, swept up in a passionate
embrace, and then on the ground, their bodies rolling across
on another, lips and fingers becoming familiar with the
shape and taste and feel of each other’s bodies.  Though
slow at first, both seemed fueled by an incredible urgency
to explore and discover each other.
     
     Joressa’s hands caressed the Lycar’s hot organ, amazed
by the size and hardness of it.  Having lived on a farm, she
knew of the coupling of animals, but this was her first
experience with a man’s cock.  She found it strangely
exciting to have in her hands, to slowly stroke it and make
him moan from her touch.
     
     She loved the way he touched her, carefully as if
afraid he would break her.  His lips sought out her breast,
suckling her and causing her body to arch to his touch as
she called out her pleasure.  She had never known anything
to feel so right and so wonderful as being her with him,
letting him touch her as no one had.
     
     And they continued their foreplay until the fire in her
loins could be denied no longer.  Lycar was on his back when
Joressa could wait no longer, and she threw her leg over his
prone body and positioned herself above his cock.
     
     “Are you sure you want this?” Lycar asked her as he
rolled her young firm breasts in his hands, arousing her
passion.
     
     “More than anything,” she replied as she lowered
herself onto him.  She held his shaft in her hands, keeping
it inline with her body.  She moaned when the head grazed
against her skin, and she held it there for a moment,
sliding the tip across her slit to get it slick with her
juices.  She had a friend who had been married for a couple
years who once confided in her that this was the best way to
have sex.  It was all Joressa knew to do.
     
     She lowered herself onto his, his hard cock sliding
inside of her.  It stung a bit to feel her narrow passage
widen to accept him, but she went slowly, and as the
pleasure inside of her swelled, the pain was replaced by
sheer delight.  She took all of him inside, actually amazed
that she could do so.  It felt wonderful to be filled by
him, to have him inside of her – the most delicious feeling
in the world, this fullness.
     
     His hands went to her ass as he raised himself up to
suckle once more at her breast.  He lifted her some, and by
the strength of his arms and the thrusting of his hips,
their coupling began.  Joressa was overwhelmed by the
feeling of him moving inside.  What she had thought as
wonderful was soon completely over-taken by this new
pleasure.
     
     She was quick to react and began to move in time with
his thrusting, her pleasure mounting with every moment, like
her body was filling with it and it spread through her like
fire, heating her from the inside.  His hands where all over
her, sliding around her soft skin and through her hair, his
very touch exciting her.  He was breathing hard beneath her,
thrusting his hips with more and more force.
     
     Joressa exploded and her voice ripped from her body in
one long cried of ultimate pleasure and desire.  She was
trembling as lightning coursed through her.  She didn’t
understand what this sudden, amazing feeling was, but she
did know that thrusting back against Lycar only made it
continue and feel even better.  She hollowed her lust and
desire, bucking wildly above him.  His hands squeezed
against her, but even as hard as he was squeezing, it only
made her feel more wonderful.
     
     Her world was a blur as she came.  She was slow to come
down from her amazing orgasm.  As awareness slow came to
her, Lycar’s hands clutching her began to hurt.  Her hand
one on her ass and the other was squeezing her right breast.
Not only was pressure too much, but his nails were biting
sharply into her flesh like daggers.  While the feeling of
fullness had once been incredibly pleasurable, his felt like
it was swelling inside of her, stretching her taunt flesh
painfully.  He was panting hard now, but it sounded of
strain, not pleasure.

     She looked down at the man beneath her, and horror
filled her eyes.  His face was contorted into a look of
agony and even as she watched, his jaw was stretching and
japing out through his skin, elongating.  His eyes were wild
with a madness, and his flesh was darkening.  His already
broad chest expanded as course hair sprouted from his skin.
His was growling and snapping at the air like an animal.

     Joressa scream.  Her pleasure and passion disintegrated
instantly as she pushed herself off the thing beneath her.
It was not hard to escape his grasp, but damn if it hadn’t
hurt her even more.  His claws left shallow slashes cross
her boob and her ass where he had been holding her.  She was
up and running into the forest, but the darkness was
overwhelming.  Her eyes were used to the soft light of
Lycar’s spell, and now everything around her was black,
except for the orange glow she was fleeing from.

     A bestial howl killed the silence that had settled.  It
was a wild, angry sound, a monster on the hunt.  She had the
head start, but she could hear the thing charging up behind
her, crashing through the trees and brushes with ease.  She
was in tears, scared for her life.  Loose twigs bit at her
bare feet, braches raked her naked skin, and brush tripped
up her legs, slowing her escape.

     It was behind her and gaining, there was no escape, she
knew that.  She wasn’t even totally sure where she was or
how she could get back to the plateau.  She didn’t know
which way to run, except away from the crashing behind her.
Even if she got to the plateau, would anybody save her?
Could they?

     The ground was shaking from the inpact of the thing
rushing towards her; she could hear braches shatter and
trees break as it plowed through them.  It was growling and
panting like a beast.  Joressa screamed again, her terror
peaking; it was only a few feet behind, it that.

     It leapt and slammed into her, its great weight
knocking her to the ground and pinning her there.  The
things arms support its weight by her head, and its knees
were down by her feet.  Her entire body was engulfed by the
creature – it must have been some nine feet fall.  The beast
was covered with short, coarse fur, she could feel it
against her back.  The head lowered to her ear, but she did
not turn to look.

     “You can not escape me,” it whispered, the voice deep
and rough.  “You would leave me so unsatisfied?”

     Suddenly she was no longer fearing for her life.  Not
yet – the beast had other plans first.  Her legs was
stretched apart; she struggled against them, but for all her
effort, the creature didn’t even notice.  It lurched
forward, slamming it’s cock home into her tight cunt, making
her scream.  It was at least twice as thick as it had been,
and longer, too, the head slamming into her cervix
painfully.

     The beast fucked her hard and past, not caring if his
rapid humping was hurting her – which he was.  She tried to
struggle free, but she felt his mouth close around her neck,
sharp teeth grazing her flesh.  She ceased her attempts at
freedom.

     She cried as he raped her, screaming in pain when a
there was sudden extra explosion of pain.  Its cock was
still swelling, she could feel it at the base of her cunt, a
thick bulge thumping painfully against her opening,
sometimes slipping in and out, stretching her even more.

     And then, when that bulge seemed to have swelled to too
big, the creature thrust it hard, forcing it in.  Joressa
screamed once more; she sobbed into the ground, here pain
and fear making her shake.  Once the buldge was in, in would
not budge from inside of her, and her abused cunt was now
locked tight around the monster’s cock.  The creature was
still shaking and jerking a bit, wiggling the massive lump
around inside her.

     The beast shifted, lifting itself to a kneeling
position.  Joressa was too weak to even try to crawl away,
not that she could escape, locked to him as she was.  Its
clawed hands were on her back, the sharp talons tracing long
scratches across her flesh.  It was huffing and jerking, and
then roared, the sound deafening Joressa for a few moments.
Her cunt was suddenly hot as the monster unleashed its vile
fluid into her.  She could feel it filling her more and more
as it pumped her full; the swell that locked them together
also held the cum inside of her.  As much as the enormous
tool inside her was stretching her, as full as her cunt
already was, it was just loaded even more, making her feel
heavy and bloated.

     “Ah,” the beast growled.  “I had tried to control
myself, but I could not.  Your beauty and passion unleashed
the beast within me, Joressa.  I have not lost my control
like that in many many years.  More than a few of your life
times.”

     She cried in silence for some time beneath the
creature, its swollen cock still filling her completely.  It
did not seem to be going down any time soon.  It just
supported itself on its hands and knees above her.  Finally
she gasped out between her sobs, “What now?  Will you kill
me?”

     “Kill you?” the beast roared, its voice booming through
the forest.  It tossed its head back and laughed.  “No, I
shall not kill you.  You are coming with me.”

     That shocked her even more.  She didn’t know what was
worse.  “Why?” she shouted out, crying even more.

     “A gift of the Life Queen, my dear.  Surely you know
the blessing she bestows.  A child upon you, our child from
this union.”

     The words pierce her heart, a cold painful stab of
anger and sorrow.  “Leave me be, then, demon!  Come back for
your hellish child after it is born – I would gladly be rid
of the child – but do no take me with you to your hell!”

     The beast laughed again.  It shifted itself, and then
her, turning her from her stomach onto her back.  It hurt
her to be moved so, but not too badly.  She looked up at the
creature before her.  Huge, far broader and thicker than
Lycar had been, covered with black fur.  A muzzle like a
dog, and canine ears and eyes.  Her breath caught in her
throat.

     “Yes, Joressa,” Lycar hissed, his lips snarling up to
show his fangs.  Without trying, he looked very savage.
“Not a demon, but a werewolf.  I cannot leave you behind.  A
child in your womb, your body and blood share with the babes
– it is as I am and so shall you be.  If I left you, you
would never be able to control the beast you will become.
During your pregnancy, you would become a beast by night and
stalk down and hunt your food for your child.  Or children,
I should say.  Twins I would guess.  You would slaughter
your family and friends, devour their flesh.  Hunting as
such, you may even hurt the children.  We would not want
that.”

     “Why?” she screamed, beating his chest with her fists.
Her blows where like raindrops on solid stone.  “Why have
you done this to me?”

     “The witch told me.  My pack has grown weak, and I
sought her council ages ago.  She said to seek the one who
had been the Life Queen’s daughter through the four quarters
of the moon.  Her brood would bring glory back to my people.
I have waited long for one who would be picked to be the
Princess of the Kiaben four years in a row.  This is not
typical.  It was fate that brought us together!  The witch
told me to mate with you on the last night, and I have done
so.  I am a lord amongst my kind, and you now my mate.  You
will no longer be a princess, but a queen to my people.”

     Joressa laid quiet and still under him for some time
until his cock shrunk and they were unknotted.  She thought
to run, but she was too sore for that, too weak, and it was
already shown that she was incapable of escaping him.  He
lifted her up, gentle with her once more, and carried her
back to the light.

     He was a man again, the beautiful, wonderful Lycar that
she had met that morning when he set her down on his cloak.
She didn’t know where he got it from, but he had a back as
well, and he made a small camp, even unrolled a thick
blanket for her.  “I had my things stashed here for
tonight,” he explained.

     “So it was all a lie,” Joressa spat out, her angry
overtaking her fear at this point.  She was hurt and used
and she despised the man who made her feel this way, who had
abused her love for him.  “You would have taken me one way
or the other.”

     Lycar sat down before her, his eyes once more gentle as
he looked at her.  “No.  I came to the Kiaben to seek you
out.  My plan had been to steal you away.  But after the
first night, after hearing about you from everyone, I
decided I could not do this.  I knew I could not kidnap you
or take you against your will.  Believe it or not, it is the
truth.

     “By this morning, I had thought that we had not met to
be a sign that we should never meet, that either you were
not the one the witch told me about or that it was the will
of the Life Queen for my people to die out.  I was going to
stay to see the masquerade and the end of the Night
Spectacle, but I would leave this place and alone and return
home once and for all, no more seeking no more searching.  I
would stay with my family and we would all die out one by
one.
     
     “But then you found me, Joressa.  I was surprised by
it, resigned as I was, and tried to leave you.  I didn’t
want to meet you by then, but you insisted.  I wondered if
maybe this wasn’t our destiny.  So I took lunch with you,
and spent the happiest afternoon I have known in decades in
your presence.  I believed you were the one, a gift from the
Life Queen to heal my family.  So I gave you the flower, and
you swore you would spend the evening dancing with me.  I
was delighted.
     
     “I swear to you, the hours with you have been the best
of my life.  You wanted me as much as I you, and I have
always given you the opportunities to leave my side.  You
did not.  I wish I could have kept control, my love, I
really do.  I never wanted things to happen the way they
did, but you unlocked the beast.  While it is still me, my
thoughts and actions are much more primal then they are now.
I was mating and then you were gone – my sole desire was
gone.  I could not help but follow you and finish our
coupling.”
     
     He hung his head.  “I am sorry you are hurt, Joressa.
I am sorry that I frightened you, and that you hate me now.
But, in all honesty, I am not sorry that we were together,
despite the way it ended.  You will come with me, you will
have our children, and my people will be restored.  I wish
it had happened differently, but it hasn’t, and I will have
to live with your hatred and scorn, as much as it hurts me
to do so, but I will never leave you behind.”
     
     Joressa was moved by his story.  Her fear and anger
melted as his deep voice betrayed his emotions – his sorrow
for the loss of his people who he was meant to protect, way
he spoke of her with such love, and the anger he placed upon
himself for loosing control.  She knew she shouldn’t, but
she could not help but forgive him.  She crawled to him and
wrapped her slender arms around his thick body.
     
     He was shocked to feel her against him.  He turned to
her and embraced her.
     
     “I was moved by you, too, my love.  I fear the beast
inside of you, and I fear what future awaits me now with
such a beast inside of me, but I felt the Life Queen, I felt
her drawing me towards you.  Every moment with you has felt
right, even now.  Everything except those moments of
terror.”
     
     “I wish that I could take them back,” he whispered to
her.
     
     She kissed him, silencing his words, his regrets.  She
laid herself down on his blanket and drew him down with her.
He folded his large arms around her, pulling her against his
body, her back to his chest.  Her soft, round ass pressed
into his lap, and she smiled as she felt a stirring in his
loins.
     
     Joressa was confused by these feelings, but she knew
they were not quite her own.  The Life Queen was influencing
her once more.  Joressa had never been very self-righteous,
but she had always felt that due to her unique position as
the Princess of Kiaben for four years, she was closer to the
Life Queen than most, that the Life Queen took a greater
interest in Joressa, and that she felt her presence more
than others could.   If this is what the Life Queen wanted
of her, to be with Lycar, she – as a faithful daughter –
would not argue.  Once more her love for the man with her
burned in her heart.  She did not fear and she did not hate
– there was no terror in her memories of the attack on her.
She even felt a strange tingle in her to think of her lover
as so strong and powerful to overpower her so.  Just like at
the end of the Kiaben, she was getting turned on.  She let
herself enjoy it.
     
     “You seem like you would like more, my love,” she
whispered, turning her face to him and wiggling her ass
against his hardening cock.  Lycar’s eyes showed his
surprise, so she smiled at him.  “We are mates, now, as you
have said.  When you wish it, I am here for you to mate
with.  We are all prisoners of our fate; there is no reason
we should not find pleasure in it if we can.”
     
     “Are you not sore, love?  I would not hurt you more
than I have already.”
     
     “Nay, Milord Moonsong, I am not hurt.”  She, herself,
was surprised by the realization.  “I only want more of
you.”
     
     Overjoyed by her acceptance of him, Lycar was quick to
do as she bid him.  They spent that night in each other’s
arms, making love until the early hours of dawn.  They
napped from time to time, but often woke soon after,
invigorated and taken with desire. Sometimes he was able to
stay a man and keep their sex gentle and sweet.  Other
times, his lust overtook him and roused the beast.  Joressa
never fear it, never once tried to flee or struggle against
him, and she found that, even though his strength and size
did cause her some discomfort, the amazing wildness and
pleasure of their animalistic coupling was worth it.
     
     After they dinned on a light breakfast, Lycar gave
Joressa some traveling cloths that he had purchased of her
after she had left him the afternoon before to ready herself
for the dance.  They started off, him leading her away from
her village and towards his own land, where they might begin
their life together and save his pack.
     
     The people of her village were not surprised that
Joressa never returned.  They had thought she might come
back to say goodbye and retrieve her things, but as the day
passed, they knew she was gone for good.  They trusted the
Life Queen that she was safe and happy forever.  She was
remembered with great love as the loveliest and most perfect
Princess of Kiaben, and every girl after always strived to
show the same grace and perfection that she had shown.  They
never knew what had become of her, though, that the Princess
had become a Queen.