Something old, something new...

[Skie and Avery]

...Something borrowed, something blue. The little rhyme that Elena had so oft' been known to hum to herself before their wedding was stuck in his head again. He couldn't rid himself of the little tune no matter how hard he tried. Leaving his people in the care of his Council, Avery traveled. It was a word he'd come to hate as his glimpses of his sister grew less frequent, and she had changed from someone sweet and caring to a cold blooded murderer of infants.
Travel created evil, Avery had come to think, but now the gates of his once lovely city had become a prison that he could not stand. He needed a release.

The Heavenly Release.

Ideas were forming in his head, and it was to the rainforest of Dheathain, the great city of Luthmor that he went. The bell of the synthesis shop rang and in strolled, naked as the day he was born, the King of Moontae.

"I require assistance," he called, not bothering to look for a shopkeep as he took in the decor of the shop instead. "I have heard that you can make fantastic potions of strength and healing. Witches whose brews can affect the body are strong in their craft indeed." He paused, finally looking to make sure he was indeed speaking to someone and not just an empty room.

"I require something special."

[Lasair Anubail]

…and in walked the Draconian God Cosain himself, in all his naked glory.

Or that’s what Lasair thought when she saw the man, err, person… or umm…being? Walking right into her shop all confident and curious at the same time. She even happened to lose her grip on the vial she was holding. Her tiny hands tried to grab it, but it simple bounced off her fingers and fell to the floor anyway. The sound of glass shattering was louder than anything she’d ever heard before and his eyes were immediately drawn to her. Gorgeous green eyes framed by brown hair. Brown was such an uncommon colour in Dheathain; he definitely wasn’t from around here even if he did have wings. They didn’t look like wings she’d ever seen before. They were similar to Draconian wings but not the same.

After a few seconds, Lasair realized she hadn’t said a single thing to him and she’d been starring at him this whole time trying not to look at a certain part of his anatomy. But that was impossible. It was right there! And what a nice part of his anatomy it was.

She shook her head and then turned it towards the ceiling, holding her hand in a fist as if shaking it towards the sky. Even a determined expression lined her face. I must be strong. I can do this! After all, he’s just another customer. That’s right another customer. A gorgeous, completely naked customer, but still, just another customer.

She turned back to him, putting as much of a professional look on as possible and maintaining eye contact. “Well, if you tell me what you require assistance in, I’ll let you know if I can help.” She wondered what exactly a Witch was, but he hadn't said it in a demeaning way so it couldn't be a bad thing.

Completely forgetting that she’d just broken a vial, Lasair stepped towards the counter only to step on several pieces of glass.

“Ouch! Aiy-aah!”

Almost falling over, the small Fae braced herself on the counter and lifted her foot for inspection. A small amount of silver blood was dripping down from the cut and onto the floor. Pouting, she reached down and pulled the glass from her skin making a mental note to put a Wound be Gone! potion on it later.

[Skie and Avery]

"Are you alright?" Avery asked as he stepped up to the counter swiftly. Concern was placed lightly in his eyes, barely hiding his vague amusement at her previous demeanor. He was used to women, human and otherwise, trying to be modest and not stare at his erection. To him, it was nothing, for an incubus is in a constant state of arousal. Her blood caught his eye, and he stared in wonder as she removed the glass shards. When she seemed to be fine, gingerly placing her foot again on the floor, he found himself, and his voice once again.

"Do you need help to clean up?" he asked politely. "I would hate for you to cut yourself again." His smile was genuine, and after they'd picked up the little pieces of vial from the ground, he could put his mind to business again.

"I need to make a fertility crystal, one that would make women near to it, near to me, more receptive to my seed. Please, tell me that I can find help here for this purpose."

[Lasair Anubail]

He was being so nice. Must nicer than some of the other costumers she’d had walk through her door and he even helped clean up the mess she’d made. Aileen never did that anymore. She just expected Lasair to clean up her own messes from now on.

As Lasair stood up from her crouching position on the floor and the man…being—thing—stated he wanted a fertility crystal she nearly fell over. But the spry little Fae was quick to find her footing and keep herself on it.

“A fertility crystal!?” The words came out in a bit of a squeak. “A-are you…impotent?” It was said with the most innocent looking face it would be hard for anyone to get mad at her.

She cleared her throat and tried to be professional about this whole situation once again. But really…a fertility crystal? She wasn’t entirely sure where she should start with the ingredients for something like that. Fertility wasn’t really a problem that Fae talked about, they were plenty fertile and the Draconians well they had Siolmhar…wait a minute! That would be a great place to start! Siolmhar was the fertility Goddess of the Draconians and though Lasair didn’t really put much creed into their religion considering all the sacrificing and the bleeding she knew that objects could still hold power.

Her shimmering wings perked up and fluttered a bit as she looked up at the tall gorgeous being as if he’d just solved the mysteries of the universe. And then it fell. He’d have to steal something from the temple in order to get it and that wouldn’t be a good idea. Better not to get him in trouble. There had to be some plants around that were known to increase a person’s fertility.

Looking away from the man, Lasair wondered through a curtain separating the public part of her shop from the private area. After a few loud thuds and some cursing in a language he probably could understand, she came back out carrying three large tomes her tiny arms could barely hold. Dropping them on the desk with a loud smack she began riffling through them. Old, thick pages moved at the touch of her tiny fingers and her golden eyes began scanning through a list of herbs and other plants at great speed.

“Okay, well… this isn’t like anything I’ve ever done before, I mean… I’m sure it’s like an enchantment for fire but not fire. And it’s for fertility and well, fertility. It’s not for you, right? I mean you’re not impotent are you?” Lasair tended to ramble a bit when she started mentally going over synthesizing. She was both talking to the person and talking aloud to help sort out the various information in her head. “I guess to start off with, without even considering what herbs and possible animals you will need, there’s the obvious. A clear crystal. You can get them behind the waterfall right in the Cearnaig Criostal. But it has to be perfectly clear, without a single blemish on or in it and at least one inch in length. As you want the women most receptive to your…stuff, I’ll need some of your blood.”

Her eyes kept travelling from him to the tome and all the words neatly written therein beside the pictures carefully and meticulously drawn therein.

[Skie and Avery]

He laughed, leaning against the countertop. It was without effort that he seemed to portray the very spirit of virility, in the way his muscles tensed as his lip curved to the side, displaying his own wares in perfect view. It was no purposeful seduction, but rather the very essence of what the Beauty was that was being brought before her eyes now.

"I can assure you that I am anything but impotent. My blood is yours to take, and anything else that you may need of me for this purpose is yours as well." He turned, letting one leg slide behind the counter, bringing him ever closer. The lone wing on his back caught the light, the tiny metallic flecks that riddled the hide reflected and tossed dapples of light onto the counter and her form.

"You've naught but to take it."

With those words, purred on a baritone song, he let his hand fall onto the countertop, the strong forearm turning over to display his wrist and underarm, and the barely-there blue lines of vein that rested beneath.

[Lasair Anubail]

Anything else she may need for this purpose was hers to take as well? All she had to do was ask for it?

Lasair couldn’t stop the sudden rise of heat that flushed her face and turned her cheeks a much rosier colour than they normally were. She had to be hearing him wrong; he couldn’t be insinuating anything like that. Naked or not, he had come here for business, not fun and a little bit of pleasure thrown in on the side.

And what pleasure it would be.

So she cleared her throat and tried to ignore the images playing through her mind of what a quick tussle with him would be like. It didn’t really work too well. After all, he was rather close to her now and he was completely naked and willing and according to a certain part of his anatomy quite ready.

It was almost enough for her to say, “okay, well what I really want you to do is ravage me now.” But she didn’t. That was until she realized she said the words out loud. “I-I mean, that’s not what I meant!”

Her bright golden eyes were wide in shock and complete embarrassment at the words that had slipped from her lips. How could she say something like that to a stranger? With her face turning an even brighter shade of red, she averted her eyes from the stranger and turned back to her books. Maybe he would just ignore such a statement and she could continue finding the necessary ingredients for this crystal he needed.

[Skie and Avery]

His smile now was calm, nearly calculating as he looked over her in anticipation. Modest as she may be, there were wicked thoughts moving behind those gorgeous golden eyes. Her eyes reminded him of someone from his childhood, a woman he'd not seen in years. Delicate red hair, falling in soft locks around her kind face, coupled with the blush that was spreading outwards from her cheeks and ears and down her neck; it was all nearly too much. She was wickedly tempting, even though she moved nothing like the seductresses he'd grown up with.

"My quest is important to me," he said softly, "so if you know if there is anything I could reap from this land to use, tell me. No matter the danger or difficulty, I will gain it." His smile faltered, his need reflected in the serious stare he directed at her eyes. "I will not leave this city for three nights hence. Until then, my quest is only to bring a smile to your lips, and in that purpose, too, will I use any means necessary."

He allowed his hip to slide fully now, so that he was displayed before her where the edge of the counter had done a poor job before of hiding part of his hip and leg. Open, his arms uncrossing from his chest to welcome her embrace, should she offer it, he was sure his meaning was clear. With his anticipation, the air was spiced with the scent of Concordian leaves, a light rain's mist, and the sweet summer smell of roasting pecans.

The pheremones were reaching out with their fragrance, and behind them, Avery's steady smile and the gaze of two welcoming green eyes.

[Lasair Anubail]

Was she hearing him right? Did he just offer himself to her for three days? She couldn’t believe it, but it was true. His lips had moved and he’d truly spoken those words, kindly yet with such an intense look in his eyes that she couldn’t help the shiver that crept down her spine. As he finished talking, her wings perked up on her back, shimmering in the low light as they moved in a quick motion barely noticeable to the naked eye.

“Mine? For three days?”

One of the biggest and excited smiles any man could have ever seen exploded across her face as she rushed into his open arms. Just to think, he was hers for three days to do with as she pleased! What fun she was going to have with him.

“Oh!” She pulled from his embrace though and moved back towards the many tomes on the counter, “Work first, play later! It should only take me a minute to finish this…”

With her incredibly fast reading skills she scanned through the books, discarding many an item and going only for those she was sure would help with the synthesizing process. Surprisingly, it didn’t look like he’d need much. Quickly, she wrote down the ingredients on a piece of paper for him, her eyes continually travelling from the parchment and quill to his awaiting form. But she got the list done in record time and quickly handed it to him, wondering just where exactly he was going to put it. Now, if only someone could watch her shop for her…

And right on time, Aileen came walking through the curtain that separated the private area of the shop from the public area.

“Did you need m—” Her twin sister stopped mid sentence and looked from her to the completely naked man now standing behind the counter. Keeping an eye on him as if he would attack at any moment, Aileen inched over to her and whispered, “Why is there a naked man in your shop?”

Lasair just shrugged and didn’t bother to whisper when she responded, “Maybe he just wants to be naked? It’s not like he’s got anything to be embarrassed about. Anyway, I do need you to watch the shop for me for the rest of the day and I won’t be in for the next two days, but I’ll send someone by to take care of it then… maybe Cian, I’m not sure yet.”

Her sister gave her ‘the look’, which meant she knew exactly why Lasair wasn’t going to be around, but Lasair never really cared. Grabbing the list off the table, she handed it to the man suddenly realizing she didn’t know his name and he didn’t really have anywhere to put it, but oh well.

“I’m Lasair Anubail, by the by and I don’t think I got your name.” She said to him as she led him out of her shop. Good thing she didn’t live very far.




The List

The Pollen of a Fhradra flower. A small blue flower that grows close to the ground in rocky areas, mainly the grasslands outside Talmhaidh or Neamh Mountains. It’s an extremely powerful aphrodisiac so only a handful will be necessary and try not to breathe it in yourself.

The ‘ahem’ female private area of a Coinin. It’s a small creature that comes in a variety of fur colours like white, brown, red and black. They have long thin tails with a tuft of fur at the end, long ears that fold over and instead of walking or running they jump! They’re so cute! Shame you have to kill one.

Oh, some Filidh leaves should help too! Filidh is a bush that grows in the plains near sources of water with small, fat and waxy leaves that cover almost every surface of it. They taste really yummy and are supposed to help women get pregnant.

Don’t forget the clear crystal that needs to be at least one inch in length and completely clear and blemish free as well as a vial of your own blood.