Elegy for a Star

Tess wished for some alone time and Gwendolyn left with a squeeze of her hand.

“Miri?” Tess reached out in a whisper, but to no avail. The one time she really needed Miri’s input, she couldn’t get it. There was a tinge of frustration in her brow.

Tess began to cry. Thrust into this world with nothing to grasp onto, save Gwendolyn’s coattails, she had finally thought she’d found some semblance of purpose. She could find a family in the Corps and make a life for herself.

The College sounded like a nightmare. How was she supposed to learn when she didn’t even know the very basics of the world? Gods, what was the world even called? It felt like it was on the tip of her tongue. She knew it at some point, but it was beyond the reaches of her memory now. Joining the College would be like reading a novel when you didn’t know your alphabet. Besides, Tess wanted to stand beside Gwen, not become a scholar.

“Excuse me,” came a voice from behind Tess. It carried a unique accent that Tess wouldn’t be able to place, but it was melodic and sweet. Tess turned around to see that winged woman approaching. For all of her golden jewelry, she was surprisingly silent; a testament to her gracefulness. The avian wings that sprouted from her lower back were folded and rested upon her hips.

Tess was trying to avoid her gaze as she wiped tears from her eyes. The woman leaned to the side to get a look at her. Her silky, jet black hair and the golden tassels hanging off of her headdress shifted about as she dipped her head to the side. “What’s your name?” The woman spoke. Everything from her form to her eyes to the way she walked was exotic and inhuman. She could pass for a Fey like Mairaela if she kept her ears covered, but they were rounded like any human’s.

“I’m…” She looked at the unnamed woman beside her and said with a sad laugh, “I’m Tess.”

“Hi Tess,” she replied, “I’m Scirocca. Why are you upset?”

“I have just been informed that I have no gift.”

Scirocca’s eyes widened and she shook her head, “Were you the last person in the ritual room?”

“I think so,” Tess replied.

Scirocca sat down in the same seat where Gwendolyn had been moments ago. “You know,” Scirocca spoke like her words were angelic, “Ulrich doesn’t know as much as he lets on.”

Tess looked up and quirked a brow, “What do you mean?”

“I mean to say that he’s wrong,” Scirocca replied simply. Though her voice was so beautiful, her face carried little expression.

“I have a gift?” Tess asked, perking up a moment.

“No,” Scirocca replied, shaking her head, “Not for certain. But we can find out.”

“Where do we do the ritual?”

“There’s space in my room,” Scirocca replied, straightfaced.

“Okay,” Tess said softly, “Now?”

“I’m finishing my time here,” Scirocca replied, “About one more hour. Wait for me here.”

Scirocca spoke as though it wasn’t an offer, but an insistence. Tess felt obligated to listen. There was something hypnotizing about Scirocca. It was possible that it was due to all of the tan skin on the display. Scirocca only wore a golden bra and skimpy, skintight pants that hung low on her hips. She was even barefoot. The woman wore far more jewelry than clothes, giving an illusion that she was appropriately dressed. Clearly distracted, Tess simply nodded and began to wait.

There were a few books around the library that Tess read to pass the time waiting for Scirocca. She was at least able to find a map. Auwra was the world, consisting of four continents: Soponora, Kasthyr, Cadama and Covesera. 

Kravana Hall was nearly at the center of all of it. Tess wondered if that was intentional. It resided on the continent of Kasthyr, deep in the Branch of the Scholar, between the Empire and the Rebel Nations. The closest city was Oar’s Rest, several miles north from the base camp.

By the time she was done orienting herself and learning the basics of the nations and city-states surrounding them, Scirocca arrived. “Are you ready to go?” She asked, offering Tess a hand up.

“Oh,” Tess said, taking her hand and rising to her feet, “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Scirocca replied, turning and walking down through the aisles of books.

Bewildered by the winged woman’s behavior, Tess hesitated, then followed.

Scirocca’s room wasn’t far from the library, located within the College. It was a larger room than Gwendolyn’s, which was a surprise to Tess, considering Gwendolyn’s special treatment as a knight. Immediately, Tess knew that Scirocca was someone special here, or the College treated their scholars a lot better than the Corps treated their soldiers. She suspected the former, however.

Her room was decorated with golden jewelry and red curtains. She possessed a writing desk, an armoire, a vanity table and a spacious bed with a crimson duvet with golden lining. She certainly had a theme going. Above the bed was a painting upon the wall of a desert landscape and a spire-like castle floating in the sky.

All in all, there wasn’t much space on the floor.

“You said we could do the ritual here. Ulrich used a huge platform. Does it not need to be as big?” Tess asked as Scirocca moved about the room.

“That ritual requires space, yes,” Scirocca replied vaguely. Tess narrowed her eyes a moment and navigated a little closer to the doorway. This was off. Had Scirocca heard the conversation she had with Gwen? Does she know about Miri? She and Gwen had been quiet and secluded, but not particularly vague in their discussion.

Scirocca took the hem of her low-hanging, skin-tight trousers, sitting just beneath the stem of the wings upon her hips. She wiggled those same hips, her wings bouncing from side to side, as she worked those tight pants down her legs. Tess got a lovely view of the woman’s ass, full and round; a lovely contrast to her otherwise small frame. “This ritual will be different,” Scirocca explained.

“What are you… doing?” Tess asked. Scirocca turned back around and began to work at the clasp between the two cups of her bra.

Scirocca had them separated in a moment, tossing the bra to the ground. Her breasts were average, but perky and high upon her chest, with small, dark nipples. Turning around now, Tess could see the mound of her sex. The wings certainly weren’t some fashion statement. They sprouted from her hips like appendages, stretching and curling as Scirocca undressed. Tess was mesmerized for a moment, the blood in her body rushing downward.

“Preparing,” Scirocca replied, “You’ll need to take your clothes off.” She then added, “Or at least your pants, but you may as well get comfortable.”

Tess was standing there in disbelief, shaking her head a moment, “What are we doing?”

“The ritual, Tess,” Scirocca sounded exhausted with the questioning. Scirocca eyed her a moment and then her brow raised, “My, full of surprises.” Tess curled an eyebrow and Scirocca gestured to her pants. Tess could see the swollen bulge stretching her trousers. “That will make things easier,” Scirocca said with a smile. One of the first emotions Tess found in her during their conversation.

Tess found her hands moving on their own. Miri wasn’t talking to her, but she knew the demon would be pushing her by the shoulders to jump at the opportunity to fuck Scirocca. She was beautiful in an unnatural way, a way that was not better or worse than a human, but different. Unique. Gorgeous in a unique way that no other could duplicate.

“On the bed, please,” Scirocca said, taking a few steps toward it.

Tess fumbled in her motions to remove her belt. Scirocca approached her, nudged her hands away, and began to undress Tess. Tess watched the woman, a few inches shorter than her, as her golden eyes stared up into Tess’. Her eyes were heavily lined with makeup, making them look large and beautiful, despite being narrowed in a sensuous way.

“Is this for the ritual?” Tess panted with a heavy breath.

Scirocca hummed with amusement, “Does it matter?”

With a clink, her belt was undone, her pants were shoved down below her hips, and Tess could feel her cock bouncing upward once it was freed. “Scirocca, I-..” Tess stammered.

Scirocca looked up at her, and Tess could feel her warm hand coming to grasp her length at the base, a second moving to cup her balls. Her hands worked slowly, gently milking her length while massaging the heavy sack beneath. “Yes?” Scirocca replied.

“I’ve never-..”

“That’s okay,” Scirocca replied.