Elf Assistant Ara

Editor's Forward: I believe this was from a prompt, but it doesn't seem to be linked anymore. Some sort of fantasy elements are in play, and as always, the orcs are rude and abrasive.

Ara blushes shyly but nods her assent. She lingers for just a moment as you lean in for a lingering kiss. You both step out of the bathhouse, into the steam.

You find yourself on your back, floating high in the warm water. You're not sure how long you've been lying there, dozing, when you feel a sharp nudge against your side. You roll over and smile: at the top of the pool, where Sky balances precariously on a diving board, gesturing for you to come up.

You wave to him, then ease yourself out of the pool. Shivering in the cold night air, you join Sky on a small wooden pier that juts out of the main pool area. He's wearing a dark blue jumpsuit, the one you gave him for his birthday a lifetime ago. It's well-used, yet still in good condition.

“There's a spot where the mountain stream flows into the hot pool,” you say. “It's like a natural sauna. The steam gets trapped inside, and it keeps you warm all night long.”

“You're amazing, Erane,” Sky says, shaking his head in awe. “I can't believe you know all this.”

“Well, I did read a lot of guidebooks when I was traveling.”

“What did you do, just float around the world until you found your way here?”

“I'd travel around the world too,” you say, “if I had the time and the money.”

“But I bet you didn't.”

“No, I didn't,” you admit.

“It must have been really hard to leave your family,” Sky says softly. “It was, but I'm here now.” You look down at Ara floating on the water below. “Will you join us, Sky?” she asks. He blinks, then nods.

“I'm fine right here, thanks,” he says. Then, turning his attention back to you, he says, “So, are you really a mage, Erane?”

“Yes, I am.”

“I've never seen a mage quite like you. You've got more power in your fingertips than any of the other mages I've ever known.” You wave your fingers and generate a cloud of energy that whips through the bathhouse, lighting the candles on all the tables and filling the air with the sweet scent of lavender.

“That's because I'm newer to magic than most mages,” you explain. “You really should join us,” you say as you walk back down to Ara. “We're in the middle of a meditation exercise. It's extremely relaxing.”

“Meditation's good for you,” Sky says.

“Better while soaking in the bath water,” you reply. Ara smiles at you, then nods in agreement.

You settle into a chair by the fire and close your eyes. The soothing warmth of the hot water seeps into your bones. Sky jumps off the diving board into the warm water. He surfaces next to Ara. They lean close together, kissing softly.

You recline on the chair, head resting on the back of the chair, eyes closed. You drift off to sleep, dreaming of the day when you can afford to take your bath in the moonlight, in a place where the water is more magical than ordinary.

And when you arise, you arise to a world of magic.

You are standing on a cobblestone street in a small village. It is the middle of the night, although it feels like noon. The air is warm and dry, and even with all the time you spend in the bathhouse, you are parched. You yearn for a cool glass of wine, or at least something to quench your thirst. You approach a quiet tavern.

The sign above the door reads:

THE OLD SHOE

You push open the swinging door, and find the tavern fairly empty. “Welcome,” the owner says.  He's a short man, but solidly built. He sports a thick beard and mustache. He looks you up and down, and wrinkles his nose in distaste.

 “I'll take a meade with honey,” you request.  The owner nods, and turns to the cook. You hear him asking for a meade with honey, and the smell of simmering meade with honey soon fills the air. The owner brings over the meade, and hands a mug to you. You thank him and ask if anything strange has happened recently.  The owner shrugs.

“There's been some trouble in the woods,” he says. “Trouble?” you ask.  The owner frowns.

“You haven't heard about the kidnapping?”

You shake your head. The owner nods, and says, “Ara. Poor girl was taken last night.”

“Taken? Who would take her?”

“That's what we all want to know,” the owner sighs. You know in your heart that you must do something. Perhaps your magic will be enough. Perhaps you can discover who has stolen this young girl.

You stand, and head out the door.

...

The next morning, you wake up in your bed, a good night's rest after a long, hard day's work. You get up, stretch, and walk to the kitchen. You've already eaten, but you find a couple more pastries on the counter, and you take a couple to go along with your coffee. You step outside to enjoy the sun. But the sun is not shining. Darkness shrouds the land. You know that finding the reason behind Ara's disappearance is the only cure. You sense a dark presence lurking nearby, a powerful magic weaving a shroud of darkness all around you. You know you must act, and fast, or the darkness will consume you too. You set out into the forest.

You walk along the path, weaving through the trees. The forest seems more ominous than usual this morning, the shadows more threatening. You try to sense the origin of the darkness, to no avail. You light a flame in the air with your fingers. It barely penetrates the gloom.  With what little power remains in your body, you try to remove the darkness from the air, and from the ground around you. You fail, and it is all you can do not to fall to your knees from the exhaustion. Still, you press on, driven by an inner strength that has been awakened by your recent ordeal.

Hours pass, or maybe minutes; you cannot keep count, nor does it matter. You continue on, heading in the general direction of the kidnapper's lair. Suddenly, you smell smoke. You turn around, and see a small campfire burning not far behind you. You continue walking towards the campfire, curious to see who is there.

A man turns to you and says, “I see you found me.”

He is tall, lean, and dressed in rags. He must have escaped the fire that took his family, for his clothing is charred and in tatters. “I did,” you reply. “Now where is Ara?” The man laughs.

“Ara?” he asks. “I don't know the girl you speak of.”

 “You lie. You kidnapped her.”

The man laughs again. “I never kidnap people. I liberate them.” He turns his back to you and lights a wooden bowl full of dried leaves, warming himself. Your hands glow in anger, and the man turns to you again. His face is full of pity. “I don't take people. We come here freely, all of us. Even the slaves who work this land. I set them free.”

 You reply, “Ara is no slave. She is happy with us in the bathhouse.”

The man shakes his head sadly. “I wish that were true. Her life is a life of servitude.”

“What do you mean? How can she be a slave, when the bathhouse is run by elves?”

The man sighs. “It's a long story. But let's just say that humans have a knack for making slaves out of people who don't even want to be slaves.”

“Let me know that she is okay then.”

“You might just get your wish,” the man says, returning his back to the fire. “She's fine. In fact, she's enjoying her stay here.”

“Then let me see her.”

“Sorry, friend. The rules have changed. Now you have to earn your stay here. You must complete a task to earn your way to freedom.”

“What sort of task?” you ask.

“Difficult, or easy? Difficult makes for a more interesting stay, but the price of failure is death. You want to try?” You agree if it means getting Ara back safely.

“Good. Now, pick a card.” The deck of cards sits on the table next to you. You pick one card, and turn it over. The card says, “Death.”

“You see?” the man says with a wicked grin. “The game gets harder every turn. You pick another card. Take your time, and choose wisely.”

You turn the card over. The card says, “Love.”

“Odd. I was sure you were going to pick Death.”

“I thought so too,” you say.

“You were wrong. Did you survive?”

You shake your head, no.

Then, you fade...

You wake back in the bathhouse. You are not in the pool anymore, nor is the man there. You are in a different room, and the man is nowhere in sight. The giantess arises from her bath, her body wrapped in a towel. She says, “Did you have a good vacation, Erane?”

“I suppose so,” you reply. “But what about Ara? Where is she?”

“She's right over there,” she replies. “Are you okay?” she asks.

“I suppose. Yes.”

Ara stands before you, her arms folded across her chest. She says nothing, but stares at you, evaluating you. Finally, she says, “You're not okay.”

“I'm fine,” you say. “Really.”

“You know what that giant said? She said that if you do not become the best at the game, you will die.”

“I'm not afraid of games,” you say. “I'm a grown adult.”

“You're a grown... adult who doesn't know how to swim.” She pushes you into the pool. You slip under the water, and are surprised to find that you are not at all afraid. The water is refreshing. You don't want to get out.

Suddenly, you feel something akin to a slap. Fingers pull at your robes, and you are yanked out of the pool by one of the bathhouse attendants. You are not in the Ice Mountain village anymore; you are in a dark cavern, surrounded by orcs. “What the hell? Where am I now?” you ask.

“You're in our cavern, silly,” replies an orc. “We can't have outsiders in our sacred cavern.”

“Yet here I am.”

“Shut up, you idiot,” says the orc to his right.

“Leave her alone, Grolik,” says another orc, a female one.

“It's none of our business if she wants to be here,” says Grolik.

“I could say the same of you,” says another orc, a male one.

“Oh, really?” Grolik says. “Cause I could say the same of you, little one.”

“Enough of this nonsense,” says the orc on your right.

“How do I get out of here?” you ask.

“Well, you could always drown, and we all know how much you hate that, right, Erane?” says Grolik.

“Grolik, I swear I will cut you into little pieces if you say one more syllable,” you say.

“Well, it was worth a try,” Grolik says.

“Now then,” says the orc to your left. “How about you tell us your name, so we can let you out of here?”

“You apparently know already, but I'll repeat it. I'm Erane.”

“You're a member of the party of the first part,” says the orc to your right. “I think I heard them talking about you.”

“I'm not one of them,” you say, “I'm just one of the guests.” “Yeah, but how did you end up here?” the orc on your left asks.

“Didn't I just ask you that?” you ask.

“I guess you did,” he says. “But I meant, how did you end up here?”

You tell him about your quest to rescue Ara, and how it led to your current situation. “Oh...her,” he replies. “I think I know someone who might be able to get her back for you.”

You realize that this is probably your only chance to escape. If you fail, you're stuck in the orc cavern for eternity. You kick the male orc in his groin, push past the others who grab at you, and run out of the cavern. The outside orc village is dark and gloomy compared to the bright, colorful Ice Mountain village. A pool lies outside the cave. You figure jumping in might be your escape route. 

You run as fast as you can, but the orcs are faster. They catch up to you and pull you back. You struggle, but there are too many of them. You can't fight them all. “Let me go!” you yell. “I've been nice to you! Don't you know that I saved your life?”

“Nice?” says the orc on your left, laughing.

You grow angry at their insincere laughter. “This nice?” You punch him in his throat, and he gasps and grabs his throat. His companions restrain you. “This nice?” you punch an orc in the face, knocking him out.

“Enough!” the female orc shouts. The others stop fighting you. “What are you doing?” the female orc asks. She seems to be in charge.

“Fighting us is selfish behavior,” she continues. “We need to stick together. We need to work as a team.”

“But...” you say, “I just saved-”

She silences you with a look. “You didn't save us, human. You merely used us. Your actions were deliberate, and therefore selfish. You are no ally.”

“Then let me be,” you say. “Let me leave, and I'll go in peace.”

The entire orc village shakes their heads. The female orc shrugs. “Fine,” she says, “But you're no longer welcome here.”

“Sounds good,” you say. “I won't return.”

You almost get to the edge of the cliff, but you're grabbed by the hair and yanked back. The orcs laugh. “You're still here,” says one, “And you're still no ally.”

You try to walk away, but the orcs restrain you. “Let me go!” you say, but they laugh.

“Why do you humans always have to break the rules?” one of the orcs asks.

You're pushed forward. You struggle, but you're weak from your injuries. You're thrown over the side of the cliff, and fall into the pool below.

You emerge back in the bathhouse. The giantess greets you.  “Greetings, human. Have you decided yet if you want to stay in our quaint, cozy bathhouse?”

“No,” you say. “I'm thinking of escaping.”

“Hmm,” she says, “Ara won't like that.”

“Ara's not here,” you reply.

“There's someone here you'd like to see, though,” the giantess says. “Would you like to see him?”

“Who?” you ask.

“The pool master,” she says, gesturing towards the door to the room with the hot pool.

You follow the beautiful giantess through the door. “I don't see him anywhere,” you say.

“He's right here,” the giantess says, “Behind that curtain.”

You walk over to the pool and look behind the curtain. You don't see anything. You pull back the curtain to reveal a small, blond, blue-eyed man in a speedo bathing suit.

“I am the pool master,” he says, “And I would love to give you a bath. Would you care to help me wash?”

“Absolutely,” you say.

“But first,” he says, “You must choose your bathing suit.”

You look at the selection of speedo bathing suits, the thong bikini, the banana hammock, the string of chili peppers, and the ones that say “I love you” on them.

“What say you? Which one would you like?”

“Well,” you say, staring at the selection, “The banana hammock would be nice.”

“Umm, that's for men only,” he says. “Choose another.”

You look at the thong bikini and the string of chili peppers. The thong bikini looks too restrictive and the chili peppers look a little strange. “How about the banana hammock?” you say.

“Are you deaf? Never mind, take the bikini.”

You put on the bikini and the banana hammock and get into the warm water of the pool. The pool master hands you a sponge and you begin to sponge the sweat from your body.

“Cleaner is a relaxing activity,” he says, “so just sponging for as long as you like is recommended.”

You sponge your body from head to toe. You're sweaty and gross. You decide to rinse off.

“Ah,” says the pool master, “You are now clean. Shall I rub you down with some eucalyptus oil?”

“Yes please,” you say.

He runs his hands across your body, and you get a delightful tingle. He smells fantastic. “Would you like me to wash your back?” he asks.

“Yes,” you say, “I'd love a rubdown.”

“Allow me,” he says, stepping behind you. He puts his arms around your back and begins to rub down your sweaty back. You lean your head back and sigh, enjoying the touch of the oil in your skin. Your eyes start to close...

You wake up to see the massive orc arm looming over you.

“I knew this was too good to be true,” you comment.

You try to stand up, but your legs are tangled up in the sheets. Your head is still reeling from the fall. You have to move now, you have to get out of the tub before the orc attacks... “Get back you dirty old orc!” you say, trying to stand.

The arm releases you and you stagger towards the edge of the pool, trying to stand on wobbly legs. The hand reaches towards you, and you jump away. The female orc walks in. “Oh, her again.”

“Wha- what?” you say, trying to comprehend. Your head is still reeling from the orc fist.

“Ever heard of a place called the outside world?” she asks.

“Yes, but-”

“No 'but'. You've overstayed your welcome.”

“So you're kicking me out?” you ask.

“You don't get it,” she says, “I'm not kicking you out. I'm sending you to the outside world.”

“But-”

“No buts.” She turns around and walks out. You look at the pool again and jump in.

The water is freezing. You swim to the bottom of the pool and stay there until you feel it is safe to resurface. When you do, the water feels warmer. The giantess pulls you out. “You seem to be getting lost a lot aren't you?”

You nod slowly. You feel your heartbeat returning to normal. “What do you mean? What happened to me?”

“I don't know. You tell me.”

You try to answer, but you can't get any words out. Your vocal cords are still frozen. The giantess walks away. Ara walks over, upset. “What does the giantess have that I don't?” you ask.

“She is the one who stuck you in the ice floe.”

“There's no such thing as an ice floe,” you say, trying to focus.

“There is,” she says. “I think you like her more than me.”

“I like all of you,” you say.

“I'm afraid not,” she says, “Orcs, especially females, are not my type.”

You call the giantess back over. “Where are my clothes?”

“Oh, I forgot to-”

“Forget the excuses. I want my clothes,” you say.

“I'm sorry, Erane, but-”

“I want my clothes!” you say. “Do you understand me?”

“Yes, but-”

“I'M NOT GONNA HANG AROUND FOR LONG! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?”

“Yes, but-”

“DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME!” you scream, causing the entire pool to echo her yell.

The guests all stop what they are doing and stare at you. The giantess gets uncomfortable and removes her towel so you can cover up. You can't help but notice that all of the guests are attractive, curvy women. You feel a stirring in your pants.

“Let's get out of here,” says Ara, pulling you out of the pool.

You head back to your room, thinking about the giantess's huge, shapely derriere.

“You're thinking about her, aren't you?” Ara demands. “Don't you think I'm attractive?”

“Of course you are,” you admit, “But there's no way you could ever be interested in me.”

“Watch me,” she says, yanking you by the arm. You try to resist, but you find yourself dragged, wiggling, out of the bathhouse. A large, imposing wooden door blocks your escape.

“Let go.” You smack her hand away.

“I know you want me,” she says. “Let's see if the giantess will let us back in.”

You shake your head. “Absolutely not. I'm not going back there without my clothes.”

Ara gives you a look of mock disgust and mocks a spitting motion. “You're hopeless.” She knocks on the door and the giantess enters. “We'd like to ask you some questions, if you don't mind,” she says.

“Like what?”

“Like, what is it like to have one of the most desirable women in the world as a personal assistant?” asks Ara.

“Is that a question or a statement of fact?” you ask.

“A question. I just wanted to make sure.” You shrug. The giantess rolls her eyes.

“Weren't you suppose to wash me? I've been waiting.” You point to the giantess's massive derriere. “You wanna start there?”

“Okay, but I'm not allowed back in there until I answer your question.”

The giantess sighs. Her behind is enormous. Her legs are also quite large, which you immediately notice. You avert your gaze immediately, but not before you notice how incredibly soft her legs are. You hope to see her naked soon. You begin to stroke her behind, not paying attention to what you are doing. She says something, but you can't understand her.

“Speak to me in your language,” you say.

“I said: let's get to the bathing pool before you start.”

She laughs. “Don't look now, but I think the whole place heard you. Now, let's go.”

You leave the bathhouse and follow the giantess through the tunnel. You notice the people are all wearing robes. You're about to ask her about it when you realize you can't see your feet. You don't know whether to take that as a good sign or a bad sign.

The pool area is huge. There's a large stone floor with a few rocks and a few large, flat stones. There's a large, steam-filled circular pool, big enough to contain several large bathhouses. There's a large open area with trees and picnic tables. It's not as large as the Great Hall, but it's still a pretty big space. There's a cluster of smaller pools nearby.

The steam is filled with bubbles and smells nice, like the sea and like fruit.

The giantess says, “This pool looks nice.” She casts off her towel and steps into the water. You quickly follow her, stepping in right behind her. The water is hot and refreshing. You gasp in surprise. This is really the first hot water you've had in days. You rub your skin with your hands, enjoying the feeling. You decide that the water is actually really nice.

“Is this okay?” asks the giantess.

“I have to say,” you admit. “I'm really enjoying this so far.”

“It doesn't get any hotter than this.”

You look around, but no one else seems to be noticing anything unusual. You step out of the pool and notice a couple of the guests dressed in robes wandering around in the distance.

“Yeah, this is really nice. I have to say, I'm really enjoying myself.”

The giantess laughs, splashing you. “You're enjoying yourself? You're swimming in a pool of naked women. I'd say that's a pretty definitive 'no'.”

You shrug. “So? I'm a pervert. I like women. I like your derriere.”

She splashes you again, laughing. “I'm not a woman. I'm a monster.”

You look around, but no one seems to be watching you. You step back into the pool and notice that you can touch the bottom. Your toes gently graze the water as you touch it.

“I love this water.” You say. “I love the way it feels on my skin.”

“You might love it, but I'm not sure if I'd call you a woman.”

“I'm not one of your slaves!” you shout. “Why can't you respect me?”

She laughs. “Why can't you respect me? When have I ever not respected you?”

The two of you continue to bathe. It is a peaceful time. Ara looks on in disappointment. She casts off her clothes in hopes that you notice her. You don't, because you're too busy enjoying your time in the pool. She's a bit dismayed, but shrugs it off and heads out of the pool.

As she leaves, you catch a glimpse of her naked backside. “Wait!” you call.  She turns around and smiles. You run to catch up to her. “Stay in the pool just a little longer,” you say.

Ara turns around and walks away. She stops and looks back at you. “Okay. I'll stay.”

You move towards her, but she walks faster. By the time you reach her, she's already climbing out of the pool.

“I love the water!” she says, laughing. “It was really fun!”

Your small pool houses have been built with this purpose in mind: to relax in the hot water, to bathe, to frolic.

But this is different. There's something sinister about this place. There's something about this place that makes you feel uncomfortable. Perhaps it's because no one else seems to feel that way, and that makes it seem even more ominous.

“Yeah, it was fun,” you say, shivering. “I'm... I'm just not too sure about this place. It's... different.”

“Well, different can be good.” The giantess and Ara stand in front of you, naked, but you focus on the giantess. “Different can be fun.”

“Yeah. Different can be fun,” you say, shivering.

You're having trouble focusing on the giantess. You're having trouble focusing on anything. The water keeps splashing and you keep shivering. It's so different from the icy cold mountain water you're used to. You don't know how to take this heat.

“I'm sorry, but I think I need to go get ready for bed,” you say.

“Already?” the giantess asks. “You haven't finished with me.”

“I had a rough day. I need to rest.”

“It wasn't that bad. Try again.”

“But I...”

“Try again,” she says. “Fine,” you say. “I'll try again.”

You sit at the edge of the pool, still shivering. The water is hot, but it's not helping you get warm. Ara demands attention too.  She pulls you back, forcing you to focus on her.

“What's wrong?” she asks, concerned. “Are you not having a good time?”

You shake your head and force a smile. “This is just so different. It's... I don't know.” She hands you a sponge. “Just rub my back. I'll get you started.”

You hesitate, still not used to the new way of doing things. But she's right. It's time to start your massage.

You begin to rub her back across the top of her derriere. She cringes in slight pain, but doesn't stop you. You notice the tip of her breast is slightly grazed and you move upwards across her chest, rubbing your hand along them.

“Stop,” she says, still rubbing her back. “I don't like it.”

“Sorry,” you say.

“It's not that. I just don't like being touched like that.”

“I'm sorry. Where do you like to be touched?” you ask.

“Uhh... any place but the boobs and butt.”

“Well, what do you think of...?”

“No way.”

“What? Why not?”

“I don't want to think about it.”

“But why?”

“Just don't make me talk about it.”

“But I'm being interesting!”

“I'm not interesting in doing it,” she says.

“How can you not be interested in doing it?” you ask, puzzled.

“Because I don't want to talk about it. Just leave me alone.”

“But... but...”

“Leave me alone.”

 You turn to the giantess. “I assume you don't have a problem with being touched?”

“Nope. I'm pretty much the touchiest person you'll ever meet.”

“So...” you say, unsure of what to do.

“Stop trying,” she says, shrugging. “Just try to enjoy yourself. If you don't enjoy yourself, you'll get nothing out of this.”

The giantess climbs out of the pool. You follow her. She grabs a towel and begins drying herself. You stare at the water dripping off her body.  You think it's the most interesting thing you've ever seen in your entire life.

She notices you staring at her. “What do you think?”

 “I think, I'd like to do more than wash you.”

“What do you mean?” she asks, concerned.

“I mean, I think I want to do more than just wash your body. I want to massage you.”

“You want to massage me?” she asks, surprised.

“Yeah.”

“Really?”

“Well, what are you waiting for?” she asks.

“What do you think?” you ask, grinning.

“Let's go for it,” she says.

You run to the pool and jump in.

“Just stay there,” she says. “I'll be right back.”

She quickly leaves the bathhouse. You stay in the pool, fully clothed, until she returns. She has a big, warm smile on her face.

“Now, get out of those clothes,” she says.

You do as she says. She grabs you by the shoulders, pulling you close to her. She begins to massage your back. You wiggle a little. She pinches your nipples. You let out a yelp.

“Relax,” she says to you. “Enjoy the massage.”

“I am,” you say.

“Good,” she says. “I didn't know how to tell you this, but you have this really calm, Zen quality, that's why it's so fun to be around you.”

You're speechless. That's it. You're done. You've had enough. You're going to walk right out of that bathhouse, right now, naked as the day you were born!

But you can't.

You're afraid, and for the first time in your life, you are afraid. You can't move. The woman is still pinching your nipples. If it wasn't so serious, it would be funny.

Everything is going to be just fine.

Just fine.

You're going to be just fine.

Just fine.

You're fine.

The End