Cerebrality [Callisto]

[Nimvahlis]

49th of Autumn, 510 AV. The Great Library of Sahova. Row upon row of texts stretched around Nimvahlis, the collection was vast. Enough ink entrap his mind for half an eternity, and the solitude to do so undisturbed. Most of the magicians, it seemed, simply took their books back to their laboratory. The Ethaefal had never been to the library before, and he walked through its confines with his head tilted up to gaze at the towering shelves. Silence permeated the area like a thick fog, cloying the senses with its stark reproach of all things lively; it was almost like a cemetery. Yet where a graveyard would store bodies of ages past, this lost center of learning stored the knowledge of ages long past. For several hours Nim meandered the library, serenely taking in the silence and the structure. Though he could not read Nader Canoch, he managed to identify many areas of the library by flipping through books or examining resources. Often times diagrams, maps, and the occasional book in a tongue he could read were enough to identify the various categories. A big astronomical clock identified a corner dedicated to astronomy and its coordinates, several blackboards with complex arrangements of circles showed him where to find summoning resources, and so on. But what Nimvahlis finally stopped on was the section devoted to all things plant based. While there were no interesting exhibits or resources, many of the texts had diagrams of plants and their innards. He idly drifted amongst the shelves, picking out books. He gathered a small pile, eventually amassing five different texts to peruse. An excited air buzzed through Nim, for it was not often he had access to such a vast array of information. He desired to harness each mote of knowledge, incorporating it into his mind to expand his knowledge of the sacred. Only two books were to be found in a dialect he could read, one a text on the Ekytolian plant named Mirage and the other a translation of an Alahean book on poisonous fungi. The other three were in Nader-Canoch, forcing the Ethaefal to rely on the diagrams to gain any information. Placing his books on a smooth hardwood table, Nimvahlis sat down and flipped open the various Nader-Canoch books. He flipped to random pages, examining the drawings before slowly speaking out each word on the page. The ancient tongue was awkward and blocky to him, but the Ethaefal continued immersing himself in the text nevertheless. Words carry intent, their design is just as important as their meaning. It did not matter that he could not understand the phrases, the first step to being able to link himself to the great resources here was to acquaint his brain with the words. As the chimes rolled by he began to get used to the sounds, and though the pronunciation could well be incorrect, the words started to roll off his tongue more smoothly. So there he sat, bent over the three books, pouring his soul into the task of understanding. His silken voice was the only sound in the library, almost swallowed by the surrounding stillness.

[Callisto]

Throughout her stay in Sahova, Callisto rarely found much use for the room she had been given. She rarely slept, rarely ate while in her Konti form and often simply found herself fiddling with the corpses she was tasked to clean and the embalming fluid that required philtering. So far, she had not the misfortune to be mistaken for a test subject, but the occasional scrutinizing certainly left bitter afterthoughts after she was through with her work. And it was then that she came from the Venenium Laboratory, finding herself free for the remainder of the night, and mentally keeping aware of the blue signs adoring the walls to guide what she guessed were those unaware of the dangers that lurked in the shadows of the Citadel.

She was as silent as the undead that dwelled here, her footsteps barely echoing amongst the halls, taking her one step closer to her destination, the one place she had spent the majority of her time, simply taking advantage of the liberty she had been granted for the sole purpose to learn. And learn she did! So when she finally passed through the doorway into the library, it was eerily silent, just as she assumed it usually always was, for the exception of whatever golems and apprentices might find themselves there.

The Konti did not limit herself to one section of library. She perused them all, finding a hidden joy of simply translating what little Nader-Canoch she knew from her stay here. On occasion, she challenged herself with material she knew was out of her league, but anything to broaden her horizons, as they say. Anything that could tell her of the wonders of the world without stepping foot outside the walls of the Citadel. Long hours she spent here, enough for her transformations to take place right at the library, and her inevitable duties to Amaryllis. But at this time, her eyes roamed the shelves once more, a slender white hand hovering over labels she either had an inkling of their translation or simply did not know.

Only when the Konti heard the sounds of a soft voice and shifting pages did her curiosity spark. Another? Here in the library? Callisto had only been there for upwards to five minutes, closer to the doors and her eyes locked onto the walls; unaware and perhaps nonchalant at the time of the presence of another. But when the man came into view, something in her simply…paused. She thought she had forgotten, slipped it into the back of her mind to forever degrade it into a lost memory! But no, he was there, just as she had remembered! As divine as she during the day. Her hand jerked toward her waist, but no suvai was held there, only the incessant drumming of her heart told her of her uncertainties. He had done something to her, she knew. She felt it.

But Callisto was always passive in her confrontations, always the regal queen others mistake her for, so when she approached, she approached slowly, gracefully, but stopped once she was merely fifteen paces away, and she said only one thing, sharp and to the point, “Why are you here?”

[Nimvahlis]

That voice. Break her for me. Nimvahlis looked up from his books, the drawing of a fern falling from his mind as he had from the stars. Forgotten by providence. No, sent to recreate it. He ushered the doubts from his mind and stood, facing the Konti that stood before him. Not immediately answering Callisto, he approached her with a fluid gait. His eyes bored into her as he slowly closed the meager fifteen paces, and he savored the energy that crackled between them. It cracked and popped, a volatile chemistry that he knew she felt. Nimvahlis stopped, not three paces away from the regal figure. Then, finally, he spoke, "I have come to do as you have, to learn." Nim step forward, his arm reaching out to clasp the Konti's jaw. "And there is so very much to learn, Callisto." His voice was calm, hypnotic and serene. Yet his actions carried a force with them, a certain dominance that vibrated with the intensity of conviction. Like a living organism of its own, the djed grew within him. It assembled itself and coiled like a snake, slowly growing in its power. As the erotic substance waxed, a smile came to Nim's face; lips parted to reveal the same teeth that had explored Callisto's skin so many nights ago. His fingers trailed down her jaw as he pulled his hand away, soon enough he could reconnect with her more fully. Iridescent skin prickled as the power of magic flooded through him, ready to strike out at the woman. Yet he did not, the time must be correct. So he simply spoke, arousal and pleasure more than evident in his voice, "now tell me Callisto, did you truly expect to never see me again? Do you not realize that our destinies have been irrevocably intertwined? Our goal is one and the same." Nim moved closer, inquiring, dilated eyes staring into the twin suns of Callisto's soul.

[Callisto]

He was tempting her , taunting her. But even so, there was something in her that craved his attention, and for a fraction of a second, it even disgusted her. Callisto was above these meager desires, she should be above them, but instead she stands before the very man that caused her heart to race in an unending rhythm. Nimvahlis even had the audacity to approach her, but Callisto neither moved from her position nor showed any hint of discomfort. When he spoke, her eyes glanced toward his hand, surprised at both his aggressiveness and her lack of desire to stop him. His hand was like fire against her skin, the same fire that burned during that night so long ago, now simply a fond memory.

When he released her, she did not respond right away. She allowed him to continue speaking, watching his movements, his eyes, for any signs of the magic she guessed….no, that she knew he would use. And she had not the suvai to deal with him! “Learn?” She repeated, “I did not take you for being a student, Nimvahlis.” In her mind, a conflict raged; one that was willing her to release her astral limbs and deal with him that very instant. But if the reason he was here was for apprenticeship, she could not risk her life for being overcome by emotion. Regal, I am regal. I am a gentle lady…. Quarrels are behind me. But she could not resist the urges that sprouted in her body, only churning when the Ethaefal approached.

“Keep your distance.” It was a flat order; concise. But even so it had been incredibly difficult for the Konti to even utter it. She had stepped back, only to feel the solid shelves packed with books behind her. Then she paused, her eyes darting toward Nimvahlis, suddenly amused. “Please, enlighten me on this goal. This, entwined destiny of ours. You have, done things,” Her voice seemed to tremble. Fear? Awe? “Toyed with my heart. You are subtle with your magic, but how will it help you? What if I told you my plans had changed?” There were hints of fallacy in her tone, she was lying, or she was attempting to mislead, all to escape the ache that tormented her heart.

[Nimvahlis]

Nimvahlis did not move, but instead allowed Callisto to back herself to the shelf. His smile had never faded, an enigma painted across his serene visage; the Ethaefal seemed genuinely pleased at her presence, though why had yet to be determined. Yet as she barraged him with piteous deceptions, the upward curve of his mouth seemed to die a little. His lips pursed as contemplations on the questions posed swirled about his mind with their respective answers. The djed in his body split, surging up through his eyes to envelope Callisto. The resulting lambency bathed the beauteous figure with its coalescing hues of color. Ambers exploded, the same noble, tempestuous color Nim had come to associate with this woman. Divine. He would drown in her if given the chance, pulled down by the undertow in willing surrender. She is one of those touched by the Ukalas, she is a goddess. Patterns began to emerge as he focused on her, intricate weaves. Yet where they had previously all led to the skies in which she had belonged, now the designs were jumbled. Conflicted girl... The fires of the sun erupted from Callisto's crown as he examined her, shooting forth into the sky like a lance to incinerate all that would oppose. She would reach her goal, and the sweetest suggestions would only deter her for a few grains of sand. The connection severed, Nimvahlis' djed recoiling into the pit of his soul. Callisto's aura retreated into her body, fading from view. It had been nearly a chime since the Konti had asked her questions, and silence had dominated the space until this point. Nim took his time, he had all of an eternity to work. His voice filled Callisto's ears so sweetly as he spoke to her, "Rest assured my beautiful one, I am here to learn. In fact, I am here to learn of things that shall help our goal." The smile returned to his face, he knew how sweetly these words must have resounded within her mind. "I have been thinking, Callisto." Nimvahlis took a step forward, his eyes locked on the subject. "There are magics that neither you nor I know of, arts lost to the clutches of time. What if we were to..." The Ethaefal drifted off as he closed the last few steps to Callisto, pinning her against the book case. "What if we were to resurrect them? This is how we shall close the rift, and reattain salvation." His arm snaked out to grab her hip, his other sliding around her back and gripping her shoulder. He yanked her toward him, the familiar heat of her body pushing against him. Nim's words came with his breath, surreptitious in her ear, "You have not changed, Callisto; I know you too well." Luminous white teeth clamped down on the soft skin of her neck, claiming the Konti as his once again.

[Callisto]

Callisto stood, watching her kin as he scrutinized her. He seemed distant, gazing at her, and yet, not. There was a silence that hung in the air, a silence that enveloped them both, and allowed the Konti’s mind to wander toward thoughts that left her heart thrumming faster beneath her skin. Had Nimvahlis sought her? Had he gathered from her cryptic response so many nights ago, that she would be in Sahova? She could not deny that she wanted him, if not with her heart, then with her body. A divine union once more. The anticipation she felt creased her forehead ever the slightest. Nimvahlis was correct. She was a conflicted girl, with a conflicted heart and the wants of one who could not obtain what she sought. Dira holds those who have since been lost.

When he spoke, her attention returned to the present, to what was there and then, and in response to this she blinked. His voice seemed to be misplaced in the halls of the undead. At least in the wilds, Leth granted them his divine light amidst an inky backdrop. Here, it was only an eerie sensation, especially when the Ethaefal spoke of long-forgotten magic. Callisto had not noticed his progressive movement, until he had pinned her to the shelves, feeling the rough edges of books pressing into her back. Her azure eyes, so full of her regal demeanor, had reverted to something almost akin to a courtesan. Her desires! So hard to suppress!

“Resurrect them..” She murmured. His heat was intoxicating, as was the otherworldly nature of his skin. Why had she been so smitten? Why could she contain her own lust? “Power comes with this magic? Power to dominate, to bend others to our will?” She knew not why she spoke of such things, but she continued. “It is the thirst for this that drives me, Nimvahlis. But my heart aches, my body aches, I do not know my own soul.”

Her hand, almost absently, trailed up his chest, with her bent knee pressed against his groin. When his teeth found her neck, she had half the mind to lift her chin up, to allow him greater access, but instead, the simple contact left her mind in a halted state. She could not do this, not here, not now! “Nimvahlis,” She breathed, finding her voice once more in the constant waves of heat, “We cannot..” How it hurt her to say such words! “This is the realm of the undead. We are always watched..”

[Nimvahlis]

His breath brushed Callisto's skin and scales, and each excited beat of his heart pulsed against her. Inevitable fall. She so desperately wanted to let him crumble her protective walls and sweep her away, yet fear of the Sahovans kept her hesitant. Such thinly veiled deceptions washed away in the current of arousal, for he knew the protest was naught but an exercise of self denial. So the Ethaefal pushed his body closer, pinning Callisto as he righted his neck to stare into her eyes. Molten sugar djed dripped into the tips of his fingers, collecting as his focus moved to hypnotic influence. Its sweetness rose goosebumps on his arm, running shivers down his spine. His voice filled Callisto's ears, "yes, my beautiful one, the power to bend worlds." The truth behind this was undetermined, Nim knew little more than Callisto did. Yet his intuition told him that much power lay lost and beyond knowledge, and he was convinced. "And we shall learn them, we shall accomplish all you have ever wanted." He cooed to her as the djed in his hands waxed, tingling his nerves with its seductive influence. "If you ache, then I shall sate you. If you are lost, then I shall find you. I am your servant, Callisto. I wish only to please." His fingertips drifted down between them, the building of his magic coming to a peak. He clasped her inner thigh, sliding up to rest just beside the sex. The heat, the ecstasy, the burning desire swept over her like a wave. Its energy flooded her body for a brief instant, sending jolts of pleasure down racing through her nerves. Much time had passed since their coupling, and the sensations she had felt so many days ago were resurrected in full. He would take her, and each second of pleasure would be relived. The last motes of hypnotic influenced blew away like ash thrown from a fire. "Why do you not allow me inside? I only wish to serve, Callisto."

[Callisto]

So conflicted she was inside! So fraught with emotions she could not comprehend, emotions that had died the moment she ceased to exist in this realm and transcended to that of the divine. The return of this spiraling cascade of sensations was beginning to take its toll on her sensitive psyche. Outwardly, she was as aloof as royalty, as noble as any could ever hope to find, but in the presence of an Ethaefal, she crumbled. And why was this so?

Azure eyes watched every miniscule movement by Nimvahlis, every detail in those eyes, trying to find the secret hidden within his words. To bend worlds. Power… how she sought Power above all, or at least… perhaps she used to. Now in the face of acknowledged pain, Callisto was unsure of herself. Of what she wanted, of what she hoped to gain. And then the Ethaefal spoke the words, All that she ever wanted. “That is impossible…” She whispered, “All that I have ever wanted perished long ago. There is naught but memories now.” Her hands trembled ever slightly at the sensations brought on by Nimvahlis’ influence. His words were alluring to her, but they remained oddly lacking any true fulfillment.

He does not love, only lusts. Callisto understood this. The end result of a time too short spent together. She was an Ethaefal that could not bring herself to love as well, but being a woman, the threads of it still wound itself around her mind and her heart. Only his hand, so dangerously close to her sex snapped her back from her reverie. She wanted to reprimand him, to slap his arm away! But her mind and body were driven by his desires. She allowed herself to be taken in by the pleasures she felt long ago, a hand supporting her weight against the shelves even as she pressed her body against Nimvahlis’ invading hand.

“No...no.. You do not serve, you only lust.” She murmured, swallowing the desire to vocalize her arousal. How long could the Konti keep herself contained, when already her hand lowered to press Nimvahlis’ own against her sex. “You have felt this once, is that not enough?”

[Nimvahlis]

This was unsatisfactory. Within Nimvahlis, a painful spark of doubt and vexation inexplicably jumped from the serene waters of his mind. It multiplied and buzzed like fireflies, bringing a dull throbbing to his temples. What if I am wrong? His thoughts shivered, their delicate arrangement threatened by this potential revelation. What if her aura had lied? Do these desires ring falsely? His hand began slipping away from her hot cortex, his body withdrawing with his confidence. Like so many panes of stained glass, the illusion Nimvahlis wrapped himself in had been shattered. Their shards dug into his skin and caused him to grimace. Such pain. The hesitation that crossed his face was clear as Syna's rays, for the first time Callisto say Nim as something other than the serene manipulator. She saw confliction, the very thing that tore at her, reflected in his eyes. Like a sapling she is. Bend. Control. Break. Reform. Mold perfection, the ultimate creation. The same pools that had a second ago displayed doubt flashed dangerously, something feral and visceral taking over his mind. Mine. Nimvahlis would claim this woman, dominate her soul and recreate it into the image of perfection she so desired. Enlightenment! He would dispel the illusions within Callisto, and finally serve. Enough confusion, enough resistance! She would relent to his will, she would fall as a broken woman awaiting providence before him. Nimvahlis would save her. He whispered in her ears as he advanced, "Let me know you, Callisto. Grant me passage, and let me help you." Gone was the calm river of his voice, replaced by white rapids. There was a franticness, a passion in his voice now that the woman had never before experienced. Something had broken within him, and like a falling star he careened toward the earth below. Sparks ignited, sizzled and popped within him like fireworks. His djed pulsed against him, flooding his body with heat like steam. The dizzying power in his mind built as he reasserted himself, sliding his hand along Callisto's inner thigh. His teeth clamped down on her lower lip, muffling further protests as he tugged and suckled on it. Such energy. The hypnotic power raced through him like flames on alcohol, filling him with a powerful ecstasy and surrender. It built like nothing he had experienced before, his breath coming in short gasps as it consumed him. His pulse throbbed in his veins, beating against Callisto as he stared into her eyes with his own dilated pair. Yes. Yes. Wreck her! A wave of heat and euphoria overcame Nimvahlis, and his hand snaked around to grab Callisto's hip. Grabbing her shoulder with his other, he spun them around so her back was against the table. He pushed her against it, bending her smaller form back over its wooden surface. He towered over her, imperious where she once was. In a single instant he had wrested any last shred of control from Callisto. One of his hands slid around to cradle her lower back and pull her groin more forcefully against his. Grinding his hips, their sexes met once more in eager union. A great energy discharged into her body as his other hand slid beneath her tunic, wracking her with the same surrender and ecstasy he had built within himself earlier. The hand explored her chest, moving up to clamp over the erect flesh of her nipple. Djed swept through Callisto s body like a torrential storm, inundating her with images flashes of earth shattering climaxes. They played upon her senses: tugged at her nerves, filled her nostrils, brushed against her tongue. Nothing was subtle now, no deceptions lay within Nimvahlis. His magic sought to overwhelm as it flushed her body. So powerful were the sensations that small beads of blood began forming at the corners of his eyes to trickle down his face---he was overgiving already. Every mote of energy had been funneled into Callisto, sending the endless waves of bliss into her. The Ethaefal smiled, this was satisfactory.

[Callisto]

Callisto had not any special Konti gift of reading thoughts or hearts or seeing the truths in words. She had only her sense of perception, of reassurance and supreme confidence in herself and her abilities. But when Nimvahlis stood over her, pinning her to the shelf with such risky ministrations and tantalizing words, it was difficult for her to concentrate on her need to remain on the well end of the undead who dwelled there. For once, there was a spark of something almost akin to fear in her as her eyes caught those of the Ethaefal before her. She loosened her hold on his hand, inching her way as further back as she could, unsure of his reactions and hidden talents he might hold. She had dominated him once, but could she do it again?

Then she felt something, some current in him shifted. A switch! Callisto glanced toward the door, wondering how far she could go before the golems would react, but when Nimvahlis spoke, she glanced toward him. The surprise was so apparent on her face, that she had not noticed his hand once again resting along her thigh. Her heart was racing! She could feel his heat once more, surging through his hand, up the entirety of her body. Callisto‘s head tilted back a fraction, “Nimvahlis, I cannot--” Her lips were soon covered by his. Teeth clamped down on her soft lip, and whether he wished to or not, he tore it, a small wound that bled while their lips were still connected.

It was instinctive to push her hands against his chest at the sudden change of pace. But when her hands connected with his skin, the heat exploded into her arms, adding to the accumulated intensity. A gasp erupted from her bloodied lips when her back was pushed against the table. “Nimvahlis!” She hissed, “What has come over you?” Then her words seemed to drop like stones. The second Nimvahlis released his energy, Callisto was overcome by the sensations, the imagery, the want! She needed his lust, she craved it! Involuntarily, her back arched and her head tilted back, her splayed legs tightened around the Ethaefal’s waist. Her cries were unashamed, cries of lust, cries of a need so grand, tears trickled from the edge of her eyes.

His power was trickling in, surging despite his own overgiving. Callisto was left in her own tears, grasping the arm that fondled her breast. “Take me,” She gasped through heavy breaths, “Take me and release me from this want.” Trembling fingers fumbled with her dress, attempting to free herself of her own shackles that kept him temporarily at bay.