Bosoms… sweet, round, plump, and soft to the touch, so large that taking them in hand would cause them to jiggle and slip like sand.
Jiggling, hanging over Alan's head as he tried to open his eyes, and suddenly, sunlight piercing through the window ignited a burning sensation in Alan's eyes. His head began to throb painfully, and his erotic vision dissipated into a blurring view of a room, completely unknown to his hazy memory. Alan straightened up.
Looking around, still unsure of where he was, Alan sat on a bed different from the mattress in the Men's Guest room. His head throbbed painfully, and his vision remained hazy.
Irritated by the sunlight filtering through the windows, he began to move out of bed. Completely naked, with his lower body covered by a thin white bed sheet, Alan placed his hand on the mattress to steady himself. Suddenly, he felt a wet sensation beneath his fingers. He moved his hand, pinching the fabric of the mattress, and felt something wet and slimy slithering against his skin.
Alan blinked his eyes in confusion, unsure of what he had found beneath the bed sheet. Quickly, he lifted it and looked under. His groggy eyes and half-asleep state jolted into full panic when he saw a patch of blood soaked into the mattress, covered with a bit of white mucus-like substance. Confused and frightened, he looked at his fingers, which were stained with the same substance.
"Oh…you are awake," a voice interrupted before Alan's mind could fully process the disturbing discovery.
In a panic, he quickly dropped the bed sheet, trying to hide the stain on the mattress. He looked up and saw Relecta standing near the bed. Her hair was loosely tied in a bun, with a few strands falling around her face. She wore a black nightgown, several sizes too large, that barely hung over her thighs, teasingly showing her long, plump legs.
The gown clung to her curves, hinting at her ample bosom and narrow waist, making her appearance both alluring and disarmingly casual.
She first looked at Alan in confusion, but when her gaze settled on Alan's scar-ridden, lean yet marble-toned body, her eyes rolled in shyness. She asked softly, "Did you sleep alright, honey?"
Alan, still reeling with confusion, managed a feigned sheepish smile, which seemed to comfort Relecta. She waltzed towards him, her nightgown swaying, and settled on the bed beside Alan. Resting her head on his shoulder, she closed her eyes, enjoying his warmth. Alan, maintaining his sheepish smile, glanced around nervously. He mentally checked his body for any open wounds or gashes but found none.
Relecta gently grazed her nose on his cheek, then brought her lips near his ear. In a voice that blended softness and seduction, she whispered, "I never thought you could be so wild yet passionate in bed, Boss…"
Her words swirled in Alan's ears, eliciting two simultaneous reactions in his body. As the erotic sweetness and warmth from Relecta's words traveled through his ears directly towards his groin, another sensation, filled with warning and realization, surged towards his brain. He glanced at his fingers, then back at Relecta. His "little soldier" straightened up in full attention, but instead of passion, realization dawned in Alan's mind. With shock-widened eyes now completely devoid of earlier grogginess and sleep, Alan muttered under his breath in a grim tone, "We had coitus?…"
In a sudden burst of energy, Alan pushed Relecta away and quickly draped himself in the now blood-stained bedsheet. He leaped from the bed and dashed for the door.
Relecta, freaking out in confusion, tried to ask what was wrong, but Alan, rushing out, slammed the door behind him with a hurried, half-assured, "I need to pee!"
Two resounding thuds echoed in the hallway as Alan leaned against the closed door, gasping for air in settling panic. He began to drop to his knees but, opening his eyes, he saw Armis, equally naked and draped in a white bedsheet, leaning against the shut door of his own room. Their gazes met, confusion and panic mirrored in their expressions. In unison, they yelled, "I SCREWED UP!!!"
Confusion and gasping breaths still hung in the air as both friends wrinkled their noses and squinted their eyes, displaying their puzzlement. In a lower tone, they exclaimed in unison, "The hell did you do?!"
Both collapsed to their knees, taking support from their respective doors. Collecting their breath, they locked puzzled gazes. Alan, breaking the sudden silence, initiated the conversation. "Why? What happened?"
"Nothing!!!…no, you tell first!" Armis, realizing his weird state, fidgeted in embarrassment, blurting out the words in exclamation.
Alan, finally regaining some of his composure, cautiously proposed a solution. "Okay… we both say it together on the count of three, alright?"
Armis nodded, calming down as Alan began the countdown, his fingers dropping after each number. "One… two… three!"
In a sudden burst of words, their voices filled the hallway as both friends blurted out their revelations in one breath, mingling their words into an incoherent jumble.
"Me and Relecta had coitus!" Alan declared.
"I slept with Aurelia and Artereia both!" Armis exclaimed.
"WHAT?!" Finding each other's revelations equally confusing and weird, they wrinkled their noses and squinted their eyes, exclaiming in unison once again.
"You had coitus with both of them? How? Do they know about it? How did it even happen? How the hell did you manage that?" Alan blurted out his confusion in one breath, making Armis's worry even bigger.
In a voice filled with consistent confusion and fright, Armis answered, "I don't know, man! All I know is that right now, both of them are inside, naked, snuggled together and sleeping. All I can think is that malt, that damn liquor, is hell."
Alan pondered for a moment before confusion spread across his face again. He asked the panicked Armis, "Wait a minute, shouldn't you be happy? I mean, dude, given your changed nature, you should be celebrating right now. It's like a major win no one ever asked for."
"The hell, Alan?!" Armis retorted, taking out his restlessness and panic on Alan. "You were the one who convinced me to try to change, and now you think this would have a positive effect on my life and relationship with Aurelia?! And the hell is 'coitus'?! Why are you talking like a kid?! And why are you even freaking out? You should be happy—you popped Relecta's cherry. Hell, I'm more surprised you hadn't done that already."
"Popped the cherry?!! Armis, you are disgusting!" Alan retorted with a mix of disgust and confusion in his voice. "We were taking things slow! And what if she gets pregnant? Huh? Do you think we can handle that here?!"
"Come on, man, you should know better than this. One 'coitus' isn't enough to make a baby. It takes much more than that," Armis argued back, putting emphasis on the word to mock Alan. Both of them sat in the hallway, their lower bodies covered with bed sheets.
As Alan, draped in confusion, began retorting, another loud thud echoed in the hallway. Both turned to see Lyco storming out of a room, slamming the door shut. Fully clothed, he leaned against the door, gasping for air.
The sight made Alan and Armis chuckle, watching the repetition of their actions. Lyco, wearing a look of fright and worry, walked over to them. As he opened his mouth to voice his problem, Armis halted him with a hand, giving him a smug look and muttering, "Don't tell us. You had coitus with Poduria, right?"
"What? No! Arian is missing." Lyco, confused and weirded out by Armis's words, voiced his concern while collecting his breath and beginning to calm down.
"Seriously, man?!" Armis retorted, showing his disapproval of Lyco's nature of emergency. He tried to brush it off nonchalantly while bragging about the gravity of his and Alan's issues. "That's what you're so riled up for? And here I thought you had a grand problem like me and Alan."
"What?" Lyco gasped in confusion, unaware of what was happening. His concern began to turn into frustration as Armis continued with his nonchalance. "Man, it's just Pisshead. He's probably lying in some bush, covered in his own vomit. Don't worry, he'll come back when he wakes up."
Alan, noticing Lyco's growing frustration, decided to intervene. "Well, while I don't agree with a single word he said, Lyco, he is right. Are you sure there isn't anything else that's got you so worked up? Come on, share with us. We're your friends; we'll help you."
Hearing Alan's words, Lyco displayed the opposite reaction. He gritted his teeth in anger and burst forth, yelling out the real reason for his worry: "TODAY IS MY WEDDING AND ARIAN HAS MY ATTIRE!!!!"
Their eyes widened in sudden realization, their hair seemingly blown back by Lyco's outburst. They both straightened up, standing tall. In front of the flared-up Lyco, they tried to feign their carelessness and hide their nonchalance by adopting serious expressions. Glancing at each other, they exchanged words in an attempt to calm Lyco down.
"Oh, that is an emergency," Armis said, trying to sound serious.
"Clearly bigger than ours. Let's help our friend out," Alan replied. Both of them then gently nudged the angry, teeth-gritting Lyco back into his room.
Coming out of Lyco's room after twenty minutes, all three of them rushed down the hallway with urgency. Alan and Armis were now partially dressed in the attire meant for the wedding.
Alan was wearing loose-fitting black pants and the white buttoned overall, his hair slicked back with water, but his eyes still showed signs of unfinished sleep.
Armis, on the other hand, wore an overly revealing black overall, his chest clearly exposed as he hadn't bothered to tighten it with the thread at the collar. Below, he wore black tights and boots. His eyes were also hazy, and his hair was frizzled all over his head.
Lyco, wearing only his blue nightgown, led them down the stairs with urgency lacing his tone as he informed them, "Last I saw him was this morning. As you said, he was clearly still drunk from last night, but he insisted on getting my altered attire from the Regal Tailors. But he still hasn't come back yet."
Glancing back at his friends, Lyco observed the urgency on their faces and their attire. Puzzled by their choice, he asked, "Are you two sure you should be wearing those right now? If they get soiled, Relecta and Aurelia are gonna kill you." Armis, moving ahead of Lyco with Alan tailing closely behind, replied in a stern tone, clearly focused on the task at hand, "Yeah, well, seeing them right now isn't gonna elicit any other reaction. And these are the only clothes we could find in your room. Good thing we kept them there when we were gonna prepare you for the wedding, right?"
Armis directed a feigned smile at Lyco, trying to brush off his question, but only weirding him out further. Lyco caught onto his other point as he asked, "Oh yeah, that. What's that about? What happened with you two earlier, all drenched in sweat, naked, covered with sheets, and what was that about coitus? Come on, guys, tell me what you two did? I know Poduria has given you two permission, but still, that is—"
"Me and Relecta had coitus," Alan interjected, cutting through Lyco's lecture and confessing his problem to him, as his voice only made Alan's throbbing head worse.
"Coitus? What are you talking about?" Lyco, confused by Alan's choice of words, questioned back.
"He popped her cherry," Armis chimed in, clearing Lyco's confusion and giving him a look of surprise as Alan displayed a streak of blush on his cheeks.
"You did? Wait, but why is it such a big deal? And Alan, you just did it? I thought you had done it long ago," Lyco asked in confusion, mirroring Armis's earlier reaction to Alan's problem.
Alan, giving Lyco the same disgusted gaze, gradually shifted his tone sternly as he replied, "What?! You too!? No, obviously not. We are taking things slow, that is wh—"
"Nah! Moron is worried that he will get Relecta pregnant in one go," Armis chimed in once again, disrupting Alan's explanation and eliciting a glare from Alan towards him.
Lyco, glancing back and forth between Armis and Alan, drowning in confusion, asked, "What?! No, dude. Everyone knows that it takes more than once to get a girl pre—"
"At least I am better than him. Confused stud over there is worried about how Aurelia is going to kill him when she realizes that he slept with her and Artereia both together last night," Alan retorted, glaring at Armis as he revealed his problem as revenge.
"What?! How… what??? The hell? How the hell did you manage to do that, Armis? You really are a stud! But why are you worried? You should be happy," Lyco reacted in the same manner as Alan had earlier when he heard Armis's issue.
"Yeah, that is what I said," Alan chimed in frustration as they moved towards the main gate of the Silverforth mansion leading outside.
"I am not worried!! I am just n—" As Armis about to retort back, reaching near the door, Alan opened it instinctively, revealing Poduria helping out her siblings to prepare for the stage and seating area for the wedding.
Noticing the three, Poduria turned towards them, approaching them, she greeted, "Hey Hon… and guys. Where are you all rushing off to?"
"Nothing! We just… we are… we are going to get Lyco a haircut!" Alan, in confusion, said as he constructed a reply on the go.
"Yes, a haircut. Look at his hair. It's so long and nasty," Armis chimed in, solidifying Alan's excuse as he picked up a lock of Lyco's hair, showing it to the confused Poduria with a sheepish smile on all of their faces.
"Okay…but Lyco, honey! Do you even have time for that? Shouldn't you be getting ready?" Poduria moved forward in concern, holding onto Lyco's hands as she voiced her worries.
"Yeah…I should be…but you know what? Arian!!! Arian has taken my attire for alterations. It was a little tight, and you know I didn't want to embarrass you in front of all the guests," Lyco made up his reply as he spoke, his distant words clearing Poduria's question, with his feigned concern.
"Oh..my love. You are so sweet," Poduria said, happy at Lyco's thoughtfulness as she planted a kiss on his cheek. But concern etched on her face again as she moved away from Lyco and said, "But the tailor would be very busy right now. He messed up the sizes in mine and my sisters' attires. Only Relecta and Aurelia got their dresses in the perfect size. We thought about doing it ourselves, but my sister told me that there were some noises coming out of the Sewing room. Apparently, some animal got stuck in there, and they are too scared to check. My brothers are busy with me here in preparations, and I can't find Roba. Today has just been a disaster since the morning. I am scared, honey…what will we do?"
Starting calmly with a little concern on her face, but when one worry escaped her lips, it didn't stop until Poduria became all riled up and freaked out, almost fainting in Lyco's arms. He caught her and straightened her back up.
"Don't worry, dear, everything is going to be fine," Lyco reassured Poduria, looking into her eyes while holding her hand.
"You have a sewing room?!"
"Fancy."
- Alan and Armis chimed in together, being inconsiderate of the moment, expressing amazement.
"Guys!!" Lyco glared at both as he turned towards Poduria. Gazing into her eyes, he tried to instill hope in her heart. "Let me just get my haircut, and I will swiftly be back to help you with all this. Until then, stay strong like always, agreed?"
On Lyco's hopeful words, Poduria smiled and nodded as all three of them rushed past her towards the grand cathedral. Poduria yelled after them, "Hey!!! Where are Relecta and Aurelia?!!"
"In their rooms!!!! And if they ask about us, just tell them that we are getting haircuts too!!!" Armis yelled back in a distancing voice, as they hurried away.
The trio entered the Grand Cathedral, their steps quick and their eyes scanning around for Arian, searching even in the alleys and behind barrels. Lyco's desperation was palpable as they hurriedly made their way to the Regal Tailors.
Entering the shop, they were immediately engulfed by the crowd, some faces familiar, others unknown, all jostling together as they moved about with clothes in hand. Struggling through the throng of pilgrims and wedding guests packed into the small shop, they finally managed to squeeze through to the desk of the tailor.
The tailor, engrossed in his work, seemed oblivious to their presence until Armis tapped forcefully on his desk, calling out, "Hey!!! Old man!!"
Startled, the tailor turned and saw Lyco, his eyes widening in amazement. Hurriedly approaching Lyco, he grabbed his hand and kissed it, expressing gratitude profusely, "Oh dear sir, I have never had such business in months, all thanks to your wedding. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I may have made some minor mistakes, but overall, everything is going well."
"Minor? Really, man?" Armis exclaimed, his frustration evident.
"You've made all of our female companions' dresses shorter... larger... I'm not sure of the issue, but you screwed up, sir," Alan added, echoing Armis's sentiment about Reamus's work.
Reamus, acknowledging their concerns, lowered his gaze with a sigh. Politely, he tried to argue back, "I see, but then I mean, I was able to make the attire of you two gentlemen and your ladies perfectly—"
"Okay, that's it! What happened, happened. Please try to fix them as soon as possible. And one more thing, has my brother come to your shop with my outfit? The blonde guy, long hair, maybe a bit drunk?" Lyco interjected, bringing Reamus to the point.
Hearing Lyco's query, Reamus replied with a downcast gaze and a tone dripping in disappointment, "No, dear sir, and I apologize for my mistake once again. But I'm afraid I haven't seen your brother this morning."
"Ugh... damn it!" As Reamus replied, the crowd began to push the three from behind, squashing them against his desk. Alan and Armis hoisted Lyco over their heads, and with a sudden burst of struggle, they pushed through and exited the shop. Reforming their squashed bodies with bated breath, all three looked at each other. Armis laughed and pointed at Alan's overall, teasing him, "Ha! Your shirt is all messed up! Relecta's gonna kill ya!"
"You're the one to talk!" Alan retorted, making Armis notice his own wrinkled overall, flushing a look of concern on both of their faces.
"Guys, focus!" Lyco's urgent yell halted their teasing, bringing their attention back to the matter at hand. He continued, "Where could he be? If Reamus is right, then I'm sure Arian never stepped foot in the Grand Cathedral. Then where could he be?"
"Did you ask Longiseus? Or anyone from the Crimson Army?" Armis chimed in with a suggestion.
"No, he can't be with them. Master Longiseus, Lady Roartad, Leotrus, Bretren, and Orioros went to the main cathedral with Father Zeneth to get the blessing for the wedding from the higher gods. Arian and Artereia were supposed to go as well, but Arian was too drunk, and they couldn't find Artereia." Lyco replied to Armis's suggestion, his gaze drifting towards the pathway leading to the main cathedral.
Fidgeting in worry, Lyco turned his gaze towards Alan, who stood frozen in thought, his chin resting in his palm. Lyco called out to him, expecting him to be mulling over a solution. "Alan! Alan... Alan!!! What the hell are you thinking about?" Unresponsive at first, Alan suddenly jolted back to his friends upon hearing his name in Lyco's yell. He looked around and, with an apologetic tone, replied, "Oh, I'm sorry. I was just thinking about something."
"Thinking about what?" Lyco asked, crossing his arms and matching Alan's gaze.
"Nothing... just wondering how Relecta would be feeling right now. You know, how I ran as soon as I realized what had happened last night and all," Alan replied, his gaze averting from Lyco as he found a seat on a nearby barrel.
Understanding his friend's worry, Lyco decided to address his feelings first before continuing their search. He moved and took a seat beside Alan on another barrel.
Looking towards the sky, he said, "You know, Alan, we always knew you were a bit of an enigma, being from eastern Pompeii and all aside. You rarely talked about your feelings with us. Until Relecta came into your life, then dude, you underwent a huge change, even surprising us sometimes. But you know, it was nice, seeing your other side and all, the caring, loving Alan. But you know, there is a downside to your behavior."
Lyco turned his gaze to Alan, who met his eyes in return. Lyco spoke in a comforting yet realistic tone, aiming to make Alan understand one of his flaws.
"Man... sometimes you seem so distant from things that should come naturally to you, it makes others around you uncomfortable. I'm not saying you should rush into intimacy and all with Relecta, but if she's taken a step forward, you shouldn't be running away from her. That would only make the situation more difficult for you. And dude, you're married—have fun! Getting 'Coitus' is one of the good things that come out of marriage for both you and her. So don't ruin it by worrying about other things. And even if something like that does happen, we'll all be there to help you out. That's what friends are for."
Lyco's supportive words sparked a new light in Alan's eyes, transforming his frown into a humble smile. He was about to thank Lyco for his support when Armis interjected with an epiphany.
"Farms!" Armis exclaimed.
"Huh?" Alan and Lyco echoed in confusion.
Armis, sporting a smug and excited expression, elaborated, "Think about it, guys! You said Arian was drunk, right? What if he wandered off in his drunken state and ended up in the farms? Maybe he hit his head or something."
Lyco's hope initially surged at Armis's theory, but it dwindled as he responded with disappointment, "Really, man? I mean, your theory could be right, but why does it have to end with Arian getting hurt?"
"Still, Armis might be onto something, Lyco. We should check out the farm quickly," Alan suggested urgently.
Armis attempted to boast with a smug face, declaring, "See, that's why I'm the leader of our party." However, his bragging was met with guilty cringes from Alan and Lyco, leaving Armis puzzled as he asked, "What?"
"Oh...you didn't know, right?" Lyco remarked.
"Yeah, he didn't. Armis, you're not the leader anymore, but hey, let's find Arian first!" Alan swiftly redirected their focus to the task at hand, feigning urgency as he and Lyco dashed back toward Favua Farms. Armis was left reeling with confusion and shock, trailing behind them and yelling out for an explanation. "Guys?...Guys??!!! What does that mean?!! Stop, you two!! Tell me what that meant?!!"
Reaching into Favua Farms, all three began searching relentlessly for Arian, calling out to him and parting through the bushes, leaves, and plants for clues to his whereabouts. Walking deeper into the farm, Alan suddenly heard a grumble, causing him to startle. He quickly called out to the others with a low voice, trying to maintain the sound's direction.
"Did you hear that?" Alan whispered as he motioned for Lyco and Armis to approach cautiously.
"What is that?" Lyco asked, his voice hushed as they moved toward the source of the sound, emanating from a thick patch of Favua leaves in the damp soil.
"It could be an animal, maybe a Lacerpull," Alan suggested quietly, his tone laced with caution and fear.
"Or maybe it's Arian, and he's been eaten by whatever's making that noise!" Armis added, earning a glare from Lyco, who couldn't contain his frustration and raised his voice slightly, "Armis, shut up!"
As they approached, the sound grew louder and more ominous.
—meeahahhhhhhaaa—-grumblaaaaa—-