Mine...Yours Pt. 04

Chapter 12: Student

Do you have any idea...ANY idea, of how good it feels to be free? I'm not talking about the feeling you get when you put down a heavy backpack. That just means you set down a weight you have been carrying, that's like when you let go of an old grudge or resentment. While that does feel good, I still got plenty of those. I am talking about being FREE! When you can take a breath and the joy of life fills your lungs. You look at the world with new eyes and an appreciation you didn't have before, you feel like you can do anything and BE everything. It's like you can only contain 10 cubic feet of happiness in your heart but somehow you found a way to push twice that in there! It's the most unbelievable feeling ever!

I still have not experienced it.

Sorry to let everyone down, nope...I'm not better. I feel better, having not locked a bunch of myself away, but I am still a damaged human. Do I have a new appreciation for life? You bet! Do I still have a tough patch to hoe? Well, looking across the table at a succubae with a death-grip on my hand tells me all I need to know about that. My life just got a whole lot more complicated. For some reason, I can't stop smiling. I mean, come on, my life was just going to work and come home, over and over again. I was in a trench that I had made for my own safety. "Routine is King." and all that nonsense. I used to take my paychecks from my old job, hop in my truck and just drive one direction to see where it would take me, then use the other half of the paycheck to pay for gas to get back home. Sure I would be broke, but who cares? I had stories to tell!

Looking at this scary, and yes, beautiful woman in front of me...I am going to have one hell of a story to tell!

Lucretia wiped her eyes with her left hand, and looked down where we were still joined. She watched as my thumb continued to gently caress the back of her right hand. "Why do you touch me?" she asked.

"Comfort." I replied simply. My voice cracked, and I cleared it. I looked over and saw Mother's mug of coffee half-empty and probably cold sitting on the table and took a drink. Yes, I look at things as half-empty, and yes I did guess the coffee was cold. It was, I was right, so there!

I glanced at Mother who was still smiling, but not as wide, thankfully. I was starting to like her, but those choppers of hers, they gave me the heebie-jeebies. "Is that it, are we bound...uhm...binded...whatever the word is?"

"Yes, little mage...you are both one." She smirked. My jaw fell open. ONE? That is, that is...what the? She laughed that creepy laugh again.

"Oh the look on your faces!" She chortled. I turned my face and saw Lucretia with the same expression of shock I must be wearing.

"Being on this Plane is so refreshing!" Mother continued. "I seem to be developing a sense of whimsy." She took the mug I was still holding in my hand and polished off the dregs of the coffee inside of it.

"Release his hand now, daughter." Lucretia did so, and Mother took her clawed hand in hers and kissed the wound in her daughter's palm. When she took her lips away, she looked into Lucretia's eyes and murmured something I didn't catch. The grey skinned succubus bowed her head and nodded, then Mother kissed the top of her bald head between her horns. She came nearer to me, and took my hand in her own, I almost pulled back, then thought better of it. Old reflexes and all, but if Mother wanted to hurt me, she'd had plenty of opportunities already and hadn't done it yet.

She turned my right hand palm up and then kissed the wound, she paused, did it again. When she looked at me her eyes were puzzled, then cleared as she gave me a knowing grin. "So, you're one of those Brooks?" She said softly, her white eyes searching mine. I could see a touch of red on her lips from the tiny puncture in my palm. I reached up with my other hand and gingerly wiped it off.

"If this is going to be another type of bloodline, lost royalty, prince, and kingdom bit..." I began.

She giggled, sounding very human as she did. "No, young mage. You have already made your feelings known to me on that subject!" Her finger's traced my cheek. She seemed about to move away and stand, but then moved in close to whisper in my ear. I could feel the soft brush of her hair on my cheek.

"I will only say this once, Gregory Bastion Brooks..." She began. Her voice was soft, but strong in a way that reverberated in my mind down to its core. Like it was imprinting itself on the Foundation of Thought itself.

"There is a great Power in being a Teacher, in the passing on of knowledge to a Student. It is one of the most sacred of all traditions, and one of the most looked over. There is also a form of Protection as well. For when you guide another, you become more than you thought you were able to be. While the one you guide becomes more as well. You hope one day they become more than you ever were, and so the cycle goes on. Become...Grow...Learn...Surpass!"

She slowly pulled back and I looked up into her face as she picked up my hand and licked the blood I took off her lips with my finger. She winked at me and said coquettishly, "I have your scent Greg!" Then disappeared. Seriously, just disappeared! No theatrically raising arms and poof of smoke, no ripple in the air, or portals or anything. Just...gone.

I took a deep breath and scrubbed my hands over my face. I had scooted my chair back from the table when Mother came around to talk to me. Now, I leaned over my lap, elbows supporting my head and just sat there, absorbing everything that just happened. I was tired, sitting in my kitchen barefoot in gym shorts and grass stains and sore ribs. My head hurt, and I was filled with emotions I hadn't felt in a long, long time. It was quiet, except for the light dripping sound from my sink that I never got around to tightening. There was a light tapping noise, like a fingernail on wood, I could hear it under the table. I turned, bending over more and I saw a pair of bird-like feet with long black talons tapping on the floor slowly.

Right...this is going to take some getting used to.

I exhaled slowly and sat upright, staring at my new...uhm...roommate? She had crossed her arms under her naked breasts and had a challenging look to her, like she was waiting for me to give her orders just so she could flip me off. I wonder, do succubae flip people off or just...ah heck. I need a nap, how am I going to get work done with all of this... oh crap! Work! I looked at the clock; it was only 5:45pm. Whew. I do have time to take a nap.

"I need sleep." I said suddenly and Lucretia jolted in her chair. I guess she was expecting me to say something else. "You tired?" I asked. She appeared to think about that for a moment.

"I am mentally fatigued, but my body is fine." She said quietly. I raised my eyebrows at that. Oh yes, her body was MORE than fine to my eyes! It was also naked, crap, she needs clothes. I don't have anything that would fit her. Can I leave her here alone to go shopping? Maybe I can borrow some clothes from Gwen? No, Lucretia's too big off a girl...Jemima? No, Jemima's too tall. Hildy is right out way too big unless Lucretia wanted to swim in her shirts, and how would the wings fit anyway? None of this thinking is productive, I need some rest first, then go to work. Everything will be clearer with a nap. I stood up and so did Lucretia, she moved back keeping the table between us. I saw her reaction and shook my head.

"Really?" I asked. "After all the stuff that took place in my head, that really is how you react to me?" She looked all around, then grimaced at me.

"What someone says, and what someone does are two different things...Master!" she said in a clipped tone. I winced at her title of me. "Names Greg, not...that other word."

"You are my Master and I will call you Master!"

"Well if I am your Master, then call me Greg!"

"Very well...Greg. Is Master pleased with me calling him by his name?"

Sigh

I walked closer to her, and she backed up to the counter by the sink and came to a stop. Her wings spread wide and she began to tremble as I continued to move closer. I reached up my arms and she put her fingers, claws first against my skin; a little bit of pressure was all it would take to impale me. I wasn't thinking about that though.

All humans have certain feelings that are innate, that we are born with. Sometimes, they are suppressed. Sometimes they are beaten out of us by hardships and trials. Other times we lock them away. Like I did, which is a stupid thing to do by the way. Want to know what one aspect of Justice is? Compassion. I looked into those solid black eyes of Lucretia and felt compassion. In a strange world, and bound to someone she only met twice. First time I beat her and shamed her. Second time wasn't really conducive to getting to know each other. I am basically a stranger and now she knows me and sees me in a way most husbands and wives NEVER get to know each other. She probably feels like a fish out of water gasping for breath on dry land!

So, I felt compassion for an other-wordly denizen who wanted to kill me. I guess I am more sensitive than smart. I came closer and pressed against the claws she held against me. My hands slid under her shoulders and followed by my arms. Her hands spread open, palms against my chest as I hugged her.

"Remember this?" I asked softly. Her breathing was increasing. "Remember what I said to you, what you said to me, not so very long ago?" I felt wetness against my chest and her hands slowly slid up to circle around my neck. She nuzzled her lips and nose against my throat. I felt her nod once; actually I felt her horns bump against my chin more than the nod!

"You told me you would not limit me, and that you choose to trust me...fool." She said quietly.

"Yep...I am." I returned.

"I could kill you right now." She said quietly.

"Yeah, look where your teeth are." I said with a chuckle and pushed my throat harder against her lips. I felt them part, and sharp little pinpricks gripped my throat.

Her arms tightened around me. I could feel her nipples harden against my chest and her legs straddled my thigh, I had a feeling that the leg of my shorts was going to be a little wet. She made soft mewling sounds in her throat and I felt the pressure increase; the little pricks in my neck were more pronounced like she was lightly chewing.

"I won't stop you Lucretia, I told you I trust you, and I am not going to limit you. It's your choice."

I slowly ran my hands up and down her spine. My left cradled the back of her neck and my right went all the way down to the countertop by her hip then wrapped around her waist, drawing her tighter to me. I turned my head, and felt the pressure lessen from my throat as I did. Probably would have cut me if she hadn't eased off... For a moment I wondered why I was doing this, this wasn't like me, and I had no idea how to interact with other people very well. Let alone, a frightened and confused succubae! For some reason, it felt right. She needed to have this, whatever "this" was.

I finished turning my head so I was within range, and with her teeth still on my neck and I gently kissed the spot on her head where her mother had done so just a few minutes prior. "It's okay, I'm here, I am going to help you however I can." She gasped, letting go of my neck with her teeth and burrowed her face into my chest.

"I am so scared!" She squeaked. "You are not acting like...I am just so...Raaah!" She squeezed me tighter and her wings wrapped tight around me and made it hard to breathe. The girl had one heck of a grip! I took a deep breath, and she seemed to sense I needed oxygen to survive. I filled my lungs finally. With arms and wings still around me I felt more than heard her begin to talk again.

"This...everything is so different to me. Your home is different, every smell is different, the sounds are strange I don't even know how to describe most of them. Your plants are all... I have only been here twice! My sisters..." I interrupted her.

"Your sisters are not here, I am." I gripped her a little more tightly, and she nestled into me. I hardly think it was affection that caused her to do this. I was the one thing that she actually knew in this Plane. I would think a swimmer would do the same thing to a rock if they were in a fast current and didn't want to be swept along to who knows where. To any one who was peeping through a window and watching this they might think this is sexual. No, it was something far more than that. You have to look at what she is, a killer, a predator who was designed to drain energy from her targets and then go back home to do whatever they do with all of that stuff. Of course it was hard to think of her like that, wrapped up naked against me...naked...clothes. Where the hell am I going to find clothes? Lost my train of thought, ah well.

"Come on, Lucretia. I need a shower and a nap, you probably could do with some rest too." I took her by the hand and we walked out the back door to the porch where I kept the camp shower. She was glancing furtively about my yard as if to see what might be coming for her.

"Why are the trees different colors?" she asked.

"The leaves? Oh, it's fall, leaves change color and fall off. They grow back next year."

"I see...what is a year?"

Sigh...gonna need to start with the basics.

I went back inside and hung up my shower. It hadn't really had time to warm up, but it was a little better than lukewarm. I started to get undressed when I saw her standing there watching me.

"A little privacy please?" I asked.

"Why?"

"I am going to get naked and generally I don't like being viewed naked, that's why." I responded.

"I am...naked...why shouldn't you be?"

"Well...because...you don't have clothes yet, I do. You had no choice to be naked, I do. Anyway, I need to wash up before taking a nap. Just, ah, help yourself to some food in the kitchen and I'll be out in a bit...okay?"

She seemed to ponder this, then finally nodded. I noticed that she had to tuck her wings in to go through the doorway. Huh, how am I going to make that easier on her?

I finally got to lather up and get rid of all the grass stains, and had to be careful around the bruising on my back and ribs. I was just rinsing off when I heard a sharp hiss and a cry from the kitchen. I threw the curtain wide and raced out of the bathroom as fast as I could, dripping water. What I saw was...odd. I saw Lucretia hissing angrily at a rather large rat struggling ineffectually in her grip. It was squeaking and chattering in her grip and she was chattering back at it.

"Master! I caught this thief trying to steal from you!" she said, giving the offending criminal a shake. I ...I really have no words to describe how I felt. It was ludicrous! I mean, come on? How would you have reacted to the situation? I almost laughed, but I restrained myself. She actually looked very serious about the whole thing, so I decided to play along.

"Thank you Lucretia, keep him here while I get dressed." She plopped the rat down on the table making me wince. Gonna have to Clorox the table top before I eat next time. She chattered at it, and the rat huddled in on itself, and...yep, took a dump on the table. Check, extra strength Clorox. I went upstairs and dressed in jeans and a t-shirt came back down barefoot, wondering what to do. I hate that! One part of a routine meant I always knew what to do, even if it was boring. This though was a whole other ball of wax!

"Where did you find him?" I asked.

"Her...I found her, Master in the cupboard behind the column of grain." Ah, behind the oatmeal. "She tried to hide, but I caught her, she was chewing the column to get to the food." Then she glared at the rodent. "She was trying to get to my Master's food!"

I stared from her to the rat, and thought about it. A wild rat would have taken off like its tail was on fire. This one just sat in the middle of the table, shivering. As crazy as it sounds, I think Lucretia could actually talk to the rat! If that was true...well, damn, I felt sorry about the rattraps I had set out for so long.

"Lucretia, where did you learn to speak her language?" I asked. She gave me a funny look, "What do you mean her language? I just speak."

"You mean, you just know it?" I asked to clarify. She shook her head.

I continued, "I just speak English, what language do you think you are speaking?"

"I am just talking, Master. I don't understand what you mean by language or any of it. I just talk." She said simply.

Well that's definitely something to think about! Never mind for now, I have an upset rodent accused of thievery sitting on my table. I glared at the rat and it stared back with its beady eyes and twitching whiskers.

"Lucretia, please translate since I do not speak it's language and it probably does not speak mine." I could see her nod out of the corner of my eye.

"You!" I felt ridiculous talking to it in a stern voice. If this was Lucretia's idea of a joke I was going to paddle her bottom for playing this one on me! "Did you enter my house, where I live, to steal food from me?"

The darn thing rolled onto it's back and squeaked piteously! I was blown away. For just a second I thought I could hear something in the...then it went away. Hate it when my mind does that! "Yes, Master. She said she did and is asking for mercy." Lucretia ground out. I wondered what to do. I never really liked rats. I set traps, but also...what message would my actions send to Lucretia? She was like a dry sponge in this world. What would I want to teach her, show her? If I acted one way, wanting to show her compassion, understanding, and sympathy...would killing this rat out of hand since it was a pest...what would she learn from it? A dawning realization hit me of the full scope of my responsibility.

Damn! I should have asked for more gold!

"Rise." I said to the supine rat. It rolled back over to all fours. "Understand that this is my home, and my food. There is a shed out back that you may live under. Once a week I will put out a loaf of bread for you all to eat. It is for you and your family. If I, or my friend..." Lucretia looked at me in surprise while translating when I used that word and it startled me too I have to admit. "...catch a rat in my house after you, it will die. Do you understand?"

The rat squeaked again, "She understands, Master." I nodded, and without thinking too much about it, picked up the rodent and grabbed a handful of oatmeal out of the carton. I walked out the back door to the small shed in the back yard. I set the rat down and placed the dry cereal on the front step of the shed. "There...don't come back." I said in a dry tone of voice. She squeaked again and began stuffing her mouth with the cereal. As I was walking back to the house where Lucretia waited by the back door I swear I heard a faint, "Thank you!" in a high voice float to me from where the rat was. I dismissed it as an over active imagination.

Chapter 13: Rules

I came back into the house and after washing the table and my hands took Lucretia's hand in mine. "Come on, I'll show you to your room." She didn't move so I stopped.

"I had my teeth at your throat, you're not upset?" she asked.

"I'm upset, but not for that reason." I replied. She cocked her head and then followed me.

"Then what are you upset about Master?" She finally asked. I clenched my jaw.

"Your not going to let this Master title thing go, are you?" I growled.

"Your evading my question by bringing up the Master title again." She pointed out.

I shook my head. Even with her being from another Plane, and not knowing anything about humans, remarkably perceptive.

"Alright, let me show you your room first, and then..."