Warning: Lemon/smut; Mahjarrat/human. Read at your own discretion.

"I got the ice cream easily, but because it was oddly shaped, it couldn't contain the magic that kept it frozen," Jaina was saying. "I had to think of a way to keep it intact—so I Ice Blitzed it. Had to do it constantly too for the whole way to Ape Atoll. Well, I was sweating so much from being so nervous about it melting that I was worried it was going to melt anyway!"

She giggled and smiled awkwardly, remembering the experience. "At least the monkey king was pleased in the end. He even asked me to do it again a few more times later."

Azzanadra blinked and eyed her oddly. A rather long moment passed before he said anything.

"You… certainly aren't lacking in ingenuity, my dear."

Jaina blushed a little and looked down at her hands. "I, well—I do know my way around a spellbook. Magic's useful for so much more than just blasting things into oblivion."

"Indeed." Her red-haired lover suddenly smirked, raising a hand to lightly brush his fingers across her cheek. "Perhaps I shall have to think of more… creative uses of my power to show you, myself."

She shivered a little and blushed a little redder. "W-what do you mean by that?"

He merely smiled, his dark eyes glinting in the orange glow of the sunset, and took her hand in his. "You'll see, my dear, you'll see."

She was left to wonder in silence as they continued to walk together around the perimeter of the Digsite. The silence didn't feel awkward though; she did appreciate the little quiet moments by his side, moments like these, when she didn't have to worry about god rivalries or the whole World Guardian thing or the economy or anything trying to kill her.

She still found it surprising just how at ease she felt around him now. It wasn't that long ago that she would have never dared to tell him that story, out of worry that he would think she was being stupid. On the other hand, she could never have imagined they would ever be together, let alone lovers, either. Fate really did work in mysterious ways.

As they passed the barge that was somehow still under construction, a couple of the workers waved and yelled out a few "Hi"s. Jaina gave a quick nod and a wave back, hoping they had managed to see her acknowledge them in time.

Azzanadra straightened his hat a bit and sighed. "It is still saddening…"

Jaina blinked. That was rather sudden, and she was pretty sure he wasn't talking about the stupid barge.

"What is?"

"Look at it all." He motioned to the ruins just as a workman with a cart walked by. "I'm not sure I can ever get used to seeing these ruins… not when I still recall how it all used to be."

He paused a moment, looking around, and sighed again. "Senntisten was lovely at this time of day, especially around the temple grounds. You could see the spires of the Lord's residence from here, shining in the setting sun. There were flowers and bushes lining the paths, and expertly crafted sculptures… oh, if only you could have seen it! Indeed, I often imagine we're still at the height of the empire and I'm walking with you around the temple grounds, you dressed in elegant clothing and I not having to maintain a human appearance…"

He turned his gaze back to her, looking thoughtful. "Of course, I do have to wonder… I would never have believed back in those days that Zaros would ever be banished from this world, and when he was, I certainly would have laughed at the notion that a mere human would be the one to bring him back. Well, I'm not even sure you are merely human anymore… You are so much more now… What would it have even been like had I met you then? What would you have been like, for that matter?"

The young adventurer stared back at him curiously. That was certainly something to think about—she'd never considered it before. There was already so much out there to do and discover—not just in Gielinor, but now there were whole other worlds waiting for her—that she'd never felt the need to wonder what it would have been like to live in an earlier age.

"I—I don't know… Would I have been able to see the world and do things back then? I only have the reputation I do because I do things…"

"I'm sure that with your level of talent you would still have done extraordinary things," Azzanadra said, still looking thoughtful, "though you would have been potentially limited by your social position at birth. As for seeing the world… well, you might have had reason to visit the other great cities of the empire, but it is very likely you would have spent your life within Senntisten. I rarely left the city myself."

"A… a whole lifetime within one city?" Jaina frowned and looked down at her hands.

Azzanadra raised an eyebrow. "You do not seem particularly enthused at the idea."

"I, well… I know how it feels to spend a long time in one place," she said, not looking up. "I've had a natural talent for magic ever since I was little, and when I was twelve I was sent off to continue my studies at the Magic Guild in Yanille. I lived there for four years, and then I left to hone my other skills further when I turned sixteen."

She sighed. "It was so boring! There's absolutely nothing to do in that town unless you count sitting in the guild basement blowing wind in zombies' faces for ten hours, and no one ever let me go exploring. 'Oh, don't go outside the walls, if the ogres don't get you, the Khazard troops will!' 'Oh, don't go down into the dungeon under the town, the chaos druids will get you!' 'Oh, why don't you want to be a wizard? You'd make a wonderful addition to the guild!' 'Oh, why don't you settle down and marry a guild wizard when you turn sixteen?'"

A wisp floated by and bumped into her nose, and she sneezed and blushed before she continued. "Pardon me… Could you honestly blame me for leaving as soon as I could? I mean, I studied hard and practiced a lot, and I wanted to get good at magic, but I never wanted to be a wizard. Why would I want to be a doddering old hag spending her days at a desk writing long boring essays on magical theory? And I didn't want to get married either, and certainly never to a wizard. Not only do they never stop boring you to death with rambling nonsense, they were also all Saradominist!"

She cringed and drew her overcoat closer around her. "The idea of being tied down, stuck in one place and not being able to go do things, is bad enough, but being tied down with a Saradominist… oh dear Zaros, I really wouldn't be able to stand it…"

"You didn't wish to get married?" That was certainly surprising to hear, considering that she had indeed done so, and not against her will either. "I can hardly fault you for it, what with being surrounded by Saradominist fools, but…"

The red-haired Mahjarrat hesitated a moment, wondering if he should ask the question, and then decided he really rather wished to know.

"What about your prince? Did you change your mind then?"

Jaina stopped short, her eyes wide and her hands trembling. A long moment of awkward silence passed before she said anything else.

"You… you knew about Brand?"

"Yes." He drew a little closer to her, lightly brushing several fingers through her hair in an attempt to quell her shivers. "I understand if you don't wish to speak of it—"

"No, I'll—I'll tell you everything." She swallowed hard and took a deep breath, carefully collecting her thoughts before she spoke.

"I didn't entirely change my mind then… when I first went to Miscellania I still didn't want to get married. When the king told me I was going to have to marry his son, I was pretty close to horrified, even moreso when I actually first met Brand. We absolutely hated each other… I was sure I could never fall in love with such a… such a spoony bard. I turned out to be wrong about that…"

She looked down at the ground, blinking back a few tears. "But as much as I loved Brand, I knew I could never settle down and live on the island with him, let alone properly rule. I still wanted to do things, and had things to do. I don't know how well he understood that… when he was alive I pretty much assumed he did; I mean, the citizens don't seem to mind me leaving the advisor in charge and only visiting once in a blue moon, and my father-in-law does that himself… but now? I'm not so sure."

Her gaze followed a passing wisp as it floated past her head. "Sometimes I sort of wonder if I should've gotten involved as regent in the first place. I'd be a terrible ruler even if I did stay—Miscellania's a nice place, but if I stayed and lived there, I'd grow as sick of it as I am of Yanille… But Father Vargas needed someone to help, and if I hadn't, who would've?"

Sighing, she dried what little remained of any tears and stared silently at another wisp, not even blinking.

Sliding one hand firmly around her shoulder, Azzanadra pulled her into a partial embrace and met her gaze as he smiled.

"Your kindness is admirable, Jaina. You could have insisted you would never get married and left the kingdom to rot… just as you could have betrayed our cause at any time, or told me you'd never risk your life to help me contact some strange god you knew nothing about, or even left me to rot in that stupid pyramid. I may never stop thanking my lord for the fact that you're here."

Again he ran a hand gently through her hair, and as she smiled shakily up at him, he took her hand in his once more so they could resume their walk.

"In any case, Yanille is a small town where, as you said, little happens. Senntisten stretched most of the way across the north of what is now Misthalin, and you could never say nothing was happening there. It was always exuberant and lively; you would have had many options to alleviate your boredom, and you would have at least found it far less constraining."

"What kind of things? Would I still have been able to practice magic?" She couldn't help but remember the statue of Dahmaroc just then. "I mean, I kind of take it for granted that I can make my own runes."

Now that she brought it up, he did remember the matter of runes being an issue, though he hadn't had to worry about it much at the time. That had been more something the Legates had had to deal with… and he wasn't keen on imagining her serving in the imperial army anyway. Not that it would have been likely for a girl of her age to do so.

"You would certainly have had far greater opportunities to learn magic, and greater access to the runes you would need, than someone outside the empire would have—though only a select few knew the Ancient Magicks." He adjusted his hat thoughtfully. "I do believe I might still have taught them to you, and it would have been just as great a privilege as it is for you now. If even Senntisten truly could not contain you, that would have been the only way you could've reasonably traveled across the empire. My kind could of course teleport without issue, but nearly everyone else would have had to walk."

"Well, I do hate having to walk too much," she remarked, shaking her head. "I had to walk most of the way to deliver the ice cream… Blasted thing was too volatile to teleport with."

She blinked and stared at him. "I'm still a bit confused though. So I could've still learned magic, but only if I were really lucky from the sounds of it… and what exactly would I have even been doing?"

At this he suddenly smiled, his dark eyes lighting up as he slid a hand around her shoulder once more.

"I like to think you might have been a priestess. Zaros needed all the help he could get to keep the church in order. You would have had time to uncover the city's secrets as you wished when off duty—and you certainly would have caught my attention from there."

Already he couldn't help but recall his recurring dreams of her as a priestess. She would be walking down the path leading to the temple, her loosened hair matching the bright purple of her robes, her pale shoulders visible, singing as she lit the braziers lining the path. That particular fantasy had partially inspired the little gift he had given her.

Jaina recoiled slightly, her face growing considerably redder. "I—I'm guessing I would've mostly gotten noticed because of my hair?"

"Not just your hair," Azzanadra said, gently pulling her back towards him. "Although it does make you… stand out, I didn't notice you because of your hair. You would still be just as intelligent, competent, and courageous if your hair were brown or blonde."

She had always greatly appreciated his believing in her, but she still wasn't sure she would have been anything special in the empire, unless it was because of her hair. Even if she could have gone and done things, she wouldn't have gotten to save him—or likely been able to do anything important enough to catch the attention of an undoubtedly extremely busy high priest, for that matter.

"It's… it's interesting to wonder about what might have been, I guess," she finally said. "But it's probably for the better that I'm here now… I mean, had I lived then, who could have filled the role I do now? The world does need me…"

"Indeed… You were very much worth waiting centuries to meet." He lightly caressed her hand and looked wistfully at the ruins. "I merely can't help but miss those days sometimes—and when I do, I find myself wishing you could have been there with me. It was a simpler time, with fewer worries—well, I did essentially have to run everything, but the stress of the job seems a breeze compared to dealing with a second god war… let alone the Elder Gods."

Her lip quivered a bit at the thought of what she might soon have to face. "I can tell that's a big, big understatement…"

She drew herself up straighter and held his hand tightly, her voice suddenly filled with determination. "But we won't fail. I won't fail. I—I can't fail… Not when I've come so far…"

His eyes seemed to light up once more as he pulled her up against him. "Ah, Jaina… You should believe in yourself like that more often, my love. Come, this way."

He led her behind a large urn, out of sight of any of the night shift workers, and leaned in closer, pausing just above her lips. She could feel his ginger beard brush against her chin as he softly kissed her, stroking her hair as he did.

The purple-haired girl blushed slightly and smiled as she gazed back at her lover, feeling thankful for having him around. She did so hope that Zaros would watch over them both.

He scratched his beard thoughtfully and eyed her oddly. "Hmmm… You know, there is something that occurs to me…"

She blinked and gave him a curious look. "What?"

"Here." He removed his hat and placed it on her head.

"W-what?" She quickly took it off and put it back on his head. "Oh no, I—I couldn't possibly…"

He merely raised an eyebrow as he planted it straight back on her head. "Oh, why? You would turn down a token of my appreciation?"

"N-no, it's not that… It's just… It doesn't suit me at all!" she said, putting it back on his head. "It's so… so… so masculine, and so much better suited to you than me. And it's going to mess up my hair." She pulled at her pigtails to straighten her hair ties a bit.

"Your hair has endured more intense conditions than being under a hat." He placed it firmly back on her head and tilted her chin up so she was looking at him. "It will look just as lovely with you wearing the hat—as will all of you, for that matter."

"Oh, but it doesn't go at all with my dress," she protested. "And it's too big for my head!"

"It seems to fit you fine," he pointed out. "Please, Jaina, wear it just for now, for me."

The young adventurer shrank back slightly, looking a bit guilty. "I—I don't mean to be rude; I'm just not one for hats! And with you hatless, it just seems like… Like something's missing…"

Azzanadra rolled his eyes and sighed. "It won't kill you to dress a little differently than you usually do, my dear, now stop being so silly."

"But I feel silly," she insisted, taking it off again.

Before she could protest any further, a small rumble sounded, and she dropped the hat and quickly looked around for the source of the sound.

"What was that?" She looked around worriedly again. "I swear I heard a strange sound from somewhere around here…"

Another rumble sounded, this time a little louder, and she felt a small shaking under her feet. She froze, trembling as a cold sweat overcame her.

"W-what's going on?…"

As if to give her an answer, the ground shook again, a little bit at first, but steadily growing quicker and louder by the second. Jaina shrieked and covered her head as she dropped to her knees, desperately trying to remember how that blasted home teleport spell went. She had no idea what was happening, but the sooner she could get to somewhere safe before the ground swallowed her up, the better!

Azzanadra could feel a strong shiver go down his spine, for far different reasons. How long had it been since any seismic activity had happened? He couldn't recall; the last time had probably been back on Freneskae. Never mind the little details; with there being an earthquake, and with someone so lovely by his side—well, there was only one thing to do.

Coming up behind the still-panicked Jaina, he embraced her and guided her back onto her feet, one hand catching in her hair. He held her securely closer, deftly pulling out her hair ties as he teleported the both of them away.

She was still too startled to notice the world changing around her, and by the time she registered what had happened, he had lifted her up bridal style and was softly stroking her hair as he moved in to trail heated kisses down her neck.

She tried to ask what was going on, but the only sound that came out was a small gasp, and she couldn't help but continue to gasp as he continued to kiss her neck. Her eyes darted around in confusion, and she saw that they were in a small, dimly lit room that contained a bed with a maroon bedspread and not much else. What were they doing here, and why was he suddenly so… affectionate? Oh well, at least he had brought her somewhere where there wasn't an earthquake going on; she didn't feel anything shaking anymore…

That was when the first aftershock shook the floor, and Jaina shrieked again and shut her eyes tight. It seemed they hadn't gone very far at all… but why? The place might collapse on them if they stayed!

Azzanadra seemed a bit oblivious to the young adventurer's panicked state, and he certainly wasn't fazed by the shaking floor. Drawing back the bedspread, he assumed his true form and placed Jaina on the bed, leaning in to kiss her passionately. Gently he slipped off her overcoat and proceeded to fumble with the buttons on the back of her dress as he deepened the kiss a bit.

As they came up for air, she stared up at him in wide-eyed confusion and quickly spoke up as best as she could manage.

"Aa-ah… what… where… why… Azzanadra?"

"Shhh, my dear, don't panic." He took a moment to run a hand through her hair, hoping to calm her down a bit, before returning his attention to getting the buttons loose.

"Accursed things," he muttered, feeling them slip out of his grasp nearly every time he tried to undo one. "How do you stand it?"

"W-what do you mean, don't panic?" she practically shouted, trembling and clutching at his robes as she felt the bed shake from the next aftershock. "The whole room could collapse any minute now if this keeps up!"

Noticing the worried look in her eyes, Azzanadra stopped short, not moving for a moment. Then he gently brushed a lock of purple hair out of her eyes and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"My apologies… I didn't mean to frighten you, my dear."

Jaina blinked and stared up at him, her panic having seemed to fade slightly. She was still quivering, but not nearly as much.

"I-it isn't you," she finally said. "I only… well… Why here? Why now? Can't we go somewhere safe?"

He mentally cursed himself for acting so inconsiderately. Of course she didn't know the significance of this—she wouldn't know the details of Mahjarrat tradition, and this was the only earthquake he could recall ever happening on Gielinor. How foolish of him to have forgotten to realize that! Oh dear Zaros, he might have harmed her had he continued to be so thoughtless!

Well, her questions wouldn't go unanswered, but that would have to wait. Surely she would at least understand how much he needed her now. If she didn't… well, as strong as his urges were, he still wouldn't force her.

"I'm sure this place can withstand some seismic activity. And if it can't—" he took a moment to slip the dress over her head—"trust me, it will be alright. I will see to it that nothing bad happens to you."

She shivered a little as she felt the chill of the air on her pale skin, and her expression softened, though she didn't look entirely reassured. "But—why can't we do this somewhere there isn't an earthquake? I-I don't get it…"

Well, at least it seemed she wouldn't mind him having her… Still, he would let her go if she wished, but he did so hope she would stay.

"I'll explain when we're finished… Please, Jaina, close your eyes and relax… I want you to enjoy this."

He met her gaze and placed both hands on her bandaged chest. "Shall I continue?"

Jaina quivered a little in anticipation, taking notice of the small warmth growing in her stomach. On the one hand, who knew how many more aftershocks there might be, and how intense? On the other… she knew she could trust him, and this wasn't even close to the most dangerous thing she'd ever been through. She'd survived Freneskae, after all.

Finally she nodded slowly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Yes…"

It was Azzanadra's turn to shudder. Oh, how a simple word could have the sweetest sound when it came from her lips! He could feel his already intense urges growing stronger, and had to resist the impulse to rip the bandages off her right then and there. He needed her so badly… but he also needed to control himself, to make sure not to hurt her…

Slowly he set about the arduous task of undoing her bindings. Why did human female clothing always have to have such annoyances to overcome? Well, they were somewhat less a pain than the buttons, partly because the ends of the bandages were dyed black, but it still tended to take forever to actually undo them. It would be less time-consuming to leave them be, but it was far more worth it to deal with them—he certainly didn't wish to miss out on any part of her lovely form.

She sat up and proceeded to help undo them as well, from the end he wasn't dealing with. He smiled softly at her as the bandages fell away and leaned in closer, placing his mouth over her nipple as soon as they were gone.

Hardly had the first loud cry escaped her lips than his hand was on the other one, gently teasing and tracing circles around it. He smirked slightly against her nipple and swirled his tongue around it, reveling in her exotic taste.

Feeling her insides growing hotter, she continued to squeak and cry out loudly, already starting to forget the aftershocks. She recalled his comment about using magic at a time like this from earlier—but she knew he didn't need to resort to magic to liven things up; the magic of his touch was enough to set her heart—and the rest of her—ablaze.

He made a sound that was halfway between a grunt and a moan and switched sides, kissing and licking at her breast a lot more eagerly than before. As he did, his other hand started to slowly drift down her stomach and between her legs. She didn't quite notice until she felt him gently move her underwear out of the way, and couldn't help but gasp when she felt his hand come to rest on her entrance.

No sooner had she shifted her position ever so slightly to allow him a bit of room than he began to trace a finger along her entrance, sliding it across a few times before partially slipping it into her. The wail that escaped her lips only served to encourage him, and he buried his finger a little further in, lightly stroking her pulsing insides.

The heat within her flared up with every movement, and she swayed a bit underneath him, her cries coming out loud and quick. She could sense her breaking point drawing closer—not quite on the verge, but it was definitely getting there.

She gasped and spluttered a bit, as if trying to say something, as she felt him add another finger to the mix. It took her a couple seconds and quite a few tries before she managed to find her voice.

"Ah… Azzanadra…"

A strong shiver ripped through him, and he paused and drew back. The young World Guardian never spoke any more than she had to during lovemaking; she tended to express herself more through simple cries of ecstasy, swaying, writhing movements, and her hands. To hear her call out his name was a rare treat, one that made his heart jump for joy in a way he'd thought he'd never feel until Zaros had returned.

"Yes, Jaina… I love it when you say my name…"

His heart wasn't the only thing that wanted to jump out, though—as much as her fair breasts deserved attention, he could no longer endure the constraints of his clothing. He sat up and slowly disrobed, save for his hat, his eyes never leaving her as he did.

Jaina smiled shakily as she saw his chiseled form come into view, her face flushing a bit red. Slowly she drew closer and stretched out a hand to touch his cheek.

The champion of Zaros smiled and watched her intently as she pressed her form into his, slipping her other arm around his shoulder. She smiled a little brighter and proceeded to trace her fingers over his face stripes.

Azzanadra sighed contentedly, reveling in the feeling of her silky skin against his own and her tender caresses. It was a bit strange that she would fixate on one of his plainer features, though he certainly didn't have a problem with her touching him. On the other hand, it was rather cute that she had such a fondness for even such a small and insignificant part of him—he had certainly never thought that human hair was anything more than a pointless, useless waste before, and yet hers was one of his favorite parts of her both to look at and touch.

Hardly had the thought crossed his mind than he had started to stroke it again—ah, it was so bright, so soft, so striking! And there was none other like it in the whole of Gielinor—he was sure that wasn't only true of its color, either.

Jaina blinked and made a soft hum, but didn't stop tracing her fingers along his face. Her other hand was sliding slowly over his shoulders and then down over his chest.

He couldn't help but shiver with delight. While they weren't as lovely to both look at and touch as, say, her lips, breasts, shoulders, and hair, he had just as great a love for her skillful hands. Her touch was graceful and light, and he could sense the eagerness and curiosity in the way she let her hands travel all over him, stroking every curve, every muscle. What she lacked in talent with her mouth, she more than made up for with the way she used her hands.

She hesitated a moment, her hand shaking a bit where it rested on his stomach. Then she pulled it back briefly, placing two fingers in her mouth, and reached back for him, leaning in to kiss his cheek as she did.

His eyes grew wide, and another wild shudder overtook him as he felt her slender, agile fingers wrap around his arousal. Had she somehow been reading his mind? Oh, how he hoped she would continue to touch it, and possibly even bring in her other hand as well!

"Jaina… Ah, Jaina…"

Slowly she ran her hand along his length, her fingers trembling as she did. She did not look at what her hand was doing, instead keeping her eyes on his face to watch his reactions.

Though he felt a small disappointment at the fact that she didn't seem to want to look at it, that was quickly forgotten when he felt her continue to slowly caress him. Closing his eyes, he jerked forward slightly, causing it to jump in her hand.

"Ah, watch it, Jaina… It's getting… harder… to… resist you…"

The purple-haired girl paused a moment, shivering a little when she saw the look of desperation in his eyes. Then she ran her hand along his arousal once more and gave the tip of it a gentle squeeze.

He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take—especially since he sensed another aftershock on its way! Several shivers of delight went down his spine… and then she did it again, twice. Oh, he didn't want her to stop… but how badly he wanted to take her now…

"Jai… na… Can't… hold… back… much… longer…"

The next aftershock arrived just then, shaking the floor more intensely than any of the others before it. That was it—any thought of restraint instantly vanished from his mind. He wanted her—no, desperately needed her, right this very moment.

Pulling the bedspread up and over them, he seized her shoulders and quickly pinned her securely underneath him, kissing her feverishly. Before she could even react, he guided her legs apart and entered her without warning.

Her eyes snapped wide open and she shuddered violently; what would have been her startled cry came out instead as a partially stifled moan into the searing kiss. His entrance had been so rough and sudden that it hurt—not that much, his too-strong grip on her shoulders hurt more, but still enough to make her eyes water.

Although he'd taken the opportunity to explore her mouth once more, he hadn't yet begun his movements, and instead just held her there. She presumed he was giving her a few moments to adjust to his presence—she did tend to need them; though she was getting used to him, his large size could still be a little difficult for her to handle.

Breaking the kiss, Azzanadra took a moment to gaze down at his young lover. A worried look crossed his face when he saw the small tears in her eyes.

"Jaina… You're not hurt, are you?"

She shook her head. "Didn't hurt too much… I only… didn't see it… coming…"

He frowned and studied her closely with a look of concern. Letting go of her right shoulder, he brushed a few strands of purple hair out of her eyes and dried her tears.

"I am sorry if I startled you… My dear, you must understand something before we continue—I do not have enough control over my urges to be gentle with you this time. If you need me to stop or slow down, or if you're in pain, do not hesitate to say so. I don't know what I'd do if I were to hurt you…"

Jaina knew he had a point, and that was something she could—and would—reasonably do, though she was sure she could trust him not to hurt her anyway. He may be powerful beyond anything she could hope to be, but he certainly wasn't cruel or careless.

"I will, promise… Um… Could you loosen your hold a little there, please? My shoulders really hurt…"

Immediately he let go of her other shoulder, running his hands gently along both of them in hopes it might ease her pain. She gave a soft hum and smiled warmly up at him.

The floor shook again, much more lightly this time, and he made a harsh grunt and began to push. His movements were hard and quick, and the sound of the loud, passionate cries she let out with each of his thrusts served to urge him on further.

Ah, how he'd missed this! Every last inch of her, inside and out, felt… well, "glorious" wasn't the right word; that was more what Zaros was, and it would be rather blasphemous to compare his beloved directly to his lord. He didn't need to either; there were quite a few words that could accurately describe her. She was wondrous, she was lovely, she was sweet, she was intoxicating, she was delightful… oh, how he still wished he would never have to let her go!

She was swaying rapidly underneath him, her arms and legs wrapped tightly around him, and trying her best to match his pace. The heat within her burned intensely, growing steadily stronger and stronger, and the warmth she felt from him only made her feel hotter. Sometimes she'd wondered if this was how metal must feel when heated in a forge, but she realized that probably wasn't the right way to put it; heating ore didn't make it charge a burst of power from its insides.

Her screams were quite loud, and Azzanadra could barely hear the sound of his own deep grunts over that of her voice. Quickening his pace, he did his best to hold back the release that was drawing near—he wasn't going to let this end too quickly.

"That's it, Jaina… Say my name…"

Sensing that she was getting close to her breaking point, she flailed beneath him and tried her hardest to hold back. She spluttered a bit and cried out a few more times before she managed to find her voice.

"Aa-ah… Azza… na… dra… Azzanadra!"

Her release hit her full on, and her long, loud scream filled the room as she convulsed and writhed erratically from the pulsing, powerful surge within.

Oh, to see her like this, to hear the wonderful sound of her screaming his name in ecstasy—not once, but twice! Never mind the seismic activity; that was enough to send him over the edge as well.

"Oh, dear sweet Zaros… Oh, Jaina…"

With that he thrust into her one more time, kissing her passionately as he released himself inside her. Panting heavily, he embraced her and gently rocked her against him as the last few waves of pleasure slowly faded.

As she gasped for air, her eyes filling with tears, Jaina finally noticed that the floor seemed to have stopped shaking for good now. She'd almost forgotten about that, and she would have to catch her breath before asking about it—her throat hurt too much from screaming to say anything yet.

Azzanadra hoped that she wasn't crying from being in pain—she did usually cry after this, he still wasn't sure why—but he was still a little worried he might have hurt her. She didn't seem to look pained, merely out of breath… oh, how he prayed that was the case!

Either way, he would have to keep her close and give her comfort. Carefully slipping out of her, he rolled over on his backside and held her securely, guiding her partially on top of him so that her head was resting comfortably on his shoulder and her form was pressed into his. He lightly ran a hand through her hair and smiled down at her, his dark eyes shining brightly, before he spoke.

"How are you feeling now, my dear? Still wondering what the seismic activity had to do with anything?"

She blinked and nodded slowly, taking another gulp of air before she managed to gasp something out. "Ah… Let me… catch… my breath…"

He nodded and gently dried her tears. Seeing that she didn't seem to be shedding any more, he sighed with relief and cradled her cheek.

"It is a custom of our race to breed during earthquakes. Back on Freneskae, it was meant to calm down Mother Mah… of course that isn't an issue here, but… it seems old instincts die hard. It's been so long; I do not recall any seismic activity on this world before this…"

Now that he mentioned it, she did recall something about that… though even if she had thought of it initially, she wouldn't have been able to mention that she knew anyway. She really rather regretted signing that contract Kharshai had given her…

Her throat was feeling better, but not quite enough to talk yet, so she merely nodded in understanding and continued to gasp for breath.

He frowned and eyed her thoughtfully. "Perhaps I should have explained it to you beforehand… I let my instincts get the better of me. You could have gotten hurt had I carelessly given into my urges—"

She shook her head. "I-I'm alright, really… It was a little frightening, yes—" she paused to gasp for breath once more— "but it was also a little exciting, too."

Stretching out a hand, she let it rest on his cheek and softly traced his face stripes. "Besides, I knew I could trust you—I'm not afraid when I'm with you."

She blinked and gave him a curious look. "You know, I do wonder now if that's why there aren't many of you left… Though you didn't seem to mind the lack of earthquakes up to this point…"

Azzanadra merely smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I don't need to wait for earthquakes to enjoy your company, my love. Still, it brings me great joy to engage in a time-honored tradition of my people with you at my side."

Jaina blushed a deep red and smiled brightly, her smoky gray eyes shining. "Oh, I-I'm only happy to be with you, Azzanadra… And to see you happy…"

He returned her smile and leaned in to kiss her again, a few times on her cheeks before capturing her lips. Then he drew back slightly and cradled her cheek again.

"Ah, if I only could have gone with you to return Zaros… To have seen my homeland once more, and to restore my lord to his former glory, together with the love of my life… Ah, not even ten whole worlds would have been enough to contain my happiness…"

He moved in to kiss her a few more times, stroking her hair as he went. She shivered and smiled against his lips, reveling in how warm and wonderful he felt.

As he drew back once more, she eyed him thoughtfully, looking curious, and then finally spoke up. "We could go back there sometime… To Freneskae, I mean. I-I wouldn't mind dodging lightning with you, if it would make you happy…"

She yawned and stretched a bit before letting her head rest on his chest again. It seemed she needed to sleep… Perhaps one day she might be able to handle a second round, but this wasn't the time.

He didn't need to sleep like she did; he could rest whenever he wished—but perhaps this was a decent time for it. Besides, he didn't mind leaving her where she was—it meant he wouldn't have to let go yet.

"Jaina… Please, stay the night with me. I will make sure you rest well."

The young World Guardian smiled wearily up at him and nodded slowly. "Yes… I hope to see you in the morning…"

Her eyelids fluttered shut, and he smiled down at her, running a hand through her hair. She would get her wish when morning came, and perhaps there would be time for other things as well.