031

Noah dashed across the lobby, tackling Chastity before she could get to the stairs.

Chastity struggled under Noah’s body weight. “Avaunt, ye fiend! Yer lucky Angel is upstairs! Get off me!”

Luckily, she was small, and it was not hard for Noah to flip over and begin to tie up. She yelled the whole time, trying desperately to get away. He felt extremely uncomfortable with the whole affair, but he had been assured it was okay. The elves walking past them, totally ignoring the scene, made Noah feel better about kidnapping Chastity. It must have been nothing they hadn’t seen hundreds of times before.

Noah tied her hands and feet and lifted her over his shoulder. She tried to kick and squirm free, but she was helpless. “I shall slay ye, ye cheating knave! I’ll end yer life!”

Noah carried her like a fireman out of the spire and down the dirt road. She kicked and screamed the whole time. She seemed legitimately upset, but he had to do this.

“I shall slay ye! I’ll end yer life! Villain! Villain!”

The other elves were disinterested in Chastity’s tantrum. All except for one. One young elf woman spotted Noah and Chastity, and her eyes widened in surprise. She sprinted away. Noah hoped she wasn’t going to call the authorities or anything. He didn’t think he was doing anything wrong. Maybe he was violating elven customs in some way?

He carried her into the church. The church had large glass windows and was as well-architected as the rest of the city. In each of the clear glass windows was a green glass circle – a representation of the Eye. Green circles were similarly found within, where he was greeted by an elderly elf.

“Ah, a young couple to be wedded!” The old man smiled warmly. He wore a white robe with green circles all down the front. Maybe he was some kind of priest or preacher. “Set her down here, lad,” he said to Noah, indicating a smooth, white stone altar at the front of the church. It stood out, as it was the only thing made from stone that Noah had seen since entering the city. He laid the squirming Chastity down on the altar.

“No chance of that!” squirmed Chastity. “Free me at once!”

“Now bind her,” said the man. “I will help.” The two of them used straps around her neck, arms, and waist to pin her to the altar. The existing bindings on her hands and feet were cut by the elderly elf. Once she was bound, Chastity seemed to relax totally, giving up all fight. She lay still on the stone altar, her brown hair spread around her head and dripping off the back of the altar. She was breathing heavily but fought and spoke no more.

“Well done,” smiled the priest warmly to Noah. “Has her kin been notified?”

“Uhh, I don’t think so.”

“They have,” spoke Chastity. “They be on their way. Mine cousin saw Noah bearing me here.” She was strangely calm. A total transformation from seconds ago. Noah noticed her eyes were closed. She almost seemed relaxed.

“Oh, that’s who that was?” asked Noah, but he got no response.

“Then we shall wait. It nie shall take long,” said the priest. “Once they arrive, ye know what to, lad? Do nie worry. Ye may speak openly with me. I am a priest, after all. Just whisper any questions ye have so the maiden hears nie.”

Noah stood closer to the priest. He didn’t really have any questions. He knew what to do. But he wanted to ask anyway, to make sure. To make himself feel more comfortable about doing something he felt utterly wrong about.

“So, I am supposed to, like…” Noah blushed. “I’m supposed to have sex with her, right? Is that right?”

The priest smiled. “Of course, lad! Have ye nat been at an elfin wedding before? I suppose not. Ye wait for her kin to come, and ye molest her in front of them. They shall behold and judge thy strength and vigour.”

“But… What if she, like, doesn’t want it?” asked Noah.

“Of course, if she would verily withdraw from the ritual, she may speak the ancient phrase, and I shall interrupt the ceremony. It happens from time to time. Young women generally prefer to proceed with the ceremony for the sake of ritual and religion, even if they would reject the marriage. Soothly, some even delight therein. But if she verily desires it stopped, she may do so any time.”

That was a big relief for Noah. He wasn’t sure he could go through with having sex with her if he wasn’t sure it was what she wanted. But it sounded like it was optional. She would probably go through with it whether or not she wanted to marry Noah, even if she wasn’t jazzed about it, but she could stop it if she really wanted to.

“Any other questions, lad? You know the anatomy, yea? How to do it?”

“Yeah,” said Noah. He had experienced “the anatomy” many times now, though never Chastity’s. She once sucked on his finger. That was it.

“Great. And lo, her kin is arriving!” said the priest. He went to the door to greet the elves as they poured in. They all bowed to the priest, who bowed back. They then made a religious sign with their hands, drawing one finger down over each of their eyes, which the priest reciprocated. They filtered into the church one by one, sitting in the pews. Noah stood awkwardly at the front. He waved at them, but they seemed unimpressed. He needed their approval to help convince Chastity. He hoped his offerings would be enough to impress them.

Once the pews were mostly full and nobody else seemed to be coming, the priest spoke. “Now that we all be here, the ritual may begin. This holy day, we do witness the potential marriage of Chastity, Diplomat, and…?” the elf turned to Noah.

“Noah. Umm, Adventurer?”

“And Noah, Adventurer. She will take him into her body, and the seed of a child will be formed. Noah, Adventurer: Take this knife, cut her clothes off, and ravish her. Show us all yer strength. Begin!”

Noah took the ceremonial dagger from the priest. Its blade was crystal rather than metal. He stepped toward Chastity. He looked at the crowd. They stared blankly at him, waiting. He wondered if the tall woman with the red hair in the front row was Chastity’s mother. She was the only woman of the right age in the front row. That would make the muscular man next to her the father. Noah felt incredibly awkward approaching Chastity.

Chastity didn’t make it easy for him. As soon as he came close, she kicked him in the stomach. He groaned. Some of the elves watching smiled.

“Get back, ye beast. Ye’ll have me nie!” yelled Chastity. Noah came at her from the side. Her arms were pinned, so she couldn’t stop him from cutting the robe off, starting at her neck and working his way down. It was tricky to cut underneath the bindings, but he managed it.

“How could ye expose my teats for all to see?” protested Chastity as Noah cut away her clothing, revealing two shapely, chocolate breasts. “Are ye a common pervert? Is that why ye played false on me with that vegetable woman? Is that why ye fuck animals like that beastly shepfolk? Noah, Adventurer? Hardly!”

Chastity was kicking and squirming, and her face was red with the struggle. Noah swallowed, and continued to cut, exposing first her belly, then her crotch. Her curly pubic hair was visible for the whole audience to see. They stared in blank interest.

“Ye knave! Ye’ll not penetrate me! I’ll end yer life, ye hear me!”

The robe was fully cut from Chastity, leaving her totally bare on the altar. Noah blushed, looking at her exposed before him and her family watching him watch her. The priest took the knife from Noah.

Next, Noah had to spread open her legs. They were clasped tightly together to prevent entry. “Away!” she shouted. “Away from mine private hole, villain! I refused penetration once this week. I’ll nie let ye be mine first!”

Noah’s hands shook as he took Chastity’s knees and started to force them apart. She fought back, but he was stronger, and he managed to pull them apart slightly, revealing to his sight her glistening, brown pussy. Noah swallowed again. If she was going to call off the ceremony, she’d probably do it now, right? Everything about this made Noah uncomfortable, and his hesitation allowed Chastity to close her eyes again. Noah looked into her eyes, unsure of himself.

Chastity made eye contact, and for the briefest second, she dropped the act. Seeing that Noah was nervous, she gave him a little nod, as if to say, yes, you’re doing it right. Go ahead. That calmed Noah immensely, and he pulled her legs apart again. Chastity returned to fighting and yelling, but she was unable to stop Noah from spreading her open before her entire family.

Now Noah had to take his dick out. It was still somewhat soft, and he needed it to be hard if he was going to penetrate her. He tried to breathe deeply and ignore the elves watching him. He focused on Chastity. This was just him and her. Nothing else mattered. He looked into her angry eyes and saw vulnerability, too. Maybe even yearning. He looked at her body. She was perfect, he thought. Her skin was smooth. Her nipples were large, as were her boobs. Her hips were wide. He had never been with someone who had pubic hair before. Pubic wool, perhaps, but not hair. The sight of her unkempt forest of curls aroused him, as did the slit he saw plainly beneath them. He rubbed his clothed crotch against her pussy, holding her legs apart. Chastity let out a strange groan, filled with pleasure and embarrassment and fire.

With one hand, he took his dick from his pants, pulling them down to his knees. He then struggled to regain control of Chastity’s free leg. Standing, holding both of her legs, the head of his dick gently touched the lips of her pussy. She had stopped shouting. He made eye contact with her again. She was blushing, too. She smiled ever so slightly.

He leaned forward, pushing himself into her. She was wet, and the tip slid in easily. He moaned audibly, which was embarrassing, since her family could hear. She was very tight, and it took a lot of force to penetrate her. He pushed himself all the way inside of her, and he felt her tense up and groan. He couldn’t tell if it was pleasure or pain. He pulled out his cock, and saw that it was covered in blood. Right. She was a virgin. Oh, well. The situation was way too weird for such a minor detail to matter.

He shoved his cock deep inside her again and started fucking her fast, with force. They wanted to see how much vigour he had? Fine. He’d fuck her like an animal. Better that than to handle her delicately, like he was some weak virgin himself. He heard a gasp from the audience. He fucked her fast and hard, his hips slapping against her ass cheeks.

Chastity moaned. “Oh, spare me please, ye animal…”

Noah could tell Chastity was enjoying his fucking, which made him relax more. He wasn’t really into the idea of the whole force thing unless he knew the other person wanted it. He pulled up one of her legs and smacked her ass hard. Another gasp from the audience. They were used to watching clueless virgins fuck on their wedding day. Who had never seen porn, let alone actually experienced sex. In comparison, Noah probably seemed like a savage. He didn’t care. He smacked her ass again.

Chastity groaned out more protests, but her tone didn’t match her words. “Ye pervert… Ye molester! Spare me this torment!” She closed her eyes and moaned in pleasure. Noah licked his finger and then rubbed her clitoris while he fucked her. He was hoping they could both climax at the same time.

He fucked her for some time before he came. He felt awkward doing it in front of her family, of course, which made it hard to get fully into it, even if it also added an element of naughtiness to the whole thing. Chastity, however, seemed to have no problem relaxing into her role. With every breath, she was moaning and thrusting her hips into Noah’s own thrusts.

Just as Chastity’s hips started to shake, Noah felt himself start to lose control. He leaned over as he came, holding her tightly, kissing her neck. “Pox!” she breathed as she came with him.

When they recovered from their mutual orgasms and caught their breath, Noah stood upright and pulled his bloody dick from Chastity’s vagina. An elf woman, wearing the same robes as the priest, gave Noah a wet white cloth to clean himself with. She went to Chastity and cleaned the blood from her vulva using another cloth.

Noah looked at Chastity. Her eyes were closed. She seemed to be smiling. That was a good sign.

“What vigour!” said the priest, projecting his voice. “Chastity, Diplomat is the envy of all the maidens in Hoomtree right now, I am sure. But next come the offerings. Will Noah, Adventurer’s gifts sway her? Her kin? Elfkind? Let us see what he has brought. First, Noah, present the gift for yer bride.”

The priest nodded, stepping back and giving the floor to Noah. He had pulled up his pants, but Chastity was still fully nude. The elf woman dressed like the priest cut the bindings around Chastity’s neck, arms, and waist, allowing her to sit up on the edge of the altar. Some kind of red towel was wrapped around Chastity, giving her back her privacy.

“What gift have ye brought me, Noah?” she asked curiously.

Noah had set his bag down beside the altar. He took from it the necklace of shimmering, flame-coloured gems. He felt a bit stupid. Now that he was in the situation, his plan of getting Chastity to wear the fiery necklace artifact so she’d be more attracted to him or something felt dumb. Oh well. It was still a nice gift either way.

“I’m not sure you’ll like it, but I think it will look nice on you. It’s magical, too,” said Noah, handing her the necklace.

She held it up and then held it to her collarbone, imagining wearing it. “Oh, an artifact? What does it do?”

“Well…” Better to be honest than try to trick her, thought Noah. “It makes the person wearing it more… flirtatious. I don’t know if you want to wear it, but-“

“Truly? Ha! A perfect gift from a pervert like ye, ye knave!” There was murmured laughter in the rest of the church. “Let me put it on.”

She slipped the necklace over her hair and around her neck. “There, how do I look, hmm? Let me lower the blanket so ye can have a full view.” She lowered the towel, exposing her breasts to Noah. The flame-coloured gems dotted a path down her collarbone, across her cleavage, and back up around her neck. It was a beautiful sight.

“Oh, mine Eye! Ye were not japing about this necklace!” said Chastity, blushing, realizing she was exposing herself and swiftly pulling the blanket back up to cover her breasts. The audience laughed again. “I pray, tell mine kin what ye’ve brought for them.”

Noah looked into the audience, searching for her parents. He was right. The redheaded woman and the muscular man stood, walking toward Noah.

The mother spoke plainly to Noah. “What have ye brought for us, paleskin?”

“Oh, right,” said Noah, leaning down to get the gift from his bag. He hoped he wasn’t supposed to wrap the gifts or anything. Chastity didn’t seem to mind hers not being wrapped. He presented the parents with the gift: the flesh scanner.

Confused, the mother looked at it in her hand, and the father took it and inspected it. He asked Noah, “What manner of artifact be this?”

“It’s a flesh scanner and printer thingy. It can scan any organ, like a finger, a leg, or even a heart. Then, it can print off a working copy. The new organ will fit right onto your body like magic. It’s good for, like, replacing missing limbs and stuff.”

“Verily?” Asked the father. “That is incredible. If that is what ye’ve brought for us, then our daughter simply must wed ye.”

“Yea,” said the mother, “If that’s what ye’ve brought for us, I cannie wait to see what ye’ve brought for all elfkind.”

The priest approached Noah. “You may deliver to me yer gift for elfkind.” The parents smiled at Noah and returned to their seats.

“Okay,” said Noah. This was going well. Chastity and her family were impressed with his gifts. And the last gift would surely blow them away. He pulled the white, metal rectangle from his backpack. It was covered in dense, faintly glowing instructions he didn’t understand, and a diagram that was equally arcane. But apparently, any craft mage could understand the instructions. He handed the schematic to the priest. “These are instructions for producing the cure for the magical plague that’s killing so many elves.” The crowd gasped and broke into conversations.

Wide eyed, the priest looked down at the schematic, holding it away from his body like it was a priceless antique. “But how can this be? How is this possible?” He looked at Noah, shocked. “The Longfolk Emperor trades us doses, but only he knows the cure.”

“He must have visited the Southern Isles,” said a voice in the crowd.

“Yea, there is a rumour of a cure there!”

“That is but a rumour!”

Chastity’s father spoke firmly. “Enough of a rumour that mine own daughter would soon spend months in travel to verify it. But no longer, if Noah, Adventurer tells the truth.”

Everyone looked at Noah. “Yeah, so, I stole this from Emperor Antimogne. Not just me. A whole team of people who hated the Empire. So now you don’t have to keep sending him treasures just to survive.”

“It cannot be,” said a voice.

“It is true,” said Chastity. “I know it is true. Noah be an awful liar, and I know he was in the Toldenhold and had met with the Emperor.”

The audience became more animated, and the priest could hardly be heard trying to calm them down and continue the ceremony. “Yea, yea, this is all full intriguing. And we all have much to celebrate. Yet, save it for after the ceremony. Religion demands your silence!” The elves went quiet all at once. “Good. Now, all that remains is the bark.” On cue, Chastity’s mother stood and stepped toward Chastity. “Will Chastity choose to chew the bark and prevent Noah’s seed from taking root, or will she burn it, and begin what I am sure will be the largest celebration in elfin history?” The priest lit a stone brazier next to the altar.

The mother extended her palm, atop which sat a dark-green piece of tree bark.

“Burn it!” yelled the eager father.

“Yea, daughter. Ye know what to do.”

Chastity looked at her parents and then at Noah. She threw the bark into the air, and it arced into the brazier, disappearing in a puff of flame and smoke.

The entire audience cheered. Noah smiled at Chastity. He did it. She was his. She smiled back. But a flurry of people separated them. Elves surrounded Chastity, celebrating and congratulating her. Noah stood alone, but Chastity’s father approached him.

“Come, lad. Ye cannie wear that to the fires and feasts.”

Noah’s new father-in-law took him out of the church. Noah tried to ask where they were going, but the father smacked him in the side of the head. Noah rubbed his head and followed him into the same spire where Chastity lived.

“Ye must not speak in public, lad. It be taboo. Understand? Now, come. I have a formal robe ye may borrow.”

Noah went with Chastity’s father and dressed in a solid black robe, which left his arms exposed. It was an unusual look, but much of what the elves did was strange. He was left to wait alone in the parents’ apartment for several boring hours while the celebrations were prepared. Apparently, news had spread that Noah had gifted elfkind the cure, and even their Queen would be there to thank Noah personally. That was good news – he needed to ask her for help stopping Antimogne.

As sunset ended, Noah was led to the royal palace, which didn’t look all that royal to Noah’s eyes. It was no fancier than the rest of the city, though it had a lot of land that could be used for outdoor feasts and festivals such as this. There were tables of food, musicians playing strange, jaunty instruments, and hundreds of dancing elves, all illuminated by torchlight and the roar of a massive bonfire which raged in the center of the party. Elves stood all around the fire, roasting hunks of meat on sticks.

After being told “congratulations” a few dozen times by members of Chastity’s extended family as he passed through the crowd, he saw Chastity. She was stunning. She wore a white, formal robe, not unlike a wedding dress, but without a veil. She had a white hair comb, white shoes (high heels would be a nightmare on the grass), and she wore the orange and red necklace Noah had given her. Her warm eyes flickered in the torchlight.

“Noah, my love, my heart!” she yelled, running toward Noah, holding her robe off the ground with her hands. Apparently, the usual rules of elves not speaking in public did not apply tonight, and she had to yell to be heard over the crowd and the music.

“Chastity!” said Noah. He embraced her. She pulled quickly away from his touch.

“Noah, ye daft fool, ye must verily learn the rules of elfin behaviour, now that ye belong to an elfin family.”

“Sorry, sorry, no touching. Got it,” said Noah. He smiled at her, and she smiled back, standing as close as she could without touching him. “It feels weird being married to you and not being able to touch you. Especially after what we just did a few hours ago.”

“What did we do?” Chastity asked teasingly.

“Oh, stop,” Noah said, chuckling.

“I cannie remember, yet I feel the sudden, deep urge to do it again,” said Chastity.

“I think we’ll have plenty of time for that.”

“No, I mean right now. Ye’ve done my mouth nie. Am I only to be satisfied with the old memory of suckling yer finger? I am hungry, my love. Look – the other elves are swallowing much meat tonight. Why should I not, too?” She said, her eyes briefly flitting to Noah’s crotch.

“Oh,” said Noah, swallowing. “Well-“

Chastity shook her head and giggled. “Sorry, Noah, I think it be the necklace. It be making me forget proper decorum. I’d take it off, but it be fun to try to fight it. Such an amusing gift! I thank ye! Of course, we should wait. We should enjoy the celebration, nie? I do want to do it soon, in sooth. I shall have ye in my mouth tonight before we rest. Okay?”

“Yeah,” said Noah. “Okay. So, you’re not mad at me?” The two of them began to walk together around the edge of the party.

“What, because ye spent sweet time with the carroty maiden, and the shepfolk? Nie, I am not wrathful. We elves have a saying. Betrayal before marriage is a splinter in the foot; Betrayal after marriage is an arrow to the heart. Of course, it felt not like a splinter at the time. And if ye ever betray me thusly again, I’ll slay ye. But yea, I forgive ye. Ye went through such a trial but to come to Hoomtree, no doubt, and ye brought such wonderful gifts that even the Queen is here to thank ye. And I felt how mightily ye did spill yerself into me earlier… I could nie ask for a better bridegroom to sweep me off mine feet – splinter or none.”

Noah felt warmer by Chastity than he had walking by the bonfire. He wanted to hug her and kiss her, but he’d have to settle for her warm smile. For now. “I love you, Chastity. Thank you for forgiving me. I know I’m a piece of shit and I don’t deserve it, so thank you.”

“Yer an impressive man, Noah. Not the childish knave I met a few months ago. Ye’ve changed, Noah. I see that. Yer no piece of dung. Ye be the man of mine dreams. The one I abode for when I disappointed the Eye and refused those other weddings. O, how mine mother bade me to accept the last one but a few days ago. What a mistake it would have been, nie?” Noah nodded. “I love ye too, ye rascal, even though yer ears be short and round, and yer skin be pale as if ye’ve never heard of the sun! Ye be pink like a worm!”

“Hey!” said Noah. He thought about joking about the colour of her skin, but everything he thought of sounded racist in his head. Damn the world he came from. He was better off here, among elves and magic. He settled for insulting her ears. “Your ears aren’t that long yourself! All the other elves have longer ears than you! Is that why you married me? None of the long-ears wanted to marry a tiny-eared elf like you?”

Chastity looked upset for a split second before she burst out laughing. “Ye’ve got some balls, ye cur! I’ll shove ye into the bonfire and feed yer meat to Angel! I thought ye liked my ears?”

Noah looked from side to side to make sure nobody was looking and then kissed one of Chastity’s pointy ears. “I love them,” he whispered. He kissed the other one. Chastity grinned, blushing.