The tribe had dispersed after the end of the Circle of Reeds. When Caio and Aruá returned, only Naira and Saori were present.
They guided the two to a smaller hut that Caio had already learned was a sacred place dedicated to some rituals.
The hut had only one entrance, protected by a curtain of reeds, and inside it there was a central rectangular area surrounded by veils.
Naira took Aruá to the space opposite of Caio, who was near the entrance, with Saori at his side.
Saori opened the veil and gestured for Caio to enter the inner space.
"Begin. I witness, but do not gaze."
He entered and felt Saori step back into darkness.
That central area had a mattress on the floor and a stool at its side had a bowl with scented oil. The area was lit with luminescent fungi hanging from the ceiling. Soon, Aruá also entered by her side.
This is a weird way to lose my virginity, not gonna lie…
Aruá stared at him and then at the floor with a coy smile, her face completely red as she hesitated, not knowing what to do. Finally, she murmured.
"Kai-o… Come here."
He did. He walked slowly, engraving her stunning body and smile into his memory.
Back on Earth I would be only able to dream about having a girlfriend as gorgeous as her…
He stopped a step before reaching her.
"I need to be sure. If you want this only for the trib-"
Aruá lifted her gaze. The light caught her eyes, deepening them. She raised her hand, touching his lips before he finished the phrase.
"I want you. For the tribe… yes. But more for myself."
He exhaled, releasing a breath he hadn't noticed he was holding.
"Then I'm yours."
The words hit harder than he expected. He cupped her chin, bringing her close, but she stopped again, then reached for the bowl with scented oil, dipping her fingers in it.
She reached for his chest, applying the warm oil on it and sending a shiver across his spine.
"This is how the Dawn-Eels begin. Breath to breath. Warmth to Warmth."
He mirrored her, dipping his own fingers in the oil, touching the hollow of her collarbone.
She gasped. A soft, startled sound she wasn't able to contain.
Their hands stayed there, lingering longer than what the ritual asked for.
[VITAL ESSENCE: STIRRING]
He ignored the notification message, looking only at her eyes, her lips, and then back at her eyes. Words weren't needed for understanding, and soon the distance between their bodies had disappeared.
Their lips touched in a soft, hesitant kiss. It was a novelty to both of them, so neither knew exactly how to do it. But the hunger guided their motions, tongue touching tongue, intertwining, arms reaching each other's backs in a heated embrace.
When they parted, a bit of saliva dripped from her lips down her chin. He chuckled, then cleaned it with his finger. Then, he glanced at the knot on the piece of cloth around her body and whispered a question.
"May I?"
She nodded once, slowly.
"Yes."
He loosened it with careful and gentle movements, sliding down the fabric, then tossing it aside.
She didn't flinch or look away. Instead, she reached for the tie at his hip and also unmade it. When the cloth fell, she inhaled deeply.
For a moment, they just stood there, appreciating each other's beauty. Her body was tanned and perfectly proportional. Her breasts were the perfect size, not too big nor too small, raising and falling with her breath.
Aruá's hands hovered just above his waist, wanting. He saw the desire and tension beneath her movements.
"You can touch me."
He said, his voice steady. He wasn't used to being desired, not like that.
Her palm finally met his skin, warm, exploring. At the same time, his hands reached her waist, his grip a mix of tenderness and strength - not rough, but firm.
She gasped audibly again, and her eyes met his for a moment before they kissed again. She felt the hardness of his masculinity press against her lower abdomen while they kissed.
When they parted again, she looked down, finally allowing herself to stare directly at the object of so many fables and myths. She reached, unsure and reverent, taking it into her hand like it was a sacred object.
"Your warmth… It stirs the river's song."
Caio's breath hitched at the contact, and he shuddered.
[HEARTH-SEEDING RITUAL: THRESHOLD REACHED]
Oh, shut up, System!
"Kai-o… I'm scared."
Aruá's voice was cracking, yet she still held his cock in her hand, not knowing what to do with it.
"Guide me…"
He smiled, then leaned in to kiss her neck while he put his hand over hers, teaching her how to move it.
"Only if you guide me too."
He whispered into her ear between kisses. She nodded, gasping, moving her hand in the unfamiliar motion.
They stood like that, exploring, then Caio gently leaned her body so she could lie on the bed and sat at her side.
He wasn't experienced, but some memories of late-night teenage explorations on the internet had given him some understanding of what he needed to do.
He kissed her again, then went lower, kissing her jaw, neck, the collarbone, until arriving at her breasts. One hand held her, while the other explored her waist, her back, the inner side of her thighs.
Aruá's breath became more ragged, and the gasps soon became soft moans. He took her pink nipple with his lips, then his tongue, then worked around it, kissing and licking, sucking, and sometimes giving light bites.
Soon, his hand went up her inner thigh, gripping it from time to time, giving some pressure, going closer to her intimacy, and then back again. The air was filled with low moans and huffs as Aruá's body reacted under his touches.
"Kai-o…"
"Yes?"
He stopped, fearing he had done something wrong, and it broke the moment a bit.
"No, it was nothing. Continue. It's good. I just… feel a warmth…"
Caio smiled and slid his hand upwards, touching her wetness for the first time.
"Warm… here?"
She gasped, then whispered, almost breathlessly.
"Yes…"
Her breath trembled and became even more ragged as his fingers began to work, teasing her clitoris and the labia, making slow circular movements. Every time, her moans became louder and louder.
"It's so good… Kai-o… So… Good…"
While his hands worked, he was just watching her face and all her reactions, enraptured.
It was at that moment that Saori and Naira began to sing the ritual chant, just a bit louder than her moans, as if drowning them.
[VITAL ESSENCE RISING]
The ritual. This is a ritual, not just exploration. I need to move on.
He leaned in, capturing her lips on his. She kissed him back, holding his body against hers with a hungry, desperate embrace.
"Aruá… We need to-"
"I know. Your seeds."
She reached her hand to grab his muscle again, repeating the movement she had learned earlier, and this time it was Caio who moaned.
"Is this… already seed?"
She asked when she felt the pre-cum wet her hand. But he chuckled and explained.
"No, not yet, amore. Do you want me to begin now?"
She tilted her head, confused.
"Begin?"
Of course. For a lesbian world, foreplay is already sex.
"Yes. I need to put it inside you. Are you ready? If you want, of course."
She looked into his eyes and nodded solemnly.
"I want you inside me."
He shifted his position so he would be over her. She opened her legs and looked at him expectantly. He put his cock over her pussy and did some circular movements around the entrance, making sure that it was well lubricated.
"Put in…"
It was almost a plea, as her waist throbbed with the movements and the desire took hold on her.
He slid it in slowly.
Aruá gasped, a raw and loud sound that made Caio freeze on the spot.
"Aruá-"
"I'm okay. It's just… new."
She shook her head and entangled her hands on his back, an invitation for him to continue.
He pressed his forehead against hers, searching her eyes for any sign of doubt.
"I'll go slow."
Her response was a soft, desperate nod as he began to move his hips in slow thrusts forward and backward. He slowly found a rhythm that seemed to work, as she moaned and groaned, moving her own hips in sync with his.
"Kai-o… more…"
He nodded and sped up his thrusts, seeing her unravel below him. Their bodies synchronized perfectly, their breathing grew uneven. Her nails dug into his shoulders, but neither noticed.
[VITAL ESSENCE RISING]
She murmured something broken, half chant, half plea. It was impossible to understand her words, but he understood the meaning. His pace shifted, becoming deeper, needier.
"More… more… Kai-o… Gods!!!"
Aruá's moans became screams as they lost any semblance of control over their bodies.
"I'm with you. I'm right here. Don't let go."
His body pressed her down, their breath broken, until he released his seed into her.
Feeling the spread inside her, Aruá's climax came right after, making her cry out softly and overwhelmingly.
[VITAL ESSENCE SURGE - 2 → 112]
[Trait Unlocked: HEARTH OF CLAY]
[Aruá Bond Formed - Axis: Love +10]
[Harmony Shift: stabilizing…]
Then silence.
Caio collapsed gently, rolling to her side. Aruá turned and put her head over his chest, breath shaking like a reed in shallow water. Caio curled his arms around her, brushing her hair gently.
"Kai-o… I feel… everything. The river sings differently now."
"Me too…"
Outside, Saori and Naira were still chanting, but the song seemed to be winding down. Soon, it had also faded into final silence.
"Don't move yet. Not yet."
Aruá whispered, her head still resting on his chest.
"I won't."
And the world, impossibly, had changed.