Wings

This is my first submission to the world of erotic fiction, and the first part of in a series of following Ari. It contains elements of heavy masochism, nonconsent, mind control, and features a trans protagonist. Feedback is greatly appreciated. Enjoy!

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Blackened slate crumbled and cracked beneath soft leather boots. Motes of dust kicked up at the heels. An occasional stumble, followed by a muttered curse. High above, Mount Dalaugh peered down at the lone figure creeping its way up the barren crags. A speck of black against black. A speck that willed against the switchback-scars of the mountain, climbing ever higher above the foothills.

Ari clutched her cloak. The gentle warmth of the hills was gone, fully supplanted by the chill of elevation as wind ripped through fabric. A black cloth was coiled tight around her head, leaving exposed only a pair of dark honey-colored eyes and a surrounding strip of deep crimson skin. A small obsidian shard transfixed the bridge of her nose. She squinted against the swirling dust.

"Black stars of the abyss," Ari spat as she misplaced a foot, falling hard on one knee. Groaning, she righted herself and tested the leg. No serious damage, but a pain in the ass for sure. Add it to the growing list of aches, next to the sore back and burning legs. Looking up she saw the distant summit glinting in the sun, its crooked peak leering down at her. Cursing the mountain along with her clumsiness, she resumed her ascent.

The path that twisted up Mount Dalaugh offered Ari little protection from the elements. She walked along a few scant feet of bleached stone, the mountain wall to her right, a precipice to her left. In places the ledge diminished to just a few inches, negotiable only with the assistance of rough handholds carved into the rock face. During one of these traverses Ari made the mistake of looking down. The sight brought black splotches to the edges of her vision and gave her such a fit of vertigo that it was all she could do to cling there and shut her eyes tight, gripping the rock so tight she was afraid her fingers would bleed. After what felt like an eternity, she sidled across the last few feet of ledge with a tortured slowness, her eyes still squeezed shut. When she reached safety, she flopped down on the ground, panting heavily. From then on she looked down as little as possible.

Ari climbed higher. The air was thinning, and her lungs labored to fuel her aching muscles. Although she encountered no more traverses, the path was by no means easier. Large chunks of rock now littered the ground, more than once provoking a flurry of curses as one collided with a careless toe. The severe pitch of the ground made the path even more dangerous. Dislodged stones skipped down the mountain in Ari's wake. Despite this, she was making consistent progress up the mountain.

Cresting a small ridge, Ari stepped through a gap between two upended boulders and entered a small clearing overlooking the valley below. She stopped for a moment to catch her breath. Below, the foothills spread like goosebumps toward the western horizon. Shadowy fingers were reaching across the mountain, vanguards of the approaching night.

In her chest she felt the the gravity of the mountain, a magnetic pole that at once attracted and repelled her. It called to the ache in her soul, that longing for freedom which all of her kind held closest. Ari's eyes were drawn to it, the peak catching the setting sun in a flash of red and gold.

The peak looked no nearer than it had four hours ago. Still so far. How many miles was it yet to the summit? Five? Ten? Fifty? There was no map. No markings. No indication that this desolation had even harbored a living being before her. Just this white scar of stone winding forever before her. And to what end? Annihilation? The siren's song of self-destruction? Or was it the promise of answers, dangled before her like a carrot, compelling her endlessly up and up, forever under the baleful gaze of the mountain. Could it all be a sick game, the mountain's ploy to leave her stranded upon its waste, exposure eroding all will to continue. She would collapse, a husk of flesh, bones petrifying in the dust...

No!

Ari wrenched her eyes away from the peak. A moment of weakness, and the darkness had surfaced. It was a darkness that usually hid behind the world, slipping quietly into the shadows of mundane things with an unnatural heaviness. Here on this desolate path, it seeped up through the stones, a haze just at the edge of her vision. She would not, could not, let it consume her. Not when each step brought her closer to answers.

Ari rolled her shoulders instinctively, trying to work out the aching knot that lay between them, and let out a small groan. A shake of the head, a sip of water, and she resumed her trek.

Cold nipped at Ari's fingers, the sun a pale sliver eye floating just above the horizon. She knew it would be near-suicidal to remain on the face of the mountain once the darkness was complete. Even for those with infernal heritage, exposure could kill. She continued her ascent with an eye on the surrounding rock walls, looking for any sort of respite from the howling wind.

Cresting a small ridge, Ari found herself on the precipice of a scree slope which emptied out into a large boulder field. Great chunks of igneous rock swallowed the trail, regurgitating rust colored cairns in a crooked dotted line that stretched across the field. They glinted in the setting sun like droplets of blood. To Ari's left, the mountain rose in a sheer wall.

Fractures webbed out intermittently across its face, the spidery lines punctuated by the black pits of dislodged boulders. One of these fissures wound its way down just below where Ari stood, widening at the bottom to about a meter. "Well, that's better than nothing," she sighed. The chill was becoming intolerable, seizing her joints as it sank into the marrow of her bones. Nothing for it, then. She scrambled down the slope and crept into the darkness of the mountain.

As Ari's eyes adjusted to the near blackness of the fissure, she saw that it penetrated some distance into the earth. Even more intriguing, a faint warmth emanated from its depths. She took a few steps forward. Stopped, listened. Nothing, save the muted howl of the wind. Onward, then. A few meters further, and the slit of sky behind her disappeared, leaving her completely enclosed by the mountain. Ari pulled an alchemical torch from her belt, casting a flickering red light onto the tunnel walls.

The warmth grew steadily with each step, and humidity was filling the air, bringing with it a fresh earthy smell that melted the chill from Ari's muscles. As her stiffness abated, though, the pain in her back reasserted itself, blooming into a pulsing mass of pressure. A deep groan escaped Ari's lips, and she stopped a moment, leaning against the tunnel wall to collect herself before continuing.

Small puddles glinted on the stone floor, now slick and treacherous. The extra care required for each step was taking a toll on Ari's already-tested fortitude. She slipped once, twice, grunting under her breath. As she continued, she found patches of glowing lichen colonizing the walls and floor of the tunnel, suffusing the tunnel with a dim blue-white light. The floor of the tunnel was tilting downward now. Deeper, down into the heart of Dalaugh. Ari continued, exhausted, aching, but entranced by the warmth and the glow.

The passage continued in this way for at least another quarter of a mile, the temperature and humidity steadily increasing. Rounding a final bend, Ari emerged into a small cave. The glowing lichen covered the walls and ceiling, and a soft fine moss grew from the floor. At the far end, maybe fifty feet from the tunnel entrance, a great stone basin sank into the rock. It was filled with water, fed by a small stream emanating from some unseen source deep within the mountain. The water glowed in the half-light. Around the edge a dark blanket of flowers was congregated, rippling as if moved by some unseen breeze.

Here in the warmth and the glow, Ari felt her legs weaken beneath her, the trials of the day overtaking her for a moment. She slid down to her knees, letting her cloak fall onto the moss, followed by her rucksack. Beneath this she wore a simple tunic, slim leggings tucked into her boots, and a tight long sleeved undershirt. She knelt there for a moment, eyes closed. The gentle trickle of water was the only sound in the cave.

Slowly, as if in a dream, she reached up and began unwrapping her head scarf, feeling the tight fabric fall away, letting her skin breathe again. Her feet ached. Her back ached; the tight, restless feeling that had been growing there since she laid eyes on the mountain seemed to be growing impatient. It seemed some living thing was caught between her shoulder blades, just beneath the skin, aching to be free of its prison of flesh.

Ari rose. Across the cave, the glowing pool called to her. As she approached she saw the organisms around the pool in finer detail. What had appeared from a distance to be flower petals revealed themselves to be short stubby tendrils, the inside of which harbored a tiny fleet of suction cups, each one bearing miniscule teeth. Where the tendrils met in the center, one larger sucker pulsated slowly. They were stuck on the rock like anemones, hundreds of swaying blackish-purple arms. A faint aroma rose from this dark garden of tentacles, an earthy, herbal scent. Ari wondered what one would feel like on her skin, all those little teeth digging into her flesh... she banished the thought quickly.

Careful not to touch any of the creatures, she dipped a finger in the water. Surprisingly warm. She splashed some water on her face. Refreshing. Looking down, she caught her reflection in a small pool. High cheekbones framing a slight nose. Full lips, deep set eyes, and a smooth round head, laced with the traditional geometric tattoos.

Was that scent stronger now? The water was so warm, inviting. And look: a clearing between the creatures, a strip of exposed rock leading to the water's edge. Had that been there before? Ari couldn't remember. Did it matter? Some small alarm sounded in the back of her mind, an instinctual warning, and for a moment she drew back. Another deep breath and she relaxed, the alarm turning to nagging, the nagging turning to nothing, soothed away by the gentle patter of water on stone.

These clothes, had they always been this uncomfortable? The fabric seemed to cling and chafe in all the wrong ways. They were filthy besides, coated in dust and sweat from the day's journey. Take them off? A careless thought, but tempting. This would be a perfect place to wash them. Here in this peaceful cave nestled deep in the mountain, with that wonderful scent swirling around, an ideal place. Maybe a bath as well...

As if in a trance, Ari pulled off her boots. The moss sponged up between her toes. She lifted the tunic overhead, letting it fall to the ground. Stripped the undershirt. Warm air rolled across her skin, causing an involuntary shiver. A need for contact. Hands running across her lean form, the sinewy arms, defined abs, up to the small perky breasts. A finger gently tracing a nipple, almost absentmindedly. Small indulgences of sensuality. It seemed natural, as if it was just the right thing to do.

Loosen the belt, undo the buttons. Trousers sliding down, catching on the hips, cresting them, falling to the ground. All that remained on her body was a pair of thin white undershorts, ridden up and sweat soaked. A slight bulge. Stepping lightly to the water's edge, hips swaying, letting the shorts fall, revealing her round, tight ass. Sitting on the ledge now, feet floating in the water. Sliding in...

The water was divine. Ari felt the subtle currents swirling over her skin, her body weightlessness as she melted into the basin. Eyes drifting shut, she inhaled deeply, savoring the rich scent filling the cave. Some movement at the periphery? No matter. The water was soothing every knot in her aching body. A shuffle and a plop, followed by several more. Ari looked around, noticed nothing out of place, the waving tentacle creatures still perched on the rock ledge of the basin. She laid her head back, letting the water support it, letting her eyelids drift shut in the enveloping warmth.

Then she felt it. A sudden biting, latching, sucking on her leg. Ari's eyes few open to see one of the small creatures that moments before had seemed so peaceful stuck to the outside of her thigh, pulsing and emitting wet squelching noises.

"What the fuck -- get off me!" she cried out, clawing at the thing. The being felt like it was made of pure muscle, and try as she might her hands could do nothing to remove it. She twisted around, trying to climb back up to the basin's ledge. Here, though, her hands met more of the creatures, warm squishy blobs that gave under her touch. Ari recoiled, only to find her hands stuck to the creatures anchored on the rock. Her stomach dropped as she felt them tense and suction onto her palms.

Desperately searching for some way to free herself, Ari braced against the side of the pool with her legs and trying to pull her hands free. The creatures stretched, and she felt one of the seals loosening as she put her full strength into the motion. As she prepared for one last pull, her bent elbow found another of those sucking mouths, and was immediately suctioned to the rock as well, destroying her leverage. Another creature joined its fellow on her other hand, leaving Ari with no chance of removing them from the basin wall. She was now partially immobilized, hands stuck to the rim of the pool, the rest of her body floating helplessly in the water.

The creature was still stuck, limpet-like, on her leg, creating a deep aching welt on her skin. Now more of the things shuffled off the ledge and into the water, swirling below Ari, causing her to redouble her efforts. Kicking against the onslaught, her foot brushed the side of the pool and stuck fast. Another limpet-thing was attached there, and had caught the foot in her panic. Now she was truly stuck. Only one foot was free to kick uselessly, Ari's body spread eagle, chest down in the water. She tried bracing one hand against the rock to pull the other off, but now she had even less leverage than before. Her hand stayed stuck fast, but she felt a deep strain in her shoulder joint. To pull harder would risk dislocation. She was beginning to panic, adrenaline coursing through her veins, making it hard to think.

"There must be some way out", she thought. "Maybe if I can leverage with my free leg..." A limpet attached to the one free floating foot, and as Ari kicked, it latched onto the side of the pool, cocking her knee at a right angle, splaying her leg out to the side.

Now exposed and immobilized, the last threads of Ari's self possession snapped, giving way to a deep animal fear. She writhed in the pool, trying desperately to pry herself from the walls. Inhaling a mouthful of water, Ari coughed and spluttered, tears welling in the corners of her eyes. But she remained caught, her body held open to receive whatever violation these monsters had in store. Breathing heavily, she craned her head behind her to see her contorted, exposed body. Below her the limpets swirled, a dark vortex, mesmerizing. Another bite as one suctioned on her ass cheek, pulling and tearing at the flesh. Ari let out a yelp, redoubled her efforts, but to no avail. How many were swirling below her? Hundreds, at least. More than could fit on her body? Most likely. They could cover every inch of Ari's skin with those terrible teeth, reducing her to a mere host for their consumption.

The thought of more of the limpets attaching cruelly to her skin was almost too much to bear. One attached to her breast, directly over the nipple, quickly followed by another to match. The breath caught in Ari's lungs as the sensation pushed all else from her mind. She squirmed pitifully, but the fight was leaving her. It took all her willpower just to cope with the relentless sensation. The pain radiated through her chest, across the skin, seemed to link to the other places the limpets had attached, a spider's web of fire. At each point of attachment a deep, dull throb emanated. Her tits were in agony, but with the pain came an unsettling hunger in the back of her mind. A twitch from her crotch. Surely she wasn't getting off to this, this torture. That deep earthy scent wafted over her once again as more limpets grabbed onto her prone figure, holding fast to the insides of her thighs, to her taught belly, to the arch of her back.

Burning lines enlaced her skin, inlets and roads to cities of pain where the creatures attached, the searing disintegrating into a smoldering ache. A sensation like Ari's insides were being sucked to the surface of her skin at each site, leaving an empty cavity in the middle of her being. The hunger in the back of her mind was growing stronger though. A delicious euphoria played beneath the miasma of sensations flooding her mind.

Still Ari squirmed in the water, but exhaustion was overtaking her. One last splash, then her body went limp, save for the pulsing creatures and her own involuntary shudders. A limpet climbed up her neck and onto her face, leaving red circular prints in its wake. Just as she opened her mouth to protest it slipped in with a lewd sound. Ari's eyes widened at the intrusion and muffled cries escaped her lips. She could feel it probing the inside of her mouth, searching diligently until it brought its sucker to clamp firmly on her tongue. That earthy scent now materialized in her taste buds. Warm, herbal, earthy, slightly musky. Her cock throbbed. She could feel the teeth digging into the flesh of her tongue, but it didn't seem to hurt. The taste was having an oddly calming effect, her muscles relaxing even as the assault on her body continued unabated.

As the limpet sucked gently on her tongue, Ari felt another entity growing in her mouth. From the creature sprouted a thick tendril, filling the rest of her mouth, making it impossible to close entirely. It secreted a viscous fluid that tasted like the creature itself, but more condensed, more potent. Though her body was screaming, she felt herself relaxing, letting the flood of sensation wash over and through her.

The tendril was pushing at the entrance to her throat, threatening to cut off her breathing, nudging at the entrance to her esophagus. Saliva dripped out of her mouth and down her chin. She felt her throat relaxing, expanding for the thickness, as it grew more insistent. More pressure, slight resistance, and a final give as it pushed down her throat, penetrating so deep it felt like it would enter her stomach. Ari gagged, then coughed as it withdrew for a moment, only to push back, fucking her throat deeply. The sensation of the tentacle sliding back and forth sent goosebumps down her whole body, her hips flexing involuntarily. Ari couldn't tell how long this lasted. Minutes? Hours? The tentacle would occasionally pull out just long enough for her to grab half a breath before plunging back down her throat. Lights began popping in Ari's head, whether from lack of oxygen or the sheer sensory input she couldn't tell. The hunger was in full control now, and even as tears fell from her face the ecstasy of overwhelm was building within her.

Now a new sensation came into focus, separating itself from the storm raging across her body. It was a pressure building at her ass. Managing to crane her neck back to look, she saw saw one of the limpets mounted just above her tailbone, wielding a thick tentacle similar to the one violating her throat. The same slick, pungent substance dripped from it, onto her asshole. The tentacle was pushing lightly, making small circles around the entrance, massaging the slime into the surrounding skin. Ari could feel warmth gathering there, the muscles relaxing as the creature continued working in the stuff. The tentacle pushed more insistently, lodging itself just inside the tight hole, wriggling back and forth, slowly and steadily massaging its lubricant into her body, preparing her for its conquest.