Chimera. When mentioned in the tales told by the fireside on long winter nights, it put expressions of awe and fear on the faces of those who listened. The cautious and cowardly never dreamt of venturing into such a tenebrous world, but those who feared no death, and possessed both, the innocence and audacity of the youth, as well as insatiable thirst for adventure, desired to find it just to see if they could get a taste of its legendary delights. Despite the fact that only very few ever returned to tell the tale, some brave souls still set off to seek it.
Past the borders of the imaginary, Chimera was almost entirely covered by a dark misty forest where grave dangers and perils awaited those who were let through its green gates. The adventure seekers had to be constantly on the lookout for steep cliffs, precarious paths, treacherous marshes and wild rivers, not to mention the sudden and uncanny spells of harsh weather that could dissipate as quickly as they came. If their journey did not end there, they still had to brave the life-threatening encounters with all sorts of strange and frightening creatures. Only the most enduring and valiant proved themselves worthy of entering the heart of the forest, where the nymphs, the most alluring beings of bewitching beauty, lived.
Her meadow was so remote and well hidden that no human had ever set foot onto its soft grass. It was rumoured among the inhabitants of Chimera that the Forest Gods themselves favoured her because out of all the nymphs, she was the loveliest. Wanting to keep her untouched and pure, they asked both the moon and the sun, to protect her so that no human would ever come across her existence. Bathing in their glowing light, she danced with the gracefulness of a swan, her feet light as a doe barely touching the ground and everyone who ever set eyes on her was instantly captivated by her unparalleled beauty. Her voice was sweeter than honey and more melodious than the chant of a nightingale, and her songs had the other nymphs pause and listen with envy.
Becomingly adorned with wildflowers, her hair was black as night and its silky ripples cascaded down her back all the way to the her smooth thighs. Her statuesque body was clad in the sheerest and softest of gossamer gowns that shimmered as she moved, accentuating every one of her sensuous curves and exposing her creamy white skin. With her almond shaped violet eyes and a teasing smile on her perfect pink lips, she had melted even the coldest hearts among the mischievous elves, though fearing the wrath of the Forest Gods, they only ever adored her but never dared to touch her. The other nymphs were envious of her beauty but to her, it was a curse, and because of it, she spent most of her life feeling excluded and lonely.
With time, her songs became full of sadness and were so heartbreaking to those who heard them that the day came when both, the sun and the moon, took pity on her. It was in mutual agreement that they decided to defy the Forest Gods and withheld their protective barrier from her small meadow. Unaware of any of it, she was sitting in her favorite spot under the willow, silently weaving a wreath with the flowers she had just gathered. A gentle breeze was softly caressing her face, and she wondered why it was that her heart felt much lighter all of a sudden .
- Splash -
Startled, she looked up to the disturbed surface of the pond but all she saw was waves of widening ripples that rocked the water lilies she so carefully tended to. She dropped the wreath and quickly sprang up to her feet to hide behind the thick tree trunk. Annoyed with the intrusion, she suspected the wood elves. How dare they use her pond without asking her permission?
Slightly frowning, she waited, fixing the pond. Her pretty violet eyes widened with surprise when a young man of a stout physique emerged from the water close to the shore. She had always been envious when listening to the exciting accounts of encounters with men from the other nymphs but, aware of her special status, she never even dared to imagine that there would come a day when she would get to see one in person. To suddenly have one there, right in front of her eyes, stunned and confused her. How was it possible for this human to have entered her meadow? She stared at him in disbelief, thinking she must be dreaming, but when she pinched her skin, the pain had been real enough.
From his dirty and torn clothing that lay scattered on the grass and from the bruises, scratches and wounds on his body, she could only imagine what he had been through before he came to her. It was clear that he was unaware of her presence and she was glad to have the chance to observe him in secrecy. She could not tear her eyes from him. The upper part of his body glistened in the sun with thousands of diamond-like droplets scattering around him as he shook off the excess water from his long fair hair. Slowly, he made his way out of the water, revealing the rest of his tall and muscular body. A stirring arousal spread from her lower belly toward her small pink nipples and between her thighs at the sight of him. She felt the heat in her cheeks rise when she saw his nakedness. Never before had she laid her eyes on a being as appealing as the young man in front of her and she was instantly smitten by his human charm. The way her body reacted to his presence with an overwhelming carnal lust frightened her.
She was afraid that if she revealed herself to him, it would not only anger the gods, but it would also put the young man's life in grave danger. Little did she know that once they let him through, the sun and the moon put a protection around the meadow to shield it from the prying eyes of not only the forest creatures, but from the Gods as well.
She waited patiently, hoping that perhaps he would leave. He didn't. Instead, he lay down in the grass and after a short while of basking in the warm sun, he fell asleep. This was the perfect moment for her to retreat to her cavern behind the waterfalls. He would never know that she had been there the whole time. She wanted to walk away but it was the tingling feeling in her lower belly that made her pause. Unable to resist the temptation to see him from up close, she turned back. With the stealth and prowess of the nymph that she was, she silently walked over to where he lay, peacefully asleep and oblivious that he was being contemplated by the loveliest creature in the whole of Chimera.
She felt her heartbeat quicken to an exciting drumming rhythm as her eyes took in his every detail. Watching him from up close, she was mesmerized by his manly beauty and her physical attraction to him grew with every second of her drinking him in. His eyes were relaxed under his smooth eyelids rimmed with thick eyelashes and she found it extremely difficult to resist the urge to trace his perfectly arched eyebrows with the tip of her finger. The shape of his nose, his strong jaw and his face were symmetrical and smooth and the way his full lips slightly curved in the corners made them look so soft and inviting that it had her wondering how it would feel to kiss him. Her resolution not to touch him was weakening. She was aware of the danger she was putting him in and her head was telling her to leave immediately but her body was suggesting something altogether different. In the end, the temptation was simply too strong.
As silently as she could, she kneeled down beside him. Tying a small ribbon around her long hair first, she then lowered her face to his and placed the softest of kisses on his lips. When she felt him stiffen and breathe in, she laid her hand over his eyes before he had the chance to open them.
