The Withering Rod of Eridu

A Tale from the Erotic Adventures of Solomon Magus

CHAPTER ONE

Three days into the on-going week-long ceremonies that followed the marriage of my sister, Talima, to the crown prince of Shallamar, Khalid ben Guri, a messenger of some eighteen years came to my door.

"Forgive the intrusion, my lord Solomon--" he began, then stopped to gape at the somewhat messy state of my room and the equally disheveled look of the two half-naked women who reclined on my bed. Both of them were clad in leather harnesses.

The messenger coughed his throat clear of embarrassment, leaned forward and said in a low voice, "May we---uh---speak privately, sir?"

I raised an eyebrow at him, shrugged, then waved my hand at the women. Almost immediately, they vanished into thin air.

"By the gods of Kush!" exclaimed the messenger as he started to protest my apparent heartless and barbaric gesture.

"Don't concern yourself," I replied hastily. "They were but phantasms which I conjured for my pleasure."

The answer seemed to satisfy the young man although he continued to gaze at me warily as if expecting me to make him disappear just as easily if it were my whim.

"Come in, come in," I urged, "and shut the door behind you."

I waved a finger towards the door and while the messenger entered and closed it, I took a moment to cast another spell that cleaned up the mess, straightened the bedsheets and set the room back into its original and neatly organized state.

The messenger gaped in awe, his eyes bright and wide and brown.

"Well, boy, we're alone now. What do you wish to tell me?"

"Master, I have come at the behest of the High Council of Wizards in Rajni, bringing with me this scroll--" which he then produced from his loose-fitting garment and handed to me, "--and they bade me give it to you personally saying it was of the utmost importance that you read it."

"Anything else?" I inquired as I took the scroll.

He reached into his tunic once more and pulled out a diamond-shaped silver amulet on a long chain. The center of the medallion contained a bluish, translucent stone. "The council suggested you wear this once you have perused and understood the contents of the scroll."

Certainly this all began to sound quite mysterious to me and my interest in the scroll urged me to open it immediately, but I deferred from doing so in front of the messenger.

"I do apologize for interrupting your--uh--recreation," the young man went on. "Had the council not impressed upon me the necessity of finding you as quickly as possible, I would have--"

I waved the rest of his explanation aside with my hand. "'Tis of no consequence," I replied. "My companions can be conjured up at any time."

"Then, perhaps you would consider allowing me to be your real companion for awhile...?" And, that said, the messenger suddenly pulled up his shirt to reveal two of the most succulent breasts I'd seen in a long time.

"You're a woman!" I exclaimed, fully taken aback since the messenger had seemed so boyish in her looks and mannerisms and voice tone.

She merely shrugged. "I am not one to paint the eyes and lips for work such as this," she replied.

"Forgive me for thinking you a boy, then," I said. "It was indeed hard to tell..."

"No offense taken." She pulled the top up further, tugging it over her head. Her breasts stretched slightly upwards, their tips pink and round. She was much shorter than I, the top of her head coming to the middle of my chest, but as she stepped out of her boots and pulled off her breeches, I could see she was very well-proportioned for her height. The fact that I was also thirty-odd years older than she didn't seem to bother her.

"You have me at a slight disadvantage," I muttered as I opened my robe and let it fall to the floor. "You know my name, but---"

"I am Taraneh, but you may call me Tara."

And with that, she gently but forcibly pushed me backwards until I hit the side of the bed and sat down on it. In the next moment, she was on her knees and between my legs, her hands grasping the shaft of my now-stiffening member.

"I have heard tales of the magnificent staff of Solomon," she whispered, "and now here it stands before my very eyes."

I chuckled. "It is no different than any other man's," I observed, not yet ready to tell her the truth of the tales.

"You are too modest," she chided. "Look how it swells within my grasp. Its length and hardness throb for intimate and immediate attention."

Without further exposition, her mouth devoured me, playing upon my yantra a sweet melody such as I had never experienced before. Up, down and around her lips slid, their ministrations thrilling me beyond words until, at length, I cried out in passion and exploded into her mouth, the warm contents of which she immediately swallowed.

She rose, thereafter, gazing at me with her young eyes sparkling and bright, wet with tears of gratitude.

"You're rather young to know such blissful techniques," I said.

She merely smiled and shrugged, then explained simply, "I do what I must to survive."

"Then you expect some sort of payment for--?"

"Oh! Mercy, no, Master Solomon! That was done for my pleasure as well as your own. However--" she held up her hands and wiggled her fingers. "I am somewhat of a skilled thief. There is no door I cannot open, no lock I cannot pick--"

"And, apparently, no modesty you cannot find." I laughed at her audacity and pulled on my robe again. "Although I am skilled at my own craft, " I continued, "still I am aware of my limits."

"You have misunderstood me, Master," Tara replied as she helped me to fasten my robe. "I know full well what I can or cannot do. But, to be honest, I need to hone my skills, and I'm looking for some sort of adventure that would enable me to do just that. I suspect that is why the council sent the scroll to you--there is some task they want you to undertake, and I'm hoping you will allow me to accompany you and be of some help."

I raised my eyebrows and gave her a half-smile. "You've already read the scroll--?"

"By the gods! no--I would not do such a thing. I may be a thief, but I am not without some decency." Then, quietly, she said as she hung her head, "Besides, I do not know how to read."

"Ah." I retrieved the scroll, broke the seal and began to unravel the parchment. "Very well. You may travel with me, if such the case may be. And, if not, then perhaps you will allow me to teach you how to read."

"Master Solomon, you are too kind..."

"It is the least I can do for someone who can bring me to Bliss with her mouth such as you have done."

Then I started to read the scroll out loud...

CHAPTER TWO

#Solomon Magus: The Keep of Eridu has requested our aid in expelling an unknown evil from within its walls. We urgently request you travel there at your earliest opportunity to see what can be done and render help if necessary. We have instructed the messenger to give you the Amulet of Protection which should afford you some manner of safety.The blessings of your fellow wizards and the protection of the gods be with you. The High Council Of Wizards#

"You see," said Tara after I finished reading the scroll aloud. "I told you it would be an adventure of sorts."

"And, quite possibly, a dangerous one, too," I retorted. "Based on past experience, I always hesitate when an 'unknown evil' is indicated. I never know what I'm getting into, and it's usually worse than what was first imagined. But--it is an adventure, nonetheless."

"Then, shouldn't we be on our way?" asked Tara.

I chuckled at her. "Looking like that?"

She was still in a naked state.

She laughed back. "That would certainly draw attention to us, wouldn't it?"

"While you dress," I continued, "I shall talk with my sister, let her know where we're going. Then I'll say my good-byes to the members of my newly-related family-in-law. I should be ready to depart by mid-day."

Tara nodded in agreement. "Shall I obtain supplies for us?"

"Enough rations for two days," I answered as I took some coins from my bag and tossed them to her. She caught them. "Barring any unforeseen circumstances, that's how long it should take us to get to Eridu."

Tara bowed her head slightly. "Yes, Mage."

I was about to tell her not to be so formal since we'd so recently shared such an intimate moment, but I quickly changed my mind. It is still good for the young to respect their elders in spite of relationships.

Precisely as I had said, mid-day found Tara and I on the road to Eridu.

I'd never been to the Keep before so I didn't know what to expect other than what I'd been told by my sister---that those who dwelt there were mainly soldiers and mercenaries under the employ of Preet, king of Shallamar. They protected the border between Arpakshad and Aram, patrolling up and down the River Ganga which ran from the Elburz Mountains in the north, east-southeast past the Rajasthan Desert to empty into the Sea of Salacia just off the Coromandel Coast.

"Where are you from?" asked Tara as we made our way along the dusty road which led through the Forest of Andhra.

"I was born in Avelle---part of the Western Territories---and spent my childhood there with my parents and two older sisters. When I turned twelve, my parents decided to take me on a trip across the Inner Sea to Madai. But our ship was attacked by pirates. They killed my father and carried off my mother. I had hid beneath the decks. Alone, I stayed on the ship as the sea carried it on the waves until it crashed upon the rocks of the island, Ithamar. There, I came under the tutelage of a sorceress called Narmada Magus from whom I learned many things of a magical nature."

"And the art of lovemaking...?" prodded Tara.

"Ah---that's another story entirely," I replied as I attempted to evade her inquiry.

She touched my arm gently, squeezed with her fingers.

"Tell it to me, I pray you, Mage Solomon. I have heard so many tales of your sexual prowess, and your amazing staff, but none which sounded like the Truth."

I pursed my lips. It had been so long since the awakening of my Bliss that I wondered if I could remember the details as accurately as I thought I did. "Very well, I shall tell you the Truth, if you wish..."

CHAPTER THREE

"Unfortunately," I began as Tara and I stopped for a rest, "so many of the stories have obviously been quite exaggerated. I am no more a great lover than even you. But I suppose one of the women I loved when I was younger enjoyed her time with me so much that she told of our intimate relations and thus the word was spread. As you probably know, the more a story is told by word of mouth from one person to another, the more distorted it becomes, and the further it strays from the truth if it is not written down. And even then it could be hearsay. However, if you wish to know the truth of the matter, then I shall tell you."

***

I must have been fourteen, nay! perhaps fifteen, at the time. I had been with Narmada Magus perhaps one year. She taught me magical spells in exchange for cleaning up her work space and generally helping her whenever she needed more than her own two hands.

Oddly enough, implementing spells came quite easily to me, as if I were one born to adapt them to my life. Memorizing words and gestures and components--I found it all not only fascinating, but easy to learn.

At any rate, it happened that while I was straightening up some voluminous tomes on the mage's shelves, I came across an old, tattered book entitled Love-Makyng Spelles: The Enhancement Of Blyss. My interest was immediately sparked since, up until that time, I had not yet been alone with a woman, my Bliss was still yet intact, and I had only heard stories of sexual pleasures from other lads my age who weren't as naive as I.

Curious, then, I removed the book from the shelf, opened to the contents page and quickly perused it. One chapter title in particular intrigued me and I turned to it. The spell wasn't difficult to learn and I had it memorized in a few moments.

I glanced through the rest of the book. It contained various descriptions of how to bring pleasure to both men and women, accompanied by some rather explicit drawings.I became aroused and, thinking I could ease the throbbingof my member the same way one eases the pain of a muscle,I began to rub myself. Within a few moments, I was overcome by an ecstatic feeling which I recognized as Bliss and watched as my linga spewed its contents onto the floor.

But then I heard Narmada returning so I quickly cleaned up the mess, reshelved the book and looked forward to the next times when she was away so that I could continue to experience more Bliss.

Now, on my sixteenth birthday, Narmada gave me two gifts. One was my own personal spell book; the other wasthe book of love-making spells!

In spite of my attempts to keep my times of self-stimulation hidden from her, somehow she knew. I became quite embarrassed, but she didn't chastise me. Instead, she patted the bed beside her and said, "Come here."

I sat down and, before I realized what had happened, her hand slipped beneath the waistline of my breeches and caught my flaccid member.

That first touch of a woman's hand upon me was at once both strange and yet exciting. Verily, I did swell to a good size! I had to stand then so she could pull down my breeches to allow me more freedom of movement.

'Twas then she drew aside her gown to expose her body, and I gazed upon a wondrous sight of two large breasts, a firm stomach and a small mound of hair between her legs which seemed to beckon to me with its dew-drenched tendrils.

Narmada had already begun to moan quite loudly and I suspect it had been some time since last she had a man even though she was still in her early thirties.

She bade me lie down quickly, and I did so. After rubbing my firm staff several times to make sure I was good and hard, she threw one leg over me, straddled my hips and settled down upon my rod.

After some few minutes of up and down movement--which brought me no end of pleasure!--I saw a look of disappointment come over her face.

"What's wrong?" I asked, genuinely concerned.

Her lips twisted, her hips gyrated, then she said, "You're too small---I can barely feel you!"

Had I been more sexually enlightened, this remark probably would have caused me great distress and thus deflated what erection I did have.

But, instead, I remembered that first spell I'd memorized from the love-making book.I closed my eyes, visualized my organ within her, murmured the enchanted words.

A strange feeling swept over me. Suddenly,I heard Narmada gasp, then yelp with surprise and joy as my member suddenly swelled even more and throbbed of its own accord, pressing against the walls of her chasm, filling her completely.

Narmada cried aloud once more, and I daresay more with pleasure than pain, for she told me afterward that never had she felt so full by any other linga.

Thus she rode me, not once, not twice, nay! thrice she impaled her naked form upon my magical staff as it loaded her innards with my seed again and again, and we experimented with several positions until both of us were wet and sticky...

***

"And that is the truth?" asked Tara, her mouth drooling at the vision of my huge stalk. "Oh, mage! Do it for me!" she pleaded. "The magic words---say them so that I might see for myself!"

Already she was on her knees in front of me as I sat on a fallen tree. Her hands scrambled to release me from my robe. As her nimble fingers caught me and pulled me forth, I lay back and chanted those esoteric words once again as I had done so many times before.

With a cry of delight, Tara felt my dagger of flesh increase in size until it was all she could do to fit her hands around its circumference. Then she kissed its mushroom-shaped head, ran her tongue across it, pumped that rod with all her might until at length I exploded into the air, covering her hair and face and hands with my sticky sap.

And for the next while, before we bathed in the nearby Ganga River, she took me twice within her bowels so that she, too, might feel the hugeness of my enchanted member and know the truth of those many rumours.

CHAPTER FOUR

Sundown saw us arrive at the Pir Panjab mountains and an hour later, after travelling along the base of them, the Keep of Eridu emerged from a light mist.

Even before we had reached the gate, I could sense that something was not right. I was grateful for the Amulet of Protection, but feared for Tara's safety, so I cast an Aura of Good about her that would at least keep most evil things at a distance for awhile.

Slowly we approached the gate, noting that the great doors were open and that no guards seemed to be posted on the walls.

Upon entering, we realized the whole keep had been deserted.

"What's happened?" whispered Tara, not daring to raise her voice lest we disturb some as-yet-unseen danger. "Where is everyone?"

"I don't know," I replied. "Perhaps we're too late and the evil has already taken control."

"What sort of evil might this be?"

"One that I don't really want to be around to see," I said truthfully. "But I have no choice. You may leave now, if you wish."

Tara rested her hand on my forearm and squeezed. "I would feel safer with you, Solomon." Then she drew out a dagger. "And with this."

"I think whatever we face will be more than a match for that little dirk," I commented, a little amused.

"Then we'll have to rely on your magic, won't we?" she retorted.

And, that said, Tara followed close behind me as I headed for the open door that would obviously lead to the interior of the Keep's main building. I pushed against it. It creaked loudly and swung open.

We stood in what would have been a large dining area for the soldiers, for there were several long tables with chairs, perhaps a dozen bowls and tankards scattered about.

But, no sign of human life.

At the back of the room, we found a flight of stairs going to what I assumed would be the basement or storeroom where, if it was like any other keep, there would be several large kegs of ale, as well as rooms where fresh linen, dishes and cutlery were kept.

Tara peered into the hole. "looks awfully dark down there," she whispered.

"See if you can find a torch," I suggested.

A quick search nearby netted two torches. I took one, held it while Tara prepared to light it. I would have used magic to do it, but felt I should conserve my powers for later. Just in case.

The torch flared and crackled as sparks from Tara's flint and tinder fell upon the dry straw and kindling. Once the flames had settled into a slow, steady flow, we headed down the stairs.

A strange, unfamiliar pungent odor filled our nostrils.

"Ugh--what is that?" murmured Tara as her nose crinkled.

"Nothing good," I surmised as I reached the bottom of the stairway. Shadows danced around the walls, the light from the torch illuminating several large kegs of ale---probably still intact---and some cases which probably held some other sort of supplies.

But we did not bother with these. Instead, our attention was caught almost immediately by a door on one of the walls. It glowed with a bluish-green light and had several magical symbols inscribed on it.

"This doesn't look good," I whispered to Tara. "This doesn't look good at all."

CHAPTER FIVE

For what seemed a long time, Tara and I stared at the doorway. That it was magically protected I did not doubt. But by whom or by what means I had no idea. Although the symbols were similar to some from my magic book, they were obviously from some culture or magical system I wasn't cognizant of, and yet for some reason they looked strangely familiar. I was sure I'd seen some of them before.

"Can't you cast a spell to disable the magic?" asked Tara.