79. Addled (Patreon)

“Hmm~” Aloe bit her lip with all the strength she could muster. “This... itches... are...” She panted; words stopped coming from her mouth as she was out of air. “I...”

At some point, she removed her dress. She couldn’t recall when, but it was too drenched and gave her off too much heat. Her body itched like never before. She felt a heat that refused to be satiated, only growing with each moment... with each stroke. Aloe continued panting, the itches refusing to relinquish.

No matter the spot, no matter how much she tried to satiate the itch, it wasn’t enough. Her palate was crisp with the flavor of spiciness, but the undertone of sweetness was ever-present. As if her whole body was drowning in sweetness.

Aloe led one hand to her mouth, caressing her tongue in order to alleviate the irritation, as her other hand dug deeper. But the dryness of her mouth was obvious, even in her addled state she could recognize that.

“I’m... thirsty...” She grabbed the kettle on the kitchenette. The tea inside had long grown cold, but she was so dehydrated she would drink muddy water in her current state. “Ugh~”

No matter how awful it was once cold, Aloe groaned in pleasure at the tea, trickles of the liquid pouring out of the corners of her mouth as she shoved it all in one go. However, instead of making it difficult to think and concentrate, the properties of the ter’nar tea brought consciousness to her addled mind.

From the corner of her eyes, she saw the daylight pouring into the house through the windows, and her eyes latched on the glass. More concretely, in her reflection.

Reddened cheeks, dilatated irises, hanging jaws, drenched hair, and exposed body.

All of those characteristics sent a spark directly to her mind. Her misty consciousness, a sea of mist and heat turning into an illuminated pathway.

Her eyes opened like plates, her gaze refocused, and her visage blushed harder.

Realization struck true.

Without thinking twice, Aloe shoved her body on the main door – swinging it wide open – and rushed to the oasis. The hot sand burned the soles of her feet, but she didn’t care. For better or worse, this was not the first time she had run naked in the desert.

She almost tripped multiple times on her way there, her body moving sluggishly from the lack of water and her mind even more so, as it was bustling with several agents.

Her gaze was blurry, but she instantly noticed when she made it to the oasis. Hot sand replaced by humid grass. That made her tumble to the ground in surprise, a muted groan of... many things escaping her lips. Aloe stood up with difficulty – almost crawling – and continued forward. Before she realized it, grass gave way to dirt, and dirt to water.

Aloe almost sank to the bottom of the oasis.

Cold water caressed her sore body and refreshed her addled mind. What was blurry now became crystal clear.

Though not as clear as her rapidly dwindling air.

Aloe grunted; a wrong gesture that pushed water into her mouth and thrashed her arms around pushing her body to the surface.

“Ugh...” She knelt on all fours on the coastline, puking out all the water she had swallowed.

Her naked chest heaved up and down, sweet air filling her lungs, and collapsed on the muddy dirt; water and dirt caressing her back. She looked up to the heavens, the sun blinding her, for a few minutes. Only she recovered her breath she talked again.

“What in the name that all is holy is wrong with me?” Aloe raised her back out of her lying position, air bustling out of her lungs in a mighty roar. “Oh my... what... what have I done?”

Aloe now panted from exhaustion rather than suffocation, her awakened mind comprehending the flawed logic that had dictated her previous thoughts as clarity reigned supreme.

“Ugh...” She groaned, grabbing her face in shame. “Aaaaahhh!” Her hands muffled the scream, but that didn’t stop the inhabitants of the oasis from noticing the noise, mainly the monster.

“Wroo?” Fikali bellyflopped her way to Aloe and caressed the human’s hands with her snoot.

Aloe opened her eyes, looking through the slits of her fingers, and sighed. She removed her hands from her visage, one dropping to the ground and the other caressing the side of Fikali’s head.

“Everything’s alright, girl.” Aloe mused tiredly, her hands prodding under the monster’s head. Fikali responded with a cat-like purr, only if a bit more guttural. “It’s just me being stupid.”

“Wro!” The dweller grunted in agreement, making Aloe frown.

“Why are you so committed to that? What did you mean by that?” Aloe jumped out of the ground and looked down on Fikali.

“Hro?” Fikali tilted her head from side to side.

“Don’t act as if you don’t understand. Did you just call me stupid?” The woman pouted, hands on her hips.

Instead of responding, Fikali bellyflopped and made her way out.

“Hey! Where are you going? You know I can outrun you on solid ground, right? Come back here!” The dweller didn’t obey her and hid in the vegetation. “I can’t be bothered.” Aloe sighed. “I’m so... beaten? Ugh... I guess I’ll bathe now that I’m here. I still feel sweaty. And dirty. Especially dirty...”

Even though Aloe didn’t have access to soap, she swam into the oasis and scrubbed herself to the best of her extent.

“I guess nothing will happen from a suboptimal bathing experience once in a while.” She said before diving her hair into the water, popping out a few seconds later looking for air. “I’m lucky I have been able to take hot baths with oils and perfumes on a daily basis. That costs a fajat on the public baths. Fajat per day... dunes, that’s more than most people get paid. I may have not been paid yet, but I cannot deny I’m in love with the perks of the job.”

After rinsing her hair, Aloe looked at her hands. Especially the one that had... She hadn’t done anything, but she couldn't help herself but feel guilty. Between the gap of her hands, a beam blinded her.

“Whuh?” She covered her eyes with said hand. “Where’s that light coming from?” Then her two brain cells activated simultaneously. “Ohhhh, riiiight...” She clicked her tongue. “Yeah, I kinda forgot about it. Well, it doesn’t damage anyone, the Myriad can stay there.”

With that, she got out of the oasis and made her way to the shack.

“Ouch, ouch, ouch!”

Not before having to walk a path filled with sun-scorching sand.

The scribe donned her clothes, especially her favorite sandals, and went back to the oasis with her notes in hand.

Species: Grace’s Exaltation

Sobriquet: Her Divinity’s Ecstasy

Description: An evolved member of the Acanthaceae family, a species known for its ability to bring daylight and take creatures into bliss.

Alignment: Life, Light

“Oh, right... right... right.” Aloe repeated in numbed succession. “I should kill myself right now.”

The amount of shame she felt for forgetting what this specific plant did of all the ones she had was insurmountable. Having drowned in the oasis felt out of a sudden like a peaceful ending. She grabbed her head, pressing it with all her might as the embarrassment overtook her. It wasn’t painful. No matter how much strength she put on her grip, her skin and body were too tough and her arms too weak. For better or worse, Aloe couldn’t hurt herself in her current condition.

The scribe sighed in defeat and analyzed the plant.

“I suppose that ‘bringing daylight’ makes reference to the nectar. It’s not exactly luminous, certainly not as much as the Myriad. That’s a second sun. But it makes some light. Maybe around candle level? Not sure.”

She approached her hand to the cane-like steam of the Grace’s Exaltation and, as expected, it was illuminated like when someone brought their hands close to a fire.

“That part of its abilities isn’t that useful. The second one, on the other hand...” Aloe flushed, her face becoming red as a radish. “I...”

The itch still remained there. It urged Aloe to keep going. And Aloe still wanted. Perhaps. The debauchery knocking constantly knocking without mercy.

“I can’t deny it’s effective. Without a doubt, it’s a powerful aphrodisiac. Though 'bliss' isn’t exactly the word I would use, veritas.” She pouted at the fact that a plant lied to her. “There’s a bit of sweetness at the beginning, but it’s mostly suffering if you refuse to... refuse to...” Aloe blushed even harder. “Ehm... refuse to... Dunes! Aloe, you are a fucking adult! You cannot be embarrassed by these nince-damned trivial things! What are you, a fucking child?”

As logic dictated, if she couldn’t beat her embarrassment, Aloe opted for the route of self-flagellation and self-deprecation.

She took a deep breath and tried to talk again, finishing her thoughts.

“The beginning is good, but if you refuse to... to... masturbate... it’s only pain...” She grabbed her heated cheeks in shame. “But if you cave in... well... it’s p-pleasurable...”

From this moment on, Aloe swore to not let anyone see her notes in the future.