The Talisman of Odan 9
The Talisman of Odan
By Vic James
Copyright 2013 by Vic James
All Rights Reserved
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Chapter Nine
Tig woke during the night. He was surprised to find them in bed. He lay there thinking about what they had seen. He worried about the effect it would have on Erin. Tig much, much older. He had seen many things, not all of them pleasant. Erin was so young. He sniffed and took in the scent of Erin's hair. His arms were wrapped around his love. He slid one hand down to Erin's crotch to find he was erect. He took his prick and began stroking it.
"Oh, yes, Henry. Do it again!"
Tig stopped, shocked, and Erin laughed.
"Very funny."
Erin flipped over. He kissed Tig tenderly on the lips and all was forgiven. Tig stroked the side of Erin's head.
Erin looked around.
"I don't remember coming back."
"I don't, either."
"I suppose Nado did it."
"How do you feel about everything?" Tig asked him.
Tag saw a shadow cross Erin's face. He continued stroking his head. Erin managed a smile for him.
"I want to forget it. I really do."
"Erin, you know I am much older than you." Erin nodded. "I have seen a lot of things that were horrible in three hundred years. Very few of them had happy endings." Erin frowned. "You gave the merfolk a happy ending. They were in the hands of a demon and you rescued them."
"I didn't."
"Yes, you did. You had the power and you used it to help them. You could have said it was too horrible and left."
Erin thought about that. He had wanted to leave, but he couldn't abandon them if it was possible he could help.
"I guess you are right."
"I am. You need to concentrate on remembering how happy you made them, not what happened before you got there. You should feel proud, not afraid. There is evil in the world, but you are a force for good. I love you even more because of that."
"Oh, Tig."
Erin closed his eyes and sighed. He thought about how happy Deleosa must be to be able to see the boy she loves, again.
"Thank you, Tig. I think you are wonderful."
"As wonderful as Henry?"
Erin grinned.
"I don't love Henry. I love you."
"I could look like Henry, Erin."
Erin frowned. "I suppose you could. That shape would be no less real than the one you have now."
Tig smiled. "I could fuck you as Eneo, too."
Erin laughed. "Did you see that cock? It would come out my mouth if I was fucked with it!"
"As Eneo said, I could just fuck you with a foot or so of it. Although with sex magic, I could probably get the whole thing in. You know how easily my cock slides down your throat."
"That is true."
Tig thought this might be just the distraction Erin needed to keep his mind off Nebus.
"Erin, I like the idea of taking different forms. I would love seeing your reaction to getting fucked by Henry's body, and Eneo's, too. The idea of being a centaur is almost irresistible. I would love to carry you on my back. And I know you thought Elos was attractive. Sometime when we are at the ocean again, I could fuck you as him. As you said, those forms are no less real than this one."
"My deepest desire has always been to have sex with a fish..."
Tig laughed. "He wasn't a fish!"
"I didn't think he was that attractive. His prick just kept waving in the water. I kept thinking it was waving at me."
They both laughed.
"It would be fun to wander around that beautiful area we saw yesterday with you on my back. As long as I can figure out how to walk with four legs."
"It would be! Let's do it! But only on one condition," Erin said.
"What?"
"That you fuck me in your true form, every once in a while."
Tig smiled.
"How about my true form, but taller, so I can kiss you while I fuck you?"
Erin grinned and nodded.
"It's important to me to remember who you really are, Tig. I don't want to be in love with an illusion."
Tig stroked the side of Erin's head before pulling Erin's mouth to his. They kissed.
"I think it has been several minutes since I told you I loved you."
Tig laughed. "More like one minute, but thank you. I love you, too, Erin. I love you more than I did yesterday, and I wouldn't have thought that was possible. Will you change me into Henry? I need to fuck my husband."
"Nado?"
"Yes, Erin."
"Have you been paying attention?"
"Yes."
"Can you do it?"
"Yes."
"Even Eneo?"
"Yes. And Tig will be able to walk and run on four legs. The place where I took you yesterday is called Heetoco by the people who live near it. Erin, there is something I should tell you."
Erin got worried. Odan chuckled. "It isn't bad. When Tig is touching you, I can read his thoughts."
"Oh." Erin worried then about what Tig was thinking.
"You don't have to worry about Tig's thoughts. They are very boring, at least where you are concerned. He thinks you are perfect, and perfection is boring. It may make for a good marriage, but it is dull for eavesdroppers." Erin laughed. "The reason I am telling you this, is that if you are touching Tig, I can read what he is thinking. If there is a shape he would like to take, I can get it directly from his mind."
"Oh. That will save time."
"Exactly. That is why I told you."
"Thank you, Nado. And you aren't Triesse's magic."
"You have my magic because of Triesse, so it all depends on how you look at it."
Erin wondered what Nado was, then.
"Your friend, Erin. That is all that is important."
Erin looked over at Tig and was startled to find a naked Henry in his bed. Henry/Tig grinned at him. Then he flexed his bicep and watched Erin's mouth fall open.
Tig looked down at his chest. He lifted his prick up and examined it.
"Henry's wife must be a happy woman."
"That's what I always imagined. Sometimes Henry would have an obvious erection in his pants. I couldn't help wondering what that big thing looked like."
Erin ran his hand over Tig's new body. He wrapped his hand around Henry's sizable erection and stroked it a few times.
"Nado, this isn't Tig's erection from either of his bodies."
"It is Henry's. Tig is an exact double of Henry."
"How did you know what his penis looked like?"
Odan smiled. "It's magic. The rules are different. When I changed him to look like Henry, he became an exact copy.
"Erin, we gained a great deal of aura yesterday. You are quite a bit more powerful than you were when you woke up yesterday. I know what you saw disturbed you, but you helped people who badly needed it. You did a very good thing."
"You helped them," Erin said.
"No. I work for you. I did it at your command. I could not have helped them if you didn't allow me to do it."
Erin sighed. He didn't know what Nado was, but he was obviously good. Triesse wouldn't have given him to him if he wasn't.
"Kiss me," Tig said.
Erin bent down and kissed Henry's erection.
"I meant my mouth."
"I can't!"
"Why not?"
"I feel like I'm being unfaithful!"
"You aren't. I am your husband. Stop worrying."
Henry lay on top of Erin. Erin moaned as Henry's huge body pressed his down onto the mattress. Tig licked Erin's lips until Erin opened his mouth. Erin felt guilty about liking it so much, but his husband was kissing him and he did stop worrying.
Erin wrapped his arms around Tig's new body. His chest was so wide, they didn't extend very far.
Tig pulled away from their kiss.
"I am going to fuck you."
"No, we can't! My husband might appear at any minute."
Tig squinted. "He better not! I want to stay in this body long enough to fuck you standing up. Well, I'll be standing up. I don't think you will be."
Erin chuckled. "I am a little afraid to find out what you mean!"
Erin stroked Henry's cheek. "The more you look like someone else, the more I miss your true appearance."
"You will get used to it. I like changing shapes. I can be in my true form any time you want. Except now."
Tig got out of bed. He bent over and picked up his husband effortlessly.
"Wrap your arms around my neck and your legs around my waist."
Tig reached down and aimed his prick at Erin's hole.
"Slide onto daddy."
Erin chuckled. He let himself slip onto it. Thanks to Nado's magic, it was extremely pleasurable for both of them. Tig started bouncing Erin on his cock.
"Oh my!"
"Do you like it?" Tig asked him.
"Yes!"
Tig grinned at him.
They both had extended orgasms, with Erin's cum shooting over both of them. They both laughed. Tig kept bouncing him, and soon they each had another orgasm. Erin felt really weird getting fucked by Henry. He knew it was Tig, but it sure looked like Henry. Erin didn't want to get fucked my Henry.
"Nado, will you give him back his old face?"
"Yes. The goblin or human face?"
"Human."
"Better," Erin said, aloud.
"What is?"
"I gave you your old human face. I like it better than Henry's face."
"I still have his muscles!"
"You do!"
After their next orgasms, Tig lowered Erin to the bed.
"I want to suck you, Tig."
"Let me wash off my prick."
Tig did that and then offered his cock to his husband. It didn't bother Erin at all that it was Henry's cock. In fact, he liked it better that Tig's human cock. It was beautiful, and while it was big, it wasn't freakishly so. It was tan-colored with a pink tinge. Erin pulled back the foreskin and licked the head, thoroughly. Tig groaned and came while Erin was doing it. Erin swallowed the prick to catch his seed. Then he pulled away to admire it again. There were three prominent veins on the underside. Erin noticed Henry's balls, then. He lifted them. They were big and heavy. He took one in his mouth and sucked on it. Then he sucked on the other.
"I love Henry's cock. Would you mind keeping it, Tig?"
"I don't mind. It is just as pleasurable as the last one. What about the body? I can keep the rest of it, if you like. With this face, no one will know I have Henry's body."
"That's true. Sure! Why not be stronger?"
Tig nodded and smiled.
Erin swallowed Tig's erection again.
"Nado, will you give Tig a really long orgasm?"
"Yes. How long?"
"How about five minutes?"
"I don't think that is a good idea, Erin. A normal orgasm lasts a few seconds. One that long might become very addictive."
"Oh. What do you suggest?"
"How about a minute?"
"That's fine."
Tig groaned as he spontaneously began shooting in Erin's mouth. Erin swallowed every few seconds.
After about thirty seconds, Tig moaned. "Oh, fuck! It keeps going!"
Erin smiled to himself. He picked up Henry's balls with one hand. He rolled them around in his hand. Tig began writhing on the bed and groaning. Finally it ended and Erin let him slip from his mouth.
"Wow!" Tig said, panting.
"Did you like that?"
"Oh, baby! It was great!"
Erin lay down next to Tig and they kissed for a long while. Then Tig did the same thing to Erin. Tig was touching Erin, so Odan was able to read Tig's thoughts. He knew what Tig wanted. Erin groaned as he had the same length orgasm. Erin could understand what Nado meant. After a five minute orgasm, he would either be wiped out, or ready for a ten minute orgasm, then twenty minute, and so on. One minute was plenty.
After that, the two took a short nap. When they woke up, Tig asked him what he wanted to do.
"Let's go back to Heetoco. You can practice being a centaur."
Tig grinned. "That sounds fantastic!"
They got out of bed and Erin took Tig's hand. They appeared at Heetoco. Odan changed Tig into a centaur with the same face.
"Do you want him to look like Eneo, Erin?"
Erin thought for a moment while Tig examined his new body. He swished his tail and grinned.
"Can you give him a face that looks half like this and half like his goblin face?"
Odan thought that was an interesting challenge—make a goblin-human hybrid face that Erin would find desirable and that Tig would recognize as himself. He knew Tig's original face by reading Erin's memory. He tried a few combinations before he found one he thought was very striking. He added a few touches, like a gold ring through one ear, although it was not solid gold. Odan had no desire to use up a significant amount of aura on an earring! He adjusted the skin color a bit. Odan examined the face. There was enough of Tig's true appearance to be recognizable. He thought this face might be a good compromise for permanent use by Tig, unless he chose to go back to his natural appearance. Odan changed Tig's appearance and Erin grinned.
"Oh, my!"
"What is it, Erin?"
"Let's walk over to the water."
They walked to the lake. The grass and flowers scented the air. The color of the wildflowers was intense. There were patches of yellow, pink, orange, red, and white flowers. It was a beautiful day, and this was certainly a beautiful spot. Tig had no trouble walking on four legs.
When they were at the water's edge, Erin said, "Look at your reflection in the water, Tig."
Tig looked down. He stared silently at himself—at his latest face.
"Do you like it, Erin?"
"Yes, but it's your decision. What do you think?"
"I love it!"
Tig looked at his ears. They were about half as tall as his real ears, but they were shaped the same. His nose was longer than a human nose, but shorter than his own. The eyes were identical. He had slightly-curly hair. It was a medium-brown color. His eyebrows and facial hair were identical to those of his natural appearance.
He looked at Erin's reflection in the water.
"He's cute, too," he said, pointing at Erin.
Erin chuckled.
Tig looked one more time at his reflection.
"I hope our kids are as attractive as this."
"They should be. You look half-human and half-goblin."
Tig nodded.
"I wouldn't mind this being my permanent face."
"It's fine with me. It looks enough like your real face that I don't feel your appearance is completely artificial."
"I agree!"
Tig wanted to hug Erin, but, as a centaur, his arms were much higher on his body.
"Ready to go for a ride?"
"First I want to look at your cock."
"Oh, yeah."
Erin squatted down and rubbed the sheath. A very large version of Henry's cock grew erect. Erin guessed it was about eighteen inches long. He wrapped his hands around it and stroked it. Tig moaned. Erin sat on the ground, crouching under Tig. He took the large head in his mouth—it barely fit—and stroked the shaft with both hands. Tig moaned. He couldn't see Erin at all. He didn't like that. Then he leaned forward and realized that if he lowered his head almost to the ground, he could almost face him that way—upside down. That was too disconcerting. He straightened back up. Erin reached out and stroked Tig's very large testicles. He couldn't see them while he sucked, but from the feel of them, Erin guessed each ball was the size of an apple. Erin mouth got sore from trying to keep it open. He let go of Tig's erection and got out from under him.
Tig turned back and looked at his husband.
"That was fun!" Erin said.
"I liked it, too."
Tig picked Erin up and placed him on his back. His body was amazingly flexible. He supposed centaurs had very different spines in the human part of their body. No human, or goblin, could bend like he could. Erin wrapped his arms around Tig.
"I love you, Tig."
"Oh, I love you, Erin!"
Tig took off. He walked slowly away from the lake. They were in a field of grasses and wildflowers. Occasionally they disturbed birds that flew out of the grass as they passed. There was a forest to their right, a few hundred yards away. He headed for it.
Erin grinned from his seat atop his husband.
"This is great! Does my weight bother you?"
"Not a bit. I like it, too."
They approached the trees. They were mostly pines with another kind Erin didn't recognize. The branches and needles of the pines were far above their heads. All they could see in front of them were the trunks. The other type of tree looked very odd. The trunk was split into two sections which descended to the ground. They resembled upside down Y's with leaves and branches on top. They started about ten feet from the ground. There was a hole in each trunk right below the leaves. The leaves of these trees were large and were shaped like hands with the fingers splayed. There was even a thumb on each leaf. Erin looked at the leaves of the nearest tree. They were all right hands, with the thumb on the left from the topside of the leaves. The tree next to it had all right hands, too. But another one he saw had left hands for leaves.
"They look a little like people," Tig said. "They even have mouths."
"Right. And look at the leaves. Some of the trees are right-handed and some are left-handed."
Tig walked into a grove of them. They heard cracking sounds and an odd, whistling sound. They assumed the cracking sound was branches and twigs breaking under Tig's feet. However when he stopped walking, the cracking sound continued and the whistling sounds became louder. Both Erin and Tig looked around to see what was producing the sounds. Both sounds seemed to be coming from all directions.
"Nado, are we in danger?"
"No, Erin. I would have warned you. The trees are making the sounds. If you touch the trunk of one of them, I may be able to tell you more."
"Tig, will you let me down?"
Tig turned and lifted Erin. Then he placed him on the ground. Erin walked up to one of the trees. There were violets blooming on the ground around the trees. He tried to avoid crushing any. He placed his hand on the gray bark.
"Nado said the trees were making the sound."
"Oh. I wonder why. There is no wind at all."
"This is very interesting," Odan said to Erin. "Touch Tig please, so I can tell you both."
"Tig, will you come here?"
Tig joined him and Erin placed his other palm on Tig.
Odan continued. "The native people have trapped their ancestors in these trees, so that they will remain with them, instead of departing for the Afterlife. The trees are called ghost trees by the natives. They believe the trees were a gift from one of their gods. A seed of the ghost tree is placed in the mouth as soon as a person dies. It traps the spirit. It must be done immediately after death. If they wait too long, the spirit travels to the afterworld. The body with the seed is then buried. I was told the seed sprouts quickly and after a week, or so, the deceased can communicate."
They heard a sort of odd whistling sound.
"That is them speaking," Odan said.
"Do they like being trees?"
"No. Not at all. They are very bored. Their families never visit them. They are able to walk, which is why the trunk splits into legs, but they can only move very, very slowly. They visited the lake over there about three years ago and have made it this far back to the forest in three years. The cracking sound is caused by them trying to turn to face you quickly. The one you touched is named Concenta. She was the leader of a tribe. The tribe needed her advice, and at first, they spoke to her often. As time went on, fewer and fewer came. She has not had a visitor in almost two hundred years. No one in the tribe remembers her, of course, so it is unlikely she will ever have another visitor. Her life is useless and dull. She wants to leave for the afterworld."
"Can you help her?"
"No. The only way to free her is by killing the tree. If I kill her magically, you will turn into a demon."
"Can we kill it non-magically?" Tig asked.
"Yes, but we will lose aura," Odan said. "And I would rather not do that, if we can help it. I want to think about this a little while. Whoever kills the trees will lose aura. Normally killing a tree causes very little to be lost, unless someone depends on the tree, like they might with a fruit tree, or a tree inhabited by a wood nymph. But killing these trees might be the same as killing people. I need to try to think of a method of freeing them that will not cause any of us to lose aura. Why don't you two eat here? The trees will enjoy the company and I can give this matter some thought."
Odan produced a feast for them and Erin sat.
"Will you ask Nado to change me back while we eat?" Tig asked.
"Sure, Nado?"
Tig reverted to Henry's body with his goblin-human face. Tig sat and they began eating.
Odan sat in his castle and thought. It was an interesting problem. He was certain there was a solution. He simply needed to think of the best one for all of them. It made him think of the golems he and Galen might inhabit, if he convinced Galen to return to the land of the living. Their souls would inhabit the golems the way these peoples' souls inhabited the trees. He wondered if he could transfer them into golems. But these people did not wish to return to the land of the living. They wanted to depart for the Afterlife.
He heard a sound. It was very faint. He extended his consciousness and discovered it was a mouse that lived at the base of Concenta's tree. He searched farther and found a great many mice in the forest. There were also squirrels. He smiled. He had his solution.
Erin leaned against Tig while Tig looked in the basket. There was ham, cheese, and warm bread. He smiled when he saw a bowl of potatoes from The Randy Pig. There was a bottle of wine and a jug of water. They ate while enjoying the scenery.
The forest was a beautiful place. The people in the trees might be trapped, but at least they were somewhere nice, Erin thought. Of course after two hundred years, the scenery would cease to be interesting.
After they finished, Tig lay on his back, and Erin rested his head on Tig's chest.
"I hope Nado is able to figure out how to help them," Erin said.
"He seems to be able to do anything. I suppose he will. Even if he can't free them, maybe we can talk to these peoples' descendants and explain they need to visit or kill the trees. Let them lose aura over it."
"That's true."
Odan said to them, "I have thought of a possible solution. Rather than killing the trees, we can offer to transfer their spirits into animals and allow them to die naturally. If we transfer them into mice, they will probably be dead within a year. If they want to die immediately, they can stand out in the open and wait for a hawk or owl to kill them. No one will lose aura."
"That sounds fine, if they agree."
"We will ask each of them whether they wish it. Only the ones who do, will be transferred. Will you touch Concenta?"
Erin got up and walked over to the tree. He placed his palm against the trunk.
"She wishes to be a mouse," Odan said. He located a young female mouse and had it walk up to Erin.
"Pick up that mouse and hold it in your left hand," Odan said. "Keep your right hand on the tree."
Erin bent down and the little gray mouse jumped onto his hand. He grinned at it.
Tig watched amazed as the mouse jumped onto Erin's hand. He shook his head. When he fell in love with Erin, he wondered whether life with a farmer might be dull!
Erin touched his right palm to the trunk. Odan began an incantation. His magical studies to try to transfer himself into the diamond were coming to be useful for these people. Images flowed through Erin. He saw glimpses of this forest, of people wearing animal skins, and of peoples' faces as Concenta's spirit passed through his body. It was over quickly.
"It is done. Concenta is now the mouse." Odan paused. "Erin, she wishes to leave with us. She wants to see a little of the world. She never had the chance to travel before."
Erin looked at the mouse sitting up in his palm. It bowed at him. He was completely charmed—non-magically. "Of course, she may!" The mouse bowed again and then ran up his arm and sat on his shoulder.
"This is Concenta, Tig. She wishes to see some of the world with us. Do you mind?"
"I suppose not."
Odan directed him to touch another tree. The person in it was a man named Delkin. Odan told him what he could do for him, if he wished it. Delkin was delighted, and grateful. He went into a male mouse. Once the transfer was complete, Delkin bowed and ran off.
Erin knew they were doing a good thing, but he couldn't help feeling he was helping to kill these people.
"They don't see it that way, Erin. These people lived their lives. Then they existed as trees. They are ready for the Afterlife."
"What if there isn't an Afterlife, Nado?"
Odan smiled. "There is. As a matter of fact, I can let you speak to your mother, if you wish."
"I don't know her. She died when I was born. It would be like talking to a stranger."
"Well, you will meet her. And you will love her, I'm sure. She was probably a fine person and I am quite certain she will want to get to know you."
Erin thought about the Afterlife. He wondered about Elgath.
"What will happen to Elgath in the Afterlife?"
"He will suffer. Demons will torture him. When they get bored with that, he can wander around the dreary place people like he go. I'm told it's hot and dry and people there thirst, but there is no water."
"Will he be trapped there forever?"
"I don't know. I suppose if he helped others while he is there, he might be able to leave. I think we can assume that won't happen for a very long time."
"He didn't seem like he would ever want to help someone else."
"Then it is his own personality trapping him there. But who knows how he will change in a million years?"
Erin nodded. With enough time, even he might change.
They went to the next tree.
There were forty-seven ghost trees. Forty-three of them wished to transfer into animals, but some of them did not wish to be mice. Several were transferred into squirrels, and others into birds. One even wanted to be a bear. Finally, late in the day, it was done.
"I hope our honeymoon is over soon, so we can get some rest!" Erin said. They both laughed.
Tig lifted Erin onto his back. Concenta jumped up on Erin's head. She held his hair in her front paws like the reins on a horse. Tig turned around and laughed. Erin was riding him, and Concenta was riding Erin. Tig walked back to the lake.
"Concenta says it is about an hour until sunset. She wants to show us a beautiful spot. Do you wish to see it, Erin?" Odan asked.
"Tig, do you feel like looking around here. Concenta wants us to see something beautiful."
"I would like that."
"We are heading for the pass between those two peaks in the distance," Odan said.
Tig took off at a gallop. Erin wrapped his arms around Tig's chest.
Concenta held tightly to Erin's hair. The wind threatened to blow her off Erin's head, so she lowered herself. She was exhilarated. She was finally having an adventure. While she lived, the tribe needed her and she never had the chance to travel. Who would have guessed she would finally get the chance after she died?
Past the lake, Tig skirted a marsh. As they passed it, hundreds of ducks took flight from the marsh. Erin grinned. Maybe they had never seen a human riding a centaur with a mouse on his head!
As they grew closer to the mountains, Erin and Tig realized they were heading for a spectacular waterfall. It evidently fed the marsh and the lake. Past the marsh, they followed a beautiful stream. Flowers grew along its banks. They were making good time. It would have taken them hours to get there by walking. Tig slowed as they approached the waterfall. Then, directed by Concenta, he took them on the right side of the falls into a short tunnel that led behind the waterfall. Finally, they were in the spot she intended. It was a small cave behind the waterfall. Looking ahead, to their right was the waterfall, then the base of a mountain. Directly in front of them, the sun was beginning to set. It was a wonderful place to watch the sunset. The colors in the valley took on shades of yellow and red. The water sparkled occasionally with other colors.
"Concenta says she used to come here to think, and when she was sad. It always lifted her spirit," Odan said.
"I can believe that!"
Tig lifted Erin off his back and put him on the ground. Then Odan changed him back into Henry's body.
Concenta ran down Erin's arm and leg and went around a corner. Before Erin could ask where she was going, she returned and ran back up to her perch. He grinned. She had to relieve herself!
Tig placed his arm around Erin's shoulders as they watched the sunset.
All too quickly, it was over.
"Shall we go back to the inn?" Tig asked.
"Nado, will you ask Concenta to go around the corner? I want to have sex with Tig, and I don't want her watching."
"Certainly."
Concenta ran down his arm and leapt to the ground.
"Will you change Tig into a centaur?"
"Yes. Erin, I have to warn you that you may not enjoy it. I can create a rack where Tig can rest his front legs while he mounts you. But you will have to bend over. I can put a pillow under you to help. You won't be able to look at him."
"I never thought of that. It's true. My head will be under his belly."
"Right. It may be novel, but it probably won't be terribly comfortable."
"And I'm tired. We can try it another time.
"Concenta? Come on. We are leaving."
She ran back up Erin and sat on his head. Erin took Tig's hand and they returned to their room at the inn.