《Noh'Doum》 Last of my kind "*Yawn!" I open my eyes. The bright sun shines through the open windows filling the room with bright light. "Mmmhmm...mm...*light snore..." "hmm..." "hee...hee..." "*snore". Mounds of softness wiggle as I carefully lift them and slip my hands out. I walk to the window and peer out to the stirring vastness and the roaring sea. "My lord...you are awake." A soft sound draws near. "Mmm~ my lord~.." Sensuous lips close in like a predator on their prey. Sublime sweetness trickles unable to hold in the wild entwined entanglement. Sweet moans slip out as our tongues search for that missing fruit. A battle for dominance is in place which both are unwilling to lose. "Mmm...hah.." Heavy breaths escape as she closes her eyes to savor the moment. She opens them and I gaze on those deep bright lamps. My hands roam across her bare skin finding huge bumps of pleasure and sensitivity. I bend my face and my tongue reaches out for the soft rosebud in the middle. I nibble and pinch those hard little tips. I tease them with my tongue caressing them into heightened peaks. My teeth captures them and tug gently. "Oh...yes~..." Simple words that describe the electrical feelings running rampant through her nerves. I kiss her bare skin making her longing grow. I suck her nipples more and her sweet juices flow out. It entices me and seduces my desirable hunger. My eyes greedily reflect my thoughts. Her hands move to capture my manhood while her tongue still does not withdraw. She rubs it in slow soft motions and indescribable feelings rush through my body. Her lips follow her hands and those lovely red petals surround my erection. "Oh..you are good.." She rolls her tongue all around and I gasp in pleasure. She is the mistress of desire and demands my surrender. She drives me crazy with her technique. Intense feelings are erupting and they want to release inside her. Ah, I couldn''t stop myself. She received everything and did not let a drop fall. Her eyes then look up to me and the devil drives me crazy. My manhood reacts again, hungrier than ever. "Ah..my lord...wait...." But I am past reason. I carry her to the bed and invade her portals of pleasure. "Aaah! My Lord! Not so rough..." Her words contradict her as she arches her back to take my member deeper in. Her moans come loudly as I make my move. I will make her even louder. "Yes!....aaah aaah...oh!..aaah haaa.." She shudders and abandons her restraints to the waves of pleasure engulfing her. She makes an incredibly sexy face and buries her lips onto mine. "Gh...!" I grunt as I explode in a deep thrust for one final measure. She shuts her eyes as the intensity threatens to overwhelm her. "Wait please...my lord...let me rest a bit.." I smile. My hunger is still not sated. "No fair, my lord~..." Another seductive voice nibbles on my ear. "Yes, we are also here~..." A third brings her fragrant melons close to my mouth. "My turn next. My lord~" and still another slips my erection in her. I smile. I am very hungry. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- I walk out my doors and stroll through the many dwellings of the demons who have settled on my island. Sounds and noises drift over to the outside. "Good morning my lord." A few come out to wish me too. "Good morning." I replied politely. Soon I reached the sea. The white sands stick to my bare feet as they walk across. I jump in the water and dive deep. A while later I surface holding a large fish. "Breakfast." For those who are wondering, I am Redulistinbuxion the fifteenth. But most demons simply refer to me as Red Beat or My Lord. I am a Noh''Doum, a type of demon. I am also the last of my kind. I doubt you would have heard about us. We are very rare. Even when the world was ruled by demons, we were still very rare. So let me tell you a little about our history. Most of it I read in the books though. Our looks are mostly human with a few differences. First of all is the one horn in the middle of my head. Unlike the other demons though, it is very small and very soft to touch. Some would even say it''s cute. The other difference is our eyes. My eyes have slits like the cat. It lets me see clearer in the dark and underwater. But most demons have these kind of eyes so you wouldn''t be very surprised. And lastly the ears. Like most demons, my ears are also tapered towards the end. I believe we share that feature with many other creatures as well. Other than that I look human. Oh there is one other thing. Our skin is red. As demons, however, we are weak. If you consider our power, we would get killed by a lowly goblin. But still other demons respect us. The Noh''Doum are a passive race. We have no ambition. No thirst for power. No desire to rule the world. No greed for influence. In fact, throughout our history, the demons have always left us alone to do our own thing. They never bothered us or attacked us. They never approached us with their problems or shared their happiness. And we have always preferred that. But they still respect us as nobles. There is only one thing we have. Our insatiable lust. Our sexual energy is so strong that most demons and other races would die if they became our partners. The only ones capable are the dryads or the nymphs who thrive on sexual energy. They need it to live. This is why we share a symbiotic relationship with them. A marriage if you will. For our mutual benefit. It is necessary because we are always born male. I do not know the reason. Maybe it is the same as why dryads and nymphs are always born female. A Noh''Doum fathers just one child in his life. They say there is only a one in a million chance of that happening. It is rumoured that a Noh''Doum birth signals the impending death of the father. My father died when I was 12. Considering our lifespan of five hundred years, he died when I was just an infant. I pick up the fish and walk back to my castle. My home. Unlike other demons, we don''t like living in a castle of stone. Noh''Doums are too nature friendly or that''s what the other demons call us. I guess it is because we have to live with the dryads and the nymphs. So we build tree houses or mud houses. I look up at the trees and there is a treehouse built by every one of my forefathers. They did not live in the older houses and always created a new one for themselves, up on those trees. Following in their footsteps I have made one too. I and my forefathers have connected these houses by rope bridges and now it truly resembles a hanging castle. I set up a fire. I have already moved the stones marking a small area away from the trees. I use this place all the time so no one disturbs it. "Oooh it smells delicious." I slowly turn the fish skewer over the fire. The sweet smell of fresh fish enters my nostrils and my stomach gurgles loudly. I don''t mind eating the fish raw. But I like the taste when it is cooked. Slowly, the fish cooks. "Hmmm....it''s done now, I think." *Bite...*chomp chomp chew chew chomp! For the next few minutes loud sounds of a beast eating his meal was heard. Some would say it was scary and would run far away. "Ah..that was good." I pat my stomach. A full stomach always makes me sleepy. I just lie on the ground and doze off. When I wake up, I am feeling hungry again. I climb up the tree to my house. It is now occupied by four other. My four wives. My first wife is Rosalia. Long black hair which she lets run free. A beautiful face with bright shining eyes. A body with figures to ensnare the highest of beings. She is a dryad. The history books say that all dryads are naturally beautiful. Humans have written poems and stories about them often comparing them to Greek goddesses. Certainly, Rosalie looks like a Greek goddess. Enormous breasts which can fill my hands and then some. Hips which make me drool. And the nether region which could eat up my member whole. She has this strange knack of finding me whenever I get in the mood. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. My second wife is Combe. She is also a dryad. She has red hair like the color of my skin. She is feisty. If I don''t love her as much as the others, she complains. And then attacks. I love it when she attacks. It always ends up in making love. She is just too enticing. Her figures could easily compete with Rosalie. Her beauty is second to none. My third wife is Daphne. She is a naiad. Her green hair is just like water. She has green eyes and she likes to wear shells on her breasts. They can''t hide it''s volume though and I love it. Her skin is as smooth as water and she can always escape my grasp. When she is feeling naughty, that is. Unlike dryads who live in trees, Daphne lives in the stream which flows under the trees. But she always drops in whenever she sees me coming. If I am on the land, she can always tell where I am. My fourth wife is Merope. She is a aeriad, a winged nymph. Her blue hair have life of their own. They can entwine around me and hold me. Her blue eyes shine brightly. Her body is supple and it excites me. She is adventurous and likes to make love in amazing places. And she always seems to come up with something new. I think she travels the world learning new techniques. I love my wives and they love me back with intense passion. Sometimes, they are not faithful though. I don''t mind. If they can take care of me and still have the energy, they can have other partners. Even other nymphs in my family, the wives of my forefathers were like this so it is nothing new. Really, I do not mind. If they have energy left, that is. "Ah~ my lord...didn''t we do it so many times before...wait..don''t touch there...it''s still sensitive.." Rosalie squeals. "Ahhh~...my lord. Don''t just pay attention to her...." Combe complains. "Combe was last before...so it is my turn to start..." Daphne strokes my hardness tenderly. "Mmm~....hmm~....." Merope entwines her tongue with mine. My hunger knows no bounds. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I leave the women still sleeping. Though I do need to gently move them. They are all cluttered over me. I gently lift them and move them to an empty area of the bed. My bed is too big. It can accommodate atleast ten. It is not like I had a number in mind when I made the bed. I make my way to my father''s house. The rope bridge sways in the strong winds but I walk over them confidently. After a hundred years, living in the trees has become second nature. I am 112 years old though by human terms I would be a youth who just entered manhood. I have traveled this island from nook to cranny and back. There is no one who can claim that they know more about this island than us, Noh''Doums. Not even the nymphs. I enter my father''s house and look inside. There is an entire room full of books and other artifacts. See, Noh''Doums are knowledge seekers. And because we cannot raise our young in the typical way of other races, we leave behind our records. Books, artifacts, treasures and all kinds of things. Every forefather of mine placed their knowledge in their houses so that the next generations, in this case me, can learn. And over the years I have read a lot. Some of the records were annoyingly boring. But most of them were filled with things which highly interested that individual. My father for example, lived in an age of turmoil. Grandfather and he saw the coming of demons on this island. See, this island was not usually a home of all the demons living here. It is called Noh''Doum island for a reason. And we do not like to live in crowds. To explain this, I will have to tell you the history of the world a little. Let''s start with when things started happening. 1500 years ago and before that, this island was only the abode of the one Noh''Doum, my forefather, and the various nymphs and assorted creatures. Sometimes demons may visit it or sea creatures would choose to rest here but other demons did not live here. The reason was that this island is really really far away from the continents. At that time, the five continents in the world were divided into the five major races, Humans, Elves, Dwarfs, Beast people and Demons. Not to mention, greed and other things often caused them to fight among each other. Individual abilities aside, no race was overwhelmingly stronger or significantly weaker than the other. Hence there was equilibrium. But then things changed. The Demon Lord of that time created a really foul and dangerous magical ritual to make demons overwhelmingly stronger. And then the demons attacked. Nothing could stand in the way of their carnage. All the other races combined failed to stop the demon advance. Looking at their approaching extinction, they finally decided to steal the demon''s magic ritual. And they succeeded. But looking at the requirements they paled. It required whole cities to be killed off which was horrifying. Then some intelligent beings got together and changed that magic. They summoned powerful beings from other worlds and massacred the demons. One by one they reclaimed their lands and then the four races chose to end the demon race altogether. We were still that much of a danger. And so the war continued and finally they captured the entire demon continent. No, they did not kill all demons. Just the notable ones. Demons are part of life just as they themselves are. But most of the demons which remained were tamed. They renamed them cows and sheep, and goats and bulls and all kinds of creatures which the other races collectively named animals. The other demons, which they let roam free, were named monsters. My father secretly visited such places and found that other races keep these monster population in control by having something called the adventurer''s guild. These monsters were not very intelligent demons in the first place so there was no threat of them waging war or anything of that sort. The Noh''Doums were also affected by that war. At that time the Noh''Doums were respected by all races. And there had been a rule in place. Never anger a Noh''Doum! That is why all the demon kind who did not wish to fight chose to live in our areas. But the Demon Lord and their accomplices used it to their advantage. They ran away to one of our areas. The other races had to attack but they could not attack the Noh''Doum, thinking that, they felt safe. But Noh''Doums were not that kind of demons. The elves understood us the most. They had the most dealings with the nymphs and in their knowledge came the simple fact. A Noh''Doum does not fight to save his own life. He will not get angry even if his own life is forfeit. So they killed the Noh''Doum first. It was easy. The Demon Lord could not understand such a simple thing and kept moving to other Noh''Doum areas. As such, the result was that we or I am the last Noh''Doum in the world. The other demons who were not part of the war chose to go to the only one of us left and travelled to this island. It was perilous and many lost their lives. The few who survived settled here. And they crowned us the Demon Lord. The other races did not pursue them. And they did not bother us. Not that I care about it so much. As long as they follow that old rule. Never anger a Noh''Doum! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Two soft mounds hit my back as slender arms wrap me from behind. A slippery tongue licks my ear lobe and blows into my ear. "Guess who..my lord~.." "Rosalie.." I whisper as I pull her to my front. We kiss again and again till I remember all the sensitive places in her mouth once more. She tries to pull me towards the bed.. "No. Not here. This is my father''s bed. Let''s return to ours." I lift her in my arms and carry her back to my house...to my bed. A Noh''Doum is a simple creature. Eat, sleep, learn and reproduce. The order does change according to time of day. And with a million to one shot, who knows how many times I will have to keep doing it. The Storm I open my eyes suddenly. Something feels wrong. I breathe in deeply the cool air. Smells like rain will come. But why did I wake up? It often rains. I am fine with it. "my lord...hah hah..." A shivering voice reaches my ears. My wives are shivering slightly. I feel them shivering as they try to stick closer to me. It is then I realize. A storm is coming. Nymphs do not like storms. They are positively scared of them. A reason could be that storms are the most destructive of natural phenomena. Or it could be that nymphs simply don''t like lightning. I spread my arms and draw each of them closer to me. My body is warm. It will comfort them. Soon enough, they stop shivering and relax. Their breaths calm down as they drift back to sleep. Tomorrow, I better get the blankets out. The day begins with an overcast sky. Clouds cover the sky till the horizon. It is never easy facing a storm, especially on an island. Strong winds will uproot trees. Those broken trees will fall and destroy everything on the ground. Also my castle will be in BIG danger. It is good then, that I have become good at making things. Facing storms all my life, I have learned to use the natural materials to build and repair. Just like my forefathers. I get up and move to another room in my house. It is more for storing things. My own collection of records, artifacts and treasures that I intend to pass on to the next generation. But I also store things I need in here. In the corner, there are blankets I have sown. I made it using spider thread, tree stems and tree sap. Wet tree sap is very good as a glue. Dried tree sap is really good to stop the wind and the rain. I pick up a bunch and start putting them on the windows. It will stop the water from coming in. The rest, we will use. "My lord....are you done?" A soft voice whispers into my ear. Her blue hair wraps around me as she pulls closer to me. She is tickling me with her hair. Her hands grab me tight and her soft skin rubs gently on mine. I feel her two burgeoning swells on my back. Merope is always the most sensitive to the weather. Maybe because she is an aeriad. I can feel her heart thumping loudly. I turn around and grab her. Pressing her onto me I slowly rub her back. I lick her ear lobes lightly. "Aaah..." she moans lightly. My tongue makes a trail as it crawls across her neck and into her mouth. She lightly bites it and then lets it meet her own. She plays with it in her own way. "Hmm...where did you learn to do that?" I ask. "My lord....you don''t want to know..." That is true. I don''t care as long as she does it again. We kiss again and this time I let her finish her game. Her hands reach down and grabs my manhood. I look into her naughty eyes as she comes closer and whispers in my ear, "Let''s do it on the roof...my lord~.." Her wings spread out as she takes flight and carries me out the window. We land on the roof just below the vast sky. She does not let go and we fall on my back. Her hair uncoils as she moves to ingest my member deep in her pleasure gateway. The house sways as the wind blows and her wings flap pushing her towards me. I grab her aroused fruits and use my thumbs to caress her rose buds. I knead that ripe flesh into juicy oblivion. I raise my head and drink in her pleasure juices. "Aaah...my lord....haa haaa...AAAH!..." Her moans come louder and her hips move faster. She is bewitching me into submission. "Ah...." I burst into her very being. She falls down on me as waves of excitement hit her. Her breath becomes heavy as she pants. It is making me hungrier. "Ah...please wait a little....no....I am still sensitive...." But her pleas fall on deaf ears. I pin her down on her back and I ravage her over and over again. As if the weather gods were watching, the wind grow stronger as my excitement grows. "Let me join too..." Soft hands suddenly grab my head and turn me around as red lips find mine. "No fair Merope....you know I don''t like the roof..." Nonetheless, another grabs my hand and guides my fingers to her womanhood. "Please don''t leave me behind..my lord~..." And yet another holds me from behind and licks my ear lobes. We made a mess till the rain started and cleaned us. Doing it on a bed is fine but doing it under the open sky is good too. We make our way back in the house. And I am still hungry. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The storm lasts all day. I don''t have any trouble with the storm itself. It is just that nothing comes out of hiding during the rain. And the sea has become dangerous so I can''t go catch a fish. I am reduced to eating fruits. There is so much lightning flashing all around. I think I better get back soon. Confined to the room for an entire day with such pleasurable company...only the nymphs will complain. The next day the sun rises again. I move out to review the damage. A couple of the houses have received some. One of them has sprouted a leak on the roof and some water has come inside. I pick up my tools and start fixing them. Sniff...sniff. I smell something burning. Is there a fire somewhere? I can''t see it from here. I climb up to the top. I look again and there are few trees which have fallen down. The other demon''s homes have also been damaged. But there is no fire. I concentrate. Yes, there is a definite smell of something burning coming from......the sea! I gaze far towards the water and there are ships, many ships coming to the island. I know of ships. One of my forefathers was really interested in them and his house has lots of small ship models. Made of wood and other things they really look like smaller versions of the real thing, or that''s what he wrote. But these ships were unlike them. The shape was similar but there were no sails. Thick smoke spewed out from them instead. And it smelled like raging fire and things burning. I counted almost fifty ships. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. It does not bother me whether they visit or not. I still haven''t fixed the roof. I better dry out the water first. I come back to my house to find my wives talking. "Have they come to visit?" Rosalie asks. "I don''t think so. If they did, they wouldn''t bring such a number." Merope who''s traveled more, is much wiser. "My lord...what do you intend to do?" Combe asks. "Me...hmm..." And I pull Rosalie close as she was the nearest. "My lord...no...we...are..discussing...something important....aaah~.." She wiggles to get loose. But no stupid ships are going to stop me when I am hungry. """My Lord~""" The smell has become a lot stronger. All the women have gone to see the ones visiting. I should also go take a look but I will keep my distance. It would be good to note down which race visited, in my records. I climb up the tree and look out. The ships are still a bit away. It looks like all the demons have come to the beach to watch. I don''t see the nymphs. Well, they are very good at hiding. You may not notice but this island has a lot of nymphs. They reveal themselves only when they want to. Even a Noh''Doum can''t find them on this island unless they want to be found. You would also wonder how did I find my wives then. I didn''t. They found me. When my lust hit me. It is a mystery why none of my forefathers ever wondered how. I asked my wives once. They said it is a nymph thing. They just loved my smell. Perhaps, it explains why my house is not filled with many more nymphs. I believe them though. It is just hard to understand. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The ships have come close enough. They stop. Maybe they will send boats out. I watch to see what comes. I wait and wait but nothing happens. Just more ships keep coming closer and stopping. All ships have stopped now. Oh...and things have started happening. I can see people moving on board and a lot of shouting. Hmm...they don''t have the tapered ears. Their skin is also many shades of brown. So they should be humans, I think. I have never seen one before. Just the records of my forefathers mention them as such. Their language confuses me but there is a lot of shouting involved, it seems. Just then an annoying sound reverberates like the gargling of a sea beast. A black stone like thing flies out and lands on the beach. KAABOOOM! Sand and earth fly and several demons have been torn apart into bloody bits. Screams of pain and death resound. I simply watch. And then those black stones come from all ships. They cover the sky like rain drops and fall all over the island. KAABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM! CRASH! SMASH! FLASH! Things blow apart in huge roaring flames. Everywhere is on fire. Like a dragon''s tongue, flaming heat pulsates, eating everything it touches. I watch as a stone lands on my house and my nest emits a radiant bright light before being consumed like everything else. I watch dazed as fire spreads all around. The roaring flames sputter and spatter like a many headed beast surrounded by a shoal of fish. Everything is shining, lustrous and dazzling like severe lightning flashing across the sky. It is beautiful. And then my dream shatters. First come the screams. I recognize them, they are nymph cries. "No..." I swiftly climb down the tree and run to the beach as fast as I can. The ships loom larger as I run close. "STOP! PLEASE STOP! You are killing everyone. I beg you STOP!" I run towards them waving my hands. "STOP! Everyone will die.....I beg you!" I jump on the sand flapping my arms like a bird trying to get their attention. Trying to get them to listen. But the stones still fly. "Stop the fire! Take me instead! STOP! PLEASE!" The water has become red. Guts spill across the sand. But still the screams come. The cries resound inside me as the fire spreads all around. "Noooooo! Make it STOP! Please STOP!" My voice is becoming hoarse from shouting. My eyes fill with tears. The screams just won''t stop! Bang! Bang! Bang! I hear three loud sounds and something small and fast hit me. I do not feel the pain but I see my blood flow. I don''t care about it. "STOP! Please stop! I beg you stop! Can you not understand what I am saying! Look at me! Stop!" I cry out and I cry out. But those black things still fly. Like a storm shaking the world, like the rain pelting with drops, like the unearthly lightning scaring the heavens. "Nooooo....please....stop! Rosalie..Combe..Daphne..Merope! They will die! Stop....please stop..." But those screams do not stop. Bang! Bang! Bang! I hear those sounds again. "Kill ME! Make it so I cannot hear those screams anymore." But the things do not hit me. A shadow shields me from those things. It falls in front of me. My eyes recognize her as she falls in my arms. "Noooo...why....noo please no..." My eyes are wet. Tears trickle down blurring the sight. Maybe I am in a dream. I will wake up and everything will be alright...yes that''s what it is. But her voice made it real. "Because you need to live..my lord..." She smiled as she ran her soft hands on my face. Her hands have blood on them. And then they fall, lifeless. "Nooo...this cannot happen. Please, this cannot happen...this cannot be.....grrr...you.....you ...." A strange feeling is coming out. I have never felt this before. Like the fire all around me. It is like it is inside me. Burning my insides they are eating me. The pain... Bang! Bang!... the cursed sounds still come. "GrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!" I scream in pain. I can''t see anything anymore. I cannot feel anything anymore. Maybe I have died. The screams have stopped. At last! The Choice I wake up drenched in sweat. Taking in deep breaths to calm myself I remember something from long ago. A storm that happened the day my mother passed away. I remember all that lightning. The loud thunder which shook me to my very core. I was very afraid. I have always been afraid of the storm since. But two red arms slowly come towards me. They caress me and bring me closer to him. With his gentle embrace my worries disappear. I stop shivering and somehow pass into a deep sleep. I wake up next morning refreshed. Like that nightmare had never happened. But as I look outside and feel the storm approaching I start getting anxious again. I feel unsafe. I feel scared. I long to find myself in his strong arms again. But as I look around, he is not here. Where has he gone... "Aaahn....aaan...nnn...aaah.." I look above. "Seriously..the roof!" I sigh. I don''t like doing it on the roof very much. But right now I need him. I want to feel his warmth. "The roof ...hehehe...let''s go." But the other two beat me to it. "No fair Merope....you know I don''t like the roof..." I say as I grab his hands. Ah his strong hands. The ones I feel safe in. Merope''s face is filled with happiness. I want that happiness too. I guide his hands between my legs. I shudder as his fingers touch me and then enter inside. Yes! This is the warmth I desired. I am not scared anymore. Not of the wildly shaking roof. Nor of the wildly blowing winds. Even the storm does not scare me anymore. "My turn now..." I can''t keep my desire from leaking out. He looks at me with his cute eyes and his hands pull me closer like I was a feather. He plunges in deep and a lightning strikes within me. "Aaaaahn!" I can''t help it. He keeps going sometimes slow and gentle, sometimes strong and hard. I can feel his desire flowing into me. Ah...I end up drenched again. That day a storm came. With it came many memories. Some good, some bad and some with my Red Beet. Yeah that''s what we call him. Because he is red as a beet. Isn''t he just cute? We have shared a long history with the Red Beets. So old that even nymphs don''t remember when it started. And nymphs have long memories. No, it''s not because we live long. Unlike the Red Beets, we only live till a hundred and even then only if we are so lucky. Nymphs give their memories to their children when they die. I guess this is our way of learning about the world and the creatures who inhabit it. So I hold the memories of all my foremothers. But memories are living things. As they get old, they also fade away. I share many memories of the storm. Not all my own, but I can always tell whose memories they are. These memories teach us many things. Like what role do we, as nymphs, play in this world. And of our true Mother, Nature. Nymphs are also called Nature''s daughters in many tongues for this reason. We are the balancers and harbingers of life. Our true Mother is the giver and taker of all life and as such deserves our respect. Therefore we love life in all it''s forms. And we are the keepers of her secrets. Our legends say that nymphs are the mother of all creatures of this world. All were born from our wombs. I don''t know how old that legend is or whether it is true. But it is true that nymphs can couple with most creatures. But we only give birth to nymphs. We do not even have the ability to change our characteristics. Like a dryad will birth a dryad and so on. Only when bonding with Red Beets, we give birth to a Red Beet. So maybe the legends are true. But as the world changed we have changed as well. That''s what most nymphs choose to believe. I believe that too. But whether it is true or not, our role remains unchanged. It is we, who understand and protect the secrets of our Mother. Like the legendary unicorn or the white whale of the deep. Or that of the Red Beet. We can clearly say that we know more about them than they know themselves. And we understand their power the best. For we are also their partners and their mothers. Their power is also a part of us. A Red Beet''s power is simply the power of abundant life. Many do not understand what it means. It means the natural energy which makes your life possible is so much greater in them. We call it life energy. Everything a Red Beet does enhances the power of life in others. The areas where they choose to live are the most lively. It is because they make it so. Plants, creatures and people, all benefit greatly. Their great life energy also makes them extremely vigorous. "Oh dear~..what did I start thinking about..." Just then lightning flashes again. My heart gets anxious. Is he alright? He does not realize but we watch him wherever he is. It is one of our pleasures in life to watch him play. And we have done so his entire life. Just then he comes in, dripping wet. Oh he''s got that look in his eyes again. He may have lived longer than us but his mentality is still that of a child. A really selfish child. "Aaaahn....no ....wait..mmmmhmmm...my lord~" He never listens. "Hah...hah...wait...not so soon.." He does not stop. "Noooo....please...Aaan! aaaaaaahnnn!" And he goes on and on. I don''t remember how big the storm was. I do remember how big he was. All the time! Mother, help us! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After the storm the ships came near our island. We can tell. We are sensitive to change. Naiads can tell changes in water. Aeriads do the same thing with air. I, as a dryad can sense changes in the earth and the trees. But nymphs share one ability. The power to share their senses. So we know that fifty ships were approaching the island. You may wonder what do we do with this shared vision. We watch what happens all around the world. When a nymph finds something happening, she relays her senses to others. Why? So that we can make it our memory. A nymph may die an unnatural death or before she could give birth. Which is what happened in that war. I also have memories of that war that happened long ago. From the nymphs who shared it to my foremothers. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. In the war, demons chose to become powerful by bringing in a corruption not of this world. A corruption which destroyed all life. The danger of extinction was also strong in us. Many nymphs lost their lives and their loved ones. And as the war drew to a close, they made a choice. They gave away a certain secret of the Red Beets. The war ended and the Demon Lord was killed. But we failed. We mistook our enemy. It was not the demons but the corruption they had brought. Without getting the Red Beet''s immense life energy, we could not fight off the corruption. Without us, nature died. It took a thousand years before our Mother could gain enough strength to reclaim some. Ten of our lifetimes and the corruption is still there. There are very few places left in the five continents where nymphs still live. The rest died. My Red Beet is the last in the world. And I love him with all my heart. I merge into a tree and watch as he goes on his way fixing the houses. He always goes to repair them after a storm. He likes the houses, the way he spends his time caring for them. Not only for what''s inside but I think he likes the houses themselves. I have also watched him go fishing. A naiad shared her vision. Fish is his favorite food. He is always happy when eating it. And after eating he always plops down to sleep. He is so cute. "What do you think the ships mean?" Combe asked. "I don''t know. Who are they?" I ask. "They are humans. Has something happened in their lands?" Daphne replies. "I don''t know. I don''t think any nymphs now live in human lands." Combe says. "Have they come to visit?" I ask. "I don''t think so. If they did, they wouldn''t bring such a number." Merope replies. "My lord...what do you intend to do? Combe asks. "Me...hmm..." He says and then pulls me close. He buries his face in my breasts and starts licking them. "My lord...no...we...are..discussing...something important....aaah~.." I try to wriggle my way out but he holds me tight. He remembers my sensitive spots and attacks vehemently. I lose all power to resist. I can''t help it. He knows me inside out. "Aaaahnn..." I plead with my eyes to the others for help. Instead... """My Lord~""" they joined us. He loves me and he loves the others. It is a privilege shared only by the four of us. Soon, I am drenched again. Ah this child never gives up...what will I do. After the lovemaking, I lie down in his arms. I am the happiest. I also feel the saddest. It''s been forty years since I first became his partner. And I have realized that it is not my destiny to bear his child. I will always love him and care for him for as long as I live. But I also have a duty to my foremothers and the true Mother. To bring a new life in this world. One, who will carry our memories into the future. I have already lured a demon who works hard. I do not know whether I will be lucky. To bring new life we take the life offered. If his life energy is not sufficient, he may lose his life to me. I wish I could have had the child of the one I love. But my role in his life will be another. Maybe it is a good thing we retain our youthful appearance till we die. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We were hidden in the forest when the ships began firing. The demons on the beach are the first to be hit. Most of them died in one blast. And then they turned towards the island. Fire rained down. Nymphs got caught and burned. Naiads worked hard to bring down the fire. But there are not enough of them. Aeriads try to control the wind. They are not that powerful. Their screams ring out both in my ears and in my head. They have activated their senses relaying their last moments. I cry out in pain from the shared senses. Our screams reach him. He comes down to the beach shouting and screaming. "STOP! PLEASE STOP! You are killing everyone. I beg you STOP!" "STOP! Everyone will die.....I beg you!" "Stop the fire! Take me instead! STOP! PLEASE!" He shouts. "Noooooooooo....don''t do that!" I scream but it is drowned out. No, I cannot let him die. I will not let him die. I move staggering, holding the trees, ignoring the shared senses. I am sorry, my sisters, but I have something more important to do. "Merope...see this." I decided. "Nooooo....please....stop! Rosalie..Combe..Daphne..Merope! They will die! Stop....please stop..." His screams are filled with tears. Bang! Bang! Bang! Loud sounds resonate as he gets hit. "Please don''t die..." I hurry for all I am worth. "Kill ME! Make it so I cannot hear those screams anymore." He shouts out. He is still alive. Thank you Mother. I reach him and become his shield. Bang! Bang! Bang! I got hit. Blood flows out from various wounds. My hands feel the flowing blood when I bring them close. I am going to die, aren''t I? I am falling but two red arms wrap around me as if saving my soul. "Noooo...why....noo please no..." Tears fall from his red eyes. "Because you need to live..my lord..." I simply reply. I smile as I see his horn turn red. That is the sign a Red Beet will use his power. I am glad. It is proof that he loves me. Because only for his own, will a Red Beet use his power. It has always been our privilege and our responsibility. Only we have the power to unlock it. The ones who partner with him. The ones who come closest. Even at the end I couldn''t help teasing him. ''My lord'' was always our way of teasing him. Because the other demons called him that. He may be the Demon Lord but he will always be Red Beet to the nymphs. See this Merope. Tell this to the world. I, Rosalie, have made my choice.