章 3: The Sexy Island Girl

Amara crept through the dense jungle, alert for any sound or movement. The verdant island seemed devoid of humanity, though she knew these waters teemed with pirates and worse. She needed to find shelter and formulate a new plan. With the Relentless One now bent on capturing her again, the odds of locating the Hallow Skull had gone from daunting to near suicidal.

Amara pushed that worry from her mind. First, survival. She had lost her robes in the ocean swim, leaving her nude save for a strip of silk torn from the hem. She wrapped it around herself as best she could to protect from prying eyes and the clawing vegetation. The air hung hot and heavy, and sweat beaded on her forehead. These southern isles were far removed from the cool heights of her mountain homeland.

After hours of fruitless searching, she finally spotted a rocky overhang shaded by palms that could serve as a shelter. She foraged branches and huge leaves to make a basic bed, then gathered coconut milk to slake her thirst and soothe her grumbling stomach. Night fell swiftly, the brief twilight filled with chirps of exotic birds and bugs.

Amara managed a fire by focusing moonlight through a crystal shard. As she stared into the flickering flames, despair crept into her heart. She was no closer to her goal, and now had a vengeful pirate lord seeking her blood. Perhaps this quest had been folly from the start. The legends painted the Hallow Skull as an artefact of ecstasy, but might it in truth be a cursed relic? A beacon to darkness...

Her bleak thoughts scattered as the brush at the edge of firelight rustled. Amara tensed, willing magic to her fingertips. Had the pirates tracked her here already?

A lithe figure emerged from the undergrowth. Amara's breath caught. It was no pirate, but a young island woman, scantily clad in colourful strips of fabric. Her dusky skin glistened in the firelight as she gave a hesitant smile.

"Greetings, sister. I saw your beacon flame and came to offer help, if you wish it." Her voice was melodious, her trader's tongue coloured by an islander lilt. She crawled closer to the fire, examining Amara with large, curious eyes. "I am Hiwana. I welcome you to the Jade Isles. You are...?"

Amara let the gathering spell energy dissipate with relief. "Amara. And I welcome your kindness, Hiwana."

The girl's smile broadened, flashing white teeth. She drew a woven bag from her shoulder and offered Amara an assortment of roasted nuts and fruits. Amara accepted gratefully, suddenly ravenous. Hiwana watched her eat with obvious delight, inching nearer. Her closeness made Amara oddly warm despite the cool night air.

"What brings you to our islands, Amara?" Hiwana asked eventually. "Did your ship sink?"

Amara considered concealing her purpose, but something about the girl's guileless nature made her continue. "I seek an ancient treasure, hidden here long ago. But I have only legends to guide me."

Hiwana's eyes lit up. "The ancestors left many wonders behind in their temples and tombs. If this treasure still lingers, we will help you find it!"

Amara smiled at the girl's enthusiasm, but caution tempered it. "The path will be perilous, especially with the pirate lord Rhys bent on capturing me."

Hiwana shook her head sombrely. "Rhys the Relentless, bane of our people. His warships plunder our villages unchecked. He believes himself our lord and master." Anger flashed in her dark eyes.

Amara saw an opportunity in the girl's hatred of the pirate. "With your aid, I may be able to thwart Rhys and uncover the treasure. Then your people would have the means to defend yourselves from his tyranny."

Hiwana moved closer still, taking Amara's hands in her own. "You have wisdom, sister! We will help you defeat this demon Rhys and redeem our islands." Her lips brushed Amara's knuckles, sending a pleasant tingle through her skin.

"Then you know of this treasure I seek?" Amara asked hopefully. "It is called the Hallow Skull."

Hiwana's brow furrowed. "I know not this name. But our oldest tales speak of sacred caves where the pleasure goddess dwelled, apparently granting visions of ecstasy to those who worshipped her."

"The pleasure goddess!" Amara gripped Hiwana's hands tight. "Her priestesses were the Skull's guardians. You've given me a vital clue!"

Unable to contain herself, she pulled the girl into an impulsive embrace. Hiwana happily returned it, nuzzling against Amara's neck in a way that made her pulse quicken. When they finally drew apart, Hiwana's cheeks were pleasingly flushed.

"Rest now," she murmured. "Tomorrow I will guide you to our village. Our priestess may know more of this Hallow Skull."

Despite her lingering questions, Amara found herself suddenly weary to the bone. She lay down on the makeshift bed as Hiwana curled cozily at her side, head pillowed on Amara's shoulder. Surrounded by the girl's warmth and gentle breathing, Amara soon slipped into exhausted slumber.

Dawn's light filtering through the leaves roused her. Hiwana was already awake, sprinkling sweet water on Amara's face and lips. Her touches lingered gracefully.

"Come, sister. My village awaits." Hiwana took Amara's hand and led her through the jungle with an easy, loping gait. The morning mists slowly burnt away, revealing a settlement of thatched huts and open-air pavilions nestled against a rocky inlet. A few small boats were drawn up on the sand, and villagers clad in simple wraps paused to stare curiously at the newcomer.

Hiwana brought Amara to the village circle where the packed earth strewn with flower petals. "Sister Nirali, we have a visitor seeking wisdom," Hiwana spoke deferentially to a willowy woman seated on cushions beside a burbling fountain. Age lines creased the priestess's elegant features, and her hair was shot through with silver, but her olive-hued eyes were bright and keen.

"Welcome, stranger." Nirali beckoned Amara closer. "Hiwana says you seek a lost treasure?"

"I do, wise one." Amara knelt before her. "An artefact called the Hallow Skull, sacred to the pleasure goddess of old. I believe it lies hidden somewhere in these islands. Do your teachings speak of it?"

Nirali gazed at her pensively. "The name is unfamiliar to me. But our faith honours the ancestral spirits and the primal forces from whence all life springs." She leaned forward, studying Amara intently. "And I sense you have gifts yourself, child. The spark resides in you."

Nirali clapped her hands, and several attendants appeared bearing food and drink. As they ate, the priestess described her beliefs, and Amara recognized the tenets of the ancient pleasure cult—reverence for the sensual, the sacredness of erotic energy. But the Hallow Skull itself remained elusive.

Amara avoided mention of her conflict with Rhys, not wanting to endanger these peaceful folk. But she knew he would not rest until he found her again. She needed to learn all she could, quickly.

As if reading her thoughts, Nirali said, "Hiwana has grown fond of you, sister. She will guide you to our sacred caves in the hills. Meditate there—the spirits of our ancestors may reveal what you seek."

Hiwana's face lit up, but Amara hesitated. "Won't your people suffer if Rhys returns here looking for me?"

Nirali shook her head calmly. "Fear not. Our boats are swift and the coves deep. Now go, and may your quest bear fruit."

Hiwana led Amara up a winding trail into vine-shrouded cliffs. Rivulets of water seeped down mossy rocks, echoing with bird song. The path ended at a dark cleft in the stone. Cold, mineral-scented air wafted from within. Hiwana squeezed Amara's hand reassuringly. "The spirits of pleasure await."

Amara conjured a werelight, and they descended into the earth. The pale illumination revealed a network of caves decorated in eroded murals of entwined bodies and swirling symbols. They walked deeper until the winding passage opened into a soaring cavern with a luminous underground lake.

Hiwana slipped off her wraps and dove into the clear water. "Join me, sister!" she laughed. Amara shed her makeshift garment and slid into the chill water, which revived and invigorated her bare skin. She floated on her back, staring up at the glittering cave roof far above. This place hummed with ancient power, a lingering aura of hedonistic abandon. If any vestige of the Hallow Skull remained, surely she would find it here.

Hiwana's hands gliding down Amara's sides scattered her meditative thoughts. She stood waist-deep in the pool, eyes bright with mischief. "Does this please you, sister?" Her fingers trailed lower, caressing Amara's hips beneath the water. Pleasant warmth stirred in response.

"Hiwana..." Amara murmured, but whatever protest she intended was silenced as the girl pressed her mouth to hers in a kiss both tender and insistent. For a flickering instant she thought of Rhys and his harsh, demanding lips. But this was nothing like that brutish pirate. Hiwana's kiss was a liberating gift, freely given.

Amara pulled the girl tightly against her, returning the kiss hungrily, tracing her tongue along Hiwana's full lower lip. Hiwana sighed into Amara's mouth, twining slick limbs about her under the water. Amara realized she desired this sweet island girl, with an intensity that startled her. Perhaps this sacred place was working its magic after all.

Hiwana ended the kiss to trail her lips down Amara's neck, nipping lightly. "The spirits move through us," she whispered. "I feel your need, sister." Her hand slid between Amara's thighs, caressing the sensitive bud there until Amara moaned softly. No one had ever touched her so intimately before. She surrendered herself fully to the building pleasure, gripping Hiwana tight.

Their coupling carried on until Amara cried out in ecstatic release, the sound echoed off the cave walls. As she caught her breath, Hiwana giggled and swam in gleeful circles around her. "The ancestors approve of us! I know now they will reveal your treasure."

Amara smiled and drew the girl in for a gentler kiss. "You make a delightful distraction. But we must still find some sign of the Skull." A pang of frustration tempered the afterglow of their tryst. She had hoped this pilgrimage would unveil more clues.

Hiwana's smile became secretive. "Wait until nightfall, sister." She floated on her back, letting the water caress her sated body.

Amara reclined nearby, watching droplets trickle down the girl's smooth skin. Desire stirred anew, but she forced herself to be patient. Hopefully Hiwana was right, and answers would come with the darkness. Until then, she intended to enjoy the pleasures so freely offered in this sacred grotto.

She swam over to take Hiwana in her arms once more.