NOVEL NEXT Interlude: Moaning Lotus 🌶️
Venus Standard Time: 22:22, Day 5, Month of Bodhi, Year 115
04:22, February 24, 2295 (Earth Day Equivalent)
Rishi's Chamber 49, Six Senses Pagoda (六感パゴダ), Siddhartha District, Fríðrvatn, Sand Lotus capital, Venus
The golden dust never stopped falling on Venus.
Through the reinforced viewport, Fuuka Natsukawa watched amber particles drift past like lazy fireflies, carried on currents of superheated air that warped the view beyond. The frontier city sprawled beneath the pagoda, its temples and dwellings built from scavenged materials and blessed sandstone, their surfaces etched with protective seals against the planet's acidic breath. Bridges of salvaged alloy and reinforced carbon fiber spanned the sand-filled ravines, where dust devils occasionally danced like wayward spirits.
Above it all, the eternal summer sun hung motionless behind layers of golden clouds, casting everything in perpetual amber twilight. Venus's languid rotation meant the sun hadn't moved in living memory—some said it would hang there for another sixty Earth days before the great night came. The sand seas shifted endlessly in the heat-warped distance, sculpted by winds that could strip an unprotected soul to bone.
Fuuka traced her finger along the bottle of over-extracted Indra-Sprite, its surface cold against her fingertip. The chamber's climate control hummed softly, keeping the worst of Venus's heat at bay while maintaining just enough warmth to make skin tingle. Her pearl-like eyes caught the amber glow of fusion lamps that mimicked the planet's perpetual twilight. Her short bob fell neat against her neck, stirred occasionally by the recycled air that carried hints of incense and ozone.
The door seal hissed, breaking her meditation.
Amir's silhouette filled the entrance before she turned, his height forcing him to duck beneath the low frame. His emerald and ivory robes looked freshly pressed despite the underground city's constant battle against rust and decay. Golden armlets caught the light as he moved, but it was the fresh bindi on his forehead that drew her gaze—still glistening with sacred oils.
"Have you had supper?" His deep voice carried that same hesitant note she'd noticed since their last session together.
"Just some hand-rolled sushi and miso soup," Fuuka replied, watching dust motes dance in the conditioned air between them. The climate systems kept the chamber comfortable, leaving the human body warm but not sticky, intimate but not stifling. She adjusted her floral kimono, suddenly aware of how the silk whispered against her skin. "I didn't want to be too full for the—" she paused, searching for the right word, "—activity."
Outside, a dust storm rattled the pagoda's reinforced walls—not uncommon during the eternal summer. The fusion lamps supplemented the golden twilight that filtered through the viewport. The walls were adorned with sutras and quantum harmonizers, combining ancient wisdom and desperate innovation to keep the Sand Lotus sanctuary hidden from the prying eyes of the great powers who fought over Venus's golden sands: be it local Radi-Mons, scouting parties sent by the Terra Alliance, or troops employed by the Imperium of Dragons, their mortal enemies.
"A wise decision," Amir said, stepping into the room. His golden garment brushed softly against the tatami as he moved.
Fuuka lifted the blue bottle in her hand, its contents glowing as they swirled. "Before we begin the Ritual, we should prepare our minds and bodies."
Amir looked at the brilliant blue vessel. "Is that what I think it is?" he asked, recognition in his eyes.
"Over-extracted Indra-Sprite," she nodded. "Different from those we carry on missions."
Amir came closer. "I brought my own," he said, pulling a similar bottle from a pocket in his garment. Where Fuuka's bottle was slender, his was broader with the character 'MAN' glowing in the blue liquid. "The Prophet's apothecary prepared it for me."
"I'm surprised you could convince Thorin to approve it," she remarked.
"The old man has bigger concerns these days," he grinned.
Fuuka smiled. "You understand its purpose, then?"
"The Moaning Lotus Ritual requires both our minds and bodies to be fully present, fully...receptive," he replied thoughtfully.
"It no longer replenishes Aether," Fuuka finished for him, smiling slightly. "It awakens other energies within us."
She removed the stopper from her bottle, releasing a faint smell like star anise and mountain peaches.
She raised the bottle in a silent toast. "To sharing our Aether tonight."
Amir copied her gesture, his golden armlets catching the light. "To wisdom shared between traditions," he said.
Fuuka sipped the liquid, feeling the familiar electric bite of Indra-Sprite burn down her throat. But this time the sensation spread outward in waves of warmth that heightened her senses, making her aware of the silk against her skin, Amir's sandalwood scent, and her quickening heartbeat.
Across from her, Amir's eyes widened slightly as he took his own drink. He stayed composed, but Fuuka noticed the tension in his shoulders and his deeper breathing as the potion affected him.
"This brings back memories," she said, her voice a bit huskier than before. "But the ancient texts speak of its dual nature—to heal and to awaken." She set her bottle on the low table between them.
Amir placed his bottle beside hers, both glowing together. "A melding of minds," he said, his usually formal tone now warmer, "a pathway to knowledge inaccessible through ordinary meditation."
Fuuka rose smoothly, moving toward the meditation cushions she had arranged earlier. The potion made her more aware of her movements. "Shall we begin?" she asked, extending her hand to him.
Amir took her hand, his touch sending warmth through her fingers as he sat on the cushion across from her.
She turned to face the seven-wicked candle between them and pointed at it, whispering her usual spell gently, "Sólbrenna Eldr." A wisp of golden energy shot out.
The candle lit, its sandalwood-scented flame casting a warm glow across their faces as she moved toward Amir, her silk kimono rustling against the tatami mats.
Amir's eyes tracked her form, unblinking. He reached for her, his large hands gently grasping her wrists.
Their eyes locked. Fuuka's breath hitched as she felt her hearbeat quicken.
She untied the obi that kept her kimono together. The silk slid from her shoulders, baring the smooth canvas of her neck and the soft swell of her breasts. She noted how Amir's emerald-ivory robes contrasted to her floral kimono.
Carefully, Amir loosened the sash at his waist.
The upper section of his garb fell open, revealing his broad, muscular chest. Fuuka bit her lower lip as she looked at the slope of his shoulders, well-defined pecs and abs, plus the sparse hair that led downward from his navel, the potent aphrodisiac of over-extracted Indra-Sprite awakening her body.
Amir pulled the garment off his shoulders and let it fall, exposing his powerful thighs and the taut muscles of his upper legs. Her eyes were drawn to his growing arousal, encased in black cotton briefs that left little to the imagination.
Fuuka then met his dark eyes, nodding. "Bhukkam," she whispered, voice a little hoarse.
He shook his head. "*Samantaṃ kurvīta,*" he quoted. "We undress together."
Fuuka bit her lip again, suppressing a smile. "*Samantaṃ kurvīta*, yes..." She placed her palms on his knees. Slowly, she guided his hands to the strings of her silk chemise. "Together."
Amir's fingers found the straps and tugged gently, baring her smooth hips and the subtle contour of her slender waist. His fingers brushed them along the waistband of her lace underwear. "This one always sticks a little."
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"Have a little faith." Teasing, she lifted her hips to allow him to slide the fabric down and off.
Flush creeping up his neck, he then held her underwear to his face, inhaling deeply.
She chuckled. "You always do that," she gestured at the underwear.
"*Jeevayushyaṃ,*" he murmured as he placed the fabric aside with exaggerated care, still inhaling her scent, his deep voice strained. "Long life. Long health."
She nodded, her hands reaching for his briefs. "Dhanaṃjaya." she said. 'Victorious warrior' in their shared psionic language.
Both of them now naked, Fuuka sat back, cross-legged, and guided Amir's hands to her thighs. His palms brushed against the sensitive skin. She inhaled sharply as his fingers grazed between her legs.
Leaning forward, Amir pressed a soft kiss to the inside of one thigh. Fuuka closed her eyes, grabbing his hair. His kisses trailed along her thighs, each pleasure surpassing the last.
Amir's hands gently parted her folds, his thumbs circling her wetness. He murmured, his fingers gently probing, stimulating her further. Fuuka bit her lip to muffle her moans, her hips bucking gently.
"Beautiful," Amir whispered, his breath hot against her skin.
"Closer," she urged him.
He complied, his tongue teasing her sensitive bud. She moaned as his tongue danced on her womanhood, a few of her pubic hairs catching his saliva.
As her breathing slowed, Amir slid his hands around her waist, pulling her toward him as he laid on his back. Their lips met in a passionate kiss, tongues tangling as they tasted each other.
Fuuka broke the kiss. With a playful smile, she rose then straddled him, feeling his erected schlong against her womanhood.
Slowly, she took him inside her. They both groaned, their eyes locking as they began to move together.
Leaning back, Fuuka set a slow pace, her body rising and falling sensually as she began grinding.
Amir's hands slid up, cupping her breasts as her movements quickened. His thumbs brushed her nipples, her head falling back as the pleasure built.
Then his hands slid down the canvas of her body, caressing her hips as they now moved together. Minutes passed as Fuuka's breasts bounced with each thrust, her hair falling forward to frame her face.
As their pace quickened, Fuuka sensed a change in Amir's breathing. He was on the verge of release. She slowed her grinding, leaning forward to press her forehead against his, their breaths mingling.
"Manas śamaṃ," she whispered soothingly. "Calm your mind."
Amir's eyes closed as he tried to regain control, his hands gripping her hips desperately. "I need to endure…but the temptation…"
Fuuka's thumbs brushed his cheekbones.
"Breathe with me," she said.
But Amir struggled to match Fuuka's breathing, his body tense from holding back his climax. Fuuka, too, felt her own pleasure getting the better of her, his length filling her depths. The sensations were so exquisite, but she knew they needed to focus on the emotional and spiritual connection, not surrendering to the release. Not before the enlightment came.
She cupped Amir's face. "Stay with me," she whispered in a breathy voice, her body wet with sweat. "Think of wisdom yet unshared. Remember our bond…"
"Goes deeper than flesh," Amir finished, his jaw clenching.
Fuuka nodded, closing her eyes, reaching out with her mind, seeking Amir's consciousness.
But all she could feel were scrambled thoughts as subtle aches built up in her temple.
"Hmph…" she bit back a moan, pain or pleasure, she did not know.
"You feel it, too…" his voice came.
"I do," she said between breaths as the migraines intensified. "Resistance between us. We must…"
"Open up." he managed between pants. "I'm here with you, priye."
Fuuka felt her own climax building again, the pleasure feeling tighter and tighter within her. She gasped, her hips feeling weak.
"Stay with me…priye," The sacred Devavāṇī word. 'Beloved'. she said it like a mantra.
Amir's hands tightened on her waist to steady her. "I feel it too. We endure, priye. Just a little longer."
Fuuka nodded, biting her lip a third time. Straightening her back and lifting her head, she focused on the flow of Aether between them, on the images and emotions less carnal. Gradually, her impending climax receded, replaced by something calmer.
A sense of deeper connection.
Slowly, as their joined bodies continued to move together, their moans and breaths in sync, she felt his mind begin to open up. Their hands held firmly, fingers intertwined.
Tendrils of blue energy, their shared Aether, began to flow between them, pulsing in time with their heartbeats. Fuuka opened her eyes to marvel at the blue wisps of energies binding them both, smiling as they shimmered and danced around their nude forms like guardian spirits.
A minute later, the Mind Melding came. Breathing in the scent of Amir's sweat, Fuuka's eyes rolled back into her head.
Snippets of his memories and emotions brushed against her own, distant at first, then growing bolder. She saw flashes of his past—a sun-drenched courtyard where he trained with his warstaff, the cool touch of a river stone he held during meditation, feelign his joy of learning a new combat stance.
In return, Fuuka felt herself sharing her consciousness: winds blowing through a bamboo forest, the warmth of golden healing energy coursing through her palms as she mended a wounded panda found in a forest near her childhood home.
The temptation to surrender to their climax still lingered, but Fuuka knew they need only endure just a bit longer.
Their bodies found a new rhythm, slowing down.
Amir's eyes rolled back as well, the whites visible as the Mind Melding continued. "I saw it," he breathed. "The other spell you use to mend...heals not just the flesh, but the spirit. That panda cub you found near the stream..."
"She survived," Fuuka affirmed, her consciousness connected with his. "I nursed her for weeks, using that spell each day until her strength returned. When I finally took her back to the bamboo forest, her mother was waiting, as if she'd known all along her cub would return."
Gradually, Amir's eyes regained their focus, the dark irises returning as he gazed at her. "The connection between all living things...I never understood it fully."
Fuuka's own vision cleared as the Mind Melding subsided, her awareness slowly returning to the physical world. She leaned forward, eys back in position, her breaths steadying.
"And I..." she whispered, brushing a lock of hair from his forehead with tender fingers, looking at his bindi. "I felt the strength of your Vajra stance. That unshakable foundation. The way you channeled that stability during the Java Sea Campaign."
"I was lucky to have survived." he said with a bittersweet smile.
The Mind Melding receded as they continued to move together, their pleasure building once more, this time without haste.
Fuuka bent down, her breasts rubbing gently against his chest as they neared the peak. She pressed her lips to Amir's ear.
"Now," she whispered, "Sāmarasya."
She felt a burst in her canal, a tide on her tender inner wall as Amir's release filled her, a pulsing warmth that triggered her own climax. They clung to each other, bodies trembling, as the ecstasy washed over them.
With a final, deep thrust from Amir, they cried out simultaneously, their bodies shaking with the force of their release. Amir held her close, his arms wrapped around her waist.
In the afterglow, Fuuka rested her head on Amir's chest, listening to his heartbeat as his manhood pulled out from her depths. "The Moaning Lotus Ritual never fails to amaze me," she murmured, her fingers tracing on his skin.
Amir pressed a kiss to her hair, his arms tightening around her. "A blessing," he agreed, his voice soft, "to share so much with a kindred spirit."
They lay entwined, the sandalwood-scented candle flickering beside them.
Minutes after, as their breathing slowed, Fuuka raised her head. Her fingers trailed along his strong face, her touch light. "Communion of body, mind, and spirit..."
But their peaceful moment was interrupted by three sharp knocks on the chamber door. "Rishi Fuuka! If I may interrupt?" A female voice came, addressing her by title.
Fuuka lifted her head, glancing at Amir. No one would dare disturb a Rishi's Chamber during such a sacred ritual unless something was urgent.
"One moment," she called, her voice composed despite their state of nudity. Ignoring the dampness between her legs, she slipped from Amir's embrace and reached for her underwear and kimono, the ballistic silk cool against her flushed skin as she put them on quickly.
Amir rose as well, gathering his emerald and ivory garments. "Quite bold, that one." he murmured, fastening his attire swiftly.
Once they were both presentable, Fuuka moved to the door and opened it just enough to peek through. Outside stood a Krypt. A Sand Lotus soldier and infiltrator. The young woman's lower face was obscured by a white hood.
"Forgive the intrusion, Rishi Fuuka," the Krypt said, bowing deeply. "But I bring urgent news from Osram."
Fuuka opened the door wider, allowing the messenger to step inside. The Krypt's gaze briefly took in the meditation cushions, the glowing bottles of Indra-Sprite, the lingering scent of sandalwood and intimacy in the air. If she had any conclusions, her expression revealed nothing.
"Speak your mind," Amir said in an authoritative tone.
"Major conflict has erupted on the Near Side of Osram," the woman's voice was low. "Alliance and Imperium forces have engaged in open battle near the Celestial Reach border. Our intelligence suggests they're fighting over —"
Fuuka felt a chill despite the warmth she and Amir had just shared. "The Moondust Crystal," she whispered.
"There's also news of the Directorate. The Kimaris Warband has claimed the shard on the Far Side." the Krypt continued, "Rishi Thorin requests your immediate presence at the War Council chamber."
"The timing could hardly have been worse." Amir commented from the side.
The glow of their ritualistic intercourse faded as reality settled. Fuuka nodded, her mind shifting.
"Tell him we'll be there shortly," she said, her voice firm.
Without another word, the Krypt bowed and departed, Fuuka turned to Amir.
"Seems our shared knowledge will be tested sooner than expected," Amir said, adjusting his armlets.
Fuuka nodded, her fingers checking that her Spirit Lantern was securely stashed in her long sleeve. "Then we'd better not keep Thorin waiting."
She extinguished the seven-wicked candle before they both took the now-dimmed bottles of over-extracted Indra-Sprite, prepared to face whatever awaited beyond this bedchamber.