Gariod snorted in pleasure.
"It was wonderful, but my reward would have to wait for another day.
The cold had indeed abated greatly, and now Diria felt quite well, better than well even.
"Why?"
"Because you're going to have to leave again."
"Why?" she asked again. Her lover's face revealed it to her.
"Ah, I see, you're going to transform into your beast form.
"You've got it."
The young mistress looked around.
"But it's daylight!"
He shook his head.
"Here, night doesn't exist, but balance does."
"I don't understand.
"Just as I don't understand your world."
Diria didn't know what to say.
"But my clothes are wet."
"They'll dry," he assured her, "except for the panties, which are no longer...wearable. Sorry."
This time, it was her turn to provoke with a most suggestive whisper.
"You're going to have to replace it, which I'm sure won't be too much of a problem being what you are."
"Don't think that."
"I'll be back tomorrow."
He nodded, already feeling out of sorts, looking around with growing unease.
"Gariod."
He turned to her, questioning.
"I wish I could sleep no more tomorrow."
He smiled sardonically at her despite her rapidly deteriorating condition.
"That will depend on your performance."
He created a portal for her, but this time surrounded by metal and water.
When she returned home, she recounted what had happened as vaguely as possible, assuring them that everything had gone well, which was a masterful understatement, and detracting that she was going to see her man again, before ducking into her room and watching videos of...fellatio.
The next day, she felt ready. But before going to join her lover, she had, fortunately for her, retained some common sense to buy morning-after pills and contraceptives.
When he came inside her, and spilled his seed, she felt so invaded and heavy. It was a pleasant sensation, but also a dangerous one.
When Diria reached the hill, which in her mind was no longer called "the cursed hill" but now "the red hill" because she clearly guessed that red was his color, she tensed, thinking that maybe he'd make her sleep again this time, but when she reached the threshold of the forest without anything happening to her, she breathed a long sigh of relief and felt a little better.
No sooner had she taken a step inside than she was transported to his kingdom, and she could easily guess which part by the sea of golden leaves that covered the ground and stretched to the horizon.
The layers of leaves must have been thick, for the ground was extraordinarily soft. Diria loved the sensation of walking on it.
She didn't have to wait long or look for him, for there he was, sitting nonchalantly on a comfortable-looking wooden chair, smoking an enormous cigar.
"You have majesty, that you could start a fire if you ever drop that cigar on the floor."
Gariod took a deep puff and exhaled the smoke with obvious pleasure before deigning to reply.
"I know, but I'll know how to put out fires, just as I know how to light them. I'm an expert at it, and you're a perfect witness to it, aren't you?"
He was wearing a yellow polo shirt and white jeans, but he was barefoot, and his mistress understood him. It must have been wonderful to walk without shoes on this sea of golden leaves.
"There are so many leaves," she remarked, "but," she continued, intrigued, "there are no trees."
"So what."
She hadn't expected that answer at all.
"But if there's no tree, where did these leaves come from?"
She looked up but couldn't make out anything above except that golden rain.
"Well, I created them with my magic."
Diria opened her eyes wide, aghast.
"But why?"
"To distinguish it from the summer part."
"But what's this place like without those leaves?"
Gariod shrugged.
"I don't know. I don't remember. It was a long time ago."
"Then how can you still confuse it with the summer part, they're as distinct as you and I."
Another indifferent shrug.
"I'm not perfect."
Diria twitched. She wanted to throw herself at him and punch him so hard that he exasperated and amused her, although she also knew that her blows were not meant to hurt him.