[Aster]
The cold air nipped at Aster's bare, skinny torso as he made his way through the dark, winding tunnels, with Nivalis and Silvia closely trailing behind him. Their careful footsteps echoed softly against the jagged walls that surrounded them, each shadow casting eerie shapes along the narrow path. Puffs of white mist appeared in front of their mouths whenever they exhaled, lingering briefly before fading away.
It was yet another fruitless walk in search of a way out of these endless caves, but luckily, one that was coming to an end, as they were already halfway back home. Exhausted and cold from their long walk through the chilly tunnels, they couldn't wait to be back in the warmth and coziness of their small home.
The cloak wrapped around Aster's waist flapped against his bare legs with every step, the chill creeping up beneath it to sting at his hairless manhood, causing him to grimace each time it happened. Despite this discomfort, he felt relatively warm, all thanks to the boiling mana pulsing within his chest, ready to be unleashed at any given moment, should any danger appear before them.
But, fortunately, just like yesterday and many days before, nothing out of the ordinary appeared. Still, Aster refused to let his guard down, not even for a second, as he knew that even the briefest lapse in attention could cost them dearly.
A small flame flickered above his scarred, small palm, casting a warm glow in their path. His golden eyes gleamed in the darkness just as brightly, a result of the strengthening spell he had been casting on himself for hours on end, leaving him feeling quite exhausted, as always. While technically, either would be more than enough to chase away the worms lurking around, Aster preferred to use both. Just to be safe. More light meant the further they could see, which meant more time to react if anything strange or dangerous were to appear suddenly.
Hopes of actually finding a way out were all but gone now, and the boy wasn't expecting today to be any different; they all understood that.
'Another cold walk for nothing,' Aster thought with a sigh, not even feeling sad at this point. The hope of actually finding a way out was all but gone now, yet for some unknown reason, they still ventured out every few days to try their luck anyway. Stubbornness, perhaps. Maybe the fear of giving up, and having to accept the fact that they might never see the sun again. Perhaps a bit of both.
The boy glanced over his shoulder to ensure that he wasn't accidentally leaving the girls too far behind. He heard that he didn't, but still, seeing was better. 'Yeah, we need to hurry back home...' couldn't help but think the moment his golden eyes fell on them.
Nivalis walked side by side with Silvia, holding her tiny, delicate hand firmly. Her long, silver hair flowed gracefully behind her, bouncing gently against her bottom with each step they took together. A tattered tunic and pants hung loosely from her pale, slender body, offering little protection against the chill of the tunnels and doing even less to cover her bare skin. The fabric had worn down so much over the months that it barely qualified as clothing anymore.
Her heavy breasts jiggled gently, both from the tremors of cold that shook her body and the simple act of walking. Her blue eyes darted around, alert and wary, with just a hint of annoyance in them, reflecting her frustration over how long and pointless their walk had been. In her free arm, Nivalis held her trusty knife, her fingers tightly wrapped around its wooden hilt, ready to stab anything that dared come too close. A true momma bear, always prepared to protect her cubs.
Only when her eyes finally settled on Aster did the annoyance within them disappear, replaced by a faint smile. She nodded her head at him, her way of saying, "Everything is fine."
But such things couldn't be said for Silvia, who clutched onto her mother's hand for dear life. She looked like she was about to die from how much she was shivering, barely able to take another step. Her cloak covered her from head to toe, yet it did nothing to protect her against the cold, as it mostly came from within her body. Like her brother, she had nothing underneath it either, and the outlines of her skinny body were just barely visible as the fabric clung to her delicate curves.
Her golden eyes drooped with fatigue, her eyelids heavy and sluggish. Heavy, labored breaths left her parted lips as she struggled to keep up with her mother and brother, each one quick and shallow, releasing white puffs of mist that briefly lingered around her tired face.
'I guess we overdid it a little today,' Aster thought, a pang of guilt hitting his heart at the pitiful state his sister was in. With more and more tunnels being explored around their home, they had to walk for longer periods to reach areas they hadn't been to before, leaving less time for actual exploration. 'We shouldn't have spent so much time at that cave...' he sighed internally, giving her a reassuring nod, one that told her that they were almost home. It wasn't quite true, but she didn't need to know that.
Silvia's lips curled into a faint smile as her weary eyes met his. She nodded weakly, bringing her trembling free hand nearer to her flat chest, clutching onto a small trinket hanging from her neck. A simple, heart-shaped trinket with runes carved around the edges of its blue crystal, one that they had found among two corpses two months ago.
As her finger touched the stone, it started to glow... faintly at first, but then rapidly intensified the longer she kept her touch there, filling it with her cold mana.
Silvia was the only one able to wield the broken trinket effectively. Thanks to the crack on the crystal's surface, it heated up dangerously the longer it was used, to the point where they feared it might actually explode. Luckily, cooling things down was her specialty. While it still grew warm, it didn't heat up nearly as quickly as it did for Aster, allowing her to use it both as a temporary light source and to warm herself slightly.
Noticing this, Aster doused his flame, allowing himself to relax a bit. The gentle blue glow from Silvia's little necklace filled the entire tunnel, far surpassing the tiny light from the flickering fire, and cast a comforting, blue glow all around them.
As they approached yet another fork in their path, the boy felt his mother's hand gently touch his shoulder, stopping him from going any further. Without uttering a word, she stepped in front of him, crouching between him and the unknown, closing her eyes as she did so.
A long sigh escaped her pink lips as she focused on her heartbeat, letting her blessing do its wonders and reveal to her what hid beyond the darkness. Ever since she got her blessing—the ability to sense their surroundings with just her ears—this had become part of their routine; an extra safety measure they had come up with to avoid stumbling upon anything dangerous in the dark.
Whenever they came upon an unfamiliar fork, had to make a turn, or simply because she felt like it, she would stop them and listen for any sounds that lay ahead. No matter how nauseous it made her, it was a small price to pay for the peace of mind it gave them, knowing they weren't walking blindly into danger.
Grabbing a stone from the ground, Aster tossed it deep into the left tunnel, where it bounced and skidded several times against the hard surface of the cave floor, sending loud echoes rippling through the passage before eventually rolling to a halt. "Again," Nivalis whispered without opening her eyes.
He obeyed and picked up another rock, repeating his earlier action, but this time threw it deeper, causing another round of deafening echoes to ripple throughout the passage. Aster couldn't help but wince at the noise.
She had described many times what it felt like to use her blessing in these tunnels, and well... he wished not to know what he heard. Dozens of those terrifying worms were just a few steps away from them, at all times, following them everywhere they went. An equal number was always scurrying away from their light. A few seconds without light would be enough for the creatures to devour them alive. He shuddered at that thought, pushing it out of his mind. 'Not on my watch,' he thought, blinking into the dark with his glowing eyes.
A few more rocks and minutes later, having found nothing out of the ordinary hiding in the shadows, Nivalis gave an affirmative nod, mumbling a simple "Safe" under her breath.
With that, she opened her eyes. A wave of nausea washed over her almost immediately, causing her to sway quite a lot, nearly sending her crashing to the ground. A gag escaped her mouth, but thankfully, she managed to suppress the urge to vomit. Aster and Silvia's hands caught her just in time, holding her steady as the illness slowly passed. Half a minute later, a small sigh of relief escaped Nivalis, and she got to her feet.
Just like that, with no other words exchanged between the three of them, she took hold of Silvia's hand again, and the family marched on. Only their quiet breathing filled the air around them. And the occasional yawn.
...
"Ugh... f-finally!" Silvia groaned in relief the moment the ice barrier was finally behind them, back in the comfort of their little home. The soft blue glow of countless tiny crystals hanging from the ceiling welcomed them, brightening their tired, weary faces and bringing smiles to their lips.
The girl's cloak flew off her shoulders as she stumbled her way toward the hot spring, revealing her petite, naked body covered in goosebumps from head to toe. Her little, perky buttocks jiggled with each step she took, cold shivers rocking her small frame all over; her legs were trembling with each step. "S-so c-cold... I hate those tunnels so much..." she whined through the chattering teeth, wrapping her arms around herself as she dove straight into the welcoming embrace of the warm water, splashing water everywhere.
Letting out a sigh of relief, Nivalis followed suit, tossing her knife and clothes aside before joining the girl in the hot spring. For a fleeting moment, her pale, naked body was on full display, covered in goosebumps just as much as her daughter's. Her soft breasts bounced against her ribcage with each hurried step she took, and her curvy hips swayed with a natural grace before she, too, dove beneath the water.
A long, satisfied groan escaped her lips as the warmth enveloped her, and she closed her eyes in bliss. "Oh, this feels wonderful..." she moaned happily, leaving only her head above the surface of the steamy water while her long silver hair floated all around her. The heat soothed the ache of her tired, sore muscles and helped chase away the chill that lingered in her bones after spending hours walking through those dark, icy tunnels.
Aster wasn't in a hurry to join them, as he didn't feel nearly as cold as they did, thanks to the boiling mana within him. If anything, it made him feel a bit sweaty, but he knew better than to complain about it. Taking his time, he undressed and gathered all their clothes from the ground, neatly placing them on top of the soft moss to form a cozy bed—a little nest for them to cuddle and rest in after their bath.
"I'll do it myself later, honey. Just come here and relax," he heard his mother say, gesturing for him to join them with a tired smile. She even parted her breasts a bit, revealing a spot between them, just for him.
— "It's fine. This way, we can lie down right after we get out," Aster replied with a shrug of his small shoulders, returning her a tired smile. "I'll also do the map and then join you both." A little hum escaped Nivalis's mouth in reply, one filled with nothing but approval and gratitude for her son's help. Not caring about chores after such long days always felt nice; no mother would say no to that.
Taking her knife from the ground, Aster stood up and walked toward the big map carved into the wall, his skinny body on full display in all its naked glory. A soft, pink shaft jiggled and jumped slightly with each step, his hairless testicles rubbing against smooth thighs.
The map depicted everything they had explored so far, every twist and turn, months of work meticulously carved into the wall, showing the sheer size of the cave system they found themselves in. It was almost mind-numbing to look at. Almost like an actual spiderweb, with hundreds of small tunnels all intertwined with each other, yet all eventually leading nowhere but to a dead end.
Wielding a sharp knife in his scarred hand, he started making more little cuts to mark today's progress, adding new passageways to their ever-growing map. 'Three more forks... one long tunnel... and then... another dead end,' Aster recounted in his mind, his weak hands trembling as he pressed the blade's tip against the hard stone.
The fact that he could now hold the knife somewhat properly was a result of many painful training sessions with his mother. He had kneaded her breasts day and night without mercy, slowly but steadily strengthening his weak grip. Now, even tasks such as carving the map were something he could do on his own, although the knife still trembled in his hand. 'I guess I need more training... hehehe,' he smiled to himself.
After finishing the new map updates, Aster returned to their bed and tossed the knife onto the mossy ground. "Is it just me, or has it gotten much colder in the tunnels?" he muttered sarcastically as he shuffled his feet across the cave floor toward the girls. Their eyes followed his little, bouncing member as he walked, all the way until he reached the edge of the hot spring. Nivalis then helped him in with her hands around his slim, little waist and lowered him into the water, their naked bodies briefly pressing together before she let go of him.
"Do you really think so? I haven't noticed at all!" Silvia replied in an annoyed tone, looking at him through the steamy haze that rose from the water's surface, still trembling like a leaf despite the warmth enveloping her. Her lips were still a bit blue, and her body was still shivering with cold.
She then sank a bit lower, just enough for her lips to disappear beneath the water. A few bubbles followed shortly after, likely containing a string of curse words she didn't want to say out loud, a miserable expression on her face telling how she felt at the moment.
Chuckling a bit, Aster sat himself behind Silvia and wrapped his arm around her chest, pressing himself against her back in an attempt to share some of his warmth with her. It felt like hugging an ice sculpture; she was that cold. "Someone is grumpy today," he teased playfully as he gently rubbed her soft tummy underwater, feeling it tremble against his palm.
A glare she gave him over her shoulder was more than enough for him to know that he should keep his mouth shut. "Alright, alright..." he laughed softly, giving her pale cheek a loving peck before hugging her again, ignoring her annoyed groan.
"Yeah... It wasn't this bad last week," Nivalis muttered tiredly, splashing some water on her face before leaning her head back against the edge of the pool. She then stretched her arms and legs beneath the warm water, wiggling her toes in delight. Her soft, heavy breasts rose above the surface like two floating islands, with her pink nipples standing proudly erect in the cold air, glistening with drops of hot water. "I think the winter might have arrived... or is at least close," she mused with a sigh. "Good thing we prepared so much food ahead of time. Should be more than enough for us."
Aster glanced toward the corner where all their food was stored and nodded in agreement. Rows upon rows of meat strips were carefully stacked against each other, nearly reaching the ceiling, all frozen solid and covered with ice. For the past two months, ever since Nivalis received her blessing, they had spent their days preparing as much as possible for the upcoming winter, just in case.
Words couldn't describe how sick and tired they had grown of cooking so much food every single day, but it seemed to have paid off now. "Should we stop going outside? You both look awful..." Aster asked quietly, gently running his hands all over his sister's naked body underwater in an attempt to warm her even more.
Nivalis sighed once more, nodding her head. "Yeah, we probably should..." she said, her brows furrowing together in a worried frown. The silence between them stretched out as they all knew what it meant. There would be no progress whatsoever on escaping this place for at least six months, as winters this far north tended to drag on that long.
'Well... we tried,' Aster thought with a defeated sigh, watching his mother stretch and massage her sore muscles beneath the hot water, her breasts jiggling every which way. He then turned his gaze back to Silvia and planted a gentle kiss against her pointed ear, whispering into it, "I happen to have a bunch of warm mana inside me that needs to leave somewhere... if only I had someone who needed to be warmed up very much," he said with a smirk, wiggling his brows suggestively at the girl. "Do you happen to know someone like that, perhaps?"
He could see her roll her eyes in reply, but also a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "You dork..." Silvia muttered quietly as she turned around and leaned into him, resting her head against his neck, nuzzling her cheek against him lovingly. "You better warm me good... or else," she whispered back, her body still shivering against him.
— "Or what?" Aster asked with a chuckle, placing his hands on the small of her hips.
"Or... I'll kick your butt," she threatened, but her voice lacked any real bite to it. It was a plea more than anything else.
Aster chuckled once more, puffing his chest and straightening his back a bit, just enough for her to witness all the might he possessed—he was now a whooping finger-width taller than her. A difference that she didn't quite agree with, as, according to her, they were still the same height. "I'd like to see that happen, little sis," he said, looking down at her with smugness, his voice getting unnaturally deep for a moment.
"Oh, don't even start that again... you are not taller than me." Silvia groaned and rolled her eyes once more, giving one of his nipples a playful pinch. "Better start warming me, you doofus."
Aster let out a short whimper and winced in pain, quickly covering his nipple from further harm. "Alright, alright. Calm down, geez," he laughed softly, returning to his normal posture, his voice getting back to its original, soft tone.
Without wasting a moment, he began to prepare more mana within himself, causing his heart to pound faster against his ribcage, the heat of his body rising rapidly. But just before he could start, a calm, yet firm whisper interrupted him. "You know the drill, young man. I'm not taking any risks after what you two have done," Nivalis said in a strict tone, her blue eyes piercing straight into his golden ones.
In response, he gave her a reassuring smile. "It's been two months, Mom. We haven't done anything ever since, I promise you. Do we really—" he tried to say, but got cut off by another, firm "Yes, we do," from Nivalis, leaving him to stare back into Silvia's eyes with a shrug of his small shoulders.
Having no choice but to obey, the siblings scooted closer to their mother until they were close enough for her to press her palm against the boy's wrinkled shaft, shielding it from any accidental pokes or touches against his naked sister. "Good boy," Nivalis praised, gently cupping his soft parts and giving them a little squeeze. "Go on now," was all she said before letting out a long, deep sigh and leaning back once more.
Aster and Silvia shared an awkward glance, but neither of them said a word about the matter, as it would only lead to yet another long scolding. With the help of his hands under her armpits, Silvia gently lowered herself onto his lap, feeling their mother's hand press against her pelvis, and wrapped her legs around his waist. "Come on, I'm freezing here," she urged quietly, trembling all over, her bare, flat chest pressing against his own.
Nodding at the naked girl in his arms, Aster took a deep breath and closed his eyes, focusing on his mana once more. 'Alright. Here we go.' With a small grunt, he began to pump his warmth into her, wave after wave, pushing through the cold and warming her up from the inside. He couldn't help but let out a tiny sigh of frustration, as for the past two months, it was the most intimate they had gotten; Nivalis made sure of that.
Ignoring his mother's fingers on his testicles, he focused on the squirming sister on his lap, her moans, and whines as he warmed her, her small, soft body rubbing against his, her hands clutching his shoulders tightly. 'She's my sister... she's my sister... nothing naughty about it,' he kept reminding himself, but for some reason, his shaft began to swell and twitch anyway beneath their mother's hand. He could feel that piercing glare on his face already. "Sorry..." he muttered quietly, only to receive a light slap on his sack with just her fingertips, causing him to wince in pain.
"Honey, control your voice when doing this, please," Nivalis said to her daughter, reminding her of the simple rules she had made to help them stay in control. "And don't move so much."
Silvia nodded in reply and took a deep breath, biting her bottom lip to suppress the moans that threatened to escape, her hips stilling on top of Aster's. It was a struggle for both siblings, but they were doing their best. Promises were made, and they were determined to keep them.