Free Thralls of the Dark Queen Part 1: Falling Into Bliss by Echo Stardust

Chapter the 1st: Pillar of light
    “It’s only getting worse with the village boys,” Echo remarked to her friend Alexia as the pair walked down the dirt path from their village.
    Alexia rolled her eyes. “Echo, you’re a woman now. They’re called men. And just because you were picked on by boys when you were a girl doesn’t mean you should be so scared of them now. You should just let yourself fantasize.”
    “I know you always say that” Echo’s voice lightened a little in jest. “But I don’t know. They used to always tease me for my hair and call me a bookworm. But to see Jorn like that… all shirtless and sweaty and shiny…”
    ~~~~
    They were talking about Jorn Craster, a farmer who lived on the outskirts of town. When Echo had come across him the day before, chopping wood in only his breaches and boots, his smooth but pleasantly toned chest and arms glistening in sweat and long dark brown hair pouring down his shoulders in moist tendrils, she couldn’t help but stare. Then he saw her, smiling and nodding politely. “Lady Starsmith” he greeted, before raising is axe and splitting another piece of wood. She raised her hand, waving lightly he mouth robbed of all words. Jorn’s wife, Leera, only made the situation more awkward as she came out and saw Echo licking him up with her eyes.
    “What you want Echo?” Leera barked, shaking Echo out of her trance.
    “Nothing lady Craster I must be on my way good day misses!”
    ~~~~
    Alexia laughed. “Leera is quite the envious little bitch.”
    Echo eyes widened. “Alexia! You shouldn’t say such things!” Her voice was hushed, eyes darting around for nearby ears. It’s not lady-like!”
    Alexia furrowed her brow and shrugged. “We’re in the middle of the forest, Echo, none hear us!”
    “My problem,” Echo continued “is that this is the same boy who, years ago, used to always toss things at me whenever I passed until you told him to stop. And now I see him, all shirtless and wet… And…”
    Alexia raised an eye “And what?”
    “And…I want to be shirtless. I was already getting wet.” Echo smiled, blushing as her friend burst into laughter.
    Echo and Alexia had been friends all their lives. Echo’s earliest memory was being taunted by the children of the village over her platinum blonde hair. Alexia overheard and came to her defense. While Echo was thin and frail for her age, Alexia developed fast, being much taller than the other children not afraid to pick a fist fight with the older boys. While Echo cowered in fear from the other children throwing stones at her, Alexia stood fast, setting her hands on her hips and staring them down like a Knight from an old tale.
    Since most of them barely reached her shoulders in height, they backed off.
    Alexia was the first person outside of Echo’s family to treat her kindly, and Echo was grateful. As the two blossomed into women, they decided to live in a cabin together and vowed to be the dearest of friends.
    The pair picked today, a holy day of rest, to take a stroll along the outskirts of town. They took a hike up Merry-Weather hill, their boots braving the dense and soft soil to the tallest hill overlooking their little village of East-Glen. They sat themselves on the grass, taking in the bulbous clouds pouring down over the mountains in the distance.
    Echo wore her bark toned skirt and bodice with white long-sleeve shift underneath. Her garments seemed baggy on her, only because of her thin, waifish body underneath, a fact Echo inwardly cursed. The idiot men of the village only had eyes for women with large breasts, but wanted them young and thin all the same. It didn’t help matters that she wore garish wire-framed spectacles over her light blue eyes, which often got her teased from the local girls for looking like a “school matron”. And to top it off, her almost silvery hair, which she kept in a braid spilling down over her shoulder, was seen as almost alien to the mostly dark and