The curse

[Aster]

The morning sun gently streamed through the open entrance, casting a blinding light beam upon the silver-haired boy's eyelids. Aster turned around, shielding his eyes from the light, and tried to go back to sleep. Unfortunately for him, a nasty breeze of morning air brushed across his naked back. His golden eyes fluttered open, and a hazy image of his sister's long, silky hair, softly illuminated by the dancing orange flames of the fire nearby, greeted his awakening vision.

Aster groaned softly, disappointed to find Silvia lying on the opposite side of the bed, closer to the fireplace and out of his reach. To solve this problem, he began to squirm and wriggle his way closer to her, like a worm, slowly and silently. When their naked bodies finally touched, the still-unconscious little girl moaned softly from her brother's sudden touch.

The coldness of her skin gave him goosebumps all over Aster's body, making him shiver slightly. Still, he continued to move closer to her, wrapping his arms around her petite figure, pressing himself tightly against her back until he felt the curve of her spine with his body. Their feet tangled, and their smooth, naked legs intertwined.

Her flat chest rose and fell slowly under his arm, her breaths coming out in gentle puffs. Aster pressed his forehead against the back of her neck, taking slow, deep breaths as he inhaled his sister's sweet, comforting scent. He pulled the blankets higher, covering their heads and creating a small, dark, warm cocoon.

Trying to find the perfect spot, Aster adjusted his hips, pressing his groin firmly against his sister's soft, smooth, plump buttocks. It felt only natural for him to do it. After all, he had been doing this whenever they slept together. However, this time was different. It didn't take long for his hard member to start poking at her tender flesh.

The events of yesterday's night flooded his mind all at once. The fight with the goblins, his magic, his fever, his weakened state, the strange feelings of his mana in his crotch, and the scariest thing — how it morphed his poor, innocent member into something monstrous, disgusting.

Aster immediately pulled his hips back, separating his lower body from his sister's round buns, and sat up. Removing the blankets covering him, he stared down, a horrified expression on his face. The sight of his fully erect penis, pulsating and throbbing with each beat of his heart, greeted him. 'This must be a nightmare! Oh no...' he screamed internally when he touched it with his trembling hand.

"Honey... Everything okay?" Nivalis' sleepy voice reached him, snapping him back to reality. He turned his head and met her exhausted gaze, looking at him from behind the fire.

— "I... everything is fine," Aster lied, swallowing hard, and quickly covered himself with the blanket.

Her blue eyes shone brightly in the fire's light, and the flames' reflection danced across her delicate features. Her silver hair was loose and falling in waves down her shoulders. "That's good, honey," Nivalis said, smiling at him tiredly, rubbing her eyes with her knuckles.

— "Did you... um... sleep well?" Aster asked, avoiding her gaze and staring at the flickering flames instead.

"Not really. I stayed awake the whole night to watch out for the monsters. Everything seems quiet," Nivalis answered, stretching her back and sighing. "It is still quite early. You should get more sleep... After what happened yesterday... You need a lot of rest, sweetie," she whispered, leaning back against the wall.

Feeling his gigantic 2-inch monster between his legs, Aster knew there was no way he could sleep with his current condition. "No... I don't feel tired anymore," he muttered, rubbing his eyes.

"Alright..." Nivalis mumbled, making an awkward pause as she looked at flames, deep in thought. Then, her gaze shifted back to her son. "Well, if you are not going to sleep... There's something we need to talk about, honey," she said, taking a deep breath. "Could you come over here, please?"

Aster froze. He glanced down at his blanket, nervously adjusting it over his crotch. "Y-yes... Of course," he muttered, taking his tunic off the ground and putting it on, hiding his throbbing, erect member from her view. Slowly and hesitantly making his way to her, his bare feet shuffling across the rough stone floor, he stopped beside her.

Standing awkwardly, Aster held the hem of his tunic with both hands. His gaze dropped to his feet, unable to meet his mother's eyes, and he patiently waited for her to speak.

Her blue eyes stared intently at him, and she took her time before breaking the silence. "Please sit down, honey," she requested, patting her healthy thigh for him to sit on.

The boy obediently did as told and sat on her leg, his hands holding onto the hem of his tunic at all times.

"Aster," Nivalis sighed softly, wrapping her arms around his waist and pulling him closer, pressing her son against her chest. Her ribs still hurt, but she ignored the pain. "I am sorry, honey. For when I washed you... your... umm... thing. I should have been more careful. It is all my fault," she muttered, gently caressing his back. "And... There's nothing to be ashamed of, alright?"

— "Ugh..." Aster groaned, hiding his face in her shoulder.

"Hey," she whispered, pulling him away slightly and cupping his cheeks, forcing him to look into her blue eyes. "I know, it is embarrassing for your mother to see how it... you know... But... This is something you can't control. It is nature doing its job. There's nothing shameful or wrong with it. Do you understand me?" she asked, her gaze serious and gentle at the same time.

— "Mhmm," Aster mumbled. 'Oh... I see... She's trying to take the blame and make it seem normal like it is not the awful disease, but just a... condition,' he realized, glancing into her eyes, which were full of sadness and concern. "I... understand... Sorry, Mom," he apologized, lowering his head.

"Oh, sweetheart... There's nothing to apologize for, honey," Nivalis whispered, gently stroking his cheek with her thumb. "Is this the first time it's happened?" she asked, gently pinching his chin.

— "Yeah," Aster admitted. "I was hoping that it was a nightmare or something... It got really big..." he muttered, showing his mother how large it got with his hands.

Nivalis smiled warmly at him, kissing his forehead affectionately. "I know, sweetie. I saw. It's a perfectly normal thing to happen, alright?" she said, rubbing his back comfortingly. "No need to worry about it, my love."

— "Sorry you had to see it. I really tried to control it, but... I didn't know how," he said, nervously glancing up at his mother. 'But... why? Why does my mana choose to concentrate in such a weird place?' the boy asked himself, the very question making his eyes water.

"Oh, my baby... Don't cry," she mumbled, wiping away his tears with her thumbs. "No matter how many times I see it, no matter how often or when, or where... It won't bother me, honey. Your mother is here for you, alright? There is nothing to be ashamed of," she reassured him, smiling sweetly. "I want you to know that you can always talk to me. About anything. Alright?"

Aster nodded, tears still trickling down his cheeks. 'She is too... Too nice...' he thought, hugging her tightly.

Nivalis held him close, embracing him lovingly, running her fingers through his soft hair. "Listen... How about we pretend this didn't happen? Would that help?" she asked, her eyes started to glisten as well.

— "Yes. Please... let's forget about it," Aster muttered, his voice muffled by his mother's tunic.

"Okay, sweetie. It never happened," Nivalis agreed, gently rocking her son from side to side.

The two remained silent, hugging each other. For a long time, Aster remained motionless, his arms wrapped around his mother's waist. He listened to the rhythmic sound of her breathing and enjoyed the softness of her chest on his face.

Eventually, he sighed softly and pulled away slightly, meeting his mother's gaze again. "Alright. How about I try to use my magic? I think I figured out how it works," he said, trying to change the subject. After all, this was still their top priority.

Nivalis smiled, her sapphire-blue eyes shimmering warmly in the flickering light. "That's great, honey. I can't wait to see you use it," she said, gently squeezing his bottom as she helped him adjust his position. He turned to face the cave exit, straddling her right leg.

The hem of his tunic lifted accidentally, exposing his little butt cheeks grinding against his mother's soft, naked thigh as he tried to adjust himself comfortably. Nivalis felt his smooth, little testicles resting on her skin, pressing against her, reminding her how she cleaned them. She ignored the feeling and focused on the task at hand. "Try to make a small fire. Not like yesterday, okay?" she whispered, her hands resting on his hips, holding him in case he faints.

Aster, adjusting himself comfortably on his mother's soft leg, smiled happily. He was relieved that the situation had been dealt with and that they could move on. Yeah, he has to learn how to live with such a curse. But, thankfully, his mother was understanding and accepted it without questions. His throbbing member felt even harder now, for some unknown magical reason, pulsating strongly with each heartbeat. He took a deep breath, ignoring it.

"Don't be nervous, honey. You got this," Nivalis encouraged, squeezing his hips reassuringly. It caused the boy to shift slightly, his soft balls sliding on his mother's bare, pale thigh. "Remember, be careful. No rush, alright?"

— "Alright. Here it goes," Aster muttered, closing his eyes and concentrating on the strange heat he momentarily felt yesterday. It has to be the key to using mana stored in his... private parts.

Slowly, Aster exhaled, relaxing his body and mind. As the air escaped his lungs, his thoughts cleared. A moment later, the warmness in his chest appeared, making the boy smile. 'There it is!' he thought, trying to concentrate on the sensation.

Inhaling deeply, he focused entirely on his heart, trying to understand the warmth inside it. It is quite unnatural to be able to feel something happening within your own heart, yet here he was, experiencing exactly that. 'It is... so weird,' Aster thought, furrowing his brows. 'Is this the feeling Silvia spoke of? It has to be...'

Aster remained like that for a few minutes, trying to comprehend what was happening in his heart.

"Honey?" Nivalis whispered, resting her head on his shoulder. "How is it going?" she whispered into his ear.

— "It's... definitely there," Aster whispered, opening his eyes. "Just like Silvia said, it feels like a ball of energy... and warmth, in my case. It's very faint, but... it's there," he explained, feeling how it fluttered in his chest. "Let me try..." he mumbled, still focused on this feeling. Slowly, he raised his hand, pointing his palm in front of him, fingers spread apart.

Nivalis watched with fascination, her blue eyes widening in excitement as she waited for her son's magic to happen finally.

Yet when Aster's hand twitches, ready to unleash the flames, nothing happens.

— "One moment," Aster muttered, keeping his hand raised. "Almost... I am almost there, Mom. Just wait," he mumbled, his hand jerking again. Yet again, nothing happened.

Running out of ideas, Aster began changing the shape of his hand, hoping the right movement would somehow trigger the spell. He tried a clawed hand, a single pointed finger, a fist, a thumbs-up, even an awkward middle finger, all to no avail.

— "Go, fire, go!" Aster suddenly exclaimed, making his mother chuckle quietly. "Fly! Up, up, and away, fire!" he wiggled his wrist, trying to activate the spell. An awkward silence followed. "Well, I had to try it," he mumbled, scratching his chin in embarrassment.

Nivalis couldn't contain her laughter any longer, her head thrown back as she burst into laughter, giving a single, incredibly cute snort.

Aster glanced at her, watching his mother laugh uncontrollably, a smile forming on his lips. He loved the sound of her laughter, the way her cheeks flushed pink, the wrinkles that formed near her eyes, and, of course, how her breasts jiggled underneath her tunic with every chuckle.

"I... I'm sorry, honey. It's just..." Nivalis stammered, struggling to speak through her giggles.

— "I see... Since you are healthy enough to laugh this much..." Aster said, his fingers wiggling playfully.

"Oh, no, no, no!" Nivalis cried, trying to catch her son's hands.

— "A payback!" he announced, slipping his hands under her garment and began tickling her naked sides. He didn't go hard on her, considering her injuries, but it was enough to make her squeal.

"Haha! S-stop! Please, I can't breathe!" she cried, giggling like a little girl and trying her best to stay quiet. "You little-Noooo!"

It was pretty reckless, considering their situation, but the boy couldn't help himself. After everything they went through, a couple of minutes of laughing together was what they both needed.

...

As the playful tickle fight with his mother finally ended, Aster settled back into his comfortable position on her leg, his focus shifting back to the warmth within him. While enjoying his time with his mother was amazing, there were more important matters. The sooner he could master his powers, the safer they would be.

Behind him, Nivalis pouted adorably as she held her son's hips firmly. Her face still flushed bright red from laughing too much, and her silver hair, loose and messy, cascaded over her shoulders and chest. "Are you sure this will help?" she asked, her soft breasts under her tunic rising and falling against his back with each gentle breath.

— "Mhm," Aster responded, keeping his eyes closed.

She sighed softly and, just like she promised, moved her mouth closer to her son's ear. It was the "punishment" Aster gave her in exchange for not continuing the tickle torture — something she hadn't done in more than two months.

Her soft, moist lips sucked lightly on the sensitive skin of his earlobe, occasionally pulling it with her teeth. She knew how much her baby boy enjoyed this little treat of her, but only if done right. A very specific technique only his mother knew of, a skill honed throughout many cold winter nights and rainy days spent indoors, where the only option left was cuddling with her children.

Aster used to dislike the touch of someone's tongue and lips there. After all, his ears are the most sensitive part of his body — or were until recent events. He always blushed fiercely and tried to squirm away whenever his mother decided to tease him.

His adorable reaction always made her want to do it even more, but the more she did, the less he complained. He slowly became fond of the sensation of his mother's mouth nibbling on his ear. Now, he even asks her to do it occasionally—not very often, though.

Aster tilted his head to the side, giving his mother better access to his ear. He could hear every slight movement of her lips, the tiny, wet noises when she parted them, the warm exhale of her breath brushing against his skin, and the slight sound of her tongue licking the sensitive skin between her lips.

"Isn't it distracting?" Nivalis whispered, blowing her hot, humid breath into his ear, making him gasp softly and his eyelids flutter. A small, barely audible moan escaped him.

— "N-No... It's nice. You really know how to do it properly. Don't stop," Aster muttered, smiling happily. "Every time you did it, I fell asleep almost immediately. So, it should help me relax," he added, feeling how his mother's warm tongue traced along his earlobe.

She chuckled, her tongue swirling around his ear before pulling away, leaving a thin trail of saliva on his skin. "Mmm, I see," she hummed, returning to sucking his earlobe again.

The only thing that bothered him was his penis, for some reason twitching and pulsating stronger than ever before. It was quite painful, too. 'Who knows how diseases like mine work... Let's ignore it,' he thought, gritting his teeth and trying to concentrate on his heart.

The warmth it produced became a hot, burning sensation that grew only stronger the more he concentrated on it. Like lava, it slowly spread throughout his chest. Aster began to picture how it flowed through his veins, burning its way to his left hand. Soon enough, it reacted. It started to follow the direction created by his imagination, surprising the boy.

He gasped softly as a pleasant feeling surged through his arm, causing his fingers to tingle slightly. Then, it suddenly changed into an uncomfortable, burning sensation. 'This has to be it!' he thought, his golden eyes shooting open.

— "I think I got it this time," Aster whispered, his heart pounding wildly. One shaky breath after, the boy raised his hand and clenched his fingers into a tight fist, his muscles tensing, his teeth grinding together. Struggling to contain the powerful magic within, his entire body began to tremble.

Nivalis held her breath, her lips still attached to her son's ear. She felt the tremors that ran through his body, almost vibrating against her leg.

Then, slowly, he opened his palm, facing the ceiling. In an instant, a shining, orange light filled the cave, twice as bright as the campfire flames. Nivalis immediately pulled away and looked ahead, her blue eyes glowing brightly under the fire's light, fascinated and amazed by her son's magic.

The small flame flickered and danced in Aster's palm, pulsating in sync with his beating chest. It cast shadows on the cave walls and illuminated everything. The heat warmed their faces, reaching their cheeks and noses.

...

After spending the next twenty minutes practicing, Aster learned the most important aspect of his powers: how to control the intensity of his flames. From the tiny, flickering flame of a candle, it can grow into a wild, roaring fire.

The more he practiced, the better Aster felt how it all worked inside his body: how his heart ignited the mana coming from his lungs, pumping it through veins to his hand. When it finally leaves the palm, it behaves according to the image you had in mind at that very moment. The only thing he did not understand was how his little guy was involved in all this. Is there some hidden power? Probably.

The second and last thing Aster learned is how unstable and wild the fire is. Good two words to describe the nature of his magic. It wants to burn all your mana at once, and it takes a lot of focus and effort to prevent it.

While in Silvia's case, it takes a lot of effort to produce a little bit of ice, Aster has the exact opposite problem — he can make a lot of fire, but the mana is gone instantly. It can quickly drain you dry if you're not careful. It is pretty lucky he put all his concentration into picturing the exact size of the flames he wanted.

It only took him three attempts to feel exhausted and weak again. The first two attempts were the most intense, as he was still learning how to control it properly. The third spell, the size of a candle flame, didn't drain him nearly as much. Aster managed to cast it for about three minutes before the headache appeared. He had to stop before it got worse, not wanting to repeat yesterday's fainting.

"Very good, honey," Nivalis said, rubbing her son's belly as he leaned against her right breast. "I am proud of you. You really did well, Aster," she whispered, kissing his head. "It's really impressive, my love."

Aster nodded, smiling weakly. "Thank you, Mom... but I'm not sure how effective it will be in a real fight, especially against a bunch of goblins," he whispered, his breathing slightly heavy. "It takes me quite a lot of time to start casting, and... I need a lot of concentration to control the intensity of the fire. Even the small flame was... really difficult to keep under control."

"Hmm..." Nivalis muttered, glancing up thoughtfully. She remained silent for a long moment, her fingers tracing lazy circles across her son's stomach as he cradled her leg, leaning against her. "At the very least, we can try to scare them off. We did it once," Nivalis replied, gently rocking her son with her leg. A moment of silence followed as the two remained quiet, thinking. It worked once, but could they rely on it?

Nivalis glanced at the open entrance of the cave and whispered, "We really need to make a new door... Somehow," she sighed. The wind blew gently through, whistling slightly, filling their noses with the smell of pine trees.

— "Yes... We do," Aster muttered, his voice weak and quiet.

"And we are short on food... I don't like the idea of sending you alone outside. But I don't think we have much choice," Nivalis sighed, resting her chin on her son's head. His soft, little butt cheeks brushed against her thigh as she continued to move her leg from side to side.

— "Mhm," he agreed, closing his eyes and enjoying the softness of her chest.

"We have enough mushrooms for... I don't know, three days? Maybe four. But the wood for the fire will run out much sooner," Nivalis said, taking a deep, calming breath. "And we need a lot of wood for the door, too... And not just twigs, but bigger logs. They are much harder to find..." she whispered, biting her nails. "How will you even carry them back? I don't know. And what about the winter supplies..." Nivalis began to mumble incoherently, her tone shifting into one of worry.

— "Hey, mom. It will be fine," Aster interrupted, lifting his head and looking up at her. "Don't worry. I will protect you, feed you, and keep you warm. I won't let anything bad happen to you, alright?" he said, his golden eyes shining brightly. "To you and Silvia. That's a promise."

"Mhm..." Nivalis smiled down at him; her blue eyes began to glisten from hearing such words from her son. "Of course, sweetie. I know you will. You already proved that..." she whispered, ruffling his hair lovingly. "I love you, my brave boy. You have no idea how much," she whispered, cupping his cheeks. Her thumbs traced gently along his little nose, her eyes never leaving his. "I'll try to help you as much as possible, alright?"

— "Alright. I love you too, Mom," Aster smiled back, his eyelids starting to feel heavy. But sleeping is the last thing he will do right now. His mother was up all night, so she needs to sleep much more than he does. "How about you take a nap, and I'll keep watch? You look tired," he suggested, touching her hand and squeezing it gently.

Nivalis opened her mouth to protest but quickly closed it, knowing her son was right. Her eyelids were already half-closed, her head nodding every few seconds. She yawned, covering her mouth with her hand, and said, "You are probably right, honey... I guess a little sleep will do me good," she whispered, running her fingers through her silver hair, messing it up even more. "Can I take a nap here, with my head on your lap?" she asked, looking into his eyes pleadingly.

— "Sure," Aster agreed, standing up. The hem of his tunic was still high on his waist, his tiny, round butt fully exposed to his mother. Nivalis carefully adjusted the garment to cover his bottom before he could even notice.

Aster sat beside the fire and rested his back against the cold wall. Then, his mother laid her head on his lap, snuggling comfortably. She silently looked at him from below his tummy, her delicate, pale features highlighted by the fire's warm light, her beautiful, full lips forming a shy smile, and her silver hair cascading down his legs.

Nivalis buried her face into his stomach, inhaling deeply and closing her eyes. "Wake me up if anything happens, alright?" she mumbled, her voice muffled by his tunic.

Aster gently ran his fingers through her soft, silvery hair, combing the messy locks. "I will," he promised, looking down at her. He continued to caress her head as she breathed into his tunic.

A few silent minutes later, a sudden realization that this whole time his penis was pressed against his mother's cheek made Aster's eyes widen and his heartbeat quicken, thus increasing pounding against her even more. 'Oh no...'

Aster pressed his legs together, trying to hide his throbbing and pulsating member between them, away from his mother. Unfortunately, no matter how he wiggled his legs, the very tip of him still pressed against her cheek as she lay there, breathing slowly and steadily, already asleep.

He could only hope his tunic was thick enough to keep her from feeling the constant, strong throbs against her skin.