Erotica Fantastica Read Online Free PDF Page A

life she had lived before, but celebrated instead the
eternal cycle of the life that had claimed her as one of its
own.
    Subterranea, that from which all living
things come, and that which reaches out to take them back and
reinvent them once again.

THE TRUE FOLLY OF ICARUS
     
    Icarus did not want to leave his father, but
he knew he must.
    "Go now, quickly son," his father said,
"make your escape from Crete, and do it before the sun reaches its
peak."
    Icarus pulled his mask into place, inhaled
deeply and moved his arms, measuring the weight of the wings that
his father had cleverly formed upon him from feathers and wax. The
wind was strong, and he could feel the air captured beneath the
multitude of feathers. "I am ready," he assured his father.
    "If anything goes wrong and you have to land
in Crete, speak to no one, and keep your mask on. People will fear
you and they will not stand in your way."
    His father embraced him and then urged him
on again.
    Icarus ran into the wind, moving his arms as
he did so. For a moment he thought it futile, then the air was
trapped beneath his wings and his feet lifted from the ground.
Gulping air, he moved his arms again, shocked at how powerful the
wings were in harnessing the wind, and how easily he could ride on
the breeze and direct his passage with a subtle change in the angle
of his arms.
    The experience was dazzling, and his spirit
roared as he soared high above the spot where his father stood. "It
is true, I can fly!"
    "Fly to your freedom, son," his father
shouted after him.
    With one last wave in farewell, Icarus
turned and headed off along the cliffs. Dipping and swooping, he
flew above the rugged coastline, following it until he knew it was
a good place to cross the sea to Sicily, where he would find safe
haven.
    As he made his way he marveled at how
different the landscape looked from high above, and it intrigued
him to see it so.
    Later in his journey, just as he was about
to head further out to sea and in the direction of Sicily, he
caught sight of movement amongst a cluster of trees that were heavy
with blossom. It was two young nymphs were cavorting together down
there, and beautiful they were too, one dark haired, one fairer.
Fascinated, he watched a moment, hovering low on the air currents,
as the darker haired woman untied her chiton at each shoulder and
let the thin woolen shift slide down over her torso.
    Dusky-skinned and lusciously feminine in her
figure, she captured his attention completely, making him forget
his task and his fragile state of being, so high above the ground
on makeshift wings. Then she moved closer to her companion and
kissed her, and Icarus grew hard with longing.
    He glanced back over his shoulder. He was a
long way from the place where his father had launched him into
freedom, perhaps far enough to be safe. His father had, however,
urged him to stop for nothing and to fly to Sicily—or for as long
as his wings lasted—but would it really hurt to land for a few
moments to observe the two women?
    His experience with the fair sex was far too
limited, and his curiosity immense. If his escape plan was ill
fated, he might be glad that he'd dallied a while to observe such a
delight, for he could think on it during the lonely nights. Perhaps
if he went down there into the woods, he could hide between the
trees and observe them, unseen. If he did that, however, would he
be able to stop himself doing more, perhaps even approaching them?
It was a risk.
    The dilemma raged on in his thoughts, but
when he caught sight of what the two women did to one another next,
his reason was lost. He drew his wings lower and began his descent
into the woodland.
     
    * * *
     
    The heat haze shimmered, but beneath the
shade of the trees it was pleasant. Melete, naked and eager, urged
Aglaia to undress too. Aglaia stood by the tree trunk and eyed
Melete's naked form. Melete's nipples knotted as desire coursed
through her. Aglaia's gaze on her always did that.
    Aglaia's