Chapter 8

Grand Bath, Hall of Flames

Spike felt a curious mixture of awe and embarrassment when he entered the Grand Bath. The title was, of course, appropriated earned. It easily was the size of two swimming pools put together, except that it was made from carved stone instead of concrete. But despite being so large, the only people there were Onyx, Ember, and himself.

The floor of the bath was decorated with elaborately colored fresco tiles, depicting what Spike could only assume were flames. It made the floor surprisingly comfortable to walk on. He didn’t even want to imagine what kind of havoc untreated stone would have done to bare feet. Thankfully, it would make sitting down a lot less painful too.

It wasn’t the bath itself the caused him to blush. Rather, it was the décor surrounding it that did. He knew firsthand that the Wyvertii were a people who had a very relaxed attitude when it came to sex. But it still didn’t prepare him for what adorned the walls surrounding the bath.

Sure, there were plenty of depictions of heroes slaying creatures and scenes of epic battles…but there were far more depictions of Wyvertii engaged in dozens of exotic sexual positions. The pieces of erotic art were no mere painted frescoes; they were literally etched out of the stone itself. The carvings were so exquisitely detailed and lifelike; Spike had a difficult time trying to suppress the easily excitable portion of his male anatomy.

He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on the aroma wafting from the water instead. Before, when Winter Silk had bathed with him, she explained that instead of using soap, the Wyvertii were fond of pouring distilled flower oils directly into the water. The oils served many purposes: they made the skin smell fragrant, kept it soft and smooth, and helped it retain moisture.

Spike chuckled to himself. Rarity probably would have given her left arm for such an exotic and “back to nature” bathing experience. People paid big money back in Equestria for anything that was deemed to be organic or hand-crafted.

While the fashionista was certainly no stranger to enjoying her time at the spa without a stitch of clothing, she only did so in the presence of female company. She would have found the Wyvertii custom of co-ed bathing highly inappropriate on several levels. A lady was expected to keep a certain level of decorum, after all.

The other thing that struck Spike as odd was how the Wyvertii washed their hair. They used some kind of thick paste derived from a fruit they called Hagsbane. It was very common to the forest surrounding the valley, and it was apparently utilized as food at one point. That is, until they discovered how horrible it tasted.

However, despite its disgusting taste and ugly appearance, the Hagsbane did have one redeeming quality. The juices smelled like a cacophonous blend of honey, oranges, and cherry blossoms all combined together. It was unlike anything Spike had ever smelled before but it gave everyone who used it a very flowery, fruity scent. He decided that was a good thing, even if his masculine sensibilities cringed slightly at the idea of smelling like a woman when he used it. Flowery, fruity shampoo was better than none at all.

The water felt amazing. It was just hot enough to melt away all the tension in his muscles, but not so hot that he felt like a lobster boiling in a pot. And the best part about the bath being so big was the fact that it happened to be deep enough to sink your entire body into. Spike let out a sigh of content as he allowed the water to come the whole way up to his collar bone.

Ember mimicked Spike’s action except she chose to rest her arms against the edge of the bath. The tomboyish teen was usually guarded about her emotions, but she unabashedly enjoyed the hot water without a care in the world. Onyx too, seemed to be enjoying the water as well.

Winter Silk declined to join them, stating that she needed to run to the market and get some toiletries. Spike wasn’t entirely sure if that was a good or a bad thing. After their little romp in front of the fireplace, she hadn’t overtly tried to have sex with him in the bath, but that didn’t stop her from violating Spike’s personal space every chance she got.

Spike nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt a delicate set of fingers run through his hair. When he turned around to investigate, he found that Onyx was busy lathering shampoo into his scalp with a pleasant smile on her face. He allowed her to continue only because it felt so good, but still managed to send the attendant a questioning look.

“Am I not being gentle enough, Master Spike?”

Spike closed his eyes. “No, it feels wonderful. I just—why are you doing this?”

“It is customary for men and women to wash each other while bathing. The bath is…also a place for us to socialize with others. Do not worry; we do have rules of conduct. Intercourse within the bath is strictly prohibited because it fouls the water. There is a separate chamber in the back for couples who cannot resist the urge to copulate.”

Spike sighed. “That sure explains a lot. Do you mind if I ask you an odd question?”

“Go ahead and ask.”

“You guys seem pretty liberal when it comes to sex. But why haven’t I seen many pregnant women? For that matter, I noticed that the village doesn’t seem to be overpopulated. Am I missing something?”

Onyx slowly poured water over Spike’s head. “It is true that most of us enjoy making love. However, bearing children is seen as a sacred duty. It is not something the Wyvertii take lightly. Couples will only conceive a child when they are truly ready to accept the responsibility of introducing a new life into the world. Otherwise, we simply apply herbal contraceptives to avoid pregnancy.”

Spike considered her answer for a moment. In a way, it was comforting to know that the Wyvertii weren’t a bunch of irresponsible nymphomaniacs but he still wondered at what exact age they started to learn about the “birds and the bees”.

Sex-ed classes in Equestria didn’t even start until middle school. By that point, most kids were already in their early teens. He could only assume that Wyvertii children were exposed to it at a far earlier age. Was that necessarily a bad thing? He honestly couldn’t say.

Considering their blasé attitude when it came to genitals, Spike had to consider that perhaps it may not have been so farfetched that children were allowed to ask questions about their bodies and explore how they worked at an earlier age. After all, it was a difficult topic to ignore when you never wore clothing.

It wasn’t really fair of him to judge the Wyvertii on such a practice. He had grown up in one of the most conservative cultures in the entire world. His preconceived notions didn’t really apply here. It was obvious to Spike that they made a clear distinction between nudity and sex. If they didn’t, Wyvertii society would have descended into chaos ages ago.

Onyx ran the cloth over his back. “There’s something about the baths that makes you want to ponder things. I often find my mind wandering while I bathe too. Do you care to share your thoughts with me?”

“I was thinking about how different things are in Equestria.”

Onyx proceeded to wash his legs. “Indeed. Our ways may seem strange to you, but just give yourself a chance to simply experience them. Perhaps, in time, you may come to appreciate them as I do.”

“I didn’t mean to imply that they were bad! I guess it’s just taking me more time than I thought to adjust to everything. Anyway, when are we going to start tra—nggghh!”

Spike foolishly assumed that Onyx would at least tell him when she was going to start washing his penis. No such luck. It was obvious there was no sexual intent behind her ministrations, but that didn’t make it feel any less wonderful.

She was incredibly gentle and thorough with every motion, making sure to rub the cloth against every nook and cranny. Fortunately, she finished before Spike’s semi-tumescent cock could reach full mast, which would have made the situation far more embarrassing. Onyx noticed her faux-pas and blushed heavily when she retracted the cloth.

“I’m so sorry, Master Spike! I forgot to ask if you were comfortable with someone else washing your genitals. The thought never even occurred to me, I—”

“It’s alright. You weren’t rough or anything.”

Onyx looked like she was on the verge of tears. “That’s no excuse! I’m such a thoughtless attendant! If you’re still aroused, I-I could help…relieve you if you wish.”

“Look, umm…that won’t be necessary. Hahaha! What do ya know, I’m flaccid already! Just…calm down, ok? You didn’t do anything wrong. I should have been more aware of what you were doing.”

Onyx grabbed his shoulders. “Are you certain? Winter Silk is far better at pleasuring men than I am, but my stamina is nearly unmatched! All you would need to do is lay down and I could ride atop so—”

The offer was tempting, but Spike didn’t want to take advantage of poor Onyx like that. She was only trying to do her job and forgot that he wasn’t accustomed to Wyvertii bathing practices. He had to admit that she was fairly attractive, but he remained intimidated by the idea of such a powerfully built woman fucking him silly. The young man wisely chose not to voice that particular concern.

There was also the fact that she was going to be the one training him in both healing magic and martial arts eventually. The last thing he needed was for things to get super weird between them because of some spur of the moment decision to have a quick romp in the back room of the Grand Bath. He hesitantly wrapped his arm around her in one of the most awkward hugs he’d ever given in his entire life.

“We don’t need to do that. Are you feeling any better now?”

Onyx hugged him back hard enough to make his ribs creak. “OH THANK YOU, MASTER SPIKE!! YOU TRULY ARE A KIND AND FORGIVING PERSON!”

“Yeah—no—problem. Can’t—breath—could—you maybe let go of me?”

Onyx grinned sheepishly. “Ah, apologies again. I forget my own strength sometimes.”

“*Cough* I guess that means you’re the perfect person to help train me. So long as Ember is ok with it.”

“I suspect she will be. The two of us train together on a regular basis. In any case, she won’t be able to train for at least another day or so. It would be my pleasure to get you started with the basics.”

Spike furrowed his brow. “How’s come she can’t train with us?”

“It has to do with the nature of healing magic. You see, it not only requires energy from the caster but it takes some from the recipient as well. That is why she needs to rest, so she can replenish her strength.”

“You said it takes away energy from the recipient? Isn’t that dangerous?”

Onyx nodded solemnly. “If used improperly, healing magic can be deadly. That is why we tend to use traditional medicine a vast majority of the time. And even when used correctly, it can lead to dependence and even addiction.”

“Jeez…that’s some heavy stuff. Do you think I’ll be up to learning it? I don’t want to hurt or kill anyone.”

“Healing magic works on anything that contains living tissue. We shall start practicing on plants first, and then move onto more complex organisms. But I must emphasize one thing: it cannot heal what is already dead.”

Spike shifted uncomfortably. “I wasn’t planning on becoming a necromancer. I had my fill of dark magic when I dealt with King Sombra.”

“Dark magic and necromancy aren’t the same thing. Although both are utilized for nefarious purposes in most cases. I can understand why you placed them in the same category.”

“I don’t really follow…”

Onyx slid deeper into the water. “Dark magic is inherently destructive. It feeds off of the emotions and will of its caster. Necromancy, on the other hand, also feeds off of the caster’s will…but it seeks to create life where there is none.”

“That means Sombra couldn’t possibly have been a necromancer. The two types of magic would have been at odds with one another! But…how do you know so much about all of this? Back where I came from, most magic users barely know anything about them.”

Onyx smiled. “You certainly are a clever one, Master Spike. The Wyvertii only know so much about those two vile forms of magic because of a corrupt Dragon Lord who ruled many eons ago.”

“I feel like I’m missing a lot of backstory. Is this some kind of legend or something?”

“I assure you the story behind Lord Anthracite is all too real. I can recount it for you, if you like.”

Spike got a bit more comfortable. “Well, I guess I might as well learn some history while I’m at it. Go ahead.”

“Anthracite was once a powerful healer who served as his lord’s personal attendant. After a time, he grew jealous of everything his lord possessed and craved all the power and prestige for himself. For many years, he explored new ways to utilize his magic and honed his body so that he could assume power.

“The healer discovered how to cast necrotic magic and used it to kill his former lord and promptly took the throne not long after. He ruled for decades with an iron fist. That is, until the Wyvertii grew tired of his despotic rule and decided to overthrow him.

“One day, a brave and humble blacksmith decided to climb to the highest peak of Delmira’s Teeth to beseech the goddess herself for a solution to destroy the wicked lord. His prayer was answered when a divine drop of Delmira’s blood crashed into the ground before him.

“The blacksmith incorporated the crystalized drop of blood into a sword he forged from enchanted dragon glass. Upon completing his holy blade, the blacksmith confronted Lord Anthracite and challenged him to a duel.

“A fierce battle raged between the two atop a fiery volcano, but the blacksmith eventually emerged victorious after plunging his blade into Lord Anthracite’s wicked heart. Hence forth, the sword was known as The Bloodstone Blade and served as the Dragon Lord’s symbol of office. It also marked the beginning of what we call The Gauntlet of Fire.”

Spike waved his hands. “Hold on, so The Gauntlet of Fire is actually a symbolic representation of the battle the two of them had?”

“In a sense, yes. But it also serves as a method to produce a worthy successor to the throne. Now do you understand why it is so important to us?”

Spike felt a knot form in his stomach. “No…I had no idea. How exactly do I prove myself worthy in the Gauntlet?”

“Think of it as a test of survival through the wilderness of the valley. But also remember that you will be facing others, and they will challenge you to duels to prove who is stronger.”

“Princ—err—my mom seems to think you guys fight to the death during the Gauntlet. Is that true?”

Onyx vehemently shook her head. “Of course not! Nearly an entire generation of young men died after the first competition due to that very reason. Challengers are now eliminated in three ways: incapacitation through injury, loss of consciousness, or voluntary surrender.”

Spike felt some of his trepidation fade away with the news that he wouldn’t need to kill anyone, but it didn’t mean that the Gauntlet was going to be any easier. Exactly how much training was he going to need? Surviving in the forest with modern equipment had been difficult enough. But now he was going to have to do it buck naked with a bunch of other guys trying to beat the stuffing out of him. Spike slid further into the water and blew some bubbles to vent some of his anxiety. He could already feel his muscles begin to ache.

As he continued to blow bubbles, an errant thought crept into his mind. Winter Silk had insisted that he drink at least a few cups of water in order to replenish all fluids he had lost throughout the day’s activities. He just nodded and didn’t utter a word. She would have teased him relentlessly if he had so much as mentioned the primary cause of his dehydration.

He might have gone a little overboard with the drinking though. Now it was coming back to haunt him. Out in the woods, it had been simple: find a bush and do your business. Considering that the Wyvertii used heated water, it wasn’t far-fetched to assume that they had plumbing of some kind…right?

Spike nearly face palmed. Not once had he actually bothered to ask if they had toilets. Was it rude to ask? Even if it was, he didn’t think he could keep his poor bladder from bursting for much longer. While it was very tempting to just pee in the bath, he didn’t want to do something so utterly disgusting (not to mention mortifying) around his gracious hosts.

“Hey…umm are there any bathrooms in here?”

Ember gave him a confused look. “What are you talking about? We are in a bath room.”

“I mean a place where you have toilets. I have to…pee.”

“That’s gross! Why would Equestrians bathe in the same place they relieve themselves?”

Spike anxiously tapped his foot. “Ugh! It’s just a general term. And we do clean everything, you know. Even if we do have toilets in the same room as the bathtub…”

“Still, that’s just unsanitary. We Wyvertii would never do such a thing! If you must know, there are some toilets in here. I have to relieve myself as well, so you can just follow me.”

Spike practically jumped out of the water. “Hurry up! I don’t think I can hold it much longer!”

Ember led him to an unassuming side room that was only a few steps from the bath itself. Spike was expecting it to have carvings or just some kind of decoration, but it was completely utilitarian. He was right about the Wyvertii having knowledge of running water; however their toilets weren’t exactly as modern as the Equestrian ones he was used to.

Instead of flush toilets, the Wyvertii utilized clay-fired, rectangular blocks with holes bored in the top. The whole setup reminded him of an old fashioned outhouse, except for the fact that there happened to be a constant flow of water underneath it instead of raw dirt. On the opposite side of the room, a series of curved troughs were carved into the floor, indicating that they were probably some type of primitive urinal.

He immediately recognized the sink when he saw it, but there was one other thing in the room that he’d never seen before. It looked an awful lot like a water pump, but with the nozzle turned upside-down in an angled U shape. Judging by the wisps of steam coming off of it, he had to assume it was hot water.

But what he didn’t understand was why there was a constant stream of water shooting out of it. Or why it was centered so low to the ground. He decided that learning about a mysterious water pump could wait. Emptying his bladder was a far more immediate concern to the young man.

Without further delay, Spike stood in front of the curved trough and let nature take its course. He was perfectly content to mind his own business…until he noticed Ember walk over to the trough next to his and squat over it. In hindsight, Spike should have known that this was going to happen. It was just an entirely different matter to experience it firsthand.

A heavy blush formed on his cheeks as he watched Ember unabashedly relieve herself right next to him. Well…watched wasn’t really the right word. More like noticed out of the corner of his eye. It wasn’t as if he had THAT kind of fetish. The young man tried his best to be nonchalant about her presence, but it proved to be an impossible task. The sound of her peeing was simply too loud to ignore.

Just how much did she have to drink? I had to go really bad and even I don’t sound that loud! Does that mean she has a really tight…NO—DON’T THINK ABOUT THAT RIGHT NOW!! Ugh…I suppose it makes sense that a society of nudists wouldn’t care too much about bathroom privacy. But she could have at least moved down a trough or two!

Spike awkwardly shook his penis, practically shaking the dregs of urine out as quickly as he could. With a sigh of relief, he padded over to the sink and washed his hands, happy to finally have such an awkward interaction over with. Ember joined him a few moments later and washed her hands as well.

After she was done doing that, it became apparent what the strange water pump was for. She stood in front of it and let the warm stream of water wash over her crotch for a few seconds. It was essentially a universal bidet. As unsavory as the thought was, he was glad that the Wyvertii were so conscious about their personal hygiene.

Ember looked at him expectantly. “Aren’t you going to clean up too?”

“Hehehehe—yeah…just gimme a second.”

Spike stood in front of the bidet and was surprised at how hot the water felt. It wasn’t pleasantly warm, but it didn’t scald him either. He was glad that the pump didn’t exert a whole lot of water pressure or things could have gotten awkward very quickly. Once his privates were thoroughly cleaned, he gently grasped Ember’s shoulder to stop her for a moment.

“Sorry about the hold up. Toilets are usually separated by gender where I come from. So, it’s really weird for me to umm…pee out in the open r-right next to a girl. I’m just not used to this sort of setup.”

Ember rubbed her neck. “Oh, I forgot about that. I’m sorry if I made things…awkward. It wasn’t intentional.”

“That’s ok. I know you weren’t doing it on purpose. So—uhh—the big rectangle with holes in it over there, do you poop in those? It just seems kind of…cramped. Doesn’t that bother you? And what do you use to clean up afterwards?”

Ember rolled her eyes. “Yes, we defecate in those. No, it doesn’t particularly bother me. The toilets usually aren’t so crowded that you need to sit really close to someone. And we use softened moss to cleanse our bottoms. It’s in a vase off to the side.”

Despite Ember’s snarky explanation, Spike was grateful that he now knew about how the bathrooms worked around Brimstone. It would serve to avoid any further awkward encounters when he needed to do his business…for the most part, anyway.

He would have liked to have more privacy, but it was foolish to expect the Wyvertii to change their ways on account of his own personal preferences. Like everything else in this crazy place, he’d just have to get used to the absolute lack of body shame.

On a more positive note, the bathroom was well maintained and didn’t smell like raw sewage. That probably had a lot to do with the sticks of burning incense that were placed in slots along the walls. He idly wondered if the attendants considered cleaning the bathroom to be an unfavorable job assignment. At some point, he’d have to ask Onyx about it.

The teenagers made their way back to the Grand Bath, until Ember nearly crumpled to the floor right before the entrance arch. Without a moment’s hesitation, Spike went over to help her up and found that her skin was incredibly clammy for someone who just took a hot bath. Her eyes even had slightly dark circles underneath them. It looked as if she was suffering a nasty bout of exhaustion.

“Hey, are you alright?

Ember rose on shaking knees. “Onyx’s…healing…must have taken more energy from me than I thought. I’ll…come with you guys to the training yard but…I guess I’ll have to lie down in the grass.”

“Ember, I know it’s embarrassing but do you want me to carry you again? I’m worried about you and I just don’t want to see you to get hurt again.”

Ember clenched her teeth. “Damn it! Now I really am some helpless princess!”

“Seriously, I don’t mind carrying you. If you want I can—”

“NO! I mean…just let me lean against your shoulder. I need to build up my stamina anyway. If I rely on you to carry me around all over the place, I’ll never get better.”

“Ok. But just remember that you don’t have to bear all of your burdens alone. Let me share some of them from time to time. I may not be the strongest guy here, but you can trust me to do that at least.”

Ember blushed. “Fine, you’ve made your point! Now shut up and help me walk out of here.”