Taming the Beast World with a Frying Pan-Chapter 58: Sweating it Out

"It’s so hot," Ren moaned, thrashing on the black furs of the King’s bed. Her right leg was dead weight, paralyzed by the bite, so she dragged it awkwardly as she twisted her upper body. "Why is the sun in here? Turn off the sun."

Syris hovered over her, his hands hovering helplessly. He had faced rival clans. He had fought crocodiles. But a delirious, stripping woman? He was out of his depth.

"Ren, stop," Syris ordered, trying to pull the furs back up to cover her bare legs. He brushed his hand against her arm and recoiled. "She burns. Her skin is like a fever-stone."

"Noooo!" Ren argued, kicking the blankets off with her good leg. She hooked her thumbs into the waistband of her makeshift snake-skin skirt. "These clothes are choking me. They need to go!"

"No!" Syris grabbed her wrists, pinning them gently to the mattress. He looked over his shoulder, his eyes wide with panic. "Viper! Do not look!"

Viper was standing by the door, staring intently at a fascinating crack in the obsidian floor. "I see nothing, King. I am blind."

"Why is she like this?" Syris demanded, looking back at Ren’s flushed, glistening face. "Did the fish bite make her sick?"

Ren arched her back, letting out a whimper that sounded less like pain and more like... need.

[System Alert: Toxin ’Purple Haze’ Active.] [Status: Critical Overheating. Neurotoxin is binding to the hypothalamus.] [Suggested Cure: Rapid Detoxification via perspiration.] [Translation: Host needs to sweat. A lot. Intense cardiovascular activity recommended. (Wink, wink).]

Ren giggled, the sound bubbling up from her chest. She looked up at Syris, her eyes glassy and dilated.

"The weird voice..." Ren slurred, freeing one hand to poke Syris in the chest. "The weird voice in my head says I need to sweat. I need to get the poison out."

"Sweat?" Syris frowned. Snakes didn’t sweat, so he was confused.

Ren let out a frustrated, needy groan. She grabbed the lapels of his robe, pulling him down until their noses touched.

"It means moisture, Syris," she whispered, her voice husky and dripping with suggestion. "You need to make me wet."

Syris froze.

He clenched his jaw, fighting the urge to bury his face in her neck. He was hard—painfully so—but she was sick. He couldn’t take advantage of her.

"How?" Syris choked out, his voice strained. "How do we make the water come out?"

He looked at Viper for help.

Viper scratched his chin scales. "Heat, My King. To make water come from the skin, we must use fire."

"Fire," Syris repeated. "Yes. We must heat the room."

He looked around the pristine, cold Nest. There was no fire. The fireplace was cold.

"We do not know how to make the spark," Syris realized, frustration mounting. "Only she knows."

"Use the metal box," Viper suggested, pointing to the table where Syris had placed Ren’s lighter.

Syris grabbed the silver box. He held it up to the light. He turned it over. He shook it.

Nothing happened.

"It does nothing," Syris growled, flicking the lid uselessly. "How does she summon the flame?"

"Bite it," Viper suggested helpfully.

"I am not biting the fire-box, Viper!" Syris snapped, throwing the lighter back onto the table. "It is useless!"

Viper looked at the struggling female, then at the furs. "We must burn the bed, King. If the nest is on fire, she will definitely leak water."

Syris looked at the bed, then at Ren. "If we burn the bed, we burn the female, you idiot."

Ren let out a long, sultry laugh. She reached out again, her fingers tangling in Syris’ long black hair.

"Syris..." she whispered, her breath hot against his neck. "You don’t need fire."

She bit his earlobe. Gently.

Syris went rigid.

"Ren?" he choked out.

"I know how you can make me sweat," Ren purred, running her hands down his chest, slipping her fingers beneath the sheer fabric to touch his cool, hard skin. "Come here. Closer. I’ll tell you the secret."

Syris leaned in, mesmerized. "Tell me. How do we take out the poison?"

Ren pressed her lips against his ear.

"You climb on top of me," she whispered, her voice dripping with syrup. "And you claim me until the bed breaks. That usually gets things dripping."

Syris jerked back as if he’d been electrocuted.

His face was a mask of shock. His amethyst eyes were blown wide.

"King?" Viper asked from the corner. "What did she say? Do we burn the bed?"

Syris cleared his throat loudly. He stood up straight, adjusting his robes with trembling hands to hide his condition.

"No," Syris lied, his voice sounding strangled. "She said... we should absolutely not burn the bed."

"Then how do we make her wet?"

"I... I am thinking!"

Ren groaned, rolling onto her stomach and then back again, her movements fluid and agonizingly erotic. The poison was flooding her system with adrenaline and lust, turning every nerve ending into a live wire.

"You’re so pretty," Ren mumbled, reaching out for him again. "Come back. You feel nice. Like a giant, sexy popsicle."

She managed to snag the sash of his robe. She tugged. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Syris stumbled forward, bracing his hands on the mattress on either side of her head.

"Ren, the sickness is in your head," Syris said firmly. "You do not know what you are saying."

"I know exactly what I’m saying," Ren argued, pouting. "I’m saying you’re hot. Well, cold. But hot-cold. And I want to..."

Her hand slipped from his sash and slid lower. Boldly. Without hesitation. She palmed the front of his robe, her fingers seeking the "double hardware".

Syris let out a noise that was half-gasp, half-hiss. He scrambled backward, practically falling off the bed to escape her wandering hand.

"Viper!" Syris barked, his voice cracking. "Stand back! Further back!"

"I am in the corner, King! I cannot go further without entering the wall!"

Ren giggled, rolling onto her side to watch Syris retreat. Her vision was swimming. The room was spinning in lazy circles.

"Why are you running?" Ren teased, her finger tracing patterns on the sheet. "Don’t you want to cure me? I thought you were a helpful snake."

She blinked.

Her gaze drifted past Syris to the corner where Viper stood.

The poison warped her vision. The massive, intimidating Viper blurred. His dark scales shifted to white. His cold eyes turned warm amber. His shape bulked out, growing fur.

Ren gasped. A dopey, love-struck smile spread across her face.

"Kael?" she whispered.

She looked at Syris—beautiful, dark, and dangerous. Then she looked at the hallucination of Viper—warm, strong, and fuzzy.

"Oh wow," Ren breathed, her mind completely severing ties with reality.

She sat up on her elbows, the black silk halter slipping precariously low. She pointed a shaky finger at Syris.

"You," she declared.

Then she swung her finger to point at the terrified Viper.

"And you."

She flopped back onto the pillows, spreading her arms wide in a gesture of welcome.

"I know how I can sweat a lot," Ren announced to the ceiling, a wicked grin on her lips.

She looked at Syris with heavy-lidded, hungry eyes.

"Come here," Ren demanded. "Both of you. I want you and my tiger taking me at the same time."