Leaving the confines of the cave, the group finds the aftermath of the storm. Limbs from trees lay scattered on the ground all around them and the weakest of the trees had been pushed over by the harsh winds.
Jack let out a whistle at the sight, "it was good fortune that the cave was marked on the map. I hesitate to imagine what would have happened to us if we has stayed out here."
"You mean, instead of aging rapidly one year in a few seconds," asked Lelu sharply.
"I'll take rapid onset of puberty over being dead any day," countered Vect, "Lets keep going, we've still got nearly 2 weeks of traveling to go."
And so the group left the path of destruction behind and resumed their travels. Their progress slowed down some due to Vect, Jack, and Lelu no longer fitting in their shoes because of their growth and none of them having any skills as a cobbler.
The journey was mostly the same as it was before their encounter in the hidden grove, they traveled, camped the night and then continued in the mourning taking opportunities to study their books and practice their skills. The journey was not without some changes however; clothing had to be altered to compensate for their growth, they now bathed in turns and in privacy, and had found that, try as they might, could not ignore their needs and snuck off to masturbate when the need arose. Sara had made a note that she was needing to 'relieve' herself much more often as their travels continued, nearly needing it 3 to 4 times a day, but would notice when one of the others would sneak off and come back radiating that afterglow. 'This is insufferable,' i can barely think with its constant throbbing and that damn pressure is so painful, and I really don't wanna know when my friends do their own relieving,' Sara thought annoyed and reached a conclusion.
"Guys I need to talk to you all," announced Sara that night as they settled in for dinner.
"Sure, what's the matter," asked Vect as he looked up from the stew he was fixing, still absently stirring.
Sara took a moment to compose herself, the nearby river they were following towards the BTC rushing by in the silence.
Breathing in deeply, Sara spoke, "Ever since we have aged from that fruit, I have been....sensing something."
Jack, suddenly getting a bit nervous, sat a little straighter, "like what?"
"Well, how do I put this? Ok real quick then. Every time we have snuck off to pleasure ourselves, I know and can feel the after effect radiating from you."
There was a very quiet moment, vect had dropped his spoon in the soup and all were staring at Sara in suprise.
After a few moments, Vect was the first to speak, "you too?"
"WAIT WHAT," exclaimed Sara in shock.
"Yeah, I was going to keep it quiet and suffer through it, but now Sara has laid it out I should confess as well."
"Oh thank the gods, I'm not alone," spoke up Jack in relief.
Sara turned to Lelu, "and you?"
Lelu was blushing as red as a ripe tomato, looking at her companions in complete and utter suprise and embarrassment, "no I never felt anything from any of you, but you mean every time i...I. oh my god," Lelu buried her head in her hands in a vain hope to hide her embarrassment.
"Why can't Lelu sense it? And more importantly, how can we NOT sense it," said Vect.
Looking up from her hands, Lelu spoke up, "I might be able to help with that, but I really wish someone had spoken up and saved us all this embarrassment. I did learn a spell that dulls special senses and abilities. We were taught it to help some students that had no control over telepathic powers, as psionics were common in the mages school. I can teach all of you if you want, please say yes."
"YES PLEASE TEACH ME MY SAVIOR," exclaimed Sara, "any more of this and I'll go crazy." 'Maybe my labido will calm the hell down after this,' Sara prayed.
The spell was fairly simple, but still required 4 days of practice to be able to cast it reliably. In the meantime, they had all sworn to hold off from pleasuring themselves. Those felt like the longest 4 days any of them had ever known, the constant urge and need was always creeping at the edge of conscious thought.
Sara had felt so relieved to see the outline of the camp in the distance as they left the forest for a wide open meadow. They walked towards the beginning of a new stage in their lives.