Intermission: The testing continues

Lithiel’s eyes gleamed with mischievous excitement as Eirlys hesitantly placed her bare feet in the elf's lap, her delicate toes curling slightly in anticipation. “Oh, this is going to be fun!” Lithiel exclaimed, her voice brimming with glee.

With the lightest touch, Lithiel began to trace her fingertips along the soles of Eirlys’s feet. The motion was barely there, just a whisper of contact, but it was enough to make Eirlys squirm, her toes instinctively flexing. She bit her lip, determined to stifle the giggles already threatening to escape.

“You’re off to a good start,” Lithiel purred, her voice a low, teasing murmur as she switched to gently scratching the arches with her nails. The change in sensation sent a shiver through Eirlys’s body, her muscles tensing as a high-pitched whine slipped past her lips. She fought against the urge to laugh, her face flushed with the effort.

Lithiel, seeing the struggle, couldn’t resist pushing further. Bit by bit, she increased the intensity, alternating between feather-light strokes, gentle pinches, and teasing scratches. Eirlys was soon a writhing mess, her body twisting in a **** attempt to escape the maddening ticklishness, her breath coming in short, gasping bursts. She laid back pounding the bed on either side of her.

“L-Lithiel...p-please...” she gasped out between stifled giggles, her voice trembling. “I c-can’t...”

“Can’t what?” Lithiel teased, a wicked grin spreading across her face. “Can’t handle a little tickling?” Without warning, she dug her fingertips into the balls of Eirlys’s feet, wiggling them relentlessly.

That was the breaking point. Eirlys’s resolve shattered as she threw her head back, laughter erupting from her lips in uncontrollable waves. She kicked and squirmed, trying in vain to escape the merciless tickling, but Lithiel held her firmly in place, utterly delighted by the sight.

Lithiel continued her playful torment, her fingers dancing over every inch of Eirlys’s soles, savoring each precious giggle that escaped. The elf found the healer’s laughter utterly adorable, and she wasn’t about to let the moment slip away too soon. Eirlys’s face grew redder, her laughter turning breathless as she was reduced to a flushed, trembling mess, barely able to gasp for mercy.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of ticklish torment, Lithiel slowed her movements, allowing Eirlys a moment to catch her breath. “You’re so cute when you laugh, Eiry,” she cooed, her tone affectionate as she gently traced patterns along the arches of Eirlys’s feet.

Eirlys, still panting from the ordeal, looked up at Lithiel with wide, **** eyes. Lithiel couldn’t resist a final tease. “You know, if this were the Labyrinth, you’d already have lost.”

Blushing deeply, Eirlys hesitated for a moment, then, with a determined look, placed her feet back in Lithiel’s lap. “Try again,” she said softly, her voice tinged with both embarrassment and resolve.

Lithiel’s eyes sparkled with delight. “Your wish is my command,” she purred, her fingers hovering above Eirlys’s feet like a predator about to pounce. She brought her head down and whispered over the soft soles, “Kitchy, kitchy, koo...who has the most ticklish little tootsies?”

Eirlys bit her lip, already fighting back giggles as Lithiel’s warm breath tickled the sensitive skin of her feet. The elf’s fingers began their delicate dance, lightly dragging down the center of each foot in turn. “Such seeeeeensitive feet,” Lithiel teased, her voice wickedly sweet.

Slowly, she leaned in closer until the tip of her nose was brushing against Eirlys’s instep. “Coochy, coochy, coo,” she crooned, wiggling her nose against the tender arch. Eirlys squeaked, her toes curling tightly as she trembled with stifled laughter.

Lithiel kept up her playful ****, alternating between light brushes of her nose and delicate finger strokes, each touch maddeningly unpredictable. “You’re already turning pink, Eiry,” she giggled. “How long can you keep that adorable laugh locked up?”

Eirlys’s body shook with the effort of holding it all in. Her fists clenched, her eyes squeezed shut, but it was a losing battle.

"We m-must res-resist our temp-temp-tahahahations!" she managed to squeak out between helpless giggles, quoting one of the holy texts. "The ple-ehhehehe-sures of the flesh ar-ahahhaha-e vaniteeee-ehehehehehe!"

Lithiel grinned wickedly, leaning in close until her lips brushed against the arch of Eirlys’s foot. “The pleasures are all mine!”

The warm breath against her skin was too much. Eirlys’s resolve crumbled completely, and she exploded into hysterical laughter, thrashing and kicking as the sensation overwhelmed her. Lithiel’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction as she intensified her efforts, her fingers skittering over every inch of those incredibly ticklish feet.

As Eirlys’s laughter reached a fever pitch, Lithiel leaned in close, her voice a playful whisper. “I hear the Labyrinth is known to strip pretty young clerics of their clothes,” she teased, her tone dripping with mischief.

Eirlys’s face turned an even deeper shade of red. “S-Stop teasing!” she managed to gasp out between breathless giggles, but Lithiel only smiled wider, her fingers never ceasing their relentless torment.

“What’s the matter, Eiry? Too ticklish to talk?” Lithiel’s voice was full of wicked glee as she lightly raked her nails over the wrinkled soles, each word punctuated by a feather-light stroke that had Eirlys arching her back in helpless laughter.

Finally, when it seemed she couldn’t take any more, Eirlys managed to pull her feet free from Lithiel’s grasp, collapsing back on the bed in a fit of breathless giggles. Her cheeks were flushed, tears of laughter streaming down her face as she tried to catch her breath.

Lithiel sat back, a smirk playing on her lips. “You didn’t last long at all, did you?” she teased, clearly enjoying Eirlys’s embarrassment.

Eirlys could only shake her head, still too breathless to speak. Her body ached from laughing, and her feet tingled with the aftereffects of the tickling. She knew she couldn’t endure another round, not tonight.

Lithiel, sensing her exhaustion, offered a playful suggestion. “Perhaps we should schedule more sessions to help you build up your endurance? You’ll need it if you want to survive the Labyrinth.”

Eirlys blushed deeper, shaking her head firmly. “No...please, I think that’s enough for now,” she managed to whisper, her voice still shaky.

With a final, teasing wink, Lithiel rose gracefully to her feet. “Suit yourself, but remember, the Labyrinth won’t be as kind as I am.” With that, she turned and headed for the door, leaving Eirlys alone to recover from the ordeal, the sound of her lingering giggles still echoing in the quiet room. Vera's ritual was seeming much more attractive now.