Next
Velder laid his hand on Leysen's arm as she reached across the table for more roast hurja. "Will you come to me again tonight?" he asked softly.
"We'll see about that." She smiled down at him as she pulled her arm away, depositing a slice of the meat onto her plate.
She chewed silently, pondering his words, trying to discern his intentions. Did he really want her again? After her clumsy efforts of the previous night? Or was he just being polite, hoping that she'd refuse, leaving him free to be with someone else? Someone more experienced in pleasuring a man?
Someone like Mai?
She kept observing Mai making her rounds with a pitcher of kifra. Mai was definitely trying to catch Velder's eye, as she had been doing the previous evening. As she had done almost every evening since they had first arrived at Panture.
She glanced over at Tillek, sitting next to Velder but deep in conversation with the warrior seated on his other side. Had he caught her exchange with Velder? Did he know that the two of them had spent the previous night together?
Did it matter? He'd spent enough nights with the females here, he certainly couldn't begrudge Velder the same. Nor her. If she wanted to spend a night with one of the warriors, that was her decision.
So what if she was a Prime and Velder was a Beta? It wasn't as if there were any male Primes around here for her to choose from, was it?
No, Tillek apparently hadn't noticed, for he continued his conversation.
Pretending to look down at her plate, she studied Velder from under her hair.
She was not too surprised to see him looking at her. But just what was he thinking of? Was he remembering how clumsy she had been last night? Was he wondering whether he should be polite and ask her to his bed again? Was he trying to figure out a way to avoid offending a Prime?
Realizing that her thoughts were going around in circles, she tore her gaze from Velder and looked around.
Chaddik was across the room, talking with another young warrior about his age. He glanced up briefly, saw her looking at him, and went back to his conversation.
Mai passed by the table and set down another platter of roast hurja. Maybe she should ask the older woman how to go about pleasing a man?
No, she couldn't do that. Mai had been more than just a friend, more like an older sister to Leysen, but she was still a Talisi. How could she understand what it was like to be an Arion?
Not for the first time, Leysen wished that she had known her mother better. If only her mother hadn't died so early, killed by that Velorian Planetary Protector, leaving her alone with her father.
Her father had tried to be both father and mother to her. But there were some things that he simply had been unable to do, that only a mother --- or at least another woman --- could do. Like take on one side of a mother-daughter talk...
Leysen wasn't the only person who was thinking about the previous night. Velder's thoughts kept returning to the best sex that he'd ever had. Had that been an isolated event, a one-time thing?
Had she really enjoyed it, as she had said? Or had she said that just to avoid hurting his feelings? She wasn't as easy to read as was Mai.
He had no illusions about his sexual prowess. He'd had no complaints from any of his previous partners. As an Arion --- albeit a Beta --- he could give a Talisi female like Mai all that she could want, and more.
But Leysen was a Prime. Gold chains or no gold chains, had he really pleasured her?
He looked across the table at the girl --- no, young woman, he corrected himself --- as she silently ate her meal. Could a male Beta really satisfy a female Prime --- gold or no gold?
She was already waiting when he returned to his room, dressed exactly as she had been the previous night. "Ley! You did come."
"I told you this morning, you still need to teach me more."
"And I told you this morning, there's nothing more for me to teach you."
She turned her back to him, then looked at him over her shoulder. "Does that mean you don't want me here tonight?"
He stepped forward, reaching his arms out for her. At the last instant, he pulled his arms back. Despite what had happened the previous night, he was still a Beta and she was still a Prime. "Ley, there really is nothing more I need to teach you. You were the best I've ever had."
She turned back to face him, reaching out for him and pulling him to her. "I still need more practice. I want to be perfect for you."
He responded by picking her up and carrying her to the bed, laying her down upon it. She wrapped an arm around his neck, holding him to her while her other hand fumbled a bit with his harness. He managed to pull away enough to remove it.
Then she pulled him back to her, craning her neck forward to meet his lips with hers. When she loosened her grip, he worked his way down her face, across her chin, skipped over the gold chains at her throat, and to her breasts. He kissed and licked a nipple, before taking it between his lips and pulling.
She moaned softly when he bit down gently, her arms tightening slightly around him. Thus encouraged, and knowing that he couldn't hurt her --- gold or no gold --- he bit down harder.
He was rewarded with another low moan. Then she was moving underneath him, separating her legs and positioning him between them.
Gharrez' reforms were taking place, aided by Tillek and Velder. The defensive palisades were repaired and strengthened. Mai was among the several females selected to learn the drum signals, in order to free the warriors from that duty. All of the females, including Leysen, were taught to recognize the most important of the signals.
In addition to the drum lessons Leysen continued to work in the smithy, producing steel blades as fast as she could. Chaddik and another young warrior helped, but the relationship between Leysen and Chaddik continued to be cool. Whether or not he knew that she was spending time with Velder, he showed no more interest in her outside of their work at the smithy.
As much as Leysen enjoyed the nights with Velder, she knew that the gold was robbing her of some pleasure. Gold did more than just inhibit her strength, it also dulled her senses, making her less aware of her surroundings.
She remembered the first time that she had met Velder. She had been so lost to the world that she hadn't even been aware that he wasn't the young midshipman whom she was supposed to meet.
Not only was she not getting all of the pleasure that she wanted, she knew that she couldn't fully pleasure a man --- any man --- while wearing gold. But without the gold, could she give Velder any pleasure? He wasn't a Prime, and while sturdier than the Talisi, his strength was nowhere near her level. If she didn't wear gold, she might seriously injure him with just a simple little hug. She could even accidentally kill him. And that was a risk that she simply wasn't willing to take.
But was there another way?
She was already waiting for him when he returned to his room. Quickly stripping off his harness he went to her. She remained standing by the bed, her back to him.
His hands went to her waist, stroking up them before cupping her firm breasts and squeezing them gently. Still standing behind her, he blew in her ear before kissing her cheek.
She leaned into his embrace, her arms coming back to hold him against her back. He worked his way lower, down the side of her throat, skipping over the gold chain there.
The gold chain?
One gold chain? Just one?
What was she doing with just one? Even with two of them, she was quite a bit stronger than he was. With just one...
She felt his body stiffen. "Ley..." He tried to push himself away her, but with just one gold chain, her embrace was much too strong for him to break. "Ley..."
"What's the matter, Velder?"
"Your gold. You... you're only wearing one chain."
Instead of turning around, she pulled him around to her front. "That's right." She smiled up at him. "I told you I was planning a surprise for you. Are you man enough to handle me? Or is the big warrior afraid of the little female?"
"But Ley..."
"Oh, so the big warrior is afraid of the little female." She pushed him down onto the bed, nuzzling his throat with her tongue. "Just let me know if I'm hurting you."
He tried to push her off of him. "Ley..."
She immediately released her embrace, sitting back on her heels. "That didn't hurt, did it?"
He started to stand up. "No, Ley, but..."
She pushed him aside and stood up. "You don't want me tonight."
He wrapped his arms around her as she dragged him half the way to the door. "I didn't say that, Ley."
She stopped and turned around, gently wrapping her arms around him and picking him up. Carrying him back to the bed, she set him down. "Do you want me to go get my other chain? I'd rather not. I'll be careful." She ran her fingers lightly --- very lightly --- across his chest.
"I... I..."
She took her fingers off of him. "You think I'm too rough with you?"
"No, Ley. But you've always worn two chains, and that brought your strength down almost to my level." She saw the quick flush of his cheeks as he admitted her far greater strength.
"Please, Velder. The gold inhibits more than my strength." She lowered her eyes. "I'm not saying its not wonderful, because it is. You are wonderful. But I know it can be better." She raised her eyes again. "Please, Velder."
"Ley... I..."
"Please, Velder. I know it can be better. For both of us. Please."
She was all but pleading with him. A Prime, pleading with a Beta. But then Leysen was no ordinary Prime --- he'd had ample evidence of that side of her personality.
Right now she was not acting like a Prime. She was acting like a girl. A young girl. A vulnerable girl. He'd had ample evidence of that side of her personality as well.
He reached up and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her down on top of him. She went down willingly, meeting his lips with hers. She then began working her way down, over the point of his chin, down his throat, and onto his broad muscular chest. She flicked her tongue across a hard nipple before lightly closing her teeth on it, pulling gently.
A sharp wince from him told her that she hadn't been as gentle as she thought that she had been. She immediately released him, turning her head to look up at his face. "Sorry."
"Take it easy on me, please."
"I'll try. But I need to make sure you get your exercise." Sliding over, she slid an arm under him and lay down on her back, rolling him over on top of her, guiding his face down to her breasts. He closed his around one, squeezing with all of his strength while his mouth worked on the nipple at the center.
It really did feel better. His caresses did feel lighter than before, but she could feel them better. Wrapping her arms around him, she pulled him to her, being careful not to hold him as tightly as she had before. "Oh, yes," she purred.
Velder found himself powerless in Leysen's powerful arms as she pulled him to her and offered him her breasts. Not that he was about to complain, he certainly didn't mind suckling at them. He'd also enjoyed feeding at them during their trek through the mountains, though he wasn't about to tell her that.
They were firmer than what he had gotten accustomed to lately, though not quite as firm as he seemed to remember from that trek. Still, they were the best set that he'd ever encountered.
Her entire body was the best that he'd ever encountered. The smooth silky skin encasing muscles that --- despite the gold around her throat --- were probably still harder than the best steel that she'd been able to forge.
Working one hand down her body, he stroked her thigh. She moaned under him and started to open her legs. He lifted his face from her breast. "Eager tonight, aren't you?" he whispered, stroking up the inside of her thigh until his fingers tangled in her bush, feeling the wetness of her arousal.
She released her embrace. "Please," she pleaded, putting her hands on his waist and lifting him into position between her legs. "Give it to me. Now."
With only one gold chain around her throat, she was tighter than before. But not too tight, he still managed to penetrate her. It took more effort to move within her, but that too was possible. Her arms returned, wrapping around him without hindering his motion.
The sky outside was just beginning to lighten with the dawn. The young woman snuggled up against the man, pillowing her head on his shoulder. Her fingers traced the deeply defined muscles on his broad muscular chest. He opened his eyes and looked up at her.
"So are you giving up on your airplane?" Leysen asked.
"I don't know," Velder replied, raising an arm and running his fingers through her silky black hair. "A glider just isn't going to work. I just don't have the lightweight materials I need to build it with. I can't generate enough lift."
"That's too bad," she said, running her fingertips lightly up his chest and along the side of his neck. "I know how much you wanted to fly again."
After lying in silence for a while, he looked up. "If I can get more speed, I can get more lift." He paused as he slid his hand lower, fingering the gold chains around her throat --- the chains that had made this night, and the ones before, possible --- before going even lower and caressing a breast. "But I'll need an engine for that."
"An engine? What are you going to do, build a steam engine?" she asked, lifting herself off of him and propping herself on an elbow. His hand remained on her breast, his fingers continuing to caress her. "I'm not going to build one for you."
"A steam engine. Stars, no. Too heavy." He thought about it, still stroking her breast, and then slapped his thigh with his other hand. "I'll use these. Pedals turning a propeller. It'll be just like a flying bicycle."
"A flying bicycle? This I have to see." She started to get up.
"Good." He smiled at her. "You realize you're going to have to make some more stuff for me. I can't make the mechanism out of wood."
She stopped, lowering herself back onto the bed. "And you realize you're going to have to pay for my labor, don't you?"
"Ley..."
"You can give me the down payment right now." She leaned over, trapping his hand between their bodies. Further negotiations were made impossible when their lips met.
She rolled them over, spreading her legs and positioning him on top. She guided him in, and he began what they both hoped would be the first of many payments.
Neither of them had any problems with the method of payment.
"I need more lift. I just can't generate enough power."
She smiled as she reached over and put a hand on his thigh. "Well, it's no wonder, with your puny legs."
"Hey!" He seemed offended, trying to slide his leg out from under her hand.
She patted his thigh. "Well, I suppose they are the second strongest pair of legs on this planet." She smiled at him.
He smiled back at her and patted the hand on his thigh. "Are you offering the strongest pair to be my engine?"
"Unless you think I'm too heavy. And if you're real nice to me, I just might let you fly with me."
"No. I mean, yes." He waved his hands in the air. "You're not too heavy, and I'll be real nice to you. Aren't I always nice to you?"
"Yes, you are." She slid her hand under his thigh. He gave a little yelp as she picked him up and pulled him closer to her. Any protest that he might have made was cut off as her lips met his.
He was gasping for breath when she finally let him down.
"You know," she whispered, you could make it lighter if you let me go up alone."
"But you don't know how to control an aircraft properly."
"You could teach me."
"I can't teach you how to fly an experimental aircraft. There's no way to be certain of how it responds until we take it up. We need an experienced pilot for that. So that means you're stuck taking up some extra weight."
"Well, in that case, let's cut down on the extra weight." Standing up, she quickly darted around the end of the table and snatched his plate away from him.
"Hey, I'm still eating!" He got up to his feet and came after her.
She hopped out of his reach. She let him chase her around the table a couple of times --- her Prime speed allowing her to easily keep out of his grasp --- before jumping clear over the table and setting the plate down in his place. "Okay, you can finish eating, but I don't want you getting fat."
"Hah!" He sat down, holding on to the plate with his left hand to keep her from snatching it away from him again, as if his Beta strength could stop her Prime strength. "I'm not likely to get very fat, not with the workout you put me through every night."
"Would you rather I didn't?" she asked, sitting down next to him to finish her own meal.
"I didn't say that." He kept his hand on the plate as he resumed eating, but she made no more attempts at his plate, busying herself with her own eating.
"What are you going to be doing today?" he asked as they finished their meals.
"Gharrez wants to see how I handle a sword."
"He's actually going to let you?" It had been hard enough to get the Talisi to accept a female making weapons, but actually using them?
"You've heard Bander talking, and so has Gharrez. He's arranged a match for me."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"It's not like I can get hurt," she said with a smile. "Besides, we're going to be using blunt blades."
"It's not you getting hurt I'm worried about."
"Thanks a lot." She made as if to throw a plate at him.
He held up his hands, knowing that a clay plate would hurt him a lot less than her bare fist would. "Gharrez wouldn't appreciate you taking too many of his warriors out of commission."
"We're using blunt blades, just like you and Tillek do when sparring."
"Even a blunt blade in your hands could do more damage than one of your steel blades in the hands of anybody else." Of all the people in Panture, Velder had the most first-hand experience of just what her hands were capable of doing, even though he'd never crossed swords with her. And, Stars forbid, he hoped he'd never have to, not in earnest.
"I'll just show them my defensive parries," she said as she finished clearing the table. "If I'm good enough, maybe I won't have to do this kind of work any more."
"A female's work? You're still a female."
"You should know by now." She flicked a small piece of fruit at him. It took all of his pilot's reactions and Beta reflexes to catch it before it struck his face and throw it back at her. He barely saw her arm move as she caught it and dropped it onto the top plate on her stack.
"Be careful. You don't want a Velorian to see you, do you?"
Leysen's hands stopped before they could pick up the stack of plates. Instead she crossed her arms in front of her, hugging herself to keep from shivering. She sank back down into her chair.
She quickly composed herself, though. "I'll be careful," she said, standing up and picking up the stack of plates to carry them back to the kitchen.
Obviously Gharrez wasn't the only person who wanted to see what Leysen could do. Of course Bander was there. So were most of the Council. Velder was somewhat surprised to see Tillek there with them. Chaddik was there, leaning on his cane as he stood on a raised platform so that he could see better.
Velder walked up to his fellow Arion. "Did you know Ley was going to do this?"
"Not until this morning," Tillek replied. "If I'd known, I'd have told the girl not to."
Velder wasn't about to tell him that Leysen was hardly a girl. "I hope she doesn't hurt anybody," he said instead.
"It would be even better if the girl didn't show off her Prime abilities at all."
"Too late for that. We'd both be dead several times if not for her."
"That's too true, old friend." He shook his head. "But she doesn't have to go around showing off."
"She's a Prime," Velder said, as if that answered everything. And in a way, it did.
Almost. "I hope a Velorian doesn't see her," Tillek said, echoing Velder's earlier thoughts.
"If there's a Velorian Planetary Protector in Panture, I'm sure we'd know about her by now," he replied. "We haven't seen any sign of her at all. Neither on our first stay here, or on this one."
"You can never tell about those sneaky bitches," Tillek said, almost as if to himself.
Their apprehensions were eased a little when Leysen began her demonstration. She was purely on the defensive, using her quickness to parry her opponent's every stroke. For the most part she refrained from using her strength, though there were times when her one-handed parry would completely stop the warrior's two-handed swing. At the end, she used her quickness to go around her opponent's guard and stopped with her blade resting against his neck, a killing blow if delivered in combat with real weapons. Especially if delivered with all the muscle of an Arion Prime behind it.
"One or two?"
Velder turned to see that Leysen had entered his room. The meaning of her question became apparent when he saw a gold necklace dangling from each hand.
A second chain would bring her strength down much more than the first, though she'd still be quite a bit stronger than he was. It would also make her a little more sluggish, without dampening her ardor. If anything, it would only make her more passionate, more uncontrolled. It was a good thing that her strength would be reduced enough to avoid the risk of serious injury to him.
However, he also knew that she didn't enjoy it as much with two chains, even though she'd have to be careful to hold herself back more. Either way, he certainly didn't have to worry about hurting her.
"Better make up your mind before I get to you." She had been walking slowly toward him, the gold chains still hanging from her hands.
"Uh, one," he stammered out.
"Okay, one it is." She stopped walking dropped one chain into a pocket. Reaching up to her throat, she fastened the other one around her neck. Putting the gold on wasn't the adventure that taking it off was. She then removed her garment and let it fall to the floor at her feet.
He followed suit, taking off his warrior's harness and the clothes under them. Then she was in front of him, one arm around his waist, pressing his chest against her firm breasts, and the other around his neck, pulling his face down to hers, his lips down to hers.
She broke off the kiss but not the embrace. Picking him up with the one arm around his waist, she carried him the few feet to his bed and laid him down.
"You were superb today," he told her.
"I'll try to be better tonight," she said, lying down on top of him. Further conversation was cut off as their lips met again.
He thought she indeed was better tonight than she had been during the day.
Standing at the foot of the steps, he looked up at the imposing façade. Dellin had heard about the temple, but he had never seen it, let alone been invited inside it. Until today.
Given his preferences, he would gladly have gone the rest of his life without seeing the interior. However, the choice was not his to make. A few days after his return from the ill-fated raid against Panture, he had received a summons to appear before the goddess. A summons that he could not refuse.
The two warriors flanking him took his arms and pushed him along. Having no choice, he climbed the steps toward the big metal doors at the top. At least they had unbound his wrists once they were inside the temple grounds. He rubbed his wrists behind his back. He might be able to overpower his two escorts, but there were four more down in the courtyard.
The doors were more than twice his height. He was wondering whether the two warriors could push open even one of the leaves when both of them swung open.
As his eyes adjusted to the interior gloom, he was surprised to see only one person inside.
A female with long golden hair, wearing a strange blue and red garment. The most beautiful female whom he had ever seen in his life.
No, not a female. A goddess. He didn't need to be told that he was in the presence of the woman worshipped in Simpore as their Golden Goddess.
A curt nod dismissed the other two warriors, who bowed deeply to her and left.
Without a word she walked past him to the door. A simple push of her graceful hands swung the doors shut, closing them with a CLANG that had all the sound of finality. Before he could begin to wonder how she had closed such obviously heavy doors, she turned and walked deeper into the interior of the temple, still without saying a single word. Under other circumstances, he would have enjoyed following that female form. But not under these. However, he followed along, knowing that he had no choice.
She led the way into what obviously was a sleeping room. A large and luxurious sleeping room, worthy of the war leader of a large village. Crossing to the center of the room, she sat down amidst the furs, crossing her long legs under her. Unsure of what to do, he remained standing.
"On your knees, male!"
Kneel? Him? A warrior? Kneel to a female?
"Kneel before your goddess, male!"
Her words reminded him that she was no ordinary female. Reluctantly, he lowered himself to his knees.
She languidly uncrossed her legs and stretched one toward him. He was mesmerized; he had never seen a female leg so long --- or so shapely. He barely heard her next words.
"Kiss my foot, male!"
Kiss her foot? A warrior did not do that to any female, goddess or not. He snapped his head up. "Never!" He started to stand up.
She disappeared from his sight and the room spun around him.
When the room stopped spinning, he found himself lying on his back, with her standing over him. When he tried to sit up, she raised one seemingly endless leg, placed a dainty foot on his chest, and pushed him back down. "Kiss my foot!" she commanded again, while removing her foot from his chest and lowering it over his face.
Grabbing her ankle with his right hand, he tried to push her foot away from him. It was like trying to push a tree away. He brought up his left hand and put it on her calf and tried to twist it to knock her off her other foot.
He might as well have tried wrestling with a tree for all the effect that he had.
"Kiss my foot!" she commanded yet again, bringing her foot lower until it was only an inch from his mouth. He turned his face away from her but her foot followed, the heel hooking his mouth and turning his head back. "Kiss my foot!" she repeated.
Realizing that he had no choice in the matter, he kissed her foot.
"Now the other one!" Her other foot appeared in front of his face. He kissed that one, not noticing that her first foot hadn't gone down to the floor.
Her foot disappeared from in front of his face.
When nothing else happened for several heartbeats, he raised his head from the floor and looked around. He saw the goddess sitting cross-legged on a large fur. He wasn't absolutely sure, but it certainly looked like santha. There was no way for him to know that she had killed the santha was just her bare hands.
"So, you went to Turea on a raid," she said calmly.
Of course he did. He was a Porean warrior. Where else was he to go on a raid, another Porean village? Of course, what would a female --- even a goddess --- know about that? But it was the kind of thing that a warrior didn't discuss with a female --- even a goddess. He maintained his silence.
When he didn't speak, she continued on. "You had enough warriors to overwhelm a small village like Panture. Yet you were defeated soundly. What happened?"
He didn't answer her.
"The Turean warriors too much for you Poreans to handle?" She snorted in derision. "Maybe you should be fighting against females instead of warriors."
He recoiled at her words. A brief flash of --- well, of something --- crossed his face before he could hide it.
"What was it?" she asked. "You fought against something other than warriors?"
"She... she..." he stammered out.
"You fought against a female?"
He cringed at the words.
"You were defeated by a female." It was a statement more than a question.
Questions seethed inside of her mind. Could the Arions have arrived? Unlike the Talisi, the Arions were known to use female warriors. Unlike the Velorians, they also used males.
But the Arions usually weren't so subtle. They'd normally land entire armies. They'd have ships in orbit. Warriors Prime wouldn't have blended in with the natives, even on humanoid worlds.
But if it wasn't the Arions, who else could it be? It certainly wasn't the Kintzi, who were even less subtle than the Arions. And if the Talisi had seen anything like a Kintzi, she would have heard about it by now.
When the Arions had first decided to bypass this planet, she'd been afraid that they were leaving it for the Kintzi. Those cats had a taste for human flesh, and she was quite sure that the Talisi tasted the same.
Were the Arions trying something different on the planet? On her planet? Could it have been an initial reconnaissance force?
When the warrior before her continued to maintain his silence, she stood up and walked toward him. "Answer me, male!"
Eventually she was able to force the story out of him.
Apparently the people in northern Porea had been more restless than she had thought. Chafing under her restrictions on warfare amongst themselves, they had been raiding Turea to their north. Not only were they raiding up in Turea but they had willfully ignored her directives not to cross the Blue River.
She could brook some disobedience when it came to war; the Talisi were a warlike race. They had been warring amongst themselves long before she came here, and they would be doing so long after she was gone.
In fact she favored a certain degree of aggression on the part of the Poreans. Expanding the borders of Porea would only serve to expand her own sphere of influence. Unfortunately, if this warrior --- Dellin, she recalled the name --- was to be believed, she wasn't the only one trying to expand a sphere of influence.
Apparently the Arion Empire had finally decided to absorb Talis. For what could his latest raiding party have run into except an Arion Warrior Prime? Except another Velorian, and she knew that she was the only Velorian on Talis.
If the Arions really were here, there was only one thing that she could do. She would have to find them and remove them. By force, since that was the only thing that they understood.
Before she had become the Golden Goddess, she had become a Protector. She was still a Protector, and would be until the day she died. She had a sacred duty to Protect this planet and its inhabitants, and she was going to do it.