by Simon Archer
I didn’t find myself in the bowels of a giant leech monster but falling from the sky. Below me, an ocean of stars just like before surrounding a small island. I rushed down towards the island, towards the willow there, careening into my own body resting peacefully against the tree.
I opened my eyes, once again resting on the sands. I got up and looked around. Endless ocean again. I searched the island for a weapon, something to fight the giant leech in the ocean. I circled the tree and found myself right back at the spot that I started.
Except Libritas was there. She stood looked as she had in my fever dream I had a few days before, humanoid with her glistening steel skin bleeding into spirals of gold at her hands and feet. I ran up to her, picking her up in my arms as I spun her around in giggling joy.
“I’m so glad to see another face!” I told her. “Do you know where we are?”
“This is your place, William,” Libritas said, her lips moving like mercury. “I am a visitor here. Only you know where we are.”
“Well, I don’t.” I looked around. “I’ve never been to an island stuck in the middle of nowhere before.”
“This isn’t an island,” she whispered into my ear.
“What do you mean?” I said.
By means of an answer, she pressed herself up against me, and the steel skin covering her became soft and smooth, relaxing me to my core. I embraced her, and we both fell backward. We rested upon the willow, Libritas’ head upon my neck as she lay on top of me. I rested my hand by the small of her back, and we both took a deep breath. I stared out into the moonless night, thinking that this was a perfect moment.
My peace was ripped from me as the giant leech rose from the water, splashing the island and us as it whipped around wildly. It peered its mouth down at us, and I tried to get Libritas off of me. Her eyes were still closed as if she hadn’t noticed the hissing monster at our shore.
“Wake up, we have to move!” I shook her a bit, trying to wake her. She remained perfectly content and unconscious as the leech lunged at us, swallowing both of us in one gulp.
Once again, I found myself falling from the sky, rushing towards the island with the emerald willow with my own body against it. And once again, I opened my eyes and got up to meet the starry waters. Except Libritas wasn’t there.
I didn’t have a lot of options. If I went into the water, the leech would eat me. If I waited here, the leech would eat me. And I don’t know what happened to Libritas. Was she dead? Too many problems and not a lot to work with except this willow tree.
I looked at the willow. Each of its drooping branches held a myriad of emerald lights, all dimming and brightening slowly and at different times. I tugged at one of the willow strands. The entire tree rustled as the lights bounced. I placed my hand against the trunk as I pulled a frustrated breath from my lungs.
What was I supposed to do? I couldn’t leave, I couldn’t stay, and I had no tools. So many people depended on me. So many are going to die if I didn’t do something. I had to find a way out. But how could I do that? How could I save everyone? My heart sank to the bottom of my stomach, anchored by the crushing weight of being alone.
“You are shouldering a great burden.” Libritas came to my side. I almost jumped at her voice as I turned to her, the reflective chrome of her skin meeting my hand as I ran it up her back. “You are not alone.”
“I feel alone,” I said, looking down. How was I going to help anyone if I couldn’t even get off this island?
“This is not an island,” she reaffirmed for me. “You are afraid--”
“Of course, I’m afraid!” I snapped at her. I immediately pulled back, trying to calm myself down. “If I don’t do something, everyone will be enslaved or die or worse! What if I fail? What if I don’t have what it takes? I was so sure of who I was, who I could count on, but now? I’m finding out my dad lied about what happened to my mom for god-knows-why, and now, I’m some sort of half-angel freak that can’t control his powers! What if someone I loved was near me when that happened? I could have killed them.” I fought back tears at the thought of Petra, Shikun, Amalthea, Reggie, or anyone else dying because I couldn’t control myself.
“Look at me.” Libritas pulled my head to match her gaze, her eyes a pure milky white. “You are not like Khaba. You do not kill without restraint or act out of selfish desire. These powers will not make you like him. You are my wielder. You are my champion. I chose you, and I will not be wielded by another.” She finished that last sentence adamantly as if she was determined to make it come true. “This decision was not made lightly. You will do great things, but not if you doubt yourself.”
“But how do I control these powers?” I asked her, grabbing her by the arms. “This… divinity form is so intense, so raw, I don’t know what it’s going to do to me. When will this power show up again? Will I be safe when that happens? Is it going to kill me? Will it kill someone else? Am I changing into some kind of monster?”
“You worry about the future as if it is set in stone.” Libritas pressed her lips to mine, the softness of her touch warming my frozen fears. “You are unlike any man that has ever wielded me. Your every action changes the world as you move through it. These angelic powers are merely another gift given to you so that you may use them to ripple through history as you have already done time and time again. This power is not your cage. It is your tool, one of many. You are a force of nature, William. Act like it.”
She was right. These powers didn’t control me. They weren’t who I was. I was more than anything the world could throw at me. I was William Tyler, wielder of the Brand of Freedom, next in a legacy of heroes that serve Etria, and I wasn’t about to let some stupid fear boss me around.
I looked back to the tree and instinctively pressed my hand against it. I focused on the desire to protect others, the desire to be the champion I was made to be. The bark pulsed a golden glow at my touch, and that glow flooded up the branches to the lights, changing them to a brilliant yellow light. A loud crackling boom split fissures into the island as sand and ocean water poured into them. The hanging lights of the willow burnt up to the trunk in gold and white fire. Soon, the branches were no more, followed shortly by the tree itself, consumed in an unearthly fire.
The starry waters consumed the sands below me as it sank beneath the surface. With a gentle push, I rose above on snowy wings that sprung from my back. Libritas clung to me as we both floated above the ocean, the island sinking out of existence.
The leech leviathan breached from the water once more, roaring and flailing as it splashed and thrashed against the surface. It struck out at me, but this time I was more than ready.
With an outstretched hand, I fired a beam of pure light at the leviathan’s mouth, burning through its throat. The salty beast screeched in pain as my sacred beam cut through the back of its neck and sliced through the water behind it. The great creature began to melt piece by piece, unable to escape the blast of energy I forced upon it. As the beam pierced the waters, they dissolved into a white light which spread to all corners of sight. When it reached the horizon, it bled into the sky and burned away the night sky until the entire scene changed from a moonless night to a beautiful cloudy sky. The ocean, the night, the island, the willow, and the leech were nothing but a faint memory.
19
The sun shone brightly through the clouds, illuminating them as sunbeams graced every roll with light. Libritas and I floated in this perfect sky as I looked deep into her eyes, that snowy gleam staring right back at me.
“I never doubted you.” Libritas pulled me into her kiss, her arms desperate to wrap around me as we embraced in the air. We filled the midday sky with our love as we drank deeply of each other. I had nothing to fear. This power was mine to command as I wanted it. Nothing was holding me back now.
The Black Runes would never see me coming.
Our kiss broke, but I wasn’t ready for my time with Libritas to end, not like this. She would always be at my side, yes, but I cou
ld feel in my gut that this was something special and that I needed to seize it before it slipped through my fingers.
Her silvery body pressed to mine, and I was able to feel every curve of her. She was defined, refined, and simply stunning, and though I knew she had chosen me, I felt unworthy of her at that moment. Yet here she was. Libritas knew my desires, and she remained willing to appease me.
“Yes,” she sighed with a glowing smile.
“I didn’t say anything,” I countered, but she could see through me, literally read my mind.
“You don’t have to, not to me,” she whispered into my ear and cupped my cheeks. “I know you, William Tyler, and I am one with you. To form this bond with you in the most intimate of ways would be an honor.”
A light blush crept up the back of my neck, and I couldn’t help the grin that pulled at my lips. “Then let us take advantage of this moment before it is too late.”
Libritas sighed again, though this time it was because I attached my lips to her neck, covering her in kisses that appeared as butterflies that fluttered away seconds later. Their wings were bright orange and black, regal and beautiful as they flitted about us with each caress of lips. The sky turned blue and ground formed beneath us, catching us in its grassy hold and surrounding us with wildflowers.
Warm sunlight shone down upon us as our lips connected once again. Libritas seemed to glisten in the light of the sun, and I was entranced by the way her skin shimmered like liquid as she arched into my touches. She felt cool, but not cold, but the longer she was against me, the warmer she became, much like how steel reacted to heat, and I was delighted to feel how heated she already was.
“I might make you melt,” I teased with a deep chuckle against her throat, and she giggled in kind.
“If it were by your hand, I would allow it.” Libritas’ hands dragged down my chest, and I shivered as the icy-hot sensations raced through my veins.
The ground fell from beneath us again, but this time I was in control. I knew no danger would come to us now. We fell gracefully, still clung together as we glided through a purple sky now. Clouds of gold broke our descent, and we landed on our feet. I was a bit shocked that we didn’t fall right through them, but I wasn’t going to question it. As a kid, I recalled wanting to walk on clouds.
Now I was.
With a saucy grin, I stepped back and spun Libritas on her toes, and she laughed as she danced across the fluff, all while I lead her. She moved like fluid, like how we would battle, only there was no fight here, just us. Our hearts, I realized, were beating in sync, always in time.
“You’re a wonderful partner,” I complimented as I twirled her back into me with a kiss.
“And you are a perfect leader,” she responded back as the clouds lifted us into the stars. “I meant it when I said that I would have no other.”
A hot flush raced to my cheeks as our foreheads touched. Libritas knew all of me but didn’t shy away. She accepted me, my destiny, and whatever lay in store without fear or hesitation. I partly felt as though I didn’t deserve such loyalty, but I was glad to have her at my side, nonetheless.
I didn’t have any words to express myself, but she already knew without me having to. Still, I wanted to show her somehow.
The clouds beneath us melted, and my newly acquired wings kept us aloft as colors and light shot across the sky around us. Small explosions, like fireworks, burst as my hands wandered her sleek body, cupping her breasts and thrumming over lightly pert nipples. Libritas gasped softly against my lips and arched into my palms as a silent plea for more attention. I would not deny her.
We stopped moving, I thought. My wings were no longer needed to keep us suspended in midair, but there was no solid ground beneath our feet. Somehow, though, I could move freely, as though gravity simply no longer existed. This was something else that I wasn’t going to question, not now.
I laid my branded woman on her back and dragged my hands over the expanse of her perfectly sculpted form. Everything about Libritas was molded to the finest and most pristine details, and I found that I could lose myself in her liquid silver-and-gold form for the rest of time. In this form, she was graced with the beauty of a goddess, one that I would worship for as long as I lived.
Lowering my head, I trailed a series of kisses along her stomach, delighting in the way she shivered under my lips. There was something amusing and yet utterly amazing about the thought of steel quivering at the kiss of another, and as I did, Libritas blushed.
“So lewd,” she commented, but I cut her off with a quick, purposeful taste of her wet folds.
“Are you complaining?” I smirked as I peered up from between her legs.
“Not at all,” she replied with a shuddering breath.
I dipped my head down again, only this time I kissed the inside of her thighs and nosed over her, relishing in the scent of her arousal. My tongue ventured between her lips again, more than sampling what she had to offer. I devoured her as though she were an angelic delicacy, swiping my tongue inside of her and then sucking on her clit, all the while drawing out fantastic moans that filled the surrounding void.
“William…” she breathed, and her thighs shook as she pressed herself firmly to my mouth. I took the chains that dangled from her ankles and held them tightly in my grasp, spreading her legs wider and diving my tongue into her. I so wished that it was my cock that was driving her mad, but that would come in time. At this moment, I was far too immersed in Libritas’ delicious noises, her eagerness to come put on display.
And she called me lewd.
Suddenly, her spine went rigid, and her back arched. A strangled, gorgeous moan tore through Libritas’ entire body as she came without any other warning, filling my mouth with her hot juices. Hungrily, I drank her down and ran my tongue along her soaked pussy to lap up any excess. Cheeks thoroughly flushed, I lifted my head and wiped my chin with the back of my hand with a smirk.
I wanted to tell her she tasted good or that she looked gorgeous with her legs spread and body shining with a glisten of sweat, but words didn’t seem right here. Instead, I pulled her upright to me again and held her close as she caught her breath. A few beats had passed before she steadied, and she kissed me, tasting herself on my cum stained lips.
She took the pout of my lip between her teeth and tugged, and her body temperature began to rise again, as evident by the icy-hot sensation that pulsed between us. Libritas wanted more. I could sense it in the way her legs hooked over my hips and her arms circled my neck, but more than that, I could feel her slick folds grind over my cock. Each roll of her hips just barely teased the tip of me inside of her.
I wouldn’t make her wait, not when she was asking, no, demanding so nicely. I gripped the curve of her ass and positioned her over my dick. Within seconds, she was sinking onto me until we were flush together.
Libritas was scorching hot and unbelievably tight, and I groaned loudly as I tried to move inside of her. Slowly, I pulled out, almost all of the way, and then pushed her back down. Again and again, we went slow until our bodies adjusted. Then I was unstoppable. I bounced her up and down on my cock with ease, filling her up with all of me with each deep thrust. Her exquisite breasts jiggled and danced as our bodies connected in mesmerizing circles.
Her golden hair fell into her eyes as our gazes locked, and it was all I could do not to cum right then and there. Libritas practically sparkled with the high of her previous orgasm lingering, coupled with the lust and love that coursed through her now. Her mouth hung open just slightly as she panted and moaned my name, and I seized the opportunity to crash our lips together for a more feverish kiss than we had shared before.
When it broke, I forced myself to slow down. I had a feeling that our time was running short here, and I was going to make the most of it. The field from before reappeared around us, and we were back in the grass and wildflowers.
I couldn’t pinpoint what the significance of this place was, but I knew in my gut that it was meant for peace a
nd purity. While there wasn’t necessarily anything pure about making love to my Brand, there was a sense of poetry and meaning in it as well. Perhaps it meant that Libritas was my safe ground, the person I could retreat to when everything seemed dark and bleak. Maybe that was a little on the nose, but that was what I was going to chalk it up to.
Before she could lay back, I shook my head and held onto the golden chain that dangled from her wrist and tugged. Thankfully, she caught my drift without me having to spell it out and turned around, putting her back to me. As she lowered her body, face cushioned by the lush greenery, I had a beautiful, wide view of her, pink, soaked, and eagerly awaiting what was to come next.
I took her other chained wrist into mine and held her arms securely behind her back as I lined myself up with her again. In one slow motion, I was groin to ass with Libritas, and while she moaned low in her throat, I took a long, steadying breath.
Then, I drew back and pounded into her with a hard snap of my hips. A sharp moan forced itself from her lips, but she didn’t complain about the new position. If anything, she encouraged it with how she wriggled her ass on the tip of my cock. Again, I slammed into her, and then again. It wasn’t long before our pace was hectic and sloppy.
The distinct sound of my balls smacking against her clit mixed with Libritas’ cries of pleasure made my core tighten. She allowed me to bind her, to take control of her and use her. It was a sign of unfiltered love, loyalty, and, most importantly, trust. Libritas trusted me with all of her heart to do what was right, to carve my own path and not fall to the darkness that the world outside of this dream-like vision was brewing. She believed that I would be the one to restore order, and she was going to be at my side through it all.
With those thoughts in mind, I pulled her upright by her chains until her back was flush to my chest, and I wrapped an arm around her waist. Her back arched, and she in kind circled her arm around my neck, stabilizing this position before we started another wave of intense fucking. Sweat dripped down my body and clung to my skin from the heat we were both giving off, and I knew that I wouldn’t take much longer.
