Liam closed his eyes, pausing in his thrusting, riding out the delightful, fluttering contractions that moved along his cock, squeezing the tip, working the shaft. It was intense and nearly indescribable and he was fairly sure that stabbing the basilisk had been easier than not letting his balls clench and spurt cum into her right then and there.
“I, ah, think,” Tethis gasped, her eyes half closed' “'S a kind of, mm, control. Crystal. Magic. Uh. Not god magic.” She shook her head. “Lizardmen don't have gods.”
“They'd have liked Dawkins,” Liam said, starting to slowly pick up the pace again. Now, his fucking could hardly be described as slow. Lazy would have been better. Casual. To an outside observer, one might even have thought that Liam was a stud who barely cared that he was screwing a girl. But in truth, Liam was fairly sure that if he went one iota faster, he'd cum and cum hard. As it was, it was a near thing.
Tethis giggled. “Y-You can go faster, you know,” she murmured.
“If I do, I-”
“You can cum in me.”
The words were spoken with a matter-of-factness that seemed at utter odds to her earlier shyness. They were as good as an order.
Liam picked up the pace, taking advantage of that feeling of eagerness that mounted as a man got closer and closer to an orgasm. Thought faded. Emotion faded. The world faded, and everything focused on the pleasure as his cock slammed into Tethis roughly, his hips bumping against her as her moans became nothing more than the background music to the gathering storm. Liam managed one more stroke before instincts drove him deep as he could go, so deep that his balls rested against her ass, that her thighs were mashed against his chest, that she was bent almost in half against the wall.
And then he came.
And came.
And came. Thick streams of cum spurted into the gobliness, filling her to the brim, then beyond – it splashed from her sex, dripping down his balls, and pattering to the floor. The wood gleamed with darkened circles, spreading outwards as Tethis gasped and panted and laughed quietly. It was the eager, happy laugh of someone who had gotten something they had wanted and found it better than their dreams might have projected.
“That was, ah, satisfactory,” she said, quietly, her voice wry and playful.
Liam leaned forward and bit her neck gently, eliciting a squeak.
“So,” Megara said, from the doorway. “How's the research going?”
Tethis lifted one arm and gave her a thumbs up.
***
The ship cleared the Faiyum river after another two days of travel, emerging from the shadows of the jungle to the broad expanse of the Platonic Sea. Named by the Hellenes after one of their ancient philosophers, it was a meeting point of cultures and peoples as a central trade nexus between the Tuatha, the Aesir, the Coptics and the Hellenes themselves. Trade ships plied the waves with oars and sails, carrying trade goods that could make a fortune in distant lands and bring them home to their eager owners.
On Earth, such trade was once thought to be the best insurance against warfare.
However, as Earth learned and Purgatory knew, such wealth meant it was, more often than not, stained red with blood. But unlike on Earth, such blood was rarely shed without warning. The reason why was clear after a mere fifteen seconds to Liam – though it would have been instantly, had he not spent time frozen in ball-shriveling panic, looking at an immense wall of water that was rushing towards the ship, every part of his brain screamed one thing: Tsunami!
Memories of walls of water smashing through cities, of tens of thousands of people killed or drowned in a few terrifying moments, the footage captured by hundreds of cheap cellphone cameras, all of it rushed through him as part of his brain was already doing some simple calculations, figuring how to save as many people as possible with Megara's strength.
Then he realized the wall of water was standing perfectly still.
Then he realized, above the wall, was a coastline that he could look at head on.
Then he remembered: Purgatory was a sphere.
It was easy to forget in the thick jungles surrounding the city he had spent the last few weeks – but the horizon here bent upwards, not down. With the panic relaxing away, he shook his head ruefully, then looked at Vulkis, who had paused nearby to look at him. Vulkis was looking both respectful and, if Liam read the bearded Aesir properly, downright jealous.
“Yes?” Liam asked.
“Oh,” Vulkis said, “Just wondering why Freya put her blessing on you, lad.”
Liam blinked. “Freya, she's the-”
Vulkis cut him off with a laugh, stepping over to the railing of the ship, looking outwards at the Platonic Sea. “Right, right, you worship that strange pain-cult. One of Freya's many domains is that of the love between men and women.” He grinned, his teeth flashing beneath his beard. “And you are blessed by that, no doubt about it. I saw that little scribe of yours earlier; she walked as if she had been riding a horse, not a man.”
“Hey!” Liam waggled his finger at Vulkis. “She's half my size.”
Vulkis snorted.
“And I'm hung,” Liam added.
Vulkis laughed, then slapped the railing. “Still! I'm not going to begrudge your good fortune. Sides, while we were getting the ship ready for sailing, there were these Coptic twins.” He kissed his palm. “You could bounce a coin off their rumps.”
“Ahem.”
The two of them turned to look at Thu'Chan. The tall, eagle-headed second officer was grumpy as when they had sailed into the port. Liam wasn't quite sure what to make of Thu'Chan. He knew that some people who pledged themselves to a god sometimes became more like them. For instance, the priestess of Bastet he had bedded who had looked like a walking, talking, humanoid house-cat.
Delightfully humanoid, he thought, picturing her breasts in his mind.
Thu'Chan, though, always seemed to be faintly dismissive of Liam despite everything, and Liam couldn't quite figure out why.
“There are no signs of any pirates on the way to Olimurias,” he said. “But that doesn't mean we can rest easily. If any of them have priests of Set or Loki or Athena-”
“Then we have Liam here!” Vulkis said cheerily, his hand slapping Liam's back. “And his magical blade. What did you call it? A plus one?” He laughed.
Liam grinned. “That was just a joke. It's not actually magic.”
“It's close enough,” Vulkis said, shaking his head. “What matters is it works and we're making good time. Don't worry, Thu.”
“Oh, no, I'm not worried,” Thu said. “Why would I be worried just because we got mysteriously attacked within a half a day's distance of a populated Coptic city by lizardmen barbarians. Lizardmen barbarians who controlled a basilisk with magic that shows the sign of no gods. Why would I worry!?” He spread his hands wide. “Everything is milk and honey as far as I can tell!”
Liam rubbed his chin. “If I didn't know you better, Thu'Chan, I'd say you were being sarcastic.”
Thu glared daggers at him, then turned and stalked off.
Liam bit his lip. “Did...” He turned to face Vulkis. “Did I say something wrong?”
“Oh, Thu, Thu, uh, Thu...” Vulkis tapped his chin. He looked as if he was trying to find a way to say something. Liam gave him that time, his arms crossed across his chest. As he waited, Liv walked forward – her face intent, showing no sign of the playful sluttiness that she used to torment him so. For that, Liam was grateful. He wondereed what she needed him for but before he could ask, Vulkis threw up his hands.
“Ah, by Hel's tits,” he said. “Thu lays men and we know how you Christians dealt with men who laid men.”
“I-” Liam opened his mouth, then closed it. “I don't actually know if your historians are accurate or if that is propaganda. But Christianity's relationship with queer, uh, that is, with people who don't... that...” he trailed off. “See, in my world, there has been a great deal of, uh, philosophical writing about-”
Vulkis looked annoyed.
“You
don't need fancy words for something this simple!” he said, gruffly.
“Except it's not just simple,” Liam said, holding up his hands. “There are people who love the same gender. But there are also people who switch between – or who love people and think of their gender and sex afterwards. Then there are hormones and transgendered people and- it's complicated. But, fine, I can see you are reaching for your ax, Vulkis, very funny.” He smirked.
Vulkis laughed, taking his hand off his throwing ax.
“Fine. Simple. I am fine with people who love the same sex,” Liam said. “And if I'm very, very drunk, Thu'Chan might convince me to at least try making out with him.”
Vulkis slapped Liam's back again, then hurried off to bawl orders at some of the crew who had been slacking off. Liam turned to face Liv, who was still looking serious.
“Sir,” she said. “I wanted to apologize.”
Liam blinked. Sir? Not master? That was a subtle, but vital, difference. Sir sounded…
Respectful but not subservient.
Liv rubbed her shoulder with one hand, then stepped over to the railing. She looked out at the ocean, but she didn't seem to actually be searching for anything in particular. Her eyes unfocused and she continued speaking.
“I want to apologize for- I was-” She shook her head. “My pride. I was thinking of my pride first, and not the needs and realities of a warrior. Do you know what pride gets warriors? Killed.” She looked at him. “My pride said that you didn't defeat me. You tricked me. You cheated in our fight – and I would make your life miserable until I could find a way past the magic of the collar.” Her fingers rubbed it as she spoke. “And slit your throat in your sleep.”
“Uh-”
“But,” Liv said, ignoring Liam looking nonplussed. “You didn't trick me. You didn't cheat. You were clever and a brave warrior. And when you fought the basilisk, I realized that even if I had known about how you'd pummel me... I think you still might have won. Maybe.”
She sighed.
“And so, I want to apologize for what I have done. And I want to learn how you fight – I want to learn how to use a sword like you.” She ducked her head forward. “My father is the God of War. But the Hellenes don't fight war like your people. War's chaos. War's vicious and brutal and crude. My father is like that – and I've tried my whole life to be both elf and him.”
She grinned, slowly, lifting her head up to look Liam in the eyes.
“And I think with your style, I can. There's something very Aries in beating someone to death with the blunt part of a sword. And something very elven in the... fine craftsmanship of your long blade.”
Her voice had just a hint of a purr there.
Liam blinked a few times.
“You just told me you were planning to kill me,” he said. “And now you want me to teach you Historical European Martial Arts?”
“Well, yes,” Liv said, sounding affronted, her eyes narrowing. “I don't want to kill you anymore. You really did earn my service, even if I'd prefer to not be a slave.” Her fingers touched her collar. Liam opened his mouth – about to speak – but then stopped himself. He paused and thought to himself.
This isn't a video game, he thought. It's not a book. If I just do the first thing that comes to mind, it might not work out. Liv is an immortal elf – who knows how good she is at long term planning and lying, daughter of Aries or no.
But his soul spoke to him then.
And Liam knew, even if he died, this was the right thing to do.
He would rather be dead than continue this farce.
He reached up, touching his fingers to the slave collar. “Livanna, daughter of Aries, warrior of Sparta, I free you from your slavery.”
The slave collar didn't do anything. Liv blinked at him.
“Liam,” she said. “You need the touchkey that locked the collar to unlock it. You can't just unlock it by saying so. I mean, how stupid would that be!?” She punched his chest gently, laughing. “Any family member of a slave could just hold a dagger to your throat and force you to free them! Idiot! Moron!” She laughed as she punched him again. Liam held up his hands, trying to ward off her punches, laughing as well.
Well, he thought. Sometimes, it is just the thought that counts.
***
Olimurias took Liam's breath away. From a distance, it had seemed more like a mountain than a city but as the day slid onwards with the unwavering brightness of Purgatory, the city grew larger and larger, until Liam really began to understand the difference in scale between it and Faiyum Falls. The city was constructed on a series of tiers that had been carved into the side of a mountainous island. Buildings rose from the tiers, looking to be carved from the same pale white rock that the island had been made of, while greenery had been planted in broad, sweeping planters that made the city seem to be half forest. The port was large and expansive, carved into a natural harbor, with ships of every creed nestled into it. Dominating the two sides of the entrance of the harbor were two immense chalices carved of solid gold that glowed with flames that reached towards the sky.
“Well,” Liam said, quietly. “That's-”
The sun shut off. Liam wondered if he would ever get used to the sudden plunge into night. However, Olimurias seemed designed to cope with that kind of change, as the lights that flared on across it appeared to keep the whole thing as brightly lit as New York at night. He shook his head slowly as Vulkis called out orders to the crew.
The ship nestled into the harbor, and ropes were cast down, tying it into place. Vulkis shook Liam's hand, smiling broadly as he did so. “I'll be in town for some days – I want to get all that gold you offered to take you back, eh?”
“Thanks, Vulkis,” Liam said as he stepped away – moving onto the gangplank as Liv, Meg and Tethis followed him. Liv carried some of the luggage, but didn't move with the mincing step that she had used before. Nor did she take advantage of the ship's rocking to bump her breasts against Liam's arm. Part of him missed that – but a bigger part of him was too busy looking around himself at the city.
“So, where is the library?” he asked.
Tethis adjusted the clay tablet that she had pulled from her backpack. “This map states that the library is at the highest tier in the center of the city. Brigid dwells above it.”
Liam smiled. “Well, come on then.”
The group started into the crowd. Meg walked beside Liam, her hip bumping against his, her left wing cupping against his back. He smiled at her, whispering quietly in the tiny space of quiet that her wing produced for them: “You sure you okay with me, you know, fucking Tethis?”
“To be fair, you fucked Tethis. Once.” Meg tapped his nose. “Secondly, no. In what universe would I want my man to get less practice. And you've asked me that before and you will ask me again when you're balls deep in, say, her.” She nodded to a woman standing before a merchant stall, dressed in three leather straps, leaving vast expanses of red skin exposed, her head marked with two curving horns, her rump having a long, thin tail sprouting from above it. Liam almost walked into another man as he gaped at the woman but before he could see more, they were whisked deeper into the crowd by Meg's unstoppable momentum.
“What was she?”
“Who knows?” Meg asked. “I've never seen any like her in New Athens.”
“A Lillin,” Tethis said, hurrying to match their stride. “They're another transplant from Earth, not a native Purgatory species.”
“So, humans, Lilin-” Liam stopped short, looking down at the short scribe. “Lilin as in Lilith?”
“I don't know what that's a reference too,” Tethis said, panting quietly. “But, uh-” She was jostled by another merchant. “But can we slow down?”
“Sorry,” Meg said, blushing as she slowed her stride.
They came to one of the exits that lead away from the docks, a large ramp that smoothly ascended into the next tier of the city. There, Liam saw the guards of this place. Elves in bronze armor with heavy chest pieces and
thick leather for the legs and arms for protection. The leather could turn a blade, and the chest pieces looked thick enough to make them tough nuts to crack. But what he was really impressed by were the bows. They didn't look to be quite on the level of English longbows, but they were still fairly large. The guards stood at perfect attention, and had the kind of unwavering look that he had started to recognize on elves. Despite not seeming to move their eyes Liam was fairly sure that they were watching everyone who started up the ramp, and everyone who went down it.
“Creepy,” he said.
“I'd rather have them than the guards back in Faiyum,” Tethis said, sniffing. “They were useless – we had to get ourselves rescued by a sea captain.”
“In the guard's defense, we were ambushed in an alleyway,” Liam said.
Tethis sniffed again.
They worked their way through the tiers of the city, the crowds growing more and less intense as they walked past homes and apartments. A great deal of the city seemed to be given over to the making of paper, something that made him stop and watch. The paper-making buildings had large open windows, and whatever process they were using produced a fairly intense stink. But what was coming out were large sheets of pale gray paper. It looked slightly more bumpy and uneven than the smooth paper he was used too on Earth.
But it was still paper. Not papyrus.
“What is that?” Meg asked.
Liam grinned. “It's paper,” he said, quietly. “I think Brigid – or her scholars – have learned how to make it. That's fantastic.” He started to do some mental calculations. They had come here expecting to pay through the nose to transcribe the documentation within the iPod onto papyrus or, worse, parchment. But paper had the advantage of being far easier to produce. No matter what method that they were using, it had to be cheap if so many buildings were dominated by-
Liam's brain suddenly screamed at him that something was wrong. It took him a second to realise why – instincts born of a life spent on the back of a bike causing him to pat his hips. But he didn't have pockets. He had his fanny pack. The pouch was open. His eyes widened.
Riposte (Purgatory Wars Book 2) Page 5
