Dragon Jade Chronicle: The Warlock And The Warrior
Page 16
Margase hiked her dress above her knees and rushed over to stare into the crater. There was no trace of the podium, and she guessed the gaping hole in front of her to be at least two paces wide, if not three. She turned and clapped her hands a little.
“Well, not quite a movement to the other podium, but it will do, Acolyte Pol,” said Margase.
There was more clapping from the way they’d entered the courtyard, and even Kiera jumped a little at the surprise of the sound. A woman, her skin the warm color of rich soil and her long black hair braided together with pale blue ribbons that had been tied all throughout, matching her dress. Clapping with her was a giant of a man, blond and fierce, like a bearded Tau vai Keller if he’d grown up rough. His robes were red, the exquisite detailing made up in gold.
“Acolyte Pol, allow me to introduce Master Bollu, the Guild’s Master of Lore,” said Margase. Bollu extended a crushing grip that made Pol wince when he put his hand into it.
“And Mistress Heldi, our Master of War.”
Heldi did not take Pol’s proffered hand. Instead, she embraced him, kissing him on the cheek and earning her a blush from the thief.
“You are very welcome here, Acolyte Pol,” she said. “You are the answer to a prayer.”
Pol didn’t know what to say exactly. The three Sorcerers seemed to be expecting him to speak or say a few words, but none came to mind.
Kiera saved him.
“‘Acolyte’ Pol?” she asked. “You mean to say he’s already part of the Guild? That’s it, one test?”
Bollu chuckled. “There aren’t many ways to prove you’re capable of magic better than that.”
“But isn’t there something for him to do? A ceremony or something?” Kiera frowned when Bollu waved a hand at her dismissively.
“There are a thousand ceremonies that the Guild’s traditions demand must occur for a new acolyte to be admitted to our sacred fellowship. But Pol is special for a few reasons. First, he’s our first new acolyte in over fifteen years. Dragon’s bells, he’s the only testing candidate even capable of magic in over fifteen years. Second, we’ve discovered, over the thousands of years the Guild has existed that most of those ceremonies are a horrible waste of time, so we’ve abandoned them, and damn tradition. And third, there is only one ritual that concerns us at the moment, the Rite of Renewal.”
“What’s that?” asked Kiera.
“I can hardly be expected to share Guild secrets with an outsider,” said Bollu.
Heldi placed a hand on Bollu’s arm, and stared at Kiera, sizing her up. She looked from Kiera to Pol, and then at Margase. The Master of Students nodded almost imperceptibly.
“Share it with her anyhow, Bollu,” Heldi said. “She is the Exarch’s daughter, after all. She may be able to assist in some way yet unknown.”
Bollu frowned a little, then slumped his shoulders in defeat.
“Magic is like water, it ebbs and flows around the world. In some places, it is as deep and strong as the ocean, in others it is a puddle. And like water, it sometimes results in droughts. In our part of the world, our magic is going dry.”
“So the Guild is weak?” asked Kiera. The daughter of the Exarch was concerned to hear this. The Guild's place in Tia Vashil was guaranteed by their status as protectors not just of the city, but of all the Metropolises in the East.
“Do not be deceived,” said Bollu. “Even the most inept magical adept wields more power today than a phalanx of knights...but this will be of little use against the Dragon Clans. Dragon jade’s strength is immutable. Some of us believe…”
“I do,” said Heldi, willing to out herself.
“...that we do not have the strength to oppose the united Clans and their jade under the current circumstances,” finished Bollu.
“And the Rite of Renewal will change that?”
“The Rite is a ritual that echoes back to the dawn of man and the birth of the first magical adept. Two participants, a man and a woman, will couple before the Guild. The Guild then casts a powerful spell using the...seed...of the couple’s work to replenish at least some of the magic in the area.”
“You’re going to use me as a tool to add to your power?” asked Pol.
“I sincerely doubt that you will find the Rite to be greatly discomforting,” said Bollu, smiling. “In fact, I expect you’ll rather like it. Not all the Guild’s rituals are so enjoyable.”
His gaze settled on Heldi.
“Though some are.”
Pol thought he detected a slight hint of color appear in Margase’s cheeks, but Heldi seemed unmoved by Bollu’s inscrutable last comment.
“Why can’t any of you do it?”
“We have tried,” answered Heldi. “But we are missing a key ingredient: the verdance of youth. The use of magic has extended our lives beyond their natural span, we are not young.”
“This is something you should think about carefully, Pol,” said Margase. “It’s very likely you’ll live to be well over one hundred. Your body will not appear to age very much over that time.”
“That doesn’t sound like a bad thing,” said Pol, smiling.
“It can be,” said Margase. Her face had grown a little forlorn and she regarded Kiera with a critical eye. “Membership in the Guild prohibits you from taking a spouse, though you may father children, if you wish. It is likely some of them may join you at the Guild one day if you do. Many of us choose not to.”
“Why? What’s the problem? Magic, eternal youth, it all seems pretty good.”
“Watching everyone you love grow old and die has its toll,” said Bollu.
Pol was silent for a long time as he digested this last.
“And I can refuse to join?” he asked, his voice low.
“You may,” said Heldi. “But the Guild rightly views warlocks as dangers to themselves and the unsuspecting citizens they live among. If you choose to leave now, we will monitor you regularly to ensure you are not dangerous. If you are…”
She trailed off, leaving the threat unsaid. Pol bit his lip and stared into the air as he thought.
“Regardless, we would still like you to perform the Rite of Renewal,” said Margase. “Why don’t we put off…”
“I’ll join,” said Pol, cutting her off.
“This is the right choice,” said Heldi. When her gaze touched his, he saw there was something not unlike pride behind her eyes.
“Why don’t I familiarize you with the Guild Rock a little more?” asked Margase. “After all, it’s going to be your home for a long time.”
“Can I say goodbye to my friend?” asked Pol.
“Of course,” said Margase. Her piercing blue eyes twinkled at his request.
Pol crossed the courtyard to Kiera. He shuffled his feet in front of her for a moment, not knowing what to say exactly.
“So you’re a Sorcerer now, Pol Burr,” said Kiera.
“Seems like it.”
“Well, I suppose I should get back home. My father relies on my counsel when I’m home.”
“He’s a wise man.”
“I’ll tell him you said that.”
“Please do. And please tell him thank you, for his hospitality, and the clothes, and, well, everything.”
“I will, Pol.”
“And thank you, Kiera. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be here.”
“You’re welcome,” said Kiera. The corners of her mouth were curled into an amused expression he’d seen a few times when she stared at him over the weeks of their travel. She extended a hand to him.
“Until we meet again, Sorcerer Pol.”
He clasped it and gave it a perfunctory shake.
“Until we meet again, Lady Kiera.”
He began to turn away, but her hand held him back. When he shifted to see what more she wanted, Kiera’s free hand grasped his neck and she stepped into him. Her chin lifted and his dropped, their lips joining together. Pol closed his eyes, losing himself in Kiera’s softness. He took the hand in his and placed it on his
shoulder, then ran his fingers through her short cropped hair, his other hand sliding down her spine to rest at its base, just on the top of the slope formed where her back became the generous curves of her buttocks. His heart, or perhaps it was her heart, was pounding in his chest, and the courtyard and the rest of its occupants seemed to disappear until finally Kiera’s teeth found his bottom lip, pulling gently before her mouth released his.
“We will meet again,” she said, turning from him. Bollu was walking away with Heldi, and she walked with purpose to catch the big blond sorcerer, the words they spoke to each other lost on Pol’s addled brain for the moment.
“Come, Pol,” said Margase, her hand at his shoulder causing him to jump in his skin. “I’ll show you around.”
* * * * *
The groom took Blade’s reins from her, and Kiera climbed the steps to her parents’ chambers, pulling off her riding gloves. Her father was reading reports about the city while her mother was listing the various candidates for Jin’s hand in marriage and the lack of value she felt all of them shared.
“Ah, Kiera, you’ve come to rescue me,” said Ked when she walked through the door. Trali crumpled one of his missives into a ball and threw it at him.
“Careful, my dear, careful, that’s the report on spice shipments,” warned Ked, catching and unfolding the paper ball. His attention turned back to his daughter. “Now what happened to your thief? Flunk his test?”
“No,” said Kiera. “He’s a member of the Guild now.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful for him,” said her mother.
“Yes, I think so.”
Ked snorted. “Yesterday he was one of your strays, and tomorrow I shall have to kneel before him as my master. The world turns as Vash wills it to, and Kili takes the sense of it.”
“I suppose so,” agreed Kiera.
“Oh, darling,” said Trali. “You’ve a visitor again. He decided to wait until you’d returned. He’s in your rooms.”
“Tau?” asked Kiera.
Her mother nodded.
“I wish you hadn’t let him into my rooms,” said Kiera.
“You have a standing order that Tau is to be admitted to your rooms whenever he comes to visit. In fact, I believe the exact statement was that he was to be admitted and the two of you were not to be disturbed under any circumstances,” said Ked.
“Have you soured on the boy during your travels?” asked Trali.
“I...I don’t know,” said Kiera.
Ked frowned, lines furrowing deep into his brow. He put his papers down.
“Kiera, you have a chance to become Exarch after me. Cail vai Keller would be powerful tool in ensuring that that happens. But it is far from guaranteed if you don’t marry his nephew.”
“I know, father,” said Kiera, not meeting his gaze. He tsked at her.
“I’m not chastising you,” he reminded her. “I’m merely reminding you of what’s at stake.”
“I know, father,” repeated Kiera.
Her mother intervened before Ked could continue.
“That’s very good news about Pol Burr, Kiera,” Trali said. “We’re happy your friend is doing well. You may go if you’d like, we know you and Tau have a lot to discuss.”
Kiera nodded. “I have to be back at the Guild tomorrow evening,” she said.
“Oh?”
“Yes, Master Bollu has agreed to teach me some of the lore of the Guild. If I am to be Exarch, I think it could be valuable.”
Ked stroked his beard. “I suppose that’s true. Very well. Say hello to Tau for me.”
Tau was waiting for her on her bed when she slipped into her rooms, his shirt pulled tight against his broad frame. His chiseled features worked their way into a smile when he saw her.
“Kiera,” he said.
“Tau,” she said. She threw her riding gloves onto a table and stepped out of her boots.
“I’ve missed you.”
“I know.” Kiera walked over and stood in front of her vanity, considering what to do. She needed to change out of her riding clothes, but Tau was there. Then again, he’d seen her naked many times before. She undid the buttons on her jacket and shrugged out of it. As she started to undo the buttons of her blouse, Tau rose and stood behind her, his hands resting on her hips. Their gazes met in the mirror.
“I’ve missed you quite a bit,” he said.
“I know, Tau.”
“You put me off, yesterday,” he said. She’d almost undone all the buttons on her blouse, and one of Tau’s hands slipped in under it to cup a breast, the nipple hardening at his touch. The memory of her kiss with Pol was still fresh in Kiera’s mind and the feeling of being touched was more than a bit intoxicating.
But there were other concerns.
“We can’t do anything today, either, Tau. It’s not...safe.”
“You take precautions.” His other hand undid the laces on her riding breeches, slipping a hand down their front, pushing through her pubic mound.
“I’ve been traveling in the forest, you big lug. Not a lot of luxuries for that there.” This was not true, but she had been ordered to forgo any further use of her contraceptives until after the next night and wasn’t inclined to take chances.
Tau’s hand reached her clit, causing her to gasp, then groan as his fingers slipped past to probe at her folds. His other hand pushed her shirt open wider, exposing her breasts and their wide brown nipples in the mirror. She could feel his cock, a rigid bar in his trousers, pushing up against her.
“There are other things we could do,” he observed. He began to kiss and lick the nape of her neck, and Kiera groaned again as he worked his way up until his tongue found her ear.
“Okay,” she managed.
“Take your clothes off and lie on the bed.”
Tau more or less ripped his shirt off, and Kiera stared appreciatively at his body. He had a much different physique from Pol. Tau was the sort of man who might be able to unlodge an ox cart from the mud by taking the place of the oxen. Kiera slipped out of her breeches, stroking herself a little in anticipation as Tau’s belt was undone and he pulled his pants off. His cock was not as impressive as Pol’s, but it was more than adequate at leaving her satiated. His fist found it, working himself up and down as he watched her please herself.
“Lie down,” she told him again.
“Come here,” he said, complying.
She joined him on the bed in reverse, climbing atop him so that her mouth had easy access to his cock while he had easy access to her pussy. She took his cock from his hands, and smiled when he shuddered at her touch. They had grown too familiar, perhaps, before she had departed Tia Vashil, and it was gratifying to see some of the old desire there to greet her return.
His hands ran up her body, pausing briefly to cup and knead her breasts as her hands ran up and down his cock, then sliding up further to spread her pussy apart. She moaned as Tau ran his tongue up and down her lower lips, and returned the favor by licking his cock from base to tip and back again.
He tongued her clit, strolling it over her in a side to side motion, and she murmured her pleasure, her hands holding his cock up as she took it into her mouth. She bobbed along his length, her tongue twirling around the head of his cock at first, before she took him deeper and deeper, until finally he was buried in the back of her throat.
Tau moaned into her pussy, the vibrations providing a delicious reminder of her own desire. Tau’s hips were moving, and Kiera’s lips retreated up his length a little, to allow him room to thrust into her mouth. At the same time, she ground her crotch against his face, trying to help herself along.
Kiera returned to bobbing up and down Tau’s cock, the shaft running slick with her saliva, so that it glided in and out of her lips as he fucked her mouth back as she worked on him.
Tau had never been a particularly gifted man with his mouth. Some earlier woman had taught him exactly what pleased her, and as a result, he often failed to vary his technique or motion. It wasn’t unpleasant,
it simply wouldn’t push Kiera over the edge. She had tried to train him out of it, but had long since given up. But between kissing Pol, the promise of what tomorrow held for her, and Tau’s cock in her mouth, Kiera was desperate to get off.
If there was one thing Tau was good with, though, it was his hands.
Kiera lifted off his cock, giving it one last parting lick, before rising up on her knees. She freed her body from Tau’s hands, then shuffled down his body until her pussy was over his cock. She collapsed backwards, resting her back against Tau’s chest and her head on the pillow next to his. Her left hand found his, and dragged it down to her crotch, placing it over her cunt. Her right hand lifted past her head, cupping Tau’s cheek, turning his head so that he could lick at her ear.
Tau misinterpreted her completely.
Raising his knees into the air to give himself better purchase, he guided his cock inside her. She gasped as he filled her, her hand pulling on his hair, her back arching along his body as he began to gently thrust into her. Every fiber of her body was urging her to thrust back against him, or at least enjoy what was happening, but she couldn’t.
“Oh, no, no, Tau,” she said. She shifted her hips up so that he slipped out of her. “We can’t. We can’t risk it.”
“We could…” said Tau. “If you’d agree to—”
“Oh, Tau, not now,” she begged him. “Not now. Please just use your hand. You know what I like.”
Tau kissed her shoulder. His fingers snaked their way into her pussy, crawling along until they found the rough sensitive area on the ceiling of her cunt. He began to clap his hand inside her, pulling up a little. Kiera writhed against him, and his right hand grasped at her breast, pulling on her nipple as the hand in her pussy sent shocks up her body. She glanced down her body, watching the pale hands perform their work, an alabaster contrast against her bronze skin.
Her breath was coming in fast, short bursts, and she reached between her legs, past his hand, until she found Tau’s cock, stroking it with a vigor to match his own. Her left hand mirrored Tau’s hand on her right, teasing her own nipple with pinches and pulls.