by Sierra Brave
Xia threw back her head, crowing raucously. “Not bad for a dirt slave.”
Kepes’s nostrils flared. She probably wanted nothing more than to split the man’s head open. “It’s not funny.”
“Sure, it’s not—just as it wasn’t funny when the Turk we fought last summer dropped me on my ass.”
Kepes howled with delight, glee dancing in her copper-penny eyes. “Now that was amusing!”
Xia smiled, reaching over to give one of the small braids adorning Kepes’s otherwise straight, jet black hair a playful tug. “Grab the bedroll. We need to move him away from the fire and out into the cooler air.”
Kepes nodded. “You’re getting his feet.”
Xia fisted handfuls of the fur and sheepskin lined leather beneath the man, tugging in an attempt to drag him away from the heat. “Fuck! He’s heavy as hell!”
Kepes spread the opening in his robe, her eyes widening and her lips curving upward as she observed his broad chest. She whistled. “Not bad.” While running her hand over his bulging muscles, she lightly scraped her fingernails against Blue Eyes’ skin.
He bucked and she jumped back, missing his flailing arm by a hair.
“Ah! Hell no!” She jumped up and ran through the opening leading out of the ruin.
Xia sat vigil, staying far enough back to avoid being pummeled as the man punched and kicked at the air above him.
Soon, Kepes returned with the other two women and some rope.
“Help me get his hands behind his back!” Kepes said.
Xia couldn’t take her eyes off the beautiful man, impressed by his form and spirit as he fought like a warrior while he screamed some nonsense. He had strong legs and arms with lean muscle. Perhaps toiling in the ground suited him. She cawed with mirth as he shook her three sisters-in-arms like ragdolls while they struggled to subdue him.
“Xia, if you are anything more than the worthless daughter of a putrid pig, you will shut your cackling mouth and come help us!” Scyleia insisted as she rolled Blue Eyes over and leveraged her knee against his back.
“Fine...fine,” Xia moved closer before striking like a viper with two tensed but slightly curved fingers, hitting the correct pressure points in the appropriate sequence to make the man’s arms go limp. “Now the rope.”
As Scyleia tied his hands behind his back, Micah groaned in pain as Blue Eyes landed a kick to her stomach. “Son of a whore!” she screamed, holding her belly with one hand and punching Blue Eyes in the thigh with the other.
Xia had to give it to the man; he fought well for someone half out of his mind. Flopping like a fish, he flailed to-and-fro, knocking Kepes on her backside as he did.
“One more time and I cut his throat!” Kepes grabbed the hilt of her knife, holding the blade up in the air and shaking her fist.
“Sheath your weapon,” Xia commanded. “When he wakes you will be paid your due and we will treat him to a much better fevered dream, but first we have to pull him into the grass and I have to cram my fingers down his throat.”
Demons from hell clawed their way up through the ground to where D’Jwan rested. These hellhounds were neither man nor beast but part of both. Like the Centaurs in tavern stories, these hellhounds had the heads and torsos of men but the lower bodies of horses. At moments, they appeared to have at least two heads. The man’s head sat behind the larger horse-sized head. One of the monsters appeared as both goat and horse while another had antlers larger than those of any deer protruding from the horse’s head.
The screaming of hell’s berserkers rang in his ears as his eyes forced on him blurred visions of beasts and demons jumping and dancing, smoke pouring from their nostrils and surrounding him. They attacked, clawing at his flesh, digging in and dragging him. Devouring him, they started with his feet, pulling him ever closer to the pits of hell. They ripped off his clothes, hoisting him over the flaming cauldron to prepare him for their feast. Flashes of color here and there drew his attention but he couldn’t maintain his focus long enough to form a clear picture of his attackers in his mind. His body heaved, begging for more air as pain scourged his back, wrists, and buttocks. His mouth was full, a burning pressure building against his throat as the demons tried to push their way inside him. He gagged as a putrid bitterness pour out over his tongue. Having no more strength to fight, D’Jwan went limp, surrendering to the demons as his mind went blank.
“Fuck!” Micah said, dropping her narrow ass down in the grass. “I didn’t expect him to put up such a fight!”
“This is pig shit. How did we get stuck raising the ger alone?” Scyleia grumbled as she and Kepes worked on putting up the lattice-style walls of their large, rounded tent and reinforcing them with strong horsehair rope bands.
Kepes snickered, making fun of her friend’s irritable mood as they began to raise the roof by attaching the center posts to the crown and roof poles. She wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. “It’s not so bad. We’ve been putting up our homes and pulling them down all of our lives. Besides Xia and Micah have to attend to our handsome prisoner.
“Fuck him!” Scyleia replied.
“I intend to,” Xia cawed, washing her hands in a bowl she had procured during the raid of the fishing village.
The riders laid out some cushions they’d scavenged from the pirates’ ship and set a small, metal container of cannabis burning before breaking out the koumiss. They gathered around, sitting in a circle with their legs crossed. Looking at one another, they finally all broke down, laughing in unison.
“Look at my fucking palms; I have rope burn from fighting that dirt lover.” Micah raised her hands for all to see. “Shit! You should have seen the look on your face the whole time, Kepes.”
Kepes shrugged, offering only an obscene gesture as an answer.
Xia lightly punched her friend in the arm, passing the koumiss. “Just drink.”
“What is that look on your face, Commander?” Scyleia twisted her lips in annoyance.
“I have to admit, I’m fascinated by our beautiful guest.” Xia’s gaze drifted over to where they had hog-tied him.
Scyleia rolled her eyes and Kepes grunted. “Will he live?” Micah asked.
“He’s fine now.” Xia licked a wayward drop of fermented mare’s milk from her lips.
“I’ll say one thing for him; he’s got balls like an ox and a cock like a stallion.” Scyleia nodded as she took a swig and passing the intoxicating drink to Kepes.
Xia’s eyebrows lifted and her teeth showed as she grinned. “You were staring?”
Scyleia’s nostrils flared. “No... I couldn’t help but notice when he put my head in a chokehold between his thighs!”
Xia held her tight belly, laughing loudly. “Damn! How did I miss that?”
Scyleia chuckled despite herself, shaking her head. “He better be worth the trouble.”
Xia leaned in, beckoning the others with her hand as she spoke. “Now listen up, here’s how we’re going to play it...”
Blinking, D’Jwan awoke slowly, his mind becoming alert a few seconds before his limbs followed suit. Where am I? He attempted to rise but thought better of it. Ugh, fuck! My head! He reached upward, settling his hand over where his skull ached.
“He wakes.” A voice resonated in his ear.
“Easy...arise slowly, traveler.” Another female voice coaxed him back to consciousness. They weren’t speaking Greek or Latin but as luck would have it, he was familiar with the tribal tongue or its close cousin.
He turned his head in the direction of the voices, blinking as the light from the campfire illuminated a lovely face. Gingerly, he pushed up on his elbows, raising his head to study her features. Upon closer observation, he saw there were three of them...all beauties with long ebony hair, bronzed skin, and intense eyes with a small skin fold of the upper lid covering the inner corner. One of them sat in front of the other two, her long braids trailing down over her shoulders almost to her lap. The others wore their hair long and straight with some s
maller braids adorning the loose locks. D’Jwan licked his lips as he lowered his gaze, catching sight of the woman’s bare breasts. Her body was different from any woman he had ever known, neither skinny like the miller’s daughter nor fleshy like his sexy milkmaids. This woman was slender with curves in all the right places but her arms, legs and even her stomach showed muscle definition not usually seen in the fairer sex.
“Here, drink this.” The woman with braids took a large bronze tankard from one of the others and held it to his lips.
His throat dry, he accepted gratefully, gulping down as much as he could fit in his mouth. Immediately, he regretted his haste. Rather than the thirst-quenching water he had been expecting, the mug held a strong, fermented drink. With difficulty, he swallowed down the liquid in his mouth as he sat up straight to face the exotic and alluring strangers.
“Who are you?” he asked.
All three women laughed heartily and glanced at one another. The shortest of the three women spoke up, “Who are we? Should you not know? It is you who came to us.”
D’Jwan looked off to the side, rubbing his head as he searched his rattled brain for answers. The last thing he remembered was mixing the... Oh, ...it could not be... Had he really crossed into the spirit realm? He looked around, taking in the state of his surroundings. He was no longer in the old temple, but a room of sorts, illuminated only by an open fire in a pit in the middle. The air had been made dense with smoke and the strong smell of incense, considerably reducing visibility and adding to the other-worldly quality.
The woman with the braids held the cup up to him. “You must drink it all.”
Dreading the drink’s harsh bite, he shook his head. “Gratitude but I must decline.”
Before he could react, his back smacked down against the rug rolled out beneath him, knocking his head into the small cushion where he must have been resting when he woke. He gasped as one of the other women straddled and pinned him to the ground.
“You dare refuse the goddess’s hospitality?” She shrieked through gritted teeth, her muscular thighs squeezing against his hips and her hands pressing against his chest, holding him against the hard ground.
His cock stirred and he jarred wide awake, suddenly realizing his hostesses wore nothing but thin scarves tied around their waists to cover their pussies and asses. He looked upward, noting the two jiggling breasts above him, and then he lifted his gaze to the woman’s pretty eyes. Her oval-shaped face was fairer than that of the woman with the braids, with much softer features, though her demeanor seemed far fiercer.
“Apologies...” he uttered, awestruck. “I am but a simple farmer and unaccustomed to such fine company.”
The three exchanged looks, obviously struggling to keep straight faces. The woman with braids broke first and the other two followed, giggling as the woman atop lessened her weight on his chest before dismounting completely. D’Jwan couldn’t say he was happy to be relieved of her burden but he was pleased that she no longer seemed angry.
“Drink.” The woman in braids remained insistent.
Sitting upright again, he reached out and took the tankard he had previously been offered. Placing the cup to his lips, he gulped down the intoxicating beverage as fast as he could.
Visibly pleased, the three women cheered for him as if he had won a feat of strength.
“Excellent, traveler. I am Kepes, one of the handmaidens to the great goddess, Xia, whose wisdom you have sought. These are my sisters, Scyleia and Micah.” She pointed first to the pretty but fierce woman who had pinned him and then to the shortest of the three. Kepes’s dark hair hung loose with the exception of two thin braids that started just above her ears and wove around until they met behind her head. Her face was round with high cheekbones. From the neck up, he would describe her as cute, rather than pretty, but her magnificent body looked as if she had been chiseled from marble.
“Congratulations, you have passed the first obstacle in your quest, moving from your realm to ours. Are you ready for the next?”
Sitting on his knees, D’Jwan bowed low, his face inches from the carpet before he lifted his head and spoke. “I am ready. What is required of me?”
The women stood and moved to surround him in a semi-circle formation, their faces seemingly glowing from above as they peered down at him. Kepes leaned in, her ripe, tempting lips inches from his face.
“You must use all your skills, pleasing us while remaining potent enough to face the rest of your journey.”
His jaw dropped as he sat stunned. Had he heard correctly? Had three handmaidens to a goddess just demanded carnal knowledge of him? Could he do such a thing? Pleasing three women at once wouldn’t be easy. Was he up to the challenge? Insecurity sent a chill down his spine. What will happen to me if I’m not? If I fail, I might be trapped here in this dream state forever... I can’t. I won’t. Failure would disgrace my dear grandmother in the eyes of her goddess.
His brow furrowed with determination. Even if holding back killed him, he would complete this trial with finesse while saving his best for the goddess herself!
There was no time to hesitate! Reaching upward, he unknotted the scarf tied just above Kepes’s hips, snatching the light-weight fabric off with one hand while reaching around her waist with the other. He stretched his neck, connecting his lips to hers as he yanked her forward. Grabbing her, he turned quickly to glide her down to the large cushion nearby.
Scarce light and possibly the combination of strong incense and potent drink left his eyesight fuzzy. Everything in this realm appeared as the memory of a dream but the sugary taste of the woman’s lips was certainly real enough. D’Jwan pressed his mouth against hers, hungrily pushing his tongue between the small opening. Like a jackrabbit ready to run, her tongue darted forward to meet his. Aggressively, she returned the kiss as if she intended to eat him alive. She tasted of honey but he could tell she was no sweet, virginal maiden. Her hips bucked up toward his as she ground her pelvis against him. His milkmaids and house wenches were generous and accommodating, coyly offering their bodies to him, but never had he been so aggressively pursued.
Taking control, he grabbed her arms, pushing her down on the cushion as he broke away. Staring down at her, he watched as she writhed like an animal in heat, her eyes wild with lust as she smiled after licking her bottom lip.
“Lie still, woman!” He pinned her legs beneath his.
She lifted her eyebrows and gasped, obeying his command to still, only her chest heaving. Moving to sit on his knees next to her, he held up the scarf. Subtlety would be his ally during this challenge. Grabbing one end, he wrapped some of the cloth around his hand, holding the edge in a tight fist. With great care, he used his free hand to arrange the flowing silk over Kepes’s breast before he dragged the long length of light-weight material over her pert nipple in a slow fashion.
Kepes bit down on her lower lip, watching his with interest. As smooth as olive oil, the silk caressed the tender pink protrusion of her breast as he delicately created a trail of arousing sensation, pulling the garment further. Kepes squirmed as the tingling across her stiff nub sent signals to her womanhood, creating a downpour of lusty nectar.
She groaned, throwing her hands back and grabbing the edge of the cushion. Holding on tightly, she mewed at the tiny, treacherously slow motions he used to control her body. The damn scarf moved at a snail’s pace, dragging out the stimulation until finally, the fabric pulled across the valley separating her breasts. She moaned again as her cloth stroked her other nipple. Instead of slaying the beast within, this man coaxed forward the yearning, leaving her clawing to hang on as if she were on a raft caught in treacherous currents.
Once the silk completely covered both breasts, he wrapped the other end around his free hand and gradually increased the smooth, erotic caress by slowly gliding the scarf back and forth. As her buds stiffened and throbbed, she gritted her teeth unable to stop her hips from bucking wistfully. Her cunt craved a hard cock but something told her this man h
ad other plans. She turned her head from side-to-side, reveling in the torturous pleasure. Opening her eyes, she searched for his gaze but found him completely focused on his endeavors. She moaned and he spared her a glance, never missing a step in his rhythm as he offered her a knowing smile.
He straddled her legs and lowered his body, moving downward to place a kiss half an inch above her navel as the scarf continued a carnal dance. Kepes’s hips squirmed, her thighs slick with her desire.
“Please...” she begged.
He raised his head, the highlights of his golden hair shimmering in the light of the nearby candles as he lorded over her. His eyes were as blue as the ocean. She growled, wishing he would part her legs and take her but instead, he gave the immediate area a quick scan. Son of a whore! What is he waiting for?
She gasped as he snatched away the scarf, her chest rising and falling heavily. He crawled over her body, bringing his long, large cock above her face. She lifted her head, lapping at its veiny length.
D’Jwan clenched his jaw and pursed his lips, suppressing a moan. “No.” He slipped two fingers in Kepes’s mouth to prevent her from engulfing him. He wouldn’t let her beat him so easily. Lifting his head, he spied the other two handmaidens, grasping each other’s hands as they watched in thrall. He reached out with his free hand, jerking at the knot holding Micah’s scarf around her hips until the garment came loose. Scyleia untied her own scarf and handed the thin cut of fabric over without prompting.
Removing his fingers from Kepes’s mouth, he repositioned himself and nuzzled at her neck. His lips by her ear, he cautioned her. “Patience, little one.”
Her breath falling heavily, Kepes quivered, eagerly awaiting his next move. His lips trailed down the column of her neck, kissing and nibbling his way to her collarbone. As his teeth scraped lightly over her clavicle, she hissed. He grabbed her hands, pulling them together above her head. She closed her eyes, panting as silk twisted around her wrists. What was he doing? She blinked before shutting her eyes again while enjoying the gentle sensation but her eyelids snapped open as the scarf tightly bound her wrists. She struggled until he spoke.
