The Long Road to Ruin Ch. 32

She pulled her dagger from its sheath and mimicked his stance, circling him, watching his every move.

"Never show your weakness or fear, and never give your opponent insight on what you're thinking or what your next move will be. Learn to school your features into an unreadable mask. Put on your game face... NOW!" Christano barked, pulling his shield in closer to his torso.

He circled her, moving spryly on the balls of his feet. "Come at me. Attempt to strike me with that pitiful excuse for a weapon."

"How?" Shanna replied while gripping the pommel of her dagger within her sweaty palm. She took a deep breath, trying to slow her racing heart.

"With that blade, you can either stab it or cut deep slashes into your opponent's flesh. You want to do the most collateral damage as possible to them. Make sure the thrust of your blade is well aimed, but not hurried or hasty, and with the correct amount of strength behind it. Penetrate the flesh with skill and confidence, and you will get the result you seek. And keep moving. Thrust and move, never leave an opposed opening for them to strike at you. Now watch me. I'll demonstrate the proper technique." Christano shored up his shield and advanced on her, bobbing and weaving as he scanned her defenses. He swung his morningstar swiftly at her, yet not using his full strength, and noted how she instinctively bought the shield up to block. The spiked head of the weapon clattered off the shield and jarred her body slightly. She dodged away from him while he pressed his attack at her a second time, making his swing a hair swifter and harder.

She got her shield up in time. A grunt slipped from her lips from the force of the impact. Shanna's eyes narrowed and pulled her dagger arm up and back, mimicking a stance she'd seen Shiloh use. Then she plunged it toward him, hissing as it connected with his shield.

"Good job, little one. Come at me again. Attack!"

She danced around him, constantly moving her feet as she felt her confidence grow. Moving in, she held her shield before her while looking for any gap in his defense, searching for that one weak point in which to exploit. She thrust her dagger in and he parried it, slapping it out of the way with the spiked end of his bludgeoning weapon. On his back swing, he slammed the spiked head off her shield once more.

The two battled on until each was panting for air. Christano disarmed her several times, flinging her blade across the room before he landed what could've amounted to a killing blow upon her.

Around and round in circles they went. Shanna refused to give up. She knew she had a long way to go, but felt confident she would find the opportunity she sought to catch him off guard. She thrust her blade, blocked the crash of the morningstar against her shield and feinted out of the way of his oncoming strike. Sidestepping him, she lunged in, slipping her arm past the guard of his enormous shield. She knew if this assault failed, he'd defeat her yet another time.

Her aim was true. The blade of the dagger connected with the flesh of his throat. She pressed it in, sweeping a knee up to knock aside his shield. "Surrender!" she panted, nudging him swiftly.

Christano beamed a smile at her and held his hands in the air. "I concede defeat to you, little one. You've learned quickly. You're one of the better pupils I've ever had. We may yet make a warrior out of you. I do think we should find you a more appropriate weapon."

Shanna bestowed a sweet kiss of victory upon his lips before pulling her dagger away from his jugular and bounced merrily around the room. It excited her to finally gain the upper hand and taste the glory of a win.

O.O

Shiloh and Myra left the sanctum behind and headed for a concealed door that Shiloh had located during her exploration of the level. They passed through the opening and sneaked as quietly as can be past a host of meandering skeletons. Again Shiloh searched the walls and in the very last alcove located another hidden door. A pressure plate rested upon the floor. She depressed it with her heeled foot, and stepped back, allowing the portal to swing open.

A darkened room long unused was what the two women found on the other side. It was blissfully free of undead creatures. Shiloh exhaled the breath she realized she'd been holding.

"Lord Bastian has given me the power to turn them all to dust. He abhors undead creatures as much as I do." Myra stated as she pulled the gleaming silver and obsidian holy symbol shaped like a clawed hand and stepped back through the opening. She strode confidently into the right spot where she could see each one of the sword wielding abominations. "Unleash your divine light, Mighty Lord of Vengeance."

She presented the symbol at the skeletons and watched as they burst into dust, the particles floating harmlessly to the black tiled floor. She turned back to Shiloh and beamed a glorious smile before returning to her side. "That is just a fraction of the power He has bestowed upon me."

"He deemed you worthy of his power, sweet Myra. It's a heady thing indeed. I've felt drunk with it a few times. He's always been there when I needed Him." Shiloh took hold off her companion's hand and led her over to one of the walls. A metal ring attached the wall hung at eye level. "But right now, my need is for something else. Stand against the wall and grasp the ring. Trust me. You'll enjoy this."

Myra grasped the ring, leaning against the wall. She beckoned Shiloh forth. Her smile and the steamy look in her eyes said it all. Shiloh leaned down to kiss Myra, gazing deeply into her eyes. Her lips slanted over Myra's, slipping her tongue into Myra's mouth, but not to flick it against her own tongue. Shiloh thrust it wickedly, deepening the kiss into a thorough taking that continued for several long minutes. She meant to lay her claim once again. And when she rolled the petite cleric's nipples between her fingers, pinching them and then soothing them, Myra rocked her hips against Shiloh's and moaned deeply into Shiloh's mouth. She worked her way down Myra's body, stopping to sample her taut peaks. She nipped and licked, pulled them between her lips while removing the scant pieces of Myra's priestess armor. Myra moaned from the pleasure and arched her back, allowing her breasts to fill Shiloh's hands when she brought them up to cup the ivory mounds.

Then Shiloh's hands traced lower, smoothing down Myra's trim waist to her slightly flared hips. There she lingered, massaging soft circles. Shiloh let the nipple slip from her mouth with a slight 'pop'. She knelt before Myra, coming eye level with the cleric's trimmed bush. Shiloh tenderly spread Myra's legs before pulling the cleric's legs over her shoulders to spread her open before her mouth. Shiloh inhaled Myra's pungent scent before using her thumbs to part Myra's plump lips. Myra's thighs quivered instantly as Shiloh blew a soft breath over her heated core. Myra groaned and gripped the ring even tighter, undulating her hips toward the female knelt before her. "Please, taste me..."

Shiloh nuzzled Myra's curls, her thumbs circling Myra's swollen button. Then she brushed her lips against her sensitive nether lips, blowing another puff of hot breath upon her. Myra shuddered and writhed, bumping her pelvis against Shiloh. "Shiloh... please... Lick me."

When Shiloh's tongue slipped between her lips and dipped into Myra's weeping slit, the cleric let out a loud groan, tightening her legs over Shiloh's shoulder. Shiloh delved her tongue into Myra's core, licking her deeply, thoroughly, making Myra melt into a hot puddle of desire. Shiloh used her lips, her fingers, holding nothing back. Myra exploded as Shiloh clamped her mouth over her clit, sucking roughly. She smoothed her tongue over the swollen nub before snaking two fingers back into Myra's dripping channel. She locked the fingers into place on Myra's front wall, locating that sensitive bit of nerves and rubbed, eliciting a wail of pleasure from Myra as she erupted in a stream of pungent female juices. Shiloh licked her clean before giving the cleric a stinging slap to the bottom.

"Delicious!"

Myra sagged against the wall as Shiloh pulled away and stood up before her. She kissed Myra with all the passion she felt, letting the cleric taste her own juices on Shiloh's lips. "So beautiful. Rest a moment, my sweet. Then we will continue onward." Shiloh gave Myra a conspiratorial wink.

The cleric smiled in return, doing her best to quell her racing heart. Shiloh's ministrations had been like nothing she'd ever felt before. Exquisite tenderness mixed with glorious passion was the only way she knew how to describe it. It took several long minutes before her quivering legs would hold her weight without fear of falling flat on her face. She reached for the pieces of her armor and slipped into the body baring work of art.

"We should probably disguise our armor. Your dear so-called master must not know what has happened, not yet. Lord Bastian is waiting for the most opportune moment to reveal the truth," Shiloh spoke up as she reached for the pack.

Myra nodded as she looked down at the red and gold suit of leather and metal. She had to admit she liked the way she looked in it, liked the way the chest piece cupped and cradled her breasts while exposing her rock hard nipples. It gave her a feeling of true freedom that she'd never known before. A feeling of liberation. It was a heady tonic that caused her blood to race and her world to spin. "We could, but I have another idea." Myra leaned in and whispered into Shiloh's ear, which brought a devious grin to her face.

"Good idea. I think he'll fall for that. Besides the bastard is too wrapped up in getting what he wants to realize the truth. Let's just act like nothing has happened. Bastian will help you if you seem to falter and need him. He won't forsake you. He treasures you too much."

"That's a feeling I don't know how to describe. I've never known anything like that," Myra confessed, a warm glow tinting her cheeks.

Shiloh captured Myra's hands in hers. "And what I felt after being with you is something I've never felt before. Not with Vico. Not with Rhys. Makes me wish Bastian would have you found his temple in Betancuria so we could continue to be together. I don't know if you feel the same, but it felt special when we were together."

"I believe the temple I'll found in his name will be somewhere in Sargoza," Myra replied fondly, squeezing Shiloh's hands. "We'll make time to be together before then. Lord Bastian approves of our union, but thinks we are better off where we can do the most good. He needs you in Betancuria. There are many souls whom we can seduce into our Lord's bountiful arms."

Shiloh smirked, "I enjoy being within his arms."

A chuckle slipped from Myra's red lips. "As do I and he feels the same. Now shall we continue on? We still have to find our way back upstairs."

"We will. I believe I know the way. Bastian has shown me. We take those stairs up two flights and then we'll come to the door that we couldn't get through before. The one with the blue barrier. It must have been brought down when you smashed all those red glowing things."

"The phylacteries?"

Shiloh nodded as she took the stairs two by two. Myra dashed after her, stopping only to obliterate two skeletons into particles of dust. They ventured up another flight of stairs before coming to a short hallway and a closed door. "Here we are."

Myra opened the door and peaked her head into the hallway. She could hear voices coming from the other room. One belonged to Chris and the other to Shanna. "Ready?"

Shiloh grinned at her. "Are you ready to be the same old uptight Myra that fell down the hole?"

"Are you still the same shameless wench that likes flaunting herself?" Myra purred in response.

"That I am." Shiloh wiggled her eyebrows. "Show time!"

O.O

Christano and Shanna raced to the doorway as Myra and Shiloh came into view. Christano's eyes bulged from his head and he became slack jawed at the sight of his lady love. He perused her scantily clad form very slowly before he embraced her possessively and planted a firm kiss on her lips. "I am overjoyed that you have come back to me alive and well. I worried about you so, but what's the meaning of the clothing on your body?"

Myra flushed prettily as she looked down at her body. "My armor was damaged badly during a fight with a few undead creatures. Not only mine, but Shiloh's too. These two suits were the only ones we could find. I'd hoped you would like it. I thought you might think I was trying to be more open and considerate of you by proudly showing you what you had missed out on these few days."

"I do like it. You're more beautiful than ever. You may continue to wear it if it pleases you, but we will find something else to cover you with before we return to the boat. I won't have your charms on display for everyone." Christano grinned while he stroked her flesh, tweaked her nipples and dipped his hand down and back to fondly squeeze her bottom. He leaned as close as he could to her then whispered in her ear. "I can't wait to fuck you once more. You will wear this as I feed you my dick. Understood?"

Myra lowered her eyes dutifully and nodded. She knew what he wanted, but she was hell bent on not giving it to him. Never again would he touch her or taste her in such a selfish manner as he'd used for years.

Never again.

O.O