Gods and Games Ch. 01

He was indeed admiring her when he noticed that Quin's cheeks were flushed red. She also seemed to be breathing a little raggedly. She was completely leaning against Yoshi as the two were sat next to each other, with their backs to the thick trunk of the old tree. Yoshi's one hand was wrapped around her back and it seemed to disappear behind her. It didn't take much for Roku to put two and two together. He felt a sharp pang of jealousy, he quickly looked away and coughed a couple of times.

He began talking in a casual fashion to distract the attention. "Ohh, isn't it wonderful that we get to be together as part of a team?" He chuckled nervously before continuing. "There are so many who got tagged with complete strangers yet we were the lucky few."

That seemed to work as Quin and Yoshi stopped their activities and joined in on his train of thought. Roku felt a slight bit of ease. "I'm not sure whether it was lucky or a tactical decision by the military captains." Yoshi added his two cents.

"Ugh, I hate it regardless." Quin complained in her soft, melodious voice. "I never wanted to be a part of the military. I just want to start a little daycare and look after the toddlers of the settlement. That's my calling."

"That'll happen for sure, Quin!" Roku chimed in brightly. "As soon as you're done with your mandatory services by the age of 25, you can go live your dreams! I'm sure you'll be amazing at it!"

"25?" Quin whined. "But that's like 4 years away almost, what if I am killed before I get to be 25?"

"I won't-" Roku began but was cut off by Yoshi who spoke softly as he looked into his girlfriend's eyes. "I won't ever let it happen, my love. I'll protect you with my life."

"Aww, my hero!" Quin giggled and both leaned in to share a loving kiss with each other. Roku felt a little sick but quickly turned his attention to Aimee. "A-Aimee... What do you want to do after your service? Would you stay or leave to do something else?"

Aimee sighed and spoke. She had a deeper voice than Quin. "I wonder about that." She turned and looked at Roku with a little intense look in her eyes. "That man who broke into the settlement a month back, your father, was it? Where did he go?"

"He isn't my father." Roku spoke, feeling a bit sad at the mention of that man. Roku had never seen his father and when he thought he did, his grandma persistently insisted that he forget about that imposter.

"But he had the Angel's Blessing, didn't he? Just like your father did? Didn't Lady Yuta mention that in her speech at the Awakening Ceremony." Aimee continued. She was unusually chatty.

"I... Uh... I don't kn-" Roku was a little lost for words, but Yoshi came to his rescue. "He won't know shit, Aimee. He even came late for Lady Yuta's Awakening Speech. He's one tardy jerk." Yoshi chuckled, winking at his friend.

"Ohh, Roku did you miss the speech?" Quin questioned and Roku nodded. She continued, "It was really moving. I won't be able to do it justice if I told you the speech, so you should really go ask your grandma."

"No, Quin! Of course you'll be able to do it justice! You've got great skills and I'll honestly much rather hear it from you." Roku chuckled, looking at her.

Quin smiled and began, she didn't need to be pressured any further. "Okay, so pay attention. This is the story of the origin of our Tribe and our fall." She took a pause for dramatic effect and Roku hung off each of her words. "Long ago, our Tribe was one of the strongest and most prosperous tribes. We were feared and admired. Our ancestors were blessed by the Sacred Mother herself and her gift, the Angel's Blessing was passed on through generations. Our tribe used to live in the capital of our great kingdom. We used to be the king's most powerful warriors so we were given a huge plot of land at the edge of the capital to establish our settlement. Money, food, medicines... Everything was a plenty."

"But then the king passed away from sickness and his son, the prince took the throne. The prince had been radicalised against our kind by the advisors who wanted more power for themselves. They convinced the prince that we would try to usurp his throne and try to get in power. They convinced the prince that the only way to protect his throne was to persecute the Kaede."

"But it wasn't going to be an easy task, we were far far stronger than the other tribes that lived in the capital. So an evil scheme was plotted and executed. First, the entire Kaede Regiment that consisted of all adults who had Awakened with the Angel's Blessing was sent out of the capital on a long mission. We trusted the kingdom too much so we didn't keep any Awakened back or a personal police. We were dependent on the capital's police for our protection while our warriors were away."

"Next, a week after the departure of the elites, the capital declared a festival for the kids of the kingdom. Every kid under the age of 16 was to take part in a parade welcoming the new King. On the fateful day of the parade, all the kids from the Kaede Tribe were diverted to a secret bunker. The parents weren't aware and they stood on the streets waving at the other kids. All the kids from the Kaede Tribe were locked in an airtight room in the secret bunker and a gas was released inside the bunker...." Quin's voice broke a little as tears started to form in her eyes. She rubbed her now reddening eyes and continued. "All the kids... Died... All of them except one. Your grandma was the sole survivor. She said she got buried under a bunch of bodies of other kids and thus survived the deadly gas."

"By the time evening set, parents were panicking. Their children hadn't returned. The authorities promised them that the children would be back soon and they should head back home. It's hard to convince the parents but they trusted the kingdom... That night, the streets of the Kaede Tribe's settlement were littered with the bodies of the young ones. You can imagine the screams of agony, despair and anger. The Kaede Tribe rioted against the authorities demanding an explanation... Or rather, retribution. The Prince called it the Revolt of the Kaede Tribe and ordered the military to execute every single one of them. The unawakened were no match against the might of the royal military. They were annihilated. It was a genocide."

"Your grandma managed to make her way back to her father amongst the pile of dead children. Your great grandfather along with his brothers managed to get a hundred-odd Kaede Tribe members out of the capital and snuck off to hide in the mountains."

"W-What about the Awakened Regiment...?" Roku questioned with a shaky voice. He had a horrified look on his face and was on the verge of tears. He couldn't even imagine what all his poor grandmother went through at such a young age.

"It is said that when they returned to see what had happened to their tribe and their settlement, a lot of them lost all will to live. Others lost control and some that did put up a resistance were overwhelmed by the military and executed."

"But that wasn't going to be the end of the Tribe's misery. As soon as they had started settling in the mountains, Ragnvaldr, a tribe of savage mountain people attacked the new settlement. It is said that they were working on the orders of the Prince. They killed without mercy and only a few survivors managed to flee down to the plains where we live now. A handful of survivors started afresh. Your grandmother the only survivor of the lost generation. She built this settlement with her blood, sweat and tears so that we may have the life we have now." Quin wiped her teary eyes as she finished the story.

"Let's take a moment to remember our fallen." Yoshi spoke and they all closed their eyes. Roku thought about his grandma, about her sacrifices and the new found respect he had for her.

***

It was late in the night when Yuta's sleep was disturbed by the sound of a shattered glass. She sat up and reached for the knife she always kept under her pillow. Roku was away on his training exercises and it was just her and Leah in the house. She walked out of her room, she saw that the light of Leah's bedroom was lit and she inched down the hall. As she peeked through the doorway she saw that Leah's window was indeed broken. She was sat on the floor with her back to the door and there was a man in front of her.

Yuta stepped in closer and saw the perpetrator. It was the intruder again, the same that looked like her son Shinichi. Only, he looked incredibly pale and ghastly. He was panting heavily, his eyes were sunken and he looked skinnier. Both his hands laid lifelessly on his sides, both with deep wounds and dried up blood. Leah was sat in front of him, examining his wounds and repeatedly telling him that it was going to be alright.

Leah immediately got up and dashed out of the room, completely ignoring Yuta who managed to step out of her way just in time. Once she was gone, Yuta looked down at this shell of a man who looked like her late son.

"How'd it happen?" she asked coldly with simple curiosity and no care.

"The tablet..." the man spoke in low raspy voice. "I... I managed to locate it... But as soon as I... I tried to recover it... It snapped... Knife like teeth laced with venom closed in over the tablet... I... I managed to get away but they grazed me. The tablet... It had... It had a..."

"A blood seal." Yuta was grinning from ear to ear at the man's account and misery. "The tablet contains a blood seal and if anyone who doesn't belongs to the Kaede Tribe tries to uncover it, they're attacked by the seal." Yuta started to chuckle and then straight out laughed out loud. "Oh it's amazing. It's truly amazing. It's great news. It's all the evidence I needed to be sure that you're nothing but an impostor who looks like my son. My son, my Shinichi would've been able to recover the tablet without any issue because he was a true blood of the Kaede Tribe. Which you aren't!" she pointed at the man on the floor and laughed heartily.

"Stop it!" Leah yelled as she entered the room again with a pot of hot water, a clean cloth and her medical bag.

Yuta looked at her with a curious look on her face. "What do you mean stop it? I have conclusive evidence that this man here is an impostor and not our Shinichi, Leah."

"Shinichi or not. This man needs medical attention and I'm going to give it to him." Leah spoke in a matter of fact voice as she placed the pot of hot water in front of him and sat down on the floor. Yuta scoffed and left the room to go back to her sweet sleep.

Leah cleaned his wounds with the clean cloth dipped in hot water. She then applied a healing balm on his wounds and bandaged his arms up. Finally she gave him a vial of clear liquid to drink that contained a powerful antidote for any and all poisons in the world. He didn't flinch or make a noise as she administered the treatment. She couldn't help but look up at his face and her heart skipped a beat as their eyes met. Her cheeks felt hot and she bit her lower lip. His expressions were vacant but his gaze had an intensity to it. Shinichi had always been her kind, loving husband but this man who looked identical to him scared her a little. He looked like he could break her in half if he wanted. He felt dangerous... And that excited Leah.

By the time she was packing up her medical supplies, she was feeling a strong heat building up inside her. She couldn't stop squirming and she was no longer thinking straight. "Shinichi..." she whispered softly. "You're my Shinichi... Aren't you?" She looked the young man right in his eyes and placed her hands on his strong, muscular chest. "You look so much like him... You sound like him..." She was slowly leaning more and more into his body. She raised her hips and proceeded to place each of her knees on either side of his thighs. Very gently, she lowered herself onto his lap and pressed her breasts against his chest. Holding onto his shoulders she waited for any signs of resistance from his part but there were none. He kept looking at her but barely moved a muscle.

Leah leaned against his chest and placed her cheek against the top of his chest, taking a deep sniff. "Ohh Gods... You even smell like him... You're intoxicating me... please tell me, are you my Shinichi...?" she whimpered and begged for an answer while looking up into his eyes. She was aware of how she might look to him. A middle-aged woman who was mother to a man as old as him throwing herself like this at him. She was scared of his wrath but far worse was her fear that he might reject her. But she kept pushing on. She started kissing his neck, soft gentle kisses. She placed her hands on his cheek and through his hair, feeling him up. She kissed his chin and then kissed her way up along his jaw. She bit his right earlobe and let out a soft, sensual groan. "Please... Please... Baby talk to me... are you my Shinichi...?"

But regardless of all her efforts, the man remained stoic. He didn't utter a single word or moved a single muscle. The only saving grace was the boner he was sporting under his trousers that she could feel pressing between her legs.

However, that wasn't enough for Leah. Her lust was slowly waning and a deep feeling of guilt was taking over. She felt like she was being unfaithful to the memory of her husband. Mother had already proclaimed that this man was not Shinichi. It was just some young man.

She slowly started to peel off of him and started to get away from him. She avoided any eye contact with him and quickly gathered up the supplies and the pot of water. "I'm sorry for what I did." She quickly apologised. "Please use this room to spend the night and forget anything happened. It would be best for everyone if you stayed away from me." She spoke quickly, she felt tears approaching and she made haste leaving the room.

The next morning, Leah didn't leave the guest room and Yuta was the first one up in the house. She walked over to check up on Leah when she didn't see her early bird daughter-in-law in the kitchen. However she was a bit surprised to see the impostor sitting in Leah's bed, looking out the broken window.

"You're still here? I'm guessing the kind-hearted yet stupid daughter of mine let you stay here?" Yuta asked as she stood by the door, hands crossed in front of her chest. She scrutinized the man and when no reply came from him, she continued her questioning. "Why are you still here? What do you want?"

The man finally turned to look at her with his expressionless face and spoke. "I wish to take a man from your tribe to undo the seal on the tablet."

Yuta chuckled at his request, "And why would the tribe offer you any assistance?"

"Because you want that tablet just like I do. You know I can get it. I just want a Kaede Man. We can both get what we want."

***

It was late in the afternoon when the council had gathered on a short notice. The council convened in a small room in the back of the Great Hall. The room barely had enough space for a table and chairs to sit eight. All the chairs were occupied by the elders of the tribe.

"... And are you certain of his abilities, Yuta?" questioned Gorou, one of the village elders.

"He knew about the seal on the tablet and the only injuries he had sustained anywhere on his body were on his arms. Yes, I'm certain he is going to be capable of recovering the Ancient tablet." Old lady Yuta replied to the council.

"Well, we surely can all believe in his abilities. We saw him use the Angel's Blessing. But my question is-" Zabel spoke up. "-what about OUR man? What if the outsider gets what he wants and abandons our tribe's man? What about him? What about the recovery of the tablet then?"

A number of voices spoke up in approval to this, Zabel continued. "I suggest we approve Lady Yuta's request but instead of a single man, we send a battalion of our finest warriors to go on this holy quest."

More voices of approval seconded him but old lady Nunuq raised a counter. "A battalion? Won't it defeat the whole purpose of a covert mission? The enemy will see the battalion from a mile away! I say we spare a single man and give the outsider what he desires. It is a low risk high reward option."

That opinion was met with more opposition and the council kept debating for over an hour.

Finally, it was decided that a small squad of four elites would accompany the outsider. This covert mission would take place 4 months later however, once the snow started to melt on the mountains and it was a little safer to travel up. By then the outsider too would get to heal. He was to stay at old lady Yuta's house so that her daughter-in-law may look after his healing.

The outsider however was not happy with the council's decision but he had no say in it.

17:00, Sixth Day of the Twelfth Cycle of 3268, Kaede Tribe's Settlement

With the commencement of the Twelfth Cycle, the holy month had started. The entire settlement was in the mood for festivities. The military training had been halted for the holy month and the new trainees got to spend time with their families again. Many feasts were organised throughout the month in the honour of the Sacred Mother and the people of the settlement came together to celebrate and lend a hand in organising the feasts.

Roku was walking back home with his mother, Leah. Helping her carry a number of heavy bags from the market while the pair laughed and giggled as Roku recounted various funny incidents from the training camp to his beloved mother.

"Oh sweetheart, that's amazing" Leah giggled as she wiped off a stray tear from laughing so much.

"Yeah, you say that now but we were there in that moment and we were shitting bricks there, mother." Roku chuckled as he walked alongside her.

"Mhmm, I'm sure." Leah nodded smiling at her son. "Thanks for helping your dear old mother with those heavy bags, sweetheart."

"Old?! You're not old, mother. You're still-" Roku stopped when they heard what sounded like a muffled scream come from somewhere behind a row of trees that stood in a little abandoned plot of land. "What was that?" Roku asked turning in the direction of the noise.

Leah felt a little concerned as well and the two of them proceeded towards the abandoned plot. As they drew closer, they could hear muffled panting, whimpering and then a soft moan.

Leah immediately grabbed Roku's hand and pulled him. "It's nothing, son. Let's go back home." She spoke quickly but Roku pulled free from her. "Someone might be in danger, mother. You don't need to worry about me, I'll handle it." With that he ran towards the rows of trees.

However, the sight of the source of those distressful noises left Roku distraught. He dropped the bags on the ground and stared wide eyed with his jaws touching the ground.

It was sweet little Quin, only the most beautiful woman in the entire settlement had a look on her face that Roku had never seen before. Her gorgeous blonde hair were a mess, some stray strands sticking to her sweaty forehead. Her face was flushed red, her eyes were open but her pupils were gone all the way up. Her back was pressed against the trunk of the tree, her top was pushed all the way up to her neck. Her one supple round breast with hard pointy nipple was visible from where Roku was standing. Her skirt was pushed all the way up to her waist and her pink panties were hanging off the ankle of her left foot. She currently had both her legs wrapped around the waist of a mystery man. Her one hand was gripping his shoulder while the other was pressed against her mouth to muffle her songs of pleasure.

The man held her up with his hands under her ass and he was pounding her with reckless abandon. Roku couldn't tell the identity of the man because he had his face planted between Quin's marvellous tits but he could tell for certain that this man was not his bestfriend Yoshi.