Marked by the Lord of War

Ares withdraws his dick, breathing heavily. Tanita clings to his body, wanting more. With a rapid movement, as she was nothing but a feather, Ares raises her body and turns her over, stomach flat on the sweaty bed sheets. He inserts a hand between the bed and her body and brings her up a little, until her buttocks touch his belly. He is inside of her again. His hand under her abdomen, he guides her body to meet his. She can feel his long hard shaft pushing in her abdomen. The sensation is indescribable. She thinks her pussy would rip apart. Her feminine juices flow out of her in hot waves. Her pussy makes muffled sounds that are both gory and exciting. Her tights are wet and dripping.

Ares growls savagely. Tanita feels his dick pulsing inside of her. Hot sperm invades her womanhood and fills her entirely. Her intimate muscles tense, trying to keep him in there for eternity. The second orgasm comes like an explosion. Her womb aches with pleasure. Her nipples are hard and painful but she brushes them frantically on the bed cloth as her back arches up and down involuntarily. She cannot hold on to a shout, a cry of pain and pleasure altogether, a voice that doesn't seem her own.

***

When Tanita opens her eyes, the next morning, Ares is nowhere to be found. All of her body aches. Muscles she didn't know she had are tense and hurting. Tanita curses between her lips and starts collecting her pieces of clothing from around the room. Her belt, her dagger, the armband, her lucky amulet... Suddenly she searches frantically in her shirt. What a relief, the black velvet pouch is still there. You never know, Ares could well have been a thief.

Tanita gets dressed and leaves the room. She finds the door open and stops for a second to think about last night, a somewhat wicked smile on her lips. A familiar spasm between her thighs and she starts getting wet again at the very memory. What Ares did to her was unbelievable. He had her three more times after their first episode, like he was some sort of an insatiable animal. His appetite was that of a voracious predator. Exhausted, Tanita had fall to sleep and forgot all precautions. She, who never slept without a dagger under the pillow and her battle-axe close by -- this time she could have been a perfect victim.

Never mind, she will get back to herself, and soon enough. Next time she'll see Ares, it will be her turn to lead the precession. And, strangely enough, she wishes to see Ares again. Something like that never happened before. She was used to one night stands. Sex is something you use to relax, to burn your hormones up, right? But having sex with Ares was something more. Almost like making love, if she knew how that felt.

As for now, she had a business to complete and it will not be an easy one. She'll need to employ all of her cunning and skills to get over this one. But first she needs to eat. Curious how sex made her so hungry every time. And now more than ever. Afterwards, she will be able to face Olarya, the Witch, whose help she needed to be able to complete her mission.

***

Olarya, the Witch, resides in the Red Onion's deep dark cellars. She is a gifted oracle and she is venerated by everyone, almost as a goddess. She is also feared. This combination of apprehension and admiration lends enormous power to Olarya and she knows how to use it in her own benefit and how to increase it.

People say she is old as the war, but in truth Olarya is still quite young. She has reached her forties, but she is a strong woman, healthy and in shape. But for the witch effect to work on people, she has to alter their view. She only wears black clothes, old and frayed and her hair is a mess, tangled with threads of fabric and grass. Her dark skin is covered in some sort of white dust almost all the time, which gives her a ragged look. Her voice is rasp and her discourse scrappy. She doesn't move much in the presence of strangers -- her favorite posture is sitting in the dark, behind a great smelly cauldron, always bobbling in boil -- but when she does, she has a hunchback and her legs seem crooked. She looks like an old crone and that is exactly how she wants people to consider her.

Tanita enters the witch's lair, careful not to disturb anything: piles and piles of herbs and withered grasses; strange stones, marked with intricate symbols; dried animal eyes and fur and limbs; jars full with strange concoctions and a repellent smell that floats around and turns your guts out.

Olarya emerges from nowhere and circles Tanita, sniffing at her. "Ya sssmell of bluod..." the witch fumbles. "Ya sssmell of war. Za urchin hasss been toucht by the massster... "

Tanita does not answer. You don't smell so good yourself, she could have said. But she is not here to alienate Olarya. She needs her help and she is willing to put up with the witch's weirdness.

"Oh, oh... good." Olarya mutters. "Za urcin iz hiere to learn, za urchin hasss e misssion..."

Tanita grins in agreement. "I am here for information, I..." Tanita is stopped by a gesture of Olarya. She holds Tanita's hand and nudges her to follow. They enter the back of the room, to an even darker place. It is Olarya's refuge and she never brings anyone here. But this is a special occasion. They sit on some pillows, cross-legged, face to face. Dim light reveals portions of the witch's face.

"I want to know..." starts Tanita, but the witch puts her finger at the lips.

"First, let's talk pay. For everything must be paid and pained for," says Olarya, and Tanita doesn't even notice the change in her speech. She nods and reaches inside her shirt, getting the velvet pouch out. Olarya leans over, looking intently at her.

"I want what the Lord of War gave you," the witch whispers.

Sticks could hardly be named Lord of anything, Tanita thinks, least of all Lord of War. But she won't argue with the witch. She shrugs, opening the pouch and extracting a few coins.

"No, foolish girl, I don't mean that," Olarya shrills. "I want to drink out the seed of divinity."

Tanita is in trouble. The witch uses a way of talking in riddles that puts her in difficulty. How much gold does the old crone want? She takes a few more coins out of her pouch.

Olarya reaches towards her and tosses the pouch from Tanita's hand. The gold coins scatter on the floor. "I will lick your cunt. That is my pay and nothing else," the witch says.

Tanita has heard and done enough in her life, but the thought of that repulses her whole being. The little bristles of hair on her skin stand out and shivers climb down her spine. But Olarya will not take no for an answer. She insists that it is the only way Tanita will succeed in her mission. Finally, Tanita is persuaded. And for the best, she thinks. More gold for myself, five minutes of embarrassment. She leans on her back and opens her legs.

***

"So you are interested in the Lincolnian fellow?" Olarya asks, sitting once more face to face with Tanita. "They call him President, you know? Like they used to call them long time ago. He started to unite them and Lincolnians have grown in power. Many others have left and joined them as a result. Are you sure you want to mess with that?"

"How hard can it be, to kill one man?"

"You don't know and don't care what happens. I imagine the Sons have payed you," Olarya says. "But I tell you, this will change the course of war. Are you prepared for it?"

Tanita shrugs. "As long as I'm paid for...doesn't matter. This war will never end. Not in my lifetime. I was born in it and I will die in it. It's all I know."

"Then hear me well. I see the Lincolnian travel to the Southerners five days from now. He will be accompanied by a small party, because he wishes his visit to remain a secret. I see a distressed young woman rescued from the forest of Hillside. The Lincolnian will bring her into his tent. Do you understand me?"

Tanita nods. She understands. She grabs her belongings and is out of the door and on her way before Olarya blinks her eyes.

***

While Tanita sits in Olarya's lair, Ares enters Claude's rest room, at the back of the Red Onion. Claude and his associates are just discussing a new possible source of income and they are focused over some drafted plans spread on the table.

"I have come to claim this place," Ares declares.

Startled, Claude, Ravel and Seanna turn towards the uninvited guest. Claude stares at the stranger in front of him. He doesn't know how to react: laugh or just strangle him? The situation kind of amuses him.

"Better get lost, pal," he says, smiling as nicely as he can. "I will forget this small incident if you leave now." He turns his back at the newcomer, intending to continue his business.

"Your insolence is not appreciated," Ares replies. "I intend to make you my first servant but I will not tolerate your disrespect."

Instinctively, Seanna and Ravel part ways, making room for Claude. Claude's body tenses, his back arches. Muscles in his jaw dance under the skin. He clenches his fists and jams them on the table.

"Leave now," Claude grunts, still not turning. "Or else..."

"Tell your minions to bring in food and wine," Ares commands, ignoring the shift in Claude's body language. "I wish to celebrate."

This is too much for Claude. He turns and launches himself at Ares, like a bulldozer. The two of them don't seem to belong in the same movie. Claude is tall and heavy built, with his wide chest, strong back and muscles bulging under the shirt, while Ares seems slender, even frail in comparison.

Seanna and Ravel decide to sit back and enjoy the show. They know Claude only too well. When he is angry, a hurricane could not stand in his way. And now he is enraged. "This poor fellow will be crushed," Ravel whispers. Seanna agrees. "Too bad", she says. "He is kinda cute."

The bartender's right fist targets Ares' head. Ares does not even flinch. At the very last moment, he raises his left hand and stops Claude's fist in the air, almost as dealing with a butterfly. Ares clenches his hand and squeezes. Claude is forced to kneel while the bones in his hand start to crackle.

Slowly, Ravel finds his way towards reality. He grabs one of the clubs his boss always keeps at hand and jumps forward. His attack forces Ares to let go of Claude's hand in order to block the club. The club hits Ares in the forearm and breaks like a toothpick. Wood splinters rain over Claude's bald head while he lies at Ares' feet. With half the club still in his hands, Ravel stares at Ares, incapable of moving. The stranger pushes Claude from his way and reaches Ravel. He seizes his coat and tosses him into the wall to be crushed. Ravel lands in Claude's trophy display and is pierced by the corn of a rhinoceros. He dies instantly.

Ares turns to Claude again and grabs him by the neck. With supernatural strength, he lifts Claude from the ground and holds him at arm's length. All this while Seanna is watching. But she does not want to share Ravel's faith. She slowly makes to steps back.

"I always enjoy a good fight. But this time I am not amused," bellows Ares. "I am your God and you will obey me." He drops Claude from his hand. "Clean this mess and bring food and wine." Then he turns to Seanna and beckons her. "And you will be my sex slave," he adds.

***

Five days later, Tanita arrives at the Hillside forest and is waiting for the Lincolnians to show. She has abandoned her usual warrior attire for a torn dress. The dress looks and feels uncomfortably, but is the perfect cover for Tanita. She has also bruised her hands and feet, to look battered, and smudged some mud on her face. She assumed the role of the classical damsel in distress in order to trap the Lincolnian and hoped it work.

By the evening, some twenty horsemen make their way through the woods. In front of them sits a grizzled man, upright in his saddle. His demeanor commands respect. No doubt he is the leader. His name is Gideon Bait, but they call him Mister President. He is the leader of the Lincolnians, a great military mind but mostly a great political figure. He has managed something no predecessor of him succeeded: to unite the many Lincolnian factions together. Thanks to him, the Lincolnians are now close to what is called a nation. They control a large portion of land and resources and have built some strongholds. They outnumber all the other groups -- the Brigands, the Sons of the Jackal, the Southerners, the Brotherhood of Blood and the Cazadores, to name but a few -- and are better fed and equipped than most.

The Lincolnians travel with twenty horses and a cart for the baggage. They have avoided the main routes and have taken almost twice to get to their destination. But the President ordered so, in order to maintain a low profile on their movements. The party is currently traveling to meet the Southerners' leader. Bait intends to propose an alliance. If the mission is to be a success, the two groups together would become unbeatable. That is the very reason why the Sons of the Jackal decided to hire Tanita to prevent such an occurrence.

As they come by an arc of the path, after a thick bush, the travelers discover a young woman, collapsed in the middle of the road. Immediately, Bait orders his men to check on her. Two men approach and help Tanita up, supporting her by the shoulders and waist. She leans on them heavily, her legs trembling. She looks like she has been attacked by beasts, with bruises and scratches all over her bare skin.

"What happened to you, my dear?" Bait sits forward in his saddle, full of concern.

"The Jackals," Tanita mutters while tears are falling down her cheeks. "They tried to..." Tanita's sentence ends up in uncontrolled sighs and tears.

One of the men offers Tanita some water. She grabs the canteen and drinks with greed, gulping large amounts and pouring water all over her. Her act is paying off. Gideon Bait is won over. He commands his men to help the woman in the cart and care for her.

***

Down in the belly of the Red Onion, Olarya is in a rush. If Ares finds out that she has his seed, she'll have no chance to carry out the plan. She has to leave as soon as possible. She has gathered a few things and is waiting for Nobo, the stable boy, to come help her out. Most of her stuff will remain behind, but she hopes the reward will worth a few lost things. She has to put some distance between her and the wrath of Ares.

Nobo enters and bows his head. "The cart is ready." He grabs the bags from Olarya's hands and hurries up the stairs. He is the only companion she will have and the only one that knows who Olarya is. For this journey, Olarya has abandoned her usual witch look for a plain clothes woman, somebody you don't look at twice. Nobody has to know that she is gone, at least for a couple of days.

Olarya stops in the middle of the staircase and peeps back. Her lair is already looking abandoned. She will miss the Red Onion. But her mission is more important now than her own feelings.

***

Tanita is concerned. She sees the opportunities of succeeding in her mission slipping away. It's the third night since she was rescued by the Lincolnians and the last one before they reach the Southerners. The party hah continued its journey and only stopped to rest for a few hours. During the day, stops were only made for feeding and watering the horses, while the men dined in their saddles.

At least tonight, the Lincolnians have stopped and made a proper camp. They have raised a few tents and have built a large fire in the middle of the camp. One fat wild boar sow was grilled over the fire.

Tanita has a tent of her own and is well cared for. The soldiers are friendly and try to make her feel welcome. No one bothers her, but Tanita still has to make her way to the President's tent. Until now, she had no chance to stand face to face with the leader and make her move.

This is the last chance, Tanita tells herself. The young soldier in charge of her enters the tent and brings a bowl of oat porridge and some meat. She takes it and smiles shyly.

"Thank you so much," she says. "Bless you and all of your companions and your chief. You saved my life. What is your name?"

The man smiles back and waves his hand. "It was nothing. We're glad we could help. My name is Peter."

But Tanita takes her role seriously. She kneels before the soldier and kisses his hands with tears in her eyes. "Peter, I thank you with all my heart," she repeats. "And I want to thank your leader in person. He is the greatest man I've ever seen. Please take me to him."

Peter hesitates but seeing Tanita's large, imploring eyes, he nods. "I'll show you in his tent."

"Just a second, I can't go like this. Let we wash my face," Tanita asks.

Half an hour later, after she'd done everything she could to arrange herself, Tanita enters Gideon Bait's tent. And she is lucky -- he is alone. He welcomes her and beckons her to take a sit. The Lincolnian offers her a cup of tea and Tanita agrees.

"My name is Lucia," she says. "I want to thank you for everything you have done for me, Mister President."

"Call me Gideon," he answers. "I am glad we could help." He approaches Tanita with the cup of tea. "Please."

Tanita seizes the moment. She accepts the cup and rests her hand upon the Lincolnian's hand. He flinches, but does not back down. Tanita shifts in her chair and lets the dress slide up, revealing her bare thighs. Sitting there like a wounded deer, she looks up at Bait with all the innocence she could muster. He is trapped.

Tanita removes the cup and starts kissing his hand. She slips her finger under his shirt sleeve and caresses his skin. Bait tries to back down but Tanita reaches for his other hand and seizes it. She puts his hand over her breast. "Feel my heart," she whispers. "It still beats because of you..." The Lincolnian escapes a grunt. He is getting aroused. Tanita gets up and cuddles at his chest. He embraces her and starts kissing her cheeks and neck.

Bait takes Tanita in his arms and takes her to the bed. "I am not to be disturbed," he shouts to the outside guards. He puts Tanita in the bed and hovers over, kissing her. His hands start to feel her body. His movements are erratic, betraying desire. Tanita helps him remove her dress. She is stark naked underneath. She hopes her bruises will not show too much but Bait is beyond observing such details. He is currently up, fighting a stubborn button from his shirt. Tanita sits up and loosens his belt. She starts massaging him through the pants.

In the meantime he manages to get out of his shirt. Tanita reaches to his chest and kisses his nipples, her fingers dancing on his backbone. Excitement sends shivers down his spine. He tosses the pants and reveals his erect penis. Tanita puts her right hand on his manhood and starts moving up and down. She kneels beside him and takes his organ into her mouth, playing with her tongue. With her left hand she plays with his balls. Bait groans with pleasure. He can barely hold himself. He tips Tanita over and opens her legs. He penetrates her and pushes himself deeply into her hot cunt. Tanita meets him halfway, raising her pelvis. She moves her hips in a round motion, driving him mad. Bait grabs her buttocks and pushes further and further. He watches in awe as his penis slips in and out her wet pussy and her breasts bounce in rhythm. He explodes with a deep guttural groan of pleasure. His seed floods her belly. He moves his loins spasmodically a few more times, with his eyes closed and mouth open. Sweat comes down his chest and back. He is finished.

Tanita rests in the bed sheets. It is night and the lights are out. Bait has fallen asleep. She takes a pillow and puts it over his face. She presses hard and leans over with her entire weight to counteract the Lincolnian's struggle. Five minutes later, she is dressed in his clothes and leaves the tent by cutting an opening in the back. With some luck, she will be far away by the time they realize what had happened.