Semper Invictus Ch. 01 - Drawn

"What did he tell you?" Svan asked.

"He said my career was basically at a dead end," she said. "Unless, of course, I had a change of heart."

"And have you?" Svan asked.

"No," she said.

"In fact, you've been working on getting out of there, haven't you?" Svan asked.

"I have," she said. "But so far, nothing has worked out."

"And that's because Derek put the word out about you," Svan said. "But you've already suspected that, haven't you?" She nodded her head. "So why not just leave? Hand in your resignation and walk out the door."

"I need a job," she said. "I have obligations. Bills to pay."

"So, you would leave if you had a way to take care of your financial obligations?" Svan asked.

"I would," she said. Svan smiled and gave me a knowing look. After 2,000 years, I knew what he was thinking and needed no explanation. I nodded my head in understanding.

"Then come work for me," I said. "You can even stay here if you wish."

"What would I do?" she asked.

"A bit of this, a bit of that," I said. "I could use someone to back me up. I'll train you on whatever you need. Think of it as a career change."

"Are you sure you can afford me? I make quite a bit," she said.

"Money is not a problem," I told her. She looked around the room for a bit as she thought about her options. Then she nodded her head.

"I'll do it," she said. "When can I start?"

"Right now, if you wish," I said.

"What the hell," she said. "I'll do it."

"Welcome aboard, Noemi," Svan said with a smile. "Prepare for the adventure of your life. I must go now, Steve. The comm window is closing. We'll be in touch."

"Very well," I said as the monitor went dark. I opened a drawer and pulled out a spiral metal armband. Noemi looked at it, her brows furrowed.

"What is that?" she asked.

"A piece of jewelry," I told her. "It hasn't been worn for 2,000 years. It's been updated with something to protect you from the creatures." I slid it up her left arm and was amazed that it fit her just like it did Noei. I pressed a symbol etched into the metal and knew the circuitry was active. She ran her fingers over it as she examined it.

"This was worn by her, wasn't it?" she asked. "I saw it in one of your pictures."

"Yes, it was," I said. Her eyes suddenly went wide, and she looked at me.

"Your name. It was Artebudz, wasn't it?" she asked. I specifically avoided mentioning that name to her. "That's what your mother called you."

"How did you know that?" I asked.

"I don't know. It just... came to me," she said.

"Do you know what it means?" I asked. She looked at my crotch, and a smile began to grow on her face.

"I'm not sure, but I get the impression it has to do with your, um, equipment," she said with a sly smile. I smiled back. She was close.

"The name roughly translates to 'bear penis' in English," I said. "My mother said I was quite well-endowed. Even as a little boy."

"Bear penis?" she asked. "Seriously?"

"Yeah," I said, somewhat sheepishly. "Not a name I would give a boy in this day and age."

"I would hope not," she said.

Over the rest of the weekend, she moved her things into my house and took over one of the upstairs apartments. The following week, she put her condo up for sale and quit her job. Derek demanded to know where she was going.

"Someplace where I'm appreciated," she told him before walking out of his office. I spent the next month training her on the equipment, and Svan helped her connect her laptop to the network I had set up in the equipment room.

She became pretty good at tracking the creatures, and I found her a tremendous asset while working in the field. I started training her to fight and found her to be a natural. It was almost as if her muscles already knew how to wield a sword. She would certainly have been welcome in my village all those years ago.

More than once, I had to control myself around her. Over the next two months, I found myself quite attracted to her, just as I was drawn to Noei. I had a feeling she was attracted to me as well but wasn't quite sure how to deal with it. More than once, I saw her staring at the images hanging in the gallery, studying every detail.

Svan had told me that over time, her genetic memory would return. He suggested I let her develop independently and not push the issue. He warned me that she would be practically insatiable when her memory came back. I took his suggestions to heart. And I'm glad I did.

I came home from a particularly grueling encounter in San Francisco and was greeted by something I hadn't seen in, well, 2,000 years. Noemi stood in the main hallway, wearing only a short white robe. The front was open, and I could see the swell of her bare breasts and her hard erect nipples.

She had shaved her pubic region, and her face sported the same blue design I had seen on Noei many times. I was stunned at this vision of loveliness and stood, frozen in place. She walked up to me, removing her robe, and all she wore was the spiral metal armband. She wrapped her arms around me and gave me a scorching hot tongue kiss as she began tearing at my clothes.

Soon, she had me naked and took my growing cock in her hands. She looked at me with lust in her eyes and smiled.

"I've waited 2,000 years for this, my love," she said as she stroked my hard cock. "And I won't wait another minute. Take me to bed, my husband." I picked her up and carried her up the stairs to my bedroom. I put her on the bed and covered her beautiful body with kisses.

"Quit teasing," she hissed. "Take me, my warrior. I need a real man, not some limp-dicked pencil-pushing soy-boy. Make me your woman again." Who was I to argue? She spread her legs wide and took my hard cock in her hands. "Fuck me with this monster," she said. "Fuck me, now! And don't ever stop."

We both gasped as I entered her. She was tight, hot, and wet. So much so that I nearly erupted inside her the moment I was in her. I began fucking her the way Noei liked, and soon, she was matching me thrust for thrust, the way Noei used to do. I heard her moaning in my ear and realized she was speaking in our native language.

Svan was right -- this woman was insatiable. It was as if she was trying to make up for 2,000 years in one night. I never felt anything so incredibly satisfying in my life. My wife -- my soul mate, the mother of my children -- was back! I filled her with my seed, and still, she screamed for more. We continued fucking for what seemed like hours before we finally collapsed in each other's arms.

"Wow," I said, holding her tight. "What brought all that on?"

"I remembered," she said quietly. "I remembered everything. The way you used to hold me. The way we made love to each other. I remembered how you held me even though I was old and wrinkled. I remembered telling you that you didn't have to, that I understood. But you said I am your wife, and you love me, no matter what. You held onto me, even as I took my last breath. You have no idea what that means to me."

She rolled over and looked at me, tears falling down her face.

"I missed you so much all those years you were gone. But I knew in my heart you were still alive. And you proved me right. And I promise I will stand at your side from now on. You are my husband. You always have been, and you always will be," she said. "For all time." She rolled on top of me, taking my cock in her hand. She stroked me with her hands until I got hard again.

"There was a day when we struck fear in our enemies," she said. "And together, we will do so again, my husband." She positioned herself above my hard cock and lowered herself on me. "Say it with me, Arte," she said, using the shortened version of my name the way Noei once did. "Declare it to the world!" I knew what she meant.

"SEMPER INVICTUS!" we declared together as we became one flesh.

...

More to come...

Notes: There actually was a kingdom called Noricum that sat just north of modern Italy. The capital city was named Noreia, and its location has yet to be verified, although some believe they have found it. At some point, Noricum became a Roman province. I have found several dates for that in my research, ranging from 47 BC to about 111 AD.

With all this in mind, I took some artistic license regarding the actual history. For the strict perfectionists and those who are no doubt Googling all of this, please save yourself the time and trouble. As I stated earlier, this is a work of fiction, not a docu-drama.