Son of Mars and Venus Ch. 01

"That's why I'll be accompanying you. Your father will remain here in Evermore and be ready to respond to any other attacks while we handle this.",

"You speak in jest, surely?" Markus said, searching her hazel eyes.

She smiled at that, "We leave at first light tomorrow. We'll have a full meal tonight before turning in. Be sure to get plenty of sleep, darling."

-----

Markus's appetite was hampered by the impending travel and danger that loomed. The bread tasted stale, the roast pork Mary had prepared felt heavy in his stomach. Markus tried to drown his nerves in wine, though his father sat across the table, scowling at him.

"Mary, grab that goblet off him before he drinks himself into a stupor."

"Yes, m'lord."

She gave Markus a pained look as she gingerly took it from his hand.

"Well, I'll just try and get some sleep then - yes, sleep would be nice." The wooden chair screeched upon the stone floor as he bade his goodnight and prayed to the Archangels above.

Michael, Metatron, Gabriel, Raphael, Jophiel, Ariel, Azrael, Chamuel, have mercy on me.

The onset of sleep was painful, his sleep fitful, his dreams disturbing.

A band of demons stalked the countryside. The green grass that glowed by moonlight gave way to the crimson blood spilled upon it as men, women, and children were cut down. Markus's bare feet pressed into the cool grass against his skin before his feet became slick with blood.

Glowing red eyes turned, and the march of feet and claws rooted him in place, his mind scrambling to focus and protect himself. Their claws dripped with blood as they drew near, the stench of death drawing close and filling his nostrils. Claws readied a stroke of death.

Markus's eyes shot open to the dim light of his room. First light was upon him. You've got to be kidding me. His manhood was once again engorged, unperturbed by sights and dreams of horror.

Breakfast with his mother calmed his nerves somewhat, she had always possessed a reassuring presence and benevolent nature. A kind smile often communicated all that need to be said.

Markus had the good sense to eat plainly and avoid a laden stomach. The mood was sombre. A red head of hair and moist eyes peaked around the corner of the kitchen. Words were left unsaid, as Markus met her gaze and held back tears. What was his duty felt like walking to the gallows, as those you love wave their goodbyes before your final departure.

The door creaked and slammed shut behind them. Mounting their horses, a dapple-grey gelding and a chestnut stud, they departed into the half lit, half veiled darkness. They rode upon the ever downward sloping hill as it wound in a smooth continuous curve, and then through minor walled gates where bleary-eyed guardsmen stood and hefted spears.

All too quickly, they had exited the city gates, after having passed through all three levels of the fortified city. He cast one last glance behind him. The giant walls and stolid towers loomed, the otherwise grey monotony taking on a golden hue in the morning sunlight as it peaked over the wooded hills. The banner of house Maine was frozen in the still air.

Markus took in a deep breath and left the city behind him.

On the paved road ahead sat a mounted party, some fifty men and women in the plain steel armour of the common soldiery, polished steel armour of Templars, or the plain white robes of the Priests. A man greeted them with a fist to his chest, the visor of his bascinet pulled up with a red feather atop it, revealing a chiselled jaw and thin brown hair. His accent was a pompous but gentle English knight.

"Me'lady, me'lord. I am Ser Richard Mobray, and will have the honour of escorting you both," he said

"Very good, Ser Richard. Please, call me Alina. This is my son, Markus." She said.

Markus gave a polite nod before he spurred his horse forward, taking his place at the head of the company. Had best do it quickly, before I lose my nerve. He avoided looking at those around him, lest they see the fear on his face. Yet a presence beckoned, and he peered up from his saddlehorn.

A white robed priest near the front of the formation looked at him. Her straight blonde hair fell from within her white hood, and piercing blue eyes regaled him. She flashed him a smile, almost reassuring - or nervous.

It was a heavenly sight, but not enough to break him from his brooding. He gave a stern smile in response as he trotted his horse to the head of the formation and awaited his mother. Fortunately, his mother spared him the shame of attempting to reassure or console him as she rode alongside him and signalled the party forward.

They were still in the heart of the Empire of Amarath, the south and west regions of the continent Erebus, where feuding human nations once stood before being forced together to combat the encroaching demon invasion. Flat, green grassland and farms sat either side of the road, the largest of which were surrounded by wooden palisades. Clusters of soldiers holding spears and donning mail stood at their entrances; they silently watched the company before giving a solemn salute.

The horses made good pace at a solid canter, each of the several walled towns they passed through filled with watchful masses of guards and soldiers. They travelled east along the Emperor's Road, away from the west coast city of Evermore that overlooked the Mirovia Ocean.

Fresh horses would be prepared for them ahead, their need communicated either through a Signalstone, or via a messenger hawk. The party did not rest until nightfall, after changing horses at midday at the town of Lindsbrook and eating in their saddles. That evening the soldiers oversaw the efficient pitching of tents and assembling of campfires, with the assistance of the dozen templars that had accompanied them.

Two wizards, thirty-four soldiers, twelve templars, and twelve priests. The number of priests and templars were always equal; each templar would be charged with the protection of a priest. The reason was simple: if a priest should die in battle, the chaotic Planar Magic of the demons would threaten to affect the environment around them and put the lives of the company in peril. It was only the Planar Magic that priests pulled from Heaven, that suppressed the most destructive magic of demons affecting the landscape.

This bond began in training, and most commonly was between a man and a woman. Deliberately creating a bond between templar and priest was desired; encouraging the templar to rush to the aid of the priest, even at the cost of their own life. It was odd then, that in the evening a female templar and priest crept towards where Markus had pitched his tent away from the others.

The priest had her head uncovered, and Markus could see shoulder-length blonde hair swaying in the cool evening breeze as the woman drew closer. The templar at her right shoulder had dark brown hair, slightly longer than that of a man - slightly. As they reached his campfire, he could finally make out their faces. The priest was stunning up close, with pale smooth skin and prominent cheek bones upon a slim face, and as she smiled sweetly she revealed her charming dimples.

The templar, while imposing adorned in armour, had a gorgeous face, with firm cheeks, a well-rounded jaw, and a coy smile, the dance of firelight gave her light brown eyes a warm touch.

The priest walked forward confidently.

"Good evening, my Lord," she spoke sweetly, her high-pitched voice was like a gentle caress as she curtsied, "may we share your fire a while?"

"You are welcome to it," he said.

"This is my templar, Rebecca," she said, as she shot a fond look over her shoulder before returning her gaze to him, "and I am Bridgette."

He nodded sternly, "Markus."

"I hope I'm not imposing, but this is actually the first time I've left Evermore on a demon hunt - and I've never met a wizard before. I've always been a little curious," she said with stiff shoulders.

"Oh? First time for you as well?"

"Wha- Oh. I had thought that - at least you'd have," she drew breath, "seen them before. You can kill them, can't you?"

"I'll just say that I prepared a few spells for the occasion."

A spell that produced a fist of force, a ward against physical attacks, an area spell that made the ground bubble with oil, and one that condensed minute pockets of air.

Bridgette sat down alongside him, sharing the overturned log. Her shoulders visibly relaxed as she joined him. "Hmm, well I feel better already then. If you don't mind, I think I'd prefer to stay close to you while we travel. And when we - find them."

Markus swallowed, but forced his voice to stay calm, unwilling to concern her. "When we find them, I shan't let them come close," he said.

Her warm smile at that was made beautiful by her white teeth and cute dimples.

Blushing slightly, Bridgette spoke, "I - once heard a rumour at the church. That if a virgin loses her virginity with a wizard, it works even better than a love ritual. And that the wizard also draws some energy from it."

Markus gulped at that, "Uhhh, I'm not sure that's corre- I mean..." Stupid! "It's hard to know without trying. Did you - have someone in mind?"

Bridgette looked at him as if he had grown horns. She burst out laughing and stood up, brushing at her rear, "I'll uhh - see you in the morning, Markus."

As Bridgette walked away, the sound of her laughter mixed with a throaty chuckle from the otherwise stoic Rebecca. Markus felt his ears redden and cheeks flush. Did you have someone in mind? Fucking idiot.

-----

On the morrow, the stunning blonde drew rein next to him at the head of the column. Bridgette flashed him a smile at the same time Markus's mother Alina stretched in her saddle to look past him at the blonde priestess. Markus returned Bridgette's smile before turning and looking at his mother, to see her cocking her eyebrows at him.

He shrugged and looked ahead, clearing his throat briefly before urging his horse forward and beginning another day of hard riding. Their journey now turned northward.

The summer sun and singing birds gave way to the hooting of owls and chirping of crickets, as the gently rolling grassland was replaced by thickets of wood. The night was cooler than the last. Every minute they travelled north took them but closer to the frosty peaks of Erebus.

Wrapped in a blanket, Markus sat down that evening upon his pallet and wished his ass wasn't quite so sore. Bridgette sat to his right, huddled up against him and sharing the blanket.

The priests shared larger tents, and so her insistence that she remain close to him necessitated her sharing Markus's tent - with her ever faithful templar of course.

Through the tent flaps strode the armoured figure of Rebecca, the clink of her armour resounding with her footsteps. She regarded the pair for a moment upon entering, before taking a seat across from them on a simple wooden chair and began to remove her greaves and armguards. Rebecca began to stretch behind her shoulder, attempting to unclasp her breastplate.

Markus, while uncomfortable in the northern chill only a couple of days ride from Evermore, extracted himself from the warm embrace of the blanket and padded over to her.

Rebecca gave a slight grimace before she ceased her attempts, forced to accept his assistance. Her breastplate was quickly removed by his nimble hands and fell away to reveal her gambeson underneath that she quickly lifted over her head.

Markus's eyes bulged slightly, as Rebecca was left only in a thin cotton shirt and pants, and he realised that the gambeson must be quite restrictive. What was once an unremarkable figure garbed in steel armour, was now a shapely woman, with curvaceous breasts that pressed against her shirt.

As she leaned forward to lay her armour down, her voluptuous ass came into view as he stood behind her. Such a perfect form could only be achieved by years of strenuous exercise. Her body was an hourglass shape, but her muscular arms and shoulders boasted her strength.

"Are you going to keep my priest warm, or just stand there staring at my ass?" Rebecca spoke over her shoulder as her eyes flicked up at him.

Markus stared into Rebecca's light brown eyes and smiled. He slowly made his way back towards the warm blankets and drew up close to Bridgette. The priest shivered and pressed herself to him, "I'm still so cold," she said.

Markus hummed to himself for a second in thought, before pulling off his shirt and revealing his muscular chest.

"Woah! When do wizards get a chance to exercise?" Bridgette asked, as her blue eyes locked onto his chest.

"We don't get a chance actually. This has always been a mystery," he said.

"Well, I'm not complaining."

Bridge embraced him under the blankets, the smooth skin of her hands and arms rubbing against his physique and drawing his warmth into her cold limbs.

"Won't Rebecca get cold?"

"She's originally from the north, she's pretty accustomed to cold conditions."

At that, Rebecca gave a proud grin, "That's right! No need for me to cuddle up to anyone to keep warm at night."

Markus surreptitiously wrapped his arms around the priestess, rubbing his hands against her shoulders, and he warmed her up through the thin linen shift that she still wore.

"Markus," Bridgette began, "do you think you can protect us?"

"I have spells prepared that should keep us safe. But - I do worry a little about keeping my concentration. My last day before leaving was - interesting."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, a spell gone wrong."

"How wrong is wrong?"

"Think of a halfling woman crying for her virginity to be taken."

"Oh, sweet Michael!" She cried, before laughing, "And? How was she?"

"Well, we didn't exactly get to go that far."

"So, you had a woman begging you to fuck her, and you never got the chance to?"

"Yes, that's about the long and short of it."

"No wonder you're finding it hard to concentrate."

"Well, I'm sure with a bit of meditation, I'll be able to focus enough."

"Wizards meditate for their magic?"

"Well, to help keep our minds clear and emotions unclouded so we can safely work our magic when we need to. Why, what do you do?"

"We have sex."

Markus felt like he choked on his tongue, "What!"

"Well, I guess you could call it that. A priest and a templar are a pair. We have to draw the energy from Heaven somehow, and the priesthood thought that love would be the best way."

"You mean - you and Rebecca?" His eyes strayed and caught a smug smile that Rebecca threw across her shoulder.

"That's right. We've been together for so long now," Bridgette affirmed.

"Oh."

"What?"

"Nothing," his voice wheezed, as he met Bridgette's gaze and tried not to look uncomfortable, "nothing at all." Markus's manhood had stiffened the moment 'sex' left her lips.

Bridgette could sense a slight strain in his voice, "I'm just making things worse, aren't I?"

"Nothing that some meditation can't fix."

"No, I really am. I know how men can get worked up and need release. Rebecca and I being here are just stopping you from doing that," she said.

"Okay, maybe all this talk of you and Rebecca is getting a little distracting," he said.

Markus suddenly felt Bridgette's hand stroke his shaft through the loose cotton material of his braies, making him jump slightly.

"Wow, you weren't kidding."

"Yeah..."

She said nothing for a few moments, as her hands caressed over his length through the bunched-up shorts, "So, do you need, a hand?"

His head jerked towards her, "What!"

"Well, if you can't relieve yourself with us here, and we feel safer staying close to you, that only leaves one thing," said Bridgette.

With that, she loosened the drawstring of his braies and her hand crept underneath to grip his painfully throbbing cock.

"Oh fuck!" He moaned.

"Relax, Markus. I already feel more at ease with you close by. I think it only fair to return the favour."

"Sorry, just a bit stiff from the ride."

"Hmmm, I can help with that. Lie on your side."

Markus did as he was bid, taking the weight off his tender rump. The shift that Bridgette wore suddenly seemed very lose as she pressed up close to him. Her hands gripped at his waistband and gently tugged them down, as she disappeared under the blanket to pull them from his ankles. Markus thought he heard a slight gasp.

Bridgette's blonde head of hair reappeared, only her head poked out from under the covers. Her bright blue eyes looked up at him with desire, peeking from underneath her eyelashes, "Did you know you have a very nice-looking cock?"

"Mmm, do I?"

"I want you to stay where you are and relax."

One of her hands curled around his waist and drew him towards her, as she disappeared once more under the cover. Immediately he felt a hot, wet mouth envelope the tip of his penis, as cool lips, that immediately began to warm, caressed him. Bridgette's hand began to knead and massage his ass.

Markus could feel his eyes droop, and a relaxed moan escape his lips as her hand massaged the knots from his muscles, sending a flood of warmness down his legs. He could only imagine how she must look, her lips wrapped around his cock, as he felt her slurp on it gently. I wonder if all priests are this willing to service their fellow wizard.

Bridgette let the cock free of her mouth briefly, to run her tongue along the side of his shaft. "Mmm such a nice hard cock," she whispered to herself, as she held it in her hand and felt it pulse in her grip. She longed for the feel of it in her mouth, caressing and stretching her lips.

She did her best at slowly taking him in, as her dimpled cheeks gently sucked, enjoying the sensation of a penis in her mouth for the first time. The sweet taste of precum lathered her tongue, and she swirled her tongue around the tip of Markus's cock to try and taste more of it.

Markus groaned appreciatively at Bridgette's efforts, and his gaze wandered the tent. Rebecca still sat there, but her eyes were locked on the bobbing movement underneath the covers. She ran a hand over her breasts through the thin cloth shirt she wore, the size of them straining against the cotton as her other hand caressed her stomach gently. She felt him staring at her and met his gaze for only a moment, before looking down and turning her body away. The slight movements of her shoulder betrayed her continued rubbing of her breasts.

While this was the first time for Bridgette, she had overhead the other priests talk about how they sucked their templar's cock. With her one hand still massaging his rear, she cupped his balls with the other and rubbed them gently, as she slowly engulfed his length.

Markus's shaft stretched at her lips, and her mouth was full of him. She gagged slightly as she took him deep and instinctively pulled back with a cough. The sound of his moans above her spurred her on, and taking a deep breath, she thrust her throat upon him but again the depth made her gag and cough.

Markus arched his back and gasped. His hands searched until he could feel the back of her head, and began to stroke at her hair, the silk strands running between his fingers. His cock was tightly enveloped by Bridgette's mouth, and her attempts to take him deep aroused him. He could feel her slowly pull away from his cock, which produced a drawn-out slurp.

Lifting the covers, Markus pulled her up to him, but not before she gave a long lick across his shaft, making his cock twitch in surprise.

Bridgette's eyes stared into his own pale blue eyes that spoke his desire. His arms wrapped around her and pressed his body against her, as his lips sought those of the beautiful woman who just moments ago was lavishing his cock with her tongue.