The Galinean Saga: Ch. 02

Blake remained in a petrified state until Candescia hurled a mind blast his direction. He shook his head from the painful jolt.

"We need you, Blake-Ransom!" Candescia shouted.

Without delay, Blake charged in, even though his head was throbbing like mad. His friends were in danger and it would take all their efforts to defeat this thing. The beast was weakened from Gannon's onslaught, but the dreadman had him detached to where Gannon was dangerously close to its snapping jaws. Blake ran forward to slash the beast with all his might, but it dodged with amazing dexterity. Its evasive action threw Gannon off its back and to the ground. The creature then snapped at Blake, coming dangerously close to taking his head off. Blake felt the jaws crush together, bare inches from his head, with the spray of beastly saliva hitting him in the face. Blake reversed his sword and thrust it directly into the hideous mouth. The dreadman let out a miserable wail and vomited green bile all over Blake's sword. Blake jumped back, careful not to touch the foul liquid.

The creature collapsed to the ground and convulsed as it was on the brink of death. Gannon, completely out of breath, walked up to it and slowly skewered the horrid man-head at the end of the stalk to the ground. The man-head screamed in pitiful agony until it could scream no more.

Candescia walked over and put a hand on Blake's shoulder. "You did well, Blake-Ransom. We wouldn't have defeated it without you."

Blake stared off to the side and spat in frustration, "It almost defeated us because of me!"

Candescia gave his arm a gentle caress, "The end result is all that matters. So the beast caught you off guard momentarily. When you came around, you were magnificent!"

Later that evening the companions washed up and found a relatively safe place to camp. They ate basic rations and chased them down with Vividian wine. The wine practically glowed with a pink hue from the vibrant colored grapes that were harvested near Vividia.

"Ah, the taste of home!" Gannon sighed. "I'll never grow tired of it."

Candescia was sitting on a purple log. Blake sat in front of her as she massaged his temples. His eyes were closed.

"Does your head still hurt?" she asked with concern. "I really gave you a jolt earlier."

Blake smiled, "It had to be done. This wine is definitely helping, as well as your massaging. The headache's almost gone."

When she finished her massage, she sat down and curled up in the crook of Blake's arm. She put her head against his bare chest and gently traced her fingers along his abdomen. The women of this world never ceased to surprise him. He had just met this striking woman earlier in the day, yet she was already comfortable getting close. Intimacy for Galineans wasn't something that one had to work for. It was a pleasure to be taken whenever desired and rarely denied since it was a source of joy for everyone. There also wasn't the sense of possessiveness that existed on earth. Men and women pursued intimacy freely with whomever they chose. Blake was surprised to find himself becoming comfortable with these arrangements. It was definitely a different way of life than what he experienced on earth.

Gannon smiled after downing his cup heartily, "Only one woman with us, Blake-Ransom. It looks like I drew the short straw and she gets to share your bedroll tonight."

Candescia gave Gannon a devilish grin, "Don't worry, handsome. You'll have me all to yourself on the way back to Vividia."

As Candescia continued to let her fingers play along Blake's abs, his cock was quick to react to her feminine touch. It was now pressing visibly against the thin, silky material of his coxilk. This made her smile and giggle as she ran her finger along the length of his protrusion.

"Something tells me we're not even going to make it to the bedroll," she said with a grin.

Gannon laughed out loud, "You are truly a man among men, Blake-Ransom! Your cock is quick to rise to the occasion."

Blake started playing with her firm nipple protruding through the silky top. He did this for several minutes but wanted the real thing. He reached around and expertly unhooked the clasp that held her top in place. The flimsy garment fell from her body leaving her breasts fully exposed. Each excited breath caused her boobs to swell, which really started to get Blake's juices flowing.

Candescia raised her head and ran her tongue down Blake's abdomen as her hand caressed the inside of his thigh. His dick clearly hungered for her as it was desperate to escape the confines of his scant coxilk. Instead of obliging, she decided to tease him by gently nibbling on his cock through the fabric. That was all his dick could take as it made an escape out the top of the skimpy garment.

"Mmm, someone's come out to play with me," she smiled. She ran her tongue along his head like it was some delicious treat for her to lick. Her sandy-colored exotic braids brushed against his belly and upper thighs as she continued to kiss and lick.

"Stand for me, Valiant," Candescia ordered.

Blake was more than eager to oblige and rose to his feet. She slid his coxilk down his legs until it was dangling off one boot.

"Oooh," she said with a sexy purr.

She bit her lip hungrily for the pulsating cock that was dancing in front of her face. She put it in her mouth and began to suck on it lavishly. Blake let out a groan of sexual satisfaction as her tongue acrobatics were like magic.

Gannon filled his cup again and sat back to enjoy the visual show. He was already hard as a rock just from watching the display, and he was about to burst out of his own coxilk.

Candescia took a moment to suck on each of Blake's balls. They were completely smooth as it was typical for Valiants to shave their balls and keep the rest of the hair surrounding the dick trimmed to a clean curly patch. This attention to grooming made the cock even more beautiful and desirable to Galinean women. After giving his balls their attention, she ran her tongue along the shaft, savoring every inch. She kissed his swollen head and then put it back in her mouth for more luxurious sucking. Blake gently caressed her braided hair.

Gannon downed his cup, wiped his mouth with his forearm, and walked over behind Candescia. He then pulled the bikini portion of her uniform down her legs until she was naked except her boots, knee guards, and collar.

"Oh, so you're going to get in on this as well, Gannon?" she breathed heavily.

"How can I not?" he replied as he slid his cock inside her wet pussy from behind. There was no fumbling around to find where his dick should go. It knew exactly where it belonged as he easily guided it inside.

"Oh!" she gasped in pleasant surprise. Her eyes fluttered as her mouth lingered on the edge of Blake's cock. She was lost in a state of bliss for a few seconds and then put Blake back in her mouth.

"Oh yeah, Blake-Ransom," Gannon said. "You made her really wet for me."

Gannon grabbed her by the hips and started pumping her with a steady rhythm as she was on all fours. Somehow, Candescia managed to maintain her expert oral skills while being fucked on the other end. It was all Blake could do to keep from letting his seed burst forth. He wanted to hold back as long as possible since he knew that this was going to be an epic climax. His dick was slick with her saliva and the juices he had already oozed from his own excitement.

Gannon started grunting as he picked up the pace. There was a slapping sound with each thrust of his hips against her ass. She started moaning with Blake in her mouth, which was driving him absolutely crazy.

"Yes, YES!" she begged. "Come in my mouth! Come in my pussy! Give me that man juice!"

Hearing her cravings was all Blake could take as he set off a massive explosion in her mouth. She captured it all without missing a drop. The combination of Blake's release and Gannon's steady fucking set her off into orgasm. She moaned and wailed with climactic pleasure. Gannon groaned as he unleashed his seed with several gushes inside her pulsating pussy.

When the moment of ecstasy was over, Candescia rolled on her back and stared at the sky with her perky breasts heaving. She was completely and sexually fulfilled.

Gannon stood with his hard dick still glistening from her juices, "Now that's how Valiants travel!"

He started downing another flagon of wine as it ran down his, chin, torso, and cock.

"Now why would you go and waste such good wine like that?" Candescia teased. She crawled over and slurped the wine off Gannon's rigid member and then ran her tongue all the way up his torso until she kissed him on the mouth.

"Has anyone ever told you what a perfect woman you are?" Gannon asked as he tweaked her hard nipple.

"Many a man has. You know, we could make room for three in the tent..."

"A tempting offer, but someone has to take first watch," Gannon replied. "Why don't you and Blake-Ransom get some rest? Does this area seem clear to you?"

"We're close to the highway and I don't sense any nearby threats. The area seems quite calm."

After putting up the tent, Blake crawled in the bedroll and Candescia crawled in after him. Her naked body wrapped up against his was making him aroused again, but after such an eventful day, he quickly drifted off to sleep.

Blake didn't know how long he was sleeping when he awoke to three loud whistles. Gannon was using the Valiant call to signal trouble. Blake cursed as he reached for his sword next to the bedroll. Candescia was already on her way out of the tent. Blake exited completely naked and saw five short, scrawny, humanoid figures surrounding Gannon. They wore torn, hooded cloaks and fought with what looked like sickles, but the curved blade was closer to a saber. It was serrated towards the point, designed to hook and dig into flesh with deadly precision.

"Shit!" Candescia exclaimed. "Maledges!"

Blake knew from his studies that maledges were a branch of humanity that lived in the Wilds and had taken a different evolutionary path millennia ago. They were basically subhuman and rarely above five feet tall. Their minds were insane with unpredictable thought patterns, which made it virtually impossible for a synthesist to track them.

The second Blake was out of the tent, a dart whizzed by his head. It was launched from what looked like a small, handheld crossbow by a maledge hiding behind a tree in the distance. Blake knew the dart was most likely poisoned as these things fought dirty to make up for their short, stooped stature.

Candescia went to one knee and turned to unleash a blast of blue energy behind her. She was a vision of primal beauty as she maintained her grace and poise while fighting naked. She knew these creatures were cowardly and would attempt to make their attacks from behind. The few creeping up behind her fled back into the forest, blinded by her bright light.

Blake charged in to help Gannon. Gannon was surrounded by five of the maledges. Fighting one or two was not much of a threat, but many of these humanoids could be deadly. The ones facing Gannon from the front were trying to distract him, staying just out of reach so that the others could attack him from the rear. Blake interrupted their scheme as he sliced one in the leg causing it to scream and hobble away into the forest. This gave Gannon an opening as he beheaded one with a swift slice of his blade. The rest went scurrying into the forest.

Candescia was in hot pursuit of the dart hurler since it posed a dangerous threat from a distance. It fled into the forest, dodging trees and bushes along the way in its cowardly escape. She returned just as the other maledges were fleeing from Blake and Gannon. The companions soon realized to their dismay that the attack was just a ploy so that others could sneak in and steal all of their belongings. Blake saw one last maledge quickly dashing into the forest with a few of their items. With no hope of running it down, he threw his sword with all his might from fifty feet away. The sword hit home as it lodged in the back of the subhuman fiend. Blake walked over to the dying creature to see what he could salvage of their belongings. All it had was his and Candescia's clothing.

"Well, at least we don't have to stay naked, Candescia," Blake said as he knelt to gather the items. "We've lost almost everything else."

"Damn, damn, DAMN!" Candescia cursed. "How could I let this happen?"

"You can't blame yourself," Gannon tried to calm her. "There's no way those things could mentally be tracked. They're a wildcard that we weren't expecting. They don't usually travel this side of the Wilds."

"Still, it's my job to be on alert for any potential threat," Candescia responded angrily as she put her clothes on. "Now Blake-Ransom has no money for the rest of his journey."

"I'll figure something out," Blake reassured. "Maybe I can find some mercenary work or earn coin by providing escort to travelers."

With nothing left to salvage, they continued on their journey. Gannon and Candescia accompanied Blake for the next couple of hours through the Wilds until they reached the main road. It was here that they would part ways.

Candescia gave Blake a lingering kiss on the mouth, including a little bit of tongue as she caressed his cheek. "Be careful on your journey, Blake-Ransom. We will eagerly await your return to Vividia."

Gannon clasped his forearm and pulled him in for a brotherly embrace. "Be well, friend. Don't get in too much trouble."

Blake watched until they disappeared up the main road towards Vividia. He was now alone with limited resources. He only had his weapons and the minimal attire that made up his uniform. He continued his long journey towards Burniscia, one of the light cities that had gone to war. He would cross the city of Dispatia before reaching his destination. Dispatia was a neutral city with its leadership and noble class being solely female. There were men in the city, but they were limited to being the working class or pleasure slaves for the women. He wasn't wild about visiting such a place, but it was the only city between here and his destination. Maybe he could acquire resources there and learn some details about this war. He would need to be careful though. While there were good people in neutral cities, there were also unsavory individuals who would stick a knife in someone's back if they thought they could profit from it.

Blake continued for most of the day, sweating under the sweltering rays of Solera, the Galinean sun. It had been a while since he had passed a stream so he was getting thirsty. He was hoping to pass a merchant or someone who could give him some water and maybe earn some coin. He really didn't want to enter Dispatia with no money. As he continued, he finally saw another group of individuals in the distance. Oddly, they weren't walking his direction, but planted themselves in the middle of the road waiting for him to reach them. A tall figure stood out front and four smaller figures stood behind.

As he got closer he realized they were women. The tall woman stood with her legs slightly apart and her arms folded. Her chin was held high in a proud posture. The women behind her gave him looks of warning that they were not to be crossed. They all dressed in the typical scant garb of warriors, which was the equivalent of leather bikinis. Shoulder pads and leather gauntlets ran the length of their arms. They each had swords belted around their hips and leather boots. The leader's boots went all the way to mid-thigh. The heels of her boots gave her enough height to be as tall as Blake although she was actually a couple of inches shorter, still tall for a woman at nearly six feet. She also had a muscular frame and weighed only about twenty pounds less than Blake. Her eyes were piercing and stared at Blake accusingly. Her jet black hair formed a long braid nearly down to her ass. Blake would have normally considered her striking and very attractive, but there was something off-putting about her imposing demeanor and dour expression. A strange, colorful array of silks dangled from the side of her sword belt.

Blake put on his most charming smile and gave her a universal Galinean greeting, "Hail, my good women. My journey has been long. Would you be willing to spare some water?"

Her expression didn't change, "We're not your good women."

"Fair enough," he replied. "A drink of water would still be nice."

The woman tilted her head and glanced down to stare at his coxilk, long enough to make him a bit uncomfortable as it appeared she was measuring the size of his cock underneath the scant fabric.

"Judging from your colors, you hail from Vividia," she stated. "A Valiant, nonetheless."

Each city had its own unique colors. Cities of light were particularly fond of displaying their colors, even on the uniforms of their Valiants. The bright, bluish cyan and white of Vividia were not hard to notice. Warriors from neutral cities typically didn't display their colors.

"You are very observant," he responded, "but you have me at a disadvantage. I know nothing about you."

The tall woman was clearly insulted by his statement and inhaled deeply as she turned to her companions. A couple of them shifted uneasily and placed a hand on the hilt of their swords.

One of the other women stepped forward. Even though she was only five and a half feet tall, she was not intimidated by Blake. "Have you not heard of Glenna the Great, warrioress of Dispatia?" she asked as she pointed to the tall woman. The smaller woman stood just an inch from Blake and he could feel her breath against his chest.

Blake had indeed heard of her. She was a warrior of some renown in this southern region. He also knew that she was a profiteer. She would help others only when it profited her, but she would also engage in underhanded dealings if that was more profitable. Blake realized he might have his hands full with this one.

Blake addressed the tall woman. "I have actually heard of you. I'm Blake Ransom... the incredible," he jested.

Glenna was not amused. "I've never heard of you and your boast of being incredible remains to be seen."

"Alright, now about that drink of water..."

"A duel," she responded abruptly.

"You...want me to duel for water?" he asked incredulously.

"No. There could be more in it for you. I find it odd that you are traveling these roads without a sack to even carry coin. That won't get you very far."

"Funny you should mention that," Blake replied. "An altercation with a horde of maledges is sure to separate a man from his coin."

"Maledges?" she asked in alarm. "On the main road?"

"Not quite, but close enough. I was...patrolling the Wilds when I encountered them. They took all of my money."

Glenna spat on the road, "There shouldn't be maledges this close in. It's the damn war that's bringing all manner of creature from their dens."

"What can you tell me about the war?" Blake asked.

"Aren't you from one of the precious cities of light? You tell me."

"Surely, you must know something, seeing that your city is close to the border of this conflict," Blake pressed.

"I'll tell you what I know...if you win."

"Win? Ah, yes. The duel," Blake held up his empty hands. "Unfortunately, I have nothing to offer for stakes."

She smiled as her eyes traveled down his body, "There is one thing - your coxilk."

Blake laughed, "Why would you want that?"

Her hand fanned through the colorful silks that dangled by her hip, "To add to my collection."

Blake now realized that the silks attached to her belt were coxilks from Valiants of various cities. Crimson red, emerald green, royal blue, and bright fuschia were just a few of the colors represented. Apparently, she collected these as trophies from duels she'd won against other Valiants. He noticed that she didn't have the cyan and white of Vividia. He certainly didn't want to be her first claim from his city. She was probably a formidable opponent to have bested that many Valiants. He counted at least eight.