The Great Khan Ch. 06

Khökh dzogort arslan bolıyo!

If you come as snakes

We shall fly over you like Garuda

Come as tigers

And we'll face you as blue-maned lions!

The singer droned his vibrating note, while the other musicians began their Hu! chant again, the song carrying over the assembly. Every Tengger warrior clutched his weapon tightly, hoping that the Taichiud would forget their honour and attempt interfere or attack, allowing them to bathe their blades in blood.

Boldbator lunged in and slashed with his blade, scoring the heavy armour over Tolo's knee and staggering the man for a brief moment. But his sword's next stroke caught on the stout would of his foe's club. They wrestled around, grunting and straining. Boldbator grimaced at the power of the Jurchen, so equal to his own, while Tolo was baffled by his smaller foe's brawn.

They sprang away from one another before Boldbator darted in again, swift as a serpent. He feinted another attack, but then darted by to slam his sword down across the Jurchen's back. Tolo grunted as the blade managed to pierce his armour and blood splashed away from the ragged wound on his shoulder, but a brutal backhand fist knocked Boldbator away, winding him.

"First blood to Boldbator, and a good strike," Gerel mused, watching intently. "But I wouldn't count on that ox he's fighting slowing down any time soon just because our khan is bleeding him."

He seemed correct, because Tolo roared in fury and charged, swinging his club in huge arcs. Boldbator stood his ground as often as he dared, dodging or ducking, determined to not give ground unless absolutely necessary. His armour was stronger, since it was all metal, but Tolo was wearing stout leather, reinforced with metal plates. The leather also looked very thick, and piercing it or slicing it open would never be easy.

The coppery scent of blood touched Boldbator's nostrils, and he felt a frenzy coming over him, his eyes flaring wide.

"Örööd irwees örsöldön temtseye.

Arawt bolon ayangalan nirgeye

Dzuut bolon dzürkhend nĭ nirgeye

Myangat bolon mörgöldön nirgeye

Tümt bolon tengereer nirgeye!

"We will fight your evil intent

Ten of us strike as thunder

A hundred of us shatter your hearts

A thousand of us will destroy and ruin

Our tens of thousands will being Heaven's wrath on you!"

Tolo backed up as Boldbator attacked, slashing with fiendish speed and strength, his huge club barely keeping him safe as it parried the incoming assault. Slower than the Tengger warrior's sword, the wood and iron weapon was not meant for defence. A blow glanced off the Jurchen's armoured elbow, almost slicing his limb off.

Tolo punched again, his armoured fist ramming into Boldbator's stomach, momentarily halting the onslaught. The Tengger wheezed and staggered, several of his men calling out in alarm. The Jurchen was so damned powerful. That was as hard as Kula had ever hit him during one of their sibling brawls.

Boldbator dropped and rolled to the side as the club slammed into the ground again, making it shake. Tolo kicked out to his side to prevent Boldbator from coming in on his flank while he hefted his weapon again and swiped in a large arc. His foe jumped aside again, not wanting to get knocked into the horizon. His blood was still hot within him and he ached to close with his enemy.

"Hu! Hu! Hu! Hu!" his warriors chanted, the air alive with their song.

Tolo was panting heavily, both from hefting his weapon around, and also from the wound on his back, which trickled down his armour and pattered onto the ground beneath him, staining it purple and brown. Gritting is teeth in fury, he charged again thrusting forward with his club, which was capped with an iron spike. Boldbator twisted to the inside of the thrust and his body collided with Tolo's. They tangled and wrestled around with one another, Boldbator trying to bring his blade into play, while Tolo attempted to batter his foe.

They collapsed and rolled around, vying for advantage and balance. Boldbator was on top for a moment and slammed his first down, the blow caught on peaked helmet cheek. Boldbator dropped his yataghan and pulled out his knife, hoping the smaller weapon was too fast to deflect. Tolo caught the wrist of the hand the knife was in and a grim wrestling match developed, both fighters barely moving as they contested strength.

Limbs trembled and bones creaked as they fought for control. Boldbator leaned down as much as he could, using his leverage to bring the knife closer to Tolo. But the weapon was aimed low, at the collarbone and the notch in his foe's neck. Tolo's massive hand was forcing the weapon lower down his form, where he wold take the strike directly against his stoutly armoured chest, a wound unlikely to kill him.

Tolo broke Boldbator's balance and they were suddenly rolling, until the Jurchen was now on top. He growled in triumph as he pinned his foe, slowly turning the weapon inward until the point was facing down at Boldbator. The Tengger khan struggled madly, his face turning purple and his limbs shaking as he fought to keep the knife from sending him into the hateful night, and ending all his ambitions.

Tolo's face had a look of wild triumph to it and he cackled as he forced the blade down inch by inch, toward his enemy's right eye.

"You're dead, Tengger!" he howled, spitting in his opponent's face. He pushed harder and harder, knowing he was mere moments from triumph.

We will bring Heaven's wrath on you...

He twisted Tolo's wrist as hard as he could and then let go of the wrist he was folding, grunting as he felt the redirected knifepoint slice down through his armour and into the meat of his shoulder. The momentary pause as Tolo realized he'd been thwarted was enough to let Boldbator ram up with his knee between the Jurchen's legs, causing him to shudder and howl. Boldbator summoned all his strength and threw the man off, scrambling to his feet, the enraged Taichiud warrior doing the same as he reached for his club.

Tolo had barely turned around before Boldbator slammed his yataghan down like a bolt of thunder the Wrath of Heaven. There was a screech of metal as the blade cleaved through the stout helmet, and then came to a sudden stop, embedded in Tolo's skull.

A pause ensued, and the music stopped playing. Panting, Boldbator was still holding on to the hilt of his weapon, glaring at Tolo. The Jurchen was staring at him in shock. He started to stand up straight, and Boldbator let go of his blade, which remained buried in his foe's head.

Tolo seemed confused as he turned to look at his khan, the weapon hanging in front of his face, held in place by his skull. He crossed his eyes as he looked up at the sword, reaching up a hand to tap the blade with his finger, as if to make sure it was real. He said nothing, seemingly beyond words. Blood was already seeping out of the fissure and starting to trickle down his face. He seemed oblivious to it.

And then his eyes rolled up into his head and he fell backward, landing on the hard ground with a jarring thud. Boldbator squeezed his eyes shut for a moment to control the pain in his shoulder, and to bleed the fury of his battle frenzy from him. His fight was over; he needed to be calm and level-headed now. He sighed wearily as he stumbled over to Tolo's corpse and stood over it, facing the Tengger men in weary triumph. Overhead the screech of carrion birds was the only noise of significance.

With a wet wrench, he pulled the blade free of his defeated foe's skull and held it aloft, dripping blood. His men responded with the war cry of the Tengger clan, their voices loud with triumph.

Ambaghai looked on in stunned silence. He was certain that Tolo would defeat whomever had been chosen by the Tengger to fight, but he hadn't counted on Boldbator to be so strong. How had he been so blind.

Before Ambaghai could react, his son, Nomur, snarled in fury and leapt forward on his horse, drying his blade as he did so. He was heading straight at Boldbator, who still had his back to them. All of the other Taichiud warriors looked on in shock as their khan's heir broke the truce and sought to kill the Tengger lord.

Boldbator whirled around and flung his yataghan at the approaching threat with both hands. The spinning blade struck Nomur in the chest, piercing his armour in a splash of blood as the youth dropped his sword and went limp, bouncing like a rag doll in his saddle before falling out of it and collapsing to the ground, already dead. The riderless pony snorted and trotted off toward the other mounts in the Tengger line.

Boldbator wearily trudged forward and pulled his blade from Nomur's body before looking at Ambaghai. The Taichiud khan gaped in disbelief at the corpse of his son, welling blood in the day's heat. The Tengger warrior walked forward until he was directly in front of his peer. The Taichiud warriors did nothing, but their hands went subtly to the hilts of their swords.

Ambaghai stared down at Boldbator, who returned the gaze coolly. After seconds of contesting wills, Ambaghai unfastened his belt and baldric, angrily casting his sword at Boldbator's feet. Boldbator was unmoved by the display.

"You are not my prisoner or slave, lord of the Taichiud," he said in a level voice. "I have no need of disarming you."

"What use is it to me when you have slain my son?!" Ambaghai spat.

"Your son was a damned fool and broke the truce meant to decide our clan's fates," replied Boldbator. "I wish he had not done that, but my only choice was to kill him. You know that."

"My only son!" the Taichiud man raged. "My clan is doomed!"

"Not true, o khan," Boldbator said, standing straight. "Your clan still has a future, as long as you dare to reach out and grasp it. You will abide by our terms, and swear fealty to me, and on behalf of your vassal clans. You will follow the Tengger clan into a glorious destiny. As for your son, make another, and call him your heir. And remind him what an idiot the first one was."

Boldbator bent down and picked up Ambaghai's sword, examining it for a moment before handing it back to the older man. "Trust me, you will need this is the seasons to come."

He then stepped back and looked at the assembled Taichiud warriors. "If you are men of honour, then hold your khan to his word. Get these scribes back to your people and let them know what you have seen. Your man fought well, but it is time to move on. I will come to you within two months to asset my formal claim. Make ready for me!"

The Taichiud warriors all bashed their fists on their shields as a sign of respect, and their intent to obey. Boldbator then turned and starting head back toward his own lines, pausing to pick up Tolo's massive club and bring it with him. I was a spoil of war, after all, and certainly one of his greatest trophies to date. He gave no further thought to the Taichiud.

"Well fought, brother," Kula said, intentionally clapping him on his wounded shoulder and causing the khan to grunt and wince as pain flared through him. "Good aim with the sword, too. You knocked that fool kid right out of his saddle."

"We are perhaps lucky that damn fool kid is dead, because now Ambaghai can designate another heir, and maybe we can find a convenient marriage to tie him to us," Boldbator sighed while Gerel and two other men stripped off his cuirass in order to treat his wound. "With the Taichiud, Sukh, and Borjigin as our vassals, we are much closer to conquering the Khamag and uniting the central tribes under our banner.

"A glorious sight that will be, and if these Taichiud warriors all fight like their champion, then they'll be worthy allies," Kula said, grinning. "Your instincts were right after all brother; conquer one with your hands, but a thousand with your head!"

"Let us hope their sense of honour holds them to that conquest..." Boldbator said wearily, ignoring the searing pain as his men tended to him.

***

Toragana lay between Mai and Solongo in their ger, naked on the piles of fur that cushioned them against the hard earth. The weather in the vale was warm enough that they had forgone the wooden floor slats and the kang to keep the chill away. Their combined body heat was enough.

"So do you think your ploy worked?" Solongo asked as she snuggled into her older sister's side, caressing a hand up and down her stomach and over her breast. "He seemed rather taken aback by the size of our lord's request."

Toragana nodded. "I think he ultimately saw the wisdom in dealing with us fairly, as well as keeping quiet about it. I made it obvious that defying Boldbator had gone very badly for the Sukh, and that the Kyrgyz would be wise to remain on his good side. He was offering to pay handsomely for the timber he wanted; it would be bothersome to come and take it by force if they denied his request."

"But I assume such overt threats were not necessary," Mai said, kissing along Toragana's arm, shoulder, and then her breast, swirling her wicked tongue around the brown nipple, and making the Mongol woman moan and squirm. Her hand, meanwhile, was between Toragana's legs, stroking her cleft and making her wet. "Our lord khan sent you for your subtle tongue, after all."

"Mmmmm, my subtle tongue and your wicked one," murmured Toragana, feeling her pussy clench around Galina's finger. "All I did was paint a picture, using the example of the Sukh, and he inferred as he saw fit."

"And seeing the two chests full of gold, silver, and jewels no doubt helped," purred Mai, smiling slyly, loving how her lover's back arched as she crooked her finger inside her and stroked along the upper wall. "Even I was enchanted at the sight of them, and I have seen many such treasures in Lin'an."

"So what will we be getting for our treasures?" Solongo asked, pinching and tugging on her sister's nipple, teasing her the way she knew Toragana loved.

Toragana choked a little as she tried to find her voice and order her words, even when the two refused to stop molesting her. "All the quality wood we have asked for... simple designs for those wooden bathing basins... Muhammadan soaps and scents... and a strong escort to help us bring our prize home, complete with oxen and ponies in the train."

"Our lord will be very pleased with your embassy, then," cooed Mai, sliding another finger into Toragana to join the first, loving how wet the Mongol woman got. "The journey home will be slower, because of the size of our train, but also no doubt safer, unless someone moves against us in force."

Solongo paused in kissing her sister, who moaned in protest as the younger girl pulled her lips away. She spoke to Mai. "Our route is circuitous again, taking us back through protected lands owned by the Sukh. Slightly longer, but safer, I am assured."

"The Sukh betrayed us once already," Mai pointed out, although she kept fingering Toragana. "Are we sure it will be safe?"

"They failed once, and it was one specific man and a small family, not our clan," Toragana sighed, undulating her hips against Galina's fingers. "I will deal with them swiftly and harshly on our way back, to show Boldbator that the Sukh are not a threat. I am their khan; I will act on his behalf.

"I believe you will, sister," Mai now intoned, rising up slowly and kneeling between Toragana's legs, lifting one up and holding on to it while she pressed her slick, bare pussy against her lover's. She began to squirm about slowly, caressing Toragana's ankle and calf, kissing them. "I think you should both let me shave you, the results are very pleasant."

"It does... feel good... to have your soft cunt on mine..." gasped Toragana, reveling in the feeling of Galina's hairless womanhood pressed to her own. She wondered what it would feel like if she shaved, how their cunts would feel, pressed together like this. "I will let you do this when we get home."

"Gnnnn, count me in," Solongo sighed as she clambered over her sister's face and settled down, her pussy getting lashed hungrily by Toragana's eager mouth. She pumped her hips back and forth while leaning forward down the older girl's body. Mai leaned in as well, and they kissed one another over Toragana, tongues tangling sensually.

"I find making love to you both so pleasant," Mai said softly, her free hand massaging and groping one of Solongo's dangling breasts. "Boldbator's body overpowers mine and the experience is thrilling and terrifying. No man has ever made me cum like he does. And Sarantuya does her best to be cold and imperious when we pillow, as if needing to establish that she is above me. And Khorijin, well... she must resist her urge to murder me when we cum together. It is nice to make soft love to women, who seek only one another's mutual pleasure."

"Gods, yes," Solongo panted, humping up and down lightly now on her sister's mouth and already covered in sweat. "I wonder... where the angry bitch is, anyway?"

***

"Shut up and stay quiet!" Khorijin hissed as she pumped herself up and down, desperate to cum as the cock speared into her pussy. "If we are heard, we are both dead, you fool!"

The young warrior, a member of her arvahn named Shireg, tried to stifle his groans while Khorijin knelt over him, almost bouncing on his tool. He had been wandering around in the dark when he happened upon her, and she took him by the sleeve of his del and pulled him out through a small hole in the palisade, taking him to an isolate knot of trees. Without a word, she began stripping him, and then herself, until they were naked, and he was inside her.

She bucked her hips back and forth now, riding him hard, her eyes squeezed shut and biting her lip. Shireg shivered, but she slapped his face, interrupting his climax as he looked at her in shock.

"Not until... I cum..." she grunted, arching her back and pressing down hard. Her pussy clutched him fiendishly, and she gripped her breasts, almost clawing them as she looked up through the tall trees at the midnight blue vault of Heaven.

Then she gasped and began cumming, the craved warm tingling sensation blossoming through her from her cunt and to the tips of her fingers and toes. She gasped again as Shireg shook beneath her and came, flooding her with his pearly essence.

Khorijin sagged over him, keeping herself propped upright with her hands on either side of her head. She panted as she churned her hips in circles, milking the orgasm for everything it was worth. Gods, more than a month without a proper fucking...

Silence reigned as the two warriors lay still, not saying anything. When Khorijin finally opened her eyes, she could see Shireg almost gaping at her in a mix of wonderment and growing fear.

After all, he had just fucked the khan's wife.

"Yes, indeed you did, Shireg," she sighed wearily, the climax finally passing. She felt much looser now, and inclined to speak, not to mention explain. Perhaps she owed him that. "But a woman has needs, and to go without Boldbator's cock for so long had me going mad. I could not even use the dildo I'd brought, since I destroyed it inside that enemy horseman."

"The khan will kill me," he murmured, trying to keep the quavering out of his voice. "He will-"

"Shireg, shut up already," she said somewhat testily, not interested in his baseless fears. "If he knew, we'd both be dead, not just you. It doesn't matter that I'm his sister, he'd lop my head off all the some."

She now pulled herself off of him, and walked over to a tree, where she squatted and pissed, then cleaned herself out with a small strip of linen she'd brought along for the purpose. She looked at him steadily.