The Sword and the Soul Ch. 03

"Oh yeah?" said Mag, raising his eyebrows. "You'd do that?"

Marilla gave him a sly smile. A dim part of her mind was scandalized that she, a Duke's daughter, could suggest something so wanton. But the larger part, the part in control currently, found the idea irresistible. Still, she decided to play coy.

"I am only thinking of my duty to the realm and my father. We must know more about this witch's plans, and this seems the most expedient way of reviving her. I trust you're not opposed?"

Mag chuckled. "No, I'm not opposed."

"Terrific," said Marilla.

She dropped to her knees and unbuckled Mag's swordbelt, thinking of the other blade that she saw swelling in his trousers. The scabbard clattered to the ground and she got to work on his trousers while he stroke her hair. Her fingers deftly unlaced his breeches and she grabbed them by the hem, sliding them down over his hips. His manhood bounced free, already half-erect, and slapped softly against her chin. Marilla looked up at him and grinned as she extended her tongue to lick the head experimentally, revelling in the look of lust he gave her from above.

With his cock still only at half-mast she could easily take the head into her mouth, and more besides, which she did happily, swallowing most of him comfortably. Her other hand found his balls and cupped them gently, squeezing just the tiniest bit. Mag groaned appreciatively, and she felt him swell rapidly in her mouth.

In less than a minute he had grown so large that Marilla's jaw ached to contain him, so she pulled back, flexing her mouth and staring with awe as Mag swelled to his full size. It seemed he had grown even larger than the night before, easily bigger than any man Marilla had been with before.

"Gods, you're huge," she said.

"Haven't always been," he said, his voice strained. "Norn's Soul did something to me. Made be bigger. Randier too, I think."

Marilla remembered trying to suck his cock the night before and finding the task impossible, but with the sliver of Norn's Soul burning within her, she felt game to try again. Opening her mouth as with as it could possibly go, Marilla took the head of Mag's cock back into her mouth, licking the head to capture a drop of essence leaking from the tip. It had a unique flavor, like an expensive spice from the Southlands, with a sweetness to it as well. The taste was intoxicating.

Though her jaw had ached moments before, Marilla found herself relaxing, her mouth going wider than she ever thought possible, and she lowered her head further, taking Mag deeper into her mouth. He gasped and grabbed her braided chestnut hair firmly, making her moan around him. Marilla ran her tongue along the bulging underside of his swollen shaft, feeling it pulse. She decided to test her limits. She clenched her fists and slid her lips further down Mag's shaft, until the swollen head touched the entrance to her throat.

Marilla had used her mouth on men in the past, generally with enjoyable results. There was one minstrel with blonde hair who she'd tried taking in her throat, and they'd found it made her gag terrifically. But after several attempts, she'd managed to hold him there for most of a minute before having to come up for air. That man had been smaller than most, and she'd thought the feat she'd managed with him was her absolute limit.

Apparently, that was not so. Perhaps the witch's Soul was having an effect on her body, even as it had Mag's, but whatever the case, Marilla found herself accepting Mag's cock into her throat. It was incredibly tight, and didn't hurt exactly, although she felt her neck stretching and breathing became exceedingly difficult. Still, she had only taken about half of him. Marilla decided that was probably it, at least for now. She pulled back, leaving saliva glistening along his cock, and when she got to the head she planted a sloppy kiss on it, lapping up more of the seed that leaked out of the tip. Then she widened her mouth again and took him back in as far as she could.

"Fucking gods," said Mag, trembling as he gripped her hair tighter. "When did you get so good at this?"

Marilla only hummed around him in appreciation of the compliment. She was relishing the flavor of him, the masculine scent filling her nostrils, and she felt herself losing control. Her mouth moved almost reflexively, sliding back and forth as if fucking him, her lips gliding over the tight skin of his engorged cock, her tongue swirling along the sensitive underside.

"I can't hold back," said Mag in a strained voice. "You're gonna make me come."

That was exactly what Marilla wanted to hear. She redoubled her efforts, taking Mag so far into her throat that she got more than halfway down his shaft. Marilla held him there, massaging and suckling him, coaxing his climax out, and then Mag exploded. She allowed the first warm spurt to roll deliciously down her throat before she remembered her purpose and pulled her head back so that just the head remained between her lips. The next spurt she caught in her mouth. The urge to swallow more of his mouthwatering essence was strong, but she resisted, letting it pool on her tongue. Mag for his part was clutching her hair fiercely with both hands, shuddering ferociously as he released a prodigious amount of seed. Marilla was shocked to feel how much Mag had to give her, and decided it was yet another example of the witch interfering with her magic to make the warrior more productive than a normal man. By the time he'd finished, her cheeks were practically bulging.

"Gods above," said Mag, backing off at last. "That was incredible, My Lady."

She could say nothing in response, but only opened her mouth a crack to show him the tremendous volume of silvery essence he'd deposited in her mouth. His eyes went wide at the lewd display, and she noticed a visible throb in his cock, softening now but still half-erect.

Marilla crawled over to Norn, who reclined unconscious on the floor. Her breathing was labored, and her skin was ghostly white, but otherwise she looked almost peaceful, as if in slumber. Norn's red lips were already open a crack, as if inviting Marilla to kiss her. It wasn't the first time she'd kissed a woman, and Marilla had to admit Norn was a beautiful specimen, delicate yet alluring. She leaned over and put her lips to the witch's, forming a seal between them. Then, ever so slowly, Marilla allowed Mag's rich seed to flow into Norn's mouth. The witch swallowed instinctively, and Marilla gave her a little more, feeding Norn bit by bit, until the witch had taken it all.

Her eyes had been closed throughout this process, but when it was done Marilla broke their kiss, licking the last of Mag's spending from her lips, and opened her eyes. Beneath her, Norn had opened her brown eyes a crack as well, and was gazing up at Marilla with a dazed, sultry expression.

"At last we meet in person," whispered Norn, and her red lips curved into a smile.

The color was beginning to return to the witch already, and her skin was no longer ghastly white. Her breathing had evened out as well, and Marilla could feel the shard of Norn's Soul in her abdomen thrumming sympathetically as the pale woman recovered herself.

"Who are you really?" asked Marilla, shaking her head in disbelief, both at the uncanny woman below her and at herself for being so drawn to the witch in spite of having every reason not to trust her.

Norn stretched catlike, arching her back and pushing her proudly jutting pink nipples up in the air. She sighed and relaxed back to the ground, curling up lethargically. With a flutter of her eyelashes, the witch gave Marilla a knowing smile.

"I am Norn, a Soul Witch of Lost Aiolon. I am as you see me, and no more or less."

"You're a wicked little creature, is what you are," said Mag.

He'd come to stand nearby, his cock still hanging half-erect from his trousers, brawny arms crossed. Mag was glowering down at Norn with a dark expression, but there was a half-smile on his face as well, as if he was putting on an act to hide how relieved he was to see her feeling herself again.

"Oh, Mag," said Norn. "I'm so sorry to have worried you."

"Yeah?" asked Mag. "Well, that's all right, I guess. But you've got some explaining to do. What were you doing down here? And why'd you make me do all that to Marilla?"

"And what was that being I saw in Brand's tower?" chimed in Marilla.

Norn nodded, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "Yes," she said eventually. "I do owe you both an explanation. And a sincere apology for the liberties I have taken. It is my way, you see. My sisters and I learned caution from bitter experience, and with caution came distrust, and a tendency to take what we want. Humans are a venal and callous lot, and it is often easier, wiser, and more expedient to ignore their childish notions of property and agency. My aims are often impenetrable to mortals anyway, and it is no use explaining. But in both of your cases, for separate but related reasons, I think I ought to have put a bit more faith in you.

"As to the first question: I have watching. This place straddles a nexus of power, a point close to the Other Place. I was able to draw on more Soul here, aided by the glyphs I drew on the ground. The Soul Art I used to fracture my Soul and give a sliver of it to Mag required immense effort and concentration. Transferring it to Marilla uninterrupted, likewise expended tremendous energy. It left me dangerously exposed, however, for I neglected my own surroundings and allowed that Soulseeker to sneak up on me." A bitter, rueful expression crossed her face. "I do not often make mistakes, and this one could have been fatal. I am indebted to you both.

"To answer the second question: It was imperative that I watch unobserved, for I have many enemies in Angrael, and there are those in Seleca who remember the last time I interfered, when I bid Old Duke Markim to close the silver mines for good. In order that my presence here be hidden, I needed to see through Mag's eyes, and later Marilla's. The Lady of Seleca may pass freely throughout her domain, and in addition, possesses certain learning, attendant to her station, which proved useful. Mag lacks these qualities -- meaning no offense, my darling, for you excel in other ways."

"Goddamn right," said Mag.

"And as to the third question: in the Magus Tower, Marilla observed Brand communicating with an Elder of Fal'Angrael. I hoped that it might not be so, for a being of such power is barred by primordial covenant from interfering in this realm, but there are ways of circumventing these barriers. In the Old Times, gods and Elders walked abroad in Angrael, molding this physical realm to their own ends. But with the rise of Aiolon and the first empire of men, those higher beings quit this place and withdrew to Fal'Angrael, where they belong and where they have absolute dominion. This world was nearly broken in the Old Times because of a Great Elder, the most terrible and fearsome of all. His name was Mal'Morgoth."

Norn said the name in a whisper, as if to speak it held great power, and Marilla felt a shiver go down her spine.

"The devil," she said. "The dark one who warred against the gods and fell into shadow. That's who you mean, isn't it?"

"Yes," said Norn. "It is no fairy tale. The great demon they speak of in the temples to the twelve gods was a real creature of flesh and Soul. So too were the gods for that matter, who may more properly be called Great Elders themselves. Mal'Morgoth was cast down, but his power was such that he could not be entirely destroyed. To prevent his return, his body was divided into five parts, hidden and sealed throughout Angrael and Fal'Angrael, which exist as mirror images of one another. There they have slept since the end of the Old Times. Even I do not know all their locations, for no one being should have such knowledge. But I happen to know that one piece is secreted deep under the Coarser Mountains, beneath the very spot the Silver clan dug their mine. It is for that reason I forbid their excavations years ago. And it is for that reason I have returned."

"But who was the woman in the flames?" asked Marilla. "The one with the eyes that blazed like rubies." Just remembering the terrible gaze made her shudder with fear.

"Mal'Morgoth had five apostles, Elders who sought glory and abundant Soul by casting their lot in with him. Some were destroyed, but a being that strong never really dies. Their Soul is absorbed by the Well of Fal'Angrael, and they return in a different shape. Others hid themselves away, and their names disappeared from the annals of history. But the Soul Witches did not forget, and this knowledge has been saved and passed on by my sisterhood. The creature in the flames calls herself Lu'Caella. She is a monstrous fiend, and one I am unfortunately no stranger to. Her cunning is without equal, and I feared her hand in these events since before my arrival. It was no doubt her idea to post the reward in order to draw me out, and she dispatched the Soulseeker knowing I would take the bait. Already she is several moves ahead of me." Norn frowned and clenched her teeth. "I am not disposed to being made a fool of. It is something that must not be repeated."

"Hey, we all make mistakes," said Mag with a shrug. "So, what's the plan? I kill Brand, we close the mine, problem solved, right?"

Norn laughed musically. "If only it were so simple, my budding Soul Warrior. No, we must prepare our moves first. Brand cannot be Lu'Caella's only piece on the board. We do not know who else she has recruited to her cause, nor do we know the extent of her mining operation."

"I know it's ready to open," put in Marilla. "Reports have been very positive. Silver ore should be coming up any day now from the new shafts."

"But you have not seen the conditions at the mine yourself?" asked Norn.

"Not since the new excavation began. I went with my father, but since his illness took hold I've been needed here."

"That's another curious matter," said Norn. "I am not entirely convinced this illness is natural. Another topic for investigation. In any case, before we begin taking pieces, we must develop our own side, and recruit others to our cause. I think it prudent that Mag accept the Duke's offer of employment, and that we reconnoiter the mining site next. If Soulkin are truly on the loose, they require our attention as well."

Breaking off, Norn, hummed to herself and rubbed her legs together.

"Ah, but let us talk more of plans later. I am still so weak. My saviors, won't you help me recover my strength more?"

Norn gave a hungry grin and crooked a finger at Mag. The warrior smirked back and sunk to his knees, leaning in so his face was level with the witch. She grabbed him by the neck and pulled him into an intense kiss. Marilla, still sitting beside Norn, had a close-up view, and watching their tongues duel with one another set her loins afire. She'd enjoyed bringing Mag off earlier, but it had done little to slake her own lust. Have I always been this randy, or is this one of Norn's Soul Arts? Marilla really couldn't be sure.

As if in answer, Norn broke the kiss with Mag and turned her searing gaze towards Marilla, crooking a finger her way this time. Marilla was only too happy to oblige, and leaned in to take her turn deeply kissing the witch, sighing as she admitted Norn's tongue into her mouth. She could still taste Mag's essence on the pale woman's red lips, as well as Norn's own heady flavor.

"Not your first time kissing a woman, is it?" asked Norn breathlessly.

"No," said Marilla. "A distant relative from Cairen City spent the summer in Seleca several years past. She was... experienced in the adventurous ways of the capital. I learned many useful things from her."

"Ahhh," said Norn. "I shall have to thank her for that some day."

Norn turned her attention back to Mag, who was watching them with rapt interest and stroking his cock idly. It was on its way back to hardness again, but still had a while to go. Marilla was amazed he could be ready to go again so swiftly, but she supposed that was a Soul Art as well. Norn pointed at his shaft, raised her eyebrows, and opened her mouth to make a circle. Mag got the hint well enough. He shifted over until his manhood was level with her mouth, and Marilla watched with great interest as the witch inhaled the entire thing. As Norn sucked Mag back to hardness, Marilla couldn't restrain herself from caressing the witch's shapely tits, tweaking her jutting pink nipples playfully and delighting in the way Norn moaned beneath her. One hand strayed lower past the thatch of golden hair betwixt the witch's legs, and Marilla cupped her sex, finding it quite wet already.

With a gentle push from Norn, Mag backed off, popping his cock from her mouth. It was glistening with saliva and throbbing now, still not fully hard but impressive nonetheless, and Marilla realized she was envious of Norn's ability to take all of him with seemingly no trouble at all. I'll have to practice more.

You only need to train your Soul, came Norn's voice in her mind, startling Marilla after the period of silence, and reminding her that Norn's Soul fragment still burned hotly in her guts. Your body will follow.

"Fuck me," Norn said out loud to Mag.

"My pleasure," said Mag. "How do you want it?"

"Hard. Fast. Deep. I'm still so weak, I don't think I can stand, so it will have to be right here. Marilla, be a dear and help him out of his armor, won't you?"

Marilla was happy to oblige, and relished undoing the laces and clasps that held Mag's breastplate on. She pulled it over his head, kissing his neck, and helped steady him while he yanked his boots off. Then she peeled his shirt off as well while he stepped out of his trousers. When he was naked, Marilla pressed herself against his muscular back, realizing she hadn't seen his body the night before. He had a tapestry of scars, evidence of the numerous brawls and battles he'd been involved in, but beneath it all was chiseled muscle. She kissed his skin and grasped his cock from behind, squeezing it and feeling it harden a bit more in her grasp.

"I'm desperate," moaned Norn from the floor, squirming and thrusting her hips off of the floor. "Restore my strength, Mag. Only you can do it."

"Only one way to shut her up when she's like this," said Mag, and Marilla let him go. He took his place on the stone floor, kneeling before Norn and pushing her knees apart with his strong hands. He eased forward, leaning over her so his bigger frame shadowed hers, and lined his cock up with her dripping cunt. Marilla felt a responsive thrill in her own sex as Mag thrust forward and Norn's quim was split apart by him, her back arching and a high-pitched squeal escaping her lips. He got halfway in on the first push, and then he was forced to withdraw from her tightness, until the flared head of his cock appeared at her entrance. But then he thrust forward again with a growl, this time going all the way inside. Norn shrieked in ecstacy, and her pale legs slithered up like snakes to curl around Mag's back, holding him in place. He kissed her hungrily, grabbing handfuls of her golden hair with both hands.

Mag started fucking Norn then, not moving much, just sort of rocking back and forth atop her. Marilla felt her legs getting wobbly watching the lovers, and so she sat down as well. Before she really thought about what she was doing, she'd hiked her skirt up around her waist and reached beneath to apply her own ministrations to her needy womanhood. As she made lazy circles around her pearl, she imagined Mag's cock filling her instead, the hugeness of him stretching her, and she could practically feel it.

You can feel it if you try, came Norn's voice in her head. Feel how immense he is, how he stretches me beyond fullness.