The Young Mage Ch. 03

"I don't want to come yet.... I need to feel that cock inside me first!" Ana said and went on her hands and knees, looking at Magnus invitingly. Magnus felt his cock getting free from Leah's warm mouth and he lined it up with Ana's pussy, taking her from behind.

Grunts of pleasure erupted from their mouths as Magnus' cock sheathed itself inside Ana's well-lubricated pussy. He started pumping his hips, somewhat surprised by Ana's tightness. They were both quite aroused, and Ana's hips soon began meeting his thrusts, demanding more of his cock inside her. Magnus was more than happy to oblige.

Leah watched them, feeling intense arousal herself, yet instead of rubbing herself off, she decided to maximize her lover's pleasure. She crawled underneath Ana and started sucking her tits, while Ana moaned in approval, her face flushed and sweaty.

CLAP!

CLAP!

The sound of Magnus' pelvis meeting Ana's big round ass rang through the tent.

"Yeesss... give it to me... faster... faster!" Ana urged him, her arousal taking control of her.

Leah decided to up her game and she crawled between Ana's meaty thighs, lying in reverse underneath Ana who was still on all fours. Her tongue found Ana's clit, and Ana shuddered with pleasure when Leah sucked it in.

"YEEESS!! OHHHH!! Suck me kitten, YEESSS!" Ana moaned, her orgasm approaching indomitably.

Magnus fucked her like a madman, his face sweaty and distorted by pleasure, his own orgasm coming like an avalanche.

"AAHH, Magnus, fill me uuup!! AAAHH!!"

"OOOHHH! GODS!" Magnus grunted as they both came, Ana's pussy leaking like a river, and Magnus' cock spurting warm seed deep inside her womb. Their muscles contracted and stiffened, their sweaty bodies releasing their sexual energy. Their orgasm seemed to last for minutes, until finally the rhythm of Magnus' thrusts started slowing down. Leah was now kissing Ana's thighs, taking care not to touch her sensitive clit.

Ana turned her head to look at Magnus' satisfied face and then at her kitten who was still showering kisses on her thighs and pussy. Magnus met her eyes and smiled, finally unsheathing his cock from her pussy.

"Lay down, kitten!" Ana said, and then sat on Leah's face, her pussy leaking Magnus' copious cum.

"Mmmm, yes... Lick it up... Lap up the milk like a good little kitten..." Ana moaned with a smile, while Leah sucked and swallowed the seed out of her pussy.

"Oh, yes... you are such a good kitten," Ana purred. "Did you like your milk, kitten?" Ana said with love.

"Oh, I loved it..." Leah said, swallowing the last bit of Magnus' cum.

They all lay for a while, sipping some mead and letting their bodies recover.

"I like you, Magnus," Ana said after several minutes of silence.

"Hmm?"

"You are a great warrior, yet you are so gentle with women... You are also not using your strength to exert dominance, or to force the weaker into doing anything... Trust me, that is a rare trait in men of these tribes," Ana said with a deep sigh. "I do like how Theia's leadership has made some things better in that regard, but I am wondering once we fill up our ranks with men again, if things will revert to how they were."

"I understand... I believe you will be strong enough to make some more permanent changes in your way of life... although we need to make sure your tribe survives first," Magnus said after a moment of silence.

"Yes..."

"Well, I must say this was an amazing night..." Magnus said.

"Was?" Ana said, raising an eyebrow. "My kitten here would never forgive me if she didn't get to ride that lovely cock of yours," Ana said with a chuckle.

"Damn right!" Leah exclaimed and then climbed on top of Magnus. She leaned in and kissed him, biting his lip lightly.

"Let's see if this mighty warrior can handle me," she said with a smile, grabbing Magnus' hardening cock...

***

During the following days, the palisade began to take its shape. New logs were being dragged to the village every day, then tied together side-by-side, and then every fifth log or so would be placed in one of the holes that were dug in the ground to provide stability for the palisade. A the same time a couple of small platforms were being raised, giving just enough height advantage for bows or even spear throws. Magnus spent most of his day working and supervising the construction and most of his nights with Dinah or sometimes with Ana and Leah. If it weren't for the danger looming above their heads and the huge burden of responsibility, Magnus would have found the time spent with the Owl tribe very satisfying. Then, in a week or slightly more since the work had started, the palisade was finally finished. Magnus watched the work with a sense of pride and satisfaction. They did it in time.

"Vistania's commanders would laugh so much if they saw this work... but it's the best that could have been done, I am sure. For a proper fortification, we would need carpenters, blacksmiths... It will do, I hope," Magnus thought, walking around the palisade and occasionally checking the strength of the construction.

"Palisade or not, we don't have much fighting men, and I shudder at the thought of throwing these women into hand-to-hand combat against veteran warriors... No... We need to plan this right and hope they take the bait."

As he was checking the palisade, Theia, Ana, and Dinah joined him. He could tell from their faces they were quite impressed by the fortifications.

"Owl tribe is the first one to build a thing like this!" Theia exclaimed with satisfaction.

"It really is something. Except for that eastern part..." Dinah said.

"Scouts are returning!" Ana said, pointing to the south. They all turned to see several warriors riding fast towards the village.

"They were not supposed to return yet... Something must be up," Theia said, with a worried expression on her face.

"We will know soon enough... It's Unnar's group," Dinah said.

A minute later Unnar, Bron, and two more warriors arrived. There was a sense of urgency in their moves as they dismounted.

"You've spotted them?" Magnus asked.

Unnar nodded.

"They will be here tomorrow at noon probably," he said with a solemn face.

"How many?"

"It is a sizeable force... They outnumber us about two to one."

They all exchanged worried glances.

"It could have been worse, actually," Magnus said confidently. "We are ready for them."

"We are?" Unnar said with a doubtful look. "That part of the palisade looks unfinished... It looks as if we've put together a barricade in a hurry..."

"Exactly," Magnus said with a smile.

"I am not sure I understand."

"Come!" Magnus said, motioning to all of them. They made a tour of the palisade, finally stopping at the questionable part. It was a stretch of their fortifications that looked as if they didn't have enough time to finish it. It was at the eastern part of the palisade and it was wide enough for maybe as many as ten to fifteen warriors fighting abreast.

"This is an obvious weak spot," Unnar said, pointing at what looked like hastily made barricades.

"I really hope they will see it as such."

"Why?" Dinah asked.

"Let's think this through. The Hatiti leader is leading a bigger force... Then he runs into a finished palisade without any weak spots. What does he do?" Magnus asked and saw the realization dawn on some of their faces.

"He would either decide to surround the village and force us to surrender or face starvation for our cattle since any longer siege would deprive us of fresh water and grass. And it would be a disaster for us since cattle are our source of food, our source of everything basically... Or he would attack from all sides and try to weaken or destroy the palisade on some spots and then pour inside from all directions. We could try to stop them from breaking in, but I am not sure if we have enough defenders to cover such a long stretch of palisade efficiently. We certainly don't have enough archers to keep them at bay and they would eventually break through and force us into hand-to-hand combat from multiple sides. In the best case, we would win but we would also suffer catastrophic losses," Magnus said, looking at their solemn faces.

"So, our best option is to present a target they won't be able to resist - a weak spot big enough for them to focus their main attack. That way it is unlikely they would commit many warriors to try and break in from other sides, and our mobile force would take care of those attempts. So all we need to do is hold against a strong attack at this spot, helped by archers that can rain arrows from those two platforms. It will still be a hard fight, but I think it gives us the best chances by far," Magnus said, finishing his plan.

Unnar seemed thoughtful for some time and then he smiled. It was the first time Magnus saw the man express any true emotion.

"You have a trickster's mind, Magnus."

Magnus grinned in response.

"So who will be fighting where?" Dinah asked quickly.

"Well, my idea is for Ana to lead a team of women who will be staying behind the first line of defenders here to harass the enemy with spears, but also to stop any enemy who manages to break through the first line."

"All right," Ana said.

"Dinah, you would be leading a mobile team, which would be responsible for covering any spots on the palisade where some hopefully small groups of enemies might try to break through."

"What? No, I want to fight here, in the first line!" Dinah exclaimed.

"Dinah, you need-"

"You think I can't fight as good as men?!" Dinah said in a challenge. She was getting angry.

"That is not the point, damn it!"

"Theia, do you hear this?! I am supposed to hide behind the palisade and run around to scare those who would want to break through?!" Dinah said, now clearly upset.

"Dinah, listen. I am not going to pretend that I know war and battle better than Unnar or Magnus. They are in charge of battle plans and we will all follow those plans," Theia said. There was unmistakable authority in her voice. Dinah watched them all with outrage on her face.

"Dinah, please listen to me... please..." Magnus said, putting his hands on her shoulders gently.

"It is not about warrior skill here. In the first line, I need warriors like Bron," Magnus said, clapping the burly warrior on the back. "I need them as big and heavy as they get because much of the fighting will be about pushing and shoving. They will come in mass, and those behind will push those in the front and we will need to hold them with our bodies and our strength. You will be far more useful in covering their attempts to break through, and you are a fool if you think that will be any less dangerous than fighting here. The palisade is long and you will struggle to get everywhere in time. Sometimes, a few of them will manage to climb over and you will be fighting hand to hand and then immediately rushing to another part of the palisade... Do you really think that will be easy?" Magnus said holding her gaze. Dinah sighed and nodded.

"All right, fine."

"Good," Magnus said, giving her a small smile.

"I would like to fight in the first line, but I think I will need to take this platform with my bow," Unnar said.

"We need every bow we can get," Magnus said.

"I will be on the other platform and I will arrange all other women who can use bows," Theia said.

"Good. Make sure you have plenty of arrows. You should put a few women with bows in the mobile team. There are a couple of smaller platforms along the palisade where they can shoot from."

Theia nodded.

"All right, so that is the basic plan."

"We need to keep the children and elderly, but also all other non-combatants in those tents in the middle," Unnar said. "We need to bring as much water as we can, and also gather as much grass as we can, so we can hold for longer in case they decide to wait."

"Good idea."

"Let's get to it then," Theia said, and within minutes, the gathering effort was underway.

***

The day passed in meticulous preparation. Everyone, from children to strong warriors, was putting effort into getting things done in time. After a busy day, Magnus found himself at his favorite spot, watching the sunset.

"There is such primal beauty in this life... Living in cities can't even begin to compare," Magnus thought, inhaling the warm air with satisfaction. He smiled when he saw the duo coming towards him.

"Story time!" Mona shouted as she ran to him and climbed into his lap, smiling happily. Theia arrived, sporting a smile of her own.

"This is so incredible... These are such surreal moments of peace and happiness, yet tomorrow, we might all end up dead..." Magnus thought as he met Theia's eyes. He could see his own thoughts reflected on her face.

"So, will it be a funny story?" Mona asked.

"No... No funny stories tonight," Magnus said, taking a big breath. "Tonight I will tell you a story about Tim and Kim being in a situation much like our own."

"Hatiti attacked them too?" Mona asked.

"No, not Hatiti," Magnus said with a chuckle. "Another kind of enemy."

"Who?"

"All in due time... Now, Kim and Tim were visiting a faraway land called Ashad. One of the chieftains there had asked for their help because assassins were trying to kill him!"

"Why did they want to kill him?" Mona asked.

"Because he was a rich chieftain and they wanted to take his land and his people."

"Oh..."

"Yeah. So he hired Tim and Kim to watch over him and protect him from assassins. They were barely a full day on the job when an attempt was made. The chieftain was speaking to his people when an assassin fired a crossbow bolt at him!"

"What is a crossbow?"

"Umm, it's like a regular bow, only it is smartly built so you can draw it even if you are not very strong. And the bolt it fires hits really hard!"

"Awesome! Why don't you build some for us?" Mona asked, clapping her hands.

"I am afraid I am not smart enough to build one," Magnus said, smiling.

"Now where was I... Right, so the assassin fired a bolt and Tim saw it and he used his magic to deflect it! There was great panic and Tim ran towards the assassin, but sadly, the assassin managed to run away. Tomorrow night, that same assassin tried once again to kill the chieftain, but Tim stopped him, and the assassin was caught this time. The chieftain was very angry and he gathered his army and marched to attack another chieftain because he believed that other chieftain was behind these attacks."

"And was he?"

"No! It turned out that a third chieftain was responsible for that, and he was pretending to be our chieftain's friend, but all along he wanted to kill him. So he ambushed his army and the chieftain was killed and only a small part of his army managed to escape..."

"Damn! What happened next?"

"Mona, what did we say about those words," Theia said.

"Sorry..."

"All right, so that two-faced chieftain came with his army to attack the rich lands of the now dead chieftain, and his people had only a small remnant of an army to defend it..."

"But Kim and Tim were there?!"

"Exactly! They stayed there to defend the lands and it was a hard fight... Actually, it was much like what is happening here..." Magnus said, realizing how similar the situation was. Once again, he was trying to defend a place against overwhelming odds, but last time he had had his magic... He looked at Theia, his face expressing sudden guilt. Theia studied him with curiosity.

"Magnus? What happened next? Kim and Tim won, right?" Mona asked impatiently.

"Yes..." Magnus said absent-mindedly, and then giving a weak smile to Theia, he continued the story.

"Kim fought like a true sorceress. She hurled lightning bolts left and right, defending the people with ferocity and courage. On the other side of the town, Tim was fighting against a smaller number of enemies... until he felt the boom of catapults!"

"The boom of what?!"

"Catapults. Those are big contraptions that can hurl huge stones from far away, and the enemy was using them to destroy the fortifications. Tim stood there, helpless, while those mighty catapults were destroying a big part of the wall. When he reached the big gap in the wall, he saw a large number of horsemen, charging towards him."

"Spirits! What did he do?!" Mona asked, biting her lip in anticipation.

"Tim stood, unsure what to do against so many. He saw the avalanche of horses, he saw the swords and spears in the hands of horsemen... and there were dozens upon dozens of them..." Magnus said, pausing dramatically. Mona was holding her breath, and even Theia was listening with anticipation.

"Tim took a big breath and gathered all his magic and then did a spell he had never done before... Ground started to tremble... The earth under horses' hooves shook with force, big gaps opening in the ground, until a huge section of the ground completely collapsed, swallowing the horses and the horsemen..." Magnus said, suddenly feeling very emotional. The memory of that terrible moment was still with him, still vivid and present in his mind. The moment when he decided to kill so many, to save the town...

Magnus felt one small, warm hand grip his own and he smiled at Mona, who was looking at him as if she understood everything. He saw Theia was looking at him with curiosity and compassion, and he quickly showed her a bright smile, in an attempt to hide his sudden mood shift. He was ashamed to admit that he was Tim, that he once had the power to protect this village, but that he had lost it... How could he admit how damn useless he was...

"Tim saved the people, right?" Mona asked.

"Yeah, he did," Magnus said, forcing another smile.

"I knew it. Tim always saves the day... and he will do it again!" Mona said matter of fact.

Magnus watched her curiously, but she just climbed down and gave him the customary peck on the cheek, and then ran off.

"Are you all right?" Theia asked. "You seemed very emotional about that story..."

"Yeah, it is nothing... It just reminded me of the similarity of our situation and the huge responsibility we have," Magnus said quickly.

Theia nodded. "I feel dread thinking about tomorrow, even if I know I must be strong and show a confident face to my people..." Theia said with an emotional sigh.

"I understand... We must be strong and we must hope for the best," Magnus said, holding her hand.

He saw the affection in her eyes, he saw a struggle, but Theia took one deep breath and rose to her feet. She leaned in quickly and kissed him on the cheek, and then in a blink of an eye, she turned and walked away. Magnus couldn't sleep for quite a while, feeling stunned by that simple kiss on the cheek. The sensation of her soft lips on his cheek and the delicate scent of her skin kept him awake for hours...

***

The sound of his own breathing was all he could hear as he walked through what looked like a thick grey mist... Magnus reached out and tried to part it, but it kept eluding him somehow. He stumbled forward, waving his hands around. He tried to call out, but nothing came out of his throat. He couldn't say how much time passed while he was stumbling blindly... it felt like years. Finally, he decided to stop and when he did, the mist suddenly dispersed, revealing a stunning sight. A great, seemingly endless chasm opened before his eyes, and he was standing at the precipice...

He tried to think, but his thoughts seemed so fuzzy. Where was he? Why was he here? He was supposed to do something...

"You were supposed to look for me... to save me," a familiar voice behind him said.

Magnus turned around to see Lina, the way he remembered her. She was holding a basket of mushrooms in her hand and she looked very sad. He had always remembered her like a merry little girl, and what he saw was tearing his soul. He tried to speak, to call out to her, but his voice was betraying him...