Orphan Ch. 03

"Celaeno Alcyone, as I live and breathe!" Daniel Castourus says as he treads down the steps of his two story estate in New Paris. "It has been a long time since you were here in the city."

He is dressed in a very nice and very expensive business suit. Celaeno can't recall a time she ever saw the man in anything else. Things haven't changed in all these years except for the hair.

"It looks like those grays have finally taken over," she says picking up her stride toward to man before wrapping her arms around his neck for a hug.

"Please don't remind me," he chuckles hugging her back. "You're still as youthful as ever."

When they part she frowns for the briefest of moments and then quickly hides it behind a smile. "I may not see an old age if the Divortium keep it up at me."

"Yes, I heard rumors of your capture. But here you are."

"Yes, here I am," Celaeno says. She hesitates for a moment, allowing Daniel to proceed ahead of her.

As the words begin to form in her mouth, he turns around and says, "And you are here to ask for help rather than just a social call." Celaeno nods. "Well, help, social call or whatever, we need to get you and your friend here inside before the Divortium pick you up on satellite. Lord knows that War Golem you have there," he says pointing in Tanttan's direction, "sticks out like a sore thumb."

With Tanttan standing guard at the door, Sage and Celaeno sit with Daniel in the living room. The room is more like a library than a living room, however. Daniel Castourus is a business man, but a literary man in his off time, hence the vast collection of books collecting dust on the many bookshelves encircling the room.

"When I heard you had been captured, I felt I had failed your father," Daniel says as he rolls around the amber liquid in his glass. "Then the fire broke out and reports that many of the prisoners didn't escape drove that failure home even more. I immediately used my network to grab whatever information I could, but there was nothing about you."

"I guess the Divortium are really keeping this one close to the vest," Celaeno says with a smirk.

"Of course there are reports of a rogue Dranon and derelict War Golem attacking the city, but no nothing about Celaeno."

"A rogue Dranon?" Sage asks arching his left eyebrow. "I guess they wish to not upset what little peace they have with the monks."

The older man takes a sip and nearly chokes on a laugh he tries to suppress. "Peace? Those bastards running the show blamed the aftermath of the war on the Dranon, then force most off planet before allowing a few to remain on a tiny sliver of land. What peace is there in that?"

"Or honor," Celaeno quickly adds. "Regardless of that, why would they want to keep me under wraps?"

Daniel laughs, this time not holding anything back as he promptly sets his empty glass on the table. "Why my girl, you're Orphan!"

Celaeno snorts at the comment. She throws herself back into the plush couch and folds her arms across her chest. "Orphan."

"Well, it does suit you," Sage remarks.

"Right it does," Daniel adds. "You girl are an inspiration to those rebels. Your father would be proud of what you have accomplished."

Celaeno's anger shows through clearly to both men. "And what have I accomplished?" She is immediately up on her feet, stomping across the expanse of the large room. "The Divortium still holds the reigns over the people. Too many of those people are being killed. I've got bounty hunters and the goddamn Ternion after me. And for what? Some little bit of fucking inspiration. And what the fuck is it with calling me Orphan?"

Sage doesn't flinch at the outrage. His demeanor remains cool and keen, totally opposite of his companion and sometimes lover. Daniel on the other hand is up on his feet as well, trying vainly to calm her.

"Well besides the fact you are an orphan, many others are as well. The fact alone that you defy a government that everyone objects but will do nothing about inspires them," the older man answers both questions at once.

Celaeno's outrage only falters a little, but her pacing does stop and she stares at the fire glowing brightly in the fireplace. "And what if I don't want to do this anymore?" she asks. "What if I just want to leave it all behind and just disappear?"

"You can't," Daniel says.

"And why not?"

"Because you would be admitting defeat and the Celaeno I know never quits," Sage says still unmoving. "Besides, you'd worry too much about me and Tanttan to let us go running off to fight the Divortium alone."

A smile creeps up onto Celaeno's face and she evens giggles a little. "You're absolutely right. You two would probably get lost without me there to guide you."

"Now that's the spirit," Daniel says while wrapping his arm around Celaeno's shoulders. He pulls her in tight for a quick hug. "Now let's have a drink and tell me about your companions here. And you three are staying for the night. I'll help you leave in the morning, but only after you get some rest." Daniel guides her back to the couch before tottering off to fetch another round of drinks. Celaeno greedily gulps hers down, while Sage's sits next to his previously untouched one.

"There isn't much to tell," she says.

"I resent that you know," Sage quips.

Celaeno smiles again. "Sage Veris here is a Dranon monk sworn to protect me and Tanttan, well though he is big and kind of stands out, is an old War Golem we found a couple years back."

"Veris you say?" the older man asks. "Are you by chance related to the war hero monk Luraith Veris?"

It is Sage's turn to chuckle. "Yes, that war hero is my sister."

"Hmm, I'm quite surprised she isn't involved in this little venture of yours."

"She is actually the Champion of the Loteu," Sage replies.

"Not Patron?"

"No."

"That is a position that she no doubt should have received after the Great War," Sage says as if it left a bad taste in his mouth. "She nearly single-handedly made the peace negotiations happen."

"But it was Sasilis Lonnirl that saved both you and Celaeno's father and prevented an all out war with the Dranon," Sage counters.

"I still believe your sister should have taken the position," Daniel protests. "Regardless of Sasilis' accomplishments, Luraith's cast a shadow over them."

"Yes, my sister does have the advantage over the Patron Sasilis," Sage agrees with a nod.

"Then why does she not hold the position?"

"Luraith has never been one to sit in one place for too long," Sage explains. "I am honestly surprised she has remained Champion this long."

"She does not stay in the Dranon Outlands?"

"Hardly ever," Celaeno butts in. "She has helped us a bit and she has been causing her own bit of trouble."

"The rebellion?" Daniel questions. "I can see her doing many things, but leading a group against a government she helped build is ludicrous."

"I was her inspiration," Celaeno says. "I was offered the position, but I didn't want the responsibility."

"I see so much of your father in you. He disliked having to have the responsibility of so many, the blood of so many on his hands," Daniel says almost in a whisper. "And when it came time to fight against the Dranon, he refused and died as the result."

"So you know who killed my father?"

Daniel shakes his head slowly as sadness creeps over his face. "I wasn't there to see it. I only bore witness after, but rumor was that it wasn't the Divortium but a member of the Dranon."

"Whoa, wait a second," Sage says suddenly springing up from the couch. "Why would the Dranon want to kill Dinarus Alcyone?"

"I do not know," Daniel says softly. All of his earlier enthusiasm seems to have left over the talk of his old friend. "I do not know what the Dranon think or why they do things they do. But I do suspect that his lover may hold that answer."

"Lover?" Celaeno manages to ask just before Sage.

Daniel Castourus breaks a smile for the first time since the turn in the group's conversation. "Did you not know?" Both Celaeno and Sage immediately shake their heads. "Long after the Great War started and your mother was killed, Dinarus found comfort in a woman. I assure you child that it was long after the passing of your mother."

"Who was it?" Celaeno asks impatiently, not really concerned about the length of time.

"Sasilis."

Sage picks Celaeno up and carries her to the bed. She pulls him on top of her, sliding Sage out of his robes as she does so. Sage rolls onto his back. Celaeno gets up and stands at the foot of the bed. She puts her right foot up on the end of the bed and pulls her boot off and lets it drop to the floor with a thump. She repeats the display with the other boot. She smiles and slowly unzips the khakis she wears.

Celaeno has to do a little wiggling to get out of them. She turns so that Sage can watch her ass as she bends to lower the pants to the floor and then stands at the end of the bed in just her black tank top. She reaches for the bottom of it and Sage quickly says, "That stays on for now. I like the way it looks on you."

Sage pulls her to him and kisses her, putting his hands on her ass. Celaeno reaches into his robes and grabs his cock. She slowly strokes him for a few minutes as he massages her ass. She gently cups his balls with one hand and grasps his cock with her other. Celaeno then puts her mouth over his cock and begins to swirl her tongue around it as she bobs up and down. She switches between going slow and then speeding up just before it gets to be something less than perfect. Then, she slows back down before she makes Sage cum in her mouth.

She pulls off of his cock and smiles. Celaeno straddles Sage and begins to rub her pussy lips slowly up and down his hard cock. That moves Sage to action. He grabs her ass and rolls her quickly to her back. Celaeno throws open her thighs to reveal her bare pussy and Sage buries his face in her sweet pussy. He sucks at her lips and kisses her clit. He slides down and begins to tongue her opening. She fingers her clit from above as he stays low.

When his tongue grows tired, he slides a finger into her, then crosses another over it and begins going in and out at a nice steady pace. Sage kneels over her to watch her get more and more excited. He moves to the side a bit so he can massage her breasts through her black tank top. Celaeno moans softly and when Sage stretches down to kiss her, she grabs the back of his neck and takes his tongue into her mouth.

"I'm gonna cum. Watch me cum for you." She keeps going for another minute or so and Sage pulls his fingers from her and watches as she works toward her finish. Celaeno grabs his hand at the very end and presses it beneath hers. She keeps her rubbing motions, but lets his hand be the thing that she actually touches against her pussy. She cums with a series of quiet little moans and then sighs and looks up at him, "Thanks for the help, but I really need a good fucking."

Sage runs his thumb up the length of her slit to help open her up. Every time she has given herself to him, Sage has loved rubbing her bare, slick pussy. He rubs her clit just a little with his thumb and Celaeno reaches toward it with her hips. That provides a very nice angle and Sage pushes into her.

He begins to slide into her with long, slow strokes before picking up the speed a little. Then Sage let himself go. He draws as far as he can without slipping out and drives back in until their hips meet. He does it over and over again and is soon sweating from the exertion. Celaeno times her responses perfectly and makes the most of everything he does. She shifts herself in just the right ways to maximize their pleasure. Her breasts bounce under her black tank top they never got around to removing. Each time Sage thrusts into her naked pussy, Celaeno's full breasts bounce up and down.

"So fucking hot and wet!" Sage groans with lust and desire.

Sage watches her breasts bounce beneath the tank top. He hammers her until he is close to the very edge. Then he pulls out as he begins to erupt. The first string catches the top edge of her bare pussy, but the next several shoot across her body, leaving a trail up to the neckline of her tank top. Sage is still in the throes of a very hard fuck and he puts his big hands up onto her breasts and kneads them. Celaeno bucks against his thigh, rubbing herself there and moaning as he works her breasts. Sage finally slows as he regains his senses.

"Take off that shirt," Sage says. He wants more of her gorgeous body. He needs it.

Celaeno does so and lets her breasts fall free. She has big areolas with bright pink nipples. They are very erect and Sage just has to roll them around between his lips and tongue for a while. Celaeno slips her hand down to her pussy and in no time is moaning softly.

"I want you back in me," she says dreamily. Then she forces Sage onto his back and jumps on top of him. She smiles and strokes his cock a few times to make sure he is fully erect. Certain that he is ready, she mounts him, facing toward his feet with her hands on his knees.

Celaeno begins to ride him with a simple up and down motion at first, but after a while she begins to snake her body and Sage finds that she can create incredible sensations with minimal movement. She is going slowly again. She has the best sense of when to do this. She keeps up her slow slithering movements for a nice long time and soon Sage loses his ability to keep still. He begins driving up into her. She leans forward and holds herself steady against his knees. Sage has to keep a hand on top of her ass to keep her from flying off. As his grip on her begins to settle, he finds that his other hand can't behave. He uses the thumb and finger of that hand to split her ass cheeks apart and slips the thumb from his top hand down to her little asshole and begins to play at it.

"You know how much I love it in my ass," she says almost energized at the idea.

Celaeno quickly pops off of his cock and slides forward slightly. She lines his cock up with her asshole as Sage props himself up on his hands so he can watch her sit on his cock and let it slide slowly into her ass. She grunts as she works her way down onto him. Then she circles a bit to work Sage deeper. Celaeno stops every few seconds to let body get used to fitting him into her incredibly tight ass.

"I need a little help," she says. "Push it in all the way."

Sage gives it a good thrust and she nearly yells as her breath catches in her throat. Celaeno leans back onto him as his hands wrap around her lithe form. He then begins to fuck her ass fast and hard. Celaeno's ass is tight from every angle and squeezes Sage's cock nicely. He keeps going as hard as he can.

"Fuck, I'm going to cum!" Sage groans.

Celaeno doesn't miss a beat as she grunts back, "Cum in my ass!"

Sage unleashes in her ass, letting go of his hold and taking her hips to hold her down as he cums deep inside of her firm little ass. Once his pumping stops, she slides off and crawls onto all fours to let Sage watch his cum drip out of her tiny hole.

The crashing of windows and doors wakes Celaeno and Sage up. It is still dark outside with the moon as the room's only light source as it drifts in through the window. At first Celaeno can only think she dreamed the noise, but seeing Sage had awakened too, she knows differently. Was little bit of tranquility left is shattered along with shard of glass from the window.

Celaeno is out of bed and on her feet just as the Divortium troopers touch the floor. Naked, her lithe form rushes the soldier. She throws a steady fist into the man's solar plexus then an elbow into the back of his head. Before the trooper even hits the floor another comes through the window to take his place.

Celaeno is fast to turn her attention to him. She drop low and comes up underneath, catching an arm and hooking his groin to send him flying up and over. The trooper hits the floor hard, though his armor absorbs the impact. Before he can roll up to his feet, however, Celaeno is bringing a chair down onto his helmeted face. The force of the blow is enough to knock him unconscious.

"Get the door!" she yells as she races over to scoop up her clothes. By the time Sage has the door swung open Celaeno has on her clothes and is running toward the hall beyond. "We've got to regroup with Tanttan," she says sliding past the Dranon monk.

The hall is still untouched but the sound of battle is carried through the empty halls. Turning toward the sound, Celaeno pulls out a knife and runs in that direction. Sage is right on her heels, sword in hand until a familiar voice calls out his name.

He turns to see a familiar figure stepping through the doorway. The moonlight cascades off his skull mask and in contrast to his dark clothing make him look menacing. "Hello again Sage Veris," he says in an almost low whisper.

"Renus Brish," Sage says. "I didn't expect to see you again so soon."

"I'm sure you didn't. You're friend didn't either."

"She's real lucky I found her before any of the other Ternion," Renus says with a laugh.

"Yeah, real lucky," Sage mocks. He draws up his sword in a defensive as Renus pulls his free.

Meanwhile, Celaeno rushes to the top of the stairs. Below on the second floor a group of Divortium troopers are rushing into the mansion. She grips her knife and jumps to the banister, taking it downward. It isn't until she is nearly at the bottom does one of the troopers notice her.

Celaeno throws the knife into the trooper's chest and as she clears the staircase, she drives her knees into him, taking him to the ground. Using the momentum, she rolls off the trooper, taking the knife with her.

Celaeno rolls off into a kneeling stance and slings the knife into another oncoming trooper. This time, the blade hits through the trooper's mask, slinging his head back. She springs to her feet, catching the arm of the next just as he pulls the trigger of his assault rifle. The shots go wild, catching another trooper before she snaps his arm and flips him over to his back. Grabbing his knife, Celaeno quickly stabs it through his chest and then stands and spins to drive it up through the bottom of the next attacker's jaw.

Without losing momentum, Celaeno spins, pulling the knife free and blocks an incoming strike of a tech ninja's sword. The knife slides down the backside of the sword and then smoothly across his throat. Celaeno spins, grabbing hold of an available knife from the tech ninja and as she comes out of her spin, she sends both knives through the air. The first blade strikes another unfortunate trooper in the chest, knocking him down. The other, the tech ninja is able to maneuver and hits him in the shoulder.

Celaeno grins and rushes the soldier with determination. At the last possible second she leaps over the horizontal sword swipe, landing with her knee on either side of the ninja's head. Her suddenly weight and momentum knock him off guard and to the ground backward and by the time his back hits, Celaeno has his neck snapped. She quickly gathers up the sword from the ninja's loosened grip and rolls to her feet.

She uses the newly acquired sword to cut through an assault rifle and then across the legs of her next incoming attacker. As he heads for the ground, Celaeno spins, throwing her arm outward with the sword in through the head of the next trooper while pulling a knife free of the first. She pulls the sword free, letting the trooper fall and whips the knife around over the falling trooper's head and into the next oncoming attacker. This trooper catches the blade in his chest and joins his comrades on the ground.

The room falls silent, if only briefly. The sound of creaking wood and boots suddenly invades the silence. Celaeno spins with the sword drawn up defensively just in time to see Renus Brish coming down the stairs and dragging Sage by the back of his robes. By the time Renus' foot touches the floor, he sends Sage's unconscious form sliding across the expanse.