A Paladin's Training

*all characters are over the age of eighteen years*

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PROLOGUE -- The Darkening - Five Hundred Years Ago...

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***PALAVUS IRONROD***

The gleaming marble halls of the Grand Temple were alive with music and laughter as Paladins and Servants, Priests and Priestesses and citizens of the city all celebrated as one. Palavus grinned widely as he strode through the vast chamber, watching his brethren rejoice, for as of yesterday, the War had been won. Large Sunstones lined the massive room with its towering arched ceilings and fluted stone columns, filling the space with a warm, homely glow and illuminating the multitudes of naked bodies writhing on massive beds and lounges, or cavorting in the many expansive bathing pools. This chamber was one of dozens in the Temple, and many of the others were today being used for the same purpose as this one.

Under the roof of a Temple, all races were welcome, and today, all squabbles and disagreements had fallen to the wayside. Ebony Dark Elves and stout Dwarves, mighty Orcs and towering Giants, High Elves and Humans all mixed together in an orgy of love and passion. Palavus was smiling for another reason, however, for he saw more than just a room full of folk engaged in sexual abandon; he saw lasting peace between these cultures for the foreseeable future.

Armas Dorne -- the First Paladin -- had spent his long life forging the treaty of the Seven Kingdoms, spending years with each kingdom before finally bringing them to agree to peace. Dorne had done the impossible, by all counts, and the years after were a time of growth and abundance in Ekistair. As with any neighbouring nations, however, squabbles did occasionally break out, but the Order of Aros was always there to help smooth things out.

To defeat the dark forces, the Seven Kingdoms had, for the first time, worked as one against a common foe, and Palavus believed they would remember if for a long time to come.

Hands reached out, playfully grabbing at Palavus' legs as he passed a pool. A slender Human woman, a busty Dwarf and a statuesque she-Orc -- all of them naked and beautiful -- were beckoning him to join them, but he politely declined. He would join the party soon enough, but there was someone he wanted to see first; Darius Sunblade, Palavus' former apprentice. In an act of highest courage and bravery, Darius had led the final charge against Morgeth the Corruptor, shattering enemy lines and sending the Demoness fleeing. Palavus could not have felt prouder; he had many sons the world over, and he considered Darius to be one of them.

Young Sunblade deserved congratulating, if Palavus could find him. He either hadn't returned from the forward camp yet, or he was keeping his Gift suppressed for some reason. Scanning the mass of nude bodies, Palavus looked for someone that might know the whereabouts of Darius. Despite his resolve to wait until after he'd congratulated his former apprentice to join in the fun, he felt himself growing hard watching the hedonistic displays unfolding in the vast chamber.

On a nearby silk-covered lounge, a tremendously busty High Elf was lying back with her generous thighs spread wide while a slender, ebony Dark Elf patiently slid his long phallus into her bald pussy. By the High Elf's golden-haired head, a stocky Dwarf stood, his eyes closed in pleasure as the Elf lovingly suckled his fat cock. Palavus almost laughed out loud; he never thought he'd see the day when a High Elf fucked a Dark Elf or a Dwarf, and to see her doing both together was near unfathomable, yet that was the power of Aros. He could bring folk together, cultivate love when before there had been only hate.

On one of the huge beds, a stunning, fourteen or fifteen-foot Giantess lay back, her fair skin contrasting sharply with the silky jet-black tresses that splayed out around her head. She was moaning in pleasure; a deep yet pleasingly feminine rumble as a brawny nine-foot Orc knelt between her wide, creamy thighs and slotted his enormous cock into her waiting pussy. She took him easily, of course; Giantesses were used to much bigger. As Palavus watched, he felt his cock twitch as he imagined being in the Orc's position -- he'd fucked a Giantess or two before, and they certainly provided for a great deal of fun -- one of his brethren, a broad-shouldered Paladin named Bennet, climbed atop the Giantess and straddled her chest. Bennet had obviously used his Grace to enhance the size of his member, for no man that Palavus knew possessed a cock that hung past his knees! Slapping the thick slab of meat down, Bennet gathered up as much of the Giantess' mountainous tits as he could and pushed them together around his shaft before beginning to pump his hips, fucking the vast cavern of pale flesh.

Well, no point asking Bennet if he'd seen Sunblade; the man was obviously preoccupied. Moving through the crowds, and politely declining offers he received here and there, Palavus finally sensed someone who may be of help. Delya, a beautiful, slender fellow Paladin he knew well was standing nearby, bent at the waist and bracing herself on one of the thick marble columns. A dark-haired High Elf was behind her, grasping her hips and pulling her back against him as he fucked her in a steady rhythm. They were both naked, as was most everybody, and Delya's firm breasts swung beneath her with each thrust of the Elf's hips.

She must have sensed his approach, for she turned to face him, resting her cheek on an outstretched arm. Her palms were flat against the column, her elbows locked, and even as she addressed Palavus, she continued meeting her lover's thrusts with her tight ass. "Well, good evening, Palavus!" She purred, groaning as the Elf slapped her creamy buttock.

"Hello, Delya," Palavus greeted the sexy Paladin with a wink.

"Come to join the fun?" She asked hopefully, her eyes wandering down to where his cock tented the front of his diaphanous robe. The traditional robe that members of the Order of Aros wore was never intended for modesty, and the filmy material left nothing to the imagination.

"Soon, my love," Palavus promised, giving a friendly nod to the High Elf, who returned it before bringing his gaze back to where his cock was sliding in and out of Delya's tight pussy. "For now, I'm looking for Darius. I can't sense him anywhere."

Delya thought for a moment, all the while her buttocks continued to slap against the Elf's pelvis. "Haven't seen him since the War was declared won," she mused, her voice hitching every time the Elf slammed home. "He must be here; he surely wouldn't still be at the forward camp?"

"Might be," Palavus said, stroking his mustaches. "You know what he's like, lass. All duty and honour and such. Probably wants to hunt down all the scattered darkspawn himself."

Delya's laugh tinkled, but it was interrupted by a particularly solid thrust. "Oh! Yes, that's it!" The slender beauty cried. "Fuck my tight pussy with your big Elf cock!" After a moment, she came back to Palavus. "I'm sure he'll return soon enough, Palavus. Why don't you relax and have some fun? I'm sure there are plenty of women here who could use some of the famous Ironrod!"

Palavus sighed. Something nagged at him, a feeling that there was something slightly off. Shouldn't Darius Sunblade, the hero of the age, be home by now? Surely, it didn't take longer than three days to leave the forward camp. But then, perhaps Palavus had been so long at war that he'd forgotten how to relax. "Maybe you're right, lass," he conceded. "He's probably just laying low. Poor bastard's probably exhausted."

Suddenly a pair of slim arms snaked around his chest from behind, and a soft pair of lips pressed against his ear, sending pleasant tingles throughout his entire body. "If you think you're going one more minute without fucking me, Palavus Ironrod, you're deeply mistaken."

Palavus grinned, for he'd known who it was before she'd even touched him. Reaching back with both hands, he found a well-rounded pair of hips that he squeezed fondly. "There are some things a man can deny, and some that he can't, Amina." Delya gave him a wink before he turned from her to face the High Priestess Amina, a woman that had captured Palavus' heart the moment he'd laid eyes on her.

Any person who bore the Grace of Aros was blessed with attractive features, but to Palavus -- and probably to most people, men and women alike -- Amina was something else entirely. Silky golden hair tumbled down to her shoulders like a waterfall under a perfect sunset, framing the fairest of faces. Eyes like sapphires from the frozen north of Palistair looked up at him through long lashes, set in a face that could make a man's mouth go dry. Full, luscious lips curved seductively, and her bottom lip was caught in her teeth as she pressed herself up against his rampant erection. She was tall and graceful, yet her body was curved in the most amazing way, as if sculpted by a master artisan who had spent long years chasing perfection. Large, proud breasts graced her chest, capped by pink nipples that grazed the front of his robe as she tilted her head up to kiss him. Palavus' hands moved to her slim waist, which flared out into generous hips that he gripped firmly before moving further down to a lush, ripe bottom that he'd longed to feel in his hands for what felt like an age.

Palavus had first met Amina several years ago, and the attraction had been instant and powerful. While it was true that all Paladins and Priests and Priestesses radiated love and sexual charisma, something about Amina had pulled at Palavus as if she had a string tied to his heart, and his cock. Later, Amina had confessed that she felt the same. He had yearned for her since that first moment, but the War had taken priority, and so their time together had been delayed, until now.

Her lips met his, and Palavus forgot all about Sunblade, all about war, all about everything save for the goddess in his arms. Around them, the orgy carried on, but Palavus was focused only on Amina.

Breaking the kiss, she pressed her forehead against his. "Take me somewhere," she breathed, squeezing his shoulders in need. "Just you and I, nobody else."

Unwilling to deny her anything she asked, Palavus picked the Priestess up by her ripe bottom and began to move through the mass of naked revelers, using his Grace rather than his eyes to navigate the orgy, as his lips once again captured hers. Somehow, even with her arms and legs wrapped around him, the talented young Priestess had parted his robe, and he felt the naked tip of his cock nestled against the warm, moist lips of her smooth sex. Needing no further encouragement, Palavus lowered her until he felt her lips part around his turgid head. Inch by inch, she sunk lower, until he was snugly nestled in the delicious confines of Amina's willing pussy.

They stayed joined like that for the entire journey back to Palavus' quarters, which were hundreds of yards of hallways and corridors away, yet it bothered the two Graced lovers not, for every moment together was one to be cherished. Unable to stop himself, Palavus turned to press Amina's back against a nearby wall, ravaging her lips with his while he began to spear into her, right there in the middle of the walkway.

"Oh, fuck!" She moaned into his mouth. Her lips tasted like honeyed wine, her skin made the finest silk feel like grit. "Fuck me, Palavus! Fuck me until I cannot walk!"

It was not such a bad request, and Palavus had little else in mind as he thrust himself into her a few more times before pulling her away from the wall and resuming his route to his quarters. Amina's feet had not touched the marble floor since they'd left the orgy, and Palavus didn't intend to put her down for a long while yet. She was not a heavy woman, but his arms would have eventually grown tired if not for the Grace of Aros, which gave his body strength beyond its normal bounds.

"Why is it like this?" She whispered into his ear while clutching herself to him, her hips bucking even as he carried her. He knew what she meant; why was it so much more intense between the two of them than with other Graced Ones? Palavus had walked this world for over a thousand years, Bonded hundreds of women and made love to many times that number, Graced or otherwise, yet the moment he'd felt himself slide inside Amina's willing body, he knew she was different. Whatever this force between them was, it was bigger than Palavus or Amina; it was like Aros himself was taking a direct hand in their experience, giving them a taste of the sweetness of eternity in the afterlife.

"I know not," Palavus replied truthfully. "But I'll be damned if I'm going to fight it."

Finally, Palavus reached the gilded double-doors to his quarters, and took a hand from the Priestess's lush bottom to pull the handle and let them in. Once inside, he kicked the door closed and made for his bed; a huge, four-posted square that could hold ten people, and had done, on many occasions. Amina's golden hair splayed out around her like a halo as he lay her down and lowered his body over hers.

"Take me," she breathed into his neck. "Take me over and over again."

Palavus began to do just that, losing himself in the angel beneath him, his Grace vibrating in time with hers at a pitch he'd never before experience, even in his long years. Those long years had granted him exquisite control over his own pleasure, making him able to delay -- or expedite -- his climax at his own whim, so he was completely surprised when he suddenly found himself at his peak, his balls churning and his iron-hard cock spasming wildly inside his lover. He was roaring, he realised dimly, at the intensity of the pleasure he was feeling, and beneath him, Amina was doing the same, her body rocking and quivering as she rode the wave with him.

Peaks were supposed to be just that; an apex of pleasure that dipped back down until it was time to rise again, yet this time, they remained at the pinnacle, clutching and grasping at each other until pleasure overwhelmed them both.

Palavus didn't remember closing his eyes, but when he opened them, he was still laying atop Amina, her lush frame cradling his on the bed. The perfect beauty was asleep, though Palavus could still feel arousal coursing strongly through her body. With a small shock, he realised he was Bonded to her! When had that happened?

The young Priestess's sapphire eyes opened, and she beamed up at him, flashing perfect white teeth. "It's never been like that before, for me." She said quietly, her eyes flicking back and forth between his.

"Nor for me," Palavus agreed, dipping his head to kiss her. "We're Bonded now, too. I don't remember that happening, love."

She closed her eyes again, and Palavus felt her exploring the sensations inside her that would be from his end of the Bond. She smiled again, a beautiful, radiant thing. "I think I like it."

"I do, too," he said, returning her smile. Still embedded in her deliciously warm pussy, he gave his hips a couple of pumps, to which Amina responded by lifting hers to meet him.

"Let's make the most of our time," she suggested as Palavus began to thrust more steadily. He lifted himself up on his arms so he could look down at her flawless body. Her ample breasts shifted up and down delightfully as he increased the force of his hips. "Tomorrow, I have tasks to be about, but tonight, I just want you."

Nodding, Palavus began to fuck her in earnest, reading her through the Bond to give her exactly what she wanted, when and how she wanted it. For many long hours, they fucked, made love, and fucked again, making a mess of Palavus' quarters in the process.

Eventually, the two newly Bonded lovers fell asleep, and didn't awaken until the screams began.

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CHAPTER ONE -- The Gift Awakens.

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***ARAN***

The afternoon sun sat low, and the surrounding trees cast long shadows across the dirt road as Aran Sunblade turned the note over to study the map again, knowing it would be the same this time as the hundred times before. He had found the slip of paper lying on his pillow one evening many months ago, when retiring for the night. It bore a simple message: "It is time to come home, Aran." On the back was a map, leading to this place, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. He had asked his mother, who had suggested it was one of his friends playing a joke, but something about the strange message had told Aran that that was not the case. A few months later, Aran's curiosity had gotten the better of him -- especially after spending those months asking passing travelers about the location marked on the map -- to which all replied something similar to: "nothin' out there but trees, lad."

Aran never been further than a few miles out of Korrin his entire life, and now, here he was, riding in the back of a cart on a lonely backroad in the middle of the Emerin Forest. He found himself recalling the last conversation he'd had with his mother before he'd left...

*

"I'm sorry, Mama," Aran said sincerely, squeezing her in a tight hug. She was a good woman, Mari Sunblade. Aran had never known his father, and Mari had raised him all on her own. "But I need to do this."

She wiped a tear from her eye, nodding in understanding despite being visibly upset at the thought of her only son leaving home. "It had to happen, eventually, love," she said with a sad smile. She was a pretty woman, past her middle years but aging gracefully. She had kind, brown eyes and was generous with her smiles. Today, as with most days, her graying hair was tied back with a kerchief. "There's too much of your father in you for you to stay in Korrin all your life."

Strange; his mother never talked much about his father. She usually only did so after Aran pestered her about it for long enough to make her relent, and even then, she was sparing with details. The little she did say was always good things, but never had she brought up Aran's father of her own accord. "What do you mean?" He asked her, trying to read her expression.

She shook her head ruefully, as if upset at herself for mentioning it. "I'm certain you will find out, sooner or later, my love. Promise me you will be careful?"

Aran wondered what she meant, but he answered her request anyway. "I will, Mama, I promise you that." He touched her face, smiling down at the shorter woman. "And I'll come home soon. There's just something about this note that's pulling at me. I have to know what it means."

Sniffling, she smiled, touching his face in the same way. "Go, son, and always remember, love before hate, alright?"

Aran grinned. It was a silly sentiment that his mother had always favoured, but he returned it genuinely, as he knew it was important to her. "Love before hate, Mama."

*

The horse came to a stop. "This is the place, Aran. Best of luck to ye!" Old Renn Yardley turned from where he was perched up the front of the rickety cart, a smile on his leathery face.

Hopping down, Aran thanked Renn for the ride before grabbing his pack and brushing bits of straw from his simple country clothes. Renn had been kind enough to carry Aran all the way out here -- into the middle of nowhere -- from Korrin, a small farming village on the outskirts of the Emerin Forest, where Aran had grown up. With a cluck of his tongue and a flick of the reins, Renn set the old cart horse in motion, offering Aran a final wave over his shoulder as the cart rattled off, its wheels squeaking and squealing with every jolt of the uneven road.

Aran studied his surroundings, wondering if he was in the right place. The rough dirt track cut through the dense forest in a straight line as far as he could see in either direction, and Renn's cart was getting smaller and smaller as it rolled off into the distance. This was a road seldom travelled these days, according to Renn, who was one of the few people willing to risk cutting through the unforgiving wood.