CHAPTER ONE: giving a stranger the kiss of life.
Taking a short break from her close-quarters combat training, Tai-Kho, raven-haired warrior of Ero, sat beside the stone fountain dedicated to their god. Already seated there was Han-Xiob, her long-time mentor, and leader of the secretive group. He had been watching her for the last fifteen minutes, studying. He barely blinked.
She dipped cupped hands into the pool of cool, crystal water, studiously avoiding his gaze, testing his patience. He was quite patient. Her rippled reflection showed that some hair had escaped its tight bun. She tucked it behind her ear, washed her hands, splashed her face, before finally running out of things to do. She sighed, and turned to face him.
'You want something.' It wasn't phrased like a question. Respectful, but relaxed; they went way back.
'I have been asked to select an assassin', Han-Xiob said, calmly.
'Agesha seems to be developing some excellent skills in that department.'
'She does, but this needs a more experienced hand.'
'She is keen. She would be disappointed to miss out on an opportunity like this.'
'Like what?' Han-Xiob asked. 'What is this opportunity?'
'I saw the Senate emissary arrive this morning. It can't be a coincidence. This must be a high profile hit.' Tai-Kho let a little smile pull at her lips, knowing she was right.
'Then you'll know that it has to be you.'
Tai-Kho sighed. She knew. She listened, face a mask of impassivity, before resuming her exercises, her mind swimming with thoughts.
Han explained her mission. It seemed relatively simple; to kill Rodhir, the gluttonous, hedonistic Keltian lord. The way of the assassin isn't to ask questions, though it would be a poor assassin that didn't have some idea of the motivations behind their patron's decision. In this instance, perhaps, Rodhir had become too close to the Keltian leader, whispering disturbing untruths, coaxing her away from the alliance that had been in development for years. It was also said that he had made some pact with an evil deity, as he'd hardly aged in over two decades. This seemed less likely a motive, mere superstitious speculation, but not to be discounted.
Whatever, it was a great honour to serve her country, Maran, and if its future depended upon her, then the years of training would stand her in good stead. She returned to her cell for the evening, to contemplate her task, to enjoy a final evening of comfort, and build up her strength and health in the unique way of Ero.
Tai-Kho was tall, athletic, and walked with a purposeful stride. She had been a warrior of Ero for as long as she could remember, though she only joined at the age of 6. The training, the incredible focus required, blocked out all other thoughts except those of her skills. As the acolytes mature, their training centres on combat and meditation. Once eighteen, the most skilled combatants, those with absolute control of their mind and body, advance to be warriors of Ero. Here they develop their minds further, so that they can harness the power of orgasm.
The secret was once widely known, to the benefit of all. Power gained through sex could be used to heal, to injure, to communicate telepathically, even practice thaumaturgy. Nowadays, a time of ignorance, the few remaining skills are passed down through a handful of warriors, in this last enclave of Ero.
So, Tai-Kho, our raven-haired hero, would set out from the remote monastery in the far east, towards Ieboto, port city of Maran, from where she would sail many miles west, to Keltia, land of bards, barbarians and brigands (or so she'd heard). She would be away weeks, possibly months, if she would ever return at all.
She had been on the road all day, her fifth since leaving the monastery, and was looking for somewhere to camp for the evening, when she saw flames flickering through the trees. Hoping to join a fellow traveller, she stumbled across the torn body of a Keltian Warrior. He had obviously started this fire, before becoming the victim of a vicious attack. The Keltian warriors were easily identified by their blue tattoos. Also, usually clothed in wool and cotton, his recent battle with unknown enemies revealed a bare, bruised body. His legs were exposed to the top of his thighs, and covered in trios of thick lacerations. His loincloth, too, was torn, and his large, flaccid cock lay exposed to her gaze. He was very far from home.
The sun was setting, but by the remaining light, and the flames of the camp fire, she identified the claw marks as those of a wolf or wolves. Deep cuts split blue artwork in two. The wounds were fresh. Something must have scared it off. She knelt beside the stranger, listening to his breath, gripped his limp wrist to feel for a pulse. It was weak and slow. He wouldn't survive the night. Around him was a pool of blood, and chunks of flesh had been bitten from his thigh and side. He needed aid, and quickly.
Although the Keltians are feared warriors throughout the world, in near-death his face appeared soft and innocent. She felt compelled to nurse him back to health using the powers that she, and very few others, possessed.
Tai-Kho knew that the only way she could save him now was to share an orgasm with him, but in his terminal state, this was less than straightforward. She looked down at his pale skin, devoid of the rich red liquid of life, and knew there was none to spare for an erection.
Throwing down her baggage and weapon, she proceeded to remove her boots and leggings so that she was naked from the waist down. She knelt by his side and took his limp right hand in hers, and slowly pressed his index and middle finger to her dry vagina lips. She pushed them inside her gently, but there was too much resistance, so she brought them instead up to her mouth, sucked them, lubricated his fingers with her saliva. Now wet, she returned the hand to her vagina, and tried again. They slid in with difficulty, but now they were inside, her mind turned towards the task at hand, and to the energy at her core.
His fingers curled limply inside her, but after nearly a week on the road, a week since her last orgasm, she relished the feeling of flesh inside her, a release of tension, of moisture, energy forming within. She remained kneeling, body forming a strong L, knees apart, allowing her freedom to move his lifeless hands within her. As the pleasure developed, she felt the channel opening, could feel new power forming, and while she enjoyed feeling the orgasm build, a portion of her mind remained alert, focused, controlling the build-up of power.
She fucked herself with his lifeless hands quicker still, wet flesh slapping in the silence of the dusk, until, with a shudder and a sigh, she came, moisture spilling down his fingers and onto his palm. She kept the fingers inside, shifting her energy into him, keeping the channel open, enjoying the force that flowed from within her, a warmth that radiated from her core.
When she sensed that he had sufficient, she withdrew his hand and stood up. He lay still, but his breath had more weight to it, his skin better colour. She bent down to wipe his hand dry, then redressed and left him to come to on his own. She stoked the fire beneath the shelter of a large maple tree, and sat back against it, watching. Eventually she relaxed enough to doze off, drifting into a deep sleep, the sound of the breeze in the leaves, a waterfall nearby.
