A/N: Aerius begins training the Murderers, and is met with mixed responses...
Um, I feel that I should warn you that this chapter contains some yaoi-ish stuff. Not really too bad, but if it bothers you, just imagine Aerius as a girl.
...
"Now, as assassins, we rely on premeditation and positioning to take care of our targets," I began. "But you cannot expect to always be able to walk in, kill one man, and walk out. More often than not you're going to have to fight, either subordinates of the target or the target himself."
"I can fig-," T'rajji began before Emilia elbowed him in his stomach.
"You may be able to fight, but there are different ways to do so," I said, "Take me, for example. Although it's obvious that I prefer the use of longswords, I also carry my quiver and bow with me in case I have a long-range kill available.
"I've witnessed Domitius' skill with his bow first hand, T'rajji proudly brandishes his axe, and I've never seen Emilia without her dagger."
I loved the feeling of Arquen's absence. She must've thought that, because she was a part of the original Hand, she knew everything. But the Night Mother made me the Listener, not her.
"It is a good idea to train yourself in other methods of combat. For instance, you wouldn't want to fight someone quick, agile and armed with a dagger with a heavy warhammer, would you?"
They nodded, mumbling assorted forms of agreement.
"And Domitius, how many times have you had to use a sword because there wasn't enough space for your bow?"
"More often than not," he said, "People don't tend to put themselves in vulnerable positions."
"Exactly," I clapped, getting to my point. "For the next few weeks, you will be learning how to fight with each other's weapons."
Domitius and Emilia looked excited, but T'rajji looked rather put out. "Why must I learn to use that flimsy bow, or such a light sword?"
I resisted the urge to smile when Domitius turned and glared daggers at him. "I don't want to hear that one of my murderers couldn't complete his mission because he was felled by a woman with a sword." It was blunt, but it was true. "It's for your safety."
He sighed. "Alright. What do we do first?"
...
In the weeks that followed, they learned a lot about each other's weapons. Emilia liked T'rajji's axe in a morbid sort of way, and Domitius rather enjoyed her dagger. The Khajiit, as usual, was hard to please.
Until I showed him a claymore.
Arquen returned three days after training began with two new recruits, a Dark Elf named Arya and an Argonian by the name of Rasei, who favored the bow and warhammer(respectively). At first Arya had taken a bit of a liking to Domitius, but once Emilia informed her that he liked his mates with a penis she backed off. Still they quickly fell into the 'family'; before long we were all eating and laughing and training together like old friends.
"Alright, all of you have used another weapon for the past two months," I said, pacing before them in the main room of the Sanctuary. "Who feels that they have mastered it?"
Domitius, Emilia, and Rasei raised their hands. A cruel smile spread across my face. "Enough to face me?"
Arquen cut in. "Listener, I don't feel that this is-"
"Shut up, Arquen."
Rasei and Emilia eventually dropped their hands. My eyebrows rose. "Domitius, you believe yourself ready?"
He cracked his knuckles. "I've seen you fight before. I know how to use it to my advantage."
"So be it."
I stepped forward, into the metaphorical ring, and so did he. We both drew daggers and he crept forward, holding his up in a defensive position. Emilia could be heard giggling with Arya and T'rajji and he rolled his eyes.
Quick blows were exchanged and blocked; stupid little meaningless taunts were shouted and hissed, all trying to draw an attack from the other. I grew bored with this.
So finally, with a deep, throaty growl I attacked. He blocked the actual blow but the force knocked him on his back. Instantly I was on him, straddling his narrow body and breathing loudly on his neck. The small noise he made wasn't lost to me.
"There," I said, sitting up, "If this were a real fight, if I was a feral vampire, you would be dead."
He just stared up at me for a moment, his blue eyes boring into my red ones, until he growled and a fist collided with my face. I fell back, hissing a curse, right before the door to the living quarters slammed shut.
Arya came over to help me up with the soft question of, "Are you alright, Listener?"
I muttered my thanks after experimentally rolling my jaw, my gaze frozen on the door.
"Domitius?" Emilia called, walking over to the door.
I held out my arm to stop her. "No. I should talk to him."
So she stopped, and I went into the living quarters. He was sitting on his bed, his back to me, hugging his knees to his chest.
"Domitius."
"It's funny how you decided to do the one thing you know bothers me in front of everybody in the entire Sanctuary," he hissed.
"You're being ridiculous."
He sounded exasperated. "Am I?"
"Incredibly so," I said, walking up behind him. My arms draped over his shoulders, curling around his body slightly, and I spoke into his ear. "I promised not to bite you as your lover. As your Listener, I have other priorities."
I didn't miss the way his heart spiked at the word lover. A part of me wanted desperately to feel that strong heartbeat, but now was not the time.
"Besides, I never bit you in the first place," I added.
His voice was a little less forceful, but the conversation continued. "You honestly don't want to taste my blood?"
I snorted. "Of course I do. But I have enough self restraint not to."
He made a noncommittal noise.
I pursed my lips, trying to think of a way to get him out of this little mood. My face broke into an evil grin.
"I'm not going to apologize, Domitius," I murmured into his ear, my fingers playing with the strap across his shoulder.
"I figured as much."
My hand moved down, over the abdominal muscles I felt through his Shrouded Armor. "So don't take this the wrong way."
His pulse was steadily growing faster, and he swallowed thickly. "What?"
With that I moved lower, my hand just north of his crotch. "Open them." I commanded, and he slowly widened his legs. I breathed the word "this," in his ear and began to fondle him. He bit his lip, struggling to hold in assorted sounds of approval.
But before long the warm organ stood at attention beneath my palm, and Domitius looked like he had gotten hit in the face with a tomato. His mouth was half open, eyes squeezed shut, and his pulse throbbed loudly.
"I suspect that you like this," I teased, whispering it in his ear before moving down to feel that heartbeat under my lips.
He whimpered affirmatively.
I slowly stroked the thick bulge; he leaned his head back on my shoulder and moaned, bringing a wide grin to my face and a deep chuckle from my chest. I felt his body tense under my arm, heard his heartbeat double as he came close to release.
Then I got an even better idea.
Domitius' eyes opened and he breathed a "...what?" when he realized I had stopped.
"I want you to beg for it," I hissed into his ear.
He narrowed his eyes. "Prick."
"Well, if you want me to stop, I'll..."
"No, wait," he said quickly. "Please."
"Please what, Domitius?" My hand ghosted over his erection and he bucked to meet it.
"Aerius, please," Sithis, he looked like he was going to cry, "Let me... I need to... please."
"Very well," I finally obliged, taking a hold of his tent and providing him the friction he so desired. He panted warmly in my ear, letting out soft noises of pleasure.
"Go on," I encouraged, breathing the words in his ear. "Come for me, Domitius. I want you to."
He screwed his eyes shut, letting out a low, growling moan as he climaxed, and seconds later I felt the leather soften beneath my palm.
I tilted his head back and kissed him. It was sweet and deep, and I was convinced that he was over his little temper tantrum...
Until he bit hard into my lower lip.
"Was that necessary?" I asked, pulling away.
He grinned mischievously. "You evil son of a bitch."
"Hey, you hit me first."
...
A/N: yup, for as high and mighty as being Listener seems, he still knows how to act like a toddler.