I sat back against the wall, gasping for breath, my eyes closed and my head down. Opening them, I saw my katanas in my hands. Red blood covered the blades, as well as my hands, all the way up to my elbows. The smell enticed me, calling for me to spill more. Looking up, I realized I was in a hallway in the Institute of War. However, the beauty of the architecture was covered up by the copious amounts of blood splattered everywhere. Looking around, I saw bodies. Many of them. Some of them I even recognized. A glance at the face of Riven, frozen in shock at the moment of her death, made me want to scream and plunge my blades into my own chest.
Hearing whispers, I turned my head to look down the hallway. A small flicker of light appeared about ten feet from me. As I kept looking at it, the light expanded, until it was as big as a doorway. A shape appeared in the light. It stepped out, and I recognized Lux, the girl who had kissed me in the Infirmary hallway. However, her face wasn't colored with shyness. She looked at me in horror with a small amount of sadness in her eyes. Another shape appeared behind her, this one turning out to be Riven, herself. It dawned on me that these were the ghosts of the bodies in the hallway. As more and more appeared from the light, they crowded around me. Their whispers filled my head. I dropped my blades to press my hands against my ears, but it was no use.
Another whisper filled my mind, one that I was used to. Look at this, Vessel. The voice of Vashirik slipped through my mind like smoke. It always happens just like this. And you always enjoy it. No, I thought back. It couldn't have happened like that this time. I can't even remember what happened.
The whispers grew and grew as more ghosts slipped through the gate. I closed my eyes and screamed...
I bolted up, drenched in sweat. Looking around, I realized I was in my bed, the sheets a tangle around me. On instinct, my eyes shot to the weapons rack across the room. My katanas were there, in the same X pattern I had configured. Taking a moment to try and remember the events of the day before, my mind drifted to my dream. My hands started to shake with the phantom feeling of blood covering them. Focus! I told myself, forcing my mind away from the images and towards the day before.
"Thank you, Annie," I told the little girl as I stood in front of the High Councilor's Chambers. I turned from her and looked at the doors. They were carved with a group of robed figures overlooking a map of Valoran. I sensed some magic on them, a quick scan by Vashirik revealing it to be a lock-spell. It can't hold under my power, he snorted. Probably not even yours. Let's see then, shall we? Concentrating for a moment, my hands started glowing softly. I raised them and slammed them into the doors. They shot open, banging against the walls. A group of Summoners, some old, some young, were startled and turned towards me. Only one kept their back to me, long black hair flowing down their back.
I walked quickly towards the gathering. My steps echoed in the large room. As I approached them, some of the Summoners backed away, their eyes wide in fear. A few stood their ground. When I was close enough to touch the one with their back to me, they turned.
"Darsaj," I said in an even tone. "What do you think you are doing? Did I not tell you this power was too much for you Summoners? Are you trying to kill everyone here?" As I finished, I looked in the eyes of every person in the room. There were some who were terrified, their eyes wide and sweat glistening on some of their foreheads. A few were actually calm, their faces betraying nothing. I returned my gaze to Darsaj. "Well? Any fucking explanation?"
He looked away. "When I showed the others what you became during your match, a vote was called," he started. "It was unanimous that we should lock that aspect of you away from yourself, for everyone's protection. We decided that in order to do so, we needed to break the link between you and these blades." He motioned behind himself.
I moved to the side to see my katanas laid out on a round table, several books open around them. What were they trying to do? I asked Vashirik. Hmmm, he thought. It looks like they were attempting to put a block in between us through the blades. Like dropping a wall into a river to dam it up. But their plan had not one hope of working. Actually, what they planned to do would have amplified our link about three times over. Meaning? I could have taken over at any time, he responded matter-of-factly. And been much more powerful at the same time, almost at my full power.
I stared at Darsaj until he was forced to look back. "You are lucky I awoke when I did," I stated in a grave voice. "If you had tried to do so, you would have taken away any control I have. Vashirik would have taken full control and destroyed every last one of you." I walked forward and grabbed my blades, spinning them over to lay diagonally against my back. Walking towards the door, I turned back and looked at the Summoners one last time. "If you ever take these from me again," I growled softly, a small amount of energy making sure every one of them heard me, "Do not expect to be alive the next day." Stepping back through the doors of the chamber, I reached out with my magic and slammed them shut behind me.
I shook my head as I finished the memory. I think I was too harsh there, I thought. You frightened them, Vashirik told me. I don't think they will try anything like that again. Yes, but I alienated all of them. I doubt even Darsaj will want to talk to me, let alone Summon me. Oh well. Take the time to pursue other interests. Such as? I asked. Vashirik was silent for a moment, then chuckled. Such as the creature about to knock on your door.
I was already at the door when the said knock came. I opened it to Riven's concerned face. "Yes?" I asked.
"Well, I heard you screaming," she said. "I figured it was probably the same sort of dreams I used to have, so I thought I would come and help you through them. May I come in?" I hesitated for a moment. In my head, Vashirik yelled, LET HER IN YOU DAMN IDIOT! Wincing a little from the volume, I opened my door fully.
As she stepped in, Riven's eyes quickly darted around the room, an instinct born of travel. When they set on my blades, she shivered. "The bite of those weapons still lingers in my back," she said. "I am sorry," I replied. "Oh no, don't be," she smiled at me, and my heart skipped a beat.
"Well, do you want to sit? I don't really have much besides my bed," I blushed a little bit. Asking her to my bed, what am I thinking? Look, Vashirik said. I'm going to give you this last bit of advice, then I am going to shell myself for the rest of the night: just go along with the moment. If something happens, then it happens. Enjoy each moment, and care not for tomorrow. With that, I felt his presence fade to a small pressure in the back of my mind. That was the closest thing to a friend he's ever been, I thought with a small amount of shock.
I saw Riven's hand wave in front of my face. "Helloooo. Anyone home?" I shook my head and smiled. "Sorry, was talking to Vashirik. Shall we?" I motioned to my bed, then went red again. "I mean to sit, not t-to do anything else. I mean, if you decide to do anything else, I won't say no, not that I'm trying to get you to do anything else. Please, forg-" she silenced me with a kiss.
My eyes went wide, and I stumbled back a bit. Instead of moving back as well, she stepped with me, keeping her lips locked with mine. My momentum kept me moving right into the wall. My back slammed into it, a grunt pushing out of my throat and making my mouth open. Suddenly, her tongue slipped through the opening, and my eyes got even wider. Deciding to take Vashirik's advice, I closed my eyes and lost myself in the feeling.
When she eventually broke away, I opened my eyes to stare into her amber ones. She moved away slightly and smiled. "I think the bed might be a good idea," she said, and started moving backwards, her hands holding on to mine. As we got to the bed, she sat down and pulled me down beside her.
"I've learned that the best way to keep from having nightmares is to go to sleep completely exhausted," she explained. "For me, it's training until I collapse. That's why my room is covered in mats. For most others, it's something a bit more... intimate." With that, she leaned forward and kissed me again. This time, I kissed back, wrestling with her tongue. I felt her hands start roaming my bare chest. I figured if she could do it to me, I would do so to her. I moved my left hand to her waist and my right hand up to her face. She sighed as my left hand started rubbing around her waist and up her back.
Suddenly, one of her hands went down to my crotch and grabbed my slightly erect cock through my pants. I gasped through the kiss, and I felt her smile again. Emboldened, I raised my left hand to grab her right breast, rubbing it through her shirt. I heard her moan, and she started rubbing my penis through my pants. I felt it grow harder, and I knew I wanted more. My hand went around her neck to the tie of her shirt. Pulling it open, I broke away from the kiss as her wraps fell to pool at her waist. Her medium-sized breasts were revealed to me, the tan skin broken by slightly darker areolas and nipples. I looked back at her face and she smiled again. "So, you do have some initiative," she teased. "Well, I don't really know what else to do. I'm not exactly... experienced." I blushed again.
Her head cocked to the side, her white bangs falling over one eye. "Wait, then that means... how old are you?"
I was slightly surprised by the question, and it took me a moment to respond. "Well, technically I'm stuck at 17. Or 18, I can't tell you what the date was when I took in Vashirik. I can tell you that it was about 74 years ago."
She blinked a few times. "So over 90 years old, and you've never been with anyone? At all?"
I shook my head. "Before Vashirik, I had been more interested in running in the woods than spending time with girls. Afterward... there wasn't really any chance to. He was always just under my skin, waiting to take over."
Her eyes widened slightly, and she looked towards the door. "If doing this will let him out, I can leave. I know it wouldn't be a good idea to-" this time I was the one that silenced her with a kiss. My hand went back to her breast, my callused hand fumbling slightly with my inexperience. Even then, her moan echoed through my room. Her hand went back to my pants, this time going for the ties. As they came unlaced, my body shivered in anticipation. I stood up to allow them to fall around my ankles, still holding the kiss. My erection was exposed to the cool air of my room, and I shivered again. Riven broke the kiss and glanced down. Her eyebrows went up slightly at the size, and a small smile tugged at her lips. She looked back up at me, a mischievous smile on her face. Suddenly she wrapped her fingers fully around my shaft, squeezing hard, her other hand placing itself on my hip.
I hissed at the pleasure that shot through me. A small drop of clear liquid emerged from the tip, which Riven promptly took on the end of her finger. Looking up at me again with one hand still on my cock, she slowly brought the liquid to her lips. Her tongue flicked out and licked the drop from her finger. A sound of longing escaped through my clenched teeth, and she smiled even wider. Turning back to my penis, she pushed her hand down the length of it. Another hiss came out of my mouth, and my head went back.
Suddenly, my cock was enveloped in warmth and wetness. My head shot back down to witness Riven pulling her own head back from my cock, a line of spit stretching between them. She looked up at me again and smiled. She stood up and turned us around. Pushing me to sit, she dropped to her knees between my legs. Taking my cock in her hand again, her head sunk down again, the pleasure making all the muscles in my body clench. She started moving up and down in a rhythm, one hand stroking what she couldn't take in. I lost all sense of time as I fell back.
After what seemed like an eternity, I felt a heat begin to build up in my testicles. I sat back up as it started building hotter and hotter. Riven was still moving up and down, her eyes closed and a few moans sounding from around my cock. As the heat started becoming unbearable, my breath started catching in my throat.
"R-riven, I-I think I'm about to..."
Her response was to sink down even farther on my cock, amazingly taking every inch into her mouth. The pleasure broke my control as my penis started twitching violently. Warm liquid started pulsing out of me, almost all of it going straight down Riven's throat. A few white droplets escaped to land in my pubic area. After the spasm receded, I collapsed backwards, my breath ragged.
I felt Riven crawling up next to me, her breasts rubbing my side. As she drew level with my head, she laid hers down on my outstretched arm. She planted a kiss on my pointed ear, and I turned towards her. A small smile, one that was softer than any of the others, stretched her lips slightly. "So how do you feel?" She asked.
After a few moments, I found the breath to answer. "I'm not... entirely sure. My whole body is just not responding, and my eyes are getting heavy."
She laughed softly. "That's normal for men, I believe. Now rest, and enjoy a night without dreams."
"But I didn't do anything for you," I protested, struggling and failing to sit up. "I want to make you feel good too."
She laid a hand on my chest and pushed me back down. "Don't worry about it. I actually don't want to take your virginity myself. It's better if it is a mutual thing with someone you trust. If you find someone like that here, make sure that it's what you both want. I just wanted to show you how it feels to know pleasure. Now I say again, sleep." With that, she closed her eyes.
"O-okay. Thank you, Riven."
If she made a response, it didn't register as sleep took me...
