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The Rogue Archon: Chapter 4
Put simply, the feast was a wild affair. Low simple tables and cushions for seating were brought out as the sun began to sink. Lively music was performed by a strange collection of instruments that neither Ryn nor Jace had seen before. Dancers of all ages executed whirling, stamping, leaping, and swaying steps, dressed in flowing garments that were simultaneously modest and somehow alluring.
Jace and Ryn were seated at the head of the gathering, with Olban on their right, and Torun to their left. They were the first to be served with a drink in cups made from horn or antler. It was a type of bitter fruit beverage that they both had a difficult time drinking without making a face. The food, on the other hand, was surprisingly good.
For a people that were so obviously in a dire situation, the Taigari certainly knew how to put on a feast. This worried Ryn, as he did not want the people to be giving up rations they could not afford to lose. He voiced his concerns as tactfully as he could to Olban, but the old man reassured him.
"Taigari are taught to be hunters from the day we can walk. So long as there is game to be found, we will not go hungry."
Jace could see Ryn beginning to truly relax. Even the people treating him like some holy icon did not seem to bother him as much as it had before. Ryn would just smile and thank them and sometimes say a prayer for them if they asked it of him.
As the first course drew to a close, the dancers filed away and were replaced by warriors performing intricate martial art forms that often moved so quickly it was nearly impossible to see. Torun participated in this as well and was one of the most talented. Jace had a brief flash of jealousy when he noticed Ryn intently watching the movements of the topless and admittedly quite handsome warrior.
Shifting his position, he laid a hand gently on Ryn's leg, under the table out of the view of others. Feeling the touch, Ryn looked up at him and smiled sheepishly, caught in the act. Jace trusted Ryn completely and knew that it was only natural for him to look. He returned the smile before giving his attention back to Torun and giving Ryn wordless permission to enjoy the show.
The feast continued on late into the night with many courses and different performances. The young Taigari danced and displayed their martial arts as well, the musicians performed more intense selections, and several Taigari told stories of the myths of the past.
After a break in one of the courses of the meal, Olban stood and moved to the center of the gathering. As he did, a knowing look passed between him and Ryn.
"As we gather here to celebrate the arrival of our honored guests," Olban started, earning silence from the Taigari. "It is important that we remember that it is not the first time that the gods have reached down to help us." Olban turned to the storyteller that had just vacated the center of attention. "Thank you, Ketar for sharing with us the story of the creation of Terana. Now there is another tale from the gods that must be told, lest we forget. The story of magnificent Cetalia, and her miracles."
An even deeper hush fell over the audience as Olban opened his story. He told of a time when famine and draught plagued the Taigari. Hostile tribes saw their weakness and relentlessly attacked and raided again and again. Olban was a natural storyteller, no doubt honed by decades of practice. His voice rose and fell in a dynamic performance that had even Jace leaning in to hear. Ryn was enthralled by the tale as Olban related how they prayed to the gods for weeks and months for food for their children and protection from their enemies. Even the Taigari, who had no doubt heard this story dozens of times before, were on the edge of their proverbial seats.
One day, a lone hunter, desperate to find some wild game to bring home to his wife and newborn child, happened across a strange sight. A massive whale, lying in the desert, clad in glimmering armor. The hunter could not fathom how a whale had come so far from the ocean or what need a sea creature had of armor, but he knew that a beast of its size could feed the entire tribe for weeks. As he crept closer however the whale spoke to him. It told him that if he would show it a kindness, then it would save his suffering people.
The hunter was shocked to hear the whale speak to him and as he looked closer and saw the shimmer of the sun off its radiant plates, he knew he could not slay such a beautiful creature. He offered all that was left in his waterskin to the creature, knowing there was no way he could bring it back to the ocean.
Touched by his offer, the whale revealed her name. Cetalia. And with a mighty heave, she left the ground and swam into the air. The hunter, knowing he had just seen a sign from the gods, ran all the way to his village. The Taigari did not believe him though and claimed he had gone mad in the heat.
Cetalia was not gone however. Days later, the cry went up through the village that a massive creature of the air was approaching them. So large was Cetalia that she blocked out the sun as she flew over. At first the Taigari were terrified. But, following in the wake of the dazzling creature was the rain. Droves of it, pouring down from the heavens. Watering their fields and filling their wells.
It was just as Cetalia flew by that a raiding party from a neighboring tribe was set to attack the village. The Taigari, weakened by their long famine, had not even seen them approach. When the attackers saw Cetalia however, they threw down their weapons and fled in terror.
For weeks, Cetalia stayed with them. Flying overhead often and keeping them safe. Under her protection, the Taigari grew strong once more. Their fields produced abundance, their hunters returned with a bounty of fresh game, and their warriors no longer feared their enemies.
When the Taigari were once again the strongest of the tribes and their lands were plentiful, only then did Cetalia leave them. She gave them the blessings of all the gods and the people wept to see her go. The Taigari thanked her and made sacrifices in her honor. To this day, the Taigari praise her in stories and songs, and feast in her name once every year.
Olban concluded his story and was met with attentive silence. After a respectful moment, a young woman spoke up with a question.
"Elder, we thank you for your story. But why do you bring it to us tonight? The feast of Cetalia is still nearly two seasons away." A murmur of confused agreement moved through the crowd as she spoke.
Olban made eye contact with Ryn, who gave a very slight nod that was all but imperceptible.
"Cetalia was a sign from the gods. It seemed right to mark an event as historic as tonight with a recounting of great blessings of the past." This seemed to sate the curiosity. Olban's logic was sound. "Furthermore, the stories of our history give us power. We remember what the gods have done for us, and they remember us, their creations, and bless us further for our faith."
As Olban's words faded away, another sound replaced them. A low-pitched humming that, as it grew, seemed to make the air vibrate. It was never loud, but it felt like it resonated at every pitch at once. Jace knew from experience that when ships of the Harmonious Light moved low along the ground without engaging their engines, they did not produce the same calamitous roar that Coalition ships did. Thus, he was not surprised when he saw the dark silhouette of Radiance crest the hill on the edge of the oasis.
The Taigari, becoming unnerved by the strange sound that seemed to be coming from all around them, looked to Olban and to Ryn for guidance. Ryn met their stares and smiled comfortingly before gesturing upward. Just as Radiance's sleek hull began to glimmer in the torchlight, the Taigari took notice.
Great cries of shock and alarm rose from the assembly. People jumped from their seats and grabbed their children close.
"Do not be afraid." Ryn projected his voice not for the first time. Radiance was not a large vessel by any means, but at this level it still covered a fair portion of the camp as it glided almost silently overhead. The camp was rife with pandemonium for a time as people tried to make sense of what they were seeing. Eventually however, after several more repeated assurances from Ryn, people stopped running, screaming, and overall panicking. They settled into a state of fearful stupor as they watched the gleaming ship sail overhead.
"This is Calae." Ryn spoke in a soothing voice. "She is my friend and guide, and now a friend to the Taigari."
"Ken-haii, Taigarim." Calae's digital voice spoke through Radiance, amplified through the entire camp, using the traditional greeting of the Taigari.
"A blessing!" Olban called out loudly. "Messengers of the gods! And the kin of Cetalia herself!"
The fear among the Taigari was gradually turning to awe and wonder.
"The gods have not forgotten us in our time of need! The Red Demons' days now surely are numbered!"
Olban's words broke the spell, and a wave of cheering erupted from the people. Joyous laughter and weeping could be heard all around. The musicians, too overcome to play, resorted to simply using their instruments to make noise.
"He's laying it on a little thick..." Jace spoke worriedly to Ryn.
Ryn did not answer, but the slight frown on the side of his face told Jace that he was thinking along similar lines. Olban was putting the hope of the Taigari people squarely on their shoulders as a last desperate chance. The old man knew they weren't gods or angels, but he also knew that the Taigari could not survive forever with these invaders hunting them. It was his final gamble as the leader of these people.
"We will meet with these `Red Demons' tomorrow." Ryn eventually told him quietly. "If we are lucky then they will leave peacefully."
"And if we're not?" Jace already knew the answer.
Ryn shrugged. "Then they will answer to the Light."
Calae put Radiance down a little way outside the camp. After this miraculous sign, the people were even more keyed up and the rest of the feast was a whirlwind of dancing, singing, drinking, and merriment. Jace wanted to ask Ryn to dance with him but was unsure what the Taigari would make of their relationship, so he opted to keep his hands to himself. For now.
"Holy One." One of the Taigari came forward and bowed deeply to Ryn. "Your tent has been set for you should you wish to retire."
After Ryn had thanked the man with a smile and he had departed, Jace nudged Ryn with his arm. "You're not actually thinking of sleeping in a tent, are you? We've got Radiance."
"Sleeping in the desert is not as unpleasant as it might sound." Ryn told him. "Especially in an oasis like this. It will be quite cool and comfortable."
"Right up until a snake decides to share your blankets." Jace remarked.
Ryn rolled his eyes and smiled. "It will be good for the people to see us among them, and not sleeping inside some metal `sky fish'."
"Oh it's `us' now is it?" Jace teased. "You're going to drag me into this too?"
Giving him an amused look, Ryn took Jace's hand subtly under the table. "I do not think I could sleep without you."
Jace squeezed Ryn's hand, longing to lean in and kiss his perfect lips. "What would you do without me?"
A mischievous grin crossed Ryn's face as he looked around the camp at the handsome and muscular Taigari warriors. "Well..."
"Never mind. Don't answer that." Jace squeezed Ryn's hand harder. "Is that all you think about?"
Ryn's eyes widened in mock offense. "Me?" He reclaimed his hand and put it to his chest indignantly. "I cannot even walk in front of you without you staring at my..." He searched for an appropriate word.
"Assets." Jace finished for him with the smug grin that he knew Ryn simultaneously hated and loved. "And I can't help that. That's your fault for looking so good."
Jace realized he was grateful that the Taigari could not understand what he was saying when he noticed that several of them were watching their playful tiff curiously. Ryn stood from his position and turned his nose up at Jace.
"You are a brute." He told Jace haughtily.
Stretching out his legs and standing up as well, Jace countered. "That's why you love me."
The feast was beginning to slowly wind down, with only the most boisterous of the revelers continuing to drink and make a ruckus. Ryn asked for a guide to lead them to their tent, which they found was set some distance from the gathering near a beautiful pool with exotic desert flowers. The tent was similar to the one Olban used, with three `rooms' separated by curtains. Two of the rooms on either side from the center were equipped with large plush mattress-type cushions.
"We will post a guard for you as well." Their guide informed them.
"That won't be necessary." Jace assured. The Taigari looked about to object but then nodded, not daring to question the will of a deity.
From this distance, they could still hear the sounds of the partying in the center of the camp, but it was more faint, and provided a nice backdrop to the otherwise quiet desert. Ryn informed him that he was going to Radiance to get more comfortable clothing and that Jace should stay and get a fire started.
"Yes sir, mighty Archon." Jace saluted, earning him a swat on the arm.
There were two fire pits; one on the inside of the tent that was small and had a funneled covering that directed the smoke upward toward the hole in the ceiling, and the other was just outside near the edge of the pool and far simpler. Jace started a small blaze in the inside pit, just enough for some warmth and lighting, and a larger one outside before sitting back on one of the cushions and listening to the distant sounds of revelry.
Ryn returned shortly, wearing one of his casual loose-fitting garments that he was fond of. Very similar to what the Taigari wore. Jace always loved the way it hung from Ryn's body, dipping low at the neck and around the arms. He still carried the jumpsuit with him, along with a small bundle that he tossed to Jace.
"In case you would like to change as well." Ryn answered his look.
Jace was grateful to get out of the jumpsuit. Even though it was mostly comfortable, it was tight and meant for practical use, not relaxation. He changed into a simple pair of jeans and a shirt that he decided to leave unbuttoned.
The two of them sat by the fire outside. The sand retained some of the warmth from the sun and provided a comfortable contrast from the cool night air.
"I'm starting to get it." Jace admitted. "This whole desert thing isn't so bad when it's not a billion degrees with sand in your face."
Ryn sighed contentedly. "The flowers are so beautiful also."
"True." Jace reached over and grabbed Ryn's hand gently. "But I've got the most beautiful desert flower right here."
Even in the dim light, Jace could see Ryn blush and heard his scoff. Jace frequently employed these kinds of corny flirtations because he loved the way that Ryn reacted to them. Outwardly, Ryn would always roll his eyes or shake his head, sometimes even groan aloud, but through their connection, Jace could feel the swell of delight that Ryn had for being wooed in that way.
"You're worried about tomorrow." Jace pointed out, not needing to ask for confirmation.
Ryn nodded. "I am. These invaders seem somewhat primitive, but they have achieved interstellar travel nonetheless. If it comes to a fight, higher technology may not be enough compared with their numbers."
"Just do some magic Archon stuff, it will send them running." Jace hoped his voice carried more confidence than he felt.
Looking over at him, Ryn gave him a smile that told Jace he knew exactly what he was feeling. It was always difficult to hide things with a connection like theirs.
"Maybe it's all been a big misunderstanding." Jace mused humorously.
"It is not funny." Ryn scolded. "These people have been suffering terribly. I only hope we can help."
Jace squeezed Ryn's hand comfortingly. "Well, if anyone can do it, it'd be Ryn, the savior of the all people of the Harmonious Light."
Ryn smiled and inched closer to lay his head on Jace's shoulder. "Or perhaps Jace Marron, the heroic ambassador of Varros."
Looping an arm around Ryn, Jace pulled him in close. He snuck his hand through the loose arm-opening in Ryn's clothing and ran his fingers delicately along Ryn's ribs.
Ryn jumped with a soft giggle and nudged Jace with his elbow. By now, Jace knew very well all of Ryn's ticklish spots as well as the perfect ways to stimulate them. He gave Ryn another gentle poke before squeezing him tightly to suppress the resultant wiggling.
Activating his gifts, Ryn allowed a short stream of pleasurable feeling to move through Jace before stemming the flow.
"You know I hate when you do that." Jace shivered. His body wanted the feeling to continue, so when Ryn withdrew it so quickly the absence was more than just a tease.
"It serves you right." Ryn replied petulantly. "Maybe you will learn to keep your hands to yourself."
Jace moved in for a kiss but Ryn leaned away. Jace's eyebrows went up. "Oh, playing hard to get now?"
"Jace..." Ryn spoke shyly. "We should not. Not here."
Looking over his shoulder and around their secluded little camp Jace shook his head. "There's no one around."
"But if they saw..." Ryn's voice was barely above a whisper. "I do not know if they would approve."
Ryn came from a background that strongly discouraged relationships like the one he had with Jace. It was not surprising that he was more than a little hesitant for it to be discovered.
"So what?" Jace countered. "What are they going to do, ask us to leave? They don't have a ton of options." Jace began to let his hands explore Ryn, moving up under his shirt to trace the curve of his spine.
"That is not the point." Ryn complained, although he did not shake off the touch.
"Fine then, let's move into the tent. More comfortable there anyway." Jace moved in for a kiss again and when Ryn tuned his head Jace kissed his cheek and along his jawline.
"Jace... Stop..." Ryn's protest came out sounding closer to a moan.
"Alright." Jace continued to stroke Ryn's back. "I'm stopping." He slid his hand slowly into the waistband of Ryn's pants. "I'm stopping."
"Ja-ahhh!" Ryn gasped as Jace's fingers touched his most intimate spot.
"You've been staring at those Taigari guys all night." Jace growled in Ryn's ear. "You want it even more than I do right now."
Ryn whimpered as his resistance crumbled. Jace was right of course, and Ryn had been unable to resist him from day one.
Taking a last look around, Jace picked up Ryn and carried him into their tent.
"Jace... We should not..." Ryn half-heartedly tried once more as Jace sat him down on the mattress on the ground.
"Maybe." Jace agreed. "But we're going to." Tossing his shirt aside and quickly sliding his pants down, Jace approached Ryn again.
"I guess I should be thanking those Taigari warriors." Jace lustily told Ryn, who had leaned his slender frame back on a small pile of cushions. "I don't even need our connection to tell how much that got you going." Jace crawled onto the mattress, over Ryn like an animal over its prey.
"Think about it..." Jace leaned in and kissed Ryn. This time Ryn did not pull away but eagerly met his lover's lips as his radiant eyes fluttered. "All those primitive native men..." Jace kissed him again. "Muscular and half naked..." Another kiss. "Sweating from the heat..." And another. Ryn was panting and whining as Jace toyed with him. Pulling back, Jace began to tug Ryn's pants off. Eager to assist, Ryn wiggled out of them and easily pulled his shirt over his head as well.
Jace sat back on his heels for a moment, taking a deep breath and staring down at the small naked body in front of him. "They'd definitely fight over you." Jace started in again. He crawled back slowly along Ryn's body. "If they knew what a prize you were." Starting at Ryn's leg, Jace ran a hand up to his thigh, then his hip. Ryn moaned. Totally entranced by Jace's words.
"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Jace teased as his hand continued its journey upward, along Ryn's slim abdomen and to his ribs, up to gently tweak one of his pink nipples that contrasted the unmarred beauty of his pale skin. "Manly warriors, fighting each other over you." Jace's hand caressed Ryn's neck softly. "The winner would claim you as his own." Leaning in, Jace kissed Ryn once more.
"But I would win." Jace asserted between long passionate kisses. "Because you're mine." His hand began traveling back south. "And I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Mm... Jace..." Ryn moaned as Jace's hand began to stroke him.
Jace knew that Ryn loved when he talked to him that way. He felt the separation between their minds slip a little, allowing the shared pleasure to wash over both of them.
Pulling back off of Ryn, Jace slid off his underwear, allowing his sizable manhood to bounce free of the cotton prison. Ryn's wild eyes danced in the dim firelight as Jace applied a sizable amount of spit to lubricate himself. It was primitive, but Jace could tell that Ryn was in a primitive mood. He could feel through their connection the silent lust over Jace's masculine form.
Taking advantage of the flexibility he had noted earlier, Jace took hold of Ryn's heels and pushed them back, bending the boy almost in half. Ryn moaned loudly as he opened his legs to Jace, inviting his lover in.
Holding Ryn's legs up with one hand, Jace started with a finger, the way he knew that Ryn liked. Circling his entrance and teasing him; reducing the powerful Archon to a state of shuddering whimpers.
"Please Jace!" Ryn begged throatily. Jace could see the need in his sparkling eyes.
Deciding the teasing had gone on long enough, Jace perched Ryn's ankles and his shoulders and leaned in as far as he dared, testing Ryn's flexibility. The boy did not complain though. It was like he was made of rubber, with his legs almost by his ears, still panting in horny desperation.
Jace lined up the tip and let it stay there for a moment in a last bit of torture for his love, feeling the warmth of it throbbing and needing it inside him. Then, without warning, Jace pushed in several inches. He immediately put his mouth over Ryn's to muffle the loud lusty moan.
Letting himself into Ryn's mind a little further, Jace could feel the perfect mix of pleasure with pain that Ryn constantly craved. It was at times like these, when Ryn locked away the ancient power and knowledge of the Archons, leaving behind only the vulnerable and caring boy that Jace had fallen in love with, that Jace had to be the most careful.
Ryn was totally open to him. Jace could practically control him with a thought. This was something they had played with and enjoyed several times in their long rest in their tropical paradise, but it had to be done slowly and carefully. If Jace took over too quickly or too forcibly then it made it harder for Ryn, the real Ryn, to come back.
Feeling Jace reaching for control, Ryn slowly opened himself further, letting Jace's influence gradually seep into every corner of him. By the time Jace was all the way inside him, Ryn had given himself up entirely. What Jace thought, Ryn did, without any ability to second guess. His body was a puppet, dancing to his lover's every whim.
Only when he had cemented his hold over Ryn did Jace start thrusting into him. Ryn gasped and shuddered as his body moved without consulting him, pushing him down harder on throbbing length that penetrated him. Ryn loved every second of it. There was always a bit of fear, feeling his limbs and muscles acting out of his control, but that fear made the eroticism even stronger. Ryn trusted Jace completely and knew that he was in the safest hands.
Jace picked up speed and made Ryn match his tempo, impaling himself repeatedly on the invading member. Jace panted and grunted like an animal while Ryn gasped and whined desperately. After some practice, Jace knew just how to hit his spot every single time. He could control Ryn's body to find the perfect angles to pleasure his love.
Running his hands all along Ryn's slender torso, Jace began to lose control. There was nothing in life Jace loved more than the feeling of Ryn's smooth silky body under his fingertips, especially when he was consistently and roughly penetrating him and hearing the boy's screams of delight.
As he neared his climax his command of Ryn began to waver. It was too much to maintain he focus to control both of them in this state. Pulling back gradually, Ryn found himself in control of his own mind and body again. Without hesitating, he began forcing himself down even faster on Jace's manhood, his own ending fast approaching.
In unrestrained animalistic lust, Jace pinned Ryn's legs to the ground near his head. Ryn's eyes popped wide and he squealed in pure pleasure as Jace gave a long hard thrust to the hilt inside his hole and began to unload. As almost always happened, Jace's pleasure overwhelmed Ryn and he shook like a leaf as his own orgasm rocked through him. The combined effect rebounded over their connection, feeding off one another ebbing and flowing like a tide, lasting for several minutes as Jace continued to fill his little lover with pump after pump.
This was why Jace could rarely go more than one round with Ryn. There were times when they became stuck in this look for over an hour and would both require almost a full day of recovery before they could even think of engaging again. This one was strong, but not quite that strong. Jace left himself buried inside Ryn even after they had finished. Utterly drained in more ways than one, Jace let go of Ryn's legs, which sprang back to a more comfortable position, again reminding Jace of elastic or rubber.
Ryn gazed up at him, his mouth open slightly, panting quietly. Jace took in every detail of the beautiful face underneath him, now sheened with sweat. The softly accented jawline, the small flush ears that could barely be seen under the now disheveled mess of medium-length platinum blonde hair, and the nose with a slight point to it with a sparse and almost invisible smattering of freckles that could only really be seen from an intimate distance. It was all perfect. But perfect felt like a poor description when he reached Ryn's eyes. The oceans of blue that proudly displayed his feelings for Jace and shone unlike any other person's. A quality that was uniquely Ryn's, and that Jace could not get enough of.
Eventually, Jace pulled out and rolled off to one side, still trying to catch his breath. Ryn's legs eventually settled back down from their journey up north and Ryn let out a quiet sigh.
"I didn't know you could do that." Jace commented quietly, reaching over and clasping Ryn's hand tightly.
"Well, you never tried." Ryn answered, his voice was far away as he drifted in a hazy bliss.
Jace snorted a soft laugh. "I love you, Ryn." He spoke sincerely and looked over to Ryn as he said it.
Ryn turned to meet his gaze. "I love you too, Jace Marron." Although the use of his full name sounded formal, it was an endearing throwback to their earliest meetings.
This was a sentiment they shared often, but never with any lack of feeling. Their connection was more than just the tether between their minds. It was a bonding of souls that they did not talk about but mutually and instinctively understood.
As so often happened, Jace found himself entranced by Ryn, gazing into his eyes as he slowly drifted off to sleep.