Of Wolf and Man [Rated Aure]

Amari knew it was rash and sudden to just leave like that but she had to, it was all too much. If it were just Philomel, Amari may have been able to handle that, but throwing Shinsou into the mix? That was an element she wasn’t expecting, nor was she expecting the whirlwind of emotions that had erupted from their encounter.

Being bound in a sexually suggestive manner, blindfolded, and stabbed. It wasn’t exactly the most heartwarming of reunions and when Amari found herself sitting alone with the Telgradian - she found herself feeling nostalgic as desires she didn’t know she had began to bubble to the surface. His cold demeanour did little to alleviate the matter.

So she had to leave. Amari knew she was a volatile person, she was aware she struggled to control her anger issues, and rather than lash out, she removed herself from the equation.

She had found the nearest inn and rented the cheapest room with a bath. She cleaned herself and allowed herself to cool down. Amari sighed as she sat on the bed, drying her wet hair.

The room was small, containing only a single bed, bedside table and gas lamp but it was all she needed. Amari had taken a long bath and had healed her wound, all she had to do now was sleep and forget the entire day happened.


Easy...Right…?

So why couldn’t she sleep? Why couldn’t she bring herself to shut her eyes and drift off into a dreamless sleep? Every time Amari closed her eyes she saw him Amari took a deep breath as she wrapped her arms around herself, trying to pull herself together. Dammit Amari...don’t let him get to you. He may not want to kill you but there’s nothing there, there never was.

She had to be realistic, the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. He wasn’t interested, she was nothing more than a sweet girl he rescued. In a way, it was probably why Samson was able to trick her so easily. Shinsou, much like his ice ability, was a cold man.

Her inner thoughts did little to comfort the red haired woman, instead she found herself silently crying as she attempted to push away the feeling of her loneliness.

It was starting to hit the early hours of the morning and the sun was still tucked behind the frozen Salvic earth. Only a dull glow of navy blue behind a thin blanket of clouds gave Shinsou any clue as to the time as he meandered on the road from Knife’s Edge back towards his destination; the White Chasm.

The library was several miles behind him, but memories of Amari stayed with him. Something terrible had happened in his absence to that poor girl, something which had turned her against him in the most oppressive way. The first time Shinsou had witnessed her accuse him with those cold, corrupted eyes was the toughest, no doubt about it. The Telgradian had felt her gaze turn him naked as the day he was born, made his skin crawl from the words of painful untruth she spoke, and when she inferred he had simply been falsifying his feelings for her and those final, harsh words slammed home...

That's when Shinsou Vaan Osiris knew it was for real. His heart blown away in the blink of an eye and nothing left but all the time in the world to think about it. The truth was that the Telgradian loved Amari. Ever since the day he had saved her from the brutal slaver ring in the northern wastes, he had not stopped thinking or caring about her. She was omnipresent; like an aura, always in his being. Osiris couldn’t articulate anything he felt at the time; not that he was given the chance to before the red-headed noble had stormed out, but now he felt his stomach churn and his chest flutter in the most sickening way. How could he explain to her that he had saved her life by leaving? How could he tell her that the very people he had entrusted her to had risen up to betray him, using her as a pawn in an intricate plot to undermine the Telgradian?

She would never believe me now. It’s done. Everything is as good as fucked.

His mind in overdrive, the Telgradian found a fir and sat with his back pressed against the rough bark, the fabric of his greatcoat managing to soften the pressing. His legs were folded loosely before him, and his hands rested atop Shira’s cool, marine blue blade across his lap. Shinsou tried to thrust away the chilling memories and nagging guilt.

No. What the fuck am I doing? I should go back to Knife’s Edge and set the record straight.

”You want to return to Knife’s Edge, young champion?”

Shinsou started at the sudden interruption, before turning to face the direction of the voice. It unmistakeably belonged to the Thayne Am’aleh, the goddess of the sea, who had appeared as if in response to a silent call for help. Her beauty radiated with a soft, pulsing glow across the snow fields, and with a tender hand she stroked the Telgradian’s chin.

“Champion? First I’ve heard of it,” Shinsou reproofed, “…but, yes. If it is within your powers to do so, my goddess, I want to go back.”

The beautiful deity smiled, waving a hand over her elegant gown of light. “You fought to free my disciples from the slavers, and are as much my champion as I am your goddess. Now, it is time to free one more, but from fear and doubt. I’ll hear no more protests – your heart is clear, even if your mind is not. Be on your way, Telgradian. I’ll watch over you.”

The goddess called Am’aleh saw it fit to lift him up across miles of rolling tundra to deliver him back before the library in the outskirts of Knife’s Edge.

Silent, Shinsou rose to his feet and blinked. Drawing in a deep breath, he realized at once where he was. Vaeron had previously told him the name of the tavern Amari was staying at for the night; one that was only a short walk away from the town’s centre. He thought once more about the situation and tried to simulate her reactions to various forms of apology and explanation. Not only did he have to find a way to explain the reasoning behind his disappearance, Shinsou also needed to explain what Samson had done. His mind wandered briefly to the young man that had been charged with Amari’s care; the one who eventually turned against the Brotherhood and annexed the northern camp. He would pay for his treachery soon enough, along with any collaborators that had become embroiled in this uprising. But that was for another day.

The Salvic air, colder than before, stung at his flesh as the wind picked up with sudden ferocity, its gentle playfulness from the day forgotten.

As Shinsou swung the door of the Silver Cup tavern open, he felt a connection that shot to the very root of his soul. Amari was still here, doubtless. The Telgradian could feel the light in her soul shrunken and withered. It was as if…

All hope has gone…

"What can I do for you?" The voice jarred the Telgradian back to life. The innkeeper at the bar, to which Shinsou had made his way without even realizing, said nothing more but glared coldly at him. Osiris turned his face to the stairs and nodded upwards. His answer came in the form of a whisper as he shut his eyes and grasped his head in his hands.

“I want to see Amari.”

”It’s probably housekeeping.” Amari thought as she pushed herself off the bed. Her hair was disheveled and her eyes were black from a restless night. Her body ached, still bandaged, despite her wound being healed by her magic, the pain of it still lingered. Amari wrapped a cotton white bedsheet around her naked form and opened the door. “I thought I said I didn’t want to be bothered.” Sne snapped.

It most definitely wasn’t housekeeping.

It was Shinsou Vaan Osiris.
.
His thin eyes, tired from a sleepless night looked down at her from behind chocolate coloured locks. Amber orbs reflecting the fatigue he no doubt felt. Oh, those glorious golden eyes. Amari found herself indulging in them, drowning in their somber pools. It made her feel nostalgic, reminded her of days long gone; where the sun would catch them just so, and they shone as though his very being was set alight. Now, they were dull and it was heartbreaking. She wanted to reach out and brighten them once more with a gentle caress of his cheek, accompanied by a lighthearted joke which would make him smile and his shoulders move with melodic laughter. But those days were long gone.

“Shinsou….” His name came out as a whisper. Amari wasn’t expecting him at the door, rather...she’d expect anyone but him. The man she loved was standing before her, the man who couldn’t possibly reciprocate those feelings in return. She had just spent the entire night trying to convince herself that she didn’t need him, that she didn’t want him, and that she had to move on from him and now he was here. As though she was bound to some sort of god of misery, who revelled in her despair.

Realising she had been standing there, with the door open for far too long, she quickly slammed the door in his face and pressed her forehead against the wood. “Shit….shit...shit..shit why is he here?” She asked herself.

There was silence on the other side of the door. No sounds of inquiry or annoyance. Not even the soft muffled footsteps of him walking away. Amari’s gaze fixed on the door, just a few inches kept them apart. Amari hadn’t the slightest clue why he was here, she had left in such anger the night before. She may as well have slapped him across the face and spat on his honour. Was he here to shout at her? No… if he were here in anger a simple door would not have stopped him. If not that then what? She rested her head on the door, her heart beat hard and fast in her ears as she tried to rationalise the reason he came. Finally, it dawned on her.

Amari carefully opened the door again, just enough for her to peek through, “Sihinsou, hello.” Amari quietly said. She swung the door open in full and gestured for him to enter the small room. “You’re here for me to heal your soul, yes?” It took all her strength to keep her voice from wavering. He was here because of a promise that she had made long ago; despite everything… Amari was a woman of her word, and she’d heal him… just as he requested. He’d leave her, and again, she’d be left with nothing more than the sweet memories he had given her.


The man stood in the doorway, his blazing gaze boring into her for a few silent moments before he entered. She gently clicked the door shut behind him. Amari wished he would say something, anything. The silence was killing her. “You can stand, or take a seat on the bed if you like.” Amari sounded reserved, cautious. Almost afraid. A stark contrast to the angry and heated woman from the night before. Shinsou glanced around the room before looking at her.

“Do you really think that is what I came here for?” He asked, his voice was equally reserved as her own, with the slightest trace of what could have been anger and betrayal. Looking at him, Amari found it impossibly hard to read what was going through his mind. It had always been that way, the Telgradian always seemed to have some sort of inner turmoil that she could never fathom. Amari pulled her eyes away from his.

“I…” Amari paused, “If not that... then….an apology?” Amari asked before clarifying. “I mean… from me…?” She wanted to make amends with him, at the same time she was desperately trying to keep her distance to avoid further heartache. Everything about him threw her completely off kilter, all of her Masters training and programming, all that time she had built up a strong and powerful facade, angry, violent.. A woman never to be trifled with. All of it shattered in his presence.

“I am sorry, for what I did to you, forcing you to see those things. I anger easily these days. It won’t happen again.”

Amari's word's were a cacophony of confusion, but the sentences she formed were purely aesthetic. She had talked like this before; jumping from hurtful accusations, manifested by that dark anger as she vocalized these imagined slights, to softer moments of underlying compassion without really knowing herself where to hedge herself. Shinsou was no longer interested in words. Everything he wanted to know was deep inside her, because the Telgradian could sense her conflicted soul burning with almost magnesium brilliance; a totally different aura than the one he sensed before.

Shinsou felt that he was like staring into the entire universe, except it stared back with added intensity. It felt somewhat judgemental, as if whatever he said next was always going to be found wanting beneath the weight of its gaze.

Confronted with this, Osiris became humble, whether he wanted to or not.

"I'm not here for an apology, either. I know what happened; how Samson played you back at the camp. Turns out he's one of Ducos's moles, and he probably thought that driving a wedge between us would shake things loose. But it doesn't matter. I could prattle on all day about what happened and why, and you would either believe me or not. I just have this feeling that you already know the truth. That is good enough for me."

Shinsou knew that the subject was already at saturation point, and that the conflict with Ducos bore little relevance to what Amari thought about him. But, as he stepped into the circle pattern of a rug adorning the floor, he felt a shift in Amari's soul, one that seemed to cause light to flicker in and out of view. She spoke without even moving her lips.

"Your time with the Hand didn't strip you of all your humanity. I don't know what Lye did to you, or what was triggered to get your soul so broken, but I will make sure no-one lays a finger on you ever again."

It was the perfect delivery of how he felt, but to melt the ice all the way to the core of Amari's heart, Shinsou knew it wasn't enough to just pledge his protection. This situation had happened so quickly that no-one, not even himself, even had time to notice that he cared about her more than anyone in the world. At the time, Shinsou felt he was just doing the right thing by taking her in after that botched mission to find Am'aleh's aggressors. But then, after months of tutoring, caring and soldiering on to turn Amari's situation around, Osiris had grown almost dependent on her presence. After every mission, she would be waiting for him. At every evening meal, the redheaded noble would be at his side. Her smile would greet him first thing in the morning and last thing before bedtime.

With a harsh Salvic wind whipping the windows came the sounds of curtains rustling, of leaves scraping against the frozen floor and squeaky shutter hinges swinging in the wind.

"It's not just that..." Osiris started again, a surety in his voice that was absent before, "...but for those long months away, all I thought about was coming back to you."

The truth made its entrance with less rhythm and madness than he expected, but there it now was; his heart a book opened on the ground in front of the astonished looking Salvic noble. The world inside that corrupted shell shuddered just a little bit in answer. Though fleeting, the moment had a permanence that stuck in the Telgradian's mind. Feelings constructed. They moved into place with purpose and brilliance; even just momentarily.

With Amari before him, he lifted his eyes met her bewildered gaze. Shinsou knew that Lye would like to think that nothing human looked out upon the world from those eyes anymore, but that was a falsity and for a fleeting moment the Telgradian took joy in that small victory. Amari's eyes were fascinating. They were compound, shimmering like diamonds made true by years of toil.

"So, here I am; not as the Executor of the Brotherhood, or the Telgradian usurper, or a soldier. I am Shinsou Vaan Osiris, true and straight, and I've come back for you."

“I will make sure no one lays a finger on you...ever again.”


Those words shook her, they tugged at her heart, piercing it with pained daggers. How could she possibly believe those words? After all she had been through. Amari thought she were stronger, she thought she could stand tall and proud on her own, and yet… and yet…

Her lips trembled and goosebumps formed on her skin. The icy air from outside did not leech through the windows but she still felt it, his kind words sapped any strength she had and froze her. Amari could barely react to them. She wanted to scream and shout at him but whatever heated words she had for the man before her evaporated before they had a chance to manifest.

Then, his next words, another attack -

I've come back for you.

How long did she have to wait to hear those words? How many nights waiting at the pier for him to return, worn from his missions to only be met with a half grin and a empty pat on her head? How many nights did she spend waiting alone in the rain with tearful eyes watching the stormy seas afraid he’d never return?

Amari faltered as she stepped toward him, finally finding her voice, small and shaking, “Y-You…”


Amari gripped the sides of his jacket with trembling hands, it was all she could do to keep herself together. “YOU!” She shouted as she gingerly shook him back and forth, her words warbled between the sobs that wracked her body. If her Master saw her now, he would be sorely disappointed. “You… “ She said again with less bite to her voice as it broke into a weak sob. Amari pressed her forehead to his torso. The fain scent of his drinking prior hung in the air, along with the wetness of rain, and the loamy scents of fresh earth. I was comforting.

“You gave me the happiest moments of my life...” She shook her head, “ but you took them away... I- I became stronger. I learnt to cut any ties I had with people….”

Amari pushed him away and wiped her tears with the back of her arm, smearing them across her face. “You want to know what I’ve been through?” She gave a bitter laugh as she struggled to straighten herself. “I’ve died! I’ve killed my brother, my father... I’ve plucked the eyes from all the men who defiled me! I’ve learnt that emotional ties are worthless and just a weakness, I grew stronger...I could hold my own and...and just like that you destroy me again! HOW?” She screamed at him in hurt tears, “WHY?” Her trembling hands wrapped around the centre of her chest, twisting the black material of her shirt. “Why do you make my chest hurt? WHY?”

Shinsou took a step forward and Amari took a step back. “S-STAY AWAY!” She shouted but her words fell upon deaf ears. “Amari… “ His tone was exasperated and concerned, filled with an emotion Amari couldn’t even begin to fathom as he quickly broached the gap between them.

Amari took another two steps back till the back of her foot hit the bed and she tumbled backward onto the gray cotton covers. Shinsou approached her and leaned over her, Amari grabbed his arms in a bid to push him away. His skin seared at the mild burning sensations but the pain didn’t stop his advance. Amari.” His voice held a concerned sternness to it. Which caused Amari’s struggles to cease. The angry red light from her hands dimmered and dissipated in wisps of crackling smoke. Amari didn’t truly want to hurt him.

There she lay, a visage of spilled scarlet amidst a dreary grey. Her eyes in all their green and gold and red splattered splendor stared up at the man that managed to sink deep into her being with nothing more than his presence. Questioning his reasons, his answers and his motives.

Shinsou gently pressed her wrists into the bed as he lowered himself over her, pressing his lips fast to hers.

In that instant her world ceased to exist, the pain of heartache, her tears, her time within the Crimson Hand… it all seemed to swirl into an incomprehensible mess of faded memories. It was replaced with the rush of warmth that came with the innocent kiss. Amari didn’t realise how she had longed for this moment nor how much it’d affect her. A small whimper escaped from her lips as she drew in a sharp breath, afraid to move as though the slightest shift would shatter the delicate moment.

There was silence between the two, and not even the howling wind and rattling windows could destroy the tender moment, nor penetrate the warmth that his action bought. Finally, after what seemed like hours, but was only seconds Amari spoke. “I wanna know…” There was a pause and the electricity in the air ceased as though knowing the weight of her words. “Do you.. love me?”

Another pause.

“I love you.”

Out of Character:

Rated Aure

“...Yeah, I love you.”

Despite Shinsou Vaan Osiris’s strength, each carefully placed word felt heavier than iron. The muscles in his arms and shoulders tensed as he followed Amari onto the inn’s bed, and the skin on his hands and cheeks glowed red with the toil of his heart. This was new territory for him entirely. Shinsou Vaan Osiris, a man who had been involved in the deaths of millions, a man who almost ran the undercurrent of an entire country and who could call upon powers of destruction that would awe even the most steadfast of warriors, had fallen for such a fragile woman.

The work was finally done, and there was comfort in the kiss he had shared with his one and only real love on Althanas. Amari had deserved so much better than the life she had been given in the frozen wastes north of Salvar, miles from her true home. So crude was Lye in his torture that it left very little of Amari to ceremony. Shinsou was determined he would grind Lye, the Crimson Hand and even Aurelianus into the dirt in penance for what they had done. In his eyes, they were all equally culpable, all of them a plague that destroyed everything he held dear, and a virus that needed to be exterminated. In his heart, even if Amari’s spirit forgave him, the Telgradian could not pass that forgiveness onto any of them.

Shinsou had wanted to scream, and cry, and slam his first into Ulroke’s skull at the infuriating and desperate unfairness of it all, but now the only emotion that came, the only real one that mattered, was love. His voice was too parched to say anything more, and as the couple embraced on the bed, the Telgradian could feel familiar urges sweeping in waves over his body.

Shinsou eventually gave in to the intense pull of his instincts and slid himself down, parting Amari’s legs out across the freshly disturbed sheets. Sighing, he let his head fall against her stomach, his lips pressing against the cold skin of her smooth abdomen whilst her hand began to stroke through his chestnut bangs. The rest of the bedroom faded to black. The Telgradian couldn’t focus on any more details other than Amari’s gorgeous body in front of him. Her chest rose and fell with increasing tempo, occasionally murmuring his name in an attempt to strike up another emotionally charged accusation or lament, but as the cold snow flaked down heavily outside, Shinsou clenched her hand tightly so that she would know he was here and that there was no more need for such worries.

“I love you.”

The sentiment was echoed again, this time the Telgradian slowly peeling away the bedsheet from her lower body, his tongue running a delicate line from her navel to her exposed lips. Panting, Amari closed her eyes as Shinsou’s mouth encapsulated her groin, kissing, licking, slowly caressing until waves of pleasure rippled through her. A stiffness in his muscles from the cramp of being in an uncomfortable position covered nearly every inch of his bare flesh, but Shinsou made no effort to move.

Quote:

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Rated Aure

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Of all the things to expect from the Telgradian, this was not one of them. Between her spread legs, his tongue gently lapping at her. Tongue darting between her folds. Was this real? Was it some sort of lucid dream? Dreams like this weren’t uncommon for Amari.

His tongue pressed deeper into her, and he followed with a gentle nip. Amari arched her back, her eyes rolling into the back of her head. There was no way this was a dream, dreams didn’t feel this fucking good. Amari spread her legs wider, and Shinsou responded to the invite with hastening speed. Amari felt heat wash over her, sweat prickled her forehead, and her back arched. “S-shin...I-I…” Before she could cum, he stopped, shifting his face back to hers. Shinsou kissed her, and she could taste herself upon his lips. She gave a whimpered murmur as she instinctively wrapped a leg around his waist. She could feel his cock slide against her, but try as she might, he wouldn’t let her have her way. Not yet.

Shinsou pulled away with a chuckle, “You taste intoxicating, I almost couldn’t stop myself.” He pulled himself up off the bed, his hand guiding Amari’s head to his cock. “I think it’s fair for me to return the favour.”

Amari didn’t need any more coaxing, she had a penchant for it, one of her many sexual desires was fallacio. She pressed her lips against his tip and slowly slid down his cock, being sure to every so often let her teeth gently graze the skin.

“Oh fuck…” Shinsou said, steadying himself as he gripped her head. As she started shifting her head up and down, Shinsou swore again, “Oh...oh Fuck Amari…” She snorted, pausing to give him a playful grin before continuing.

Shinsou shifted to pull away, his cock bounced as he left her lips. “Amari...” As the Telgradian took a step back Amari inched forward till she fell off the bed, her knees hitting the floor as she reached out toward him, her hands grabbing his hips and holding him in place.

“More…”

The word barely left her lips, and she had engulfed him once more, her tongue hungrily twisting around his shaft, her head bobbing up and down in a hastened rhythm. “Dammit...” She heard him hiss. He placed his hand on the back of her head, pushing her further down till her nose tickled his pubic hair. Amari [i]loved[/it] it. She opened her mouth up wider, gasping for air before suckling hard, one hand clawed into the back of his hip, the other began to gently massage his balls. She was in her own world, she had tasted him, and she had wanted more.

“If you keep that up, woman, you’re going to have to lap up every last drop.” His tone was strained, commanding, but it still held the playful banter of a loved one. Amari didn’t take it as a warning, but as a challenge, and as a reward. She shifted, and began to move faster, pausing every so often as she drew away to roll her tongue over his tip, lapping up the precum. Shinsou groaned, and his fingers gripped her hair, he forced her back down onto him as he came, Amari choked for a moment and pulled away just enough to give her room to swallow. As she did, her tongue continued to roll over his cock, her suckling becoming less fevered. Shinsou pulled himself away. Amari glanced up at him as she reached up to her chin, pushing a trail of his seed into his mouth with a lick of her lips.

He gripped her arms and lifted her up to her feet with ease, and in two sweeping steps had her pinned against the wall. “Heh. You’re being greedy.” His knee pressed up into her crotch and Amari fidgeted, trying to grind herself against him. He chuckled before he pressed his lips to the underside of her chin, whispering softly. “We’re not done tonight, I want you begging for me. I want to be the only thing you desire, and the only thing you think about tonight.” His lips brushed her earlobe. “I’ll make those terrible memories disappear, and replace them all with moments like this.”

A part of her wanted to retaliate, to bite down on him hard, just to spite him. She wanted to lift her leg up and knee him in the dick for being so cocky, but she couldn’t. She was helpless in his grasp. “Shinsou…” Amari breathed as she arched her back, her nipples grazed his chest. “It’s cold.” Her voice grew in confidence as she managed to reel in her own screaming urges. “You could start with warming me up.” She chided with a sly grin.

Shinsou laughed, using his free hand to brush away the hair that had stuck to Amari’s face with sweat. “I’ve always admired how well you took to the cold.”

Amari felt a sudden pang of pain from his frosty touch. She went to pull away but couldn’t. Her eyes widened in realisation at what he had done. He had pinned her to the wall with his innate ability to conjure ice. Her eyes narrowed. It was the opposite of warming her up, and judging by the playful grin he had on his face, he knew exactly what he was doing. “What the hell?” Amari snapped, her outburst just made him laugh. Amari’s cheeks reddened. He drew closer, cupping her breast with his hand, he massaged it and the conflicting sensations of the cold ice and the heat of his hand sent ripples of mixed desires through her lithe form. Amari shuddered.

“I’ve noticed something…” He paused and gripped her nipple between his thumb and forefinger. He pinched her hard and Amari yelped, his other hand travelled down the curves of her torso and slipped between her dripping legs. “You like it rough?” He asked, his tone almost wary.

Amari bit her lip, furrowing her brow. How was he able to read her so well? “So what if I do?”
The sudden feeling of cold around her breast area was his reply, as Shinsou conjured up frost to trap her breast, it travelled down the length of her torso causing goosebumps to flare up on her skin, she moaned softly as she felt his fingers slide into her, and his thumb press into her clit. “Just making sure...” His gentle words stopped there, Amari had given him the go ahead to be rough, and Shinsou took to it like a moth to a flame. His teeth sunk into her neck and Amari gave another low moan, he continued to press his fingers into her, looping up inside of her to massage her g-spot. His other hand continued to leave tiny trails of frost on her body that would quickly melt into water that trickled down her heaving form.

Amari could feel herself coming close to release, but just before she got to experience that ecstasy, Shinsou pulled away. “Not yet, not till I’m in you.” Amari was no stranger to the tactic, and despite knowing what Shinsou was doing, and how he was edging her, she was unable to resist. The words left her lips before she realised.

“Please?”

His laughter tickled her skin. “Please what?”

Amari huffed, but played his game. “Please fuck me?”

Shinsou pulled his head away from her neck, and Amari knew that look. His eyes crinkled and his canines showed, his body shivered with pleasure and laughter. “If you insist.” His hand swooped back down to her folds, and there was an instant cold. Amari yelped as she felt it. Shinsou had somehow managed to conjure an ice dick. “You...f-fucking…” Amari breathed, trying to form an insult but her words were lost as the object began to rhythmically slide in and out of her. It felt cold, but it felt good. Her body shuddered and her head rolled forward to rest on his shoulders. Shinsou grabbed one of her legs and looped it around his waist. “I told you, I want you begging for me.” He placed emphasis on the word, chastising her in his own cruel, taunting, pleasurable way. Amari groaned, biting down on his shoulder as he pressed his ice conjuration further into her, his free hand was back to massaging her engorged clit. He was in tune with her body, far more so than Amari normally would have wanted. Again, just before she came, he stopped, the ice phallus inside her melting away to a trickling warm water. The ice that held her to the wall melted away, and Amari slumped to the floor. Breathing heavily. She wasn’t sure if this was torture, or bliss, or both. Shinsou was driving her mad, he had already driven himself deep into her psyche and her heart and now he aimed to claim her body.

Shinsou dropped to her level, Amari couldn’t help but notice his fully erect cock again, she wondered partly if he was stalling to recharge himself. Her eyes rose to his, “Stop playing.” He raised a curious eyebrow, ever the jovial smile on his face. Amari crawled forward on all fours, and pushing him to the floor she mounted him. “I want. YOU .” Amari hissed through clenched teeth. She lowered herself onto his cock, and a shivered breath of satisfaction left her lips as she felt him part her lower lips and slide deep into her. He was unbelievably warm.

“Then you shall have me.”

And with that, he gripped her ass hard, pulling her further down into him with one hand, the other grabbed her by the back of the head as he pushed himself up off the floor and kissed her.

Despite Shinsou Vaan Osiris’s strength, each sweeping wave of pleasure that wracked his body sent his muscles into spasm and made them feel heavier than iron. It was an amazing feeling to have her, to be inside her. His arms and shoulders resonated with a soothing tingle, and the skin on his hands and cheeks glowed red with the combined toils of the erotic labor and the strange energy that seemed to be threading through his very being. Above him, Amari’s frost covered breasts bounced in time with her pounding, her face scrunched up with almost orgasmic pleasure. Her moist vagina rubbed and ground against him, increasing his libido even more ravenously and as their eyes locked, the Telgradian’s primal instincts told him she wanted more, much more. The familiar feeling of his loins preparing for climax rushed over him, but he wasn’t ready to give Amari what she wanted just yet. With his hand, he crafted another phallus of ice.

“I may be a cold-hearted bastard when it suits me, but I know how to play this game. Let me feed your appetite even more…I want you to give me everything you have got.”

With sleight of hand and that would have impressed a Radasanthian street urchin, Shinsou slipped the ice cylinder behind Amari, teasing her anus. At first it appeared she wasn’t sure but then the Ar’Tuel’s eyes lit up ferociously as she felt the chill of the ice tease her. She eased herself onto the cold dildo and after an initial groan began to ride both Shinsou and the new frost covered toy, much to the Telgradian’s satisfaction. The very compliance to his will released endorphins that brought him closer and closer.

Fuck me, this girl is talented. Oh, shit. Shitttt….

After a few more seconds of being on a cliff edge of anticipation, he felt himself cum hard, arching his back and growling like a feral beast, clawing his hands into Amari’s back. She felt the warmth inside her, felt it all despite being so soaking wet, and responded like a hungry wolf on a feeding frenzy, grinding down harder on her mount, pressing her engorged clitoris heavily against the base of Shinsou’s cock. When he was finally finished, the Telgradian fell back, panting, next to the icy floorboards of what was to be his resting spot for the night. The powdered snow of the blinding storm covered nearly every inch of the window outside, but the cold didn’t affect him at all and Shinsou made no effort to move.

Then, suddenly, reality was sucked into pure, brilliant white.

Shinsou panicked. The floor, the walls, the whole room had exploded into a million tiny fragments of reality that spun away from him uncontrollably like shrapnel from a bomb. Was this some sort of trick or illusion? Was Amari doing this to him? It wasn’t long before he realized, alone in the void, that he could no longer feel the pain of his aching muscles or taste the bitterness of Amari’s fluids on the tip of his tongue. His clothes were clean, his hair swept back into its usual slick style.

It was then it came; a vision. Or, more accurately, a memory.

***

Atlas Revaan hated going outside of Garah, doubly so if that meant crossing the border into the almost inhospitable land of Kratas. In many ways, the desert to the west was like hell without the roof. The heat was unbearable, people there were warier and warier of Telgradians the further inland one went and the only difference between there and the enemy Jal Shey heartland was that the populous still resembled something human.

There was actually another thing that annoyed the hell out of him. While the temperature in the city of Makarri was rather uncomfortable at the best of times, due to the restless sun, the harsh environment wasn’t doing any good for Rhovani, his partner. She was born of the Mithandrian people – the children of the Telgradian goddess of Ice – and her genetic makeup didn’t allow for long periods of exposure to anything above temperate climates. Unlike Atlas, Rhovani didn’t allow this to stifle her spirit. She felt the discomfort more than anyone but the mystique of the foreign land and the purpose of their mission was simply too intriguing, and the caramel haired princess wouldn’t be put off because of some mild nuisance.

Revaan stomped through the Makarri streets as if he was being led to his own execution whilst the slender, blue eyed Rhovani was full of zeal at his side, tugging his attention from one building to the other as she scanned the occupants with her senses. She seldom got involved with Council of Five matters – her status as royalty always making the other captains reluctant to risk her on some frivolous matter – but today that was not the case. Dangling from her waist was a pouch containing orders and a newly acquired but well concealed Kurai sword made by Telas Soltair himself.

Because of this, she was as happy as a child.

But spying on Makarri occupants wasn’t why Atlas and Rhovani were in the Kratas Outlands. No, it was to hunt the Jal Shey’s high-priest Nero-Ky, a job similar to the fruitless one they went on merely weeks ago. The Council of Five that commanded the Telgradians had another lead about this mysterious heretic, a Jal Shey that was supposed to have been gathering support for a war against Garah, but as usual information was vague and in short supply. Nero-Ky was a citizen of Makarri who had re-located further west to the more tribal regions, and would blend in well in a place like the Kratas Outlands, but like each and every individual on the planet his soul left a distinctive trail and Rhovani’s ability allowed her to trace his residual energy like a hound.

To the Council, it was the best chance of finding him. To Atlas, it was a wild goose chase and put a constant worry in the back of his mind about her health. To Rhovani, it was a chance to prove herself and to be with the man she loved a few days more.

However, besides a general feeling of unwelcome, there was nothing out of the ordinary here.

“Atlas, I can’t sense him. Do you think we could we get something to eat? Maybe somewhere outside of the city, though. They serve spicy food here and it’s too hot for me.” The brunette that now clung to his arm asked, looking up at him with a mild smile. Dressed in her short brown skirt and a sleeveless tank-top of the same color, Rhovani was a picture of beauty to the Telgradian.

“That’s fine with me. The last time we had anything hot to eat, we had to refill your glass twice to stop the burning.” Atlas responded with a mild smirk, walking down the cobbles of one of the multitude of Makarri streets. “Even afterwards you still came running to me in the middle of the night, asking to get you a glass of water.”

He made it sound like a chore, but of course he would fetch her the water if she asked. There was nothing he wouldn’t have done for the Telgradian princess those days.

***

“Where am I?”

He wasn’t expecting there to be a response, so when it came and took form of a softly spoken female voice, it startled him.

“Shin, are you ok? What happened?”

Amari’s form seemed to manifest through a cloud of grey vapour before his very eyes, and took a moment to fully appear. Her hair was straight, falling in soft waves over her still naked and frost covered body. Strands hung in layers about her glowing face. Her nose was petit and her cheeks were smooth. Her eyes seemed to consist of pools of light, ones that Shinsou’s own eyes could never really focus on, as if one were gazing into ultra-violet light. She gazed at him with those eyes that sparkled, those beautiful things that regarded him with a warm interest, and yet all the while seemed to enquire.

When the realisation hit him after a few moments of reflection, Shinsou’s eyes widened with shock.

It couldn’t be.

“I…that was…” The words failed him. He could hear them in his mind but they couldn’t be shaped because the Telgradian couldn’t believe their meaning.

“I just recalled a memory…from before. It’s the first time this has ever happened. It should be impossible…”

In the blink of an eye, the atmosphere changed and for a moment it threw Shinsou off guard. The air became hot and dry, but laced with a familiar scent of Jal Shey bitterweed that caused him to squint unflatteringly. Another memory; just a fleeting one, but still a memory.

What the fuck is going on?

“Shin…” She pressed her head into the crook of his neck and inhaled deeply, he smelt of sweat and sex, and his skin was bitter with the taste of salt. The last few hours had been depraved, and that was putting it lightly. The two hadn’t just made love, they had sex, ruthless, painful, erotic and raw fucking. All fuelled by years of suppressed lust, forlorn love, and on Amari’s part - torture. Conditioning her to revel in the more primal acts one can endure. Courtesy of Aurelianus Drakshall and Lichensith Ulroke. Despite all that, there was a vast difference between what she had done with Shinsou, and what she had done under their guidance. What she had with the Telgradian was nothing short of a deep connection that far surpassed anything she had felt prior. Before, Lichensith had her in her entirety, and in this one night Shinsou had managed to pull her back from drowning in the depths of whatever cesspool Lye had pushed her into. The assassins control over her psyche was vast, but no longer absolute.

Amari gave another happy murmur, “That was....” She wasn’t sure how to word it without sounding brash. “You have a lot of skill…” She pushed herself up, her body still prickled with heat, and they lay in a pool of melted ice, and bodily fluids upon the wooden floorboards. Her breasts and nipples were still lined with frost, and she could feel the faint bite of the cold, but somehow, it didn’t bother her. It was odd… she knew the sensation of the cold, but it was nothing more than a mild tickle. Amari shook her head, choosing not to worry about it.

The redheaded woman grinned, her fingers danced up and down his torso, over the scars and contours of his defined muscles. “I wasn’t expecting those whole….double -” She paused, her brows furrowing as she looked down upon the man, he was unresponsive, his eyes closed, and his lips parted in staggered breaths.

“Shin!?” Endorphins turned to adrenaline as a mild panic set in. “Shin!?” Amari grabbed his shoulders and shook him, still nothing. What the fuck happened? Amari crawled over him, her shaking hands trailing over his body, the warm golden glow of her Ar’Tuel magic attempting to heal any wounds he may have. She felt no immediate pain, which meant the Telgradian wasn’t physically injured. Was he just tired? Did he literally pass out after their debauchery? She bit her lip. She wasn’t used to feeling useless, nor helpless.

After a few minutes he spoke, asking where he was. Amari asked if he was ok, concern etched upon her glistening features as the man she still loved looked up at her. His amber eyes clouded with confusion. Amari reached out and let her fingers glide through his hair, detangling the knots.

“Memory from before.... ?” Amari asked, confused. She had heard him speak of his past, and of times that he could no longer recall. Her eyes widened in realisation. “You mean the past you couldn’t remember?” Amari asked.

“...a memory from a long time ago. You probably don’t know this, but before I became Shinsou Vaan Osiris, I had a name; a real name, not just this tired alias. I had a life in the service of the Telgradian army. I was engaged to our future queen Rhovani; we were happy. Then...I don’t remember. But I was never able to remember that life until now; just what happened during the Telgradian civil war. Rhovani died. When I waged war against my will, against my own people in Garah for the Jal Shey, I was captured and they tried to erase my soul. I shouldn’t have memories of that time. What changed? How?”

Amari felt a heaviness settle into her stomach at the mention of him being engaged, only to have his soon to be wife die.. She eased back away from him and sat upon her legs. She placed her legs firmly in her bare lap, using her arms to cover her chest. She knew he had asked her a question, but she wasn’t sure of the answer. “My magic is wild. It’s directly linked to my soul.” Her voice was quiet, reserved. She kept her gaze away from him and focused on a gap in the wooden floorboards. Amari was afraid that if she looked at him, it’d break her facade. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was afraid. She’d only just gotten Shinsou back, now, she may lose him again to the life he deserved. Amari bought bad luck to people, those close to her got hurt, Shinsou had already been through so much, and it was selfish for her to want him. She just had the most exhilarating and invigorating time of her life and now -

Amari’s eyes widened at the realisation.

“The sex!” She exclaimed suddenly, and despite her previous convictions she looked up at him. He met her gaze with a confused look. “I...I mean. I can heal souls Shin. Yours was...yours was never quite right. Maybe I inadvertently healed it? My soul magic is linked to my emotions...”


The Telgradian sat in thought for a moment. He remembered how one of the monks in the Citadel had informed him of a tear in his soul after his battle with John Cromwell, that armoured goliath. It had been an old wound; one he surmised was caused by the sudden and partial restoration of his memories by Keats when he had first arrived on Althanas. The process hadn’t gone smoothly and a result Shinsou couldn’t access any of his memories or powers from his old life.

But now?

“...something you did bridged that gap in my soul. Not entirely, at least I don’t think so, but enough to form connections. That being said…”

The Telgradian looked up at her, his eyes softer, his expression more relaxed and his tone more jovial.

“...I’m always open to trying again. If you get my drift!”

Amari, ever oblivious didn’t catch his intention. She gave him a curious look, she was more subdued than earlier, now burdened with the knowledge that the man she had just laid with was technically a widow. “Yeh.” She crawled forward and pressed her palms to his chest. “I want to help you Shinsou.” She lifted her head to meet his gaze and couldn’t help but smile. Those warm amber eyes drew her in, just staring into them engulfed her in feelings of comfort and warmth. She loved him, and if healing his soul meant he’d take his leave - than so be it. She would not hold him back. How could she? Amari pressed her forehead to his and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as she began to concentrate, which was a little difficult to do with the Telgradian gently rubbing her legs, his calloused hands sending ripples of warmth through her body. Dammit I’m trying to help you.

Her magic sunk into him, and she could feel the ebb and flow of his blood, then the strain and tug of his very being. His soul. Her arm twitched as she could almost see it. A cascade of billowing white, torn in some places, she reached out with her magic, and with golden threads began to weave it back together.

He didn’t let her finish, Amari could feel herself being pushed away and when she opened her eyes, she realised why. Ice had encased her lower legs, binding them tight to her thighs. A pillar of ice came up from the floor and wrapped around her abdomen and under her breasts, it extended upward toward her neck in a fashion similar to the shibari rope technique Philomel had used on her. The ice was slowly encroaching on her arms, binding her wrists to the floor. “W-what?” Amari was alarmed, more so at the fact that she hadn’t even felt the cold.

“You missed my point.” Shinsou said with a grin as he bore down on her. “I’m surprised you didn’t notice sooner. Aren’t you cold?”

Amari shook her head. “N-not really…I feel the sensation of the cold but it…” She trailed off trying to find the right words. “It doesn’t feel bad.”

Shinsou stared at her silently for a few minutes, his glimmering golden gaze looking over her thoughtfully, if he had words to say on the matter, he kept them to himself.

“I want you to heal me the same way we did before.” Shinsou said as he ran a gentle hand down her cheek. Amari’s cheeks flushed when she realised what he meant, he wanted to bed her again. So soon after their previous escapade, she wondered why he wasn’t tired, but, truth be told, she didn’t feel exhausted either. Is it something to do with my soul magic?

“Only if you want to.” He added, ever mindful of her consent and own desires.

His words snapped her back to her reality. She was encased in ice and the Telgradian stood over her, a force to be reckoned with and yet his stance showed no sign of malice. “I do.” Amari breathed.

Shinsou grinned, his eyes held a mischievous glint as he stepped closer and kneeled down, gripping her chin between his thumb and forefinger. “I’ll do whatever I want with you now.” He paused as his miraculous eyes studied her. Amari held her breath, her heart beat faster against her chest. Since when was he so commanding? “Tonight, I own you.” Amari fidgeted, his tone, his breath… it was so damn arousing, she couldn’t say no even if she wanted to. He bought her face toward his and leaned in to kiss her. His teeth biting down on her lower lip.

Amari’s body leaned into his. It was impossible to resist him, not when he was being so demanding, dominating, not when he so willingly gave himself to her. If this were the one night she would ever spend with him, she wanted it to be memorable, and enjoyable, and oh did she enjoy him

He pulled away from her and Amari protested. Shinsou just laughed as he straightened himself. “If I recall, you couldn’t stop earlier, do I really taste that good to you?” He asked as he pressed the tip of his cock to her lips. Amari opened her mouth to answer, but her words were muffled. She couldn’t move away, she was bound to the spot, encased in an ice prison of the Telgradians design. Not that she wanted to, he was right. He tasted good, every part of him did. His lips, his skin, his dripping cock.She felt the pull of her hair as his hands twisted up into it, ramming himself deeper into her. “Moan for me.” He commanded, and she did, a wave of heat rushing through her as she all too willingly complied. Amari strained against the ice, wanting to reach up and dig her fingers into his skin but was helpless to do so. That helplessness coupled with his commands… a shiver rolled through Amari’s body and she groaned. Her eyes fluttered shut and she let the sensations guide her. She could feel the pulsing, and opened her mouth wider expecting him to soon cum, instead he pulled away. Leaving a thin trail of sticky liquid on her lips, connected to his dick.

Amari pursed her lips and gave him a curious look. She opened her mouth to speak but found his hand covering her lips, in a quick and precise motion he sealed them shut with a wall of ice. “Did I say you can talk?” He asked. Amari shook her head, if she were able to, she’d smile, amused and aroused at his antics.

Shinsou smiled and lifted his hand up to brush his hair out of his face. “Good girl.”

The way he drawled out the compliment, it made Amari feel almost giddy. A part of her cursed him for being able to control her in such a way, but he just knew which buttons to press. He was an astute man, and Amari knew he wasn't done with her yet.

Not that I want this to end... She thought to herself