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Pawns of Olympus

By: Illicit Kitty



Aegina’s lips were in a full pout as she walked along the beach near her home. Not married even six months and her husband, the ever brave and strong Tyre was off to fight a magical man-eating rabbit or some such shit. Sure, he’d been a perfect match when they were younger, hell; he’d been a perfect match about six months ago. But now that he had a wife, had a constant bed partner, had someone to attend to his every whim...

She kicked the sand in front of her. He had run off to earn himself glory and a place in every serving girl’s bed! Aegina wouldn’t kid herself about that. Tyre was a glorious lover, attentive and passionate, but he was also a very demanding one. And he’d been away for a month already.

But he was a man, and men could get whatever they wanted, so long as Zeus ruled heaven and she wasn’t an Amazon.

Which he did and which she wasn’t. Aegina gave another half-hearted kick to the offending sand and continued on her amble down the beach. Her dark eyes stared broodingly out over the green-blue ocean.

It wasn’t like she didn’t have needs, either. He was worse than Midas, just leaving her wasting away like this. Night after lonely night, she’d be left in the dark, staring at the walls of their modest home, no one to scratch those womanly itches.

To put it extremely bluntly, Aegina was horny as Hades. And her gods-damned husband had the libido (and loyalty) of a mortal Zeus. 

She looked forlornly at the sand covering her sandaled feet, too apathetic to bother kicking it any more. It was white, and fine, Mediterranean sand. The sand of her home, her life. Poseidon’s waters were her first love, and with Tyre off gallivanting, her only love.

Love, love, love. She didn’t want love, not at the moment. She figured one day after the other was all she could ask for, now that she was a wife. Wives couldn’t ask for much.

Bitter? Gods forbid she be bitter!

Or lonely.

The “beauty of the beach” left out to dry by her stallion of a husband. It was a sad, ironic tale of seduction and lust, and there was little left over when it was all said and done. Aegina should’ve known better. But Tyre’s golden curls and strong hands had been so enticing, his father so prominent, and the house so wonderfully located.

At least she had the house. And its wonderful view.

Musing on such thoughts, Aegina didn’t notice the obstacle in her path until she had tripped over it, landing on hands and knees.

“Hades! I’ll have sand in my dress for a week!” She cursed to no one. Irritated, she stood up and whirled around, prepared to fling a piece of driftwood back into the sea. Instead, she gasped and fell backward, landing gracefully on her backside.

From the ground, she had a better view of the dead man lying in the sand. “Fates be feared,” she whispered, eyes wide in shock. 

He laid face turned towards the early afternoon sky, arms stretched almost perpendicular to his body; the water lapped at his feet. What once might have been loose trousers of some sort had been shredded into not much more than a loin cloth, anything that had covered his chest had been torn away completely. His skin was a ghostly pale grey, his fingertips completely black. A thick shock of matted black hair fanned out around his head, contrasting with his sickly complexion.

Aegina scuttled backwards as if she were a crab, partially numb from shock and a good dose of fear.

It was then the corpse groaned. 

Aegina yelped and froze in her tracks. The man shifted his head to look fuzzily at her, his thick hair falling over his eyes and obscuring his vision. He started to speak, but instead he vomited up some sea water. For an instant he seemed to perceive her presence, however the moment passed and his strength failed him, rendering him unconscious again.

Finally, Aegina snapped out of her trance and rushed over to the man. She laid her ear against the man’s chest, listening carefully for any trace of life. His heart beat was faint but steady; he was alive.

“Praise the gods,” she muttered, “today is your fortunate day, dead man.”

She glanced up and down the expanse of beach, but there was no one else in sight. 

“Of course, the gods always seem to give me a hard time. I dream of companionship, I receive an invalid. Whom, I might add,”Aegina braced herself in the sand, grabbing the man’s hands and attempting to drag him completely out of the water, “is incredibly heavy.”

For the first time in all her years on the coast, Aegina realized just how far the beach was from the houses, and she once more blessed the gods for having a well beaten path back to the village.

Even so, it was a good while later that she made it that far. The sun which had been high in the sky when she found him was dangerously close to the horizon, the colors of dusk beginning to soften her surroundings. By the time Aegina reached her home, beads of sweat covered her brow and her dress was damp where it touched her skin. She heaved her charge over the threshold, and, with a mighty effort, pulled him over to the only bed in the small house.

The bed was only raised off the ground about six inches, but Aegina knew she’d never get him on it by herself. After sitting for a bit and regaining some energy, she ran over to the neighboring house to enlist Phaeros’ help. His wife, Leta, a local healer of sorts, also thought it best to tag along.

“Gods!” Phaeros breathed when he cast his eye upon Aegina’s find. “Where’d you get him?”

“He washed up on the beach. I pulled him all the way here,” she replied, barely stifling a yawn.

“Well, let me take a look at him!” Leta pushed her way into the two room house. “What are you waiting for, man? Get him up on the bed! I can’t work with him on the ground like this.”

Phaeros shook his head, his wife’s antics no longer bossy, but familiar. Still, he quickly deposited the half drowned man on to the bed and moved away so Leta could attend to the victim. Aegina simply sunk to the ground and leaned against the wall, exhausted.

Leta turned around, rubbing her hands on the loose dress she wore. She looked a disapprovingly down at Aegina’s seat, but Aegina was too tired to even care.

“Well, he’s about half drowned and half starved, but with a lot of rest and more food, he should be just fine. He’ll probably sleep all night, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he needed a bit of nourishment in the morning.”

Aegina nodded sleepily, concentrating just enough to mask a second yawn. Phaeros, looking on sympathetically, stood by the door.

Leta began again, “If you need me to stay, I’d be more than happy...”

“No, no, I’ll be fine.” Aegina rose slowly to her feet, then straightened, smiling. “I feel as if the gods placed him in my hands for a reason. But I’d appreciate it if you could check him again tomorrow, if he wakes up.”

“Certainly, child. Come on, Phaeros. No more idling! It’s almost dark and you still need to catch the chickens.” With that, Leta strode out of Aegina’s house, almost as if she were the queen of the gods herself.

“Yes, dear.” Phaeros gave Aegina a quick nod of parting before he, too, returned home.

She sighed. A woman’s work was never finished. Her feet sore and her eyes dangerously near to closing, she tottered into the kitchen and storeroom of her house. She took her dinner into the living space and returned for wood to build a fire. Outside it was almost completely dark.

Aegina barely remembered to get a blanket off the bed for herself before lying down. As she reached for the one folded at the foot, she finally got a good look at her sleeping companion. He looked rather peaceful as he slept, his breathing shallow but steady. His eyes were shut but even so she noticed their unusual slanted shape. She wondered if his eyes were as dark as his hair.

She wondered where he was from, and whether his family knew he was missing. She wondered what kind of family he had, if he had a wife and children, and as she lay there, alone again on the hard floor, she couldn’t help but wondering what kind of lover he was.

Despite being drop dead tired when she went to sleep, Aegina was up at dawn, doing the chores that were expected of her. She bustled around the little house, doing everything the good wife should, sweeping out the sand, and hurrying to cook dinner before the heat of the day. Every now and then, she looked over at the sleeping man in her bed, praying that he would be all right.

“Hellooooo,” crowed Leta through the cracked open door.

In the kitchen, Aegina grimaced, but quickly greeted the local healer who served double duty as the local busybody.

“I just thought I’d better check up on our invalid,” Leta rambled, “Still asleep is he? And still dressed in those rags? Have you checked for other wounds?” Leta’s voice was full of disdain, and for once Aegina didn’t feel resentful.

“I..uh, I must have forgotten to do that in the hurry to bring him here,” she replied. It was no excuse, but it was better to say something than to simply let Leta’s haughty glare drive her into the ground.

“Well, let’s get to work then.” Leta pulled away the light blanket Aegina had placed on the man and stared blankly at the unusual garment adorning his waist and legs. “Interesting. I wonder how it comes off.”

“Perhaps if you pull?” Aegina suggested.

“That might work.”

There was a long silence as they both looked dubiously down at the piece of cloth. 

“What are you waiting for, girl? A lightning bolt? Pull!”

Aegina stifled an expression of disgust for her neighbor as she bent and tugged on the garment. It didn’t budge.

“Pull harder! You’ll never get them off like that.”

Her mouth twitched, but she gave another hard tug on the fabric. This time there was a loud ripping sound as her handhold gave way.

“Well?” Aegina barely managed to keep the bitter sarcasm from the question. Leta’s forehead wrinkled as she frowned.

“Fetch a knife; we’re going to cut him out of that barbaric thing.”

Aegina handed Leta her best knife and watched as the older woman carefully tried to cut the few seams that held the cloth together. The whole thing fell apart with a satisfying snap. Leta gathered the scraps and held them out for Aegina to take.

“Take these outside and burn them, the gods know what...oh my!”

Aegina’s focus instantly shifted from the rags to the now naked man on the bed and let out a gasp of her own.

He was huge. Impossibly huge. If he were married, Aegina suspected his wife would have to be a titan to accommodate him.

Her eyes wide and her cheeks flushed, Leta quickly threw the thin blanket back over him. “I didn’t see any wounds, did you?”

Aegina shook her head, mute.

“Well, um,” for once in her life, the older woman was at a loss for words. Recovering quickly, she started giving orders. “Brew up some light broth in case he gets hungry, and have a bowl of water by the bed for him to drink. I’d brush out his hair, if I were you, only the gods know what sort of vermin could be living in that thick mess.”

“Yes, Leta,” she responded like the dutiful woman she was.

“I’ll be going now, but if you need me, don’t hesitate to come for me. I’d hate to have a death in the village, especially after all this trouble.”

Aegina nodded and ushered the busybody out the door. That woman, she thought to herself, is so officious and domineering she just makes me want to hit her!

A groan from the bed made her rush over to it. Hastily, she slipped a hand under his matted bangs feeling his forehead for any sign of fever. When there was none, she dropped her hand in relief and noticed the most magnificent pair of eyes staring at her from under sleep-heavy lids.

They were gold. Not a yellowish fake gold, or an orangey one, but pure shining gold. His black lashes slowly lowered, diluting their color, but Aegina’s breath was still caught in her throat. There was no one under Mt. Olympus with eyes like that.

He sunk back into a deep slumber, and Aegina set to making the broth Leta had recommended, bathing his face in cool water, and combing through the tangled mass of black hair. As she worked, she could sometimes feel him stirring, a good sign for a man that almost died. Finally, when his hair gleamed in the late morning sunlight, Aegina was satisfied. She sat on the bed with his head in her lap idly caressing his forehead, staring out of the open doorway.

“Hun..gry...”

The word was faint, but it still made Aegina’s head snap around. The wondrous eyes were slitted, barely opened, but they stared up at her with a shining intensity.

“Food...” he croaked again.

Trying not to disturb his head, she reached for the soup she’d left at the side of the bed. She lowered the bowl carefully and pressed it to his lips, but he only turned his head and buried his face in her knee.

“So hungry...” He looked at her again, but his eyes had become unfocused and soon he dropped back into unconsciousness.

Confused, Aegina sat there, floundering inwardly, wondering if her charge would ever wake up. There were so many things she wanted to know about him, but she worried that she would never have the chance to ask. She felt completely helpless. 

The day passed with Aegina cleaning and worrying, with the man occasionally asking for food but continually refusing whatever she tried to feed him. She even visited Leta looking for advice, but all she got was criticism. So she kept doing what she was doing, tired of the routine, tired of her sea shore life, tired of being the good girl, the obedient wife, and the concerned neighbor.

That night she slipped into a light cotton shift, a souvenir from Tyre’s adventures in Egypt, and sunk to her knees on her blankets, face turned towards the heavens.

“Please, just let this monotony end!”

She lowered her head, covered her face with her dainty hands and began to sob softly, mindful of her invalid. It didn’t take her long to fall asleep; she had worried herself into exhaustion. At first she dreamt of her childhood, of her innocence, of the days when she didn’t feel like she had been categorized, shoved aside. But as the bitterness melted away with sleep, she dreamt of Tyre and how they had loved.

They were walking on the beach, the wind tousling their hair. His strong arms had lifted her on to one of the large boulders along the beach. He kissed her then, hard, passionately, impatiently, and she kissed back with equal force, needing the heat between them.

Only half consciously, Aegina caressed herself as though her hands were those in her dream. Her fingers skimmed over the fabric teasing the soft skin under it. They slipped around the sides of her breasts, tickling across her stomach, stroking the tops of her thighs. He was practically real to her now; leaning over her, his hands kneading her breasts. His long tapered fingers slid along her jaw and traced their way back down her throat. The black finger tips moved in slow, tantalizing circles around her areolas. They flicked across dark nipples drawn tight with arousal. Aegina whimpered. Tyre’s lips smothered the semi-silent pleas, the ravenous hunger overtaking them both. He laid her back on that sunny rock by the beach, his shimmering gold eyes looking into her liquid chocolate ones.

As if a cool ocean breeze had sprung up, the fog in Eiro’s mind began to dissipate. He could feel the awareness dawning on him; something was pushing back the encompassing slumber. His nostrils flared. The scent was so familiar. Hunger gnawed at him and he remembered. Gold eyes opened with shining clarity for the first time in days. His muscles ached as he turned, eyes trying to find the source of that scintillating fragrance.

Aegina lay on the floor, limbs trembling, as the fantasy tried to overtake her. Gold eyes, onyx hair, they consumed her mind and left her body wanting. Eiro licked dry lips watching her toss in frustration. She’d forgive him, wouldn’t she? Who would dare deny a starving man?

Bones creaking, Eiro slid out of bed. His movements were stiff at first, but as his muscles loosened, they became fluid and feline. He crawled over to the oblivious young woman, her scent becoming more powerful, more enticing as he drew near. The cotton night shirt clung to Aegina’s damp skin, outlining her swollen breasts and narrow waist. She had twisted until the hem was brushing the tops of her thighs, almost up around her hips. Her legs were splayed and while one hand fondled and pinched a breast, another set of delicate fingers traced the slick entrance to her channel. As she brushed over the sensitive nub that brought a shudder of ecstasy, Aegina felt another gentle pressure on her hand, pulling it away from its pleasurable task.

Eiro smiled at her when her eyes snapped open. He brought her juice covered fingers to his lips. Deliberately, he licked off every drop of honey, savoring his first tastes of her sweet ambrosia.

Aegina nearly screamed as his head began to dip lower, the man’s intent clear enough. She tried to scramble away, but his strong hands had caught her thighs and held her still. Eiro hovered inches away from his goal, breathing in the intoxicating odor of her sex. She watched the black head resting between her legs, unsure if she even wanted to get away. He raised those gold eyes to stare into her confused frightened, frustrated ones and Aegina saw only hunger. Their gazes still locked, Eiro opened his mouth and extended his tongue. Aegina’s eyes widened in disbelief as she thought she saw it lengthen, the normal pink color fading into black. He grinned at her shock; they were rarely ever awake when he fed.

Finally he dropped his head to the glistening folds beneath him. Aegina couldn’t restrain a gasp as his tongue dragged along her slit. With maddening slowness, Eiro lapped at her honey. On his third pass, she stopped struggling, barely able to control herself. Under his hands, Eiro could feel her thighs relax and he momentarily ceased feasting to smile knowingly to himself. Aegina whimpered, desperate for some sort of release. That was all the encouragement Eiro needed.

Her head was thrown back, eyes squeezed shut, her lips parted trying to breath. When his tongue entered her, she thrust her hips up towards him. It felt as if he were trying to clean her, his tongue scraping at her insides, every fold and muscle being lashed repeatedly.

As his tongue continued its blissful torture, Aegina could feel his hands moving up her heated skin. Each point of contact was an icy caress that made her body shiver. His fingers, she could have sworn they slithered as they slid underneath her shift and migrated towards her breasts. Everything ached, ached with sweet agony. She needed to be touched everywhere, she needed this exquisite pain.

The first finger ran along the underside of one breast, the faint movement making her arch her back. They circled like vultures, tasting every olive tinted inch of her bosom, swooping in when she was most vulnerable. Aegina’s moans grew louder and louder until they faded into whimpers, her voice unable to find adequate expression for the incredible sensations. When she thought that there was nothing more she could possibly experience, a fingertip latched onto the tip of a nipple and began to suckle.

With a shriek, her world exploded. Her body and mind flew apart; her spirit reached the top of Olympus. In that one moment she was able to peek into the private lives of gods and goddesses, she felt Aphrodite’s shining glory, understood only the secrets that Athena could perceive, flew faster than Hermes, struck harder than any of Zeus’s thunderbolts. She floated there, until slowly, slowly, she drifted back to her pallet on the floor. Eiro’s head was still nestled between her legs, making sure he drank down every drop of her nectar, his first real meal in days. Aegina felt more than weak, she was drained, boneless. No one had ever made her feel like that. She didn’t even attempt to lift her head, she didn’t care that he was a man that had washed up on the beach; she was swimming in the ocean of fulfilled desires and had no intent of returning to reality before absolutely necessary. Slowly, Aegina succumbed to Selene’s serene embrace, sleep coming over her like the goddess’ starry cloak of night. 


Pawns of Olympus Ch. 02



Hera grinned as she ran her hand through the viewing pool, distorting the images there. She’d show Zeus who was boss, the best way she knew how: underhanded manipulation.

It’d been only too easy to convince Eros to enchant the poor woman. And to have her fuck a monster, well...Hera laughed out loud, disturbing the peacocks wandering around the white marble room.

A princess here, a demi-goddess there, she was sick of it. No man ignored her like that, even if he was king of the gods. Though she couldn’t attack him directly, her lips curled into a sly smile, she could certainly undermine the manhood of his champion. The brawny mortal would never see it coming, and Zeus would never be able to prove her part in it.

Hera dipped a slender finger into a pot of honey and licked it off slowly, savoring the weight and sweetness.

The perfect plan.

*~*~*

Aegina hobbled over to the side of the road, wincing whenever she put weight on her left foot. She unfastened her sandal and pulled it off, grimacing at the size of the blisters. Her wavy dark coffee tresses were plastered to her olive skin, adhering to the sheen of sweat the hot afternoon sun had created. Ageina hated her hair, always thought it looked too much like mud.

Perhaps going adventuring wasn’t such a good idea after all. But it was too late for that now. Aegina wasn’t the type of woman to be wishy-washy. No, she’d made her decision and was going to stick with it.

Still, it didn’t make her throat less parched or her blistering feet less sore. She nursed her foot for another few minutes before gingerly setting it down on the compressed dirt road and continuing onward.

The sun was only about a quarter past its peak when Aegina finally reached Berora. Not having a horse, the journey had forced her to spend her money on a night at a roadside inn. Inn, she snorted, more like a hovel. She raised her wine flask to her mouth and swallowed a few drops of the sweet drink. Both her flask and her purse were running dry.

Aegina ducked into the first inn she came to; resting just on the outskirts of the city, it was a small building with a humble sign depicting a satyr with a wine bottle. The inside of the cramped room was dim and clouded with the smoke from burning herbs. The smell of a roasting pig pervaded the atmosphere and caused Aegina’s stomach to growl menacingly.

The innkeeper raised an eyebrow at her entrance. He was used to visitors coming at all times of the day, and usually pretty young women were accompanied by large entourages of servants or family. The girl sat down at a rough wooden table and he made his way over with a hearty grin, but on closer evaluation of her bedraggled and dusty appearance, it quickly faded.

“What can I do for you?” he asked, clearly feigning politeness.

Aegina responded with a tired but grateful smile. “A cup of wine?”

The innkeeper nodded curtly and returned promptly, snatching up the coins she set down on the table. 

She sipped the cool liquid, feeling the suspicious eyes of the innkeeper on her back. Aegina waved him over when her cup was empty. “Excuse me,” she asked as he began to draw away, “do you know if there are any households looking for a cook?”

The thick lips of the innkeeper pursed in thought. “There are some larger houses if you go down the road a bit and turn left onto the wide road there. But I’ll warn you, they usually like to have a father’s permission.”

When Aegina’s eyes widened the older man knew she wasn’t expecting that.

“Well, my husband has given me permission,” she announced boldly, trying to quell the nervous butterflies in her stomach. “We’re farmers, and, well, the gods haven’t been too kind this season.”

It was a flat out lie and he knew that. But still, looking into her dark doe eyes filled with determination, he felt a strange need to help her. The old man sighed and straightened his tunic.

“Tell you what, lady. If night is falling and you’ve not yet found a job, seek a woman named Pythia. Everyone around here knows who she is. She will let you spend the night, but think carefully about your husband before accepting work from her. If I were you, I’d turn around and go back to the farm right now.”

Aegina smiled at him and he found that he couldn’t help but smile back. “I appreciate your concern, but I don’t think I can go back.”

“You say that now missy, but..” He just shook his head. “Pythia will help you if you need it. Tell her that Huros sent ya.”

Aegina scooped up her belongings and clasped his large hand in her small ones. “Thank you Mister Huros, I won’t forget this kindness.”

After a quick stop at a town well to straighten her hair and wash the dust off her face, Aegina set off with a brisk step and high hopes of finding a job. 

However, with the sun hanging low in the sky, and having stopped at every house on the street Huros suggested, Aegina’s hopes were flagging. She’d received a couple offers, but without having her husband there to give consent in person, the households had been forced to turn her away. Aegina glanced at a sundial as she made her way through the garden behind the last house. The sun would be setting within an hour.

Dejectedly, Aegina made her way back onto the main street, wondering what she was going to do if she couldn’t find a job. A servant at one of the houses had given her some dinner while they chatted, so her stomach wasn’t growling anymore, but, she sighed, that was the least of her worries. She could go to that woman Huros had mentioned, but something in the way he said her name made her wonder if that was a good idea.

She kicked at the dust along the side of the road, watching the merchants roll down shades and close their doors for the night.

She had nowhere to stay, no job, no money...

Pythia was her only option it seemed.

Doing her best impression of a lost and innocent maiden, Aegina wandered over to one of the shop owners. When she asked about Pythia, the man looked shocked, but gave her directions anyway. His strange reaction made Aegina even more nervous about her decision to seek the woman’s help. The words “nowhere else to go” chanted themselves in her head as she made her way towards Pythia’s residence.

*~*~*

Eros’s long, tan body lay stretched out and naked on the white silk sheets covering Hera’s bed.

“So, Hera, where’s my payment?”

Hera smiled coyly, dark eyelashes fluttering against smooth pale cheeks.

“Whatever are you talking about?”

The god of love sat up, wings flexing. “You know I love a bit of mischief, but I’m not about to anger Zeus without some sort of...compensation.”

“Angering Zeus? I’d never ask you to do something like that dear Eros.” Hera lifted the hem of her dress, showing off a long milky white leg as she climbed on to the bed. Eros leaned close to her, breathing in the scent of her skin.

“Lovely Hera, I shot an arrow into the heart of the wife of Tyre of Sena.” His tongue flicked out tasting the flesh of her collar bone and traveling up her neck and along her jaw line.

Hera sucked her breath in as his hand came up to cup her breast.

“And Tyre of Sena is Zeus’s new favorite mortal.”

“Aren’t you a clever one,” Hera purred, teasing his golden curls with ivory fingertips.

Her hand dropped to his groin, caressing his member, thick and heavy. Eros nibbled at the base of her neck before throwing his head back and groaning.

The smell of burnt meat filled her chamber and Hera was left stroking empty air. She craned her neck and gave Zeus a flippant smile.

“You’re back early.”

*~*~*

Pythia’s house was more of a compound, Aegina decided as a servant led her through the lush green courtyard. Her hostess was lounging upon a couch, chatting animatedly with a group of women who looked to be about the petite housewife’s age. The servant cleared his throat and announced, “A visitor, Mistress Pythia.”

The older woman turned her shrewd gaze on Aegina, causing her cheeks to flush. Pythia was a woman for whom wealth and age had taken pleasant curvature and finished rounding out her figure, so that her overall appearance was that of a large melon with limbs. Her face was beginning to show lines, but her mouth was stained a bright berry red, as if it hoped to distract from the signs of aging.

“Spin around for me, girl,” she commanded before Aegina even had a chance to introduce herself.

Aegina gave a hesitant turn, while Pythia nodded sagely, surveying the petite but curvy girl.

“And your name?”

“Aegina,” she managed to stutter.

More nodding. “That will do. Well, Aegina, care to tell me why you’re here?”

“Uhhh...Huros said that if I couldn’t find a job, you’d put me up for the night, and maybe offer me a job.” Her sob story spilled out of her mouth, once again a lie, but she spoke with an intensity she’d not found before, desperation etched in every phrase. Aegina finished quickly, chest tight, eyes seeking some sort of response from the older woman.

Pythia simply raised an eyebrow. “I’d work on that tale a bit, but it’s good enough for me. You can stay the night, but you’ll have to work.”

Aegina glanced nervously at the women who surrounded Pythia in the courtyard. She was beginning to realize exactly what Pythia offered at her large estate.

“Not like that.” Pythia tried to suppress the urge to grin at the girl’s obvious discomfort. “One of my servants has come down with a very disturbing rash. You could take her place for the evening, in exchange for a meal and bed for the night.”

“I guess that’d be okay.” Aegina smiled brightly, though the butterflies in her stomach hadn’t calmed down in the least.

“Good. Girls,” a snap of her fingers caught the attention of the lounging women around the courtyard, “will you please follow Aegina to her room and see that she’s...presentable for this evening.”

A bath, three different dresses, each gaping further down her cleavage than was comfortable, and several tightly pulled curls later, Aegina was “presentable.” One of the girls quickly explained what would be expected of her before running off to tend to her own appearance.

The party started picking up around what Aegina usually considered her bedtime. Her eyelids drooped, but she fought to stay awake, serving wine and flirting with men she’d never met before and most likely only see again in the morning, when they crawled out of bed hung over. Finally one of the girls who had helped her earlier told her to just go sleep.

She made her way down the hall, pulling pins from her hair, almost too tired to lift up her feet, when what she saw through an open doorway made her do a double take.

A lean, tan man.

With shaggy black hair.

And a circular patch of black skin at the base of his spine.

It couldn’t be...

Curious, Aegina crept silently into the room to try and get a better look, afraid to disturb the man enjoying one of Pythia’s prostitutes. But within a few steps, she could tell. The muscles flexing in his shoulders, the way his skin seemed to glimmer in the moonlight, the way that black spot seemed to pulse as he thrust into the woman underneath him...

Eiro closed his eyes, breathing in deeply. He could almost smell her, the alluring scent of her skin. Pulling back he thrust harder into the woman underneath him, finding a new energy. This prostitute, she tasted like all other women, but she had tasted sweet...

The room had gotten at least ten degrees hotter as she watch his movements. The dress itched uncomfortably at her breasts, making her twitch everytime the heavy cloth brushed against her. Aegina bit her lip as she continued to watch him. His long shaft pumped faster now into the convulsing prostitute. She had no doubt about what that woman was feeling, the slick ecstacy as he pounded away at her small frame...Aegina shuddered and clutched at the gather of fabric at her waist.

The black patch of skin on his back pulsed, forming a small mound before smoothing out again. It mesmerized Aegina, pulling her closer to his body. Her hand reached out, wanting to touch him, but she pulled back, gnawing on her bottom lip, afraid to break his concentration. Instead, she leaned over, inches away from him, inspecting the darkened patch. After all, she could always remember the feel of his skin against hers, the taste...

Her small pink tongue flicked out almost of its own will, running over and around that intriguing bit of flesh.

*~*~*

“You can come on out now, the big bad god is gone,” Hera said to the empty air.

She sighed and once again waved away an image in her reflecting pool. Eros appeared right in front of her seated form, wings tucked back and hardened member inches away from her full lips.

“You called?”

One corner of her mouth lifted in an attempt to smile.

“I suppose I did.” Her eyes fixed on the tan shaft in bobbing in front of her. “You’re always ready, aren’t you, Eros?”

He grinned broadly. “It does happen to be my specialty.”

Hera glanced up, noticing again the gleam of his white teeth, before returning her gaze to his manhood. The veins that protruded along his member glowed faintly gold. “You know I haven’t tasted true ambrosia in the longest time.” 

She licked her lips and leaned forward, capturing him with ease. Running her tongue along his length, she brought him further into her mouth. She pulled back, wrapping her lips around just the head of his cock and sucking fiercely. Eros’ wings stretched and flexed as Hera’s talented tongue worked him to the point of ecstasy. One hand gripped his backside, keeping him under control, with the other she fondled his heavy balls. Her head bobbed forward, burying her nose in curly hair of his crotch, forcing his cock down her throat. Clamping her lips tightly around his shaft, she pulled back. She kept it up, speeding up until he couldn’t keep himself from gripping her head and fucking her mouth. An instant later his golden seed poured down her throat and she swallowed it greedily, teasing every last drop from him.

*~*~*

Eiro leaned his head back and shivered. “Aegina,” he breathed. Her tongue froze as she heard him whisper.

“Wait...Aegina?” Eiro twisted as well as he could, flipping his shaggy hair out of his face, clearly shocked at her sudden appearance. She straightened, sheepish, hand covering her mouth.

“Aegina, what are you doing here?” he hissed, obviously restraining himself from yelling.

“I..uh..ran away from home.” She backed away from the bed, nervous and embarrassed. She tried for a smile. “And then I saw you in here and...I don’t know what came over me...I’m...”

“You ran away from home?” Eiro pulled himself out of the prostitute, her juices running off his shrinking member and down his leg. The woman remained motionless as he hopped off the bed, searching for his tunic. “You’re not following me are you?”

Aegina sniffed, trying to regain some composure. “No, of course not. I’m trying to find a job.”

Eiro’s gold eyes bored into her as he scrutinzed her from the tips of her dainty toes up over full hips, tiny waist and a surprisingly generous bust for someone her height. He paused for a minute at her haughty pout, captivated by the red bow of a mouth. “You want a job here?”

“What? No no no!” She waved her hands frantically trying to emphasize the point. “Pythia’s letting me spend the night here since I had no place to go.”

He nodded, rather dazed by the current events. “Good. You’re better than this.”

“Eiro...” 

The woman on the bed moaned softly, interrupting Aegina’s train of thought. Aegina peered around Eiro’s larger frame, just now really noticing the other occupant of the room. “Is she ok?” she asked, concerned.

He glanced back. “Yes.”

Aegina raised an eyebrow; it was her turn to be speculative. “Then why hasn’t she moved?”

Eiro pulled a small vial from an unseen pocket. “Because I drugged her. It...enhances the experience.”

“And it also causes them to ignore certain details,” Aegina finished for him.

“Yes, that too,” he conceded. “I’ve had to buy a new vial since the wreck.”

She nodded, thoughtful and very aware of his lean, muscular, and partially clad presence. After a minute of pondering, her eyes widened and she smiled broadly. “I figured it out!”

“Figured what out?” Eiro paused in adjusting his tunic.

“How to get a job, of course.”

“And how are you going to do that? You have no references since you,” he barely managed to keep his voice low this time, “ran away from home!”

Aegina grinned coyly. Again, Eiro had to tear his eyes away from her lips. “Well, that’s what you’re here for. See, none of the houses would accept me without a father or husband’s permission. Well, I obviously don’t have that, but you could pose as my husband and give the house your permission and then they’d hire me!”

“Pretend to be your...husband?” Eiro’s brows knit while the idea processed. “No. No no no.” He waved his hands frantically to emphasize the point. “I keep a low profile in towns. I’m not going to go parading around introducing myself to anyone other than dealers and whores who will never remember my name.”

Her face fell. “Please, Eiro? I need a job, and if I can’t be a housekeeper, or a cook, or a maid, or something respectable, I’m going to end up here, and not just to spend the night.”

“I’m sorry Aegina, but I can’t.” Gods, she looked so sad... “I can’t afford to be known. Someone might find out, might realize what I really am.”

Aegina lifted her gaze to meet his. Her earnest brown eyes radiated an emotion he hadn’t felt for the longest time. “I know what you are, Eiro.”

Kindness.

“Please just do me this one favor, and I will never bother you again.” Her voice was soft. “I can’t go back home now; it’s too empty, too lonely. There’s more in this world for me, Eiro, I can feel it. But I need your help if I’m going to make it.”

His eyes broke away first, flicking from her face to the floor and back again.

“Alright, I’ll help you. I must repay my debts after all.”

Aegina felt the tingling in her nose that meant she was about to cry. Willing back her tears, she thanked him profusely and agreed to meet him the next morning at the end of the street. Eiro, left alone with the now snoring prostitute, stripped off his hastily donned tunic and lay down on the mattress next to her. He closed his eyes, but his mind kept turning and turning, remembering exactly how Aegina’s dainty tongue had made him shiver.



*~*~*



Hera licked the corner of her mouth, not letting any of his cum escape. “I’d consider our business finished now, Eros.”

“And that means what exactly?” He tried hard, and could often use his looks to his advantage, but despite his attempts the handsome god never did quite understand Olympian politics.

“Leave.” Hera gestured, once again reclining on her couch and staring into her scrying pool. Eros pouted, but when she continued to ignore him, he spun around and flew off.

Frowning at her reflection in the water, Hera plucked a grey hair from her dark mane.



*~*~*



The next morning’s dawn came early, and Aegina felt as if she hadn’t slept at all. She hurriedly pulled on her own plain dress, wishing the fabric was a little cleaner. She slipped into her worn sandals, wishing they were a little less used. Using some of the pins the ‘girls’ had put in her hair last night, she tamed some of the wilder curls.

If only, she thought, everything wasn’t based on her appearance, not to mention her husband.

Finally satisfied that she had done all she could, she found Pythia, half-drunk and half-asleep, thanked her, half meaning it, and practically ran down the street, heart pounding in her chest. 

Eiro was at the corner as promised, broad shoulders slumped, hair falling into his eyes. He tossed his head, reminding her of a horse trying to shake off the flies, and began walking briskly down the street.




Pawns of Olympus Ch. 02



“Eiro!” Aegina hollered, annoyed. “Wait up!” 

He paused, and she jogged a little to catch up with him. 

“Why are you walking so quickly? You’re acting like you don’t even want to be here with me.” 

He forced himself to keep his voice down, “I don’t! This could be very very bad for my cover.”

Aegina glared. “Well, it’ll be even worse if you keep acting like a stranger, and not,” she emphasized the word, “my husband.”

Eiro’s nose scrunched; the word obviously sat very uncomfortably on his shoulders.

“Now, if we’re going to do this right, you need to slow down and walk next to me.” His steps fell in with hers, the difference in height making him walk slowly. “And we should talk.”

“Talk? About what?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” she waved her hand flippantly. “The weather, the shops, what you like to eat, your childhood. Whatever you wish to talk about.”

Eiro raised an eyebrow, grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Well, you already know what I like to eat.”

She blushed a dark red. “That is something we most certainly do not wish to talk about.”

Chuckling out loud, Eiro marveled at how reserved his companion was in the light of day. “Then why don’t you choose the topic?”

“Ummm...Why don’t you tell me about your home?”

It was a little awkward at first for him; he’d never really opened up to anyone. Only his mother had shown him the same kind of attention Aegina was and it rather unnerved him. But as they chatted, he could feel himself loosening up, responding to her smiles, her stories.

They reached one of the houses Aegina hadn’t visited and easily wormed their way into a meeting with a senior servant. Impressed with their rapport, the woman bid them to come back after the morning chores were finished to consult with the household manager.

The two wandered out of the house and walked along the side of the street, the silence heavy.

“Listen, Eiro, I just wanted to thank you for doing this for me. I really appreciate it.”

Eiro blushed slightly, unused to her honest manner. Aegina studied him closely before throwing her arms around his neck in a tight hug. He floundered for a second, finally deciding to rest his hands in the small of her back. She lay a soft kiss just under his ear, making his breath catch in his throat.

“If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to find me.” Aegina pulled away smiling, but her expressive eyes were wistful.

He blinked, the goose bumps her kiss had raised starting to fade. A reply formed on his lips, but instead a horn and the shouts of loud drunken men filled the air.

“What’s that?” Aegina turned towards the noise. 

Servants, gardeners, children and even some of the wealthy men and women flocked from their houses, running down to the intersection with the main street. Aegina tugged at Eiro’s hand, trotting after them, curious as ever. They joined the throng of people lining the road, feeling the excitement in the air. 

“Excuse me,” Aegina asked the woman next to her, “what exactly is going on?”

“The hero is coming back!” the woman practically screeched as she watched the clouds of dust rolling towards them.

“The hero?”

The woman raised an eyebrow at Aegina’s ignorance. “You’re either new or stupid. The hero is the most handsome man in Berora. He’s a war hero, and he’s the best fighter on this side of Greece and he has saved the town from evil monsters at least three times.” The lady winked at her, “I wouldn’t mind being ‘saved’ by him, if you know what I mean.”

Aegina smiled and nodded, inwardly annoyed by the woman’s snobbery, but as the cheers of the crowd got louder and closer, she was caught up in the joyous atmosphere.

“Come on Eiro!” Aegina once more grabbed the confused man’s hand and began elbowing her way to the front for a better view. He pushed his dark hair out of his eyes, uncomfortable among so many people. The little brunette next to him was all but jumping to catch the first glimpse of the “hero”.

The procession started with a pipe player and was followed by several gruff men, obviously just having returned from the wilderness. They were unwashed, bearded, and quite drunk. They were followed by ten less-drunk men carrying an enormous black bear. Women, including Aegina, screamed and applauded the hunters, a few even running over and trying to kiss them.

“Here he comes!” yelled one of the women.

“A hero, a real hero!” Aegina squealed to Eiro, no longer constraining her bouncing. He couldn’t help but laugh at her childlike antics.

The hero was being carried around atop a blanket that’d been stretched into a makeshift litter. He was waving his jug of wine at the crowd, practically showering them. He’d abandoned his traditional tunic, the chiseled muscles of his chest providing the perfect pathway for the little droplets of sweat and wine that dripped from his chin. His blonde curls glinted in the sunlight and bright brown eyes squinted as he laughed.

Aegina’s jaw dropped.

“Tyre?!”



Pawns of Olympus Ch. 03



Her shout wasn't loud, but as if he had heard it above the crowd Tyre's head turned and he locked eyes with his wife for the first time in two seasons. His smile faded as recognition set in, the image of her familiar face fighting its way through his drunken stupor. His make-shift litter stopped dead as Tyre attempted to scramble out of it; his men thuroughly confused. Shaking his sandal free of the blanket, Tyre stalked over towards the now silent throng.

Aegina shrunk back from his looming form, bumping into Eiro's chest. His gold eyes searched her face for any idea of what was happening. She tripped over one of Eiro's sandals, and when he caught her elbow to steady her, he could feel the tension in her muscles, like a deer ready to flee.

His touch sent a shock rippling across her skin, clearing her mind and making her straighten. She shook him off and regained her balance, the fear receding a bit. She'd left the house, she'd run away, and now she'd deal with the consequences. She was strong enough to take whatever punishment she deserved. Tyre halted, squinting and off balance, in front of her. His stare made her blush and look down, completely ashamed.

"What," Tyre had to speak slowly, trying to keep the slur from his voice, "are you doing here?"

"I..."

"Who is looking after," he burped loudly and several onlookers giggled, despite themselves, "the house?"

"Um...Leda?"

"Leda!" For the first time, Tyre seemed to grasp the situation. His voice turned deadly quiet. The people behind the couple strained to hear while pretending to be uninterested. "You left our house, our property, our livestock, with Leda?"

Aegina's gaze was firmly afixed on her sandal. She'd only heard his voice get quiet like that once, when his father tried to tell him not to go adventuring. They hadn't spoken since. "I..I sold the livestock."

"You...sold our livestock." His brown eyes were tight slits, the anger glinting like sparks from Hephaestus' forge. Aegina opened her mouth to answer, but a resounding slap sent her to the ground instead.

Her cheek burned, and her eyes filled with tears. She could taste blood from where she'd accidentally bit her tongue, but, she told herself, she wouldn't cry, wouldn't complain. She deserved this, her mind chanted, you're just a woman, you shouldn't have run away.

Tyre spun on his heel, completely sobered, and signalled his men. They pushed back the crowd, making a path through the throng. Tyre offered a hand to Aegina and helped her stand, but his jaw was still tight with anger. He grabbed her wrist and she followed demurely behind him, as he made his way out of the parade.

Eiro had been swept aside by the burly men accompanying Tyre. His head spun. When...her husband, yes, he had to be her husband, had hit her he had to restrain himself from leaping on the man. But it was not his place to help her, he'd reasoned. Aegina had run away from her duty, he knew that. Best not to get between a husband and wife. He nodded imperceptibly. Always better to stay uninvolved. He turned and pushed his way through those who'd stayed to gawk at the retreating forms of the heroic band.

*~*~*

"Proud Daughter"

"Victorious Daughter"

"Wise Daughter"

"What do you see?"

She stared intently into the single eye in the hag's face, her grey eyes widening at the events playing out before her.

"Is there nothing we can do Mothers? Is it all carved into stone?"

"Oh Athena..."

"You should know better than that."

"Nothing is ever certain."

"But.." Her thin lips pursed, and faint lines traced her smile.

"Already it has begun, Daughter."

"Already it has ended, Daughter."

"Life moves as it is supposed to, Athena, you cannot oppose it, though some will try."

Athena bowed, her tightly pinned curls never moving an inch. The lines evened out, and her skin was once again as smooth as a new born's. "Thank you, Mothers. I understand now." She turned to leave the dank cave, still unsettled by her gruesome surroundings, but one whithered voice stopped her.

"It's not so bad, Athena."

"I quite enjoy being ugly and old, don't you sisters?"

The trio broke out into cracked and coughing laughter, and Athena hurried through the passage way back into the light.

*~*~*

Eiro wandered the dusty streets of Berora, mind troubled. His fingers caressed the little vial in his tunic pocket. It was reassuringly real, but disturbing in its own way. His debt had been paid; she'd acknowledged his help and thanked him, so why did he still feel like if he left now, he'd be abandoning his honor?

It was early, still morning, but Eiro felt the need for wine anyway. It would make his stomach settle, at the very least. He ducked down a narrow alley and made his way to his favorite inn, a very no-questions-asked sort of place.

Eiro was thankful for that policy today. He didn't feel much like talking.

*~*~*

When they reached Tyre's favorite inn he stormed his way through the common room, ignoring the cheers that followed a local hero. Aegina trailed meekly behind him, her wrist still smarting from being pulled along earlier. He reached his room and spun around, eyes boring into her. Her knees started to tremble and she could feel the quivering rage pulsing behind that gaze.

Aegina pulled the opaque curtain shut behind her, giving them a semblance, at least, of privacy.

"You," he snarled. "You...you could have cost me everthing. That boar," he paused, "that boar was a gift from Zeus. A quest, to prove myself worthy of his good graces."

A dark brown curl tickled her nose as she bowed her head in shame, but Aegina didn't dare to brush it out of the way. She didn't dare to move.

"What kind of man will he think I am if I can't even control my own cursed wife!"

Against her better judgement, Aegina mumbled, "Zeus cannot even control Hera."

Tyre stormed over to her, a vein in his neck throbbing. "You are no goddess." He slapped her a second time, this time hard enough to send her stumbling backward into the wall of their room. She sagged a little against the wall, but managed to stay upright.

"Humility. That's what you need to learn, Aegina. You think you can just run off and do whatever you want to, but you can't. You need to learn your place." He nodded to himself as he spoke.

Tyre glanced around the room, the rage in his eyes solidifying into something less violent, but more painful, if possible. Aegina watched him carefully, like a mouse observing the cat who hunts it. They were both silent for a moment as Tyre paced the length of the small room.

At last, he lifted his head, and motioned for her to stay where she was. Poking his head outside the curtain, Tyre spoke softly to a near by attendant, and satisfied that his task would be done, he sat down on the rough mattress. Aegina silently stared at the floor, wondering what further punishment she would receive.

A few moments later, a pretty black haired girl came into the room wearing the stained tunic of a serving girl. She had large, light colored eyes that lit up when she saw Tyre but seeing Aegina standing there, her expression turned to confusion.

Tyre's lips twisted into a cruel grin. "Aegina, I'd like you to meet Zara. She's one of the girls who works here. We've become close friends over the last couple of weeks, haven't we Zara?"

Blushing, the girl nodded. Tyre got up and moved behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders. "So close that I've gotten to fuck her once or twice. I have to admit, that I enjoyed it. In fact, I think I'll fuck her right now." Upon finishing his sentance, Tyre unfastened the shoulder clips that held Zara's tunic up. The fabric fell to her waist, leaving her breasts bare. Aegina let out a gasp and Zara turned even redder.

Tyre fixed his wife with a harsh glare. He stalked over to her, trapping her against the wall. "Was that an objection?"

Biting her lip and blinking back tears, Aegina shook her head.

"Good." Turning, Tyre once more focused on the blushing Zara. He unfastened his own tunic as he made his way back across the room. She turned her head away from his, thoroughly ashamed, but he caught her chin and kissed her roughly. Fumbling, he found the cord that was holding the rest of her outfit up, and untied it as well.

Fully naked, Zara finally found the courage to speak. "Please, Tyre...not like this."

"I didn't ask you here to talk, Zara. Now, why don't you put that mouth of yours to a good use."

Obidiently, Zara sunk to her knees. She carefully grasped Tyre's half hardened cock and stroked it gently. Leaning forward, she rubbed it reverently all over her face, brushing it frequently with her pouting lips. From her vantage point, Aegina was able to see Zara's tongue flicking out over Tyre's balls, then up from the base of his shaft, over and under the head, and then back down. It was as if Zara had forgotten she was being watched, her eyes sparkling as Tyre hardened for her. When he was completely hard, she drew him into her mouth all at once, as deep as she could get him, with the tip of his cock hitting the back of her throat.

Instinctively, Tyre let out a gutteral groan and clutched her hair, holding her in place. His hips twitched, pushing his cock in and out of her mouth. His eyes were closed in ecstasy, but they flew open as he realized he was getting close to cumming in her mouth, and that was not at all what he wanted. He pulled Zara's face away from his crotch, and she complied, but seemed almost hesitant; a string of saliva connected her tongue and the head of his cock before she finally licked her lips.

Grabbing her around the waist, Tyre practically threw her onto the dingy mattress. Pulling her legs apart, he spun her around until her exposed pussy was facing Aegina directly. Thoroughly humiliated, tears rolled down her beet red cheeks, hot and bitter.

Tyre watched her cry with cruel satisfaction before flipping Zara onto her stomach. The small girl gave a surprised yelp and started squirming under his firm grip. Keeping a tight hold, Tyre crawled on all fours around behind her and bent his head to smell the musky scent of her arousal. He positioned himself on his knees and pulled her hips up to his, his cock just brushing against her slickness. As if to test his will, he held himself there, the warmth dripping around him, her clit a swollen nub rubbing against his own hardness.

With a growl of more anger than lust, Tyre thrust himself deeply into her cunt, hard enough to make Zara's head bounce against the bed. Zara began a sort of feral keening, almost something Aegina would have assumed as mournful, if it had not been so obvious that it was a sound of her pleasure. Tyre's face was a mask of rage, his lips a tight line and his eyes harder than granite. Zara's fingers clenched fistfuls of the thin blanket bunched underneath them, her keening becoming a high pitched wail.

Aegina made no move to cover her ears, she knew that'd just bring even more punishment, but she tried not to listen as Tyre's voice mixed with Zara's, a low even groan of hedonistic satisfaction. And then, thankfully it was done. Tyre rolled off the serving girl, and she collapsed on the mattress, spent. Aegina could see their mixed juices dripping out of Zara's pussy and pooling on the blanket between her thighs. It made her gag a little; she could taste vomit in the back of her throat.

*~*~*

A piercing shriek shattered the afternoon calm of Mount Olympus.

"Servants!" Aphrodite screeched. "Assemble now!"

There was a flurry of motion and several rows of nymphs and a few fauns stood in front of the furious goddess. 

"Now, who ever has been tampering with my wine should step forward now. I promise your punishment will be lesser if you confess than if I must force the truth from your lips."

The servants shifted uneasily, eyes darting from one to the other, but no one stepped forward.

Finally, the head serving nymph spoke up. "Oh divine Aphrodite, I assure you that no one has been tampering with your wine."

Aphrodite's blue eyes turned to ice as she glared at the anxious nymph. "Are you saying that I am lying?"

"Oh no, beautiful one, just that no one has put anything in your wine. It is quite possible that your meals have been tampered with, or your jewels, but I would know about the wine."

Aphrodite sniffed. "That may be so, but I have been away for almost a week. Since my arrival, I have only had a cup of wine, and then, while bathing, I discovered this!"

With a dramatic gesture, Aphrodite threw off the sheer robe that she had been wearing, revealing the nude body that had given her the title of Goddess of Beauty.

The servants stared in dumbfounded awe at their goddess. One nymph even sunk to her knees in reverence. Aphrodite's icy gaze turned even colder as her servants failed to comprehend the enormity of the situation. "Well," she demanded, "who can explain this?"

This time a faun's timid voice broke the silence. "Explain what, oh perfection incarnate?"

"This!" she shouted, a finger stabbing at her breast. The faun leaned closer, squinting, and finally realized to what she was pointing.

"If I may be so bold, loveliest of lovelies," the faun groveled, "it's just a stretch mark. And a very small one at that."

"A stretch...mark?"

"Yes, many women have them."

"You mean," Aphrodite's eyes narrowed to slits, "many mortal women have them. I am Aphrodite, the exquisite, birthed from the foam of the sea, and sent to Mount Olympus to reign over the realms of love and beauty for all of time! I do not get stretch marks!" She ended her tirade in a fevered pitch, then, chin high, she stormed out of the palace as only a goddess can.

*~*~*

Eiro woke on a street corner when the sun became so unbearably bright he just couldn't sleep anymore. He squinted in the late afternoon light, trying to remember where he was and how he got there. Sniffing the air, he recognized the pungent odors of the slummy part of the town. Eiro pushed himself to his feet, eager to find some fresh air, and hopefully some water to rinse the taste of old wine from his mouth.

Eyes on the ground, he wandered the dusty streets of Berora, ignoring the suspicious looks of shopkeepers and the dirty glances from the wealthy men and women. It was as if nothing had ever happened. He could remember a thousand towns just like this one, faces all glaring at him as if they really knew that he was a monster, a hundred thousand unspoken insults. And he never had cared about those towns, those people or their opinions, but now everything was different.

He'd made a friend. Now the world seemed cold and cruel, when the distance never bothered him before. Now, every one of those looks opened old wounds he didn't even know he had. Now there was an empty space inside his head, where Aegina's smiles had been. Every detail of their short friendship seemed so poignant.

Running his fingers through his unkempt hair, Eiro vowed to stop feeling sorry for himself. He'd travelled a long way without a friend in the world, and he knew he had a long way to travel yet. He most definitely could not afford to sink into a...

"Flea-bitten worthless piece of horseflesh!"

Eiro spun and dashed down a side street, following the frustrated voice that pricked his ears.

"By the gods, I swear the next time you bite at me, I'm giving you up as a sacrifice!" Aegina tugged sharply on the pony's bridle, but the stubborn animal simply flattened his ears and swished his tail. "Please," pleaded, "I have to pack, I have to get home...I have..."

Aegina sunk to her knees, spirit broken by her own acceptance. She'd left home because she was dying there, and now she was begging to go back. Tears, hot and wet streamed down her face. Would this desperation be all she ever knew? Would she simply wait around for Tyre, just sit and wait for Phlegyas to ferry her across the Styx?

The pony snorted and Aegina looked up, blinking through her tears. Eiro's gold eyes gazed down at her with such a tender expression she started crying again and hid her face. He knelt down beside her, hands in his lap, unsure of what to say. After a few moments, Aegina managed to regain her composure. Nose running slightly, she looked Eiro straight in the eye and smiled. It was strangely uplifting for him to see her expression changing so quickly, to see that she could still smile when she was so obviously upset.

The little brunette sniffed and wiped her nose, uncomfortable under his scrutiny. "I thought you'd have left Berora by now." Her voice was quiet, but Eiro didn't have to strain to hear her.

"I...thought I would have too," he responded just as quietly. "But, I had a friend I wanted to say goodbye to, first."

Aegina laughed a little, trying to suppress a new round of sobs. Eiro stood up, and helped her to her feet. She brushed as much dust off her dress as she could, trying to avoid his beautiful, penetrating eyes. She would miss those eyes...

"I guess this is goodbye then," she mumbled to the ground.

"Yes, I suppose it is." Eiro breathed deeply, catching a whiff of Aegina's unique scent. "Unless...unless you would want...to come with me?"

The question caught Aegina off guard. Surprised, she allowed herself to make eye contact with him, a mistake that made her heart ache and her stomach twist. A friend, adventures, freedom...

"I...I..." She stuttered, incapable of speech, lost in those vulnerable gold eyes. "Eiro, I..."

"Aegina!" the rough voice of her husband jerked her from her trance. "I gave you strict orders not to speak to anyone. And you haven't even finished packing!" Tyre stomped over to them. "Do you think you are above following my orders?"

Her shoulders slumped and she mumbled something to the effect of no, knowing it was no use. Eiro watched, confused, as Aegina became meek, so unlike the Aegina he knew.

"You're lucky anyone even bothered to marry you, you insolent bitch!" He raised his hand to slap her again, and Aegina shrunk back, eyes closed, waiting for the stinging pain. When it never came, she tentatively cracked an eyelid, then gaped in shock.

Eiro held Tyre's arm firmly by the wrist, both men silently glaring at each other. Tyre finally wrenched his hand away, nostrils flaring like a bull about to charge.

"Who in Zeus's name are you?" He shouted, little flecks of spit flying from his mouth.

"A friend of hers," Eiro answered stonily. Aegina watched the two men face off, complete opposites. Tyre's face turned redder and redder, almost madder than he had been when he first dragged her out of the parade crowd. Eiro on the other hand, seemed to be made of ice. His eyes which had been so soft a moment ago were now hard and metallic. His lithe body was tense, anticipatory.

"Who do you think you are? This business is between my wife and me!"

"I won't let you hit her."

"Then leave, bastard!"

Chin high, and with a hint of challenge to his voice, Eiro uttered his one word response. "No."

Tyre charged him then, fists pulled back. Eiro seemed to flow, moving like one of the spotted cats Aegina'd seen in menageries. He easily evaded Tyre's charge, spinning on the ball of one foot, striking the back of Tyre's neck with the edge of his hand. Tyre stumbled and fell to his hands and knees, a few drops of blood dripping from where he bit his lip.

Pushing himself to his feet, Tyre spat, and charged at Eiro again. Smart enough not to be dodged a second time, Tyre's fist was barely blocked by Eiro. Twisting his wrist, Tyre grabbed Eiro's arm and attempted push him to the ground and pin him there. Eiro dropped to his knees, throwing the captured arm far behind him, and making Tyre lose his balance. As the larger man stumbled forward, Eiro caught the waist band of his loincloth with his free hand. With a dancer's grace, he bent himself completely backward and used the big man's momentum to throw him past the startled faces of a few gathered onlookers.




Pawns of Olympus Ch. 03



Tyre landed on his stomach, skidding a few inches and skinning his jaw. All the breath wheezed out of him and he gasped for air in the cloud of dust around him. When his vision cleared, he recognized a few of his men standing around him, gaping. Summoning his gods given strength, Tyre pushed himself upright once more. Glancing at the hunters beside him, he shouted, "Well, what are you waiting for? Get him!"

Standing, Eiro's eyes widened as three healthy men and one injured and vengeful husband rushed at him. It took him a split second to evaluate his odds. Turning around, his sprinted back towards Aegina, mounting the pony in one leap. He held out a hand to her, the seriousness of the offer etched in his every feature.

"Come with me, or stay here, but you must decide now!"

The fastest of the hunters had made it to the pony, tugging on Eiro's tunic, trying to pull him down. Eiro turned and smashed the heel of his palm into the man's face. The man stumbled away crying, blood pouring from a broken nose.

Eiro offered Aegina his hand one last time. Glancing at the man clutching his face, Aegina hesitated, and Eiro's mouth tightened.

"Goodbye then." Eiro turned the pony's head and raised his heel to kick it into motion.

"No!" She cried, throwing herself at him, finally willing to admit to herself that she couldn't live under Tyre's orders. "I'm coming! Help me up."

With no time to waste, Eiro pulled the petite woman onto the pony behind him and kicked. The pony broke into an unpracticed gallop, running faster out of Berora than it had since it was a foal.

*~*~*

A mile outside of Berora, the pony slowed to a trot, and a half mile after that, it slowed to a walk, breathing heavy. Aegina had been clutching Eiro for dear life as they galloped away from her husband, eyes closed, dealthly afraid of falling. She began to relax when they could no longer see the village, and even began to fidget. 

They reached the edge of a dense forest, and Aegina voiced her unease at staying in such a place, especially after sundown, but the road they were on was the only one of any size, unless they wished to go back through the town, and they both agreed that was too risky. So, Eiro let the pony walk until they reached the first stream, where he stopped and had them both dismount.

"Search for a little clearing not too far from the road. I want to camp here tonight."

Aegina's brown eyes grew huge at the thought of camping, in the woods no less, but did as he asked anyway. Just in time for sunset, they got a fire going in a little glen no more than fifty feet from the road. Aegina gazed around anxiously as night settled in on the forest, insects buzzing and night birds beginning to rouse.

Eiro lay on his back, staring at the slowly appearing stars, while Aegina sat, knees to chest, chewing on her lip. "Are you sure there are no satyrs in these woods?"

Eiro's gold eyes blinked at her in surprise. "We're quite safe here. I have very good hearing. Besides, I've never heard of satyrs in these woods."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean there aren't any. They could just be very well hidden satyrs."

"Satyrs aren't really the hiding type. If what you need to hear is me saying 'there are no satyrs in these woods' then, no, there are no satyrs in these woods."

"But you're not positive." "I'm positive." A crisp feminine voice broke into their conversation. Eiro sat bolt upright, shocked at being snuck up on, while Aegina's head snapped around, looking for the speaker.

A handsome woman with sharp features watched the couple, amused by their expressions. Her auburn hair was immaculately curled, and her grey eyes were complemented by the green, purple, and gold embroidery that ran along the edges of her robes. Aegina noted, with mild distress about the state of her own dress, that the woman's was still sparkling white. In fact everything about the woman seemed to sparkle vaguely, but only when she looked with the corner of her eye.

The woman broke the stunned silence. "No satyrs, no driads, no undines, no sylphs, no nymphs of any kind, in fact, no fauns either. This forest," she paused to pluck a leaf from a tree, rubbing it between her fingers, "is dead." She let the leaf fall and advanced on the two mortals. Eiro scrambled to his feet, but the woman simply ignored him, gesturing to the trees around them.

"Not many forests can support satyrs any more. The ones which can are much closer to Mount Olympus."

Aegina's jaw dropped. "You...you're...you're a goddess!"

The goddess lifted an eyebrow. "And you're smarter than you look." Aegina's mouth snapped shut, taken aback. "I am the purveyor of wisdom and defender of just causes, the goddess Athena."

It was Eiro's first time meeting a goddess, and Athena's introduction seemed a bit anticlimatic. Aegina was a little disappointed as well, but she was more familiar with Athena's straightforward style of godhood, having grown up on tales of Mount Olympus. So when Eiro started to question the goddess' claim, she hurriedly clapped her hand over his mouth.

Athena half smiled watching them. "The smarter of the two of you, anyway. You should learn from her, Eiro. Never question a god. Even as strong as you are, I don't believe you could survive even a river god's wrath."

Eiro glowered as Aegina lowered her hand, convinced he wasn't going to be turned into a pig, or a goat, or a spider.

"Have a seat, won't you?" Two stools appeared by the fire, and Aegina sat down quickly, glad not to have to dirty her dress further. Eiro sat down reluctantly, when Aegina gave a sharp tug on his tunic. He hated having to bend to the will of anyone, even if they were a god.

"Good." Athena began to pace in front of the fire, collecting her thoughts. After a long pause, she began to speak. "This is a matter of some anxiety for me, so you will have to understand if I become slightly emotional."

Aegina blinked, wondering privately what could make a goddess nervous.

She continued, "Most mortals are not aware, though some powerful seers have divined it, that we are reaching the end of an era. What no one other than myself, the fates, and soon you two know, is what era that is."

Both of the mortals held their breath as Athena worked up her nerve.

"It is the end of the time of the gods and the advent of man." Athena looked carefully at the two faces staring blankly at her.

"Oh for Zeus's sake! I can't make it much simpler, but I'll try."

"Please do," Eiro intoned, finally fed up with Athena's arrogance.

The goddess glared at him, but went on. "The gods are dying. Just like this forest here. Withering up and disappearing."

"It's not possible!" Aegina gasped, incredulous. "You're immortal!"

"I assure you, it is possible. I hold the evidence right here in my hand. Or rather, the evidence is my hand." Athena lifted her hand up to the fire, and despite the weak light cast upon it, Aegina could clearly see it had become wrinkled and bony.

Athena's grey eyes hardened as she looked at her own hand, once immaculate and manicured, covered in freckles, with the knuckles raised, like malignant tumors. The sight made her stomach turn weak and she quickly withdrew her hand into the darkness.

Silence surrounded the three of them, each contemplating the impact this had on their lives.

"Why did you tell this to us?" Eiro's gold eyed gaze was piercing enough to match the coldness in Athena's. "Why not tell the other gods?"

This was logic, and at the moment Athena felt equipped only to deal with logic. She kept her hand clasped behind her back as she answered. "First, the other gods would never believe me. Most of them are so caught up in their own little spheres of influence that they don't bother to pay attention to the outside world." Athena's distaste for her immortal companions was obvious in her acidic tone. "Even Zeus prefers to dally with princesses than to rule his family. Hera's not much better, attempting petty revenge for every slight trespass upon her dignity. No, they'd never believe me."

Aegina nodded thoughtfully, but Eiro just sat, arms crossed, watching Athena and waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Second, and more important, is that you two are somehow going to save the gods from disappearing."

One gasp and one dry laugh came from the seated woman and man, respectively. Aegina glared at Eiro, hoping his disrespect didn't get them fed to boars.

"Why on earth would I want to help save the gods? The gods do nothing but torment the mortals for their own pleasure!" Eiro hopped off of his stool and stared down the goddess in front of him. It was apparent that Athena had hit on a sensitive subject with the lithe man.

Across the fire, Athena returned the man's angry stare with her own. Cautioning herself that she really couldn't punish him, she reined in her temper. "The fates are the ones who picked you out, not me. And the fates are never wrong."

"Well, they're wrong this time! I'll never help.."

"What," Aegina cut him off, hoping that the argument would die, "do we do now?"

Athena switched her attention to the petite brunette, who, she decided, was most definitely the smarter of the two. "That, unfortunately, they could not tell me." She repressed a shudder, remembering her earlier visit. "I believe, though, that the best course of action would be to head to Delphi to visit the oracle. She could perhaps give us some more insight."

Eiro made another disrespectful noise, clearly disbelieving in the usefulness of a prophetess. Thankfully though, he kept his mouth shut.

Composing herself carefully, Athena once again became the image of a cool, calculating goddess. "I am determined to guide you on a course to save the gods. I refuse to die helplessly," her grey eyes flashed sparks, "I will not fade away without a fight."

Aegina bowed her head, and even Eiro looked down as a bright flash of light engulfed the goddess. When they looked up, Athena was gone.

They were both silent for a time, neither one wanting to acknowledge the rift between them. Eiro walked over to their pony, searching for something to fill the quiet. Finally, he unfastened the sole sack Aegina had managed to pack before their flight.

"Well, someone was looking out for you." The brunette glanced up at him warily. "This sack is full of food."

"Oh. Well, that's good." Aegina paused for a moment. "What are you going to do about food?"

Eiro shrugged, avoiding looking at her. "I don't need to eat as often as humans do. And I did eat just last night."

Aegina blushed, remembering interrupting him feeding on the prostitute at Pythia's. "Yes, but to Delphi from here..."

He glared at her, gold eyes flashing. "Since when are we going to Delphi? Just because the high and arrogant Athena demanded that we save the gods doesn't mean that I am just going to drop everything I am doing and..."

Aegina raised an eyebrow at his tirade, refusing to let his glare scare her, even though she could feel a fine sweat break out all over her body. Those eyes...no she wouldn't let them move her. "And just what are you doing? Eiro, we're sitting in the middle of a deserted forest, running away from my," she spat the word out, "husband. Tell me exactly what you're giving up by going to Delphi with me?"

For all his sixty-three years, Eiro could pout like a child of five. He looked away from her deliberately, and kept his mouth determinedly shut.

"Alright then, I'll go by myself."

"What? You can't do that! You'll be robbed, or raped, or murdered!"

"So then you'll come with me?"

Eiro sighed, exasperated. "Fine. But I refuse to visit the oracle."

She nodded, satisfied. "Could you pass me that bag? I'm getting kind of hungry."

Eiro handed over the sack, annoyed that she'd managed to convince him to go along with her. Aegina rummaged around, evaluating her rations, and stopped suddenly.

"It's at least five days from here to Delphi, and that's with good weather and shortcuts."

Eiro grunted his agreement.

"You're bound to get hungry by then."

He grunted again, noncommitally this time.

"I just want," her voice wavered, "I mean, if you get hungry before we get to town, you could," his eyes fixed on her face and she could feel herself break into another completely different sweat, "you could feed on me. If you wanted. When you're hungry."

His gold eyes bored into her, but she couldn't look away. Her face burned bright red with what she'd suggested. Good women didn't offer their bodies to strange men, but then, she'd already abandoned her husband, so she didn't see much point in trying to be a good woman. Still, the morality of her old life clung tightly to her, to the point where she was finding it hard to breathe.

He nodded slowly. "That's very...kind of you Aegina." He said her name softly and she blushed even harder. "I doubt it will come to that, though."

Aegina swallowed and forced herself to smile. Tearing her eyes from his, she resumed her rummaging, albeit slightly more jittery than before.

Eiro watched her in the corner of his vision. She was too kind, really. To volunteer her body for the sake of a monster? He'd already ruined her life, and now she was willing to be his food? No, he'd never be able to just use her like that.

Crunching loudly, Aegina ate some dry bread and the goat cheese that would spoil quickly. They were both quiet, content to watch the sun go down and the stars come out. Eiro knew more astronomy than she did, pointing out the constellations he had learned when he was sailing the Mediterranean. After awhile, he searched out a soft patch of grass and fell asleep. Still a little unsure of their surroundings, Aegina took longer to drift off, watching his chest rise and fall five feet away.

Dawn came too early for Aegina's liking. She woke first, slightly disoriented by the fact that she didn't have to do any chores. She shook Eiro's arm and he snorted awake, surprised to see her there. Quickly the two picked up their camp and put out the fire. The stools that Athena had provided them had vanished overnight, another sign of her weakening powers.

Scrubbing her face in the nearby stream, Aegina fretted once again about her appearance. Most of the pins holding her curls in place had fallen out of her hair, and her dress had an interesting mix of green and brown stains all along the hem. She sighed, reminding herself that a few inconveinances were better than being stuck with Tyre.

Eiro was waiting impatiently for her, eager to get going before they were found by any search parties. Aegina simply ignored his glowering and mounted their little dun pony. Gripping the pony's lead, Eiro ignored her as hard as she ignored him. One minute she could seem so kind, but the next she seemed like she didn't even care what happened to him! His knuckles turned white as he jerked the stubborn pony along. They headed for Delphi at a measured pace Eiro walking in front of the pony while Aegina rode. Once she volunteered to walk so that he could ride, but he dismissed the idea quickly saying that she'd only slow them down.

Aegina's eyes narrowed at that. Yes, he might be right, but he didn't have to be so rude about it. For the second time that morning she had to force herself to remember that this was the lesser of two evils. Not to mention that she, a humble housewife, was now on a quest from the gods! Remembering that, Aegina felt reinvigorated, and ignored Eiro's moodiness even more ferociously.

The morning dragged on as they both clung stubbornly to their silence. Eiro strained his ears listening for the sounds of pursuit, but he heard nothing out of the ordinary. Still, when dealing with experienced hunters such as Tyre's little clan, you usually didn't get lucky enough to hear them coming. Better to expect that they were following closely. They stopped only briefly at midday, near another stream. The horse drank and Aegina stretched her legs and rubbed some of the soreness from them. She chewed on some bread slowly, savoring it. Again, she worried if Eiro could really survive the trip without food, then chastised herself for it. If he wanted to be obstinant, then she would be too.

All too soon, he signaled for her to mount again. Aegina opened her mouth to offer to switch, but snapped it shut, remembering that he was scornful of the suggestion earlier. They walked for what seemed an eternity, though judging by the sun, she supposed it had only been about an hour or two. She was daydreaming when Eiro suddenly stopped. Snapping back to reality, Aegina was ready to scold him when she realized he was staring at a road sign. The main path split in front of them. 

He was quiet, lips pursed and eyes troubled. Finally he turned to Aegina.

"Which way should we go?"

She blinked. "I don't know. You're the world traveller; I've never been farther than Berora."

"Yes, but," he looked at the ground, embarrassed, "I can't read the sign."

"Oh! I just assumed because you can speak..." She sensed his unease and trailed off. "Well, in any case, the left points towards Demetrias, and the right towards Larissa."

He nodded, still avoiding her eyes.  Well, both routes are on the way to Delphi, but it's far faster to stay along the coast. We'll head for Demetrias." Glancing up for affirmation, he found Aegina squinting at the sign.

"Wait." She dismounted slightly clumsily and approached the sign, rubbing her sore bottom. Eiro rolled his golden eyes.

"What's wrong this time?"

Aegina ignored his snippiness for once, pulling weeds off of the over grown sign. Slowly she uncovered a third, broken piece of wood, pointing in the direction they were about to take.

"I really think we should head towards Larissa."

"Why? What's it say?"

"The path to Demetrias goes through Amazon territory."

"Oh, come on." Eiro rolled his eyes again. "You heard Athena. This forest is dead. There are no Amazons."

"But Amazons aren't like driads or fauns. They're not magical."

"Listen, you asked me to guide you to Delphi. Now, the quickest way to get to Delphi is through Demetrius. If you want me to guide you, then you should let me do my job and guide!"

"Fine." Aegina flounced back to the pony and settled heavily onto its back. "You don't have to be so rude about it."

The two set out on the path towards Demetrius, Eiro leading the pony by a rope. "Well, I'm not about to follow orders from a housewife."

Aegina sniffed, a little hurt. "Then it's no wonder you're not married."

Eiro turned, halting the pony, glowering. Aegina just lifted her chin high and ignored the waves of anger flowing off of her companion. Thinking better of it, Eiro closed his mouth, stifling the tirade that had been building in him since Athena had appeared. His lips pressed together, he spun around and they continued their journey in a stoney silence.

An hour or more passed and Aegina became increasingly uncomfortable with her decision to never speak to Eiro again. Eiro was finding it hard to concentrate on any one thing. The road seemed to dip and climb, but somehow his feet managed to keep walking. The trees around him swirled into a mass of green and brown. Without warning, his eyes rolled up and he fell onto the dirt path, unconcious.

Aegina squeeked in surprise and fear, dismounting quickly. Feeling his forehead, she couldn't find any signs of a fever. She grabbed her skin of water and gently poured some into his mouth and over his face. His gold eyes opened, making her catch her breath like it was the first time she'd ever seen them. 

Smiling weakly, Eiro turned his head and spat out the water. "Thank you." Aegina helped him sit up. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to be so impatient earlier."

Her stomach fluttered as he scrutinized her face, hoping it wasn't too late to apologize. Feeling, like she was fifteen again, Aegina couldn't help but to blush. "I..uh...I'm sorry too." She smiled at him, and his eyes lit up making her stomach jump into her throat.




Pawns of Olympus Ch. 03



Holding on to her shoulder, Eiro tried to stand, but only managed to stay up for a few seconds before his knees buckled under him. Aegina let him lean against her as he tried to recover his strength.

"I don't understand it," Eiro puzzled aloud. "I ate. I should have had plenty of energy for this trip."

"Maybe you didn't eat enough," Aegina volunteered, her cheeks burning bright red. "Maybe I..interrupted you before you were...full?"

Eiro didn't say anything, pushing away the embarrassing memory. He attempted to stand again, but with the same results. He cursed, his head swimming.

Concerned, Aegina watched as he tried again and again to stand and walk. After he landed on his knees for the fifth time, she put a hand on his shoulder and made him sit.

"Eiro, this is silly."

"What?" His voice had a hint of the crossness from earlier.

"If you need to eat..."

"No," he intterupted, "Absolutely not."

"Why not? Eiro, I'm not going to let you die out here. Especially when I'm the one who made you come with me to Delphi."

"But..."

"Shush." Aegina covered his mouth with her hand. "We're friends, right? Well, then let me help you."

Eiro turned his head and looked at the ground, but didn't protest when Aegina pulled her hand away. But when he felt her small hand pushing up under his tunic, he nearly jumped out of his skin.

"What are you doing!"

"Don't be difficult. I'm helping."

Eiro closed his eyes and leaned back as her finger tips brushed their way up his thigh to his soft member. She stroked it gently, like a pet, teasing him to hardness, wrapping her fingers around his shaft and slowly pumping until hardness became stone. Aegina watched his face as she did this, noticing every little muscle twitch. Keeping her hands busy, Aegina licked a finger tip and slid it under her own dress, seeking out her hidden clit.  Slowly she rubbed herself, watching Eiro's reactions as he began to smell her arousal.

He pressed his eyes shut even harder as he felt her crawling up his lap. This was his friend, and still he was using her to feed. There was no way he could ever repay the sacrifice she was making, allowing a monster to violate her. Now that he knew this woman, he felt even more repulsed by his actions than when he had first fed upon her. She deserved so much more.

Aegina straddled his lap, holding onto one of his shoulders for stability as she positioned his cock at her slick entrance. Her heart pounded, wondering if she really did remember correctly how it'd felt. The head of his shaft pushed inside her as she finally found her angle, and in one swift motion she lowered herself completely onto him.

Eiro's eyes flew open as they gasped simultaneously. Quickly, he looked away from her chocolate gaze, ashamed, but she didn't notice, reliving the sensation of Eiro's member stretching and molding itself to fill her completely. The first wave of sweetness washed over him, and a fine sweat broke out on his chest. Aegina finally shivered, and gaining her balance, began raising and lowering herself onto his cock.

He couldn't look at her. The nutrients flowed into his body, giving him the nourishment he needed, but it just felt so wrong. He was the same kind of monster his father was, taking advantage of his friend...his mother was used this way, had lost everything because of him...

The little panting noises Aegina was making distracted Eiro from his melancholy. Her eyes were closed, too, but her white teeth bit at her bow of a mouth. She was sweating, too, flushed and sweating and making little noises, and completely fascinating. Her panting got louder as she slid faster and faster. He almost didn't notice when she spoke.

"Touch me..." she breathed.

"What?" Eiro's head snapped up at her request.

Opening her eyes, Aegina pulled one of his hands off the ground, and pushed it towards the juncture of her thighs. "Touch me, please."

"Uh...alright.." He knew what she meant, of course. Eiro had learned how to make the juices flow, but this was different somehow. Aegina moaned again and Eiro gave her what she wanted, rubbing slow little circles around her swollen clit. It was hard shifting his weight onto one hand, but Aegina was oblivious, head thrown back as she rode his cock, his finger on her bud making her legs convulse. Every time she shook, it was if she was on fire, sparking and burning from the inside out. 

A fascinating, fascinating woman.

And with a sudden force that surprised them both, Aegina landed hard in his lap, grinding her hips into his. His gold eyes round in wonder, he watched her as she exploded, screaming rather than moaning, thrashing instead of shivering. He felt the flood of her juices, sweeter than ever, and he wished he could absorb every drop without glutting himself. Their was a whiteness behind his eyes, brief and pleasurable, but so faint that when Aegina collapsed onto his chest, the pleasure vanished.

Her head lay still on his chest. She noticed first that it was slick, and slowly as her breathing calmed, she noticed his smell, a subtle spicey honeyed scent that seemed familiar to her, but she couldn't remember why. Aegina closed her eyes and just breathed it in, memorizing it.

Eiro's voice kept her from falling asleep. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine." She laughed a little. "Better than fine. Excellent. Great."

"Ah...good."

They were both silent for a moment as Aegina continued to rest against him. "Oh! I'm sorry! I uh," blushing she pushed herself off his lap, "got a little tired."

He smiled, moving slowly, feeling almost over-full. "I'm a little tired, too."

She helped him to his feet, an awkward silence reigning over them both. Finally, Eiro summoned up his courage to speak. "I..I just want..to say.."

The spear that flew past Aegina's head was their first indication that they weren't alone. She shrieked as three tanned and painted women dropped out of the trees around them. The women advanced on the couple, spears pointed straight at their hearts. They circled Eiro and Aegina who stood completely still. One woman, a little taller than the others, with long and gleaming black hair made a gesture with her free hand. Keeping her spear pointed at the runaways, one of the muscular brunettes grabbed a coil of rope off of her back.

"Tie the woman up." The black haired woman spoke perfect Greek, her affectation almost that of the way Aegina remembered diplomats speaking. She gazed long and hard at the two unkempt travellers. "On second thought, tie up the man, too. I'd like to see a repeat of that little performance."

Eiro struggled when one of the smaller woman grabbed him until the black haired amazon shoved her spear to his throat. Aegina just whimpered as they bound her hands behind her back, and made crude shackles for her feet.

The tall woman smiled slyly at her companions. "Let's take these two back to camp. I think the queen would agree it's about time for some new blood in the tribe." 



Pawns of Olympus



It was a deep, if brief, sleep brought on by physical and emotional exhaustion. When she woke, it was still dark in the house, but the gold eyes focused on her face were luminous. He was sitting cross legged, almost immobile.

“I was hoping to leave before you woke, but,” he made a small gesture, “I seem to be lacking any of my garments.”

He had an accent that betrayed him as a foreigner almost more than the unusual slant to his eyes.

His forehead wrinkled. “Are you alright?”

Aegina managed to recover enough to answer. “Yes, yes, just a bit surprised.”

“I also wish to apologize. I just hadn’t...had a woman...in awhile.”

“What are you?”

“Excuse me?” His expression became more guarded.

“You aren’t human.” Her tone was insistent but not accusatory.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“I saw your fingers...stretch. Your tongue, too. Your eyes are gold. You’re not human.”

He hung his head. “Wouldn’t you rather scream for help?”

“Answer the question or maybe I will.”

“My name is Eiro...”

“I’m waiting.” Aegina had managed to sit up so she was looking him in the eye, attempting to keep up her stern glare.

“My name is Eiro and I come from an island so far away I have almost forgotten my way home,” he continued, returning the glare for her impatience. “It is not much different than this place. Our gods are just as lustful, the people just as fearful, and the monsters just as frightful. My father...my father was a monster that had been created by the kami’s vengeful lust.”

Aegina’s eyes widened, but she stayed calm. He hadn’t tried to harm her before. For a monster, Eiro’s manners were nearly impeccable.

“He was a terrible beast with black flesh,” he held up his hand, showing Aegina his charcoal fingertips, “and arms, no, you would call them tentacles, all over his body. He was designed to..to rape.” Eiro crossed his arms over his chest and raised his head to look at her. “Designed to violate and destroy everything...anyone. My mother was a princess, whom...he impregnated.”

It must have been her latent maternal instinct that made her reach out for him. His voice was steady, faltering just slightly at the mention of his mother, letting a trickle of pain show through. Aegina began to stroke his arm, but withdrew her hand when his glare became venomous.

“She was cast from the court, had to live as a prostitute because that monster decided to feed on her.”

“Feed?” The question was soft, almost apologetic.

“Yes, feed. He...We feed on the seed of men or the nectar of women. It is our only sustenance. I fed on my mother’s breast milk, but I grew too fast. I was a child, but I looked and...acted like a man.” His guarded eyes shone at her, almost daring her to question him further. “Have I answered?”

She blinked; she hadn’t realized how personal her question was. Still, his irritation called to her own and she had to suppress the urge to snap at him.

“Yes, I’m sorry.”

“May I have some vestments?”

“Of course. My husband, he might have left some of his older clothing, not much more than a rag.”

He watched her suspiciously as she rose unsteadily to her feet.

“You...you’re not going to scream?”

She looked at him, her expression indecipherable. “Listen Eiro, you might not understand this in your youth..”

“I’m sixty-three.”

Her eyes widened as she swept them over his well sculpted body.

“Because of my father’s blood I do not age like a human. My mother died thirty years ago.”

Aegina nodded, still slightly dazed by the situation. “No, I’m not going to scream.” She handed him an old tunic and belt and with her back turned, he quickly pieced himself together. As he walked past her towards the door, she whirled around.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Eiro raised an eyebrow. He could not understand this woman’s moods. “I was leaving. Thank you for your care.”

“You can’t go! You’re barely alive. Get back in that bed.” Despite his origins and attitude, Aegina felt the need to take care of this...being.

Eiro stood still, an emotionless mask frozen on his features. “I cannot risk staying. I thank you again for your hospitality.” Again he tried for the exit, but the small woman blocked his path. Her mouth was set sternly, but he saw something different in her eyes this time. Blinking, he realized what it was.

“What is it that you want?”

“I want you to lie back down on that bed and get some rest. You’re not well enough to leave.”

She was pretending, he knew. There was something she was afraid to say. He had barely spotted it, and usually he could sense a need before it was even felt. He backed up slowly, continuously evaluating his captor. Only those dark eyes betrayed it, she had buried it so deeply.

“You never told me your name.”

“I’m Aegina.” She made her way back to her blanket and shook it out. “Now please just try and rest. You’ve been...”

She cut her words off when two warm hands snaked around her waist and pulled her until her head rested against a muscular chest.

When he spoke again, his voice was soft but intrusive. “Aegina, what is it that you want?”

Aegina squirmed, her mind telling her to panic. But another part, something she didn’t know she had, knew the answer to his question.

“Tell me what you want.” The words were silky and insistent.

She clapped her hands over his, attempting to pry them off. the strong fingers kept their grip.

“Nothing! Let me go or I really will scream!”

“Aegina.” The voice was disappointed now. “You are lying to me.”

She was close to tears now. “What...I don’t kn..” His tongue flicked out, wetly caressing a delicate earlobe.

“I don’t believe you. Tell me what you want.” Still smooth, but a real demand. The hands at her waist began to knead the flesh there.

Aegina felt the first sparks of desire begin to burn within her stomach. She could scream, be rescued, and left alone again, or...

“I need...to be loved.”

“Loved?” Understanding now; a question with an obvious answer.

“By a man.” Her head drooped, her struggles ceased. “My husband doesn’t want me. The village laughs at me. I’m not needed by anyone. He’s not coming home, Eiro. Not ever.”

“I am only half man, Aegina, but I can help you.”

The tears had come silently during her confession and they continued flowing as she stayed still in his arms.

“Do you want my help Aegina?” Her name was so familiar on his lips. She longed...married women weren’t supposed to long. His hands burnt trails across her stomach and up her ribs. This was what she needed. She would admit that now.

“Do you want my help? I can give you what you need.”

Quietly first. “Yes.” Then louder, surer. “Yes.”

Eiro said nothing in reply; instead, pearly teeth scraped the back of her neck, raising goose bumps despite the warm air. His hands slid up the light material of the shift, sending electric shocks across her tight stomach and up over her breasts. The blackened fingertips swirled over the ivory fabric making her nipples pucker and beg for attention.

He steered her over to the bed, amazed at the transformation in her. Of course, he didn’t quite understand why he was doing this. He should’ve been running. But then, he understood something about self-denial, about being an outsider, about never being allowed to have what he really wanted.

Aegina’s eyes were closed as she lay back on the bed. His hands were hypnotic, almost sleep inducing, if one hadn’t been pinching a dark brown nipple while the other combed through the thick curly hair at the apex of her thighs. Those magic fingers trailed lower and lower until Eiro could feel the first drops of wetness on his fingertips. Just an appetizer, he grinned to himself.

Aegina squirmed as he switched breasts, beginning a thorough assault on the other nub. His fingers grazed her outer petals, rosy and slick with moisture. They played along the ravine, teasing and taunting her with the promise of fulfillment, but never once slipping inside.

“Eiro,” she pleaded gently, trying to grind against her devilish tormenters.

One large digit swept roughly up the very center of her glistening track, coming to rest on her hidden jewel. With slow, maddening circles, he caressed the swollen bead, eliciting a moan that rose in pitch as he gained speed.

“Eiro please!” Her hips began to buck and Eiro’s mouth began to water. He could feast on this woman forever. A sole finger slipped into her wetness, caressing her velvet walls. Aegina’s mouth hung open in a silent shriek as he added another.

Eiro leaned forward and captured a nipple in his hot mouth. His hand left the other to travel south. As he slid his fingers deep into her channel, he pinched the swollen jewel, sending her shuddering over the edge. Her hands came up and clawed at his shoulders, her juices flowing freely, coating his hands. Eiro grinned at her pleasure, a job well done.

Aegina caught the smirk, her eyes half closed, body still quaking. There was a fire burning inside her, and it wasn’t out yet.

“I need more, Eiro.”

It was his turn to be shocked as she reached under the newly acquired tunic and began to stroke his shaft. He looked down at her, legs spread, breasts heaving as she breathed, marveling at the sensations shivering through his member. This Aegina was a very very different type of woman.

She half smiled as his eyes rolled back; he was acting as if he’d never been with a woman before. His hardness was hot against her hand, expanding father than she’d ever felt. She was wet, dripping, and she guided him to her with little resistance.

Eiro groaned as the thick head of his member brushed against her slick lips. She was so sweet; the taste of her was more satisfying than...

He lost his train of thought as she wrapped her legs around his hips, thrusting upwards and drawing him inside of her. They moaned in unison at that first contact; he continued what she started, setting a slow rhythmic pace that she matched easily. He became steadily faster, thrusting harder as she moaned for more. When she climaxed, her entire body shivered before locking up, paralyzed. Her eyes were squeezed shut, her mouth gaped; watching her, feeling her contract around him, Eiro too felt as if he were on the brink of something altogether new and entirely mind blowing. 

Shaking, Eiro withdrew slowly. Her thighs loosened their grip on him and he slipped off the bed. Aegina watched him dress again, saddened for no real reason. He cast a glance back where she was lying and nodded his head. She smiled as warmly as she could before he turned and fled out the door. Rolling over, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

The next few days were torture for Aegina. Time moved slower than it ever had. The loneliness she’d felt before meeting Eiro returned threefold. It was all she could do not to cry in front of the rest of the village. One morning though, she had an epiphany.

If Tyre could leave this all behind, why shouldn’t she?

She packed her two other tunics, some bread, some cheese and some wine. After a brief chat with Phaeros she sold him her chickens and goat. The money she got was mere pocket change, but it was better than nothing.

Not even bothering to glance back at the tired town she was leaving behind, Aegina set out on the road for the city of Berora.