(This is a continuation of Of Screams and Stings. If you haven't read that, doing so will help you get acquainted with the story so far.) *****CTRL+F "SMUT" IF YOU JUST WANT TO GET TO THE FUCKING***** "Disgusting brutes, marching around as if they owned this planet," Tyclia scoffed as she donned her helmet. "We should have slain them all when we had the chance." The Banshee's words dripped with contempt towards the lesser race, and had she not been wearing her helmet she would have spat upon the ground in disgust. Ali was trying to act reasonable for a change, but the agitation in her voice made it clear that she had other motives beyond trying to obey orders. "Tyclia, please. The Autarchs specifically warned us that we were to aid the humans, not hunt them down like animals." While the Autarchs had commanded that the Imperial forces on Plegis were to be left alone in order to focus on the Slaaneshi cult occupying the planet, not all of the Aspect Warriors that served them were pleased with their orders. Tyclia rolled her eyes in irritation, though her mask concealed it. "And when have you ever cared what they thought about anything, outcast? It is convenient how the moment interacting peacefully with mon-keigh gets brought up by them, your rebelliousness melts away." Ali stiffened in response; she never liked to be reminded of her former Path. "Do you think me a fool for simply trying to avoid fights which we neither need nor want?" As she spoke, she unconsciously clenched her fists. She would have loved to punch Tyclia right now, but after what happened last time she knew it wouldn't be worth the trouble. "They are foes of Chaos as well, and as long as they are here we should allow them to go about their business." Tyclia was nearly quivering with anger now, and could just barely restrain herself from shouting; that would have been sinking to Ali's level of maturity. "You constantly rush into each and every one of our skirmishes as if you had a death wish and you're lecturing us about restraint? Pathetic. I think you're just trying to defend them, although Khaine knows why an Eldar would ever value the life of a mon-keigh over her own people." As far as she knew, Ali had to be a lunatic to consider humans to be anything better than expendable cats-paws. This last remark touched a nerve in her. She tried to form a coherent reply, but only incoherent sputtering left her lips. Simmering with frustration, she stormed out of the warhost's camp muttering something about scouting the human camp closest to them. Her sisters chose not to acknowledge her meltdown or her insistence on wandering off on her own once again. As far as they were concerned it would mean less time having to deal with her. It was no secret that as a Ranger Ali had spent a considerable amount of time supposedly spying on human encampments. Nobody had bothered to question her about it as an Outcast, but she couldn't get away with it quite as easily as an Aspect Warrior. There was just something about the upstart race that appealed to her, but she couldn't quite figure out what it was, let alone describe it in mere words. They were ignorant children compared to the Eldar. And yet their stubbornness in opposing the inexorable advance of Chaos was inspiring in its own way. But she knew better than to say any of this openly. Ali's sisters barely put up with her antics to start with, and learning that she saw humans as more than tools or upstarts would guarantee her an exile from the Aspect Shrine at the bare minimum. For now, she would settle for taking the opportunity to observe the humans herself. ---- Human customs never ceased to fascinate Ali. No two of their military units she had seen were ever alike, even when they shared a homeworld- a far cry from the ritualized nature of the Aspect Warriors of the Eldar. From what few snippets of conversation she could overhear and the markings on their standard, the nearest platoon to her position was a part of the regiment called the Moloch 182nd Rifles. Ali hadn't heard of such a planet, but the way that many of the men were looking up at the sky in bewilderment suggested that it was one of the so-called "hive worlds". She struggled to imagine how the humans could bear to live in such conditions; cramped with bodies and saturated with chemical filth, the Hives she had visited were a world away from the beauty of her Craftworld, or the maiden worlds she had set foot on as a Ranger. The soldiers at the camp didn't appear to be doing much of interest; as far as Ali could tell the majority of them were off-duty. Out of boredom, she began to follow one of the patrols. If nothing else, she could come back to the warhost and claim she was scouting with a straight face. The patrol itself made their way into an abandoned trade outpost not too far off from their base. Ali was too far away to hear anything distinct, but from the sound of their conversation it seemed like none of them expected to run into any trouble in this particular route. It certainly seemed quiet enough for the moment, but reports of cultists hiding in the ruins were not unheard of. The prospect of battle hadn't lost its thrill for Ali, but looking on at the increasingly disoriented squad she felt something else as well. Something that could only be described as a sense of protectiveness. She could relate to them. Shortly after she began her time on the Path of the Outcast, Ali once tried sneaking into a hive from it's outskirts just to see what it was like. It was an unpleasant experience, to say the least. The place was a dizzying mess of collapsed tunnels and decaying infrastructure, and on more than one occasion she was sure that one of the underhive denizens would kill her or worse. While the alleys and building shells of the ruin were nowhere near as daunting as the underhive outskirts for her, she had a feeling that they felt the same now as she did back then. And they didn't have the luxury of stealth to fall back on if they were ambushed. ---- Ali's ruminations were interrupted by the sound of lasgun fire and the uttering of profane chants in the distance. The Coven had obviously intercepted the patrol. The most logical thing for her to do would be simply to run away and leave the patrol to their fate. Even if some of them did survive they couldn't be trusted to turn on her. But Ali was never inclined to be logical in these situations. The only thing running through her mind was that the humans were in danger and that she had to help them. When she arrived, all but one of the guardsmen had been mutilated beyond recognition. The survivor had to have been quite young, perhaps in his early twenties if Ali's guess was right. The cultists had knocked him to the ground, and his was weapon too far away for him to reach. The man was practically quaking with fear, and as he made the sign of the Aquila he shut his eyes as if preparing for the Emperor to receive his spirit. If left to his own devices, he would surely die in this place like so many others. Ali gritted her teeth as she saw the cultists draw closer to finish him off. One mon-keigh would not make any difference; there were more of them than stars after all, her Exarch had told her this. And yet she could not bring herself to let him die. Without thinking, Ali unsheathed her sword and ran with the swiftness only an Eldar could muster in a single-minded attempt to reach the cultists before it was too late. If he could not be saved, he could at least be avenged. The possibility that she herself might be slain never even crossed her mind. ---- If the guardsman's situation hadn't been terrifying enough already, the earsplitting scream from nowhere was more than enough to render him nearly catatonic from fear, to say nothing of the shouts of the cultists around him. As far as he knew, this was merely part of some blasphemous ritual, or perhaps it was simply to drag out his inevitable demise. Had he managed to open his eyes to witness the source of the wailing, the only thing he might have seen would be a streak of cerulean making its way from one cultist to the next as they were cut down one by one. Fortunately for him, the cultists were as stunned as he was, leaving them easy prey for his enigmatic savior. As he was wondering why the cultists were taking so long to finish him, he felt someone take his hand and help him to his feet. He turned to the person who helped save him, and found himself face to face with a figure whose soft blue armor was like nothing he had ever seen before. Her chestplate (for even a glance made it clear it was a female) was decorated with a strange gemstone, and her conical helmet had a mask fitted over it. As he considered the possibility of fleeing, the figure turned to address him. "You are safe now. I wish I could say the same about your comrades, but their deaths have been avenged." Her voice sounded distorted through her mask, but it still managed to sound pleasant enough given the circumstances. At the very least, she didn't seem interested in killing him just yet. "Thanks, I guess- but who or what are you? You're obviously not one of our troops." Ali considered explaining right there, but the prospect of cultist reinforcements made her reconsider. If they stayed out in the open, they would likely be killed for certain. "Indeed, but we're too exposed out here for me to take the time to explain. Follow me." She gestured to a nearby passage, and he followed her in despite his misgivings. ----- After finding an abandoned building not far from the alley where they met, the two of them were able to speak without fear of attracting more cultists to their presence. The building itself was just one more ruin out of many, and with nothing in it worth plundering or occupying they would be safe enough to do whatever they saw fit there. As the guardsman's mysterious savior removed her helmet to expose her face, his eyes widened a bit as he noticed her distinctly pointed ears, golden eyes and long red hair. How could something so alien still be so attractive? "You-you're a xeno? Why would you want to help a human like me?" He sounded as if he wasn't quite sure whether to be curious or afraid. "That is of no importance right now. But I seem to have forgotten myself. I'm Alitela, or Ali if that is easier for you to pronounce. And what about yourself?" "Remus, Private First Class. Moloch-" "182nd Rifles. I know what regiment you're from. We've been watching it for a while now." A half-truth on her part, inasmuch as she was the only one actually doing the watching. "And what are you planning to do with me now, take me hostage? I may owe you my life, but I'm not just going to let you make me a prisoner without a fight!" If he was trying to be intimidating, the quivering in his voice gave away the fact that he was really scared out of his wits. Ali could understand his unease around her, given the Imperium's propaganda against xenos like herself. Still, she had hoped saving his life would have made him trust her more. "Look, if I wanted you dead I wouldn't be here talking to you right now! I'd have just let you die back there. And I have no intention of keeping you here if you wish to leave that badly." "Then why did you bring me here?" The man seemed more confused than before, even if he was convinced she meant him no harm. ----- Now that she thought of it, why did she bring him here? Just to talk, or something more? Would he even believe her if she admitted her curiosity towards his kind? Pushing all of these questions out of her mind, Ali decided that it would be easiest to speak plainly about her intentions- it wasn't like she had anything to lose from it now. After a few moments of awkward silence, she managed to find the words she was looking for. "I...well, I want to know more about your kind. Observing them from afar is fascinating, but there's only so much I can learn from it. Do you think you might be willing to share a bit more about yourself with me?" As bizarre as the xeno's request was to Remus, he had no reason to deny it outright. She did save his life, after all. And perhaps he could get something out of it himself if he tried; she might already know a considerable amount about his regiment, but she might inadvertently reveal something about her Craftworld's defenses to him that he could present to his superiors if they ever found out about it- that is, if they didn't just execute him for consorting with xenos. And while he would never admit it to the Commissar, he was rather curious about what the xenos might be willing to share about her own life. Back on Moloch the existence of alien life was dismissed as being little more than a fairy tale, but here he was now speaking to an alien himself. A very pretty alien, at that matter- one who had just realized she had taken his hand in hers without noticing it. Her skin was smooth and pleasurable to the touch, and in spite of the blush creeping up her face she didn't seem to be interested in letting go. By contrast, he felt somewhat rough and callused to Ali, but not unpleasantly so. "Alright. But in return you'll have to do the same. It's only fair, right?" He sounded calmer now, and seemed to be willing to open up to her now. "Ha! I would be happy to do that. So what did you want to know?" ----- Thus began the first of many talks between the Banshee and the Guardsman over the next few days. They had agreed to return to the building where they had first introduced each other as a meeting place each evening; as it was close to the route of Remus' patrol as well as the Eldar camp, they wouldn't be gone long enough at any given time to draw suspicion onto themselves. Alitela told him of her Craftworld, and how her first inklings that there was more to the galaxy than the great worldship she called home eventually led her to strike out on her own on the Path of the Outcast. Human civilizations were a nearly ubiquitous sight for her during those days, and the stories she had heard about the savageness of the mon-keigh began to ring hollow in her ears as she continued to observe them going about their lives. While she had never taken the risk of speaking to any of them herself until now (at this Remus blushed slightly), her curiosity regarding them had remained even after her wanderlust had died down roughly a century earlier. Remus couldn't quite believe this last part when he first heard it. "A century? How old are you, anyway?" She feigned indignation, but the sheer exaggeration of her movements made it obvious that she was not really offended "Don't you know that it's rude to ask a girl her age? But if you want to know, I'm 184 years old- young for an Eldar, but I doubt any of your kind can live that long naturally." "That's a bit of an understatement. As far as I know, no human could live that long without juvenat treatments, let alone look as young as you do in the process." She chuckled a bit as she realized what he meant. "I'm flattered by the compliment, but we're getting sidetracked. Now, where was I..." Soon after Ali's return to the Craftworld, she found herself gravitating towards the Path of the Warrior and soon became a part of the Wailing Blade Aspect Temple. Most of her kind perceived such a choice as being synonymous with the desire to control one's aggression, but to her it represented a new way to explore the galaxy while at the same time ensuring the welfare of her fellow Eldar. Of course, the glory and renown that came with victory in battle was just as attractive to her. But even her war mask could not quite contain her impulsive nature, and she quickly learned that her interest in the mon-keigh was shared by no one. At least, not until now. By contrast to Ali's stories of her youthful adventures, Remus thought what he had to share was terribly dull. Yet Ali seemed no less eager to listen for it. Born to a family of manufactorum workers, he joined them in their work as soon as he was old enough to operate the factory equipment. Much of his life consisted of little more than pressing a button on an assembly line. He had no idea what it was that they were supposed to be building, but nobody else in the factory seemed to know either, including his superiors. Less than a month ago, his supervisor told him that he had been selected to join the Imperial Guard. He had seen the recruiting posters for them on occasion, but he had never considered the possibility of joining them. After a somewhat rushed training course, he had been shipped out here with the rest of the regiment to dispose of a a heretical organization threatening Imperial interests. Now that he had brought it up, he remembered something he had meant to ask earlier. "why did your people come here, though? Cultists been picking on them too?" Ali struggled a bit to decide how she should answer; even though she considered Remus to be a friend now, it would be unwise to reveal that there was a Webway gate that her warhost was planning to use for their incursion into the Crone Worlds. What if someone followed him and tortured what he had learned out of her? While she didn't want to lie to him outright, she resigned herself to giving a half-truth as an answer instead. "That's part of it. They also have relics of ours in their possession that we were sent to reclaim. As soon as we send the lunatics back to their god, we'll be on our way." "Relics, eh? I'd have never guessed that there was anything of value in this place." He shrugged. "It all looks like a bunch of ruins to me. Still, I'm glad you managed to find me when you did. There's no telling what those madmen would have done to me otherwise." "And I wouldn't have gotten the chance to learn all about humans like I am now. I guess that makes us even, as long as you promise me that you'll save me if I ever end up in trouble. Not like that could happen, I mean." "I can try, at least. It's the least I can do to repay you." A faint grin crossed Ali's face upon hearing this. "Well, you can start by showing off what those training courses did for you. Come on, let me see those muscles." As the human obliged her and showed off his biceps, Ali took the time to get a closer look at him. Remus was roughly as tall as the average Eldar male, but somewhat stockier in build and with a rounder face than that of an Eldar's. His gray eyes complemented his black hair well, and as she stroked his arm she noted both the firmness of his muscles and the slight tickle from the hair on his body. Now that she thought about it, he was actually kind of cute in a somewhat crude sort of way. ----- The two of them spent several days like this, and soon they found that they were just as comfortable around each other as they were among their own kind. Unfortunately, this couldn't last forever- there had been word that the cultists were planning to make an all-out attack. Ali had long been prepared for the battle, but Remus wasn't so sure of himself, as he admitted to the Banshee. "I'm not sure if I'm ready to die just yet, even if it is for the Emperor. There's still so much I haven't done with my life." His voice quivered a bit, and he was shaking in fear just like he was on the day they met. "Like what? Come on, you can tell me." "A lot of things. Making a pilgrimage to Terra, seeing the Imperial Palace with my own eyes, and well...you know-" Ali had a feeling he knew what he was trying to say. "Just say it straight out. I can handle it." Surprised by the xeno's frankness, he tried to express himself as best as he could without offending her by accident. "Well, you know, being with someone in *that* way. Er, in the way that a man and a woman-" ****SMUT STARTS HERE**** At this point Ali's eyes lit up with excitement. She hadn't realized exactly how much she wanted this until now, but now she couldn't take her mind off what she was going to do with her Guardsman- or more accurately, her soon-to-be lover. "Oh, you mean sex? Well, I'm right here and I'd be happy to fix that for you." Remus blinked in surprise. "Really? I admit that I think you're beautiful-" Ali blushed a little bit, but didn't take long to regain her composure. "And I think you're good-looking as well, and plenty of other things too. So why not?" "It's not that I don't like you, I just don't have a lot of experience with this kind of thing." She was old enough to be his great-grandmother, after all. Could he really measure up to the other lovers she might have had? "Oh, don't worry about that. I'll teach you what to do. Now, close your eyes for just a moment." He couldn't see anything, but the dull thud of something falling to the ground gave him a good feeling of what she was doing. When Ali gave him permission to open his eyes again, his jaw slackened as he realized she had stripped herself completely nude save for the necklace which held her soul stone. She was a sight to behold, with shapely hips and breasts that jiggled ever so slightly as she shifted from one foot to another in anticipation of their tryst. Ali seemed emboldened by his reaction to her body, and at her insistence he began to strip down as well. In spite of his nervousness, he managed to disrobe himself without too much trouble; he had donned his armor just enough times to remember the process of donning and removing it by heart. When he too was nude, Ali silently noted that his shaft wasn't quite as large as that of most Eldar (although it did seem slightly thicker), but that didn't matter to her as much as who it belonged to. "You'll have plenty of time to stare later. Just keep your face right where it is now, and we can get started." As she finished speaking, the Banshee leaned in towards Remus' face and kissed him. His lips were just as full as any Eldar's, and no less desirable. As he deepened the kiss and allowed her tongue to caress his own, Ali guided his hands around her waist. He was struck by how soft and smooth her skin felt, and she was no less intrigued by his body hair. Remus's hands soon found their way to her buttocks, and an investigatory squeeze yielded a rather undignified yelp from Ali. Remus drew back, unsure if he injured her by accident "Sorry, did I squeeze too hard? I didn't mean to hurt you or anything." "Oh, no. I was just surprised, that's all. But I like your boldness. Here, let me lie down and I'll show you something else you can squeeze to your heart's content. Don't worry, it's not as uncomfortable as it looks. " Remus didn't need any more guidance to figure out she was referring to her breasts, and soon he was marveling at the feel of them in his hands. They were silky smooth to the touch, and they felt surprisingly firm in spite of their size. Ali was enjoying it as much as he was- if her sighs of pleasure weren't an obvious enough sign, the fact that she was practically pushing her chest into his face made it so. Taking her actions as a hint, he began sucking on one of her nipples, which had grown hard as he was playing with her breasts. To his surprise, her body smelled vaguely like some sort of flower in spite of the sheen of sweat forming over it. He could only assume that this was normal for their kind, as opposed to her using some kind of perfume just for this occasion. Its affect on Ali could only be called dramatic. Her sighs grew in volume until they became delighted moans, and she began to writhe in arousal underneath him. Her heart was beating hard enough for Remus to feel it through her breasts, and he could sense a damp spot near his knees which definitely wasn't there a moment ago. Throne, she must have really wanted this. "You like my breasts, don't you? If you like, I can show you something else you can do with them." Ali puffed her chest out as she spoke; she had always considered her breasts to be her best feature and was happy that Remus thought so as well. "Like what?" Ali gestured to his erect member. "Put your penis between them and I'll show you." Curious as to what Ali had in store for him, Remus got on his knees and carefully laid his penis between her breasts, savoring the feeling of being sandwiched between her mounds. Before he could react, Ali then began lifting and dropping her chest up and down around his shaft. It felt as if his dick was within a tunnel of warm velvet as she rubbed up and down along his length. She didn't stop there, however. After a few tentative licks, she began taking the head of his member into her mouth with each thrust, subjecting it to a mixture of silky heat and the cool wetness of her tongue each time it went in and out of her mouth. Ali took the time to savor it as well; compared to the Eldar she had trysts with in the past, his taste was somewhat gamey- or perhaps earthy was a better way of putting it. When Ali felt him twitching, she took as much of his length into her mouth as she could as Remus struggled to stay upright. As she withdrew, she gulped down what was left of his seed that hadn't already dripped down her throat. Ali licked her lips, clearly enjoying the effect she had on him. "Bitter, but not too bad." "What are you talking about?" He wasn't sure if she was talking to herself or not and wasn't quite sure if he really wanted to know the answer this time. "You, of course. I guess I could get used to your taste after a while, though the smell might take me a bit to adjust to. Oh look, you're getting hard again already, too. I'd say that's enough foreplay for now, don't you think?" "Yeah. Just...show me what to do, alright?" His heart felt like it was pounding right through his ribcage so strongly one could mistake it for a drum. Ali motioned for Remus to reposition himself just far enough that their crotches were perfectly aligned. "Of course. See, you just need to put it in right there, where it is now. Like this." She motioned to her lower lips, which seemed to be all but drenched in her fluids. With her encouragement, he pushed himself inside of her as she pulled him in for another kiss. Apart from the slight gasp Ali let out as Remus penetrated her, neither of them made a sound for a moment. It felt almost wrong for them to break the silence, as if doing so would ruin the spark of intimacy between them. Ali was the first one to break off the kiss long enough to speak. "See, you're inside me now! How do I feel to you?" Remus wasn't sure how to answer this. Her inner walls were as warm as they were soft, and if he hadn't come earlier when Ali was sucking him off he would have done so the moment he penetrated her with the way they clenched around his length. The feeling of her breasts pressing into his chest only served to make him all the more aroused, to say nothing of the lustful gleam in her eyes as she awaited his reply. How long had she been looking forward to this, exactly? "I can't find the words to describe how good you feel. It's...just incredible." Ali chuckled a little. "I'm happy to hear that, but we've just begun. Now, just thrust in and out of me. I'll follow your pace." There wasn't any rush for them to get back just yet, and she wanted to take as much time as she could to be with Remus like this. He started out slowly at first, relishing the feel of her folds rubbing against him and lingering a few seconds before re-entering her each time. Every time he pulled out of her, her inner walls clung to him as if trying to keep his penis inside, and soon she pushed her knees up to meet his thrusts with her own. Occasionally, he would pause just long enough to caress her breasts or steal a kiss from her, both of which she was happy to let him do. It all felt so intimate and so enjoyable to her; the only way she could imagine it being better is if she had the psychic skill to join her mind with his as well as her body. Slowly but steadily, his pace began to pick up as the two of them were able to find a rhythm that suited them. As he sped up, the room was filled with Ali's howls of delight, punctuated with the sound of his flesh slapping against her own They had no idea how long they had been going at it, but it no longer mattered to them at that point. Soon she was at the cusp of an orgasm, and she could sense his penis twitching inside of her- it wouldn't be long until he came too. As she pulled him in for one last kiss, she whispered a simple yet poignant request as she curled her legs around his back. "Inside. I want to feel your seed in me." To Ali, the next few moments felt like a blur. As her lips met his once more, she could feel herself shuddering as he twitched inside of her, releasing what felt like liquid heat deep inside of her folds. The heat then felt as if it first permeated her womb, then spread through her pelvis and the rest of her body. She didn't know if this was just because they had been making love as long as they did or if it was something deeper, and at the moment she didn't particularly care. Remus seemed no less overwhelmed by his climax- the guardsman was panting for breath as he lay atop of her, with just enough strength left in him to take her hands in his. Just like the first time we met, she reflected to herself. To her surprise, he was still as hard as the wraithbone that composed her armor. "You're ready for another go so soon? I didn't think you had the stamina for it." "Neither did I, but I'm willing to give it a shot if you are." "I'm an Aspect Warrior, remember? If I didn't have the endurance for this I would probably be dead. Now, just let me get up for a moment..." The sudden feeling of emptiness as he slipped out of her only made Ali want him more, and in no time she had carefully flipped him onto his back and made ready to climb on top of him; as she got up, she could feel a little of his seed dribble out from between her folds. Much to his surprise, she was quite light- if he didn't see her sitting on top of him, he wouldn't have even noticed she was there. He didn't have much time to take this observation in, however. All he could do was groan slightly as he penetrated the Banshee once more. The mixture of fluids seeping out of her glistened slightly in the light, producing a sight as erotic as it was striking. "And NOW you're tired out? I thought you were enjoying this as much as I am." "No, it's not that, it's just that I'm still getting used to all of this and-" "Just let me set the pace this time then. I promise I won't go too hard on you." Sure enough, Ali started out slowly, grinding against Remus as she felt his hairs rubbing against her crotch. It was an odd feeling for her- scratchy but not exactly unpleasant. If anything, it felt like it added a bit more to the experience, as did the different angle of penetration she had set for herself. In this position she was better able to compensate for his lack of experience, twisting and turning ever so slightly so that she could help him hit all her weak spots. The change of position worked for Remus as well; though they had just resumed making love a minute or two ago at most, she felt completely different to him from this angle as her inner walls mirrored the gyrations of her hips. In spite of her efforts at controlling herself, passion soon took over for Ali and so she began to bounce up and down on Remus, creating an audible squelching noise as she felt some of his sperm being forced out of her passage by his penis. She didn't mind this, though- she would be full again shortly. Remus managed to keep a steady pace with Ali, even if he was sure she would leave bruises in some rather difficult-to-explain spots at the rate she was going at. In the hopes of pleasing her further, he reached up to her chest and tweaked a nipple slightly. The resulting squeak of pleasure clearly meant that it worked. As if sensing his intent, Ali hunched over a bit so he could reach her chest better, although she didn't expect him to begin sucking her other nipple as well. The added stimulus was far from unwelcome, though. He could feel her clenching around his length harder and harder with each thrust, and she did not moan so much as scream at this point, such was the sheer intensity of her arousal. The lingering part of Remus' mind that was still capable of rational thought led him to wonder what would happen if the cultists overheard them, but he quickly decided that it would be best if he didn't think of such things. Not while he had this beautiful woman with him, who so clearly needed him on a level that transcended their species. Whatever would happen tomorrow didn't matter to either of them. This was their time to revel in each others' presence and enjoy each others' bodies, and the Ruinous Powers themselves would not be able to take it away from them. Their shared orgasm was as intense as it had been the first time, with Ali shrieking at the top of her lungs with joy as she felt the liquid heat flowing within her once more and filling her body. In the throes of her climax, she idly wondered what it would be like to be impregnated by Remus- to feel their child growing within her, and to give birth to new life that one day might walk the same Paths she did. Not like it would happen, though. She knew herself well enough to know that today was safe for her, and while her body might be ready to bear children her mind was not yet prepared for it. Remus knew nothing of those fantasies, and simply tried to catch his breath as he tried to recover himself. His ears were still ringing slightly from Ali's vocalizations, and his breathing hadn't been this labored since his first training exercises after the conscription. Who would have thought sex would have been so tiring? Awash with the afterglow of their copulation and calm enough to form a coherent sentence, Ali felt ready to confess something that she had been looking for just the right time to say. "Do you remember when I told you how long we live? Well, I need to add one more thing to that- it's times like these that make lives like ours worth living." The subtext of her comment was not lost on him. "I love you, too. It's strange how this all worked out, but it feels so natural, doesn't it?" She reluctantly pushed herself off of his member and made for her equipment, lingering just long enough in between steps to give Remus a good look at her backside. "Indeed it does; I wouldn't settle for anything less. But now it is time for us to go; any longer and our absences will be missed for sure. If we survive the battle tomorrow, meet me here one last time. It would be wrong for us to depart without saying our farewells." He nodded. There was nothing more that needed to be said between them. For now, there was a battle to be fought and a cult to be wiped out. ---- Against all the odds, Remus made it through. Granted, he was sure Ali had done more than cower behind a crudely made barricade and fired a gun a few times, but it was enough to get him out in one piece. Perhaps he could have done better, but he was alive. That was all that he could ask for. Except for one thing. Ali seemed somewhat distracted as she stepped into their meeting ground for what they knew would be the last time. It was clear that regardless of their victory, their departure was of a greater concern to her than any momentary victory. Her voice quivered uncharacteristically as she addressed him. "I cannot express how glad I was to have my path cross with yours. Before we go, there is one more thing I wish to do with you." Remus shared her sentiments, but the last part piqued his curiosity. "What exactly do you mean?" "It's an old Eldar technique I've always wanted to try. I can't explain it in words, but if you undress I can show you myself." As she spoke, the dull thud of wraithbone falling to the ground filled the room once more as Ali threw off first her armor and then her undersuit. While Remus wasn't sure what this particular technique entailed, the prospect of being with Ali one last time was more than enough to convince him to go along with her. After they had both stripped naked, Ali gestured to the floor. "Just take a seat, and I'll take it from here. Whatever you do, don't try to thrust. You can kiss and touch me as much as you like, though." This only served to make Remus more curious, but he trusted her enough to let her go through with it. As he sat down, Ali climbed onto his lap and felt his member slip between her lips once more. It was only her second time with him, and yet it felt like the two of them had become perfectly compatible. As much as Ali wanted to simply bounce on him until they exhausted themselves, she wanted to make this meaningful. There was no telling when they would see each other again, and she wanted their last night together to be a memorable one. Remus felt his shaft moving in and out of the Eldar, but as far as he could see Ali hadn't moved an inch since she wrapped her legs around his back. Baffled as to how this could be possible when neither of them had moved, he broke off the kiss they had been engaged in to ask the obvious. "Ali, is that-" "Do you like it? It's called "Isha's Embrace", and it's supposed to be the most intimate thing one can do with a loved one. I've just started, though. It gets better." As she finished her sentence, she gripped his member with her walls in a demonstration of inhuman control over her pelvic muscles. Sure enough, she felt even better than she had during their first tryst; it was as if his penis had been enveloped in a hot, slick, yet silky glove. There was not much else for him to say from then on; instead, he busied himself by playing with her breasts and stealing a kiss whenever he wasn't content with simply gazing into her eyes and and enjoying the sensations of being inside of her. It was nothing short of exhilarating to know that this warrior-woman over ten times his age was getting so much pleasure simply from being in his presence, and had no doubt that she knew he felt the same way. After what felt like an eternity, he felt himself throbbing in anticipation of a climax. Ali felt it as well, and her contractions intensified further still. Every time she felt him throb, she pulsed her own muscles in time with him in a manner that soon pushed him over the edge. The sensation of liquid heat rushing through her most sensitive parts was enough to make Ali climax as well, and for a moment the Banshee's mind was utterly consumed by bliss as she moaned into her partner's mouth. Following a few more minutes of this embrace, Ali got off of Remus, giving him a good look at her behind as she walked over to her discarded wargear. He took his hand in hers once more in an attempt to comfort her as she turned to leave, but he had to inwardly admit that it would be hard for him to say his farewells as it would be for her. "Will we ever be able to see each other again?" She desperately wanted the answer to be "yes", but she was no seer and could not give either of them the certainty they craved. "I do not know. But perhaps someday our paths will cross once more. Until then, take this." While she spoke, she pulled out a single strand of her hair and offered it to him. "I have heard it is customary for humans to offer a lock of their hair to their loved ones as a memento. Whenever you look at it, please think of me and remember the time we spent together." "Of course, Ali. I can't offer anything in return, but I swear I won't forget about you no matter what happens." They embraced one last time, and then left for their own people and their own paths. Even so, they both had a vague sense that they might yet see each other once more someday, but only time would tell if there would be any truth to that.