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- - -
High in the clouds, beyond the sight of mortal eyes and the reach of mortal hands, the God of War dwelled with his thoughts.
All was not well.
There had been… a disruption. Ares could taste it, so bitter on his tongue. The touch of foreign barbarity resounded clearer than ringing swords. It thrummed through his being, this sense, this warning. It was his nature as a god to feel and know the desecration of the realms of Olympus.
It came at first as a minor discomfort, an itch that hovered just at the edge of sensation. Ares had thought to ignore it and focus on more pleasurable pursuits, but time had only made the annoyance stronger. Nothing could shake it, not even the delights of his very warm company. And not for lack of trying, either.
The sorceress who had charmed her way into his bed had proven nothing if not attentive. She'd come to him eager and willing, like so many other mortal women. Ares saw no reason to turn her away.
She called herself Circe and her boldness was matched only by her beauty. Though in bed she proved as sweet as any blushing maiden. Her robes - before Ares had stripped them away - were a deep teal, contrasting strikingly against her hair, colored a brilliant, dark lavender. Her eyes, however, were most striking of all. Pools of bright, lively blue - shining with powerful magic. No threat to Ares or any other among Zeus' pantheon, but intriguing all the same.
Ares had slaked his lust upon her body, filling the heavens with her cries of pleasure. From sundown to sunup, god and sorceress had fucked. He had come to know Circe as intimately as a man could. The sweet rush of release, however, could not fully distract him from that nagging sense of contamination.
He had been pacing, but now he stood still. Circe kept near to him, offering her soothing touch. Even now as Circe's soft hands roamed his naked body and her gentle voice poured into his ear, that feeling couldn't be drowned out.
"You seem troubled, my lord." Circe spoke softly, kissing at his back. Her hands slid down his chest, his stomach. Her fingers traced over the muscled lines of his torso as they migrated down towards his cock. "Have I not provided comfort?"
"Your company has been very comforting." Ares told her. "What spoils my mood is beyond you. It is… alien. Foreign. And it tastes like an insult."
The sorceress gave a thoughtful hum. She slipped around to Ares' front, keeping her hands on his body. Her lavender hair tumbled down her naked shoulders and back, tussled some from the exertion of their lovemaking. For a mortal woman to endure the carnal desires of a god for so long… and with such enthusiasm… Circe was an impressive creature, indeed. And even still she tried to please him. She drew close, pressing up against him. Her eyes were alight with curiosity.
"What tastes like an insult? Tell me."
"There has been a crossing. A foreigner… a powerful foreigner has trespassed into the domain of Olympus without Zeus' leave. An invader. I can sense him."
Circe pressed herself even closer.
"And what makes this invader so different from all the other foreigners who trespass into the realms of Olympus?"
"This one is not mortal." Ares answered. His face grew hard again. His hands clenched into tight fists as he spoke. "He is more. His transgression is greater. And his presence has stuck in my mind like a thorn. Every moment he remains, he pierces deeper."
Ares strode across the marble floor then, slipping from Circe's arms. He marched until he reached the edge of his heavenly domain, where the polished white stone turned to the vapor of clouds. And beyond… he saw the great expanse of the mortal earth stretching out below. Blue and green and brown and black, so simple in its beauty and precious with life. As far as the eye could see was the rightful realm of Zeus, king of the gods. Now spoiled by a wretched foreign being.
The god of war peered closer, using the power of his sight to search, to seek. He would look upon the face of this trespasser for himself. His gaze pierced through forests, deserts, rolling hills, and mountains. Farms, villages, cities, islands. He had to find this invader, this disease upon his father's lands. He had to find this new enemy.
In the end, it did not take long. The thorn in his mind bit like sharp steel as he came upon the Island of Delos. He peered closer, his gaze drifting into a tent upon the beach… and Ares reeled in disgust as he was met with a shameful, carnal scene.
His worst suspicions were confirmed. The invader was more than a mortal man. Ares looked upon a foreign, barbarian god. An Asgardian. The savage was entwined with a woman of great beauty… and great power.
The Asgardian was fucking an Amazon. No, Ares realized to his horror. The invader was fucking the Princess of the Amazons.
Circe, having followed close behind, slid her hands over Ares' back. Though she could not see what he could see, she seemed to sense his disgust.
"What is wrong, my lord? What do you see?" She asked gently.
Ares kept his eyes on the ignoble sight. The Princess and her barbarian lover embraced upon their bedding furs, working their powerful bodies together with desperate vigor. Fucking. Rutting. The depravity dragged on and on until the god of war could no longer bear to look. He stepped away from the cloudy edge, grimacing and cursing.
"This is more than an insult." He fumed. The fires of rage rose in his heart, growing fiercer by the second. Soon his whole being felt like a blaze, fueled by hatred and a desire for blood. "This is an outrage! The Amazons have spit upon the protection we have so graciously bestowed to them!"
Circe recoiled as Ares waved his arms in anger, but she remained close by. Though he was seeing red, Ares noted how the sorceress' curiosity had given way to clear interest. She had a new look to her eyes, a sharpness that Ares had yet seen from her.
"And what have the Amazons done?" She pressed, darkly intrigued. Again she drew close, slipping her naked form within the embrace of Ares' powerful arms. Her warmth was welcome but the sting of indignity could not so easily be mended.
"Their princess has allowed a foreign god to dwell within the realm of Zeus. Worse, she's chosen to sully herself with his company. The Amazon bitch has taken the savage to bed." Ares spat.
"Oh." Circe's expression turned inscrutable. The sharpness in her eyes remained. "So Hippolyta's daughter has given her body to some immortal brute? A pity. But what can be expected from her blood? The Amazons are unruly women, my lord."
Yes, Ares thought. The Amazons were unruly. Wild. Rebellious.
This betrayal had to have been expected. It was Amazonian nature to chafe and revolt against the authority of men. Even men of divine blood. Father had to have known…
In an instant, Ares' anger grew cold. As did his heart.
"The Princess of the Amazons has chosen Asgard over Olympus." Ares' words came sharp like steel. "She'll soon learn how Olympus deals with traitors."
- - -
By the time they reached the island docks, the sun had just begun to rise, illuminating the Island of Delos in morning light.
The ship's ramp fell and Amazons stormed forth. Nubia led the way, spear in hand. With purposeful strides and determination in the eyes, they must have made for quite an intimidating sight. Sure enough, the fishermen villagers gave Nubia and her party a wide berth as they swept over the docks.
They needn't have feared. The Amazons were not there for battle and bloodshed. They had come to Delos for one purpose and one purpose only.
They had come for the Princess. And one way or another, they were going to bring her home.
As the Amazons marched onto dry land, Nubia took in their surroundings. A fishing village sat before them with forest lying just beyond. There were temples further inland, Nubia knew, leftovers from the height of the Athenian empire. Not much had changed since Nubia's own pilgrimage, save for one peculiarity.
A makeshift village had been settled right upon the beach. A shanty assortment of tents both large and small, made from thick, dark furs that couldn't have come from any game on Delos. It looked - and smelled - foreign, with the scent of smoke and meat and ale catching in Nubia's nostrils.
So too did she catch the scent of men.
Nubia grimaced and quickly put her focus back upon her mission. She turned to her second, Aella.
"Take half the party. Spread out and search the village and the temples beyond. I'll take the rest and search the beach." Nubia commanded. "And be thorough. We'll search the whole island if we must."
"And what if the villagers resist our efforts?" Aella asked.
"They won't. This island is familiar with Amazons. They knew we mean them no harm." Nubia insisted. Aella still looked hesitant, so Nubia continued. "But if they do argue, be polite but firm. We are not leaving this island without the Princess. Now go."
Aella nodded and departed with her half of the party.
Nubia turned her gaze back towards the beach camp. Frustration boiled within, feeding into her blood. She gripped her spear in a tight fist. She had spent the entire voyage thinking of what to say to Diana once they found her. Harsh words. Admonishment. But those were not Nubia's words to give.
It had been ten years since she had last come to Delos. Nubia still remembered those feelings of excitement as she embarked on her first pilgrimage beyond Themyscira - a venture to the island where Apollo had been born. She remembered the sense of wonder, the thrill of seeing her first man in the flesh, the comfort of eating and drinking under the stars with her Amazon sisters. She remembered the cool ocean breeze when she last walked across that very same beach. Memories of warmth and adventure. Oh how she had yearned for it.
Perhaps those same yearnings had inspired Diana as well. Nubia knew well that youthful desire to explore, to discover, to venture beyond home and see the whole world. No Amazon could blame the Princess for having such a bold spirit. It was simply in their nature.
None of that changed the reality of the situation. Diana had disobeyed her mother. Disobeyed the Queen.
Nubia did not look forward to bringing Diana home. Nevertheless, she would fulfill her duty. But first… she needed to find the girl.
They approached the beach camp and the scent of cooked meat and honeyed mead had grown even stronger. There were new scents as well, faint and strong odors of spice and perfume and smoke and steel. Foreign smells brought to this island from far, far away. But the strongest scent of them all was all too familiar.
The deep, musky stench of sex.
Nubia's face hardened. She gestured to her fellow warriors, signaling them. Without a word, they swept into the shanty village of tents. And they began to search.
- - -
"Mmmm…"
Penthiselea felt like she was melting. Her back, her limbs, her muscles, all turning to the consistency of thick syrup. It was as if she was becoming a puddle, sinking into the soft furs below.
There was a firm force focused into her naked back, working into her flesh insistently.
It was nice.
Above her, Penthiselea heard her lover chuckle. Sven's prodding continued down, down, down her naked back. Thick fingers rubbed circles into her skin, her muscles. The Amazon moaned again, flattening her body into the thick fur blankets.
"I was wondering how much it would take to wake you up." Came Sven's low, smooth voice. The Varangian raider she'd taken to bed had proven himself in bed… and continued to show how talented he was with his hands.
"We Amazons are… quite durable…" Penthiselea huffed. Her breath hitched as Sven's fingers dug deep into her back, finding knots she didn't even know were there. Sweet relief followed as those same knots loosened. The Amazon let out a long, satisfied sigh, sinking even deeper into the furs.
"You seem quite malleable from what I can see." Sven teased. He pressed his thumbs into one especially tight knot just beneath her shoulder. Immediately Penthiselea went tense, sucking in a short breath. Her eyes snapped shut as an ache blazed through the muscle. Sven pressed on, massaging with focused intent until that knot faded into nothing. Another rush of relief. Penthiselea felt like she was melting all over again.
"With… hands like yours… any woman would be." She breathed, her words drifting into another long moan. "By the gods…"
A familiar warmth brewed deep in her belly. The Amazon's body began to buzz pleasantly, her veins pumping with hot blood. She had half a mind to drag the young raider down to the furs with her and have her way.
Sven kept up his lovely work, drawing his hands over the Amazon's back, over the curve of her hips and the firm swells of her buttocks. Those he didn't massage, instead taking the chance to grope and fondle. Penthiselea allowed it. The young man had well-earned the delights of her body. She enjoyed his touch - and his capacity for exploration.
Then came his lips, brushing faintly against the back of her neck. Then not so faintly. His teeth grazed the sensitive skin as he went, nipping playfully between kisses.
Penthiselea sighed again, happy and welcoming to the warmth of his body. He draped himself over her and she could feel his swelling cock brush against her backside - she wiggled her rear against his groin, smiling as she felt him twitch in response.
There were few delights that could compare to a lover's company the morning after. Such a shame that it didn't last.
Penthiselea's peace was cut short. There was shouting, whistling, sharp sounds cutting through the air and straight to her ears. Instantly the Amazon was alert. Penthiselea eyes darted around the Varnagian camp, seeing women moving quickly from tent to tent. She recognized their armor, their weapons, their faces-
A tall figure entered her vision. One of the women stood before her now.
The Amazon froze, her blood running cold.
Nubia was staring her down.
It was no apparition. It was no hallucination. Penthiselea knew in her heart that her sight was true.
Queen Hippolyta's most loyal soldier was looking down at her with cold, contemptuous eyes.
A half-heartbeat later, Penthiselea scrambled to her feet. She and Sven both rose - to her relief, the Varangian was mindful enough to hand her the fur blanket for some modesty. Penthiselea wrapped it around her quickly as she stood at attention for the elder Amazon. Suddenly, she wasn't a warrior anymore but a youth back in training.
"Nubia." She greeted her elder lamely.
The dark-skinned Amazon said nothing. She continued to stare Penthiselea down.
"Friend of yours?" Sven asked, looking between the two women. Penthiselea silently bemoaned that he made no attempt to dress himself, standing with his half-hard cock hanging free.
"Sister." Nubia answered. Her voice was as cold as her eyes. "One who remembers what that means."
Penthiselea, tall, proud, strong, suddenly felt even lower than a trainee. She was a young girl again, wilting under the prospect of discipline and punishment. She hugged the furs to her body while her feet were rooted to the spot.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the other Amazons moving through the beach camp. None of them were part of Diana's party - which meant they were with Nubia. It took only a moment for Penthiselea to understand. The Queen had sent them. Nubia had come to cut their pilgrimage short… and bring them home.
Nubia turned her eyes onto the naked Varangian. To Penthiselea's dread, the woman's contempt only grew even more apparent.
"How long have you been gone? A fortnight at most? And already you go against our ways." Nubia put her gaze back upon Penthiselea, shaking her head. "Taking a man to bed… and one so savage."
Sven took the insult with good humor, laughing. Penthiselea gave him a look, hoping to silence him. Still, the man chose to speak.
"I didn't hear any complaints from her." He boasted.
Penthiselea's stomach sank. He didn't know that Nubia was a woman to fear.
The tall, blonde Amazon finally moved, putting herself between Nubia and Sven - forcing the elder Amazon to look at her and only her. If nothing else, Nubia had drilled bravery firmly into her soul.
"Forgive my transgressions, Nubia. If you would just allow me to explain-"
Nubia waved her hand, signaling for silence. Penthiselea's impassioned speech died in her throat. She glanced at Sven, pleading with her eyes for him to be quiet. To her relief, the young raider finally seemed to understand. Nubia was not in the mood for talk.
"We will discuss your questionable choices another time. For now, I care to know one thing." Nubia told them. "Where is the Princess? Where is Diana?"
- - -
Comfort was the feeling of a warm body pressed into one's own. It was the feeling of skin against skin, the feeling of fingers running through one's hair. Comfort was being wrapped in a lover's arms and hearing his heart thump through his chest.
What Diana felt was even more than that. It was happiness. It was pleasure. It was excitement. It was a sense of thorough satisfaction.
Diana of Themyscira was sated. Physically, intimately sated. It was not a surprise - such was the result of laying with a god. Even a foreign one.
Diana didn't know what to think. All she knew at that moment was that she felt good. The large hands roaming across her naked back, those fingers through her hair, touching her, fondling her… they felt nice. Those hands that belonged to a man.
She'd given her body to a man. Offered up her cunt, her breasts, her mouth… Great Hera, she'd tasted him. Tasted his flesh and his seed. She'd given him more of herself than she had given to any of her Amazon sisters. She'd fucked him.
Everything her mother had taught her about men, years of warnings and lessons, Diana had trampled over after only a few days with Thor. All to chase an indescribable yearning, a compulsion that brought forth sensations that still ached through her body.
"You've been quiet." The deep voice of her lover cut through her thoughts. His words rumbled deep in his chest and Diana enjoyed the feeling of the little vibrations as she lay atop him.
"I've just been thinking…" Diana's voice trailed off. She curled her body even closer to Thor's larger frame, wrapping her thigh around his own. She brushed against his manhood as she did, stirring the wilted beast to a brief bout of twitching. There was still a small part of herself that wanted to recoil from it, as if his cock was a venomous snake. Not even a long night of pleasure could overshadow years of teachings against the wicked nature of men.
"Thinking about…?" Thor pressed.
"You're not what I expected." Diana told him. She shifted her body atop him, resting her chin upon his chest so that she could see his face. She studied his features for the umpteenth time, taking in the hard lines of his jaw, his brow, his cheekbones. His visage was not unlike the sculptures of the gods back on Themyscira, but Thor's face also seemed fresh, youthful. One might think a raiding warrior would look more weathered, grizzled by battle. But Diana knew the truth. He was a god, immortal and ageless.
Thor gave a small smile, his eyes turning thoughtful. Another way he challenged Diana's expectations. He chuckled softly again, the rumbling from his chest providing warmth for the Amazon in his arms.
"Our evening together left you pleasantly surprised, I hope?"
"Yes… but that is not what I meant." Diana traced her fingers over the expanse of Thor's bare chest, feeling the fine bristles of golden hair. She mulled over her words. "On Themyscira… my mother… all the elders… they teach young Amazons about the dangers of Man's World. They speak of lands plagued by oppression, strife, and war."
"Your elders are right."
"They also teach us that it is the nature of men to destroy, to conquer, to subjugate." Diana was sitting up now, straddling Thor. She kept her voice even, holding his gaze so that he could not miss her sincerity. "They told us men are corrupt. Untrustworthy. Slaves to their urges."
She wasn't trying to insult him. She needed him to understand.
At first Thor did not respond. Diana sat upon his lap, feeling his half-hard cock press against her inner thigh. It reacted to her warmth on its own, stirring slightly as it was trapped between their bodies. Thor's expression, however, was calm.
For a long moment, the two lovers simply looked into each other's eyes. Diana awaited the foreign god's next words.
Finally, Thor spoke.
"Some men… many men… are just as your mother, your elders described. They exist in all planes, here in the mortal realm and beyond. Arrogant men. Violent men. They plague the realms with their bloodlust and their desire for conquest. But there are just as many men who possess restraint, who show mercy. Some men pledge their lives to protect the innocent."
"Men like you?"
Thor's expression flickered. Again, he didn't answer her right away. The Varangian captain shifted beneath Diana, propping himself up onto his elbows. He gave her a long, pensive look. His lips parted to speak-
Then there was movement just outside the tent. Shouting as well. Women's voices. Strong commanding. Close and getting closer. Diana knew who they were.
Amazons.
Diana sat up, immediately alert, focused. Even naked, the Princess of Themyscira was prepared to fight.
The flaps of the tent were thrown open, filling the dark space with near-blinding light. A tall figure stepped forth as Diana and Thor rose to their feet.
"Who disturbs us?" Thor demanded.
Diana squinted her eyes, quickly adjusting to the morning sunlight. The figure was a woman. A very familiar woman. Wearing a very familiar - and unwanted - scowl.
Diana's heart sank with dread.
"Princess." Nubia greeted coldly, her gaze piercing straight down to Diana's soul. Her hard, dark eyes jumped towards Thor next. The elder Amazon's scowl deepened. "Get dressed. By the order of Queen Hippolyta, you will return home."