A Dream of Empire Ch. 016

Tatiana melted in his embrace. Every spark in the aetherius came alive inside her head as they smooched in that dreary cave, and her world turned upside down in an instant. An endless future with the man of her dreams was now an obtainable reality, but she just had to tell him one thing first...

Tatiana parted her lips from his and gazed into his eyes. "Hey, about Alanna. I just wanted to say-"

"No, let's not speak of her. Not now," he hastily interjected, shaking his head.

Tatiana groaned, "but I have words, Talos. Words of import th-that I must say."

"I don't want to hear them."

"You can't shut me out, Talos. Not after that," she defiantly retorted, pointing outside. Not after this...

"I'm not. I promise to listen to all your words and complaints of Alanna on the 'morrow, but if you speak of her now you might just convince me not to go through with what I was just about to do. Do you want that?" he asked with raised brows. Tatiana, truthfully, had no idea what he was speaking of.

"I guess not?" she thinly replied after a moment of confusion.

"Good, good. Hold on a second."

Talos released her. He swung the travel pack on his shoulder forward and rummaged through it for a moment. Only a half-minute later did he remove his hand, tightly clutching onto something attached to a black chain. He held his balled fist to his heart.

"Tatiana, would you believe me if I told you I didn't speak the, uh, Dragontongue was it? Or that I didn't even know that dragons spoke before you mentioned it on Dun Aysla?"

"Both are wholly-believable statements," she smiled.

"Speak it to me. The Dragontongue."

"Why?"

"Just do it. Come on."

Tatiana gulped, and mindlessly waved a hand through the air as she stared blankly at the ceiling of the cavern.

"Okay..." she inhaled, "Suriamosintusassen." I will never find another like you.

"Tassensisimosa," Talos effortlessly replied. But you deserve better.

Tatiana's jaw dropped. "No way. Talos, you better not tell me that you not only found, but purchased a Global Translator..."

He opened his fist to display an incredibly-familiar-looking pendant. It looked just like the one she had given Talos earlier this year, the one that allowed her to teleport to him no matter his location; a black, shiny, stylized 'T'. But it couldn't be hers, because hers was currently hanging around his neck where it belonged.

"I did. Not only that, I had the mage running the shop transmute it into an exact replica of Dusk's amulet," Talos proudly explained, stepping towards her as he unclasped the necklace, "so we could match."

Tatiana was utterly speechless as Talos calmly walked behind her, lifted her long plait, and wrapped his arms around her neck. He secured the amulet around her neck then let her hair fall back down. Tatiana grabbed the pendant with both hands, staring at it in awe with tears in her eyes. It might have been the most thoughtful present anyone had ever given her. No, it was the most thoughtful. And sentimental. By far.

"Talos... these are priceless..." she murmured as she looked it over, slowly twirling his way again.

"Oh believe me, it had a price," Talos chuckled. "The horses were cheaper. Don't worry, I spent my own coin on it."

She glanced at him. "But you don't have coin, Talos," she replied as aggressively as she could with the tears in her eyes.

"Well, true. Not anymore," he shrugged. "Now, I don't know any other languages to see if it works on you, but I have it on good authority that you don't know Isbryggan. Or, at least you didn't a minute ago. Check out the back," he nodded to her.

Tatiana couldn't remove her gaze from his for a moment, but her hand eventually shot up to grasp the pendant once again. She flipped it over, and found a single Isbryggan rune carved into the back. He was right, of course; she hadn't known Isbryggan until just now, but the rune was just as readable to her as Elvish or Kinglish. Her first instinct was to pout to tease him, but all she truly wanted to do was laugh. And cry.

"It says 'Tanya'... aw... Talos..."

He grinned. "It does. And I love you, Tanya. You know, I never thought I could feel any more sure of you than I did yesterday. I loved your undying passion for learning. I adored how adamant you were when we argued. I treasured every waking moment I spent with you, but now, I..."

He hugged her, enveloping her entire being within his strong arms. "I see you as my equal. I know it sounds strange, but I now realize that I've never felt that way about another soul. Sure, I love Alanna and Cass, but they're not equals, they're... you know. Different. I love them, but they're different. I'm uh, not even sure what I'm saying anymore truthfully. Anyway, I'm going to call you Tanya now. And you can't say no."

Tatiana couldn't reply to him without bursting into tears. She only tangled her arms under his to hold him ever closer, and found that she quickly calmed down in his embrace. She nuzzled into him to better listen to his heartbeat, and to his breaths. Her lids soon fluttered shut without her consent, but she didn't particularly mind. Talos tried to gently push her away two minutes later, but she pushed back into him.

"Nuh uh. Not moving," she mewled.

"But, uh, I still need to say something," he chuckled. She felt so close to him then, and felt the vibrations of his laugh flowing through him. There was no way he could get her to move now. He was far too comfortable. She was comfortable. Whatever.

"I can hear you jus' fine," she whispered to Talos with her cheek squished against him.

"Uh... okay." She heard him gulp. "Um, what do you want from me?"

"This," she answered instantly. Another chuckle. More vibrations. She could remain right here, alll night, and she wouldn't mind at all...

"I meant after this," he said a moment later.

"Um, this... but, perhaps in bed. I'm exhausted, Talos," she admitted with a tired sigh.

"I suppose that makes sense," he mumbled somewhat-dejectedly. "We did just fight an entire army."

"Yes... yes we did. We're pretty great together, huh?" she said almost-inaudibly, falling an inch down his chest.

"Yeah, we are... you're falling asleep on me, aren't you Tanya?" he accused of her from above. She nodded into his chest.

"Mhm. Talos."

"Let me lay out the roll, at least. Never did learn how to sleep standing up."

"Okay."

" ... That means you need to get off of me."

"Mmh," she grumbled. "Will you... sleep with me?"

"If you get off of me."

"In our small clothes?" she dreamily asked.

"In our small clothes," he immediately confirmed with a kiss of her forehead. Tatiana sighed once more, then pushed off of him with the strength she could muster. Talos held onto her arm until he confirmed she was steady on her feet, and they shared a wondrous smile with one another for a silent half-minute.

"Don't just stand there, then," she eventually laughed. Talos smirked, rolling his eyes, and hastily made the night's camp.

-=-=-

Tatiana awoke first to the new day, just as she always did. It was dark in the cavern, with only a small spot of light beaming in from its entrance, but she was warm. She was... really warm. She opened her eyes and gasped.

Talos!

Tatiana squirmed atop his arm. She was wrapped in him, and him in her legs, and was so, so close to his face... she figured she was dreaming, and so she whispered her safe-phrase to tell the real Tatiana to invoke the Spell of Return.

"Illuminate reality."

Tatiana blinked when her surroundings didn't immediately change. She blinked again a second later, and then her heart dropped in her chest.

It's real! He's right there, and he's... almost naked!

She started to piece things back together through her morning fog as she snuggled in closer to her man. They stumbled across the cave together, they kissed one another, and then he...

She looked down, towards the necklace Talos had gifted her yesternight nestled between her breasts. He gifted her the best present in the world, now her most prized possession, and all she'd done in return was fall asleep on him! She hadn't even said thank you! What an absolute disaster. It was just like her to ruin everything. She wormed her arm in under him, and somehow found her way to his chest to snuggle in closer. She would have to make it up to him. She would have to-

"Why Tatiana, why so early?" the man sleepily murmured to her. And now I've woken him! Gods!

"I'm sorry!" she hurriedly exclaimed. Talos grimaced from the shrill awakening, then blinked his eyes awake only to find himself completely wrapped up in a jittery Tatiana. "Talos, Talos, your present last night was, is amazing! It's the best present I've ever received. Ever. And I'd love it if you'd call me Tanya, I'd really love it!"

He yawned, then tightly squeezed her. "I'm uh, glad, and I know. Calm down. How'd you sleep?"

"No, you don't get it! Talos! It's... you spent everything on me, and on such a cool thing, and it's so thoughtful, a-and I just fell asleep on you! I'm a monster!"

He kissed her on the forehead and moved his embrace to her shoulders. "Seriously, relax. It's alright. If I knew you were that tired I would have just waited 'til the morn', but it's fine. I'm not mad at you, nor could I ever be," he chuckled.

"But..." she murmured in his muscular grip. "Mmh. Talos... I ruined our... night... and you have really good taste in jewelry. Thank you."

"You're welcome, but you shouldn't give me so much credit. I only did copy the idea, after all."

Oh no, he's smirking! He heard me say the same thing before! I'm useless!

"B-b-but that was a jest! I-I was jesting with her when I said that!" Tatiana hopelessly justified as Talos rolled his way on top of her, and to freedom.

"I know, and it's a good jest. Look, I need to get some water boiling for the coffee."

No!

Tatiana quickly extended a hand to Talos' forehead, casting an awakening spell to have the very same effect as the mundane stimulant would have in an instant. She couldn't let him leave. Talos blinked his eyes a few times.

"Or... not. Damn, you're really good at that. But I still have to piss."

Never!

Her hand shot to his lower stomach, just a few inches from his crotch, to mend that very problem. Talos rolled his eyes.

"Tanya, you can't cast your way into-"

And then her hand slipped down him further still, and she casted a rejuvenation spell into him that she'd only recently learned had another purpose altogether. Talos squinted down at her, and Tatiana took her hand back.

"Oh no," he said. Or grunted.

"W-w-what? You were already..."

"It's... always like that in the morn'," he groaned. "Okay, fine, hey Tanya, I wanted to ask you something yesternight; what you wanted of me. Wanted out of us."

"Anything! Everything! Whatever you'll give me."

"Because if we do that thing that we're probably going to do, I'm gonna have to defend you from... uh... that elf..."

"Cass?"

"Yeah, right, Cass. And I'm not looking for a fling here, and so, uh-"

"Neither am I!" Tatiana exclaimed, gazing up into Talos' eyes as he held himself above her. "Talos, I-I would never spread my legs in haste, nor would I if I didn't believe you my soulma- um, a long-time commitment," she corrected after a haste pause. "I love you, Talos. I love you. Just... just know that I've no idea what I'm doing."

Talos tilted his head as if in thought, then returned his gaze a moment later. "Didn't you say you were experienced?" Shit!

"Y-yes..."

"Far more than I'd ever believe?"

Oh gods... I can't tell him of that now...

"I lied! I lied back then, s-so you'd sleep with me!" she anxiously replied. Talos nodded slowly, staring at her, drilling into her thoughts, and he knew, he knew everything about her and he would never-

"Good enough for me," he said.

That worked?!

Tatiana spread her legs wider for him as she gazed into his piercing green eyes. Talos brought a hand down to her panties and ripped them from her simply, then tossed them out of the bedroll. He leaned into her, placing a hand on her womanhood, and kissed her deeply on the lips. Tatiana fell apart.

Omigosh, omigosh, omigosh!

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into her as he explored her mouth with his tongue. She squirmed for him as he massaged her between her folds and brought a thumb to her pearl. She rocked against his hand in utter disbelief of reality, and moaned into his mouth. But wait!

She pushed him away from her mouth. "W-wait! The thing about Alanna, I, um-"

"Tanya, no," he glared, sternly ordering her not to continue.

"Yessir," she meekly whimpered under him. He pounced on her again, causing her eyes to flutter shut as he kissed her, and her knees to shoot up in pleasure as he massaged her button. It was nothing like her dreams of him. In her dreams, Talos was so kind to her. Dream-Talos' lips were ever so tender when he kissed her, and he was ever so gentle when he touched her. Fuck my dreams! This was Talos. This was Talos needing her.

"Talos, Talos, put it in me," she pleaded a half-inch from his lips before kissing him again. His hand slipped down her leg towards his crotch, and he fumbled around with his small clothes. Tatiana brought a hand to her womanhood and stretched her pussy lips as wide as they could go, and was surprised by just how wet she was. But would he even fit inside her? Did she have a spell to mend such a tragedy?

"I usually go easy the first time, but-"

"No, no. You can go easy on me next time," Tatiana begged of him as she gazed into his eyes. She scooched her butt closer to him and shivered in anticipation. He held her shoulder with one hand as he guided his cock with the other, and Tatiana melted as she felt his bell against her cunt. But wait!

She brought a hand to her own tummy and cast a hex she'd learned in anticipation of this very moment. Her lower tummy shined brightly for a second before a black tattoo appeared there, just above her womanhood, a tattoo that appeared as two stylized sevens mirrored against one another.

"Um. What's that?" he asked of her, retreating an inch.

"An infertility hex," she hastily lied, hopefully sating his curiosity. The gears in his head were still turning though, and so she added, "you know... just in case?"

He groaned, "you're lying," as he glared at her, but plunged his cockhead into her tender pussy anyway. He knows! He wants me to be pregnant with his babies!

She wrapped his legs around him and pulled him into her. Talos' throbbing pillar soon met a touch of resistance inside her, but he pushed through it just as he pushed through all manner of tribulation. Tatiana gasped in pain, her fingernails digging into his skin, but only pulled on him further.

"Yesss..." she muttered as the feeling of fullness consumed her. She clenched her eyes shut as he slowly pushed ever onward, and she did her best not to cry. He wouldn't fit, he wouldn't fit...

She forced her eyes open when he stopped moving. She glanced down only to find he wasn't even halfway inside her, and looked back up at him. Was he concerned because of the lie?

"You're right Talos," she whimpered to him, "i-it's the opposite. I... I want to try. Is that okay?"

She bit her lip while she awaited the reply, gazing into his eyes. Talos grinned. "Don't tell Alanna," he said. Tatiana sighed in relief between gasps for air, and tried to scooch further against him. "The rest will hurt. Just giving you time," he sympathetically warned her.

"No, no, I'm ready. I'm strong, Talos," she whispered to him, feeling the absolute opposite under his muscular form. "I want it all."

She willed all of her strength to the fore to see her through the next two inches, but clenched her eyes shut once more and groaned in pain nevertheless. She brought a hand to her mouth to hopefully stifle it, to hopefully allow him to continue, but she couldn't prevent her cries. She opened her eyes again when he stopped moving, and found him frowning in concern.

"No, no, keep going," she begged.

"Next time," he promised her, retreating from her sodden gash. She felt incredibly hot down there, and the feeling of fullness soon disappeared. She felt absolutely empty when only his bell remained inside her, but he slowly pushed into her once again. She sighed in agreement, and nuzzled her cheek into the furs.

Tatiana's troubled mind calmed itself somewhere between the third and fourth plunge of his wondrous cock into her needy womanhood. She moaned in pleasure as he began to rhythmically pump into her, and she submitted fully under his divine form. She was his, Tatiana knew. She was his.

-=-=-

"Now. There. We did it," Talos uttered as he rolled off of a panting, sweating, and destroyed Tatiana a quarter-hour later. She nodded, giggled, and wrapped her hand in his gorgeous hair.

"We did it," she croaked in agreement, smiling as she gazed at him with pride. Tatiana rolled his way, grinning with glee as she looked over his perfect form. He laid out an arm for her, and she snuggled into him without delay.

"Now... what was so important about Alanna?" he asked her as he stared at the ceiling of the cavern.

"Huh?" she murmured.

"You... you almost stopped that from happening because you had something to say," he replied through shallow breaths. "I'm curious, I guess."

Tatiana smiled as she looked on his lips. She was his, now. She was his, and he demanded that she tell him. She didn't want to bring it up now, of course, not after what they'd just done, but he demanded that she did. Tatiana brought a hand to her breasts to magically calm herself, and took a deep breath.

"I loathe her, Talos," she whispered only inches away from his ear. "But it's not out of jealousy. I loathe her because if a man like you has to have such an intrinsic connection with another soul, then you deserve it to be with someone better. You're a terrifying man Talos, but she's just a silly girl who's had fortunate gift after fortunate gift thrust upon her."

Talos nodded as he stared off blankly towards the roof of the cavern. "Okay," he muttered.

"Remember back in Isbrygga, when we were watching Sigismund cling to life for hours on end? And no one, not even Cass, had the heart to stay with you as you grieved?" she softly asked him.

"Mhm," Talos mumbled, clearing his throat. "You stayed though."

"Yes. I stayed. Because I'm the only woman in your life who truly respects you, Talos. Respects that you... you can be vulnerable. Sometimes. Any other sorceress would want to use that to her advantage, but I only want to support you. I want to be the woman who fills those gaps in your ability. I love you, Talos. I love you, and I know you said yesternight that you feel as if we're equals, but in my heart I don't feel that way at all. I see you as my... um... superior, maybe. And I want to devote my everything to you so you can see your dreams realized. And now that we're... we're... what are we, Talos?"

He shrugged.

"Well, whatever. Now that we're this, I need you to remember that. I want you to treat me as your canvas. You need me to learn a spell? Fine. You need me to research something? Great. You need me to walk to the edges of Mundus to fetch an apple? That's what I'll do. Because I was perfectly happy with my life before meeting you, Talos, but you showed me that I was misinformed. You give me purpose, and I need you to give me direction so we can make the world tremble. Alanna can't do that with you. She's weak. Alanna treats your vulnerabilities as insurmountable obstacles because she is weak. She doesn't respect your capability. But you and me, together, can trample all in our path to dust. We could force the world to it's knees if we wanted to. Let us watch them quake."