A Paladin's Training Ch. 02

Not feeling the same desire to rest as the women, Aran donned his robe and made for the Chapel's library, which boasted a few dozen books. Some he had read -- mostly all the adventure stories - others he had yet to digest; his rigorous training left him little time to read, and quite often when he opened a book, he was asleep three pages in.

Setting a fire in the white stone fireplace, he perused the various volumes, looking for something interesting to read. Before long, an old-looking, leather-bound volume leaped out at him, titled 'The Sacred Bond.' Sliding it from the shelf, he settled into one of the padded armchairs before the fire and began to read, thumbing carefully through the yellowed pages.

The contents were fascinating. Written by a Paladin by the name of Maigan Ezra, who had spent two-hundred and fifty years of her life studying something called 'Bonding,' the book was a compendium of meticulously detailed notes.

According to Maigan, the Gift of Aros allowed Gifted to Bond with anyone who was willing. This Bond was something of an amalgamation of body, mind, and spirit, intimately connecting two people. The Bond was most commonly performed between men and women who felt strongly for each other, however the Order posed no restrictions on love, so Bonding between two men or two women also occurred, just not as frequently.

Aran looked up from the book, realising suddenly that he must have Bonded Jeira when he'd first met her. It was the only way to explain their instantaneous deep and loving connection. Even now, he could feel her presence upstairs, sleeping peacefully. He could feel Elaina also, but in a different way, or maybe it was her Gift he could feel. He wondered if Gifted could sense each other's presence when close enough.

Inspired by new knowledge, he read on. Bonds were considered sacred among the Order, and were not entered into lightly. When the Order had been at it's pinnacle, and Paladins revered the world over, non-Gifted folk had considered it a great honour to be Bonded to a Paladin.

Bonding had many benefits; two Bonded people could sense each other's presence, even across great distances. They could also feel and read each other's emotions, and sometimes even thoughts.

Non-Gifted who became Bonded experienced improved overall health, and were proven to live longer than non-Bonded folk, though exactly how much longer was unclear. Interestingly, there appeared to be no racial boundaries to Bonding; Elves, Humans, Dwarves, Halflings, even Orcs and half-Orcs could all become Bonded, with the same results as two Humans. Maigan surmised that as long as two people had a heart, and a spirit, and at least one of them was Gifted, then a Bond could be forged.

That fact raised an interesting question; was the Gift exclusive to humans? There was nothing in the book on this topic, to Aran's dismay. Making a mental note to ask Elaina yet another question, he lost himself in the pages once again.

Eventually, the fire died down, and Aran got up to add another log. When he turned back to his chair, Elaina was sitting in it, garbed in her sheer robe, one leg crossed over the other, turning his book over in her hands. "I see you're indulging in some light reading," she said, looking up at him.

He nodded eagerly, unable to withhold his enthusiasm. "It's amazing! I can't believe I never saw this book before today."

Elaina chuckled, her emerald eyes twinkling. She had an attractive laugh; husky, smoky. "That's because it wasn't there before today, stud. I dug it out this morning and put it on the shelf for you to read when ready. There are a few others there that you might enjoy, also."

That was the second time she'd called him that: 'Stud.' She'd been different since they'd made love the first time; more relaxed, less his mentor and more his friend. The sort of friend you had sex with, anyway.

Elaina continued. "There were some things I couldn't let you read, or teach you, until you were ready. Now that your Gift has manifested, you can learn a little more freely."

This was music to Aran's ears. While Elaina had certainly taught him much over the past year, it had mostly been centred around fighting skills and meditation. She had taught him about the Order, and Paladins, and how to access the beginnings of his Gift, giving him the basics without the details. Truthfully, his training had been so intense that he had had little time for extraneous thought.

It excited him to know he could learn more, now. Since his Gift had awakened, he'd felt alive in a way he'd never felt before, bursting with energy and focus. He doubted he'd sleep for a week, if ever.

Elaina chuckled again, grinning as she watched him. "I remember when my Gift came to the fore. I was like you, jumping out of my skin, either devouring book after book, or training... Or enjoying time with my master." She said the last words with a wink.

Aran's curiosity was piqued. "Who was your master?" He asked as he took the armchair across from Elaina.

"His name was Smythe. Henley Smythe," she replied, fond memory alight in her emerald eyes. "He's the one who found me and took me in. Much the same as you and I, he trained me for about a year, until my Gift awakened."

Aran couldn't help but ask the question, or at least, he tried to. "Did you, uh... Did you and he...?"

This time, Elaina laughed out loud. "Yes, Aran, of course we did! I'm sure you've noticed by now that the relationship between you and I has changed?"

Aran couldn't help but grin back. "I did notice some small differences, here and there." He understated the fact to be funny, but truthfully, the change in Elaina was dramatic. She'd been a tough teacher for the past year, always pushing, never letting up on him, never allowing him to take the easy way out. Now, she was relaxed, comfortable, speaking with him as an equal, instead of master to apprentice. Not to mention the fact that they'd had sex. Spectacular sex.

It was strange, but having been intimate with Elaina, and having seen her submissive and begging to be taken, did nothing to diminish his respect for her. If anything, he held her in even higher regard; a woman who was strong, capable, and powerful, yet able to be deliciously feminine and vulnerable. She truly was a marvel. He found himself wondering if he could Bond with her as he had with Jeira, to create an even more powerful connection between her and himself.

"What you and I have become is quite common for Paladins," Elaina continued. "Our Gift allows us to love freely, and once the student passes onto a certain level, the Gift organically brings us together, as Aros intended. So naturally, Master Smythe and I made love very often, during our time together." She seemed to drift away for a moment, obviously remembering her time with Smythe, a happy smile on her pretty face.

Aran realised suddenly that he felt not a whiff of jealousy. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that he was incapable of it. He blurted out a question. "Why don't I feel jealous when I imagine you being with another man?"

Coming back to the present moment, Elaina left her chair, sashaying over to Aran and sliding into his lap, her feet dangling over one arm of the seat. The chair was big enough for two, but she seemed happy with the position she'd chosen. She wound her arms around his neck and kissed him before answering. "Because you're a Paladin, stud. We embody love, not possession. Jealousy arises from fear of something being taken from you, but you already know you do not possess me, nor I you; no one person can possess another."

Aran nodded in agreement, encircling her waist with his arms and pulling her closer. Their Gifts hummed gently together, not the raging fire from before, but a gentler, soothing song. As Elaina leaned into him, words escaped his mouth before he could stop them. "I love you."

Instantly wishing he could take the words back, Aran momentarily panicked, wondering if maybe he'd gone too far. Seconds crawled by like hours as he awaited her reply. Truth was, he was pretty sure he did love her, but he also loved Jeira, which just made him feel confused, even though it had made sense earlier.

Elaina lifted her head, those beautiful emerald eyes gazing into him as she touched his face. "I love you too, stud. Have done since you arrived here."

She kissed him deeply, and for a long time. Not the kiss of fiery need, as she'd done before, but a softer, tender kiss. Eventually pulling back, she whispered, "don't worry too much if you're confused, stud. It all starts to make more sense over time. You will love many women, and they you, and you will all be better for it."

Regretfully, Elaina chose that moment to leave his lap and take the other seat again. "Now, I'm sure you have a hundred questions for me, stud. So, let's hear them, and I will answer what I can."

Forgetting his confusion, Aran eagerly sat forward, hoping he could remember all the questions he'd been meaning to ask. "After reading Maigan's book," Aran began. "I think I've Bonded myself to Jeira."

Elaina's eyebrows climbed toward her flaxen hairline. "Are you sure, stud? Not that I doubt you, but that would be a most remarkable thing to happen this early in your training."

Aran nodded. "I think so. The book describes it all so clearly; the feelings, the sensations, the emotions that drift across from the other person." He looked up at the ceiling, knowing that he was looking directly at where Jeira was sleeping upstairs.

"Well, aren't you full of surprises," Elaina murmured, watching him intently. "What can you feel from her right now?"

Aran focused on the secondary set of senses that had been part of him since yesterday, when he'd first touched hands with Jeira. The feelings didn't really reside in a specific part of him; rather he felt them as if they were his own, yet he was still able to distinguish them as Jeira's. "She's relaxed, content," he told Elaina. "She feels safe, and if I'm not mistaken, she's having a very interesting dream." Looking down, he noticed his cock rising in response to Jeira's arousal.

Elaina chuckled throatily, eyeing his rising shaft. "It gets easier, with time, stud. A new Bond is always raw and exciting, and the additional feelings are exhilarating. They will always be there, but over time you will grow used to it, and it will become a familiar part of you."

Aran grinned at the gorgeous woman opposite him, unfazed by his erection, which had parted the front of his short robe and was now proudly on display. He and Elaina were far past any concerns for embarrassment, so he didn't bother trying to cover it. "Anything else I need to know about Bonds?"

"Only that you should take care," Elaina cautioned, her jade gaze moving from his cock back to his face. "A Bond is special, sacred, and should not be forged on a whim. To have a Bond is a joy, but to lose a Bond is more painful than you can imagine."

Aran met her eyes, seeing she was deadly serious. He was about to ask her if she was speaking from experience when her expression lightened, and a wicked smile crept across her lush lips. "Now," she purred, sliding from her chair and crawling toward him on all fours. "You may continue asking questions, but I'm going to have a little fun while you do."

His cock twitched as he watched her sauntering forward on her hands and knees, her prodigious breasts swaying beneath her in time with the roll of her shoulders, her robe doing little to hinder their motion. Aran had seen leopards stalking rabbits in much the same way, only in this instance, he didn't mind so much being a rabbit. Reaching him, she ran her hands up his thighs and pulled the sash on his robe, parting the flimsy fabric so he was bare from the chest down. Next, she did the same to herself, only this time she let the garment slip back off her shoulders and down to the floor, leaving her pale, abundantly curved body completely uncovered.

"I hope you haven't forgotten your questions, stud," she drawled smokily, squeezing her monumental breasts together just inches from his rigid pole.

Mesmerised, Aran watched his sexy mentor as she leaned forward to lightly brush the pink tip of her tongue against the underside of his cockhead. Again, his organ flexed in response, yearning for more of the delicious contact. "Not forgotten," he breathed, focusing for a moment to bring himself to an easy, relaxed state. He was still horny, but now he felt more in control. "I was just momentarily distracted."

"Good," Elaina said approvingly. "That was a small test. Out in the world, there are many women who will use their charms to their advantage, and as a Paladin, you will feel the impact of that even more than ordinary men. You did well to settle yourself just now."

"Well," Aran responded with a grin. "I doubt any of those women could hold a candle to you, so I should be alright."

"You should know," she whispered hotly as she lowered her head toward his crotch, keeping her eyes lock on his. "That I see through your flattery, stud." Her lips were agonisingly close to the angry purple head atop his shaft, and he could feel her warm breath on the sensitive skin. "Though that doesn't mean I don't appreciate it." Lightly grazing his cock with her soft lips, she bent further to plant a soft, tender kiss at the base of his shaft, right where it met the smooth skin of his balls.

Control or no, Aran nearly climbed out of his own skin when she extended her tongue and lovingly licked him from the sensitive spot beneath his sack, all the way to the crown of his cock. "Mmmm," she purred, smacking her lips. "You are so tasty!"

Aran laughed out loud. It was unbelievable how sexy she could be. "Is that actually true?" He asked of the stunning woman kneeling between his legs. "Do I taste good?"

"Do I taste good?" Elaina asked in answer.

Aran nodded enthusiastically. His more experienced friends back home had told him that a woman's pussy didn't taste all that great, but nothing could be further from the truth, as far as Aran was concerned. "Absolutely! Far better than I thought you would!" Realising how that sounded, he quickly tried to backtrack. "That is to say, uh, what I meant was, my friends told me-"

His clumsy attempt at recovery was cut off by a peal of laughter from Elaina, who kissed him affectionately on the tip of his cock. "It's alright, stud, I'm not offended," she said, mirth twisting the corners of her full lips. "To answer your question, the Gift is what makes you -- and I -- taste better than normal."

Aran could see the sense in that. "Sorry about what I said before. I'm sure I would love your taste, even if you weren't Gifted. I love how Jeira tastes, and she's not Gifted, so that means my friends were wrong."

"Mm-hmm," Elaina murmured, smiling as she dipped her head again, this time enveloping his cock in her warm, wet mouth. Down and down she slid, until he was firmly seated deep in the back of her throat. Sighing at the pleasure, Aran lightly tangled his fingers in her short, flaxen hair. Eventually, she came up for air. "They were very wrong indeed."

"I have another question," Aran said, clearing his throat. When Elaina arched an eyebrow in anticipation, he continued. "I only read about Human Gifted in the book. Have there ever been any Gifted from another race?"

Elaina shook her head. "Not that I am aware, stud. I only know one other Paladin, and that's Henley, and he's most definitely Human. He's never spoken of any Gifted that isn't Human, at least not to me." Straightening a little, she brought those tremendous breasts forward and rested them on his thighs. "But then," she continued. "Much was lost during the Darkening, and the long years after. Who knows, perhaps there were Elven and Dwarven Paladins." Aran groaned as she encased his entire length in the soft, warm confines of her tits.

"What happened to the Kingdoms, after the Darkening?" Aran asked curiously, trying to keep his head straight while Elaina slowly massaged his cock between her breasts. He felt like pasting them once again with a load of come, but he stilled his urges.

"Afterwards, without the Paladins to smooth out their differences," she explained. "They eventually fell back into conflict. The Dark Elves fled across the sea, and the Orcs followed. The High Elves, the Dwarves and Humans all remained in Ekistair, and expanded their territories, leaving us with the world we know today."

"Interesting," Aran mused. "I've never met an Elf or a Dwarf before. What are they like?"

Elaina grinned as she bent her head to kiss the tip of his cock when it appeared at the top of her cleavage. "You'd like the Elves, stud," she said, her eyes twinkling. "They're rather... uninhibited at times. The Dwarves can be, too, when they want to be. As for Dwarf women, well, you think these are big?" She hefted her tits. "You should see some of the Dwarf women I've met!"

Aran scoffed. "Impossible! I'd never seen tits as big as yours until I met you!"

She shook said breasts side to side, jostling his turgid prick between them. "I lie not, Stud. You'll see for yourself, one day, I'm sure. Dwarf women are pleasingly plump, usually. Not fat, but generously curved. I've been told by men that they make for very enjoyable sex."

"From the sounds, I can't wait!" Aran said with a grin, loving the way she paid so much attention to pleasing him.

"Did you know that Elves grow more endowed the older they get?" Elaina asked him, increasing the pace of her breast massage. Shaking his head in reply, Aran shifted in the chair; he would feel like coming soon, if she kept this up. The soft skin of her tits felt amazing on his cock. "Well, they do," Elaina explained. "Elves are immortal, and do not age. The women begin life as lithe and slender, but with the passing of time, their tits, thighs, buttocks and hips all grow more voluptuous." Aran had seen pictures of Elves, the stunningly attractive, yet often elusive race of ageless beings that resided in the East. "I met an Elf Matriarch once, who claimed to be over five hundred years old," Elaina continued. "And her tits were easily as big as mine!"

"Whose tits were as big as yours?"

Aran and Elaina turned their heads to the doorway, where a naked Jeira was leaning, her arms crossed beneath her modest breasts and a sexy smile on her pretty face.

Elaina grinned at the dark-haired beauty. "I was telling Aran about Elves, and how they grow."

"Ah," Jeira said knowingly, swaying into the room seductively. Aran wondered if she was doing it on purpose, or if it was unconscious. "I see them occasionally, in the forest."

"What, Elves?" Aran asked, surprised. He had never seen an Elf before, and he'd grown up near the Emerin Forest, and lived in it for the past year.

Jeira nodded, taking a seat next to him on the padded chair and pressing herself in close. Aran put an arm around her and she leaned into his shoulder. Her breast was handy, so Aran gently kneaded it while she spoke. "Only one, a male that hangs around sometimes. He's very good-looking, and I like the way he looks at me. I never speak to him, nor him to me, and he only appears for a short time before vanishing again."

Elaina slowed the action of her pumping, going back to a gentle rubbing of her tits against his prick. "Well usually," Elaina began. "You don't see Elves unless they want you to see them. Maybe he likes you," she suggested slyly.

Smiling, Jeira reached beneath the Paladin's vast bosom and grasped the base of Aran's shaft as the conversation continued. At Aran's suggestion, she shifted around so she was lying on her back, her head on his stomach and her feet dangling over the other arm of the lounge. Her hand slowly stroked him into Elaina's cleavage. "I wouldn't mind that," she mused. "As I said, he's very attractive, and there's a very discernible bulge in the front of his breeches."