Of Gold & Silver Ch. 01

NOTE: Dear readers. This is LustyHearts.

I'm fairly new in this writing gig and am nothing but a novice. I've always admired erotic literature and specially literotica. But there is a great chasm betwixt reading it and trying to write it. This is what came out of that effort. There will be mistakes and I take full responsibility for that but please consider the fact that English is not my native language. Neither do I have an editor.

So if you find them please point them out so that I can improve my writing.

And any willing and able editor PLEASE contact me.

-LH

*

"Ready your swords and shields, Men! Our enemy wants to taste them!" Julia shouted.

The whole deck full of metal armoured soldiers jostled and roared.

She drew out her short-sword with a golden hilt and man engravings, a gift from higher consul Hictor Versilieus II after her simultaneous success against the rebellions in Capua and Anxia and her victory against Venetian invasion.

And now she was under the command to none other then the great General Lucius Julius Libo, commander of the legendary army- Ligio II Appolinaries, who earlier led the same to the distruction of their sworn enemy nation Etrusian League.

Rome was currently at war with Carthage. Julia was leading a fleet of five Leve privateer ships along with a Ligionary ship that she was on right now.

She shouted some more inspiring words, but deep down she was herself very nervous. This was her first naval battle as a newly appointed Admiral. She was honed for land battles and water makes her feel out of place. But desperate times calls for desperate measures.

General Lucius was taking heavy casualties fighting for the city of Lilybaeum to the north of the enemy capital. Despite the support of Syracuse from the east of Magna-Garcia, the siege is uptight and the upkeep costs are going out of bounds. The senate is fearing of a shameful retreat if the city is not taken within months.

That's where she came into focus. Since her own fame was quite widespread, she was given four months training before being almost literally kicked out of the port of Karalis.

So here she was standing off against her first naval foe, the treacherous Admiral Aedus Niscar, leading the Flight of Tyros, a fleet of three warships. Even if she knew that the enemy doesn't stand a chance against a fleet of six Roman warships, this did little to appease her tension. Niscar was devious but not a fool. He had seen his fair share of days in the seas and was no novice in the naval Warcraft unlike her. And he clearly rejected the final chance of surrender like if it was the joke of the year.

Her instincts were smelling something foreboding around them. The thick winter air gave as far as a few miles of vision. To set an ambush was a child's play here.

But her quartermaster assured her there are no ships whatsoever around five nautical miles except the facing parties.

Her hand still gripping the sword's hilt firmly, she tried to feel the same rush of blood, the same thumping of her heart that she experienced every other time while marching into a battle. But the slow and steady bounce of the ship made it hard. Even after three weeks in water the unsteady plane under her feet still felt odd.

So she tried to clear her mind as good as she can which was still much compared to a common man thanks to her training and natural instincts. She held the sword above her head.

"They want blood be spilled. They wouldn't give passage. So that's what we will give them!" She looked at the two rows of archers.

"ARCHERS! Target flag ship! On my word..."

The archer captain raised his bow, a signal for the archers in the other ships for preparation to fire.

"FIRE!"

And a volley of bronze tipped arrows cut through the mist towards their targets. So they heard screams of orders and pain. Julia did not smile. She took no pleasure in pain to others, even to her enemies.

"Take cover! Archers reload! Ballistae be ready! We'll be going broadside."

Soon arrows rained down on them. But the Histatii squadrons along with the archers and skirmishers hid themselves behind thick metal plated shields. The arrows burrowed deep in the shields mostly unharmed.

On her command the fleet moved forward, taking a few degree turn east. Soon the enemy ships were visible through the filtered sunlight. A roar resounded from both the sides.

Ballista's open fired from both sides. More than three ships on total were damaged. Julia's ship itself took some bolts in the hull, raging fire instantly. But the Romans were ready for it. In no time the fire was under control.

But the Carthagians weren't so lucky. One ship was down with few survivors. Both sides took a break.

This tipped Julia. Something was off. The enemy Admiral was nowhere to be seen.

"Garthuse. Isn't that Niscar's fleet?" She asked her quartermaster.

"Yes, sera. Certainly. They were reported by our scout boats days ago." The stocky man with trimmed beard answered.

"Hum..." She again checked, "Then why is he absent? What could it be? Is he hiding below deck? If so, then why?"

As she looked through the eye-piece of the spyglass, she saw unrest among the enemy soldiers. Wounded were taken care of by the medicines, arrows and fire-bolts were restocked. Captains shouting orders among the rows. The sails being mended in places.

But no Admiral. Strange.

Julia sighed. This is not so hard, she just need to calm down. Maybe Niscar is planning below-deck. Plotting against them.

She was just going to go below deck when an unnaturally strong wind almost knocked her down. She gripped the iron railing, trying to steady herself.

But Garthuse wasn't so lucky. The stocky man with a tonne of armour fell down the poop deck on the hard wooden surface below. The soldiers around him helped him to his feet.

They all stared at the blinding sphere of white light not bigger than a Spartan shield with strings of violet and crimson revolving around it.

Julia gasped when a string of red energy lunged at her. She tried to save herself by dodging to the right where crates were set full of round shots and rather failed to do that as the string wrapped around her ankle in mid-air and pulled a screaming Julia towards its origin. All the hundreds of soldiers saw their rookie admiral being pulled by a leash into the air. And in the next few moments the sphere was non-existent. The soldiers behaves as if it never happened. Like Julia Ceasar Casserini never happened.

**

"VANDAL! VANDAL! COME HERE! VANDAL!" High Priestess Marline Sardines Hirondale shrieked. Vandal, being the ever eager follower rushed into her room, his curved blade in his hand.

"Mistress..."

She rushed and gripped his both arms tightly, her beautiful face sweaty and exited.

"Vandal, IT HAPPENED!"

Vandal flinched a little from the closeness.

"Wha... What happened?"

"The transition! I just felt the energy rush. Believe me it was huge!" Her eyes wide in astonishment, strands sleek maroon hair clinging to her face. She was breathing so hard that Vandal feared a heart seizure.

After putting the sword aside, he gently set the trembling women down on the bedside.

"Calm down." He assured his young Mistress. Vandal was her bound servant and guardian from when they both were ten summers of age and also the first time his Mistress had a vision and recognised as the next High Priestess of Ginoma.

Now almost fifteen summers later, the heavily built man held his Mistress and secret love interest by her arms to keep her steady.

'The energy must be tremendous to cause such an impact on her." He thought.

When she was not trembling any more he quipped her about it.

"You won't believe it Van. It was... it was huge. The gate opened for a few moments. A GATE, VAN! Can you believe it."

Deep inside Vandal was astonished. If what she says is true then it was really a miracle. And he blindly believe on her powers, so close was she to the Ginoma, the source of life.

He just stared at her before reluctantly drawing his arms back. Only one thing stopped him from taking Marline into his arms and hold her, maybe stroke her cotton robe clad back.

Only one thing.

He was her servant, her caretaker, her vengeful guardian. But not her lover. She was meant for someone else. Someone who will give her extreme happiness and then release him from his duties. This is how it has been done from thousands of years. After her bonding, he will be allowed to choose someone for him as his own mate. But his heart knew better. He doubted it will go to anyone else.

Ever.

Marline noticed his stoic expression. Coming down from the high she suddenly felt drained of all the energy when she saw him gazing past her, his azure eyes trying to bind some kind of pain she didn't understand. But she knew she wanted to ease it out of her. He might be her servant to others, but to her he was much more than that. He was her protector as well as her best friend. Due to her status, she was restricted to leave holy grounds. He was one of the handful of people allowed to be with her until she finds her life mate.

That thought brought her mind a few moments back. She could almost feel his strong grip on her arms. During the years, he have trained over even hard just to maintain his duty as her guard. She many times sneak out at night to the training compound so that to catch a peek of his hard and chiselled body in its full glory as he hacks away on hay dummies with his broad sword. She finds it immensely pleasurable just to look all those muscles moving under his skin, his grunts after ever stroke and his sweat dripping down his unbounded shoulder length brown hair down the packed hills and valleys of his back. Almost a wicked kind of pleasure.

Then he looked down and she moved her gaze elsewhere.

"I'll try and find the source point." He said getting up, "You must rest now."

Marline just stared at the oak door, trimmed with golden leaves and veins, an itching of Ginoma in the form of a beautiful girl holding a lotus in front of her with both of her hands. The emerald set eyes glinting mischievously in the dim candle light.

Watching those eyes filled her with a sense of easiness. She knew her desire of the certain man was morally unacceptable. Her followers will deem against her to indulge with her servant. Marline looked down on the white tiles of the floor. Her eyes going moist. All the earlier excitement now fully flushed out of her system.

She slumped back on the cushy bed whimpering softly. A single image floating by in her mind. Those azure eyes. Those sorrowful azure eyes. Now she couldn't neglect the point that maybe her feelings weren't misplaced. Maybe Van himself want her like she does.

Her sleep was long to come but it did at last.

****

"Oww, man! Not again." Josh groaned as he did another futile attempt of opening the GODDAMN DOOR of his not-so-posh apartment. Living in the City of Fallen Angles have its ups and down. But for Joshua Frost, life was just that, down and down.

His apartment was in a not so famous part of Santa Monica just over a pawn shop. But in his financial perspective, calling one his own was more than unexpected. Before his parents died of an accident four years ago, they managed to save enough to pay for his collage and this apartment that he owns now. That was when he was eighteen. Now at the age of twenty-two, and at his first year of masters in computer science, he was doing well enough working as an accountant in the nearby Wall-Mart, enough to pay his bills.

The key finally moved and the lock snapped open. Josh sighed in relieve. He certainly needed a new one. He pushed the door open and went inside.

The apartment was small compared to some of the others uphill. A bedroom big enough for a bed and dresser among few other things. A kitchen cum hall. A storage room and bath room.

He hurriedly relieved himself of the work clothes before heading towards the bathroom in his bedroom. Well at least the bathroom was in proper shape with a bath tub and a shower. A place for relaxation and sometimes, pleasure.

He turned the hot water on and waited for the tub to fill. After getting the water hot enough for him, he stripped his underwear and settled down on the white porcelain, sighing in pleasure.

While his body was enveloped in steamy water up to the neck, he reached for his mobile, checking for any mails or messages he overlooked while doing his job. He noticed a mail from her elder sister.

His lips turned for a genuine smile.

"Dear brother Joshua,

I might be coming over tomorrow morning to check on your wellbeing. So PLEASE keep your pants up this time or keep the door locked! DONOT LET ME CATCH YOU WITH ANOTHER CHICK, OR I SWEAR I'LL KICK YOUR ASS DOWN TO THE ABYSS!

Anyway, Goodnight and Sweet dreams! ;)

Love, Jennifer."

Josh laughed at the sudden and unexpected change of tone. He loved his sister for being what she is. Her angry roars still ring in his ears when she caught him with a girl naked down to the skin in the couch, the last time she visited. Unfortunately the girl never called him back because he forgot to lock the door and his sister barged in unnoticed.

Sadly, Erica, the girl, never called again. He sighed. She was sweet. Her pussy was sweeter, he thought licking his lips and smiling like a nineteen year pervert which wasn't too far from the truth.

Don't get him wrong. He got some real respect and care for women deep in his heart. Which he likes to bring out whenever he gets to do that.

"I need to get laid soon." He murmured to nothing.

After he soaked all the heat out of the water, he made his way to his bedroom, naked. Not a big deal for him being so as he was mostly alone.

He turned on the TV on his way. Then pulled a fresh boxer and t-shirt, his usual night attire and jumped on the couch. He switch to a rerun of his favourite show 'Supernatural'.

He felt for a beer and was just going to take one out of the fridge when it happened.

"Oomph." Something big crashed on him from above.

"HOLY SHIT." he groaned trying to move away from whatever it was that landed on his back. He heard a feminine groan. Out of curiosity his head snapped back to find a thick bush of unbound black hair?!

"What the..." He pulled out from under it. He crawled away before checking back. Well he wasn't hallucinating. It surely was hair. Long wet black hair. He gulped when he saw whom its owner was.

"Wow..." He could only breathe out the words.

The women grunted if in appreciation.

*****

Julia groaned when she felt the pain throbbing through her brain. She rubbed her forehead in vain. She tried to sit up and noticed the soft mattress. Her eyes fluttered open.

What greeted them first was blinding light. Her pupil shrinking to adjust to the bright light. When her vision cleared a bit she gaped at the source.

She saw few men running around a green field, much like the one her family have back home. But what blew her mind was the fact that she was seeing it through a box of some kind.

"WHO ARE YOU?"

Her head snapped in surprise, only to fall on a rather imposing male sitting a few hands width. In his hand was a piece of polished and rounded wood, much like a club the barbaric tribes uses. His clothing was odd and he was sitting on a smaller version of the soft seat she was laying on right now.

"I asked who you are."

She tried to cope the strangeness she found herself.

"What is this place?" She asked. The place was dark, no candle or lamp. The only illumination was the mystery box which now showed a man tugging at his upper clothes crying out to the spectators. It strangely reminded her of the gladiatorial games in the Coliseum.

The sudden movement from the man made her sit strait.

He had a funny look on his face.

"Look Miss, I'm going to ask you one more time that who are you and were you doing in MY apartment, before I call 911." He stood up, his hands clenching the stick firmly to make the point.

Julia frowned when she tried to pry her hands out of the rope that was keeping her hands tied behind her. It wouldn't have been a problem for someone like her only if it was some cotton thread rope generally used by her people.

"Don't bother. It's Nylon." He stated very matter-of-factly.

She glared at the man now standing before her but still far enough for her to try something. Seeing no other choice in the matter she replied with clenched teeth.

"I'm Julia Ceasar Casserini." She as hell wasn't going to tell anything more then this. "Now untie me!"

'Wow, quite a handful.' He though as he took in the exotic beauty sitting before him. Initially he thought of her as an assaulter or a thief or something. But quickly eliminated the thought when he noticed her almost unconscious state. Still it wasn't a bad thing to tie her arms. Someone running around in others home in this strange attire is not too far from a basket case.

"I'll after you tell me what you were trying to do? Hell how did you even get in?" He answered earning a glare from her deep maroon eyes.

Julia tried to contemplate the situation. But the window was quite distracting. The man noticed and went to fiddle with something and suddenly the box went black.

He then walked the wall to her right and clicked something on a rectangular piece and all of a sudden a bright light, nothing like the fire lamps in her home, went on above her.

"Is... Is that magic? Are you a magician?" What a luck! Now she have to deal with someone who knows the Practice. But that explains the globe of light earlier. She have heard of mages from the far off Arabian factions. They say they can turn iron into gold. Julia wasn't someone to believe in something so childish. But after this she wasn't so sure anymore.

"What?! Look girl you don't play innocent with me. Just answer what I'm asking. How did you get in?"

"I DON'T KNOW! I was in my ship fighting off those Carthagian bastards and the next moment I was hurling through air into a ball of light to end up here, wherever this place is." She blurted out.

The man gave him an incredulous look. "What ship? What are you talking about?"

Julia eyed the club on his hand. He pulled a chair before her, setting the club beside it. Julia relaxed a little.

"Look Miss Julia, I don't want to press any charges..." She's totally HOT man! "... Unless you force me to. Now out with the truth." His voice was surprisingly calm, surprising him, really surprising, heh.

Julia just gaped at the face of her capturer. At that moment she noticed the features of his face much better. He wasn't much handsome but the light stubble gave him a rugged but good look, something she really liked. Slightly long nose ending with a full set of lips much like her own. His brown hair falling just below his ears. A strong muscular jaw bone and raging brown eyes similar to his hair colour. He was slim, maybe too skinny compared to the soldiers.

But his tall stature was well balanced. Not a disappointing package. She mentally kicked herself for even thinking about her baser needs in a situation like this. She should have taken up Damien's offer before she set for sail.

Then she remembered about his question.

"Um, what is your name?"

He popped an eyebrow. "Why yes. I clearly forgot to introduce myself. I'm Joshua Frost, but call me Josh." He dared a small smile.

"I already told you. Why can't you believe me? And please do tell what you 'Miss' so much." The conviction in her words made him reconsider her answer. Her clothes, they looked worn, as if really used in battle and not some fantasy designer's work destined for some comic-con.

And then she doesn't seem to know what "Miss" means? Seriously?

Carthagians. That clicked on his mind. Now, Josh wasn't that bright in world history but it doesn't take no genius to remember probably the worst enemy of the Romans. He then noticed the golden eagle buckle that held her sword belt. He sighed and thought,