The Sightless Watcher

"It's not real."

Orra's voice was steadier than she'd expected. She became aware of a sudden tension in the air as she stepped through the curtain and into the sanctum. It was a risk, she knew, but she couldn't let these thieves just steal from the Sightless One. Even if the mask held little value.

"Vee, no." Sligh, his voice low and steady.

"It's the cunt priestess!" Avilia hissed.

Orra felt something by her face. Her spear? A chill ran down her spine, driving away the heat between her legs.

"And she can't stop us."

"She'll alert the fucking guards!"

"She won't. Otherwise she would have already." Sligh sounded sure. "Wouldn't you, my lady?"

Her throat was suddenly dry. Unable to speak, she nodded, then managed, "Don't take the mask. It's not the real one." The presence before her face didn't waver.

"The real one was looted during the chaos of the Second Empire's fall." Again, Sligh sounded certain, almost as if he was lecturing. "Adran Skylord pillaged the place, when the entire complex was dedicated to the Sightless One. Though some say he was in league with the High Sun priests, given how things turned out."

"Yes," Orra breathed. He knows everything! And yet he's here. Why? "The mask disappeared. The priests made a new one, and it's been replaced at least three times since." The spear, or whatever it was, retreated. Clearing her throat, she gathered her courage. "So you see it has no value. If you want, I can show you secret ways into the other temples."

"No," said Sligh over Avilia's hiss. "This is what we came for. Perhaps we can make a trade?"

There was a moment's silence, then Sligh said, "Hold out your hand."

She obeyed, and something heavy was pressed into her grasp. Soft velvet. A bag, with a drawstring. "What's this?" But the thrill running through her fingers gave her an idea.

"The real mask."

Even though she'd half-suspected it, it took her breath away. "How--?"

"It came into my possession. I'll just take the fake one, shall I?"

Behind Sligh, Avilia was hissing curses. Orra didn't pay attention. Reverently drawing the mask from its soft sheath, she let her fingers explore it.

It felt like the one that Sligh had just taken -- soft, pliant leather with gold marking out blank eyes, a straight nose, small ears. It was different, though. There was a power in it, a power Orra sensed no-one but her could feel.

But it was also a power too strong for her to handle. Quickly, barely daring to breathe, she stepped towards the statue of the Sightless One and slipped the mask over the smooth features. It fit into place snugly.

A low rumble, more felt than heard, ran through the ground. It lasted for a moment, went quiet, then returned. The second time it lasted longer.

The thieves had caught their breath. They released them in loud sighs. "Something's awakening from a long and deep sleep." Sligh's whisper held a tremble, although Orra thought he sounded pleased too.

Her own breath had caught as well, but not in fear. It was more a sense of excitement, of anticipation, as if something she'd been waiting for all her life was on the verge of happening. Oh yes, something's awakening.

She could feel it inside her. Somewhere in the depths of darkness a power was stirring that had lain dormant for an age. Her mind tried to probe at the new sensations that were creeping into it.

Before she could grasp any of them, however, Avilia spoke.

"Sligh, we're leaving. Come on." She sounded angry, and beneath that afraid. "On the way out you can explain why we even came here."

"You're quite safe," Orra said. She was surprised by the calmness in her voice, and the certainty. "You're under my protection. Under the Sightless One's protection."

"That's great." Avilia began to move towards the door. "It can protect us while we leave."

"Stop." Orra spoke with a command that she'd never felt before.

Avilia stopped.

"Stay here. I'll make sure it's safe. The guards might have been attracted by the noise." The truth was that Orra didn't want the pair to leave. Not just yet. "Wait for me to return."

They stayed, Avilia grumbling, Sligh silent, as Orra stepped outside the temple.

The night was as black and silent as ever. Her eyes were as sightless as ever, but her mind began to fill with visions.

A temple cat moved through the dark like a shadow, unnerved by the rumble in the depths but silent and deadly even so. A moth landed on the blossom of an orange tree. In the guardhouse the three guards stirred, rubbing at sore heads and jaws.

Sleep, she told them silently, and they fell still again. For a moment she admired their bodies: two short and lean, with handsome faces, the other large and muscled, with hair on his chin, arms and legs.

But her attention was already being drawn elsewhere. To the small temple behind her, where a glowstone cast its dim light. Where a tall woman with spiky hair was pressing a lean man in tight leather breeches up against the wall.

"Alone at last," Avilia murmured into Sligh's mouth. Her tongue followed the words while her hands grasped his and guided them to her plump arse.

Sligh returned her kiss, then broke away. "The priestess could come back."

"Let her." Avilia gave a throaty laugh. "She can join in."

A thrill ran through Orra at the words. At the thought. She suppressed it, though. No, she told herself, let them enjoy each other. Besides, I have other plans.

Letting her mind fill with the vision and sounds of the thieves she slid a hand inside her robe, inside the shift she wore underneath, along the bare skin that came alive at her touch.

Inside, behind the walls, Avilia was on her knees before Sligh. The laces of his breeches came lose under her eager fingers and he helped her to tug the tight leather down his thighs. The shaft of hard flesh that was released sprang forward eagerly.

Avilia took it in both hands. "I've missed you so much," she whispered to it before opening her mouth and taking the swollen head between her lips.

Sligh gave a strangled moan. His hips bucked away from the wall in a move that seemed involuntary. "Careful... I-- I won't last."

She removed her lips from his cock and looked up with a grin. "I know you won't. But I owe you, remember?" And she sucked him into her mouth again.

Orra found her own mouth watering at the images in her mind. What does it feel like? She imagined her tongue gliding over the hot, tight skin, teasing the shining head, feeling it twitch in her mouth.

Sligh was definitely twitching. His fingers -- long and strong -- ran through Avilia's short hair and rubbed at her scalp. His eyes were squeezed shut. Inaudible gasps were escaping from between his lips.

Avilia had one hand on his bare leg, the other wrapped around the base of his shaft. She was giving muffled moans of her own as she sucked and tugged.

Sligh's body stiffened and his fingers clenched tight around Avilia's head. Her moans grew in volume as he gave a choked grunt and threw his head back. His hips bucked once, twice, then he shuddered. His knees were wobbling, and he leaned back against the wall, breathing heavily.

Avilia sat back on her haunches. She wiped her lips, but the grin stayed firmly in place. "You needed that. Was it better than wanking off while you watched me bathe?"

Sligh's eyes opened and he looked at her. His smile was rueful. "Much better. But watching you was the best option I had." He reached down and grasped her hand. Pulling her to her feet he continued, "Now I get to taste you."

"Get naked first," she replied. "I want to feel your skin against mine." Her own fingers were tugging at the laces of her jacket.

Orra watched with her mind as garment after garment fell to the floor. Her fingers were inside her, her hand pressed hard against her mound. The vision of naked flesh aroused her more than she could ever have imagined.

Avilia's skin was pale where her clothes had covered her. A scar traced its line across her side, and another marked her shoulder in purple. Above the hard muscles of her stomach, two small breasts were topped by dark nipples. Below, short ash blonde hairs disappeared between her legs.

Sligh's body was a soft copper all over. Without his shirt and doublet, his shoulders appeared broader in comparison to his narrow waist. Dark hairs surrounded his nipples and crept down from his navel to join the thicker gathering of curls above his cock.

Still half engorged, it swayed with every movement of his body. Orra watched as a drop formed on the tip and slowly slid down the shaft. Her breath was ragged, and she licked her lips again.

Sligh sank to his knees. It was Avilia's turn to rest against the wall, legs spread wide to reveal the pinkness beneath the short hairs. Her eyes were wide as she looked down at her lover.

He leaned forward, eyes fixed on hers, tongue extended. It slid along the length of her lips, bringing a slight twitch to that hard body. His eyes grinned, then he licked again, more forcefully this time, pressing tongue and lips against her.

Judging by Avilia's reaction, he knew what he was doing. He grasped her buttocks and pulled her against his face. Orra saw his jaw working, saw Avilia's body shudder in response.

The naked woman had one hand pressed against the wall beside her, the other on her cheek. Her mouth was open, and a finger slipped between her lips. She sucked at it, then let her hand slide down, along her neck and her chest to seize her breast.

The other hand came up as well, and she pinched her nipples, pulling them out and rolling them between her fingers. "Slowly," she whispered, "don't rush it."

Sligh pulled his face away from her. His lips and chin glistened in the light of the glowstone. He watched her for a moment, hands still on her arse, then turned her round.

Avilia gave a squeal, but obeyed the movement of his hands, turning to press herself against the wall. Her cheek rested against the stone, her hands either side of her face. At Sligh's insistent pushing, she spread her legs wide.

She gave a loud gasp as he buried his face in her crack. His hand slid up between her legs, and a finger pressed against her entrance. For a moment it teased, then it slipped inside.

His other hand went round her waist and across her stomach. As his tongue probed at her arse, he rubbed along her slit, slowly, ever so slowly. Avilia's eyes were screwed shut and her mouth worked in silent gasps. She was on her toes, her body seeming to want to escape Sligh's tongue, then seek it out again.

Orra watched it all happen in her mind. Small climaxes had already shaken her body, but she could feel a much stronger one coiling inside her. The casual fucking of the guards seemed shallow and self-centred compared with the intimacy between these thieves, these lovers.

Sligh slowly began to raise the pace, fingers and tongue working in harmony. Avilia responded, riding the pleasure, her body tensing and her moans becoming louder.

Then her entire body clenched and she choked off a gasp. For a long moment Sligh continued, jaw and hands working fast, then Avilia gave a cry, followed by another.

Sligh gradually eased up, and Avilia slowly relaxed. Her breathing was ragged. Sweat ran down her face and back.

Rising, Sligh placed his hands on her hips. He kissed her neck, below her ear, and murmured something that Orra didn't catch. Avilia smiled and reached up over her shoulder to pull his face against her.

Sligh's cock was hard again, and it pressed against her arse. Avilia's other hand slipped down and grasped it. "This one wants to join the fun."

She turned round and gave Sligh a long kiss. Then she pulled him towards one of the stone benches. "Lie down."

Sligh obeyed. His cock twitched, as if eager for what was about to come.

Avilia swung one leg over his body so that her feet were placed on either side of the bench. Reaching down, she took the swollen shaft and guided it towards her entrance. "I ache for you," she whispered.

Sligh's only response was to press his hips upwards. It seemed almost involuntary. His eyes were fixed on Avilia's, his mouth was open as if he wanted to speak but had no words to say. At last he smiled, and she smiled back.

Then she pressed herself down onto his shaft. He slid inside easily, although Avilia's face screwed up as if in concentration.

Remembering the wooden phallus in her pocket, Orra drew It out. She guided it under her robe, down between her legs and along her slit. The vision in her mind aroused her beyond anything she'd known. Her free hand grasped her breast, squeezing it as she pressed the wooden shaft inside her, pumped it in and out, ground herself down against it.

Up and down Avilia went, riding Sligh's cock. Her hands rested on his chest, and his fingers covered them. He thrust his hips up, but she shook her head. "Let me," she whispered.

It was clear that Sligh wasn't going to last long. His body shook, his head was thrown back. He was muttering to himself under his breath, but stopped when Avilia bent forward and pressed her lips against his.

They kissed. Sligh's arms went around her, and their bodies ground together. The sense of urgency increased, building and building. Suddenly Sligh broke the kiss and buried his face in Avilia's neck. With a strangled moan he pushed himself against her, hips rising from the stone bench as she pressed down.

Orra's climax hit at the same time, coming out of nowhere to sweep over her. She felt herself clench around the wooden phallus, and pressed a hand against her mouth to keep her cry of release inside. Still, she was unable to stop a low whimper from escaping as her body shook and spasmed in harmony with Sligh's.

Avilia clutched him tight against her, and made soothing noises as he slowly relaxed. They were both breathing heavily. Sligh's eyes were closed, his face still pressed into her body.

Feeling awkward, as if she was intruding on a moment more intimate than what had gone before, Orra hastily turned her mind away. The phallus slid easily from between her legs and she returned it to the safety of her pocket.

Still breathing heavily, still trembling on her legs, she let the Sightless One's power guide her mind across the temple complex. The guards slumbered. A temple cat prowled by the main gate, another one stretched out at the foot of the wall. And beneath the Great Temple was the vault where the priests of the High Sun stored their wealth.

Gliding forward into the shadows, she sought out the hidden ways that were known only to herself and the Sightless One. Secret doors opened before her, dust stirred under her bare feet that had remained undisturbed for years. Traps melted away at her touch, and coffers sprang open.

By the time she returned to her shrine, Avilia and Sligh were dressed. Nothing about them hinted at the passionate fuck they'd had here shortly before. A faint scent of sex hung in the air, though, and Orra noticed that they were holding hands lightly.

"It's safe for you to leave," she told them. "I can't help you once you're beyond the walls, though."

"Don't worry," Avilia replied. "We'll manage."

Orra wondered how -- the desert was immense, and the small settlement would be the first place the guards would look for her -- but they seemed confident.

She shrugged. "Take this." It was the velvet sack that had held the Sightless One's mask. Inside something clinked. "A small token of appreciation."

Avilia took the sack, eyes widening as she weighed it in her hand. She grinned. "This... this is generous. "

Orra shrugged again. "The priests of the High Sun won't miss it." She hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Why?"

Avilia turned her gaze on Sligh. "Yes, why?"

For once Sligh looked awkward. Embarrassed, almost. Then he shrugged. "It seemed the clever thing to do. In our line of work, I like the idea of the Sightless One being on our side."

They left then. In her mind, standing by the low entrance to her temple, Orra watched them go. They glided through the darkness and climbed the steps to the top of the wall, midway between two of the watchtowers. The guards saw nothing.

Avilia drew a coil of rope from the satchel over her shoulder and laid it on the stone. Sligh placed his foot in a loop on one end and stepped over the edge. The rope uncoiled, lowering him smoothly. It ran out a span or so above the sand, but he landed nimbly, catching the rope as it fell after him.

Raising his head, he pursed his lips and made that low hooting sound. On top of the wall Avilia drew a silver whistle from inside her jacket and blew.

Orra watched as Sligh set off across the sand. After two score paces, a low dune shook and rose, and a huge eight-legged lizard emerged. Sligh dug around in the sand and pulled out a tall-backed saddle and reins.

By the time he'd prepared his mount, a rush of wind overhead heralded the arrival of a giant bird. It landed on the wall, and Avilia leaped onto its back.

Moments later all four of them had vanished into the black night.

Orra turned to step inside her temple. She smiled. The time of the Sightless One had come again. Things were going to change.

To start with, she was going to teach Gont how to fuck a woman properly.