Path of Radiance Reborn

Hello, my friends. Time for another update. I really need to start sleeping more if I'm to keep working on this. Oh well, I'm getting drunk tomorrow regardless. A man has to have his priorities :) Hopefully I will follow with another update some time in the near future.

Disclaimer: Here it is.

Please read and review. Buonas noches.

For the second time in less than two days, a symphony of shrieking metal and agonized screams erupted through the morning air, assaulting the ears of all those on the battlefield. Gatrie shoveled his way through a grouping of Daien swordsmen who tried flanking him from the right, sending them flying with a vicious swing of his lance. Ike had put him, Brom, and Geoffrey in charge of guarding Princess Elincia, since she was the most inexperienced and susceptible to attack from the enemy army.

Gatrie impaled another oncoming soldier and turned, making sure the Crimeans in his immediate vicinity were unharmed. Ike’s orders had been simple: protect the Princess, and kill any Daien that got too close to her. Easy and easy. Just how he liked it.

Daein’s army was situated much better than their own, and as a result, the fields were heavily laden with Crimea’s dead. Up ahead, Ike was leading a battalion up the slope to Fort Pinell, while Titania and Oscar led two other groups around to flank the enemy. Gatrie hated being left behind, stuck with escort duty, but an order was an order, and he didn’t want such a fine looking lass to get injured.

Plus Ike would kill him if she was.

Gatrie flipped his visor up and wiped his sweaty face with his cool gauntlet, sighing loudly. Most of the Daien soldiers around him were dead or dying, so there wasn’t anything around that could hurt Elincia. For a second, he considered leaving her with Brom and going after the general, but a loud bellow from the east caught his attention.

Whirling around, Gatrie saw three soldiers on horseback rapidly approaching, yelling battle cries as they moved in for the kill. Gatrie cast a quick glance around and saw Brom engaged in combat with a Daien halberdier a short distance away. Geoffrey was similarly busy, firing arrows at several more soldiers that were approaching from the west. He was on his own.

Gatrie smirked and shut his visor again, taking a battle stance as the war-crazed paladins drew closer. One of them strung a bow and fired at him. The arrow ricocheted off his armour without leaving a dent. Gatrie shook his head with disdain and brought his arm back for a split second, before he hurled his lance with all his might at the archer.

The flying lance struck the soldier directly in the neck, sending him toppling off his horse with a choked cry. The other two soldiers roared in anger and rode closer, their swords raised for the kill. One soldier swung at him, the blade slamming into his left shoulder plate. Gatrie grimaced in pain; that would definitely leave a bruise. He reached out with one arm and shoved the soldier, knocking him to the ground with a cry. The fallen sword went spiraling into the air.

Gatrie reached out and caught it, pivoting just in time to impale the last soldier as he started to bring his axe down. The soldier let out a low moan before blood began to seep from his mouth. Gatrie pulled the sword out, and the dying soldier hit the earth.

Damn it… I hope it doesn’t take much longer for Ike to capture the fort. I’m bored now…

Gatrie heard a rush of air from behind him, and immediately wanted to kick himself for not making sure the soldiers were dead. Gatrie dodged sideways, narrowly avoiding a thrust from a dagger. The soldier he had knocked off the horse had gotten up and was now trying to kill him. Shaking his head, Gatrie raised the sword, when a crackling bolt of electricity flew past him and hit the tip of the man’s dagger.

The man let out an agonized scream as electricity was sent coursing through his body. His limbs began to twitch and jerk, and wisps of smoke began to rise from his cooking armour. Gatrie wrinkled his nose as the now-fully dead soldier collapsed, turning around with a sigh.

“I had it, Ilyana! Stop taking my kills.”

“Grow up, big guy,” the young lightning mage said, smiling softly and brushing a strand of violet hair behind her ear. “If you’re too slow to take them out, I’ll be more than happy to.”

Gatrie grunted and looked around. Brom and Geoffrey were both finished with their respective battles and had rejoined the Princess. All the Daien soldiers in the area were dead, but Ike and his company were still fighting at the top of the hill.

“You want to go, right?” Ilyana asked, stepping up next to him. Gatrie nodded, looking at the battle in the distance. “Yeah. But I can’t disobey Ike’s orders.”

“I could stay behind,” the young girl offered. “Plus, if you go, you can deal with them faster so that I can sample that castle’s banquet hall.”

“Empty it, more like,” Gatrie said, grinning. Ilyana shoved him. Maybe this wasn’t so bad after all. It gave him some time to work his charm on the petite mage. “Let’s just stay here for a bit,” Gatrie said, heading off towards the Princess and her guard. Ilyana followed him. Once he reached them, he flopped down onto the ground and settled in to wait.

* * * * *

Ike looked down at the Daein General Bertram, breathing hard. The man was mortally injured from a stab wound to the gut, courtesy of Ike’s blade. Soren, along with a crowd of others, stood by, watching warily. The general coughed, and a bright patch of blood splattered on the grass.

“Your race is run, General,” Ike said coldly. The general looked up, the unmarked helm staring right at him. “It’s over.”

“It will never be over until you are dead,” the general hissed. Then, as if rocked by a surge of pain, the general thrust his head back and shrieked, “releassssssssssse!”

General Bertram’s armour began to crack and shatter, falling to the ground and shriveling into nothing. Ike looked back in alarm and met Soren’s eyes. The mage’s dark, worried stare told him everything he needed to know. With a final sound of groaning metal, the armour collapsed into itself, and a black mist shot straight out of it, dissipating in the sky above their heads.

The whole display had taken less than two seconds. Now feeling distinctly apprehensive, Ike turned to Soren. “Call any remaining soldiers to the fort. Tell them it’s been captured in the name of Crimea. And send another group of riders to the Princess; tell her and her guard to head to the fort immediately.”

Soren nodded and moved away. Sighing, Ike turned to look at the place where Bertram’s armour had been only moments earlier, before he moved away. There were other matters to deal with.

* * * * *

After bringing the soldiers in and stationing guards around Fort Pinell, Ike called a meeting with the war council. The lamps shone brightly in the circular room, illuminating the tired, heavy faces of the people assembled. Tibarn, who had returned from the assault on Nados Castle, was leaning against a wall, wings twitching slightly.

“Well, from the looks of things, the battle ended in our favour,” the hawk king said. Ike nodded. “Yes. But the Daein army was much greater in number than we anticipated. Many of our soldiers lie dead upon the fields.”

“Much must be risked in war,” Soren said from his seat next to Geoffrey and Lucia. “It never turns out well.”

Tibarn sighed. “I don’t have the best news to report either. When we withdrew from our assault as we had planned, reinforcements began flooding in from the capital.”

This news was met with collective muttering. Tibarn spoke above the noise. “That’s not all. During our attack, one soldier appeared mid-battle. The men that were guarding the castle were nothing special, but… this one was different. He decimated an entire unit, by himself. He tore through them like a wolf into a freshly killed deer.”

Ike’s eyes narrowed. He knew who this was. “What did he look like?”

“Very tall,” Tibarn said. “Covered from head to foot with black armour.”

“The Black Knight…” Ike muttered. “He’s in that castle.”

“So what do we do?” Lucia asked. Titania shrugged. “There’s nothing we can do. We can’t deviate from the plan just because of this… unpleasant development. We’re too close to victory to give up now.”

“Titania’s right,” Ike said. “Tomorrow, we move to the castle. We’ll crush them regardless of who leads them.”

“Spoken like a true leader,” Tibarn said. Ike smiled half-heartedly. “Thanks. Now, combat strategies. Soren, what do you suggest…?”

* * * * *

After arriving at Fort Pinell, Gatrie escorted Elincia to the council meeting before being dismissed. While they were heading back, a storm had broken out, and by the time Gatrie arrived at the fort, his armour was drenched and he was soaked to the skin. The only upside to this was Ilyana had also been saturated with rainwater, and her tight green shirt was soaked and clinging to her thin frame. Gatrie could see the barest hint of her nipples poking against the fabric of her shirt, and he was uncomfortably aware of himself hardening. Not a fun thing when wearing very tight armour.

Gatrie shuffled through the halls, heading to the soldiers’ quarters. Luckily, the Greil Mercenaries had their own chambers. The other soldiers merely slept in barracks. Gatrie trudged up the spiral staircase leading to the quarters, found his room, and slipped inside.

He changed out of his armour and into a loose pair of sweatpants, along with a t-shirt. His stomach was rumbling, so he decided to grab a late dinner at the banquet hall. No doubt all the other soldiers had finished by now, as it was getting very late and the only matter of importance at the moment was the war council. Invigorated by the thought of food, Gatrie made his way back downstairs and headed to the banquet hall.

Pulling open the doors and walking inside, Gatrie was not surprised to see Ilyana hunched over a table, tearing into a loaf of bread with unbridled passion. She was the only other person in the room. Gatrie walked up to her and sat down beside her.

“Evening,” he said. Ilyana mumbled something through a mouthful of bread. “Didn’t catch that,” Gatrie said, grinning, and she swallowed with some difficulty.

“Sorry,” she said, blushing. As Gatrie began piling his plate high with food, Ilyana downed a goblet of wine in a single gulp. Gatrie’s eyes widened as she knocked back the drink effortlessly.

“Aren’t we eager tonight?” he asked her. Ilyana shrugged and refilled the goblet. “Largo’s coming down soon, and he told me to save him some. I’m kind of in the mood for a lot, though.” She grinned impishly. Gatrie shook his head. He noticed Ilyana was still wearing her wet clothes, and he could still see the outline of her breasts through her shirt.

“Are you worried about tomorrow?” Gatrie asked, more to distract himself than anything else. Ilyana made a half-shrug. “A little, I suppose,” she replied. “We always come out on top, though, so I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

“I always come on top too, if you know what I mean,” Gatrie said slyly, sliding his hand across her leg. She swatted him away, grinning. “You’re such a pervert,” she chuckled, resuming eating as if she was a dying woman. Gatrie smirked. He had sampled, and now he wanted more. Reaching over, he slid the plate out of her reach and towards his other side.

“Hey, give that back!” Ilyana cried, reaching for it. Gatrie slid the plate further away. Ilyana made a wild snatch, upsetting her balance, and sending herself tumbling onto Gatrie’s lap. She continued reaching for the plate, and Gatrie wrapped an arm around her waist to stop her. They continued to mock fight, laughing, until Gatrie accidentally-on-purpose gave her right breast a fleeting squeeze through her shirt. They looked at each other, eyes wide. Gatrie detected playfulness, fear, and lust in her gaze. She looked away in embarrassment, biting her lip. The gesture was unbelievable sexy. He wanted her, right here, right now. Throwing caution to the winds, Gatrie leaned in and captured her lips with his own.

Ilyana uttered a soft sigh into his mouth as he kissed her slowly, his hand running up and down her side. She began to kiss back, hesitatingly at first, and then more passionately. Gatrie probed her lips with his tongue, and she parted them, allowing him to wrestle with her within her own mouth. Her breathing became fast and shallow, and Gatrie felt himself twitching in anticipation.

Gatrie began to pull at Ilyana’s shirt, not pausing as he passionately kissed her. She moaned softly as he slid the shirt up, over her head, laying her chest bare before him. Gatrie groaned and slid his rough palm over one of her smooth, firm breasts, feeling her shudder with delight as he stroked her. Her breasts weren’t that big, but they were soft and yielding and capped with small, dark nipples. Gatrie ran his fingers across her nipple, twisting slightly with practiced hands.

Ilyana let out a squeal, her body writhing against Gatrie as he palmed and kneaded her breasts. For a moment, she lost herself in the pleasure, allowing Gatrie to cup and bounce her breasts in his hands, sending shivers across her skin and causing her to grow hot and wet below.

Gatrie slowly began kissing down her neck, sucking on her collar before drifting down to capture her breast in his mouth. Ilyana let out a low moan, thrusting her chest upwards as he sucked on her nipples, running his tongue over them and teasing their tips with his lips. She squirmed, letting out an ecstatic mewl every time he lightly bit down, sending heat radiating through her body from her pussy. Gatrie’s cock throbbed at her soft moans.

“Gatrie…”

“You like that?”

“Yeah…”

Gatrie grinned. “Soon you’re gonna love it.” With strong arms, he suddenly picked her up and lay her down across the table, sweeping his arm across and tossing all the surrounding food to the floor. A goblet smashed and doused the food debris with a splash of red.

“Largo’s going to kill us,” Ilyana breathed, her fingers trembling slightly as she pulled at Gatrie’s shirt, trying to lift it above his head. He squirmed frantically, shrugging out of it and tossing it to the side. Ilyana marveled at his tank-like physique, chiseled abdomen, and muscular chest muscles.

“Screw Largo,” Gatrie said, and in one fluid movement he spread her legs and slowly entered her with his tongue.

Ilyana gave a soft shriek, mesmerized by the incredible sensations that built up within her. She squirmed on the table, her breasts bouncing as Gatrie slowly slipped his tongue deeper inside her, sliding into her with expert grace. Her hands inadvertently slid up to her heaving breasts and squeezed, rubbing and tugging at her nipples. Gatrie, now rock hard from the moans and sighs he was eliciting from Ilyana, moved upwards slightly and took Ilyana’s clitoris into his mouth.

Ilyana gave a choked cry, her eyes wide, as the heat and pleasure radiating from her pussy grew unbearable. She squeezed her breasts with a new fervor, kneading them and pushing her nipples together, wrapping her legs around Gatrie’s head, trying to force his tongue deeper within her. He alternated between tonguing her burning slit and lightly flicking her clitoris with her tongue, each time causing her to cry out as orgasms crashed through her. With one final brush of his tongue, Ilyana shuddered and lost it, releasing a flood of juices from her throbbing pussy as she moaned in ecstasy. Gatrie lapped up her juices eagerly, taking it all in as Ilyana’s quick breathing and heaving breasts, nipples pert and slick, slowly subsided.

Gatrie straightened up from his perch at the edge of the table, watching Ilyana as she struggled to catch her breath. Slowly, she got up from her prone position and knelt in front of him, sliding his pants down to his ankles. Gatrie grunted as his stiff, thick manhood was exposed, standing at attention before the young mage’s violet eyes. She reached out and encircled him with a small fist, causing a jolt of pleasure to run through his body. Slowly, she began to pump his manhood, sliding her hand across its shaft before reaching down to cup his balls. Gatrie let out a hoarse sigh, his head thrust back on the table as Ilyana picked up the pace, jerking him faster and faster.

Ilyana continued her quick movements, bringing Gatrie to the edge as he concentrated all his effort into not exploding. She continued to massage Gatrie’s balls, sifting them between her fingers and squeezing them gently with one hand, while she ran her other up and down his twitching manhood, enjoying the muttered sighs he was making. With one final jerk, she gripped him tightly with her hand. Gatrie bucked forwards into her hand, letting out a loud moan as his dick throbbed, sending thick streams of cum jetting into the air. Ilyana continued to pump his length until he finally stopped, breathing hard, a fine sheen of sweat forming on his face.

“Wow,” Gatrie said, turning to face Ilyana. “That was really good. Have you done this before?” She nodded shyly. “Before I joined the merchant convoy, I met a traveler along the road and… got to know him. He left soon afterwards, though. And you’ve done this before as well, I imagine?”

They looked at each other for a split second before simultaneously bursting into laughter. “That’s a good one,” Gatrie laughed. Ilyana grinned and brushed a stray strand of hair away from her face. Gatrie pulled her in, ignoring her squeal, and lay her down on the table again. He slowly climbed on top of her, positioning himself above her wet slit. “Here goes,” he said, before he buried himself into her.

Both mage and knight let out a loud moan as they became joined, a searing tidal wave of pleasure spreading from their loins. Gatrie stayed still for an excruciating second, waiting for Ilyana to become accustomed to his thickness, before he slowly began to slide himself in and out of her.

Ilyana moaned in elation and thrust her chest out as Gatrie pumped into her, both his hands braced on either side of the table. He leaned over and began to kiss her neck, and she let out a blissful giggle as he rocked into her, faster this time. Gatrie continued his powerful thrusts, sending waves of pleasure coursing through the lightning mage squirming and gasping beneath him. Ilyana began to rock back in timing with Gatrie’s thrusts, her breasts jiggling delightfully. Gatrie lowered his head and encircled her right orb, sucking on her skin and twirling his tongue around her nipple. Ilyana gave another passionate cry, grinding her hips against his as he picked up his pace further.

Ilyana’s hands found their way to Gatrie’s toned ass, and she squeezed him avidly, moaning as she did so. Gatrie groaned into her soft tits, his chest heaving, as Ilyana thrust into him, causing a wave of pleasure to crescendo within him. He continued to alternate between her firm breasts, every so often sliding his hands down her sides and cupping her dainty ass. Ilyana’s moans and cries mixed with his as they both writhed and squirmed on top of the table, gripping each other tightly.

Gatrie moved his head away from Ilyana’s breasts, leaving a thin film of saliva on them, as he captured her lips again, pounding into her in a sweaty blur. Ilyana mewled into his mouth, while her own hands moved to her breasts again, cupping and bouncing them between her hands and tugging on her hard nipples. Gatrie’s dick was now covered in pussy juice, glinting in the light from the lamps above, as he slid in and out of her with fervent speed.

“Gatrie – !”

“Ilyana!”

With one final thrust, Gatrie buried himself into Ilyana, causing her to whimper in ecstasy. Her pussy clenched and unclenched around his rock hard erection, dousing it with sex juice. Her loud cry echoed throughout the hall as she emptied herself. A split second later, Gatrie lost it as well, throwing his head back and moaning as he shot his load deep into Ilyana, bucking repeatedly as he filled her with his contributions.

Gatrie lifted himself off Ilyana’s shaking form, collapsing next to her before leaning over and kissing her sweaty face. Ilyana smiled sleepily, tucking her head against his chest, her breasts pushing into him from the side. For a while they lay there, listening to the roar of thunder and the patter of rain as it poured down upon the castle.

“Gatrie?” Ilyana asked after a while.

“Yeah?”

“Is there any food left?”

* * * * *

Half an hour later, Largo shuffled into the banquet hall, eyes half-closed. His body was aching and fatigued after a long sparring session with Muarim. Grunting heavily, he sagged down at the table and opened his eyes.

“What the hell happened to my food?!”