A Dream of Empire Ch. 001

'A Dream of Empire' is a long fantasy epic, seen through the eyes of many characters. It will span at least thirty years of history within a fictional world, and will contain near every kink at least once. Each chapter will follow one specific individual, which will be denoted at the beginning, as well as their present location and the initial date in-world. Chapters will be published chronologically, but there may be significant time gaps (in-world) between them. There will likely be at least one sexual scene in each chapter, but I won't guarantee it as I'm anticipating more than two-hundred chapters judging from the storyboard.

The three main characters (Alanna, Casiama, and Talos) at the start of this story are currently enjoying an interesting love triangle that has developed over the course of a year. If this is your first time reading my works then I absolutely encourage you to start here, as I've reintroduced the characters in detail. Then, if you'd like to read of their escapades prior to this story (and their original introductions), start with "Luck Pt. 01 - A Chance Meeting", which begins a forty-three part prologue ending with "Freedom Pt. 11 - Catriona".

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Alanna

Catriona, Imperial County of Catriona

8^th of Zenith, 1282 D.f.

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Alanna sensed a triple-knock on the door downstairs. The young girl, inspecting herself in a full-length mirror, also sensed the man who knocked, and the woman who answered the greeting. She had quick work to do.

The girl reviewing herself in the mirror was a sorceress; a lucky, one-in-a-thousand girl, who had both received a rare spark of magic when she had been born, and had also been fortunate enough to have attended the College of Catriona, where she enhanced those natural skills.

One-in-thirty-thousand if one considered that Alanna was also an enchantress, a sorceress who specialized in telepathy. She was capable of reading the thoughts of those around her on a whim, which had been a natural gift she had received soon after her birth. The college taught her how to expand this gift, to the point where Alanna was now capable of creating thoughts in those that she read as well.

With a simple charm, the enchantress could win any argument. With an enchantment, she could command man or beast to do her bidding, to sate her every whim. She had limited knowledge of several other schools of magic as well, something that an extroverted sorceress would happen to pick up when they're surrounded by a hundred fellow magic users for several years of their enthusiastic teenage life.

The sorceress smiled as she looked herself over in the full-length mirror. With twenty years of age, Alanna's body was in a natural prime she knew wouldn't last forever, and she vowed to make the most of it. Her womanly hips lewdly filled the pair of leather pants she now wore, which were fortunately covered up with a long, pleated dress that glowed a dark-mahogany even in the dim room she currently occupied. In the sunlight it would twinkle with a radiant red, a not-so-subtle warning to those around her of her magical status.

Her voluptuous breasts were evident both through the dress and the corset beneath, which held them firmly in place. The pair would never be concealed by standard clothing, but the enchantress didn't particularly mind this fact; Alanna hadn't been anywhere near this well-endowed naturally. The College of Catriona taught its students that a woman's natural looks could be a great advantage to any sorceress. In turn, many students of the college had their bodies transmuted to perfection. Even as they aged, sorceresses were capable of transmuting their bodies to appear as a healthy twenty-something well into their hundreds, if they were skilled enough in the art.

Having learned all she could in the School of Enchantment, Alanna had been studying the School of Transmutation as of late. She was, so far, only capable of changing the color of a dress, or allowing her eyes to shine just a bit brighter than they naturally were, but in time she would master this school just as she mastered the former. She hoped, anyway.

Alanna placed her copper-and-ruby circlet on her head, then pulled her long auburn hair through it to cover most of the band. She ran an ivory comb through her shining hair one last time, ensuring she had defeated each and every knot within it. Sorceresses typically wore their hair freely, unlike most women of the Empire, commoner and noble alike. Alanna's pride ensured that her hair must glow with the radiance that she herself possessed, as if in subtle show of her own natural superiority.

Well don't you look lovely today, she sensed her lover saying two rooms away. Alanna giggled nervously, knowing the greeting wasn't meant for her. She pretended that it did, anyway, for one fleeting moment as she brushed her hair.

Only when she was satisfied with her hair's obedience did she place the comb on the small table, then ran her hand through it once. Perfect. Foundation would be needed next, to help hide the few blemishes the young girl held on her visage.

Yeah, fetch her for me, her lover said, the words flowing through her mind as if they were her own.

Damn. Alanna wouldn't have time for makeup today. She had hoped the pair downstairs would have occupied each other for another few minutes, but it seemed the man at the door was just a bit impatient to see her.

She shot up from the chair she occupied, performing a half-twirl in the mirror for her own inspection. Her blue eyes twinkled with delight as she looked herself over, noticing her curvaceous butt pushing the red dress lewdly a couple inches behind her. Pants were absolutely necessary to wear underneath, she knew, lest another get a peek of something they shouldn't while she was out-and-about.

She bent over to lace her knee-high boots, boots which had a two-inch heel to make her feel just that much taller. Alanna would still stand several inches beneath her six-foot lover with the height adjustment, just as both of them liked. If one were a fly on the wall behind the sorceress just then, they would spy the perfect gap between the girl's womanly thighs as she was bent over, her dress rising up so it laid only an inch beneath her cheeks.

Alanna then heard a knock on her door, a request which she responded to with enthusiasm.

"Come in, Cass!" she exclaimed through the thick wooden paneling. It opened a second later, a lithe, trim elf stepping through the opening. The elf held a babe in her arms, Alanna's babe, and was stroking his cheek with an infinite delicateness.

The elf was none other than a royal princess of an elven kingdom to the east, who, in the course of a year, had gone from being Alanna's would-be killer, to being her friend, to romantic rival, back to friend, to eager lover. Alanna had met her on a desolate shoreline in the far reaches of the Empire of humanity, where they traveled together for several weeks before they said their goodbyes when the elven princess returned to her home.

Casiama had been subsequently exiled from her home of Tor Valliya by her own father upon her return, having ventured into human-controlled lands without his permission. The venture had violated a long-standing agreement between the two nations, and the King of Tor Valliya had no choice but to banish her. Casiama had been incredibly distraught by the turn of events, of course, but stuck with Alanna's lover Talos through thick and thin before the trio was again reunited by chance in Imperia, the capital of mankind.

Casiama only had twenty-nine years of age, a genuinely young amount for an elf. To a human, she would appear to hold only nineteen or twenty years. Her body was naturally tanned, her hair a shining golden-brown, and her deep green eyes held the visage of a spring-time forest. Casiama loved the color white, and the long dress that covered her willowy body today was no exception to that rule.

Casiama smiled sweetly towards Alanna, who was now haphazardly tossing her grooming supplies into her backpack. The elf spoke in a hushed tone to avoid upsetting the babe cradled in her arms, but also with a hint of excitement.

"Talos just returned from the market," she said softly. "Need any help?"

Alanna shook her head then sighed happily, closing her large furred backpack. She hoped three changes of clothes would suffice for the short, personal getaway with the man that she and Casiama shared.

"I... think I have everything? Thank you, though," she replied sweetly. Alanna slung the pack over her shoulder, then walked over to the elf standing in the doorway. The girls shared a quick, genuine smile, and Alanna leaned down to kiss her babe on the forehead softly.

"Be good for aunt Casiama, little Talos," the sorceress cooed with twinkling eyes, then raised her sight to Casiama. The elf tilted her head with a half-smile.

"We'll be fine, Alanna."

Alanna frowned. "And you're sure you have enough milk?"

"I'm absolutely sure that we do," the elf replied with a giggle. Alanna had produced a month's worth for the week she would be away, and Casiama had it stored in the safest location she knew.

"And food. He really likes-"

"I know what he likes," Casiama chided playfully, sticking her tongue out a half-inch from her lips. Alanna rolled her eyes with a smile.

"I know, I know," she sighed. "Gods, why am I so nervous, Cass?"

Casiama swayed towards her delicately, keeping the babe in her arms steady and level. As an elf, Casiama had a natural tendency to move gracefully. As a good-natured soul, she also had the tendency to think compassionately of the ones she loved before thinking of herself. And how she loved young Talos.

"You're worrying about things that won't happen, Alanna," she answered sweetly, then leaned in to peck the sorceress on the lips. "I will protect this Talos with my life. All you need to do is have a good time with the other, okay?"

Alanna glanced towards the floor, nodding twice in quick succession. "Yeah, yeah. Okay. Wish me luck," the sorceress muttered under her breath. Casiama laid her forehead on Alanna's, and their gazes met.

"I promise you won't need it, but I'll pray for you either way," the princess whispered whimsically. Alanna grinned happily, then smooched her on the lips.

"Mmm. Thanks, Cass."

Alanna stepped away, then moved towards the stairs after another worried glance towards her babe. She exhaled sharply, hoping to alleviate her worries for a few days. She could do this.

Alanna opened the front door to the house with a slight twirl, her steps flowing with a specific happiness she hadn't felt in almost a year when she spied her man in the street. She finished her spin, closing the door with a bit more force than she'd intended, and stumbled ever so slightly on her feet.

"Whoa, easy there," she heard her lover playfully chide her from behind. Alanna twirled once more, grinning ear-to-ear to meet the familiar voice.

To an untrained eye, the man before her would appear positively frightening. The man stood six feet tall, a rare height even in the thirteenth century since the Dragonfall. His dark leather-and-chain armor protected every inch of his body until reaching his sturdy neck, and the priceless sword on his belt shone with a terrifying brilliance of a long-forgotten age of unnecessary extravagance. He wore a crossbow strapped to his back, and Alanna knew he carried several knives on his person as well.

Talos had seen a hundred battles in his thirty-three years, and yet bore no evident scars from his encounters on his face. Alanna knew he was a terrifying blademaster, having seen him in action for several fortnights last year. The man never bragged of the hundreds of foes he had slain in his time, but Alanna had read them on his mind regardless. His wavy, brown hair fell freely to his shoulders, and his bright green eyes pierced those unfortunate souls he gazed upon.

Yet, for being such an awe-inspiring man, Alanna loved him dearly. The pair had journeyed together for several fortnights last year, deep into the hostile frontier to the east. With no one to converse with but him, Alanna had fallen so very hard for the man. She had lost her virginity to him then, and had subsequently gotten pregnant with his offspring soon after. Alanna had never slept with another man, and she truly felt there was no need to.

Alanna had since shared her telepathic gift with the man, through a hidden method that had only recently been relearned by the sorceresses of Catriona. This allowed Alanna and Talos to read one another intrinsically, providing a magical depth to their relationship that no two souls had shared in half a millenia.

The pair had only been reacquainted for two months after a long hiatus of their romantic relationship, yet acted as if they'd been life-long lovers in each other's presence. Alanna felt giddy with joy as she looked upon him, and Talos displayed a warmth towards her that he showed for no other. Well, no other except for the elf inside the house, of course.

Talos was just finishing packing his horse for their journey to the countryside, strapping his saddlebags in place on his chestnut mare. Alanna rushed towards him gleefully, skipping into his now-outstretched arms. The man strained to keep himself upright as she kissed him deeply on the lips.

They locked for several moments, Alanna finally pushing herself off of him with a giggle. Talos smiled as well, and had almost remembered to return to the saddlebags.

"Soo? What ever will we do for an entire week alone?" Alanna asked coyly. She clasped her hands together at her side, then swayed rhythmically as the man looked her over with a smirk. He outstreched a hand, offering to take her pack from her shoulder.

"I'm not entirely sure. It's been a while, huh? Since the Badlands?" he replied, grabbing the furred pack from her. Alanna nodded, reminiscing of their time alone in that desolate wilderness last summer.

"Yes! I was, um, hoping you'd have ideas. Besides the..." she glanced towards his crotch, just briefly, "obvious, of course."

Talos, in a brief moment of wisdom, had schemed appropriately for their adventure. Ever since he and the curvy enchantress had been bound mentally, Talos had been capable of feeling every pleasure that she herself felt, as she could of him. When the pair now made love together, they each felt pleasure for two, and it had been incredibly intoxicating.

Addicting, even. Naturally, the 'obvious' was still his primary objective for the excursion, but he also had plans to show her several sights nearby that the young sorceress hadn't yet seen. Not that he'd ever admit to that, of course. Surprises are the spice of life, after all.

He finished strapping her pack onto the horse, then opened a different pack to pull out a bottle of wine.

"Well, to start, I figured we could do what we did in the Badlands last year," Talos said gruffly, displaying the bottle of pinot noir to a smiling Alanna. "Without the wyverns or Orcs, even. Although, I doubt we'll be able to make a proper game of 'Never Have I Ever' this time around."

The first time the pair had played the game, Alanna had been capable of reading every thought that Talos made, making the game ridiculously unfair. Now that he was also capable of reading her as well, it made the gesture seem rather pointless. The pair had since made middling efforts recently to not read one another, if only to allow a certain element of surprise in their lives.

Alanna's eyebrows rose with surprise and pleasure. "Just the one?" she asked, nodding towards the bottle of wine. Talos returned it to the bag, then pulled out another with a smirk.

"Oh, Talos!" she exclaimed exaggeratedly. "You know just the way to a girl's heart."

He nodded as he dropped the bottle, then closed the bag. "Yeah. Figure I'll get you nice and drunk, then have my way with you. Romantically, of course."

"Ooh," Alanna cooed, giggling as she stepped towards him once more. She rested her hands on his shoulders. "Romantically. But how will I resist?"

He shrugged with a grin, then kissed her softly on the cheek.

"Well, you won't. That's what the wine is for," Talos explained dryly.

The enchantress giggled gleefully, slapping him playfully on the chest. She knew Talos wasn't wrong, of course, and he wouldn't need the wine to get her to perform anything he wanted. Alanna had fallen so far for the man.

She wordlessly charmed her horse to trot towards her, and the beast snorted when it neared. She placed a calming hand on its neck, patting it gently. Talos wondered if the girl who had recently birthed his child required his assistance to sit atop the mare.

"Need help?" he asked warmly. Alanna shook her head, yet Talos walked towards her and placed a hand on her back as she rose, anyway. She mounted her horse with a bit of effort, and Talos' strong guidance.

"I, uh, kept your horse lightly loaded. So you can remain on her for the entire journey," Talos explained. "Although, she looks a bit sickly."

Alanna shook her head once more, leaning in to hug her horse's neck. "She isn't! I'm sure she's just getting lazy. I haven't ridden in a year, so this will do her some good," she sighed happily. "Do us both some good."

Talos smirked, mounting his own horse after a moment. He looked north and south down the road they were situated on, then shrugged.

"Know where you're going?" he asked slyly to the beautiful girl beside him. Talos knew his way, but would use any excuse he could to make her ride in front. Any journey, even a short one, could always be improved with the sight of a beautiful woman before you, after all.

The enchantress rolled her head playfully when she sensed this, and charmed her horse to turn south and begin trotting down the cobblestone street of Catriona. Talos followed her with a smirk, his eyes only on her.

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The sun shone brightly on Alanna and Talos as they made their way through the great city of Catriona. The season of summer was now in full swing, and the expansive, blue sky above them agreed to share its bounty of warmth.

Talos rode a respectable two horse-lengths behind the girl, admiring her curvaceous form as she rocked gently in the saddle. In the few months he had lived in Catriona, he'd found it a surprise at how many of the townsfolk simply knew Alanna. He had figured even the most extroverted individuals might have a dozen or two friends, having known nothing else in his extensive life of wandering the world alone. It seemed every half-minute there would be another peasant or mage who waved towards Alanna, who waved back in return and offered a greeting of absolute kindness.

She was the talk of the town. Alanna had been the first sorceress of Catriona in two decades to give birth to a child, and most agreed it couldn't have happened to a nicer soul. The famed enchantress had also returned from the city of Mschuleft last year, a ruined magical settlement to the far east deep within hostile territory. There, Alanna rescued four massive tomes of lost knowledge from an era long forgotten, and every sorceress at the College knew of her now.

Alanna spent much of her free time helping the helpless of Catriona as well, wielding her restoration, transmutation, and enchantment magic for the betterment of all. Her predisposition to supporting others had amazed Talos, especially when she didn't expect any rewards for her deeds.

She truly was too good for him.

"Alanna! Good morning!" a young girl holding a massive bucket of water shouted to the enchantress atop the horse. Alanna waved enthusiastically as her sight flickered towards the girl.