Champions Vol. 02

"I do believe that efforts should be made to build fortifications within the city. However, Exitibus is so large that attempting to build a wall around it would take a year or more, and would require the efforts of every conjurer and telekinetic of skill in the city in addition to a massive number of workers. We should instead look at fortifying a smaller section of the city, one with solidly built structures already in it as well as access to food and water. I have considered the issue at length and believe that the temple district is the best location for this, as it is the oldest area of the city and has the best constructed buildings in it."

Phoebe and Varus nodded in acceptance of the man's logic. He had obviously put significant time into this plan, and as unpleasant as the idea of a wall in their city was, the defense of the citizens had to take priority.

"How long would the wall take?" Varus asked.

"It would depend on how many we could involve in the construction; but at best it will take two months to complete, at worst four," Lucios replied.

"We should begin immediately," Phoebe replied. "I will announce the call for workers during the worship services tonight, and the temple will help to fund the build."

"The city guard can also help with the funding," Varus added. "My men began collecting donations for a charity fund to help the families of guards that are injured or killed, and they have had some success with it. We can increase our requests for donations, and explain how it will be used to build this wall to defend the citizens."

Phoebe nodded in agreement with her fiancé, and Lucios smiled at them both in relief. He was thankful that his plans were so well received, and that the young couple would fully support his efforts. He knew his soldiers were willing to sacrifice everything to defend their homes, and he was heartened to see that others responsible for protecting the city felt the same.

*** Chapter 39: Stolen Moments ***

170610JUL13 DW

2^nd of Poseideon, 2351 EC

Calavius, Erosius

Charis yawned widely as she woke from a restless sleep. The militia volunteers had returned four days ago and since then everyone had been training hard. She and Onesiphoros had been working with the militia leader Kostagos Alexandros to learn the new tactics that they had been taught, and improve the defensive plans for the city.

Philotheos had discovered an ancient manual about defensive fortifications last month, and had immediately organized the construction of a defensive wall around a section of the city, since there was simply no way to build one around all of Calavius. Too many homes were built near the coast, and Philotheos was unwilling to disrupt those people's lives by asking them to move so that their homes could be demolished to build a wall. Instead they decided to build a smaller wall around the new temple and surrounding area, which was on a hill and would give the defenders excellent vantage points to observe from. Additionally, as the tallest structure in Calavius the temple now had an observation tower built on top of its roof as well.

Charis did not care for the aesthetic of the look, but she accepted the necessity of the alteration.

Shaking the fog of sleep from her brain, she climbed out of her bed and began to dress for the day ahead. Reaching into her closet for the robes she would wear that day, she saw her ceremonial robe hanging beside it and it brought her mind back to the reason for her troubled sleep.

Paramonos had attended worship service last night, as he did most nights. The woman he had been paired with had deeply enjoyed his skilled touch, and Charis had been distracted from her Blessing a number of times. After the evening was over, she had seen the look of confusion in the eyes of her partner, and realized that she had practically ignored the man, going through the motions like an automaton. It was completely unlike her, and she had felt terrible about being so distracted from him. She just could not focus around Paramonos!

Sighing, she slipped on her robes and sandals and exited her room as quietly as she could. It was still early, and the sun had barely begun to lighten the eastern sky. With an hour before she needed to begin breakfast for those staying at the temple, she decided to take a walk down to the sea. She always found that the gentle crashing of the waves helped to calm her mind when it was troubled.

Walking out the back door of the temple she heard two of the horses snorting and whinnying in the stables. Concerned, she rushed inside to see Paramonos standing next to Sapphire's horse, Moonbeam, trying to soothe the obviously disturbed animal. Standing in the adjacent stall, Laurena's horse Meadowgrass was equally upset. Hearing her rushed entry, Paramonos turned towards the noise. His expression of concern lifted into a small smile when he saw the object of his affections standing there. Charis' feelings were more complex.

Paramonos had apparently been asleep recently as well, as he was standing there barefoot with nothing but a thin pair of sleep breeches on. With his slim build his clothes normally hid his body, so it was always surprising to people how strong he really was; but anyone who had witnessed him at worship service would understand. He packed an incredible amount of strength into his lean frame, and tightly corded muscles of his arms and chest were flexing and twitching as he struggled to calm the large animal. The exertion of it had caused a light misting of sweat to form on his skin, causing it to glitter in the lamplight.

The sight caused Charis' polite greeting to catch in her throat. He was so handsome! But more than that he was sweet, and possessed an innocence and shyness that called to the nurturing side of the highly empathic priestess. When she had first arrived at Calavius from the Great Temple he was the first to greet and welcome her, and the sight of him had tugged at her heart so strongly that it scared her. She had dedicated her life to Eros, and she was determined to be a priestess for all her days. She did not want to feel this strongly about anyone but Eros!

Since then she had fought those feelings, and while it was often a struggle she had felt that her mind was slowly winning the war against her heart. And when she heard Laurena was coming she had had such hope that her beautiful friend would catch his eye and redirect his attentions! But it did not work. His passion for Charis had not changed, and her own feelings about him had become even more difficult to manage since Laurena's visit.

Now, seeing his handsome face, with the special smile he had only for her, the battle within threatened to consume her.

Shaking herself from the tumultuous emotions, with the most profound difficulty she wrenched a polite smile on her face in reply. As she moved forward to help him with the agitated horses she struggled hard to keep her eyes from straying to his glistening torso and deliciously straining arms.

Paramonos was delighted that Charis had happened by so early, as he always cherished any moment in her presence. His room at the temple was nearest the horses, and their disturbed whinnying had woken him from slumber. His adrenaline had spiked at the sound and he had rushed outside to calm them, dressed in only his sleep trousers. He was still struggling to think clearly as his racing heart fought with his still sleep-fogged brain. As Moonbeam began to calm Meadowgrass did as well. He had noticed soon after they arrived that the two horses were sweet on one another, and had made sure that they were kept close. Something had spooked the mare, and the stallion had reacted to her.

Once Moonbeam was finally calmed, Paramonos turned to thank Charis for her help and noticed she was staring at his naked chest. He blushed in embarrassment. He was not comfortable around others, and often struggled against his crippling shyness. To be so exposed in front of the love of his life was horrifying.

"S-sorry Ch-charis," he stuttered nervously. "I was so w-worried about the horses I f-forgot to get dressed."

Broken from her appreciation of Paramonos' body by his voice, Charis also flushed in embarrassment. It was far more noticeable on her pale skin than on his more tanned flesh, and Paramonos' head lowered in shame, mistaking her blush. There was a proper way to win her heart, and walking around naked in front of her was not it!

"I'll go put something on," he mumbled as he began to move away. "Thank you for the help."

Seeing his distraught reaction, Charis' mind cursed herself for upsetting him while her heart shouted at her to apologize for the transgression. Reaching out to stop him before he left, her hand missed his arm and came to rest on his slick chest. The heat of his skin sent a delightful thrill through her, and for once her mind was silent while her heart cried out in joy.

"There is nothing to apologize for, Paramonos," she said softly, the jubilant cries of her heart echoing through her. "You take excellent care of all the horses here, and it neither surprises nor distresses me that you would put their needs before your own."

His eyes had locked on her hand the moment it had touched his chest. She had touched him! It was the first time in over a year that she had done so. But as her words penetrated the whooping cries of joy echoing inside of him, his eyes snapped up to her face in surprise. She had noticed him and his work. More than that, she had just complimented him and forgiven him in the same breath! He began to grin in happiness, and then her fingers started to move.

Charis could not take her eyes away from the fingers she pressed to his breastbone. The smooth skin was softer than she thought it would be, and she could feel his heart pounding in his chest. Sliding her hand across his chest, she luxuriated in the feel of his skin on her fingertips as she moved her hand over his heart in fascination. It was practically pounding against her hand, the strong beat of it thudding against her fingers as the heat of his body radiated into her touch. Moving closer, she pressed her hand fully against his chest and noticed that his heart began to beat faster, as his body began to shudder.

She moved even closer, her body now inches from his, and looked into his eyes with concern. So close now, she could feel the heat of his body coming off him in waves. Fall had come quickly this year, and the morning was not a warm one for him to be dressed so lightly. With the light sheen of sweat beginning to cool on his skin he must be getting cold. He was practically shivering!

Unbeknownst to Charis, Paramonos was not cold, and in fact he felt like he was on fire. He was shivering because the joy in his heart was quickly being replaced with passion, and he was struggling against his body's desire to wrap her in his arms and never let go.

"I think it would be good for you to take a moment for yourself in the future though," she whispered to him, the passion swelling inside urging her forward. "You must be very cold," she said, although she was secretly surprised at just how warm his skin felt on her hand as she began softly stroking his chest.

Paramonos said nothing, for he had lost the ability to speak. She was still touching him. She was more than touching him! As her fingers caressed the leanly muscled pectoral over his heart he could do nothing but stare into her eyes. She was so beautiful!

Barely noticing his lack of reply, Charis' heart railed at her for merely standing there. She should be hugging him, kissing him; she should be wrapped in his arms where she could use her own body to keep him warm!

Her mind began to fight back, rejecting most of these demands. But as a cool breeze swept through the barn it finally conceded that it would only be polite to hug him and share some of her body heat with the shivering young man. She moved forward the few remaining inches and wrapped her arms around him, not even thinking to ask his permission. Her mind continued to reason that she was just trying to keep him warm as her heart crowed in triumph over the small victory it had achieved in the long war.

Paramonos couldn't think! His brain had completely locked up at the feel of Charis against him. Her soft body felt amazing pressed against him, and when her arms wrapped around his waist fireworks exploded in his head. No longer restrained by a now overwrought brain, his body took control, and his arms wrapped around her in return. At 5'6" she was only an inch shorter than his 5'7", so she rested her chin on his shoulder and pressed the side of her head against his. Her mutinous body had joined forces with her heart, and it insisted that she press as much of herself against him as possible.

Paramonos' manhood awoke in excitement to be so close to the woman he desired above all others, and as it began to swell between them Charis could not help but notice its presence. She simply pressed against him harder, the singing of her body and heart at his touch drowning out the protestations of her mind. In that moment, she felt so content, so happy, that not even the worries in her mind could derail the feeling. Paramonos shared the moment, and the emotion, with the love of his life.

Unfortunately, the moment was broken by the sound of a bell ringing in the distance. Startled by the sound, Charis' mind reasserted control and demanded her separation from Paramonos. With great reluctance she did so, wondering at the odd sound of the bell.

Then she remembered it was the warning bell; the one that the coastal patrols had installed in their ships to signal the city if a threat was approaching. Shocked, Charis looked to Paramonos in surprise. He was confused at the sound, not aware of what it signaled. She wanted to tell him, wanted to warn him, wanted to plead with him to ride away as fast as he could while also begging him to stay here in the stables and never let her go. But she could do none of those things, for the shock of that bell had stolen her voice, along with her hope. They were early, but they were here.

The enemy had arrived.

*** Epilogue ***

The crews of both the Sophia and Laurena's Chariot had risen early that morning, looking forward to being home. The journey back to Erosius had been as uneventful as their journey to the isle, and the boredom of monotonous repetition had been straining their patience for the last week.

Laurena had continued to remain distant from nearly everyone, but not only for the reasons that David and Sapphire suspected. For the first few days her sadness was in fact the result of that conversation, as she grieved the loss, not of what she had, but of what might have been.

Yet, despite the emotional turmoil that she had suffered realizing that David would never be hers, it was the memories she had shared during the Trials that truly haunted her. The emotions tied to each one were so strong, they felt like her own; but some of them were so foreign to her way of looking at the world they troubled her. Worse, some of the emotions that she had shared were ones she knew quite well, and those truly frightened her.

She knew everyone around her was worried about the changes she had undergone -- especially Sapphire -- but she simply could not bring herself to share the contents of those memories with her friend. Oddly, David seemed to be the most accepting of her change. He never questioned her decisions to be alone, inquired if she was alright, or asked if she wanted to talk about it. He kept his distance, respectful of her desire for privacy. He had only ever spoken of her new behavior once.

"I'm not the same man I used to be," he said one morning, two weeks after they had left the isle. He had joined her at the rail where she was staring at nothing, worrying about one memory that was not her own, and a few which were. The similarities were not at all palatable to her. His words shook her from her reverie, and the look of annoyance on her face at the interruption would have been unmistakable if David's eyes had been upon her. But they were not. He was staring off at the horizon, as she had just been. Returning her gaze to the water, she considered his words.

"Who did you 'used to be'," she eventually asked, seeing he had no intention of leaving, or continuing his thoughts without the prompt.

"A good man," he said with a sigh of lament.

Laurena's head jerked to side sharply, looking at David in shock. He was a good man. He was a hero. He was the Champion of The Creator, and had saved her life two...no, three times. He fought to save her and Sapphire, in some cases putting himself at risk to do so. He was also thoughtful, and compassionate. While he certainly had some rough edges, she had never met a better man in her lifetime.

"You are a good man," she insisted.

David sighed again, and reached up to his left sleeve pocket. She watched him pull the yellow box out and realized he was going to 'smoke a cigarette' as he called it. She had no idea what the noxious fumes did for the man, but the few times he had done so it seemed to calm him. If she could have stood the smell of them she would have considered asking for one herself. She could use a bit of 'calm' right now.

Seemingly oblivious to her observations, David opened his pack of smokes and looked inside. Then he frowned. He only had a few left, and had been hoarding the last ones hoping he could make more. So far his few attempts had failed, with the only notable result the loss of one of cigarettes to the experiment. He had vowed not to try again until his and Sapphire's efforts to conjure food succeeded.

Deciding that this conversation definitely warranted a smoke, he pulled one out, and attempted to light it in the high winds. It was rather tricky, but considering his lighter could withstand the winds of a mountaintop in Afghanistan it was able to battle the ocean breeze on the deck with aplomb.

Taking a few puffs, he savored the rush of calm that washed over him. He had no idea what it was about these little white cancer-sticks, but they helped when nothing else could.

"No, Laurena, I'm sorry but I have not been a 'good' man for nearly a year," he replied, with a hint of sadness. "There are many things about my world that are difficult to explain, and some of them you could not possibly understand. However, I think you know enough for me to explain this.

"Do you remember the thing that I threw, that exploded on the rooftop in Exitibus?"

Laurena nodded. The explosion had shocked her, and hurt her ears terribly. It had also done an amazing amount of damage for such a small object.

"In my world that item is called a grenade, and it is one of the smallest types of explosive we use in war. We have all manner of explosives. Ones that are thrown, ones that are buried in the ground, ones that are dropped from the air by planes, and even ones that are shot out of cannons," he explained.

Many of the words he used were new and confusing to her. The words 'Planes' and 'cannons' did not exist in her language, so she was hearing them in English when he said them. Her confusion was clearly reflected in her face, and David sighed in frustration when he saw it.

"Never mind the other types, we'll just talk about the cannons," he decided. "Cannons are like my guns, only much bigger. Rather than shooting the small bullets that mine do, cannons fire large shells, which are basically big bullets with explosives packed inside, like the grenade."

He waited to see if she was following his description, and when he saw understanding he continued. "The difference is that these 'shells' are much more powerful. The weakest being three times as powerful and the strongest being ten times as powerful. The can also go much farther. Sometimes as far as sixteen miles or more."