By Meryle
Another reply to Rhiannon's challenge.
This story contains scenes of graphic sex between a man and a woman. If you are under 18 or if this is illegal where you live, please read something else.
The character of Ares belongs to Universal Studios and Pacific Renaissance and no copyright infringement is intended. The author is just having fun.
The character of Rhysa is used with the creator's permission.
Rhysa leaned on the axe handle and wiped the perspiration from her brow. The day was already hot and it was barely mid-morning. She glanced at the stack of wood she had already split and then to the pile still waiting. Groaning inwardly, she wondered how the former could grow while the latter never seemed to diminish in size.
She'd come straight off sentry duty to her current task and she was starting to feel the effects of having gone over 24 hours with no sleep. It was going to be worth it though, she smiled to herself. After the wood was chopped, she'd have two glorious days to herself. She began swinging the axe again as she dreamed about how she would spend her free time. It wasn't that she needed a break exactly. On the contrary, she loved the amazon way of life and all the hard work and training that went along with it. Still, Queen Astrinia insisted each of them take some time alone occasionally, if only to reacquaint ones self with their own individuality. It was a rejuvenation of sorts, a revitalizing of body and soul. A deep voice brought her out of her reverie.
"Don't you amazons ever tire of mundane chores?"
She glanced sideways in the direction of the voice without faltering in her task. "Don't you gods ever tire of bothering us mundane mortals?" she shot back.
He pushed himself lazily away from the tree on which he'd been leaning and slowly walked toward her, a sardonic smile on his face. "Amazons are far from mundane," he replied, "In fact, they may very well be mankind's saving grace."
"I'm sure amazons everywhere will be thrilled to hear you hold them in such high regard," she quipped. She paused in her chopping long enough to toss a wayward lock of waist-length hair over her shoulder. Without so much as a glance in his direction, she continued with her chore. She cut into a large piece of wood and cursed lightly as the blade stuck. Placing a leather-clad foot on the troublesome piece of timber to keep it in place, she grasped the handle firmly and wrenched it free with little effort. The realization that he was standing directly behind her made her pause.
She felt him take a handful of her hair and heard him inhale deeply. "I do so love the smell of your hair in the morning," he sighed. Rolling her eyes, she gathered up the length of her tresses and pulled them abruptly out of his fingers. Allowing them to fall loosely against her back, she bent to retrieve the fallen axe.
"Unless you back up a little," she warned, her voice betraying her irritation, "You're about to lose more than just that jovial mood you seem to be in."
He sighed again and took a large step backward. After a few more swings from the axe, he spoke again. "Don't you even want to know the purpose of my visit?"
She didn't need to turn around to visualize the mock pout of his lips, nor the delicate arch of his brow.
"Assuming you have a purpose," she retorted, "I'm sure you'll let me in on it sooner or later."
"It's simple," he shrugged, moving to stand before her, "I want to play."
She hadn't been expecting such an answer and stared at him incredulously. "You what?" she finally asked.
He drew his sword, taking a step back from her as he proceeded to twirl it masterfully, "You know", he smiled, "Parry, thrust… play."
"You're kidding," she frowned suspiciously, "Look around you, Ares. I have a lot to do and I don't remember seeing 'Sparring with the god of war' on my list of duties for the day. She shook her head slightly and prepared to swing the axe again. When she brought it down on the targeted piece of wood, she was surprised to see it was no longer an axe, but a sword.
"Very funny," she glared at the grinning figure, "Give me back the axe, Ares."
"Not until you agree to a friendly little bout," he countered, still smiling.
"What happened," she quipped, "Someone spike the ambrosia?"
"I'm just bored," he shrugged matter-of-factly, "How is the god of war supposed to hone his skills? No one on Olympus is any good with a sword. Besides, they're all too wrapped up in their own petty little never-ending lives," he muttered in conclusion.
"Don't you have men in your army who will work out with you?" she sighed in exasperation, "I really don't have time for this."
"They're just not challenging enough," he complained, "Too many training sessions tend to leave me with too few warriors." He nodded at the sword in her hand, "Besides," he smiled, "It's going to take you a lot longer to cut all this wood with that."
She, too, glanced at the weapon and sighed in resignation, "All right," she gave in. Eyeing the wood still waiting to be cut, a plan began to form. "On one condition," she added, careful to hide a smile.
"Name it," he shrugged, casually.
"Perhaps a little wager," she frowned thoughtfully, "Just to make it interesting."
He chuckled in surprise, "A bet?" He pondered her words for a moment. "The idea has merit," he agreed, a smug smile creeping across his face, "What did you have in mind?"
"Oh, I don't know," she glanced around innocently, "What do you want if you win?"
"*If* I win?" he stressed the first word in a patronizing tone that infuriated her, "Let's see," He pretended to think hard about his options, not once taking his eyes from hers or bothering to wipe the smile from his face. "You, in my service, leading my army into Corinth."
"Not gonna happen," she shook her head slowly, a confident smile replacing the innocent look. "King Iphicles is a friend of mine. I'd die before I marched against him in battle."
"Hmmm," he frowned, looking her up and down, "That would be a waste," he murmured, "I, personally have no use for my brother's brother. His one and only redeeming quality is the fact that he's uncommonly good looking … for a mortal, that is," he added quickly.
She briefly shook her head. He certainly was in a strange mood this morning. Hopefully, she'd be able to use that to her advantage. "Choose something else, Ares," she suggested, her tone one of boredom.
"All right," he smiled, chewing thoughtfully on his lower lip, "How about your services for the period of 24 hours."
She looked at him as though he'd just sprouted wings. "Didn't you hear me?" she asked, "I will NOT fight in your army; not for one day; not for one minute."
"Who said anything about my army?" he replied, his voice soft and low, "I was referring to service of a more personal nature."
She blushed slightly at his words and hoped he hadn't noticed, "Oh, OK," she agreed nonchalantly, "But if I win, I want the same deal."
He threw his head back and laughed, "The way I see it," he grinned evilly, "I win either way."
She shrugged but didn't comment.
"So, the deal is 24 hours servitude," he clarified, "First one to fell their opponent wins."
"One more thing," she interjected, "This will be as mortal to mortal. It would hardly be fair if you were to use your powers."
"Done," he smiled, "I think I'm going to enjoy this."
"Shall we?" she smiled sweetly, raising her sword.
"After you," he nodded, readying his own weapon.
She lunged at him, not the least bit surprised when he blocked her advance easily. He returned the blows and deflected everything she threw at him. In her weary state, it didn't take long for her arms to begin aching. She'd already been chopping wood for the better part of the morning and she finally had to admit that she might not be up to the challenge. Finally, when she thought her protesting muscles could take no more, she dropped the sword." That's it," she gasped, leaning forward with her hands on her knees to catch her breath.
He strolled toward her, smiling in satisfaction, "As usual, you proved yourself a worthy opponent."
She made no excuses as her breathing returned to normal and she straightened to glare at him. "Satisfied?" she glowered.
"Not quite," he mocked her, brows arched, "I believe there was some sort of wager involved?"
She raised her chin defiantly but said nothing.
Laughing quietly, he reached to brush a strand of hair from her cheek. "You're beautiful when you're angry," he murmured, his voice smooth and deep. She held his gaze evenly, bracing herself slightly as he bent to kiss her. As his lips met hers, she slowly raised her hands to run her fingers through his unruly dark curls. She took careful note as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her body closer to his. Returning the kiss, she knew she had his full attention and made her move. In one fluid movement, she hooked one foot behind his ankle and pressed her full weight against him. He crashed to the ground with her atop him, his expression one of surprise. "What the…" he sputtered.
She laughed, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "I win." She got to her feet and brushed the dirt from her hands, grinning down at him as he lay there still trying to comprehend what had happened. She blinked innocently. "What? The aim was to fell your opponent. You hit the ground. I didn't." Tongue planted firmly in cheek, she waited for his response.
"You cheated," he glared at her, eyes narrowed. "You surrendered."
"I never surrendered," she protested, laughing, "I merely changed my strategy."
"What happened to the concept of a fair fight," he frowned, getting to his feet.
"Hmmm," she frowned, feigning concentration, "Who was it who taught me that fair meant any means as long as it gains victory? And who was it who said the only acceptable form of surrender is death? And who…"
"I get it," he cut her off. Crossing his arms over his chest he regarded her thoughtfully. After a moment, he laughed. "Very well played, my dear. You've learned your lessons well."
"Does that mean you accept defeat?" she smiled coyly, tilting her head to one side.
He raised his hands in a gesture of supplication. "I'm a god of my word," he shrugged, "And now I'm yours for 24 hours." He walked slowly toward her. "Just when did you want my stint of servitude to begin?"
She waited until he was directly in front of her. Tracing a finger lazily down his chest, she smiled. "How about right now," she whispered teasingly.
"I was hoping you'd say that," he grinned, reaching for her.
Deftly, she ducked his advance and turned, gesturing toward the waiting firewood. "Great," she beamed, "It all needs to be cut."
"Surely, you jest," he frowned.
"A deal is a deal, Ares," she waved a finger at him.
"Fine," he shrugged. Immediately he began snapping his fingers, not bothering to look, as the wood seemed to split itself.
"Ut ut," she reprimanded, enjoying the upper hand. "The mortal way." She picked up the sword and walked over to place it in his hands. She saw the clenching of his jaw and smiled. "By the way," she quipped, heading for the same tree under which he'd first appeared; "You're beautiful when you're angry."
She stretched out on the cool grass in the shade and watched him as he began to work. The muscles in his arms flexed as he wielded the axe-turned-sword, which was now an axe again. After only a few moments, he paused to remove the black leather vest he wore. "This is going to be perfect," she smiled to herself. The muscles in his back rippled as he resumed the task, and she dreamily planned the remainder of her 24 hours. Still pondering the upcoming day, she drifted off to sleep.
She awoke to the feel of soft kisses on her cheek. Smiling, she stretched, eyes still closed. "Wood all chopped?" she asked lazily.
"All chopped," he murmured, nuzzling her neck. "See for yourself."
She propped herself up on one elbow and looked at the neatly stacked pile of wood. Eyeing him suspiciously, she questioned how it got that way. "No powers?" she asked.
"If you want to impose certain conditions," he smiled wickedly, "You'd better be prepared to stay awake and see that they're carried out."
"You're incorrigible," she sighed, leaning back against the cool grass and closing her eyes once again.
"Maybe," he shrugged, "But would I be here if I weren't?"
She had to admit he had a point. "Doesn't matter," she murmured, "You are here, and you're mine for the rest of the day." She pushed herself to a sitting position and realized her muscles had stiffened while she was asleep. Wincing, she tried to work the knots out of her neck. "You know what I need?" she glanced at him teasingly.
"I know exactly what you need," he answered, leaning in to resume his nuzzling of her neck.
"A massage," she announced, watching the eager anticipation drain from his eyes. "All right," he sighed, "First a massage."
She moaned as he positioned himself behind her and began to work his magic fingers over the tight muscles in her neck.
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" he smiled, "Having me at your beck and call."
"Aren't you?" she taunted, "Enjoying it, I mean."
"It's a change of pace to be sure," he conceded, "I'm assuming you'd be opposed to my using my powers to loosen up these muscles."
"Your fingers are doing just fine," she sighed, beginning to feel the knots relax, "Keep going."
"I have a better idea," he announced, getting to his feet and grasping her hands to pull her up with him. "Follow me."
She allowed him to lead her to the small lake she often bathed in. The cool water had soothed her tired mind and body on more than one occasion. "Great idea," she smiled.
"Off with the clothes," he instructed casually. Upon seeing the look she shot him, he feigned innocence. "You wound me," he pouted, putting a hand to his heart, "I only want to help you soothe your aching muscles."
She didn't buy the act for a moment, but she wasn't about to get into the water fully clothed. Without hesitation, she disrobed in a cool, calculating manner, not once taking her eyes from his. His eyes, however, moved at will, taking in every inch of her flesh as it became exposed. She smiled inwardly, glad for the reaction she knew she was having on him. He undressed quickly, forcing her to stifle a giggle as she realized she'd never seen him actually take his clothes off before. It was always a wave of his hand or a blink of an eye. This was going to be fun, she decided.
He took her hand and led her into the cool water, wading toward the waterfall on the far side of the shimmering pool. The waterfall was nice, but the water was much colder than in the rest of the lake. She wasn't at all sure it would help her aching body, but she didn't have time to protest as he led her to the cascading water and through to the other side. Rhysa was familiar with the small area behind the falls, but she frowned in puzzlement as he led her toward the side of the natural cave, making his way between two large faces of rock until they found themselves in an even larger cavern. Steam rose from the water, and Rhysa could feel the difference in temperature even as they entered. "I never knew this was here," she admitted.
"Natural hot spring," he replied casually, "There are dozens of them in the lakes around here. You just have to know where to look."
She closed her eyes as she waded deeper into the warm water. It felt great against her skin and she could almost feel the muscles begin to relax. "This is nice," she murmured dreamily.
"Glad you approve," he smiled, taking up position behind her to continue with the interrupted massage. His fingers moved easily over her wet skin, sending pleasing shivers throughout her body. Standing this close, she could feel the hard muscles of his chest at her back. Even as the knots in her stiff neck began to dissipate, she was well aware of the fact that the close contact was having the opposite effect on a particular part of his anatomy. She swayed her hips slightly, brushing her body against his now-attentive organ. She smiled in satisfaction and turned to face him.
"Feels much better," she murmured.
"Yes," he swallowed hard, "Much better." She didn't resist as he lowered his head to kiss her deeply. Only when she felt his hands move upward to cup her breasts did she reach under the water to grasp his throbbing member in her fingers. Even as she stroked her hand lightly over the pulsing shaft of flesh, she could feel his arousal growing. She had him right where she wanted him. Drawing her lips from his, she whispered, "It's time."
"Yes," he agreed, his voice thick with emotion, "It's time."
"For lunch," she whispered close in his ear as he kissed her neck. She got the desired reaction, as he pulled his head back to stare at her.
"What?"
"You know," she flashed her most innocent look at him, "Lunch. Food. I'm starving."
"Lunch?" he repeated incredulously.
"Lunch," she reiterated, smiling sweetly. Without another word, she turned and swam toward the opening through which they'd come. She tried hard not to laugh as she imagined the look on his face. She realized full well that she was pressing her luck, but she wanted to see how far he'd be willing to go. She mentally chalked up another victory as she heard him begin to follow.
Once out of the water, she reached for her clothes, only to feel his hand on her arm. "What are you doing?" he asked, his smooth tone hinting at his frustration.
She looked at him as though he was crazy, "I'll burn," she gestured toward the noon sun.
"Off course," he threw his hands up in surrender.
"Now," she continued, slipping the leather dress over her head, "What about that lunch?" She really wasn't all that hungry, well, not for food anyway, but she wanted to string him on just a little further. It would do him good to see what it felt like to be the manipulee for a change.
He pulled on his leather pants and cast her a slightly annoyed look. Raising a hand, he was about to snap his fingers when he thought better of it. Turning to her instead, he arched his brows. "May I?"
She contemplated her options. Either allow him to get the food his way, or hold out for the mortal touch, knowing full well that it could take the remainder of their 24 hours for him to catch their lunch by hand. "Go ahead," she smiled.
He smirked at her sarcastically, "Thank you." Snapping his fingers, he produced an array of tempting foods, all spread invitingly on a blanket of deep red. He ushered her to the spot and waited until she was seated before taking his place beside her.
"Looks delicious," she offered, reaching for one of the tempting tidbits.
"Uh uh," he grasped her hand in his, "Not so fast." He reached for the same piece of fruit and slowly brought it to her lips. Smiling, she held his gaze as she bit into the luscious morsel. He held the remainder while she chewed slowly, savoring every moment. As he fed her the rest, a bit of juice trickled down her chin. "Allow me," he offered, his voice deep and sexy. He slowly brought his mouth to hers, his tongue clearing away all traces of the food from her lips and chin. When he pulled his head from hers, she gazed at him, wondering how long she would be able to resist at this rate.
Seeing the knowing look that crossed his features, she decided she'd play a little longer. "More," she whispered, her tone low and seductive. He chose another piece of fruit without taking his eyes from hers. She finished it, and then took his hand in her own and brought it slowly to her lips, sucking the remaining juice from his fingers in such a way that she was able to elicit a soft moan from him. He took a heavy, sweetened cream, and dipped his fingers in it. Slowly, purposefully, he reached toward her waiting lips. Just as she was about to receive the laden digits, he changed course and proceeded to spread the cool confection on her face. Gently, he stroked her cheek, the bridge of her nose, the outline of her lips. She sighed pleasantly as he slowly brought his mouth toward her, his lips parted expectantly, his eyes mirroring her own desire. His tongue darted out to lick the cream from her cheek, replacing it with a soft kiss. He continued with his movements, slow and steady, kissing, nibbling until he was satisfied he hadn't missed a drop. They continued like that, teasing, tasting, taking turns feeding one another, as the desire between them continued to build.
"You know what we need after such a nice meal?" she purred enticingly.
"Exercise?" he replied, hopefully.
"Exactly," she brushed his lips with her own. "Beat you to the water." She left him sitting there, dazed, while she jumped up and quickly discarded her clothes. Racing to the water's edge, she quickly waded in to her waist before diving beneath the surface. When she reappeared, she wasn't surprised to find he'd already joined her. She dodged, laughing as he lunged for her, and then dove again, careful to stay just out of his reach. Finally, after managing to avoid capture for longer than she'd expected, she surfaced to find him waiting for her. He grabbed her by the shoulders as she smoothed her wet hair back.
"You've been a naughty girl," he grinned wickedly, "Game's over." He pulled her to him and kissed her, his arms caressing her bare back while his tongue darted hungrily in and out of her mouth. She knew she couldn't resist him anymore, and willingly admitted she didn't want to. Pressing herself against him, she entwined her fingers in his wet hair and returned the kiss, moaning slightly as she felt his manhood pressing against her. Without breaking the kiss, his hands traveled down her back to clutch her buttocks to him. She inhaled sharply as he lifted her, positioning her carefully before guiding his throbbing erection into her waiting body. The buoyancy of the water complimented the position as he grasped her well-muscled cheeks and proceeded to thrust slowly in and out. She moaned again, throwing her head back and allowing him to kiss the exposed column of her throat. His rhythm increased steadily until she thought she'd pass out from sheer ecstasy. She clamped her lips to his in order to stifle a scream of pleasure as she reached the ultimate peak of desire. The thrusting intensified until she felt his entire body shudder with the culmination of passion. He kissed her again as he lowered her to her feet.
"That was incredible," she sighed.
"That was nothing," he whispered, sweeping her into his arms and heading for shore. "We still have many hours left, my dear, and you owe me for what you put me through earlier."
"It was fun," she teased, "Admit it."
"Oh, it was fun," he agreed, tossing his head to one side and causing the remainder of their lunch to vanish. Lowering her to the blanket, he playfully pinned each of her wrists to the ground above her head. "But the deal was 24 hours of service, and that's exactly what I intend to provide." He kissed her, softly nibbling her lips and teasing her with light flickers of his tongue. Still holding her wrists in one hand, he reached the other down to caress her breast, pinching the nipple until it stood erect between his fingers. He let go of her hands and let his fingers slide down her body, stroking her curves as his lips continued to cover her flesh with light kisses. He nibbled on her nipples, teasing them with his teeth, careful to bite only hard enough to stimulate without causing any real pain. She writhed in ecstasy beneath him, her body aching for him to fill her once again with his masculinity. Taking his time, he slowly pulled his mouth from her breasts and continued the journey down her body, his tongue leaving a hot trail as it explored her taut stomach and continued lower… lower… She closed her eyes and moaned while he tormented her to new heights of physical pleasure. A slight whimper escaped her lips as he gently kissed the sensitive flesh of her inner thighs. He smiled in satisfaction, "Oh, you like that, hmmm?" He kissed the spot again, this time taking a tiny bit of skin between his teeth. She gasped as he nibbled, applying just the right amount of pressure. She felt his fingers moving lightly over her flesh, his touch masterfully bringing her to the brink of release before withdrawing in a well-planned strategy. She bit her bottom lip to keep from crying out as he continued to deny her deliverance from the delicious agony. It went on for what seemed like hours. He brought his face to hers, his tongue flickering ever so lightly over her lips. "Still think this is fun?" he teased, smiling wickedly.
"I can hold out as long as you can," she breathed, her voice little more than a whisper.
"Let's see about that," he returned, a twinkle in his eye. He took up where he'd left off, teasing her skin with his hot mouth, stroking the velvet lips of her womanhood with skilled fingers, all the while reminding her of what she still had coming. In a soft voice, he went over every detail of his plans for her in between kisses. His words stroked her mind as his hands and mouth stroked her flesh. She had known it would be worth waiting for, but she hadn't dared imagine it would be this good. Dismay flooded her mind as he pulled himself away from her totally. He stared down at her for a moment, enjoying her appearance as he noted the flushed cheeks, the half-closed eyes. He lazily stroked the inside of her leg with one finger. "Now who's in charge," he smiled wickedly. She wasn't about to give in so easily. Moving quickly, she reversed their positions, pushing herself up and him back before he knew what was happening. She straddled him, feeling his hardness as it throbbed against the soft curls beneath her taut abs. "I won the bet," she reminded him, smiling in satisfaction.
"True," he shrugged. Taking her arms in his hands, he quickly rolled, once again reversing their positions. "But I'm still stronger," he smiled. He crushed her lips with his, kissing her hard so as to prevent a reply. She didn't mind the show of strength; in fact, it served to arouse her further. So much so, that she found herself unable to resist him any longer. "Ares," she moaned, her voice thick with desire, "Now… " He complied, spreading her legs gently and raising her knees as he positioned himself above her. Lowering his muscular frame, his chest crushed hers as he entered her, stroking idly in and out until she thought she'd go mad. Much to her relief, his rhythm increased, his breathing quickening as he thrust his hot staff into her with renewed strength. She moaned, digging her fingers into the flesh of his back as he slammed his weapon home again and again. Her legs clamped around his waist as she rode the tide of their passion, squeezing tightly as the wave crashed over them, sending her senses reeling as they reached the peak simultaneously. He held her firmly to him as she finished, whispering tender encouragements in her ear with each shudder of her body as she returned from the heights of rapture. Only once she lay still beneath him, her breathing heavy, did he roll to her side.
"You, my dear," he kissed her cheek softly, "are a true player. Amazons have a level of endurance that most mortals simply don't possess."
"You can bet on it," she laughed lightly.
"I already did," he sighed, propping himself up on one elbow to gaze into her face.
She laughed again, "So you did," she replied. Rising slightly, she pushed his shoulder and rolled atop him, straddling him as he lay pinned to the ground. He playfully reached for her breasts, but she caught his hands in her own and gently kissed the palms while she eyed him teasingly. "The way I see it," she droned seductively, "You still owe me a lot of time."
He glanced up at the sun. "I'd guess roughly twenty hours or so."
"Is that all?" she frowned in mock disappointment, "Then …" she whispered, lowering her lips to his, "I'd guess you'd better get busy." She kissed him long and hard, noting the changes in his body as he responded to her. Pulling her lips from his, she waited for a response.
"A bet's a bet," he smiled, cupping her face in his hands. "And a god never goes back on his word."
"I was counting on that," she grinned.