Chapter 345

Experience is a great teacher. And over the course of his wanderings, Brain had spent his hard won coin on professionals of many stripes, from those who knew the way of the sword, even if it meant only to learn one single technique, to those who mastered dancing on their backs. It was the latter whom Brain drew knowledge from when Zesshi kissed him, she was forceful, almost violent, and tears were stinging her eyes when she did it.

What she felt was not unknown, and what she wanted, what she sought in his arms, was clear as day. So he returned the kiss, he let his hands work her clothing as hers did his, and when she grasped his manhood, he was already prepared for her.

There was no talking, not with words when she wrapped her legs around him and sought release. But her naivete, her innocence, was obvious again. Without a word, his lips spoke to her. Without a noise, his tongue instructed her. Without a swordsman's grip, he held her.

And Zesshi proved herself to be a quick study and an enthusiastic student as the minutes compiled themselves into hours and the slick sweat of their bodies commingled. "Ahh-ahhh-ahhh… right- there- yes, just like that…" Zesshi gasped as Brain's sword-calloused finger teased at her clit. Her body rose and fell against him, her eyes shut tight against the world as bliss engulfed her and that now familiar shaking overtook her and caused her toes to curl and her eyes to roll back into her head as her back arched to meet him.

She couldn't speak when his lips captured hers in a kiss and their tongues dueled in a battle with neither a winner nor loser and she felt his body's iron within, even having never been with anyone before, the warriors of the Black Scripture were a rough lot and not shy with their words. She had word of mouth enough to know what was happening, and in her fevered, ravenous state she embraced it, tightening her inner muscles around his shaft and clinging to him as if he were a lifeline and she was near to drowning.

She arched herself one more time and gushed her desire over his flesh, heard him groan and felt his arms tighten around her body, the scent of their mingled desires filled her nostrils as she felt him erupt within her… and they collapsed.

She landed on him, their chests both heaving, it was he who pulled her down onto him, so that she was on top and they were still joined at the hips.

For perhaps a minute, heavy breathing was the only thing close to language that they had, and Zesshi felt weaker than she ever had, allowing herself to rest entirely on his chest. His hand went down her back to rest lightly on her ass, and a little trace of a smile formed on her lips. "So, are you a gentleman to let me rest on top… or is that the pervert's way of getting to grab my ass again?"

Brain laughed through his heavy breathing and said, "Both works. But are you okay? Are we- okay?" He asked and turned his head to look up at her when she rose over him just a little.

"Yeah… yeah, we are… I just… I wasn't planning that, but knowing that Cenna tried to have me killed?" Zesshi looked away, "I never expected that out of him."

"To be fair, maybe he didn't. Maybe what you requested, never even reached him. You didn't go to him but to someone else. Maybe they set it up." Brain suggested it tentatively, she could see on his face, the way his eyes moved away, that he wasn't sure about that and was just trying to make her feel better.

It made her heart melt just a little, but even if he didn't believe his own words, to Zesshi? 'That makes sense, the Agante don't work for the Black. They work for Dominic. Raymond had words with him over me before. What was it I heard him shout? 'The good of humanity includes what is good for her, and if I have to say it again, I won't use words!'

Nobody short of her mother had ever argued on her behalf before, and it secured her absolute trust in Raymond for the next twenty years and some. 'I could easily see Dominic, maybe the others too, deciding to get rid of me if they thought I was betraying them.' She considered it, and found it more than probable.

"So… us?" Brain asked.

"Are we different people?" Zesshi asked, and Brain cocked his head at her.

"So yes, we're fine. You didn't do anything I didn't want…" She smirked a little, "Very much the opposite actually."

"Practice makes perfect." He wore that boyish, cocky little smile and a tiny part of it infuriated her, but in a good way that left her feeling something she hadn't felt in a long time. Playful.

"Pervert." She said and crossed her arms, she felt his manhood inside her begin to stiffen. "What am I going to do with you… ahhhh!" She began rocking her hips back and forth and then her arms came out and pinned him at the shoulders, her hair tumbled away off either side of her back. "Let's play- a game…" She whispered as she began to work his flesh with hers.

"The one who finishes first, makes camp for the next two nights." She suggested.

"I'll… take that bet." He said, and played 'dirty' to win over the course of another hour until she clamped her teeth down on his shoulder to keep back her screams as he claimed victory, and finished within only seconds later.

He felt her bloody him by clawing at his back and breaking the skin on his shoulder, and didn't care.

"I win." She said when they finally separated themselves and Zesshi stood up to stretch, and reached down to poke at the slowly dying fire. The orange glow briefly roared to life and illuminated her glorious form, the black and white hair swayed a little in the breeze, particularly the long single strand that always danced even when there was nothing to stir it. Her breasts were far from large, but they were supple, like ripe peaches. Her long, slender legs were far more powerful than they appeared, and her half elven ears twitched still from the attention he'd paid to them.

"I don't feel like I lost that." Brain said as he rolled over and rested his ear against his palm and his elbow on the ground.

"I know enough to know that if a man has sex, he never feels like he's lost." Zesshi smirked, "I suppose I'll make camp for the next two days, a deal's a deal. And when we get to town…" She looked over at Layali, the little half elf still slept on, the bandage around her throat would require an explanation. "We'll say goodbye to her. If the Theocracy learns that their attempt failed… and I stand out, so they'll learn it for sure… she might get, no, she will get caught up in another attempt. I don't want that."

"Me neither. But Layali will object." Brain pointed out.

"I know." Zesshi answered and crouching near the fire, she hugged herself, "Things were simpler before I left."

"Welcome to the world. It's a mess out here." Brain said while he put his clothes back on.

Zesshi looked over at him from where she crouched before seating herself, "What, no sage advice? No, 'it gets easier' or anything?" She demanded.

"No, nothing. And if you want it easy, stay alone. That's what I've always done. As soon as you add more to the mix, things get messy… pleasantly sometimes." He said, his eyes roaming her bare skin again and that boyish, cocky, infuriating smirk returning and causing her to remember her present nudity.

"Gah! Pervert!" She snapped and held out her hand, he laughed, picked up her clothing, and handed it to her. She snatched it away and put her back to him to get dressed, though when he sat beside the fire with her, she didn't move away, instead they watched the flame until it turned to ash, and the small half elven girl, until she woke up with the rising sun.