The Land Below our Feet II (Unleashed) COMPLETE

DESCENT

They had been riding all day nonstop.

Kohu was tired, the kids were moody, and everyone was hungry. So, Ussiariah decided that it would hurt no one if they stopped and camped for the night.

Contrary to what he would have preferred, they were now forced to travel this last stretch of the road alone, since his Yahurian brothers had parted ways a couple of days back when they had reached the crossroads that marked the bifurcation leading to Mavaerian lands.

As much as he would have liked to count on their protection all the way back to Lowland's gate, he just couldn't bring himself to ask them to spare any of their men for this purpose when he knew perfectly well that they had been summoned to the battlefield with such a pressing urgency.

So, he had no other choice but to deliver this on his own. Therefore, he had been trying to cover as much terrain as possible each day. But it was getting late, and there was no use in exhausting his family any more than they already were.

He clicked his tongue and made the beast stop, silently helping Souna and their children get off it.

-Oh Gods! My back is killing me – She groaned, placing the blue-haired kid on the ground and stretching her sore limbs – I thought that you would make us keep on going for a couple more hours at least.

The warrior didn't reply, busying himself with the setting of their modest camping site and the lighting of their discreet fire instead.

His mouth obviating the fact that he would have loved to... If only that had been possible. But traveling with two small kids was a challenging feat on its own. It had been slowing them down considerably, and this descent was already taking them longer than he would have liked.

Even then, he had no choice but to keep his cool and continue moving steadily, rather than trying to rush things up to no avail.

Still, he couldn't ignore the fact that the circumstances had dramatically changed overnight, and that they needed to hurry up, because until he had properly assessed this new situation and acted accordingly, every day they spent away from Lowland potentially put everyone in danger.

A week had passed since they'd left Yahur´s gates behind after the call for help had arrived from Mavaer and the army had been dispatched to their aid. All that he wanted now was to get his family safely back home as fast as he could.

He sensed the familiar scent of the incoming war lingering in the air with crescent strength each day, and that made him feel extremely uneasy.

Right now, he was driven by a primal need to shelter his people first, so he could finally focus on the impending threats looming over them.

-We're almost there, Ussi – Souna whispered knowingly. Cupping his cheek and automatically interrupting his streaming flow of concerned thoughts – Just a few more days, darling. Just a few...

-I know – He sighed, stealing a distracted glance towards Axe, who was devouring his ration of food while Souna sat feeding their baby – I just wish we could get there faster.

-Me too – She admitted – But you said it yourself, Greghan is there, and he knows what to do.

- It's not that… It's this thing with Mavaer, I don't like it… It feels too sketchy – He breathed out frustrated, massaging his temple - There's something else behind it that I still have to pinpoint, and I need to find out what it is, but I can't do that while I'm stuck here in the middle of the woods! Can I?

-Well, we can try and go through what we know so far – Souna suggested in an optimistic tone – Maybe there's something that we missed, maybe we just need to look at it from a different perspective.

-All right, what do you mean by different? – He asked with curiosity, crossing his arms over his chest and tilting his head encouragingly at her.

-Well… I don't know for sure – She admitted, a playful smile blooming on her lips as she raised an eyebrow at him before standing up and starting to put their already groggy children to bed – But I bet that a little distraction wouldn't hurt. It might be just what you need to clear up your mind and see things with fresh eyes, Commander.

Ussi chuckled at her words. Smirking absentmindedly as she finished laying the tiny figures on the fluffy bedroll and tucking them in a couple of heavy blankets.

“A Distraction” – He thought pensively, scratching his chin – “Yeah, that's all that is".

Ever since he'd learned about it, he had been absolutely sure that this had to be the whole point of Hathengatt´s sudden attack on Mavaer. Yes, the city was a strategic and highly coveted spot on its own, and he'd seen his fair share of greedy monarchs try to start their invasions precisely from there. But he could tell that this was not the case, at least not entirely anyway.

Before the arrival of King Ishtun´s message, Ussi had held no doubts about the imminent conflict that was evidently coming towards their city's gates.

So, he didn't buy for a second that the supposedly voluble Queen had suddenly changed her mind now and decided to switch her focus on Mavaer instead. He could see why it would be a wise move to make, tactically. Yet he knew perfectly well that there had to be more to it than that.

It was all a cheap diversion, that part was clear enough… The question was: From what?

Ussiariah knew that Elande would eventually try to strike at Lowland's gate. So, even when she could conquer Mavaer and win that city, which she definitely wouldn't, now that Yahur had been called to assist, having her army worn out in such an ambitious assault, knowing beforehand how strong her real target's defenses stood was not the brightest idea at all.

Unless… Unless there was something else beneath it: An ulterior motive fueling her actions that he could not yet see, and that's what had his mind on edge. He needed to find out what that was.

“Distraction” – He whispered to himself, a dark shadow briefly crossing his worried sight, before his foggy eyes focused on Souna´s hands slowly sliding her garments off under the dim firelight as she quietly approached him… And he completely lost his previous train of thought.

His attention irremediably captured by the enthralling sway of her bare hips and the gentle bounce of her lavish breasts closing in on his eager face.

-Yes, Commander... Distraction – She breathed out as she swiftly took his member out of his trousers and hungrily sat on his lap, her already drenched walls swallowing it effortlessly and making him groan in delight – That's all you need.

An hour or so later, the full moon shone upon their naked bodies as they rested side by side, exhausted by their recent actions. Ussi´s pale skin glowing next to Souna´s tanned frame as he embraced her tenderly and out of breath.

His mind temporarily blank and devoid of any previous concerns as he reveled in the heavenly bliss of their freshly achieved pleasure. The echoes of their climax still floating in the air mixed with the intoxicating notes of her familiar scent. A dense wave of heated passion still pulsating around them.

-Where the hell are you going? – He hazily grunted as he felt her sit up and start heading out of their warm, cozy bedding.

-Nowhere – She mumbled, leaning into his ear, and slightly biting his lobe – Go back to sleep, you must be exhausted... I just need to clean myself up a bit, and I'll be right back.

And stupidly, that he'd done. Engulfed by a soothing ecstasy, he'd fallen into a deep, dreamless sleep. Only to be abruptly shaken when the sunlight grazed his eyelids sometime later, and he jolted up in a sudden state of high alert, cursing himself bitterly for his inexcusable negligence.

Since when did he sleep so carelessly? And even worse, how could that even happen in the middle of a place like this? How could he be so reckless?

He'd been knocked out for who knew how long and now here he sat. Disoriented, alone with only his children, and Souna nowhere to be found.

“Where is she” – He asked himself, feeling the panic slowly coursing through his veins with every passing second as he tried to remember – “Did she ever come back to bed?”

Rushing up to his feet, he lost no time picking his sleeping kids up and securing them against his chest and back, Souna´s words resonating in his mind.

“I just need to clean myself up a bit” – She'd said… So, without wasting a minute more, he let out a low whistle and climbed on Kohu´s back as soon as the black beast appeared before him, steering him to the nearby lake.

The feline hadn't fully reached the shore yet when his eyes spotted the glint of the green stone lying on the sand. His heart racing with rage as he jumped off the animal and snatched the pendant from the wet ground, his fist closing furiously around the violently severed chord while he began instinctively scouting the terrain, looking for traces.

-Dad? The bad men took mom, didn't they? – Axe's voice suddenly asked from his back, startling him. His small fingertips gently grazing the cheek that he hadn't realized was wet until then – Is she going to be all right?

-Yes – Ussi rushed to reply. Discreetly sniffling and straightening himself up, regaining his wits – Don't worry Axe, I'll find her.

-Dad… - The child insisted, stubbornly demanding his attention and pointing at the blue morning sky – I know you said I shouldn't play with birds, but… Would you let me? Just this once?