Cold Companionship

[Blake81]

''War is profitable.'' Or so goes an old merchant saying.

When nations and armies clash, many will rise to the opportunity of making profit, be it from partaking the spoils of the victor, or by stripping the last belongings of the dead losers.

However, when an invading army also brings along a merciless blight, inconspicuously stowing away in their blood and spit, no merchant will dare partake their spoils, nor marauder pick their dead's belongings.

They'll only try to flee as the blight takes down both invader and defender, and as city after city falls, not to arrows and siege engines, but to the invisible killer that is disease.

And yet, even in such times of calamity and desperation, one particular breed of rogue thrives. One to whom the smell of death is the same as the smell of profit.


``Open sesame!´´ - His voice was always the merriest at this particular moment.

*Creeeeonk. Thunk!*

With a slow groan, the stone lid of the sarcophagus slid away under the leverage of a well-placed pickax, disturbing the silence of the crypt and releasing even more stench of death into it.

Inside of the sarcophagus, thousands and thousands of silver coins made their way into the vacant ribcage of its skeletal owner, whose only remaining traits that proved it had once been human were the gaudy clothes and a bug-ridden red beard.

``Hello there, uh...´´ - He stops to read the name fancily embossed in bronze letters upon the wall.

``... Ephraim... Crowe.´´ - His reading wasn't very good, but even such was quite a merit for a mere grave robber.

``... Dis... Distinguished guild master of the Crowe Company and great sc-sc.... scion of his noble house... Blah blah blah blah...´´ - He didn't even bother to read the rest of the epitaph.

``A blue blood, weren't cha? That explains all the locks in this place and the coin you bathe in. But don't worry, your fortune will keep me fed, warm and happy for a long while.´´

Speaking to the dead had been his amusement since he first took up this trade, and he never got tired of it.

``.... Aquilon....´´ - A stern voice echoed from behind him. It was a beautiful voice indeed, but one as cold as the stone walls surrounding them.

``... Do your people enjoys mocking their deceased that much?´´ - She asked, half a curiosity-fueled question and half a feeling of offense. Her voice gave him goosebumps.

Standing behind him was the figure of a beautiful woman, clad in garments from the far east. Their red silk and gold embroidery alone would have made them worth a fortune, but they looked so beautiful as they covered her bluish-gray skin that he'd never dare to steal them. Not because he didn't appreciate their value, but because he knew well that the woman, whose pale blue eyes illuminated the crypt's darkness, was not someone he could mess with.

``Xiu, you scared me! Please don't sneak up on me like that.´´ - Said Aquilon as he put his hand over his heart. True, his heart was beating loudly, but it wasn't because of the scare.

``... Understood.´´ - She didn't pressure her inquiry on.

``J-Just give me a moment. There's a lot of coin to bag here.´´ - Stuttered Aquilon as he began to pack handful after handful of the old but still shiny silver coins, all of them bearing the face of a king since long forgotten.

Between handful and handful, he turned around to gaze at the doorway, as if to watch his back in case of unfriendly visitors, but in truth, he was just admiring his otherworldly companion, whom had remained silent since their last exchange.

Leaning disinterestedly onto the wall, her black hair, held together into a braid almost as long as she was tall, swayed gently due to the air that blew from the crypt's open door. With the torches illuminating the room giving her skin and eyes a rather strange golden hue.

When he was a kid, merchants and travelers who had ventured into the far east had come back bearing the legends of the Jiang-shi and told him about them.

Souls filled with killing intent and vengeful cravings who possessed the corpses of the deceased, making them into murderous monsters who preyed on the flesh and souls of the living. Beings of pure and absolute evil who fall upon those who dare to practice the profession of the grave robber.

However, like many other dread curses and terrifying warnings he had heard before, he had deemed those tales as empty lies, as the girl who now traveled with him had a warm heart within her cold body.

``Hehe...´´ - A chuckle emerged from his lips as the memories of how they had ended up together crossed his mind.

···

``Ugh.... There's no end to it... Is this how I'll meet my end? Have I escaped blight and grave keeper... only to freeze myself to death?´´ - Those were Aquilon's thoughts as he struggled to make every step while advancing under a fierce blizzard.

It was the height of winter, but there was nary a soul to be seen in those cursed farmlands. Those that the war didn't take, the blight did so afterwards, and under the cruel strength of howling wind and shearing ice, no farmhouse or barn remained standing; it was a wasteland in white, and as his curly wheat-colored hair blew under the capotain he so desperately tried to hold on, he wondered if he'd soon be joining the thousands of nameless corpses that now slept under this frozen land.

Just like everyone else fleeing the calamities, Aquilon had been heading east for almost two months now; stealing and killing what he needed to eat and stay alive. Yet as the brown autumn gave way to the silvery winter, he could feel his hopes of reaching the eastern lands, where both blight and war were still said to be absent, were being slowly buried under the endless layers of white.

``Is that...?´´

Like a signal from God appearing before him, the endless white plains suddenly gave away to a towering jet-black wall of stone; a cliff wall, striped bare by the same blizzard who tried to strip him of his ragged muffler and overcoat.

However, it was not the cliff wall what he saw like a divine omen, it was the cave at its base, which promised shelter and perhaps, safety.

``At last!´´ - He cried out.

His body suddenly regained the strength to move and run for this little glimmer of hope.

Once inside, he collapsed on the rocky floor, his legs and body yearning for their well-deserved rest. However, before he sank into blissful sleep, a familiar smell reached his nostrils, the smell of burning coals; fire, although perhaps also undesirable company.

His march toward the source of the smell felt rather short, most likely because, after wandering in the snow plains for so long, any changing scenery movement felt far more fast-paced.

``Hello?´´ - He called out to the cave, but no one replied. But before he called out again, he saw its light.

A small but still-burning campfire, surrounded by the shattered remains of a merchant's cart. Most of the cart's wood had been used to keep the fire alive, and there was no trace of a driver, alive or not, anywhere in the camp.

However, Aquilon was far too overjoyed at having found the fire to care about those details.

He quickly stoked the fire and fed it another bit of wood from the cart's remnants. It had all been smashed apart to almost hand-sized pieces, just as had happened with many small boxes and caskets, which perhaps had contained food or wine.

All of it but a box; a tall ominous box which remained standing as it leaned onto the wall. Untouched by the destruction that surrounded it.

``Hello? Anyone here? If you don't mind me taking your stuff, please say nothing.´´ - Such jokes were one of the few ways he had to not lose his mind to madness.

As expected, only silence was heard.

``Alright. Thanks for the loot.´´ - Said Aquilon to the emptiness around him.

A quick search around revealed nothing but splinters of wood, bent nails and the fully cleaned bones of a horse, which based on the markings they had and the fact there wasn't a single one whole, whomever was here before ate even their marrow, and since there were no maggots on them or even the smell of decomposing meat, he assumed this wreck had been here for a long time. Months maybe.

It was then when he turned his attention to the standing box.

The box itself was rather unassuming, or at least it would had been if each and every of its edges weren't covered by some strange, rectangular papers.

``What's this stuff?´´ - He muttered as he ripped out one of the papers and looked at it. It was full of strange characters and pictographs, like nothing he had ever seen before.

``Well, whatever, I just hope this is a box of fine wines.´´ - His belly was doing the thinking for him; he was well aware that there was no chance of such. After all, the owners of this stuff were hungry enough to eat horse innards and marrow.

Throwing away any thoughts of worry, he pulled out his trusty pickax and pried the box's lid open.

*Ba thunk!*

The lid fell out easily; so easy it felt like something from inside had pushed it.

``Alright! Time for some tasty vin.... tages?´´ - His face contorted with confusion as he beheld the box's contents.

A woman dressed in an oriental attire, with a strange hat with an even stranger piece of paper embed onto it, was all the box contained. She was dead, and Aquilon realized it immediately.

``Aw, c'mon God, is this your idea of a practical joke? To make me think I've found something valuable and you give me a corpse? You really enjoy messing with us, don't cha!?´´ - Shouted Aquilon to the cave's ceiling angrily. He couldn't help but feel like he had been swindled, and that God himself was laughing at him from his perch high above.

``Still... she's got some pretty nice clothes.´´ - Said Aquilon as he gave her a good look.

``Well, maybe this ain't so bad after all. These robes will fetch a nice-´´

*Wap!*

``.... price...´´

As he reached towards her clothes, her eyes suddenly snapped open, and she grabbed his arm mid-air with a dark-nailed hand.

Her eyes, of a gleaming blue color, felt as cold as the storm outside.

``Ggh-Gyaaaah!´´ - Cried out Aquilon as he tried to run away, but it was futile; her grip felt as strong as that of an iron shackle.

``L-Let go off me, you monster!´´

He tried to use his remaining arm to free the other, but it was also grabbed with a herculean grip.

``No! Stop, please! I don't wanna die!´´ - He continued to struggle and try to flee, but all he managed was to make both of them drop to the floor.

*Thud*

Although the ground was rather even, the blow to his back hurt quite a bit, but he was far too focused on his attacker to worry about that.

Her face was directly in front of his as she kept his arms pinned to the ground, and his legs held in place by her body. However, this also allowed him to have a better look at her, and he suddenly realized what she was.

``A Jiang-shi!? F-For real?´´ - This realization hit him like a hammer. But not because he doubted their existence, but because he had never pictured them like that.

``I always thought they'd be all rotten and maggot-y. Yet she looks so fresh she might as well be alive.´´ - With this strange thought, Aquilon felt some of his fear going away.

``... stiff...´´ - At first he thought it had been his imagination, but the second time she said it was far, far clearer, although it sounded like she was speaking without moving her jaw.

``... stiff... body...´´

She didn't move from where she was; she just held his arms pinned down and looked at him with a blank yet not immediately hostile expression.

``Uhm, could you please not eat me? I'm all thin and malnourished now; I probably don't have much meat in me, and the few I have probably tastes bad.´´ - Pleaded Aquilon with a forced smile; he downright terrified.

*Crack, tlak*

Her right arm made a cracking sound when she moved it away. But before Aquilon could even think of using his now-freed right arm to flee, she took hold of his crotch.

``Hey, no, wait! Not that place, please! I'm really, really fond of the meat I have down there. Y-You can have my left arm instead if you want.´´ - His fear was now intermingled with shame.

``... mana....´´ - Her tone now sounded very hungry, or more like completely famished.

``Oi...´´ - His words were starting to fail him as she began to undo his belt's buckle with a practiced dexterity, and soon she was holding onto his manhood, which pointed to the skies.

``.... I had no idea I was such a sexual deviant; getting harder than a tombstone to a living corpse... Or is this what they call a ''Fearection''?´´ - Muttered Aquilon as he covered his face with his capotain; if shame could kill, he'd be dead already.

``.... feed...´´ - With this word, she moved her shapely hips towards his manhood.

Her robes didn't cover much of her waist area, and the piece that did fell away by just untying a ribbon, revealing a smooth belly and a set of perfectly formed thighs which were rubbing onto his shaft with full strength. Soft moans emerging from her mouth.

``... mana... feed...´´ - She was desperately rubbing herself along his length, trying to push it inside of her, but failing due to the angle.

Still quite ashamed but with no desire of having an undead force herself on him, he tried to squirm away with the help of his now-freed right hand, but its freedom didn't last long as she restrained it again as soon as she noticed his intentions and continued to rub herself upon his shaft exasperatedly.

``Grrr, dammit.´´ - Growled Aquilon as the girl on top of him moaned with pleasure, but what he was feeling was mostly fear; fear with a shameful bit of pleasure.

Of all the things in the world, he never thought he would be raped by a woman, an undead woman no less. And while the tiny pleasure he was admittedly feeling eased away some of his fear, he couldn't help but remember all those stories of soul-sucking undead.

``Aaahh...!´´ - She suddenly yelped as her head turned upwards, and Aquilon could feel a sudden increase in her womanhood's wetness. She climaxed from rubbing alone.

She stopped her movements for a moment as she panted and looked at her waist.

``Uhm... You satisfied now? Please, let me go. I don't wanna die like this.´´ - This time he couldn't even force a smile; he was truly fearing for his life.

He put all his strength in his arms, trying to break free, but either she was inhumanly strong, or his body was far too tired to exert its full power.

``... not... enough..... need... mana....´´ - Her voice sounded a bit less slurred now, although her jaw was still not moving.

She slid herself forward in a rather awkward way; as if her joints weren't cooperating with her. But after a short struggle with Aquilon's still-hard shaft, she managed to slide it inside.

``Cold...´´ - That was Aquilon's initial reaction.

While her entrance felt warm and moist from all the rubbing, her insides, while just as wet, felt as cold as the snow outside.

``... more... more... feed... me...´´ - She said in a tone both famished and craving.

With these words she began to move up and down. Although it may have been more precise to say she was hopping on him; propelling herself up with her legs and falling down on her own weight. And while she didn't look that heavy, with slap after slap, Aquilon was starting to feel his hip hurt a bit.

``Ahh.... Aaah...´´ - Pleased moans surged from her mouth one after another. Her jaw finally moving.

``Urk... what a technique...´´ - But what came out of Aquilon's mouth wasn't a moan and not quite a praise.

He wasn't inexperienced by any measure; he had been to brothels and whorehouses almost as much as he had frequented pubs and taverns. And yet, compared to this feeling, all of those women he had paid for now felt strangely fake and loveless; he couldn't help but think of the irony.

``To think this undead is making me... feel so damn good...´´ - He was clenching his teeth as he thought; one single lapse of concentration would be enough to make him lose it.

With the continuous movement, her cold insides had become warm and sloppy, which was making it even harder for him to hold on.

``Ahhh!´´ - With what was more a scream than a moan, she slapped down on him hard; she was climaxing, and her walls were squeezing him like a gallows' rope.

``Hold... it...´´ - He tensed himself to hold it back, and he was succeeding, at least, until he noticed them.

The garments covering her breasts had no straps or fitting on its lower area, and after all those intense movements, her breasts had slipped out of their covers. They were of the same bluish-gray color as the rest of her skin, while her stiff nipples were of a slightly darker cobalt blue. As she moved, they bounced gracefully, and all of Aquilon's attention was dragged to them.

``Uagh!´´ - That was he cue.

His seed surged like a spring, filling her up and tricking down.

``... mana...´´ - Her voice sounded enraptured, but Aquilon couldn't see what kind of face she was making; his vision had suddenly gotten blurry and his limbs were feeling a bit numb.

``More... I need more... I am still hungry...´´ - Yet the starving tone of her voice hadn't gone away.

``W-Wait, I just-´´ - He couldn't finish his sentence.

*Slap*

``Uagh!´´ - All that came from his mouth was a pained groan.

She was no longer ''hopping'', she was fully moving her waist onto him, her buttocks slapping against him rhythmically. And he didn't last more than a few slaps.

``Urk!´´ - Once again, he climaxed, pouring her seed into her, and feeling his whole body go numb while his vision blurred.

``Damn... I guess this is it... I'm gonna die...´´ - He thought as he smiled sympathetically to himself.

The figure in front of him was too blurred to even make her shape out, and all he could feel of his body was the pressure upon his shaft, and yet another ejaculation leaving it.

His life's essence was being sucked out, and while he remained as scared of death as any mortal, there was a strange feeling of satisfaction underlying to his fear.

That was the last thing he felt as his consciousness failed him.

Now, there was darkness; only darkness. He was alone with only thoughts and his memories, which crossed in front of his eyes like the pictures in a book. However, it was all cold. Was this death? He was no longer sure, but the cold darkness made him afraid; yearning to go back.

As someone whom had always mingled with the dead, he had always thought he had lost all fear for death. But now, feeling the scythe at his neck and seeing what he believed was his final judgement, he couldn't help but notice he had always been alone. He didn't regret any of the crimes he had committed or those he had killed, but he couldn't help but feel that there would be no one left to remember him; that solitude he had always considered better than untrustworthy ''partners'', that would stick a dagger between his ribs whenever he least expected it, now felt cold and empty.

``I wish I had done that differently. I wish I hadn't been alone.´´ - That phrase came to his lips unconsciously, although he was sure that nothing would hear him in that deep darkness.

``... ake... u...´´ - A voice rang out in the darkness; a cold but beautiful female voice.

``Are you the reaper?´´ - He asked in joke, but the voice didn't reply. Instead, it just repeated it.

``Wake... up...´´ - She said again, now in a much clearer tone.

And the darkness was pierced by light. A warm and gentle light.

``Whoa!´´ - He shouted as he got up, panting and sweating.

``You are back.´´ - Said the girl, who sat with her knees on the ground beside him. Her stare nailed on the ground penitently.

``Uhm... hello... Am I... still alive?´´

''Because if this is heaven, it's colder than I imagined.'', he wanted to make that joke, but her guilty expression didn't seem to indicate a good mood for jokes.

The Jiang-Shi was on her knees next to him, and while her presence almost triggered his urge to run away, his body simply didn't react.

``I am sorry...´´ - She replied as she covered her face with the piece of paper that hung from her hat. Yet the blush on her cheeks could still be seen.

``Y-You released me from that prison, and yet I was so starved that l forced myself upon you. I'm sorry, I am deeply sorry.´´ - With these words, she bowed down, putting her forehead to the ground.

Her tone was like that of a child begging for her parents' forgiveness.

``You....´´ - Aquilon let this word out with a sigh.

This was the girl whom had just raped and almost killed him; he had every reason to be angry with her. But, the phrase echoing in his mind didn't allow him to do as much as rise his voice.

``I wish I had done that differently. I wish I hadn't been alone.´´ - It repeated itself in his mind like some sort of dread curse.

He let out another sigh and smiled to himself before speaking.

``What you did to me was indeed scary; I seriously thought you were going to kill me.´´ - Said Aquilon in a stern voice. The girl seemed to shrink under his words.

``I am so-´´ - She was apologizing, but he didn't let her finish.

``However, I, too have done many scary things when starving.´´

``I once swindled a pregnant mother out of her coin with false medicine because I hadn't eaten in almost a week. And while I was able to eat after that, even the soft wheat bread felt bitter. That is what you are feeling now.´´ - He said as he reached for her chin and lifted her head to look at her in the eye.

Those pale blue eyes, which seemed so otherworldly, now had tears in their corners.

``So, if you're ever, uhm, hungry for ''that'' again, please ask me for it.´´ - Said Aquilon as he covered his face with his capotain; he couldn't say that to a girl's face so directly without feeling shame.

``... Thank you...´´ - She arose from her bowed position but remained kneeling. And just as Aquilon had done, she covered her face with her unusual hat; the piece of paper that hung from it covering half of her face.

Aquilon couldn't help but feel something warm upon his chest; his heart was beating quite loudly.

``Say, if you have nowhere else to go, do you feel like spending some time with me here? There's nothing but shearing blizzards outside and this place feels lonely. What do you say, uhm....´´ - He extended his hand towards her as a friendly gesture, and it was then when he realized he had no idea of what her name was.

``Xiu... Xiu Nuan Bao. What are you called?´´ - She replied softly. It was clear she was just as embarrassed as him.

``A-Aquilon, wandering thief and grave robber. Pleased to meet cha!´´ - His introduction was rather pompous.

``Grave robber...´´ - Xiu's already narrow eyes narrowed even more with the mention of those words. Enough to make Aquilon think he should had held his tongue.

``Did you also come to kidnap me?´´ - She asked while she shied away from him.

``I'm not, I came here just to wait for the blizzard to end. I didn't knew you were here.´´ - It was real rare of him to display such honesty, but perhaps for the first time in his life, he felt that lying would be very wrong.

Xiu looked fixedly at him for a moment with a scrutinizing glare. Had her gaze been a knife, Aquilon would had been butchered into mincemeat.

However, after a small while, she let out a sigh of tranquility before speaking.

``You are not one of my kidnappers. Your mana does not feel the same.´´ - She replied with tranquility.

``Kidnapped, uh. I had never seen one of your kind before, so I am to assume you came from somewhere far away. Do you remember who did this to you?´´ - Said Aquilon as he pulled out a small bottle of liquor from within his overcoat and took a sip of it. He offered some to Xiu but she politely declined.

``I... I simply remember two men. One dressed in a white attire and one with a frightening sword. ´´ - Although her face wasn't showing any emotions, her words were tinged with fear.

``Hmm....´´ - Muttered Aquilon as he looked around at the debris still left in the cave.

``If whomever was driving that cart left this cave, he's probably not any longer in this world. Still, it would be a good idea to steer clear of this place. The guy with the sword doesn't sound friendly...´´ - Thought Aquilon as he took another sip of his liquor.

However, at the same time, he knew well that his chances of finding another place to wait for the storm to end was pretty small; he had already been lucky enough to find this one.

``... You should leave.´´ - She said all of a sudden.

``If my captors return, you life could be in danger. They will not hurt me as they need me unharmed, but if they see you, they will no doubt to kill you.´´ - Once again, her face wasn't showing any emotions but her voice oozed with concern.

``Don't worry, I'd rather take the risk. Besides, if I leave with that storm as it is, I'll freeze to death instead.´´ - He said with a smile.

``... I'm sorry...´´ - Xiu lowered her head as she said that.

``You are being so nice to me, even after I forced myself onto you. I feel I do not deserve it..´´ - She didn't meet Aquilon's eyes as she spoke.

He couldn't help but smile.

``Hey, it's okay.´´ - He put his hand at her chin and lifted her head to look at her eyes.

``We've all done stuff we regret, but don't feel bad about it. Besides... it felt rather good too as well, so it ain't like it hurt or anything.´´ - He was lying; he didn't want to tell her how scared he had been of her or how much her slamming his waist had hurt, but the part about the pleasure wasn't a lie as it was he who was blushing a little because of it.

``So, until the storm clears up, I'm staying here, with you. No matter if your captors come back.´´ - He added with a proud smile.

Xiu's own blush contrasted deeply against her skin.

``Thank... you.´´ - She said while evading his gaze. But she was clearly smiling.

···

``.... Aquilon.... Aquilon....´´ - Her voice sounded distanced, but also concerned.

``Hey, Aquilon, wake up! Your food is burning.´´ - Now that sounded pretty close, and pretty clear.

``Whoa!´´ - He jumped out of his bedding in a rush. The stew he had at the fire was starting to pour out.

``Geez, sorry about that. I was having a real nice dream.´´ - He said embarrassedly as he removed the pot from the fire. It hadn't burnt yet, but it almost did.

``You have been very absentminded today. Both here and at the crypt. Just what were you thinking about?´´ - Asked Xiu in a somewhat scolding tone.

``I was remembering when we met.´´ - Replied Aquilon as he smiled while stirring the stew. And as Xiu often did when ashamed, she used her hat and her amulet to cover her face.

``T-That was very embarrassing to me and very cruel to you.´´ - She said as her cheeks turned pinkish, even if her face was still rather stern. He couldn't help but smile.


That morning after the blizzard had stopped, they ventured out of the cave together. The frozen bodies of two men were found not far from there. One was dressed in the attire of a priest, while the other looked like a mercenary, one in possession of a very unusual weapon; a sword carved from wood, and whose presence terrified Xiu.

Aquilon shattered the sword to splinters with his pickax, and pocketed quite a bit of money and trinkets to barter from the dead men. The mercenary had also been carrying a bag of rotten vegetables; both of them had probably headed out as the blizzard died down to get more food from an abandoned farm plot somewhere near, but the blizzard picked up again and caught them on their way back, causing them to freeze to death before they could reach the cave. Still, the valuables they had would keep Aquilon and Xiu alive until they reached an inn or city.



Since then, he had traveled east with Xiu, not only to escape the blight anymore, but to bring her back to her homeland, which he had promised her to do. The promise which was now, the sole goal of his life.


``I dunno why you're still so embarrassed about it. We've done it so many times since then.´´ - Said Aquilon as he pulled Xiu closer to him while shamelessly rubbing the exposed portion of her buttocks. They felt cold to the touch, but there was warmth under her skin.

``... Pervert...´´ - She muttered under her breath, but Aquilon ignored it.

``Say, aren't you feeling stiff from standing around waiting? It took me a while to bag all that coin. Don't you want me to soften you up?´´ - Said Aquilon as he cracked his knuckles and wriggled his fingers while smiling suggestively.

``D-Do whatever you want... I don't care.´´ - She was doing her earnest to sound indifferent, but she was failing.

``Hm, no can do.´´ - He leaned back and folded his arms; suddenly looked fully disinterested.

``I don't wanna feel like I'm raping you or forcing you against your will. I won't do a thing unless you care about it.´´ - His words were serious.

``.... Kiss me.´´ - She spoke after a brief silence and her voice was almost a whisper.

``Huh?´´ - Since the shack they were hiding at creaked quite a bit with the howling wind, he didn't hear her.

``D-Do you want me to s-shout it!? I said kiss m-mhp!´´ - Her lips were blocked before she had the time to finish.

Their lips interlocked, their tongues dancing as she reveled in the warmth of the hug she was being given.

As their lips parted, he looked straight at Xiu's eyes and spoke.

``You're real warm, y'know.´´ - He said with a playful smile.

``Hrrrm....´´ - Although she rarely showed any emotions, she had just puffed her cheeks in a pout; a blushing pout.

``Wha- Hey!´´ - Before Aquilon could say something, she pushed him into the floor mat they were using as bedding.

``You have been a complete pervert today, Aquilon.´´ - Xiu's voice almost sounded like a scolding.

``So, I am going to punish you.´´ - The playfulness of her intentions suddenly slipped past her scolding tone.

``Oi, what are you doing?´´ - Aquilon couldn't help but feel nervous as she restrained his arms with one of her hands and his legs with her waist. She remained as strong as ever.

A feeling of déjà vu swept over Aquilon as he realized what she was doing. The way she untied the ribbon on her waist, revealing her glistening womanhood, and the way she had pulled his shaft out of his pants immediately reminded him of the dream he just had.

``Mmh!´´ - She suppressed the soft moan which tried to emerge from her lips as she rubbed her womanhood on his shaft, making it stand up.

``Hey now, and here I thought you were ashamed of what happened that day.´´ - Said Aquilon with a clownish frown; he was clearly poking fun at her.

But she didn't reply; she just continued to rub herself upon his shaft, just like the day they met.

``Aaahh...!´´ - She climaxed. But the sole difference between that day and the present was that back then, she wasn't ecstatically gasping for air.

He, on the other hand, hadn't felt THAT good yet. She was clearly toying him. It was frustrating; both to his pent-up desire and his own sense of manly pride.

``Okay, that was it!´´ - It was the last straw.

He bucked up his hips with all the strength he could summon, which sent her up in the air, and was enough to make her let go off his arms.

``If ya wanna dig in-´´ - He shouted as he aimed his manhood into her place, which was drooling with pleasure.

``I'll be holding the shovel!´´

*Smack!*

With one single thrust, he pushed all the way in; her insides were wet and soft, but most importantly, warm.

``Ahh!´´ - Her expression was of absolute bliss, which brought a proud smile to Aquilon's lips.

``This time, I'm gonna fully enjoy it!!´´ - Cried out Aquilon as he slammed his hips against hers with all his might again and again.

She tried to grab his arms again, but she failed to do it.

``Hehe, how d'ya feelin'?´´ - There was a bit of sadism in his tone.

He grabbed onto her plump hips and pumped her even harder. Only moans and warm sighs escaped her mouth.

``You're really warm, y'know. You're totally not a cold corpse.´´ - He stood up and hugged her, whispering these words to her ear, and used the momentum to bring her breasts out of hiding. Her nipples were so hard he could feel them under his overcoat.

``Gotcha!´´ - Said Aquilon as he grabbed both of them, softly massaging them while playfully pinching and twisting her nipples. They felt a bit cold on the outside, but they radiated a faint warmth.

``Aquilon...´´ - She called him out, after making no other sounds than moans for a while, and he looked at her straight in the eyes.

Her expression was fully enraptured in pleasure; she rarely let her emotions show, but when she did, these triggered a powerful carnal desire on him.

``Please... Don't...´´ - She pleaded him between moans; she wasn't asking him to stop or slow down, yet he couldn't figure out what she wanted.

However, the moment me made eye-to-eye contact with her again, the fact was no longer hidden.

``Please, don't ever let me go.´´ - She pleaded with a teary-eyed stare. Her face and emotions no longer concealed.

He kissed her; ravaging her lips as he finally released himself within her; splattering her warm insides as her womanhood contracted, tightening on him.

``Don't worry. Until the day I join you in un-death, I promise you I'll never let you lose your warmth, my beloved cold companion.´´ - He hugged her again with these words.

Even if her skin often felt cold and she also often acted like such, he knew very well that, deep inside, there was a warmth that he would never allow to be quelled.

[Creator_Drake]

Glad to see you post this one here. What's the next one you think you'll post?

[Feathers]

Oh my, Blake has released an erotica short story about an undead person? I wonder what brought this on. Sorry I can't give a fair review about "that", but the opening was written eloquently in my opinion.

One thing though, your weird `` quotes. They really hinder my reading because the space between them is so large. Why didn't you use the traditional " " quotation marks like you did on the first sentence? Maybe they look different on your screen, but on mine there is a distracting space between them. Just a personal gripe, but figured I'd ask anyway.

[Blake81]

Oh my, Blake has released an erotica short story about an undead person? I wonder what brought this on. Sorry I can't give a fair review about "that", but the opening was written eloquently in my opinion.

Thanks! I know you don't like erotica, so I understand why you can't review it.

I got the idea for this story in one of those weird moments I call an inspiration SAIYAN, because I become superpowered with ideas.

In this case, I got the idea just as SnowDrakE posted the news of the Halloween Event and after a long session of playing Darkest Dungeon; I guess the narrator's epicness must've rubbed onto me, haha.

One thing though, your weird `` quotes. They really hinder my reading because the space between them is so large. Why didn't you use the traditional " " quotation marks like you did on the first sentence? Maybe they look different on your screen, but on mine there is a distracting space between them. Just a personal gripe, but figured I'd ask anyway.

That's a bit of a habit I've picked up, I know it's a bit bothersome, but it helps me to tell the dialogue lines apart from everything else.

Glad to see you post this one here. What's the next one you think you'll post?

Not sure, both ALoW and Adrift have been put on hold for a while because of FO4, haha. Although maybe I'll post Adrift at some point. ALoW has been relegated to the backburner until I find a way to get out of the plot corner I wrote myself into...