------------- The Longstriders – Cholius of Seppara

Cholius laid there staring at the ceiling, yet his mind was not there in the Elven Shrine. Another woman might have found his lack of attention insulting. Erelae was not such a one. She lay on her stomach on the heavy winter wolf fur blanket, her head resting sideways on her forearms. She watched the gray elf’s face, wondering where he was.

“Your mind vanders?”

Cholius slowly turned his head and smiled. The Drow’s eyes told him nothing, but her body language made up for the blank, pearly white of her eyes. Firelight danced across her naked backside, catching the spider silk of her thigh length white hair. Her hair hung to one side, leaving her violacious butt uncovered. He caught his eyes running the length of her body and noted her grin when his gaze finally reached hers again.

“What?”

“You seem to like vhat you see. Zhere iz nozhing wrong vhit dat. I merely enjoy beink,… enjoyed.”

Cholius smiled and chuckled slightly. It seemed a strained expression on his granite face. Erelae sensed an opportunity to do some healing.

“You ‘ave misgivinks about zhis?”

She motioned to the collection of couples scattered across the Elven Shrine and noted that Gwenvael and Bryon had started up again. The WarPriest’s eyes followed hers as she pushed up on her elbows. He looked back and shook his head.

“I’m sorry. I have,… a history,… that sometimes gets in my way. Makes it hard to enjoy things sometimes. But believe me, this is probably the most at ease I’ve been in fifty years. I must thank you all for that.”

Erelae smiled broadly and leaned over and kissed him.

“Zhis history, anyzhing I might do to help?”

He shook his head again.

“I was raised in Kandevari, steeped in the legends of the Great Martyr, but my path ended up following the defenders of the Lightning Crystal. I became a wielder of the thunderbolt, a WarPriest of Nike. On a pilgrimage to Aezaggar I was captured by Khangan raiders. They sold me to a slaver out of Seppara, Viridia. When he discovered my talents, he threw me in his ludus. I was expected to patch up his gladiators. I resisted,… a mistake. He set the Crimson Sisterhood on me. I suffered at their hands until pain and pleasure became blurred. In the end, I was almost ready to kill myself to please my mistress,… but something happened. I somehow found my faith. Crimsitor and I turned on our captors and broke out of the ludus. We killed everything in our path until we were free of the arena, free of slavery, free of Viridia.”

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