"Don't try anything stupid" Jie Er warned Blaze, as she stepped out of the house on the morn of Tirdas.
"I'll try..." Blaze replied, trying to sound sarcastic. He had plans for being reckless.
It was a warm sunny morning and the breeze from the southeast was starting to pick up momentum. He waited until the breeze reached a good steady speed before jumping up on the wall. He manifested his wings and launched himself in the direction of Varan.
He glided for about a hundred fifty feet before he had to land. He paused for a moment and jumped again. Although Blaze's sense of direction wasn't the best, he had been to Varan enough times to know the route.
The distance to Varan from his home was about ten yonders, and it usually took Rebecca around half an hour to get there. It took Blaze a little over two hours of gliding to do the same. The sun was high in the sky when he landed outside Varan. He walked the rest of the way to the library.
"What happened to you?" Elyssa asked him with concern, as he flopped himself beside her. He was exhausted and hungry, and his stomach growled in response.
"Aunt Becky has some stupid exercise with her division. She isn't around to drop me off," he muttered in reply, resting his head on her shoulder.
"I was talking about the cuts and scratches..."
"Oh, I was learning how to glide."
"You can already glide? Wait a minute. How did you get here?" her eyes narrowing as she noticed his tiredness.
"Umm, I glided here?" he replied hesitantly.
"You what?" she exclaimed in disbelief, pushing his head off her shoulder to look at him.
Blaze tried brushing it off, "Yeah. I am not very good at it yet. I could only glide about a hundred and fifty feet in one jump before I reached the city."
"You can fly already?"
"It's not really flying, Ely. I was just hopping and gliding."
"I was twenty-six by the time I could even try to fly."
"And?"
"Are you trying to piss me off? Most angels don't even have wings until they are in their thirties. Flying takes a few more years. You are flying at 19!" she screeched, as her voice kept getting higher.
"What can I say? I am a genius," Blaze replied nonchalantly, before resting his head back on her shoulder.
"Sigh... whatever... I can't believe your moth-I mean aunt, let you glide all the way here!" she said shaking her head. She had only recently found out that Jie Er wasn't his mother.
"Umm... She doesn't know that I am here."
"Wait, you came here alone?"
"Obviously. Why would I make all that effort, if I had someone to fly me?"
"Blaze! It's dangerous. You could've run into dangerous animals. I will arrange for someone to take you back. Your aunt needs to know about this," Elyssa said with concern.
"Oh, stop making such a fuss, Ely. You know how strong I am. I can take care of myself. If we tell my aunt, I won't be able to come here for the rest of the week."
"You may be strong, Blaze, but there still are creatures that are much stronger than you. You can't even fly continuously. What if you're attacked by something that you can't outrun? I really think I should let someone talk to your aunt about this."
"Ely! Friends shouldn't snitch on each other. Listen, there will be a time when you'd have to do something secretly. Wouldn't you want my help at that time? Let's just keep this between ourselves. If you're so worried, why don't you drop me off?" Blaze hastily tried to convince her otherwise. He hadn't expected things to go this way.
"I am not allowed to wander off by myself either, Blaze," Elyssa sighed.
"Why? Aren't you like the strongest young angel in the country? You've even defeated adult angels!"
"Yes, that's why I am not allowed to wander off. Mother is scared that the demons might target me. Nip it in the bud, so to say," she explained.
"Well, that sucks!" Blaze replied and was silent for a moment.
"Ely. You know how it is to be cooped up all by yourself, right? I flew all the way, just to see you. If I head back early, I should make it back fine," Blaze tried to wheedle her.
"But..."
"Come on, Ely. I promise I won't come back until Aunt Becky comes back. You are my best friend. You shouldn't snitch on me like this," Blaze edged her.
If he couldn't come back to the library, he could just go elsewhere. But if Jie Er knew about his escapade, he may be put under house arrest until Rebecca came back. He wouldn’t be literally confined but he doubted he could break a promise to Jie Er.
"Fine! Just this once. And only if you promise me to go home without doing something else stupid."
"You are the best, Ely!" Blaze replied, giving her a sidewards hug and a kiss on the cheek. She grinned at him wryly.
Blaze had lunch with Agatha as usual and hung out with Ely for a couple more hours before deciding to head back. He didn't say anything to Agatha about his solo adventure.
"Take this space ring, it has a pike in it. Just in case." Elyssa handed him a silver ring when he got up to leave.
Blaze accepted the ring and put it on his finger. He had messed around with Jie Er's space ring enough to know how to use one.
He stopped by the librarian to inquire about the whereabouts of Rebecca’s division. The location of the Red Rose Division was common knowledge and it wasn’t hard to get her to divulge the information.
He knew that visiting Rebecca may put an end to his excursions, but there was a chance he could coerce her to keep quiet. Moreover, knowing her, she might even be fine with him taking such risks.
***
His way back home was eventless until he reached the halfway point, where a stream flowed from the nearby forest and cut across the open grasslands. When he landed near the stream, he spotted an oversized white rabbit, a few hundred feet away from him, drinking from the edge of it.
It was easily the size of a large dog. It had humungous flappy ears and looked quite cute and cuddly. Blaze paused for a moment to admire it when it suddenly raised its head and grinned at him. Rows of razor-sharp teeth marred its pudgy face. Fuck!
Blaze sprang into the air with haste. He glided as far as he could and looked back when he landed. The rabbit was chasing after him with its large ears acting as gliders after each hop. Its hungry red eyes had a vicious gleam to them.
"Why the Hela am I being chased by a freaking rabbit?" Blaze screamed into the air as he took off towards his home in a hurry.
The rabbit initially gained ground on him but thankfully its stamina seemed to be lower than Blaze's. After chasing him over a couple of yonders, its stamina gave in and it was forced to give up. Blaze gave out a breath of relief and rested for a few moments before hurrying back home.
When he got back, he slumped down on the living room's couch. He had never imagined he would be running for his life from a damned rabbit. It wasn't like he had been reborn as a piece of lettuce.
He started to reconsider his decision to go to the army camp.
***
By the next morning, however, Blaze had decided that the likelihood of running into the rabbit was quite low. He only waited until Jie Er's form vanished from sight before he took off towards Rebecca's division. He circled around the area where he met the carnivorous rabbit, which may or may not have been the reason for not running into it that morning.
It took him over two-and-a-half hours before he spotted the camp. Thousands of angels were spread around a camp covering almost a square yonder. It seemed to be divided into four separate groups, with a mass of tents at the middle of each. Although some groups seemed to be doing exercises and there seemed to be a general hustle and bustle, the soldiers didn't seem to be too occupied.
Feeling that it wasn't that bad of a time for him to show up, he landed and approached the camp by foot. He noticed that most angels were wearing the same type of clothing; a red bikini and a tight wrap-around skirt that wove around the inner thighs, like pants, for easy leg movement. Most also carried a spear and a bronze shield.
Is that their uniform? Blaze wondered as a couple of angels spotted him and approached. Why don't they have more armor? The clothing material was mostly translucent except for the numerous stitched red roses, showing athletic physiques underneath.
"What are you doing here, child?" the brunette among the two asked him kindly.
"I wanted to see my aunt, so I walked here by myself," Blaze replied, donning an innocent expression.
The angels were surprised initially, but then a gentle expression came over their faces.
"Who's your aunt, little one?" the black-haired angel asked him softly.
"Aunt Rebecca is a first lieutenant!" Blaze replied energetically.
"hmmm. Do you know a lieutenant Rebecca, Tessa?" the black haired one asked Tessa.
"Maybe the Black Thorn Regiment?" Tessa replied, thinking.
"She wears a black and red corset" Blaze added.
"That sounds like the Black Thorn. I guess I will take her there and ask around," Tessa replied, giving Blaze a hand to hold onto.
Blaze held on to Tessa's hand as she led him through the camp. He got a few curious stares from the angels, but no one stopped them.
Though the tents looked used, they were not hackneyed and were placed at uniform distances from each other, with enough room to easily move around. Weapons were neatly organized on racks and the equipment seemed sturdy and well maintained with a visible sheen to the metal.
There was also a lot of 'magical' equipment, but the soldiers didn't seem to be using them for the drills. Some areas had battle rings set up where soldiers fought against each other using steel equipment. Rather than blocking, they seemed to be focusing on dodging.
Soon, they reached an area with a banner depicting a black thorn planted at the entrance.
"Oi!" Tessa shouted at a random angel.
"Do you know where I can find lieutenant Rebecca?" Tessa asked as she approached them.
"She is under Captain Dina. Head straight and the second captain's tent you spot is hers. She should be around there now," was the response.
Tessa walked him over to the tent and Blaze spotted Rebecca huddled together with a group of fifteen soldiers. They were sitting around a put-out campfire.
"She's there!" Blaze said with mock excitement.
Rebecca spotted them as they got closer. She excused herself and rushed over.
"What are you doing here?" she asked him with concern. She couldn't think of a good enough reason for him to be here.
"I missed you, Aunty," Blaze exclaimed and hugged her, hiding his face between her breasts.
"Awwww," Tessa exclaimed.
"Thank you, soldier. Your help is most appreciated," Rebecca told Tessa with a grateful smile.
"It's alright, lieutenant. I wish I had such a loving niece," Tessa replied before heading back.
She beamed happily as she watched Tessa walk away and out of earshot, before affixing Blaze with a stern look. “Alright twerp, what the Hela are you doing here!”
"What? I missed you!" Blaze replied with a seemingly offended expression.
"Yeah, and the demons all turned into angels overnight," Rebecca replied wryly.
"Okay, fine! I was bored. But I really did miss you. A little." Blaze replied truthfully.
"How the hela did you get here anyway? I doubt Jie Er dropped you off. Don't tell me you walked all the way," Rebecca sighed, giving him a small hug.
"Of course, not," Blaze replied and proceeded to tell her about his accomplishments over the few days.
"I guess you don't want me to tell Jie Er about your trip?" Rebecca asked him wryly, after she got over her initial amazement.
Blaze shook his head vigorously.
"You owe me one, brat. Come, I will introduce you to my platoon. You can't be here for too long, though. I will give you a tour and take you back," Rebecca said, taking his hand.
"Come on aunt Becky. What's there to owe between us? And, you don't have to bother about taking me back. I can get back by myself, it's good practice. Elyssa even gave me a pike. I should be safe," Blaze replied with a grin.
"We'll see," Rebecca muttered as she took him towards her platoon.
"So, is this the kid you've been talking about, lieutenant?" one of the angels asked as they reached them.
"Yep. Everyone, meet Blaze Er. The little brat I can't seem to get rid of."
"Hello," Blaze said, pretending to be shy as everyone greeted him.
Rebecca's platoon was quite welcoming, and soon Blaze was sitting between two twins with purple white hair. Rin was the one with a choppy boy cut, while Lin's hair was long and braided. The two of them were quite small for angels, at around six-and-half-feet, and seemed to be the scouts of the team.
"Have all of you fought with demons?" Blaze asked as the platoon's discussion on tactics came to an end.
"Most of us have faced them at least once before, but second lieutenant Clara is the veteran. She's been in two major battles and tons of skirmishes," Rin told Blaze, pointing at the largest angel of the group.
Clara shrugged her shoulders and smiled in confirmation. She was a tall, big-boned brunette with muscles toned to perfection. Her body gave a vibe of great sinewy strength, without being marred by ugly huge muscles. A long mass of braided golden blonde hair dangled behind her. A heavy two-sided battle-ax lay beside her.
"How come you aren't the leader of the group? You seem stronger than Aunt Becky," Blaze asked, trying to tease Rebecca.
But to his surprise, the usually combative Rebecca did not deny the fact.
"Rebecca is quite talented, little one. I will be three-hundred-and-fifty-seven this winter and do not have much room to grow further. She is less than half my age and already quite strong."
"Hah! I already beat Aunt Becky and I am only nineteen!" Blaze replied proudly. He loved getting a rise out of Rebecca.
The angels just laughed. They believed Rebecca had just been playing around.
"She did beat me in arm wrestling," Rebecca replied begrudgingly.
The entire platoon stared at the two of them with disbelief.
"Do you plan on joining the army, child?" Clara suddenly asked Blaze.
It was Blaze's turn to be surprised. He hadn't really considered such a thing or even his future. He was still trying to figure out why he was in this world. And so far, it seemed as if his rebirth or reincarnation might have been just a random anomaly.
I dunno..." Blaze replied tactfully. He wasn't the one for following orders and joining an army was the definition of that.
"Just remember, individual strength doesn't mean much in a war. A good leader is worth ten soldiers with the same strength. Your aunt is worth more," Clara replied seriously.
Blaze nodded, with a new-found respect for Rebecca. He knew she was smart, but her impulsiveness and recklessness around him and Jie Er made him forget the fact.
"How is it fighting the demons?" he asked Clara, after a moment.
Clara considered the question before answering.
"Most recruits, after a skirmish or two, think that the demons are all cowards. But nothing could be further from the truth. They are ferocious and completely ruthless. Nothing fazes a demon soldier. Whether it’s losing a limb, a friend, or their entire troop, once they've decided to fight to their death, they will not stop until they are dead. An average demon soldier is stronger than an average angel soldier. A berserking demon soldier can take down multiple angels at the cost of her own life. Imagine how it is to face a whole army of them."
Blaze felt a chill go down his spine. He felt a little afraid for Rebecca.
"Thankfully, they don't berserk during normal skirmishes. They just run away if it isn't an easy victory. Thus, giving the false impression of spinelessness," Clara continued.
"Why the difference?"
"Demons are selfish creatures. They put their lives and needs above everything else. It is apparently not easy to make them fight when the chance of dying is high. So, the demon leaders only force them to do so in major battles or in a full-scale war."
Blaze nodded. He had read that the demons were self-serving and not very patriotic.
"Have you ever talked with a demon? Maybe they aren't so bad if you aren't fighting them," Blaze asked innocently.
Clara smiled at Blaze's presumed naivety. She seemed to find it endearing.
"Nothing more than hurling curses at each other. But trust me, little one, demons are nothing like us. I've never seen a demon put herself even at the smallest of risks to save one of their own kind. If you see a demon stop by a wounded demon, it's usually to steal her equipment or food. Don't angelize demons."
Blaze could accept that demons were nothing like the angels. But, for some reason, he couldn't come to terms with the fact that the demons were completely evil and vile. He had not come across any books which talked about their lives or circumstances. He had not seen any indication that demons and angels had ever tried to interact with each other in a non-combative situation.
"Enough with the morose stuff, already. I heard from Rebecca that you guys have the perfect hot spring. Can you convince your aunt to let us have a dip?" Lin exclaimed trying to lighten the conversation.
"Hmmm. Maybe..." Blaze replied, his eyes wandering across their smaller angel forms. Though they were twins, their bodies were slightly different. They were both slim, but Lin was toned and sinewy while Rin was soft and smooth.
Blaze spent a little more time with the platoon before all of them headed for lunch. They had a bland meal at the army mess, where Blaze let himself be coddled by random angels.
After lunch, Rebecca took him on a tour around the camp. She showed him the training fields, the latest magical equipment, the energy canons, the Pegasi and Gryphon cavalry, etc.
"Why don't the soldiers wear proper armor?" Blaze asked Rebecca, as they came across the practice arena. Even though he loved the getup of the soldiers, it didn't seem very practical.
Rebecca laughed for a moment "Armor? Where did you read about that? Armor hasn't been practical in armies for about a thousand years. Energy weapons can tear through steel like butter. Even basic body reinforcement can sometimes fare better than steel. Armor that is practical is very expensive. You can't really provide entire armies with it."
Body reinforcement was a method of supplementing skin and organs with energy to make them more resilient.
"What about those shields then?" He had previously assumed that the golden colored shields were made of bronze or a similar alloy.
"Stannium shields. They can stop most energy weapons. Stannium isn't very expensive, but it is heavy and not ductile. So, it's mostly used for shields and such."
"Are you sure you don't want me to drop you off?" Rebecca asked him when they arrived at the place where Blaze had entered the camp.
"I am sure. I don't want to waste your time. I'd rather do something else though," he replied with a sly grin.
"Of course you do. Let's fly a bit further down to make it look like I dropped you off. I don't want people to think that I let you go home by yourself," Rebecca replied, grabbing Blaze with an arm and taking off.
They flew for over a yonder before they stopped under the shade of a large Semanea Tree (has a wide mushroom-like canopy).
Blaze looked at Rebecca with an eager grin.
She shook her head as she undid her corset. She let it fall to the ground and her plump breasts bounced under the gravity. Her splotchless pale skin shimmered under the shadows of the leaves.
She smiled at him coyly and turned towards the tree, placing her hands on it. She bent forward and shimmied her legs back, pushing her perky butt towards him.
"Let's do it quickly. I might as well get back early and not have to explain myself to the captain," she told him, but her eyes were filled with anticipation.
"You sure, Aunt Becky?" Blaze grinned slyly, walking up to her. He pasted himself against her and reached for her breasts. He bounced and squeezed them as he planted kisses on her smooth back.
"Get on with it!" Rebecca taunted him. Somewhere along the way, she realized that Blaze took great pride in making them feel good. So, she wanted to tease him a little.
Taking her words as a challenge, Blaze immediately leaned forward and planted his face between her butt cheeks.
He grabbed them firmly and started licking and sucking on her vagina with vigor. Rebecca moaned in pleasure and pushed her butt into him. Before long, her narrow slit was glistening under the combined wetness of his saliva and her fluids.
He gave her a long lick along her perineum before moving on to her other hole. She quivered as he pushed his way inside, coating her walls with saliva. She pushed her butt into his face and ground against him.
Satisfied with the amount of lubrication, Blaze stood up and grasped her hips, plunging his cock into her slit. Rebecca let out a loud gasp. He leaned over her, grabbed her breasts and started furiously pumping her.
As she held on to the tree for support, Rebecca's moans synced in with the thwacks, and within a few minutes, she shuddered, drenching him with her warmth. Her knees gave in, but he held her by her waist.
He slowly pulled out, and after calming himself down for a moment, he moved his tip to her other hole.
Rebecca looked back at him as she felt the head of his penis against the folds of her anus. Her eyes were filled with a hint of uncertainty. Her last experience was a little uncomfortable and though she attributed it to Blaze’s lack of control that particular time, she was still unsure about anal penetration. Her only comfort was that it felt good against her ass and she had an inkling that like coffee, it would only get better with experience.
Blaze gave her a determined grin and rubbed his length against her hole, trying to stimulate it. When it unclenched out of its own volition, he pushed himself with his thumb and penetrated her slowly.
Rebecca gasped, gripping the tree in front of her as her back arched down like a bow. Her passage clenched around him with a vise-like grip.
Using the plentiful lubrication that he had put into her, he slowly but steadily shoved his way into her depths until his thighs collided against hers. He could feel the entirety of his length grasped by her walls.
He relished the sensation for a moment and suddenly pulled out.
Rebecca's back arched up as she sucked in a sharp breath of air. He slowly pushed back in, the resistance never decreasing. As her back curved in, she arched back up.
Her back set a rhythm of arching as he plunged in and out of her. He increased his speed slowly and was soon pumping her anus almost half as fast as he had done with her vagina.
Rebecca reached down and started rubbing her clitoris, stimulating herself even more. She used the tree and her legs to hump and grind into Blaze whenever he collided against her. Blaze reached a peak but resisted, waiting for her to come again.
He didn't have to wait for long. Rebecca quivered again as the nerve endings inside her rectum sent jolts of electricity through her body. Blaze felt a splash of warmth on his balls and he exploded inside her, coating her passage with his own warmth.
