Ancient Memory

Watching spears twirl and clash amidst violent shouting and grunts left Riana feeling a bit worried but also excited. She already knew how the fight was going to end but that didn't mean she wasn't worried. The weapons in the two warriors' hands were very real and the terrain was jagged. One misstep would lead to defeat and death.

As a member of the Waymier Tribe, she was obligated to root for the thin and pale-skinned man in his young twenties dawned in a pale blue kilt and a gray tunic. This obligation was magnified by the fact this man was named Kevin who was not only her friend but also her husband and mate. All of these factors ultimately did nothing to change the fact that her eyes were glued to Kevin's opponent.

He was a tall and muscular man from the Lustro Tribe who went by the name of Damion. He was marked with dark hair, tan skin, and a handsome, chiseled face. He only wore a kilt made of grass revealing his sweat-covered abs. While swinging his spear the muscles in his arms tensed and as he leaped forewarned she could see his powerful thighs tighten up. He was stronger, faster, and frankly smarter than Kevin. If not for the ceremonial elements of the dual he would have long defeated his opponent and quite easily at that.

Knowing Kevin was going to lose soon sent a shiver of excitement down Riana's spine. After all, this duel was not only to the death but carried a wager and that wager was her. As nice as Kevin was he could not compare to his opponent in any way required. Although Damion came from a different tribe, it didn't truly matter since he was a much stranger and more capable male. Letting him claim her would ensure her food, shelter, and strong offspring so what was there to be disappointed about.

Just as she had anticipated she witnessed Damion knock aside Kevin's spear and run him through cleaning. Her friend and mate fell over and dissolved into blue sparkles. Riana clicked her tongue at this and shook her head, Kevin was sure going to get a bad grade on this assignment.

Ancient Civilizations Class at the Galactic Academy was a course truly unsuited to typical nerds. It required equal parts book knowledge, acting skills, and physical endurance. This was because only a third of their grade came from actual tests while two-thirds came from what they were experiencing now, an Augmented Reality Reenactment.

All 200 or so students in their class were assigned random roles within a virtually recreated civilization from ancient times. They would be evaluated on how well they upheld the actual cultural traditions and norms of the society they were roleplaying in as well as how successful each of them became. Only by representing the culture accurately and making significant achievements through the lens of that culture could one get the best grade.

Kevin was a bit too bold as a beta-male back in the age of this civilization would have never had the balls to fight an alpha like Damion. In the end, he would get points lost because of this error as well as the fact that he was killed. Undoubtedly he would complain about this endlessly to Riana once the simulation was over sense despite being a nice guy he tended to be a sore loser. Lucky the only lasting harm would be his pride and GPA sense although their environment was very real it could also be made unreal at any moment by the computer that regulated the simulation. Like so although it appeared Kevin had been run through, in fact, he had only been poked hard in the gut and ultimately teleported away to attempt a secondary role.

Riana quickly put this out of mind as Damion trodden over a bit out of breath but also looked very pleased. She loved seeing his muscles tense and was eager for what was coming up next.

He stopped in front of her and eyed her body. She was wearing a skirt of large leaves and her breasts were bound by a band made of woven river grass. Her lean stomach was clearly visible as were her long, elegant legs. Inside Damion was happy he got to see such a wonderful view since their school's usual uniform was very conservative. With a ruthless smile, he remarked, "I had to take over five tribes to get here."

Riana flickered her eyelids playfully and remarked, "Only five."

Damion rolled his eyes and added, "You're the prettiest girl in the simulation, having you as my woman will help me get full marks."

Riana stuck her tongue out at him and remarked, "All you care about are your grades."

He smile back and retorted, "Well if I slack off even a little you might replace me as valedictorian."

Rania twired with her hair and casually responded, "You just can't bear to be second place can you."

Damion's gaze burned as he shot back, "Of course not." Switching to an ancient lounge he went on, "Your mate has fallen by my spear, be mine and perish with him."

Riana smiled and went through the motions as well, responding, "I belong to he who is strongest, I will be yours."

With a rather smug and pleased expression, Damion leaned down and with his strong muscular arms lifted Riana up and over his shoulder. Her belly was pressed against his neck while her legs and upper body were flopped over opposite shoulders. Feeling his tense shoulders made her shiver as she happily bent her body to nuzzle Damion's neck. He didn't object physically but complained, "Stop that, people might see."

Riana calmed herself knowing Damion would get upset if she kept things up and complained sadly, "Your my fucking boyfriend, and I can't even enjoy it when you're being so hot."

She sneakily stroked a hand along his chest causing him to let out a sigh and grumble, "Just wait till we're alone ok."

Their relationship was a bit complicated but they had both come to accept certain boundaries. Riana personally couldn't be happier at the moment and even a bit turned on as she asked back, "Promise?"

Damion smirked and responded, "Promise. Now behave."

Riana smiled and relaxed before murmuring, "Ok."

They travel in silence for a few minutes until they are out of sight of any prying eyes. The computer might be always monitoring them but it didn't matter if the teacher knew they were dating since they were sworn to confidentiality. Riana didn't like being so secretive but since Damion found it important she didn't want to antagonize him.

In the end, they were a rather unique couple.

She was the smartest girl in the University and came from a very common background. She had big dreams of becoming a researcher that helped make the Galaxy a better place. In general she was friends with the school's geeks and viewed as their leader. She was a kind and caring Saint that believed everyone should be given a chance and was always willing to lend a helping hand. As time went by her helpfulness and keen eye had won her a large number of friends in the world of research. At the same time, she had a knack for making scientific breakthroughs where other people were lost or confused. After building up a solid reputation for a few years she now had fellow students and even professionals approaching her almost daily in hopes of collaborating.

Damion on the other hand was just as brilliant if not more so but he was far more ruthless and ambitious. He was considered the perfect guy by everyone in the school. He was smart, charming, athletic, came from a wealthy family, was extremely popular, and was even considered to be the King of the School. His time was mostly spent around the party crowd though every friendship he made or event he went to was calculated. He was a God of networking and had developed strong relationships with half of the galaxy's industrial sector in just three short years. Everyone knew he had his eyes on elevating his family's company into one of the biggest in the Galaxy but by this point, everyone either was supporting him or had been crushed by him.

They were two alphas and were relatively content to remain within their own circles; however, by chance, their underlings got into conflict with each other. Things escalated until they were both called in to mediate the matter. Everyone on the campus was excited to see the clash of titans. After a brief exchange of curt words, they disappointed everyone by seeking out a more private setting to resolve this menial issue.

In the end, they didn't even last 15 minutes before they were passionately making out.

The attraction they felt towards each other was raw and intoxicating. After just exchanging a few words they both managed to thoroughly psychoanalyze the other and what they found was incredibly attractive. Damion was entranced by her petite features but strong will, her incredible mind yet incredible kindness. In contrast, Riana felt like he was the first real man she had ever met. All the other boys she knew were so slow and timid, like lambs, while Damion was like a wolf ready to pounce. He was calculating, capable, and very hot. There were definitely some rough spots but she always liked a fixer-upper.

Riana was a bit clueless when it came to relationships but luckily Damion was quite the authoritarian and laid everything out clearly for her. Being a scientist she liked structure, rules, and stability. Damion was a bit fierce with his demands at first but they were mostly stuff that she considered to be natural: no cheating, not embarrassing herself, not flirting with other guys.

On the outside, they looked amicable but in reality, Riana had become like a pet on a leash. She didn't mind too much, rather she began her quiet counterattack.

From just meeting up to make out they soon exchanged phone numbers and began texting. She then made sure that they would bump into each other more often while out and about on campus. Next came becoming study partners and her biggest triumph had been convincing him to take Ancient Civilizations as an elective with her.

He naturally knew what was going on but happily surrendered to his new feeling. Although very experienced in manipulating people he was very inexperienced when it came to genuine love. He had been worried he was too strict and controlling with Riana but seeing her make her best effort to respect his requirement slowly began to melt away his worries. They were both trying their best to make their relationship work and that filled them both with a great sense of comfort and security.

In time Damion became less controlling while Riana grew more rebellious which was why she was now bold enough to start boldly playing with his chest as they traveled. Once alone she returned to nuzzling and even kissing. Damion permitted this until she began to move causing him to become unbalanced. According to customs he had to carry her all the back to his tribe so he snapped, "Hey, be careful."

Riana calmed down, having grown far more turned on by the role play than she had thought she would. With a playful smile she retorted, "Sorry, you're just so hot right now."

His gaze flickered with happiness though he then grumbled, "You're annoying."

Not putting up with his wishy-washyness she laughed and poked his cheek, "You know you love me."

Damion glared but then let out a sigh and grew calm, "Of course I do."

Riana loved hearing him confess his feelings which were rather rare given his proud and prickly personality. Giving him a kiss on the cheek she added snarkily, "Then stop being such a grump and let me adore you."

She returned to being romantic with him, taking liberties she would never normally get away with. Although he was trying to hide it she could sense he was also very turned on by the situation and so she would take full advantage of his lower guard. He recoiled at first but again soon relaxed and let out a sigh and accepted it. On the inside, he loved the affection but was also worried they might be seen.

His anxiety was revealed through the tensing of his muscles as a creature that was a mix between a deer and a rabbit made a sudden noise in the woods that they were traveling through. Riana pulled back at this and in a soft voice commented, "Damion, there is no one around for miles. Just relax." She adjusted her position to meet his eyes and added, "It's just you and me."

His usual guarded nature and tension seemed to melt away at this as he nodded, "Right, it's just us." He leaned his head over to kiss Riana lightly and added, "Thank you for being so good to me."

Sensing weakness his girlfriend pounced complaining, "At least you know how to be grateful." She put a finger under his chin and added with pleading eyes, "Can't me just go public already.

Damion glared and responded, "Riana, we talked about this. Right now I need to develop my social network as much as possible."

His girlfriend rolled her eyes and interrupted, "Yay, yay, yay, and if you keep looking like you're single all those pretty girls with influential fathers will stop throwing themselves at you."

Although Dmion was ruthless even he knew how bad this sounded and quickly comforted, "You know I don't care about any of them." He kissed her neck and added, "You're the only person I've ever truly loved."

Riana always melted when she heard him say things like this but today she was a bit sour and snapped, "Well that's nice to hear but I have needs too you know?" Damion was startled by her sudden outlash but before he could respond she went on, "You already charmed that snake, Amanda. After spending spring break on her yate with all those party friends of yours and getting to kiss up to her dad you even managed to get that internship you wanted."

He grew slightly angry at this and snapped back, "That internship is what I've been working for three years. It'll be the foundation for my entire career."

His girlfriend knew this but was still very sour over how he had been flirting with another girl for so long. With equal reiteration, she retorted, "I know that. I never told you to stop, did I." Her eyes grew big and tender as she continued in a softer tone, "But now you got the internship, you're the most popular guy on campus, you have all the connections you could ever need..." Her gaze grew, pleading again, "So why can't we just be together."

Damion froze up at this and even stopped walking as he considered everything. The field of Galatic business was unforgiving and merciless. In order to survive one needed every weapon possible. He had always considered his sex appeal to be a useful tool in achieving his dream to the point where he began to disassociate himself from it.

This choice had come back to bite him after he found Riana. Damion had never thought he would ever find someone to genuinely love and was also unwilling to compromise on his ambitions. The result had been a rather toxic situation which Riana had been angled like in handling. But now that his dreams were so close to coming true his worries had reached a peak. He was scared that making one small mistake would cause everything to fall apart yet at the same time he wanted to do right by the gild that he loved.

His worry, helplessness, and fear were all present on his face causing Riana to sigh and in a calmer voice she consoled him, "Don't get all worked up, it's not that big a deal."

Damion still didn't move and after a moment responded, "Give me some time to think."

Riana wasn't expecting this but still smiled and pecked his cheek, "As much as you need."

He smiled and shuffled her firmly before sorting to move again and stating, "Good, now enough bickering. Let's enjoy this."

Riana smiled and even let out a cheer causing her boyfriend to laugh. They soon picked up an old conversation about dream houses and a possible future together which they both deeply enjoyed.

---

Once they returned to the village that Damion was the leader of, his tribemates cheered. One of their classmates waved to Riana who waved back though it was getting late so in a very macho manner her boyfriend carried her to his luxurious hut.

The building's floor was actually carpeted and even had a few pieces of crude furniture. He had a bed fashioned from gathered leaves and a bowl of fresh fruit and water at his disposal. Rather unromantically he plopped her on his bed and let out a deep sigh as he slumped into a chair.

Rolling onto her back and eyeing him Riana called, "What happened to acting cool."

Damion took a drink of water exhausted from the several-mile-long treck and retorted, "A good chieftain never shows weakness in front of his tribe..." Rubbing his legs he added, "But that doesn't mean I doesn't get tired."

Still very playful, Riana shot back, "What are you saying? You think I'm heavy."

The man's gaze grew snarky as he responded, "Not at all, I quite liked having your boobs on my shoulder half the time."

Riana rolled her eyes and retorted, "This outfit doesn't give me much support." Looking down at the knitted leave she sighed before growing teasing and added, "Plus, typically a boyfriend getting to feel his girlfriend's boobs is a normal thing."

Due to Damions desire to keep their relationship a secret they had never had the chance to develop a physical relationship. They had kissed and even made out several times but never got past this to Rihanna's disappointment. She only had one ex from back in her high school days and although the relationship was short-lived and ended up crashing and burning it lasted long enough for her to learn what sex was. On the other hand, Damion could be considered a playboy based on his track record though now that he was becoming successful he wound't have to "whore out his body anymore" as he put it.

He had always admitted that she was the first girl he had ever loved and everyone before her was just for gaining influence. Riana believed this but she could never quite silence the voice that kept telling her that Damion might be using her like he had used everybody. The fact that he was still holding back from going public with their relationship only added fuel to this fire.

In the end, though, Riana was a creature of brains and not emotion and knew both in her mind and gut that Damion loved her. She just wished he would show it more.

Responding to her intimate Damion ended up remarking, "You're really horny aren't you."

Riana sighed, having been called out, and grumbled, "It's not my fault you look so sexy in that outfit."

Damion smiled and shot back, "I can say the same about you."

Hearing this made Riana happy though also left her disappointed, she would much rather he informed her about this with his body rather than his words. Growing a bit peeved she snapped, "You know, according to custom after taking me back to your tribe you're supposed to burn all my cloth and rape me." Letting out a wholehearted sigh she added, "A same the professors aren't grading us on that tradition, if they were I might have finally gotten you to fuck me."

Damion stood up at this and walked over to the bed with a sly and rather assertive smile. He got onto his knees next to Rihanna's body and stroked her leg responding, "I don't know..." meeting his girlfriend's curious and beautiful eyes he added mischievously "Maybe they'll count it as extra credit."

He pounced on her and devoured her lips with his own in a sound and deep kiss.

Riana didn't know what was happening but she knew she liked it. His body pressed up against hers, their skin rubbing against each other, the warmth of their bodies melding. She simply wanted to melt into a puddle but confusion sunny erupted inside her. She pulled out of the kiss and blurted, "What are you doing?"

Damion smiled with passionate eyes before responding, "Seducing you." His lips moved to her collar while his hands moved to her top. Feeling Riana shiver caused him to grow even more excited and aroused. He decided to go all the way having already made up hs mind on the walk back. Riana was one of the best things to ever happen to him and he never wanted to let her go. Looking up at her slightly worried and very confused eyes and speaking slowly as he kissed his way down her body, "You're right. I've got my internship and all the connections I need."