by Jack Porter
The succubus snorted, but the elf remained silent.
Finally, after some minutes, she responded. “What would you have us do, human?”
“I don’t know, Ashyn, but not let them be slaughtered because of us would be a good start.”
“Easier said than done. However, they are resourceful, and before they allow the Wraith King to destroy them, they will flee the village.”
“That doesn’t exactly make me feel better,” I muttered.
Ashyn didn’t say anything more, and I lay back, too tired to argue. Maybe we could devise a plan in the morning. For now, I needed sleep, although I felt that I would wake more bruised from these rocks than I had been from the punks who had dumped me in the river.
After checking that the whip and sword were secure by my side, I closed my eyes.
Not surprisingly, I dreamed of smoke and fire, of ash and flames. Of an elf and a succubus.
They were beautiful and terrible at the same time, and I couldn’t look away as they stripped their clothes for me. Ashyn’s long, lithe body looked like that of a warrior goddess, strong and muscular, but still feminine.
Ilana’s body was as tantalizing without clothes as I’d hoped. Her dark nipples were perfect for sucking. Her waist curved out to broad hips and supple thighs, which met at a perfectly shaved apex that smelled of desire. Even her wings became objects of my fantasy, and I wondered what it would be like to have her on top of me, her wings spread in pleasure just like her legs.
I groaned, aching to touch these creatures that were offering themselves to me.
And then I woke.
The disappointment lasted only a moment before I realized that my pants were tented, and someone was touching my thigh.
12
“Sh,” Ilana said. “The elf sleeps. I thought I could give you your reward now, human Jon.”
Oh my god. If this was part of Hell, then it was much better than the stories. However, as tempted as I was, there was considerable hesitation, too. I touched her hand, holding it still. “I don’t need a reward, Ilana.”
“But you want one. I can smell it.” She gave a great insucking of air. “I can feel it.” She ran her free hand over my crotch, and my cock twitched beneath her fingers. “Do you want me to taste it?”
My breath hitched in my throat, and I couldn’t speak for a moment. If she really was a succubus, then I would be a fool to give in to her. Even if it was to be the most pleasurable experience of my life, it would likely be my last. Succubi weren’t known for letting their lovers live. At least, in my world. I didn’t know how it was in Hell, but based on Ashyn’s warning, it was the same here.
Sitting up fully, I moved both of Ilana’s hands off me. “Thank you,” I said, “but I’m just happy that you’re free. And besides, I smell like shit and blood, remember?”
“You do, that.” She laughed, a golden, tinkling laugh that reminded me of summer wind and clean air and fresh water. “We’ll fix that as soon as we get to Blackhold Castle,” she said, “and then maybe you will reconsider my offer.”
“Is that where we’re going?”
“I am not certain, but that is the general direction our elf friend is leading us.”
“You are correct,” Ashyn said.
The gorge remained dark, but I heard her shift in her seat. Had she been awake the whole time? If so, Ilana had been lying when she said the elf slept. What did Ashyn think of the whole proposal?
Now that I’d fully woke, my throat was drier than ever, and I used it as an excuse to think of something other than my fantasies. “I could really use some water,” I said. “Please tell me we’ll pass a spring soon.”
“Forgive me, Jon,” Ashyn said. “I forgot humans need more than we do. I’ll fetch some for you now.”
I wanted to argue, but I was so damn thirsty that I couldn’t bring myself to do it. “Can you see to find it?”
I heard Ashyn stand. “I see just as well in the dark as I do in the light.”
I imagined her looking down at my crotch, which was still sporting an erection that tented my pants despite my thirst. At this point, though, I didn’t care because all I could think of was water.
The elf left us. I half-expected Ilana to make more advances on me, but it seemed she didn’t care if she had an audience or not, and that she’d taken me at my word. For now.
Once again, now that the prospect of drinking was close, my thirst grew to be unbearable. To distract myself, I decided to ask Ilana some questions. “What are the wraiths?”
She didn’t answer at first.
“Have I said something wrong?” I asked.
“No, human, but everyone knows what a wraith is.”
“I don’t. What is under that hood and tattered cloak? Are they human?”
Ilana sighed. “Wraiths are sort of like spirits, except they have a physical form.”
“What do they look like?” I asked.
“They look like death, really. It’s hard to explain until you see them for yourself. But basically, a wraith is the husk of a dead elf or human or other race that has been a slave to the Wraith King so long that you can no longer tell what it is.”
“Like an orc?”
“No, it’s not an orc, although the Wraith King has some of those, too. No, wraiths are different. They live in two planes at once. Here in Hell, and then also in another world.”
“But they can be set on fire,” I said, thinking of the fiery whip.
“Oh yes, you can kill them. At least, you can kill the husk in Hell. I don’t know what happens to the portion of them in another plane.”
The answer wasn’t quite satisfying, but I had more questions. “And the red-robed man?”
“A sorcerer. All human, yes, but so far gone down the road of dark magic that he no longer thinks like one. The Wraith King’s special guard is made almost entirely of sorcerers, and they are in charge of all things to do with fire.” Ilana paused. “If you had not saved us and freed me, I would have thought you were a sorcerer’s apprentice, Jon.”
“Me? No. Just in the wrong place at the right time, it seems.”
“How did you wield the whip?”
“I don’t know.”
How did I wield the whip? I ran my fingers over it on my belt, but the leather felt ordinary now. I had no idea where the fire came from, and in truth, it made me uncomfortable, just like everything else in this place.
Except maybe Ilana and Ashyn.
The elf wasn’t gone for long, and I was soon drinking water from a makeshift canteen made from her clothes. Since she hadn’t been carrying any other pouch, and what I held in my hands definitely wasn’t a shoe, it couldn’t be anything but the small one-piece she’d been wearing. Knowing the elf was naked in the darkness did nothing to halt my raging erection, but I wasn’t about to do anything about it now after I’d so resolutely refused Ilana’s advances.
The water tasted like I imagined Ashyn would taste, and it was perhaps the most sensual thing I’d done up to this point.
“Thank you,” I said after I’d drunk my fill and the thirst was abated. I handed Ashyn’s leather one-piece back, and I heard her slip it on. Feeling refreshed, I wiped my mouth and stood. “Once it is light, will one of you show me how to sanctify the water?”
“You don’t know?” Ilana asked, and I heard genuine shock in her voice. “But it is something even the youngest child learns to do as soon as they can walk.”
“I’m not from here,” I said.
“But all creatures in Hell must sanctify the water,” Ilana explained. “Except for the wraiths and the wyrms, I suppose. They only drink ale, wine, and blood.”
“That explains why you are covered in blood,” Ashyn responded. She took my hand. “You must have tried to drink without sanctifying the water. It’s a wonder you didn’t die.”
“I thought I was going to,” I said.
“Then I will show you, human, at first light. You have a few more minutes to rest, and then we move.”
Fe
eling relieved, I sat back against the stone wall with Ashlyn’s hand still in mine. I didn’t know why she had taken it, but it didn’t matter. Since no more sleep would come, I had plenty of time to contemplate exactly what my next move would be. And, after talking to the woman on the horse, I think I had an answer.
13
“Do either one of you know about the portal to another world?” I asked.
I felt Ashyn stiffen beside me. “I thought you said you weren’t from here?”
“I’m not. I think I’m from another world. And I didn’t use that portal to get here. At least, I didn’t come through any mountains, but I wonder if I can get back home through it.”
“The portal is guarded by the Wraith King. It belongs to him, and he guards it jealously. Everyone knows this.”
“I don’t, apparently,” I said, feeling irritable. “Has anyone ever snuck past the guards?”
“You mean the army of wraiths?” Ilana asked. “No, Jon-man.”
“Then why does it even exist if no one uses it? What’s the point of it?”
“What’s the point of anything?” the elf asked. “My people have asked questions like yours for centuries, but some questions aren’t meant to be answered, Jon.”
I had the distinct impression she was discarding the conversation on purpose.
The world was growing lighter, and we stood. There was no point in me brushing myself off like the girls did because I was too filthy for it to make a difference. Once again, the sky was lit by a red ambient light, and not one that reminded me of pleasant things like cherries or apples, but of blood.
“What causes the red sky?” I asked.
The elf and the succubus looked puzzled. “What other color would it be?” Ilana asked.
Well, so much for that. I didn’t comment on it anymore for now, feeling like my questions were intrusions.
“The elves believe in prophecy,” Ilana said once we started walking. Once again, she walked behind me with Ashyn leading our little party. “Why don’t you?” she asked the elf.
“I believe in prophecy,” Ashyn replied. When she didn’t offer any further explanation, the conversation dropped to silence.
As the sky grew brighter, we picked our way over stones and rocky crags. After an hour or so, Ashyn stopped us at a trickle of water that leaked out of the rock wall. “Here is the spring I found last night.”
“You weren’t gone that long last night,” I pointed out.
She smiled. “I travel much faster on my own.”
Already thirsty, I was eager to learn how to sanctify the water. I no longer wanted to rely on others for something so basic as this. “What do I do?” I asked.
“Cup your hands and draw some water,” the elf said, and I obeyed.
The water looked so innocent in my palms that it was hard to believe it could kill me. And it was cold. My thirst increased tenfold as I anticipated taking a drink of it.
“Repeat these words,” Ashyn said. And then she spoke several words in a strange language.
I repeated the words, making several attempts to get my tongue around the harsh syllables before the elf deemed them sufficient. Finally, she told me to drink, and I did. The water tasted wonderful, and I sanctified several more palmfuls before feeling satisfied.
The other two drank, as well, and once we all felt refreshed, we continued on our way. I regretted not having a way to transport the water, but both assured me that there would be other opportunities to drink as we approached Blackhold. And they were correct. Several times throughout the day, we found springs and took the opportunity to sanctify the water and drink. By the last time, I had the words memorized and could say them without Ashyn’s correction.
As my thirst was quenched, though, my hunger grew. I hadn’t eaten in almost two days, but since there didn’t seem to be anything to eat, I didn’t mention it.
Only once did we hear hounds baying above us at the top of the gorge, but since there was no way down, we soon left them behind. We hiked in silence, but I had much to think about. The portal nagged at me, and I had too many questions to keep them all straight.
After seeing the wraiths in front of the village, facing an army of them seemed terrifying. But all I could think about was getting through that portal. The more I thought, the more I believed that somehow it led back to my world. That I hadn’t died, but that somehow I had fallen through into this world. Whether it was the mythological Hell of religious tradition, or some other alternate universe that happened to be called Hell, I didn’t know. Either way, I didn’t want to stay here, that was for damn sure.
I’d never appreciated how beautiful New Jersey had been. With its skyscrapers, the cold wind in the winter and the stink in the summer, it seemed like heaven compared to this Hell.
And I wanted to go back.
Unfortunately, as best I could tell, we were heading away from the Black Mountains and the portal that could take me home.
14
“How long until Blackhold?” I asked that afternoon.
“We will camp one more night,” Ashyn replied. The elf sounded so sure of herself, her voice so calm and in charge, that it was difficult to remember that yesterday she had been a slave being whipped.
Once again, we hiked through the gorge until I was stumbling over everything. Then, we found shelter and stopped. The ash and smoke had abated somewhat, and my eyes hadn’t felt as scratchy in the last hour or so.
The next morning, we left as soon as I could see my feet, and within three hours began hiking up the opposite side of the gorge from where we’d entered. As there was no real trail here, it was difficult work.
The hike was more of a climb, and more than once, I found myself with fingers and toes wedged into cracks into the wall, sweating, looking for handholds above.
Ashyn had an easier time, for despite her obvious muscles, her body seemed to weigh nothing. She climbed the ascent like a spider, but more beautifully. And I suspected that Ilana could have flown to the top but chose to climb with me instead, staying close in case I lost my footing.
I didn’t, however. Even through my hunger, I had made tougher ascents than this one and was proud when I finally launched myself over the rim of the gorge.
The view was spectacular. The sky, still glowing red, had cleared enough that we could see for miles in any direction. And the ash that had plagued the village two days ago was only hinted at here. The ground sloped gently along clear plains and fields until it reached high, treacherous-looking mountains. Nestled on top of an arm of a mountain jutting out into the plain was a dark castle silhouetted against the sky. Its towers and battlements seemed to reach for the clouds above it. I counted seven dark towers of varying heights, each one looking more fearsome than the last. From this distance, and with the backlighting of the red sky, they looked like black spear points rising up from the mountain.
Below the castle, a city had been carved into the rock in two tiers, with each one rising grandly from the base of the rock. The lower tier was protected by the mountain cliff face on two sides. At the top, the keep with its seven towers looked like it was protected by another wall, but the castle was still too distant to make out clearly.
A tall wall surrounded it all at the base, with more imposing towers guarding it along the way. With the wall protecting the city on three sides and the mountains on the fourth, the stronghold looked impregnable. All of it was made of black stone.
“Blackhold Castle,” Ashyn said. “My home and the home of the Dark Elves of Hell.”
I turned to her. “You don’t look like a dark elf.”
She smiled. “I am one of the Seven Rulers of Blackhold.”
Ilana gasped.
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“It means,” Ilana said, “that our elf friend has been holding out on us. She is royalty.”
The elf inclined her head. “My people have guarded these mountains for a thousand years.”
“Did the slavers know who you were?”
I asked.
“They did not,” Ashyn replied. “If they had, the Wraith King would have sent an entire host to accompany us to the Black Mountains.”
“And our rescuer never would’ve had a chance to save us,” the succubus said, looking at me thoughtfully. “Are you sure you didn’t know who Ashyn was?”
I shook my head. “I swear it.”
“Ashyn cannot be your real name,” the succubus said to the elf, almost accusingly.
I raised an eyebrow. Ashyn paused and studied the succubus. “No, it is not. My name is Nya, Commander of Archers, and sister to Alayna, the High Ruler.”
Ilana looked impressed, but I had no thoughts other than that things were turning out very different than I had imagined.
Ashyn—or Nya, rather—turned to me. “You told Ilana that you didn’t want a reward. Is that still true, Jon?”
“Yes,” I said. “All I want to do is get home.”
“Then let’s see what we can do about that, human.”
15
The elf city was farther away than it looked from the gorge, and it took us most of the rest of the day to get there. The dusty road widened and became firmer beneath our feet. More traffic joined us as elves rode toward the city or drove wagons. A few glanced our way, but no one was close enough to hail. A ride in the back of a wagon would have been nice, but we didn’t ask anyone. Anyway, I figured Ashyn… Nya… would have done so if she wanted.
So we continued on foot. My feet were bruised by now, and every step was agony.
By the time we reach the main gates, I was exhausted, and even Nya looked weary. Only the succubus looked like she could have run another hundred miles.
Last night, limited by the dying light, I hadn’t noticed the moat surrounding the castle. We stopped at the lowered drawbridge that was allowing access to the city and gazed over the drop-off. Expecting a deep pit with perhaps some water in it, I reeled at the actual sight.
I couldn’t see the bottom.