Bridge Quest

by Pdmac

  He slid his eyes to slyly glance at Mavie whose mouth had gaped open.

  “Looks to me like you have an opportunity here,” he offered.

  “And what would that be?” she asked, beginning to doubt her good fortune.

  “Let me go. When Gwen asks what happened, you can say I got away.”

  Mavie shook her head. “Don’t be a fool. She would know the truth.” She stood up and began pacing.

  Stepping out of her way, Karl watched her as she roamed the room, deep in thought. “What to do, what to do,” he said, silently smirking as she pondered her fate. He swept a hand at the room. “All this will soon be a memory.”

  Pausing to stare at him, she said, “I could kill you and be done with you.”

  Karl laughed. “That’s stupid on at least two levels. First, if you did manage to kill me, my death would be temporary for like a phoenix, I would rise again back in Berismo. What?” he said, seeing fear in her eyes. “You don’t know about that part in all players?”

  “I don’t know what you mean,” she said, avoiding his eyes.

  “Yes you do,” he chided. “You know damned well what I mean, which brings me to my second point. Killing me, which we both know is only temporary, will bring down Gwen’s wrath even more. Looks like you lose any way you slice it.” He smirked at her.

  Resuming her pacing, she puzzled her predicament.

  “Looks like Gwen put you in a bad position. I have to give her credit. She’s a smart one. Forced you into a corner and you can’t get out.”

  “Be quiet,” she snapped. “How can I think with you chattering like that?”

  “Merely pointing out the problems you face,” he nonchalantly replied, plopping down on the settee and pouring himself a glass of wine. Taking a satisfying gulp, he said, “This is good wine. I guess once you’re in exile or isolation, imprisonment or whatever, wine will be a rare luxury.”

  “Will you shut up?” she barked. Bustling to the door, she yanked it open. “Take him to the guest apartment,” she commanded the guards. “Provide him with plenty of food and drink and nothing else. No one is to go in or out without my express permission. Do you understand?”

  After they respectfully nodded their understanding, she turned to him. “Go. I will send for you when I want you.”

  “As you wish,” he smiled in reply, dipping his head ever so slightly. “However, though I am your prisoner, you must acknowledge me as your king.”

  “I will do no such thing,” she shot back. “You presume too much.”

  Karl’s smiled widened. “You forget who I am. When I am sitting next to Gwen, ruling this kingdom, you will remember this moment.” Slowly walking past her, he lowered his voice and added, “I will ensure you remember this day.”

  An hour later he was back in Mavie’s apartment. She wore a thin translucent burgundy gown that lazily billowed, occasionally clinging to her firm breasts.

  “Miss me already?” he taunted, though his eyes raked her luscious body.

  She smiled sweetly at him. “Yes I did… your Majesty.”

  Karl hid his surprise with a chuckle. “Finally accepted our fate, have we?” Suddenly he saw her as a beautiful woman, and his desire to possess her grew. Recognizing what was happening, he struggled to remain in control. “I know what you’re doing.”

  “Do you?” she cooed, gliding over to slide the bolt home, locking the door. Turning to face him, she reached up and slid the strap of her gossamer gown off her shoulder, repeating the action with the other side. The gown slipped down her shoulders and settled to a heap on the floor, leaving her quite naked. Stepping out from the gown, she seductively walked to stand in front of him.

  “Why?” he huskily asked.

  “Shoosh,” she winked, her voice warm and sultry.

  Lust raged inside him, yet a glimpse of clarity remained. “She’s not going to like this,” he pointed out, scooping her up in his arms and carrying her to the bedroom.

  “Who says she has to know?” she replied, leaning in to nibble on his earlobe.

  Karl indolently reclined on his side, his head propped up with his forearm and hand, the fingers of the other hand softly rubbing Mavie’s thigh. She sat on her haunches next to and facing him, a hand touching his muscular chest. The blankets of the bed lay in a crumbled heap on the floor.

  “I see why Gwen is so obsessed with you,” she purred. “You are incredible.”

  “I do my best to please,” he smiled.

  Peering intently into his eyes, she leaned down and kissed him. “Suppose I wanted to have you for myself? What would you say to that?”

  “I’d say that you’re plotting to be queen.”

  “Would you have a problem with that?”

  Karl rolled over onto his back. “It’s not a question of my having a problem with it. It’s a question of whether you have the forces to back up your ambition. The last time I checked, Gwen has most of the kingdom’s army with her.”

  “I have you,” she countered, “and you were responsible for defeating Cyril’s army.”

  “I also had the rest of my team who did far more damage than I did,” he pointed out.

  “True, true,” she nodded. “By the way, Kevin is back in Berismo looking for you.”

  “Damn. That was fast.”

  “I can take care of him,” she said with a coy smile, “if you want.”

  Karl smiled knowingly. “In exchange for what?”

  “You help me defeat Gwen.”

  “I need the rest of my team.”

  “I assumed that,” she said, straddling him. “I’ve already sent someone to fetch them back.” She leaned down to kiss him.

  Karl’s craving blossomed and his focus became more immediate as he crushed her to him.

  Sitting at the dinner table in Mavie’s dining room, Karl admired the fare set before him, all the while pondering his future. His idea of pitting the sisters against each other seemed to be working. The only problem was that instead of Gwen, he was under Mavie’s control and she didn’t seem quite as obsessed with him. Karl knew what she expected to happen. He would co-rule with Gwen. With Mavie, he’d be in the way and imprisoned like Kamdyn. His thoughts were interrupted when Mavie pushed back from the table.

  “What’s taking them so long?” she fussed, standing.

  “Who?” Karl asked, refilling her wine glass.

  “Your team. They should be back by now.” Rapidly striding across the floor, she yanked open the front door to berate the door guards who groveled their apologies but they didn’t know where they were.

  “Well find out,” she commanded, her voice rising. Slamming the door, she traipsed back to the dinner table.

  “Give them time,” Karl soothed. “They had at least an hour head start and once they made determined to get to the bridge, I’m sure they picked up the pace.”

  A fleeting grimace passed across her face before she heaved an audible sigh. “I suppose you’re right.”

  “Besides,” he added. “It’s late and they’re likely stopped at some tavern for the night. My guess is that they’ll be here not long after the mist goes away.” Giving her a winning smile, he silently mused, though my hope is that they made it across the bridge.

  “By the way,” he nonchalantly asked. “How far is it to the bridge?”

  “A day and a half of a steady pace,” she replied, eyeing him with more than curiosity.

  “Ah,” he nodded. “Then there’s no doubt they’ll be back here by tomorrow.” Sipping his wine, he peered at her over the rim of his glass. The urge to bed her came and went according to her whims. Right now the urge was absent and he studied the beautiful woman seated opposite him.

  Though physically like Gwen, she lacked Gwen’s sensual innocence and insatiable desire. There was an edge to Mavie, as though she had something to prove. Who was more dangerous was a curious question, for he imagined a vengeful Gwen would be quite destructive. For Gwen, revenge would be personal. For Mavie, it would just be busine
ss. Watching Mavie silently brood reminded him he needed to act if he was going to catch up with the others.

  “What were your plans for the sleeping arrangements tonight?” he asked.

  She looked up as if suddenly aware that he might want more than she was ready to offer.

  Seeing the deer-in-the-headlights look, Karl suppressed a smirk. “I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind if I used the guest bedroom. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in some time and the only time I get it is if I sleep alone.” He again suppressed a chuckle when he saw her relief.

  “No,” she empathetically answered, “I understand completely.”

  “Thank you.” He pretended to stifle a yawn. “I think I might like a long hot bath.”

  “Sounds wonderful,” she cooed. “Would you like some company?”

  Karl felt the stirrings and yielded. “Of course.”

  Two hours later, Karl was back in the guest apartment, seated in an overstuffed armchair by the window, the bolt to the main door secured. Pulling up his gaming screen, he tapped in a search for his goddess with the subsequent parameter of ‘How to summon a God or Goddess.’ Scrolling through the list, he stopped at Freyja.

  Freyja, a member of the Norse Vanir, is the goddess of love, sex, beauty, fertility, gold, sorcery, war and death. She owns a dwarven made necklace called Brisingamen. She frequently drives a chariot pulled by two cats and can be seen accompanied by a boar called Hildisvini. Her treasured possession, in addition to the necklace, is a cloak of falcon feathers that allow her to shape shift.

  To call upon the goddess, one must invoke her name by means of her runes: F-R-E-Y-J-A. Runes must either be carved or drawn inside a circle. Carved runes can only be carved in oak, ivory, or bone. If using a circle, white chalk is required and the circle must be at least three human paces in width.

  Once the circle or carving is complete, the summoner will invoke the presence of the God or Goddess with the following words: I call upon the God/Goddess (name of god or goddess), mighty and benevolent ruler (location where god or goddess resides) to come to me from your abode above, now to this place in time and space, appear to me face to face.

  Karl changed searches to ‘Runes,’ soon discovering that the symbols for ‘Y’ and ‘J’ were the same. After repeated searches and growing frustration he decided to simply repeat the symbol, wondering how anyone figured out there was a difference.

  Hustling over to unbolt the door, he pried it open and poked his head out, grinning amiably at the two guards.

  “How about finding me a piece of chalk and string about two meters long.”

  “M’Lord?” the older guard frowned.

  “I need a piece of chalk, white chalk, and a piece of string about two meters long.”

  “Why?” the younger guard queried.

  “An experiment,” Karl cryptically answered. “Thanks.” He closed the door and began rearranging the living room to allow for a chalk circle. Fifteen minutes later, a polite knock interrupted his sliding a sofa to the wall.

  To his delight, the younger guard offered up a large piece of snow white chalk and a wooden bobbin with black thread. The bobbin looked to be made of oak.

  Placing a single pedestal side table in the center of the clearing, he broke off a suitable length of thread and loosely secured it to the pedestal. Holding the chalk at the end of the thread and using the pedestal as the center, he drew a large circle on the floor. Removing the pedestal out of the way, he kneeled and called up his gaming screen.

  Imitating the runes on the screen, he wrote down the letters F-R-E-Y-J-A. Double checking the bolt of the door, he returned to the circle and stood just outside the edge.

  “I call upon the Goddess Freya, mighty and benevolent ruler in Vanir, to come to me from your abode above, now to this place in time and space, appear to me face to face.”

  Silence lasted only a moment before a sensual voice said, “Now that’s a lot better than ‘Yo, Freya.’ You’ve even drawn a summoning circle. How quaint.”

  Freya materialized within the circle. As before, her long flowing blond hair was held back with a garland of flowers. She smiled at him, the intense gaze of sky-blue eyes making him feel no one else in the world existed. Her diaphanous dress, billowing in the windless room, accentuated her curvaceous body and Karl was momentarily distracted.

  “Try to stay focused,” she teased before glancing down at the runes. “You’ve done quite well, though to be honest, for all future correspondence, you can skip the ‘J’ in my name. A simple F-R-E-Y-A is sufficient.”

  “Yes, Mam.”

  Hovering within the circle, she slowly looked around the room before returning her attention to him. “What can I do for you?”

  “I’m in a bit of a fix,” he began.

  “Yes, I know. So many women so little time.” She smiled impishly at him.

  “That’s just it,” he acknowledged. “Gwen wants me to stay with her in Durness while Mavie wants me here with her. Regardless of who wins, I’m still held captive here.”

  “What do you want me to do about it?”

  Karl blinked in surprise. “I… I thought I could call on you and you would fix it.”

  “So what is it exactly you want to happen?”

  “I want them to let me go.”

  Freya shook her head with disappointment. “You don’t need my help to do that. Call me when you really need me.”

  Her body began fading when Karl called out, “Wait. What do I do?”

  Rematerializing, she huffed, “Use your brains. You’re too much the gentleman. Think about it.”

  Without further word, she disappeared, leaving Karl both irritated and confused.

  “I’m too much of a gentleman?” he frowned. “What the hell does that mean?” As he dropped to his knees to begin cleaning up the chalk mark, it dawned on him and he smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand.

  Chapter 10

  At breakfast the next morning, Karl marched into Mavie’s apartment looking like he’d slept hard, hair wild on one side and matted on the other. Scratching his crotch as he approached the table, he slid out the chair and flopped down, loudly smacking his lips.

  “Hey,” he called out. “Someone gimme an ale.”

  Seeing Mavie’s mouth slack open in unconcealed disgust, he turned his head towards the door so she wouldn’t see him struggling to control his laughter.

  “Did you sleep well?” she asked, attempting to make light morning conversation.

  “Slept like a prince after a night with the harem,” he grinned, winking at her then barked at the door. “Where the hell’s my beer?”

  “Do you mean ale?” Mavie asked.

  “Ale, beer, same damned thing,” he grumbled, looking over the fare on the table. Noting the portions of eggs and sausage on Mavie’s plate, he curled a lip. “You might wanna slow down on them calories if you know what I mean. That stuff’ll go to your hips and butt and you’re at the point where you gotta start watching what you eat. Mebbe a carrot or stick of celery might be better.”

  She sat stunned as he reached over the table and jabbed a fork into one of the sausage links, sticking an end in his mouth and chewing noisily.

  A male servant came in holding a tray with a stein of ale. Placing the stein in front of Karl, he was about to turn away when Karl grabbed his arm

  “Not so fast. Hold tight there just a moment.”

  Lifting the mug up, he tilted his head back and drained the entire contents in several gulps, slapping the stein down on the table with a loud, “Oh yeah. That’s what I’m talkin’ about.” What followed was a long loud belch that echoed out the door and into the hallway. “You can bring me another. No wait. I don’t wanna see your ugly mug. Send someone good looking with nice big boobs and a small tight ass.”

  “That’s enough,” Mavie snapped.

  “What’s a matter with you?” he said with an arrogant frown.

  “What’s the matter with me?” she shot back. “You’re
acting like a common uncouth lout.”

  “Oh, mighty high falutin’ words,” he sneered, stabbing the other sausage on her plate.

  “What’s got into you? Where’s the gentleman from the past several days?”

  “Him?” he replied, still chewing. “I was getting tired of having to act like some hoity-toity mind-my-manners guy. You can’t imagine what a pain in the ass it is pretending to be someone else. Figured if I was gonna stay here, I might as well act my normal self. Say, they got any more them sausages in the kitchen?” He looked back up at the servant. “Have a hot chick bring me some sausages when she brings me my beer, or ale. You know, whatever.”

  “Yes, m’Lord,” he replied, shifting a pained inquiring glance at Mavie who replied with a curt nod.

  The servant gone, Mavie turned a cold glare at Karl. “Why are you acting like this?”

  “Haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about,” he answered then burped. Leaning back, he surveyed Mavie’s apartment with a thoughtful nod. “Yup. Staying here’s gonna be just fine. Didn’t really care for Durness all that much, though the food was better.” Placing his elbows on the table, he grinned at her. “So. What’re we gonna do with Gwen once we kick her ass off the throne?”

  “I… I haven’t decided yet,” she answered, studying him.

  “Well,” he said, leaning back and propping an arm on the back of the chair and once again looking around the apartment. “If I’m gonna rule with you here, we’re gonna have to make some changes. Like this place for instance.”

  “What’s wrong with this place?” she demanded, bristling.

  “It’s got too much of the girly touch,” he complained. “It’s all soft and cuddly and lacks a man’s presence. First, we need to repaint the walls in a forest green and then add more natural wood to the trim, sort of give it a man-cave feeling. Then we put a mace or two on the walls, along with a bunch of swords and some halberds, and mebbe a bunch of animal heads. Then we find some artist to do a tapestry of an orgy. Probably wanna hang that in the bedroom,” he winked.