by Eric Vall
With my heightened vision, I could see a sheen of sweat beading on her pale chest, and her exertion made her cheeks as bright as the pink hair flowing behind her. She looked practically ethereal as she moved with long and lithe strides while Ruela panted hungrily at her side, and every step made her breasts jolt beneath her sheer white bodice.
I tore another pillar out of the ground without thinking much about anything except the sound of Deya’s heavy breaths and the pleasing shimmy of her cleavage from up above, and then the beautiful elf turned her head to send me my favorite mischievous grin.
That’s when a dart impaled my shoulder blade, and I felt my legs knot around themselves.
My head spun as the ground crashed into my face at full throttle, but my heart was still slamming with a vengeance. I knew this because I was vaguely conscious for a minute longer, and I could tell I wasn’t dying. Just cut down in the heat of the chase thanks to my raging libido and Deya’s creamy cleavage.
Through the dirt smashed against my face, I could feel the snatcher slowly whirring his way over to me, but then the heaviness in my limbs weighed me down, and the darkness around me bloomed into a pit of silence as I blacked out completely.
The next thing I registered was the sensation of bare and supple skin pressed around my body, slow and sleepy breaths, and a distant giggle that sounded like silvery bells and reminded me of galaxies swirling in violet eyes.
Chapter 2
The house was completely dark when I managed to pry my eyes open, and I realized I’d been out all day and most of the night. As far as I could tell, I wasn’t experiencing any residual effects of the sedation, though, and I guessed my healing rune had something to do with this. I wasn’t even groggy as I propped myself up on my elbows, and I found all four of my women nakedly tucked around me in our bed.
Cayla had fallen asleep with Deya wrapped snug in her arms, and Aurora’s cheek was nestled against Shoshanne’s tummy while her hand tucked itself around my arm. The healer held her healing staff clutched in her grip, and the same worried crease was still crinkling her brow even in her sleep. I was happy to see Aurora snuggled up with her, though, and the thought of my women working together to somehow get me into bed and keep Shoshanne calm enough to get some rest made me smile.
I was about to reach over and let the healer know I was fine, but another silvery giggle suddenly drifted into my head again, and when it mingled with the soft bubbling of a fountain, my heart jumped into my throat as I glanced toward the atrium.
At first, I thought I’d imagined it after all the talk of Nemris with the women yesterday, but the air suddenly felt electric around me, and when Ruela let out a low whine from her place in the corner, I quickly climbed out of bed and headed straight for the atrium.
Then I halted at the sight of a cascade of glittering hair and a sheer dress cinched around an otherworldly ass.
“Nemris,” I breathed.
The goddess was crouched at the edge of my fountain when she turned a smile in my direction that stilled my lungs and left my fingers numb. Then she rose and glided toward me, and all I could do was stand there like a stone statue as I waited for her touch. Every inch of me tingled with anticipation, and the moment she reached out to brush her fingertips along my cheek, my breath suddenly returned in ragged waves until I was practically panting.
Static currents shot through my skin and prickled across my skull, and a warm feeling of complete calm washed over me until I was on the verge of collapse.
“I’ve missed you, my love,” Nemris murmured, and she trailed her fingers down my jaw to linger at the nape of my neck.
“Stay,” I found myself saying, though it sounded more like a desperate wish than an order, and Nemris’ sweet lips smiled up at me.
“I come here to assist you and all you can think of is making love to me,” the goddess sighed softly. “You haven’t changed in a thousand years.”
“No, I didn’t mean …” I tried, but her touch brought my pulse up and made my palms sweat until I had to work to regain my focus. “I’ve missed you, too, is what I meant to say.”
“I know you have,” Nemris whispered, and her voice flitted in an out like we were communicating through a tunnel. “I am never far from you, Mason. You know this.”
I couldn’t help grinning. “You sure left me hanging this afternoon, though. Deya probably thinks I’m crazy.”
“Does she?” the goddess asked with an amused smile.
“Yes, apparently, I have this all backwards, and some guy named Rekekis tricked me into this realm. Friend of yours?”
Now, Nemris’ cosmic gaze gleamed in a way that almost blinded me, and I shielded my eyes while the goddess giggled lightly to herself.
“As the beautiful Aurora said, I sometimes come to this world to intercede,” Nemris murmured, but she began to flicker in a way that made her appear holographic all of a sudden. “I know you always have the best interests of your women at heart, Mason, so I have come now to intercede on your behalf. Perhaps Deya’s mind will be at ease, now.”
“What do you mean?” I asked as I instinctively reached out, but the goddess’ fingers fell through my grip like a fine mist, and with a last, lingering smile, Nemris vanished into the cosmos.
“Godsdamnit,” I gasped as I tried to steady my breathing. The sensation of Nemris’ fleeting presence left an ache in my gut and a burning desire coursing through me. I felt anxious and desperate like I’d never felt before, and my head was filled with the sound of her voice and her electric touch teasing me and tantalizing my senses until I thought I’d lose my damn mind.
“Mason?” I heard Aurora yawn from the bedroom.
Then I locked my jaw and tore my shirt off, and I was already kicking my pants across the floor before I crawled into bed to drag Aurora over as she chuckled sleepily.
I was completely insatiable as I worked my way through my four women, and even after having two more rounds with each of them, I still felt like my body was only halfway done with a marathon. The entire time, Nemris’ voice circled in my mind, but I couldn’t make any sense of her words. As far as I could tell, if Nemris came to this world to do any sort of work tonight, it must have been to get me riled up and set me loose like a bull in a ring.
Deya trembled like a leaf as I bit at her plush lips and slender neck like I would devour every inch of her, and when I finally let up, she let out a silvery giggle that just sent me to the verge all over again. I was relieved to find my beautiful elf as enthusiastic about our love making as ever, though, and I hoped this was a sign she’d let the Nemris thing go and decided it hardly mattered if I was crazy or not.
Deya clung to me like her life depended on it as I took her every way I wanted, and when she finally collapsed in exhaustion, Shoshanne was wet and waiting patiently for her turn. It was dawn when the caramel beauty rolled off me and fell limp in my arms, and I had no idea when the other three women had fallen asleep. The night was a blur of naked legs parting for me whenever I turned around, and the sweet scent of my women clung to me like a second, sensual skin.
Now, they were all nakedly tangled up and in a deep and satiated sleep beside us, but Shoshanne’s heavy eyelids fluttered up at me while she worked to catch her breath.
“I guess I don’t have to worry about that tranquilizer,” Shoshanne sighed. “You’re definitely alive and well.”
I chuckled and shifted to wrap my arms around the caramel beauty. “Sorry for keeping you awake so long. I couldn’t help myself.”
“Mmm,” Shoshanne moaned sleepily. “Maybe those berries I used in the brew have side effects.”
“Maybe,” I murmured against her hair. “You should get some sleep. We’ve got a long day ahead of us.”
I knew well enough there weren’t any enhancing side effects from the tranquilizer, and that if anything, my healing rune would have swallowed them up hours ago.
No, this was pure, cosmic, raging lust brought on by a single touch from the goddess herself, and jus
t the thought of Nemris sent my hands clutching my roots as my pulse quickened once more.
“Fucking goddesses,” I groaned.
“Hmm?” Shoshanne sighed, but her breath was already slowing into sleep, so I laid perfectly still for another few minutes until I was sure the healer was slumbering peacefully. Then I carefully crawled over my women and grabbed my clothes from the floor.
They’d probably sleep until lunchtime after the treatment I’d given them, so I decided to get an early jump on the day, if only to keep myself from waking them all up for yet another round.
I shook my head as I pulled my shirt on, but when I spared a glance toward the place I’d found Nemris the night before, my legs stumbled to a stop.
The fountain was bubbling like it always did when Aurora wasn’t insisting I fill it up with gold coins, but the symbol now engraved in the stonework was definitely new. I crouched to get a closer look as I ran my fingers over what looked like a rune, and a grin slowly spread across my face as I finally realized what Nemris had meant last night.
The rune I was looking at was the very same one I’d seen on the stonework at House Quyn, and I remembered Deya saying it was a sacred symbol that belonged to the goddess Nemris. It was a constant reminder Nemris watched over her House, but it also transferred the goddess’ calming powers into the waters wherever it was engraved, and as I dipped my fingers into the fountain, a warm tingle spread from my fingers and slowly trickled up my arms. I took a long, rejuvenating breath as the sensation spread throughout my whole body, and I had to stifle a chuckle when I opened my eyes and admired the rune once more.
If this didn’t prove to Deya my word was good, then nothing would, but I didn’t doubt for a moment that Nemris knew what she was doing.
So, I scooped up a handful of water and splashed a bit on my face, and as I quietly left the house, all of my concerns about Deya’s faith in me drifted away as a deep sense of calm assuredness washed over me.
Then I almost jumped right out of my skin when I found Big Guy and the snatcher standing at attention and waiting for me in the clearing beside the house.
“Couldn’t sleep either?” I asked with a sarcastic smirk, and something about the blank glowing eyes of the pair made me think of crickets chirping in a silent room. “Yeah, well, go easy on me. I spent most of yesterday tranquilized. I feel like the trial run went fantastically, though. Did it feel good to stretch your metal a bit?”
The deep green channeling gem gave a brief stutter of a pulse in response, and I nodded.
“You’re a very low-key guy,” I mused. “It’s kind of crazy how fast you are. You didn’t miss a beat out there yesterday, and that’s exactly what I’m looking for. These mages you’re going to be up against are hyper-powerful in their possessed state, so it might be more challenging to round them up. Based on what I saw yesterday, as long as you don’t back down for a second, you should be good. Focus on wearing them down and keeping them in motion. Don’t hesitate to fire if you’ve got an opening, either, I can always make you more darts if you run out, alright?”
The snatcher slowly nodded, and I clapped him on his giant metal bicep since I couldn’t quite reach his shoulder.
Then Big Guy rolled closer, and he held out his hand to me before opening his metal fist to reveal Stan curled up and sleeping like a puppy.
“Aw, thanks for keeping an eye on him, Big Guy,” I chuckled as I carefully scooped up the little metal man.
Stan slowly woke up and stretched out into a star shape on my palm, and when he tilted his head to look at me, he gave a sleepy salute.
“You wanna come with me to visit your other brother today?” I asked. “I’ve gotta swing by the Oculus to load his blow gun and check a few things. Plus, you could sit in on a royal meeting, which might be fun.”
Stan immediately hopped up, but I couldn’t help noticing the blue pulse coming from Big Guy’s gem was a bit stronger than it had been only seconds before.
“You could come with, too, if you want,” I tried as I eyed the deep blue eyes of the machine. “Get to know you brother a bit … maybe give him some pointers.”
I wasn’t surprised when Big Guy promptly turned his treads and headed toward the western woods to begin his patrol, and I sighed as I watched him whir away.
“Oh, well,” I muttered to the snatcher, “at least I tried. Let’s get you locked and loaded for your first day on the job. Then Stan and I have some business to take care of in Serin.”
I snuck back into the house to gather up a sack full of darts, and I returned to the clearing beside the house to load both magazines on the snatcher’s arms. Then I gave the snatcher explicit directions so he could post himself in the foothills just east of Serin for the day. This way, any mages coming or going from the Master’s fortress would be recaptured, and by the end of the day, we’d have our first batch of mages all netted up while we blocked any attempted attacks before they even reached the city.
I doubted the Master kept a head count once his victims were branded, and as long as the snatcher left no stragglers who could alert him, we could potentially keep up the operation without him knowing for a while.
Lyro, the Ignis Mage we’d recaptured last week, had said the Master was adamant about increasing his number of daily brandings, but the mage couldn’t give me any idea of a total. Which meant they were likely focusing entirely on recruits, and then expecting the new soldiers to just fall in line with the rest.
It made sense, since the Master didn’t need any specific number to be effective. That was the perk of a possessed army. He didn’t need to worry about where one sergeant went or what their family might say if he didn’t return. He needed more and more soldiers, no matter their race or rank, and once he had them, he carried on branding the next and then the next.
As long as the snatcher was in an ideal position, I could ensure the Master gradually had less and less of an army without him even noticing. For a while, anyway. I just hoped by the time the Master did catch on, the majority of my mages would be back in Serin and fighting for the right side with better weaponry and a clearer idea of how to avoid falling into the Master’s hold again.
Which just left the issue of what to do about the ogres, and judging by the light tremor I was picking up through the ground, I had a feeling Haragh woke up as furious about the predicament as he’d been yesterday.
So, with the snatcher ready for action, I sent him off to the east with well wishes and no name, but I wanted to see how he did before I decided on the right title. He was so mellow, I almost wished his gem was yellow so I could just name him Mellow Yellow, but after seeing him in the field yesterday, I knew there was a lot more to the automaton than met the eye. I honestly couldn’t wait to see how he did on the job, and part of me wanted to tag along with him so I could cheer from the sidelines like a soccer mom.
The tremors shaking the ground reminded me of my more pressing duties, though, so I stood with Stan for a moment of silence as we watched our green buddy roll his way across Falmount. Then I sparked my Terra magic and seeped into the soil to track down my other green friend.
I found Haragh just north of the village in what probably used to be a valley before the Terra Mage took his anger out on the whole damn place. The half-ogre was growling steadily under his breath as he tore full slabs of granite out of the foothills and smashed them against trees and rocky crags, and I leaned against an outer ledge as dust and dirt billowed up in the early morning light.
There were at least ten trees uprooted and piled around him, and I waited until the half-ogre took a second to catch his breath before I interrupted him.
“How many valleys have you destroyed?” I asked out of curiosity.
Haragh turned as he took a few more ragged breaths, and then he shrugged. “This might be the fifth. I don’t know, I’ve been up since before sun-up.”
“I’m heading into Serin to check on the Oculus and meet with Temin,” I told him. “Wanna take a break and come along?”
“Better not,” Haragh mumbled as he wiped the sweat from his green brow. “If Temin says one wrong word, I’ll probably end up turning his ceiling into a floor.”
“Fair enough,” I said with a nod. “I’ll let you know how it goes as soon as I get back. The snatcher’s already headed out for duty, and the women will probably sleep through training this morning, so do you think you could help the Defenders out with the younger mages a bit? If you get too pissed, you could always turn it into a lesson on how to dig deep and destroy the shit out of things.”
Haragh thought about this for a moment. “Yeah, that sounds good. I could definitely show ‘em a few things.”
“Thanks,” I chuckled. “I really appreciate it. You should get to know Hulsan a bit, too. He’s the old Terra Mage Kurna brought in to help us out with training, so he should be there. You might like him.”
“Is he the guy always snortin’ that pollen?”
“That’s the one,” I said with a smirk. “Hang in there today, buddy. I’ll get this all sorted out.”
Haragh nodded as he looked around him at the completely destroyed valley, but then his face pinched up, and his throat sounded constricted when he spoke again.
“Would ye’ tell Temin that …” the half-ogre trailed off as his shoulders slumped, but I knew what he was getting at.
“I’m not gonna let him ignore this,” I assured the man. “We’ll have a plan in place within the day, you have my word.”
Haragh turned away and nodded once more, but I could hear him tearing a few more boulders out of the ground as I made my way to the Mustang.
Falmount Rift was just waking up, and I greeted the younger mages I passed as they headed for the market or the library. Most of them were eagerly discussing the lessons they had ahead of them, and others were already practicing with their breakfast in one hand, and their magic sparking from the other.
Stan started waving happily from his spot on my shoulder, and every mage who took a double take seemed to make the little man a bit proud of himself. He might have been small, but he certainly made a big impression, and I tried not to snicker too much when he eventually ended up with one arm propped on his hip, the other propped on my head, and his legs casually crossed. He let everyone stare at him as he puffed his little metal chest out, and I wondered if he’d be the next one insisting on some upgrades. He’d always given me the impression he was happy just as he was, though, so I let him carry on making a miniature scene while I received an endless line of shocked reactions from the mages of Falmount.