The Duelist

by Eric Vall

  “What, monsters?” I asked as my eyes began to droop closed, too.

  “No,” she said and nuzzled closer. “The starting a new life part. With you… Alex.”

  With a final sigh, Zoie dropped off to sleep. Her limbs were pliant and warm, and her heavy head rested in the middle of my chest, which added a pleasing weight to the blankets. I kissed the crown of her head and held her as if she was a precious spun glass figurine even though I knew she could be as tough as nails if the occasion called for it.

  Zoie was a complex contradiction sometimes, and I loved everything about that fact.

  Her last words played over in my head, and I smiled as a deep sense of peace carried me away to a carousel of dreams.

  Bright flashes of sound and color blurred past me almost too quickly for my mind to register. Some flashes were of Jenner and Arvid as we stood out over a healthy verdant pasture, and they waved and smiled as big ox-roach poracks ate the lush grass.

  Some visions were of Rylan as he was now, and some were of him a little older with longer hair as he rode on the back of Prosper. He laughed and sometimes cried in the flashes, especially in the one where he wept on the floor of the barn with a broken leg.

  Jenner and Arvid grew older, too, and other figures I didn’t recognize drifted in and out of my dreams in a vortex of images that seldom made any sense.

  But among all of them, there was always one fixed point: Zoie.

  Always Zoie who swam into my vision more times than not, and I was struck with images of her beautiful form in various stages of life as her face aged and her hair threaded with silver. It was these images I tried to grasp onto the hardest, but as I rose to the surface of consciousness, they slipped through my fingers like darting silver fish.

  “Mr. Alex,” someone whispered next to my head, and I shot awake in a brief panic. “It’s only me, lad.”

  “Geez, Jenner,” I groaned as my heart rate came down from the roof. I looked over my shoulder where Zoie was curled up against me from behind, and I turned back to squint at Jenner through the glowing rock lantern he held above me.

  “What’s up?” I asked and squinted through slitted eyelids.

  “I’m sorry to disturb you so early, Mr. Alex, but there is a matter I need you to attend to,” Jenner said with an anxious twitch of his fluffy gray ears.

  “Okay, don’t worry about it,” I mumbled with a sleepy huff. “Give me a moment.”

  “I will meet you down in the entrance hall,” he said and then exited the room as quietly as he could.

  I sighed and gently stroked the arm draped over my waist. Then, as carefully as I could, I tucked Zoie’s arm back under the warm blankets and tried to ninja my way off the bed without waking her.

  She mumbled, rolled over on her other side, and took all of the blankets with her like an epic blanket hog, and I couldn’t help but laugh quietly to myself as I closed the draperies against the early morning sunlight.

  I ran over to the wardrobe and quickly threw on a freshly washed pair of black breeches and another “fashionable” black tunic with a wide leather belt. I looked around the wardrobe and noticed it was fuller than it was with just my things, and I grinned when I saw how Zoie had already added some of her own clothes and accessories. My grin only grew wider when I saw she even lined my boots up neatly next to her smaller ones at the bottom.

  What even was my life these days?

  I tugged on my boots and left my sleeping wife to go find Jenner.

  When I hopped down the last three steps into the entrance hall, I spotted Jenner pacing back and forth with a worried furrow on his face.

  “What’s going on, Jenner?” I asked, and he motioned for me to hurry along as he opened the large door.

  “The Asher Lord has paid homage to you in the form of four carriages worth of goods, two farmhands, and eight pouches of purifying tithe stones as thanks for saving his offspring,” Jenner rattled off like a secretary, and my half-awake brain was reminded of how much I really, really missed coffee.

  “You’re gonna have to slow down a tick, Mr. J,” I said as I helped the little man with the solid door. “Did you say three carriages?”

  “Four carriages,” he corrected me, and my eyebrows nearly shot off my forehead.

  “Filled with what?” I asked.

  “That’s what I’ve been waiting on you for, Mr. Alex,” the koala-man said.

  I shrugged and followed him down the hill where four manapillar-guided carriages were parked on the path in front of the manor gates.

  In front of each carriage were four pairs of plain looking men who wore the familiar black and silver tunics of the palace. The attendant nearest to me stepped forward and bowed low at the waist.

  “The Lord Asher Gavlain Mec of Nata Isle would like to bequeath these assets to you in a debt of gratitude for saving his daughter,” the man said and then handed me what appeared to be an itemized list. “Would the barn be a suitable place to unburden our carriages? I believe your new farmhands have already taken it upon themselves to repair the previous damage done to the structure.”

  I stood on my toes and tried to see the barn, but it was too far away, so I dropped back down to my heels.

  “Umm, yeah-- yes. Yes, the barn would be ideal, thank you,” I said as I straightened my posture.

  “As you wish, Asher Brightwood,” the man replied and bowed again. He then whistled with his fingers, and the other attendants all climbed back up onto the carriages and pulled out down the hill. “We will unload quickly so we don’t inconvenience you any further.”

  Then, without another word, he jumped up into the driver’s seat of the last carriage and followed the other three down to the barn.

  To apparently unload gifts and supplies from the King of the Island.

  Again. What was my life?

  “Mr. Alex, if I may?” Jenner said in the middle of my stunned silence.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “I thought you said all we were getting were a few farmhands as well as Rylan and Prosper,” Jenner said.

  “I honestly thought that’s all it was,” I replied and rubbed at the back of my neck.

  “Which daughter did you save?” Jenner asked as he cocked his head at me.

  “Her name was Meera,” I said and frowned down at him. “Why?”

  Now, it was Jenner’s turn to look surprised, and his white tufty eyebrows both popped up like corks in a bathtub.

  “Did she look like she was from the Isle of Alem?” he questioned.

  “I don’t know what that means, dude,” I grumbled at the same time as my stomach. I wondered when the last time I ate was, and that was probably why I was getting a little grumpy just then.

  “I apologize for forgetting your heritage, Mr. Alex,” Jenner said with a grin, and then he took off his ever-present monocle so he could buff it on his handkerchief. “I think--if I have my family lineages correct--the offspring in question is the daughter of Gavlain Mec and his first wife, Dawn of West Alem.”

  “Meera’s mother’s name was Dawn,” I said when I remembered our brief interaction. “And I thought his first wife was that green feathered woman, Breeta. The one he always seems to have on his arm wherever he goes.”

  “Oh, yes, Breeta is his second wife and a Natavian by noble birth, but I won’t bore you with all the family lineages,” Jenner chuckled, but I could tell he was tickled about being asked about his hobby. He was so weird sometimes, and I figured this was what it was like to have an offbeat eccentric uncle.

  “But this Dawn woman is his first wife?” I asked as I tried to fill in some blanks.

  “It is the union of his first wife that brought the West and the East of Alem Isle together in peace, so naturally having heirs is quite important,” Jenner lectured and tweaked his monocle back into place. “Gavlain Mec has many wives and concubines, and therefore many children. However, Meera is not simply one descendant of many, but the only descendant of the union with his first wife. You basically en
sured the Mec line remains in power for decades to come by saving little Meera.”

  “So, really, really important then, why didn’t you just say so,” I deadpanned as I raked my hand through my hair with a resigned huff.

  Jenner then threw back his head and barked out one of his loud Japanese Anime Style Old Man Laughs as he gripped his sides.

  “Oh, Mr. Alex, you remind me so much of a good friend of mine,” he said and let his monocle hang from the tarnished chain clipped to his worn jacket. “I think I can take it from here now that the palace couriers have your approval. I’m sure you would like to… catch up on more sleep.”

  “Jenner, if I don’t thank you enough, I would like to make up for all of that now,” I said as I patted him on the shoulder. “You’re a good dude. Also, do you know if Arvid has cooked anything for breakfast yet?”

  My stomach rumbled again, and the koala-butler chuckled once more.

  “I believe he has rustled up some porridge this morning.”

  “Aw, porridge?” I asked as my shoulders slumped a little.

  “I know what you’re thinking, and I will only tell you that you will be pleasantly surprised.” Jenner’s eyes twinkled, and the corners of his mouth twitched upward as if he knew something I didn’t. “I promise.”

  “Well, then,” I said through a laugh, and I gave him a mock salute. “I guess I will go experience this magical porridge, then.”

  “I will finish up with the Lord Asher’s homage.” Jenner nodded.

  “Tell me all about it later, Mr. J,” I said and handed him the itemized list of goods.

  And then I let the capable little man take care of the finer details while I continued on relearning basic functions at ass-crack o’clock.

  Food. Then maybe some lazy morning sex with my warrior cat-girl wife, and then if I was really lucky, a nap.

  And then lots more sex.

  I glared up at the bluish dawn and wondered yet again what time it was compared to Earth. It seemed early enough to accomplish all of my hopes and dreams for the day, so I jogged all the way to Arvid’s kitchen with a spring in my step. Once I got the chore of feeding myself out of the way, I looked forward to what came next.

  “Mooorning,” Arvid said when I walked inside from the breezy courtyard.

  “Hey, Arvid,” I greeted and settled myself at the wooden table. “Jenner said I should check out your awesome porridge, so hit me up, amigo.”

  Arvid’s docile smile suddenly grew wide, and his cheeks slowly bunched up as a slight blush darkened the tips of his light brown ears. He didn’t say anything, but he did dish me up a small portion of something that looked like Quaker quick oats mixed with bright Captain Crunchberries cereal.

  “This is great, but I’m kinda hungry, pal,” I said as I eyed the teacup-sized serving. “Can I get another spoonful?”

  Arvid smiled even wider and snickered through his sloth-like snout, but he dished me up a second helping.

  “Thanks, man,” I said and brought a big spoonful up to my mouth. I expected something fruity or sweet when I first took a bite of the hot porridge, but instead I got a mouthful of savory and spicy.

  The flavors were rich despite its simple appearance, and they were layered in a way that reminded me of Indian curry. The round pink and blue balls I mistook for Crunchberries actually resembled the taste and texture of paneer cheese, so Indian was a fair comparison.

  Beads of sweat broke out on my face as I continued to eat more of the spicy and satisfying porridge. I sniffled as my sinuses were cleared out by the simmering peppery heat, and my pulse hammered so strongly I could feel each thump in my carotid.

  Finally, the spice cranked up another notch, and my lips and eyes were tingling, which caused me to blink away tears at one point.

  “Arvid,” I said and coughed as a sweet heat like cinnamon burned the back of my throat. Then I reached for the clay jug of water and took a swig straight from the source. “Dude, I love spice, but I think you actually managed to hit my threshold, there.”

  “Foor faaamliy recipeee,” Arvid droned with a rolling bob of his shaggy head.

  “Hey, thanks for sharing your family’s recipe,” I said and took another long drink from the water jug. Then I stood up, wiped my mouth off on the back of my wrist, and yawned a jaw-cracking yawn that hit me like a train out of nowhere. “Woah.”

  “Siit,” Arvid said as he gripped my elbow with gentle claws, and I let him maneuver me back down onto the wooden bench I just stood up from.

  “Why’m I so tired?” I slurred as my eyes drooped, and my head found itself suddenly pillowed on my forearms as if it was magnetized.

  I was out like a light before I even knew it…

  And then, less than three heartbeats later, I was up on my feet again with a clear mind and a heart galloping in my chest like a thoroughbred.

  “Holy shit!” I laughed with a near-manic grin. I felt like my mood shot through the roof, and energy zinged through my blood tenfold. “What was in that porridge?”

  “Fooor faaamily,” Arvid said, and then he made that weird snickering noise again as he raised his clawed hand up to his lips.

  “Fine, don’t tell me,” I chuckled as I swiped my finger through the remnants at the bottom of the bowl. I licked the last of the spicy sweet porridge off my fingertip and then placed my dish in the empty sink.

  “Thanks, Arvi,” I said as my mind and my body raced toward my previous train of thought that included a sexy wildcat hopefully still asleep in my bed.

  When I got back up to my room, the sun was pouring in through the large windows, but the drapes were still drawn and quiet around the bed.

  As quietly as I could, I stripped off everything, put my clothes on a small cushioned footstool, and then silently peeled back one corner of the hanging drapes.

  Zoie was laid out on the tangled sheets like a vision, or something that deserved to be painted in oil and hung on a museum wall.

  She was on her back with the sheet wrapped around her like some artistic creeping vine. It draped over her hips, twisted across her torso, and left one of her perfect orb breasts and delicious pink nipples exposed. Her left arm was flung artlessly over her head and rested against the mossy blanket of her black hair, and her face was turned toward me as she slumbered on.

  I crawled on the bed and settled myself next to her on my side so I could continue to watch her sleep. Her mouth was slightly open, and I could hear little whuffing noises every time she exhaled that sounded like the cooing of a dove.

  She was so tempting like this, and I couldn’t help but reach out and touch this perfect creature by brushing my thumb against her full lower lip.

  Zoie hummed as her subconscious registered my presence next to her, and then she nestled closer to me. I smiled and feathered my fingertips over the dip of her collar bone, down the delicate hollow of her throat, and then down over her heart as I dragged the blanket away. She sighed, and her breasts rose and fell with each breath.

  I grinned and drew the blanket back up to cover Zoie while I carefully ducked under the other end and kissed my way up the inside of her long smooth leg.

  “Aleeexxx,” Zoie moaned as she finally came awake with a gasp. She reached for me under the covers, and her fingers clawed at my skull when I nuzzled her lower belly. “What are you-- oh!”

  Fire ignited my blood and made me feel more turned on than I’d ever felt before in my life, so I tasked myself with seeing how fast I could bring Zoie to orgasm with just my mouth.

  “Oh, Goddess!” Zoie keened as she clutched her own tangled hair with one hand.

  I used every trick in my arsenal until her thighs trembled, and I could taste her flood of pleasure when she climaxed against my mouth.

  “Fuck, you’re hot,” I said, and I crawled up her sexy body as she recovered from her high.

  “You are, too,” Zoie panted as she threaded a hand through my damp hair.

  “Thanks, baby,” I said and then dove into the curve of her neck so I
could suck more bruising kisses into her pale skin.

  “No, Alex, you’re actually hot,” Zoie said and brought my head up so she could look into my face for more signs of the fever that gripped me last night. Or, at least she tried to, but I ducked and captured her mouth in a steamy kiss that made my head spin.

  When we broke for air, I breathed hard as I looked down at her.

  Zoie’s eyes were blown even wider with arousal, and she licked her kiss-swollen lips.

  “Please, Alex,” she said in a smoky voice. “Take me.”

  From that point on, I made it my mission to bring her pleasure as many times as I could like it was my only goal in life.

  We started on the bed, and her fingernails probably left permanent marks in my shoulder blades from where she held on as her body roiled through her second orgasm around my cock.

  “Alex! Alex!” she chanted as my hips continued to piston into hers without slowing.

  “Come on, one more, baby,” I urged as the edge of my own climax coiled tight like a spring.

  “Yes, yesssss,” Zoie whined and arched up from the mattress as her inner walls clenched around me. “With me, Alex, deep inside! Fill meeee…”

  We both hit our peaks at the same time, and my vision whited out for a brief second as my orgasm bowled me over while I filled her with my cum. Just like the night before, our shared climax lasted a good minute, and my head spun as it felt like I pumped a gallon of my cream deep into her womb.

  Then we slowly descended our peaks together, and I collapsed next to her as we both caught our breaths.

  “You are feeling well, then, my husband?” Zoie asked a short while later as she lifted her head from my chest.

  “Yeah, I don’t know what came over me,” I said with a bashful chuckle. “One minute, I was still dead on my feet, and then I thought of you up here all alone and probably cold without me, and I was wide awake.”

  “I’m certainly not cold now,” Zoie said with a mostly straight expression, but I grinned when I caught the bow of her kiss-red lips twitch a fraction.

  “Oh, really?” I asked and played along as she flipped our positions.