Plus Ultimate

by Simon Archer

  “Of course,” Marinka said, bowing her head to him and rising to follow his lead. The rest of us did the same, and I grabbed the pack containing the compasses I had made on our way out. We followed Akash back to the benches where we had met the night before, where Amaka sat waiting for us.

  “Thank you for coming,” she said when she saw us, rising to greet us each in turn. “As always, we appreciate your time and cooperation. I trust that your day’s activities have gone well?”

  “Indeed they have,” Marinka said, taking a seat on the bench across from Amaka and motioning for myself and the other kingdom elves to do the same. Akash took his customary place beside Amaka, and Freyja and Ishida sat down on her other side. Then, turning to me, “Leo had crafted something for your people using his magic.”

  “Oh right,” I said, remembering the compasses. I pulled up the pack I was carrying and pulled one out, handing it to Amaka. “It’s a compass. I used magic to ensure that it always points in the direction of the kingdom, so you don’t get lost on your way there due to lack of landmarks, or if something else happens to the forest. There are a ton of them, and they’re pretty durable, too. It’ll take a lot to break them.”

  “Thank you,” Amaka said as she took the compass from me, her eyes wide. “I have… no words for how great a help this will be to us, Leo. Thank you.”

  “Yes, thank you very much,” Akash said, gazing down at the compass over Amaka’s shoulder.

  “May we take more than one?” Amaka asked, gazing at the contents of my pack.

  “Of course,” I said, handing it over to her. “They’re all for you. We have our magic to guide us.”

  “I have no words,” Amaka said, taking the pack and continuing to gaze down at its contents. “This could mean all of our lives. We are forever in your debt.”

  “No problem,” I said, smiling slightly and running a hand through my hair.

  “How have your people fared this day?” Marinka asked, changing the subject.

  “As well as you could imagine, I suppose,” Amaka sighed. “Tensions are growing higher, I’m afraid. I will be telling them of your plans to leave for the mountains in the morning, and of our own journey to the kingdom.”

  “Why wait so long?” Nadeine asked. “Why not tell them today?”

  “We are unsure how some of them will react,” Amaka said. “Any change like this is bound to incite panic, even if it is a change for the better. We wish to wait as long as we are able.”

  “We will not be leaving behind any food and water,” Akash explained. “So if anyone wishes to remain here in the center, they will be out of luck in that department.”

  “Why would anyone want to stay?” I asked, incredulous. “I thought you said yesterday that people were panicking because they wanted to leave, and now you’re saying they’ll panic because they want to stay? How does that make any sense?”

  “There is little sense in a crisis such as this,” Amaka said, smiling weakly. “We do anticipate that some of those who wish to leave now won’t when circumstances change shortly. Others who have remained calm and always wished to stay will disagree with our decision and begin to panic. I don’t pretend to understand it, but here we are.” She threw up her hands in defeat. I shook my head, not wanting to believe what she said.

  “Is there anything we can do to help?” Nadeine asked.

  “You have done more than enough already,” Amaka said, shaking her head and gesturing to the pack of magical compasses in her arms. “What you can do to support us now is to continue on with your quest. This is why I have asked you here to meet with me. Akash will be sending you a signal in the morning that you should leave. He will do this right before we inform our people of the plan to leave for the kingdom, and of your journey. We wish for you to get out ahead of any potential trouble on our end. So be prepared to head out very early tomorrow morning.”

  “Very well,” Marinka said, nodding gravely. “We will heed your advice, though if you change your mind and wish for our assistance in any way, we will gladly provide it.”

  “No,” Amaka said, shaking her head. Akash did the same. “We need you safe and sound and on your way to rescue our home. And thank you, once again, for your great and continuing service to our people and to our forest.”

  “And thank you for your assistance in our own cause,” Marinka said. “This is the dawn of a new era of cooperation and friendship between our peoples.”

  “Indeed it is,” Amaka said, echoing the speech patterns of the kingdom elves. “And let it be a bountiful one at that.”

  “I will see you in the morning,” Akash said, rising to bid us farewell. The rest of us followed suit. “Stay safe on tonight.”

  “And you as well,” Marinka said, bowing to him and Amaka one last time. The two older forest elves then departed in the direction of the great tree, while the rest of us returned to our campsite.

  “Do you really think that people will panic?” I asked Freyja as we walked.

  “Probably,” she said, shaking her head. “You have to understand, most of my people have never left the forest, and those few who have only begun to do so recently. No one has lived outside of the forest for more than a few weeks at most. This is our home. We don’t know anything else.” She looked around at the blackened branches above us and shook her head again.

  “I’m sorry,” I said, remembering how Freyja was so attached to her life in the forest that she resisted even living in the center for some time because it wasn’t the same. The kingdom would be even more difficult. “I know this must be hard for you.”

  “It’s okay,” she said, waving away my concern. “I’m coming with you. We’ll save this place. Everything will be fine.” I wished I had her confidence.

  “Well, you’ll be welcome with us in the kingdom even if it doesn’t work out,” I said, trying to be helpful, but Freyja bristled at the suggestion.

  “No, I cannot live outside of the forest,” she said, shaking her head more vigorously now. “This is my home.”

  “But you would leave if you had to, right?” I asked, thinking about the forest elves who Amaka and Akash thought would refuse to leave, and how they would likely die as a result.

  “I don’t know,” she sighed. “I like to think so, but I’m not in that situation right now. I will say part of me understands the instinct to stay here.”

  “Even if it means dying?” I asked, incredulous.

  “At least I would die in my home,” she said. Then, shaking her head to clear it, “But it doesn’t matter. We’re going to fix this. It’s only temporary.”

  “Right,” I said, trying to convince myself that it was true. I closed my eyes for a moment, envisioning the forest back the way it was. “Of course, we will.” We had to. Freyja was right. There was no other way.

  We arrived at the campsite, and I volunteered to take the first watch. “I slept this afternoon, you all get some sleep,” I reasoned.

  “Thank you, Leo Hayden,” Bernsten said, stretching out his arms and yawning loudly. “That is very kind of you. I must say I find this whole magic business rather tiring.”

  “Yeah, it does take quite a bit out of you,” I chuckled as Bernsten and the other kingdom elves made their way into their tents, sleepier than I’d ever seen them before. They must have had a very productive practice like they’d said.

  “I should go grab some stuff from my treehouse,” Ishida said once the kingdom elves were out of sight. A shadow cast across her face. “Before we leave. There’s no telling if or when we’ll come back here.”

  “Yeah, that sounds like a good idea,” Freyja said, looking away from her friend.

  “Did your treehouse survive?” I asked. I hadn’t seen any still intact in what remained of the trees.

  “Not really,” Ishida sighed. “It fell to the ground, and lots of my things got smashed, including most of the treehouse. But I still have some things I’d like to bring. Should I grab some of yours as well, Freyja, or would you like to jo
in me?”

  “No, you can do it, if you want to,” Freyja said. She sighed deeply and looked around at the branches above. “Thanks.”

  “Alright, I’ll be back in an hour, probably,” Ishida said. She lingered for a moment, watching us, and then darted off in the direction of her fallen home.

  “Are you okay?” I asked Freyja. She looked crestfallen, still staring up at the blackened branches.

  “Yes, Leo, I’ll be fine,” she said, looking away and turning to face me. “Thank you.”

  “I’m sorry about all this,” I said, wishing there was something I could do to make her feel better.

  “Me too,” she sighed. We sat in silence for a few moments, until a loud, obnoxious snore came out of my tent, and I knew it was Bernsten. Freyja and I both burst out laughing.

  “He is always so loud,” she giggled.

  “I know,” I said, gasping for breath and clutching my stomach, which hurt from how hard we were laughing. Something about the snore just made us crack, breaking through our dismal mood and lightening our spirits.

  “It’s good to see you again, Leo,” Freyja said when our laughter finally died down. “It’s been too long.”

  “It has,” I agreed, reaching out to brush her hand with mine. “I’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you, too,” she whispered as our faces grew closer together. I could feel her breath against my cheeks.

  “Well, we’re together now,” I murmured, leaning in closer to her. She smiled and pressed her forehead against mine. I returned the gesture.

  “We are,” she agreed. “At long last. I’ve thought about you often these past few months, Leo.”

  “I’ve thought about you, too,” I assured her, and it was true. I’d thought about Freyja many a lonely night at the training grounds, and also during many nights that weren’t so lonely. Freyja was simply better than most of the kingdom elves, except for Marinka and Nadeine. She’d also kept me company in my many dreams of returning to the forest to see her.

  “I would expect as much,” she said, shooting me a lopsided grin. Her long reddish hair glistened in the dwindling light from my illumination spell, which was growing fainter as my attention was pulled more and more in Freyja’s direction. The golden light matched her gleaming yellow eyes.

  “Of course you would,” I said, grinning back and running a hand through her glistening hair.

  I leaned in and kissed her. Her lips were firm, just like I remembered, in contrast to Marinka’s soft ones. She kissed me back, pressing her whole body against mine in the process, pushing me back further and further until we were sprawled across each other on the ground. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears with anticipation for what was to come.

  “It’s been way too long,” I repeated, running a hand through her hair again.

  I pulled my mage’s robes up over my head as Freyja pulled her own tight leather clothes off. I ran my hands up and down her body, memorizing every inch of her. I had missed her and had spent weeks thinking of her, waiting for this moment. And we would be together for weeks now, at least, months even if our journey through the mountains lasted as long as many anticipated it would. We wouldn’t be apart again for a very long time.

  We resumed our kiss, and I flipped her over with one burst of energy so that I was on top now, my hands pressed against the tarp on the ground. She yelped in surprise at the movement but smiled at me mischievously when my deep blue eyes met her bright yellow ones. I sidled down her body until my head was between her legs, my hands digging into the ground on either side of her. I was secretly glad that Bernsten had placed a tarp on the ground just outside of our tents so that the ash and decay from the dead forest wouldn’t get in the way of Freyja’s and my enjoyment of our time together.

  I cast a glance over at the tents to make sure everyone was still asleep. Ishida wouldn’t be back for around an hour, but either way, I thought we should make this quick. I placed my hand inside Freyja and pressed my lips to her clit, and she gasped at the suddenness and furiousness of my touch. I smiled to myself at the sound, and dug in deeper into her, loosening her up.

  She came shortly, given the strength and quickness of my touch, and she let out her customary cry that was almost like a howl. Fortunately, there were still noises emanating from the other forest elves’ side of the forest, so our companions did not wake. Freyja’s small body quivered beneath mine, and I gave her clip one last rub before crawling back up to meet her lips again. Before I reached her, she placed two fingers over my lips, holding me back.

  “No time,” she said, checking to make sure Ishida still wasn’t back yet and then shooting me another mischievous grin and flipping me over so that I was beneath her now.

  Once we were both in position, she sidled down my bare chest until she was in the same position I had been just a moment ago, between my legs. Not wanting to waste any time either, she took my cock in her small, calloused hands and began to run it quickly, and then to pump it up and down. It stiffened at her touch and began to throb not long after that, responding to her furious movements.

  She shot me another sly smile and then pressed her lips to the tip of my cock as she continued to move her fingers up and down my shaft. I groaned louder now and placed my fist in my mouth to stifle the sounds. My concentration was completely gone now, leaving our campsite shrouded in darkness. But I didn’t need to be able to see Freyja, only to feel her.

  And I could definitely feel her. Nearly my whole cock was in her mouth and throat now as she moved up and down my shaft, continuing to finger the parts of me that were still visible. I groaned again, running my hands through her long, wavy hair and pressing her head closer to me, as close as either of us could muster. Freyja came up for breath for a moment, and I could feel her breathing against my cock, adding to its stimulation and only making it throb even more. She went back down for one more go and continued to move up and down my cock until we could both sense that I was about to blow my load.

  As much as I wished we could go more than one round, there probably wasn’t enough time, and Freyja seemed to be thinking the same thing. Just as I was about to burst, she released me and came back up, so we were eye level with each other. Then, I flipped her over onto her back again, and wasting no time, got to work.

  I groaned when I entered her, and so did she, clutching my back, digging her nails into my skin. It hurt, but I didn’t care. It was the best kind of hurt. I thrust myself deeper and deeper into her until there wasn’t anywhere else to go, and she moved right along with me, letting out soft whimpers under her breath into my shoulder as she did so. I burst not long after that, letting out a steady stream of cum inside her. She groaned when I came, and then came herself, letting out a series of small gasps culminating in my name.

  “Leo,” she cried, and I smiled and pressed my forehead against hers.

  “Can I kiss you now?” I asked. She nodded, and I leaned in to do so. When we were finished, we lay there holding each other for some time before she headed off to her tent shortly before Ishida returned.

  16

  The next morning, I awoke to the sound of Akash crashing into our campsite and calling for us to wake up. Alarmed, I jumped up out of my mess of blankets, bashing my head against the hard pole at the top of our tent, and pulled on my robes before clambering out into the clearing, Godfried and Bernsten following shortly behind me.

  “What’s going on?” I asked, frazzled and slightly annoyed as I rubbed the bump that was forming in the back of my head.

  “I thought that you were coming far later in the morning,” Nadeine, who had been standing watch outside, said. “We are not even through our adapted watch rotation yet.”

  “Yes, I apologize for the earliness of the hour,” Akash said. He was panting and keeled over, having run as fast as he was able to get to our campsite. “I’m afraid that things have not gone according to plan. Word somehow got out that you’re leaving today, and a small group of our forest elves began to loot our su
pply stash.”

  “What does that have to do with us?” I asked, confused and still kind of disoriented. “Why would news of us leaving make them do that?”

  “Some had hope that you would reverse what’s happened to our home,” Akash said, still panting. “We don’t know how they got this idea, but it’s spread. Now that they know you’re leaving, they know that’s not happening, at least not now. So they panicked. And earlier than we were expecting. We weren’t prepared. You have to leave now.”

  “Now?” I asked. “What’s going on? Are they coming here?”

  “Yes,” Akash said, nodding vigorously. “You’re well hidden, but some of them are attempting to find you now.”

  “To what end?” Nadeine asked, incredulous.

  “I don’t know,” Akash said, throwing up his hands. “I don’t think that they even know. Steal your supplies? Force you to stay? Both? Who knows? But you have to get out of here as soon as possible. Sooner, in fact.” Everyone was out of their tents now, and looking around wildly, as if expecting rabid and angry forest elves to descend upon us out of thin air, much like when we were attacked by the half-starved forest elves who were working for Viktor during our last quest.

  “Alright,” Marinka said, looking around at our scattered supplies and our terrified horses, who were awake now and shifting uncomfortably where they lay, beating their hooves against the ground and neighing. “Let us pack. If we must go, we must go.”

  Bernsten darted into action, gathering up our supplies into the packs. Nadeine grabbed the saddles and rushed over to the horses, doing her best to convince them everything was okay and that they had to cooperate and let her put them on. Nadeine didn’t have the most gentle touch, however, and the horses wouldn’t acquiesce, so I ran over to help her.

  “It’s okay,” I told Bill, rubbing his nose in our customary greeting. “Don’t worry, Buddy, we’ll figure it out. But you have to let us put the saddle on, okay? Okay?” He looked skeptical, eyeing both the saddle and me with distaste, but ultimately decided to trust me and stood to let me put on his saddle. The other horses followed his lead and let Nadeine and me put on their saddles, though they all remained tense, their eyes darting around the campsite wildly. They could probably sense our own tension and were responding to a combination of that and Akash’s abrupt and loud entrance. Just as we were finishing up with the horses, loud shrieks began to emanate from the beaten path. We all turned our heads to stare in that direction.