by Erik Weir
The man’s grip tightened around the back of Bella’s neck. She whimpered but didn’t try to break away.
“Answer the questions,” the man said plainly.
Luis looked to Bella as he talked, “The family has been talking about it in social media. Someone went postal at his job and he was shot a few times. Last I heard, he disappeared from the hospital. Now I’m guessing he was in some pretty bad shit if you broke into my home looking for him.”
The man’s cold eyes warmed up with a wide smile. “You could say that. How well did you know Victor?”
Luis looked to the man, “We haven’t talked in a long time and to be honest, I don’t give a fuck about him and his fucked-up life. If you came here thinking he was here or I would know where he was, you wasted your time.”
The intruder kept his smile as he continued, “You are telling the truth, as far as I can smell. You can still be useful. I delved into your dreams and studied your memories before I arrived. You two used to be very close until that fight. The memory still burns you.”
“What the fuck is it to you?”
The man held Bella’s neck tight. “I am going to ask something of you. I want you to consider it deeply before you reply. Understand that you have the freedom to say yes or no, but there will be consequences to what you say. I would hate for you to give the wrong answer, and all three of these beauties have to pay for your choice.”
“Doesn’t sound like I’m free at all to say what I want,” Luis huffed deeply.
The man ignored him and continued, “My god needs soldiers, those intimate with his enemies. Victor has become a new thorn in my god’s side. What if I offer you an escape from this pathetic life to sire a greater cause? What if I offer to make you stronger, faster and filled with cunning so you could destroy your enemies and my god’s enemies? What if I take you away, so you can have a divine purpose instead of this humdrum life of boredom and decay? What would you say?”
The man held Bella’s neck with a tight grip, “Time is constant but my patience is not. You have only a moment to decide…,” the man said as his gaze drifted down to Bella, “…before her light is snuffed out.”
Before Luis could say a word, the man’s large hand began to squeeze. Bella yelped loudly, her body panicking but not breaking away. Her eyes widened as she yelped again, looking to her master with animalistic fear. The third yelp stabbed at Luis as she struggled, her brothers looking to her and not making any move to defend or safe her.
Luis’s heart leapt in his chest as the man squeezed harder. “Yes! I say yes! Please stop,” Luis screamed.
The intruder let go and began rubbing Bella’s neck as if nothing happened. “Excellent. Do not worry; you can take your lovelies with us. I’m sure the five of us will be best friends. Now, let’s prepare to leave this realm and begin your destiny,” the man smiled with bright white teeth.
***
Lily looked up from the ground as Victor stood over her, hand out. The demoness eyed him for a moment before grabbing his hand and letting him pull her up to her feet. Victor gave a small smile before tilting his head to the demon in human skin.
“Sorry I knocked you down but the shadow…,” Victor began.
Lily’s own small smile formed. “It’s fine.”
The Blade and Shield looked to each other with understanding eyes. Behind them, Dawn, Shyryth, and Astor stood in the street lantern light. The homes and stores around them began to stir, shadows moving. Dawn looked to doorways as they opened and people began to spill out. Astor called out to the town’s folks. Many of them gathered around the small group in the middle of town.
Victor and Lily were quickly swarmed, people speaking in an odd language the Blade couldn’t understand.
“They are thanking us,” Lily said as hands patted their shoulders. “They are saying they are glad others helped Astor this time.”
Lily listened as a few town folks continued as Dawn, Shyryth, and Astor moved in closer. Many of the people also rushed to Astor’s sides, bowing and thanking her profusely. The Slinger tipped her hat with a small smile.
Victor looked around bewildered, “What are they saying?”
Lily nodded as people continued to talk her ear off. “They said Astor has been defending this town from shadows for months. It seems they keep showing up in greater numbers. Often it would be one or maybe two shadows, but tonight was the first time three appeared.”
A man who looked like he could be a mayor of the town with his hat and thick gold chain around his neck, pointed to the tower and continued to rattle off.
Lily nodded. “He says since they seem to be after Astor’s munitions machine in the tower and the mayor wants us to talk some sense into her to remove it.”
Victor’s brow went up as Astor stepped through the crowd and confronted the mayor. The Slinger’s voice seemed to have an angry edge to it as she spoke to the mayor. The town’s people seemed to split down the middle as the Slinger and mayor shot heated words toward each other. After a few moments the mayor seemed to back down and talked to Lily.
Shyryth moved to Victor’s side and leaned toward his ear. “It seems the entire town is not happy a Slinger is here, even one as famous as Astor. They have had shadow attacks, but they have only increased since Astor took up residence.”
Shyryth looked to Astor as the Slinger spoke to the crowd, her tone calm. “Some are happy she is here to defend them, but others think she should leave and take her machine with her.”
Lily spoke to Victor over the murmuring crowd, “The mayor has offered us a place to sleep in the hotel over there, as thanks for our help.”
Victor shook his head, “I guess that’s okay, but we didn’t do anything.”
Lily moved to Victor, “There is some internal conflict here. I think the mayor is trying to convince anyone to help gain momentum on asking Astor to leave. We cannot be part of this.”
“So, we do follow the prime directive,” Victor smiled.
Lily blinked.
Victor’s smile dimmed, “It’s a reference to…never mind…I’ll tell you later.”
The demoness looked away and back to the crowd as they began to disperse. Victor watched as groups formed and they began to talk, eyes darting their way every little bit. Dawn eyed the town’s folk with indifferent oval eyes. Shyryth moved to Astor’s side, speaking gently to the Slinger. Astor nodded, her eyes drifting to Victor before sliding back to the dragon woman.
Victor simply witnessed everything around him as the air took on a relaxed gloom. Scratching the back of his head, the whole situation felt weirder and weirder. Seeing Shyryth and Astor talking caused the Blade to try and digest what exactly was happening. Shyryth asked for company to a town in the middle of nowhere to become a Slinger. The town was divided on whether a hero Slinger should stay or go, and freaky shadows keep showing up, trying to do god knows what to the people of this realm.
Through the gloom of heavy thoughts, a hand touched Victor’s arm, snapping him back to reality. Lily stood with purple eyes on him, her usually grumpy exterior holding a new sense of calm.
“Don’t dwell too much on it. Remember our goal, to bring Vala back to the people of all realms,” Lily said in a low voice.
The demoness looked to Shyryth and Astor with knowing eyes. “Do you sense them?”
Victor turned his attention to the dragon woman and Slinger. The air took on a warm edge as the two women continued to talk, Astor’s gaze meeting Victor’s. Senses dialed up; he could almost feel the warm glow of the pair caressing his heart. It was the same feeling he noticed when he met Dawn. Shyryth promised a reward but Astor was new and didn’t speak the same language. The Blade wondered how he could even communicate that he was sent by a goddess to help open her soul to Vala’s light.
Lily caught Victor’s gaze on Astor and Shyryth. “They know and feel what you’re feeling. Vala’s web connects all of us who worship her.”
“Is that your way of saying love is the ultimate translator,
” Victor smiled wide.
Lily shook her head before she walked away. Victor looked to the Shield as she moved to a single-story wooden building. Above the doorway was a sign the Blade could not read but seeing Lily pause, looked to him and step inside, showed that it most likely was the town’s hotel. Victor was about to follow when a hand took hold of his. The Blade looked down at the pale hand holding him and then looked up to see Dawn’s intense gaze.
“I just want to remind you, you still owe me a favor,” Dawn said with a serious edge.
Victor nodded, “I haven’t forgotten.”
The elf with glasses nodded. “Good, just so we are clear.”
The Blade nodded as Dawn turned away and began walking toward the hotel. Victor stood in the street as his eyes wandered to Astor and Shyryth. The pair had moved to the black stone tower at the end of the street. The Slinger opened the door and allowed the dragon woman to enter. Victor stayed where he was, watching with a fleeting wonder until Astor looked to him and gave a tiny, shy smile. The Blade returned the smile as she stepped in behind Shyryth and closed the door.
The evening desert air flowed over the Blade as the town seemed to brighten a little. Folk moved about, some still talking in the street while others brought out bottles of liquor and began passing them out. A celebratory mood took root, the people seemingly happy that the shadows were killed once again.
Victor almost wanted to join them when weakness crawled into his battered frame. The journey and the shadows took a lot out of the Blade. The last few days were a blur of adventure but despite the excitement, he could honestly say he was exhausted. Looking to the hotel, the young man began his shambling walk to the front doors. Thoughts floated on imaginary beds. Stepping inside, he noticed the place had a front desk, a bar off to the side, and many tables and chairs filling the main room. To the back was a long hallway that appeared to lead to many rooms. Most the tables and chairs in the main room were filled with town’s people. A bartender worked the bar and a woman at the front desk simply smiled. Victor smiled back, walking past the woman and into the main dining room. The bartender spotted the young man and raced from behind the bar. He grabbed a chair and pulled it out. Victor didn’t understand why he was being so nice. Gazing about, many lifted drinks to him and smiled.
Victor smiled back when a large dish of food was served with meat and potatoes. A large wooden mug of ale was placed by his plate. When Victor looked up to thank the bartender, but he was already back behind the bar, smiling and cleaning another mug. Hunger welled up and before Victor knew it, he was cutting large chunks of meat and chewing like he hadn’t eaten in forever.
The more you exert yourself, the more energy you will need.
Victor silently nodded to himself as he continued to feast. When the plate was empty and the ale gone, the Blade barely made it to his feet, eyes getting heavier by the moment. The woman from behind the desk moved to his side and beckoned with a finger. Victor followed, assuming she was directing him to his room. The walk to the hallway was quick as the young woman moved to a door and opened it.
Victor thanked her, but immediately saw confusion in her eyes. With a small bow, he simply smiled. The woman smiled back and walked off. The Blade lingered at the door, wondering which room Lily might be in. The demoness didn’t wait for him so he assumed she might be just as tired as he was. Turning to the room, a large simple bed took up the middle, night stands on each side and an open doorway to a crude bathroom was to the right. A single window looked out into a dark alley. A lantern hung from a metal peg, giving the simple room a gentle glow. Two square wooden pillars stood before the bed, closer to the walls.
A warm dreaminess whispered to the worn-out Blade. Thoughts jumbled as he closed the door and walked closer to the large, comfortable looking bed. Mental images of Lily and Dawn drifted along the Blade’s mind, feeling the connections as they strengthened. Vala had a plan and Victor knew he was an instrument of her desires. He just wished he knew where it would lead to.
Flopping into bed face first, his tired mind rose and fell with inner tides. The Blade tried to question his role but couldn’t get a coherent thought in. He agreed to help a goddess but why did it seem more than what it was. Why did she seek him out of everyone in the universe, or realms? It was a question that touched the background of his thoughts, but only now he could even begin to ask himself.
The siren song of sleep called out and Victor’s eyelids grew heavy. The comfortable bed caressed his tired body and he passed out into the deep abyss. Points of light glowed in the dark, calling to him like lost souls in the vast ocean. A sliver of pain touched his heart and ran along his blood. Victor’s dream self swam lazily through the dark waters as a mist crawled toward him. It sang like an old friend and the Blade found himself swimming toward it. He almost reached the approaching mist when a noise invaded his inner realm. The loud noise came again and before Victor could realize where it was coming from, he was pulled back into his body.
Eyes blinking, the Blade sat up as he heard another loud knock. Stumbling to his feet, he was halfway across the room when the door opened. Astor slipped in and closed the door, pointing one of her rune covered guns directly at Victor’s chest. The Blade froze as she gave him a wicked smirk and moved with purpose, covering the short distance and pressing the barrel of the gun to Victor’s throat.
Victor stood with hands at his sides and eyes on the blonde beauty. Astor leaned in close, a mischievous glow in her blue eyes and gun barrel resting against Victor’s throat. The warm glow was back, filling the space between them but Victor didn’t back down. Instead, he kept his gaze steady as the room became still.
“I hope I didn’t offend you,” Victor said calmly.
Astor’s brow wrinkled for a moment before stepping back with gun in hand. Left hand rising up, she clicked the cylinder open and showed it to the Blade. Victor looked down to see the gun chambers were empty. Looking back up, Astor’s eyes were wide just like her smile. The Slinger closed the cylinder and shoved the gun back in its holster.
Victor kept his gaze steady until his eyes widened a hair. Astor took hold of her belt and unbuckled it. Resting the guns on a coat peg along the wall, she gave the Blade a sly grin as her hands went back to her clothes. Fingers undid buttons and soon her shirt came off. Hands moved to the thigh high boots and she slid her leg out of one and then the other.
Victor simply stood, watching the Slinger undress. Her breasts hung freely, small and defying gravity. Pink nipples pointed outward as her slender body moved, removing clothes one piece at a time. As articles of clothing fell away, Victor could not look away from her hypnotic body. Smooth skin ran along her athletic frame. When she turned slightly, Victor’s eyes lowered to her firm, round ass. Fingers dug into the sides of her bikini bottom and slipped them down. A tuft of blonde hair and blooming pink lips rewarded the staring Blade.
When the last bit of clothing touched the floor, Astor stepped closer, pressing her chest to Victor’s. Hat still on, she leaned in and licked up from his bottom lip to the tip of his nose. The Blade smiled as she eyed him like a piece of meat, the warmth in the room beginning to rise. Blood flowed unchained and the Blade noticed a stirring in his loins.
Astor said a few words but Victor didn’t understand what they meant. Seeing the confusion in his eyes, Astor took hold of his belt buckle and began to undo it. Seeing what she meant, he helped her along by taking off his shirt. Before his shirt touched the ground, Astor undid his leggings and reached down to his hardening member. Fingers caressed the thickening shaft as she looked at him, desire dripping from her eyes. Whispers touched Victor’s mind as the room began to spin. Nature roared, drowning out the whispers. Hand’s moving; he touched her thin waist, holding her to him. Astor let out small gasp, her stomach touching his. The leather pants fell around Victor’s ankles and he stepped out.
Cock rising under its own power, it touched her inner thigh and proceeded up. When the tip reached the top of her inner thighs, wetn
ess touched him. Astor kept her hand between them, short strokes along his member. Victor cupped her firm ass, holding her and enjoying her touch. Astor’s hips moved; her womanhood gliding along the tip of his cock as her hand matched the rhythm. The longer they stood, the more Victor felt dizzy. A familiar hunger grew, causing his cock to throb in wanting desire.
Astor could see the need in his eyes. Smiling, she lowered down to her knees. Victor’s gaze followed, her lips wrapping around his cock. With a quick inhale, she wasted no time, head bobbing along his rigid shaft. Moans rolled up her throat, along her tongue and against his cock as she sucked with her own needs.
Vala’s song played on, urging Victor to move his cock to Astor’s tempo. The Slinger suckled on his member, tongue swirling. Time slowed down as passion and lust crashed into their spirits. Astor pulled away from the Blade’s cock, a string of salvia connecting his throbbing member to her lips. Standing up, she pushed the Blade hard, forcing him to sit on the edge of the bed.
Victor stayed where he was as Astor stepped to him. Knee up, she slid on top of his lap, wet lips sandwiching his cock between them. The Slinger faced the Blade with a happy smile. A hand snaked between them as thighs lifted her body up. Victor returned her smile as she pressed his cock to her wet opening. Tightness slipped down Victor as he held Astor’s waist. The Blade marveled on how tight she was, holding him in a strong grip. Astor curled her arms around his neck, her hips betraying her as she moved on his rock-hard cock.
The movements were gentle, bodies entwined. Astor pressed her face to Victor’s neck. The movement between them was sensual, slow and intimate. Wetness spilled down between them as Victor held her close. Breaths mingled as Victor squeezed her firm ass, helping her along on his cock. The connection blazed bright as no words were spoken, just the gentle movement of connected bodies. Astor moaned before teeth and lips closed on his neck. Victor grunted as she bit him and then began some gentle sucking on his flesh. He couldn’t believe how hard he was as she moved up and down on him. Soft breasts pressed against his hard chest; the tiredness Victor felt before long gone.