by Erik Weir
Victor nodded. “I don’t think it was just because of our good looks.”
Lily’s eyes widened as Victor smirked. The succubus closed her fist and hit the bottom of it against the Blade’s chest. Lily turned away and began walking to a wide path and the stone steps leading up the mountain.
“Let’s get going. I hope you’re rested because we still have a lot to do.”
Victor followed, eyes drifting to Lily’s round firm ass and swaying tail as she took a step onto the ancient staircase.
The climb up was quicker than Victor thought. The Blade over-thought the situation and abilities to such a degree; he looked up and saw that he was at the springs. Mist and water flowed, sending a relaxing vibration along tired and battered muscles.
The Blade thought they were going to head to Cassandra’s lodge but Victor noticed Lily turn and head for the springs. Following along, they reached the edge of the heated waters and the succubus began to undress. Pale purple skin glowed in the moonlight as clothes fell to the floor. Without looking back, Lily’s nude body sank into the steamy waters and a sigh fell from her dark lips.
Victor smiled before he pulled his clothes off in quick succession. Naked, he stepped to the waters and sank down until only his neck and head were above water. Swimming along, Lily eyed him with seductive eyes, finger between bared teeth.
“I thought we were going to get back to work,” Victor said as he swam to Lily’s side, hand moving underwater along her smooth thigh.
The succubus leaned back against the spring pool. “We are, but time in the springs will replenish and heal our bodies. Aside from sleep, this is the next best thing to recover from our journeys.”
Fingers moved along inner thighs as Victor sat beside the succubus. “I hope you don’t mind. This realm always seems to…”
“Light your fire,” Lily finished. “If I minded, I would have simply told you no.”
The succubus looked to the Blade, her thighs parting and allowing his fingers to caress her womanhood.
“I enjoyed our time…at the inn,” Victor said as fingers massaged the succubus.
Lily’s eyes closed halfway, a sigh leaving her lips. “I did too. I think it’s important you…our relationship is important not only to Vala…but to me.”
“Even if that relationship is with a weak guy like myself,” Victor said with a sarcastic edge.
Lily closed her eyes, her hand wrapping around Victor’s hard cock. “I’m sorry I said that. We all start small and have to grow. I was being foolish.”
“You’re forgiven. Don’t let it happen again,” Victor said with a playfully smug edge.
Lily’s lip curled into a wry smile as she pulled on his member hard. Victor sucked in a quick inhale and relaxed as she stroked him a little more gently. The two mutually played with each other, the warm waters massaging tired bodies.
Victor noticed that the soreness bled away. Energy returned to muscles and the Blade felt better with each passing moment. Lily’s touch helped him along, bliss wrapping around him like a warm blanket.
Lily’s breathing quickened as Victor massaged her clit. The swirling motion caused her to bite her lip as hips moved slightly to his touch. The pair lost track of time and space as their bodies moved to Vala’s whispers. When bodies were getting close to climax, a shadow touched the steamy pool.
“You’re back,” Cassandra said with a toothless smile.
Victor froze as Lily continued to stroke him. Eyes turning to the haggard keeper, she looked down through the misty waters to Lily stroking him. Victor’s face grew hot as he noticed the old woman lick her lips.
“Uh…hi Cassandra,” Victor managed as Lily stroked him a little faster.
“Don’t be embarrassed,” Cassandra cackled, “It’s nothing I haven’t seen or done before. You two enjoy yourself.”
Victor wanted to enjoy himself, but Cassandra stayed where she was, watching them. The three is a crowd feeling stabbed at Victor, but he was surprised that he didn’t wilt to Cassandra’s gaze. Lily let out a long moan, her body shuddering to Victor’s touch. Sucking in a breath, she enjoyed the orgasm as she continued to stroke the Blade. Victor noticed his needs rising and despite Cassandra’s steady gaze, the Blade’s cock thickened and white come spurted into the spring waters.
“So nice…,” Cassandra smiled.
Victor tried to not laugh, hand covering his smile. Lily sighed again and stood up, water running down her body. The succubus turned to Victor, water dripping off her full breasts and down toned, smooth skin.
“Rest is over. We need to get you to Tempest,” Lily stated.
Victor looked up, “What’s in Tempest?”
“Another basic ability you’re going to need. I do have to warn you; the Tempest realm is incredibly dangerous. It is home to Baaldir and his zealots. He is the ruling god there and his influence is everywhere. We shouldn’t trust anyone unless we know they are part of Vala’s path.”
Victor nodded. “What ability is in the Tempest Realm?”
Lily moved to the edge of the spring pool, Cassandra handing the succubus her clothes. “I noticed you were able to increase your strength and speed for a short time in Eddor. In the Tempest realm, your first ability should be the power to increase your strength and speed for a longer duration. Your influence over your body will be fine-tuned and last much longer then they currently are now.”
“Sounds great,” Victor said as she stood up, cupping his manhood and balls in front of Cassandra.
“Prude,” Cassandra cackled.
Lily pulled up her leather pants as she eyed Victor. “Our bodies are temples to Vala and…”
“I know…I know. It’s just a little weird for me,” Victor’s eyes met Cassandra’s gaze, “…it’s just…I feel I need to be respectful.”
The keeper nodded, “That’s sweet…but I still want to see your cock.”
Lily laughed as she pointed at Victor. The Blade’s face became beet red as he moved to the edge of the pool, grabbed his clothes and quickly tried to get dressed, his body still soaking wet. The Blade flailed as he tried to get dress in a hurry. Cassandra slipped a backpack from her back and handed it to Lily.
“It was nice to weave a pack again for your journeys. There are enough provisions, change of clothes and two sleeping bags for your travels.”
Victor eyed the small pack, “All of that fits in there?”
Cassandra nodded, a disappointed gleam in her eyes as Victor was fully dressed. “The pack works off the same quantum mechanics as the realms. It is bigger on the inside then the outside so you can store many items. I would suggest you don’t put anything living inside. Once the flap closes there is no air inside, so food lasts longer.”
Lily took the pack, “Thank you.”
“It’s like Dr. Who’s Tardis,” Victor smiled.
Lily and Cassandra blinked a few times before they looked to each other. Victor stood, mentally smacking himself in the head.
We really need to stop doing that. It just makes us sound crazy.
Cassandra blew a kiss to the Blade and Shield and began to walk away. Lily slung the pack over her shoulder and grabbed Victor’s hand. The two made their way to the oval cave opening just beyond the springs. Waterfalls fell on either side as they stood before the misty cave.
An image of Dawn floated into Victor’s mind, his mouth frowning slightly. He never had a chance to say goodbye to the elf with glasses. He wondered if she would have denied coming to Vala’s realm just like Shyryth and Astor. Glancing back, thoughts swirled with the history lesson from Lily and the ruins at the bottom of the mountain. Deep down, he knew he wanted to change it, make things better. The fire in his belly grew, the horrific imaginings of Lily’s words stoking the flames. Vala had set him on a path to resurrect her from the dead and he knew they could succeed if they stayed strong, no matter what came at them.
Lily looked to Victor’s faraway gaze, “The connections we build are real. Every person who touches Vala’s po
wer will be there in one way or another. When Vala becomes more powerful, the faithful will be drawn to us…follow us. For now, we have to fight on.”
Victor looked to the succubus with sad eyes. “I can feel it too, Vala’s power, but it feels like it’s on a knife’s edge. What if one or both of us die? What happens to Vala?”
Lily’s head tilted forward, shadows covering her red eyes. “I don’t want to think about it. I have dwelled here in Vala’s realm for years, waiting for the time she commanded me…us to bring her back. I know in my heart, I won’t fail.”
Victor nodded. “I feel it too.”
Lily looked up, a small smile forming. “I…trust you…as my Blade.”
Victor smiled. “I trust you, as my Shield.”
The pair gazed into each other’s eyes, lost in the strength of their growing bond. Lily squeezed Victor’s hand before gently pulling him with her. Victor stepped along, their bodies melting into the misty cave and vanishing from sight.
Cassandra looked on the cave in the distance, her white-haired head nodding and warmth in her heart.
“Vala bless you on your journey,” the Keeper whispered and blew a silent kiss.
Eleven
Victor held tight onto Lily’s hand as they walked through the black mists. Time lost all meaning and a small dizziness took root in Victor’s mind. A glow shined in the distance as the mists began to part. Lily picked up the pace as did Victor. The Blade mentally prepared himself as they rushed to the bright light. The knowledge of entering the Tempest realm didn’t sit completely well with the realm walker, but he knew that things would get a whole lot worse before they got better. It is better to grin and bear it since panicking really doesn’t help anyone.
The glow of new powers rushed into the Blade’s thoughts as they reached the light. It should be simple, find Vala’s acolytes, spend some time together and new powers should present themselves. Piece of cake on a pie, Victor thought but a darkness gnawed at him as they passed through the barrier between realms and into the blinding light.
Victor blinked the brightness away as reality fell into place. When the world solidified, the Blade’s head shot from side to side as real panic set in. A lush jungle surrounded what looked like a small village. Huts stood in small patches as wild birds flew high above. The air was heavy with humidity and warm, bordering too hot. Sweat beaded on Victor’s brow while Lily fell to a fighting stance, her skin not affected by the humidity. The succubus’s hand went out, staff appearing but Victor stood, stunned.
The village around them was filled with lizard-like people. They stopped what they were doing, slitted eyes turning to the two intruders in the middle of their village. The air became very still as Victor and Lily stared at the lizard people and they stared back. As if no one knew what to do for a solid moment, all activity grinded to a halt.
Victor drank in their appearance, small scaly snouts with almost human like heads. They had no hair as small blunted ridges ran from their forehead, over their head and connected with their spines. Small tails stiffened as scaled hands and feet flexed. Smooth, primitive clothes made from animal skins barely covered their bodies. The scales seemed to smooth out to light green flesh, similar to Shyryth’s body but they didn’t have wings and shorter tails.
Victor took a deep breath as the stunned silence between them turned into edges of chaos. The Blade was ready to yell out they come in peace but was quickly stopped as a lizard person ran from outside of the village, towards the middle where Victor and Lily stood.
“Invaders,” the lizard man screamed into the small village.
Victor and Lily shook their heads, ready to shout back they didn’t want to hurt anyone when movement from the surrounding forest shifted. Lizard people dispersed, males and females grabbing spears leaning against huts while other’s grabbed young and older lizard people, pulling them to huts for safety. Chaos rushed into the small village as bodies emerged from the jungle edge.
Victor’s eyes widened as he saw people, humans bent down with spears, crude nets and rocks tied to vine-like ropes approach. Their bodies were covered in war paint patterns and an aggressive, threatening fire glowed in their eyes. The lizard people moved, taking a defensive position at the edge of the village, spear points out. A human shouted a roar and the invaders rushed forward like a living wave.
“Who do we defend,” Victor said out loud.
Lily held her staff sideways, eyes wide. “I…don’t know,” the succubus said in a low, unsure voice.
Victor noticed the lizard people seemed to ignore them as they formed a defensive line at the incoming invaders. The Blade witnessed the look of fear in their eyes as they readied for the rushing humans. Fire boiled in the Blade’s gut as chaos and confusion gave way to a need to defend.
Hand out, the elemental sword shot from his wrist into Victor’s hand. Taking a stance and a deep breath, power coiled into muscles and he bolted forward. Lily turned to see Victor rushing to the lizard people’s defensive line. The horde of savages rushing toward them cried out in war lust as the distance between the village and the jungle grew smaller with each passing second.
Make an impression! Stun them into a retreat!
Victor spent point of Strength, power rushing through his body. When he reached the defensive line, his legs bent and the Blade launched into the air. The power in his legs was enough to jump over the lizard people, their eyes the size of saucers. He landed before them and continued his charge at the incoming savage line. Men and women rushed toward the incoming man in strange clothes, weapons raised.
Power still pumping through his body, Victor knew he only had moments before it would drain away. Gritting his teeth, he held his sword to the side and when the line reached him, the Blade’s shoulder rammed into a large man and sent him crashing back into his fellow invaders. Chaos and bedlam rose up like a storm. Some of the invaders slowed while other rushed the man with the sword.
Victor moved like a typhoon, slicing crude weapons in half and driving his boot into unguarded guts. Men and women were thrown into different directions as the Blade moved with power and agility. The smell of sweat and the grunts of savages filled the area like a cloud confused beasts. Victor used his strength and speed to knock them off balance but he caught a glimpse of the invaders pushing past and attacking the lizard people. Lily was at the line, staff in hand when the savages charged and clashed with the defensive line.
Blood, shouts, and cries bloomed as crude blades, clubs, and spear points stabbed into each side in depraved indifference. Victor fought, pulling his punches but death came swooping in, taking lives on both sides. The Blade grunted as his strength faded and he felt normal again. Knowing he had another point in Strength, he could use it to keep going, but the fight had already spiraled out of control.
Lily slammed her staff into the sides of heads with nearly every strike, her body moving like a dancer against the ocean tides. The lizard people drove spear points into enemy bodies while savages jumped and threw their spears. Nets flew, entangling lizard people while other savages drove spear points into their prone bodies.
Victor could see they were hopelessly outnumbered as more savages rushed from the jungle. Ready to spend another point of Strength, the Blade kept as many savages at bay until a scream pierced the air. Victor looked up as a woman leapt over the savages and landed before the Blade. Victor kept his stance on the defensive as the woman stood with two long stone daggers. Black war paint lined her eyes like a mask as long curly blonde hair ran down past her shoulders. The woman slowly stood up, her six-foot six-inch frame casting a small shadow on Victor’s face. Animal furs barely covered her body as muscles rippled under tanned skin.
“Back down,” Victor shouted.
The woman smirked, “Why? I’ve won.”
Victor pumped his last point of Strength and readied to attack when a vine coiled around his neck. The Blade could barely see the stone at the end as it whipped around his neck twice. Sword slicing up, he wasn’t
fast enough as the stone whipped around and smashed into the side of his head. Light exploded as Victor stumbled to the side. The vine around his neck was pulled, causing him to stumble and hit the ground.
Dazed, Victor looked around as bodies fell from both sides. A thick net slammed into Lily before several burly bodies launched onto her and knocked her to the ground. Eyes sliding back up, pain and confusion curled into his senses as he tried to get up. Shadows stood over the dazed Blade.
The woman with blonde hair leered at the fallen Blade, lifting her own stone daggers for the kill. Victor called on a point of Charisma, hoping it would stun her long enough to regroup. The woman hesitated as her leer melted away, eyes nearly glowing in the shadows of her face.
“Keep this one,” the woman commanded.
Victor tried to get back up when a club came down, knocking him into darkness.
***
Pain ebbed and flowed, but before long it roared like a monster from the deep. The Blade moaned first before eyes blinked open. Tightness around his wrists caused him to struggle as the haziness fell away. Victor’s moan turned to a growl as he took in his surroundings.
A small fire lit up the inside of a huge, crude tent. Vines and ropes lashed together many skins along bent sticks in a patchwork to frame the tent. It wasn’t perfect as through a small oval hole, Victor could see it was night outside. Sitting down with his legs out, Victor looked up to see his wrists bound over his head and to a wooden pole. The Blade pulled on them again but they didn’t budge.
“Glad you’re awake,” Lily said in a low tone.
Victor turned his eyes to Lily and four others in the tent. Everyone was tied to a pole just like he was. The Blade noticed the four female lizard women turning their dark eyes to him. Lily was still in her succubus form, eyes looking to victor and horns gleaming in the firelight. The mood was somber as everyone sat, the warmth of the fire caressing bare skin.
“What happened,” Victor asked as he struggled a little against his bonds.