by Randi Darren
Holding a shield up in front of her, the woman walked cautiously toward Steve.
“I don’t want to fight,” she called out to him. “I’m the champion now, but I don’t want to fight.”
“I mean, that’s nice,” Steve yelled back. “But unless you’ve got the false queen’s head on you, then I’m gonna have to kill you until she shows up. Or her head does.”
“I don’t want to fight you,” said the woman, her shield still up. She was close enough that they didn’t have to shout at one another anymore.
Like the first woman he’d killed, she was wearing an open-faced helmet.
Her mother had apparently been slightly more well to do, since she was prettier than the last champion.
Though she had the same slightly alien beauty as Hiren.
“I mean, I heard you the first time,” Steve said. “But that doesn’t really matter. Your options are die or turn the queen over.”
“I have no choice. I’m the champion—I’m forced to come here,” said the woman. “But I don’t want to fight.”
“Yeah, you mentioned that part. Unless you have an alternative, I kinda have to kill you,” Steve said. “I can make it as quick as the last champion, though.”
“I… I don’t… want to fight,” said the woman.
“Like I said. Head or death,” Steve said.
“I don’t want to die. I don’t want to be here,” said the champion of Faraday.
“Yeah, well, me too,” Steve said. “I’d rather be home having a grand time of Spin the Steve with my wives. Here I am, though.
“You could always just get down on your knees and let this happen.”
“On my… knees? I… I… okay,” said the woman. “I’d… If you let me live, I’ll get on my knees for you. Right here.”
Uh…? Did she just offer me head in front of everyone? It wasn’t my intention, but I think that’d work.
She’ll give me a blow job so that I don’t kill her.
Right?
In fact, that’d be better.
“Okay, maybe we can make a deal,” Steve said. He figured that’d be pretty demoralizing for Faraday. Their champion made to give head and then captured, in full view of everyone.
Sex is what binds someone in marriage, not a BJ. We can do this without a concern.
Lucia would reward me for this.
“Take your helmet off, drop your weapon, and get on your knees,” Steve said.
The champion pulled her helmet off and then dropped her weapon and shield to her side, unable to meet Steve’s eyes.
She had slightly animalistic features that reminded Steve of several other Beastkin races. Her nose was very narrow and almost seemed to have a point to it. Her ears weren’t catlike, though, or even wolfish. They had a gray edge to them with a black interior.
Her ashen blond hair, almost gray, was finger length and stuck out wildly around her head in sweaty strands. Even her eyelashes were that color. Her blue eyes had a sparkle to them and watched him keenly.
Behind her, a bushy gray-and-black striped tail stuck out behind her and hung low.
“I’m now unarmed,” said the woman, doing a small turn, her hands lifted up beside her head. “You’ll let me live if I do this?”
“Yep. Having you polish my knob in front of your entire city is probably worse for their morale than killing you, so… yeah,” Steve said. “Suck it, become my property, live.”
“Okay. Then… okay,” said the champion. “I’ll do it.”
“Great—get to work then,” Steve said. Deliberately, he moved a bit to one side, making sure both the city and Geneva’s army would see what was happening.
Nodding her head, the champion moved over to Steve. Then she got down on her knees in front of him with a clank of her gear.
She adjusted her armor momentarily, then slowly lifted her eyes to look up at him. It was obvious she didn’t know how to proceed.
Deciding to take the initiative, Steve dropped his pants down to his ankles. Exposing himself to her. The champion stared at his privates.
Taking hold of his semi-erect self, he held it in his left hand.
The champion didn’t move. She just stared at his crotch, then up at his face.
Not waiting any longer, Steve simply pushed the tip between her lips and then kept going till he was entirely inside her mouth. She was willing to do it, this would destroy the morale of Faraday, and he didn’t mind receiving.
It was all perfect.
The champion took him into her mouth without pulling away, though she did make a soft grunt that sounded like surprise when he pushed into her mouth.
Laying his right hand down on her shoulder, Steve looked toward the city of Faraday.
With a soft breath out through her nose, the champion began to reluctantly bob her head back and forth, her mouth and lips tightening around his shaft.
A collective moan went up from Faraday.
“Mm, that’s rather good. Your lips are really soft,” Steve said as the champion laid her hands on his hips to steady herself.
The champion huffed through her nose at his comment, but kept pumping her head forward and backward.
“What’s your name?” Steve asked. If he was going to keep her around to handle some of his needs, he should probably learn her name.
Pulling back far enough that only his tip was in her mouth, the champion looked up at him.
“Beati Tesi,” said the champion in an odd tone. It didn’t help that her words were just partially muffled.
Steve nodded and then pulled on Beati’s shoulder, guiding himself fully back into her mouth.
“Do your best, Beati Tesi. You’ll serve under Nancy with Hiren. This’ll be your job now,” Steve said as Beati got back to work on him. “If you refuse the contract, I’ll kill you. Accept it, and live. You’re not getting up till I cum, by the way, so work hard.”
Beati nodded her head in apparent acceptance of all that, rolling her tongue along the underside of his tip.
Everything felt pretty lacking compared to every single one of his wives and Nancy, but Beati was definitely trying.
He could teach her the rest. And he had a little time right now to get her going in the right direction.
Steve looked back to the city of Faraday.
“Get your next champion ready, or send out your queen!” Steve called to the city. “I’ll finish with your current champion soon enough! Maybe the next one could be a redhead?!”
The once-champion of Faraday kept working diligently at him with her lips, tongue, and mouth.
I wonder if she can taste Jaina on me.
Looking back down at Beati, Steve watched her as she worked. He always enjoyed watching.
I bet she can.
***
Three more women came to challenge Steve.
One more ended up on her knees and took it in the mouth rather than fight him. She was given over to Nancy just as Beati had been after she’d finished with Steve.
The other two fought him and died. Having their arms and legs pulled off, just as the first, and being thrown at the city.
Darkness was coming on, and the land was cast in a deep shade of purple.
“I don’t think they’re going to send anyone else,” said Lucia from behind him.
Looking over his shoulder, he found her, Jaina, Geneva, and Nancy.
“No?” Steve asked Lucia.
“I don’t think so. You made two service you, and you killed three,” Lucia said with a laugh. “It’s been hours since the last girl came out, and she ended up taking you in the mouth. What was her name?”
Lucia asked the question to Nancy.
“Felisa,” Nancy said. “She’s with Hiren and Beati now. They’re helping Ferrah with her forge work for the time being.”
Nancy had also given a contract matching Hiren’s to Beati and Felisa.
“Yes, her. I spoke with her briefly,” Lucia said. “It seems the false queen is only sending people she believes
are loyal, rather than the most proficient at combat. Felisa was an exception, as she volunteered to fight you.
“I think it may have shaken the false queen that she decided to take the same exit as Beati. I can’t imagine it’d be ideal to watching two champions giving blow jobs instead of fighting.”
“I can taste their despair,” Nancy said, her eyes sliding toward Faraday. “It’s delicious.”
“I don’t think her soldiers will follow her tomorrow,” Geneva said. “We’ll find her corpse tomorrow. Or her head. Since you called for that repeatedly.”
Laughing to herself, Jaina grinned.
“He got head. Twice,” she said with a laugh.
Rolling his eyes, Steve walked over to the Kobold with a grin.
Jaina flopped down on her back and lifted her shirt up. She grinned at him, displaying her teeth, her eyes glittering.
“Rub me, pack leader. I’m a good huntress for you,” she demanded, laying her hands against her hips. “Rub me lots. Lots, lots.”
Today was supposed to be for her, so he had no qualms doing as instructed. Especially with how hard she’d been working lately.
Squatting down next to her, he started to run his hand up and down her belly. Caressing and stroking her.
“Alright,” Steve said. “Pack it in for the day then?”
“That’d be my recommendation,” Geneva said. “I agree with Lucia. This is done for today. Thank you for solving this… so quickly and efficiently.”
“Whatever,” Steve said. “I just want to get home.”
Despite Lucia’s urgings, he was starting to rethink his original goal. He still wanted to be able to protect everything he had, and eliminating Linne still seemed the most likely way to make that happen, but he didn’t like being this far away.
He was too far from home.
Too far from Nikki.
There was an ache attached to that thought. Of how she’d casually dismissed him right before he left.
It’d been too much for him to try and solve at the time, though now he did regret not trying to talk to her again.
A set of long, cool fingers slid through his hair and curled down around his ear.
“I know, my beloved consort,” Lucia said softly. “I know. We’ll go home for a time and rest. Relax. See Nia, check on Gwen’s pregnancy. Do you think Nia will have a brother or a sister? I’m sure Gwen is starting to show a bit and looks lovely by now. Don’t you think?”
Steve grinned at the idea of it.
“Yeah.” He nodded.
Jaina, who had been wriggling slightly back and forth under his hand, grew absolutely still.
“I sense the Creep,” she said in a breathless whisper.
She got to her feet and pulled at her tunic, her head turning one way and then the other.
“You do? Seriously?” Steve asked, getting to his feet as well.
“Yes. It’s… coming,” Jaina said. “From every direction.”
“Back to camp,” Lucia said. “Quickly.”
“I thought you said you sealed it away,” Geneva said to Steve.
“I did. Apparently it wasn’t enough,” Steve replied hotly.
“Let’s be honest—we never thought it was actually gone,” Lucia said as the group continued back to the camp. “Oh, running just isn’t for me. I hate running.”
“Jaina, can you put up a spell around the camp?” Steve asked.
“Yes, yes. Not a problem,” Jaina said as she moved on all fours. It looked like she was going significantly slower than he knew she could. “Can’t help the city, though.”
“Right… city,” Steve said, looking toward Faraday.
“They can suffer and die,” Geneva said, moving along easily even in full armor. “Traitors, the lot of them. Let the Creep have them.”
Steve considered that idea briefly and then dismissed it.
His recent dealings with the villages and bandit camps had given him some perspective. Even in a camp full of people who had murdered, killed, raped, and thieved their way through the last year, there were those who’d done nothing wrong. Who were truly innocent.
And Steve wasn’t going to leave them to their fate.
Because in the back of his head, all he could think of was Gwendolin, Nia, Lucia, and Ferrah. They would have all been in Filch and, if he hadn’t fixed the wall, likely overrun by the Creep.
Most likely dead, too.
“Jaina, once you get the spell up around the camp, can it function without you?” Steve asked.
“Yes, yes,” Jaina said. “Why?”
“Because I want to go cover that big hole we made in Faraday,” Steve said. “I refuse to seal their fate because of their queen. For all we know, they want nothing to do with her. Go put up the spell, grab several canteens of can water, and come back.”
“Right. Okay, right, right,” Jaina said. Then she took off at a flying sprint toward the camp.
Steve slowed down and eventually came to a stop. Turning around, he faced Faraday.
It was obvious even from this distance they had no idea what was going on. Soldiers weren’t massing in the gap, there was no one moving, and it seemed as if everyone had simply “gone home” for the night.
“Goodness, well, I suppose if we must,” Lucia said with a sigh. She walked up to his right and laid a hand on his lower back. “It’s a good thing I actually desperately love you, my dashing consort.
“I’ll follow you into hell itself, even if I complain at you the entire way. At least I don’t have to run anymore.”
Nancy fell in next to Steve on his left, Geneva a step beyond her.
His henchwoman was doing well with learning how to read and write, but she wasn’t made for combat. It was probably the furthest thing from her wheelhouse he could think of.
Which was why he was flattered she’d stuck around.
“Don’t need to be here,” Steve said, catching Nancy’s eyes.
“I know,” said the Wight. “I want to be here. Need to show I can earn my keep in whatever way needed.”
With a shrug of his shoulders, Steve turned back to the military camp.
Jaina had just made it there a short minute ago and was probably building her spell even now.
In the middle of the camp, a large purple dome began expanding upward. Soon enough, he saw it coming toward him. Growing faster and faster, it almost seemed to be out of control.
Noiselessly and without warning, the dome slammed to a halt.
Five seconds after that, a blast of wind more akin to something out of a hurricane smashed through Steve and his companions. Then it passed over them just as quickly as it’d come on.
Did her dome just expel all the air inside it? Is the Creep more pervasive than I thought?
I mean, I never really thought about it.
Could that be the reason why everything beyond the wall was dead? After a certain point, it just permeates the air itself?
That’d be… I’m going to need to dig my trench out all the way to Bexis, Faraday, Hilast, and Rennis.
If I want any hope of saving these people.
Wait, why would I save them?
Frowning, Steve stared at the purple dome, unsure himself at why he’d been thinking he needed to save everyone.
The answer that came to him was slow, but unfortunately real.
Because Nikki would want me to. Because it’s in my power to do so, and it wouldn’t impact their way of life.
And… Nia would want me to do that, too.
Grimacing at the idea of disappointing Nikki and Nia, Steve wondered how long it would take him to dig a trench all the way down to the outpost, Filch, or the farm.
Then to drag it all the way around to the other towns and villages.
Long time.
Could use all the prisoners, though… have them running out from the outpost, and me heading toward them.
Probably do it pretty quick.
“Nancy,” Steve said.
“Yes… Steve?” she
asked in response.
“Gonna need to dig a trench around all Gennie’s cities,” Steve said. “Work crews and shovels.”
“I understand,” Nancy said.
“Gennie?” Geneva asked.
“Yeah, you. Gennie,” Steve said. Heading his way was Jaina at a dead-on sprint.
“Oooh? Maybe I should be jealous. I don’t have a nickname,” Lucia said teasingly. “You’re going to make me try to turn Gennie into one of mine.”
“If you like. We could go with Lucy. Or if you’re looking for something more sappy, we could do my butterfly,” Steve said.
He wasn’t beyond doing what she was asking, since it cost him nothing and he didn’t actually feel any embarrassment for the nickname.
I call Kassandra Kass and little snake, after all.
It was a bit odd at times for Steve. Lucia clearly knew how to lead him around and get what she wanted from him.
But all she wanted was his attention, time, and some spoiling. He was more than willing to give her all of those in spades.
He did care about her.
“Oh? Alright,” Lucia said, a smile clear in her voice. “I’ll take both and enjoy them. Though I’ll be cross if you address anyone else by them. A nickname is meant to be unique and befitting one person. As your wife and a Fae princess, I do like them, dearest.”
Steve didn’t need to be told that if she wasn’t happy, he wouldn’t get what he’d been getting every night since leaving home.
And what he craved.
It filled a hole he’d felt after Nikki had turned him out.
“That’s… the Creep?” Geneva asked.
Turning away from the camp, Steve looked out at the plains beyond.
A black fog was creeping across the land as the sun fell further into the west.
“Yes, that’s the Creep,” Lucia said with a sigh. “And the last time we saw it as thick as that, I became little better than a chew toy.
“I still… have… dreams about that day.”
Lucia shook her head and shivered lightly.
Steve wouldn’t forget that day either. Lucia had nearly died protecting him.
Reaching out, he slipped an arm underneath Lucia’s rear end, lifted her up, and started running for the city.
“Oh! Oh my,” Lucia said with a soft laugh. She leaned into Steve and gave him a kiss on his temple. “Well, far be it from me to complain about being swept off my feet, my sweet and sexy consort.”