Destroyer of Legends

by Clayton Wood

  “Go to hell,” Hunter spat.

  “I can save you,” Zagamar insisted. “I can make you better!”

  Hunter smiled grimly at him.

  “You already…have,” he gasped.

  And then he swung Vi’s sword, slicing through Zagamar’s neck.

  Zagamar let go of Hunter’s arm, plummeting toward the streets of Tykus hundreds of feet below. Toward the dying Svartálfar felled by the massive winged army of the Kingdom of the Deep.

  Hunter watched the Legend fall, and then his vision faded completely, his sword slipping out of his hands.

  He felt himself falling, the wind shrieking past his ears. But he didn’t care anymore. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered anymore.

  You did it.

  Faster and faster he went, free-falling through space. Floating in darkness. The last moments of his life like the first, encased within his mother’s womb.

  Hunter smiled, knowing that this was the end. And of all the ends he remembered, the memories of the deaths of multitudes of men that he’d absorbed, this was the best.

  He didn’t even feel the impact when he struck the street of Lowtown, shattering the cobblestones beneath him.

  Chapter 45

  Hunter opened his eyes.

  Harsh light greeted him, and he squeezed his eyes shut, his head pounding. He waited for the pain to pass, then squinted, his eyes slowly adjusting to the light. He was lying on his back on a firm mattress, he realized, a thin white sheet pulled up to his bellybutton.

  And he was naked.

  He blinked, looking around. A tiny room greeted him, smaller than a college dorm room. One with cheap wooden walls and a window that was really just a rectangular hole in the wall. Sunlight streamed through it, splaying over the bed and the floor. There was no furniture in the room save for his bed, and a wooden door to his right was the only way in or out.

  Hunter groaned, rubbing his forehead.

  What the hell…

  There was a knock at the door.

  Hunter froze, staring at the door. A few seconds passed, and the knocks came again, tentatively.

  “Uh, come in,” he called out.

  The door swung open, and someone stepped into the room, closing the door behind them. It was a young woman, he realized. She was tall and slender, with long blond hair and striking blue eyes, her skin pale and unblemished. She wore a simple black dress, one that clung rather tightly to her body, outlining small, perky breasts and a pleasing hourglass figure…and stopping well above her knees. She was rather pretty, although not spectacularly so.

  Hunter’s breath caught in his throat.

  “Hey Hunter,” she greeted, walking up to the bed and sitting down on the edge. She smiled down at him, putting a hand on the sheet covering his lower belly. “How’d you sleep?”

  “Uh…” he stammered, staring at her in disbelief. “Trixie?”

  “Of course, silly,” she replied, her blue eyes twinkling. She leaned down then, kissing him on the forehead. He was too shocked to stop her.

  “What…what are you…?” Hunter asked, trying to make sense of what was happening. “How did I get here?” he added. For it was clear that he was back in his old apartment in the Outskirts, his home for the first few days of his new life in Varta. She gave him a confused look.

  “We went back here after going out last night,” she answered. She gave a little smile then. “I put you to sleep the way you like it.”

  Hunter frowned, trying to recall what’d happened last night. But his mind was hazy, his memories vague.

  “Aww,” she replied, running a hand through his short hair, then resting her warm palm on his cheek. “Did you have that bad dream again?”

  “What?”

  “The dream about that guy…what’s his name,” Trixie said. “It started with a ‘Z.’”

  Zagamar.

  Hunter felt a chill run down his spine, and he stared at her mutely. She leaned in again, kissing him on the opposite cheek. The faint scent of flowers came to him, a scent that instantly brought back memories of the time they’d spent together. Long nights of making love, over and over again, until their bodies couldn’t take it anymore.

  He felt a stirring in his groin.

  “You did have the dream again, didn’t you,” Trixie pressed. She pouted. “You’re always like this after.”

  “How long have I been…back here?” Hunter asked.

  “Since last night.”

  “I mean, since I started living here again,” he clarified. Trixie frowned.

  “You’ve been living here all along silly,” she answered, leaning in and kissing his cheek again, just to the right of his lips. He smelled her scent, her soft lips warm against his skin. His groin stirred again, her touch awakening it.

  She leaned back, glancing down at it, watching as it slowly uncurled.

  “Looks like someone remembers last night,” she quipped, sliding her hand down his belly over the sheet, and stopping just to the right of his member. That got it filling more rapidly, and it wasn’t long before it lifted off his belly, straining against the sheet.

  “We…did it?” Hunter asked.

  “Mmm hmm,” Trixie answered, leaning in and kissing him again, just to the side of his lips. “Need a little reminder to jog your memory?” she inquired, shifting a little, then pressing her lips fully against his.

  An image of Sukri came to him.

  Hunter pulled away quickly, clearing his throat.

  “Uh, I…” he stammered, but Trixie put a finger to his lips, swinging a leg over the bed to straddle him. She sat down on his groin, and it was quite clear that the dress was all that she was wearing. Her groin pressed against his, the thin sheet the only thing between them.

  Trixie lifted her arms up, tying her hair back into a ponytail…and arching her back as she did so, giving him a spectacular view. He stared at her, his heart pounding in his chest. She was just as he’d remembered, sweet and sexy, meek but utterly confident in bed. He’d never been able to resist her…not even after all of Vi’s training. Of course, that’d been a long time ago…and he was a different man now. Unless…

  He swallowed in a dry throat, watching as she finished tying her hair back. She leaned forward then, resting her belly atop his.

  “Trixie…”

  “Oh baby,” she murmured, pressing her breasts against his bare chest, then leaning in and kissing him again. Her mouth opened, her tongue snaking into his mouth. His whole body tingled, her scent overpowering him. The combination of her taste and smell was downright intoxicating…and for a moment he got lost in it. He kissed her back, his tongue meeting hers, tasting her.

  Oh god damn, he thought, a shudder going through him. Oh god I missed this.

  It was incredible. Amazing. Far better than he’d remembered. How he could’ve forgotten this feeling was beyond him.

  He felt Trixie lift her pelvis up from his, then rest her groin on his belly. She slid her pelvis down then, bringing the sheet down with it…and exposing his rock-hard member. He felt the heat of her naked groin atop it, felt her slide up his member, then down. All excruciatingly slowly, taking her time.

  His body responded, his hips bucking, his member pulsing.

  Fuck.

  She pulled back from him, smiling down at him, then leaning in again, kissing him. More tongue, more of that unbelievable taste. It felt incredible.

  It felt right.

  He realized his hands were on her hips, and found himself sliding them down to her buttocks as she slid up and down him ever-so-slowly. Her buttocks tensed and relaxed under his fingertips as she massaged his groin with hers. It was slippery now, sliding freely…and the pressure within his groin was mounting, and suddenly he wanted nothing more than to let it do so. To give in to this woman, to let whatever was going to happen happen.

  But Sukri!

  He pushed the thought aside, knowing full well that it’d all been a dream. Zagamar, the Kingdom of the Deep, Camilla. Being with Suk
ri. All just a figment of his feverish imagination.

  Trixie gasped, drawing back from him then, pulling her hair free from the hair tie. Long, golden strands fell across her shoulders, spilling onto Hunter’s arms and tickling his skin. She laid down again, kissing him passionately, grinding her groin harder against his.

  He moaned, his member rock-hard now, so much so that it was almost painful. He felt her body atop his, pressing him against the firm mattress, his wings crushed against it.

  My wings!

  He broke free from their kiss, turning his head to the side…and spotting a half-folded wing protruding from his back.

  What the…!

  He shoved Trixie off of him, and she stumbled, falling onto her butt at the foot of the bed.

  “What the hell is going on?” he demanded, sitting up.

  The door burst open.

  Hunter scrambled backward in the bed, trying to pull the sheet over his groin. But Trixie was still on it, and it only covered him up to the knees. Someone stepped into the room, closing the door behind them. His heart leapt into his throat.

  It was Sukri!

  “Hey Hunt-” she began, then froze, staring at Trixie. Then at Hunter…and Hunter’s still-hard erection.

  “Sukri…” he began, but she cut him off.

  “What the hell is going on here?” she demanded, putting her hands on her hips.

  “It’s not…” Hunter stammered. He drew his knees up to his chest, covering his groin with his hands, feeling his cheeks flush. “This isn’t what it looks like!”

  “The fuck it isn’t!” Sukri retorted. She stormed up to the side of the bed, kicking him in the chest so his back slammed into the wall. “How could you?”

  “I…”

  “You said you loved me!” she yelled, turning to glare at Trixie. “And now you’re right back to fucking…this?”

  Hunter stared at her, at a loss for words. There was nothing to say. Nothing he could say.

  And then Sukri burst out laughing.

  “Oh shit,” she said between guffaws, pointing at him. “Your face! Oh,” she added. “I can’t breathe.” To Hunter’s surprise, Trixie started laughing too, covering her mouth with one hand, her eyes twinkling.

  “The hell is going on?” he demanded, utterly confused.

  “You see the look on his face?” Sukri asked Trixie. Trixie nodded.

  “Classic,” she replied.

  “What the hell is going on?” Hunter repeated, his frustration mounting.

  “We were just playing a prank on you,” Sukri explained, wiping tears from her eyes. Hunter stared at her blankly.

  “A prank?”

  “This isn’t even Trixie,” Sukri stated, gesturing at…Trixie.

  “I’m Ella,” the blonde woman introduced. She gave him an apologetic look. “We all look the same.”

  “Uh…nice to meet you?” Hunter replied.

  “Yeah it was,” Sukri agreed, looking down at Hunter’s erection. She arched an eyebrow. “Damn hon, you were ready for her, weren’t you.”

  “Wait, you guys did this on purpose?” Hunter blurted out. Sukri chuckled.

  “I know. Dick move, right?” she replied. She turned to Ella. “Did he put up a fight?”

  “Not really,” Ella answered. “One kiss and he was ready and willing.” That seemed to take Sukri aback.

  “Damn Hunter, that’s cold,” she muttered. “You weren’t supposed to actually cheat on me.”

  “Wait a second,” Hunter stammered. “I didn’t…”

  “Bet you thought you could get away with it too,” Sukri interrupted, crossing her arms over her chest and shaking her head. “Wow Hunter. Just…wow.”

  “You set me up!” Hunter complained.

  “Yeah, but I thought you’d push her away, not let her ride your dick,” Sukri shot back.

  “She didn’t…” he stammered.

  “Oh I totally did,” Ella countered.

  “No, I never…!”

  “I’d like to say I was glad I came before you did,” Sukri grumbled, “…but I guess I can’t.”

  “No, I didn’t…I stopped her!”

  Emma wiped a hand across her mouth, giving Sukri a look.

  “I caught it all,” she stated. “There was a lot.”

  “No!” Hunter nearly shouted. “She’s lying!”

  “Right Hunter,” Sukri grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. He stared at her, then at Emma, clenching and unclenching his fists.

  Sukri burst out laughing again.

  “Oh god,” she gasped, pointing at Hunter. “You see his face?”

  Emma chuckled.

  “What…?” Hunter began. Sukri walked up to him, grabbing his hand and pulling him up off the bed.

  “You hungry?” she asked.

  Hunter just stared at her.

  “Come on, get your clothes on,” she urged. “Everyone just went to the tavern to grab some lunch.”

  “Uh…”

  “I’ll take that as a yes. You know, considering you haven’t eaten in like three days.” She put her hands on her hips. “Honestly, you look like a skeleton.”

  He stared at her mutely.

  “Get dressed,” she pressed, bending over and tossing a shirt and pants at him. They’d been folded nicely by his bed. “Thanks for everything,” she told Ella. “You can help him get dressed, but no more sex, okay?” She turned back to Hunter. “I’ll meet you outside.”

  And then she walked out of the apartment, closing the door behind her.

  * * *

  Hunter walked alongside Sukri as they made their way down the wooden ramp from the Outskirts to the streets of Lowtown, the sour smell of the lake below the makeshift neighborhood irritating his nostrils. They made their way up a flight of stairs, continuing onto the street beyond. Sukri hooked an arm around Hunter’s, smiling up at him.

  “Feels good to be back, doesn’t it?” she asked.

  Hunter looked down at her, not quite sure how to feel.

  “Sukri, what the hell is going on?”

  “You killed Zagamar,” Sukri answered. “Saved the Kingdom, in fact. Hell, maybe even the whole world.”

  “Great,” Hunter grumbled. “Somehow I’m not as excited about that as I thought I’d be.”

  Sukri laughed.

  “Aww, poor Huntie,” she murmured, tousling his hair. “So confused.”

  “Damn right I am.”

  “You fell from the sky after Zagamar splatted on the street,” Sukri explained. “Camilla tried to catch you, but she couldn’t get there in time. Your wings slowed your fall, but you still hit the street pretty hard.”

  “I must’ve, ‘cause I don’t remember any of this.”

  “Not surprised,” Sukri replied. “You had a pretty good-sized dent in your skull from the impact. I honestly thought you were dead. You were for a while – you didn’t have a pulse for about five minutes – but then you came back. Scared the shit outta me.”

  Hunter ran a hand through his short hair, half-expecting to find a dent in his skull, but there was none.

  “Dominus brought you to the hospital in Hightown, but Vi said you’d be fine since you drank your brother’s goo a couple of times. She was right of course. Xerxes gave you even more goo while you were asleep, just to be sure. Took you three days to recover, but you did.”

  “So how did I end up…”

  “In your old apartment?” Sukri finished for him. “Vi and I came up with the idea while you were still out. Figured we’d play a prank on you and put you in your apartment so you’d wake up all confused.”

  “You succeeded,” Hunter grumbled. Sukri cackled.

  “Had to wait days for the payoff, but damn was it worth it,” she agreed.

  Hunter grew quiet, dreading what he knew had to come next. He took a deep breath in, then heaved a deep sigh.

  “And Trixie?” he asked.

  “You mean Ella?” Sukri corrected with a devilish grin. “That was all me, baby. Pretty funny, huh?
”

  “Funny?”

  “Figured you’d get totally fucked in the head if we had her come in like none of this had happened. Like you’d dreamed everything, and woke up right where you’d been when you and Trixie were together.”

  He stared at her incredulously.

  “You shoulda seen the look on your face when she came in the apartment,” she said, cackling again. “Oh god it was perfect!”

  “You were watching?” he blurted out.

  “From the apartment next door,” Sukri confirmed. “Figured you wouldn’t notice, man that you are. You didn’t even look out the window.”

  He stopped in his tracks, a chill running down his spine.

  “Wait, you’re saying you were watching the whole time?” he pressed. She practically giggled, nodding at him, her golden eyes twinkling.

  “Mmm hmm.”

  “Oh fuck,” Hunter breathed. He thought back to what’d happened. To everything he’d done…everything he and Ella had done. To think that Sukri’d seen it all…

  “I saw you push her off when you noticed your wings,” Sukri offered. “Aww, my boyfriend. So loyal.”

  “Sukri!” he complained. “How could you just watch me…do that?”

  “Please,” she retorted. “You never were able to resist Trixie. I knew damn well you wouldn’t stand a chance against an elite prostitute. That was the whole point.”

  “Huh?”

  “Trixie was a higher-end whore, but Ella’s elite,” Sukri explained. “Her will is a lot stronger.”

  “I noticed.”

  “After we won, and the Kingdom of the Deep helped take out the rest of the Svartálfar, everyone was celebrating but me and Xerxes. Vi insisted you’d be fine, but watching you just lie there like that, with that horrible dent in your head…” She trailed off, shaking her head. “Anyway, I stayed with you day and night for two days. Didn’t eat, barely drank. That is, until Vi got fed up with my moping and insisted on taking me out on the town last night. We got piss drunk, and we came up with this prank.”

  “Wow,” Hunter muttered, taking a long moment to wrap his head around this. “Damn Sukri. That’s fucked up.”

  “Never said I was normal,” she replied sweetly.