by Eden Redd
“Safe journey,” Talisa said simply before turning and walking away.
Vass stepped up to the paladin, “I hope I see you soon. I miss having you around sometimes.”
Thorrin looked into Vass’s oval eyes and smirked, “Maybe.”
“Fine, don’t get killed. No one will be there to heal you when you resurrect. Hate for you to be out here at night, dead people eating you all night long.” Vass turned and joined the three trolls.
Thorrin continued to grin as he began walking. Remembering the direction, the dragon fell, he picked up his stride. After a few moments, he turned and saw that Vass and the trolls were gone. Small fires crackled as smoke rose up into the clear blue sky.
***
The sound of birds seemed to lessen as the paladin moved through the forest. Taking a moment to check his surroundings, Thorrin glanced up to see the tops of trees splintered and broken. He had been travelling for about forty minutes but it felt longer. Despite it being early afternoon, the air seemed to take on a thin chill the further he walked.
Finishing his quick survey, Thorrin pushed on. Moss covered trunks stood silently as the occasional crow cawed in the distance. Gone now was the bird song as he moved deeper into the forest. A dark dread curled up from the ground. The rays of sun light seemed muted and thin patches of mist rose up to touch covered ankles.
“This can’t be good,” Thorrin grinned to himself.
A tree broken in half greeted the player. Passing it, he noticed another and another. Soon a path of broken trees and splintered wood shards littered the forest floor. The canopy parted and sunlight once again washed the paladin in bright light. To his left and right, inky darkness was held at bay by the fiery sun.
Wood and dirt shifted under heavy boots. Thorrin kept his gaze forward, looking for any sign of the fallen dragon. The eye contact they made was chilling, sending a strange vibration up and down his spine. Knowing it was out here, hurt only caused the paladin to take longer strides. The smell of freshly destroyed wood blanketed the area. Again, Thorrin wondered how they managed to create scents in this digital world.
A shine touched the Thorrin’s eyes and he squinted. In the distance, sunlight glittered off something, redirecting shafts of light in his direction. The paladin’s stride turned into a run. Legs pumping, boots smashed into the ground as he propelled himself down the path of destruction. The glittering shined on until the Thorrin skidded to a halt and stared.
In the middle of a small crater, a woman lay. Light touched green scales on her shoulders, arms, thighs, shins and the tops of her feet. One wing lay spread out to her right while nothing lay to her left. Her chest rose, supple breasts rising in the sunlight. Thorrin took a few steps closer. The woman’s head lay turned to the side. Small horns rose up from her forehead and long green hair splayed around her. Her body was not entirely covered in scales. Alabaster skin glowed in the sunlight, covered in cuts and bruises. A tail lay under her, stretching out from under her right hip.
Time seemed to stand still for the paladin, stunned by her beauty. Remembering why he was here, Thorrin pushed everything away and rushed to her side. Falling to his knees, he reached out with healing hands. Touching her shoulder, he poured healing energy into the nude dragon woman. Wisdom draining, the paladin did not stop until he knew she was going to be okay. Wisdom points drained to zero and the healing light from his hands faded away.
Closed eyelids trembled before they fluttered open. Dark green eyes turned to the handsome man in gray and gold armor. Eyes locked on one another, Thorrin gazed into dark emerald pools while the dragon woman stared up into his green and brown eyes. Time continued to slow until shock swirled into the dragon’s eyes. Sitting up, the dragon quickly turned her head around.
“Trolls?” She said while wide eyes took in her surroundings.
“Gone, you and your fellow dragons dealt them a lot of damage. I helped clean up,” Thorrin tried to sound comforting.
Shoulders relaxed and the dragon woman looked away, images of her fallen brethren still burning in her mind. Thorrin sat down next to her, wondering what else he could do.
“I used up all of my healing. I should regenerate some more soon so I can continue to heal you.”
The dragon woman turned and eyed the paladin, brow hardening, “It would take hours for you to heal me completely. Thank you but my regeneration will be enough.”
Thorrin looked to her left shoulder and noticed the raw nub where her left wing used to be, “Your wing?”
The dragon woman turned her head and eyed the nub, “It will grow back in a few weeks unless I see a strong cleric first.”
“You fought bravely,” the player said as he eased into the mood.
The dragon woman kept her brow wrinkled, “Thank you.”
Curling legs under her, she stood up. Thorrin looked away from her naked body as she flexed her one remaining wing. After a long moment, the paladin stood up but continued to avert his gaze.
“Do I disgust you?” The dragon woman said with a small hiss.
“Not at all but I didn’t want to be rude.”
The dragon woman looked away and whispered a few arcane words. Thorrin managed to look to her as energy spiraled around her body. Clothes appeared, adjusting to her curvy form as her scales, horns and wing melted into her flesh. Seconds later, a green haired, human looking woman stood. She wore travelling clothes and light leather armor. Tight white leggings covered her legs and supple leather boots covered her feet.
Thorrin looked down at her cleavage and then looked away, a smile blooming. The whole game exuded sex appeal. He doubted if she would mind if he stared but years of growing up in a female household taught him never to be overt. The player instead decided to play it off as if he didn’t notice.
“Forgive me if I came off rude. The death of my brothers is still fresh,” the dragon woman bowed.
“Understandable,” Thorrin said as he nodded his head. “What’s your name?”
The dragon woman paused, eyes shining in the afternoon sun, “Emmazulla…..but you can call me Emma. It would only be right since you came to my aid.”
“I saw you go down after the spear severed your wing. It would have been wrong to leave you out here.”
Emma stepped closer to the Thorrin, eyes on his armored chest, “Thank you kind paladin.” A small smile crept into the corners of her mouth.
“It’s my duty,” Thorrin smiled. “What will you do now?”
Emma looked to the sky, “I have to go back home and report what has happened.” Eyes fell and met with Thorrin’s. “What about you? What is a lone paladin going to do out here in the middle of nowhere?”
“I’m on a quest to help a small town. They have had some undead attacks and I’m going to investigate it.”
“Undead attacks this far north of the road? You truly are a fighter for the light. It must not be a terrible inconvenience if the town only needs one paladin to search out these horrors.”
“The attacks have been small but no one has died from them. I happened to be passing through and they asked for me to help. What about you? I’m sure you’re not going to be flying back home any time soon.”
Emma hugged her waist, “I will have to travel north until I reach a place where I can heal.”
The player remembered Lyra back in Apple Shire, “I know of a cleric, back in Apple Shire. It’s the town I’m helping with their undead problem. We could go back and see if she can help you heal.”
Emma’s eyes studied the kind-hearted paladin, “But what about your quest?”
“I can come back tomorrow. I think it’s more important that you’re okay. We can head east and see if the cleric can heal your wing.”
Emma shook her head slightly, “Undead are the bane to all living creatures. I wouldn’t think to take you away from your quest. I would rather accompany you and see if I can offer assistance. It’s the least I can do since you came all this way to ensure my safety. And before you say otherwise, I must in
sist.”
Thorrin eyed the green-eyed beauty but deep down, he knew there was something else brewing under the surface. Three dragons happening on a battalion of trolls was more than a coincidence. Years of RPG games taught the player that there was more to the plot then a fallen dragon wanting to adventure with him to root out some undead. Even so, Thorrin couldn’t bring himself to question her motives too much. Something about her prickled under his skin. Was it the eye contact or simply her beauty? Her human form was just as beautiful as her half dragon form but it went beyond that. A keen intelligence lurked in her eyes even if she was hiding things.
“I could never say no to such beauty. Shall we?” Thorrin said gallantly.
Emma gazed at the paladin. His confident smirk was enough for her cheeks to glow a light pink. Thorrin turned and started walking. The dragon woman stood for a moment, eyeing him as he walked without looking back. With knowing eyes, she followed the paladin into the inky darkness of the forest.
Seven
The mist along the forest floor grew thicker. Two figures hiked through the dense forest, legs parting foggy mist around their ankles. Despite the sun overheard, the canopy was so thick; a gray gloom lit their way. Thorrin held the journal in his hands, looking for landmarks while Emma trailed slightly behind. The air carried a new chill as they walked. The dragon woman seemed unaffected but Thorrin fought and failed to stop a shiver up his spine.
“I assume the journal contains a map. What are you looking for?”
Thorrin looked up and around before eyes fell back to the yellowish pages, “It’s incomplete but we should be coming across some weird tree. The person who put this journal together never ventured behind a certain point and the closest landmark is that tree.”
“If they never ventured behind that point, how is that going to help you find the source of the undead?”
Thorrin continued to scan the area as they walked, “Well, it will get us closer to it. The author left notes on the area. There might be an old graveyard or such where they are coming from. I don’t see too many reasons why the undead would just appear out of nowhere and terrorize a small town.”
“You’re certain?”
The player grinned to himself, “Pretty sure. Years of experience in the virtual field.”
“You seem too young to have years of experience,” Emma said with her own smirk.
“It’s an expression,” Thorrin paused before he spoke again, “So why were you and your brethren flying over this part of Lukken? I thought the dragons stayed north?”
“We occasionally patrol the North East. Often young dragons do the jobs the older one’s feel are beneath them. It was fortunate that we ran into that small troll army,” Emma said with a blank expression.
Thorrin glanced behind him before turning back to the forest, “You’re a young and beautiful dragon. And yes, very grateful you happen to show up when you did. I thought I was going to have to fight all those trolls be myself.”
Emma smiled, “I managed to see you before I went down. You were doing very well. I’m sure you didn’t need help to take down those vile monsters.”
“You flatter me fine maiden.”
“Did you by chance find out why they were travelling so far north of the road? The information could be useful when I return to the North kingdoms.”
Thorrin thought of the three trolls and his sister.
“No idea. I ran into them as I was travelling. They didn’t seem happy about it and I wasn’t exactly thrilled. I tried to talk to them peacefully but they seemed to be a bit on the angry side.”
Emma nodded, “Trolls are horrible monsters. Their kind has been a scar over Lukken for too long. I for one am glad you helped stop them. I will be sure to tell your deeds to my superiors.”
“Please don’t. I rather simply adventure around and help those in need.”
The green haired beauty nodded, “I will be discreet in my report.”
The paladin and dragon fell into silence as they walked along. Thorrin would glance back occasionally to see Emma taking in her surroundings. If he didn’t know any better, it looked like she was committing everything to memory. The way she eyed the trees and ground, almost like she was noting every branch and stone they came across.
After fifteen minutes, something big and black appeared in the gloomy distance. Thorrin focused, trying to make it out as they continued toward it. Long crooked limbs snaked out in all directions. A massive and twisted black trunk rose up from the cracked earth. Shapeless holes filled the base of it while gnarled branches hung like thin, ugly hands. The area around it was clear, save for dead leaves and patches of mist across the ground.
“Your tree, I presume,” Emma said matter of fact.
Thorrin stepped closer, shortening the distance until he stood before the demonic tree. “The map seems to be right. Beyond this, not sure what we’ll run into.”
“I’m sure we will be able to handle it. With your Holy Touch ability, you could make short work of any undead in the area.”
Thorrin’s ears perked up. Mind working, he brought up a 2D screen and examined his class abilities. Emma watched as he scrolled through lists, brow forming a small V, the paladin let out sigh.
“Cyn,” the player called out.
An angel with blue hair appeared, hovering off a few feet off the ground, wings beating slightly.
“Yes Thorrin, how may I help you?”
“When do I unlock my Holy Touch ability?”
“You must gain Faith from a number of beings before you can unlock that or any further abilities.”
“How much Faith do I need to unlock it?”
“The exact amount is different for each player. Lewd Saga is about enjoyment and adventure without focusing on exact numbers to increase your abilities. I cannot tell you how much Faith you will need to unlock the ability.”
Thorrin rubbed his temple, “What exactly does the Holy Touch ability do?”
“The Holy Touch ability allows for a paladin to turn undead and increase damage dealt. Like your ability to Heal and cast Protection, Holy Touch relies on your Wisdom attribute to fuel it. The more Faith you have, the longer the effect will be. Legends tell of paladins so powerful they could use their abilities for days without tiring.”
Thorrin eyed the angel before nodding, “Thank you Cyn. That will be all.”
The angel bowed her head and faded from sight. Emma stood; eyes neutral and her mouth nothing more than a thin slit.
“You do not have your Holy Touch ability?”
The player mentally cursed himself. He was new to the game and hadn’t performed the crucial task of gaining Faith. Thorrin thought the game was little more relaxed then it seemed right now. He was going to go into a fight and the one ability that could help him take down some undead was out of reach as of this moment.
Taking a deep breath, the player calmed his mind. It was a game and he needed to really dive in if he was going to get anywhere. Thorrin had no problems with the sex but he knew he was kind of a romantic. There was no bigger turn on then getting to know someone, physically and emotionally.
“I won’t let that stop me from completing the quest,” Thorrin said with conviction.
Eyes turning to the corner of his vision, his attribute stats glowed to life. The paladin’s Wisdom was at half. He would need a few more hours to fully regenerate it. The player hoped it would be enough. Taking the moment to take precautions, Thorrin anchored his save point by the tree. If he was killed at least he would be some distance away from the source of the undead attacks.
Emma stepped closer, concern bleeding into her green eyes, “I will help you but I’m not even at half of my abilities. Should we turn back to your little town?”
Thorrin shook his head, “The least we can do is investigate the source. If it seems like we can take….” The paladin trailed off.
Thorrin’s eyes moved from left to right, a thick fog rolling in. The player felt his senses expand as dim shadows moved w
ith the heavy mist. The gnarled tree was engulfed as vision turned from yards to mere feet. Thorrin could feel them, pressing on his mind in nearly every direction, a foul hunger opening up and blanketing the area. Emma turned her head, eyes sharp. Shadows shifted and lurched, small moans rising up.
Thorrin pulled his hammer from his belt, “We’re surrounded.”
Emma stood close to the paladin, “I can see them, moving closer.”
“I can sense them but I cannot tell how many.”
Emma flexed her delicate hands, eyes piercing the gloomy fog, “Too many even for us. I see a break in their ranks to the north west,” the dragon woman pointed in that direction.
“Let’s back up in that direction,” the paladin said as he began carefully stepping backwards, eyes open.
“Agreed,” Emma nodded as she moved with Thorrin.
The hunger pushed against Thorrin’s nerves until it reached a fevered pitch. A dark light glowed and the hunger was unleashed. The moans grew into decayed roars. Shadows went from simple movements to a rushing stampede. The shadows converged on the paladin and dragon. Thorrin put his free hand on Emma’s shoulder, spending wisdom to increasing Emma’s armor rating. The dragon woman turned her head slightly as an aura glowed around her body.
Metal clanked as armored skeletons emerged from the fog. Rusted armor clanged against bone as decayed swords rose up. Numbers tripled and then quadrupled as an undead army raced toward the two living bodies, hatred and jealously fueling their undead bodies to act out, wanting to strike and snuff out their living light.
Thorrin squared his jaw as several skeletons rushed him. Hammer swinging, he smashed all three to pieces with one strike. Pulling back, four more rushed over their fallen brothers. The paladin was quicker, using the full weight of his hammer. Bones splintered and armor cracked as their skeletal remains were taken apart. Thorrin took another step back as a wave of undead appeared from the fog. Several skeletons charged Emma. Fingers curled into a fist, she smashed them with powerful punches and when one or two moved in closer, her elbows smashed into them, pulverizing their remains into dust.