Pendrackon

by Aaron Oster

  Gordon looked back at them with such a piteous look that Sam almost felt bad for him. Memories started flooding in of all the times the dog had insulted him, and his pity vanished in an instant. Let the dog suffer next to a pompous dick who thought everyone was beneath him and be on the receiving end for once. Maybe after this, he’d finally calm down with the grammar and refusal to use contractions when speaking.

  “Hmm, you do have a point,” Emma said, watching the knight. “I wonder how he’d react if I opened up the pants flap and loosened my top.”

  Sam remembered well that this getup Emma was wearing had an option to show anime levels of skin without going so far that they’d need censorship.

  “You know, I think he’d just call you a wench and possibly try to kill you for being an enchantress,” Sam replied.

  Emma thought on that for a moment before giving him a wide grin.

  “You know what? I’ll take that as a compliment!”

  Sam just shook his head in mock disappointment.

  “Only you would take something like that as a compliment. You’ve got a seriously twisted mind, you know that?”

  “Oh, yeah, this bitch is crazy!” Barry said, dropping the remains of his pepper and removing a peanut from his storage.

  “Shut up, bird! Otherwise, I’ll stick you in tonight’s stew!”

  “Eat shit, bitch!” Barry screeched, spreading his wings to take off.

  However, Emma was now too quick for him. Her hand blurred as it shot to her shoulder, catching the bird by his feet and pinning him in place. A dagger was suddenly at the bird’s throat, making him squawk in indignation.

  “What was that you said?” asked Emma, a very dangerous edge to her voice.

  “I’ll bite you! Don’t you mess with me!”

  Emma moved the dagger a bit closer, ticking the feathers near his neck.

  “What was that? I didn’t hear you.”

  “Don’t do it, man, she’s evil,” Sam warned.

  As much as Sam didn’t like the bird, he disliked Gordon far more, and no matter how much time he and the dog spent together, the more they seemed to butt heads. Barry, on the other hand, while a total, unapologetic dick, was much more his type. He acted just like a shitty bro-friend, always pulling pranks and getting into arguments. But with Barry, it was at least fun. Arguments with Gordon always ended with him wanting to strangle the dog.

  Emma got along so well with Gordon, it was almost scary. The two of them had hit it off immediately and were teaming up far more often, just as he and Barry were. This further cemented the feeling that the Overlord had purposely stuck them with partners they couldn’t stand, just because he was a dick.

  “Fine!” said the bird, finally admitting defeat. “I won’t shit on you!”

  “That’s all I wanted to hear,” Emma said sweetly as she stowed her dagger. “Now, Sam, what were you saying about me being evil?”

  Sam chuckled nervously as he tried to come up with a reply that wouldn’t get him stabbed. Thankfully, Spearlittle chose to intervene at that very moment, saving him from having to answer, at least for now.

  “Halt thee where thee stand, wench! Step no closer!”

  “Who’s he talking to?” Emma asked, trying to peer around the knight to get a better look.

  Sam, who was standing slightly off to the left instead of right behind the man, could see the person clearly. The woman’s bright green skin, curvy figure, and striking yellow eyes definitely grabbed his attention, as did the two short horns poking from her forehead. However, it was what the woman was wearing that held Sam’s interest.

  She was wearing long, billowy robes that were conveniently open right down the middle, revealing a crap-ton of skin and leaving little to the imagination. And if he wasn’t mistaken, those were the robes of a Mage.

  “So rude, even after all these years,” the woman replied, giving Spearlittle a dismissive wave. “Typical of you, Little Spear, kicking me out, only to have the kingdom fall into ruin. Tell me, are you regretting that decision now?”

  “Oh, wow!” Emma whispered as she finally got a good view of the woman. “I don’t have a thing for girls, but I’d do her in a second!”

  “Thanks for putting that graphic image in my head,” Sam muttered. “How about we find out who she is before you go jumping her bones?”

  Emma grinned at that, giving him a sidelong glance.

  “Someone sounds jealous. Don’t worry, I promise I’ll ask to let you join if you want. Can’t go keeping that cute butt all to myself.”

  Sam slapped her wandering hand away, fighting to keep the shoulder people at bay. He had questions, and the ideas Emma was putting into his mind were making it hard to concentrate. However, Spearlittle’s indignant shout and subsequent attack drove all those thoughts right out of his mind.

  34

  “Die, harlot! To the grave with thee!” Spearlittle cried, swinging his lance at the woman’s head with all his might.

  Sam expected the woman to react, to perhaps throw up a shield of some sort or maybe parry. Instead, all she did was smile as the full force of Spearlittle’s attack slammed directly into her head. The blow was so powerful that the ground split beneath her feet, sending a line of cracks out in all directions as a small crater was formed.

  However, when Spearlittle pulled his lance back, the woman was completely unharmed and still smiling.

  “Is that really all you’ve got, Little Spear?” she asked with a small pout. “And here I thought you’d have gotten stronger over the last few months.”

  “Have at thee, wench!” he roared, attacking once again.

  Sam and Emma stared open-mouthed as the knight unleashed a flurry of attacks on the woman, setting their clothes flapping in the wind with the force of his strikes.

  “What in the actual hell is she?” Emma asked, completely stunned.

  Sam used Inspect on the woman, who was staying completely calm and composed as a level 50 knight rained down blows atop her head.

  ETERNAL

  Name: Merr Lynn

  Gender: Female

  Class: ???

  Level: ??? - HP: ??? - MP: ??? - STA: ???

  Status: Amused

  Greatest Threat: Unknown

  Highest Attribute: ???

  Eternals are one of the longest-lived races in Somerset. Rumor has it that some can remember the birth of this world. Little is known about their race as they are extremely secretive.

  Eternals gain +5 to all attributes with every level gained and suffer no penalties.

  “Um, Sam, are you getting anything?” Emma asked, her eyes wide. “All I’m getting are a bunch of question marks.”

  “What level’s your Inspect skill?”

  “Twenty-four,” Emma replied.

  “Well, mine’s at 31, and I’m not getting anything more than her name and race. What I can tell you is that this is most likely the Mage that Spearlittle had tossed out. Her name’s Merr Lynn and her race is something called an eternal. I don’t know what that is, but they get a shit-ton of bonuses per level with no penalties, and if I can’t even read her level with an Advanced Inspect skill, she must be over 60, at least.”

  If he was honest with himself, Sam had to admit that she was likely well over level 80. Sam had been able to read the pal-tee Chief’s status back when he’d still been at the Intermediate level and the chief had been level 56. If he could read nothing with an Advanced skill, then this woman was a monster among monsters.

  “No wonder I feel like jumping her,” Emma said as she continued to watch Spearlittle try in vain to damage her. “With a level that high and so many bonuses, her Charisma must be through the roof!”

  “Makes you wonder how Spearlittle is unaffected by her looks,” Sam said.

  He knew that his Mind Over All skill should be giving him ample resistance to Merr Lynn’s looks. However, he had a feeling that if she asked him to do something, he would do it without question, and Sam hated himself for admitting as much. He alway
s liked being in control of himself and having to confront someone powerful enough to override that self-control was one of the most frightening things he could think of.

  The woman looked over at them, seeming to finally notice they were there and gave them a friendly wave.

  “Damn, I wanna do her so badly!” Emma said, practically drooling.

  If Emma, a straight girl, was this badly affected, Sam knew he stood no chance. Granted, his resistance was higher than hers, however, he was still a guy and a very straight one at that. That was why, when he managed to resist the urge to fling himself at her feet, he was surprised.

  What the hell is going on?

  Emma was slowly staggering forward, a dreamy lustful look fixed on her face. Sam, while feeling the pull from the woman’s invisible magnetism and massive Charisma, found himself able to resist.

  Mind Over All was probably getting a good workout, he just hoped he’d be able to keep resisting, because he didn’t want to lose control and do something he’d regret.

  “Leave these children alone, wench! Do not beguile them with thine foul witchery!” Spearlittle yelled, his lance trailing gold light as he hammered blow after blow into the center of her forehead.

  “It’s hardly my fault that you’re so pigheaded when it comes to attraction, Little spear,” Merr Lynn purred. “Are you still mad that I seduced your knights all those times?”

  “Vile demon! Away with thee!”

  “Alright, you’ve had your fun, Little Spear, now stop!”

  The world froze in place at the utterance of that word. Everything was still, from the wind, the leaves in the trees, even the birds in the sky. Sam found that his entire body had locked up, his chest refusing to expand when he tried to breathe, and even his eyes were locked straight ahead. Spearlittle found himself similarly frozen, his lance expended behind him, the golden light still trailing from its tip.

  A snarl of rage marred his features, frozen in place as Merr Lynn patted him lightly on the cheek, still grinning.

  “Now, all I wanted to do was give you a little heads-up about Kamellittle, but you always insist on attacking first and asking questions never. So, it seems I had to resort to this. Such a shame when the younger generation refuses to listen.”

  Her eyes flicked over to Emma and then Sam, noting each of them with interest.

  “Looks like you’ve managed to bag yourself a couple of little helpers, though, by the looks of it, they don’t like you much either.”

  She strode forward, examining Emma’s frozen body from every angle, poking and prodding. She let out a few appreciative sounds as she did so, nodding to herself before moving on to Sam. He braced himself as the woman began poking, prodding, and grabbing. Her touch felt electric and honestly felt way too good to be true. No one should be able to produce feelings like this woman did by pressing a finger into the middle of someone’s forehead.

  By the time she stepped away, still grinning to herself, Sam felt like he was about to collapse. His entire body felt like jelly, with most wonderful and warm sensations. He was too weak to fight them off, and though he hated himself for his weakness, a bigger, more immediate part of him was telling him to shut up and go along with it.

  “Well, Little Spear,” Merr Lynn said as she strode back around to the front of their group. “Seeing as how you treated me so poorly, I was going to kill you after you let some steam out. But seeing as you brought such lovely companions, I think I’ll give you a little piece of advice. If you go charging in the way you normally do, Borgana will have you wrapped around her finger before you can blink.”

  She looked past him then, first at Emma and then at Sam. When the woman’s eyes met his, Sam felt a shiver run through him, involuntary and completely out of his control.

  “As for the two of you,” she said, her voice taking on a low sultry purr. “I hope we meet again soon. It’s rare to find those who are still so innocent and pure, let alone two in the same place.”

  Merr Lynn licked her lips in what would have been an extremely creepy way in any other situation, but for some reason, it was really hot. Then she turned and sauntered away, her hips swaying exaggeratedly. Only when she vanished from view over the next hill did the world finally unfreeze.

  Sam dropped to his knees, taking in huge gulps of air, his entire body trembling with a mix of adrenaline, fear, and arousal. It had been a terrifying and unique experience, and it was one that he hoped never to have to face again. Needing to distract himself from what had just happened, Sam pulled up his status to check on the Mind Over All skill.

  He hadn’t gained a single level in the skill ever since increasing it to the Master ranks, and a single encounter with the eternal had increased it by a full seven levels.

  “How are you doing, Emma?” Sam asked, looking at his friend.

  He’d purposely kept his gaze downcast, not looking at her until he’d calmed down somewhat. The feeling of helplessness was horrible, and he felt she deserved some privacy after something like that.

  “Honestly?” Emma asked, her cheeks flushed and her chest heaving. “It was one of the most terrifying and exciting experiences of my life!”

  She gave him a weak smile, the strain clearly showing behind her eyes. Sam nodded, understanding perfectly what she meant and decided that this was something that would never be talked about again.

  “Holy shit! I never thought I’d ever see one of her kind!” Barry exclaimed.

  He was now standing on the ground, looking around wildly, his head twitching as though he would take off at the first sign of her return.

  “I must agree with the foul-beaked bird,” Gordon said, coming over to join them. “Eternals are rare, as their species has a difficult time conceiving children. As a result, their race has dwindled down into the thousands. They are long-lived, but their lack of children ensures that one day, their race will go extinct.”

  “Why? That seems so cruel,” Emma said, staying where she was on the ground.

  “There must always be a balance in all things,” Gordon said somberly. “Their race holds immense power and is extremely long-lived, thus the Overlord made it difficult for pure eternal children to be born.”

  “Isn’t there any way for their race to keep on living?” Emma asked.

  “There is,” Gordon replied. “Eternals are of the rare few races who can conceive children with anyone. Be they human, elf, gremlin, or even giant, Eternals can have children with them. However, this dilutes their power and thus, the children born are considered demi-Eternals, not pure-blooded Eternals.”

  “Why would the Overlord create a race like this in the first place?” Emma wondered.

  “Cause he’s a dick,” Sam replied, finally feeling comfortable enough to get into a normal sitting position instead of the half fetal position he’d been in earlier to cover up his ‘unwanted guest.’

  “The Overlord’s reasons are his own,” Gordon said sagely. “Now, I believe we must be off. I think Sir Spearlittle has finally gotten over his anger and will be ready to get going in a moment or two.”

  Sam looked over to the knight, who was staring off into the distance with a scowl on his face. It seemed there was a more complicated history between him and Merr Lynn than met the eye, but Sam didn’t care enough to get involved.

  “Yeah, you’re probably right,” Sam said, rising to his feet and offering Emma a hand.

  She gave him a grateful smile and took it, nearly pulling him down as she got up, thanks to his pathetic Strength.

  “I’ve gotta say, getting felt up by some random person was not a pleasant experience, even if I did enjoy it at the time,” Emma said.

  “Does that mean you’re going to stop feeling me up now that you know what it feels like?” Sam asked with a grin.

  “Give up on that cute butt? Not on your life!”

  Sam just sighed as she walked out in front of him, chatting with Gordon about the mysterious eternal race. Though the experience had been random and completely out of the bl
ue, one thing the woman had said stuck with him. She’d said it was rare to find those innocent and pure, by which Sam took to mean a virgin.

  The fact that she’d mentioned that there were two of them and that she was staring directly at them when she said it could only mean one thing. Though Emma had tried to hide it, Sam now knew the truth. She was a virgin, just like him.

  35

  “Huzzah! There it be. The fair city of Kamellittle. Is it not a glorious sight to behold?”

  “Yup, very glorious,” Sam replied dryly.

  “The glorious-est of all gloriousness,” Emma said, hiding a yawn.

  It was already well past midnight, and they were all swaying on their feet. Well, all except for Spearlittle, that was. The knight had set a blistering pace after their encounter with Merr Lynn, insisting they reach the city that day. They’d gone so fast at some points, that Sam had collapsed twice from Stamina depletion.

  The worst part was that instead of allowing him the dignity of regenerating his Stamina and walking on his own, Spearlittle had scooped him into a princess carry until he could walk again. Sam wasn’t sure he’d ever live down the shame, though he was secretly glad that smartphones were not a thing in Somerset.

  That would have been a disaster, he thought as he looked down upon the city covered in pinpricks of light.

  “So, now that we’re here, can we finally get some sleep?” he asked, rubbing at his eyes.

  “Evil doth not sleep, and neither shall justice!” Spearlittle said, flourishing his lance overhead.

  “Yeah? Well, this ‘justice’ is going to sleep,” Emma said, going to the side of the road and beginning to search for a soft patch of ground. “And I’m pretty sure evil does rest, just like any normal person would.”

  “What she said,” Sam said, moving to follow her.

  Gordon and Barry were quick to follow as well, leaving Spearlittle standing in the middle of the road on his own, still brandishing his lance.

  “Very well, then. On the morrow. Huzzah!”