by Jack Crosby
I jumped back to avoid the splatter that erupted from the guardian of the cave. Instantly all the good feelings of the world came back and I felt whole again. Roxanne also was no longer the devil daughter, but back to her pirate visage.
“Argus, I think we need to have a quick chat.”
She certainly was right. “So you’re a demon or something of their ilk? That seems to be an important detail to leave out.”
She huffed at me. “I didn’t want you to be afraid, but yes I am a demon. A Lust demon in fact, though none of it really matters.”
“None of it matters?” I couldn’t believe she said that. “I’m going off on some wild ass adventure with you, it matters a great fucking deal!”
Above us the cave ceiling shook very violently. “We don’t have much time; however I make you this promise. If you trust me and help me see this through, I will tell you everything.”
She was right; we had to stop this storm and the monster that created it. “I accept your promise. I hope you’re a lady of your word and give me the straight story after this.”
With Sorrow dead, there was only one thing left to do, claim the sword. I privately hoped it wasn’t too much deeper in this cave, as I was ready to return to the fresh sea air above. I put my arm out. “Ladies first madam.”
She gave me an evil eye and continued on deeper. As we exited Sorrow’s lair the tunnel got small again. In fact it continued to get more and more narrow until I barely fit in. I had to suck in my stomach to slide any further. I needed to get out of here soon.
“Do you feel that?”
The only thing I felt was dripping against my forehead from the water above. “Nothing that would cause me to pause. Is there something I can’t feel?”
“Yes, that is the power blessed by the Angel Raphael. The sword is very close.”
I took her word for it and forced my body forward. I closed my eyes to distract from the heightened sense of claustrophobia I was dealing with. I had to stop though because I bumped into the very soft ass of my guide. “You stopped?”
“Open your eyes Argus, we’ve found it.”
I did as I was told and low and behold a blade of pure white steel sat on a pedestal. It was like a beacon of hope in such a dark place. And it began to call my name. In a very regal and poetic voice, “Argus Fletcher, I have been waiting for you.”
Chapter 6 – Destiny Awaits
“How does that piece of steel know my name?” I was a bit unhinged by the weapon beginning to speak openly with me. “There are a lot of questions floating in my mind.”
Roxanne didn’t have a chance to respond as the sword floated in midair and came over to me. “I have been forged by the Angels of the Almighty in the holiest of flames. I know all, especially when a chosen one has come forth.”
“A chosen one?”
“You Argus, you have been selected as the vassal to carry me. With my eternal power, we shall put the Serpent back to its resting place.”
Either he was pulling my hand up or I was doing it without thought, as soon I gripped the hilt of the sword. A surge of power washed over me, my life having new meaning. “Almighty! Never in my life have I felt such a force!”
The sword melted its shape and reformed in the more familiar cutlass I was used to using. “My name is Asunder and together we shall deliver His will.”
The cave started shaking. “Fletch, we need to move.” Roxanne looked a bit concerned with the movement. “I think our query is getting closer.”
The three of us navigated the tunnel back out to the shore line and the sight waiting for us was one to behold. Dark clouds surrounded Lost Haven and heavy gusts of winds slammed into the island. The trees lining the path we took to get here were bending over, barely holding on. Me, I had to grab on to Roxanne for support and her inner strength was able to keep us from washing into the briny deep.
She struggled still walking forward, back towards the town. It took a lot of effort to get there and when we did, we saw the place closed up. The refugees that made up this place were taking no chances. In the short time we were gone, bars and shops were boarded up; not a soul to see.
Except for the Whore’s Tap. Finnegan had abandoned the place from the looks of it, but it provided us some relief from the building storm. “The devil, I’ve never seen a storm with such strength.”
“Argus, this isn’t the storm. This is just the pre-show before the featured event.”
Her words scared me. I knew we were in dire straits before and this just provided the final answer. “How can we go up against a creature that creates this? We can barely walk out there.”
A humming, one of soothing and calming, entered my voice, doing its best to drown out the groans coming from the increasing wind. “You have me Argus. Show no fear for what’s to come as I will make sure you stand up against it.”
“What is he saying?”
“You can’t hear him?”
Roxanne shook her head. “I can feel his power, but he’s connected to you, not me.”
“He wants me to remain calm, that he’ll guide me to victory.”
She clapped her hands together. “Splendid.” A twinkle entered her eyes, not one I was willing to admit I liked. “I have a bit of a plan, if you have faith.”
What could I say? In the past hour, my faith had been tested more than in all my life. “I’m all in with this hand. What do you got you sexy wench?”
“That’s the spirit!” She gave me a giant slap on the ass like she was pride of me at that moment. “To avoid the storm, we need to go under it, no?”
In theory that made some sense. “How do we go under a storm though? The winds are at our level.”
Asunder’s voice returned to my head. “The Lust demon wants to go under the water to confront Jormungandr.”
“Are you crazy?” I blurted it out with little thought. “Under the water? How do you expect me to breathe?”
With her long fingernail, she crudely drew something on the old wooden table. “This is the shoreline and just a few paces off into the surf is the beginning of mermaid territory. Should we get one of them to help; you’ll be able to breathe no problem.”
“Mermaid, bloody sea devils they are.” Every sailor knew to stay away from mermaids. They were horrible monstrous creates that would rape you and then eat your soul. “There’s got to be a better way.”
She shrugged her pretty shoulders. “If there was I’d offer it, but there’s not and we have little choice. Do you want to save this island or not?”
“Argus, you are chosen for this task.” Two against one it seemed. “We will not let you die in vain.”
I gave an involuntary chuckle at Asunder’s choice of words. “Maybe not in vain, but it seems more and more likely my death’s coming anyways.”
Chapter 7 – Mermaid Mayhem
“Three… two… one… Jump!”
On her command, I plunged into the salt water by my boat. Roxanne promised me that magic she marked me with would hold off the mermaids from preying on me, so we would see. The water was only about teen feet deep, but due to the storm, I couldn’t see her and Asunder and they couldn’t see me.
I was holding my breath, hoping something would happen soon. As I began to panic due to my lungs feeling as if they were on fire, my head was no longer underwater. Well it was, but it was protected. I could breathe again.
It took me a minute to notice a bubble around me. “What sort of witchcraft is this?”
A little giggle came from behind me. “This one is certainly handsome. And he smells so delicious.”
Three mermaids swam into view. There was a blonde, brunette, and red head. Each seemed to be gazing at me with much interest. The voice from moments before belonged to the blonde as she spoke again. “It’s been so long since I let a man please me. Well without eating him afterwards that is.”
Her red head friend concurred. “It might be nice just to let one fill me up without worrying about a fight after. Besides, this one
is marked by a sister Lust demon. That would be naughty on our parts.”
“Your sister?”
The brunette swam by closer, her breasts rubbing against me face as she went. “Mermaids are a subspecies of Lust demon. We just have a stronger hunger for flesh and an affinity for the water.”
I gave a shiver; the tales were most certainly true. “So I am to be dinner then? After you finish with me?”
The blonde looked dismayed. “Oh no, someone thinks you’re too important to become a meal. We are going to grant you the power of that air bubble, but only after you give us what we need.”
The brunette swooped in behind me and ripped down my pants. The three mermaids were undeniably attractive, so it was no surprise that I was fully erect. Yet with their fish bottom halves, I wasn’t sure how this was going to go. Not that it mattered. The red head came in first and slipped my muscle between her breasts.
Words can’t even describe the immense joy that erupted through me as she slid up and down on me. Those perfect, soft breasts were the perfect instruments to make me ever harder. When I got close to firing my load on her she stopped. The blonde swam in and began working me with her mouth.
I didn’t last long as shot after shot cascaded into her throat. She didn’t stop after that, not releasing me from her vice like mouth until I was hard once again. With her task done, the brunette joined the party.
Where her tail met her body was the mermaid’s glory hole. She slid me in and I was instantly taken away to a magical place. No woman alive felt that way, a wonderful mixture of heat and euphoria. Her tail wrapped around me and drew me in close and she vigorously pumped me. I felt like I was being milked by her wonderful muscles, squeezing and groping every inch of my shaft.
I came so hard that I lost every ounce of air in my body. Never before had I produced such an amount during an orgasm. Halfway through the brunette slid out and let the red head take the rest. Her body was yearning for each drop I had, taking the rest of it.
Dropping to me knees when they were finished, I could understand how easily one would be eaten after such a vigorous fucking. There would just be no way to protect one’s self from a surprise attack. Though, it looked to be mutual as the three girls were reveling in their shared pleasure.
The red head was smiling from ear to ear. “I feel his juices inside me, eager to implant themselves in my fertile ground.”
The brunette was rubbing her stomach. “So much is in me. It would be a miracle if they did not find the mark.” She winked at me.
Oh man, was I about to become a father to two mermaids? “Was that all you needed?”
“He doesn’t understand sisters!” The blonde seemed most amused. “He’s been given the highest of honors!”
“I don’t know much about mermaids, but I’d like to know more.”
The red head lovingly stroked my nose with her finger. “We are the Sisters Three, the most powerful and ancient of the Mermaid Clans. By giving us your seed, you’ve ensured the next generation of mermaid is possible. Argus Fletcher, you’ll be the Father of the Mermaids.”
“Just how many kids do you have at a time?”
The blonde scratched her head. “I was the last to give birth and I believe one tryst produced over one thousand eggs.”
Even though I had plenty of oxygen, I felt light headed. “One thousand?”
“I hope to produce twice that.” The red head seemed very sure of herself. “And by accepting our air bubble, you are promising yourself to use one more time, the fate of our species depends on it.”
There were no words to be said. In fact, I felt myself floating up to the surface as the Sisters Three waved to me so innocently. Well, I guess it could be worse. They could’ve eaten me.
Chapter 8 – The Serpent Appears
Roxanne lifted me out of the water and helped me to my feet on the dock. By now the storm was reaching excessive force. Rain was falling and lightning was littering the sky. Yelling over the howling wind, “It seems time is almost up!”
She nodded and handed me back Asunder. “If the mermaids did their job, you should be able to do yours.”
With the sword back in my hand, I felt powerful once again. “Where do I need to go?”
Roxanne pointed to a small bluff just outside of town. Judging by the way the trees were being blown around, it looked to be in one of the worst parts of the storm. “You’re joking right?”
Instead of trying to compete with the storm she just snapped her fingers and appeared in her red devil form. She grabbed me and we took off into the windy night sky. I closed my eyes and held on to Asunder for dear life. His voice appeared to me, “Do not fret, this being is being guided by the Almighty.”
That may have worked for him, but I fretted – a lot. Only when my feet returned to the ground did I open my eyes. We were on the bluff. Roxanne was back in her wenchy pirate garb; though I could tell her flight took a lot out of her. She slumped on the ground looking exhausted. “We need to drop down now.”
I could make out what she said by reading her lips. “You stay here.” I gave her a quick smile and ran off the side. The wind pushed me over perilously close to some rocks, though I entered the ocean unscathed. The mermaid’s magic appeared and bubble formed around my head. With Asunder’s weight, we suck to the bottom quicker than before.
On the rocky bottom it was only a moment before something noticed we were here. A giant fifteen foot great white saw an easy meal and was coming in fast. With its jaws wide open, it tasted the blade end of my sword, sliced in half as its momentum carried it through.
Blood filled the water which would bring in more predators. I knew I wouldn’t be able to face many of a time, though that wasn’t a concern. Coming above the ocean shelf was a head; a giant serpentine head that looked like it belonged on a dragon. The creature kept coming, its giant girth of a slithering across the rocks.
It was headed straight for Lost Haven. “Asunder, what shall we do?”
“It will feel my light soon enough and come this way.”
“Is that really what we want?”
Too late, he was right. In mid assault, he changed direction towards me. His large black eyes sought me out as I was the source of Asunder. He began to slow down, and came to a stop when he saw me holding the blade. “How did such an aura come from such a small prey?”
His voice rocked me back, like it came from the void itself. “Sometimes the best surprises come in the smallest packages.”
My humor was lost on him. “You have intrigued me enough to be considered a meal. I will make this swift.” He opened his mouth and finished his assault towards me.
My body reacted on its own and I jumped over the serpent. I floated just above him in the water and his head crashed into the rocky cliff that was behind me. It didn’t seem to bother him much as he turned around as best he could to reposition himself. “Well played.”
I was floating back down to the sea floor. “I have a great many tricks serpent. I don’t plan on becoming dinner so easily.”
In my mind, “Do not get cocky pirate. He is still an impressive foe.”
Jormungandr flicked his tongue out, feeling around. “The sword, I can hear the being inside it.”
The jig was up. “A sword is only as powerful as the master who wields it.” I tried to sound tough, but I doubt the millennia old demigod bought that one.
He didn’t. “The moment you lose that anchor to the spirit world, that is the moment I feast on your flesh.” As fast as a bullet, he was on the move towards me again. His razor sharp teeth were as tall as my body.
Trying something new, I twisted in the water to the side, allowing him to push me away with the water rushing by. He lost me in the many bubbles he produced, but I didn’t lose him. Swimming close I was able to grab one of the spikes sticking out of his back. He still sensed Asunder nearby, though from our current hiding spot, were out of sight.
Jormungandr didn’t move for a bit, except his head sweeping back an
d forth to see where we went. It was only when he believed us to be gone did he return to his destination – the harbor of Lost Haven.
Knowing that Jormungandr could hear him, but maybe not me, I spoke to the sword directly. “Don’t speak back; just know I have a plan. Once we enter the more shallow waters of the harbor, we’ll have the advantage.”
My response was not spoken, yet I felt the sarcasm brewing.
Chapter 9 – An Explosive Finish
As the water began to warm up, I knew we were in the passage leading to the harbor. The shallower water was naturally a hotter temperature than the deeper ocean water we started in. The moment of truth was almost here. As I prepared my fate, I saw something following me out of the corner of my eye. It was the red headed mermaid. When she noticed I had made her, she sped up to me.
She was able to keep up with the giant snake pretty easily. At a whisper I could barely hear, “My mate, what can I do to assist you?”
What was this mate talk? As much as that needed to be answered, I had bigger problems. I pointed ahead to The Black Cat. “I could really use some cannon support.”
The fish lady seemed to understand and swam off towards my ship in the shadows. I didn’t know how she’d be able to do it, though it hardly mattered. With the island so close, it was time to reintroduce myself. I took Asunder and stabbed him deep into the serpent’s back.
There was no way Jormungandr didn’t know where I was now. I let go as the spine and drifted in the water. Green blood came from the wound and mixed in with the blue. A terrible roar could be heard just ahead as the lizard turned himself around. “I knew you were close little insect.”
“Insect isn’t my name beast. I’m Captain Fletch the Merciless. Today you’ll find out just why they’ve given me that name.”