by Marcus Sloss
She moaned loudly, her fingers threading through my hair, grabbing and pulling to bind me to her. I kissed her neck, another moan escaping from her lips. Closing in on the bank, I turned her around, her beautiful backside in full view as she laid halfway on the shore.
She gazed back at me with a seductive glance, and I ran my finger up her back, following the trail of her spine. When I came back down, I went further, stopping to ruffle the small, soaked tail positioned at her tail bone. Her small gasp of pleasure caused my manhood to react, throbbing with the need to be inside her.
I obediently granted this desire. Starting from her beautiful plump cheeks, I slid my hand up her body, my own coming to rest on hers as I moved closer. Taking my member in hand, I slowly inserted myself inside her until the whole of my length was wrapped in her warmth.
Starting slow, I thrust deep inside her, her body trembling with pleasure. One hand explored the curves of her soft skin, the other caressed her pleasure spot, increasing the intensity of every motion.
Her hands gripped at the pink grass on shore, pulling up the blades in handfuls as she moaned alluringly, my erection reacting to the sounds.
Her voice grew desperate, the pleasure building to its peak. I increased my rhythm, using her hip bones I pulled her into me, deepening my reach. One more deep thrust, and I released inside her, her own climax-induced moans intertwining with my satisfied grunt.
I kissed her smooth back, feeling my member throbbing inside her as I caught my breath. Backing up, my length slipped from inside her, the coolness of the water once again surrounding it in a chilling embrace.
Cera waded back into the water, the dirt washing off her body when she submerged it under the surface. She wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me again, a satisfied smile on her face.
“Want me to wash your hair?” she asked playfully, reminding me of the reason we were even at the river.
I accepted the offer and Cera went to grab the mass of soap I had left sitting on the bank. I watched her dunk it into the water then rub her hands together until she created a foam. She gestured for me to turn around, and I sunk lower into the water, giving her a better angle of my hair.
She stroked her fingers gently through my hair, taking care to not miss any strands before she started scrubbing my scalp. The massage was meant to be relaxing, but it seemed to elicit other desires in me instead, my member responding to the stimulation.
I tried to focus on other things, letting my mind transport me to less erotic times. It seemed to work, my manhood settling as Cera announced I could wash out the suds. I dunked my head under the stream’s surface, the cool water fizzling out what remained of my desires.
We exited the stream together, shaking off the water before reaching for our clean clothes. I wished we had been given towels but knew that the warm air would have us dry in no time.
Illia and Aquina emerged from around the brush, dressed in their clean linens and smelling of fresh herbs and flowers. I pulled my tunic over my head, shaking out the excess water from my hair.
“I feel better already,” Aquina noted, a satisfied smile on her face.
“I hear ya. Sorry about the pollen,” Illia apologized, thinking back on her run through the field of flowers.
She smoothed a piece of her pale pink hair behind her ears, the wet silken strands free from their braids. She glanced at Cera and me briefly, a slight flush to her face.
“It’s not like you knew what they were,” I shrugged, not blaming her for the nightmares.
The suns were starting to set when a gleam around Illia’s ankle caught my eye, the last of the sun's rays reflecting off her metal shackle.
“I’m sorry... I completely forgot you still had that on.” I moved toward her, crouching down to inspect the metal band.
“It’s basically become a part of me by this point, and I completely forgot about it,” she told me, attempting to ease my guilt for not helping sooner.
“Well, are you ready to take it off?”
She smiled and nodded, whole-heartedly accepting my offer. I searched around the bank, grabbing up leaves and grass that could serve as a cushion between the metal and Illia’s skin.
We sat down together, her ankle in my lap. I pushed as many leaves and blades of grass under the metal shackle as I could manage. The Lezric were more relaxed with Illia’s imprisonment, her chain much looser than mine had been.
“This might hurt, tell me if it’s too much.” I told her, unsure if I would be able to avoid her skin completely or prevent the heated metal from seeping through the layer of grass.
Again, she nodded her acceptance of the situation, and I began my attempt to remove the shackle. Using my fire mana gift I pictured the blaze of a blowtorch, remembering that Illia had mentioned we’d probably need one to aid in the removal of the chains.
A small but fierce flame appeared on my fingertip. I brought it to the metal, half expecting a bomb to trigger and blow me away. To my surprise, and everyone’s relief, the metal gave way without much resistance. I kept an eye on Illia’s facial expressions, trying to ensure she wasn’t simply holding in her pain.
Her expression remained neutral, completely focused on the task at hand.
“You did it!” She exclaimed moments before the final cut was made, the metal band falling to the soft dirt ground.
As soon as the metal fell from her ankle, the air changed. It felt as though all of the oxygen was sucked from the area, leaving me suffocating. I grasped at my throat, failing to catch my breath.
Instinctively, I backed away from Illia whose eyes grew wide in horror, unaware of what was happening. Aquina and Cera were on their knees, their eyes glued to Illia as they attempted to hold their breath.
One-one thousand. Two-one thousand. After fifteen seconds, the air settled around us, allowing us to breathe again.
Power radiated from Illia, what I could only assume was the physical manifestation of mana itself, her whole body engulfed in a bright light. Her body levitated in the air, floating just above the ground, the center of it all.
The hair on my aims stood up, a chill running through my body.
Would she be able to survive that much energy absorption? Walking toward her, with the intention to pull her from the vortex, I reached out seeing the desperate look in her eyes just before they too were covered in the bright light.
The pressure from the energy field threw me back, leaving me feeling as though I had been caught in the blast of an explosive. I willed myself to get back on my feet, needing to try again.
When I stood, Aquina grabbed my arm, her eyes pleading with me.
“We can only wait for it to pass,” she raised her voice over the hum of the raw energy, squeezing my arm to let me know she understood what I was feeling.
Helpless...again. That’s how I felt.
As she said, the explosion of energy passed, a bright light spreading out into the village before disappearing in the distance. Illia’s body softly lowered to the ground, and I rushed to her side, immediately checking for a pulse.
Her violet eyes opened, staring up at me who held her in my arms.
“You saved me again,” she said softly, a tear escaping down her cheek.
Relief washing over me, I exhaled, putting my forehead to hers, rocking her gently.
“I couldn’t do anything,” I admitted. “You really scared us,” I told her, looking into her eyes.
She smiled before going limp in my arms, the exhaustion taking its toll. I lifted her easily, carrying her back to our borrowed hut, hoping she would be able to sleep soundly now that the phantasm pollen was no longer on our bodies.
Aquina and Cera waited outside the hut until I exited.
“She will be okay after some rest,” Aquina reassured me, and we headed out to go find Mika.
He wasn’t difficult to locate, a large group surrounding him in what looked like a training area.
“Welcome,” he said over the group's mumblings, noticing us imm
ediately.
“These are the fighters that will be dispatched to deal with the Lezric tomorrow. If you all would be willing to assist...”
“Of course. It’s our fault you are even in this position,” I began, trying to find the right words.
“Some things can’t be controlled,” he redirected the conversation, not bothering to seek blame for the coming battle.
“Plus we are gonna kick their sorry asses all the way back to their village.” A large wolfman with a scar across his chest cut in, giving us a cheeky grin.
“You got that right! They are no match for the invincible Silverwolf clan.” A beastwomen agreed confidently, flipping her long silvery hair over her shoulder.
I noticed that most of the inhabitants of the village shared the feature of silver colored hair—figuring that was where the name came from.
“Settle,” Mika said simply, the others of the wolf clan following his command immediately.
“Well, we want to help. Do you have a sword I could borrow?” I asked, remembering I had broken yet another one fighting with the oversized spider.
“I’m sorry, we don’t. We have all the weapons we need right here,” Mika held out his hand, his sharp claws growing longer with a flick of his wrist.
“Well, I will just use other means,” I responded, showing him how I could manipulate my fire mana gift into a sword extending from the tips of my fingers.
“Verin was right, they don’t stand a chance.”
His canines were in full view, smiling at my improvised weapon. He lifted his other hand, the claws extending on that one as well.
“Alright, you guys, what’s next? Measuring the size of your dicks?” Julyn laughed, kissing Mika softly on the cheek.
“Sorry, we were in such a hurry before I never introduced you to my wife. This is Julyn.” He dipped her playfully, kissing her deeply.
We watched a bit awkwardly, Cera and Aquina blushed slightly from the interaction.
“Now, now, you're going to make me think you want another cub.”
He brought her to an upright position, kissing her lightly on the lips once more. Guess he was fine with that assumption.
Turning to a more serious tone she told him, “We are ready for tomorrow, whenever they may show up at our gates.”
Mika nodded then openly stared at Julyn’s ass as she made her way back through the crowd of gathered wolfmen.
“For now, get some rest.” He pulled out a little sachet from the pocket of his loose pants, placing it in my hand.
“This should be enough for the four of you. Ondra said you shouldn’t have been exposed to too much of the pollen, so may not even experience additional symptoms, but it's better to be cautious.”
I thanked him before we all headed back toward the small hut to rest for the remainder of the night. When we reached the structure, we found a basket in front of the door. In it, were a container of fresh water, a bit of food for the evening, candles and a flint.
I picked up the basket by its handle and carried it in, setting it on the small table in the center of the room. The first thing I did after that was distribute the medicine between the four of us. I placed the strange smelling powder on my tongue and washed it down with the cool clean water.
The taste wasn’t pleasant, but nothing a bite of the soft bread included in the basket couldn’t fix. The only problem was Illia. I looked over at her on the pallet bed, her sleep deep.
I hoped the lack of motion meant her dreams were not clouded by nightmares, but I couldn’t be sure unless she received the medicine as well. Not wanting her to suffer needlessly, I decided to try and wake her.
The shaking grew harder as her sleep continued undisturbed, having no reaction to my attempts.
“Illia...”
Even saying her name in her ear elicited no response. I gave up waiting for her consciousness to return, blaming the mass of mana intake as the reason behind her present state. Instead, I tried feeding her the medicine myself.
Opening her mouth slightly, I put the powder inside, then lifted the water to her lips. Some trickled down her shirt, but when I heard her cough, her body instinctively swallowing, I counted it as a success.
I watched her steady breathing, relieved to see her easy rhythm return, her sleep still deep and seemingly peaceful. After we were all safe from the potential of nightmares, we shared our dinner and laid down for the night ourselves.
Aquina and Cera didn’t even bother pretending to sleep in their own beds this time, crawling into the tiny space beside me. I welcomed the comfort of their warm bodies, gently stroking their silky hair as I drifted off to sleep.
CHAPTER 4
Silverwolf village
Seventy-nine days after arrival
The Lezric struck early the next morning. A rapping on the hut door startled us awake, the accompanying announcement rousing us from our beds.
“The Lezric have come—arm yourselves.”
We jumped up, pulling on our shoes. Illia remained sleeping and I decided it would be best to let her rest. When we approached the front gate, the fighting force of the Silverwolf clan were gathered, awaiting orders from Mika who stood in the watchtower, staring down at the enemy.
“I’ll say this again—go back to your own territory. You will not win this fight.” Mika yelled, hoping to intimidate the soldiers.
I climbed the ladder, catching a glimpse of the hundred or so soldiers that came to threaten the wolfmen into surrendering Illia. It seemed the battle remained at a standstill, both sides waiting for the other to concede, no one wanting to make that first move.
Tensions were high, but I felt confident we could defeat them should the battle progress in that direction.
“Can I—?” I asked Mika, wanting to address the Lezric myself.
He gestured, as if to say, ‘go right ahead,’ and I leaned over the wall, noticing a few familiar faces in the crowd. Both of our captors, Manoa and Jota, were present as well as Tate, our prison guard.
My appearance stirred murmuring amongst the Lezric, their suspicions about our presence in the village confirmed.
“Turn back,” I began, raising my voice so the whole of the waiting soldiers could hear.
“I don’t think you understand the battle you are trying to wage.” I lifted my wrists, showing off the lack of shackles.
Only some were aware of the meaning behind my words, but that was enough for them to warn the others.
“We will not go easy if you choose to raise your weapons against this village.”
The soldier at the front shifted in place, beating the shaft of his spear onto the ground. This motion created a domino effect and soon all the soldiers were standing at attention, hitting the soft dirt with their weapons. So much for backing down.
When the leader ceased his movements, so did the others.
“While we refuse to leave empty handed, we will consider making a deal with you.”
He didn’t wait for a response.
“Give us the pink haired girl. Your tribe may keep the others. If you give up the dwarf, we will leave without brandishing our weapons. There will be no need to destroy your gate or for you to see your wolf clans blood painting the streets.”
I didn’t think threats of mass casualties were the best choice when making a deal, but it worked in my favor since Mika didn’t seem to appreciate the implications behind the lizardman’s words. Did they really think they would win that easily?
I glanced at Mika, whose temper seemed to be rising, his fists clenching tighter as the Lezric leader continued to speak, digging himself a deeper hole.
Mika stepped forward, addressing the Lezric leader, “Enough. We will not make this deal with you. And while we do not willingly seek a fight, if you start one, we will finish it.”
As he turned to leave, one of the Lezric soldiers threw his spear toward the wall, aiming for Mika’s head. His attack lacked power, the spear clanging into the wooden wall, nowhere near its mark.
Regardless of the outcome of the attack, that single spear ignited the fight that Mika had sought to avoid.
“I guess they want a fight.” I heard him mumble, and that was all I needed.
Aiming for the leader of the group I shot a large fireball from my vantage point on the wall, the fire hitting the group, disrupting the formation of the soldiers. I noticed the leader glare angrily at his subordinate, the one who threw the spear, but there would be no taking that action back.
I felt a sense of relief as I shot a mass of fire arrows into the crowd, my mana gift feeling effortless again after everything we had been through. Aquina and Cera waited on the ground, weapons in hand, ready should the Lezric break through the surrounding walls.
I figured we would win without them ever entering the village, my attacks seeming effective against the relatively small numbers. That was until one of the lizardmen pulled something out from the bag around his waist. From what I could see, he held a round object, preparing to throw it at the wall.
An explosive. I remembered Illia telling me that she needed to see something once in order to recreate it. That would mean the device she constructed for our escape was already in the hands of the Lezric. I aimed a fireball at the incoming grenade, the impact igniting the device just before it reached the wall.
The explosion lit up the battlefield, sending Lezric soldiers flying in all directions. From the chaos, I failed to notice another soldier as he aimed his own grenade at the wall again. This one exploded upon contact with the wall, a hole forming as the wood splintered from the blast. Shit.
I hurried down the ladder, joining the others as we waited for the smoke to clear and the real battle to begin. A spear shot through the smoke, heading toward one of our soldiers. With one swift movement, the intended target cut the spear in two, the remaining pieces hitting the ground beside him.
The Silverwolf clan dropped their hands by their sides, their sharp claws growing longer as the anticipation grew. Finally, the smoke cloud cleared, revealing a mass of Lezric soldiers filing in through the newly made hole.