Finding Bliss: Fantasy MMMM Gay Romance (Trial of Submission Book 3)

by Natalie Wish

  Mexi played with the compass, while the others discussed their options. He walked up a small hill, to get a better view of the surrounding area.

  There were scattered ruins of houses and a lot of vegetation everywhere. Nature swallowed most of the signs of human presence. It would be a nice sight if not for the lack of soothing green, replaced by the ominous hues of red. Mexi gnawed at his lips, wondering what else he could try, and put his hand up, cupping the compass in his palm, stretching it towards the sun visible through the red film of magic.

  The hand of the compass swung a few times, but moved only over half of the compass, no longer spinning like mad.

  “Guys!” Mexi called out. “I think I’ve got something!”

  They all crowded around him.

  “Is it the light?” Saainren asked.

  You never knew with magical devices, so Mexi tilted the compass making it shadowed from the sun.

  “I don’t think so?”

  “Then maybe... it’s the height?” Xanran suggested.

  Saainren clapped his hands together, excited.

  “Less magical interference above ground? Maybe. Let’s try it.”

  “Rogan, can I, uh, climb you?” Mexi asked.

  “You can always climb me, darli-” Xanran teased, but the prince came to Mexi’s defense and shut the misbehaving dragon up with a swat.

  Rogan kneeled down and Mexi climbed on top of him, sitting atop his shoulders. Rogan stood up from his kneeling position without needing any assistance and Mexi had to admit that level of strength was hot. But he had other matters to think about now. He stretched his hand as far up as it would go and the needle calmed a bit more, travelling less distance with every swirl. It was something, but that still left too large of an area. He looked around at the tall trees above them.

  “Put me down, I have an idea.” He jumped off Rogan’s deliciously broad back and strode towards the tallest tree in the vicinity. The trunk of the tree looked structurally sound even if the tree itself had an aura of illness thanks to its red pallor and various mushrooms growing on it. “I think I can climb that.” He decided.

  “No offence, but I would be terrified to touch this mess,” Xanran waved at the corrupted tree.

  “Well, then it’s good I’m not you.”

  He put the compass in a satchel and touched the tree before anyone could stop him. When the action didn’t kill him, and the tree didn’t do anything sinister, he started climbing it to the chorus of ’be careful!’. He used his dexterity and the tricks from before he become a destructive plaything for mages and ran with a street gang, just trying to survive. It was like riding a horse and now that he was adventuring with his team it was all coming back to him; how to move, how to fight, how to be stealthy and use the environment to his advantage. It didn’t take long to reach one of the highest branches of the tree, balancing carefully, supporting his weight as best as he could, because the branch he was standing on was pretty slim. It would do, but just for a moment. He took out the compass once again and stretched out his hand, the nervous anticipation making his hand shake just the tiniest bit.

  The needle pointed in one direction, calm as the sea before the storm.

  It worked.

  It worked!!!

  “Guys, it’s that way!” he pointed to the east.

  In his excitement he lost his balance just a bit. Nothing serious! But he swayed a little to the side and scratched the arm holding the compass on one of the branches.

  “Don’t worry, guys, I’m fi-” he started to assure his companions, but soon nearly lost balance again. What the hell? He didn’t move! And if Mexi didn’t move that meant...

  “Get down!” Saainren called to him in a panicked voice, but it was too late. The branches of the tree twisted around Mexi trying to trap him. Even the trees here were deadly creatures! Was it the blood? Mexi thought, using every shred of his skill to furiously dodge the branches that started wrapping around his limbs. He got another cut and another and it only seemed to spur the tree on. He could feel the tremor that went through the tree when it was hit by Saainren’s spell, but it only resulted in the branches squeezing around him tighter, trapping him in a Dome of twisted wood that was closing in. He trashed and hacked at it with his dagger, but it was like trying to hurt the sea. The tidal wave of branches was swallowing him, wooden constraints keeping his limbs separate. One of the branches lashed out at his throat and wrapped around it, the abrasive texture of wood digging abrasions into his skin. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t...

  ∞∞∞

  Xanran was going to say thousands of I told you so’s. They only had to live through this, no biggie. They could take on one tree, he was sure! He didn’t exactly know how that could be done without using his druidic abilities, but Saainren was muttering a spell under his breath, so he trusted that the prince would be Mexi’s knight in shining armor.

  The wave of magic hit the wide trunk of the tree and pieces of bark felt off as it seemed to shudder. It didn’t let go of Mexi. In fact, it made the branches go into a frenzy and redouble the efforts to capture his little elf.

  “Shit! We have a problem!” Rogan yelled and, seriously, Xanran could see that, there was no need to state the obvious...

  Only, Rogan wasn’t talking about the predatory tree.

  There were animals coming out of the woods. Bunnies, birds, deer, wolves, bears, boars... all the species were congregating around them, like they were a magnet. Xanran didn’t know what exactly happened but judging by the menacing trot of the wolf they triggered some kind of a defense.

  “There are too many,” Saainren whispered, his tone cracking a bit as he stared at their captured companion in horror.

  “Better do something fast!” Rogan panted out, as his sword got covered in the blood of the creatures that started advancing on them.

  They needed to run.

  No, they needed to fly.

  Xanran could change into a dragon now and he could take Saainren and Rogan with him. But he wouldn’t be able to get Mexi free.

  He couldn’t leave him here. They all promised to protect him. Xanran couldn’t imagine their group without him anymore.

  So, he had to try save him, even if he knew he was a fool.

  Xanran reached inside of himself and pulled his druidic magic to the surface. He stumbled to the big tree and touched the bark with a shaking hand.

  He was speaking to it.

  No.

  No, he wasn’t.

  It was speaking to him.

  His previous experience didn’t hold a candle to this one. There were no screams of hundreds of twisted lives, but the one voice he could hear, could feel deep in his soul, in his heart, in his bones... it was more terrifying than the hellish wails. Because that voice was ordering him to go somewhere and leave Mexi behind. It was insistent. It was taking over.

  He had enough willpower to snatch his hand back, but that didn’t cut the connection. His druidic magic was spilling from him like fresh blood from the wound and with every second he was losing control of himself. Images of a green valley entered his mind, crops growing strong, sunflowers rising to the sky, a peaceful idyllic life for his taking. But underneath it lay a sinister current and somehow Xanran knew that the price for everything he was shown was too high.

  He felt his body turn away from the tree, his legs taking steps without his input, leaving all he cared for behind. He tried to resist. Again, and again and he could feel the anger of the entity that he connected to. The idyllic green was replaced with terrifying red. He could hear the screams again, but this time they weren’t mindless cries of beasts; they were calls for mercy from humans that lived here once upon a time. He dropped to his knees and clutched his head, while the people of Arcadia died in agony in front of his eyes.

  You see? The entity showed him. You see what happens to those who disobe
y me?

  Rage flared in his body and Xanran recognized it as a spark of his draconic pride.

  No one enslaved dragons. No one dared.

  He took that spark and fanned it into a flame, throwing his draconic magic at it until it burned bright, pushing at his druidic magic, pulling it into the corner of his soul where it quivered, overpowered by the might of the dragon.

  “LET HIM GO!” he roared at the tree, sinking his claws into it and finally it listened.

  The branches untangled from around Mexi and his unconscious form fell down.

  Xanran’s breath caught, but Saainren was there to catch the elf with a quick feather fall spell.

  The pale form of the redheaded elf looked as if someone tried the thousands cuts torture on him - there were many bleeding spots and even more abrasions, skin rubbed raw from the texture of the wood he struggled against.

  “Is he breathing?” Rogan asked through clenched teeth, sword still at the ready, though the animals stopped advancing for the moment.

  The prince checked Mexi over and after a few tense seconds he declared:

  “He’s alive.”

  And fed the still figure one of the magical potions they got from Vitorous.

  Mexi didn’t wake immediately, but his skin started losing the deathly white pallor.

  It was going to be alright.

  Except that the sinister calling was still somewhere in Xanran. He could resist now, but he felt a pull toward a particular place. The entity wanted him to go east. The same direction where their target laid. He looked around at the animals that milled about the place. They were still ready to strike and Xanran suspected they were controlled by the same power that nearly took over his mind. If all the animals in the forest hunted them... at best they would be able to escape on Xanran’s dragon form, which was tantamount to forfeiting their quest, as the Imperials wouldn’t be happy to find adventurers in their territory and a hulking dragon wouldn’t go unnoticed. And at worst...

  Xanran looked at Mexi’s broken body and made a decision.

  ∞∞∞

  Rogan felt sweat drip down his back, his muscles already feeling the strain of darting from place to place to prevent the corrupted animals from getting close. A corpse of a wolf laid at his feet and it was a small consolation to know that the creatures finally could die and be freed of this cursed existence. But they didn’t seem to feel pain, unless he imbued his sword with the magic granted by his warlock patron. Shame he couldn’t do that all the time. He was nearly tapped out of this particular ability.

  Just then a fucking ginormous bear stumbled out of the tree line. Rogan glanced back to see if he would be getting any support from his companions, but he found Xanran on his knees, Saainren waving another spell with dread in his eyes and Mexi... he couldn’t see Mexi anymore under the tangle of the branches.

  Not for the first time in his life he cursed having a patron who specialized in healing and spirits. He needed to help Mexi. His friend, his lover needed his help.

  He gritted his teeth and faced the bear that was coming closer. He didn’t have any spells that would be of use. He knew that the best he could do was to protect Xanran and Saainren. He believed that they would be able to save Mexi.

  They had to.

  The bear was now in front of him, his twisted body on display, skin and fur marred with cancerous scars on his side. The half-dead behemoth stood on its hind legs, baring his teeth, and towering over Rogan.

  A normal person would be scared, but Rogan was calm. Calm and focused, because this was his part, his duty. He didn’t fear dying. He feared only disappointing those he swore to protect.

  He was a fighter, and he bared his teeth at the monster in front of him as he raised his sword to strike.

  “LET HIM GO!”

  He heard Xanran roar from behind him with all the might of an enraged dragon.

  The distraction made his step falter for just a second and he cursed himself for giving the bear an opening.

  But the creature stepped back and fell down on its four legs with something akin to confusion in it’s crazed eyes.

  Rogan took a step back and risked a glance behind himself.

  Oh gods, thank you, thank you.

  Mexi was finally free and safe in Saarinen’s arms.

  Please let him be safe.

  “Is he breathing?” he had to ask.

  He had to know.

  He itched to pour his healing magic into the elf, but the animals were still surrounding them, even if they suddenly stopped getting closer. They weren’t out of trouble yet. So, he kept his sword at the ready and could finally breathe when the prince poured a healing potion down Mexi’s throat.

  He spent another minute in a tense standoff with the bear, before he caught movement in the corner of his eye.

  Why, for gods’ sake, was Xanran moving towards the danger!

  He was just in time to yank the foolish dragonling back from the animals that circled them from the east.

  “What are you doing!” he made sure to mask his worry with anger.

  “They won’t hurt me. Or any of you. It needs us.” The druid’s brazen tone didn’t reassure Rogan at all.

  “Xanran, tell us what is going on,” Saainren demanded from Mexi’s side.

  “There is a presence that calls to me...” Xanran began.

  Rogan gripped his sword tighter. That was never a good thing. Well, unless you got a nice warlock patron out of it as he did.

  “I think it rules this forest,” Xanran continued. “It tried to rule me as well, but I resisted.” He smirked. “Being a dragon has it’s perks. But I can feel where it wants me to go and it’s in the same direction the compass pointed towards. It can be just a coincidence, but...”

  Rogan scrutinized him.

  “But you don’t believe in coincidences.”

  Xanran shrugged.

  “We have to go in that direction anyway. Let’s see what happens and use our free passage as long as we can. Keeping that presence on the other side of the connection happy will at least give us some time to get Mexi on his feet.”

  “Fair point.” Saainren nodded and stood up, trying to pick the sleeping elf up.

  Rogan rushed to the prince’s side.

  “Let me,” he insisted and took the precious bundle from the mage. His hands were gentle on the small form of the elf while he cradled him to his chest. He knew that the health potion was doing its work, but he instantly felt better when Mexi was close enough that he could heal him if he took a turn for the worse. “You should have your hands free for the spells,” he added gruffly.

  He pointedly didn’t mention that while Saainren’s magical power was high, his constitution fared a bit worse. It was better to leave carrying damsels in distress to Rogan.

  Xanran twitched next to them.

  “It’s growing agitated. Let’s go.”

  And so they went, feeling hundreds of dead-eyed stares on their backs.

  ∞∞∞

  It was a stroll through a forest unlike any other. Saainren’s nerves were cut to shreds, with the half-dead animal sentinels following them on their journey. They didn’t try to stop them unless one of them tried to go in a different direction than they should. Saainren nearly got his leg bitten off when he tried to use a small hill to check the compass again.

  They followed Xanran. Saainren and Rogan discussed escape plans quietly, excluding the dragon on purpose, as they were unsure how the unprecedented connection affected him and if any information the druid heard, or the plans he thought, would be passed along to the ominous presence.

  Saainren was disappointed with himself for allowing Vitorous to pull him into this crazy plan. They should have waited even if it meant doing this months or even years later. The guy was a soul. He would keep. Unlike his team if any of them got senselessly
killed here.

  Still... Xanran wasn’t wrong that following this path could be beneficial. Maybe they could be the ones to figure out what kept the Crimson Wasteland in the state it was. They didn’t even have to end this scourge or anything. He was sure that giving the Imperials information what creature or power wreaked havoc here would be enough for a measly tiny favor. He could imagine it “oh, you just want some bones? Sure, we will give them to you!”.

  He sighed.

  He was sure it wouldn’t be that simple, but it was still an option if they couldn’t find the remains themselves.

  “Ugh... my head hurts...” Mexi mumbled from Rogan’s arms.

  “That’s just health potion hangover.” Saainren smiled thinly at finally seeing the elf awake. “How do you feel?”

  “Like some armor straps are digging into my body,” the elf in a princess carry huffed.

  “Do you want me to set you down?” Rogan asked.

  “...no. Let me stay like this for a few more minutes,” Mexi said and Rogan clutched him even tighter to his body. “And can somebody fill me in?”

  “Well, you were captured by the tree...” Saainren started recounting, but Mexi raised his hand in a halt gesture.

  “Hold up. I left a perfect opening for a dirty joke and Xanran didn’t take it. What’s wrong with him?”

  Saainren muffled his laughter.

  “He is a bit distracted; I will tell you all about it.”

  And he did, while they went ever deeper into the dark forest.

  Not a long time after he finished explaining Xanran stopped them with an outstretched hand.

  “I think we are here,” he announced solemnly, and they all turned their attention to the clearing in front of them.

  Down at the foot of the sloped hill they were standing on there was a tangle of trees that looked like black vines trying to reach to the sky to strangle the sun.

  “I saw this place when I was up high. The compass was pointing towards it. Maybe it really is the place we are searching for,” Mexi admitted, looking nervously towards the misshapen trees. “Let me down, Rogan.” He was put back on his feet and he kissed the guard’s cheek. “And thank you.”