by Jack Porter
“What about the Mages?” Sarina asked suddenly. “Would they have scrolls related to the Elfstone? Maybe we need to search its history before searching for the missing piece.”
I raised an eyebrow, ready to ask why I’d never heard of these mages before, but Ilana spoke first.
“They are very secretive,” the succubus said. “Their sanctuary is hidden in the mountains, which you could wander for years without finding. And then if you did, it’s not likely they would grant you entrance.”
“Are they elves? Humans?” I asked, intrigued.
“All races, from what I understand.” Ilana finished her last bite of snake and wiped her hands on her cloak. “But even the Wraith King does not bother them. They are probably the most neutral of all the peoples in Hell, and even if they gave you an audience, Jon, they would not help you seek the Elfstone.”
“How do you know?” I asked, aware that Ilana was speaking authoritatively on the subject.
She cast me a sideways glance. “Because I heard the Wraith King speak about them, long ago.”
“Why doesn’t he bother them?” Sarina asked. “You’d think they’d be a threat.”
Ilana scowled. “It is only because he uses their knowledge. He studied there, long ago, and I suspect that’s where he learned most of his sorcery.”
I gaped at Ilana. “Tell me again why we’ve never talked about this before?”
“Because as I say, Jon, they will not help you.”
“Then they must work for the Wraith King.”
“No,” Ilana said. “They work for no one, but their neutrality keeps them safe. The Wraith King knows where they are, and if they were to be caught helping anyone other than him, he would destroy the entire temple. And it would be a devastating loss. Anyway, he’s beyond their influence now and hasn’t been there for years. He already knows everything important they have to offer.” Ilana began gathering her things and putting them in her saddle bag.
Seeing that Ilana didn’t want to talk about him anymore, I changed the subject. However, I filed away the information as something to think about later.
“What about this warlord?” I asked. He had been on my mind since last night, and I couldn’t help but wonder what he was up to.
Sarina frowned. “I’ve been wondering about him. It’s strange to have a man lead a group of warriors.”
“Thanks,” I said, smiling.
Sarina smirked and then continued, “It’s intriguing, then. What is his plan?”
“I don’t know,” I said, “but it’s not a coincidence that he ordered Ferlenna killed. What about that seer? Is that possible?”
Ilana returned to the firepit and made sure the flames were put out, pouring dirt on them. “It’s possible he’s found a seer, yes, and is using her to his advantage. But if the seer wants to thwart you, Jon, then maybe it’s best to stay away.”
I scoffed. “Sounds like a lead to me.”
“A lead?”
“A clue. If she’s after me, then maybe she’s connected.”
“Or,” Sarina said grimly as she pulled on her armor, “she works for the Wraith King and he knows what you’re up to.”
A cold chill swept over me, and I shrugged it off. Maybe Sarina was right, but if so, then there was still a chance that this seer or warlord knew something important about me. “It’s not like we have anything else to do, is it?”
The girls looked at me with matching expressions of exasperation on their faces.
“All I’m saying is that if we’re going to move on, it might be the only option we have at the moment.”
Slowly, Ilana nodded, and then Sarina. I smiled and stood. “Okay, then. Let’s get going. Either of you know the way to this forest?”
Before they could answer, however, Sarina spun around and unsheathed her sword. In the next instant, I saw what had caught her attention.
A small, poorly dressed figure with long purple hair and bare feet was walking over the rocks toward us.
It was the half-elf from the village.
8
The half-elf raised her hands to show she wasn’t armed, and then halted a short distance away.
“I mean you no harm,” she said, her voice as lovely as she was.
“Why are you here?” I asked.
“I want to go with you.”
“Go with us where?”
“Wherever you are going.”
I caught Ilana’s eye, and she frowned. “Who is this?” she asked.
“The half-elf from the tavern,” I said, then I called to her. “Why are you here?” I asked again.
The half-elf dropped her hands. “I ran away from my mistress and came looking for you. May I join you? I will work for it. I know potions and spells and how to heal wounds. And I can take care of your horses and find food.” Then she looked me up and down. “And if you need someone to lie with you at night, I can do that, too. I will do anything.”
“What makes you think he needs someone for his bed?” Sarina asked, and I noted a hint of jealousy in her voice.
The half-elf looked at her and smiled knowingly. “I mean no offense. I would offer you the same thing. I will lie in whichever bed you want me in if it means I can go with you.”
I cleared my throat. “That’s not necessary,” I said. “What is your name?”
The half-elf took a few steps closer, cautiously. “My name is Seldue Wrenhana. But I want you to call me Wren.”
“Okay, Wren, we do a lot of fighting, but my sword is almost as long as you are. What makes you think you can survive?”
Wren’s features lit up. “I know some protective enchantments to aid you in your battles. I can help you that way!”
“I’ve never trusted witches,” Sarina said. “How did you run away?”
Wren looked at the ground but then turned her chin up defiantly. “After you left, she beat me so badly I couldn’t lie down.”
I couldn’t see any obvious bruising, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t any beneath her clothing. My anger returned, along with a good helping of guilt. “And?” I asked.
“I do not deserve to be treated like that. My whole life has been one of poverty and torture. And so I... I poisoned her.”
I raised an eyebrow. “That was risky,” I said. “They’ll know it was you.”
Wren nodded curtly.
I looked at Ilana and then Sarina. “What do you say?”
Ilana was gazing thoughtfully at Wren, but Sarina still had a scowl on her face. Finally, the red-headed woman said, “How do we know you won’t poison us as well?”
Wren took a deep breath, and for the first time, doubt crossed her beautiful face. “You can’t know, can you? But I will swear fealty to you all and pledge myself to you, if that’s what it takes.”
Sarina opened her mouth to speak, and it looked like she would take Wren up on her offer. But I held up a staying hand.
“That’s not necessary. Everyone present is here of their own free will. And you would be, too. And you don’t have to lie with anyone if you don’t want. You’re either on the team, or you aren’t with us.”
Wren nodded, her eyes shimmering with tears, but she defiantly held them back. “Is that a formal offer?”
“It is,” I said, glancing at Sarina, but it didn’t seem like she would object.
Wren smiled slowly, as if she wasn’t used to doing it. “Then I accept. But I still insist on helping you with the horses and such. I am not much of a fighter.”
I nodded. “Welcome then, Wren. We are just breaking camp.”
“Where are you going?”
“I have some business in the forests to the south. Do you know anything about them?”
Wren’s expressive purple eyes clouded over. “Yes, I know where it is. It is where I was abandoned as a child.”
“Oh?” Ilana asked, going over to her horse and throwing the reins over its neck.
“Yes,” Wren said, “but I do not know much beyond that, I’m afraid. My mother was a
wood elf, and my father was a rogue. I was sent into the woods, as half-elves often are, when I was three years old. And when I finally found my way back to camp, my mother had vanished.”
“They left you when you were three?” I asked, stunned. “What happened then?”
Wren nodded. “Then, slavers found me wandering, and I’ve been passed around ever since. It is often the way. I am not of pure elven blood, and the humans don’t want me, either. But I still remember the elves that live in the forest.”
“The wood elves,” I said. “Can you take us to them?”
Wren hesitated. “I can’t lead you to them, exactly,” she said, “but I know the general direction.”
Looking at Ilana and Sarina, I said, “Well?”
They nodded.
We mounted our horses, with Wren hopping up behind Sarina. She carried nothing with her, only the tattered, short tunic, which rode up to her hips as she straddled the horse.
So, it seemed we were going to find the warlord, and when we were done finding out what that was all about, maybe we’d find the wood elves, too.
Finally, things seemed to be going in a better direction.
We turned our horses’ heads south and let them go, putting the Slavers’ Bowl behind us.
9
We traveled all day and then on into the night, finally stopping when we felt tired and when the horses needed to rest. The sky was redder than usual, the farther south we rode, and I said something about it as we made camp.
“The southern mountains border the Wraith King’s land,” Ilana said. “But the forests at the base of them will be dark, much darker.”
“I guess we’re likely to encounter his guys there, then?”
“I do not know,” Ilana said, pulling a bag of dried meat from her saddle. “Not much news ever comes out of the forest.”
I patted my mare’s neck and left her to graze on the stubby grass growing nearby. “Do you think the wood elves have sided with the Wraith King?”
“I do not think so,” Wren said as she took the meat from Ilana. “They mostly stick to themselves and abhor any sort of outside influence.”
I nodded to her and watched the small half-elf walk to the fire. Her bare legs, sticking out from beneath her tunic, were strong. She caught me staring, so I said, “Do your feet hurt? We could find you boots or sandals or something.”
Wren shook her delicate head. “I am comfortable, thank you, Master.”
I shook my head. “Call me Jon.”
“Yes, Master Jon.”
“Just Jon. I’m not your master. You don’t have one of those anymore.”
Wren smiled and then went to sit by the small fire Ilana had started. We ate quietly and mostly in silence. At night, my dark urges usually grew, and I struggled to fight them when I wasn’t actively engaged in something else. Ilana and Sarina usually helped with that, but tonight, all I could think about was my urge to kill the bandits’ horses. It had been a small thing, really, but it was unusual for me. Usually, I advocated for innocent creatures. And what I had said might be true. They might starve or become prey, but more than likely they would find their way to a village or mountain meadow with some grazing.
Anyway, it wasn’t even like me to worry about something so insignificant. Life out here was harsh, but I didn’t want to add to it. I wanted to help.
After eating, I lay down next to the fire. Ilana joined me, spooning me and wrapping her arm around my chest. I lay awake for a while, listening to Sarina check on the horses and prepare to take first watch.
And then I noticed Wren staring at me. I returned her gaze, wondering what was going on behind her eyes. There was trauma there, but defiance as well, and I was glad she had poisoned her mistress and was running away.
I smiled at her and then closed my eyes.
Only to open them again a moment later when Wren came to lay down beside me. I raised an eyebrow, questioning her, but she smiled and snuggled into my chest as if to go to sleep. I wasn’t afraid of her hurting me. Few things could truly damage my body at this point, and if they did, I healed very quickly. And anyway, Sarina would keep a close eye on Wren. I already knew that. The half-elf’s forehead rested on Ilana’s hand, and if the moment hadn’t been so tender, I would have struggled with my sexual urges more than I did. As it was, I thought about the red sky and the ash floating through the air, and the sounds of the horses as they nickered softly while Sarina fed them grain from a saddlebag.
It wasn’t perfect, but it was enough to keep me from doing something stupid, and I allowed myself to drift off to sleep.
I often dreamed of death and the blood of others now. In fact, if I dreamed at all, it involved me tearing orcs apart with my bare hands or beheading wraiths and Hellhounds and the occasional sorcerer.
Sometimes I dreamed of killing humans, too, and those dreams always turned my stomach in the mornings. My time in the Slavers’ Bowl had made me more cynical of the humans there. They were greedy and often just as horrible to each other as the Wraith King was to them. And yet, I felt it was my duty to save them too, and perhaps make a better life in Hell.
It was slightly laughable.
And I wasn’t immune, it seemed. That night, with Wren in my arms, I dreamed of killing Ferlenna. I watched as I strung her up to the water wheel and gutted her myself. And I listened to her screams. My hands were covered in blood, and instead of wiping it off, I put my fingers up to my mouth and tasted it. It tasted like old woman, but it ignited something deeper inside me. And soon, I had my head up to the dying woman, my hands digging around looking for her organs and pulling out her liver, which I then began to eat.
I was strong and powerful, and the meat made me feel murderous. When I finished with that, I yanked out Ferlenna’s heart and ate that, too.
Only when I looked up, it wasn’t Ferlenna hanging there, but Wren. She was naked and still alive. Her eyes looked sad, and she repeated one word over and over. “Why?”
But there was no pity in my heart, and I continued to feast on her flesh as she watched with her fading purple eyes.
I woke with a start, jerking straight off the ground and to my feet. At some point, Sarina had replaced Ilana behind me, and she woke too, reaching for her sword automatically. Wren sat up, looking puzzled. She was all right. I was covered in sweat, not blood, and all I could think of was removing it. Shedding my clothes, I ran to my saddlebags for a water skin.
Taking two large gulps of water, I didn’t dare look at their puzzled expressions. And the water didn’t seem to be enough, so I found a wineskin that I kept and took a swig of strong elven wine.
Breathing deeply, I finally turned to look at the others, naked and wet with perspiration.
Wren looked puzzled and slightly afraid, but Ilana and Sarina were used to my night terrors. Since Ilana was keeping watch, Sarina walked over to me, shedding her clothes, as well. And then she pressed her body to mine, holding me.
“What was it this time?” she asked.
“You don’t want to know.” I wrapped my arms around her and held her, feeling her strong hard body against mine. And then my heart began beating for another reason, and my cock responded to the woman in my arms.
There wasn’t much tenderness in our lovemaking then. Instead, I pulled her to the ground and climbed on top of her. Sarina’s hair splayed out behind her and I entered her swiftly. She moved her hips to meet me, and, after waiting for her to adjust, I began thrusting. Each time, it felt like I was driving away the dream, reminding myself I was a human and that my name was Jon, and that I didn’t eat the flesh of my enemies, let alone my allies.
Sarina met me with each thrust of my body, angling herself so that I drove into her clit. She soon began moaning, but her eyes never left mine. I held her gaze as the pressure built and spread throughout my body. But still, it wasn’t just about me, and I held on, trying not to let the way her breasts rubbed against my chest drive me over the edge. Sarina opened her mouth in a silent yell, and her body shu
ddered as she came. I closed my lips on her and then came, too, in a powerful rush that lasted for some moments. When I was done, I collapsed on top of her, kissing her once more.
She buried her face in the hollow of my neck and we lay there for a while, breathing in each other. When I was finally able to move, I shifted my weight off the warrior woman and pulled her off the ground. “Did I hurt you?” I asked, turning her around to check her back. There were a few scrapes there, from the hard ground. “I’m sorry.”
Sarina turned and smiled. “I like it rough sometimes.”
I smiled back and kissed her again. Then I said, “I’ll take over from Ilana. There won’t be any more sleep for me tonight.”
Sarina nodded and went to grab her clothes. And that’s when I saw Wren. She was sitting where I’d left her, and apparently had watched the whole thing. I nodded to her but didn’t feel like explaining, and with the image of her tied to the water wheel still firmly planted in my brain, I gathered my own clothes and got dressed.
Ilana had watched the whole thing, too, and she greeted me with a look of concern.
“I’m fine,” I lied.
I knew I hadn’t fooled her, but she didn’t argue when I took over the watch. Instead, she sat with me a while, her arms and wings folded around me.
“Your thoughts are growing darker,” she said after a while.
I nodded. “Sometimes it feels like it’s consuming me.”
Ilana kissed my cheek and then said, “We won’t let that happen. I won’t let it happen.”
“I know.” I took her hand then and kissed it.
“I love you, Jon,” Ilana said suddenly.
I turned to look at her. Her gold-flecked eyes were shining. She had never said that before. We had never said that before. Not that we needed to. I knew how I felt about her. Still...
“I love you, too,” I said, smiling.
She kissed me once more and then left to go sleep next to Sarina. Wren had settled herself down nearby, and I took up the watch.