by Quinn Dallas
“I understand,” he continued. “But it is important to Arwyn- if anything is left I want it found.”
“That will take money and many men,” the Orc Captain shook his head.
“Money I have plenty of,” Bashir continued. “And workers as well. We will claim this place as our own.”
“What of Lady Marcella?” the Captain grunted. “She has need of the slaves we provide her.”
“That is no longer your concern.” Bashir raised his voice. “She can find new lackeys to do her dirty work.”
“I see,” the Captain bowed. “We will do as you ask.”
“Good,” Bashir commanded. “Now, I have need of a fresh mount. I wish to return to my home.”
“You should rest sir,” the Orc healer spoke up. “Your wounds are serious.”
“I will rest at my own estate,” the Half-Orc continued.
The Orc healer bowed his head, “as you will Sir.”
“Are you sure?” I questioned him. “Resting here for the night may be best.”
“We will ride home tonight,” Bashir grimaced.
I nodded and didn't speak again. I realized that the Half-Orc wanted to look strong in front of his men. Also, he may have wanted to avoid any attempt on his life as he slept. It would be better for him to recuperate at home among those he could trust. My eyes turned back the cave entrance. I couldn't help but mourn my lost chance to return home. Would the game's AI offer me another chance to leave? Or it would it continue to conspire to keep me trapped?
Chapter 9
We rode the War Boar mount back to Bashir's compound. Servants met us at the gate and helped us both down from the huge beast. Bashir winced when his feet hit the ground and he stumbled. I held out my hands to steady him. The old stable hand Munir was there.
"Master, are you alright?" He offered his arm for support. Bashir leaned against the old man as he helped him towards the great house.
"Our mount is tired," he said. "Ensure he is fed and cared for."
Munir motioned to one of the stable hands, who then lead the great War Boar away. Bashir remained balanced between both Munir and I
"Master Bashir!" Nadine ran across the garden courtyard to meet us. Her face beaming with joy. The old woman’s face darkened when she saw the bloodstain on her master's shirt.
"You're hurt," she lifted up his tunic and exposed the sword wound. She motioned to me, "Go to the well and fetch clean water." I did as she told me. When I returned I found Bashir sitting shirtless at the kitchen table. A roll of clean white bandages lay on it. Next to them placed what appeared to be a needle and thread. An open bottle of strong Orc liquor sat with the assembled goods.
"We must clean the wound before dressing," she wet a sponge with the liquor. "This will sting," she cleaned Bashir's wound with alcohol soaked sponge. He drew a sharp intake of breath and closed his eyes.
"Before we stitch him up, there must be no debris in the wound. Otherwise an infection will set in. The alcohol will kill anything that can cause sickness." She continued about her work. Carefully cleaning the sand and congealed blood from his wound. When finished she stopped and threaded the needle.
"You are a sturdy warrior," she said as she prepared the next step.
"Enough praise old woman," Bashir threw his head back and closed his eyes. "I know what comes next”.
Nadine poured a shot of the liquor and handed it to him. "Drink this. It will dull the pain."
Bashir took a swig of the alcohol and swallowed it down. "Let's get this over with.'
"Arwyn" she beckoned to me. "Hold his hand. This won't kill him but the stitching the wound is painful."
I gave Bashir my hand. He squeezed it gently.
"Don't be afraid to squeeze," I whispered into his ear. "You won't hurt me."
The wizened servant woman set to work. Darting the needle in-and-out of Bashir's flesh. Sealing up the wound as she went. The warrior's grip on my hand tightened. He was in pain- but my presence comforted him. Bashir had risked his life to save mine. The least I could do was be there for him. I marveled at Nadine's first-aid skills. She would've been the equal of any medic back in the real world. In no time at all she had the wound stitched up. Next, she produced a small jar of greenish ointment. The pungent minty smell of it filled the room.
"This will ease the pain and aid in healing," she rubbed some of the substance onto the newly stitched wound. Bashir’s shoulders relaxed and his face softened. The his lips parted, "I'm need to rest."
Nadine rung a small bell and two strong servants appeared. They stood at the door while she spoke. "Take our master to his quarters. Be careful with him." The servants nodded in unison and helped Bashir to his feet. Soon I was alone with the old woman. Unable to hold back my flood of emotions I started to weep. She wrapped her arms around me and I rested my head on her shoulder.
"It's OK," she stroked my hair.
"He came for me," I cried. "I was doomed and he saved me."
"Bashir cares for you."
"It's more than that," I fought to hold back my sobs. "He risked his own life for mine!"
"Love makes a man foolish and brave," Nadine kissed my forehead. "I am glad you are both safely home."
Love- Did Bashir love me? I thought about that first night he brought me here. That night he refused to take me fOrce. Then he made me a servant, regulated to the most menial of tasks. I closed my eyes and drifted back to the night I watched him bathe in the pool. His magnificent body gleaming under the alien moons. How I longed for him then, like I'd never wanted any man before. He wasn't pushy and insistent like my real world boyfriend. To the contrary, he'd been kind and patient.
"There is an old verse," I raised my head. "My grandmother used to read it to me."
"Is it about love?" Nadine's curious eyes searched my own.
"Would you like to hear it?" I wiped away the last of my tears with a cloth.
"Poetry is the highest art!" her face glowed. "We Orc value it as much as precious gems!"
I closed my eyes and searched my memory for the old words. When I was certain I'd recalled it perfectly, I spoke:
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not almost angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
"That is most beautiful!" Nadine clasped her hands together. "But tell me young one, do you believe it is so?"
"Before they were just words. I'd never met anyone who made me feel they were anything but. But meeting Bashir has changed everything"
"You heart's speaking to you," she nodded. "But you refuse to listen."
"Perhaps you are right," I sat at the table. My mind drifted over the previous days and the desires I fought so hard to deny. My hands trembled. My fate and destiny had been here all this time. That was why no man had every captured my heart. My true love waited for me in a virtual world. "I love him," I whispered. "Bashir is the man I've been waiting my entire life for."
Nadine placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. "If you love him, go to him."
Almost immediately, droplets of water fell from the sky. Then the wind whipped up into a fury. Nadine folded the tablecloth and put away the evening meal. "It rains so rarely here," she said. "The elders say that rain precedes good fortune." She wrapped her worn cloak around her, "It is time for bed. Tonight has been much excitement for an old woman."
"Sleep well," I said as she left.
"Follow your heart young one!"
She left the room and I stood there. Did I love Bashir? Sure he risked his life to save mine. But none of this was real. No matter how I felt for him, I knew I must escape. I looked out the window into the strange alien sky. The warm rain fell on the parched desert sand. The Orc twin moons hung high among the stars. Soft blue moonlight made the landscape glow. This planet was beautiful. Would it be so terrible to sta
y here? The red and saffron flowers in the garden bloomed fuller than ever. While droplets of rain splashed down into the bathing pool. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The sweet scent of the desert blooms filled my nostrils. My own heartbeat thundered in my ears. I recalled Bashir's handsome face, his amber eyes, his warm touch. Then I knew what I must do. Barefoot, I walked through the open courtyard. The rain fell on me wetting my gown and hair. Yet I didn't care. I entered the great hallway entrance and walked until I reached his private quarters. I pushed the heavy wooden door open and stepped inside. Sure of nothing by my own unstoppable desire.
BASHIR SAT ON THE EDGE of his bed. A blood stained bandage wrapped around his mid-section. He looked up and winced.
"Here," I sat next to him. "Let me help you."
"I'm fine," he pushed my hand away.
"Don't be stubborn," I peeled back the soiled bandage. There had been a little more bleeding. , the injury looked much better. I dipped a clean rag into a water bowl. Then I cleaned the flesh surrounding his stitches Taking care not to wet them. Next, I dipped my finger into the minty scented ointment Nadine had left. With great care I massaged the antiseptic around the stitches. I was amazed by how quickly the wound had sealed itself. Then I wondered if the Orcs just healed faster than humans.
"Ouch," Bashir flinched.
"Does it still hurt?: I pulled my hand away from the wound.
"Only a little," he took my hand and guided it back towards his side. "Please finish."
I found some clean bandages on the night stand. I wrapped them around his midsection. Being so close to Bashir was maddening. His earthy scent filled me with tingling excitement. His skin was so hot to touch. I still wasn't used to how hot Orc temperatures ran. Bashir grabbed my wrist and our eyes locked. My bottom lip trembled and I could feel a rising lust within me.
"You should go," he let go of my arm.
"I would like to stay," I told him.
"You have no idea how hard I've worked to keep my hands off you," Bashir's voices shook. "The way you smell, you drive me wild. I can't control myself."
"Then don't," I slipped my gown off my shoulders and then stood. The fabric pooled in my arms exposing my breasts. I stood before him, ready. The tension in the room was thick and heated. Bashir's eyes widened and he shook with desire.
“You are perfect,” he knelt before me. "I can resist you no longer." His head rested on my belly as he wrapped his arms around my waist.” I am your servant, your lover, yours forever." I knew this was the traditional lover's oaths that a Orc male swore to his one true love.
I raised the proud warrior to his feet. "My entire life I've been searching for someone." I swallowed back tears. "I didn't know it was you."
I pressed my face against his chest.
The moment seemed just right. So, I kissed him hard on the mouth. He rubbed his hand along my back, returning my passionate kiss. In turn, my hands roamed along his chest. Everything slowed and I inhaled his scent. This Half-Orc turned me on more than I ever imagined. Bashir stroked my hair, while he kissed my neck. I nibbled his ear in return, and my hands drifted between his legs. He shifted his hips and I felt his growing hardness brush against my palm.
I pushed my hands against his shoulders and forced him back. Then I stood, and shimmied out of the wet fabric. I stood in front of him, my body silhouetted in the glowing lamp light.
“You're so beautiful.” Bashir murmured. I didn't say a word. I squirmed out of my panties. In the candlelit room, with the rain pounding down I felt like Venus.
“Arwyn, I’ve never wanted anyone this much.” I floated towards him, finally kneeling next to his trembling body.
There was nothing at that moment but need and desire. Bashir took my hands and kissed my fingers. Hungry for him, I touched his strong, tanned, and masculine body. His chest dusted with coarse dark chest hair. My fingers raked across it, each thick filament tickled my fingertips. He cupped my breasts in his hands, and suckled on my right nipple.
I trembled, as each delicate draw sent sensation through me. If I had known it would be like this, I never would have resisted him. I now regretted every moment I wasted.
“I want this to last forever.” I whispered.
Bashir didn't answer instead he urged me backwards. I collapsed onto the bed. In the soft light he stood, and stepped out of his pants. His thick cock stood erect and proud, a near perfect specimen of manhood. A nest of coarse pubic hair framed his balls. Which hung full and pendulous beneath his member.
The swollen cock head peeked out from the foreskin. It didn't surprise me that Orc men were uncut. He then lay alongside me and ran his hands along the profile of my body. The touch of his fingers sent electrifying shocks through my skin.
“Arwyn, I want to be inside you now.” He whispered into my ear.
“What are you waiting for?” I replied, breathless with desire.
I reached my hand over and took his shaft into it. I stroked up and down stimulating him. He rolled me over onto my back and planted a trail of warm kisses from my breast to my belly. After that, he knelt between my legs and kissed my swollen lips. His tongue licked the entire length of my aching opening. Quakes of passion traveled through me. I didn't want this night to end. I speared my hands into his hair and drove his mouth inward.
He probed me with his tongue and I moaned.
Then he pulled away and kissed me on the mouth. I tasted my own salty sweetness on his tongue. The length of his body pushed against me. He brought the tip of his cock dangerously close to my pink swollen slit. My body shook as I anticipated his entry. He balanced himself with one hand, and with the other he gripped his hardness.
Then he sunk into me inch by delicious inch. I wrapped my legs around his waist, and enveloped his masculinity. His skin blazed as it rubbed against my own. Sweat pooled between my thighs and breasts, as my own inner fire stoked. Bashir pumped his hips. Each powerful thrust sent surges of satisfaction through me. I dug my fingers into his back and raked them towards his hips.
Bashir growled like an animal. Then he bit down on my shoulder.
“Let's change positions,” he groaned.
I cried in disappointment as he pulled his hard cock from between my legs. Next, he somehow managed to flip me over onto all fours. I was now on my hands and knees, backside facing him. Without warning, he pushed himself into my wet slit once more. He gripped my hips as he knelt behind me and thrust. He clutched my hair in one hand and pulled it hard. Now he used my locks as a reign to ride into ecstasy.
He pounded my hungry opening with his stiff cock. In-and-out over and over again! A rising excitement rumbled in my belly. This sensual heat spread up my spine, and throughout my entire being. My hands dug into the soft blanket, and my mouth opened. Before I knew it I was screaming in loud orgasm, matched by the sound of thunder.
“I can't hold back any longer! Bashir groaned.
He yanked my hair and his free hand dug into my flesh. His entire body tensed and trembled, as he spilled his seed into me. Several aftershocks of pleasure traveled through the both of us. Then we collapsed exhausted. Sex in the virtual word was so much more intense than anything I've ever experienced.
"You are amazing.” Bashir's fingers entwined a strand of my hair.
I ran my fingers along his chest. “I've never experienced something like this with anyone.”
“Me neither.”
“I think the rain stopped.” He planted a gentle kiss on the hollow of my throat.
My thoughts turned back to the real world. Could I leave it behind forever? Being with Bashir was pure heaven. Our lovemaking was better than anything imaginable. No real world male matched him in passion and skill. My body still tingled.
“How are your stitches?" I asked him.
With a wicked smile he showed me his stitches. "Orc's heal fast.' I marveled at the wound. While still
healing it looked much, much better. No real world man would've healed so fast. I ran my fingers along the stitche
d scar, the rough edges of it scraping my fingers.
"Still, it wasn't wise for us to be so-" I paused, "rough right away."
"I regret nothing," he snuggled up next to me. His face nuzzled into the nape of my neck. We lay there for a while, the sound of the drizzling rain lulling us. , I was restless.
"Something is troubling you?" Bashir whispered into my ear.
"Just thinking of home," I replied.
"It must be difficult," he placed his warm hand on my thigh. "To be so far from those you love. If I knew how to send you back home I would. But the Game Masters are rare. I'm not even sure how to find the one that sent you here."
"Perhaps it's time I accept my fate," I kissed his hand. "The Blighted Lands is turning out to be not so bad."
"I love you Arwyn," he wrapped his arms around me. "I will move the moons themselves to make you happy."
In my heart of hearts, I knew that he would. The Blighted Lands may not be my home but I had found happiness here. Bashir completed me more than any man back home. Before long, my lover fell asleep. I crept from his bed and wandered into the open courtyard. The rain had stopped. The flowers dripped with dew and the ceramic tiled floors were slick with rainwater. A thick blanket around my shoulders the only protection from the chilled moist air. I looked up at the twin golden moons and counted the stars.
There were no familiar constellations. I closed my eyes. The air was fresh and clean. The cool breeze caressed my body as it blew past
Bashir had proven he wanted nothing more than my happiness. He meant more to me than any man I'd ever known. A nagging voice in the back of my mind told me none of this was real. But I'd never felt more at peace. Would it be so bad to give in to these desires? I made my way back to his bed. There I would find him still asleep. Looking so gentle and beautiful in the alien moonlight. I crawled into bed next to him. Bashir murmured in his slumber and pressed up against my back. I fell into his warm embrace.
Chapter 10
The days passed rapidly with Bashir. But I never lost my desire to escape this virtual world and return home. The Orc workers had managed to dig out the cave entrance but found nothing usable. The AI connection portal had either been completely destroyed or moved to another location. , I didn't let that stop me in my desire to be free. I read old books and spoke with locals about the Game Masters. Yet had been unable to turn up any useful information.