Sacrifice

by Underwood, Patrick

  “Now my dear Patricia, you may please your King.”

  Patricia got up from Seir and reached down, pulling out his fully erect manhood. “How would you like me to entertain you, my Liege?”

  Seir smiled, reaching forward and turning her around, pulling at the device inserted in her ass. “This hole today.”

  He pulled it out with a pop, followed by a squeal from Patricia.

  “Anything you desire,” Patricia said as she climbed up on him and prepared herself.

  Seir exhaled as he enjoyed the sensation of entering her, feeling much better after relieving the stress caused by the Overseer.

  31

  Surprises

  “Diane,” I whispered. “Are you Chosen?”

  I glanced over at the woman, still between my two ladies, as we walked down the dirt road towards the edge of town.

  “No.” She shook her head.

  Tyla looked over at me and raised an eyebrow. I nodded at her and caught the comprehension that dawned on Tasnia as well when I confirmed the unasked question. Now both my girls knew what I had discovered.

  I was not sure she was telling the truth, though. Her posture was too hunched over to look for any of the telltale signs I would normally use to judge a person’s veracity.

  So, I cheated.

  “Are you sure?” I asked again when Tyla placed her hand on the girl's exposed arm. The young woman looked up, confusion in her eyes.

  “I… don’t think so, but I… stay away from the testers.”

  I glanced at Tyla, who nodded. She was telling the truth.

  I made sure Cecil was still far enough behind us to not hear. “What if I said that you were?”

  The girl just shrugged her shoulders. “Does it matter?”

  I was confused for a second. This girl was mysterious, and her attitudes and story just did not add up to me. I was honestly not sure what to make of her.

  “No, I guess it doesn't,” I finally said. “But we should probably train you. Tyla tells me that… accidents can happen if you don’t control your powers. Do you know how old you are?”

  She shook her head. “No, I lost… I don’t remember much before I came here.”

  Another oddity. It could be Memory loss.

  “Fair.” I gave a look to the girls. “You guys want to fall behind and talk to her? She might be more comfortable around you.”

  They nodded, understanding what I wanted them to do. I slowed and let Cecil catch up to me.

  “What was that about?” he asked.

  “You passed Tyla’s test, but I think we are both in agreement that we have not earned each other’s complete trust. Would you agree?”

  “I served Matriarch Blackrun for many years, respecting her family and her daughter. I trust you a little based on apprentice Russel’s word… for now, but this world is falling apart, and I have some doubts.”

  “Fair, which is why I keep something private as well. We will either earn each other’s trust or not. Until then, let’s just act openly, at least. I am telling you I do not trust you with everything. What that was is covered under those auspices.”

  He nodded. “Wise. Will you tell me why Stern trusted you? That man’s trust was notoriously hard to earn.”

  “It’s… complicated, but maybe, in time.”

  Cecil nodded again as we walked, the dark-skinned man was slightly shorter than me but muscled well. I looked down at my own arms and noticed that they had become much more toned and meatier since I had arrived. Still needed to do some weight training, but the tone was a good start for me.

  We approached the end of the town proper, and on the road in front of us, the grassy hills opened up before the next mountain range beyond.

  I turned to Cecil. “Where are the others?”

  “At the foot of those mountains. We set up a camp away from the roads, and I have made a few supply runs.”

  “Did you have a plan, or was meeting up with us a plan?”

  He sighed before answering. “There is some… contention amongst us. Some say run south towards the barbarian lands, the others heard rumor of a great gathering of the races that fled the Demigods in the Eastern Reaches.”

  “Eastern Reaches?” Something sounded… familiar about it.

  “It is a land beyond the great desert, which is just beyond the mountains you see in front of us. Most only reach it by sea, except during a small period in the spring. The desert has a great number of beasts and other perils. Beyond that, I do not know, but it is dangerous. But there is a path supposedly.”

  I rubbed the stubble on my face while I thought. I had a feeling I was supposed to go that direction.

  Fucking Vex.

  He was right, though. I kept getting forced into doing what he wanted. Not because I wanted to but because he knew I could not sit idly by when I saw injustice.

  I needed to fix that, get an edge somehow, but I could not figure out what to do.

  “What way do you think we should go?” I asked.

  “I say south, the barbarians might kill us if we go down there. If we go east, the deserts probably will. They are… unforgiving.”

  “Simple. I like it. Something to think about. We can talk it out when we meet up with everyone.”

  I glanced around as we approached the last row of houses. No one was outside here, and it seemed even more quiet than I expected from this city in turmoil. Suddenly, the hair on the back of my neck started to stick up. “Be ready for something,” I said to Cecil.

  To his credit, he did not naysay me. Instead, he casually loosened his sword and went on the hypervigilance lookout that is common for anyone trained to expect trouble.

  I looked back and got Tyla’s attention. Giving her the hand signal I had taught her to be alert for trouble. Her eyes widened briefly, and she leaned over Diane’s head to whisper something to Tas.

  “Down!” Cecil yelled and dropped to the ground.

  I looked back just in time to see a big rock hurtling towards my head.

  I stalled time and ducked under the rock the size of a bowling ball, and it sailed past me into a house on the other side with a great crash.

  I pulled my sword as Cecil got back onto his feet. I faced the major threat that the rock came from and gently grabbed Cecil on the shoulder to angle him to my rear. Tyla and Tas ran over near us and put Diane in between the four of us as we waited for the threat to appear.

  We all released our packs on the ground.

  “Stay down here for now, then stay with us if we run,” Tyla said to Diane who only nodded. Fear was clear in her eyes.

  “Be prepared to run, but I don’t know where they are all at. Could be in the buildings,” I said.

  A giant figure casually walked around the corner, smiling as he faced me. “Thought you lost me?” Albris asked with his two women following him around the corner.

  It was then that other men started coming out of the buildings and homes near us. We were surrounded. Most of them were shirtless, which I found odd. All of them were the large and athletic types, looking more like gym rats than soldiers.

  But they each had a weapon in their hand, and that was enough.

  I glanced around for the ranged threats but did not see any. Did this guy not think about this? I really hoped he was that stupid.

  I finally gave Albris my attention. “Honestly? Yeah, I kind of hoped for that. You want to monologue again or something, or should we just fight?”

  The joke went over his head, he just looked confused for a second before speaking. “Seir has ordered me to kill you. He knows the girl is ruined now, but my master said you must die.”

  “Thanks for… telling me?” I said, almost a question.

  Was it a Roxxanez thing to act like a super-villain from earth movies? I wasn’t sure. Instead of talking further, I just said one word. “Tyla.”

  Her hands lifted, and out flew hardened projectiles at the soldiers she faced.

  Water turned to ice from Tasnia’s borrowed power. />
  Formed and sharpened to points as ice spikes ripped forth from her hands.

  Each ones at speeds faster than arrows.

  Men died. Quickly.

  I slowed time and ran directly at Abris, my sword lifting and glowing red with fire energy. Abris smiled and lifted his war hammer to ready it for me.

  “Cecil, protect Diane!” I yelled, hoping I did not sound like a man high on helium as my sword came down full swing into the metal part of Albris’ hammer.

  A loud bang sounded throughout the area, followed by a blast of sparks as our magics fought for dominance.

  My arms rang from the blow, but I smiled. I was much better off than last time we had met because we were evenly matched in powers. A part of me was looking forward to the challenge.

  A blast of fire from behind me made me look in that direction as I rolled under another swing from Albris. I saw Tasnia shooting jets of fire against the water shield of one of Albris' slaves.

  I wanted to save the women if I could, but I was not sure how to do that without putting us in danger.

  I got up from my roll and faced off against a large man coming to help his master. It was then that I noticed a different symbol on these guys’ heads than Sier’s. This one of simple lines that looked like a stick figure human without the head.

  As I was seeing this, I chopped horizontally at the man, removing his head with my full powered swing and spun to face Albris.

  “NOOOOOO!” he yelled, his face going red.

  My surprise at his reaction was short-lived as he began swinging wildly at me without thought or planning. His attacks were even more frenzied than before, as I found myself back peddling from his repeated blows.

  I could not focus on anything but my survival as I dodged the endless strikes. I tried to elude most of them, but he was coming at me full speed, his face red and his breathing heavy as he swung.

  When he stumbled just for a second, I took my chance. I rolled underneath, again using my smaller height and less muscled frame to outmaneuver him. His hammer shifted to meet me as I stuck the great sword into his ankle and pulled it out on a second roll to get some distance.

  “Argghh!” he yelled.

  Whether out of pain, anger, or both, I could not tell.

  I got up and ran forward. Away from the angry giant to gain more space.

  Evaluating the condition of my compatriots and noticing the bodies from Tyla’s ice storm lay strewn about everywhere.

  Cecil was standing over a scared Diane, protecting her from harm and engaging one of Albris’ men that had gone after them.

  Tyla was engaged in a sword fight with the fire witch. Her skills that she had gained in recent weeks were on display as she matched her move for move.

  Tas was toe to toe with the water witch, and she had the fight well in hand from my observation, but nothing was guaranteed.

  The fight was almost even now, but I hated fair fights. I needed something to cheat.

  I turned back to my primary threat, just in time to see him winding up to throw his hammer at me.

  The biggest problem with the full wind up is that it takes a long time to do, at least when counting the heartbeats during a fight. You prefer smooth and fast over power and rage. Albris was consumed by his rage, and when combined with his preference for power and strength? He had just made a mistake. A fatal one.

  I flung the dagger that I had palmed when getting up from the ground, putting as much strength as I could into the quarter throw.

  That turned out to be plenty when you added in whatever this time dilation thing does to your muscles.

  The knife hit Albris in his shoulder and arm just as he released the sword. At first, I was angry at my miss, as I had been aiming for his throat, but then Murphy law took over.

  Murphy is a god even the Roxannez shouldn’t fuck with, as the hit from the dagger knocked Albris aim off just enough to foul his aim.

  The hammer went trailing off from his hand into the house behind me. Missing me by several feet.

  But not until after it pinged off his fire witch’s head, who was engaged with Tyla, never seeing the hit that sent her to the ground.

  Albris reached for the knife in his shoulder just as I made a running jump, swinging my sword over my head, movie style. Even if it was stupid to forget my training like that, I felt great satisfaction as the sword penetrated the man’s head with a crunch.

  The sword struck deep.

  Albris died.

  The water witch collapsed with him.

  The few remaining men, now freed of their bondage, dropped their weapons, and ran for it.

  Just like that, the fight was over, and we stood battered and wheezing, but still whole. Well, mostly whole.

  Then something happened. Albris’ body was consumed in a flash of light. The illumination formed a ball in the air and hovered over his body for a few seconds. I stared at it, not sure what it was or what to expect.

  Then it rushed into me. I had no chance to avoid it or escape. Pain resonated throughout my entire being.

  I collapsed, but for once did not lose consciousness as I sat there and stared at the sky.

  Tyla and Tasnia rushed over to my side, followed by Diane who still looked shellshocked from the fight.

  “Master? Are you okay?”

  “Love?” Tas asked at the same time.

  Concern was clearly written on both their faces.

  I closed my eyes for a brief second, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened.

  Satisfied that I was alive but discovering something strange inside me, I decided to deal with it later. “Yeah, think so. Something weird happened. Everyone, okay?”

  “What… What are you?” Cecil asked, approaching slowly.

  “Uh, it’s kind of complicated, I'll explain it later. Let’s get out of here before more trouble finds us.”

  I wanted to loot the dead, but I couldn’t take the chance that more trouble would find us.

  Epilogue

  The controller closed his interface and signaled his trusted aid. Having finished watching as Derk and his compatriots ran off into the distance towards the mountains.

  “They passed the first hurdle. Many more remain,” he said to himself.

  With a swipe of his arm, he returned to his gazebo on the southern continent. He sat in his chair, relaxing in the warm ocean breeze that came up from the ocean.

  Closing his eyes for a moment, he enjoyed the sound of the wildlife that permeated the place, the salty air that teased his nose, and the feel of the slight reverberation under his chair as the wave crested and crashed on the shore.

  In the distance, he heard the screech of his pet as it patrolled his lands. It kept out all but those he considered worthy of entering his personal domain.

  Opening his eyes, he smiled as he saw Shyse gliding over the wave tops. As it passed, the golden dragon did a barrel roll as it breathed out fire from its nose, his way of saying hello to his master.

  The controller smiled at Shyse. “Hello, old friend.”

  The great dragon screeched in response, diving into the water for but a moment before it shot out of the waves like an energy beam. The controller could see the water cascade off the beautiful golden horns and its leathery wings.

  He smiled.

  A chime in his head told him he had a visitor, and he accepted the request. Vex appeared next to him in the gazebo a moment later. “You summoned me, Controller?”

  The controller smirked at his subordinate… his friend. He waved into existence a chair just like his. “Please join me, it has begun. I have done all that I can to tilt the odds in our favor. The board is set, and your piece controls our fate on four-five-two. I hope your confidence in him is justified.”

  Shyse gave a final screech before flying off into the distance at speeds that created a loud boom in the air. Either hunting for more food or sensing an intruder, the Controller didn’t know nor care which. Very few beings in existence could best his creation.r />
  “I have faith that he will follow the path we want. His success is up to him. I know he is… tenacious when it comes to his goals, however.”

  “The Overseer knows that I have been taking action. It will not be long before he figures out what my end goal is. Expect him to be aggressive in his response.”

  “Can he alter the current rules?”

  “No, I have seen to that. But neither of us can act directly anymore. We can insert new pawns, but that is it.”

  “Should I bring in the other pieces?” Vex asked.

  “No, we need to save them for other worlds. We must stay prepared if they expand the games yet again. If Derrick fails, then we can bring in another, but we must bide our resources for now. The other factions watch us, and we need them to stay neutral… for now.”

  “Even if we win, and the mob calls for his removal, will the Overseer step away from power?”

  “Probably not, that is why we have the insurance policy.”

  Vex nodded. “I must go check on them soon. What of Driea?”

  “That world is safe for now, I think. But I have a feeling several factions are moving there as well. It is much more dangerous for our kind to descend into that world. I believe the council will only send the convicted and use it as a gambling arena for the masses to become distracted, but it is too soon to tell.”

  “Again, they ruin the guidance set down by our ancestors!” Vex smashed his fist into his palm.

  “Peace, Vex. You are amongst the like-minded here. This is what happens when a society begins its collapse, we have seen it in countless histories of the races before us and we never listened. Instead, we keep saying that we will be different.”

  “We are no different, just the latest version of the fool.”

  “I am afraid you are correct, my friend. But we will do what we can. I just hope that your plan works on Timeria. For if we lose the mob to the Overseer, we are surely doomed.”

  Both settled into a silence as they looked upon the crashing waves and contemplated the controller’s words.

  Afterword