by Riker Kane
“Crap…” He dodged out of the way to avoid another stab from the assassin. He couldn’t keep up. Not without his weapon. He decided he had no other choice, just as his attacker reached out again, Clayton grabbed their arms and moved them back. To his surprise, there wasn’t much resistance. He easily overpowered them until knocking them against the wall.
“Drop the weapon or I’ll choke you out right now.” He moved his hand to the assassin’s throat and watch him raised his head. The darkness underneath the hood slowly went away and he saw purple lips. More of the pink-skinned face was revealed when the hood fell off completely.
Clayton stared at her, blinking his eyes in disbelief. “…Rena?”
She was in just as must shock as he was, breathing hard and her eyes wide. “Clayton.”
They looked hard into one another’s eyes before coming together in a tight embrace. Rena grabbed the back of his head and put her face to his, locking their lips together. Their tongues intertwined.
Clayton gasped in a combination of surprise and fatigue, still trying to kiss Rena as hard as he could.
“It has been too long…” She reached underneath his breastplate, raising his faulds, and lowering his trousers. Her soft hands gripped his shaft and it swelled with only a few strokes.
He gasped into her mouth as he fumbled with her linen bottoms. He peeled them down her thighs, just enough to reveal the mound he desired.
All reason had left him. He knew what he was doing but didn’t care.
Clayton’s arms wrapped around her as he carried her over to the table and set her down. Her legs spread, Rena wrapped them around his back and pulled him close. Clayton didn’t hesitate, thrusting himself into her. The amount of ecstasy pulsing through his veins as he felt her warmth made him tremble.
“Too long…” she gasped. “It has been too long…”
“It has…”
He thumped his hilt against her as if he wanted to split her apart. The table shook unsteadily beneath her. His armor clanked in rhythm with his hips.
Overcome by his sudden passion, Clayton could already feel himself reaching his end. He held Rena close and moved his tongue between her teeth, groaning into her mouth.
“I can’t hold it…”
“Release yourself, Brooks… I have waited too long for this…”
He clenched his jaw and looked into her violet eyes as he lost himself. Thick throbs of his seed spilled from his tip and filled the elf. He grunted with every thrust, making sure not a single drop fell out of her.
Rena stared back at him, mouth open and a moan stuck in her throat as she reached her climax. She squeezed around him, milking even more out of him until they were both completely spent.
They stayed in one another’s arms as they recovered. The shack was silent except for their deep breaths. Clayton’s brow was dripping with sweat, his entire body underneath his armor even worse.
He gently pulled away from her and looked into her eyes. She smiled softly, barely noticeable. Her cheeks blushed red, a few strands of her violet hair hanging over her face.
Clayton shook his head, still in disbelief. “I thought you were gone…”
“I thought the same of you. Your essence somewhere at the bottom of the sea or returned to the comforts of your world. I would not blame you for doing so.”
“No. There’s still more for me to accomplish in Xeylon. A bigger threat than the Maledict in Nalore.”
Rena’s smile left her like Clayton was so used to seeing.
“I will do what I can—”
“Yo, BB! You in here? Where you at—”
Kailani stood at the entrance of the shack. Clayton remained in his position, standing between Rena’s open legs as she sat on the table. Rena’s face turned a striking red as Kailani raised an eyebrow.
“I tell you to go after the assassin and you shack up with some elf. Wow, BB. Can’t even keep your eyes on the prize.”
“It’s not what you think,” Clayton replied.
“I can’t imagine what your excuse is for this.”
“It’s not—”
“What is going on?” Mirella walked to the doorway next to Kailani with her trident raised.
“No…” Rena closed her eyes, her cheeks undeniably red with embarrassment.
Mirella had the same puzzled look as Kailani.
“It’s not what it looks like,” Clayton said. “Really! I can explain—”
“Get off of me!” Rena shoved him hard and hopped off the table. She quickly put herself back together and straightened her robe.
“Wait a second…” Kailani narrowed her eyes at her. “You’re the assassin.”
“Yes,” Rena sighed. “I am the Lancaster Assassin. I suppose now I can explain it to you.”
Clayton nodded and crossed his arms. “Yeah, that’d be nice. You’d better have a good explanation on why you’re killing people.”
“I assure you, my reasons are just.”
Chapter 34
“I steadied myself in the water surrounded by the debris of our ship. The waves were violent as I dove into the sea to search for you. My fatigue eventually got the best of me and I was forced to swim north to find shore.”
“You wouldn’t have been so tired if you took off that armor like I told you to.” Clayton’s quip was met with a cold glare. “Ah, I missed you, Rena—”
“I was able to procure a ship at a small fishing village. They told me of Shara to the northeast, so I sailed in hopes I would find the means to get back to Nalore and get back to you.”
“Shara… Why didn’t you stay there? You’d fit in a little better, being an elf and all.”
“Watch your tongue, Brooks. I would rather dive back into the sea than sit in the comforts of a kingdom ruled by that pompous fat elf.”
“What about the conflict on Green Terra? How were you able to get out of Shara?”
“It is a simple manner for one person to leave the city. All I needed was to wait for the gate to rise and escape under the cover of nightfall.”
“All right… And what was your plan after that?”
“I planned on searching one of the neighboring cities. There is always work for a paladin. Along with the beasts in the wild, I could gain enough gold to earn a proper ship that could make the journey back to Nalore or perhaps return to the sea where we were shipwrecked, in hopes of finding you or Jalise.”
Despite how long it had been since he saw Rena, Clayton didn’t think she looked any worse for wear. Her armor was rusted but her blades were still as sharp as ever. The dirty black hood she wore did more than enough to cover her face.
“You ended up near Lancaster,” Jalise said. “You are a wanted criminal. The guards are already upset with me for simply allowing Clayton to break curfew. I can’t imagine what you’ve done.”
“Is it true?” Clayton asked. “Have you really killed and abducted innocent townsfolk, including children?”
The elf leaned up against the wall and crossed her arms. Clayton. Jalise. Mirella. Kailani. Everybody waited patiently for her response.
“Killed people? Yes. Have I stolen goods? I have. Abducted children? The person responsible for that is the one I am hunting.”
“And I don’t suppose you know who that is,” Clayton said.
“Mayor Morrison.”
“…What? Are you telling me the mayor himself is responsible for the abductions?”
Rena sighed and looked down at the ground as she spoke. “I remember when I first arrived in Lancaster. It was a peaceful town in the middle of the forest. You would not have known there is a great conflict on this continent if you saw the people here.
“Late one night after spending time at the tavern, I saw two children playing in the street. A stranger took them. Lifted them from their feet. I gave chase without thinking and managed to fell the stranger. But someone else arrived and knocked me down from behind. The children were taken on horseback before I had a chance to recover. The guards arrived and fou
nd the body and heard the children screaming. They would not listen to reason, so I was forced to flee.
“I returned to the village, staying late at night to see what was happening. Mayor Morrison must have ordered more security because as soon I was spotted, the guards in the village chased after me. After that, Morrison put a bounty on my head. Hunters from all over have come to collect it.”
Clayton nodded in understanding. “That still doesn’t explain how Morrison is responsible for the abductions.”
“The guards are not so shrewd they would catch me if I returned. I came to the town at night, a hood over my face, and lurked in the shadows. I watched. I listened. I discovered Mayor Morrison had only become mayor recently. The rumors around Lancaster indicated he murdered his predecessor to seize the position.”
“Wow… Is a man like Morrison truly capable of something like that?” Mirella said.
“You have seen his dwelling. You have seen the decadence he lives in compared to the townsfolk. There is a reason for that.” Rena moved away from the wall and paced back and forth. “I followed one of his guards. There is an underground cavern not too far from here. A gold mine. The children who have been abducted have been forced into labor.”
“That’s where he’s getting all his fortune from,” Kailani said. “He’s making children do it for him? Sick bastard…”
“Wait a second.” Clayton put his hands up. “Are you telling me Morrison is running a secret gold mine where he’s putting young children to work?”
“I tried to confront him and one of his guards attacked me,” Rena explained. “And I have seen it for myself. The mine is guarded. Too much for one person to deal with alone.”
Rena stared at Clayton. He raised his eyebrows, turning to the others to see if they agreed with what he was obviously thinking.
“You’re not alone anymore.”
~ ~ ~
Rena led the way through the forest in the darkness of the night. It wasn’t long before she brought them to a halt. She moved behind a tree as she stared forward.
“Up ahead. There is a mine shaft patrolled by several of Morrison’s men. The children who have been abducted are toiling in that cavern, even at this hour.”
“Do you know how many guards there are?” Mirella asked.
“There are already countless men patrolling but undoubtedly, there are even more within the mine itself. I would suggest we deal with the guards outside first before proceeding.”
“Rescuing the kids and fighting the guards at the same time will be pretty tricky.” Kailani pulled one of her daggers out and twirled it in her hand. “If they’re putting children to work, I don’t think they’d have any qualms about killing them, too.”
“We can attack directly or we can keep our presence undetected as much as possible,” Jalise said. “The decision is yours, Clayton.”
“Hmm… Kick in the door or sneak in?” Clayton watched two guards standing at the entrance to the mine. Another pair paced along the perimeter with still more outside of his line of sight. They wore the same gold armor he saw at the mayor’s dwelling. “It’ll be a tough fight if we go after them directly. But there’s too many of us to sneak in… Maybe.”
He unsheathed the Zeal Blade and squeezed his hands tight around the hilt. “Jalise. Cause a big enough distraction to draw their attention. Kailani will step in to finish them off. Mirella, Rena and I will go into the mines and get to the children while you two hold off the reinforcements.”
“Hopefully the contingent within the mines will not be so formidable,” Mirella said.
“We’re formidable enough to deal with them. We’ll save these kids and take down these scumbags for good. Everybody set?”
Jalise nodded and walked forward. Kailani climbed the trees and crouched on the edge of a branch, ready to pounce. Clayton and the others circled around the edge of the clearing where the mine was located. Clayton looked around in search of more guards hiding in the darkness.
The sage stepped into the clearing, both hands raised, then cast a fireball on the ground large enough to get the guards’ attention. The flames sparked against the ground and engulfed one of the guards.
“Help! Help! We’re under attack—” The guard was quieted when Kailani leaped down on his shoulder. Two bone daggers underneath his helmet pierced through the chain mail on his neck.
“Intruders! Intruders!” Guards spilled out of the forest, wielding their golden swords as Kailani and Jalise turned to face them.
“Now!” Clayton charged forward with Mirella and Rena behind him. The five of them were outnumbered more than three to one by the guards continuing to emerge. “Keep them back!”
Jalise ignited a wall of flames that made several guards step back. Mirella rushed forward and pierced one of them through the fire with her trident. Kailani tossed her throwing knives to take down another one.
“Help! Help!” The guards shouted and more emerged. One with a crossbow aimed right at Clayton.
“Brooks!” Rena twirled in front of him, parrying the bolt before it hit him. He would’ve thanked her if another attacking guard didn’t force him to swing.
Clayton held his own. Even with a broken sword, he managed to dodge their blows and respond with his own. His growing strength put considerable weight behind his swings. Even without getting through their armor, it was enough to knock them back for one of the others to go for the finish.
“Stay calm… Control your stamina…” A part of Clayton wanted to panic at the growing number of guards continuing to emerge. He dodged and sliced. He parried and stabbed. He dashed around the field, assisting his party when they needed it. The group fought valiantly, only sustaining minor cuts and wounds from the glancing blows of the guards.
“Quickly!” Rena shouted. “Morrison has a contingent that will overwhelm us! We must proceed!”
Clayton looked to Jalise and Kailani, who both nodded to give him the okay.
“Let’s go!” he shouted as he raced inside. Clayton, Rena, and Mirella descended into the mine. The large pathway was lit by the torches on the wall, bright enough for Clayton to see how large it was underneath. “Whoa…” He couldn’t hold back his surprise when he saw just how large the mine was.
The sprawling cavern was the size of a football field. All around it, children with shackles around their ankles swung their pickaxes at the wall. Others pushed carts loaded with stones along tracks. The kids were dirty and weary, some crying as they were forced to move.
“Keep moving!” One of the guards shouted. “If you stop now, I’ll make you feel even worse! Get to it—”
“I think you’re about done here.” Clayton got the guard’s attention just long enough to dash up and kick him hard in the groin. The guard fell to his knees in a daze, more than long enough for Clayton to sink his broken sword into his neck.
“Intruders! Get ‘em!” Another armored knight shouted and guards emerged within the mine. They converged on the trio, surrounding them completely. Mirella kept them at bay with her trident.
“Keep them at a distance…” Rena said it under her breath. “Then find your opening!” She twirled forward like a flash of light, dodging all of the swings and cutting down two of the guards with her sword and dagger. Another guard attempted to take her down from behind but Mirella rushed up and sank her trident into his chest. The two exchanged polite nods before defending another attack.
Clayton drew the attention of three guards. “All right… This should be interesting…” They all converged on him at once. He quickly leaped into the air then came down hard on one of them. His sword sank through the knight, piercing him onto the ground with a thud. He popped back up to his feet and managed to parry the blows of the other men relentlessly attacking him.
“Clayton!” Rena shouted. “You must free all of the children! We will hold them off!”
“Right.” Clayton blink-dashed around the mine as fast as he could, slamming his sword against the chains that bound them. “Run awa
y… Run away… Run away… Run away…” Each child followed his instructions, racing for the exit.
Clayton arrived at the last child and cut through his chains. The little brown-haired kid was curled up into a ball. He hacked a violent cough. He was so frail, like he hadn’t eaten in days.
Clayton gently put a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, kid…”
The kid looked up, face dirty with soot except for the streaks where his tears fell. “I miss mom and dad.”
“Mom and dad are waiting for you outside. We gotta be fast though, okay?”
The child nodded and got up to his feet.
“Not so fast!” Clayton turned around and saw the guard standing there. He wore the same obnoxiously gold armor like the others, a wrinkled scowl on his chubby face. “You’re not going anywhere!”
He roared, charging at Clayton with his sword raised. Clayton had drained most of his stamina but had enough to roll out of the way. He focused a concentrated blast of water at the man. It knocked him so hard he want flying back against the cavern wall and dazed him. Clayton used the last of his stamina and ran up as quickly as he could to silence him with a swift swing across his throat.
“Come on.” Clayton turned back to the child and scooped him up in his arms. “Rena! Mirella! Let’s go!”
The duo had sustained cuts and bruises but held their own long enough. They ran with Clayton trailing behind them, the child in his arms.
When he got outside, Clayton found Kailani kneeling down on the ground, her body covered with sweat, some blood trickling on her arms. Jalise tended to some of the children who’d collapsed with exhaustion. Her healing spells appeared to provide them some relief.
Clayton set the child down and took a deep breath to collect himself.
“It looks like you did it, BB.” Kailani smiled but Clayton shook his head.
“No. It’s not over yet. It’s time to have a talk with the mayor.”
Chapter 35
Clayton and the others led the children back to the outskirts of Lancaster under the cover of nightfall. They were broken and weary but as soon as they saw their homes, the children raced through the streets with energy. The patrolling guards on horseback tried to rein them in.