by Riker Kane
“And Zeal itself. Could you temper it to make it a greater weapon?”
“I came to Taius because I knew there was Zealinite in the mountains. Perhaps you would be able to find more. Perhaps not. The weapon appears powerful enough.”
Clayton looked at his hilt. He noticed the orange jewel inside of it, the spectral stone of another Ferrum.
“I wonder if this did anything…”
“Your stone is red. It represents what beats in your heart. It is your lust that strengthens you.”
“Right… And what about orange?”
“Wrath. The previous owner of the hilt was strengthened by his innate rage and anger.”
“Hmm… Glad I never ran into him.”
“It is not your stone, so it will not strengthen you as your own but there is a benefit.”
Grady raised an eyebrow at him. It took a moment for Clayton to realize what he was getting at. He held the axe up and focused his thoughts. The energy formed in front of him and he saw all of his stats.
Clayton Brooks
Essence Level 90
Available Points 6
Hit Points 1000
Stamina 200
Strength 24
Constitution 22
Agility 24
Dexterity 19
Wisdom 17
In addition to the levels he’d gained from defeating Belenoth, his abilities had changed along with some new ones.
Zeal Axe
Core Level 11
Passion of Consort Faith - Vigorous: The weapon requires less stamina to swing
Passion of Jalise the Sage - Torrid II: Flames can be channeled from the weapon and aimed at two targets
Passion of Regent Magne - The Queen’s Touch: More essence is gathered from creatures defeated by the weapon
Passion of Monarch Velour - Intoxicating Thirst: Dealing damage with the weapon absorbs essence and heals minor injuries
Passion of Queen Ixia - Rigid Bark: At the cost of stamina, the weapon creates a shield, blocking all incoming attacks
Passion of Rena Ordain - Brisk Rhythm: The weapon grants the ability to quickly dash short distances
Passion of Kailani - Deep Thrust: Leap into the air and strike the weapon into the ground with force
Passion of Iris - Heel Worship: A powerful kick that temporarily stuns
Passion of Queen Izumi - Breathless: Hold your breath underwater for extended periods of time
Passion of Mirella - Wetness: Water can be channeled from the weapon
Wrath Stone
Receive +50 Stamina for every Great Maledict defeated
Great Maledict Defeated
Maledict Thomas
Maledict Belenoth
Clayton smirked. “Passives. Not bad. I wonder just how strong the Ferrum was who originally owned this stone, since he benefited more from it than me…”
“Though his benefits were different from yours, I can say with certainty his essence was not as strong as yours.”
Clayton lowered the axe down, running his palm over the pommel. “There’s just one more thing I’m curious about, Grady… When I was in Nalore, they said the only ones who could hold Zeal were Ferrum. From what I saw, that was true. Then Kailani grabbed it from me. I assumed she could hold it because it wasn’t active. But last night… I saw the aura around it. The Maledict rift was right before us. And you wielded the Zeal Axe…”
The blacksmith turned his head back toward the horizon, a calm look on his face as he stared into the distance.
“Is it true? The story of losing your father in the last Maledict invasion? Or are you someone else?”
“…It’s true… Not all Ferrum are destined to pull the Zeal Blade from its stone and defeat the Maledict. There are some who live in Nalore, as ordinary as anybody else. That doesn’t mean I can’t do my part.”
Clayton considered what he heard for a moment before putting a hand on the blacksmith’s shoulder. “Thank you, Grady. For everything.”
“I did nothing. It is you who is responsible for all of this by simply following your destiny. I’m merely grateful to be a part of it.”
Chapter 45
Clayton relaxed on the grass with his hands behind his back, soaking up the sun in nothing but his trousers. He’d picked a quiet spot away from Taius village to relax and get away.
His injuries were healed. His levels were recovered. But the greatest distances he’d traveled had taken their toll. There was an undeniable weariness in his bones. He’d completed his journey. Now he could finally exhale and acknowledge his overwhelming fatigue.
The party had spent several days in Taius and the village had returned to what it once was. Clayton had gotten used to the whistling of the birds above and the wind howling softly as it blew by.
“So tired…” He let out another sigh and closed his eyes. His fatigue was undeniable. The peace of the grassy plateau on the mountaintop took its toll and he slowly started to drift off to sleep. He was so tired he ignored the footsteps in the grass approaching him.
“Clayton…”
He knew the sage’s voice immediately. He smiled softly, enjoying the feeling of her palm suddenly running along his bare chest.
“…How are you feeling?”
“Tired. I guess spending so much time in this thin air kinda drains you…”
“I hope you’re not too tired.”
He peeked an eye open and saw the smirk on Jalise’s face. The demure sage would never hide anything from him. He knew the innocence he saw belied something else and it stirred his curiosity.
“What is it?” He sat up straight then turned to see Rena, Mirella and Kailani approaching. “Is something wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong,” Rena said. “It is just the opposite.”
They all narrowed their eyes at him, each one smiling. Their smiles did little to ease the concern growing in his stomach.
“I don’t know… It seems like something’s up…”
“Nothing is up, I can assure you.” Jalise giggled and put a hand on his shoulder as if to comfort him. “We all know where your strength comes from. Your passion… Your lust… You must continue to satisfy that lust…”
“I would never make any of you do anything you didn’t wanna do.”
“You can trust us when we say that this is something we want to do.” Mirella crouched down and kissed Clayton softly, her lips noticeably wet. He tugged on her gently as she pulled away. “You are the Ferrum. It is an honor for all of us to lay with you. You fulfill our desires.”
He looked up at Kailani. The blonde reached behind her back and removed her top, letting it fall to the ground. The golden tan of her breasts had never seemed so appealing. “I guess I can’t call you, BB anymore… But I’m sure I can still have some fun with you… Clayton.”
Kailani moved down to join Mirella, kissing Clayton the same. He didn’t hold back. His hand moved to her chest and squeezed her breast, forcing a sigh from her mouth.
While he kissed her, he listened to the sound of Rena removing her armor. Mirella had joined her and the two worked together until their mail had scattered across the grass.
“Perhaps you should join them.” Clayton listened to Jalise’s voice while he continued to kiss Kailani. The sage reached for his trousers and tugged them down. His length strained against the fabric and when it was freed, he realized just how rigid he’d become.
Rena and Mirella moved down next to Clayton. His desire had overcome him. He didn’t want to move away from Kailani but his curiosity forced him to view Mirella and Rena suddenly engaging one another. They locked their mouths together, wet kisses joined by their soft groans. The contrast between the pink elf and the pale blue Azurean was like nothing he’d ever seen before. Seeing them hold one another, the curves of their bodies pressed together, made him swell even harder.
“That is why you succeed.” Jalise stood next to him, running her delicate hands along his shoulders. “You must lose yourself to the lust inside of
you. That is the power of the Ferrum.”
Jalise began removing her clothes, starting with the scarlet top that covered her breasts then the almost sheer bottoms that did just enough to hide her body.
“Lose yourself, Clayton. Lose yourself to your desires…”
She crouched down next to him and kissed him.
Kailani took the opportunity to trail her lips down his chest and abdomen. He twitched when the warmth of her breath hit his rigid shaft. She took his tip between her lips and lowered her mouth down, swallowing him whole.
“God…” Clayton could only think it. He gasped into Jalise’s mouth while she continued to run her hands along his chest.
While Kailani proceeded to move her mouth up and down upon his flesh, the sounds of Mirella and Rena working up their own ecstasy grew louder.
“I can’t take it,” Clayton gasped. “I… I have to…”
Kailani smacked her lips off of him, her hands squeezing gently around the base of his shaft. “I think he’s ready.”
“I will take the lead.” Mirella moved close and straddled him. She rested a hand on his chest, her legs spread just above him. Kailani held onto his length and guided him into the pink silk of the Azurean. A wave of ecstasy surged through Clayton as her warmth engulfed him.
He couldn’t help himself, reaching his hands up and squeezing her pale blue breasts as she proceeded to grind against him. The others watched with the same desire in their eyes and ran their hands along his body.
“This is… This is crazy…” Clayton lay on the mountain top in another world. An Azurean riding him while three other women did their best to make him comfortable. He would have laughed at how fortunate he was but the overwhelming pleasure burning in his stomach was too hard to ignore.
“I cannot… I must…” Mirella crouched forward, low enough for Clayton to take her breasts into his mouth. She worked her hips even harder. Clayton met her body with his, thrusting up into her. The sounds of their bodies grew louder. Mirella squeezed her hands around his shoulders before suddenly seizing up. Her body trembled with an orgasm she couldn’t deny.
Clayton held her in his arms, her sweaty skin soft underneath his palms. The Azurean stayed on top of him for as long as she could before she collapsed. One last kiss sealed their moment together before Clayton gently lay her on her stomach.
“Your desire still burns inside of you…” Jalise said.
“I will attempt to satisfy it.” Rena took the place Mirella had left behind. “Show me the strength you have inside of you, Brooks.”
The way she smirked turned Clayton on in a way that somehow made him even harder.
Kailani grabbed his shaft like she had once before and guided him into the elf. Rena gritted her teeth as Clayton stretched her apart. He took pleasure in knowing she enjoyed it despite how much she tried to deny it.
“You like it…” he said as he began thrusting into her. “You like it a lot.”
“You do not… have to… say it in such a way…”
“I wanna hear you say it, Rena.”
“Must I?”
“Yes…”
Rena’s breath grew short as she began rocking even harder upon him. She narrowed her gaze, violet pupils locked on his.
“Say it, Rena… Say you want me…”
“I…”
“Say it.” Kailani giggled as she became curious to hear it herself.
“I want you… I want you, Brooks—Ahh!” She gasped in surprised as he suddenly moved forward and put her on her back.
He thrust hard into her, slamming his hilt against her folds as if he were trying to dig her into the grass.
“I will take you… the same way… I took you the night we fought the Maledict… in Nalore…”
“Ahh…” Rena whimpered helplessly, a strange sound to come out of the stubborn elf.
Clayton raised up so he could see her writhing from the pleasure of his strokes.
“Brooks… Brooks…” Her mouth hung open as the words stuck in her throat. Her hands reached up and her nails found their way into his muscled arms. Feeling the elf’s ecstasy reach its peak only made him drive even harder into her. “Brooks…”
One last gasp and her muscles tensed. The elf writhed underneath him, forced to rock from the spasms pulsing through her body. Her orgasm left her contorted in ecstasy. Clayton couldn’t help but smirk with satisfaction in knowing he’d given Rena the pleasure she always tried to deny.
The elf moved to the side and joined Mirella in her peaceful orgasmic bliss. Before Clayton could enjoy the sight any further, Kailani took his attention by cupping his face and kissing him.
“My turn…” She smirked as she climbed into his lap.
Kailani wasn’t shy about hiding her desires. She planted herself down on his length before he could even say anything. His hands found their way on her ass, squeezing her flesh as he began rocking into her.
“Yes… That is good, Clayton… I can see how much stronger your essence is. Lose yourself…” Jalise moved closer, whispering into his ear. The warm breath of the sage on his cheek only made him take Kailani with even greater fervor.
The island woman wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him close. She bounced up and down upon him with the acrobatic rhythm her flexible body always displayed.
“Oh… BB…”
“I’m not BB… anymore…”
“Right… Sorry… Clayton…” She giggled as she tried to maintain her breathing. “You’re gonna make me…”
She pushed her hips against his. Their bodies slammed together in a loud, sweaty union. He sensed she was near her end and pushed until she stopped suddenly. Her hands squeezed around the back of his neck. Her mouth hung open for a moment before her cries of ecstasy escaped her.
Clayton held her in his arms through her climax. Feeling her soft, slender body against his was just as enjoyable as being inside of her. He kissed her and set her down on the grass so she could recover.
“Man… Didn’t think I’d work up such a sweat doing that…” He wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. His entire body glistened. His muscles were tense. His heart raced inside of his chest as he tried to catch his breath.
Jalise crouched next to him, taking her length in his hands as she kissed him. “You have still not found your end,” she whispered. “Let us find it…”
The sage had green eyes Clayton was always mesmerized by. Feeling her so close, staring at her while she held him gave him the strength he needed to keep going. Despite his exhaustion, he could not stop now.
Jalise sat in his lap. Her mound slid up and down the length of his shaft before he was able to plunge into her. She gasped, holding him close as she rode him.
The two stayed in one another’s arms. A slow, sensual rhythm guided their bodies. Even though he’d already taken the others, his desire still burned hot within him.
He cupped the sage’s breasts in his hands and took them in his mouth. She rocked her head back, letting him switch between the two.
“Clayton…”
The deep gasps of his name only made him want even more of her.
“Lose yourself… Find your strength… Satisfy your lust…”
Clayton felt the strength inside of him. There was no denying his bonds with the women made him stronger. There was a fire burning in his gut he couldn’t quite describe. But he knew being with them made him feel stronger. With Jalise more than willing to accommodate, he took advantage.
He thrust up into her, impaling the sage until she was forced to rock back on to him.
They stared into one another’s eyes as the union of their sweating bodies colliding grew louder. He gritted his teeth and pushed himself closer to the edge.
“Jalise… I’m—”
“Don’t tell me… Just do it… You are the Ferrum… I’m honored to share this moment with you… Always…”
He kept thrusting until he could no longer hold back. He held his breath and his muscles
tightened up as his orgasm crashed into him. His length throbbed. Thick spurts of his seed splashed against her walls.
The sensations in her body triggered her own climax. She seized the same as him and the two lost themselves to their ends together.
Clayton held on for as long as he could before his body was spent. The flames of his desire still burned within him but were no longer an inferno.
He gave the sage a kiss before setting her back down gently on the grass.
The five of them laid together as they stared up at the sky. Clayton couldn’t help but smile at how beautiful the view was. He wondered if it could get any better than this.
He looked to the side to see the women all resting next to him. All of them from different parts of Xeylon. All of them just as beautiful. All of them more than willing to satisfy his desires.
He smiled and closed his eyes. “No… It doesn’t get any better than this…”
Chapter 46
“Clayton Brooks… Overseer of the Hilamau Islands. Protector of Queen Izumi and the underwater kingdom of Azure. Justice bringer to Lancaster. Savior of Taius Village. Vanquisher of the Great Maledict Belenoth. Sole wielder of the Zeal Axe. Have I missed anything?”
The old scholar raised an eyebrow at Clayton after reading from the parchment. As old as the man was, Clayton assumed he’d seen everything.
Clayton scratched his chin in thought before responding. “I did do some stuff in Shara. I’ll save that for later… I think that’s everything… for now. You seem skeptical though.”
“I am not skeptical.”
“You seem like you’re skeptical.”
“I can assure you, Ferrum. I am not.”
“Okay… Because I get why you’d be skeptical. It sounds like I’m making it all up.”
“I am not skeptical. I am merely… impressed.” The old scholar got up from his seat and sighed as he tucked the parchment into an old and worn booklet. “If there is nothing else, I will excuse myself.”
“That’s it.”
The old man walked out of the small library and left Clayton alone. Clayton sighed as he looked around.