Lewd Kingdoms: Shadow's Edge: A High Fantasy Digital Adventure

by Eden Redd

  The succubus pulled away and sauntered over to the open balcony door. She placed a hand on the doorframe and looked back with one half closed eye.

  “My mistress will not tolerate anyone foolish enough to step into her forest. Take the gifts as a payment in peace. Sleep well, Master Temple.”

  The demon stepped out onto the balcony, leathery wings spreading out. With a kiss and a wave, the succubus bent her knees and leapt into the air, the sound of wings catching flight.

  Claudia felt her body return to normal. She grabbed her spear and was to her feet. Crossing the room, she reached Edric who was now sitting on the edge of the bed. The summoner sat, looking up to the lancer’s concerned gaze.

  “We have to get the others together and update them on what happened,” Edric said.

  Claudia’s eyes never wavered, “What about you? Are you okay?”

  The summoner smirked, “I’m fine….actually better than fine.”

  The lancer’s lip wrinkled.

  Edric stood up, hands on Claudia’s arms, “I’m okay. I’m more concerned about the number of uninvited guests we’ve had.”

  Claudia lifted an eyebrow, “There was more than one?”

  Edric nodded. “We all have to be together when I tell you what happened the other night.”

  ***

  Edric paced as Faye and Claudia sat on plush couches. The common room where they celebrated their first night only had a table and some chairs. Once they began working on the keep, they all agreed that the common room should be a little more lavish. Comfortable couches filled the middle of the room. A heavy oak table took up the center. Tapestries hung on the walls and a large fireplace crackled with warmth. Cabinets lined a wall, as did small tables with wine and food.

  Faye sat on a couch, eyes on the summoner as he paced. Claudia sat opposite of the monk, eyes down on the table and a half filled wine glass. A wine bottle and few glasses filled the center of the table.

  Edric looked to Faye’s concerned eyes and looked away. “We need everyone here so I don’t have to keep explaining.”

  Faye sat back just as the main doors opened and Rayna walked in. All eyes turned to the bard as she stepped in, sat down and poured herself a full glass. Lifting it up, she took a deep guzzle before setting it back down, arm on the backrest of the couch.

  “I’ll start from the beginning…..,” Edric began.

  The summoner was brief, telling of the strange shadow figure that entered his room and disappeared, and the events of the succubus just an hour before. The three women listened intently, only glancing to Claudia when Edric mentioned them sleeping together. The lancer looked to the table at that brief moment, picking up her wine glass and taking a sip.

  “You got him first,” Rayna leered as she eyed the lancer.

  Claudia said nothing as pink filled her cheeks.

  Faye ignored them and looked to Edric, “Could the shadow and the succubus be the same entity?”

  Edric shook his head, “I don’t think so. The shadow didn’t seem evil or wanting to hurt me. It just melted away after a little while but the way it pixilated seemed was almost like a glitch in the game. As for the succubus, well I think that is a pretty straightforward encounter. Something in the woods to the west doesn’t want us or our people in there.”

  Rayna leaned back into the couch, setting her lute on the seat next to her. “Sounds like the exact reason why we should go there. A demon shows up to sex you up and shower you in gifts? They might be afraid we are too close.”

  Edric nodded, “I’m not against a dungeon crawl but Elora isn’t in the best shape to leave her without us.”

  “The city barely has a city guard and last night there were a few break-ins in the Riverwood District,” Faye added.

  Edric looked to the wood elf, “Break-ins? I can only guess that the citizens are getting a little comfortable or desperate.”

  Rayna closed her eyes as she spoke, “Not to mention there have been some brawls in the Discord District. I’ve spent the last few nights keeping the peace. The guards are being paid off to not intervene.”

  The bard lifted up a wine glass to her lips but did not drink. “Here I am thinking running a city would be easy,” Rayna said and took a long sip.

  “Maybe we built Elora up too fast and not enough thought to infrastructure,” Claudia chimed in.

  Edric rubbed his chin, “We don’t have enough gold left to increase the city guard or build an army. We still have a week before we have our first tax collection.”

  “Sounds like we need gold and fast,” Rayna said and took another sip. “Maybe we should contact some of our old guild members for a hot gold infusion, or investigate the Hollow Song forest? If we don’t do something, the city could riot in a week.”

  Edric’s eyes glanced down, “I’m not comfortable with either. The more players we have invested, the greater chance of betrayal or greed. As for the western forest, we have no idea what’s out there. If it sent a succubus to warn us, who knows what else might be waiting.”

  “We still have the ogre tribes to the north. The city guard will be useless if they attack the farms outside of the city,” Faye added.

  Edric turned from the group, eyes darting left and right. The rush to build a city left too many things that needed to be attended to. With gold dwindling and threats coming from all sides, the pressure began to build that he indeed bit off more than he could chew. They all had to make a decision or the fledgling city could be a burnt out shell before it could even flourish.

  The summoner turned to his companions, his heart hardening into a decision. “We have to handle one threat at a time. We should attack the ogre tribes to the north. They seem the weakest threat and they may have some gold we can use until….,” Edric stopped when there was a knock at the door.

  “Excuse me my lord and ladies but there is a guest at the main entrance who says they know you and wishes to talk,” said the muffled voice of a guard through the door.

  Rayna looked to the door, heart dropping.

  “Come in,” Edric said.

  The door opened and the guard stepped in, eyes gazing to the floor.

  “Do they have a name?” Faye asked.

  “Yes my lady. Sir Caspian Trueheart wishes a moment of your time.”

  The group looked to one another as the mood turned uneasy. Edric, Faye and Claudia raised an eyebrow or questioning gaze but Rayna simply sat; eyes and heart cool as a mountain breeze.

  “Maybe we should hear what he has to say,” Rayna stated with a small smile.

  Ten

  Edric led the way as Faye, Claudia and Rayna followed. The four companions made their way down the stairs and along a corridor to the throne room. A whisper touched his mind and he stopped, Faye nearly bumping into him. The three looked to the summoner as he turned around, eyes wide.

  “We haven’t furnished the throne room!”

  Rayna let out a laugh as Faye and Claudia shook their heads.

  The bard pulled up a 2D screen and tapped at it, “The elementals will create four thrones, one for each of us. It won’t be comfortable but it will work in a pinch.”

  “Are you concerned about what they will think?” asked the wood elf.

  Edric gave a sheepish look, “It is our kingdom. We can’t let Caspian think we are just winging it.”

  “I thought we were,” Claudia said with a shy smile.

  Edric shook his head, “It’s all about presentation. If we are going to have visitors, we have to be ready to welcome them into our home. If they are not impressed, they will treat us like they are not impressed.”

  The screen before Rayna beeped, “The elementals finished the four thrones.”

  Faye gave Edric a tired gaze, “I don’t understand why we have to impress them or anyone else for that matter. Shouldn’t we just be ourselves? It’s only Caspian and his captains. It’s not like we are entertaining royalty.”

  “The last thing we need is players telling everyone else that we are
a bunch of kingdom noobs.” Edric smiled and looked to Rayna, “Thanks for setting up the thrones.”

  The bard bowed her head, “If it’s about presentation, I’m your girl.”

  Faye looked to them and gave a sheepish smile. The four continued on down the corridor until they reached a pair of double doors. Guards opened the main doors to the throne room and the four walked out into the majestically empty room.

  Four torches lit up the throne room in such low light; it reminded Edric of his apartment with the lights off and the streetlights filtering in through the windows. The rest of the large room had next to nothing. Four stone thrones stood and as soon as the companions stepped around them, they looked down the dais steps to three players and two guards standing around. Caspian stopped speaking in a low tone and all three turned to the four players as they stood before each throne and sat down. Edric and Faye sat in the middle seats with Claudia to Edric’s right and Rayna to Faye’s left. The thrones had no cushions and the cold hard surface sucked the heat right from their collective asses.

  “Greetings Caspian, Suusa and Tyrath,” Edric said in a semi-confident voice.

  Caspian gave an amused smirk, “Greetings lord and ladies of Elora. We figured you would be here soon when we saw the elementals creating the thrones.”

  Edric’s mind cringed but he kept his face bright, “We have been so busy, we didn’t know we would be entertaining guests. What brings you by?”

  Caspian stepped forward as he spoke, “To congratulate you all for building such a fine city in a short amount of time. Word is getting around about the city so close to the Middle Kingdoms. Once I heard it was the four of you, we wanted to come and offer some assistance. After all, we did come from the same guild.”

  Edric’s bright demeanor dimmed a bit, “What kind of assistance?”

  Caspian kept his bright smile, “Anything from keeping the peace or donating gold to your illustrious city. We spent some time in the local taverns and heard of some of the problems plaguing the city. We still have friends in the old guild who are looking for a home. I’m sure we could come to an arrangement and with time, perhaps build a new guild hall in your beautiful city.”

  Edric’s smile faded away. There it was, Caspian was looking to build a new guild and he needed a city to build it in. Varikk was one of the closer cities to the middle kingdoms until Edric built Elora a bit closer. With the fall of Varikk in the near future, Edric guessed Caspian disbanded the guild before it was destroyed by the enemy. The summoner could feel the greasy political and manipulative flair the player used and it made his skin crawl.

  Faye leaned forward, “The Hyperion Guild is no more. You disbanded it because of lack of funds. What has changed in the last few weeks?”

  Caspian nodded, “True, we could not keep enough gold to maintain the war effort. The rumors are also true that a troll army marches on the city. I did not want all of you caught in a losing battle. We thought it would be best to disband for the safety of our members.

  “As for gold, the three of us have finished many high level raids in the last few weeks. We managed to line our pockets with a considerable amount and wish to invest in the growing kingdom of Elora. Considering you are the ruling party, I would not expect you to join such a small guild but if we can eventually prove ourselves, with your blessing, our new guild would fight by your side in every battle.”

  Caspian centered his gaze on Edric, “You came to me, asking for a chance. You proved yourself. I only wish to do the same, for you.”

  Edric’s shoulders sagged a little. The knight was playing on his honor but the rumors seemed to speak volumes. The player had to remind himself that Caspian was more than happy to take the gold but offered little else other than some protection. Once he reached Lythor, his protection pretty much disappeared, not caring if he and Leeta perished in the surrounding woods. The player could have called him out on it but it fell into such a gray area that he looked away from the knight, uncertainty filling his brow.

  Faye glanced at Edric’s uncertain expression and then looked down at Caspian, “Your offer is generous but the four of us should confer on it, before deciding anything.”

  Claudia nodded in agreement.

  Rayna eyed the knight and gave a wicked leer, “Tell me Caspian, how would you do it differently? You left us out in the cold during war time. If the city fell, would you run again?”

  Faye, Edric and Claudia looked over with wide eyes at the grinning bard. Caspian’s smile faded slightly as darkness touched his eyes. It was only for a moment but long enough for everyone to see it. Smile brightening, he looked to the bard in black.

  “Sometimes leaders must do things they are not proud of. I stand by our decision to disband the guild before it was destroyed. A good leader knows when to retreat to fight another day and save their people.”

  Caspian put a foot on a dais step, brow hardening. “But let’s look at your kingdom under a real lens. Your city guard is weak. You have no standing army. The city is beautiful but I’m sure every kind of player and evil NPC are entering your kingdom, unfettered. You four may be building your bonds but can you say the same for anyone else. Can you say the same for each of you?”

  Caspian looked to Rayna before turning his gaze to all of them once again. “We are only three players but we can help keep the peace. We are strong enough to make sure no other players take advantage of your situation. Once we prove our worth, we only ask to build a new guild hall here in Elora. Good players will flock to our banner and then we will be a force to be reckoned with.”

  Edric’s uncertainty slipped into a bubbling anger. Caspian entered their city and was now trying to throw his weight around. The summoner leaned forward, eyes taking in a serious gleam.

  “It’s the middle of the night. Come back tomorrow at noon and we can discuss it further. I would offer you rooms here but as you said, our guards are weak and would hardly be able to protect you. I recommend the Leaf Inn on Riverwood Street.”

  Caspian’s eyes turned to slits before he turned away, shoulders relaxed. “Noon it is. Sleep well lord and ladies. I’m sure the inn will be a fine place to rest. I have heard of some break-ins in the area. Myself and my companions will keep an eye out and keep the peace.”

  Before anything else could be said, Caspian led Suusa and Tyrath along the bare throne room and out the main doors into the night. When the guards closed the doors and left the room, Edric let out all the air in his lungs as he slumped in his chair.

  “That was hawt,” Rayna laughed as she stood up, pulled her lute around and began playing a gentle tune.

  Edric looked out, heart beating a little faster as Faye and Claudia looked to him.

  “This is a problem,” Faye stated.

  “I don’t understand how this is a problem? Shouldn’t we use their help? I don’t know why Caspian behaved like that? He was such a good leader when we went into battle,” Claudia said bewildered.

  Rayna stopped playing, “Claudia, he’s trying to manipulate us to get what he wants. Varikk didn’t offer enough protection so he is trying to work us over. The reason you never saw the real him was because you were a loyal soldier in his army. He’s greedy and power hungry. After everything he just said, he’s petty too.”

  Claudia crossed her arms, “But he’s fought alongside us. He has given his life up to protect others. He even did it for me once.”

  Rayna let her fingers strum the lute strings as she kept her serious gaze, “It doesn’t mean anything to give your life if you just respawn later. It was tactic, playing on the romantic notion of being a knight. You were gullible enough to believe in it.”

  Claudia’s brow hardened. “I’m not some wet behind the ears player. He did everything he could to keep the guild…..” Claudia’s brow softened as she trailed off.

  Edric leaned forward, hand on Claudia’s shoulder. “I think we need to come clean with everything we know about Caspian. I never knew him like you three do but my heart says there is someth
ing more than just wanting to help. When I first met him, I saw the greed in his eyes but it didn’t bother me because I was being greedy too. I needed the guild protection so I could earn enough gold to buy land and build Elora. The difference is I want us to have a safe haven for others. I’m not sure what Caspian truly wants.”

  Rayna moved and stood before Edric, Claudia and Faye, eyes like steaming coals. “He wants glory and power and he will snuff out anyone who gets in his way. I was on my way out of the guild after what he did to a friend of mine. The guild was falling apart for a while but I wanted to be sure if I was doing the right thing.”

  Faye’s eyes softened, “Rayna, you don’t have to say anything.”

  The bard looked to the wood elf with an indifferent smile, “I do have to say something. If we are going to rule this city together then we should come clean about our pasts, especially me.

  “The gold was being used faster than it should have. I made friends with Lola. She was one of the new captains at the time. It didn’t take long for us to fall for each other and she started telling me about the meetings. They let her into their private club and they talked about how they needed to bring in more gold. They started talking about black hat methods and automating some of the process.”

  Rayna’s eyes softened as if revisiting a long lost memory, “She told me she spoke out against it and wanted to focus on new recruitment. Caspian was having none of it. The second time she brought it up in a meeting, he shut her down, telling her not to speak anymore. Then the trouble really started. During one of the captain’s private orgies, the guys were getting a little too rough. When she told them to stop, they laughed. She kicked one in the jaw and they all turned on her. They pulled daggers and began stabbing her before she could get her weapons.”

  Rayna looked away, eyes wet. “Since it was not a PVP area, she respawned outside. A moment later, she was banned from the guild. When she tried to renter the hall, they attacked her. When she respawned again, she ran…to me. She told me what happened. She made me promise to not to make it public, that she was going to talk to Caspian and straighten it all out.