Lightfoot

by Joe Kuster

  TJ replied softly, “Them being forced into becoming slaves doesn’t make them monsters.”

  She sniffed and said weakly, “But… we are. I didn’t know why I felt the things I do, but I think it’s worse knowing. You’ve no idea what it’s like. We’re… the things I…” Kallista swallowed hard and dropped to her knees. Her lip quivered as she fought to hold back her tears and failed. “She said we’re Novenary, a hybrid type of demon, TJ. Tell me how that doesn’t make us monsters. Humans call us a… I’m… I’m a succubus. The things humans say about us. The things we’re supposed to do. I… I don’t want to steal souls. I…”

  She tapered off, looking lost.

  TJ gently wrapped her up in a hug. “You’re not a monster to me, Kalli. Neither are your people. Serina wouldn’t have let me bond to you if you were dangerous. Hell, she was more upset about Abby. That and I literally get power from sex, and I took your soul, not the other way around. I think that makes me closer to what humans think a succubus is than you. Forget that shit humans put in your head about other races and planes, ok? I was born in Serina’s realm. Trust me, the higher beings can be every bit as evil as the myths about the lower ones, just in different ways.”

  “Really?” she asked with a sniff. There was a fleeting glimmer of hope in her eyes.

  “I swear to it. Right before I left, one of my captors blew out a woman’s eardrums because he was bored, then he threatened to rape someone. He was a god’s divine arbiter. Process that for a bit. From what I’ve read down here, those are supposed to be the good guys—the scales of justice. You’ve been fed a false bill of sale,” TJ said softly.

  Kallista puzzled over his words, then said, “Just because they are assholes, doesn’t mean I’m not a monster.”

  “Maybe not,” TJ said. “However, you’re not running around eating people, and if there’s anyone I’ve ever met that had a reason to give in to anger, it’s you. You’re not like that, and that means your people probably aren’t either. If they are anything like you, I’ll be glad to meet more of them when I get a chance.”

  She shifted awkwardly as he rubbed her back, trying to offer comfort. It was as if she didn’t know what to do with his embrace. Her arms moved uncertainly, but her tail snugged around his waist.

  Rachel, Abby, and Faith returned, but seeing the situation, they didn’t interrupt. TJ couldn’t help but notice Faith’s nose was coated in blood. She was also entirely out of essence, so he could guess what had already happened to the other disciple.

  He gently wiped at Kalli’s cheeks, drying her tears. Once she seemed to have swallowed down the spike of emotions, she blew out a long sigh and pulled back. She pressed her soul against his, studying him for a long time.

  “TJ, please tell me we get to fuck these guys up. Not just sneak around, but that we are going to take them down,” she said.

  Rachel cleared her throat. “That would probably be for the best, dear heart. It seems the New Order has been using the dungeon to build up forces to take over the Duchy. They’ve been able to convince it to build and power the portals they need. They have hundreds of… well, I suspect they have the wrong name for Kallista’s people, but they have them ready to attack. They are also scattered across the dungeon as a protective force. We just haven’t run into them yet.”

  Kallista wiped her nose and lifted her chin. “We’re Novenary. We came from a lower plane, but we’re refugees. We settled far out in the desert lands, so we won’t be tempted by the other races.”

  “It’s true,” a soft voice called out from across the room. Izzala continued, “It’s a high crime against our god for Kallista not to know of our heritage or even of her family before today. If you can send me back, I’ll carry word to her father. Our king will be overjoyed to know that his daughter still lives.”

  Seeing that Kallista seemed to be past the worst of it, TJ rose and sat next to the barrier. “Thank you, Izzala. It seems like her mother-in-law was behind this. Although, I must admit that from what I know, we’re a long way from being able to bring her back in person.”

  “As unfortunate as that is, I understand. She must complete her foretelling and wouldn’t leave, even if she were able. Although there are other concerns. Our king will insist on verification that I understood this correctly, she said she is life bound to you. Is that true?” Izzala asked.

  TJ looked to Kallista for confirmation, then nodded. “Yes. Life and soul. It wasn’t my first choice, but I’ll protect and care for her. My patron is Lady Serina, and I believe she’s made an alliance with your god. We still need to get through the dungeon and complete our task, but the abductions should stop if we’re successful. I’ll try to find a way of making things right.”

  Izzala nodded gravely. “Suvbus, the god of Foretelling, would not have chosen your aid lightly. I also suspect news of the Queen’s treachery will not be well received. There are movements in the court, and I must carry this message swiftly.”

  TJ shifted into place. “Alright, I should be able to give it a little push, and you’ll pop back home. Ready?”

  When no one objected, he began feeding the circle a trickle of power.

  As smoke and blue fire began to grow around the circle, Izzala bowed. “Don’t worry, Princess Kallista, I’ll let your father know that you’ve found a powerful and honorable husband.”

  The flames grew higher, and Izzala’s silhouette had begun to fade as Kallista shouted, “He’s not my fucking husband!”

  Chapter 33

  The flames disappeared with a pop, as though they were sucked back into the stone. TJ immediately threw a nearby half-full wine glass onto the chalk, smearing the details. He then scattered a nearby open bowl of salt over the surface, breaking whatever ritual steps had been used to prep the circle. The book had been clear about how to prevent a portal from being reused. They could always rebuild it, but he wasn’t going to make it easy for them.

  “Ah, fuck,” Kallista sighed, then kicked one of the random books into the wall.

  Abby asked, “What is ze problem?”

  “That’s another line down. The naming is complete. Of all of them, that was the one I was hoping didn’t play out the way it sounded. It kinda didn’t, but did at the same time. Not much left before things are set,” Kallista booted another book and eyed TJ critically.

  “Figuring out how you got into this mess?” Rachel asked.

  Kalli grumbled, “Kinda. The other day I was asked to clean out a room in an inn. No big deal, right?” She waved to the blood, soot, and dead bodies. “But here I am. If you’d have told me I’d be in this situation last week, I’d have laughed in your fucking face.”

  TJ complained, “It’s religious bullshit. I just roll with it when I can. We’re just little puppets on strings. Been one my whole damn life. I was still dancing to their tune, even when I thought I wasn’t. Why should this be any different?”

  “Zat is certainly one way to look at it,” Abby offered with a kind smile. “I prefer to believe zat we are merely fulfilling a greater purpose. It is not as if we could not say no and walk away.”

  Kallista pointed to herself. “Not sure that was an option for me.”

  Abby walked over to the woman and gently put her hands on her shoulders. “Zat is where you are wrong. You could have asked to serve your sentence in Skyridge. It would have been a punishment, but not a severe one. It would have given you a fresh start as well. You could have done so, but you did not. As I understand it, you were ze one who pledged to TJ, even after he declined. Zat speaks of an inner need. Zat you knew zis was your path before you were sworn to Serina.”

  The rogue frowned for several seconds, then relented. “Eh, I did kinda play myself there, didn’t I?” She pursed her lips and inspected the bard appraisingly. “I keep forgetting he doesn’t keep you around just for the knockers. I guess there’s no use worrying about it now.”

  “So, what’s next?” TJ asked. “Do we grab the other doors?”

  Kallista shook her he
ad, then pointed to the nearby wet bar and the silver candlesticks. “You said I get to take whatever the fuck I want, then gave me a magic bullshit bag. We’re looting the crap out of these bastards. If I’m going go through with this, I’m sure as hell going to make my life as cushy as I can while I’m at it.”

  “Girl’s got a point,” Rachel said with a grin, then tossed a nearby golden cigar box to the rogue.

  There was a soft groan from Abby. “My feet hurt. I hate to ask, but can we rest? My new boots haven’t been broken in yet.”

  The group slowed in the hallway and looked around. They’d cleaned out the library, opting drag the magical bag along the shelves while others guided the contents into the opening. In that way, it had only taken a half-hour for Kallista to swipe every single book with plans of reselling them later. They’d done likewise in the reception hall as everything from decanters of wine to silverware found its way to Kallista’s bag. If the chairs and tables had fit in the opening, she’d probably have taken them too.

  Given the strange mental magic imparted, all Kallista had to do was think of the item, and it would snap to her hand. TJ couldn’t wait to craft up a few more of them. In theory, there was a finite capacity depending on the plane connected, but they hadn’t found the limit yet. Combining that spell with his portal ritual, he was convinced that he could even create multiple openings to the same pocket dimension if he tried, allowing for a shared group bag of sorts. He just needed time to tinker, and his list of things to do was only getting longer.

  The other doors from the receiving room had only led to a floor of empty bedrooms, a kitchen, and a long corridor of offices. There had been little of note as they’d moved through the furnished section. Parts of it looked lived in, but no one was around. The last door had been magically sealed, and there were a lot of voices behind it. Without a way through, they’d eventually given up and returned to the stone corridor and the seemingly endless hallways.

  Rachel pondered the question for a bit, then shrugged. “We’re going to need to rest up at some point. I could use something to eat as well.”

  Not hesitating, Abby dropped her back to the wall and stretched out her legs. Plopping down beside her, TJ gave her a hand pulling off her boots and socks. TJ fed a soft trickle of healing into her feet while he began gently massaging her tired arches. Abby gave him a warm smile of appreciation as she wiggled her toes. She then pulled him into a tender kiss.

  “Ah, fuck… You’re not going to… well, recharge the other way, are you?” Kallista asked.

  TJ checked on each of their bonds, getting a feel for how much energy they had collectively. The fighting so far had already pulled them each below the quarter mark. Faith, however, was out of essence entirely, and Abby wasn’t far behind her.

  He blew out a sigh. “It wouldn’t be a terrible idea. I could feed it back into your pools to even us out.”

  Kallista glanced down the corridor in each direction, then rubbed at the base of her horns.

  “I can keep an eye out for trouble here if you want to scout ahead. Faith could watch our rear,” Rachel offered.

  Looking a bit embarrassed, the rogue nodded. “Thanks. It’s hard to believe that Serina’s divine connection is through his dick. I know that’s just how Serina made the flying idiot’s magic work but having to watch would be…” She trailed off.

  “I assumed it might be a bit much. Although watching isn’t so bad once you get used to it.” Rachel coughed into her fist as her cheeks turned crimson. “But we’ll try not to make things more awkward than they have to be for you.”

  Kallista nodded. “Thank you, Mistress.”

  As Kallista turned to leave, Abby called out, “You know, you could always join us, or even take my place. It could be fun to get to know you better.”

  The thief froze with her back to them, her leather gloves creaking against her short sword’s grip under the force she was applying. She swallowed audibly and looked to the ceiling for a long time as she forced herself to take several deep breaths. “I know you didn’t intend that as an insult, Abby, but please don’t say things like that. You don’t know what you just suggested.”

  With that, her form shimmered and blended into the shadows. In only a few steps, she disappeared entirely.

  “We really should wake her,” Rachel whispered.

  TJ continued stroking Abby’s long red curls as she lay nestled against him. In his other hand, he held a book about dungeons that had been on prominent display in the library. It was short, little more than a primer, but it was full of dense facts about how dungeons worked.

  He’d learned that quite a bit of the folklore he’d heard at the taverns disagreed with the tome. It was enough that he’d begun reading it a second time. If the New Order had it out on a central display, he assumed it was accurate, and with his leg stuck under Abby’s head, he couldn’t reach his pack to find anything else that might be useful.

  He shifted slightly, but Abby showed no signs of waking. “Yeah, but she’s so peaceful when she sleeps.”

  Rachel replied, “I think you mean she looks tousled beyond belief. You should be glad she’s not paid by the go. You’d be broke already.”

  “Pools are closer to full now,” he said.

  Rachel chuckled to herself. “You realize she’ll never tell you no, right? She’s hopelessly smitten with you.”

  TJ gave a soft shrug of his shoulders. “This wasn’t exactly what I expected when I took her to bed, but I don’t regret it. I’d hate to think what would have happened to her if I hadn’t come around. She’s such a gentle thing. Far too tender for this world.”

  “I wish I could say you were wrong.” Rachel gave a yawn. “Although now I kind of wished that we’d just set up camp instead. I’m exhausted. I didn’t think about it until Kallista was out of sight.”

  “She’d probably have wanted to have some space anyway. Although, the more I’m reading, the less I think splitting up is a good idea. I think the dungeon can change the hallways if we get too far apart,” he replied.

  Soft footsteps caught their attention. “Ah, that works. I didn’t even have to call her,” Rachel said.

  They glanced up to welcome Kallista but were instead met with a haunting melody sung in a male voice.

  TJ’s eyes shot open, and he bolted upright, “Shit! That’s…”

  Rachel’s sword flipped up, then teetered. Her eyes fluttered, and she slowly slid down to a yawning TJ. He wobbled, then crumpled to the cold stone floor, struggling with everything he had to stay awake.

  A soft laugh resonated in the narrow hallway.

  “Ah, I almost hate how well that works,” a muscular, blue-skinned man said. “It takes all of the challenge out of this.”

  The big man slung his lute over his shoulder, then waggled a finger on the point of one of his horns as he leaned down in front of TJ, who was still twitching and spasming.

  “Oh, you’ve got some spunk,” he said, leaning in close.

  TJ couldn’t make controlled movements, but he was putting every bit of healing magic into forcing his body to pump out adrenaline to resist the spell’s effects.

  “Well, no matter,” he said, then began sliding a dagger out of the sheath on his belt.

  A small cough stopped him.

  “What is it, Adella?” the man asked.

  She replied, “It seems Lord Cada wishes them brought to the cells.”

  “If he wanted them in the cells, then why was I sent to kill them?” he grumbled.

  The shadowed figure shrugged. “Miscommunication. They are to be drained of essence first. We can use it to power our attack once we’re outside the dungeon. The ritual circle is going take everything we can channel to crack the barrier on the keep. That one.” She pointed to TJ and began flicking her fingers through the air. “Seems to be able to generate quite a lot of it. He was sucking in enough ambient mana that he disrupted spells all over the dungeon. Also, just so you know, he’s still fighting off your sleep charm. I think
he’ll have it in another minute.”

  The big man huffed. “Well, I guess this is happening then.”

  The man quickly bound TJ’s hands with a leather thong then withdrew a leather sack filled with small lead balls.

  TJ’s fingers were just beginning to twitch under his own control as the blackjack came crashing into his skull. The mild lightning magic imbued in the stunner caused his body to seize up. Two blows later, he wished he’d have gone under cleanly with the first strike. With a growl, the man swung harder.

  The fourth swing did the job.

  Chapter 34

  TJ floated in the dark void, feeling fingers glide across his skin. Something sharp pricked his neck, but the delicate touch and tender whispers immediately after caused the memory to slip away.

  He felt his body being moved and the sound of cloth on cloth. Bit by bit, he felt cool air across his body. Something cold and hard was pushed against his legs, wrists and over his torso, then something warm was poured into his mouth.

  Gentle hands played across his flesh, forcing such concerns far into the background of his mind. He sensed a gentle nip at his ear as a sultry voice painted an erotic picture. Slowly, his mind fell into those words as they became real.

  Sensations of honey slowly drizzled across his body caused any thoughts of who, why, or how to burst like little soap bubbles. Invisible lips were pressed to his as strong fingers played through his hair and traced across his chest. He gave in to the sensation as his lover’s body caressed his.

  There was a flash of their teeth on his neck. Sharp nails traced his back. A breast was pushed into his mouth. Legs wrapped around his hips. Hot warmth flooded his senses, overwhelming any hope of coherence. Moans and panting became all he knew.