by Jake Daniel
I closed my eyes in the hopes of sensing even one of my bonded women and saw... nothing. It had been quite some time since I didn’t have at least one strand of spirit flying across my vision. It was a bit unnerving. I wondered for a moment if I possibly pushed a little too far. I pulled up my current ranks and stared at each of them for several seconds. From my little training session I’d increased ranks on several skills.
Current Skills
* * *
Sight–Rank 7: Expert
Nature Manipulation–Rank 4: Master
Endurance–Rank 6: King
Tracking–Rank 3: Specialist
Aim-Rank 4: Master
Hunting-Rank 3: Specialist
Intercourse-Rank 5: Grand Master
Resiliency-Rank 4: Master
Constitution-Rank 4: Master
Luck-Rank 2: Practitioner
Charisma-Rank 5: Grand Master
Intelligence-Rank 4: Master
Charge-Rank 3: Specialist
Instinctive Reflex-Rank 3: Specialist
I closed the menu and took a deep breath. I wanted to head out into the labyrinth, but my body was beyond fatigued. I tried to sit up, but couldn’t move. Within seconds I gave into the darkness and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
I woke with a start in the middle of the night. At some point I’d removed my clothes, although I didn’t remember doing so. I pushed myself up to a seated position and looked around the empty room.
It was silent other than the occasional breeze that flowed through the open window. I laid back down and as I took a deep breath in I caught hints of all three girls’ scents; Gwen’s wine tinged essence, Dahlia’s sweet nectar, and Isobel’s wild and untamed scent wafted past my nose.
I replayed my training in the gauntlet to take my mind off of them temporarily, making mental notes of areas where I could implement minor changes.
I closed my eyes and concentrated on my core. I was a little disturbed when I saw several strands of dark purple intertwined with strands of the pure yellow spirit that normally occupied my core. As I tried to isolate the strands, I accidentally discovered that cultivating while exhausted was the next best thing to counting sheep, and I fell back asleep within seconds.
The dreams that raced through my head were enough to make any normal person think they were crazy. One particular dream had Dahlia and Gwen sucking hungrily on Chloe’s massive breasts, while I took the holstaur from behind. I thrust forward, sinking my entire length inside of her, emptying myself inside of her, some of which spilled out of Chloe’s glistening mound as I finished.
Isobel moved in and licked Chloe’s sweet juices off my length, pausing to lick a few strands of my hot seed off of the inside of the holstaur’s thigh. She moaned with pleasure as she took my entire length inside of her mouth again. She accepted every inch, taking it halfway down her throat before pulling back. I hardened again as she used a hand to pump the base of my manhood, while the other three girls surrounded me and ran their hands up and down my body.
I reached down with both hands and brought small tendrils to the tips of my index and middle fingers, a trick I’d learned recently, and it worked like a fucking charm. I moved both fingers gently back and forth over their wet folds, while using my tendrils to attend to their clits. In less than thirty seconds I had all four of my bonded screaming in orgasm. Their moans of ecstasy were enough to send me over the edge as I shot my second round straight down Isobel’s throat. I actually felt connected to my bonded throughout the dream, as if they were able to feel what I felt.
The rest of my dreams throughout the night were nowhere near as satisfying, but were interesting nonetheless. One dream, in particular, I remember laying on the floor of my manor. Even though it was my manor, it was a different time. A time that was before I’d met my bonded. Yet the scene seemed so familiar. The door to the manor burst open and a young man with a painted mask stepped inside. The man spoke, and I immediately recognized the voice. It was Striker. “It’s over. Time to stop running.”
Flashes of brilliant light were followed by a woman’s screams before everything faded to black.
I shot upright, surrounded by darkness. Beads of sweat covered my forehead and my heart felt like it was about to burst out of my chest. I took several deep breaths and laid back down. I closed my eyes and immediately fell back asleep. I’d hadn’t put my core through anything like this since I’d arrived. Whether the instant sleep was part of my core recharging, or something else, I wasn’t sure.
I awoke feeling surprisingly refreshed. So much so, that I couldn’t even feel the effects of how far I’d pushed my body the day before. I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and stood. As I was stretching from side to side, I noticed I wasn’t alone. “Mona? Been there long?”
Mona licked her lips and smirked. “Breakfast is ready in the main hall.” She glanced down at my manhood, which was standing at full mast. After the dreams I’d just woken up from, it was impossible for it not to be.
I glanced down and shrugged. “Is there a problem?”
Mona smiled and shook her head. “No, I’d definitely say there’s not a problem.” She let her eyes linger for a second before turning and leaving the room. I quickly threw on my clothes and headed down for breakfast.
There was a large plate of bacon in the center of the table, flanked by bowls of fruit, eggs, and several breads.
Amos stood, using the table to hold himself up instead of his cane. “Good morning, Logan. I trust you slept well?”
“Fine.” I grabbed a pile of bacon and set it down on my plate. “I know you want me to go through another day of training, but you’re going to have to unlock that shit early.”
“Oh? Is that a fact? You did break the all-time record for my gauntlet, but you should really take the day to rest, though.”
“I know I’m ready. I’m done playing games, Amos. I’ll beat your labyrinth. I’ll not go another night without my bonded.”
“Very well, if you feel you’re ready, then I will not hold you back any longer. As long as you’re not blinded by lust.” He paused and glanced over at Mona, who gave him a small smirk. He returned his focus to me and rubbed his chin. “However, I’m warning you, it will not be a simple task.”
Fapplejack rolled out of his room before I could respond. He sped across the hall in a small wooden wheelchair and joined my side at the table. “Good morning Logan, sir, are you ready for another day of training?”
I paused and inspected his new wheelchair. “Where did you find that?”
“Amos actually fixed it up for me,” the goblin responded.
Amos chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. “Well, I couldn’t wheel him around all day. I thought he’d probably prefer to move on his own accord.”
Fapplejack beamed. “Trust me, this is much better. Now I’ll be able to see you better while you are running through the gauntlet.”
I gave him a pat on the back. “I’m happy for you FJ, but there will be no more gauntlet for me. I’m heading in the labyrinth today.”
“Already?! Mona told me about a few of the creatures that are in there. Are you sure you’re ready?”
Mona let out a little yelp. “ Fapplejack! You promised if I told you, that you wouldn’t give away the secrets within the labyrinth!”
The goblin’s head dropped a little, and he nodded slowly. “Yes, you’re right Mona. I’m sorry.”
I turned toward Fapplejack. “Creatures, you say? Spill it.”
“I’m sorry Logan, sir, I promised. Let’s just say you’re going to need a bigger knife.”
“Fapplejack!” Mona yelled and shook her head. “Goblins, I swear.” She stood and walked toward the rear entrance. “Logan, meet me at the weapons table.”
I shoved a couple pieces of the bacon in my mouth and stored the rest in a side pocket on my pants. I met Amos’s eyes as I stood. “I’ll beat your labyrinth and then we can be on our way. Make sure everything’s packed, I’ll want to get on the r
oad as soon as possible. “
Amos took a long swig of his coffee and pointed at me with a piece of bacon as he spoke. “I sure hope so, for your sake and for mine.”
I turned toward Fapplejack and patted him on the head. “I’ll see you later. Watch Amos for me while I’m in there.”
The goblin nodded and glared at the man as he shoved his piece of bacon in his mouth. “You can count on me.”
I gave Fapplejack’s shoulder a squeeze and followed Mona out the back of the small castle.
The weather had shifted from bright the day before to grey and overcast today. I stopped as I exited and looked around at the different gauntlet stations before settling on the phoenix statue in the distance. I closed my eyes and saw the strong strands of spirit swirling above and around the statues like bees at a hive. I dug out a piece of the bacon I’d saved from earlier and popped it in my mouth as I walked up to the weapons table where Mona stood. I immediately felt the spirit rushing toward me and swirling around my core.
She waved her hand over the table. “Choose wisely, you’re only allowed one weapon while inside the labyrinth.”
I reviewed my choices. I instinctively wanted to grab my gun, but with limited ammo and very close quarters inside the maze, I didn’t feel it was going to be the best choice. There were a variety of poleaxes, swords, bows, and knives to pick from, but the only one that made sense to me was a knife about twice the size of the one I had sheathed at my hip. It was about twelve inches long and serrated on the back side. I knew I’d be able to use it for quite a few different circumstances, so I felt comfortable with it.
“Good choice. See how the blade glows when you twist it?”
I turned the blade slowly in my hand and two bright blue lines lit along the blade’s surface. “Yes, I see it.”
“A god rank cultivator crafted that knife. It’s true power is unknown, but it is incredibly durable and should do you well.” Mona nodded as I picked up the knife and we moved over to the armor table. The armor from the previous day was folded up along with several sets of chain and plate mail. I lifted the chain mail, and it felt strong, but, much like the plate armor was too heavy. I wanted to use my reflexes and speed to my advantage. The leather armor seemed like it would be the best choice.
I stripped down and as I pulled my shirt over my head, and felt a hand wrap around my manhood, followed a hot breath. I threw my shirt onto the ground and pushed Mona’s head back. “What are you doing?”
“I thought I might give you a little motivation for this test.”
I furrowed my brow and stared at the woman who had already removed her shirt, revealing her amazing breasts. “I’ve got enough fucking motivation. I don’t care that you are hot as hell, you helped Amos capture my bonded, I don’t trust you and probably never will. Don’t think I’m going to stand here getting my dick sucked while they’re in danger.” I furrowed my brow and shook my head. “Besides, you’re with Amos. As much as I can’t stand the man, there’s a certain line you don’t cross.”
Mona scoffed and stood, releasing her grip on my member as she rose. “I’m not bonded with Amos. I am his familiar, not his property. I want to be yours. I want to obey you. Didn’t you say you bonded four times over already? Why not a fifth?”
I couldn’t hide the fact that she turned me on, but now was not the time or place, especially since I had limited time to complete the labyrinth before it supposedly locked my women and me inside. Razor sharp claws extended from the tips of her fingers. I didn’t want her to take my rejection too harshly, especially in my current situation. I enjoyed having my cock, afterall. “You get me through this fucking labyrinth, and help me free my bonded women, we can talk. Until then, you need to slow your roll.”
Her eyes went red much as they had the previous day and she scoffed as she walked toward the entrance of the giant maze.
I pulled on my armor and grabbed my knife, along with a small leather bag that I quickly tossed a few items into. “Mona...”
The dragon-kin walked up to the entrance of the labyrinth and held a hand out with a smile. Her short brown hair was still a little messy from her impromptu blow job. “Go. Your time has started.” She held an hourglass in her opposite hand and flipped it. “If this expires before you find them, it will reset, and you and all three of your precious bonded will be trapped inside, forever. You have approximately until the light of day has gone.” She crossed the entrance and craned her neck to look inside for a second before speaking again. “And Logan?”
“Yes?”
“Don’t die.”
Chapter Nineteen
I forced myself to refocus and ran inside the labyrinth. It was as if I’d entered a different world. The walls of the labyrinth transformed from huge hedges that rose high overhead to thick, moss-covered stone walls.
A long path stretched in either direction with no discernible way through. I was just waiting for a little stupid worm to pop out and say ‘a’lo’ to complete the sense of deja vu I was currently experiencing. It didn’t take long for that feeling to fade as I heard the scraping of stone on stone.
The walls, which stretched way above my head, were...moving. The grinding grew louder as the walls shifted and opened in front of me. I glanced behind and noticed the entrance that I had just come in through had disappeared.
There was no sign of wind or even any discernible smells. I kicked a stone across the ground and it sounded hollow as it skipped away. Something definitely seemed off about the feel of this place.
I moved forward through the parted opening in front of me and faced three separate pathways. I closed my eyes and concentrated. My core was full and had completely refilled while I was resting, but there wasn’t a single strand of spirit anywhere around me. I ripped a portion of cloth I had tossed in my leather bag and placed it on the ground under a rock as a trail marker.
I took a deep breath in and stepped forward. Following a long corridor, I passed through many archways and down several sets of stone stairs. By my estimate, I’d been following this path for nearly an hour. There were no branches from the path, just one way forward. I froze in my tracks as I exited and entered a wide opening. On the ground, only ten feet in front of me, was the cloth that I’d torn and left as a marker.
My heart sank and I forced myself to take a deep breath. I walked over to the cloth and faced the three pathways once more. Come on, focus. I mentally chided myself for wasting so much precious time. I clenched my fists and relaxed them slowly. I looked at each of the pathways and focused on my instinct skill. A sudden urge to go right rose from within. I trusted the feeling and felt immediately validated as Isobel’s wild scent wafted past my nose.
The further I walked, the darker the labyrinth became. I followed the path for several more minutes, picking up my pace as I covered more ground. I exited into a new area which was a massive room which looked almost like a forest. Tall trees stretched in all directions with vines stretched between them and draping down from above all directions.
The stone walls rose high above me in every direction, with no discernible way out. It looked too different from anything else I’d seen since I entered. Although inside the labyrinth, I had no way in hell of knowing. I cautiously entered a large area with several towering trees. I stayed close to the walls, careful not to make much noise as if I were sneaking up on an elk who was bedded down. A loud click rose from a tree in front of me, followed by another, and another, until the clicking became deafening. I positioned myself behind one of the trees and surveyed my surroundings.
A pair of glowing yellow eyes appeared through the leaves of the tree nearest to me, followed by several other pairs. I crouched behind a tree and watched for any other signs of movement. The leaves of the trees were much too dense to be able to see what I was dealing with. I knew if I had a scope, it would be much a different story.
I remained motionless for several minutes until one of the creatures finally dropped down to the ground. I rocked back slightly as t
he large beast came into view. A fucking massive chimpanzee. Its dull orange hair covered its body and its long, awkward arms dragged at its sides. It had some inferior quality armor hanging haphazardly from its body and a crude wooden spear.
The chimp strayed away from the tree it dropped out of, and where the others seemed to be waiting, as it started a patrol around the perimeter of the area. I found enough cover behind the large tree and a stack of boulders, which were much like the ones from the gauntlet. The chimp made deep guttural grunts as it sauntered closer. It made so much noise as it approached that it didn’t hear me lift one of the boulders as he neared. I pushed up against the tree with the boulder firmly in my grasp and as soon as the chimp crossed behind the tree I brought the boulder down on top of its head. It didn’t even get a single grunt out before the blow killed it. It’s body stopped twitching after a couple of seconds and I returned my focus to the surrounding trees. None of the others seemed to notice I’d taken out their patrol.
After several minutes, five additional chimps dropped from above. They seemed to be communicating about something, most likely wondering where the patrol was, unaware his body was currently behind me with its brains spread out across the mossy ground.
Each chimp moved their hands methodically over their heads, with a couple holding spears, as if they were doing some odd dance. They didn’t make a sound as they moved closer.
A bird chirped loudly as if warning me of their arrival and it was soon joined by at least a hundred other birds, their chirping made my eardrums feel as if they were about to burst.
The largest of the group stopped and sniffed the air. I knew my advantage was about to run out. After several seconds the lead chimp let out an otherworldly scream and rushed forward, picking up a spear as he ran. He sprinted toward me with his eyes locked onto me. He leapt forward and brought the spear screaming toward my head. I dodged easily and grabbed the spear with my free hand. I spun and kicked the chimp hard in the nose, sending it into a frenzied rage. The others all rushed in at the same time. Within seconds, at least twenty muscled beasts closed in. The singing from the birds made my head feel as if it were about to explode. Where was this shit in the gauntlet?