by Rowan Bree
Ask Hawke to come with you.
Escape on your own.
“Did you come by ship?” you ask, ignoring the tingling pain through your limbs.
Hawke nods.
“Is it nearby?” you ask.
Hawke nods again. He frowns. “Are you okay?”
Your body starts to tremble. “I need help,” you say, feeling the pain tear into you. You stumble forward and Hawke grabs you.
“Come with me,” he says, half-dragging you towards the exit as your muscles seize up.
Every step becomes harder, like your body is turning to stone. The pain blinds you to little besides Hawke’s frantic tugging and his voice telling you to keep moving.
“I can’t,” you sob, dropping to the ground.
Hawke drags you behind a pillar and crouches down beside you.
“Who did this to you?” he asks. “Is it poison? Were you drugged?”
You can’t get any words out. Your tongue feels like it’s made of pins.
“Out of the way.” A woman’s face swims into your field of vision. A familiar voice, a familiar scent. Sybil is there stroking your sweaty forehead. You want to scream but can’t. Hawke is standing by while this evil woman has you at her mercy. Why won’t he do anything? Can’t he see she means to do you harm?
Sybil presses her forehead to yours, muttering something in an unknown tongue. You can feel the pain ebbing from your body. You must be dying. It’s your punishment for disobeying the Order, for trying to escape. You would be sad about your dying, if it weren’t for the blessed relief from the blinding pain that comes with it. Your muscles relax. You feel you can speak again, though you do not. There is no reason to speak, to think. You are leaving this world for good.
“Is she dead?” Hawke asks.
“Breathing. She should be fine.”
You open your eyes. You are still behind the pillar in the great hall, Sybil and Hawke leaning over you. Sybil smiles.
“Don’t be afraid,” she says. “I reversed Vale’s spell.”
Why would Sybil do that? It must be a trick.
“I should have tried harder to help you. I’m so sorry. But for now you need to go. Vale will soon realize his control has been severed.”
The pain is gone. Hawke helps you stand.
“Through here,” Sybil opens a door leading down a dark hallway.
You aren’t sure you can trust her. It is obvious she wants Vale to herself, and this might be a trap to get you killed or worse. You ask her why she is helping you.
“I don’t have time to explain now, but you’ve escaped Doria once and I’m not going to let them drag you back there. I don’t work for Vale. I’ve been trying to stop him. But now I need you to go before I’m found out. Get as far away from Tyven as you can. Don’t tell anyone who you are. The kingdom hasn’t fallen yet and there are still safe places.”
She pushes you into the hallway while a concerned Hawke looks on.
Ask Hawke to come with you.
Escape on your own.
“Did you come by ship?” you ask, ignoring the tingling pain through your limbs.
Hawke nods.
“Is it nearby?” you ask.
Hawke nods again. He frowns. “Are you okay?”
Your body starts to tremble. “I need help,” you say, feeling the pain tear into you. You stumble forward and Hawke grabs you.
“Come with me,” he says, half-dragging you towards the exit as your muscles seize up.
Every step becomes harder, like your body is turning to stone. The pain blinds you to little besides Hawke’s frantic tugging and his voice telling you to keep moving.
“I can’t,” you sob, dropping to the ground.
Hawke drags you behind a pillar and crouches down beside you.
“Who did this to you?” he asks. “Is it poison? Were you drugged?”
You can’t get any words out. Your tongue feels like it’s made of pins.
“Out of the way.” A woman’s face swims into your field of vision. A familiar voice, a familiar scent. Sybil is there stroking your sweaty forehead. You want to scream but can’t. Hawke is standing by while this evil woman has you at her mercy. Why won’t he do anything? Can’t he see she means to do you harm?
Sybil presses her forehead to yours, muttering something in an unknown tongue. You can feel the pain ebbing from your body. You must be dying. It’s your punishment for disobeying the Order, for trying to escape. You would be sad about your dying, if it weren’t for the blessed relief from the blinding pain that comes with it. Your muscles relax. You feel you can speak again, though you do not. There is no reason to speak, to think. You are leaving this world for good.
“Is she dead?” Hawke asks.
“Breathing. She should be fine.”
You open your eyes. You are still behind the pillar in the great hall, Sybil and Hawke leaning over you. Sybil smiles.
“Don’t be afraid,” she says. “I reversed Vale’s spell.”
Why would Sybil do that? It must be a trick.
“I should have tried harder to help you. I’m so sorry. But for now you need to go. Vale will soon realize his control has been severed.”
The pain is gone. Hawke helps you stand.
“Through here,” Sybil opens a door leading down a dark hallway.
You aren’t sure you can trust her. It is obvious she wants Vale to herself, and this might be a trap to get you killed or worse. You ask her why she is helping you.
“I don’t have time to explain now, but you’ve escaped Doria once and I’m not going to let them drag you back there. I don’t work for Vale. I’ve been trying to stop him. But now I need you to go before I’m found out. Get as far away from Tyven as you can. Don’t tell anyone who you are. The kingdom hasn’t fallen yet and there are still safe places.”
She pushes you into the hallway while a concerned Hawke looks on.
Ask Hawke to come with you.
Escape on your own.
“Come with me,” you tell the sea chief.
He nods, grabbing a torch from the wall and following you into the hallway.
“Take good care of her,” Sybil says to him before closing the door behind you. You hear her draw the bolt on the other side.
“My ship is at the docks not too far from the castle,” he tells you. “My men will be there. They stayed back to defend it from the horrible creatures we found when we got here. What happened in Tyven, anyway?”
You tell him the truth, at least as much of it as you know—how you were attacked by Vale and woke up to this nightmare world.
“And that’s who you’re running from now, is it?” he asks.
You reply in the affirmative.
He takes your hand in his much larger one. It’s surprisingly soft. “You’ll be safe with me. The sea tribes will take care of you.”
When you get to the end of the passage there is a door, and beyond it the wilds outside the castle walls. To the west is the deep forest, ancient and full of magic, and to the north the mountains. Following the castle walls east would bring you to the sea.
Hawke pulls you east, towards the sea and his ship. As you near the docks you feel that something is off. They are far too quiet, even accounting for all the guests at the feast. Usually there are fishermen and merchants working into the night hauling crates and shouting across the docks. There isn’t even the usual twinkle of torchlight.
“That’s ours,” Hawke says not noticing anything wrong. He is pointing to a slender ship with high masts and an intricately carved tentacle curving out from the bow.
“We’ve made peace with the gods of the deep,” he says. “There is nothing to fear from them.”
Only as you near the ship does Hawke’s demeanor seem to change. He puts a hand on your chest, stopping you from walking up the gangway.
“My men should be here. Something is wrong.”
You ask to go with him, not wanting t
o be left alone on the abandoned dock. You stay close as the two of you walk slowly up the gangway.
The ship is empty, at least from what you can see. There are no men, but no bodies either and more importantly no monsters. It doesn’t look like there was any kind of struggle either.
“I’ll check the lower decks,” Hawke tells you. “I need you to stay up here and keep a lookout. It could be pirates and I don’t want to be snuck up on.”
Wait on the empty deck.
Ask to look inside the ship instead.
“Come with me,” you tell the sea chief.
He nods, grabbing a torch from the wall and following you into the hallway.
“Take good care of her,” Sybil says to him before closing the door behind you. You hear her draw the bolt on the other side.
“My ship is at the docks not too far from the castle,” he tells you. “My men will be there. They stayed back to defend it from the horrible creatures we found when we got here. What happened in Tyven, anyway?”
You tell him the truth, at least as much of it as you know—how you were attacked by Vale and woke up to this nightmare world.
“And that’s who you’re running from now, is it?” he asks.
You reply in the affirmative.
He takes your hand in his much larger one. It’s surprisingly soft. “You’ll be safe with me. The sea tribes will take care of you.”
When you get to the end of the passage there is a door, and beyond it the wilds outside the castle walls. To the west is the deep forest, ancient and full of magic, and to the north the mountains. Following the castle walls east would bring you to the sea.
Hawke pulls you east, towards the sea and his ship. As you near the docks you feel that something is off. They are far too quiet, even accounting for all the guests at the feast. Usually there are fishermen and merchants working into the night hauling crates and shouting across the docks. There isn’t even the usual twinkle of torchlight.
“That’s ours,” Hawke says not noticing anything wrong. He is pointing to a slender ship with high masts and an intricately carved tentacle curving out from the bow.
“We’ve made peace with the gods of the deep,” he says. “There is nothing to fear from them.”
Only as you near the ship does Hawke’s demeanor seem to change. He puts a hand on your chest, stopping you from walking up the gangway.
“My men should be here. Something is wrong.”
You ask to go with him, not wanting to be left alone on the abandoned dock. You stay close as the two of you walk slowly up the gangway.
The ship is empty, at least from what you can see. There are no men, but no bodies either and more importantly no monsters. It doesn’t look like there was any kind of struggle either.
“I’ll check the lower decks,” Hawke tells you. “I need you to stay up here and keep a lookout. It could be pirates and I don’t want to be snuck up on.”
He opens the trapdoor to the lower decks. A ladder leads down into the ship.
You hear hooves on the deck and turn to see the goat-horned demon standing behind you.
“You thought you could actually get away?” he taunts.
Hawke steps between you and the demon.
The demon laughs. “I have no business with you, sea chief. Leave before you suffer the same fate as your men.”
Hawke doesn’t move.
The demon ignores him, addressing you directly. “Come with me, dear child. It’s time to bring this new world to heel.” He extends his hand.
A deep rumble fills the air and dark shape like a giant bird comes swooping overhead. It circles over the docks and heads for the mountains, climbing higher and higher on its leathery wings. The demon watches it with concern.
Run while he’s distracted.
Surrender yourself.
You can’t ask a noble you’ve barely met to follow you into such danger.
Sybil closes the door after you. You hear her draw the bolt on the other side.
The passage is pitch black. You wish you had brought a torch. As you stare ahead into the darkness you think you can see something up ahead. The passage seems to be lit by a faint glow. It takes you a moment to realize the glow is coming from you, or your hands more specifically. In each palm there is a small ball of red flame. You don’t feel anything from the fire, not even warmth. You close one hand to extinguish the flame and keep the other going.
Whatever Vale did to you, it seems to have transferred some of his power to you. You wish you knew how to harness it, but for now you must be content letting it manifest itself at random.
You move quickly down the hallway trying to come up with a plan. Sybil said to escape, but where to? You assume the land to the east between Tyven and Doria would be the most dangerous. South of the capital is full of farmland owned by the king, meaning regular guard patrols and too many people with ties to Tyven. That leaves the north and west, each with their own challenges.
You hear a low growl up ahead. It sounds like a feral dog. You thrust your hand out to illuminate the passage and see a tall, lean hound baring its teeth. You stand motionless, watching as it transforms before your eyes into a tall, lean man then back down into a dog. The shapeshifter growls at you, its canine body lowering ready to attack.
Run!
Use your magic.
You can’t ask a noble you’ve barely met to follow you into such danger.
Sybil closes the door after you. You hear her draw the bolt on the other side.
The passage is pitch black. You wish you had brought a torch. As you stare ahead into the darkness you think you can see something up ahead. The passage seems to be lit by a faint glow. It takes you a moment to realize the glow is coming from you, or your hands more specifically. In each palm there is a small ball of red flame. You don’t feel anything from the fire, not even warmth. You close one hand to extinguish the flame and keep the other going.
Whatever Vale did to you, it seems to have transferred some of his power to you. You wish you knew how to harness it, but for now you must be content letting it manifest itself at random.
You move quickly down the hallway trying to come up with a plan. Sybil said to escape, but where to? You assume the land to the east between Tyven and Doria would be the most dangerous. South of the capital is full of farmland owned by the king, meaning regular guard patrols and too many people with ties to Tyven. That leaves the north and west, each with their own challenges.
You hear a low growl up ahead. It sounds like a feral dog. You thrust your hand out to illuminate the passage and see a tall, lean hound baring its teeth. You stand motionless, watching as it transforms before your eyes into a tall, lean man then back down into a dog. The shapeshifter growls at you, its canine body lowering ready to attack.
Run!
Use your magic.
You turn and run back down the passage. You can hear the dog’s nails scratching up the stones as it chases after you. The hound is built like a racing dog and is fast, much faster than you. You feel paws against your back and hit the ground hard. The wind is knocked out of you and the flame in your hand goes out. You feel disoriented. You can’t breathe.
Human arms wrap around your body restricting your movements. The human form of the shapeshifter has a wiry, savage strength. He pushes up your dress and shoves your panties aside. You writhe underneath him fighting to keep from being violated. You try to rekindle the red fire in your palms, anything to prevent the inevitable. But your magic won’t come. You are defenseless.
The shapeshifter forces himself inside you, his human cock too long to fit all the way. He tries to push it in further against the resistance of your body. You can feel your stomach bulging where he can go no further, and then an odd feeling of pressure as his cock slips against something deep inside of you. The feeling sends tingles through your body like nothing you’ve ever felt before.
You let out a low, deep moan and the shapeshifter moves h
is hips the same way again, the tip of his cock brushing against that new part of you and making the pressure build more. You can feel yourself drenching his cock in your juices. You grind back against him, craving that deep feeling of pleasure. You think his cock might be rubbing your cervix, in just the right way that it doesn’t hurt or feel uncomfortable. Far from it. It’s driving you wild.
You pant and moan like an animal as the shapeshifter moves on top of you. Your body is covered in sweat and you can feel the delicious building, building, building of pressure and then your body is tingling all over, vibrating as it never has before. You feel release from your head to your toes, coming in waves and patterns through your nerves. You don’t think you’ve ever felt this before.
As the vibrations settle you feel a change in the shapeshifter. He is no longer bearing his weight on you, and it feels like there is a bulge at the base of his cock where there wasn’t one before. You try to slide his cock out of you, but it gets stuck around the bulge. You hear canine panting. You look over your shoulder but it’s too dark to see anything without the red flame in your palm.
You wait there in the dark, too scared to move. Every time you shift you feel a small aftershock of your deep orgasm, even knowing that the shapeshifter is no longer human.
Finally you feel a tugging and a pop as the shapeshifter pulls out, followed by a warm flow of liquid from inside you. You hear paws on stone growing fainter until they disappear down the pitch black hall. Only then do you have the courage to fix your clothing and get up.
Your palms rekindle with fire, the red glow seeming to mock your lack of command over it. You cast your eyes away from the gleaming white puddle in the middle of the hall and continue forward. Hopefully there are no more horrors waiting in the dark.
