by Rowan Bree
You politely decline Eli’s invitation. “You’re drunk,” you say.
“And you’re pretty,” he replies.
“It’s not going to happen.”
As you head for the street he says, “Hey, aren’t you going to miss the feast?”
You ask him how he knew.
“Why else would you be dressed like that?” he replies. “Just your luck I’m going that way myself. I’ll walk you.”
You don’t really have a choice as the elf starts to follow you down the road towards the castle. He takes an herb cigarette from behind his ear and lights it with a snap of his fingers. The smoke’s thick sweetness tickles your nose.
“You’re local,” he says, taking a deep drag. “But not anyone I’ve seen. Who are you, anyway?”
You find yourself at a loss for explanation, but Eli doesn’t seem bothered. He rambles on, “As long as you’re not one of those Dorian hags it’s all good. You know they’re trying to take over Tyven just like the old days. The black mages, those evil bastards,” he hiccups, “are going to use their dark magic to cast a spell on the king at the feast and make him pledge his allegiance to their cult. Then we’re all fucked.”
The castle is just up ahead. The courtyard is lively with arriving guests. Eli talks faster. “Seriously, though. Their leader is a real bad guy. Like human sacrifices bad. Him and his cult are going to be at the feast. I’m not sure what they’re planning, but I wouldn’t go in there if I were you.”
You watch a centaur trot past towards the castle. He nods at you and you curtsy in return. You wonder what other sorts of guests the king has invited.
Eli grabs your arm. “Are you even listening to me?”
“Yeah,” you reply, still watching the arriving guests. “Dark magic. Evil.” It sounds like a conspiracy, and the elf’s smoking habit doesn’t help. You shake him off and continue towards the castle.
You hear the elf swear behind you. “I didn’t want to have to do this,” he says. The next thing you know the elf has tackled you into the bushes beside the road. You hear a rip as your dress catches on some twigs.
You hiss expletives at him.
He puts his finger to his lips. “Shut up. I’m saving your life.”
“You’re crazy,” you whisper. “I’m going to the feast.”
“You can’t. It’s dangerous. And anyway you don’t have an invitation.”
You pat the bosom of your dress where you had safely tucked the envelope but it isn’t there. The elf is right.
“Give it back,” you tell him.
He feigns an innocent look. “I don’t have it.”
You spot the dagger on his belt and lunge for it. He scrambles out of the way just in time and produces the envelope from his sleeve.
“Oh this?” he asks. He snaps his fingers and the parchment goes up in flames. He winks. “I promise I’m only doing this for your good. Let me show you what I mean.”
He points towards a gap in the bushes and you reluctantly follow him. He skirts the castle wall finding a low bit where the stones have crumbled away. He clambers over this and drops to the other side. You do the same.
“I thought the castle was dangerous,” you say.
Eli leads you through the castle grounds as if well familiar with it. There is not a soul in sight, not even a single patrolling guardsman. You assume they are all too busy with the feast. Eli takes you through a door up a set of stairs onto a small platform of sorts overlooking the castle grounds. The platform is wedged between a high wall and one of the castle’s towers leaving little space for the two of you.
“In here,” he says, pointing to a low window in the tower. Through it you can see an empty bedroom. An open space has been cleared at the foot of the bed and a large circular symbol carved into the wood. Red candles are melted at intervals into the design. There is a pool of what looks like blood in the center. A large book lies open on the bed. Its pages are covered in illustrations of demonic beasts.
“The Order,” Eli whispers. “I told you they’re evil. We have to stop them before they enchant the king and take over the kingdom.”
“What’s your plan?” you ask.
“That bedroom belongs to one of the top mages, the only one with any real power. If we get rid of him, we save the kingdom.”
Ask Eli for a smoke first.
Get to work.
You practically jump on him and he stumbles back further into the shadows. Perhaps not your best moment of judgment, but watching that couple has turned your body into a live wire. The elf loses his footing and falls backwards onto the ground, pulling you down with him. You grasp at each other clumsy, frantic, and desperate to feel each other. His tongue tastes of alcohol and his blue skin smells of herb smoke. He bites your lip. You bite him back.
You yank down his pants and straddle him. He thrusts up into you as you grind down on him. His fingers sink into your ass cheeks, spreading them while you fuck him.
You pant into his mouth and when you come up for air a string of spit runs between your lips and his. You spit into his mouth and then kiss him while his cock jerks inside you.
“I came,” he says. You can feel his sticky cum coating his cock and your thighs. “You can get off me now.”
“Shut up,” you tell him and clamp a hand over his mouth. He tries to bite you and you give him a warning slap. He growls and thrusts against you hard,
nearly bucking you off him. You grind against him harder.
His growls grow more insistent. He’s going to cum again and you haven’t even gotten off once. Your hand finds his throat. “Don’t you dare,” you say.
“Fuck you. I’ll do what I want,” he spits. You apply a bit of pressure to his windpipe, just enough to warn him. He tries again to buck you off. The feeling of him writhing underneath you starts a fire inside of you. You’re so close.
Eli moans as he floods you again. You swear in frustration and get off him. He looks at you defiant. “It’s not my fault you’re difficult.”
You reply with a rude gesture.
“Come here,” he says pulling you towards him by the legs. You struggle against him but give in as soon as his lips touch your pussy. You twine your fingers in his dark hair as he sucks on your clit, pressing your thighs to either side of his head. He slips a finger inside you.
You throw your head back and your body goes rigid. The stars above are full of a fierce light and you feel like you could reach out and touch them if you wanted to. Eli melts into the background, though the pleasure he is giving you is magnified a hundredfold. It is just you and the universe. Grass tickles the back of your neck as your body relaxes, a dark pool of pleasure enveloping you. You sink into the earth. It is alive underneath you. Mother nature is welcoming you into her warm, loving embrace. You feel calm, at peace.
When you finally sit up Eli is off to the side smoking something. “Got a glimpse of the beyond?”
“Something like that,” you reply.
“Glad to be of service,” he winks.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Eli takes a long drag of his cigarette and exhales a large smoke ring. “I’ve taken so many substances I’m like a magic toad. Lick me and I’ll get you high. Though in this case, I licked you.”
You have to admit you’ve warmed up quite a bit to this strange elf. But you have places to be, namely the king’s feast. You get up and smooth down your dress.
“Where are you off to so fast?” Eli asks.
“The feast,” you reply.
Eli shakes his head. “Bad idea. The black mages from Doria are going to be there. They’re planning on placing an enchantment on the king so that he pledges Tyven’s allegiance to their cult. If they do that we’re all fucked.”
After all this trouble are you really going to miss the feast? “Then what do you suppose I should do instead?” you ask him.
“Help me stop the mages,” he says.
The n
ext thing you know, you and Eli are crouched in the bushes behind the castle. Eli points towards a low bit in the wall where the stones have crumbled away. He clambers over this and drops to the other side. You do the same.
“So the feast is dangerous, but breaking into the castle is safe?” you ask him.
He makes a face at you but doesn’t reply.
Eli leads you through the castle grounds as if well familiar with it. There is not a soul in sight, not even a single patrolling guardsman. You assume they are all too busy with the feast. Eli takes you through a door up a set of stairs onto a small platform of sorts overlooking the castle grounds. The platform is wedged between a high wall and one of the castle’s towers leaving little space for the two of you.
“In here,” he says, pointing to a low window in the tower about level with the platform. Through it you can see an empty bedroom. An open space has been cleared at the foot of the bed and a large circular symbol carved into the wood. Red candles are melted at intervals into the design. There is a pool of what looks like blood in the center. A large book lies open on the bed. Its pages are covered in illustrations of demonic beasts.
“The mages,” Eli whispers. “I told you they’re evil. We have to stop them before they enchant the king and take over the kingdom.”
“What’s your plan?” you ask.
“That bedroom belongs to one of the top mages, the only one with any real power. If we get rid of him, we save the kingdom.”
It sounds a bit risky but you trust that Eli knows what he’s doing.
Get to work.
Ask Eli for a smoke first.
“Can I have a smoke?” you ask.
Eli chokes. “What, now?”
“You’re going to judge me?”
He laughs as he takes a small leather pouch from his belt. “No judgment here.” He rolls a cigarette, lights it, and hands it to you. The paper is slightly damp from his lips.
The smoke is sweet as you inhale, but sharp as it exits your mouth. You fight the urge to cough.
“What’s in this?” you ask.
Eli squints down into his herb pouch in the dark. “It’s, um, oh shit.”
You can barely see him beyond the pulse of his aura. It starts out dark blue like his skin but begins to shift into a brighter sea foam and then an electric green. Your body feels weightless, remote. Your vision goes black…
…but only for a second. You feel taller than you should be and look down to see your body standing there. But you’re not in it. You continue to drift upwards as Eli frantically tries to get a response from you. Too bad you’ve flown the coop.
“I fucked up,” Eli says looking up towards the sky. He must have realized what happened and is trying to talk to you. “You’re astral projecting. If you focus you can come back down, back into your body. Think of the weight of your body. Try to become heavy. Otherwise you’ll drift up into the stars and never come back down.”
Though the feeling of weightlessness is euphoric, you heed Eli’s warning and try to think heavy thoughts. You think about your arms, legs, the mass of your body. Gravity begins pulling you back down to earth. You are nearly there, just a little bit more. Your feet touch the ground.
“Okay, this can work too. We just have to hide your body first.”
Eli is looking at you, but his words don’t make sense. You turn to see yourself still standing there, dead-eyed. A strange colored glow, more muted than before, radiates off everything except your lifeless body. Even the castle walls are giving off a faint silver aura.
“What’s happening?” you ask.
Eli grins. “We’ve just stumbled upon the perfect plan, my astral-projecting darling.”
“Am I dead?” you ask.
“No, still astral projecting. But you’ve made your soul corporeal. I can see you and touch you now.”
Eli touches your arm. You recoil instinctively from the intensity of sensation. Even though his fingers barely grazed you, you could feel yourself melting into Eli’s very being. It was shockingly intimate.
Eli chuckles. “You can’t even imagine what sex is like in this state.” He waggles his eyebrows. “But there’s no time for that now. Usually it takes a ton of practice to get to this level, but it seems like you’re a natural. Nothing can hurt you while you’re like this and you can pass through the mortal realm like a shadow. You’re the perfect assassin.”
“You want me to kill the mage,” you say. Why does this sound like a very bad idea?
Eli nods. “You’re invincible. What could go wrong?”
Having no good argument against Eli’s plan, you help him stash your lifeless body out of sight and enter the castle. By thinking yourself weightless again you are able to pass through the solid stone walls like a ghost. You get glimpses of the castle’s memories as you pass through the wall but they are too fast to fixate on any one. Soon you are standing in the mage’s bedroom with a smug-looking Eli waving at you from the window.
“I forgot to mention,” he adds, “you might see some weird stuff. Just try to ignore it.”
You hear footsteps approaching and Eli ducks out of view. You will yourself invisible. Miraculously, it works.
The man who enters the room has a dark demeanor despite his lithe, pale body. His hair is an odd shade of silver and his eyes flash violet as he looks around the room. He spots the grimoire on the bed and goes to pick it up.
He must be the mage you’re supposed to kill.
I know him from the forest.
“Can I have a smoke?” you ask.
Eli chokes. “What, now?”
“You’re going to judge me?”
He laughs as he takes a small leather pouch from his belt. “No judgment here.” He rolls a cigarette, lights it, and hands it to you. The paper is slightly damp from his lips.
The smoke is sweet as you inhale, but sharp as it exits your mouth. You fight the urge to cough.
“What’s in this?” you ask.
Eli squints down into his herb pouch in the dark. “It’s, um, oh shit.”
You can barely see him beyond the pulse of his aura. It starts out dark blue like his skin but begins to shift into a brighter sea foam and then an electric green. Your body feels weightless, remote. Your vision goes black…
…but only for a second. You feel taller than you should be and look down to see your body standing there. But you’re not in it. You continue to drift upwards as Eli frantically tries to get a response from you. Too bad you’ve flown the coop.
“I fucked up,” Eli says looking up towards the sky. He must have realized what happened and is trying to talk to you. “You’re astral projecting. If you focus you can come back down, back into your body. Think of the weight of your body. Try to become heavy. Otherwise you’ll drift up into the stars and never come back down.”
Though the feeling of weightlessness is euphoric, you heed Eli’s warning and try to think heavy thoughts. You think about your arms, legs, the mass of your body. Gravity begins pulling you back down to earth. You are nearly there, just a little bit more. Your feet touch the ground.
“Okay, this can work too. We just have to hide your body first.”
Eli is looking at you, but his words don’t make sense. You turn to see yourself still standing there, dead-eyed. A strange colored glow, more muted than before, radiates off everything except your lifeless body. Even the castle walls are giving off a faint silver aura.
“What’s happening?” you ask.
Eli grins. “We’ve just stumbled upon the perfect plan, my astral-projecting darling.”
“Am I dead?” you ask.
“No, still astral projecting. But you’ve made your soul corporeal. I can see you and touch you now.”
Eli touches your arm. You recoil instinctively from the intensity of sensation. Even though his fingers barely grazed you, you could feel yourself melting into Eli’s very being. It was shockingly intimate, much more so than your earlier
hookup.
Eli chuckles. “You can’t even imagine what sex is like in this state.” He waggles his eyebrows. “But there’s no time for that now. Usually it takes a ton of practice to get to this level, but it seems like you’re a natural. Nothing can hurt you while you’re like this and you can pass through the mortal realm like a shadow. You’re the perfect assassin.”
“You want me to kill the mage,” you say. Why does this sound like a very bad idea?
Eli nods. “You’re invincible. What could go wrong?”
Having no good argument against Eli’s plan, you help him stash your lifeless body out of sight and enter the castle. By thinking yourself weightless again you are able to pass through the solid stone walls like a ghost. You get glimpses of the castle’s memories as you pass through the wall but they are too fast to fixate on any one. Soon you are standing in the mage’s bedroom with a smug-looking Eli waving at you from the window.
“I forgot to mention,” he adds, “you might see some weird stuff. Just try to ignore it.”
You hear footsteps approaching and Eli ducks out of view. You will yourself invisible. Miraculously, it works.
The man who enters the room has a dark demeanor despite his lithe, pale body. His hair is an odd shade of silver and his eyes flash violet as he looks around the room. He spots the grimoire on the bed and goes to pick it up.
He must be the mage you’re supposed to kill.
I know him from the forest.
You ask Eli what he needs you to do.
“Uh, I haven’t exactly thought that far ahead,” he replies. Of course, you tell yourself. What were you expecting?
“Hey, give me a hand with this.” Eli grapples with the windowpane.
You let him struggle for a while before helping him yank it open on its creaky hinges. An odd fragrance drifts out from the room. It is almost floral but not quite. It gives you a creepy feeling.
