The Feast

by Rowan Bree

  He smiles a little to himself and looks at you. “That collar looks good on you.”

  You hit him and he offers to take it off you. He removes a long metal pin from his belt and reaches around to the clasp. You hear a grating sound and then relief as the heavy iron is removed from your neck.

  Eli tosses the collar from the wagon, then leans in to kiss you. His breath smells like herb smoke and whisky.

  Kiss him back.

  Stop him.

  Instinct kicks in and you rush at Vale. His violet eyes flash as he grabs you, the dagger falling from his hand. He is much stronger than you anticipated and pins your arms to your sides with little trouble.

  “Kitten,” he whispers in your ear. “Oh how I’ve missed you.”

  Suddenly his arms go slack and you escape his grip. Sticking out of his back is the dagger, the handle held tight by Eli.

  “Run!” Eli shouts.

  You smell smoke and see fire. The room erupts into chaos as the black curtains go up in flame. Sybil comes running towards you with a candle in her hand. She holds it to the curtains over the entrance as you duck out of the room. The hallway is already filling with thick smoke.

  “It’s a good thing you were there,” Eli chokes. “I thought I was dead.”

  “You should have been.” Sybil says from behind you. She looks mildly annoyed, but far too composed for having just left a burning room.

  Eli struggles to talk as the three of you hurry out of the castle.

  “Where’s Jasper?”

  You can hear the faint tolling of bells. The alarm has been sounded and the guards will be looking for you. That is, if they’re not all drunk and sluggish from the feast.

  Sybil replies, “If Jasper’s heard the bells he should be headed to our rendezvous point. I prepared a getaway for a worst-case scenario. Which this definitely is.”

  You somehow make it out of the castle without running into any guards or wandering guests. The city streets are quiet, but the Sybil keeps to the shadows nevertheless. After a while she cuts on to the main thoroughfare and leads you to a cart parked there. It’s packed to the top with crates and barrels. Jasper stands beside it.

  “What’s he doing here?” Jasper asks, nodding towards Eli.

  Eli hiccups. “I wasn’t about to be left at the hideout all alone.”

  “What happened?” Jasper asks.

  “Vale’s dead,” Sybil replies. A dark look crosses Jasper’s face. “You can thank Eli for that. I don’t think the king’s going to take kindly to us now.”

  Sybil climbs up to take the reigns of the cart with Jasper. Eli joins you in the back. There is barely room for the two of you among all the supplies and you wonder how long of a journey Sybil has planned for.

  The cart jerks and you tumble back against Eli. You push yourself back to sitting expecting a snarky comment from the elf. But instead he is quiet. The ragged edge of his ear looks brutal in the moonlight, and for a second you think you can see the bruised little core of his heart usually hidden by his attitude.

  “What’s wrong?” You ask him.

  Eli shrugs. “I liked Tyven.”

  That can’t be all that’s bothering him, but you don’t pursue it. He doesn’t seem in a mood to talk.

  He smiles a little to himself and looks at you. “That collar looks good on you.”

  You hit him and he offers to take it off you. He removes a long metal pin from his belt and reaches around to the clasp. You hear a grating sound and then relief as the heavy iron is removed from your neck.

  Eli tosses the collar from the wagon, then leans in to kiss you. His breath smells like herb smoke and whisky.

  Kiss him back.

  Stop him.

  You kiss him back, savoring the smoky taste of him. The cart jostles making your teeth bump together. Eli laughs.

  He hikes up your dress and pulls you onto his lap. Though you know Sybil and Jasper are just on the other side of the tower of crates, you let the elf remove your panties. You watch as they fly away on the wind.

  “Whoops,” Eli says. His grin is anything but apologetic.

  You shove him backwards and kiss him hard. He pulls your dress up further and you can feel the cool night air on your wet pussy. Eli’s fingers are cool too, but warm quickly as he tickles you. You reach into his pants and stroke his cock.

  The wind shifts and bits of Jasper and Sybil’s conversation drift towards you. They seem to be talking about you but you can’t make much out between the jostling of the cart and Eli’s soft moans in your ear.

  Eli stops teasing you and pulls your hips closer.

  You push down his pants and press yourself against the length of his cock. You rub against his stiff member, your clit tingling from the stimulation. He moans and tries to reposition to enter you. But you’re not going to let him inside.

  “Fuck, I’m gonna cum,” he groans. He turns his head away, his face screwed up in concentration as he tries to hold back.

  You hump against him harder. You can feel his heartbeat in his pulsing cock, then a thick wet warmth as he cums all over your pussy. You cling to him, your hips moving faster and faster as you near orgasm. You bite down hard on Eli’s shoulder and let out a muffled cry.

  You continue to cling to him as you come down from your high. He strokes your back and chuckles softly in your ear.

  “You think you could go another?” he asks, his finger pressing against your ass. Even the slight pressure makes you moan and you can feel your body opening to welcome him.

  You reach for his cock but he stops you, tucking it back into his pants.

  He says, “I want to see how many times you can cum before we make it to the outpost.”

  Horny as you are, you think he might lose count before then.

  You kiss Eli deeply as he teases you with his finger, coaxing him to penetrate you. He slides his finger between your labia until it’s slick then presses again against your ass. This time it slips in.

  Eli gently fucks your ass with his finger as you hump against him. You can tell that the elf is still hard through his pants. He slips in another finger and your body instinctively clenches. You can feel yourself coming again.

  “Number two,” Eli chuckles as you collapse against him. “Oh don’t worry, you’re safe. I was just counting.”

  You smack him in the chest for ruining the mood.

  Eli smiles. “Oh, we’re not done yet.”

  Continue.

  “We’re here.”

  Exhausted, you lie back in the cart. You feel as if all your muscles have turned to butter and you can’t even muster the willpower to fix your dress still hiked up around your waist. Not once did Eli climax himself, though you could tell he wanted to. You wonder if he enjoys denying himself like that.

  “Shit, almost forgot.”

  A folded piece of parchment lands on your chest.

  “You were supposed to read this before we got there. Jasper didn’t know how to tell you this in person. Despite what you may think, he’s kind of a pussy.”

  You unfold the parchment. Jasper’s handwriting is small and scratchy but perfectly legible. You recognize it from the note you found in your pocket, the one telling you to go to Tyven. In the light of the moon you read.

  Since you are reading this, it must mean that Vale is dead. He made me promise to let you decide who you wanted to be, which side you would choose. A do-over of sorts after you lost your memory. Vale claimed it was the only fair way. You are probably wondering why I agreed to Vale’s wishes, but my relationship with the mage was far too complex to explain in one letter. Perhaps in time you will come to understand the bonds that tied us together. Maybe not forgive, but at least understand. What I am about to write I should have told you back in the forest that first time we met.

  You are from Doria. You watched as the Order rose to power and slowly turned your city into a church for the worship of their gods. Whether you never believed in th
e Order, or were a devotee with a change of heart, I do not know. What I do know is that you decided to try and warn Tyven of the growing threat the Order posed.

  My friends and I first heard of you when you were captured on the way to Tyven. You were to be tried for treason in Doria. We already knew somewhat of the Order’s plans, and knew you would be a valuable asset to our cause. So we coordinated a rescue operation to spirit you from the prison convoy heading back to Doria.

  Unfortunately all did not go as planned. In the scuffle I lost sight of you and had to make a quick getaway. I hoped you were safe and tried looking for you in the forest afterwards. There I ran into Vale, who was looking for you too. He told me that you lost your memory, and it was then that we made our little bargain at your expense.

  I suspected he was lying about your memory loss, but when I later met you, you confirmed my worst fears. It was then I realized the stakes I was playing with. From then on I kept an eye on you and tried to subtly guide you towards our cause. Whether it was my efforts or chance that brought us together, I’m glad to have finally found the opportunity to give you this letter.

  Here’s to hoping that your memories will one day return. And if not, we’ll just have to make some new, better ones. And here’s to saving the kingdom and seeing the Order crushed once and for all.

  It’s an honor to fight at your side,

  Jasper Swift

  You close the letter and tuck it into your dress. The stars seem too bright. Is this who you were all along? It seems fate did its job of bringing you back where you belong—with the resistance, with Eli.

  Epilogue.

  You put your hand on his chest, stopping him.

  “You’re right, it’s not a good time,” Eli says.

  He smiles and leans back to look at the stars. You see a flicker of flame and smell smoke. You too watch the stars, marveling at the series of events that brought you here.

  Eli pulls a folded piece of parchment from his tunic. He hands it to you.

  “Jasper told me to give this to you. He didn’t know how to tell you in person. Despite what you may think, he’s kind of a pussy.”

  You take the parchment and unfold it. Jasper’s handwriting is small and scratchy but perfectly legible. You recognize it from the note you found in your pocket, the one telling you to go to Tyven. In the light of the moon you read.

  Since you are reading this, it must mean that Vale is dead. He made me promise to let you decide who you wanted to be, which side you would choose. A do-over of sorts after you lost your memory. Vale claimed it was the only fair way. You are probably wondering why I agreed to Vale’s wishes, but my relationship with the mage was far too complex to explain in one letter. Perhaps in time you will come to understand the bonds that tied us together. Maybe not forgive, but at least understand. What I am about to write I should have told you back in the forest that first time we met.

  You are from Doria. You watched as the Order rose to power and slowly turned your city into a church for the worship of their gods. Whether you never believed in the Order, or were a devotee with a change of heart, I do not know. What I do know is that you decided to try and warn Tyven of the growing threat the Order posed.

  My friends and I first heard of you when you were captured on the way to Tyven. You were to be tried for treason in Doria. We already knew somewhat of the Order’s plans, and knew you would be a valuable asset to our cause. So we coordinated a rescue operation to spirit you from the prison convoy heading back to Doria.

  Unfortunately all did not go as planned. In the scuffle I lost sight of you and had to make a quick getaway. I hoped you were safe and tried looking for you in the forest afterwards. There I ran into Vale, who was looking for you too. He told me that you lost your memory, and it was then that we made our little bargain at your expense.

  I suspected he was lying about your memory loss, but when I later met you, you confirmed my worst fears. It was then I realized the stakes I was playing with. From then on I kept an eye on you and tried to subtly guide you towards our cause. Whether it was my efforts or chance that brought us together, I’m glad to have finally found the opportunity to give you this letter.

  Here’s to hoping that your memories will one day return. And if not, we’ll just have to make some new, better ones. And here’s to saving the kingdom and seeing the Order crushed once and for all.

  It’s an honor to fight at your side,

  Jasper Swift

  You close the letter and tuck it into your dress. The stars seem too bright. Rings of herb smoke float out into the night, making your eyes water. You close them and let the rattle of the cart lull you away from your thoughts.

  Epilogue.

  You recognize Vale immediately, the black mage who tried to get you to complete some dark ritual with him way back in the forest. You remember how you tricked him long enough to get away, handcuffing him and teasing him until he begged you to let him cum. And now here you are, about to be given to him as a gift.

  Vale smiles a snakelike smile, his violet eyes shining. “Dear kitten,” he purrs. “What a fortuitous surprise.”

  The king looks taken aback. “Do you know each other?” he asks.

  Vale’s smile grows. “Intimately,” he says. “You don’t know how honored I am to receive such a gift. Doria will forever be in the debt of Tyven.”

  The king chuckles humbly. “I had no idea. But I’m glad you’re so honored. I must get back to the feast, but I will be joining you later. Please enjoy your night and let my servants know if you need anything at all.”

  With that the king takes his leave. Vale waits until he is out of the room before pouncing on you.

  “What luck,” he says, his gloved fingers closing around your throat. He yanks you towards him. He smells of lavender and candle wax. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten our unfinished business.”

  The mages take you kicking and screaming to Vale’s chambers. They throw you on the bed and lock the door behind them. You try to get up but Vale mutters something in Dorian and you feel frozen in place. Your muscles go rigid as you fight his magic, but no matter how much you try your body won’t move.

  “Don’t fight it,” he says stroking your cheek. “Fate has brought us back together. The Old Ones want us to complete this ritual and they will keep pushing us until we obey.”

  He yanks down your dress exposing your breasts. His gloved hand cups your soft skin making you shiver.

  “I could spare you the indignity you suffered upon me,” he says, “but I won’t. I’d rather you suffer in the same way I did. Do you know how long it took to get those shackles off? How angry the Old Ones were with me? How much my cock has ached for that which it has been denied?”

  He takes an ornate dagger from the bedside table and holds it above you. “Don’t move,” he says.

  You feel his control over you lift. Your body trembles with fear. Vale brings the dagger down between your legs, tracing the line of your tender calf with the sharp blade. When he gets to the hem of your dress he pulls the dagger swiftly upwards, tearing through the fabric as if its nothing at all. He continues to cut through your dress until it is split up the center. He gently parts the two sides to expose your naked body.

  “Exquisite,” he sighs. He puts the dagger aside and leans down towards your pussy. He takes in a deep breath then lets out a warm exhale that tickles your clit. You try to bring a knee up into his face but find that you can’t move again. He must have been strengthening his magic in the time you have been apart.

  “You remember what I said about needing sexual energy for the ritual to work,” he says. “The longer you fight, the longer this is going to take.”

  He slips a finger between your pussy lips. He holds it up for you to see the glistening wetness there. You imagine all sorts of painful deaths for the mage as he taunts you with your own arousal.

  “Oh, maybe you do like a fight?” he says. “I can work with that. I can be rough
if that’s what you want.”

  He straddles you and puts his hands around your throat. He slowly tightens his grip until you can hear your heartbeat in your ears. His hips grind down against you. The pressure against your clit makes you moan involuntarily.

  “What was that kitten?” Vale taunts. His face swims out of focus.

  You try to speak but you can’t get enough air. He keeps grinding against you, knowing it’s only a matter of time before you come. He opens his mouth and lets a slow trickle of spit drip down onto your lips.

  You can’t hold out any longer. Your body shudders underneath the mage. He lets go of your throat and gets off you. You want to believe he’s done with you but you know that’s not true. He is going to make you pay for what you did to him in the forest.

  He undoes the silver clasps of his robe and lets it fall to the floor. You can see the outline of each muscle on his thin frame. He is hairless all the way down to his long cock. The bastard is hard from taunting you.

  “It’s time,” Vale says, his voice coming out growly. His violet eyes flash red and a dark mist starts to fill the room. The Old Ones are here, you think with horror. They are giving Vale the power to complete the ritual with you.

  Vale pulls you to the edge of the bed and positions his cock against your pussy. He no longer needs to be careful not to touch you, not now that the Old Ones have possession of his body. You gasp as he thrusts into you, your mind flooding with hellish images of burning landscapes and bottomless pits. Through the dark mist you can see Vale’s sweaty face above yours, his brow furrowed in concentration as he fucks you forcefully.

  At some point you black out, your mind unable to handle the intense violation. Your nightmares are filled with visions of the netherworld. It all feels so real, Vale’s endless thrusting and the sound of your cries as he makes you come over and over again. Above you in the sky circle winged beasts with horns. They are waiting for the portal to be opened between their realm and yours.