by Bruce Sentar
She hadn’t pushed for confirmation until now, but he knew she’d suspected it for a while. He had no idea what their relationship had fully been before, but it had sounded like they were intimate at least.
He could only imagine what it would be like for her to realize someone she cared for, someone she mourned, was alive again, but also know that he wasn’t quite the same and didn’t have whatever feelings he did in the other life. It would be hard for her to separate her feelings between the two of them.
“What are you brooding about?” Amber asked, coming back to his side, her hands behind her back and chest pressed out.
Dar looked back towards where they had gone and saw Sasha sitting on the back of the wagon while the doctor inspected the wound. “She okay?”
“Yeah, she just wanted me to come back and keep you company. It looks like Cherry is gone again.”
“You don’t find that odd?” he asked.
Amber shrugged. “Spirits are like that sometimes. They go back into the object they are bound to.”
Dar didn’t let it show on his face, but he was surprised. Cherry had shown the ability to almost teleport around, yet everyone seemed to be accepting it as her going back into her tree.
“Anyways, I’ve been tasked with finding you a shovel,” Amber continued.
“Oh, you don’t have to,” Dar reflexively dismissed the offer.
But the look of horror on Amber’s face pulled him up short. She looked like he had just massively scolded her, or maybe fired her.
He sighed, remembering that this world wasn’t as progressive as the one he’d come from. “No, I just meant you didn’t have to. I’ll do it.”
That only seemed to make it worse. “But, milord, I assure you. I’m more than capable of such a task.”
Dar let out a heavy sigh. He realized this was just going to get worse, so he relented. “Great. I need it to dig through some soft soil. It doesn’t need to be bronze, just sturdy enough to move some dirt.”
Amber nodded, thinking as she spoke. “So a wooden shovel. Would that work?”
Dar nodded; it would do just fine. That black soil was loose enough for him to dig with his hands; he didn’t need a bladed shovel.
“Anything else? I’m pretty sure the shovel won’t take much time.”
He pulled the sword off his hip. The thing had been through quite a bit. “Think I can get this patched up?”
Amber eyed the blade. “I’m not so sure. I’m not a blacksmith like my father, but I have an eye for their work. That thing looks pretty bad. Even if the smith from town could do something, he won’t have a forge to do much.”
Dar thought about that and realized he could heat the sword himself, but he’d have to wait until it wouldn’t show his dao. Or he could maybe heat something else as a makeshift forge?
“I think I might be able to get Cherry to help with that piece. Do you think you could talk your father into being ready to work on the sword some night soon?”
Amber gave him an appraising look before assenting, shooting off to handle her tasks.
Her friend had been waiting in the wings, but before she could chase after Amber, Dar stopped her. “What’s your name?”
“Marcie,” the girl replied, looking down, seeming to refuse to meet his eyes.
He had a suspicion, so he moved his hand slightly; the suspicion confirmed when she winced slightly. There was a twinge of protectiveness that flared in Dar; this woman had seen abuse before.
“I won’t hit you,” he stated, trying to reinforce the words with a sense of gentleness.
“How, how did you?”
“Just perceptive. Happens when you spend so much of your life wandering around and observing people. Just want you to know you can trust me not to harm you, Marcie. Now, go catch up to Amber.”
The mousy girl tucked some of her dirty blonde hair behind her ear and forced herself to look up at Dar. She gave him a shy smile before darting after Amber.
“Poor girl,” Dar said to himself, shaking his head as he kept walking.
“That was sweet of you.” The voice to his side startled him, but he knew it well. Sasha had meandered back from the wagon.
He scratched the back of his head. “Oh, you saw that? Just wanted to make her feel comfortable.”
She gave a throaty chuckle. “Sure. By forcing her to confront her problem and guaranteeing her safety. I’m sure you’d say that’s what anyone would do, but it isn’t.”
Dar felt himself flush slightly at her bluntness and the way her hand trailed up his arm as she spoke.
“You are a good man, Dar. I believe you came from another world, and I’m sure it’s different. But here, to me, you are a great man.” Sasha stared into his eyes.
“Thanks.” Dar grabbed her hand in his own and stroked the back of it with his thumb. “It is very different here. Sometimes it’s hard to tell up from down, but you make it better.”
“That right there is something no wizard would ever say.” Sasha gave him a fake scolding face before lighting up.
“Yeah, I guess I have to work on my wizard persona before we reach the city.” That was not something he was looking forward to.
She nodded. “You do; you need to be firm in public. To most wizards, a demon or a spirit in their employ would be nothing more than an object. You don’t have to be cruel, but clinical might be a better way to say it.”
“Why would spirits or demons put up with a wizard? Why even give them enchantments?” The question had been bothering Dar.
“Remember humans live, what, sixty years at most?” Sasha explained. “For a three-hundred-year-old demon, getting sentences to work with one isn’t that long in the span of things.”
She shrugged, continuing, “As for enchantments, some are old. There have been a number of conflicts that those on a dao path have participated in, even amongst us.”
“Ah,” was all Dar could say, processing the information. Of course the demons and spirits weren’t immune to conflict, and it wasn’t like they were one big unified force. If anything, it seemed they were all out for themselves trying to walk their dao path.
There were just too few of them, and as a result, society was populated and run by humans. They had said before that spirits and demons were just different than humans, and he’d certainly seen that with Cherry. However, something bothered Dar.
“Who enforces something like sentencing a spirit with a grand dao?”
Sasha gave him a look he was growing used to at this point. Clearly, this was something obvious as well. “There are oaths, but once we reach where the Bell River meets the Sea, you’ll be able to see a very tall, lone mountain. It’s called Frost’s Fang and is a very steep, ice-capped mountain. Up there lives a demon with a celestial dao.”
Dar whistled. “So, they rule the area?”
“Not directly in anyway. The humans of the area learned long ago to make peace with those that had reached such a level. She claimed anything she can see from the top of her mountain as her domain. The humans who lead any of the cities built nearby go to her every generation for her acceptance.”
“Ah, so more like a ruler by proxy,” Dar summarized. “Their authority comes from her.”
“And from an enchanted weapon she gave them.” Sasha rolled her eyes. “Like she’d ever get involved in a mundane issue.”
“Isn’t that dangerous? To give them an enchanted weapon?” Dar asked.
Smiling, she shook her head. “Not at all, she has the complete mastery of the dao she enchanted. Why would it be a threat to her? But other demons that might encroach on her territory…”
It made sense. Why not deputize someone with a weapon that can’t hurt you and enable them to protect the territory without bothering you.
“A lot of the humans with enchantments became what they are because of powerful demons like the White. The artifacts had to come from somewhere, and it takes a lot of power.”
Sasha cast a look over her shoulder to make sure Cher
ry wasn’t on the cart. “Do you think we can trust Cherry?”
“Yes,” he answered quickly. She’d given him no reason not to trust her, and he had a feeling with their past relationship she was unlikely to betray them. “Besides, there’s not much we could do to stop her if she wanted to attack us, but I truly believe she’s our ally.”
Sasha hummed in agreement and leaned against Dar.
The two of them walked in silence for the rest of the afternoon.
The caravan was moving even faster than before. The attack seemed to have spurred the group on, especially the mayor. He was barking orders and pushing to make it to Bellhaven before another attack. It wasn’t until it had started to get too dark and people were tripping over uneven ground as the land sloped down to the river that they finally stopped for the night.
“Milord.” Amber showed up not long after the caravan had stopped, and she was holding a wooden shovel. It looked well used, but sturdy. It would do the job, and whatever farmer had pawned it off probably thought it a steal.
“Thank you. You did well.” He hefted the shovel up and laid it on the cart for the time being. He’d absorb it into his inner world when the coast was clear.
“You did well,” Sasha agreed, patting the top of Amber’s head and giving her a coin. But then she leaned down and whispered something into the girl’s ear.
Amber’s eyes widened before she smiled and nodded.
“What did you ask her?” Dar knew the fact that it had been kept secret meant he probably didn’t want to know but should.
Sasha grinned mischievously. “Oh nothing.”
“So, have we stopped for the night?” Cherry’s voice popped up behind him, as she reappeared. Dar gave her a look to let her know it was not entirely appreciated, but she didn’t seem to care.
When she confirmed they were stopped, Cherry popped off the back of the cart and paced around, seeming to want to find the right spot near her tree. Then she called on her dao, a small hut forming that they could sleep in for the night.
It was a far cry better than what everyone else was sleeping in. The other townspeople were lashing together their own shelters for the night, a sight that had become near ritualistic the last four days.
“Dar, come lay down.” Sasha pulled at his arm.
“I was thinking about helping the girls set up their shelters,” he replied, his eyes still on the forming camp.
“Dar.” Her tone was insistent, and he turned.
Her cheeks were rosy, like she had pinched them. Then he noticed that she’d lost the heavy skirt for something a bit more sheer, almost like a nightgown. In the dim light of the evening, he could just barely make out her shapely form underneath it, and he could feel his blood start to pump as he took her in.
It was all he could do to not hit himself in the forehead. “Of course. Now that you mention it, I’m feeling like we should turn in early.” He gave her a hungry smile as he prowled towards her, grabbing her and throwing her over his shoulder as he ducked to enter their hut.
Amber followed, and for a moment Dar thought he was going to have to make it clear this was just for Sasha and him, but she stopped at the entrance, setting up like a sentry.
He realized that’s what Sasha had been whispering about, and he let out a sigh of relief that it was something he was more than okay with. She might hear them, but he could care less. Let the entire town hear them for all he cared if it meant he could have Sasha.
As soon as they were inside, he set Sasha down on her feet, and she melted into him. Her soft body was heaven.
“I thought for a second I’d have to spell it out for you,” she teased him.
“Just distracted. After seeing you in this…” He picked at the flimsy nightgown. “I’d have to be an idiot to not make my move.” He cupped her ass and pulled her closer to claim her lips.
Sasha wrapped her legs around him as she moaned into his lips, pulling herself close. Feeling his fingers dig into her flesh, he kneaded her soft, pert ass. She was so soft, so malleable under his hands as he started to work his way up her hips.
She broke the kiss, leaning back breathing heavily as she stared at Dar. “I want you to know, what I said before I—”
Dar shushed her. “What you said when we first met is water under the bridge. So much has changed.”
Sasha seemed to accept his answer, nodding, and then gave him a coy smile. “Lay down.”
“Shouldn’t we get our clothes off?” he teased her, but her insistent hand pushed him back to lay on the grass.
“Why would you think I couldn’t take your clothes off?” Sasha’s fingertip pressed to the fabric on Dar’s chest and dragged her finger down.
The rough shirt parted under her finger like it was being unzipped.
“Oh,” was all he got out before she started kissing along his jawline and he forgot any other words. He sighed as her kisses started trailing lower, keeping eye contact with him as she kissed down his chest.
At the same time, her fingers trailed just ahead of her lips, cutting off the fabric. He could feel his member pushing against his pants, just waiting for when she’d break it free.
When she got to his navel, he felt the cool night air for just a moment before his erection was released and then immediately enveloped in her soft warm chest.
“Fuck.” Dar ground up into her silk-covered cleavage.
A soft, silky hand wrapped around his rod and pumped it slowly.
“I was really hoping that you wouldn’t have a small dick.” Her voice was almost melodic. He was hypnotized by her as she slid her hand along him. “I’m very pleasantly surprised.”
She purred, dipping her head down to meet the end of her strokes. She moved slowly, still meeting his eyes, and the anticipation of what was to come started driving him mad.
Dar felt her lips wrap around the head, and she gave it a slow, languid lick. When she moved back slightly before leaning down slowly again, he lost his control and thrust up into her mouth.
Her eyes lit up with laughter as she took him deeper into her mouth, swallowing half of him in a single fluid motion. She pumped up and down a few times before going a bit deeper.
It might have been her dao, but Dar swore he’d never felt a more inviting mouth in his life. It was warm and soft, coaxing him deeper and squeezing with just the right amount of tightness.
As she drew him deeper, she began gulping, working to draw his full length down her throat.
“You don’t have to—I know it’s big,” he said, tapping her head.
But Sasha just looked up with a look of pure defiance and breathed out her nose as she went deeper, her throat stretched around the head.
“Shit. You’re going to make me blow early,” Dar warned, his voice coming out huskier than normal. He’d been traveling with two beautiful women for the last few days, and he was more than a little pent up.
Sasha seemed to enjoy his predicament, beginning to encourage him further by bobbing her head up and down and humming a wordless tune around his cock. He felt like he’d entered some sort of dream-state, his body floating in euphoria as she continued to expertly build him up to release.
He lifted his head slightly, wanting to watch the gorgeous woman take him into her mouth and remember this moment.
It was by far the best blow job of his life. Between her dao of softness and elasticity, she was doing things that he’d never felt before, and he wasn’t sure he could do without again.
She continued to hum, and he felt a change as she stroked him in and out. The pressure built just slightly, the strokes a bit harder as she slid along his entire length. Dar reached to tell her he was about to come, but he crested the top before he could.
Releasing, he painted the back of her throat, watching her gulp it down and come off his cock with a satisfied smile. She licked her lips, watching him and seeming to enjoy his relaxed state. She ran her hands along his legs to soothe him further.
“You are going to have to give me a
minute to recover from that one,” Dar muttered, knowing there was a goofy grin on his face.
Sasha laughed, sliding back into his lap, trapping his cock between her sex and his hips. “I’m getting hot. Would you mind helping me out of this?”
She fanned herself and batted her eyes innocently at Dar.
He really didn’t need to be asked twice. Propping himself up, he reached forward to tug the tight-fitting clothing off, but it was too tight. Dar’s hands wandered, feeling for a button or a clasp, but it was like the piece was sewn entirely together.
That’s when he looked at her grin.
“Do I need to rip it off?” he asked, grabbing at the chest of her outfit.
Sasha wiggled her hips in response, and though he was still overly sensitive it felt good. “I think you just might.”
He pulled and tore right through the center of the thin garment, freeing her chest.
She gave a happy laugh as her pert pale breasts bounced free, and she leaned over offering them to him.
He hadn’t torn all the way through the garment, but he was a little distracted now as he cupped her chest and rolled her nipples. She swayed back and forth as he did, rubbing herself along his cock and coaxing it back for another round.
He could tell she meant to ride him, but after ripping her nightgown off, it had triggered something more primal in him.
“Get on your back.” He found himself nearly growling it as he sat up and rolled her gently over, positioning himself on top.
“Oh no,” Sasha said in a playful gasp.
Dar tore the rest of her nightgown off and took in the pale beauty below him. Sasha smiled back, her dark mane of hair spread haphazardly across the grass below her, her legs open and waiting for him.
He looked to her for confirmation, but there was no doubt left. They both wanted this, wanted each other.
Sinking into her silken folds, she let out a little gasp. He could feel her stretch to accept him, but she was so tight, like a perfectly fitting sheath for him. He let out a soul-deep sigh. This felt even better than her mouth, and he hadn’t even imagined that was possible. If he’d had any fears about being able to perform again, it was blown away by how hard he became.
