by Logan Jacobs
“Gabriel!” she gasped as her body gyrated on top of me and her walls clamped tightly around my shaft.
Her eyes opened wide as her climax took control of her body, and my cock couldn’t handle her milking me anymore. I came, and we both cried out when I poured a river of my seed up into her womb. Then we stayed joined like that for several minutes while I was still deep and hard inside of her, and finally our breathing returned to a more normal tempo.
“I love that,” she murmured softly into my ear.
“And I love you,” I replied. She smiled lazily at me, one hand moving slowly down my back, then grasping my buttocks. I think we would have gone again, but there was the sound of a crash, and then Merlin rolled out from behind the chest of drawers with a small furry thing in his teeth. He looked at us guiltily for a moment, then sucked the still struggling creature into his mouth. There was an audible crunch, and then a gulping sound as the puca finished his snack. He gave us a grin and then disappeared back behind the chest.
“We do have to get up early,” I sighed as I rolled off the elf.
“Mmm,” Aerin agreed. “Hopefully our breakfast will be better than that.”
“With Sulla and Urim, who knows,” I laughed.
“Well, Etienne is with them,” she pointed out. “I’m sure he’ll at least insist on something cooked.”
Aerin rolled onto her side, and I spooned behind her. I fell asleep quickly after that, my right arm draped across the elf’s lithe form. She snuggled back against me, and we stayed that way for the rest of the night.
We probably would have missed breakfast if Merlin hadn’t jumped onto the bed between us and chirped like a demented magpie. Aerin tried swatting at him, but he ducked out of range, and kept up his annoying song.
“Must be breakfast time,” I sighed. We collected our clothes, and after a shared bath in the tub at the end of the hall, we rejoined Lavinia and Dehn. Our fellow Shadow Foxes were sitting in the inn’s small dining room, sipping on cups of tea, and comparing notes on the best way to defend against an assailant with multiple blades. The rest of the guests were gathered as far away as possible, and they studiously ignored the halfling and ladona woman.
“Did you sleep well?” Lavinia asked with just a trace of a smirk.
“Yes, thanks,” Aerin replied nonchalantly, though I could see a slight tinge of red at the tips of her ears.
“I thought you two were going to sleep the whole day,” Dehn declared. “At least Lavinia was up early, even if it was just to throw up.”
It was Lavinia’s turn to look embarrassed. She punched Dehn in his arm and hissed at him.
“You were sick?” Aerin asked as she raised an eyebrow.
“It’s nothing,” Lavinia snapped. “Probably just something in the pie last night.”
“Yeah, shepherds,” Dehn laughed. “Come on, let’s go get that map.”
Aerin and I stared at the ladona, but she simply scowled and stirred her tea.
“Yes, let’s,” I finally agreed when it became clear that Lavinia wasn’t going to say anything else. “I don’t think I can stand to watch Merlin eat another mouse.”
Merlin snorted at me, but he hopped up onto my shoulder quickly enough rather than have to find his way through the crowds in cat form. And the city had indeed become crowded. Carts moved through the streets, laden with food and goods. People walked quickly along the sidewalks, barely acknowledging the other folks who went by just as fast. It was still early morning, and yet the city was already at full speed.
We found Urim, Sulla, and Etienne at the agreed upon spot. It was a small restaurant about halfway to the docks. According to the orcs, the place served famously large breakfasts, big enough to satisfy even an orc. The three had already eaten here twice before, and all had agreed that the food was really good. More importantly, in Aerin’s mind, was that it was also cheap.
We ordered our breakfasts, and the plates were brought to our table on a rolling cart. The waiter’s assistant, an orc with a broken tusk and a missing eye, lifted each plate and dropped it onto the table. The heavy oak groaned under the weight, but it held. We dove into our meal, and what we didn’t finish on our own plates, the orcs polished off.
Feeling fat and happy, we sat around the table sipping tea and eyeing the other customers. I’d never seen a place filled with so many species. I recognized elves, orcs, ladonae, dwarves, and a couple I wasn’t sure about. They all happily bantered and bartered with each other, while consuming massive amounts of eggs and toast and bowls of fruit.
“Here,” Sulla finally said. He pulled a piece of paper that had been folded over several times from somewhere inside his shirt and handed it to me. “That shows you where the caves are.”
“Thank you,” I replied as I unfolded the document. Lavinia leaned over and scanned the map. She made a small hiccuping noise, then quickly placed a hand over her mouth. I saw her swallow a couple of times, and then she took a deep breath. When her skin took on a less green tinge, I said, “Maybe you have the flu or something.”
“I think I know where this is,” Lavinia said as she studiously ignored my comment. She pointed to a spot marked on the coastline and added, “But we should compare it to Emeline’s map to be sure.”
“Speaking of which,” I said as I pushed myself up. “We should probably get going.”
“Come with us,” Aerin blurted out as she grabbed Etienne’s hand. “At least to the estate. Then you can see Emeline again before you leave.”
“It’ll be good to see Maruk,” Sulla mused. Etienne looked relieved, and he nodded to Aerin.
Our strange troop left the restaurant and turned towards the more expensive part of town. Here, there were actual estates, tucked behind walls and wrought-iron gates. Manicured lawns could be seen, and even a fountain or two. Sulla and Urim were debating which homes would be better targets for a raid, while Lavinia and Dehn practiced some of the moves they’d seen Yvaine use with her sword. Aerin and I walked hand in hand, while Merlin hopped back and forth between our shoulders. Lavinia brought our procession to a halt outside an iron gate painted gold and topped with an extravagant, looping ‘F’.
“According to the desk clerk, this is the place,” Lavinia announced.
I stared at the gate, then glanced around. The roads here weren’t as busy, but there were still people out and about. We were drawing odd looks from the natives, and I had a feeling that someone would be notifying the authorities about our presence soon.
“Anybody see a bell or anything?” I asked.
“We could toss the halfling over,” Sulla offered. “Have him open the gate.”
“I will not be tossed,” Dehn insisted. He sniffed and added, “I can climb over.”
“I’d rather not start the morning off by breaking into the home of one of Yvaine’s friends,” I replied.
The gate started to swing open, and we all took a step back. Aerin and Dehn both placed a hand on their weapons, and the orcs punched each other in the arm in anticipation. Lavinia had three arrows nocked, ready to launch on my word.
“Is this how you greet friends?” Yvaine called out. She was astride her horse and riding towards the gate. Maruk, Lena, and Emeline walked along behind her, all leading their horses as well as ours.
“Etienne!” Emeline exclaimed. The panthera woman dropped the reins and ran towards her brother. He smiled broadly and swept her up against his chest when she plowed into him.
“Oh, by the gods,” Maruk moaned when he saw his cousins. The orcs grinned at their wayward kin and charged forward. They slapped Maruk on the back several times, and Maruk nearly lost his footing. His cousins roared in laughter and slapped him even harder on the shoulders.
“Watch the cloak,” Maruk protested. “It’s the finest vicuna hair.”
“We saw you loitering outside from the house,” Yvaine said when she saw my puzzled expression.
“Emeline,” I heard Etienne whisper, “you could spend the day with me rather than riding wit
h your friends. We don’t leave port until this evening.”
“I can’t leave them,” Emeline replied as she stepped out of the hug. “They’re my guild, and they’re my friends.”
Etienne sighed, but he nodded. Brother and sister hugged again as the rest of us looked on.
“Sulla and Urim gave us a map,” I announced.
“To where?” Maruk asked as he tried to straighten his clothing.
“The Vergis caves,” Sulla replied. He ruffled Maruk’s hair and winked at Urim.
“The Vergis caves,” Maruk said with a sigh as he tried to flatten his hair into place. “I’ve heard stories about that place. No one comes back from there. Not even Corbis the Kraken Killer.”
“But they say that there’s a magic cup there,” I pointed out.
“They say a lot of things about what’s there,” Maruk replied. “Giant sea monsters, mermaids, a whirlpool to the other side of the world. And don’t forget the lost treasures of various pirates, a lifetime’s supply of pixie dust, and an entire elven army, doomed to roam the caves forever.”
“Sounds great!” Dehn exclaimed.
“Theira sent us here,” Aerin began.
“Yes, we know,” Lavinia interrupted. “But we’re losing daylight, and we’re already getting a later start than usual. If we’re going to the caves, we need to leave right now.”
“Riders up,” I called. It drew a few curious glances from my guild, but after a few hugs and playful punches and promises to stay in touch, we mounted our horses and began the journey back to the main gate. Leaving was much easier, though I was happy to see that the same guards who had given us such a hard time the night before were still harassing those trying to come in. I half expected one of the old Monty Python guys to jump out of the shadows and yell, “No one expects the Spanish inquisition!”
“You look happy,” Yvaine remarked as she pulled her horse alongside mine.
“Do I?” I asked. “Those guards just reminded me of something funny from my old home.”
Yvaine raised an eyebrow, but I simply smiled. It felt good to be outside the city walls on such a beautiful day. The sky was clear, the air crisp but pleasant, and the birds sang happily in the trees. Merlin had changed into a blackbird and flew from branch to branch. The smaller birds usually flew away when he got too close, but I saw a bluejay chase him away from the nest. I called him back when he started to change into a hawk and offered him a leftover muffin from breakfast. He landed on the pommel and shifted back into his puca form. He snatched the muffin and took large gulping bites.
“Manners, little one,” Yvaine chided.
Merlin’s nose twitched, and he eyed Yvaine. She held her ground and Merlin took several small nibbles. When Yvaine nodded and turned away, he tossed the rest of the muffin in his mouth, and swallowed without chewing.
“One of these days, you’re going to choke,” I sighed. Merlin chirped and climbed up to my shoulder, where he dozed off in the sunlight.
We rode on for two more hours, following the curve of the coastline. Emeline had all the maps now, and she was leading us onward, though Lavinia was there as well, checking the landmarks on the map. We reached a fork in the road, and Lavinia pulled up.
“We can take a shortcut here,” she said. “The caves should be just ahead, past these fields.”
“Let’s find a secure place to leave the horses,” I decided, “And go in on foot.”
We rode across a field of wildflowers, and into a small wooded area. I could hear a small stream just ahead, and Lavinia guided us to it. We found a small clearing next to the stream, filled with clover. The horses neighed happily as we dismounted.
“See anything?” I asked. I didn’t see any signs of magic in the area, and the mana I saw all belonged to small animals.
“Looks safe,” Lavinia replied.
“The stream is okay,” Aerin called out. “I don’t see any nymphs.”
“Let’s leave the horses here then,” I said. We tied the horses to a nearby hedge where they could easily reach the water and the grass. Yvaine even gave each one a small sugar cube before we left.
We walked for another half an hour before I could hear the roar of the ocean surf. We crested a small hill and found ourselves standing at the top of a cliff. Nearly forty feet below, the sea crashed against the rocks, sending up a spume of white foam. Jagged columns of granite glittered in the sun, looking for all the world like the teeth of an ocean going giant.
Lavinia walked up to the edge and peered over. I saw her eyes narrow as she scanned the area along the edge of the sea.
“I think I see the caves,” she said. “There are several along here, but if they all join up, I don’t suppose it matters which one we use.”
“How do we get there?” Maruk asked. He’d walked closer to the edge, but shifted uncomfortably as he looked at the drop.
“There should be steps carved into the stone,” Yvaine replied. We all looked at her, and she said with a shrug, “It makes sense. How else would smugglers get in and out of the caves?”
We started walking along the edge of the cliff, looking for steps. Aerin found a set after hacking her way through some heavy brush. The steps were old and worn down, almost too narrow to use safely, but since no one else had found any, we decided this would be our way down.
Slowly, we began our descent. As we got lower, the wind began to tug at us, and the steps became slippery with salt water. Aerin and Dehn made it down first, followed by Lavinia. Lena came next, with Yvaine close on her heels. Emeline nearly tripped as she neared the bottom, and she arrived at the final step in an ungraceful heap. Both Aerin and Dehn grabbed her before she could tumble off the shelf and into the water below.
That left me and Maruk, the two largest members of our guild. I was having a hard time keeping my footing on the slippery rock. The toes of my boots stuck out over the edge of the step, and it was hard to feel like I had any real balance. Maruk grunted several times, and when I glanced back, I realized that he was practically on tiptoe. It was the only way he could keep any portion of his feet on the steps.
“Too bad I didn’t take ballet lessons,” I remarked.
“I hate the sea,” Maruk replied.
Despite the best efforts of a sudden gust of wind, the two of us made it to the end of the stairs. I took a deep breath, then checked how the rest of the guild was doing. Everyone was armed and ready, and I gave the signal to move ahead. Emeline created a mage light as we stepped into the darkness of the cave, and Lena pulled out several small vials that she shook before handing out to each of us. The vials gave off an eerie green glow, but it was bright enough that I could see into the depths of the cave. It was shockingly still and quiet in here, given what we’d gone through just to get this far.
There was only one direction we could go, and Dehn set off at a quick pace, the rest of us falling in line behind him. The cave system was surprisingly wide, even as it wound its way deeper into the hillside. No one spoke as we chugged after Dehn. I kept scanning the darkness beyond Emeline’s light, wondering what creatures might be there in the darkness.
It wasn’t long before we found out. Dehn followed the cave around a swooping curve and let out a bloodcurdling yell. We ran after him and nearly knocked him over when we came around the corner.
“It’s about time,” he yelled out.
“Ewww,” Aerin complained.
Just ahead of us, and blocking the trail through the tunnel, were several large lizards. Well, sort-of lizards. They looked a lot like the claymation stegosaurs used in old movies, before CGI took over. They had apparently been napping when Dehn had stumbled across them, as they were slowly rumbling to their feet. One of them swung its head to the side and eyed us with a giant yellow eye. It let out a roar that echoed off the walls of the tunnel and through my bones. It turned back to face us and belched out a stream of liquid.
“Watch out!” Lavinia called as she shoved Emeline and Yvaine out of the way. Maruk ran forward and threw h
is shields up. I heard a hissing noise as the liquid made contact, and smoke curled up from the shields.
“Are you hurt?” I asked Maruk.
“Still in one piece,” Maruk assured me as he looked at this shield.
There was very little room to maneuver in here, and only two directions we could move; back the way we had come, or forward through the lizards.
So of course, Dehn charged forward, swinging his blades wildly.
I saw Emeline summon her mana, and the room lit up as bright as daylight. Several of the lizards reared back and bellowed in protest.
“Keep hitting them with the light,” I told Emeline. “See if you can blind them. Lena, you too.”
“On it!” Lena yelled back. “I just need to mix a couple of things together…”
Meanwhile, another fireball lit up the tunnel as Emeline tossed another fireball at the stegosaurs. Lavinia had found a spot just behind Maruk and was firing arrows at the beasts. The arrows embedded themselves in the hides, but it only seemed to irritate them. I saw one of the lizards swing around and remove the arrow with its teeth. Another one caught an arrow in its jaws and chewed it to a pulp.
Merlin had taken on the shape of a griffin, and he was darting in and out between the legs of the beasts, landing bites where he could. Lavinia cursed when he dodged in front of her shot and nearly took an arrow in his rump. Merlin chittered at her, and she shot another arrow that whizzed past his ears, and embedded itself in the hide of the beast.
Yvaine had made it to Dehn, and she deflected a set of powerful jaws that nearly removed the halfling’s head. He gave her a quick salute and then resumed his assault. Yvaine followed after him, a steady guard at his back as he tried to advance.
Suddenly, a whole series of flashes lit up the room, followed by a bright pink mist. Lena was crouched behind Aerin, a glass jar in each hand. Aerin was swinging hard at a pair of snapping jaws, but the mace didn’t seem to have any effect. I saw the mana in one of the lizards start to glow brighter, and I realized it was getting ready to spit at Aerin and Lena. Maruk was still covering Lavinia, though he seemed to be down to one shield. Too late to interrupt its mana, I threw up my hand and summoned a clone between Aerin and the two lizards. The lizards didn’t pull back when the clone appeared. Instead, the one opened its mouth and fired a stream of acid.
