Being situated on a peninsula, Hargone was surrounded by water on three sides. The other side was all greenery. Thick palm trees grew to be six times taller than the average human. Shrubs and bushes covered most of the ground. As he ran past the trees, grass crunched underneath Jacob’s feet.
There were several ledges and small cliffs in this area. They jutted up from the ground like thick, fat pillars. Jacob used those for cover and to observe his surroundings without fear of being shot. If there was a Dark Clan scouting party in the area, at least one of them would be using these ledges to provide cover fire.
As he was peering around one of the pillars, a shrill whistle cut through the air. Jacob jerked his head back. An arrow impaled the rock, sending fragments everywhere. Following the arrow to its trajectory, he found a man with pale skin and burgundy hair notching back another arrow.
Jacob didn’t waste time. He channeled energy into his blade and slashed. A massive crescent shot from his sword, sailed through the air, and split apart both the stone that the Dark Clansman stood upon, and the Dark Clansman himself.
There was some shouting down below, out of his sight. The Dark Clansman’s squad must have been waiting for a signal to attack. Now that their spotter was gone, they were probably going to rampage toward him.
That was fine. That was what he wanted.
Jacob channeled more energy into his blade, and then moved forward in a quick sprint. He rushed past several trees. Up ahead, five dark clansmen darted toward him. All of them were tall and skinny, with pale skin and strangely colored hair. Three of them were women, while the other two were men.
“Slice him up!” one of them shouted. The others hollered out war cries as they charged him.
Ducking under the swing of the first clansmen to attack him, Jacob ignored this person and attacked the second. His energy infused sword split their weapon in half, carving a bloody furrow from her left hip to her right shoulder. The woman he’d attacked gurgled as blood sprayed from her chest and she fell onto her back.
He didn’t watch her dying spasms. An enraged cry to his left made him spin around. He raised his sword to knock aside an attack that would have impaled his stomach. He heard movement behind him. Twisting his wrist, he threw his enemy’s weapon wide, stepped forward, grabbed them by the scruff of their shirt, and threw him into the person trying to sneak up behind him. As they both went down, Jacob unleashed a crescent attack that cut through them both.
“Malak! Fritza!” one of the men shouted before setting a glare on him. “Damn you!”
With a roar, the only remaining man and woman attacked him in tandem. Sadly, Dark Clansmen were not known for their teamwork. Most worked alone, the reason being their bloodlust, which made them normally impossible to work with.
Jacob had an easy time dodging their attacks. He moved left. Then right. Then he spun and kicked the scimitars out of the first one’s grip. A current of air caressed his back. Jacob sidestepped. The female clansmen rushed through the space he’d been standing, her blade swinging. Before she had the chance to turn around, he sliced through her spinal cord. She fell face first to the ground and didn’t get up.
The other clansmen seemed so shocked by the death of his last comrade that he never saw his death coming. His severed head rolled across the ground as his body fell, first to its knees, and then onto its chest. It twitched several times before all movement ceased.
In the quietness that accompanied his battle, Jacob could only stare at the sky and lament. He knew this day would come. He’d hoped it wouldn’t, but it looked like it was true when people said that most hopes were always in vein.
Trouble had finally found them.
***
The bar was quiet when Jacob returned; the first floor was empty, and not a single noise could be heard outside of his boots scuffing against the floor.
Traveling up the stairs and walking down the hall, he came upon the guest room. While this bar was not an inn, they would allow people who’d passed out to stay the night. It didn’t happen often—Fellis was not kind to people who couldn’t walk under their own two feet while drunk—but when it did happen, Enyo would take care of them.
Jacob quietly opened the door, walked in, and closed it behind him. Enyo was sitting on a chair in front of the bed. Kindness’s supine form lay upon the bed. Her shirt and shoes had been removed, and she was lying on her back. A blanket kept her modesty intact.
“How is she?” he asked.
“She’s out of danger for now,” Enyo said as Jacob walked over and stood behind her. She leaned back when he placed his hands on her shoulders. “The wound has healed completely, and it doesn’t look like she’ll be dying of blood loss. Still, it was a really close call.”
“She was lucky we were able to treat it in time.”
“Yeah…”
Dark Clan arrows were deadly due to their make and shape. Unless extracted within an hour of being shot, a person was likely to bleed out. Jacob was honestly amazed that Kindness had been able to make it so far. He guessed she might have been using Conjure to stem the flow of blood.
“Come on.” Jacob grabbed Enyo’s hand and pulled her to her feet. “Kindness will be fine now that she’s out of danger. You need to get some rest. You look tired.”
“I feel tired,” Enyo admitted.
She walked unsteadily forward before her knees buckled. Jacob caught her before she could fall, cradling her in his arms.
“You’ve been sitting for so long that your legs fell asleep.”
“Couldn’t help it,” Enyo mumbled as she placed her head against his chest. “Until just a little while ago, I was healing Kindness.”
If she’d been healing Kindness for that long, then the woman’s wounds must have been graver than he’d expected. It had been two hours since he’d left and gone to dispatch the scouting party. Enyo had been working on healing her that entire time? No wonder she seemed so weak right now. She had to have used a lot of magic.
“In that case…”
Enyo didn’t resist as Jacob scooped her into his arms. She nuzzled her nose into the crook of his neck and relaxed.
“Don’t fall asleep on me,” he joked.
She bit his neck. “I won’t.”
“You say that, but you’re clearly on the verge of falling asleep.”
“Hmph.”
Jacob walked back to his and Enyo’s bedroom, entering the door and closing it with his foot. His boots made light thumps along the thick rug, which was made from a mastodon—a monstrous creature that was larger than most houses—that he and Enyo had killed one month ago. Placing Enyo on their king-sized bed, he began the laborious process of taking her clothes off.
“Come on,” he said to the woman. “You can’t expect me to do all this by myself.”
“I expect you to do it with your teeth.”
He twitched. “You want me to bite your clothes off?”
“Yes.”
Enyo was speaking nonsense. This always happened when she used too much magic—when anyone used too much magic. It was a well-known physical condition called Magical Fatigue.
Magic was mental energy, the energy of the mind, and it allowed those who wielded it to change fundamental aspects of a certain nature. Darkness. Light. Metal. Elements. The ability to create something from nothing. The power to manipulate the mind. When someone used up all their magic, the mind became delirious because it didn’t have the energy to function properly.
Fortunately, magic was not tied to the body, so she wouldn’t die, but she would be acting loopy for a while.
“Sit up,” Jacob said. Enyo did nothing. He frowned as she continued to lay there, still awake, partially cognizant, and looking at him expectantly.
This girl…
“Fine,” he mumbled, taking her by the hands and pulling her until she was sitting. Even then, she slumped forward into his chest.
Getting Enyo’s shirt off was a task in and of itself. Enyo was about as cooperative as sloth. Sh
e pretty much made him do all the work, and while he didn’t mind pampering the girl, dealing with her when her mind was fritzing out from overusing her magic was a chore. After her shirt came her brassiere. Her breasts sprang free with a bounce, jiggling several times before coming to a stop. That done, he let her fall back onto the bed, took off her boots, socks, and then slid her off her shorts, leaving her in just her black panties.
After taking off his own clothes, Jacob lifted Enyo up once more, and then used his feet to pull the covers back. Once he set Enyo into bed, he crawled in himself and pulled up the covers. Only then did Enyo move, rolling over so she could hug him as if he was an oversized pillow.
“I notice that the only time you move during these moments is when you want something,” Jacob muttered.
“I want you,” Enyo mumbled, barely conscious against his chest, which she then proceeded to lick. “You taste salty.”
Jacob twitched. Dealing with Enyo like this was always difficult. He was glad it rarely happened. Being the daughter of the Dark Lord Alucard, she had naturally large reserves of magic, which meant she rarely ever ran out. She’d probably run out this time because they had just finished a mission to kill several pirates, she’d gone completely overboard during said mission, healing took a lot of magic, and Kindness’s wound had been extensive.
He pulled her closer and closed his eyes. “Stop licking me and go to sleep.”
“You’re no fun,” Enyo mumbled seconds before she started snoring.
She was on the verge of passing out.
Jacob closed his eyes and fell into a light sleep.
There was no telling how much time had passed. Jacob was a light sleeper, so he was constantly aware of everything around him. Thanks to this, minutes felt like hours. The only reason sleeping was even bearable these days was because of Enyo, whose soft, warm body brought him comfort. Jacob felt like he could have stayed asleep if only to keep her with him.
Of course, because he was a light sleeper, Jacob was also aware of when Enyo woke up. She stirred against him, mumbling a little as she smacked her lips. Then she shifted. The covers peeled away as she sat up. Goosebumps broke out on his chest. Even though his eyes were still closed, he could imagine her rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand in a most adorable manner. He could feel her legs moving as she climbed on top of him.
She’s going to try and surprise me…
Enyo had been trying to get the better of him for the past month. She’d wake up early and do something that he “wouldn’t expect.” It had become a regular occurrence, and she was always disappointed when he didn’t act surprised.
I suppose I could pretend, but…
Pretending had never been his strongest points.
Thus, he opened his eyes just as Enyo was about to lean in for a kiss. She paused. Then she stared. Then she blinked several times… and then, finally, she pouted.
“When did you wake up?” she asked.
“The moment you started moving around.”
The pout on her face grew larger. “That’s not fair.”
“Life rarely is,” Jacob said with a sage-like nod.
“Don’t try to sound smart,” Enyo mumbled, her shoulders slumping.
Jacob withheld a chuckle as he reached behind her head and pulled Enyo into a kiss. He heard her mutter another brief “not fair” before kissing him back. Her hands went into his hair, running through his dirty blond locks. He placed his hands on the nakedness of her waist, enjoying the warmth of her soft skin.
The kiss escalated when Enyo slipped her tongue past his lips. He opened his mouth, groaning as her tongue caressed his. He moved his hands away from her waist, grabbing a handful of her ass. The lyrical gasps his actions produced was like an aphrodisiac. He loved the sound of her voice. It spurred him on further. He wanted more.
Enyo rubbed herself against him as her kiss intensified, and the feeling of her body grinding against him made Jacob’s desire for her become all the stronger. He could feel himself getting sucked into her lips. It was only now, as he felt the fabric in their way, that he damned himself for not having the foresight to remove her underwear last night.
The kiss was no longer enough. Jacob pulled away. Enyo whined, but it was short-lived, as he sat up and placed his mouth on her neck. He kissed his way up her neck, traveled along the gentle curve of her jaw, until he reached her ear.
Members of the Dark Clan had sensitive ears. During his travels, there were occasions when, to get an advantage over his enemies, Jacob would tear their ears off. It was one of the most painful things a Dark Clansmen could experience. Consequently, licking and nibbling and suckling on their ears had the opposite effect.
Enyo’s cries of ecstasy resounded throughout the room, and probably across the hall. No doubt, they’d woken up Fellis if she wasn’t already awake. The muscles in her butt clenched. Her body shook. Jacob could feel her lips becoming damp as her movements became more rushed. The wetness of her panties caused him to get sucked further between them. His own breathing had grown heavy as the friction caused by their ceaseless grinding sent pleasurable jolts through him.
“J-Jacob!” Enyo gasped as he bit down on her collar bone. Her arms closed around his head, preventing him from leaving.
Jacob rolled over until he was on top of her, his weight pressing against her as Enyo locked her legs around his waist. He ground his pelvis into her panties, completely damp with arousal. She cried out as her body twitched and spasmed.
He was close. They were both close. Just a little more. Just a little longer and—
“I really hate to interrupt you two when it looks like you are about to have the most mind-blowing orgasm ever,” Fellis said as she opened the door. “But could you please keep it down? Our guest is embarrassed by the noise you two are making.”
It felt a lot like someone had dumped a bucket full of ice water on him. Jacob’s body went from blazing hot to freezing cold in seconds. He looked at Fellis, whose amused smile told him that she knew what she was doing—the cock blocker. He then looked at Enyo. The glare she sent Fellis could have cut through a mountain.
“I hate you so much right now,” Enyo said.
Fellis just smiled. “But I love you. Now, you two should get dressed… actually, wash off first, and then get dressed. Kindness has something important to tell you, but I don’t think it would be appropriate to talk to her while smelling like sex.”
Gritting her teeth, Enyo, in a bitter voice, said, “We didn’t have sex, no thanks to you.”
“I live to please,” Fellis said before disappearing.
Jacob listened as her footsteps and laughter receded, and then he sighed. “I guess we’d better get ready.”
“Yeah,” Enyo grumbled as she climbed off him. “Damn that Fellis.”
While neither of them were pleased by Fellis’s interruption, they did follow her instructions and washed off. While their inn had a bath, they didn’t use it, since it took time to prepare the water. Instead, they just rinsed each other off wash rags and soap from a basin of water, and then dressed once they were dry.
Kindness was already awake when they entered the bedroom. She looked at them—and then blushed and promptly looked away. Yes, Jacob realized, she had definitely heard them. Maybe their activities were what woke her up in the first place.
That… was kind of embarrassing, actually.
“I’m glad you’re awake,” Enyo said as she sat down. Her cheeks were red, but she admirably withheld her own mortification. “How are you feeling?”
“I-I’m, um, good,” Kindness muttered, eyeing her and Jacob like she’d never met them before. “I feel… much better. You healed me, right? Thank you.”
Enyo shook her head. “Don’t worry about that. You’re a friend… though I’m really surprised to see you. I didn’t expect us to meet again.”
At those words, Kindness seemed to finally get over her embarrassment. Her expression turned grave. “I normally would not have come, since I kno
w what would happen if the kingdom learned of your location, but I… something has happened that mandated my coming.”
“It has something to do with the Dark Clan,” Jacob said as he stood by the end of the bed. “They’ve invaded Terrasole, haven’t they?”
“It’s more complicated than that,” Kindness said. “About two months ago, both Justice and Abstinence were killed. We found them in their mansions with their throats slit. A little while after that, Chastity disappeared, and then about a month later, a large army of Dark Clansmen and monsters appeared on our doorstep.”
Jacob blew out a deep breath. Enyo, meanwhile, looked like she’d been sucker punched.
“That… that is unexpected.”
“It gets worse,” Kindness said. “None of our scouts have been able to figure out what’s happening in the surrounding lands north of Alyssium. We don’t know if the cities and villages are even still there. What’s more, Alyssium has been under siege ever since then. Our people are dying, our army is powerless, and Queen Alice and myself aren’t enough to protect them.”
“And that’s why you’re here,” Enyo realized. “You came to ask for our help.”
Kindness bowed her head. “I know that you have no reason to help us. I understand that we have wronged you greatly. However, for the sake of my people, I have come to swallow my pride and ask for your help. Enyo. Jacob. Will you two please save our kingdom?”
Enyo looked at Jacob, her eyes asking a silent question. She was leaving this decision to him. Because he was the one who’d been hurt the most by Alyssium, she was letting him make the decision, even though he could see the desire to help clear as day in her eyes.
He ran a hand through his hair. This decision had already been taken out of his hands.
“We’ll help,” he said.
Kindness looked at him with wide, hope-filled eyes. “You will?”
Journey of a Betrayed Hero- Volume 2 Page 17
