by Randi Darren
A lot of money had been sunk into Aubrey. A lot of money.
So much that Steve had briefly lamented for the poor girl’s mother when she had inevitably found out Aubrey had joined the military.
Linne wasn’t far away, sleeping as well. Her leash was tied to Aubrey’s, and both of them were wrapped around a large tree, then staked to the ground with a log Steve had found.
Yawning, Steve put his hands on the top of his head and decided to go for a short walk.
With the gates of the citadel shut, there wouldn’t be any Creep moving over the land tonight. Though any existing zombies would still be out and about.
He was also feeling rather thirsty.
Aubrey had woken up for a brief period, and Steve had forced her to drink the contents of his canteen.
As soon as that was done, she’d passed out again. There wasn’t much else he could do for the poor girl until he got Gwendolin to look at her. It’d have to wait till then.
Or I just… have a Creep bite her, then dunk her in the water. Probably would be easier for her while she’s kinda out of it.
I’ll ask Lucia about it.
“You’ve completed all of your tasks but one,” said a voice out of nowhere. “While it’s pointless to tell you, as you won’t understand, I must abide by the rules we put down.”
Growling, Steve glanced at the sky above him.
“You know,” Steve said. “I’d almost prefer it if you didn’t talk to me.”
“What?” asked the voice.
“I’d almost prefer it if you didn’t talk to me,” Steve repeated.
“What?” asked the voice in the same exact tone.
Deciding to be an ass, Steve grinned.
“I’d almost prefer it if you didn’t talk to me,” Steve repeated for the third time.
There was no response from the voice above.
Nodding his head, Steve started walking again.
“You do not wish to speak with me,” said the voice after what was perhaps a minute.
“I don’t see a point in talking to you,” Steve admitted with a shrug. “You won’t tell me what’s going on, and you offer no information. It’d be easier if you didn’t talk to me.”
“I understand,” said the voice. “Last time, you weren’t as abrasive.”
“That’s nice,” Steve said nonchalantly. “We both agree I’m not the same person I was before.”
“You are not,” said the voice. “Which lends itself to your success.”
“So I’d assume. So I’d… assume. Well, if that’s all you had, you can go now,” Steve said, excusing the voice.
“I am not yours to dictate commands to,” said the voice. The tone hadn’t changed, but Steve definitely felt something there.
“Oh? And how would I know? I don’t know who you are, I don’t know your relation to me, and I don’t even know what you are,” Steve said. “As far as I’m concerned… you’re a figment of my imagination. Maybe I’m crazy?
“I should just stop listening to you, in fact. Go away, figment. You may leave and not come back again.”
A strange sensation was growing in the back of Steve’s head. A headache that made everything feel heavy.
Heavy and like the world around him was starting to grow blurry.
Fuzzy, almost.
Like static.
“You will know me then,” said the voice. “I’m your lord and master. I’m the only thing responsible for you being alive. You may not know it, but your death would have already occurred without my interference.”
Unable to keep himself upright, Steve slowly sank to his knees. He felt absolutely sick.
“You are here by my wish. If it pleases me, I shall wish you into nonexistence as quickly as you would flush a toilet. You will not speak to me as such, ever again, or I will make you and yours suffer for all eternity,” said the voice. It was the same neutral tone throughout, despite what was being said. “Do you understand, Steven Bril?”
“Yup,” Steve rasped. “Got it. Got it.”
Instantly the pressure and sickness vanished, as if it had never been there and was only a dream.
“Your life is to complete the task I’ve set forth for you. You’ve made choices on how to accomplish that, and now you must follow through with it. Whether you remember doing it or not,” said the voice. “This conversation is over.”
Panting, Steve rolled over onto his back and stared up into the night sky above him.
My life isn’t my own… I am to the voice as my witch-knights and Nancy are to me.
Ah.
Irony.
It tastes awful.
Now… I just need to figure out a way I can slip out of their grasp. While protecting everyone.
Hmm.
Thirty-Five
“This it?” Aubrey asked, walking with her hands on top of her head. She seemed rather well at ease. Especially for someone who’d had the silly slapped out of them and then fallen unconscious for a day.
“It’s the farm,” Steve said.
“Farm my ass. Could put a carrot in my asshole and call me a farm, too,” Aubrey swore.
“I… what?” Steve asked, looking at the massive cat-girl. Her leash dangled between her and Linne as if it were nothing at all.
Aubrey was far stronger than Steve had expected.
“I said you might as well shove a carrot up my ass and call me a farm, if that’s a farm,” Aubrey said, gesturing at the farm.
The palisade wall stood tall and strong, the moat in front of it quite wide. Between the moat and the wall were barricades made out of sharpened logs.
Behind all that were the witch-stone towers. Those reinforced defensive points were spread throughout. Each tower was clearly manned with people utilizing bows.
“Guess I’m putting a carrot up your ass and trying to farm you then, cause that really is a farm,” Steve said.
Smirking at that, Steve shrugged his shoulders. They’d been walking since first light when Steve had realized Aubrey was actually awake.
All morning long, she’d been rather amusing.
And she was truly as dumb as Kimor.
“Bullshit. Farms are supposed to be… uh… open fields with pigs, goats, cows, and stuff,” Aubrey said. “Aren’t they?”
“I’ll be sure to check on that while I stuff that carrot up you and see if I can’t plant some seed in you at the same time,” Steve replied calmly.
“I’m not a farm. You can’t grow seeds in me. Are you as stupid as you are good looking?” Aubrey asked, smirking at him. “That’s okay. I’ll still take your carrot.”
Okay… dumber than Kimor after all.
That’s fine, though. It’s alright. Dumb and brave is great. Fight everyone, never give up until you can’t fight anymore.
All the inspiration I need for my own struggle.
Since Steve had realized he was on a leash himself, almost all his attention and brain power had been turned toward that problem. He didn’t want to remain under someone else’s power any longer than he had to.
“Likewise, Aubrey. You’re as stupid as you are beautiful,” he said, smiling back at Aubrey. “That’s okay, though. I’ll give you my carrot as often as you can handle it.”
Aubrey laughed at that, turning to look back at the farm.
“Hey, let’s fight later,” Aubrey said. “Or make Linne fight me. Or some other people. I wanna fight. I like fighting.”
“Insufferable buffoon,” Linne said under her breath.
Walking as far away from Aubrey as possible, Linne had been moving as if she didn’t have a care in the world. In the last few hours, though, her demeanor had shifted slightly.
The complete surrender and absolute devotion to him was cracking. She was getting snippy and was clearly annoyed.
Though it was all directed at Aubrey, not Steve.
It was becoming quite clear that Linne couldn’t stand the larger woman.
Lying flat on the ground, the drawbridge was empty and
clear. Obviously someone had seen Steve coming long before he’d seen the farm.
Nancy came out from the interior of the farm, moving at a light jog.
“Hold up, we’ll wait for her here,” Steve murmured.
Aubrey let her hands fall to her sides and then sighed, sticking a finger into her mouth and picking at something in her teeth.
Linne crossed her arms and looked quite bored with everything. Though there was no sign of any defiance in her.
Nancy was moving quickly toward him, so they wouldn’t have that long to wait. She rapidly closed the distance and walked in close to his side.
“Steve,” Nancy said, pulling his head down.
Expecting a kiss, Steve was surprised when Nancy pressed her mouth to his ear instead.
“I just arrived this morning,” she whispered. “Everyone else is at the outpost, getting ready. Geneva and the royal guard witch-knights are all heading for the citadel city already.”
Oh? Good, that makes everything easier and—
“Nikki sent for the queen’s justice the same day you left,” Nancy continued. “They’re due to arrive tomorrow. They sent a messenger ahead.
“I only found out because I spoke to Gwen about it.”
Blinking slowly, Steve didn’t know how to react to that. If true, it meant Nikki had planned ahead for him. So that he wouldn’t have to tolerate Linne after bringing her back home.
Part of him regretted that they’d be arriving so soon. He’d been hoping to learn more about Linne and see what was going on in her head.
Over the morning’s march, he’d begun to suspect she hadn’t surrendered as completely as she’d let on.
Steve wanted to pick her apart.
“Thank you, my darling mistress,” Steve said, then tipped Nancy’s head to one side and kissed her. Pulling away quickly as he didn’t want to cause a scene, he put his lips to her ear. “Take the big one—her name is Aubrey—and make her a contract. Get her bit by a Creep and transfer her into a witch-knight contract. Fast as you can. Then take her to the outpost to start training with the others.”
“Okay,” Nancy said, her hands resting on his shoulders. “Darling, hmm?”
Steve didn’t respond. Instead he grinned and gave her hip a pat.
Turning away from him, Nancy walked over to Aubrey.
“Hello,” she said, waving a hand at Aubrey. “I’m Nancy. I’m going to walk you through your introduction to service. Your duties will be—”
“Am I going to get to fight?” Aubrey interrupted Nancy.
“Uhm, yes,” Nancy said. “It’s one of the primary duties you’ll be handling. As well as devoting yourself sexually to Steve and servicing him with your mouth and—”
“Do I get to fuck him?” Aubrey asked, breaking into Nancy’s spiel again. “No marriage, just fucking. Never gotten laid, but if I’m going to be devoted to him, I wanna fuck him.”
“I… that is—”
“Yes,” Steve said, trying to step in and save Nancy from the brutal onslaught that was Aubrey. At the same time, he smiled at the big champion.
If she wants to do that, who am I to argue?
“More often than not, you’ll end up just sucking me, but we’ll definitely fuck too,” Steve said crassly, trying to speak to Aubrey’s point of view. “You good with that?”
“Huh. Yeah, whatever. Don’t know how to do any type of fucking, though,” Aubrey said with a shrug of her shoulders.
“I’m sure we can get you all trained up,” Nancy said. Then she reached up and took hold of Aubrey’s leash.
Getting the picture, Steve separated Aubrey’s from Linne’s and then let it drop.
With a grunt, Nancy picked up the chain and started to roll it up.
Aubrey reached over and took it from Nancy, flicking it over her shoulder.
“Get movin’ short stuff,” Aubrey said. “Sooner we finish this, the sooner I can fight someone. Or fuck Steve. Whichever.”
“Yes, we’ll—yes,” Nancy said, turning away from the farm.
Steve knew they were going to wander off into the distance, form the black-magic contract, and go to the outpost. They didn’t need to be here.
“Shall we continue, my master?” Linne asked, smiling at Steve.
Apparently, the fact that Aubrey was leaving had put Linne in a much better mood all of a sudden.
“Yep,” Steve said, starting forward again.
“Centaurs with riders!” called a voice from one of the towers as Steve put his first foot on the bridge.
What?
Looking into the farm, Steve saw Nikki, Gwendolin, and Ferrah. Nia was already sprinting back for the home, Gwendolin urging her on.
Shit.
Pulling his axe out of its loop, he let out a short breath.
He was confident in himself now. Confident and felt like he could handle anything anyone threw at him.
Looking out toward the west, Steve could see the Centaurs now. They were riding hard and fast for the drawbridge. On each of the Centaurs rode another person.
“Mages,” Nikki said in a whisper, and he glanced at the Faun. He hadn’t noticed it, but she must have hopped her way over.
Gwendolin and Ferrah were both also heading for the homestead now.
“Mages?” Steve asked, looking back at the Centaurs.
“Mages,” Nikki repeated. “Those who can cast and utilize mana. As soon as a Mage or Wizard is discovered, they’re immediately sent to the capital for training.
“There’s… maybe twenty in the whole of Lamals.”
Linne was watching Nikki and Steve, her brow furrowed. Clearly their exchange had left her with a few questions he’d have to explain later.
Actually. Probably not. If those are Mages, that means it’s the queen’s justice. Right?
She’s as good as dead.
Maybe the fact that the citadel commander is going rogue panicked the queen.
As they slowed down to a trot, it was clear the Centaurs had spotted Steve. They were also smart enough to not come up at a dead run. That’d be likely to get them fired on by the towers.
No sooner had the lead Centaur stopped in front of Steve than their rider hopped off. They wore a full helmet, mask, and garments that covered them from head to toe. Steve was almost positive it was a woman, given that men were so rare, but there was no way to tell.
“Greetings on behalf of the queen,” said the mage. Their voice sounded oddly hollow and high pitched.
“Allo,” Steve said, not putting down his axe. “I’m Steve. This is my farm.”
Pulling back with his left hand, he forced Linne to come up to his side.
“This is my prisoner, the one-time commander of the citadel,” Steve said, his voice quite cold. “You may check her accolades and titles to confirm her status and just what she’s done.”
Linne sidled up to Steve casually and looked at the Mage.
“I see,” the Mage said. “She’s… your property.”
“That she is,” Steve confirmed. “By her own will. Aren’t you, my pet?”
“I’m indeed the possession of my master,” Linne said.
“The queen received your missive,” said a second mage, getting down from their Centaur mount as well. “We were dispatched as soon as we received it. Would you be Nikkolet?”
“I am indeed,” Nikki said. “This is my husband, Steven Bril. Owner of this farm and the enchanted tools that keep it maintained. He’s also wedded to Geneva Gosti, the military commander of the area, as well as a princess of the Fae courts.”
“So I noticed,” said the second mage, putting their hands behind their back. “Very accomplished. I understand your reasoning for pointing that out, however. At this time, the priestess and her believers are in… a delicate position with the queen. Laws involving the crown and the church have been suspended. Such as marrying outside your race.”
“Good,” Nikki said.
Everyone fell silent at that. More and more Mages dismounted, sprea
ding out in a line in front of Steve.
“You… subdued the commander by yourself?” asked one of the Mages.
“I did,” Steve said. “And her champion as well.”
He was getting a strange feeling about these Mages. Like they weren’t here for his benefit. Like he wasn’t going to like this at all.
“Well,” Steve said, not willing to sit in this silence any longer. “I’ve captured my prey. I’ll be going home now to decide what to do with her. I’ll decline the bounty on her head for the time being as well.”
“We can’t let you leave,” said the Mage who’d spoken first. “At least… we can’t let you leave with the commander.”
“The one-time commander. She’s not the commander anymore,” Steve said. “I am. And why can’t you let me leave with what’s mine? What’s mine by her own choice?
“You chose this, didn’t you, my pet?”
“I chose this,” Linne said, nodding her head. “I’m with my master.”
There was a strange tension building in all the Mages now. It made Steve want to start killing them.
Now.
“By royal decree of the queen, Linne Lynn is pardoned of all crimes, negative accolades, and restored to citizenship status,” said the second Mage.
“Oh, thank heavens,” Linne said, reaching up to start pulling at her collar. “Could any of you please get me out of this before this pig decides to do something stupid?
“I’m lucky he didn’t try to bed me on the way here. I thought for sure I’d end up having to nearly kill myself with herbs to end a pregnancy.”
I… I… what?
Steve pulled on Linne’s leash, drawing her up to his chest.
“I beg your pardon?” Steve asked, glaring at the Mage. In his right hand, his axe felt ready.
This was more than a simple impasse now.
“The queen requires Linne Lynn be returned to her. In recompense for your losses, the queen awards you the title of citadel commander,” said one of the Mages.
“She offers me nothing I didn’t already have,” Steve said. “And is trying to take something from me that’s mine.
“Are you telling me she views my wives’ lives as little more than… nothing? That murder is excusable depending on who it is?”
