She was everything Kobb had ever dreamed about in his life.
She turned around and Kobb’s eyes drank her in worshipfully.
She ran her hands over her body, as if offering herself to him, then motioned him forward.
Kobb didn’t need to be told twice, immediately closing the distance between them, his hand was instantly over hers, caressing the small patch of dark hair at the junction of her thighs. “I love you.” She told him again softly, looking into his eyes as she guided his hand over her body. “There will never be a day when I don’t belong to you completely.”
He kissed her forehead. “I know. And I feel the same way.”
“Now then…” she sank to her knees, “where was I, husband?” She kissed his inner thigh. “Here?”
Kobb swore.
“No…” She lightly nipped at him, causing him to jump. “Here?” She laughed in amusement and desire. “No, I think I’d reached here.” She planted a gentle kiss on the head of his straining body, then followed it up with a small lick. “Yeah… that’s about where I was, I think…”
Kobb’s control broke and he grabbed the back of her head, pushing himself into her warm mouth. She let out a low, hungry sound as she made a meal of him.
Kobb put his head back in complete pleasure and total adoration, his hips moving of their own accord.
He had finally achieved true enlightenment.
Chapter Twenty-Three:
Up from Below, Down from Above
“I just don’t understand how you’re not related to Hawser.” Tandy observed again. “He’s your second-cousin.”
“Xiphos is my cousin,” Tzadok explained, sounding insulted, “Hawser is from an entirely different clan! I’m not related to him in any way!”
At the moment, they were making their way back to the mountains, still trying to get home. Now that she was familiar with the terrain, the trip was much easier. Especially as they got closer and closer to the coast, since the winds had died down and the conditions got less extreme.
“Xiphos is your great-aunt’s son. Hawser is your great-uncle’s son.” She spread out her arms, like the answer was obvious. “I understand that you come from a matrilineal and matrilocal society, but even you have to see that there’s a blood connection there.”
Tzadok snorted in dismissal. “I see nothing of the sort. I have nothing in common with that dog. We are not related in any way.”
Tandy heaved a sigh, recognizing that there was no way that the man was ever going to listen to reason on that point. Not that it really mattered, either way, Hawser was a jackass. But the culture here would probably be more livable if the Wastelanders didn’t see everything as an “Us vs Them” kind of battle to the death. In fact, most Wastelanders didn’t even think of it as “Us” at all, they saw everything as a “Me Vs My Beastly Oppressors.” The individualistic spirit of the land sometimes went a little too far.
“All I’m saying is that you don’t have to ‘slay’ everyone you disagree with, that’s all.” She reminded him. “Your barbarian mindset can’t be applied to all problems.”
He let out an indignant choking cough. “I have yet to meet a man you have not immediately advised to slash into a quivering pool of blood, Prize.” He rolled his eyes. “Your thirst for carnage is beyond all the demons my people have ever imagined or feared.”
“Oh, so we’re back to this again.” She made a “humph” sound. “Fine. Name me one time when I’ve been wrong about removing a potential problem. One time. Go ahead. I’ll wait.”
He pushed a fallen boulder from their path and sent it tumbling down into a chasm. “I cannot.” He admitted. “But that just further proves the truth of the Saltmen’s customs. If a man is in your way, the quickest path is straight through him. Slaying your enemies is what you need to do to remain a part of this world. At some point, it is going to be us against everyone else. Adithia, The Demon Tailor and her ogre, Galland, Blissland, the Hardmen, Baseland, the Briary, Koschei the Deathless.… everyone. A couple dozen different cultures and peoples, all fighting for the chance to live.” He nodded at her, looking grimly certain that his hands would soon need to be wrapped around the world’s throat, squeezing. “That’s what this life is. It is a battle to the death to see who is worthy of survival. It is a savage place, intolerant of weakness. But I have lived in that kind of situation my entire life. The other kingdoms are polluted by the base alloy of their ‘civilized’ ways. I have no such restraint. I am pure; 100% savage warrior elite. You can call the Wastelanders barbarians if you want... but we’re good at it. I have yet to see the face of the man who can best me in a fight. I have crushed the skulls of many men claiming to be such a thing, beneath my sandaled foot. And I assure you, I will not lose The War of Gold and Silver. I don’t care who stands against us.” He pointed down at the earth. “I will gather their fucking heads and lay them before you.” He turned to meet her eyes. “I will do that for you. So that you may live in peace, with your books and your words.”
Tandy watched him silently for a moment, recognizing that she shouldn’t be finding his death threats against the totality of civilized existence nearly so hot.
But she did.
There was something so darkly erotic about his rippling muscles tensing beneath his skin, preparing to rip the world to pieces and shake loose the parts of it which most appealed to her.
“Okay.” She finally got out, distracted by his power and the sight of him. “You… you just do that…”
He nodded sharply, apparently thinking that he’d just won that discussion. “Good.”
She hurried after him. “Can you at least tell me why Hawser doesn’t have a title then? Why everyone else has a scary nickname, but his is always just ‘of the Coastal People’?”
Tzadok shrugged. “Because he’s a dishonorable dog who deserves a slow death, not a name of legend?”
Tandy squinted in thought. “I guess…” She admitted. “Just seems odd to me.”
“He was given that moniker because he wanted to honor his clan above all else.” Kobb helpfully interjected. “There would be no doubt that he was of the Coastal People. They are very proud of his accomplishments. Despite his current lunacy, the man is actually a very capable warrior.”
Tzadok made an unconvinced sound. “I prefer my explanation.”
He hadn’t been talking to his uncle much today, and Tandy theorized it was mostly due to Violet. He still didn’t trust her.
“It’ll be okay.” She quietly assured him, patting his arm. “I know you’re worried, but I don’t think you have reason to be.”
“He’s the toughest man I’ve ever met in my life.” Tzadok thought aloud. “Never seen him sick, never seen him bleed, never seen anything hurt him. But now? Honestly, I doubt he’ll last out the year with her. She’s gotten him impaled with arrows, stabbed him, broke his face, split his lip, probably fractured a couple ribs, set him on fire, and… and who knows what else!”
“Not all of that was her fault.”
“Most of it.”
Tandy shrugged, unable to argue that. “She’ll calm down, she’s just excited and forgets that he’s… breakable.” She took his hand. “Give them time, they’ll figure each other out.”
As if on cue, Kobb walked by holding his mysteriously bleeding hand, heading for the nearby pond to clean it. “Wasn’t her fault,” he defended to Tzadok even though the other man hadn’t said anything, “I don’t want to hear it, Nephew.”
“This is ridiculous.” Tzadok shook his head, feeling his own pain.
“I don’t think so.” She pointed at Violet as the woman hurried after Kobb worriedly. “You see the way she’s done her hair today? That’s something they traditionally do in the mountains of Galland. It identifies her as married and names her husband.” She shook her head. “That’s not something someone from The Wasteland would ever recognize or insist upon, which means she’s done it for her own benefit. Because she loves him. She’s basically telling anyone aroun
d that he’s ‘Claimed,’ as you’d call it. No one from Galland would ever do that lightly. It’s a permanent kind of thing.”
“Great. So you’re saying she’s obsessed with him. That’s what you’re saying.” Tzadok decided. “Does that seem natural to you? No, no. She’s moving way too fast. It makes no sense…”
“They’ve spent every moment together for two months.” Tandy reminded him.
“A month and a half.” He corrected. “I’ve eaten meat older than that before.”
“I think they spend more time together than you and I do. They talk constantly.”
“She’s up to something. Mark my words.” He let out a weary sigh. “She scares the shit out of me. My fucking aunt scares the living shit out of me. And she’s younger than I am!” He shook his head sadly. “The world is a strange place. I do not understand it.” He paused for a beat, then looked down at her. “Why haven’t you done that with your hair? Am I unworthy?”
“Firstly, because I’m not from the mountains of Galland, I’m from the capital which is an entirely different cultural zone, and secondly because you haven’t gotten me my books yet.”
He didn’t seem entirely convinced by that, but let the matter drop.
As they got closer to the mountains, the area around them grew rockier and rockier. Ahead of them, bored into the mountain during ancient times, was a tunnel. The entrance was flanked by stone sculptures of unknown goddesses and an animal creature, poised as if holding back some unseen terror. At their feet were piled rock bones, sculpted in relief. The effect was quite impressive.
Tzadok’s hand tightened on his weapon. “We must be cautious here.” He advised, slowing down so that his uncle could catch up with them again. “This is where I would plan my attack, were I a Coastal warrior.”
Tandy nodded, too distracted by the Wastelandi art to worry much about his warning.
All in all, she had good experiences with caves in The Wasteland. Very pleasurable things seemed to happen inside them.
Sadly, this one appeared to be a simple tunnel.
Tzadok and Kobb made their way inside, weapons at the ready.
Tandy trailed behind absently scanning the walls for any other interesting pieces of art. The inside of the tunnel was completely blank however, except for the odd bit of graffiti and a patch of moss here and there.
“
Tandy was startled by both the voice in the darkness and the fact that the woman was actually talking to her. In all the time they’d spent together, Violet had never really spoken to her. About… anything. Violet occupied herself with brooding or talking with Kobb. That was basically it.
“
“
“
“
Tandy blinked at her in silence, oddly unnerved by her sudden positivity. It was scarier than her anger had ever been.
“
The woman nodded, obviously feeling like she’d changed Tandy’s life and had gone out of her way to be a good friend. Then she hurried to catch up with Kobb and Tzadok.
Weird.
Tandy didn’t understand people sometimes. They…
Her thoughts trailed off as she spotted something glowing in the dimness behind one of the rocks at the base of the wall. She bent down to examine it.
A spider, glowing green with some kind of bioluminescence.
Tandy’s mouth formed an “O” of wonder, finding the creature absolutely fascinating. Granted, one of the most important rules of life in The Wasteland was obviously “don’t touch cave spiders,” but there was something about the little arachnid which inspired scientific curiosity.
Tandy squinted down at it, watching it gracefully move in the darkness.
“Tandrea?” Tzadok called out to her from the end of the tunnel. “Please don’t fall behind.”
She looked over to him. “Coming!” She shouted, then turned back to her new friend. If only she had something to collect it, she could continue her observations…
Then she remembered the glass bottle Kobb had given her, which was still in her pocket. She fished it out and carefully scooped up the glowing spider. Since the lid had tiny holes in it for herbs to pass through, it would make the perfect temporary home for the specimen until she could properly study it, then release it in some other dark space.
Tandy beamed, utterly pleased with how well this was working out.
She hurried after her companions. “Sorry, I found something interesting and I got distracted.”
“This is a bad place to get distracted, Tandrea.” Tzadok reminded her, sounding worried. “Your brain is trying to kill you again.”
She rolled her eyes. Everything was always so doom and gloom with him. “And yet, we somehow survived.”
He made a non-committal sound, like he wasn’t sure it was safe to say that yet.
At the end of the tunnel, Tzadok and Kobb cautiously walked out into the blinding Wastelandi sun, searching for unseen attackers.
To their surprise, they didn’t see any though. Both of them seemed rather perplexed by that.
Tandy peered out from the mouth of the tunnel. “Can I come out now?”
Kobb nodded. “I suppose. Honestly, I expected some Coastal presence here.”
Tzadok still looked concerned. “I don’t like this.” He said softly to the group at large. “This place has the smell of magic about it.” His sharp eyes returned to scanning the rocks. “Yet I see nothing.”
Kobb shrugged and started forward. “Then let us move on as quickly as possible.”
Tzadok’s arm shot out to halt him. “No.” He shook his head. “Back through the tunnel. Something’s wrong.”
Tandy didn’t need to be told twice, instantly backtracking into the tunnel once again…
Only the entrance was now a sheer rock wall.
Tzadok spit on the ground. “Fucking magic. May Chox shit on the graves of all witches and sorcerers.”
Something large hit the ground in front of him, making a horrible wet sound, punctuated by breaking bones.
“
Jairo lay sprawled on the ground in a heap, blood pouring from… everywhere. Tandy didn’t even need to get a better look at him to understand that he’d be dead in seconds.
Jairo lifted his head, blood pouring from his mouth and ears. He met Tzadok’s gaze...
A dozen arrows struck him at once, robbing him of even those last remaining seconds of life. The light went out of his eyes with the suddenness of a candle being snuffed out by a gust of icy wind.
“Prepare yourself for cruelties unimagined, Coastal dog!” Tzadok growled out holding up his hammer in an attack position. “Step forward and be broken!”
Around the small canyon, other Coastal People appeared, all brandishing weapons.
“ Aix asked conversationally. “”
Hawser smirked down at them. “You don’t understand, do you?” He started laughing. “The battle is over. All of your strength is useless, you shit.” He gestured to his right, where Seax was standing,
his eyes glowing with an unearthly amber light. “Unless you brought a sorcerer of your own?” He paused for a beat, his voice mocking. “Did you bring a sorcerer of your own, Tzadok?”
The Coastal People started laughing.
Tzadok moved forward, ready to kill them all.
Seax shouted something in a language Tandy didn’t understand, waved his arms in a circle, then clapped his hands together.
In front of them, a ball of light appeared and then exploded in a blinding flash. In the middle of the space was standing a gigantic bear. A bear with long sharpened tusks and a club tail.
Tandy blinked at it in astonishment.
That was… unexpected.
She opened her mouth to ask Tzadok what she should do, but then Seax said something else, and Tandy’s world disappeared.
****
Kobb slammed the stolen Coastal sword straight into the beast’s gullet and the animal let out a horrible gasping sound. A second later, Tzadok’s hammer connected with its head and the noise stopped instantly.
He yanked the weapon free, preparing for the next wave of attackers, but it seemed that they’d finally killed the last of them.
Kobb stepped over the pile of bodies, which was now up to their thighs and filled the entire clearing. “VIOLET!” He yelled, trying to find the woman, who had been lost in the carnage.
Tzadok scanned the scene, still looking for… something. He didn’t even know what, honestly. An hour before, Tandy had disappeared in a flash of light and he’d been fighting Coastal warriors and a titanic fucking bear ever since.
But he knew that Tandy wasn’t anywhere close by anymore. He could feel it.
He’d seen something like lightning strike the spot where she’d been standing, and then for a split-second, the bolt appeared to be directed westward.
Galland.
Seax had sent her to Galland for some reason. Tzadok was sure of it.
He looked down at the broken body of Jairo for a moment, which was splattered all over the rocks, filled with arrows. The man was still gripping his battle axe though.
Captive of a Fairytale Barbarian Page 46
