by Eden Redd
Thorrin eyed the white-haired dragon woman for a long moment before speaking, “I will accept the quest but I cannot be held responsible if she does anything to jeopardize our group. It will be my duty to slay her just like any agent of chaos.”
Kai shot the paladin a dirty look while Wynter tapped her staff against the stone floor. Thorrin looked over and the necromancer gave him a long cold stare.
“I’m right here. You can talk to me directly. And as for the raid group, I know we are all players but this goes beyond petty good and evil. We are trying to save Lukken.”
Thorrin held Wynter’s frosty stare, “That is where our play styles are different. Good and evil are not petty sides. They are important. I’m sure you are a good player but don’t let that make things too comfortable. I heard about what happened on the Harkkon Raid. Your teams managed to just reach the end when a troll master betrayed everyone but the necromancers who followed him. It’s also out there that the raid released Harkkon, a Dread Lord, from his prison. I fought a Dread Lord and it wasn’t that easy. Your raid only added to the misery Lukken is currently suffering. You see why I find it important to keep to the path of light.”
“Wynter is not a spy for the trolls or dread lords,” Lady Slytha said with confidence.
Thorrin turned to the Lady, “We don’t know that for sure and with all due respect my Lady, you’re not joining our group. You don’t have to watch your back but the rest of us do.”
“Watch what you say!” Kai growled.
Wynter put a hand on Kai’s shoulder, “Don’t let him get to you. He is taking the game way to seriously.”
Thorrin eyed the troll but kept his face a blank mask, “I’m all for team work but this raid is a mess. A necromancer, a troll and three rogues on the team doesn’t mesh well.”
“I wish we had some popcorn,” Renner said as he, Vass and Rekt sipped wine and watched the drama unfold.
“What would you suggest to help balance the team,” Lady Slytha asked.
Thorrin sat back, “Since Emma won’t be joining us, I will need a companion to help even the odds. Just to make sure we are all keeping the balance.”
“Do you have one in mind?” Slytha asked simply.
Thorrin nodded, “As a matter of fact, I do.”
Ten
A breeze flowed into the master bedroom. Curtains rustled as sunlight poured in and painted the floor with yellow light. The very air carried a hint of dying smoke but it wasn’t enough to deter the outpouring of warmth in the room.
Jayson sat on the edge of the bed, Oksuna sitting next to him. The two faced each other, their gaze gliding over their bodies. The knight couldn’t stop staring at the beautiful pink haired troll. She sat with white leather armor covering her mid-section and shoulders. Her deep blue cleavage heaved as she smiled at her lord. A sword handle was over her shoulder, the metal pommel gleaming in the light. From the troll’s thin waist to her white boots were covered in white leather leggings. Shapely thick thighs touched as she folded her hands over one another in her lap, fighting the temptation to reach out and touch her lord.
Jayson looked up once again but stopped short at the pink heart stone around her neck, inches above her voluptuous chest. He never thought a day like this would come where she would travel with him. Eyes moving up, he looked up to her beautiful smooth blue face and into her dark eyes. The troll felt her heart skip a beat as her lord eyed her with such tenderness.
“This will be dangerous but I cannot leave you here in case the keep is attacked again,” Jayson said with loving warmth.
Oksuna nodded but kept her gaze on the handsome knight.
Jayson let out a sigh before speaking, “Where we are going is also pretty dangerous. I don’t know what to expect. I wish there was another option but, we’ve run out of time.”
Oksuna’s lips curved into a shy smile.
“I know before everything happened, I asked if you wanted to speak. I have heard you sing a word or two but I can unlock your ability to speak fully. You will be able to say whatever you want. Do you still want me to do it?”
The troll nodded and her shy smile grew broader.
Jayson stared into her eyes. Remembering the string of letters and numbers, he began saying each one. When he was done, the player stared at the beautiful troll. Oksuna’s eyes lowered and she parted her lips. The very air grew still and the only sound the knight heard was his heart beat in his ears.
“Jay….son….” Oksuna struggled to say, her eyes widening.
Jayson reached over and touched her arms, “Keep going.”
“I…..love…you….” Oksuna said and her eyes welled up.
Jayson’s heart hammered in his chest as his own ears filled with those beautiful words. Moving closer, his gaze was steady and his smile, bright.
“I love you too,” Jayson said and it came out as natural as falling rain.
Knight and troll leaned in and kissed, arms holding each other tightly as tongues played. The heat between them bloomed and the tongue play grew frantic. Each pulled back at the same time, a dizziness filling their senses.
“It’s…hard…but I feel like…I’m…getting better at it,” Oksuna said with a small struggle.
“Take your time. I’m just amazed it worked. I can’t believe you’re actually speaking to me.”
“There’s…so much…I want to say,” Oksuna said with some difficulty.
Jayson was nearly beside himself as he talked, “I know but don’t worry. We will be travelling together. You can tell me anything you want. I will be all ears.”
Oksuna smiled.
“Wow, I could stay here and let you talk to me forever but our friends are waiting. We have to leave soon for the west. Are you sure you want to go?”
“Yes,” Oksuna said and nodded.
The troll stood up to her full seven-foot height. Jayson was up and standing before her. His six-foot frame was dwarfed by the lovely troll but the player didn’t care. Tingles ran along his spine and finger tips as he gazed upon the beautiful troll. Reaching out, he took Oksuna’s hand into his and they walked toward the doors of the master bedroom.
The couple made their way down the long stretch of hallway to the main hall. Lance and Sonja stood with their concubines. Eyes turned and smiles bloomed as they watched their friend and lover stroll out, holding Oksuna’s hand. Lance stepped over and clamped a hand on Jayson’s shoulder as Sonja moved in and hugged Oksuna. The couple let go and basked in the loving haze.
“The deed is done? She can….” Lance trailed off.
Oksuna hugged Sonja and looked to the white knight, “I can.”
Sonja let go and backed up, all smiles, “This is amazing. I can’t believe how excited I am for all of us.”
Jayson smiled, “Me too but remember, we are still going someplace dangerous. We have to be on our toes and watch each other’s backs.”
“Till the end,” Lance chanted.
Jayson, Sonja and Oksuna all nodded in unison. Jayson’s harem had gathered in the hall, all eyes on the group that would continue on to the west. Sardyna stood with her back to the wall. Lance and Sonja’s concubines stood at their sides, ready and waiting. A certain kitra stood off to the side, head bowed and eyes sad. Without a sound, she took several steps forward and stood before Jayson.
“I know it’s important I stay and organize…but I want you to know….I love you my lord,” Dalya said with wet eyes.
Jayson curled fingers around her arms and drew her in closer, “You are my first. I love you and hopefully we can get through this with little bloodshed.”
The kitra looked up to Jayson with starry eyes. Leaning in, she pressed her lips to her lord’s, tongues swirling. When the moment passed, they parted and the kitra looked to the hellhound leaning against the wall.
“You take care of our lord,” Dalya commanded.
The hellhound had her arms crossed but looked up to make eye contact, “I will keep him safe for all of us.”
“We
will miss you!” the harem said at once.
“I will miss all of you. Keep safe and be ready should I need to call you,” Jayson said with a gentle smile before turning to his fellow knights.
Lance and Sonja each held out a hand. Jayson moved in and took their hands. The concubines all touched their lord’s and lady’s shoulders, Sardyna being the last. With a simple nod, the three knights activated the recall to their save points. The air vibrated for a moment and all vanished in a flash. Dalya tried to hold it together as several elves moved to her side, touching her shoulders in comfort.
Digital reality shifted as light streamed past. Several seconds ticked by before the area spouted up around the party, filling it with the wide road, rolling green hills, small forests and a camp ground just off the road. The knights turned and faced outward, taking in their surroundings. The sky was cloudy and coolness filled the area.
Jayson looked over to camp ground they set up for Lunatina before they left. Two tents stood and an empty fire pit. The party walked over, eyes searching for any movement. The flaps to the tents were open and the tops sagged a little. As Jayson stepped closer, it looked like the camp had been abandoned.
Lance drew his rapier and rushed forward. Looking into one tent and then another, he turned back to the party.
“Nothing here, they’re empty,” Lance said with rapier still in hand.
Sonja stepped closer to the cold fire pit, “We were gone for two days in game. You don’t think….”
“Fan out and search,” Jayson ordered. “She might still be here somewhere.”
The crowd began to spread out when the air wrinkled next to Jayson. Oksuna spotted the strange lines in the air and drew her sword from over her shoulder. She took one step forward when something burst from thin air. It was airborne and crashed into the knight. Jayson was knocked off balance and fell on his back, hands holding arms as frantic eyes gazed at his.
“Never leave me here alone again!” Lunatina said in a harsh hiss.
Jayson gazed up at the pale jester in her black and purple outfit. Her eyes stared at his before looking off in one direction after another. Lance and Sonja stepped closer as Jayson sat up, still holding the frantic jester’s arms.
“What happened?” the knight asked.
Lunatina sat back and pulled her arms from the knight’s grip, “There’s something out here, watching me. It started last night and it hasn’t gone away.”
The jester dug into her pouch at her hip. Pulling out a potion, she heaved it back and threw it at the camp site. The potion shattered and purple mist flowed up. An instant later, the camp site looked like new, a warm fire burning in the pit.
“I had to cover it up. Make it look like it was abandoned. It was watching, waiting. It’s strange howl echoing through the night. I knew the tents couldn’t protect me. I knew the fire wouldn’t keep it at bay. I needed to hide or it would get me!”
Jayson stood up and put a hand out to the jester, “Slow down. We’re here.”
Lunatina looked to the knight’s hand, almost disbelieving he was real. After a long second, she reached up with a black gloved hand and took hold. Jayson helped her to her feet and the jester immediately hugged him.
“Never leave me out here by myself again. Promise me,” the jester nearly sobbed.
“I promise. I will never leave you alone again,” Jayson said with wide eyes.
“If you didn’t come back, it was going to come for me. I could feel that it would have come for me. I miss being in a castle. I miss being safe,” Lunatina continued.
Sonja reached over and touched the jester’s shoulder, “You didn’t see it?”
The jester shook her head while still holding onto Jayson, “I only saw its eyes in the darkness. It circled the camp and sniffed at the air. I barely slept as it made strange noises. I think it was trying to figure out if it wanted to eat me. I thought I would be fine out here but…..”
Jayson pulled her away and held her at arm’s length, “It’s okay, we’re here. We will not let anything happen to you.”
Lunatina took in deep breaths, trying to calm down. Glancing about she noticed the group had expanded to include six concubines along with the knights. Seeing the large group seemed to help as her shoulders relaxed. Jayson let go but eyed the pale jester as she continued to take deep breaths.
“I’m sorry. I haven’t been myself since last night.”
Jayson remembered how they left. The jester/alchemist insisted she would stay and watch over their camp. Since it would only be two days, she was going to check the area for ingredients and continue to craft potions. Despite Jayson’s better judgment, he relented because she kept saying she wanted the alone time. They all had been travelling together for months and she showed she was little more than annoyed when the knights would spend quality time together.
“I used an invisibility potion and waited to see if the thing would come out. I don’t know if I could hurt it but if I knew what it was, maybe I could find a weakness,” the jester said as sanity oozed back into her mind.
Jayson looked to the group. Everyone seemed a little concerned as the jester quieted down. Things were starting to ramp up and the knight knew this was just a prequel to things to come. Trying to stay positive, the knight took charge.
“Let’s break down the camp and start moving. We still have plenty of daylight and we need to keep moving if we want to make it to the coast in a week.”
Everyone nodded their heads and spread out. It didn’t take long to break down camp and douse the fire pit. Twenty minutes later, the tents were stowed in packs and the group looked down the wide road to the west. Without fanfare, the party began their trek. In the vast distance, a dark mountain range stabbed at the sky and forests covered the land before it. Jayson mentally went over the map Lady Slytha provided, wondering if the portal was still standing.
A cold wind swept through the group as they marched. Oksuna was to Jayson’s right but the rattled jester was to his left, eyes darting from one side of the road to the next. An eerie gloom had taken root and the player was having a difficult time pushing it away. It wasn’t so much that Jayson was concerned about himself and his fellow knights, it was a deep concern for all those travelling with them. If they were awakening in the game, then the player was responsible for them. With thoughts weighing heavy on his heart, he pushed forward, silently promising himself to defend all of them, no matter how many times he died.
Eleven
The edge of the forest stood before the party, a weather-beaten sign stabbed into the roadside dirt. Jayson scanned the tree line from right to left as the rest of the party fanned out a little to take it in. A chill crawled with ankle deep mist. Even as the afternoon sun hung low in the sky, its light couldn’t chase away the cold oozing from the forest edge. The main road cut down the middle of the forest but even that provided little solace.
Jayson stepped closer to the sign. It read “Stay to the Road” in jagged letters.
Jayson pulled out Lady Slytha’s map. “According to this, the portal should lie just north of the forest on the other side.
Lance moved along the edge for about twenty feet. He stopped when he saw that most of the trees still had leaves, but a few were leafless. Those naked, black trees stood silently with long ropey vines hanging from their branches. The white knight stared at them, a shadow touching his spirit. The place gave off a wave of foreboding. Before the knight could turn away, a small scrawny rat bounded along exposed roots. Vines trembled before several of them shot down. Lance backed up as the vines stabbed and curled around the pathetic creature. The rat gave a high-pitched squeal before it was pulled into the air. A line appeared along the trunk and split open. Rows of sharp jagged teeth yawned open and the rat was quickly stuffed in. There was a horrific “Crunch” before the line closed and the vines pulled back.
Lance turned his head to the left, Sonja by his side, her face pale. The knight moved closer, taking her hand and leading her back to the main
road. Jayson turned his head to his fellow knights. Lance had a grim darkness under his eyes and Sonja’s face had gone white with concern. The white knight looked over to the sign once again and then to Jayson.
“The sign is right. We need to stay on the road and avoid any naked black trees.”
“They’re carnivorous,” Sonja said simply.
“Good to know,” The knight said as he turned to the group. “We have to stay to the road and possibly camp on it soon.”
Kell, Sonja’s dark-elf mage concubine shook his head, “Why not stay here and travel in the morning? Any manner of beast could be using the road as a means of transport.”
Sardyna sniffed at the air, her red eyes taking in the area, “No, Lord Jayson is right. Something is here. The forest can offer some protection.”
“We can better defend against the east and west of the road then from all directions out here,” Jayson added.
“The road is wide enough for us to all be together, and easier to take turns guarding the camp during the night,” Sonja said as she shook off the horror induced images from before.
“Let’s keep going. We can set up camp in an hour,” Jayson said and began walking.
The party followed, eyes moving in all directions to ensure nothing could sneak up on them. The hour passed quickly as they marched along. Occasionally someone would point out one of the black trees but there was little else to report. The forest was silent. No birds sang and it only added to the creepy vibration.
Lunatina was practically glued to Jayson’s side while Oksuna walked ahead, her eyes sharp. Lance had taken lead, walking with his chest out but his senses open. Sonja took the rear with Leaf and Kell, but behind them all was Sardyna. Her ears were perked up and swiveled in all directions. Brow wrinkled, she sniffed at the air and listened for any signs of life. The trees kept their dark secrets as they stood, indifferent to the party’s passing.
Jayson was about to lift his hand and inform everyone to make camp where they stood, but something caught his attention further along the road. Continuing along, the knight stared as something gray came into focus. The trees parted north of the road and a stone archway stood. Lance was already picking up his pace; Jayson assumed he was heading directly for it. Jayson turned around and gave everyone a quick signal with his hand. The party looked to him and nodded silently.
