by Eden Redd
“Jenny, I appreciate the advice but that is something for Nia and I to work out,” Trystan huffed
“I am only talking to you about it because we are friends, aren’t we?”
Trystan felt a stab of guilt. Here he was trying to be a friend to Jenny and it backfired on himself. He hated to admit she was right but the mage felt like he had no choice but to agree. He wanted to talk to Nia about what was happening but he spent so much time focusing on the quest that he pushed their talk to the side.
Jenny took in a deep breath, large breasts straining against thin fabric and nipples pointing, “Trystan, as a friend, I’m here for you any time you need me.”
Trystan found himself staring at Jenny’s chest as it rose and fell with every breath, “I sometimes get confused on what that exactly means.”
The corner of Jenny’s mouth curved into a smirk, “I’m here to ease any suffering you may have. Now you should join the others. I want to soak in the sun for a while.”
Trystan looked away and stood up. Pushing Jenny’s words from his mind, the mage made his way to the water. Friends splashed and played in the ocean. Wendy was chest deep in the water with her master on her shoulders. Aznara was on Red Fang’s shoulders. Reeko and the succubus clamped hands and tried to wrestle the other one off. Red Fang and Wendy the Ogre smiled and growled. Nia cheered and clapped as Sunara floated on her back.
Trystan broke into a run across the hot sand. The mage crashed into the water and swam to his friends. He joined in on the cheering as Reeko barely held on. Wendy’s single horn pointed at the succubus on Red Fang’s shoulders but Aznara would not be deterred. A twist of the hand and a pull, Reeko was sent flying into the water below. Aznara put her hands up in triumph while Red Fang paraded her around. Wendy scooped up her master and placed him back on her shoulders.
“Rematch!” The goblin shouted.
Aznara growled loudly and they locked hands once again. The good feelings were infectious. For a moment, Trystan forgot about their quest. Nia bounced in the water, shouting and cheering. The mage gazed at her, taking in her moment of happiness, etching the memory deep into his mind. Webbed hands touched the mage’s skin. Trystan quickly dove his hands under the water and took hold of Sylk’s wrist.
“Ha! I knew you would sneak up on me!” Trystan shouted as he pulled up the siren.
Sylk was held above water, a big smile beaming back at her master. Trystan kissed her blue lips. He then hoisted her up and threw her into the water. The mage started to swim as his familiar swam after him. Nia urged Trystan to keep swimming with cheers. Bodies glistened in the sunlight as the friends played on for the rest of the afternoon.
Nine
Trystan stumbled toward the elevator with a drunken smile on his lips. The afternoon spun into the evening as the sun slowly disappeared over the horizon. After spending a few hours at the beach and nearly burning his skin, the mage suggested dinner and everyone jumped at the idea. Stomachs crying out for a meal, the group made their way back to the hotel and to freshen up. Meeting for dinner filled everyone with smiles as they sat down and ordered. The hotel dining room was more than adequate for the companions and they sat down with ravenous appetites.
Trystan’s smile grew wider as he rode the elevator to his floor. The meal seemed to taste better than he ever thought it could. After dinner, they all proceeded to the bar for drinks and the good times rolled on. Talking and laughing filled the late afternoon into the darken evening. Worry seemed to slip away from Trystan as everyone talked with excitement in their voice. The beach town had a relaxed vibe that only fueled their good feelings. As the drinks flowed, Trystan thought he would like to come to Lantern Beach when he wasn’t on some dire quest.
The quest did take a back seat to the festivities. It was easy to worry about it tomorrow for they were living in the now. With slightly burned skin and worn out muscles, the mage thought of his hotel bed. He wanted to sleep his life away, comforted by pleasant memories and beautiful mental images of the day.
A stream of mist poured from Trystan’s arm and Sylk blinked into existence. The siren pressed her near nude body against her master’s and kissed him deeply. Trystan returned the kiss with closed eyes and happy thoughts.
“I love when your drunk. It makes it easier to take advantage of you,” Sylk whispered.
Trystan opened his eyes half way, “Maybe for a little bit. I’m so tired.”
Sylk eyed her master with wicked thoughts, “When we get to the room, lay down on the bed. I will take care of you.”
Trystan grinned at his familiar and the elevator stopped. The doors opened and Sylk guided her master out onto their floor. The mage glanced up as they walked down the hall. Nia and Sunara had left the bar about ten minutes before he did. When he and Sylk walked past Nia’s door, small muffled moans floated through the door. The mage looked to the door and a second later, his heart grew heavy.
Sylk looked to her master but quietly guided him to his room. Walking through the door and shutting it behind them, Sylk gently pulled her master to the bed and sat him down. Trystan stared off, sad thoughts spilling into his drunken state. The smile he carried before had faded and a gloom cast a shadow over his spirit.
Sylk went to the double doors leading out to the balcony. She opened them and a refreshing warm breeze floated in. The sky held a dark cloud or two, the crescent moon glowing in the distance. The siren whispered a few words and her thin bikini faded from view, revealing her naked blue skinned body. Trystan looked over and gave a weak smile, eyes returning to the floor.
The siren looked to her heartbroken master. Urges pushed at her to make him feel better but concern overrode her initial plans. Sylk stepped with webbed feet over soft carpeted floor and sat next to her master. A webbed hand touched his and held it.
“She is leaving me,” Trystan said in a low voice.
“No master. She loves you. She will never leave,” Sylk tried to sound reassuring.
“I wish I could believe that. I really do. She took a bolt meant for me and it scarred her face.”
“Does the scar bother you?”
Trystan shook his head, “No. She is beautiful inside and out. I wish she would believe it.”
Sylk grew quiet.
Trystan continued, “Nia never had to worry for much. She is so beautiful and full of life. It was easy for her to get adopted. Her new family treated her like a princess and she was never left wanting. I don’t think she ever considered if something truly life altering would have such an effect on her.”
“You think what happened to her eye caused her to question her life?”
Trystan looked to his familiar, “It wasn’t just the scar. She was hurt pretty bad from the battle with the slimes. If the healers didn’t get to her in time, then she might not have made it.”
Sylk looked down and kicked out her feet.
Trystan looked on as well, “I don’t know what to do? If I try to get close, she will resent me. If I stay too far away, she will think I don’t care.”
Sylk nodded, “If I were you, I would go to her and let her know my feelings.”
Trystan turned his head slightly, “It’s surprising hearing that from you.”
The siren shrugged, “I know our bond will never break. But the bond between you and Nia needs to be healed.”
Trystan was silent for a long moment. The mage took a deep breath and stood up, “You’re right. I need to tell her.”
Trystan began walking to the door. Sylk’s oval eyes widened and she was on her feet, running after her master.
“Now? Maybe we should wait?” Sylk said alarmed.
“No, I’ve waited long enough. I can’t go on this quest with this hanging over my head. I need to tell her now or I never will,” Trystan took hold of the door handle, turned it and stepped out into the hall.
Sylk watched helplessly as her master walked down the hallway and stopped at Nia’s door. The mage gave a few hard knocks, alcohol fueling his bravery. The sounds fr
om inside the room stopped. Trystan felt the first tendrils of nervous energy spiking through his body when the door opened. The mage stared as Sunara stood naked before him, Nia’s scent floating around her.
“Trystan?” Sunara said with a touch of concern and dash of bewilderment.
“I need to speak to Nia,” The mage said as he stood his ground.
“Can she talk to you in the morning? We were in the middle of…..”
Trystan cut her off, “Now, please.”
The blue haired succubus tilted her horned head, stepped to the side and let the door swing completely open. Nia was in the bed, clutching a blanket to her body. She wasn’t wearing her eye patch as a star shaped scar with a white eye stared back at him. For a brief moment, Trystan took in her red hair and smooth skin, a jealous need rising to pick her up and carry her back to his room. Instead he stayed at the doorway.
Nia stared back. Eyes locking to Trystan’s, the red head turned away, a hand rising up to cover her white eye. Her good eye looked down, filling with regretful sorrow. Body shifted to the side as if she was trying to hide herself.
“Nia…..I just had to come over and say something. You are the most beautiful woman in the world. My heart belongs to you and it always will. I know things have changed but that doesn’t mean those changes will destroy what we have. No matter what you decide is best for you, I will be here. I will protect you. I will care for you. I will always love you.”
“Trystan,” Nia whispered as her eyes watered.
Sunara looked to the mage with wide eyes, “Trystan….you can join us. I’m sure neither of us would mind.”
Trystan’s shoulders sagged, “No. I think I will go for a walk. I just had to come over and say what I had to say.”
The young mage wandered off from the door. Sylk closed the door to the hotel room, bikini appearing on her body, she rushed to her master’s side and entwined her arm into his. Together they walked to the elevator. A webbed finger touched the button and silver doors opened. Stepping inside, the siren stared as her master had a faraway look in his eyes.
Outside, Trystan and Sylk took in the evening air. The mage tried not to think about what just happened. He wasn’t sure what to expect from Nia. Was she supposed to go running into his arms? Or was she supposed to tell him they could never be together because she had fallen for the blue haired succubus? The young man could not say. Sylk pressed herself close to her master, wanting to comfort him.
Together master and familiar strolled through the streets of Lantern Beach. Trystan could see why they called it as such. Lanterns along the cobbled streets and hanging from wires filled the evening with orange and yellow light. The further they walked, the more the colors changed from orange to yellow to green and to blue. It seemed that each street had its own combinations of colors and it only added to the magic of the seaside town. Sylk looked up with starry eyes. Trystan smiled gently, focusing on the lights and pushing away sad thoughts of the woman he loves.
The scent of the sea caressed their senses and a distant crashing of ocean waves pulsed like delicate white noise. Trystan kept the sad dark thoughts at bay but he knew it would only be a matter of time before they consumed him. Firming up his resolve, the mage told himself mentally that he would have to deal with the situation when the quest was over.
“She will come back to you. You both have a long history,” Sylk said surprisingly upbeat.
“Maybe. Or perhaps this is how she always wanted it to be? I will not cage her heart and I know she will not cage mine,” Trystan said as shadows covered his eyes.
Sylk looked up to her master, “Then she is a fool to lose you.”
“She will never lose me. We will simply go down different paths.”
The siren looked ahead as they walked, “You still have me and Gwen.”
Trystan smiled, “I am truly blessed to have my loving familiar and witchy lover. I never asked but I wasn’t sure how you felt about Gwen.”
“I love Gwen. She created me and gave me to you. I sometimes fantasize of the three of us, living by the sea. We would have a large house. You and Gwen would have many babies. I would help take care of them and we would all spend our lives together.”
Trystan raised an eyebrow, “Babies? Really?”
Sylk nodded, “Gwen is only eight years older than you. She can still have many babies.” The siren was quiet for a moment before speaking again, “If I could, I would have your babies.”
Trystan stopped walking and turned to his siren. Sylk tilted her chin down, as if ashamed at what she just said. The mage cupped her light blue chin and raised her face up so they could look eye to eye.
“I didn’t know you thought about such things,” Trystan said softly.
Sylk tried to look away but failed, “I envy Nia and Gwen. They can have you in a way that I never could. We may be close but I can never marry you or have your children. I will always be your familiar.”
Trystan felt his heart beat warmly in his chest, “I don’t know if there is a rule that a mage cannot marry his familiar? If there is, who says we have to follow it?”
Sylk’s eyes widened and she began jumping in place with a wide grin, “You mean it master? We can get married!”
Trystan rubbed his own chin, “Well I’m not ready to marry any time soon but I won’t say no should the time ever come.”
Sylk continued to bounce and smile gleefully, “I’m going to marry my master! I will have to look into dresses and see what would be the best location. We will have to plan well in advance because I read weddings can be time consuming. I think a summer wedding would suit us or maybe an autumn wedding….”
Trystan watched as Sylk babbled on. It was that moment that he really felt close to her. He had already confessed his love but now it felt like their bonds grew even stronger. The mage had no idea when he would marry but just seeing his familiar so excited took some of the sad edge off.
A cool breeze washed over the young mage. Sylk continued to talk loudly about where they can get flowers when Trystan felt a cold chill touch his mind. The mage turned and looked around. The street was empty except for a few hanging lanterns. The mage wasn’t paying attention to where he was going and it appeared they had walked to the edge of town closer to the wall.
“Master?” Sylk asked as she stopped jumping.
“Does something feel odd?” Trystan asked while surveying their surroundings.
Sylk looked around, “Now that you mention it, I can sense mana flowing around us.”
Trystan continued to look around, eyes searching for something in the air. The light from the lanterns caused shadows to move and bend. When a shadow leaped from one dark spot to another, Trystan whipped around and took hold of Sylk’s shoulders.
“Get help! I think we…..” Trystan stopped mid-sentence.
Shadows emerged from dark corners. Trystan and Sylk stood back to back as more shadows melted into the lantern light. The siren balled her webbed hands into fists. Trystan made several hand signals and spoke an arcane word. Sea water from the ocean surged up into a thin stream. It crossed the entire town and landed at Trystan’s feat. Another hand signal and the water turned into a blue staff.
The shadows around them pointed and shifted. Darkness bloomed into black solid bodies. Trystan counted eight of them as they stood silently.
“Master?” Sylk whispered.
“This is shadow magic. Our enemies are close,” Trystan whispered back.
“What should we do?”
Trystan focused as he looked from one shadow to another, “Defend ourselves.”
A shadow blinked forward, black hands turning into sharpened points. Trystan pointed the end of his staff, the end blasting off. The bolt of water turned into a cone and struck the attacking shadow in the face. The force blew out the back the of the shadow’s head. The black body melted and returned to dark corners. Trystan whispered a word and the bolt of water changed direction. Another shadow rushed forward only to have the water bolt s
lam into the side of its head, causing it to explode.
Trystan divided his attention. The bolt of water whipped around as the mage brought up his staff to block two more shadows. Black energy struck and purple sparks flew as the mage kept them at bay. Sylk rushed forward at two advancing shadows. A webbed foot struck a black knee while a webbed hand clawed across a dark face. One shadow went down to one knee while the other stepped back, trying to retain its form. The siren pressed her attack, flipping up and kicking the shadow on its knee under its jaw. The shadow disbursed into dozens of black shards, returning to the dark corners of the street.
Sylk landed on one foot and whipped her heel around. The other shadow lurched forward just as the heel struck it hard. The black shadow went flying into a stone wall and shattered.
Trystan grunted as he spun his staff. The end of the staff struck at a neck, shattering the black body. The other shadow blocked the staff but had forgotten the water bolt spinning around. The bolt struck the side of its head hard and it fell to the ground in pieces. Turning, the mage centered on the last two shadows standing just out of reach. Sylk was by her master’s side, knees bent and eyes focused.
Behind the two remaining shadows, darkness shifted and rose up. Trystan readied himself as a dozen more shadow men appeared in front of them. Sylk turned her head to see another dozen sprout behind them.
“Master, there’s more,” Sylk said as she moved to face the dozen to the rear.
Trystan stared as the shadows moved into a semi-circle formation. He couldn’t help but get the feeling they were toying with him. Taking a quick glance around, the mage spotted hooded figures on the nearby roofs, looking over the side.
Shadow men raised their hands, forming them into hammers and sharp points. Trystan made quick hand signals and said several arcane words. The staff burst from his hand and formed many hand sized orbs. With another word, the water orbs froze solid. The shadows rushed forward. Trystan flicked his wrist and the orbs shot out. Time slowed down as the mage controlled each and every ice orb. Black bodies melted or shattered as each orb crashed through them like they were wet paper.
