An idea formed...
The next morning, the sun burst into life and cleared away the clouds in about five minutes of shining. The rain faded and the surface of the temple gleamed with reflective light. The pails and buckets that the villagers had set out were tapped for water, and Liam splashed some into his face, beaming as he stepped to the edge of the temple, stretching.
“I knew it,” Meg said. “You have an idea.”
“Kinda,” Liam said, rolling one arm. “Anyone got a pair of sandals they're willing to give up?”
One of the villagers – a pretty elf girl who smiled at Liam shyly – stepped over, holding up her sandals. Liam took both of them and hefted them, then tossed one out over the field. Once more, the monster opened fire. Once more, steaming contrails were all that could be seen of the haze of crystal darts that shredded the sandal. Once more, the shredded chunks hit the ground with terrible finality.
Liam tossed the remaining sandal from hand to hand.
“Do you know what causes condensation?” he asked.
Meg shrugged. “I don't even know what condensation is.”
“Basically,” Liam said, “It's due to temperature difference. That thing is a lot hotter or colder than the world above it. Well, its guts are. Like, a lot hotter or colder.”
Meg nodded.
“Any chemical process that creates that kind of heat can't be stable,” Liam said, looking at her. “At least, that's what my layman's knowledge of biology says. And, I mean, this critter lives underground and is rare enough that no one on Purgatory has seen one before. Being underground is a great thermal regulator.”
Meg chuckled. “Like a leaf pile.”
“So, we just need to screw with that heat difference,” Liam said. He rubbed his palms together, then cupped them around his mouth. “Oi! Tethis! Livianna!”
A moment later, the gobliness and the elf were standing at the edge of the library.
“Liam had an idea!” Meg shouted to Livianna. “You owe me coin, Liv.”
“I'll pay up when you admit Plato was wrong about everything,” Liv shouted back.
“That-” Meg spluttered. “That wasn't part of the bet!”
“I'm changing the bet,” Liv called back. “The parameters have changed – you can't stick with an old bet when the situation's changed.”
Meg clenched her hands, then glared at Liam, who was covering his mouth with one hand. Meg scowled. “Spartans. You can't trust them.”
Liam shook his head. “You slept with her.”
“Well, that's because she's incredibly attractive,” Meg said. “And most of the time, she's perfectly reasonable-”
“She tried to kill us when we first met,” Liam muttered.
“But this is just-” Meg continued, ignoring him.
Liam held up his hand, pausing her tirade for a moment. He called over: “Tethis, can you make a conduit spell through space via a physical object that is linked to another physical object?”
“They'd need to be made of the same stuff,” Tethis said, nodding. “And in a great deal of contact. It'd be better if said contact took place over a sympathetically relevant situation.” She stroked her chin. “What are we channeling?”
“Fire,” Liam said.
“O-kay,” Tethis said, her brow furrowing – visible even at this distance. “What are we using as a conduit?”
Liam slid his finger to his neck, then tugged off his crucifix. He held it up, and it glinted. In Purgatory, the cross had never transmuted from symbol of hideous torture to what Liam thought of it as – a symbol of hope, unity, forgiveness, sacrifice, the endless compassion of the Savior. All things worth wearing around one's neck. But it had gotten him attacked at least three times by people thinking he was some kind of wandering sadist – usually, they were folk whose family and loved ones had died nailed to a cross in one of the harsh punishments that the gods and kings of Purgatory meted out.
It was still gold.
Tethis' ears – a visible tell even at a distance – perked up. “But we don't have any gold over here!” she said.
Liam glanced at Meg. Meg arched an eyebrow.
“Yes, you do,” Liam called over.
Tethis' blush was bright enough to almost glow. “N-No, we don't.” She crossed her arms conspicuously over her chest.
“For the Gods' sake, woman, lives are at stake!” Meg called, her voice amused.
Several of the villagers who were sheltering on the library were looking at Tethis curiously – while Liv was covering her mouth, her shoulders shaking. Tethis looked completely miserable, then turned her back to as many villagers as possible. She tugged her shift up, squirmed, then turned back around, holding a pair of golden rings connected on a chain.
“You're paying to get this replaced!” she shouted.
“Of course, I am,” Liam said.
Meg whispered to him, sotto voce: “Think she hates you now?”
“No, no,” Liam said, shaking his head.
“What will we use for the fi-” Tethis started. Then she stopped. Her eyes widened and she almost dropped her gold chain off the roof. “Oh no, you don't, don't you dare!” She shouted, shaking her free fist at Liam.
“Now she hates me,” Liam murmured to Meg. Louder, he called back to Tethis. “Listen, Tethis, everything in that library can be replaced. The price of books has dropped to coppers since the printing press came out. Athena will pay for it, I'm sure.”
“But they're... they're...” Tethis spluttered. “They're books!”
“I know, I hate it too, but do we have any other choices?” Liam called over.
Liv stepped up beside Tethis, putting her hand on the shorter woman's shoulder. “There actually is a minor problem with us setting fire to a building we are currently standing on.”
“No,” Tethis said, shaking her head, her hand going to Liv's hand for a moment, squeezing her. “The channeling spell will dump the fire through the connective items. The fires go out – we just need to time it properly. The fire needs to get hot enough – the spell needs to be ready, and we can't set the fire while that thing is down there.”
Liam remembered the first horrifying hour after they fled into town. The monster bursting through the floor of the small tavern that they had come too. The shopkeep dragged screaming underneath as his daughter reached for him. He shuddered.
“Well,” Meg said, “She's got a point. What do we do?”
“We distract it,” Liam said, turning to face the townies. “All right, everyone! Let's get some ammunition!”
A few moments later, everyone was ready. Liv was at the side of the library's roof, rope in hands, the rest of the length held by several volunteer villagers. They would provide an anchor, while she swung around to land in the library's bottom floor and start setting the fires. The spell was being created – Tethis knelt in the center of a glowing sphere of geometric lines, her foci crystal in her hands. Years of practice had made most of her spells no longer require the crystal, but the extra power couldn't hurt.
Liam already felt his crucifix shivering with sympathetic magic. The connection felt sturdy enough that even someone as mystically inclined as him – read: amazingly little – could sense it. He remembered how Tethis' chain and his crucifix had met and smiled faintly. She might not have been as submissive as the woman who had inspired her to get the, ah, accoutrement, but she still enjoyed what it brought to the act of lovemaking.
Meg bounced from foot to foot, holding one of the many sandals. Other villagers had made throwing implements by balling up clothing, and they were waiting as well.
“Remember,” Liam said. “We need to time this – the distraction has to last.”
The villagers nodded.
“Ready!” Liv called out.
Tethis – being too focused on the spell – merely nodded. One of the villagers watching for just such a gesture, called across the way: “The little priest ready too!”
“She's a wizard, thank you very much!” Liam sh
outed. “She casts arcane-” He stopped himself. “Nevermind. Liv! Now!”
Liv swung herself forward and whipped through the window into the library. Liam threw the first sandal. It was shredded. Another was pressed to his hand and he threw it. It was shredded. Across the way, he could see light starting to bloom behind one window. Liv had fought as a warrior for Aries for decades before joining him, and he could see her experience at the less savory tasks of being a soldier hadn't left her. He threw another sandal.
It plopped onto the ground, unharmed.
“Oh shit,” Liam hissed. And before anyone could stop him, he ran forward and leaped off the side of the temple.
Introducing Uruk Press
Uruk Novellas
Uruk Press publish the best in fantasy and science fiction erotica and our Uruk Novellas range showcases the breadth of our catalogue. At approximately 30,000 words long and free on Kindle Unlimited, they are the perfect introduction for new readers. You can also follow us on Twitter and Tumblr to keep up to date on our latest titles.
A Fetch Job by Dragon Cobolt
Julianna has one simple goal: to be the best damn wizard at Forestdale Academy of Magical Sciences and Clerical Applications of Godly Powers. The only problem is the Six, a clique of mean girls led by Tabitha Sworles, "the biggest overachiever on campus and also the most frigid bitch I've ever had the displeasure of meeting", who are making her life a living hell.
So Juli does what any self-respecting wizard would do and summons a demon familiar to help her get even. But something goes wrong. Fetch is crude, rude, obnoxious, muscular, confident, hot as hell... and only three foot tall. Juli soon discovers that size isn't everything (except when it definitely is) and that revenge is a dish best served very, very hot.
A Fetch Job is a 32,000 word erotic novella featuring a teen wizard exploring her sexuality with men, women, toys, tentacles and, of course, a cocky little demon named Fetch. Expect magic, mayhem and multiple penetration. Free with Kindle Unlimited!
The Serpent's Kiss by Cyrano Johnson
Mrs Evangeline Stone is a celebrated young journalist in Victorian London. Against her family’s wishes, she sails across the Atlantic to Verderosa, the Black Zion, following rumours of White slavery. Verderosa is unique among the Dominions of the British Empire as a land where all men, White and Black, are truly equal. But this is no utopia. As Evie journeys deep into the seamy underbelly of Daltonville, she discovers dark secrets and even darker truths about herself.
The Serpent’s Kiss is a 40,000 word alt history novella inspired by classic Victorian pornography and tinged with the supernatural. Featuring self-discovery, willing submission, corporal punishment and White women being dominated by multiple Black men, it is a must for all fans of interracial erotica. Dare you taste the Serpent’s Kiss! Free with Kindle Unlimited!
Equinox by EC Revelle
Cris has everything a child of the ancient House of Vandalia could want: money, fine clothes, and a first-rate wizard’s education. There’s only one thing she lacks: the respect of her father, the richest man in Sworza. Her chance might have finally arrived when an enchanting seductress enlists her help in a dangerous quest. Dispatched to find the Dusk Crown, a relic of a bygone age, Cris might at last be able to secure her place in the family - as long as it isn’t all just a fool’s errand.
Jeza knows there’s more to life than Sted Chisa, a simple village on the Medez Plains, but he’ll never get the chance to find out if he’s going to be chief and shaman someday. That is until an alluring young witch stops by his mother’s house, recruiting him for a mission to enter the Twilit Tower, a sacred place of power. There’s just one catch: it sits on a great convergence of leylines, warded by forbidden magic. Life outside the Sted might end up being more than he bargained for.
The spring equinox swiftly approaches, and an ancient power sleeps fitfully. Cris and Jeza find themselves set to cross purposes by the oldest forces in the Realm, pushed into a conflict they don’t understand. Their paths may just lead them to a lost secret of the Early Days - if either of them survive.
Equinox is a 27,000 word erotic novella featuring forbidden romance, sexual temptation and mouthwateringly unrestrained group sex. Free with Kindle Unlimited!
Arms And Armor by FV Meyer
"Give me your strength in exchange for my beauty. Give me your strength in exchange for my beauty. Give me your strength..."
She could have settled for a usual life in her fishing village. She could have kept her name. But as the owner of an enchanted set of arms and armor, she instead went looking for glory as a wandering champion in far-off lands. However, her dreams soon dash against the hard shore of reality.
Wielding a club she knows only as "Kanabo" and wearing a set of armor with a past shrouded in mystery, she is gifted with supernatural powers in return for offering up her body. Half hero for her deeds and half heretic for dabbling with magic, she lives a hard life on the run from the white-robed inquisitors. But will her journey end in fame or infamy? Will her enchanted protectors be her salvation or her damnation? All she knows is that arms and armor are necessary to stay alive in a harsh world where corruption, zealotry and ruthlessness abound.
Arms And Armor is a 33,000 word erotic novella featuring a bisexual female protagonist caught in a destructive threesome with dominating supernatural forces. Free with Kindle Unlimited!
Uruk Press - Fantasy
For the best introduction to our fantasy range, check out our Sex & Sorcery anthology series:
Sex & Sorcery 3
"The Last Mage" by Dragon Cobolt - In the aftermath of an apocalyptic magical war, a wandering scavenger finds hope - and more - with the last surviving wizard.
"All-Mother" by Mak Long - Ancient beyond memory, the shrine of a forgotten goddess weaves together the fates of three women, who might be the salvation of their people.
"A Man Needs A Whore, So..." by Max Keith - Drinn and Cashel are on a vital mission for the Princess Raxillene, the exiled queen-in-waiting, and hundreds of lives hang in the balance. But first they need to make a quick visit to a brothel...
"The Ballard Of Little Bird" by Cyrano Johnson - Among the Faithful, those born Fae are called “Iteni”: the outcasts. For orphaned beauty Cailin this means a life of prostitution under the thumb of a sinister slumlord; a life that, with the aid of her companion bird-spirit Bana, she will risk everything to escape.
"Two Daggers" by Jaap Boekestein - A soldier and a witch cross a dozen worlds to free a backwards planet from a fearsome monster. But which of their weapons will prevail?
"Ice And Fire" by Ben Truman - A haughty female knight and a mischievous demoness set aside their differences to escape from a monster-filled dungeon.
"The Paledrake's Promise" by Nathan Ravenwood - Tael has strong feelings for his reptilian companion Janess and doesn't believe the rumors that she sleeps around. But when his marriage proposal goes awry, he'll have to come to terms with just how unfettered her sex life really is.
"The Manse Of Magister Revaine" by Jamie MacFrey - Having quelled an insurrection, the fearsome Magister Revaine is throwing a party to celebrate. Disguised as a courtesan for the party-goers entertainment, Vivean will have no problem getting close enough to kill the vicious dictator and take revenge for her home. The only problem: no one has ever seen the Magister’s face.
"Awakening" by Alana Melos - A young wizard faces her final test to awaken her powers and unlock her spiritual and sexual potential.
Sex & Sorcery 2
"Northern Oracle" by EC Revelle - Alone and near death, Varia is offered a vision of what might have been and a future that could still be. But can her body endure the Northern Oracle's price?
"A Harem Of Harpies" by Ian Saul Whitcomb - When aging mage Bron and barbarous jackal-man Chortle Bonegrinder encounter females most fowl in the badlands of a savage realm, more than feathers will be ruffled...
"The Uninvited Guest" by Elaine Rose - A beautiful widow, her mysterious guest, a first
-time lesbian encounter - it's going to be one hell of a party!
"The Victor, The Spoils" by Jamie MacFrey - The Canians have always chosen their alpha males through the Dominance: ritual unarmed combat until one man is left standing. But Vel, the headstrong young leader of her tribe, is about throw tradition to the wind to make sure she gets the right man for the job.
"The Summoning" - Lilya Loring - Apprentice wizard Ekron defies his master and uses magic to summon his perfect lover. But is true love under his nose?
"Partners" by Ian Blackwood - Gordon and Elirel have been working together for years, ever since the elf saved him from a horde of goblins. He knows everything about his friend and comrade. Oh, except he's somehow failed to notice that she's a woman.
"Queen Takes Knight" by Belinda LaPage - In an ancient land of raven-haired, bronze-skinned warriors, Rose's red hair and freckles mark her as a pariah. Impossible to love, she will never feel the touch of a man, or so she believes until a stranger is brought to the prison where she tends the cells - a warrior from an alien land, his hair and skin like her own.
"The Dark Ones" by PT Winters - The appetite of the Dark Ones for corrupting virgins is legendary. But myths can be mistaken...
"A Shade's Choice" by Guinevere A Hart - An exclusive addition to the Hells Unleashed universe that reveals the darkly erotic history of Commander Finde, head of Ardyth'tol's most elite fighting force.
"A Thimble Of Sweet Honey" by Zoe Miller - As old loves rekindle and new ones burst into spectacular flame, conscientious faery Myna, carefree runt Kless, and a very lucky surprise guest settle in to enjoy a truly wonderful spring equinox.
Sex & Sorcery 1
"Born To The Forest" by AW Freyr - Deep in the forest, Aelan encounters a woman growing in an ash tree. Has he finally found another of his kind?
"Elvish Inquisition" by Victoria Arius - Pain and pleasure blur in a world of religious persecution and unrestrained passion where a young elf must uncover a dark conspiracy.
Riposte (Purgatory Wars Book 2) Page 13
