by Cat Wilder
I heard movement above the lair. I squinted into the dim light, and spotted numerous dark shapes coming down the trail. The kobolds had caught up and would soon join the fray. It didn't look good. Izzy and her drow warrior maidens healed at a point per minute, so would all be back to 100 percent in a few minutes.
My Health showed 89. Not too bad, considering. I'd only used 4 points of mana so far in the fight, and that by just calling up my sword and shield, so that stood at 907.
"Well fuck me to tears," I muttered. I took a healing potion, as did Garik. "This is a fine mess I've gotten myself into again."
I quickly reviewed my options. Weapons hadn't won the day for us. Time for magic, but my options were limited. The fact I absolutely could not kill or maim Izzy limited me further.
So I hit Izzy and the drow with Percussion.
Boom!
That shook the early morning stillness. Birds woke, squawked, and leapt into the air for miles around, almost as loud as the percussion explosion. But most importantly, it knocked Izzy and her drow warriors back on their butts and only cost me 5 mana.
I grinned at their dismay, just before Garik and I attacked. The drow all scrambled back deeper into the lair and set up a new line of defense. We plowed into them, swinging, jabbing, and parrying. After a moment, and still unable to break through their lines, I hit them with Percussion again. And it sounded twice as loud in the confines of that cave.
BOOM!
Let me tell you, my little blue drow girlfriend can curse a blue streak when she's angry. And she was royally pissed at me. I think their natural instincts of fight or flight battled with their collars' magic to stay and die. Grim resolution replaced their earlier arrogance.
"Why aren't you hitting them with thunderbolts?" Garik asked. "Two thunderbolts will kill all of them."
And there lay the problem. But I couldn't confess that in front of our foes.
"I'm trying to save my mana for Vikarous," I lied. Well, it wasn't really a lie. My mana was down dangerously low for the task of fighting a dragon. "But if I have to…"
I prayed the threat of gruesome death would make them break. Nope. Magic compulsions overrode common sense every time. The drows stood before us in two ranks, all crouched down in defensive stances. The cave tunnel looked tight for a dragon of Vikarous' size, though I felt small in it. Small globes about the size of a man's fist on the ceiling lit the cave with soft light. The floor was uneven and sandy.
I stepped up close to Garik, and whispered, "Follow me. I'm going to throw a few fireballs, charge the very center of their lines, and hit them with Percussion at the last second. That should split their lines in two and allow us to run through."
"Be alert!" Izzy shouted. "They are planning something."
I caught and held her eyes for a moment, as I walked closer and closer.
"You're right. I gave you every opportunity to save yourselves, but you leave me no choice but to… Burn you alive!"
I threw a fireball at her. Izzy saw it coming, and jumped out of the way. So I threw three more fireballs at the two ranks, forcing them all to duck or dodge aside. And then I charged the spot Izzy had vacated.
"Die!" I cried as I raced up to their weakened lines.
BOOM!
My spell did exactly what I hoped, and knocked a hole through the defensive lines. It left the drow warrior maidens sprawled against the sides of the tunnel. I continued past, running with all my might. Izzy quickly regained control of her drow and came after us with wild battle cries and dire threats.
One threat caught my attention. "Do drow really flay the skin off their foes and then wear that skin?"
"I've heard they do," Garik said.
I rounded a bend and burst out into a large cavern. A hundred minions waited for us. We skidded to a stop and gawked. Minotaurs, dwarves, kobolds, and even humans and elves stood there looking grim and determined.
"It's a trap!" I cried. "Back, back, go back!"
Izzy and her unhappy troupe of dark elves plugged the entrance back into the tunnel. I looked all around, my heart in my stomach. How the hell do we escape that?
"What do we do?" I asked.
"We fight and die," Garik said, like that was a good thing. "All we have to do is kill three of them to prove we are the superior warriors."
"You're programming is all screwed up," I muttered.
I could levitate up to the ceiling and use Crawl Like a Spider to escape their wrath. I wouldn't be able to hold Garik up there, so I looked toward the far end of the cavern. Minions filled that end of the cavern. No levitating over them, either.
"When you're right, you're right," I said. My grip tightened on my sword. "Take as many with us as possible, just not Izzy."
"I'd think Izzy would want to be killed and freed of her slavery to Vikarous."
I kept my mouth shut. After being killed, I'd find a way to escape slavery back in Got and come back for Izzy. It might be weeks, months, or even years, but I was determined to save her.
"Here they come!" Garik shouted, and charged toward the biggest minotaur.
Izzy and her drows came screaming in. My first thought: The way is open to escape. And then kobolds quickly filled the space the drow vacated. Dammit.
Parrying Izzy's thrust at my heart, I spun to the left and kicked another drow away, before taking off the arm, and then head, of another. I could see their health bars, see their lives fading away. I hated killing them, since Vikarous forced them to fight against their wills, but they were trying to kill me.
A minotaur bellowed. I saw entrails spewing out of his belly, as a health bar appeared above him flashing red and dropped to zero. Garik moved past him to engage others, while minions encircled him. Unlike the drow warrior maidens, the dwarves, humans, and elves didn't seem to have any sense of self-preservation. To my horror, they swarmed over him, and bore him to the ground.
"Garik!" I screamed.
A drow grabbed and held onto my sword arm. I yanked free, but another slammed into me from behind, wrapping her arms around me and pinning my arms to my side. I managed to trip her, but she dragged back backwards to the ground. More drow pounced on me, and soon I found myself forced to kneel before Izzy.
"Izzy, the dragon-knight already has an enchanted collar. Our collar won't close around his neck. The two magicks repel each other, but we cannot remove the other collar," a human barbarian in a leather loincloth called.
"Bind him tightly," she said. "Our master will decide if he's worth keeping alive or not."
The drow princess turned back to me. I swallowed hard when she held my eyes with a fierce, cold expression. She held up an open silver collar.
"We've been here before, haven't we?" Izzy said.
"Yeah, déjà vu all over again," I said, scowling at the collar. "If I ever find the game developer or programmer that thought enchanted slave collars was a good idea, I'm going to gut him and roast him over a fire."
The beautiful drow smirked, stepped closer, and moved the collar toward my bare throat. I whipped my head back and forth, while ducking my chin. I attempted to break free of my captors' hands, but they proved too strong and determined.
"Neck," Izzy said.
One of the drow behind me grabbed a fistful of hair and yanked my head back. That left my neck exposed. I watched with a thundering heart as Izzy slowly encircled my neck with the magic collar. It closed with a snap.
"Gotcha," Izzy said triumphantly.
"No!" I cried, back bowing as I felt the magic creeping in. "How could you do this to me?"
My head became sluggish, like someone wrapped it in wet cotton. I tried to shake it, but the magic proved too powerful. My body slowly relaxed, and I stopped struggling.
"Once again, Carly, you belong to me."
Chapter 22
I just stared up at her. My mind remained empty. Her words of triumph rang empty. Vikarous was my master, not Izzy.
"Stand up, slave," Izzy said.
I waited for the other minio
ns to release me, and then I stood up. Deep down, I still felt great love and longing for her, but outwardly I remained calm. She didn't appreciate it. I noticed anger building within her eyes.
"Give me all of your magical weapons and objects," Izzy demanded.
"Okay."
I removed the Gloves of Strength and handed them over. Next, I gave her my Bow Rings, followed by the Dagger Ring, and finally the Bracers. She put on the rings and called up the bow, then the dagger. Izzy looked pleased as she pulled the Gloves of Strength on over the rings.
"That's not everything, Carly. Give me the Heart of Thunder and the Dragon Lance."
"I can't."
Izzy's eyes flashed in rage. "I command you to hand them over."
"You can demand until you're blue in the face," I said, noticing how my expression caught her by surprise. "But I cannot give them to you."
Izzy screamed, called up the sword, and pressed the tip to my throat. "Give them to me or die. And then I'll claim them when you drop them."
"I'm sorry, Izzy, but I cannot," I said. And then I lied, "I won't drop them either. I have a spell that binds my objects to me."
Izzy knew I had such a spell, but did she know I couldn't bind the Dragon Lance? I couldn't remember if I attempted it in front of her or not. The Heart of Thunder wasn't part of my inventory, and I definitely would drop that upon my death. I just had no idea how I could give it to anyone else.
I considered telling her why I refused to obey. But the collar didn't make me completely obedient to her. I could defy her, and any of the other minions. I just couldn't disobey my master, Vikarous. So I chose to be a troublemaker.
"We'll find out if you drop them or not," she snarled.
She made a big show of preparing to thrust the sword through my heart. The collar's magic kept me from caring, which I found quite fascinating. Dying would hurt, but I'd respawn. After serving Taks, and probably Raax, I'd eventually escape and be free again. Not what I wanted, but better than being the dragon's slave.
A human stepped up. "Put your weapons aside, drow. The elfmaid belongs to Vikarous. Only he has the right to kill her."
The drow princess seethed a moment. I thought she might slay the human for defying her as well, but the sword vanished and she sucked in a deep breath. I watched as she calmed herself.
"Fine. Vikarous will eat her alive if she doesn't obey."
"She will obey Vikarous," he said.
"I obey," I said.
"Of course you do, slave," Izzy said. "Strip them both."
Garik put up a good fight. It took them the better part of half an hour to strip him, but they got the job done. I, of course, stood obediently still while the drow warrior maidens removed my clothes, even cooperating with them. An order to strip was a command I could obey.
My breath caught when Izzy attached a leash to my collar. "That's not necessary."
Izzy held my eyes. "I know."
The wicked drow turned on a heel, gave the leash a yank, and strode off with purpose. I followed obediently. She would drag me to Vikarous if necessary, so I might as well cooperate. Besides, I had no doubt my new master wanted to see me. I mean, if I owned me, I'd want to see me, and maybe do other fun stuff with me.
"I wonder if I can be cloned in the game?"
"Shut up," Izzy growled. "I'm so sick and tired of hearing about your stupid game."
We passed through two other vast chambers before we reached the dragon. Vikarous lay curled up upon a raised ledge in the middle of the largest subterranean chamber I'd ever seen. Hell, the only thing bigger I'd ever been inside was a football dome. And that chamber was almost big enough to play football inside.
He lifted his huge triangular head to glare at us. At the same time, light globes about two-thirds the way up the sides, and circling the cavern, brightened to reveal everything. For a second I couldn't breathe, but not because of the dragon.
I saw piles of gold, silver, and jewelry everywhere I looked. Apparently, Vikarous liked looking upon his treasure, with nothing hidden inside any chests. He dumped his tributes haphazardly around the chamber. Even entranced I found myself mesmerized. Garik gasped, with a covetous look spreading across his face.
"This is the best treasure horde I've ever seen," I said.
"It's all mine, wench," Vikarous' voice boomed through the chamber. "Do not touch it. I'll know if you do."
I looked at Garik, and he nodded.
"Master, we have captured Carly and Garikarous for you," Izzy said. "I have collared Carly, but Garikarous already has a collar so I couldn't put yours on him."
The dragon moved so suddenly I yelped and jumped. Zero to one hundred in one second flat. Vikarous took a serpentine route across the cavern and through the treasure, looking more serpent than dragon for a moment. He rushed right up to Garik, his forked tongue flicking out all around the dragon-knight. His huge red eyes narrowed as strange sounds came from him.
"Very powerful magic, too," Vikarous said. "Not like these pathetic collars I acquired. Hmmm. I can remove it, but I'm not sure keeping him is worth the effort."
"Carly and I came here to free you from the cursed crystal," Garik said.
"You came to steal my treasure!"
"No, master, he's correct," I said. "Even Izzy knows we just want to free you, in the hope that you can free Garik of his collar."
He thrust his snout into my chest, knocking me to my back. "I don't need to be rescued. I am fine the way I am, fools. There is no curse. The crystal gives me powerful magic. Together, we are the greatest dragon ever!"
"This one is especially spirited, master," Izzy said, giving me a kick. "I humbly suggest you replace the regular collar with a more powerful one, otherwise her headstrong ways will just cause you trouble."
"How rude," I said. "I thought you loved me." She neither denied nor confirmed her feelings for me. I took that as a hopeful sign. "Speaking of headstrong and trouble, didn't he put a special collar on you?"
Izzy looked me straight in the eyes. "He did."
"It took my most powerful collar to tame Izzy and bring her completely under my heel," Vikarous said.
I glanced at his feet. Four-toed, with vicious claws. I considered them talons, and nothing like my feet. Did dragon feet even have heels?
"Master, the elf bitch refused to hand over her two most powerful weapons," Izzy said. "She has the Dragon Lance stored magically somehow." Izzy shrugged. "She's one of those stupid renners. And she has a crystal called the Heart of Thunder, as well."
"A renner?" Vikarous said, turning his full attention on me. He looked me up and down, and made those weird noises again. I felt magic touching me, probing deep inside me. It kind of felt nice, though tickled a little. "A wench of easy virtue? Level 97?"
"Wow. You're the first mob I've met who can read my avatar info," I said.
"I see you have a 50-slot inventory, with the Dragon Lance, six healing potions, two mana restoring potions, and a single mana boosting potion. All valuable, so I want them. Give them to me now."
"Oh. Sorry, master. I cannot," I said.
"You see?" Izzy cried. "She makes me crazy!"
"You were born crazy, Izzy," I said. "But I love you anyway."
"Shut up, you crazy elf," she cried. The sword appeared in her hand, making Vikarous look sharply at her. She pressed the sword to my throat. "Master, say the word and I'll slay her for disobedience."
"You won't get the Dragon Lance like that," I said, though I was pretty sure I'd drop it and the Heart of Thunder. Dammit. I looked at the dragon. "Master, I am not defying you. I cannot get anything out of my inventory. The collar around my neck cancels out my ability to use magic. I can only obey if the collar is removed."
"She's lying, Master," Izzy sneered. "Let me kill her. Renners drop everything they own when they die, and then vanish into thin air."
"I enchanted the Dragon Lance with a spell to bind it to me even in death," I replied to Izzy. I could lie to her, but not directly to Vikarous.
>
"I can see you have the spell Bind," Vikarous said. "But I'm not convinced the collar is keeping you from retrieving anything from your inventory. Even non-magical people can have and use an inventory."
"That is true, but in my case the collar is interfering."
The huge black dragon circled us. Once. Twice. Seven times in all. All the while he studied me with magic, forked tongue flicking and while making those odd noises. His version of chanting? Dragon magic?
"Put away your blade, Izzy Szin," Vikarous said. "Everything you took from Carly is now mine. Remove them and add them to my treasure."
I expected Izzy to object, to argue. Nope. She simply removed everything and placed the enchanted items atop a nearby pile of jewelry. No objections at all. She didn't so much as frown. Vikarous had indeed used a powerful collar.
"Now you will give me the Dragon Lance, Carly," Vikarous demanded, coming to a stop directly before me. His head lowered until we stared into each other's eyes. I swear his eyes began to glow, and I became light-headed. "Obedience is everything."
His magic infused me. My insides came alive, all hot and tingly. I couldn't stop from squirming, from rubbing my naked thighs together. I wasn't sure if he wanted me all horny and needy, but that's what his magic did to me.
"Obedience is everything, master," I whispered in agreement.
"I command," he said. "You obey without question or thought."
"You command and I obey, master."
He rubbed my belly with his snout. It felt divine. My hands curled into fists, body tensing up and back bowing a little. I wanted him so badly, but he couldn't morph back to human according to Garik.
"You want to obey me more than anything."
"Yes, master. I'll do anything you ask. Anything."
His right foot came off the ground, and moved toward me. The dragon extending one taloned toe, and tapped my collar.
"I'm going to remove this collar, Carly, so you can remove the Dragon Lance. After you give me the lance, you will remain perfectly still while Izzy places a different collar on you."
"Yes, master. I will obey."
