Lewd Shadowmancer: The Concubine Contract

by Eden Redd

  Luci’s eyes shot open as she pulled back, “Let go!”

  One of the men was to his feet, drawing his sword. Nero pulled his soul bleeder dagger in a blur and drove it into the man’s stomach before the knight’s sword cleared its sheath. The play on stage and background music continued as the knight gazed into the troll’s dark eyes, words caught in his throat. Nero twisted the blade and then twisted it again. Luci stared as the cracks of light appeared along the man’s body and he burst into shards of light.

  The other man with them stared as it took place. As the last shard of light hit the floor, he was up and making his way to the door. Nero kept his grip on Luci as she stared at him in horror. Soon it faded and rage flared in her eyes.

  “What the FUCK do you want,” she shouted as she tried to pull her arm back once again.

  Nero let it go and sheathed his dagger, “To talk to you and see if I can help.”

  Luci rubbed her wrist, “Talk? There is nothing to talk about! You ruined my evening!”

  Nero let out a sigh, “I had to speak to you, about that night.”

  The kitmori let out a mad laugh, “What is there to talk about? I was on an escort mission and we were ambushed. Instead of lurking in the woods, you should have helped us before everyone was killed.”

  Nero’s face became a blank mask, “I arrived at the end. There wasn’t much else I could have done.”

  Luci eyed the troll, “Except to sneak close enough to steal the dagger you have at your belt. Saving anyone was the furthest thing from your mind. And now you’re here, stealing my good time again.”

  “You wanted to get captured?” Nero asked with a sarcastic edge.

  Luci stood up and fixed her outfit, not looking at the troll, “I wanted to have a good time. I don’t need some fucking troll pretending he gives a damn. I escaped not because you snuck in to help me. I escaped because I knew it would get bloody. I knew the mood would be gone after you stabbed them in the back.”

  The fox woman smoothed her outfit down and her hands rested on her hips as she turned her gaze to meet Nero’s, “I hate to break it to you but we didn’t have a moment. There was no spark. If you held a dagger to my neck, I would have sucked your cock too.”

  Nero’s brow hardened and took a step closer, “That is not at all what I….” the shadowmancer stopped short.

  Luci’s hand flashed forward, sword edge to the side of Nero’s throat. The troll didn’t even see the blade at her hip and couldn’t process how fast she was. The blade wasn’t there and all of a sudden, it was, pressed against his blue skin. The two eyed each other but it was Nero who put his hands up.

  The kitmori’s gaze was deadly, pure focus behind golden yellow eyes, “You have done enough. Go fuck a corpse and stay away from me,” Luci growled.

  A large man in fine dark robes stepped over, “Is there a problem?”

  Luci grinned, “No problem.”

  Nero dropped his hands to his sides and looked away. Jasper was up with the two elves but instead of going upstairs to a room, they were headed toward a backdoor by the stage.

  “No problem, I was just leaving,” Nero said, turned and walked through the smoky room.

  The shadowmancer cut through the crowd, thoughts of the kitmori fading away and his dark purpose taking hold. Black cloak over his shoulders, hands rested on the pommels of his short sword and dagger. He wasted his time with the ungrateful fox but he wouldn’t let a distraction like that impede his quest again.

  The backdoor opened and Jasper held the door as the elves stepped through. Nero stepped closer, trying to not bring too much attention to himself as the rogue followed the elves and the door swung closed.

  Time sped up as Nero knew he had to be quick or they could disappear into the back streets. Hand reaching out, he grabbed the door knob, turned and pulled. The door swung open as he stepped through, ready to use his stealth. Eyes moved from left to right as the door closed behind him.

  The alleyway was empty except for an indifferent cat, strolling past him. To the right, the alley ended in a dead end. To the left, the alley spilled out onto a street. Back pressing to a wall, the shadowmancer moved along it. When he reached the end of the alley, he barely let his eye see around the edge to an empty street.

  Nero didn’t like the feel of this. Behind him, the muffled music played on in the bordello. It would be easy to retreat back and take another exit. The player contemplated it for a long moment before the need to find Jasper overrode logic. Stepping out into the street, the troll surveyed his surroundings. When he was about ten feet away from the alley, figures emerged from shadows.

  The shadowmancer drew his sword and dagger as he readied a spell on the tip of his tongue. It felt like a trap but he had to be sure and now he hated himself for being right. The figures moved out from the shadows and into the dim evening light. Nero counted twelve, weapons still sheathed and wearing those smooth helmets with only eyeholes. Some wore leather armor while others wore full plate. They formed a semicircle around the troll and halted their advance twenty feet away. Nero turned his head and glanced back to see the alley was clear. A plan formed to fight and pull back, using the alley as a wedge point to keep the enemy from flanking him. Spell at the ready, he was about to mouth the words when one of the figures in full plate stepped forward.

  “We only wish to talk,” the knight said with flair.

  Nero remained silent, short sword and dagger at the ready.

  The knight continued, “We have a proposition for you.”

  “Not interested,” Nero spat.

  The knight kept a healthy distance, “Do you even want to hear what it is?”

  The troll grimaced, “I don’t deal in shady situations. Twelve of you together like this only tells me you’re going to try and kill me or you’re so afraid, you need enough soldiers to stop me.”

  The knight crossed his arms and nodded, “You’re half right.”

  “Fuck off,” Nero said bluntly.

  One of the figures in leather armor and masked helmet stepped forward. Hand reaching up, they pulled off the helmet to reveal Jasper and his spiky hair.

  “Come on Nathan, don’t you want to play?” Jasper grinned.

  Nero spun his blades in his hands, arcane words spilling from his mouth when something sharp sank into his back, followed by another. The troll spun around and looked up to the top of the alley. The two elves with Jasper stood at either edge, arms swinging forward with new arrows and pulling them back on bowstrings.

  You have taken 14 damage! HP: 230/244.

  You have taken 17 damage! HP: 213/244.

  You have been poisoned!

  Paralysis status effect!

  Weakness poured into Nero’s limps. The troll fell to one knee as the spell he recited fizzled. The figures stepped closer, looking down at the troll. Short sword and dagger fell with a clatter and Nero found himself on his hands and knees. Darkness came in waves as the figures closed in, their blank helmets staring down, emotionless.

  Nero’s limbs trembled before they gave out. The last thing the troll saw was his head falling to dirt floor and then, nothing.

  Six

  Strength pooled into muscles once again. Nero kept his eyes closed and listened as awareness returned to his senses. The digital reality moved in flashes as he tried to remember exactly what happened. He remembered hands on him and that he was being dragged. Time turned into waves as one moment he was on the street, another moment he was inside somewhere and finally, the sounds of chains wrapping around his body. Even now, the chains strained against him as he breathed.

  Shuffling and hushed chatter surrounded him. It was clear he was dragged off and stashed somewhere. Feeling the tightness of the chains only signaled that he was truly trapped. He remembered what Jasper said to him before the paralysis took effect. Nero figured it was all part of the game so he had to play to understand what was happening, no matter how much it left a bad taste in his mouth.

  Eyes slowing opening, the t
roll lifted his head. Masked players stood in idle conversation. The room was large and bare except for wooden pillars dotting the room. There were no windows, only a stairway on the wall across from him. The chatter died down and some masked players turned their attention to the stirring troll. Soon they all turned their attention to Nero, the room growing silent as the grave.

  “Feeling better?” the knight asked as he stepped from the group and stood before the troll.

  Nero’s hands were bound before him and on his lap. The chair creaked under his shifting weight as he looked up with a grim expression.

  “Even in the game, you’re still stubborn as a mule,” The knight said from behind the smooth helmet.

  “Terence……” Nero hissed.

  The knight nodded, “Yes, but that bit of information will not help you here in Lewd Saga, will it?”

  Nero simply looked to the masked knight with contempt.

  The knight kept his blank gaze until he turned away and began to talk, “You have been hunting all of us in this room for what, close to two months? You even managed to kill Richie over there when you saved that beautiful kitmori.”

  A knight stepped forward and Nero turned his head to him with a smug smile, “I would have enjoyed it more if I knew it was you Richie.”

  “Fuck you Nathan,” the knight said with a hint of anger.

  Terence turned and walked to Richie’s side, clasping a hand on the knight’s shoulder, “It’s okay, Nathan here is hunting all of us. I think we should give him the chance to at least try.”

  Masked helmets nodded in agreement.

  Terence continued, “Nathan, or Nero as you like to be called, I always felt you were a little crazy. You don’t seem to play well with others. It showed in your work, and your lack of being a team player put everyone off. I can safely say that no one here really misses you. I personally wished you had attempted to play ball, I think you would have been a vital part of our Lewd Saga family.”

  “Terence, you love the sound of your own voice, even in the game,” Nero chuckled. “Why am I here in chains? Even if you use a soul bleeder weapon on me, I’ll keep hunting you until you lose all desire to be in the game.”

  Terence let go of Richie’s shoulder and stepped in front of the bound troll, “You’re right, if you knew who we were in game. You managed to find Jasper but everyone else has created new characters. You have no idea who we are and what we look like. To ease the sting of starting over, we used funds to rearm and buy our way to powerful positions once again. For some, it was a radical improvement. For all of us, it made us into a shadow guild with some real power.”

  “That’s why you wanted part of my paycheck. You needed the money to fuel your gaming habit,” Nero sneered.

  Terence nodded his smooth helmet, “Money makes the game easier, just like real life. There are ways to work the system in your favor. The money we collect pays for items we don’t have to sweat over to find.”

  Terence tapped his waist and a sheathed sword appeared. The knight took hold of the handle and drew his blade, runes running along each side of the finely crafted sword. Terence leveled the blade and pointed it at Nero’s blue face.

  “You see this sword; it’s a soul bleeder sword with a seven day lockout. Nearly impossible to find, it would have taken all of us a year to find one of the only three in game. Instead, it cost us five hundred dollars from a player with no job and spending every waking moment in Lewd Saga.”

  Terence stepped closer, the sword tip an inch from Nero’s pointed nose, “I could drive the point into that blue face of yours. Can your bank account handle a seven day lockout? The assassin business has been good to you, no?”

  Nero gave a sardonic smile, “I can survive it. When I come back, I will still hunt all of you down, you fucking fake gamers. Paying for things instead of earning them, only weak trash do fucked up things like shaking people down to buy things they never earned.”

  Terence kept the sword point in Nero’s face for a long second before pulling the blade away and letting it hang at his side, “We may be fake gamers, but we’re fake gamers with jobs.”

  A door opened at the top of the stairs and a light shined down. Jasper pulled a woman by her hair. The woman in white struggled as Jasper pushed her along. When the doors closed, the rogue pulled her and shoved her down to the floor.

  Nero stared blankly as Luci lifted her head, eyes lost and trembling. Fox ears twitched and her tail hugged close. Terence stepped over and put the sword to Luci’s neck, the edge an inch from her pale skin.

  “I am impressed you two ran into each other. Luci Charm, famed freelance assassin in the southern kingdoms. It is a delight to be in your presence. Sorry about the bad batch of fairy dust but it was the only way to be sure you stayed docile as we discussed business,” Terence said in a soothing tone.

  Nero looked up, ignoring Luci’s lost expression and stared at Terence, “You know Terence, I came up with a name for such a vile person as yourself. Lord Blight. Right now, it suits you in ways I never thought possible.”

  Terence turned his metal mask to Nero, “Lord Blight, I like that. But we brought you and Luci down here to discuss business and business we shall discuss.”

  “I’m not going to….” Nero was cut off.

  “Hear me out before you start name calling. You need work and we need something special. Putting our differences aside, we need assassins and rogues to fetch something of great importance. Why do it ourselves when we can hire others to do the work for us. You have an axe to grind so you should use it and get a paycheck.

  “About a day and a half journey from here is the Kingdom of Rork. Lord Seamus Rork is away on one of his extended hunting trips. His queen died a long time ago and he drowns his pain in hunting. His Daughter, Princess Treyana Rork assumes control of the kingdom when her father is away. She is her father’s daughter; strong, intelligent, beautiful and mean as a fucking viper.”

  Terence pulled away the sword from Luci’s neck and turned to Nero, “The castle in the walled city has several harems, most of them belonging to Treyana. She collects them like dolls and enjoys playing with them just as much. There is one concubine that is extra special and under her control.”

  Terence stepped closer, sword by his leg, hollow unblinking eyes staring into Nero’s blank expression, “We need someone to kill the princess and capture this special concubine.”

  Nero lifted his chin, the small lantern light painting his face, “Why on Lukken would I take such a contract?”

  Terence stood straighter, sheathing his sword, “Oh, many reasons. There is a real world pay off of a thousand dollars. Besides promising to leave Luci here unharmed, we have all agreed to sweeten the pot as it were. Once you deliver the concubine, unspoiled, we have agreed to reveal our faces and our names to you so you can hunt us down at will. In the end, we would all get what we want and you especially can exact your revenge until its thirst is satisfied. Sounds like a good deal to me.”

  The troll’s face was as blank as a stone statue. The room seemed to hold its breath as the troll kept his hard stare on Lord Blight. The knight’s hand curled into fists as moments ticked by, annoyance bleeding into his shoulders. Nero simply sat and stared, not moving one muscle. When the knight took a deep breath, ready to verbally lay into him, the troll tilted his head forward and let out his own sigh.

  “I will need an advance before I can accept the contract,” Nero said indifferently.

  The knight lifted a hand and called up a 2D screen, “What’s the deposit access code and I can forward you ten percent.”

  “Thirty percent,” Nero smirked.

  Terence’s hand balled into a fist before he unfurled his fingers, “Fifteen percent.”

  “Thirty five percent,” Nero kept his smirk.

  The knight’s hand fell to his sword and he was about to draw it when Nero let out a laugh.

  “Fifteen percent is fine,” the troll mocked and gave him the access code.

  Terence
tapped at the screen a few times before turning it to the smug troll. The account displayed 150 dollars had been deposited.

  Terence swiped across and the 2D screen faded away, “I suggest you bring your best gear. Treyana is a handful but we also hired ten other players to abduct the concubine, nothing like healthy competition for the prize. Keep whatever loot and gold you find along the way but bring the concubine directly to the Tullar Ruins, one day south of the Rork.”

  “Tell me about the concubine,” Nero asked with half closed eyes.

  “She’s rare and highly valuable. You only need to know her name, Drubella. Keep her on a short leash and you should be fine.”

  Terence knelt down to Luci, a small sack in his hand. He placed it in the kitmori’s hand and closed her fingers, “This is the good stuff, part of your down payment. Complete the contract and not only will you receive the money, there will be better stuff waiting for you.”

  Terence turned his head to Nero, “And if the shadowmancer gets out of line, kill him.”

  Luci opened her hand and gazed at the tiny string closed sack in her hand. Fingers moved nimbly, opening the sack and pressing her face to the sparking powder within. A puff of glittering dust rose up and the fox woman inhaled. Euphoria filled her eyes as she smiled. Coos fell from her lips as she laid down, lost to digital bliss.

  The air vibrated and an elf appeared with a bow in hand. Nero’s brow shot up as the elf notched an arrow and pulled back on the bowstring, the arrow head pointed at the troll’s chest.

  “When you wake up, the game begins,” Lord Blight said as he and his fellow masked players made their way to the exit.

  “Can’t you just give me a potion to sleep? It doesn’t have to be an arrow…” Nero stuttered to a stop as an arrow penetrated his chest.

  You have taken 18 damage! HP: 226/244

  You have been poisoned!

  Sleep status effect!