by Max Keith
The girl was already passing as Alorin stepped back, the happy light fading in her eyes as they glassed over, and then her whole body sagged pathetically against the spiked collar and the iron staple, gave a single weak rattling breath, and she was dead. Alorin waited a moment, then stooped to inspect her work; the sawback had torn the staple wound a bit, but not enough for Whitemar’s dispirited soldiers to notice when they came past to check on Annalene; the blood would blend in well enough, and they’d shrug and presume she’d just been weak. So they’d shit, get back on their horses, and ride home to report the Count was avenged.
Alorin did much the same thing, enduring the rich earthy smell of the latrine for the sake of her meager breakfast; then she started off in the direction Pixie had taken, knowing the horse would find her soon. She wiped her shortsword in the tall, wet grass and walked off towards her fee.
"On The Religious Practices Of The Free People Of Lammorel" by Mag. P. Franx, ShM
A man’s seed is a man’s soul.
So said the god Lammorel in the beginning of time, and it appears that in the present day the fighters of Lammorel have taken this obscure religious precept and turned it into a central guiding mythos of their military culture. Given that most boys and girls of Lammorel are trained to arms from a very young age, and that all but the most useless possess significant skills in this area by the time of maturity, the military-religious cult has spread into every facet of the Free Peoples’ lives.
The story goes that in the Oldest Days, the gods gave unto men a soul, to be held in their seed; the act of procreation then took that soul and made it flesh, using a woman to quicken it. But the gods accounted for each soul they gave away, and demanded that a reckoning take place in which balance must always emerge.
From this simple but profound injunction seems to have come the bizarre and, frankly, rather gruesome customs by which the Free People fight. They appear to abide by an absolute belief that every physical death must follow a man’s spiritual death, the spiritual death to be accomplished by the spilling of seed.
If this may be done in the natural way, well and good; it seems to be this belief that has led to the curious custom, observed prior to many battles by well-attested sources, whereby the Free People voluntarily spill their seed in the expectation of (or, more properly, the preparation for) their own death in the battle to come. No less noble a source than Alaryk, writing in the early Second Days, explains in his fourth work that
…a party of Free Peoples, coming up to do their battle upon the Hill [of Cormonat], did Halt their Progress as they came within our sight. They betrayed scant fear, though we immediately made our Best Dispositions, instead Dismounting and scattering hither and thither into smaller Parties. As we watched from perhaps two furlongs’ distance, they began quickly and vigourously to Mate with the Women amongst their number, though some did Mate with the other Men before turning to be Mated With after. Still others, upon the spot, seemingly unwilling to find another Free Person with which to Mate, simply spilled their own Seed upon the Ground. They did so even unto the Presence of some of the other Fighting Women, who indeed did not take each of them a Mate; and others took Two or More.
From this, I feel, we may take notice of the following: that before battle a band of Free People will make every effort, even within the presence of their enemies, to empty their souls prior to the physical death which must, inevitably, come to some of them. Lurik tells of similar sights from the Fourth Days, as do Lucan and the Younger Keller in the Fifth. It seems unlikely that this practice has ceased.
The manner in which they accomplish this seems, for the most part, to involve mating freely yet discriminately within their band; not every Free Man mates with a woman, who appear to be fully allowed to reject the attentions of the men or, indeed, to take multiple men. Those men who cannot or will not couple in this natural way will simply do so with another Free Man, though Lucan claims this is not always reciprocated; still others will simply free themselves of their souls through the simple expedient of masturbation.
Then the battle will be joined.
Enquiries have revealed that while mating within the band before battle is common and accepted, and that mating with any other Free Person from another band is likewise considered most proper, coupling is by no means understood to be restricted to Free Peoples. Indeed, mating can and often does take place with any and every available person, very frequently slaves taken in battle.
It seems that different practices obtain when the Free Peoples meet their enemies in open battle, though always with the same object of separating the soul before life fades. This is most frequently accomplished by the use of small antler-handled caping knives, with which enemy warriors are castrated as they die. Fighters among the Free Peoples, both men and women, have been seen to go to extreme lengths to accomplish this castration, even in the midst of battle and even at risk of their own life. Once removed, the scrotum is invariably cast away; if opportune, the Free Fighter will step on it, crushing it into the ground before making sure of their enemy and thence moving to the next.
It is, of course, well attested by Harkins and Jowles in particular that the Free Peoples have a long tradition of engaging in assassinations, finding their women to be particularly adept at this. The affinity of women for this task may now be understood as serving a religious function, that of separating the soul. It is understood to be common, in fact, that Free Women will proceed, by whatever means at their disposal, to induce their victim to spill his seed, most often killing them during the act.
No clear answer emerges, by the way, as to whether women among the Free Peoples are possessed of souls themselves. They appear to believe that women, quickening as they do the man’s seed, find within that ability their soul. Their woman fighters, being each of them barren, may thus be said to lack souls entirely.
The most peculiar part of this extreme and fascinating ritual revolves around what occurs if a Free Fighter, whether man or woman, is for whatever reason incapable of securing the soul before their victim passes to the gods. If this occurs, it is a source of real pain and concern to the fighter; their faith requires that they refrain, if at all possible, from further killing until they can repay the gods by taking the soul of another man, whom they then must leave alive in place of the man they killed. By this means, balance is restored.
They regard this unfortunate situation as a “seed debt” to the gods, to be repaid through the acceptance of seed in one of their body’s orifices (or in their hand). If in single or minor combat, the debt is relatively easily repaid by the harvesting of a seed at whatever inn, town, or city the warrior next arrives at. There arise debts, however, during pitched and violent battle that might number in the several, or the dozen, or even the score or more; in this case, Free People may be seen to wander long in the aftermath of their battles, constantly seeking available men with whom they may couple in the repayment of their debt.
This repayment is not to be taken by force, though it is understood this sometimes occurs. It is clear that Free Women are likely to have an easier time repaying the seed debt than Free Men; men, indeed, must often resort to the artifice of using the services of male whores, and by this means the seed debt becomes a money debt, which can seriously diminish the finances of Free Men after battles in which they survive with a large seed debt. Lurik the Great observed the uneasy equilibrium which arose in the village of Scarsack after the battle there during the middle part of the Fourth Days: the village being economically depressed, the local men and boys capable of spilling seed very quickly understood there was immense money to be made from the Free People men, desperate to repay their seed debt after what was, indeed, a famously bloody battle.
Lurik tells of one Scarsack family in which the father and his two sons, they being thirteen and fifteen years respectively, willingly opened their home and their trousers to any Free Man for weeks after the battle, selling their seed for an incredible ten golden mergansers per act. Lurik’s a
ttestation is that the three men of Scarsack made several years’ pay in this way, at the cost of merely a passing weariness and, perhaps, some occasional awkwardness and discomfort; a Free Man new-come from battle is unlikely to be the cleanest or most tender coupling partner, particularly for men better accustomed to the attentions of women.
But the money was, as Lurik pointed out, “an ample lubricant.” It is, perhaps, no accident that the economic recovery of the entire Scarsack region, extending well into the reign of King Fraxel III, began around this time.
Doubtless it is this circumstance that leads to the fanaticism of the Free Peoples’ fighters in the accomplishment of the castration, though only if they cannot first drain their victims in a more natural and, usually, more pleasurable way.
Some of the greatest of the Free Folks’ stories and legends, it seems, involve adventures and deeds accomplished either because of or in spite of the need for fighters to drain their foes of seed. A few of these stories have passed into more general knowledge, particularly in the northern part of the Realm, where the Free Folk yet remain in children’s tales as bogeymen; the well-known Northlands injunction, “Eat your vegetables, or the Free Women will get you!” is one of the better remembered examples of this, though in fairness most of the commoners most likely to use this expression have no clue as to its origin.
Well known Free Fighters with such stories told of them include Jeleese Jebko, Lady Wherry Kaye-of-the-Hill, and Lady Marlen Tark.
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 en
tertainment, 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.
