by Tyler Wild
“Tell me more about these quests,” I said.
“You must journey to the underworld and recover the Ring of Ulnör, and the Dagger of Onyx. If you survive that, you must make your way into the realm of the gods in Valinsmor.”
"No human has ever set foot in Valinsmor,” I said.
She continued without acknowledging my concern. “There you will kidnap Xerius’s daughter, Jayna, and bring her to me."
My eyes widened. What she asked was impossible, and I was usually an optimist. "That's pure insanity."
The witch shrugged. "It is what it is."
“You want me to steal the daughter of a god?”
“Not just any god,” Phaedra said with a smirk. “The God of all gods.”
“If I had 100 warriors, I could not complete that task."
"Then your brother seems destined to rule Pernberry for as long as the dragon is under his command.”
I clenched my jaw, seething with anger.
"If you really wish to avenge your father's death, I'm sure you will find a way.” Then she added, snidely, “You should at least try."
The witch was smart. She knew exactly what she was doing, trying to egg me on and get under my skin. She didn't have to push very hard.
I never had any intention of not trying. I just felt the need to complain about it for a moment. "What do you want with these items?"
"That is none of your concern,” Phaedra replied, coyly.
I grimaced. "And how do I know you will keep your word if I complete the tasks?"
Her eyes narrowed at me, taking offense. They blazed with fire. "I have never gone back on my word!”
I surveyed the voluptuous vixen for a moment, contemplating the tasks at hand. "Tell me exactly where to find these items and what I must do to succeed."
"So we have a deal?"
"Yes."
“Good,” Phaedra said with a grin.
She gave me the details of each quest, telling me where each item was located and what I might expect to encounter. The more she spoke, the more impossible each task sounded. She cautioned that we would likely pay for our efforts in blood.
I had no desire to go to the underworld. But it was the only way to get to Valinsmor—unless you were a god.
Phaedra addressed the girls. “If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to speak to Kron for a moment in private.”
They each exchanged a curious glance, then departed the chamber.
The evil vixen sauntered close to me and put a hand on my chest, her delicate fingers tracing my striated pectorals. “I have a proposition for you.”
That sounded intriguing.
My eyes fell to her ample cleavage, which she proudly displayed. “What do you have in mind?”
“Your friend is dying. The wound from a demonic blade can be very nasty, as I’m sure you’re well aware.”
She tapped her fingers on my chest. “Your friend will be dead within hours. It will be painful. Her skin will rot and decay while she is still alive. Her nerves will burn with fire. And when it’s finally over, she will still remain conscious, trapped in a desiccated corpse for all eternity.” She sighed. “I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.”
There was no doubt that I had inflicted a similar fate on many foe. Perhaps even worse. Asgoth was a powerful demon, and his wounds would have a similar effect. “Can you help her?”
“I can,” she said, coyly.
“And what do you want in return?”
39
Kron
Phaedra’s eyes sparkled with lecherous desire. “Besides my fee, there is a steep price to pay."
"Go on," I replied, anticipating the worst. Everything had a catch, and nothing magical is ever free.
"I can save your friend. But for every day she lives, a day will be taken away from your life."
I swallowed hard.
The price was a little steeper than I anticipated.
"Still want me to save her?"
I didn't hesitate. "Of course."
I said the words without giving it much thought. There was no way I was going to let Sophia die.
It wasn't about the money.
If I had to be honest with myself, I had grown fond of her. Just as I had with the other girls. She had an irreverent attitude that I liked.
"Done,” the witch said. “And now about my fee.”
“What is your fee?”
A smile tugged at her red lips. "I am trying to conceive. But, as you can imagine, I can't do that alone."
I lifted a brow at her. "And how do I fit in?"
Her emerald eyes surveyed my physique and stuck on my package. "I think you will fit in nicely. You look to be of good breeding stock."
"Don't do it," Asgoth muttered.
"Why not?" I mumbled.
"So, that's a yes?" the witch asked, mistaking my answer to Asgoth.
"No. I mean…” I stammered, “Yeah, sure. Why not?"
"I'm telling you… don't do it," Asgoth said.
I wanted to have a more in-depth conversation with Asgoth. Usually he was the one egging me on, obsessed with defiling as many nubile females as possible. I think somehow our connection allowed him to live vicariously through my exploits. Just as I could feel the pleasure he derived from making a kill, he could feel the delights of the women I bedded.
Before I had the chance to reconsider, Phaedra pulled her dress from her shoulders, and the fabric fell down her arms, revealing her beautiful DDDs.
My eyes rounded. Damn, she had great tits!
She shimmied out of the formfitting gown and pushed it down over her hips. She let the fabric glide down her milky thighs. Her pale skin was smooth and inviting.
My eyes soaked in her sumptuous form, falling down her torso, drifting past her toned stomach, past her bellybutton, fixating on her majestic mound.
There was no turning back at this point.
I stopped thinking with my rational brain, and my primal instincts took over.
This was a gorgeous woman, there was no doubt about it.
It didn't matter that I had been drained the night before—I was ready to go again.
She moved close and pressed her red lips against mind. Her voluminous breasts mashed against my chest as we embraced. My hardness ground into her pelvis.
My hands explored her curves as our lips melted into one another. Her hair smelled fresh and clean, and she wore a flowery perfume that wasn’t overpowering. There was no doubt she had added something to the scent to make her seem even more alluring—though she didn’t need it. Her soft, creamy skin felt divine.
“Do you find me pleasing?” she asked.
Did she really need to ask?
You’d have to be dead not to want to hit that. But I wasn’t about to give away how attracted I was to her. “You’ve got potential."
She wasn't used to being challenged. She gave me a playful scowl and dropped to her knees.
In an instant, my leathers were around my ankles.
"Yes indeed, you will fit nicely," she said, marveling at my manhood.
Her glorious red lips proved that she had more than just potential. Her soft tongue slithered as her lips glided up and down. She demonstrated her oral prowess for a few moments, fueling my desire.
She stopped before she got a mouthful, pulling away with a trail of saliva dripping from her lips.
She wiped it away with her finger and stood up with a naughty grin. The glimmer in her eyes was pure deviance.
Phaedra took my hand and led me to the bed. She climbed onto the comforter like a cat, arching her cheeks into the air. Her smoldering eyes glanced back at me, enjoying how enthralled I was with her form.
From where I was standing, the view was magnificent. Her slick slit glistened and begged to be filled. But I would have to perform other tasks first.
She rolled onto her back and spread her legs. Her peach was ripe and swollen. ”Why don't you have a taste?"
It was an offer I
couldn't refuse.
Her velvet words were like music.
Now it was my turn to demonstrate my oral skills.
40
Kron
Things were about to get really weird.
I dove between her creamy thighs and licked the inside of her legs until I reached the promised land. I danced around her center with my tongue, teasing her, building her desire. My tongue slithered everywhere but the spot she wanted me to lick.
It drove her insane.
I derived a little twisted satisfaction in delaying her pleasure and watching her squirm.
She finally grabbed my hair and placed my head exactly where she wanted it. I licked her juicy peach until she quivered with ecstasy. I thought she was going to crush my skull between her thighs when she came the first time.
The foreplay was fine and dandy, but I guess she was ready to get down to business. “Fuck me, Barbarian!”
Who was I to say no?
I slid up her body and my hips greeted her eager pelvis. She took me inside and moaned with pleasure. I grabbed her wrists and pinned her to the sheets as I pounded her mercilessly.
She screamed and moaned.
I’m sure the whole castle heard.
She wrapped her legs around me, and the bed creaked and bounced. We tumbled around, exploring multiple positions.
She looked amazing from any angle.
Our hands caressed each other’s bodies, and our lips devoured each other. Our passion was sweaty, uninhibited, and completely primal.
She was a dirty girl with a capital D.
She wanted me to smack her ass, pull her hair, pinch her nipples, choke her, talk dirty to her, call her filthy names, you name it. She wanted me to do things to her that no other woman had asked for.
Nothing was off limits.
I’m a people pleaser. I aim to please. So, I was happy to oblige.
As far as the hot/crazy matrix was concerned, she was off the charts.
But I figured, what the heck, it wasn’t like she was going to become my girlfriend. This was a one-time thing.
But that wasn’t the weird part. The weird part was after we finished.
Our primal pumping crescendoed with an orgasmic frenzy that just about made my head spin. She felt amazing, and I unloaded the last of my little swimmers into her tight, wet peach. Pulse after pulse filled her to the brim.
I didn’t think I had that much left in me.
I rolled over and collapsed, ready for a sandwich and a nap—and I probably wasn’t going to get either. She didn’t look like the type that I could send to the kitchen to whip up something.
This was when the real craziness started.
Phaedra started chanting an incantation. It was an old demonic tongue of Zaakrit. The words sounded as if they were coming out of her mouth backwards. Her tone was low and dramatic.
It made my skin crawl.
Wind swirled around the chamber.
Candle lights flickered.
The room grew cold.
The sky outside grew dark, and gray clouds roiled above the castle. Lightning flickered, and Phaedra’s incantation crescendoed.
Covered in sweat, her hair frazzled, she fell limp. The swirling wind stopped, and the clouds parted. Everything returned to normal.
“What the hell was that?” I asked.
She grinned. “I’ve summoned the demon Vutrax. With any luck, he will possess my unborn child, and I will be mother to a demon spawn.”
My face twisted. “What?”
“Because of you, I will raise a powerful demonic warrior.”
“That wasn’t part of the deal.”
She shrugged. “Yes, it kind of was.”
I clenched my jaw, and rage filled my eyes.
She spoke in a soft, baby doll voice, “Aw, don’t be mad.” She put a hand on my chest. “You have nothing to fear.”
My eyes narrowed at her.
“You and I could make for a good partnership. You could slay the dragon, and we both could rule these lands. There would be no one to challenge us.”
“Food for thought,” I said.
I had no intention of partnering with her. This demon baby was disconcerting, to say the least. But I also thought it wise not to offend her.
I climbed out of bed and got dressed. “You said you’d help my friend. That was part of the deal.”
“Of course.” She climbed out of bed and slipped on a silk robe.
She moved to a dresser and pulled open a drawer and removed a small bottle made of crystal. It contained a purple liquid and was about the size of a perfume bottle. She waved her hand over it and chanted another incantation.
The liquid glowed for an instant, then faded.
She moved back to me and handed me the bottle. “Have your friend drink this.”
I regarded the potion with a healthy dose of skepticism. “And this is safe?”
She arched an eyebrow at me. “Yes, it’s safe. I’m not going to poison you. I need you to complete your quests, remember?” Then a lascivious glimmer flickered in her eyes. “And for other things.”
It seemed she had the notion this was going to happen again. Our tryst was fun, and it felt great, but I didn’t really want to be around her anymore than necessary. Going back for seconds was not an option. At least, that’s what I kept telling myself. I’m sure in the heat of the moment I would make a bad decision if she got me hard again.
By the time I got dressed and stepped into the hall, the girls were beyond annoyed. They glared at me with her arms folded.
“Have fun?” Sophia asked.
“It was a necessary evil,” I said.
She rolled her eyes.
I handed her the potion. “Drink this.”
“What is it?”
“Just drink it. It will save your life. You won’t have to worry about the poison from the demonic blade that wounded you.”
A grave look washed over Lily’s face. She knew the price of magic was steep. She started to say something but stopped.
Sophia regarded the potion with curiosity. “And you’re sure about this?”
“At this point, what have you got to lose?” I asked. “If you don’t drink it, you’ll be dead soon. And I’m sort of getting used to you.”
“Pfft,” she hissed, incredulous. She removed the lid and sniffed the liquid. Her nose crinkled.
“Just drink it already,” I grumbled.
Sophia brought the bottle to her lips, then tilted it back. She guzzled it down and made a sour face. “Ew, that’s gross.”
“I didn’t say it would taste good.”
“It tastes like perfume!”
I began to wonder if Phaedra had duped me. Maybe it was perfume. Only time would tell.
Lily whispered in my ear, “What did that cost you?”
“Nothing,” I lied.
But she knew better.
We spiraled down the tower staircase and strolled to the main hall toward the exit. The little goblin entered the foyer from a parlor and struggled again to pull the heavy door open. “I hope you’ve enjoyed your stay.”
“Yes, I think,” I said, not quite sure how to answer the question. “Parts of it, at least.”
The last bit of my statement drew glares from the girls. I don’t think they were particularly fond of my exploits with the witch.
“Is it true you are going to the underworld?” the goblin asked.
“It is.”
He glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then he lifted up on his tiptoes and motioned for me to draw close. He whispered in my ear. “Would you do me a favor?”
“That depends on the favor,” I replied.
He hesitated for a moment. “Can you keep a secret?”
41
Kron
I contemplated the goblin’s request as we left the ominous castle behind. We strolled across the narrow rock bridge to the Dark Forest.
“What did the little thing want?” Sophia asked as we reached the ot
her side.
I was about to tell her when I caught wind of trouble. From my frown, and tense body, the others knew something was up. They drew their swords, preparing for battle.
I pulled Asgoth from his sheath and scanned the craggy trees.
“What is it?” Cassandra asked.
“A message from my sister,” I said.
The girls’ faces twisted with confusion.
I didn’t need to explain. The problem would make itself apparent soon.
Gort emerged from the trees with a scowl on his face. The big blue beast marched toward us, gripping a battle-ax. A nasty grin tugged at his grotesque lips. His long fangs glistened as they protruded from his mouth.
The beast relished combat.
I had seen his fury unleashed on several occasions. I had watched him tear arms from their sockets. Seen him pull apart men’s legs like the wishbone of a chicken.
He was strong and powerful.
What he lacked in brains, he made up for in muscle. Carved from stone, he seemed almost invulnerable. And my sister had sent him to destroy us.
“What is that thing?” Sophia asked.
My sister’s concubine.
Their faces contorted with disgust.
“Seriously? She fucks that?” Sophia asked. “Is your sister ugly?”
“No, actually, she’s quite stunning. She’s just a ruthless bitch.” My heart pumped as the beast drew closer. Adrenaline flooded my veins. “Let’s do this!”
A primal scream blasted from my lungs, and I charged the blue ogre.
Big mistake.
The beast swung his battle-ax.
It careened through the air, thirsting for blood.
I blocked the hungry implement of death with my sword. The clank of metal was earsplitting. The vibration rattled through my hands, up my forearm, across my biceps and shoulders, and into my spine. The force of the blow almost knocked me to the ground.
Before I could regain my composure, the beast reared the ax back and swung again.
I ducked as the implement of death whooshed overhead. The massive edge continued, chopping into one of the trees.
The tree groaned, and the rumble cascaded throughout the forest.
