by Randi Darren
A thick carpet that had led Vince onward towards the emperor eventually ended some thirty feet from the throne as it sat on its raised dais.
Taking that as the point he should stop, Vince did so, and got to one knee and bowed his head.
Vince had no illusions about who had power right now. He could swallow some of his pride to get a better deal for his people.
Pride was a fickle thing that could easily be brought back with time.
His life? Not so much.
“Emperor,” Vince said, keeping his eyes glued to the point where the dais went up two steps.
“Lord Vince, I appreciate the respect. Stand, please. I wanted to speak with you shortly before you began to make arrangements with my ministers,” the emperor said in a high-pitched voice.
Lifting his head, Vince stood up and met the emperor’s eyes directly.
He was a small man. With small eyes and a smirk. Black hair and dark eyes and a thin face.
Personally, Vince had no value for this man. His power was established on what his forebears had done before him, and he only held control through what everyone agreed was the promise of violence.
“I wanted to thank you for your service in the north. Apparently, we have you to thank for revealing the whole thing before it happened. You even turned an army back on itself at Yosemite. You have our thanks,” the emperor said.
There was a careful, casual caress that slid over his mind. It was almost so subtle as to be one of Vince’s own thoughts.
Realizing what it was, Vince blanked his surface thoughts to only what he had been thinking of the Citadel earlier, and how the emperor had no need of him.
That ever so gentle pressure flowed over and around his surface thoughts like water moving through sand. Sifting, burbling, sinking ever deeper.
As quickly as it had come, it fled as soon as it had gone as deep as it could without becoming obvious.
Vince felt his eyebrow twitch, and quickly bowed his head to the emperor. “Not a problem. I am of course a Ranger, and serve to protect the citizens. What was happening in the north was believed to be an attack by the wastelands.”
He couldn’t even begin to think about what had just happened as he wasn’t sure what would and wouldn’t be hidden. Forcing himself, he pushed his mind back to the trade agreement at hand, and how he desperately needed to make this work for his people.
The emperor only nodded his head. Seconds ticked by before he finally held up a hand, indicating a door to his side. “My ministers await. They’ll be able to negotiate this aptly. If you depart before I see you again, travel safely. The roads are unsafe as of late.”
Vince bobbed his head once more, pushing his thoughts towards the idea of being attacked on the way home. That the roads were unsafe.
Unable to say anything more, Vince moved towards the indicated door as smoothly as he could.
The briefest whisper of something touched his thoughts as he left the throne room.
Taking a seat without a word, Vince kept cycling a continuous stream of surface thoughts as he bided his time.
Thankfully, Elysia and Leila were there to work the deal. They knew exactly what they had, and what they needed.
Indeed, even as he sat there, he felt the occasional flicker of power slip between his thoughts, working at understanding them.
Vince was so lost in keeping his thoughts topical and benign, that he had to have Elysia direct him where to sign. Both Elysia and Leila seemed concerned for him, but said nothing.
He barely heard what the final agreement was, but he was fairly certain that, by the disposition of his companions, providing that they could survive getting home, their troubles with regards to food would be over.
Diving into the silly thoughts that were armor for him, Vince let himself be escorted out of the room, and out of the Citadel.
As soon as their feet hit the inner courtyard with the rest of his people, Vince held up a hand. It was the normal hand signal for silence when they were out on missions.
Fes and Petra stared hard at him for a moment before wheeling around and getting everyone moving.
Elysia and Leila seemed like they wanted to argue the point but didn’t push against Fes’ command.
Just as they were about to pass through the gates that led back to the road, Vince felt another brush of his mind. This time it was significantly weaker.
But it was there.
The emperor had a similar ability to his own.
That or a Dragon’s.
Whatever he is, he isn’t fully human. I think I just learned something I’d be killed for. And if there’s more than one mind reader, do I keep it to myself to protect the others?
I don’t know… I just don’t know.
In the end, Vince had chosen not to say anything to his companions. There was no telling who could read minds, and he’d always played closer to paranoia than most.
He’d apologized for his behavior and claimed he’d felt uncomfortable in the Citadel, and that nothing was wrong.
Having long since been used to his wary and cautious nature, they believed it and excused it.
It wasn’t until the next morning that he’d found out that they got exactly what they needed to get through their period of need.
Elysia had phrased it as “tight, but very manageable” when she’d explained it to the others.
Now they only had to get home.
They’d traveled east from Benicia, straight to the Sacramento river. In the pre-Waste era, this hadn’t been as large a river. Now it was rather vast, and required a dedicated ferry and tender line to cross.
Kitch and her people had simply waded into the water and used the chain link that worked as the guide to move to the other side. She wanted to secure their landing point and make sure it was safe.
Vince didn’t argue, since that’d be an ideal ambush location by his own standards.
Truth be told, he didn’t argue, or even think much, on their return trip. He was enjoying the glow of success. That his people would be fine and make it through this trial.
That the tribulations his people were going to go through would pass.
“Bringer,” Red said, her ears swiveling to the treeline behind them. “Someone comes.”
Turning his head away from his people who were crossing to the other side on the ferry, Vince looked to the trees.
He couldn’t feel or sense anything out there, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t. Red simply had better senses than he did.
Frowning, he looked at those who were around him. Vince had elected to be on the last ride over, giving his people time to set up and get ready.
Those with him were Red, Eva, and Green. Everyone else was already on the other side, or crossing now.
“Green, those trees talkative?” Vince asked, his thumb rubbing the pommel of his saber.
The small Dryad faced the trees and paused.
“Elves, Men, Beastkin, and something they don’t know. No collars,” she finally said.
“In other words, probably foes since Wasters wouldn’t be on this side of the continent,” Vince said. Sighing, he chewed at his lower lip.
It’s something I’d do. Let them cross and then kill off one side. That or they had intended to catch us before we got here. Or right as we started crossing. Or—
Vince immediately ended his train of thought. It wouldn’t do him any good.
“Green, are you close enough to commune with—” Vince started.
“Yes. I’ve already alerted them. Kitch wants to head back this way,” Green said quickly, interrupting him.
Shaking his head, Vince looked to the north. If they rushed along the river, they could probably make some distance.
You’re a Ranger. You were trained in evasion and losing tails. Time to put those skills to use.
“Tell them to head home, we’ll catch up with them,” Vince said. Giving his gear a quick once over, he secured everything that even felt a tiny bit loose. “Cinch up. Ge
t your gear squared. Red, pop that chain free so they can’t follow our friends.”
Eva, Red, and Green all obeyed.
It took only a heartbeat, but they were ready.
Glancing across the river, Vince saw everyone staring at him. They clearly were unhappy. Angry.
Afraid.
“We’re off,” Vince muttered. Setting his shoulders, he set off at a swift jog, dipping into the trees.
The soil here would be less likely to hold a print than the soft, waterlogged stuff near the river.
Eva kept pace on his left, Red his right, Green loping along behind him.
They were quiet, graceful, shadow-like.
Gone.
Vince kept their pace steady and swift.
There was no doubt in his mind that their pursuers would find their trail. Paired to that thought, this meant that they had to be faster than the pursuers could follow while managing the trail.
All he could do was make it harder for them right now. After all, his group could only go north or south. South would force them back into Benicia and could easily be blocked.
North was the only option.
Vince could keep this pace for a day when he was a Ranger. Empowered as he was now, he wasn’t sure.
“Red, Green, Eva,” Vince got out between breaths. “How long can you keep this up?”
“Somewhere beyond nightfall, grove husband,” Green said.
So something like ten hours.
“Red can keep pace with you till your heart gives out, Bringer. Red is very strong.”
“You’ve charged me up repeatedly and I’ve had no outlet, Master. I can go for a very long time,” Eva said, slipping around a tree.
“We pick up the pace then when nightfall comes. Green, when you tire, pull on the grove for energy. We really need to distance ourselves and our best chance is to make haste when they lose light,” Vince said.
“I understand. I’ll not be a burden to you, grove husband,” Green promised.
After that brief conversation, they fell silent. Only the occasional sound from an animal running out of the path of their advance could be heard.
Just before sunset they managed to find a low-slung stone bridge over the Sacramento river. They couldn’t see anyone on it, but Vince refused to use it.
It was another location he’d station people to watch. To wait.
To ambush.
They kept on.
Nightfall came and went. Cloaking everything and everyone in the dark.
Green suddenly went down in a tumble, the air whooshing out of her lungs.
Everyone came to a stop and looked back to find the Dryad on her elbows and knees, struggling to get up. Her breaths came in great gasps, her face pale and her eyes wide.
Biting back a sigh, as he’d pushed her far beyond what almost any race could endure, he quickly moved to her.
“Grove-husband. I’m…sorry,” panted out the Dryad, her face pained as she stared up at him.
“Hush. Forgive me for this, it’s no way to carry you but… we have little choice,” Vince said apologetically. Getting closer, he got down and then grabbed one of Green’s arms and legs. With a heavy grunt he heaved her over his shoulders and got her situated.
Gripping her wrist and ankle, Vince took a few steps to test out her balance.
“Bringer, there is a bridge there. I sense no one on it, but… Red is not sure. They could be very good at hiding,” said the Cursed One.
We need to get across. Desperately so. There’s nothing for us on this side and we’ve already passed a bridge and several more ferry crossings. They couldn’t have laid ambushes this far north, could they?
“We cross. We’ll go for a few more hours and then take a rest until first light,” Vince said, his eyes scanning the shadowed bridge repeatedly.
Red and Eva fell in as they started moving once more.
Turning onto the bridge, Vince found it was nothing more than rotting wood smashed together with bent nails. It was something the poor would put together to avoid paying tolls or crossing taxes.
It creaked ominously as the party started across. Vince almost reconsidered the attempt entirely. Water seeped up over the edges and onto their boots with their weight, but the bridge held.
The sound of water flowing, boots pounding on the wood, and the occasional splash of a fish filled his ears. To the point that it felt like each step was a gunshot.
It was a cacophony of sound that would bring everyone for miles down around their ears. Gritting his teeth, his eyes felt as if they couldn’t open any further as he scanned the far banks over and over.
Stretching his mind out, his senses, and anything he could, Vince found nothing. Over and over.
Only ensuring the fact that there had to be something there.
This was the prevalent thought in his mind, right up until they left the bridge and kept running off into the night.
No ambush, no waiting enemies, no problems.
Vince and company escaped the blocking wall that was the Sacramento river, and ran on into the night.
Chapter 25
A warm, soft, wet sensation slid along his shaft and engulfed him.
Blearily, Vince cracked open an eye and found that everything around him was quiet and still. It was pre-dawn gloom with only the first vestiges of light peeking out.
They’d made camp in the deep dark of night. They’d managed to find a wooded area and stopped within the edge of it.
Red was sleeping beside him, Eva curled up behind her.
And Green was perched between his legs. One hand held his girth free of his fly, the other hand rested on his hip.
Between her full lips was his manhood.
Suckling on it tenderly, she dipped her head down to his hilt and lovingly sucked on it, her eyes glowing softly as she gazed up at him.
She had a habit of ambushing him in the mornings whenever she got the opportunity. Both with her mouth and her body.
He suspected it was the thrill of taking him without permission and getting caught by one of the other women. The same reason she pretended it never happened around others and why she hid in his sleeping bag to wait for him.
Her hand moved down from his hilt to cup his balls, giving them a squeeze. She tilted her head to the side, and he slid free of her lips and grazed along her cheek.
Moving down she ran her tongue up and down over his jewels. She paused only to nip at the skin with her mouth, pulling on it while her tongue pressed firmly into his sack as she filled her mouth with it.
Rolling her hand upward she stroked his shaft carefully with her small fingers. Reaching his hilt she encircled him with her thumb and forefinger and guided him back into her mouth, leisurely inhaling him.
He never could look away when Green performed. Her beautiful and Elven face, with those exquisite details and small features, and a Dryad’s needs, really blew right through his control.
Her lips glistening, she started to work him back and forth methodically, her hand on his hilt rotating slowly. With her other hand she cradled his balls and rolled them between her fingers and palm.
Vince’s breath started to quicken as she worked him expertly.
Her tongue rolled around the tip whenever she got him to the end, and rubbed hard along the underside when she pushed him deep into her throat.
Guiding him down to the hilt, her lips would strain against his lower abdomen and sack. As if to pull more of him out of his body so she could devour it.
Unable to help himself, Vince’s hands came down to rest on Green’s head, who gave him a smile around his manhood. She enjoyed being directed as she pleasured him, so who was he to argue.
Taking a double handful of her hair he began to force her speed to what he wanted, making sure to bury his tip deep into her throat when he could.
Green made no noise, as if afraid to wake the others. Her eyes even flicked over to them on occasion, only to come back to him, crinkling in delight that none was the wiser.
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After a minute or two, Vince wanted to finish. Green never held back and always gave him all he wanted without teasing or being mischievous.
“I want to watch you play with it before you swallow,” Vince said softly.
Green clearly understood as her eyes glowed just a bit more intensely.
Easing himself back, he wedged his tip between her lips, and then came.
He filled her mouth with his seed, the thick hot stringy mess coating her tongue and teeth completely.
Coaxing, squeezing fingers worked methodically on his balls. Those firm fingertips milked and stroked every single drip from him.
Coming down from his climax, he felt the last contraction end.
Letting out a slow breath, he smiled down at his personal Nymph.
Definitely one way to work out the stress.
Before Green even had a chance to play with the load in her mouth, Red’s hand snatched her jaw and pulled her backwards.
“Why do you steal Red’s meal? It does nothing for you. Red asks because Red is hungry and wanted to be fed,” growled the Cursed One.
Green couldn’t answer. Her mouth was full and her jaw clenched shut in Red’s hand.
As sudden as she’d grabbed her, Red kissed her hungrily.
It was vicious and violent, Red clearly forcing her tongue into Green’s mouth. Pulling at Green’s hair, Red tilted her head down, as if to make sure she drained his seed from Green’s mouth completely.
Red ravaged Green with her tongue, clearly forcing it all throughout her mouth. After that came the soft sucking noise. Vince could only guess Red had caught Green’s tongue and was now making sure to get every drop from the Dryad.
Ten seconds after it started, Red released Green and swallowed. She inspected Green, looking at her lips. Then she pulled her mouth open and peered inside as if to make sure it was empty.
Frowning, Red turned her eyes on Vince.
“Bringer, there was more to this meal than what Red normally gets. How does the Dryad get more from you than Red does?” asked the Cursed One. “Red doesn’t understand.”
“Uh—” Vince said, looking to Green.
“He enjoys it when I use my mouth, Red. If he enjoys it, he’ll give you more. I can show you how. It’s not that hard,” Green said, her eyes a touch fearful and embarrassed. Of course they were glowing brightly.
