The Concubine Contract

by Eden Redd

  Nero’s hand glided down as the wraith moved up and down slowly. Fingers grazed a raised clit and the shadowmancer rubbed it with his thumb. The wraith slowed her tempo, taking in the delightful touch of the troll. Bodies moved to a primal rhythm. The outside world dimmed and the power between their bodies only grew into a deafening roar.

  Nero couldn’t hold back any longer. Cock thickening, the pressure had reached its apex. The wraith moved with deliberate slow motions, purple eyes open and staring at the anguish filling the troll’s face. Nero’s body cried out for release. The dam of will power cracked and then burst. The wraith’s eyes widened as she thrust down to the hilt. Pressure pushed at inner walls until molten come spurted upwards.

  Life touched the undead wraith and it sent her over the edge. A long moan rose up as long dead abyssal nerves fired. Purple light blazed as the undead shadow felt spurt after spurt of living life fill her small, inner space. Ecstasy crashed into undead nerves and the long dead emptiness was alive once again.

  The wraith’s purple eyes widened again, life licking her insides and igniting her own pleasure. An orgasm bloomed and the wraith clamped her thighs to the troll’s hips. Shuddering, a shadow of a heart beat once and then twice.

  Nero opened his eyes as come spurted again. He drank in the vision before him. Shadows pulled back to reveal a beautiful face. The black shadowy form melted away to a stunning, nude woman moving on him. Blonde hair bounced as did firm, pale breasts. Pink nipples glowed and the ghostly woman let out a screaming orgasm. The player took hold of her waist, holding her down as the last drop of seed spurted into her already full valley.

  The woman bent forward, pressing her full lips to his, tongue snaking into his mouth. The troll held her close, tongues playing in a supernatural light. Seconds passed, though it felt like lifetimes. The light faded. Darkness rushed over pale skin. Blonde hair turned black and withered away. Nero kept her close until her body became shadow once more.

  The wraith pulled back, purple-glowing eyes on the shadowmancer. Nero looked to her, a warmth rushing up his neck and into his face. The wraith savored every drop as she moved slightly on the troll’s half hard cock. No come spilled as it had all been absorbed into the undead creature. Nero relaxed as the wraith continued riding him slowly, a little at a time.

  You have acquired a new ability: Sense the Dead! You may now spend dark mana to sense the undead within 100 feet of the caster. Wisdom influences this ability.

  The wraith looked down to Nero’s lost eyes. Bending forward, she pressed the side of her black head to his thick chest. Nero curled his arms around her and she snuggled into him, taking in every beat of his strong heart as the cold returned to her undead spirit.

  ***

  Nero stepped onto the Journey road. The sun warmed the eastern horizon with a yellow glow. The troll turned to the thick forest along the southern edge of the wide road, watching some the corpses shamble back into the dark forest. A black shadow stayed at the edge, purple eyes glowing and staring at the shadowmancer troll.

  The two gazed upon one another, speaking with no words. Nero felt the connection and cherished it.

  The dead and wraith escorted him the rest of the way to the road. The shadowmancer was grateful for the new ability and his dead companions. The wraith stayed by his side the entire way, looking to him with a dark fondness. Nero wasn’t sure if it was his abilities or the moment they shared together but the shadowmancer appreciated it none the less. The dead liked him, and it seemed some would even love him.

  The player enjoyed the dark edge of the game, memories of the tryst still floating in the back of his mind. The wraith whispered to him as they travelled, telling of the growing swarms of darkness and the end of living fire. Nero listened but said nothing, unsure what she meant. He knew the dread lords were amassing their forces while working with the trolls but that all fell into politics. As a player, he simply didn’t want to get involved in the bigger storylines.

  Staring at the forest edge, he pondered the smaller, more intimate quests and adventures. The kitmori he helped save appeared like a ghost from a dream. He wondered if she truly made it out okay, gone from the vile knights and paladins who were ready to do her harm. It had all become such a jumble and the player mentally swept it away. Once he made it to the road, the dead and wraith retreated back into the forest, and he could continue on with his dark quest. His first task was to grow his abilities and power, a simple but effective plan.

  The shadowmancer turned his boots westward and began walking, the rising sun to his back and purpose in his dark heart.

  Five

  Time spiraled on as the days turned to weeks and then into months. Nero enjoyed every moment as he travelled from town to city along the road. Being a troll, the smaller towns were barely tolerable north of the road but the southern towns were a bit more accommodating and accepting. Some places would turn him away while others took his gold, no matter the blue color of his skin. Quest givers appeared throughout, sending the shadowmancer on character building missions. Some were simple like fetching items from a band of monsters. Others were a little more complicated, requiring him to raise the dead so someone could speak to their loved ones one last time.

  Nero rolled with the adventures, taking in the experience, magical items and gold coins. After a while, the player began discovering the assassin quest givers and that is when his reputation began to grow. Normally he would do the NPC quests, killing someone somewhere. The more interesting ones were when he had to make it look like an accident. Some were cruel, asking him to make sure the intended target ingested poison, then being required to describe to the quest giver how they died in excruciating detail. It wasn’t long before his name began to show up in player circles, the shadowmancer troll with a gift for assassination.

  Soon after, the real contracts began coming to him. He’d heard the stories but he could hardly believe it when players would speak with him in dark alleys, asking him to murder a real lover or rival’s character. The dark underbelly of Lewd Saga reared its ugly head as jealousy filtered into the game. The sob stories the clients had told of broken hearts and a need to bring justified pain to former lovers or cheaters.

  Nero set up a real-world account to handle those kinds of contracts. Players paid real money so they didn’t have to get their hands dirty. It didn’t bother the shadowmancer in the least. It was part of his plan to go into the virtual assassination business, and business was good. The player contracts would vary from ten dollars to fifty, depending on the complexity of the contract. For Nero, it was nice to be earning money again, and a way to avoid another “Life Talk” with his father. The money was small but it was enough to put gas in the car and keep the player busy. Time spent in Lewd Saga ranged from hours to a few days with short breaks for water and going to the bathroom. Nero’s longest time in the world was four days. He needed a full day to unplug just to recover.

  The perks to taking contracts were gaining loot. Players could only be killed in PVP areas so sometimes Nero had to entice them to leave the safety of some areas and lure them into PVP zones. The troll shadowmancer was sure to purchase the best maps, detailing where these areas were. Some were small out of the ways places while others were huge swaths of land where armies could meet. Then there were the times Nero grouped with players for dungeon raids. It would start innocent enough until they reached a big encounter. Suddenly, a fellow player would be killed and the shadowmancer would disappear, leaving the party to fight to their deaths.

  Not wanting to gain a bad reputation, a good portion of his gold income was used to pay players off. If a player grew mouthy online about a troll shadowmancer killing players, a bribe of 10k to 500k gold was enough to silence them. It was the real money Nero was after and in-game gold was second. Experience, loot and spells were also high on the list. Each contract brought something new to him but he did make time to relax and enjoy his spoils; often several kitra, halflings or dark elves for the right price.

&nbs
p; Everything wasn’t always gold and maidens with loose morals, the dead sometimes sought him out, wanting to taste his life. The few other shadowmancers Nero came across on his journeys spoke of the same kind of dilemma. Each shadowmancer would gain a reputation among the dead resulting in followers, blinded with a need to drink in their living energy. Many would return with gifts and abilities but some had to be tamed or their hunger would overpower any reason or thought. Nero had barely escaped two such encounters when the dead refused to leave him, wanting to kill him so they could be together forever. This caused the player to be careful with any dead he slept with, making sure there were rules put in place first. It helped, but the troll kept his body guarded at all times, just to be sure.

  Travelling west was slow. It was another month and a half before he would reach the Middle Kingdoms but the shadowmancer didn’t mind taking his time. Beyond the kingdoms was the wasteland where populations and work dwindled. All of his contracts were right before entering the Middle Kingdoms, on the eastside, and that is where he would stay until he finished his dark quest.

  Time flowed into a funnel and Nero found himself in a bordello in a non-descript town along the road. Sitting in a booth, he leaned back and looked over his stats while a lewd show carried out on stage. Some of the crowd watched while others were engrossed in intimate whispers and touches. Places like this dotted the road for as far as the eye could see. They didn’t even blink as he strolled in. The wait staff served him ale and food with sultry smiles and eyes wandering down his dark form. The hood’s shadow covered half his face but his handsome, strong, blue chin was enough for most of the staff’s cheeks to turn pink as they hurried off.

  Music played as the actors put on their play of betrayal, decadent wanting and lurid acts. Nero found himself looking up from time to time, enjoying the small moments before looking away to his stats and deep thoughts of his main objective.

  Nero Synn

  Shadowmancer Troll

  Hit Points(HP)- 244/244

  Armor- 22

  Dark Mana Pool(DM)- 120/120

  Strength- 19 (+3)

  Intelligence- 22 (+4)

  Wisdom- 30 (+8)

  Dexterity- 28 (+7)

  Stamina- 20 (+4)

  Charisma- 40 (+10)

  Abilities

  Whisper to the Dead- 22

  Soul Drink- 22

  Sense the Dead- 18

  Troll Regeneration- 14 (Passive ability)

  Skills

  Sneak- 27

  Spells

  Raise Pale Skeleton- 10 DM

  Raise Bloody Bones- 25 DM

  Summon Wraith- 50 DM

  Soul Drain- No cost

  Equipment

  Short Sword of Decay- 8 to 25 damage (Slow healing)

  Soul Bleeder Dagger- 5 to 15 damage (48 hour lockout)

  Enchanted Leather Armor- +5 Armor

  Ring of Shadows- +10 Sneak

  Nero normally used a standard dagger in fights but this evening was a special occasion. Hand drifting down, he patted his Soul Bleeder as his dark eyes took in the room. In another booth across the room, a thin rogue was laughing with two elves sitting next to him. They giggled like harlots while the rogue talked on and on about his latest adventures. One pulled out fairy dust and dumped it on the table. The rogue laughed as he bent his face down and snorted the magical dust up his nose, giving the sparkling powder a lick. Sitting back up, he smiled as hands ran along his body and slipped into his open shirt, fingers tracing over muscles.

  Nero stared with annoyed contempt. Fairy dust was the drug of choice in Lewd Saga. From the player’s research, the MEG helmets massaged certain parts of the brain, simulating a drug high for short periods of time. If someone did too much, the effect would cancel out and they would sober up immediately. It didn’t take long for players to discover ways to refine the code by meddling with recipes and finding exploits. Of course many players would report these batches but there were many other players who kept it silent to enjoy the high. The underground network was thick as thieves when it came to certain digital alcohols and drugs. There was a demand and many flocked to it, eager to earn gold and help a down-on-their-luck player feel better about themselves. Nero never touched the stuff, it hit to close to home. Personal memories caressed his mind and he quickly pushed them away, locking them down and shoving them into a mental dark closet. There was already enough darkness in the game; he didn’t need to bring another aspect his reality into it.

  The rogue rammed his tongue down an elf’s open mouth while the other one moved her hand under the table. Nero watched, knowing his job had just become that much easier. The rogue went by the name “Jasper Ringo” but Nero knew who he really was; good old Johnny, the lap dog to ex-boss, Terence Wilks. Now that Jasper was as high as the bloody moon, he was going to be sloppy and easy to pull apart. Once the urges went into full swing, Nero knew Jasper would take those two lovely elves and bring them up to a room for some private time. Nero would follow, enter the room and dispatch the elves before pumping the human rogue for information. Johnny was obsessed with the game and being out for two days would kill him. Jasper wouldn’t know he was talking directly to Nathan and would readily spill any information he might have on Terence, if he had any information.

  Nero pondered. He knew there was a chance Jasper could be clueless, much like his real life. The rogue belonged to the Mad Shadows guild but the rest of his former fellow employees belonged to different guilds all over Lukken. They had the common thread of working together under Terrence, but Nero knew in his gut they must be connected somehow in Lewd Saga as well. If he could subdue and threaten Jasper, maybe he could find the common thread linking them together and maybe get a step closer to finding Terence.

  Nero sneered internally. He hated using his ex-boss’s real name. He needed to call him something else, fitting of his smug personality. The shadowmancer thought it over as he gazed at the rogue and two elves. Their movements grew heated as they practically clawed at each other in the booth. A sickening feeling filled his stomach and the troll wanted nothing more than to wipe Jasper’s face off the face of Lukken. A putrid image floated to the surface and it connected to Terence Wilks.

  “Lord Blight,” Nero whispered and smiled to himself.

  The edges of madness began to show but Nero didn’t mind. He liked giving Terence a name fitting of such a corrupt asshole. It clicked in his head and he knew from then on, Terence would always be Lord Blight. The mad thoughts played on as the troll kept his steady gaze on the unsuspecting rogue getting jacked off by literally high elves.

  Laughing and giggling rang out to Nero’s side, nearly drowning out the performance on stage. Nero glanced over at the commotion before he froze, shock painting his eyes. Two men walked in with wide grins on their faces. Between them stood a kitmori, arms around their shoulders and body swaying as she walked with them. Normally Nero would have looked away, back to his dark quest. Instead, he stared in disbelief. The kitmori between the human males was the same exact one he saved months ago.

  Furry ears swiveled on top of her head and her eyes were thin from her entire face smiling. Giggles spilled from her parted lips as she moved like a drunk against the men. They held her steady, hands running along the curves of her hips. She wore something that was a cross between a kimono and a white dress. Her golden brown fur shimmered in the lantern light as the moved along, turned and fell into an empty booth. The kitmori cooed as the men ran their hands over her firm chest. A thick tail swished and moved against them as she hummed in excitement.

  Nero was stunned. He thought about her from time to time but he never thought he would see her again. The mad thoughts of revenge disappeared as the troll gazed upon the fox woman playing with the men on either side of her. Nero found himself feeling as though all the air had left the room and he was trapped in her golden light.

  The light died when the men pulled out sacks of fairy dust and dumped it on the table. The kitmori’s eyes lit up as she saw all t
he glittering powder and pushed her face into it. The men joined her, sorting and licking the magical dust. They pulled back, lost to the euphoria and each other. The fox woman let out a loud gasp as hands dove under the table and Nero assumed, between her legs. Chest pressing outward, pointed nipples pressed against the tight fabric of her dress as her body writhed to the men’s touch.

  Something ignited the troll’s heart. A memory came crashing and before he knew it, Nero was to his feet and walking toward the giggling threesome. Crossing the distance, he stood before the booth as smiles and faint begging floated from the kitmori and her suitors. The air was thick with the perverted smells of wanting but Nero looked to the kitmori with concern and a dash of anger.

  “Can I speak with you…,” Nero looked to the men on either side before returning his gaze to the kitmori, “…alone.”

  “Luci, you know this joker?” asked one of the men.

  The fox woman said nothing as she reached down and grabbed the wrist between her legs, fingers massaging her sensitive spot.

  The other man looked to the troll with cool confidence, “I think it’s just a troll with a death wish.”

  Luci breathed heavy as the gentle swirling between her legs set her spirit on fire. Eyes half closed, she drank in the fairy dust and blissful touch of strong fingers. Hands moved over her body, squeezing and caressing her curves, lighting up nerves as bright as the sun.

  Luci talked without looking to the troll, “You…you can join us…..if you have dust for the party….”

  Nero’s heart clenched in his chest, “Luci, is it? Can we go somewhere to talk and maybe clear your head?”

  Luci closed her eyes, “I’m right where I want to be…..”

  The men ignored the troll as their hands continued to feel and squeeze her nubile body. Nero couldn’t hold back the pain as he watched Luci open her eyes, taking on a faraway gaze and a sickening smirk on her lips. Old wounds to his spirit reopened and the player didn’t even realize he was reaching forward and taking her wrist.