by Nolan Fury
“I’ve got to hand it to you. I’m impressed. I didn’t think you’d make it out alive. But I figured I’d hang around just in case. You have no idea how much this dagger is worth.”
“I’m beginning to get the picture.”
“I’m sorry it has to end this way, but I can’t let you live. I don’t need you coming after me.” His finger gripped the trigger and started to squeeze.
30
I almost felt bad for Brody. But not really. He never got the chance to pull the trigger. An arrow pierced his skull, drilling into his temple, exploding out the other side. Chunks of brain, bone, and goo spewed out as the arrow skewered his cranium.
His eyes crossed, and his body flopped to the dirt.
I contemplated snatching up the plasma pistol, but the cadre of Zokathu warriors that surrounded us with arrows knocked and bows drawn indicated that it might be a bad idea.
I dropped the machete, and Quinn and I slowly raised our hands into the air.
The leader of the group marched toward us. He didn’t look happy. His face twisted, and he yelled something. I couldn’t understand what he was saying, but he pointed at the dagger and Quinn reluctantly handed it over.
Another warrior nudged me in the back. I didn’t like so many arrows pointing at us.
They marched us through the jungle to their village. Thatched huts of various sizes made up the community. Hundreds of green spotted Zokathu gathered as the warriors marched us before the Queen. She sat upon an ornate throne in her Royal hut. She wore an elaborate headdress and tribal jewelry and not much else. Two Zokathu servants fanned her with giant green leaves.
The leader of the group that captured us presented the dagger to her. He said something I didn’t understand, but I could get the gist of it. He dropped to one knee and bowed his head as he offered the sword.
The Queen rose from her throne and took the dagger. She marveled at the blade. Then her eyes narrowed at me. After surveying us both, she said something to the warrior.
He nodded, and his goons grabbed us, preparing to drag us out of the hut.
“What’s going on?” I blurted.
To my surprise, the Queen answered me. She spoke in perfect English. “I told him you’ll make a great sacrifice to the Dragon Lord.”
I swallowed hard. My eyes bulged from their sockets. “I can explain!”
The warriors dragged us toward the exit. “Please! Hear me out! I wasn’t stealing the dagger!”
My pleas seemed to fall on deaf ears. We were just outside the door when the Queen shouted for the warriors to stop.
They separated Quinn and I. They took her away and pulled me back into the Queen’s hut.
She stood in front of me and looked me up and down. She was cute. Big eyes, long lashes, full lips, high cheekbones. A small loincloth barely covered her nether region. Her perky round breasts hung free. Her rock hard nipples commanded attention.
Her toned stomach was a light yellowish color that blended into her green skin. She had a banging body, no doubt about it. The way she looked at me gave me the impression that she was a little curious. She grabbed my crotch and squeezed my junk. She stroked me gently, and I lengthened in her hand. “I may have a use for you.”
I was more than willing to pleasure her if it meant avoiding becoming a human sacrifice. “What’s going to happen to Quinn?”
She contemplated my question for a moment. “That depends on if you satisfy me or not.”
She took my hand and licked my finger with her slick, forked tongue. She flicked the tip like a snake, then wrapped her full lips around my finger. She plunged up and down. Her saliva coated me like the slickest silicone lubrication. It was unlike anything I had ever felt before.
I throbbed, and she sucked so hard I thought my finger was going to come off. I could only imagine what her mouth would feel like wrapped around me. Her big yellow eyes looked at me with naughty innocence as she plunged my finger into her mouth.
She pulled her lips away, and a trail of saliva dripped from my fingertip to her big lips. She moaned in a soft, breathy voice, “Explain to me why you were in the tomb?”
She took my wet finger and guided it under her loin cloth. She grabbed hold of me and began stroking again as I fondled her slickness. I parted her lips and pushed inside her. She clenched down and moaned. She was tighter and juicier than I could have imagined.
I told her the story of Ruby, and how the dagger was the only thing that could slay Severin. It was a challenge to maintain focus, but I managed to stutter out the story.
She pulled me into her private chamber.
Some of the guards rolled their eyes, others cautioned her against it. She assured them she could handle herself.
I had no doubt she was a capable warrior.
We stood before her luxurious bed.
“Take off your clothes,” she commanded.
I complied. My little soldier stood at attention.
She eyed my package with desire. A naughty grin curled on her lips. “You’re bigger than Zokathu men.”
I flashed a cocksure grin.
She pulled a string, and her loincloth fell to the floor, gliding over her sumptuous hips. This woman had all the right parts in all the right places. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on her body.
She had a naughty glimmer in her eyes as she lay on the bed and spread her legs. She didn’t have to tell me what to do next.
31
The Queen lay on her bed with her legs splayed open. She beckoned me to my knees. I happily obliged, plunging my mouth down to the inside of her thighs. I licked my way up to her steamy core. Her alien skin was soft and smooth. She had a tight, pretty peach. My wet tongue parted her lips and flicked her center. She moaned and her body tensed.
I pushed my tongue inside her wetness and she let out a gasp. She rocked her hips gently as I sucked her mercilessly. Her slick juices flowed, and she tasted like cherry cobbler. I have to admit, I had a bit of trepidation going down on her at first, but I was pleasantly surprised.
She bucked and convulsed as I brought her to the brink of ecstasy. Then I slid up her body, letting my tongue explore her toned abs. My tongue traced its way up to her perky breasts. My mouth engulfed her nipples, swirling with my tongue. I caressed her other breast with my hand, gently tweaking her. She moaned with pleasure.
I moved to her plump lips and kissed her. It took a moment to get used to her forked tongue. I slid my shaft across her peach and we rocked our hips back and forth. Her mouth found my earlobe, and she licked and nibbled at it gently. "I want you inside of me," she whispered.
I slid my tip down to her tight hole and pushed my mushroom into her opening. She was so tight, I thought I was in the wrong hole. With her legs wrapped around me, she pulled me in, letting out a scream of pleasure.
She was so slick and juicy. I buried myself inside her, my balls slapping against her cheeks. Our hips collided, and the humid air coated our bodies with a mist of sweat. She contracted her internal muscles in a rhythmic pulse that was unlike anything I had ever felt before. She was actively milking me. I wasn’t going to be able to hold out long at all with this woman.
She had an endless supply of personal lubrication. I kept thrusting as her body writhed and undulated. She clenched down even tighter than before, and a wave of warm juices flowed over my shaft. Her screams of ecstasy filled the hut, and no doubt echoed through the village.
I pulled myself out and rolled her over. She arched onto all fours, her luscious ass inviting a pounding. I grabbed hold of her hips and slid myself inside. I pulled her sweet cheeks against my pelvis and filled her with firm thrusts. We fit together perfectly.
She reached her hand between her legs and fondled herself while I kept pummeling her. I slid my hand up her spine and grabbed a fistful of the green conical prongs on the top of her head. I pulled gently as I slammed into her. She arched back, and my other hand found her breast. It didn’t take long for me to lose control and explode in her tight peach. I spurted wave aft
er wave of nectar inside her as she continued to milk my shaft. I kept coming and coming. I had never spewed so much in my entire life.
She quivered with each pulse. Her piercing screams of ecstasy filled my ears. Another wave of her warm juices flowed over me. I lost count of how many times she came, but it was more than a few.
I don’t know how, but I stayed hard, and I kept fucking her. I wanted to make sure she got everything she wanted.
32
There was no doubt the entire village heard us. The Queen was a screamer.
I think I must have satisfied her. Within a few minutes of finishing, she drifted off to sleep with her arms around me.
I carefully lifted her arm and slid out from underneath her. I slinked off the bed, trying not to wake her from the motion. I froze in my tracks as she stirred and rolled over. Her pert ass offered an inviting view. Under normal circumstances, I would have stayed and gone for round two. I had to admit, she was a talented girl. She gave herself to me completely.
My eyes found the dagger on the nightstand beside her. I crept to the edge of the bed and pulled my clothes on, then tiptoed toward the dagger. I carefully lifted it from the nightstand and moved to her bedroom door.
I peeled back the flap made of leaves and looked into the main area. Her guards had fallen asleep.
I crept into the main room and moved to the door. A light rain had started to fall. The droplets pattered against the thatched roof.
Under the thick canopy of the jungle, the village was pitch black. A few torches in the main pathway illuminated the area with an amber glow. I gazed out the door at all the huts, wondering where Quinn had been taken.
I stepped into the drizzle and left the Queen’s chamber behind. The village was quiet, and most all had bedded down for the night. I moved from hut to hut, searching for Quinn.
I bumped into Tyler in an alleyway between the huts.
“Thank God I found you,” Tyler said.
“Have you seen Quinn?”
Tyler shook his head.
The silence of the night was suddenly broken. I heard the Queen’s rage-filled voice berate her guards for letting me escape. They flooded out of the hut and searched the village.
Tyler and I hid in the shadows between the structures.
I heard Quinn’s screams as two goons pulled her from one of the huts and marched her into the woods. I caught a glimpse of her disappearing into the foliage.
Tyler and I followed, slipping into the dense jungle unnoticed as Zothaku warriors scoured the surrounding area.
The goons dragged Quinn to the sacrificial area and tied her between two posts that were carved with faces and tribal lettering. One of them hammered a brass gong, summoning the Dragon Lord. The warbling low pitched ring echoed through the jungle.
They took off running, and I got the impression they didn’t want to be anywhere near the area when the Dragon Lord came to collect the sacrifice.
When the goons were out of sight, I rushed to Quinn. “Are you okay?”
Quinn nodded.
“They didn’t hurt you, did they?”
“No.”
I used the dagger to cut the ropes she had been tied with. The sharp blade severed them with ease.
Quinn fumbled with the knots, loosening them from her wrists. She threw the remaining strands to the ground.
I took her hand. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
We turned to head down the mountainside toward the outpost, but a squad of warriors blocked our path. Dozens of angry arrows pointed at us.
I grimaced. I didn’t know how the hell we were going to get out of this one.
Then the ground rumbled.
The faces of the Zothaku filled with terror.
Another heavy footstep vibrated the ground.
I heard trees crackle and branches snap.
Another thunderous step quaked the dirt beneath my feet.
The warriors turned and ran back to the village.
It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out they were running from the thing making the heavy footsteps. The beast lurched out of the forest behind us and roared.
My heart leapt into my throat.
Sharp fangs glistened.
The creature towered two stories in the air. It had red scaly skin and fiery eyes. It’s long black claws could dissect flesh with ease. It looked like an angry, more aggressive T-Rex. I didn’t know if it was a real dragon or not. It didn’t have wings. And I didn’t care to find out whether it breathed fire.
Quinn and I sprinted into the forest, and Tyler elevated to the treetops.
The ground quaked as the creature chased after us.
Quinn and I weaved through the trees, plowing through the underbrush.
The creature crashed through the trees, snapping trunks and branches. Leaves fluttered. Wood splintered. The heavy trunks were the only thing slowing it down.
“Hop on!” Quinn said.
After my experience with her in the tomb, I didn’t doubt her ability to carry me. I climbed onto her back and she blazed through the forest. Trees and foliage blurred by.
The Dragon Lord gave up and chased after easier prospects, terrorizing the village. The screams of the Zokathu filled the night.
Quinn stopped, and I climbed from her back. She heaved for breath. “No more camping trips.”
I chuckled. “Fair enough.” I thought about Quinn’s ability for a moment. “Why didn’t you chase after the guy who stole your phone? You could have caught him easily and taken your phone back. You have more than enough strength. You’re stronger than I am.”
She looked at me sheepishly. “You had already started chasing him. And, to be honest, I thought you were kinda cute. I figured it would give me an excuse to talk to you. A girl likes a little chivalry now and then. It’s hard to find these days.”
We rendezvoused with Tyler and continued through the jungle. We had enough adrenaline to keep us going through the night. But the bugs were twice as bad, and every rustle in the underbrush sent chills down my spine. I didn’t know how many more Dragon Lords were out there roaming the bush.
I used the dagger to hack our way through the thick foliage. By morning, we were all feeling pretty thin. Except for Tyler, but even he needed to power down occasionally to refresh his neural network.
My mouth felt like I had gargled with glue. No water, mixed with the heat and exertion, made me feel pasty and thin. Tyler hadn’t been able to recover any supplies from the sherpas.
I took a seat and leaned against a tree. I needed to close my eyes for a few moments. So did Quinn. The rush of adrenaline had worn off, and we both felt drained.
Tyler took watch while I cat-napped. It felt like only five seconds had passed when Tyler nudged me again. But it was more like two hours. I swatted at bugs crawling on my neck. I had more than a few red welts on my skin.
I climbed to my feet and helped Quinn stand. We continued our march, our stomachs rumbling.
Tyler examined a broadleaved plant with a heavy stalk. “I believe you will find a considerable amount of water in the leaf of this plant.”
I hacked the large leaf at the base of the stalk. It was an inch-and-a-half thick and u-shaped, like a stick of celery. I drained the liquid into my mouth, and it quenched my thirst. It had a slightly sweet flavor to it.
“I’m 96.23% sure this plant is non-toxic,” Tyler said.
I scowled at him, playfully. “And the other 3.77%?”
“It could be a hederacus mortiferius. They look similar. Death results moments after ingestion. I guess we’ll find out shortly, won’t we?”
33
The mere suggestion that it could be a poisonous plant made my stomach rumble. But after five minutes, I was still alive, and I figured it was safe. I hacked off another few leaves and handed one to Quinn. We both squeezed every last drop of water from the plant. We stayed there drinking leaves until we felt hydrated enough to continue. With the midday sun upon us, we were going to need all th
e water we could find.
Marching downhill was a hell of a lot easier than marching uphill, and by the evening, we had reached the outpost.
I felt bad for the tribal people, even though they had tried to kill us. They were getting fucked over by the corporations, and I had plundered a sacred burial ground. I vowed that once I rescued Ruby, I would return the dagger to where it belonged.
By the time we reached the Warbird, I was tired, hungry, and in desperate need of a shower.
I crawled into the cockpit and powered up the ship. Before long, we rocketed into the upper atmosphere and left the planet behind.
Tyler programed jump coordinates for Draconis Major 6. It would take six hours for us to reach our destination. Hopefully, our rigged quantum oscillator would continue to function. Once we had made the jump to quantum space, I staggered to my rack and passed out.
I had crazy dreams that took the elements of the last few days and blended them into a nonsensical hodgepodge of random events.
Hours later, the quantum distortion that passed through the ship as we exited jump space woke me up. The bulkheads breathed for a moment and objects warbled. It wasn’t the most pleasant way to wake up. I thought I was going to hurl, and the acidic taste crept into the back of my throat again. But after a moment, my stomach settled.
Quinn yawned and stretched and rolled over in the bunk below me. I let her keep sleeping and made my way to the cockpit.
Tyler had put us in a low orbit around Draconis Minor. It was a desolate rock at the ass end of nowhere. The planet was fractured and cracked with glowing rivers of molten magma. The primordial atmosphere was rather inhospitable, though still breathable.
The Warbird rumbled as we plunged into the atmosphere, swooping below the gray clouds that blanketed the planet. Tyler programmed the course for the Rodel Mountains.
A Tarvin monastery was nestled among the jagged peaks. The steep slopes prevented landing anywhere except the base of the mountains. I wasn’t about to attempt to climb another rugged slope. I flew the craft over the monastery and had Tyler take over control of the Warbird.
