by D. R. Rosier
I asked, “Are there bandits? Because I think if there are we might be in trouble.”
I was also thinking those mage rovers must not have been perfect as I watched the men pour out of the trees. There were at least twelve and there could be more inside the trees.
“Shit,” Steve muttered and stopped the wagon. “Yes we got bandits out here. The mages have trouble finding them though, like I said, worthless. But goddess forbid we’re late on the taxes… Damn town is only a mile away, they’ve got balls.”
I snickered. Time to earn my keep for the kindness I was shown.
I jumped down off the wagon and walked out front.
“You boys might want to look for easier prey. Think carefully, because I won’t give you another warning.”
One of the twelve laughed and stepped forward. Three toward the back knocked an arrow, but didn’t pull back. None of them had yet drawn swords.
“You’re not armed, and I see no mage robes. I’d say if you want to live just move out of our way, we’re just here for the food. Turn around and start hoofing it, or you’re dead men.”
He slid the sword out of his sheath slowly, it made a rasping sound. I had the feeling he thought it was intimidating, but it was a poor way to treat a sword and merely made me wince. I moved forward quickly and grabbed his right hand with mine. I pulled the sword out the rest of the way and twisted before hitting the back of his elbow with my left hand. I heard a crack and his hand opened reflexively.
I was moving fast, I wasn’t really all that excited with the idea of killing despite what I said with my warning. I reached down and caught the sword in my right hand while spinning, snapping my left elbow back into his jaw. He flew backwards and landed on the ground. Only about a second had passed and they stood there stunned for a moment.
I opened my mouth to give another warning, but two of the archers started pulling back on their bows as they raised them in my direction. I grimly ran straight at them, knocking another man in my way flat on his ass as I passed by before he even got a hand on his sheathed sword.
The only way to stop having to kill them all now would be to make them run, so I attacked savagely. I was moving too fast for the archers to aim as I changed direction slightly to avoid their bowshots. When I reached the first I slashed my sword down as I passed, taking off the hand drawing the bow, which released the arrow into the men in front, taking one in the leg.
I took the head of the second archer as I heard the other men finally start to draw steel.
I guess I can’t say I haven’t taken a life in fifty years anymore. I may not have been bloodthirsty, but I wasn’t squeamish in the least bit either. If they pushed this, they will have earned their deaths.
I paused for a moment to let my movements catch up in their minds, I was hoping they’d take the opportunity to run. The remaining archer got a scared look on his face and did just that, taking off for the trees.
The rest of the men faced off with me. Well, you can’t cure stupid, you can only kill it.
I took no pleasure in what happened next, they really didn’t have a chance. Their parries, blocks, and dodges were way to slow to stop my swords path as I cut a bloody swath through the remaining men. My sword was always inside their parry, or already leaving their flesh as their sword twitched in a blocking direction.
I felt it then, felt it coming at me through the air. It froze me for a second, because the arrow wasn’t alive and I had no idea how I was feeling it cut through the air.
The archer, he’d stopped at the trees and shot an arrow my way. I was about to dodge when a wind came up from nowhere, the arrow was pushed off course and I knew it would miss. It passed about a foot away from me. I ran over to the other archers, grabbed a bow and had an arrow in the air all inside a second. I was fast, but I wasn’t the best at aiming a bow, so I actually hit his shoulder instead of his heart. Still, it was enough to get him to run again.
This time I didn’t let him go, before he had taken two steps I picked up another arrow and sent it his way. I was pleasantly surprised when it ended up in the middle of his back, the last bandit fell and didn’t get up. I used my hearing to check for danger, and slowly relaxed as the only heartbeats I heard were mine and Steve’s.
I started gathering up all the weapons and threw them in the back of the cart in an open spot.
I asked, “We can sell those in town?”
Steve just nodded at me, looking very wary. As if he had found a python where he had thought there was a mouse.
I shrugged, “We can split the profits, as my thanks for taking me in and all.”
Steve blew out a breath, “Thanks, but it weren’t nothing. I think you saving me from the bandits more than made us even already. It wasn’t as if lying in the open was going to kill you after all. You should keep one of those swords though, people should know what their facing.”
I sighed. I didn’t need to crave blood to know I was still a monster… But that was okay, I’d long come to terms with it.
I asked, “Are there any laws about who can own one?”
Steve shook his head, “No, the only law is never draw on a mage. They’ll hang you for that, even if it’s self defense. As for using a sword against other men, the law is only in self defense or in the defense of others. That’s it really.”
I nodded and picked out a sword, and found a sheath that wouldn’t ruin the damn thing, and then strapped it on. I also went back to the bodies and found a sharpening stone, oil, and cloth. It felt both comfortable and strange. I hadn’t worn a sword on Earth since the fourteen hundreds…
Chapter 4
The town of Cliff’s edge was larger than I had been expecting. After the next valley there were a few farms which gave way to occasional cottages. The groupings of cottages grew in number and size until we finally arrived at the town itself. It was one street really, but it ran along the bottom of a cliff for quite a way. I saw a number of different stores as well as a large mansion and government building.
We arrived at the general store first where I waited as Steve sold his produce. Then we visited the blacksmith and Fletcher in quick succession. I paid careful attention to Steve’s haggling, learning what prices stuff went for. Once the coins were split between us, I had forty two gold, ten silver and eight pieces of copper.
It seemed like a lot, and it should be for three bows, arrows, and eleven good swords. Steve was quick to leave my company after that and I headed for the inn. I had no idea what I was going to do next. I was here on this new world without a clue really of where to go or what to do.
Well, an easy thing was I needed more clothes than what I was wearing and other things as well. I walked back to the general store and started grabbing some things. I got a backpack, change of clothes, grooming kit, a few candles, flint and steel. It wasn’t much, but I had to carry around everything with me until I figured out what to do, or where to live.
The idea of being a farmer was foreign to me, so I decided I should just look around and see what comes up. I walked into the inn and took a seat at a table that would let me watch the room. I was still trying to absorb the local customs and such. I didn’t want to do something taboo on accident, who knows what social rules these people may have that I hadn’t picked up on yet.
A young woman with light blonde hair and revealing clothes walked up and asked in a peppy voice, “I’m Sienna, welcome to Cliff’s edge. What can I get you?”
Again I felt the strange but familiar hit me. I seemed like I went back in time, yet… it was just a little different. I suppressed a snort and raised my eyes to hers, I had been staring at her other salient features while lost in thought. I was amused to see she was far from offended and was returning the look with interest.
“How much for a room for the night, something to eat and drink…”
She replied in that same cheerful tone, “Silver for a room, three copper for the special, which is venison and potatoes. Ale is two copper a mug.”
I nod
ded in agreement and she turned away, but then turned just her head back to say, “And if you want some company after dinner tonight, another half silver.”
She subtly moved her hips which drew my eyes down to her ass. She smiled at me with twinkling eyes when I looked back up, before she swayed her hips in wonderful ways as she left toward the kitchen. I wasn’t dumb enough to think I was the only one she released her wiles on today, but she was still quite tempting.
It had been a long time for me, another aspect of my life under my iron control. Or at least, it had been before I was mostly human again. In the past, the blood had been almost all, drinking had been an ecstasy rivaling sex. It was at this moment where I realized a lot more than food and tossing and turning had been returned to me as a possibility.
When she returned with my food she took the coins off the table. I handed her a few extra copper and said in a light but commanding voice.
“The extra coins are to… entice you to visit me first. Understand?”
She blushed as she looked me in the eyes, but nodded, “Will be my pleasure,” in both a shy and sultry voice.
I had no illusions I was her only customer for tonight, and the idea of her coming to me smelling of another man and sex would have ruined it, especially considering my enhanced sense of smell.
I looked down and the food looked decent, but as it was only my fifth meal in over a thousand years, I savored every tasty bite. The people around me seemed relaxed, and the atmosphere was fear free. This country may have had its danger on the roads, but inside the town people obviously felt safe.
I was reserving my judgment on this mage ruler class they had here. There were clues they were like the aristocrats of Earth, especially the rules about never threatening one and the fact that they were in charge of it all. On the other hand, these people were very unlike the peasants of Earth, they were not beat down, and didn’t appear to be overworked.
Steve had seemed to think of them as the lesser evil, to be ignored and avoided, or if necessary humored. I wouldn’t really know though until I met them. They would still be people though, and probably not all cut from the same cloth. I’d have to be cautious too, until I understood their capabilities. I might be able to cut down some poorly trained bandits, but I had a feeling a mage would be a whole other story.
I respected magic, after all, the witches are the reason I’m on this new world.
I didn’t see one mage all evening and thought maybe they stayed apart. The government house was fairly large, maybe they all stayed there. The trouble was everything I was observing was just conjecture through my view of the world. No doubt I’d be making my share of mistakes before all was said and done.
The common room of the inn started to thin out, and I looked outside the front window. Of course, the sun was going down. They had fire for light, but no electricity. Burning oil, wood, or wax would grow expensive and I imagined there wasn’t much of a nightlife in this world, or at least, not in a town this size. I didn’t want to jump to conclusions however.
I got up and stopped by the bar for my room key.
“Hey, you have somewhere I can bathe?”
The bartender nodded, “We have tubs in the rooms.”
He didn’t say anything else so I went up. The room was pretty small, but didn’t feel crowded. There was a bed, a chest with a couple of towels and extra blanket inside, and a tub. I hadn’t expected to find what I did on this primitive world, but there was a faucet attached to the tub as well as a drain hole which seemed to be piped to the outer wall.
I turned the faucet, and then while I waited for it to fill I stripped out of my dirty clothes, got out my clean ones and put the rest of my stuff inside the chest. It really hit me then, I was a vagabond. I was homeless in a strange land, without purpose or knowledge. I knew it was just temporary, I’d figure something out, but it was still disturbing.
I turned off the faucet and slipped into the tub, the water wasn’t very hot, but it was warm. I scrubbed myself and my dirty clothes. I wrung out the clothes and hung them, hoping they would dry by morning and then went to the bed. My mind wouldn’t really quiet down. I had been well off back on Earth and would have read a book, or turned on a TV for entertainment. There really wasn’t anything to do but keep myself company.
At least there wasn’t anything until the knock on the door. I have to admit, I was a little nervous. It had been a long time for me.
I wrapped a towel around myself and answered it.
Sienna smiled and looked up at me through her eyebrows, “Can I come in?” she asked sultrily.
I couldn’t help but smile back, she really was lovely. She had changed clothes and was wearing a thin blue robe that was open in the front. Under that was a black and red bustier supporting her rather large and mouth watering assets.
I took her hand and led her into the room. Her hand felt soft in mine. I wasn’t sure what I expected, rules about not kissing, or perhaps her crassly asking what I wanted. That didn’t happen though; she simply put her hands against my chest and moved into me. She was so young, maybe nineteen, twenty at the most. Her eyes were wide and full of anticipation. She looked like an innocent about to give up her virginity to a lover.
I knew that wasn’t the case, but it still had a powerful affect on me. She was very good…
She raised herself up on the tip of her toes rubbing her soft body against mine while wrapping her hand on the back of my neck and pulling my head down. I met her halfway, and marveled at the sweet taste of her soft lips against mine. There was no surge of desire to sink my teeth in her skin and drink her blood. Instead there was a desire of another kind.
I caressed her silky hair then pushed the robe off her shoulders. She lowered her arms for a moment and the material fell, pooling around her feet. I felt her hands roam my chest, then go lower discarding the towel. I gasped and the kiss turned demanding as I felt her hand wrap around my hardening pleasure.
She broke off the kiss and started to lightly stroke me. She smiled mysteriously and I was ensnared by her sparkling eyes as she slowly went to her knees in front of me without breaking eye contact. Again I underestimated her. I expected a quick blowjob and an exit. Instead she took her time, slathering her tongue up and down my manhood, teasing me with her warm and hot tongue.
A moan escaped my mouth and my eyes partially closed in pleasure as she fondled my balls. I started to doubt myself, could she actually be enjoying this as much as it appeared? Were all prostitutes like this on this world, or was it just her? Then she made sounds of contentment as she wrapped her mouth around my tip and slowly took it in, while looking up at me innocently.
All my questions about this world and specifically this encounter flew from my mind at that point. Her mouth felt warm, wet and inviting as she took me in an inch at a time until my tip hit her throat.
“That feels incredible Sienna,” I said softly with a moan.
She just smiled back with her eyes as she sucked a little harder, licked a little faster, and started to jerk me at my base. She started to bob up and down faster while going deeper. I groaned and felt my manhood give a little surge as I popped into her throat. Then she took me deeper still and started to hum and swallow at the same time.
I felt my legs start to go numb.
“God, going to…”
I couldn’t help myself. I grabbed her hair and pushed in burying myself. I felt her nose against my skin as I grunted and exploded into her throat, pumping my essence into her. She didn’t seem to mind at all, continuing to swallow and make mewling sounds of contentment. I released her when I could move again, and sat back on the bed.
She stood slowly with that same mysterious smile, as if she were the one with the better side of the arrangement. She took my breath away as she gracefully started to undo the corset. She teased me with flashes of her nipples and body as she slowly removed that remaining garment.
She covered her salient features with long flowing hair over her shoulders and strat
egically placed hands as she walked over to the bed. She was so damn sexy and alluring I felt myself responding again, hardening as she got closer. It had to be her young smooth skin, absent of blemish, and her wide blue eyes, but she effortlessly looked at me both with burning desire and an undeniable innocence that couldn’t possibly be real.
She stepped between my legs and kissed me while continuing forward, pushing me slowly to my back as she crawled onto the bed and over me. Her large breasts swayed gently, teasing my stomach and then my chest with her hardened nipples as she slowly crawled up my body.
She trapped my hard member between her core and my stomach. Her wet heat against me increased the passion of our kiss and she moaned into my mouth as she ground herself against me.
I had thought she would have left, services rendered. Instead she was seducing me again and seemed to be enjoying it more than I was which was saying quite a lot. I couldn’t help the question that appeared in my eyes.
When she noticed my look she smiled shyly and almost looked embarrassed.
Sienna said while caressing my cheek, “Most of my customers aren’t nearly so… attractive. You also aren’t treating me in a demeaning way.”
She shrugged as if unsure how to continue, “Let’s just say I’m enjoying you and leave it at that.”
I winked, “I can’t argue with that…”
It felt a little awkward for a moment, but the amazing feeling of her silken heat running up and down the bottom of my manhood emptied my mind. She arched her back and her delectable breasts came into view a moment before she lowered a tight swollen nipple toward my mouth. I reached up and kneaded her mounds of flesh as I sucked it into my mouth, circling it with my tongue.
I felt her tremble and grabbed her waist to steady her as she ground down one more time along my pole before flooding it with a spray of honey. When she came down she kissed me, her eyes were filled with lust and desire as she crawled off me.
