Phantom Campaign

by Eden Redd

  Legs around Dax’s hips locked, holding the mage deep within the fairy. Arms curled under Dax’s arms, fingers digging into his back. Fern moaned before biting Dax’s shoulder. Fern seethed with each thrust, their souls connecting. The magic of their connection blazed bright as bodies continued with their intimate dance.

  The crown of lights glowed brighter as Dax’s hips moved with need. Dax found himself lost to Fern’s touch. Their bodies could not stop, urges pushing them harder and harder. The gentle motions turned into a heated need to love each other in this very moment of space and time. It burned at nerves and muscles as bliss overrode any normal thought.

  “We will have a strong and loving clan,” Fern said with a harsh whisper.

  “We do,” Dax said as he drove his manhood deep.

  Fern clung to him as bodies undulated. The tempo grew rougher as the touch of paradise was within their reach. The crown of lights grew brighter and Fern’s head arched back, her mouth open and breathing heavy.

  “Dax…” Fern whispered before her inner world exploded into light.

  The mage felt it, their spirits becoming one as their bodies orgasmed together. Ecstasy and bliss exploded among their bodies. Passion blazed as grunts and small moans entwined with their bodies. Come spurted as wetness bloomed. The pair became lost, only having each other to anchor themselves to this reality. Hips pushed, Dax driving every drop of seed from his loins while Fern squeezed him, drawing out every spurt of love.

  Panting and heavy breathing filled the tent. Fern’s crown of lights dimmed before they slowly faded away to pinpoints. Eyes shined in the dark, hearts soaring. Dax’s hips slowed, but his cock did not wilt. Fern didn’t let go as the mage began moving again, driving his manhood deep and pulling back with slow affection.

  “Don’t stop,” Fern whispered.

  “I won’t,” the mage breathed as their love grew brighter once again.

  ***

  The landscape writhed with ethereal light. Grass glowed green and the night sky was a deep purple hue. Trees swayed in a breeze as Dax lay in the field, staring at the stars in the sky.

  Mind blank, the mage lay in the swaying tall grass. He simply existed and it was enough to enjoy the moment in blissful peace.

  I could stay here forever.

  The mage smiled, not sure where here was, but the lack of knowing not dampening the beauty surrounding him.

  Water touched his feet and soon crawled up his legs. The mage lifted his head to see his legs half-submerged in a large pond. Sitting up, he looked to the dark pond, not remembering it being there before. The water rippled and soon a head emerged from the dark water.

  Dax watched without fear as Lyla slowly rose up. Her skin was a pale white as wet, midnight black hair framed her face. Black eyes blinked, the lids closing and opening from the sides. Her neck rose up and soon her chest, water running down firm breasts and pink nipples. When she was up to her waist, things writhing just below the pond surface sent ripples in all directions.

  Dax looked to Lyla with cool eyes. “Come to visit my dreams or are you part of the dream?”

  Lyla bobbed slowly in the water, a small smile forming. “A little of both.”

  “Well, out with it. I’m personally getting sick of secrets,” Dax said with a harsh edge.

  Lyla watched him as her arms hung at her sides. Finger tips moved, touching the water as the void spawn eyed the mage at the water’s edge.

  “I can feel them, the Illkith,” Lyla said softly.

  Dax’s brow rose up as Lyla continued.

  “I think I can sense the Illkith phantoms on the island. Even though they are shadows of real ones, they function the same. They use psychic powers to search for minds. I… think I can do the same, but to hide us from them.”

  Dax leaned forward, bringing his knees up, feet still in the water, “If this isn’t a dream, then we would have an advantage, but I don’t think you came to my dream just to tell me that.”

  Lyla nodded. “I can feel everyone’s mind in the coterie. It’s why I haven’t been talking much. It takes all my concentration just to remain focused or I would be lost to your thoughts.”

  Dax’s eyes half-closed, “What do our thoughts tell you?”

  The void spawn looked away, “The amount of love and affection many of them have for you is tremendous. I see the swirls of needs and wants. I know of your clan that you are forming. I know the fears of this exam. I feel the dripping hate from Clive.”

  “I don’t think Clive ever liked me,” Dax said simply.

  Lyla shook her head, “Not for you, for me.”

  Dax blinked.

  Lyla bowed her head slightly. “Clive loved me, I mean Nuria. He worshipped the ground she walked, no matter how bad she treated him. Since I took over her body, he has slowly pulled away. He stays with me because we are part of the cabal, but he is suspicious.”

  “Will this cause us a problem?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Dax stared at the void spawn. “What’s this really about?”

  Lyla blinked with alien eyes. “What happens to us after I leave? What happens to our connection, once I’m gone?”

  Dax leaned his chin on his knees, “We become nothing. Your safety means that we can never see each other again. The only way for you to survive here on Ikkudran is if you hide, for the rest of our lives.”

  Lyla’s eyes saddened. “I… understand.”

  “I cannot deny my love for you, but we can’t risk our lives if we stay together. I sometimes wonder, did I love Nuria or did I love you? Do I love you both? I don’t know and I can’t spend my life thinking about it.

  “I promised to help you survive, but once you’re gone, our time together is finished. After the campaign, you will leave Mist Haven Isle and we will never cross paths again.”

  “Dax, I don’t want to leave your side,” Lyla said with shadows under her eyes. “I want to stay. I want to be part of your clan. I want to love you again.”

  Dax’s eyes hardened. “You didn’t think of that when you killed Nuria’s parents. I don’t care if it was in self-defense. You could have simply run. You could have done a million other things than end their lives.”

  A tear ran down from the corner of Lyla’s black eye. “I can feel where this is coming from. I can feel the connections between you, Fern, Zarra, Isani, and Ressa. You have already decided to dedicate your life to the women you love and I would be a thorn in that love. I know I don’t belong in your world, but I don’t belong in mine either. I do know that my heart belongs with yours. It always will.”

  “This is madness,” Dax growled. “I promised to help you, but I can’t love you, not anymore. You’re right, I have decided to dedicate my life to the women of my clan and my friends. I have to so we can be ready for when your people return to our world. We live in the shadow of monsters and I will do everything in my power to stop another invasion.

  “When you are on your way to Hydale, I will say my last goodbye and move on.”

  Lyla bobbed in the water, tears streaking her alabaster skin. The water around her rippled and black tentacles began to rise. The tendrils uncurled, dripping with water before they launched forward.

  Dax was to his feet just as many tentacles wrapped around his limbs. The mage tried to remember a spell, but his mind drew a blank, a pressure on his thoughts. Body lifting off the ground, the mage was suspended in the air, arms and legs held out. A pair of tentacles rose up before him, taking hold of his robe and ripping it off. Lyla flowed closer as the tattered robe fell to the water’s edge.

  Dax showed no fear as he stared into Lyla’s black eyes. She moved closer until they were just two feet apart.

  “Dax Sage, I know your heart,” Lyla said with a sinister smile.

  A pale hand rose up, taking hold of the mage’s manhood. It grew to her touch, firming and throbbing in her hand as she gently stroked him. Dax kept his hard gaze on her as she stroked his cock. A tentacle moved closer, wrapping around his
member as Lyla pulled her hand away. The tentacle moved with firm but gentle ease, stroking the mage.

  “Stop this,” Dax growled.

  “Why? You remember my touch, my mouth. Let me remind you,” Lyla grinned as she lowered her head and licked the tip of his member.

  Dax’s cock bounced to her tongue, wanting more. Lyla hovered for a moment before pressing her lips to the tip and seductively kissing and licking. Black eyes looked up with dark mischief as she slathered on his member while a tentacle stroked him. Lips wrapped around the tip and Lyla’s head moved slowly, working together with her tentacle as bliss filled the mage.

  “Lyla, we can’t be together,” Dax said through gritted teeth.

  Lyla pulled away as the tentacle continued its masterful caress. “Why? Why can’t we be together? Even when I am away, I will think of you. Even in your dreams, I will visit you. I will drink from your cock, milking your love into my throat. You won’t deny me as I drain your seed with my slit, squeezing every drop until you whisper no more. Dreams are gateways to the soul and a bridge already exists between our dream worlds.”

  “Lyla, we are not meant to be,” Dax groaned as his body grew warm with a blissful glow.

  Lyla let out a stark laugh before looking down at Dax’s hard cock in her tentacle. “Men of all races are horny beasts, but they can’t get hard when they don’t want something. You say you don’t want me, but your cock says otherwise.”

  “You don’t know men,” Dax growled.

  Lyla laughed. “You’re right in a certain respect, I may not know everything, but I do know you. I can see your love crying to be free.”

  “This is a dream and you're nothing but a temptation,” Dax said as he tried to reign in some control.

  The dreamscape shifted and wrinkled, shafts of light stabbing in.

  “No Dax, love is madness and we are chained to each other’s insanity. I can feel your mind and your heart. We will play our parts in reality, but here, we will be slaves to each other’s hearts.”

  The tentacle unwrapped and Lyla closed her mouth along Dax’s shaft. Tongue licking at the underside, the void spawn’s head bobbed with eager intent. Dax seethed, pleasure riding him as madness took hold. Warm lips smoothed over his veiny member as bliss caused the mage’s head to spin. Looking down, he could not turn away as Lyla sucked on him like her very life depended on it. A pressure began to build and the mage could barely hold back his urges.

  “Fuck!” Dax shouted as his cock thickened.

  Lyla moaned before a spurt of come painted the back of her throat. She seductively milked his cock with tight lips, another spurt filling her throat and she swallowed.

  Lyla pulled back and looked up with heat in her black eyes. “Mark me, make me yours.”

  Dax grunted as his cock stiffened and a spurt of white seed struck Lyla’s cheek.

  The void spawn lifted a hand and ran her fingers through the sticky seed, licking it off a finger and rubbing the rest to a pointed nipple.

  “The bond was always there, you just had to see it,” Lyla’s grin grew impossibly wide before she licked his hard cock back into her mouth.

  Dax woke up with a start, bliss exploding through him. He sat up to see Fern’s lips wrapped around his member. Come spurted into her mouth and she moaned. Senses dazzled, the mage’s hand grabbed Fern’s hair and kept her in place, another spurt filling her throat.

  The bliss and madness fell away and Dax looked to Fern in horror. Letting go, he sat back as the fairy lifted her head, swallowed and smiled. The light of morning surrounded the tent as Dax huffed. Fern moved and sat on Dax’s lap, his throbbing cock between them.

  “You looked like you were having a lust dream and I couldn’t let it go to waste,” Fern grinned.

  Dax huffed, but remained silent, his mind still reeling from the dream.

  “Was it a bad one?” Fern asked with a dash of concern.

  Dax shook his head. “No, it was just a surprise.”

  “Are you okay?”

  Dax nodded. “Yea, I’m just waking up.”

  A shadow touched the edge of the tent and a hand knocked on the tent flap.

  “If you both are finished, we are breaking down camp. Clean up and help,” Symon said with amused sternness.

  Dax and Fern began to laugh quietly to each other before they kissed. When they pulled back, the lovers stared into each other’s eyes.

  “We better hurry before Symon drags us out,” Dax smiled.

  Fern nodded. “Thank you for listening last night. It meant a lot.”

  “That is what a clan is really about,” the mage smiled.

  The fairy hugged Dax tight before pulling away and grabbing her clothes.

  Dax watched her naked body as she picked up some clothing. A dark sliver touched his mind, his smile fading a touch as Lyla haunted his thoughts.

  ***

  The march through the thick forest slowed. The coterie had been travelling for hours. The trees seemed to grow thicker, slowing them down with each passing step. The sky was cloudy but thankfully, it wasn’t raining.

  Dax drudged along, senses alert and numb at the same time. He found himself glancing at Nuria during their journey. Nuria’s face was often blank, looking to the forest around them, but occasionally, she would glance to Dax and give him a knowing smirk.

  It was her in my dream.

  The thought played on in the mage’s mind throughout the day. Emotions prickled on the surface as if he was angry, but deeper below, he knew what she knew. The connection was still there and she wasn’t going to give him up without a fight.

  Nuria stopped in her tracks and the entire group stopped with her. The oddness of the moment caused everyone to look to the mage and each other in concern.

  “Illkith, three of them about a hundred feet ahead,” Nuria whispered.

  “How can you know that?” Fern asked as she hovered.

  Symon backed up to the group. “We can discuss it later, but right now, if we know there is phantom Illkith, we need to be ready,” the spellsword said in a hushed tone.

  “We’ll scout it out,” Isani whispered before she and Ressa disappeared from sight.

  Symon looked to the group, “Let’s move slowly and stay low.”

  Heads nodded.

  The coterie moved as one, staying low to the wild grass between trees. Soon, everyone was on all fours, moving through the thick brush. Dax mentally prepared for an attack. If they were going into another fight, their group would have the advantage this time.

  Grass parted as the group were on their bellies, snaking along. As they moved along, two shadows appeared, Isani and Ressa moving into the light. Ressa touched Symon’s shoulder and Isani touched Dax’s shoulder. The two rogues made silent hand signals, indicating enemies were ahead.

  The four of them moved through the grass, Symon making a hand signal for the rest to hang back. When they reached the edge, four pairs of eyes stared out.

  In a clearing, three Illkith stood in the open. Phantom bodies swayed as the tentacles of their lower faces writhed and moved. Oval eyes stared at nothing, their pointed heads barely moving. Webbed hands hung at their sides, the three of them in a triangular formation. Around the three Illkith, a dozen phantom Sukarr surrounded them.

  Symon made a quick hand signal, indicating that they had to pull back and discuss a strategy. Isani, Dax, and Ressa nodded, the four of them readied to pull back when something flashed into the clearing.

  A figure in a tight red and black outfit rushed into the clearing, long blades in each hand. Sukarr turned, growled and rushed the incoming woman as she charged toward them.

  Dax watched, wondering if it was another coterie. He didn’t recognize the outfit but the woman moved with confidence as she reached the charging Sukarr and jumped. Body spinning, her blades flashed out, slicing two heads from two necks.

  Dax’s coterie watched with intense eyes as the lone woman landed, the two Sukarr crumbling to ghostly shards. More Sukarr charged and
the woman bent low. She bolted forward, her blades slicing upwards. Bodies fell away like peeled onion slices as the lone woman cut her way through the Sukarr ranks. When the last one fell, she launched into the air again.

  Lightning boiled in the Illkith’s hands before they aimed and unleashed lightning bolts. The woman’s body spun, bolts blasting past her before she turned, flipped and landed a foot from the nearest Illkith. Blades flashed again, an Illkith spinning through the air before it faded away. The other two charged, hands spitting lightning. The woman knocked away a lightning bolt, the blast striking a tree with a “boom!”

  In the blink of an eye, she launched forward. Blade points out, she drove each one into an unguarded chest and the tips exiting out backs. The Illkiths shuddered before their bodies melted away, mana shards falling to the floor.

  The woman stood, her back to the Dax’s group in hiding. Blades up, they sheathed over her shoulders and she pulled back her hood and mask. The woman turned around and looked directly into the brush, her elven eyes staring into Dax’s eyes.

  “It’s okay. All of you can come out now,” the elf said with a sly grin.

  Fifteen

  Dax, Symon, Isani, and Ressa stepped from the brush and into the clearing. The elven woman gave a disarming smile, her eyes wide and holding a strange intensity. On the ground nearby, mana shards glowed and pulsed as the group approached and stood before the elf.

  “Sorry for taking your kills, but all of you seemed so hesitant,” the elf in red and black grinned. “You can take the mana shards to show no hard feelings?”

  Symon shook his head, “It’s okay and thank you. We were going to regroup. It didn’t seem the right time to attack, but you managed it just by yourself which was pretty impressive.”

  “I was itching for a fight,” the elf bowed. “My name is Chandra.”

  The spellsword bowed. “I’m Symon. This is Dax, Isani, and Ressa.”

  “Pleased to meet you all,” Chandra said with her manic grin.