by Jake Daniel
“That’s what the witch used to keep me under her command all of those years, an influence potion. She forced me to drink it, usually about once a week. It took away my will to do anything but listen to her. Fortunately, it had worn off about an hour before you saved me that day. Otherwise, I probably would’ve fought to stay with her, even though I wanted out of there worse than anything in my life.” She took a deep breath before continuing. “After seeing the eyes of Viares, and the others who’ve passed through here, I believe many of them may be under the influence of this same potion.”
I handed the bottle to Isobel and she held it up above her head and gave it a small shake. “I’ve heard of influence potions before, but I’ve never seen one for myself. They’re very expensive, if I remember correctly.”
“Oh yes, incredibly expensive. There was one time where a vendor stopped in to the bakery and I overheard a discussion between him and the witch. She was complaining about how much it was going to cost. I believe she said that it was more than she made at the bakery in a month.”
Isobel handed the bottle back to Dahlia and gave her an inquisitive glance. “Why did you keep this empty bottle?”
Dahlia shook her head and shrugged. “I suppose because of the memories. Even after not having the potion for so long, I feel like if the witch were to show up here right now, I’d probably listen to what she told me to do.”
Gwen rested her arms on her knees as she scanned the area outside of the cart. “If that witch were here right now, I’d not let her within sight of you.”
I smiled and appreciated how protective Gwen had become of Dahlia. I knew that she felt just as strongly about protecting her as I did. “I’m with you.” I pointed toward the bottle in Dahlia’s hands. “Let’s keep our eyes out for anyone trying to sell that potion the next couple of days. I’d like to cut off its supply.”
Isobel nodded and stretched her arms above her head. “I agree. It makes sense now, though.”
“What’s that?” I asked.
“My father stopped fighting after they captured him. I thought I saw someone inject him with something. It would make sense if they used this on him. If that’s what’s forcing beasts like that minotaur under their control, I’m sure they’ll be very protective of their suppliers.” Isobel scanned the outside of the cart as if sensing someone close by.
“I agree. These sponsors have to be getting their supply from somewhere readily available, otherwise they’d have a big problem on their hands.” I watched as several men passed by with a winged man chained to a horse and shook my head. “Although, if I have anything to do about it, they already have a significant problem on their hands.”
Isobel’s face looked stern, but she gave me a small smirk and settled back against the side of the cart. “I hope you’re right.”
We cleared enough room in the back of the cart so we could lay side by side to get some sleep. It was actually quite comfortable once we were situated. Gwen laid to my right and Dahlia to my left, with Isobel near our feet. It was late in the night by the time the constant stream of vendors, fighters, and sponsors stopped rolling through Dunway completely. The crescent moon above did little to illuminate our surroundings. Everything around us was shrouded in shadows. A symphony of cicada-like bugs filled the air as soon as the last fires died down, and I was thankful for them as they drowned out nearly all other sounds. I arranged my 30-30 strategically next to me, just in case I’d need to use it at some point, and kept my knife at my hip. I wasn’t ready for sleep, and even if I was, I knew I’d not be getting much in our current situation anyway. I felt better keeping watch so I could ensure everyone with me could sleep peacefully.
Dahlia’s breaths deepened and I knew she’d fallen asleep as she began snoring lightly. She was always a much deeper sleeper than Gwen. I’d normally have to wear Gwen out before we’d go to sleep or she would talk to me through the night until she’d finally pass out from exhaustion. I ran a hand down Dahlia’s arm and kissed the back of her neck before turning toward Gwen. She stared into my eyes and gave me a sweet smile.
As Gwen returned my stare, I leaned down and kissed her lips. A smile remained on her face as I pulled back.
“What?” I asked.
She shrugged and kissed me again, but continued smiling. “Nothing, I’m just happy to be with you, and I guess, excited about what’s to come.”
“You’re excited to go to the Capitol? I was surprised you wanted to come with me at all.” I gave her a small devious smile. I knew she lived for these types of adventures.
She gave me a playful jab in the stomach. “Yes, I’m excited.”
“Because, I can take you back to the manor if you’d like, we’re not too far to turn around.”
“Shh.” She held a finger up to my lips for a second before kissing me again. “Here I was thinking my life was exciting before I met you, little did I know that you’d be more adventurous than even I am.”
“Oh, we’ve barely scratched the surface. Are you sure you’re going to keep up?”
“Is that a challenge? You know how I feel about challenges.” She gave me a seductive smirk that I could barely make out in the torchlight that cast a dim glow over our cart and flipped onto her back. “Do you miss your home?”
I pressed my back against the floor of the cart and followed her gaze up to the stars. I thought about her question for a moment before I responded. “No, I can’t say I do.” I paused and nodded.“Actually, I do miss DeVito a bit.”
“Who is DeVito?” Gwen asked.
“My dog,” I said. A small smile rose to my face as I thought about my lazy bulldog. I was sure he was being treated like a king, but he’d been my only steady companion for the past few years. “I left him with a friend the same day I ran into you. I’m sure he’s fine.”
Gwen turned her head toward me and furrowed her brow. “So, you mean to tell me you don’t miss your house, or family, but a dog?”
I let out a small laugh. “Ha, yeah. It sounds a little worse when I hear it out loud, but I wasn’t exactly close to my family.”
“Why not? Did something happen?” Gwen asked. She was now wide awake, and I could tell I’d not be able to get her off the subject without at least giving her a few answers.
“Let’s just say my father had other plans for me than what I actually ended up doing. He wanted me to follow in my brother’s footsteps and work for the family business. I only lasted a couple years and then I left. My father never forgave me after that.”
“What about your mother? Surely she would’ve understood.”
I shook my head lightly. “Unfortunately, I never knew my actual mother. She died when I was very young. I have a stepmother, and she’s a sweetheart, but she just lets my father push her around, and always does what he says.” I paused and let out a long breath. “Actually, I think my father thinks more of my brother, Matt, as his own than he does for me.”
“Your brother is not blood?” Gwen asked, raising herself up to an elbow.
“No, when my father remarried, the woman he remarried already had Matt. He’s two years older than me. They hit it off right away and ended up spending a ton of time together. They’re pretty much inseparable.”
Gwen’s face softened and she responded quietly. “Oh, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’m definitely not looking for sympathy. I feel bad for my stepmother. They have pushed her to the side and treat her like shit constantly. She could leave, but she won’t.” I shrugged and let out a long breath into the cool night air. “I’m really at peace with not having a relationship with my father. It just let me have that much more time with my grandfather, William.”
“Was William as good of a man as you are?” Gwen asked, enveloped in our conversation.
“Better man. Still is. He’s had an incredible life. Some of the stories he’d tell me when I’d stay with him made it sound like he was a better adventurer than both of us combined.”
“He sounds amazing then.” Gw
en smiled. “Don’t you miss him, though?”
I thought about it. They had placed my grandpa into an assisted living home in the past year. I hadn’t brought myself to visit him there. I just couldn’t. Besides, before his mind really went, he told me he didn’t want me to. “My grandfather is a proud man. He already said his goodbyes. I’m actually at peace with where I stand with him.”
Gwen furrowed her brow as if trying to read my thoughts. “Hmm…” she trailed off. “If you say so.”
“Hey, get out of my thoughts.” I gave her a playful poke in the stomach. “I’ll just say I’m thankful for everything he taught me, and I know he’d be doing the same thing I am if he had the chance.” I leaned forward and kissed her lightly. “I wouldn’t change a thing. I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.”
“I’m glad you think so. It’s my job to ensure you don’t change your mind.” She pushed in closer and pressed herself against me. We kissed passionately for several seconds and I ran my hand up along her side, stopping at her breast and giving it a firm squeeze. She let out a small moan and kissed me with more intensity. She gyrated her hips, pressing herself against me in rhythm. My member had already woken from kissing her, but feeling her body move against mine brought it to full mast. I kissed her neck and worked my way down to her breasts.
I gently kissed her nipples through her shirt, spending equal time on each one. I slowly unbuttoned her shirt, revealing her breasts in all their glory, and went back to work on each nipple, prompting several more moans from the satyress.
She slid her hand down and undid the button at the top of my pants. She pushed them down far enough to free my hardened girth and wrapped her warm hand around its circumference. She pumped it up and down rhythmically, while moving her hips in unison.
Her hand moved faster and I focused on her breasts, sucking on each nipple until they were hard. She moaned and whispered in my ear. “I want to do something for you.”
I looked down to ensure Isobel was asleep before kissing Gwen again. She turned her body toward me and tugged at my shirt. I pulled it up over my head and she began kissing my neck, drifting down my chest, stopping at my nipples and giving them a small bite before continuing down my abs and stopping as she reached my navel. She maintained her grip on my length as she looked up at me with devious eyes. Pumping harder, she tightened her grip as she moved her head down to my groin. Within seconds, I felt her warm breath on the tip of my member. She hovered there for several seconds before licking the warm liquid she had squeezed out from its tip. Licking while maintaining her rhythm, up and down, she traced her tongue around my tip before bringing it into her mouth.
I growled with pleasure as she brought my length deep inside her mouth and let her warm breath wash over its surface. She sucked with more intensity, squeezing down tighter as if trying to bring water up from a well. I gripped the sides of her head and moved my thumbs gently over her small horns. She swallowed half my length and squeezed tighter. I closed my eyes briefly and was assailed by streaks of spirit in every direction. I opened them and continued to guide Gwen’s head down over my length.
I wanted this woman more than ever. It took every ounce of restraint I had not to take her right there in the cart. The pressure was building inside me, demanding a release. Gwen quickened her pace, sucking more rapidly. Her saliva covered every surface of my length. I arched my hips toward her, sending my girth deeper down her throat as I neared climax. I knew she sensed it too as she kept a steady pace, taking every inch of me inside her mouth that she could. She moaned and the vibrations from her mouth were all that I needed to send me over the edge. I gripped the sides of her head tightly as I exploded and emptied my hot seed down her throat.
She pulled back slowly and wiped her mouth as she sat upright. I remained on my back for several seconds with my member twitching as she milked the last drops of sticky liquid out and released her grasp slowly. “Mmm, that’s better.”
I let out a small laugh as I caught my breath. She curled up next to me and fell asleep. I closed my eyes and cultivated while I waited for my heart rate to return to normal. I found that when my pulse-rate was high, I could cultivate vast amounts of spirit, although it wasn’t always the highest quality or most concentrated as it was if I took the time to clear my mind and focus on it like at Master Teng’s temple.
I propped myself up on the crate near my head and looked at my beautiful bonded women as they laid peacefully at my sides. Gwen had a small smirk on her face as she adjusted and pushed herself up against me. I lifted my eyes, and to my surprise, Isobel was staring straight at me. She licked her lips as if preparing for a meal before closing her eyes slowly.
I kept my eyes focused on her for several seconds, trying to determine if I’d actually seen her do that, or if it were my mind playing tricks on me. That’s when I saw the small smirk appear on the wolf-girl’s face, and I knew she’d not been asleep this whole time.
Chapter Eight
I was the first to wake, although I wasn’t sure if I’d actually fallen asleep or not. I’d often get caught up in cultivating, and it wasn’t unusual for me to lose track of time. The sun crested the horizon, casting a deep blue glow across the scattered camps. I quietly slid a crate that surrounded Fapplejack along with the cloth that served as a makeshift roof. The goblin’s wide, terrified eyes met mine. “Wha... what happened?!”
I gave him a small smile. “Welcome back. How are you feeling?”
He grunted and pushed himself up onto his elbows. “I feel, um... I can’t move my legs.”
I moved to his feet and held a hand on one of his legs. “Can you feel this?” I tapped on his shin a few times and shifted to the other. The result was the same on each one, which was to say, there was none.
He shook his head, and tears sprung to his eyes. “No, I can’t. There’s no feeling at all.” His face twisted and I wasn’t sure if he was about to scream or laugh. It ended up being the latter. His hysterical laugh rose through the air, and if anyone was sleeping before, after hearing this goblin, there was no way they’d still be.
“Fapplejack, it’ll be okay. I promise you.”
He calmed slowly and looked at me. “I guess I’ll not get my chance at being a champion after all.” He reached down and pulled on his right pant leg. He lifted his foot several inches and let it fall to the ground. He laughed again and shrugged. “Well, better for the others, I suppose. Who knows how many I would’ve killed on my way to winning the tournament.”
I admired the goblin’s forced optimism. “Oh, don’t worry, I’ll still need your help. You’re going to be my wingman.”
“Your wingman?”
“Yes, exactly. You’ll help me prepare for the upcoming battles and provide crucial intel. You may not have had the physical aspects of battle all nailed down, but you’ve lived in Aurilon a lot longer than I have. I know you can tell me pretty much anyone’s weakness. That will be incredibly valuable.”
“Wait, so you’re preparing for the trials? How did that happen?” The goblin flipped his head back and forth as if he were trying to process everything.
“Here, let me show you.” I lifted him so he could see over the edge of the cart and pointed toward the ground where the dead minotaur still lay.
“You killed him? Magnificent, Logan sir! But I still don’t understand. Do you have a sponsor?”
I nodded and motioned toward Amos’s carriage across from ours. “Yes, I agreed to take the minotaur’s place.”
Amos slammed the door open of his carriage and stretched his arms up into the air. “What’s all this noise about. It sounds like someone’s choking a rabbit out here.” His eyes landed on Fapplejack. “You survived. Good for you.” He turned and fixed his gaze on me, his shirt half tucked and hair tousled. “We leave soon. Please don’t hold us up, we must head to Kilney as soon as possible.”
I nodded and turned to see all three girls had packed everything back up and were ready to leave. We made Fapplejack a spot amongst the
crates so he could look out while we continued our journey north. I fed the horses a couple of apples we’d brought with us and took them to the nearby river to get a drink before securing their harnesses and climbing back atop the cart.
Several other travelers stirred as we finished loading up, and the first couple of wagons rolled slowly through town on their way north. Amos was busy yelling at his four dragon women, ordering them around and using a whip occasionally. After the second whip crack, I almost hopped out of the back of the cart to ensure he couldn’t do it again, although as I watched, every time a whip struck a woman they let out a sound as if they were having a miniature orgasm and a wide smile would spread across their faces. It appeared it was a game they were all in on.
I steered the horses onto the road and Amos followed, stopping his cart near the deceased minotaur on his way to the road. I shook my head and watched as he laughed like a maniac.
Gwen kept her eyes focused on him as he willed the cart onto the road, nearly flipping it. “That man is going to get himself and all four dragon-kin killed. Just watch.”
“I know in my mind that you’re right. For now, let’s hope he stays alive long enough to get us into the tournament.”
Gwen nodded and adjusted her white blouse, purposely leaving a few buttons undone as she reached the top. “The way he treats his women, it’s a wonder they haven’t killed him already. Did you see him talking to that man last night? It looked like the man was about to kill Amos.”
Isobel moved toward the front of the cart and scoffed. “I’d have run him through a long time ago. They were probably settling up some gambling debts. Gambling is huge this time of year, and Amos just so happens to be one of the richest sponsors in Aurilon, well was one of the richest sponsors. I heard he’s lost a lot of his wealth over the past couple of years.”
Dahlia joined us toward the front and moved in-between everyone. She leaned toward me and spoke loud enough for everyone to hear. “Do you want me to kill him in his sleep?”
