“Theo of the Hearthwood tribe? My mistress has ordered me to escort you to the tent of the young chieftain.” A slim, purple-haired elf said after having brushed open the flap to my tent without warning. I suppose that unannounced intrusions were commonplace in her clan, seeing how her tribe favored midnight assassinations over open conflict.
I instructed Yorik and Illiel to follow me at a distance before I left. Illiel had been teaching Yorik some finer tricks to mind magic, and now they were both capable to casting a ‘don’t notice me’ shroud. I’d even gotten the hang of the trick myself, though it wasn’t as useful as I’d hoped. Sava tagged along, though she kept herself well back and watched with the corners of her eyes. I was glad for that, since she lacked the mind magic to follow closely.
She took me to a large tent in the colors of the Hidden Serpents tribe. As I would have suspected from a tribe of wannabe ninjas, they had situated themselves in a rather out-of-the-way area, almost hidden from the rest of Queenshold, half shrouded in darkness and quietly supporting the Crimson Dragon clan.
Inside the tent was a smaller elf that seemed familiar. She was a smaller elf with purple hair, but most Hidden Serpent tribe elves were small purple haired women.
The elf absently rubbed her stomach, as if feeling for an old wound. That’s when it clicked with me. This was the elves I disemboweled when I first arrived in this world. She’d been one of the three purple-haired elves who came after me. So, her friend managed to save her life after all.
I was worried that she was justifiably upset about me shoving a piece of cold iron into her stomach, but she smiled when she saw me and dismissed her subordinate, who hesitantly went to stand outside the tent.
“Hello, Theo. I’ve heard a lot about you recently. They say you’ve taken over leadership of the Songstone… Riverweed? Hearthwood tribe? You know, you should consider changing names less often.”
“Hearthwood tribe nowadays. If it were up to me that would be the one we’d stick with for good. And I don’t really claim to have taken over the leadership position. Honestly, it’s Nela Songstone who’s doing most of the work as acting clan leader. With the support of some of the mage acolytes of course.”
“Yes, so I’ve heard, but you have no small amount of influence as well. Oh, forgive me, I know your name, but I never introduced myself. My name is Eltiana Violet, and thank you for sparing my life.” Eltiana curtsied. It maintained all the elegance expected of such an act, but with Eltiana there was a hidden undercurrent to it. Like a viper poised to strike at any moment.
“Don’t worry about it. I’m sorry about the guy you had with you. I would have spared him too if I could have.”
Eltiana waved her hand. “I understand. While his death was a sad loss to our tribe, we recovered his soul and he can be reincarnated in time. I know it is the nature of males to vie for dominance with each other.”
“Right. Reincarnation.” Sava had told me that was what the elf souls were used for. That if we left them to their own devices, they’d float about collecting zeal until they formed a new body, allowing the elf to be reborn. If they accomplished this quickly enough, they might even keep some of their old memories.
“That’s actually what I need your help with. Natural reincarnation is we expend valuable treasures to enhance the process. All such treasures have been seized as assets of the Crimson Dragon clan. My Hidden Serpent’s tribe is often employed as spies and assassins. We are popular for hire even beyond this forest. We’ve since uncovered many secret techniques, one of which is a technique that allows for accelerated and improved rebirth for recently deceased clan members.”
“The Matriarch Red Serpent took the last portion of her name from our tribe name, the Hidden Serpent’s tribe. That’s because she was originally one of us. She was born from a male from the Crimson Dragonfly tribe though, and when she had a falling out with her sister, the previous Hidden Serpent’s chief, she left us for the Crimson Dragonfly tribe. That chief was my mother, and one of the first things my aunt, Red Serpent, did when she ascended to the true mage realm was to return to the Hidden Serpents tribe and slay my mother. Ever since then Red Serpent has elevated elves in my tribe based on utter subservience to her, allowing the Crimson Dragon clan to control us like a clan of servants, thanks to my aunt raising up a few individuals loyal to her into key leadership positions.”
“I see. So you’re representing a faction that doesn’t support the Crimson Dragon clan. What do you need from me?”
“Well, the secret reincarnation ritual technique that my clan possesses requires one item in particular. A male from beyond The Thousand Worlds. In other words, a chaka.”
I blinked. “How did you know about —”
“We’re spies and assassins, Theo.” Eltiana leaned in close. “And ever since our little fight I’ve taken a great deal of interest in you. So what do you say? Will you be my mother’s new father?”
“Done. On the condition that you share the magical technique with me, in its entirety, leaving nothing out. I can think of a few uses for it. Oh, and one more thing.”
Eltiana quirked an eyebrow.
“No calling me gramps.”
***
I still had the bottle of alcohol modified with mind magic. I’d originally designed it with using it on Yulli in mind, but now there was another true mage level elf on my list.
“It should work…” Illiel said hesitantly. “It’s no more absurd than your previous plan, though it’s more dangerous for you.”
“Risks have to be taken.” I argued. We hammered out the mechanics of the mind magic spell.
If all worked well, I’d be able to trap Red Serpent in an illusion long enough that I’d be able to finish her with my secret weapon. Normally, there were precious few ways someone at the zeal accumulation levels could slay a true mage, but one of them was with cold iron. If you could get it.
Fortunately, Sava pulled my little scrap of a broken sword out of the river with me. It had been sitting in a crate ever since she rescued me, but after my last trip to Queenshold I brought it along. Perhaps I could turn it into a spear tip with time and attach it to an ironwood shaft so Sava or one of the other elves could wield it. This could be my secret weapon, or the secret weapon for an entire clan if I could make more of them. Considering how toxic iron was to elves, it was no wonder they never developed a process to smelt it into metallic form. But I knew how and given time I could outfit an entire clan with iron weaponry.
Perhaps iron would give my rebellion the advantage we needed to take down the Crimson Dragon clan. For now though, I couldn’t dream of the elaborate process of smelting iron. I tucked the sharpened shard of iron into the pocket of my tunic, adjusting it so I wouldn’t get cut on the sharp edge.
While Illiel and me worked on our plan to deal with Red Serpent, Sava made contact with the Ironwood, Waterbeetle, and Myriad Hues of Flame tribes. They wouldn’t meet with Nela, but Sava had more of the Riverweed tribe to her than Songstone clan. The other tribes would see a Riverweed survivor as someone closer to kin than talking with Nela or another golden-haired Songstone clan member. Yulli’s actions hadn’t endeared them to the Songstone clan.
My plan would put that behind us. It was dawning on them that the Crimson Dragon clan didn’t intend to absorb them into their ranks like they did with the Claw Tamer tribe. Nor even make them into vassal tribes like the Hidden Serpent’s tribe. They were to be brute labor, meant to gather resources and pay tribute. And eventually the Crimson Dragon clan would grow in numbers to match their newfound wealth and status. When that happened, they’d be pushed out of the Hearthwood forest, enslaved, or exterminated.
There were more than a few green-haired Riverweed tribe elves bound in collars and chains to serve as an example as they scrubbed clothes, dug trenches, and carried pitchers of water in service to the Crimson Dragon tribe. Sava seemed to wince every time she saw a familiar face, dirty and unkempt, shuffling along with a device locked around their necks that sa
w them obey orders or face magically induced pain.
Beyond all the other factors, I think this is what drove the three other tribes to meet with me in secret.
Bit by bit, our rebellion was taking shape.
***
Eventually, the time came to meet up with Eltiana again. She’d made preparations for the ritual in a secluded location. And by secluded location, she meant Grotkin’s shop.
“So, how much did they pay you for this?” I asked the hobgoblin.
“Ha! A pretty penny, I can tell you that. But I’ve got wards up. Hobgoblin wards from back home. I don’t care if this Red Serpent’s a true mage or whatever, our shamans can make talismans that will keep your little orgy here quiet and undisturbed.”
That’s when Eltiana explained what exactly the ritual entailed. As Grotkin’s aptly put it, it was essentially an orgy. Though, lucky for my personal tastes, I’d be the only male taking part.
There were ritual diagrams on the floor, with the soul jars of Yulli and the three slain clan chiefs on the ground, along with the Hidden Serpent soul from the male elf I’d killed when I first arrived in this world. Eltiana had arranged all of them in a pentagram around us.
There was somebody there to represent each of the tribes of the Hearthwood, not counting the Crimson Dragon tribe. Eltiana was there representing the Hidden Serpents tribe, Sava was there to keep watch and glare at me.
One by one, the representatives of the various tribes invited to our secret little meeting arrived.
Eltiana had already arrived, but I hadn’t realized that she would participate herself until she started stripping down. The purple-haired elf was small but toned with defined muscles on her arms, legs, and stomach. On the last of those, there was a large red mark surrounding a scar, and I knew that’s where I’d stabbed her. It had mostly faded by now, but even elvish regeneration capabilities weren’t enough to remove evidence of a near-fatal blow like that.
The next to arrive was Arwena, hooded figure with the brownish gray hair of the Ironwood tribe. I took a while to remember where I’d seen her before. She was the woman clinging to chief Antgut before Yulli killed the former chief. Sure enough, Arwena was clutching a soul jar to her bosom, guarding it jealously.
“I may be a fool for coming here.” Arwena remarked “But if you can revive my love, then my pride and safety are worthy prices to pay.”
Then she too disrobed. She looked older, which was rare for an elf. Until now, virtually all of them seemed to be somewhere between twenty and thirty-five. Arwena, where she a human, would have been considered a very fit and shapely woman in her forties. Which for an elf probably meant she was somewhere in the hundreds. The greater the cultivation base, the longer the lifespan, so it was always difficult to tell. I wondered if the same would be true for me.
Though she was older, with some gray hairs mixing in with her brown, she still had all the assets of youth. Her breasts were far bigger than any of the elves I’d been with thus far, and her lips were a bit fuller too. She had a hint of suspicion in her features too, but also a hint of desire.
The next to arrive was Assyrus. She was the genius protege of Chief Wisdom. A young, blueish-purple haired elf with fire in her eyes. She walked into the room and forcefully tugged her top off, glaring daggers at me and Sava the whole time.
“You’d better be able to do as you promised.” She said anxiously.
“This ritual has been performed successfully in our clan’s records. Unfortunately, Theo here is the only male of suitable attributes in the Hearthwood. Theo’s the only male capable of producing the necessary life zeal.”
“So you say.” Assyrus replied. She turned to me. “You’d better be able to perform.”
“Gee, it’s hard to get it up under pressure, you know.”
Soon after, Melise arrived, face red but with a lusty smile on her lips. She knew Yulli the best, and would be the one to nurture her soul. I’d spoken to her about what we talked about in her dream, and she was happy about our new arrangements.
The last elf was an unfamiliar face. She bore the signature orange-yellow hair from the Myriad Hues of flame tribe though and claimed to be the sister of Chief Condor.
“All right, the records say the first part of the ritual is to bind the souls of the fallen with the blood of those who knew them. Each of you knew one of the dead chiefs well, or are closely related to them.”
“Open the soul just a crack, and prick your skin with this needle here. Careful, this is no ordinary needle. As a mystic treasure of the true mage rankings, it is powerful. It channels thoughts and memories from your mind into your blood. If you don’t pull away, it will drain you dry.”
Blood-Memory Needle (True Mage)
This needle was crafted by the previous inhabitants of the Hearthwood forest, who have long since vanished to time. It is one of the many artifacts by the Hidden Serpent’s tribe. When it touches living flesh, it draws both blood and memories out into the open.
Eltiana passed the needle to Assyrus, just to her left. The needle took the form of a shard of white bone engraved with a series of twisting, ancient-looking script. The letters glowed faintly, and I realized I could sense the touch of mind magic coming from them.
Assyrus pricked her finger with the bone needle and winced. Her skin turned gray where she had been poked. The needle must have had some iron in it. The color quickly returned though, and she passed the needle on to Arwena, who did the same.
Soon, every elf carrying a jar had pricked themselves with the needle. The orange haired Myriad Hues of flame tribe elf passed the needle to me, and I poked myself in the arm with it. For the others, their skin had grayed and a drop of deep crimson blood accumulated the needle, to be tapped off into the jar. For me it was different though.
As the bone needle pierced my skin, the glowing runes changed color from a light blue to a deep crimson red.
It was just a tiny pinprick, and yet blood poured from the open wound until it covered the needle completely, turning it a deep crimson color. I quickly pulled it away from my skin to stop the flow of blood out of the tiny hole in my arm.
“Was it supposed to do that?” I said with a touch of accusation in my voice at Eltiana.
“Sorry, I should have warned you. I didn’t think it would be as severe as that. The cost in life zeal is high, which is why this ritual isn’t common. Most tribes just wait for the souls to hang around long enough to be reincarnated naturally. This is actually a simplified version of a wizard-level ritual. Though from what Sava told me, a chaka like you can sustain massive life zeal drainage. That’s the only reason we’re able to do this.”
“Thrilling. In the future, I’d like to be notified when I’m going to be drained of life zeal.”
Eltiana shrugged. “All right, you’re about to be drained of life zeal. Consider yourself notified.”
***
The new girls were nervous to strip in front of me, but Sava and Illiel led by example. They had their clothes off in a flash and immediately rushed to help me with mine. Illiel kissed my cheek while Sava unlatched my belt. She’d had the most practice with the unfamiliar latching mechanism and had since figured out how to take if off with just a few swift tugs.
My pants dropped as Illiel broke her kiss with me so I could pull my shirt off. The moment the thin piece of fabric was out of the way, our kissing resumed. Melise joined in from behind, caressing my back.
No bed would have been big enough for all of us, but somebody had thought ahead and swept the room before laying blankets and pillows all over the floor to make things as comfortable as possible, along with a variety of unusually shaped chairs and furniture. Any scrap of floor space that didn’t have pentagrams, symbols, or burning candles had been made comfortable enough to fuck on.
Sava and Illiel met each other’s eyes, as if competing for who would go first. They both dropped to their knees at the same time, licking and kissing at my rapidly hardening cock.
Illiel kissed the
tip, first wetting it with her tongue before wrapping her lips around it. Her cheeks turned hollow as she sucked on my head, teasing the underside with her flickering tongue.
Meanwhile, Sava ran her carefully trained tongue up and down the side of my shaft. She wet the entire length with her saliva, eventually reaching my balls. She flicked at them, wrapping them in her warm and wet tongue.
Illiel sucked while Sava licked, and the stimulation quickly brought me to peak hardness. Meanwhile, I was greeted by the breathtaking scene of all the other attractive elves anxiously disrobing.
Eltiana was the most confident of the lot after Sava and Illiel. She caught my gaze and tore through her outer garments, letting strips of frayed cloth fall to the floor. With her underclothes, she was more sensual, slowly shimmying out of her panties and undoing her chest wrap slowly and sensually. She tossed her purple hair with a motion that was perfect and fluid, allowing me the perfect glimpse of her bare neck and chest.
Arwena was the second to disrobe. She was an older and more experienced elf, so it made sense she would have less hesitation than the others.
The unknown orange-yellow haired elf from the Myriad Hues of Flame tribe disrobed in a sensual dance that reminded me of a flickering flame. Her hair waved back and forth like it had a life of its own. Light traveled up her silky smooth skin as she swayed back and forth like a candle in a light breeze.
The final elf, Assyrus of the Waterbeetle tribe, was just as beautiful as the others, but in a much more muscular way. The Waterbeetle elves were frontline fighters with intimidating strength and strong defenses. Assyrus displayed that in full, approaching my own height and having musculature that would have intimidated me before coming to this world. In one brisk motion she tore the clothes right from her body. She didn’t flinch or break eye contact with me as she did so. In any other circumstances, I would have assumed she was squaring up for a fistfight.
Zeal of the Mind and Flesh Page 32
