Legends of Marithia: Book 3 - Talonsphere (12 page)

She snarled as she yelled over the wind. “All of you know what to do! Shindar smiles upon us. We made it here unnoticed, and this side of Mount Wayrin has all the wood we could possibly need.”

She nodded at a nearby crate held by skeleton warriors, flicking her wrist to blast its lid off with a flash of lightning. It was full of shining axes, nails, and a handful of scrolls. She picked up a sizeable axe with relative ease. “Our monks designed ships that will drive fear into the hearts of our enemies, so get to building them!”

She swung the axe and released it to fly through the air. Its blade embedded into the trunk of a large tree, the handle shuddering with the impact as leaves rained down around it.

A group of skeleton warriors shrieked a reply, and the legion of vampires looked to Mestal and Tusdar, standing beside Kassina. Tusdar nodded to captain Faowind, who then relayed their orders to the newly created legion of vampires.

Tusdar smiled at Mestal. “I can feel our power growing once more.”

Kassina grew curious about Tusdar. The thief she had encountered at Jade Inn had grown to be quite something, and she liked things that surprised her. When one had lived as long as she had, it was hard to be amazed by anything.

“You heard the queen, so get to work!” Faowind said, his voice muffled under his black helmet. Their helmets had been designed to protect them from the sun, but were disruptive at the worst of times. Such was the price of staying alive in daylight. Still, most vampires had heard him.

Kassina watched Tusdar closely. She remembered Derian, the vile thing that he was. He had brought her some pleasures, but with Tusdar, she felt something she hadn’t in a long time. He was warming to her, seeking out her affections. She just knew that given different circumstances, they would make a powerful couple. She imagined him inside her, and her loins stirred.

Anyone or anything can be mine
, she thought.

Kassina turned to Mestal. “We have a matter of hours until the sun comes up, so make sure you wear your helmets before dawn, or I’m sure you know what will happen. Mestal, see to it that the captain keeps motivating
our efforts and that those scrolls are understood and followed. General Tusdar, follow me to scout the perimeter.”

Kassina noticed Tusdar and Mestal sharing an uneasy glance as Kassina slid on her helmet and stared at them through shaded glass. She didn’t care. It wasn’t about ruining what they had, but Mestal was greedy to keep a man like that to herself. He was forbidden fruit and she loved the sweet taste of it.

Her horned helmet made her look like a demon as she cocked her head. “Well, come on then and keep up with me, if you can.”

The queen of the underworld launched into a run, heading deep into the forest and toward the incline of Mount Wayrin. She heard Tusdar grunt as he followed suit, and breathed heavily within her own mask. She knew her dark armour was difficult to track in the thick forest, and the burgundy slivers of moonlight rarely lit up her body as she weaved around the many thick trunks. She wanted him to want her.

Yes, follow me, little moth. Mother spider awaits you.

She looked back to see that he was still trailing behind her. Her wicked grin was hidden under her helm.

Leaves and branches snapped under their boots as they climbed higher up the mountain. She leapt on a tree trunk, kicking off from it to grab a hanging branch, swinging her body until she landed cleanly on a higher one. A brown snake hissed at her passing. She watched him trip over a stone and stumble, but he managed to keep his legs from toppling over. The forest had become completely silent.

There’s nobody here but you and me
, she thought, licking her lips with her slithery tongue.

“Damn!” he said. A wolf’s howl became his only answer.

He continued in the direction Kassina had disappeared to, leaping over branches and running through gaps in the trees. Her excitement grew as she gave chase, leaping like a panther between the trees, purring to herself. After a minute of running, they arrived at the forest’s edge, and she saw Tusdar staring at the steep incline up the enormous mountain.

“I can’t believe I lost her,” he said.

She landed on all fours like a cat, stretching out her body as she took off the top half of her armour and weapons, piling them beside a tree. She called out from behind him. “Even if you lose me, I can always find you. Don’t forget that you are a chosen.”

He turned to face a half-naked Kassina, her arms crossed over her bare breasts, supported by her leather corset. She approached him in her knee high boots, taking special care to swing her hips. The sorceress was well known for her charms and beauty, and she made the most of them. He looked to the ground and covered his face with his arm. “My queen, there must be some kind of mistake.”

His innocence made her nipples harden and she bit her lower lip. This was so much better than she had imagined. He was a juicy lamb, and she couldn’t wait to sink her teeth in.

Leaves crunched as she approached him. “Oh yes, there certainly is a mistake. That mistake is mine, as I completely misjudged you. Tell me, is an enchanted arrow
all
that you can pierce me with?”

Tusdar looked up to see her bared fangs and extended fingernails. She snarled as she flicked her fingers, and his own armour fell from his body. “I know that you saw me with that useless piece of rubbish, Derian, and I bet you wished you were him, didn’t you?”

She had the gift of reading thoughts, and she knew that somewhere deep down, he wanted her. The true love for Mestal was present, as was the doubt of what would happen if he gave in to his desires.

He stumbled backward as his helmet flew from his head, and his clothes soon followed. “My queen... I beg you, I am Mestal’s chosen.”

“And she will never know what we don’t tell her, will she? Oh I know how you feel about her. I won’t interfere with your love for her. Do you find me so repugnant that you can’t even look at me?”

A now-naked Tusdar made his way toward the forest. “O... Of course not, my queen, but I have too much respect for you to—”

Her body flew through the air as she pinned him to a tree, her eyes glowing as she held him down. His muscles flexed under her grip, and her excitement hit a new peak. She would have him, and he would learn to love her like he did Mestal. She ran her lizard-like tongue along his neck and found her way to his mouth, teasing at his lips.

“You can please me with or without your agreement. I have ways of making your body obey me. Whichever way you want it to happen, I will have what I desire. You cannot disobey my orders, so why not let go of your guilt and enjoy yourself?”

He looked deep into her eyes, and she read flashing lustful thoughts. She saw him gripping her hair and taking her from behind. His cheeks reddened as she saw him hardening.

“Well, would you look at that? But
I
will choose how you have me.”

Kassina stretched out her long right leg and wrapped her boot around the tree, pulling herself over him. She bit her bottom lip as she manoeuvred herself to place him at her entrance.

He whispered a final resistance to the inevitable. “Please, we shouldn’t.”

“All the more reason we should, and you wouldn’t disobey your queen, would you?” she said, slowly lowering herself until she took all of him inside her. She moaned as she licked his ear and whispered, “You are so good at taking orders, so don’t make me hurt who you love the most. Take me as if I am her. Do it as if you truly love me.”

Tusdar clenched his jaw and he closed his eyes, leaning forward to place his lips on hers. Sliding his tongue into her mouth, she saw him imagining that he was with Mestal, thrusting deep inside her as she bit into his neck, his ecstatic moans sending shivers through her body.

She returned to his ear and spoke through blood-soaked lips. “Tell me, are you capable of loving two women? Can your heart learn to love and cherish me like you do her?”

He opened his eyes and looked deep into hers. He launched himself from the tree, landing on top of her on soft grass as she wrapped her arms and legs around him, holding him in position.

“So, can you?” she said.

He grunted as her grip tightened so hard that he found it hard to breathe. “I can learn to.”

Kassina read his mind, knowing that his words were honest. She smiled and pulled him deeper inside her. “This will be our secret, but you should know that if you ever betray me, then I will rip your blackened heart from your chest, right after you watch Mestal die slow. Who said you could stop?”

She loosened her grip to allow him some freedom, as he stared into her eyes and tensed with each penetrating thrust. The friction built the heat between them as their lust fuelled their ecstasy, and he knelt down to flick her nipples with his tongue. She bit her lip as she gripped him from the inside, pulsating with the height of her pleasure. The thoughts of being with Mestal dissipated, and she knew he was there, solely with her.

Her climax made him lose control as he grunted and his body tensed.

“My, you really are full of surprises,” she said, holding him for a moment before sliding out from underneath him. “You had best get dressed, or we are both about to be graced by a dawn’s death.”

“Are we that close to light?” he said, his face paling as he rushed into his clothes.

“Don’t you know by now? I like to live dangerously.”

Mestal slid on her dark helmet as she watched Kassina return with Tusdar following closely behind. It was as if a wave of butterflies swam in her stomach when Tusdar had left with the queen of the underworld, and she stared at the man she loved, puzzled by the oddity of something being out of place.

Loud shudders reverberated through the ground as trees were cut down.

Kassina spoke through her protective helm. “Marithians don’t know we’re here yet. I’m glad to see progress.”

The queen of the underworld continued around the perimeter, scanning the horizon. Mestal approached Tusdar and took his hand, noticing that it was shaking.

Taking a moment to check that they were alone, she whispered to him. “My love, what happened out there?”

She noticed that his breathing had quickened, and he was silent for too long.

“Nothing to worry about. Everything is fine, I love you,” he said, holding her for a moment before marching to Faowind and yelling, “Let’s get everyone moving! The boats won’t build themselves!”

For the first time since meeting him, she knew that Tusdar had lied.

Chapter 8 - Faith Departed

“It appears that reuniting with Kari can never take place. I just set foot in Greenhaven and she departs with the prince. Just as well, as I know she’s in good hands beside him.

I fear if she truly knows where they are headed to and what they face there? And if they know the way?”

(Aldorus - Master Wizard)

F
loating in the darkness, Vartan remembered what it was like to be so close to death. It was a place that he vowed never to return to. No, this could not be. He had awoke long ago, so what was he doing here? He wondered if he was dreaming.

A voice in the darkness said, “Vartan.”

He knew that voice. It sounded like Talonsphere.

“I am here, where are you?”

“I am nowhere and everywhere, but that matters not. It has been a long time since I helped you wake, has it not?”

Vartan sensed annoyance in Talonsphere. He didn’t understand why, but wondered how a weapon could have thoughts like this. But of course, it was an enchanted dragon egg to begin with, so there should be a spirit of a dragon inside of it. When Vartan was freed from Kassina’s spell, he had no chance to ask questions.

“Talonsphere, is this a dream, or are you really here?”

“You waste time with such questions. Do you know how long I have spent doing what you call dreaming?”

“We are coming for you.”

Vartan’s voice echoed into the endless darkness, and he wondered why there was no response.

“Talonsphere?”

“Do not tease me with the taste of freedom. I have awaited my purpose for too long, so you best be telling no lies.”