Across Eternity: Book 7 - Chapter 6

THIS STORY CONTAINS SEXUAL CONTENT AND ADULT THEMES AND SHOULD NOT BE READ BY ANYONE UNDER 18.

A Glimpse

“So, what do we do now? That was a real swing and a miss,” said Daniel as the group walked through the streets of Duravound.

“Now we find an inn where we can lay up for a bit,” replied Noah. “We didn’t fail at the castle; we simply came away with information to use for a future attempt. Before we make our next move, we need to continue gathering information. I want to know more about this city and its people; about the complexities and details of the situation we find ourselves in. Let’s get a proper lay of the land.”

“Well, I say we splurge a little. That last inn was like a sleepover in someone’s basement,” Daniel said.

“Spoken by the guy who doesn’t pay for anything,” Noah reminded.

“You use Shannon to make diamonds out of dirt and throw them around like candy. Hell, I’ll buy whatever parchment and ink you need and you can make a gem the size of a dragon’s nuts so we can stay somewhere nice for a while.”

“I know a good place we can go, if it’s still open,” said Valia.

Following her, they arrived at the most expensive and extravagant inn in the city, the Gilded Jewelry Box. It was one of the largest buildings, with everything kept immaculately clean and featuring luxurious art, carpeting, furniture, and other decorative elements. The dwarven maids wore pressed dresses and outfits, while the butlers sported meticulously braided beards and mustaches. The managers were hesitant to accommodate Noah’s party, considering the current state of the country, but the flash of his gems and the sound of their scattering on the front desk changed their minds.

Noah got a room with Valia and Shannon, Alexis with Sophia, Daniel with Cyrilo, and due to capacity constraints, Seraph and Foley were sharing a double room. Each room was as exquisitely decorated as the rest of the inn, displaying paintings, statues, glasswork, decadent chandeliers, and other art pieces. They also had shelves of books, fully stocked liquor cabinets, and bathrooms with full amenities. They had a whole corridor to themselves, and everyone was eager to stretch out on their full-sized beds with their doors open, but Noah had yet to settle in.

“You all relax. I need to go do my usual walkaround and make sure everything is safe.”

“I’ll join you,” said Cyrilo. “It’s been ages since I visited Duravound, and I’m eager to do some shopping.”

“Shall I come along?” Shannon asked.

“I worry that if you do, Cyrilo will use you as a packhorse and justify buying a ton of stuff we don’t need.”

“He’s right, I will.”

“You two play nice, but not too nice,” Daniel groaned, lying face down on his bed and already half asleep.

They left the inn and began walking the streets of Duravound.

“Now, Noah, if I start going crazy with my purchases, you have my permission to pull me back to the inn by the scruff of my neck like a wayward kitten,” Cyrilo said, her feline ears already twitching in excitement.

“Just so long as you understand that whatever you buy, you carry back.”

“You’d really force a young lady like me to carry all her things without so much as offering your gentlemanly hand?”

“You really think calling yourself a young lady will convince me? You have your own knight ring. Mine is not yours to use as a shopping cart.”

They wandered the city, taking in the sights. Duravound was a bustling metropolis, with gems and precious metals changing hands every second, both as a currency and a product. The dwarves had a deep love for the earth and Terranora, despite having fewer users of earth magic than humans. While walking, Noah and Cyrilo continued to receive curious and wary glances, but no outright hostility. Still, Noah didn’t slack off in planning escape routes and noting points of tactical interest.

Unfortunately, Cyrilo’s shopping took up a lot of his attention. Though they were technically traveling and had to pack light, she couldn’t shake the mindset that she was looking for pieces to furnish her next Knight’s Sheath. They way she kept pulling him aside to get his input on carpets and curtains, one might think they were newlyweds who just bought a new house. Noah had played the role so many times that it was difficult not to slip into it on Pavlovian instinct. He didn’t grab her by the scruff of her neck, but he had to pull her away from many stalls.

“Oh gods. If I still had it, I know the PERFECT table to set this on,” said Cyrilo, examining a vase in what could be described as a medieval Pottery Barn.

As she spoke with the shopkeeper, Noah’s eyes and mind wandered, looking over the various shelves of home and cooking wares, none of which would suit well on their journey. His eyes fell upon a silver serving tray, perfectly polished to a mirror finish. He picked it up and examined it, and as he stared at his reflection, an idea began to form, one that made his pulse skyrocket.

“Excuse me,” he said, interrupting Cyrilo and the shopkeeper. “Do you have any more silver pieces like this? Silver with a strong magical flux?”

The dwarf perked at the question. “No, I’m afraid not. I just sell normal housewares, not—”

“Do you know anyone who would have it? I need powerful, holy silver.”

“Uhh, Kraven, in the northern district. He sells such metals directly to the temples, but I’m not sure—”

“Thank you. Cyrilo, let’s go.”

“Hey, easy!” Cyrilo argued as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of the shop. “What do you want silver for?”

“Tell me, do you have any Moon Tears? The stuff you managed to salvage from the wreckage of the Knight’s Sheath, did it include that bottle of Moon Tears you used to see if I could wield shamanism?” he asked, continuing to guide her down the street.

“What, no! Let go of me!” she exclaimed, pulling her wrist free of his grip.

“Then we’ll have to check with the local apothecaries. It’s a long shot, but maybe they might have some. Let’s go.”

“Noah, will you tell me what’s going on?”

Noah paused and looked around. “Come on, out of the street.” They ducked into an alley where they could speak in private.

“Remember what I told you about the Lunar Temple in Sylphtoria? About how I communed with the spirits of nature?”

“Of course. What of it?”

“There was an ancient mirror there that was used to see the spirits, using holy silver and fresh Moon Tears.”

“And you want to make one yourself? To speak with the spirits again?”

“Close. You’ve seen my magic, but no matter how strong I get, or how my magic grows and evolves, I can’t manifest a circle to find the key rune, even when it’s active. Elisandra told me that such a powerful mirror was the only way the spirits could see their reflection. If it can do that, maybe it can show me my own reflection when my magic is active. The rune has been there all along, and simply haven’t been able to see it.”

Cyrilo’s eyes lit up with the excitement and curiosity of a researcher. “Well then, let’s go!”

They hustled through the city, following directions from the locals to find the dwarf known as Kraven. He operated a shop near the mine, and though it wasn’t as powerful as the silver from the Lunar Temple mirror, Noah was able to buy a piece with a decent holy charge, as well as some enchanted glass. Finding Moon Tears proved far more difficult. The dwarves and elves had not engaged in a trade in quite a long while, and though the Lunar Temple was not the only source of Moon Tears in Sylphtoria, they did not give out the substance lightly.

At the very last apothecary in the city, in the very back room, on the dustiest shelf, they found a small bottle so old that the label had almost disintegrated. The tears had turned to dust ages ago, but they still had the same beautiful silver color as the freshest drops from the Lunar Temple. They hurried back to the inn, working in Cyrilo and Daniel’s room while he continued to nap nearby. Using alchemy, they flattened the silver and glass into two perfectly smooth planes and pressed them together, with a layer of the dry Moon Tears between them, mixed with water.

The results seemed promising. Even with the film of Moon Tears, they had produced a mirror showing their reflections with perfect clarity, and more than that, they could soon detect the ambient mana in the air swirling around it like a vortex. When they looked directly into the mirror, both of them experienced a sense of vertigo. It felt like all the mana swirling around the mirror was being pumped through their mind’s eye with painful intensity, like the mirror wasn’t simply showing them the world, but forcing to see more of it than they were supposed to. Noah remembered Elisandra warning that to look at oneself in such a mirror could cause madness, and he could understand why. He would have to be careful with how long he used it.

“Ok, here goes nothing,” said Noah. He activated his magic and seemingly vanished into thin air, but his reflection still appeared in the mirror. Noah picked it up and could see himself shrouded in mana, surging from him like flames. To Cyrilo, it looked like the mirror was floating in midair, but by stepping behind Noah, she could see his reflection.

 “I think I see something,” he said. It was there, in his eyes, the rune imprinted on his iris with what appeared to be a magic circle etched into his sclera. However, the image was too blurred for him to see the rune clearly. He tried to look closer, but the more he focused, the more painful the effects of the mirror became, making him feel as though he was staring straight at the sun.

“Noah, that’s enough!” Cyrilo exclaimed.

“Almost… there,” Noah grunted, trying to endure.

It was becoming increasingly difficult to think, as if the mirror was reflecting his very thoughts and then shooting them back into his brain, where they would collide with the originals and shatter. It was a unique pain he had never experienced before, something that, itself, was a rare experience. His eyes were almost touching the glass, but he still could not see the rune clearly. Finally, Cyrilo snatched the mirror away and Noah collapsed, his spell coming undone.

“It was there. I was so close. It was just too blurry. Let me try again, this time with my other spell.”

“First, let’s have Sophia do some work on you. Your eyes look like they’re about to start bleeding.”

They called in Sophia and explained what was going on. She shared Cyrilo’s concern and pumped as much healing magic into Noah as she could.

“You can be really reckless at times, you know?” she said cupping his cheeks as he rested his eyes.

“A bad habit. Sometimes I’m patient as a stone, and other times, I’m ready to start lighting fires to get my way.”

“That just means you’re still human. Ok, you should be good to go. Just, please, be careful.”

“Thank you.”

Sophia stepped aside and Noah once more handled the mirror. This time, he activated his clone magic and gazed at his reflection. Once again, he could see himself wrapped in mana, as well as the smudged beginnings of a rune in his eyes, but no matter how hard he looked or at what angle he tried, he could not get a clear image, and was finally forced to give up. After resting once more, he activated both spells at once, yet the mirror still showed him the same blurred reflection.

“It’s not working. The mirror just isn’t strong enough.”

“Considering how those Moon Tears are probably older than I am, I’m surprised that mirror worked as well as it did,” said Cyrilo.

“I’m sorry, Noah,” said Sophia, clutching the sides of his head and healing his eyes.

“It’s ok. The mirror may have failed to reveal the rune to me, but it succeeded as a proof of concept. This just means I need a stronger mirror and fresh Moon Tears. I need the mirror at the Lunar Temple.”

“Do you plan on lassoing a wild wyvern and flying it to Sylphtoria?” Cyrilo asked.

“Don’t need one. Have you forgotten? I can be in two places at once. Thank you, both of you.”

Noah left and returned to his room, where Shannon was lying in bed, wrapped in towels and reading a book while waiting for her hair to dry.

“Oh, My Lord! How was your trip?” she asked.

“Excellent. I discovered a clue to help me further cultivate my magic. It seems you’ve discovered the joys of dwarven bathing.”

Shannon rolled her head back and sighed in bliss. “There is something in the bathroom called a shower that pours hot rain, and it feels amazing. They also have these fancy soaps and oils that are even better than yours. I don’t think I’ve ever been this clean in my life. I actually dread getting dirty again because I don’t want to lose this sensation. Lady Valia is enjoying herself in there at the moment.”

“Oh, then I think I’ll join her.”

Noah stepped into the luxurious bathroom and smiled at the sight of Valia standing in the shower, the hot water running down her ebony body. As he removed his clothes, she noticed him and smile spread across her own face.

“I was wondering when you’d get back. Perfect timing.”

Noah stepped into the shower, but instead of joining her under the spray, he sat down on a small bench. “I’ve figured out how to find the rune for my magic. I need to use the mirror at the Lunar Temple. If my harkonen orb is placed there and I astral project on the night of a full moon, I may be able to see the rune.”

“Interesting. It does make sense that that’s how you’d be able to see it.”

“I’m cursing myself for not thinking of it when we were there.”

“Well, you, me, and Elisandra were preoccupied with… other things. Are you going to join me in those others things or not?”

“In a minute. Right now, I’m just enjoying the view.”

“You like what you see?” she asked, spinning around so he could take in every angle of her beauty.

“Very much so.”

“Well, it’s all for you.”

She then turned around and bent over to retrieve some soap on a low shelf, then paused as she felt Noah grab her ass. Round, toned, and beautiful, he massaged her glutes with reverence. She leaned against the wall with her arms outstretched, the muscles in her back expanding and contracting in pleasure as Noah kneaded her ass like dough. She shivered in bliss and her pointed ears twitched as he started playing with her pussy with his thumb, toying with the plump lips before sliding into her. While his thumb stirred around inside her, he tickled her clit with his index finger, making her pant and whimper. Feeling a little a bold, Noah pulled his thumb out of her pussy and slid it into her asshole, causing her to tense up.

“I didn’t say you could do that,” she grunted.

“You said it’s all for me. Are you telling me to stop?” he asked, continuing to swirl his thumb around in her anus.

She didn’t answer immediately. “No,” she finally gasped.

Noah began moving his thumb with more intensity, reaching deeper and pressing against all the walls. She was incredibly tight, but that would soon change. He soon replaced his thumb with his index and middle finger, sliding them back and forth in her ring with Valia whimpering in bliss. She was leaning down further and further as he played with her ass, losing the strength to remain upright. Again, Noah upped the intensity of his movements, his fingers thrusting back and forth in her ever-loosening anus. As the same time, he reached up with his other hand and continued playing with her pussy, rubbing his fingers together with a thin layer of flesh between them.

Valia’s body began to tremble, and her whimpering became a moan that Noah knew very well. He went fully on the attack, rapidly finger-blasting both orifices until Valia had a screaming orgasm. If not for Noah shrouding them in his mana, everyone in the inn would have heard her sinful voice. Valia was left barely able to stand, clutching a shelf on the shower stall for dear life. It felt like she’d collapse at any moment, but Noah was far from done with her. He kneeled down and buried his face in her elven ass, his tongue exploring her recesses and taking in her sweetness.

The shower above continued to hammer her back with hot water, letting it run through her silver hair and down onto him like a waterslide. With her legs feeling like jelly, the weight of the water was almost more she could bear, making her feel like she’d crumple beneath the spray like she was made of tissue paper, and Noah’s burrowing tongue was sapping her strength. While he used his tongue to gauge her tightness and prepare her for the next stage, he gave her pussy a third pleasure bombardment, with her clit receiving extra attention. Her second orgasm came even faster than the first, leaving her struggling to remain standing, but Noah wouldn’t give her any time to rest. He stood up and joined her within the hot spray, first applying some scented oil to use as lubricant.

“There’s no other man I would let do this,” she panted.

“I know, which is why I am going to be exceptionally thorough.”

She spread her cheeks and he pressed the head of his cock against her ring. They both grunted as he penetrated her, Valia doing her best not to clench as Noah withstood her tightness. He had taken plenty of anal virginities in his time, and that first shove was always brutal, but the oil did its job beautifully, and he was soon buried in her ass up to the base. Valia was breathing heavily, feeling like his cock was filling up her torso and crushing all of her organs, but she could not deny the pleasure.

Noah pulled back out of her, all but the last inch, and then drove back in, forcing a guttural moan out of her throat. He was careful with how he built up his speed, but build it, he did, with the majestic dark elf struggling to endure the mind-crushing intensity. His hands on her shoulders, Noah was soon hammering her at full speed, with Valia moaning in pleasure as she was sodomized. Of course, there was some pain involved, but she relished it almost masochistically as Noah used his cock to beat the tightness out of her ass and force her muscles into submission.

“Oh gods, that feels so good! Why did we wait so long to do this?” Valia moaned.

He took just as much pleasure in the act. When it came to sex, he found that elves made the best partners, ranking just above succubi. There was just something about their bodies that felt so much more accommodating, like his cock was being luxuriously pampered. Tight though it was, Valia’s ass was no different, lovingly massaging him with its soft inner flesh and losing more and more friction. The scented oil he used before was washing away, but he still slid back and forth with growing ease. Plus, there was the sense of accomplishment he felt, having succeeded in fully ravishing a member of the elven race, especially one of its two most beautiful members. He hadn’t felt this kind of pride since his first threesome with Valia and Elisandra at the Lunar Temple.

He wanted to keep going, but Valia’s third orgasm took the last of her strength and she went limp. Still, Noah wasn’t done with her, and he grabbed her before she could collapse. Without pulling out, he picked Valia up, her hands under her knees and her back pressed to his chest. He turned off the shower with a kick and carried her out to the bedroom, all while continuing to fuck Valia.

“Shannon, you’re needed.”

Seeing them, Shannon immediately discarded her book and towels and knelt on the floor before them. From that position, she had the perfect view, and when she realized where Noah’s cock was going, she gasped and covered in mouth in shock.

“No, Shannon, don’t look,” Valia whined.

Considering the intimate nature of their relationship, she realized how strange it felt to say. Still, at the moment, she couldn’t help but feel shame when she looked into Shannon’s wide eyes and saw her own reflection as she was being sodomized in Noah’s arms. He was pumping her fast her heard, her breasts shaking as his cock rampaged in her asshole. He was able to move and hold her so easily, Valia feeling almost helpless as he fucked her. His speed was only increasing, and Valia sensed an eruption building with him. Finally, Noah stopped and grunted, with Valia shuddering as she felt her anal cavity flood with his hot seed. His half-flaccid cock slipped out of her ass, letting his semen trickle freely.

“So, Shannon, is this something you want to be a part of?” Noah asked.

Shannon didn’t say a word, she simply darted forward and swallowed his cock, licking off the liquid sheath of his semen and Valia’s sinful essence. As soon as he was clean, she turned her attention to Valia, drinking up the seed flowing out of her ass so that none went to waste. Valia shivered in bliss as Shannon’s tongue filled her ass like a cork and licked her clean. She then went back to Noah and brought him back to full mast, prompting him to move onto the bed with Valia still in his arms.

Without even needing to be told, Shannon guided his cock back into Valia’s backdoor, and he resumed fucking her, bouncing her on his lap with her feet in the air. Valia moaned like an opera singer as Noah showed her no mercy, with any lingering semen he had deposited her frothing up from the fiction. Shannon was down below, getting an up-close look of Noah’s cock ravaging Valia’s ass. She was utterly transfixed, as though it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. However, it wasn’t her duty to simply spectate. She put her mouth to work, sucking on Valia’s clit and massaging her labia with her tongue, and when Valia had a squirting orgasm, she made sure to catch it all.

Valia fell over to the side, gasping for air and exhausted, but Shannon was rearing to go. “My Lord, please let me try that. I want to prove to you I can handle it.”

“Gladly. Hold on.” From his ring, he conjured a bottle of elven olive oil, some of his last from the Knight’s Sheath, then applied a layer to his cock.

Noah pulled Shannon to the edge of the bed and spread her legs, pushing them back. Shannon breathed heavily in anticipation as her virgin ring was put on display, ready to be violated. However, Noah first went down on her as he did Valia, making her moan as he savored her interior. The feeling of her lord’s tongue swirling in her ass was trounced when he replaced it with his fingers, sliding back and forth while he turned his attention to her clit. Like Valia, she could only endure the sensory barrage for so long before she cried out in euphoria and her body trembled in orgasmic spasms.

That first orgasm loosened her up, and Noah got to his feet and leaned over her. Shannon felt his lips meet hers, giving her a moment of gentle bliss before Noah drove his cock into her asshole. Shannon cried out as expected from the alien sensation, and while Noah was initially gentle with her, not for one moment did he pause, already sliding out so he could push it back in. The first thrust became the second, which became the third, which became an ongoing chain that rocked the bed with Shannon doing her best to endure and prove her resilience.

Valia curled up beside her, caressing Shannon’s supple body and comforting her though the initial harshness. The longer it went on, the easier it became, with pain soon becoming pleasure, and Shannon moaning just as Valia had in the shower. Noah upped the intensity, pushing her legs farther back and getting on top of her, piledriving straight down and pushing Shannon’s anus to its limit. Her eyes had rolled back as her mind struggled to process everything she was experiencing. If not for her curled posture hampering her breathing, she’d moan at the top of her lungs. As always, she climaxed first, but Noah didn’t stop until he had one of his own, injecting his seed deep inside her.

He finally pulled out of Shannon and fell back onto the bed, gasping for air. However, though he was drained of strength, Valia’s had returned. She crawled over with a lascivious smile, licking her lips before indulging in going down on him, relishing the multitude of sinful flavors that seasoned his cock. After giving him back his firmness, she straddled his lap with her back to him, guiding him back inside her. Her ass had been so tight before, but now it welcomed him greedily. As she began to ride him, Shannon, still exhausted, pulled herself over to Noah, repaying his earlier brutality with a tender kiss.

As their lips caressed each other and his hands clutched her slender form, he kept one eye on Valia, once again enjoying the view. She was bouncing on his cock with reckless passion, her silver air whipping as she rose and fell. She was spreading her cheeks, both to ease the friction, and to make sure Noah could properly see her ring’s perfect hold on him. She was moaning in ecstasy, her voice bouncing off the walls. Fortunately, Noah’s magic kept her lustful calls from escaping the room. Unfortunately, since no one knew what was going on in their room, Cyrilo made the mistake of opening the door without knocking.

“Hey, we’re going downstairs for din—” She was caught like a deer in the headlights, having the perfect view of Shannon, being held in a full nelson and screaming bloody murder as Noah ass-fucked her until she squirted like a fountain. Cyrilo simply smirked and nodded in approval—game recognizing game. “I’ll just go ahead and tell everyone you’re busy,” she said softly before stepping out and closing the door behind her. Minutes later, she bust back through the door. “Noah, put your dick away and get outside!”

Her worried tone told Noah everything he needed to know, and he, Valia, and Shannon paused their fun and pulled on their clothes. They followed Cyrilo out to the front of the inn, where Captain Rodham and several soldiers were waiting, glaring at Noah’s friends.

“By order of his Imperial Majesty and Lord Sados, I am here to expel you from our fair city. Not only did you make a direct threat against our nation, you’ve been causing disturbances throughout Duravound. You can either leave peacefully, or you can be removed.”

Noah had expected as much. The general had been reasonable, but it was clear the king’s advisor would not tolerate their presence, and would manipulate the king however he could into taking action. Already, citizens of Duravound were stopping to observe.

“No such threat was made,” said Noah. “We’re trying to warn your king of the Profane’s return. We’re not the ones you should be afraid of.”

“Do not speak that word in our land!” Rodham barked.

“Hiding from the truth won’t make it disappear,” said Valia. “The Profane have come back, and they’ve attacked the nations of elves, beastmen, and humans. Entire cities have already been laid to waste.”

“What goes on beyond our borders is none of our business, and what goes on within our borders is none of yours!”

“So, you believe that the Profane have returned, but you refuse to care?” Noah asked, making Rodham scowl and fall silent. “We were told that someone else tried to warn you about the Profane, making a big show of it so everyone would hear. If everyone has already heard the message, then what good is it to make it taboo? The more you try to silence people, the more they’ll want to speak out, and the more you try to keep something secret, the more they’ll want to find out what it is. Just look around and you’ll know.”

Rodham looked around at the civilians watching the spectacle. He could see it in their eyes—their need for confirmation and the building fear with each passing day. Though the kingdom had made all mentions of the possibility of the Profane menace illegal, it did not stop the truth from worming its way into their minds. Some emulated the king’s rejection, not wanting to accept such a terrifying reality, but others could not turn their back on what scared them and did not want to leave their fears alone to thrive and grow strong in the darkness of denial and anonymity.

“They attacked my town,” said Foley, stepping forward. “Homes were leveled, people slaughtered. Everyone I know and care about would be dead if not for my friends here, fighting them off. You distrust these lankies, but are you going to look into my eye, as a fellow dwarf, and call me a liar?”

“Vandheim still bears the scars of the Profane War from over a thousand years ago,” said Noah. “What more proof do you need that you aren’t safe? Do the gates of Duravound need to be ripped off their hinges by the unholy legion before you accept the threat is real?”

Even through his thick beard, Rodham’s inner conflict was clear for all to see. “What I believe isn’t important. I have my orders, and have been commanded by my king to remove you from the city by any means necessary. This is your last chance to leave peacefully.”

“We shall not leave, not when doing so means condemning your nation to oblivion,” Noah warned. “Vandheim must be ready and willing to face this threat. That said, spilling blood is the exact opposite of what we want. As we are allies of Vandheim, I would prefer to settle this with as little violence as possible. How about a compromise? Send forth your strongest warrior, and if he can defeat my pet in battle, we shall leave without further argument. If you or he surrenders, then we stay.”

Rodham mulled it over for a moment. “Very well. Atok.”

One dwarf warrior stepped forward, wielding a pair of axes as tall as he was, and growling in anticipation. Noah’s friends all looked at him, wondering what he had planned. Noah opened his coat, pretending to reach into a pocket, but secretly conjuring his summoning grimoire.

“I have your word that’ll you’ll abide by the rules should he lose?” Noah asked.

“As a captain of Duravound, you have my word. Send out your pet, and kiss it goodbye.”

“Hold on, let me wake the little guy up.”

He cast his summoning magic, and out sprung an illusory beast, immediately causing all onlookers to flee in terror. Even Noah’s friends were hiding behind him and anything else that could be used as a shield. “Oh, no, no, no, no, no. Oh, fuck me,” Atok muttered as he stepped back while Rodham and his soldiers were struggling to resist the urge to retreat. The proud dwarf soldier would have confidently stood his ground against fangs and talons, ready to test the sharpness of his axes against any creature’s hide, whether it be matted with fur or covered in scales, but the creature in front of him, with its diminutive size and mediocre nails crushed all courage with nothing more than a flick of its bushy white tail. It was a skunk.

“Just so you know, you can surrender at any time, and I’ll use my magic to make the smell disappear instantly. I mean it. I just snap my fingers and you and this whole area will be fresh as daisies, but until you give in… oof,” Noah reminded. “Are you sure you don’t want to surrender and let us stay?”

“Atok, uh… make us proud,” said Rodham, taking another step back and suddenly regretting his choice. No matter how this ended, he’d be lucky to keep his position.

Shaking in his boots, Atok raised his axes and prepared to fight. If he could dodge the skunk’s spray and land one solid blow, victory would be his, but every time the critter hissed and stomped its feet, he felt his courage vanish like smoke in the breeze. He took a deep breath and finally charged forward, swinging one axe downwards towards the illusory skunk. Noah manipulated the skunk like a puppet on strings, causing it to dodge the blade and then leap up onto the handle. Atok immediately trying to knock it off with his other axe, but the skunk jumped to avoid the clumsy attack, and landed on Atok’s arm.

Against his better instincts, he turned to face the threat, getting a view of the skunk’s raised tail and loaded anal glands, before receiving a full dose of spray. Granted, it was only Noah’s mana imitating skunk spray, so Atok didn’t feel any actual liquid on his face, but it entered his nose, mouth, and eyes, and the stench was all too real. He immediately began dry heaving, with his cries of anguish trying to free themselves.

In moments, the smell reached both parties and the reaction was the same. Everyone around, regardless of race, recoiled in disgust as their senses came under assault by the skunk spray. They gripped their noses as tight as they could, but they still needed to breathe, and the smell found its way in through their open mouths. Noah was doing the best he could to maintain his composure, but he felt like a fire mage being burned by his own flames. He tried to contain the spread of his mana, but the smell continued to leak out.

“Oh gods, I can’t see! I can’t see!” Atok cried before retching once, twice, three times, with members of both Noah’s party and Rodham’s doing the same. The dwarf collapsed to the ground, continuing to retch while writhing in anguish, with Noah’s skunk running circles around him.

“Captain, I’d say this match has been decided,” Noah said with his eyes watering.

“Damn it, fine! We surrender! Call your beast off!”

Noah opened his coat once more and had the skunk scurry over and seemingly leap into an interior pocket. However, he had yet to actually release the spell. He then strode over to the defeated dwarf and crouched down. “Cleansing Sanctity,” he announced before touching the dwarf’s head. It was a fake spell, and as he pretended to cast it, he released the illusion. At that moment, the stink vanished as if it had never been there, leaving everyone breathing in clean air, minus the smell of several puddles of vomit.

“Excellent, and I have your word that you won’t try to remove us again. Should you go back on your word, I warn you that I can call out my friend anytime I want, and he has ample ammunition. He could fill this entire cavern with stink that would last for days, even weeks. Your king may not fear the Profane, but I bet that would scare him plenty.”

“Yes, yes, just… GOD!” Rodham cursed in disgust. “You two, grab Atok and let’s go.”

A pair of soldiers lifted up the fallen warrior, rendered unconscious by his experience, and the group departed, leaving Noah and his friends in front of the inn.

“Noah, don’t you ever, EVER, do that again,” said Cyrilo, wiping the vomit from her lips. “I mean it. Why do all of your tricks to get out of a fight involve setting loose some horrible stink?!”

Seraph, who had barely managed to keep from vomiting, widened his eyes as he suddenly understood. “That foul stench at the Knight’s Sheath? That was you?”

“Hey, it worked, didn’t it? My methods may be nonviolent, but that doesn’t make them pretty,” Noah countered.

“Oi, that smell brings up a lot of bad memories from when our dog got sprayed and tried to wipe it off in our beds,” Foley groaned.

“And how long have you been waiting for an opportunity to play that card?” Valia asked.

“I found part of a dead skunk when we were traveling to Wahr Village and thought it would be a good addition to my arsenal, just in case I ever ran out of monster repellent or using ammonia wouldn’t cut it.”

“There had to have been a better way to resolve the situation,” said Daniel.

“I didn’t see any of you stepping forward with any bright ideas. Look, I just bought us some time and managed to do it without spilling blood. Now we can’t be blamed for any deaths or injuries, and the smell is gone without a trace. Plus, they’re going to think twice about trying to arrest us again. Soldiers who are wounded or killed in battle are heroes, demonstrating that the kingdom is devoted to upholding peace and order. Their tragedies can be spun to benefit the powers that be. Soldiers who walk around smelling like skunks because they tried to apprehend a criminal and were bested are an embarrassment that makes the kingdom look bad.

But that whole conversation did get me thinking. We’re going about all this the wrong way. The public is already aware that the Profane have returned, even if they only regard it as a rumor. We need to encourage them to be honest with their fears and demand action from the king.”

“That could work,” said Sophia. “Even if the king doesn’t want to acknowledge the Profane, he’ll have to do something to appease the citizens. We can force his hand.”

“For now, though, it would be best if we kept a low profile,” said Noah. “We need to get people on our side, but that doesn’t mean we should start running through the streets, shouting that the Profane have come back. I scared the soldiers off for now, but they won’t sit quietly if we cause trouble.”

“Well, great going. Now nobody is going to want to listen to us,” Alexis argued. “Who would heed the warnings of a man that supposedly carries a skunk with him wherever he goes?”

“Do you see a skunk? I don’t see a skunk. I don’t smell one either, nor will anyone else. What happened today will be an unprovable rumor. Anyway, Cyrilo, you said you were all getting dinner? I could eat.”

“After all that, I’m not sure I have much of an appetite,” she replied. “What I need now more than anything is a stiff drink, but let’s see what the inn cooks can whip up.”

They all turned to go back into the inn, only to meet the surly, crossed-arms owners. Unfortunately, their time at the inn was cut short. Between their problems with the law and Noah’s method of fending off the authorities, he and his group were deemed too dangerous to be allowed to stay, and were forced to gather their belongings and leave. Despite Noah offering to bribe them with more diamonds, they were adamant in expelling the group. They moved on to the second-most luxurious inn in the city, which offered almost all the same amenities, and helped restore everyone’s appetites. After dinner and drinks on the first floor, everyone retired to their rooms for the evening, and Noah, Valia, and Shannon continued their fun from earlier.

.

.

.

“A SKUNK?!” King Geord exclaimed in disbelief as Captain Rodham gave his report in the throne room.

“That’s right, Your Majesty. He pulled it out of his coat, pitted it against one of my men, and it sprayed him right in the face. Atok was my best soldier, but he was brought to the ground, blind and vomiting.”

“You should have killed the Wandering Spirit for his transgressions! This is an insult to Duravound!” Ragar argued, standing beside the king.

“I gave my word that I would honor the result of the duel.”

“And who told you that was a good idea? We don’t bargain and make bets with criminals! We eliminate them!”

“My Lord Sados, considering the members of their party, my men and I were not adequately prepared to apprehend them. I believe I made that clear when you gave me my orders. Valia Zodiac alone could have chopped us up into pieces with ease.”

“Weaklings and cowards!” Ragar scoffed.

That said, Ragar knew that Rodham was right, but he didn’t send them after Noah’s group with the expectation they’d succeed. He had been planning to pit his troops against Noah and his friends, and regardless of which side won the battle, the intruders would be forced to flee Duravound and never return. Some dead dwarves meant nothing if it got the Wandering Spirit out of the city, especially with the Profane plan in the works.

“Your Majesty, we can’t let this stand. How much shame must we be forced to bear by letting these intruders walk freely in our streets, spreading their lies? Regardless of how many soldiers it takes, we must eliminate this threat to our sovereignty. The people will not respect a king who lets criminals and outsiders flaunt our laws.”

King Geord pondered his decision while stroking his white beard. Every day since taking the throne had been one inane issue after the other. He took his work and responsibilities seriously, but on days like this, he lamented his position.

“Captain, how is your soldier doing now?”

“He’s fine, Your Majesty. The Wandering Spirit used some kind of magic to eliminate the skunk smell after calling the creature off. There is no hint of a stench to be found. However, he remains greatly shaken up by it. I’d say it’s his pride that hurts most of all.”

“And it seems like he can unleash that creature whenever he wants. Honestly, it would be simpler if he had sent out a wolf or even a wyvern. That would make things much easier.”

“Your Majesty?” Ragar asked, not liking where the conversation was going.

“Until further notice, I don’t want anyone instigating or antagonizing the party from Uther. We’ll give them a wide berth for now.”

“Your Majesty, these people are a threat to your rule and the peace we’ve struggled to maintain.”

“They’re a threat in more than one way, Sados. Imagine if the Wandering Spirit sent that filthy creature scurrying through the city, spraying everyone and everything because we tried to arrest him. Duravound is an enclosed space. We have no rain or wind, no way to remove the smell of a skunk. That hideous odor will flood the entire cavern for days, even weeks. How do you think the citizens will react to that?

It doesn’t matter if we banish the intruders, lock them up, or even execute them; the public will still blame us for how we handled the situation, and things could get nasty. Like I said, if the Wandering Spirit had just pitted a wolf or some other deadly beast against Rodham’s soldier, this would be a lot simpler. Aggravating as it may be to accommodate them in our city, they’re too dangerous to arrest, but not dangerous enough to justify throwing caution to the wind to remove them. I’d rather not have egg on my face unless it’s for a damn good reason.”

A scribe then approached the throne. “Your Majesty, Opus Rein of House Rein has arrived.”

“Excellent, bring him in. Sados, you are dismissed. Captain Rodham, have your men observe the Uther party from a distance and report their actions.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Ragar muttered.

He left the throne room and retreated to the sanctity of his private study in the palace. It was filled with shelves of books, statues, and a wide variety of collected minerals, while the cabinets were stocked with various fine liquors. Dwarves loved alcohol almost as much as they loved earth, so he had to have a wide section ready for the frequent meetings in this room. Plenty of drinks had been spilt on the carpet beneath his feet, and there was a persistent, lingering scent of gonlief that would never go away. This was also where kept things like makeup and wigs to maintain his disguise.

Ragar had spent centuries immersed in dwarven politics, taking on one persona after another to avoid drawing suspicions while clinging to the royal family like a vine. Long before the Profane reunited and began their return, he initiated this scheme to secure wealth, power, and an abundant food supply. He’d create disguises, fake life stories, accents, and personalities, and any time one of his personas began to overstay his welcome in the royal court or draw suspicion, he'd fake his death and climb up through the ranks once more with a new name and face. Sometimes, he'd use two personas at once, just to make the transition quicker and easier. He also had several ghoul subordinates to help maintain the façade.

After so many years and so much hard work, this was his most precarious moment. He was busy making preparations for the arrival of Zyrga’s remains, and the last thing he needed was the Wandering Spirit snooping around. While it was true that the bones had yet to be removed from their seal, let alone loaded aboard a ship, it still made him worry.

“A skunk; so much fuss over one little fucking skunk!” he cursed as he paced back and forth.

Any other ruler in any other nation wouldn’t even think twice about a little stink in the streets, but the Wandering Spirit had struck a key weakness in Duravound’s design. Without King Geord’s approval, Ragar’s options for dealing with Noah and his friends were limited. He had to get rid of them in a way that wouldn’t raise questions and draw undue attention. Try as he might, he could not come up with an answer, his mind clouded with frustration. However, there was something he could do to help him think, something that always calmed him.

He locked his door and moved to the back of the room, where a bookcase stood. He pulled out one book in particular, and a mechanism clicked, causing the bookcase to slide to the side and reveal a hidden passage leading to two chambers. The first chamber was filled with mirrors, consisting of the same magical array they had given the Andromeda and the Liege. The second room was solely for storage, housing various props for his disguises, as well as anything having to do with his Profane identity. But there was something in there much more precious, a pair of small coffins. Ragar opened the coffins, each filled with sand.

“Hello, girls. Papa is here.” He extended one of his fangs and used it to cut his thumb, then dripped his blood onto the sand in each coffin. “Time to wake up. Desanctified Burial.”

He cast his magic and the sand began to shake. Skeletal hands reached out and grasped the edges of the coffins, and two mummified corpses sat up. They were quite small, as to be expected of dwarf children, and despite their great age, they were exceptionally well-preserved, but there was a limit. The dry sand helped keep them from rotting, but the lack of moisture made their flesh fray with every movement. Contrary to their old bones, the colorful dresses they wore were brand new, replaced whenever the old ones grew stale. Ragar sighed and smiled, stroking the withered hair of the two bodies.

The one in the red dress stood up first, with every movement awkward and clumsy. “Come on, Esel. You can’t keep sleeping. Your sister is ahead of you,” Ragar said to the one in the yellow dress. It rose up the same way, the two taking their first steps and standing before Ragar. “And how are my lovely girls doing?”

They opened their eyes, though the lids were like dried autumn leaves, crumbling every time, and the eyeballs within had long since turned to dust. Their mouths opened, but no sound or air came out, with the movement causing their cheeks to shed dead tissue like dandruff, and threatening to tear like old leather.

“Always so beautiful. Come outside; Papa needs your help.” He stepped back out into his study with the reanimated corpses shambling behind him. He took a seat and faced them. “Now, what song would you like? How about “Little Bunny?” You always love that one. Ok, let’s take it from the top.” He then began to sing and clap in rhythm.

“The little bunny loves to sleep

The little bunny loves to eat

The little bunny burrows deep

The little bunny you have to meet.”

As he continued to sing, the two corpses began to dance. Their movements were stiff and ungracious, and their joints and ligaments were heavily deteriorated from doing this so many times, held together mostly by Ragar’s power. There was no autonomy in their actions; nothing was done of their own will. There were certain actions they could perform on their own if he ordered it, but dancing was something they could only do while he was pulling the strings.

Though they danced like they did when they were alive, they were utterly hollow. Ragar had long-since learned how to ignore that harsh truth. He didn’t even feel himself controlling them anymore. It had become second nature to him, like breathing, letting him enjoy living in denial. In his eyes, his daughters were dancing beside the fireplace. This macabre display helped distract him, and soon he got an idea about what to do with Noah.

“Ok, girls, that’s enough. Thank you. I know exactly what I need to do. Now it’s time for you to get some rest.”

He walked them back to their coffins and sealed them in. Then, just as he was about to step back into his study, he heard a familiar sound from his communications array. Someone was trying to contact him. He stood in the center of the mirrors, and in one of them, the image of a ghoul appeared.

“Holden, what do you have to report?”

“Lord Ragar, I have wonderful news! The barrier around Zyrga’s remains has been broken!”

“How is that possible? It was supposed to take another month!”

“The barrier was not as strong as it seemed. Had it been the original Enochian binding, we’d still be chipping away at it, but the human mages who resealed it after the death of Somerset were not nearly so skilled. They only managed to imbue their seal with a fraction of the old one’s strength, and it finally shattered liked glass.”

“How soon can you have it aboard a ship?”

“A few days, at most. Zyrga is on his way.”

“Excellent. Keep me informed.” Ragar stepped out of the array and looked back at the two coffins. “Soon.”

As Ragar dealt with his business, Cynatas paid Roc a visit. She hopped up to his cell, perching outside the door like a mockingbird. “You’re not asleep already, are you?” she asked.

Roc emerged from the darkness with a weary smile. “No, I was just waiting for you.”

They shared a kiss through the bars and Cynatas pressed her forehead against his.

“Tell me about your village again. When you describe it, I feel like I’m there with you.”

Roc took a deep breath. “We build our homes atop the Ashok Mountains, out of reach of predators and enemies. They smell of leather and juniper, and keep us protected from the mountain cold. The wind stirs the clouds into an ocean of fog, with the people of my village learning early how to navigate the smothering banks. We can hunt in any weather, but when the mist clears, it’s like we can see the furthest reaches of creation. We subsist mostly on meat, but we also grow crops in scattered gardens, crops as hearty as ourselves. We have a wheat garden near my home, and my sister bakes it into bread in an oven made from the clay of the valley river. As children, we learn to fly around seven or eight years old, but it’s mostly just gliding, and it’s very ungraceful. I smacked headfirst into a lot of trees.”

Roc paused so he and Cynatas can laugh.

“By the time we’re ten, we’re able to join our fathers on the hunt. Flying over the mountains, among the clouds, is the truest form of freedom. No walls, floor, or ceiling, just open space as far as the eye can see.”

“I want to go there with you, one day. I want to smell the juniper and taste the bread, to feel the mountain air from above the clouds.”

“Why have you never left Duravound? The king is dead. Renounce your title of princess and come with me.”

“People with mixed blood are not well-regarded in Vandheim. My father was the lord of Silverin, a city on the eastern coast, but was forced to flee when his people discovered the affair he had with my mother, a half-elf. They came here, to Duravound, where the king welcomed them with open arms. Both of my fathers were old friends, and the king promised that my mother and I would not face persecution here. Prejudice against our kind isn’t so easily forgotten, but we had the king’s protection, so while we received many cold shoulders and harsh glares, no one dared harm us. We were finally safe.

Then, when I was but a child, the heads of several lower clans banded together and tried to stage a bloody coup and usurp the king. My mother was a powerful wind mage, and used her magic to protect the people who silently scorned her, as well as the king who had done so much to help us. She was slain in battle, and my father died from springburn the year after.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Give your hand.”

“Excuse me?”

“Just give me your hand.”

Roc reached his arm through the bars and Cynatas clutched it. Her hands were so soft against his skin, as if he was a jagged stone being caressed by the waters of a gentle stream. She pulled one side of her dress off her shoulder and then pressed Roc’s hand to her chest. It wasn’t directly on her breast, but it was close.

“What are you doing?!” he exclaimed, his face turning red.

“Relax. What do you feel?”

“I… I, uh….”

“I don’t mean that. I mean your skin. What do you feel with your skin. It’s subtle, but you should be able to feel it against your palm.”

Roc tried to calm himself and focus his awareness on his palm. The skin on her chest was even softer and smoother than her hands, making Roc feel like his own callused hand would somehow damage her. However, there was some kind of blemish or imprint, like he was feeling the edge of a piece of parchment laid on a table.

“What is that? A birthmark?”

“The rune of wind and Brisenvalla. My powers are even greater than my mother’s. After my parents died, the king took me in. He told me that my father and mother had sworn an oath to defend Duravound out of gratitude for his protection and friendship, and asked me to do the same. He said that with my elvish blood, the winds of inevitability would someday carry me where I truly belong, but I could not leave until I had used my powers to protect this city and its people, just as my parents had.

It was an oath I was proud to make, both for my parents, the king, and this place that I call home, and I have not regretted it. That said, these long decades of peace have left me trapped like a bird in a cage, something I’m sure you understand. Part of me hopes that the Profane truly have returned, so that I may fight for this city as they did, and, in turn, be free of it. Until that day comes, I can’t walk away, no matter how much I might wish to.”

“I understand. We are only as strong as our convictions, and as good as our word.” Roc was going to pull his hand away, but Cynatas stopped him, with her porcelain cheeks now turning red like his.

“I told you not to think of the obvious, but I can’t deny that I wasn’t thinking about it as well. This is the first time a man has touched me in such a way. Might I enjoy it a little longer?”

“Once I get out of here, you can enjoy a lot more than that.”

The two remained like that, enjoying the serenity of the moment.

Please comment! Tell me your thoughts!