The Axe Falls 2 -ch 1-

With a snort, Nick woke up.

Blinking, he turned his head and looked to the shade-covered window.

While Dayton didn’t have the best amenities, after having spent far too long in a fallen dungeon, he was thankful for even the barest of comforts.

A bedroll that didn’t stink, would have been enough for him.

The fact that he was in a large bed, with fresh bedding, after having a bath, was donwright luxurious.

On top of that, having sunlight filtering down to signify that it was morning, was even better. Without the sun, his sense of time had been warped horrifically.

“Nnn,” groaned Jessie who promptly rolled over from her side. Display her very fit and well shaped self to him. Apparently after having slept naked with him, the idea of going to bed with clothes on didn’t appeal to her anymore.

Her pale white hair that just came past her elongated ears was tousled, though quite clean.

There was a moment when her wide dark eyes opened, looked at him, then promptly closed again.

Which Nick regretted to a degree.

She had eyes that were a dark black that was akin to a glass inkwell. Sparkling around the edges and absolutely fathomless at the center.

Fine delicate features spoke to her heritage and had been one of the things that’d drawn him closer to her.

Apparently I’ve got a thing for Elves.

Moving forward and not even thinking about it, Nick wrapped Jessie up in his arms, pulled her close, and stuck his chin down atop her head.

To which the Dark Elf squirmed closer, stuck her hands on his rear end, and held to him.

“That isn’t truly a surprise, my boy,” Lucian advised. “Many of your ancestors took Elven or Half-Elven wives. Just… none in your direct lineage. It was frowned upon for the crown to do such a thing.

“I wish I could explain it, but I cannot. The only thing I can contribute it to is… is my son-in-law finding my daughter as attractive as he did. An attraction to the uncommon.”

The last had been said with some pride.

Should I try to run down a Dragon as a wife, then?

Think she’d be more likely to appeal to me?

“Ah, I’m not so sure. I think Jessie is quite suitable as our queen,” Lucian put in quickly.

“Mine,” hissed Jessie who was now nuzzling him.

“Obviously,” Nick replied, running his fingertips through Jessie’s silky hair.

“High Elf should leave,” growled the Dark Elf.

“It’s fine. We need a tank and she fits it well,” argued Nick. “Rahak said so, too.

“With Ashcroft losing it’s dungeon, the realm in a civil war, and everything happening, it’s best we took what we could and left.”

Jessie harrumphed at that.

“I’m the Queen of your rod. I am. It’s mine. I know I said I’d be fine with you having-having… consorts… but no other Elves,” demanded Jessie who thumped a fist gently against his chest. “I’m the only Elf.”

“Didn’t you tell me comparing you to an Elf was like a dog to a wolf?”

“Shush. Don’t you use my words against me. You’re supposed to just agree, kiss me, and sweet talk me onto my back again.”

“Ahhh, yes. That’s a very good plan. You’re absolutely right, my Jessie,” Nick said and eased her onto her back, then leaned in and kissed her.

When he broke the kiss a few seconds later he saw a wide eyed Jessie staring up at him, her mouth partially open.

Then her skin color took on a strange color. Becoming extremely pale suddenly.

“Uh… I need to use the chamber pot soon,” she deadpanned, her brow furrowing. Her right hand came up and pressed to her lower abdomen and she winced. “And-and I think I need you to go fetch me a potion and some rags. I’m suddenly pretty sure I didn’t manage to get a vacancy in my private inn.”

Ah.

To be fair, she didn’t have her flow while we down there.

I chalked it up to stress.

No surprise she’s having it now.

“A shame, but that’s how it goes. The chance to conceive between races is harder than normal, but not rare, Sire. Before you ask, that is,” advised Lucian. “Come. Let’s go fetch a few things for our queen and give her time to compose herself. I know just what we need. We can talk about plans as we go.

“It’s only been a few days since we left the dungeon but there’s already so much to get ready for.”

“I’ll take care of it, my queen,” promised Nick, his hand coming up to gently caress her cheek. “Are you sure you don’t want me here? It won’t disturb me or gross me out or anything. I just want to care for you.”

Jessie’s nose wrinkled and shook her head at him.

“Meh meh meh, I’m the amazing king who knocks your guts around regularly and loves you,” mimicked Jessie. “I can handle anything you throw at me. I’m amazing compared to everyone including you.”

Nick laughed at that, kissed her, and held her gaze.

“My queen… do you want me to remain?” he asked again.

“I’ll be okay. Just-just go get me stuff,” she said in a husky voice, her lip catching between her teeth for a second. “You’re not upset, are you?”

“What, that you’re not pregnant? No. Just means I have to try more. And we all know I love… how did you phrase it… knocking your guts around?” Nick asked, grinning at her.

Jessie smiled at him. Then patted him on the cheek with just a hint of force.

“Then get going. You’re not touching me for a bit. The last thing I need is my handsome human staring at me like that right now,” she growled.

Nick did as she asked.

He dressed, checked on her, then fled.

Stepping out onto the street of Dayton, he felt rather good.

The End of the Line rested comfortably on his armored shoulder and The Fall was belted at his waist.

I don’t think I need Table today, do I?

“No, Sire. It’ll be fine without him,” Lucian advised him. “A basket will be enough for what we need. I’ve helped more than a few of your ancestors with daughters, you know.”

I mean, you’re “the grandfather” so, it’s not a surprise.

Nodding his head, Nick began walking toward the local apothecary.

Dayton wasn’t a large city, but it was technically where he resided now. He had a cabin out in the wilds that was finished, but had no furniture.

This area was where he was knighted to and the count that owned the county.

Until he was formally recognized as a king, this would be his base of operations.

There was a fluttering noise that caused him to stop, look to his side, then upward.

Rahak landed with a thump next to him.

He was reminded of just how short Rahak was in that moment. Perhaps around five-foot tall which was significantly smaller than Nick was.

The bird like humanoid, a Corvu as Lucian had informed him, turned it’s head sideways and looked at him with one large dark eye.

They had large black feathers covering them from their head down to their feet and a large shiny obsidian colored beak that was quite deadly.

Rahak didn’t wear any clothes that he’d ever seen, but they did have a messenger’s bag over their shoulder this time.

Rather than wings, their arms and hands looked more akin to a bird’s feet. In fact, when Nick looked to their feet, he saw that their hands indeed looked very similar.

Each appendage had three digits, though they did have a thumb on each hand.

Apparently all those feathers and what’s on the arm does allow for some form of flight.

Though I think it’s more like a flying-squirrel, than a bird?

Hm.

I’ll have to ask at some point.

“Morning, Rahak,” Nick said with a grin. He rather liked Rahak. They were direct, highly intelligent, and decidedly on his side. “And what’s my Steward wanting to tell me?”

Rahak’s head tilted down, then tilted to the side.

“Yes. Wanting to tell,” Rahak agreed, sounding just like him in that moment. “I must advise that I-mm-change plan.”

“Oh, do tell,” Nick said and waved his arm at Rahak as he started moving again.

“You must go to… to…”

Rahak’s voice trailed off.

“Person, place, or thing,” Nick prompted. Rahak needed a word and didn’t know which.

“Person. Person over you, as you are over I,” Rahak said.

“Ah, my lord. The Count,” answered Nick.

“Yes. Yes,” croaked Rahak. “You must go to the Count. Claudia go to count. You go to count.”

Nick winced at that, then nodded his head.

Rahak was right.

He did need to go check in with the count.

As much as he wanted to run off to the next leg of his adventure, realistically, that wasn’t something he could just do. He was contracted to be on hand for the war, after all.

And he sent me off to give his daughter experience and protect her.

I can’t just run off at all, can I?

“No, Sire. You cannot. I was going to give you another day of rest before I mentioned it. Rahak is very correct,” Lucian confirmed.

“I understand. I will do that. Should I go alone?” Nick asked.

“No. You should not go alone,” stated Rahak. “I will remain with Jessie. You should go with Sara. Sara-mm-good voice for empty nest. Explain how bad the guild was.

“Would help the Count, yes? Would help the Count.”

“Jessie will fucking kill me if I take Sara but not her,” argued Nick without hesitation. He knew for a fact that Jessie would cut his balls off and tie them around his neck into a bowtie.

“Jessie would cast-mm-suspicion on you,” countered Rahak. “I like Jessie. Yes. Like Jessie. Jessie is a Dark Elf.”

“Err… yeah. That’s-yeah. Good point,” Nick said with a heavy sigh. “She’s going to kill me.”

“No. Jessie won’t kill you,” argued Rahak. “Promise present. Bring gift. Shiny.”

“Like a ring?” Nick mused aloud.

“Yes. Shiny ring. Jessie happy,” Rahak agreed. “If you-mm-stab Sara, bring necklace with ring.”

“Stab Sara?” asked Nick, confused now.

“Stab Sara with meat sword,” Rahak elaborated.

Ah.

Yes.

If I sleep with Sara. Come back with more presents.

Well, that’s not an issue.

“Steward is I. I Rahak is your steward, yes?” Rahak demanded as Nick spotted the apothecary.

“Yes, you most assuredly are.

“Need more than one-mm-meat… hole. More offspring. Family empty nest,” advised Rahak.

“I believe what she’s saying, Sire, is our royal family is too small. That you will need more children and with more than one woman,” Lucian suggested. “Which, I would agree with. Preferably nine or ten children across at least six or seven women.

“It’s unfortunate, but that is the reality of our situation. There are too few of us.”

Clicking his teeth together, Nick shook his head.

That was a bad idea and would make Jessie very unhappy.

He was most certainly not in favor of it.

“I’m going to go inside and buy some things,” Nick said and gestured to the store. “I’ll… leave for the count tonight. I’m really not looking forward to telling Jessie.”

“I tell her?” offered Rahak.

“No, she’s my queen. I’ll tell her,” Nick stated with a shake of his head.

Then he turned and went into the store after pushing the door open.

I’ll just buy her anything she could ever want in here, then go into the book to see if there’s any magical cures or elixirs for her.

As well as a ring.

She won’t be happy but… she’ll… accept it.

I think

Unfortunately, Nick had been proven wrong.

Very wrong.

Sitting at the edge of his bed, in the room he was sharing with Jessie he found the situation was the very opposite of her accepting the situation as it was.

Rahak had remained near the door as if she might bolt.

Jessie was glaring hotly at him while chewing a mouthful of expensive chocolate he’d bought for her while sitting in the middle of the bed. He didn’t want to think how angry she would be if he hadn’t bought her so many treats.

Unfortunately he didn’t have the book with him so he couldn’t get her more, but she seemed rather pleased with the offering as it was.

He and Rahak had come right back after going to the apothecary and two other stores.

“Jessie. I Steward. Yes?” Rahak asked.

“Yes,” said Jessie around a mouth full of chocolate.

“Jesssie is my queen. Yes?” prodded Rahak.

“I… yes. I’m your queen,” agreed Jessie after a hard swallow. She was listening intently.

“Nick your king?”

“He is… very much my king,” she said quietly, a pout forming. “She’s a High Elf. She looks at him the same way I do. She… he’s my king, not hers.”

“Jessie. I like you. You’re-mm-my queen,” Rahak stated, nodding it’s head several times. “You’re… Dark Elf. Your king loves you. Loves you being a Dark Elf. Do others?”

Jessie deflated then and shook her head. Stuffing another square of chocolate in her mouth.

“You trust your king?” Rahak questioned.

“With my very life,” Jessie answered with a defeated shrug of her shoulders.

“Trust your king. He will need more… meat… holes… and more eggs in the future. It is-mm-required. They are meat holes. You are Jessie. Queen,” provided Rahak.

“Yeah. Yeah! They’re just meat holes. You’re right, Rahak. I’m the queen,” Jessie said with a detrmined nod of her head. Then swallowed and looked to Nick. “Right?”

“You’re very much my queen,” agreed Nick.

“Then… fine. You may take Sara. I will-I’ll be benevolent. As your queen. Because I love you,” muttered Jessie, looking very much as if she was contemplating stabbing him.

“I’ll come back with more treats or presents if you like. Maybe a ring?” he tried, remembering Rahak’s earlier suggestion.

“No ring. They get in the way and I can’t hold a dagger as well. Or a bow for that matter,” Jessie said with a wave of her hand. She started pickign through the large volume of snacks he had brought home.

“Then… a new dagger? A new bow?” he asked.

“Bow. Shortbow,” Jessie said, then made a squeaking noise. She reached into the bottom of the basket and pulled out a small set of pastries. “Blueberry!”

“You said you loved blueberries. I stopped at the bakery on the way back,” he said with a shrug of his shoulders. “I thought maybe baked things would be easier on your stomach than—”

Jessie had leaned over and hugged him, pulling his face down into her neck. He could feel her arms flexing around his chest.

“My Nicky,” hissed Jessie, only to turn her head and press her lips to his ear. “You leave tomorrow morning. I changed my mind about not keeping you busy. I’ll just make them put fresh sheets on in the morning.

“And if you make Sara a meat hole while you’re gone… come back with a lot of gifts. A lot… of gifts. Do you understand?”

“I don’t have any plans to ever make her a meat hole, Jessie,” Nick said honestly. He wasn’t interested in that, despite his libido telling him it was a great idea.

“And yet you’ll need them. Because my children, those princes and princesses I’ll-I’ll-I’ll push out of me,” Jessie got out in what sounded like a strained voice. “Those children, will need family to rely on. I can’t do it by myself.

“I’ll need meat holes to help me. You’ll pick them yourself, I’ll pick a few out as well, and they’ll have children. Princes and princesses to help the crowned prince or princess.

“Now… say thank you to me because I’m such an open minded queen kiss me, and leave me to my snacks. Come back tonight, then leave in the morning.

“Now… go tell Sara she’s going with you to report in with the count. Should something change, you’ll send a letter for me and Rahak to join you. Be sure to take Table and Ker.

“While you’re gone maybe I’ll go get some furniture for the cabin and see what our land looks like.”

Jessie leaned away from him and gave him a wide smile.

That looked absolutely threatening and promised him a world of pain if he didn’t do as she’d ordered.

“Thank you, Jessie, my queen,” Nick responded just as he’d been told.

Jessie pointed at her lips with her right hand, her left hand holding a blueberry pastry.

Snorting, Nick laugh, then leaned in toward the Dark Elf.

“I do love you, Jessie. Jessie and Nicky,” Nick murmured as he closed in on her.

“Nicky and Jessie,” she countered a second before he kissed her.

***

Nick was fortunately able to extract himself from the bedroom twenty minutes later.

Rahak had quickly taken over the conversation and began talking to Jessie about just about anything of note that wasn’t of actual value. Chit-chat meant to expand Rahak’s vocabulary, really.

He had been dismissed to go run down Sara and see if she’d go with him.

Because it didn’t matter if they wanted her to go, and Jessie allowed it, if Sara didn’t want to go. After all, she was only contracted to be a tank for the party.

Not to wander off with him to a battlefield.

Surprisingly, he found her sitting at the center of Dayton.

Perched on the edge of a fountain and reading a book.

Her short black hair that fell no farther than her cheek bones covered her bright blue eyes. Her pointed ears did stick up out of her hair though and made it obvious she was Elven.

Normally, she had an athletic figure with a bust and waist that singled her out as certainly being quite great for the eyes.

Today, as she had been since he contracted her, she was in her light platemail armor. It had turned her into a very masculine form since armor wouldn’t change it’s shape, regardless of the owner’s sex.

Her gauntlets were resting on the lip of the fountain next to her.

Sara’s head moved, then her eyes flicked up and saw him coming her way.

She flipped the book shut on her thumb and smiled at him.

“Good morning, Nick,” she said brightly.

“Morning, Sara. I came to ask you for a favor,” he said, jumping right in.

“Oh? And what can I do you for?” Sara inquired, her body squaring up on him at the same time her head did. She was facing him with just about every part of her body.

It made him feel like she was hyper fixated on him.

“I need to go report into the count. I’m a knight in his service,” Nick drawled as he walked up to her. “I was wondering if you would come with me. Rahak and Jessie are going to remain here.”

Sara watched him without responding. Her eyes glue to his face, her smile somewhat etched in place.

“Just you and me?” she asked.

“Yeah. Just you and me. Table and Ker, too, but… yeah,” Nick exlained. “If you don’t want to, I’d understand. Traveling alone is just asking for trouble though so I wanted to ask.”

“I would be delighted to travel with you,” Sara said, her smile moving from stuck on her, to growing. Her eyes crinkled at the corners and she lifted her chin at the same time. “When do we leave? For how long?”

“Tomorrow morning. I have no idea how long. Probably something like… three weeks I guess,” Nick answered. “I’m glad we bought you a horse now.”

“Me too,” agreed Sara, watching him while still smiling. “Well! Let’s go shopping then. You can buy me some things and we’ll plan our route together over lunch.”

Sara tucked her book away into the bag at her feet, then pulled on her gauntlets.

When she was done, she stood up and looked to him.

She looked incredibly excited as far as he could tell.