

Hope's Awakening

Guinevere A. Hart

Uruk Press

Uruk Press

Great Britain

© Guinevere A. Hart

All rights reserved.

The right of Guinevere A. Hart to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Cover by Jason Barton.
Also available from Guinevere A. Hart

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Hope's Ascension

"Judgment's A Bitch" in Sex & Sorcery Volume 1

Hells Unleashed

With Good Intent

Bells And Buckets

Devil To Pay

# Prologue: Her First Encounter

Adri looked around the luxuriously appointed rooms that were hers for the night. The entrance was by a seating area with soft couches and a table laden with food. There were bottles of red wine and bowls of honeyed almonds, figs, pomegranate seeds, and cherries. She saw a theme in the assortment of snacks, and giggled. Through an archway, she entered the bedroom. An enormous four-posted bed dominated the center of the room. She ran her hand over the heavy, red brocade coverlet, and then pulled it back a little ways to reveal fresh linen sheets. She gave a few good pushes into the soft mattress. With another giggle, she threw herself onto the middle of the bed. Movement from above nearly scared her out of her skin, and then she doubled over in laughter as she noted the mirrored canopy.

She stared up at her reflection and wondered, not for the first time that day, if she had made the right choice to cut her hair so short. Before today, her long white tresses flowed all the way to the small of her back. If she had pulled it straight, it would reach to mid-thigh. Now it was gone. She had it cut short on the back and sides of her head, with a bit more length on the top. Her head felt lighter, which was interesting, but she was not sure she liked the look. She also had piercings done that day, with little gold rings glinting all the way to the tapered tips of her ears. It was painful to pierce the cartilage, but as a cleric with access to divine healing, it did not hurt for long. Adri ran her hands over her chopped hair, and again wondered if the hair cut made her ears look too big. She shrugged her shoulders. It was too late to worry about it now, she had a date to get ready for.

Another curtained archway led into a private bath chamber. There were shelves full of towels, soaps, oils, and perfumes. A mirrored dressing table sat next to a wardrobe in one corner of the room. In the center of the floor, a large sunken tub held clear, steaming water. Her hosts had set out fresh towels, soap, and a bottle of oil by the side of the tub for her. She crossed to the wardrobe and stripped, reverently hanging her white cleric's robes. Earlier that day, she had purchased a sheer, silk night dress and matching panties specifically for this evening's events. She thought the blue-violet color nearly matched her eyes. She took her new clothes from her pack and draped them across the dressing table. Before lowering herself into the tub, she added the fragrant honey-suckle oil. With a sigh and a smile she sank up to her chin in the steaming hot water.

She had not been soaking for long before she began to feel drowsy. A hot soak can make a person feel sleepy, but she thought she felt a bit too tired, a bit too quickly. Adri sat up, the motion causing a wave of dizziness. Her vision blurred, and she knew that something was definitely wrong. Clumsily, she hauled herself out of the tub. Sprawling on the cool tiled floor, she reached out with her thoughts to her goddess. Her connection to the divine confirmed her suspicions that she had been poisoned. With a murmured prayer, Adri was able to slow the poison; hopefully long enough to get some help. She stood on shaking legs. If she had to fight, or run around a brothel, she was not going to do it naked. Grabbing the night dress, she threw it on over her head and made for the bedroom.

* * * * *

From his position in the shadows beneath the bed, he watched the pale skinned, high-elf woman as she entered the suite. He was not particularly surprised when she did not partake of the wine or the almonds that he had drugged. Someone was trying to kill the Duchess Adrielen De'Alathan, and that tended to make one suspicious. It did not matter, he had also drugged the bath oil. If she did not use the oil, he always had the option of a well-placed dart. He was not trying to kill her. It would just be more convenient if she were unconscious before he moved her to a more secure location. He intended to question her about the dark-elf army that she had seen recently. He wanted to know if the army was led by the same hateful dark-elf bitch that had chased him all over the Prime Material for the last several centuries. He had watched Adrielen and her companions all day. She seemed to be the most reasonable of the group, the least likely to give him any trouble, even if she was a damn female.

When she jumped on the bed and laughed at herself, he felt the corner of his mouth twitch. He quickly forced the smirk into a sneer. The last thing he wanted was to like the flighty, high-born elfess. Having followed her for a day, he had learned much about the girl. Though she knew someone wanted her dead, she wandered around town with her friends as if nothing bad could happen to her. She had stumbled upon a dark-elf encampment that looked as though they were prepping for a fight. Though concerned, she was not wracked with worry over it. She was clearly going through some sort of angst against her father. It led to a haircut, piercings, and a trip to the brothel. Though she was clearly grown, these were the actions of a petulant adolescent. Even so, there seemed to be no spite or guile in her at all. She smiled and laughed so easily. Nothing seemed to faze Adrielen. He had never seen a woman so full of such constant joy. He reminded himself that all women were conniving, manipulative, untrustworthy bitches. This one would turn out no different, given time. However, as he played the part of the monster under her bed, he could not help but wonder if he could not have just approached her openly.

He listened as she rolled off the bed and went into the bathroom. If she used the oil, there was the distinct possibility that she could drown in the tub. A dead girl floating in the tub would be a small inconvenience, but one that he did not want to deal with. He slipped from the shadows beneath the bed and silently followed after her to the curtained archway. He watched as she undressed. The elves of this realm were tall, and Adrielen was no exception. She was six feet tall and very well proportioned. Her full breasts perked up at her large, rose colored areolae. His eyes traveled down her slender belly, and noted that she had no body hair. When she bent to retrieve her night gown from her bag, he had an unrestricted view of her toned ass. His cock kicked against his trousers. He clenched his jaw, and reminded himself that he was not there for that.

* * * * *

Adri half stumbled and half ran from the bathroom. Her friend Shoska was only just down the hall. If she could get to her, she knew she would be all right. She stopped short as she nearly ran into a dark, heavily cloaked figure, blocking the archway between the bedroom and the sitting area. She took a few steps back, but made sure to stand as straight as she could. She lifted her head high and stared into the deep shadow of the intruder's hood. The drug in her system made her feel so unsteady. She wanted nothing but to sink to the floor and sleep, but she was a daughter of the Light. She would look her dark assassin in the face and not show weakness.

She watched as a pair of dark hands rose and pulled back the hood. He was a dark-elf, like the ones she had seen in the caverns she had explored with her friends. His flesh was such a deep violet that it was almost black. His face was finely carved from the very midnight itself. His white hair, as silk woven from moonlight, framed his face and hung straight, nearly to his shoulders. He smelled of herbs and exotic spices. She was shocked at her own desire to taste his fragrant skin on her tongue. He was the most beautiful being she had ever seen. Unlike the others of his kind, this one did not possess an aura of evil. She had never been this close to a dark-elf. In spite of the circumstances, she wanted to be closer still as moisture formed between her inner folds. At that moment, he stared at her; his deep red eyes locked on to hers. One fine, white brow arched higher than the other.

He coolly stated, "You have some skills." His deep voice had a rumbling resonance that sent an electric jolt down her spine, and more fluid from her core.

"I have faith, lord dark-elf," she answered him with a smile. Even though she felt like she was headed for the floor, even though she knew this beautiful and intriguing man may be trying to end her, she would go into the Light with gratitude in her heart. She could not understand how she could want this man so badly, but she was fascinated. As he folded long, slender fingers before him, she realized that she did not care if he wrapped them around her neck or stroked her wet folds with them; just as long as he touched her.

"My name is Krellyn." That voice slid into her ear and wrapped around her spine. She clenched her hands tighter and suppressed a moan. She needed to keep her head.

"Are you the one who's poisoned me, Krellyn?" His name rolled pleasantly on her tongue.

"Only drugged. Though, you don't seem that worse for wear."

She sighed. This was the end, then. She did not have the energy to fight him, and the toxin in her system was making her legs tremble. She would soon succumb, allowing him to kill her at his leisure. "If you're going to kill me, do it quickly. I don't want to fight with you."

"I don't want to fight either. I want information."

Adri's vision blurred. Even as Krellyn's drug battered her defenses, she laughed. Her speech slurred through her laughter when she asked, "And, how do I 'inform' you while I'm knocked out?" At that, her knees dropped out from beneath her. She could see the lovely mosaic floor tiles rising up to greet her.

Those slender hands were stronger than they looked as they wrapped around her upper arms, keeping her upright. His hands were cold and hard, but his touch sent a bolt of lightning through to her very soul. He caught her up in one arm, while his other quickly disappeared inside his cloak. All she knew was that she was surrounded by his chill embrace, floating on a fragrant and gorgeous sea of darkness. Her only light was the light of the goddess that pulsed in her heart, and that light was enough. She floated, willing to drown there, until something sharp bit her neck.

A stark white light flashed behind her eyes and her blood pulsed hard in her ears. Once again, she could feel the floor beneath her feet. He still held her as she steadied herself, and she was in no hurry to move away from him. She opened her eyes to see Krellyn slip a needle back into his cloak. His red eyes locked onto hers again, watching her intently. She silently and fervently prayed that he would kiss her. Instead, he asked, "Better?"

* * * * *

Krellyn knew it was only a matter of time before the drugs that she had absorbed into her skin would take her out. Yet she continued to smile, even laugh, as if these things happened to her on a regular basis. What did he know? Perhaps they did. He watched her with piqued curiosity, wondering just how long she could hold off the sleep toxin in her system. She was not difficult to watch. If she had hoped to preserve some form of modesty by throwing that silk gown on, she had failed. It clung to her wet skin and revealed everything. His cock jumped again, becoming insistent. He ignored it.

Based on their conversation, brief as it was, he realized that he could have just asked her what he wanted to know. He had never met a guileless woman, but maybe there really was a first for everything. Her laughter and her expression faded. He tried to remain detached as he watched her pupils dilate, her eyes rolled upwards. He resisted his own cruel and haughty urge to countdown her trip to the floor. As her knees buckled, he surprised himself by catching her. Against everything in his nature, he caught her up and cradled her to his chest. He decided it was not necessary to expend the effort to transport her and bind her, though his libido suggested that such a scenario could be pleasant. This woman would answer his questions without coercion. He injected the antidote directly into her bloodstream. He watched as she opened her eyes, and her pupils began to focus. "Better?"

"Yes." She breathed, as he set her back on her feet.

"Will you answer my questions now?" He had begun to feel impatient. She made him feel uncomfortable. He wanted to tear the silk gown from her body, to touch her, to taste her. He did not want to want her.

Her voice was more stable as she answered, "Yes. But will you answer one of mine first?"

He sighed. He was the one who was supposed to be interrogating her. "Very well."

"What did you do with Starry Knight?"

His frown deepened. What was this? Was she stalling for time? "I have no idea who that is."

"He was my, um, date. He was supposed to meet me here. Did you kill him?"

Nonplussed, he paused before answering. "No, he's knocked out in his room. 'Starry Knight'? That's the guy's name? What the hell kind of name is that?"

Her cheeks blushed as she shook her head and shrugged. She laughed as she said, "I don't think his mother named him that."

Something broke inside his chest, climbed up his throat and escaped his lips in a short, abrasive noise. It was strange to his ears, throwing him off for a moment. It began to dawn on him that the noise was a laugh. He did not remember the sound; it had been so long ago. He tried to tell himself he did not have the time for this, when he actually had all the time in multiverse. "Adrielen, tell me about the dark-elves you saw. I need to know exactly what you saw and where you found them."

* * * * *

Adri wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. She felt stupid, as well as cold. She should have grabbed a towel; anything other than the flimsy gown that now clung to her body. What she really wanted was for him to hold her again, but his expression was as cold as his voice. He probably did not want her, but she ached for him. With her date passed out, she had a long, lonely night ahead of her. It was sad that she had paid three hundred gold, just to lie in a fancy bed and finger herself to a fantasy of dark-elf who did not want her. At least she was alive and healthy, she supposed.

She felt more comfortable with Krellyn, knowing that he had not killed the male prostitute that she had purchased for the evening. He only wanted to know about the other dark-elves. He had a completely insane way of asking, but he did not actually want to hurt anyone. Adri told him of the caverns that she and her friends had stumbled onto. She described the underground camp, how it looked as though the females were in charge. Her goddess gave her impressions of those she encountered, and she could tell him with certainty that all the beings in the camp radiated an intense evil. She described what she had thought was a massive a mirror on a platform near the largest tent. The cavern was only a few miles outside of the city. She told him that she could take him there if he wanted to go.

Cold, silent, and still, with the patience of a statue carved from obsidian, he listened to her story. He kept his beautiful hands folded before him. He maintained eye contact with her. His gaze made her melt, but this was important to him. She kept herself in check and told him all that she knew. When she finished, she asked him, "Are they going to attack the city?"

"I do not think so, at least not now. What you describe sounds like only a small unit." He paused for what seemed like a long time to her. During that pause he stared at her with such intensity, she began to wonder if she had done or said something offensive to him. Eventually, he said, "I think they're here for me."

She took this in like a blow to the gut, though she kept her reaction to herself. Adri did not care what crimes his people thought him guilty of. Having reached a decision, she said, "Well, they don't get to have you. Tell me what I can do to help you, Krellyn."

He blinked several times before answering. "Perhaps you could talk to your friends. Together, you could infiltrate their camp. There is a certain priestess who is leading that company. If you could eliminate her, the others would leave. Your city would be safe."

"And so would you."

"That's the idea."

"I'll talk to them first thing tomorrow. Give me the day to prepare them. We can all meet for dinner tomorrow night. Once we put our heads together, we can come up with a plan and get this taken care of." She would not suffer the minions of a foreign and evil god to invade her homeland. The fact that they threatened a man who could touch her soul this way only sharpened her resolve against them. As far as Adri was concerned, that matter was settled. "There's something else I'd like to discuss with you, if you have a moment."

She stepped closer to him, nearly closing the space between them. She was hopeful when he did not back away from her. "This night was very important to me. I had paid quite a bit for a luxurious and professional deflowering. Then you drugged my date."

She moved even closer to him as he asked, "Should I wake him for you?"

Adri dared to touch her nose to his, delighted when he still did not move away. She whispered, "I don't want him anymore." She was trying to be seductive, but had no idea what she was doing. She was supposed to be the one being seduced. She smiled and asked brightly, "So, are we going to do this, or what?"

* * * * *

Krellyn did not want to want Adrielen, did not want to trust her, and did not want to like her. He told himself that she was simply another hole that wanted filling. Her proximity and the daring in her attitude caused his traitorous prick to demand release. He certainly would not back down from her nearness and give her any indication that she made him feel uncomfortable. He searched her eyes again, looking for the deception, the viciousness, that he knew had to be there. There was absolutely nothing, just an open, honest desire. "You're rather bold."

She did not move, but simply asked, "Is that good or bad?"

"It's... refreshing," he said, just before she pressed her lips to his. He returned her kiss as he slid his hands up her arms to the shoulders of her night dress. She pulled away from him with a gasp as the silk gown pooled around her feet. She moved forward again to kiss him, but he caught her jaw in his hand. He held her with enough firmness to control her head, but not to bruise her. He was pleased when she did not flinch or fight his grip. If she was going to kiss him, she would do it properly. He let his lips brush hers as he commanded her, "Open."

She complied immediately. When her tongue met his, a tiny sound escaped her throat. She slipped her hands around the back of his neck and filled them with his hair. She readily crushed her naked body against his. He gripped her fine ass in both of his hands and squeezed as he ground his erection against her pelvis. He was painfully aware that he was overdressed. He broke the kiss, and his hands reluctantly released their grip. Her pout was lovely as he pushed her away from him, while turning her shoulders to face the other way. He pointed at the bed over her shoulder and slapped her rump hard enough to sting. "Put that ass on the bed."

Again, he wondered at her. When he slapped her, she jumped and released a little squeal, but her easy smile had returned. Her squeal was followed by a slightly breathless laugh. Without hesitation, she moved to the bed. She sat on her knees in the middle of the bed and eagerly watched him. He was surprised that she seemed to grow more turned on by his rough commands, and her quick compliance was an unexpected joy.

* * * * *

Adri felt a bit nervous with him, at first. Then he demanded that she open her mouth for him, and a new flood spilled from her depths. She had been horny before, but never had she been this wet. She wondered if it was normal to be this soaked, or if she should be embarrassed. He squeezed her butt, hard enough to hurt, as he ground against her. However, the harder he squeezed and ground, the more she wanted him. The sting of his palm when he slapped her made her squeal; not from the pain, but from the sudden fire of lustful need that shocked her body. The growl in his voice when he told her to get on the bed made her wonder if he could make her cum just by talking to her.

From her position in the middle of the bed, she watched him strip. He quickly shed his heavy cloak, his robes and his boots, but left his pants on. Krellyn's body was as beautiful as his hands and face. He had a slim build with well-defined muscles; a bit more than wiry, but not bulky. She loved the way the light in the room shone purple on his sleek black skin. Curious and painfully needful regarding the bulge that preceded him on his approach to the bed, she was a little disappointed that he had kept his trousers.

As he knelt on the bed, he again growled at her. "Lie down." She suppressed another moan as she put her head on the pillows behind her. He lay down beside her, propping himself up on one arm. He rested his free hand on her belly, and covered her mouth with his own. She reveled in the sensation of his tongue twining with hers. She groaned through their kiss when he slid his hand up to caress her breast. He rubbed his thumb over her nipple. The shock of pleasure made her back arch, and she desperately clutched at a handful of his hair.

He planted kisses along her jaw, her neck and down her chest. He kissed, licked and nibbled her breasts all around her nipples. He was teasing her, prolonging her anticipation to the point of pain. She could no longer think. Her whole body thrummed with every movement of his mouth on her skin. When she felt like she could take no more, he lashed at a nipple with his tongue. He used his tongue to draw her nipple into his mouth. He sucked her hard. Then she screamed as he bit her, rolling her tender flesh between his teeth. As he worked her breast with his mouth, his hand explored her stomach, her hips and thighs. That hand drove her mad as it touched her everywhere, except where she needed it to.

He let go of her breast and pulled slightly away. He stung her thigh with his palm and snapped at her. "Open." She silently thanked the gods and slid her legs a little further apart. He sat up quickly, grabbed her knees, pulling them up and far apart. He snarled at her as he did so, "Damn it, I said open!" She cried out as he manipulated her legs, both from shock and from desire. Adri did not understand how his crude treatment made her want him so much more. She did not have time to wonder if there was something wrong with her, for his fingers slid up her inner thigh.

* * * * *

Krellyn cupped her flushed, rose colored sex with his whole hand. She was soaking wet; much more so than he had expected. He could take her tight channel now, but he was actually enjoying playing with her body. He applied pressure, making slow wide circles. She moaned deep and long as he massaged her folds. He watched her face, while she watched their reflection in the mirror. He worked two fingers between her outer lips and pinched her pearl between them. Her moaning gained in pitch when he started to wiggle his fingers rapidly together while pinching her nub. She writhed and panted. Unashamed, she clutched at her own tits. He changed his motion again, making tight, firm circles. Her every breath brought on a primal, mewling noise. It was only seconds before her back arched sharply, hips bucking against his hand, trying to fuck his fingers as her convulsing pussy begged to be filled. He held his hand still, pressed hard against her clit, prolonging her waves of climax.

He moved to kneel between her knees. She looked at him and gasped while he slowly licked her sex from his fingers, purring his approval. The corner of his mouth turned up as she whimpered his name. "Krellyn, please."

"Please, what?" Her body made it clear exactly what she wanted from him, but he wanted to know how bold she could be.

"Please, fuck me." She said it with no shame, no hesitation. She knew what she wanted and was not afraid to ask for it. She was bold, indeed. He was not through playing with her, however.

With a smirk, he shrugged and said, "Maybe later." He remained where he was just long enough to see her pretty pout. Then he drove his head between her thighs, and shoved his tongue inside of her.

* * * * *

Adri's whole body trembled. She burned inside and out. Her pussy still quivered from the climax he had driven her to. His fingers were so much better than hers. She had never wanted anything in her life more than she wanted to be filled by him. She was certain that if Krellyn did not fuck her, she would die. Then he responded to her request with a smug "Maybe later." It was desperately unfair, but that cruel smirk was so damn sexy.

She lost her mind again as his head darted forward, and he put his tongue inside of her. Adri had never felt anything as amazing as his tongue wriggling in her pussy. She gripped tight handfuls of his gorgeous hair. As he thrust his tongue in and out of her, she tilted her hips up, moving with his rhythm. Then he moved his mouth a little and tongue-lashed her clit. She got lost in the incredible sensations of his mouth on her. He quickly sent her toward another orgasm. When she was on the verge, he clenched and rolled her nub between his teeth. The change started her climb all over again. Just when she thought that his teeth were too much, she felt his finger in her entrance. He continued to grip her clit in his teeth while he lashed at it with his tongue. At the same time, he slid the tip of his finger in and out, rubbing, massaging the tight ring of muscle. The pressure built quickly, and she fell into a second mindless, writhing spasm of unimaginable pleasure.

Krellyn sat back, licking his lips. He wiped her juices from his face with the back of his hand. He climbed off the bed. Adri turned on her side, curling her legs up against her chest. Her body still quaked from her second climax. She felt weak, exhausted, yet still unsatisfied. With all the pleasure he had given her, he had not yet touched her with his manhood. She was drained, but she needed him so badly it brought tears to her eyes. She watched, hopeful, as he stood to the side of the bed, slowly unlacing his pants. She gasped when he freed his cock from its confines. Like his tongue, it was a darker shade of violet than the rest of his body. Long, and thick with marbled veins, it was larger than she had imagined. She wondered if it would fit. He was so beautiful, so magnificent; she realized that it did not matter to her if he ripped her in half with it.

He stood right in front of her face, giving her a good look at him. He wrapped his hand around the shaft and stroked it a few times. With his sexy growl, he asked, "Is this what you want?"

She managed to squeak, "Yes, Krellyn."

She stared, fascinated by the small bead of silvery pre-cum on the tip of the crown. He snarled at her, "Lick it."

"What?" she asked. That was not the right answer.

His free hand shot out and pulled the longer hair at the top of her head. Dragging her face within kissing distance of his cock, there was no small threat in his voice. "You heard me."

Her eyes watered from her need and from the burn of his grip on her head. She lifted her gaze to his fierce, red eyes. "Yes, Krellyn." She extended her tongue and slowly lapped up the drop of liquid. He tasted of salt and sweetness. His dark flesh was velvet softness over solid stone. Adri had never before imagined putting a man's prick in her mouth, but as she swallowed the droplet of his essence, she wanted more. She continued to lick, exploring the entirety of the wide head. He groaned as she flicked her tongue under the rim. His deep groan sent need through her again, but also encouraged her. She popped his head into her mouth and sucked hard. He groaned again and gripped her hair tighter. She sucked again while flicking her tongue against the tip.

He hissed, "Oh fuck." He jerked her head away. "That's enough. No more damn games." He barked at her. She did not take any of this as a game. Adri wanted to pleasure him as he had pleasured her.

Krellyn pushed her on her back again, and climbed onto the bed. She automatically opened her legs the way he had shown her earlier. He took a pillow and snapped at her to pick up her hips. He slid the pillow under her rump. He positioned himself between her thighs, resting the length of his cock along the length of her slit. He briefly ground the head against her clit. Then he entered her with only the tip. Slowly he worked in and out, pressing further with each gentle thrust. The sharp pain gave way to pleasure. Adri felt the heat and the pressure build in her abdomen.

She felt stretched, but wonderfully so. Then she looked up in the mirror. "Oh," she gasped as she noticed that he was holding the base of his cock in his hand. He was only half of the way inside of her. He increased his pace, building the friction and her pleasure.

She had begun to lose herself in the sensation, and then he said her name. "Adrielen." She opened her eyes and looked up at him. "Are you ready for more?"

She had no time to think about what he said. He pulled almost all the way out of her, then thrust hard, giving her all of him. She clutched at him as she cried, tears rolling into her ears. He wrapped his arms beneath her, closing his body around her. He kept his rhythm. With every thrust, the pain subsided and pleasure built again to take its place. This pleasure was different than what she had felt before. It was so much deeper. He was not just fucking her body; he was inside of her soul. His breathing changed, his thrusts becoming more insistent. Her life, her mind, her body, and soul melded into him. She drowned in wave after wave of explosive ecstasy. Her rings of muscle tightened against him, squeezing and releasing his cock in time with his thrusts. In that moment, he was everything to her and all she would ever need. His grip suddenly tightened painfully around her. He growled her name in her ear. His manhood pulsed in her throbbing channel. He stopped thrusting and firmly held them both still, prolonging their combined climax. He filled her to overflowing with his cum. She could feel the hot liquid being forced out around him. They remained that way for several minutes, and then he rolled off of her.

Adri was sore, bruised, yet completely sated. Krellyn said nothing to her as they pulled back the coverlet and got under the sheets. For once, she felt she had no need to talk. Krellyn sighed and closed his eyes. He grunted, startled as Adri put her head against his chest and wrapped a leg around his. Just before she closed her eyes, she murmured, "Thank you."

* * * * *

Krellyn opened his eyes and stared up at Adri's sleeping face in the mirror. He told himself she was just another fuck. He told himself that he simply did not have the energy to push her off of him; that it was not worth the fight. He told himself that he was not acutely aware of the taste of her virginal juices still on his tongue. He told himself that he did not want her. He told himself that he definitely did not like her. As he lied to himself, he watched his traitorous hand gently stroke the pale, slender arm that casually draped across his abdomen. He did not stop doing it, but he could at least close his eyes against the sight. He knew he should go, but she was interesting. Maybe he would stay, just until the morning.

# Chapter 1

Among a small copse of trees at the peak of a little hill, the chatty birds had started settling down, and a few early insects began their own calls. A dark, heavily cloaked figure stepped out of his oiled canvas tent, and squinted dark red eyes at the foreign sky. This world's cursed sun had just barely begun its descent. His kin hated the light; and so, hating his kin, Krellyn learned to live in it. He was alone. He reminded himself that it was the way he preferred to be. He had been alone for five long days. Krellyn set about building a cook-fire, but his eyes kept trailing to the northeast: the direction from which she had told him she would come when it was done. He watched and waited.

He waited and watched, but she did not come. As the sun dipped lower, he tried to deny the frustration that was settling beneath his skin. Krellyn stabbed at the little cook-fire. The fire did not need to be stabbed, but he felt restless. With a low snarl, he stood and paced the camp, as he had already done several times before. Adrielen had been gone for five days. It was too long, he thought. Was he to add one more regret on top of his infinite pile of them?

He could not have gone with her, but he was beginning to fear that he would have to go get her. The mirror that Adrielen had described to him on their first night together was a portal. It was one that the dark-elf priestess Shessin had been using to dog him across the planes of the multiverse for the last several centuries. She had taken Krellyn on as her personal project, attempting to trap him and pull him through the portal back to her own dark corner of the Prime Material. There, she would turn him over to her goddess, who would proceed to pick him apart, one small chunk of flesh at a time. His last encounter with her had been too close; his spell to escape and her spell to activate the mirror had reacted simultaneously, and Krellyn had ended up in the Prime, but not where she wanted him. This was a world that had never known dark-elves, and Krellyn wanted to leave it as dark-elf-free as he had found it.

Following their first meeting, Krellyn had been introduced to Adrielen's friends. There was the orc, Uruk. Nearly eight feet from toe to crown, mottled grey-green flesh, tusks, and red eyes, she could not be missed. She preferred to dress in the soft hues that were popular in Avar, the clothes stylishly cut, but tailored to fit her massive frame. Her coarse black hair was twisted back into a neat bun, complete with a silk flower that matched her clothes. She even had a tiny jewel embedded in one tusk. With ease, she carried a massive battle-axe that it would take two grown men to lift.

Then there was Shoska, whose small build appeared even smaller next to Uruk. Adri had informed him that the young human woman was from the other side of the continent. She had warm beige skin with golden tones, dark brown eyes, and a long black braid over her shoulder. She dressed in blue and gold embroidered silk wraps, and every movement she made was a deliberate act of fluid grace. Shoska carried no weapons, but according to Adri, the girl could focus her energy and power such that her very body was a weapon.

The other human, Ledo, was a wiry man of average height. Though his clothes were clean and neat, the dark stubble around his jaw suggested that shaving was optional. His brown hair, a bit long and unkempt, hung over his hazel eyes. Those eyes were constantly narrowed in calculating suspicion; he had a nervous energy, almost jittery. The shadows cast by the young man seemed darker than they should be, and Krellyn could have sworn he had once seen them move independently. Ledo had weapons at his hips that Krellyn did not recognize, though he smelled the black powder in them. "Pistols", the boy called them.

They had agreed to help him, though there was some reluctance from Ledo. When Adrielen assured him that she intended to help Krellyn, with or without him, he finally acquiesced. They were a group of headstrong young people, bright and quite capable. He hoped they could accomplish what he dared not try. He was somewhat impressed as he explained his situation, then sat back to watch them interact. They had come up with their own plans, based on each of their unique skill sets.

Ledo seemed to be the group's leader. He was ex-military and had been involved in guerilla combat missions on another continent. Ledo had keen senses, he was stealthy, and had an experienced understanding of strategy. Shoska was also skilled at being unseen and unheard. She had come a long way on her own, and her travels and travails had made her strong. She preferred to follow the leadership of others, though she bore a quiet confidence in her own abilities. Uruk had her brawn and her axe. As she said herself, she liked to swing it around and "make a right fine mess o' things."

They would infiltrate the camp disguised as dark-elves, get close to Shessin and assassinate her. They had seen the camp, and recalled the layout. Uruk and Adri would provide a distraction, allowing Shoska and Ledo to quietly sneak about and find the priestess. It was a simple plan, and a good one. Like all plans, he knew it would not survive first contact with the enemy, but he had begun to feel that they could handle it.

Krellyn had spent a week in Slavland with Adrielen and her companions, preparing them to face Shessin. He taught them all Underspeak, with varying degrees of success. Ledo and Shoska learned quite well. He was actually shocked when Uruk managed to learn enough to pass; he had never met an orc with her caliber of intellect. Krellyn felt a strange and uncomfortable mixture of pride and disgust, as Adrielen picked up Underspeak like she had been born to it. It made him sick to his stomach. He hated the words falling from her lips, the gestures formed by her pale and lovely hands. She was proud of herself though, and he encouraged her.

He also worked over his alchemy kit, formulating the potions of transformation that would temporarily change their physical forms. They would look exactly like the dark-elves they pretended to be. The group would have about a day in their dark-elf forms before their bodies returned to normal. He should have had them try the potions before he sent them out, but he did not. He told them that they did not have the time; and he steadfastly refused to admit to himself that he simply could not stomach seeing Adrielen in that form.

During that week, when he was not working on their plans, he was 'working' on Adrielen. She had come to him every night that week, she simply would not leave him be. What was most troubling was that he did not want her to. Every night he had taken her, and every night he questioned the wisdom of doing so. He tried to convince himself that it was only sex, but he had begun to feel things. He did not want to feel anything.

Krellyn's thoughts drifted to the night, resting in their afterglow, he had quietly told Adrielen that he was only there by an accident of the fickle cosmos. She had raised her head from his chest to look into his eyes. She smiled, she was always smiling, and gently, tenderly stroked his face. Very quietly, she said to him, "The cosmos is not so fickle, and there are no accidents, Krellyn." She kissed him softly, so very softly, then returned her head to his chest and closed her eyes. Who was this woman, this girl really, who had only been alive for twelve decades? Krellyn guessed that he had lived three thousand years or so, give or take a few centuries.

And all due to a cruel cosmos; a fallen god had fused his essence with Krellyn's, keeping him from dying in his due time, forcing him to exist in torment and despair. Who indeed was this high-elf girl, this mortal, to tell him, a god, such a thing? A tiny, broken part of himself, raised its voice from its burial place deep inside his soul. It proclaimed she was the girl, the light who would gladly go into the darkness and slay his enemy for him.

Adri would do this for him, even though she had plenty of her own troubles. She had deep concerns about her family and the empire. Adri had come home to find that her mother and the emperor had left for another continent, apparently together. It was an errand that her father, Alathan, would not disclose, though it was clearly causing him distress. The emperor's half-sister, who was also half-demon, had been left to run the empire on her own. The proverbial cat being away, along with prejudice against those with demon blood, would eat away at the four kingdoms until the land was in chaos. To add to Alathan's stress, his mentor, the leader of the kingdom of Slavland, had also left on some mysterious quest of his own, leaving the weight of the kingdom on his shoulders. Then, there were her pursuers; someone of means wanted Adrielen's head. That thought made his jaw clench until his teeth hurt, but he could not understand why. He barely knew her; she was a means to an end, nothing more. Why should he care if she lived or died?

His reverie was interrupted by a peculiar tugging in his chest. Krellyn could actually feel Adrielen's presence coming over the hill. He felt her like a pull on the stuff of his soul. He could almost feel her warmth; could almost smell the delicate, clean floral scent of her sweet skin. He was not sure what this new spiritual perception meant for either of them. He understood the multiverse in all its forms of cruel abuse, and he was certain that this weird connection, or whatever it was, would not bode well. The certain knowledge that she was alive caused a strange expansion in his chest. He quit poking at his meager camp fire for a moment to instead mentally poke at this new sensation. Of course, he was looking forward to the news that they had killed the dark-elf priestess. There was more to it than that though. Was he actually looking forward to being near her again? Was this some sort of sickness of happy anticipation?

Unaware of what he was doing, he ran his fingers through his hair and checked his clothes to make sure he had not spilled anything on himself. He realized that he was being ridiculous, and stood, locking his hands behind his back. No. He should not stand. It made him look eager. He should sit. Krellyn sat at the fire, facing the way she would be coming in from down the hill. He sat up straight, trying to see her, but that still, was too much. He slouched, tried to look bored. Finally, he smacked the middle of his face with his palm. "What the fuck is wrong with me?"

# Chapter 2

As they trudged away from the dark and empty tunnels that had so recently been crawling with deadly dark-elves, Adri thought of her friends and the events that led her there. It seemed ages ago that she made the decision to leave the temple in Avar and go home.

She had grown up at her parents' estate in Avar, and at the Magus Tower in Slavland where her father was currently in residence. When she became a young adult, Adri's father sent her to the Lyceum Academia, where she focused her studies on cultures, languages, and religions. When she began to have frequent visions from the sun goddess, the Lady of Dawn's Light, it was clear to her that she needed to join the clergy at the Temple of Dawn in southern Avar. At the temple, Adri learned to commune with the goddess. A natural relationship quickly developed between herself and the Lady, and her visions eventually stopped. Adri was able to pursue her previous studies, while also practicing the healing arts as she felt called to do. Though all of the Lady's initiates were required to learn and practice combat with the scimitar, Adri's life at the temple was peaceful. Just as she had done at the academy, Adri made friends easily. For her, peaceful was never dull.

While she was away from home, Adri and her family wrote faithfully to one another. Then one month she had sent a letter to her parents, but they did not respond. She had always received a response from them within a week or two of sending her letters off. Her parents had their own troubles, but they took the time to communicate with her. It was not like them to disregard her. Something was wrong and Adri was determined to find out what.

Her instructors were reluctant to allow her to leave, but she was persuasive. She was also an adult who was capable of thinking for herself, not to mention a titled noble. They sent her off in a carriage with four trusted guardsmen. Their trust was misplaced though. In the first town they had come to, she noticed that her guardsmen were behaving strangely. She left their company and introduced herself to Shoska and Uruk at the bar. She liked the two of them instantly, and they talked long into the evening.

She was curious about their respective homelands, but neither of them seemed to want to talk about that. Shoska only said that her home was no longer hers, before she grew sullen. While Uruk just shrugged and said, "Orcs are stupid." Their faces grew dark and troubled as they thought on where they came from, so Adri bought more liquor and changed the topic to their travels together. Shoska had met Uruk while crossing the mountains into Avar and they had been together ever since. Shoska pointed out another of their companions, Ledo, whom they had met shortly after crossing the border.

Ledo had been watching the guardsmen with some suspicion, but Uruk assured Adri that he watched everyone with suspicion. At length, he joined them. He whispered something in Shoska's ear and the young woman nodded. The four of them ate together, and continued to drink. Adri was a talker when she was sober. As she began to feel the effects of the liquor, she was almost certain she would never be able to stop talking. With three willing people to listen, she could have sat at that bar and talked on into morning. Ledo said, "You talk too much, Princess. You can't be telling everybody your business all the time."

"Oh! I'm not a princess, just a duchess. And that's really an honorary title. My mother is a close friend of Emperor Calethaes."

He chuckled. "Yeah, it doesn't matter. I know who are, Duchess Adrielen De'Alathan, The Lady of Dawn's Light's little darling of the temple, apple of dad and mum's eye, spoiled rich favorite of the Emperor. The only thing setting you apart from any of the other pampered nobles is your pointy ears."

Shoska said, "Stop it, Ledo. Just because you know of her, doesn't mean you know her."

Uruk grinned and said, "Yeah, I like her. I think we should keep her." That sent Adri into a fit of giggles, in spite of Ledo's attempted insult.

Her laughter was interrupted when one of her guards said, "M'Lady, it's time you get to bed. We got an early start in the mornin'."

She had spent hours of stony silence during the carriage ride with that man, though she had made several attempts to engage him in conversation. He had nothing to say to her all day, then he had the audacity to tell her to go to bed, as if she were a little child. Adri did not notice that her guardsmen had been slowly clearing the room, one patron at a time. She did not notice the long looks that passed between her three companions, as they communicated their plans in silence. She tried to get off the stool as she slurred, "Pish off!" at the guard.

Uruk said, "S'all right! We'll get her to her room, safe and sound, don't you worry."

Adri stumbled and fell into Uruk, who helped her up the stairs to her room. Uruk picked up Adri's bag as Shoska told her, "Why don't you come with us to our room. I think it'll be safer. Besides, you don't want to stay here by yourself, do you?"

Adri tried to speak properly, "Well I s'pose I could. But the guards'll be standin' outside my room. I'll be safe." She had not realized that as soon as her back was turned, the guards were nowhere to be seen.

Ledo was growing more agitated. "Those men are not Avarian guards, Princess. Just 'cause you put a pretty tabard on a merc don't make him less a merc."

No matter how she tried, Adri simply could not think straight. With her head in a fog, she followed her friends to their room. She eventually fell asleep, only to be awakened by the loudest clap of thunder she had ever heard in her life. It shook not only her bones, but the walls and floor of the building. She could smell smoke, and see an orange glow under the door. Adri assumed the place had been hit by lightning, and was on fire.

Ledo was shouting at them to get out through the window. Then another explosion took the floor out from under them. Uruk and Ledo had hold of the windowsill, while Shoska and Adri, who had been on the bed, started to slide down the debris into the conflagration. Searing heat erupted from the floor below. Before they could be swallowed up by the inferno, Shoska leapt to the other side of the room, grabbing purchase on an exposed beam. Then Adri felt a sharp tugging pain on her head, and her downward slide came to an immediate halt. Uruk had her hair wrapped around one hand and was hauling her up by it. She reached up to take the orc's arm, and to take the pressure off her scalp.

Once they were outside in the fresh night air, Adri wanted to go back in, for there might still be people inside. Then a third explosion sent the whole place up, scattering charred wood and broken glass like shrapnel. A cry tore from her throat and she started to run toward the flames, but could not break Uruk's iron grasp. There was some sadness in the orc's voice as she said, "Nope, ain't nobody alive in there now. You go in, you'll just be dead, too."

"What happened? What about my men?" Adri sobbed.

Ledo's voice was dark, "Oh, believe me, they're just fine, Princess. I heard them take off in your carriage just a few minutes before this place went up. I'm sure they think they're long gone by now."

"You think the guardsmen did this?"

"I'd bet good coin it. Question is, who wants you dead so bad they'd set all this up and blow up an inn to do it?" From other buildings in town, people started coming outside, sending out the cry of "Fire!" as they began to form a bucket line. Ledo said, "Let's get out of here. I don't feel like answering questions. Besides, I want to see if we can pick up the trail."

Shoska put her hand on Adri's. "Look, we'll get you home to Slavland, if that's where you want to go. Right now, if someone's trying to kill you, it's best to listen to Ledo."

Adri nodded, feeling powerless and numb. She followed her new friends in silence for a while, then she realized something. All of that destruction, all the lives that were ended in those explosions, had been because of her. She could not remember ever making anyone so angry that they would want to do something like that. Adri wept as she walked, supported between Shoska and Uruk, with Ledo leading in the front. He took them into the forest just outside of town and called a halt until sunrise.

After only a few hours rest, Adri rose with the sun, as she did daily. She gave thanks and praise to her goddess. In return, she received a deep sense of peace and comfort. She let go of her conflicts and simply focused on the feel of earth beneath her knees, the sigh of the morning breeze in the trees, and the warmth of the rising sun on her face. As the sun rose, so did the light in Adri's heart. She understood that she could not undo what had been done. Sadness and despair were detrimental and would only slow, or stall, the forward momentum that was required of her. Her energy was renewed by the time Ledo's shadow fell over her.

"You done, Princess? We've got to move if we're going to catch those guys."

Standing, she said, "My name is Adrielen. My friends call me Adri."

Ledo smirked. "Yeah, everybody knows who you are, Princess."

Adri sighed and followed him to join the others. Ledo kept to the road, tracking which way the carriage went. Per his instructions, Uruk, Shoska, and Adri kept within the tree line that bordered the road. It was another full day before they came to the small village of Olenhoff. Again, the three women stayed within the trees, while Ledo scouted ahead. He had found the carriage.

He told them he was going to go into the village to see if he could find the men and question them. They were expected to wait for his return. After only half an hour or so, Adri huffed. She was getting tired of being told what to do, especially when it meant that she was to do nothing. It was, after all, her problem. To her friends she said, "I'm tired of waiting around. I want to go see what's going on."

She was pleasantly surprised when Shoska said, "Well, let's go then."

Uruk grabbed her arm, saying, "Wait." She turned to argue with her, but Uruk was only giving Adri her cloak. The heavy, dark cloth covered her completely. She pulled the orc-sized hood over her head, concealing her features within its deep shadow.

If someone wanted to know what was going on, the local pub was the place to find out. So the three women went there first. The place was practically empty, with only two old men at the bar and another one behind it. They found out that four Avarian guardsmen had come to the village bearing the body of a noblewoman, who had been killed in a tragic accident. They had just missed the guards who had recently left the pub with a young, scruffy looking man. Most of the village had gone to the chapel, where they were holding a wake for the dear Duchess Adrielen De'Alathan.

The men stared, dumbfounded, as Adri lowered the hood of her borrowed cloak. "I am Adrielen, and I am most certainly not dead."

The first one to speak was the drunker of the two patrons. He yelled, "Gods save us all! It's a haint!"

"What's a haint?" Uruk whispered to Shoska.

Shoska answered, "He thinks she's a ghost."

The bartender's eyes narrowed. He reached one gnarled finger across the counter and poked Adri in the arm with it. Satisfied, he said to the frightened man, "Aw, this ain't no haint. Have another drink, Merl, then go change your piss-pants." To Adri he said, "You best get yourself up to the church, get this mess put right."

She fully intended to put it right. Those false guards had murdered whatever patrons had remained at the inn in Farthington. Then they attempted to prey on the hearts of the good people of Olenhoff in a farce of a funeral. As they walked to the village center and the chapel, Adri's blood boiled. It was not a feeling she was accustomed to; as one who always tried to see things from another person's perspective, Adri was rarely angry. She did not think there was ever a time that, in her one hundred and twenty years, she had been quite as angry as she was then. Her body shook and her chest hurt. She could hear her own blood pounding in her ears. She felt out of control, and that was a terrible feeling.

Shoska took her hand and gave it a squeeze. "It'll be all right, Adri. We'll figure this out." Those softly spoken words, and that one small gesture soothed some of Adri's ire.

Ledo had joined them at the doors of the chapel. "Don't do this, Princess," he warned her, but she was not about to let people think she was dead. She handed Uruk's cloak back to her, then threw open the chapel doors. At the front of the sanctuary, an acolyte bearing the sun symbol of her goddess stood over the covered body of a dead woman. He had been expounding on Adri's virtues before a crowd of tear streaked faces, when he looked up to see his very subject standing in the doorway. The man stuttered to a stop as Adri marched up the aisle.

He stepped aside, saying nothing, just getting out of her way. Turning to those assembled, as calmly as she could, she said, "I am Adrielen, and, as you can see, I am not dead." It took only a little convincing. She allowed those who feared her to touch her hands and her face, showing them that she was indeed corporeal.

Ledo had wanted her to let them think she was dead, for no one sends assassins after a dead girl. To Adri, honesty was more important than her personal safety. Adri never knew what happened to the men who had tried to kill her. Ledo only told her that he had taken care of it. He told her not to worry over it, and not to ask him again. She did worry about it, but she did not ask; wisdom said that she did not want to know.

It was a long walk through the country to Slavland. The trip was made longer by the fact that at every village they stopped in, someone tried to kill her. Though Adri and her companions made quick work of them, there were even demons in the mix of those that hunted her. She could not imagine who would arrange her assassination. She had never done anything to anyone, and she had no idea what anyone would have to gain from her demise. It was becoming clearer by the day though, that someone with power had it in for her. Ledo took their group off the road, for as long as they stayed away from civilization, they stayed away from assassins. Her new friends stuck by Adri throughout the long journey.

The day they finally made it to Slavland, she wept with relief, but her conversation with her father did not go well. Their relationship had been strained since he had sent her to the academy, but that day he was particularly cold to her. She tried to understand that he was trying to protect her from his own despair, but his chilly countenance cut her heart to ribbons. On top of all the problems Alathan already had, Adri almost could not bring herself to add to them. However, she had to tell him about the assassins and about the strange, dark-skinned elves they had found in their travels.

She was surprised when he gave her permission to take her new friends and look into the dark-elf situation. He needed to know if they were a threat or emissaries from some foreign land. For the first time in her life, her father actually wanted her help. With everything else that was happening, Adri did not know what to think. She was pleased that he wanted her help, but the cold way that he issued his order then dismissed her from his office left her pained.

Tired and confused, she needed to indulge herself. Adri took Shoska and Uruk on a shopping tour of Slavland's marketplace. She cut her hair and pierced her ears. Though the three women kept their conversation light and fun, Adri could not shake her underlying tension. As the day stretched into evening, the trio found themselves standing before the doors of the most expensive brothel in Slavland. Having resolved to lose her virginity, Adri announced, "I'm going in there." That was the night she had met Krellyn.

The memory caused her heart to beat faster. The little smile that always played at the corners of her mouth, split into a wide grin. So lost in her thoughts of her recent past, she had not realized that she had pulled ahead of the rest of the group until she heard Ledo call out behind her. "Where're you goin', Princess?"

She paused and turned back to him. Adri pointed up the hill and said, "That way."

"Don't you smell that smoke?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yeah, smells good! Let's go!" She turned back and started walking again.

"Adri!" Ledo barked. "What if it's some asshole waiting to cut your damn, fool head off?"

She sighed and turned around again. "It's Krellyn."

"How do you know?"

Adri shrugged, "I don't know how I know. I just do."

"Wait for the rest of us, just in case." To the others he called, "Let's pick up the pace. The poor princess has wet panties."

Adri put her hands on her hips and said, "Shut up, Ledo." It was something she said on an almost daily basis, but their griping at each other had become their terms of endearment. Ledo stopped talking, and the little group sped up.

# Chapter 3

Krellyn saw Adrielen's rumpled, white hair coming over the crest of the hill. Despite his desire to appear disinterested, his legs pushed him to a standing position. She caught sight of him and started to run. He absolutely would not run, like some twitterpated sissy boy. He would, however, plant his feet in a solid stance, for he noted she was not slowing her pace at all. He had barely braced himself before Adrielen slammed into him. Instantly, her arms were around his neck, one hand tightly gripping a handful of his hair. His face was showered in little kisses until she found his lips and pushed her tongue between them.

He wrapped his arms tight around her body, crushing her to him. For a short moment, all he knew was Adrielen. His only coherent thought was that she had on too many clothes. Then he heard a grating sound, and he frowned, unwilling to break away from her deliciously insistent mouth. The sound repeated itself, only louder. Krellyn realized then that the human boy was fake coughing in an attempt to get their attention. Let the man-boy deal with his own problems, Krellyn thought as he slid a hand down to squeeze her ass.

Uruk gave a low whistle, then turned away to stir a pot of stew over the fire. Shoska chuckled softly, continuing to watch the lovers as she moved to help Uruk fill their bowls. Ledo turned to these two and asked, "Really? This is all right with you?"

Uruk said nothing. Shoska shrugged and said, "It looks like fun to me." Under her breath she muttered, "You could take notes."

"What?" Ledo asked, but Shoska only shrugged in response. Ledo turned back to address Krellyn. Loudly, he said, "Right then! All the dark-elves are gone! All but you, that is. So, you can go now!"

The boy had just dismissed him. Krellyn found this funny, but there was, however, a tale to be told. He slowly slid his hands up to Adri's shoulders, and ended their kiss, gently pushing her back from him. He looked into her blue eyes and quietly asked, "Why did Ledo just say, 'gone'? What does 'gone' mean, exactly?"

Adrielen dropped her eyes from his face to his chest. He did not like that. He also did not care for the way she hesitated to answer him, shifting her feet, and twisting her fingers in a knot. She said, "Gone means gone. They are not here anymore, so it's fine." She tried to smile at him, but it faltered as he took a step back from her.

Krellyn folded his arms across his chest, and watched her cringe as he intoned in his low growl, "I thought that we had agreed that 'dead' was the better option here, Adrielen. In the world I come from, 'dead' and 'gone' do not mean the same thing."

She seemed to be inwardly squirming, but at least she lifted her eyes to his again. She shrugged and said, "Well, some of them are dead. Most of them even, I'm sure."

He had to know for certain about the priestess. "What of Shessin? Is she dead? Or just gone?"

Adri nodded in the affirmative, trying to look sure, but failing the endeavor. "Dead. Definitely dead. I think. She looked like she was pretty dead, the last time I saw her."

Krellyn turned away from her for a moment. He ran a hand through his hair, then pinched the bridge of his nose. In that moment, semantics was not the game he wanted to play with Adrielen. The thought of 'playing' with her made the corner of his mouth twitch, but he suppressed this and turned back to her. With his sexiest snarl, he asked, "Do you think that my patience is infinite?" Actually, Krellyn had tremendous patience. It was a perk of being ancient, but watching Adrielen squirm was delightful.

"Um, no?" Her voice trembled as she spoke her statement with the lilt of a question. He wondered if the tremor there was nervousness or arousal. He hoped it was both.

He came near her again with a predatory pace, saying, "Then do you not think that perhaps you should start explaining? Begin at the beginning. Now, Adrielen." He snapped the last part at her; a command that he knew would gain him an immediate response.

Adri nodded and began their story. "When we got to their camp, we didn't have any trouble getting in. The potions worked exactly like they were supposed to." She smiled broadly at him, as if to allay any doubts about his alchemical formulae. He had no doubts, of course; his work was always perfect. Adri continued. "We took a little while to do some looking around. It wasn't that hard to find Shessin's pavilion, not to mention her enormous mirror.

"Ledo and Shoska snuck up to Shessin's tent to see if they could take her out quickly. It was up to Uruk and myself to cause a distraction, to keep the others away from Shessin. We started a fight, which quickly escalated to an all-out brawl. We took out a good many of Shessin's subordinates." With a good deal of her own pride, she added, "By the way, the dark-elves do not like the Lady of Dawn's Light, at all.

"I thought that if things got really bad, Shessin would use the mirror portal to call in reinforcements. So, we worked our way towards the platform it was sitting on. Once Uruk and I reached it, I held off the dark-elves with divine Light, while she started battering the glass with her axe."

Uruk had remained hovering over the stew pot. Over her shoulder, she said, "Must've been some mirror, too. Shouldn't be that hard to break glass."

When she was sure that was all her friend had to say on the subject, Adri explained. "I only wanted to close the portal, to keep more dark-elves from coming through. I couldn't know this would happen, but when the glass finally shattered, it was like a tornado." Her eyes glazed for a moment as she described what happened, witnessing the event all over again in her head. "A gigantic vortex lifted everyone and everything up. All the people, all their tents, weapons, gear, everything got sucked up in a huge, swirling funnel. Uruk and I started looking for something to hold on to, but then we realized that our clothes weren't even ruffled. The portal wasn't pulling us or any of our things through. It was only pulling out the dark-elves and the things that they brought with them."

She paused for a long time, still wearing the dazed and far off expression. He had to bring her around to get the rest of it. "Shessin? You said you saw her." Her eyes cleared immediately and she answered.

"Only for a few seconds. She was pulled from her tent, and I saw her as the vortex pulled her across the cavern. She was not conscious. Her neck may have been broken, but I didn't have time to confirm it."

Krellyn held up a hand to stop Adri's narrative then. He turned to look at Ledo and Shoska. Ledo said, "We found her in her tent. She was getting off in the middle of a slave sandwich, so it's no wonder she didn't hear us. She was quick, though. She threw her boys at us."

Shoska reiterated, "She picked up two people and threw them at us!"

Ledo continued, "Yeah. So I shot her. Twice. She seemed surprised by that. You people don't have pistols where you're from?"

Krellyn said, "No. Continue."

He did. "That should have knocked her on her ass, but instead, she starts chanting and waving her hands all over the place. Shoska's busy putting Shessin's slaves out their misery, and I've either got to reload or grab my blades. Lead didn't work too well the first time, so I figured steel it is.

"Next thing we know, her spell - or whatever - must have gone off. 'Cause we're both knocked back, and damn if that didn't hurt!" He tossed a nod at Adrielen, and said, "Now I think I know how the demons feel when Adri lights her shit up." Adrielen smiled, but did not interrupt.

He said, "Anyway, push came to shove, and..."

"...And punching and kicking." Shoska added.

"...And stabbing." Ledo finished with a wry grin.

Krellyn rolled his eyes. Playing with them was not nearly as fun as with Adrielen. "Is Shessin dead, or not?"

Adri concluded the story. "The best answer you're going to get is 'probably'. Ledo cut her pretty deep, and I think Shoska broke her neck. But that whole vortex thing, well, it all seemed to happen at the same time. One moment, we're fighting; the next, it's all gone and it's just us four.

"When the vortex was done, the mirror, the dark-elves and all their things were gone. It was as if they had never been there. The cavern had been so loud, then there was this sudden nothingness of silence. I'm not sure how long the four of us just stood there, staring at each other. We were all a mess. Dark-elves are apparently vicious little shits. The cavern seemed like a safe enough place to take a break, dress our wounds, and get some rest before we hit the tunnels again."

Krellyn thought to himself that it must have been a fairly long break. Something was missing from the story. "Adrielen, you were down there for five days."

Adri blushed deeply and hung her head. "I thought I knew where I was going. I got us turned around. It took longer than it should have for us to find their cavern."

"You got lost?" He was somewhat surprised, for he knew that Adrielen was brighter than that. However, she was also a noble high-elf who had been living an overly civilized existence on the surface her whole life. She had no reason to traverse a series of underground tunnels before she had met him. Perhaps he had put more sting in his query than he should have. Maybe he should tell her that. Was there something he could say to her? Should he try to say something... nice?

Ledo interrupted Krellyn's inner conflict. "Look, Princess did her best. She did it for you, asshole. You don't like the outcome? Do it your damn self, next time." Ledo was already angry about the situation, and he was becoming more so. He stepped up into Krellyn's face, intending to press his point. Krellyn was, of course, not the least threatened. Neither Ledo, nor the any of the rest of them knew of Krellyn's 'curse' of godhood. He was intimidated by no one, save the Queen of Spiders and her whore priestesses. He thought, even if the boy did know, he would most likely react the same way. Ledo was not wise, but the young man was noble in his own way.

Adri was prepared to put herself between them, when Shoska grabbed Ledo's belt and forcefully spun him around. With a calm and quiet tone she said, "Adri is perfectly capable of dealing with her own issues." She tilted her head toward Krellyn to specify the issue in particular. "Now, we're all tired. We're all hungry. So we're going to sit down, eat, and rest. Tomorrow, we start back for Slavland." When Ledo looked as if he might argue, Shoska leaned closer to him, "No more fighting. Not tonight."

She let go of Ledo then and turned her back to him. Shoska deliberately put a certain amount of sway in her hips as she made her way to the campfire and the bubbling pot of stew. Ledo silently followed Shoska's butt. A grinning Uruk stuck a bowl in his hands, and he sat down to eat.

* * * * *

Adri felt stupid for getting lost. That was a part of their little adventure that she would like to forget about. The sarcasm in Krellyn's tone caused her some pain, but she tried to push it aside. Social niceties seemed completely foreign to him. She could not expect him to be pleasant. She had been about to explain to him that his tone was hurtful, when Ledo stepped in to defend her.

She did appreciate what Ledo was trying to do, but she was more grateful for Shoska's interference. Adri did not want to talk about any of this anymore. She had been aching for Krellyn for days. Now that she was finally in his presence, she wanted nothing more than to be surrounded and filled by his dark flesh. His disappointment was painful. Was he so disappointed in her that he would deny her?

As Shoska led Ledo away, Adri felt Krellyn's gaze. She turned to him and met his eyes. His jaw worked, as if he were grinding his teeth. He opened his mouth, about to say something, then closed it again. He repeated this process twice more. Adri stayed where she was, kept her eyes on his. She knew very little about Krellyn's past, but she was sure he had never known what it was to receive compassion, patience and love. It was clear to her that he was trying to work something out, so she would wait, for as long as it took.

Finally, he whispered to her, "Come here." She immediately closed the space between them. His arms wrapped around her so tightly, her ribs ached. He buried his face in her neck, and caressed her skin with his lips and tongue. She gasped when he bit her. The combination of pleasure and pain caused a drenching between her legs. Her hips, of their own volition, ground against his. He released her neck and moved his lips to her ear. There, he purred, "I am... pleased... that you've returned." It was struggle for him to say it, she knew. It was the best she was going to get from him, and it was enough.

He pushed her off of him. Pointing at her friends around the fire, he barked at her, "Sit. Eat."

She smiled and blinked the mist from her eyes. "Yes, Krellyn."

As she turned from him to obey his command, he growled her name, "Adrielen?" The sound made her knees feel weak. She turned to look at him over her shoulder and noted his crooked smile. "Hurry up."

Adri drank her bowl of stew, for it was faster than eating it with a spoon. Krellyn took Adri's bowl from her and rinsed it. She followed his every move with her eyes. He mopped his hands with a towel, more slowly than she would have liked. Her heart leapt when he told her, "Adrielen, get in the tent. And that ass better be bare by the time I get there." With a grin and a giggle, she stepped to, peeling off clothes as she went.

Krellyn pulled back the tent flap and was pleased to see that she had followed his commands. She stood with her back to the central pole. Her hands rested at the small of her back, fingers lightly gripping the support. He tried to keep his breathing steady as he moved his gaze from her deep blue eyes, down her long, thin neck. They lingered on her full breasts with their pert, rosy nipples. He ground his teeth and clenched his fists, keeping himself from pouncing on those beautiful tits. His eyes caressed her slender waist down to the cleft between her thighs. He began to salivate as he thought of the sweet, tender flesh of her silken folds.

"Turn around. Put your hands on the pole, over your head." It was all he could do to keep his voice steady. He wanted to taste her tongue as the tip of it caressed her lips. She turned and complied with his wishes. When she was where he wanted her, he said, "Do not move."

Krellyn rid himself of his clothes. He kicked his boots and his trousers off. He made a full, stalking circle around Adri and the pole she clung to. She watched him as he circled, moving only her eyes and her head. Her breath quickened. He could feel heat and lust radiating from her creamy skin. If he closed his eyes and listened, he could hear the rapid rhythm of her heartbeat. Her body trembled as he came closer to her, nearly touching, but she did not move from her position.

He brought his face close to her ear. He put more growl in his voice, because he knew it made her wet. "Adrielen." He was touching her with his voice alone.

This caused her to whimper. "Gods. Krellyn, please."

"Patience, my Sweetling." He purred this at her as he slid his hands down the length of her arms. "You've been gone so long. I want to look at you." He put his hands around her to fill his palms with the soft mounds of her breasts. She cried out softly as he flicked her nipples with his thumbs and then pulled away.

He knelt before her glorious ass. He cupped her cheeks and squeezed hard. She gasped and thrust her hips back towards him. He rewarded her response by biting her in the juncture of her ass and the back of her leg. He bit hard enough to bruise. He was slightly disappointed when she suppressed her cry by clamping her mouth on her upper arm. He so enjoyed the noises that she made. She still did not move from the position he had commanded her.

"I've wanted this." He growled this at her as his slipped two of his fingers into her wet, dripping pussy. He bit her ass again as he pumped his fingers rapidly in and out of her, and she buried another sweet noise in her arm.

It was enough. He wanted to fuck, and she clearly wanted to be fucked. He slid his fingers from her channel and stood back from her. He pointed at the pallet on the ground and said, "There. On your knees. Ass up."

"Yes, Krellyn." There was a combination of lust and relief in her eyes as she quickly moved to kneel on the pallet. He grabbed his cloak from the floor and tossed it at her.

Krellyn flashed his crooked smile at her and warned her, "You may need to bite it." She caught up his proffered cloak and rolled it into a pillow.

Adri tucked the make-shift pillow under her chin. She parted her knees and raised her butt for him. He had taken her this way once before. Though there was no position that she did not like with Krellyn, she did enjoy this one. It made her feel like a wild, rutting animal; not the proper, civilized duchess she was expected to be. Her whole body trembled as he knelt on the pallet behind her.

Slowly, he moved in close. She felt the brush of his cock against her sex and she could not withhold her moan of anticipation. With his fingers, he guided the crown of his cock to her clit. He pressed the head against her engorged nub and he rubbed. Adri felt an almost frantic need to have him inside of her. She squirmed, trying to position herself so that he would push into her. He chuckled darkly and held her hip tightly with his free hand. He continued to tease her and she soon began to relax. She let her mind focus on the sensations of his velvet-soft skin sliding firmly against her wet, throbbing clit.

As she stopped trying to fight what he was doing, he purred, "That's right. Good." The pressure built and her hips started to move again. This time she moved with his touch, and he allowed it. She was vaguely aware that she was mewling. She grabbed a part of his cloak and tried to muffle the sounds. Just as she slipped over the edge of her climax, Krellyn slowly entered her clutching pussy.

He groaned as he pulled back out just as slowly. She reveled in the feel of his long, thick shaft pushing against her still gripping rings of muscle. His breathing became ragged as twice more, he pushed and pulled with deliberate patience. Her only warning was that his grip on her hips painfully tightened. It was warning enough. She braced herself and bit down on his cloak as he slammed into her.

His thrusts were fast and hard. Her whole body shook with his pounding. The heated friction, the rhythmic, wet smacking of his balls against her clit, the way he snarled with every thrust; it all worked to quickly build another orgasm. He growled at her through clenched teeth, "Cum for me, Adrielen." Her name, growled at her like that, sent her over the edge.

Krellyn was relieved when he told her to cum and she actually did. He was not going to be able to do this much longer. Her knuckles were white as she clutched the fabric of his cloak. She screamed around a mouthful of the stuff. Her hips shoved back into him, matching the ferocity and strength of his own thrusts. As the muscles at her core tightened, pulled, sucked and milked his cock, he moaned and filled her with his seed. He continued to pump, relentless until every last drop of him was spent. He backed out of her and told her, "Stay."

She took his cloak out of her mouth and tried to get her breath under control, but she obediently maintained her position. He took a cloth from a basin of water. He knelt behind her again and cleaned her. He wiped the fluids that flowed down her inner thighs and very gently wiped her tender, still twitching petals. As he did this he looked over the minor damage he had caused. There were red fingermarks all over her pale white hips. He had scratched her, bruised her, bit her. The bite he placed on her neck earlier was already turning purple. "Give me my cloak, Adrielen." She stayed where she was, but handed his cloak back to him. He took a small jar of healing salve from his pocket and tended to the marks he had made, starting with the ones on her hips and ass.

When he had finished he patted her butt and told her, "All right." She laid down on her stomach and rested her cheek on her hands, watching him. He rolled his cloak and tucked it under his head as he laid on his back beside her. "Come." He said to her, and she put her head on his chest and twined her leg with his.

That should not feel as right as it did, and his comfort made him uncomfortable. He had only spent a week with her, but for the days that she was gone in the tunnels, he did not rest. He tried to tell himself it was because of the nature of her mission, not because of her absence from his bed. Adrielen was everything he was not, and he should not want her. However, there he was, wrapped in her warmth, her fingers lightly playing over his skin, and he felt he could rest. That is, until she decided she wanted to talk.

"Krellyn," she asked, "What will you do now?"

He could leave. He knew he probably should leave. Nothing good could come of his staying with her. He would only bring the misery of a hateful cosmos down around her. Adrielen was not for him. So, why was there a part of himself, a part he did not want to acknowledge, claiming that she was his? He answered, "You ran off Shessin and broke that damn portal. I owe you. So, what are you going to do now?"

She sighed heavily. He sensed the faltering of that simple, little smile of contentment she always wore. "It all seems so complicated. If you stayed to help me with my issues, it wouldn't be fair. Not to belittle what you've gone through, but my problems require a lot more than a tunnel crawl and a magic-slinging brawl."

A low grunt that might have been a laugh escaped from his throat. "Try me."

"We need to get Calethaes back before the Kingdoms start to tear each other apart. Then there's my mother, Threa. She's gone to the colonies with Calethaes, and it's making Father crazy. He thinks Mother's dead. I think he also thinks that she was fucking Uncle Cal, though that isn't something he would talk to me about. I know in my heart that she is neither dead, nor cheating on my father. But I also know that something is wrong, if she's not been in contact with him.

"Tomorrow I am going to start back for Slavland. I'm looking forward to giving Father some actual good news that a possible dark-elf threat has been neutralized. Then, I am probably going to have the worst fight with him that I have ever had I my life, when I tell him that I am going to cross the sea to the colonies in Novusarcis to look for Mother and Uncle Cal. And if my would-be killer wants to chase me across an ocean and all over the western continent, then more power to him."

If Krellyn decided to help her, it sounded as if he would be there for a while. He quickly shoved down and tried to bury the inner voice that dared whisper he might be growing fond of this girl. That was ridiculous. Simple mortal fancies such as fondness were not for beings such as himself.

He was better off by himself. Walking the Planes alone, he had only himself to be concerned with. On the other hand, Adrielen was... interesting. Her situation, being what it was, she was still full of such exuberance. Her hope and her joy seemed consistently undaunted. He could stay, maybe just for a little while; just to see how much more interesting she might be. His only response to her though was, "Hm. I'd like to see the inside of the Magus tower."

She had been absently tracing his abdominal muscles with her fingertips, such a delicate touch, as she spoke to him. She stopped abruptly to slap his belly. The sensation caused his cock to kick her thigh. She sounded a little frustrated. It was cute when she asked, "Did you hear anything I just said?"

"I heard everything you just said. Now shut up and go to sleep. I'll get you all back to Slavland tomorrow."

"It's a four day walk from here." Was she still talking? Had she somehow missed the part about shutting up and going to sleep?

"I make my own roads. Now, I said, 'Shut up.'" Hopefully, he spoke the last part firmly enough to keep her from arguing with him.

"Yes, Krellyn." That was much better.

# Chapter 4

Early in the morning, before the rise of the sun, Adri woke Krellyn with a rain of tiny kisses over his bare belly. With a sleepy, "Mmm" he thrust his hips at her, expecting her lips to fall upon his erection. She would have liked to spend the entire day, pleasuring and being pleasured by Krellyn. However, they had work to do.

She slapped his thigh and said, "Get up! You said you could get us to Slavland today?"

In response, he only issued a hiss and demanded, "Harder."

His desire caused a tremor of excitement that shook her and wet her core. Still, she was determined to control herself. "Krellyn, please?"

"Please what, Sweetling?" It was a question he often asked when he had her so driven to near madness that she begged for him. She was close to tearing off her clothes and giving him what they both wanted.

"Please get up, and take us to Slavland." Adri felt proud of herself at that. She remained dressed and resolute in her decision to get a move on. Krellyn's snarling sigh of irritation as he rolled out of the blankets, caused another drenching between her legs. She tried to ignore it.

Once the little group had broken camp, Krellyn instructed everyone to gather around him. In one moment, they were standing on a hill in the middle of nowhere, in the next they were back in the room at the inn where they had all met to discuss their plans. A gentleman, dressed in his underwear, sat on the edge of the bed, cleared his throat and said, "Uh... how did you get in here?"

Adri gawked at Krellyn who flashed his crooked grin. To the startled man, she said, "Sorry. Wrong room."

The little group hurried out of the man's room and quietly shut the door behind them. Adri glared at Krellyn. He shrugged and said, "What? You could have walked."

Adri was incredulous. "You couldn't have just blinked us to the tower?" She asked with a shrug.

"Never been there. So, no. I couldn't just 'blink' you there. I might have taken us to the whore-house, but I feared you might have some objection."

Adri's mouth twitched at that thought. She stifled a sudden giggle, not wanting to disturb the stillness of the grey morning. She led the way through the pre-dawn streets of Slavland to the tower. When they arrived, the place was dark and still asleep. Only a few servants quietly went about their early morning chores.

One of those servants met the small group in the entry hall. The man bowed to Adri who smiled at him and addressed him as Garon. Adri knew Garon, and found him to be a most thoughtful, attentive, and helpful servant. He had been employed as a steward at the tower for the last several years. He mainly served Alathan and his family when the battle-mage was in residence there. He bowed deeply, pressing his sweaty lips to her knuckles, his scratchy mustache tickling her skin.

"Ah! Duchess, how lovely to see you again. I see you have brought us some guests?" She did not like the way his lip curled a bit when his eyes fell on Uruk, but it was a look he quickly recovered from. Ledo's eyes narrowed with suspicion, but he kept his silence.

Garon peered with curiosity at Krellyn's heavily cloaked figure. He leaned in, trying to make out the face he could not quite see within the hood. Adri gently squeezed the steward's hand. She once again had his attention. At her polite request, Garon led her companions to the guest rooms where they could freshen up and relax a bit before meeting with Adri's father. She did not want her father disturbed so early. Under the stressful circumstances, she thought it best if he was well rested.

In the best of times, Alathan was a stern and imposing figure. Adri often felt like she was at odds with him. In her younger years, she constantly sought his approval, only to consistently disappoint him. On the surface, she told herself that she had given up; that his opinion meant nothing to her. She did not recognize though she was one hundred and twenty years old, her behavior where Alathan was concerned, was frequently little more than a childish bid for his attention. This morning was no different. With a confrontation looming in her near future, Adri wanted to do something, anything that would not meet with Alathan's approval.

With her friends on their way to their rooms, Adri grabbed Krellyn's gloved hand and led him, at a near run, to her own suite. Adri stripped down to her panties and quickly washed up at the basin. Krellyn was slow to remove his own clothes. He was preoccupied watching her. He had his cloak and boots off, and was starting on his shirt when she told him, "Leave your shirt and pants on." She admired the way he arched a fine white brow above deep red eyes, crinkling his beautiful forehead. He looked disappointed as she slipped a simple, blue day-dress over her head. Grabbing his dark hand in her light one, she flashed him a wicked smile. "C'mon. I want to do something bad, before everyone gets up."

He was so surprised at her behavior that Krellyn accidentally smiled with both corners of his mouth. "Oh, really?" He purred, and the sound of his voice invoked a small flood from her sex. As they moved through the darkened hallways, Adri reveled in the feel of her wet folds sliding together, the way her panties clung to her sensitive skin.

She pushed open the doors to the dim council chamber. She pulled Krellyn inside and shut the doors. This chamber was richly appointed in plush red carpet and drapes, with carved mahogany furnishings. The most prominent piece was a long table with legs carved in the shape of rampant dragons. The table was surrounded by elaborate carved chairs, the largest of which occupied the far end. The walls were decorated with portraits of previous arch-mages, and Odo's portrait, (a withered, ancient, but dignified human male) hung above the large chair.

Adri loved how the thick carpet squished under her bare toes as she walked around the massive central table. She held Krellyn's hand and trailed her fingers lightly over the rich old wood of the table. The room, the table, and especially that big chair were for the purposes of holding council to discuss important matters of state. They were not supposed to be in there. She certainly was not supposed to suck off an otherworldly being in that room. Adri headed directly for the throne of Slavland.

With a mischievous grin, she put her hands on Krellyn's shoulders and gave him a firm push that landed him in the large, ornate chair. She admired his crooked grin. The grunt, along with his dark chuckle as she pushed him to the seat sent a teasing shiver down her spine. She dropped to her knees and gave the lacing of his trousers a fierce tug. She grabbed his pants and yanked. Krellyn lifted his eyebrows and his butt. She pulled his pants completely off and tossed them aside.

His cock was semi-hard, but it jumped stiff in her hands as she delicately stroked him. Familiarity had not dimmed her fascination with his manhood, a steel pillar sheathed in velvet, midnight-violet skin. With one hand around his shaft, she squeezed. With the other, she tickled and cupped his sac. The sight and the feel of his warm, dark flesh manipulated in her pale hands made her mouth water. Not only was her mouth wet, but she was so wet between her legs, she felt the juices dripping onto her thighs.

Krellyn slouched back in the chair. He spread his feet and propped them on the table behind Adri, giving her better access. She showed her appreciation for it by lifting his sac and using the tip of her tongue along the path between his hole and the underside of his balls. He hissed through his teeth, his knuckles whitening in their grip on the arms of the throne. Encouraged, she moved her hands and mouth a bit faster.

* * * * *

Before this, Krellyn had not known Adri to take charge. As she shoved his ass onto the throne, he felt both surprised and amused, not to mention aroused. It was interesting to see just how far she would take things in a place where they could be interrupted at any moment. He would admit her aggressive removal of his trousers quite stirred his blood. He appreciated the view of her lovely hands working between his thighs. He assumed that she would rub him a bit, then they would go back to her room to fuck. Then she dipped her head and he felt her tongue flickering over his perineum.

He threw his head back and closed his eyes. Her hands worked his shaft and balls. Her merciless tongue both tickled and pleasured his most sensitive spot. He heard panting and realized it was his own, as the inner pressure slowly built. He groaned as she removed her grip on his bollocks. She replaced that hand with her mouth. She kissed, licked and sucked his scrotum. Mindful of her teeth, she used her tongue to manipulate him into her mouth and sucked. He released one of the arm rests to make a fist in her hair. She moved her mouth to suck the other side, all the while her hand stroked his cock up and down.

The pressure and the heat built to the point where his body demanded some relief. He needed to release. He needed to fuck. If she did not suck him or fuck him in the next few moments, he resolved to take over the situation. As amusing as it was for her to take control, her teasing was reaching an intolerable level. He would take her on the table. He knew her enough to know she would not argue.

As Krellyn thought about taking over, he opened his eyes to watch her. Adri moved her head up. She hummed a pleasured "Mmm," as she lapped the silvery bead of pre-cum from his crown. She pushed that crown into her mouth and hummed again as she sucked. Her busy tongue squirmed over the cleft in his head. She could not yet take his full length into her throat, so she kept her fingers wrapped firmly around the base of his cock. She moved her hand in rhythm with her mouth.

Adri's other hand returned to his flesh. Her fingers were wet and slick. He had not seen her lick those fingers and suspected she had wet them in her own sex. The thought of her slender digits in her silken pussy, the feel of her busy hands and tongue, all pushed him to the edge. With both hands in her hair, he began to move his hips with her, fucking her mouth. He was going to lose control of himself, and he did not care. As she applied her lubricated fingers to massage his hole and his perineum, he gasped and growled, "Adri."

Her eyes smiled up at him through her lashes. Her head bobbed, her hand squeezed, and her fingers rubbed. The pressure built higher every time she sucked. Raw energy pulsed from his center all the way out to his extremities. Teetering on the precipice, he felt it only polite to warn her. He snarled, "Adri, I'm going to cum." She only smiled up at him again, and increased her speed and pressure.

"Oh, fuck!" he gasped. His cocked throbbed. His cum filled her mouth as she swallowed it and continued to suck him. Again and again, the waves of ecstasy ebbed and flowed. He emptied into her mouth. Adri swallowed as much as she could, letting the rest leak out around him.

When he had finished, he released his grip on her hair, as she released his cock from her mouth. He watched her lap at the excess fluid from his groin and belly. For the first time in centuries he felt truly relaxed. As he watched her, he realized how vulnerable he was at that moment. He was not sure how he felt about that. In thousands of years, he had faced dragons, tyrants, demons, and evil gods. It was a pale, little high-elf that left him, spent and quivering, on another man's throne. He indulged, allowing himself to bask in that brief moment of what must be contentment.

Krellyn put his feet down, pulling Adri onto his lap. He could smell her lust, felt it on her fingertips as she massaged him. Through the odd spiritual connection that was building between them, he thought he could sense her need within his own mind. He kissed her deep, their tongues dancing, as he slipped his hands under the hem of her thin, velvet dress. With a deftness, he untied her soaked panties and flicked them to the floor. She moaned through their kiss as he pushed his fingers into her dripping sex. He barely had to move as she immediately began to ride his hand.

Her slick entrance was so hot and wet. He wanted to eat her. He was about to put her up on the table and bury his face in that sweet, pink meat, when he heard the doors to the chamber open. Adri had not heard. She continued her delightful keening moan as she rocked against his fingers. Krellyn's mild gaze met the surprised eyes of the servant that had greeted them at the door. Garon, she had called him. Krellyn grinned and winked at the man. He then hooked his fingers inside of Adri. He pressed firmly against the hidden spot that made her scream and shudder.

As Adri's pussy gushed all over Krellyn's hand, he cast his spell. He shifted the space around them. He and Adri vanished from the council chamber and arrived in the middle of Adri's bed. She blinked and stared about her, dazed from the shift and still shuddering from climax. She looked at Krellyn for a long moment. Her eyes traveled down his frame to his bare legs. Then she fell to her side, and clutching her stomach, she let loose a hearty laugh.

"What's funny?" he asked.

Through her giggles, she said, "You forgot your pants."

He looked down at himself and shrugged. "Pants are overrated." This sent her into another fit of giggles. He took off his shirt and tossed it at her before heading into the bathing room. He paused at the door and turned to mention, "So are panties, by the way."

* * * * *

Adri admired the view of his rear end while she clutched his shirt to her face and breathed in the, now familiar, smell of herbs and spices. She sighed and rolled off the bed. At the basin, she once again cleaned herself up. She smoothed out her dress and tried to tame the muss of her short hair. She donned clean panties and found some slippers that matched her dress. She took a deep breath and held it for a moment. It was time to talk to Alathan.

With Krellyn wandering off to explore the tower, Adri gathered Shoska, Ledo, and Uruk. They found her father in his office. Alathan paced behind his desk with a thick tome balanced in his hands. It was still early for him, and he was dressed only in his trousers. His heavy robes of office were draped over the back of his chair. There could be no doubt who Adri's father was. They had the same cream colored skin, the same deep blue eyes, and the same aquiline nose. Alathan's long, platinum hair hung straight down his back, as Adri's did when it was long. He was intent on his reading. The high-elf was well over three-hundred years old, but like Adri, he looked no older than his late twenties. His physique was toned and tight. Dark blue tattoos swirled across his shoulders and down his arms and chest. Adri had started to speak, but he held up a hand, one finger positioned upward, commanding her to wait.

She cast an apologetic look to her friends, then threw herself into a chair. She leaned back and put her feet on the desk. With his finger still in the air, his eyes still locked on his book, he intoned, "Off." Adri grinned and giggled, and left her feet precisely where they were. Shoska, Ledo, and Uruk had seen Adri's immature behavior before. It was understandable, for though she was quite old by human standards, she had never been anywhere that she was not sheltered and waited on. When it came to her father though, her attitude was outright childish. It was almost embarrassing.

When Alathan finally looked up, he dropped the book hard on the desk and openly glared at her. He was clearly in no mood to play games. Adri lost her smile, sat up straight, and quickly removed her feet from his desk. He stared hard at her for what seemed, to her, to be a very long time. Quietly, he asked, "What, in the names of every holy god, have you done to your hair?"

"I had it cut. Do you like it?"

"It's... different." His look of disgust let her know that 'different' was not a compliment. He looked away from Adri, to take in her companions. "I suppose you've done your reconnaissance and have some word for me about these elves with dark skin?"

Ledo stepped forward to give his concise, military-style report, but Adri stood and interrupted. "Yes. We took care of the situation, and they left."

Alathan looked to Ledo, "I hope you can give me a little more to go on?" Adri's eyes pleaded with Ledo, and he understood her silent request. He gave as full a report as he could, without mentioning Krellyn. When he was through, Alathan relaxed, satisfied and relieved by the information given. "Thank you. Now, I'd like a private moment with my daughter, please." The three friends filed out. Before she left, Shoska gently squeezed Adri's hand, offering a little smile of encouragement.

"I thought you would only be gone a few days. It's been nearly three weeks, Adri. I thought I was going to have to send someone out to find you. Do you have any idea how terrified I was that they would find your corpse?"

"I am sorry. Our planning and preparations took longer than we thought. It's fine now, though. I'm fine. No harm done." She came around the desk and tried to hug him, but Alathan was stiff in her arms. Again, his coldness stung her. It made her insides feel small and tight. A selfish part of her wanted to let go. She continued to hold him until he finally, weakly, hugged her back.

Alathan collapsed into his chair. He put his face in his hands for a long, quiet moment. He looked up at her and said, "Nothing is fine. Calethaes has been gone for over two months now. None of the ruling parties approve of his sister's rule, and the four kingdoms are sliding into chaos. Lord Odo has left for the colonies on some mission that he would not describe. He left the Magus Staff to me. I don't even know if he's coming back. I don't relish this responsibility, particularly when the kingdoms are practically at each other's throats. All of this on top of the fact that your mother is gone..." He hung his head and his voice grew heavy. "She's gone with Calethaes. I have no one."

That stung, too. Adri maintained her gentle smile and reminded herself that she had not been there for him. She had been at temple, wrapped up in the security of her own life. The day she did come home, she had no tolerance for the cold way that Alathan had with her. He was going through a most difficult emotional struggle, and she had behaved like a spoiled child. Though the state of things was upsetting, something to be concerned about, Adri's faith would not allow her to be shaken by it. Regardless of life's struggles, Adri always knew that everything would eventually turn out right. She reminded herself that Alathan had no such faith.

Her father sighed heavily. He worked his jaw as he gave her another long stare. "Also, I have heard a particularly ugly rumor about a member of my family." He paused and she felt herself growing very small again. "Tell me, please, that you did not go to a brothel."

One thing Adri knew very well: a falsehood was never the right answer. The scrape of a lie will fever and fester. The clean cut of the truth heals well and quickly. Adri quietly replied, "I can't tell you that."

"Could you not have exercised just a little discretion?" He waved his hand dismissively. "I don't want to know about it. Not any of it." He got up and began to pace about the room again. "Calethaes, Odo, and your mother are gone. Your mother, she could deal with this..." He waved his hands at her. "This... Whatever it is you're going through. I just can't deal with this." He indicated the pile of reports on his desk. "And this angst, or whatever it is you think you need to do right now.

"I want you to say goodbye to your friends, and pack up your things. Tomorrow morning, I am sending for a carriage to take you back to temple. That is the best place for you right now."

In that moment, the word that came from Adri's mouth surprised her, almost as much as it surprised Alathan. "No."

He drew his head back, with the crumpled look of incredulity marring his handsome face. "I beg your pardon."

"You heard me." She was rather proud of the coolness with which she delivered that last statement. It was a chill worthy of her sire, she thought. "I said, 'No.' I am going to Novusarcis to find Mother and Uncle Cal."

He leaned in towards her, narrowing his icy blue eyes. His words hissed and snarled through his teeth. "The hell, you are. You are going back to temple. This is not a discussion, Adrielen."

"No. It isn't. I'm going to go get my mother and the emperor." Now that she had begun to speak her mind, she felt so much stronger than she thought she should. She was almost nose to nose with her father. Her voice was low, but steady when she said, "Now, you're not going to stop me. So, you can help me, or get the hell out of my way."

He pulled back from her, blinking rapidly. Adri had never spoken thus to him, and he was not at all sure how to take that. He could see a look in her eyes, so much like Threa when she was determined and angry. Seeing her mother in the girl, Alathan knew he was not going to win any argument with her. There was one thing, however. He smiled coolly. "You can't go. No ships are sailing now. It's winter. You've got at least four months before they sail again."

"I'll wait."

"Not here, you won't. There's too much happening right now. Someone's trying to kill you, and I can't protect you here. You'll be safe at temple."

"I'll go to Shonland. The colony ships leave from there in three months. No one knows me there. I'll get a small place and lay low until spring."

Defeated, Alathan hung his head. "I'll make the arrangements for you."

Adri nodded. "Thank you, Father." She would let him make his 'arrangements'. Whatever he arranged for her, she would disregard. If someone had it out for her, they would expect her to do what Alathan wanted. She would go to Shonland with her little group of friends, but they would make their own way. She turned to go, but he stopped her with a gentle hand on her elbow.

He asked, "Is there nothing I can do to make you stop this?" She shook her head in the negative. He took the slender gold chain from around his neck. There were two rings suspended by that chain and he removed them. He slid one onto his finger and handed the other to Adri. "Then take this. It was... It is Threa's." His voice broke when he said, "She left it."

He took a few seconds to regain his composure, then continued. "This ring will let you stay in communication with me, wherever you are." He put Threa's ring on Adri's finger, then closed both of her hands in his. He looked deeply into her eyes. "I can't lose you, too. Please, Adri. I just can't."

She broke the contact in his hands, only to put her arms around his neck. "You won't lose me. I'll be fine. I'm always fine." She pulled away and smiled at him. With some reluctance, he let her go.

She was nearly in the hall when he called out to her, "And Adri! Stay out of the damned brothel!"

She giggled. "Yes, Papa."

He could not help but smile as, with a gesture, he closed the door behind her. She had not called him that in over fifty years. Not since he had sent her to the academy in Avar. He tried to go back to his reading, but his thoughts were clouded with visions of loss. He wanted to hope, as his daughter did, but his faith had died in the absence of his wife.

Adri spent the rest of the day in the tower library studying the most recent maps from the colonies. She had no idea where her mother would have gone, but she had a few ideas about where to start looking. As the day progressed, she had developed what might be considered a plan. As the sun began to set, she sat back in her chair, kicked off her slippers and stretched her toes. A man cleared his throat behind her.

She turned to find Garon, holding a pair of familiar, dark grey, linen pants. "I believe, my Lady, that these belong to your... companion. I have not been able to locate him." Adri's face turned bright red, all the way to her ears, as she took Krellyn's pants. She knew where Krellyn was. Throughout the day she had been able to feel his presence as he moved about, exploring the tower. She did not understand what that odd connection meant for either of them, but she had other concerns at that moment.

Garon continued. "I don't think it's necessary to inform Lord Alathan of your... unauthorized use... of the council chamber, this morning. Though, with all due respect, I think a bit more discretion is in order. You know, as well as I, that your father has been under a tremendous amount of stress. It would not do to upset him further."

Adri nodded and managed to squeak a, "Thank you, Garon."

"May I ask a question?" She nodded, and he asked, "What is he, some sort of tiefling?"

"He's a dark-elf."

"Interesting." He looked as if he wanted to question her further, but Garon knew his place. "Your supper is being sent to your room. Master Ledo, Lady Shoska, and the Orc will be joining you, as you requested."

Adri did not tolerate prejudice. "Garon, 'the Orc' has a name. She is called Uruk. She is my friend and my guest, and she deserves the same respect that you offer me."

"I apologize, my Lady. Please do forgive me." Garon swept a hand toward Adri's pile of maps and logs and asked, "Shall I have these things sent up to your rooms as well?" Adri had a tendency to work through meals, forgetting to eat. This was Garon's way of telling her that she was through working for the night, and she was going to eat.

She did not argue. "No. And thank you for... well, for everything." Adri took Krellyn's pants and left the library. It did not occur to her until she reached her door, that Garon had not returned her discarded panties. That seemed curious to her, as he was always so attentive. She was mortified to think they would be spotted by the councilmen the next time they convened. Then she shrugged. They were just panties. They could be anyone's. She giggled at herself and resolved to forget about it.

From his perch on the top of the bookshelves, Ledo watched the servant. Garon looked at the maps Princess had been studying so intently. Ledo shook his head, thinking she would never learn to quit trusting people. Under his breath, Garon murmured the word, "Interesting." The man put the maps on a cart for the librarians to tend to. He sighed as he picked Princess' slippers up off the floor. Ledo watched as the man warily looked around, then took her panties from his pocket and brought them to his nose. Earlier Ledo had sensed the man was slick, but Garon was turning out to be a real bottom-feeding worm. He had been intending to deal with the little man by himself, but Krellyn just might be interested in this one.

Adri met her friends in her chambers, where they could share their evening meal and discuss their plans. She tilted her head to the side, curious, as Ledo leaned in and whispered something to Krellyn. Though Krellyn's cold expression did not change, his hand under hers, tightened to fist. She felt a wave of angry contempt flow across the connection they shared. Though the contempt was not for her, it was so powerful that it chilled her skin. She pulled her hand away as if she had been burned. The dark-elf slid his chair back abruptly and said, "Let's go." As Ledo started for the door, Krellyn put a hand on his shoulder, and the two of them disappeared.

Shoska and Uruk looked at Adri, as if she knew what was going on. From Ledo's expression and Krellyn's reaction to whatever he said, Adri could only assume that this was one of those things she was not supposed to know about. She shrugged and shook her head in the negative as she nibbled a chunk of bread.

Uruk asked, "Your mate got some kind of problem with doors?"

Adri stared at the orc in silence. It was not the 'problem with doors' that had Adri stuck, it was the words, 'your mate'. She truly wanted to think of Krellyn as such, but she knew she should not allow herself to do so. Krellyn was not going to stay with her. He would leave. This was a fact that she had been bracing herself for since they had taken care of the dark-elf camp. She knew that the only reason he had gone to Slavland with them, was to satisfy his curiosity about the tower. With that accomplished, he would go. The fact hurt her insides more than she wanted to admit.

Shoska smiled and said, "I wonder what your babies will look like."

Uruk laughed heartily. "Ha! Long-eared, lavender elf-lets!"

Shoska started to laugh with Uruk, but they both stopped, when Adri said quietly into her plate, "No babies."

Shoska said, "I thought that was one of your dreams. Didn't you say you wanted to find an elf-hottie, so you could marry and make babies? He's an elf... a different kind of elf, sure; but still an elf. You're both hot as hell. You screw like cats in heat, and were obviously meant to be together. So what's the problem?"

Her friend's no-nonsense, blunt line of reasoning made Adri choke on her bread. Shoska folded her arms across her chest. Uruk grinned over her cup of wine. They were both clearly waiting for an answer. When Adri got her breath back, she did not feel like she had one. She tried to smile, tried to make it look as if she was not at all bothered by the fact she was leading herself toward an inevitable, and devastatingly painful heartache. "Krellyn is not exactly the kind of man that wants to have a family." She tried to put a small laugh on her statement, but it came out more like a choked off cry.

Uruk and Shoska shared a long look. Adri could hide nothing. Her passions, her pains, every emotion, every nuance of her soul was clearly, boldly, displayed on her surface. Whether to be cherished or stabbed, Adri left her heart out in front of her in everything she did. Shoska had been there to pick up Adri's pieces when she learned that someone wanted to kill her. She would be there for her again when this Krellyn-shit-storm finally hit. Shoska sensed that it would be bad. She was glad Uruk would be there to help.

Uruk knew exactly how to help in that moment, however. She drained her wine and Adri's, as the high–elf watched, nonplussed. The orc pulled a large flask from her pocket and poured her strong, clear liquor into Adri's cup. Adri brought the cup to her nose, the swiftly set it down again. "What is that?" she asked.

Uruk grinned. "Don't know. Picked it up from that dark-elf camp."

"What are you doing with this stuff? For all you know, this is poison!"

"Nah. It's good. Try it."

Since knowing Uruk, Adri had learned that 'good' for an orc and 'good' for an elf could be two entirely different things. She did try it, though. The liquid tingled in her mouth, almost like some sort of strong spice extract. It was like a fire-ball rolling down her throat as she swallowed. She let it burn in her stomach for several seconds, before she took another drink. After her fifth, or maybe her tenth swallow, Adri felt as though she were looking at the world through a fine veil. Her head felt fuzzy. She had no idea what was funny, but a giggle bubbled up from deep inside. There was nothing she could do to stop it.

After a couple of hours, first Adri's, then Shoska's head hit the table. Uruk smiled with peaceful contentment. She said, "Ah. No feelings. No tears. Just peace and quiet." The orc tucked her empty flask away. Then she laid Adri out on her bed, turning her on her side in case she tossed her supper. She picked up Shoska and balanced the girl across her massive shoulders. She thought about the door a moment. Then she decided, Adri's mate never used doors anyway. She locked it and carried Shoska to her room.

When Adri started to come around, she felt warm. Her mind, just barely conscious, reached for Krellyn's presence and found him right there with her. She opened her eyes and immediately closed them again against the glare of the candlelight. Her head hurt, and the light had stabbed at her eyes. She hissed and moaned. She both heard and felt Krellyn's dark, deep chuckle behind her. The hard muscle of his bare chest hitched against her bare back. When he was through laughing at her, he said, "I've given you a curative. The pain will pass in a moment."

The headache was ebbing fast. Slowly, she opened her eyes again. They were in the bathing room in her chambers. The deep, sunken tub was filled with hot water. Herbs that she could not identify floated on the water's surface and smelled marvelous. They were sitting in the tub together. Her hair was dripping wet and smelled of the honey-suckle soap she liked to use. He must have washed her while she was out. His dark arms were wrapped around her middle. She was naked, sitting between his legs, and leaning back against him.

"You really awake, this time?" He asked her.

"This time?" Had she been awake before? She did not remember anything since laughing at something Uruk said. What was it that she said? It must have been terribly funny, for Adri did remember laughing for a long time.

"Adri, the next time Uruk wants to give you some foreign liquor, maybe you should say 'no.' Spirit of Dream Leaf is not something you can just drink like water."

"You know about that?"

His voice was so quiet, uncharacteristically tender. "You told me. You told me everything, Adrielen."

She did not know what he meant by that, nor did she feel like she wanted to ask. Adri could not think properly. For, just as she was about to question him further, Krellyn pressed his lips to the bundle of nerves between her neck and shoulder. The feathery flick of his tongue and the pressure of his teeth nibbling there sent thrilling jolts down her back. She gasped at the low, purring noise he made against her skin.

He moved one of his hands to caress her breast. Spreading his fingers, he squeezed her soft, sensitive flesh. He slid his thumb in gentle circles over her hardening nipple. He lifted his other hand up and worked both nipples until they pebbled hard. He cupped her and hummed while he bounced her warm, wet tits. He then pinched both of her nipples and pulled.

"Ah!" she cried, arching her back to push her breasts against his hands. His cock lengthened, hardened, and poked her in the small of her back. Without thinking, she arched her back further, lifting herself up, trying to maneuver over him. She whimpered as he took his hands from her chest and moved them to her hips, only to push her off of him.

"Not yet." He growled in her ear. She mewled and squirmed as he pushed his cock against her back. He continued to growl, the vibration of his voice sending bolts of lightning through her veins. She cried out again, when he pulled her tight against him and put his hand on her slick and swollen clit. His rapid breath rasped in her ear. His expert fingers rubbed back and forth. As she neared climax, he paused, teasing her. "Do you want to cum, Sweetling?"

"Yes, Krellyn." She hissed through clenched teeth. Adri opened her eyes and looked down through the rippling water to watch Krellyn's midnight hand work between her alabaster thighs. He pressed hard, making fast, tight circles. She pushed her ass against the bottom of the tub, so that his middle digit hit her hole with every down-stroke. She let out a long moan as pleasure ignited every part of her body.

She lay in his arms, gasping for breath, her pussy twitching under his hand. He brushed his lips against her ear when he said, "All day long, I've wanted to taste this sweet pussy. Now, I'm going to take what I want."

"Oooh! Yes!" She squirmed and cried as he gripped her waist and lifted her out of the water. He set her butt right at the edge of the tub. He grabbed her ankles and spread them, resting her feet on his shoulders. He took a moment to admire her rosy-pink petals. She was such a beautiful pink between those creamy, white thighs. Her sex was engorged with her need, hot and dripping lust. She sat up on her elbows, for she liked to watch what he did to her. "Krellyn.... Please." She begged him as he toyed with her clit under his thumb. He was already working her arousal, building her up again.

"'Please' what, Sweetling?"

"Oooh, Krellyn, please." She knew he would not do what he knew she wanted until she said it, but she liked what he was doing with his thumb. He was just lightly manipulating the folds around her little nub. Though it felt so good, he had put the thought of cunnilingus in her head. She gasped, "Tongue it! Tongue my clit, please!"

Krellyn smiled darkly at her. He slid his thumb down and pushed it inside of her. He slowly worked his thumb in and out. He stuck his long, black tongue out far, so she could see him flick the tip over her nub a few times. Then he snarled and pressed his mouth against her with a savage ferocity. His tongue pressed firm and writhed against her needy clit. She mewled at him when he used the flat of the muscle to spank her little bits. He removed his thumb, and pushed three fingers into her, hard and fast. He matched his pace with his tongue, while sucking her flesh between his teeth.

Adri lost all coherent thought. Her arms gave out. She laid back against the cool tile of the floor. She hardly felt the chill on her back, as her whole focus was at her center. She was aware only of his magnificent tongue, lashing her clit towards her next climax. This, and the busy fingers that massaged and pumped at her entrance. She was unaware that she keened on her every exhale. She was unaware that she gripped handfuls of his silken hair, pushing his head, rocking her hips to fuck his cum-slicked face.

Adri fell over the edge, overwhelmed in the ecstasy of his mouth. As she came, he pulled his fingers out of her clutching pussy and replaced them with his tongue. He wiggled his tongue in and out as she squirmed and bucked beneath him. He moaned and sucked at her gushing juices and continued to lap her clean as she came down from her orgasm. He smiled as she twitched and gasped every time he licked her now, overly sensitive, clit.

He tossed his head at her and commanded, "Move."

Obediently, she scrambled back away from the tub. He pressed his palms to the edge, levering himself out of the water. She gasped in awe as his lean, well-muscled body climbed out of the bath. Droplets of fragrant water, glistening in the candlelight, beaded and slid down his violet-black skin. His long, thick cock stood out straight and bobbed in front of him as he slowly approached her. She was mesmerized by that shaft.

Her hypnotic state was broken when he tossed his wet hair, showering her body in a spray of cool water. He laid on his back next to her. He grabbed her hand, wrapped it around his shaft and squeezed. "You want this?"

"Yes, Krellyn." She gasped.

"Then take it." He growled at her. Krellyn was rough as he pulled Adri on top of him. It was a forcefulness she had come to love. She straddled him and sheathed his glorious cock in her wet, clinging pussy. She folded herself on top of him, wanting to be close, but he hissed at her. "Sit up. I want to watch those tits bounce while you ride my cock."

Adri did as he said, and was soon rewarded for it. He moaned as he watched her pale, bouncing globes. She slid her hands up her own waist and played with her breasts, squeezing them and pushing them together. Krellyn knocked her hands away from her chest and replaced them with his own. He let them bounce in his hands for a moment, then he started flicking her nipples and letting them slap against his palms.

She rode him harder. His huge cock filled her up. Nothing was more perfect to her, than Krellyn's manhood, pushing against the walls of her slick pussy. As the beautiful friction rose, she felt the fringes of their souls caress. She felt complete, with him inside of her. Adri wanted to feel this forever, but she knew she could not. They were only friends; friends who fuck, but still only friends.

That thought actually made her feel angry. She was not angry enough to stop, only to fuck harder. He issued a satisfying grunt as she increased her speed and slammed her pelvis into his. Krellyn slid his hands down her waist and behind, to grasp her buttocks. As she came down, he spread her cheeks. Then he pushed them together as she lifted up. He kept up with her movements. Even though she had started to get angry, what he was doing to her ass while she fucked him felt amazing.

He started to grunt with her every jump. She was snarling with her efforts, completely caught up in the exquisite feel of riding Krellyn, while feeling somewhat pissed at him at the same time. Their vocalizations were accompanied by the wet slapping sound of their bodies on the tile floor.

His hips began to move with her. Then his hands gripped and pressed her ass cheeks together hard, holding her still on top of him. He roared when he came hard. As his first load emptied into her, she screamed. Her pussy walls clenched tight. Her fluids mixed with his and squelched out between them as he shot off again, and again, inside of her. When there was no more left, she dislodged and fell next to him on the floor. Though she was exhausted, Adri wanted to hold on to the spark of anger she had felt, so she did not reach for him.

Krellyn immediately rolled over on top of her. His face was close to hers. With that strange tenderness, he said, "Adri." She could not be angry with him. She knew it was best to just enjoy him, for as long as she could. She closed her eyes and tried to smile. Then his hand was on her jaw, in a tight grip. "Look at me." He snarled at her. She opened her eyes to see something strange in his. She had no time to analyze this as he said, "I'm not through with you."

* * * * *

Krellyn scooped her up in his arms. He carried Adri into her bedroom and threw her onto the bed. He flopped down beside her and pulled the rumpled sheets over them both. She put her head on his chest and tangled her legs with his, as she always did. Adri remained silent, her breathing steady and even. He had time to think.

She had been upset with him. He could feel it when she fucked, could see it when she tried to fake a smile. Adri couldn't fake anything to save her life. He knew the reason. She had told him as much in her drunken rant (a rant she had apparently forgotten) about her dreams and what she wanted out of her life. It was something he simply could not, absolutely would not, give her.

She wanted a husband, and babies, no less. In his thousands of years, he had been a father at least once that he knew of. He took the infant from her whore-mother and left her at a monastery. He had kept tabs on her throughout her life. Though he had nothing to do with raising her, he did still feel a sense of pride to think of her.

In all his years, he had never been a husband. He never would be, either. The notion was ridiculous. He was a Planes Walker. There was no room for family in that life. He carried the remains of a dead god in his soul, essentially making him a god. What did he have need of a wife for? Not to mention children! The very idea was all together stupid.

The woman who loved him, the one who had somehow attached her soul to his, sighed and her leg twitched. Of course, then again, the idea might have some kind of merit. "Damn it!" He whispered.

She lifted her head for second. In a sleepy voice, she asked, "Krellyn?"

"Go to sleep!" He snapped at her. She immediately put her head back down. The last thing he wanted to do was talk about feelings with her. He did not want to think about it anymore. The whole idea was preposterous. He was an Ascended being. She was just a mortal. Just because she was the most interesting mortal he had met in eons, did not mean that he had to get stupid.

He was not keen to stay on the Prime Material any longer than he had to. Adri had plans. He would make plans, as well. She was going to stay for a time in a city on the coast. From there, she would sail across an ocean to another continent. He would stay, just until she left for Novusarcis. Once her ship set sail, his proverbial ship would do the same. It was a perfectly sound plan; and that would be the end of it. So, why did thinking of the end make his belly ache?

# Chapter 5

The following day, what Adri knew was that her empty carriage left at first light, carrying no one but the driver to Shonland. She knew that, via her father's connections, an apartment (one that would not be lived in) had been rented for her there. She knew that passage for the colonies had been arranged with the Lady Fair to ship out in three months, and it was a ship she would not board. She knew that the steward, Garon had been suddenly dismissed. Though she had asked, she apparently did not need to know why.

What Adri did not know was the extent of Ledo's connections. She did not know that her carriage contained a team of well trained and expertly disguised mercenaries. She did not know that they had instructions to interrogate, and eliminate, any would-be assassins along their route. She did not know that the trusted steward had been spying against her; that Ledo and Krellyn took his questioning into their own capable hands. She did not know that upon receiving Ledo's report of Garon's treachery, Alathan took over the situation. At that point, Garon's 'dismissal' was more a disposal.

Adri was aware that not everything was as it appeared to be. She was cognizant of the fact that her father and companions were doing things that they knew would not set well with her. She preferred openness and honesty, however she understood that the darker things they did might be necessary. Adri was somewhat naïve, but she was not an idiot. She chose to turn the blind eye, was intentionally obtuse. It was said that what she did not know would not hurt her, and on a certain level, she agreed.

Adri and her friends spent the day behind closed doors, maintaining the lie that they had gone. When it was dark, Krellyn teleported the group back to the campsite where they had regrouped after defeating the dark-elf priestess. In this way, there was no one to see them leave. They traveled off-road and in the dark. The chill of the encroaching winter crept into their bones, but still they pressed on. When they neared small towns, only Ledo and Shoska would go in for supplies. As she promised, Adri used her mother's ring to telepathically contact her father, if only to let him know she was still alive. Eventually, in a miserable shower of ice-cold winter rain, they reached the gates of Shonland.

Warmth and comfort was found in the small townhome they rented. Though they were all different from one another, as unrelated as they could be, the little group found a sense of family. They each found a stable routine. Adri and Shoska took work in the hospital. Uruk worked nights, throwing rowdy drunks out of taverns. Ledo also worked at night, though Adri did not know what he did, and she was told not to ask. Krellyn was loathe to leave the house, but he enjoyed the kitchen, showing off his culinary skills on a daily basis.

Adri thoroughly enjoyed her life in Shonland. She had honest work, along with a snug little home full of good friends and a phenomenal lover. She was not surprised that Krellyn did not like to leave the house. She was, however, pleasantly shocked by his housekeeping skills. The meals he produced in their modest kitchen were a delight for all of them. She only wished that he would relax. He was tense, never really engaging with any of them. They made love at least once a day, but even then there seemed to be something bothering him.

She tried to make the house more comfortable for him. Whenever she found something he might need or want, she brought it home for him. Even though Adri tried to ask him what was wrong, Krellyn was not the type of man to discuss his feelings. At one point, he told her stop being ridiculous. He told her he did not have feelings. She did not know how to respond to that, for through their bond, she could feel his intense passion, his deep fondness for her, his tension, and his strange denial of the positive things in his life. Adri did not know what to do with someone like that, except to love him.

In the time they had been together, Krellyn said very little about his past. Adri could only assume that he had never known what it was to be loved, and she could not allow herself to be wounded by the fact that he did recognize it. She loved Krellyn with her whole being, but she could not, nor would she if she could, make him love her back. If her heart broke, so be it. She was still determined to show him in everything that she said and did. She was even learning to send her affection for him over their bond.

Though Adri did not understand the how and why of the empathic link that was growing between them, she was learning to trust it and to use it. She studied it, paid attention to all the little nuances of the phenomena. She figured out that she could get about three city blocks from Krellyn before she lost her contact with him. It did not bother her to be that far from him, for she knew she would be going home to him in the evening. She had some fear over what would happen when she left him for good.

She only wished that she could talk to someone about it. When she tried to talk to Krellyn about it, he would immediately change the subject. When she asked Shoska, her friend only shook her head and shrugged. Uruk said it must be some 'weird elf thing'. It was not a thing she could discuss with Ledo, and the last person she wanted to talk to about it was Alathan. Adri desperately wanted to talk to her mother. Threa had always spoken openly with Adri about love, sex and family, but this binding was something she had neglected to mention.

There was no way that Krellyn would stay with her, and no way that she would try to change his mind. He was not a family-man, and seemed disgusted by the very notion. If Adri was going to realize her desire to be a wife and mother, she was going to need to find another elf to do it with. Though the brush of Krellyn's soul against hers was cold, dark and broken, it was the most beautiful touch she could imagine. She feared that her experience with him would prevent her from having a loving relationship with another. Deep down, Adri's worst fear was that she would be alone for the rest of her life; and for an elf, that was a very long time.

* * * * *

Despite the comfort of their home, Krellyn could not allow himself to be content. He felt a distinct unease over the way Adri seemed to be taking the situation. As pleasant as it was, he knew that their life in Shonland was only a temporary reprieve until the spring. Adri though, acted as though it was permanent. The joy she expressed in the simple things of daily life seemed to infect them all. She bought things, decorating the place as if it were theirs. She brought Krellyn things for the kitchen, alchemy reagents and tools, and other simple gifts 'just because'. She had even told him, more than once, that she loved him. She did not seem to expect him to say it back, but it still made him uncomfortable. He told himself that if she was hurt, it was her own problem. It had nothing to do with him. She was just a mortal girl. He did not understand why he even cared enough to think about it.

He lived with this feeling for a month, before he finally had to address it with her. She was lying next to him, her head on his shoulder, her fingers playing in his hair. As the heat from their most recent exertions faded, he decided it was time to remind her of their impermanence. "I won't be going to Novusarcis with you."

"I know. I don't expect you to." Her tone was matter-of-fact. He blinked and frowned. This was not what she was supposed to say. Should she not be trying to manipulate him into keeping her? She was supposed to argue with him, to fight, to cry at the very least. She did not even sound upset. Her blasé attitude about their eminent separation was completely incongruous with the emotions he felt beneath her surface. It was perplexing. All she had to say to him was, "I'm glad you've stayed as long as you have."

He was quite taken aback with her attitude. It was not at all what he expected from her. "And you're all right with this... this 'playing house' until then? You don't have a problem with this?"

She picked her head up, propping her chin on her hand to look him in the eye. "Don't mistake me for stupid, Krellyn. I know what this is. I see no reason for a problem. Let's just enjoy what we have, while we have it." She smiled at him and laid her head back down.

How could she be that way? He could feel her love for him, a powerful energy that flowed along the odd spiritual cord that bound her soul to his. She did nothing to fight it, though she knew he would leave. Regardless of what could happen, regardless of the fear that he knew she felt in considering their separation, her joy would not be broken. "Adri, why are you like this?"

"Like what?"

"You know..." He was not even sure what word it was he looked for. "...Happy?"

She laughed at him. He did not think anything he had said was funny. "What?"

She sat up then. Still giggling, she answered. "You say 'happy' like it's a cuss word, Krellyn. That's what." Her voice softened then, and her face became more serious, though her smile never faded. "I'm happy, because I choose to be. I figure it's too late for yesterday, and tomorrow's not here yet. The only thing I really have is this moment, right here and now. And it is my choice to be grateful for it and to be happy in it." She leaned in to press her lips tenderly against his.

In that kiss, he felt the fabric of her spirit brush against his own. He did sense her pain at the prospect of losing him. To Adrielen, pain was simply another part of being alive. It was certainly something to be acknowledged, but it was not a thing that she would permit to rule her existence. She was love, light and joy. She was everything that he had sworn to deny himself.

She put her head back down, but the pleasant burning of her soul's caress remained with him. It was a sweet pain that he did not want to admit he would miss. He wondered just how much of his own spirit came across to her. "Adri?"

"Hush, Krellyn."

Through his own crooked smile, he said, "Yes, Adri."

* * * * *

After that night, Krellyn allowed himself to relax. When the 'family' came around the table for their evening meal, he sat back in his chair listening to the lively chatter about their day. There were times when he participated in the conversation. He even graced them with a dark chuckle on occasion. Adri noticed his contentment. It was a new look for Krellyn, and she adored it.

Once, she had come home early and caught him humming in the kitchen as he prepared their supper. Of course, he stopped as soon as he sensed her notice. He tried to cover what he was doing by acting like he was clearing his throat. She heard him, though. It was music she tucked away, a treasure in her heart. When she did not leave, he barked over his shoulder, "What are you doing?" She was not supposed to be in his kitchen, getting under foot.

"Just watching you putter around in here."

Krellyn froze. His back straightened and stiffened. He slowly turned to glare at her. Beneath that stern look, Adri felt her lower lip slip between her teeth and heat blossomed between her thighs. "'Putter'?" There was a threat in his tone as he took one predatory step towards her. Her sense of self-preservation told her to get back from the dark-elf. However, where Krellyn was concerned, her need to mate was stronger and demanded she stand her ground. He asked, "You think I'm 'puttering'?"

He tilted his head at her, clearly expecting her to answer. As she mentally floundered for the correct thing to say, Krellyn went back to the counter. He turned around again, this time brandishing a wooden spoon. This, along with the glint in his eye and the curl to his lip, did cause her to take a step back. "Umm, no? Perhaps 'putter' was the wrong word?"

He nodded his head once and purred his agreement with her assessment. "Mm hm." The sound sent a thrill down her spine. He stretched out his arm, indicating the kitchen work-table with the end of the spoon. "You will bend over the table and lift your skirts."

Adri did not know how long they had before the others arrived. She knew that he would spank her with that spoon, and she wanted him to do it. Her bare, pale white ass with reddening spoon marks was not something she wanted to share with her friends. It was not that she felt shame in her desires and behavior. What she felt was selfish. Krellyn was her lord dark-elf. Their time together was for no one else.

Krellyn had struck her buttocks, her breasts, and her legs before, but only with the flat of his hands. He had never used an implement to spank her. Adri thought that some part of her should be at least a little fearful. There was no fear; only a twinge of disappointment that he would not be applying his hand directly to her flesh. He was waiting, watching her consider her options.

As commanded, she bent over the heavy wooden table. She hiked up her skirts and tucked them in, a cushion between herself and the well-worn wood. She looked over her shoulder to see Krellyn's slow, stalking pace. Her breath came faster. Her skin grew hot with anticipation as he casually twirled the spoon. He took his time. His dark expression held the promise of agonizing pleasure. She began to shake, not out of fear, but need for his touch. She tried to control her muscles, to be still, but his effect on her body was impossible to fight.

He closed the space between them. Her nostrils filled with the delicious scents of the bird over the fire, blended with his own fragrance of herbs that clung to him. Then, with cool fingers, he caressed the back of her upper thigh. He pinched the bottom of her buttock and her core began to melt, moisture gaining between her folds. With swiftness, he hooked those dark, nimble fingers around the thin fabric of her panties and ripped them free. In admiration, he purred again as he squeezed her flesh. Time seemed to slow. She could not stop the whimper from escaping her parted lips, for he was taking far too long. He grinned wickedly as he drew back his hand.

She heard the swoop of air as he swung the utensil hard. The snap of the spoon across her bare butt made her jump. She had no time to think about what was happening. As the first welt started to sting, he struck her other cheek. Again and again, he slapped the spoon over her ass and her upper thighs. Though her skin burned, there was an intense pleasure in it. She should have been trying to move away from the pain, but all she could do was twitch and squeal. Thrusting her back-side at him, she hungered for every strike.

He paused and she thought it was over. Then he tapped the inside of her leg with the spoon. He said, "Open."

Adri wanted to open her legs for him, wanted nothing more than to have him inside of her. He still had the spoon in his hand, though. She did not know what he would do with it. For the first time, she felt the slightest touch of fear. Her hesitation was not acceptable. He tapped her other thigh, harder than the first, and barked, "Do it."

She spread her legs, giving him access to the most delicate bits of her flesh. He used the back of the spoon and patted her swollen clit. He rapped out relentless rhythms with increasing and decreasing sharpness of strikes. He read her body, the sounds she made. Her passion flowed along the spiritual channel between them. He knew just when she was about to climax and he changed what he did, shifting from smacking her to rubbing and back again. Repeatedly, Krellyn brought Adri ever closer to the brink of orgasm, but he would not let her cum. She squirmed, shook, cried, and begged him for release. He would not relent.

Suddenly, he stopped and stepped away from her. She heard the clatter as he tossed the spoon in the sink. He left her quaking with need so great, she had to hold back the sob that threatened to spill from her throat. With the crook of her arm, she scrubbed the tears from her eyes. She started to move, then felt him push the center of her back. "Stay." He growled.

She saw him rub an oily salve between his palms. He silently rubbed her sore buttocks and thighs. The spanking had over-sensitized her skin. She gasped as his expert hands massaged the healing salve in. Adri tried to steady her breathing. She tried to come down from what he had done to her, but she needed to cum. He teased her again when he applied the oil to her drenched and aching pussy, but he still would not let her finish.

When it was over, he leaned down over her neck. She felt a wave of his own lust wash over the connection they shared and it caused her to moan. His breath and his voice rasped with his need as he quietly spoke into her ear. "I do not 'putter'."

The only thing she could think to say was, "Yes, Krellyn." Her voice trembled, sounding weak in her ears. Though Adri was not averse to pleasing herself, it was so much more exquisite when Krellyn did it. She silently prayed that he would tend to her later. In the meantime, she would enjoy the tension in the anticipation.

"Get out of my kitchen. I will see to your needs, once you've had some nourishment." As she left the room, he added, "You'll need it."

Krellyn was true to his word. After their meal, once his kitchen was cleaned to his fastidious satisfaction, he tossed Adri over his shoulder and carried her to their room. With his hands, his mouth, and his cock, he made her cum for every time he had denied her in the kitchen. If he had left her wanting before, he now left her sated, exhausted. Sprawled on her belly across the bed, tangled in the rumpled sheets, Adri was not sure she could move. She knew she certainly did not want to.

She was nearly asleep, when Shoska burst through the door and shook her. It was not like her friend to do that, so Adri knew something was wrong. She immediately got up and started pulling on clothes, as Shoska explained. Ledo had not returned from his nightly outing, and she feared something had happened to him.

Adri, Shoska, and Uruk found him in the third tavern they checked. He was face-down on the table, surrounded by empty shot glasses. Ledo lifted his head as they sat down beside him. Shoska and Adri gasped, while Uruk whistled. Ledo's eyes were blackened, his lip cut, and his nose broken. His face was one swollen, bloody bruise. Adri moved to help him, but he raised a finger and slurred, "S' all right. Don't hurt no more." He put his head back down on the table.

Adri said to Uruk, "Get him up. We'll sort this out at home."

Uruk picked him up. She said to the concerned tavern girl, "I'll just get this out of your way."

As soon as they got back to their apartment, Adri used divine energy to heal Ledo's face and take the alcohol from his system. When she was through, he glared angrily at her and said, "You took away my drunk."

Adri crossed her arms and smirked. "You're welcome. Now, who did that to your face?"

"Doesn't matter. He gave us a lead."

"A lead? To what?"

"The guy I met tonight was sent by some freak who calls himself the Worm Lord. They're looking to kill you, Princess. The guy eventually thought it would be in his best interest to tell me where to find the Worm Lord. Tomorrow, we're going to pay him a visit."

Very quietly, nearly a whisper, Adri asked, "What do you mean it was in his best interest? What happened? What did you do?" Ledo would not meet her eyes. It was not the first time that her friend had been hurt because of her. Though she tried not to think about it, it was also not the first time he had to hurt someone else. Adri felt sick as she silently prayed it would not have to happen again.

The following day, the five of them set out for the seediest parts of Shonland. Ledo stopped the group at a sewer entrance. Adri sighed. "This guy lives in the sewer?" She smacked her forehead with her palm. "Of course he does. They always live in the damn sewer. Gods, this is disgusting." While Shoska patted Adri's arm in sympathy, Ledo and Uruk laughed. Even Krellyn chuckled.

It turned out to be a long unused part of the sewer system. The walls were dry, and the smell, though quite musty, was tolerable. The place was definitely occupied, as someone had taken the time to string occasional lanterns along the walls and kept them lit. Ledo ordered silence and the others filed behind him. Krellyn, who was only there out of simple curiosity, brought up the rear of the group. After they had rounded a few corners, Ledo held up a hand indicating they were to wait.

Adri felt a chill as the shadows writhed and crawled from the walls. They slid towards Ledo, surrounding him, until he himself was a shadow. She had seen this once before, but it still made her stomach tight and her blood cold. The Shadow-Ledo slithered along the floor and further down the tunnels. He was not gone long. He had found the door and taken care of the guards.

As they opened the ornate door, they were struck by a strong smelling fog. The room was thick with incense and the heady smell of sex and blood. Adri was also taken aback by an intense evil that flowed from the room, crawling over her skin like a swarm of insects. She took an instinctive step back, before she straightened her spine and found her righteous anger. When she followed Ledo and Uruk into the chamber, her first impulse was turn around and walk back out again.

It took a moment for her mind to process what she was seeing. The room was crowded with groups of people, who were engaged in every manner of sexual practice, so that Adri doubted there was an empty orifice in the room. They rutted and writhed among pillows and pallets on the floor. They bent over or perched on chairs, couches, and tables. Some of the participants even hung in slings suspended from the ceiling. Some were chained and some were being flogged. A few people were allowing themselves to be bled, while their partners lapped at their scored flesh. Some of them looked as though they were there willingly, while others looked reluctant.

To move further into the chamber, she had to step around a lively group at her feet. Two men grunted in rhythm as they rammed a woman's ass and pussy. Adri thought that such an act must be painful, but at the other end, the woman was servicing two more men who were taking turns at her mouth. The woman seemed happy enough, smiling and laughing between cocks. Adri shook her head and walked around them. She could not imagine herself in such a position, and it even made her feel a little ill to contemplate it.

As she slowly waded further into the lake of bodies, Adri could not focus on any one group long enough to discern who wanted rescuing and who wanted to be let alone. She suspected drugs in the incense, for with every breath she felt her mind slipping further into fog. The sound, a cacophony of moaning, grunting, squealing, and the perpetual slapping of flesh on flesh, seemed to drown out her ability to think properly. The stinking heat and humidity was nearly unbearable. A bead of sweat that was slowly trickling down her spine was driving her mad. She closed her eyes tight, and prayed to the Dawn's Light for clarity.

From the other side of the room, a voice boomed above the sounds of the orgy. "I smell a high-born elf-bitch, and she reeks of the Light of Dawn! All right, which one of you useless fucks brought me my prize? It's about damn time. Bring her to me." The creature sprawled in his throne. A woman knelt between the creature's legs, her head bobbed up and down the length of an engorged prick. The being roughly shoved her off his lap and stood up. He was bipedal, covered in a spotted coat of fur. His body was shaped like that of a tall, muscular man, but he had the head of a leopard.

Adri lifted her head and opened her eyes, the Light gleaming there. There was her clarity, the evil in the room all funneled back to the Outsider creature, the rakshasa, on the opposite end of the room. The Lady of Dawn's Light called all of her followers to defend the Prime Material against Outsiders who would do harm. Adri was no exception, and the rakshasa was just such an Outsider. Her blood, so cold just seconds before became hot, and there was her wrath. She drew her scimitar and held it aloft. A light burst from the blade, dispersing the smoke.

Some of the bodies disengaged from their partners and approached. They brandished chains and knives, clearly intending to fight. In that moment, those people were not her concern. If they chose to take arms against Ledo, Shoska, and Uruk, they were going to die. Some part of her thought it was sad, but they had chosen the wrong being to follow. Adri's holy commandment was crystal clear to her. The Outsider must be killed or banished. Any mortal who chose to stand with said Outsider, was a casualty of war.

A man came at Shoska with a chain in his hand. Judging her only by her size and lack of weapons, he gravely mistook her for an easy target. She ducked toward him under his swing, rolled behind his legs, and a swift jab brought him to the floor. Before he even knew what was happening, she had his own chain around his neck and choked him out. Two more came at her with knives, but they were no match for her speed and focus. She caused one man to stab himself in the chest, while she broke the other man's arm in three places.

A group of the Outsider's people piled on top of Uruk. She took a few nicks to her tough skin, but the orc only laughed at their efforts. She shook like a wet dog. The ones that did not fall off were plucked off and dashed to the floor. In the mess, her axe had been knocked loose. She turned to see a man with his hands wrapped around the haft. She cocked her head at him and smiled. "Pick it up, little boy. I'll even let you take a swing before I snap you like a wishbone." The man wisely let go of her axe and backed away.

Ledo gripped Adri's arm, trying to get her attention. "Easy, Princess. We need to ask it some questions." He knew she would not listen. She never did when it came to things like this creature. He turned to join Shoska and Uruk in the fight. He noticed Krellyn standing in the doorway. The cruel dark-elf seemed to be entertaining himself by teleporting those who tried to run away, sending them reeling back into the middle of the fight.

Adri was only vaguely aware of what was happening around her, as all of her concentration was on the rakshasa. She barely heard Ledo's request. Though the sharp pop from his pistol did cause her to jump and hurt her ears, it was not enough to disrupt her holy work. There would be no time for questions, for she felt this was no longer about her. This was an Outsider, and it simply had to go. When the rakshasa saw that Adri was unbound, that her friends were trouncing his guards, and that she was coming for him, he was a bit startled. He locked his eyes on hers and used his mental power to scan her surface thoughts.

When she was sure she could hear herself speak after Ledo's gunshot, Adri asked the rakshasa, "You're the Worm Lord?"

"I am. I rule an army of assassins." It sounded as though he was trying to boast. She only saw him as a waste of cosmic energy, who was not long for the Prime Material. He sensed her intent to banish him. The last thing he wanted was a trip to the Hells. He held out his hands and smiled. Through his voice and the tentative link he had to her mind, he attempted a spell of suggestion. "Look, Duchess. Listen to your friend. Ask me anything you want. Just lower that sword and come sit with me. Can we not talk this over, like civilized people?"

Adri could feel the creature's mind wriggling like a swarm of maggots just under her skull. She knew what he was trying to do, but her will was far stronger than he could anticipate. Mentally shoving his pathetic spell aside, "No." was her only reply. She immediately followed this with the prayer of banishment. The light radiating from Adri's holy weapon coalesced to a single white beam that reached the center of the creature's chest.

The Worm Lord, screamed at her, "No! Wait!" as he began to fold in on himself. In seconds, the Outsider disappeared. The space of air surrounding where he had been standing snapped shut with a loud pop.

With the rakshasa taken care of, Adri was able to turn and help her friends if they needed it, but the battle was done. The guards were no match for her friends. Once they understood that, they had surrendered. They dragged their unconscious and wounded allies to pallets near the walls, and stayed well away from Adri's group.

Ledo shouted, "Damn it, Adri! We needed answers from him!"

She did not answer him. They would find what they needed among the creature's things. It had to have an office or something. The rakshasa's 'guests' and his slaves or employees, were all huddled together against the walls, staring at them with wide, fearful eyes. Still wielding the scimitar, Adri announced. "This is what's going to happen. My friends and I are going to have a look around. We're going to take what we need, and not one of you is going to have a thing to say about it. If you want to stay, carry on. If not, get out. Am I clear?" Several people scrambled for the door, while a few others just dumbly nodded their heads.

They found a small office just off of the throne room. It looked as though The Worm Lord had been in operation in Shonland for quite some time. Shelves behind the creature's desk were laden with boxes of files. On the desk was a mandate for Adrielen's death. Her killer was to deposit a message in a specific drop-box at the Empyreal Bankers' Guild of Avar. After which, they would be contacted for an exchange of proof and payment. Adri gasped when she saw the order was stamped with the empyreal seal. She did not want to believe that Calethaes' sister, Lily, would want her dead. The person coming after her either had access to the royal seal, or they had access to a very good forger. She could only hope it was the latter.

* * * * *

All the while, Krellyn watched the group with interest. He had never actually seen them work before. Ledo, Shoska, and Uruk fought together as an impressive team. Granted, the creature's people were overfed, overindulged, and rather stupid; an 'army of assassins', indeed. They did not need his assistance, so he simply stood in the doorway and watched. He was not about to let anyone run out of the room to possibly bring back reinforcements. When one of them tried to escape, he simply sent them right back into the fray.

Adri's refusal to take the rakshasa alive was interesting. Ledo was clearly frustrated with her when she would not listen to him, even though Krellyn thought the young man was probably right. That Adri had faith in her goddess was without question, but he had not realized just how zealous she could be. Was she so blinded by her own light that she could not see the value in questioning an assassin? He wondered if she would be so faithful to them if she had actually met the gods. If she knew them as he did, would it change how she felt?

He hated all of the gods. They were just as angry, jealous, bitter, greedy, and petty as any of the mortals who worshipped them. They were undeserving of that worship, undeserving of their power. Eons ago, Krellyn's life, his whole world, had been savagely ripped apart. Where were those bastards, then? He clenched his fist at his side and violently shoved the memory back down where it belonged. It was long over. There was nothing to be done for it. Though he carried a god essence within himself, he would never join them in their pathetic pantheon. He would forever remain apart. Alone. That is the way he wanted it. Was it not? Of course it was.

Krellyn refocused his attention on the task at hand. He followed the group into the office where they went through the being's things. On its desk, there were several copies of an order for Adri's death. When she noticed the seal, Krellyn could actually feel her alarm and fear, as an intense pressure in his own chest. He resisted the impulse to touch her, keeping his hands tightly clasped in front of him.

Ledo took one of the orders from the desk and put it in his pocket. He set the rest on fire. As they filed out of the room, they did not see as Krellyn pulled one of the papers from the fire. He blew out the corner and tucked it away in his cloak. He did not even know why he did it. Perhaps, just because it might be a useful thing to have.

# Chapter 6

They spent the rest of the winter in peace. When it came time to book passage, they chose the Sea Sprite, even though Alathan had arranged for them to sail on the Lady Fair. Though Garon had been dealt with, they did not know how extensive the chain of spies within the tower was. They did not want to take their chances with something happening in the middle of the ocean. The night before their departure came all too quickly.

Adri spent the day keeping herself busy. She packed her things with excessive care, cleaned things that did not need to be cleaned, and generally avoided any conversation that went deeper than inane chatter. She felt a heaviness pressing on her head and her spine. He stomach was all knots. Though she tried to tell herself it was nervousness about the ocean voyage, she knew it was because she did not want to leave Krellyn.

That night, he was waiting for her in their room. As she latched the door, she turned to try to talk to him. She wanted to talk about their bond, and what might happen to them when she left. She needed him to know that she felt like leaving him behind just might kill her heart. He put his fingers to her lips and said, "No talking."

His deep red eyes bored into hers, and he did not move his hand until she nodded. There was a tight pain that came across their link. Adri actually had some relief that perhaps Krellyn was not so keen to be apart from her either. He put his hands on her shoulders and roughly pushed her against the wall. He brought his knee up between her thighs and she ground against his leg. He pressed his lips to hers. When their tongues met, they both forgot to hurt.

Krellyn filled his hands with her breasts and squeezed. His deft fingers worked the lacing at her neckline. Her creamy mounds spilled over and he moved his head to suckle her pert nipples. As he sucked and nibbled one, he pinched and pulled the other. Then he switched, until she was gasping for breath and both nipples were pebbled hard. He stood back and tugged at her clothes until she stood bare before him.

His gaze and his purr of approval made her insides quiver. She waited for his command, but he only silently pointed at their bed. Adri did not know how he wanted her, so she sat at the edge and watched him undress. He knew she was watching, and on purpose, he took a very long time about it. As he stripped for her, she moved her fingers between her legs and slowly stirred her clit.

She stopped when he knelt on the floor in front of her. He grasped her hand and moved it back into position. He moved her fingers with his own, firmly pressing, making wide circles that encompassed her outer folds. She stared, mesmerized by the play of their hands together. He nudged her knees further apart. With his free hand, he slipped three fingers inside of her. He let her lead the play over her clit, matching her intensity with both of his hands. Her body tensed. She held their hands still, pressing hard, mewling as her hips bucked of their own accord.

He slowly pulled his fingers from her clutching pussy. He stood and pushed her back on the bed. From the bedside table, he took two dildos. Both were made of heavy black glass. One was about the size of his thumb, while the second was only a little smaller than his cock. He had only ever used one or the other. She was curious and anticipating the pleasure of both. When he picked up the smaller one and the bottle of oil, Adri knew what to do without having to be told. She pulled her knees up and opened them wide. She used her hands to pull her buttocks apart.

* * * * *

When he instituted the no-talking-rule for the evening, he feared she would protest. Her feelings of anxiousness regarding her departure were obvious to everyone, but very palpable to him in his connection with her. Krellyn was pleased when she fell silent. He was even more pleased as she anticipated and followed him without the need for verbal commands.

She raised up and opened her butt for him. He felt a smile as he noted that her cunt still twitched from her previous orgasm. She gasped as he spilled the warmed oil over her slit, letting it flow down into her ass. His ears delighted in the deep moan that came when he rubbed the oil all over her sensitive pink skin, then pressed and dipped the tip of one dark finger into her tight pucker. She moaned again, louder as he withdrew his finger and slowly inserted the plug.

He gently moved her hands away, and retrieved the larger toy. Though he could empathically feel her desire, he looked at her face to make sure that this was what she wanted. She bit her lower lip, watching him slide his oiled hand up and down the glass shaft as if he were stroking himself. With one hand, she squeezed her own breast, while the other slid back down to her swollen clit. Watching her watch him while she played with herself, he was growing quite hard. He promised himself that he would take his pleasure in her sweet lips when he was sure she could handle the glass shaft on her own.

Slowly, he penetrated her channel with dildo. She whimpered and he paused, looking into her face for confirmation that she was all right. Then her fingers left her clitoris and wrapped themselves around his wrist. She pulled at him, causing him to push further into her. She guided his arm, pulling and pushing. She squirmed, heaving rapid breaths interspersed with moans of pleasure. She definitely seemed to have it under control.

He left her to it and moved up her body to place a knee at either side of her head. Krellyn let the head of his cock brush against her open lips. Her tongue came out and flicked the pre-cum there. He groaned and pushed into her waiting mouth. She closed around him and sucked hard as she continued to lap his head with her tongue. She was still moaning, the vibration of her voice, driving him to madness. He gripped the headboard and thrust. She swallowed him and he thrust again and again. The heat of her lust, the tightness of her throat, even the scrape of her teeth on his flesh worked to quickly send him over the edge. He came in her throat and she swallowed it all. She still lapped at him even as he withdrew from her mouth.

He turned to look and she was still plunging the toy in and out of her pussy. Her free hand rubbed frantically at her clit and he could tell she was close. He chuckled at her and she only smiled back at him. He put his hands in her shaggy hair and kissed her, tasting his own salt on her tongue. He maintained that kiss while he pinched and twisted first one, then the other nipple. He felt her body convulse beneath him as she whined and mewed through their kiss. When she was through, she handed him the glass shaft. She reached to take the other one from her bottom, but he shook his head at her, and she left it where it was.

Krellyn positioned between her knees and rubbed her over-stimulated skin with the head of his cock. He inserted his semi-erection, playing it back and forth, letting it lengthen and re-harden inside her. It did not take long. The plug in her ass made her pussy feel so tight around his engorging member. Still in her throes, her rings of muscle clenched and released in natural rhythm. Adri gripped his arms tight. She threw her head back, and let loose a long cry of pleasured pain as he filled her.

He lowered his body over hers, cradling her head in his hands while he began to pump in earnest. She writhed, wild under him. Her hands slid down his back to his buttocks. She gripped him, digging her nails in, and pulled him deeper with animalistic strength. He growled his appreciation in her ear, but he had to suppress a little laugh when she actually growled back at him.

There was nothing of the civilized, high-born duchess in her then. Every sound she made was a bestial snarl, growl, or grunt. Her nails bit him, her hands slapped his ass, demanding that he fuck her harder. He was certainly willing to oblige. Just when he found a good groove, and was beginning to think he could keep up his stamina all night, Adri screamed her climax and then promptly bit him. He was so surprised and thrilled when her teeth sank hard into his shoulder, he could not stop his own shout. Nor could he halt the raging torrent of his seed from flooding her womb.

Spent, he laid on top of her for a while before he dislodged. He carefully took the plug from her and washed the toys in the basin. Still, Adri remained quiet. He could feel her emotions, though instead of fighting it, he just let them flow over his soul. The light burned, but like her bite, it was a pain he was beginning to want. They both kept their silence, neither speaking what was in their hearts. Neither one of them slept, though they both pretended to.

Krellyn went with them to the docks. When it was time to go, Adri clung to him, her hands clutching at his cloak and his hair. Though she did not allow the tears in her eyes to fall, though she did not release the sob that he could feel just beneath her surface, he had to pull her off of him. Uruk had to half-lead and half-carry her onto the ship. As the ship pulled away from the docks, he felt a dull ache in his chest. It was an ache he did not understand. She was just a woman.

* * * * *

Adri felt like a simpering idiot as she clung to Krellyn, but she could not help it. Just the thought of being half-way around the world from him was painful. She knew that he did not want to stay on the Prime Material. She knew that once she boarded that ship, her beloved Krellyn would leave her world forever. It was the end, and she just knew that because her soul was bound so to his, the end would kill her.

She had never experienced such pain as he pushed her away. The edges of her vision blackened, and she was not sure that she could hold her own feet on the ground. Then thick, hard arms went around her middle and her nose filled with the familiar scent of orc. Uruk had her. She let herself be led. Adri did not dare look behind her as she climbed the ramp to the ship that would carry her across the sea to the colonies.

To her credit, Adri remained strong, standing on her own feet and on the deck, until she lost sight of land. Then, her chest was crushed by a pain so great she could no longer stand. Blackness swirled and darkened her vision as the solidity beneath her feet gave way to nothing. She was not aware of her own desperate plea, "Lady, help me!"

Uruk caught Adrielen before she hit the deck. They carried her to the V.I.P. cabin that had been reserved for her. Sometimes Adri woke to Shoska's presence, sometimes to Uruk; and sometimes, a golden woman with wings stood over her bed. Every time she saw the golden woman, she could only assume that the Lady of Dawn's Light had come to bring her home. Then, she felt a sharp pain in her ribs and heard Ledo shouting at her through her haze. Eventually, she heard him. He was shouting at her.

"I'm not going through all this shit to watch you die in your bed over some damn fool man! Get up, Princess!"

With a thick and unfamiliar tongue, she said, "Shut up, Ledo."

"Not 'til you get the fuck up!" He punched her in the ribs again, and Adri managed to sit up. He was in her face, shouting at her. "So, you got your feelers bent. Get over it! Are you going to save your mother or not?"

The only thing she could say was, "Yes, Ledo."

# Chapter 7

The voyage across the sea took nearly three months. Adri's days were spent learning unarmed-combat techniques with Shoska, occasionally assisting the ship's surgeon, and helping out with some of the simpler sailing tasks. Regardless of the appalled expressions on the faces of the quartermaster and the captain, the duchess was rather proud of her swabbing prowess. She stayed busy, daily driving herself to the point of exhaustion. Even so, she avoided her bunk, instead, swapping stories with the night crew. Adri had quickly come to fear the silence, for the time to think brought on the pain. Though she tried to hide it, the agony of Krellyn's absence would not subside.

Just when it seemed they would be at sea forever, the shoreline of Novusarcis came into view. The continent was the elves' native land, with the human colonists slowly pushing them further west. The frequent battles between the two races had subsided to an uneasy truce, with a range of mountains to buffer between them. There was a growing divide between elves who wanted to keep their old ways, and those who wanted to integrate with the humans. Those who did join the colonists were treated as second-class citizens, but they were young and still had hope for a better future.

When they arrived at Havenport Colony, Adri's legs felt wobbly to stand on dry land again. Together, the friends decided that they would walk to the inn, rather than hire a carriage. The colony was nothing like Adri's mother had described it. Threa had told her that the town was small, bordered around by a high wooden wall. She said that the buildings were little more than make-shift shacks, surrounded by perpetually muddy roads. The Havenport of Adri's day was a bustling city of brick and mortar buildings that had sprawled out far beyond the meager walls of its beginnings. The streets were paved, and some of those streets even boasted streetlamps. The lamps and buildings were being decorated in ribbons and colorful banners by bright and cheerful townspeople.

The people themselves were a motley mix of humans, elves, and even a few half-orcs. Though most looked twice at Uruk, no one looked mean. The attitude of everyone they passed was one of excitement and good cheer. Everywhere they looked they saw bright colors and smiling faces. Adri could not help but think to herself that Krellyn would hate it. The thought added a sharp pang to the intense ache that was becoming a permanent part of her existence. She wiped a quick hand across her eyes, and tried to smile at some friendly merchants who waved and welcomed them into town.

Upon reaching the inn, they found they arrived just in time for a summer festival. The following day would be filled with music, dancing, games and contests. There would be performances and plays. It was to be a day of feasting, drinking and merriment, followed by a great bonfire that would light up the night and push the party on until the next morning. Adri loved festivals, the colors and sounds, and all those people radiating a contagious positive energy. She hoped that it would be something to take her mind off of her pain, if only for a while.

Once they reached the inn and got themselves settled, the friends went their separate ways. Being a bit of clothes horse, Uruk wanted to see what was in style on the new continent. With a wave to Adri, she headed back out amongst the merchants. Shoska and Ledo went to their room and did not come back out again. That gave Adri a genuine smile, glad for the happiness they could find in each other. As for Adri, she wanted a real bath as opposed to a sponge and bowl; and some real wine that was not watered down and that came in actual glass.

When she was clean and one glass in to her determination to relax, Adri returned to the common room. More people had filled the space since she had left it, and the atmosphere was becoming lively. Her attention was drawn to a group of three men that were a seated at a table near the bar. They each had tan skin and hands that looked as though they worked for a living. Their clothes were plain and utilitarian. They were joking and laughing with one another as they drank their ale. What really drew Adri's attention was that they were elves, like her.

One of them had a particularly nice smile. His violet eyes were bright and sparkled in his mirth. His dark brown hair, kissed by her goddess with golden highlights, was worn in a long, tight braid down his back. He threw his head back and laughed hard at something one of his friends said, and it caused Adri to giggle. She ordered another glass of wine for herself, and a round for the elves' table.

They were clearly surprised by her gesture. Wide eyed, they stopped laughing to stare at one another, then at her. Though the other two put their heads together to whisper, violet eyes stood up and waved her over. He moved down the bench, giving her a space to sit beside him. He said, "Thank you for the drinks, my Lady. Is there something we can do for you?"

Adri was not sure what came over her, except a keen desire to just stop hurting. What came out of her mouth was, "I'm looking for a date for the festival tomorrow."

One of the men snickered and shook his head. The other muttered, "Oh shit." Violet eyes just stared and blinked several times, then took a very long swig from his mug.

The one who swore, quickly stood up and grabbed his snickering fellow by the shoulder. To violet eyes he laughed and said, "Uh, you're on your own, man. We got to go and do uh, somethin' er other." To Adri he said, "Thanks for the drink, Lady." With that, she was left alone with violet eyes.

Adri asked him, "Did I say something wrong? Was that too forward?"

He watched her face for a moment, then smiling he said, "Maybe a little bit. It's just that you're clearly Empire, and you outclass any of us by more than a mile. So what does someone like you want with someone like me?"

Adri sighed. "I just want an escort for tomorrow's festival." She held out her hand, "I'm Adri."

He took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Farmer."

Adri laughed. "That is not your name."

He laughed with her. "Humans don't care to learn our names. So here, I'm Farmer. My mother called me Nikoliath. My friends call me Niko."

Adri and Niko talked long into the evening. He told her about his life among the tribal elves, how he had come to work in the colonies, hoping to help bridge the gap between elves and humans. Adri told him about life in the empire. Ledo, Shoska and Uruk joined them from time to time. Adri knew they were checking up on her, but that was all right with her. When the evening came to a close, she had a new friend and a date for the festival.

She was looking forward to the following day's distractions, but Adri had the night to get through. Nights were the worst. While everyone slept, she paced and fidgeted in her loneliness. Her heart ached and pounded. She could not bring herself to lay down in the empty bed. She prayed and tried to lay on the floor to sleep, only to spring back up and pace again. Though the temptation to drown in a bottle was strong, she had a duty to her friends and her family. An addiction to alcohol was not a problem she needed to add to her list. Her nights on the ship had been like this, and until the pain of Krellyn's absence could subside, she feared they would continue as such.

Niko met Adri and her friends in the morning, and they all headed out to the festival together. As they wandered, enjoying the festivities, Niko showed her around the city. He was kind, gentle and attentive. He was also quick with his wit and easy to laugh. Though Adri enjoyed his company, finding him very pleasant, there was no spark of chemistry. She yearned for the lightning that flowed through her veins when she was in Krellyn's presence.

At lunch time, they were perusing a variety of foods that had all been breaded and dipped into vats of boiling lard. The smell alone was enough to bloat the belly, but Adri supposed a little indigestion was all part of the fun. Just as she was zeroing in on a deep fried fruit pie, screams that were definitely not of merriment erupted from the crowd. People started running in terror, followed by a scorpion that was about the size of a carriage.

Uruk said, "Hmm. I wonder what that would taste like. Lobster maybe?" Just then, the insect grabbed a woman in its pincer. Uruk ran after the bug yelling, "Nope. Bad bug!" She grabbed a leg and climbed onto the thing's back, still shouting, "Bad. Drop it. Drop it!" Though Uruk was hacking through the carapace with her axe, she was unaware of the barbed stinger that threatened over her head.

Niko cried, "Is she crazy? We've got to get out of here!"

Adri shoved her fruit pie at him, saying, "Yes. She is a little bit crazy. Hold this for me. I'll be right back." Adri looked around and found an elderly gentleman with an ornamental sword at his hip. She grabbed his sword shouting, "Thanks! I'll give it back."

Adri prayed over the sword as she chased after Uruk and the scorpion. As her prayer closed, the sword transformed from a useless trinket of vanity into a shining scimitar, blessed with the Lady of Dawn's holy light. She was nearly there when she saw Ledo and Shoska engaged with yet another scorpion. Adri glanced behind her and yelled, "Niko, run!"

"What about you?" He called after her.

Adri flashed a grim smile as she slashed through the scorpion's tail. "I'll be fine." With its tail severed, she was no longer worried about Uruk getting hurt. Adri slashed at the legs, while her friend worked on the head, and in seconds the thing lay still on the ground. Both Adri and Uruk moved around to the front to help the lady caught in the pincer. Uruk pried the claw apart, and Adri pulled the unconscious woman free. Uruk carried the injured woman out of the mess and lay her out on a table. A quick scan told Adri that the woman was in shock and had several broken ribs. She put her hands in the middle of the lady's chest and channeled divine healing.

As Adri worked her magic, Uruk ran after Ledo and Shoska. The girl had managed to pin the monster's tail to the ground with a sign stake. She had half of its legs tied together with a string of decorative flags and was working on the other side. Ledo was at the front end. In a stroke of his own brilliance, he purposefully allowed himself to be grabbed. As the scorpion pulled him toward its snapping jaws, Ledo stuck both pistol barrels in its mouth and pulled the triggers. The carapace cracked, and bug guts exploded.

Adri caught up with her friends just as Uruk pulled Ledo from the pincers. He was bruised, but otherwise unharmed. Shoska stepped up to the group, glaring at Ledo as she wiped big globs of bug slime from her face and hair. She spat the stuff out of her mouth and snarled at Ledo. "You just had to blow it up!"

Joking with her friend, Adri said to Shoska, "You've got a little something right..." Then Shoska swiped a handful of slime from her dress and flung it at Adri.

There were more scorpions to deal with. The group of friends helped the town militia dispatch them all. Then Adri immediately left for the infirmary where she could help those that were badly wounded in the attack. Niko was there, bringing water and rags, helping where he could. He confessed that he had been waiting for her. Niko followed Adri and talked as she worked. "I've never seen anything quite like that. You're more than just a sun priestess, aren't you?"

Adri shrugged. "I do what is necessary. There is evil in the world, Niko. At the will of my Lady, I am strong enough to do something about it. I am whatever she makes me to serve her calling."

"Adri, this is way over my head. I don't know what you want from me."

Having finished mending the head wound on her latest patient, Adri smiled at Niko. "I want you to sit here and hold this man's hand. When he wakes up, I want you to tell him that he is safe, that the bugs are gone, and that he can go home." Her new friend sat beside the resting man and took his hand. Adri bent and kissed the top of Niko's head before moving on to another patient.

While Adri was working at the infirmary, Uruk, Shoska, and Ledo tracked the scorpions' path through town to find their lair. They found a massive hole under the dump pile just outside the Havenport slums. Upon Ledo's report, the governor had the area barricaded, and Ledo agreed to investigate further.

Later in the day, they all met back at the dump. No longer in their festive and bug gored attire, they were armed and armored, ready to take on whatever they found in the hole beneath the trash. Adri griped. "Do we really have to wade through garbage? Honestly. Is there no other way in?"

Ledo said, "We don't exactly have the time to look for the grand royal entrance, Princess."

Adri sighed and followed behind the others into the reeking hole from which the bugs had come. It was a steep incline that lowered them into a small complex of tunnels and caves. Strange sounds were echoing off the walls, like hammering and the rip of a saw through wood. Within the cave complex, the smell of garbage and rot faded to be replaced by the smell of the sea and of something Adri had not smelled before. Uruk sniffed loudly, then again. She grunted and smiled. "Huh. Smells like goblins."

"Great." Ledo snarled and started loading his pistols.

Uruk waved a hand at him. "Ah, put those away, Ledo. Goblins are all right. They're just misunderstood is all."

Ledo sighed. "They're little green monsters with big mouths and a hell of a lot of teeth. You call 'em goblins, I call 'em target practice. What's to understand?"

Uruk turned on Ledo, "Now look it here, you little..."

Adri stepped between them and laid a gentle hand on them both. "Stop. I, for one, have had enough blood and guts for today. Can you talk to goblins, Uruk?"

"Sure, I can." Uruk said with a smile.

"Then let's try that first. All right, Ledo?"

He roughly holstered his guns and glared. "Whatever your command, oh Princess."

"Shut up, Ledo."

They found the goblins were busy building. They were wedging supports onto cave walls and erecting make-shift housing. When the group entered their cavern, all work stopped. As one, the horde of goblins turned their beady eyes on the intruders. Ledo was accurate in his description. The creatures were the size of little children. They had green skin, red eyes, and some had tufts of black hair. Their heads were incongruously large compared to their scrawny bodies. A goblin's mouth took up half of its face, and was filled with rows of needle sharp teeth.

After their talk of trying things peacefully, Uruk surprised everyone when she roared at the top of her lungs and leapt into the middle of the horde. She swung her axe impressively over her head and slammed it into the ground at the goblin's feet. It seemed her actions were for show, to make an authoritative first impression. Once she had their undivided attention, she started making a series of sounds that could only be goblin speech. After some back and forth between Uruk and the goblins, she returned to her friends.

Uruk said, "Well, the bugs came out of these caves, because the goblins drove them out so they could make a new home here. They say they got kicked out of their place by some crazy fish worshipping humans. I tried to let them know they got all kinds of humans livin' right on top of them, but they say they got nowhere else to go. They've gone to get somebody they call the Dragon Lady. Apparently she's in charge around here."

In time, a withered, white-haired goblin was carried before the group on a litter, supported by several of her charges. Across her lap, she cradled a long ivory staff carved in the shape of a dragon. The Dragon Lady spoke to all of them in broken trade tongue.

"Humans." With a look of disgust, she spit to the side of her litter. "Take, take, take all. Take our home. Goblins home now. Goblins stay. Leave us be, we leave you be. Kill us, we kill you back. Good deal. Now go."

Adri said, "Your people are not safe here. There's too many humans in the city above. Where did you come from? Who took your home?"

"Humans took it! Sick with madness. They call on the Great Fish, give sacrifice of blood and bones. Goblin blood! Goblin bones! No more. New home. We stay. You go."

"What if we can take back your home for you, will you go back then? Surely your old home must be better than this cave?"

"Better yes. You go, clear the old home, bring me proof, goblins go. Good deal?"

Adri nodded her head and smiled. "Good deal."

The Dragon Lady barked some orders at her people in her own tongue. A goblin with a dented chamber pot on his head and a paring knife tucked in his belt approached the group carrying a stone tablet. The tablet was carved with a crude map of the coastline. She said, "You go here. Goblin home." She pointed a claw at a spot on the map. "Four nights, you big legs, maybe three nights. Go."

Adri took the tablet, saying, "We'll come back as soon as we can."

She and her friends went back out the way they had come. As they went Ledo snapped. "Are you out of your mind, Princess? I thought we were here to find your mother. Now were running off to do a favor for goblins! We should have just killed the damn things and been done with it."

Adri stopped and spun to face Ledo. "One: they didn't do anything to us, and the scorpion attack was not done on purpose. I am not going to condone killing a bunch of refugees. Two: they can't stay here so close to the city, and we have a chance to fix this peaceably. Three: I know why I'm here, Ledo. But it's a long way across the mountains to the elven territories, and if I can do some good between here and there, then I am damn well going to do it. If you don't want to help, then don't." Ledo fumed in silence as they walked back to the inn.

As predicted, it took them only three days to find the ruined temple that had been the goblin's home. Near the juncture of river and sea, the domed ruins were toppled and half buried under brackish swamp water. Adri could not understand why any sentient creature would want to live there. It was beyond humid, the thick air choked with mosquitoes, and it smelled like salt and rotting vegetation. After mucking around the temple's expanse for several minutes, they came upon a wooden bridge connecting two hillocks. Though the bridge seemed haphazard, most likely goblin made, it held together fine as Uruk took several steps across. In the center of the hillock, a wooden door in the ground opened to reveal a vertical drop. A flickering orange glow let them know that somewhere inside, torches were lit. There was a wooden ladder that looked more questionable than the bridge, so Ledo secured a rope and they climbed down one at a time.

There was some startled shouting as Uruk was the first one down the hole. She called back to her friends, "Uh, we got crazies in here! A little bit o' hurry up would be real nice!"

With feline confidence, Shoska skipped climbing the rope and simply jumped down to help Uruk. Adri and Ledo reached the floor of a small circular chamber to find Uruk and Shoska engaged in a struggle with three men, while another two men were already on the ground. The men were dirty, unshaven, and smelled strongly of old fish. The only clothing they wore was thread-bare breeches tied about the waist with rough rope. Their bodies were striped with self-inflicted marks of flagellation. They were armed only with goblin spears and the spiked scourges they used to hurt themselves. With wide, wild eyes, foaming lips, and gnashing teeth, they snarled and snapped like vicious dogs.

They quickly finished two of the remaining men, then Uruk sat on the last one for questioning. The only thing the man would do was spit and scream that the "Great Fish" would devour the world and enslave the very gods to its will. As his head was the only thing he could move, the man began to rapidly slam the back of his own skull onto the stone floor. Uruk grabbed the man's head, gave a twist, and the room fell into silence.

They moved through the rest of the temple, clearing the fish cultists. There were not many of them, but they were all as insane as the first. They fought with all the power and ferocity of true zealots. Within the depths of the ruins they had confiscated from the goblins, the cultists practiced their rituals before a large well that led out into the sea. It was there that they found the Great Fish's high priest. This one looked clean, though he reeked with the smell of rotted fish. He was dressed in heavy, dark robes that hung baggy on his scrawny frame. Eyes rolled back in his bald head, as he was gyrating around the well and babbling nonsense.

Adri practically jumped out of her skin when Ledo's pistol went off. The back of the priest's head exploded, and his lifeless body fell into the well. Adri turned to look at Ledo, an unspoken question in her eyes.

Ledo holstered the gun and said, "What, Princess?"

"Didn't you want to question him?" Adri felt it odd that Ledo would do such a thing, when he was usually the one who wanted to interrogate people.

His snarky reply did not faze her. "I've heard more than enough crazy-talk, thanks. We're doing this for gods-damned goblins. This is stupid. I'm tired, and this place stinks. Are you done here? Can we go now?"

Adri looked at the well and asked, "What if there really is a Great Fish?"

Ledo snapped, "Damn it, Princess! Are you fucking serious?"

Shoska put a hand on Ledo's shoulder. "Let's just find something to seal up the well. Just in case. Then we'll go. All right?"

Uruk suggested, "I could go get a couple of tables. Could lay 'em across the top. Don't know how we'll get 'em to stay put though."

They were about to discuss that, when they all turned at once to the well. A pale, water-wrinkled hand appeared out the well and clasped on to the edge. The hand was followed by a dark haired man with tattered shreds of silk hanging from his frame. He hauled himself up out of water and collapsed on the floor. The man laid on the floor, gasping in great breaths. He had some bleeding wounds, suction marks all over his exposed skin, and an alarmingly large, severed tentacle wrapped around one leg. The man managed to cry out a very strange phrase just prior to losing consciousness. The thing the man yelled was, "Kraken boat!" Then, he was still.

Adri immediately went to work. She removed the tentacle remnants, tossing them back in the water with a disgusted, "Eeew." She prayed over the water-logged man, using divine healing to close his wounds and remove the sucker marks.

Ledo asked, "Are you sure you should do that, Princess? What if he's one of them?"

Adri paused, raised an eyebrow and flipped the man over. There were no flagellation marks on him, only the marks left behind by a giant squid or whatever had attacked the man in the sea. Adri replied, "He's not evil, and he's not marked like the cultists." She shrugged saying, "If he tries to kill me when he wakes up, shoot him." Ledo grinned and stood over the soggy man with the barrel of one of his pistols at the man's head.

When he was whole again, and she was sure he should wake up, the man continued to lie there with his eyes closed. Adri poked him. With his eyes still closed, the man murmured and flailed a hand at her, as if waving her off. "Please, not now. I have just come from the Kraken Boat. You have no idea how exhausting it is to die."

Adri said, "You're not dying."

He waved again and said, "Yes. Yes, I am." He happened to roll his head dramatically to the side. That is when he noticed the barrel of Ledo's pistol. "Good gods. Are you people insane? Can you not leave a man to die in peace?"

With one finger, Adri pushed the gun a little away. Leaning down into the man's face she said, "Not. Dying."

Recognition dawned in the man's eyes. "Oh my! How fortuitous! You are the Duchess Adrielen!"

Ledo moved the pistol back into position and cocked it. "Oh no, wait! I have come to help. I am no uneducated, ale-swilling, mouth-breathing moron who must stoop to such base and pathetic activities as murder in order to make my way in this world. I am The Magnificent Eartho, Scholarly Genius and Arcanist Extraordinaire! And I have come to offer you my assistance, my Lady. For a nominal fee, of course."

Shoska rolled her eyes and sighed. Ledo said, "Huh?"

Uruk smiled. "He talks funny. Let's keep him, Adri."

Adri pressed her fingers tightly against her lips. Her torso hitched with restrained giggles. She tried to pretend like she was thinking about it, while she got herself under control. "It's very nice to meet you, Eartho. You can come with us, if you want."

Once Eartho realized that all of his wounds were repaired and that he was indeed not dying, he used his extraordinary arcane powers to seal the well. On their way back to Havenport, Adri asked Eartho what a "Kraken Boat" was. He explained that he took passage on the Lady Fair in the hope of catching up with her in Novusarcis. The ship was attacked by a colossal tentacle monstrosity. He was certain the thing was a kraken. Adri might have assumed that the 'kraken' was the Great Fish, but that did not explain the cultists' madness. It was a mystery for another time, however. They had come to Novusarcis to find her mother and the emperor.

# Chapter 8

The group traveled for weeks, pressing ever further west, into the mountains. Adri was delighted to have Eartho join them, as it was rare for her to meet a person who liked to talk as much as she did. Eartho was originally from Shonland, though he traveled well all over the Four Kingdoms. He was a collector of arcane knowledge and history, and was excited for the opportunity to explore the new continent. Eartho made no secret of his ambitions to someday work alongside the Arch Magus of Slavland. Even though his ego was a bit inflated, he seemed to be a very nice man, and Adri did not mind her role as a rung in his ladder.

Eartho could not help but notice the Duchess' apparent insomnia. He also noted how the others seemed to have to remind her to eat. Though she was a delightful woman with whom to converse, she was clearly suffering from some sort of mental instability. Eartho thought it wise not to ask Adrielen directly, for fear of compounding her issues. In his vast experience, the person with the least to say was often the one with the most information, so he asked Uruk.

He was rather disappointed when the orc's only reply was, "We don't go there, Magic Man. She eats when you tell her. She drops when she can't hold her head up no more. That's a sleepin' dog none o' us care to wake. Just leave it be."

Along the mountain pass, the first large settlement they came to was the town of McAverson. Without any discussion, they collectively decided it was time for a break. The town seemed more prosperous than most, likely due to its somewhat famed establishment, the brothel known as the Lazy Dire Tiger. The place was built from the renovated ruins of an ancient keep. The artful amalgam of old and new architecture was unique and quite beautiful.

Upon entering the opulent, luxurious common room, Adri felt a rising unease. They were burning an incense that made her head feel light. She was far too warm and had to fight the temptation to remove her clothes. She could not control the dampness that gathered between her legs. There were professionals of many races and genders who made themselves available for mingling, as one might expect. However, Adri sensed that there was something wrong with them.

She could not place what it was, for every time she seemed about to hone in on something, her focus was somehow redirected. Someone would brush against her, touch her hair or her face. Surrounded by eager flesh and suggestions of the pleasures that could be hers, Adri's body began to respond with a need that had gone unmet for so long. Still, she did not feel that any of it was natural and could not shake the feeling that something was very wrong.

Adri made for the door, doing her best to be polite about it. As she neared the exit, a man grabbed her arm, pulling her back. His thick muscled forearm wrapped around her waist. With his other hand he firmly squeezed and groped her breast. In spite of her will to resist him, her nipples stiffened as he rubbed her through the cloth of her shirt. She had to concentrate just to keep her hips from pressing back against the enormous cock that prodded her buttocks. His breath was hot in her ear. "Where are you going, Dear One? I've never tasted a Daughter of the Light." A long tongue snaked down from her jaw to the bundle of nerves between her neck and shoulder. She could not keep herself from panting. He purred his pleasure in her ear. "Mmm, delicious. Show me your desire, my Dear One."

She could feel this man try to slither inside of her mind, violating the most private places that she wanted to share with only one man. Adri understood then that this was no man, but a demon that would feed on her soul until there was nothing left of her. She opened her eyes, to watch as the being's arm around her waist began to darken as he stole Krellyn's image from her thoughts. Hands she could not see undressed her, while that darkening hand slid between her thighs. Skilled fingers pressed against her swollen, aching clit. A voice from a stolen memory caressed her ear, "Let me keep you forever, my Sweetling."

For a brief moment she entertained the idea. This being was not Krellyn, but he could pretend to be. So long as she allowed him to destroy her, the demon would maintain her lover's form. In the end, the remnants of her spirit would be cast into the Abyss. As she considered her options, the Light in her heart grew brighter, warmer, giving her a comfort and hope she had nearly forgotten.

With a cry of despair, frustration, and anger, Adri threw the demon off of her in a great flash of burning holy Light. She wrapped her discarded vestments about her and blindly, she ran for the door. She was barely aware of the people she bowled over on her way out. When she made it beyond the door and out into the fresh evening air, she kept running. As the clean air and the exertion began to clear her head, she slowed to a stop. She found herself at the fountain in the center of town. Uruk stood there with a wide grin. Ledo and Shoska stood to either side of the orc, looking a bit dazed but unharmed.

Uruk said, "Thought we'd lost ya."

Weakly, Adri said, "Yeah, me too."

"You'd think they could put a sign on the door or somethin'. 'Warning: Demon Cat-House. Enter at yer own risk.' Ha!"

Apparently, Uruk thought the whole thing was funny. Adri was tired, horny as hell, and she could still feel a residue of the creature in her head. There was nothing funny about any of it; and where was Eartho? "Uruk, what happened to Eartho?"

"I lost him at the same time I lost you. So, I grabbed these two and got out before things got real sticky. Was kinda hopin' Magic Man was with you."

Adri turned to look at the building she had just run from. The only things in her life that she had ever been afraid of were loneliness and leaving Krellyn. That night, she could add one more thing to her list, for she was scared to go back there. Eartho was her friend. Afraid or not, Adri could not leave him to his fate. She put her face in her hands and cursed. "Damn it. We can't leave him there. They'll drain him dry."

"And not in the good way!" Uruk chimed in with a chuckle.

Adri glared at the orc. "What is wrong with you?"

Ledo finally spoke up, "They're just demons, Princess. Now that we know what they are, we got this." He stood up straight and loaded his pistols. "Do your demon-thrashing thing, Princess. We got your back. Let's go get our wizard."

With some violence, and a heavy threat to send the Madame and half her employees back to the Abyss, Adri demanded that they be allowed to retrieve Eartho. Madame C'Xiel smiled cordially, in spite of Adri's holy aura and Uruk's giant axe. As the succubus led them to Eartho's room, she sighed and said, "That poor man. It's a shame his companions won't allow him even one night of pleasure."

What they found on the other side of the door did not look at all pleasant to Adri. Two identical succubi were working on Eartho. The twins had copper skin with black curls that flowed down their bare backs to long prehensile tails that ended in phallic heads. They kept their wings folded behind them, out of the way of their work. Eartho was naked and tightly chained to a cross-shaped rack. One of the demons paced around him with a whip, leaving long bleeding welts in his flesh. As she whipped him, a long forked tongue unfurled from her mouth to wriggle along the welts, lapping up his spilled blood. The second demon knelt in front of him. She had placed a tight ring around the base of his cock and was slurping at his stiffened member. As she sucked him, she stuffed and pounded his back entrance with her phallic tail.

Eartho moaned and whined around a gag they had tied in his mouth. His muscles only twitched a little each time the whip struck. Weakly, he moved his hips in broken rhythm with the demon who fucked him. He was already partially drained, his head hung down to his chest. Rolling his blank eyes, he was lost in the delirium of a demon-induced sexual fantasy. The Madame barked the order at her girls to get out, and they immediately obeyed.

Carefully, the four of them took Eartho down from the rack and gently lowered him to the floor. When Adri removed the gag from his mouth, he wept and clung to her arms, begging her, "Please, do not take me away from my beloved brides." It was nothing for Adri to repair the physical damage that had been done to Eartho's body. It would take time for his mind to heal. Uruk had to half-drag and half-carry Eartho from the brothel. All the while he cried out, wailing for the loss of his lovely wives who needed him, pleading with his friends to let him stay.

They took rooms in a modest inn for the night, agreeing that they would leave at first light. Eartho's feverish desire to return to the Dire Tiger had him fighting them, trying to return to what he imagined were his two young brides. They bound him to his bed and left Uruk to make sure he stayed where they put him. None of them rested well that night.

For the first time since leaving Shonland, Adri used the glass cock to relieve the tension stirred up by the demons. The cool hard glass lacked the warm velvety texture of Krellyn's magnificent skin. With fingers on her clit and the toy in her pussy, she quickly brought herself to a physical climax. It left her feeling emptier than when she had begun. Crying herself into a restless sleep was becoming a habit.

All, except Eartho, were keen to leave in the morning. As Adri had hoped, the further they got from McAverson, the clearer Eartho's mind became. The man was horrifically embarrassed. The event was something that they all silently agreed never to mention. Adri felt she had come very close to being in the same situation herself. It could have happened to any of them, or all of them.

After McAverson, there was very little in the way of civilization. They passed an abandoned logging camp and a few trappers, but it seemed they had the wilderness to themselves. According to a tentative truce with the elves, humans were not welcomed on that side of the mountains. From their vantage they looked down into a lush, green forested valley. The sunlight glimmered off the surface of a great river that snaked its way northward. They saw no smoke, no buildings, no sign of the towns and cities they were used to. The native elves lived in close harmony with the natural environment. Adri knew that they would not find the elves, but that the elves would find them.

As she predicted, they were found. One night, they woke to find their camp surrounded by archers, all with arrows trained on each of them. Adri spoke softly in her native tongue, explaining why they were there and why she had brought humans into their territory. She told them who her mother was, hoping Threa's name still held some weight among her people. Two of the archers silently melted back into the trees, while the rest kept their bows trained. Twitchy, Ledo asked, "What do we do, Princess?"

"We wait. Quietly." She said. When the elf holding an arrow at her ear asked what was said, she told him.

In time, the two archers returned with a young elfess. She had chestnut red hair, cheerful brown eyes, and rosy cheeks with a smattering of freckles across her nose. She carried a rowan staff and wore the feathers in her hair that indicated she was a shaman. The girl locked eyes with Adri and stared hard at her for nearly half a minute. She told the archers that Adri was who she said she was and they were to lower their weapons. They did so, albeit slowly.

She and Adri grasped one another's forearms in greeting. The girl smiled brightly and spoke in perfect trade. "I'm Lauri. I can't believe I actually get to talk to Threa's daughter! I've studied your mother's stories and I know all her deeds. I'm to be Root Mother!"

"Lauri, we've come a long way to find my mother. Did she come here?" Adri asked.

"She did come, along with the half-breed Calethaes. They sought the Elders' council, and then they left. I am not yet Root Mother, and not permitted on the council, so I do not know what was said."

Knowing she was on the right track gave Adri some relief, but she had no idea where to go next. "Can we speak with the Elders?"

"They won't see you. At least not now. The Elders are in war council, and they won't see anyone."

"War? With whom? I thought there was a truce with the colonists?"

"It's not the humans. Giants have come down from the north. They threaten war against our people to take the land for themselves."

From behind her, Adri heard Ledo mutter, "Don't you do it, Princess. Just don't."

It was too late, for she had already decided. "If we could speak with the council, maybe we could help. We could go to the giants on your behalf and work something out." Lauri nodded and told Adri she would ask.

Ledo sighed loudly, then glaring at Adri, he said, "Well, shit."

Uruk grinned. "Giants? Sweet! What's a' matter, Ledo? Have a bit o' faith in Adri's gift o' gab."

Ledo spit on the ground. "She gabs way too damn much."

Shoska kissed Ledo's cheek. "We've been through worse spots."

"Worse than giants?" he asked. Shoska only shrugged and looked away. She was not so sure either, but she wanted to support Adri.

Eartho cleared his throat. "I beg your pardon, Duchess. But you are suggesting that we attempt to negotiate some sort of peaceable agreement between giants and elves. You do realize that giants are even less inclined towards civilized discussion than orcs?"

Uruk said, "Hey! I talk real civilized!"

Eartho waved a placating hand. "Yes. Yes. Present company excluded, of course. The point that I am trying to make is that there is a strong possibility that things may go awry. Perhaps some sort of contingency plan is in order."

Adri nodded. "We'll talk to the Elders and see what's what. From there we can make our plans."

Because of Threa's name and reputation, Adri and her companions were given an audience with council. It was put forth that an invading army of some two-hundred giants had come down from their lands in the north. Scouts described the giants as blood-thirsty, savage warriors. They ripped the very trees from the ground and used them as clubs. The description of the giants' monstrous size and strength, combined with their battle-lust caused great fear in the Elders. As Adri suspected, they had only sent scouts to spy on the giants' camp. Not one emissary had been sent to actually talk to them.

Ledo went ahead of the rest to get a look for himself at the camp. The giants looked like people, with the exception that they were twelve feet tall and weighed over fifteen hundred pounds. As the elf scouts reported, they carried clubs made from tree trunks. Their clothes and yurts were made from various animal hides that were sewn together. They shouted at each other in their own language, seeming quick to anger and fight with one another. Ledo was not hopeful when he went back to report what he had seen.

The giants were not inclined to negotiate. As Adri's group approached, they either did not recognize a flag of parley, or they did not care. At first, the giants attacked only singly and in pairs, believing their smaller foes to be easy. Even as she fought them, Adri kept talking, trying to get them to say something of why they were there, and what they wanted. When it became clear that the formidable little group could hold its own, the giants came at them in force.

Ledo fired his pistols, but without time to reload, he switched to knives. Turning himself into shadow, he flanked and struck from behind. The giants had a hard time hitting him back. Shoska danced in and out between the giants' legs. She correctly assumed the giants had nerve bundles in the same places as any other humanoid, and she focused powerful energy in every well placed strike. She was causing considerable confusion that made Uruk laugh. The orc and her axe waded through giant after giant, smiling and chuckling, as if she were taking a leisurely stroll. Adri stopped talking and started praying as she swung her scimitar again and again. She channeled divine protections over herself and her companions. Shaking his head, Eartho clucked his tongue against the roof of his mouth and teleported himself out of the fray.

From just outside the camp, the young mage drew lines of power in the air. As he chanted his arcane summoning, a thick mist began to form around the camp. Eartho knew that there were too many giants. Their group would need an army of its own to prevail against their foes. Though it would take every spark of energy he had, he cast his summoning spell over and over again. Shadows began to take shape and solidify in the arcane mists.

The giants had sheer numbers on their side. The companions were tiring, and with fatigue came mistakes. Ledo could only maintain his shadow form for so long. Now corporeal, he ducked a swinging club, only to be kicked. The kick sent him sprawling to the ground where he was stepped on by another giant. Shoska was exhausted. She saw Ledo fall and tried to get to him, only to be grabbed about the waist and held aloft. The girl felt her ribs cracking as the giant began to squeeze. Covered from head to foot in blood, Uruk had long since stopped laughing. Seeing only red, she roared and raged against anything solid in her path. That was until she took a club to her side that sent the orc sailing across the camp to slam into a yurt that collapsed around and on top of her. Adri's sword felt too heavy, her legs shook with every step, and sweat soaked the underdress beneath her armor. She pulled in a ragged breath, swiped her damp hair out of her eyes, and took a giant back-hand across the face. By her goddess' grace, Adri managed to stay on her feet. She had assumed that she was about to die, but she brought up her blade, determined to take the giant with her. Then her opponent took several paces back, a look terror in his beady black eyes.

Adri turned to watch in stunned silence as huge packs of dire wolves came howling and snarling out of the mist surrounding the camp. For a partial second, Adri was certain that everyone was going to die, but then she saw their wizard. Eartho, with his arcane calls and gestures, was controlling the packs of dire beasts. The massive black wolves swarmed around Adri and the others, completely ignoring them to tear into the giants with snapping teeth and sharp claws. The giants fell like trees until their chieftain roared, "Enough! Call 'em off!"

Eartho held up a hand, and the dire wolves stopped fighting. They paced, whined, and growled, eager for more blood, but they were forced to obey their summoner's commands. The remaining giants stumbled or crawled away from the animals. Over the sounds of his frustrated minions, Eartho called to the giants' leader. "May we take it that you wish to lay down your arms and negotiate some sort of terms?"

The giant said, "Yes. Just keep those damn wolves back."

Eartho's smile did not touch his eyes. "If you choose to remain civil, then I shall do the same." To Adri he said, "My dear Duchess, I do believe we now have this gentleman's attention. Would you care to begin?"

Adri's mouth snapped shut as she blinked several times at Eartho. Eartho's dark brows climbed his pale, sweat-beaded forehead, and through clenched teeth he panted, "Any time now, Adrielen." Realizing the mage would not be able to keep the summoned dire wolves on the Prime Material for very long, Adri spun around to face the giant chief.

She took a deep breath and looked up at the giant's face. "Why have you left your lands and threatened the elves?"

The giant yelled, or perhaps that was just his natural timber. "Our lands are cursed. This last winter never came to an end. There's no food. South is the only place we have to go!"

Adri could see from the corner of her eye that Ledo, Shoska and Uruk were staggering out of the camp, towards Eartho. Her sense of relief that they were mobile strengthened her. The look in the chief's eyes told Adri that he was telling the truth. He and his people were only trying to survive, and she felt pity for them. With sincerity, she said, "I am sorry for your plight."

The giant's face softened and looking at the ground he shrugged. "So what? Are we prisoners now? Slaves?"

Adri shook her head. "Of course not. But you can't stay here. These are my people's lands. There aren't enough resources for your people and mine. Take your people and go eastward into the mountains. There's food, water, materials to build your homes. Neither humans nor elves are supposed to cross that range. No one will bother you."

The giants accepted Adri's offer. In a show of goodwill, she even stayed to help heal their wounded and prepare their dead. It was nightfall before Adri and her friends returned to the elves. At first, they were reluctant to accept the giants living in the mountains. When Adri explained that the giants' presence could only strengthen the buffer between elves and humans, the Elders started to see things her way. She went so far as to plant the spark of a suggestion that a little diplomacy would go a long way towards making allies of the giants.

With their fears of giants allayed, the Elders were willing to allow Adri and her friends to stay with them for a few days to rest after their ordeal. Though her friends were given a guest tent that was set apart from the rest of the community, they were still permitted to move freely about. Adri was invited to stay with Lauri and her brother, Rosaer.

Like all elves, Rosaer kept his dark red hair uncut. It was tied back in traditional braids. The sword at his hip, the badge on his cloak, and the dark blue tattoos on his arms set him apart as a Spellblade. Though he was still young, with little rank among his peers, he was destined to be a battle mage like Adri's father, Alathan. Rosaer was very proper, and it made Adri giggle to think how much her father would like him. He took her on a tour of the community and made her feel welcome. It was obvious to Adri that Lauri was hoping for some spark of connection between the two of them, but he was much too reserved for Adri's liking.

In time, the elders finally summoned Adri to discuss her mother. With Lauri and Rosaer at her side, they told her Threa's story. "Threa was the blessed one, the Root Mother, shaman for all our peoples. When the humans came and drove us across the mountains, we cried out to our shaman for help. Threa woke the earth goddess, Gaia, and took her spirit within herself. Threa thought to use Gaia's strength to drive the humans back to their own realm.

"But Gaia was angry. She wanted to shake all the sentient races from the world. Threa had thought to use Gaia, but it was Gaia that used her. Our Threa had not the evil in her heart to do the will of Gaia. So she bound the goddess inside herself, a constant battle between two souls over one body."

Adri's hands and feet suddenly felt very cold, as if her blood had frozen in her veins. Her stomach felt like it was twisting itself in knots. She had known that her mother possessed powerful nature magic, but mainly only from stories told of her past. Adri had rarely seen her mother use her power. When she did, Threa would often fly into a fit of unnecessary rage. When she had become an adult, Adri suspected that there was something wrong with Threa's mind. She had no idea what was really wrong with her mother.

Lauri's warm hand between her shoulders was a comfort to her. Rosaer's stoic presence reminded her so much of Alathan that she felt a sense of safety in his presence. Adri tucked her ice cold fingers under her thighs and said, "You're telling me that my mother is possessed? She's possessed by an elder goddess? Is that why she came to you? Where is she?"

The elder nodded solemnly. "Threa did come to us. Her struggle had become too great, and she feared that the goddess would overwhelm her. She sought to rid herself of it."

Adri did not want to cry, but hot tears of confusion rolled down her cheeks. Rosaer pulled her hand from under her leg and laced his fingers with hers. "But why didn't she say anything? Why only bring Calethaes? Why didn't she ask my father for help?"

"Threa wanted to go alone, so as not to cause harm to anyone she loved. But, long before the half-blood, Calethaes, became ruler of an empire, he was called upon as Guardian of the Root Mother. Where the Root Mother goes, so goes the Guardian. He never forgot the calling of his youth. When Threa came to us, the only thing we could tell her was to take the goddess back to where she found it. Your mother has returned to the Temple of Time to put Gaia back to sleep."

Adri knew that Threa and Calethaes had grown up together. She knew that they had been life-long friends, but this was the first she had heard about Uncle Cal being some sort of bodyguard. Adri knew nothing at all about the Temple of Time. If it was a place that could hold an elder god at bay, then it was probably not easy to get to. Finding her mother may be harder than she had thought, but Adri was not to be deterred by a challenge. "How do I get to the Temple of Time?"

"We do not know."

Frustrated, she asked, "Who does know?"

The elder gave her a very sad look. With a slow, dejected shrug he said, "Your mother."

On the way back to their home, Lauri kept quiet, but Rosaer said, "The Temple of Time is not for mortals, Adri. We can't go there." He took her arm and stopped her, while Lauri walked ahead. Rosaer took both of her hands in his and looked into her eyes. "Adri, you belong here, with your own people. Stay with us."

Part of her wanted to stay. Adri knew she could never have the kind of love she wanted, but perhaps with Rosaer she could make do. She believed that the part of her soul that would allow her to love another was forever broken. Maybe if she could pretended to love long enough, it could become real. A life among her own people could be pleasant, peaceful and safe. She would certainly have her father's approval for such a decision, but her life was more than Alathan's approval, more than safety and pleasantness. With resolve, she said, "I have to find my mother."

That night, Adri wrapped Krellyn's shirt around her body, needing his comfort. She pulled the collar up to her face, but it no longer smelled like him. She curled on her side and cried as quietly as she could. She cried, because she knew she would never know that smell again. She cried for her mother, her father, for Calethaes and the empire. She wept herself into a sweating and restless sleep.

Adri dreamt that her father was calling out to her, telling her to come home. That was impossible, for he was half a world away from her. As she clawed her way out the depths of her dreams, Adri realized that Alathan was trying to communicate with her through the telepathy ring she wore. She sent him a sleepy reply and their connection was made.

His thoughts were urgent, and strained. "Adri, I need you to come home."

"It's not like I'm down the street, Father. I am three months away from you. And I can't come home. I know where Mother and Calethaes have gone. I just have to figure out how to get there."

"You've found Threa?" The hope in his thoughts made Adri feel just a little better.

"She's gone to the Temple of Time. You knew she was possessed by an elder goddess and didn't think that was something I should know?"

"Threa didn't want anyone to know, Adri. She was trying to keep it under control." There was an intense sadness that came from him, a complete loss of his little spark of hope. "You cannot follow her to the Temple, Adri. Even if you were able to come out again, there is no way to know where, or more important, when you would end up."

To Adri, there was no challenge that could not be overcome. She would find a way, but it was better to change the subject, than to argue with Alathan. "Why do you need me home?"

"I have a person here with me, a friend of yours, who has been doing some reconnaissance on your behalf. He seems quite concerned for your welfare... Quite concerned, indeed... He has brought word to me that Freton is preparing to war against Slavland. There has been no official declaration as yet, but he says it is only a matter of time. I think you and your friends are the best option for getting into Freton, finding out what the problem is, and possibly stop a war."

Adri barely understood what Alathan was communicating to her. She clamped down hard on her feelings, letting only her surface question slip along their connection, trying to keep it light. "I have quite a few friends from the academy and the temple, Father. What's my friend's name?"

"He's one of those dark-skinned elves. I thought you had driven them all out? He calls himself Krellyn. You do know him?"

Adri stopped breathing for a moment. She was certain that her heart stopped, too. For the space of a minute, time stood still. Krellyn was still in her world. He had not left for another plane, as she truly believed he would; and he was actively trying to help her. Krellyn had not left her. He had not forgotten her. She could not hold back the flood of love, hope, and joy that rose to the surface.

Alathan's response to his daughter's unchecked torrent of emotions was quiet and restrained. "Oh. I... see. It would have been nice to be... informed. At any rate, three months is too long. You remember the stories of Odo's golems? Go to the golem factory in the Verdant Valley. There is a portal there. It's closed on that end, but your wizard, Eartho will know how to open it. Let me know when you've reached the factory, and I'll open this end."

Adri said, "Yes, Father." ending her connection with him. She wanted to say more, to beg him to keep Krellyn there until she could come home, but she would do no such thing. Grateful for the help he had given her and her father, she could not allow herself to expect anything more from him. Krellyn was not of this world, and he did not wish to be. She would not press the issue.

# Chapter 9

Krellyn stood beside Alathan's desk while he communicated with Adri. He kept his fists clenched tight in front of him. The part of his soul that he did not want to acknowledge, the part that was broken and aching in her absence, demanded that he take the ring of telepathy from Alathan's finger. Even if he could talk to her, what would he say?

He did not want to talk about feelings he did not understand, feelings he did not want to have. The pining pains that he felt while she was away from him were for sad, pathetic, mortal men. He was none of those things. There was also a barbaric need to protect her, maddening, as she was half a world away. Such powerful emotional response was not for him. He was betrayed by his own soul. Besides, Adrielen was perfectly capable of protecting herself.

The day she left, Krellyn teleported himself back to the house he had shared with her. Even though his own things were still there, the place felt empty. His boot-falls seemed to echo off the walls as he wandered the darkened rooms. There was deep pain in his stomach as he stood in the doorway of the room that was no longer theirs, but his. Though the pain increased, he forced himself to run his hands over the rumpled sheets of their bed. There, tucked between the bed and the wall was a scrap of purple cloth.

He pulled it free and found Adrielen's nightgown, the one she wore when they had first met. He clutched it tightly in his fist and forced down the groan that threatened to escape his throat. What the hell was this pain? He slowly, neatly folded the slip of silk and tucked it away in his cloak. With another look around the room, followed by another wracking pain, he determined that there was no possible way he could stay there. He began to gather his things, when he opened the bedside table drawer. He could not stop the true, and quite foreign, belly laugh that exploded from his center when he saw that she had taken both of the dildos with her.

He remembered thinking to himself that he was free. He had only to decide where to go. He could leave this plane that he so despised. Of course, he did still technically owe Adrielen for ridding him of Shessin. He pulled the order for her death from his cloak and examined it. There was no way for him to tell if it was real without seeing an actually empyreal decree. Perhaps, he could visit the palace in Avar, just to see of course. Maybe he could even leave a little message in a certain drop-box at the bank. It might be... interesting. In that moment though, the sun was on the rise and Krellyn wanted to sleep until his preferred shade of evening.

There was no possible way he could have slept in the bed he had shared with Adrielen. The only room in the house that had offered him any solace at all, was his kitchen. So he tilted back in a chair, with his boots on the worktable. He pulled his hood over his face, and there he napped in fits until the afternoon, when he simply could not take any more empty dreams of her.

As he gathered the remainder of his things, he heard a tentative knocking at the door. He had been stuffing his clothes into one of the many extra-dimensional pockets of his cloak, noting that his 'little thief' had stolen one of his shirts, when the knock gave him pause. He stood with his head tilted to the side, listening, waiting for the intruder to go away. A second knock came, more certain than the first. He might have thought that curiosity would one day kill him, except that he could not die.

Against his better judgment, Krellyn opened the door. A human man waited on the stoop. He was dressed in garish silks, the finest of Shonland's imports and the height of modern style. His hair was fashionably coifed, his nails manicured, and he smelled of a dandy's cologne. The man drew back for a moment, having never seen a dark-skinned elf, but he quickly recovered and smiled politely. "Now what?" Krellyn thought to himself. What he said was, "Are you lost?"

The man said, "I do not believe so. I am looking for the Duchess, Adrielen. She does live here, does she not?"

Krellyn's head tilted, his eyes narrowed, his arms lowered, nearing one of his many daggers, as he considered the most amusing way to eliminate the latest in Adri's line of would-be killers. The man did not back away, but he put his palms out in a placating gesture. "Oh my. Perhaps I should explain myself. My name is Eartho. I am a scholar, and a skilled practitioner of the arcane arts. I have come to offer my services... for a nominal fee, of course. With my intellect, I could help the Duchess to ferret out the villains who seek her demise, while also providing arcane protections." He stopped speaking, still smiling politely.

Krellyn felt his mouth twitch. Was this guy for real? He stood aside and gestured into the house, while asking, "Would you like some tea?"

The man, Eartho, relaxed. "Yes. That would be lovely." As he entered, seeing how empty the house was, he asked, "I was sure I came to correct house. Adrielen does live here?"

Krellyn led Eartho to the kitchen and poured tea for his guest. He was not willing to reveal any information until he was sure of the man's intentions. He slipped a drop of his own truth serum into the tea while he asked, "Cream?"

Eartho shook his head. "No, thank you. About the Duchess? I tried to find her at the hospital, but she was not there. I was so hoping to catch her here. Is she out?" Krellyn did not answer as the man sipped his tea.

Eartho looked like he was becoming nervous again beneath Krellyn's silence. Finally, he said, "You seem to know a lot about Adrielen. At least as much as an assassin would. Why should she trust you?"

Eartho sneered, clearly disgusted with the assumption. "'Assassin'? How common. I assure you, Sir, I am no such thing."

Krellyn sat forward and locked his red eyes with Eartho's brown ones, "What do you want?"

The man dropped his sneer and blinked slowly, he shook his head, as if trying to clear it. "I want to serve Adrielen, or rather her father, Alathan. You see, I have been made aware that he is now the Arch Magus in Slavland. If I assist his daughter, the Arch Magus may be inclined to allow me a position in his Council. Of course, I do want to bring Adrielen's assassins to justice. I want to protect her. And of course, I want to collect my very nominal fee."

Eartho was no killer. Ambition and greed were two things that Krellyn understood very well. It would be interesting to see what could develop. He sat back and said, "Adrielen did live here. I'm afraid you just missed her. She's headed for the colonies, just left this morning. But I might be able to help you." Krellyn took a folded paper from his pocket and slid it across the table. "This will get you passage aboard the Lady Fair. She ships out first thing tomorrow. You get on that ship, you might be able to catch her."

After seeing off the wizard, Krellyn had teleported himself back to the magus tower in Slavland. From there, he traveled across the four kingdoms, following a shadowy trail of assassins and mercenaries. He traced the killers all the way back to a familiar demon prince from the lower depths of the Abyss. As capable as she was, Adri was no match for the prince. Not even Krellyn himself would venture into that realm, not alone anyway.

When he understood the nature of the being that was after Adrielen, new thoughts and ideas began to form in corners of his mind. The thought that her skills could be honed, that she could be trained, conditioned; it tickled at the edges of his mind, but he violently shoved it away. She was no immortal, like himself. The life of a Planes Walker was not for her.

His travels took him briefly into Freton. His research there had been short lived. It was a nation of stodgy, religious crazies. They had put up wards within the walls to detect arcana, to keep mages and magical creatures out of their holy city. He saw armies being trained against wizards, tieflings, and fey. It was common knowledge that war would soon be declared upon Slavland. Krellyn immediately returned to the Tower, where he introduced himself to Adri's father.

Several days passed, when finally, Adri let her father know that they had reached the portal. Krellyn followed Alathan to the chamber she would arrive through. The magus could not weave his spell fast enough for the dark-elf. Krellyn paced aggressively in front of the slightly glowing portal. Though Alathan tried to hide it, Krellyn caught an amused twitch to the high-elf's lips. Feeling tense, he turned on the man and snapped, "What?"

Alathan smiled gently at him. Krellyn did not want this man's pity; he wanted his daughter. He turned away and took to pacing again. Alathan said, "It may take a while for the boy, Eartho, to activate the gate on their side." After a space of quiet, Alathan carefully asked, "Does she know?"

Krellyn stopped in mid-pace. Slowly he turned, locking his hard gaze on Alathan's mild blue eyes. "Does she know what?"

"That you're a god."

"How do you know that?" Alathan's only response was to raise his brow and shrug. Krellyn asked, "What are you going to do about it?"

"Protect my child, if I have to."

"You don't need to protect her from me. Adri can do for herself. You do her a disservice to underestimate her the way you do."

"Perhaps, but you underestimate her as well, if you think she won't see the truth of what you are, Krellyn. I am suggesting that it might be better for you to tell her, rather than have her figure it out." Alathan stared at Krellyn for a heavy and silent moment, before he shrugged again. "It isn't my business. Adri's an adult and, as you say, she can do for herself."

The portal took on a brighter glow. Krellyn fought the urge to pass through it and meet her there. He clamped down hard on his emotions. He moved away from the portal, leaned his back against the wall and folded his arms, trying to look casual. Alathan watched him. Krellyn pretended not to hear when the high-elf shook his head and mumbled, "And I thought I was broken."

* * * * *

Adri stood at Eartho's elbow as he worked the spell to open the gate. She was not sure how many times she had asked him, "How much longer?", but she was certain that she was starting to make him angry. So she resigned to bouncing on the balls of her feet, with her hands pressed against her lips to keep from asking him any more questions.

Her heart was in her throat and butterflies fluttered in her stomach, for she knew that Krellyn was on the other side of that gate. Alathan would have had the gate activated long before, but she needed to be patient. Eartho was her friend, and he knew it was important for her to get home. He was doing the best he could. When the portal glowed brightly, she practically squealed at him, "Now?"

Exasperated, he rolled his eyes at her and sighed. "Yes. Now, Adrielen." He stepped aside before she could knock him down as she threw herself through the light.

Adri landed in Alathan's arms. He hugged her briefly then stood back to look at her. There was love in his eyes, though his words could have been better chosen. "Well, it looks like your hair is growing back. It's a mess, but it's better, I suppose. And you need to learn to feed yourself. You're skinny."

Adri grabbed Alathan's face, kissed him on the cheek, and said, "I love you, too, Papa."

As her friends filed in behind her, she looked to the dark figure in the corner. He was leaning against the wall, his arms folded across his chest. When her eyes met his, all the pain she had carried for the past five months began to melt away. His demeanor seemed cold, but he was always cold. There was trouble in his face. It could be that he did not want her anymore.

Then he loosened one arm and hooked one long, dark finger at her in beckoning. That gesture alone caused her thighs to quiver and her juices flowed. She could not feel the floor beneath the feet that carried her into his embrace. The beautiful, exotic fragrance that she thought she would never again experience, filled her senses as she breathed him in. Arms wrapped around her, pressing so tight her ribs might crack.

She did not see Eartho's glare at Krellyn. She missed when the wizard pointed a shaking finger at the dark-elf. Through clenched teeth, he snarled, "Kraken boat." Then Eartho was immediately distracted as he caught sight of Alathan's Magus Staff. "Is that the Staff?"

Alathan said, "Yes."

In that moment, Eartho completely forgot about Krellyn. "Can I just touch it for a second? Just one time?"

His face fell as Alathan firmly said, "No."

For Adri, everything and everyone else in the room seemed to fade away from her. Krellyn's cool darkness surrounded her. His tongue delicately traced her lips before he filled her mouth, drowning her in his glorious kiss. Adri was unaware of her own hands that clutched at his hair. She did not notice the tears that rolled down her cheeks. She did not know that she had hooked a leg on his hip to grind against his growing erection.

Somehow, she heard Alathan, when he sharply said, "Adrielen! This is not an appropriate time or place for that."

She parted from his mouth just long enough to smile through a whispered, "Take me somewhere 'appropriate', Krellyn."

* * * * *

Krellyn felt his chest swell when her pale, lithe figure burst through the portal. Her hair was a little longer, her features somewhat sharper. There was that brilliant smile; the one he refused to admit that he missed. She was still Adri; a little more mature from her journey perhaps, but her radiance was undiminished. He attempted a detached curiosity as he watched her with her father. She was beautiful bright eyes and easy laughter. She was hope. She was joy. These things were so foreign to him, it could take centuries for him understand her way.

Then those eyes met his, and her soul touched him. In spite of his insistence that he would feel nothing, his spirit fell into her touch. It quenched the soul-thirst that he had so long denied. As the pain fell away, his body reacted to her presence with a sharp need. He clenched his hands into tight fists, using every ounce of will just to keep his body leaning against the wall when everything in him wanted to leap at her and take her where she stood.

She was not coming to him. Could she be waiting for his permission? That thought further stirred his loins. He hooked a finger. Adri's response was immediate. One moment she was across the room from him, the next she was climbing him like a tree. He was engulfed in softness, light, warmth, and the subtle smell of honeysuckle nectar. He recalled the pain he had felt while she was gone, comparing it to the way he felt with her in his arms. He had not changed his mind about the irrelevance of emotion. However, the pain was not something he wanted to experience again, not if there was anything he could do about it.

He felt her tears on his face, tasted them on their kiss. Their link had resumed, as if it was never broken. He knew that they were tears of joy, of love, the tears that fall in the sudden absence of fear. He sensed all of that, blended with the lustful needs of her body, in a white light that burned in the cold of his darkness. He would not be parted from that light again.

Her lips pulled away from his. He could feel himself slipping into the deep blue pools of her eyes, so tempted to let himself drown there. Her voice was throaty with passion as she suggested, "Take me somewhere 'appropriate', Krellyn." He shifted their space, then they stood in the center of Adri's room.

He let her go and took a few paces back. She had already begun trembling in anticipation of him. Her tears had dried as easily as they fell. He liked the way she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, the way her chest rose and fell with her quickened breath. He was pleased at the desire that burned in eyes that would not look away from his own. Beneath her skin, inside her bones, at the center of all she was, he felt her quaking need for him and a love that would not be quelled.

The temptation to pounce, to rend her clothes and ravage her pale flesh, was near overwhelming. Without really thinking about it, he had been waiting for her, and the animal in him was not keen to wait any longer. Krellyn wanted to take his time with her, to savor her. He would try to show restraint, at least for a while. She was waiting for his command. "Strip. Real slow. Eyes on me."

* * * * *

Adri smiled and right away followed his instructions. Krellyn soon made it much more difficult for her, though. He kicked his boots off and quickly shucked his own shirt and pants. She had an obsession with his cock, and he knew it. As she tried to maintain a slow rhythm taking off her gear, he stood just out of her reach, playfully stroking his massive, black member.

She loved his cruelty. Salivating, she licked her lips. She had removed her vestments, armor and boots. All the while, she kept her eyes on him. She watched his crooked, wicked grin and his hand stroking, playing where her own hands longed to be. By the time she was down to only her under-dress and panties, Adri was panting. She started to work the lacing at her breast, when he hissed, "Stop."

She froze, then slowly moved her hands away from the ties. He came closer to her, dragging a knuckle down her cheek, he drew her attention from his manhood back to his eyes. At her thigh, she could feel the movement of his hand, the tip of his cock just brushing against the full fabric of her dress. Keeping his voice low with the graveled growl that made her pussy weep, he asked, "Do you want this?"

Adri could only answer with a single nod and a whispered. "Yes, please, Krellyn." Then he attacked.

She could only gasp for her breath as he put both hands on the top of her dress and ripped it the rest of the way off. He pushed her and she thought she would fall. Adri braced for a fall that never came, because her back was suddenly against the wall. He filled one hand with a breast, while he hooked his fingers in the front panel of her panties and yanked them away. He bit her collar bone, shoulder, neck, her jaw, and then his wild and vicious mouth was on hers.

He bit her lip, then tangled his tongue with hers while he positioned the head of his cock in her entrance. Krellyn braced Adri's hips and back against the wall and lifted her legs, wrapping them around his waist. She dug her fingers into his shoulder muscles and his cool skin warmed under her touch.

He pumped with the vigorous abandon of a man too long deprived, pushing his full length into her. She forgot everything, her focus completely on their physical joining. His cock stretched her long unused pussy, the sweet burn making her moan into their kiss. She felt the velvet of his tender skin, the steel muscle beneath, the bulbous shape of his head as it parted her again and again, even the thick veins that marbled his beautiful shaft. She could feel the expansion and contraction, the throbbing pulse as he neared his climax.

He broke their kiss and buried his face in her neck. With every thrust came a snarling grunt. He would cum before she did, but he could be hard again soon. Adri dug her nails into his back, letting the pain send him over. He slammed into her a final time, so hard she bruised her back on the wall. He held them still together, while she felt his flood spilled inside her.

When he was through, he stayed where he was, panting against her skin, face pressed into her neck. Adri's heart swelled in the fullness of their two souls as one. She slid her hands up into his fine white hair. For her, there was joy even in the simple thing of feeling the silken strands slide between her fingers. She gently kissed the tapered end of his violet-black ear, letting her love and joy silently flow along their bond. He groaned her name, muffled by her skin. The vibration of his voice sent a lightning thrill down her spine.

Krellyn withdrew his semi-erect cock from her. She draped her hands on his neck, and he held her until she had her feet beneath her. She was surprised when he put his hands to the sides of her head and pressed his forehead to hers. His gaze was fiercely intense. There was an odd glow in his red eyes that she had not noticed before. "Adrielen," he growled. "What the fuck am I supposed to do with you?"

* * * * *

Did she know how deeply it burned him when she touched him with her Light like that? Did she have any idea that he had grown to need that pain, the way a drunk needed whiskey? Krellyn did not know what to do, but he knew he did not wish to experience the pain of her absence again. When he asked what he was supposed to do with her, she quietly replied, "We need to talk to each other, Krellyn."

He stepped away from her, folding his arms across his chest. He knew she would talk about feelings. Feelings were stupid, useless. They only caused problems, like the one they had at that moment. He tried to sneer, but it was weak and fake on his lips. She was right. They did need to talk; for though he knew it was for the best to leave, he had begun to admit that he did not want to be without Adri.

She was not perturbed by his withdrawal, but seemed to understand. She smiled and spoke softly. "This isn't your problem, Krellyn. I understand that the fact that I love you is my problem. I am responsible for my own feelings, my own decisions and behaviors. There's this bond between us, I know you can feel, too. It can hurt us both... It has hurt us both, in our refusal to acknowledge this. I can't make you do something you don't want to do. I wouldn't even try, because I love you, who you are, how you are, everything about you. But I love me, too. So I'm going to tell you how I feel, then you can do whatever you want with what you know.

"The pain of being apart from you made me so spiritually and physically ill, to the point that I nearly died on the voyage. Willpower and a sense of duty to my family kept me alive; alive and in more pain that I have ever experienced. I tried to forget. I met other men in Novusarcis."

There should be no reason for the pang that hit his gut when she made that last statement. What did he care what she did? Krellyn had no real claim to Adrielen. So why did it feel so much like he did?

"They were elves, handsome, strong, smart, my father would have approved of any one of them. Before I met you, I could have been happy with one of them. I couldn't make a connection with them, not one. It wasn't because of them, it was because of me and the bond that I have with you.

"I want a family, Krellyn. And I came to the conclusion that I am never going to have that. Because even if you do leave for the Planes, I won't be able to open myself to someone else. Again, it's my problem. But you should know that it is a problem. So I don't know what you're 'supposed' to do with me. That's up to you. What I'm going to do is love you with everything that I have in me, for as long as you'll let me. When you're through with me, I guess I just have to deal with it."

The part of his soul that woke when he met her complained to him that all she wanted was family. Was it really all that difficult? The part of him that had been in charge for the last few thousand years demanded that the whole thing was ludicrous. Who was he to think about a family? Family just made problems he did not need. However, he was... fond of Adrielen. She was turning out to be a much stronger woman than he thought she could be. The inner voice, the one that was clearly insane, cried out for him to take her with him.

* * * * *

Adri gave him a minute, but he said nothing. She did not really expect him to. She was grateful that he had heard her out. He was not even looking at her, but staring at the wall. She could feel through their link that he had heard her. That was the best she could expect from Krellyn.

Cum had started to run down her legs. She kissed him quickly on his cheek and ran to the bathing room. As the tower's magic filled the tub with hot water and Adri was stepping in, Krellyn appeared in the doorway. She nearly lost her footing and fell in when he said, "Would you come with me, Adri?"

She tried to catch her breath, realizing that this was most likely a mundane request and nothing more. He probably just wanted her to go with him to the library or something. After mentally scolding herself for jumping to selfish and stupid conclusions, she said, "Sure. Where are we going?"

He tilted his head and furrowed his brow. "No, I want you to come with me. See the cosmos with me, Adri."

Now she really could not breathe. She was certain that her heart would explode and she would die right there in the tub. Adri could do nothing but stare at Krellyn for what felt like half of an eternity. He must have thought she was trying to think about it, because he said, "I know you have obligations here. I could stay, until you've seen to your mother and your emperor. Then you and I could go together."

Finally air made it into her lungs, and Adri managed to say, "Yes, Krellyn."

His eyes narrowed, "So, we have an arrangement?"

Smiling at him, she said again, "Yes, Krellyn." Then Adri turned her back to him and lifted the sponge out of the water, holding it up for him. She looked over her shoulder at him, waiting for him to join her in the tub. He took the sponge and climbed in behind her.

The feel of him wrapped around her was not to be compared with anything she had ever known. Adri was lulled by his embrace and the movements of the sponge against her back. Then he said the strangest thing. "Adri, I am... cursed. If you bear my child, you will bear a demigod."

"So, you're telling me that you're a god?"

"I was cursed when a dying god cast its essence onto my soul."

It would have been easy to assume he was making some blasphemous joke. Instead, the truth was evident through the bond. Adri did not comprehend the weight of the statement, even with the emotion that came with it. Knowing of Krellyn's utter disdain for the gods, she understood how he could feel cursed by his Ascension. She had always known there was something very different about Krellyn, she did not feel as surprised as she should have. She also did not see the problems he imagined. "A child is a child, Krellyn. If we raise our child in love and grace, then that is what our child will be. You're making it so much harder than it needs to be."

* * * * *

Krellyn washed Adri's back as he contemplated what she said and the new sense of comfort that existed between the two of them. He thought they had been comfortable with each other before, but there was a new and certain solidity to the impression he got of their connection. Perhaps she was right. Perhaps he was making it harder than it needed to be. He poured water over her shoulders and she leaned back against him.

He soaped his hands and slicked them over her breasts. Adri sighed, thrusting her chest up to meet his palms. It did not take long for her areolae to tighten, her nipples forming hard little peaks in the slippery suds. He purred in her ear when she wiggled her ass and pressed it up tight against his hardening shaft. Adri's lust crashed against his own, tempting him to fuck that ass, right then.

Abruptly, Adri gripped his wrists, pulling his hands away. She slid down to rinse the soap, while turning around to straddle him. She linked her fingers at the back of his neck and kissed him hard. Mewling softly, she rubbed her hot, silken slit against his cock. The little nubbin of her clit caught on the rim of his head over and over again, as she used him to get off. Though he had already cum once, his body wanted more, but she was his own and they had all the time in the multiverse. Running his hands down her spine, he gripped her fine white buttocks.

Krellyn rubbed his fingers between her cheeks, massaging her tight hole. She broke from the kiss to whisper, "Do it." He was more than happy to oblige. As she relaxed her muscles, he pushed one, then two fingers inside her little pucker. She moaned, grinding her clit with his cock while he finger fucked her ass. Experimentally, he let his own arousal come across their link. Adri threw her head back. Deep, wild noises rose from her throat as she bucked in his hands. When she came, she bit down on his earlobe.

"Take me to bed." She moaned in his throbbing ear. "Take me to bed and fuck me, Krellyn. Fuck me hard."

There's was really only one response to that, "Yes, Adri." To which he received a sexy, throaty laugh. He carried her wet body to the bed and set her on the edge. "Lay down." She laid back, resting her hands at either side of her head.

Krellyn grabbed her legs and pulled her butt right up to the edge. He put her feet on his shoulders and positioned his cock in the entrance of her pussy. He looked down, marveling for a moment at his black shaft spreading that sweet pink flesh. He let his eyes crawl up her slender waist to those beautiful tits. Then he met her bright blue eyes and the impression he was given there only confirmed that she was his. He slid into her, slowly at first, keeping his eyes on hers.

Adri's hands met his, and their fingers laced. He moved almost all the way out and then in again. Krellyn thrust with increasing speed, and Adri's fingers tightened in his. Her words rang again in his thoughts, or was she repeating them across the bond? "Fuck me hard."

Still keeping his fingers locked with hers, he pressed their hands against her legs to brace her. He slammed, balls deep, into her pussy. As fast and as hard as he could, Krellyn pumped his hips. He watched her tits bounce. She tossed her head, crying out with every thrust, with every slap of his balls against her ass. Adri's hips began to move with his. She squealed as the muscular rings of her channel rhythmically gripped and released his shaft.

If it was not the most irresponsible thing he had ever done, at the time, Krellyn was sure it had to be a very close second. With a final deep thrust, he let his semen go. With it, he allowed his viable seed to flow out with it. Using the vision of the god within him, Krellyn knew that the seed took root in her fertile womb. In twenty four months, an elf's gestation period, his Adrielen would give birth to a demigod.

A lot could happen in two years...

# Chapter 10

Krellyn left Adri to sleep while he researched the Temple of Time in the tower library. The books and scrolls told him nothing that he did not already know. He would have to look elsewhere. While Adri was in Freton, Krellyn would look into resources the wizards could not access. He returned to her bed a little more than an hour before sunrise, when Adri's internal clock would wake her for dawn's communion with her goddess. It was time enough to take her again, before she left.

He stood over the bed, watching her in her sleep. Her pale body sprawled across the bed with the sheet tangled in her legs. Jewels glinted in the tip of her long, tapered ear. He lightly traced the edge of her ear, tickling and causing an involuntary flicker. He leaned down and with a puff of breath, he blew the mussed strands of platinum hair from her face. Even in sleep, a constant smile played at the corners of her mouth. He could not recall a mouth that he wanted to kiss more than hers.

He let his eyes wander over the length of her body. She was long and lithe. Every curve and dip in perfect, pleasing proportions; as if she had been formed for him alone. He lightly brushed the backs of his fingers over her flat stomach. Her silken, soft skin warmed him. Without a sound, he gently freed the sheet from her legs and tossed it to the floor. Adri did not wake, but only sighed and rolled to her side.

Standing at the foot of the bed, Krellyn wrapped his hands around her ankles and pulled, turning her on her back again and spreading her legs. Adri was awake then, though her eyes remained closed. He moved up between her thighs and lightly traced the smooth outer lips of her pussy with the tip of his tongue. He wiggled his tongue up and down the length of her slit, teasing her. Adri's little giggle was sleepy, but she pulled her knees up, opening herself for him.

Knowing that she had started getting wet from the moment he put his hands on her, Krellyn's mouth salivated for the taste of her sex. Hungrily, he sucked her rosy pink nub into his mouth, delighting in her gasp of pleasure. With his tongue, firm and quick, he rubbed her clit until she was moaning and moving with him. Adri tangled her fingers in his hair, pressing his head closer. Not changing the rhythm of his tongue, he pushed his fingers into her channel. He pumped his fingers in and out of her with rapid thrusts until her moans turned to cries.

It was not long before her whole body stiffened. He chuckled at her when she came, soaking his face and hand. Adri's back arched and she released the mewling sounds that pleased him so. While she still rode the waves of orgasm, Krellyn rose up and guided his cock into her still clutching entrance. She thrust her hips up to meet him. He rocked slow, wanting to prolong the experience. The taut, hot walls of her hole pulsed and pulled at his thrusting shaft. He looked at her face, her blue eyes were wild, beautiful. He had to smile when she snarled at him, "Fuck me, Krellyn." Who was he to argue?

He folded himself on top of her and pushed deep. As he increased his pace, she dragged her nails down his back. The pleasure that small pain invoked nearly pushed him over the edge, but he wanted to feel her spasm again. Pale fingers, so much stronger than they looked, gripped and dug into his buttocks, urging him harder and faster.

Adri's animal lust fed his own, and he needed to let go. He smiled into her shoulder, because it was such a simple thing to make her cum. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight against him. Pressing his mouth to her ear he growled, "Adri, you are mine." He was rewarded with a long, primal cry. Her nails bit into his ass. He snarled, "Cum, Adri. Cum for me."

Rings of muscle clamped around him, squeezing and sucking. He purred his relief into her neck as he emptied into her. He laid on top of her until they both stopped throbbing. He rolled off and closed his eyes. She kissed him once, before padding off to the bathroom to wash. He napped until she came back inside from her prayers, and they discussed their plans.

* * * * *

Krellyn took them to a little village outside the city walls of Freton. They would meet their contact in that small village and enter the city from there. Inside the walls, due to the wards placed on them, Eartho's magic would not work. Adri hoped that his skills would not be needed, that there was only some unfortunate misunderstanding that could be cleared up with a conversation. She personally knew the leader of Freton, High Priest Geovanni. In his youth, he had attended several lectures at the Temple of Dawn. Then later, he had returned to teach a series of lectures on the principles of the god of justice. She remembered him as a kind and thoughtful man. He certainly was not the sort of person to start an unprovoked war. There had to have been some grave miscommunication. If she could just talk to him, perhaps things could be made right again.

As they had agreed, Krellyn would be returning to the tower. He kissed Adri and spoke into her thoughts to be quick. Just before he left, he asked Eartho, "You can get her home from here?"

The offended wizard drew back and glared at Krellyn, which made the dark-elf chuckle. Eartho's only comment was for Krellyn to "Get stuffed."

They met their contact who provided clothes and maps. They would have to travel unseen, for the road to Freton was closed to anyone that was not human. There was no mundane disguise that could cover Uruk's nature, but Adri would not leave anyone behind, in case things turned ugly. The maps would lead them underground to the sewers, where they could travel undetected. They would emerge in the private toilet room of the High Priest. After a brief temper tantrum from Adri over yet another slog through sewage, they were able to proceed.

When they reached the high priest's darkened bathroom, Adri immediately used a divine spell to remove the filth and stench from their clothes. With silent daggers drawn, Ledo parted the privacy curtain and looked into Geovanni's bed chamber. He crooked a finger at Adri, indicating that she should look.

The man's room was dark, with thick drapes pulled closed. Yet Adri's elfin eyes could see well enough. Geovanni sprawled in his bed, with an imp poised on his chest. The leathery, winged, and clawed beast muttered a foul string of cursed words. Verbal torment flowed like sick spit into the man's ear. Its victim only moaned and wept, stuttering a weak plea to be let alone.

Adri pulled back into the room with her friends. There was hardly any thought in her reaction, as the prayer of banishment came to her lips. She was not even interrupted when the imp screeched as both of Ledo's daggers pinned one of its wings to the wall. When Adri finished speaking, the creature disappeared, leaving Ledo's knives vibrating in the wall where they struck.

Under his breath, Ledo hissed. "Will you quit that?! We could have questioned that thing."

Adri's training would not permit her to suffer the creature to remain in her realm. It was clearly there to torture people and cause trouble. Such beings were not to be negotiated with, spoken to, or tolerated in any fashion. They would learn whatever they needed from the man it was tormenting.

She only shook her head at Ledo, then entered the man's room. Adri recognized that the man was Geovanni, but he looked sick, nearly unconscious. After retrieving her friend's knives and tucking them in her belt, she sat at the edge of the bed.

Adri gently held Geovanni's hand. His skin was dry, feeling paper thin. His fingers wrapped around her hand, but his grip was weak. The middle-aged human was frail and sickly. His eyes, sunken in their dark sockets, glittered with fever as he opened them to regard her. She had already begun channeling a positive, healing energy. She was slowly repairing and relieving him, so as not to further shock his system. He had begun to come around and was growing agitated.

His words scraped his parched throat as he asked, "Lady Adrielen? How did you get in here?" His eyes frantically scanned the room as panic began to rise. "Where is the demon?"

She put her other hand on his chest, shushing him. "It's gone, Geovanni. It won't come back." With a disgusted glance at the garderobe, she said, "I'd rather not say how I got in here." She poured water for him and helped him drink. "You've certainly tightened security. Sneaking in was the only way I could see you. I need you to tell me why you are preparing for war."

As he gained his strength he frowned. "You saw the demon. Its masters have my family. If I do not do as the imp instructs, they will hurt my wife and son." Geovanni wept openly. Flailing his hands ineffectively at Adri, he started to shout. "Now that you've driven it off, they will surely kill them!"

She grabbed his wrists and pinned them to either side of his head. Bringing her face close to his, she firmly said, "They will not. Not if there's something they want you to do for them. Who has Marie and Anthony?"

"The imp calls one of its masters the Great Fish. Another is a demon that it calls the Prince of Winds."

Mention of the Great Fish gave her a clue as to where to begin her search for the priest's family. She knew nothing of the Prince of Winds, but she would learn. Adri just nodded and continued with her questions. "So they want the Four Kingdoms at war. When are you supposed to march on Slavland?"

"I have only two weeks left. For what it's worth, Adri, I am sorry."

He was sorry? He was supposed to be the leader of a kingdom, a religious pillar of righteousness and justice. His people needed him, and he allows demons to take his wife and son, to drive him to this. This holy man's family was taken, yet he was prepared to wipe out a nation of families, including Adri's. Getting angry would not do anyone any good, but she felt angry. This supposed "Holy One" needed a kick in the pants. Her eyes narrowed and in a low tone she said, "You're 'sorry'? Well, we'll discuss that in just a minute. Now, you're telling me I have two weeks to go get your family and bring them back home. Once they're safe, you'll call this war off?"

He started to tell her she could not do something or other, but the look on her face must have cowed him. The only thing he could manage was a nod and a feeble, "Yes."

"Fine." She got up and opened his closet. As she laid his vestments on the dressing table, she continued to speak in tones that would brook no argument. "As for this 'sorry' business? I don't give a damn about 'sorry'. You are the spiritual and political leader of this kingdom. You're going to act like it."

She returned to the bedside and got in his face. "You're going to get the hell up, and you're going to get dressed." When he hesitated, she said, "Do it, or I'll strip you and dress you myself."

With wide eyes, he leapt from the bed and grabbed the robes she had laid for him. Adri turned her back as he dressed, continuing to scold him. "Once you're proper, you will go to your altar and hit your knees. You will discuss how sorry you are with your god, as he's the one that actually cares about your apologies."

Once he was dressed, he looked stronger, healthier. Adri draped his holy symbol about his neck, and his eyes cleared completely. He took both of her hands in his and said, "Adri, thank you."

She attempted a smile, but she was still a bit angry. She pointed to a nearby chair and said, "Sit." She placed her hands on his head, speaking prayers of atonement over him. When it was done, she said, "Now, I'm going to get your family. I'll be back soon. So you and your god figure out what you're going to do about this mess."

"I'm starting to believe you actually might be able to do this."

"That's called 'hope'. It's what you're supposed to be giving to your own people."

Adri left the man in his chair and returned to her friends who waited in the garderobe. They went out the same way they came in, not wanting a fiasco with Geovanni's security over the wizard and the orc. As they slogged back through the sewer, Adri swore to herself it would be the last damn time.

On the way out, Ledo commented, "Sheesh, Princess. What ever happened to forgiveness and compassion?"

She paused, and with a crooked smile, she replied, "Sometimes, Ledo, the most compassionate thing you can do for a person is kick them in the ribs and tell them to get the fuck out of bed."

With only two weeks to accomplish their task, Adri wanted to set out right away. Once they were outside of the city and its magical wards, Eartho was able to use his arcane spells. He teleported the group back to the magus tower in Slavland. The tower was teeming with messengers and servants running about. Arcane casters from all over Slavland were converging on the tower, in preparation to defend their kingdom.

Adri went straight to her father. Alathan was seated in the council chamber, stacks of documents on the table before him. Krellyn stood behind the throne, hands folded before him, calmly, curiously, observing the chaos in the room. An acolyte nervously bounced on the balls of his feet, waving yet another pile of papers at the arch mage. His face was grim and hard as he thumbed through one set of pages, while three wizards stood around him, yelling at one another. He looked up when his daughter entered the room, and he demanded quiet.

The look on her face was enough for him to know that the news from Freton was not good. "Adrielen. Why are they doing this, and how long do we have?"

Her voice shook at little with her anxiety, but she answered. "It's complicated. And two weeks..."

Her statement set the room in a new uproar. The wizards, who had been loud before, were practically screaming at Alathan. The frightened acolyte looked as if he might wet himself at any moment. Alathan stood, raised the staff high and slammed it against the floor. A thunderclap rang throughout the room, and above it all, the arch mage's voice was heard, "Enough!" In the sudden stillness left behind, he intoned, "Let her finish.

"Adri, explain 'complicated'. What are my options here?"

She reported completely her experience in Freton, relating everything that Geovanni had said. She then detailed their plans to return to the temple ruins to rescue Geovanni's family. When she finished, she had almost restored some hope. "Keep... doing whatever it is you do to prepare your selves. But, I truly believe we can keep this war from happening. I know we can do this. We need to go now, though."

Alathan nodded. "Go, Adri. And be careful."

Adri looked at Krellyn and silently sent her thoughts over their bond. "I don't know if I can do this. Will you help us?"

He returned, "I am curious about the nature of this 'Great Fish' and the demons in its employ. I will go with you." He stepped around the throne and the table to follow Adri from the room.

Eartho was not at all happy about Krellyn's joining them on their rescue mission. However, he maintained his professional countenance, if only to impress the duchess' father. When Adri asked if he could teleport them back to the Great Fish's chamber, he smiled and said, "Ah. Certainly, for I remember well that thrice-blessed room in which I surfaced after nearly drowning, not to mention being half-eaten by a kraken." With that last part, he offered a cold glare to the indifferent dark-elf.

They arrived in the chamber to find that the magic Eartho had worked over the well was still intact, and he went to work at releasing the spells. Adri smiled when she saw that the entrance into the rest of the temple ruins had been blocked off. The goblins had piled a great mass of junk, forming a solid wall of debris where the doorway had been. Examining their craftsmanship more closely, it looked as if they had sealed the whole thing together with some sort of hardened muck. Adri did not wish to think over long about what it was the goblins would use for 'mortar'.

Once the sea entrance was free, Krellyn distributed potions that would allow them to breathe and to see in the dark ocean beyond the well. As she lowered herself into the cold water, Adri laughed nervously and asked Eartho if their destination was a far swim. He offered a placating smile, stating that it was not far at all. She suspected he was lying to her, but she appreciated the fib.

Eartho led them to the sunken ruins that he had spotted during his escape from the kraken. The crumbling, sunken city was contained within a bubble of magical energy. This bubble let the group know that the place must be occupied by something quite powerful. It required a powerful being, or beings, to create and maintain enough energy to keep the ocean at bay. As they approached, they determined the most likely place to find them would be the, mostly intact, replica of the ruined temple on the surface.

The wizard pressed his hand against the surface of the bubble. The energy remained stable as he pushed through. Eartho stepped down onto the battered road within and beckoned his companions to follow. To Adri, the energy felt oily and thick. It made her sick to her stomach to pass through it. The bubble and everything inside it felt tainted, filthy with evil. Krellyn was the last to enter, preferring to hang back and observe the others as they worked.

The city was built from large blocks of irregular shaped stone. Winding streets were littered with chunks of that stone and piles of rubble, as if the world had once tried to shake the city from itself. Side roads and alleyways were choked with massive boxes of metal and stone. The boxes were clustered in chaotic piles, appearing as though they had been simply tossed in a raging fit. Closer inspection revealed that these boxes were the sarcophagi of some sort of gigantic creatures. Upon touching one of these coffins, Adri felt instant pain and revulsion.

Adri whispered, for speaking loudly felt like the wrong thing to do. "Eartho, what happened here?"

The place seemed deserted of anything living, and the wizard felt no such compulsion to whisper. "Alas, Adrielen, I am afraid even I do not possess such knowledge. The runes on these sarcophagi are unlike any language I have ever studied. There is a feel to this place; as if it were as old as the gods themselves. As for what happened, well... It must have been something quite terrible. Plague, war, famine, perhaps all three. We cannot possibly know without extensive investigation. Maybe, when we are returned to your father's tower, I shall request funds and team of professionals for an archaeological expedition."

Still whispering Adri replied, "When we get out of here, I'm not coming back."

Nonplussed, Eartho said, "Well, of course not. You would most certainly be in the way. You are not a professional."

Adri paused and looked sideways at her friend. "Thanks, Eartho."

Missing the sarcasm, he smiled and said, "You are quite welcome, Adri."

At the center of the ancient temple, they found what they were looking for. Like the temple above, there was a chamber containing a well, though this one was much larger. A dome of reddish glowing energy covered the opening of the well. Floating in the center of the dome, either dead or unconscious, were Father Geovanni's wife and son. On the other side of the well and the dome, was a creature that could only be the Great Fish.

It was shaped like a giant fish, at least twenty feet in length (a creature that might fit in one of the coffins they had seen earlier). Its brown and green scales were covered in a thick mucus that smelled like the refuse bin of a seafood market. It possessed three red eyes in the center of its head, just above its relatively small mouth. Four tentacles writhed along its flanks. Like a snail, it left a thick trail as it undulated around the well.

Adri's first instinct was to turn about and leave the way she came in, as quickly as possible. It was all she could do to hold her ground as the abomination approached. She had to grab Uruk's arm as the orc tried to flee, murmuring, "Nope. Nope, nope, nope." It did not matter, for the doors they came through slammed shut at a gesture from the Great Fish's tentacles.

Not taking her eyes from the creature, Shoska asked, "Adri? What are we doing here?"

Adri said, "Um... We try to talk to it? Eartho, can you figure out the dome thingy?"

The wizard peeled his eyes away from the monster. Suddenly inclined to whisper, he said, "Ah. Yes. Yes, of course. The uh... 'thingy'. Right away, Adri."

Ledo muttered, "Not time to be funny, Princess."

Adri thought it best to get right to the point. She took a deep breath, then gagged on the stench of the creature's excretions. "We've come for the people that are inside that dome."

She had no idea what a fish monster was supposed to sound like, but Adri was not expecting the creature's smooth, even tones. "So you have, Adrielen. Go ahead and take them, if you think you can. But perhaps you would like some explanation as to why I put them there in the first place?"

"Uh... All right."

"That well is a portal, leading to the realm where the Render of Worlds is imprisoned. If the dome fails, the Render is released upon this world. I have taken it upon myself to manipulate the nature of the dome, so that its energy now comes from the two people I've trapped inside it. Take them out, the dome collapses, and your world is ripped apart. Leave them in, and Geovanni starts a war, which as I have carefully ensured, will have a cascading effect that will be equally devastating. The latter scenario will take longer, but your extinction is inevitable, either way. I've waited a long time, a little longer is no matter.

"I am the last of my kind, a glorious race of beings that existed in this realm long before the birth of your pathetic gods. All of my people are gone. But my death will be the harbinger of your own extinction! No matter what you do, Adrielen; your world and all of its hopes will die in one agonizing torment or another."

It waved a pair of tentacles at the dome. "They are weak little mortals. They will die in there, soon I would imagine. You could, of course, kill me. But you still have the dome and the World Render to worry about."

Ledo was loading his pistols. Uruk was ready to spring, impatient for the talking to end. Shoska was taking inventory of the room, calculating the most efficient way to get a hold on the monster. Eartho was engrossed in the magical workings of the dome. Adri turned to Krellyn and spoke into his thoughts.

"I'm going to get Marie and Anthony out of there. As soon as they're out, I need you to teleport them back to the village outside of Freton." Red eyes narrowed, as if he would protest. "Promise me you'll get them home, Krellyn. Please." He nodded his head once, and that was enough. Adri returned her attention to the creature.

Her voice was much steadier than she thought it should be, because Adri felt terrified. "Trade!" she shouted to the monster. "My life for theirs. Let Geovanni's family go home, and put me in the dome instead."

The monster's body shook, along with the walls of the chamber, as it bellowed a thunderous laugh. Through its laughter, it shouted, "Done!"

* * * * *

Krellyn knew what Adri was going to do before she did it. She would sacrifice herself, give up her life, for thousands of people she did not even know. She was so quick to give up everything, just to save an uncaring, ungrateful world. He wondered if she would have made the same decision if he had told her she was pregnant. Perhaps, he should have.

Before anyone had a chance to even protest, the creature instantly dropped the unconscious mother and son to the floor and put Adrielen, his Adri, inside the dome. He quickly forced down the unaccustomed rage that tried to rise up from the depths of his soul. It did not matter. He would take the priest's woman and son back as he said he would. Then he would return, and World Render or not, he would take Adri out of there.

Curiously, Adri's body was not prone as the mother and son had been. She was composed in the kneeling attitude of prayer. A white light forming the shape of her goddess' symbol floated above Adri's head. The monster seemed momentarily confused by this new development. Though they were just as stunned by Adri's action, her friends took full advantage of the creature's confusion. As they attacked, it did put up a fight, though it kept yelling at them to kill it. What a strange thing to do, Krellyn thought.

He would have liked to have stayed and witnessed the outcome of the battle, but he made a promise to Adri. He took a long look around the room, and one more look at Adri. Then, touching the woman and her son, he took them to the church in the small village outside of Freton. They would need some care before he could return to retrieve Adrielen.

* * * * *

The battle with the Great Fish was a long and difficult one. Ledo and Uruk were badly wounded, and Shoska had lost consciousness. The monster kept encouraging them to fight, though it was not opposed to defending itself. Eartho thought this was very curious. Then it occurred to him, the real nature of the monster's manipulations on the dome.

"Stop!" Eartho shouted, then he remembered the talisman that Alathan had given him. He was not sure he believed in any gods, but just in case, he prayed to any that might be listening that the magical device would work. He grabbed the medallion, touching all of their stones at once and cast his teleportation spell. The last thing he heard was the anguished cry from the thwarted monster before the silence of Alathan's office.

Adri came awake before she hit the floor. She immediately turned on Eartho. Furious that he had possibly released the Render, she demanded, "What did you do?"

Eartho shrugged. "I called its bluff."

She wanted further explanation, but her friends were hurt, and her father was shouting commands at people to get them to the infirmary. Once their wounds were seen to and everyone was awake and alert, Eartho proudly explained the monster's dome. "I was able to ascertain that the dome does indeed cap the entrance to another realm. I am quite certain that said realm does imprison the World Render, or rather the Tarrasque, as it is also known. And the abomination had, in fact, manipulated the magical energy of the dome, but not in the way it wanted you to believe, Adrielen.

"You see the victims entrapped within the dome really had nothing to do with it. The magic required to collapse the dome is far too great for such mortal lives. It would take a very powerful soul to break it down. The mechanism was actually tied to the creature, and would only collapse if the creature died within one hundred feet of the structure. It wanted us to kill it, releasing the Tarrasque. It simply wanted our Duchess Adrielen to be the first to go."

Adri asked, "Why?"

"That is an answer I do not have. It seemed a bad time to ask."

Adri stood then and standing over Eartho, she took the surprised wizard's head in both of her hands. She kissed his forehead and said, "Thank you."

"What of Krellyn?" she asked her friends.

Shoska answered. "He took the lady and her son away."

Adri nodded. She feigned a stretch and a yawn, then announced that she was going to nap. Once she was alone, she closed her eyes and visualized that strong cord that tied her soul to Krellyn's. With her mind's eye, she saw herself take hold of the cord and pull. She knew she was not strong enough to pull the dark-elf to her, but she thought she might use the connection as an anchor to phase through dimensions as he did.

She pulled again, this time seeing Krellyn, propelling herself towards him. Adri opened her eyes, just as she crashed into her beloved. He gripped her arms tight as she steadied herself. For a moment, all she knew were his two red eyes boring into hers. He said, "Interesting. Yet, clumsy. You need practice. And use places as anchors, Adrielen. Not people."

Adri was stunned. She barely heard what Krellyn was saying to her, because she was still trying to absorb the fact that her little experiment actually worked. Once she felt the solid ground under her feet, and Krellyn let go of her, she looked around. She was back in the Great Fish's temple. The creature was gone, however.

Krellyn was studying the dome. Inside, there remained a ghost-like image of Adrielen, complete with the Lady of Dawn's Light holy symbol. She felt weird, seeing the image of herself like that, and quickly looked away. "What is that? And what happened to the monster?"

Krellyn answered, "I don't know. And I don't know." He offered her that crooked smile of his, put his arm around her and pulled her close to him. "I want to show you something, Adri. Ready to go?"

She wanted to be with him, and anywhere but there. Adri buried her face in his neck and said, "Yes, Krellyn."

When she looked up they were in an empty room of a house. The floor was of rich, dark wood. The unadorned walls were plastered. Darkened hallways led off to other parts of the house. A heavy wooden door was latched, and she surmised that it must lead outside. Thick blankets were tacked to the windows on either side of the door. She let go of Krellyn and went to one of the windows.

Adri pulled back the make-shift curtain and saw that there were clear glass panes in the window frame. The window looked out on a quiet, nighttime street. Street-lights showed a cobbled road with clean sidewalks. There were other houses lining the street, some with lights on inside, some dark. From what she could tell the homes and their little yards were well maintained.

He held her hand in his as he took her through the house. The kitchen and bathroom had indoor plumbing and running water. There were three bedrooms in the house, all of them empty. There was another door off the kitchen that led out to a walled garden. From what she could see, nothing but weeds were growing there. If this house belonged to Krellyn, then maybe he would someday allow her to plant a proper garden. As though he read her thoughts, Krellyn said, "It's yours. Do what you will with it."

He opened the door to what she supposed would be a den, but then she knew that this was his place. A long table was meticulously set up with the tools of Krellyn's craft, all manner of alchemical things she could not begin to identify. A large cabinet was filled with bottles, boxes, and bags each labeled in his small, tidy script. There was a pallet on the floor, blankets neatly folded. It was the only room with anything in it at all. He said simply, "I stay here, sometimes."

Then Krellyn slid his hands around her waist and murmured against her ear. "It's safe here. I want you to know this place. Keep this place in your head." Her heart beat faster as he told her, "This is your anchor, Adri. This is... home."

"Home." He was inviting her to make his home hers. Adri had always known feelings of peace, contentment, and love. What she felt for Krellyn in that moment went beyond any of those things. It was all too much at once. She was overwhelmed.

Feeling her legs grow weak, it did not matter for he held her. His mouth was on her neck, tracing the muscles there. One hand pressed her back against him, while the other deftly worked the fastenings on her clothes. Her dress fell. Adri untied her panties while Krellyn plucked at her nipple.

* * * * *

The intensity of her emotions struck him like a wave. As he stripped her, Krellyn let that wave wash over him, flooding his senses. There was no guile in her, no treachery, or manipulation. Adrielen wanted to be with him, just the way that he was. Strangely, that made him want to be something better.

It was a curiosity for another time however, for her breast in his cool hand was warm, her nipple peaked under his stroking thumb. Her emotions, coupled with his attention to her flesh caused her legs to shake. She was leaning heavily on him. Krellyn slowly lowered her to the floor, so he could undress.

Adri sat on her knees in the pile of her own clothes. She was breathing hard in anticipation, and Krellyn admired the rise and fall of her creamy breasts. Wide blue eyes watched him eagerly. As he took his pants off, he noticed the tip of her tongue dart out to lick her sweet rose lips. The thought of those lips on his shaft caused that member to stand erect.

He pulled a chair from under the desk and sat in it, facing her. She had not moved from where he had placed her. He sat still in his chair, staring at her on the floor. She started trembling, yet still he made her wait. Her quaking need that flowed over their bond fed his own libido. He sent it back to her, letting the pressure build.

* * * * *

She tore her gaze from his manhood to look into his deep red eyes. She saw his cruel amusement there, but it only made her desire more intense. Though her need was painful, she knew that he would fill her when he was ready. She giggled softly at her own frustration and at her insatiable need to fuck her dark-elf. The corner of his achingly beautiful, black mouth turned up. He pulled his knees apart. Then, with two fingers, he gestured and said, "Come."

That one word made her heart slam inside her ribs. She started to stand, but he shook his head at her. "Knees, Sweetling." There was no hesitation in her, no sense of humiliation, only need. She would crawl to him on her belly if that was what he wanted from her. Adri kept her eyes on his, as she crossed the floor to kneel between his feet.

Krellyn leaned forward to grasp the back of her neck. His fingers were cold and firm, but he did not hurt her. He pulled her head forward until her chin touched the tip of his cock. The subtle smell of him made her mouth water. She wanted to taste him, but she wanted his command more. Adri would wait until he told her what he wanted.

The soft growl in his voice caused such a flow from her pussy that she felt it on her inner thigh. He said, "I am going to cum in that sweet pussy of yours. But for now, you will suck. Suck it, until I tell you to stop."

Of their own accord, her hands clenched on his legs, digging her fingers into solid muscle. She could not keep the tremor from her voice when she said, "Yes, Krellyn."

Adri cupped and petted his balls while she wrapped her lips around the bulbous head. She loved the feel of his velvet shaft in her mouth. The power beneath that skin made her moan and tremble with pleasure. With her tongue, she flicked the sensitive skin between the head and pillar. Lifting her eyes, she saw him lean back. Her ears twitched at the soft sigh that left his mouth as he closed his eyes.

She sucked and lapped at the salty sweet pre-cum from his tip. More playing than truly sucking him, she kept in mind that he did not want to cum in her mouth. Adri's pussy ached for Krellyn's cock, but she would be as patient as he was. His breathing became heavy, and he started to move with her, sliding deeper into her busy mouth. She looked up again to find him staring at her with a tenderness she rarely saw in him.

It was a look that swelled her heart. She added that vision to a myriad of others she kept. Adri poured her love over the cord that bound them together. Though he would never tell her so, she felt his love and his passion for her as their souls collided. With the bond they shared, they were one even when they could not touch.

He gasped, "Adri, Stop!" She immediately withdrew, but not without another teasing flick to the tip. He put his hands in her hair and hissed, "Come here. Mount me."

She put her hands on his shoulders. Straddling his lap, she sheathed him in her slick and eager pussy. They stayed that way for a moment while he kissed her long, swirling his tongue around hers. As she started to move, his hands grasped her buttocks, guiding her rhythm. His cock filled her, pressing the entrance to her womb. He kept his hands on her ass, supporting her and assisting her thrusts. Their bodies were one. She wanted this feeling for the rest of her life.

Adri watched as Krellyn lowered his head to suckle and bite at her breast. As she rode him, she felt as though his teeth were all over her body, consumed by him. Dark lightning struck her spine and convulsed her body. With a hand in his moonlight hair, she threw her head back and mewled. He came with her, his powerful hands locked their bodies together, prolonging their pleasure.

He let go of her nipple and moved his mouth to hers. They shared another kiss, deep and long. Though they were both spent, their spirits remained entwined. Krellyn was first to speak. "They'll be looking for you soon. Take us to your room in the tower."

He wanted her to 'blink' them somewhere? It was one thing to go to him. It was something completely different to go hopping all over the place, wasn't it? She wanted to tell him she could not do it. The words nearly formed in her mouth when she realized he was watching her face. He was looking for hesitation, for weakness. Clearly, he believed that she could. To confirm her suspicion, he said, "We're not going back, unless you do it."

This seemed to be very important to him. Adri visualized her room. She thought of the time she spent with Krellyn, the love they had made there. In her mind, she saw the ties that connected her to the tower. Though their bodies were still engaged, she wrapped her arms tight around his neck. Closing her eyes, she pulled them along those ties and into that space in her mind.

She slowly opened her eyes. They were sitting in the middle of her bed in her room at the tower. She blinked several times, but the room did not change. She had done it. Breaking into a fit of near hysterical laughter, she said, "Oh gods! I did it!"

With her giggling, Krellyn slipped his flaccid cock from her and said, "You did. Now lay down and sleep. I am going back for our things."

Krellyn was only gone for a few minutes. He reappeared, dumping their clothes in the middle of the floor. He got into bed with her, pulling her on top of him. She wanted to talk about her new found ability. He hushed her, wanting to sleep. Regardless of her excitement, Adri was actually exhausted. She was out only seconds after Krellyn had convinced her to close her lips.

Adri woke just before dawn. She untangled herself from her beloved, put her vestments on, and went outside to pray. As she did every morning, she prayed for the kingdoms and for her family. She pleaded with her goddess for some spark of inspiration that would help her save them. The response was the same as it always was: comfort and a sense that she should be patient. Adri took a deep breath, and on her exhale she let her worries go. She focused on the sounds of early birds, the breeze that ruffled her hair, and the light and warmth of the rising sun on her skin.

As the sun's new light rose above the city skyline, it glinted off of a new piece of jewelry. She studied her left hand, not readily understanding the mithril band that circled her ring finger. She ran back inside and lifted Krellyn's hand to find an identical ring.

Though he kept his eyes closed, he was awake. The thick sleep in his voice was sexy, and she wanted to jump him again. His explanation was short, and as sweet as she was going to get from him. "When you're a god, you just decide that something is. I'm not doing all those parties and fancy ceremonial horse shit. So don't even ask."

Adri closed her hand tight, as if her wedding ring might escape her. When she could breathe again, she said, "Yes, Krellyn."

# Chapter 11

Adri kept her left hand curled tight around the ring she had thought she would never be privileged enough to wear. Having just come from her morning commune with her goddess, she knew she was wide awake and could not be dreaming. He spoke to her as if it were real enough, but was Krellyn playing some kind of joke? She understood his capacity for cruelty, but to joke with her about marriage like that was too much, even for him.

Perhaps it was not a joke, but could it be real? There were rituals to be observed, most of them involving other people. Were those rituals really important? In the end, it was about the two of them: what she wanted, what he wanted. With no priests, no public declarations and vows, no traditions or ceremony, was she really his wife? Her nails bit half-moons into her palm as she tried to sort it out, growing more frustrated as her mind chased itself in circles.

Adri stared at Krellyn, so calm, so unfazed by everything. His arm was thrown over his eyes to block the morning light that barely filtered through heavy drapes. Feeling Adri's unbroken stare, along with her anxiety that flowed unchecked over their bond, he tossed the arm off his face and turned red eyes to her. The gravel of sleep rolled seductively in his throat as he tried to be patient with her. "Look, Adri. I put that ring on your finger, why would I take it back? You want to be married. Now we are. It really is just that simple. Our union has the approval of a god: me. And there was a priestess present: you." He put his arm back where it had been, as if trying to go back to sleep.

Adri's ire was rising to make her face feel hot. Krellyn's attitude could be so infuriating, at times. "I was not present! I was sleeping! You are so damned afraid of your own feelings that you had to sneak a ring on my finger while I slept, just to avoid an emotional discussion!"

He sighed and rolled to his side, propping his head on his hand. There was that crooked smile, the one that worked under her skin and made her body melt. Adri did not want to melt. She was confused and irritated, and he was just... so... not. He patted the bed beside him, inviting her to join him as he said, "In all honesty, you're a bit too fond of discussion, Sweetling." Adri stayed where she was, though the use of his pet name for her made it difficult. She was trying very hard to stay angry. Folding her arms across her chest, she attempted to glare at him. She had never been very good at glaring.

Krellyn dropped the playful grin and slowly shook his head. His expression softened to one that neared tenderness. "I've never had a wife, Adrielen. Never wanted one, until you. Come here." Her pride did not want to let her go to him, but her body thrummed with the need to respond. She forced her feet to stay put and was successful, until he softly spoke her name, "Adri."

She curled next to him on the bed. Her skin was still a little cool from being outside, and she tingled all over to be near Krellyn's sleep-warm flesh. He drew the backs of his fingers down her cheek and kissed the tip of her nose. He cupped her chin and looked into her eyes. "Adrielen, you know that I will protect you, care for you. I will do all I can to be yet another reason you choose to be happy."

As he spoke, he opened himself up to her. She felt his affection and the truthfulness of what he said. With his hand on her face, snuggled against his warm dark skin, she could not maintain her anger. The only thing she could think to say was, "I love you, Krellyn."

Softly, he slipped his free hand down her body to lift her skirt and pull her panties aside. He gripped her thigh and spread her open. He pressed his fingers between her petals, rubbing firm deliberate circles. Then he rolled on top of her and positioned himself, saying, "I know you do, Sweetling. Now, if the discussion is over, I'd like to fuck my wife." She moaned as the velvet head of his thick black member pushed against her moistening slit. He had barely entered her when there was a knock at the door.

He paused, eyes narrowed with irritation. "Be still." He hissed, though she had not yet moved. "They'll go away."

There was another knock, and the maid let herself in. The woman gasped and turned away as her cheeks turned crimson. "Oh! I beg your pardon, Lady Adrielen. I thought you were asleep. My instructions were to wake you."

Krellyn stayed right where he was, though he was somewhat deflated. Frustrated, he barked at the embarrassed woman. "Well, she's awake. So. Get. Out."

Still talking at the wall, the maid said, "I am truly sorry, but Lord Alathan wants the Lady in his office straight away."

Krellyn was already moving off of Adri so she could get up, but he continued to growl at the maid. "Tell him 'The Lady' has a previous engagement."

The maid put her hand to her mouth, trying to stifle a nervous giggle. "I am sorry, Lord Krellyn. The Master said he wants her now."

"I'll bet he does." Accepting defeat, Krellyn threw himself back against the pillows and tossed the sheet up over his head.

Adri padded to the bathroom, telling the maid, "I'll be there in ten minutes."

As the maid closed the door, Krellyn grumbled to Adri through the sheet on his face, "I could be done in five."

Adri laughed as she washed. She quickly chose a simple day-dress and matching slippers. By the time she was ready, Krellyn was almost asleep again. She pulled the sheet down and softly kissed him. She was half way to her father's office, before it occurred to her that she should have just teleported there.

Adri sat in the chair across the desk from her father. She felt as though she had been sitting there, being stared at, for a long time. Alathan's unwavering gaze had begun to make her feel uncomfortable. She looked at her lap, picking non-existent lint from the fabric of her gown. When she dared to look up at him again, she noted that there were tears in his eyes. If his staring made her uncomfortable, the misted eyes were much worse. She had never seen her father cry. Though she knew the notion was unreasonable, papas were not supposed to cry.

Adri's spirit was such that if someone in her presence had tears, she too would cry. Her own eyes began to well-up, and she did not even know why. Finally, he broke the silence. "You've saved the kingdoms from war. And Eartho told me what you did at the dome. I have no words for how I feel about this. "

She was sure he would think of some. No doubt, they would be words like "disapprove", "disappointed", or any number of other "dis-" words she had heard so many times before. In the silence of his pause, she wiped her eyes and braced herself for a lecture.

Alathan continued. "I am a spell-sword. It's so much easier for me to fight than to feel. I'm starting to think that perhaps I've let too much go unsaid with you. Adri, everything I have done since the day you were born has been because I love you. Right or wrong, I made the best decisions for you that I knew how. I want you to know that I am so very proud of you. I always have been."

His unexpected words were a siege against a dam Adri did not realize she had built. Something broke inside of her and a flood spilled into her hands as she covered her face. She did not hear him get up, but she felt his warmth as he put an arm around her, holding her against him. He was smoothing her hair, shushing her, but she let the water rise. The flood would run its course until her nature regained a balance.

In short time, the tears slowed and stopped. Adri rose and hugged her father, in a way she had not done since she was a child. Her arms tight around his neck, she buried her face in soft platinum hair that smelled of his pipe smoke. The smell brought the memories of faery stories told in the safety of his strong embrace. He always did the voices, and the memory made her giggle. She thought then, that their relationship had not always been so strained. Perhaps, it did not have to be anymore. Alathan did not know why she laughed. He was just happy to be able to hold his daughter. He held on to Adri until she pulled away from him.

She was about to sit back down, when he grabbed her left hand and held it before his face. The careful control returned to his voice. "Adrielen, what is this?"

Her eyes filled again. "A wedding ring. I... think."

He silently held her hand like that for a while. Realizing his jaw was hanging open, Alathan closed his mouth. "You 'think'? How do you 'think' you're married to someone? Are you married to Krellyn?"

Adri nodded, but did not look at his face, fearing a renewal of the disapproval she expected to find there. Alathan only pulled her to him in another embrace. He spoke to her with gentleness. "If Krellyn says it's a wedding ring, then I supposed that's what it is. Do you truly love this man, Adri?"

"Yes, Papa."

"You know this is not the choice I would have made for you. I would have preferred something more in keeping with tradition. Perhaps a nice young man from the temple or a son of one of the noble houses of Avar."

Adri wrinkled her nose and shook her head. "Eew. Gross."

Alathan laughed. "It's clearly not my choice to make. If you're in love, then so be it. This Krellyn is powerful enough to protect you and provide for you. Though I would have liked the opportunity to give my blessing before the fact, you have it now, if you want it."

Again, Adri's tears spilled over. She hugged her father tight and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Papa."

"I can understand why you wouldn't want to talk to me about these things, Adri. But your mother isn't here. You and I need to take care of each other." He pulled back and put his hands on either side of Adri's face. "I want you to understand, if there is ever a problem, you come to me. Will you do that?"

Adri nodded her head that she understood. He held her gaze a moment more, then it was over. He stepped away from her and grinned. "Now, get out of my office. And go wash your face. You're a mess."

Adri continued to stand in the doorway and Alathan turned to look at her. Making a decision, she said, "Today, we're going to talk about how to save Mother and Uncle Cal." He looked as if he would argue, but she held up a hand and continued. "I realize you think it can't be done, but I know it can. Please, at least join our discussion, Papa. Help us, if you can."

It was clear in Alathan's eyes, that he did not believe he would see his wife again. The best he could do for his country and the empire was to hold it all together for as long as he possibly could. Watching Adri's face, he slowly nodded. "All right, Adri." At least he was willing to hear them out.

With the group assembled, including Alathan and Krellyn, Ledo opened the discussion. "To sum up this mess: Adri's mom and the emperor are stuck in the Temple of Time. They went there to get rid of an elder goddess that's taken up residence in Threa's body. So, as I see it, we need to evict the goddess and get our people out of the Temple; without getting killed or screwing up our own time line."

Shoska said, "According to the elves, the gods we have now are the ones who put Gaia to sleep in the first place. And one of them has to control the Temple. So, why don't we ask the gods to help us?"

Adri sat forward in her chair, frowning slightly. She said, "I have spoken with the Lady of Dawn's Light about this. I do it every day. She gives me comfort, hope, but no brilliant rescue plans."

"She's just one goddess." Uruk said. "I'm thinkin' we need 'em all."

Ledo looked directly at Krellyn. "Anybody here know how to get us into Elysium to conference with the gods?"

The dark-elf sighed. All eyes in the room were on him, but the big blue ones that were looking to him for help were the only ones he cared about. He stared back into Adri's eyes and said, "I can take you there. But you have to talk to them yourself. I'll have nothing to do with the gods."

Alathan addressed his problem with the situation. "Gaia is an elder goddess with no avatar. The natural world is supposed to be her body, but she is insane. Gaia chose Threa to be her flesh, so that she could walk among the sentient beings of this world and learn about us. In spite of Threa's influence, Gaia despises us. If the full force of her power returns to the planet, she will destroy every sentient civilization on it.

"Threa keeps the goddess contained within the vessel of her flesh. As long as Gaia is contained and subdued, she can't... shake us off, so to speak. If you 'evict' Gaia, with no vessel to contain her, you doom the world to a never ending series of natural disasters. Because she's been with Threa for so long, I fear the only other body the goddess might find suitable, is Adrielen's." Remembering his daughter's sacrifice at the dome, Alathan looked hard at Adri when he said, "And that is not acceptable."

The high-magus' tone was so final, that a silence hung in the air for quite some time. Then Eartho cleared his throat and offered a suggestion. "If I may? There is a certain arcane procedure that can produce an accurate duplicate of an individual. The duplicate is a viable body, though it lacks a life of its own, a soul, if you will. The replicant's only purpose is to provide a vessel for the individual's soul, should something unfortunate happen to his or her original body. What I propose, is that we manufacture just such a replicant of our Adrielen."

Shoska said, "I get it! We get Gaia to switch to the empty Adri-body, then we get everybody out, letting the other gods deal with the elder goddess!"

Smiling, Eartho nodded in affirmation, "Precisely."

Adri only managed to fit in a "Wait. What?" before Alathan responded.

"As I recall, that spell requires a sizable chunk of flesh to start with, not to mention four months of care and monitoring to fully develop the replicant. Do we even know if the spell works?"

Eartho pulled a small book from his robes and opened it to the spell in question. After a quick perusal, he said, "I see no reason why this procedure should not work. It does require an exact measure of tissue, but said measure is a mere three cubic centimeters. You, Lord Alathan, without doubt possess the requisite space and materials within your tower walls. I am sure that among your acolytes, I could procure adequate assistance for the more menial tasks involved. Provided the Lady is willing to part with an appropriately sized sample, we could begin at once."

Adri said, "You're going to take a piece of me, and grow another me out of that piece?"

With a nervous glance at Alathan, Eartho timidly answered Adri. "Well, it would be a duplicate of only your body, Adrielen. It would not be you, as it would not contain your soul, or any soul for that matter."

To manufacture a person with no spirit seemed wrong to Adri. It felt as though she were teetering on the fine edge between the healing arts and darker necromancy. If it would save her mother and the emperor, if it would keep a raging elder goddess from destroying civilization, then it could not be all wrong. "This is weird. I don't feel good about how weird this is. But you're my friend, and I trust you, Eartho. If you think this plan will work, then I'll do whatever you need me to. If it takes four months to grow another me, then I guess we should get started."

Alathan tried to argue with her, but in the end he relented. His daughter was as hard headed as his wife. If he did not help Adri, she would find someone who would. That someone might not be as careful as Alathan would be. It also occurred to him that their plans might actually work. They spent the rest of the day setting up the arcane lab for Eartho.

When it came time to collect Adri's 'donation' to the project, she hopped on the table. Without hesitation or embarrassment, she lifted her dress to reveal the skin on her side, just above her hip. She was not concerned about the amount of flesh required, for she could easily heal herself. She just closed her eyes, braced herself for the pain she knew would come, and said, "Go ahead."

Eartho hesitated, fidgeting with the sharp knife. He took so long that Adri opened one eye to see what was happening. She thought it sweet that Eartho's hand shook terribly at the prospect of hurting her, but she certainly did not want him working on her with that level of tension. She blew out a sigh of relief when he set down the knife. Eartho stammered that he could not possibly cut Adrielen, even if it was necessary.

Krellyn took the procedure in hand. He pulled a familiar wooden spoon from a pocket. Taking Adri's jaw in his firm grip, he offered the handle of the spoon with the command, "Bite." She bit, and closed her eyes again when he purred into her ear, "You will be still."

Even under those circumstances, her belly tightened and her fluids pooled. After so long with Krellyn, it did not even occur to Adri to wonder if there was something wrong with her. She did not care if there was. His commanding voice made her body tingle from head to foot. Then his mind was with hers, and she swallowed hard the whimper of pleasure that threatened to escape.

Krellyn sent her a memory. Adri was taken back to the time when he had used the very spoon she was biting to spank her for teasing him. The sting of her reddened backside was nothing compared to the exquisite smacking he had applied to her pussy. He used the spoon to take her to the edge again and again, never letting her cum. She remembered the sound of every stinging slap. She remembered the texture of the wood grain as he rubbed circles against her tender bits.

She was so focused on the memory, she barely felt it when Krellyn began to cut. She did not hear the moan that keened around the stick in her mouth. Mistaking it for a cry of real pain, Shoska wrapped her hands around Adri's white-knuckled fists, trying to offer comfort. Adri was unaware of it, for Krellyn kept her mind fully locked in that moment of their past. She did not see Eartho blanch and turn away. Nor did she hear Alathan curse in his native tongue before covering his face with his hands.

Krellyn worked quickly, and when it was over, he gently withdrew from her mind. At first, she was only aware of how wet she was, how badly she needed Krellyn to finish what he had started. The hole in her side did not actually hurt until she looked at it. It was then that the pain caught up with her mind, and she yelled the word, "Fuck!" at the top of her voice.

Krellyn casually promised, "Later." Then he added, pointing to the wound, "You might want to fix that."

Adri started to heal herself while Eartho took the sample from Krellyn. Though the wizard's skin was still pallid, his hands were steady when he placed the tissue in the vat where Adri's double would be grown. Her double. The idea still made her feel a little sick to her stomach. She stared into the faintly glowing arcane goop that would support the thing. Suddenly, Adri wanted to be anywhere but in that room. Focusing on the tower greenhouse, she left the room Krellyn-style. Krellyn had said she needed to practice, anyway.

* * * * *

Krellyn wiped Adri's blood from his hands. He thought to himself that it was his wife's blood. He thought about the word "wife". It was one he never thought he would use. He also thought of the absurdity of what they were doing. He had just cut a chunk of his wife off, so they could grow another one in a big glass tank.

He was curious, as he watched and listened to Eartho's weird incantations murmured over the glowing vat of what he would (if only to himself) come to call "Adri Soup". The corner of his mouth quirked at his own decidedly inappropriate humor. Considering the discomfort roiling in Adri's psyche, it was probably a humor best unshared.

He felt her voice in his head. "I can't breathe in here. I'm going to the greenhouse." She shifted and he sensed her presence within the tower gardens. Krellyn could not help but feel some small measure of pride. His Adri learned well and quickly.

Alathan stepped up beside him. He too, watched Eartho work. Though Adri's father wore a deep-set frown, he seemed to come to the conclusion that the young human wizard knew what he was doing. Before he left, he said, "Krellyn. I'd like to speak with you in private, when you're through here. Meet me in the observatory."

Krellyn nodded to indicate that he had heard. Regardless of the unaccustomed emotions inspired by Alathan's daughter, he was not about to step-to for this man. Though he was already bored with trying to puzzle out Eartho's odd workings, he would make Alathan wait, at least for a little while. He found a corner to sit in and closed his eyes while the others filed out of the room.

He was wanted in the observatory, but the only celestial body he was interested in was in the gardens. He could feel her there, curled on a bench before a grouping of night jasmine shrubs. She watched the little white blooms, letting the strong perfume fill her senses. Adri almost never wanted to be alone. The fact that she did in that moment further spoke to her internal distress over the cloning project. He barely caressed her soul with his own, then drew away, giving her the space she seemed to need. He was with her, without being with her. His sense of contentment was different, but something he was beginning to think he could get used to.

He did not realize he had dozed off until Eartho shouted at him. "Krellyn! I have completed my work for now, and I would like to lock this chamber. Considering our environment, I am including a dimensional lock. Unless you plan to spend the night here, might I suggest that you take your black-skinned, pointy-eared self out of my laboratory?"

Krellyn opened one eye, to regard the fancy little man. Eartho's disdain for him was palpable. He knew better than most how much energy was required to hate. The fact that he would maintain such energy over such a small thing as a trip on a doomed ship, was impressive and rather amusing. He decided not to torture the man with his despised company any longer that night. Krellyn phased himself from the room, and did not hear Eartho's parting grumble about the kraken boat.

He found Alathan working with a large telescope in the tower's observatory. The high-elf wasted no time with small talk, which Krellyn appreciated. He did not look up, but kept tinkering with the mechanics of the scope when he said, "You've married my daughter. And done it without my consent."

The man got right to the point. Krellyn responded, "Do you expect me to apologize?"

Alathan paused and turned to look at Krellyn. "No. In fact, I expect you've never apologized to anyone in your life. This is not about me. It has not been about me since the day my little girl was born."

Krellyn sighed and crossed his arms. He could see the conversation heading in the general direction of trite and stupid. He wanted to get to Adrielen. "I suppose this is the part where you threaten my testicles if I make your daughter cry?"

"Threaten your...?" Alathan laughed and shook his head. "You're a god. What am I going to do? Besides, if causing Adri tears were a geld worthy crime, I'd have lost my jewels a long time ago.

"No. This is the part where I plead for my daughter's safety. According to you, a demon prince is trying to kill Adri. That isn't something I can deal with. But you know the Planes, you can take her away from here, somewhere out of the demon's reach."

"I can and I will. But you know she won't leave until her mother and your emperor are returned. You know, probably better than I, she has to do this."

Alathan nodded in agreement. He sat down, pulling a pipe and small pouch from his pocket. The man was taking his time preparing his smoke while he thought of his next words. Krellyn was beginning to grow impatient. He wanted to get to Adrielen, but Alathan said, "Have a seat, Krellyn." Krellyn suppressed an irritated sigh and sat down. He refused the offered pipe, managing to do so politely. After a few more puffs of smoke, Alathan finally continued.

"Yes, how I do know. All I have ever wanted is for Adrielen to be safe and happy. Now, as her father, I'm expected to just give her to you. I really want to trust you, Krellyn. I need to know that I can."

He should not have cared about how the man felt, whether he was trusted or not. However, he did want Adri to be happy. It surprised him how much he wanted that. So he would try to give her father some peace by telling him the truth. "Adri makes her own happiness. It's an intriguing thing with her that her joy and faith never diminish. It's really no wonder that she seems to be a favorite of her goddess. As for her safety, I fully intend to protect what is mine. I will teach Adri to keep herself safe."

Alathan stared blankly at the telescope for a silent space while he gathered his thoughts again. He then looked at Krellyn, searching his face for emotions the dark-elf would never show. He said, "She deserves to be loved. You do love her?"

There was that word again. It was a tiny word, insufficient to house a concept that was so much more profoundly conveyed by action. "Adri is beautiful. She is wise in her own way. There is a light in her soul that will not be extinguished. She credits her goddess for that light, but I suspect it's her own. I have never experienced... fondness for a female before Adrielen. And I have never had a family. I find myself rather enjoying the idea."

"I suppose that's the best answer I'm going to get."

Krellyn nodded once. "If it's any comfort to you, Adrielen understands and accepts this."

"From a logical standpoint, I must accept it as well." Alathan held out his hand and Krellyn clasped his forearm. The two men shook, then Alathan wished him a good night.

Krellyn sent out a thought in search of Adri and found her in her room. Upon entering, a lump caught in his throat, and for a moment he could only stare. The balcony doors were open. Adri was leaning on the railing, looking out over the night time skyline of Slavland. Her naked alabaster skin glowed under the full moonlight. Wind tossed her platinum tresses, carrying to him the subtle sweet fragrance of honeysuckle blossoms.

Before approaching, he mentally reached out to assess her mood. As was typical for Adri, her previous feelings of discomfort were gone. He had once thought her flighty, but had come to understand that she was not at all light on intellect. It was just her way to accept a situation without dwelling on the negative. She had cast a useless disquiet aside to fully enjoy the simple pleasure of a chill breeze pricking goose bumps over her skin.

As he closed the space between them she turned and threw herself against him. Usually, his skin warmed at her touch, but the night was cool and the wind was high. She squirmed until she was in his cloak, slipping her chilly arms around his waist. He caressed her back and breathed into her ear. She pulled herself tighter against him, crooning with delight in the warmth he offered her.

Her skin was cool, but was quickly warming under his touch. He rubbed her back, curling his fingers to gently graze her with his nails. Adri shivered in his embrace, but not from the cold. He slipped a hand down to stroke one firm round buttock. Letting a couple of fingers just barely flick her sex, he confirmed the wet that he already knew was there.

* * * * *

As Adri watched the lights in the buildings below, one by one they would wink out as Slavland settled in. She thought of the lovers in those homes. Some of them were sleeping. Some were loving, fighting, fucking. She could feel Krellyn in the observatory and sensed his irritation with her father. She smiled, "Welcome to the family." she murmured into the night. It was a sentiment she would wisely keep to herself.

Reveling in the touch of the night, the cold crept under her skin and raised little bumps there. A strong gust ruffled her hair and stung her exposed flesh. She only laughed at herself and rubbed her arms. Adri experienced a fleeting pang of missing her mother. It was Threa who taught her the simple pleasure of being sky-clad under the moonlight.

She lifted her eyes to the moon. It led her thoughts to the silken fall of Krellyn's hair on his violet-black skin. She thought of how his hair tickled her thighs when he buried his face in her sex. Her pussy twitched and her hands tightened on the railing. She was tempted to touch herself, but she waited for her lord dark-elf. She waited for... her husband. Thinking of that word warmed her cheeks with its strangeness.

She felt Krellyn come into the room, but stayed where she was. His pleasure at the sight of her came across their link. Her body already ached for him, but she would not move until he did. When she heard his boots come up behind her, she could be still no longer.

Adri had not realized how cold she was until she slid her arms around Krellyn's warmth. His hands burned over her back as she wriggled into his cloak. She pulled in a deep breath, trying to hold in his intoxicating scent. Pressing her body to him, she could not get close enough.

Krellyn's fingers brushed her wet outer folds, and she sent her desire over their bond. When he lifted her, she assumed he would take her to bed. Adri squealed as he set her bare ass on the ice-cold iron railing. Even then, his cruel chuckle elicited another flooding twitch at her core.

She tightened her grip on the back of his neck. They were six stories up; two seconds from a fatal reaction to gravity. Instinctual fear grabbed her gut and made her stomach flip. This was strangely offset by an almost painful need to fuck. She decided she was definitely insane, but that was just fine. Krellyn laughed at her again and said, "You better hold on."

His strong solid hands filled the chill void of empty space behind her. He would not let her fall. His mouth closed over hers and she sucked at his tongue. Beneath the surface, Krellyn opened himself to her, swathing his darkness about her soul as his cloak had been about her body. The wind whipped their hair, but lost in him, she no longer felt the cold.

His tongue left her mouth to snake down her neck all the way to cleft between her breasts. Adri lowered her hands to the rail and held on tightly as Krellyn moved his own hands to cup and knead her globes. Her nipples were already stiff and overly sensitive from the cold. His fingers pinched and pulled. His hot tongue burned. He worked her tits until her back arched, her body quivering dangerously, still she held on.

He dipped his head lower, caressing her belly with his lips. Her heart swelled when Krellyn paused at her hip where he had cut her. When he had released her from his sexual anesthetic, the wound was quite painful. To Adri, that was only a small thing, something to be forgotten about. She had healed herself with not even a faint scar to mark the place where the wound had been. Krellyn had not forgotten, and he knew precisely where. The tenderness with which he kissed and lapped at the spot brought tears to Adri's eyes.

Then all thought was gone, for his thumbs parted her outer labia and he used the flat of his tongue to stroke the length of her slit. At the start of his next stroke, he dipped that skilled muscle inside. Several times, he licked from the hole to the tip of her clit, putting a little wiggle at the end of each lap. Her hips wanted to move, but the maw of night waited behind to swallow her while her dark-elf devoured her cunt.

The butterflies of fear fluttered in her stomach, churning with the hot pressure of an impending climax. She was afraid to cum, afraid her loss of control would spill her over the side. Krellyn read her body and her mind. His hands glided around her hips to lock in place behind her. A deep sense of trust let her fear fall away. He focused on her clit, making tight hard circles, letting his teeth scrape against her engorged lips. She exploded inside, as her mewling cries rose into the night. She squealed again as he teasingly passed a few more lashes over her tender convulsing pussy.

He stood back and held onto her while she got her trembling legs beneath her. Adri started for the room, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her hard against him. He put extra gravel in his voice when he growled into her ear, "Where do you think you're going, Sweetling? I haven't finished with you, yet."

Adri's heart leapt into her throat and stuck there, blocking her scream when Krellyn violently spun her to face the railing and he pushed her. For a fraction of a second, she was certain that she would kiss the dark street far below, but his arm was around her waist. His cruel laughter at her fear should have made her angry. It only contributed to her lust. His thoughts brushed against her own, reminding her to "Trust, Sweetling." He pressed his hand to her back, bending her over. He stood so close she could feel him free his cock from his pants as he nudged her bare feet apart with his boots.

Without pausing to play, he aligned himself and shoved his massive rod all the way into her dripping hole. He slowly backed out, letting her feel every thick inch of his manhood, before slamming her again. She was leaning out into the empty night, but he held her tight with every thrust. She should have been afraid. A sane person would have been, but what a sane person did was none of her business. She closed her eyes to concentrate fully on the delicious burning heat of the friction between her legs.

He was inside of her, one with her, body and soul. As she pushed back, he increased his pace. In minutes he was pounding her hard and fast. She kept up with him, rocking back every time he pumped forward. It was not long before his snarling, savage animal grunts joined the rhythm of their slapping skin. The night wind bit her back and Krellyn's free hand applied stinging smacks to her bouncing buttocks. She was going to cum again.

She opened her eyes to the night and opened her throat to scream her bestial passion, an accompaniment to Krellyn's shuddering roar. His cock throbbed and spurted, while her pussy gripped him tight. He did not stop, but kept pumping, panting, and growling. Only when there was nothing left did he withdraw, pulling her back from the railing. He quickly fixed his pants, then wrapped her in his cloak with him and kissed her deep, his mouth tasting of her cum.

Krellyn laid Adri out on the bed. "Stay." he barked at her, and she stayed. She watched him undress. Her sated body felt heavy. Her eyelids fought against her desire to watch him. She was aware of their fluids pooling out of her sore cunt, but she was suddenly exhausted; and she had been told to stay.

She had not realized her eyes had closed until she felt him sit on the bed beside her. He opened her legs and gently cleaned her with a warm wet cloth. He dipped his fingers into his pot of salve and applied them to her tender flesh. She could have healed herself if she thought it necessary, but it was something he seemed to want to do for her; a loving part of their intimacy. Adri closed her eyes again, waiting for the return of sleep.

* * * * *

Krellyn watched his wife's face for a moment before he placed his palm softly against her lower abdomen. He opened all of his senses, red eyes glowing faintly in the darkened room. The life force of the demigod that had taken root in her womb was healthy. It was tiny, far too small to be noticed even by the woman who carried it, but it was strong. He let his senses return to the normal state.

He put his head on the pillow and pulled Adri's sleeping body over his. It was easy to imagine her with an infant at her breast. He could see her singing, playing, teaching their child. He had no hand in raising his first offspring, the result of a moment of mortal carelessness. As he thought about it, musing over the life he might have, Krellyn realized that he was actually looking forward to being a real father. He was not at all sure what that meant, but he wanted to find out.

He wondered, not for the first time, if he should tell her. Female elves flowed every three months. It would take four for the Adri Soup to be done. Also, there was the matter of taking her before the gods. It could be, one of those meddling bastards might say something to her. Whether he told her or not, Adri would know before they ventured to the Temple of Time.

# Chapter 12

Adri started on Krellyn about going to Elysium the very day after they had begun the arcane replicant project. Krellyn wished to postpone as long as possible their trip to that hated place to confer with those despised beings, the gods. There was also the fact that Adri and her friends had not rested well since their return from Novusarcis. They had four full months to wait for the Adri Soup to finish simmering. There was nothing they could do in the interim, but unwind, relax, and regroup.

Though Adri was impatient, Krellyn insisted that she stop. When she pressed the issue further, he threatened to tie her up. She narrowed her lovely, deep blue eyes at him and hissed, "You wouldn't dare!"

Krellyn casually drew a pair of padded manacles from his pocket. As she started to back away, he grabbed her arm and pulled her close. He held the cuffs up for her, so she could get a good, long look. Opening his surface thoughts to her, he reminded her that there was very little he would not dare. He crooked his mouth as he watched her expression, indignation warring against curiosity. She did not take her eyes off the cuffs until Krellyn put them back in his pocket.

In a tone he knew would make her wet, he purred, "Now, Sweetling, you will cease your pestering. And you will behave. Do you understand?"

In a sweet voice befitting her pet name, Adri responded appropriately with, "Yes, Krellyn." Though he would have preferred to have to make her understand, he decided to be satisfied with her answer, and released her. When she walked away however, there was a teasing lustiness in her throat as she looked over her shoulder to add, "For now, anyway."

A month passed, during which Krellyn enjoyed the tower's alchemical laboratory. The facility was massive and well stocked. He found that he enjoyed teaching the young minds that joined him there. Adri spent much of her time working in the greenhouse. He often found her there at the end of the day, up to her elbows in dirt. Usually, she was singing at the top of her lungs, because the plants "liked it". Though he did enjoy being in the tower with Adri, it was a busy place; crowded yet somehow empty. It was not the same as their cozy family life had been in Shonland. It was a life he began to long for again.

Though they had been there for a month, he still had not told her she was with child; and she still had not figured it out. If they went to Elysium before she knew, he feared one of the gods might say something about it, even though it was none of their business. The time just never felt right to him. He wanted privacy and quiet. There was a certain kind of peace that they had shared in Shonland, but he just could not find that peace in the tower. If he could get Adri to go home with him for a while, maybe they could find that peace and he could tell her.

He found her in the orchid wing. She was trimming old stems to make room for new blooms. Though she acknowledged his presence with her smile, she continued to sing as she worked. He stood out of the way, watching and listening. As she finished up and put her tools away, Krellyn said, "Adri, come home with me tonight, I need to talk..."

He was interrupted as Eartho burst into the room, followed by a grinning Uruk. The wizard was quite animated, waving his arms, voluminous robes flapping behind him. "My Dear Lady, do follow us to the laboratory, at once! I simply must share the remarkable progress, of this: my most astounding arcane achievement to date, with a person of slightly more intellectual aptitude than our unfortunately, undereducated and rather oafish companion, here!"

Krellyn felt Adri's anxiety rise. The last thing she wanted to do was go to Eartho's lab and look at the Adri Soup: "That Thing", as she referred to it. Neither did she wish to hurt Eartho's feelings. Curious, Krellyn remained quiet, to watch what happened. She stammered, "Oh, Eartho, I just... um... I uh..."

She looked past the wizard as Uruk began to gesture behind his back. What the orc was clearly trying to charade was that Adri should lie, telling Eartho she had to take a bath. What Adri saw however, was not at all the same thing. Watching Uruk, she said, "I... I have to... scrub... um... I need to go scrub Uruk's armpits!"

It took everything Krellyn had to hold in an explosive guffaw. He had to cover with a cough. Uruk clamped both of her hands over her own mouth to stifle herself, while tears of mirth rolled down her cheeks. Eartho's face fell, but he nodded in acceptance. "Well, that is good. I am truly relieved to see someone finally taking the initiative in that particular arena." Then with an encouraging grip on Adri's shoulder, he looked deeply into her confused eyes and said, "My lady, do be careful in there. And... I wish you the very best of luck with your endeavors."

Before he left, he stood over Krellyn who was bent in half, still faking a coughing fit. Dripping with disdain, Eartho said, "Ah, Krellyn. You've come down with some sort of coughing sickness, I see. Well, serves you right, you and your damned kraken boat." That put the dark-elf on the floor.

In three thousand years, Krellyn had never once pissed himself, and he was determined not to start, but it was a fight. As the wizard and the orc left, he tried to breathe, while his belly still clenched with the convulsions of laughter. Just as he thought he might regain some control, Adri innocently asked him, "What's funny?"

Adri sat on the floor beside him as he covered his face with his cloak to muffle his shuddering bellows. Putting her arm around him, she phased them to her room. She shook her head and sighed. Leaving him in a heap on the floor, she went into the bathroom to draw a bath. When he got himself under control, he opened his mind to her and mentally sent his interpretation of what was funny.

From the bathing chamber he heard her groan, "Oh, gods." That was followed by one of her rather long giggle-fits. For a time, Krellyn stayed on the floor where he was, smiling and listening to his wife's laughter. As she settled into the bath, Krellyn undressed and joined her. She scooched her butt between his knees and leaned back against his chest.

With Adri, naked and wet in his arms, he had nearly forgotten that for once, he wanted to talk. Krellyn decided that if anyone were to interrupt them in the bath, he was probably going kill that person; most likely over a long period of time and at no small expense. "Adri, I want you to come home, to our home, with me tonight."

"Yes, Krellyn, but why?"

"There's something I need to talk to you about, something I need to say, before... before Elysium. I just want us to be alone."

She chuckled softly, "We are alone."

"No. Not here we aren't. I feel like someone's always trying to beat down the door to get to you."

Just as he said that, they heard the maid knock. The woman wisely waited and knocked again. She waited for a long space with no answer, then she entered the suite. The woman whistled softly to herself as she hung Adri's clean laundry. Krellyn huffed an irritated sigh and nudged Adri forward. He grabbed the sponge and the soap. "That's it. We're going to wash, pack some things, and get the hell out of here. We're going home, Adri, just for a while."

She turned and straddled him as he rubbed the sponge over her back. After a long, sweet kiss, she put her forehead to his and said, "Yes, Krellyn."

* * * * *

Adri appreciated the time that they had to relax. She did feel anxious about going to Elysium. Though she was not afraid of her own goddess, the thought of standing before the entire pantheon to ask for favors was daunting. She really just wanted to get it over with, but Krellyn was so reluctant. He did not trust the gods, and Adri understood that. Not all of them were as beneficent as hers. She finally stopped asking, knowing that they would go when Krellyn was ready, and not a second before.

She was rarely needed in the tower infirmary, so Adri was given leisure to enjoy the greenhouse gardening. This was a skill she developed in her years at the temple. It gave her a deep sense of peace and connectedness to put her hands in the earth and coax the green life to its fullest potential. Since leaving the temple, such quiet times were rare and meant to be cherished.

Krellyn seemed contented enough, but as their first month in the tower drew to a close, she noticed a small trouble in his eyes, the tighter set to his lips, and the tiny line between his brows. Unlike herself, Krellyn kept his thoughts close, keeping her out regardless of their bond. Something was bothering him, but Adri knew fretting over it, or even asking about it, was of no use. He would speak when he had worked out what he wanted to say. She had only to make herself available and to wait.

As it turned out, he was only tired of the busy atmosphere within the tower walls. He simply wanted to go home; and though the tower was her home, it was not his. It was not theirs. He could have just said so, but there was something else about it, something he wanted to say. Though she touched his mind with hers, he was locked down tight, as usual, revealing only what he wanted to reveal.

She was looking forward to returning to their house. It was going to take time and effort to turn the empty place into a real home. She could use these few months to get started. Besides, if she was with Krellyn on another plane, she would no longer have to dodge Eartho and his insistence that she look at that thing he was growing in the lab. By the time she got out of the tub, Adri was excited to be going home.

After packing, Krellyn took them directly to his work room, the only room in the house with anything in it. The only furniture being his stocked shelves, his table full alchemical whatsits and thingies, one chair, and a sleeping pallet. A laughed bubbled up, and Adri said, "Tomorrow, we're going to go out and get a few things for the house. There is a marketplace here, right? I mean, wherever here is."

Krellyn chuckled as he dropped Adri's bag on the floor and slipped his hands around her waist. His breath was warm against her ear as he said, "Oh, I tremble at the thought of your wrath, were I to ask you to live in a place with no shopping."

She was curious about this world he had taken her to, the one that would be her new home. She was also curious as to what it was he wanted to talk to her about. All of that fell away when his mouth pressed hers. His arms squeezed her body against him. With his powerful tongue in her mouth, her hands in his luscious hair, there was nothing in the multiverse but the two of them.

In time, he let her go only to fill his hands, kneading her breasts. He lowered his head to lap and suckle at each pebbling nipple. She let her hands slip down over his smooth skin, rippling fingers over the tight muscles of his abdomen. She wrapped her hands lightly around his stiffening cock and stroked him to a full erection. He rewarded her with a purr that resonated from her chest, down her spine, where it thrummed in her lower belly.

She lifted a thigh up to his hip. He moved his arm to grip that leg, giving her support. She pressed the wide velvet head of his member against her wet, engorged clit. She rapidly stroked him, letting the head rub vigorously against her hungry slit, using him to get herself off. Her breath became ragged, as the heat and the tension rose higher. As Adri reached her climax, Krellyn picked up her other leg and held her while she pushed his cock inside her clenching pussy.

Somehow, he managed to keep hold of her while lowering himself to the pallet. For a moment, she sat still astride him, just enjoying the fullness of him and the strength of her own muscles as they tightened and released around his glorious manhood. She loved his face, his deep red eyes, the way his snowy hair fanned around his midnight visage. Apparently, Adri had been still long enough when Krellyn slapped her hip and snarled at her, "Quit staring, and fuck me."

She giggled and said, "Yes, Krellyn." She languidly moved her hips, and he allowed the slow ride for a while. With each pump, she came almost all the way off of him, only to slowly take him in again.

His hands tightened around her hips, his fingers digging into her buttocks. "Faster." He barked at her. The sound of his command added to the intense pleasure of the building friction. She readily obeyed him. Knowing that he liked to watch her tits bounce, Adri arched her back and pounded her hips into his. Through clenched teeth he hissed, "Yes. That's my good Sweetling."

If she could get just a little further response from him, she could cum again. She stuck her fingers in her own juices, playing there for a moment to enjoy touching their combined flesh. Then she moved her wet hand behind her to slick her fingers over his swollen sac. He gasped and growled at her. "Oh, fuck yes, Adri."

It was all that she needed. The pressure inside let go and she drenched him in her cum. His fingers on her hips tightened further, arms working to piston her body on his shaft as he slammed his own hips upward. Her mewling cries joined Krellyn's gasping breaths as his cock swelled and released, mixing his fluid with hers. She lowered herself slowly, reluctant to disengage.

Though they were always connected, the act of physical oneness with Krellyn was something Adri could never get enough of. She buried her face in his silken hair and breathed deep the balsam fragrance. Those dark hands, so strong and rough when she needed them to be, tenderly combed through her rumpled waves. She speckled his neck and chest with little kisses before nestling against his side. Then she remembered that he brought her to their home because he wanted to talk. She asked, "Did you want to talk to me about something?"

"I did. " He was silent for a while as he thought about what to say. "After we teleported ourselves to this space, you never questioned whether there was anyone else in the house. You never even asked me if I knew whether anyone was in the house; you just made assumptions... unsafe assumptions, Adri."

It simply never occurred to Adri that anyone would intrude on their home. In hindsight, he was right. She should be more cautious considering she was someone's target. Wanting to believe that all people had the best of intentions did not make it so. However, the divine in her gave her senses a little a nudge when she needed it. It was an extra sense that she had simply taken for granted.

Adri propped herself up to look at him. "I can sense the presence of evil in a place, Krellyn. There's nothing here."

"That's good, but a powerful being might mask its aura, even the auras of its hidden cohorts. Wouldn't it be better to look for the life forces in a place first, then sort out intentions later?"

"'Hidden cohorts'?" She laughed softly. "Gods, you've a disturbing level of paranoia. But yes, I suppose that might be better."

Krellyn ignored her paranoia comment and continued his lecture. "You're a divine healer. When you're working with someone, you have a sense of that person's life force. Instead of one individual, just expand your focus to one type of being within a certain area. What would happen, for instance, if you looked for all the insect life forces in the garden?"

Adri could imagine the number of bugs in the overgrown weeds behind the house. She could also imagine what it might feel like to get even a brief sense of all those lives at once. Laughing again, she said, "I think a headache is what would happen."

"Try it. Though, instead of looking for beetles and bees, confine your focus to the house, and look for people."

She already knew the only people in the house were herself and Krellyn. "That's silly. There's just two of us."

"Just do it, for practice. Unless of course, you think you can't."

Adri watched the sexy, slow curling of the left corner of his mouth. He knew a suggestion that she could not do a thing was a guarantee that she would. She understood that she was easily played, but was also curious as to just what Krellyn was playing at. Making an attempt to cheat at the game and touch his surface thoughts was without success. She almost envied his ability to lock his mind down tight.

Adri sighed, then closed her eyes and pictured the interior of the house. Mentally she moved from one empty room to the next. Her thoughts drifted to the furnishings that might look nice, and what to put on the walls, until Krellyn barked at her, "Focus!" Right. She was supposed to be sensing the life forces of people.

The only room that had people in it was Krellyn's den. She saw the life in the room as glowing waves of energy. She expected to find only Krellyn's energy beside her own, but there was another energy present. The realization that the third presence was growing inside of her womb hit Adri like a bucket of melted snow, full in the face. It completely shattered her concentration.

* * * * *

Adri's bright searing joy singed the tattered edges of his soul, a burn he had developed quite a craving for. She squealed and threw her arms around his neck. She buried her face there, and he felt the wet of her tears on his skin. She was both laughing and crying at the same time. It sounded as though she was trying to say something through all of it, but she was completely incoherent. Braving the blinding white heat he would find there, he touched her thoughts and found gratitude. She was trying to say, "Thank you."

Krellyn was not sure what he was supposed to do with her. It was Adri. She would eventually turn it off and dry it up, but it seemed like there was something he should do. He tried to remember the last time a woman became hysterical in his presence. It had to have been while he was still mortal. Whatever that Krellyn would have done, was probably not the right response. He would have to improvise.

Tentatively at first, but with growing confidence he started to pat, then rub, her back. He was pleased to note that the more he rubbed, the more her craziness subsided. In time, Adri quieted. Her body stopped shaking to the broken rhythm of sobs and giggles. She said something into his neck again, but it was muffled and he could not understand her. He said, "If you're going to talk, look at me and talk, Adri."

In his head, she said, "No. My cry-face is gross. I don't want you to see." That made him laugh, but he still wanted to know what she had said. She continued to talk telepathically. "I asked why you changed your mind about having a child with me."

He had asked himself the same thing many times. There was really only one answer. "I like it when you're happy."

Her soft, natural, hysterics-free laughter against his skin felt good. She replied, "I'm always happy."

Why did she always have to make everything so complicated? First, she made him feel things. Then, she made him start to want to feel. On top of all that, she expected him to talk about feelings. "I like it when you're happy... because of me. Besides, of all the females I have known, you are the most suitable for my mate."

He did not understand why this made Adrielen laugh as hard as it did. For a moment, he feared a resurgence of the hysterics. Her laughter died down to a few scattered chuckles as she moved her face to rest against his chest. He could hear the smile in her voice as she said, "I love you, too, Krellyn."

He cupped her face in his hand. "Adri, come up here so I can kiss your gross cry-face. Then pull the blankets up and let's go to sleep."

She said, "Yes, Krellyn." Following his instructions without hesitation.

* * * * *

The following day started early, as Adri was excited to see the city and learn about her new home. She was even more excited for the rare treat of stepping out of the house with Krellyn. Though he did not enjoy the daylight, nor the bustling city crowds, Krellyn agreed to accompany Adri on her first foray downtown. She thought he looked sharp in his hooded cloak, dark gloves, and a pair of smoked glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. She took his arm and they walked through a quiet, pleasant neighborhood to a corner where they could hire a carriage into town.

As they walked, Krellyn explained to her that the city of Union was part of a nexus plane. It was a city built by and for Planes Walkers. From Union, anyone with the right keys could get to any other plane in the multiverse. Though the citizens came in all shapes, sizes, races, and species from all over the planes, they lived in relatively peaceful communities on the outskirts of the city. Many beings, some quite like Krellyn himself, chose to pause in their adventures, to settle down for a while, or to retire altogether in one of Union's suburbs.

The city was too much for her to take in in a day. Tall buildings loomed over busy streets and sidewalks. If anything could be bought or sold, it could be found in Union. Shop windows were filled with items from all over the multiverse, from ordinary everyday things to curiosities of the bizarre. Fliers pasted on walls and streetlamps advertised performance arts from many of the various planar cultures. Museums displayed histories, oddities, and arts from the familiar Prime Material, to the elemental planes, to worlds Adri had never even heard of. They passed by the gates of an enormous park that touted the largest collection of extra-planar wildlife in the multiverse. Though Adri wanted to go inside, she was on a mission to get her new house in order.

As Krellyn had said, there were all manner of people there. There were plenty of humans and elves. Adri even spotted a few of the breathtakingly beautiful dark-skinned elves. Uruk was the only full-blood orc Adri had ever known. In Union though, orcs were just as common as men and elves. There were tieflings in all their varied forms. She saw smaller folk, dwarves, halflings, and gnomes. She had to stop herself from staring at a group of pixies sipping from tiny cups at an outdoor café. Adri had never seen fey folk, and was not even sure she had believed they existed. As her eyes took in the myriad of different people, she realized that much of what she believed to be true of the multiverse would have to be rethought. Her head was swimming before they had even had breakfast. Over a light meal of bread and cheese, she was determined to get her head on straight and focus.

The house was simply the place where Krellyn kept his very minimal stuff. It was up to her to make it a home. Considering the night squished on the little pallet with Krellyn, the kink in her back insisted that she start by ordering a bed. That order led to another and another. It may have been a new place with plenty to gawk at, but merchants were the same all over. Shopping was something that was universal, and Adri had surprisingly fine finagling skills.

That afternoon, on their way back to the house, it was Krellyn's head that was swimming. They were followed home by a wagonload of household goods and three neighborhood children who were willing to help Adri tear up the back garden. Adri knew Krellyn was only pretending to listen to her as she chattered away to him about what was going where. It did not matter that he was paying little to no attention, for he seemed to understand and quietly accepted her need to prattle in her exuberance.

At the end of their first week there, they had made a good start at turning Krellyn's house into their home. Adri suggested lovemaking in every room of the house, to promote a spirit of love, unity, and joy throughout. She knew Krellyn thought she was full of crap, but he was certainly not opposed to the sex. Whether he believed or not, Adri had enough faith for at least two people. They spent another two months together in their cozy little place. They developed their routines with Krellyn in the kitchen and Adri in the garden. She loved to see him relax, to feel his tension slowly fade, to catch that very rare natural smile or laugh. Adri had not forgotten her parents, her friends, or the emperor, but that honeymoon at home was something both she and Krellyn needed. It was a time neither of them would forget.

Adri and Krellyn returned to the tower in Slavland two weeks before the thing in the vat would be ready to travel. On Eartho's insistence, Adri finally, and very reluctantly, agreed to look at his creation. The thing that floated in a tank of burbling goo was as tall as she was. It had her shape, and she supposed it wore her face. Its skin was somewhat translucent and it was barely beginning to grow hair. Eartho assured her that this was normal and it would look just like her when it was finished.

Adri unconsciously kept her fingers pressed against her lips as she stared at thing. Throughout Eartho's ramblings on his procedures and developments, she barely heard him. She was trying to get her mind around the concept, to force herself to make "that thing" in the tank acceptable. On some level, it registered that Eartho was winding down, that she could possibly fake a smile and escape his chamber of horrors. Then the thing opened its eyes, deep blue eyes with no soul whatsoever behind them. That was more than she could take. Miraculously, a waste bin appeared in her hands just as everything she had eaten that day hurled itself up and out.

* * * * *

The Adri Soup was nearly complete. What was growing in the tank was, admittedly, somewhat disturbing. It was Adri-shaped, but was only a physical copy. His Adri always smiled. The copy had a flaccid face. His wife had an energetic aura of light and joy. What floated in the tank was completely empty. Krellyn felt as though it was a bit like looking at corpse... a corpse that looked like his wife. He quickly looked away to focus on the real Adrielen.

She had her hand pressed so hard against her tightened lips, that her fingertips were white. Her breath was shallow. He could see the rapid pulse in her neck. She kept her eyes locked on the tank. Touching her thoughts, he knew she wanted to look away, but could not. Adri's mind was trying to rationalize something she felt was very wrong. As he watched the color drain from her face, clearly it was not going well.

The wizard droned on, mistaking Adri's body language for excitement. Krellyn grabbed a bucket, just in case. The arcane lecture came to a close, and Krellyn was pleased that it looked like Adri was going to make it through all right. When the main ingredient in the Adri Soup opened its eyes, he knew that the thought had come too soon. He got the bucket in her hands and pulled back her hair just in time.

Once Adri had recovered from her incident in the lab, it was time for Krellyn to do the thing that he did not want to do. As he said he would, he took Adri and her companions to the Grand Pantheonic Council on Elysium. The building was a domed temple with a raised dais ringing the inner perimeter. Thrones upon the dais were filled with the pampered asses of the meddlesome fools and hypocrites who called themselves gods and wallowed in the stinking filth of their own self-importance.

Krellyn was not one of them. He would not put so much as the toe of his boot in that place. Adri was nervous and pleaded with him to go in with them, but he adamantly refused. The human girl, Shoska, gave him a stern glare before she wrapped her hand around Adri's and led her inside. He grabbed Eartho's arm before he followed the others inside. "Eartho, if those bastards start fighting amongst themselves, you get her out of there."

The wizard's only reply was a cold, "Coward." But Krellyn knew he would not hesitate to save the group if things turned ugly. He leaned on a column, to watch from outside.

The little group stood in the center of that room, looking so much smaller than they should. With mounting confidence, Adri told her story, her mother's story, and what they hoped to do about the situation. To his surprise, the gods actually listened, interrupting only to ask a question or two. When her story was done, she asked for their help to subdue the mad elder goddess. There was some debate, but the expected cosmic brawl never happened. When they put Adri's request to a vote, there was only one dissent and two abstentions among the thirteen gods.

For a moment, Krellyn felt relief. It was over, they could go home. Some of the gods left, while others stayed to mingle with each other and their mortal visitors. He could be patient, give them a few more minutes. Adri had been talking with Solara (her goddess of light), then she broke away from her to tug at the sleeve of Olphine (goddess of judgment), who was trying to leave. Krellyn put his face in his hands and muttered, "Shit." How could she be so bright and not know when it was time to stop talking? What had happened to her fear?

He wondered, as she boldly approached the goddess of judgment, The Keeper of Keys. Olphine held the keys to the Temple of Time. If she were so moved, The Keeper could release them from the Temple back into their own time and space. From between his fingers, he watched his little mortal wife have a quiet one-on-one discourse with the goddess of judgment, a goddess who had abstained her vote. He was glad he held his face in his hands, so that he would not have to put his jaw back in place, as he watched Olphine hand Adrielen a key.

He was so intent on what Adri was doing that he did not realize Solara had put her back against the same column he was leaning on. He managed to keep from crawling out of his skin when she said, "Interesting, isn't she?"

"What do you want?" He did not hate Solara quite as much as some of the others, but he had no desire for a conversation.

The Lady of Dawn's Light laughed softly. "I want you to know that you're right. You're right about Adrielen's light being her own. It was what drew me to her in the first place. Adri is marked for Ascension. There's a sub-realm forming in my domain. It grows with every soul she touches, and I am encouraging that. I'm not asking you to help. I'm not even asking you to stay out of the way. As usual, you will do whatever you want. I'm just telling you what's going to happen. Consider it a courtesy." With that, the goddess left him to join the others in the impromptu party.

Adrielen was being groomed for deification. He had no idea what to think of that. It sounded like something she would work into over time. For Krellyn, Ascension was violently thrust upon him as the last desperate act of a dying god. It might not be that bad for Adri. The gradual development of an Ascended being would certainly be interesting to witness. As he pondered this, another idea began to take root. Perhaps there was a way to make all of this work to his own ultimate advantage.

After a little while, Adri joined Krellyn to wait for the others. With a bright smile, she held up the key she was given. "Look! With this, we can leave the Temple of Time and come out when- and wherever we want! It will only work the one time, and I owe the Keeper of Keys a favor, but at least we don't have to worry about all that time and space business!"

* * * * *

Adri watched Krellyn's eyes narrow to mean red slits. A deep furrow dug itself between his worrisome brows. "You 'owe' a god a 'favor'?!" That fact seemed to trouble him much more than it troubled her, so much so that he mocked, "'Oh, of course! Here's the key to the Temple of Time, Adri! But you owe me one!'" She wished there was some way to ease his obvious distress, but what was done was done. "Adri, owing a god a favor is never a good idea."

As if the beings in the room behind them could not hear, Adri whispered, "I'm not sure, but I think that was blasphemy. Anyway the Keeper isn't a bad person. Not a particularly good person either, but definitely not bad." She really did not see the problem and shrugged. "How bad can it be?"

Krellyn sighed, then growled "Come here." He did not give her a chance to obey as he put his hands on her waist, he pulled her body against his. He purred, "You're the craziest high-elf I have ever met."

Her laugh was throaty as her body responded to the rumble of his voice in her ear. "Oh, I don't think you've met so many high-elves." She leaned her head back to look into his eyes, "I know you don't like it here. I really do appreciate you bringing us and giving us this time. Thank you, Krellyn"

They returned to the tower where Adri reported their success to Alathan. For the first time in a very long time, she saw a real smile on her father's face. He had true hope, and he spread that energy around him everywhere he went. The whole atmosphere in the place seemed brighter for it. While they were waiting for the replicant to finish, Alathan had the whole tower in activity. He wanted everything cleaned and prepared for Threa's return. Adri was drawn into his excitement, helping with the décor and renovations.

On the day before they were to leave for the Temple of Time, Adri was almost giddy with restlessness. She moved throughout the tower, cleaning things that did not need to be cleaned. Those servants that knew the duchess simply worked alongside her or they stayed out of her way. That evening, Krellyn found her in the pyrotechnics lab, trying to remove permanent scorch mark from the wall. "Adri, stop." His graveled voice stirred her insides when he said her name. She dropped her scrub brush in the bucket and turned to face him. "It's time to come to bed."

Though Adri wanted Krellyn, she was much too restless to just settle in for the night. His voice, his very presence, worked the heat and moisture between her legs. She knew she should just be with him then rest, but her energy was too much. She put her nose to his and said, "Make me."

His eyebrows raised and the corner of his lip turned up. She loved the pleased glint in those red eyes. Krellyn gave a slow, sexy shrug as he pulled the cuffs from his pocket. His movements were slow on purpose, she knew. Laughing, she stepped away from him, just beyond his easy reach. He said, "To make it fair, I'll give you a head start, Sweetling." Twirling the cuffs around his fingers, he started to count. "One... Two..."

* * * * *

Considering that Adri's tension had been high, as she was worried about the magnitude of their upcoming rescue mission, Krellyn had assumed she would want a very practical night's sleep. He did enjoy it when she surprised him. His cock kicked in response to the mischief in those blue eyes and the natural lust in her voice when she said, "Make me." How he intended to make her!

She had been curious about being bound when he had first shown her the padded cuffs. When he pulled them out again, the flash in her eyes told him that curiosity had not diminished. It would be a fun game, indeed. He allowed her to dance away from him. He started to count, and before he got to three, his bright little Sweetling disappeared.

He sensed her in the garden, of course. On the pretense of searching for her, Krellyn would make her wait. He took a small packet of powder from his pocket and dusted it over the stain Adri had been scrubbing. With a light go of the wet brush, the scorch mark was gone in seconds. A quick mental check told him she was still in the garden, so he followed.

Once in the greenhouse, he could sense Adri was under a table in the orchid room. He could actually feel her hiding there, with her knees drawn up to her chest, a hand pressed to her face to stifle a giggle. The ultimate goal of the game, he supposed, was to wear her out so she could rest. Before he 'found' her, he called out, "New rule: no teleporting."

"No fair." She called back. "You can't make a rule when the game's started."

He casually strolled amidst the greenery to the orchid room, while responding to her child like cry of no-fair. "Oh, I can, and I will. New rule: every time I find you, you have to take something off."

He squatted down and looked at his wife under the table. "You know this isn't a good spot. I have you trapped in here."

"It would be a fine spot if you hadn't changed the rules."

"All right, then. I'll give you another five seconds to get out of there. But first, I want your panties."

"What?!"

"You know, the other new rule. Take off your panties. Or would you rather run around your father's tower with no dress?"

She narrowed her eyes at him in what he supposed was a glare. He held the cuffs out to her, "Panties or surrender, Sweetling." He was quite pleased to see her slip her hands under her dress to untie her underwear. As his hand closed on the fine scrap of cloth, he intoned, "Five... Four..." Adri squeaked a giggle and scrambled from under the table.

He cheated, of course, following her energy. He was happy to play the game, however. She led him all over the tower, losing one piece of clothing or jewelry at time, until she had nothing left but the simple, white silk shift she wore under her dress. He found her in the darkened council chamber. She had stretched herself out on the table, like a sacrificial offer. Her smiling eyes shone at him as she looked up into his face. "I surrender to your capture, Lord Dark-elf."

"Hmm. About time." She let him secure the bonds around her wrists. "Too tight?"

"No. It's fine."

He nodded and scooped her up. Amid her squeals of protest, he barbarically tossed her over his shoulders and carried her from the room. When she realized he planned to parade his conquest through the tower halls, Adri was having none of that. She teleported the two of them to her room. He dropped her onto the bed and said, "I thought I said no teleporting."

"The game's over. You won." She held her hands out to him, clearly expecting to be let loose.

He placed his hands on her shoulders and pressed her back against the bed. He positioned her between his thighs and locked her legs with his own. He lowered his voice to a level he knew would get no argument. "Hands over your head." She actually hesitated. Then, slowly, Adri raised her hands.

He freed one hand only to pass the chain behind the bed post before locking her wrist again. Her skin was hot, her breathing rapid. Krellyn could feel her heart slamming against her ribs. He drew a sharp blade and she gasped pleasantly as he cut through the shoulder seams of her shift. He tucked the knife between his teeth, then moved down the length of her body. He grabbed the hem and yanked the last piece of clothing from her.

He tucked the knife back into a pocket, then took his clothes off. He let his eyes wander over her long, gentle hills and valleys. She had a fine layer of softness over deceptively strong, fiery muscle. Her breasts were perfection, with their rosy areolae, begging to be suckled. He watched those mounds rise and fall with her every quick breath. When he looked at her face, her lips were parted, panting in anticipation.

He leaned down and kissed her, sucking her lower lip between his teeth. He heard a satisfying whimper as she tried to move her hands to touch him, only to remember that she could not. He pulled away, offering only a mean little chuckle that he knew would make her pussy wet. He would get to that, but those soft, sweet tits called to him. Placing a knee to either side of her, he gave his rapidly stiffening cock a few long strokes. Adri whined when he dragged the head over first one, then the other nipple.

She started to writhe under him and he slapped her breast. He did not mind her moving, but he snapped because she wanted to be snapped at. "Be still!" He took the oil from the night table and drizzled it over her chest. Taking his time, he rubbed the oil all around, saving her sensitive nipples for last. He pinched her areolae between his fingers and rubbed the nipples until they peaked under his thumbs. Her body responded so quickly and easily to him.

He positioned himself a little higher and rested his member between those pretty mounds. He firmly pressed her oiled breasts together around his thick cock. Moving his hips slow at first, he reveled in the warmth of Adri's soft, oil-slicked flesh. She tilted her chin down to watch. He pumped a little faster, the two of them watching the violet-black tip of his cock rhythmically emerge from the top of her creamy cleavage. Then Adri stretched her tongue out to lick him with every thrust. She moaned with pleasure at the taste of his pre-cum on her tongue.

Fucking her tits was good, but seeing that little pink tongue darting out from between her lips like that made him want her mouth. There was nothing like the feel of her lips around his cock. He let go of her chest and moved higher. Panting himself, he gripped his oily cock and rapidly worked up another bead of cum. He wiped it on her lips with the snarled command to, "Suck it."

She licked her lips and obediently opened her mouth. He gave her just the head, and her quick wet tongue circled and wriggled all over it. Again, she tugged at her arms, a cute line of frustration formed on her forehead. As far as he was concerned, she did not need to use her hands, her mouth was just fine. He pushed further into her mouth. She closed her lips around him and sucked. He thrust all the way to her throat, and she took him all. She pulled at him with such greed, moaning around his flesh.

The tension rose with the force of her suction and the vibration of her sounds. He had not planned to cum in her mouth, but he decided to let it happen. His hands made fists around the head board. He looked down to watch himself fuck his beautiful wife's adoring face. Hands bound over her head and still she was obediently his. She opened her eyes, so bright and tender, and looked up at him. His cock throbbed, and she knew he was going to cum. She only sucked more fervently. She swallowed the first load, then he pulled out and spilled the rest of it on her neck and breasts.

He knelt between Adri's long, splayed legs, and ran his hands over her skin. He kissed her inner thighs, breathing in the fragrance of her lust. Her deep pink folds were engorged and glistening wet. He drew back, teasing her a little, enjoying her whimper. "Is there something you need, Sweetling?"

"Ooh, yes, please, Krellyn." She keened at him.

"Please what?" He kept his head between her legs, looking up at her. So close, but too far for her liking. She raised her hips to him, struggling against the bonds, but he kept just out of reach.

"Please make me cum, Krellyn." She was trembling all over with her want of him. She arched her back as he just barely grazed her clit with a fingertip. He took that finger away and she cried out, shaking the whole bed in her frustration. He wondered if she might not break the bed post.

He pressed his lips to her swollen nub, then slowly let his tongue play in her nectar. She hissed through her teeth, "Yes. Oh, yes. Please, please make me cum." He increased the pressure with his tongue, moving her clit in tight little circles. Putting a hand under her bottom, he found that her juices had flowed between her buttocks, fully lubricating the entire length of her slit. He kept his tongue on her nub while he inserted his thumb in her pussy, then slowly pushed his finger into her ass. He was rewarded with her rising mewling noises that delighted his ears.

When he started pumping his digits in and out of her, she bucked so much that he had to put his free arm across her hips. He moved faster and harder as she began to lose control. Without stopping his tongue or his hand, he lifted his eyes to watch her. Her head was back and thrashing, her torso arched off the bed. The sounds from her throat reached a climactic pitch. Her pussy clenched at his thumb while her cum gushed in his face. Carefully, he withdrew his hand and left the bed.

While he released Adri's hands, Krellyn kissed her, the taste of their sex mingling between their tongues. Her hands went immediately to his hair, then she caressed his shoulders, arms and chest. Her hands moved as if they had been deprived, and he supposed, from her perspective they had been. He took her hands in his and examined her wrists. She was not bruised, but he barked a laugh when he noticed the scratched bedpost.

Adri put her arms around Krellyn's neck again and he lifted her. He carried his wife to the tub and gently laid her in it while he issued the arcane word that would fill the bath with warm water. As they sat together in the conjured rising water, they shared a comfortable silence. She rested her head against his chest, her soft hair tickling his nose. He could tell that she was sleepy, finally. The next day would be a long one, and they needed to get their rest.

# Chapter 13

The small group of friends gathered in Eartho's laboratory prior to departing for the Temple of Time. Having realized that his creation distressed Adri, Eartho had covered the arcane replicant in a hooded cloak. Adri could only manage to glance at the thing from the corner of her eye, without feeling nauseated. It was a necessary evil, but one she vowed would never be allowed to happen again. Apparently, the thing could walk without banging into walls and even follow very simple instructions. That somehow made it even worse. To Eartho, the thing was a marvel. To Adri, it was an abomination. She just wanted to get rid of it, and so she was anxiously pushing everyone to get on with it.

She held the temple key tightly in her hand, running over in her mind the directions she had been given. She gathered everyone together in a circle, and Krellyn teleported them to the front steps of the library in Union. No one in that particular city thought anything at all about a group of armed and armored people entering a library. Going inside, they were slowed briefly as Eartho stopped to gawk. The main hall of the building had more stacks of books than the wizard had ever seen in one place. Eventually, he allowed them to move on, and Adri led the group to a small alcove in the back of the library.

The little room was seldom used. A layer of dust coated everything. Ancient volumes and scrolls, most looking as though they would fall apart if touched, were haphazardly piled on shelves. Curiously, near the far wall was a stone pillar. The obelisk was narrow and nearly ten feet tall, almost touching the cobwebbed ceiling of the little room. Worn, faint outlines of etchings remained in the stone, and the artwork gave Adri pause. She ran her hand lightly over the remnants of the intricate design. Quietly, she asked anyone who was paying attention, "Is that clockworks?"

Shoska was right over her shoulder and said, "That's what it looks like. Whoever made this carved the whole thing with those shapes. Weird."

Adri grinned at her friend. "'Weird' seems to be what we do."

To everyone she said, "There's a place somewhere on this thing for the key. Daylight brings it out, so I'm going to light up the pillar. You might want to cover your eyes." She waited for her friends to protect their eyes, Krellyn going so far as to pull his hood around his face and turn his back to the stone. Adri channeled the light from her goddess, directly onto the ancient pillar. The room flooded with noon-day light. As she had been told, right at eye level, a tiny keyhole appeared. She inserted the key. The stone and the wall behind it faded away. The group then stood in front of an open archway. The key dropped back into Adri's palm.

The archway opened onto a narrow stone path. The winding walkway was suspended over nothing. A sheer drop-off into empty gray space awaited anyone who might stumble from the path. Adri had only asked the goddess of judgment how to get in and how to get out again. She never thought about what to do between those two points in their rescue mission. It was too late to worry about that. They would figure it out along the way. Adri took a deep breath and crossed the threshold.

Immediately, the key in her hand transformed into a small pocket watch. She looked down at the device and nodded, assuring herself that the tiny gold hands were both stalled at the twelve mark in the clock face. She put it on a chain and draped it around her neck, tucking the watch under her clothes to keep it safe.

On the path, there was only room to walk two abreast, and Ledo was at her side. "Well, Princess, now what? And don't say, 'Um.' Nobody likes it when you do that."

The path was winding. The twists and turns seemed to have no reason behind their design. It did not seem to branch off at all, so there really was only one direction to proceed. She closed her mouth on the filler noise she was about to utter, choosing instead to say, "Shut up, Ledo."

They walked the path through a grey fog. At times, the mist would part to reveal large, floating crystalline formations. At first, Adri thought they were only crystals in varying colors, but then they paused to look at a few of the closer ones. Each of the crystals contained a series of moving pictures, as if they were seeing windows into different worlds. A few of the crystals tugged at Adri's memory and as they continued along the winding path, she realized what it was about the moving pictures. They reminded her of her history lessons. The crystals carried significant events in time.

Krellyn, who was taking up mid-group with Shoska, was transfixed by one vision in particular. Across their bond, Adri felt a sudden unexpected flare of intense emotional pain and anguish. It was as if ice-cold fingers closed around her heart and crushed it. For just a moment, she saw what he saw. An enormous demon, with the head and wings of a locust laughed at a dark-elf and a high-elf that were hanging, naked and bleeding from a cross-beam. They overlooked a city that was flooding with demon-kind, ravaging the screaming citizens. She did not know what she was looking at, but she knew Krellyn was that dark-elf. Adri had only the briefest flash, for as soon as he knew she was in his mind with him, Krellyn's iron defenses slammed home and she was immediately thrust out.

Telepathically, she tried to talk to him, "Krellyn?"

The only response he would give was an emphatic and palpable, "No."

They stopped when the path split to the left and right around a gigantic cluster of red-violet crystals. There were no pictures in it, but the formation looked like a shard broken off of a colossal geode. It was magically suspended in the middle of the emptiness beyond the path. The crystal made Adri's skin tingle. It was not that far off the path, and she felt a strong compulsion to touch it. Without even realizing it, she was reaching for the thing, when Krellyn grabbed her from behind, locking her arms at her sides. He breathed into her ear saying, "That's not why you're here." It was enough to break her trance. She closed her hands into fists and turned to the left path.

From further behind her, Adri heard Eartho exclaim, "Magnificent! An incredible power radiates from that crystalline formation! I must examine it. Perhaps I could even extract a small portion of it for a more in depth study once we have returned to the magus tower."

Adri knew he was compelled by the same power that had lured her. She was relieved when she heard Uruk say, "Nope."

Eartho tried to argue, "But, this is an astounding magical artifact! I must have a sample for my research, I simply must!"

Uruk said, "That's a 'Nope', with an extra helping of 'Nope', topped off with a generous dollop of 'Nope' gravy." Adri turned in time to see her orcish friend pick up the sputtering red-faced wizard, to bodily haul him away from the crystal.

As she suspected, the walkway made a circuit around the formation. On the other side, they came upon another oddity in the form of three disc shaped platforms. The platforms were created from enormous wheels, pinions, and springs. Each one had a set of steps leading up to it. Two of the platforms were functioning, while the middle one was stationary. Adri turned and addressed her friends. "I'm sorry, but I don't know which way; and I don't think I should be the one to take a guess here."

Eartho said, "If you would be so kind as to put me down, Uruk, I might be able to offer some assistance here. I am no stranger to clockwork mechanisms. I am, in fact, quite skilled with all things mechanical, as well as arcane." Uruk set him on his feet, and he approached the three platforms.

After only seconds, he snorted and flapped an arm at the static platform. "Really, Lady Adrielen! I am surprised at you. It should be obvious to anyone with any sort of rudimentary education that the stationary disc is the one that we must choose."

Adri just stared at Eartho, knowing he would explain in his own time, which he did. "I can see by your vapid, cow-like expression that further explanation is sadly, necessary." He walked over to one of the moving platforms and said, "This disc's movements are time-wise, you see? That one over there is moving counter-time. It is my hypothesis that stepping upon this disc will transport us to a time in the future, while the other moving disc would carry us to the past. Though either scenario would be an extraordinary opportunity for study, I hardly see how that helps us with our current mission. Clearly, the only reasonable choice is the disc that is standing still, which I believe represents the present, allowing us to continue on through the temple."

Uruk asked Adri, "What's he yammerin' on about now, Adri? I can only get half what he says, and about halfway through that I get too damn bored to listen."

"He says we take the middle platform." She climbed the steps to the top of the stationary disc. From that vantage, she could see the tops of the other two clockwork discs. Each one had what looked like a curtain of heat-shimmer dancing in the center of it. She could also see that their path continued on the other side. She looked back to smile her thanks at Eartho before continuing across the platform.

She looked out across to the path beyond. Though the stone path was still narrow, still suspended over nothing, it branched in several places leading to different parts of the realm. There were gardens, fountains, statuaries, even small buildings, all floating on great landmasses of crystal. The path led to a few of these, but some had no way of getting to them at all, unless a person had wings.

Adri's eyes were drawn toward a building that looked much like a miniature version of the Pantheonic Council Chamber. The version she was looking at had only one empty throne on a raised dais in the center. Something about that place tugged at Adri's spirit, and she knew that it was where she needed to be. She pointed the building out to the others. "My mother's in there. I'm sure of it." Adri quickly memorized the route to the throne room and pressed forward.

Each of the pillars surrounding the chamber were carved in the likeness the gods. Some of them were recognizable, while others were unknown. There seemed to be nothing in the chamber at all except for the massive crystal throne in the center, and Adri began to doubt. She had been so certain that this was where she would find Threa and Calethaes, but they were not there. It would take ages to search all the other areas of the temple. She did not want to lose hope, but sometimes it could be a hard thing to hold on to, even for her.

Then from behind the throne, Ledo called. "Come look at this."

As one, the little group moved to the throne and found Ledo behind the crystal seat. The back of the throne was mirrored. They could plainly see the room behind them, complete with the statues of the gods. The only thing wrong with the mirror was that their own reflections were not present. Maybe it was a thing Eartho could understand. She looked at the wizard for help.

Eartho slowly shrugged. "I will admit that the magic in this place is actually slightly over my head. If you truly sense your mother's presence here, perhaps you should... touch it?"

Touch it. It could not possibly be that simple. If the throne was some sort of trap, she would just fall right into it. Her mother was there, she knew, but there had to be some trick to it. She voiced her concern, "What if it's a trap?"

Ledo sighed. "After all this time, you think we'd let some stupid trap get to you?" To the group, he said, "Trap or not, if something happens to Princess, it happens to all of us. Gather round. On three, everybody touches the mirror."

When they touched the reflective surface, the image changed. Nothing happened to them, but the mirror shown as if looking through a window. There was a dimly lit room on the other side of the glass. The only thing in the room was a stone slab on which Threa lay, either sleeping or dead. Calethaes was slumped on the floor, leaning against the slab. He too, was either asleep or dead.

Adri banged her fist on the glass and called, "Momma! Uncle Cal!" but they could not hear her.

Then the group watched as, alone and in pairs, the gods began to arrive in the little room beyond the glass. Once the pantheon was assembled, Solara gestured to Adri and her friends to enter. There was a certain snug resistance passing through the barrier, but they all made it inside. Adri was alarmed as the gods all brandished their weapons of choice, but they expected a crazed elder goddess to give them a fight. Adri knew her desire for a peaceful end to all of it was not realistic.

A quick scan told her that both Threa and Calethaes were still alive. They were in a sort of stasis, suspended in a timeless sleep-state. Getting the emperor out of the way, and out of danger, was the first priority. Adri grabbed the man's ankles, then looking up at Uruk, she said, "Help me."

Uruk waved her off. "I got this." The orc picked up the sleeping man, draping him across her shoulders. Once they were outside the barrier, Adri again checked to find that Calethaes' condition had not changed.

With her divine sight, she could see his pattern, and knew that she could restore him. However, if she did it before they got Threa out, she feared he would put himself back in jeopardy by trying to help her. Uncle Cal was a bit of the heroic type, and though his feelings were unrequited, he had loved Threa when she was herself; and he worshipped her when he thought she was Gaia. Making a decision, Adri shook her head at Uruk. "We'll leave him right here for now. I think he's safer like this. Let's get back in there." She hesitated, "Uruk, be ready for a struggle, but... please try not to kill my mother."

Uruk nodded and said, "I'll do my best." As Adri began to consider asking Uruk to wait outside with the emperor, she saw the orc's grin. She managed a nervous laugh, and the two of them went back inside.

Adri stood over her mother's sleeping form. She lay on her back with her hands folded in the center of her chest. Calethaes' cloak covered her up to her breasts, and she looked as if she were peacefully at rest. Threa's hair, the color of rich, dark earth, was unbound. It haloed around her face and flowed down the sides of the altar.

Adri was determined not to leave her there, but also afraid to wake her. There were a few times in her childhood when Adri caught glimpses of Gaia in her mother. As she grew older, those glimpses happened more and more often. The memories formed a viscous bubble of fear that threatened to halt her action. It occurred to her as she stared at the peaceful face she both loved and feared, that Gaia was most likely the reason Alathan had sent her away to school.

Alathan needed Threa and so did Adri. So much had gone into the journey, even going so far as to build a copy of herself as a replacement vessel. Her friends were there, the gods were there, all to help her. She could not turn back. To the assembly in the room, she said, "I don't know what to do."

Solara told her, "There's nothing to do, if you want to leave her like this. If you want to proceed with your plans, then we have to wake her."

Adri placed her hands over Threa's. With one last glance at her goddess, she closed her eyes and let restorative energy flow into her mother. Threa's green eyes opened wide and she gasped as she came fully awake. She blinked several times, confused by her daughter's presence. "Adri?! What are you...? Baby, you can't be here! It's not safe."

Adri threw her arms around Threa's neck and hugged her. Through her tears, she said, "We came to help you and bring you home, Momma."

Threa sobbed into Adri's shoulder. "I can't leave here, Adri. She's become too much for me. I'll put everyone in danger. I brought this on myself... on everyone. There's nothing you can do to help me." Mother and daughter held each other and cried, then Threa pulled back. She took Adri's face in her hands, "Baby, how did you even get here? Do you have a way to get back?"

Adri only nodded. In spite of the fact that she felt she was talking to her actual mother, she feared Gaia might be listening and did not want to reveal her plans. "We've found a way to help you. We can save you and Uncle Cal!"

Threa started to argue, but then she noticed the gods that were gathered around the perimeter of the room. At that point, she seemed to change her mind and her voice. "That's very sweet of you Adri, but I don't need any help. I'm all right now. Let's just go home, hmm?" She wrapped her arms lovingly around her daughter as she observed the others in the room. That voice was too cool, and she knew Gaia had emerged.

The chill in that voice made Adri's heart hurt. As Threa's arms tightened around her, Adri heard her mother cry out, "No! Not my Baby!" It was too late, Gaia had control of her vessel. The mad goddess intoned, "My, what a lot of interesting friends you have, Dear." She felt her mother's arm become tangling vines that instantly looped around her neck and tightened.

Adri strained to draw in air. Frantically, she clawed at the vines while the being possessing her mother ignored her. Gaia leapt from the table, jerking Adri along with her. Her free arm became a crystal blade. She snarled at those assembled. "You heard my lovely daughter. We're going home! Now get out of my way, or I'll squeeze until her pretty little head pops off." To make a point, the vines constricted even more. Adri could get no air, and she started seeing spots and flashes in front of her eyes.

Just as she thought she would lose consciousness, the pressure suddenly released. Adri dropped to the floor, dragging deep gasps into her lungs. On the floor with her, was a mess of vines that were writhing and changing shape into that of Threa's severed arm. She heard Uruk say, "Ooh! Sorry about that. That was your Mom's arm."

When Gaia hit Uruk with the crystal blade, she struck with such force that the orc was thrown against the stone altar, where she flipped over the top of it and landed in a heap on the other side. Before anyone else could attack Gaia, and her mother's body, Adri croaked, "Stop!" In the momentary stillness, she rasped, "Gaia, we've brought you a gift. Show her, Eartho."

The mad goddess lowered her blade and stared expectantly at the wizard. He cleared his throat and led the false Adri toward Gaia. "We have brought a vessel for you. This one has no soul with which you would have to contend. You could leave Threa, and take this body for your own."

Gaia turned her attention again to Adri. "How stupid do you think I am, you little bitch?" She raised her foot that was transforming from flesh to stone. She clearly intended to kick Adri in the head, and was so focused that she was unprepared for Krellyn.

The dark-elf dove headlong into Threa. In what should have been a tackle, he actually passed his own body through hers. When he emerged from her other side, he had the spirit of Gaia in his arms. Threa collapsed from the shock, but he did not even pause as he rushed the clone. With an alarmed cry, Eartho jumped out of the way. Krellyn slammed into and through the fake Adri, leaving Gaia behind in the new body.

Gaia opened her mouth and shrieked her rage as the room started to quake. Adri sat, stunned, on the floor. She could only watch as thorny vines erupted from the walls and floor. Possessing a life of their own, they writhed and whipped out at anyone within reach. Ledo became shadow, passing through the vines as he moved across the room. Shoska danced under, over and around, escaping entanglement with apparent ease. Uruk's axe was covered in sap as she cleared her way around the altar. Then the stone altar cracked, sending out a thick black cloud of biting flies. Through the vines and the swarm, Adri could see the gods and Krellyn advancing on Gaia. As the enraged goddess began to transform herself into a giant bear, Krellyn shouted, "Adrielen, get out of here!"

His shout snapped her out of it. Adri turned to see Ledo and Shoska dragging her mother's body toward the exit. Uruk was using her axe against the vines to clear the way. She started to get up, when the swarm hit her. The flies bit her face, her ears, and her hands. They even got in her hair and bit her scalp. No bit of exposed flesh was safe. She shut her eyes and her mouth tight. She tried to cover her face with one arm, while she swatted flies with the other. Blindly Adri stumbled toward what she hoped was the way out.

She fell into Eartho's embrace, and was relieved by the immediate absence of flies. The wizard had cast an invisible repellant shield about himself. "You are going in the wrong direction, My Lady. We must leave this business to the gods and be on our way." Keeping her inside the perimeter of his shield, Eartho ushered her along the path Uruk had made. "Try not to bleed on the robes, My Dear."

Still dazed from her experience, Adri muttered, "Oh. Sorry." Eartho only laughed softly as they pushed through the barrier back out onto the walkway.

Just for a second, Adri watched through the barrier as Krellyn and the younger gods fought to subdue the elder goddess. It was no fight for mortals like herself and her friends. With both Calethaes and Threa safely outside the room, their part of the mission was at its end. She tore her eyes away, for she had work to do. Her companions had suffered only minor scratches and welts from the thorns and the flies. Adri's bite wounds burned and swelled. Her neck was bruised, her throat felt tight and swollen. Her main concerns, though were her mother and Uncle Cal.

Threa's arm had been severed, and though Gaia's regenerative powers had already started replacing the limb, it was not fully restored when the goddess was removed. Adri placed her hands on her mother and channeled restorative energy. As Threa's arm reformed and she regained consciousness, Adri moved immediately to Calethaes and cast the same divine spell. By the time the emperor started to come around, Adri felt completely drained.

She tried to stand, but ended up sitting back down hard. It was strange, how suddenly tired she was. What she and her friends had been through was an ordeal, certainly, but it was not as if she had engaged in the real battle with Gaia. It seemed to her that it was the act of channeling her goddess' divine energy that had somehow depleted her own. That had never happened to her before, and it made no sense.

Everyone's attention was on the scene beyond the barrier. In the time it had taken Adri to restore Threa and Calethaes, the fight in the room was over. Gaia, wearing Adri's form, lay on the altar in a state of peaceful stasis. The gods were all gone, except for two. The twin gods who ruled oceans and storms had been struck down by the elder goddess. Krellyn was kneeling between their bodies. He had his hands on each of their heads. He remained like that for a while, then he stood and stepped through the barrier.

Krellyn helped Adri to her feet. Then in a tone much like Alathan's he said, "You're a mess." He pulled a small vial from his cloak. "Drink this." She did as he said and felt her injuries healing.

Feeling stronger, Adri took out the pocket watch and said, "Everyone gather around. Let's get out of here."

The powerful magic in Olphine's key returned the group to the tower in Slavland at a time only five minutes after they had left it. Alathan grabbed both his wife and his daughter and hugged them hard. Threa shook her head, bewildered. "I don't understand what happened."

From Calethaes' and Threa's perspective, they had only been away for days. Neither of them realized that a year had passed outside the confines of the temple. They listened quietly as Adri told the story from the beginning. All the while, she could not help but notice the suspicion in her father's eyes as he stared at his wife and the emperor. Adri reminded herself that it was not the first time she wanted to punch Alathan in the nose, and more importantly, it was not her business.

When the tale was done, Calethaes only had a few more questions for Adri and Alathan. He then excused himself to make immediate arrangements to return to his palace in Avar. Adri tried to insist that he stay at the tower to rest before diving into his work, but Uncle Cal only kissed her forehead and said, "Adri, I've been asleep for a whole year, apparently. Now, it seems I have some work to do and I'd best get on it." During that exchange, Alathan and Threa had left the room.

It was just the six of them in the room, then. Krellyn asked Adri, "Are you ready?"

She was tired and genuinely confused. Was there yet more expected of her? "'Ready'?"

Those red eyes that she loved so much narrowed at her. "I thought we had an arrangement?"

She realized that he was asking her to go back home with him. She had agreed to leave with him when her mother was safe. She had not thought that he meant immediately after, but Adri knew he hated staying on the Prime Material Plane. The only reason he stayed as long as he did was because of his love for her. It was not fair of her to expect him to remain any longer. He had helped her save her mother and the empire. It was time for her to leave with him. "Yes, Krellyn. Can you give me just a little time to say goodbye?"

He nodded his head once and said out loud, "Of course." In her head, he said, "Be quick about it, Adrielen. We're done here."

Shoska asked, "What 'arrangement'? What 'goodbye'?"

Adri answered, "I'm going with Krellyn."

Shoska stamped a foot and folded her arms across her chest. There were tears in her eyes when she cried, "No!" As Adri hugged her, Shoska said, "I don't want you to go."

"Shoska, I will come back and visit, I promise." Adri did not try to stop the tears that fell. Part of her wanted to take all of her friends with her. However, she also realized that, though she did not understand it, something inside of her had significantly changed. It was a change that insisted it was time to let go.

Ledo said, "It's all right, Shoska. She's got to go." He held out his hand for her to shake, but Adri pulled him into a hug. He sniffed and said, "If he fucks up, Princess, you come tell me. I'll take care of him for you."

Adri's laugh blended with a sob, and she held him tighter. Finally, she let go and kissed his cheek. Then she whispered, "Shut up, Ledo."

Uruk shrugged and said, "Yeah, I'd hug you, but I'd probably just break your spine." Adri laughed, and despite the warning, she gave the orc a fierce hug.

Adri said, "Take care of them, Uruk."

Uruk wiped a sleeve across her nose and said, "Will you get out of here, already?"

She moved on to Eartho, who took both of Adri's hands in his. "I never did collect my very nominal fee."

Adri smiled back at him. "Sorry about that. My father cut me off when he found out how much I spent at the brothel. You should talk to him about it. Maybe he'll let you touch his staff."

Everyone laughed but Eartho. "I have always wanted to hold the Staff of the Arch Magus, if only for just a brief moment." It was lost on him why everyone laughed all the harder.

To Krellyn, she said, "Just let me talk to my parents, and I'll be right back." He issued a heavy sigh and crossed his arms. Outwardly, he was brooding.

In her head, he asked, "Don't you think they're 'occupied'? If you were gone from me for a year, I'd have your skirt over your head by now."

Adri just smiled and teleported herself to the hallway outside her parents' private chambers. She was not surprised to hear them shouting at one another. It happened often enough as Adri was growing up that she knew their routine. They would yell back and forth, then one of them would laugh at the other, which would start them both laughing together. She would have only seconds at that point, before their passionate anger would turn into passion of another sort.

She winced at the ringing sound of a slap, which was followed by another. Just as she started to wonder if she should intervene, their laughter started. Adri knocked and her father told her she could come in. She was filled with a warm sense of peace and comfort to see her parents' embrace. Though they had only just been arguing, Threa's hands were tucked into Alathan's robes, caressing his chest. His hands rested lightly on her hips. Alathan was more cheerful than she had seen him in decades. "Adri! Did you need something?"

Though Threa had spent half her life warring with Gaia, she spent the other half raising Adrielen. She could read her daughter's face and knew that she had come to say goodbye. She asked, "You're leaving now, aren't you?"

Alathan interrupted. "No. Not yet! After all this time our family is whole again. Stay with us a while, Adrielen."

Threa told Alathan to hush, then she took Adri's hand. "Please, Adri. Just tell me you're not running off with that scruffy looking human boy."

Adri giggled. "No, Momma. I'm going home with Krellyn."

At that, her mother grinned and winked at her. "I can't say I blame you. At least he's an elf. He is an elf, isn't he?"

Alathan threw up his hands in exasperation, "Threa, for the love of the gods!"

Adri laughed and nodded her head. She threw her arms around Threa's neck and said, "I've missed you."

"Me too, Baby." Before Adri could pull away, Threa placed a gentle hand on Adri's abdomen and whispered, "I know. You send for me, when it's time." Adri nodded again. She was grateful that her mother could keep something to herself and also grateful that she would have her help when the time came.

Alathan's eyes misted when Adri hugged him. "Do you have to go, now? Why can't you stay, just for a while?"

"He's waited so long all ready, Papa."

Alathan sighed, then squeezed Adri tight. "I know. I know. Thank you for bringing your mother home, and... for everything. I love you, and I am so proud of you." Threa joined them, and the little family held each other for a long time before Adri finally pried herself away.

She found Krellyn in the great hall where she left him. He was by himself, as the others had gone off to recuperate. He was sitting in one chair with his feet propped up in another. In a silent, fluid motion he rose and crossed the room to her. He took her face in his hands and stared long into her eyes. Though she had overtaxed herself in the temple and she was exhausted, Krellyn's intensity stirred her heat. He put just the right amount of gravel in his voice when he asked, "Now?"

She was sure she would eventually miss her family and friends, but Adri was more than ready to go home with her husband. "Yes, Krellyn."

He took them directly to the kitchen in their home in Union. She did not realize how much tension she had been carrying until they arrived. Just being in the place that she considered home released a good portion of it. As her body began to relax, she felt so saturated with weariness that her own bones felt too heavy for her. Krellyn helped her out of her robes before he took off his own cloak. An odd little smile played around the corners of his mouth as he hung the outer garments side by side on pegs by the door. "You need to eat."

"I need to sleep." She sighed, but she kicked off her boots and sat down at the small kitchen table. Adri pulled her knees up inside her under-dress and rested her chin on them. She did not want to wait for Krellyn to cook. She wanted his arms around her and her pillow under her head. As the little pot of stew began to heat up, the smell made her change her mind. She did not bother to question how there was food in the house, she was just glad it was there.

She talked to Krellyn's back as he chopped vegetables and sprinkled spices. "What happened at the temple, Krellyn?"

He shrugged. "You saw."

"I didn't, actually. I only saw you at the end of it. You were with the Twins when all the others had gone. They were on the floor and you were touching their heads. Are they... did the Twins... die?"

"They did."

Adri was stunned. She did not believe that a god could be killed. "But gods can't die, can they?"

"They can be killed by other gods, Adri." Krellyn turned to look at her with his infuriating apathetic eyes. The Twins were the gods of storms and oceans. If they were dead, the consequences would be catastrophic. Sensing her rising alarm, he said, "Don't worry about it. I've got them. I took their essences as they passed." He turned around again to get back to his cooking, as if the conversation was over.

Adri dropped her feet to the floor and stared at his back. After a moment, she realized her mouth was open, and she closed it. "You hate being a god."

"The first time, it wasn't my choice. This time, it was." He paused, then said, "Besides, maybe I don't hate it as much as I used to." She could sense there was more to it than that. Some kind of plotting was going on in his head, but his inner machinations would only reveal themselves in his own time.

Adri put her face in her hands and sighed again. It had all been too much. She tried to just let it roll off, because it was done. She reined in her focus on that moment alone; and in that moment, there was nothing for her to do but rest. She felt Krellyn sit beside her, then his fingers were in her hair, gently stroking her head. At some point, she had leaned into him and fallen asleep. She woke up with her head on the table, the warm smell of spiced stew in her nose, and Krellyn's lips on her ear. He kissed her ear again, then said, "Adri, wake up and eat."

* * * * *

Krellyn was not at all surprised when Adri fell asleep sitting up. Though she had thought she was tapping into Solara's energy, the goddess was fully occupied with Gaia. Adri was drained because the energy she had used to heal her friends and revive her family had been her own. He was not going to tell her about that. At least not then, for she had clearly had enough for one day. The curative he had given her healed her wounds and gave her a temporary boost to get her through the rest of her day, but that had long since faded from her system. The only thing that would help her was food and rest.

When the stew was finished, he arranged his sleeping wife to make her as comfortable as he could at the table. He filled their bowls, and letting it cool, he watched her sleep. The faint smile that should have touched her lips was not present. Instead, a tiny line intruded on the space between her brows. He did not like that. He put his fingers in her hair and ran his thumb lightly over that offending line, and was satisfied that he could wipe it away. The smile still did not appear. Softly, he pressed his lips to her temple and heard her sigh in her sleep. He breathed on the long, tapered end of her ear and felt his own face crack a smile at the involuntary flicker he caused. He kissed her ear, and her little smile returned.

Krellyn examined his own rather inflated sense of accomplishment in that small act. In the grand scheme of things, what did it matter if she smiled or not? Grand schemes be damned. It mattered to him. For reasons he could not fathom, it mattered a great deal. He kissed her ear again, and as she came around, he told her to eat.

He knew Adri was hungry, but she ate like a half-starved animal. Laughing, he filled her bowl again. She managed the second bowl like the civilized woman she was. They ate in comfortable silence. Krellyn appreciated watching the color climb back into her cheeks. He stifled another laugh as she helped herself and finished what was left in the stewpot. By the time they were through, she was definitely feeling better and even helped wash the dishes.

Giggling, Adri whipped the towel at his butt. He grabbed it and used it to pull her hard against his body. It occurred to him in that moment that they were really home. That they could stay there until they were both ready to leave it again. He looked into her laughing, deep blue eyes; eyes that stirred him, made his soul feel as though he was standing on a precipice. He kept his balance, however. "To bed with you, Sweetling."

* * * * *

Adri gasped as she looked around the bedroom, for Krellyn had done a little of his own decorating. There were candles everywhere, which he lit with a quick gesture. At some point, he had mirrors installed in the canopy of their bed. To Adri's surprise, laid out on the foot of the bed was the violet nightgown she assumed she had lost in Shonland. The thought that he had kept it all that time made her heart feel like it would burst.

He took her shoulders in his firm grip and pulled her close to him. Softly, he kissed her head, her eyelids, her ears and her cheeks. Long and so tender, he kissed her mouth. Then he pulled back slightly. He let that slow, crooked smile show. He asked, "So, are we going to do this, or what?"

He did not wait for an answer, but started taking her under-dress off. She tried to help him, but he slapped her hands away, and growled, "Let me." The intensity of those snarled words was incongruous with the tenderness he used to remove her dress. He kissed her again, then he whispered, "Just be still." He slowly caressed her body as he knelt in front of her. He untied her panties with his hands, but he pulled the scrap of cloth away with his teeth.

Krellyn cupped her buttocks. Letting his lips linger over her skin, he kissed her upper thighs, her abdomen, and her mound. Her legs felt weak, but she was told to be still and Adri kept her place. He stood and grabbed the nightgown from the foot of the bed. She lifted her arms and he pulled the sheer silk down over her body. He picked her up and laid her on the bed.

He kept his eyes on her as he slowly undressed. His red irises seemed to glow in the candlelight. He jaw clenched as he kept a tight hold on his self-control. Moving her eyes down his length, she loved the way his fine musculature moved beneath his midnight skin. The light in the room picking out the deep violet highlights in his flesh. When he lay down beside her, he pressed his velvet covered steel against her thigh. Moonlight hair veiled her face as he leaned in to kiss her waiting lips.

His tongue left her mouth to play over her jawline. Her whole body thrilled at his touch. She tilted her chin up and looked in the mirror to watch that long black muscle slip down her neck. Adri's breath quickened, for being able to see their reflection above further intensified her feelings of intimacy. She watched as he let the tips of his fingers caress her belly through the fabric of her gown. The touch was so light he raised goose bumps on her skin. His hand came ever nearer, but not quite touching her breasts. Every movement though was intentional, causing the silk to shift against her nipples, teasing them to firmness.

She put her hands in his hair, tangling her fingers in that beloved softness, as he gently nipped at her collar bone. Slow and sweet, he moved his head lower. Adri moaned his name when he finally sucked one silk clad nipple into his mouth. Her breath caught as he worked his skillful tongue, bringing the little bit of flesh to a stiff point. An electric jolt shot through her body, lifting her off the bed, as Krellyn took the bud between his teeth and pulled. When he had soaked one, he worked the other breast. She pulled his hair, and she felt more than heard his resulting purr. That sound rumbled against her very bones, and her legs parted of their own volition.

He let his hand slide up and down her inner thighs, never quite touching her where she needed it the most. Watching the motions of his hand in the mirror only made her desire stronger. Adri slid her hand down his neck to his shoulder. When she dug her fingers in, his purr became a growl that left her gasping for every breath. She squirmed, moving her hips to try to meet his questing hand that was always just out of reach. Adri could take it no more. She whined, "Krellyn, please."

He stopped and looked up at her, with his crooked grin. "Please what, Sweetling?"

"Touch me, please, Krellyn." She begged him, but to make her point, she took his hand in hers and pressed it against her wet sex. She rubbed his fingers against her clit the way she needed him to.

He laughed at her and said, "Yes, Adri." He applied firmer pressure, making wide circles with all four of his fingers. She kept her own hand on his, enjoying the way it felt to touch him touching her. She pulled the gown up a little higher and spread her legs further apart. In the mirror overhead, she watched their hands play together in her pussy; black and white stirring her rosy pink slit. It did not take long for her to cum.

Krellyn positioned himself on his knees between her thighs. He lifted her butt, supporting her on his legs as he entered her. He knew she liked to see, and he let her watch his thick black cock part her pale flesh. With long, gentle strokes, he let her feel and see every glorious inch of him. She laced her fingers with his, clutching in a strong impassioned grip. In time, he folded his body over hers, and wrapping his arms around her, he buried his face in her neck. Adri put her legs around his waist, locking her feet at the small of his back. He continued with slow gentle thrusts.

As it often was during sex, his soul was open to her. There was an aching tenderness there, a love for her that he could not seem to express through his words. She realized that he was not fucking her, but making love to her. She let her light fall into his beautiful darkness. The pressure and tension built ever higher. As her body responded to him, her nails biting into his shoulders, he moved faster. His breath was hot on her neck. He started to grunt with every push. His cock swelled and pulsed in her channel, and he growled her name in her ear, taking her over the edge with him.

* * * * *

He lay on top of her for a while, just enjoying the feel of her twitching muscles around his softening cock. She unlocked her legs and moved her hands over his back. As her muscles and her hands slowed, he knew she was fading. The trials at the Temple of Time had taken real a toll on her. He could feel the bone aching exhaustion under her skin. He sat up and pulled the damp nightgown off of her. He left her long enough to get a wet cloth. When he came back, she was curled on her side, already asleep.

Carefully, gently, he wiped her clean as best as he could without waking her. He kissed the naturally smiling corner of her sweet mouth, then pulled a blanket over her. He pulled his pants on and took a look around the room, marveling for moment at how far they had come in a year. He put out the candles as quickly as he had lit them, and went to his lab where he could think.

As far as they had come, there was still far to go. There was the matter of a demon prince that wanted his wife dead. As unacceptable as that was, it was something that could be dealt with at a later time. He could keep her safe in Union until their child was born. Then, the Lady of Dawn's Light, Solara had plans for Adri's Ascension, whatever that entailed. Krellyn also had the very beginnings of a plan forming in his head. It was one that was born from the hope that Adri had instilled in him. It was a hope that, perhaps, some very old wrongs could be set right. It was no question she would help him, he only needed to figure out how.

# Epilogue: Twenty Months Later

Krellyn watched Adri from the kitchen window. She was pruning roses. It was beyond him how she could keep her big belly from getting pricked by thorns, but she seemed to manage. He snickered and shook his head, watching her waddle to the next rose bush. His laugh was cut short though as she stopped half way there and her expression changed. Her eyes went wide and she pressed her hand against her lower back. He instantly touched her mind with his own. There was excitement there, and no small amount of fear. Her eyes met his and despite her discomfort, she blessed him with her radiant smile.

His feet carried him out the door and to her side. By the time he got there, she was laughing, but there was a nervousness to the sound. He helped her back into the kitchen. He pulled a chair for her, but she did not want to sit down. Adri's fingers wrapped around the back of the chair, her knuckles turning white. She gasped, "Oh, my." When her discomfort passed, she said, "Krellyn, will you please go to Slavland and get my mother for me?" She laughed again. "Knowing her, she already has her bag packed."

Krellyn did not want to go. He had never seen childbirth, and he was curious. The fact that it was his child tugged at something strange inside himself. What if she had the child while he off fetching Threa? He would miss the whole thing. However, it was important for Adri to have her mother's help. "Don't birth the child until I return. You will wait for me?"

Adri put her gentle hand on his and kissed his cheek. "These things take time, love. But I think you should hurry."

"Will you be all right while I'm gone?"

Another pain hit her, strong enough to temporarily disable her grace and patience. For the first time since he had known her, she actually raised her voice. "We're fine! Just go!"

Threa stayed with them for the first month of his daughter's life. He had never had in-laws before. Though she was not overly intrusive, and had been a great help to Adrielen, he was glad when she was ready to return to her own home. He wanted privacy to examine the new emotions inspired by the infant girl. He did not like feeling uncertain, and he was not at all sure what he was supposed to do as a father.

He stared at the creature that lay at his wife's breast. Adri called her Jubilee. She did not look like a demigod. She was a small, fragile looking thing. She had his skin tone and a tuft of fine white hair on the crown of her head. He wondered if her eyes would stay blue or turn red like his own. His child wrapped a tiny hand around his finger and he knew, as Adri often told him, he would figure it out.

When Jubilee was four months old, Krellyn decided that it was time to set his own plans in motion. He told Adri to pack a bag for herself and the child. They were going out of town...

The adventures of Adri and Krellyn continue in Hope's Ascension, available now from Uruk Press.

# Hells Unleashed

As a young elf raised among humans, Céde just wanted to be normal. But when strange new powers emerge, marking her as a sorcerer, "normal" is forever beyond her reach. With her dark and sullen guardian Varrin and her stalwart half-orc companion Jorak, she journeys across forbidden lands to join others like her at the magical academy known as the Spire. There, they will learn to use their goddess-given power and prepare for war against an ancient and terrible enemy. All the while, the demon god known as the Lord of Hordes bides his time. As celestial bodies align in convergence, a gate between worlds will open to allow his armies through to join him in plundering the world of Velith. Will Céde and her friends be strong enough to face the hordes and save their planet, or will the world of Velith be destroyed in the chaos as the Hells are unleashed? Read one for an exclusive extract from With Good Intent, the first book in the Hells Unleashed trilogy from Guinevere A. Hart.

With Good Intent: Chapter One

Silver Crossing, Human Kingdom of Windmark

Céde woke with her dream still in her head. She recalled being nestled in the roots of a majestic and magical tree that sang and spoke to her. She lay awake in the grey light of pre-dawn and tried to remember what the tree had said. Though the matronly voice still echoed from the fading vision, the words and their meaning were already gone. Céde felt it was more than just a normal dream, for it had left an impression on her spirit and given her great inspiration for a new work. By trade, Céde was a jewel crafter, and in her mind's eye, she could see herself creating a beautiful pendant. It would honor not only the tree from her dream, but perhaps even the world Goddess, Velith, herself.

She sat up and stretched as her plan for the morning formed. The first step was to sketch. She was going to have to find a tree, but no ordinary tree would do. Céde's heart began to beat a bit faster as she thought of a lone foray into the woods outside of town. Her father would never permit such an adventure, of course. She preferred not to have to lie, but she was not above sneaking. Céde was determined to be out the door before she had to answer any questions.

The house was still quiet. A glance at the faintly glowing runes of the Aether clock on the wall confirmed that it was still early. She leapt from her bed, dressed in a hurry, and quickly tamed her wild tresses into a braid. Pausing for just a moment as her gaze fell on the history books on her desk, she remembered the report on ylf'nim politics that she was supposed to write for her father. He acted as though it was something important for her to learn, but something so dull could not possibly be that important. Céde could think of at least a hundred better things to do, so the thought of her studies was shoved aside for her current passion.

She threw the coverlet up over the mattress, not exactly 'made', but the bed looked good enough to her. She did take the time to kick her pile of laundry into a slightly neater pile though. There was no time to be fussy, for she wanted to be about her art while her inspiration was fresh. A quick dig through the stack of books beside her bed, and she found what she was looking for. She grabbed her sketchbook and tucked a few pencils into the pouch at her waist.

Just behind the door, Céde listened intently for the sounds of her father or Uncle Varrin. It sounded like someone was in the kitchen, but if she was fast, she could get out the front door before she had to answer questions. She snuck out of her room and down the stairs. She winced as she hit a creaking step and stopped to listen again, but there were no other sounds but hers. She smiled, for she just knew she was going to make it.

* * * * *

Shade Varrin stood in the morning shadows beneath the stairs and watched as Mercédeon Aarondale, with her sketchbook under her arm, headed for the front door. His mouth quirked up, for it seemed she thought she was being sneaky with her early rising and quiet footfalls. She had her long, black curls tied back in a loose braid that was already coming unbound around her face. She wore a tight-fitting bodice, and Varrin did not like that anymore than her father would.

It was the style among the human women of Silver Crossing to display a certain amount of cleavage. Céde was twenty years old. Among the myn'nim, it was old enough to do as she pleased. But if they had raised her at home in Ardyth'tol among their ylf'nim kin, she would still be considered adolescent. Gavriel Aarondale had been exiled from Ardyth'tol shortly after his daughter's birth and his wife's death. He and Varrin had raised Céde in a human town, and they could not fault her for being like them.

She got as far as her hand on the latch before her father caught her arm and stopped her. Gavriel stared long into her violet eyes, so much like her mother's. "Céde, where are you going? I have asked you not to leave the house without telling me."

Céde rolled her eyes and smiled. "I'm not 'leaving', Papa. I'm just going to find the right tree."

He shook his head, confused. "What tree?"

She sighed. "The one that's going to be a pendant, of course!"

Varrin read the defeat in Gavriel's eyes as he relented, too easily, to whatever mission she was on that morning. "Don't go too far. There are plenty of trees right here in town, so you stay within the town proper."

When Céde was passionate about something, she never listened. Varrin knew she was not hearing her father. Gavriel knew it too, for his gaze and his voice darkened. "Promise me, Mercédeon."

Using her full name, he might make her listen, but Varrin doubted it. He watched her lower her eyes and shift her weight between her feet. Finally, she said, "I promise."

Varrin knew she was only feeding her father the line he wanted to hear, but she was Gavriel's flesh and blood. When they were younger men, his pale-elf friend could not be tied down, always choosing his own way, for good or ill. Add her mother Lelliahn's passion and willfulness, and it made for a difficult combination. There was no chance that girl would stay close to town.

Gavriel nodded, released her arm, and Céde was out the door in an instant. Her father leaned against the frame and closed his eyes as he pinched the bridge of his nose. His eyes snapped open, and he fixed his gaze on him. "Varrin, go. But stay out of her sight." Varrin stepped into the light from the window and gave a quick nod.

Even after twenty-five years, Gavriel's grey eyes were still pained when they looked at Varrin's ruined face. He had once been a handsome dark-elf, but after spending an agonizing week of torture at the hands of their enemies, his visage had become fearsome. Gavriel and Lelliahn had saved him from the demons, and they did their best to put his flesh back together. A fine job they did, with Gavriel's skills as a physic and Lelliahn's as a mage, but Varrin was left scarred inside as well as out. He knew his appearance made others uncomfortable, but there was nothing for it.

Varrin nodded once to his employer and friend. He pulled his mottled, witch-made cloak about his shoulders and lifted the hood over his head, shading his face. With only a thought, he activated the magic in the cloak and seemed to disappear. The only sign of his passing was a heat like shimmer where he moved. Silently, Varrin slipped out the back door and up to the rooftops where he could see without being seen.

He thought he knew where she would go. Though there were plenty of trees in town, she would not find what she was looking for until she reached the forest west of town. All of the buildings and even the roads were marked with warding runes to hold back Velith's insistent wild nature. Though their Goddess was not particularly destructive, she had a tendency to inadvertently wreck mortal endeavors toward civilization. Without the runes maintained, Velith's flora and fauna would overrun the towns and villages with her abundant life. Varrin figured Céde was headed for just such abundance.

Once she was outside the house, she did not seem to be in any particular hurry. She hummed to herself as she walked down the main street, smiling and exchanging "good mornings" with other early risers. She paused at the bakery to see her friend Adelle. As he listened to the two girls cluck and giggle, Varrin sneered. The human girl was nice enough, but Varrin thought her overly bubbly and silly. In his opinion, the girl had nothing but air between her stumpy round ears, and he felt his Céde was better than that. When she left the bakery she had a breakfast roll with her, and Varrin's own stomach rumbled with envy.

He was not surprised when she stopped at the bookseller's. Mr. Wendel was just opening the door to his small shop when Céde bid him good morning and asked him if she could have an early peek at his wares. The old man laughed and let her inside. Varrin sighed and sat down to lean against the chimney stack. He hated taking Mercédeon to the book shop, and loathed it even more to have to spy on her while she shopped. Unlike other fathers, or uncles he supposed, taking Céde for clothes, shoes, and hair ribbons was quick and painless, for she just did not seem to care. But if it was books she wanted, he might as well write off the rest of his day. If Mr. Wendel had anything new at all, she would be in there for hours. He could go back to the bakery, get something to eat, maybe even get in a good nap before Céde left the shop. He pulled the edge of his hood over his face and closed his eyes, keeping an ear open for when she left.

Finally, he heard the door shut and he peered over the side to see that Céde was on the move again. He gave a satisfied grunt; she had not been as long as he had expected. As he had supposed, Céde kept to the main street heading for the woods, but then she veered off course and turned down a side street. Varrin knew the myn'nim town like a map of his own skin. It looked like Céde was going to be making a stop at the forge. She had been friends with the blacksmith's boy for years, but he did not particularly care for the turn their friendship seemed to be taking. He followed her and climbed up onto the roof of the blacksmith's shop. There, he laid himself flat and pressed his ear to the tiles.

He listened as the working of the bellows stopped, then the half-orc journeyman spoke. "Mornin', Miss Aarondale."

"Good morning, Jorak. And it's Céde."

"Mm-hm. Might early to be up and about on your day off, ain't it?"

"I'm designing a new pendant, and I need to find the perfect tree."

There was a long pause, then Jorak said, "There's some real fine trees in the park down by the river, Miss."

Varrin could hear the smile in her voice as Céde replied, "Those are too small. I'm going into the woods to find an older tree, one that has a... well, a presence."

"You ought not go in them woods by yourself, Miss. There's good trees in the park, and you can just use your imagination to make them bigger." Varrin nodded, silently agreeing with the orc-blood.

Another pause, then Céde said, "You could offer to go with me, Jorak." It sounded to Varrin like there was an awful lot of flirt in that statement, and he did not like that at all.

He was somewhat impressed when Jorak answered. "For one, I have work. And another, it ain't right for us to go into the woods alone together. People might think wrong things, get to saying things that aren't true."

"Jorak, we've been good friends these last seven years. Does it really matter what people say?"

"Maybe not. But you matter, Miss. I won't see any kind of harm done to you. Now, I sure do wish you'd reconsider and take your drawing book down to the park."

From his spot on the roof, Varrin actually heard Céde sigh in a loud huff. "I'll think about it. Sometimes, you sound just like Papa, Jorak."

"Well, I reckon he tells you what's what because he loves you."

Varrin saw Céde leave, then Jorak took a few steps after her. "Miss Aarond-..."

He was cut off by a shout from Master Agnar Sindri. "Jorak! Get on that fire, boy!" Then more quietly, the blacksmith said, "And put your eyes back in your head. I told you a hundred times, elf blood and orc blood don't mix!" Jorak watched Céde a moment more. Then he went back to his work, and Varrin moved on to the next roof.

Late in the morning and far from town, Céde found her tree. The massive and ancient oak had gnarled roots that twisted and spread along the forest floor, while its reaching branches seemed to cradle the sky. Varrin watched from behind some boulders on a nearby hill as Céde circled the trunk, running her hands over the rough bark. She settled in and spent hours sketching its branches and leaves. As she worked, she sang to herself, not knowing or caring that her voice carried through the woods and over the rocky hills. Passion in her work sent her volume high, but she believed she was alone, free to pour out her soul in art and song. She did not know that Varrin crouched among the rocks; that his tension was on high alert against whatever else may be listening to Céde's song.

Varrin watched the girl from the rocks on the hill and thought of his life. He thought of Céde and Gavriel, of the events that had led this tiny, broken family of ylf'nim to live among the myn'nim. Twenty years ago, a mysterious plague struck the kingdom of Ardyth'tol. Among its victims were the king, the queen, and Gavriel's pregnant wife, the princess Lelliahn. Then the plague ended as mysteriously as it had begun. The only royal blood left in the wake of the sickness was Prince Reilln and the premature infant, Mercédeon. In spite of the fact that Reilln had the mind of a small child, the Council majority voted that the prince should take his father's place on the throne. Gavriel and a few other councilmen suspected corruption at several levels. When they raised their opposition, they were exiled from their homeland. Varrin contemplated whether they would ever be able to return, when a new sound pulled him from his thoughts. The hairs on his neck stood on end as he heard a slight rustling in the grass behind him.

A band of kobolds came slinking through the grass and up over the rocks. Most of them wore crude cloth or leather armor, and they all carried rusted daggers and nets. A kobold alone was nothing but a minor nuisance. However, the creatures acted in large numbers, and together they presented a greater challenge. He took only four of them with his bow before a pair got through and grabbed onto him. With two of the little scaly things clinging to his legs, he lost some maneuverability. They tried to work their blades through his leathers, but their metal was dull. Varrin dropped his bow and pulled a long dagger from his belt. He stabbed at the serpent-like heads that tried to chew through his pants. As those two fell, more kobolds piled on top of him. Frustrated, he watched as several of the creatures poured over the hill towards the girl he was supposed to protect. He drew his second blade, stabbing, kicking, and throwing the kobolds off himself.

Though it had been only seconds, it seemed an age before he finally turned from the pile of dead beasts to go after the ones that had slipped past him. He hoped that he could catch them before they caught Céde, or that she would at least be faster than they were. Then he saw a few of the kobolds running back towards him, their eyes wide with what looked like fear. His blades already mucked with gore, he swung them again, lobbing off two more scaly heads. He wondered what could have possibly frightened the kobolds. Certainly, they would not be fleeing from a young girl like Céde.

Something made them run, and the hill on which Varrin stood was now eerily silent. Quickly, he moved over the rocks, hoping to find Céde unharmed. Looking down at the path, he saw her sketchbook, but the girl was gone. He found a kobold with its chest blown open and still smoldering. Pale green tendrils of vines had already begun to sprout and entwine the body. It seemed the Goddess was rather quick to inter the bodies in her own way. He briefly examined a newly formed pit with several broken kobold bodies at its bottom. They too, were being covered in green and pulled deeper into the soil.

As fat drops of rain began to spatter, he imagined that he could feel the presence of the Goddess, then wondered if it was his imagination at all. Under his breath he muttered, "Mother of All," but he was not sure if it was a curse or a prayer. Something in the atmosphere made his skin tingle. The whole business smelled of powerful magic, and the only one there to have done it had been Céde. The girl had never displayed any magical abilities before, and the energy used against the kobolds had been something extraordinary. He had to inform Gavriel, but first he needed to catch up to Céde, and see that she returned home in one piece. Reaching the path, Varrin picked up the sketchbook and her trail back to the village.

* * * * *

The sky had begun to gray, so Céde started for home, hoping it would not rain before she got her book under shelter. She was passing under the hills when a strange noise gave her pause. A series of yips and woops spilled from the rocks above her. Her eyes grew wide when she saw them coming over the hill, grubby little reptilian creatures in loin cloths and shabby armor. They came scrambling over the rocks, and Céde's heart was in her throat. She had never seen real kobolds before, but she knew them and their tactics from books. They would swarm over her and pull her down if they could. The monsters counted on her terror, and she was afraid, but it was her fear that started everything.

Something strange inside of Céde shifted. She felt her skin grow hot, and she was acutely aware of her own rushing blood. She gasped as raw power pulsed and surged from her center, brutally shoving fear aside. Without knowing what she was doing, she straightened her spine and turned to face the onrushing kobolds. She did not know what this new power was; she just wanted the kobolds gone. Power pushed out from her, and the ground beneath the kobolds broke open. Grass and weeds came alive like serpents and coiled around the kobolds' flailing limbs, constricting their bodies and dragging them down into the hole. Several of the creatures tumbled or were pulled into the pit to be rained upon by loose rocks from above. Céde watched in awe as her hand moved without her thought. She felt the power push again, and bolts of white light flew from her fingertips. The bolts struck one of the kobolds, and the creature's chest exploded. The remaining few monsters skidded to a halt, then turned and ran back the way they had come.

When she saw those bolts of powerful energy that shot from her own hand, destroying the kobold, Céde also turned and ran. Running as hard as she could all the way down the path, she wanted to get away from the monsters and from whatever it was she had just done. She feared the strange new power even more than the kobolds, but she could never outrun something that was a part of her. Céde finally stopped when she reached the edge of town, hands on her knees, pulling in great gasps of air. She pulled it together as best she could and slowed her pace to a walk.

She prayed fervently to all the Gods that she could look like everything was just fine. Normal people did not make cracks in the ground to swallow beasts or shoot fire out of their hands to blow up monsters. Normal people did not run through town with madness leaking out of their insides. She brushed off her dress, stood up straight, and donned an expression that she hoped was one of pleasant civility, then passed the runes that marked the edge of town and the end of the wild wood. The people she passed only smiled and nodded at her, bidding her a good day, as if everything was just as right as it could be. Reaching home, she cracked the door and peered inside, relieved to see that her Papa was still at work in the infirmary and Uncle Varrin was out doing whatever it was Uncle Varrin did. On shaky legs, she climbed the stairs to her room and shut the door behind her.

She expected the mirror to reveal an ugly, red-eyed monster. To Céde's surprise, the glass reflected the same young woman she had been earlier that day. Though, the eyes that gazed back at her seemed much wider than they should be, as if worn on the face of a lunatic. Her cheeks and her eyelids were red, and her hair was a mess, but she was the same girl, not a monster at all. The power had not changed her into some hideous creature, at least not on the outside. The changes that happened on the inside though, both terrified and excited her. Hot, restless, with a tightness in her lower abdomen, she needed something, but could not identify what that something was. It was similar to the feelings she had when she watched her friend, Jorak work the forge. The thought of Jorak caused warm moisture to gather between her legs with another pang of need.

There was a little dirt on her dress and her face, and her panties were wet. She needed to clean up before her father and Varrin returned. Céde quickly chose some clean clothes and went to the wash room. Her skin was still tingling from the release of power, and the rough texture of the warm linen washcloth passing over her erect nipples caused her to gasp. She closed her eyes and imagined big, callused hands in place of the cloth. She rubbed and squeezed, pinched and pulled, until her rapid breathing caught on a moan. Céde needed more, and slid the cloth (his hand) down her belly and over her hip then down the inside of her thigh. With her fingers (his fingers), she opened her outer folds and moaned again when she touched her engorged clitoris. She brought the cloth (his strong and rugged hand) against the tender and wanting place. In her mind, Jorak's long, thick fingers pressed and stirred until her knees shook. She lay down on the floor of the washroom and worked her clitoris with the cloth, and it was not long before the pressure released.

An involuntary cry left her throat as she climaxed. Lying on the cool floor and panting, Céde listened for several minutes to the sounds in the house, praying that no one had been home to hear her. As far as her ears could tell, there was no one there but her. She breathed deeply as she came down from her orgasm, then she stood up to finish putting herself together. Sometimes, in the dark of night, she would lay awake and think of Jorak. Such thoughts would often lead her to touch herself, however it had never felt as good to her as it did just then, and she wondered if the power had anything to do with it. Céde had no idea what that was all about, but in the aftermath, the residual energy seemed to dissipate. She felt calmer, able to think more clearly about what happened and what she could do about it.

Never had she possessed the ability to cause the kind of damage she had done that day. What scared her the most was that, on some strange level, she liked it. It was terrible and beautiful, all at once. Part of her hoped it would happen again, while the sensible part of her prayed that it was some weird fluke she would never see again. As she got dressed, Céde wondered how she was ever going to explain any of it to her father. This was not a change she thought her Papa could handle, and she decided for the moment not to tell him. She thought that perhaps it would be best to handle it on her own. For one thing, if she told him, he would not let her out of the house again. For another, she just knew it would make the worry in his eyes even worse.

That night, Céde and Gavriel sat together at dinner, while Varrin had excused himself on some vague errand. Typically, they would talk to each other, engaging in lively conversation about the day they had had. On that night though, a silence hung heavy over them both. For a long time, the two of them just pushed food around on their plates, occasionally sneaking glances at each other, but neither speaking.

Finally, Gavriel cleared his throat and asked, "So, Céde, tell me about your day." He kept his voice carefully controlled, but his eyes were deeply troubled.

Céde did not look at him. Instead, she said to her plate, "Fine."

"'Fine'. Is that all you have to say?" When Céde only shrugged in reply, his eyes narrowed and his voice took an edge. "So you found your tree then, did you? Well, let's see it." His voice lowered to a dangerous tone. "Show me the tree you drew today, Mercédeon."

There was that use of her full name instead of Céde. He was clearly angry with her, which meant that he somehow knew something, but she wondered how much. She thought it best to play dumb until she could find out. He wanted to see her tree, but she had dropped her sketchbook when the kobolds attacked her. She flicked a glance at him, but it was too hard to meet his eyes as she devised her falsehood. "Um, I left my sketchbook in my room. It, it's not finished anyway. I, um..."

Gavriel took Céde's sketchbook off his lap, where it had been hidden by the table, and set it down with a snap. She looked first at the book, only a few water spots on the cover, but otherwise undamaged. Then she looked at her father's face. His head was cocked to one side, his eyes narrowed to slits, his mouth a hard straight line. She knew he was not only angry, but now hurt by her attempted lie. She searched his face, looking for some way that she could still salvage the conversation. Céde decided it would be best to just stop talking.

The anger and pain in her Papa's voice made her heart ache. "How long did you think you would lie to me? You deliberately disobeyed me this morning. You broke your promise to me. Now you sit here and attempt to lie. You have no idea how much you've hurt me today." Céde lowered her face and would have said something by way of apology, but Gavriel snatched the sketchbook from the table. With a booming voice and contrived smile, he bellowed, "Shall we look at your damnable tree then?"

"What? What are you...?"

He slammed the book open, roughly rifling through the pages until he came to the last entries. "Is this it then?" He made a face of disgust, "This...thing is supposed to be a tree?"

She could not believe what he was doing. He had always been proud of her talents and had never insulted her work before. Céde's shock began to dissolve into anger. For the second time that day, her heart started to pound, and her skin grew hot. She was tingling all over, and her hands involuntarily clenched into white-knuckled fists. Without realizing it, she rose to her feet, and Gavriel rose with her.

He was watching her carefully, but still he continued his berating. "All your trouble, for this? This is shit, Céde. Why did you even bother? A dog could draw a better tree!"

Wisps of Céde's hair lashed at her livid face, in a hot wind that spun in a widening vortex around her. She started panting as power rushed outwards from the center of her being. The power screamed a rage in her head. It pounded on the inside of her skull, demanding release, but she did not want to hurt her Papa. She clenched tight her trembling fists, trying to control a thing she could not comprehend. "Stop it!" she cried, but her voice was strange to her, as if the power tried to speak through her.

Then all Hells broke loose, as plates, cups and flatware flew from the table to spin through the air and crash against the walls. Food and wine were flung out and spun around and around in the maelstrom. The fire leapt high in the hearth, while even the chairs skittered and clattered across the floor. Again, Céde screamed, "Stop it!" She was not screaming at her Papa. She screamed, instead, at the power raging forth from inside her.

Gavriel ducked a flying plate as he got closer to Céde in the relatively safe epicenter of the dining-room storm. She felt her father's arms close around her. The voice that spoke in her ear was no longer mocking, but tender and full of love. "It's all right, now. Céde, let go of it. Just let it fall away."

Something made the power slowly fade; either the warmth and calm in his voice, or maybe just her own exhaustion. In its absence, Céde could only shake and cry. She collapsed in her father's arms, and she let him help her back into a chair. Kneeling in front of her, Gavriel took both of her shaking hands in his. "I had to see the truth of this myself. Gods, Céde. I could have lost you today." He kissed her fingers and smiled softly. "I forgive you for lying. Now, do you forgive me?"

In a weak, trembling voice she said, "No, you were an ass!" But she had already forgiven him, for he made it stop. She was still a pathetic, weepy mess, trying to wipe away tears that just kept coming. "Do you really hate my tree?"

Gavriel laughed, then kissed his daughter's head. "It's beautiful, sweet Céde. Just beautiful."

Inside the shadow of the small kitchen doorway, Varrin silently slid the long, blackened dagger back into its sheath. The complete lack of thought that it had taken to pull the blade made him wince. He tried, without success, to unclench his gut. Gavriel was not only his employer, but was also his life-long friend. He would do whatever he had to do for Gavriel's protection, even lose his only friend for taking a blade to his daughter. The power she displayed was not normal mage-craft. It was sorcery, and it was out of control. Céde could have killed Gavriel. Still, Varrin loved her as if she were flesh of his flesh, and he was sickened by his own soul.

Varrin waited patiently in the shadows, as father and daughter gathered up their mess. As they began carrying it all back into the kitchen, he made a show of having just returned from wherever he was supposed to have gone. He said nothing of the mess as he stood at the basin, helping Céde wash the salvageable dishes. Though Varrin spoke very little, Céde was never one to tolerate silence.

"Uncle, you'll never guess what's happened..." He half-listened as she told her story from the beginning. As their stack of clean dishes grew, her words slowed, faded, and stopped all together. He looked at her and found her staring intently at him, nostrils flaring, eyes narrowed. He met her gaze calmly, as she pieced it together. "Uncle, you're not listening. And you're not listening because you know. You already know, because you followed me. You were spying on me!"

Her eyes narrowed further and her voice had risen to a volume surpassing shrill. When she paused, he shrugged and rasped in his infuriatingly calm tone, "You left town after you were told not to. Now you've seen why you were told. By the way, you're welcome." Varrin's version of a grin might frighten others, but it often won Céde's heart to behold the rare sight. Though she was not quite yet having it.

"'Welcome', for what? I rescued myself!"

"I rescued your book." He winked at her, another disturbing gesture in such a dark and twisted face, but he was family. He turned from her then and tossing one towel at her, Varrin grabbed another and began to dry the dishes. Céde wanted to stay mad at him. She wanted to reach out with her power and throw the dishes at him, but he was just being Uncle. It was like having two Papa's, one or both of them always looking over her shoulder. She thought of the kobolds, and knew there were more than the ones she saw. Besides, he had saved her book. She dried and stacked in silence, but she had decided to forgive Uncle.

While his daughter and his friend washed the remaining dishes, Gavriel sat in his chair by the cook stove and smoked his pipe. He watched the embers in the stove and tried to think of what to do. His daughter, he feared, was in danger from so much more than some tiny kobold raiding party, for Mercédeon's power was not a normal Aptitude for magic.

The magically inclined show an Aptitude in early childhood. These are not sorcerers, but mages: those who have an ability to understand the workings of runes and spells. During market season, the Scepters would come from the Spire, to test the children with puzzles of increasing difficulty. Children who could solve a majority of the puzzles were tested further. They were given minor spells to cast: light a candle, make a pebble glow, levitate a stick, or some other small thing. If the children could cast these spells with any success at all, they were said to have true Aptitude. Then the Scepters took them back to the Spire, a towering castle in the White Range Mountains northeast of Ardyth'tol, where the children who displayed an Aptitude for mage-craft were trained to use it.

Mercédeon was an adult among the myn'nim and still a child among ylf'nim, but she was well beyond her early childhood years. Her power came not from runes and the magical combinations of components, but was channeled through her from the very planet, the Goddess Velith herself. This power was wild, unfettered and unchecked by the civilized restraints of runes, words, and spells. Dangerous and destructive, without proper instruction and discipline, the power would completely overwhelm Céde's sense of self. Gavriel knew he would not be able to handle this alone. She needed someone who could teach her, but there had been no sorcerers on Velith for thousands of years. He was not even sure that the Scepters would know what to do with Mercédeon.

His thoughts ran in terrible circles, and he could think of no one else to help them, but the Scepters. Travel to the Spire meant travel through the forests of Ardyth'tol, roads that were closed to Gavriel twenty years ago. He considered what would happen if Céde's unchecked power went off every time her emotions got the better of her, and at her age, that was pretty much all the time. Could he wait another two months for market season when the Scepters would come to Silver Crossing? Gavriel shuddered at the visions of mass destruction playing behind his eyes.

As Céde retired for the night, Varrin sat across from his friend and gave voice to what was in Gavriel's head. "Going to be a right mess around here soon."

"We've got a right mess already." He flicked a brief glance toward the dining room. "She'll have Lelliahn's journal. It should help. I hope."

Céde's mother, Lelliahn had been a Spire-trained mage. Gavriel thought there might be something in her journal that could help Céde. He knew that passing on his wife's journal was only grasping at straws, but at least he would be doing something. It was time to open old wounds, and to open Lelliahn's old trunk that he kept stored in the attic.

"Gavriel, the girl's going to need a place to work these things out. A backwater, myn'nim mining town is not that place. She needs to go to the Spire. The Scepters there'll teach her what to do with herself."

"All of Ardyth'tol lies between Silver Crossing and the Spire of White Range. I cannot take her there. I am in exile."

"Technically, I'm not."

"But Céde loves her work at the jeweler's shop. She has friends here..."

"You really think her friends are going to relate to what she's going through? And what if she upsets the shop? What happens to her job then? You know full well she should go to the Spire. She'll get new work, new friends."

"Like myself, Mercédeon has a claim to the ylf'nim throne. If those people find out who she is, she could be in serious danger. Not to mention the beasts on the White Range pass through to the Spire."

"All the more reason for me to take her there. Scepters won't get here for another two months. If you want to wait for them to take her, how much damage could be done in that time; damage to this town, to her?"

Gavriel stared back at the embers of the dying cook fire. After a time, he said, "For now, help me bring Lelliahn's trunk down from the attic. We'll talk of this again tomorrow."

Varrin very quietly asked, "Have you considered what this means for Velith? There's been no sorcery for thousands of years. Not since the Lord of Hordes tried to take this planet. Not since the Sorcerers' Sundering killed all of them off and nearly killed Velith itself in banishing the demon lord. I've spent years hunting down demon minions and their descendants left over from the Horde Wars. I don't want to meet their leader. This may herald the return of the Lord of Hordes, Gavriel."

When her Papa and Uncle Varrin grew quiet, Mercédeon stopped eavesdropping and went up the stairs, skipping the third stair that always croaked like a frog. She was looking forward to seeing Lelliahn's things and getting to know the mother she never met. She hardly knew anything about demons or demon hordes, nor did she want to. The ancient histories regarding the Sundering and Lord of Hordes was vague at best. Céde was not even sure she believed in much of it. It could not possibly have anything to do with her, and she was simply not going to think about. This business about a journey to the Spire disturbed her.

Her life was in Silver Crossing. The jewelry smith, Master Forsmythe was elderly and cranky, he needed Céde. She was quite sure he would never be able to manage the shop without her. Then there was her best friend, Adelle, who was recently engaged to the mining foreman, Master Geoffrey. Céde wrinkled her nose at a match she found distasteful. Adelle was three years younger than Céde, but of marriageable age to humans. In Céde's opinion, Adelle was much too young and, at twenty-seven, the foreman was much too old for her. However, if marrying the mining foreman made Adelle happy, then Céde should be there for her friend.

Of everyone she knew in town, she thought she would miss Jorak the most. She liked how his thick black curls grew half way down his back like a mane. She liked the red glint in his dark eyes when he smiled at her. She even liked the tusks that grew from his strong lower jaw and stood out over his upper lip. Sometimes, he took off his shirt and used it to wipe his brow, and she liked to watch his muscles move beneath his deeply tanned skin. She even liked the way he smelled of heat and sweat, and something else that she could not quite place. She especially liked the way her insides felt all churned up when she looked at him, or even when she thought of him. Her father did not like the way Jorak smelled or the way he looked, but he did business with the half-orc as civilly as he did everyone else in Silver Crossing. Céde did not like the way Uncle Varrin's eyes narrowed when he saw her talking with him, as if he did not trust her, or maybe he did not trust Jorak.

Jorak's shoulders and back were crisscrossed with lines, scars he received from wherever the blacksmith took him from. He was only an adolescent boy when Agnar brought him to Silver Crossing. No one wanted to cross the blacksmith, so no one dared tell him he could not raise the half-orc boy or teach him a trade. Céde could only imagine that those scars came from cruel beatings, and that was something she certainly did not like. She was sure she would have the courage to ask him about it one day.

If she was going to have to go to the Spire, she would not be able to be there for Master Forsmythe, for Adelle's wedding, or to ask Jorak about his scars. It made her sad, but maybe if she could keep her power contained, her Papa might wait until the Scepters come, or maybe he would not send her at all. She did not think she could go to sleep. There was too much to think about, but as soon as Céde laid her head on the pillow, her eyes closed and did not open again until morning.

* * * * *

The tunnels rang with the sounds of hammers and picks clanging against stubborn stone, the scrape of shovels through rocky dirt, the grunts and occasional jibes from men at their work. Then a cry - "Oi! Looks like we got Hellstone!" - and the noise became an abrupt silence.

The small group of men that were working the same section of tunnels gathered around Mick, who stood directly under the lantern light holding up a piece of dark rock. It was not the shining silver or galena that they were looking for, but the black stone with dark green striations meant a heavy return of coin, provided they had found a good vein of the rare ore. The men murmured amongst themselves about the possibilities, already debating on whether they would see a raise in their wages. One of them called down the hole for the Nipper. When the boy appeared, they sent him up after Foreman Geoffrey.

From the spot where Mick had been working, Anders called out, "Well, what the Hells is this, now?"

Mick put the rock in his pocket, then he and the others joined their colleague. Anders brought a lantern close to the wall and illuminated the space that Mick had opened up. Behind what appeared to be natural rock, with promising traces of Hellstone ore, there was a peek of smooth faced dark stone. The stone was carved with runes similar to those the mages marked on their buildings to protect the town from the wilds. Though the wards were not familiar to the men, they knew mage-craft when they saw it. Mick's eyes widened with a superstitious fear, and he backed away from the space. "We should leave that alone. It don't feel right." He even went so far as to take the rock from his pocket and drop it on the ground.

Anders shuddered briefly, as if to shake off a sudden chill. Not taking his eyes off the runes before him, he said, "Hells with that. I want to see what this thing is. Besides, you know we're gonna have to get at this Hellstone." Anders set his chisel and raised his hammer to get back to work, and a few of his less superstitious fellows dug in alongside him.

Foreman Geoffrey arrived, and with his arms folded across his chest, he frowned at the men who were only watching Anders and the others uncover the runes. "Are you men, or are you a bunch of gossipin' old biddies? Since when are you gettin' paid to gawk?" When they did not move fast enough, he barked, "Get to work!" The gawkers jumped and scurried into other parts of the mine. Through the brief exchange, Anders and his crew kept working with a single-minded focus.

Geoffrey listened for a minute to confirm that the diggers had started their work in other parts of the mine. Then he stooped and picked up the piece of Hellstone rock from the ground to examine it closely. He noted the rocks being loosened by the men and told the Nipper to fetch a cart. He leaned in between two of the men to have a closer look at the strange markings. Geoffrey was literate, and even knew how to recognize a few mage runes, but these were foreign to him. Embedded within the earth, he assumed that whatever it was, it had to be very ancient. Under his breath he muttered, "What the Hells is it?"

Anders seemed to have heard him, for he answered, "Door." Then he kept digging.

"How do you know?" Geoffrey asked, but Anders had nothing else to say. In a trance like state, the men steadily worked at the wall.

When the boy returned with the cart, Geoffrey told him, "Run quick and fetch Master Barlow. Tell him there's Hellstone down here, and get him to come look at this... door or whatever it is."

As the Nipper ran off, Geoffrey began loading the cart himself. He was loathe to leave the precious ore alone, and the odd behavior of the men at the wall made him nervous. It was beyond him why they seemed so strange, and he was anxious for Master Barlow to arrive. No one spoke as the men broke the rock and Geoffrey filled the cart. When he had a full load, he decided to wheel it up. Whether he was present or not, he did not think the men would change their behavior.

Once Geoffrey had taken the cart up the tunnel, a slow and sick smile spread across Anders' lips. He took up a pick and slammed the blade into the ancient stonework door. The other three followed suit, immediately setting a rhythm. Chips of stone flew and scattered, then a massive crack formed in the structure. The next blow opened a hole. From that dark space, a dank black smoke billowed out and filled the section of tunnel. Still entranced, Anders pulled the smoke into his nose and mouth, while his fellows clutched at their throats and fell to floor. The smoke swirled about the men then funneled back into the room beyond the hole in the door.

When it was done, the three men slowly picked themselves up off the ground. Ignoring the blood that freely flowed from his nose, Anders chuckled darkly at his colleagues who coughed and retched while they tried to gain their feet. In a voice that did not belong to him, Anders rasped, "Get your shit together. We got work to do, boys."

By the time Geoffrey and Master Barlow arrived, Anders and his crew had gone back to work. With a handkerchief over his nose, and goose stepping to avoid getting unavoidable dirt on his polished shoes, Barlow picked up a piece of Hellstone in a gloved hand and made a humming noise of approval. Next, he examined the hole and what was left of the runes. He clucked his cultured tongue and said, "You gentlemen should not have damaged the runes before we had opportunity to research them. Ah, well. Geoffrey, keep quiet about the ore, until I know just what I've got here. Have these men finish opening this thing. I want to see what's inside." Then more quietly, as if the men could not hear him, he said, "And see if you can't get them to bathe, hmm? They're disgusting."

Geoffrey murmured, "Yes, Master Barlow," and watched the mine owner take his quick and dainty steps out of the tunnel.

He saw the blood and vomit. He noted the streaks of gore on Anders' sleeve where he had wiped his nose, and the man still had dried blood on his face. The other three kept coughing and wheezing. Unlike their previous behavior, regardless of their physical states, the four men were chatting as they worked, animated regarding Barlow's visit and the possibility of higher pay. Geoffrey said, "Anders, what happened in here? Why did you open it up?"

The man grinned his usual grin, but there was something unsettling in his eyes that Geoffrey could not place. "Sorry 'bout that, Boss. Were an accident, it were."

The foreman peered at the hole and the men who made it. It did not look like an accident to him. "You men get up to the infirmary and see Physic Aarondale."

As the men followed his orders and left the tunnel, Geoffrey stepped closer to the dark hole in the wall. Peering inside was useless, even with the lantern brought up close. As he leaned closer, he could have sworn that he heard a faint whispering from inside, though he could not understand the words. The sound caused his sweat to grow cold and made him feel nauseated. He backed away from the space and shook his head. He wanted to cover it up, to leave it alone. If Master Barlow thought he could get something out of it though, he was going to have get his men to open it up.

# Also available from Uruk Press

Fencing Academy by AW Freyr

Destitute and alone, Lyza Dunwall returns to the city of her birth with one thought on her mind: vengeance. But when her fortunes change and she is enrolled in the prestigious Sara Sunderland Academy of Fencing, she soon finds the world is more complicated when you're rubbing shoulders with the likes of the Duchess Adriana, the most powerful girl in the world. Seduced by the lifestyle of the Rotham elite, Lyza must reconcile her competing desires or die trying. Meanwhile, the Weeping Maiden stalks the streets, revolution is in the air and the malevolent River Blackwater flows slowly past the living and the dead.

Fencing Academy is the darkly seductive debut from fresh talent AW Freyr. The start of a major new fantasy series, it begins the captivating Lyza Dunwall's remarkable journey of moral, political and sexual awakening against a backdrop of murder, necromancy and swordplay. For fans of the erotic intrigue of Jacqueline Carey and the verbal cut and thrust of Scott Lynch.

The Squab Fiends by Victoria Arius

Elizabeth Herbert is as free as any woman can be in Victorian England. An alluring widow with fortune, connections and an appetite for new experience, her search for her old lover John Maginn will lead her into adventures which stretch her credulity and sexuality. When two scientists pull Maginn from the side of a Channel steamship in 1862, he bears little resemblance to the dilettante who left England seven years before. Exiled by his Herbert's husband, left for dead on a battlefield in India and battling constant pain and an addiction to opium, it seems the fates have conspired to make his existence intolerable.

Damodar Rao has been raised to rule, every moment of his childhood and adolescence carefully controlled to prepare him for a great future. Arriving on English soil after his guardian disappears, a happy accident will open his eyes to becoming a prince among women, without violence or responsibility. Together the trio must keep transform themselves by rejecting their dark pasts and dependencies. Determined to take control of their destinies and using progress as their weapon against superstition, they discover that to be truly free, they must fight an elite occultist movement, while warring against their own desires.

A devilish blend of history and fantasy, The Squab Fiends is the debut novel from Victoria Arius. The adventures of Elizabeth, Maginn, Rao and the Lunar Society will continue in book two of the Bête Noire trilogy, The Demon Ape. Highly recommended for fans of the supernatural secret histories of Tim Powers, the steampunk Victoriana of Alan Moore and the Gothic romance of Edgar Allan Poe.

The Adventures Of Pervikar by John Evans

The classic erotic epic fantasy series from John Evans is now available for the first time in a new and definitive four volume edition.

Pervikar

Pervikar Devon is just an average farm-boy. Oh, except for the fact he is a half-ogre who stands seven and a half feet tall and has green hair. One day Per accidentally incurs the wrath of the queen by protecting two young women from the advances of a corrupt baron, and is forced to flee her assassins.

So begin Per's adventures. Leaving his home far behind, he sets out to find fortune, fame and female companionship. As he journeys across the strange, magical world of Provost, he encounters orcs and goddesses, mages and ghosts, and even a dragon. Along the way, he learns to be a leader and a lover, and using all that nature has endowed him with, rights a lot of wrongs and beds a lot of women. Per gets his intelligence and compassion from his human mother, and his strength and... size from his ogre father.

The Rescue Of The Queen

Perikar Devon's adventures have taken him from one side of the world to the other. He's learned much but lost everything so, tired and weary, he returns to the Capitol in search of his friends. But before he can find them, he witnesses the kidnap of Queen Shara – the woman who tried to have him killed.

Knowing he will be unfairly blamed for her disappearance, Per resolves to rescue her. She almost murdered him, now he must save her life! Heading out of the city, he starts a long journey that takes him from a magistrate's perverted dungeon to an orgy in a far off dwarven fortress. Will he be able to must fulfill a prophesy and overcome powerful sex magic to rescue the queen?

Karina's Quest

Karina Devon hasn't seen her son Pervikar for over a year, ever since Queen Shara tried to have him killed. Then, out of the blue, she receives a summons from Per's ogre father, Gar. He tells her that Per must take part in the ritual of neccar, where he must mate with every woman he has ever had sex with. If he fails to complete the ritual, the ogre god Ahhspah will take his soul. Unfortunately, Per has been a busy boy and has sown his seed across the world of Provost. So Karina must set off on a quest to reunited him with his past loves. All of them. Then there is the small matter of finding her son.

The Ritual Of Neccar

Pervikar's adventures are almost over. Once an innocent farm-boy, the half-ogre has grown into a noble warrior. He has faced gods and ghosts, dragons and dwarves, mages and monsters. He has even taken Queen Shara, the most powerful woman in the world and once his greatest enemy, to bed. Now he has assembled her and his other lovers to take place in the ritual of neccar – the sacred ritual that will see him take on the mantle of his ogre heritage and truly become a man.

But first his mother Karina must recount how she ventured into the underworld itself to bring back a demoness and a dead woman to play their part in Per's future. She must navigate pirates and foreign courts before entering the nine hells. Along the way, she slakes her thirst for battle with her axe and her lust for sex with her body. The end is in sight but she must confront her biggest challenge yet: being turned into a man!

