Across Eternity Book 7

Colbrand struggles to rebuild after the Profane attack. Scyler is dead, along with scores of innocent people. However, there is no time to lament or rest. The war rages on, and Noah and his friends must act quickly to prevent another tragedy. Vandheim awaits, the home of the dwarves, trapped by their fear and denial under a king who won't face the truth, but they aren't the only ones. Since the fall of Welindar, Lupin has been held captive by the Profane, an unwilling pawn in their insidious plans. He is kept hidden, not just by the Profane, but by Noah's own web of lies. Noah must now save Lupin and the dwarf kingdom, keeping both his enemies and friends in the dark, but deception has always come naturally to him. Now, with his powers fully unleashed, he seeks to strike back against the Profane and teach them the true meaning of fear.

 

Immersed

Bad Influence

Second Chance

Onward

Fine Dining

A Glimpse

Theatrics

True Nature

Team Building

Temple Grounds

The Hardest Choice

The Mission

Crashing

Afterparty

Juniper

The Summit

Fire and Light

The Will of Zyrga

 

Immersed

 

 

 

 

 

The flames of Welindar burned bright in every direction, a fitting sight to match the screams of battle. Lupin, rendered bruised, bleeding, and exhausted from fighting Kaisen, hobbled over to Nell. Though he had received a potion from Noah, all it did was pull him back from the brink. He reached the young woman who held his heart, left unconscious from mana depletion. Behind Lupin, the fruits of her labors: the almighty Kaisen and his phantasmal form reduced to a dissolving pile of darkness, oozing towards the palace as if trying to flee the holy rain that had scoured him.

Lupin knelt beside her and lifted her head. “Nell. Nell, can you hear me?” he murmured, saving his voice for her, while all of his prayers to the gods remained unspoken, prayers that she would wake up. He could sense she was still alive, the subtle flickers of her lips and eyelids showing how hard she was struggling to overcome her fatigue, how she fought to look upon the face that belonged to the voice engraved into her soul. Finally, with a shuddering breath, she was pulled from her slumber and gazed at Lupin.

“There you are,” he said with a smile as he cupped her cheek.

“Your Highness,” she whispered with relief. “Are we still alive?”

“Yes, thanks to you.”

She looked him up and down, seeing the blood and dirt that clung to him. “You’re hurt!” She raised her hand and tried to cast healing magic, but she had put every drop of mana she had into attacking Kaisen.

Lupin grasped her hand. “Don’t worry about me; it looks worse than it is. I’m just glad you’re all right. How do you feel?”

“I don’t think I can stand.”

“That’s ok. We’ll just rest here for a minute.”

“But the city?”

“Right now, making sure you’re ok is all that matters to me. Besides, there isn’t much I can do in the state I’m in. Noah went off to finish Kaisen, and once he does, victory will be ours. I think we can take a little time to catch our breath.”

Nell wrapped her arms around Lupin and pulled herself closer to him, wanting to feel as much of him against her as she could. “I’d like that.”

“Well, well, what do we have here?” The cruel voice reached Lupin and Nell, making their blood run cold. Two Profane were approaching them: a beautiful woman with tiara-like horns and a wing that wrapped around her like a cloak, and a man with a split lower jaw and bags under his eyes as if he hadn’t slept in a week. “Would you look at that? Prince Lupin of Uther. This really is my lucky day,” the man said, with his mouth opening both horizontally and vertically when he spoke.

“Nell, you need to get out of here,” Lupin whispered. “Whether it’s on your feet or your hands and knees, you need to move as fast as you can.”

“Your Highness, you’re in no condition to fight!” she implored.

“Whether I am or not doesn’t matter. I have no choice but to fight.”

Lupin got to his feet, though it was a struggle, and he was unsteady. He held his chain, now feeling so overwhelmingly heavy in his stiff fingers.

“You feeling all right there, champ?” the man asked mockingly.

“Take one more step, and you’ll be feeling a lot worse than I am,” Lupin bluffed.

“Sure, prince. Whatever you say.”

“Remember, Voraith, Lord Scyler wants him alive,” said the woman beside him.

“I know, I know. But half-dead is still technically alive.”

Voraith approached, taunting Lupin with his stride. Lupin desperately swung his whip, trying to combat his fatigue with desperation, but Voraith easily dodged and closed in. He tapped Lupin on the forehead, and in that moment, what little strength Lupin managed to gather was ripped from his body as if the ghoul had just yanked out his skeleton. The very warmth was stolen from his blood, dropping him to the ground in a hypothermic state, too exhausted to shiver.

“Prince Lupin!” Nell screamed.

“Oi, Helena, what about the girl? I’m feeling kind of hungry at the moment, and she looks tasty.”

Voraith then looked down, seeing Lupin grasping his ankle. “Don’t you dare touch her,” he hissed.

“Well, isn’t that sweet? Even on your deathbed, you still try to protect your woman. It would be admirable if it weren’t so pathetic.” The ghoul then kicked Lupin in the face, knocking him on his back.

Nell struggled to get to her feet, using her staff to support herself. “Leave him alone!”

She then screamed as Helena appeared behind her and grabbed her by the hair.

“You two don’t seem to understand the situation you’re in. You don’t get to make demands.”

“Please, let her go,” Lupin panted with blood streaming from his nose. “It’s me you want, isn’t it? She’s no threat to you. Do whatever you want to me, but I’m begging you, don’t hurt her.”

“I don’t see why we can’t do both,” said Helena. She then turned Nell towards her and grabbed her chin. “My, my, you’re a cute little thing, aren’t you? Such sweet, innocent eyes. I wonder how you taste.”

She cut Nell’s lip with her thumbnail until it started to bleed, then pulled her close and kissed her. It was not a simple peck; Helena really leaned into it, savoring the sweetness of Nell’s mouth and blood. Nell tried to resist, whimpering in refusal at having her lips stolen by a woman of the Profane, but Helena’s hold on her was firm, keeping her still while her tongue slid down the girl’s throat and their lips got more and more acquainted. Lupin shouted in fury and tried to stand once more, but Voraith stomped on his back and kept him pinned.

“Just enjoy the show, princeling,” Voraith taunted.

Finally, Helena pulled away, leaving Nell gasping for air with a thread of red saliva stretching between their lips. “Just as I thought: virgin. So, your beloved prince hasn’t claimed you as his woman yet? I wonder, is it because he’s too straightlaced to give in to temptation, or simply too spineless to seal the deal?”

“Let go of her, you filthy ghoul!” Lupin roared.

Helena turned to him with a scowl. “A ghoul? You think I’m a ghoul? Don’t be so quick to reveal your ignorance, boy. The man keeping you pinned is a ghoul, but I am a succubus.”

“Fiend, ghoul, succubus; you’re all the same, just soulless abominations that need to be exterminated.”

“On the contrary. Our differences are quite distinct and clear if you’re not a total moron. Fiends are the result of beastmen being turned into Profane, gaining incredible strength and powerful bodies. Ghouls are what you get when mages, monks, and warriors are turned, wielding corrupted magic.”

“That’s me,” said Voraith, raising his hand.

“But succubi, our origins are much more specific. Every succubus was originally a healer—a female paladin.”

Helena’s words filled Lupin with dread. “No, you wouldn’t dare!”

She flashed him a cruel smile. “Welcome to the Age of the Profane.”

Both Lupin and Nell screamed, he in protest and she in agony, as Helena sank her teeth into her neck.

 

 

 

Lupin woke up with a start, drenched in cold sweat from the chilling grip of the nightmare that haunted his mind. He sat up, holding his head and trying to shake away the lingering darkness. The bed he was in was warm and soft, and the dark bedroom was spotlessly clean, decorated with priceless art and beautiful antiques, but none of it offered him any comfort. A hand reached out of the darkness and rubbed his chest, trying to soothe him, but only making him more tense.

“Shhhh, it’s ok. You’re here with me.”

Lupin was afraid to look, but he had to. He turned to the eyes gazing at him through the veil of night, almost glowing.

“Nell,” he gasped.

He said her name, but the fact remained that he barely recognized her. He remembered her eyes always full of innocence and love, but since she was turned, the innocence was gone. Instead, there was a predatory glimmer, the instinct telling Nell to drain him of his life force. There was still love, but it scared him, what that love might drive her to do to him. Nell leaned against Lupin, her hands wandering across his body, feeling like the tongue of a predator tasting its meal.

“It was just a bad dream. Go back to sleep.”

“I’ve slept enough.”

He tried to get out of bed, but she held onto him tight.

“You need your rest.”

“Nell, please….”

She wrapped her wings around him, layered with black feathers like a raven. She had two feathers growing out of the top of her forehead, similar to antennae. The feathers began to flex and tremble, shedding succubus dust that robbed him of his strength. She pulled him back into the heart of the bed, lying against her with her arms and wings wrapped around him.

“Just forget about everything else,” she whispered in his ear. “This is where you belong, my love, in bed with me. And I’ll never let you go. Now, let me purge you of all your nightmares, so you only have sweet dreams.”

Lupin tried to resist the powder and remain conscious, but with every breath he took, his strength faded. Soon enough, he was sealed back up in the erebus of slumber, as if sinking below the waves of some black ocean, but even there, Nell was waiting for him, the two of them floating in darkness like twin stars in the night sky. With her succubus powers, she was able to penetrate the outer layers of his mind and slip into his dreams.

Their unclothed bodies met, with Nell’s hands wandering while her lips met Lupin’s. His hands did the same, but not of his own volition. It felt like he was an actor in a play, forced to move and speak as the script dictated. He held Nell close, both relishing and hating the feeling of her against him, the taste of her on his tongue, the scent of her in his nose, and the softness of her voice in his ears. He wished, more than anything, more than his freedom, that he could turn her back into a human, that he could purge her of the corruption that turned her into this monster.

He still loved her, and her love for him was unquestioning, but she was a member of the Profane. Lupin had spent so long fighting against them, seeing so many beastmen twisted and corrupted into horrific abominations. To know she had that power within her, the same power that had forced him to murder his own friends and subordinates, made him sick. He penetrated her, reddening her cheeks and filling her eyes with joy, and she gyrated against him to pull his manhood deeper into her depths, wanting to feel him stir her up. Riding him harder and harder, she moaned into the darkness, happy that she could be the kind of woman she always envied, and that Lupin could be the man she desired, and they could unite physically and emotionally as she had always dreamed.

Still, she wasn’t blind to his feelings. She felt his conflict and hesitation, felt his aversion to what she had become, but it didn’t matter. He was all hers, and she would never let him go. She had to close her fingers around the throat of his doubts and strangle them, to smother his unease, to drown his repugnance in her love. In time, he would forget everything but her, know nothing but their room, and desire nothing but her touch. It was all a matter of patience and work, but inevitably, she would erase everything that could get between them.

Then, without warning, he was ripped from the dream world, courtesy of a hand around his neck. He opened his eyes, groggy from the comatic maelstrom, and saw a face unfamiliar to him. It was a woman who reminded him of Helena, another succubus, but with two sharp horns and a pair of featherless black wings. She had the same ominous beauty as the other Profane women, but her face was twisted in a mixture of misery and hatred. He could feel that hatred in her grip, strangling the life from him.

“So, you’re the one he wanted me to find, the fucking prince,” she hissed.

“Let him go!” Nell exclaimed, trying to pry the woman’s hand off Lupin’s throat, but receiving a smack for her efforts. The succubus looked at Nell in disgust.

“I can smell Mistress Helena on you. How much of her venom did she waste to create something as pathetic as you? One measly drop?! You might as well still be human. I lost Leanne and got you for a sister instead?! What a fucking joke!”

“What do you want from me?” Lupin gargled, struggling to breathe.

“I want my life back!” the succubus cursed with angry tears in her eyes. “I was sent here to find you by that bastard, and here you are, sleeping and fucking like a useless beast.” She dropped him back on the bed, Lupin trying to pull in as much air as he could, while choking on every breath.

“I don’t… I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he panted. His eyes then fell to the ornate magical seal tattooed on her lower stomach.

“No, you wouldn’t, would you? You wouldn’t know what he did to me, what he made me do, what he reduced me to! I have half a mind to kill you now, just to prove he doesn’t own me.”

Nell got between them. “Helena said he’s not to be harmed! She promised me!”

“Whatever,” she scoffed in disgust.

The succubus stormed out, and Nell turned to Lupin. “Are you hurt, my love?”

“No, I’m fine, just a little sore.”

“Then you need rest. Come, and I will help you forget about all of your pain.”

“Really, I’m fine. I just need to—” But Nell ignored his protests and wrapped him in her wings, dosing him with her powder. Lupin was rendered helpless as she pulled him back beneath the covers like an alligator dragging its prey into the water.

As Lupin was dropped back into darkness, Duska wandered the corridors of the estate, not knowing where she was going, but trying to hold back tears of frustration. Finally, she stopped and punched a wall. She lacked the physical strength of a ghoul or fiend, so she did more damage to her hand than to the actual wall. She slumped down to the floor, watching her wounded hand mend itself. Once it healed, she placed it on the seal below her stomach. She could feel it at all times, this accursed mark that Noah had placed to limit her powers and link her to him, as if his hand was pressing on her womb.

She had made numerous attempts to remove it since he inscribed it on her, using everything from runecraft to simply trying to remove the marked flesh by fire and blade. Regardless of her methods, the seal remained, revealing itself in her healed flesh, and each failure subjected her to unbearable agony, making her feel like her very mind would be ripped to shreds as her flesh threatened to disintegrate. To use her own venom and some of his blood to craft this seal—it was frustratingly brilliant. There was no medium more fitting to bind her very existence, and in all likelihood, its removal would mean her death, as would its discovery by her superiors. It was why she hadn’t reached out to anyone for help, even Curcio, for she feared what would be done to her.

Then there was Noah’s warning that if he died, she’d die as well, meaning she couldn’t allow the Profane to kill him, and had to obey. Even if it was for the sake of survival, the idea of accepting her subjugation made her sick. The things Noah did to her left her mind bruised and scarred, with the hot blood of hate seeping from the wounds yet to scab. She hated him with a burning fury for the pain and humiliation he had inflicted on her, but she was also terrified of his cruelty, knowing that there were more horrors he could and would inflict on her if he were so inclined.

Yet what scared her even more than the pain was the pleasure; the sensations he had forced her to experience and his control over her. She remembered when her mind broke, snapping under the barrage of countless orgasms, and she devolved into a subservient doll in exchange for further pleasure. She feared returning to that state and never coming back, instead living the rest of her life as his toy, addicted to his touch. Regardless, if she wanted to stay alive and protect Helena, she had to obey Noah, and the first thing she had to do was cover her mark.

Duska went to her bedroom in the mansion. Having spent a great deal of time here, she had one waiting for her and used it to store curios and items that caught her fancy. She even had a few outfits, though she rarely used them. She preferred to expose her skin and was usually half-naked. She compromised with a black leotard that perfectly hid the seal. Then, as she turned to leave, she was stopped by a ghoul standing in the doorway. She was beautiful, but an icy cold beauty, with pale skin, hair as white as moonlight, and red eyes.

“Welcome back, Duska.”

“Greetings, Mistress Andromeda,” said Duska with a bow.

“Trying out a new look?”

“I’m bored and want to shake things up a little.”

“I noticed you went to see our new guest. Did he catch your eye?”

Duska swallowed the lump in her throat, but maintained her composure. “As food, he’s not even worth my time. I could suck more mana out of a child than that useless waste of skin. Why are we keeping him here, anyway?”

“Lord Scyler is toying with the idea of using him as a weapon against Uther. Apparently, the humans down there have regained control of the Wassengel and possess a device that summons and commands it, but it only works for those of royal blood. Who knows if Scyler will actually use him for that, though. Frankly, I’d rather just have the prince’s severed head on the mantle as a trophy.”

“Why not turn him?”

“Angels kill our kind on sight, and I doubt they would obey one, no matter what device we have. Besides, he’s no threat to us, and the new girl is doing a good job of looking after him. I swear, Helena really went for novelty over strength with that one.”

“They’re made for each other, equally weak and pathetic. I hate the idea of that insect here. But I suppose orders are orders.”

“I’ll put up with him so long as he stays in his room.” Andromeda turned to leave, and Duska released a sigh of relief. She knew where Lupin was, so when Noah summoned her again, she’d be ready. Hopefully, if she gave him answers, he’d spare her further torment. Hope was all she had at this point.

 

 

 

Nell was gone when Lupin awoke, finding himself alone in bed. He could not tell how long he had been asleep, though his growing hair and beard gave him a clue. It seemed to have been days since he was last awake, something he hoped wasn’t true, but it was an unnerving sensation he received often. He could count the total days he had been conscious on one hand, but it could have been weeks or even months since he was captured in Welindar. The window near his bed showed the gray sky and the matching mountains, sheer and bleak, but at least it was daytime. From the stone walls and floor of this place, it appeared to be some kind of castle or mansion, and though all mountains looked the same, he assumed he was somewhere in Vandheim. Next to his bed was a bowl of fragrant flower petals, filling the room with a sweet scent. Someone seemed to periodically swap out the old petals for new ones, but there was no telling who.

He got out of bed, but it was a great struggle. His limbs and body were stiff from remaining still for so long, and he could feel his muscles atrophying. He found some clothes in a wardrobe, and getting dressed helped loosen him up, though doing even that much left him gasping for air. Breakfast had been set out on the table in the corner, but the tea was cold. Still, he scarfed it down, having no idea how long it had been since he had last eaten. Besides, if he was ever going to escape this place, he needed all the strength he could get.

Lupin checked the bedroom door and found it unlocked. He stepped out into the hall, wary of being spotted, and set out to continue his exploration of his strange new place he found himself in. Lupin scoured the mansion, searching for anything he could use to escape. Unfortunately, the place was built like a maze, perhaps to trap prey like him and keep them from doing precisely that. He tried to memorize the artwork and furniture to use as landmarks and help him find his way, but since there were so many similar pieces, he got confused. He frequently had to double back, encountering countless dead ends and corridors that went nowhere, with endless rooms that were locked and sealed off to him.

In his weakened state, all these turnarounds and misleading corridors used up a lot of strength when he had little to spare, frequently requiring that he stop and rest. However, it was more than just his enfeebled muscles that left him struggling to stand. He knew from experience that this wasn’t an ordinary castle. The entire structure, and perhaps even the soil beneath it, was tainted with Profane malice, just like when Reynolds destroyed Noah’s lab and left the very bricks corrupted. It was Cursed Earth, draining the life force of any non-Profane organisms that stood upon it, and Lupin, born with minuscule mana capacity, was especially susceptible to it. Eventually, he could no longer continue and collapsed in an empty corridor.

Lying there on the floor, bereft of energy, Lupin couldn’t help but wonder if this castle would be his tomb, as well as wonder what was going on beyond it. What had happened to Welindar and its people, and what of Uther? How was his homeland faring without a king? Were his people drowning in civil war as nobles and aristocrats fought for power? Or had his citizens managed to work together and stave off destruction? He had to escape this place and return to them, to save his people from the horrors of the Profane, but how could he do any of that when just breathing took all of his strength?

“Noah, if you can hear me, I could really use your help right about now,” he whispered to himself.

That said, given his current position on the floor, he could appreciate how clean and tidy everything was. The furniture was exquisite and well-dusted, the red carpet beneath him was pristine and free of dirt, and the windows were without speck or streak. Frankly, the maids who worked at the royal palace could learn a thing or two from this place. Then, the one responsible for the tidiness of the mansion appeared before him.

“Out for another stroll, Prince Lupin?” the man asked dryly.

Lupin looked up at the nearby butler, wearing an immaculate suit and displaying flawless posture. He was an older man, but considering that he was a ghoul, determining his exact age was impossible. He had the same gray complexion and red eyes that Lupin had seen in other ghouls, but he could tell that this man wasn’t a host to a parasite. He was the genuine article, like the two Profane that had captured him and Nell.

At that moment, Lupin felt several clammy hands grab him and lift him up off the floor. They belonged to the butler before him, but considering that he was missing both of his arms, the devil was in the details. In his brief conscious time in this estate, Lupin had encountered this butler before, and he seemed to possess the ability to move objects with his mind, as though possessing countless invisible hands to compensate for his absent limbs.

“Hello, Harrigan,” Lupin panted.

“I thought Lady Andromeda made it clear to you last time that you are not to leave your room without permission.”

“I was… looking for Nell, and something to read.”

“Then books will be provided to you, but only as long as you obey the house rules. If you aren’t comfortable in your room, perhaps there is a cell in the dungeon that you will appreciate.”

“Thank you, but I am very comfortable with my room. My apologies for being discourteous to my host.”

“Excellent, then allow me to escort you back.”

Harrigan returned Lupin to his room, carrying him there with telekinesis. They passed by multiple windows, in which Harrigan should have recoiled from the sunlight, but the overcast sky seemed to shield him, and the glass used in the windows was unique, almost tinted, perhaps to protect the Profane. On the way, Harrigan stopped by a bookshelf and collected several tomes.

“Thank you,” said Lupin.

“I am honor-bound to respect the wishes of my mistress’s guest.”

Before reaching Lupin’s room, they encountered two more ghouls. It was a pair of maids, perfectly identical except for their hair color and uniforms. The one on the left had black hair and wore the standard maid uniform, complete with a skirt for easy movement, while the one on the right had white hair, and the colors of her uniform were inverted. They looked younger than Lupin and were quite beautiful, but only on the outside.

“Looky, looky, Ora. The dog got off his leash,” said the one with black hair.

“A bad little doggy indeed, Aro,” replied the one with white.

“You know what happens to dogs who can’t obey, right, Ora?”

“Bad dogs get put down, Aro.”

Holding hands, the two women began to spin.

“We should do the dog a favor and put him out of his misery, Ora.”

“I wish we could, Aro, but Mistress Andromeda would be mad.”

“Maybe we could take some of his blood, Ora, so he’ll behave better.”

“Maybe we could take his legs, Aro, so he can’t get away.”

Suffice it to say, Lupin was glad it was Harrigan who found him. Though he sensed the Profane butler could be quite merciless, he lacked the manic sadism of these two she-beasts. Then there was that succubus who attacked him. He didn’t know what her issue was, but he wanted to avoid a repeat of their first meeting.

“That’s enough, you two,” said Harrigan. “Unless you’ve both completed your chores, you have no business here. Move along.”

“Yes, sir,” they said in unison.

“How long have you worked with them?” Lupin asked once they were gone.

“Since long before your father and even grandfather was born. Though they put on airs of immaturity, they would never risk angering our mistress, at least without good reason. Mistress Andromeda wants you alive and undamaged, so that is how we shall keep you. That said, if you don’t want them to pick your flesh out of their teeth, you will obey the rules of this house and stay in your room.”

Once he was back in his room and the door was locked behind him, Lupin felt like he could finally breathe again, but it would take time for his strength to return. Being in this mansion as a human was like standing naked in a blizzard, though his bedroom seemed to be the exception. Perhaps it wasn’t cursed like the rest of the castle, or whatever evil that once clung to it had been removed for his sake. Either way, it seemed to be the only room where he wasn’t under the effects of the Cursed Earth. However, all that meant was that he was trapped on a spit of rock out in the middle of the ocean.

At the moment, he had some private time, so he decided to make the most of it. He started exercising, trying to build back some of the muscle mass he had lost since Welindar. If he was ever going to escape this place, he needed to get his strength back. That said, with every push-up he struggled to do, he was reminded of how weak he had gotten. He also went over everything he had uncovered during his exploration. He had checked numerous drawers and cabinets, looking for anything to use to facilitate his escape. All he found was a candle, a nail, and a dusty letter opener.

With the Profane as his enemy, a letter opener couldn’t even be regarded as a weapon. He could stab Harrigan in the eye with it, and he would barely flinch. However, combining it with the nail, he could possibly use it to open locked doors. That said, until he could come up with an actual plan, leaving his room on his own would be too dangerous. He had a feeling Harrigan wouldn’t be as forgiving if he got caught again, and he didn’t want to end up alone with the two maids. For now, he took everything he had found and hid them away, waiting for the day he could finally use them. Though Nell was a succubus, her powers were weak. She could penetrate his dreams and read his feelings, but not his thoughts, such as his rough-draft escape plan. She soon returned, throwing her arms around Lupin the moment she saw him.

“I was told you were out wandering around. Your Highness, you can’t keep doing that! It’s not safe for you out there.”

“I was looking for you,” he replied as convincingly as he could.

“Forgive me, I had to speak with Mistress Helena, but I was counting the seconds we were apart.”

“You still speak of her like that, with such respect, even after what she did to you?”

“She saved me. She made me one of the Profane so that I wouldn’t have to be afraid of them, and assigned me to take care of you! It’s thanks to her that we can be together forever!”

“Nell, that wasn’t what happened, and you know it. I remember how much you struggled against her, how you screamed in pain when she bit you, screamed how you didn’t want to become one of them.”

She looked up at him with an adoring smile, her hand on his cheek. “I was wrong to resist. Becoming one of the Profane is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me, second only to meeting you. We were wrong about the Profane, my love. We should never have tried to fight against them. We should have joined them a long time ago.”

“Nell, that’s wrong. You’ve been brainwashed by the Profane. We need to escape from here and find a cure so you can go back to being what you were before. We need—”

Nell silenced him. “Shhhh. No more of that talk. We’re going to stay here forever, our new home. It doesn’t matter what goes on beyond these walls. All that matters is you, me, and this room. Nothing else exists but this space here. We need nothing but each other. Now, I think it’s time for us to go back to bed.”

“Nell, you can’t keep drugging me just so that you can dodge the issue.”

Nell began to shake her wings, filling the air with her powder. “Shhhh, it’s all right. I’ll be with you the whole time.”

Once again, Lupin tried to resist, but as he inhaled the dust, the room began to spin, and he lost the strength to stand. Nell caught him and laid him on the bed. Lupin was managing to stay awake, but he couldn’t move, and Nell removed his clothes.

“Don’t worry, I know what will help you sleep.”

She lowered her head to his exposed member, lovingly nuzzling and stroking it to rigidity. Ironically, it was the one part of his body immune to the succubus powder. Nell, whom Lupin remembered as being too bashful to meet his gaze when they first met, took his cock in her mouth with lascivious gluttony. Though succubi didn’t feed on flesh and blood like the other Profane, they still had sharp teeth, but Nell was somehow able to keep Lupin from getting the slightest scrape as she serviced him. Nell’s head bobbed as she worked with the utmost dedication to please Lupin, using every soft corner of her mouth and teasing his nerves with her long succubus tongue. Her eyes rarely left his, wanting to see every twitch and spasm of pleasure she invoked, but once again, Lupin couldn’t help but see the glare of a predator.

It didn’t take long for Lupin to ejaculate, especially when exposed to the fellatio skills of a succubus. Still, even with her mouth filled with seed and his member going soft on her tongue, Nell didn’t stop sucking him off. If anything, she became even more voracious, unable to get enough of him and relishing the sound of his grunts and moans. Once he was back to full mast, she got on top of him, whining happily as he penetrated her. She began bouncing on his lap, her breasts heaving as she grinned in perverse joy.

“Isn’t this better than the outside world? Just you, me, and endless orgasms waiting for us to share?” she panted. “This is how I want to spend the rest of eternity, inside this room with you inside me.” She leaned forward and kissed him. “Let us sink into the dream together.”

She again flapped her wings, sprinkling more powder and finally putting Lupin to sleep, but to him, it simply felt like he had blinked and was transported back to the darkness of his subconscious, with Nell still riding him. Here in the dream world, there was no limit to the number of orgasms he could experience, and Nell hit him with them one after another. How long did they spend in that dream, tossing and turning, taking turns moving as they climaxed over and over? It felt like a mere minute, and also a hundred years.

Eventually, Lupin blinked and found himself back in the room. Before waking up, he had been on top, driving hard and fast into the missionary position, and found himself in the very same position, with Nell clawing at his back. It was nighttime, but he couldn’t hope to guess the date. He closed his eyes again and was back in the dream world, with Nell again on top. She leaned forward to smother him with her chest, and he woke up, looking past Nell’s tits and seeing the clouds of an afternoon storm through the window, hearing the rain pelt the glass.

He was only awake for a few moments before falling asleep again. Returning to the dream world, he took Nell from behind, though he wasn’t sure if it was his choice or if he was just a puppet on her strings. He slammed her with his hips while gripping her own, only to be woken up to find Nell on all fours in front of him, moaning as he rode her with the sun rising outside. Again and again, he’d wake up and fall asleep, always finding himself interlaced with Nell. It was hard to tell what was a dream and what was real, to know how much time had passed. How long had he been having sex? Days? Weeks? Months?

The longer it went on, the more difficult it became to think of anything else, to remember anything that had happened before he arrived in this room. How did he get here? Wasn’t there somewhere else he was supposed to be? Something he was supposed to do? Every time he tried to pull away, whether while awake or dreaming, Nell would latch on even tighter, insatiable in her lust and obsession, and desperate to erase everything that might get between them. Lupin couldn’t help but wonder if this was how he was going to die, if this storm of confusion, euphoria, fear, and sexual release would be his final sensations before his life was extinguished.

 

 

 

Andromeda stood in the foyer of her mansion, an expansive and ornately decorated space with fine art and furniture, flanked by two curved staircases that led to the upper floors. There was a glare of disdain in her eyes, and the glare was returned in kind. “So, you’re Bella?” she asked the nude, rabbit-eared Profane before her.

“Yeah, that’s me. I take it you’re Andromeda.”

“You will address her as MISTRESS Andromeda so long as you are here,” said Harrigan, standing nearby.

Bella leaned her head back and rolled her eyes. “Ugh, another bitch with a big house who thinks she can tell me what to—”

Before she could finish, Bella was lifted off her feet with telekinesis and slammed down onto the floor with bone-breaking force. This was repeated several times before Harrigan finally let her go. However, her skeleton was already mending itself, and bones were twisting and snapping back into place. She lunged for Harrigan, her hand outstretched, but he caught her arm with the same force and crushed her bones in his invisible grip. Regardless, she thrust herself forward, further breaking her arm in the process while reaching out with her other, only for her second attempt to be nullified like the first. Still, she didn’t give up, trying to claw at him with the talon on one of her ankles. When that failed, she tried her other leg, now floating suspended in the air, pushing against his defenses and reaching out closer and closer to him.

Harrigan’s stern expression began to crack from the difficulty of restraining her. Her body was changing shape more and more through continuous destruction and reconstruction. Her limbs and fingers branched out, growing claws and teeth to help dig into the telekinetic wall he put up. Broken bones, upon tearing through her flesh, would turn into pikes and try to drill through, while shredded flesh and muscle grew into lashing tentacles. It wasn’t just how she was transforming, but the physical power she possessed, and it seemed like she was just getting stronger and stronger with each passing second.

Despite all the effort he was putting into keeping her at bay, she was reaching ever closer, burrowing through his defenses like worms through dirt. Even when he tried to throw her back, she held on, gripping nothing but empty space, as if she had already sunk her claws into him. All the while, her face contorted and twisted, taking on demonic characteristics as her sanity bowed out for bloodlust and fury to take the stage.

“That’s enough!” Andromeda barked.

She held out her hand and sent bolts of black lightning shooting from her fingers. They wrapped around Bella and charred her on the inside and outside, and though she snarled and gnashed her teeth in pain and fury, her body was regenerating just as quickly as it was damaged. Harrigan seized Bella with telekinesis and slammed her into the ground while Andromeda continued to shock her, now using both hands. Bella continued to glare at them, both sides at a stalemate. It took Andromeda and Harrigan’s combined powers to keep her pinned, but that was all they could do. On the other hand, Bella could not be killed by such weak attacks, but was unable to move.

Finally, Andromeda halted her magic, and Harrigan did the same. “Now, let’s try this again, shall we? Scyler sent you to me so I could turn you into a proper member of the Profane. Your powers are unquestionable, but if you will not serve, you will be put down. Here, you will either learn discipline on your own or it will be taught to you. Understood?”

Bella got up, with her twisted, mutated limbs returning to their proper form, and all the tendrils and spikes retracting into her body. “Everything I do, I do for my darling, and if putting up with you will get me back to him, then very well.”

“That attitude of yours will need readjusting, but it will have to wait. Harrigan, get her dressed and find something for her to do.”

 

 

 

Once again, Lupin woke up alone, or so he thought. He was looking at the bowl on the bedside table, filled with fresh flower petals. The space beside him in the bed was empty, but as he came to, he realized there was someone else in the room with him. He looked over to the corner, where Duska was doing her nails. Seeing her, he bolted up in bed, but that quick movement was all it took to make him dizzy. Seeing how weak he was, Duska scoffed.

“Pathetic.”

“What are you doing here?” Lupin asked once his vision steadied.

“Considering how much time has passed since we first met, I was hoping you’d be a bit less jumpy, but humans are such fearful creatures. My master has tasked me with helping you escape. Or, to be more specific, he’s asked me to lay the groundwork for your escape. I assume he intends to free you himself.”

“Your master? Wait, how long has it been since you were last here?”

“A month, maybe two.”

“This can’t be happening,” Lupin shuddered, fearing that he’d be an old man the next time he woke up, and wondering about everything going on beyond the mansion. “Please, tell me, what is going on in Uther?”

“I think your brother took the throne. Not the paladin, the other one.”

“Galvin? Ugh, gods have mercy. He hasn’t destroyed the country, has he?”

“No, everything’s going just fine, despite our best efforts to eradicate your people. Your brother used the Wassengel to wipe out an entire army of fiends.”

“The Wassengel? But I thought that was… it doesn’t matter. I guess that’s what it would take for him to be allowed on the throne. But who is your master?”

“You know him as Noah, the Wandering Spirit.”

Hearing that name, Lupin smiled for the first time since leaving Welindar. “Noah, what would I do without him? If Noah is coming to save me and Uther is still in one piece, then I have little to worry about. But I thought you hated him?”

Duska averted her gaze, hoping Lupin couldn’t see her blush. “I’m just facing reality. I have no choice but to serve him, but as long as I do it well… I’ll be rewarded. That said, I’m only helping you because he ordered me to. That doesn’t change the fact that you’re a weak little insect and I must fight every instinct I have not to crush you.”

“You’ve made that quite clear. Anyway, where is Nell? Does she know about this?”

“No, she still serves Helena, as do I. Profane are instinctively compelled to obey the one who sired them. I doubt she would allow any harm to come to you, but she’ll never let you leave this place, because she doesn’t want to give you up. She wants to stay locked up in this room with you until the end of time, so unless our superiors decide to do away with you, don’t expect her to be any help in getting you out of here. Why she’s starving herself over you, I have no idea.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You really don’t get it, do you? We succubi don’t feed on flesh and blood like the other Profane. We subsist on the mana we drain from our prey until we completely suck the life out of them. But you? Feeding on you is like living on crumbs and broth, and she has to hold herself back so that she doesn’t kill you. Your mana is so weak and insignificant, and she takes away just enough to keep from harming you, but she’ll wither away to nothing eventually. She could go out and suck the life from another human, but yours is the only mind she wants to touch.”

Her words left a lump in Lupin’s throat that he struggled to swallow. All his life, he had been haunted by his weakness—born with an inability to cast spells, forced to rely on magic tools and deception to hide his ineptitude, while his friends and subordinates died because he was too weak to protect them. It left a deep scar on his soul. When he failed to keep Nell safe against those two Profane in Welindar, he cursed himself more than he did them, and now, to find out that Nell was starving herself because he couldn’t even serve as a proper meal for her, burned him with shame.

“Is there anything I can do to help her?”

“How can you expect to help her when you can’t even help yourself?” Duska scoffed.

She then departed, leaving Lupin alone with his thoughts. She strode through the cold corridors, following her spiritual sense to the greatest source of Profane energy in the mansion. Strange to find that source sweeping the attic in a maid’s uniform. Bella scowled as she gathered up dust with her broom, unable to ignore the pointlessness of it all. Not only did this area of the mansion appear to serve little purpose aside from extra storage, but it had already been swept clean quite recently. How often did Andromeda’s servants perform this task?

It felt bizarre to her to be doing actual housework in a maid uniform. Usually, she wore one to cater to the fetishes of customers, perhaps with some whipping of a feather duster to rile them up. She had adjusted this outfit to resemble what she was used to: scanty and risqué, with dreams of enticing her Darling with it the next time they met.

Bella perked her head up, sensing Duska’s arrival before she even appeared. Succubi were naturally stealthy, even when they didn’t mean to be, but just as Duska had followed her spiritual sense, so too was Bella following hers. Duska climbed up the ladder into the attic, but could no longer sense Bella, as if she had vanished into thin air. About to step forward, Duska was stopped by a pair of crossed blades pressed to her throat. At that moment, Bella’s presence overwhelmed her, feeling her breath on the back of her neck. She had appeared behind her so subtly that it was almost like she had teleported. The power she sensed in Bella was astonishing, surpassing that of any Profane she had ever met.

“I smell my Darling on you,” Bella whispered in her ear. “You must be Duska.”

“N-Noah told me to find you. We’re supposed to work together to help the prince.”

“That’s right, Darling told me he had picked up a little Profane slave. It’s clear he’s already thoroughly had his way with you. I’m jealous. What I would give to experience it for the first time all over again. I don’t handle jealousy well, but you’re lucky. Darling told me to be nice and try to get along with you.”

“He told me the same. We’re supposed to make preparations for his arrival and bide our time.”

“Understood, just don’t think you can go giving me orders. You are my Darling’s slave, and I am his future wife, so the way I see it, you’re my slave too. Take pleasure in being his little toy, but understand that’s all you will be.”

“That’s fine, I don’t care. But when it happens and the fighting starts, understand that Helena is off limits. Noah—”

The blades broke Duska’s skin, and blood trickled down her neck. “That’s not how a proper slave should talk,” Bella hissed.

Duska paused. “Master promised me that Helena would be spared if I served him faithfully.”

“And I’m here to make sure you do just that.” Duska pulled her blades away from Duska’s neck. “Now, unless you’re going to pick up a broom and help me sweep, it would be best if we were seen together as little as possible.”

“Gladly. I’ll let you know if anything changes.”

“One second.” Bella grabbed Duska and licked her neck, lapping up the spilled blood and making Duska shudder. “Hmmm, not as delicious as human blood, but still sweet, and smelling my Darling’s scent on you makes it all the sweeter.”

“Uh… thanks.” Duska hurriedly left the attic, fearful that Bella’s fangs would follow her tongue.

 

 

 

In a room of the mansion, several Profane had gathered, both in the flesh and in spirit, their visage projected on enchanted mirrors. This communications array, made of Enochian technology, had been set up to help the Profane remain in communication with one another. Given how often various members passed through Andromeda’s doors, it made sense to have a large setup to match the original in Curcio’s lab.

“Is it true?” she asked, bursting into the room.

Curcio, standing as a vaporous effigy, nodded. “Lord Scyler has been slain. The attack on Colbrand, although successful in leveling the city, came at a steep price. We lost scores of troops, the lab has been heavily damaged, and now Adwith Tarnas has taken the throne after killing our leader.”

“What happened to the lab?” Voraith asked, standing near Andromeda.

“It took a direct shot from the Wassengel. Fortunately, only the upper portion of the facility was destroyed, so we can still produce fiends and parasites, but we can no longer use it to attack or escape. Even before it was encased in a dungeon crab shell, the facility was designed to endure the punishing heat and pressure of the planet’s interior. Still, with the damage it has sustained, it would be like trying to sail a boat missing its entire bow. It is no longer safe to travel underground, and fleeing from Colbrand has severely worsened the damage. I’ve moved the base to the heart of Handent, and that is where it shall remain from now on.”

“Enough about the lab. Who is in charge?” a tall, gangly ghoul asked with a rasping voice.

A dwarf ghoul with a braided black beard cleared his throat. “As I am now the one most closely related to Somerset and Zyrga, leadership falls to me. That said, with Project Necropolis soon to reach fruition, the responsibility of leadership will leave my shoulders quite soon.”

“We should not assume things will go so smoothly, Ragar.” The pained words came from Tysinger’s projection. The hole that Noah burned in his chest was closed, but it hadn’t fully healed, and he was still wracked with soreness and fatigue. Wounds inflicted by sunlight and holy energy were more difficult to mend than ordinary injuries. “If there is anything I’ve learned from all this, it’s that the Wandering Spirit will continue to foil our plans.”

“Tysinger, you were there, weren’t you?” Andromeda asked.

“I was. If not for the fiends carrying me away to safety after my fight, I would have joined Lord Scyler in oblivion.”

“I’m thinking we should turn our attention to that dark elf, Valon,” said Andromeda. “The Wandering Spirit is looking for him, correct? Do we know where he is? He refused our offer to join us last time, but perhaps we should ask a little more firmly. He would make an exceptionally powerful ally, and if we can find him before Noah does, we can set up a trap.”

“Didn’t we send that crazy Uther knight after him with a phony letter or something?” Ragar asked, stroking his beard.

“Yes, once Leanne was slain, it was too risky to let Valon continue roaming, knowing what he knew about us, so I tried to tie off that loose end,” said Helena. “He escaped and is still somewhere out there.”

Ragar grumbled in thought. “I agree with Andromeda. I want that elf dead or turned before he can join the Wandering Spirit. Voraith, Miasmarda, I’ll leave that to the two of you. Take whoever you need.”

“Another thing,” said Andromeda. “How much longer must I keep that human in my castle? I’m not keen on letting livestock dirty my floors.”

“He can still be a valuable tool against Uther, whether as a hostage, bargaining chip, or the controller of the Wassengel,” said Voraith. “Besides, doesn’t he have that little succubus with him? All she has to do is keep fucking him until he’ll do whatever we want, especially if we threaten to take her away.”

“That’s my peerage you’re talking about,” Helena chided.

“Now, now, we wouldn’t kill her. We could just make him watch as we peel off her skin, and don’t stop until he swears fealty.”

“Either way, this is all conjecture,” said Ragar. “Without the tool for summoning the Wassengel, he’s nothing more than food. For now, just keep him holed up and we’ll find some use for him down the road.”

“Though it may displease you, Andromeda, you may have to look after another human,” said Curcio. “We found her when we attacked Colbrand, or rather, she surrendered to us and asked to be taken in.”

“So why hasn’t she been turned or devoured? Who is she?”

“Ask her yourself.” Curcio then stepped aside, his smoke form vanishing, and in its place, the figure of a tall woman appeared, her hands locked in shackles.

“Esteemed members of the Profane, greetings. My name is Ziradith Herald.”

“Mother of the former king, correct?” Ragar asked.

“I know you,” said Tysinger. “Scyler said you’re the Liege. You played us all to get your brat on the throne. You manipulated us and pitted our armies against the Wassengel as a show of force. Curcio, why is this conniving hag still breathing?”

“Because I have something to offer. It’s true, I am the puppet master behind the man you believed to be the Liege. Everything I did was to build up my own power and the power of Uther, all so that I could seize control and rule like I was destined to. But I was robbed of my destiny, and Uther remains forever out of my grasp. Until now, I had my subordinate lie to you and say he wanted Uther destroyed. Now it is the truth. If I can’t have Uther, then I want it obliterated. I want every last man, woman, and child slaughtered, every tree reduced to ash, every home and temple pulverized! I want the land itself wiped off the map and swallowed by the sea!”

“Your grudge means nothing to us in the face of your treachery. You said you have something to offer, so spit it out already,” Andromeda demanded.

“I offer the abomination growing in my womb, to use however you see fit. It is both my child and grandchild, possessing royal blood, and with it, the ability to control the Wassengel. Use him, turn him, eat him; I don’t care. All I want in return is to watch Uther’s annihilation. But more than that, I want the Wandering Spirit’s head, with the sight of his slaughtered friends burned into his eyes! I want him dead! I want them all dead!” As she grew increasingly agitated, arms appeared and wrapped around Ziradith, pulling her away so that her image vanished, and Curcio once more entered the conversation.

“I don’t trust her,” Miasmarda, the gangly ghoul, hissed.

“Her hatred of Uther and the Wandering Spirit is genuine,” said Curcio. “I don’t appreciate being used, but the fact remains that she has supported our operation for years and helped us get where we are now, and she is the enemy of our enemy. Besides, two potential users of the Wassengel are better than one.”

“Is two better than one, or is one of them simply redundant?” Andromeda asked. “I don’t like the idea of her and the prince both under my roof, or any roof for that matter. Too many eggs in one basket.”

“Andromeda makes a good point,” said Ragar, stroking his beard. “Curcio, she’ll stay with you for the time being. Just keep her locked up until the child is born. However, the moment she does anything suspicious, anything that could jeopardize your work, we’ll move her someplace else, or kill her outright, but only as a last option. Lord Scyler believed that the Wassengel could potentially be corrupted and turned into a Profane weapon, and I agree. We need all the royal blood we can get to seize it.”

“As you wish. We must do everything we can to ensure all of our hard work comes to fruition,” said Curcio. “I will continue rebuilding our forces here in Handent. As for the rest of you, I suggest you stay close to Ragar and Vandheim. We can’t let anything else get in the way of our goal.”

 

 

 

 

 

Bad Influence

 

 

 

 

 

Elisandra rested in one of the palace windows, gazing out across the forest. It was where she had sat with Noah during that summer storm, when they decided what to name their child. Rain, she loved the name more and more with each passing day, her elation growing like the baby within her. Elven pregnancies lasted much longer than human ones, but the day was soon to come when the heir of Sylphtoria would be born, and her intuition told her it would be a prince. Half elf and half human, the things he was sure to accomplish would be incredible, especially if he was anything like his father.

Noah was with her in her waking thoughts and her deepest dreams, with every day spent wishing to see him again. The time they had spent together was so short, but even for someone like her, who had lived for over a thousand years, the time they had been apart felt like an eternity. How many women had felt this pain throughout history? Waiting for their dearest love to return from war? Waiting for their family to be made whole? True, Elisandra was never alone here in Sylphtoria, but nothing could match the feel of Noah’s arms around her.

Of course, she also missed Valia, the two of them having grown quite close during that magical summer. She often liked to imagine Rain being her student in swordsmanship, training under her to become the greatest warrior the elven race had ever seen. Elisandra hoped Valia was taking care of Noah, keeping him safe. Those summer nights the three of them spent in her bed were the best time of her life, and she longed for the day when they would be united, and their moans would echo once more.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a soldier entering the palace. The guards let him through, and he approached with a bowed head. “Your Majesty, you’ve received a parcel from Uther, delivered by messenger bird.”

“Word from Leuca?”

“No, My Lady. It appears to be from Lord Noah.”

It took all of Elisandra’s strength and control not to snatch the package out of his hand with a grin of excitement. She opened it up to find a spherical diamond, the size of an apple, with a small gem at its center. The surface of the diamond was etched with runes, just like the Star of Sylphtoria. Only Noah could create such a beautiful craft. There was also a note, not the long love letter she had been hoping for, but a short missive.

 

‘Elisandra, within this orb is a harkonen gem linked to one in my possession. If you’ve received this gem, please channel your mana into it. Should your power reach me, we may be able to communicate. Keep it close.

Wishing luck and love, N.’

 

Elisandra had heard of harkonen gems before, and the premise intrigued her. She held the diamond with both hands and sent a large surge of mana into it, feeling the gem swallowing her power like water swirling down a drain. There was no immediate reaction, so she tried again, but the second attempt yielded no sign of success. Then, after the third attempt, a voice echoed from the orb.

“Hello? Elisandra?”

That voice sent her heart racing, and she held up the orb. “Noah! Noah, can you hear me?”

The air before her shimmered and filled with mana, soon changing color and beginning to take shape, much like an animal forming within a summoning circle. The image sharpened, and Noah stood before her, a warm smile on his face.

“Hey, Ellie,” he said.

“Noah,” she gasped, tears of joy welling up.

“Aegasviel!” the soldier exclaimed.

The guards through the palace were drawn by the commotion and rushed over, each of them shouting the same word.

Elisandra reached out to hug him, but passed right through. “What is this?” she asked.

“Sorry, but this is only a projection of my presence. I’m here in spirit, as you might say.” He reached out to touch her cheek, though his fingers could only pass through her. “That said, I can clearly see you, and you’re as beautiful as the day I left.”

“Noah, Noah!” she happily exclaimed, with her joyful tears turning into a wellspring. She quickly tried to wipe them away and regain her composure. “Forgive me. My emotions have been all over the place throughout my pregnancy. Everything I feel has been multiplied.”

“You never have to apologize. I’ve missed you.”

The doors of the palace then burst open, and Lour and several guards rushed in. “Is it true?!” They then stopped when they saw Noah, and Lour immediately dropped to one knee and bowed his head. “Aegasviel! Welcome back!”

The guards all did the same. “Aegasviel!” they proclaimed.

Noah turned to Elisandra. “Aegasviel?”

“‘Divine craftsman,’ it is the name you have been given by the people who have experienced the light of your star. You’ve had a massive influence on Sylphtoria and have become a subject of worship by many.” She turned to Lour. “Now, while I understand your excitement, Lour, would you mind taking everyone and giving us some privacy? My love and I have much to discuss.”

“Yes, of course, My Lady.” He and the guards all cleared out of the palace, leaving Noah and Elisandra alone.

“It is good to be back, even if I’m not really here. I’ve thought about you often, dreaming of the day when I could return here for good, free of my curse and ready to live my final life beneath these branches with you.”

“You’ve been in my dreams as well, you and Rain.”

Noah crouched down, resting his phantasmal hand on her swollen belly. He could not feel her warmth or the movements of their unborn child, but he could easily imagine them. “And how is everything going with our little summer storm?”

“He’s getting ready to greet the world. I was hoping you might be here before he’s born, but I take it that’s not the case.”

“I’m afraid not. The answer to my curse remains elusive to me, and the war against the Profane is in full swing.”

Elisandra sat on the nearby couch and beckoned Noah over. “You don’t need to tell me that. They have been a persistent thorn in my side for several months now. What happened since you left? I want to hear the stories you have for me.”

He sat beside her. “It’s been a lot of ups and downs, one step forward and then one step back. Valia and I managed to reach Lupin, and we spent several months helping him fight the Profane and their beastman minions. We took down numerous bases in Handent where these parasites were being made to create Profane, spent a lot of time improving the city of Welindar, and killed one of the enemy leaders. Lupin even managed to win the respect and support of the beastmen, but then we received word that the king of Uther had been killed. Before we could do anything, we were attacked by a fiend army. Though we managed to kill their leader, all of the beastmen in the city were turned into the Profane and marched on Uther.

Colbrand was saved by an angel, but had fallen under the control of Prince Galvin, whom I told you about before. It turned out that his mother, Ziradith Herald, had been working with the Profane, orchestrating the war all to get her son on the throne, and, in turn, seize control of Uther. Galvin broke free of her control and went mad with power, trying to exterminate all beastmen in Uther. I helped his brother, Prince Seraph, regain his powers and supplant him. Galvin was slain, but the city of Uther was leveled by a surprise attack from the Profane. There were a lot of casualties, but we killed their leader. That said, I doubt the Profane will just roll over and surrender.”

“We’ve been having to deal with them as well. We’ve raised the security around our borders, making sure none of the monsters like what you encountered would be able to slip into our country. That said, those hulking beasts are always probing our defenses, trying to find a way in. They’re just as eager to capture my people as to kill them, and I dare not ponder the horrors awaiting those taken alive.” Elisandra gave a bitter laugh. “Look at us. Ever since you’ve left, all I’ve wanted is for you to come back, and now that I can finally see you again, all we can talk about is war and horror.”

“We’re just getting it out of the way to talk about the more important things. Forget the war, forget Sylphtoria, how have YOU been?”

Elisandra sighed and closed her eyes. “Scared, but you know me; I’m always scared. I fear for Rain and the world he’ll be born into. I fear I won’t be a good enough mother for him. I fear that right now is the safest he’ll ever be again.”

“Take it from me, that fear is something every parent goes through, especially new parents. You’re going to be a wonderful mother, and though this world might not be perfect, and Rain will face dangers and trials, you and I will keep him safe and raise him to be strong enough to handle them on his own. Once he’s born, you’ll be scared, confused, and worried, feeling like you’re not ready and don’t know what you’re doing, just like every woman who’s ever given birth, but I will help you. All of Sylphtoria will help you. Whatever you don’t know, you’ll learn. Whatever you struggle with, you’ll get better at.”

Elisandra smiled in bliss and looked at Noah lovingly. “I’m also happy, so incredibly happy. Thinking back on that beautiful summer we spent together, feeling our child growing within me, and dreaming of our future as a family, it’s made me happier than I’ve ever been.”

“Yeah, me too. I think I’m feeling… hopeful… about the future, something I haven’t experienced in a long time. I was telling Valia that I’ve come to like this world, that I feel comfortable in it, finally able to be my true self instead of wearing a façade and blending in. I have to believe I’ll be free of my curse, and when I do, I cannot imagine a better final life than spending it here with you.”

Elisandra gazed at him with sparkling eyes. “Why must you torment me with such beautiful words? You tease me with such a tender gaze, knowing that I cannot hug you, that I cannot kiss you. You’re so cruel.”

“Believe me, I wish I could do all those things as well. But for now, we can’t be greedy. We just have to be glad we can see each other.”

“I trust Valia is also taking good care of you. I miss her.”

“She misses you as well and wanted me to tell you.”

“And I hope she’s the only one taking care of you.”

“Well, she and I picked up someone while in Handent. Her name is Shannon, a member of the Petosic horse tribe. Her tribe was wiped out, her kin either slaughtered or turned into the Profane. She’s been with us since before we reached Lupin, fighting alongside me and Valia, supporting us through the harshest battles and moments of peace. She’s sworn an oath of servitude, calling us her Lord and Lady. For that, and due to the feelings she developed for us, Valia decided that she deserved to be… brought into the fold, you might say.”

Elisandra sighed. “The two most beautiful elves in the world share your bed, but you had to pick up a mistress.”

“Not the ideal news, I know, but she’s kind, gentle, and loyal to a fault, and has earned her place at our side. If she were here now, she’d bow and pledge her life to serve and protect you and Rain, and would move mountains for the honor of being his nanny.”

“Well, when you put it like that, I suppose I could give her a chance. Besides, you wouldn’t be the first great man to have many wives, just so long as I’m number one.”

“Valia has already established she’s number one, and you’re the close-ranked second, and any woman that tries to supplant either of you is getting put in the ground.”

Elisandra laughed. “She had you first, so I guess I have to accept that. It’s nice to see she’s looking out for me. Is there anyone else I should know about?”

“A female Profane did have her way with me while I was tied up. Apparently, she had heard the rumors about my skill and wanted to see if they were true.” Elisandra stared at him, struggling to process his words. “You can ask Valia and Shannon about it; they were made to watch. I’m fine, by the way.”

Elisandra rubbed her eyes. “By the spirits, Noah, do I have to put a chastity belt on you?”

“Valia said she’d do just that.”

Elisandra laughed. “You are going to be a horrible influence on our son.” She then held up the diamond orb and examined it. “Tell me more about this jewel. I’m curious.”

“The harkonen gem in the center is a fragment of a much larger piece I received for some work I did in Colbrand. A spell channeled into one shard will be released from the other, but I’ve enchanted it so that only mana can go through. I don’t want any of these falling into the wrong hands and used to target me with a spell. The burst of mana you sent through caused all of the plants around me to suddenly grow out of control. I’m thinking I can use these jewels to create a communications network, allowing me to stay in contact with various leaders so we can organize against the Profane. I’ve already left one in Colbrand.”

“You’re not there right now?”

“No, my friends and I are traveling at the moment. We were planning on going to Vandheim, but something else came up.”

“What happened?”

“We received word that a dark elf with silver hair was spotted in a village in Uther, acting strangely, so we’re on our way to investigate. It can only be Valon. I don’t know what he’s doing there, and I can only hope things will go smoother this time.”

“After what you told me about Kisara Island, I can hardly imagine it going any worse.”

The two continued to talk, making up for lost time, but eventually Noah felt a tap on his real body. “Sorry, but I have to go. My friends are calling me back.”

“Do you have to go so soon?”

“Don’t worry, I may be gone, but I’ll be in reach. If you ever need me, just send another burst of mana through the gem. And I’ll be keeping in touch. I’ll let you know how things go with Valon.”

“I understand. However, I would love it if you could find a way to visit in the flesh. And when all this is done, let’s get married.”

Noah smiled. “I’d love that. I’ll see you soon.” He leaned in and kissed her, and though no physical contact was made, they could both imagine the sensation. Noah’s illusion faded away, and back in Uther, he opened his eyes, seeing Valia’s beautiful smile.

“You look so cute leaning against Shannon like that, like a sleeping baby,” she teased.

While projecting his consciousness, it was hard for Noah to maintain an upright position, so when he did it on Shannon’s back, he’d lean against her, looking like he had passed out. Shannon seemed to enjoy it, holding his arms around her waist.

“Well, Shannon is so comfortable, I really could have fallen asleep.”

He sat up, stretched with a yawn, and looked around. The group stopped for the evening and made camp within a wooded thicket. It was him, Valia, Shannon, Alexis, Sophia, Cyrilo, Daniel, and Seraph, and though they were out in the countryside, Noah’s collection of magic tools was making camping a breeze. He had tools for gathering, purifying, and boiling water, as well as tools for producing a magic flame that required no wood and emitted no smoke. He also had insulating bedrolls and heat-reflecting tents, self-cleaning cookware, and magical security tools to alert him if anyone or anything approached their camp from any direction. Almost all the work that went into making camp and preparing for the night ahead had been removed.

Everyone put up their tents, and Alexis soon returned to the camp, having procured their dinner. Cleaning and preparing it was still a task that had to be done by hand. As night fell, the group gathered around the magical campfire and dined on wild rabbit.

“So how is Elisandra doing?” Valia asked.

“She’s in good spirits, and from the looks of it, soon to deliver. I gave her your regards, and she said she misses you.”

“So, the three of you really were… involved?” Alexis asked.

Valia gave a sly smile. “Elisandra and I… have an understanding, and discovered the joy of each other’s company,” she said, making Alexis and Sophia blush.

“I’d love to meet her,” said Cyrilo. “I need to know if she’s really as beautiful as she is in that picture.”

“Believe me, she’s stunning. Even when she looks like she’s about to give birth to a pumpkin, she’s downright radiant,” said Noah.

“I just want to see that baby. I can just imagine those little tiny pointed ears!” Sophia squealed.

“I bet that’s going to be one good-looking kid,” Daniel said.

“How else is everything going in Sylphtoria? I hope the Profane aren’t wreaking too much havoc.” Valia asked.

“She said that they are probing the border, looking for a way to slip past their defenses. They’re holding strong, though. The elves won’t be caught off guard like they were before. Besides, with the Star of Sylphtoria protecting them, nothing can even get close to the city once night falls. It has become so beloved by the public that I’ve earned a new title. When I appeared, Lour and the guards all got down on one knee and called me Aegasviel. Apparently, both the star and I have become symbols of worship.”

Valia’s eyes widened. “Aegasviel? Avinor, the Enochian who used the Cymerian Bow to kill Zyrga, received that title. That is a powerful name.”

“It would certainly help if we had one of those.”

“I remember Lupin saying he would have given anything to see the elven capital,” said Seraph. “It was his dream, ever since he was young. Is it as beautiful as they say?”

“It is spectacular,” said Noah. “Ancient trees reach up higher than any I’ve ever seen, with trunks a hundred feet in diameter and shaped to form the homes of the elves. The branches weave together, forming bridges spanning across the open chasm. They produce every type of fruit and nut you can imagine, and they never rot or go bad so long as they hang. The elves decorate the city with art of every medium, and have vast libraries rich in lost knowledge.

Then, once the sun sets, glowing moss and flowers illuminate the city, and fireflies and other bioluminescent insects fill the sky. Priests and priestesses walk the bridges in their holy robes, singing an ancient aria throughout the night. It is a prayer of protection and a lament for the dead, filling the air with sacred energy. The Star of Sylphtoria is a gem that I crafted, situated at the highest point of the city, above the royal palace. It bends and refracts that holy energy, turning it into purifying light that leaves no shadows. The first time it was activated, it brought the elves to tears.”

“I would love to see it someday,” said Sophia. “I know you plan on returning there after you break your curse. Do you think the elves would mind your friends coming to visit you?”

“If they did, I’d like to think they’d keep it to themselves. They were pretty cold to me when I first arrived, but warmed up once I proved myself. If you come with me and are polite and friendly, they will show it in kind.”

“If we could go there, then maybe we could make copies of their books for when we restart the literature program,” said Cyrilo.

“We could have an entire wing dedicated to elven writing, shelves upon shelves of their knowledge and art,” Sophia replied. Though we definitely wouldn’t be able to fit it all in the Knight’s Sheath, no matter how large we rebuild it.”

“You and I always talked about opening a library separate from the Knight’s Sheath. When we return to Colbrand, I think that will be when we do it. We’ll build a vast cathedral full of books.”

“I’m more interested in the dwarves. I bet they have some fine liquor over there in Vandheim. We’re going there after nabbing Valon, right?” asked Daniel.

“You’re in luck, this town we’re heading to is a dwarf colony,” said Valia.

“Dwarf colony?”

“Banishment is a common punishment in Vandheim,” Cyrilo explained. “Dwarves can be quick to anger and hold long grudges, so when an individual breaks the law or commits a taboo, they may be exiled from the country, even their entire family, depending on the offense. That’s what happened to Berholm. This town is one such place where families like these often end up. We should reach it by tomorrow.”

“So, Daniel, how’s the songwriting going?” Sophia asked.

“It’s going, it’s going,” he replied. “The problem is that I’m great at the chords, but I’m terrible at the words.”

During his time in Colbrand, Daniel had written a few songs based on Noah’s exploits to sing at the Knight’s Sheath, mainly to keep his performance fresh and capitalize on Noah’s popularity. Since leaving, he had doubled down, wanting to become a “true bard.” He was trying to write multiple songs about the adventures of everyone around, but mainly Noah, and his tales from across the multiverse, calling him his muse.

“Noah, give me something to work with. Tell us a crazy war story.”

“Crazy war story, huh?” Noah went silent for a moment, diving through his memories in search of a fitting tale. “Ok, here’s a good one. A long time ago, I was fighting in a war against the country of Yelnan. My country, Thrain, was actually just helping an allied country that was in a trade dispute with Yelnan. Normally, such a squabble wouldn’t interest me, but the primary tools in this conflict were giant robots, and I couldn’t turn down a chance to pilot a giant robot. For the rest of you, basically imagine a suit of armor anywhere from thirty up to three hundred feet tall, with weapons that could obliterate armies and flatten entire towns. Goliaths, we called them, massive steel juggernauts.

Of course, not every soldier had one. Few people had what it took to adequately pilot them. It was a skill you either had or didn’t. In major battles, you could see up to a dozen of them blasting each other while regular troops fought below. We’d march across the battlefield in these things with our ground troops and artillery following us, sticking to our shadows. We had to be so careful not to step on our own allies, because one wrong move and they’d be crushed like ants. With every rainstorm, you’d see Goliath footprints fill with water and turn into ponds. Now, the Goliaths were unbelievably heavy due to all the armor plating, but they had to be to resist counterattacks. A weapon is only really useful until someone finds its weakness.”

As Noah spoke, Daniel was fervently scribbling details. Noah held out his hand and used his illusion magic to produce a special rocket launcher. “This baby shot thermite missiles; flying projectiles full of powdered metal and explosive material that burned like dragon fire. An enemy soldier could be hiding in the brush with one of these, and a well-placed shot to an exposed joint would melt steel as if it were butter and cripple a Goliath like severing a major tendon. There are few feelings better than piloting a giant robot, and more frustrating than getting taken out by one scrawny fucker with a rocket launcher. Half a trillion dollars in machinery rendered immobile just like that.

One day, I’m in a huge battle to conquer a city, with explosions going off every second in every direction and buildings being reduced to powder. Almost everyone on both sides has been slaughtered, and it’s basically just me and one remaining enemy pilot. Our Goliaths were about the same size, but we had both run out of ammo, so how did we settle it? With our giant metal fists. We’re duking it out, trading blows and doing everything we can not to fall over. When you’re in a boxing match between two Goliaths, every punch is so rattling that you’ll feel like your teeth are going to pop out and your stomach rises into your throat. They could supposedly hear our strikes from miles away.

Anyway, we’re pushing these machines to their absolute limits. Everything is in the red, rivets and bolts are shooting off like champagne corks, and I’m just waiting for my suit to crumble. Then, my opponent slips up and throws an awkward punch, missing me by a mile, and I manage to destroy his arm. I beat him into submission and claimed victory. We took the city, or what was left of it, but that fistfight was the real win for me. Ah, fun times. How’s that for story material?”

“Oh yeah, this is that GOOD shit!” Daniel said with a grin.

“I swear, even after all this time, your stories still sound impossible to me,” said Valia.

“How did the war end?” Shannon asked.

“We won, if I remember correctly. That said, there was so much damage with little to show for it, so it was a bit of a hollow victory. Still, I really enjoyed piloting Goliaths. There have been other lifetimes with similar machines, but the Goliaths were the best in terms of design and function. In fact, hold on….”

Noah stood up and turned away from the group, holding out his hands in front of him. He began projecting his mana, shaping it in the air before him and giving it color as he focused on the Goliath’s image. The amorphous structure grew in size, detail, and complexity. When replicating objects from his past, he was mainly restricted to handheld items, such as weapons and tools, with his limit being something the size of a piano. To shape his mana into larger forms like the basilisk, he needed his grimoire with the summoning spell inscription; otherwise, it was like wrangling a giant blob of clay on a potter’s wheel.

That said, with all his projection training, thanks to the headband in his hat, he had pushed his limits enough to replicate a small Goliath, the 50-foot model. Everyone watched in awe as the details solidified, showing the metallic titan standing over them. For the natives of this world, it really did look like a giant suit of armor, but with all of the pieces interlocking together like the rings of chainmail.

“Here’s one of the smaller ones, much more agile and able to maneuver down city streets. I piloted this baby for three months and won battle after battle. The problem was that the interior was hard to clean, so if you threw up or bled out in there, the smell would linger for a long time.”

As much as he would have loved to show what the machine could do, he had reached his limit and was forced to release the illusion.

“How well would you say it would do against the Profane?” Seraph asked as Noah sat back down by the fire.

“I’m sure Scyler would have sliced it to pieces, but it would have made short work of his fiend army.”

“It’s amazing to me how much ingenuity goes into crafting weapons of war,” said Sophia.

“War is the mother of invention, as they say,” replied Cyrilo. “You’d be surprised how the study of medicine and healing is expanded upon due to war.”

“And laziness is the father,” Daniel added, “a father lying in his hammock, thinking up tools he can make so he won’t have to get up. Ok, so that was the giant robot war?”

“That was A giant robot war, not THE giant robot war.”

“A giant robot war. How many wars have you been in? Not just of the giant robot variety?”

Noah leaned his head back, deep in thought, while everyone leaned in, curious as to the answer. “Well, that would depend on how you define war, but under the parameters of lethal combat, I would have to say….” Noah trailed off, whispering to himself for several moments. “I would have to say around forty or fifty. I’ve lived through some exceptionally violent lifetimes. Sometimes I would join in simply for the thrill, other times I would do it because I thought I was making a difference, and other times, well, I just got dragged into it.”

His answer left everyone stunned to various degrees. They had all seen combat and been in life-or-death struggles, but the only one among them who had experienced true, ongoing war was Valia, and though she had stood on countless battlefields in her long life, that was but a fraction of what Noah had gone through.

“Which one was the worst?” Daniel asked.

Noah released a long exhale. “Ok, so a long time ago….”

 

 

 

The group had a slow start the next morning. No one had slept well, plagued by bloody nightmares spawned from Noah’s horrific story. Still, once they ate breakfast and started riding, they made up for lost time. Shannon set the pace, and the horses followed her, with everyone enjoying the beautiful weather. Uther boasted some gorgeous countryside, and though monsters prowled in search of vulnerable travelers and distracted adventurers, they were easy enough to deal with, not even requiring the group to dismount. Seraph needed only to blast them with some light magic to scare them off, or Noah would conjure an illusory beast to put up a front. No wolf, bear, or other predator would dare try its luck against a snarling wyvern. Fortunately, Shannon was there to calm the horses, who did not appreciate or understand the façade.

After stopping for lunch at midday, the dwarven town of Wahr Village appeared in the distance. They knew it was the right town because the men and women working the fields remained small whether seen up close or from afar. That wasn’t to say there weren’t humans, but the ratio was quite askew. It appeared to be a peaceful and prosperous little village, with the forests cleared to make way for farms, and walls marking the property lines made from stones collected from the fields.

As the group rode through the town, the villagers spotted their knight rings and emblems and bowed their heads. Even Cyrilo, Daniel, and Shannon had been specially knighted for their contributions in fighting against the Profane, and offered rings with the storage enchantment. Both Cyrilo and Shannon already had rings of their own, but Daniel gladly accepted the magic trinket and had been smugly grinning at it since, like a kid with a new toy. A dwarf woman appeared before them, stout and stocky like her male counterparts, but missing a beard.

“Greetings, honored knights! Welcome to our town. What can we do for you?”

“Hello. We are following rumors of a dark elf being sighted in these parts,” said Noah.

“His hair and eyes would be silver like mine,” said Valia with her voice lifted by desperate hope.

“Aye, he comes and goes, muttering nonsense and acting crazy as a loon. You’d best talk to our chief or one of our resident knights. Best place to look would be the tavern.”

They followed her directions to the local watering hole, where even in the middle of the day, men were deep in their cups. Village heirlooms and hunting trophies adorned the walls, and candles burned in every corner.

“Now we’re talking,” said Daniel.

“Work first, then drink,” Alexis chided.

Then a familiar voice echoed. “Well, break my nose and gargle my balls! The legendary Noah!” They all turned to see Foley sitting at one of the tables, holding a beer stein the size of a milk jug.

“Wahr Village, that’s right. I was wondering why it sounded familiar. Hey, Foley,” said Noah as he approached.

“What in the world would bring you to this little backwater anthill?” He then spotted Valia. “Oh, I see, you’re after the pointy-eared bugger. Come! Come! Take a seat!” The group joined him, but Foley’s expression soured when he saw Seraph. “Oi, what’s the deal with the royal pain?” he asked, not even bothering to lower his voice.

Seraph immediately bowed his head. “Please, I offer my sincerest apologies for my behavior back at the academy. I was rude and arrogant, and am trying to turn my life around and make amends.”

Foley grunted and turned back to Noah. “Some crazy stories have been coming from the south, saying that Colbrand was flattened by a monster attack.”

“It’s true,” said Alexis. “The Profane leveled the city with a dungeon crab and then set loose an army to kill the survivors. Colbrand is rebuilding, but it’s a long road.”

“I swear, that city gets destroyed every couple of years. Anyway, I’m guessing you’re looking for the dark elf, right?”

“Have you seen him?” Valia asked.

“Oh sure, plenty of people have. He shows up every couple of days, acting weird, then he’ll disappear into the woods, I assume. I caught him talking to a scarecrow, trying to explain some complex theory of something or other. He won’t accept food or drink, barely even acknowledge you, but he can get really dangerous if you grab him or anything. He nearly blew me up when I tried to put some shackles on him. I don’t know what he’s doing here or why, and I get the feeling he doesn’t either.”

Noah could sense Valia’s dread as the details of Valon’s madness emerged. Back on Kisara Island, it was clear he was switching back and forth between crazed mania and emotionless nihilism, but it sounded like he was leaning more towards the former as time went on. The longer he went without help, the more he seemed to be slipping into madness.

“When was the last time you saw him?” Noah asked.

“Some farmer caught him finger painting runes on the side of one of his cows yesterday, but he ran off. He should show up again tomorrow or the next day.”

“We’re going to wait until he shows up and try to talk him down. If that doesn’t work, we’ll do what we can to capture him without collateral damage.”

“Good luck. That’d be like trying to teach a rabid dog to play fetch. If you’re sticking around, you should stay with my family. My brothers all want to meet you. We can put you up in our barn. It may not be the Knight’s Sheath, but you won’t find many spare human-sized beds in this town.”

“Thank you, we appreciate the hospitality,” said Noah.

Foley then shot Seraph the stink-eye. “Try not to say anything rude to my family, like calling them “stumpy,” like you did to me.”

Seraph once more bowed his head. “I promise, I won’t!”

They followed Foley out of the tavern and across Wahr Village to a large homestead on the edge of town. Foley said he was the middle son of seven, so even with their short bodies, such a sizable family needed an adequate house to accommodate them all. Foley’s brothers were busy working the fields, cutting lumber, and doing all manner of chores. It was hard to tell who was the youngest and the oldest, each one looking like a beard with limbs. One of them was also the father, but telling him apart from his children was impossible.

“Oi! Line up, you nut warts! We got guests!” Foley hollered.

His kin all gathered around, curious as to what all the fuss was about.

“Bah, you showing off your knight buddies? Mr. Big Shot?” one spat.

“Weaseled out of chores to go hang out with his fancy entourage!” another teased.

“Looks like the big city boy remembered he’s got family!” barked a third.

“I wonder if these lankies know how much better they could do in the friend department!” said a fourth.

“Shut your traps, all of ye!” Foley shouted. He then pointed to Noah. “This’s the guy.”

All of their eyes widened. “This’s the guy?” one asked.

Foley grinned and nodded. “This’s the guy,” he said again.

All the dwarves suddenly threw up their arms and cheered, then swarmed towards Noah. Before he knew what was happening, they had hoisted him onto their shoulders. “Oi! Oi! Oi! Oi! Oi! Oi! Oi! Oi Oi!” they chanted as they carried him to the house.

Noah looked back at Valia and the others, all equally of whom were equally dumbfounded. He had heard that dwarves could be rambunctious, but this caught him by surprise. He was brought inside, finding the house more than large enough to accommodate non-dwarf guests.

“Now what’s all this, then?” a stout, dwarfish woman with graying hair asked, stepping out of the kitchen and wiping her hands off on her apron.

Noah was carried to a large dinner table and given the seat of honor, with Foley and his kin all gathered around. “Tell us the story of the Knight’s Sheath party,” one of them asked with twinkling eyes.