Crossed Sword

Dormund was his Mage and at present the only notable thing about him was his absence. Conducting research apparently. A very Mage thing to do Kalvin thought. His owl was there though, perched over the Lord's left shoulder, looking at them calmly with eyes that shone out their intelligence and understanding.

She flatly refused. They worked alone. The lord's soldiers would just get in their way. Kalvin liked the idea of a little extra firepower but knew where Cassandra stood on the subject of mages, especially since yesterday. He agreed, they would find her on their own. They would move faster without them and was not speed what was most needed here?

"You know, he doesn't care about her."

Cassandra was searching for the faded tracks that had gotten them this far in their search. Cassandra was an outstanding tracker and Kalvin loved to watch her work. He also loved to watch her sleep, sit, and eat. The list of things Kalvin liked to watch Cassandra do was almost limitless.

"I know, Cassandra. We aren't returning a beloved daughter to a doting father, we're returning a possession to a greedy man. So who do you think took her? A rival Lord's army? Goblin raiders? Dragon? Pixie faeries on magical unicorns?"

She ignored him, she had found what she was looking for and squinted off into the distance. Kalvin saw the frown. It was going to be something much, much worse than unicorns.

They rode for a day and a night before they caught up to them. The keep had been abandoned after the last mage war, it's outer wall was torn open and crumbling but the keep inside was still in tact.

"There are twelve in all. Three sentries, two at the gate, and seven within the keep. They must not have been in any hurry to get back here if we managed to catch them. I can't see their leader though. I would prefer not going in blind, but if no ransom is being asked for, I shudder to think what they do want with her."

Cassandra nodded, they would need to attack now, in the bright light of day, they couldn't risk wasting any time.

Kalvin dropped the three sentries with quiet ease. Even Cassandra's sharp eyes could not see Kalvin if he didn't want to be seen. The two at the gate were hers. No theatrics this time, strictly business. She stole past their bodies stopping only to retrieve her knives. Seeing the symbol hung around their necks she knew she had been right, she shuddered. She knew there were two men at the arrow slits on either side of the main door to the hall. She heard the whisper of the arrows that felled them. He really was very good with that bow. The door burst open, and three soldiers stormed out swords drawn, one by one they dropped, two with daggers, one with an arrow. Kalvin climbed down the wall with ease to join her at the door. They walked in and the stench nearly knocked them down.

"Nothing on Earth can smell this bad."

Kalvin was trying very hard not to retch as he walked down the hallway, lined with arrowslits towards the open inner door to the great hall.

"That's because what made it isn't of this Earth."

A roar echoed from the main hall as if to punctuate Cassandra's assertion. The scream that followed caused them to run. The keep's great hall was lit by dozens of torches. The girl was being strapped to a rack by two red cloaked figures. The symbols of demon worship were prominent on their cloaks, on the girl's pale skin, and painted on every wall. They spun towards the intruders. One balled his fists and the eldrich flames sputtered into nothing as an arrow buried itself in his eye socket. Cassandra's dagger took the other in the chest, but not before a blast of lightning erupted from his hand. The blast had not been aimed at them, it had struck a door which shattered. Cassandra ran to the girl as another roar tore through the hall.

Cassandra stopped dead in her tracks as she saw it enter the fire light. Now she knew why a ransom had not been asked for, would never be asked for, her captors didn't want money, they wanted the girl, her maidenhood. It was a vulgar monstrosity. Even with hunched shoulders it was easily nine feet tall. It's chest was broad and it's arms which nearly reached the ground were muscled and it's fingers ended in hooked claws. It's lower body was covered in shaggy hair, it's legs ending in goat hooves and between those legs, hung an enormous phallus. It's face, however, was beautiful. Though it's eyes burned with an inner black fire and goat's horns sprung from it's brow, that face was beautiful, calm, alluring. Kalvin looked at Cassandra as she stood stark still and dropped her daggers.

She felt the sting of the slap as the creature lumbered towards them. Kalvin looked terrified as he nocked another arrow and let it fly to join the other three in the beast's chest.

"Shades, Cassandra, it's an incubus, snap out of it!"

She stared at him blankly as the spell faded a little. She felt the sting of another slap, he was screaming at her though his voice seemed very far away.

"It's a bloody incubus, look, you can tell from it's yard long throbbing cock and the fact that every woman in this room wants to fuck it!"

She watched the black ichor run down from two new wounds.

"A little help, please."

Thud, thud. Two more arrows found their mark and it kept coming. Though the beast could no longer maintain the spell as Casandra fought it's glamour and saw the truly monstrous nature of the creature. She crouched down and picked up her daggers. Her breathing was slow and steady. She sprang forward arms raised ready to strike. It caught her by the wrists. The daggers dropped from numb fingers as it squeezed her wrists and spread her arms wide. His phallus hardened as a long snaking tongue slipped from it's mouth to lick her face. Cassandra cringed at its touch. Kalvin looked on in horror and let three more arrows fly in quick succession. Cassandra looked at the monster and smiled as she kicked her heels together. Blades sprung from the tips of her boots which she then buried in the creatures groin just bellow his member. It may be a demon with an enormous cock, but it was male, and Cassandra knew where she needed to strike.

The howl was unbelievable. Cassandra rolled as she hit the floor, boots fouled with the creature's ichor. Two more daggers appeared in her hands as the creature reared back to strike at her. She thrust upwards. Kalvin's arrow struck it in the eye and it reeled back further. Cassandra thrust her dagger even deeper until it found it's mark. With a twist of her wrist the creature fell backwards in a heap.

They found a small creek so that she could wash. She doubted she would ever feel clean again.

"And how exactly did you know where to strike?"

She laughed as she looked over at Kalvin who was adjusting the saddle on their pack horse to help carry the young girl. She got out of the water and walked towards him, her naked body glistening in the fading light. She knew how much he loved seeing her wet.

"Don't you remember that night in Kryl?"

She smiled and raised her index finger and began to wiggle it. She winked at him. His mouth hung open for a few seconds as the horror sank in. Cassandra laughed as she closed his mouth for him and kissed him. Two sets of clothes ruined in two days. She slipped into her clothes and some new boots. The girl was still unconscious, Cassandra could hardly blame the poor girl. They were debating whether they should camp for the night or bring her home when a screech owl came and perched itself on a nearby branch. They then heard the carriage.

"Aren't you a little young for a mage?"

Dormund was perhaps twenty years old. Tall and lean with the beginnings of a beard and long sandy hair. He went straight to the girl as he left the carriage handing Kalvin a small jingling pouch on his way past. He closed his eyes and chanted, blue fire leaped from his palm and within moments the girl opened her eyes. She looked up into his face and threw her arms around his neck.

"I knew you would rescue me!"

Kalvin turned to Cassandra and smiled wanly. This had been a very profitable few days indeed.

"To the victor go the spoils."

Cassandra smiled at the young couple as she mounted her horse. The girl was weeping but was doing so very prettily and certainly allowing Dormund every opportunity to comfort her. The confession came as no surprise to Cassandra.

"They promised me a spell to change my father's mind regarding your courtship. They tricked me."

More weeping. More comfort. Cassandra and Kalvin left the two to their forbidden love and uncertain future. Slaying demons was easy, courtship was a fight they preferred to keep well away from.

"I still hate magic."

They were in yet another room in yet another inn. Kalvin fished a smooth black stone the size of his thumb from his pocket and wiggled it between his fingers.

"You sure about that?"

Cassandra's eyes widened. It was delightfully warm to the touch. She kissed him deeply and whispered the activation word. The stone began to wobble in Kalvin's hand. She lay back as Kalvin ran the stone over her lips. the wobbling was getting faster as he slid it down her neck. It was humming as he traced the outline of her nipples then let it slide across her stomach. She slowly spread her legs as Kalvin let the pulsing stone slip between her now wet lips. Kalvin pulled the stone to his mouth and licked it. Winked at Cassandra and began to kiss his way down her body. As he kissed between her legs and his tongue began to flick the stone was brought once again to bear. After a few minutes he looked back up into her beautiful face.

"Do let me know if you change your mind about magic."