Drowning at Dusk Ch. 07 - Finale

Terakh, Dazyar, and more than twenty Tombflayers stood over tables piled high with weapons and armor. Even old Sergayl himself was busy sharpening a spear. Some of the patrons and apprentice bards had even joined in as well.

Terakh noticed us first and gave us a wide, hungry grin.

"About damned time you broke out of your gilded cage."

"Patrigan let us go," I said, crossing the room to inspect the array of weapons on offer, while Xelari relayed the full scale of the debacle facing the city.

Kivessen tossed me the satchel holding my runestones and I collected my curved elven blade from Terakh. Smiling at the familiar weight of it, I gave it a few twirls before sheathing it into the scabbard Terakh had gifted to me weeks ago.

"We caught bits and pieces of what was going on from the rumors spreading through the city," said Varanthir. "So I gathered up the forces I could and sought out your comrades. And there's another hundred Tombflayers in the city who will be right there with us. Figured a contract was coming one way or another."

Xelari slammed two of the silver bars upon the table.

"Call this a down payment," she said.

He gave a dark grin.

"Of course, we'd have probably offered to help kill Synrik for free."

"What's the plan, then?" asked Dazyar once his relieved smile faded.

"We hunker down here, gather as many Tombflayers and mercenaries as we can, steel ourselves for a fight, and wait for Patrigan's summons," I said.

"Why wait?" one of the Tombflayers asked. "If we get the rest of the watch and the knights together, we'll have more than enough to finish that bastard off."

"We're in this mess because that first little army blundered into a trap," said Varanthir. "The last thing we want to do is walk into another ambush and just add to Synrik's legion. We've got to be cautious. Smart."

"But we also cannot linger here too long. Doing so will let the fear fester and allow dissent and unrest to become a greater threat within our midst," said Xelari. "If that fool Heroth dallies too long and sits on his hands, we will handle this ourselves."

The others murmured their agreement and returned to their preparations.

"Glad the Lord-Protector seems to have treated you well enough," Dazyar said, fetching drinks from the bar for Xelari and I.

"Was certainly a more enjoyable imprisonment than my last one," I said, casting a smirk at Xelari and Terakh.

"So while you two frolicked, relaxed, and fucked, we were stuck out here worried sick and trying to track down more of Synrik's lackeys," Terakh growled.

"Have no fear, Terakh," said Xelari, brushing her fingers over the back of his hand. "We'll make up for our absence when time allows." Her sultry purr vanished, and her voice flitted back to her usual cold, level tone. "And did you have any luck on that hunt?"

"Two corrupt watch officers who helped him steal money to hire that ship and those mercenaries," Terakh said. "A dockmaster they paid off to help get supplies to Pyrewatch, and a death mage."

My eyes widened.

"A death mage?"

"Aye," said Terakh, tapping his sword. "I assume he was a scout or a spy of some kind. Had a great deal of fun chopping the bastard in half. The others we just roughed up and handed over to Heroth's knights."

"Their hunt sounded almost as fun as being locked up with you," I said, bumping my hip against Xelari's.

The others chuckled at Xelari's playful glare and we continued our preparations.

A few hours later Rowela strode into the tavern, flanked by several red-cloaked knights and battlemages. Tense hands rested on sword-hilts, fingers hovered over arcane runes; Heroth's men were damned jumpy, and I couldn't blame them.

"Another report," Rowela said after a wary glance at Terakh and the assembled Tombflayers. "Scouts found two more survivors from the expedition and pushed further along the road. They encountered the forward elements of Synrik's army. It seems they've settled in at a river crossing and took over one of the toll forts. Hundreds upon hundreds of undead, with more streaming into the fort from the north."

She unfurled a map of the province upon the table. She pointed to the river crossing in question, which looked to be almost exactly halfway between the ruined fortress and the city. While I was no general or strategist, it did look to be a damned good position to take: the bridge controlled access to the north of the province and it would allow Synrik to choke off waterborne trade from Arkostead to some of the other outlying villages and towns. If he wanted to draw Heroth out for a proper battle, it was a damned fine place to make a stand.

"No doubt the soldiers at the toll fort and any people in villages on the river ended up supplying fresh batches of corpses to bolster the enemy ranks," said a Tombflayer.

"More glory for our blades to claim," snarled another mercenary.

"Show some damned respect," Varanthir said with a glare. "It's not about glory."

"It's about setting things right," said Kivessen, looking down at the array of weapons lined up on the tables. "We failed on Pyrewatch and the bastard got away. We can't fail again." His grim eyes looked to Rowela. "When is the Lord-Protector marching out to meet them?"

"Given the pace at which the city's calming down, I expect dawn tomorrow," Rowela said, taking a deep breath as her eyes turned steely. She looked over the assembled mercenaries. "If you wish to join the march, be ready."

After giving me a nod and a strained smile, she marched off with her escorts. Sergayl poured us more wine while Varanthir rubbed at his beard and pondered the map. His fingers traced a line from the road leading to the crossing, and then over a forest that bordered both the eastern side of the road and the river. The map showed a single dot within the forest, marking a village called Neshar's Helm.

"What is it?" I asked, noting the battlemage's keen interest.

"Synrik's a clever bastard. And I see his next scheme unfolding."

He picked up a grape and placed it on the map upon the crossing.

"That's Synrik's host. Here's us," he continued, picking up a piece of cheese and sliding it along the road towards the crossing. "And here's a perfect opportunity for another damned trap." He took a smaller grape and rolled it through the forest and Neshar's Helm, right into the flank of the cheese.

Terakh grunted and reached down, plucking up the cheese and swallowing it with a single bite.

"We'll make sure to warn Heroth of the possibility when we meet for the march tomorrow," Terakh said. "But I agree it'd make for a damned good tactic: draw us into a frontal assault on the toll keep, use the cover of the forest to mask a flanking maneuver, and hit the army from the side while its bogged down assaulting the keep."

"No need to wait until tomorrow to warn him," said Kivessen. "I need to go out into the city to round up a few more Tombflayers. I'll catch up with the steward's niece, get her to pass it along."

After collecting the grapes from the map and popping them into his mouth, the meadow elf bade farewell and trotted off.

"It's taken a bit to sink in," I murmured, staring down at the map and imagining what sort of horrors Synrik might unleash from that forest. "But this will be my first proper battle. Been in plenty of fights, duels, assassination missions, little skirmishes, dangerous delves...but nothing like this. Nothing this big."

"Every fight's the same, really. A brawl in a tavern, holding a fortress against a frontal assault, clearing a tomb of ghouls," said Varanthir. "Just a matter of perspective and scale. It all just comes down to how quickly you can get your knife in the other bastard's guts before he gets his knife in yours."

"This will also be the biggest battle I've ever faced, so further advice would be welcome," Xelari said.

"Probably the biggest one for most of us, too," said a mercenary.

"Advice?" Varanthir chuckled. "Stay close to the people beside you. Keep your eyes open. Listen for the horns and trumpets that tell you which way to march. And if you have to run, make sure you run the right way. Probably south, in this instance. Half the trick to surviving a battle is making sure you retreat in the proper direction."

The mercenaries chuckled at that but Terakh let out a snarl.

"I do not plan on retreating from death mages and their undead minions," he said, his voice so low and cold that it cut off the laughter completely.

"Better for us, then," said a mercenary. "All the dead will focus on eating you and we can make our getaway."

After a round of nervous chuckles, Terakh cracked a wry grin.

"So be it. I will be sure to hold for as long as I can, to allow you craven dogs a chance to escape." He snatched up his drink, pondered it for a moment, then raised it high. "To craven dogs!"

After another bout of laughter, the mercenaries joined in the toast. Now that we knew when we were departing and had prepared as best we could, the mood brightened a bit. Dazyar returned to the stage, playing a soft little tune, and the Tombflayers spread out to relax at the booths and tables.

Were it not for the maps and weapons spread out throughout the tavern, it would have looked just like any other night at the Songhouse.

I collected our empty cups, brought them to the bar, and caught the old barkeep smiling a little.

"Reminds me of days past," Sergayl said. "Forty years back, when a distant claimant of the throne rose in rebellion, I was part of the Lord-Protector's host. Before we rode out to crush them, me and my mates gathered in a tavern a bit like this one. All full of wine and bluster and song." His smile faded. "Didn't last, of course. But the last night before a battle? A beautiful thing. Life and love are so much more precious when they're perched at the cliff's edge."

I looked over my shoulder at Xelari, who was chatting with a few of the Tombflayers, and then to Terakh, who stood near the stage, tapping his foot to Dazyar's charming song about a young maiden who had fallen in love with a river-god.

"How'd that battle go?" I asked, looking back to the kindly old man.

"We won. Easily. Our army lost but a few hundred and we piled the rebel dead high." He sighed and collected the empty cups, and wiped down the bar. "A glorious victory didn't make the losses sting any less, though. The dead, after all, don't know the taste of triumph. They never felt the warmth of the fires in the camp when we toasted to their memory. They never heard the ballads written by the bards to commemorate the victory."

I swept my gaze over the mercenaries and my companions, wondering how many of them would be denied the chance to toast in the aftermath of triumph, to dance along to tunes dedicated to their victory. Voids, I myself might even fall in the bloody carnage.

Looking to Xelari, I wondered what she would do if I fell. Given how intense our unusual bond had grown, I knew she would grieve, and quite intensely. She'd experienced great loss before, though, and a long-lived dusk elf wouldn't be the sort to linger or wallow in sorrow over the fate of a human lover.

And yet from the way she'd spoken of Tournzaer, the trembling in her voice when she'd told me of his fate and the dark path it had led her down...

She had clung to that sorrow for decades. Perhaps she'd cling to me, too.

I clenched my jaw.

No. That wasn't going to fucking happen. Both of us were going to survive. Both of us were going to live to see Synrik choke on his own blood.

Sergayl refilled my cup and I took another drink as I watched my lover. A comment from her inspired a burst of laughter from the Tombflayers she was chatting with. She glanced over and caught me staring. A slow, warm smile spread across her face, her green eyes bright and gleaming.

My heart skipped a beat. After she looked back to the mercenaries, I took another long drink and replayed the bizarre circumstances of our meeting, my captivity, the cruelty Terakh had inflicted upon me...

I shivered at the memory and looked over at the orc, who was still nodding along to another of Dazyar's songs.

After another gulp of wine, I thanked Sergayl and wandered over to Xelari. I lingered beside her for a few minutes, waiting until she'd finished her chat with the Tombflayers about dusk elf healing techniques that would be of use for the battle. Once her words trailed off, she raised an eyebrow at me.

"Is something the matter?"

"Of course. We're going into battle tomorrow and we're just lounging around in a tavern instead of tearing each other's clothes off."

The Tombflayers chuckled and excused themselves; Xelari looked up at me, her eyes bright.

"Did you have anything specific in mind? Or shall we just retire to our bedchamber and improvise?"

I glanced over my shoulder at Terakh. Her gaze followed mine and she took in a sudden breath.

"Yes," she purred. "I think it is time."

"Follow," I said, my heart racing as I reached out and tapped her on the elbow as she'd done to me so many times before. After a slight shiver she dutifully followed along as I led her upstairs.

Once we were alone, I ordered her to undress. With practiced ease she obeyed, deftly removing her skirt, vest, and tunic. Even though I'd seen her nude plenty of times, I still couldn't help but stare in hungry awe as she bared herself for me.

Without needing to be told, she laid down upon the bed and obediently lifted her wrists to be bound.

"I'm not going to be as cruel as you were," I said, collecting the silken bindings from her satchel and firmly tying her hands to the bedpost.

"A terrible shame," she said with a slight pout.

I glared at her and raked my nails over her freshly-bared thigh.

"Stay here."

The order might have seemed unnecessary given the bindings, but I knew how clever and dexterous she could be and I was sure she'd be able to extricate herself if she wished. After a suckle and a bite to her neck, I made my way back downstairs.

Terakh was speaking with Varanthir at the bar, discussing the finer points of how best to organize a shield-wall to hold against a charge of ghouls.

I caught Terakh's eye and flitted my gaze towards the stairwell.

After a moment the orc cleared his throat, nodded, and excused himself. Varanthir caught my eye, smirked, and waved down Sergayl for another drink.

I led Terakh upstairs, loosening my belt as we made it to the hallway. When we made it into the bedchamber he stopped and stared at Xelari's delicious curves, a bright and hungry smile appearing on his scarred face.

"Been waiting a long time for this," he rumbled.

As Terakh admired her, I made quick work of his armor, clothing, and weapons, carefully arranging them in a pile upon the table. His cock was already half-erect; a brush of my fingers over the tip was all I needed to render him hard and ready.

"Rules?" Terakh asked, stalking closer to the bed.

Smirking, I recalled the orders that Xelari had given to Terakh before he'd fucked me in the cave and the similar rules she'd given me when we'd bound Terakh.

"First, you will do no lasting damage to her," I said, in a near perfect echo of Xelari's cold tone. "Slap her, spank her, even choke her a bit. But nothing permanent. I still have use for her."

"And second?" he asked, reaching out to graze his fingers over the dusk elf's shin.

"No other rules. And need to hold back your climax, Terakh. Use her as you see fit."

With that, I sat down in a cushioned chair at the other side of the room, took a deep breath and prepared myself for the wicked display that was about to unfold. As I took in the sight of those two, I stripped out of my boots and clothes. For the moment, I resisted the urge to toy with myself as I watched.

Xelari sighed and spread her legs wide, silently beckoning. Terakh, however, did not take his prize. Instead he grinned down at Xelari, then over at me.

"No. I have a better idea."

Laughing, I raised my eyebrow.

"Really? The woman whose body you've been lusting after for months is helpless before you and you don't want her?"

"I don't just want to fuck her. I want to punish her."

"There are whips and toys in that satchel over there," I said, gesturing across the room.

"Not that sort of punishment."

Terakh padded across the room, reached down, and yanked me to my feet, pulling me close for a wild kiss. Heat blossomed between my legs.

"No," Xelari rasped from the bed, her voice overflowing with need.

We both laughed. Terakh scooped me into his brawny arms and carried me over to the bed, flopping me down on the sheets beside Xelari.

"Get on top of her," he commanded, swatting at my ass as I wriggled out of my undergarments.

Delighting at the helpless expression on her face, I laid down atop of her and cooed at the feel of her soft breasts pressed against mine. She bucked her hips, straining against the bonds and rubbing her dripping cunt against my thigh.

I raked my nails over her neck and tilted my hips up, denying her my touch and presenting myself to Terakh.

My cruel laugh turned into a gasp as he gripped my hips and I moaned as he teased over my folds. I rocked my hips back against him; both of us murmured with delight. Once I was wet enough for him, the orc gripped his cock and firmly sheathed it inside me.

Xelari cursed as I cried out.

"Oh, that's nice, Terakh," I cooed, before smirking down at Xelari. "And you could have felt this for yourself, Xelari, had you not been so cruel."

Terakh gripped my shoulder as he set to work, his hips crashing against my ass again and again. There was no teasing buildup, no gentle minute of slower thrusts...

Only the same wild, furious fuck that he'd unleashed upon me in that cave.

Through it all, I did my best to meet Xelari's eyes, even reaching down to caress her cheek while Terakh pounded against me. She turned her head, trying to kiss my fingers. In retaliation I tilted her head away from me, denying her.

"You'll pay for this," she moaned.

"I know. And I can't wait."

The desperate heat in Xelari's gaze and Terakh's brutal movements sent my pleasure rising higher and higher. Laughing with delight at the dusk elf's needy moans, I reached between my legs. All it took was a half-minute of firm caresses against my clit to set me off. I silenced my cries by biting fiercely down on Xelari's neck. She panted and writhed beneath me, her slender arms straining in vain against the bonds.

I'd fucked Terakh enough to recognize the particular tremble in his growls, the way his thighs tensed up, and the telltale twitch of that thick shaft inside of me. Still mewling against Xelari's neck from the ripples of my first climax, I rocked my hips back against his, eager to hear him cry out, and to make a mess of me while we forced Xelari to watch.

And given the orc's hunger and stamina, I knew his first climax would not be the last of the evening.

"Look at me, Xelari," he growled, his hand gripping my hair and keeping me pinned against her neck so she could meet his gaze. "Look me in the eyes while I fill her."

I couldn't tell if she complied, but those cruel words came damned close to setting me off again. Terakh cursed, his powerful hips rutting against me for a dozen deep, brutal thrusts before he came. My eyes bulged at the intensity of his release. Xelari squealed, her legs squirming against the sheets.

As Terakh's grip weakened I lifted my lips from her neck and licked along her jaw. I loomed above her, smirking down at her as the orc twitched and spilled a bit more of his seed inside me.

"Release me," she murmured. "Let me-"

I silenced her with a kiss: slow and hungry. Terakh slapped my ass and slipped out of me, and I seized the opportunity to rise. Some of the cream dripped from my pussy onto Xelari's belly as I moved. I turned around and straddled her face, settling my sopping sex directly onto her desperate mouth.