Mage and Consort Pt. 04

The sky opened above him, clouds obscuring all but a few bright stars. Far ahead, he could see pinpricks of light, distant torches scattered among dwellings this Castle protected, or was supposed to protect.

"Sit," said a quiet voice. Leo had missed her figure, reclining on a long cushioned chair, arms propped higher, hands turning slowly and precisely. Her power should have drawn him like a beacon, as on the road. But there were many others here of great power. And all of that power was directed upward.

Leo sat on the bench beside her, waiting. His Seed stirred, and so he imagined continuing as he had with the Lady Countess. Hours of mundane, grunting joining. He should have emptied his emissions into the Countess, as much as he could have, if only to leave his Seed more sluggish. Maybe it wouldn't have mattered.

"You know what we do here, of course," the Third said. "But we spare Journeymen the sordid details. The politics, the infighting, above all the unremitting, exhausting work. There have never been enough Mages, and there have never been enough Consorts. Not in my lifetime, or even the First's. And now we risk losing it all, because of a petty power struggle."

She fell silent, and after a while Leo wondered if she awaited a response.

"Esteemed High Mage," he said. "I fear that these matters are above me. I understand you have need, but I seem to have little to provide any Mage."

"You do seem that way," she agreed. "And yet there is an unexplained gap. Power unleashed during the stonestorm, inefficient and poorly trained and yet of exactly the nature we so desperately need. A young Mage-to-be showing exceptional promise in many ways. And yet, unwilling or unable to replicate the feat, despite assistance by a remaining High Consort, whose Seed we cannot afford to waste. And you, Leo Oakborn, a Journeyman of low reputation, and yet one that Melina insisted on taking with her. Perhaps she thinks to protect you for some reason, by claiming you have no great power. Yet this leaves her in a terrible position. And it leaves the Kingdom without that potential, when it might even tip the balance. So, young Leo, what is your explanation?"

He swallowed. "I have heard that powers sometimes wax and wane randomly," he said. "It is difficult for me to judge, but I must assume that is the way for my Seed. And after the storm, the Lady admitted she had never produced a Force effect of such magnitude. She thought perhaps it was the desperation of the moment."

The Third Mage seemed to consider that. "Yes, that is approximately the story Melina told us, except that she didn't factor your power into it at all. The best she could do, that is how she described you. Better than the Consort she was maneuvered into by small-minded fools. And yet later she unleashed tremendous power against Mages of the Kingdom. No, Leo, there is something strange about you. Your arm, if you will."

She shifted, and belatedly he realized she wanted his help to stand. Her hand was chilly, her weight surprisingly small. The Mage stood, and he realized the High Mage was a slight woman, both smaller and younger than he'd known. And so much terrible power coiled within her.

The Third Mage kept her hold on him for several paces before seeming to gain her balance. It was a shock, after seeing her float down from the Sky on her power. But he truly had no idea what strength it took to accomplish what the Mages did on this roof.

They passed several other Mages in similar chairs. And on benches next to many of them were Consorts.

There was a stirring, a low voice, and to his right he saw one Consort lean back from a Mage, still holding her legs high, his manhood drooping as he held a cloth gently against the Mage's sex.

Leo's heart pounded. These were true Consorts, servicing their Lady Mages with quiet dignity, doing work that would help the whole Kingdom. There was nothing sordid about this, nothing of the shameful mundane joining he'd allowed himself with the Countess. This was how it was supposed to be.

They continued their slow pace, until they reached a cluster of chairs and benches, all surrounding a narrow bed. Consorts moved from their path silently, bowing with a grace that made Leo's heart ache.

The woman on the bed was utterly still. Eyes open, but something told Leo she saw nothing in such mundane fashion. She seemed ancient, hardly alive. Her chest was swaddled in white cloth, and dark blotches stained it in places. A man and woman stood over her, whispering.

"Now," a raspy voice uttered. The First's lips barely moved.

A Consort moved, and it was hardly a second before he cradled her head, pressing his cock gently into her mouth, sliding in with expert care until she'd nearly swallowed his length. His muscles tensed, and ten seconds later it was done. He withdrew slowly, wiped her mouth, and bowed. A young Consort took his place, and Leo was shocked to recognize the newcomer as his former roommate, Kit.

It was the pinnacle of everything Leo could have wanted, and yet it was unbearably sad. Kit hadn't seen him, was absolutely focused on the High Mage. The Third tugged on his arm and he retreated with her.

"She is dying," the Third said. "She should have had a few years still, but she was grievously hurt in the attack. The Second was burned to death, and the Kingdom's five best Consorts slaughtered. I have given mine to the First, and would give so much more, if not for my damnable weakness with Force. She is carrying the Kingdom on her frail shoulders, and she cannot do it much longer."

"I would be hers," Leo found himself saying. "If I could give her anything, I would."

The Third nodded. "Her sheer capacity for Seed has never been matched, though her body has weakened. And now she spares nothing in an effort that would eventually kill her, if she weren't already dying. Yet she cannot waste even the slightest energy on an unproven candidate. I, on the other hand, have a certain freedom afforded by my limitations in the most important matters. I am depleted, Consort, and I will have your Seed."

Leo's mouth dropped open. Stated so simply, from a High Mage. His legs began to shake. He wasn't equal to this task.

"Control yourself, Journeyman, and join me at my chair. You may take the time to prepare me, as this body still finds it an aid. I will have few instructions once I am settled, and my body will instruct you of my readiness. Come, Consort, and serve your Kingdom."

She lay back on the chair, pulling her tunic high. She wore nothing underneath, and her pale skinny legs practically shone in the diffuse light. There was no ignoring the pull of her power now, intoxicating and profound. Leo knelt, leaned forward, and gently probed his tongue into the fine hair.

The High Mage was a woman, after all, underneath that heavy mantle of power. She exhaled quietly when his tongue found a pattern that seemed to suit her, and Leo tried to relax.

Impossible. She was a High Mage, and he'd spent too much effort trying to keep his Seed from seeking out the power of someone like her. Whatever magic she performed now was internal, not the sort that seemed to help draw out his Seed. And he could scarcely ask a High Mage to perform tricks, just so he could do his simple duty.

The Mage had become surprisingly wet, her juices matting the hair, coating his nose and chin. She shifted very slightly, and he suddenly realized he'd done this too long. She was ready, even if he was not.

There was nothing else to do. The High Mage would know, but it was better than failing his duty. Leo kept licking her, undid his breeches, and awkwardly began to stroke himself.

She was skinny like Melina, but slighter. And Melina never responded so fully to his efforts. So he desperately thought of Anya, her full thighs, her sweet breasts and feet and lips. And just like that, he was ready.

Shuddering slightly, he pulled his mouth away, though her scent lingered all over him. A High Mage's own secretions. Leo positioned himself, propped her legs up slightly, and drove his manhood inside.

The High Mage did nothing in response save a slight tilt of her hips. Her eyes remained open, looking elsewhere. Leo's Seed wasn't responding properly. It was like the other Mage, Rebeka: she didn't even try to reach for it. But he wanted the High Mage to have it, to use it for all she could. He wanted it so badly, and it wouldn't come.

Desperately he tried to pretend she was Anya, but it just wouldn't work. She was in a different world entirely. Closer to Melina. And he'd eventually given Melina Seed. He could surely do as well as that. So he imagined Melina's rear hole. They'd only done it twice, but she'd grunted in a different kind of way. Surprised by her own body, he'd thought. He'd never felt anything so tight, and it'd been a struggle to enter her all the way.

The High Mage didn't feel like that, but her sex gripped him gently, and in its own way that was a comfort. Something human. Leo shoved on his Seed for all he was worth, and when it finally budged, he let himself crest inside the High Mage, willing his Seed forward, into her unimaginably powerful depths.

When it was over, he knew it hadn't been a good performance. But it wasn't nothing. Surely it would count for something.

He found a towel, holding it for her the way he'd seen the other Consort do. And finally he stood up, wiping himself on another towel, bowing carefully even though he doubted she saw.

"I fear you've been of little help," the Third said quietly. Her eyes stared sightlessly up, and now her hands rested on the raised arms. "Little better than Rebeka claimed. No solution to the puzzle, and yet I certainly feel something from you, out of proportion. But I have no time or energy to devote now. Consort!"

He started, then realized she referred to another, a man who appeared quickly from the gloom. Leo made way hastily as the man prepared to join with her.

"Still, it's pointless to leave you to the Countess," she said distantly. "Even a poor chance is still a chance. Amarec will take you somewhere more useful."

Leo was miserable. He'd just petitioned for the position of his dreams, and he'd completely failed. And now the same servant who'd brought him up appeared, taking his elbow, leading him away from the roof.

Leo doubted he'd ever see it again.

#

With each turn down the staircase, Leo's entire experience on the roof seemed less real. And other feelings started to crowd his overwhelming sense of failure: confusion, and guilt.

No one up there had cared the slightest about what he'd been taught was a Consort's duty. Not even Leo himself. Nowhere did anyone even mention Lady Tur's name. If he'd impressed the Third, he might have become -- what? A consort to the Third? He'd never truly dreamed of anything so high, and yet he'd grasped for it instantly. Not because of the power, but because it seemed like his duty for the kingdom. But wasn't his duty to his true Lady?

Maybe there was some subtle effect from being near so much power. Like he'd been drunk. That would make it easier to accept what he'd been willing to do. Not admirable, but at least understandable.

The servant, Amarec, continued down the stairs further than they'd ascended, and soon Leo was sure they'd descended below ground. That didn't mean much in itself, as he knew the older areas of the castle had substantial underground portions for shelter. It was generally believed that the stonestorms of three centuries ago exceeded anything in recent times.

Still, Leo had a bad feeling. He'd bounced from a plaything for a Countess to a nearly useless Journeyman once more. He had no idea what the Third had in mind for him, but it didn't seem likely he'd have as much freedom.

They left the staircase, and Leo's unease deepened. There were guards stationed here, including a woman dressed as an Apprentice Mage, and he suspected he was passing corridors that led to prison cells. Their path dead-ended at a stone wall inexplicably guarded by two large men with pikes.

When they saw Amarec, one of them nodded. "We were told you would come. Stand back, please."

Leo stepped back hastily, and one man set aside his pike to insert an oddly shaped length of metal into a small hole near the ceiling. When he retrieved his weapon, Leo realized it wasn't a pike at all. It was a long massive piece of iron, one end flattened. The two men moved to the side and began to use them as immense pry bars.

It wasn't a stone wall. It was a massive door, its beveled edges fitting nearly seamlessly in the surrounding stone. Once moving, the door rotated smoothly enough, but it was near two feet thick, and the men's muscles bulged as they continued prying. Leo couldn't even imagine how much it weighed, or why he was being led through.

And then he saw her.

Lady Karlov lay on the floor in the middle of a spare stone chamber. Her clothes were shredded, and one leg was enclosed in a massive iron manacle. Amarec pushed Leo forward, and he walked in a daze. Some time later, the door closed with a deep thud that briefly echoed. And then there was nothing, except a soft drip of water somewhere, amplified by the flat stone walls.

The Lady turned, and he gasped. Her face was badly bruised, one eye swollen shut. He moved toward her uncertainly.

"A proper wreck, aren't I," she said bitterly. "I'm sorry, Leo. I didn't truly believe you'd escaped, but I thought maybe you'd figure out a way to worm your way out."

"Lady Karlov," he said, struggling to keep detached. He didn't want to pity this Lady. She was the reason for everything, for all that had happened to him and his Lady. Well, almost all of it anyway.

"So," she said. "They're running out of ideas. Maybe it really is something magical about your Seed. Hardly seems any other explanation at this point."

Was she still protecting Lady Tur?

"Did they beat you?" he blurted.

She laughed briefly, then began coughing. "Yes, Leo, they beat me, and tortured me a while, but I don't think their heart was in it. Most of them didn't really know what they wanted from me. I still tried to give it to them. So, are you ready to give me your Seed, or is the sight of me too distressing?"

There was something wrong with her speech, like it was painful to open her mouth. But she wasn't totally broken. She would make light of the pain, and needle him to get through it in her own way. Leo didn't know what this Lady was to him. But she was hurt, and she didn't deserve that. Especially if it was partly on his Lady's behalf.

"I would make you more comfortable, if I could," he said, stepping closer.

Lady Karlov snorted. "A fair attempt, but I don't think my body's warming to you. Go on, just get it over with, for what good it'll do."

He knelt next to her, trying to understand. Even now, she would be scheming. She hadn't said anything about Anya, and that must mean something. Were there really people who could listen into this chamber? Maybe there were hidden places that sound traveled.

She wanted this not to work, that was what she was telling him. She wanted him to fail with her, to leave her stuck down here. What could possibly be the point of that?

He shook his head. "You're absolutely sure," he said.

"Of course not," she said more loudly. "But it's the whole point of bringing you here. Maybe if we get it to work, I could finally get out of this shithole."

But it wouldn't work. They both knew that. He'd never given her enough to do powerful Force magic. The night of their failed escape was as close as she'd gotten.

"What is my Lady's preference, then?"

She nodded, just slightly.

"Well, I can't open my mouth enough, so that leaves the usual. I'll just lie here if you don't mind. Turns out this thing on my leg makes it a chore to move.

Leo knelt carefully between her legs. They'd shredded enough of her clothes that she was already exposed, her stubbly small hairs gray with dust. He looked around and saw only a large basin of water, set into the stone of the wall.

Leo walked over, tore a strip from his cuff, and wet it. The Lady watched him with an inscrutable expression. But she didn't object when he began gently cleaning her. And she didn't take the rag from him to do it herself.

Lady Karlov was human, too. Just like the Third.

He lay on his stomach and began licking her. It was a disorienting experience, as the Third's scent still filled his nostrils. The Lady didn't respond, not even in her usual minimal fashion. But he didn't have any other way to lubricate her, and no matter how much he disliked her, he would never hurt a Lady while joining. Especially not one already in pain.

His mouth was dry, but he bit his tongue, working to cover her folds with saliva. When he went so far as to insert his tongue in her opening, she stiffened and coughed. "That's quite enough, Consort. I don't think it'll get better than this."

He nodded, pulling down his breeches. And then her hand found his half-soft cock, and began stroking.

He wanted to push her away, but something stopped him. Maybe it was the same reason she'd let him clean her.

When he was hard enough, he wet himself with saliva as best he could. One more quick series of licks for her drying slit, and then he positioned himself atop her.

She was in discomfort, no question. But she kept looking at him as he pushed. And Leo knew, no matter what else, that deep down she craved his power. It was the one thing that might give her some comfort, some sense of control again. Somehow they'd made her use up everything she had gained from the other Consort, or Consorts, and she was empty. Leo couldn't give her what the Third wanted, but he could still do his duty.

He rested his weight on his arms, grasping her shoulders to help him finish pushing inside. And he thought of that strange last moment, when Melina had told him to take care of Anya.

His Seed burned, and he moved gently. The Lady's eyes widened, but she didn't shake her head. And part of her weak shimmering talent reached for him. Then another part, and another.

Leo took a deep breath, and then gave her everything he could.

It all felt so slow, an oddly relaxed gesture. Muscles tensing, contracting. When it was finally done, Melina's sex kept grasping him. Her body shook slightly, her face darkening in a blush.

Leo withdrew at the appropriate time, giving her the impromptu rag. It hadn't been quite their best joining. But nearly so. And Lady Karlov stretched now, as though her injuries bothered her far less. Probably it was exactly so.

She beckoned him closer, and he lay carefully next to her.

"You're a fool, Leo," she said quietly. But there was no bite to it. "You gave me just enough that they might think you're the key. And now you'll likely be stuck here with me."

He hadn't understood, not in that way. There was a sense to it: maybe Leo had a better chance of getting her out from the outside. But she'd already sacrificed herself, hadn't she? She'd told him to take care of Anya, and that didn't square at all with the Lady Karlov he knew.

He realized something else: she'd dropped the acting, or so it seemed. "We can talk freely?"

She nodded. "I wasn't sure before, lacking enough power to listen. I knew this room was well-sealed, as it must be proof against many magics. But a powerful enough Mage -- anyway, now I know none of them is close enough. Still, the Third can sense other things. She will know how much Seed you just gave me."

"Surely nothing compared to the High Consort," he said.

"True," she agreed. "What an unpleasant experience that was, though. The Third stood over me the whole time, pinning me with unbearable force, egging me on to contest her. And I did. For a minute, with that unbelievable Seed inside me, I thought I could fight her. Like a fool, I used everything, and it still meant nothing against her. She is a cold, calculating bitch. She knew with all that power rushing through me, I would lose my temper and try to break her hold, demonstrating my true capability. Perhaps I should have used Fire, or Wind, but against her it wouldn't have mattered anyway."