New Life in a New World Ch. 03

"We only needed you out long enough to bind you and drag you out here," the leader said with a sick laugh, "After all, we wanted you to be awake for the next part."

John quickly tried to assess the situation, and it did not look good. The ropes were quite strong and he had nothing to cut them with. The rest of the thugs were well armed and standing around him, ready to attack if he made any sudden moves. Looking down at his thigh holster, he found it to be empty. What had they done with his gun? John soon found the answer. One of the thugs was in possession of his M9, studying it with no idea of its function. He realized he might have a way out, if he was lucky.

"I'm honestly surprised how easy it was to capture you," the leader mocked, "My best men came down here for nothing."

"You caught me on an off day," John chuckled, "And if these are your best men, I feel sorry for your worst."

Some of the thugs did laugh in amusement, the leader was not one of them. He kneeled in front of John, looking him dead in the eye. "You may think you're funny now, but you won't be laughing while we cut you open and spread your entrails all over this square. You will be an example to those who dare challenge the Beasts of the West."

John looked back over to the thug that had his pistol. He cracked a smile when he saw that the idiot had clicked off the safety and was staring straight down the barrel, wondering what was inside. John lifted one of his knees and firmly planted his foot on the ground, ready to sprint. As he watched the thug move his thumb closer to the trigger, he formulated his plan. He may not be able to fight, but he still could run. He could lose the thugs in the village by zigzagging between buildings and back alleys. If that failed, he was sure he could lose them in the dark forest. But with daylight breaking, it would have to be quick. After that he would make his way back to the inn and alert Lydia and Sasha.

"What about those two women he was with? I wouldn't mind having some fun with that wolf girl," one of the larger thugs said as he grabbed his crotch vulgarly.

"Why wait?" the leader replied with a sinister tone, "Let's go get your female companions out here and let my boys go to town on them. You can sit there and watch while we rape them in front of you as they scream for mercy. Actually, they won't be able to scream, not with their mouths full of our cocks. Then once we have violated them in every way possible, they can watch in horror while we gut you like a pig."

John clenched his fists in rage as the thugs roared in laughter. A couple of them continued making lewd comments about the two women he cared for. Ok, forget plan A. Get to the girls, warn them and get them to safety.

BANG!

The sudden, loud noise quickly interrupted the laughter. The thug who had John's pistol had accidently shot himself in the head. The young soldier grinned and the thugs looked on in shock as their friend's eye rolled up and he fell to the ground. His other eye socket now occupied by a large, dark hole. Blood and brain matter sprayed in the air behind his head. This was John's opening. He took off and ran as fast as he could with his hands bound behind his back. Maybe he could still lose the thugs between the buildings, but he needed to get back to the inn. However, he did not get very far. Hearing the sound of something whirling through the air behind him. Something then suddenly wrapped around his legs, binding them. It was a bola thrown by one of the thugs. The thick leather cord assisted by the two weighted balls had tangled around his legs. John suddenly felt himself falling forward and landed face first on the ground. Groaning in pain, he rolled over and tried to break free but the cord was wrapped too tightly.

"What a coward," the lead thug sneered as he stood over John, pointing his sword at his throat.

"Boss! Look!" one of the thugs shouted in terror.

The leader turned around, his expression changing to a mixture of fear and confusion. "What the fuck!"

The rest of the thugs quickly turned around, stunned by what they saw. Their fallen comrade that had shot himself in the head a moment earlier stood to his feet, the bloody hole in his face still very much visible. Even John felt a twinge of fear as he saw the dead man rise. The animated corpse stared at John and the thugs, no expression, no sign of emotion. He just stood there, arms draped to his sides. One of the younger members of the gang finally stepped forward nervously.

"H...Hey brother, are you alri...."

His words were suddenly cut short when the reanimated thug unsheathed his sword and sliced the young man's head clean off his shoulders. His comrades stood in disbelief as his decapitated head briefly flew through the air and landed on the ground. The head continued to roll until it was at the feet of the lead thug, an expression of surprise and shock frozen of its face. Even the ruthless leader found himself quaking in fear.

"He's gone mad!" one of the other thugs yelled as he ran in to attack.

Another thug joined in and the two tried to attack simultaneously. The reanimated corpse deflected the first swing then sliced the second attacking thug along the torso. The first thug tried to attack again, but was instead met with a sword through his gut. The scene soon dissolved into utter chaos. The leader was screaming at his men to take down the attacking corpse, but others were hesitant to join the fighting. This would have been the perfect opportunity for John to get away if he could only move his damn legs. One of the thugs noticed him trying to break free of his bonds. The thug quickly came over and stood over him. Pointing his sword straight down he raised it over his head, ready to drive it down through him. Out of the corner of his eye, John saw two metallic objects fly through the air. A pair of throwing knives stuck into the chest of the thug, he looked down at them in shock as he dropped to the ground.

Looking toward the direction the knives came from, John saw the person responsible. It was the girl from the horse show, the one who commanded the multiple horses. Except she was not wearing her outfit from earlier. Most of it was made from thick, black leather and silver highlights that contrasted against her pale, white skin. She wore thick shoulder pads and gauntlets on her forearms. The upper chest plate cupped her large breasts. The upper part of the dress split open vertically from her chest to her waist, exposing her smooth skin. The leather skirt had two slits in the sides that ran down the entire length for extra mobility. Her black, high heeled boots ran all the way up to her knees. The whole outfit had more buckles than John could count. She ran up to him, dagger in hand.

"I hope your are actually ready for a fight now," she said as she kneeled down next to him and started to cut his binds.

"Thanks! Who are you?" John replied as she freed his wrists.

"Sirenia Nyte, but we can talk more later after you have dealt with these morons."

Cutting the leather strap wrapped around his legs, John sprang into action. He quickly scanned the ground for his pistol. He almost missed it at first, the dull black metal blending into the dark dirt ground. He managed to spot it on the ground, practically in the middle of the frenzy. He bolted, running straight into the fray and past two thugs who did not even seem to take notice. Only feet from the pistol, the lead thug turned to see John coming up behind him. Swinging his sword horizontally, he tried to cut the young soldier in half. John ducked just in time to feel the cold blade brush against the back of his head, luckily causing no damage. Like a baseball player trying to make it to home base, John slid the last few feet on the ground. Snatching the pistol in his hand, he quickly rolled himself onto his back and leveled the gun at the head of the lead thug then fired. With a single shot, he sent the nine millimeter round straight into the thug's forehead. With a bleeding hole in his head, the thug's eyes rolled up and he dropped to the ground. The loud shot of the pistol drew the attention of every thug who was not currently fighting the undead man, the shocked expression on their faces as they saw their boss dead on the ground.

"Get him!" one of the thugs shouted.

Two thugs charged at John, believing that an easy kill was in their sights. Still on his back, John fired two shots at the thug on his left with both rounds hitting him directly in the chest. With another thug down, he turned to the attacker on his right and fired two more shots. One round landed in his lung, another in his neck. He collapsed to the ground, a sickening gurgle coming from his mouth. The last thug did not attack John, instead he spotted Sirenia and went after her.

"Die you bitch!" he screamed, his sword held high above his head.

An amused smile spread across her face as the last thug neared. Screaming at the top of his lungs, the thug sliced his sword downward but only connected with the ground. Sirenia had swiftly stepped out of the way of the attempt to slice her in half. She quickly grabbed another dagger from her belt and sliced it through the air horizontally. A large spray of blood flew through the air and stained the ground. Her dagger had sliced deep into the thug's throat, his hands grasping at the wound as he died within seconds.

As John got to his feet and glanced over at Sirenia dispatching the last thug, he heard someone take a step behind him. He snapped around, his pistol raised, and found himself staring directly at the chest of the undead thug. Looking upward, the undead man looked back down at him with that same blank stare. The sword was dripping with the blood of his own comrades. John got ready to squeeze the trigger when he heard Sirenia mutter something behind him. The undead man slumped to the ground, joining the pile of bodies. Keeping his gun trained in the once undead man, he gave the body a slight kick and breathed a sigh of relief when the body did not move.

"Trust me, he's dead," Sirenia said confidently as she collected her throwing daggers off the bodies.

"That was you?" John asked in disbelief, holstering his pistol. "H...how did you do that?"

Sirenia was about to answer when they heard more shouting from around the village. It looked like that they had brought backup in case John tried to escape. He suddenly felt her grab his hand and pull him around the corner into a darkened alley. Hidden by the shadows, he suddenly felt a hand reach around to the back of his head. He felt himself being pulled to Sirenia's face and before he knew it, her soft lips were pressed against his. John's eyes snapped open in surprise as the albino woman seemed to be enjoying the kiss. He managed to pull away for a moment.

"What the hell wa...mmmph."

His words were interrupted as he was pulled in and their lips met once more. Then John heard the sound of footsteps in the streets and men yelling. He soon realized what the mysterious woman was doing. The darkness of the alley would help hide them, but in case they were found, they would simply look like two lovers enjoying the night together. John finally decided to play along and kissed her back. He brought up his hand to her face, gently stroking her smooth cheek with his thumb. She started to push her tongue into his mouth and he accepted it. His own tongue met hers as they seemed to fight each other for dominance. Her other hand pressed against his back, just behind his shoulder. John found himself sliding his hand from the small of her back and coming to rest on her curvy ass. She moaned in approval as she felt his hand slide lower. Outside the alley, he could hear the ruckus being caused by the other thugs.

"They're dead!" one of the thugs shouted.

"Who's dead?"

"All of them! The bastard killed all of them, including the boss."

"The boss is dead? Dammit, we need to go after him."

"Fuck that! We're not getting paid enough for this shit. Everyone back to camp."

John tried to turn his head to see if they had left yet, but Sirenia pushed his face tighter against hers. She then pressed her body against his. Her round breasts mashed against his broad chest, her crotch starting to grind against his. Even with her armor, he became lost in the feeling of her body against his. Finally coming to his senses, John managed to break the kiss.

"Are they gone yet?" he asked.

"Oh, they left ages ago," she replied with a sly grin.

Seriously! He may have enjoyed their little make out session, but he was still not in the mood for games or the ulterior motives of randy women. Sirenia then firmly grabbed his hand and started to lead him out of the alley, in the direction opposite to the inn. This time, he firmly planted his feet and refused to budge.

"And just where do you think you are taking me?" John asked suspiciously.

"To my tent back by the theatre, we have business to discuss."

"Like hell we do," John said frustratingly as he jerked his hand out of her grasp. "Look, I appreciate what you have done. However, I have no further business with you. Now if you will excuse me, I need to return to my companions."

Just as he turned to walk away, the woman behind him knew how to get his attention. "You are going after Solomon, aren't you?"

John immediately froze before turning back to the woman, "How do you know about him?"

"I have my sources," she replied with a smile, "I also have information that may help you in your journey. But if you want it, you need to first follow me."

John hesitated, for all he knew this was a trap. But on the other hand, he was desperate for any intel on Solomon. As foolish as it may seem, he figured it was worth the risk. He looked back in the direction of the inn as he thought about Lydia and Sasha.

"Your companions will be fine," Sirenia replied, sensing his apprehension. "Those thugs will think twice before even setting foot in this village after what we did. They will be licking their wounds for some time after the loss of their leader."

The woman began to walk away down the dark alley. After thinking about his options once more, John decided to follow her. They quickly exited the alley and found themselves on the empty streets of the village. The sky was no longer the dark blue of early morning, the orange glow of the sun peeked over the hills to the east. Slowly, the daylight would expose more of the village. A few residents peeked outside their homes, trying to catch a glimpse at the commotion. A few of the village guards came rushing past them.

The two of them eventually made their way back to the amphitheatre where John saw the horse show the previous night. As they made their way past that large stables, they came across a group of round tents. These were not your typical camping tents, each one was roughly thirty feet in diameter and about ten feet high. Luxurious temporary housing for the performers, Max did seem to treat his people very well. Then again, that's probably why he's having some money troubles.

Sirenia's tent was one of the larger ones. As John stepped inside, he was amazed just how beautiful the interior was. There was no sleeping bag, instead a large four post bed stood on one side of the tent. Several large, ornate rugs covered the floor so well that very little grass could be seen. On another side of the tent was a dining table that could seat five guests, however Sirenia did not seem to be the type that had a lot of company. An assortment of footlockers, chests, and tables were also located throughout the tent. A fur hide hung on one side of the tent, burgundy red drapes were hung in other parts. Even the center pole had a burgundy red wrap that spiraled down.

As Sirenia entered the tent, she stretched her arms behind her head and let out a satisfying moan as she rubbed the back of her neck. John found himself admiring the slenderness of her body as she stretched, the way her breasts thrust out as she arched her back. He almost forgot why he had come to her tent as he was lost in her exquisite beauty. He would be pitching his own tent in his pants if he was not careful.

"By the way, my name is..."

"...John, I know," the woman completed for him.

"How do you know my name?" He said, looking baffled.

"Trust me, in a few weeks everyone in Antova will know your name."

"So, what are you?" John asked, "Just how did you bring that man back to life?"

"I am a necromancer," she replied, "I have spent most of my life studying death and the interaction between flesh and the soul. Because of this, I can use magic to manipulate the bond between the body and soul, including the ability to temporarily reanimate the corpses of my enemies."

"That sounds rather...disturbing" John replied uncomfortably.

"It should," replied the necromancer as she cracked an amused smile. "It's a form of magic that almost every culture considers taboo and is illegal in most places around here."

"And your work with the horses, was that magic?" he asked, raising his eyebrow.

"No magic," she explained, "Working with horses has been a side hobby of mine."

"So lets get to the reason why you brought me here. Where's Solomon?"

"Let's get one thing straight," Sirenia replied sternly, her expression becoming much more serious. "I did not bring you here, you followed me here at your own will. Second, if you want the information I have about Solomon then it's going to cost you."

"Well, how much?" John replied, checking his pockets. "I don't have any money on me at the moment. But, I have plenty back at the inn."

A smile crept across her lips, "I'm not interested in money, Max already pays me very well. I want something even more valuable. Something that I desire greatly."

"Which is?" John gulped

"My occupation usually prevents me from getting close to people. But I still desire the physical love of a man. His touch, his hot breath against my skin," her emerald eyes peered at John through her white locks of hair. ""I want you to give me the pleasure that I have not experienced for far too long."

"Sex? That's your price?" he replied, completely stunned.

Sirenia rolled her eyes and let out a frustrated sigh, "Let me make this simple. I'm going to lay on that bed there with my legs open. I want you to fuck me until I am screaming in ecstasy and you are shooting your seed into me."

Simple, right? Then again, how would Sasha and Lydia feel? But this was business, right? Still, he was starting to have second thoughts...until Sirenia took off her armor. Even though her armor seemed to have more buckles than he could count, she unbuckled the right one with her skilled fingers and the black armor slid off her body and onto the ground. John stood mesmerized by her powdery, pale skin. She still wore her high-heeled boots that rode all the way up to her slender thighs. Slipping her gloves off, she stroked her hand over her rounded breasts and down her front. Her pert nipples jutted out. She then moved her hand to her inner thigh, moving it over her pussy. A small tuft of white hair just above her folds. John bit his lip as she flaunted her body to him. She turned her back to him, showing off her perfectly shaped ass.

Staring at him seductively, "Make love to a beautiful woman and learn more about your enemy? I don't think you could ask for a better deal."

What choice did he have? He was desperate for any information about Solomon and if sleeping with this woman was the price, then it would be worth it. John let out a sigh and removed his shirt and unstrapped the thigh holster from his leg.

"How much info can you give me about Solomon?" John asked as he unbuckled his belt and kicked his boots off.

"Well that all depends on how good you are," the necromancer replied as she laid back on the bed with her legs spread.