Shadows in the Light Ch. 01-02

This is a work in progress between myself and my partner who is not signed on here but he's a good guy who has the better half belonging to my own main character. I hope to get this published with his help but we'll see what happens as this story unfolds.

Forgotten Realms is a copyright of Wizards of the Coast, where this story takes place.

Chapter 1 and Prologue

A century has passed since the Spellplague ravaged the land of Faerun, which is part of the Prime Material Plane of Toril. Since then, many things have changed; old and forgotten lands had appeared while other places were either wiped out completely, changed into what is now called Plaguewrought Lands, or is still affected by unruly and wild magics to varying degrees. A good example on how things have changed when Mystra, the Goddess of the Weave that controlled Arcane Magic, was killed by Shar's assassin, is a castle on the edge of the High Moor. This castle is named Dragonspear Castle, where a portal to a Hellish dimension had been sealed up after a large army of men and women from three different municipalities joined forces to cleanse the unholy place. Before the Spellplague occurred, there was a standing army to make sure the place didn't again become infested with demons or was invaded by those from the Underdark which a passage exists even today in the depths of the fortress. Now, it stands empty as it once did as losses are slowly recovered from and civilization is slowly given a much needed boost. It is a time for new heroes as well as villains to rise. It is a time of uncertainty, of hope gained as well as lost, of love found and monsters slain, and of adventures that lie ahead for those that would dare tread such dangerous roads in pursuit of glories untold or for more personal reasons such as seeking redemption for past misdeeds. Whatever the case might be, this is one such tale.

Being a lone wanderer, a sword for hire, and so much more was hard work even at the best of times. Sometimes one got lucky and found a relatively easy job that required something simple such as slaying a roving band of pesky goblins. Others were a bit harder, such an example being finding a magical item in a fortified encampment filled with everyday monsters and wild animals that have made their homes in such places. Then there were the jobs only the best dare take, such as clearing a long abandoned castle that could potentially have a portal to a Hellish Plane of Torment and Pain that needed to be closed lest an army of demons pour out of the ruins. Today was one of those days that this particular lone wanderer wished she had taken a bit of an easier job, closing the distance between herself and a monster that would not be easy to take down, even for her, but the gods had been with her so far despite the fact she wondered often if they still paid any mind to Toril anymore. Considering she had been born in the midst of the greatest chaos and darkness the world had ever seen, she tended to lean with the idea that the gods were either dead or just didn't care anymore, either way it was the same considering the mess the world was in, or had been for a whole century, the chaos finally settling down only last year or so.

Considering her luck today, the elven warrior had to wonder as she dodged a powerful swipe from a rock giant that had thought it a good idea to make its home near the edge of Dragonspear Castle's outer walls, or rather what was left of it anyway. As a rule, rock giants, or stone giants as they were more commonly called, were considered one of the best when it came to slinging rocks great distances, but to her credit, the black cloaked woman had managed to get into melee range without having a single rock tossed her way, having by some small miracle spotting the creature before it had seen her and had thus been able to sneak up on it until a few feet away from being able to strike at it. Her father had trained her well in the half century she had stayed at home before starting out on the road in her own efforts to make a good name for herself. Now a hundred even, the elven woman's brown eyes narrowed to slits as she took a temporary reprieve behind a largely unbroken piece of the outer wall, needing to catch her breath since she had had to fight every step of the way once the old castle that had been abandoned yet again after the Spellplague came and went, no thanks to a large group of wild orcs that weren't under the green skinned hand of one of King Obould's descendants, the founder of the Many Arrows Kingdom long since dead, as well as a group of kobold slaves the orcs had kept, came into sight a couple of hours ago. Now, with a rock giant in her way to the castle, the elven warrior was getting quite tired as well as annoyed. The sound of thunderous footsteps sounded as the giant looked for her, too close to effectively squash her with any thrown projectile, so it was opting for an up close and personal touch. A bad move on the giant's part.

Throwing her hood back with one dark skinned hand, the silver gray haired woman came out of hiding as she again drew her father's blades for the last time today, hoping to get some much needed rest before her foray into the castle itself the next day, and ran in hard. With the setting sun behind her, the light seemed to reflect off of her slender swords as well as the black mithril chainmail jerkin which had a foaming mug standard across her chest, the symbol of Clan Battlehammer and her clear alliance to the sturdy and stout hearted dwarves, she wore under her cloak, brown leather boots adorning her feet, and a pair of black animal hide leather pants hugged her lithe frame quite well. The giant was too slow to hope to keep up to the darting figure that quickly sank her swords deep into sinew and bone on her way by, making the rock giant tumble as its right hamstring was sliced in two before it felt another sharp pain that sent pure agony to the rest of its body as its groin was taken out before it felt light feet on its back. Unable to stand, the rock giant didn't know its doom had fell until its neck was sliced open from ear to ear as both blades formed an X underneath its chin before being pulled up hard. The deed done and the creature dead long before it hit the ground, the elven warrior cleaned her father's heavily enchanted blades on the grass that had found its way through the stone at her feet that used to be part of the castle grounds, once perfectly smooth and well maintained, now had many cracks if not outright bare patches of dirt present, before sheathing them in a sword belt on her slender hips. Brushing a slender and dexterous hand through her hair, the dark elf woman pulled her hair into a tight ponytail, but didn't bind it as such before letting her hair fall back across her back. Turning to the corpse, her brown eyes lost their hard edge as did her fair face as she searched among the rubble that used to be Dragonspear Castle until she found a relatively secure spot to set up camp for the night.

Starting a small fire in a pit lined with rocks, the dark skinned warrior was glad she had such skills given to her from her father despite her initial reason for leaving, which had been selfish at the time perhaps but such was the way of things when you looked like the light elves' most hated enemy, among most of the other goodly races to boot who considered dark elves to be the most vile and wicked of any sentient race. Taking out a leather bound book, worn and faded from its initial brown color, the bindings holding it together worn as well, it still held up to the road well enough, she took out a small ink well and a white feather quill pen and began to write in smooth, flowing script, each letter a testament to her skill with a blade which the monsters in the region already feared for good reason since most that had survived her father's adventures knew better than to tempt fate with the daughter of that same legendary rogue and ranger to Mielikki, the goddess of the forests and the wild places that yet stood in these dark times. For now, she wrote of the day's events and silently wondered what had brought her to this desolate and dark place, although she knew the story, just even to her sharp mind and strong will, it seemed a blur in some regards. It helped to write it down, to keep a chronicle of her adventures, and to give herself another outlet for the inevitable loneliness that always fell upon her on nights like this. The few true friends she had were not cut from the same cloth she was, not by a long shot, and so she had no one that would travel with her as her father had so long ago.

The third day on the road since leaving that small farming village, and I have yet to see any true sign of the Hell Portal opening up save for increased monster activity in the High Moors, which I passed through the southern most edge to get to my destination. On the other hand, all the world has suffered greatly since the Spellplague's arrival when I was first born, my twin older brothers being a year older than me. Our mother died giving me life, and while I wish I knew her even to this day, I am grateful for the gift she gave to me in carrying me to term. Regardless, that is neither here nor there. To tell it again, I took a mission from a Harper Agent on my way through Luskan to visit my brother who is a mage in the rebuilt city and the restored Host Tower of the Arcane, the man being a mage and a good one at that, far outranking me in terms of magical skill. Before I made it to the island that holds the Tower however, the Harper approached me at the entrance to the City of Sails, and asked for the help from the daughter of the legendary rogue and ranger. I almost turned him down since while I love my father with all of my being, I do not like being reminded of how far I have to go to ever hope of getting out from under his shadow, even if he often said that I need not prove myself in any way to him. It is my choice, and my choice alone to do so, and again while I love what he had been and what he has become in my eyes, as well as the eyes of all those he had touched in some form or another through his heroic deeds, I cannot live off of his glory alone. I need my own since I face the same racial hatred that he did when he first came to the surface. While it is less now, it is still common for me to be turned away in most taverns or inns I try to go into, if not outright threatened with violence, which I try to defuse before any injuries are dealt out.

Even so, despite the fear that being a dark elf in appearance only gives to one such as myself, I will not turn away from the path I have chosen. Getting back to why I have come out here, there is too few heroes anymore, so I do what I can to make sure as little damage is done as possible to the surrounding areas if the rumors are true and the Hell Portal that was once sealed in the depths of the castle dungeon is indeed open again. Leaving such a gate open to such a plane is foolish and dangerous and it runs the risk of letting out something exceptionally deadly like a balor demon or worse if the gods have truly forsaken us. No matter what I find down there, I shan't give up until the castle is cleared again and I make sure that gate has not opened again. To do anything less is to sully my family name.

Entry made by Giselle Daermon N'a'shezbaernon, or Giselle Do'Urden.

Closing the book after putting her writing supplies away, Giselle looked up to the starry skies as her hand clutched at the silver pendant that hung on a silver chain around her neck that was the head of a unicorn facing to the left as she offered a silent prayer to the one goddess that held court only because she was the closest to her core principles and the way she viewed the world. It felt right to her heart, and Giselle, finished with that, pulled her bedroll out after hanging her heavy traveling pack from a tree branch, out of reach of most predators before turning in for the night. Keeping an ear open for any trouble however since she was far from safety, Giselle slept lightly but fully enough that if nothing interrupted her that night, she'd be ready for the morrow, letting her small fire continue to crackle and spark quietly a little ways off. The sounds of the night, of insects and other creatures only served to lull her to sleep rather than keep her awake since she was no stranger to the road. All in all, despite the loneliness that crept up on her, the woman smiled contently since in all honesty, she wouldn't have had it any other way at that moment.

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Chapter 2.

The dream started again, just like clockwork for the past month. It started the same as always, Giselle bound hand and foot, naked as the day she was born, to a four poster and beautiful canopy bed that was covered in dark red sheets piled high with black lace pillows. The fact her scar covered body was open to anyone since her....last bad relationship was bad enough since her heart had nearly stopped then, was racing now as she fought against the soft but strong ropes that held her spread eagle to the bed, but the fact there was a woman that seemed....wrong in some fundamental way approaching her with a black as night candle on a gold stand was something else entirely. Climbing on the bed next to her, the raven haired, pale skinned woman who's eyes were red as blood, just as naked as Giselle was currently, leaned in close and flicked her tongue across her right sharply pointed ear, making the half Drow moan quietly despite her efforts to remain as still as possible as the woman next to her nibbled on the lobe, making her dark skin quiver as goosebumps broke out along her flesh. She had never done this with another woman before, yet Giselle was powerless, her warrior training having no foothold against the sensual assault this ultimately strange and alluring woman held over her as the woman in question bite her ear, eliciting a sharp gasp as she broke the skin, her back arching briefly before she settled back against the sheets, her deep brown eyes closing as pleasure started to pulse thick in her veins more and more. The woman beside her let her tongue lap up the spilled drops of sweet elven blood, getting quite the rush out of the mixed heritage this warrior gave to the pale skinned temptress, like a fine vintage wine that had aged to perfection over the years. A hint of magic was in this one's veins, as well as a long and arduous but ultimately fulfilling life mixed in with tragedy born of heartbreak. The woman could drink from this vessel for a long time and never grow bored of the taste.

Hearing the raven haired beauty whisper in her ear, Giselle could only lay there, bound not just physically in this dream, but some other force held her there as well as the woman beside her held the flaming candle stick above the meeting of her shaved thighs. "Submit to me.....and realize such pleasures you could only hope to find in your darkest dreams." Then the first drops of black wax fell and Giselle opened her mouth and howled, thrashing wildly as that first drop had landed precisely against her swollen clit, sending her over the edge just as the woman beside her had wanted and had done every night since . The dream always diverged after that first drop touched her flesh, and no matter how many times it happened, Giselle was never prepared for it as the heat of the wax and the woman's attentions to her body always left the normally disciplined mind and body in a state of bliss and covered in sweat when she woke up. Tonight, the woman put the candle stick down after that first climax and slowly crawled over the dark skinned woman's right leg, purposely dragging her own smooth sex over her thigh before situating herself between Giselle's own. She knew what was coming, but she didn't want this....most of her didn't want this. With each successive night however, Giselle's resistance to the raven haired woman's prowess slipped a little more, and she knew that should they ever meet in person and she somehow ended up at the woman's mercy, Giselle would be unable to stop her from doing anything she wanted to her....just as she was now. Leaning down slowly, her large, perfectly shaped breasts swinging like pendulums as she moved so smoothly, Giselle tensed up and tried to find some way out of this but was again silenced as the woman's tongue lapped at her folds, slowly, drawing out each flick of her tongue as she went from the bottom to the top up to her swollen clit before going back down.

Giselle could only moan heatedly as pleasure flooded her body like liquid fire, melting her insides until all that was left was a puddle of warm goo. Panting hard and erratically, the dark elven woman couldn't fight for long against her body's reaction to the woman between her thighs who was even then picking up the pace of her licks, as well as the depth of them as her fingers pulled her pussy lips open gently, her well manicured nails dragging across her flesh only adding to the bliss she was feeling as she tried to hold on for as long as she could, knowing what was going to follow as soon as she came again. The woman had a tendency to bite when she was shaking from whatever climax that she was forced to endure, and tonight was no different as Giselle arched her back and screamed as pure ecstasy flooded her to the core. It wasn't nearly over though since the woman that had done it didn't let her come down off of her peak, and immediately sunk twin fangs into a vein that was right by Giselle's sex she hadn't known existed nor could bring such a high level of pleasure when used by someone like this woman as it was being used then. She didn't know where one climax ended and the next began, or if it was all one long drawn out affair, but by the time it was over, Giselle was nearly unconscious, her sharp vision blurry and her breathing purely done on instinct now since she could barely form two coherent thoughts at that moment as the woman crawled up her body slowly. Their breasts touched, hardened nipples caressing each other as she moved up, and the half Drow could only groan as her extremely sensitive skin and the nerves underneath quivered, only sending her into a mini climax before the raven haired woman was at her ear again, lightly resting her whole body on top of Giselle's own. "Remember me....and when we meet face to face...you will be powerless to stop me." Giselle didn't doubt the woman's seductive and sensuous voice since she had no strength to keep her eyes open, let alone the means to fight if she had wanted to as the woman on top of her gently caressed the left side of her face before gently, slowly forcing her head to the right before leaning in to sink her fangs into her neck....

Waking up with a scream on her lips, Giselle sat straight up and quivered like a taut bowstring, panting and still feeling that woman's teeth on her neck although every time there was no mark on her body to tell that anything had happened to her. It was all in her mind, but it always felt so real. Putting her left hand against her face, the half Drow closed her eyes and tried to still her racing heart, her entire body still flush with the ecstasy that woman....no, she was no woman...that vampire had forced upon her. It took several long minutes, but eventually she was able to relax and lay back down, the sun still far from rising, and she was still tired. That was something else that bothered her about the nightly visits from her unknown vampire lover....if she could really call that strange woman that, she always felt exhausted and dizzy, as if she truly had been fed upon as well as given such an intense sexual experience that made her mouth dry and her body ache for more, stopping short of being completely sated despite how good it always felt. Forcing it all from her mind as best she could, Giselle eventually found her way back into blissful sleep, and was not interrupted again by anymore dreams and dark haired beauties or women of any kind.