Subterrane Ch. 01

There was only two other things I considered taking in addition to the food and water: his cloak and his belt. The grey cloak would be short on me, but would obscure part of my form; it wouldn't be so obvious that I was completely naked if I should meet anyone else. The belt would also give me something to hang my scabbard and food from and free my hands.

I had also decided to kill him after stripping those things from him. A simple cut across the throat or blow on the head with the pickaxe. I did not want him tracking me, and the Underdark could do with one less Duergar hacking at its tunnels.

With that in mind, I removed his helmet before remembering I didn't want blood all over the cloak. That first, then dispatch the dwarf.

Like with the pack, the cloak took some doing to get it out from under him, cursed heavy beast that he was. I was panting and muttering obscenities as I finally yanked it free without tearing a large hole in it. It smelled of smoke and grease and made me wrinkle my nose but it was also of durable weave that wasn't as rough as the blanket.

I draped it around my bare shoulders which were not as wide as his, so that afforded a bit more length as it fell to my lower thighs.

I could picture Elder D'Shea clearly right about now: pitching over laughing if she saw me like this.

My sponsor.

I realized it was the first time I'd thought of the Red Sister since I woke up. She was originally the one who'd gotten me into this, more so than the Priestess, if I thought about it. But yet I didn't feel the same resentment for her as I wanted to toward the Priestess and her ritual magic, with after effects that continued to haunt me. Elder D'Shea had tested me in her own way, and had not found me wanting.

"No demons but us," she'd said to me, "or is my confidence in you misplaced?"

The fact that she had confidence in me at all during that the short time I interacted with her between the trials was something different for me. It seemed, in retrospect, like she had approved, and perhaps that she would take me as I was and support my strengths...

"She bends, she doesn't break, Eldest. She will prove it."

Such confidence in me...perhaps she schemed in similar ways. I wondered if I could enjoy her company in some genuine fashion?

Or perhaps that is just as bad of an idea within the Sisterhood as it was at Court...

Well. I would never find out if I didn't make it back.

I shook my head free of the momentary distraction and kneeled again to roll the Duergar fully onto his back and take hold of his belt buckle. It took some figuring out, it wasn't just the clip I was used to but something that threaded through a wide metal ring and folded back on itself.

Just as I succeeded in undoing his belt, however, I felt the rapid rise of another lust-clutch sweeping up on me.

"No," I groaned in dread, my hands clasping the loosened belt in a grip that hurt my hands. My knees were braced for balance but also far enough apart to allow for easy mounting and my cunt shrieked at me, demanding why this wasn't happening right now, right here.

I gasped for breath and quivered, trying to regain some self-control, wrenching my eyes away from where they'd drifted: the Duergar's crotch. In doing so, I was now looking at his face.

I froze.

His eyes were open, entirely white and subtly glowing, face and beard stained with blood from his nose. He stared at me, and I felt a sharp pain inside my skull which forced a hoarse scream from my throat. Maddeningly, this did not squelch my need to mate but the pain only seemed to enhance it.

I was dead. Why hadn't I just killed him when he first went unconscious? I'd thought I'd been too hungry or thirsty, then got distracted with memories and details and felt falsely secure. Such a stupid reason!

It was far too late for such thoughts now.

Continued...