The Succubae Seduction Ch. 18-19

I chuckle lightly as I answer him, "You could say that. It was definitely some lord, and he took your daughter north."

"Who's this?" he asks, finally noticing the girl.

"A little thief," I tell the farmer. "What should we do with her?"

"We can't take her with us," the man says, but I see he is eyeing the younger woman. "It'll be too dangerous."

"I can fight!" the girl states, twisting her arm just right, and escaping my grip. "Let me help you. It's the least I can do to make up for trying to rob you."

I look doubtfully at her, but she had escaped my grip.

"You can fight?" the farmer echoes my thoughts.

"I can!" she exclaims indignantly. "Let me borrow your sword," she says, turning to me, "and I'll show you."

I grip the hilt of Muramasa protectively as I glare at her. "You don't know what you're asking for, girl." I turn to Thomas, but he already knows what I'm going to ask, and nods. "Test your skills bare handed against him," I tell the thief.

"But he has a. . . ." she trails off as Thomas removes the sword from his hip and hands it to me. She barely even waits for him to let go, before springing her attack.

I can tell right away that she has speed on her side, as the veteran farmer barely blocks her fist. She aims a kick for his hip, but he scoots back, and her foot passes harmlessly by. With her now off-balance, Thomas takes advantage, and delivers a quick open-handed blow to her back.

Ondy stumbles forward, but recovers quickly and with grace. This time she's wary as she faces her opponent, trying to get a better grasp of his skills. The two trade precise blows, blocking and dodging as necessary, while gauging each other's capabilities.

Where did the old man learn to fight like that, I wonder, and then remember that he'd been in some war. Still, it doesn't seem to sit right that he's this good.

I see him slowing, and she notices it too. With a triumphant yell, she dodges around a weakened jab, and goes in for the final strike.

Thomas nearly blurs, and before I know it, Ondy yelps and is on her back. Thomas is sitting on her stomach, her arms held against her sides by the older man's legs.

"Yield," Ondy cries out, seeing the game is lost.

The older farmer gets up, and I hand his sword back to him.

"You're fast, girl, but you're also impatient." He reaches down, and offers her a hand up. She disdains it, and gets back up on her own.

"You tricked me," she complains.

Thomas laughs heartily, before replying. "In a fight for your life, never assume you know your opponent. They just might surprise you."

"But we weren't fighting for our lives. It was just a little sparring," she defends herself.

Thomas scowls at her, and his tone grows deadly serious. "Every fight is a fight for your life. Don't forget that." He sucks in a deep breath, and continues in a more moderate tone, "You're welcome to come with us; I guess we could use your help. You know how to fight, but you also have a lot to learn."

Thomas turns north, and I fall into step next to him. A couple seconds later, Ondy comes running back up to us. "Will you teach me?" she asks Thomas, and he only grunts in assent. "I don't have a weapon." She says next, and without looking, the old man produces a dagger from nowhere, and hands it to her. This man is more dangerous than I'd originally given him credit for.

The woman slips the dagger into a sash around her hip, and we walk for a ways in silence. Ondy proves her worth, as she finds tracks on the edge of town, heading north.

Straight into a forbidding looking forest. Yay.

"We should go around," Ondy states, but Thomas shakes his head.

"My daughter's in there, and I'm going to get her back." His tone is so adamant, that I decide not to argue.

"I know these woods," Ondy declares unhappily. "If we run into any problems, let me do the talking."

Keeping one hand on the hilt of Muramasa, and both eyes open, I follow Thomas and Ondy into the dark forest.

The first sign of trouble comes from Ondy, as she yelps, and jumps back, brandishing her dagger. A shadowy form steps out onto the path, their features obscured by the gloom of the area. I can tell that this person at least has a face.

"Leave your weapons and all your money and we'll let you leave with your lives." A slight breeze blows through, and a shaft of light pierces the branches, giving me a quick look at her face. Short brown hair and a blue eye. Her left eye is covered by an eye patch, and I have just enough time to make out a crossbow in her hands, before the light is blocked again.

She also has the biggest knockers I've ever seen on a woman, her bodice is cut low to take full advantage of her incredible cleavage.

"I'm just trying to find my daughter," Thomas yells to the woman, ignoring Ondy's indignant hiss at not being allowed to talk first. "Did you see her come by here? Some men took her."

The woman laughs throatily before answering. "You mean that little slip of a thing riding in that lordly man's lap? Didn't look to me like she wanted rescuing." She laughs again, and there's a coldness to it this time. "Of course, she was also out cold, but the man's hands were all over her."

"You bitch," the farmer screams, drawing his sword and charging the woman.

She lazily lifts her crossbow, and I barely have time to shout a warning before she fires the quarrel at him.

A loud clang resounds through the forest, and I'm certain the bolt is lodged in the man's breastplate. His sword clatters to the ground, and I see him hunch over, holding his hands close to his chest.

"She only has one bolt," Thomas gasps. "Get her before she can reload."

Before I can begin to move, the trees and leaves around us rustle, and I watch as faceless people step out of the shadows, some holding crossbows and regular bows, some holding daggers and swords.

In the time it takes me to notice the rest of the bandits, Ondy has moved over to check on Thomas.

"Is he okay?" I ask, still wary to draw Muramasa.

"I'm fine!" he yells. "Damn bitch hit the guard and knocked my blade out of my hands."

I breathe easier as I hear those words.

"Look," I say, addressing the well-endowed woman, "We don't want any trouble. We're just trying to retrieve his daughter. We have no money, and our weapons aren't worth your effort."

"Any weapon is worth the effort, stranger, even the sword between your legs," she laughs back at me, "or is that one only a little dagger, not worth anything more than buttering my bread? 'Course that one on your hip looks rather nice as well."

"This blade is cursed," I inform her. "Believe me when I say I would hand it over if I could." I look around at all the faceless bandits, trying to formulate a plan. "What will it take to leave here unmolested?"

"It's too late for that, but for a bit of entertainment, we may let you leave with your gear," her almost too quick reply makes me worried.

"What kind of entertainment?" Ondy asks worriedly. As the only woman in our group, she has the most to lose.

"Sorry, sweety," the bandit leader quips, "you aren't my type, and I have plenty of men to satisfy me if I want." She starts to unlimber her shoulders, turning her neck from side-to-side, and I have a feeling I know where this is going. "How's about we go one-on-one, to the death. You win, and you walk free. I win. . . . Well, if I win, let's just say I'll end up with your stuff anyway."

"I accept," I say easily, confident I can beat this one eyed woman. I walk over to pick up Thomas's sword, but he yells at me to stop.

"No," he tells me. "She disarmed me with her little trick. I need to regain some honor, and I don't want anyone else touching my sword."

He picks up his blade, or tries to. His right hand doesn't seem to want to properly wrap around the grip, but he only grunts and picks it up with his left hand. Giving it a few practice swings, he faces the bandit leader, sword up and ready. I just hope he's good enough with his left hand.

"You're hurt," Ondy exclaims. "Don't do it." When he doesn't respond to her, she turns to me, and I can see the pleading in her eyes. When did she start caring so much? "You can't let him do this. I know who she is!" She flings her arm out, pointing at the female bandit. "That's Jenny of the Large Pennies. She's a dead shot with any bow, and nearly as good with a blade. She'll kill him."

"Not nearly as good, darling," Jenny says sweetly, "better."

I understand Thomas's position, though, and know he needs to do this for his honor. If anyone else fights for him, he will lose even more face.

"Take care of my daughter, Stranger. Thanks for your help to this point." The man's words are solemn, and I take it he's heard of her too.

"The name's Lyden Snow," I tell him, at least wanting him to know whom he's traveling with.

Everyone suddenly freezes, staring at me and even Ondy backs away, covering her mouth in worry.

"That's a poor joke to make, friend," Thomas states, then turns back to his foe, closing the distance in only a couple steps.

Those two steps are all the warning Jenny gets, but it's enough, and her blade blurs as it comes out of its sheath, and meets his blade, edge-to-edge. Her riposte is quick and hard, knocking Thomas backwards a step. I actually wonder that the bandit is able to move with such ease, with such a large chest, but when she somehow gets behind Thomas and bumps into him with her breasts, knocking him down, I see she uses them as an asset, rather than a hindrance.

I also see that she's just playing with the older man. There's no doubt that he's a skilled swordsman, even left-handed, but she's younger, quicker, and more agile. She also has a surprising amount of strength in her attacks. I watch as Thomas's attacks grow weaker and weaker, hoping that he's using the same ruse he'd used on Ondy earlier.

Sure enough, just when it looks like he's done for, he springs his final attack.

A painfully cracking clang reverberates through the trees, and something shiny strikes the dirt in front of me. Looking closer, I see it's the remains of Thomas's blade.

My head snaps back up as Ondy cries, "No!

Thomas is staring at the four inches of steel above the guard in shock. He collapses to his knees, and I can just make out a trickle of blood seeping from his cheek.

I quickly grab Ondy before she can take off, and she starts to fight me, as Jenny places the blade at his throat. Her eye meets mine, and suddenly I feel like I know who she really is. Flashes of memory start to seep through the fog that's been surrounding my mind.

"Jennifer?" I ask, struggling to recall how I know her.

"Lyden? What—" her words are cut off as Thomas uses the distraction to ram the remains of his blade through her neck, and into her brain.

"NO!" This time it's me screaming the words, as I watch the woman I once knew fall to the ground, lifeless. I can't hold onto Ondy any longer, and she rushes over to Thomas, pulling him into a hug. I feel the fog start to creep back in, obscuring my mind and forcing my memories away.

I begin crawling over to them, but by the time I reach Thomas and Ondy, I can't remember why I'm crying. The bandit leader is dead, and her cohorts have retreated into the forest, staying true to her word. I should be happy, but the tears won't stop.

Raiding a dead body is a hard thing to do, but we end up with her blade and crossbow, along with a small bundle of quarrels, and a bag full of coins. We've won our freedom, so why am I still so sad?

"We'd better get moving," Thomas states, shaking my shoulders and reminding me that we're not out of the woods yet. Penny of the Large Pennies is dead, but her bandit crew could still be lurking in the trees.

"But your cheek," Ondy states. "You're injured!"

The old farmer wipes his cheek with the back of his hand, smearing blood across it, but also showing that it's nothing more than a scratch.

Thomas complains that his new sword isn't as good as his old one, making sure that anyone around can hear how knowledgeable he is about such weapons, until we see the edge of the tree line.

Even after we get out of the forest, we continue walking, well after the sun has gone down.

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Chapter 19

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A Land of Fantasy: Part 2

"Wake up," Ondy whispers to me urgently, and I crack my eyes open. The sun is just rising on the horizon, and I can hear what sounds like a wagon creaking our way.

"Who is it?" I ask, suddenly wary.

"Looks like some traders," Thomas says without trying to hide his voice. He's walking from the direction the sound of the wagon is coming from.

"How many?" I ask, concerned. Lately it seems if it's not one thing, it's another.

"Two women, and a couple of caravan guards," he says easily, then eyes me sharply. "Listen, I don't care what your name really is, but I don't recommend you tell anyone else it's Lyden Snow."

"Why not?" I ask, but the wagon shows up, and I realize I'll have to get my answer later.

"Ho!" Thomas yells to the traders, holding his hands out to show he means no harm.

The two guards, riding on some fine looking horses, approach the farmer, and glare down at him. Well, glare as much as two faceless men can.

"Oh, stop it you two. If you scare away our customers, we'll never make any money on this trip," one of the women says.

"And the first brigand that puts a knife in your ribs, will take any earnings you make," the guard on the left states.

A slightly chubby woman gets down off her wagon, and approaches us. "That's why we hired you. To protect us!" she states, not seeing the paradox in her words. "The name's Deb, and my partner over there is Anny. Any chance we could talk you into buying a plate or some brandy?"

"How much for the horses?" Thomas asks, glancing at the fine steeds.

"They're not for sale," the guard that's been doing most of the talking states angrily.

Thomas grabs the pouch of coins we'd taken off the bandit leader, and pulls a small golden disk out. "That's a shame, because that's all we need right now."

Deb licks her lips as she looks at the golden coin, then to the bulk of the obviously full pouch. "Oh, give over! Anything's for sale, if the price is right."

"Greed will be your undoing, sister," Anny states from her perch on the wagon.

"And that pious attitude will be yours, sister," Deb replies in a manner that lets me know they've spoken these words often to each other.

Haggling begins, and in the end, we come away with two horses, and a saddlebag full of food. The acquired crossbow had been thrown into the mix, and I now have a nice water pouch hanging on my right hip.

Anny had tried to extol to us the virtues of living a clean life, but even Deb had grown tired of her preaching by the time we parted ways.

"I'm telling you," Ondy states from her perch in Thomas's lap, "You paid three times what these horses are worth."

"It doesn't matter," the farmer grouses. "We got something that wasn't for sale, with coins that weren't really ours. Now are we still on the right track to find my daughter?"

Ondy grumbles under her breath, but examines the road in front of us.

"See the chip missing from that horseshoe imprint, or how that one is entirely missing its horseshoe? They were outside town back there, and I'm certain they have your daughter." Thomas grunts and heels their horse to a trot.

I wonder if the old man will ever realize that the young woman is smitten with him?

We still haven't caught up with this kidnapping lord by midday, but someone catches up with us.

"Are you the one claiming to be Lyden Snow?" A woman yells, approaching us on horseback. Her dark brown, nearly black hair is tied back in a ponytail, and her brown eyes are piercing as she glares at me. Other than her sharp eyes, she is the plainest looking woman I've ever seen.

"Dammit," I hear Thomas curse, but I just turn the horse around and look at the woman.

"I might be. Why?" I ask, trying to keep my voice level.

"I'm Randa, and I'm sworn to kill you before you destroy our world!" Her horse charges for me, as she pulls her sword, ready to lop off my head.

Pulling my sword up, sheath and all, I deflect her blow just in time.

"Why are you trying to kill me?" I demand of the woman. "What'd I ever do to you?"

"You are what you are!" she screams as she brings her horse back around, charging at me again. "Lyden Snow is prophesied to destroy this world, and my sisters and I have sworn to kill you before that happens."

That's not right, I think. Something's wrong with that. Before I can think more on it, however, she's next to me, swinging her blade with deadly intent.

Free me! Let me taste her blood! Look at her; she wants to feel my caress against her neck and thighs. Free me, so that I may feed! Despite Muramasa's urging, I keep him in his sheath.

Suddenly the violent woman stiffens and tips out of her saddle, a dagger in her back.

"Nice throw," Thomas tells her. "Tell me, how did you get the aim just right?"

I blink at the two, trying to understand what'd just happened. Ondy had just killed a woman, and now both of them were acting as if it's no big deal.

"It's just a skill I have, when I'm behind someone the blade always sinks in," the younger woman states.

Hopping down off my horse, I turn the woman who tried to kill me onto her back, and jump when she gasps for air. "Brother. . . . I'm coming." Her eyes close, and for just a moment I think I might know her, but the feeling is fleeting and soon gone.

Ondy reclaims her dagger, taking Randa's sword and mount, and we continue on our way.

"What's the deal with my name?" I demand of Thomas as we plod down the road. "Why did she want to kill me?"

"Listen," he tells me earnestly, "you've been a great help to me, so I won't judge you, but there's a legend that states that a man by the name of Lyden Snow will come to our world and destroy it. I always thought it was an old wives' tale, but now I'm not so sure." He refuses to meet my eyes as he talks, and I can see that Ondy is trying to listen while appearing not to. She could use some more practice at that. "If you really are our destroyer, then the only thing I really ask is that you wait until I have my daughter back in my arms."

He snaps his reigns, pulling away from me, and I just sit there, stunned.

Kill them, before they kill you!

"Shutup," I mutter out loud to the sword, not wanting to listen to its demands. I don't want to destroy worlds. I just want to live. Is that too much to ask?

Not long after that, we come to another town, this one not much bigger than the last, though it does boast a sheriff's office.

We tie our horses up just outside, and go in. Two deputies are sitting inside, both with faces, and I don't know if I should be worried that they have faces, or relieved. Why can't I think straight? One of the deputies is extremely short, with long light brown hair, and the other is a lithe woman with equally long blonde hair and blue eyes.

"We're looking for a lord that might have come through here recently," Thomas begins. "He would have had a woman with him, and some guards."

"Ah, you must mean Lord Mark," the short one says. "Yeah, they traded horses here late last night, and continued up to his castle."

"Why are you after him?" the blonde asks.

"He stole my daughter, and I intend to get her back." Thomas's voice is firm and full of controlled anger. He now has a name and a target.

"That's a pretty serious charge," the short one says. "What do you think, Leese? Should we check it out?"

"Might as well, Becks. Nothing else is likely to happen, and I've been getting bored anyway." Leese responds.