TSS 3: Knight's Son Ch. 13

[tags: violence, mind control, non-erotic]

Bobby looks forward to getting home to recover from his traumatic day. Fate has other plans.

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Chapter 13

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PTSD

"We're almost out, Master," the maid informed me as we rounded a corner. "I see light up ahead."

"Please, stop calling me 'Master,'" I asked for the umpteenth time. The nagini lead the way with Guardian Derrick slumped over her snake half, and the maid carrying Al over one shoulder, bringing up the rear. The drow elf's strength was surprising; she didn't even sound out of breath after bringing the ginger man this far.

"But you are my master, Master," she informed me. I'd tried everything I could think of to get her to stop—even giving her a direct command as her master—but nothing changed. "I see that it causes you stress, Master. However, the magic that binds me to your service makes it so I can address you as nothing else. I can change how I address your wives and friends, though, if that pleases you?"

"Wives and... Wait!" I turned and stared at the midnight-skinned woman in shock, just then realizing what it meant to have her in my service. What were Shayna and Elly going to think about her? Had I bitten off more than I could chew? I hadn't wanted a slave, but it was that or let her die.

Just one more to add to your harem, Charlotte teased me, but I ignored her.

"Quiet," Princess Ashani Devesh Aaban waived two of her six arms to silence us. That was another headache I didn't care to think about. At least she wouldn't be coming home with me. I can't imagine how Shayna would handle that. "I hear someone outside."

"I'll check it out," I offered, preparing to unsheathe my poison-coated cane blade.

"Be careful, Master," the maid begged in a hushed whisper. I nodded to her even as I grimaced at her calling me master.

Orienting to where I could see the light ahead, I took careful steps. Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, the rock-strewn ground wasn't conducive to stealth.

"You might as well come on out," I heard Consul Willmont's haggard voice call out, followed by a gasp and a groan. "All of the damned gnolls are dead. You must have—" another wet gasp, and it sounded like he tried to regain his breath. "—killed the Alpha."

I picked up my pace, jogging to the entrance. The sun sat low to my left, illuminating a grizzly scene. Dead gnolls lay scattered around, many dismembered and most bloody. To my right, with his back against the cave entrance, rested Willmont. From the look of things, he'd fought valiantly against overwhelming odds. The way he held his stomach and bled from numerous other scratches and cuts told me he'd won, but at a cost.

"Of course... It'd be you who... survived," Willmont sneered at me before leaning over and coughing up blood. "I don't suppose... you'd taken any potions from that worthless maid before...." Willmont's eyes fluttered as he choked on more blood. I remembered the maid saying he was close to death some time ago and wondered how he'd lasted this long.

"I have one vial left, Master," the maid spoke up, coming out of the cave. She gently set Al down on an almost clean rock patch before rushing to her previous master. "We all survived, thanks to Master Brody. Master Rhinehardt, Master Brody, and Master Mckay were all grievously wounded and required most of the vials. However, I saved one in case you still needed it."

"Dammit, whore!" Willmont snarled and spat dark reddish-black liquid to the side. "Hurry and... give it here!"

The maid rushed to comply, pulling out a vial from her decolletage. The wounded Paladonic Knight snatched it from her, swallowing the milky contents in one large gulp.

I saw her smile for the first time since I'd met the maid. It made my insides turn cold.

"One might be... enough. As soon as I'm—urghk!" Willmont made a strangled noise, toppling and vomiting dark fluids across the uneven ground. "What--?!" was all he managed to ask before his body locked up in painful spasms. I had to look away, seeing why he'd held his stomach. His intestines and other viscera spilled out and shook along with the rest of him. He was well-built, and I heard his bones crack as he convulsed. A low gurgling wail emanated from his throat as his body ravaged itself.

"Come, Master," the maid took my arm and guided me away from the horrific death. I would have lost everything in my stomach if I had anything left. As it was, I dry-heaved multiple times until the maid left me alone, resting against a tree trunk.

I wiped the saliva from my lips as I tried to catch my breath. A rustling sound nearby drew my attention, and I grabbed my cane, terrified that a gnoll had somehow survived.

A nervous chuckle escaped me a moment later when a red fox poked its pointed nose out and cocked its head as it regarded me. I'd never seen a fox in the wild before, and I kept my grip on the cane, just in case it was feral. I didn't even know there were foxes in California, though this one looked a little larger than I thought it should be.

Our eyes locked for several long moments. Then, just when I got the crazy idea to start talking to it, the creature turned its head towards the cave and scampered off.

The nagini and maid returned a moment later, carrying my fellow Knights.

"What happened to Consul Willmont?" I asked the maid, still shaken from the gruesome death.

"I will submit myself to your punishment, Master," the drow said solemnly. "He was close to death already, and I lied to him. There were no vials left to heal him."

I had flashbacks of the dark woman holding a vial to my cock as I came and remembered that my seed was deadly. I shut down any further questions about that.

"He treated you poorly, didn't he?" I asked, switching the subject.

The elf shuddered in memory and nodded before saying, "He often had me... entertain his guests. I'm a lowly servant and must obey my master, but some of the things he made me do...." She shuddered again before shaking her head and continuing. "He also planned on you dying today. He took this from you after your first mission. It's rightfully yours."

In her hand, she held out my pendant. It had a new silver chain, but I recognized the worm metal device as soon as I saw it.

Ha! I told you! Charlotte crowed in my head as I reached for the trinket, though my stomach felt leaden.

The bastard set us up! He must have known there was an alpha and expected us to die. Suddenly, I didn't feel as bad about his death, though it was still horrific.

"Please, allow me, Master," the maid moved before I could argue, and I felt her warm hands placing the chain around my neck.

Something flowed through me as its warm metal surface fell against my neck.

Don't worry. I won't rub it in too much that I was right all along. Charlotte's giggle was both girlish and cynical. I wondered if she was choosing to gloss over what the maid said or trying to distract me. The latter, she admitted to my thoughts.

"I would return to my people," Princess Ashani said, her accent sounding even more apparent now that we were out of that cave. "They will be looking for me and should not find me in the company of these Knights. But, Mr. Brody, this maid tells me you have a good heart. You do not belong among the wicked Knights. Should you leave their order, my family will happily reward you for your efforts."

"I didn't do much," I admitted, embarrassed by her attitude. Then my jaw dropped as the over twelve-foot snake-woman transformed into a thick-muscled woman that came eye-level to me. Seriously, her arms were at least as thick as mine and maybe bigger. This was no pampered princess but a powerful woman. Yet, her large breasts still sat bare and proud above her washboard abs, looking incongruous on someone so strong.

"You fought valiantly, and it is plain to see that you are not like your fellow Knights in their disdain for non-humans. I saw you move to free me when you were attacked." Ashani regarded the maid momentarily before turning back to face me with her golden brown eyes. "Treat this one with honor as you have tried to do. I see the conflict in you and know you are the right master for her."

"Do you need any clothes?" I asked, already taking off my shirt despite its filthy and ragged appearance. It'd work for her better than nothing.

She gave a light laugh before responding. "None will see me as I move. Take care, Knight Bobby Brody. Your friends are waking."

The last sliver of the sun dropped down as the princess finished talking. With it, the shadows appeared to leap up and swallow her, leaving nothing but memories in their wake.

"I will meet you back at home as well, Master," the maid said. "I will do as promised, deleting the files on you before I see you again." She bowed low, and before I could respond, she took off running.

Sighing, I turned to where Guardian Rhinehardt and Al were starting to stir. I truly hoped the maid would successfully clear Consul Willmont's notes about me and remove the surveillance software in our house and vehicles. I didn't know how tech-savvy she was, but she claimed she could do it.

"What... happened?" Al asked as he sat up. "I feel like I was hit by a truck. Ah, truck-kun, why didn't you take me to another world?"

"Nah, bitch," Guardian Rhinehardt grumbled, talking over Al. "I don't do weed. Now, we can start talking if you have some cocaine to shove up my ass."

"Um... I don't think either of you is fully awake yet," I shouted as Charlotte giggled in my head.

Both men blinked before turning bleary eyes on me, then clutched their heads and groaned.

"Not so fucking loud, man," Derrick murmured. "I haven't had a hangover like this since making the first-round draft pick. Where are we?"

I gave them a modified version of events, stating that the nagini broke free, killed the alpha, and fled. I claimed to have carried them all the way out while they slept.

It's a good thing they don't have all their faculties because you're a terrible liar, Charlotte teased.

Not all of us are created to deceive and trick people, I snapped at her, annoyed with more than just her. I hated lying but accepted that it was needed in this case. I also hated that I was suddenly alone, having to deal with this. I understood why the women left, but that didn't mean I had to like it.

"Where's the other one?" Guardian Rhinehardt asked, still rubbing his temples. I didn't remember having such a headache after waking and wondered if both men were okay.

"The other—oh! You mean Willmont's maid." I felt a nervous chuckle try to force its way out and swallowed hard. "I don't know what happened to her. One moment she was giving us some vials that helped us recover from our injuries, and then she fell over, dead. I couldn't find any injuries on her."

The maid kindly asked that I claim she was dead, and Charlotte had demanded it. They were both afraid that Derrick would try to claim her, and as much as I didn't want a slave, the elf was adamant that she wanted me as her master.

"Consul Willmont," Derrick snapped, correcting my relaxed speech. "No injuries, you said? I'm sure you checked her over real close. Too bad. She was good at... what she did. Well, if she died like that, it's a good bet that Consul Willmont is dead too."

"Yes, Sir," I said, not liking how he referred her. "I found... him as we got out of the cave." I couldn't bring myself to mention his death, the visceral image still plastered in my mind.

"That's just up that way, right?" Derrick asked, and I nodded. "Good; I'll go get his keys and meet you back here in a moment."

"You're leaving us alone, Sir?" Al spoke up with sudden concern. "What if there are more of those monsters around?"

"The alpha is dead," I said before I could think better of revealing my knowledge. "The rest died when it did."

"That's right, Carpenter Brody," Guardian Rhinehardt said as he got to his feet. "There should be nothing dangerous around for some distance. Gnolls tend to clear out any natural predators. I don't suppose you cut off its head to take back as a trophy?"

"Uh, no?" I said, confused. This isn't some video game where I get bonuses for carrying around a decaying head, I thought. But, of course, I didn't say that to the tall man. "I didn't know I should. Do we need it for anything?"

"Proof," Derrick shrugged as he looked back towards the cave entrance. "But I suppose the cleanup crew will verify its death when they arrive. Would've been cool to get it stuffed and mounted. I'll have to talk to Protector Bingham about that. Maybe he'll hook me up."

The tall man didn't wait for a response before hiking back to the cave entrance.

"Dude, we... we almost died!" Al said as he stared at his shaking hands. "Almost died! I don't want to die. Being a Paldonic Knight was supposed to be all babes and fun. Not this. Almost died!"

I took two quick steps to the man and gripped his shoulders hard. Slapping him might pull him out of his downward spiral, but it might also make him antagonistic. I'd seen how he'd fought, and he was no slouch.

"Keep it together, Alfred Mckay!" I said, bent over with my face inches from his. Charlotte fed me the words, and I internalized them as I spoke. I hadn't let myself think about how close we all came to dying today and didn't need Al reminding me. "You're alive. You're going back to Jolene. Don't think about what could have happened. Instead, concentrate on what did happen. That's how you work through this."

"But Willmont died!" Al shouted in my face. "He didn't make it. That could have been us. He won't be going home."

"Willmont abandoned us," I replied in an even tone, leaving out how the old man intended us to die. "He left us on our own and paid for that. Teamwork saved us. We worked together and made it through. Don't forget this day, and remember its lessons." I felt like I was spouting platitudes now, but I noted some of the fear leaving Al's freckled face.

"That's some good advice," Guardian Derrick said, rejoining us. "You must have seen some shit to think like that, Carpenter Brody. So listen to him, Carpenter Mckay. If not for him, we'd still be in that cave. We owe him for hauling our asses out of there. He must be exhausted after carrying us so far."

I blinked, unsure of the praise coming from one of my basketball idols. "I just did what I had to do, Sir. I've still got enough in me to get to the vehicles."

I couldn't tell him I wasn't the one to carry them out.

He knows you're in a homunculus body and thinks that's why you still have the energy, Charlotte informed me.

"Then we should get going," Derrick commanded. "It's already getting late, and we still have a couple hours to get home. I'll take Willmont's SUV. Carpenter Mckay, are you good to drive?"

"I... I don't know, Sir." Al got to his feet, and I could tell he was still shaken.

"Then give your keys to your partner, and let's get moving." Derrick suited actions to words and started returning to where we'd parked the vehicles.

"Yeah, that'd probably be best," Al said, handing me his keys and following after Guardian Rhinehardt.

"You can consider yourselves warriors and heroes today, gentlemen," Derrick intoned in a voice I recognized from my coaches. It was the one they used when they wanted to praise and build the team up. "I'll write up the report when we get back. So you boys get some rest and enjoy your wives."

Something struck me then, and I had to ask, "Sir? Who is going to tell Consul Willmont's wife?"

Derrick gave me a strange look before responding. "Did you see a wife at his home this morning? I think she died some time ago. He never talked about her, so I'm not sure. Hell, I don't think he even had any kids. I'll let our superiors know, though I'm not looking forward to that conversation. Do me a favor, though? Don't discuss anything about today until after I submit my report. Consul Willmont was highly respected, and if you even hint that he might have abandoned us, it won't go well for us."

That was all news to me. Hadn't he mentioned his wife when dropping off my phone a few nights ago? And how didn't he have kids? I thought that was the entire purpose of First Knight, to ensure that a new generation would be available.

The rest of the hike transpired in silence until we reached the Jeep and SUV.

"Remember what Carpenter Brody said," Derrick informed us as he opened Consul Willmont's white SUV trunk. "Focus on the fact that you both lived. Don't dwell on what could have happened. There's a change of clothes back here for each of you. I wouldn't recommend heading back in what's left of your armor."

I found the clothes Guardian Rhinehardt mentioned and quickly changed. Al did the same, and we hid our bloodied and tattered armor in the spare wheel compartment of the SUV. I kept my weapons with Derrick's blessing.

"You're my responsibility now, so I'll contact you soon. Otherwise, you both acquitted yourselves well today. So get some rest, and enjoy the company of your wives." The tall man didn't wait for a response before jumping in and driving away.

"Let's get home," Al said as he entered his passenger side. "I don't care if you speed. I'll pay for any tickets you get. I just want to get home."

I nodded but planned on keeping my speed reasonable. No sense in putting ourselves in more danger after escaping certain doom.

Al tried to sleep on the way back but soon woke up screaming. He wouldn't tell me what the dream was about, but it wasn't hard to guess. After that, he talked my ear off until I drove into my driveway. Another car was parked there that I recognized, and I found my anger rising before I even stepped out.

"Get home safe, Al," I said through clenched teeth. "I'll call you tomorrow. Let's do something."

Al jumped out but didn't move to get into his driver's seat. "Um, how about now? Now's good, right?" When I stared at him, instead of responding, he shuffled his feet and looked embarrassed. "Look, I don't want to go home yet. Jolene is great and all, but she won't understand what we went through today. You do."

I ground my teeth in annoyance, but a nudge from Charlotte pushed me to agree. "Okay, we can set up the spare bedroom for you. You should call Jolene, though, and have her come over. I need to take care of something, and it might be good to have another witness there, anyway."

"Uh, yeah, sure!" Al nodded eagerly, pulling out his phone as he followed me inside.

I didn't wait for him before storming into my house.

"Adam!" I shouted as soon as I stepped inside. "You'd better have a fucking good reason to be at my house again. I'm really getting sick and tired of your bullshit!"

"We're back here," I heard Elly call out from the family room. I heard Al talking to his wife as he followed me.

"Go ahead, ask him!" Adam said as I entered the room. His hand was still in a cast, and I noticed a bandage around his head. "Or get a mirror. Shapeshifters can't hold their form in front of a mirror."

I stopped as I took in the room. Adam hadn't come alone. A mature woman stood by his side, looking displeased. My wives sat on one couch, appearing relaxed, but I noted some tension around Shayna's blue eyes.

"That's actually not true," Elly said with a chuckle. "Evil can't hide from a mirror; a shapeshifter isn't evil by itself."

Not all shapeshifters, I thought darkly as I recalled the one that tricked Megan. Sheldon Lance was a bastard that could rot in hell as far as I was concerned.