DEMONESS III

by Misty Vixen

Catch up on the Demoness series!

DEMONESS

DEMONESS II

DEMONESS – FUN IN THE FOREST

Table of Contents

CHAPTER I

CHAPTER II

CHAPTER III

CHAPTER IV

CHAPTER V

CHAPTER VI

CHAPTER VII

CHAPTER VIII

CHAPTER IX

CHAPTER X

CHAPTER XI

EPILOGUE

OTHER TITLES

ABOUT ME

CHAPTER I

“Here. They are in here,” Yelena said.

John felt a ripple of anticipation mixed with fear shiver through him as he slowly drew his blade, standing behind Yelena, who was crouched just at the treeline, peering intently through the curtain of vivid green vegetation and trees.

“Are you sure?” he asked, although it felt like a pointless question. Yelena was always sure when she spoke, and her senses were a lot better than his. But this was important, and he felt the need to be extra cautious.

“Yes,” she replied quietly.

Her tail had ceased all movement. It had been whipping back and forth for most of the day. But now her focus was honed down to a fine point. John shifted to get a better view, staring at the old stone structure. Yes, he could definitely tell something was in the area, more than likely in the structure itself. He studied the darkened openings along the front wall, looking for any indication of movement or signs of life.

“What is this place?” Yelena asked.

“I’m not sure,” he replied.

The building had a hasty, unfinished look to it, and it didn’t resemble any particular style. It looked like little more than a place to get in out of the forest, and not even a very good one. It was more than likely that it had been in the process of being built at some point several years ago, and whoever it was doing the building had been driven off or even killed. Lots of derelict structures like these dotted the Emerald Wild.

“We should go now,” Yelena said, “while they are in there. I can smell them.”

“Then we’ll go,” John replied.

His grip on the silver blade tightened. Yelena drew her bow and notched an arrow with a dexterity that still startled him. The pair of them slipped silently through the vegetation, into the overgrown clearing beyond, moving slowly towards the bare stone structure. In the month that had passed since they had successful stopped a resurrected, undead entity and gotten Yelena her amulet to help her hide, John had finally gotten himself some armor. It was simple but sturdy chainmail, magically infused to make it pretty strong.

It had saved his life a few times so far.

Right now, he and Yelena were doing a special favor for their dryad friends. Cypress, the leader of a powerful clan of female dryads, had asked them for their help in hunting down and eliminating a pair of beasts that had gotten into the Emerald Wild and were causing problems. They were called Withers and they were toxic to plant life and to dryads, and pretty much any other being that was of nature. They were evil beings that were summoned from another realm, one similar to Yelena’s own. She was familiar with them.

The dryads could have, given enough time, taken care of it themselves, but John and Yelena could do it quickly and with less risk. And it wasn’t like they minded. Their bond with the dryads was strong, and they’d helped each other out more than once over the past month. And so they’d immediately answered the call and set out to kill some Withers. They had spent some of yesterday and all of today so far tracking the awful things after Cypress had pointed them in the right direction. And now, finally, they had found them.

John heard a low, wet clicking coming echoing out to him from within the structure, and from the way Yelena tensed, he knew they were on their mark. There were two primary entrances from this side, and John and Yelena split up naturally. They had gotten very good at moving without speaking, knowing where the other was, almost being able to predict what the other was going to do and then matching their own decisions to build on that.

John focused, letting all else fall away.

It was do or die now.

He moved up to the dark, rectangular opening, sword firmly in hand. He could feel his heart thudding, low and powerful, in his chest, beginning to build up speed. He was sweating badly now and he thought briefly but wistfully of a long soak with Yelena. Then John was through the door. He found himself in a broad passageway that went left to right. Off to his left, he saw Yelena, arrow notched firmly. He knew those arrows were silver-tipped and treated with a spell meant to damage beings of evil.

The wall directly ahead of him was unfinished, and holes and gaps in it gave a view into the room on the other side. John moved carefully up to it. The sounds he’d been hearing had stopped very abruptly. That wasn’t a good sign. He peered cautiously through the nearest hole and studied what lay beyond. He could see more of the same, though it was definitely darker. More stone, an earthen floor with a little bit of plant life, what might have been a few dead bodies, and...something seemed to move, deeper in.

And then a face appeared suddenly on the other side of the hole, and John found himself eye-to-eye with some maddened beast. A red eye with a sickened yellow-green slit pupil stared at him and then suddenly disappeared.

“Oh fuck!” he screamed.

A horribly triumphant shrieking roar sounded and then the wall before him exploded as the beast on the other side burst through. John cried out as he was at first pelted with stone bits and then was picked up by sheer force and thrown back out the door he’d come in through. He grunted harshly as he landed on his back and heard Yelena yelling. The breath driven from his lungs, John gasped for air as he struggled to sit up.

The Wither came out into the sunlight and he saw it clearly for the first time.

It was a ten foot horror cast in black and red. It had long, spindly arms and legs, and its bizarre, triangular head ended in a mouth full of jagged teeth. Behind it, a barbed tail whipped violently back and forth.

“Holy Gods,” John moaned, wondering what in the fuck he had got himself into.

The Wither came for him. And from the sudden fury of sound coming from inside the structure, it seemed that Yelena had her hands full with the second one. Well, he could handle this on his own. Probably.

John rolled aside as the Wither struck at him with its tail. A viciously long, spiked tip stabbed into the dirt, narrowly missing him. John whipped his sword around as he saw a good opportunity and brought the silver blade down hard on the thing’s tail. The Wither shrieked madly as the blade cut right thought its tail and a viscous, black blood began to pump out of it. John stumbled away, trying to steer clear of its madly whipping half-tail and reaching, clawed hands. He had to take this thing out fast and hard or it was going to take him apart.

He backed up several more steps as he fully regained his feet, then lashed out as the beast once again reached for him. The bright silver blade made contact again and sliced along the thing’s tough skin, slitting it open and spilling more of the awful black blood. The beast shrieked and moved forward faster than he could track. It struck him in the chest and sent him flying once again. John let out another bark of agony as his second flight was abruptly stopped by a particularly thick and sturdy tree trunk. He slammed to the ground again.

It was time to end this.

He fell forward, crouching on one knee, his blade’s tip in the dirt now. He rested on it, trying to look like he was barely conscious, like he was more injured than he really was. (Although fuck, from the amount of pain he was in, it wasn’t hard to fake.) The Wither let out another roaring shriek and came for him, barreling at him like an enraged beast of burden. Perfect. A few seconds that felt like hours passed and…

John jerked up, bringing his blade with him, then pulling it back and shoving it forward with all his might into the Wither’s chest as it drew close enough. This time its shriek was loud enough that his eardrums felt like they would burst. Pressing the advantage, John stepped back, ripping the blade out in a spray of dark gore, and then whipped it around in a tight arc, putting all his strength behind it. The blade cut through its neck and separated its head from its awful body. John stepped back as the body took a few uncertain steps, nerves still twitching as the blood sprayed from its neck, and then it slammed to the ground.

“Thank the fucking Gods,” John whispered, then groaned as a fresh wave of pain rolled through him. He hoped he hadn’t cracked a rib or something.

Then he realized he couldn’t hear any fighting.

John ran forward, suddenly worried. He knew Yelena could handle herself, but that was the problem with real life: one little slip up, one moment of bad luck, one seemingly simple mistake could end up getting you killed.

“Yelena?” he called.

“I’m here, my love,” Yelena replied calmly from somewhere deeper in the structure.

Relief flooded him and he stopped running. So everything had worked out. He moved into the building and then headed down the bare hallway. Yelena was in the main room, crouched over the other Wither, which was now dead.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“I’ll be fine,” he replied. “Though I think I’ll need a small healing potion. I might’ve cracked a rib,” he added, frowning as he gently probed his chest.

Yelena yanked her arrow free of the Wither’s corpse and stood. “You should be more careful,” she said, walking over to him, studying him.

“Well, we’re not exactly doing safe tasks here, babe,” he replied.

She frowned and then reluctantly nodded. “Yes, I suppose so.” She reached out and placed a hand against him. “We do not need to use any healing potions,” she murmured, and he suddenly felt a warmth enter his chest and began to spread across his body. “How many times must I remind you of my abilities?”

“Sorry, love,” he replied, then took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I just...you know, have difficulty asking for things.”

A look of discomfort came onto her face, then she slowly nodded. “I know. I do, too.”

He laughed and hugged her to him, then kissed her. “It’s something we’ll have to keep working on,” he said.

“Yes. Although given our current lifestyle, I must admit that I’m fairly comfortable with my current skill-set,” Yelena replied, looking back at the dead Wither.

“Fair point. We ready to burn them?” he asked.

“Yes. Although maybe we should take a moment and check this structure out. There could be valuables,” Yelena replied.

“Also a fair point.”

They split up, moving across the main room and investigating the handful of dead bodies that were in the building. Some of them had been there for quite awhile, and some looked a bit more recent, although it didn’t seem as if anyone had been here for months at least. They patted down the bodies, searched pockets and packs, and at the end of it, managed to gather a handful of coin, a pretty nice emerald, and a silver dagger, which John tucked away for himself. Yelena didn’t really do daggers, but he liked them well enough.

“Ready?” Yelena asked as they moved back to the entrance of the inner room.

“Ready,” he replied.

She raised her hand, palm flat, and loosed a ball of intense fire. It burned so powerfully that it was white, and it consumed the body of the Wither almost immediately, then burned itself out within a few seconds. Fire wasn’t really something you wanted to just be throwing around in a place like the Emerald Wild.

Especially if you were friends with the locals.

They moved back outside quickly to avoid the toxic smoke, and then repeated the process with the other monster, and its head.

“You decapitated it. Nice,” Yelena said.

“Yeah. I got lucky,” he replied.

She snorted and nudged him as they began walking away, back into the Wild. “Luck plays a part in all we do, but you are skilled and dedicated. Do not do yourself a disservice. You are an amazing warrior and man.”

“Thank you, love, but you’re definitely a better warrior than me,” he replied.

“I know,” she said, “but that does not diminish your own abilities.”

He laughed. “You’re very confident, Yelena.”

“I know what I am capable of. And besides, you told me you liked that about me.”

“Oh, I do. That, uh...that’s a very, um, appealing aspect of you.”

She grinned and prodded him with the tip of her tail. “That means that you really want to fuck me,” she said.

“Guilty,” he agreed.

“Don’t worry. We’ll be doing a lot of fucking tonight.”

…

They walked back through the Emerald Wilds, heading south, towards their home and their typical meeting place with the dryads.

Now that he was no longer hunting dangerous monsters, John felt his mind sifting over his past, mainly over how his life had changed so rapidly and so utterly. It was a topic he found himself thinking about frequently. In the month since Yelena had gotten her amulet, the pair had largely dedicated themselves to fixing up the two cabins they had discovered in the course of helping a beautiful elf scholar hunting for a lost deed.

They had yet to see Tanis again, but that was how flings often went.

Despite how dangerous the Emerald Wild was and how much John thought his new life would be fraught with wild adventures and insane battles, things had gone pretty smoothly. Most days they just spent working on their place, repairing holes in the walls and roof, finding good replacements for doors and windows, and looking for good furniture. They’d made a few pilgrimages to some of the abandoned forts in the surrounding area, occasionally finding a good, sturdy chair or table or bookshelf that they liked.

Speaking of books…

That was what he always kept his eye out for now. Books. Yelena loved books. She was absolutely fascinated by them. Storytelling was certainly a concept in her realm, but it was almost always used very bluntly, like a tool. Typically it was used to make the storyteller seem fierce or brave or vicious, someone to be respected, or at least feared. The idea of stories meant to evoke other feelings, feelings of compassion or lust or even simple, escapist joy, was something that Yelena hadn’t really considered.

John had always known that Yelena was smart and very sharp, but it had never so thoroughly been illustrated to him than when she took it upon herself to learn his written language. She was vaguely familiar with it, but once she put her mind to it, she started getting it pretty damned fast. And she was a voracious reader. John felt a kind of jealousy of her, because he remembered when he first discovered the power of books, the way they could suck you in and captivate you. The effect had almost been intoxicating in his youth.

It wasn’t that he no longer cared about books, he still read when he got the chance and he enjoyed it a lot, it was just diminished from what it once had been. And because he loved her and wanted her to enjoy that immensely powerful feeling, he was always looking for more books for her to read. Especially if he had read it as well, because she loved talking about the stories and characters and locations and themes at length with him, and it was difficult to do if he hadn’t read the book. So now he found himself reading as well, but she was outpacing him by a lot. But it was another thing that he absolutely loved doing with her.

Whatever fears or uncertainties John might have had about the speed with which their relationship had formed, about it’s long-term stability, were basically gone now. He loved Yelena. He was as sure of this as he was anything in his life. He knew he would do anything for her. He was as happy as he had ever been and he wanted to spend every day with her. And as such, the past month had been basically paradise.

And there were nice bonuses, as well, for both of them, in the form of some friends they’d made that were interested in casual sex. Namely, Cypress’s clan of dryads. Sometimes they would come to visit to satisfy their lust by having a really hot threesome. And Brynne had visited twice now. Good Gods, could that serpentine fuck.

And, of course, they’d made a few treks up to see Elise.

She was always very receptive to their visits.

“I am still curious as to what the dryads wish to gift me,” Yelena said, breaking him out of his thoughts of Elise riding his cock.

She was exceptionally skilled at it.

“I honestly don’t know,” John replied.

When they’d agreed to track down and kill the Withers, Cypress had promised a special gift for Yelena, one that she would appreciate deeply. When he’d joking asked, “What about me?” Cypress had just favored him with that slightly condescending, mostly sexy expression she wore so well and said, “John, your present is the one you always receive. Would you have it any other way?” Knowing that she meant amazing, unprotected dryad sex, he answered honestly that no, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I’m very interested,” Yelena said.

“I have to admit, I am too,” he replied.

They were almost at the meeting ground. As they had with Elise, the dryads gave them a place they could come to for meetings. Although John had once asked them how they could tell the difference between when he or Yelena showed up with an emergency, or if they were just looking to talk about something a little more casually. All Cypress would say was that they would know. John sometimes wondered how much dryads were actually capable of, and if any of it was just them saying stuff like that, merely implying that they were more powerful than they actually were. Although what he knew about them so far was sufficiently impressive, and he wasn’t really looking to press them for details if they wanted to be secretive.

They came into meeting ground, and as he always was, John was struck by its beauty. A small waterfall fed into a crystal clear pond that ran off into a creek, leading out of the clearing. Vividly blue and red and green flowers grew around the edge of the clearing and in random patches. Butterflies fluttered peacefully along in shafts of warm, golden sunshine. Frogs sat, seemingly in meditation, on lily pads resting atop the pond’s surface. Mice and rabbits and other small creatures scurried about. “I love it here,” Yelena murmured as she looked around the clearing.

“It’s very peaceful,” John agreed. He took her hand and laced their fingers.

“Peace is something that I would not have thought I would seek,” Yelena said. “For a long time, I valued constant action. I valued...well, many unfortunate things. But peace was not one of them. Tranquility and serenity have brought me more happiness than I ever thought possible.” She smiled and kissed him. “Although I imagine you have a great deal to do with that. I love you so much, John,” she said, and hugged him to her.

“I love you too, Yelena,” he replied, squeezing her to him.

“You two make the cutest couple,” Cypress said.

John jerked and then sighed.

“I knew you were there,” Yelena said.

“You did not,” Cypress replied as she and another dryad slipped silently into the clearing through the vegetation. Her partner was was Fauna, the dryad warrior who had fought alongside them on the island last month, making a grim stand against the resurrected horror. They had met several times since then, and John had gotten to know her very intimately, as he had Cypress. He was extremely grateful that these amazing women were in his life, and that they were all so casual, with him and each other. Yelena’s initial jealousy had worried him, but so far, it hadn’t resurfaced. It was probably helping that pretty much all the women they encountered were just as interested in having hot, passionate sex with her as much as him.

“You have defeated the Withers,” Cypress said. As it almost always was, this was a statement of fact, not a question.

“Yes. Did you figure out where they came from?” John replied.

“We did. Some young, stupid mages who were trying to play with power beyond their means. They were very lucky that the Withers they summoned did not kill them. They are also lucky that I did not kill them,” Cypress explained.

“You let them go?” Yelena asked.

“Indeed. They were not evil, merely stupid. I do not believe they were even trying to summon Withers. It’s my guess they were attempting to summon a succubus. I informed them that if I saw them in my territory again, they would not be so lucky as to walk away a second time. I don’t believe we will be seeing them again.”

“I also doubt they’ll try something like that again without a lot more training,” John said. He realized that Cypress was holding something behind her back. “So, I have to admit, I’m extremely curious about this gift you have for Yelena.”

“As am I,” Yelena said.

Cypress smirked now. She brought her hand out from behind her and presented Yelena with...a sex toy. John recognized it, he’d seen ones like it used a few times by some of the adventuresses or female merchants he hooked up with.

“Are you familiar with this, Yelena?” Cypress asked.

“I believe it is a strap-on,” Yelena murmured, accepting it, studying it. “I’ve read about this in some of the, ah, sexier books I’ve found recently. I wear it, and fuck women with it, correct?” she asked, turning it over.

“Yes. Or men, depending,” Cypress said, glancing at John.

“Admittedly, not really my thing,” he replied.

“Fair enough. But, Yelena, this is a very, very special strap-on,” Cypress said, returning her attention to Yelena.

“What makes it special?” she asked, looking up.

“It is infused with magic. When you wear it, and use it, you will actually feel the sexual pleasure,” Cypress explained.

“Oh my,” Yelena whispered, looking back down at it again. “Truly?”

“Truly. And Fauna here is very eager to let you test it on her, to make sure it works. It has never been used before. We crafted it for you personally, as a way of saying thank you for helping us, and for helping the forest.”

“Thank you,” Yelena said, and suddenly moved forward and wrapped Cypress in a hug. “I deeply appreciate this.”

“You have earned it. You are a very good person, Yelena,” Cypress replied, hugging her back.

As she stepped back, she glanced down at the strap-on she was holding, then over at Fauna, who smiled at her. She looked at John, who just grinned at her as well.

“I’m using this now,” she said, and began shedding her clothing and armor.

“Excellent. And now, I believe that I offered your lover a reward for his help as well,” Cypress said as she began walking towards him.

Damn, she was an intimidating woman, he thought as he stared at her. A six foot six dryad was no one to mess with, and he was extremely glad that she loved having sex with him. Everything about Cypress was sexy and beautiful. She had a wonderfully curvaceous body, and her broad hips, thick thighs, and big, firm breasts all called to something buried deep inside of him, an unconscious desire that he thought the majority of men had and didn’t even realized they were reacting to: reproduction. There was something very...fertile about Cypress, about almost all dryad women. Which made sense, given how in tune they were with nature, how they were basically manifestations of nature and fertility itself.

He already felt lust and desire shooting through him, filling him, making him desperate to be inside of Cypress.

She came to stand before him, nude and wondrous, and then leaned down and kissed him. He kissed her back immediately, pressing his lips to hers, feeling that wonderful fullness, how hot and wet her lips were, how soft they were. He reached around and grabbed her thick, full ass. Cypress moaned and pressed herself up against him, hugging him to her, having to duck down to kiss him properly. He loved how tall she was.

She broke the kiss. “Take your clothes off and we shall get in the water,” she said.

“Yes ma’am,” he replied immediately.

He heard a loud moan, followed immediately by another and glanced over as he began the process of getting out of his armor. What he saw made him even hornier. Fauna was on her back with her long, beautiful legs spread out wide. Yelena was on top of her, kissing her fiercely, groping one breast firmly, her other arm wrapped around the dryad’s back, and she was driving furiously into her with the strap-on.

And it must be working, because she kept breaking the kiss the cry out in intense pleasure, moaning and panting.

“Wow, she really likes that,” he murmured.

“Indeed,” Cypress said. “It’s a very useful toy. I imagine it will invigorate your sexual escapades with other women even more.”

“Oh yes, I’m very much looking forward to that,” John agreed. He finished getting his armor off, then quickly took off his clothing. It felt good to be naked. It was something he was definitely getting used to, being around Yelena and the dryads so much now. Once he was nude, John took Cypress’s hand and they moved over to the pond. He expected it to be cold, but it was actually pleasantly warm. Not exactly a hot spring, but it would definitely do. And it would be good to wash up. They waded into the water together and once they were mostly submerged, resumed kissing. Now, Cypress slipped her tongue into his mouth.

He liked how it felt different from a human tongue.

John had always known that he had a taste for inhuman women, but it was only since he’d met Yelena that he realized how truly powerful and far-reaching that desire was. He loved having sex with elves, felis, and beryl, but there was something simply amazing about engaging in passionate, unprotected sex with a dryad, a demoness, a serpentine. And not just sex, but everything about them. Kissing them, touching them, embracing them, pleasuring them. Even laying there and talking with them was an experience.

He reached up between them and began to grope one of Cypress’s large, firm breasts. She moaned softly and twined their tongues together, filling his mouth with her wonderful taste of crystal clear water and honeysuckle and clean spring days. He hugged her to him, deepening the kiss, listening to his lover moan in powerful sexual gratification, and her current sex partner joining her in crying out in ecstasy.

“We don’t have to wait,” Cypress whispered, reaching down between them and gripping his cock. He groaned as she began to massage him.

“I, uh, I can go down on you, if you want,” he replied.

She smiled and kissed him again. “I can sense urgency in you. Desperate need. And, unfortunately, I do not have time for an extended session. Duty calls. So we will make love now,” she replied, and brought one of her legs up, then wrapped it around him, spreading her legs a bit and granting him access to her.

As soon as she laid his cock at the entrance of her inhuman pussy, John pushed up with his hips and entered her. They moaned in sexual unity and she embraced him, kissing him again. He began to breathe more heavily as he started sliding in and out of her pussy. Dryad vagina was always so fantastically tight and wet, and hot. Not as hot as Yelena, (no one had hotter pussy than she did), but still, it felt so fucking good!

Getting a firm grip on her thick ass, John began driving up into her, holding her to him. Normally when he tried to have standing up sex in water it went...okay. It was easier if the woman was smaller than he was and he could just hold her, but harder if she was his size or bigger. And Cypress was definitely bigger. But Cypress was like a rock in that he could press against her hard and fast and neither of them went anywhere unexpected as they floated in the water. She broke the kiss, letting out a loud cry as he buried himself all the way inside of her and hit something sensitive. He started to go harder and faster.

The pleasure…

John was panting now, grunting and moaning, completely, utterly lost in the sex he was having. Blissful ecstasy burned into him, filled him, took away his thoughts and worries and fears, bringing him to a place that was nothing but passionate, sexual rapture. He could hear Yelena letting out a series of high-pitched cries of pleasure and knew she was building towards a climax. He was nearing one himself. They had to have been making love for about five minutes now, and he wanted to keep going for a lot longer.

But Cypress said she had pressing engagements, and she never overplayed that.

If he was going to come, though, it was going to be after her. Or at least with her. Coming at the same time was just...paradise. John kissed her again, deeply and firmly, pressing their lips together, and continued making passionate love to her. She seemed to sense what he was trying to accomplish and began grinding herself against him, fucking herself with his cock and rubbing her clit against him, and Cypress let out a loud moan.

“Oh yes! Right there!” she moaned. “Oh, I fucking love human dick so much!” she cried, going harder and faster, pleasuring herself with his rock hard cock.

And then he felt her orgasming against him, and it was one of the greatest feelings in the world. Her vaginal muscles clenched hard around his rigid cock, then began to spasm, massaging it and making her even tighter. John grunted and grabbed her, then started fucking her harder, slipping his cock rapidly in and out of her climaxing dryad pussy, making her scream in pleasure. As he felt a hot wave of her sex juices begin to escape her, making her a lot hotter and wetter, his own orgasm was triggered, and he let out a cry of pleasure as he started to come.

It was like a drug.

Like magic.

He orgasmed into Cypress, filling her up, pumping her wondrous dryad pussy full of his human seed, and waves upon waves of pure pink pleasure crashed through him. Each time his cock kicked hard and a fresh spurt of his seed was shot into her, his pleasure was renewed, a fresh burst of hot ecstasy radiated out from his core and filled him.

He felt nothing but pure bliss.

When he was finished, John came back to himself, and had to fight not to collapse into the water. He carefully let go of Cypress, and then moved over to the shore, where he laid so that his head was still above water.

“Wow,” he said.

“You always say that after I fuck you,” Cypress said, grinning smugly as she came over to join him in resting.

“It’s always accurate,” he murmured, then he splashed some water onto his face, then thought better of it and dunked his whole head under the water. Coming back up, he ran his fingers through his dark hair. “Man, that is so much better.”

“Sex always brightens the day,” Cypress agreed.

John looked over and saw that Yelena was laying with Fauna, kissing sedately, basking in their own post orgasm bliss.

“You two really do make a wonderful couple,” Cypress said, following his gaze. “I have never seen a human and a demoness together, but you two...well, if I’ve ever seen proof of the concept that love is truly blind, you and Yelena are an embodiment of it.”

“Thank you,” John murmured, not sure completely how to respond to that.

“I would tell you to treat her well, but it is clear you already know that.” She smiled suddenly and hugged him to her. “You are a very good friend, John Greenfield, and a good person. I’m so very glad to have you in my forest and in my life.”

“I feel the same way about you, Cypress,” he replied, hugging her back.

“Now,” she said, letting go of him and standing, the water running easily off of her tree bark patterned skin, “I’m afraid I must go. It has been fun.”

“Very fun,” he agreed.

He heard footsteps and glanced back again, seeing that Yelena and Fauna had come to join them. “I heard you talking about me,” Yelena said.

“I know,” Cypress replied. “What I said to him applies to you as well, Yelena.” She hugged and kissed her. “It was good to see you.”

“And you,” Yelena replied.

John got up to give Fauna a hug and a kiss as well. “Next time, we will make love,” she said, grinning at him.

“I’m very much looking forward to it,” he replied.

They said their farewells and the two dryads left them alone in the clearing, disappearing silently back into the foliage. Yelena settled down in the water beside him and wrapped her arms around him, holding him.

“I love you,” she whispered.

“I love you, too,” he replied, then grinned. “I take it your toy was functional?”

“Oh my,” she replied, pulling back, staring at him with bright and excited eyes. “It was! Oh was it ever functional. That thing...we must visit Elise. I want to use it on her, and let her use it on me. And if we could find Tanis...this opens many doors.”

“That it does. And we can double-fuck our friends now.”

“Oh my, yes. And I can be double-fucked as well. That would be very nice,” Yelena agreed. “I’m curious, what do you want to do for the rest of the day?” she asked.

“Well, I figured we’d check out that fort one more time. The one we first found Tanis in. I think there’s another really solid chair we could use. And then we can head back to the cabins, maybe do some work, then...fuck and sleep?” he suggested.

“That sounds wonderful,” Yelena replied.

“All right, then. Let’s wash up and get dressed.”

CHAPTER II

The rest of the day went by pleasantly.

There was indeed one more chair in decent condition that John intended to use outdoors, since it matched a few of the others they’d recovered so far. As they started making their way back, he began to think about something, and once he got thinking about it, it became a bit hard to stop. Over the past month, Yelena had begun experimenting with him in bed. It was a type of sex that he was familiar with, and they had somewhat skirted it since the beginning of their relationship. It was something that she had difficulty with, but something that she really wanted to indulge in. And he actually really wanted to indulge in it, too.

It was really hot.

It was rough sex. Violent sex.

The kind of sex that involved screaming and hitting and choking and hair pulling and really, really hard fucking, and sometimes bindings and gags. That kind of sex was hot. That was the kind of sex he’d discovered one day during his second year of adventuring after a long crawl and a hard fight through a cave infested with spiders with an insanely beautiful elf that had been hitting on him ever since they’d agreed to team up and tackle the spider job. After getting paid, she’d asked him to spend the night with her out in the woods and he’d agreed immediately. That was when she’d asked him to tie her to her bed in her camp-in-a-bag, gag her, then beat the shit out of her while brutally fucking her brains out and screaming at her.

John had known about this kind of sex. He’d read about it growing up, and it had turned him on in a way he wasn’t quite comfortable with. But that had been his first real encounter with it. And he’d decided to give it a shot, because having her ask him for this, and with how fucking hot she was, he was so turned on that his brain felt like it was melting.

And he had brutally fucked her all night long.

That had been one of the most arduous, strenuous sex sessions of his life, and he had enjoyed every second of it.

They’d needed a healing potion afterward, and although he’d felt really guilty, because he was sure he’d gone too far, the elf had told him that she absolutely loved what he’d done, that it had been one of the best sessions of her life.

So...yeah, that had kind of firmly rooted how he felt about really rough sex from then on out. And he had been getting a lot of hints from Yelena almost since the beginning that she was really into that, but for some reason she hadn’t brought it up at first, and even when she did, she was strangely reluctant to go fully into it. And he hadn’t pushed. Obviously she had had some kind of experience, and he would absolutely let her move at her own pace, and help her where he could. But she’d been getting bolder lately.

As they came back to the cabin and went through the process of unloading the supplies they’d gathered, John could tell that Yelena was growing agitated and amorous, much like himself. Her tail was whipping violently back and forth by the time they finished up and moved into the cabin. The pair began stripping down, preparing for a bath.

“How are you doing, love?” he asked as they slipped into the water.

“Very, very horny,” she replied.

“Me too,” he said.

She smirked and glanced at his cock. “I could tell.” She began to wash herself. “I was thinking that tonight, um...” She hesitated, then looked away.

“Is that...is that actual shyness on your face, my love?”

“Oh shut up!” she snapped, twisting back around to face him, her fiery eyes blazing. “If you want to be such a smartass, you can go without demon pussy tonight.”

“But can you go without human cock?” he replied, unable to keep from smirking.

She growled and splashed him. “You are very lucky I love you so much.”

“I am,” he agreed.

Yelena heaved a sigh and kissed him hard on the mouth. “You make me so very happy, John. Now...I want to do something tonight. Something special. I’ve been thinking about it for awhile, and I believe I’m ready to try it.”

“Are you sure?” he asked. “I don’t want you rush into anything, honey.”

“You’re so sweet,” she replied, hugging him to her again. “I am sure. If I change my mind, well...that is why we have that safe word concept, isn’t it?”

“Yes, that is why it’s there, basically.” He felt his heart beginning to pulse in excitement. “So...what do you want to do?”

“I was hoping that we could...oh, what was it called? Role play,” she said. “Pretend. Act something out.”

“Yes, I can definitely do that,” he said.

“Good! I was hoping...” she hesitated again. “This is embarrassing.”

“Take your time, Yelena. I’m not going to laugh at you or judge you.”

“Thank you...” she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I want to act out a fantasy...where I am summoned against my will, and forced to have sex with the man summoning me.”

“That...sounds really hot,” he said. “I mean, I’m probably kind of fucked up for thinking so, but...”

“But I’m the one suggesting it and wanting to be violated. So if you are fucked up, then so am I. But you will do it then?” she asked, eager now.

“Oh yes, I will most certainly do this,” he replied.

“Good. I am, uh, grateful. It’s nice to have someone I can trust to explore with this.”

“Same from my end,” he said. “Now, how about we wash up and get started?”

“That sounds like an excellent idea.”

The pair quickly began washing up, grabbing bars of soap that John had bought on one of the rare trips he took outside of the Emerald Wild to the nearest village. Once they were all lathered up, they washed each other with rags, scrubbing the day off. Their movements were quick and eager. Once they were clean, the pair got out and dried off. Then they came to stand at the foot of their bed. They’d since managed to get a bigger and sturdier bed. One that came with posts. Yelena raised her hand and John felt a small wave of magic travel out, across the room.

“What was that?” he asked.

“A quiet spell, basically. It will largely keep the sound made in this room staying in this room. I’m going to be...very loud. And it would be best if any potential people in hearing distance did not hear what sounds like you forcefully having your way with me,” she explained.

“That is a very good point,” John replied. “Now, uh, how are we going to do this?”

“I thought that for most of it would improvise, but a good starting place would be for you to grab me and bind my hands behind my back. We have those manacles we found earlier...”

“Those would be perfect,” he replied.

She smiled at him. “You seem distracted.”

“Sorry, this is just...this is going to be really hot,” he replied.

“I’m glad you think so. So, um...after that, I thought I would leave it up to you with regards to how you wish to...demean me, and use me.”

“Okay.” He hesitated. “Are you positive you want to do this? I want to be sure.”

“I am,” she replied. “This is something I’ve wanted to do for a little while now, and I’ve had my concerns, not of you. I trust you with my life. But of my own...response to it. But as it has for my entire life, I know that fear must be conquered, and often that is...well, scary. But that is the nature of fear. So I’m going to do this. But I promise, if I feel it is too much, I will use the word. Now...shall we begin?” she asked.

“Yes. Let me get the manacles,” he replied.

John moved across the room to one of the chests they’d salvaged over the past few weeks. He’d seen her grab the iron manacles last week, but hadn’t said anything, curious about what she might want them for. He didn’t want to get his hopes up too much, but he had been secretly wishing that she’d grabbed them for this exact reason.

This was going to be amazing.

He quickly hunted down the manacles and moved back to join Yelena. They were basically just two clamps attached to each other, meant to lock firmly into place and bind someone’s wrists together. To release them, the piece of metal holding them together had to be squeezed in a specific way. Not exactly as effective as a lock-and-key mechanism, but it would do for what they needed. He stepped up to her.

“What’s the safe word, love?” he asked.

“Flower,” she replied, and he could tell she was resisting the urge to roll her blazing red eyes at him. It seemed that this aspect of their relationship was something that had carried over from the first day they had met. He remembered her all but demanding to be given tasks to complete in return for him letting her stay there, and him awkwardly not wanting to tell her what to do. She’d been so annoyed at him for that.

But he kind of liked that dynamic.

“I’m ready if you are,” he said.

“Okay, back up a bit. I’m going to use a bit of magic for some, ah, dramatic flare.”

He nodded and stepped back, his heart racing now. He watched as she crouched near their bed, then raised her hands. There was a sudden flash of light and a red mist appeared. Dramatic flourish indeed. She was good with this stuff. As the red mist spread out and she disappeared from sight, John thought that although he’d never seen anything be summoned from another realm, this looked like what he’d imagined.

His heart hammering harder now, he thought about how he was going to do this.

Then he saw Yelena’s outline as she shifted in the red mist, which was quickly dissipating. She coughed and began to stand. And he moved forward, knowing that he didn’t really need to think about how he was going to do this. This wasn’t something he should plan, it was more something that he should just do.

“Where am I?” Yelena growled, and damn, she was good at acting, he could tell that immediately. She sounded threatening and dangerous.

He moved fast as he saw that she was standing now and the mist was clearing away. She was facing away from him. Striking fast, he grabbed her one wrist and clamped one of the shackles over it, then twisted her other arm behind her back as she yelled in anger and surprise, and repeated the action. And just like that, she was cuffed, her hands held firmly behind her back.

“Who are you? Release me!” she screamed.

“Shut the fuck up,” John replied as he grabbed her and roughly turned her around. She stared at him with raw fury as he got her around facing him. He looked down at her nude body. Fuck, she had such an amazingly fit, sexy figure. He laid a hand on one of her firm breasts, groping it.

“Do not touch me!” she yelled.

“I said shut up!” he snapped, and slapped her across the face.

She growled at him. “Touch me again, filthy human, and I promise I will-”

He slapped her again, hard enough that she stumbled, then, as she was righting herself, he wrapped a hand around her throat and squeezed. She gasped and he yanked her up, holding her so that they were face to face.

“Let me make this clear right now, you demon whore,” he growled, “I’m the one in charge of this situation. You might be able to struggle, but you can’t hurt me. I know that much. I summoned you here, I control you. You’re going to do exactly what I tell you to do, or I’m going to hurt you. You will submit to me, do you understand me?”

“You are pathetic, human scum,” she wheezed at him.

He grinned savagely at her. “Good, I was hoping you wouldn’t submit. Now I get to break you, demon whore.”

He let go of her throat and backhanded her hard enough that she fell onto the bed. He marched over and grabbed her by her black hair, then yanked her off the bed, onto the floor. “You are going to submit to me, you worthless slut. I am going to break you if it takes all night.”

“You are pathetic!” Yelena screamed at him. She tried to get up and he kicked her in the stomach, then planted a foot on her shoulder and shoved her onto her back.

“You’re the dumb bitch on the floor,” he said, staring down at her. “Looks like you’re the pathetic one here. Now, time to make you do something you’re going to hate.”

He grabbed her and yanked her back up, then slapped her twice across the face and began to kiss her hard on the mouth while groping her roughly. She let out a muffled shriek and struggled against him, but he held her firmly in place. He shoved his tongue into her mouth as he groped one of her breasts and slipped his hand down her back to get a firm grip on her ass. He fucking loved her ass. It was so fit and firm, with just the right amount of padding to it. She struggled against him, trying to break free of his grip.

John stopped kissing her abruptly, planted his hands firmly on her shoulders, and forced her roughly to her knees. She growled in anger and tried to get back up but he kept her down there. “Open up,” he said.

“If you dare try to-”

He shoved his cock into her mouth. She let out a muffled yell of anger and frustration and tried to pull back, but he grabbed her horns and began furiously fucking her mouth, shoving his rigid cock hard into her. He could feel its head slamming into the back of her throat and going partway down it, and he couldn’t deny that he felt a powerful rush of dark thrill from doing this. He was very glad that Yelena was into being taken advantage of, because it was kind of the perfect combination. He’d been with women who were into this before, and he had definitely noticed a pattern: the tougher the woman was, the most satisfying it was to dominate the fuck out of her. And so far, Yelena was the toughest woman he’d ever met.

His demoness lover groaned and struggled, clearly screaming something angrily at him, but it was lost given that he was pretty much ramming his cock down her throat. He hoped she was getting off on this, and when she looked squarely up at him and they locked eyes, he could immediately tell that she was. A lot. He could see the lust in her eyes. Damn, she looked good. And he loved grabbing her by the horns and just fucking her mouth.

He kept going for a good minute, the pleasure burning into him, and then he pulled his cock from her mouth and let her go. She fell to the floor, coughing harshly. “That’s just the beginning, you fucking whore,” he said, then reached down and grabbed her up again.

“Let go of me!” she growled.

He ignored her, flipping her around and then bending her over the bed. Her tail whipped back and forth violently.

“You would not dare,” she said, twisting around, trying to get up.

“You are going to be such a good fuck,” he replied as he laid his saliva-slicked cock at the entrance of her pussy.

She was insanely wet, and he could feel the heat radiating off of her like an open flame.

“Don’t you dare, you filthy human!” she screamed.

He pushed into her. “Oh fuck...” he groaned as he penetrated her, shoving his cock forcefully into her extremely wet, perfect demoness pussy. “You are so fucking tight. I knew demon pussy was going to be fucking excellent.”

He grabbed her hips and started pounding her hard. She grunted and screamed. “Get off me!” she shrieked. “I will murder you for this!”

“Shut up,” he replied, and slapped the back of her head. She began to yell at him again, but cut off abruptly as he grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked hard. “I said shut up!” he screamed, then started really pounding her.

John realized that he wasn’t going to last a whole lot longer. Yelena had the best pussy he’d ever fucked in his entire life, and he’d actually been kind of embarrassed with how difficult it was to last longer than a few minutes, maybe five at a stretch, of constant fucking. But demoness pussy was out of this world, especially when he was so deeply in love with her, and they connected as deeply emotionally as they did physically. When he’d brought it up to Yelena, she said that she didn’t mind. If anything, she enjoyed shorter sessions, provided they both orgasmed. Prolonged sessions could be nice, but apparently Yelena was a quickie kind of lady.

Which was good for him, because godsdamn did it just feel too fucking good. And right now, he thought that maybe ending this session might be a good idea, because he had the idea that Yelena was enjoying herself, but maybe would need some time to process how this all had gone, and that was better done sooner if at all possible.

“Don’t try to lie to me, demon slut,” he said as he kept pounding her. “Your body reveals you. You are enjoying this, whore.”

“No...” she moaned, but he could tell she was breaking character, that the pleasure of it was overwhelming her. Well, another good reason to blow his load.

“Yes, I can feel how wet you are, you worthless slut. You want to be dominated like the submissive whore you are.”

“No!” she cried, but he was really pounding her now, slamming his cock deep into her pussy, feeling all that hot, wet, tight perfection.

And then he had her coming.

And what a fucking orgasm it was.

Yelena let out a powerful shriek of raw, rapturous ecstasy as she began to orgasm all over his dick. She squirted powerfully, releasing an intense spray of hot sex juices all over his stomach and hips and thighs.

“YEEEESSSSSS!!!” she screamed at the top of her lungs.

John moaned loudly as he felt his own orgasm burst into being and he began pumping her climaxing demoness vagina full of his seed. And it felt like a lot. It felt like he was coming buckets worth of his seed into her. He moaned and cried out, giving voice to his own intense pleasure, joining hers.

“Oh, Yelena!” he cried, fingertips digging into her skin as his hips jerked forward violently in response to his orgasm, his cock jerking furiously as it spat thick spurts of his seed into her, absolutely filling her with it.

He felt blinded and deafened by the raw, impossible bliss he was feeling right then.

It was like paradise.

When he came back down to reality from his heightened state of impossible rapture, John found himself still inside of her, both of them gasping and sweaty, and it was a genuine struggle to stay upright.

“Oh...fuck...” he whispered, slowly reaching forward and undoing the manacles that still bound her wrists together.

“Thank you,” she murmured as he freed her.

“Are you okay?” he asked, pulling carefully out of her, his cock so sensitive that it was painful right then.

“I am fantastic,” she replied, slowly straightening up. She reached down and placed a hand over her vagina. “And you blew, I believe, the biggest load of our relationship. I feel like you absolutely filled me with your seed.”

“I think I did,” he groaned, his legs aching. It was weird, it hadn’t been a long session, but he supposed it had been an intense one, and that could take a toll.

He followed her as she moved over to the bathtub and the pair slipped in. They sat together, holding each other in silence, for several moments.

“Was it good?” he asked finally.

“Good...does not even come close to describing how amazing that experience was,” she replied dreamily.

“Oh...well, I’m glad.”

She laughed softly. “Was it good for you too, then?”

“Yes. Extremely.”

They were silent for a bit longer. “Yelena...” he said, hesitating.

“Yes, my love?”

“I was wondering if you would be okay with talking about your, uh...experiences, with this kind of sex before. It’s okay if you don’t want to, I just feel like there’s some history there and you might be interested in sharing.”

She was silent for a few seconds. “Yes,” she said finally, “you are correct. I don’t mind telling you. In my realm, there was a lot of domination and submission in our sex. It could be said that that’s all the kind of sex we ever had. I spent about half of my life, perhaps more, being entirely submissive, because I enjoyed it. It brought me pleasure, and from the way my society was set up, it was...I suppose, it was seen as correct. It made sense that I should want to be submissive. Because of my caste, my place in society, it was natural that I would be dominated by those above me. I even spent several years as a...what’s the word...prostitute. I pleasured those who came to me...” she hesitated, looked at him. “Does that...bother you?”

“No, it doesn’t,” he replied.

“Good. I have been learning a lot about your culture, and it has come to my attention that many in your culture do not respect prostitutes. Although I have not exactly been able to discern why this is this case.”

He sighed. “It’s...it’s complicated. But suffice to say, I think it’s just another way for people to judge each other. It’s something that you should pay no mind to. Sometimes, people hate other people for stupid, pointless reasons. This is one of them.”

“Oh...well, that is a bit of relief. Also, very saddening. But, anyway, as I grew older, and became more heavily involved in conflict, and in what I suppose could be referred to as politics, I learned more about power dynamics. And I learned more about respect, and consent, and trust. And how these ideas are very...lacking, in my own society. As I grew more ambitious, it became my understanding that if I was to be taken seriously, not only would I have to fight for respect, often very literally, but that I would have to suppress this submissive side of myself. I could not be both a fierce, competent warrior and sexually submissive in the eyes of my society.”

She sighed and shook her head, then shifted and stretched. “Are you uncomfortable? Your face is very flushed.”

“It is very hot in here,” he replied.

“We shall move to the bed then,” Yelena said.

He nodded, grateful. He hadn’t realized how hot he was, but it made sense. Have an extremely intense fuck session, then get into some hot water, not exactly the best way to cool off. They finished washing up, got out, dried off, and then crawled into bed.

“So, to sum up, I came to internalize my submissive side, to try and hide it from everyone, and as such, I have many negative feelings associated with the fact that I enjoy being...demeaned and humiliated and dominated. I have not found anyone I can trust to share that very, ah, personal and hidden side of myself with.” She smiled and hugged him close to her. “Until I found you.”

He hugged her back, holding her fiercely to him, and kissed her. “I’m sorry you had to go through all that, but I’m so glad I can share this with you.”

“So am I. The amount of relief, and release, that I am feeling right now...oh my, that orgasm was one for the ages.”

“Agreed,” he replied, and kissed her again, then yawned. “Wow, I’m tired.”

“As am I. Let us sleep.”

He nodded and they took a moment to put out the candles, make sure the door and windows were locked, and then settled together beneath the blankets.

“Goodnight, Yelena. I love you so much,” John said as he held her to him, laying against her back.

“And I love you too, John. More than I have ever loved anyone. Goodnight.”

Before long, he had drifted to sleep.

…

John was torn from his sleep when he heard Yelena scream in fury.

His heart felt like it might burst from his chest as his eyes flew open and he snapped up in his bed, tearing the blanket from him. The room was lit by a powerful, flickering red light and for a moment he had no idea what in the fuck was going on.

“Release me!” an unfamiliar voice snarled.

John got to his feet, grabbing the dagger he kept on his bedside table almost without thinking about it.

“What the fuck is going on?” he asked when he found Yelena. “Are you okay?”

“I am fine,” Yelena growled, her voice low and angry. She was standing at the foot of their bed with her hoof planted firmly on…

“Who is this?” he asked, feeling a cold wave of fear slither through him.

A demon.

He was dressed in black and John realized that he resembled Yelena. They must be from the same clan, or at least the same race. Though from the way Yelena described her home plain of reality, they were one and the same.

“I do not know,” Yelena growled. Her hands were raised and covered in writhing, bright red flames. She stood nude and furious. “Who are you?”

“No one to you, but I do know you, and I have been sent to track you down,” the demon replied, staring daggers at her. John could sense a seething, disgusted hatred pouring out of him and realized he could hear a rapid, thin slapping sound.

It was the demon’s tail, hitting the floor in agitation.

“What do you want?” Yelena replied, her voice low and angry.

John came to stand beside her, wondering where this was going. Nowhere good, he could imagine. How had the bastard gotten in? They had traps set, or at least alarms, in the form of Yelena’s magic.

Yelena’s magic…

John felt another cold chill settle over him. Had she raised the silence spell? He honestly couldn’t remember, but it would explain the situation.

“I was to bring you back!” the demon snarled. “You have been missing for a long time now and Hagan demands your return!”

John frowned as he said that. When the word ‘Hagan’ had come out, it didn’t quite match the demon’s mouth, and something about the word twisted and ripped on the air.

Yelena snarled and the brightness and intensity of her magical flames increased. The demon she was stepping on lost some of his bravado. He was actually beginning to look nervous. “Why has he sent you?!” she snapped.

“As I said, to bring you back! Obviously something has gone wrong with you,” the demon said, and shot a glance at John, who had to fight not to take a step back. Demons could be intimidating when they wanted to be, even if this one was on his back and unarmed. “Obviously you have broken, and require fixing.”

“Get this straight, peon: nothing is wrong with me. I highly recommend that you go back to Hagan, tell him that I’m dead, and be done with this whole mess, because I promise that if this escalates any further, it will result in a very unpleasant ending for the bastard.”

Here the demon snarled in a cocky grin. “You have no idea how powerful he is now,” he growled. “He will get what he wants. And he wants you. And clearly you need help. I found you here, sleeping with a...ugh, a human! Clearly your mind has broken.”

“You have my warning, peon.” She lowered one hand towards his face. “Or would you prefer to remain here? I have all night, and extensive knowledge of anatomy, and methods of inflicting the most pain for the longest amount of time.”

The demon’s bravado seemed to slip another notch, and then he abruptly disappeared in a flash of red light. Yelena’s hoof stamped into the floor and she snarled again, then extinguished the flames engulfing her hands, bathing them in darkness.

Neither spoke for several seconds.

Then Yelena raised her hand again and released a new spell. Several sparks of light flew out across the room and lit every candle they had spread across the cabin. Within seconds, the entire room was bathed in a soft, flickering yellow glow.

“What was that about?” John asked finally.

Yelena looked over at him, almost as if she’d forgotten he was there. She looked...worried. Angry and worried.

She sighed and walked over to the bed, then sat down. “My own foolishness,” she murmured.

John replaced the dagger on his bedside table and then sat down next to her. He took his hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. She squeezed back.

“Yelena? Who is Hagan?”

“Is that what you heard?” she asked.

“Yes, although...there was something strange about the name, when he said it...”

“Mmm, yes. Although it is easy for us to adopt a new language through our magical abilities, names have difficulty translating. I remember telling you you could not properly pronounce my given name. It’s interesting what happens when you heard his given name.”

“What causes that?” he asked, wanting to get to the meat of the matter but, nonetheless, finding this interesting.

Yelena shrugged. “I am not entirely sure. It’s probably to do with magic. Our language is very different from your own and everything about us is infused with at least some form of magic.” She sighed and shook her head. “I forgot to lower my fucking spell. I am a fool. That was how he managed to get into the cabin.”

“I forgot, too,” John murmured.

“I should have remembered...” she growled and he felt her tail twitching against the bed through the vibrations of its movements. “Hagan is my...I supposed the most appropriate term would be ex-lover. Or the closest thing I ever had to a lover. We had a long standing relationship...more of a partnership than anything else. I was a fine prize for him, and he was in a higher standing than I. It was a long time ago. Over twenty years.”

“Why did you split up?” John asked.

“I outgrew him. Eventually, I began to assert myself more, and he didn’t like that. He could not tolerate a dominate female in his life and we ended up having a lengthy fight over it. A real fight. We tried to kill each other. In the end, we parted ways.”

“So why’s he suddenly sending some...scout? Assassin? Why is he sending someone after you now?” John asked.

“I don’t know. The little bastard said that Hagan’s more powerful now. It could be that he’s acting on someone else’s behalf. I always worried that this was a possibility. That they might try to come after me. I was hoping that I could use this realm to cloak myself appropriately, but apparently not. My nature betrays me...”

They were silent for several more seconds.

“So what do we do?” John asked finally. “Because I don’t trust him to do what you told him to. I don’t trust him at all.”

Yelena nodded. “Yes, I have no illusions that this is over. I have been thinking about this day for some time, hoping it would never come...”

“Yelena...why didn’t you tell me about this?”

She looked over at him now. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “I...my past life is very difficult for me to handle. I know I should have mentioned it, but I thought I...” she paused, looked away, gave her head a small shake of annoyance. “I thought I was protecting you from worry of something that might never happen, but now that it has...I have to face the reality that I was really just protecting myself. I didn’t...I didn’t want you to know any more about my past than was necessary.”

“Yelena...you know you can trust me.”

She sighed angrily. “It is not a matter of trust, it is a matter of...acceptance. The division between the person I was and the person I am now is-it is not as wide as I would like it to be.” She paused and then suddenly twisted around and hugged him fiercely. “I am afraid of my past, John,” she whispered. “I am terrified of it. And of what it might mean to our relationship.”

He hugged her back, holding her firmly against him. “Yelena, what it was you did...it has no bearing on our current relationship. What you do now matters to me. I know you’ve done things that you regret, things that I’m sure were terrible, but I understand that your culture was very, very different from my own, and from the way you make it sound, atrocities were everyday occurrences over there, and it makes sense that it would take time for you to realize that what you were doing was wrong. But I want to be clear: who you are now, the woman I know now, is a good person. That’s one of the main reasons I love you so much.”

“One of the reasons?” Yelena asked after a moment, her head still resting on his shoulder.

“Well...yeah. There are many,” he replied.

“Like?”

“You are so good at sucking dick.”

She laughed loudly and pulled back, staring at him. She sniffed and rubbed at her eye, but she was smiling.

“You’re crying,” he murmured.

“I am,” she replied.

“I wasn’t sure if you could.”

“We demons can. It’s very rare, though. And dangerous, for obvious reasons. Signs of weakness and all that.” Her expression soured and she looked down at the floor, where there was a faint black residue where the demon had been. “He thinks I am broken...but why wouldn’t he? My people are almost all backwards. It is disgusting.”

“He seemed rather disgusted by our, uh, coupling,” John murmured.

“Yes. Much as I loathe to discuss it...well, our relationship here is about as reviled and hated in my realm as it is yours. Although from our perspective it is more like...well, some of my kind would liken it to a relationship between you and an animal, I suppose.”

“Wow.”

“Yes, highly insulting. Although they will never talk about it, I know some men from my realm slip over here to enjoy interactions with the women of this realm. I think, in their hearts, they can conceive of at least a sexual encounter with beings of this realm, although really it’s only okay for the men to do it, not the women, but very few I imagine could conceive of the idea of a sustained, loving relationship like we have...”

“Well, sucks for them,” John said.

“Yes.”

“So...what are we going to do?”

“I suppose we should discuss that. We must not be idle. I have been thinking about this problem for a long time now, as I said, and I believe that they will be able to track and find me unless I am able to change my fundamental nature.”

John frowned. “That...doesn’t sound like a feasible solution. And I don’t like the sound of it at all,” he replied.

“Neither do I, but I think I have a solution that isn’t nearly as dramatic as it sounds.”

“And that is?”

“Shape-shifting magic. It’s something I’ve been studying for a little while now. Shape-shifting magic is more than merely making yourself look different. Or it can be. At its highest levels, it can be used to cloak your very nature, even from magic users. If my amulet didn’t work out, it was something I was going to consider pursuing. And now it looks like that time has come.”

John was nodding. “Okay...this sounds feasible. I think. Not that I underestimate your abilities, love, but shape-shifting magic is, from my understanding, very difficult.”

“Yes, it is. It will take time, I imagine. And it may not even be possible for me to learn that level of ability. But at present, it is our best option. There is a part of me that wants to return to my realm, to hunt and kill Hagan, but...I’m positive this would get me killed. Or worse, you. We’re going to be in enough danger as it is just traveling in this realm, as I very much doubt that peon was the last we’re going to see...”

“All right. Well...what’s the first step?”

“The most direct path would be to find someone who is knowledgeable in shape-shifting magic and ask for their assistance. Someone we can trust,” Yelena replied.

“Oh man...that’s...that’s going to be difficult. I wouldn’t even know where to start,” John murmured, considering it.

“Elise might know someone. She seems well connected,” Yelena said.

John nodded. “Yes, I suppose that would be a good starting point.” He stood up. “We’ll need to let our dryad friends know the situation.”

“They would definitely appreciate being informed.” She sighed and stood as well. “This is so frustrating. I was very much enjoying our life together here.”

“This isn’t the end of that, just a detour. And besides, I saw how alive you were, how engaged you were, when we were hunting those beasts. You have been craving a real adventure, some real action, haven’t you?”

She smiled and brushed some hair from her face. “Yes. How well you know me, love. I get the feeling you have been yearning for it as well.”

“I have,” he admitted.

“Well, then let us get underway. We’ve much to do.”

They set to work.

…

Close to an hour later, the pair were making their way to the emergency meeting area their dryad friends had set aside for them. It was still dark, sunrise yet hours off. They had bathed and sadly had to resist the urge to fuck, because the near-death experience had, as it often seemed to, put them into a very amorous state. But they didn’t feel they had the luxury of time right then. So they’d finished bathing, dressed, and packed their backpacks for a long journey. Then they had locked up the cabins to the best of their abilities, and Yelena had laid several more magical warnings and wards, to fend off any would-be thieves.

And then they had set off, into the Emerald Wild.

Despite how relatively safe the Wild had been recently between his and Yelena’s own natural abilities and their protection from the dryads, John found himself paranoid of every sound. The moon and stars were out, but the shadows surrounding them were deep. And having been woken up in the manner he had was pretty fucking stressful. Especially considering that he was convinced that this wasn’t even close to over.

But at least they had a plan.

Even if it felt like an admittedly thin one.

“We are close,” Yelena murmured.

John came out of his thoughts and realized she was right. Navigating the Emerald Wild wasn’t easy, but he’d gotten good at it. And Yelena had gotten amazing at it. He’d learned that she had a stunning sense of direction and was truly skilled at memorizing landmarks and routes. John refocused as they broke through into the clearing where they had been, not all that long ago, having some amazing sex with dryads.

Cypress was already waiting for them.

“What has happened?” she asked.

“How-” John began.

“This is my forest. I can sense much. I know something happened.”

“One of my kind tracked us down,” Yelena said flatly. “I believe that more will follow, and John and I are leaving to deal with the problem.”

“...I see. I’m sorry,” Cypress said.

“As am I. I don’t suppose you would know anyone with extensive knowledge of shape-shifting magic?” Yelena asked.

Cypress shook her head after considering it. “No, I’m afraid not.”

“That’s too bad,” Yelena murmured. “We are going to have to track someone down. And I am not sure how long we are to be gone. We’ve secured our cabins to the best our abilities.”

“You won’t have to worry about that. Your residence is under our protection,” Cypress replied. “It will come to no harm. And moreover, if any more of your kind show up looking for you, we will...deal with them.”

“I would appreciate it, although I would not wish you to put yourselves in danger.”

“Life is dangerous,” Cypress said. “And danger is worth it for true friends.”

“Yes, it is,” Yelena murmured. Her hand sought his in the moonlight and he took it and laced their fingers together.

“I wish you luck,” Cypress said.

“Thank you, Cypress,” John replied. They each gave her a long hug and a firm kiss in turn.

“Cypress...you are a true friend,” Yelena said. “I was not sure if I would ever find that in this realm, and I am so glad that you have helped lay those fears to rest.”

“As am I,” Cypress replied.

“What about me?” John asked.

Yelena sighed and shoved him. “You know where you stand with me, John.”

“Apparently to be shoved around.”

“You two make a very good couple,” Cypress said.

“Thank you,” Yelena replied, still staring at John. “You have a strange sense of humor,” she said to him.

“It’s how I sometimes react to stress,” he admitted.

“Indeed,” Yelena said. “We should be leaving.”

“Yes,” he agreed. “We’re going to Elise’s house. I’m hoping she can help us.”

“Give her my regards,” Cypress replied.

“We will. Farewell for now, Cypress,” John said.

“Farewell for now.”

They left the moonlit clearing and, sticking close together, the pair headed north.

CHAPTER III

They made good time getting to Elise’s house.

John found thoughts drifting through his head as he and Yelena cut a path through the Emerald Wild. One he kept coming back to was that he should be more worried. It was very likely that demons were going to be coming for him and Yelena. Demons who were as skilled as, or more than, Yelena. And she was ridiculously effective at hunting and murder. And yet, he wasn’t all that worried. Maybe he was just in a bit of shock, although he wasn’t sure if that was it. Maybe it was the fact that he felt way more confident about his and Yelena’s abilities to tackle any problem. Having Yelena with him sure was a confidence booster, but there was more to it than that.

Ever since actually leaving his home, walking away from his sad old life, he’d faced some pretty serious situations. And although he’d gotten his ass kicked a few times, it was really proving to him just how good he was at surviving out here, at solving problems, at handling situations. And honestly, just living this lifestyle, this life of adventuring, of being able to just pick up and go at a moment’s notice, was so liberating.

Living a life tied to a small town and a single house meant that it could all be swept away at a moment’s notice. And that was horrifying. One monster attack. One natural disaster. One fire. And your life’s work, your home, your everything could be ripped away from you, and it might take years to recover.

But that just wasn’t the case when you lived your life as he and Yelena did.

If they were to lose everything, literally everything but each other, sure, it would suck, but it wouldn’t take them all that long to earn some serious coin and replace what they’d lost, or just to move on and find someone else to hang out with for a few months.

Of course, if he lost Yelena…

Well, that would certainly be devastating on a level he couldn’t even imagine.

But he tried not to think about that. Yelena was the one aspect of his life that he would die fighting to protect.

“I wonder if she’s still awake,” Yelena said, startling John back out of his thoughts. Neither of them had said almost anything during their long trip through the darkness.

“I can’t remember if she was a night owl or an early bird,” John replied.

“Owl?” Yelena asked.

“Oh, it’s a bird that sleeps during the day and operates primarily at night.”

“I see. You have strange sayings.”

“I guess we do. It’s one of those things that I just grew up hearing, so I never really stopped to consider it.”

“I see lights,” Yelena murmured.

John saw that she was right. Through the trees and the dim moonlight, he could see flickering lights. Candles or a fireplace maybe. They pushed on through the dense foliage until they came into the clearing that held Elise’s house.

Yep, she was awake all right. Most of the windows shone with light.

Well, hopefully she was receptive to company. How long had it been since they’d last seen her? He wasn’t sure. Too long, it felt like now as they crossed her front yard and came up onto the porch. He knocked on the front door.

There was a pause, then he heard footfalls somewhere deeper in the house. They approached the door, then there were a few seconds of silence, then the door opened.

“John! Yelena!” she cried, and threw an arm around each of them, hugging them to her.

“Hello, Elise,” Yelena replied as they hugged her back. She gave them each a kiss on the mouth, then stepped back.

John couldn’t help but look down. She was wearing a robe and it had fallen open as she’d hugged them. And she wasn’t wearing anything beneath it.

He’d forgotten just how fucking sexy she was.

She had a nice body.

She looked down at herself and then sighed suddenly and closed it.

“What’s wrong?” John asked.

“I just...I’m feeling a little less comfortable with myself recently,” she replied, losing her good cheer.

“Why? Did something happen?” Yelena asked.

“Not exactly,” Elise replied, letting them in and closing the door behind them. She paused. “I mean...ugh, it’s kind of hard to talk about.”

“We don’t have to if you don’t want to,” John said.

“No, I do want to. I mean, I don’t want to, but I really should. Come on.”

She led them upstairs and they gathered in her bedroom. “Could we use your tub?” John asked. “We had a long, hard march up here.”

“Yeah, it’s fine. Why are you here? Not that I’m complaining.”

“You first,” Yelena said.

She sighed and nodded. “Yeah, I guess I should. I’ll just keep distracting myself and putting it off. It’s fucking stupid, anyway.”

“It’s important to you. It’s not stupid,” John replied.

She stared at him, then moved forward and wrapped him in a hug, almost crushing him against her. He hugged her back.

“You are ridiculously kind and understanding, you know that?” she murmured.

“Well...I mean, I try,” he replied.

“You succeed,” Yelena said as she stripped down.

She let go of him and, after a few seconds, he began undressing.

“After our stint on the island, I was a little...rattled. I’ve been finding it difficult to go out into the Emerald Wild. More and more I’ve just been staying home. That’s my real problem, the one I should be addressing. But honestly, what got me all freaked out was yesterday I was getting out of the bath and saw myself in the mirror and...it was just obvious to me that I’d put on some weight.”

“Have you?” Yelena asked, halfway into the tub. “I did not notice a change.”

“I definitely have. I’ve got more of a stomach now and my thighs are bigger.” She heaved another angry sigh. “It’s so fucking stupid. It’s such a dumb thing to worry about when I’ve dealt with so many huge things that literally threatened my life. I guess that’s just where I’m at right now.” She looked at Yelena suddenly, seemingly deciding something, then she opened up her robe and dropped it, letting it fall to the floor. “You really don’t see a difference?” she asked.

Yelena scrutinized her, frowning. “Hmm, perhaps a small difference,” she said.

John sighed. “Yelena.”

“What?” she asked, looking over at him.

“I just think-”

“No, it’s okay,” Elise said. “I want an honest opinion.”

“There is some difference,” Yelena said, though more uncertainly now. “But I suppose I am confused as to why this is a problem. I have changed since coming to this realm.”

“You have?” Elise asked.

“Yes. I have put on weight since coming here.”

John looked over at Yelena. Had she? He thought about it, thought hard about when he’d first seen her, and he realized that yes, she was heavier. But it clearly wasn’t a bad thing. She’d been pretty thin when they’d first gotten together, and now she was a bit more filled out. Well, either way he was happy with her and hoped she was happy with herself.

And Elise, too. He felt bad for her.

“I guess I can’t tell any difference,” Elise murmured.

“It is not a great deal, but my frame is somewhat more filled out now. I took it as a good thing. It seems to be a side effect of having more regular access to food and happiness,” Yelena explained.

Elise snorted. “Well, I suppose that’s one way of looking at it.”

“If it helps, I do know how you feel. I mean...kind of,” John said.

“How’s that?” Elise asked, looking at him now.

“I’ve always pretty much operated under the assumption that I was fairly unattractive,” John replied.

“That is just ridiculous,” Yelena said.

“Yeah, I kind of have to agree with Yelena. Or I mean, really have to agree with her. You are like really attractive, John. I masturbate to you a lot. I mean,” she glanced at Yelena, “I pleasure myself to both of you, but to John like a lot...um, is this weird?”

“I think it is natural. John is very attractive,” Yelena replied.

He sighed. He was positive that he was blushing fiercely right now. “For what it’s worth, I, uh, appreciate the thought, I guess. My point is, I know what it’s like to feel unattractive, and I feel like we might have gotten off track, because this seems to be devolving into all of us sitting around, telling each other how attractive we find each other.”

Elise nodded. “Yes, I suppose you have a point.”

She moved forward suddenly and slipped down into the water. John joined her and felt a powerful relief begin to permeate through him as he became immersed in the clear, steaming water. He settled in and relaxed.

“I guess, if I’m being completely honest with myself, it isn’t about the weight. I feel bad even complaining about it just to you two, because I know there are people out there who genuinely struggle with real weight issues. It isn’t even about how attractive I perceive myself. It’s...I guess, it’s just my confidence. I feel like that showdown on the island sapped me of my confidence and I don’t know why. I mean...how do you deal with it, John? You got it really bad.”

“I’m not sure,” he admitted. “I mean, it scared me, I had nightmares. Still have one or two every now and then. But I guess I just...keep going. I just keep pushing, even if something scares me. I go out and do things.” He shook his head. “That sounds so dismissive and cavalier. I’m sorry. I don’t mean for it to. But that’s honestly the only thing I can think of. I’m not dismissing your concerns or fears, Elise,” he said.

She shifted closer to him and laid against him. He took her hand. “I don’t think you are, don’t worry about that. I trust you, John. I trust that you wouldn’t dismiss or belittle me.”

He wrapped an arm around her slim, wet, nude body. “I’m glad.”

“It sounds like you have an issue of confidence, then,” Yelena said. “It is as John says, I’m afraid. The only way to deal with this is to face it.” She moved closer, staring at Elise intently. “I believe that I have come to know you. I have certainly come to trust you. This is not easy for me. But I want to say that I...that you inspire me.”

“I do?” she asked.

“Yes. You clearly love your life out here. You are passionate about your goals, your research. You love what you do. You moved out into the Emerald Wild and successfully established a presence here. You are smart, talented, powerful, brave. I would hate to see you robbed of any of your greatness by your own fears.”

“That, I think, is one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me,” Elise replied after several seconds. “Thank you.”

“You are welcome. And I mean it. I believe it.”

Elise laughed softly. “If there’s one thing I’ve gathered about you, Yelena, it is that you do not throw words around lightly.” She paused. “You know, I actually feel better. I think I still need some time to work things out, but...I feel a lot better. I think it’s just actually have another person to talk with about this.”

“Good,” John said, hugging her to him.

“Now, um, before I so rudely interrupted, what did you come here for?” She lost her smile as she saw them exchange glances. “What?” she asked.

“One of my former clan has tracked us down, and we believe they have ill intent, and will continue to track us,” Yelena replied.

“Oh my Gods,” Elise whispered. “That’s...very bad. Um...well, you can stay here for a bit if you like. I have protections here that should make it very difficult to track you. Wow, I’m sorry, this really sucks.”

“I appreciate the offer,” Yelena said. “And I wouldn’t mind staying here and getting some more sleep.” She looked at John.

He nodded. “Yeah, same.”

“But we believe we have a solution to our problem. I wish to learn shape-shifting. I think it will help mask my essence enough to make it too difficult for my former clan to track me,” Yelena explained.

“Oh. That...actually is a good idea. And you’re clearly very adept at magic. But I’m afraid I don’t know anything about shape-shifting magic,” Elise murmured.

“Could you point us toward someone who does?” John asked.

Elise fell silent, thinking about it. Suddenly her eyes widened. “Yes! I can, actually. I don’t think she’ll be able to teach you, as she only knows a bit of it, but she might know someone who could teach you. And...um, shit, there was something else I learned recently. I went up to Stafford last week and I bought a map...oh! Yes. Now I remember. I ended up getting a map that has the location of an old research outpost in the mountains. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have a very precise location marked down. But I’ve heard that they were doing research there with anti-tracking spells and illusion. I bought it because I thought it might be something you might someday want to track down, in case your amulet ever stopped working or you needed something more powerful.”

“Thank you,” John said. “That’d definitely be useful.”

“Yes, it might be a good temporary measure,” Yelena said. “Who is it you are sending us to?”

“Oh! Yes. Her name is Morgan. She’s a half-giantess.”

“Morgan? Oh shit, I know her,” John said.

“You do?”

“Yeah. We ran a job together once. You don’t forget a nine foot tall woman. She was a straight-up badass.”

“Yes, she is. Hopefully she is home. I can give you the location of her house. It’s about half a day’s or so walk from here, if you keep a brisk pace. When you get there, tell her I sent you. Also, ask her about the research outpost. Morgan is a big-time adventuress. She’s been all over the continent, so she might know something about it.”

“All right. Thanks, Elise. This is really helpful,” John said.

“I’m happy to be helpful when I can,” Elise replied. She paused, looked at him, then at Yelena. “I was, uh, wondering if I could ask a favor.”

“Oh?” Yelena replied, a sly smile coming onto her beautiful face. “What kind of favor?”

“As dumb as it is, it would go a long way towards making me feel good if you two could give me a wonderful fuck,” Elise replied.

“Do you even need to ask at this point?” Yelena asked.

“I suppose not. But it’s always nice to ask, in my opinion,” Elise replied.

“Fair enough. Yes. We would be thrilled to fuck you,” Yelena said.

“Oh, so you’re speaking for both of us now?” John asked.

Yelena fixed him with her fiery gaze. “John, is there even the tiniest chance that you are not interested in making love to the two of us at once?”

“No,” he replied. “No there is not.”

“Then yes, I speak for the both of us. Oh!” Yelena’s gaze snapped back over to Elise and brightened a bit. “I have a new toy! It’s amazing! I want you to try it on me. I think you will absolutely love it, Elise.”

“I’m very eager to do this,” Elise replied.

“Good. Let us wash up and get to it.”

They did just that, washing themselves off with soap and washcloths, then getting out of the tub and quickly drying off. As soon as they were dry, they hurried over to the bed. Yelena paused, crouching in front of her backpack and hunting through it. John and Elise laid beside each other on the bed, waiting.

“What is it?” Elise asked.

“You’ll see. You are going to love this,” he replied.

Yelena stood up a moment later, holding the magical fake cock.

“Oh, I’ve seen one of those before,” Elise said.

“Not like this you haven’t,” Yelena replied, crawling onto the bed. “It’s imbued with magic. It allows the wearer to feel the pleasure of sex.”

“Whoa, whoa...wait. So I could put it on, and fuck you with it, and I would feel it?” she asked, visibly excited.

“Indeed.”

“Oh my...where did you get this!?” Elise asked, accepting it and studying it.

“From Cypress,” Yelena answered.

“Ugh! Why didn’t she ever give me one!? I didn’t know the dryads could make these...I’m so asking for one.” She set it aside. “Come here. I want kisses. And lots of tongue.”

“You got it,” Yelena replied, crawling closer and laying down on her other side.

John watched as the two women, his demoness lover and their beautiful beryl friend, locked lips and began to kiss passionately. Both women moaned softly and began to touch each other, run their hands over each others’ smooth bodies. John was already stiff, but now he felt a pulse of lust shoot through him, felt his cock began to throb in anticipation. This was going to be one amazing threesome. Yelena reached back and laid a hand on Elise’s tail, making her cry out. She began to massage it gently. John reached around, laying a hand on one of Elise’s breasts and beginning to play with her nipple, running his fingertips across it.

“Oh my...” she gasped. “It’s been too fucking long since I’ve been touched.”

“We’re going to touch you all night, you beautiful woman,” Yelena whispered in response, and kissed her deeply again.

Before long, Elise stopped kissing Yelena and moved over to John, pressing her lips to his and kissing him deeply as he groped her. She tasted good, a kind of dark, natural taste that he always enjoyed experiencing. Elise reached down and he felt her fingers wrap around his cock. He groaned as she began to massage it slowly.

“I have missed both of you so very much,” Elise murmured.

“We’ve missed you as well,” John replied, slipping his tongue into her mouth.

She moaned again and kissed him back harder, pressing herself against him. She cried out suddenly, breaking the kiss, and John glanced down. He saw that Yelena had a finger in between her green skinned thighs and was pleasuring her, slowly rubbing her clit. John kissed her once more, then slipped down lower and licked across one of her high, firm breasts. She groaned again, and then cried out as he joined Yelena in pleasuring her, sliding a finger into her pussy. He started fingering her and sucking on one of her nipples.

“Oh fuck!” she moaned. “I-I forgot all this. Has it really just been a week and a half since you visited? It feels like forever...” she whispered, then cried out again.

Yelena joined him in sucking on her other breast, and they stimulated her, pleasured her, pushed her hard and fast into an intense, full-body, screaming orgasm. She twitched and writhed against them, crying out her pleasure as she came. When she was finished, she was left gasping between them, staring up at the ceiling with wide eyes.

“Gods,” she whispered. “You’re so good at that. Both of you.”

“Thank you,” Yelena replied. “Now, would you like to fuck me?”

“Yes I would,” Elise answered quickly. She got up from in between them and grabbed the fake cock. She studied the rig for a moment. “Interesting,” she murmured. “Very intricate. They made this for you? Really?”

“Yes,” Yelena replied. “We did a favor for them.”

“Huh. Okay, I’ve got to see how this works.” She pulled it on, putting her legs up into the air to do so, then got onto her knees. She glanced over at John. “You don’t mind if I borrow her for a little bit?” she asked.

“Go right ahead,” he replied.

“He greatly enjoys watching me with other women,” Yelena said. “And he will be taken care of soon enough.”

“Great.” Elise laid down on top of Yelena. “You are so tall,” she murmured as she got into position. “How tall actually are you?”

“She’s six foot even,” John replied.

“I understand that is tall for women in this realm,” Yelena said.

“Well, you’d be abnormally tall if you were an elf, pretty tall for a human, and short for a far elf...oh, there we go...” Elise whispered and Yelena moaned quietly.

She penetrated his lover with the fake dick and both of them groaned loudly.

“Oh my-I can feel that!” Elise moaned as she started having sex with Yelena. “I can actually feel that! This is amazing!”

“Yes...it’s quite nice,” Yelena murmured as she laid there with her legs spread, letting Elise pound her demoness pussy.

John watched, enraptured by the display.

Both women were moaning and crying out now as they made love. He did notice that Elise’s ass was a bit bigger now, beneath her sexy tail that swayed back and forth as she furiously drove into Yelena. And it sure wasn’t a bad thing. Honestly, he thought her ass looked even better with a bit more weight on it.

He was looking forward to fucking her from the back.

The look on Elise’s face was one of beautiful rapture and lusty excitement, still with a bit of surprise mixed in. And Yelena looked so sexy, lying on her back with her legs spread wide, her hands up on Elise’s small breasts, groping them as she got fucked.

The two women continued having sex until Elise let out another prolonged cry of bliss, orgasming a second time, and then she collapsed against Yelena, who wrapped her arms around her and held the sexy beryl.

“Holy shit...I’m still horny,” she murmured.

“So is John, I imagine,” Yelena replied.

“Oh yes...here, lemme get this off, and you can like, take turns fucking us,” Elise said.

She pulled out of Yelena and rolled off of her, then got out of the magical rig she was wearing. She set it aside, then opened her legs and reached for him. “Make love to me.”

“Gladly,” he replied. “We need any lube?”

“No, I think I’m wet enough. I had two orgasms,” Elise replied, smiling sedately at him.

He nodded and laid down on top of her. Gripping his cock, he rested it at the entrance of her beryl pussy and started to push his way in.

“Oh, yeah...” he groaned.

She was definitely wet.

She moaned as he penetrated her, and once he was comfortably inside, began making love to her, thrusting into her.

“I fucking love your cock,” she moaned, wrapping her legs around him and reaching up, running her hands across his chest. He was propped up on his hands, staring down at her wonderful green body, her high breasts bouncing in sync with his thrusting.

“I really love your pussy,” he replied, grunting as he pounded her. She cried out and he felt Yelena’s hand on his back, running smoothly down it.

“His dick is quite nice,” she murmured.

“I am honestly jealous of you,” Elise groaned. “You get fucked like this all the time.”

“Every day,” Yelena confirmed. “Often twice.”

“How do you have the stamina?” she moaned.

“I’m a demon,” Yelena replied simply.

“I meant John. How do you keep up with her?”

“I really don’t know,” he replied, then groaned as he started going faster and harder, the pleasure of her bare, slick pussy on his cock filling him. Whatever coherent thoughts were in his head began to dissolve as he felt that true sexual bliss. He stared into Elise’s eyes as he fucked her, sliding smoothly in and out of her pussy, and she stared right back at him. He kept going until Yelena began to rub his back again, then began to use her fingernails. Not seriously, but enough to get his attention. He looked over at her.

She was lying on her side, and her tail was rising and falling behind her, hitting the bed repeatedly.

“Oh, your turn?” he asked.

“My turn,” she confirmed, her gaze having gone from demure to demanding.

John kissed Elise, then pulled out of her and got on top of Yelena. He slid smoothly into her and she groaned in response. He loved making her make those noises. There was something especially sexy about her strange voice. John kissed her deeply as he made love to her, pressing his hips against hers, burying himself within her. There was such a connection from being inside of her, from making love with nothing at all between them, and he loved every second of it. He continued fucking her, kissing her deeply, until it became obvious that Elise was getting impatient.

“I have an idea,” Yelena said.

“What’s that?” Elise asked.

“How would you liked to be fucked by both of us at once?”

“I...” she grinned. “Yeah, I’d liked that. I’d fucking love to get double fucked by you two.”

“I am going to take a guess and say that John will want to fuck you in the ass.”

“That would be pretty great,” John said.

“He likes doing that.”

“You do have a great ass,” he replied.

“I’m very down for this,” Elise said. “How are we gonna do it?”

“Get me the sex toy,” Yelena replied.

Elise grabbed it for her and John got off of her. Yelena pulled it on, then motioned for Elise to mount her. She did, and slipped the fake cock into her pussy, both women groaning. “Okay, now, John, you get behind her and fuck her in the ass.”

“Gladly,” he replied, lubing up his cock with a bottle of green lube he knew Elise kept in her headboard.

As soon as he was ready, he tossed the bottle aside and got behind Elise.

“Careful now,” she murmured.

“Do not worry, John knows what he is doing,” Yelena said.

“I won’t hurt you, Elise,” he replied, reaching and laying a hand on her tail. He began to run his hand up and down it slowly as he guided his cock into her, making her moan and shudder.

“I trust you,” she whispered.

Once he had worked his way carefully up Elise’s very tight ass, all three of them began to get into a rhythm. It took a little bit to figure out, but pretty soon they had got it down. John had to admit, he loved this position.

Although honestly he loved pretty much every position so long as sex with a beautiful woman was involved.

He groaned, bringing his hands up and around her, cupping her breasts and groping them gently, and Elise moaned loudly, both of her holes getting fucked at the same time. The pleasure was intense, burning slowly into him as he fucked her up the ass. It was only made more potent by the fact that he could hear both women moaning loudly, all three of them being pleasured at the same time, an intensely intimate moment where it felt like the only place in the whole world was this room, it was just the three of them and their sex and their deep connection. He began to fuck her faster, pushing deeper into her ass as Yelena did the same with her pussy.

They fucked her brains out.

In the end, he wasn’t sure who came first: him, Yelena, or Elise.

He felt Elise gasp and twitch against him about the same time he heard Yelena cry out. And his climax burst into being, and he was filling her tight beryl ass with his human seed. His cock twitched and spasmed as it emptied itself as fast as possible. He pumped her full of his seed, wave upon wave of pleasure washing through him in a rapturous release. He could feel both women twitching and spasming in response to their own orgasms, dancing the dance of sexual release and gratification. It was wondrous.

When he was finished, John groaned as he pulled out of her and fell back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling, which was spinning now.

“I really, really needed that,” Elise said as she fell onto Yelena again.

“Same,” John replied. “Do you feel better?”

“So much better,” she answered. “Thank you. You two are amazing friends.”

“You are pretty amazing yourself,” Yelena replied, hugging Elise to herself.

Elise let out a long yawn. “Oh wow, I’m fucking exhausted now.”

“Same,” John repeated. “Bath and then sleep?”

“Yes,” Elise said, and Yelena murmured in agreement.

He began to pick himself up and head for the tub.

…

They found themselves back on the road again several hours after noon.

After sex and bathing, they’d all curled up together in Elise’s bed and had slept for what turned out to be quite awhile. John had had a few nightmares, and had woken up uncertain and somewhat afraid, but seeing Yelena doing stretches on the floor and Elise still asleep in the bed next to him put him back at ease.

They’d ended up having another threesome to wake up, then another bath and breakfast. They’d gone over the map and John saw that the research outpost was somewhere in the mountains that ran from coast to the coast in the north. Specifically, it was somewhere in the far west. Morgan’s house, on the other hand, was closer to the middle of the country. It was somewhere in the woods roughly between two small settlements called Birchwood and Westwood. He’d been through Westwood and it hadn’t been anything special.

He felt confident they could get there without too much trouble.

Well, maybe confident was too strong a word. He had hope. Right now, he was feeling good. He hadn’t realized that Elise was still feeling the effects of their time taking down the undead lord. He still had a nightmare here or there, but he felt bad for her, and he honestly hoped she was going to be okay. John had promised himself that he and Yelena would start making more regular visits to see her, because it felt like Elise was among the first real friends they’d made since starting their new life together.

And real friends were rare, and valuable.

That was, of course, provided they survived this mess, however long it took to deal with.

Their plan was simple: they would walk to the edge of the Emerald Wild, but stay within it, then begin to head south, leaving only when they had come roughly parallel with Westwood. From there, they would press on across the land, taking the most direct route and hopefully reaching Morgan’s place before the next sunrise.

John glanced over at Yelena, and frowned.

She had her hood down. She was wearing her amulet, looking like a plain human woman. The more time went on, the more he hated it. Hated what it represented. Yelena had to hide her very identity, the core of who she was, simply because the people here could not tolerate the sight of a demon. Because they would likely give her no chance. He remember Bianca, and how, for a time, she seemed almost a manifestation of the blind hatred people here had for demons. To be fair, she had a good reason for hating them, and it wasn’t like all demons, or even most of them, as far as he knew, were great, or would treat humans any better. From his understanding, most demons looked at those from his realm as little more than animals.

But still.

Yelena shouldn’t have to hide who she was just to live her life.

His thoughts stumbled to a halt when Yelena snapped her head to the right, freezing in place. He did the same, hunting for the threat that she had sensed. And he began to smell something. Something burning.

“Move!” Yelena screamed and shoved him out of the way as a huge fireball suddenly burst out of the vegetation to their right. John fell to the ground, feeling the scorching heat of its passing, momentarily blinded. He blinked several times, furiously trying to get his vision back as he stumbled to his feet.

“Ragnostal, you cannot hide!” a deep, resonating voice called, and he heard heavy footfalls, drawing closer.

John surged to his feet, drawing his blade, and looked around. There were several small fires crackling, blackening the forest around them. He saw Yelena with an arrow drawn and notched, aiming it towards a hulking figure that seemed to have a glowing outline.

“Agoston,” she said. “I’m so disappointed.”

She let fly the arrow. The huge demon, Agoston, released a small fireball that consumed the arrow midair.

“I thought you would be grateful to see me,” Agoston replied. He let out a huff of irritation. “It is worse than I had heard. Not only are you traveling with one of these feeble creatures, you have changed yourself to look like one! Ragnostal, what happened to you?”

When he said that word, Ragnostal, it was a little like nails digging in his ears. He realized that he was hearing Yelena’s original name.

“Nothing worth dying over,” Yelena replied, another arrow already notched. “You and I both know that I outclass you, Agoston. I can, and will, murder you. Leave.”

“I am afraid I cannot do that,” Agoston replied easily. He reached behind him, to his back, and drew a large blade that was wreathed in flames. “Hagan would not accept my return alone. I come back with you, or not at all.”

“You are pathetic,” Yelena growled, and loosed another arrow.

He again struck it out of the air with a small but powerful fireball.

“Yes, I am pathetic. You left our land, abandoned your holdings, your respect, your life, and came to live a pale imitation of life with a human, and yet I am the pathetic one.”

“Enough!” Yelena snapped, dropping her arrow and drawing her blade. “We will fight. I will end you.”

“So be it,” Agoston replied easily.

John had drawn his own blade. He was angry, but mainly he was just afraid. This demon had to be seven feet tall. And was basically on fire. Shit. This was going to be tough. Though Yelena seemed confident.

Agoston began coming at them.

John and Yelena moved forward in sync with each other, blades raised. John sliced at the demon’s broad, bare chest, but the big bastard brought his sword around in a tight arc so fast that John barely got his own blade up in time. The demon warrior crashed their blades together so hard that John was sent stumbling several steps. He grunted and caught himself from falling. Yelena sliced down, drawing the blade across the demon’s big forearm, and drew blood. But Agoston had no reaction to this, other than to try and backhand her.

Yelena was a lot quicker than he was. She leaped back and slashed out again, cutting across his bicep, then jabbed for his stomach. Now Agoston looked annoyed and as he moved back, John surged forward, trying to hit him while he was distracted. And his blade connected, coming down hard on the demon’s right bicep and jerking to a halt as it actually hit bone. Agoston let out a gruff grunt and hit John in the chest with a fireball that picked him completely up off the ground and sent him flying back several feet.

He felt flames begin to engulf him and he cried out, rolling around and dropping his blade, trying to put himself out. It was all on his armor but was quickly spreading and if he didn’t get it out very soon he could suffer some serious damage to himself. He heard the other two fighting viciously as he put himself out. Finally, the flames were dead. John grabbed his blade and surged to his feet again just in time to see Yelena duck under Agoston’s blade and run him through with her own. Her blade punched out of his lower back in a spray of dark red blood and the demon let out a short bark of real pain.

“Bitch!” he roared and kicked her.

Yelena was picked up and thrown much as John had been, disappearing into the trees and dense foliage.

“Yelena!” John screamed, running at Agoston. They had to end this fast.

The big bastard turned around and punched him squarely in the chest.

The breath burst from his lungs and an eruption of pain slammed into him like a hammer striking an anvil as he heard as much as felt something crack sharply inside of him. He tried to scream as he flew backwards, but had no air with which to do so. Then he crashed onto the ground, falling flat on his back, and gasped for air as a fresh wave of pure pain hit him.

“You are pathetic, both of you,” Agoston growled as he stomped towards John, who was struggling for air, trying to get to his feet. “I will end you, and bring her back for reeducation, because clearly, if she willingly stays here with something like you, she is broken.”

Words formed in John’s head, fueled by fury and rage, but they could not escape his throat. He stared up at the massive demonic being, whose features were now largely hidden by flames, sword still sticking out of his gut.

“Time to end this,” he said, raising his blade.

An arrow exploded out of his right eye in a spray of gore.

He didn’t die, not right away, but he froze, and then slowly turned around. John heard footfalls, softer than the demon’s but growing closer. Suddenly, the blade protruding from his back was torn out, making him grunt.

“Ragnostal...” Agoston growled.

“Now who is broken, bitch?” Yelena replied.

Her blade carved straight through his neck, separating it from his body in a tremendous spray of blood. His head went one way, bouncing away, and his body went the other, mercifully not falling backwards onto John.

Yelena came into view, teeth bared, breathing heavily, bloodied sword in hand. He realized that her amulet must have fallen off, as he could see her true form now. Her expression changed abruptly as she saw him and she rushed forward.

“John,” she whispered, crouching and setting her blade aside. “Hold still, love.”

“Think a few ribs are broken,” he groaned.

“I’m sorry. I will fix you.”

She placed her hands gently on his chest and he winced at the fresh wave of pain hit him, but kept silent. He’d had to put up with broken ribs before. He waited, gritting his teeth, and felt a wave of gentle warmth pass through him. Yelena closed her eyes, concentrating, and he saw a flickering white light begin to emanate from her hands.

He felt his ribs being knitted back together.

It was painful, but her powerful magical skills made the pain distant. After close to a minute, the pain had faded. Yelena opened her eyes and let out a long breath.

“There,” she whispered. He began to try and sit up. “No. Stay,” she commanded.

He sighed but didn’t try to fight. She smiled, then shifted around and ended up sitting beside him, putting his head in her lap.

“I am sorry about that,” she said, gently running her fingers through his hair.

“Not your fault. Are you okay? You took a solid hit,” he replied.

“I am fine, my love,” she said, smiling down at him. “I’ll heal myself after I regain some of my magic.”

He sighed, frustrated. “You should have healed yourself first.”

“Your injuries are more threatening and severe, and I only had enough magic to heal one of us. This was the logical decision. I will be fine, John.”

“You and your logic.”

“One of us should be logical.”

“Oh, I’m not logical?”

She pursed her lips. “Let us just say that...perhaps you find yourself entranced by the promise of vagina a bit too often.”

“Oh like you wouldn’t do fucking anything for my cock.”

She reached down and flicked his nose. “Ow!”

“Try not to think too highly of yourself, love.”

He sighed. “Fine, fair enough. I would go pretty far for sex, I guess. Well...less far now that I’m with you. And I wouldn’t sleep with anyone you didn’t want me to.”

She smiled and ran her fingers through his hair again. He loved when she touched him. “I know, John. We are both highly sexual, and I trust you.”

“I trust you, too...” he glanced around. “Um, shouldn’t we be leaving?”

“We have time,” Yelena replied. “They will be confident in Agoston. Foolish. My people, especially the men, are not known for their innovation. They prefer to rely on blunt strength, as evidenced by Agoston.”

“Anyone else I should be worried about?”

Yelena frowned now. “I am not sure,” she admitted. “I do not know what may have transpired in my absence, but clearly something is different. That peon said that Hagan was powerful. When I left, Agoston outranked Hagan. If the situation is truly as it appears, then somehow, Hagan has indeed gained much more power. But I should not speculate on who may come after us next. We should just be prepared. And we should probably take advantage of whatever time we have, now that I think about it. I do not know their level of surveillance, or how they are tracking us.” She sighed and then helped him to his feet.

They waited another few moments, then Yelena healed her own wounds after gathering up enough magic.

They took a moment to gather up things that had fallen off of them during the battle, including Yelena’s amulet.

Then they were off and walking again, their pace a bit faster than before.

CHAPTER IV

The walk along the interior of the Emerald Wild was mostly quiet.

There was just one instance where they thought they were going to get jumped by another demon, but it turned out to be only a few giant spiders, and the pair put them down with ease. As soon as they reached the area that was roughly parallel with Westwood and Morgan’s house, they debated briefly about whether to stick to the main roads or try to move among the fields. Ultimately they decided to risk the main roads, since it would cut time off of their journey and Yelena had her amulet back on now.

So they could hide in plain sight if need be.

And so they hit the road, walking to one side of it, keeping up a steady pace.

John found his thoughts drifting to Morgan as they walked. He’d run into her once in the Redwood Forest a few years ago when he was hunting a Minotaur that was apparently terrifying the locals. In the process of doing so, he’d run into Morgan. He’d actually, embarrassingly, mistaken her for the Minotaur initially, given her size. But she and an elf friend of hers had been happy to team up with him. They’d found the Minotaur and killed it, and then someone else had shown up while they were on the way back with the thing’s head to cash in it. She’d needed help, and Morgan and the elf had apologized, told him he could keep the gold, and left.

He’d been a bit disappointed, because honestly he’d really wanted to sleep with Morgan and her elf friend, although he wasn’t sure if it could work with her. The woman was nine feet tall, a half-giantess apparently, and he wasn’t really all that big down there. But who knew, maybe there was some way it could work?

He wondered if Yelena would be into watching him fuck a nine foot woman.

He also wondered if he was a freak, since he was seriously horny at the thought of having sex with a half-giantess. It seemed like most guys wanted women smaller than them. He glanced at Yelena. They also tended to prefer their own kind.

Well, if he was a freak, then it was way more fun than being ‘normal’.

They kept moving, the sun beating its track across the sky slowly, making a burn for the distant horizon. They held hands, they chatted, picking up conversations every hour or so about this or that, nothing of any real consequence. Mostly, they were just happy to be together. There were a lot of things that made up love, some of them big, some of them small, but that was probably one of the biggest indicators for John personally. That they could just be together, even if they weren’t doing the same thing, just being in the same room or area, and that was enough.

Eventually, the sun set, and they were left walking in twilight, then in starlight. There were no clouds, and the moons and stars shined down on them. As they kept going, he found himself wondering about other things.

“How did you know Agoston?” he asked, trying to pronounce it best he could.

“We fought together for several years. He was not very intelligent, but he was very strong, and for the most part, that was enough. We got lucky. He was overconfident. Next time, we may not be so lucky.”

“I’ll be ready,” John replied.

“I hope so. And anyone we enlist the aid of, we will have to be up front about our situation.”

“Definitely,” he agreed.

They kept walking.

By the time they finally reached the woods in which Morgan resided and tracked down her place of residence, it was probably approaching three in the morning. John’s muscles were aching as he pushed through the foliage. Hopefully they could have a chat with her and, if she was as friendly and open as he remembered, she’d let them spend the night. But, worse case scenario, they could just walk to the nearest village and rent a room at an inn. Provided they could wake someone up. Smaller villages didn’t have all-night staff sometimes.

“This is a nice place,” Yelena murmured.

John nodded as he studied her house from a distance. The house was strangely proportioned and quite large, which made sense. It sat in the middle of a large clearing, with a cobblestone path leading up to the front door. On either side of that path were gardens that looked like they had received some extensive tending, with a proliferation of flowers that looked absolutely beautiful. He was glad to see that she was still probably awake, as there was flickering firelight in her windows. He moved forward onto the cobblestone path.

“Let’s do this,” he said.

They walked up to the front door, and John kept expecting to see it open up. But it didn’t, and as soon as he reached it, he knocked on it. There was a pause, then he heard the scrape of a chair and heavy footfalls.

The door opened up.

He and Yelena found themselves staring up at an enormous, and very attractive, woman.

“You,” she said, her eyes lighting up with recognition. “John, right?”

“Yes. Morgan?”

“Yep, that’s my name.” She glanced at Yelena.

“Yelena,” she said. “It is good to meet you.”

“That is an interesting accent,” she murmured. “What brings you to my place in the middle of the night, John and Yelena?” she asked, stepping back.

John glanced back over his shoulder once, wondering if they had been followed, but he saw no one and they walked inside.

“Well, we need your help,” he said.

“I like being helpful. If I remember, you were a very skilled and polite man. We had a good time together hunting that Minotaur.”

“It was a good job,” he agreed.

John looked around her place. Her whole house seemed to be one big room, each corner taken up by something. One was a bedroom area, one was a kitchen area, another a dining area. She led them to the dining area and took a seat in one huge chair clearly meant for her. They sat in two of the smaller chairs.

He wondered how often she had company.

“We have a few things we need to tell you first,” John said.

“Okay, shoot.”

“First of all, we are being hunted. So our presence here might be dangerous.”

She shrugged. “I’m more dangerous than most things, and danger doesn’t bug me. Next.”

John glanced at Yelena. “I am a demon,” she said.

“Oh. I knew that accent was familiar. That must mean you’re projecting or you’ve got some kind of spell on. You can take it off, you’re in a safe place in my house,” Morgan replied.

“Thank you,” Yelena said, and took off her amulet.

“Goodness,” Morgan murmured. “You are so beautiful...sorry if that’s weird.”

“No, it is fine. You are quite attractive yourself,” Yelena replied.

John looked at her. Morgan was very sexy. She had dark blonde, almost brown, shoulder-length hair pulled into a simple ponytail. She had blue-gray eyes that made him think of a stormy ocean. Her skin was tanned and mostly smooth, with some scars here and there. She was wearing a sleeveless button-down shirt, and the top two buttons were undone, which meant she was showing off a lot of cleavage, and damn she had some big tits. She was also wearing some cut-off traveling pants that she filled out pretty nicely.

“So, you’re being hunted and you’re a demoness,” Morgan said.

“That’s the situation. Um, basically, we’re looking for two things. The first is someone who would have extensive knowledge of shape-shifting magic, the second is information about a research outpost that might contain an artifact we could use to further hide ourselves. We have a map of the general region, but we were hoping you might be able to pin it down. Um...oh yes! We’re good friends with Elise, she pointed us your way,” John explained.

“I was wondering how you found me. How is Elise?” Morgan asked.

“She’s doing...okay. We were involved in an incident in the Emerald Wild last month. Basically, the three of us and several dryads and serpentines and harpies had to take down a necromancy cult and their resurrected undead demon lord. It was a...taxing experience. She’s still kind of dealing with the emotional aftermath of that,” John explained.

“That’s not good. Maybe I should go see her soon, it’s been a long time,” Morgan murmured.

“I’m sure she would welcome it,” Yelena said.

“Well, let’s see this map then. And I actually can point you in the direction of a friend of mine who is a master of shape-shifting. She’s...rather far away though.”

“How far?” Yelena asked as John dug the map out of his pack.

“She’s on this continent, but she lies in the frozen lands beyond the mountains.”

“That’s quite a trek,” he said. “But we have to go to the mountains anyway.”

“Indeed.” Morgan studied the map as he placed it on the table. “Okay, I see what you mean. Yeah, this is area is a pain in the ass. I have heard of this outpost, but only in passing. I’ve never been there. It was kind of on my to-visit list someday. But I can also point you in the direction of someone who knows that area very well and might be able to guide you there. She’s a close friend of mine. Actually, she was with me when we were hunting that Minotaur. Her name is Indigo.”

“I remember her,” John said.

“So now that I’ve answered your questions, would you mind answering some of mine?” Morgan asked.

“Probably not,” Yelena replied.

“Are you two together? You’ve got that couple feel about you.”

“We are,” John replied.

“I am deeply curious as to how that happened. And I love a good story, would you be open to sharing it with me?” she asked.

He glanced at Yelena, who nodded. He smiled. It was something he’d gotten used to telling those that came into their life. He gave her a somewhat shortened version of events, and also used the opportunity to fill her in on why they were being hunted. As he finished up the story, Morgan suddenly sat up straighter, frowning.

“What’s wrong?” John asked.

“Someone’s outside. And they intend harm.” She stood up.

“Shit,” Yelena whispered, both her and John rising as well.

Morgan walked to the far wall and pulled an enormous broadsword off of its mounts. “Not a problem,” she said. “Come on.”

John felt a little thrill rush through him. Honestly, he’d gotten used to fighting, and he even kind of liked it, if the circumstances were right. But man, was he interested to see Morgan in action again. She was a fucking force of nature. Morgan led the way, opening the door and walking right out without a care in the world. He and Yelena drew their own weapons, Yelena her bow, he his blade, and followed after her.

John’s confidence slipped a notch when he saw exactly what was waiting for them outside of Morgan’s house.

There were a good dozen demons.

“Shit,” he muttered.

“Ragnostal!” one of them called. “Stop hiding!”

Yelena growled, stepping out from behind Morgan. “Damion, you pathetic whelp, they sent you?” she asked.

“Yes, Ragnostal, they sent me to retrieve you. I warned him not to send the halfwit after you,” the demon, Damion, replied.

John joined her, studying them. The others were silent, wearing an assortment of polished silver armor, wielding swords and bows and staffs that all had nasty, sharp points to them. The demon in the center, the one talking, didn’t look particularly threatening. John wondered if he had any tricks up his sleeve.

“So instead they send the whelp,” Yelena replied, then laughed.

Damion’s cocky grin disappeared.

“I am no whelp,” he replied, his voice more firm now. “Hagan saw my potential and I have been given the proper station that I deserve.”

Now Yelena laughed openly. “No he didn’t, you pathetic fool. He sent you here to die, because of your family ties, he could not do it himself. He sent you to me to rid himself of you. He still sees you for what you are, Damion: a whelp. Nothing more. That is all you will ever be.”

“Enough!” Damion snarled. “Take Ragnostal, kill the others.”

His demon squad began to move forward silently, brandishing weapons.

“Still having your underlings do your dirty work for you?” Yelena asked. “Pathetic.”

She let fly an arrow. One of the demons tried to move out of the way but it caught the thing right in the eye and dropped it like a rock. Four arrows sailed back in response, and two of them landed in Morgan, one in her huge thigh, another in her right bicep. She laughed and ignored them. “You guys have no fucking idea who’s garden you’re stepping in,” she replied, then began charging forward. Yelena let fly another arrow.

John ran forward, ready to meet them in combat.

Morgan hit them like a hurricane, bringing her enormous broadsword around in a massive arc and actually cleaving one of the demons completely in half at the waist. That seemed to give them some hesitation.

“Kill her!” Damion roared, then ducked and cursed as Yelena fired another arrow his way.

Sparks flew as John’s sword crashed against another demon warrior’s blade. He was immediately launched into a serious sword fight, their blades ringing as they came together again and again, each looking for a weakness in the other. He could hear the others fighting and shouting and hoped they were holding their own. It was obvious that even the underlings were pretty damned well-trained. Well, why not?

How old was this demon? As old as Yelena? Older?

Even if he was younger, he probably had four times the amount of combat experience that John had. He was going to have to push himself hard.

Or cheat.

Cheating was always an option.

He didn’t particularly like doing it, but hey, fuck these guys. They saw Yelena as broken for loving him and him as little more than an animal. So John let the demon overwhelm him and pretended to lose his footing. The demon let out a huffing snort of satisfaction and moved in for the kill. John grunted as he fell on his ass, then brought his foot back and drove his heel forward, smashing it into the demon’s shin. He didn’t fall, or yell, but he definitely grunted and stopped. John did it again, heard something crack, and then surged up with his sword, driving it up into the bastard’s chin and pressing it all the way into his brain.

A spray of hot blood splashed across him as he ripped the blade out and then scrambled back to his feet. He turned just in time to barely managed to duck and avoid another demon flying through the air. He hit a tree with a solid sounding crack.

“Sorry, John!” Morgan called.

Yelena was fighting with Damion now, their swords ringing as they clashed together. Morgan, as he looked at her, was just driving her broadsword directly into the chest of another demon warrior. She picked him up, raising him high on her enormous sword, then whirled him around and sent him flying into another pair of them.

She was so goddamned strong.

Well, the fight wasn’t over yet, but it was sure going their way. He surged forward and tackled another demon fighter that was charging right for Morgan’s back. They both went to the ground, crushing several of her flowers in the process, and John felt a twinge of guilt. Morgan obviously cared a lot about her garden.

But he had bigger concerns at the moment.

He was currently lying on a demon’s back, and it was struggling fiercely, trying to get up. John reached down almost without thinking and felt the hilt of the dagger he had in a little sheath on his hip. He ripped it out, brought the dagger up and then slammed it down into the back of the demon’s neck. The bastard stopped moving all at once, going totally slack. He heard someone scream and jerked up, pulling the dagger free and staggering to his feet. He saw that Morgan had finished off the other demons still alive and Yelena was standing over Damion, the tip of her blade hovering over his eye. He snarled up at her.

“This is how you die, whelp,” she said. “All these peons you brought to do your dirty work, wasted. You should not have come here.”

“What choice did I have?” Damion growled.

“Exactly why I left,” Yelena replied. “You know I cannot let you live.”

“You had better finish me quickly,” Damion growled. “Because I-”

Yelena jabbed her blade straight through his eye, his brains, and the back of his skull. Damion jerked violently for several seconds, gagging, then went slack.

“Bastard,” she whispered, then yanked the sword out. Turning, she looked at John and Morgan. “Are you two okay?”

“I’m fine,” Morgan replied.

“You have arrows sticking out of you,” John said.

She grabbed one and yanked it out. “I’m fine.”

“John?” Yelena asked.

“I’m okay,” he replied. “No injuries. You?”

“I am uninjured,” she said. She slowly looked around the front yard. “Morgan, I am sorry...your yard, your flowers...”

“Oh, it’s fine,” she replied easily, tugging another arrow out. “We should make sure they’re all dead, and that there’s no one else, and then go inside. I’ll clean up the bodies in the morning.”

“You’re...pretty calm about all this,” John said as they started checking the bodies.

“Eh, this kind of thing has happened before,” Morgan replied. “My house has been attacked before. Garden’s been burned to nothing before. I mean, it gets destroyed every winter anyway. I love remaking my garden. Plus, hey, demon armor is good coin.”

They finished up their search, first confirming that Damion and his demon underlings were truly dead, then making sure there were no stragglers hiding in the woods around them. Morgan apparently had a magical device to help her detect such a thing. Once they were sure they were once again alone, they retreated back into her house.

“So, before we were so rudely interrupted,” she said, sitting back down.

“Let me heal you,” Yelena said.

“Oh yeah,” she murmured, glancing down at her wounds, which had since stopped bleeding. “Okay.”

Yelena moved over to her and laid her hands upon one of her arms, then let her healing magic flow out, sealing the wounds, making them disappear.

“Thanks.”

“You are welcome.” Yelena sat down with John across from her.

“So, uh, where were we?” John asked.

“Information. Here, lemme see your map again,” she said. He passed it to her and she studied it. “Okay, making a little notation here. There’s an elf settlement in the Redwood Forest. About six hours east of Redwood itself. It’s called Brynne. Nice place. Indigo should be there. She’ll be able to help you. Now...” she murmured, moving her finger up, way past the mountains, into the northern portion of the continent. “My friend, Kesley. She’s a dragon, just so you know. One of the only dragons on this continent. She should be here,” she said, carefully marking a lone mountain far to the north. “At the top. There’s a path along the east side of the mountain. You find it, you follow it up to the top. That’ll take you to her place. She might give you a bit of a threat, just tell her I sent you. And you’ll want to give her this,” she said, getting up and crossing to her bed. She rummaged around in the headboard, then came back.

She set a small amulet on the table. It was bronze and had a surprisingly intricate knot on it. “One of our little trade secrets. Just make sure you bring that back to me. If I’m not here, you can just slip it under the front door.”

“Thank you so much for this,” Yelena said, accepting the amulet and slipping it into her pack. “We really appreciate it.”

“Not a problem. You two seem really nice. Now, one more thing. Kesley might not be at her home. She tends to travel across the continent sometimes. The last I heard, there was another warrior traveling in the north. She’s a mutual acquaintance of ours. Her name is Piper. I think finding her would be beneficial, because she probably will know where Kesley is and will help you. Plus, well...I think she’ll be into the both of you, so you could probably get a threesome. And she is hot. She’s tall, fit, and blonde.” She paused, stared at them, her lips twisting. “So what are your plans now?”

John sighed. “Well, I feel bad for leading these assholes to your place, and now they know we’re here. We probably shouldn’t stay.”

“I think it makes more sense to stay,” Morgan replied. “Either they’re going to show up here looking for you again, or they’ll try to hunt you down in the near future. In either scenario, strength in numbers makes more sense. And you two look exhausted. You need a place to sleep, which you can do here. You can bathe, too. I’ve got a kickass natural hot spring out back. I’ve also got food. Plus...I kind of want to fuck you.”

John felt his eyebrows shoot up in response to that as he looked at her. “Really?”

“Yep. Based on what you told me, you two are in an open relationship, and I always intended to have sex with you. I just got called away in an emergency. You were honestly kind of my ‘one that got away’,” she admitted.

“Wow, seriously?”

“Yeah. I’ve thought about you a lot. Don’t worry, I don’t want a relationship or anything. I just want you to stick your cock in me. And I’ve seen the way you check me out. Yelena? Would you be okay with this?”

“Yes, I would be okay with this,” Yelena replied. “Though I fully expect to be fucked before this night is through.”

“Would it, um...would it work, between us? I’m not that big, really,” he said awkwardly.

Morgan just smiled. “It’ll be fine. I know a small bit of shape-shifting magic myself. Basically, I can shrink my pussy. It’s going to feel fucking awesome, I can promise you that.”

“Well...okay then,” he said. He looked up at her. Even sitting down she was fucking huge. It was kind of strange, seeing her, almost like he was looking at an optical illusion or something. She basically just looked like a hot, tough, well-built and busty woman that had been grown to much larger proportions. The tallest woman he’d ever had sex with, as far as he could remember, was Cypress, and she was six and a half feet tall.

Morgan would tower over her.

“Well, since we’re all filthy and dirty, how about we go out back and wash up before we get to the fucking?” Morgan suggested.

“Sounds great to me,” Yelena replied.

“Awesome,” Morgan said, standing up quickly, “because I actually haven’t gotten laid in about a week and I’m fucking dying for some cock, or at least to get eaten.”

“I could eat you,” Yelena said.

“Oh could you?” Morgan replied, looking back at her as they headed for the back door.

Yelena stuck out her elongated, forked tongue and wiggled it at her.

“Oh fuck,” Morgan said, “I think I’ll try to talk you into sticking around.”

“That’d sure be nice,” John replied. This would be a nice spot to vacation from all the crazy shit that had been happening just lately.

He started at her huge ass as she led them out back. Damn, she really filled out those pants she was wearing nicely. As they came out back, he looked around more. She definitely worked hard on her garden. There were even more flowers of all different types and colors surrounding the cobblestone pathway that led to a hot spring.

“Whoa,” he said as he caught full sight of the spring.

“Customized it a little over the years,” Morgan replied as she kicked off her boots and shed her top, undoing the buttons.

“That seems like an understatement,” Yelena murmured. “It is beautiful.”

What had once been a natural hot spring, basically a rocky hole in the ground with water, had been reshaped by years of work. There were dozens of little niches in the rocks that all held gently flickering blue-flamed candles. Along the back of the spring was a brick-and-mortar wall with a wooden shelf attached to it, a long one that had a number of small bottles, washrags, and other items spread out along it.

A tree in full bloom presided over all of it, providing excellent shade.

“This place is amazing,” he said, beginning the process of getting undressed.

“Thank you,” Morgan replied.

She pulled her shorts down and took them off. Wow, she did indeed have an enormous ass. She had that great balance to her where she was in great shape but she was also clearly eating pretty healthily, so she had a nice bit of extra weight to her. Her thighs and hips were goddess-like. She walked into the hot spring, disappearing slowly into the crystal clear, steaming water. John and Yelena quickly finished stripping down.

“Wow, Yelena, you are beautiful,” Morgan said as she settled in, watching the pair of them come towards the hot spring.

“Thank you,” Yelena replied. “You are quite attractive yourself.”

“I’m honestly jealous of both of you. You’re both so fucking hot. I’d love to regular sexual access to either, or, ideally, both of you,” she murmured as they slipped into the water.

John let out a long sigh of relief as he dipped beneath the water. He dunked his head, then came back up, running his hands through his short, dark hair. “Not a bad prospect,” he replied. “This is definitely what I needed after today.”

“Yes,” Yelena agreed, squeezing some water out of her hair.

“I’m going to probably be staring at you a lot,” Morgan said, looking at Yelena. “I apologize if this annoys you. I’ve just...I’ve never actually been around a demoness before. I’ve been around a succubus, and had sex with one a few times, and that was fantastic. But there is just something about you, something so sexy and exotic and alluring...” she glanced at John. “You must fuck her brains out like every day.”

“I do,” he agreed.

“I don’t think there’s been a single day where we have not made love at least once,” Yelena replied. “I’m glad you approve of my appearance.”

She laughed. “I already like you for other reasons. Nothing’s quite a turn on like a badass warrior woman, and you handled yourself quite well out there.”

“As did you,” Yelena replied. “You clearly have experience in combat.”

“Yeah. I’ve fought a lot. I hire myself out to caravans looking for protection, sometimes I hunt dangerous creatures, sometimes I go on adventures. Last year I went across the country helping a few friends of mine hunt down an old necromancy artifact.”

“That must’ve been interesting,” John replied.

“Yeah, it was. Definitely fun, and we did a great thing. And I made a new fuck friend out of it. I don’t have a lot of those.”

“Really?” Yelena asked.

“Yeah. I mean, I’m nine feet tall and live on my own half the year, then the other half I go out and kick ass. I usually find an adventurer to fuck me, but I intimidate a lot of guys. Girls, too, but mostly guys.” She sighed. “You know, guys all talk tough and big, like how they don’t back down and love challenges, but as soon as I show up, it’s like they can’t handle me. I know they wanna fuck me, I can tell when someone’s checking me out, but they can’t get it up! Too many guys are all talk, no fuck,” she groused.

“Not my lover,” Yelena said.

“Clearly not. Anyone who fucks you on a regular basis, I think, has a lot of love for living on the wild side...” she paused. “That wasn’t offensive, was it?”

“I am wild,” Yelena replied.

Morgan laughed. “Yeah, you are.”

“And I believe I offered you oral.”

“And I believe that I accepted that offer,” Morgan said, smiling at Yelena.

John watched as his demoness lover drifted across the hot spring. This was going to be awe-inspiring. Yelena came forward until she was next to Morgan. The two women stared at each other for a few seconds, then Yelena leaned in and pressed her lips to Morgan’s. The half-giantess moaned as she started locking lips with her. They ran their hands over each others bodies. Yelena fondled Morgan’s enormous, glistening breasts, apparently enjoying them very much. John imagined he was going to enjoy touching them a lot too.

Her tits were easily the biggest he’d ever seen.

They continued making out for another good minute or so before Morgan pulled back. “Okay, let me get my big ass up on the side,” she murmured, then kissed Yelena again firmly on the mouth and moved over to one side of the hot spring where the rock had been worn smooth, probably by her. He wondered how often she got eaten out or fucked out here. And she stood up, again showing him that huge ass of hers, then turned around and settled down on the smooth stone. She spread her legs and Yelena disappeared in between those immense thighs of hers. John shifted position so that he had a better view of the action.

“You two make an awesome couple,” Morgan said as Yelena got into position.

“I think so, too,” John replied.

“Ohhhh fuck yes...” Morgan moaned as Yelena began tonguing her clit. “That fucking tongue of yours...oh wow...”

She propped herself up on the heels of her palms and leaned back, making her huge breasts more prominent as she opened her legs wider. John watched Yelena’s head moving slowly as she ate the half-giantess out. Morgan began to moan loudly. He watched her squeeze her eyes shut and begin to chew on her lower lip.

“Yes...yes yes! Yes, Yelena!” she cried, and within half a minute, Yelena had her coming hard. A hot spray of sex juices was released and she convulsed several times as she enjoyed the intense orgasm his demoness lover had induced. As soon as she was finished, Yelena pulled back and washed up. When she glanced at John, he saw that she looked pretty satisfied with herself. Well, she’d made a nine-foot half-giantess come hard.

He was hoping to feel good about that as well.

“Oh my, I really needed that,” Morgan said as she caught her breath and then slipped back down into the water. “Been way too long since someone made me orgasm.” She grinned at John suddenly. “So, you wanna get to the bed and pound my pussy?” she asked.

“Uh...yeah, that’d be fantastic,” he replied. He had to admit: it was intimidating to have a nine-foot woman looking at you with an almost feral intensity of sexual desire. But it was more exhilarating than it was intimidating.

Given that he had a powerful erection, John quickly finished washing up, then got up out of the hot spring. He grabbed a towel from where Morgan had some stashed and dried off. As soon as the others were dried off, they headed back into Morgan’s place. John was almost trembling with anticipation as they got back inside and he followed Morgan up onto her huge bed. She laid on her back and spread her legs.

“Fuck away, handsome,” she said.

He got a better look at her pussy as he got into position and saw that it was indeed oddly small compared to the rest of her. Well, whatever. It might look kind of weird, but it was going to feel fucking awesome for both of them.

Yelena settled in to watch.

John got up against her and rested his cock at the entrance of her pussy. She was extremely wet. He waited just a few seconds, then slipped it into her, savoring the feeling of sliding his bare cock into the pussy of a nine-foot half-giantess. Immediately, he learned as he buried his cock inside of her, that she was right about how godsdamned tight shape-shifting could make her. It felt incredible! He groaned loudly as he began driving into her, humping her furiously as he quickly became lost inside of her, unable to help himself.

“Mmm...yes,” she groaned. “Fuck, that’s so good. Fuck that pussy.”

“Fuck, Morgan,” he moaned as he reached up and groped her enormous breasts. He couldn’t even begin to get his hands around them.

The blissful ecstasy of unprotected sex made a slow burn into him as he continued to pound her, ramming his hips into hers.

“Yes! Fuck me!” she screamed, spreading her legs wider.

“Oh, Morgan...gods, you’re so wet...” he moaned.

“You can come inside me whenever you want,” she replied.

“Wanna go longer,” he groaned.

“We’ve got time,” Morgan said.

He nodded and continued humping her furiously, the intense bliss filling him. He knew he wasn’t lasting much longer, her pussy just felt too good. Even with the endurance he’d been building up fucking Yelena’s brains out over the past month. He could feel her vagina clenching around his cock, wrapping his most sensitive part in all that hot, wet rapturous perfection. And the sounds she was making, the intense moaning and the way she would cry out when he hit a sensitive spot. And he had an idea she was trying to make him come.

Especially when she moaned, “Fill my pussy, John...”

That was his button. She’d pushed it and thus had pushed him over the edge and into orgasm. He let out a long moan as his cock twitched hard inside of her, a thick spurt of his seed leaving him, ejecting from him violently, shooting into her half-giantess pussy.

She groaned in response. “That’s such a good boy,” she moaned. “Mmm, yes...come in me, John. Fill me up with that stuff...”

“Oh, Morgan!” he cried as his cock emptied itself as fast as it could, shooting thick loads of his seed into her. Each time it happened, a fresh wave of raw pleasure blasted out through him, filling him with pure bliss.

He slowly came down from the high that felt like pure magical rapture and it was like being deposited back into his own body, gasping for breath, slicked with sweat, tired. He carefully pulled out of her and then sat down, his feet dangling over the edge of her bed.

“That was very...arousing,” Yelena said.

“Don’t worry love, I’ll do you just as hard,” he replied.

She smirked. “I know, dear. Take your time.”

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Morgan, will we be safe here?”

“Yes,” she replied. “I have a number of spells and wards that I’ll activate in just a moment, since you blew like a huge load in me and I need to wash up again, so I’ll be going out anyway. Plus, I’m a light sleeper. This place is safe.”

“Okay. I just...feel guilty, putting you in danger like this,” John replied.

She laughed. “Relax, I don’t care about danger. And riding Yelena’s tongue and getting fucked by your dick is more than worth danger. Don’t worry.”

“All right,” he replied with only a little reluctance. He did believe her. And he was fucking exhausted at this point.

He glanced at Yelena as Morgan got up off the bed and headed for the hot spring again. She stared back at him with smoldering crimson eyes.

Yes, he would be even more exhausted before the night was out.

CHAPTER V

“So, do you remember where you’re supposed to go and what you’re supposed to do?” Morgan asked them.

“Go to Brynne. Find Indigo. Ask for her help. Then track down Piper, who will help us track down Kesley, and give her the amulet and ask for her help,” John replied.

“Good! Also, when this is all over, come see me again! I want to see both of you.”

“We fully intend to,” Yelena said.

“Excellent. Now,” Morgan murmured, looking out over her garden, “I have a lot of work to do today.”

“What are you going to do with the bodies?” John asked.

“Sell them, probably. I know some mages that would pay good coin for them.”

“Good luck...and thank you. For everything,” John said.

“You’re welcome. And thank you. And good luck to you as well,” Morgan replied.

They each gave her a hug and a kiss, wished her a final farewell for now, then turned and began walking away from her place. It was well past noon, as they’d slept for quite awhile, and even still John was tired. He had an idea that they were going to walk until a bit past nightfall, then make camp for the night and sleep.

And hope no one interrupted them.

It was another good length of distance they’d have to be walking between Morgan’s house and the township of Brynne.

But John was in high spirits, and so was Yelena.

They felt like they had a clear goal and a sure path to it. As such, he felt good enough about their situation that he wanted to take the time to show Yelena some of the more interesting (and, hopefully, romantic) locations of the Redwood Forest. They made quick work of the distance between Morgan’s place and the forest.

“So, this is the place you mentioned earlier? The...Red Forest?” Yelena asked as they worked their way into the trees.

“Redwood Forest,” he replied, “and yes. What do you think?”

“It is...much more peaceful, and serene, than the Emerald Wild.”

“Yes, it very much is. I spent a lot of time here when I first started adventuring. It can be dangerous, but it is far more peaceful. I have a few places I want to show you.”

She glanced over at him. “Are you sure? Given our current situation, I am not sure we should linger...”

“Don’t worry, love, they’re on the way. And between the two of us we’ll be able to deal with anything they throw our way. Not to mention that we do have that blessing of the dryads,” he replied, then looked around, wondering if they were being watched.

Dryads had a way of sneaking up on him.

Serpentine, too.

“It did not seem to count for very much in the Wild, nor the woods Morgan’s home was in,” Yelena murmured.

“I suppose so. I guess I’m just looking for excuses to have a romantic day with you,” he replied, taking her hand.

She looked over at him again and sighed. “I suppose it has been long enough since we enjoyed one of those. And I wonder if I will ever get used to this idea that you want to do something nice for me for the sake of doing something nice. You don’t want anything in return?”

“I mean...I would enjoy some sex later, but, you know, honestly, spending time with you is enough for me,” he replied, shrugging. “It’s its own reward.”

She laughed. “I see. Well, lucky for you I am a very amorous woman.”

“Very lucky for me,” he agreed.

“What is the first place we’re visiting?”

“There is this amazingly beautiful grove I want to show you. These rare blue flowers grow there and I want you to see them, given your favorite color is blue.”

“Did I...tell you that?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“When?”

“A few days after we got your amulet.”

“You remembered that.”

“I did.”

“Very interesting.”

“Why’s that interesting?” he asked.

“It would be considered very inconsequential in my world. Trivial.”

“Nothing’s trivial,” John murmured.

“What do you mean?”

He sighed. “I was talking with an older adventurer once. We were talking about relationships. I made some comment about something being trivial, how I thought that the small things didn’t matter in life...he told me that nothing’s trivial. He had a relationship before, a great love, and she died. He told me that the little things do matter. The day-to-day stuff. Relationships thrive on people who put in effort every day. But not big, showy effort, little efforts. You make it second nature almost: giving your lover a little kiss on the forehead, holding hands, grabbing a drink for them when they don’t feel like getting up, making time specifically for them every single day, giving them a foot massage or dealing with a chore they just don’t feel like putting up with that day. It’s the little things that build the strongest relationships,” he replied.

“That...is so interesting. It is so antithetical to my own cultural. And it is sad, too.”

“Yes, it is. Sorry, didn’t mean to bring the mood down.”

“No, it is okay. I do enjoy all the little things you do for me. I notice them. I appreciate them. With you, I feel...loved. I hope you feel the same way. I know that I have difficulty with these things...” she murmured.

“I feel loved, Yelena. I love our relationship,” he replied, pausing and turning to face her. When she turned to face him, he hugged her to him and she hugged back fiercely. “This relationship is easily the best I’ve ever had.”

“Same on my end, though the bar is not very high,” she said, and laughed. When she stepped back, he realized her eyes were wet.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

She sighed and shook her head, looking up and rubbing at her eyes. “It is nothing.”

“Tell me.”

“I just...I still have worries, sometimes, that you would be happier with someone else. Someone easier to deal with, someone of your own kin, or at least from your own dimension. I know this is just my own insecurities. I believe you when you tell me how happy you are with me, how you would not trade our relationship for anything. But then something like this happens, this huge, massive, dangerous situation that is entirely my fault and it has uprooted and disrupted our lives and all those insecurities come crashing back...”

“Yelena,” he said, hugging her to him again and kissing her forehead once more, stroking her hair. “This isn’t your fault. It’s just circumstances. It’s just life. Life sucks sometimes. But being in danger is far more than worth having you in my life. I would go to great lengths for you, my love. And our life is meant to be uprooted. We live our life on the go. We live dangerous lives because we want to. But I understand about insecurities. If there’s anything I can do to help you feel better, please tell me, okay?”

“Okay. I will.”

A few seconds past as they held each other. “As for being with someone from my own realm, well...no one from this realm fucks like you, Yelena.”

She sniffed and then laughed loudly. “I suppose that is true.” She pulled back and looked at him again. He was so glad she’d taken off her amulet not long after they had gotten into the Redwood Forest. It was dangerous but what wasn’t? He had the idea that the amulet bugged her and he didn’t blame her at all, it bugged him, too.

“Thank you, my love,” she said, and kissed him firmly on the mouth.

He kissed her back. “You’re welcome, Yelena. Now, come along, the grove is close by.”

She nodded and took his hand again. He led her deeper into the forest.

…

Despite the fact that they were actively being hunted by demons, it was a good day.

While he could never fully forget the fact that he was being hunted, for a few hours, John at least was able to enjoy himself. As they made their way through the Redwood Forest, he thought about how he didn’t want to let the threat of danger get in the way of enjoying his life with Yelena. Although he kept a sharp eye out, because obviously he couldn’t outright ignore the fact that demons were looking to kill him.

But he trusted Yelena’s razor sharp senses.

So he took her to a few of the spots he’d memorized during his travels through the forest. He took her first to the grove he’d discovered tucked away in a deep part of the forest, a wonderful, beautiful clearing with a small pond of crystal clear water surrounded by flowers of brilliant, bursting blue color. Butterflies drifted lazily through the air and as they stood among the clearing, several woodland creatures came and went.

“This place is magical,” Yelena murmured as she stood there with him, holding hands, watching the deer and rabbits and birds come and go.

“It does seem that way,” he replied quietly.

“I mean that literally. Something here is magical, imbuing this place with an amplified ambient wonder,” she said. “And it’s bringing in the creatures. This place makes them feel safe. I wonder what is causing this.”

“It could be an artifact...or it could be one of those meeting places for dryads or serpentine. If that’s the case...we’re probably being watched.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Yelena said, annoyed, looking around.

He couldn’t help but smirk. “They annoy you, do they?”

“Yes. I do not like those that can sneak up on me.”

They began to leave the clearing. “Oh, I don’t know. They aren’t so bad.”

“You’re only saying that because of how many horny dryads you have fucked.”

“...maybe.”

She laughed. “I suppose they are quite nice. What’s next?”

“A very tall tree,” he replied.

They walked on.

…

“You were right,” Yelena said, looking up, “that is a very tall tree.”

John just nodded, looking skywards. It was indeed a tall tree. As far as he knew, it was the tallest tree in the forest.

“There is something special here, too,” Yelena said quietly, taking a step closer to the tree. “This tree is imbued with magic somehow.”

He had thought the same thing, when he’d first seen it, and the two times since then. It seemed to catch the sunlight and hold it sometimes. And there was a comfortable feeling that seemed to emanate from it when you were close enough, a sense of peace and tranquility.

“How did you find this?” Yelena asked. She smirked suddenly and looked back at him. “Did a dryad show it to you?”

“Uh...yeah.”

She laughed. “Before or after you had sex with her?”

“Uh...after.”

“Are you capable of traveling with a woman without sleeping with her?” Yelena asked, turning to smirk at him with her hands on her hips.

“Yes!” he replied.

“Okay, let me rephrase that. Are you capable of traveling with a woman who offers to sleep with you, and then you do not accept the offer?”

“I...” he stopped, having to think about it. Had he? Had he ever actually said no? Even once? John was sure that he must have at one point, he must have…

But…

He couldn’t actually think of even one time. “Apparently not,” he replied. “Is that bad?”

“I do not think so,” Yelena said. “It means you are very handsome and charismatic, as far as I am concerned. Do you think it is bad? Truly?”

He thought about it, and looked up at the tree again. It made him think of Adara. That was the dryad he’d been traveling with several years ago who had showed him this tree. She’d been very whimsical and fun and flirtatious. The sex with her had been wondrous. He thought of the other women he’d slept with through the years. He usually had one or two lengthier affairs per year, and maybe half a dozen one-night stands.

“No,” he said finally, “I don’t think that’s bad. I never lied to anyone. I never tried to trick any woman into sleeping with me. I never tried to force or manipulate or apply any pressure. They all slept with me because they wanted to, as far as I could tell. And there’s nothing inherently wrong with sex, nor interracial or interspecies sex.”

“I think that may be something you need to remind yourself of occasionally, in the same way I need to remind myself of certain things,” Yelena said.

He looked back down at her. She looked absolutely radiant in the sunshine, wearing simple black traveling clothes now. They’d opted out of armor today so that they could make better time in between the scenic stops. Her smile was warm and genuine and happy.

“Like what?” he asked.

Her smile fell somewhat. “Like how all your kindness and your generous gestures are not to be treated with suspicion. After decades of mistrust and betrayal and subtle social subterfuge, suspicion is embedded in my psyche. It is a reflex. But I do trust you. And I let myself trust you. I’m surprised that I have made this much progress, honestly.”

“Well...suspicion does have its purposes. But I am glad that you trust me, Yelena. I want to earn that trust every day.”

“You have so far,” she replied, then stepped closer and hugged him. “Ever since that first day when you saved my life. When I woke up in your basement...I was so scared. I thought you were going to kill me.”

“I kind of thought the same thing,” he replied, hugging her back.

“I am sorry for how I reacted then. I don’t know if I ever apologized for striking you. And for putting a blade to your throat.”

“I think you did, but I forgive you again anyway. It was honestly an understandable reaction, given your circumstances.”

“I suppose so.” She looked up at the tree again. “Where did this come from?”

“I don’t know, actually,” he replied. “I’ve heard a few different stories. Some say an extremely powerful dryad matriarch died defending the forest a long time ago, and was buried here, and this tree grew. Others say it’s the true center of the forest...and of the planet. I think I heard that this forest was once made of trees like this one, and it’s the last one. I’m pretty sure that there’s some kind of rare leaf up there at the top that’s used in some difficult-to-make potion. I think someone also mentioned that a dead god was buried here.”

“Do your gods die?” Yelena asked.

“I don’t know. I don’t think so. Do yours?”

“We have no deities,” Yelena replied. “I think we might have killed them long ago.”

“Wow. That...must have been really hard,” John murmured. That statement alone made him realize just how little he knew about Yelena’s people and realm and history.

“I doubt if it is true. It is just what our historians tell us. Personally, I think we have none. Either they left, or we never had any to begin with. I do not really care. Although...I think I may care now, living here. I do not truly know if the Goddess Vivian or the Goddess Bliss accept me, but...given the events of the past few months, I believe I accept them.”

“We fell in love despite the fact that we come from different realms, and we’re in pretty deep with the dryads and serpentine. I think we are at least on those Goddesses good sides,” he replied.

“I think one of us is in deeper with the dryads than the other,” Yelena said.

He laughed. “I suppose that’s true,” he replied. “Come on, let’s keep going.”

Hands clasped together, fingers laced, they walked on, deeper into the Redwood Forest.

…

They continued walking through the forest until about two hours after sundown. With the moons riding high into the clear night sky, they set up camp by a hot spring and cooked up some rabbits they had caught, skinned, and cleaned. After the meal, the pair soaked in the hot spring, then Yelena had gotten atop him, kissing him firmly on the mouth, her forked tongue searching for his, and she had ridden him until they both had come.

Eventually, they’d gone into the tent after Yelena had laid down a few magical alarms, simple spells that would let them know if anyone breached their perimeter. Then they had made love again, furious and passionate, until they were worn out, and drifted off to sleep together. John dreamed that night.

Some nightmares.

Some good sex dreams.

When the sun rose the next morning, he opened his eyes, half-expecting to see someone in the tent with him, bearing down on him and Yelena, but they remained alone. From there, the pair had gotten up, bathed, eaten, and broken down the camp quickly. John felt like they were really beginning to push their luck.

As they picked back up their journey, sticking to a brisker pace this time with no breaks, John found himself wondering (hoping really) if the demons had given up. Would they? Could they even? The motivations of his own species and those he shared the land with were often uncertain enough to discern, what about beings from another realm? Yelena wasn’t all that different from him in regards to what she wanted, what motivated her, how she acted. Sometimes she’d do odd things or come to conclusions that he found strange, but not often. He imagined that she had a similar reaction to him. But Yelena, he thought, was different from her kin.

Who knew how much historical and society subtext he was missing out on. Even something as simple as a gesture could mean a completely different thing between cultures on this planet, separated not by the unthinkable gulfs of realms, but merely by water.

Despite that, John didn’t think they’d give up. Maybe they had just temporarily exhausted their supply of assassins. Or magic. Yelena had said it took a lot to travel between realms. Maybe they were trying to trick them into a false sense of security. Or maybe some other, completely unrelated thing had come up, waylaying them.

Whatever the case, John ultimately surmised, it didn’t matter.

They would proceed as they had been planning to, and hope for the best.

They came to the elven settlement of Brynne a little past noon. John had heard of the settlement more than once and had always intended to visit it. It sounded like a nice place, plus...well, elves were known for their open sexual nature. Although a lot of them were just open with each other, there were clearly some beautiful elf women who were very, very open to the idea of sex with a human. He wondered how they would react to a demoness.

He was sad to see Yelena put her amulet back on as they drew closer to civilization, but it was a necessary evil. Elves were typically more welcoming than humans, but...well, Yelena was still a demon. They walked in through the city limits and started making their way slowly through the town. John found it very interesting.

When humans made a settlement in a forest, they cleared a plot of land of trees, stumps, and larger plants.

When elves did the same, they apparently just built around the trees. Brynne didn’t seem like a village so much as a collection of structures built into several large clearings. There was something wonderfully chaotic and yet strangely harmonious to the layout. And it seemed pretty well populated. There were dozens of people walking around. Most of them elves, but there were a decent number of humans, felis, and beryl walking around. He wondered, suddenly, how close the relationship between the general elf and dryad populations was.

The elf women he’d slept with had all, while they were getting to know each other better, talking in the post-orgasm glow of wonderful sex, admitted to having slept with some kind of forest ‘monster’. A dryad, a serpentine, a harpy, a mermaid. So clearly they seemed pretty in touch with nature, and all that came with that.

The pair of them finally came to an inn and stepped inside. John was relieved to see that no one was giving him or Yelena weird looks. Going into towns with his love always made him nervous now, and it was making him grow to resent his own society more than he already had. But he tried not to think of that as they approached the front counter. A beautiful, slim elf woman was behind it, counting coin.

“Help you?” she asked.

“Yes. I’m looking for someone named Indigo,” John replied.

The woman stopped counting and looked up fully at him. “Why would that be?”

“I’m hunting something quite rare, and I was pointed towards Indigo by a mutual acquaintance,” he answered, wondering how much detail he should go into. Probably not too much, but then again, he didn’t want to seem intentionally evasive and shady.

“What mutual acquaintance?”

“A half-giantess named Morgan.”

The woman’s demeanor changed and her features brightened. “Morgan! I know her. Okay, then. I don’t mind pointing you in the right direction. She’s actually not in the village right now. She’s out in the forest. She and another are dealing with a little undead problem that cropped up. Just go to the edge of the village to the west and follow the path for about half an hour. You should be able to find her somewhere in the area,” she explained.

“Thank you very much,” John replied, and they left the inn.

The pair were silent as they moved through the elven settlement, though he noticed how Yelena was looking around, taking everything in. As they walked, he suddenly felt guilty. It had been a month now since they’d gotten that amulet, and yet they had only traveled up and down the Emerald Wild. How many times had she asked him about other parts of the world? Other parts of this country even? And they’d just stayed in the Wild. Granted, there was a lot to see in the Wild, but still. He supposed it was because he was still scared that someone would find out she was a demon and try to kill her. And although he didn’t think most people were a danger to her, he didn’t want either of them to be forced into a situation where they hurt or even killed someone who genuinely thought they were doing the right thing.

Because as much as he loved Yelena, he knew from his own research and primarily from Yelena’s own admission on the subject that most of her kin were violent psychopaths who had a tremendous disdain for beings from this realm. Finding a demon that could genuinely get along with and respect someone from his realm was far rarer than finding a human who could do the same with one of the ‘monster’ races.

Probably what bugged him the most was that their long-term solution for their relationship’s natural conflict with society at large was so unstable. But what could they do? Was there some other society out there that accepted demons? Did they also accept humans? Maybe that was something he could look into.

They reached the west end of Brynne and began moving down the path.

“Are you okay?” Yelena asked a few minutes later.

“What? Well...I guess I’m kind of anxious about the assassins hunting us,” John replied.

“I am concerned something else is bothering you. I noticed it when we entered the village,” Yelena said.

“I mean, I always get nervous that someone will somehow figure out who you are and...I’m also feeling guilty because you so obviously love traveling and seeing new parts of the land and we’ve just been shut up in the Emerald Wild,” he replied.

“John,” she said, “I am okay with that. I’ve loved all the time we’ve spent together in the Wild. Honestly, I figured we would travel sooner or later. We are traveling now, and despite the reason for that, I am having just as good a time. I am happy with you, is the point I am trying to make. So long as you are here with me, I will be happy. But if I do get restless and want to travel, you can at least trust me to let you know.”

“I guess that’s a good point,” he replied, “you’re pretty good about telling me stuff. So you like Brynne?” he asked.

“Yes. It is a beautiful place. And...there are many attractive people in the village. I was wondering if we might perhaps...ah...”

“Fuck some of them?” John asked.

“Yes.”

“Maybe. Although that’s going to have to be secondary to figuring out exactly how we’re going to approach Indigo. I mean, do we tell her everything? That you’re a demoness?”

“Yes,” Yelena repeated, her voice and expression growing more serious. “We should. I have spent so long, so many decades mired in lies and secrets and betrayals, I want to tell the truth from now on. I never want to lie again if I can help it. Part of the reason I hate this,” she murmured, reaching down and clasping the amulet that hung between her breasts. “But beyond that, it is only right and fair. If she agrees to help us, she will be risking her life, and she should be made aware of that fact.”

“Okay, we’ll tell her,” John said, because Yelena made a good point, and he was generally in agreement with her.

He didn’t like having to lie.

They continued walking west for awhile, and at the half-hour mark, they began to hunt for signs or clues of Indigo’s passing.

“Here,” Yelena said, stepping off the path, “I believe she went this way.”

“How can you tell?” he asked.

“I smell elf,” Yelena replied. “And undead. And I think I can hear fighting.”

“Your senses are amazing.”

“That they are. Come along, my love,” Yelena said, drawing her bow and notching an arrow. John drew his blade and followed her.

As they moved deeper into the forest again, moving between tall trees and across underbrush, moving as quickly and quietly as they could, he started to sense what she had reported. Well, except for smelling elf. He wasn’t sure what they smelled like. But he did start to smell the undead, and soon he heard someone shouting and the sounds of combat. He thought he heard two people fighting. Undead didn’t make much noise beyond grunts or inarticulate screams. He and Yelena picked up the pace, and before long, they’d tracked the source of the combat.

Two women stood in the center of a clearing. One of them was a very tall, well-built human in leather and chainmail armor with a big broadsword. She reminded John a little bit of Morgan. The other was a slim, redheaded elf wielding a bow. Both were very efficiently eliminating a horde of zombies. They all looked pretty old, and almost all of them had combat gear and armor on. Yelena let fly an arrow, expertly putting down the nearest undead.

“Friendlies coming in!” John called as he hurried forward.

Both women jerked their heads towards his voice, hesitated for only a second, then resumed their combat. Well, at least now they wouldn’t try to take him down. Hopefully. He ran forward and drove his blade through the back of another zombie. Ripping it back out, he kicked the zombie forward, where it hit the ground and fell into several pieces. John brought his blade around in a tight arc, decapitating another undead monster. He heard Yelena working behind him, taking more of the undead fighters as they began to notice the new players on the battlefield. John shot forward, blade rising and falling, swinging and chopping.

He lopped off decayed limbs, cleaved through old but surprisingly strong bone where he could, and put down as many zombies as he could. When the last one finally fell and all became still in the clearing, he took one last look around.

“That’s all of them in the immediate area,” the big woman with the broadsword said as she slowly sheathed it on her back.

“Who are you?” Indigo asked, lowering her bow and studying him as Yelena approached to join them.

“My name is John. This is Yelena. I’m guessing you are Indigo?” he replied.

“Yes.”

“We’re looking for help. We were sent by Morgan,” John explained.

The tension seemed to go out of her slightly, and she smiled. “Morgan? I don’t suppose she sent along her amulet, did she?”

“She did,” he replied, pulling it from his pocket and approaching her with it. Indigo took it and studied it, then nodded and passed it back.

“That’s hers,” she said. “What kind of help do you need?”

The big woman shifted. “We really should press the attack while there is a lull. We are very close to ground zero. I can feel it,” she said, then she looked at Yelena suddenly, frowning in concentration. She had a pretty hot scar down one side of her face. She scrutinized Yelena with sharp green eyes. “We could use some help,” she said finally.

“Yeah, we could. There’s more around than I thought. Tell you what: help us clear out this undead problem, then I’ll listen to what you have to say,” Indigo offered.

“Deal,” John replied.

“Just so you know, we’re doing this gratis, so there isn’t a bag of coin to split or anything,” Indigo said as they set off.

“That’s fine,” John said.

“Good then.”

As the four of them made their way quickly through the forest, John found it difficult not to keep looking at the two women. Indigo was extremely attractive in the kind of way he’d come to expect from elves. She was slender and petite with what he imagined was an excellent, toned figure beneath her light armor. She had dazzling blue eyes and ridiculously sexy red hair pulled into a tight ponytail. The big woman on the other hand was sexy in a completely different way. She had to have at least three or four inches on him in height, and she was filled out, pretty broad with a solid frame and, from the looks of it, some pretty big breasts, big hips, and a nice, thick ass. Her chestnut brown hair was cut pretty short and she moved with an easy competence that spoke of years, if not decades, of combat experience.

He had the idea that she was middle-aged, which honestly just turned him on more.

John couldn’t actually figure out which one he was more attracted to. Not that that mattered right now. Right now, they had undead to combat. He and Yelena followed the pair of warriors deeper into the woods.

“So what’s the actual situation here?” he asked.

“An old makeshift graveyard from the human-elven conflicts finally hit critical and gathered enough dark and evil magic to it that the occupants began resurrecting,” Indigo explained. “And it was a fair sized graveyard. We need to get there and defend Lydia while she cleanses it. She’s a paladin, so it should be easy.”

John cut his gaze to Lydia again. Fuck. She was a paladin? Nothing about her seemed to say that. There weren’t a lot of them in his land, but if she really was one, then there was a decent chance that she’d be able to figure out that Yelena wasn’t what she appeared. Maybe she wouldn’t figure out that she was a demoness in disguise, but she would know that something was up. Well, they’d deal with that when they came to it.

A low groan sounded from somewhere ahead.

John gripped his blade more tightly. Time to fight. He began moving away from the others, to give them, and himself, room to fight. They did the same, all four of them spreading out. Yelena and Indigo notched arrows.

They found the old graveyard.

There were remnants of a very old, very makeshift fence tracing a roughly rectangular outline to a plot of land in a large clearing. The trees almost seem to lean away from the graveyard, and the grass and other plants around it were dead. The place had an air of chilly menace to it and it seemed somehow darker than everywhere else. Close to a dozen uncertain figures in various states of decay roamed aimlessly around.

“They’ll be stronger here,” Lydia said quietly.

“How long do you need?” John asked.

“I must get to the center of the site, and then I will need roughly one minute. I will be incapable of defending myself from even the most basic attack, as this requires complete concentration. So I really will be trusting you three with my life,” she explained.

“We won’t let anything happen to you,” Indigo said. John and Yelena nodded tightly.

“Then let’s go,” Lydia replied.

They set off.

As soon as they made it into the clearing, the zombies took notice. They all turned towards them, as if some silent warning bell had been struck, and began to come straight for them. John noticed how they all seemed to be more focused and less shambling.

The two forces met as they passed the perimeter fence.

Lydia got things started by bashing the skull of the nearest undead with the pommel of her huge sword, shattering its cranium and effectively decapitating it. It stumbled away, not going down immediately. She kicked it and sent it flying, then charged on. John stabbed into the decayed ruin of a zombie’s chest and ripped upwards. His blade was torn free of its body, coming out through the section of dead flesh between its right shoulder and neck, in a spray of old blood and rotted meat. As he shifted, an arrow flew past him, barely avoiding him and nailing the zombie in its right eye. Yelena, he was sure.

He shouldered the zombie when he saw that it wasn’t going down yet, sending it stumbling. They had to get to the center first and foremost, then they could focus on killing the bastards. As he ran on, he saw a good opportunity and ducked down, bringing his sword around in a tight arc and chopping off a zombie’s legs just below the knee, causing it to smash to the ground. It grabbed for him as he ran on. Yelena and Indigo fired relentlessly, always hitting their marks. Lydia was sweeping any zombies she came in contact with aside with her huge broadsword.

And there were more zombies appearing.

Some were coming into the clearing from the surrounding forest. Some were climbing up out of their graves.

By the time they reached the center, they’d put down a good eight or nine of the things, but easily three times that many had appeared.

“I’m going!” Lydia called, then abruptly knelt in the dead center of the graveyard, her sword’s tip planted in the ground, hands clasping the pommel, head bowed, eyes closed. She began whispering fervently, and quickly began to glow white.

“Here we go,” Yelena growled, drawing her blade now. The arrows just didn’t seem to be doing enough damage. Indigo had her own short sword out.

The zombies came at them.

John readied himself, covering his third of the center area. Behind him, he could hear Lydia whispering to herself, no doubt a spell of cleansing. He tensed, raising his blade, and went at the first zombie.

He slashed and its head came off, though that didn’t quite seem to stop it. The beheaded thing, a man who had once been quite large and intimidating in his past life and was now that much more so as an undead, reached for him. John slashed again and brought off its left arm. The undead horror stumbled closer and finally he gutted it, then kicked it back as hard as he could, planting his boot on its chest and sending it sprawling. It stumbled backwards up the small incline it had to climb to get to him and crashed into a trio of others, sending them flailing to the ground as well. All around him, he heard groaning and growling.

It went well at first.

He dropped four of the ugly bastards without too much trouble. And then a fifth surprised him, coming up from his left when he’d been too focused on his right, and crashed into him. “Shit!” he screamed as he went down. Acting on instinct as his sword flew from his hand, John grabbed a dagger he had sheathed in his boot and drove it up into the zombie’s chin, breaking through the roof of its mouth and piercing its brain.

This one was weaker than the others and it went slack, though now it was atop him. Growling in frustration, trying to get it off of him, he saw another two coming closer, too close for comfort. He brought his boot up and then jammed it forward, into another zombie’s shin. He did it again and then heard a crack. The zombie lost its footing and stumbling into the other, buying him a precious few seconds to roll the first creature off of him. John found his sword and snatched it up, then struggled to his feet.

He looked around-

-and found himself staring into the twisted, mask-like faces of a good dozen undead, coming for him, bearing down on him, too close to do anything about.

John raised his blade.

Then Lydia screamed something, a shout not of pain but of exertion, and suddenly a wave of solid white light flew outwards in all directions, momentarily blinding John. But it felt good, he could feel a comforting warmth passing through him as the wave expanded rapidly outward. When he managed to get his vision back, he saw that all the zombies had been reverted back to just corpses, laying haphazardly everywhere, strewn across the makeshift graveyard. He turned around and saw that the three others were okay.

“That was close,” Indigo murmured, wiping old blood from her blade. John grabbed a rag from his pocket and did the same for own sword.

“Yes, but we did it,” Lydia said. She turned to face Yelena. “There is something about you. Now that we are clear of the threat, I must know your true nature. Something about you is activating my instincts, I honestly cannot tell if you are friend or foe.”

“I am a friend,” Yelena replied, “and I will tell you the truth. It only seems fair,” she added, glancing at Indigo, “if we are to work together.”

“Please don’t freak out,” John said, stepping closer to Yelena, praying that this wasn’t going to go in a violent direction.

He still had nightmares about Bianca.

“If you are not evil, then you need not fear me,” Lydia replied simply.

“If that is true, then I do not fear you,” Yelena said, and reached up. She took off her medallion, slipping it off of her neck, and the illusion spell fell away. Lydia and Indigo tensed, but that was the extent of their reaction.

“I am a demon,” Yelena said.

“I see...and yet I sense no evil from you,” Lydia murmured. “Curious. I know there do exist demons that are not evil, but to find one is indeed quite rare.”

“Okay, now I’m very curious as to why a human and a demoness have tracked me down,” Indigo said, studying Yelena intently. “Before we go anywhere or do anything, I need to know.”

“Yelena?” John asked. “You have a skill at succinct explanations.”

“To put it simply: I am a fugitive from my realm. I abandoned it, my people, and my life when I met and fell in love with John. Now, we are being hunted by some of my people. I require a more powerful illusion artifact and the location of a friend of Morgan’s, a dragoness named Kesley. Morgan said you knew the location of an abandoned research outpost in the mountains that might hold such an artifact.”

“Wow, that’s...that’s a pretty heavy set of circumstances,” Indigo murmured. She rubbed the back of her neck, considering it. “Yeah, I know the place Morgan is talking about. You want me to take you there?” she asked.

“It would be appreciated. If you can’t, we were hoping you could at least show us how to get there on a map,” John replied.

“Hmm, no...it’s hard to get there unless you know what you’re doing. I found it by accident. No, I need to take you there myself.”

“Will you?” Yelena asked.

She looked at the two of them, then glanced at Lydia, who was silently cleaning her broadsword now, looking like she just wanted to see how this played out. Would she come with them? She was clearly an extremely capable fighter.

“Yeah,” Indigo said finally, “yes. I will take you. I was hoping for something in return.”

“What’s that?” John asked.

“Sex. From both of you. I want to have sex with both of you. A lot of it.”

“Really?” Yelena asked.

“Yes,” Indigo replied, and immediately looked at Lydia. “Don’t judge me!”

“I didn’t say a thing,” Lydia replied.

“I could hear your thoughts.”

“I’m not judging you, Indigo. I don’t care who you have sex with,” Lydia said, apparently unable to keep from smirking just a little.

“She thinks I’m sex-obsessed,” Indigo said.

“No, I don’t think that at all. I know it.”

Indigo sighed heavily. “Whatever. Are you interested?” she asked, returning her attention to John and Yelena.

John glanced over at Yelena. “I don’t even need to ask,” she said, staring back at him, now wearing a small smirk herself. “Of course he’s interested in you. He has a fetish for redheaded elf girls. And yes, I am interested in you. We’d be more than willing to sleep with you. But I really must emphasize that this will be dangerous. The hunters could come for us at any time.”

“They’re unlikely to try something inside an actual village,” Lydia said. “I’ve hunted demons before and so far that’s never happened. Which I think means we should be getting back to Brynne.” She sheathed her broadsword.

“Will you come with us?” Indigo asked.

“I would like to, but I can’t. If you’ll recall, I told you that I was passing through. I am on a quest of my own. But...” She glanced at John. “I would be willing to stay the night in Brynne. Are you interested in sex with me, John?” she asked.

“Extremely,” he replied.

“Excellent. How about this? John, you spend the night with me at my room in the inn, and Yelena, you can go home with Indigo, and we’ll fuck each other.”

“That sounds like a very good plan to me,” Yelena said, already eyeing Indigo, who was looking right back at her.

“Same,” John said.

“Yep! Let’s go!” Indigo replied merrily, then quickly headed off towards the settlement.

“What about all these bodies?” John asked as they all followed after her.

“The forest will see to them,” Lydia replied.

John figured she had a point.

He took Yelena’s hand as they walked back towards Brynne, feeling very good about how all this was going so far.

CHAPTER VI

Indigo had a lot of questions.

Honestly, John was surprised. In a good way. He knew elves were more open and accepting than humans...though Indigo did warn Yelena that she really should keep her illusion amulet on for the duration of their stay in Brynne, and probably until they got out into the deep wilderness. But that was really as close as she got to any kind of poor reaction to Yelena’s true identity. She seemed positively fascinated with both of them, and had a lot of questions about their relationship. Lydia was more surprising, however.

She had some questions for John, but not many.

“This really doesn’t bother you?” he asked after they had fallen silent for a few moments. They were nearing the settlement now.

“Your relationship?” Lydia replied.

“Yeah.”

“No. I meant what I said. A lesson I had to learn the hard way was it doesn’t really pay to put stock into who people present themselves as, nor what race they are, what job they have, or what they appear to stand for. I was betrayed by someone I thought I could literally trust my life with, and I was very lucky to get away with my life.”

“Oh...I’m sorry.”

“So am I. It’s why I am no longer a member of the paladin order, nor really associate with them at all. They’re too...righteous. Believe in themselves too much. I’m more interested in what a person does than how they appear. I must say I find your relationship quite interesting though...you really love her. I can tell. And she loves you. Your bond is very powerful. I honestly believe that Bliss was somehow involved...”

“You think so?” John replied.

“Yes...although don’t get me wrong, I in no way wish to diminish the strength of your love. I’m not saying that Bliss augmented your emotions in any way. She doesn’t work like that. She more...if I had to guess, I’d say she gently nudged events so that the two of you would meet. She didn’t make you fall in love, she simply put you in the right place at the right time. Real love, true love...that’s natural. That’s organic. It has to happen on its own terms. Not even a Goddess can make it happen. I could be wrong, but this is a star-crossed romance if I’ve ever seen one. Speaking of which...there really won’t be a problem if we have sex? Because I really want to have sex with you,” Lydia said.

John glanced over at her. Fuck, she was intimidating. And hot. So hot. She was staring at him with an intense focus. Why was he so attracted to women that had that almost predatory gaze? That looked at him like they were getting ready to go into battle or like they were a carnivore that had just spotted a particularly tasty meal?

“There won’t be a problem,” he replied. “This won’t be the first time we’ve fucked other people. And it certainly won’t be the last.”

“That’s good. The bond is strong. And it means I can throw myself completely at you. I’ve been on the road for about a week now and haven’t run into a single guy I felt like fucking. So...sorry if I hurt you during,” she said.

“If it happens, it will have been more than worth it,” John replied. “You are seriously one of the most attractive women I’ve come across.”

She laughed. “Well, that’s good to hear. We’re definitely going to have some fun.”

They headed for Indigo’s house first, as they still had a little ways to go before it was time to sleep. Although John was admittedly looking forward to hitting the hay as soon as the sun started going down, not only because he wanted to get an early start, but also because he was fucking tired. The past few days had been harsh, and he was sure that sex with Lydia was going to be exhausting. Not that that was a problem.

Being pretty much fucked to sleep was fantastic.

Indigo lived by herself in a small cottage near the edge of town.

“I’ll go report to the guards that we got the job done,” Lydia said. “Then I’ll be back.”

“We’ll be here,” Indigo replied.

They entered her cottage and John looked around. It was a small but tidy place. Indigo shrugged out of her backpack and hung it on the wall by the door, then did the same with her bow and quiver of arrows.

“Okay, let’s talk a bit,” she said, walking into the kitchen and grabbing a glass bottle of water from a cabinet that had clearly been infused with a chill spell. “Want one?”

“Yeah,” both John and Yelena said.

She passed them two more bottles of chilled water and they sat down around a table.

“So, the place you’re looking for is pretty remote. We might, if luck is with us and we bust ass, be able to make it there in a day if we leave early in the morning, but I doubt it. We’re first going to have to walk to Redwood, which is about six or seven hours from here. From there, we’ll find the main path that leads up into the mountains, then start up it and eventually start working our way back west. Unfortunately, this is the only route I know to take. What’s likely going to happen is that we’ll get most of the way there, then find a place to make camp for the night. I remember a cave or two that would serve well. From there, we should be able to finish the trip within a few hours. And then hopefully we’ll be able to find whatever it is you’re looking for.”

“What do you think the odds of it being there are?” Yelena asked.

“Pretty good, probably. The one time I went there it looked like no one had been there for a few years, and it’s an extremely isolated location...so what about after?” she asked.

“After what?” John replied.

“After we get to the outpost and do or don’t find this artifact? Would you be interested in me staying with you longer? I do know my way around the northern parts of the land...”

John looked at Yelena, who simply gave a little shrug. Obviously she knew nothing about that way. And he knew very little.

“Well, provided everything goes well and we keep liking you, sure. We could use the help.”

“You’ll like me,” Indigo replied, smiling at them and leaning forward a bit. “I’m pretty sure you’ll like me. And now I’m curious...you’re obviously open to sex with other people. How many others have you fucked so far?”

“Like...a dozen?” John replied uncertainly.

“Most of them were dryads,” Yelena said.

Indigo’s eyes widened. “Oh my...dryads? That’s...that’s really hot,” she murmured, and he saw that her pale face was flushed a bit and she was breathing more heavily now. “I’m into some pretty, um...unusual sexual hookups.”

“Obviously. You’re drooling over me,” Yelena said. “And you should be. You will be amazed at what I can do with my mouth.” She stuck her forked tongue out and wiggled it at Indigo, who began to chew on her lower lip.

“I really don’t want to wait to have sex with you, but...ugh! We really should stock up on supplies before then. Although if Lydia doesn’t get back before too long, I’m not sure I’ll be able to hold out.” She sighed and glanced at the door.

“So you’re into fucking outside your species then?” John asked, because part of him kind of wanted to jump into a threesome right then.

“Oh yeah, big time. It started with just humans. I love fucking cute humans. And then I started messing around with felis and beryl. They can fuck so well. And then I...met some dryads, in the forest. And I decided to take a chance. I mean, there’s a lot of kind of, you know, underground talk about how we elves like to fuck the ‘forest folk’. And I think it’s true. It’s just one of those unspoken things, you know? And I loved it. It was so good.”

She looked over at the door again. Still no Lydia. Indigo cut her gaze back to the two of them, flushed more now, breathing a bit more heavily. “So do you two want to-”

The door opened and Lydia walked in.

Indigo sighed again, explosively now, and then sat back in her chair, crossing her arms across her chest, clearly frustrated. John knew her pain. He had a bad erection right now. They had been that fucking close to just saying fuck it and having a crazy threesome.

“You guys look pissed,” Lydia said as she came into the kitchen. She smirked suddenly. “You were about to go have sex weren’t you? You two are just as bad as she is.”

“We’re horny,” Indigo growled.

“Aren’t we all?” Lydia replied. “But we have business to attend to. I need to stock up and I know you’re going to want to get it out of the way so we can all have a long night of filthy, filthy fucking to enjoy. So come on, let’s go.”

“Ugh...fine,” Indigo replied, getting up. “Let’s get this over with.”

“Agreed,” Yelena said as she and John got up.

They all headed out of Indigo’s house and began making for the marketplace.

…

“Oh fucking finally,” John whispered as they approached the inn.

“I feel your pain,” Lydia replied quietly.

He couldn’t help but look at her and grin. There was something just so wonderful about knowing that you were going to fuck a woman and she was just as thrilled about it as you were, she was just as desperate as you were to get to the fucking, just as horny as you were. Being wanted by someone was an intoxicating feeling.

They’d spent close to three hours at the marketplace. It was a long, frustrating three hours, but at least a fruitful one. Despite how Indigo portrayed herself, and how Lydia seemed to like to rag on her for being horny and impulsive, as they began to prepare for the long walk ahead, she proved herself to be a very intelligent, experienced, and competent individual. She had them stock up on a good amount of food and drink, several healing potions, had a replenishment of arrows, had them buy some new clothing and armor that was not only made with a special kind of fabric weaved in a certain way that made it both lightweight yet durable against most attacks, but also was treated with a magical ‘coating’ that also kept the cold at bay. They spent most of the time hunting down some more obscure but useful magical trinkets.

But finally, eventually, she was satisfied that they had what they needed to make the trek up into the mountains.

And so they’d parted ways. John had given Yelena a long kiss and a longer hug, and they shared ‘I love yous’, and then had split up.

Now he was coming into the inn Lydia was staying at.

“I got the basement all to myself,” she said as they moved through the inn. It was crowded, there were probably twenty people around, almost all of them elves, eating dinner and talking among themselves. Here was hoping the basement was soundproof, or this was going to get really awkward. John felt a little odd about effectively heading in for the night when the sun was still up. Sunset was probably still a few hours off, and he was used to staying out and using as much daylight as he was given, but he was just too fucking horny.

Lydia was insanely attractive.

It wasn’t just that she had some pretty big tits and a fat ass and some really broad hips, (he was in lust with her hips probably more than anything else), but more just that sexy air of confidence about her. The fact that she was probably about a decade older than him, the fact that she was taller than he was, noticeably taller, that she was definitely more experienced than he was on the battlefield. There was a lot to like about her.

She led him to a stairway at the back of the room, tucked away into a back corner beside a large stonework fireplace. The pair of them were silent as they hurried down the stairwell. Lydia quickly unlocked her door and they slipped inside. She closed and locked the door once more, then shrugged out of her pack and quickly began getting out of her armor. John did the exact same thing. Still no words between them as they hastily disrobed. He found his eyes drawn to her as armor came off, and then her clothing.

Her body was wondrous.

She was clearly in fantastic shape, but had some nice padding to her. And a lot of scars. She took off her bra and tossed it aside, freeing her enormous breasts.

“Wow,” he whispered.

“Hurry up,” she said. “I need cock as bad as I imagine you need some pussy right now.”

“Yep,” he agreed, quickly finishing stripping down. They got naked at about the same time and as soon as they did, they came together in the center of the room, embracing and then his lips were being pressed against hers and he could immediately tell that this was going to be a very fast and rough fuck session.

She was breathing heavily, groaning as they embraced. He hugged her to him, feeling her huge, bare breasts pressing against him as she shoved her tongue into his mouth. He groaned, reaching around behind her and running his hand down her back, settling it on the swell of her huge ass, groping and squeezing it.

“Okay,” she said, breaking the kiss, “enough. Fuck me. Now.”

She guided him over to a mat that was laid out on the floor beside a large sunken bathtub. He saw a shower beside it and longed to use it.

But sex first.

His cock was fully erect and throbbing in desperate need and powerful lust. Lydia kissed him again, then laid down on her back and spread her legs, putting one foot in the water. “Come on,” she said, staring up at him, “take me hard.”

John quickly laid down on top of her, in between her powerful thighs, staring at her smooth, glistening pussy. He slid easily into her, feeling how wet she was inside, and they both moaned loudly, giving voice to that intense burst of pleasure that came from the initial penetration. “Oh, Lydia,” he moaned as he began to thrust into her.

“Yes, John...oh fuck, yes! Fuck me!” she moaned, panting now.

He fucked her like they were rutting animals. As soon as he’d buried himself completely in her, he began furiously thrusting deep into her pussy, and he could feel her pushing against him with her powerful hips.

John kept himself propped up, his hips working overtime as he pounded her mature pussy, enjoying that unmatched lusty thrill of fucking a brand new woman completely bareback, and he stared down at her amazing body. He loved seeing her twist and writhe, seeing her huge, sweat-slicked breasts bouncing in time with his manic thrusting. He absolutely loved listening to her moan and grunt in furious, passionate pleasure that he was giving her. He loved seeing her face, the way her expression changed as he hit new levels of pleasure, driving deep into her.

“Fuck...I’m almost there...” she gasped. “Almost...keep going, John...”

He was almost there himself. Clearly this was not going to be the main event, just an appetizer to satisfy their appetites in the moment so they didn’t both go crazy from how horny they were. He didn’t stop, slow, or even maintain his pace near the end. He just kept going faster, as fast as he could, burying his cock into her fantastically wet, tight pussy until finally he pushed her over into orgasm and heard her cry out intensely as she began to come, her vaginal muscles clenching and releasing over and over again around his cock, massaging it as a hot spray of feminine sex juices escaped her pussy and got all over his thighs and balls.

“Come in me!” she cried. “Oh fuck, come in my pussy!”

“Oh, Lydia!” he screamed in reply as his orgasm flared into being like a hammer striking an anvil or a bolt of lightning striking the land.

His dick jerked violently inside of the tight confines of her pussy and began to empty itself as rapidly as it could, spitting thick, powerful gobs of his seed inside of her. He filled her pussy with spurts of the stuff, emptying his balls into her. Each twitch of his cock sent a fresh wave of absolute bliss careening through his body, a fresh hit of pure pleasure hitting him every half-second until finally he was empty, and she was full, and they both were done.

“Wow,” he gasped, and then pulled out of her and sat down heavily on the mat, trying to get his breath back.

“Yeah. Wow,” Lydia murmured. “That was so worth the wait.”

“Yep,” he agreed. “Can we shower now?”

“Yeah...yeah, good idea,” she said.

After a little bit, the pair of them got up on shaky legs and moved over to the shower stall. Lydia turned on the water and they stood together beneath the waterfall, simply enjoying the simple pleasure of the water and each others’ presence in the post-orgasm glow for several moments. They took the time to wash up. As soon as they were done, they left the shower and then slipped down into the hot tub full of clear, steaming water.

“That is just fantastic,” Lydia whispered as she finished settling herself. She rested her arms on the side of the tub to either side of her, her huge breasts just above the waterline.

“So...who are you?” John asked. “How’d you end up here?”

“That’s a fair question, I suppose. Telling stories is almost like our currency, we adventurers. It’s not a happy story, just so you know. But I’m to the point where it mostly doesn’t affect me as much any longer. When I was very young, my parents were killed by an undead attack. I was taken in by a group of paladins. I was raised to be a paladin. I loved it. By the time I was seventeen, I was quite deadly. My mentor began taking me out into the world, doing things you’d expect paladins to do. Righting wrongs, purifying tainted sites, hunting evil. And then, when I was twenty, everything changed. My mentor and I were called to an isolated location by some of our fellow paladins. They claimed to have found a ruin, an old castle, that was too infused with evil for them to handle alone. Naturally, we responded and went out there…

“Our allies were indeed waiting for us, but no longer as allies. They had turned. They had begun working with necromancers. We were captured. My mentor was killed. I endured torture all in the name of their ‘research’ for close to one week. It may have been longer, or shorter. I honestly cannot remember. I would have died if I had not been rescued by a band of adventurers. They helped heal me. After that...well, let’s just say that my world view was pretty broken. Eventually, I found a new ideal to adhere to, or rather my original one, I guess. I wanted to be what a real paladin should be: honest, hardworking, and effective.

“That’s what really drives it home for me. I don’t waste time with ceremony. I don’t bullshit around, I don’t pretend I’m better just because I have these abilities and I’ve done these things. I seek out evil and I kill it. I lay ghosts to rest. I save lives. I save villages. That’s my life. I don’t try to control people who have a different point of view and honestly, so long as they aren’t being evil, I don’t fuck with people.”

“That sounds...pretty amazing,” John said. “It seems like you’re doing a great job, just based on the experiences I’ve had with you so far.”

“Well, I think you’re biased because you just had amazing sex with me, but I appreciate it. Now, as for how I ended up with Indigo? We’ve been friends for a little while now. I ran into her one day when I was hunting down some cultists who were trying to gain power so they could enslave a lot of people. Obviously I couldn’t have that, and she was tracking the cultists because they’d beaten a friend of hers to near death for a powerful amulet that she had recovered while adventuring. Indigo and I tracked them down, killed them, and burned all their damned books, then took back the artifacts of power they stole. We really just hit it off after that and she stuck with me for a few weeks. I tend to travel alone but I like friends every now and then. And I run into her here and there, probably a few times a year, sometimes by chance, sometimes just to check in. I had something I needed to pick up in town and I figured I might as well take the opportunity to see if she happened to be in, since she goes out adventure a lot, too.”

“That’s so amazing. Man, it kind of makes me feel like a failure, like I wasted all this time...I’d been trying to get my adventuring life going for a decade before I finally really left my old life behind a month ago. I’d always keep coming back to my home town,” John replied.

“Why do you think it’s permanent this time?” Lydia asked.

“I have Yelena, now. Before, I never had a reason compelling enough to keep me out here, to keep me moving. But now that I have her...I feel like this is real.” He frowned suddenly. “Man, I miss her already. Heh. It’s rare that we’re apart for very long now. We do just about everything together. I hope she’s having fun with Indigo.”

“I’m sure she is...you really love her,” Lydia murmured, then shook her head slightly. “I’m sorry, that’s offensive. I just...I’ve never seen a relationship like yours. I’ve seen, and had, plenty of flings with those not of my own species. I love having sex with felis men, personally. But I don’t think I could have sex with a demon, even one as good as I think Yelena is. But don’t in any way take that as condemnation. I don’t have to fully understand a relationship to respect it. I’m more...in awe, I guess, than anything else. It’s a good surprise, is what I’m trying to say. After seeing so much hate, so much greed and cruelty and even apathy in the world, seeing your relationship is truly inspiring. Sometimes I begin to lose faith in our races...”

“I do know what you mean,” John replied. “There’s a lot of cruelty out there. A lot of horror. It’s overwhelming sometimes.”

“Yes, it can be. In my experience, the best you can do is to just help people where you can.” She shifted and stretched suddenly, popping her shoulders, then her neck. “Gods...okay, enough of that. I want some more sex. And I’m very much down to trade oral.”

“Same,” John replied immediately, happy to be focusing on more pleasant things. “I would absolutely love to put my cock in your mouth.”

“And I bet you’d love for me to swallow for you...do a good job with your tongue, and I’ll do just that,” Lydia said with a slow smile.

“Done deal.”

He moved closer to her, and then she made her own move, getting on top of him, straddling him. He loved the feel of her body against his, her naked, wet skin. Reaching back and settling his hands once again on her huge ass, John began making out with Lydia again. This time as they locked lips and twisted tongues together, it was slower, calmer. They had time, time to enjoy the encounter, stretch it out a bit.

Kissing Lydia was a great experience, a wonderfully sensuous one. He was always thrilled when he could be intimate like this with another woman. Some were oddly uncomfortable with making out, and yet had no problem with frantic sex. He never quite understood it, but the closest he’d been able to come to figuring it out is that they were trying to divorce sex as much as physically possible from actual intimacy. And while he suppose he could kind of see that point of view, he never actually understood it.

Being intimate was just as fun as having an orgasm.

If anything, it always seemed to make the sex and the orgasm that much more powerful.

They continued making out until John began motioning for her to move. “Get your big ass up on the side,” he said.

“You have a thing for my big ass, don’t you?” she asked.

“I very, very much do. And your hips. My fucking Gods your hips are amazing, Lydia.”

She laughed as she dismounted him and then got onto the side of the tub, spreading her legs open. “I’m glad you like them. If you’re a good boy, I’ll let you fuck me in the ass.”

“I very much intend to be good,” John said, getting down in between her thick, powerful thighs. He was going to make her come hard, because right then, fucking her in her huge, thick ass was something he wanted desperately.

John set to work.

He parted the smooth, taut lips of Lydia’s pussy, exposing the white nub of her clit. He leaned in, intent on doing a very good job, and breathed slowly out. Lydia shivered in response and he heard her inhale sharply. Good signs. She was wound up, her senses heightened, very tuned in to his every move. Leaning in more, John stuck his tongue out and touched its very tip to her clit, then began to gently caress it.

“Mmm...you’re gonna make me beg aren’t you?” she murmured.

John didn’t respond, instead just opting to continue teasing her clit. A little frustration could go a long way, he knew. Lydia groaned in annoyance and shifted. “Come on...” He didn’t change anything, only continued to lightly tease her clit. “Ugh, fuck John! Come on! Please...” she moaned. He began to press just the barest, tiniest bit harder.

“Oh fuck, you little bastard...” she whispered, tensing and releasing her muscles, panting now. He could tell she really wanted to reach down and ram his face into her crotch. But that would break the unspoken rules.

“Please, John, I want it so bad...” she moaned.

He started to go a bit harder, increasing the pressure very slightly. He ran his hands along her inner thighs and she shuddered in response.

“Yes...fuck, give it to me please!” she cried. “I fucking need it!”

That was probably enough. He knew that if he pushed Lydia too far she might actually grab his head and force his face into her crotch, not that that would necessarily be a bad thing...but it would break the thing they had going on in the moment. So he started to lick her clit faster and harder, and she let out a long moan of release.

“Oh Gods fucking yes...” she almost growled, leaning back, resting on her hands, spreading her legs open wider. “Fucking lick my pussy!”

John licked her pussy.

He spent a good several minutes orally pleasuring her, licking at her clit faster and harder, using more of his tongue, until eventually he slipped a finger into her tight opening and began fucking her with it while simultaneously eating her out.

She lasted for maybe another twenty seconds before she began to orgasm.

“OH HOLY FUCK!” she shrieked, and he pulled his head back, though he still kept finger-fucking her, because he thought she might accidentally crush his head between her thighs. And oh how amazing her pussy felt clenching around his finger as she released a hot spray of sex juices, getting all over his wrist and forearm as she screamed her way through an intensely powerful and erotic full-body orgasm. She moaned his name several times, crying out in passionate, rapturous bliss. It lasted a good half-minute or so before finally Lydia took in a deep breath and let it out in a loud, long groan, then slipped back into the water as he pulled his finger out of her.

“So, was I a good boy?” he asked.

“Uh-huh,” she managed, getting her breath back. “Oh wow, such a good boy. And because you were such a good boy, I’m going to be an extremely bad girl for you.”

“That sounds fucking fantastic,” he replied, “because I am crazy horny.”

“I’m going to make you come so hard. Get up on the side.”

He did as she commanded and got out of the water, taking up her place. She grinned a fiery, lusty grin up at him as she got into position.

“One of the best things about being an actual paladin, instead of sticking to that ridiculous code? I get to be a complete fucking whore,” she said, then she gripped his cock and cupped his balls. John groaned loudly as she started licking the tip of his dick and massaging his balls at the same time. Her tongue felt amazing, hot and wet and perfect.

“Big bonus,” he gasped.

She continued licking his cock, sending pleasure sparking into him. His dick throbbed in response to her tongue and her hands. She then lowered and tilted her head. Pulling his foreskin down, she began to suck on that area just below the head on the bottom of his cock. It was extremely sensitive without being painfully so, like his head could get if it was over stimulated, and he let out a loud, long groan as she did this, flicking her tongue occasionally against it.

“Oh my fucking...holy shit, Lydia,” he groaned loudly. “That’s...oh fuck.”

She kept going for a bit longer, then slipped his cock into her mouth and started bobbing her head, sucking him off expertly. The pleasure was intense and hot and so powerful. Lydia was clearly very skilled and experienced at pleasuring dick. She kept going for another solid minute of blissful ecstasy, then took it out of her mouth and brought her enormous breasts up. Pressing them together with his cock in between, she began to slide them up and down.

“So, where do you want to come?” she asked.

“I, uh...fuck, that’s a really hard question. I really want to come in your mouth, but I also really want to blow my load all over your hot fucking face...fuck it, I want the mouth. I want you to swallow my seed,” he decided.

“You got it. I’ll suck you dry and swallow every last fucking drop,” she replied, then let him tit-fuck her for a bit longer.

When she got back to sucking him off, he didn’t make it much longer. She was massaging his balls with her hot, firm grasp and working his shaft with her other hand in tandem with her luscious lips and her tongue and it was just too much…

“Oh Lydia!” he screamed, and put both hands on her head, then shoved his cock deeper into her mouth, practically down her throat. She didn’t try to stop him as he started coming down her throat, instead swallowing, which made him scream in pleasure as all of her wet throat muscles clenched around the head of his orgasming dick, sending an even more intense burst of pleasure into him, boosting his orgasmic bliss as his cock emptied itself. Lydia kept on sucking and swallowing, sucking him dry, letting him empty his cock down her throat.

She sucked out every last drop and let him fuck her mouth, his hips jerking forward, nothing but pure, magical bliss filling him.

When he finished coming, she slowly pulled his cock from in between her pressed together lips, sucking as she did, and he groaned again. He loved it when women did that. He fell back onto the mat, legs still in the water, trying to get his breath back, floating in that post-orgasm bliss, eyes closed, feeling like paradise.

“You’re lucky,” Lydia said as she washed up, then she gargled and spat, “I only let guys I really like throat-fuck me like.”

“You didn’t say anything,” he murmured.

“I know. If I didn’t like you as much as I do, I would’ve warned you beforehand.”

“Why do you like me so much?” he asked. “Not that I’m complaining.”

“Just a feeling about you,” she replied, running a fingertip up the bottom of his cock, making him groan and twitch. “Plus, I mean, I love your relationship with Yelena, and you also helped us deal with a serious threat without hesitation. You’re a skilled fighter, brave, compassionate, and an absolutely phenomenal eater of vagina.”

“As good as I may be at that, you’re better at sucking cock.”

“I’ve had a lot of practice,” she replied. “You doing okay? You gonna pass out?”

“No, I’ll be fine,” he replied.

She laughed. “I’ve done that to guys before. I suck and fuck them so good in a hot spring or tub that they passed out.”

“Nice,” he murmured.

John slipped back into the water after a bit and they sat together, luxuriating in the water, enjoying their sexual highs.

“What is it you have to do?” he asked. “I don’t suppose it could be put off, could it? We could really use your help.”

“I’d like to, honestly. If I didn’t have this responsibility I absolutely would join you. But I can’t. I made a promise to someone down along the southern coast. In short, there’s a site that requires bi-yearly cleansing. It has to be within a certain window of time or it gets out of hand, and I need to do it,” she explained.

“All right then. I guess good luck,” he replied.

“It’s pretty easy. Maybe we could hook back up later...”

“Well, based on what we’re planning, we’re probably going to be up north for awhile. Yelena’s very skilled with magic, but even still, I imagine it’ll take more than a few weeks or even months maybe for her to learn shape-shifting.”

“Well, perhaps I will come visit you. It’s been a little while since I’ve headed north. It’s...very cold, but it’s a lot of fun up there. Or it can be, anyway. Fun in a dangerous kind of way,” she replied. “Okay, I need to get out, I’m getting overheated.”

“Same,” John agreed.

Both of them got out of the water, then took a moment to dry off, and finally headed for the large bed in the center of the room.

For a little bit, they simply laid there together, holding each other, relaxing. He found his mind drifting again to Yelena, wondering if she was having as much fun as he was. He also was worrying about more of her ex-brethren showing up and trying something. Lydia and Indigo sounded fairly confident that they wouldn’t...but there were just so many unknowns. Certainly it wasn’t impossible to sneak into someone’s house.

But Yelena was a capable warrior, and clearly so was Indigo. And Lydia. And he at least wasn’t too bad, though he considered himself more of a blunt instrument than a finely honed killing blade. Not that he didn’t try and train a lot, he just knew that Yelena was always going to be faster and stronger than he was. Which did make her an excellent training partner. And lover. Well, he supposed they were committed to staying in by now. Maybe committed was too strong a word, but they’d made their decision and they could handle it if something happened.

Lydia reached over suddenly and gripped his cock, which was just partially rigid now. It stiffened up quickly as she began to massage it.

“You want to be ridden?” she asked.

“Very much,” he replied.

“Good, cause I want to ride.”

She kissed him and then briefly got down between his legs, taking his cock into her mouth and sucking on it, bobbing her head, coating it in a thick film of her saliva for some quick and dirty lube. As soon as she was finished, she got up and straddled him, gripping his rock hard cock. Grinning down at him, she lined it up with her smooth pussy and then lowered herself. Both of them moaned loudly as she slid him into her perfect, mature, wet pussy. She settled more comfortably onto her knees and placed her hands against his chest, then began moving up and down, taking him deeper into herself each time, until he was buried completely into her.

“There we are,” she whispered as she took his last inch in, resting briefly with him totally inside of her, as if savoring the sensation. John knew that he was, it felt so amazing to be inside of a woman with no protection at all.

Then she began to fuck him.

Being inside of her again was like a return to paradise. John was actually beginning to feel a little guilty for how much he was enjoying fucking Lydia, but fuck, there was something just special about her, something amazing. And it was easy to quash the guilt anyway, because he knew he couldn’t confuse what was happening here with love. They were connected, to be sure, on a very intimate level, but it was not love.

So he decided to fully enjoy this, and reached up and grabbed her huge, bouncing breasts as she continued riding him, making the bed shake as she put her huge hips and powerful thighs to good use, impaling herself on his dick over and over again.

“Fuck...yes...fuck yes!” she cried, groaning loudly as she satisfied herself. “Fuck, your dick is so great,” she gasped.

“Your pussy is better,” he moaned.

“And my ass is better than that,” she replied.

John had to keep from coming from when she said that, because immediately he began fantasizing about fucking her in her huge ass.

He felt desperately eager for that.

Lydia rode him for another few minutes, then finally dismounted him. “Okay,” she said, “I can tell you’re gonna lose your mind if you don’t put it in my ass.”

“Sorry,” he replied, rolling over and getting up.

“It’s fine, I know how you men get,” she said with a smug smirk.

She got onto her hands and knees for him, and he quickly got behind her. She reached forward and fished around in the headboard. “Here,” she said, twisting around and passing him a slim glass bottle with tree sap lube. He grabbed it, opened it up, and lubed his cock down quickly. Tossing it aside, he looked at her enormous ass, then settled his cock into place and began working it slowly back inside of her.

“Oh fuck...” he groaned loudly, becoming slowly incoherent with pleasure as he started to fuck Lydia up her ass.

It was simply stunning.

Her huge, thick ass was so fucking tight and hot, and immediately began to fill him with a wonderful pleasure that made a slow burn into his body. He settled his hands on her broad hips, sinking in his fingertips, gripping her firmly as he drove into her, shoving his cock up her ass. Lydia moaned loudly as his hips slapped against her ass.

“Mmm...that’s so good,” she moaned. “I bet you fucking love this.”

“I do,” he groaned, lost completely in lust and pleasure, “your ass feels so fucking good, Lydia...” he almost growled.

“Come in me, John,” she said. “Come in my ass.”

He groaned loudly and started pounding her huge ass harder.

This kept up for maybe another thirty seconds before he let out a loud cry of intense bliss and felt like his core was exploding with nothing but raw pleasure. He moaned loudly, hunched over Lydia as he kept humping her ass, driving his climaxing cock deep inside of her, pumping her ass full of his seed one hard contraction at a time.

John was lost in the orgasm.

When he was finally deposited back into his body, he looked down and saw Lydia before him, looking amazing, slicked with sweat, waiting for him to pull out of her.

“You okay back there?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he replied, getting his breath back, “I’m good. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she said.

He pulled out of her and laid down on his back. Lydia got up and made for the shower again. He waited a bit longer, then got up and joined her.

“Think we can go another round before sleep?” she asked.

“We can go two,” he replied.

She regained that smug smirk. “Oh, you think so?”

“I know so.”

“Good.”

CHAPTER VII

John had nightmares that night.

They were powerful yet vague. Uncertain landscapes of darkness and terror, with midnight black figures sporting glowing red eyes stalking them. He could remember running and fighting in his nightmares that night.

But mostly he was aware that Yelena was not there.

Yelena was missing. Had she been taken from him? Had she left him? He remembered terror, and loneliness like nothing ever before felt…

…

John’s eyes snapped open and he sat bolt upright. He felt her moving, shifting in the bed beside him, and twisted around to look for her, to see her, because he had to.

“Yelena-” he began, but froze up as he saw that it was not Yelena he was sharing a bed with, but someone who he couldn’t in that moment recall the name of. A tanned, weathered, strikingly sexy face stared back up at him.

“John? What’s wrong?”

Lydia. She was Lydia. And they were in an inn, in the basement of an inn in the elven settlement of Brynne in the Redwood forest.

“I, um...I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” he murmured, suddenly embarrassed, yet also terribly lonely. He wanted desperately to see Yelena just then.

“It’s fine. What’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?” she asked, sitting up, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

“Yeah,” he replied quietly. “I just, uh...I need to see Yelena, is all.”

“Okay. Come on, let’s get up and shower, then we go back to Indigo’s place,” Lydia said.

She got out of bed and he hesitated for a few seconds. His head was still rushing with the maelstrom of intensely horrific emotions the nightmares had conjured. He felt almost overwhelmed in their aftermath, like he was trying to keep a boat from capsizing in the wake of a terrible storm. Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly and then rubbed sleep from his own eyes. Finally, he stood up and crossed the room with Lydia.

“Thanks,” he said quietly.

“It’s okay. I understand. I’ve had some bad, bad nightmares in my time,” she said. They got into the shower stall together and Lydia activated it. “Would you like a hug?”

“I...yeah.”

She enfolded him in her strong arms and held his head against her bare chest. He hugged her back. It wasn’t the same as physical affection from Yelena, but it was appreciated and at least somewhat effective nonetheless. They stood there like that for a few moments, nude and wet, hugging in the warm waterfall.

When he let go of her, John felt better. Not great, nor even good, but better, at least.

“I, uh, don’t suppose you’d be up for some sex?” Lydia asked.

“I...” he hesitated again, considering it. Part of him really wanted to, but another part of him knew he probably couldn’t get it up, not right now.

“It’s okay,” she said, “I understand.”

“Thanks,” he repeated. “I’m sorry, it’s not you.”

“I know,” Lydia replied, smiling kindly at him. She passed him a bar of soap and a washcloth. “I’ve encountered this before, been on both ends of it. Sometimes, you don’t realize how stressed out you are until you go to sleep, and then your stress really finds you, when you’re at your most vulnerable.”

He nodded. “Yeah, I guess so. I think it’s just because I wasn’t sleeping next to Yelena. I think that’s what really got me. I mean, not to, you know, diminish anything you’ve done for me.”

She laughed softly. “John, it’s really okay. I’m not upset. I’m not Yelena. I’m not your love, just your temporary lover. I’ve experienced love before, I know what it’s like. It hurts to be away from them sometimes.”

“It does,” he agreed.

Was this the first time he’d slept away from Yelena since they’d met? Surely it couldn’t be, but he could think of no other time since then. They’d shared a bed every night since hooking up, or at least they had as far as he knew. And he probably wouldn’t be freaking out like this if they weren’t currently being hunted by demons intent on murder. Ugh, that just made him worry even more. What if something had happened in the night?

He quickly washed up, then got out, dried off, and dressed. Lydia moved with a decent pace as well. After dressing and pulling his chainmail armor back on, John gathered up his things. Lydia did the same, and the pair of them headed back upstairs. It was early morning, the sun just beginning to crest the far horizon, painting the landscape beyond the windows in various shades of gold. Lydia returned the key to the innkeeper and they left the inn.

Neither of them spoke as they moved quickly through the village, towards Indigo’s house. He wanted to start even a casual conversation, and almost did twice, but John knew that he’d be useless for conversations right now, too distracted to focus on even that basic thing. It was weird, he’d never felt this awful before about being separated from someone he’d been intimate with. He supposed that certainly made enough sense, given that he’d never been in love before, not like this, not like how it was with Yelena.

After what felt like ages, they finally came to Indigo’s house. John marched up to the door and almost just opened it and walked right in, but he stopped himself and knocked instead, given that he didn’t think he was nearly close enough to Indigo to just walk right up into her house. Although maybe Yelena was by this point.

For several seconds, nothing happened, then the door opened up a crack and one blue eye peered out. Then the door opened the rest of the way, revealing Indigo.

“Hey, you two! Have fun?” she asked with a sultry grin.

“Yes. Um, how’s Yelena?” he asked as they came in.

Indigo closed the door. “She’s...a little fidgety, actually. And kind of upset, I think. I’m not sure what’s wrong, she hasn’t really said anything...”

“He’s like that, too,” Lydia said. “They miss each other.”

Indigo’s eyes widened suddenly and she regained her smile. “Oh my Gods, that’s so cute! You two are the absolutely cutest fucking couple I have ever seen. Come on, she’s in the basement working out.”

John just nodded and followed. They moved to a hatch that was open, and he could hear that now intimately familiar sound of Yelena breathing rhythmically. It was a sound he often woke to, since she tended to wake before him and get started working out on the floor. They each climbed down the ladder, and as soon as he hit the floor and laid eyes on her, he felt relief and warm, soothing comfort flow through him.

“Yelena,” he said.

She was lying on the floor, doing crunches, but she stopped and immediately rose to her feet. “John. I missed you,” she said, quickly crossing the room. She hugged him fiercely and he hugged her back.

“I missed you, too,” he whispered, holding her firmly against him, “I missed you a lot, Yelena.” They stayed like that for another moment that seemed to stretch on, and eventually they let go of each other.

John felt considerably better. He looked over at Indigo, who was staring at them with that same, wide-eyed gaze.

“What?” he asked. Yelena looked over, too.

“I just love how much you two love each other,” she replied.

“Indigo is a romantic,” Lydia said. “And now that I have helped reunite the two of you, and had some fantastic sex, I will admit that I am jealous of Yelena for getting to fuck John and make liberal use of his tongue every single day, and be on my way.”

Yelena laughed loudly. “Well...thank you,” she said. “Though that was really more of a compliment aimed at John.”

“Uh, yeah,” John replied, suddenly a little awkward and nervous again. Now that he was actually with Yelena again and his emotions were being kept at bay, his natural awkwardness was coming to the forefront again. He thought he’d made some pretty good progress when it came to being more confident around women, but something about Lydia just kind of...made him feel like an inexperienced teenager again.

There was something tremendous and powerful about her, in a very good way.

“Thanks for the sex, Lydia. You are fantastic in bed. And on the floor. And in the tub.”

Lydia laughed. “Same for you, John. Now, I have to go.”

She gave them all hugs, and kissed John, and then climbed up out of the basement. John couldn’t help but stare at her big, broad ass the whole way up. When she was gone and they heard the front door close, he faced the two women. Yelena was completely naked, her firm, trim body slicked with sweat, her tail swaying gently behind her. Fuck, she looked so good. Now that he wasn’t filled with anxiety and dread, he now actually regretted not taking Lydia up on her offer of sex. One more fuck with her would have been fantastic.

“How was your night?” he asked.

Yelena walked over to a washbasin and began to clean herself off. “It was quite pleasurable,” she said.

“John, I have to confess, I am hopelessly in lust with your lover,” Indigo said. “Her tongue is just...I mean, it’s phenomenal. She gave me like three screaming orgasms with just her tongue alone. And then that toy of hers. I’ve heard of sex toys like that, but I didn’t know they were so effective. I mean, holy fuck, being able to pound Yelena in the ass with that fake cock was just...oh, as much as Lydia is jealous of Yelena, I am jealous of you, because she is so amazing at sex. She’s the best fuck I’ve had in years.”

“Well...I’m glad to see it was a good night,” John replied, trying not to laugh. Indigo clearly didn’t hold anything back.

“She’s a very enthusiastic lover,” Yelena said.

“I hope to experience that firsthand,” John replied.

Indigo favored him with a smug smile. “Oh, you will. I’m gonna fuck your brains out.” Her expression grew suddenly more serious. “But later. There’s a bad storm coming onto the mountains, down from the north. I can feel it. I think, if we move fast, we should be able to get to where we’re going before the worst of it hits. Although I’m not even sure if it will hit our path, but it’s best to assume the worst, typically.”

“Yes,” John agreed, “we should be moving then.”

“Good!” Indigo regained her smile and began moving about the room, gathering things for the journey ahead. Yelena had finished washing and was now drying her wonderfully fit body. Maybe he could just have a quickie with her…

“No, love,” Yelena said, smiling, “I know that look. We must be off, John.”

He sighed heavily. “Yeah, I know. I know.”

“It will be worth the wait, I promise.”

“It always is.”

He crossed to her suddenly and hugged her to him again as she finished drying. “I love you, Yelena,” he said quietly, hugging her tightly. “I’m not sure I should sleep away from you again.”

“I love you too, John. So much. And I agree. It was...very difficult.”

They kissed once more, then parted again and got to it.

It was time to get back to work.

…

They walked through the Redwood Forest, and as they did, making for the trading village that bordered the area between human land and elven land, John found it hard to believe the idea that there was a snowstorm coming on. But he knew how sharply divided the weather could be between this land and the mountains. There could be a blizzard going on up there in summer. Something to do with magical currents, he thought, or he’d heard at least. All the way there, Indigo wanted to hear everything about him and Yelena.

Especially their sexual adventures.

She was particularly happy to hear about their multiple encounters with the dryad ladies of the Emerald Wild.

“So in your fantasies, what other sexual encounters are you interested in?” Indigo asked after several hours of back and forth about what had already happened.

“A werewolf,” John said.

“Mmm yes, that sounds quite pleasant,” Yelena agreed.

“Oh man, I had a werewolf once. He was...oh, he was a beast,” Indigo said fondly. “We fucked for two days. I met him when I was out on a hunt once, several years ago. How about vampires? You interested in vampires?”

“Yeah, definitely. I’ve really got a thing for pale women, and vampires are about as pale as they come,” John replied. “And then there’s the nymphs and the elementals. Water nymphs, flower nymphs, ocean nymphs.”

“Oh yes, quite the variety, all of them so beautiful. And the elementals as well. What about a mermaid? Have you ever made love with a mermaid?” Indigo asked.

“No, I haven’t,” John replied.

“Me either,” Yelena said.

“I got eaten out by one once. It was so wonderful. Hmm...” she fell silent for a few seconds. “You said you’re tracking down a dragon, right?” she asked.

“Yes,” John replied.

“As far as I know, dragons are very rare, and if Morgan sent you towards this dragon...I think that she has told me a few stories about this dragon, who is, in fact, a dragoness. Who knows shape-shifting. I’m curious...if you could, would you fuck a dragoness?”

“I mean...I’d have to think about that,” John replied.

“I, too, am curious,” Yelena said, amusement obvious in her voice.

“Morgan has mentioned that her dragoness friend has fucked a few humans, and elves and beryl, too, so I’m guessing that it must certainly be possible to couple with her.”

“Well, I’d have to meet her, but...yeah, I’d probably be down to fuck a dragon. I mean, that would certainly be quite the experience. But fucking a dragon would be insane...how big are they? Then again, she can shape-shift, so maybe that would even out the size difference. Although that’s not necessarily a bad thing, I mean, I did fuck Morgan...”

“I completely forgot to ask that! So you did fuck her? How was she?” Indigo asked.

“She was fantastic. And intimidating,” John replied.

“Yes, she is. I’ve had her fuck me a few times with a strap-on. It’s...uh, quite the experience,” Indigo said.

They continued walking, and John found himself wondering if he really could fuck Kesley. He’d never even seen a dragon. Honestly, before Morgan had sent them on this journey, he wasn’t even sure if they even existed anymore. They were so rare. Thoughts of sticking his cock into a hot dragoness filled his mind as they pressed on.

Eventually, after about six hours, with noon coming on and the sun high overhead, they hit Redwood. John had been through here before, more than once, and liked its familiarity. It was a place that wasn’t too small, nor was it too big. It was kind of that perfect compromise between a cozy small town, but also a town that was big enough that lots of different people passed through, and it had a lot of amenities, and people tended to be less racist. Or at least less obviously or vocally racist. He liked Redwood.

Although maybe some of that had to do with the fact that elves often passed through here, and they were usually down to fuck…

It was hard to focus with Indigo walking ahead of him so much. She was absolutely beautiful and clearly a very lusty girl with an enormous appetite and zeal for sex. Gods, he wanted to fuck her so bad. He had no doubt that she was absolutely fantastic in bed. But no, they had to keep up a quick pace. They decided to at least stop for lunch here, if only for a bit, because they’d eaten breakfast on the go, and not much of one at that.

So they bought some hefty skewers of meat and bowls of vegetable stew and sat down at one of a few tables positioned behind the stall that was selling the food.

“You ever left the country, Indigo?” John asked as they dug in.

“Yeah, a few times. Biggest run was kicking around Tomontica for about a year and a half or so. Now those people know how to fuck, I mean they love sex down there. But there’s a lot of adventuring fun to be had there too. Lots of cool old ruins and caves and stuff like that. It’s so beautiful down there on the islands. I did briefly make the trip all the way south to the beryl homeland, but I didn’t like it much there. Kicked around for maybe two weeks, but nothing much happened. I mean, I got laid by a few beryl guys, and one girl, so that was nice, but, eh, I mean, it’s a desert. Not much happening there, as far as I could tell.”

“There’s so many places I want to see,” John murmured.

“I do, too. I hear about how massive this world is, how diverse it is...” Yelena agreed.

“You will definitely have to try it some day. There’s the beryl homeland, which you might find fun, a ton of islands off in pretty much every direction from here. The far elf homeland. That place is supposed to be so magical and crazy. But unfriendly to outsiders, too. Oh! The kit homeland. Oh, you have to go there. I have to go there. I’ve heard so much.”

“The kit?” Yelena asked.

“Oh yeah, I’ve never told you about them. You’ve seen foxes?” he asked.

“Yes, I have encountered them,” Yelena replied.

“They’re kind of like felis, but they resemble foxes instead of cats. I’ve never met a kit.”

“There’s a good reason for that. They hate it here,” Indigo said glumly.

“I don’t blame them, but any particular reason?” John asked.

“Because of how closed-minded all the damned humans are...uh, no offense.”

“None taken.”

“So they never come here. But their land is supposed to be magical and wonderful and so happy and open and free-spirited. And interesting, too! I’ve heard that their land is littered with ancient ruins from another race that vanished.”

“That sounds very interesting indeed,” Yelena murmured.

A thought suddenly sparked in John’s head. “Hey, Indigo...you said that the kit are extremely open and free-spirited. Do you think maybe they would accept...us?” he asked, looking over at Yelena, who stared back at him, her illusion amulet active.

“I...hmm...” Indigo murmured. “I don’t know. Maybe? I think it’d be at least worth looking into at some point.”

“I agree,” John said. “What do you think?”

“I think...if we could find a place like that, where we could live without...scrutiny, it would be worth it. Although...” She chewed uncertainly on her lower lip. “It would mean leaving here. It would mean leaving your homeland.”

“Your happiness is more important to me than my homeland,” John replied.

“Oh my Gods,” Indigo whispered, “you are so amazing as a couple...”

“Thank you, Indigo,” Yelena replied, unable to keep from grinning. “Perhaps we should shelve this conversation for later, my love.”

“Okay,” John said. “Let’s finish up and keep going.”

They did just that, finishing off their meal and tossing away the remains. They let the food settle for a bit, then got up and began making for the northern border of the settlement. The frozen mountains loomed ahead, a jagged line against the sky that was beginning to shade towards gray now. As they drew closer to the mountains, following a well-traveled path, John felt a cold wind blowing down onto them.

It was definitely going to be a long walk.

…

It was indeed a long walk, but not an altogether unpleasant one.

He got to know Indigo better, heard more about her travels, her adventures, what interesting monsters she’d killed and people she’d slept with. And, of course, he got to spend a lot of time being around Yelena, which was highlighted more than usual because of his experiences last night. Although that was somewhat weighing on him, taking up his thoughts. John had never been in love before, not in the way he was with Yelena. He had never so thoroughly relied on another person, well, since hitting adulthood.

His life had never been so utterly entangled with another’s.

In one way, it was the best thing he’d ever felt. Sharing everything with Yelena, having her around all the time and being absolutely thrilled about it, falling asleep beside her at night and waking up beside her in the morning…

All these things were fantastic.

But he could admit, even if only to himself, that it scared him a little. The more time went on, the more he knew how utterly crippling it would be if something happened and he lost her. But, he told himself, this was the price of love. You made yourself vulnerable, you had to. And he at least was grateful that there was no question about whether or not this price was worth paying, this vulnerability. Of course it was.

They stayed on the main path for a solid four hours, and it drew colder and dimmer the higher up they went. At some point, Indigo stopped and took them to the left, off the main trail and onto a smaller one, mostly obscured by a collection of trees. They kept going, walking ever onward. For the most part, it was a decent, simple walk. Although the deeper they went into the more uncharted regions of the mountains, the more dangerous it became.

And that danger finally came to a head after another two hours.

“Stop,” Yelena said, and both he and Indigo froze up instantly.

Both women drew their bows and notched arrows at almost exactly the same time, their movements eerily quick and dexterous.

John drew his blade, looking around.

They were down in the middle of a small valley, beset on either side by long stands of trees topped by slowly melting snow from a previous storm. Anything could be hiding there. He studied their surroundings, waiting to see exactly what it was that was going to be coming for them. Several seconds passed, only the soft whispering of the wind to be heard. And then something shifted, high up and to their left.

And he saw it.

Or rather, them.

“Ice spiders!” Indigo called and loosed an arrow.

Yelena did so at the same time. As they did, a half dozen giant ice spiders, which had been hiding among the treetops, launched themselves. He hated spiders. So did most adventurers though. They were creepy giant fuckers. Two of them landed with heavy thuds, sending up sprays of snow and dirt, and began coming right for him. John went to meet them with his blade. He surged forward, sprinting to cross the distance.

Had to do this fast and right.

When he was within range, he stabbed forward, shoving the blade most of the way into the gray-white body of the first giant ice spider. The awful thing let out a high-pitched shriek and shuddered violent as he ripped the blade back out. John leaped back, narrowly avoiding the other spider as it made a lunge for him, certainly intent on sinking its poison fangs into him. He slashed out and severed one reaching leg. A gush of pale blood splashed the icy ground and the second spider began to shriek violently as it made a mad dash for him. John kept moving, trying to keep at least some distance between them as he looked for another opening, while simultaneously keeping out of Yelena’s and Indigo’s way.

The opportunity presented itself: the spider came to him, but stumbled at a crucial moment. He drove his blade into its hideous alien face and killed it instantly. Pulling his blade back out, he looked around, seeing if anything else had shown up during the conflict. As he laid eyes on her, Yelena let fly another arrow, which perfectly hit another ice spider in its collection of crimson eyes and killed it. That was the last one, he confirmed.

“I hate those things,” he said as he regrouped.

“Don’t we all?” Indigo replied. A cold, harsh wind suddenly cut across the valley. She shivered and looked up into the darkening sky. “We really need to keep going. The storm’s a lot closer now. There’s a cave I want to get to.”

John and Yelena both agreed, and they set off once more.

…

They managed to make it to the cave after another two hours of hiking through the mountains, just as the storm was hitting hard. It had begun to snow half an hour before they got to the cave, at first just some dry flurries, but soon big, fat snowflakes were coming down hard, covering the landscape. The cave that Indigo was looking for turned out to be a decent one, and as Yelena raised one hand and cast a spell of light, illuminating the interior, John found himself deeply grateful. He was exhausted. He was looking forward to sleep.

John looked around the cave, first searching for threats, then just checking it out. It wasn’t too big, and it seemed like it hadn’t seen any visitors in quite awhile. There were a pair of tunnels snaking away from the main area.

“Looks clear. You two head down the left tunnel and check it out. That’s where we’re going to be making camp. I’ll look into the right tunnel,” Indigo said.

“On it,” John replied, drawing his blade.

He and Yelena moved down the left tunnel. It angled downward and curved to the left for awhile. The bare rock walls were unmarred by signs of life, and John wondered when the last time someone had been in here. They reached the area at the end without trouble, and found it empty. It was smaller than the initial cavern, but definitely big enough to set up camp in. John tossed down their camp-in-a-bag, said the activation word and watched it appear in the center of the cave with a bright flash of magical light.

The two of them went inside and began taking off their armor. They set their packs and weapons off to the side of the tent and stripped down to their clothing.

“I hope it warms up soon,” Yelena murmured. “I do not like the cold.”

“Same, although we shouldn’t start a fire. There’s no ventilation in here and we’d just fill the place up with smoke,” John replied.

They were still trying to discern how to deal with this when Indigo showed up. “Okay, we’re all clear, and I set up a few basic warning spells in the tunnel leading out.”

“Perfect. Um...any ideas about heat?” John replied.

“Yes, actually. Hold on.” She brought out and activated her own camp-in-a-bag, then disappeared into her tent. “Follow me, I’d like some help.”

They followed her into her tent, which was small and cozy and clearly had been with her quite awhile, as it had seen a lot of use and was very customized. She pointed to a large, smooth stone in one corner. It resembled, to John at least, a giant whet stone. “Bring it out and I’ll hit it with a heat spell. We can cook on it, too.”

“That is genius,” Yelena said as she bent and picked up the rock.

“Thanks. Something I came up with awhile ago,” Indigo replied.

They all headed back out into the cave and Yelena set the rock down not far from the tents. As soon as it was on the ground, Indigo crouched by it, gathering up magical energy, and then placed her hands on the rock. There was a flash of light and suddenly the rock began to very gently glow with red light.

“There!” she said, standing up. “Now it’ll be warm in here, and we can cook dinner.”

“Dinner sounds very appealing,” Yelena replied. “I’m starving.”

“What do we want to eat?” John asked.

“Something meat,” Indigo replied. “Got any rabbit? I could really go for some rabbit right now. And maybe a bit of...” she sighed suddenly. “No, no wine. Probably not a good idea to get drunk until this whole mess is over.”

“Yes,” Yelena agreed reluctantly, “that is a sound idea. But once this is over...”

Indigo grinned. “Once this is over, we’ll get sloppy drunk and have sloppy sex.”

“That sounds wonderful,” John said.

“Yes, it does,” Yelena agreed. “But for tonight we shall have to satisfy ourselves with sober sex,” she added.

“Oh, what a tragedy,” Indigo replied, laughing. “Yelena’s talked up your dick quite a bit, John. I’m eager to see it. And play with it.”

“Well…I mean, it’s not amazing or anything,” he replied as he headed back into the tent to grab some of the rabbit he had in a chilled container.

“I believe Yelena,” Indigo said. “Plus, you’ve gotta remember, I’m an elf. What’s even average for a human is big for me. Although I don’t really put much emphasis on size anyway. But it is a nice bonus. Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll do fine. Lydia seemed pretty satisfied and she’s like forty and fucking six foot four and very experienced. And she doesn’t really pull her punches when it comes to telling you how you are at sex. And then of course there’s the fact that you have Yelena, who I’m almost convinced is incapable of lying, raving about how fantastic you are in bed.”

“I am certainly capable of lying,” Yelena replied.

John found the rabbits he’d killed, skinned, and cleaned not too long ago and returned to the rock, laying the meat carefully out on its baking surface.

“Okay, but do you lie?” Indigo asked.

“No, not to people I like. Not if I can help it.”

“Exactly. I’m not sure you’d lie for the sake of John’s ego.”

“I would not have to,” Yelena replied. “He’s such an amazing lover that I do not have to exaggerate anything.”

“Well, that’s good to hear,” John said as he tended to the rabbit.

“So, based on that, I think we’re all going to have a night of absolutely fantastic sex, is my point,” Indigo said.

“And I’m very much looking forward to it,” John replied.

They went about winding down for the night as the rabbit cooked and the cave quickly began to fill with a comfortable warmth. Outside, John could hear the snowstorm raging, the winds shrieking. He wondered if it would be done by dawn. If they had to, he was sure they could press on through a snowstorm. Then again, maybe they should just stay put if that was the case. They were pretty isolated, probably in a hard to track place. Although demons traveled between dimensions by some powerful methods, could they just appear in this cave?

He didn’t want to think about it.

Yelena and Indigo stripped nude and washed up, using the washbasin in their tent. Once they were done, Yelena took over the food prep and John did the same, happy to clean the grime and sweat off of his body. Especially his cock, given he was going to be sticking it in two women’s mouths pretty soon. By the time he was washed up and back in at least his undershorts, the rabbit was done. He brought out three bottles of water.

“Why aren’t you naked?” Indigo asked, accepting the bottle.

“I just, uh...feel a little exposed,” he replied, chuckling awkwardly.

“I’ve learned many things since beginning to live here,” Yelena said, and both of them hadn’t opted to put any clothes on at all after washing, “and one is that men have difficulty exposing themselves when they aren’t fully erect already.”

“Hmm...that’s true,” Indigo murmured. “I just thought you’d be past that, John. You have every reason to be pretty damned confident.”

“Well, um...thanks. I appreciate that,” John replied, still feeling awkward.

“We should eat,” Yelena suggested.

“Yeah, I guess so,” Indigo replied.

They sat together around the table that came with John and Yelena’s camp-in-a-bag and dug into the meal. John found that any and all desire to converse fell away now that he could actually eat. He was fucking starving. The walk had taken more out of him than he’d thought. And apparently the women were in much the same way. They all didn’t say a thing as they tore through their meal, and after a little while, they sat back from three empty plates and drained bottles. Indigo was looking at her plate unhappily.

“Is something wrong?” Yelena asked.

“Very,” Indigo replied. “I want to eat more but I also don’t want to because then it will take even longer until my food is fully settled. I’m hornier than I am hungry, and I can’t fuck on a full stomach. As it is I’m going to have to wait a good twenty minutes before riding your dick,” she added, looking at John.

“I can very much sympathize,” he replied.

“I have never had that problem,” Yelena said.

“Ugh! So lucky...although not for you, I imagine,” Indigo said.

“Yeah, there are times where we’re not, uh, in line with each other. She wants to fuck right after a big meal and I just...can’t.”

“It is difficult to wait,” Yelena agreed.

“I get to watch her masturbate though, so that’s nice.”

“Ooh, I bet she looks so fucking hot masturbating,” Indigo murmured, looking over at her. “Fuck! It’s so hard not to just jump you both right now. I think this is the most in lust I’ve been in the past decade. I mean, you’re really hot and everything John, don’t get me wrong, I like you a lot, but Yelena...”

“Oh I agree,” John replied. “She is truly an avatar of sexual desire and raw beauty.”

“Yes, she is. I need to fuck her so bad...”

Yelena shifted uncomfortably under their gazes. “I am not that attractive...” she replied.

“No, you really are to people who find you attractive,” Indigo replied.

“That seems...obvious and redundant,” Yelena said.

“No, what I mean is, uh...so, people who are open-minded enough to explore interspecies lust will, I think, more often than not, find one such as yourself attractive. And those that do, I think, find you not just kind of attractive, but deeply attractive. You are so...I don’t even have words. You are probably the hottest lady I’ve seen in my whole life. Your eyes and your horns and that sexy black tail of yours...and your body. You are just so wonderfully fit, but you’ve got just the right amount of padding with that tight ass of yours and your hips and your thighs are just to die for...sorry, I’m really drooling over you.”

“Well, it is appreciated,” Yelena replied.

John found himself staring at Yelena and fidgeting as the seconds ticked by and the wind continued to shriek outside. Indigo was right. Yelena really was insanely attractive. It was a realization that seemed to hit him randomly each day when he caught sight of her one of the hundreds of times that he looked her way. Although he imagined it was even more powerful for him, because he knew her, was getting to know her, was attracted to her personality, her perverseness, her kindness, her intelligence.

Her bravery in the face of change, living in a world almost totally different to the one that she had spent her whole life in. The way she was willing to take on massive tasks, learn new things, try to escape the bad habits and negative thoughts and paranoia bred into her by her previous life and society. All of it was what made him love her as much as he did, all of it and more, he was sure. John imagined he would be discovering new things about her decades from now. She was looking back at him, smiling softly, and she reached out suddenly, taking his hand in hers. They didn’t even need to speak sometimes.

“You two are so fucking cute,” Indigo said. “I just can’t get over how great you are together.”

“I do enjoy our relationship,” Yelena agreed with a serene smile.

“Has it been twenty minutes yet?” Indigo groaned. “I’m so horny. One of the best types of threesomes to have is with a really loving couple that also is totally secure and confident in their relationship and they are also both so hot, and you two fit that perfectly.”

“I think enough time has passed,” John replied. “Well...I hope anyway.”

“Let’s go,” Indigo said, shooting to her feet almost fast enough to tip the chair over.

John and Yelena did the same. The three of them retreated into the tent and both women all but dove onto the nest of blankets and embraced, locking lips immediately. Someday, John thought as he stripped his boxers off, we’re going to have to buy a real bed for this tent. Or maybe they should just upgrade to a bigger, better camp-in-a-bag.

Whatever. Right now, he was going to have an amazing threesome.

Naked now, he joined the women, laying down against Indigo’s back and kissing the back of her neck while sliding a hand in between them, groping one of her breasts. Now that there were no other distractions, he really got a chance to size up Indigo’s slim, pale body, and he found her to be as sexy as he figured she would be. Her breasts were wonderfully firm, medium-sized, fitting nicely into his grasping hand, her nipple pressing against his palm. She was breathing heavily, moaning as she and Yelena kissed, pressing herself against him. He groped her breasts for a bit longer as he kissed the back of her neck, then let go and slipped his hand down to her hip, finding it firm, the skin soft and hot. Her tight ass felt good grinding into his crotch. He groped her ass for a bit, then slipped his hand around to her front and in between her fit thighs.

She gasped and moaned as he began to massage her clit. “Oh yes...” she whispered harshly, her body twitching in response to the pleasure.

“He’s very skilled,” Yelena said with a sultry smile.

“I can-ah!-tell.”

They rolled her onto her back and he kept fingering her, then leaned in and began kissing Yelena. He felt that wonderful spark of lust and love and connection as their lips met and she slipped her strange, long, forked tongue into his mouth to twist and twine with his own tongue. Indigo let out another surprised cry of rapture and he glanced down, seeing that Yelena had joined him in pleasuring her, slipping one of her fingers inside of their tight little elf friend. They kissed for a bit longer, then Yelena broke it and leaned down, kissing Indigo again. John studied the two women intensely as they made out.

Holy Gods, Indigo was attractive.

Her body slim and fit, muscles clear and well-defined beneath her pale skin. Her sexy blood red hair, and her seductive elf ears poking up through it. Her vividly bright blue eyes and wonderful breasts and those perfect pink nipples of hers. John shifted a bit so that his face was near her chest and he began to lick across one of her nipples.

“Oh fuck!” she moaned. “You two are gonna...oh this is too much!” she moaned.

Yelena let out a low, lusty laugh. “We have not yet even begun to pleasure you,” she replied, then began fingering her harder and faster and shifted as well. Indigo let out renewed cries of passion as Yelena joined John in licking her nipples and breasts. He then took her nipple into his mouth and began sucking on it as he pressed faster and harder on her clit, making fast little circles. He could feel her muscles tensing and releasing, her tight, fit body jerking and twitching and writhing in pure bliss as the two of them expertly pleasured her.

She managed to last maybe another twenty seconds before she had a wonderful, screaming, full-bodied orgasm.

They continued pleasuring her throughout her climax as she screamed and twisted, her hips bucking furiously as a hot spray of feminine sex juices escaped her wonderful, pale elf pussy. “Yes! Fuck yes! I LOVE IT SO FUCKING MUCH!” she shrieked at the top of her lungs, writhing madly with blissful ecstasy.

He absolutely loved it when women came, when he was making them come, the sounds they made and the knowledge that he had given them that pleasure. From the look on her face, it seemed that Yelena felt the same way.

Indigo’s orgasm slowly burned out and she was left panting and sweat-slicked and beautiful in its wake. She slowly opened her eyes and looked down at herself. “Oh my, I’ve made quite the mess,” she murmured.

“It is okay,” Yelena replied, and put her hand over the large, dark spot on the blankets and cast a small spell. There was a brief flash of light, then the spot was gone.

“Whoa! How’d you do that?” Indigo asked, sitting up. “I felt warmth…”

“Simple modification of a fire spell,” Yelena replied. “It seemed prudent to learn given the frequency of our sex and my tendency to have powerful orgasms.”

“You need to teach me that before we part ways. Please!”

“I will,” Yelena replied.

“Good. Now that I’ve had my good orgasm and we’ve already had each other...how about we get to work pleasing your amazing man?” Indigo suggested.

“That is a plan I am happy to enact,” Yelena replied.

“Fine by me,” John said.

They all shifted places and John felt his heart beating harder now, blood rushing through him, his cock fully erect and pulsing in anticipation of the attention it was about to receive. This was something he’d been hoping for and then anticipating since he’d first laid eyes on Indigo, then received confirmation that she was totally down to fuck.

Both women laid down on their stomachs, Yelena to his right, Indigo to his left, their faces near his cock. He trembled in anticipation as Indigo reached out and gripped his dick. “I knew it was going to be big,” she said softly, then leaned forward, stuck out her tongue and licked up the bottom of his cock. He groaned loudly as the pleasure hit him like a drug. Then did so again when Yelena joined in, licking across the side of his dick’s head.

“I think he likes it,” Indigo said, grinning and continuing to lick.

“I know he likes it,” Yelena replied. She reached out and cupped his balls in her hot grasp, then began to massage them gently. “He loves it, don’t you dear?”

“Yes!” he gasped. “Yes, I love it...oh fuck...”

Both women were freely licking the head now, their hot, wet tongues dragging across every part of it, lighting up his body with a powerful, absolute bliss that never failed to amaze him. After licking every inch of his cock, Indigo took it into her mouth and started sucking him off, bobbing her head smoothly up and down the length of it, sending a fresh, solid blast of pleasure into him. Yelena stuck out her elongated tongue and began licking his balls.

“Holy fucking Gods,” he groaned. “You two keep up like that and I’m not gonna last much longer.”

“Fine by me, I want to ride you,” Indigo replied, passing his cock to Yelena, who began sucking him off slowly, sensuously, massaging the head with her tongue at the same time. “But I do want you to come in my mouth.”

“I think I can manage that,” he replied.

Yelena sucked him off for a bit longer, staring intently up at him, her eyes burning and flickering bright and deep red. When she sensed that he was close to orgasm, (he still wasn’t entirely sure how she knew, but she always knew), she took his dick out and passed it back to Indigo. “Suck my lover dry,” she said.

“Gladly,” Indigo replied, and the sexy, pale, redheaded elf took his dick back into her hot, wet mouth. She continued pleasuring, sucking him off fast, her lips gliding rapidly over the head of his cock. She was going in for the kill, delivering nothing but pure pleasure, trying to push him over the edge.

And it didn’t take much longer.

“Oh...Indigo, fuck!” he cried as his orgasm burst into existence.

He felt it as a blast of pure, hot pleasure expanding rapidly from the core of his being. His dick jerked violently inside of her mouth and she moaned as she kept sucking. So did he, groaning loudly in pure rapturous release as he orgasmed into her mouth and holy fuck how good it felt that she was still sucking, working his shaft with her hand, Yelena’s hand on his balls, still massaging them, both women working his cock furiously to get every last drop out of him. His dick twitched over and over again, spraying thick spurts of his seed into Indigo’s mouth. She took it all in, sucking him dry, as the hot bliss filled him.

She sucked until he was done coming, then for a bit longer.

Then she pulled his cock slowly out of her mouth, her lips looking so wonderful wrapped around it tightly, sucking as she did to make sure she’d gotten it all. She swallowed and then sat up, grinning at him. “There,” she said, “that is a blowjob.”

“Yes,” he managed, breathing heavily, “a fantastic one.”

She laughed and then found a bottle of blueberry juice among their things, first she took a swig of it, swished it around in her mouth, then spit it out the tent. Then she took another healthy drink of it and passed it to Yelena, who took a few swallows from it herself.

“Oh my, someone’s still hard. Perfect,” Indigo said happily as she clambered quickly and nimbly up onto him.

“Wait, I think I need a minute-ah!” he cried as she gripped his cock and slipped it into her pussy. Fuck, she was so wet!

“I need you to not need a minute,” she replied, then moaned as she started riding him.

John winced, but grabbed her hips and began thrusting up into her. His cock was still sensitive from that orgasm, but fuck, it just felt too amazing, that stunningly tight elf pussy.

“Fuck! Oh I told you it’d feel big!” she cried. He just groaned in response, staring up at her beautiful tits as she rode his cock. “You like that?” she moaned. “You like it when I fuck your huge cock?!”

“Yes, Indigo!” he groaned, and thrust hard up into her, making her shout. “I fucking love it!”

“This was so fucking worth the wait,” she moaned.

John reached up and grabbed her wonderful, pale tits, groping and squeezing them as she bounced on his dick, satisfying herself with it. She seriously was amazingly tight, her vaginal muscles clenching hard around his cock.

He really, really hoped she left him fuck her in the ass.

After a minute or so, Indigo suddenly seemed to remember Yelena. “Oh my, I’m being rude,” she said as she stopped riding him. “You haven’t even gotten to come yet.”

“I would like to ride him for a bit,” Yelena replied, “and then you can eat me out while he fucks you from behind.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Indigo replied happily.

She got off of him and Yelena traded places, sliding his rigid, pussy juice-soaked cock inside of herself. Both of them let out sounds of pleasure as they enjoyed sexual unity, and he was inside of her. He absolutely loved being inside of her, being connected to her in the most basic, primal way that was possible. His hands found her hips, firm and smooth, and he could see her tail twitching back and forth behind her as she started to ride him.

“Oh, John, yes!” she cried as she fucked herself with his cock, burying his rigid length completely inside of her over and over again.

The pleasure was amplified by the nearly overwhelming feeling of love and connection he had as he stared up at her. Yelena quickly laid down against him and he hugged her to him, kissing her deeply, loving how quickly and eagerly she slipped her tongue into his mouth. He slid his hands slowly down her back, then settled one on her shapely, very well-maintained ass, and with the other gripped her tail, gently making a fist around its base, where it connected to her lower back, just above her ass. He gave it a small, gentle tug and she cried out.

“Oh fuck!”

“Ooh, she likes that, huh?” Indigo asked.

“Yes,” Yelena moaned, panting now. “I like it a lot, but...oh, only John can do it. Okay? I should have mentioned that earlier. You can touch it, just don’t-ah!-don’t tug on it, please...”

“It’s okay, Yelena. I completely respect that boundary. It’s something special to the two of you,” Indigo replied.

“I love you so much, Yelena,” John whispered into their kiss.

“I-ah!-I love you, too. I love you so much, John, I do not even have the words for it...”

He let go of her tail and grabbed her ass with both hands now, helping her bounce on his dick, thrusting wildly up into her, pounding her hard and making her scream. They fucked like that for awhile longer, and then decided it was time to switch again. Yelena dismounted him and he quickly got up, very eager to be inside of one of the women again. Yelena took his place, laying down and settling herself among the blankets and pillows, then spreading her long, athletic legs out. Indigo got in between them, but paused, and ran her hands up and down Yelena’s lower legs.

“I don’t know why, but the fact that you have hooves is really fucking hot,” she murmured.

“I know exactly what you mean,” John said.

“It is curious,” Yelena replied. “I do not have a similar fascination with your feet. But I am very glad you like them as much as you do.”

“They’re so sexy,” Indigo said, then got onto her hands and knees, presenting her nice, fit ass to him. Damn, she had a hot ass.

He got behind her as she lowered her face into Yelena’s crotch and began to pleasure his lover. Yelena let out a loud, long, sensuous moan.

John settled his cock into place at the entrance of her hot, wet, elf pussy and slipped his way inside of her. She let out a loud, muffled cry of bliss as he gripped her slim hips in his firm grasp and started fucking her pussy. He groaned, closing his eyes for a few seconds, absolutely lost in the rapturous bliss of sliding his cock in and out of seriously tight elf vagina. He could bury himself completely inside of her tight opening, feel her bare pussy against it each time he shoved his way back inside of her.

It was paradise.

It was like magic.

He fucked that sweet pussy of hers for another few minutes as he watched and listened to her pleasure Yelena, who was moaning loudly and freely now, her legs spread out wide. She was running her fingers through Indigo’s red hair, making a mess of it, enjoying every second of the oral pleasure she was receiving.

And then she was coming.

John watched, enraptured and continuing to pound Indigo’s pussy, as Yelena began to orgasm. It was a beautifully intense one, her muscles tensing, and then she was screaming in pleasure. “Oh yes Indigo! Yes it is so good! ITFEELSSOFUCKINGGOODINDIGO!” she babbled, almost incoherent as the climax tore through her body, making her twitch and shudder and spasm. Indigo moaned and kept licking her clit throughout the whole thing.

It was quite the spectacle.

When it was over, she fell back, panting, and Indigo raised her head up. She wiped her hand on the back of her mouth, then twisted back around to look at John. She looked almost painfully erotic with her pale face flushed, blood red hair a wild mess, her gaze wild and lusty. “You guys wanna double fuck me?” she asked.

“Oh fuck yes,” he replied. “I really want to put it in your ass.”

“Do it. Yelena,” she said, turning back around, “you can fuck my pussy with that special strap-on of yours.”

“That sounds quite wonderful,” Yelena agreed.

John pulled out of Indigo and they quickly grabbed what they needed. Yelena grabbed the magical fake cock from the dryads and pulled it on over her firm hips, and John found some lube and rubbed his cock down in preparation.

After a bit of conversation, they decided on the position. Yelena remained on her back, and Indigo mounted her, slipping the fake cock up into her pussy, which made both of them moan. Then John got up against her from the back.

“Careful now,” she whispered, “my ass is really tight. And you are big.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be careful,” John replied, and ran his hand gently over her back.

“I trust you,” she whispered. “I feel safe around both of you.”

“Good,” Yelena murmured. “We want you to feel good, Indigo. We want you to feel safe. You are among friends.”

“I’m so glad I met both of you,” she said, and began kissing Yelena.

John started working his way carefully into her ass.

Oh how tight her trim little elf ass was.

He was careful, easing his was gently and slowly into her ass, listening to her gasp and moan as pushed deeper inside of her. Indigo continued making out with and groping Yelena through it all, clearly enraptured by his demoness lover. Eventually, he could comfortably fuck her in the ass, and as soon as that was happening, the three of them worked to get a good rhythm going. It didn’t take long to do so, as he and Yelena were so linked that they read each other’s body language with ease. And they were both fucking Indigo at the same time.

And it was wonderful.

Especially for her.

“Oh my...oh fuck, I haven’t been double-fucked like this in way too long. Oh wow. You two are just fucking filling me up,” Indigo whispered.

“You like that, huh?” he asked, reaching around groping her firm, pale breasts.

“I fucking love it. Fuck! I loved being fucked like a whore,” she moaned.

“Good.”

He and Yelena started going faster, both of them fucking her holes, pleasuring all of them, building towards a tremendous climax.

“I can control when I come,” Yelena said, breathing heavily. “John has some control over his own orgasm. When you are about to go, let us know. We can all come together.”

“Oh fuck yes,” Indigo moaned. “Not long now...”

They kept fucking, all three of them locked together in rapturous, sexual bliss, the pleasure consuming them, filling them.

About another thirty seconds passed before Indigo shouted out in a strangled voice: “Gonna go now!”

John had been holding back his orgasm inasmuch as he could, but now he stopped holding it back, pounding Indigo up the ass faster, groaning in pure ecstasy as he hugged Indigo to him, humping her hard.

Indigo began to orgasm with a scream.

Yelena let out her own almost feral cry of release as she started to come as well.

And then John was lost, tossed away into a sea of absolute pleasure. He was coming into Indigo, his body being filled with a perfect bliss. It was wonderful and rapturous and stunning. He could feel his seed leaving him in hard contractions, could feel that unity between himself and Indigo and Yelena, all three of them physically connected and orgasming together. It felt perfect. He came into her, pumping her tight elf ass full of his seed, feeling her writhe against him, hearing both of the women moaning loudly in sexual release.

When he was finished, John carefully pulled out of Indigo’s ass, then sat down heavily on the blankets, just trying to get his breath back and keep from passing out. That had been one of those great, fantastic orgasms.

Indigo moaned and fell forward onto Yelena, who held her and stroked her bare back. “You are such a sexy little elf,” Yelena whispered to her.

“And you are such a fucking hot tall demon chick,” Indigo murmured back.

“I need to sleep,” John said as a wave of tiredness washed over him. He slowly got to his feet and went about the process of washing up again.

“Yes, sleep,” Indigo agreed, and yawned loudly.

The three of them took a moment to wash off, and John made himself go out and check the cavern they were in again, and the tunnel they’d come down, to make sure that they were still truly alone. Outside, in the distance, he heard only the shrieking of the winds. It was quite the storm. He hurried back to the tent and found both women in bed. He got down in between them, under the blankets, and felt truly content.

He was asleep almost immediately, curled up against Yelena’s back, hugging her to him, while Indigo laid against his own back.

CHAPTER VIII

The next morning was good, at first at least.

John woke very horny and was happy to find that so was Indigo. He had pretty much come to expect that from Yelena. She seemed to need significantly less sleep than he did. He almost always woke to the sound of her heavy breathing as she was working out on the floor of wherever they were sleeping, usually doing sit ups or sometimes practicing hand-to-hand combat. It was a good thing to wake up to, and it was what he and Indigo did wake to the next morning. Their hot, redheaded new elf friend quickly hopped onto him and rode his dick until they both had experienced wonderful orgasms. Then she’d gone to wash up.

Before John could do the same, Yelena got back into bed, pushing him back down with a sly smirk and fiery eyes, declaring, “My turn.”

And then she had ridden him until they both had come as well.

After the sex, all three of them washed and dressed, preparing for the day ahead. John could no longer hear the sounds of the snowstorm. He couldn’t hear anything out there. Hopefully the skies would stay clear for the duration of their journey, though somehow he doubted it. Once they were washed and dressed, the trio ate a quick breakfast of some more rabbit meat and a few grilled leaks, then Indigo extinguished her hot rock and they got it back into her tent. After breaking down their camps and making sure nothing was left behind, the pair moved back out of the cave system, checking the magical traps and warnings they’d set.

Either nothing had gotten in, or someone very skilled had gotten in and apparently done nothing. John was willing to bet that nothing had gotten in and they were still in the clear. But he couldn’t help but feel the growing sense of paranoid pressure: where were the other demons? He doubted they were going to just give up after they’d murdered as many of their kin as they had. Had they lost track of them? Were they biding their time? Had something else come up? Or were they being tracked this very minute?

As they left the cave and looked around, finding a bright blue sky that was marred by a solid line of dark gray clouds on the horizon and a fresh snowfall covering the land, John studied his two companions. Yelena seemed more tense than usual, very alert, checking every detail. She was normally very observant, but it was obvious that she was very likely having roughly the same thoughts that he currently was. Indigo, on the other hand, seemed cheerful and almost carefree. He was almost willing to chalk it up to her general nature, as she was clearly not naive and no stranger to combat, but he found himself wondering…

Was she this calm because she didn’t truly believe that they were being hunted by demons? To hear something was one thing, but to actually understand it was quite another. Well, whatever the case, this was the way it was, and the way it would remain. He was going to have to trust in Indigo to react fast and hard should the time come for such actions. With these thoughts twisting around in his skull, he followed after Indigo with Yelena as their elf guide struck off westward again. The snow crunched beneath their boots.

For a long time, it was the only sound, save for the occasional wind or the call of some indigenous animal.

“Indigo,” Yelena said after awhile, “I am curious. Do you know anything about this place you are taking us?”

“Not a whole lot,” Indigo replied. “I learned a little bit about it when I was asking around. All I really know is that it used to be some kind of remote outpost for...I think the human military? It isn’t a fort, really, more like a resting place. I think they originally intended to establish some kind of settlement or something farther on, but for whatever reason that plan never fully got off the ground. It likely passed hands for years. It’s old, several hundred years at least. And it was probably lost more than once. But the most recent thing it was supposed to have been used for was an isolated research outpost for a group of mages out of Stafford. I think they were experimenting with some dangerous new magic techniques or devices or whatever, and wanted to do so either away from prying eyes, or somewhere remote enough to not harm anyone if something went wrong. Or, well, probably both really,” she explained.

“And then it was lost?” John asked.

“I guess so. Dunno what happened. When I was there, there didn’t seem to be any kind of massive damage or anything to it. Maybe they were killed, or maybe they just left. Or maybe one of their experiments got them?” She shrugged. “Either way, provided it’s in the same state I found it in, it should be easy to track this thing down.”

“I sure hope so,” John murmured.

They walked on.

…

Roughly an hour later, John found himself cresting a rise in the land and then looking down into a depression. There, surrounded by copses of snow-capped trees and the rising peaks of the mountain range they were traveling along, he spied the structure that they were looking for. It wasn’t particularly large, nor impressive, but it was there. That’s all he needed it to be. Now, they just had to get inside and pray that the amulet was there, and it did what it was supposed to do. Then they could continue along with this whole thing.

He studied the surrounding area and the structure as they approached. It was roughly circular in nature, just one large building made mostly of wood and stone. The remnants of other, smaller structures lay scattered in the fields to either side of it, long since taken by the elements, burned down, or buried by the snow and ice.

There didn’t seem to be any signs of anyone around, but John knew that was meaningless. Unless they had come or gone in the last few hours, the snow could have hidden an army’s tracks. As such, he drew his blade as they approached the main entrance, which was just a large opening in the side of the structure. Whatever doors might have once been there were long gone. The interior was dim and hidden in shadows.

Yelena and Indigo each drew their bows and notched arrows.

“Now or never,” Indigo said.

John just nodded and moved forward, taking the lead, sword held tightly in hand. They all moved in through the main entrance, coming to stand in a large, open space that seemed to encompass the entire interior of the structure. From what he could see, there had once been walls dividing up the area, creating rooms, but someone had taken them down.

“We need more light,” he whispered, and his voice sounded too loud in the gloom.

Yelena gestured sharply and a ball of light appeared near the center of the room, throwing back the shadows and revealing a number of things. Mostly furniture, a wide variety of it, and trash, and several corpses, all of which looked old. There were openings in the floor to the far left and right that curved down and out of sight. Stairwells, leading into a basement area.

“Something is here,” Yelena said quietly.

John nodded, he could sense it, too. They waited...and heard something. Footsteps. Light ones. Echoing, coming from the right. They all turned, both women aiming their arrows at the openings in the floor, as it was clearly something ascending the stairwell. The seconds ticked by, the footsteps getting closer, louder.

Then a small head with big black eyes suddenly appeared. It had pale green skin and patchy, dark hair. It stared right at them, and for the life of him John couldn’t figure out what exactly it was, although he was certain he’d seen it before, or something like it.

The moment stretched out.

Then the thing opened its mouth and let out a wild shriek that was cut off an instant later as two arrows cut through the air and met in the middle of its face, sending it flying back down the stairway it had ascended.

That was when a loud group of screams and shrieks rose up from the depths.

“Ice goblins!” Indigo growled.

“Aw crap,” John groaned as he readied himself. Goblins were nasty little fuckers, and they tended to travel in packs.

There were more footsteps, running now, scrambling really, and the first wave of them emerged from both sides of the room. Only they weren’t alone, they weren’t just ice goblins. Several of them were actually riding on the backs of ice spiders.

“Oh you are kidding me!” John cried.

Yelena and Indigo immediately began firing off their arrows and John ran forward to meet the first of them to the left. He threw himself into battle, stabbing one ice goblin through the chest and then sidestepping the spider it was riding on. He hurled the nasty little thing away, freeing his blade, and stabbed down into the body of the giant spider as it twisted and tried to come for him. Ripping his blade up and out in a spray of dark gray blood, he grunted as a goblin rushed him and tried to stab him. Its blade went into his chainmail armor, but didn’t break through. Still hurt though. He brought his sword around in a tight arc and decapitated the little bastard, then brought his foot up and lashed out, kicking another square in the chest and sending it flying back into several others. Another giant spider tried to latch onto him.

He sidestepped, barely avoiding it, and chopped two of its legs off in a clean swipe. The thing began shrieking and thrashing about wildly, knocking over several goblins. Occasionally an arrow would fly into view and expertly kill a goblin or a spider. The battle raged on. Blood flew on the air. John cut through limbs and necks, killing the horrible ice creatures as fast as he could. There were so many of them!

Finally, he stabbed into the pale body of an ice spider and tore his blade out, killing it, and then as he looked around, preparing himself for the next attack, there was no one else, nothing left to kill. Gasping for breath, trembling from the exertion of fighting and killing dozens of enemies, he twisted around to make sure the others were okay. Yelena had drawn her own blade at some point, rushing off to the opposite side of the room to slay whatever she found there, and Indigo was still where she’d originally been, one more arrow notched and ready. When she saw that they seemed to have exhausted their supply of enemies, she slowly lowered her bow.

“Is that all of them?” she asked.

“I think so,” John murmured.

“We really should check the basement to be sure,” Yelena suggested.

“Yeah...yeah, we should,” John said, and flicked blood from his sword, looking around at them all. They’d probably killed fifty goblins and spiders between the three of them. He was smarting in several places where someone had landed a lucky blow, but so far his armor was holding up well. He was glad to see that his reflexes and combat skills were still pretty sharp. Though living in the Emerald Wild probably helped. They typically didn’t have to fight as much as he thought they would, making their home there, thanks to the dryad’s influence, but it could still be dangerous. Keeping his sword out, John rejoined the others.

They moved as one down the rightmost stairwell, and Yelena cast another spell of light, this one moving with them. Immediately, John noticed a foul smell. Great. Obviously the goblins had made their home down here, and who knew how much shit and piss was down there, how much rotted meat from things they’d killed and dragged down there. Sure enough, as they came into the lower portion, they saw signs of all that and more.

“Great,” John muttered.

“Ugh, the smell,” Indigo moaned, covering her nose.

“We will have to search this place,” Yelena said.

“Yep,” John replied morosely. “Come on, faster we do it faster it’ll be over with.”

They head into the basement. It wasn’t as open as the upstairs. There was a large, central chamber with rounded walls, but it was smaller, maybe half the size of the whole structure, and there were about a dozen open doors along its peripheral. They first swept the area for anything still alive, checking each of the rooms, and after close to ten minutes found that the goblins had committed the entirety of their tribe to assault. Not one was left alive. After that, the trio began the unhappy job of preforming a more thorough search.

It was clear that this is where a lot of the research had gone on. Each of the rooms seemed to be a kind of combination laboratory and domicile. Each one had a different configuration. John tried to imagine what they must have been researching here, and what it must have been like living here, as he hunted, if only to keep his mind off the reek. In a way, he thought it might be fun. Living with like-minded people in an isolated location, devoting yourself to what you really cared about. In a way, it was what he’d chosen to do.

He lived in isolation with Yelena and dedicated himself to what he cared about most: her. Her happiness and well-being.

And he loved his life.

It looked like some rooms were more dedicated to alchemical pursuits, and some to more magical pursuits, and one definitely to making weapons. It was very unfortunate that most of this had been utterly ruined by the goblins that had been camping here. Time slipped by as they searched the rooms, trying to find a compromise between going fast and doing a thorough job. Whenever he found something that looked like it might be valuable, like a gem or an artifact or piece of jewelry, he shoved it into his pocket or pack.

John wasn’t entirely sure how long they were down there in the smelly dim basement, but finally Indigo called out: “I think I found it!”

He quickly left the room he was in after pocketing another emerald and saw Yelena coming from another room. They tracked down the room Indigo was searching and stepped inside. She was crouched over a small lockbox, its lid flipped open, peering into its interior.

“That’s not the only thing, either,” she murmured as she held up a medallion on a silver chain. “There’s more stuff in here.”

“How are you sure this is the one?” John asked.

“I’m not, but I found a work journal in this room. The woman working on the artifact we’re seeking wrote it and she described it as this, in this box,” Indigo explained.

“I should be able to determine its nature,” Yelena replied as she accepted the artifact. John looked it over with her. It was a simple golden coin, about as big as his palm but thin. One side was smooth and blank, but the other had an image of a faded, closed eye surrounded by several small dots, almost like a miniature snowstorm.

“I will need time,” she said. “We should return to the surface.”

John nodded and Indigo agreed immediately. She snapped the lockbox closed again and tucked it under one arm as she stood. As they began heading for the curving stairwell once more, grateful to be free of the wretched basement, John began to hear the sounds of rising winds. The next snowstorm was likely going to be upon them soon. Did they have time to get somewhere else? Back to that cave? Or another one maybe?

He did not want to spend the night here.

“Where will we go now?” John asked.

“After I confirm that this is indeed what we are looking for, perhaps we can go back the way we came,” Yelena replied.

“I think-” Indigo began, then Yelena hissed a warning and they all fell silent.

They had just crested the top of the curving stairwell. John began to look around for whatever it was that had tripped up her finely tuned combat senses, but he didn’t have to look any further than the front entrance.

She wasn’t do anything to hide.

“Gaaz,” Yelena growled, drawing her blade.

“Hello Ragnostal,” the slim demoness that stood in the doorway replied. She wore simple, black, formfitting armor and held a very thin sword loosely in one hand. “You have been very difficult to track down.”

“Oh please forgive me,” Yelena replied, her voice acidic and sharp.

The demoness, Gaaz, seemed unperturbed. “Quite the contrary. I very much enjoy a good hunt. Although I never thought it would be you that I would be hunting.”

The three of them slowly finished coming out of the stairwell and spread out slightly. “Who is this?” John asked quietly.

“This is Gaaz. We used to fight together. She is exceptionally skilled with a blade, and she is very fast,” Yelena responded softly.

“I am glad you remember that about me, Ragnostal,” Gaaz said. “I think it is only fair to warn you that the rules of engagement have changed. Hagan is no longer interested in returning you to our homeland. The orders are to kill you, and your companions. I am to bring him your head. He tells me he wishes to mount it beside his throne.”

Yelena sighed. “Of course he does. I do not suppose there is anything I could say or do get you to turn away?”

“No,” Gaaz replied, her voice still neutral. “Aside from the fact that Hagan instructed me to return with your head or not at all, I have always wondered. Which of us is the best? You were always so swift and strong, so resolute and steadfast. But now we shall see. Before we begin however...I have but one question: What are you doing here?”

“Nothing you could possibly comprehend,” Yelena replied.

Gaaz was silent for several seconds. John’s hand rested on the hilt of his blade now, ready to draw it in an instant, his heart hammering in his chest. He was tensing for combat. Gaaz looked dangerous. Beside him, Indigo was tensed as well. She hadn’t moved her hands yet, but he had no doubt that she would have her bow drawn and an arrow notched in a second as soon as the battle began. Yelena was scowling fiercely, blade in hand.

“I suppose you are right,” Gaaz replied.

She raised her blade.

Yelena shot forward.

John drew his blade.

Indigo notched an arrow and prepared to fire.

And then Gaaz raised her other hand, aiming it palm outward, and released a concussive blast of pure force magic that slammed directly into Indigo and sent John and Yelena stumbling. Indigo screamed as she was thrown back down the stairwell. John yelled her name as he scrambled to get steady, but there was no time to help her.

Gaaz was sprinting across the room and already she’d somehow managed to cover over half the distance between them.

She was fast.

He and Yelena went to meet her with their blades.

John’s mind was whirling, already hunting for weakness in Gaaz’s stance, in her armor, thinking of ways to take her down fast and quick, because there was no honor in this. Whatever she thought, John was out for blood right now.

Gaaz intended to kill Yelena.

And so John fully intended to kill Gaaz, and would without hesitation or remorse.

Of course all this courageous bravado didn’t stop Gaaz from jerking her free hand at him and hitting him with another blast of concussive force that sent him flying across the room. He heard Yelena snarl his name, and then his trip of sailing through the air came to a sharp and painful end as he smashed into the stonework floor and bounced a few times. He grunted and cried out as pain erupted across his body. The wind knocked out of him, sword somehow still in his grasp, John struggled back to his feet, gasping for breath.

He heard the sound of metal striking metal again and again.

As he got to his feet, he saw sparks flying. Yelena and Gaaz were locked in combat. He started making his way towards them, but wondered if maybe he should stay back. He wasn’t as skilled a fighter as either of them and what if he got in Yelena’s way? But he had to help. He began moving forward, hunting for an opportunity to present itself. He believed in Yelena, he knew how capable she was, but what if Gaaz was better? John ignored the pain and got as close as he could. Both women were locked firmly in combat, blades ringing as the pair stamped back and forth across the dusty old stonework floor of the abandoned research outpost.

Then it came, his moment.

Gaaz and Yelena crashed blades together and came face to face, pressing against each other, testing strength.

And Gaaz head-butted Yelena hard, causing her to cry out and stumble backwards. Before Gaaz could capitalize on this, John rushed forward and tried to bring the pommel of his blade down on the back of Gaaz’s head. He could end this here and now. Gaaz sensed this and sidestepped at the last second. The pommel instead struck her armored shoulder, though from the way she let out a short growl and exhaled sharply, it was obvious that he’d caused her pain. John brought his blade back and up just in time as Gaaz whirled around and launched a dizzying assault, her blade flashing. He parried best he could, but she was so fast!

He’d really gotten himself into a bad situation here.

He was just barely managing to keep Gaaz from running him through with her blade, losing ground all the while, being forced back step by step. It was only a matter of time before she got past his defenses or he tripped on something. There were a lot of bodies around. And then suddenly Yelena was there, coming for her from the back, blade raised.

And Gaaz beat aside John’s blade, sending him stumbling, and struck out behind her with one booted foot, landing a perfect kick into Yelena’s stomach. Yelena let out a pained gasp, staggered but not put down, and John surged forward, seeing an opportunity.

He beat aside Gaaz’s blade as she was regaining her posture and went to run her through.

That was when she loosed a dagger hidden away somewhere on her armor and stabbed him right in the stomach. The blade punched right through his chainmail armor and gutted him, sliding hilt-deep into his belly.

It felt like his guts had been lit on fire.

“JOHN!” Yelena screamed, and surged forward. Gaaz turned to meet her and their battle began again with a renewed intensity.

John cried out in pain, staggering backwards, his sword falling from his hands as he placed them reflexively over the thing that was hurting him. He forced himself to stop moving backwards, trying to stay within range of the two women. He managed to stop, but then fell heavily to his knees. The pain...it was enormous, it consumed him. Her dagger was no regular dagger. It had to be treated with something.

His insides were burning!

Gritting his teeth, John gripped the hilt and pulled the dagger out. He screamed hoarsely, his gaze never leaving the two fighting figures, though his eyes did water. And that did it. His scream. Gaaz looked back one crucial half second and Yelena beat her blade aside and returned the favor of the headbutt, smashing her nose with her forehead.

Gaaz roared in pain as she fell backwards. Her foot caught on something and she fell right on her back, right in front of John.

Without hesitation, he raised the dagger up and sank it hilt deep into the demoness warrior’s eye. Gaaz went stiff, twitched violently a few times, armor rattling and banging and scraping against the floor, and then she went slack.

And moved no more.

John groaned and collapsed on his back as well, gasping for breath.

“Oh John,” Yelena moaned, dropping to his side. He saw that her nose was bleeding heavily. “Honey, let me heal you.”

He just nodded, wincing. “Hurry,” he whispered. “Something about that dagger...”

“It was treated with a fire spell,” Yelena replied. “Please, hold still.”

He screamed as she laid her hands against his bloody stomach, but forced himself to lay still. She released a powerful wave of healing magic. The pain began to recede and the burning sensation slowly fell away, though not as fast as he would have hoped. Yelena had to keep healing him for close to half a minute, which he knew must have been exhaustive. When it was over, she gasped and opened her eyes, as she’d closed them tightly in concentration.

“There,” she whispered, “you are okay now.”

“We need to have Indigo heal you...oh shit, Indigo!” he groaned, getting to his feet.

“No, we need her magic to activate the amulet,” Yelena replied.

“Are you okay, Yelena?” he asked.

“I’ll be fine, John. We must find Indigo,” Yelena replied firmly.

They hurried across the room and down the stairs. Indigo was at the bottom, unmoving. They hurried down and crouched over her.

“Get a healing potion out,” Yelena said.

John nodded and shrugged out of his backpack. He hoped nothing had broken when he’d landed from that giant push. He hadn’t really had time to get his pack off. One of the annoyances of being an adventurer. But it was a sturdy pack, and the bottles were well-made. He found one, pulled it out, ripped out the cork, and carefully began pouring the liquid into Indigo’s mouth after laying her head gently in his lap.

She was breathing, at least. And she swallowed the potion reflexively as he fed it to her. Yelena had the amulet in her hands now, staring at it intently. She jerked her head a few times, as though she was trying to stay awake.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Fine,” she whispered, her voice harsh. “Need to concentrate.”

John finished the potion and set the bottle back into his pack. He waited. Indigo continued to breathe, Yelena continued to focus. He realized she must be doing what she was originally going to: figuring out if this amulet was the one they needed. Finally, after another few minutes, Indigo opened her eyes.

She blinked several times, tensing, but relaxed as she looked up at him.

“John,” she whispered. “What happened?”

“That bitch knocked you down the stairs and I think you hit your head on the way down. I’ve given you a healing potion and the demon is dead,” he explained. “We’re safe.”

“For now,” Yelena muttered. “Okay, I have confirmed it: this is the amulet we seek. Indigo, you must imbue it with magic. It isn’t activated. It needs a magical charge.”

“I can do that,” she said, slowly sitting up. “Oh man, I’ve got a bad headache. Is...is everyone okay? Yelena, you’re bleeding.”

“I am fine,” Yelena insisted, passing the amulet to Indigo. “Please, activate it.”

“Drink a healing potion. I have some in my pack if you’re out,” Indigo replied firmly.

Yelena sighed. “Very well, I have my own. Please, hurry. I do not know if they are already sending someone else. We must activate it and get out of here.”

Yelena found the potion and drank it, and Indigo worked up a powerful magic charge that took five minutes to gather. She shunted it all into the amulet, which began to glow gently blue. Finally, there was a pulse of blue light that rushed out briefly and John felt the magic pass through his body as a warm wave.

“Is that it? Is it working?” he asked.

“It’s working,” Indigo confirmed. She passed it to Yelena, who draped it over her neck, settling it where the other amulet would have resided.

John felt a wave of frustration and anger roll through him as he saw that. Two now. Two fucking things that Yelena had to wear to hide who she was. She didn’t deserve this.

“What do we do now?” Yelena asked.

“I know a place we can go. Come on, we have to move now. I can hear the winds. Another storm is coming and it sounds worse,” Indigo replied.

They helped her to her feet and the trio headed back upstairs.

As they looked out the windows, John realized she was right. It was already starting to snow, and he could sense a worse storm on the horizon.

They left the research outpost and hurried off, bearing south.

CHAPTER IX

Indigo’s hiding place turned out to be an old, long-abandoned hunter’s cabin.

John threw open the front door, helping Yelena now with one of her arms over his shoulders, as all her magical use, the combat, and the extensive travel had really taken it out of her. He stepped in and looked around. The place wasn’t very big and was mostly cleared out. Just some furniture and refuse scattered across the old wooden floor.

Indigo shut and locked the door behind them, then began going to the windows, looking out them and then closing them off as best she could.

“How’d you find this place?” John asked as he got Yelena over to a chair and helped her settle down into it. She looked pissed and tired.

“Exploring after running into that outpost,” Indigo replied from across the room. She was staring out one of the windows. The snowstorm had hit sometime during the hour or so walk they’d had to endure to find the place. It was bad, the kind of storm that swept in and locked a whole region into a deep freeze for days.

They weren’t going anywhere for a little while, which was honestly fine by John. After all that they’d been through, being locked up in an isolated place with two very attractive, very sexually activate women sounded like paradise.

“It was in this condition when I found it. I think it’s pretty safe to say that it’s abandoned. There’s a basement we can hang out in. It’s actually nice down there, or should be, anyway. I think we’re secure here, though we should lay a few alarms and traps,” Indigo replied.

Yelena nodded and rose to her feet. “I can do that,” she said.

“Yelena, maybe Indigo should. You need rest,” John said uncertainly.

“I can handle it,” Yelena replied flatly.

“Yelena, you’ve expended a lot of magic-”

She turned towards him suddenly. “I can handle it! I do not need to be coddled!” she snapped, and John took a step back.

Indigo turned and looked at both of them uncomfortably.

Yelena stared at him, her eyes blazing brightly, and suddenly her shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “John, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell at you.”

He stepped up to her and hugged her. She squeezed him back hard. “It’s okay,” he replied softly. “You’re stressed. We all are. It’s fine, honey.”

“I cannot believe I yelled at you,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry, I’ve never...I don’t...”

“Yelena,” he said, and he shifted so that they were face to face, instead of having their heads resting on each other’s shoulder, “it’s okay. We’re going to snap at each other sometimes.”

“I...I don’t want you to think I had stopped loving you,” she replied, and he could see that she was clearly more upset than he thought she might be.

“I don’t think that at all, honey!” he replied immediately. “Yelena, it’s okay. I really understand. Couples fight sometimes. I love you. I know you love me.”

“...okay,” she murmured. “I just-I’m sorry. I do not have much experience with this. I...conflict like this among my people can turn very bad very quickly. Alliances can be lost, relationships destroyed. I lost my temper, and...okay. I, uh, I need to eat. And to lay down somewhere.”

“I’ll lay the traps Yelena. You and John head downstairs and make sure it’s secure,” Indigo said quietly.

“Okay.” Yelena hesitated as she and John let go of each other. “I am sorry you had to see that.”

“Yelena,” Indigo replied, and smiled, “it’s fine. I’ve seen way, way worse. Gods, I got walked in on by a guy’s wife when we were in the middle of fucking because he had told me he was fucking divorced and that was just...oh man, now that was a bad situation. Yelena, you’re stressed out. You just had to fight for your life. This is a stressful situation. It’s really okay. I mean really, I think you’re holding up very well. If I was in your situation, I’d be spitting and cussing and pretty much ready to just crawl in a hole and give the fuck up by now. Go on downstairs and we’ll have a bit meal and a nice soak, there’s a tub down there, and a nice, long screw, then we can get some sleep.”

“That sounds deeply appealing,” Yelena said, and laughed. “Thank you, both of you, for helping me with this, and being so kind.”

“You’re welcome,” Indigo replied.

“I love you so much,” Yelena said, hugging John again. They headed over to a hatch that led down into the basement.

“I love you too, Yelena. More than anyone anywhere. Come on, honey.”

They opened the hatch and moved down into the basement after Yelena used a little bit of magic to cast a light spell. It was a good-sized basement, actually a little bit bigger than the cabin itself. There was a bed down there, and a sunken tub, a dresser, a table with four chairs around it, a small kitchen area, a fireplace, too.

“This is a very nice place,” Yelena said softly as they checked it out.

“Yes it is. This is going to be a very great place to hole up,” John replied, taking his pack off.

“How long do you think we’ll be here?”

“I’m not sure. We should stay here for at least a day, maybe two. All three of us need to rest and regain our strength. Besides all that’s happened to us so far, we still have quite a ways to go before we get to Kesley.”

“Mmm...you have a good point. I will get us some water. Can you light some candles?” Yelena asked as she took off her own backpack and walked over to the tub.

“Yes, love.”

He walked slowly around the room, finding a half-dozen candles spread out across the area, and lit each one in passing as Yelena cast her spell to conjure up some clear, steaming water. He didn’t like her using up even more magic after she’d expended so much, but he knew they really needed to take a long, hot soak. It would go a very long way towards soothing their frayed nerves and helping their battered bodies feel better.

Once he was done with the candles, John joined Yelena at the tub. She was standing at its edge, staring down into the water. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She settled immediately back into his grasp, laying her own arms over his.

“John,” she murmured.

“Yes, love?”

“I want...” She hesitated.

“Tell me what you want, honey,” he replied after a few seconds.

“I want...to be abused again,” she said softly. “I want you to fuck me hard, and humiliate me, and abuse me. I suddenly want that very badly. I want to be submissive, and I want you to dominate me. Do you think we can do that?”

“Yes, honey. We can do that,” John replied. “If that’s what you want, what will make you feel better, then we can do that. Absolutely.”

“Will you be okay with it?”

“Oh yes, I very much will,” he replied, and she laughed softly. “Will you? I mean, Indigo is going to be here in the room...”

“Yes. I have thought of this. We, ah...we briefly discussed it during the night we had together. Well, I didn’t say much about the subject, but I did learn that Indigo is very, very much into being submissive and being abused. I did that to her a little bit during that night. She had me choke her, and that was...I enjoyed that. I wanted to ask her to do the same to me, but...it’s not...I need it to be you, for now. Plus, I am not sure she is capable of switching roles. I think she can only be effectively submissive.”

“Well, I have to admit, the idea of dominating the fuck out of both of you is very, very appealing to me,” John replied.

“Good. Ooh...I can feel your erection,” she murmured. “I am suddenly very turned on.”

“So am I.”

“Okay,” Indigo said, her voice coming to them as she began descending the ladder. She closed the hatch and locked it. “I’ve secured the upstairs as much as I can. We should be safe.”

“Thank you, Indigo,” Yelena said. She moved over to their elf friend as she finished coming down the ladder and hugged her. “Your help has been invaluable and it is deeply appreciated.”

“Well, I dunno about invaluable,” Indigo replied, hugging her back. “But the appreciation is appreciated.”

Yelena laughed. “Such a way with words. Now...how about we have a soak in the tub and then discuss what...activities we will be engaging in tonight.”

As they parted, Indigo looked up at Yelena and arched an eyebrow. “Activities, huh?” She glanced at John with a smirk. “Well it’s obvious that we’re going to fuck. I mean, that’s a given at this point. But...since you already know that, that must mean you have something else in mind.”

“Quite astute you are,” Yelena replied.

“I’m suddenly very interested in this discussion,” Indigo said.

“Then get naked and in the water,” Yelena replied, stripping her clothes off.

“Gladly.” Indigo began to do the same.

John joined them in undressing and shucked his clothing quickly, and soon all three of them were relaxing in a wonderfully hot, soothing bath. John rested his head against the side of the tub, the water up to his neck, and simply luxuriated. Being immersed in hot water was another pleasure that he thought he would truly never get tired off. The only thing more inviting than a hot bath at the end of a long day was a comfortable bed.

Well, the only non-sexual thing, anyway.

The trio found bars of soap and washcloths and went about the process of cleaning up, getting all the sweat and grime and blood off of them.

“Okay,” Indigo said after several minutes of comfortable, companionable silence. “So, what is this...extra sex thing you’ve got in mind?”

“John?” Yelena replied, looking at him.

John couldn’t help but smile. He leaned forward. “So, Yelena mentioned to me that you said you’re into rough sex, like submission and domination stuff.”

Her eyes practically lit up. “Yes I so fucking am,” she replied immediately. “Oh Gods, tell me you are going to fucking dominate me because that will make me have an absolute shrieking orgasm,” she added.

“That’s the plan. Yelena is into being submissive as well, and so the plan is for me to dominate the fuck out of both of you.”

“Ohhh man, I’m almost drooling at the thought of that, although...” she glanced at Yelena, “you didn’t actually mention that you’re into submission.”

“It is a...sensitive subject,” Yelena replied. “I feel comfortable enough around you that I can talk about it now. Plus, John is here, that helps.”

“I can respect that,” Indigo replied. “Now, do you two have any kind of specific narrative in mind...cause I fucking love roleplaying and narrative.”

“Uh, I don’t, do you love?” John asked.

“I am open to suggestions,” Yelena replied.

“Oh, perfect! So, I think my absolute favorite sex fantasy is being a fuck slave and having a dominating master forcing me to service him and fucking me so hard, maybe slapping me around, or choking me, mmm...oh Gods yes,” she whispered. “You’ve got really strong hands, John. You and Yelena both. I so want you to fucking choke me.”

“I am...very aroused by this conversation,” John admitted. “And I really want to choke you.”

“And slap me, too. And scream at me. Both of us.”

“This sounds like a deeply satisfying experience,” Yelena said.

“So we’re gonna do this?” Indigo asked, sounding very eager, practically bouncing in the water.

“I’m ready if you are,” John replied.

“I am ready,” Yelena said.

“Well, let’s get to it, then. First though, safe word?” he asked, looking at Indigo. He and Yelena already had theirs.

“Moonlight,” Indigo replied.

“I’ll keep it in mind.”

They left the tub quickly and dried off as fast as they could. John thought about how he was going to handle this as they did so. He’d done some roleplaying in his life, most notably recently with Yelena. And that had been just...so fucking much fun. And so hot. This was going to be a little different. He was eager to explore with these two women. As they finished drying and tossed the towels aside, he realized both women were looking at him expectantly. He stared back at them for a moment, and tried to really get into character.

He snapped his fingers. “Foot of the bed, now!” he snapped.

Both women let out small gasps and immediately hurried over to stand at the foot of the large bed. He was glad it was big enough to accommodate all of their activities. They both stood at its edge and held their hands clasped together in front of themselves, looking down. John moved slowly over to them, taking his time. Having seen both of these women act with such courageous ferocity in battle multiple times now, it was so strange to see the look of submissive almost fear on their faces. It was also kind of hot.

John knew that he was attracted to strong women for a number of reasons. But he had to admit to himself that one of the reasons was because he absolutely fucking loved to dominate them. Not all of them were into being dominated, and that was fine. In the same way that Indigo couldn’t be dominating, John couldn’t really be submissive. Although he could at least let the woman sort of take the reigns during sex.

He didn’t really have a problem with that.

But tonight he was one in charge. He came to stand before them. Indigo looked up, then quickly looked back down again.

Fuck, she was so hot! Such a hot, fit, trim body, and all that smooth, pale skin. “Now that both of you filthy whores have been cleaned,” he said, and he began to walk slowly around them in a circle, “it’s time we get to the next part of the night. I spent a lot of gold on you two sluts, so I expect both of you to perform excellently.” He stopped behind them and ran his fingertips down Yelena’s back. She shivered. He settled his hand on her ass, gripping it. “Do you understand?” he asked.

“Yes,” they both murmured.

He marched back around to the front of them suddenly and slapped each of them across the face. “You will refer to me as master, do you understand!?” he screamed.

“Yes, master,” they both replied immediately, flinching away. Indigo was chewing on her lower lip nervously now, shifting from side to side.

“Stand up straight! Stop fidgeting!” he snapped.

Both of them became still. Yelena’s tail was whipping nervously back and forth behind her. He stepped up closer to her and began to grope her breasts.

“Both of you are in very good shape,” he murmured. “And I know that both of you were criminals. Both of you were very bad girls. And while I’m breaking you into tonight, and,” he moved over to Indigo, ran a hand across one of her perfect pink nipples, then suddenly pinched it between his fingers, making her cry out, “I will be breaking you in hard, you filthy, stupid whores,” he let go of her, “I want to it be absolutely clear that any wrongdoing, any defiance, will be punished severely. I will tolerate absolutely no bad behavior in either of you worthless sluts. Do you understand?” he asked, staring hard at them.

“Yes, master!” they both said in unison.

“Good. Very good. Now, before I start breaking you in, both of you, on your knees. Right now!” he yelled.

They both quickly dropped to their knees and he stepped a little closer to them. He was fully erect now, his whole body thrumming with anticipation.

“Lick it, both of you,” he said.

They both immediately leaned in. Yelena cupped his balls in her hand and began to massage them gently while Indigo wrapped her pale fingers around his shaft. They both stuck their tongues out and began caressing his cock with them. He let out his breath in a long, slow exhale as he started to enjoy that hot, wet pleasure burning slowly into him.

Oh, how fucking good this felt.

And how much better it was made by how convincing the two of them were with their roles. He didn’t know why any of them enjoyed this roleplaying but he no longer really cared why he enjoyed dominating and abusing and humiliating in the bedroom, nor why some of the women he came across enjoyed being on the receiving end of that. It was just something buried in some people, across all cultures apparently.

It wasn’t just a human thing, or an elf thing.

He’d encountered it in several different races now.

“Suck,” he growled, placing a hand on Indigo’s head, “suck my dick, elf whore.” As she began to do this, taking his cock into her hot, wet mouth and starting to suck him off, bobbing her head slowly, he looked at Yelena. “And you, lick my balls.”

“Yes, master,” she whispered.

He caught the tiniest flicker of the intense arousal in her eyes as she locked gazes with him briefly, then lowered her head and began to tongue his balls. He loved how much she enjoyed their sexual encounters.

And that they could share this with a select few other people they came across.

“Switch,” he said, and they did immediately.

Yelena took his cock into her mouth and began sucking him off as Indigo began to lick his balls. The sensation was fantastic, the rapturous ecstasy intense and wondrous. He had them switch up two more times before he set them back on their original task.

They both began licking the head of his dick again.

“That’s it,” he whispered, one hand on Yelena’s head, one on Indigo’s, “keep going you stupid whores. Keep going. I’m going to come all over your faces. Grab it and jack me off when I start coming. You do it right and you do it well or I’m going to hit you so fucking hard, do you understand me?” he asked, gripping their heads.

They both indicated that they did to the best of their abilities, their tongues currently occupied. It didn’t take much longer for him to orgasm. As soon as he started letting off he cried out in pure bliss, the pleasure of the climax made more powerful by the encounter itself, and immediately Yelena grabbed his cock and began jacking him off quite successfully. He groaned loudly as he emptied himself all over first her face, then Indigo’s, as Yelena shifted it. His seed left him in hard spurts, his cock kicking and twitching, releasing fresh bursts of raw rapture each time. And how fucking erotic it looked as he sprayed the women’s upturned, beautiful faces with his seed, getting all over their cheeks and lips and foreheads.

When he was finished, he shoved his cock into Yelena’s mouth. “Clean it!” he snapped. And she did, closing her lips around it and sucking as she pulled it slowly back out again, making him moan as a fresh pulse of bliss was shot into him.

“Okay,” he murmured, stepping back, “you did good, girls. Now get up, go wash your faces off. Hurry.”

They both moved quickly to comply. He looked at them go as they washed up, getting his seed off their faces.

What wonderfully fit backsides they had. He was really looking forward to fucking them from behind, or on their backs. He considered what to do next while they washed up, and by the time they came back over, faces fresh and scrubbed, he knew precisely what he wanted to do. He snapped his fingers again.

“On the bed, on your backs, next to each other,” he said.

Both women replied with quick ‘yes master’s, and moved to comply. They laid next to each other, looking nervously up at him. This was going to be a long fuck session, he imagined. Well, it had been a long day, and he felt fairly confident that he could keep it going and enjoy a few orgasms. “All right, press your legs together and raise them up, knees to your chests, hands on the backs of your thighs, and don’t fucking move after that.”

They did just as he told them to and he found himself looking down at two pairs of pressed together, beautiful thighs, and two vaginas, smooth and bald and glistening. They were ready to be fucked. And he was rock hard again. He’d never gone entirely soft. He stepped up to Indigo and laid his cock at the entrance of her wet pussy.

She whimpered as he penetrated her.

“There’s a good little bitch,” he whispered, laying his hands against the back of her thighs, above her hands, closer to her ass.

She cried out as he pushed his way deep and hard into her.

“Oh, master, please,” she moaned, “it’s too big!”

“Shut up!” he screamed, and suddenly grabbed her legs and forced them open, giving him better access to the rest of her. He slapped her hard across her pale face, leaving a red handprint.

“No!” she cried, flinching.

“I said shut the fuck up!” he screamed at her and her slapped her again. When she tried to put her hands up, he grabbed them and forced them down. Her wrists were small enough that he could hold both of them with one hand.

He made a fist and socked her in the eye.

“I told you what would happen if you disobeyed me, elf slut!” he roared at her.

“I’m sorry!” she cried. “Please, master, I’m sorry!”

“Shut up!” he snapped and slapped her again, then clapped a hand over her mouth. “Little worthless elf, you are going to learn the meaning of submission.” Holding her down, he wrapped both hands around her slim throat and squeezed as he started fucking her harder. She let out a strangled scream and gripped his wrists, but he jerked her hands away from him, still holding onto her throat. She tried to say something but he squeezed harder and continued fucking her brains out. He kept this up for another twenty seconds or so, then let go of her.

She gasped, sucking in a lot of air, coughing.

“Are you ready to behave?” he asked.

“Yes master...I’m sorry, master...I’m so sorry...” she gasped.

“Good girl. Think about what you’ve done,” he said, and pulled his cock out of her. “Now,” he said, slipping up to the Yelena and forcing her legs open, “your turn.”

He penetrated her and started fucking her. She cried out but otherwise remained silent, staring at him, chewing on her lower lip, her face a study of submission and fear. Good. She was definitely getting into this, and so was he.

He fucked Yelena hard, grabbing her wrists and holding them together roughly just below her breasts, which looked so sexy right now, bouncing with his intense thrusting as he buried his cock hard and deep inside of her wonderfully tight demoness pussy. She was moaning loudly, staring up at him with her flaming red eyes.

“You love getting fucked like a whore, don’t you demon?” he growled at her.

“Mmm...yes, master,” she moaned.

“And you need to be punished, both of you,” he said, squeezing her wrists harder.

“Yes, we’ve been bad...”

“Yes, you have.”

He reached up and slapped her hard across the face and she moaned loudly, pushing against him with her firm hips, practically begging for more. He let go of her wrists and then wrapped both hands around her neck. She gasped, then moaned even louder as he began to squeeze, fucking her harder. “That’s it you worthless slut,” he gasped as he pounded her, the pleasure building inside of him, “you get what you fucking deserve.”

He let go with one hand and, while continuing to choke her with his left, balled his right into a fist and punched her in the ribs. She let out a strangled cry and he did it again, and tried not to show how much it had hurt.

She had hard fucking ribs!

But he was close to coming now. He didn’t want to come in her pussy, not yet.

“Elf! Here, now! On your knees!” he screamed.

Indigo scrambled up off the bed and dropped to her knees beside him. Right as he was about to come, John pulled his cock from Yelena and stopped strangling her. She gasped and moaned and then he twisted and shoved his cock into Indigo’s mouth. Grabbing the back of her head, he began fucking her face violently, shoving his cock hard into her mouth, down her throat, as he started orgasming. She gagged and tried to push him away but he held her in place.

“Take it!” he screamed, then groaned, the pleasure soaring through him as he came down her tight throat, “fucking take it, you worthless bitch!”

She moaned and gagged, but stopped struggling after a bit. When he finished coming, John pulled his cock from her mouth and shoved her away. She cried out, falling flat on her ass, and looked up at him.

“That was bad,” he said. “I thought I warned you what would happen if you were bad.”

“No, please! I didn’t mean to!” she begged. “Please, please don’t hurt me...”

“Shut up,” he said, and grabbed a handful of her hair. “Get up!” he snapped, pulling her up. She cried out and scrambled to her feet. When she was up right, he slapped her across the face hard enough to send her sprawling back onto the bed.

“Now you’re going to get it,” he growled, climbing onto the bed with her and then hauling her over with him roughly to the center. He shoved her onto her back, grabbed her legs and forced them open, and she screamed as he penetrated her again.

“It hurts!” she moaned. “It’s too big!”

“I don’t give a shit!” he screamed at her, and slapped her twice across the face. Holding her down, he fucked her brains out as hard as he could, slamming his hips into her, shoving his cock as deep and as hard as he could inside of her pussy. She screamed and cried and begged, and finally he grew frustrated and got up, pulling out of her.

“You, here, now! On your back!” he snapped at Yelena as he grabbed Indigo and pulled her roughly up with him. “I’m tired of your fucking mouth,” he growled as Yelena got into place. “So you’re gonna put it to use, and you’re gonna be a good girl from now on, or I’m really going to give you something to scream about. Do you understand?” he asked. He had grabbed the back of her head and held her firmly, his face just a few inches from hers.

“Y-yes, master,” she managed.

“Good. Fucking stupid bitch,” he replied, then flipped her around and forced her onto her hands and knees. “Now, eat her!”

He shoved her face into Yelena’s crotch, and Indigo quickly began eating her out. Yelena moaned loudly. “That’s a good elf whore,” he said, and then shoved his cock back into her, grabbed her hips, and really started fucking her brains out again.

She screamed, the sound muffled by Yelena’s crotch, and Yelena grabbed her head and held it in place. Both of them were using Indigo’s wonderful, pale, trim body as a sex toy now. John kept fucking her hard for another minute or so, then pulled out, wanting something new. He let Indigo keep licking Yelena’s clit until his beautiful demoness lover experienced a tremendously powerful orgasm that made her growl and scream, her hands on Indigo’s head. She thrust her hips forward as she climaxed, forcing her to keep tonguing her clit throughout the whole experience. When she was finally done, she let go of Indigo.

“Move,” he said, shoving their elf friend aside and getting back on top of Yelena. He slipped his cock back into her now considerably wetter and hotter pussy and began thrusting into her again. She cried out in pleasure.

“I think you are going to be my favorite,” he said, looking into her eyes.

She moaned loudly. “Ahh...yes, master,” she murmured. “I love your cock, master.”

“You’re a good little fuck slave, aren’t you?”

“Yes...” she groaned. “Yes, master...”

He kept thrusting into her, fucking her hard. Feeling the urge, he wrapped both hands around her throat again. She gasped and moaned, then he began choking her.

“Master,” Indigo complained, closer now, “I can be good, too. Please, give me another chance...”

“Shut up!” he snapped and backhanded her. “You will speak only when spoken to you worthless little elf whore. Sit there and shut the fuck up,” he growled.

She did as she was told, falling silent, watching them fuck. He kept choking Yelena, who was letting out a series of strangled gasps and moans. He kept squeezing her throat, loving how into this she was, because as odd as he found it for himself...he was really fucking into choking women. He kept this up until it seemed like Yelena was really on the verge of passing out, (and he wondered if she would seriously let him choke her into unconsciousness, she probably would), and then he stopped, letting go of her and pulling out.

She gasped and as she came back to herself, she looked at him. She looked a little...disappointed. Damn, she really did want to go all the way. Well...maybe sometime later. He’d never actually done that before.

“All right, your whores, I’m almost done. Now, you,” he said, looking pointedly at Indigo, “if you want to prove what a good little fuck slave you are, lay on your stomach, arms at your sides, legs flat, and don’t fucking move.”

“Yes, master,” she said submissively, quickly getting into position.

John got up off the bed and moved over to his pack. He spent a moment digging around until he found the bottle of lube he brought everywhere, then began to stand up. But then an idea came to him, and he smirked, then dug around in his bag a bit more until he found the same iron manacles he used to cuff Yelena’s wrists together a few days ago. He moved back over to the bed and hurried onto it. He was enjoying this a lot, but...fuck! He was almost dead on his feet now. Well...dead on his knees, he guessed.

He was seriously fighting to stay awake after all that had happened.

So he lubed his cock up good, then wiped his hands off on the blanket, grabbed the manacles and clapped them on her wrists, locking them firmly into place at the small of her back. She gasped and tried to move. “Master-”

He reached forward, grabbed a handful of her red hair and yanked on it. She cried out. “Shut your fucking mouth, Indigo!” he screamed.

“I’m sorry!” she moaned.

He dropped her hair and then laid down against her backside. Oh, this was going to be so good. He laid his slicked-up cock at the entrance of her pussy, then shifted up and began putting it up her ass. Indigo cried out and began squirming.

“No master, please!” she begged. “Please, it’s too big! Your dick is too big!”

“That’s right it is,” he growled as he pushed deeper inside of her ass. Godsdamn she had a tight fucking ass.

“It hurts!” she moaned. “Please!”

“Shut up! You’re a terrible slave,” he growled and started fucking her up the ass harder, slamming into her and pushing her into the bed, which was shaking now. The headboard began to bang against the wall. She continued squirming and begging him to stop, but he was a lot bigger than she was, and her hands were bound, so it did her no good. The pleasure was mounting fast and he was well on his way to pumping her ass full of his seed. If he could just get her to come. Maybe she needed a little more persuasion.

He reached under her neck and gripped it again, choking off her begging, and she began to squirm and writhe harder.

He got closer to her until his mouth was right next to her ear. “You’re going to be a good slave, you worthless fucking bitch,” he growled, breathing heavily in her ear, and she moaned. “You’re going to take it up the ass every single night you stupid fuck slave. No one is going to save you, no one is going to help you. You’re nothing but property, elf.” He squeezed harder. “I don’t give a fuck if you hate it, your dumb slut.”

She let out a long, strangled cry of bliss and the quality of her twitching movements changed. She was coming, she was coming hard. He let go of her throat and she shrieked in absolute rapturous release. He felt a hot spray of her pussy juice hit his inner thighs and he didn’t hold back, instead pounding her tight ass harder and faster, letting the pleasure overwhelm him. And then he was coming, and it was absolutely perfect.

It was paradise.

It was magic.

He pumped her full of his seed, coming hard inside of her, pure bliss washing through him in waves, filling him. He almost passed out from how tired he was and how good it felt. It was a powerful, intense orgasm that seemed to shake him. It was like a seismic event, like a lightning strike or a volcanic eruption.

When he was finished, he pulled out of her ass and rolled off of her.

“That was one for the history books,” Indigo said, then groaned. “Ah man...you really gave it to me hard, John. Fuck. That hurt. But don’t worry, in a good way. Damn, that was a good, hard fuck. You are actually better than I’d hoped you be.”

“Oh yeah?” he replied, trying to get his breath back.

“Yes. What you were saying to me at the end there...your fucking voice and words alone made me come so hard. I mean, your dick was great, and those shackles were a fantastic touch, but oh! What you were saying to me, threatening me, just...oh you are perfect at this. I am so fucking jealous of you Yelena. You get this masterful domineering man in your life and he can treat you like shit any time you want.”

“Well, you can enjoy him while we are together,” Yelena replied, smiling sedately. She sounded tired. That was rare, John realized as he sat up. Yelena needed less sleep than him, and always seemed ready to go.

This whole experience really had taken it out of her.

“Sleep now,” Indigo murmured, then yawned.

“Wash again, then sleep,” John said.

Indigo heaved a sigh as he and Yelena got up off the bed. “I guess so. I don’t wanna move...” she griped.

“You’ll be all sticky and gross if you don’t,” John advised.

“I’ll be sticky and gross anyway,” Indigo replied as she got up and moved to join them, “because how much do you want to bet that you’re gonna wake up in the middle of the night, shove me onto my back, and fuck me hard in my sleep?”

“I would never do that without your permission,” John replied.

“You have my permission, because that sounds really fucking hot. I mean I’ll probably at least halfway wake up, but being fucked awake is really hot.”

“It is,” Yelena murmured.

John settled down into the water and began washing up again.

This place felt good, this basement beneath an abandoned cabin. They had made it their home, a warm, safe place, a comfortable place.

He didn’t know how long they would stay here, surely not more than a day or two, but during that time, they would enjoy themselves.

CHAPTER X

They stayed in the cabin for close to two days.

Those two days were very pleasant. They fell into a long, powerful sleep after their rough threesome. John had indeed woken up very, very horny at one point and had fucked Indigo. She’d come partway awake. After they both had come he’d gone back to sleep. Then sometime the next day, he’d been woken by Yelena, who had all but demanded to ride his cock. When they were finished, all three of them had bathed, then enjoyed a long, relaxing meal.

It was sometime during midday that John finally gave Yelena the gift he’d been intending to give her for a little while now. He’d almost forgotten with what had gone on, but he’d managed to gather up a few books during his search of the outpost.

“Here you go, honey. I got these for you,” he’d said, handing her the three novels. He was fairly sure she hadn’t read these ones.

“Oh my,” Yelena had replied softly, taking the books and looking over them. “Thank you so much for this, my love.” She had set the books aside and hugged him tightly. When Indigo had asked about the books, they’d explained the situation to her, how Yelena had learned to read (he said had learned, Yelena said was learning, but he thought she had a very good grasp of it now), and her fascination with and newfound love of books, and Indigo had actually teared up at that.

“Just when I think your relationship can’t get any more adorable..this is too much, you’re gonna make me cry,” she had declared.

They’d spent the rest of the day lounging around, eating, sharing stories, having sex.

There was a lot of sex during those two days. It was so good, fucking Indigo and Yelena. He came on Indigo’s face more than once. She seemed to really like that. And she’d managed to convince Yelena to let her have a solo and very, very rough fuck session with John. He’d gone very hard on her while Yelena had watched, and gave her a few bruises, too. Something he felt bad about, but she almost seemed to wear like badges of honor on her pale skin.

“I love bruises from rough sex,” she’d said. “I don’t know why, I just do. It’s hot.” She had shrugged, looking at herself nude in a mirror. “I’m just weird, I guess.”

“We’re all weird, I think,” John replied.

“Yep,” Yelena agreed.

When dawn of the third day came, the intense blizzard, which had kept up for almost all of those days, had finally died off. When they’d gone to the surface to check it out, they found the skies clear, the sun shining down, the whole world awash in a smooth snowfall. And so they had decided that it was high time they’d get a move on.

Not before a quick threesome, a good wash, and a hot breakfast, though.

And then they had begun their walk.

“Where are we going now?” John had asked as they struck off northward again.

“We’re going to get back to one of the main paths and head north. I can get us to a small trading post town on the other side. It’s kind of a stopping point on the west side of the continent if you’re entering the north that way. There’s another, similar town about sixty miles to the east, near the coast, and that’s it really.”

“For the whole of the area?” Yelena asked.

“No, not precisely, just as a stopping point to trade and rest. A few other settlements dot the land, but for the most part...yeah, it’s pretty barren up there. There’s some ruins, though. A group of far elves settled up there about fifteen hundred years ago, and so some of their old stone structures still exist. Don’t know what exactly they were doing, but they all died or left or...I don’t know. No one really knows as far as I can tell. So we’ll get there, the place is called Frost Flats, and then we’ll, uh...look for your dragoness?”

“We’re supposed to find someone to help with that,” John had said, remembering. “A mutual friend...Piper was her name.”

“Then we’ll look for Piper.”

And so they’d walked.

They had trekked back to the nearest main road and stuck to it, managing to make some decent progress before night fell. They tracked down a cave, make camp, made love, and slept. Then the next day they’d woken and kept up their brisk pace. John was feeling a lot better now that he’d had an opportunity to rest and recuperate, and they had found that artifact, and killed another would-be demon assassin, but…

He’d be lying if he said he felt at ease.

There were more out there, and now they intended to kill Yelena instead of recapture her to ‘fix’ her. In a way, he felt oddly better about that. He didn’t know why. Maybe just because it was more straightforward. The notion that she was broken simply because she loved a human made him sick and angry. And he knew that his own people would react very likely the same way. There was nothing perverse about their lives, there was nothing wrong with their relationship on some base, primal level. Why couldn’t they just...live and love in peace? Without having to hide at the fringes of society, in isolated locations?

It wasn’t that John had some secret desire to ‘settle down’ with Yelena, live in a house in a small village and be domestic. But he would at least like to walk through a village with Yelena at his side without people openly freaking the fuck out. As it was, now that they were in more traveled territory, Yelena had to wear her original amulet, making her look like a plain brunette human woman. And they walked, and walked.

And then walked some more.

It was boring sometimes. Sometimes they carried on long conversations, swapped more stories about adventures and monsters and sex. And sometimes about sex with ‘monsters’. John did wonder how many people were into fucking monsters. Even secretly, even if they never did it, how many fantasized about fucking a dryad? A serpentine? A harpy?

He still wanted to have sex with a harpy.

They were attacked twice, but by nothing substantial. Once by a pack of ice wolves, and another time by another group of ice spiders. They were pretty easily dispatched, especially with Yelena’s powerful fire spells.

And then, finally, they arrived.

…

Frost Flats, from what John could tell, was nothing special.

It was a low, sprawling village that sat in the shadow of the mountain he was currently making his way down. Its population was maybe in the high two hundreds. Either way, it was actually a beacon of comfort among all this frozen wasteland. He could see for several miles beyond the village from his vantage point, and it didn’t look very inviting. Just a lot more frozen forests and lakes and empty plains.

“What a nice place,” he muttered.

“Yeah, it kind of sucks here,” Indigo replied.

“Let us get this over with,” Yelena said. “I am cold.”

“Yeah, me too,” Indigo agreed. “What should we do?”

“Well, we’ve still got a decent amount of daylight left,” John replied, glancing up. The skies were still clear, for the most part. “How about we catch lunch, restock on supplies, then ask around for Piper and figure out what to do from there.”

“A sound plan,” Yelena said.

“Fine by me. Let’s do this. I’m fucking starving,” Indigo replied happily.

They kept walking. John studied the village as they entered it. It was...about what he expected. Busy, bustling, rustic. Slush and mud made the smaller paths difficult to navigate, and the larger roads merely annoying. People came and went, breaths foaming on the air. Some were adventurers, some were miners, some were loggers. He saw merchants and a few soldiers and several guards. They pasted houses of wood and stone for several minutes, and finally came into a more commercial area, passing an inn, a blacksmith, two weapon shops, a magic shop…

Almost every single building had smoke billowing out of a chimney. He imagined that this settlement went through a lot of wood.

The next few hours passed by with a kind of irritable sluggishness. It was the same feeling John got when dealing with something during winter. Although winter itself was at least two months off, it felt like it was already here up beyond the mountains. The first order of business was to track down a meal, and they at least found that with ease. If there was one thing people in small villages where hard work was the standard knew how to do, it was eating big, giant, hearty meals. They all got steaks made out of some local kind of beast of burden, thick vegetable and meat soup, and baked potatoes. They sat for awhile inside of one of the inns, by the windows, warm and comfortable, feeling all the more so as they stared out, watching the cold people walk by.

The food was wonderful, the company better.

Despite their dire situation, the fact that her former comrades were trying to murder her for doing no more than loving him...Yelena was in high spirits. She was laughing and smiling easily as she chatted with him and Indigo.

It felt genuinely good to find a kindred spirit.

John thought about that as they finished eating and let the food settle. How many kindred spirits to him and Yelena and Indigo and Morgan were out there? How many people that weren’t ‘normal’, or that could pass for it but had no real interest in it, like him, like Indigo? He wondered what percentage of the population was like them? He’d found a few people, and he’d heard of several more, given the stories the women he slept with sometimes told him of other partners they had taken. And that made him wonder further.

What was ‘right’?

Was it ‘right’ to only sleep with your own kind? Or even with the ‘civilized’ races? Was that ‘correct’ because the majority of people believed it? Was there even a ‘correct’ way to be? He didn’t really think so. He thought that there were certainly things you just didn’t do, no matter who you were or whatever justifications you had. Something things were plain evil. But beyond that there seemed to be a lot of ambiguity in the world…

He supposed what it all came down to was a simple fact: John, nor most of the people like him, were going to come after people who didn’t live like they did with blades and torches for choosing to do so. No one was going to get dragged out of their homes and exiled, or worse, killed, for getting married to someone of their own species.

But how many had been harassed, threatened, shut out, attacked, or even killed just because they preferred the company of those outside their own races? He’d seen it happen. Maybe not outright murder, but he’d seen interracial couples being harassed before, some even attacked, and he’d done whatever he could.

Had his nose broken twice and his arm snapped once getting into fights over people messing with interracial couples or even just non-humans passing through the village. He’d walked away with more than a few black eyes, split lips, and bruises. Sure, it hurt, but it was worth it. Maybe if he was smarter...or if they were smarter, he could talk them down. But a lot of times it just seemed like the only language they understood was that of the fist.

“John...are you okay?” Yelena asked.

He realized that the women had stopped talking and were looking at him. “I’m okay,” he replied, “just...thinking.”

“What about?” Indigo asked.

“About...life on the fringes of society. It’s difficulties, it’s...benefits.” He couldn’t help but smile at that, thinking about what Indigo looked like, nude and sweaty and like a goddess as she rode his cock furiously with Yelena beside her, kissing her passionately.

She smirked back at him. “Yes, benefits.” She sighed suddenly, losing a bit of her good cheer. “I guess we should get a move on again...”

“Yes, we should,” Yelena agreed reluctantly. “We should. Much as I might enjoy the notion...we cannot count on our most recent discovery to hold true for long.”

“Yeah,” John said, and stood, “we should go. I’ll ask the innkeeper about Piper.”

And so they set back to work.

It took another two hours tromping around the village of Frost Flats, asking here, there, and everywhere about a tall, blonde, fit adventuress named Piper. It was a decently unique name. For awhile, John began to consider the fact that maybe Piper didn’t come through here or hadn’t gone up north at all or preferred to keep to herself…

Then, they finally got a lucky break.

One of the merchants who ran a small, cramped magic shop knew exactly who they were asking about.

“Yes, I remember this woman,” the merchant said as she sorted through a rack of small glass bottles. “She mentioned that she was looking to hunt, as she put it, ‘dangerous game’. Fearsome beasts, I imagine. I replied to her that there have been tales of a raksha near the settlement of Borean Falls. She seemed excited about that.”

“A raksha?” Indigo asked.

“A large, furred beast. Easily twice your height,” she said, indicating John. “It has white fur and can summon icicles. It is very dangerous and very rare. Borean Falls is a large, sprawling logging settlement in the biggest forest this area has. They provide most of our wood. If there is a raksha causing problems for them, then it will be bad news for all of us.”

“Well, I guess we’re going to Borean Falls,” John murmured. “Would you be willing to point it out on the map?”

“Yes,” she replied, turning towards them.

He unrolled the map and she made a mark on it. At a very rough guess, John figured they could probably make it there in a day. He began to ask her if there was an inn or another settlement in between here and there, then thought better of it.

“Would you have a map of the area I could maybe copy?” he asked.

“Yes,” the woman replied.

“Thank you.”

She found him the map he wanted and while he copied it down, he suggested Yelena and Indigo search the shop for something they might want to pick up. The shopkeeper was being helpful, so it seemed only polite to spend some coin. After a good half hour, (John managed to get the names of a few forests and landmarks, three more villages, including a port town, and several isolated inns, logging mills, and farms), the women had found some stuff to buy. Mainly a few magical recharge amulets, a few magic potions, and Indigo located a ring that would protect against the cold. They spent close to two hundred gold and a pair of emeralds on all the stuff, pocketed it, thanked the woman, then left.

“Okay,” he said as they began heading out of town, striking off north, “there’s an inn about five hours north of here. We’ll stop there overnight, then head on tomorrow morning to Borean. Hopefully Piper will still be there.”

“Hopefully,” Yelena murmured.

They headed out of the small town of Frost Flats and into the far north.

…

“John? Yelena?” Indigo asked.

“Yes?” they both replied at once.

“I have a question.”

“You may ask,” Yelena replied.

“What will you do?”

They had been walking for over four hours now. The weather was still good, but John knew from bitter and frustrated stories that other adventurers had told him about this land that such weather was quite fickle. It could turn very fast from a half-decent day to a blinding whiteout of a snowstorm. He wasn’t looking forward to one of those again. Not after that awful, harrowing death march from the abandoned outpost to the hunter’s cabin.

“What do you mean?” he asked finally.

It was getting darker now, and he figured they could make it to the inn they were heading for before full darkness came and the temperatures began to plummet.

“Let’s say we find Piper, she points you towards this dragon, who agrees to teach you how to shape-shift. Then what?” Indigo asked, sounding genuinely curious.

“Well, I imagine that even with my very rudimentary knowledge of shape-shifting and very in depth knowledge of and practice with magic in general, it will still take awhile. Several months, at least,” Yelena replied.

“Wait, you know some shape-shifting?” John asked.

Yelena smirked and stuck her tongue out at him, then waggled it and pulled it back in. “Yes, love. That’s not all natural.”

“Oh...how’d you pick that up? It doesn’t seem very...practical, I guess.”

“It is if you are a professional giver of pleasure,” Yelena replied.

“You were a prostitute?” Indigo asked. Yelena nodded. “I was, too. That was a good year, for the most part. Lots of guys and girls wanted to fuck me.”

“Well, you are a wicked hot redheaded elf,” John replied.

“I am indeed,” Indigo said with a small, sly smirk on her face. She grew more serious. “But after that, I mean? Let’s say you learn shape-shifting to your satisfaction. What will you do?”

“Well...I guess go back to the Emerald Wild. I mean, it was pretty good there, wasn’t it?” John replied.

“It was. I had so much fun there,” Yelena replied.

“Yeah, but...I don’t know, it just seems so...sad. You have to live in isolation and hide your true self, your most basic identity, in this land. It’s awful here.”

“Is there any alternative?” Yelena asked.

“Well, I mean maybe. We spoke earlier of the kit. The fox-people. Their homeland is supposed to be a very welcoming place. I don’t know if you’d be able to walk around openly...but I also don’t know that you wouldn’t be able to. All I’ve heard of the kit homeland is that all races are welcome there. But again, this is all just secondhand stuff I’ve heard.”

“Would you be interested in that?” John asked, looking at Yelena.

She looked back at him uncertainly. “Would you be...I mean, would you honestly be willing to leave this all behind?” she asked.

“Yes,” John replied. “I mean, there are people here I will miss dearly, but they would understand. And it’s not as if we need to leave here forever. There’s nothing saying we couldn’t go over to the kit homeland and live there for a few years, then maybe come back here for a visit. Or even just keep on traveling. Honestly Yelena, as long as you’re there with me, I don’t really care where I am.”

“I feel the same way,” she said, smiling, and she reached out and took his hand. He laced their fingers together.

“Too cute,” Indigo said softly. Yelena sighed but was still smiling.

“I am glad that you so thoroughly approve of our relationship.”

“Sorry, it’s hard to stop gushing over you two.”

“I meant that genuinely, actually. It seems difficult to find people who tolerate or even enjoy our coupling,” Yelena replied. “Although, reflecting on that, most of the people we have encountered so far seem to like this fact about us…”

“We’re in a pretty unique situation,” John replied. “The few people we do happen across that actually learn the truth are typically like us.”

“I suppose so.”

“I do love your relationship though,” Indigo said. “I mean, I’ve been around the continent a lot. Many of the relationships I see...I don’t know, even to a casual observer something seems wrong with them. One person is obviously not in love with the other. Or there are signs of abuse. Or both of them are miserable and unhappy. Some of the older couples...” she sighed unhappily, “they have been in a loveless marriage for so long that it seems they both exist to spite each other. And, I mean, don’t get me wrong. I don’t think that every relationship needs to be a blissful paradise of constant happiness, I guess I just wish more people were happier. It seems like too many people marry because their society tells them to in one form or another.”

“Marriage...I have come across this concept many times in the romance novels I read,” Yelena said. “It seems that your society places great importance on it. And this union, this specific coupling, seems to be a kind of...end goal, I think. The stories typically end when the two people get married. That always bothers me. I want to know what happens afterwards. It seems to me that that is when it would get most interesting.”

“Well...unfortunately most people don’t agree. I think too many people are in love with the idea of marriage,” Indigo replied.

Yelena seemed thoughtful. She looked at John. “How do you feel about marriage? How would you feel about it between us?”

“I would marry you without hesitation, Yelena, if that was what you wanted. I would do it eagerly,” he replied. She smiled.

“Is that what you want?” Indigo asked.

“No, it is not,” she replied. “What would change?”

“Well...part of the idea of marriage is that you agree to give yourself only to each other...and that includes sex.”

Yelena pursed her lips unhappily. “Yes, I have read that in the books as well. This idea of...monogamy, I think is the word?” Indigo and John nodded. “Yes, monogamy. I do not like this idea. I feel as if our relationship would suffer were we no longer able to make love with others, it would put a strain on both of us.”

“It would,” John agreed. “But there are such things as open relationships, open marriages. Though they are often kept hidden.”

“Well, again I would ask, what would be different? Does something functionally change when two people get married?” Yelena asked, genuinely curious.

“Well...” John considered it. “In a typical case, when two people get married, they stop living with their parents and instead have a house of their own. And they probably begin raising a family, having children.”

“But can this not be achieved without marriage?” Yelena asked.

“Oh certainly,” John replied. “It’s just...not generally a good idea.”

“I suspected as much. I’ve gotten that idea from the novels I have read as well, and some of the things you have told me. I still do not understand this obsession with marriage. I feel like our lives are much easier. I feel like nothing would change were we to go through this ritual.”

“Nothing would change for the two of you,” Indigo said, “but for a lot of people, it is kind of life-changing. As John said, it opens certain doors. Doors that would otherwise be closed for someone living the small village life.”

Yelena was silent for several moments, as though gathering her thoughts. Finally, she spoke up again. “I am confused. Where does this strange obsession with...with society being set up the way it has been set up come from? It is not unique to this whole world, I have been able to determine that much. Your kind do not seem nearly so constricted when it comes to lovemaking, to marriage, to living arrangements.”

“We are not, no,” Indigo agreed. “Neither are the kit. The felis and the beryl are...a little more stringent with their societal rules, but most of that comes from them just being uncomfortable with the idea of interspecies fucking.”

“So then where does it come from? Where does this oddly specific idea of marriage and living arrangements and impregnation come from? I have come across this phrase of a ‘bow and arrow wedding’ more than once, in which a young woman becomes pregnant accidentally and they are forced by their parents to get married. How does this solve the problem? Why did they not just use proper protection? I was under the impression that you had adequate magical infertility spells and artifacts in this realm,” she said.

John sighed heavily. “Okay, okay. I can explain this...sort of. A few thousand years ago, our pantheon of gods was a little different than it was today. I’m not particularly religious, but I do know this much, at least. There was a god named Vout.”

“Ugh,” Indigo muttered.

“Yes, he was rather...anti-elf. Among other things. But one thing he and his followers harped on about was marriage, how it was godly, it was righteous, and how sex for pleasure or sex outside of marriage, or even reproduction outside of marriage, was forbidden and sinful and filthy. Oh did Bliss ever hate him. Bliss and Vivian both. I am admittedly not sure what happened to Vout, but I do know that he...died isn’t the right word, I think. I don’t know if gods can die. But, functionally speaking, he lost influences, lost followers, eventually lost it all. He was largely forgotten. And although we no longer follow him, in fact, few humans in this land follow any of the gods really, his annoying doctrines have clearly left their mark. That’s the basics of it.”

“How unfortunate,” Yelena said after absorbing this information. She seemed to think of something else. “I just realized that I have never thought to ask, nor learned, the name of this continent I now call home.”

“Oh, it’s called Veridis,” John replied.

“Hmm. A curious name. What about the other lands? I have come to understand that there are other continents.”

“I don’t know all of them,” John replied, “but I do know of a few. To the south there’s Tomontica, the island nation and home to the Tomontican people. They’re human. Way farther south than that is Sarras, the beryl homeland. It’s mostly desert. To the east is Hesh, the homeland of the felis people. It’s mostly jungle, I think. And uh...off to the northwest are two more areas that belong to my own kind. The Stoneland Islands, basically like Tomontica in that they’re an island nation, and my people’s own homelands, Loam. Other than that there’s the far elf nation of Empyrean...”

“There’s a few others that I know of,” Indigo added helpful. “The kit homeland is also to the southwest, Kindress. And I also know that somewhere out west is Cypress. It’s where they cyprean people come from.”

“I have not heard of these people,” Yelena said.

“I know so little about them,” John murmured.

“They are...hedonists,” Indigo replied.

“I do not know this word,” Yelena said.

“They focus on pleasure in its many forms,” Indigo explained. “Food, sex, fun. That is the foundation of their civilization.”

Yelena looked from Indigo to John. “...I wish very much to visit Cypress.”

John and Indigo laughed. “Me too,” he agreed.

“On my wish list of places to go,” Indigo said. “As for the cypreans themselves, they’re like...half goat, half human, I think? I’ve never seen one myself, just a picture once.”

“It sounds like we have a great deal of exploration to do,” Yelena murmured.

“Yes,” John agreed. “We do.”

They walked on.

…

They came at last to the settlement of Borean Falls, and they did indeed pass through several miles of snow-capped trees to get there.

John was feeling good.

The weather was holding, and he’d made love with Yelena and Indigo more than once during their overnight stay at the end. Still though, he couldn’t help but look around as they made their way into town, and glance back over his shoulder. So far, they had sent three demons after them. Well, technically like fifteen, but most of those had been minions.

Agoston, with his fire and his rage.

Damion, with his dozen underlings.

Gaaz, with her speed and masterful swordplay.

So what was next? What was the next demon assassin they were going to send over? Had they already done so? Was this demon somewhere within range of them this very minute? It was difficult not to keep coming back to this concern, and to obsess over at least a little every now and then. He wanted to believe that the artifact was working, and would continue to do so, but...well, that would be easy, wouldn’t it?

And dangerous.

The shopkeeper had been right about Borean. It was a long, sprawling settlement, spread thin. For awhile, they just passed logging camps. Then they began passing the occasional house or lodge or inn. Finally, after what seemed like awhile, they came to what must serve as the city center. It was at least very busy. People were coming and going, mainly caravans getting loaded up with a lot of freshly cut logs. The three of them kept on going through the city, pretty much repeating what they had done at Frost Flats.

It took another two hours to track down the woman named Piper.

…

John let out a startled cry as an arrow landed right in front of his nose in the tree next to him. He fell back, sword drawn in a flash, and Yelena and Indigo beside him had arrows drawn and notched even faster than that.

“That’s close enough,” a voice said from somewhere nearby. He saw that Yelena was already aiming for precisely where the voice had come from.

A female voice.

“Who are you?” the voice asked.

“My name is John Greenfield. This is my lover, Yelena, our friend, Indigo...are you Piper?” he asked cautiously, still unable to actually see the person who’d fired the arrow.

There was a pause. “How in the name of the Gods did you know?”

“Morgan sent me,” he replied.

Another pause. “Seriously? If she did, she’d have given you the amulet. Show me.”

He carefully reached into his pocket and pulled it out, then raised it up. One more pause, then movement. “Well, damn,” she said, and emerged from the trees she’d been hiding behind. “I guess Morgan did send you.”

Piper stepped into the clearing they were in and lowered the crossbow she was holding. “So, lovers John and Yelena, and their friend Indigo, what brings you all the way up here apparently looking for me? Is Morgan okay?”

“She’s fine,” John replied. “At least as far as I know. Um...given that you’re friends with Morgan and the fact that she sent us to you to help us with a...unique problem, I can assume that you are okay with, uh...abnormal acquaintances?”

“That’s a lot of awkward pauses,” Piper said, smirking at him. She slung her crossbow and crossed her arms, studying him. “But I think I get your drift. Either one of you isn’t what they appear to be, or you’ve got a vampire or undead or something friend somewhere nearby. Don’t worry, I don’t freak out so long as everyone’s friendly. In case Morgan didn’t mention it, I’m a werewolf.”

“Oh. Wow,” John murmured.

“Yes. Wow. So you can assume I’m a very open-minded person. Morgan isn’t really friends with people who aren’t,” Piper replied.

“That makes sense. Well, love?” he asked, glancing at Yelena. “You wanna handle this?”

“Yes,” Yelena replied. She stepped forward. “I am a demoness.”

“Oh...that’s quite the illusion spell you’ve got then,” Piper replied, eyebrows raising a bit. “I’m cool around friendly demons and demonesses.”

“Okay, good then. I am being hunted by my kind. They wish to murder me because I left my realm and my life behind after meeting and falling in love with John,” she said, and looked briefly back over her shoulder at him, favoring him with a smile.

“That...sucks. I mean it’s awesome about the love part, but everything else sucks. So...you want help killing your old demon allies?”

“No. Not precisely,” Yelena replied. “We seek Kesley, the dragoness. I wish to learn shape-shifting from her.”

“Oh! That makes sense, actually. Yes, I know where she is, and I can take you to her. She won’t care that you’re a demon, she just cares that you’re a good person. And if you two are willing to put up with this for love, and Morgan sent you, then that’s certainly a big step in the right direction.” She paused, glanced at Indigo. “How do you fit into this?”

“I’m Morgan’s friend, too,” Indigo replied, “and they needed my help finding a temporary stopgap to help with the situation. And I wanted to fuck both of them. Yelena is wicked hot in her natural form and John is really handsome.”

“He sure is,” Piper agreed.

“You have another admirer,” Yelena said, smirking at him.

“That’s...always a good thing,” he replied, trying not to blush too hard, realizing that all three women were looking at him now. “We should probably focus...”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Piper said. “Okay, tell you what: I’m in the process of trying to hunt down a pain in the ass monster. It’s dangerous, it’s screwing with the logging community, which means it’s screwing with this entire region, and it’s killed some people that didn’t deserve it. Help me hunt it and kill it, and I’ll take you to Kesley.”

“Deal,” John said. He glanced at Indigo. “Still in on this?”

“Oh yeah,” she replied. “Love hunting monsters.”

“It is fun,” Piper agreed. “Let’s go.”

They set off once more.

…

Piper was…

Interesting.

John had a hard time keeping his eyes from her. He was glad that Yelena wasn’t jealous, and he was also glad to note that Yelena couldn’t really keep her eyes from their new blonde friend as well. Good Gods but was she hot!

So hot.

She was probably about as tall as Yelena was, a good six foot, maybe even a little taller, with a nice, athletic build. Trim but fit, with wiry muscles packed onto a thin frame. She was dressed in leather armor, with a short sword at her hip, crossbow across her back, a few small sacks tied to her belt. Her blonde hair was bright, the color of sunshine, and tied into a simply ponytail that hung just down to the bottom of her neck.

She had a really, really hot ass, he saw. Or maybe it was just the leather armor she was wearing that seemed to sit so well on it and accentuate her curves. Well, he had no doubt that her ass looked amazing bare, too.

He truly hoped that this tall, blonde werewolf would be interested in sex.

Because he had never fucked a werewolf before, and because he was deeply attracted to tough, tall women who knew what they were doing and didn’t beat around the bush. He and Yelena had been filling Piper in on their backstory as they’d helped her track down this beast she was hunting. She seemed very intrigued by what they had to tell her.

“Kesley is going to love the two of you,” she said after he’d told her everything.

“Really?” Yelena asked.

“Oh yes. She’s a bit of a romantic, but more than that, she’s lived quite a long time. At least a thousand years, I think. Maybe longer, she won’t tell me precisely. But she has seen many things, and new and interesting situations have almost become their own currency for her. I’ve never seen a relationship like yours, never even heard of one, and I’ve seen a lot. So yes, she will be absolutely fascinated by you.”

“I know I am,” Indigo said. “They’re the most adorable couple I’ve ever seen.”

“We’re close,” Piper said suddenly, her voice growing harder.

All of them fell silent. The quartet stalked quickly forward through the frozen forest. John wondered how Piper could tell, but she was a werewolf, probably had an extremely strong sense of smell. Or other tracking abilities that he knew nothing about. They moved through some trees into a small clearing in front of a large cave.

It was dark inside the cave.

John felt a bit of fear settle into him as he looked into that darkness. There were bones strewn about the entrance to the cave. Human bones, animal bones. Some picked clean, some still had some meat clinging to them.

“Stay here,” Piper said as she drew her blade, her voice low and hard. “I’ll draw it out, we all attack it. It’s weak against fire, if any of you know flame spells.”

“I do,” Yelena said.

“Start preparing one. Quicker we can kill it, the better. It’s fast, and strong.”

“Understood.”

John drew his blade as Indigo notched an arrow. Yelena merely focused, closing her eyes, and raised her hands in front of her. They began to glow. This should be interesting. Piper walked forward calmly, disappearing into the shadows of the cave. Her footsteps began to fade away. A few seconds of silence went by.

“Shit!” her voice echoed out to them.

And then suddenly there were a few running footsteps and then a hard, flat sound. And then Piper abruptly reappeared, only she was flying forwards, a look of almost comical surprise on her rough, angular face, and then she hit the ground hard, rolling several times.

“Piper!” Indigo cried.

“I’m fine!” she wheezed. “Just kill the damned thing!”

John had kept his eyes focused on the opening, and now he heard heavy breathing and lumbering footsteps. And then it appeared. The raksha arrived in a blur of white fur and fury. John caught sight of long claws and a muzzle full of teeth before the thing was upon him.

“Shit!” he cried, trying to back up, and it backhanded him casually.

He landed with a heavy grunt right next to Piper, who was already getting to her feet. As he did the same thing, or tried to, anyway, he prepared himself for a hardcore battle. Indigo was firing off arrows, and the thing was easy to hit, but so big that it would be difficult to do real damage to it. Piper was lining up her own shot.

John looked down at his blade as he staggered to his feet. Maybe if he got lucky he could get in close, stab it somewhere vital…

He groaned and started forward.

This was going to be a long, painful fight.

He’d made it three steps before Yelena suddenly let out an almost roar and the entire area lit up with a brilliant orange-red glow that temporary blinded him. He cried out as a wave of heat washed over him, making him stagger, and he heard Indigo and Piper make similar sounds. But it was all overridden entirely by a brief but painfully powerful roar of absolute rage and pain. Then it was cut off suddenly, and the fire faded, and John’s vision slowly came back.

When he could see again, all he saw was a lot of melted snow, burned rock, and a scattering of ashes and charred bones.

Yelena slowly lowered her hands.

Piper began to laugh. “Well, I can see why you like her so much!”

John laughed as well. “Uh...there are other reasons,” he replied. “But she is...”

“Powerful? Badass? A true fucking warrior?” Piper said happily. “We should hang out more often. You are a fucking killer.”

“I have some skill at it,” Yelena replied.

“Modest to boot. Well,” Piper said, turning to look at him and Indigo, who had come to stand beside him, “now that that’s out of the way, let’s-”

She stopped speaking. Her eyes widened. She began to shout a warning.

John heard the barest whisper of a bolt leaving a crossbow. He heard Indigo cry out and turned to see a bolt emerge from her stomach in a spray of blood. He twisted to catch her as she began to fall to the ground, and she brought both of them down.

He turned around to see who had fired the shot.

A lone figure dressed in all white held a crossbow. He was dressed completely head to toe, save for a rectangle of space revealing his eyes, which glowered a flickering yellow. His skin was dark reddish-brown.

A demon.

“Time’s up, Ragnostal,” he said, and fired the crossbow again.

CHAPTER XI

A lot of things seemed to happen all at once.

Yelena let out a battlecry and launched herself forward, narrowly dodging the second bolt launched from the would-be assassin’s crossbow. Piper fired her own crossbow and began to run forward, her feet pounding the snow. John looked down at Indigo, who stared up at him. She looked to be in great pain.

“Go,” she whispered. “Kill it.”

He nodded tightly and set her down, then surged to his feet, snatching up his blade. He saw that Yelena was already at the assassin, which had dropped its crossbow and drawn its own wickedly thin and sharp blade. Sparks rang as metal slammed against metal.

“Rok!” Yelena screamed, launching herself in a furious assault that put the assassin on the defensive for a few seconds. “I will kill you!”

“No you will not, Ragnostal,” the assassin replied calmly, and abruptly ducked down and slid smoothly to one side, tucking into a roll. He avoided both Yelena’s blade and another bolt from Piper. John ran on, trying to get in on the fray. He was badly frightened, trembling with adrenaline and terror. This was different than the others. This Rok, this assassin...something was different, much deadlier and more lethal than even Gaaz had been. He felt like they’d been lucky so far. Would that luck hold out? He screamed and barely managed to twist and dodge as Rok simultaneously landed and flung a throwing star at him.

It whizzed by, tearing at the cloth of his shirt. That was how close it was. John ran on. Piper kept firing as fast as she could manage as Yelena charged Rok again. More sparks flew. John reached the bastard and drove his blade forward, trying to take advantage of the opportunity presented to him in the form of Rok’s exposed back. But the demon bastard shifted and he very nearly stabbed Yelena. Cursing, he backed up and tried again. Another one of Piper’s bolts flew through the air, and this one actually connected this time, sinking into the demon’s left thigh. His only reaction was to whip one hand out towards Piper.

A small dagger flew through the air and landed in her stomach. She let out a cry and staggered, then seemed to lose her strength and fell to her knees.

“He’s using poison!” Yelena snapped.

John fought on, trying to get a good stab in, but that disturbed him. Indigo was down, and Piper possibly was too. Poison made the situation a lot harder. The demon’s fist suddenly shot out and cracked him in the eye. He cried out, stumbling away, fighting viciously to clear his vision as white stars washed across it. Rok beat Yelena’s blade aside and tried to run her through. She barely managed to avoid the blade and instead backhanded Rok right across the head with a closed fist. The demon staggered, tried to find his footing, but John was there, having just regained his feet, and instead threw himself into a rough tackle, hitting Rok’s back and sending both of them sprawling to the snowy ground.

He fully intended to land a few blows on the bastard’s head, but Rok was fast and damned strong. He jerked around, brought his elbow into John’s face, hitting him twice, fast and hard, and then shoved him violently off. Yelena was there then, but he swept her feet out from under her with a hard swiping kick and she screamed in frustration. John managed to get to his feet again and shot his own foot out and kicked the bastard in the back, then made another jump, trying to get hold of him, maybe get an arm around his neck and either choke the assassin or try to break his neck.

But Rok was already rolling away, regaining his feet with an otherworldly skill.

In a sudden blur of motion, he reached down, snatched Yelena’s foot out from her under as she was trying to get back to her feet and, holding her by the ankle, swung her around and threw her into a nearby tree. She cried out and there was an awful cracking sound and John screamed in rage and terror as he saw her hit the ground and struggled to get up. But even as he was preparing to attack Rok again, throwing himself at the bastard, Rok snatched him, twisted him around and wrapped an arm tightly around his throat.

“Is this your prize, Ragnostal?” Rok called. John gagged and tried to pull free, but the fucker had a grip of steel, his muscles and tendons like iron under John’s grasp. “Is this what you gave it all up for? That sad fool Hagan made the right decision. You cannot be repaired, Ragnostal. This is a mercy killing.”

“Stop!” she screamed as he began to tighten his grip on John’s neck.

Rok ignored her and John saw darkness begin to edge in on his vision. His head started to turn and something in his neck began to protest violently, pressed too far, and he felt death beginning to close in on him…

Then he heard something.

Something else. Footfalls.

Heavy ones.

Getting closer.

And then Rok screamed in surprise as much as pain, and John felt his neck twinge painfully, but heard nor felt no snap, followed by darkness. Instead he was picked up and thrown clear of the bastard demon that was trying to kill him. He hit the ground hard, crying out and then groaning, struggling for breath and to regain his feet.

He heard heavy breathing.

Looking up as he barely managed to get to his hands and knees, he tried to make sense of the situation. There was a great beast standing in the clearing now, breath foaming mightily on the air as its chest heaved. It was wearing familiar leather armor, its fur dark blonde in color. It looked somehow familiar.

Finally, it clicked.

“Piper,” he wheezed. She had transformed.

Godsdamn she was intimidating and magnificent in her werewolf form.

She surged forward to where Rok lay unmoving on the ground.

“Wait!” Yelena screamed.

Piper hesitated as she stood over the demon’s body. “What?” she growled.

Yelena got painfully to her feet. “Don’t kill him,” she replied, then groaned, hand going gingerly to her chest. “John,” she said.

“I’m okay,” he gasped. “I’m okay...what’s going on?”

Yelena staggered over to Rok. She pointed, repeated stabbing at the air with one rigidly outstretched finger, at Indigo, who still hadn’t moved. “Get her over here. Now, Piper,” she growled, and fell to her knees before Rok.

Piper hesitated for just a second, then hurried over to Indigo and did as she was told. John tried to get to his feet, failed, crashed painfully to the icy ground, then, gasping for breath, finally managed to get back up.

He staggered over to Yelena and Rok, and saw that Rok was still breathing. Piper returned and sat down, cradling Indigo in her large, furred arms.

“Finish the bastard,” he groaned, staring scornfully at the demon assassin.

“Not yet,” Yelena hissed, sounding frustrated and in pain. She quickly began patting Rok down. John tensed. If the demon was faking, or were to suddenly come awake, it would be bad for all of them. But the first thing Yelena did was locate a length of fine rope, flip the bastard over, and bind his wrists together tightly behind his back. Then she did the same with a second length for his ankles. She did this briskly and proficiently.

John wondered how many people she’d tied up.

Next, she began pulling out small vials of strangely colored liquids. She would pull the cork out of each and smell it, then mutter to herself, replace the cork and carefully set the vial down on the ground beside her. She did this three times before apparently finding what she was looking for. She didn’t recork it, instead she upended the vial into Rok’s mouth, then, once it was empty, tossed it away and continued searching.

“What was that?” Piper asked.

“Paralytic poison,” Yelena replied offhandedly.

“What are you looking for now?” John asked.

“A cure. He poisoned Indigo. Piper, open her eye, tell me if it is a different color.”

Piper looked down and carefully pulled one eyelid open. “Yes. It’s white.”

“I had hoped as such,” Yelena murmured. She sniffed at another vial, then rose slowly to her feet and walked over. She crouched. “Hold her mouth open.”

Piper did as Yelena upended this vial into Indigo’s mouth.

“What’s happening?” John asked. His head felt heavy and everything seemed a bit slow.

“Rok poisoned her. I found the correct antidote and have administered it,” Yelena replied, then winced.

“You’re hurt.”

“Two of my ribs are broken,” she said.

“You need to heal,” he replied.

“I want to see if the antidote takes, if we got to her in time.”

“Heal, Yelena,” Piper said firmly.

Yelena sighed, looked at Piper, then up at John. “I should heal you first,” she said.

“I don’t have anything broken, I’ll be fine,” he replied.

Yelena looked like she wanted to argue, but then finally just placed her hand against her chest. It glowed and she closed her eyes in concentration.

“What about you? Aren’t you poisoned?” John asked.

“No,” Piper replied, “werewolf blood. Poisons don’t work on me.”

Yelena finished healing and straightened up. “A useful trait.”

“Yep,” Piper agreed.

“Hold still, my love,” Yelena said quietly as she turned to face him. She hugged him to her gently and kissed him, and at the same time he felt a comforting warmth flow through him, erasing his pain and aches and bruises.

As far as healing went, it was a great one.

“Thank you,” he said when she was finished.

“You’re welcome,” Yelena replied, smiling gently and tiredly. She’d used a lot of magic. She frowned suddenly and turned to look back at Indigo. “I do not know if I applied the antidote in time. That poison is a killer.”

“How soon until we know?” Piper asked.

“If she does not die within the next ten minutes, we will know.”

John sighed and looked angrily at Rok’s unconscious form. “So why did we have to keep this fucker alive?”

Yelena’s frown deepened. “I...have been thinking,” she replied, sounding reluctant.

“Thinking about what?” John asked.

“I am concerned that learning to shape-shift will not be enough. Nor will this artifact. It occurs to me that this is happening solely because of Hagan. He is obsessed with me. I think that if it were not for him, this would end.”

“So...what, you wanna kill him?” Piper asked. “Isn’t he in another dimension?”

“Yes. He is. But...I can pull him to this one.”

“You can?” John asked.

“Yes. In fact, I’ve come to believe it is becoming more imperative that I do. And I think I know why he is so obsessed with me.”

“Why?” Piper asked.

“Because he is afraid. And because I can pull him to this dimension, if I wanted to. I know his true name. He foolishly told it to me, some years ago. I never told him mine. As far as I know, no one there knows it...but it is possible that it was recorded somewhere. The more I think about it, the more I am certain that this is his true objective. He sees this as a stalemate, and because I know how he thinks, he believes I threaten his power because I know his true name. Although I do not care, he cannot take that risk.”

“So then let’s summon and kill him,” John said.

“Why haven’t you already?” Piper asked.

Yelena sighed uneasily. “It requires a life. A sacrifice. And I have been...unwilling to do so. It is a profane thing to do.”

“...and that’s why you want Rok alive,” John murmured.

“Yes. At least with him as a sacrifice, we won’t be sacrificing anyone who doesn’t deserve it. But it isn’t that easy. It is dangerous to do, and requires a great deal of magical energy. More so than I have ready access to. It requires far more energy to summon someone against their will than a regular summoning,” Yelena explained.

They were quiet for a moment. “Would a powerful magical artifact do?” Piper asked.

“Yes...if it were sufficiently powerful. And it would be destroyed in the process.”

“I know of such an artifact. At least, I think I do. It might be powerful enough. Actually the initial reason I came up here: I’ve been hunting it for a few months now.”

“And you would be willing to offer it up?”

“Wouldn’t have mentioned it if I wasn’t willing,” Piper replied. She grimaced suddenly. “Hold on. I really should change back.” She stood up and then passed Indigo’s slim form to Yelena, who accepted it. They watched as she rapidly changed back, her fur disappearing, body shrinking down. When she was finished, she looked as she had before, though her hair was ragged and wild, and her pale face was flushed.

“Your armor shrunk with you,” John murmured.

“Yeah, clothes and backpack too. Took awhile to find the proper enchantment for that. Used to rip out of my armor and clothes when I had to transform mid-battle. So that’s the plan? What about Indigo?” she asked.

“Well-”

“Who’s talkin’ bout me?” Indigo asked groggily, shifting in Yelena’s arms. “Oh Gods, what happened?” she moaned, becoming a little clearer. “I feel like I’m fucking dying.”

“Oh, Indigo, you are okay,” Yelena said, her relief plain and powerful. John and Piper gathered around her.

“Yelena?” she asked. “You’re holding me...what happened?”

“You were poisoned,” John replied. “Yelena managed to cure you.”

“Is that fucker dead?” she groaned.

“Not exactly. But he is paralyzed and tied up. We need him,” Yelena explained.

“What for?”

“It’s complicated. Can you walk?” Yelena asked.

Indigo considered it for a moment, then sighed and shook her head. “I don’t think I can fucking stand right now. What was I poisoned with? Seriously, this is the worst I’ve ever felt, I think. I feel sick and my whole body is so sore...I fucking hate it.”

“I know. It was a poison from my own realm. We were very, very lucky that Rok carried the antidote with him. But you are going to be down for awhile, Indigo.” She frowned, then looked at Piper. “Do you know somewhere safe we can keep her?”

“Yes. There is a friend in this village. Well, in this village inasmuch as isolated cabins on this land are. We can take her there. My friend will help us,” Piper replied.

“Then let’s go. Will you carry Rok?” Yelena asked apologetically.

But Piper just nodded and hauled him up, draping him over her shoulder. “How long’s that paralytic work?”

“It should be good for at least a day,” Yelena replied.

“Fine then. I’m a bounty hunter by trade, I’ve had to haul tied up morons long distances before. But the sooner we get going, the better.”

“Are you ready?” Yelena asked, looking down at Indigo.

She nodded tiredly. “I’m ready, although I think I’d like to sleep.”

“If you can, do so,” Yelena replied.

She nodded and closed her eyes, resting her head against Yelena’s chest.

They set off.

…

Piper’s friend, it turned out, was a middle-aged felis woman who lived alone in a cabin. Her name was Lyn.

She was very friendly.

“I’m so sorry to drop in on you like this, Lyn...” Piper said.

They all stood together in her living room, which was a very well-organized but cozy place. One corner of it was taken up by a small bed where Indigo was presently laying beneath the blankets. A fire cracked in a stonework fireplace nearby and Lyn was sitting in a chair beside Indigo, who was still asleep. She had yet to wake up since she’d gone to sleep with Yelena carrying her, and it had been about an hour since then.

“It’s perfectly fine,” Lyn replied. She laid a cool, damp cloth against Indigo’s forehead. “This is the kind of friendship we have, Piper. I’ve shown up on your doorstep, inasmuch as you have one, bloody and desperate more than once.”

“That’s true,” Piper murmured.

“She can stay here as long as she likes, and I will tend to her. I owe you, but I also believe in taking care of people.”

“Thank you so much,” John said.

Rok was slouched in one corner, where Piper had unceremoniously dumped him. If he was awake, they couldn’t tell. His eyes weren’t open and he wasn’t moving an inch beyond breathing. Yelena wasn’t sure if he might be inoculated against his own paralytic poison or not, so they were checking his bindings every so often.

“You’re welcome. What will you be doing?”

“Probably better if you don’t know,” Piper replied. “It’s stupid and dangerous, but I have to see this through. I’m involved now.”

“You don’t have to,” Yelena said.

“Well, I sure want to,” Piper replied. “I’m not going to stand for this shit. Neither of you deserve this, and you need help.”

“We appreciate it,” John said.

“Deeply,” Yelena agreed.

“Not a problem. Sooner we get going, the better. If we hurry, we should be able to reach the place by nightfall.” Piper turned to Lyn. “How are you for supplies? Or gold?”

“I am running low,” Lyn admitted. “In the normal course of events I’d be going out hunting for something valuable right about now to pay for a supply run. But I don’t feel comfortable leaving her alone.”

“We can give you some gold, if maybe you have someone you can ask to buy for you,” John offered.

“I do, actually. A young man from a nearby farm comes around and I let him run errands for me,” Lyn said. She had a small smile on her face.

“Is that all you let him do?” Piper asked.

“Well...there are other things he’s happy to do for me.”

“I’ll bet,” Piper said, smirking.

“He’s very...enthusiastic,” Lyn said.

“You’re talking about fucking,” Indigo said, sounding a little drunk, and they all looked over at her. “Hi,” she said, “I don’t know where I am.”

John and Yelena came to stand over her. “You’re at a safe place,” John said. “This is Lyn, Piper’s good friend. She has agreed to care for you while you recover.”

“Thank you very much, Lyn,” Indigo replied. She had a somewhat goofy grin on her face. “I don’t suppose you’re into girls? Cause you are so hot and I really wanna have sex with you.”

“Is this because of the poison?” Lyn asked.

“No, I’m afraid I’m naturally a bit of a whore,” Indigo replied.

“She is,” John agreed. “And I mean that in a good way.”

“Well then,” Lyn said, looking down at Indigo, “I think you’re very attractive, and I would love to have sex with you when you’re feeling up to it. And I’m positive the handsome young man that comes around will absolutely love to have a threesome with us.”

“That sounds wonderful. What race is he?”

“Human.”

“Mmm. I like human,” Indigo murmured, looking at John.

“As do I,” Lyn agreed. “Though I prefer beryl.”

John untied one of the bags of gold he had with a hundred pieces in it, reconsidered, then untied a second one and handed them off to Lyn, who accepted them both and thanked him.

“There is one more thing,” Yelena said.

“Yes?” Lyn asked.

“Do you have any magical items that you could stand to lose? It would be helpful. Anything with a magical charge.”

“Yes, I think I have a few things. I’ll be back in a moment.”

“Thank you.”

She disappeared deeper into her cabin, in another room, and began rummaging around. “How are you feeling?” Yelena asked, coming to stand closer to Indigo.

“Ugh. Tired. Sore. Sick.”

“I am so sorry. I feel so guilty. It is my fault this happened to you...”

“Yelena,” Indigo said, reaching up and taking the demoness’s hand, “I agreed to danger when I said yes to helping you undertake this task. Really, I’m glad that I’m not dead. That’s enough for me. And I got to meet the three of you. And have sex with two of you.”

“We can fix that if you like, you’re really hot,” Piper said.

Indigo grinned. “Good.”

“You’re going to be okay to stay here for a little while?” John asked.

“Yeah, I will be. Especially if I’m going to be getting laid. Lyn seems nice. And interesting. How long do you think I’ll be down, though?”

“At least a week,” Yelena said.

Indigo sighed. “Well, I’m still alive. And in good company. Don’t worry about me. Go, deal with your situation. I’ll be here.”

“Okay. Thank again for your help. It is truly appreciated,” Yelena said. She leaned down and gave Indigo a kiss. As did John and Piper.

“You’re welcome. And thanks for the fun, and the sex. Come visit me.”

“We will,” Yelena promised.

Lyn returned a moment later with a small collection of magical trinkets. She passed them a pair of rings, an earring, a small stone of polished obsidian, and an amulet on a necklace. “All of these have some magical charge to them,” she said, “and I don’t need them any longer. I was going to sell them at some point. I hope this helps.”

“This will. Thank you very much,” Yelena replied.

“In my pack,” Indigo said tiredly, “there’s a ring with a blue stone set into it. It’s got a pretty good enchantment on it against heat and fire. I was gonna sell it at some point but this is more important. Take it.”

“Thank you,” Yelena repeated, and retrieved the ring from her pack.

They said their goodbyes once more, and then headed back out into the cold.

…

They didn’t speak much for the rest of the day.

The trio set off from Lyn’s cabin, bearing east this time, marching off at a very brisk and steady pace into the cold and the trees. Piper lead the way, and carried Rok the entire time. She seemed to have a near endless capacity for endurance, not having to stop or to pass off the demon, though lean and wiry, still certainly heavy, once the entire way there. And of course Yelena was a demoness, and a hundred years old, and most of that had been spent keeping in top shape. So John was the one who was really suffering.

He was suddenly very glad for the change in his sex life recently, and not just for the obvious reason. Sex tended to work out a lot of different muscles, and sex with a demoness in particular tended to really build up endurance. If he had to guess, he’d say he’d put on several pounds of muscle over the past month and a half, all of it owed to his new life of sex, frequent travel, and all the combat he’d been participating in while living in the Wild. Honestly, he was in the best shape of his life now, and he was glad.

Because he needed it.

It took them just over six hours to make the trek. Most of it was spent following a trail eastward through either barren wastelands or snow-capped trees. Eventually, this gave way to a fairly deep valley. As they descended into it, following a narrow path down, they quickly fell into shadow. The sun was setting, and darkness was maybe an hour off.

Rok didn’t move or make a sound throughout all of it.

John kept glancing at the demon every so often, paranoid that he was going to do something violent and sudden.

When they finally reached the valley floor and kept walking, he broke the long silence. “Yelena...” he said.

“Yes love?” she replied.

“What can you tell me about Rok?”

She was silent for a few seconds. “He is an assassin,” she said finally. “He prefers secrecy and stealth and silent deaths. He poisons almost everything he uses. He was old when I got started fighting. He...frightened me, sometimes,” she admitted reluctantly.

“He freaks me out,” Piper muttered. “I know bastards like this. Live for the assassinations. It’s all they do, like they worship it.”

“Yes,” Yelena replied immediately. “We say our devotion and faith lie directly towards the...we have a word for it. It basically means warlord or...I supposed blood baron would be more accurate. We serve he who is at the top. But in practice some of us have our own other devotions. I never believed that Rok lived for anything beyond his assassination missions. I know he killed at least two other blood barons while I was, uh, active, in my own military. Honestly, we are lucky that we managed to take him down.”

“Bet he wasn’t expecting my big ass,” Piper replied.

“Yes,” Yelena agreed.

“So where is this place?” John asked.

“It’s an old...you know, it says it’s a monastery or something in what I’ve read about it, but I’ve wondered.” She paused. “Then again, there’s a lot of different kinds of monasteries I suppose. Depends on who or what you’re worshiping. Either way, it’s built into a cliff face in this valley. The sword was supposed to belong to the head monk, kind of a warrior monk. It was supposed to be very powerful,” Piper explained.

“How do you know it’s still here?” Yelena asked.

“Because everyone who’s gone after it doesn’t come back.”

“Oh.”

“Oh indeed. So we should be ready.”

John wasn’t looking forward to fighting...whatever it was, not after walking hard for six straight hours. But he had to. Who knew? Maybe they’d get lucky and the place would be empty. Though he really doubted it.

They walked through the darkening valley for another twenty minutes before finally locating the monastery. It was indeed built into the face of a large, rocky cliff. He saw closed windows going up for five stories, and huge stone steps led up to the front entrance. There didn’t seem to be anyone or anything around. The whole area felt dead. Well...not entirely dead. They moved up the steps, and John and Yelena drew their weapons.

“Stay ready,” Piper said quietly.

The huge wooden doors that permitted entry were partially open. The interior beyond was dark. Yelena went first, igniting a light spell and pushing back the shadows. John went in after her, his blade drawn. Ready for combat. They came into a long room, the ceiling maybe two stories high. Stairwells were cut into the stone to either side of them, leading up and away, into darkness, and there were more stairs ahead of them, in the center of the room, leading to a raised second half of the area. John spotted a scattering of old tables and chairs, a pair of dead fireplaces on either side of the room, embedded in the walls.

And several corpses. They all looked like adventurers.

“Check them,” Yelena whispered. “Maybe we can learn what killed them.”

John nodded tightly and hurried over to the nearest corpse. It was a beryl man adorned in leather armor. His pack had split open when he’d hit the floor where he now lay, his neck cut halfway open. He’d obviously bled out very quickly. His supplies were scattered around him. The blood was long frozen over. He checked a second corpse, this one a human woman, who had been stabbed in the heart. A third, a felis woman, had been gutted.

“I’d say it’s someone with a sword doing it,” John said finally.

“Great,” Piper muttered.

What did that mean? Usually these places had some kind of ancient horror guarding them, something that used brute force or magic or some strange form of attack. A blade seemed almost...dull by comparison.

Then they heard it: footfalls.

They were strangely clattering footfalls, like wood striking stone over and over again. The footsteps were unhurried, almost measured, and growing closer. They were coming from the front of the room.

“Get ready,” Piper whispered. She had set Rok aside in a corner and now had her own blade out. Yelena drew and notched an arrow. John raised his sword. They all waited in rapt silence. The clacking footstep grew louder.

And as the figure wandered into view, it suddenly made sense.

He found himself staring into the glowing, bony sockets of a skull. Whoever he was in life, he must have been quite large, at least six and a half feet. As a skeleton, he was still very intimidating. He wore the ragged remains of some old, ceremonial armor, and carried a long sword that glowed a dull red in the shadows of the room.

“Oh,” Yelena said.

“I believe this is the monk,” John muttered.

“Well, let’s put an end to him,” Piper replied.

The undead monk began to walk briskly down the steps, and all three of them went to meet him with their own weapons. Yelena fired an arrow and it connected directly with the thing’s skull. John skidded to a halt in surprise as sparks flew and the skull popped right off. It stuck the stonework floor with a hard, hollow sound, and the bones collapsed.

Piper laughed. “Well, that was easy,” she said.

Abruptly, the bones began to vibrate, and they suddenly snapped back up into place, reforming themselves in a second.

“Oh...shit,” Piper muttered.

“Well that explains why all these people are dead,” John said. “How, exactly, are we planning on dealing with this?”

And then the skeleton launched itself at them, and he was busy defending himself. He brought his blade up barely in time to deflect the undead skeleton’s own glowing blade, but the force of the impact was so hard it sent him stumbling back several steps. Yelena immediately jumped in and launched a furious assault that the skeleton quickly began repelling. Yelena growled, stepping up her attack, and managed to at least fight it to a standstill.

But she could not push it back.

The skull seemed to grin malignantly at them.

Then Piper stepped in and began hacking away at it. Her blade rebounded off its arm and the arm came off, sword and all. It clattered to the floor. Yelena didn’t hesitate to smash the pommel of her sword into the skull and it cracked into two pieces with a very satisfying sound. The skeleton again collapsed into a pile.

And again immediately reformed.

“Well, shit! How do we stop this thing?!” John cried.

“Let’s try this,” Yelena said, and as the skeleton finished reforming, she extended her hand, palm flat, towards it and released a massive fireball. This blew the skeleton to pieces and several charred, smoking bits of it flew across the area.

Unfortunately, within a few seconds, it had reassembled again, still smoking.

“What are we going to do!?” Yelena snapped.

“Oh shit!” Piper cried, sounding excited. “I know how to fix this! Keep it busy!” she yelled, and sprinted off up the central stairs, disappearing into the shadows.

“Well...I hope she’s right,” John said, and raised his blade again.

“As do I,” Yelena growled, doing the same.

Having to rely completely on the notion that Piper knew what she was doing, the pair threw themselves at the skeleton again. They tried to keep it busy, and did so for about a minute, knocking it to pieces four more times, before an idea occurred to John.

“Wait, why are we fighting it?” he asked.

“What do you mean?” Yelena replied.

“We just have to keep it busy. Let’s just keep away from it.”

“Well...all right,” Yelena murmured, considering it.

They kept away from it. It felt fairly ridiculous, almost like playing a children’s game. It wasn’t particularly fast, and all they had to do was keep backing up, staying apart from each other. Occasionally they would throw something at it to get its attention switched from one person to another. And this new tactic seemed like it would work, and did so until suddenly, about two minutes in, the thing abruptly turned and began hurrying back the way it had come.

Towards Piper.

“Aw shit,” John muttered.

“Whatever she’s doing must be worrying it,” Yelena said, and released another fireball that knocked its head off.

It quickly reformed and continued its resolute journey back into the shadows, up the stairs. They repeated this twice more before it reformed and suddenly twisted back around, leaped forward, and smashed John aside backhandedly. For something that was so easy to disassemble, it sure packed one crazy punch.

John screamed in pain and surprise as he flew back down the stairs and landed with a heavy thud. Yelena shouted and launched herself at it, but it struck out with its foot when she got close enough and sent her flying as well.

“Get after it!” John gasped as he surged to his feet.

Yelena growled in reply as she did the same. This time, it was moving a bit faster. They hurried up the stairs, across a short, open area beyond with old, decaying benches lining either way, and through a large doorway at the back, into a long, dark corridor. Up ahead, they could hear it clattering away, towards Piper.

It was picking up speed.

Yelena tossed another fireball at it, but the skeleton dodged it and ran on. Why was it suddenly getting faster and smarter? Maybe it had just been toying with them earlier, John reasoned. Or maybe whatever Piper was doing was dredging up long dormant survival instincts, or deeper reserves of strength and intelligence.

There was a light at the end of the hallway.

As they drew closer, he saw a figure standing in the doorway. Piper. She was holding something in her hand, which was raised in front of her. The skeleton released a strange sound of fury and ran faster still.

John had just begun to realize that he was looking at a heart in Piper’s hand, a big, ugly, black heart, when she squeezed. The heart turned to dark pulp in her grasp, and the skeleton fell to pieces mid-run, bits and bones scattering across the stone floor with a loud, echoing roar of rage. This time, however, it didn’t reassemble.

“What the...what was that?” Yelena asked.

Piper was shaking her hand, spattering bits of the dark heart everywhere. She began to wipe it off on a cloth. “It was his heart. It’s an old necromancer trick. Tie their life energy to their heart. I could smell it, found it locked away in a lockbox. Had to rip it open to get at it, and I probably wouldn’t have been able to if it wasn’t so old. You kill the heart, you kill the skeleton, since the energy sustaining it no longer exists.”

John and Yelena came to stand before Piper. The blade that the skeleton had been carrying had come to rest between them, at their feet. Piper bent and picked it up. “This is it,” she said, holding it up. “Honestly, I’m not sad to see this go, this is an evil thing. I can feel it.” She handed it to Yelena, who accepted it. “So...now what?”

“Now, we check on Rok. Then the two of you should scour this place for magical trinkets. The more we have, the better. And I must prepare the...ritual,” Yelena replied.

“Then let’s get to work,” John said.

…

Rok was still unconscious, or at least unmoving and silent, and his bindings were still secure.

They dumped all the magical trinkets they had on them, with the exception of Yelena’s original amulet that changed her appearance.

“Are you sure you want to give that up?” John asked, indicating the second amulet they had found at the research outpost.

“If this works, we won’t need it,” she replied.

He figured she had a point. He and Piper began searching the monastery. An hour passed. Two. Three hours passed. They periodically came back to check on Yelena, who spent most of the time apparently meditating. Though during the third hour that changed, and John was unhappy to see that she had cut herself and was using her blood to draw a complex diagram on the stone floor of the main room, which she had cleared and cleaned. The gathering of magical artifacts and items was at the center of the diagram.

Finally, they had done their sweep of the area, and had managed to find another handful of magically infused gemstones, rings, earrings, and necklaces. When they came back with their last batch of collected items, which included a fairly fat sack of gold, they found her arranging the items and artifacts in rings around the circle they initially occupied, which was clear now. He and Piper dropped off their final findings.

“Are you done, uh, bleeding?” he asked.

“Yes, I took part of a healing potion,” Yelena replied, distracted.

“Can we help?” Piper asked.

“No,” Yelena answered simply.

They took the hint and grabbed a seat together on a bench, keeping an eye on Rok. After several more minutes of arranging the items, Yelena finally stood and moved over to Rok. She knelt, checked his bindings once more, then picked him up and hauled him over to the blood diagram. She then set him down in the middle and picked up the powerfully magical blade they had taken from the skeleton a few hours ago.

“Get ready,” she said. “I think we should have more than enough magic to haul him here and disorient him properly, but it is hard to tell.”

Both of them nodded and got to their feet, blades in hand.

Yelena hesitated. “If at all possible, I want to be the one to kill him.”

“Understood,” Piper replied in a manner that suggested she had a deep understanding of the kind of thing Yelena was feeling right then.

Finally, Yelena knelt over Rok. She began chanting quietly, her eyes closed, face scrunched in concentration. John could feel the magic. It was very heavy on the air, subtly vibrating everything in the room. It was like the charge of lightning just before it struck, or the way the wind shifted, the pressures changed, just before a powerful storm. The lines of blood began to glow a bright red. Yelena was a speaking a language he didn’t understand and hurt to hear, but he remained resolute, sword ready, Piper beside him.

Yelena ceased speaking abruptly.

She raised the blade, aiming it directly over Rok’s heart, the demon assassin on his back, wrists still bound behind him.

Right before she plunged the tip into his heart, Rok’s eyes shot open. For a second, John felt the tiniest bit of sympathy for the sorry bastard.

What a way to go, waking up right before someone plunged a blade into your heart.

But he had tried to kill Yelena, and had damn near succeeded in killing Indigo. John did not regret it in the slightest when the blade penetrated the demon’s heart. Rok let out a short scream and began to twist and writhe on the ground, among the trinkets and the blade. Yelena stood, leaving the blade there, which, surprisingly, remained standing straight up. She must have plunged it all the way through down to the floor.

Blood pumped out of Rok’s body, mixing with Yelena’s, and his struggles quickly weakened, until finally the life drained from his body, and he was left staring at nothing, his eyes empty of life. Yelena now held her own blade in hand, baring her teeth, as angry as he had ever seen her before. This was it.

The moment of truth.

The magical presence began to intensify and now many items were rattling. Dust fell from the ceiling. The monastery around them groaned uncertainly and John wondered if they might collapse part or even all of it.

Wouldn’t that be a stupid fucking end to their journey?

The pressure of magic on the air became so much that for a few seconds, John couldn’t breathe. And then, finally, all at once, everything seemed to contract, and there was a brilliant red light in the exact center of the blood diagram.

And then, an intense pulse of light.

When John got his vision back, blinking furiously, he heard a cry of surprise from a new voice, and John saw Yelena standing over a prone figure, lying on the ground, hands up in defense. Hagan. It had worked.

“Yelena...” he whispered, the terror obvious in his voice as he fully realized the situation. “What have you...you did it, didn’t you? You crazy bitch, you pulled me over...”

“You should never have tried to bring me back!” Yelena screamed.

“Please...I-I will stop sending the assassins. Just send me back. I swear I will leave you alone,” Hagan said.

John had to admit, he was surprised. He thought this ringleader would be stronger, harder to beat, but here he was, begging for his life.

Well, Yelena looked pretty fucking terrifying right now.

“No, Hagan. It is too dangerous to let you live. You foolish bastard, look at you. Wasting all these resources of me...why? Why would you even bother?”

“You knew my true name,” he groaned. “I thought at first I would just find you, try to figure out what happened to you. I...I was in the right place at the right time. Our leader...I killed him. And I became the leader. That was when I sent for you, but no one could find you. I wanted you at my side. I wanted you to rule with me...you still can.”

“There is nothing you can offer me, Hagan. There is nothing you have, nothing that exists in our world you can possibly offer me,” Yelena growled.

He looked around again, his eyes flicking briefly to John, and then Piper. He looked back at Yelena. “I do not understand. They told me...you were bound to a human. I did not believe them. I thought you had been enslaved. But I can see it in your eyes...what is here? What could possibly be here that would make you stay? That would make you abandon your entire way of life? Make you abandon everything about yourself? Your culture? Your people? Your society? That would make you refuse an offer of absolute power?”

“I found someone that I genuinely care for, and someone who genuinely cares for me. That is worth more to me than our entire plane, Hagan. It is not something you could possibly understand,” Yelena replied.

“Then send me back. I will leave you alone, please...”

“No. It is too dangerous. I know you. You may wait weeks or months or even years, but eventually you will find some way to learn my true name, and summon me against my will, and kill or enslave me. The risk is unacceptable.”

“So be it!” Hagan yelled, and his hand came up with a dagger.

Yelena was faster. She drove her blade into his eye, killing him instantly. Hagan went slack. The magical resonance on the air began to dissipate rapidly. There was silence in the large chamber, save for the wind blowing outside.

“Is that it?” John asked finally.

“That is it. It is over,” Yelena replied softly. She turned and walked over to him, then wrapped him in a tight hug, holding him to her.

He realized she was crying. He hugged her back fiercely.

“I’ll uh...make sure no one’s outside,” Piper said, suddenly awkward.

“Thank you,” Yelena whispered.

Piper left and they stood there for a long time, holding each other.

“Are you okay?” he asked finally.

“Yes,” she whispered. “I am okay. I truly am. I just...I knew that I loved you...that I do love you more than I have ever loved anyone or anything in my entire existence. But it was not until I had that conversation that I realized how deep, how profound, how all-encompassing that love was. Even if Hagan was telling the truth, and who knew, maybe he was, I still would not have hesitated to turn him down. I meant what I said, every word of it. There is nothing that anyone anywhere could possibly offer me to give you up. I am crying because I am happy. And, okay, because I am stressed out and exhausted, but mainly because I am happy.”

John felt his eyes burning, blinked, realized he was crying as well. “I guess I am too,” he murmured.

She pulled back slightly, still holding him, and looked at his face. “I do not think I have ever seen you cry before,” she said softly.

“It’s not something I do often,” he replied.

They kissed, and stood together like that for a long time.

EPILOGUE

Ten days came and went.

They spent most of it with Indigo and Lyn, though John did feel a little guilty, because although both women, all three women, actually, Piper included, had asked him and Yelena, in their own ways, for sex, the pair had declined. They weren’t closing their relationship, but for now...well, for now it only felt right to make love with each other. And they did, every night. It was somehow closer, somehow more intimate than it had been before. Something John didn’t think was actually possible. But it was.

Nonetheless, they spent time with Indigo, Piper, and Lyn, getting to know Piper and Lyn better, and just generally enjoying their company. They helped with chores around the house, went on long walks together, hunted, and swapped stories. Lyn used to be an adventuress, but had finally grown tired of it and decided to retire out here. After about a week or so, Indigo was back up to full strength, and had decided she’d had enough adventure for now. She wanted to go back home to Brynne. Piper, who had promised to help them find Kesley, had asked if she wouldn’t mind waiting a little bit longer, because she also wanted to return to south of the mountains for awhile. She had people she wanted to see, things she needed to do.

Indigo had agreed.

After they’d said their goodbyes, the trio had begun walking north.

It had taken them most of three days to find what they were looking for. A mountain, with a path up along one side that was easy to miss, but also easy to ascend once you’d found it, and Piper knew where it was.

They walked until they reached the top…

…

“Here we are,” Piper said.

“This is it?” John asked, looking up. They had finally ascended the path and now stood on a relatively flat patch of snowy ground. He had to admit that the view was absolutely fantastic. He could see for dozens of miles. Of course, most of it was just snowy wastelands and forest, but still: it looked simply stunning.

“Yep. Looks like just a big empty cave, right? Well, that’s the idea. Come on.” She strode confidently into the huge opening.

“She’s just...okay with us walking in?” John asked.

“She won’t bite, if that’s what you’re asking. I’m not even sure if she’s here right now...hey, Kesley! You home!?” Piper called.

John couldn’t help but wince nervously. He had never actually seen a dragon before, let alone talked to one.

His hand sought Yelena’s, and she accepted it without comment, their fingers lacing together. Then came the reply.

“Yes, Piper, I’m home.” Her voice was...not as deep or powerful as John imagined it to be. Still, it was unique, and although the response wasn’t a shout, he could hear it clearly. It was powerful in a different way.

And it had a rough, kind of smoky edge to it. It was a sexy voice.

“I’m coming in! And I’ve got guests!”

“I’m ready. And I can smell them. A human male, and...is that...a demoness?”

“You’ve got a good nose,” Yelena said, not quite raising her voice.

“I do,” Kesley agreed.

They followed Piper into the darkness, which was oddly not as completely as he had initially thought. It had to be some kind of magic trick, because he could actually see quite well now.

The cave narrowed, though not a great deal, and eventually became a tunnel. They followed it for quite awhile, and finally it opened up again into a larger cavern that was...set up like a house, he realized. The walls looked fairly smooth, and came to a domed ceiling overhead, all of it rock. There were several paintings and tapestries adorning the walls, and one whole section of it was taken up by an utterly massive bookshelf, filled with books.

Yelena gasped softly when she saw that, and John smiled.

There were chairs and tables and benches in several areas, for what seemed to be several different reasons. Some were arranged around a large fireplace, some were set up like a dining area, some seemed simply to lounge in, and some of them were quite large. They reminded him of the huge chair in Morgan’s house.

There were a few openings along the walls, which led to other rooms, he imagined. And out of one of them walked…

He wasn’t sure what he was seeing at first. She was...a dragon, true, but not nearly as large as he thought she would. Although she still was quite large. She looked to be somewhere between a serpentine and a beryl in how her skin appeared, though her scales were black, with the tiniest hint of green in them in some places. Her tail swished behind her. And her head...her face resembled that of a dragon’s, but it was also a bit more human, or what he thought of as human. She had horns coming from her forehead, and a frill of cartilage growing from the back of her head, almost like a crown. It was tinged with the deepest crimson.

Her wings, folded behind her, had that same black-and-crimson style to them.

Her eyes flickered yellow, and…

She was naked. Wow, did she have a fantastic body. And fucking huge breasts. And some wonderfully broad hips.

He wondered suddenly if there would be any opportunity for sex with this dragoness. But not now, that might come later, hopefully.

“Piper, who are these strangers you have brought into my home?” she asked, her voice easy and kind and vaguely amused.

“This is John, and this is Yelena. They have come seeking your assistance,” Piper replied.

“Oh have you now?” Kesley asked.

“Yes,” John replied, and fumbled for the amulet. He held it up. Gods, but she was tall! Maybe eight feet. “Morgan sent us.”

“That is certainly hers. Well, between you showing up with Piper and that amulet, I’m more than willing to at least hear you out, John and Yelena. Come, sit with me by the fire, you look cold,” she offered.

“Thank you,” Yelena replied.

They all gathered around the fireplace and sat down. It felt wonderful after the frigid chill of the northern winds for almost three days.

“So, tell me, what is it you ask of me?”

“Well...it’s a long story,” John replied.

“I have time.”

“Okay. Well, it all started about a month and a half ago...”

They spent nearly two hours telling her the story of how they had met, fallen in love, begun to build a life together...and all that had come as a result of that. Kesley seemed fascinated by all of this, asking questions several times. Piper threw in something helpfully when they got to the part where she got involved.

“And so,” John said, after they’d told her everything, “that’s, uh...all of it. That’s why we’re here. Why we want your help.”

“I see,” Kesley replied. She was smiling a small smile. Although nothing was small on her large dragon face. “Having heard your story, I have decided that...I will offer to teach you how to shape-shift, Yelena. Although I must ask: it seems to me that your motivation for learning has changed, given that you no longer need it to hide from your former brethren. Would you mind telling me what your new motivation is?”

Yelena was silent for several seconds. “I have been considering that during our journey here,” she replied finally. “On a practical sense, it is because it would be a good thing to know, for life here, in this world.”

“That is very true,” Kesley agreed.

“But on a more personal note...I guess it just feels right. Being here, seeking out your wisdom, it just feels right. And I’ve learned to trust these feelings.”

“They seem to have led you on a true path so far,” Kesley said.

“I’d have to agree...but I’m biased,” John replied, making Kesley laugh.

“So it’s decided then. You shall live here with me, and I shall teach you. I don’t know how long it will take, but we’ll quickly be able to determine that after a few weeks of practice, I think. I can sense a great deal of skill and endurance and magical knowledge in you, Yelena.”

“I have spent decades honing and mastering magic, among other things,” Yelena agreed.

“Well, this is good to hear,” Piper said, standing up, “but I have an elf to get back to. Kesley, it’s been good seeing you. John, Yelena, I wish you both the best of luck.”

“Thank you so much for helping us,” Yelena replied, a sentiment which John echoed.

“Your next stay should be a bit longer,” Kesley suggested.

“I know, I’ll try not to have other responsibilities next time,” Piper replied. “But I’ll be back, probably after winter lifts.”

“We’ll more than likely be here,” John said.

She hugged and kissed each of them, wished them farewell once more, and then began making her way back out into the cold.

“Let me show you to your quarters,” Kesley said, and led them off to one of the other exits from the main cavern that John had initially missed, probably because this one actually came with a door, and was human-sized. She opened the door and led them inside, ducking to get in. He was very surprised to see a pretty decent setup there: a big bed, a desk with a chair, a small kitchen area, more shelves, half of which were filled with more books, and even a sunken tub.

“This is amazing,” John murmured.

“I’ve been known to have visitors from time to time, so I figured awhile ago that it would make sense to have a place like this. I’m going to be making dinner soon. If you could help, we can have a big feast to start off this partnership right,” Kesley said.

“That sounds wonderful,” Yelena replied.

“Okay. Come out when you’re ready.”

She left them there together, closing the door behind her.

Yelena immediately began to head for the tub. “I need to at least wash off,” she said.

John wholeheartedly agreed with her. After that hard trek, he desperately felt the need for a bath. But he lingered for a moment, looking around the room slowly until his gaze settled back on Yelena, who was undressing.

Despite everything, despite how this all had begun, having their house broken into in the middle of the night, all of the pain and suffering and desperate anxiety that had followed...he was happy with how this had turned out.

This felt good.

Yelena had been correct: this felt right.

Hello, Misty Vixen here!

If you’ve made it this far, then thank

you so very much for finishing my book!

I’m here to ask you if you wouldn’t mind

leaving a review for my story. I would

deeply appreciate it!

OTHER TITLES

Demoness IV will be out Early 2019!

THE MISTY VIXEN STARTER PACK

Get ready to experience over 100,000 words of hot, filthy fucking. This starter pack features four original novellas, each from one of my primary erotica universes, and a whole lot of human-on-inhuman sex.

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SCI-FI EROTICA SHARED UNIVERSE

HELLCATS

Ryan is a socially awkward, young technician who takes a leap of faith and joins up with a mercenary crew called the Hellcats. What he finds is a squad of alien or otherwise inhuman women who are looking for a boytoy to live on their ship with them and fuck them hard. Ryan fits the bill perfectly.

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The Complete Trilogy

ALIEN HAREM

James is a failing author who is friends with Aria, a beautiful alien woman who is also a failing author. She happens to live with three other attractive alien women who are creative types of varying degrees of success. Everything changes when they invite James to live with them and help them shoot human-on-alien porn to help pay the rent.

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VALKYRIES

When Veronica, a badass, seven foot, mercenary babe, and Saf, a tough, unique, and beautiful alien happen to run into Jared, a down-and-out technician and former merc who decided to try the civilian life after almost getting killed, it feels a little like fate. They want to start their own merc squad, and Jared wants back into the mercenary lifestyle. As they team up and start building a crew of badass and hot alien beauties, Jared is happy to find that they’re all quite interested in sleeping with him.

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The Complete Trilogy

DESIRE

Derek is a technician fresh out of college. Unsure of what to do with his life, he feels adrift as he stares down the barrel of adulthood. But all that changes when he gets the opportunity of a lifetime: he is invited to come live and work on Desire, a city-sized space station that caters to every sexual fetish imaginable.

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The Complete Series

FANTASY EROTICA SHARED UNIVERSE

WOMEN OF THE WILD

Seth is a frustrated young man who lives in a magical world of beautiful landscapes, abandoned ruins, ferocious monsters, and untold adventures to be had. He’s been stuck in his boring, tiny village for his entire life. But that’s all about to change. When he finally works up the courage to tell his parents that he’s leaving and saves up enough to buy himself some survival gear, he strikes out on his own, into the wilderness. Although he expected to find many things on this adventure, he had no idea that he would be getting to know the inhuman monster women that populate the wild on such an intimate level.

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WANDERLUST

Owyn Fisher has just come of age and decides to leave his small village and start adventuring out into the world at large. But instead of danger or riches, he finds that his greatest adventure is all the beautiful monster women he encounters that wish to experience the taboo thrill of sex with a human.

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The Complete Series

LUST & ADVENTURE

When Alan Wilde, a magical healer living a quiet life in a small village, begins having a personal crisis, wondering if he’s missing out on leading such a life, he meets Layla, a beautiful, cat-woman felis adventuress. She and her friends are on a dangerous journey and need a healer. The chance meeting feels like fate, and so Alan begins his journey of adventuring and, he is happy to learn, sleeping with several attractive adventuresses…

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The Complete Trilogy

PARANORMAL EROTICA SHARED UNIVERSE

PARANORMAL PASSIONS

Jason is a regular, twenty-something human who feels adrift. After trying to radically alter his life, all that really changes is that he now lives next door to an incredibly hot redheaded vampire. When they hook up, she leads him into a world of hot sex with inhuman women.

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The Complete Trilogy

PARASEXUAL

Alex considers himself a failure. After losing his job, losing his roommate, and coming close to losing his mind all in the same day, he goes to hang out with his best friend, who happens to be a particularly attractive werewolf woman. In an attempt to help him out and also to alleviate her own growing wanderlust (and regular lust), she has sex with him and then decides to take him on a road trip to Thorne: a giant coastal city that is home to a huge concentration of paranormals. And on the way, she begins hooking back up with several of her old girlfriends, who are apparently interested in hopping in bed with her and Alex.

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POST APOCALYPTIC EROTICA SHARED UNIVERSE

SEX & SURVIVAL

Welcome to a post-apocalyptic world where a virus, once meant to be a scientific revolution, has ravaged the planet and turned most of the population into inhuman creatures. Some have become mindless zombies, others have morphed into new species. Some can fly. Some can breathe underwater. Some exhibit animal characteristics. Enter Mike Walker, a survivor and adventurer. In this brave new world, Mike often finds himself in the company (and beds) of beautiful, inhuman women.

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The Complete Trilogy

HAVEN

David is a young, terrified adventurer who is trying to survive in the wake of a new version of the virus that turns inhumans into extremely dangerous zombies. After the collapse of the colony he was staying in, he and his only friend, Evelyn, a beautiful, tough, eight-foot goliath, flee to an isolated location, and inadvertently become a beacon of hope by providing a safe haven for other survivors.

Coming 2019

ABOUT ME

Hello, I’m the author! There isn’t too much to me personally. I live somewhere in the United States and I like to write stories about people having sex and people having adventures!

So what makes me special? What sets me apart from most of the other thousands of erotica authors out there?

Well, a few things that I can think of.

I write about younger, often more innocent twenty-something guys. I’m honestly sick of all the billionaires and NAVY Seals and cowboys and firefighters. Most of all, I’m fucking sick and tired of all these BS ‘Alpha Male’ types. I don’t really want to bring down anyone who is writing or reading that, but I thought it was high time we started hearing about guys who are more realistic and down-to-earth.

Another big focus of mine is human guy on inhuman lady sex. There are certainly tons of stories about hot chicks getting laid by werewolves and dinosaurs and even Bigfoot! But there’s not enough out there, in my opinion, about regular guys fucking hot alien or monster or otherwise inhuman ladies. I love writing about human guys getting laid by mermaids and dryads and sexy aliens and genetically engineered female super soldiers and robots.

Finally, I like emphasizing sexual encounters, casual and longer engagements, that focus on consent, communication, trust, and respect. I like both parties involved getting what they want out of the sex. (Or I should say all parties, given how many people are fucking at once!)

If you want access to extra content, to get news about my progress on upcoming stories, or pictures of hot naked monster girls, then here’s some places you can check out.

This is my WEBSITE, (www.mistyvixen.com). Here, you can find free short stories that are related to my works or stand on their own, a monthly newsletter, alternate versions of my cover art where the ladies are naked, and more!

This is my TWITTER, (www.twitter.com/Misty_Vixen). I’ll post updates and pictures of hot naked alien, monster, or otherwise inhuman ladies I find on the internet. Also, I respond to pretty much everyone, so feel free to say something!

This is my PATREON, (www.patreon.com/MistyVixen). There, you can get early access to the first chapters of my in-progress works, and early access to alternate versions of my cover art where the ladies are naked! They will be released to my website after one month.

Finally, if you want to talk to me directly, you can send me an e-mail at my address:

mistyvixen@outlook.com

And that’s it! Once again, thank you very much for reading my work. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

-Misty

DEMONESS III. Copyright © by Misty Vixen. All rights reserved.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entire coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the author or publisher.