Mark of the Huntress, Ch1

Here's a draft of the first chapter. A little sex, a little intrigue! Chapter two will also have a little sex and a little intrigue. Chapter three will have - wait for it - a little sex and a little intrigue!

Actually that's a lie. Chapter 3 is pretty much all action. But chapter 4 will have sex and intrigue!

I may or may not be really tired right now. Enjoy!

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Very few sorcerers were morning people, in my experience. I didn’t have a precise explanation as to why, though I assumed it was least partially because so many of us lived our lives on the run. Darting through the shadows and keeping odd hours took its toll on the body, and there were times when I dreaded the sunrise as much as an actual vampire. 

Something was different about mornings ever since I met Kaseya, however. I could only assume it had something to do with the fact I almost always woke up with my cock in her mouth. 

“Oh, fuck!” I gasped when my eyes fluttered open and I saw her red hair bobbing up and down over my waist. As always, her throat was like a furnace on my cock, and it had already swollen to its full length. 

I could tell from the sweaty beads on her flawless skin that she had probably been awake for a while now. She never skipped her morning exercise regimen, as far as I could tell, the finale of which was apparently crawling to her Maskari on all fours and draining his cock. I wasn’t about to complain. 

I closed my eyes and placed my hand on the back of her head to help guide her movements. We had spent the last two days on the road back to Highwind after fighting a Senosi Huntress, and other than Kaseya’s morning snack we had mostly kept our hands to ourselves for a change. I had been distracted by my ruminations about the future—specifically, what in the hell we were going to do to free Valuri from the Inquisitrix’s dungeons in Vorsalos. 

And right behind that, what in the hell we were going to do for coin given that our bounty had completely fallen through. 

“Oh, gods,” I stammered. “Here it comes!”

The warning was completely unnecessary, of course. Thanks to the golden collar around her neck, Kaseya already knew I was about to erupt, and our magical bond had deepened to the point where she felt every one of my emotions just as strongly as I did. Her back arched in climax the instant my cock fired its first jet of seed down her throat, and by the fifth and final volley I knew for a fact her quim would be gushing.

My arms collapsed to the side as she eagerly swallowed her breakfast. Afterwards, she diligently cleaned my cock off with her tongue then leaned back on her haunches and smiled.

“Good morning, Jorem.”

I grunted. “It is now.”

She smiled contentedly. “Would you like to bathe in the steam before we depart?”

I craned my neck towards the flowing water snaking through the forest behind us. We were only about ten miles out from Highwind at this point, which meant we’d be in the city well before lunch. A little delay wouldn’t be a problem, and the thought of watching the water sprinkle over her naked body was more than enough to motivate me for a swim. 

“Definitely,” I said. 

The stream was bitingly cold, enough that I might have been embarrassed by my wilting stem if she hadn’t just sucked me dry. We took a long, languid dip, and the sight of the water dripping from her shapely tits was more than enough to stir my manhood back to life. I escorted her towards the base of the nearby waterfall, bent her over a rock, and thrust my cock back into her quim where it belonged. 

I could barely make out her pleased whimpers over the hiss of the rushing stream, but I knew that every euphoric twinge shuddering through me was echoing through her as well. When I actually stopped to think about it, I could scarcely believe everything that had happened to me over this past week. I had expected to stumble into Highwind with barely a copper to my name, and unfortunately that part was still true. But everything else—from meeting Kaseya to stumbling across a Senosi plot against the Mage’s Guild—had all been completely out of the blue. 

A part of me just wanted to stay out here in the forest and fuck Kaseya all day. She wouldn’t have complained; based on the little tidbits I had gleaned about her background, she probably enjoyed the thought of living free in the wild with her Maskari. But then I thought about Valuri, and a knot a twisted in the pit of my stomach. 

That Huntress had no reason to lie to you back at the bandit’s camp. Valuri is alive, and she’s spent the past few months being tortured by the Inquisitrix because you’re too weak and too cowardly to do anything about it. 

Grimacing, I grabbed a hold of Kaseya’s hair and slammed into her even harder. She was so perfect I almost felt guilty thinking about another woman, especially when my cock was buried to the hilt inside her tight, eager cunt. But this wasn’t just about sex—it was about proving to myself that I was a decent human being. 

Well, maybe not decent. But as long as I was better than the Senosi, that was good enough. 

“I want your ass,” I growled, pulling out and slapping her right cheek. “Give it to me!”

I was so certain she would present herself that my breath actually froze in my throat when Kaseya abruptly leaned up and turned around to face me. 

“No.” 

I blinked. “What?”

“Before we set out for the day, you should practice that spell you were working on earlier,” she said, stepping out of the stream and back onto the grass. 

“But…” I stood in place and licked my lips, painfully aware of the desperate twinging in my cock. “Right now?”

“All warriors must learn how to cope with distractions in battle,” Kaseya said, an impish smile tugging at her lips. “Now is as good a time as any to learn this lesson.”

I sighed and stood. As tempting as it was to order her down on all fours and fuck her in the ass, I decided to play along with her little game instead. For now, at least. 

Closing my eyes, I reached out to the Aether. Once its currents began flowing through me, it became marginally easier to ignore both my raging erection and the image of Kaseya’s naked, dripping body. I conjured a suit of spell armor, sheathing my torso in a glimmering mantle of protective magic every bit as strong as a knight’s plate mail. This particular technique had probably saved my life a hundred times over the past five years; I had blunted swords, deflected crossbow bolts, and even absorbed the occasional blast of Aetheric energy. 

I had never successfully extended the technique to another, however, though I assumed it was theoretically possible. The key, as far as I could tell, was to create an “echo” of the spell through my bond with Kaseya. I just needed to replicate the same methods I had used back at the bandit fortress with my vision-enhancing technique…

I snapped out my trance when something unexpectedly struck my unprotected leg. Wincing, I opened my eyes and spotted Kaseya holding a handful of acorns. She was desperately struggling to hide an impish smirk. 

“All warriors must learn how to deal with distractions in battle,” she repeated before whipping another acorn at me. “Also, you seem to have missed a spot.”

I grunted and scowled. “You’re the last one to complain about not having leg armor. You don’t even—ow!”

She giggled—one of the most pleasant sounds I had ever heard—before kneeling over to retrieve more ammunition. Now I was really tempted to order her onto her knees, but I wasn’t about to let her win so easily. 

Gritting my teeth, I reached out and attempted to create the magical echo again. She pelted me with one acorn and then another, but before she could fling a third I finally solved the puzzle. A surge of power rippled through the Aether, and a shimmering mantle of energy materialized around her body. Her blue eyes widened in shock as she examined the armor. 

“Incredible,” Kaseya breathed. “It’s truly weightless?”

“And far more protective than that little skirt you call armor,” I said. 

Her expression sank. “The Red Sisters have worn leather skirts into battle for a thousand years!”

“Yeah, well, mine will actually protect those long legs of yours. Unless they’re getting in my way.”

Kaseya frowned. “I do not understand.”

Grinning, I reached out and manipulated her spell armor, contracting joints and tightening its fit around her body. She glanced down in confusion at her arms and legs when they were suddenly rendered immobile, but I wasn’t finished. Tightening my telekinetic grip, I hurled her towards a nearby tree and pinned her face-first against the bark.

I sauntered up behind her, appreciating the curves of her naked back and ass. She struggled against my magic, but the translucent magical armor held her firmly in place. I slapped her right buttocks hard enough to leave a mark before I nudged the tip of my still-swollen cock into her quim. She might have been even wetter than normal, as hard as that was to believe. Apparently a single night off was all it took to completely reset her libido.

I activated my bond ring at the same instant I thrust all the way into her. Her lust crackled through me like a burst of static electricity, freezing me in place and nearly causing me to flood her quim right then and there. I had planned on fucking her slowly and gently for a while before I dismissed the spell armor and laid her down in the grass. But as usual, Kaseya didn’t want anything to do with slow or gentle. So instead I grabbed onto her waist and viciously slammed into her as if my cock was a hammer trying to nail her into the tree. 

She climaxed twice before I flooded her cunt with my seed, and I kept my body pressed tightly against hers for several minutes afterwards to enjoy the aftershocks shuddering through her flesh. When I finally stepped away, I took a moment to appreciate the beads of sweat on her back, the red streaks on her ass, and the trickles of semen seeping down her legs. She really was mine, in body and soul. 

I released my hold on the Aether and dismissed her armor. She backed away from the tree and turned, a coy smile on her face.

“Your design appears to have some gaps,” she said. 

“Yeah, well, no armor is perfect,” I replied. “You just have to know where to aim.”

“I see.”

Wiping the beads of sweat from her brow, she leaned down and gave me a long, deep kiss. I seriously considered throwing her down in the dirt and taking her again, but we really did need to get moving if we wanted to reach the Highwind gates by nightfall. 

“Enough practice for one afternoon,” I said, pulling away and smacking her ass one last time. We moseyed back to the shoreline and got dressed, then out at a brisk pace in the hopes of making up lost time. But we only made it another mile before another acorn struck me in the back. 

I turned and glared at her, actually a little annoyed…right up until I saw her bend over a wide tree stump and flick the leather straps of her skirt up onto her back. 

“Maybe you’re right—this armor isn’t very protective,” Kaseya said, widening her stance and arching her back. “You should probably come have a look.”

I did. Twice. 

***

We reached the northern gates of Highwind just after midday, and the guards didn’t give us any more trouble when we entered than when we had left. I still had trouble believing how different this city was than Vorsalos. The soldiers back home would have shaken us down and probably demanded a bribe before allowing us entry, especially if we had tried to enter with visible weapons. 

“Now we just hope the Mage’s Guild is still willing to pay us something for our troubles,” I grumbled as we maneuvered through the boisterous streets towards the bounty board. 

“Considering the risks we took on their behalf, payment would be the honorable course of action,” Kaseya said.

“Yeah, which is exactly why I wouldn’t count on it,” I muttered. “But who knows, maybe the world will surprise me for once.”

We entered the store where we had picked up the original bounty, but the creepy old owner was nowhere in sight. In his place was a much younger, much sterner looking man who was also clad in a Mage’s Guild robe. His presence wouldn’t have been so distressing if not for the two Knights of the Silver Fist lurking in the back of the shop. 

“Uh…hello,” I stammered, wincing at the nervous twinge in my voice. “We’re looking for Artificer Dieran.”

“I’m sure you are,” the wizard said, gesturing towards the knights. An instant later, the armored men took a menacing step forward and placed their gauntlets atop the pommels of their sheathed swords. 

I resisted the urge to turn and bolt out the door. “Is there a problem here?”

“That depends on you and your…whatever she’s supposed to be,” the wizard said, eyeing Kaseya. He might have been the only man we’d encountered thus far who looked at her with scorn rather than lust. “I am Magister Rethon. I was sent here by the Highwind Council to investigate rumors that Artificer Dieran has been smuggling illegal magical goods into the city. He is currently awaiting the Archmage’s judgement inside the Grey Citadel.”

“We don’t know anything about that,” I said, struggling to keep my expression neutral. “He hired us to retrieve supplies from a caravan that had been hijacked a few days north of the city. He showed us your symbol and wore your robes—we assumed he was working for the Mage’s Guild.”

Rethon’s eyes narrowed. “Really,” he murmured. “And you didn’t consider it strange that he would hire bounty hunters to fetch his cargo rather than asking the guild to retrieve it for him?”

I had found it odd, of course, but the coin had simply been too good to pass up. At least that meant I didn’t have to lie. 

“The old man offered gold—that’s all we were concerned with,” I said. “We’re mercenaries, not investigators.”

“Mercenary work is one thing. Aiding and abetting smugglers is quite another.”

I grunted. “Then I guess we’re in luck, because we didn’t end up helping him anyway. The cargo was already gone by the time we arrived.”

Rethon took a step forward and examined the two of us more closely. “Is that so?”

“Yes,” I said, debating just how much I should tell this idiot. At this point, I knew we weren’t getting paid; my only priority was getting out of this shop before we were thrown in the dungeon. “Apparently the bandits had already sold everything they’d stolen. We considered trying to pick up the buyer’s trail but ultimately decided to cut our losses instead.”

“Yet you’re still here,” Rethon said. “Did you really expect Dieran to pay you for nothing?”

“Not for the full contract, of course, but I thought he would want to know that the cargo had already been moved,” I said. “We also found the corpses of two guild wizards…presumably the men who were escorting the caravan in the first place.”

The magister’s cheek twitched almost imperceptibly—just enough for me to know that he hadn’t been expecting my answer. “The bandits killed them?”

“No, but the Senosi Huntress who was leading them did,” I corrected. “If I had to guess, I would bet that cargo is on its way to Vorsalos right now. The Grand Inquisitrix has wanted to expand her reach inland for a while now.”

Rethon grit his teeth and glanced back to the knights for a moment. “You encountered a Senosi Huntress?”

“Briefly.”

“And yet somehow the two of you survived. You must be quite skilled.”

“Mostly just lucky,” I said, smiling thinly. 

“Luck doesn’t being to cover it,” Rethon sneered, reaching into his belt pouch and producing a palm-sized gemstone brimming with Aetheric energy. A moment later a translucent, illusory projection of a twenty-something human male with short hair and dark eyes materialized in the air above the device. I recognized the person instantly.

It was me. 

“Jorem Farr, renegade sorcerer and wanted fugitive,” Rethon said. “Wanted by the Grand Inquisitrix for a dozen crimes, if I’m not mistaken.”

I grimaced despite myself, and I saw Kaseya’s muscles coil in preparation to strike. This had the potential of escalating quickly. I needed to think on my feet…

“Sorcery isn’t illegal in Highwind,” I managed, not bothering to concoct a bullshit story. As bad as this was, I had dealt with men like Rethon plenty of times in my life. He would have already tossed manacles on my wrists if he actually had the authority to do so. 

“Being a sorcerer is not illegal, but unsanctioned Aethetic channeling is,” Rethon said. “Though I’m sure you’ve been quite careful during your time here in the city thus far.”

I smiled again. “I’m not the one you should be worried about. The Grand Inquisitrix has a legion of elite, fanatical followers at her command, and if her minions are already roaming the countryside…well, then you have a problem on your hands.”

“If I were you, I wouldn’t be so glib. The Archmage takes a dim view of sorcery—as does the Council. You need to watch yourself…and I suggest you avoid participating in any more ‘bounties’ on behalf of smugglers.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I murmured. 

Rethon scowled at me for another moment before he deactivated the gemstone and glanced over at Kaseya. “And what about you? We don’t see many of your kind here on the mainland.”

“I am Jorem’s protector and bodyguard,” she said flatly.

Rethon snorted. “An amazon bodyguard…how much is he paying you for that privilege?”

“Nothing. He is my Maskari.”

“Your what?”

“We were going to split the contract fifty-fifty, but I guess we’re out of luck,” I interjected before she said anything incriminating. “Now if you don’t mind, we’ll be our way.”

Rethon scoffed in disgust as he gestured towards the door with his chin. I took Kaseya’s arm and gently dragged her along behind me. We didn’t stop until we were halfway across the district. 

“Well, that could have gone better,” I said, sighing and rubbing at my temples.  

“Rethon is a dishonorable man,” Kaseya said. “Are all of these ‘wizards’ complete fools?”

“No, but enough of them are that it’s a real problem.” I bit down on my lip and leaned against the alley wall. “Still, at least that conservation wasn’t a total waste. The Mage’s Guild has no idea what’s really going on here.”

She cocked an eyebrow at me. “What do you mean?”

“Rethon was surprised when I mentioned that the Senosi were involved,” I explained. “He thought Dieran was intentionally smuggling cargo for someone—probably the Black Mistress—and he assumed that the bandits were just normal thieves. He also assumed that the old man had just hired us on the side to try and quietly clean up his mess.”

I paused and took a deep breath. “If I had to wager, I’d bet that the Highwind Council has no idea what the Inquisitrix is up to. They’ve been completely focused on shutting down the Black Mistress and trying to clean up the underworld.”

Kaseya shrugged. “Do we know what the Inquisitrix is up to?”

“Not specifically,” I admitted. “But whatever it is, I guarantee it’s not good. I’m more convinced than ever that we need to ingratiate ourselves to this Black Mistress, whoever she is. The Mage’s Guild will never be our allies, but sooner or later we’re going to need help from someone just to survive here.” 

“What about your friend, Valuri?” Kaseya asked. “I thought you were intent upon rescuing her?”

I sighed and attempted to swallow the sudden lump rising in my throat. “I am, but the two of us can’t just break into the Inquisitrix’s dungeon on our own. We’re going to need help.”

“You and I are more formidable than you realize. And the more our bond strengthens, the more powerful we will become.”

I grunted and smiled despite myself. Kaseya would have gladly attacked the Senosi Temple all by herself if I’d ordered her to do so. I could imagine it right now: a single amazon warrior charging straight at a hundred Huntresses, the sun glinting off her golden shield. It would have made for a great story. 

Sadly, here in the real world such an assault would have been suicidal. A hundred Knights of the Silver Fist wouldn’t be able to penetrate the temple’s defenses, not without their magic. The Huntresses had taken over Vorsalos precisely because they could turn everyone’s greatest strength against them. 

“There has to be a way to get in contact with the Black Mistress,” I said, glancing up at the night sky. “We just need to ask the right questions in the right places.”

“Do you know where those places are?” Kaseya asked. 

“No,” I admitted. “But I intend to find out.”