Ian's Quest Pt. 03

"Hear me, people of Modus. You have lived in the cold darkness for 40 years. It is your choice you stay in darkness without fire, without the thing your ancestors mastered, tamed and used as they wished. Do your rulers make you endure the dark cold for your own good? Do they take most of your produce for their own larders and let you starve because it's best for you? No, they do it because they can, they cheat you and use you, they take your brightest and best to be their slaves and they give you nothing. Tell me why you serve them?"

Ian paused as awaited his audience's reply, who were receiving his speech with mixed emotions. Some were nodding, gripping their staves harder, their faces inflamed in the early morning light. Some were unsure, aloof, listening but not committing. Others were shocked, looking for someplace to hide, afraid of what lurked in the woods nearby. He didn't know whether he could rally them or not.

A young man named Claudris spoke: "Lord Incustodius is right! I've had three sisters taken by the Goat King, and this year both I and my sister Claudra face the awful fate. If we resist together, we can survive, we can be free once again, and make our lives worth living!"

"But what of the King Naaman? Will he let us defy him so?" The speaker was a middle aged man who was stocky and well fed. "I have been his viceroy for more than twenty years, and he is merciful to us beyond what we know. With a flick of his finger, we could all be dead, but he suffers us to live under his protection, keeping us safe from the peril of the forest and beyond. Without him, Modus would be desolate, unremembered. I say turn this pretender in for his just punishments!"

The crowd murmured, not committing one way or the other. Ian looked around, and said: "You have a weapon the Goat King and his servants cannot resist. Fire will protect you from them and from all other dangers from the forest. I know, I have traveled there many years in peace, living in harmony with all there. It's a harmony you could have, if you will rise together."

"I, Wardrum the Warder of Naaman, forbid it," the stocky man said. "I charge you on your obedience."

"An obedience gotten how?" Ian wheeled around and pointed at him dramatically, accusingly. "Did Wardrum do anything to earn your loyalty? Did the Goat King show you any great kindness other than letting you live? An obedience earned by conquest, by force, by evil. I say, undo the conquest and choose your own lord!" There were some shouts and cheering until all but Wardrum were alive with the fever.

"Very well, pretender. I will test your mettle and show the people of Modus what a fraud you are!" He whistled, and a baying came from deep in the woods. A crashing of undergrowth and howling drew closer until a pack of wolves appeared in the center of town. The people screamed and fled back to their hovels, but Ian stood firm against them, a blue glow coming from the broach that held his cloak around his neck. "This one," Wardrum shouted, "this one preaches rebellion against our lord the Goat King. Give him now his well deserved fate and teach these vermin where real power lies!"

The wolves circled Ian, who held his staff up defensively against them. One darted forward, testing him, but he clubbed it over the head and sent it crying back to the pack. Three came from different directions, but quicker than the eye could perceive the young man was like a whirlwind and had all three of them down, whining in pain. The leader of the pack looked at him intently and howled long and horribly, making the distant mountains reverberate with the sound and all surged forward at once, seeking to overcome him. Fire came from his staff, and as each one's fur was caught by the blaze, that wolf was engulfed in blue flame and consumed in a few dreadful seconds. When they were all gone, Ian looked around. "So perish all the Goat King's servants. Now you know his weakness, people of Modus, by fire you can protect yourselves. What say you?"

They surged out into the center of the village and mobbed him, calling their loyalty and promising to serve his cause. Wardrum, watched in horror, sliding away gradually, hoping to slip away into the trees, but Ian caught him and made him kneel before him. "I'm afraid we can't let you go right now, Viceroy Wardrum. There is much to do before the Goat King comes and your defection would rob us of time. I'm afraid you'll have to stay here, out of touch."

Smiling sardonically, Wardrum shrugged. "You speak of freedom, but freedom should include freedom to stand aside. I want no part of your war, Incustodius, and I want to be away from here. How can you rightfully deny my desire?"

"You will go after we've dealt with the Goat King, Wardrum. Bind him!" He said, turning away, but before the villagers could grasp him, the Viceroy produced a club and swung it at the back of Ian's head. Like lightning, his staff blocked and shattered it, and when it touched Wardrum's head, his eyes rolled back in his head and he turned blue, falling over cold.

"We have a chance! We have a chance! What is your bidding, my Lord?" Claudris shouted, almost beside himself with joy.

"Gather as much wood as you can and bring it to the center of town. Make torches until the Goatmen arrive. Come with me, Claudris, I have something special to teach you and your sister." They left the others to venture into the forest while they returned to Claudris and Claudra's dwelling. "You will make arrows for me, I will teach you how. They will be special, the only offensive weapon we have, but they will do. Watch me and learn."

Ian taught them the art of fletching and soon they were proficient. Claudra wondered what kind of teacher he could be, to get them to do something that skilled in such a short time. Before long they had a pile on the floor and Ian called the day's work over, and time for food and rest.

Tired from making arrows, they were happy to eat a little and lie down on their bed. As they had for three weeks, Claudris lay in the middle while Claura and Ian were on opposite sides of him. Ian fell into a deep sleep, and his grandfather Eliezer appeared to him. "Remember how you will defeat the Goat King, Ian. Do not kill him, but make him submit."

"Easier said than done, Grandfather. Is my plan going to work?"

"As long as you have their trust, it will, Ian. It will be ten days before they reach you, so as long as you continue your preparations, you will be ready."

"What comes after this?"

"I won't tell you yet, you need to focus on the task at hand."

He noticed a tickling at his groin and stirred in his sleep. "What's that feeling?"

"Oh, I think your hosts are making love and want you to join them. As long as you don't wear yourself out, it'll be all right."

His eyes opened to see Claudris mounting his sister, pumping away with gusto, their bodies touched with fire and sweat from the still glowing hearth. Claudris had his hand on Ian's balls, tickling them, and his host smiled silently as he discovered his guest awake. A glance at Claudra's face showed her eyes open, staring at Ian with big pupils, her mouth open in delight as she trust back against her brother's cock. Her hand moved over to join her brother's on Ian's dick, and for a few moments both stroked him as they screwed each other.

Then Claudra quivered and pulled her hand back, closing her eyes. Ian looked up at Claudris in question and got a nod in response, so he leaned over and sucked Claudra's left nipple into his mouth. She gasped and reached up to caress Ian's head, holding it to her breast. Claudris stroked Ian's cock harder, licking his lips, as he continued to pound his sister hard and fast.

"Oh, oh, oh!" Claudra's voice started low and went up the scale. Claudris kept up his feverish pace with both his groin and his hand, and Ian felt a familiar stirring in his crotch as he sucked her nipple harder and harder, sucking more and more of her breast into his mouth. Finally, she let go with a great heave of her body, as Ian shot his seed over her brother's hip. Claudris pulled his penis out and stroked it madly until he shot his fluid all over his sister's stomach.

"This was nice," Claudris said flatly. "We should do this again sometime."

The next few days were very busy, as Modus prepared for the confrontation. Ian drilled them in the actions they would all have to take, moving to keep a protective circle intact at all times while trading off spots to allow themselves rest. They figured they would need thirty to form the best sized circle, and with fifty two villagers, they could trade off, with those falling back resupplying and shoring up any gaps. Soon they were moving without thinking, and felt ready.

Midwinter's Night came, and the fires were ready for kindling. Ian sent the children into the woods to spy and give warning of their oppressor's approach. He kept any of those who couldn't take part in the circle on the inside so all would be protected, and a half hour before the sun set, he ordered the fires lit.

It was evening when they arrived, as a half moon rode in the heavens. The people of Modus formed an outer circle, each holding a torch, with another behind them. The Goatmen arrived with wolves and quietly surrounded them, casting grotesque shadows in the forest behind them. There was little sound other than the growling of the wolves in frustration.

Suddenly, on the far side of the circle, a band of Goatmen and their wolfish allies rushed the line. "Hold fast, friends," Ian shouted, "Your hope is to stand firm. Use your torches to hold them at bay. If we stand firm, we will live." The enemy tried to squeeze between the villagers, hoping the women would flinch and gaps would open they could exploit, but men and women stood almost shoulder to shoulder and they set their enemies ablaze to consume themselves in moments. The oppressors took to wandering the outer circle, trying to intimidate, but buoyed by their success the townspeople stood firm. Another group rushed the circle from another direction and met the same fate. The Goatmen's line became very thin.

A thought and Kadosh became a bow. Lighting arrows in the fire, Ian shot at the enemy, setting many ablaze. Some howls in the distance told them more wolves were in route, and after learning his range, the attacks moved back out of Ian's bowshot.

A voice challenged them from the darkness: "Now Lord Incustodius, this has truly gone on too long. I let you have one of our brood mares to satisfy you, and this is how you repay me? Not content with a women, you would take an entire village from me. What's next, my kingdom? You press your privilege too far."

"No, for you are losing this fight and I will prevail! Who would give up when they're winning?"

The Goat King chuckled. "Well said, my Lord, well said. But the Lady has decreed in time of dispute between her subjects, the two parties may meet in single combat to settle their differences. I call you to that law, to meet me one to one, and give me satisfaction. What say you?"

Claudris looked frightened, as did all the rest standing around. Ian thought for several moments, pondering what he should do, when the blue light of his broach went out. Looking around, he said: "People of Modus, stand your ground. You know this works, and you never have to submit again no matter what happens here. I will take up this challenge, and combat the Goat King. It is only fair."

At first, Ian was met with a chorus of "no, no" but after a glare they stopped. Turning to his adversary, he said: "Very well, we shall compete one against the other. No magic, no weapons, no allies. Your forces must withdraw out of sight, save two witnesses. Mine will hold their strong point here, but not budge, and promise not to move against you should you prevail. Is this satisfactory?"

The Goat King chuckled, and beckoned him forward. With one horny hoof, he traced a line in the earth ten paces broad. "We enter this circle, and should one be compelled to depart, he loses."

"Agreed."

Entering the circle, it looked like a mismatch, for the Goat King was taller, but Ian proved to be more agile and surprisingly strong. The grappled and spun, looking for weakness; Ian was forced to one knee, but used his leverage to throw off his adversary and almost out of the circle. Soon they were both breathing heavily, coming together again and finding their strength almost equal.

As the moon traveled through the sky, it was apparent Ian had more stamina, for the Goat King lost his leverage and responded more slowly to his threats. He made a wild rush at his opponent, his chest heaving, trying one last time with the last of his strength, but Ian stepped aside and used his momentum against him, throwing him far out of the circle and down on the ground.

A vision of the Queenling ran through his brain. "You must subdue him the same way you did me. You will find it in you. Force yourself inside him, and he will be your servant forever, just as I am."

Ian shuddered at the thought, but shrugged his shoulders. Fortunately, he'd talked his hosts into saving their strength the past few nights, so he wasn't unable to perform as needed.

The people of Modus were silent up to now, but began cheering at the top of their lungs until Ian silenced them with a gesture. Naaman the Goat King lay on the ground, stomach downward, gasping. "There is one more thing I must do," Ian said, and fell on top of his opponent, pinning him down.

There was a sharp grunt from the Goat King as Ian thrust himself inside. He lay still, quivering, as he was sodomized, giving out another sharp grunt from time to time. Ian was in a different mind, riding the creature hard as he never had another, and found the experience strangely pleasurable. Thinking of Lilianth and the other women who had submitted to this tyrant over the years made him more angry, turning the act into an act of revenge for decades of rape and subjugation. The supine creature bleated several times and as Ian filled his ass, a shot of semen jetting out of the Goat King's member. Both of them relaxed for a moment and Ian stood up, Kadosh appearing in his hand. The Goat King knelt with his head to the ground.

"I am your slave, master," the Goat King bleated. "I live to serve you, in life and death. What is your command?"

"Clean me," Ian said. He expected his new subject to wash him with his canteen, but the shaggy head moved inward, his tongue extended, and licked his new master's genitals clean. When that was over, Ian smirked. "You will return home with your people. You will not tell the Lady of your new allegiance until I order you to. The humans in your kingdom are under my protection: you will trade with them for what you need. If any human women choose to submit to you, you will treat them well. I will know what you're doing, so don't think to betray me."

"Yes, master. How shall I know your will?"

"I will find a way. Know you serve the Lost Heir."

The Goat King's jaw dropped in surprise. "Then it was foretold, there is no shame in losing to you. The foreteller once told me I would be conquered by the Lost Heir. We return and await your summoning."

Silently, he left with his subjects following. The people of Modus waiting, their faces disbelieving in the firelight, until the woods were silent again. Then a spontaneous cheer broke out, and all began dancing without music, while Ian sat down heavily on the ground.

Claudris came up and sat facing him. "Lost Heir? Why didn't you tell us? Even Wardrum would have submitted to the Lost Heir as soon as you showed your true nature."

Ian looked at him calmly. "You had to believe you had the power in you, without any guarantee of fate. Now you can keep yourselves free without an army to protect you. You have honor because you accepted my leadership freely, let me persuade you. So you will let me go on my journey tomorrow, without begging me to stay and protect you myself."

Claudris nodded. "So I can tell the brood mares of the Goat King they're free?"

"Yes. Find them and bring them home. See to their healing. Prepare for the next conflict. I will call you."