Timeros: A Clash Of Gods Ch. 03

"When they charged we held ranks. Archers fired, Crusaders on horseback charged into the fray banners flying and armour shined within an inch of its life. We looked like Gorgaroths legion army..." he paused, eyes fixing on the dwindling flame of the fire "And we fell." He swallowed hard realising his voice had cracked. "The rest is a blur. My horse was lost to me I fought on my own two legs, retreating the best I could to a better position calling other knights to me as I went. When I looked around more men had joined the fight. We had the advantage for a short while. A flanking move had caught them unaware and had divided them. Some generals runner found me gave me the message to fall back and re-mount and lead another charge," Lucan laughed at this, remembering laughing in the poor lads face just before a spear had ripped into his skull and showering Lucan in blood.

"I don't know who called the retreat, if there even was a call, suddenly my sworn brothers of the Crusaders were turning foot, fleeing, I called them cowards . . . and that's all I remember." He remembered more but the memory was like a hot knife twisting in his head. He would repay those who had abandoned him.

Amberlee stirred on the other side of the fire, "I'll take the first watch." She said standing up.

"And what if I run on my watch?" Lucan asked looking up at her.

"You won't." she replied.

The morning came with no ceremony. Before the sun had cleared the horizon they had gathered their meagre belongings and were on their way. On the ride down the mountain Amberlee had taken the lead now that they were crossing the foothills they rode side by side, "Do you know where to head to first?" she asked.

"Once we are beyond the forest we need to head north there is a small town called Zoroa. The man I need to see should be there. From there, it's only three days ride to Brannen fields."

Amberlee reined her horse in to a stop, "Dolan controls that land now, in fact most of Timeros is pretty much under the control of Dolan. When the Crusaders retreated it was not enough for King Balestre. He pushed forward. He wanted retribution for his god Barthan he wants the followers of Gorgaroth to pay. Balestre wants King Timmons on his knees." Amberlee watched her words sink in. She watched Lucan's shoulders slump and his head drop. "Once we leave the forest we will be treading dangerous ground, most of the Gorgaroth churches are burnt to the ground or empty save for the souls of the dead that walk there. Towns and villages have sworn fealty to their new king. Those that haven't are raised and made examples of. I'm sorry Lucan."

"It's not your fault, don't apologies. Why didn't Cazadora tell me any of this?"

Amberlee shrugged "I don't know the answer to that Lucan but you needed to know."

Lucan kicked his horse into a trot, "Come on, we have a way to go before we reach the forest. He fell into a silence for the rest of the ride, Amberlee left him alone keeping to her own thoughts and keeping a wary eye on the land, even this far south she knew they had to be careful.

Though Lucan was not forthcoming with words, his mind was full of them. How could they have fallen so hard on the battlefield? How could his men retreat? That was maddening to him, the retreat of men who had sworn a blood oath to Lucan and to Gorgaroth Himself. Perhaps that was why they had fallen. They no longer believed, took folly in their great honor so Gorgaroth had forsaken them. And now the land he had travelled as a Crusader was now nothing more than soil of a barbarian king and God. Lucan wondered if he stopped right now, dismounted his horse and just sat down, how long it would take for Cazadora to find out and for the finality of the curse to take him. He thought of asking Amberlee and faltered.

Winter's forest

Lucan dismounted and knelt running his hands through the thick grass around his boots a small smile of pleasure on his lips. "What a simple feeling to miss. Nature on ones finger tips." He muttered to himself, he closed his eyes and listened to the wind sigh through the trees.

They had come to a clearing not far into the forest that the Priestesses had used many times so Amberlee was quick in setting to work building a fire the sun was rapidly descending and she aimed to hunt a rabbit or two for their dinner, even after two days she had bored of the rations. She volunteered Lucan to fetch water which he did begrudgingly walking into the forest an old tanned bucket in one hand.

The stream flowed brisk and clean down from the mountains, the sun had warmed it but not by much and Lucan's first gulp felt wonderful. He removed his boots and bathed his feet in the water lying back and starring up at the tops of the trees and the blue sky beyond. The last time he lay down and starred at the sky he had been surrounded by the dead and dying himself, this it had to be said was a far more agreeable environment. For the moment Cazadora's far seeing eyes meant little to him, his thoughts were clear of bloodshed, curses and retribution. He had died and returned a moment like now was one that he had denied himself for far too long.

The sound of a twig snapping broke him from his thoughts. He sat upright, hand close to the hilt of his sword. He looked across the stream at a thicket of bushes and held his breath. A Flash of lighter green behind the thick interlocking branches that were covered in green buds, then the sound of another twig snapping he closed his hand around the hilt of his sword. The bushes parted and a woman stepped forward, a long green dress and dark brown hair that stretched all the way down to the small of her back. Lucan released his sword. The woman remained where she was and stared at him. Lucan raised his hand, "Hello there."

The woman stepped into the stream crossing it slowly the cold water having no effect on her as her eyes remained fixed on Lucan. She raised her arms pulling the dress from her shoulders the front parting and the dress slipping from her as the gentle current took hold of it, her approach never slowing. Lucan looked on bemused and amused. The woman's body was supple with high rounded breasts with perfectly round dark brown nipples her sex was hairless and her legs muscular and lean just like the rest of her.

She finally reached Lucan and knelt before him in the water, he went to speak but closed his mouth the moment her hands hand begun to tug at his pants. "Wait, just a moment." Lucan said, the surprise rendering him momentarily helpless allowing the woman to continue. She freed his cock easily enough and she took hold of it gently in one hand. She leaned forward rubbing one nipple across his cock head then again with the other her eyes fixed on Lucan's own. He hardened in no time at all, her small hand made his cock look huge she stroked him slowly pulling his foreskin away from the head before lowering her mouth to him. He tried to speak again his mouth utter nothing but a slur, a sense of unease filled his mind, panic rising inside of him.

Lucan groaned out loudly as her tongue flicked across his cock, her grip tightened slightly as she ran her tongue first over the head then down one side and back up the other in a slow motion. He reached down clutching the back of her head, fingers digging into her thick luscious hair wanting to pull her off but instead holding her firmly in place urging her on. He felt her lips press against his tip then part as she took him in. At first it was only the tip she sucked, slowly her hand working rhythmically on the rest of his thick hard shaft, finally she lowered her head taking more, then more still until her hand became redundant, she had his whole length in her now sucking slowly.

Her eyes never left Lucan's, he felt almost mesmerised by her, the panic inside him had reached a crescendo but was rapidly vanishing as was every other thought and feeling he had. The feeling of her mouth round his cock was amazing, never had he had a woman take his whole length like this before and those dark eyes seemed so lust filled and hungry at the same time. She started to speed up her lips tightened around his now slick shaft increasing the friction, somehow her tongue was working him from inside her mouth too almost like it was wrapped round it.

"Wait..." he slurred out, his hand on her head going limp, the forest air around him had turned cold. He looked at the woman, her eye contact never wavered, her motion never slowed, by Gorgaroth it felt so good but also it felt...wrong. Lucan felt himself close to cumming and instead of pleasure he felt the panic rising again, he tried to speak again but this time he simply fell back his energy and vitality draining from him as the lady revealed her true, grotesque being.

"Get away from him!" The scream seemed miles away, Lucan tried to move his head but every ounce of energy he had was gone.

Amberlee had waited patiently for Lucan to come back with the water, she knew he wouldn't run off, well she hoped he wouldn't run off. If he had, her instructions were clear, kill him and return home, something she hoped she would not have to do. Lucan was different, she could see it in him a part of her felt more for him and it made her blush. Finally she gave up waiting and made her way to the stream. When she stepped out up stream and saw Lucan and the fat woman she knew immediately that he was in trouble.

"Get away from him!" She shouted pulling her bow from off her back and reaching for an arrow. The bloated woman paid no attention she continued bobbing away faster and faster. Her first arrow skimmed across the back of the naked woman but it was enough. The wood Nymph stood up, thick black hair matted to her grey skinned grotesque face. Her body disgustingly bloated and purple in patches, her breasts hung limp and lifeless black nipples dripped a vicious looking liquid. It was her tongue the held Amberlee's attention though it hung past her chin the tip ending in a sharp spike and flicked with wickedness towards Amberlee.

The wood nymph crouched down, even this bloated the nymph was agile and deceptively deadly. Amberlee had lost sisters to the Nymphs, acolytes mainly girls too young to know better. Others were well trained Priestesses over confident and quick to anger but Amberlee was not like those others. She readied an arrow and stood her ground, she would not make the first move.

The nymph crouched and waited for the intruder to come to her. The Nymphs bloated fingers grasped at her side. She mouthed a curse in a forgotten tongue, the words spluttering out over cracked teeth and vicious tongue urging the young one to come to her to move forward so that the nymph could lunge and kill with ease. The young girl held her ground, bow readied. With a feral, angry howl the nymph launched forward.

Amberlee moved quickly, darting forward and rolling, the bow slackened allowing her to use one hand to control her roll. She felt the Nymph fly over her no more than a hair width gap between them, later that night Amberlee would discover a slit in her top made by the hand of the Nymph and realised just how badly things could have turned out. But for now those thoughts were distant, she felt the ground vibrate when the Nymph landed with all her weight. Amberlee was already on her feet, in one fluid movement she turned her body and pulled her bow taunt, the arrow notched perfectly. The Nymph hand no time to turn, the arrow struck forward and penetrated just below the skull.

The Nymph turned gurgling nonsense, Amberlee found out why. Her Arrow had entered cleanly, the tip of which was now protruding through the Nymphs mouth. Blood flowed from the mouth the sickening tongue flicked weakly, wrapping around the wooden shaft before dropping away. The Nymph reached out grabbing Amberlee by the shoulders. Amberlee lifted a foot kicking instinctively. Blood erupted from the Nymphs mouth showering Amberlee's head and torso as her kick connected with its stomach. The Nymph fell back on the ground, twitching and gurgling until she was finally still.

Blue sky had turned to star filled blackness when Lucan finally came round. His feet were frozen and wrinkled like prunes when he pulled them from the stream his next surprise was the sight of his cock. It had looked like someone had taken a mini flail to it. Strips of angry red skin crisscrossed his shaft he touched it delicately and winced at the slight sting. "It looks worse than it actually is." Lucan jumped at the voice so close to his ear. He turned to see Amberlee inspecting his cock from besides him. He pushed his flaccid and now rather odd looking cock back beneath his pants and tried to look like it was not painful to do. Amberlee handed him some leaves. "Boil some water up with these in it then bathe it, that will help stop the stinging and reduce the redness."

He took the leaves and noticed the dried blood on her face and clothes, "what happened?" She explained how she had found him, the wood nymph between his legs and the small fight that then ensued. "Well thank you for saving me, but the woman who I was with wasn't fat. They must have swapped at some point."

"I'm sure she was as you saw her at first, until she started to feed. They are like leeches but instead of blood its life force they take. Any longer you would have been dead." Lucan shivered at the thought, dead twice in one lifetime was a lot to stomach.

Walking back into the woods towards camp, Lucan was finding comfort in having a companion like Amberlee at his side.

The pain was too much, he almost fainted the first time he put the water onto his shaft. He swallowed his pride and asked for Amberlee's help. He lay down on his back and gritted his teeth. The first few times it was like fire, he cried out with each pass of the cloth then finally it began to ease. Before he knew it he was asleep, exhausted.

He awoke with a start, the hilt of his sword was in his hand and the giant was stood over him once again but with each intake of breath the giant evaporated like smoke until he was gone. The stars had moved on some and the moon now lit up the clearing. The fire was a smouldering pit of embers he grabbed his bedding that he had kicked off during his frantic dream fight with the giant. As he lay down again he heard a whimper from Amberlee, he looked over across the fire pit to the sleeping form. She was lying on her stomach head turned from him. He expected she was not having the best dream in the world either another whimper a little louder this time and he decided it might be best to wake her. He pulled down his sheet to stand up when he noticed her hips.

Beneath her sheet Amberlee's hips were rising and falling ever so slowly almost not noticeable. He stopped moving and stared. The wind blew softly and with it brought a sigh or a moan from Amberlee, her hips rose higher now and with more rhythm. Lucan knew he should not be watching that he should roll away and sleep but he couldn't take his eyes from her. He didn't need the wind to carry the next moan. It was loud and drawn out with small gasps her hips bucked frantically and then all was still. Lucan lay back down, but sleep was a long time coming.