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Story Codes: Male/Females, Male/Female, Female Masturbation, Fantasy, Magic, Oral Sex, Voyeurism, Exhibitionism

For a list of all The God’s Passionate Love, other World of Erasthay stories, maps, and glossaryclick here

Comments are very welcome. I would like all criticism, positive and negative, so long as it’s
constructive, and feedback is very appreciated.

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Click here for Chapter 11.

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Leywife Monica – The Free City of Raratha

Excitement brimmed in me as we moved down the highway towards Raratha. The city lay before us, its grove of olive trees brimming around us. A wall surrounded the city, the roofs of buildings peeking occasionally peeking over the battlements. On a rise on the eastern side of town, there marched larger estates, the homes of the merchant princes of Raratha and the doge himself living in the Saltspray Palace.

Sir Bryce rode beside me looking gallant in his armor as always. The steel of his breastplate gleamed in the evening sun setting over the tops of the neat rows of olive trees. Traffic flowed with us towards the city gates, a stream of people heading to, perhaps, the largest city in the world.

Trade flowed through Raratha. It teemed with people. Foreigners from every country and land that bordered the vast Nimborgoth, the mighty inner sea. Unlike the oceans, the Nimborgoth didn’t team with dangerous sea serpents and other beasts that could wreak havoc and destroy any foolish enough to sail on those waters.

The only dangers were pirates who sailed the inner sea. Desperate buccaneers who sought to prey on others. Just like those filthy goblins who attacked my temple.

As we approached the city, the guards in their bronze armor were stopping every person leaving. A strange, dog-like monster sniffed at them. It had spiky, fur-like obsidian shards covering its body and large nostrils that flared as it inspected each person before letting them leave.

“Bryce?” I asked. I no longer addressed him as “sir” save in the throes of lovemaking when it made everything so naughty. We were lovers now. The trip through Valya had become almost a dream.

“Black dogs,” he said. “One of the Biomancer Vebrin’s monstrous races. One that people have found a use for. They also call them sniffers. They can memorize a scent and detect it through any attempts to conceal it with other means, alchemical or even magical.”

“They hunt someone,” I said. “I suppose we’re not alone in that sentiment.”

“No we’re not,” he said as we approached the wall. We passed through the gate, the black dog not even looking at us. It had a powerful build, squat. It looked like living stone, its eyes flinty.

“How are we going to find our thief in this city?”

The crowd pressed around us, most on foot. She could smell their bodies, a melange of humanity filling her nose. They had the faint blue tinge to the skin and the red hair of Valyans even though they were independent of the kingdom. Though there was a smattering of brown-haired Secarans and blonde Zeutchians, red-skinned Thlinians and Atholosian with silver or gold hair. Dusky-skinned Hazians and those with the deep-brown coloring of a Halanian. Amid them were halflings, almost lost until they were almost on them, blue-skinned nixies flowed through the crowd. She even saw a tiger-headed rakshasa and shuddered at the cannibalistic monster.

“There are so many people here.”

“You have a hero growing inside of you,” Bryce said.

I smiled and patted my belly.

“A demigod, Monica. Luck always favor them. Things work out for them because of their divine blood. And right now, you’re benefiting from it.” He looked around at all the people. “Tomorrow, we’ll begin our search.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Illina

Fox smiled at me, twisting the scar on his cheek. “Everything is in place?”

“Uh-huh,” I answered him, feeling the roiling in my stomach. That churning of my acids felt like a flock of ducks happily swam around in there, wings flapping and webbed feet kicking. “It’s going to be perfect. Just be ready to grab the gold.”

“I can’t believe you’re pulling this off.” The halfling crime boss shook his head before he sank down onto his pillows. Reclined, his harem surged in around him, all naked and eager and wet to love their man. Giggles reached him first and just slammed her pussy down on his cock. “Your plan is bold.”

I smiled at him as she watched the deadly halfling moan out in rapture, her head thrown back. “I know. That’s why you want me.”

“So much,” groaned Fox. “You’re an amazing thief, Illina.”

But he couldn’t have me. He stared at me as Giggles worked her pussy up and down his cock and Flit sucked on his fingers. The greed in Fox’s gaze made me want to shiver. He would try to keep me. No matter what happened, he’d find a way to convince me to stay.

“Do you really think you and your women can handle your end of tomorrow?” I asked. Barg was watching Lord Korvan’s estate. The man was fearful. He would move out tomorrow.

“Of course they can,” said Fox.

“You’re not the only one that’s been busy,” said Owl. “We have been moving in the necessary supplies into the sewers.”

“The ponies are so cute,” moaned Giggles. “They’re bred to pull carts in mines. They’re perfect!” She burst into laughter as she worked her pussy up and down his cock.

“Good,” I said. “I don’t want to hear any excuses why you couldn’t get your hands on all that gold.”

“So much!” whimpered Owl. She quivered. “We’re going to be so rich, Fox. No thief has ever stolen one of the merchant lord’s treasuries.”

“Nope,” I said, a surge of pride rippling through me. “I’ll even let you have all the credit. After all, you’re keeping all the wealth.”

“If you bankrupt Lord Korvan,” groaned Fox, the pleasure his women provided thick in is throat, “why would you have to leave?”

Owl leaned down and sucked on one of his nipples. Kitty nestled down to lick at his balls and lap up the pussy juices flowing from Giggle’s cunt.

“What are you saying?” I asked, feigning innocence.

“That he won’t be able to pay the sniffers. Kurg Widowmaker. Suddenly, that reward after you dries up as he gets pulled down into poverty by his creditors.”

“True,” I said. “I would hate to leave Raratha. Plus, I’d get to keep some of the booty, wouldn’t I? I wouldn’t need to pay you to get met out of the city and past the sniffers.”

“Ah, I hadn’t thought of that,” he said, shuddering as Giggles rode him. “Well, that’s a small price to pay to keep you around.”

“Mmm, then I’ll have to make it worth it.” I smiled at him, my hand sliding down my naked stomach to my pussy. I rubbed it as I stared at him, putting all the heat I could into my eyes. “I have grown to love living in Raratha. It is a delightful place and has such interesting charms.”

Fox stared at me with hungry eyes. He licked his lips in invitation. I sauntered to him, moving around his women, and lowered myself to his waiting mouth. I faced Giggles, her wild eyes staring at me as she rode him.

Oh, yes, he wouldn’t ever let me go.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lady Alloria Valis Korvan

“I don’t have time for another report on your failure to find the bitch,” I snarled at Kurg Widowmaker, my fury at Illina’s actions surging over my dread of the dwarf. “Your excuses are growing tiresome about why you can’t…” My words trailed off at the sight of his brow tightening.

The fear returned to my belly. The terror that this bastard would hurt me.

“Something has changed,” the dwarf said as he studied me. He stroked his hacked-short beard, thick fingers running through the wiry strands of black. “What?”

“The thief you’re hunting is tunneling beneath my estate.” The fury rose inside of me again. The gall of this bitch. “In fact, she’ll probably pop up into my husband’s strongroom in the next few days to rob every last piece of gold he has!”

“I see,” the dwarf said. His eyes flicked to the window, glancing out at the activity. Armed soldiers and my husband’s chief factor were barking orders as naked servants, so they couldn’t steal a single brass coin, were loading the heavy chests into the strong wagon.

The dwarf then whirled around and marched off, armor clinking as he abandoned my sitting room.

I sneered. “If you want, you can wait in the strongroom once it’s emptied.”

He merely grunted and marched out. I wanted to hiss in fury. He wasn’t worth the money I wasted on him. The dwarf’s reputation must be built on his ability to glower and beat women, not on any skill. He had over a week to find one thief.

One damned bitch!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Barg

The sun had just begun to rise when the neigh of horses echoed from the Korvan estate. I lurked in the trees in my hound form, blending in the shadows. I stared with interest at the gates. I’d been waiting here all night. We didn’t think Lord Korvan would move his gold at night, probably fearing the streets would be crawling with thieves.

Soldiers led the way, wearing brass armor and carrying thiefcatchers, long polls with hooks on them not unlike shepherd crooks. Only these had spikes on them designed to bite into flesh and keep a person from moving. After them came the wagon itself. Six horses pulled it, large draft beasts used to carry heavy loads. The reinforced strong wagon creaked. Lord Korvan himself, the fat man wiping at his sweaty brow, mopped at his forehead as he sat beside the driver. More guards with crossbows sat on the wagon’s roof.

I darted from the brush and ran along the side of the road through the cover. My legs stretched out before me. I bounded into a full run, excitement surging through me. I had to reach Illina and let her know. The gold was on the move.

Things would only get more dangerous for us now. We had to be careful.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leywife Monica

The next morning after we arrived in Raratha, I stood in the alley behind our inn. I slipped my hand into the slit of my robe and slid down my shaved pudenda to my pussy lips. I bit my lip and rubbed at my pregnant twat, focusing on the thief. On finding her. On awakening my blood, which I shared with my growing demigod baby, to find the woman we needed.

Bryce stood beside me in his armor. He watched me, his face a mask of stone. That shield he raised against the world and only lowered in our bed. One day, he would be relaxed at all times. Once we had avenged his wife and my temple. The man I would have wedded and his wonderful wives.

I closed my eyes and thought about the thief. Illina. A clockwork. Pale skin. Red hair. Like a Tuathan, but not human. One of the God Krab’s creations brought to life by the God Las’s seed. The mechanical turned flesh. We needed her. Had to gain her help.

My fingers slid through my folds, pleasure rippling through me. The stimulation felt incredible. My hips wiggled from side to side. I whimpered. My fingers thrust into my cunt. My twat held them tight. The pleasure shot through me.

I felt something as I rubbed myself. Some desire to move from here. I bit my lip and pulled my hand from my pussy. I wasn’t sure what this urge was. If it was even working. I glanced at Bryce and he gave me a slight nod.

“This way,” I said and watched to the mouth of the alley. He clanked beside me, his armor rattling, the straps holding it about him groaning.

We stepped into the flow of traffic. Going right felt better to me than left. People melted out of his way, nodding to the knight. I felt my confidence grow. This would work. Bryce had told me it would. I just had to trust this strange feeling. I felt so certain as we reached the next major intersection. I took us right, taking us east across the city.

We would find the rogue.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Illina

Barg padded up to me, slinking along the edges of the traffic flowing up and down the street. It was narrow, large tenements rising around the people using the street. The building I leaned again caused more problems for the traffic. The scaffolding supporting the brickwork to repair damage to its face thrust out into the road, forcing those to move through a narrowed lane. A bottleneck.

I smiled and glanced up the street from the direction he came, studying things. Everything was in place. The distraction rigged. I rolled my shoulders as Barg stopped before me and sat down. My eyes drifted to the middle of the road and stopped on a heavy manhole cover not unlike the one I’d slipped into when fleeing Kurg Widowmaker. Now we just had to wait for the wagon. I had it all planned out. The flock of ducks playing in my stomach acids churned it up even more.

I always felt these nerves before a complicated operation. Things could go wrong. What would those be? There was a chance the wagon didn’t go down on the route I expected it to take. But that seemed slim. Lord Korvan’s main warehouse lay farther down this street. The wagon would be hard-pressed to navigate other streets in this neighborhood. They were even narrower. I expected to see the wagon turn onto this road two blocks from here.

The alchemical explosives could malfunction.

The wagon could stop in the wrong spot.

The guards could realize what was going on and stop the robbery.

A random citizen too nosy for their own good could notice something was amiss and create a disturbance that would stop the wagon from reaching the right position.

Lord Korvan could have another destination for his gold than the most likely spot. Unlikely, but the worry rippled through me. I needed this to plan to work. Fox had to luxuriate in his gold. He had to be overwhelmed by all the wealth while Lord Korvan had to stop paying for the sniffers at the gates and docks.

So long as Fox didn’t suspect me, I could slip out of the city.

I whistled as the eagerness swelled in me. I rested a hand on Barg’s head, stroking him the way a woman would her pet. He turned his head and licked my hand, bathing me with his hot fingers. It was a comforting gesture.

The crowds thinned. The traffic grew smaller as those who left for their morning jobs abandoned the neighborhood. I smiled. Barg blurred into his human form, rising naked beside me. He bent down to pull on a toga. He leaned behind me, humming with me. His hand brushed my rump, giving me a playful squeeze.

“They will come here, Illina,” he said. “Fearful men do not take risks, and you will know that nothing makes a rich man more terrified than threatening his wealth.”

I laughed as he spoke my mother’s third rule. “Indeed.”

“Have you given any thoughts to our next problem?”

“Many. Fox is going to want to keep us on a short leash,” I said. “He’ll have his own watchers to keep an eye on us. He won’t want us getting anywhere near the city.”

“How long before an unfortunate accident befalls me?” Barg asked.

The words shivered through me. “It’ll be on a job. Something will go wrong in just the right way for you to be eliminated.”

“This one?” he asked.

I shook my head. “He wants this gold too much. He has ambition. The merchant lords of Raratha have a veneer of civility, but they will welcome any who have the money to buy off their past. He’ll take down Lord Korvan and in a few years, well, he’ll be living in the man’s estate.”

“And maybe another merchant lord might have a similar fate?” asked Barg.

“We need to guide him to that,” I said. “A job at one of the manors by the wall. When things are supposed to go wrong, well, we’ll make sure they go wrong in a way that gets us over the wall and out of the city.”

“We’ll be running for a while.”

“That’s a problem we’ll have to face.” I took in a deep breath. “First, we have to get Lord Korvan’s gold into Fox’s greedy hands. He’ll be reveling in it for a few days. He’ll keep us close. He won’t want us out of his sight. For our protection, of course.”

“And to enjoy your body,” Barg said. His hand gave my ass a possessive squeeze. “I have never been the jealous type, but my teeth greatly desire to rip out his throat. It would be the most marvelous sight.”

“He’s got some sort of enchantment on him. I don’t know what, but that would be a mistake. Besides, Giggles would stab you in the back. She’s too good.”

“Pity, we can’t use Kurg on fox.”

Just as I started to laugh, the stomp of heavy boots and the clop of hooves cut me off. I glanced up the street to see the armored guards rounding the intersection two blocks away. I straightened. Bronze breastplates flashed. Thiefcatchers thrust high in the air. I pulled the small marble out of my pocket. Made of an alchemical substance compressed together to make an explosive that detonated on impact.

Just enough of a boom to set something larger off.

The first of the horses appeared. They labored to pull the wagon. They took the turn wide. For a moment, I feared they wouldn’t be able to make it. The lead team of horses came close to hitting the wall. The wagon lumbered around the corner. Its axles squeaked and protested. Lord Korvan sat up front, watching his money. Crossbowmen sat uselessly on the roof.

I smiled as my mother’s eleventh rule echoed through my mind: Why go to the loot when you can manipulate the loot to come to you?

A block away, I flicked the explosive marble at the alchemical charge I’d set on the scaffolding. It struck it. The small burst set off a large thunderclap. The guards stiffened ahead and looked for the source of the sound. The teamster driving the wagon hauled in the reins. Lord Korvan stood up, shouting as smoke dust rippled from the scaffolding. It creaked and groaned, swaying over the road as it began to collapse.

“Run!” I shouted at the few people in the street. I didn’t want to hurt anyone. “Run! It’s collapsing! Get away!”

A woman shouted and scooped up her child. She ran down the street as the wood began falling. Men darted right and left. Other children raced for cover. The broken scaffolding crashed into the street. Splintered pieces burst in every direction. Dust billowed as the makeshift barricade blocked the street and trapped the wagon. It was too big to turn around. To unwieldy to back up.

Lord Korvan screamed, “Get that rubble cleared! Be on watch for the thief!”

I smirked and leaned against the wall. I wouldn’t be going anywhere near them.

The guards were bristling around the wagon, staring in every direction but where they needed to look. None of them noticed manhole cover slowly and carefully being raised. It lay in the shadow of the wagon. It slipped to the side, giving access to the bottom of the wagon. Fox’s women would let the gold out the bottom of the wagon.

They better hurry.

I turned to Barg, my mouth open to suggest we move when all the fluid in my veins froze solid at who approached us. A chill rippled through me. Over the clatter of the scaffolding’s collapse, I hadn’t heard the heavily armored dwarf moving up behind us.

Kurg raised his warhammer. I screamed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Barg

The fear flashing over Illina’s face launched me into action. The air whooshed behind me. Something hurtled down at me. I started to turn. I caught a blur of motion.

Pain exploded across my back. The impact threw me forward into Illina. Something snapped in my spine. I felt the vertebra pop. A numbness seized my legs. I howled as I crashed into my lover. She stumbled backward, struggling to hold me, but my weight slipped through her arms.

I hit the ground. A numbing terror rippled through me. My fingers clawed at the cobblestone. I struggled to move my legs, but they didn’t want to work. Pain radiated up my spine. I coughed and groaned.

A boot planted on my back between my shoulder blades. I smelled metal. Rage. “Got you, you thieving quim!”

“Run!” I shouted at Illina as she backed up, horror paling her face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Illina

I backed away, struggling to gather myself. Barg thrashed on the ground, his face twisted in pain. His words shouted through my ears. Kurg Widowmaker flashed me an evil grin, whiskers framing this thick lips. He stepped up on Barg, putting all his weight on him.

My lover’s pain choked off as the air rushed out of his lungs.

Kurg’s heavy boot stomped on the ground. He held his war ax in his right hand and the warhammer that had crippled my lover on the left. I reached the middle of the street, cold fear pumping through my circulatory system by the rapid rhythm of my heart. I had to focus. I had to think.

“Going to enjoy this,” Kurg said. “I’m going to sew that pussy shut before I drag you to the bitch and let her skin you.”

Tears stung my eyes. Barg lay injured. Maybe dying. The Warhammer had hit him hard. I’d heard the crack of bone breaking. This damned dwarf serving that foul bitch had harmed the only thing left in my life worth anything.

I wasn’t going to run. I was going to kill this damned dwarf. I would make him regret every taking this assignment before I watched the life dwindle from his black, beady eyes. My hand darted into the pocket of my robe.

He launched at me in a charge.

I threw the sticky bomb at him. The alchemical vial smashed across his armor. The substance blossomed into a white-brown mass of foam. It surged over his body, a thick, syrupy substance that would foul up his legs and arms. He would be left immobile. At my mercy. I would kill him at my leisure.

He burst out of the foam. It slid across his armor, not clinging to it. The gunk slipped off of the metal plates like water running over oilcloth. In that flash of insight, I realized he’d alchemically treated his armor to keep from being stuck again.

Idiot! I was such an idiot. I should have realized that. Should have readied new items to deal with Kurg. But I never expected to have to deal with him. The bastard had realized what I was doing. He hadn’t told his employers. No, he wanted to make sure I was in his grasp.

I grabbed the last alchemical item I had and threw it in his face as I turned around and ran for the alley. The dazzlestone exploded. A flash of bright light. The guards around the wagon all shouted. The horses neighed in a panic. Kurg laughed and kept charging after me.

He’d seen that coming, too. Dazzlestone didn’t work if the person closed their eyes.

I darted into the alley on the other side of the street. The air whooshed behind me. Instincts screamed. I dove to the ground, tucking into a roll. Something soared over my hand and crashed into the mud-brick wall ahead of me. I came up from my crotch to see his ax buried into the wall and stuck there, the handle quivering.

I seized it and wrenched it free. I whirled around and held it, facing the armored bastard. I might have the build of a human woman, but my muscles were made of something stronger than normal sinew. I had greater strength.

I charged out of the alley and snarled, slashing the ax before me, a blur of speed that caught the dwarf off-guard. He struggled to raise his hammer to parry. I slipped past it and struck his breastplate dead center.

Metal rang.

I left a small crease in the steel plate. His stance shifted. He grinned and swung his warhammer. I leaped back, my feet dancing. The hammer slammed through though the air at me. I slashed the ax again, aiming for his unprotected head.

He caught it on his vambrace, the heavy steal covering his wrist and forearm. The ax head sparked as it skittered down it. To my right, the blinded guards shouted. Lord Korvan cried out to grab the enemy. I ignored them and fought Kurg. I slashed and hacked at him, putting my fury into cutting him down.

The ground shook.

A loud boom thudded down it. Then another. A third. Kurg grinned as his armor absorbed my attacks. The dwarf-made steel took every blow I threw at it. I panted as the rubble to my left groaned and shifted.

I threw a look behind me to see the bugbear lumbering down the alley, the source of the rumbling. The massive creature stared at me with rage in its eyes. Its dirty-yellow mange of fur bristled. It snarled, somewhere between an apes bellow and a dog’s snarl. It rushed at me, claws flashing at the end of its gorilla-like arms and fangs dripping, sharp and ready to tear into me.

“Cernere’s black cunt!” I snarled. I dodged past Kurg. I couldn’t fight them both. I raced towards poor Barg where he lay groaning, unable to move. I wanted to help him, too.

Wings flapped above.

I acted out of instinct. I threw myself to the ground, twisted my body to face the sky, and saw the harpy descending down at me. Her large breasts heaved. Her steel-clad claws slashing down to tear at me.

I threw the ax moments before I hit the ground.

My legs threw up over my head, blocking my view of the impact. A sickening crunch of flesh and bone. Liirissa screeched in pain. I rolled onto my feet in time to see her slam into the ground feet away, the ax buried deep between her breasts. Blood spilled out while she spasmed and twitched on the street.

Kurg and his bugbear raced at me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leywife Monica

After an hour, my confidence in following this feeling waned. We were just wandering. It felt aimless. We drifted through the crowd. We reached another intersection and while I felt like we should go left, that didn’t make any sense. We’d just made a left.

“I’m not sure this is working, Bryce,” I said.

“Luck doesn’t just come when you want it,” he said. “We have to be patient. To let the most opportune time for us to arrive.”

“If that even works,” I muttered then flushed. “I’m sorry, this is just growing wearisome. I swear, we have been down this road before.”

“It does appear familiar,” he said.

I stared to the left. The direction that felt right. But was it? People walked down it, some pushing small carts laden with goods, others carrying heavy sacks on their shoulders. A rug maker’s shop lay on the corner, the man out front shouting about the finest quality of his Halanian weave and the skill of his scrollwork.

She bit her lip. Was left the right choice? She glanced to her right when a loud shout echoed from the left. More shouts. Something was happening. She glanced at Bryce, and he nodded, rising up to his full height to peer over the heads of the crowd.

“Let’s see where your intuition leads,” he said and marched left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Illina

I couldn’t run down the alley. The bugbear would crush Barg in his attempt to get to me. Running past the wagon and its half-blind guards made the only sense.

And not by much.

I bolted to the right as Kurg rushed at me, kicking the dying harpy out of his path. His hammer swung at me.

I ducked low and bolted into a sprint. I needed a weapon. I spotted a discarded thiefcatcher pole. I ran fast, my toga flapping beneath me. I could just see beneath the wagon for a moment, the halflings pulling out the sacks of gold and taking them down into the sewer.

Fox and his women weren’t going to stop the robbery just because a maniacal dwarf and his pet bugbear were after me.

The guards were regaining their sight from my dazzlestone. One of them pointed at me running at the wagon. I was almost on them. I bent down to snatch up the catchpole. My fingers reached for it. Someone shouted out, “Thief.” My stomach tensed.

My fingers grabbed the haft.

BOOM!

The ground bucked beneath my feet. I gasped, thrown off-balance. I fell forward, releasing the catchpole and thrusting my hands before me. I broke my fall, not landing on my face, and tucked over to land heavily on my back. I smacked against the cobblestones, the air bursting from my lungs.

Men shouted and stumbled from the shaking impact. Kurg had done that before with his warhammer. The horses reared and whinnied in fright. The teamster shouted and cursed. Hooves clopped. Wagon wheels lurched.

I gasped and rolled to my right as the horses ran forward. They trampled into two of the guards, knocking them down. They screamed as bones crunched. They pulled the wagon forward, revealing a ducking Flit holding a bag of gold, her eyes widening in terror.

Kurg cursed behind me. I glanced to see the dwarf hitting the ground in a clattering roll to get clear. The bugbear roared and slammed his clawed forepaw into the lead horse. He ripped half of its head off. The dying beast slammed into the bugbear, the weight of five more horses and the gold wagon behind it.

The bugbear reeled back and crashed into the side of the building. The team of panicked horses, blinders over their eyes, then struck the ruin scaffolding. The other poor horses whinnied in pain. The wagon kept rolling crashing into the beasts from behind and driving them into the debris. Lord Korvan flew from the top, vanishing into the chaos. The overburdened wagon’s axles snapped. It crashed to the ground and burst open. Sacks of gold spilled out, dumping their contents onto the street.

“Rotten, filthy, disease-ridden quim!” Kurg snarled as he pushed himself to his feet, staring at me with murderous rage.

I gained my feet and ran, needing to find a weapon. A way to kill that monster. Then find a way to heal Barg. Get him to a priest before he died. My sandaled feet smacked on the cobblestones, the thud of heavy boots and smack of monstrous steps followed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leywife Monica

The cries were people shouting in delight of a fire juggler.

She stood topless, wearing a loincloth of red silk that draped between her bronze thighs. She had skin a hue of color I’d never seen before. Her large breasts heaved as she tossed balls of pure flame. They soared in an arc before her.

“Oh, my,” I said in delight, watching the display. People were tossing coins, mostly brass aupondius, but the occasional silver sepondius fell, too. “That’s marvelous, Bryce.”

“She does have talent,” he said, watching her.

“And big breasts?” I asked my lover slyly.

He chuckled. “That is never a detraction on a beautiful woman displaying her art with such enthusiastic skill.”

Those breasts heaved as the woman shifted how she threw the balls. All seven of them went straight up. She threw back her head, her mane of silk-black hair falling down her back. She opened her mouth wide and the balls plunged past her lips. She swallowed them one after the other, gulping them down.

Flames burst from her nipples. They danced there like her dark-brown nubs were candlewicks. It was so incredible to view. I clapped in delight. The woman then looked at us, her cheeks bulging. Tongues of fire appeared out of her nostrils. Their fiery radiance glowed through her cheeks. More flames appeared bursting from her pussy, consuming the loincloth she wore.

In moments, it fell away, and the flames coming out of her twat resembled a fiery patch of pubic hair. I clapped with the others, amazed by her skill. Her hips wiggled from side to side. Her lips pursed together.

She breathed out the flames in the air before us, forming it into a serpent that danced and swirled in the air. The fires burning from her twat and nipples vanished. She danced and swirled, her big tits heaving.

“This is delightful,” I said, reaching into my robes to find a silver sepondius. I flicked it at her and turned to Bryce. “But this isn’t the rogue we need, is she?”

“No,” he said, looking around. “Maybe she’s near. Where do you feel like going next?”

I paused and then we drifted through the watching crowd, new cries exploding through the watchers as they clapped and cheered the next feat the fire juggler made. I turned around, peering to catch a glimpse of it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Illina

As I passed the manhole cover, the halflings pulled it close, denying me that route of escape. I didn’t care. I wasn’t about to flee. I retreated to find something, anything, to get through Kurg’s armor. Then I had to put down the bugbear. So many problems.

A worry itched at the back of my mind. Something was missing.

I reached the next alley beyond the wagon and turned to race down it. Steel blurred out from it, a lance of gray metal. I gasped and twisted out of the way of Swift’s thrust. His blade flashed past me, his body lunging to kill me.

Rage mottled his face, his flowing locks of blond hair dancing around him. I spun past him and cracked my elbow into the back of his head as I raced by. He grunted and stumbled. I ignored him. I didn’t care about him. The duelist wasn’t good enough to fight me.

The alley flashed around me. Clothes fluttered over my head, strung on lines between windows. I jumped over a broken piece of lumber. Kurg clanked after, the bugbear stomping at his heels. I burst out the other side into another bustling street. My eyes darted around, searching.

A wine shop.

I pushed through the crowd. They screamed behind me as the bugbear roared. People crashed and fled in a panic. I threaded through the chaos and reached the other side of the street. I flew through the open door of the wineshop. The proprietor lifted a sleepy head from the bar counter. He had racks of bottles behind him. My eyes darted over them, ignoring the wine.

At the far end, the shelf held the squatter bottles that contained brandy. I grinned and leaped onto the bar. The man shouted at me. I ignored him and snagged two bottles out of the shelf and leaped off the bar, racing for the back exit.

“Maggot-infested whore!” Kurg roared behind me.

I ripped strips of cloth off my toga and joggled the bottles as I ran out of the wineshop.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leywife Monica

More shouts rose through the markets. Cries. We were at the far end from the fire juggler. I glanced to spot them. Bryce cursed beside me and grabbed me, thrusting me behind him. I gasped, spotting people running.

A beast bellowed over the shouts and screams. These weren’t of excitement and joy, but fear. Terror. Towering over the human crowds was a beast with shaggy fur. It stood three or four feet taller, snarling as it ran forward. A man went flying, battered out of its way, and crashed into the mob. Shock rippled through me.

“Sir Bryce!” I shouted. “You must intervene! You can’t let this monster rampage.”

My knight nodded as he drew his sword. He stood so tall and noble beside me in his armor. He didn’t have his shield, but he had his blade. He glanced at me and said, “You found her.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Illina

I winced at the crowded market place I burst into as I ran from Kurg and the bugbear. I darted through the panic mobbed, shouting, “Monster! Monster! Run!”

The bugbear bellowed behind me, giving the people all the proof they needed to run.

I shoved the torn strip of my toga into the mouth of the glass brandy bottle, leting a good bit of it sticking out the end. I tipped it over, making sure to soak it in the distilled brandy. Brandy was highly concentrated alcohol.

I hoped.

I tucked that impromptu firebomb beneath my arm and ripped the cork out of the other with my teeth. I wove through the panicked crowd. Kurg chased after, swinging his weapon indiscriminately. I winced at each cry of pain. My hatred for this dwarf only swelled with each innocent he hurt. He didn’t care about the damage he caused.

I spotted a break in the fleeing crowd. I ran for it, heading for an alley they weren’t using. I stuffed the second strip of cloth into the other bottle. I was almost ready. I just needed a way to light it. My eyes darted around.

A stall cooking meat to sell to the crowds lay near the alley I ran for. I veered for it, hope surging through me. Kurg’s heavy boots pounded after me. He must have reached the same clearing in the fleeing crowd and now could run at his full, heavy gait.

The damned bastard was fast wearing all that metal.

Out of the sky, to my utter shock, dropped the harpy, ax still embedded beneath her breasts. Blood sheathed down her body. It boiled from her mouth. I couldn’t believe she still lived. She screeched at me, flecks of crimson bursting from her mouth.

Hands full, I leaped at her and thrust my feet before me. They crashed right on the ax buried in her chest. A sickening crunch echoed as the blade drove deeper into her. Her shriek choked off into a wet gurgle. My weight carried her to the ground. I landed on her and sprang off, leaving her flopping.

I leaped over the stall and landed by the grill. I thrust the cloth ends of both my firebombs into the coals. The cloth burst to light, fed by the brandy inside. I grinned and whirled around to find Kurg slamming his warhammer into the stall.

The flimsy structure burst into kindling, spraying around us. Splinters peppered my toga. I didn’t care. I threw the first one. He stood feet away. It crashed into him before he’d recovered from his swing. The glass shattered against his armor.

Flaming brandy splashed over him. It flew up into his beard, setting it ablaze. It ran burning over his body. The alcohol sizzled, filling the air with a sweet aroma before the stench of burning hair overwhelmed it.

He bellowed and raised his warhammer up in the air, not caring. Flames burned around his face, his eyes reflecting infernal rage. He slammed his warhammer down at me. I jumped back and landed just in time for the weapon to strike the ground.

The impact reverberated through and hit my feet. I gasped and fell onto my back amid the splinters of the stall. I groaned as he stood over me. His heavy boot crashed down on my chest, pinning me to the ground. Air exploded from my lungs. I snarled and threw the other firebomb at him.

He knocked it to the side with a swing of his vambrace. It burst in a spray of flaming liquid that flew away from him. The heat kissed my face. I shuddered as he pressed his weight down on me, grinning, the flames devouring his beard, blazing around his face.

He didn’t even care.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sir Bryce

“Lagu, Goddess of Law, make unto me an avatar of Justice,” I prayed to Lagu. “Let me enact punishment on the guilty.”

The power to deliver punishment on the criminal fell through me as I stepped before the bugbear. The monster, one of the God Las’s foul offspring, slid to a stop. It bellowed in fury. More beast than intelligence, consumed by rage and lust. Its member thrust out hard before it. It surprised me that it hadn’t grabbed the nearest person—man or woman, it wouldn’t matter—and raped them to death.

“Out way!” it howled rising up before me. Muscles flexed beneath its dirty mange of yellow fur. Patches of dark skin, leathery and thick, peeked through the matted hairs. A stink rippled over me. It had a collar about its neck. Shackle scars on its wrist. “Must chase!”

“Domesticated?” My lip curled. “You’re Kurg Widowmaker’s pet.” I’d heard of the vile dwarf. A mercenary who lived off the rich of Raratha even as he despised them. A man who took delight in killing.

Especially women. He despised them.

I was correct. This had to be connected to Illina. This thing chased her, which meant I had another reason to put it down. I shifted my stance, watching it. Never attack first against a foe bigger and stronger than you. Not unless you’re sure you’ll kill it or get away before it can counterattack. My time as a Knight Deute had taught me how to kill bugbears and ogres and other foul monsters who prowled the wild corners of the world.

Nostrils flaring, the bugbear swung sharp claws at me, a brutal swipe. Even with my armor, I couldn’t take a hit. I lunged into its reach. The attack swept behind me. My blade slashed before me, scoring across its leathery hide, leaving a bloody cut across its stomach.

Sheets of crimson spilled down, matting fur.

It snarled and raised its left hand.

I charged to my left, ducking its right arm which had missed me. I straightened and moved. My boots rasped on the cobblestones as I fell into another guard position, facing the monster. It snarled at me.

“Cut! Cut! CUT!” It smashed its fists into the ground, beating at it with rage, spittle flying from sharp fangs. Then it charged at me.

The ground shook. Its shadow fell on me.

I sidestepped it and slashed. A deep blow that took it in the meat of the thigh. My blessed strength drove my blade with enough power to slice through the leathery hide and cut deep, severing through the muscle. Blood spurted and splashed across the front of my armor, painting the shining steel in runnels of red.

The bugbear howled out in pain. It’s leg buckled. It smashed a fist into the side of a building, crushing stone masonry. I fell into a guard stance, breathing heavily. I studied it, waited to act. The beast turned to me, limping using its left hand as a crutch as it lunged at me.

I smiled.

I battered the lunging right arm to the side with my sword, deflecting it to punch past my head. Then I shifted into a thrust, ramming my sword out before me for its heart. My left foot-propelled my body forward as I stepped with my right.

Its left hand slashed up from the ground, swinging like a pendulum.

BRANG!

My armor rang from the impact. The world blurred. I flew through the air. Pain exploded from cracked ribs. I hit the ground with a clatter, clutching tight to my sword. I rolled across the cobblestones. I gasped, struggled to breathe. The front of my breastplate lay caved in.

I gasped for breath. I struggled to breathe. I spasmed on the ground. The dented armor pressed into my broken ribs. I tasted coppery blood at the back of my throat.

The bugbear chuckled, an evil, growling sound. It advanced, footsteps shaking the ground as it closed in on me. “You broke!” He laughed again, taking an almost childish amusement in it. “Broke! Broke!”

Anger beat in my heart. “I swore an oath to Lagu!” I snarled at the beast. “I will punish him! I won’t let you stop me, foul beast. He broke the law!” I struggled to stand as the beast came closer. “He broke my WIFE!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leywife Monica

I gasped as the crowds cleared. A flaming dwarf slammed his foot down on a woman on the ground. She had flaming-red hair. So different from the other humans who made up the majority of the town. She threw a bottle at the dwarf, shouting out in fear.

He battered it to the side. A sheet of burning liquid sprayed out for it, dumping its contents across the ground. Shards of broken glass tumbled around the woman. The dwarf laughed. Even though he burned, the flames dancing around his face and consuming his beard, he didn’t care.

“NO!” I shouted, recognizing that was the thief. “Sir Bryce, she’s in danger.”

My knight struggled to stand, his armor dented. The fearsome bugbear advanced on him. I bit my lip. They both needed help. I had power. I could save one of them, but which? The man I loved or the innocent woman who needed saving.

I trembled as I concentrated on my power. I had to do the right thing. I had to unleash it. I focused on the baby inside of me. On the need to defend its life. Armor clinked. The woman groaned in pain. The monster bellowed its mocking laughter.

I unleashed my power.

To be continued…

Click here for Chapter 13.

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I have released a part 41 of the revamped Devil’s Pact on Smashwords. Read this post for more information if you’re interested!