Macrendil-Ysmir

For the past few weeks I've been unable to keep up with writing and steadily lost my stockpile. Still have a couple more, but due to personal matters and the upcoming Holiday season I might have to put in a short Hiatus soon, for which I apologise in advance.

Anyway, enjoy this week's chapter!

Days passed by and the army of the Jungle was on the move. Walking, crawling, slithering and jumping on the forest floor or one of the various levels on the trees, they made their way towards the target of this war.

And while this meant Erik was no longer subjected to as many lessons anymore, he now suffered the indignity of being tied to a pole and carried like hunted quarry. Still Xeyope delivered on her word and the drugs no longer changed, allowing Erik to regain his full power.

Now, whenever the lessons continued, he had to restrain himself from ripping of his bonds and killing the harlots treating him like a toy, a tool for masturbation. Only the knowledge he wouldn’t make it out of the army camp afterwards kept him from doing exactly that.

‘I could easily rip these bonds now, but I need a plan… And directions. And a moment to check what I have on me… Did I drop my glaive or store it? At the very least, I do not have my armour anymore… ‘

Erik’s thoughts trailed off as he lazily caressed the blissful figure beside him. These past few days he’d grown fond of the naïve Xeyope, indulging her by telling stories of exotic places and wondrous things alien to the jungle-raised Amazon. And in return, she told Erik about herself, the army and the surrounding jungle.

How her mother was one of the highest ranking leaders among the various Amazon tribes, a priestess of Rigg. Or how the Amazons did not get along with the Lizardmen and both sides would readily attack the other when they encountered one another, only to join hands against foreign invaders.

Xeyope stirred, turning towards Erik and flashing a coy smile. Unable to resist, Erik leaned over and stole a kiss.

She smiled, but then her face showed a hint of sadness.

“Erik, something bad happened. Some of the more zealous leaders found out about the ‘lessons’ after one of their daughters, well, showed signs in their presence. So, ehm, well, you told me how you have a family with wives and children… but I don’t think they will ever let you go now, ehm…”

She was stammering, not entirely cohesive in her wording as she struggled to find the right words.

“So what I’m trying to say is that a lot of the girls you taught are now showing similar symptoms which has divided the leaders into two groups. One wants to kill you right away and solve a danger to the Amazon way of life and Rigg’s commandments, while the other group wants to…”

A frown appeared on her exquisite, tanned face as she tried to remember the exact wording.

“I think they said they wanted to make you ‘submissive and breedable’ and use you like a breeding stud.

I… do not know what to feel about this. I don’t want you to die, you’re the best and most interesting thing to have happened to me my entire life in this boring forest. Yet I also hate the idea of losing you to everyone else!”

“That’s… quite the development…” – Erik replied, shocked at the news and its implications.

‘What do I do now?! My chances of escaping will become nil regardless of those Elders’ decision!’

Thinking furiously, only the most drastic plan remained. But it would force him to show a trump card, one that would most certainly see him executed if the Amazons managed to recapture him.

“Xeyope!” – Erik decided to go with the plan, driven by a sudden sense of urgency as he addressed the platinum-haired beauty in his arms more ferociously than she’d heard before.

“How far is Skellige from here? How long would it take to get there?”

“Eh, ah, ehm… The army moves slowly and won’t reach for another week, but we’re getting accurate scouting reports within a day from our fastest runners… Wait, but, Erik! You can’t mean… NO! You want to leave? You can’t! The guards will catch you or a Carnosaur will eat you, or, or, one of the Saurus Scar Veterans will hunt you down and eat you!”

At first confused by the sudden outburst, then distraught at Erik’s intentions, Xeyope desperately tried to dissuade Erik. But the longer Erik dwelt on the plan, the more he felt his blood firing up at the prospect of imminent combat.

“Xeyope, love, listen to me. I would sooner die than truly become a living dildo and if I have to die, I choose to die fighting, trying to obtain my freedom. On my feet, weapon in hand and with my dignity restored.”

Feeling Erik’s resolution, Xeyope began to tremble, unwilling to see the previously tranquil, happy life she’d enjoyed and wished for to last eternally, get torn to shreds and unwound in a mere instant.

Softer, soothingly, Erik spoke a bit more.

“I do not ask you to free me or do something else for me. All I want you to do is find a place at the opposite end of the camp and ignore what’ll happen.

It… will be loud and people, possibly people you know, will try to stop me. And I cannot afford to hold my punches, so there will be casualties amongst your people.”

Secretly, Erik prepared to spring into action and silence Xeyope. He didn’t want to, but if he had to choose between this final opportunity to escape and her life…

Luckily, after a moment of clear struggle, Xeyope showed resignation. Satisfied with the outcome, Erik then coaxed for a while longer before sending her on her way earlier than usual.

And when her firm behind disappeared into the night, Erik’s face turned serious as he hammered out the specifics of his next actions.

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Returning home earlier than usual, Xeyope was lost in thought as she paced in circles within her tent, ignoring the questioning gazes from her sisters.

‘He won’t make a move yet, the dark is too dangerous so I still have a few hours until dawn… Time for me to put a stop to it!’

Determined, she ran off to see her mother Samantha who was still awake and pouring over a map and the latest intelligence.

“Mother! I need your help!” – Xeyope began her plea.

“Hah, what is it Xeyo? Aren’t you supposed to be on watch? If you’re not, why aren’t you sleeping then? Or sneaking around to see that monster of a Norscan?”

Hearing her love interest defamed as a monster, Xeyope lost the momentum of her initial plan and jumped to defend Erik.

“He’s not a monster! He’s handsome, smart and above all, kind!”

“Ugh, you really are an idiot at times, to the point I wonder whether you truly were born from me. No mere man should be able to last as long as he has, prove of his inhuman characteristics. And before that, the report of his capture is concerning to say the least.”

“So what? His body is sturdy and he was hard to catch, big deal! I just want you to stop the other Elders from killing or imprisoning him further and give him to me!”

Finally deigning to look up from the table and at her daughter, Samantha showed a look of abject shock as if she doubted her ears, or her daughter’s sanity.

“That man? Sturdy and hard to catch? He killed over 3.000 Cold Ones and devastated an area the size of our tribe’s encampment. On his own. The only way we’ve been managing him so far is by paralysing him, but even the most powerful ones are barely effective more than three times, as you are well aware!”

“But he’s been totally fine for a week now and didn’t do anything! Like always, you’re just over exaggerating and unwilling to see things from a different angle than your own preconception!”

Turning her back on the angry Xeyope, Samantha continued to berate her.

“Foolish girl, that man is as harmless as one of the most ancient Saurus Scar Veterans and could probably beat it too… Wait, what, what did you just say?”

Turning around at lightning speed, Samantha grabbed her daughter’s shoulders with force and shook her in alarm.

“You said he hasn’t been properly drugged for a week?!”

“Y, yes! But he hasn’t done anything nor showed any sign of wanting to do anything until I told him the Elders’ plan to kill him!”

Anger took hold of Samantha’s features, an expression Xeyope was familiar with but never this intense, so… filled with disappointment and finality.

“I see, so you told him he’s in danger and he made you return early. And in your naivety, you came to me to find a better solution… GUARDS!”

Letting go of the stunned Xeyope, Samantha called for her warriors and soon after the better part of 100 Amazon warriors, complete with intricate tattoos covering their bodies while wielding obsidian knives, barbed spears and even Artefacts of Rigg, which Erik recognised as laser-blasters.

“My daughter has betrayed us and sullied herself, taken in by the whispers of Chaos. You two, keep a watch on her. The rest of you, follow me! I’m going to have to clean up after this… mistake’s screw-up, for the last time!”