A Heroine of Greyhawk - Chapter 3

Chapter III: Enslaved

"Oohhhhhhhh..." I moaned. I rose up in the bed and lifted my hips. Gently Sarek's long, white penis eased outwards, sending a long, slow thrill through my body. My naked body hovered over my lover. His hands reached up to cup my small, firm breasts in his soft hands. I leaned down to kiss his lips and brought my hips back down. The sound of my sex made a faint wet squishing sound. His erect, hard cock pushed back inside me bringing another moan from me that made me break the kiss. "Oohhh Sarek...so good..." I sighed. My eyes were closed and my mouth barely open as I arched my head up. My short blonde bangs fell across my eyes and the rest barely brushed my shoulders.

Sarek toyed with my breasts. He rolled them around in his hands and pinched my nipples between his fingers. He lifted his hips up and pushed his long, thin manhood deeper inside me. He had a wonderful smile on his face.

I went down until my pussy was resting on the base of his cock. My trim, dark blonde bush tangled with his black pubic hair.

It was a magnificent thing making love to Sarek. He had been my first man and lover. Even though I was magically charmed, I was genuinely thrilled to make love to him. A warm summer breeze blew through the window and cooled the drops of sweat that rolled down my chest and over my tender breasts.

It had been seven months since I had met Sarek and I had learned so very much. He was not only a mage but he had spent four years as a bandit leader near Stoink. The bandits had long been enemies of my homeland but they were a nuisance compared to the Horned Society.

Over the spring and summer Sarek had taught me much about being a warrior. He never tried to teach me about magic. I suppose he feared I would learn about the charm spell.

I never understood why a man as wonderful as Sarek would have anything to do with priests of Iuz and hobgoblins. He was so gentle and loving with me.

The first thing he did was remake me in his own image. Before he even stepped into the keep for the first time, he took his dagger and cut off my long blonde braids right at the base of my skull leaving only a short bit of blonde hair left. Next he took away all the soft, comfortable dresses my parents had made me wear. At first, with it being winter, I was given some of his baggy clothes.

For the rest of winter the hobgoblins gathered up bodies. Juukrez, the priest of Iuz, would inspect them. Either the bodies would be taken to a pit outside town, or Juukrez would turn them into animated zombies or skeletons. It was horrible for me to watch, but Sarek told me it was all right, and I trusted Sarek...

The village I grew up loving became an outpost for the troops of Iuz. Me? I was a trusted servant of Sarek. I went everywhere with him. When Sarek had time he would teach me how to use my sword more effectively by day, and we would make love by night.

It was early spring when my new clothes arrived. Where Sarek got them I have no idea, but they were unlike anything I had ever worn before.

The first thing he presented to me was a suit of scale mail. Each metal leaf on the suit was painted the darkest of blacks. It was worn over my shoulders and draped down over my hips to above my knees. There were black plates that buckled onto my shins, but Sarek showed me how my legs would be vulnerable and how to defend myself from attacks on them. I also learned it would protect me from most sword slashes and stabs, but I had to be careful about other kinds of attacks. I was not much for black, but if Sarek wanted me to wear it, I wore it.

The other thing was an outfit that made me blush when he first showed it to me. It was a few strings all tied together I thought. It was a pair of panties that did not do much more than cover up my treasure and a bra that supported my breasts and part of my chest with a leather strap over each shoulder. It was entirely made out of brown leather straps. Sarek liked me to wear it when it was nice outside and we were sparring, so I did. It did not take long before I was used to it. It was my body, like Sarek told me, so why be shy about it?

After getting Melanon to suit him, Sarek rode around the countryside to look at the lands under his care. He called them "his lands" many times but I did not argue with him. They were mine, but I trusted Sarek.

My first combat with him was against some bandits that were raiding. Sarek and a group of hobgoblins went after the bandits. I rode at Sarek's side the entire time. Sarek was worried about me but when we caught up with the ten bandits even Sarek could not protect me the entire time. I wanted to prove to my lover that he was not wasting his time training me. I spurred my horse right into the bandits.

It was the first time I killed another human. I took a few cuts but my quickness and the black leather armor kept me from serious injury. I slew two of the bandits and that made Sarek happy, which made me joyful. Sarek watched me the entire ride back. I did not realize at the time that he was watching my cuts heal. It should have taken days, but in a few hours they were completely gone.

"Ooohhhh...lover..." I sighed. I was so close. Sweat rolled off our bodies as I pressed my chest against his. He took my cheeks in his hands and pulled me down to meet his wonderful lips. His cock was so deep inside me. I used my vaginal muscles to please him like he had taught me. The way his cock rubbed against my clit and pussy was so overwhelming!

I pulled away from his lips. My face twisted and contorted. My back arched and my body quivered like a bowstring. "Sarek...oh gods...I...I am...cumming..."

He grabbed my waist and held me down over his fleshy spear that was impaling me. I shuddered and my pussy clamped down on him. I gurgled out a few mumbled words of love for Sarek.

Gasping for breath, I grinned when his eyes rolled back. I pushed myself as far as I could over his manhood. When he grunted, I felt his seed explode inside me. I reveled in his orgasm. I kissed his chest as he came inside me. It felt so wonderful!

We spent many nights in my parent's former bedroom making love until all hours. Many times he left me alone in the keep while he went out to do things. A few times I saw him in the distance. Once he had some hobgoblins hold down a man in shining plate mail against a stump, then Sarek stabbed the man through the heart. I saw it all. The colors of the dead man's mantle were like those of someone from Furyondy, but if Sarek had killed him, the man had to be a criminal. There could be no other answer. Not much later the priest of Iuz had a new zombie and Sarek put the dead Furyondian's mantle in the main hall with the other trophies he had collected.

In the last year and a half I had seen my life had changed so many ways. My family and, really, my entire world had been slaughtered. I had been killed and somehow came back to life. I had been charmed by a villainous mage and made into her personal servant and lover.

---

It was in the late Harvester and the human slaves that Sarek had captured and put to work were gathering what little grain that had grown over the summer. He had fenced in part of the old village. In it he put whatever people his hobgoblins captured. The old, crumbling buildings were made into shelters for the miserable people that barely hung on to life.

The slaves that died became part of the squad of undead creatures that Juukrez created for patrolling the town. The rest did work that the mindless zombies could not do, things that took some intelligence to do, like bring in grain or repair equipment for the hobgoblins. Around the compound were two split rail fences. At night the thirty or so zombies and skeletons were put between the fences and most everyone that had tried to escape had been quickly slain. The next day the dead escapee would join the ghastly patrol. I had seen this many times over the summer but the slaves would keep trying.

This was another thing that confused me about Sarek. I knew Sarek had to have a good reason for doing it though. It was like the thoughts flowed out of my mind to be replaced by calm assurances that Sarek was my friend and lover and would not knowingly do anything wrong.

That day in Harvester Sarek had come into my room. He was wearing the plate armor he had taken off a Velunian knight he had slain years before he met me, with his flame sword belted on his waist. His staff was in his hand. He had a wonderful smile on his face that made me smile back at him. "Tania, get your armor on and hurry about it. Meet me down in the courtyard. Your horse will be waiting. Time to cross the river."

I knew what that meant. We were going to raid over the Veng River into Furyondy. It was a common thing. There had been a peace treaty between Iuz and the King of Furyondy, but Sarek still sent hobgoblins across the river or stuck zombies in it to float downstream and create havoc. This was something else I did not know much about. Under the crushing influence of the charm spell I would not have minded even if I had known everything Sarek was doing to the innocent people across the river.

I was wearing only the black leather string he liked me to wear to bed. I bolted down the last of my breakfast in a few moments. I grabbed the wrinkled cloth undershirt and threw myself into it. Next came the pair of black leather boots that I pulled up to my knees and tied them on tight. Picking up the stack, I put the four leg plates on one at a time. One was buckled over each shin and each thigh. Last but most important came the black scale mail. I pulled it over my head and let the weight of it settle the bottom of the mail around my thighs. I put my scabbard strap over my shoulder with my sword in it then buckled up a black leather belt that kept the scale mail on tight.

I scooped up the black painted helmet and the small metal shield Sarek had given me. Knowing he would be impatient for me, I jogged towards the door.

Out the black and red double doors of the keep I went and ran into the courtyard. Sarek was waiting with me. Next to him was a young acolyte, serving under Juukrez, that would join us. Outside the keep's main gate were the hobgoblins, all on foot and waiting for their master. He was my master too, but I would never have admitted that.

My horse was waiting. I put my open faced helmet on my head, buckled my shield to the side of the saddle, then climbed into the saddle. "Where are we going, Sarek?" I asked.

"To spread the word, love, to spread the word," he said cryptically. With that, he led me and the subpriest of Iuz out the gates. The hobgoblins jogged along as we headed for Furyondy.

---

"YAAAAHH!!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. My sword dripped red as I slashed the blade across the back of the chain armored man. I was using my father's sword like a true warrior now. Sarek had taught me much and natural abilities I never knew I had were asserting themselves.

My enemy pitched forward after my blade had split open the links of his chain mail and put a nasty cut across his back. I saw my opening. Grabbing the soldier's swordbelt, I raised my sword up. Pulling him backwards by his belt, I drove the point of the sword through the opening in his armor. I thrilled at the sight of my sword puncturing his back and piercing his lung. Sarek would be so happy with me!

While the soldier gurgled up his life's blood, I put a foot in his lower back and shoved him away. He fell onto the muddy road to die but I was already spinning around. I had heard someone else coming and already had my shield raised. A mace clanged against the shield with some power behind it, which made me stumble back. I stepped on the dying soldier's back and hopped backwards a few more steps.

The priest of Heironeous, god of chivalry and Furyondy, kept at me. Beyond him I could see the hobgoblins fighting poorly against the few soldiers of the patrol that were left. On his horse behind me was Sarek. We were supposed to protect him and his spells would wreak havoc on the Furyondian patrol.

The priest's eyes showed how badly he wanted to kill me. I had already sent three members of the patrol to the netherworlds on my own. I suppose they had been friends of his but Sarek said we were doing them a favor. Sarek was always right, so I did what he told me.

Down came the mace again, but this time I was ready. I tilted my shield and let the mace deflect off to the side. The priest stumbled forward from the momentum of his blow and that was when I attacked.

My boot kicked him in the back to help him along. He was covered in heavy plate mail. It kept me from killing him outright but that weight was his downfall. I was twice as fast as him.

Forward he pitched to his knees. An evil grin came over my face. I smashed the pommel of my sword against the back of his helmet. I knew that would make his ears ring. Dazed by that attack, the priest was all mine. He tried to make a wild, backhanded swing of his mace at me but I easily jumped over the swing and brought my sword down. Right at the wrist I heard one of the bones in his forearm snap under the joint in the gauntlet.

"AARRGHH!!" he roared under the helmet. I stepped on his broken wrist. After another scream, the priest dropped his mace from his agonizing grip.

Grabbing the eye opening of the helmet with my fingers, I bent his head back. I had him at my mercy. His broken hand was under my foot and his other hand reached for me weakly. With his head bent upwards I could see his eyes in the sunlight. He was glaring at me hatefully. "You shall spend eternity in the abyss for your evils, woman!" he spat at me.

I did not look at him with that hate. I was only doing what made Sarek happy. I did not care if this man lived or died, but it would make Sarek very happy for me to kill a priest of Heironeous. How did I get to feeling like that? I would never have been that way before. I would never harm anyone, and now I was going to kill this brave warrior who was only defending his homeland. Was this the right thing to do?

"Tania!!" barked Sarek from twenty feet behind me.

His voice shook me to my core. I heard the anger in his voice. My face hardened. I looked down at the priest and raised my sword.

"Burn in the abyss!" the priest roared. I drove the sword down into the eye slot of his helmet. Down his head went. My thrust shoved his head backwards down into the muddy road. He twitched for a few moments, and then died.

I put a foot to the man's golden helmet and pulled my sword out. The battle was almost over. There were a few of the soldiers running off to the west through a small copse of woods, but Sarek always wanted some to get away to spread their tale of terror.

The hobgoblins killed the last of the remaining members of the patrol. The priest was already working on the dead, both of the four hobgoblins and the dead patrol members. The surviving hobgoblins immediately started to loot the bodies. I never could watch them at work so I turned away.

Sarek was beaming at me. Seeing him happy with my performance lifted all the weight from my shoulders. I took my helmet off and beamed back.

"You did wonderful, Tania," Sarek said. Leading me, we walked over to the wagon the patrol had been escorting. "You're the greatest of all my projects."

I was thrilled! "Oh thank you!" I said. My voice told him how overjoyed I was to hear that. I walked beside him, my sword still dripping with blood.

Sarek tossed the canvas off one corner of the wagon. "Grain," he grunted. "Hardly worth the effort, but someone will go hungry for a few days."

I nodded. Putting my sword on the canvas, I wiped the blood from the blade as Sarek paced. Suddenly he was behind me and was lifting my scale mail from around my thighs.

"You did so well today Tania, you deserve a reward."

A shiver went the length of my body. I knew exactly what that meant. Already my sex was getting moist. Every time he had said something like that, my body reacted.

He took off the belt he wore around his robes. Next he carefully took off the codpiece to the armor he wore. I knew what to do. I laid my sword onto the canvas of the wagon. I tossed shield aside and dropped to my knees.

Off next went my leather gauntlets. I threw them over my head into the wagon and looked up at Sarek. He was so handsome and brave, or so I thought at the time. The charm spell owned me, and Sarek owned the charm. Down my blue eyes went to his flaccid member. He was already aroused, but his erection needed my help.

Taking his member in my hands, I lifted it up and kissed his cock gently on the tip. Hearing him groan under his breath, I opened my lips to suckle on the end. Seconds later, I took his length in my mouth.

One hand gently cupped his balls while I grabbed the base of his shaft in the other. His hands ran through the scraggly remains of my hair. I swallowed as much as I could then moved back to leave a trail of saliva on his manhood.

I could feel him getting harder. He tasted so good to me that I moaned with raw desire burning through me. Back and forth I moved my head. I let my tongue roll across his manhood. I wanted to bring him so close that...

"Get up and grab the wagon, Tania. Good girl, now spread those boots. I'm very pleased with you. You're fantastic," he said with a short laugh. "I would've never thought that skinny little twit I found would be a natural born warrior and the greatest fuck of my life!"

I felt like cumming right there. I took the sideboards of the wagon in both hands. Doing what Sarek said, I pushed my legs apart. My black boots parted the mud but I never noticed. The spell that kept me ensorcelled made me want Sarek. I wanted to do nothing but please him, and be pleased by him. This was now my heaven, getting bent over a wagon and raped by an evil servant of Iuz.

He cupped my mound. "Oh!" I gasped. Leaning down I pressed my sex into his hand. His other hand came up to squeeze my breast through the scale mail that protected it. Down my legs went the plain panties. I kicked them off, ignoring them when they went into the mud.

"You were very good, Tania. You slew four of the pigs. I am never going to lose you," he said, more to himself than to me. I felt his legs move up between mine. I arched my hips backwards and my waist forwards to give him access to my sex.

Sarek placed the tip of his cock against my nether lips. I so wanted him to take me that I bent down to nudge the tip inside me.

Sarek took my hip in one hand and guided his member into me. Once he had his manhood started he took my other hip, then drove himself upwards.

"Ooohhhsooogooodddd...." I shuddered. I almost lost my grip on the sideboard. Humping my hips down I helped Sarek defeat the tightness of my pussy and force his member so much deeper. When his pubes touched the fit curve of my ass, I knew he was inside me.

Sarek took me by the shoulders. I quivered when he backed his manhood out so slowly. He was about to pop it out when he stopped. Using my shoulders for leverage he drove himself back inside.

"OHH!!" I gasped. All along Sarek had been training me sexually as well. I was so innocent I never noticed, and the charm spell that kept me in his service made sure I did exactly what he expected. My pussy hugged his cock when he entered and loosened when Sarek pulled back. I did everything he had taught me and never really knew it.

"Unngh-Unngh-Unngh-Unngh-Unngh-Unngh-Unngh!!" I cried out. Sarek thrust into me our lovemaking echoing to the hills. His hips slapped against my upturned ass. I quit moving myself to match him and stood there taking his cock over and over. My breasts shuddered inside my scale mail and my hands trembled around the wooden sideboard.

Sarek never made love really; it was always fucking to him. I thought it was love but with the charm spell if he had slapped me I would have thought I deserved it. He went at me like I was a warm hole in the wall but I loved every second of it. His cock plowed in and out of me. My love juices covered him and oozed onto my upper thighs.

"Fuck Tania," groaned Sarek behind me. His finger dug into my mailed shoulders. I knew he was close and what I was expected to do. I leaned back letting him sink the entire length of his manhood inside me. I hugged his manhood within my velvet depths. My hips gyrated in slow circles and I did everything I could to bring him off.

Sarek pulled me backwards and it was all I could do to keep my grip on the wagon's sideboard. I hear his breathing speed up and his moans were almost as loud as mine now. I did not see him behind me, but Sarek looked over at all the dead bodies. The slaughter was what finally sent my evil master over the edge.

"NNNGHHH!!" Sarek groaned through his clenched teeth. I gripped the sideboard at tightly as I could. He was leaning backwards with his head rolled back. His hips were arched forward to plant his manhood as far into me as he could go. I could feel it twitching inside me and I did everything I could to give Sarek as much pleasure as possible.

He leaned forward to get his balance back. Already I could feel his manhood relaxing after the driving tension of sex. Suddenly, Sarek slapped me on the outside of my hip, then closer to my ass.

"Cum! Curse you, cum, you stupid blonde slut!"

The slaps drove me crazy! I should have turned around and punched him. Since Sarek did it, they felt incredible!

"Ohhhgodssssss..." I sighed. "Oh Sarek..." My fingers were crushing against the hard oak wood of the sideboard. I lowered my hips until I was putting all the weight of my ass into Sarek's hips. I wanted his manhood in me so badly!

"Oh yes...oh gods..." I moaned. My voice was so low it sounded like it was coming out of my boots. "Yes Sarek..."

**Whack** came another slap across the side of my bare ass.

"AAAAHHHHHNNN!!" I screamed. My passion filled the air. The hobgoblins even paused from looting the dead to watch me orgasm. I stood there and shuddered helplessly. It felt so wonderful! Quivering with the explosion of pleasure I could not do anything but lay my head against the sideboard and cum.

I gasped for air. Sarek stood there without moving and let me ride out the climax. My ears were ringing like church bells. "Ohhhssssarrreeeeek..." I sighed. The orgasm faded leaving me trembling like a leaf.

Sarek pulled out of me. The insides of my thighs dribbled with our combined lovemaking. I held myself up by holding onto the wagon's sideboard. Sarek put his member back in his pants and stepped away from me without a word. Picking up his codpiece, he belted it back into place. Letting his robe fall back over the armor, he walked away from me without another glance.

Too weak to stand, I fell onto my knees. I splattered in the muddy road and my trembling hands tumbled to my sides. I laid my head against the wagon. It felt so cool against my face. I was burning up.

Sarek was already issuing commands to the hobgoblins. I slumped over and sat in the mud. I was so weak. I almost felt like crying.

"Tania! Get over here!" Sarek bellowed. "Time to get moving!"

I forced myself to my feet. I hated him...no...I loved...hate... I shook my head. No, I loved Sarek. I was strong and powerful now, not a weakling. He loved me too, I knew he did.

The charm still held me.

---

Sparring was something I always enjoyed doing. I could let myself go and feel free. I also had to concentrate and I never had to do that much. When we were not out raiding or making love to Sarek, I had a lot of time on my hands, and sparring broke the daily monotony.

I had put on my armor and had my helmet in hand. With my other hand I slung my sword over my shoulder, picked up my shield, and walked out the door.

For some reason I paused. To the left the stairs wound in a spiral down three flights to the main floor of the keep and to the right was an open window with decorative shields on either side. Sarek was going to be late anyway like he always was anymore, so I went for a look out the window.

It was a cool, autumn day. About two years ago I had watched the grain being brought in by the peasant and now I watched slaves and zombies bring in the grain that would feed the fell masters of my homeland.

I started to turn around to go down the stairs when I saw my reflection. I started to lift my sword up at the site of someone next to me. Sarek kept no mirrors at all. I wondered sometimes if he was a vampire. Now I suspect he simply hated himself and never wanted to see his own face.

This was the first time I had seen myself in those two years. The change in me was unbelievable. Two years ago I wore long, dark honey blonde braids. Now I had inch length, unevenly cut sun-bleached blonde hair with a touch of copper to it. My skin had been pale and now it was deeply tanned. My arms had been like birch sticks and now they were soft brown and sinewy.

What I noticed most was the dark circles. Before the troops of Iuz had overrun the Shield Lands, I had wide, innocent crystal blue eyes. The crystal was still there, but around them were dark, heavy circles. I leaned closer to the trophy shield, taken from some warrior either Sarek or I had slain. Now I know that the circles were a sign of my inner self fighting the charm spell and that inward battle was slowly destroying me. Sarek knew it too. If I had remained his charmed slave, I would have slowly deteriorated mentally until I was probably only a drooling moron. And Sarek knew that.

At the time I knew nothing of this. All I knew was I had dark circles. "Sleep, that will help," I mumbled to myself. Forcing myself away from the mirror I quickly went down the stone steps.

I walked out the double doors of the keep. Once upon a time each door had our family crest on it. Now they were coated in red, bloody paint with symbols of Iuz on them. The screaming from the temple of Iuz as another captured sacrifice was put to death echoed across the cobblestones of the courtyard. I was so used to the sound that I barely cringed anymore.

I heard the faint sound of thunder to the west of the remains of the village. It was fall and thunderstorms this time of year were rare. There was a steady drizzle coming down, but...

Suddenly, through the gates and across the former main street of Melanon, I saw them. At least thirty riders, all glinting with armor and banners, were charging over the hills to the west.

I had defended against some raiders before, and had been part of Sarek's raiding parties more than once. I knew what Sarek would want done. "Sngrar!! Sngrar prg Grgnr!!" I yelled in goblinoid at the hobgoblins in the two watchtowers over the gates. "Sound the alarm!!"

The hobgoblins never had listened to me unless Sarek was around, and this time was no different. I slammed my helmet over my head and picked up my shield.

"Tania!"

I turned and looked over my shoulder. From a window on the second floor, where he had his office, Sarek was yelling down at me. "Get those gates closed! That's a Furyondian war party! Guard those damned gates with your life!" he ordered.

I nodded and took off at a run for the main gates. Now the hobgoblins in the tower were aware of what was going on. A metal gong sounded from the left tower.

I gestured two hobgoblins towards one gate and I grabbed the other. I tossed my shield down and ran the gate shut while the two hobgoblins brought the other shut. "Grrfarg Snrrgar!" I yelled, pointing at the heavy wooden crossbars.

They snorted angrily but ran to get the wooden poles leaning up against the tower. I knew they hated taking orders from me, but Sarek would have burned them alive if they had ignored me.

The two ugly hobgoblins and I had gotten the first bar in place. I went to grab my shield and take out my sword while about twenty other hobgoblins were working their way into the tower or putting the second crossbar into place when it struck.

The wooden bar shattered into a thousand splinters when the first spell hit the gates. I was able to lift up my shield to protect me from the wood splinters but the concussion of the spell lifted me off the ground.

"UNNGHH!!" I agonized when I landed twenty feet away on the hard cobblestones. My helmet rolled across the compound but I kept a death grip on my sword. It took me a few moments to clear my head and get to my feet. The two priests of Iuz had come out of their temple with their undead servants. I was in front of the keep proper with twelve of the hobgoblins. Three had been instantly killed and were already being ridden over by the charging horses of the Furyondian knights.

We were in trouble. There were at least thirty of the armored knights, and there were not many hobgoblins that could take a fully mailed knight on alone.

As one hobgoblin was impaled on a lance almost immediately. Ignoring the dying creature's snarling cries, I leaped up to smash my sword across the face of the charging knight. I was rewarded with a stunned voice that made him lose his concentration. Moments later he was being pulled from his stumbling mount by the hobgoblins. It was another death attributable to me.

The next came right at me, the tip of his lance glinting in the sunlight. I moved slightly to his shield side, and then swung my sword that way while I moved back left. He had already started to adjust to my first movement which allowed me to use my sword to push the lance away from me. He pulled up on his so he would not ride into the keep walls. I leaped up and grabbed his lance arm and pulled.

Down he came in a crash of full plate armor. I had fought enough of the armored Furyondian knights to know that I had the advantage once I had him down. I drove the pommel of my sword into his helmeted head. With a loud crash I hit him, which brought a sickeningly pleasing sound to my ears of him crying out in pain.

"Tristine!!" he yelled. "It is her!" he bellowed. Throwing down his lance he swung a mailed hand at me, but I was far too quick for him. I jumped back and then lifted up my sword for a thrust into the back of his neck where his armor would not protect him.

"AAGGHH!!" I groaned and arched my back in pain as something solid struck me from behind. Pain laced through me and made my legs turn into jelly. I stumbled forward into the knight. Knocking him back down as he started to rise, I was able to use him to turn around to face my new attacker.

It was a woman. She was full armored in chain with plate pieces. A mace was in her hand and a symbol of Heironeous was on her shield with a heraldry symbol of a Shield Lander noble house north of mine. I could see the hate in her eyes.

"Bitch!" she spat at me. "I have been looking for you!"

I had never met this woman in my life. Figuring she was trying to distract me, I kicked the lance at her, and then spun around. I knew I would have a few seconds. The knight was getting to his feet, so as I spun I drove the blade into his side, right where the greaves were. He screamed in agony as my father's blade bit through the greaves and cut two inched into his side. He went down holding his bloody side so I turned back to face the woman.

"BLLCCCKKK!" I choked when that mace hit me squarely in the stomach. I doubled over, my face twisted in pain. I had no chance to react when she lifted the round mace head upwards. From my stomach it took an eye-blink for it to hit my chin.

Blood from my shattered lips sprayed in an arc. My head snapped up and back twisting my body painfully. I was still bent over but my head and shoulders were bent backwards. I barely held onto my sword, but that was taken care of when the mace smashed into my wrist.

"AAGHH!" I wailed when the bones in my wrist were crushed. My sword clattered onto the cobblestones and I fell to my knees.

"How does it feel, bitch?" the woman growled at me.

I threw off my shield and grabbed my shattered wrist. Around me I sensed that the battle was lost. The hobgoblins were being slaughtered and the noble priests of Heironeous and Pelor that rode with the Furyondian host were destroying the undead. I glanced over to see the young priest's stomach slashed over by a two-handed sword swipe from a knight. Where was Sarek?

I tried to get to my feet but the woman jabbed my bruised stomach with her mace, which sent me back down to the ground in pain.

"You are going nowhere, woman, but back with me to Furyondy to pay for your crimes. You deserve death now for all the evils you have perpetrated."

I glared up at her defiantly. From my nose down, my lips and chin were covered in blood. My wrist was already ballooning inside my leather gauntlet. "Go to Hades," I growled at her.

She grabbed my shattered chin in her mailed hand, which sent waves of pain through me. "By what right do you kill and destroy, woman?" Her harsh visage softened for a moment. "By what right do you kill my brother?"

I was about to spit some curse back at her, but the way her green eyes changed affected me. Why had I killed people? For Sarek? She was right, I had done evil. To her I had to look very evil. Sarek had turned me into this creature of death and servitude. All I wanted to do was kill to please him. We had raided into a country and had run down peasants peacefully farming their fields. I had helped Sarek ambush warriors protecting their country from the inhumanity of Iuz and his creatures. All this I had done for Sarek. I deserved whatever she was going to do. Why go on living like this? Why...?

Where was Sarek?

"Please..." I said, looking up at her with pleading eyes. "Kill me," I begged. My life had become a horror. "End my nightmare, please," I begged again. Tears intermingled with the rain until they mixed with the blood on my cheeks.

The woman looked at me in confusion. She looked up at the man I had cut across the side. I did not see him, but he nodded to her.

She tried to keep her anger fueled. "You must face the justice and mercy of Heironeous, woman. You have killed many across the river." I suppose she expected me to either beg for mercy or spit defiance. "We will take you back and let you face justice."

"Please, end my nightmare. I have done evil against my will, turned into something I hate. Please," I repeated, "please kill me. I do not deserve your justice."

The woman swallowed heavily. She looked down at the ground. I sat there, crouched down on the cobblestones of my childhood home, begging to die at the hands of my own people.

Finally she looked back up at me. "What is your name, woman?"

I wanted to shake my head. I did not want her to know, but I told her. "Tania."

She dropped her mace on the ground and touched the metal symbol of Heironeous around her neck. "May Heironeous guide you in the next world, Tania."

My tears were rolling down my cheeks. "Thank you," I whispered.

Taking out a dagger, the man behind me took my chin away from her. He gently bent my head back. I looked up at him. "Thank you," I whispered again, my voice barely audible.

He brought the dagger down and touched the blade to the left side of my neck. With a single swipe, he cut my throat.

He let my dying body fall to the cobblestones to splash among the raindrops. Taking their wounded and dead with them, the knights rode back out the gates, leaving their carnage behind.

For the second time, I lay dying on the cold cobblestones of my family home. I thought back to that previous time. My body was numb, but I could see where my Father had died. Across the courtyard this time I saw a different man. His robes burning from some spell, lay Sarek. His unseeing, horror-filled face told me he was dead and getting his reward for his life of evil.

My face showed I was at peace. The light in my blue eyes dimmed, and then went out. I died.

Continued in Chapter 4

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