Dungeon - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Dungeon

Wendel hated highborne. He despised everything about them; their arrogance, gratuitous displays of wealth, their birthright entitlement attitudes, even their smell. He might have found a way to get used to that last, as it wasn’t a bad smell, rather nice actually, just overdone… like everything else in their world.

The King’s Hall was the worst. Decadence prime. Purposely designed to flaunt the Lord’s wealth and self-importance. And sitting atop it all was his Majesty himself, decked in gold embroidered red and purple, with a heavy crown no doubt worth more by itself even melted down than the entire village proper below.

And he waited. Wendel hated waiting even more than the highborne. Money, power… trivialities he could reaccumulate easily enough. But time – that was lost forever. Waiting was just flushing time down the gutter. The wizard was just considering whether screaming out at the top of his lungs would change things for the better or worse, when an underling signaled that he should come forward.

“Your Highness,” he said in greeting, eager to get to the matter at hand.

“Ah, Wendel, step closer if you will. I have a task for you.”

Intrigued, he moved up until he was within easy speaking distance. “A task, my liege?” Perhaps this wasn’t simply a social call after all.

“Yes, yes. I heard an interesting story the other day about an artifact. A rune stone known as The Charding.”

Wendel paled, sighing.

Apparently the King noticed his reaction. “You know of it then?”

He choose his words carefully. “I know of its legends. It is something leftover from the Olden, before the realms of humans walked the plains. It is said to have the power to fold space… To instantly move the bearer from one place to another.”

“Do you believe these legends?” asked the King.

He tilted his head to the side. “I… believe they have possible merit. The rune stones are known to my sect… What is your interest in this stone, my liege?”

“I want you, to retrieve it for me.”

He just blinked. “I beg your pardon, milord… I must have misheard you.”

“I said, I want you to bring it to me.”

This day was not turning out in a good way.

“Majesty, the rune stones are buried in locations protected by dark magic, in dungeons meant to dissuade even the most hearty of warriors, though many have tried. They are not meant to be in the hands of humankind. Even if I wanted to accept such a quest, it is not known which of these dungeons contains that particular stone.”

“I know where it is,” said the King.

“Eh… not to doubt you, milord, but… you do? How did you come across this information?”

“That’s not your concern, and this is not a request… It’s a command. You will retrieve the Charding Stone and deliver it to me here under the requirements of your sect. You can take as many as a hundred troops if you wish, as well as whatever supplies you need, but you will do this for me.”

Wendel thought hard and fast. Refusing the King wasn’t an option, so he was right and truly fucked. He was bound by law to answer the King’s request  or be hunted down by his own people. He could quit, but that would mean basically throwing away decades of his life’s work. No, he would do what the King asked of him. The only question was, how could he profit from this disaster?

“I see. May I know the location, as it will guide the resources I require?”

“Volscork. You will find the stone there.”

“Oh dear god…”

“More so,” continued the king, “since I don’t trust you not to simply take the stone for yourself, I am sending along a representative…”

The wizard snapped his head up. “Er, what now?”

“My niece shall accompany you.” He indicated someone who had just come into the room.

Wendel turned and did a double take. The young woman approaching the throne was dressed in leathers and light armor. She carried a spear and wore a large shield on her back. She was also easily the most attractive warrior he had ever seen, with ginger hair and a face that looked playful, yet somehow menacing at the same time.

“Hello, Uncle,” she said in greeting. “Is this the Wizard?”

“Indeed. Don’t let him out of your sight, Taya. I don’t think his heart is in this.”

Wendel was so entranced by the other’s appearance, that he momentarily lost his train of thought. When he picked it up again, he quickly turned back to the King.

“Your Majesty! You can’t send her to Volscork! That place… It’s not safe for…”

“Enough!” said the highborne loudly. “She goes.”

“But sire!…”

“One more word from you, Wizard, and I’ll have your eyes plucked out. Begone!”

He remained silent, bowing in resignation, before leaving the room. Finally, when the doors to the King’s Hall had closed behind him, he let out a string of curses that literally caused the light in the anteroom to dim for several seconds. Then he noticed the young woman standing nearby. She had a slight grin.

“Most of the time I feel the same way about him,” she said.

“Sorry about that. I didn’t realize I was not alone.”

“Forget it. Just because he’s my Uncle and my King, doesn’t mean I have to like the guy. I do what he says in public. As do you…” She pinned him down with a look.

He sighed, resigned.

“So,” she said, straightening up, “Ready to go pick out some troops?”

“Taya was it. My name is Wendel Alcott, Grandmaster Wizard of the Fourth Order, and Lightsbringer Exemplar… And we won’t be needing any troops.”

“Bucking my Uncle already? He was serious about blinding you, you know?”

“I know he was. We won’t be needing troops because they would be useless. Worse than useless in Volscork. We will need some supplies thoug” He started to walk back to the inner keep. “Tell me, Taya, do you know how to use that spear, or is it just to keep bothersome suitors away?”

“Oh, I know how to use it… Though I haven’t skewered a Wizard in a few weeks.”

He glanced over at her, unable to read her features. “Apologies. I did not mean to imply…”

“I’ve fought in five full campaigns, Master Wendel, two of which left me seriously injured. To the best of my knowledge, I have personally killed one hundred and fifty-eight men, a dozen or so worgs, and one troll, earning me the command rank of lieutenant, as well as two commendations for bravery. So while my spear may indeed fend off possible suitors, it cuts just as easily through pesky magic-users.”

“I deserved that… Again, I ask your forgiveness, Lieutenant. I don’t usually make such pithy comments. This whole business with the rune stone and your Uncle has me flustered.”

“Forgotten. Since we’re stuck with each other, I say we focus on preparations and leave the small talk for the road, yes?”

“Excellent idea. We’ll be needing horses acclimated to lower altitude…”

---

 

 

 

 

Four hours later, they were on the road headed into the lowlands. The air was warm, but humid, and a storm looked to be coming in from the East.

“So why no troops?” asked the redhead trotting beside him. “You mentioned they would be useless… Why?”

Frowning, he looked at her.

“You have read the stories of the Seven Demons, yes?”

“Of course, but I don’t see how…”

“About three hundred years ago, seven greater demons were given watch over the Rune Stones, charged with keeping them out of the hands of the humans that had slowly encroached upon the Vale. To this end, each demon made a dungeon – a catacomb deep beneath the earth, filled with traps and dark magic, and tailored to the specific tastes of each demon. B’rail, for example, was exceptionally fond of complex puzzles and riddles, and so his dungeon was a maze of such conundrums. Tokar was a warrior. His caves held some of the most fearsome creatures ever seen by man. And then, of course, there was Volscork…”

“What was his specialty?” she asked.

Again he glanced at the young woman, squinting.

“Is it possible? You honestly don’t know, do you?…”

“Know what?”

“How can that be?! You said you had read the tales.”

“Sure. But just the children’s versions when I was young…”

Again, he let out a string of curses. “Damn your Uncle! He had no right to put you into a position like this unknowing, even if he were ignorant of the dangers, which I’m not entirely sure he was!”

“What are you talking about? What’s so special about Volscork?”

He sighed. “That demon specialized in corrupting the mind! Volscork used fear, seduction, temptation, lust – destroying those fools who entered into his domain with their own thoughts. And he had a particular fondness for human females, warriors just like yourself. He even created a bogus legend that his rune stone could only be accessed by a woman, just so that it would attract foolhardy feminine treasure seekers. Few ever returned from those caves, but those that did were almost always impregnated with all manner of vile offspring.”

The Lieutenant looked suddenly mortified. “Wait… impregnated?!”

“The small number who managed to flee before it was too late, told of living walls of flesh, and traps so devious that you didn’t even know you were caught until it was far too late. The demon’s creatures in that dungeon would capture and torment a female victim’s mind with ceaseless sexual ecstasy, eventually shattering their will and leaving them trapped for the rest of their days as little more than a breeder for more dark denizens.”

“Shit…”

“From the moment we step foot in those tunnels, the dark magic there will be a constant pressure on us. I can protect myself, certainly, which is no doubt why your uncle asked me to go in the first place. I might even be able to extend that protection to you… but an entire army?! Impossible! Let me guess, you are the youngest officer in his command, aren’t you?”

She stared at him. “How did you…”

“He knows that you probably haven’t yet heard the details of those stories. He knew that I wouldn’t take an army to assault that dungeon. And he knew right from the start that he would be putting you especially in mortal peril. You mentioned back at the keep that you didn’t like your uncle. Is the feeling perhaps mutual?”

She was silent for an uncomfortable time.

“Just after my sixteenth birthday, my uncle tried to… get me into his bed. I rebuffed him, of course, but he persisted. Finally, after coming dangerously close to being raped, I joined the guard – if only to keep me out of his reach. He never forgave me that choice.”

“Looks like he’s getting his payback.”

“Damn… Fucking bastard. I thought I was past all that crap. So… can you, protect us I mean? Both of us.”

Wendel sighed. “I honestly don’t know. Probably. It will certainly weaken me. It’s an issue that will be additive. The longer we’re in those tunnels, the harder it will be for me to block the dark magic.”

“I guess we’ll just have to hurry then,” she said with a half grin.

That evening, they made camp near the edge of the King’s Forest. It was at least another half day’s ride to the entrance of Volscork’s dungeon, but Wendel suggested that it would be better if they stayed clear of the Vale.

“It’s a little like a living entity,” he explained as they sat by the fire, enjoying a meal. Neither wanted to speak more of the horrors they might face, but some things just required background. “It knows when an invader enters. The longer we are within the borders, the greater the chance that the Vale will discern our intent and try to stop us.”

“It can read our minds?” she asked, taking a bite of rabbit.

“Sort of. It feels lifeforce, especially in someone so young…”

She snorted. “Hey, I’m no child, Master Wizard.”

He tilted his head to the side. “Really. If I may ask, how many seasons are you? Twenty?”

“Twenty-two.”

“Ah. And now me. How old would you guess me to be?”

Taya took a moment and looked him up and down thoroughly, paying particular attention to his hands and face.

“Not yet forty, I’d say.”

He laughed aloud, and Taya frowned.

“What? Too high?”

Grinning, he leaned forward for emphasis. “Girl, by wizard standards I’m not yet middle aged, but I swear on my mother’s grave that I am one hundred and thirty-eight seasons.”

She was incredulous. “That can’t be… Is it by magic? Some illusion perhaps?”

“It is no illusion. I am as you see me. However, you are correct that my health and youthful appearance is maintained through magic. It restores me constantly, even heals me when necessary. It gives me strength and years that can stretch well into three centuries or even more.”

She seemed lost in thought. “Why… Why don’t others use such gifts?”

“Gifts? Oh no… The use of magic is no ‘gift,’ my dear. It is paid for daily, I assure you.”

“But… to be able to live to be three hundred!…”

He met and held her eyes. “It is not a gift. It is a curse, Taya.”

“How? How can such a thing be a curse?”

“Have you loved?”

She drew back. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, have you ever fallen in love?”

“That’s a bit of a personal question…”

He waited.

“Yes,” she said finally. “Once, just after my seventeenth season day.”

“And?”

Her brows furrowed in remembered pain. “He was killed in battle.”

Nodding, Wendel allowed her a moment. “I’m sorry. This is the dichotomy of love. It is the sweetest, most wonderful of feelings – but, it is as equally painful when it ends.”

“Yes,” she agreed, while looking into her lap.

“Imagine then, being old enough to experience that pain over and over again for centuries. My magic keeps me youthful… not so, those I love. It is a horrible thing to have to watch someone age while you stay young… seeing them succumb to disease or the basic cruelty of our world. And the same magic that gives me so many seasons, also keeps my mind sharp… my memory clear and crisp. I do not forget with time. That is why it is a curse.”

“I understand,” she said, nodding. “It must be a difficult life, to be a wizard I mean.”

“Quite. Though more frustrating than difficult usually. We are busy folk. Despite living so long, we are almost always short on time. There is ever more to do and learn. Love and relationships tend to be very… distracting. Most wizards try to avoid them, actually.”

“But… you still have needs. Surely, you’re not celibate?”

He guffawed aloud. “Hardly. Yes, we have needs like any other human. We just find it more productive to deal with such requirements in a more… efficient way.”

“I don’t…” she started, confused.

“Usually a nice brothel, my dear.”

“Oh…”

—

Morning brought with it a heavy fog that persisted through dawn. The Lieutenant noticed as the wizard stood facing west toward the Vale, that he seemed preoccupied.

“Something wrong?”

“Perhaps. I’m trying to decide if the mists work for or against us.”

She looked east as well. “Won’t they hide our entrance into the Vale?”

“Certainly. But they will hide possible enemies as well.”

“But if they don’t know we’re here…”

He stopped her. “You make an assumption, Lieutenant. That can be fatal in the lands we are about to enter. There are forces beyond that do not require eyes in order to detect us, as well as foes that see a fair bit better in such weather than we do.”

“Oh.”

“It’s also unlikely that this is just a natural phenomena.”

She was surprised. “Really? But who? Is it dark magic?”

“Most likely. As for who, well, that is a good question. I suppose we shall find out soon enough.” He clicked his horse forward, and a moment later she followed.

As they passed the border into the dark lands, Wendel was glad to have a companion that seemed to understand the advantages of quiet. The woman did not speak again until they stopped about an hour later and dismounted, and then it was only after he did.

“We’ll water the horses here while I get my bearings.”

“I’m amazed you have any idea at all where we are. I can’t see more than a dozen paces in any direction.” She turned in a circle.

“A simple compass spell, protected against any mayhem that the Vale might throw at it,” he replied, smiling. “So, can you feel it yet? The presence of the Vale…”

She frowned. “There is something. It’s almost like we’re being watched.”

“Yes. And we are. The deeper we go, the stronger that feeling will grow. Pay it mind, but do not let it bother you. Keep your focus out here.” He pointed to the green grass around them. “We have little advantage in these lands. Uh, you might want to move away from those mushrooms…”

“Huh? She looked down and saw she was standing near a small patch of cream colored caps, a few inches tall. While she tried to understand how such a fungus could be a threat, she noticed that there were a number of thin, green tendrils reaching out of the ground. Her mouth fell open as they slowly started to curl around her boots. She went to jump back, and instead fell over backwards. As soon as she hit the ground, other tendrils reached up where her hands landed, twining through her fingers and working up her arms.

“Ah! I… I can’t get loose!”

There was abruptly an arm under hers, helping to lift her. The tendrils seemed to give up and retreated back into the ground as she moved clear of the fungus.

“Catcher Morels,” said Wendel in explanation. “Very tasty if you can keep from being caught.”

Staring at the now peaceful-looking mound, she tried to quiet her pounding heart. “What… would they have done to me?”

“Oh, probably nothing… other than binding you up like a Falls Day hen. They’re not entirely sinister. They’d just hold onto you until you died of dehydration or starved. Then you would decompose as a nice fertilizer for their colony.”

“You don’t call that sinister?!”

He laughed softly. “Oh no. Not at all. As strange as it seems to you and I, those mushrooms were merely taking advantage of a passing organic to survive. No… ‘sinister’ would be if they had stripped you out of your clothes and pleasured you to death.”

She blinked, incredulous. Turning back to stare at the mushrooms, Taya swallowed.

“And know this, Lieutenant… There are most definitely things here that will do that to you, especially where we are heading.”

“I’m really starting to hate the Vale,” she commented, returning to her horse.

“I’m sure the feelings are mutual,” he agreed.

Over the next hour and a half, Wendel kept them on a straight course. The fog turned from a still, heavy mist, into thick but sporadic clouds along the ground. A mild breeze blew the forms past them, sometimes parting to expose an incredible landscape of green grass and rocks that seemed endless. There were a few trees, but the wizard purposely avoided them, giving a wide berth. Finally, the man stopped and pointed down the far side of the hill they had just peaked.

“There! See it?!”

Taya squinted into the fluffy whiteness, but could see nothing.

“I don’t…”

“Wait for it… there!”

For just a moment, there was a break in the clouds. For a second or two, she saw something that looked like a pair of tall stones. Whatever it was, it wasn’t natural.

“Volscork?” she asked.

“Yes. We should turn our horses loose here, before the dungeon starts affecting them. They’ll find their way back out of the Vale… maybe.”

Taya turned to the wizard. “Turn them loose!? What are you talking about?”

He dismounted and started unpacking his animal. “We can’t leave them anywhere near the entrance… They’d go insane.”

“How are we supposed to get home?!” she asked a bit loudly, but followed his lead in jumping down.

“We can worry about that if we come back.”

“You mean WHEN we come back, right?… Right?!… Shit.”

They had just gathered the last of their gear and sent the horses on their way, when Taya picked up the sound of someone screaming.

“Did you…”

“I hear it,” Wendel answered tersely. “Where’s it coming from?”

They both turned, trying to locate the source of the shrill cries, but the hills and cloud around them made it nearly impossible. Finally, Taya pointed.

“There! Coming over that rise!”

The wizard turned to see two small figures running down the slope of a nearby hill. Whoever they were, they were headed right for the entrance to the dungeon.

“Come on,” ordered Wendel, grabbing his pack and jogging toward the entrance. Taya hesitated only a moment before doing the same.

The passage into the Volscork catacombs was little more than a dark tunnel flanked by a pair of huge rectangular stones. They looked like they might have once been covered in carved glyphs, but the markings were much too worn to make out now. They reached the portal only a minute before the figures, who they could now see were short females.

“Children? Here?” commented Taya.

“Those aren’t younglings, they’re elves. But why are they…”

“Get inside!!” yelled one of the two females, pointing to the entrance.

Taya was about to say something else, when an arrow planted itself into the ground about two inches from her left foot.

“What the…?”

“Orcs!” called Wendel staring at the top of the ridge. About two dozen of the large brutish humanoids were just starting down the slope. “Do as she says… GO!” The wizard reached into his pocket and snapped the small twig he found there. A blue light flashed around him for a moment. He saw Taya swing her shield around to the side while she too ran for the shelter. Arrows were zinging by all around them now, a number pinging against the invisible field of magic that he had put around himself, falling harmlessly to the ground.

“Keep going!” he commanded, before turning to face the hill. Somehow, the pair of elves had managed to avoid the rain of deadly shafts, but he knew their luck wouldn’t last long enough to reach the dungeon. He would need to intervene if they had any chance of survival. He carefully mumbled a few choice words as he raised his staff and then tilted it down toward the horde of orcs. With a final “hup”, a bright stroke of lightning completed the connection between the top of his staff and the ground in front of the orcs. A ball of light formed, and then blossomed into a mini sun for a fraction of a second. Wendel knew to close his eyes and the elves were facing the other way. Not so, the orcs, who caught the flash face on. Most were blinded, and those that weren’t were at least stunned enough that the dashing females now had enough time to reach the refuge of the tunnel. He followed them in, and with a tap of his staff, the top lit up in a dull glow bright enough to illuminate the passage forward.

“There should be an anteroom just inside to the right,” he said, encouraging the group forward.

“Shouldn’t we take battle positions?” asked the Lieutenant.

One of two elves snorted. “That’s awfully brave of you, but you need not worry, they won’t follow us in here. Orcs are dumb, but they’re not that dumb.

“I’m not certain I should be comforted by that fact…”

“Turn there,” said Wendel behind them.

The anteroom had stone benches running the length of two walls, and a quietly bubbling fountain in the very center.

“The benches are okay. Don’t touch the water,” he added.

Setting down her gear, (but not her spear) Taya took a good look at their new companions. To her surprise, the pair looked nearly identical, save for the fact that one had on a red scarf, and the other a green one. ‘Green scarf’ flopped to the ground on her back, exhausted, and the other dropped onto a bench. She had never seen elves before, but had heard enough about them. About 140 centimeters in height, they were considerably shorter than an average human, and of course, like most humanoid creatures from the Vale, their ears were pointed. They wore simple leather skirts that ended just above the knee, boots, and shirts of unremarkable quality. They did not appear armed, though she knew better than to trust that observation. After a moment’s thought, she reached over and snagged one of the water pouches off her pack and handed it to the seated elf.

The other’s eyes widened for a second, but she then took the offering, nodding thanks. She drank deeply before handing the skin to her friend. Refreshed, she turned to Wendel.

“You’re a wizard…” she acknowledged. “And lucky for us. If you hadn’t zapped those orcs as you did, I dare say we’d be supper. Many thanks.”

He nodded. “I’m not entirely sure I did you a favor. Unless I miss my guess, those were Hulik tribe orcs, yes?”

“You know your Vale folk, human. Indeed they were.”

“Hulik tribe?” asked Taya. “Why is that important?”

The elf on the floor spoke up. “They won’t leave. They won’t follow us in, but they aren’t about to give up and go away either. So long as they can still smell us in here, they’ll wait.”

Taya glanced over at Wendel. The elf on the bench caught it.

“Oh… You’re not planning on going back out any time soon, are you. You’re going in… after the rune stone. Am I right? I bet I’m right.”

“You are,” confirmed the wizard.

She shook her head. “Damn fool, humans. You know what awaits you in there…” She thumbed the passage out of the anteroom. “Especially for her,” she then indicated Taya.

“We weren’t given a choice. Royal edict.”

“Ouch. Okay, that sucks. Just out of curiousity, did you have a plan for getting back out once you had the rune stone? Maybe something we could both use?”

Wendel raised his brows, thinking. He wasn’t sure he should trust the elves, but he detected no malice or untruth in them, so he decided to take a risk.

“Perhaps. It relates to information I have on which specific stone resides in this dungeon… I have it on authority that the rune is Charding.”

The elf on the floor sat up. “The traveling stone?”

“Indeed.”

‘Red-scarf’ picked it up. “So… you don’t really need an escape plan. You just need to get to the rune stone. Then you can use its power to take you anywhere you want to go. Not bad, human. Of course, that means you have to actually get to the stone, which is no doubt at the far end of this dungeon.”

“To make matters even more interesting,” he continued, “I’m very much assuming that we can even get it to work. While I know a fair amount of the stone’s history and ritual, there could be all sorts of restrictions and requirements I am unaware of.”

“Like what?” asked Taya, feeling genuinely discouraged for the first time since they set out.

“Well, suppose it only works on a full moon? Or anyplace except this dungeon? It could require a blood sacrifice to operate, or a complex collection of specific elements in a specific quantity. Or…”

“Okay, okay,” interrupted the elf on the floor. “We get the idea. It’s a huge risk.”

“There’s one restriction that is highly likely, given that the same kind of restriction is mentioned in some of the other seven stones, and that’s how often it can be used. Only once in a lunar period.”

“Why is that important?” asked Taya.

Wendel turned to face her directly. “Because my original plan, Lieutenant, was to leave you here in this anteroom and make my way through the dungeon alone. Once I had the stone, I could use it to travel back to this room and we would be on our way. Those not-so-friendly Hulik outside have scrapped that idea since it would leave us right where we are now… trapped.”

“You would have left me here?”

The wizard rolled his eyes. “To protect you from what resides in these halls, yes! I’m bound to your uncle, the king. I must obey his command, or find a new sect. I knew what I was getting into here. Not so, you. I would never risk you to the decrepitude that awaits in this place if it were within my ability to prevent it, especially since it’s likely your uncle is merely satisfying his own cruel vendetta!”

“That’s all very touching, human,” said the elf on the bench, “but what you’re really saying is that anyone who wants to have any chance at all of getting out of this place…”

“…Needs to go with me through the dungeon,” he finished.

—-

Wendel looked to each of the females in turn.

“Be sure you understand the stakes. The orcs are here to stay. You’re not going to outlast them, as they can send out hunting parties for food. Stay here, and you’ll likely starve to death waiting them out. If I get through the labyrinth, I’ll have forces sent out to rescue you the second I return to my keep, which would be a minimum of five days. If I fail to reach the stone, which is possible, even likely, then you die.

“And if you go with me, you take on all the same risks I’ll face, plus more. As females, you could face a whole level of unimaginable evils that are probably worse than death. I won’t sugar-coat it… If the dungeon gets you, it almost certainly won’t kill you, at least at the lower levels. It will keep you alive while it rapes your helpless body night and day until every last bit of your will to resist it has been obliterated. You’ll spend the rest of your days as a birthing host for more demonic monstrosities.”

The group was silent for a few long moments.

“Well, human,” said the elf with the red scarf, “not to lessen the seriousness of your speech, but there’ll be no quick death at the hands of the orcs either. They’re absolutely not above raping their victims before eating them living. Personally, this is an easy choice for me. Stay here and risk slow starvation, if the dungeon doesn’t drive me insane just by being here, or walk out and face certain horror and then death, or, risk an even worse end for the chance at freedom. I don’t know about you, but at least if I face the dungeon, I have a hand in my own fate. I’ll take that option any day.

“I’m with her,” said the elf on the floor.

Wendel turned to the last female.

“Taya? You can still choose to stay here. You don’t have to face this nightmare.”

She looked up at him. “I just can’t get over the fact that you were going to leave me out of the battle.”

“Taya… It’s not your bravery, or your skill that was ever in doubt. I just couldn’t bring myself to risk that a creature of such beauty and grace might be so defiled. I couldn’t bear to lose you to a place like this. I couldn’t live with that choice.”

“Then it’s a good thing that the choice isn’t yours to make. I’m going.”

A half hour later, the band of four was carefully heading out of the anteroom and into the dungeon proper. One advantage of having four instead of just two, was that the supplies could be distributed so that they wouldn’t burden anyone excessively. It was agreed that Wendel would lead, followed by the elves, and finally Taya. The wizard enchanted the Lieutenant’s shield so that it glowed like a torch. Together with his staff, they had plenty of light to see where they were going.

“We shouldn’t encounter any of the more dangerous inhabitants until we’re further in,” he explained, “but the more subtle effects of dark magic are already pressing down on us. It will get harder for me to block those effects the longer we are here.”

“Is that why my nipples are itchy?” asked the elf with the red scarf. “I’m Lawen by the way, and this is my sister Peleial.”

“Nice to meet you both… and yes, most likely. I can’t completely block the negative effects, and I’m afraid they’ll be additive to you as well.”

“So… what you’re saying is that we’re all going to get more and more horny for as long as we’re in here?” asked Peleial.

Wendel cleared his throat. It did not escape his attention that he was now traveling with three beautiful women.

“Basically, yes.” He noticed the elf eyeing him. “… And it would be a very good idea not to give in to any temptation that might suggest, since it could increase the hold the dark magic has on us considerably.”

“Party pooper,” she mentioned, smiling.

The outermost passages of the dungeon did not offer heavy resistance, nor did Wendel expect there to be any. There were simple traps, and minor spells, mostly there to weed out the casual adventurer or petty thief. He remembered an old axiom from his brief time as a bartender: You don’t waste the good stuff on drunks and riff raff. The more expensive constructions would be deeper down, waiting patiently for the serious challengers.

And so it was with some surprise that they arrived at an unusual anomaly so soon. About nine meters in diameter, the circular room was empty and featureless save for a meter wide circle etched in the floor, and a small drain. His eyes traveled to the ceiling, where there were a number of small holes, evenly spaced above the circle.

“Some kind of shower?” asked Lawen behind him.

“Maybe. It wasn’t uncommon for dark acolytes to bathe before entering the more holy spaces. Still, I can sense some powerful magic here. We should proceed with caution. Stay absolutely clear of the center circle.”

He indicated how they should stay against the wall, and all seemed to be going well until Peleial cut the arc just a bit.

“Whoop… hey?!” Suddenly, the elf was sliding toward the center of the room. Lawen reached out and snagged her arm, but was pulled a step toward the center, then she too was sliding. Wendel, and finally Taya grasped at their companions, but it was too late. All four were pulled as though sliding down a slope toward the center of the room.

“Not good… NOT good!” commented the elf with the green scarf. She was first to reach the center, where she simply stopped. A second later, her sister ran into her, followed by Taya, and finally the wizard himself.

“Ooof!” he exclaimed as he rather roughly careened into the three other member of his party. With some amount of frustration, they were all pressed together now, inside the circle on the floor.

“Well, that didn’t quite go as planned,” said the Lieutenant, trying to move so that Lawen’s face wasn’t pressing right into her breasts. “Wendel?”

He sighed. “It would seem that the pull of the ground is shifted here so that we are all pretty much laying on each other. Effectively, we are at the bottom of a cone shaped well, where ‘down’ is toward the middle of the room.”

“I didn’t see any ‘cone’ in the floor.” Peleial was squeezed between the wizard and her sister. She was facing Wendel, who looked down at her and frowned at her wiggling.

“It is purely a magical effect, not a physical one. There is nothing to see. The question is, what do we do to get out of this predicament before it gets worse…”

The circle within the floor abruptly dropped a half inch or so, and there was a click somewhere above them.

“It’s worse,” sighed Taya.

“Eww! Something just dripped on my head!” Peleial managed to get her arm up, and was wiping at a semi-clear blob of goo. A second later there was another drop, this time on Taya, then another, and another.

“Is it acid?!” asked the warrior, suddenly very frightened.

Wendel examined the thin stream that had started directly over Peleial, taking a bit of the slippery gel between his fingers.

“No, it’s not caustic…”

The elf breathed a little easier, as did they all, though only for a moment as the drips turned to multiple streams that fell on every one of them.

“Aw man, this stuff is getting everywhere,” commented Lawen.

“If it’s not to dissolve us, then what’s the point?” Taya frowned as one of the streams fell directly into her cleavage and down the front of her torso.

“Yo… Wendel, you picked a really bad time to get aroused, magic man.” Peleial was staring down.

And he suddenly realized what was happening.

“Shit…” he said. “We’re in trouble.”

“Really?!” exclaimed Taya.

“You don’t understand. This isn’t supposed to kill us, at least not right away… It’s a toxin.”

Lawen groaned. “A poison? Aw fuck…”

“I think you may be half right,” he replied. “Remember what I said about not giving-in to temptations of a more sexual nature?…”

“Are you saying this stuff is an aphrodisiac?!” Taya sounded completely disgusted.

“Possibly, but more likely an infusion of the same dark magic that permeates the rest of the dungeon, only in a concentrated form. I can block most of the effects from the non-corporeal essence, but not something that is absorbed directly through the skin. I wasn’t even aware that it had affected me. Sorry.”

“It’s not the first human cock I’ve had sticking in my ribs, boss, but shouldn’t we be leaving before we start boning each other?”

Lawen made a little gasp. “Ohh… so that’s what you meant. I suppose this slime is pretty erotic.” She giggled and then rubbed her breasts against Taya’s belly.

“Ah! Stop that!” exclaimed the human woman, her face clouding over with red.

“Looks like Wendel’s not the only one getting a little stiff…”

At the elf’s words, Taya looked down and saw that the shorter female’s nipples were quite present under the cotton shirt she wore. The goo had also turned the fabric considerably less opaque. To her surprise, Taya could also feel her own nipples aching under her hard leather breastplate strapped over her cotton shift.

“Yes, we need to get away from the streams and out the other side of the room, and quickly.”

“And how do you suggest we do that, stud,” asked Peleial. “Especially when we can hardly do more than squirm against each other.” To Wendel’s continued frustration, the woman demonstrated by undulating her body, an action that caused both the wizard, and the elf’s sister to gasp in surprise.

“Ugh. I… I think we can climb out. I’m going to try to lay down on my back, with my feet in the circle. Then the rest of you can climb up my body like you are climbing a ladder.”

A stream of the goo dripped down Taya’s face and briefly into her mouth. The viscous slime tasted a little like honey, but she spit out of reflex and shook her head.

“Whatever you’re going to do, do it now! I’m starting to feel a little dizzy.”

“Okay, here we go…”

Slowly, Wendel started to crouch, which wouldn’t have been so difficult if he weren’t literally pressed up against Peleial’s body. As his face and hers passed, he noticed that her mouth was open, and her breath was coming in shorter gasps.

“Uh, let me just apologise in advance…”

She just started down at him, the lust in her obviously growing as he was forced to slide past her belly, and then her hips. He was using her bare legs as a brace to steady himself as he ‘leaned back’, when he noticed that she had started to part her thighs. In a panic, he pushed them closed with his hands and heard her gasp.

“Stay in control, Peleial,” he said, briefly looking up at her. “Fight it.”

He saw her blink several times, and then shake her head. She finally looked away, blushing heavily.

“Lieutenant, if this is going to work, I think the strongest person should go first to help ‘lift’ the others out of the well, so to say. I’m man enough to know that’s probably you.”

Taya was lost in the warm, tingly feeling that was slowly spreading out from her middle, and missed the man’s words.

“What? I’m sorry…” And then she laughed. She hadn’t meant to, it just burst out as a single snort. “I feel… I feel weird.”

“It’s the slime. It’s starting to take hold. I need you to go first. Climb up my body and help the others.”

“Okay,” she said, the warmth making her feel almost hot now. “I think I’m drunk.”

He sighed. “Yes. I know. Focus, Lieutenant. Shift around Peleial, go now.”

Wendel watched the group stumble and shift until Taya was nearest him. He silently prayed that they didn’t fall over, as he seriously doubted they would be able to right themselves again. He could also see that they were being continually covered in more and more of the slime. The runnels of the semi-clear toxin were steady and strong now, coating each of the girls in a heavy layer of the slippery substance. ‘Climbing’ up his body wasn’t going to be easy. Taya dropped down as he had, only facing outward toward the room’s exit. She then lowered herself onto his legs and straightened up, forcing her body up his until she was basically face to face with him. Abruptly, he found himself staring into her soft green eyes.

“Hello, Wendel,” she grinned.

“Um… Lieutenant.”

“How come you always call me that?”

“Er, what?”

“‘Lieutenant’. You always call me, ‘lieutenant’ and not Taya. You call Lawen and P… P… Peleial by their names.” She was pouting.

“I… okay, I’ll try to call you Taya more often. You should keep going.”

Suddenly she leaned forward and kissed him. It was probably meant to be a simple peck, but her body shifted and her mouth was pressed against his firmly. He gasped, and her tongue lapped against his even as she let out a deep moan.

Everything in his being wanted to continue that kiss, which was pure heaven, but he knew if he didn’t break it, it would be the last he ever had. Not a bad way to die actually, but… there was so very much to do.

He pushed her body away with his hands. “Taya! Focus. You have to climb!”

“Huh? Oh… right. Okay…” She was in a daze as she continued the ascent up his body, but it seemed to be working. He could use his hands to help her, until she was finally over the edge and in the other hall.

“Okay… Lawen, you’re next.” He looked down and saw the two sisters just standing there. They were facing one another, slowly stroking each other as a shower of slime flowed down over them.

“LAWEN!”

The elf jerked and turned to him, momentarily gaining focus.

“You’re next! Climb!”

Just as with Taya, the shorter female dropped and stretched out on top of him, quietly climbing his body. He could hear her panting, as she tried to ignore the feel of his warm body under her, as well as his very present manhood. She had reached his face, and was slowly leaning in, probably to give him a kiss just as the lieutenant had.

“Taya! Grab her!” He hooked his hands under her arms and lifted. Her crotch just cleared his face (something he thanked the stars for), but he suddenly found that she slipped back down until her buttocks were wedged against the top of his head. This wouldn’t have been a problem, except that the elf’s leather skirt fell over his face, blocking his vision.

“I’m having trouble getting a firm hold on her arms…” He heard Taya say somewhere out of view. “Just hold on!”

“It not like I can go anywhere,” he quipped, which was true. Even his arms were now pinned down by the elf’s legs. He waited patiently, trying very hard to ignore the girl’s slick thighs to either side of his face, or the way she had started to slowly rock her hips, grinding her apex against the top of his head.

“Uh… Taya? You there?”

There was no response, at least from the warrior. Lawen, on the other hand, had only increased her rhythmic motions, which he could tell were getting faster and more intense by the second. It almost seemed like she was undulating her body in a way that would take her down, not up, er, out… and to safety. With an “oh” of realization, he understood that was exactly her intent. Were it not for his quickly tiring hands holding her up, the elf girl would undulate herself right over his face. What she expected him to do when that happened, he wasn’t going to guess, but it was hard enough to pull away from Taya’s simple kiss, let alone the happy cries of an elven beauty as she trembled into orgasm at the touch of his tongue to her clit… Now why would he think that? Oh yeah, the slime.

It seemed that Lawen didn’t need help from his tongue after all, and he felt her orgasm rumble down through her body from her pelvis out. His ears were partially covered by the her trembling thighs, but even still, he could hear her gasping and crying out with pleasure. From the way her crotch spasmed and twitched, he was pretty certain that Lawen had at least two more quick moments of bliss before finally passing out from the ecstasy. At least she wasn’t struggling anymore.

Wendel’s relief was short lived though, as he felt a pair of hands settle onto his knees.

“Paleial?”

The hands were climbing up his legs.

“Hey, I need you to wait a minute for Taya to pull up your sister, okay? Paleial? Oh shit…”

Having reached his waist, the second elf girl pushed open his robes and went right for his belt. This was not good. With his arms pinned by Lawen, he couldn’t even reach down to stop the second elf as she hungrily worked the clasp. It was only the coating of slime that slowed her down.

“Hey… look, why don’t we get out of this trap, and then we can talk about how to deal with your arousal, okay? Peleial? Crap…”

The clasp open, the elf followed the actions of her sister and stretched herself over his body. He could feel what had to be liters of slime slowly oozing off of her body. She’d been standing under the full barrage of the toxic shower the longest, and so would have been exposed to far more of the devious toxins than the rest of their band of four. As her very warm body molded against his, he could feel her literally shaking with lust. Her hands snaked into his robes, pulling up his shirt, and caressing him in a way that left no doubt as to her intentions. He still couldn’t see her, awkwardly stuck as he was under the skirt of her sister, but he could hear her hard breathing and nearly constant mewing as she struggled to contain her blossoming sexual tension.

There were a few brief moments where her hands disappeared, and she seemed to pull her torso away from him. But then she was lowering herself back down, nearly hissing with pleasure as she did so. It was quickly obvious why she was reacting with so much more passion… she had pulled off her own top. Her bare breasts pressed against the flat of his chest, her nipples hard cones of heat in which he swore he could feel her very rapid pulse.

“Taya!” He called out in desperation, but there was still no response, at least from the Lieutenant. Peleial on the other hand, reached up and lifted away the skirt, pushing it up so that he got a clear look at the elvish female straddling him.

Peleial’s eyes had a drunken intensity, and her mouth hung open in breathy lust. She licked her lips, greedily swallowing the sweet nectar that completely covered her body from head to toe. The elf girl had risen up so that her bare upper body was clearly presented to him. Dazzled, he found he couldn’t look away from her pert breasts, their smooth, perfect cones hanging there glistening and slick, just begging to be touched and caressed. With his arms pinned he could do neither of course, but even as he laid there, glad for that fact, he found he couldn’t stop imagining what it would be like to lick them… to take her nipples into his mouth and suckle them until they swelled with her lust.

“Taya…Lieutenant!!” He called out again, louder.

Peleial turned her gaze to his lap, unbuttoning the fly of his pants, her eyes heavy and half-lidded with drugged arousal. Those same eyes slightly widened when she reached in and lifted him free of the garment. Wendle groaned and twitched as she slowly stroked his member, seemingly mesmerized by the feel of it slipping easily through her slick, coated fingers. She curled her digits around him, and licked her lips again. Then, in what he recognized as an almost unconscious decision, she urged her body higher on his, trying to get her hips up closer to his own. This proved difficult, and she slipped back down several times in frustration before she found she could plant the toes of her boots against the rougher stone of the floor like pitons, and then slowly inch her way higher by shifting from side to side. In this manner, the elf girl gradually positioned herself so that his shaft was directly in front of her sex. She was whimpering with need as her legs clutched at him, and her skirt had slipped up her thighs so that he had a clear view of her crotch, which, to his very great surprise, was completely bare. At some point while she was alone under the shower of slime, she must have removed her undergarments. It didn’t really matter except that there was nothing at all preventing her from bringing his member within her now, an action that he was fairly certain would be his undoing. There was no way he’d be able to resist her if she started fucking him, not that he could currently do anything to stop her. He was physically helpless, but transfixed. Already he couldn’t seem to tear his eyes from the glistening petals of her flower. He could see them swelling and opening as she pushed her warmth up against him.

“Ughnnn….” she moaned in dizzy pleasure. The wizard gritted his teeth and fought to push back the maddening arousal he himself experienced. Her lips felt hot against his shaft, and seemed to flow with both the erotic ooze, as well as what must have been her own very plentiful honey. She shifted her hips, sliding along his length, then back down, only to repeat the motion again and again. Her eyes took on an almost feral appearance, and her upper torso shook in rapidly rising passion. Groaning against the erotic onslaught, he could do nothing as the elf finally rose just a little bit higher and captured the tip of his member in her sheath. They both tensed and stopped breathing until his swollen glans popped within her, the tight tunnel of her elven sex having to stretch significantly to accept his larger human phallus.

Wendel found he could barely concentrate, even as Peleial finally exhaled and began to let her own weight gradually draw her body down over him. Her breathing was little more than a series of quick gasps, and he felt her thighs tensing and shifting to guide his mind numbing penetration. She was so small, her weight almost wasn’t enough – but she twisted and twitched and angled herself so that after what seemed an eternity, she was once again seated flush to his hips, the full length of his manhood buried in her quivering furnace.

Unlike any human lover he had taken, his member seemed to fill the elf’s sex completely, not just in girth, but in depth as well. His tip had to be hitting her cervix, and even now, Peleial found it hard to move herself atop him. It was only the coating of slippery goo that allowed her to gently slide him out an inch or so, and then ease his stiff member back to her depths. And the dark magic had done its work – she was now completely lost to the pleasure, her body obviously no longer under her will to control. Her hips rocked atop him in a deadly cadence that she too, was now powerless to stop, and he was physically unable to resist. Once the dark magic had possessed them enough, he wasn’t at all sure he could bring them back.

Her inner muscles were trembling as she neared her moment, when Wendel suddenly found his arms free. A fleeting clarity fell over him as he reached forward to pull the elf from his member, but as his hands settled on her hips, he could find no way to grip her. His fingers merely slipped away from her coated skin, and she continued her mindless fucking without pause. Desperate, he could sense his scrotum tightening as he too neared orgasm, and in one final act of rebellion, he called out.

“TAYA!!”

Gripping the elf’s leather skirts, the wizard used the rush of adrenaline from his own orgasm to give him the strength to lift the female right off his member and over his head. He knew that she had come as well, both from her exuberant cry, as well as the pulsing grip of her sheath as he snapped from her depths.

—

He had no idea of his condition until some indeterminate time later, and was pulled sharply from a whole series of erotc dreams by a cold splash of water across his face.

“Wendel!” repeated Taya for the fourth time. “Wake up!”

She was readying to douse him with yet more water when he stopped her. “I’m awake! I’m awake!”

“About damn time. I need you. I can’t get either of the elf girls to snap out of it. Peleial looks like she may be in real trouble.”

He sat up and realized that he was seated in the hall exiting the round room. Deciding that explanations could wait, he checked himself. Astoundingly, he still had an erection, but at least he was covered. He made a mental note to thank the warrior for that dignity.

Turning to the elf in question, he could immediately see why Taya was worried. Peleial still seemed to be orgasming. Her whole body was arched and tense, her eyes wide as she trembled and gasped for air.

“My bag… please tell me we still have the gear?”

“Most of it. Here.” She handed him his shoulder bag. The wizard quickly rifled through its contents until he found the small bottle he was looking for. Opening it, he carefully smeared some of the contents onto his hands and then started chanting. As he did so, his palms began to glow. Still chanting, he stood and walked to the center of their group, and with a final verse, he loudly clapped his hands together.

There was a pop, and a brief flash, as well as a sudden sulfur smell in the air. Immediately, Peleial collapsed and was still. Taya was blinking, and Lawen groaned and sat up.

“Oh, hells and bells,” she said, rubbing her temples. “You used a clearing charm, didn’t you?”

“I did. Sorry. It was necessary.”

“Fuck. I hate those things. Removes all the wonderful effects of being drunk, but totally leaves in the hangover.”

“A ‘clearing charm’?” quired Taya.

“Cheap Vale magic, my dear. Found at any common supply shop worth it’s salt.” He was examining the unconscious elf. As an afterthought, he reached back over to his bag and extracted one of his own shirts, draping the garment across her bare chest.

“How is she?” asked the Lieutenant.

“I’m not sure. The stimulating effects of the slime have been counteracted, but her mind is still having to deal with so much pleasure. How long was she, er…”

“About ten minutes. Just out of curiosity, why didn’t the same thing happen to you, or Lawen for that matter?”

“Peleial!” shouted the other elf after seeing her sister. “What happened?!”

“She came,” replied Taya dryly.

“Is she going to be okay?”

Wendel sighed. “As I said, I don’t know. Probably, but it could take a bit. We don’t seem to be in any immediate danger, so we’ll wait here if need be. To answer your question, Liueten… Taya, Peleial was caught in the full stream of the slime, while the rest of us were only being covered for a short time. She was literally bathed in the stuff. I also think she may have ingested some. She was licking her lips in earnest while she was, uh…”

“Fucking you?”

Lawen looked at the tall woman, and then at Wendel, her brows rising.

“My arms were pinned under your unconscious body, when your sister decided to start climbing out of the well. She got a little distracted at my groin…”

“Unconscious? Why was I… Oh.” She glanced at my head and blushed.

“Ughnnn…” moaned Peleial, stirring. When she finally opened her eyes, Lawen was smiling down at her.

“Welcome back!”

“Ummmm… Laws, I feel like I’ve been run over by a Shetland Charger. What happened?”

“Well, magic man here says you sorta got caught in a ten minute orgasm. I think that might be a new record for you.”

“Whoa… Wait, I remember getting nearly drowned in goo, and climbing out of the trap, and…” She turned her head to the wizard, who waved his fingers at her. “I… I…” she stammered, her face turning nearly as red as Taya’s hair.

“…Were not yourself,” he finished for her, smiling. “No, you rest,” he added when she tried to sit up. “We seem to be safe for the moment.”

Leaving the two sisters, Wendel took Taya by the elbow and moved a short ways down the hall, out of earshot.

“You mentioned that we managed to salvage most of the supplies, but not all. What did we lose?”

“Some of the food. The pack that Peleial was carrying. I think it had medical supplies…”

“That’s unfortunate. There were some herbs in that bag that we might have used to help against the dark magic. No use worrying over it. Taya, I just wanted to thank you. I don’t know how you did it, but I’m pretty sure I’d be lost to this place if it weren’t for you. And the sisters as well.”

“Forget about it. Just being part of the team and all that…”

“Taya… I mean it. And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry I ever doubted you.”

She just stared at him for a few moments, considering.

“Come to think of it, how did you get us out of there?” he asked.

He enjoyed seeing her half-grin return. She fetched her spear from where it was leaning against the wall. Turning it over, he saw a ‘U’ shaped bar of metal attached to the end.

“What is that?”

“Assault hook. We use them when we need to scale walls or climb trees. It takes a few minutes to attach, but once it was on, I was able to reach you all easily.”

“Huh. Pretty clever, Lieutenant… er…”

“That’s okay. I’ll let you have that one.”

It seemed like a good time to stop for a meal, so after distributing rations, Wendel collected a few of their extra weapons and presented a selection to the sisters.

“Each of you take your pick. We’ll be getting into more dangerous territory soon, so you might as well be armed.”

Lawen choose a long dagger that nearly doubled as a sword for someone her size, and Peleial reluctantly decided on a set of three throwing knives.

“I would have preferred a bow. I’m a pretty decent shot.”

“She really is,” chimed in her sister.

“I believe you. Be judicious with your throws… we don’t have replacements.”

Armed and fed, the group continued into the deeper levels of the dungeon. Simple traps started to come less often, though Wendel never let up checking, and they started to encounter more difficult natural denizens. These were the creatures that *lived* in places like this… slimes, creepers, giant rats. Some they could just avoid, while others had to be faced. Wendel took most of them, conjuring up a flaming tar ball, or a cone of cold so intense that it froze many of their enemies solid.

Taya proved her skills with her spear, when a rat the size of a small bear charged them from a side tunnel. Wendel needed time to set up his spells, but the Lieutenant moved so quickly that the beast was dead on the ground before either of the elves even noticed it was coming.

Another change they noticed was the forward nature of the dungeon itself. There were a number of times when they encountered steep slopes covered in ooze, and natural drops that weren’t that hard to get down, but would be quite difficult to traverse in the opposite direction.

Finally, after clearing yet another room of large spiders, Wendel called a break.

“We’ll be getting into the heart of the labyrinth soon, and the creatures we find there are going to be a lot more… challenging. We’ll stop here for a bit to rest and eat. Taya, you have the first watch. I’ll make lunch.”

The warrior nodded, and checked the doorway exiting the room, setting her shield to give her illumination of anything that might try to pass through.

“Can I help?” asked Peleial quietly as he gathered food items.

He regarded her for a moment, then smiled. “Sure. Help me cut up this bread. It won’t be any good by the end of the day… not in here. So we might as well enjoy it now.” He handed her the loaf. She made use of one of her throwing knives to carve portions for each of them.

“Wendel… I… I also wanted to apologise for… forcing myself on you. Whether or not the slime was affecting me, it was still wrong. I’m… sorry.”

He sighed and patted her hand. “Forget about it. It’s not as if it was some horrible torture or anything.” They laughed.

“You’re not like most humans I have met,” she added.

“Have you met many wizards?”

“Uh… just you.”

He nodded. “We’re different all right. We spend a lot of time in your part of the world, actually.”

She looked surprised. “In the Vale? Why?”

“That’s where the magic is. The human realms have mostly given up on magic… except when it suits them politically. That why they keep people like me around.”

“Just in case they need to get their hands on a demonic rune stone…”

“Exactly.”

She frowned. “The funny thing is, I think you know more about our magic than we do.”

“Really? How so?” he asked.

“We take it for granted… the magic I mean. It’s so a part of our day to day lives, that we forget how certain things work. Sure, many of our leaders have really powerful spells and artifacts, but it’s magic they obtained from other places in the Vale, not something they created themselves. There are very few of us that still know how to create magic from the Essence up, you know? Kind of like you do.”

He considered this. “It’s true that my kind values the fundamentals more than anything else, but your people have a connection that I could never dream of matching. I am a mere practitioner of magic. You,” he placed his hand on her shoulder, “live and breathe it.”

That seemed to please the elf. Finally, she handed him the bread slices and sighed.

“You really should tell her you know.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Taya. You should tell her how you feel about her.”

Wendel blinked.

“I don’t know…”

“Yes you do,” she stopped him. “You’re good with magic, I read people. I could tell you’re infatuated with her from the moment we gathered back in that anteroom. You should tell her. She likes you too.”

“She does? I think you’re mistaken. She scowls at me nearly every chance she gets.”

The elf grinned. “Be-cause she likes you. I think that’s her way of expressing her frustration over having to share you with Lawen and I… Your attention I mean, not the, er… other thing… um… yeah. I’m just going to go hand out the lunches now.”

He watched the elf as she delivered their meal to the others, wondering if it were true, what she had said. Was he infatuated with Taya? She had certainly commanded a lot of his private thoughts of late. If it were true, it was definitely going to complicate things.

—

Traveling deeper into the dungeon turned out to be more literal than figurative for the next leg of their journey, as once again the floor sloped downwards at a considerable angle.

“Is it getting hotter?” asked Taya from the back of their group.

Wendel stopped for a moment and turned. “Hotter and more humid. I expect it will only get worse for a bit.”

“Shards of Eris, I’m sweating runnels,” commented Lawen as she pulled the strings loose at the front of her shirt and fluffed the collar. The change in her garment left a pretty obvious swath of flesh visible, as well as a lot more cleavage. The mage ignored the display, or rather tried to, turning his eyes back to their progress.

They came to a level room a few minutes later, but the wizard had them stay in the hall.

“The floor’s a checkerboard…” mentioned Peleial. “That can’t be good.”

“It isn’t,” he sighed, and then crouched down rubbing his chin. “White or purple? White or purple?” he muttered.

“I hate purple,” said Lawen. “Reminds me of trolls blood.”

“Me too,” said Taya behind her, smiling. The elf turned and looked up at the woman with raised eyebrows.

“I bet that’s a good story.”

“Very good. If we make it out of this, I’ll buy you a tall glass of good wine and tell it to you.”

“Deal.”

“Right,” commented Wendel rising again. “Stay off the purple.” He turned again and looked directly at Peleial. “Seriously.”

The elf blushed.

Moving slowly, and spread out to avoid any possibility of overlap, they carefully traversed the room until they were nearly all the way across.

“Wendel…” said Taya, sounding somewhat concerned. “There’s a purple circle where the checkerboard ends on this side.”

He was frowning. “I see it.”

“What do you suppose it means,” she asked, slowly pulling her shield off her back.

He was squinting. “It’s… not a trap. More like an illusion… to hide something.”

“Hide what?” asked Peleial.

He still couldn’t make it out. Even uttering a revealing charm did nothing but make the circle shimmer. There was definitely something there… Something big.

“Uh, maybe we should move back for a moment. I’d like to be sure that…”

RAAAWWR!!

A massive worm-like creature erupted out of the ground within the purple circle and reared up above them. The end of the slimy denizen split open, to reveal an even slimier maw surrounded by flailing tentacles.

“Back! Get back!” yelled Wendel as he started hopping from white tile to white tile. He had only gone two or three steps back when he heard Lawen scream. Turning, he could see that the girl elf was waist deep in a purple square, or what used to be a purple square. Now, it was a fleshy pore that sucked and twisted around her hips as though trying to draw her deeper in. Worse, the elf’s arms had already been pulled in, and she didn’t seem to be able to draw them out away from her sides. He quickly changed direction and headed for her while checking on the beast. He was shocked to see Taya standing her ground against the creature, shield in hand.

“Don’t just stand there, go help her!!” yelled the warrior. “I’ll deal with this!”

Amazed by her bravery, Wendel continued over to the trapped elf and arrived almost the same time as her sister.

“Lawen!! Wendel, do something!” she begged as she tried in vain to pull the other free. When it was obvious that she wasn’t getting her out that way, she picked up Lawen’s long dagger and was about to stab it into the fleshy surface. The wizard just caught her arm.

“NO! It has teeth! If you try to hurt it, it’ll kill her!”

Lawen struggled in vain. “Well, do SOMETHING, before it eats… m-m-me… ughnnn!”

“Lawen! What’s happening?” Her sister was starting to panic.

“Ahh! Oh god… ughmmm… It…It’s v-vibrating, ughn… inside.”

Wendel frowned. “Damn… Peleial, take her dagger and see if you can help Taya from a distance. Don’t get too close! I’ll help Lawen.”

“But…”

“Anything I do for your sister will be for naught if we don’t deal with that worm! GO! Now!” He pressed the long blade into the girl’s hand. “And for goddess sake, DON’T step in a purple square.”

She shook her head and was off.

“Y-you… ughnn s-sent her away on… on… ah!… purpose, didn’t y-you?” stated the trapped elf.

The wizard was searching his shoulder bag with haste. “Yes.”

“I… I’m going to… ughnn!… ah!.. I’m going to d-die, aren’t I? UGHmmm…”

He looked her directly in the eyes, his hand coming up to cup her chin. “Not if I can help it. Listen carefully. This creature is tricky. It feeds on your sexual energy, and that’s why it’s vibrating. It’s trying to arouse you.”

“It’s doing… ughn… a r-really good, j-job, too… UGHN, oh god…”

“Lawen, I’m going to try some things, but you have to resist as much as you can. Try not to have an…”

“Oh god… I… I… ah! ahh! AHH! UGHNNN!” the elf’s head went back as her whole body spasmed in obvious ecstasy. And just as she peaked, Wendel saw her slip another inch into the mouth of the creature.

“…orgasm.”

—

Taya was having problems of her own. For a creature as thick as an elephant, the worm was considerably more agile. It also had a half dozen tentacles spaced around its mouth that were constantly trying to snare her. It was strong, fast, and had a lot more arms than she did. About the only advantage she had was that the worm didn’t appear to be very smart. It was easily misled and tricked. She also suspected that it’s vision might be limited, its eyes being located on its flank just behind the gaping mouth, but she wasn’t about to bet her life on that hunch. Somehow, it knew how to strike her, even when she was directly in front of it.

Peleial hadn’t been much help. It wasn’t her fault. Going against an enemy the size of a house, armed with a dagger, is pretty hopeless. Taya wasn’t even sure that the beast noticed that it had swung to the side and knocked the little female right into the wall. She saw the elf slump to the floor, unconscious. As long as the worm wasn’t interested in her, she was probably safer that way.

It roared again, swinging one of its tentacles against her shield hard enough to nearly knock her over. Fortunately, it hadn’t figured out to push her back into the checkerboard traps, where her movement would be much more limited. It did, however, take advantage of her stumble, and reached in with two other tentacles from the other side. The first wrapped around her spear, nearly yanking it from her grasp, and the other meant to hit her face. She pulled her head back at the last moment, and the slime-coated pseudo-limb smacked the top of her chest, splattering her with goo and forcing her momentarily to her knee. The tentacle didn’t simply pull back for another attack, however, and curled downward into her shirt.

“Oh shit…” was all she had time to say before the limb jerked forward. Her armor popped in several places, literally ripped from the straps. She held on to her weapon, but she was pulled much closer to the creature than she was comfortable with. It also gave her a very up-close view as the beast shoved her chest plate into its mouth, which immediately closed its fleshy lips tightly around the morsel and sucked it inside. There was a slight undulation in the body of the worm as it swallowed the item whole and sent it downward toward its belly somewhere below. Wendel’s warning flashed through her thoughts, about how the creatures this deep wouldn’t kill them. She had a very bad feeling that getting swallowed by the worm would only be the beginning of a whole new hell, rather than her death.

Taya deflected another tentacle from the side with her shield, but missed one coming up under her. She kept it from twisting around her leg by doing a little dance, and she was just about to congratulated herself on the fancy footwork when that same tentacle snapped upward, knocking her shield right out of her hand. She watched it sail over to a corner of the room, where it banged loudly against the wall and was still. Turning back to the worm, she expected it to take advantage of the loss by attacking with its tentacles. Instead, she saw the monster open its mouth wide and start start to rumble. Her brows had barely furrowed in confusion before there was a loud FOOOP, and a large ball of mucus blasted out of the maw and hit her dead on.

It really didn’t have to be that accurate, since there was so much of the stuff. She managed to put up her arm, which kept the sticky mass from covering all of her face, but it still slapped over her mouth, torso, and legs, wrapping clear around her body. Gallons of the warm, slightly green goo hung from her limbs and pooled around her legs as she tried to recover from the shock of the disgusting attack, and remembering the last time she had been bathed in slime, she decided to keep her lips shut tight to avoid taking any into her mouth. That turned out to be a mistake.

Again, she expected the creature to take advantage of her position, but when she looked up, she saw it moving back out of range. The behavior confused her until she went to wipe away the mass from her face… Her arm was nearly stuck to her side. The mucus was hardening around her.

For the first time since they had entered the room, Taya felt real fear. This was bad… Really bad. She tested her feet and found her legs to be even more thoroughly cemented in place than the rest of her. She could literally sense the runny snot turning into a tough, rubber-like resin even as she stood there. In the time it had taken her to understand what was going on, her entire body had been nearly immobilized. She couldn’t even open her mouth to call for help anymore. Silenced and helpless, she could do little more than watch in terror as the worm leaned forward and reached its tentacles out to her, the glistening flaps of flesh around its mouth quivering in anticipation, almost as though it were excited to have caught such as tasty meal.

But the multiple arms of the beast did not simply grasp her and toss her into the maw as it had with her armor, instead, they curled around her form and began to stroke her, feeling her shape and encircling her slowly, almost sensually. Three of the six tentacles continued their now obviously erotic exploration of her, while two more limbs took a more aggressive approach. The first she saw slither under her and out of view, but the second slid right down her bare belly and into the top of her pants. The hardened mucus seemed to melt back into softness wherever it touched, and with a gasp, she felt it press past her belt and drop into her undergarments. With her heart rate increasing rapidly, there was nothing she could do to stop the creature as it reached the fleshy limb over her sex… and then slowly into her.

“MMMMPH!! UGHMMM!!”

She wanted to scream, but the hard excreta covering her mouth made it impossible. She strained and pulled at her bonds, but the goo had done its job well, completely locking her in place so that the beast would be free to move on to more sinister intentions. Taya knew her time was short when the tentacle that had gone under her dropped into her pants from the back. It slid easily down the space between her buttocks, and settled against the puckered hole of her anus.

“NNNNMMMM!!” she pleaded vainly as the tendril patiently worked itself against the opening until it was able to slide a smaller extension of itself beyond the sphincter. Once it had lubricated her, she found she could no longer hold it back, and with a rush of deep pleasure, it joined the other limb within her body.

Completely distracted by what was happening at her hips, the warrior failed to see the last of the worms tentacles drop down in front of her face. Before she had a chance to react, it darted forward and pressed right through the hard shell of mucus and into her mouth. She tasted its salty sweet flesh as it undulated down her throat just shy of gagging her, and then was still. Penetrated completely, Taya wondered what it was up to, when there was a sudden rush of warmth in her mouth. A thick, honey-like liquid erupted from the end of the tentacle and ran down her throat. She was forced to swallow the substance, or choke, and more and more seemed to come forth even as she did. Knowing that taking the nectar into herself was surely a very bad thing, she was suddenly even more concerned to feel a similar rush of warmth filling her rectum. A second later, the tentacle in her sex completed the tripple ejaculation, pumping her deepest reaches with the hot liquid, forcing it into her in pulsing waves until it overflowed out and down her trapped legs.

The orgasm that slipped over her was devastating. Bound within the mucus, she couldn’t pull away. She couldn’t even move. It was all she could manage to just tremble in ecstasy.

And having done their work, the tentacles slipped out of her body, giving her a second briefer orgasm before disappearing. Moaning, she forced her eyes up and again saw the creature pull back as if it were simply watching her… waiting. And then she knew why…

Taya suddenly felt dizzy and weak, a powerful euphoria spreading over her mind as the worm’s toxins settled fully into her bloodstream. Like the paralyzing sting of a wasp, it had injected its venom into her body and was merely waiting for it to seal her fate. When she could no longer offer any resistance, it would suck her down its long gullet just like it had her armor. Her control started fading at her fingertips first, then her toes, gradually working inward up her arms and legs. She realized in profound horror, that it wasn’t a numbness. It was just paralysis. The worm wanted her to be fully aware of what it was about to do to her…

—

Wendel cursed again. Nothing seemed to be working against the damned creature that was quickly pushing Lawen towards yet another orgasm. He had tried dispelling any magical hold, even stunning it. It was incredibly resistant to magical attacks (it had a constant source of energy in Lawen), and he couldn’t use physical attacks against it because it would chew her to ribbons. Meanwhile, the poor elf was really starting to lose it. She had come about four more times, and was sunk into the creature almost to the bottoms of her breasts. He knew that the next few orgasms would undoubtedly start her into a cycle that would have her completely consumed in mere minutes.

“Stay with me, Lawen… Talk to me. Tell me what’s going on.”

She was twitching and gasping, but her eyes refocused a little, and she looked up at him with a terrible desperation.

“I… I c-c-can’t resist it any… ughnnn!… more… AH! AH!… m-m-make it stop-p! Ah, god… n-no…”

“You’ve got to keep trying. Don’t lose hope! I’m going to get you out of this…”

He wasn’t at all sure how he was going to manage that, but he wouldn’t give up. “Keep talking. It helps you to focus.” He continued to look through his meager supplies for something he might have missed.

She shook her head back and forth, trying to throw off the constant mind-numbing pleasure that surrounded her entire lower half.

“It… ughn… I think.. it’s g-got my b-belt… oh god… ughn… UGHN!…”

“Fight it, Lawen!”

She was whimpering. “Oh! Ughmm… It… <puff puff>… oh no… ughn… m-my skirt! Please, n-nooo… ahhh! It’s p-pulling my sk-sk-skirt down! AHH! AHH! It’s s-so much worse bare!… AHH! UGHNN!”

“Hold on!…” He tried a poison anti-toxin… to no avail.

Shaking, her eyes were pleading as she struggled to hold off her moment. He could see she was losing fast.

“Ohgodohgod…. no please… ughnn! It’s… It’s… noooo… it’s pushing my th-thighs apaaaaartohgodAHH! AHH! UGHNNN!!”

Suddenly, her whole body undulated and arched within the living pocket of flesh that squeezed around her. Her eyes closed tight as her mouth fell open in impossible pleasure, the shock of release after holding back for so long nearly dislocating her own shoulders. Helplessly, Wendel watched as her form was sucked downward with a wet slurping sound. Her shirt had been gradually pushed up her torso, so that her breasts now slipped naked into the slick mouth of the demonic trap. The creature seemed to shudder with glee at the new sensual bits to torment, and the wizard saw Lawen’s body start to bob up and down in a repeating pattern. It was a pattern he had seen before… in her sister Peleial, as she had pistoned up and down on his shaft, fucking him back in the round slime room. Only he was pretty sure it was the creature pistoning in and out of her depths now that it had open access to her apex… It was a good ten seconds before Wendel realized he had been just sitting there watching the girl, mesmerized by the erotic sight. The dark magic had tricked him into losing even more of what little time he had left to save Lawen.

The elf girl continued to shudder, never quite coming down from her ecstasy. Once it had her clothes, there was nothing to stop it from reaching in and taking her much more intimately. With her body so hyperstimulated, the elvish maiden was now unable to shake the overpowering pleasure even enough to catch her breath. He could see that she was now slowly sliding down without pause.

“NO! I will not let you be food for this monstrosity! I… I… Wait! That’s it!” Quickly, he reached for Lawen’s bag, specifically her food rations. It took him a second or two, but he found the jar he was looking for and turned back to the girl. The fleshy lips were sliding over her shoulders, even as her eyes stared up at the ceiling in glassy ecstasy, her mouth a frozen “O” of passion. He could hear her quick gasps as her body fought to draw enough breath to stay conscious.

“You like it spicy? Try this, you slimy fuck!” He then dumped a huge handful of red powder into his hand and shoved it right into the opening along the elf girl’s body. He reached in as far down as his arm would allow, clear past her belly, until he realized he was just below the apex of her spread thighs. There, he could feel a thick, tongue-like muscle thrusting rhythmically into her bared quim with long, deep strokes. Opening his hand, he did his best to spread the spice on as much of that sinewy muscle as he could.

It was a very risky procedure. If things didn’t work out like he hoped, he’d be unlikely to get his arm back out of the creature’s mouth. It would suck him on in just as it was doing to Lawen, who was right up to her neck in the foul trap. His face was just pressing against the slippery folds that would lead to his end, when there was a different kind of shudder from the creature. With a jerk, it squeezed him and the elf hard, but then almost immediately backed away again. There was a deep, rumbling sort of burbling from somewhere below, and then he and Lawen were both ejected from the mouth in a geyser of phlegm and slime.

Pulling her safely away from the monster, he rolled her onto her back and rapidly patted her cheeks.

“Come on, Lawen… Fight your way back… That’s it…”

With a few violent heaves of her chest, the elf coughed and then groaned loudly.

“Shiiiit… <cough> I… oww, my pussy burns… It stings!”

“Well of course it does. I shoved enough hot banus pepper down there to choke a Letharian fire dragon. Hold on…”

Lawen was moaning with her hands between her legs when he returned with a different jar. He opened the container and scooped a large handful of the thick, white cream onto his fingers. Then, he pushed her resisting thighs open and plopped his palm right onto her sex, smearing the cooling balm through her petals and directly into her very slick center.

“Ohhh… yessssAHHH!!” she cried out, and launched directly into a tense, but thankfully brief orgasm around his fingers. When she was finally still, he gently removed his digits and collapsed onto his own back, exhausted. He was also so painfully aroused that his penis felt like it was going to burst apart.

—

Taya wanted to run. She would have run, if she were able. Despite all her training, all the skilled foes she had faced on the battlefield, nothing could have prepared her for this. She saw how easily she had been tricked by the demonic worm, lured into thinking that it could be defeated as any large mindless beast. She saw how all its actions had been designed to bring her in close enough so that it could launch its real attack… pinning her in place with a sticky ball of mucus. Once she was unable to escape, it had moved in for the kill, quickly filling her every hole with its debilitating toxins, and rendering her utterly helpless.

Alone, beaten, and now drugged into silent paralysis, she could only watch in terror as the evil creature seemed to quiver with anticipation. With an almost gleeful hunger, it slowly drew its mouth closer to her, testing to be sure its prey wasn’t somehow deceiving it. She just wanted it to be over. She just wanted it to kill her and be done with, but she knew that wasn’t going to happen either. Even if it ate her whole, which she fully expected it to, it wouldn’t be her end. Wendel was clear about that. She would be taken down into the literal bowels of the dungeon where she would be continually sexually tormented and impregnated over and over again… Kept alive as a birthing host for an endless stream of foul creatures to inhabit Volscork’s labyrinth. Even the vile worm that had so easily beaten her, could have been born from the womb of some other previous adventurer. The idea that she would be used in such a foul way was what distressed Taya the most about her current situation, though she doubted that she would care much about anything in a few short minutes. Very soon, the beast would start it’s slow rape of her mind, body, and soul, and there was unlikely to be anything left but her physical flesh by day’s end.

So it wasn’t unexpected to see the tentacles gently winding around her body, but it was a bit of a surprise to feel them caressing her curves instead of just throwing her inside its gaping maw. She inwardly despaired, realizing that it planned to play with its food first.

The hardened mucus prison turned to a slick goo all around her, and she heard her spear fall with a plop to the ground. The worm held her up almost lovingly, gently positioning her body. She didn’t understand what it was doing until it peeled her shift over her shoulders. She felt another pair of the sinister hands at her belly and she suddenly wanted to scream again. It wasn’t just playing with her, it was stripping her bare.

The remnants of her shift vanished into the maw with little effort, since it had basically ripped it open from front to bottom when it took her chest armor. Her pants were another matter, but the creature’s intelligence seemed well to the task, easily working her belt and shifting the garment and her panties over her hips. Her boots slid away, and then the leather guarded trousers and undergarments, leaving her completely naked.

The limbs then returned to the task of arousing her, gently teasing her held body all at once. It slipped one tentacle between her legs, letting it slide back and forth over her until she was nearly on the brink of orgasm again. Then, with a final bit of mocking evil, it seemed to take great delight in positioning her so that she would be forced to watch the great mouth as it came closer and closer even as it pleasured her body into equally inescapable bliss.

Continued in Chapter 2

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