Dungeon of Desire: Level 2

Despite Theayala's assurances about her protective runes, Xunaxa had difficulty sleeping. Part of it was worrying about goblins, part of it was being so close to people she still hardly knew and trusted only a little more.

And part of it was what had happened before.

In her mind she kept playing Theayala's words. I thought perhaps the two of you would join us. Join her and Lurrock in fucking in the steam by the hot springs. Xunaxa had watched the elf-woman suck the dwarf's cock, then ride him until they both reached climax. After so much magic, I needed a release.

As she had before, Xunaxa realised that Theayala's words had drawn a veil over her meaning. Looking into those slanted emerald eyes, and listening to that soft voice, it was hard not to nod along with everything she said. Yet afterwards it always seemed as if her answer only raised more questions.

If all she wanted was a release, she'd got it from Lurrock. The dwarf had been quite capable of satisfying her. So why would she need Arivor and me? Just for fun? Theayala didn't seem the type to do anything just for fun.

I hope that you at least enjoyed watching. Well yes, Xunaxa and Arivor had enjoyed it. To Xunaxa's surprise, and Arivor's as well.

She wasn't sure how she felt about what had happened. She'd initiated it, and the knight had been respectful, but...

But he was still a boor who called her a she-demon, and he'd only put his lips between her legs to return the favour of her tugging him off. As soon as she'd climaxed -- Fuck, what he did to me! -- he announced they were done. I don't like owing anyone, he said, and when his debt was paid he ended the tryst.

I hope that you at least enjoyed watching. Was there something more behind the elf's words? Had she expected it to happen? That seemed impossible. The tiefling and the knight had been at each other's throats since the moment they met.

She bit down a curse. It was no use. She'd never get any sleep if she kept worrying. Around her in the near-total blackness of the cavern she could hear Lurrock's rumble -- not quite a snore -- and Arivor's softer breathing. Overlaid over it all was a hum that came in regular harmonies from Theayala, who sat upright, her eyes closed and her hands on her knees. Her chest rose and fell evenly, and the soft purple material of her robe tightened and loosened around her full breasts.

Xunaxa watched for a moment, demon-blood eyes accustomed to the dark, then turned over and pulled her blanket over her head. She decided to imagine what might have happened if Arivor had been a bit more willing. She might still not be able to sleep, but at least her thoughts were more enjoyable.

She only got as far as picturing that scarred hand of his cupping her breast before she was asleep.

*

She wasn't sure at first what woke her. Everything was still black, and Lurrock and Arivor's breathing was as steady and even as before.

The only difference was that Theayala's song had ceased. Xunaxa had heard it in her dreams as a gentle melody that cradled her spirit.

Then the darkness lifted a little. She recognised it as Theayala's loyal ball of magic light. Time to rise, presumably. She rolled onto her back, discarding her blanket, and stretched. "Morning," she murmured, then worked her tongue to moisten her mouth.

Theayala was still sitting as before, though now her eyes were open and the light hovered by her shoulder. "Good morning." Her voice was as smooth as if she'd been awake for an hour. "Although outside these caves the sun has not risen yet."

Xunaxa wondered how the elf knew, but decided against asking. She probably wouldn't get a straight answer anyway. Instead, she clambered to her feet and stretched. "Should we wake the men?"

Theayala glanced at them. "Let them rest for now. It will afford us some privacy." She smiled suddenly. "If we could bring some water, we could tell them to wash here."

Xunaxa found herself grinning back.

An hour later they set out. The mood this morning -- if it was morning -- was lighter than it had been the day before. The two women had watched as Arivor and Lurrock refreshed their half-naked bodies with cold water that Xunaxa brought in a large bucket conjured out of nowhere by Theayala. The men had pointedly ignored the watching women, and Xunaxa's exaggerated leers, but they'd clearly enjoyed the attention.

The group made their way to where Theayala and Lurrock had found the passages to the goblins' hideout the day before. They were still close enough to the hot spring that steam hung thick in the air.

Xunaxa caught Arivor glancing at her. When he noticed her looking back, he smiled, and her lips curled up in response. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all. I wonder how he'd react if I told him that now I owe him? The thought of returning the favour with her mouth -- and then demanding that he redress the new imbalance -- sent a sudden heat into her stomach and below.

Focus! she scolded herself silently. You're about to assault a goblin chief and his band, not sneak off into a dark corner to fuck.

She managed to drag her attention back to the present as Lurrock, ahead of her, halted. "This looks like the main way in." His voice was like a rockslide on the surface. "They like to use traps."

Xunaxa didn't wait for anyone to speak. She stepped past the dwarf, eyes searching for the telltale signs of unnatural lines. Theayala's light bobbed closer, and she glanced over her shoulder and nodded her thanks.

Eyes peeled, she moved forward slowly. The elf came close behind, her soft boots silent on the stone. From the way she held her head it was clear she was listening for any sounds. The men kept a few paces back.

They continued this way for a while. Xunaxa's uneasiness grew with every pace. "Where are they?" she whispered. "Where are the traps? What are we missing?"

"I hear something." It was Theayala's voice, soft and insistent. "Water, I think. Running water."

They halted, looked at each other, then peered into the dark. The small globe of light floated ahead, bobbing up and down and sending shadows dancing across the walls of the passage.

Gradually an arch appeared, opening up into blackness. The light only reflected on an uneven bridge spanning a great nothing. The sound of running water was clear, though distorted, as if echoing on stone walls far below.

Soft clinks and shuffling footsteps behind them warned that the warriors were approaching. The scent of metal, oil and man sweat reached Xunaxa's nostrils, and she forced herself not to look around.

"If I were planning an ambush," Arivor breathed, "another ambush, that's where I'd do it."

Lurrock rumbled in agreement. "Lure us here, smooth the way, then catch us out there in the open."

"Archers on the far side." Arivor sounded almost distracted. "Behind large shields, with pikes to keep us off. More archers wherever they can find a perch. A charge from behind to force us out there..."

"We would be fools to let them trap us like that." Theayala's tone was decisive. "If we move forward, we will be caught. If we stay here, we will be forced out, whatever our intentions."

"Then back we go." Xunaxa didn't hesitate. She turned and headed off the way they'd come. Not quite running -- the men would have difficulty keeping up -- but moving swiftly. She pulled out Demon's Tongue as she walked and began to swing it in tight circles.

She heard the others following, and the glow from Theayala's light grew. She waved them back before they came close, though. By herself in the dark she'd stand a better chance of spotting trouble.

Her ears caught it before her eyes did. The scrape of metal on rock, perhaps a score of paces ahead. She froze, raising a hand behind her to stop the others. Fuck, trapped!

"Xunaxa." It was Theayala's voice, low and almost inaudible in the blackness. "Back here."

Eyes still watching for enemies, she retraced her steps, trying to be as silent as possible. As she approached the small group, she noticed that the elf's light was dimmed, hanging close to the stone overhead, and that the elf and Arivor both had their heads turned up.

As she approached, she whispered, "They're up ahead. Perhaps thirty paces."

A flush spread across Lurrock's bald scalp. "Mudfucker spawn." His hand caressed the head of his hammer. "If I was by myself..."

"Even if you were by yourself," Theayala broke in, "I would not let you have a glorious stand to take as many of them with you as your hammer could reach." She placed a hand on his mailed shoulder, close enough to his head that her fingers disappeared beneath his bushy beard. "You have people at home. And we need you a while longer yet."

Arivor glanced at Xunaxa. "There seems to be a chimney in the rock up there. Can you reach it?"

She looked at the others before answering. "If you give me a boost." She stuffed her chain back into its pouch and slipped her pack from her shoulders.

The knight presented his hands and she put a foot in them. This close, she was unable to block out the scent of his body. She swallowed, smiled at him, then looked up. There was a black hole above her.

"Alright," she whispered, and tried not to think of how close Arivor's mouth was to her body as she shot up. Her fingers grabbed and found handholds, and with the help of the strong hands under her foot she pulled herself up through a short funnel-shaped hole. A few heaves and she found herself on a flat surface.

Theayala's light followed her up to reveal a rough-hewn passage, little more than a natural fissure, that angled down and away.

She turned back to the hole and called down. "There seems to be a way out. It's big enough for all of us."

She heard Lurrock rumble, "You go, lad. I'll help." Moments later Arivor's handsome face appeared before her, none the worse for the traces of dampness that made his curls stick to his forehead.

Xunaxa let him clamber up by himself. He puffed a little, then joined her to peer back down into the blackness below. "My shield?"

It appeared almost instantly, followed by Lurrock's shield and all their packs, and then by Theayala. She let the knight seize her by the arms and lift her up, smiling warmly as he placed her carefully on her feet.

"What about Lurrock?" Xunaxa drew out Demon's Tongue and held it up. "If I let my chain down, can we pull him--?"

But the sorceress had her eyes closed and her hands spread over the hole. Her snake, wrapped around her wrist, lifted itself forward, tongue licking at the air. Theayala's lips moved as if she was murmuring a secret to herself. A flush spread on her neck, and Xunaxa noticed her nipples swell up and press against her robe.

Metal scraped on stone, and Lurrock's head came into view, shining in the dim light. The tattooed hammer stood out in stark contrast. His eyes were squeezed tight shut and his mouth was working, almost in imitation of Theayala's it seemed, and he held his hammer clutched close to his chest.

Xunaxa and Arivor both reached for him, guiding him up, even though the elf's sorcery was doing the lifting. Their touch seemed to relax him a little, but when he was all the way through he collapsed onto the rock with a gasp. With his eyes still closed he managed to mutter, "Cover the hole. The mudspawn are coming."

They didn't wait. Arivor sacrificed his thick cloak to stop their light from betraying them. Then they helped the dwarf to his feet and made their hasty but careful way along the crevice.

Xunaxa led, eyes flicking from side to side, seeking out the smoothest path on the uneven rock. Arivor was close behind her, so close that her imagination told her she could feel his hot breath on her neck.

Then she realised that she was feeling it in truth, only it wasn't the knight's breath. "We're close to the hot spring again," she murmured over her shoulder. Suddenly the memory returned, and she felt a blush flood her cheeks.

Whether or not he noticed it on her grey skin, and in the near-dark, he gave her a tight smile of his own before turning to pass the news to Theayala behind him. Xunaxa swallowed, cursing herself inwardly but unable to suppress a sudden lurch in her stomach, and moved forward again.

The narrow crevice joined the larger passage in a dark corner of a junction where three tunnels met. She jumped down, looking around for any sign of danger. A scuffing sound behind a rock outcropping made her spin, and she found herself face to face with a pair of startled hobgoblins.

With a cry she fell back, one hand groping for the pouch that held Demon's Tongue, the other reaching for her knife.

The hobgoblins were only a fraction slower to react, and they both grinned and levelled their spears at her. "Look what we have here!" one of them said, his voice low and guttural. "A nice plaything."

"Let's keep her alive." The second hobgoblin's voice was a little higher, and Xunaxa realised it was a female. "Look at that tongue!"

Xunaxa managed to drag her chain out and swung it, but it was still tangled and it seemed a small shield against the sharp points that were jabbing at her legs. The female hobgoblin stepped to the left, clearly hoping to take her from the side, but Xunaxa took another step back, and another, struggling to free more and more of Demon's Tongue.

Then light flooded into the passage, and Arivor leaped from the crevice. "By the Sword!" he roared, bringing his blade down hard on the male hobgoblin. His steel seemed to glow bright, brighter than Theayala's small globe, and the hobgoblin fell without a cry, head severed from body.

The female spun to face him, then backed away before turning to run. But Xunaxa had Demon's Tongue ready now, and the chain snaked out and wrapped around the fleeing hobgoblin's ankle. The nails dug into her palms, even through the leather gloves, and the sudden force nearly dragged her off her feet. But she'd been expecting it, and she knew just when to give a hard jerk.

With a cry of surprise and pain, the hobgoblin fell to the stone. Her spear clattered from her hand, and she reached down to free herself.

Then Arivor was standing over her, bloodied blade at her throat, and Theayala and Lurrock were spilling into the passage to join them.

Xunaxa knelt down to unwind the chain from the hobgoblin's ankle. "Thanks," she murmured to Arivor. "You were just in time."

He didn't take his eyes off their captive. "What do we do with this one? From what I heard, she wanted to keep Xunaxa as a plaything."

Lurrock gave an angry rumble and hefted his hammer. "Only one way to deal with this filth!"

"No, Lurrock." Theayala didn't raise her voice, but her firm tone halted the dwarf before he could swing his weapon.

"What then?" He spat, and poked the hobgoblin with the toe of his boot. "Do to her what she wanted to do to Xunaxa?"

"No!" Xunaxa rose, turning to face the dwarf, but to her surprise her cry was echoed by the knight and elf.

Lurrock looked from one to the other, startled by their vehemence, then spat again and stamped off, hammer swinging in a tight arc before him.

Theayala kneeled beside their captive and laid a slim hand on her head. The hobgoblin woman flinched and tried to pull away, but something held her in place. Something besides the threat of Arivor's blade. "Tell me," the elf whispered, "tell me everything."

Xunaxa stepped away, coiling Demon's Tongue and returning it to its pouch on her belt. A sudden wave of weakness overtook her, and she found herself leaning against the rock, shivering and sucking in air.

Fuck! It was no use telling herself that she was never in any real danger of being raped, that Arivor and the others were too close for anything to happen. But what if there had been more hobgoblins? What if they'd cut me off from the rest, and...?

She willed herself not to look at what Theayala was doing to the hobgoblin woman. In some ways it was more intrusive than physical rape, and she couldn't stop herself from feeling sorry for the helpless captive. Even after what might have happened to herself.

A soft touch on her shoulder startled her, and she shrank back, biting her lip to stop herself from screaming. The touch vanished, and she heard Arivor's voice, soft and gentle.

"I'm sorry I took so long to join the fight."

His words battered at the whirlpool of thoughts filling in her mind, and she turned around in confusion. "Wh--?"

The regret was clear on his face. "I was right behind you. I could have jumped out to face the hobgoblins by your side. Instead I chose to wait, to come at them from behind." One hand came up, as if to touch her arm again, then dropped. "I apologise."

She gaped. "What--?" she began, then sighed. "You were there when it mattered."

"Was I?" He held out his hand -- his other one -- and she realised he had a flask in it. "Not water," he said with a smile when she hesitated.

It definitely wasn't water. A large swallow and several choked coughs later she handed the flask back. "Thanks," she gasped. "For... for it all."

He restoppered the flask without a word and sat, back leaning against the rock. "I don't like what Theayala is doing."

Xunaxa slid down until she was seated beside him. "Nor me." She glanced over at Lurrock, who'd taken up a guard position, hammer in hand. "He doesn't seem to mind."

"He's of the line of Hargan Foe-Hammer. He'd gladly inflict that and worse on any goblin or their kin."

She grunted, thought, then asked, "Who was Hargan Foe-Hammer?"

"A dwarven chieftain, perhaps two hundred years ago. His people were betrayed and slaughtered by goblins. Not many survived." The knight nodded in Lurrock's direction. "That hammer on his head tells the story."

Two hundred years was nothing for dwarves. Lurrock didn't look that old, but his parents might have been alive at the time of the slaughter. "That will do it. I had no idea."

Before Arivor could reply, Theayala rose smoothly to her feet, rubbing her hands together as if to wipe them clean. The hobgoblin's eyes were closed, her mouth slack.

"I have what I need," the elf-woman said. "The goblin chief has fled further into the caves."

They didn't linger. The hobgoblin woman was left where she was, still breathing but unconscious. Lurrock glared at her, but left her alone. The right thumb of her headless companion was already in his pouch.

"There is a passage that leads down," Theayala explained. "Chief Korrag has taken his wives into the deepest part of their lair."

Xunaxa went first again, using the steady light of Theayala's floating globe to look for unnatural lines in the stone. Almost immediately she halted, breath catching at the sight of a thin line of black a handspan from the floor. "Trap."

The others halted behind her. Arivor spoke. "Is there some way...?"

"Shh." She waved a hand absentmindedly, eyes following the cord to where it vanished into a crack in the passage wall. Close up, with Theayala's light hovering close, she could see how the end was looped around a wooden peg. Metal gleamed like moonlight behind it.

"Someone hand me a stone. About the size of my thumb."

A few moments later there was a sharp crack, then Lurrock leaned forward to pass her a rock. "Will this do?"

It had sharp edges along one side, and it was almost exactly the same size as her thumb. "Perfect." She wedged it into the crack, just below the cord, pushing it in until it almost touched the peg. "This should do it."

Shooing everyone back, she pressed herself against the rockface, then reached out with her knife and sliced the black cord. It fell to the stone, and inside the crack she heard a faint scraping, then nothing. She turned to look at her companions and grinned. "It's safe now."

She found two more traps as the winding passage led them further down. The first would have sprung a spiked rack up from the floor, the second would have dropped a heavy net on top of them.

"They'll be waiting," Lurrock growled. "Hoping we'll be caught, then they could kill us at their leisure."

"Their darkness is oppressive," Arivor murmured. "We're getting close."

Lurrock glanced at Theayala's light. "They'll have seen us coming then. I say we rush them."

"They might have bows." Arivor had his shield up.

"If you strong men can restrain your bloodlust," Theayala broke in, "I suggest you proceed at a normal pace. I can protect you from the worst of their missiles."

Lurrock glared as if he might disagree, but he simply turned and strode ahead. Arivor joined him, with the elf-woman on his heels. With a sigh, Xunaxa retrieved Demon's Tongue from its pouch and followed behind.

Lurrock's sudden roar ahead and below told her that they'd found the goblins. She dashed forward and was just in time to see an arrow strike an invisible shield over Arivor's head. Two spent shafts already lay on the stone.

The knight and the dwarf stood side by side at the bottom of the passage, shields up and weapons ready. Before them, the floor levelled out and the tunnel widened into a larger cavern lit a single battered lantern hanging overhead. Half a dozen goblins and hobgoblins were charging at them, brandishing clubs and axes and a single spear. Behind stood two more goblins, bows in hand, clearly looking for a vulnerable target.

A little behind the warriors, and above them, Theayala had her hands before her, fingers spread wide. Her snake -- did it have a name? Xunaxa wondered suddenly -- was wrapped around her wrist again, hissing and licking at the air. A flush was spreading up her neck, and her chest was heaving, making the globes of her breasts shake in her robe.

Then the goblins reached the warriors' shields with a crash of metal on metal and wood, an explosion of curses and grunts, and the cacophony of battle. Xunaxa moved to join the elf, eyes peeled and chain ready, searching for a threat that was out of the reach of Arivor's sword and Lurrock's hammer.

The first goblin went down with a guttural cry, its head stoved in by a blow from the dwarf. The hobgoblin with the spear stepped into the gap, jabbing forward. Xunaxa flicked out with Demon's Tongue, over Lurrock's bare head, to lash at the spear-wielder's face. He flinched back, then caught the hammer on the return swing and fell.

"By the Sword!" Arivor roared, and pushed forward with his shield. He bowled two of the smaller figures over, stepped forward and slashed with his blade. An arrow shattered against thin air and another bounced and clattered onto the stone, then the archers turned and ran into a small tunnel as Lurrock pushed past the remaining goblins to charge at them.

Xunaxa swung her chain, and Arivor's sword flashed, and the fight at the foot of the passage was over. Lurrock's triumphant roar told the story of what was happening in the tunnel.

"Xunaxa." Theayala's voice was wet and throaty.

"What?" The tiefling turned to her, eyes searching the darkness for any goblins that might have come up from behind.

Instead, what she saw was the elf-woman with her hand thrust between her legs, rubbing as she took a step back to lean against the wall. "Help me," she breathed. "I need... I need release."

Her breasts were heaving against the purple material of her robe, drawn tight against her body by her hand between her thighs. The nipples stood out, swollen and prominent, demanding attention. The elf's slanted eyes were wide. "Please, Xunaxa, your tongue..."

Xunaxa stared at her. She could feel her own body start to respond, Theayala's desire tickling memories of their night together a week earlier, and rekindling the hope that the elf felt something of what she thought she might be feeling.

But there were dead and dying goblins a handful of paces away, and Arivor, and... Well, Arivor mostly.

Making a sudden decision, she grabbed the elf by the wrist and pulled her back up the passage, away from the gory scene below. She wants my tongue. She wants what only I can give her!

A dozen paces higher up, in the darkness far from the cavern, Theayala pulled herself free. "Here!" Her hands reached down and dragged up the hem of her robe, revealing her slim but muscled legs, those thighs that Xunaxa remembered, and then the tuft of hair, greener than the hair on her head, or perhaps it just seemed that way against the paler skin of her body.

Before she knew what she was doing Xunaxa was on her knees, hands clutching at the elf's legs, long tongue snaking out. She tasted the other woman's arousal in the air before she encountered her folds. A long lick sent shudders through Theayala, and she felt strong hands seize her head and pull her close, felt the hips tilt to meet her.

Xunaxa knew what the elf-woman liked. She'd spent a whole night finding out. Well, a few hours, and then after they slept she tried again for another hour.

So now she didn't hesitate to force her tongue inside the other woman, pressing deeper and deeper, then working it around. She was rewarded by moans and gasps, and ever-shorter breaths. With one hand she reached up for Theayala's button. It was already swollen, easy to find, and she rubbed at it with two fingers while her tongue found the most sensitive spot inside.

They were getting close. She timed it carefully, feeling the other woman's body build towards her climax, then her tongue made its final assault, careful and deliberate. Theayala went rigid, shuddered, squeezed her thighs around Xunaxa's head, clenched her arse. A silent gasp became a low moan, then a grunt as Xunaxa thrust her tongue inside again, and again, and again, and then slowly withdrew.

When Xunaxa rose to her feet, the elf was leaning against the stone, breathing heavily. Her eyes were open, the green almost glowing in the gloom of the passage. She let go of her robe and it fell, covering her nakedness. "Thank you." It was breathless.

"Uhm." Xunaxa didn't know what to say. She'd enjoyed giving the other woman pleasure, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she'd been used. A convenient tool.

But her own body was also urging for attention. She could feel the heat in her breasts, in her belly, between her legs.

Before she could say more, or do more, Theayala pushed herself away from the wall. "The men must be done by now. Shall we join them?"

The warriors were cleaning their weapons when they returned. Arivor looked up. "Where did you two go?" There was a small scratch on his cheek, and his shield bore the marks of battle.

Theayala's answer was as smooth and assured as ever. "I was feeling a little faint. Xunaxa helped me up the passage to recover."

"I thought I heard--"

"She was feeling faint," Xunaxa interrupted. "Not everyone delights in bloodshed and slaughter." She glared at the knight, glad she'd remembered to wipe her chin on the sleeve of her jacket. Why is it never over when I say it's over? Fuck, I could use his tongue now. His hands. Perhaps his cock.

Arivor seemed taken aback by the heat in her voice. After a moment he bowed his head. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be insensitive." His tone was stiff, almost formal, and Xunaxa hated it. She hated herself for hating it. She hated herself for wanting him, or Theayala, or just anyone who'd run their hands over her body and fuck her. Maybe hold her afterwards. But definitely fuck her.

"Whatever," she muttered. "What now?"

The sound of falling water led them to another passage on the far side of the cavern. Light flickered ahead.

"Torches," growled Lurrock. "Not enough to account for this warmth, though. That hot spring from above must be nearby."

"A perfect place for the goblin chief to make his stand." Theayala was as composed as ever. "Are we ready?"

They made their way forward cautiously, the men leading with their shields held before them. Theayala came behind them, and Xunaxa followed. I won't look at her arse. I won't! It was deliciously plump, swaying with every step. It was rounder than Arivor's, which was harder, all muscle above strong thighs. I won't look at his arse either!

Ahead of her the warriors halted. She peered past them and saw a low chamber, the flickering light of three torches sending ghostly shadows through a thin cloud of steam. A handful of goblins with swords and shields were grouped around a single hobgoblin who carried a long-handled axe.

Beyond stood the largest goblin she'd ever seen, as tall as a hobgoblin and broader. His robes were decorated with silver ornaments, and on his head he wore a circlet of some black metal. Chief Korrag, clearly.

His wives were clustered behind him, casting fearful looks at Xunaxa and her companions. Most of them appeared to be trying to hide behind a she-goblin almost as large as the chief.

"Come no closer!" the chief called out. His voice was wet and guttural, like a toad splashing in mud. "Stay back, or--"

"We come to mete out justice," proclaimed Arivor. "By the Shield, the good folk of Port Mediston will no longer go in fear of your pillaging!"

Beside him Lurrock rumbled like an earthquake in a thunderstorm. "Mudspawn!" His hammer rose. It was trembling, Xunaxa noticed, trembling as if his entire body was about to explode.

Chief Korrag ignored the tall she-goblin who stepped up behind him. He opened his mouth to speak again, then gave a sudden squawk, a grunt, a gasp. He turned his head slowly, as if he feared to look. The cave was silent except for the sound of trickling water.

Then Korrag's knees gave out and he toppled sideways. His breath rasped loudly in the quiet. His eyes were wide, flicking this way and that, searching for something that no-one else could see.

The goblin woman bent down from where she stood and pulled a bloody knife from the chief's back. After a moment she took his metal crown too. There was no regret on her face as she rose and turned to face Xunaxa's small group. "He's what you came for? Take him. We've lost too many already. Too many have died for his lust."

The goblins made way for Lurrock and Arivor as they went forward, weapons still ready. Xunaxa kept Demon's Tongue twirling, alert to any sign of betrayal. No-one spoke as Arivor sheathed his sword and seized the dying chief by the ankle. No-one moved as he began to heave him back to where Xunaxa and Theayala still stood, Lurrock guarding his back with a scowl that seemed more deadly than his hammer.

Korrag's last breath escaped just as Arivor reached the passage. The elf made room for him to pass, but instead of following him, she stepped forward. "Where is the Chalice?"

The tall goblin woman, the crown now on her head, stared back. "What Chalice?"

"Do not take me for a fool!" For the first time that Xunaxa could recall, there was heat in Theayala's voice. "He drank from it. You have drunk from it. It is clear from your stature. Where is the Chalice of Kinin?"

The new chief held her gaze. "I don't know--"

A ball of fire suddenly appeared in Theayala's hands, the size of an apple. Her snake appeared from the neck of her robe to rear up on her shoulder. "Tell me, woman, or I will incinerate you." Her voice was low and menacing, like ice beside the heat radiating from the sorcerous flames. "And then I will incinerate your tribe. I will scour these tunnels until every last one of them has died screaming. Now speak!"

The she-goblin glanced at the small band of warriors and women around her, then she shrugged. "Gone. Paid in tribute to Blackshadow."

At the mention of the name, a shiver seemed to run through the other goblins. They cast anxious glances at each other, and at the dark corners of the cave.

Theayala was quiet, eyes fixed on the goblin. It was several moments before she spoke. "Who is this Blackshadow? And why do you pay him tribute?"

The goblin smiled now, a smile that held no humour, only glee, as she pointed towards a dark alcove. "Blackshadow is the demon that lives below. You want the Chalice? You'll have to kill him." A look of mock concern came over her face. "But he's ancient and powerful. I don't think your little flames will hurt him. Or swords or hammers."

Lurrock rumbled at this. "Try us, mudspawn!"

"Careful, goblin." Theayala seemed to have regained control of herself. "I might decide to feed you to my little flames after all. Take your people and leave before I change my mind."

They left in silence, bunched together around their new chief like children clutching at their mother's apron. Xunaxa joined Lurrock as he followed them a short way to make sure they all went. She had no desire to watch Arivor hack Korrag's head off.

Nor did she feel ready to talk to the elf just yet either. Now we know why she's here. It was never about the silver for her. What the fuck is the Chalice of Kinin?

"Lurrock?" She waited for the dwarf to glance at her before she continued. "Do you know what Theayala was talking about? That Chalice?"

He looked at her. His face was as impassive as the rock all around them. "Never heard of it. Never heard of a demon called Blackshadow either." He spat. "From the sounds of it, I'd like to keep it that way."

They waited a while longer until it was clear that the goblins weren't coming back, then they rejoined their companions. The former goblin chief lay in a bloody mess on his stomach, without his head. A waxed sack stood beside him.

Arivor wore a look of disgust as he polished his blade. He glanced up and met Xunaxa's eye. "That was distasteful." He gave a small smile.

She didn't feel like returning it. Used! The anger was seething inside her, the old anger that always came back, sooner or later, when she was betrayed. Used by the elf, used by those rich fucks back in Port Mediston. Used by the knight. She wasn't quite sure how Arivor had used her, but the anger didn't care.

She directed her gaze at the elf. "We have the fucker's head. Lurrock has a pouch full of thumbs. That's enough silver for me. I say we get out of here."

"I agree." Lurrock's rumble was firm. "If we have to fight, let's fight more goblins. Not go looking for more trouble."

And there it is. She hadn't been prepared to mention it herself, but now it was out in the open.

Going further into the caves. Looking for some mysterious Chalice.

Fighting an ancient demon.

Every eye turned to Theayala. She returned the looks calmly. "I will continue." Her voice was as soft and low as ever, and as difficult to resist.

Xunaxa struggled as the green eyes turned on her. I won't be used! "Then go by yourself." Don't think of how she tastes. Don't think of how it felt to have her fingers stroking your back, to be held so close, to feel wanted... "I'm turning back."

Even she could hear the strain in her voice. When Theayala shifted her gaze to Arivor it was as if a weight was lifted from her chest.

The knight looked troubled. He chewed at his lip a few times while his eyes went from Theayala to Lurrock to Xunaxa and back to the elf. When he spoke at last, his words came out slowly. "Theayala should have told us about her wishes before we set out. It's unfair of her to expect us to join her now, simply because we've come this far."

"Fucking right," Xunaxa muttered.

He continued as if she hadn't interrupted, without even looking at her. "But we have come this far. We've fought together, we've survived together. We wouldn't have made it this far if any one of us was missing. That changes our ties. Here and now, Theayala has earned the right to ask this of us."

Xunaxa stared at him, mouth open. "You--"

He carried on as before. "For myself, I believe that the Temple would wish me to continue with her. The Grand Master put me at her disposal, and it wasn't to rid the world of a handful of goblins or earn a pouch of silver. If there's a demon down there-- " He paused, swallowed, then continued. "If there's a demon, I think it's my duty to face it."

"Thank you, Arivor." Theayala reached out and touched his arm. The gesture sent a stab of pain and anger into Xunaxa's chest, so bad that for a moment she could barely breathe.

The elf continued smoothly. "Lurrock, how do you feel? Have the good knight's words swayed you?"

The dwarf took a long time to reply. So long that Xunaxa began to wonder whether the world had stopped, leaving the four of them trapped in this instant, their only company the sound of trickling water mocking them.

When Lurrock spoke it was like the first word at the birth of time. "They have." He gave Xunaxa an apologetic look. "Whatever the elf's motives, this is a chance to do good. If she and the knight are determined to continue, it will be with me by their side."

"So that's it?" Xunaxa demanded. "You're all dragging me along to face a fucking demon, and I don't have a fucking say in the matter?"

Now for the first time Arivor looked at her. "I'll escort you to the surface. I'll make sure you get out safely."

"What--?" She stared back. "You think I need some great clanking armoury to keep me from harm?" She stepped close, so close she could smell his scent, and waved her finger under his nose. "I can look after myself. Always have. I'm more concerned with my share of the loot."

Theayala broke in. "I will give you silver now if--"

"I don't want silver now!" She rounded on the elf. "It was a job, I was supposed to be paid for a job. Not your fucking charity!" She turned back to Arivor. "Or your pity."

Again it was Theayala who spoke. "Xunaxa, my dear, I have no right to ask this of you. But we would not have made it this far without you, and I foresee that your skill and your presence will be vital to our success as we continue." She reached out and took the tiefling's hands in her own, drawing her close. "Please, Xunaxa?"

Xunaxa felt her mouth go dry. Her heart wouldn't stop pounding in her chest. Her vision filled with those green eyes, so bright, so deep. She needs me. She wants me!

Then the memory returned of their tryst in the shadowed passage, and how she'd felt after, and she snatched her hands free. Looking around, meeting the gaze of the others one by one, she thought, thought hard before saying, "I'll go along. But," and she leaned in close to the sorceress, "next time you're horny you can eat your own fucking cunt."