Jebidiah's Change Bk. 02 Ch. 09

Welcome back gentle reader

I'm not feeling life this week, predators got hold of several of my hens, so not much of an intro. I hope you enjoy the chapter, not as dramatic as the previous ones to allow everyone to catch their breath.

Stars and comments are greatly appreciated. Please check my bio for updates.

Standard disclaimer, multiply ages by roughly two to get equivalent Earth ages. Everyone is a consenting adult.

-- Somewhen, Somewhere --

A sea of orcs flowed across the plain, their heavy footfalls turning the sod into a mire of mud. They grunted as they marched, banged swords against shields, thumped chests, snarled at each other, but continuously moved forward. Sprinkled in their midst walked towering ogres, like islands in the ocean, the only landmarks available to observers. It was a dark, moonless night and each of the orcs carried a torch. A vast flickering flame that went on for miles. It was a frightening display of power, an army several million strong, ready to annihilate whatever enemy was unlucky to be caught in its path.

A giant foot descended from the sky, smashing down into the vast army, its heel aimed at one of the ogres. Blood splashed outward from the strike, blasting the orcs around it, knocking most of them from their feet. Panic rippled outward from the impossibly large, naked foot, the toes dwarfing the massive ogres. The leg the foot was attached to rose into the sky, visible for miles.

A second foot descended from the darkness, its motion articulating an arc, as if a mountain-sized person had planted the first foot in preparation for a kick with the second. Which is exactly what happened. The first orcs the second foot connected with vanished in a spray of bone and blood, their bodies unable to withstand the pressure exerted against them. As the foot mowed down more, finishing its arc to rise back into the night air, hundreds of orc bodies, parts, and flickering torches were catapulted into the distance, to land in a scattered spread, inducing greater panic.

Shouts of fear, screams of panic, squeals of pain from a million throats--it was music to Magard's ears. She inflicted more punishment on her toy army. Kicking with abandon, getting on her knees so she could smash both fists down, mindlessly obliterating orcs, over and over again, until her arms were coated in blood up to her elbows. She rained destruction on them: fire, lightning, cold, even acid, watching scores melt legs first as they screamed in pain.

When the millions were finally reduced to thousands, Magard sat in the middle of a lake of blood decorated with floating body parts as her chest heaved with labored breathing, her anger momentarily spent.

It was meant to be cathartic; none of it helped.

She picked up a fleeing orc, holding it between thumb and forefinger as she studied it, watching it struggle. With a sigh she exerted pressure and it popped. It made no sound but she felt that final moment when its body gave way.

It wasn't enough.

She waved and the scene around her vanished.

When she was sent word by her player of who they had captured, she knew without a doubt who it was. A goblin and a tiefling with Uther's peons in attendance could mean only one thing. Valor. She immediately sent instructions--bring the goblin to the sacrificial altar without delay.

She waited, gloating, for the surge of power this would bring. House Valor was gaining a name for the supposed bond of loyalty and love its members shared. She would revel in the pain and suffering their House would suffer at the violent and painful end of one of their own. The flow of energy released on her enhanced altar would be delicious.

But it never came. On a normal day, when she contacted her player, they never found the experience to be pleasant. Nothing about Magard was. This time, her method of contact was magnitudes worse than simply 'unpleasant'. Through liberal application of tortuous pain, Magard finally obtained the information she was after. The Fort had been attacked, her minions who had been present destroyed, her captives were gone. All of them, even the elven virgins.

Magard seethed. She raged. Her anger flared, shining like the blackest sun, absorbing every iota of light that was possible as she flailed, releasing great gouts of unfocused power around her. She punished her player, flaying their hand, peeling the skin back in small strips, one finger at a time before moving onto the hand. But Magard relented. It would be too difficult to alter her plans if her player was removed, so she stopped with only half the skin removed from the hand.

Then was when she had created her orc army, expending a ludicrous amount of the excess energy the node provided, and vented her frustration on them.

Why? she raged. Why was she still limited? Why could she create millions here, actual thinking, living beings, but could not create so much as a gnat on the material plane. She was able to provide her followers with enhanced powers, yet she was powerless--impotent. There had to be a way.

She surrounded herself in the black void of rage once again. Contemplating. Searching. Plotting.

-- Chapter 9: South of Fort Mylar --

-- Sixth Tenday of Juntaen 813 AGR --

"They'll never expect this" means "I want to try something stupid."

- Taylor

Jebidiah woke slowly. Stiff from lying still while he slept, unable to move because of the pain. His entire shoulder was a smoldering ember of pain that spread across both his chest and upper back when his muscles spasmed. The source of the spasms was his hips, trying to move on their own, urged on by the pleasant sensation centered on his groin. His cock was encased in warmth, a gentle sensation slowly moving along its length.

His eyes popped open, looking to his groin, his view blocked by a mop of dark green hair, slowly moving in rhythm to the pleasure. He surrendered to the feeling--the first good thing he had felt in days, the summer sun beginning to warm his body despite the gentle breeze of the morning. Realization hit as he frantically looked around, keeping his body as still as he could. There was no tent. They were out in the open, fully exposed to the air, though slightly hidden from not so distant activity by a couple of intervening wagons.

"Bora's clit, Crys, someone could see us!" His terse whisper went unanswered. Verbally.

"Then you best relax and let me finish."

She popped him out of her mouth and turned her head to look him in the eyes as she slowly licked him, starting at the base of his shaft until she reached the tip, circling her tongue around the bulb before wrapping her lips around it, kissing and licking as she moved her mouth around, still keeping eye contact. Her little tusks grazed the skin slightly, she had learned to work them into her routine with commensurate skill. His cock strained, muscles twitching as he grew even harder.

She knew it turned him on when he watched someone work him with their mouth, and work him she did. Alternating shallow bobs with an occasional deep plunge, she kept her soft lips wrapped tightly around him, rubbing the tip against the roof of her mouth, or the base of her tongue, or side of her mouth depending on how she angled herself. She made sure to look directly at him as she went down as far as she could go, her lips nearly brushing his pubic hair as her eyes began to water from where she pushed the entrance of her throat against him.

So engrossed was Jebidiah in her performance, he didn't consider what he was doing as he brought both hands up to rest under his head, letting him prop his head up. That was the intent, at least. His injured shoulder would not cooperate, causing him to shift slightly and thrash in pain, unintentionally thrusting his hips to pierce the barrier of her throat, burying her nose against his navel. Crystal's eyes grew large, shedding tears as her throat convulsed around his girth, causing him to moan in pleasure. With a frantic push against his hips, she dislodged him, pulling herself free as she sucked in air, coughing.

"Bora's clit, Crystal! Someone could see you!"

Jebidiah tried not to chuckle as he turned his head to the new voice, seeing Tenner gaping at the pair. "That's what I said!" he said.

Tenner craned her head, looking around carefully before dropping to the ground beside Crystal, the two fiercely whispering to each other. Jebidiah only caught portions of their conversation "... I could have lost him... Dee will be fine... How'd you clean... sharing". Their conversation was punctuated with occasionally kissing or sucking on him as they traded words. At one point Crystal took as much of him in as she could while Tenner pulled her head back and stared in astonishment.

"You filthy minx!"

Jebidiah thought that one might have gone too far, but Crystal only pulled her head up with a wicked grin, saying nothing as she swirled her tongue around his lower head, driving him crazy. She wiggled her eyebrows at Tenner and made a nodding motion towards him.

"You two do remember I'm right here?"

"Shh," Tenner admonished him. "This is wife business."

Jebidiah furrowed his brow in consternation, about to say something in response when his thoughts capitulated to renewed pleasure. Crystal had resumed her sucking, taking him in long deep strokes but with an increasing pace, driving him closer to the edge despite the pain it caused. He kept his eyes locked to hers as she worked faster, another moan escaping him as his body tried to shudder.

"Feed me. I can feel you trembling, wanting to cum, ready to explode."

Communicating at a distance had been a strange experience, but watching her fill her mouth while she spoke in his head was oddly erotic, making his cock twitch. She moaned, picking up speed.

" Sooo so close, my love. Feed me. Give it to me. Make me swallow it." She began to time her words with her head movements. "Every. Last. Drop."

His stomach muscles contracted as he burst. She once again took him in as fully as she could, closing her eyes as she gulped. Tenner had been waiting for the moment, and shoved Crystal's head down further, returning his twitching cock into Crystal's throat, her swallowing motions drawing him in further as her throat milked him.

He saw stars. His vision swirled as everything became gray, pinpoints of lights dancing in the nothingness. The last thing he heard was Crystal sputtering and Tenner's cursing.

"Fuck, did we kill him?"

Gentle slapping on his cheek brought him back around, his head still swimming. He managed another groan.

"Oh fuck, what did we do?" Tenner sounded on the verge of panic.

Jebidiah tried to speak, but his words did not feel coherent. "Needed that."

Crystal began giggling as she wiped a sleeve against her mouth. Tenner helped Crystal as the pair tucked Jebidiah back into his clothing, arranging things back to a normal state. Crystal popped her lips and grinned wickedly. "Now that I got what I wanted, I'll see if any of the healers are prepared." She pushed herself up and left, leaving Tenner sitting by his side.

He looked over at Tenner, regarding her with heavy lidded eyes and a dreamy smile. "Now that I feel better," he began to chuckle, then abruptly stopped when forced by the pain, "how are you doing?"

Tenner regarded him, an unreadable expression on her face. "I mean, I don't know?" He raised an eyebrow but waited for her to continue. "It's great that we got Crystal and Shirley back and all, but how did we pull that off? The fight in the woods, the fight at the glade, the Fort? I just feel like we're over our head, always outnumbered," her voice cracked as she fought back tears, "and you keep almost getting killed. Will it always be like this, Jeb?"

"I'd shrug, but it hurts too much." His admission made her both laugh and cry as the tears began falling.

"That's exactly what I'm talking about! Bora's tits, Jeb! I've already lost Greta, faced losing Crystal and Shirley... Polly, Henna, Farrah, Yvonne, Meredith, Jeremiah... Hiro... How many more of us can we stand to lose before we break?"

The list of names hit him like a hammer blow. The last nearly made him crack from the blow, but he didn't allow his voice to waver. "I know, Ten. And most of them are entirely my fault, but I can guarantee you this--if we don't keep this up, then we are going to join them--all of us." He let the intensity in his voice go, taking as deep a breath as he could, trying his best to sound reassuring instead. "And you haven't lost Greta. We fix that -- today."

That perked Tenner up. She began to ask what he meant but her words were cut short, her gaze was locked on something he couldn't turn to see.

Crystal came back into his field of view, with Greta and Dana in tow.

Crystal smiled down at him. "Greta's come to fix you up."

Jebidiah shook his head, grimacing as he did it. "No."

All of them looked at him in surprise. "Why the fuck not?" Dana asked.

"We have something to do today and if Greta is our healing, we need to save it. Find a corpswoman if you can."

Crystal and Dana looked like they were about to argue but Tenner cut them off. "Of course. I'll go find one, Jeb." Her cheeks were still wet with tears but she managed a wink and a smile. "Don't go anywhere."

"Arrghh!" He yelled in pained exasperation as she left. "She knew that would make me laugh."

The signs of humor eased Dana and Crystal's tension, but Greta ignored the interplay. "What are we doing today?" Even though Greta asked the question, she showed little curiosity, almost as if the question was just a formality.

"We're visiting Mylar. Getting answers. A lot of them."

Greta merely nodded.

"Jeb, you've been fucked up and patched back together so many times this tenday. Are you sure we should be doing this?" Dana got the look on her face reserved for when she was gearing up for a fight. "Today?"

"Listen, Dee. This has to be done. We have enemies in front of us, behind us, all around us really. Those barghests didn't live in those woods."

He stopped talking as Stewpot materialized before him, sniffing at his leg, a tentacle reached out to poke at him. The broad pads at the end of its tentacles were just beginning to sprout some seriously sharp looking thick hairs that taper off to points, reminding him of porcupine quills. Crystal tensed up, but Dana just looked annoyed. "Stewie, no!"

Crystal just stared at the beast as Jebidiah gingerly moved his leg away from the displacer. "How did it just show up there?" Crystal asked, her voice tinted with apprehension.

Dana glanced at her and shrugged. "It's a displacer. They're called that because it can make itself appear somewhere other than where it is. You know, displacing its image."

Jebidiah frowned. "I couldn't see it."

Dana snorted. "You get hit in the head, Jeb? I just said it displaces its image. You're not supposed to see it."

Stewpot gave up sniffing Jebidiah and moved off, rubbing against Dana's leg before vanishing into thin air.

"I can see magic, remember? I couldn't see it."

That gave Dana pause. "Well, fuck, Jeb. You've got me there. I'm still learning all of this." She gazed speculatively at an empty spot on the ground near her, waving her hand towards it as she spoke. "I had assumed she used magic to do it, but maybe it's a more natural ability. Stewie is just now starting to master the ability, so she is more sporadic with it. I'm curious what Sift would say about it."

Mentioning Sift brought the conversation to an awkward silence.

"Jeb weak."

Everyone swiveled to look at Kelek.

"Bora's clit!" Dana exclaimed. "Don't sneak up on me like that."

"Thanks for the encouragement, Kelek," Jebidiah said with a grimace. "Just waiting for a healer."

Kelek laughed, leaving him somewhat conflicted on if she was laughing at him or with him. Her sense of humor ran pretty dark. She moved off toward where Dana had been staring, hissing "Kitty, kitty."

Dana bristled, "You leave my cat alone, Kelek."

Jebidiah turned his head to follow, spotting Tenner and an older corpswoman approaching, Lieutenant Colonel Gentry in tow. "You can see the displacer, Friend Kelek?"

Kelek stopped to regard him, her expression unreadable. Instead of answering she lifted her snout and sniffed in an exaggerated motion.

He chuckled a little. "Note to everyone, never doubt Kelek's nose." Kelek nodded in approval.

Tenner stood beside Crystal, exuding impatience, while she continuously cast furtive glances at Greta, who ignored everything except the healer working on Jebidiah. It took two castings to get Jebidiah to the point he could sit up and a further casting to be able to stand. The corpswoman shook her head, tsking. "Your Grace, you should be in bed, resting for at least a tenday. That was a lot of damage, some of it several days old."

Gentry grunted and grumbled something as she shook her head.

He swung his arms back and forth, testing his shoulders as he glanced at the healer's insignias. "Well, corporal, I'm feeling much better thanks to you. You have my gratitude." He smiled at her as she gathered herself and walked off, muttering something about pig-headed youth. He turned his attention -- and smile -- to Gentry.

She sighed. "Your Grace, please, don't try to charm me today. I'm told that you are going to return a very battered Bravo Company."

He frowned, letting out his own sigh. "I'm afraid I am. We encountered a lot more than I was ready for."

Gentry nodded. "I know, Your Grace. Lord Stern has been filling me in on what has happened, though," she raised an eyebrow, "he said he left you intact."

Dana snorted. "Well, you know how it goes, Sarah. Jeb gets a whiff of sudden death and off he goes."

Jebidiah waved his hand dismissively. "Ignore her. Walk with me Gentry. I have a lot of things to do and now that I'm up, my legs want to move."

She smirked at him. "Massive healing tends to give you nervous energy. Tends to get the newly healed right back into trouble. Seriously, Your Grace, you need to take it easy." The two headed around the wagons to move into the camp and Jebidiah turned slightly, waving the others to follow.

"Lieutenant Colonel, I have a question."

Gentry snorted. "When you start with my rank, Your Grace, you make it sound like something I'm not going to like is coming."

"No. At least I don't think so. Just something bothering me." Someone moved to his side, opposite of Gentry, and an arm snaked around his back. He looked down to see Crystal smiling back as he pulled her in gently. Gentry noticed, of course, but did her best to ignore it. "Are you familiar with a Corporal Holland from Bravo?"

Gentry regarded him for a moment. "Medium sized blonde, voice sounds like she's ready to bed you first chance she gets?"

Jebidiah nodded, his face stayed serious, not reacting to Gentry's jest. Gentry sighed, "What has she done now?"

Jebidiah furrowed his brow. "Pardon?"

"Corporal Holland has a reputation. Her record has more demotions than promotions. And there were many promotions. I apologize if she caused you issues."

Jebidiah shook his head. "It's not like that." He hesitated. "Was she bonded?"

Gentry stopped, causing their entire group to pause. "'Was', Your Grace?"

He nodded grimly. "Was. I'm afraid the Corporal is no longer with us."

Gentry frowned, "I don't recall her being bonded, but we'd have to double check with personnel. What do you need from me, Your Grace?"

"I want to promote her--honor her, Sarah. Do we have medals or something like that?"

She considered for a moment before replying. "We do, several. We're going to be handing out a lot for injuries sustained while honoring their oaths. What did Jenny do?"

He sighed. "She gave her life for me."

"Not to disparage her, but a lot of women gave their life for you. She was known for being a troublemaker. Are you sure you want to single her out?"

He nodded. "I understand... sort of. It wasn't because she was in my service. We would have lost most of Bravo if not for her. Later, she stayed behind with her squad..." He choked slightly, his voice catching. "They knew they wouldn't make it, but they didn't hesitate. Shouted out their oaths as they fell... one by one..." He stopped talking, gathering his emotions. "I would be dead if not for them."

Gentry only nodded. "For what it's worth, Your Grace, it would probably boost the women's morale, knowing someone with as many black marks as Holland had earned could still honor her oath as few can. I'll see what we can put together."

He began walking again, pulling everyone along with him. "Thank you, Sarah."

Gentry didn't start walking with him, she just stood staring at him -- dissecting him with her stare. "You've changed, Your Grace."

He kept his face neutral as he glanced back at her, but his voice was low, filled with the sorrow he was fighting. "I'll never be the same."

By this time the camp was a bustle of activity. This deep into summer the morning sun was warm in the cloudless sky. There were lean-tos thrown up in random spots, wounded women wrapped in bandages taking advantage of shadows the cover provided. Teams of women worked on fresh cut logs, removing excess branches and sharpening the ends with axes while others dug trenches and mages used some of the rare magical devices available to levitate the logs into position for a defensive breastwork.

They approached a clump of armswomen and Bh'orel, Stern and Olga towering frames offering an easy navigational aid through the camp. Everyone's conversations ended as Jebidiah stepped into view of the group and he gave the faces he knew a quick greeting. Crystal still clung to his side and Dana bumped up against his other side, keeping close.

"Sorry for sleeping in, everyone." The round of chuckles was what he expected, some humor before it got dark. "I got an abbreviated update last night. Where do things stand now?"

Gentry grunted, glancing at Crystal as she said, "Things are rather stark, forgive the word choice." Crystal chuckled, so Gentry continued. "What I have here is an under half-strength company. About forty effective, but we have about half that again in support staff and nearly all our mages. We've had word from Alpha, they are riding hard to meet us. They should be reaching the outpost where you were ambushed today. Stern informed us you have Montague falling back with the remnants of Bravo to that location. Since they are without mages, we'll send riders out to locate and redirect them here. The company of Bh'orel we sent toward Woodhaven is doing a fighting withdrawal, falling back to our position. We should have several hundred here, closing in on a full battalion before the main Darkhunt forces arrive."

Jebidiah grimaced, not pleased but at least informed. "And when do we expect that main force? I'm assuming we'll be in constant contact with their lead elements."

Gentry nodded. "We already are. We estimate they will be here in two days. But, there is good news."

Jebidiah raised a brow, but Dana snorted. "Good news? That'll be a first."

Gentry glanced at Dana, unsure if she was expected to wait for Dana to continue. Dana made a gesture at Gentry, so she shrugged. "I consider it good news. We only have to fortify ourselves and survive."

Tenner snorted at that one. "We only have to survive is good news?"

Gentry grinned, eager to spill her secret. "We have to hold them in place, keep them occupied long enough for the Starns to strike. They have a harassment force following the primary army but have snuck the majority of their armswomen around the south and should be here tomorrow. They'll lie in wait until the Darkhunt fully commits against us."

Jebidiah kicked a stone with his foot. "That sounds great and all, but there may be a flaw in your plan."

Gentry froze, staring at Jebidiah, her face crestfallen. "Your Grace?" she finally managed to ask.

"What if Lashan bypasses you because he wants something else even more?"

Gentry was confused, as was the rest of her staff. Stern brightened up, as he raised a finger in the air. "Mylar?"

Jebidiah nodded grimly. "Got it in one, big guy." Stern smiled, pleased. "Something's going on in Mylar and the Divine are up in arms about it. Literally. The orcs and ogres we fought weren't Darkhunt forces. They were someone else's -- one of the Divine's -- the same as the ones in the Fort. Whoever they are, they are what Lashan is after with his army. We're just in the way. I'm tempted to just let them go after each other and come in at the end but that will decimate Mylar."

The silence that met his words was telling, as everyone considered the ramifications.

"Captain, I need a runner, or a message if we can get a signal going, to our Keep. Joy has to be going crazy, not knowing what is happening. I just need to get her an update, let her know we are all still alive." Gentry nodded in reply and Crystal squeezed him.

Jebidiah sighed, not looking forward to the next part. "I'm leaving for Mylar as soon as I get everyone together."

If the silence was thick before, Jebidiah's words made the silence deafening.

"You can't be serious, Your Grace."

Jebidiah wasn't sure who spoke the words. She had a Captain's rank on her armor but he didn't recognize her. He just nodded his head.

"As soon as we collect whatever First we have left," he grimaced as he said it, "we are leaving." He turned to Stern. "Up to you, Stern. I'll not fault you for staying and helping with the preparations."

Stern looked to Olga who only shrugged. He turned back to meet Jebidiah's gaze. "I go where the family needs me."

Warmth filled the bonds, and everything felt right until Jebidiah glanced around and spotted Greta. She was looking at Stern, paying attention for once. But that's not what made the hairs on his neck stand.

Greta was smiling.

His blood ran cold as a chill went up his spine. He couldn't come up with any reason for that look or smile that made sense. One problem at a time, Jeb At least, that's what he told himself.

There were thirteen that rode off to rescue Crystal and Shirley the day before. Thirteen was considered to be a lucky number, and all things considered, the rescue went well. Today their number was bolstered by Crystal, Shirley, and Shirley's First Rebecca. Sixteen was a large group, especially with Stern, Olga, and Kelek sitting atop their huge steeds--too large to go unnoticed in a smaller village, and they quickly discarded the idea of just riding into town. Time would tell if their luck would hold.

They discussed options for sneaking into the village, tossing ideas around and quickly discarding them until they settled on a modified version of what they tried at the Fort. Mila and Kelek would do their things, sneaking in from the outskirts to scout out the place and then report back to the others after an hour. Jebidiah had brought up the possibility of using Git but Crystal quickly put an end to that line of inquiry. "He expended a lot of energy to extend his presence out this far. The only reason he was willing to strain himself that much was because he lost contact with me." Dana's suggestion of knocking out Crystal got as much consideration as it deserved.

They settled in to wait for their scouts to return, spending the time checking gear and finding a spot to tie up their horses that would be close enough to easily reach but far enough from town to lower the risk of discovery. They still had a couple of hours until midday, the sun seemed to be taking its time climbing up in the sky, making the wait drag on--working on everyone's nerves.

Greta was becoming increasingly agitated, a stark difference from either her usual stoic calm or her violent, intense religious zeal she had been displaying the last few days. The others were quick to pick up on it as well.

"Jeb, do you really think we'll find some answers today?" There was no hiding the unease in Tenner's voice. She spoke in generalities but Jebidiah knew what her real question was.

He watched Greta's nervous pacing as she flipped a spear around her hand, showing a surprising amount of dexterity. Up until her 'change' in demeanor, she had always favored her short sword--yet another glaring change in her personality.

"I promise you, we'll get some answers today." He glanced at Tenner when he finished, finally taking his gaze off of Greta.

"You say that like you know something, but how can you know anything?"

He gave her a reassuring smile. "I need you to trust me on this."

She sighed and turned her own gaze to Greta, dropping her voice to speak to herself, but not quiet enough--he still caught her reply. "You're about the only thing I trust anymore."

He frowned, considering her words. Greta's problems were affecting Tenner more than he had thought. He looked around at his other wives, all of whom were talking in small groups but would occasionally glance in his direction as if reassuring themselves. How much had he tied them all to him? His mind started racing, going over scenarios in his head -- what would each do if he lost this very deadly game that the Divine were playing? What if he lost one of them? Even the newest members -- Mila, Kelek, Shirley -- each served a purpose within the House -- and increasingly so within the family itself.

Thoughts of Shirley made his gaze settle on her. She sat on a larger rock, separated from the others, hands clasped in her lap, staring off into the distance. They had taken shelter in a copse of trees, using them to conceal their horses, and the morning sunlight filtering through the leaves hit Shirley's hair at angles that highlighted the blue sheen on their purple strands. It reminded him of the rainbow patterns you would see on the surface of lamp oil. Her golden eyes hardly blinked as she just stared, lost in thought.

"Copper for your thoughts."

Shirley jolted when Jebidiah spoke, nearly losing her perch on the rock.

Jebidiah smiled. "Sorry, Shirley. I didn't mean to startle you. Mind if I sit?"

She looked at him for a moment, regarding him with an unreadable expression, her golden eyes reflecting tiny hints of sunlight that made it through the leaves. Finally she nodded -- as if she had come to a decision. He sat, thankful whatever decision she had made went in his favor, but she kept to her silence, guarding her thoughts. Much like the others warned him the previous evening, he had not heard Shirley utter a single word the entire morning.

"How are you, Shirley? Yesterday seemed to hit you hard."

Shirley kept looking into the distance, still not saying a word, letting the silence stretch out into awkwardness.

Much like a human's face, a tiefling's was generally easy enough to read. They adapted well to human society and had little of their own quirks. But Jebidiah was unable to get any hint as to what was going through Shirley's mind. So Jebidiah just sat, staring off into the distance much as Shirley was, trying to project comfort through the bond. He wanted to help her with whatever problem had cropped up but he had learned you could only help the willing.

They sat that way for quite some time, the others -- sensing what Jebidiah was trying to do -- let them have their space. Their solitude was finally broken when Stewpot wandered by, stopping for a moment to rub its head against Shirley's leg. Shirley absentmindedly reached down to scratch behind an ear, a small smile on her face. It was the first real display of emotion Jebidiah had seen. The displacer purred, moving in a restless pace so it could rub harder against Shirley's leg, turning to rub its other side when it went too far, even patting Shirley's hand with one of its tentacles.

"They are amazing creatures."

Her words surprised Jebidiah. He felt like he was in untested waters, so he merely nodded in response, not trusting his words. Shirley kept her gaze on the beast, rubbing under its chin, causing the displacer to lower the front of its body to chase her hand the whole way to the ground. Its fur was midnight black, but so black that, much like Shirley's hair, it reflected different colors when the light hit it right. Greens, blues, and even a dark purple. Jebidiah idly thought that a coat made from its fur would look stunning on Shirley.

"The stories say they were raised by the Fae. Trapped into servitude, trained to hunt for the Fae nobility and ranking warriors of the court. But like all things, their leashes chafed. Eventually they rebelled, and most of them escaped the Fae realm, winding up here. The training of the Fae stuck though." She had stopped petting Stewpot and now it sat up before Shirley, on its four hind haunches, as the two stared unblinking into each other's eyes. "Many claim they kill for sport as much as they do for food -- but my kind knows better."

She finally turned to regard Jebidiah. "They only kill for sport -- food is just a bonus. Their time in chains -- forced to do the killing for others -- tainted the bloodline. It changed their entire species." Her eyes moved, searching for something in Jebidiah. It was an intense need to find something, but he wasn't sure what. "Can you understand how much being shackled, forced to kill for others, hurts? How the experience can change an entire species? Generations afterwards, possibly for all time?"

Jebidiah knew he was out of his depths. Shirley was older than the rest of the family, more experienced than even Mila, and she presented him with a question he had never considered but she obviously had devoted a lot of thought to. He tossed around platitudes -- nice things, comforting things -- that he could say and finally settled on the truth. "No."

She nodded, satisfied with his answer. "My people do." She paused, staring out into the distance again. Stewpot licked her hand once then got up and wandered off, vanishing, only to appear several feet away.

"Neat trick," he muttered.

"It is a killer's trick," she replied. "I can't expect you to truly understand what I'm trying to describe, but it has happened before, and will happen again." Jebidiah was lost, unsure what she was referencing.

She sighed. "My people come from several bloodlines. Most are infernal, but a few are not. My primogenitor is a being nearly as powerful as your Divine but vastly crueler than even your worst. He created the first of us to be used as battle slaves, his own children. For generations spanning eons our line has served him, killing his opponents, or dying in the attempt. Somehow, some of us are spared, sent to this plane as babes." She smiled ruefully. "It may actually be true what they say--one of us steals a human babe and replaces them with one of us. I have no idea."

"Where?" He blurted out the question before thinking.

Shirley raised an eyebrow.

"Where are your people at?"

"Oh." She answered, and then hesitated. "Somewhere across the veil. I was told it's possible to go back, but who would want to willingly become a slave?" She shook her head. "This world may not be perfect, but it is paradise compared to what I would go back to."

They sat in silence, Jebidiah's mind whirling.

"I have so many questions about all of this, but there's one I really need an answer to. Why? What is going on that is dredging all of this obviously troubling history back up for you?"

"When the 'Mad Lady', as you all enjoy calling her, comes out, I know where she comes from." She turned to regard him with a sad smile. "When Duchess Stockmar asked us about it, I believe I blamed it on you but I knew the truth. It is the bloodlust in my bloodline from generation upon generation of servitude in the name of slaughtering our enemies. When the battle comes I relish it, crave it, every fiber of my being wants to kill."

He nodded, not quite understanding but he wanted to acknowledge he heard what she was saying. Then a thought popped into his head. "Last night at the Fort, there was no Mad Lady."

She shook her head. "No. I was too afraid. And that's what I need to get off my chest."

She sighed and shuddered, as if literally shaking something off her chest. "When we were captured, the magic they used was strong. Very strong. Likely boosted by a Divine. It never should have had an effect on me, but it did. At least partially -- enough. I was still moving in and out of consciousness the entire time, but when I would come to, I was too groggy to do anything except lay there. But I saw -- and felt -- things."

She stopped her story, shuddering again.

Jebidiah furrowed his brow. "What did you feel that made you afraid?"

"We Tieflings can sense our own kind. Our own bloodline, that is." She stopped again, debating something internally. "I've only met four others from my bloodline, and every one of them was a battlemage like myself. I would know any of them instantly if I came back into their vicinity. Last night, I..." Her voice trailed off -- pained.

"Who was it, Shirley?"

She spoke quietly and Jebidiah nearly missed what she said. "Howard."

Jebidiah sat upright as if slapped. "Howard? That Howard? Your betrothed?"

She nodded, not trusting her voice.

The pieces began to fall into place, and Jebidiah looked at her with determination and finality in his voice. "Whatever you need, Shirley, just say the word. We'll be there for you. If you need me to kill him slowly, just let me know."

She glanced up at him with a look of gratitude and for a moment her golden eyes looked like they moistened. "Oh, Jeb. You sweet, sweet boy. No, that's wrong -- you are much more than a boy." She shook her head, her features growing sad. "I don't need anything, other than your support. No, I mean to warn you, not ask for favors."

His eyebrow rose. "Warn?"

"Howard will have his own version of the 'Mad Lady'. When the fight starts, and our battle lusts surface, I need for the rest of you to give me room. The fight will not be pretty and I'm afraid that collateral damage will be far from my mind."

Jebidiah could only nod. He stood, placing a hand gently on her shoulder, locking eyes with her. She spoke before he could.

"I want to thank you, Jebidiah Valor."

His eyebrows rose, mirroring his confusion as the unexpected apology. "Whatever for, Shirley?"

"For being there for me, for rescuing me -- and I'm not just talking about last night."

He stared into her golden eyes for a moment before an urge overcame him. He quickly leaned down and kissed her. She stiffened at first, caught completely by surprise, but it didn't take long for her to return the kiss. It was tender, sincere, but suggested an urgency and need the two shared. He broke the kiss, standing once again and cupped her cheek in a hand. "You are my wife, Shirley. I'll always be there for you."

She reached a hand up to touch the one resting on her face, returning the touch. She gave him a hesitant smile. "If I was capable of crying, I feel like I would be."

"If you ever do cry, Shirley, I hope your first are tears of joy."

"Jeb." He turned, seeing Crystal standing not far away, her face was a mixture of emotions. Her bond radiated concern -- and fear. "She's back."

He furrowed his brow. "Mila or Kelek? Are they okay?"

"You need to hear what she has to say."

Jebidiah grumbled and followed Crystal to where Mila sat. She was shivering. He knelt before her, so he could look her in the eyes. "What happened, Mila?"

Mila stared past him, her eyes vacant, red-rimmed from crying. When she finally spoke, her voice was shaken. "Never such death seen. Desecration." Her voice grew angry and spittle flew from her mouth as she ground out, "Blasphemy!"

Jebidiah took a chance and grabbed both of her shoulders, shaking her. "What happened, Mila?"

The Halfling finally focused on Jebidiah, her voice a harsh whisper. "The temple I found. Left of it that it is."

Greta was suddenly beside him, on one knee, trying to gain Mila's attention. "Blasphemy?" she demanded, her voice cold, hard.

Mila nodded, her voice broke. "Worse."

Jebidiah rose and looked at the others. Everyone looked as disturbed as he was. Mila had always been a confident person, too confident at times, and none of them had ever seen her as rattled as this. He ran a hand through his hair, collecting his thoughts. A commotion brought his mind back from where it was wandering.

Greta was shaking Mila -- violently -- shouting, "Where!" Mila would never have acceptable abuse like that but she just sat there, crying.

Jebidiah reached forward, grabbing Greta by her shoulder to make her stop but Greta pivoted, slashing with a dagger that seemed to materialize in her hand. If Jebidiah had pulled his head back any slower, he most likely would have lost an eye.

"What the fuck, Greta?"

Greta snarled, still holding Mila with one hand as she brandished the dagger to warn off any of the others, her wild eyes open wide, looking crazed.

Jebidiah slowly approached her, hands out, palms forward, in a gesture of peace, speaking calmly. "Greta, we're going to go look at what Mila found. It's going to be okay, we're getting to the bottom of this. It's okay."

His soothing seemed to be working, Greta hesitantly began to lower the dagger as he shuffled toward her. When he was within arms reach, he made motions like he was trying to hug her, starting moving his arms in an embracing arc then stopping, pulling back slightly, testing her response. When she looked like she would accept his touch, he balled a fist and quickly slugged her on the chin, knocking her out cold.

"What the fuck, Jeb?" The voices were mingled together, and shock was present in all the bonds, but he thought both Crystal and Dana had asked the question.

He turned to look back at them. "Get a rope."

They disarmed and tied Greta up, as gently as they could. It was just assumed that Stern would end up carrying her, but it was Olga that picked her up, cradling Greta like a child.

Once ready, Jebidiah leaned back down to talk to Mila. She had no reaction to the mini-drama with Greta that had played out within arms reach. "Mila, love, we need you to show us what you found."

Mila looked at him, her eyes growing wild. "No, no, no. Please. No more."

"By the Dark, Jeb, do we really want to go there? If it did this Mila, what's it going to do to the rest of us?" Jebidiah didn't like it, but Tenner had a point.

"We have to find out what's going on," he retorted, harsher than he meant to. "Look, Ten, I'm sorry I snapped, but we have to do this."

He looked back to Mila, making sure she was looking directly at him. "Bora, if you're in there somewhere, you have to help me out. I can't help you if you don't help me." He waited, searching for a sign of something in Mila's eyes.

"Did he just try to negotiate with Bora?" Crystal was trying to whisper but for some reason her voice carried.

Dana snorted, then whispered back. "You've missed a lot."

Jebidiah ignored them, holding his breath that his plea would work. Mila's sad brown eyes flickered with an emerald green light and the Halfling steadied herself, her breathing became even, her eyes lost their dullness. Finally, Mila sighed, and looked around her as if she was just realizing where she was, stopping momentarily on Greta in Olga's arms.

Her gaze finally settled back on to Jebidiah. "Staring at me you are. Fine now I am." A small shudder shook her, belying her words.

"What's going on, Mila?"

Mila lowered her eyes and mumbled something, too low for anyone to hear. She looked back up, some of the confidence in her eyes restored. "Bora's temple I found. It... not the words for it. Evil is Mylar being." She looked past Jebidiah, once again taking notice of Greta. "Be tying up wrong wife you are, husband."

One of Jebidiah's eyebrows shot up. "What?"

Mila sported a small smirk, the first semblance of her normal self which made Jebidiah relax some. "Dana for tying up be."

"Well, at least she's acting normal," Dana said with a harumph. "I'm starting to think we're all going to need sanity checks."

With the immediate strangeness passed, Dana, Crystal, and Tenner all moved to Jebidiah's side so they could talk with Mila as well.

Jebidiah shook his head. "If we're all going to die, I guess we can at least do it with a smile."

"That's a bit Dark," Dana scoffed.

Jebidiah shrugged. "Could be worse. We already lost Greta singing everything, can you imagine life without Mila's sexual innuendos?"

Mila smiled -- an actual smile. "Work on it I will. More direct I meant than innuendo."

"Kidding aside, can you lead us back to the temple, Mila?"

She nodded, stood, and began tugging at parts of her leathers and tunic, putting herself together both physically and mentally.

"Jeb, Holone says there's a ranger nearby. He's seen the signs, some of them are recent."

Jebidiah frowned. "Is that good or bad?"

Dana shrugged. "That's a damn good question. We have no idea whose side they are on, but they are here, which means we're running around in someone's pasture and they're bound to notice."

"Well, we'll just have to see how much worse things can go."

Tenner recoiled. "Why would you say something like that? You'll draw Udite's curse!"

"Fuck the Divine. All of them." Even though it wasn't the first time he'd said something like that, all those surrounding him loudly drew in a breath between clenched teeth and held it. "See? Nothing happened," he insisted.

A low whistle sounded behind him, causing them all to turn. Michelle was pointing off to the south, indicating something. Following her finger, they saw Kelek walking toward them, her body slung low to the ground, using her arms and legs to move, a large bundle strapped to her back.

"You were saying?" Tenner's voice didn't sound amused.

Jebidiah was in too foul a mood, all things considered, and he wasn't ready to let it drop. "It's just Kelek, she's not hurt for once, and it looks like she found something. Doesn't mean it's bad." Tenner opened her mouth to say something else but he cut her short. "Let's go see what she has. Are you okay to move around, Mila?"

When Kelek joined them, she carefully removed the bundle from her back, which appeared to be a humanoid shape. The tension that had built up in Jebidiah, despite his reassurances to Tenner that nothing bad was going to happen, eased as he saw the care Kelek was taking. If she was bringing back a prisoner like she normally did, she would have simply thrown them on the ground.

Opening the top of the bundle revealed a human woman. Even though she was dirty and disheveled, there was no doubting her beauty. Her matted and unwashed blonde hair still held a golden shine as if her hair was at war with the grime. Her face was streaked with dirt and what looked like soot. It was hard to tell because the marks were smeared across her cheeks and forehead, as if she had been crying and wiped the tears or sweating and wiped her brow. There was blood as well, though her face showed no signs of injury. Her lips were slightly parted in her sleep, plump, inviting. Jebidiah could imagine himself kissing her... he shook himself, unsure where that thought had come from.

"What have we got here, Kelek?"

Kelek looked agitated. She hissed, stomped, and paced. It was unusual behavior for the lizard, she was normally more composed and snarky. She hissed out several more things that had the feel of oaths and curses. Finally, she pointed to the woman. "Many dead." Kelek struggled internally. It was strange seeing the hesitation and unspoken debate play out on her lizardfolk features. After her hesitation, she said, "Big big bad." She froze in place, tensed up in obvious concentration.

Images began pouring through the bond. Ugly, horrid, brutal images. Flayed bodies arranged in positions of sexual acts, their removed skin stretched out on frames like deer skin at the tanners. There was more, much more, each set of images worse than the last as depravity after depravity was shown, acted out with the remains of tortured bodies. It was hard to see anything past the bodies, but in the flashes Jebidiah could make out portions of the background. It was almost entirely covered in blood, viscera, and offal. Strange words or symbols were written in the blood.

Crystal broke down in tears, falling to her knees. Tenner ran to a tree and vomited, Jebidiah felt his own bile rising as Stern let out an angry growl that made the hairs of Jebidiah's neck stand up. Dana began swearing as she paced angrily.

"What could possibly do such a thing?" Shirley's voice wavered. Like Crystal, she had been forced to her knees, but unlike the others, she stared at Jebidiah, searching for something to latch onto.

"Enough, Kelek." His words were not harsh, but they were demanding. The bond went silent. "Please tell me you did not send that to Joy."

Kelek shook her head, or tried to. She was working on her human gestures but her anatomy made some of them... unique.

"Olga, please set Greta down. I think we're sorting this out before we go anywhere." Olga nodded, unsure what was going on, not being a party to the bond images. The other First all stood, watching the events unfold with frowns on their faces.

"Jeb," Michelle started tentatively, "remember when we had that talk about letting your Firsts know what is going on..."

Everyone was staring at him, waiting, expecting answers. The only problem was he had no idea what to do. Conflicting feelings waged war within him, anger, panic, desperation, mental exhaustion -- everything had something to bring to the table. Crystal was still hunched over, holding her knees, rocking as she cried, Dana was angry, Tenner was washing the sick from her mouth, Mila was pale, her face a mixture of emotions, the Firsts were all concerned -- but despite all their different reactions, everyone was waiting for him.

And he had nothing to say.

He threw his arms up in the air as he huffed, turned and walked off, leaving everyone dumbfounded.

He made it about ten yards before someone grabbed his shoulder, spinning him around. Dana.

"What the actual fuck, Jeb! You can't just turn your back on this and walk away!" She was full on angry Dana again, a version of her he had not seen in a few months. From somewhere nearby, Stewpot began hissing.

Jebidiah's own anger flared but before the hot retort was able to come out, he stopped himself. The last thing he needed was a fist fight with Dana. "I don't know what the fuck to do, Dee!"

His admission stunned her, stunting her anger. She looked at him like he had grown another head. "What?"

"I mean, you saw what Kelek showed us! You saw what it did to Mila. What am I supposed to do with that? My plan this morning was to find this temple to Bora, bring Greta there, and get some answers if not outright restore her personality. But if that... whatever the fuck that nightmare was is Bora's temple... By all the Divine, what can we do with that?"

Dana was still angry, but at least she was holding it in. She stared back at Jebidiah for a moment, thinking, before she finally let out a heavy sigh. "I don't know, Jeb. It's all so much... I just... We need a game plan, and you're our plan gal -- well, guy. We're all so used to it by now, even me, that it's just assumed..."

Jebidiah threw his hands up again as he let loose a laugh tinged with mania. "Great! Now the most confident person I know is hesitating. Who else is going to start being someone different?"

"That's not fair, Jeb! Holy fucking Dark! You've changed more than any of us! And right now, the idea that you have no sense of where we are going scares me more than any of whatever it was Kelek showed us. We need you. We need that brilliant, cold, calculating brain of yours to figure this out."

"What if I don't have any ideas, Dee? What if I've reached my limit?"

"Then make something the fuck up! I don't care how hairbrain it is, as long as we have something to focus on." A tear leaked down her cheek, cutting off his snarky reply.

But then it slipped out anyway. "Really great pep talk, Dee."

She put her fists on both hips, glaring at him. "Don't you fucking dare try to be flippant about this, husband." Her voice was as sharp as a dagger, cutting, but it was the flow of tears that finally got through to Jebidiah. Dana was truly scared. Her anger was her way of covering that fear, keeping her uncertainty from showing.

"Okay."

She sniffled as she angrily wiped at her nose. "What?"

"Okay, you're right. Just give me a minute to try and think this through." Just then a beam of anger shot through his bond, aimed directly at him. It was strong enough he almost grunted from the impact. "Fuck," he said, "Greta woke up."

The two looked back to the rest of the group, who were partially obscured by the trees they were using for cover, and could make out some frantic activity.

"When the Light runs away..." Jebidiah mumbled as he began moving toward the ruckus.

Dana picked up on his words or thought as she completed the phrase. "The Dark is here to stay."

Greta was on the ground, still tied up, but thrashing as she swore, using more Bora based curses than Jebidiah knew existed. When he arrived, she stopped struggling and stared daggers at him.

"If looks could kill, we'd be shopping for a new husband," Tenner quipped, though without her normal humor.

Jebidiah sighed, staring back at Greta, but his gaze also took in the unconscious woman Kelek had brought back, who lay several feet away, slightly hidden from view. An idea began to take shape.

He knelt down next to Greta and began working at the bindings on her ankles and legs. "Greta, love, I can explain all of this, but I have something more important that has to be done."

When her legs came free, Greta immediately lashed out at Jebidiah, catching him in the thigh. He grunted, but grabbed her legs and kept hold. "Love, you need to stop this. Bora requires your aid."

His words had an instant effect. Greta stilled, listening intently.

"Mila and Kelek found what is left of Bora's temple. It is... bad, Greta. Pure evil is here. Kelek found someone, I think a survivor, but she was injured. We need your healing to find out what happened." He looked at her as intently as she looked at him, waiting for some sign of acknowledgment. None came.

"Greta, do you understand me? We need healing to get answers for Bora. Can you do that?"

"Where." She spoke the question as a command. Not for the first time, something Greta did caused a chill to go up his spine. It also dawned on him that this was the first word she had said to him since she woke back up.

He pointed behind her and she followed along until she spotted the bundled woman lying on the ground. Greta got on her knees to raise her body up and leaned forward. Confused at first, Jebidiah caught on and untied her hands and arms. They both got up and approached the unconscious woman. Greta still radiated fury but at least she was focused on something other than hurting him.

Greta hesitated when she caught sight of the woman's face. She dropped down and began removing more of the wrapping around the woman, which Jebidiah now saw was composed of several burnt cloaks. Greta swore again, then hissed. "She is a priestess. Find Holone."

Jebidiah was about to question Greta but she ignored him and began the motions of healing, threads of magic appearing around her hands. He sighed and moved back to where the others watched, in quiet conversations with each other.

"Well?" Dana asked impatiently.

Jebidiah shrugged. "We need Holone, can you ask him to come over?" He grunted as a small bundle of green skinned beauty attached herself to his side. Crystal was still crying, trying to collect herself from the onslaught of imagery. He hugged her. "Why don't you come with us, Crys?" She just nodded but her head was still buried in his side.

By the time they rejoined Greta, her healing had worked its magic and the woman -- priestess if Greta was correct -- was sitting up, working with Greta to remove the remaining parts of cloak still wrapping her. The two were speaking quietly to each other but stopped when the group of four arrived. The newcomer stood up, and kept going, until she towered over Jebidiah, about midway between Dana and Stern's height. Even Holone fell short at least an inch.

Free of the wrappings, her outfit, or lack of one, made one thing abundantly clear. The woman was absolutely stunning. She was wearing what appeared to be little more than sheer fabrics that did nothing to conceal what was beneath. Her skin was flawless, her figure well toned, reminding Jebidiah of the lithe conditioned body that a rogue normally possessed. Her skin was almost alabaster, shining brightly through the sheer blues and greens of the flimsy material her -- robe? -- was made of. Her breasts were not the full half globes like Greta or Tenner's, but sloped down, like teardrops, ending with proud nipples only a few shades darker than the rest of her skin. Her only true clothing was a small -- very small -- loincloth type of underclothes. Merely a patch of fabric hanging from a small strand that went around her waist. It looked like a slight breeze would reveal what the meager material was hiding.

She looked perfect and it took Jebidiah's breath away. He was so enraptured with her, he barely noticed when she brushed hair out of her eyes, tucking the strands behind elven ears. It was her flawless Elvish that brought him to his senses.

Holone had dropped to a knee, a posture of reverence, and the beautiful woman laid a hand on his head, chanting something in a wondrous sing-song voice. Something came over Jebidiah. Something between irritation and anger, something he wasn't used to. It took a moment to place it.

Jealousy.

Why was Holone receiving attention from this vision of divinity when he was not? He moved to lay claim to the woman, shove Holone away from her, when pain exploded in his head. He shook his head, trying to clear whatever was going on, and realized Dana was yelling at him.

"Snap out of it! Damn, Jeb, she's beautiful, I get that, but what the fuck are you doing?"

"It is okay, child. The fault is entirely mine."

The voice sounded even more melodic than before, the enunciation of her Commonspeak was flawless. Dana smacked the back of his head, harder this time.

"I'm afraid the effect my position has on men is quite strong. It is one of the reasons we head priestesses of Her Lady of Perfection are sequestered, attended only by women."

Dana didn't seem amused. "Yet here you are." Crystal stood still, hardly breathing, just staring at the woman but still firmly attached to Jebidiah's side.

"Yet here I am." She smiled and it was like the sun rose on a cloudy day, burning off the lingering clouds, bathing Jebidiah in warm light. "Unfortunately, I was too late to help Bora's sect, but not too late to find aid from those I seek. Well met, Valor's Eight. And your companions. We have much to discuss."

Stars and comments are greatly appreciated. I edit my bio with updates and if you follow me you'll get notifications of changes. This book will stay to a bi-weekly release of chapters instead of weekly.