The Sign of Ku

The city of Zerbatral was built beside the slow, sultry Sulai river. The broad, muddy, frequently flooded flats were the sites of the shacks and hovels of the poor, the taverns and brothels frequented by sailors and longshoremen, and the docks and warehouses that serviced the ships that brought the city its wealth. That wealth was located in the high city, which stood on top of the bluffs overlooking the river.

Up the road that climbed by switchbacks up the face of the bluffs walked a tall, muscular, dusky skinned woman. Her body was marked with many scars and her face with small, geometric tattoos. Her black hair was tied back with a red scarf. She wore leather shorts and a chest-guard of brown leather studded with brass. A mane of black hair grew down her spine, marking her descent from one of the barbarian races of the world of Telluria.

She sweated in the afternoon glare of Helion, the sun of Telluria, as she walked up the road. She pushed past other pedestrians and stepped aside only for the massive trihorns that lumbered past, carrying cargo to and from the docks. When she reached the top she paused to catch her breath. The air was cooler on the top of the bluffs and there was a pleasant breeze. She looked over the river, and then turned and admired the high city.

Here the streets were paved with slabs of marble and planted with palm trees and bushes that flowered in red and violet. She saw fine houses of white and yellow stone, surrounded by gardens, in turn surrounded by ornamented walls topped with elaborate crenellations. Many of the houses boasted small, octagonal towers.

The people in the high city, men and women of the civilized races that varied less from the ancient pattern of humanity, walked past, looking at her with suspicion, wonder, or admiration depending upon their temperaments, tastes, and desires. She looked down upon them all with a deliberately neutral expression. Telan was out of her place here and she knew it.

She walked through the streets, stopping here and there to ask directions, and came to the door of a fine manse. Its white stone walls were set with small niches. In each niche was a statue of a different god, brightly painted and decorated with chips of colored glass. The doors were of heavy panels of teak inlaid with glyphs and symbols carved from green jade. Next to the door was a small, brightly polished brass bell. Telan rang the bell.

A man of the cyan race of Telluria opened the door. His skin was a light blue, his hair dark blue-black shading into gray with age. A drooping mustache decorated his upper lip. He wore a simple kilt of printed cotton. He scowled as he looked up at the barbarian woman.

"What do you want? We have no work today for such as you."

"Ask your mistress Illi, she sent for me." Telan smiled at the man. Her teeth were long fangs set in a powerful jaw.

The cyan man drew back, daunted, and Telan stepped forwards, blocking the door with a muscular leg as he sought to close it. The man glanced around, angered and alarmed in equal measure.

There was a call from within the house. "Urkra, who is it?" Then a cry of "Telan!", the sound of running feet, and a woman had flung herself into the barbarian's arms and was kissing her enthusiastically. Telan returned the embrace and kisses eagerly.

Eventually Telan drew back from the kiss and studied Illi. Like the doorman, the chubby, buxom woman was of the cyan race of Telluria, with light bluish skin, curly dark hair, and clear blue eyes. Her face was marked by a scar that twisted the left side of her mouth into a sneer, but the smile on her face was genuine and her eyes shone with joy. A strip of silk supported her ample breasts, and short skirt made of light panels of silk encircled her hips below a bulging, clearly pregnant belly. Illi noted the direction of Telan's attention and patted her stomach.

"This is the second child."

"Congratulations", said Telan, surprised.

"You have hardly changed!" gushed the cyan woman. The doorman frowned and closed the door behind the two as Illi led Telan into the house.

Illi chattered as they passed through the atrium and into the outer courtyard, through the second courtyard, and into the third, the private realm of the family. Yes, she was married now, to Hyrkanios, and wasn't the house splendid? It was an alliance between her clan and the Alteri, a very advantageous marriage which she had thought would not happen (she touched the scar on her face), but he was so wonderful a husband and really cared for her. Her son was at the clan house, visiting his grandparents and great-grandparents for a few days, he was wonderful. And this was her sitting room, a fine room with windows that looked out on the garden and the surrounding house wall. Illi clapped her hands and a slave girl appeared, bearing a tray with small cups of tea. The cups were of paper-thin porcelain, decorated with tiny paintings of sea monsters and ships.

Telan sat on a pile of cushions and sipped the tea, holding the fragile cup cautiously. Several years ago she had rescued Illi from a band of ape-men who had abducted her. Her motivation had been the large reward offered by Illi's clan for her return. It had been a hard chase and a hard, bloody fight at the end. After rescuing Illi, she and Illi had become lovers, and she contrasted the shaken, frightened woman she remembered with the chubby, cheerful matron before her. Inwardly she smiled, while maintaining an impassive, interested air.

"And so when I heard that you were in town, I knew I had to see you again!"

"I'm glad that you are happy." said Telan. The reward money was long gone, she was not sure how. She had acquired wealth several times in her life, but somehow she could never keep it. Yet she had come to genuinely like the cyan woman and was not unduly bothered by the present contrast in their circumstances.

The slave girl bustled in and out of the room, bringing trays of small sweets the size of the last digit of Telan's finger, plump grapes and slices of orange and purple fruits, and tiny cups of sweetened ice. Telan admired her beauty. She was of the black race of Telluria, with skin the color of ebony, large, firm breasts, a slim waist and well-formed hips. Her dark, slanted eyes flashed merrily and her straight black hair was cut short. She wore a g-string and a simple silver collar around her neck. Illi noticed Telan's attention and smirked.

"Do you like Ness?"

Telan leaned closer to Illi. "She's very pretty. Have you had her?"

Illi laughed and patted the barbarians' muscled, scarred thigh. "Of course. That's the advantage of being mistress of the house. She's a temple brat from Ursuros, Hyrkanios bought her for me." She whispered "She's a second degree initiate of the rose and I'm at the fourth degree, so..."

Illi prattled on, describing her connections with the slave girl through the complicated web of temple cults and the secret and semi-secret societies that linked the civilized races of Telluria across the divisions of clan, city, and class. It was a social world to which Telan, as a barbarian, could never belong. She began to brood, considering that gold came and went, but the true resource of the wealthy was in their connections and society, and that was not something she could acquire. Perhaps that lack was why she seemed so often to be poor. And yet there were civilized men who were poor, or even slaves such as Ness. It was a puzzle.

Her brooding was interrupted by the entrance of a middle-aged cyan man, tall for a civilized man, balding, still fit but going to fat, with a short, trimmed mustache. Illi introduced him as her husband, Hyrkanios.

"Illi has often spoken of you, Telan. It is good to meet you, and see that you match her descriptions in every respect."

Hyrkanios talked briefly of his day, and then the three adjourned to yet another room, where they reclined on cushions while a simple dinner was set on a low table between them. It consisted of thin slices of river fish, fried in oil with spicy greens and fresh vegetables, and bowls of salted rice. A dry yellow wine of Telistyr was poured into small glasses. Telan emptied several glasses and felt a pleasant glow.

Hyrkanios asked Telan about her travels. Telan told of her adventures since she had last seen Illi, exploring lost cities in the north and the tropical isles of the south. Hyrkanios then told of his voyages in the southern seas. His ships sailed to Ursuros and the Drezlan islands, bringing back cargos of spices, drugs, slaves, and rare woods from the southern isles.

"The Barterri clan aren't happy about that. We've had threats and several fights, and one of my ships was attacked by 'corsairs' who I'm pretty sure were hired by the Barterri."

"Why don't you openly challenge them and slay them?" asked Telan, then realized too late that this was a remark that Hyrkanios might find offensive. But the cyan man merely frowned and shook his head.

"We are not barbarians here, we can't simply draw blades and start swinging away. If I armed my men and marched to the Barterri clan house and attacked it, the other clans would all unite against me and my clan. Brawls in taverns, or attacks on ships at sea are one thing, but an outright fight in the city is not possible. Indeed they have already escalated things more than I feel the other clans are comfortable with. The trick to winning a dispute among civilized men is to always appear to be the one attacked, no matter what you may have done to provoke it."

Telan smiled and shook her head in confusion, but said no more. Illi leaned in and kissed her, resting her hand on Telan's thigh. Telan ruffled her hair, aroused by Illi's touch.

As slaves cleared the table, the three of them retired across another courtyard to the suite of rooms where Hyrkanios and Illi slept. It was full night and the rings of Telluria cast a white light over the garden. No moons were in the sky. From beyond the walls they heard the night sounds of the city, the clapper of the watchman and the sound of music and singing from another house.

Illi led Telan to the bedroom, which featured a large, low couch, red and yellow cushions, and hangings worked with images of men and women entwined in various postures of love. On one wall hung a fine set of weapons, a pair of basket-hilted sabers.

"I don't have much call to draw blade now", said Hyrkanios, "but I like to keep one handy just in case."

Illi smiled.

"I'm sure that you can protect me, dear. And with Telan here too, tonight I feel totally safe." So saying she slipped out of her light silk garments and stood, naked, in the ringlight. Her dark bush was trimmed short into a small triangle above her sex. Illi took a deep breath and met Telan's eyes. Telan felt both intimidated and aroused by the pregnant woman. Slowly she removed her leathers and kicked off her shoes. Hyrkanios likewise disrobed, showing his well formed body.

Illi drew Telan and Hyrkanios down to the cushions, kissing first her husband and then Telan. Telan's hesitation faded as her lust flared. She pushed Illi down and began to kiss her neck, working towards her breasts and their large, dark nipples. Her muscular hands stroked Illi's body, feeling the soft curves and how it had changed and filled since they had last made love.

Hyrkanios lay by Illi's side, toying with one breast and watching as Telan sucked on the other. Illi giggled and squirmed in pleasure, rubbing her sex against Telan's belly.

Telan pulled back to catch her breath and crouched above Illi on all fours. Hyrkanios leaned in and began to stroke Illi's sex while sucking on her right breast. Telan turned her attentions to the other breast and its stiff nipple. Illi writhed and moaned.

Hyrkanios shifted some of his attention to Telan, running a hand along her flank and stroking her small breasts. Telan bared her teeth and growled at him. He made to kiss her and she snapped at him playfully. He caught at her hair and they wrestled briefly. Telan quickly knew she was much stronger than Hyrkanios, but she let him pull her to him and kiss her deeply, then play with her breasts for a while as she played with Illi's.

Telan enjoyed the man's attentions, but it was Illi that she wanted. She pushed Hyrkanios back, growling, then slid down Illi's body until she was between the cyan woman's thighs. She spread them apart and began to lick Illi's sex, thrusting her long, strong tongue into the cyan woman's folds, easily finding again the sensitive places. Illi's moans changed to screams of pleasure as she thrashed on the cushions, finally coming with a series of piercing screams.

Telan crouched between Illi's legs, licking the woman's fluids from her lips, as Illi gasped for breath. Then she crawled over Illi's soft body and knelt above her face. Grabbing Illi's arms she pinned them down as she offered her own dripping sex to the cyan woman. Illi's lips and tongue began to work on Telan, pleasuring her.

Hyrkanios began again to stroke Telan's body, running his hand down the mane that ran down her back and stroking her muscular thighs. Telan growled at him, but he merely smiled and slid a hand down her belly. Telan yelped as his probing fingers slid inside her, his expert stroking adding to Illi's eager licks and kisses. She moaned, growled, and gasped as the two brought her to the brink and held her there, as she felt her orgasm build and build to an unendurable peak, until she begged for release. Finally, when she could take no more Telan felt Illi's tongue on her clit and came, screaming and convulsing in the grip of a shattering climax. When it was done she collapsed forwards onto the cushions and rolled off of Illi, rolling all the way to the cold stone floor where she lay exhausted.

Hyrkanios knelt over Illi, his cock twitching. She slid sideways, spreading her legs and welcoming him into her. Telan crawled up and lay next to Illi, kissing her, playing with her face and breasts, and watching as Hyrkanios rode her to a mutual climax.

Afterwards the three lay together, watching through the windows as the three moons of Telluria rose. The three talked quietly a while, then Hyrkanios closed the shutters and they then went to sleep, Illi and Hyrkanios together upon the low couch and Telan on a pile of cushions to the side.

***

Telan awoke from an uneasy slumber. The room was in darkness except for slits of light around the window shutters. She could hear the heavy breathing of Illi and Hyrkanios. There was something else in the room, something big in the darkness. She could not see it but her keen senses felt that it was there. Fear swept through her, followed by anger that drove out the fear. She could feel her body vibrating in time with her pounding heart. She bared her teeth. She had no weapon, but her instincts drove her to attack it, whatever it was.

With a scream of rage, she flung herself at where she knew the intruder to be. Her impact sent it staggering backwards into the wall. Something metal clattered to the floor; had whatever it was had a blade? She felt a sudden surge of relief as she realized that what she had tackled was a man, or at least man-shaped. She felt smooth skin, muscles that rippled beneath her gripping hands, and some kind of clothing or harness. She grabbed the man, if it was a man, in a clinch and drove her knee into the soft place below the ribs as hard as she could, hearing a satisfying grunt and feeling the intruder sag.

She felt sharp teeth tearing at her scalp, ripping away a strip of flesh and sending blood running down her face. Crying out in anger, she kneed it again and again, each time throwing the full strength of her body into blows that could snap a man's ribs. It thrashed in her grip, trying to escape. Locked together, the two of them fell onto the floor. She caught a glimpse of a horned head in the light from the shutters and grappled it from behind, locking her arms around its throat and squeezing. The intruder went limp beneath her. She heard Hyrkanios shouting and Illi screaming. Telan slackened her grip slightly and felt it gasping for breath beneath her.

Suddenly the dim green light of a gemlight filled the room. Hyrkanios was on his feet, naked. He rushed to the wall and grabbed a sword.

In the light Telan could see clearly what she was holding. It was man-like, but with a hairless shiny black skin. It was as big as Telan, much bigger than Hyrkanios. Its fingers and toes were tipped with stubby black nails. Two large, back-curving horns sprouted from its hairless head. It had a massive jaw filled with sharp fangs, a flat nose, and two yellow eyes that glared at her. It was wearing a simple leather harness that held up an empty scabbard. The bulging leather pouch over its privates showed it - or him - to be male. Telan had never seen a creature like it. She snarled and prepared to crush its throat.

"Telan, don't kill it!" said Hyrkanios quickly. "I've heard of such things. Shadow hunters. A kind of demon, I think. They can travel through darkness. As long was we keep him in light, he can't escape. I heard a rumor that the Barterri have hired a foreign wizard, this may be his doing."

Telan felt the creature tense under her and tightened her grip. Looking around the room she saw the long, curved knife, almost a short sword, that the creature must have dropped when she first struck it.

"Get some rope and bind it then. We need to find out who sent it, or him. Give me that blade."

There was a banging at the door. Illi hastened across the room and opened it. Slaves and servants rushed in, to be shooed out by Illi. While Telan held the shadow hunter at knifepoint, Hyrkanios bound its hands and feet with a knotted silken rope which, Telan noted with amusement, was kept in the bedroom.

"Illi, you are safe now. Hyrkanios, guard her. I am going to make this thing talk." She kicked the demon for emphasis. Hyrkanios nodded and the two of them left the room.

Telan slammed the door behind them and turned to her prisoner. Naked, and with her face covered in blood, she was a fearsome sight. Her eyes blazed with anger at the thought of how close her friends had come to death.

She stood over her prisoner. "I know you can talk. What is your name?" The creature remained silent and bared its formidable teeth at her. Telan bared her own teeth back.

"You have two eyes, you only need one." she said casually, straddling the creature and reaching for its head. Telan was not cruel by nature, but at that moment she was entirely capable of inflicting torture, and the creature seemed aware of it.

This time he spoke. "Moros. My name is Moros. I beg, do not cause me pain." Telan stopped, holding the dagger a fingers length from the creatures face.

"Who sent you? Why did you come to kill us?"

"I was called from my world by one who had the sign of Ku. He showed me the hairs of a man, and told me to go to where he was and slay him, and all those with him. I must obey the one who has the sign of Ku."

"Who was this one who called you?"

"I know not! A man of this world." Telan growled. "Do not harm me, I beg!"

Telan sat back and contemplated Moros. She felt that this strange creature was telling the truth. Her gaze travelled over his muscular body, across the harness that he wore and to the pouch over his groin. Curious, she unfastened the clasp that held it and pulled down the pouch to see what manner of man Moros was.

Telan saw a hairless scrotum containing two large balls and a large cock. It was like none she had seen before, decorated with spines. She prodded it cautiously. The spines were soft and fleshy, with slightly rounded tips. The appendage was warm and at her touch it grew substantially, standing up proudly. She stroked it. The feeling of the spines rippling through her grip was pleasant. Moros gasped, seemingly also pleased by the sensation. Telan realized how aroused she was. She licked her lips, tasting her own blood.

"I have never had a man like you. If I like you, I'll let you live." So saying she straddled Moros and slowly lowered herself onto his cock, impaling herself and grunting with satisfaction as she felt its hot, spiky thickness slide into her wet pussy. Still holding the knife to his chest, she began to ride him, rocking and twisting her hips as she felt the spines stroke and probe her insides and the sensitive tissue around her opening. She thoroughly enjoyed the sensation.

Moros started thrusting back and Telan prodded him with the knife. "Don't move." He froze and she rode him harder, grunting with effort as she bounced up and down on his cock.

He moaned in pleasure and fear, and she laughed as she felt an orgasm building inside her faster than she had ever experienced before. He came in her with a hot spurt and she came then, arching her back and growling. The two locked together, in a spasm of pleasure, then they relaxed, panting.

Telan smiled in orgasmic bliss. She had enjoyed the brief intercourse, and decided that she would let Moros live. Suddenly an idea struck her. She gripped Moros by the throat. Leaning down, she looked into his yellow eyes.

"You have failed in your mission. So you must return to this wizard, the one who summoned you. When you go back to the wizard, can you take me with you? I want to see this man."

"Yes, I can do this."

Telan stood and stretched. Thick, warm cum trickled down the inside of her thighs. She felt a presence at the door and turned. Illi and Ness were standing at the door. Ness was gaping in astonishment, Illi was clearly trying not to laugh. Telan grinned and nudged Moros with her foot.

"Would you like to try him out?"

Ness seemed to be struck speechless. Illi laughed. "I don't think it would be a good idea." she said, patting her distended belly. "We brought you some healing ointment and bandages, and Ness can stitch your wound."

Telan cleaned herself with an offered bandage, wiping Moros' cum off her thighs. "Very well. but make it quick."

Telan squatted and let Ness smear her wound with healing ointment, stitch it up, and wrap her head in a linen bandage. Inured to pain, Telen didn't react as the slave's slender fingers drove the needle in and out of her skin. Then she dressed herself in her leathers and pulled on her shoes. She buckled on her own wide belt that carried her dagger, and took down the other saber from the wall. She tested the blade with her thumbnail and made a few passes with it, then, satisfied, she sheathed the sword and buckled it on. Stooping over Moros' harness, she unfastened the scabbard of his knife and sheathed that, then tucked the sheathed blade inside her belt. An extra blade was always useful.

Hyrkanios entered the room. He was wearing a mail shirt and carrying a helmet and a saber.

Telan explained her plan to her friends. Hyrkanios immediately offered to accompany her. Telan thought that his bravery was cute, but tried to think of a way to refuse his help that would not offend his male pride.

"Someone needs to stay here to protect Illi. And to avenge me if I fail." Hyrkanios nodded.

"Take this helmet. It is warded against magic." He offered her a black iron helmet with a long lobster tail to protect the neck and a vizor in the form of a grotesque snarling face. A short spike rose from the top, and the crown of the helmet was inlaid with silver runes.

Telan did not normally wear a helmet, but felt she couldn't refuse this. She quickly kissed Illi, then buckled the helmet on, peering out through the eye holes. At once she was aware that her vision and hearing were restricted.

She cut the bonds on Moros feet and yanked him upright. She slipped one arm through his and drew the curved knife, poking him in the side with the tip.

"If you betray me, I will kill you."

"I will not betray you. Turn out the light, and we will walk through shadows together. Keep hold of me or you may be lost in darkness."

Hyrkanios dimmed the gemlight and darkness fell in the room. There were only the slits of light around the shutter. Moros began to walk towards the darkest corner and Telan went with him.

Suddenly the light from around the shutter vanished. Telan realized that she was truly in total darkness. She could feel a rough ground beneath her feet. They were still walking, but surely they had come to the end of the room? She was suddenly frightened. She gripped Moros more tightly and prodded him with the knife. He laughed.

"Now we are in the realm of shadows. If you slay me, you will never return to your own world of light. You will wander for ever in the darkness and go mad."

Telan realized the truth of what he was saying. She pressed the knife against his body and began to drive it in slowly. "I will kill you first, and you will beg for death."

"Enough! I will keep my word. Come with me."

Telan could not tell how much time they spent walking through the darkness and silence, but it did not seem long. She gripped Moros hard. Suddenly she felt smooth stones beneath her feet. Although it was still dark, the darkness seemed somehow less absolute. She realized that she was back in her own world. Moros spoke.

"I have returned, wizard."

A gemlight brightened to a dim green glow. Telan saw that she was in an octagonal room with a black and white marble floor. The center of the floor was inlaid with a magical pentagram. Black hangings hung on all walls but one, in which there was a wooden door. A table held a skull, a small statue in soapstone, and a clutter of scrolls and books. The gemlight was in a small iron stand, near a pile of black cushions placed to the side of the door.

Two men were seated upon those cushions One was a lean man of the magenta race of Telluria, with a shaved scalp and wearing robes of black embroidered with mystic designs in silver thread. The other was a paunchy cyan man, wearing a kilt of fine yellow cotton. They both gaped at Telan. The cyan man sprang to his feet, calling loudly for help.

The magenta man remained seated. His purple eyes locked on Telan's through the eye-holes of the helmet. She knew that wizards often could hypnotize with a look, and hesitated. However, she felt no compulsion and stepped forwards, releasing her grip on the demon. She shifted the knife to her left hand and drew the saber. An expression of surprise formed on the magenta man's face.

The door burst open and two cyan men rushed in, one tall, the other short. Both men wore only loincloths and the black face scarves marking them as professional slayers, and both wielded wavy-bladed swords.

Telan reacted quickly, hurling the knife left-handed at the tall man. That one ducked, dodging the flying knife, but was distracted while his companion rushed at Telan. She parried the short man's attacks with her saber and drew her dagger with her left hand. In three quick motions she struck his blade aside, stepped in, and drove the dagger into his chest to the hilt, so that the point stuck out of his back. He stumbled back, eyes glazing, and she cursed her clumsiness as she realized that the dagger was stuck in his ribs and that she could not easily pull it out.

She saw the tall man's blade whipping at her throat. She ducked and twisted aside and the blade glanced off her helmet with a clang. She abandoned the dagger and turned to face the tall man. He cut high again, she parried, then he cut low and she parried that too. When she saw the blade coming in for another high cut, she snaked the tip of the saber around his guard, slashing his wrist. The slayer dropped his sword and she efficiently drove the saber through his throat. He fell to the ground choking in his own blood and she turned to the magenta man, who had stood and was aiming a crystal-tipped metal wand at her.

The crystal on the tip glowed white. She felt a sudden pressure and heat in her head, and her teeth buzzed as a sound that was not a sound resonated in her skull. She took a step back, smelling hot metal. The wizard looked puzzled and smacked the wand, then pointed it at her again. Before he could activate it again she sprang forward and clubbed him to the ground with the basket guard of the saber.

The paunchy cyan man was backing towards the door, fumbling at the gold-inlaid dagger at his waist. Telan advanced and put her sword at his throat. She was a fearsome sight as she towered above him, splattered with the blood of the dead men. Batting the dagger from his hand, she pinned his ear to the door with the sword blade. He cried out in pain.

"I.. I am Traxten of the Barterri clan... do not hurt me. My clan will..."

Telan snarled. "Know this. Hyrkanios is a friend of mine. If any harm should come to him, or Illi, or anyone else of his, I will tear out the bowels of every man in your clan. Now go!" she whipped the blade out of the door and slashed him across the face. He threw open the door and fled, weeping.

Snarling Telan turned to the wizard, who was trying to pull himself erect. She menaced him with the bloody saber and he froze. She walked around him until she could see both the wizard and Moros. The black-skinned demon had stood, unmoving, since the fight had begun. His hands were still bound behind his back. She spoke to Moros.

"Where is this sign that commands you?"

"Around his neck. The five sided onyx tablet, carved with the sign of Ku."

Telan yanked a small pentagonal tablet from around the wizard's neck, provoking a cry of dismay. She tossed it in her hand and looked at Moros' naked body, smirking behind the helmet vizor. "If I gave you a command now, would you have to obey me?"

Moros met her eyes through the eye-holes of the helmet. "Yes. I must obey whoever who holds the sign of Ku."

Telan circled around the room until she stood behind Moros, making sure that she could see the wizard all the while. A quick slash of her blade freed Moros' arms. The shadow hunter stretched and watched her with an air of caution.

The wizard spoke. "You know not how to use such a thing! Give it to me and I will banish the demon, or else he will slay us both! I walked many paths to obtain that sign, I made many sacrifices!"

Telan tossed the talisman to Moros, who caught it in one large, clawed hand and tied it around his thick neck. The wizard cried out in dismay and tried to scramble backwards. Moros leaped forwards, grabbed the wizard's head in both hands, and twisted it around almost a full circle. There was the sound of crunching bone. Moros tossed the wizard's body aside contemptuously.

Telan grunted in approval. She wiped the saber on a cushion and sheathed it, then unbuckled the helmet and took it off. The silver runes were hot to the touch, and the crown of the helmet bore a dent from the slayer's sword. She felt the dent and closed her eyes, feeling dizzy for a moment. The helmet had twice saved her life. She wondered if she was slowing down or becoming overconfident. It had been years since she had fought in the arena.

"You can go now." she said to Moros. Moros stepped slowly towards her, stepping over the body of the wizard, Telan backed away until she felt the silk hanging at her back, and behind it the stone of the wall. She looked into the horned visage of the shadow hunter. Something touched her belly. She looked down and saw Moros' erect cock poking her. Telan shuddered as a sudden wave of lust swept through her. Slowly she unbuckled her belt and tossed it aside, then pulled off her shorts, showing her dark bush. The scent of her arousal filled the room.

Moros stood before her, his yellow eyes fixed on her violet ones. He grabbed her by her muscular buttocks and lifted her in the air. She spread her legs, welcoming, as he pushed her against the wall and held his cock poised for a moment, before thrusting the full length of it into her.

She wrapped her arms and legs around the demon, thrusting back against him. She screamed at each of his powerful thrusts, delighting in the feel of the spines on his cock rippling in and out, massaging her insides. Telan seldom encountered a man, or any male, who could match her for strength, and when she did she always found it thrilling. Again his cock brought her to climax with shocking speed, and he was not far behind, finishing with a series of bruising thrusts as she writhed in pleasure.

She clung to him, gasping, as he continued to hold her against the wall. Then he lowered her down. Her legs were shaking. She noticed that Moros was still hard and in fact his cock seemed even bigger, the soft, fleshy spines dripping with fluids.

With a growl Moros spun Telan around and pushed her down onto all fours. Telan moaned in anticipation as the demon mounted her, grabbing her hair with one hand and pulling her head back so that he could encircle her neck with his other hand, squeezing her muscular neck as he penetrated her again.

Telan realized her helplessness and that only aroused her more as Moros rode her. No civilized woman could have remained conscious under his ruthless pounding, or taken the full length of his spiny, massive cock, but Telan was no civilized woman. The barbarian braced her powerful body and gripped the cock with her inner muscles, bringing a moan from Moros as she took all that he could give.

Telan saw stars drift before her eyes as she came and then kept coming, riding a wave of orgasm that seemed to last forever until she felt the hot spurting of Moros' cum inside her. She collapsed, limp and gasping, on the stone floor and lay, in a blissful daze, unable to move.

Suddenly she felt a pain in her right shoulder. Turning her head she saw that Moros had taken up the curved knife and was carving a symbol on her shoulder with the point. She squirmed half-heartedly, but the demon held her down. She whimpered in protest. Moros licked the blood that flowed from the wound.

"Woman of Telluria, I have marked you with the sign of Mu. You have given me pleasure and freed me from the wizard's slavery. You are protected by that sign, no child of Ku will harm you. I must go back to my own place now. This world hurts my head. But perhaps we shall meet again."

Telan felt Moros rise and heard him step across the room to the gemlight. The room was plunged into darkness. When Telan crawled her fumbling way to the light and relit it, the demon was gone and she was alone in the octagonal room with three corpses.