“I assume we have reached a bargain, then?” Darkniciad asked. The man before him pursed his lips for a moment and his brow furrowed. He took a breath, nodded his head, and said, “It’s a square deal.” “Excellent,” Darkni said while extending a hand. As he shook hands to seal the deal, he said, “We shall stay in touch so you know when to be ready to take delivery. There is, of course, the matter of the advance payment.” His...

Darkniciad melted into the kiss, lost in the feeling of her soft lips. She pressed her body against his and he subconsciously followed her lead when her other hand slipped behind his back. Even as he marveled at the feeling of her tongue slipping into the kiss to tickle his lips, one of his hands curled around her back, and the other settled on the swell of her taut bottom. Destiny moaned, pulling herself even tighter aga...

Christi settled the bag slung over her shoulder into a more comfortable position and set out for town. She was in good spirits, even though she harbored no illusions about actually having the opportunity to sell her sword. She'd gained the confidence of her brothers and father some time before, but today's coup was acquiring her mother's reluctant acceptance. That was the key that let her set out on the road this sunny sp...

Christi flipped her dark ponytail back over her shoulder with a sigh, and leaned up against the side of the building, where she had been for quite some time. Wrinkling her nose and shaking her head a bit did nothing to chase away the smell of sweat and animals that hung over the wagon yard. She was drenched in sweat – her clothing starting to cling to her – and she was ready to give up for another day.Closing her eyes for...

Christi and Rochelle both rose early, feeling quite refreshed from the unbroken sleep. They aided the men who were chosen to cook, and the smell of breakfast soon roused the camp. The company set out once more, moving at a slightly quicker pace this time. Well rested now, the former captives were better able to keep up. Rochelle told stories about her time as a mercenary, making the morning pass swiftly for Christi, the s...

Alicia fought to keep her eyes open, and thought that she was certainly going to lose the battle this time. Oblivious to her waning attention, Alfred continued to drone on about his exciting – at least to him – day of trading. He hadn’t even noticed that she’d completely changed her hairstyle since he’d called upon her only two days earlier. Alicia stared past him at the manicured lawn of her home, the beauty of the sculp...

Alicia awakened with the sun, as she had the day before. This time, however, she felt rested. While the dirt floor was a far cry from her feather-stuffed mattress, it was a great improvement over sleeping on sticks and pine cones. With only a little food remaining, and not enough knowledge to live off the land, she knew that she had to move on. She could only hope that she was moving away from her kidnappers, and not walk...

“Welcome home,” Fantil declared as the wagon crested a hill, revealing the sprawling city of Freeland. The bright noonday sun sparkled on the Groen Sea and the river Lionsfare, framing the city in a glimmering halo. Roads converged upon the city from every direction, filled with wagons, horses, and travelers on foot, all seeking the wonders of the magnificent city. Though still many miles distant, the sight of the city fi...

Alicia sat cross-legged beneath a cherry tree in the garden, blissfully savoring a few of the ripe fruits, plucked directly from the tree. As with the day before, her parents were simply too stunned by her sudden shift in behavior to articulate their disappointment. She knew the reprieve wouldn’t last long, but she planned to take advantage of every moment. A beam of sunlight shone upon her spellbook, open in her lap. The...

Alicia awakened to the sound of birds singing and the scent of flowers on the wind. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled as she beheld Thakkor asleep in the bed next to her. Her cheeks warmed a little as she considered her thoughts – and dreams – about him. Though she wanted nothing more than to snuggle up next to him, Alicia resisted. Whether she’d worked out her physical needs in her half-remembered dreams or simply h...

Alicia rode at Thakkor’s side down the hill, once more traveling on the well maintained roads of Freeland. After four days of easy riding, she and Thakkor were within a day’s ride of the city. As on their previous journey, Alicia’s coin purse proved a welcome asset on the trip. Rather than spend the money on lodging, Alicia purchased serviceable clothing from a traveling vendor, and paid the man to pass a message to her f...

The muscles in Cerebus’ bare chest rippled as he hefted the sack of grain into the wagon. It groaned a little under the weight, but had proven its solidity with numerous round trips.He wiped the sweat from his brow and walked toward the front of the wagon, where his employer was busy secreting a loaded crossbow beneath the seat. “That’s the last of ‘em.”“Excellent. Excellent. Just one moment, and I will fetch your coin,”...

Mindblind came to, feeling rain on his face and grass beneath his back. With a great deal of effort, he managed to open his eyes and sit up. His vision swam, and he could feel the knots beneath his hair when he reflexively rubbed his head. A glance up revealed the reason for his current location. By some twist of fate, when the slaver had knocked him out, he’d fallen through the large double window upstairs. It swung open...

The firelight from the encampment finally provided enough illumination for Mindblind to figure out what he was doing as he followed Raven, miming her movements. His knees ached from inching along in a crouch below the top of the waist-high grasses, and his hair was full of cockleburs. The animal trail that Raven followed helped to obscure their movements through the grass, and the wind provided the final cover. He had no...

When the conversation about what to do next didn’t really go anywhere, Mindblind watched Yani leave the room, scratched the dark shadow of a beard on his chin, and then turned to Raven. “She’ll be fine,” Raven answered his unasked question while waving her hand in a dismissive gesture. “She’s had her tea. She’ll probably even have enough sense to charge any man that ends up poking her, now that she knows she can make mone...

Mindblind winced when one of the boards underfoot made a loud creak as he stepped out onto the porch of the inn. He slipped his sword from its sheath, his eyes and ears alert. The town was silent, save for the taproom of the inn, and even that had quieted when he and Raven had stood up to leave their table. He saw nobody moving about as he walked along the front of the building, heading toward where he had seen the Draxni...

The journey started pleasantly enough. The ladies of negotiable virtue chatted and laughed, still relating to each other the tales of their latest adventures and clients before leaving town. Indigo whistled as he drove the wagon, and even Raven seemed to be in good spirits as she hiked along, usually sharpening one of her daggers with a whetstone. The sun was shining bright, but a breeze kept the temperature tolerable. Th...

Mindblind ran, fighting the wind, rain, and muddy terrain to stay upright with his burden. Raven had barely breathed when he found her, and there was no guarantee that she still was. Upon reaching the turf house, he turned his back toward the door and threw his weight into it. In a splintering of wood, the makeshift bar fell away. He stumbled into the room amidst alarmed screams from the women within. Kayleen ran up and g...

Mindblind stood staring at the wall, fist clenched tight around his sword hilt, and his vision red with rage. He tried to master his emotions, as he’d done all his life, but it was having no effect. After everything – even killing the last of the assassins – he was no closer to discovering who was really behind it all. Behind him, Indigo related what he’d learned from the women locked in the back of the establishment. The...

The wagons creaked and rattled down the road as the sun sank toward the horizon. The women were excited, because familiar bits of scenery appeared the closer they moved toward Lakenshire. Mindblind, however, was on edge. He kept his eyes roving and his ears perked to the wind. From the moment they’d set out from camp, his danger-sense had been screaming at him, though they’d encountered few people and no trouble all day....

Mindblind blinked his eyes open, squinting against the morning light streaming through the window, and tried to focus on his surroundings. Eventually, Raven congealed out of the haze, standing at the foot of the bed with her hands on her hips. “Well, what do you have to say for yourself?” “Morning to you, too,” he said as he sat up and groaned. He was stark naked, and as the sleep fog burned off, he recognized he was in a...

The sun rode high in the sky, nearing its zenith and the heat made the moist air feel thick. Not even the breeze of the ship running at full sail could disperse the stifling heat. Thakkor shook his head to release drops of sweat clinging to his eyebrows and short brown beard, drinking in the day despite the uncomfortable weather. Sweat beaded upon the sun-browned skin of his young bride as well, dampening her golden hair,...

( A Darkniciad Story. This is an early story, and POV switches a little ) The hall was packed with people, all standing in complete silence. The evidence and testimony detailing the horrific nature of the crimes committed by the man before the King this day had a sobering effect upon the entire room. What was already known paled in comparison to the full truth of the crimes. Rape, murder, torture, maiming... All had been...

Heads turned when the door to the servants' common in Blackhawk Hall opened and a blonde woman entered, looking somewhat unsure of what she was supposed to be doing. Her face bespoke youth, still having an unmistakable softness that would fade with age. She smiled nervously as all eyes in the room fell upon her, a deepening flush in the cheeks framing that smile served to make her look even younger.Her figure contrasted w...

The Duke and Duchess had just dressed after bathing when Arilee walked into the bath room. She marveled for a moment that there was no evidence of the battle that had occurred there only a short time before. She found that she had to concentrate to maintain her composure in light of Christi wearing only a thin nightshirt, and Cerebus clad in only a pair of cotton pants. "Excuse me – Ashtar wishes to speak with you." Mindb...

Arilee and Christi broke from their kiss. Christi shivered and softly moaned, "Oh, that was good." Arilee giggled and blushed. "Really?" "Oh gods – yes. Your lips are so soft. It made me tingle all over.” The Duchess then twirled her fingers through the blonde curls on Arilee’s mound and asked, “Would you like me to trim your hair down there for you?" Arilee nodded, and Christi patted the edge of the bathing pool near the...

Arilee and Christi walked through the massive double doors of Blackhawk Hall into the cobblestone courtyard beyond. Both were dressed to impress, and the effect was not lost on the guards flanking the door. Christi turned around after a few steps, knowing that the guards would be looking, and winked. The men both quickly lifted their eyes from the sway of the women's bottoms, provoking a laugh from Christi as she turned h...

Christi was barely awake when she heard the knock on her door. Looking next to her at Arilee curled up in the sheets – smiling sweetly in her sleep – the Duchess couldn't help smiling as well. Another knock jolted her out of her reverie, this one registering in her mind as something requiring a response. Christi stretched, yawned, and then rose to pull on a robe. She opened the door a crack, to see it was Ashtar who was k...

"The elf mongrel is in the Hall, and the half-breed moved on to fort up in the inn once they broke the charm over our dupes," Cordell reported. Garvin, self-appointed Governor of Darius, frowned. "They moved forward after the attack? How much does that change things?" Cordell shrugged. "Not much, really. They will be here tomorrow unless we throw everything we've got at them to slow them down. It's all a matter of what ti...

( A Darkniciad story. About a year 9 mos. after King Thakkorias ) Queen Alicia stood before the doorway of her parlor, bidding goodnight to the last of her guests. Naturally, Christi and Arilee had stayed later than any of the others, more accustomed to late hours than the other ladies, by far. The men would likely continue to carouse for a few more hours, but the informal meeting of Egoria's noble ladies was typically mo...