Jack

Lisa’s slumber broke once again as the car swayed on one of the serpentine turns of the hilly road. She rubbed and palmed her eyes before she looked outside. The full moon was shining in its absolute glory and pacing beautifully along with the car. She took a deep breath and looked back at Jack who had been driving for almost all throughout the evening.

“Good evening sweetheart and welcome back,” Jack said, without taking his eyes off the road.

“How long do we have to keep on driving till we reach the secret surprise spot of yours, Jack?” Lisa asked, resting her head on his shoulders as she ruffled his hair a little.

“Well, all good things make you wait, honey. Don’t they?” Jack tilted his head slightly to kiss her temple, without taking his eyes off the curvy terrain.

“Ah, your dreamy talks, my love!” Lisa stretched her body and then snuggled back her head into Jack’s neck.

The curvaceous beauties of the road slowly gave way to the flatter bed of green grass, swaying with the strong breeze. At some distance, Jack and Lisa could see a huge silhouette with two gleaming amber eyes. After driving for next few minutes, the curtains of mist cleared and they could see with more clarity. It was a hut shaped house and the gleaming eyes were possibly big lanterns as the light was too pale and weak to possibly be an electrical lamp.

“Lisa, it looks like we have finally made it to our destination.” Jack rolled down the windows to breathe in the fresh air and also to spot if anyone was around.

“Jack darling, you sure you would find anyone here? And is it the intended surprise place or palace you wanted us to get to?” Lisa nudged Jack, with a slight hint of tease as he slowed down the car and craned his neck out to spot any soul around.

“Lisa my love, have patience and you would soon see the treasure I would be bringing to your feet.” Jack planted a soft kiss on her lips and swung out of the car in a swift movement. Lisa giggled and stepped out from the other side.

A gush of freezing cold gale hit Lisa on her face the moment she stepped out of the car. She briskly walked and hid in Jack’s arms. Jack, on the other hand, was still a little clueless about the still missing caretaker of the place.

“Hello Mr. Smith, is it you there?” A deep and heavy voice suddenly broke the monotony of silence and humdrum of strong winds swaying across the green field.

Jack and Lisa turned on their heels quickly to follow the trail of that voice. It was coming from the porch of the house, yet it was strong and not broken.

A flock of bats suddenly emerged out of nowhere and hovered over Jack and Lisa. Before they could know or react, it disappeared in the black and blue hues of the sky.

Jack’s gaze got stuck in the canvas of the full moon studded moon against which the nocturnal creatures were flying. Suddenly, he felt the weight of a big hand clasping his shoulders.

Jack quickly looked back and up at the man’s face but despite all his squinting, he couldn't scratch out the details of his visage from the layers of darkness.

“Hi, I am Luther, the caretaker here. Mark must have given my name and reference to you sir,” Luther said as he extended his big hand forward for a handshake.

“Why would anyone own a place in such a remote place?” Lisa mumbled to herself, as Jack and Luther shook hands.

“Let me help with your luggage,” Luther offered his help as Jack and Lisa started pulling out their bags from the boot of the car.

“Thank you, Luther. Just show us the way to the entrance please,” Jack said smilingly as his eyes were slowly able to decipher the contours of Luther’s face. He was a man in his sixties, with a big mustache, well complemented by his thick beard. His hands were big and weathered and looked stamped with years of hard work. He was real tall and despite his old age and walked with a sturdy gait of a young and strong man.

Luther led them to the hut over a creaking and wooden bridge. Lisa, for the first time, could see the beauty of nature in its full glory around her. The water chuckled down in the narrow canal swirling underneath them. It glowed like silver beads jumping on a smooth blue sheet. She took a deep breath as she slowly inhaled and sipped the gorgeous view with her eyes.

The glorious silence of Mother Nature was suddenly beaten to death by a shrill sound, coming right from Jack’s jacket.

Lisa almost lost her balance for a moment while Jack jumped a little too with a start. It was Jack's phone that cut through the silence like a sharp cleaver tearing through a meat loaf.

''Jack! How many times do I have to tell you? Do not keep this freaky ringtone on your cell!'' Lisa didn't know why was she shouting at top of her voice but she was feeling irked and scared at the same time.

‘‘Sorry, honey, “Jack said with a sheepish smile as he took the call with his fumbling fingers.

Luther stood unfazed. He didn't even move back his head to take a note of what was happening behind him. His eyes were locked on the full moon that was showering its silver rays over the green meadows and canal alike.

''Hey Mark, how are you mate? What? Oh yes! We did reach here a while back. Luther is here and is indeed very nice.'' Jack kept on looking at Lisa from the corner of his eyes, checking if she was still fuming with anger.

Lisa shook her head as Mark hung up from the other end and they proceeded to walk towards the door. Luther put the keys in to open the door with a twist of the big knob.

Jack and Lisa skipped a heartbeat as the house welcomed them. They had never anticipated that the interiors would be like this.

The spooky and dark looking building was lit like a palace with slurry of chandeliers and a huge fireplace in the middle of the hall.

Lisa pressed Jack's palm with hers, expressing her mirth to step into this cozy abode. Jack leaned and whispered in her ears, ''You need to gift me back for this sweet surprise of mine,'' he said, gently kissing her earlobe.

Luther cleared his throat, announcing his departure in his usual and plain fashion.

Jack thanked him and closed the door behind him.

''Let’s check the bedroom, Jack. I need to plan how to reward you well.'' Lisa winked at Jack as she took off her coat and ran upstairs.

Jack sprinted to catch her but he stopped midway at the stairs. For a moment, he felt as if someone was running closely and after him. He stopped and looked back and around. There was no one and all the door and windows around were all closely locked.

“What the hell was that?” he mumbled to himself. Blaming it on the old wood of the stairs and echo effect in the shallow hall, he sauntered slowly to where Lisa had just gone in.

At the doorstep, he was greeted by her heels, tossed on the floor. It followed soon with her blouse, skirt, and black lace bra, all lined up neatly, leading to the bed. As he turned towards the bed, she found Lisa in the sheets, arms above her head and she had tied her wrists with her thong.

''How do you like the gift wrapped for you, Mr. Smith?'' Lisa said as she bit her lower lip.

Jack couldn't hide his smile. He jumped quickly out of his clothes and slid quickly into the bed, inside the sheets with Lisa.

Her body was warm and smooth. Jack's manly palms slid up from her supple tummy and up to the curves of her heaving jugs. As their tucked lips sucked hungrily on each other, Jack tweaked her big and hard nipples with his fingers and slowly cupped her breasts before fondling and kneading them for long. As her breathing grew faster, he slowly sucked onto her nipples, swirling his deft tongue around them one by one.

Lisa moaned and arched her body under Jack's. She freed her wrists and caressed her fingers down on Jack's bare back until she slid them down to grab his ass cheeks. Digging her nails down there, she slowly opened her thighs, filling the room with her musky feminine scent. Her thighs were wet and slippery with the thick juices her throbbing pussy was spurting.

Jack's nostrils slowly followed the scent, leading him down to the moist gates of her honey den. He kissed her meaty curtains slowly up and down. The kisses were soon followed by his tongue running up and down over her dribbling pussy and throbbing clit. Jack slipped his palms under her ass cheeks to lift it slightly as he squeezed her buns. Amidst her moans and his groans steaming up the room, Jack could feel Lisa moving and rolling her body over the bed so she could place her mouth right between his legs. He closed his eyes in pleasure as soon as he felt the tip of her tongue swirling like a serpent over the girth of his shaft. He responded back with his tongue slowly licking through her meaty flaps before sliding in.

Jack slowly dipped his hard cock slowly inside Lisa’s warm and wet mouth, he then heard a soft murmur real close to his face, ''Did you love it, sweetheart?'' he felt soft lips slowly gnawing over his earlobes as the whisper continued; ''I so want to eat you raw my love!''

Jack felt a chill going down his spine. This was neither Lisa’s voice nor her touch. Besides, Jack thought, “If Lisa's face is down there, then whose face is this?”

Jack screamed and tried to sit up in the bed but he could not. He opened his eyes in horror but it was absolute darkness all around him. Suddenly he realized he just could not move. There were no ropes or cuffs yet his body was engulfed with some sort of restraint, pressing his whole body with enormous force.

Larissa

Larissa looked one last time at the door of her big and plush chamber. She turned her face and looked outside. The sky was scattered with thick clouds, in the distant horizons. The clouds masked and stole a beautiful sunset from her eyes.

She sighed. A long trail of questions and doubts clouded her mind and hopes too. It had been ages since she had seen Marcus last. The sweet memory of the last time she spent a night with him was still vivid in her heart and soul. She imagined how the milky white glow of the moonlit night bathed the honey hues of her smooth skin. Marcus played with the curly tousled hair of hers. She loved the teasing touch of his lips and his fiddling fingers, undoing the knots of her dress and fondling her body with his magical touch.

“I love you, Marcus, why do you have to keep on leaving me and go to these wars every now and then?” Larissa complained in a murmuring tone as she played with Marcus’ hair.

Marcus, who was busy kissing her neckline and shoulders, obviously didn’t like the questions and drew himself a little away from her.

“Oh! My love, why do you ask me this every time?” He sat up and then lied down on the side of hers.

Lisa changed her tone to a cajoling one and said, “I know you are the chief knight for the army of my father. But you need to remember you are the love of my life as well,” Larissa said as she smiled and rested her head on his chest.

“Yes Larissa, I love you more than my life. But we also need to understand that the luxuries and love of the life come at a cost. Someone has to pay that cost. That is why we have an army and the knights of the army who pay those dues. And we do that with a lot of pride and sense of honor,” said Marcus, with his eyes stuck in the far oblivion of stars.

“I understand that Marcus. Now may I rest in your arms for some quiet moments before you run for your next crusade again in the dawn?” Larissa wrapped and hid in his arms.

“Yes honey, the barbarians of Germania are troubling our west shores again; I need to fix them for good this time,” Marcus said as he clasped his fist hard on the hilt of his Saber.

Larisa’s chain of thought was broken by a loud thud on the staircase leading to her chamber. Before she could realize what it was, the door was yanked open with a number of heavily armored knights barging in, brandishing their naked swords.

“What’s the matter?” Lisa hissed at them. "Don’t you know to knock before you enter your princess’ chamber?"

The knights bowed their head in silence and parted aside in two rows; to let the King Arthur step forward.

“Sweetheart, it is not their fault. I had to break the news to you and this just cannot wait,” Said the King as he dropped his head a little and looked at the floor. He looked very weary and worried suddenly. His stout and sturdy body was bowed down slightly with the weight of what he was carrying in his head.

“Father, what it is. Is mother all right? Is our fort under attack? You want me to lead our flanks to rip the enemy’s heads off?” Larissa ran to her father and grabbed his arms and squeezed them.

“None of these worries haunt me now my love. It is something else but it is really concerning and worrying for our army heading to the west.”

Arthur sighed and Lisa waited to hear. She knew it was Marcus who was heading that troop. Her heart sank a little but she waited for her father to finish.

“He has been outnumbered and surrounded from all side by the barbarians. I don’t want to lie to you. I don’t think we would have our men coming back alive.

“But how is it possible father? You had sent Felix with his troops to join him midway. How can he still get outnumbered? The barbarians are invading our borders but we know that they cannot outnumber two of our troops combined.” Larissa’s voice grew a little choked as her body shivered with anger and nervousness.

“Felix did lead his army to join Marcus in the middle but he had to alter his route as we got a report about a slave revolt on our eastern state.” Arthur clenched his fists in exasperation and his helplessness about the whole situation.

“We can’t leave Marcus to die like this father!” Larissa extended her hands in sheer anger, demanding an answer from her father.

“At the same time, we cannot let our eastern civil revolts unattended. Felix would join as soon as he is done with annihilating the slaves,” Arthur said but he also knew it would be impossible to get back across east to west shores so early.

Larissa’s palms slipped down to her thighs as she slumped down on her knees. Arthur got down and hugged her close to his chest. He knew how much Marcus and Larissa were in love with each other.

Lisa

“Jack, Jack, Jack…!” Lisa kept on shouting and shaking Jack to wake him up from what appeared to be a nightmare. His body was coiled like a heap on the bed.

Jack woke up with a start and sprang up on the bed, naked and perspiring all over his body.

“Where am I, what happened here Lisa, where did that freaky woman disappear.” Jack blurted as he looked around in sheer fear and disbelief.

“What woman you are talking about?” Lisa cupped his face in her palms and shook it hard to jolt him back to reality.

“Lisa, I am talking about her, who whispered in my ears that she wanted to eat me alive, while we were making love Lisa. And then she threw me in some dark place.” Jack mumbled while his fumbling fingers groped and clutched the sheet.

“Jack, you had a nightmare. That is all.” Lisa took his head and rested it on her shoulders like a child. He indeed was scared like a kid and it took him a while before he could regain his senses and come back to reality.

“You mean to say we did not make love?” Jack frowned and looked at Lisa with a confused and questioning look.

“Well, technically we did honey. But you dozed off to sleep as soon as you came.” Lisa didn't sound very pleased about this. She covered herself back in the sheets and looked at Jack with concern and confusion.

“Jesus, I am sorry Lisa. I must have been really tired.” Jack said, realizing his body was still cold and shivering even after Lisa covered him in the duvet.

Lisa extended her hand and pulled Jack next to him, caressing his head. She also knew she had to do something to distract his disturbed mind.

“You had been driving all day and evening, Jack. It happens. You mind joining me in the shower so we can start afresh?” Lisa chuckled as she kissed him on his lip ruffling his hair.

“I would love to honey, but let me catch forty winks first. Maybe I would join you in some time to soap your sexy ass.” Jack said in a cheeky voice as he bit her lower lip.

“I would wait for you sexy man, rest now!” Lisa winked at him as she got in the bathroom with a kiss on Jack’s forehead and closing his eyes with her palms.

The bathroom was real huge and left Lisa mesmerized for a while. She really loved the Gothic interiors and the way it smelled like fresh wood.

“I would get our bathroom to be revamped, just like this,” Lisa mumbled to herself as she scanned her naked body in the huge mirror, looking for any flab she was gaining anywhere.

It was then when she heard the knock on the door.

“Jack, how can you be so impatient?” Lisa said with mock anger as she turned on her heels and twisted the knob to open the door. But there was no one at the doorstep.

Jack was sleeping on the bed on his tummy. Lisa knew that he usually slept like that only when he was fast asleep.

“Is he trying to scare me off with his scary story and now this game?” Lisa thought for a moment but then she shrugged off the idea. She closed the door behind her as she went on to turn the taps on, sitting on the edge of the bathtub.

The knock was there again and Lisa knew it is Jack kidding around. She tiptoed to the door slowly so that she could swing open the door swiftly, without Jack anticipating it.

But then she realized the knock was not coming from the direction of the door.

Lisa turned the taps off, to figure where the knocks came from. Suddenly she felt a shiver all over her body as the room went freezing cold all of a sudden.

“I am not scared. Jack is in next room only.” Lisa thought to herself as she focused again. The knocking started again and then it grew faster, Lisa felt real uneasy as she realized the knocking was blended with an eerie scratching as well.

She froze for a second when she realized it was coming from inside of the stone wall. She walked towards the wall, almost hypnotized. She felt she was being in some sort of spell but then she shrugged off the idea. She pressed her palms hard on the spot, followed by her ears next to it to listen and figure out what it was.

The knocking stopped suddenly.

Lisa stood back straight up, not knowing what to do next.

“Help me! Get me out of here please.” Lisa felt a cold touch on her shoulders and back as she turned to the sound of the broken voice.

She found a lady standing in the mirror looking right at her. Her hair was pitch black and waist long, covering her torso which was blood stained with scratches and cuts. Lisa was unable to move, she was unable to believe what she was witnessing but it was too real to be a figment of her imagination. Suddenly, Lisa saw that the lady screamed in deep agony and pain as she looked down. Lisa grabbed the wall for support as she didn't have the stomach to watch what was happening next. The woman had blood trickling down from her throat as a slit appeared on her neck.

Even with a weak and shivering gut, Lisa mustered all her strength and screamed out as loud as she could, “Jackkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk…………..”!

Marcus

The air smelled of burnt wood in his nostrils as white trails of smoke billowed somewhere in the far horizon. Thick bushels of wheat crop swayed in a sweet rhythm as the sweet breeze kissed Marcus on his face.

Marcus felt uneasy with the time it was taking for Felix to join his flanks. He was not scared of death or facing the barbarians alone, but he knew that fighting them alone without any aid would mean certain defeat and eventually a hole in the western borders.

“Sir, I have bad news.” one of his soldiers appeared from amidst the cavalries and blurted out with a bowed head.

“Speak freely soldier, what is the bad news?” Marcus said in his heavy and steady voice, curbing his horse who went a little unsettled meanwhile.

“Sire, the dragon hawks and their leader Felix would not be joining us for the attacks on barbarians.” I just got the scroll and ran to let you know. They have been pulled away to the eastern borders to deal with the slave revolt.”

Marcus felt a lump in his throat. He knew what he and his army were up against. It was now a suicide mission. But retreat was not an option and running back was not what a knight even knew the meaning of. Besides, he had to offer maximum resistance to the invaders, so that when they entered his motherland, the returning army of Felix could trounce them with ease.

Marcus gave a flick to the curb of his horse and swung readily to face his men, who were standing with a calm and fearless look, despite the dark clouds of doubts hovering over their minds.

Marcus roared, “My friends, this is the day we have lived for. To rip off the heads of our enemies who dare to violate our motherland. They may be outnumbering us today or maybe wielding bigger swords than us. But they don’t know our terrains my friends and by God, I swear that this is the last thing they would learn before they breathe their last.”

Marcus looked at his men’s faces again which were now lit up with his words. He continued, “If the almighty wishes for us to give away our lives for the cause of our nation too, then so be it. I don’t see a more glorious death embracing us to carry us to the other side of this world.”

Marcus thumped his shield with his fist three times and his men followed him with a loud roar, all pumped up to offer their all in the service of the country.

Luther

Jack woke up with a start, knowing something unusual woke him up. Soon he realized it was the shrill shriek of Lisa coming from the bathroom. He ran to the door and started kicking and hitting it hard with all his might. After the fourth or fifth hit, the door gave way and got yanked open.

Lisa was sitting on the floor, with her head tucked between her knees and she was ceaselessly shivering with fear. Her skin looked pale as if all her blood got drained out from her body.

“Lisa, what happened?” Jack held her shoulders and shook her body.

''Jack, that lady! Blood...she screamed as she started bleeding profusely. Oh my God Jack.''

Jack sat down. He hugged Lisa closer and palmed her cheeks as he rested her body over his.

''Lisa calm down. What lady? What blood? Don't worry baby, I am here. Tell me what happened?'' Jack kissed her forehead as Lisa continued to sob incessantly.

''In that Mirror Jack, over there. Be careful and ...." Lisa pointed at the mirror but her words froze somewhere in her throat.

There was no lady, no blood and there was no mirror at all.

''Jack, I swear to God that I saw that lady in the mirror. In fact, I saw myself in that mirror!!'' The shock of the moment gave an abrupt stop to her sobbing as she clutched onto Jack's arms.

''Lisa, I trust you. I don't care if it is some freaking evil spirit or someone trying to scare us. Let us just move out of this place.'' Jack said, sensing the evil danger in the place

Lisa nodded her head as they both got up and headed to the room.

Suddenly the room went cold and pitch dark again. Lisa and Jack shivered with fear as they hugged each other tight and groped for any support.

One of the bulbs in the chandelier came back to life as it flickered between being half lit and going back dark, time and again.

Jack and Lisa kept on trying hard to make their eyes adjust to the dim light. Slowly the light started turning in blood red hue and then there was a loud thud in the room.

The loud thud came from the direction of the door. It was being hit and kicked at wildly. After two more ferocious kicks on it, it was broken and Luther barged in. His face was still void of any emotions. He slowly walked towards Jack and Lisa, totally unfazed by their nakedness or state of being in sheer shock.

Jack and Lisa screamed but they froze to death the moment they realized what Luther was carrying in his big hands.

FELIX

''Felix my love, we are running for almost all evening. How much more we have to run for until we would be out of danger of being beheaded.'' The lady demanded as she turned her head towards Felix who was busy looking outside as if checking something in the terrains.

''Patience honey, we just need to keep on moving,'' Felix responded, without taking his eyes off the road.

The woman got real impatient with Felix’s behavior.

''I am tired, haven’t eaten or drank anything for ages and you want me to keep on going?'' She hissed.

''Yes, because your words fall short of reason and sense my love.'' Felix snarled back. He didn’t raise his pitch, but his eyes and tone were so venomous that there was no further resistance from the other end.

Felix continued, with his voice a lot more calm now. ''We have been charged with treason. The only fate we are looking at is death, in the event of being caught. We have to keep on moving until we get out of the lashes and leashes of this land!''

From there on, there was no further sound in their horse cart, except to that of the loud thuds of hooves and the creaking of the wooden wheels every now and then.

The Fight to Death

Marcus hushed his troops with a wave of his right hand. His years of experience in battle zones told him that something was not right.

He knew the enemies are closing down on them as he could sniff danger in the air.

The lit up horizon of the dawn suddenly grew dimmer as a huge black shadow enveloped the sky.

''Take cover!!'' Marcus shouted as he covered himself and the man on his left under his big shield.

The black cloud soon unmasked itself to be a giant cloud made of arrows. Marcus knew that he and his men had been spotted.

''Keep your flanks closed brothers!! The cowards are too scared to face us. I can see where the arrows are coming from!'' Marcus kept his battle roars on even in the shower of arrows. His troops marched towards the enemy in the direction of where the arrows were shot from.

Soon they saw the barbarians, appearing from behind the big tusks of the trees. They were wearing the skulls of their enemies killed in their prior wars. Their faces were painted with goat's blood for the good omen and they were brandishing huge maces and spears in their hands.

Marcus knew his men would be daunted with the sight of swarming beeline of savages. So he moved ahead in the front as the enemy grew closer, risking his own life. His men, charged by the daredevil act of their master, covered him back into the flanks to safety. The barbarians came to a sudden halt as they heard back a bloodthirsty battle cry from the inside of shielded flanks.

Devils

''You sure we are safe and away from danger now?'' Larissa whispered in his ears as she kissed his neckline and pressed her breasts against his chest.

''Yes Larissa, we are now!'' Felix kissed her wet lips as he undid her corset and looked at her bare shoulders in sheer lust.

Larissa kissed him back in passion as she let him to remove her corset. She slipped her fingers into his hair and then over his bare back.

Larissa's bare body glistened in the golden light of the big wooden torches as Felix kissed her all over. Coming out of the last piece of clothing, he came over Larissa and rubbed his hardness over her supple tummy, leaving a trail of sticky dribble all over.

''You are such a charmer!'' Felix said as he licked around her big pink areolas around her rock hard nipples. ''Almighty Arthur and even your lover boy Marcus could never guess what you were up to.'' Felix completed his sentence with the intermittent nibbles over her heaving milky breasts.

''He is a fool, so ambitious that he thinks he can crawl up to be a king of the empire from being a gutter cockroach,'' Larissa said while biting her lips with revenge and ecstasy as she felt the tip of Felix’s fingers circling in her wet and thick bush.

''Marcus would never know who is causing the real threat on our eastern borders. He would die a fool for his ambitions beyond reasons.'' Felix groaned as he pinned Larissa’s arms above her head and placed his throbbing cock against her wet and dripping slit.

''Make me yours Felix!'' Larissa moaned and moved her hips with pleasure as Felix rammed harder thrusts inside her wet and hungry cunt.

As they neared their orgasm, Felix lifted her up in the air as he took her in front of his Royal Oak mirror. He pulled out his cock out of her dripping pussy and swung her body to make her face her own reflection.

''Felix, don't stop!'' Larissa begged with heaving breaths as he positioned himself behind her while cupping and spreading her ass cheeks wide.

"I am not stopping my love," Felix said as pressed his rock hard shaft against her anus and pulled her golden hair back in his fist.

Larissa groaned and closed her eyes in extreme pain but Felix did not stop sliding his manhood inside her tight hole. Suddenly, Lisa felt a cold metal kiss on her throat. She opened her eyes to see what it was.

Felix was holding a huge metal chain which he started cuffing around Lisa’s wrists and putting over Lisa’s body.

"Felix! What is ...'' Before Larissa could finish her sentence, her body was completely entangled in chains.

''I don't trust you, Larissa! You have back-stabbed Marcus. You are not going to do the same to me, princess!'' Felix blurted as his continued thrusting her manhood inside her.

Lisa looked at her own horrifying self in the mirror. The tight metal clasps were hurting her wrists as it pinched her flesh.

The weight of the heavy shackles got better of her knees as she slumped on the floor with disbelief and anguish. Felix towered over her in disdain, dropping the last of his semen drops over her humiliated and chained body.

The last Roar of the Tiger

The ground was getting laden with severed heads and chopped off limbs. Marcus soon knew that despite each of his men slaying dozens of enemy’s men, the numbers were still not in his favor.

He looked around, without stopping to ferociously swinging his sword and taking the blows of spears and swords on his shield.

He knew that the only way to turn around this battle on its feet was to do something to attack the mind and morale of the barbarians. His time was running short with each of his men getting martyred. And then, Marcus suddenly spotted the head of the barbarians standing on a vantage and high point, guiding his troops from there.

Marcus leaped and pushed his way through the war field, slaughtering those who offered him any resistance. He could now see his prey clearly as he climbed quickly towards the high point.

Suddenly he felt that he is being followed on his way up. As he swung back quickly, he saw four barbarians rushing after him, sensing the danger on their master.

Marcus quickly ducked and evaded the hammer blow to his head. He took the other spear hurled to his chest on his shield and his next swing of sword saw off two barbarians to death. But his tired and drained body couldn't stop the next two spears that cut through his right shoulder and thigh. He tore off the spear in half and quickly shoved into another barbarian’s neck, killing him instantly.

Marcus's army saw their leader falling off on his knees, with his tired and bleeding body still offering last of the resistance it was left off with. Their hearts sank with agony and pain and they rushed all to save him

"NOOOO!!!" it was the last scream from Marcus as he knew that breaking flanks meant a quick end to their fight. But his shout was getting choked and muffled as were his closing eyes with darkness and blood.



Luther

Jack and Lisa got down on their knees begging as Luther marched towards them with the big Axe that he was holding.

"Luther, what are you doing?" They screamed in unison as he swung and lifted his Axe high in the air to make a blow. Their legs had given up so much on them that they couldn't even muster the courage to try to make a run.

"Larissa, this is your punishment for treason and cheating your love!!" Luther roared as his Axe swung down with an acute precision and force. It went brushing past Jack’s left ear and cleaved down all the way into the wooden floor.

“Jack, I have no business with you. Run and save your life, I would not think twice before killing you,” Luther said as he pulled out the stuck Axe with a mere flick of his wrist.

“Jack, No! Don’t leave me please.” Lisa cried incessantly. But to her disbelief, she saw Jack picking up his clothes and running out of the door. He didn’t even look back once at Lisa.

Luther looked back at Jack for a moment and then turned his attention back to Lisa.

"I am Lisa. Please, I beg of you. You are mistaken. I am no Larissa!!" Lisa joined and clasped her hands and fingers together for mercy as she cried in horror.

"It is the same; you would always remain a cheat and defy your loved ones," Arthur said, taking a slow step to cover the gap Lisa had created by dragging her half lying body on the floor.

"Luther please forgives me, but you are killing the wrong person. I am no Larissa. Please, have mercy on me. I am like your daughter." Lisa cried and bowed down her head for mercy.

"This is the problem Larissa. You are my daughter," Luther snarled as he swung the Axe wild once again, letting the head of Lisa roll down on the floor. Her headless torso quivered one last time before slumping down on the floor.

After a few hours, somewhere far in the western horizons, a pack of wolves howled until the moon disappeared in the colors of dawn.

Buried alive

The only way for Marcus to know if he was dead or alive was through the shallow and weak breaths passing through his dying lungs. As he bled a little more from his wounds, it was tough to even know if he was breathing anymore. The only color to the eyes was darkness, the only sound to his ears was dead silence and the only taste known to the tongue was blood.

The hazy last images running in his mind were of his body being dragged by the barbarians. He found himself chained to a pillar as a fresh brick wall was being built around him. On the far end, he could see barbarians beheading his dead men and putting their heads on the pikes.

He saw a barbarian approaching him. He could tell the man was their leader, thanks to the long horsehair brush on his lion crest helmet. But his blood stained eyes grew wider with sheer dismay as he saw the man accompanying him by his side.

“Felix! You are a traitor!” Marcus screamed with his choked throat as now he could realize how barbarians got their way around the terrains so easily.

“Marcus, my friend, I am just seizing the opportunity God has offered me,” Felix said with a smirk and a cunning smile.

As the last of the bricks closed the living coffin for Marcus, Felix parted him the last message, “Don’t worry about last few of your half dead men. The wolves in this jungle are very hungry.”

And then there was pitch darkness and dead silence for Marcus. He gritted his teeth in anguish and pain.

He realized his right hand was slightly free to move. He raised it, barely making it to the wall he was buried alive in. He tried knocking and thumping at the walls but they were too strong for his exhausted body to do any damage. Soon the knocking grew faster before coming to a halt. Mustering all his left off energy, he scratched the walls with his fingers in vain; once, twice and then a few more times until they went lifeless.

On their way back, the head of the barbarians thanked Felix and said: “Thanks for getting Larissa to me Felix, my men really liked the royal offering.”

Felix still had not doffed his wicked smirk. He said, “I don’t care what you do with her, just make sure you keep your promise. I need half of the empire once this is over.”

Mark

"Detective, are you sure about what you are saying?" Mark's voice was blended with anger, deep sadness and disbelief.

"Unfortunately yes, the forensic examination of vaginal traces of your wife suggests that she was having an out of marriage relationship with your friend Jack." Detective Frank took a slight pause and then said, “From Jack’s cell phone, we also collected quite a few pictures of Jack and Lisa which confirmed our doubts".

"You said something about what Jack scribbled on the walls?" Mark questioned.

"Yes. It seems he is some kind of dangerous psychopath." Frank paused again as if trying to muster the courage to depict the scene.

"He seemingly smeared and dipped his fingers in blood and wrote on the wall - "The dead are coming back now, rot in hell traitors.”

There was a moment of dead silence in the room.

“Does it make any sense to you Mark?” Frank asked as he flipped a new page in his notepad, waiting for any crucial piece of information from the grieving man.

“No, I have no clue. How can you be so sure Jack is the murderer?" Mark sank his face in his palms and went dead silent.

“No forced entry, No other fingerprints. It is an open and shut case, Mark.” Frank said in a soft voice as he knew what Mark must be going through.

“Did you know what was going on between Jack and Lisa?” Frank frowned as he asked this question. Even he didn't like the question his job was forcing him to ask.

Mark shook his head again, this time sideways in a negative response.

“Did you know that Jack is going to this place with your wife?” Frank was cursing himself for being in the job of an interrogating police officer.

Mark cleared his throat and said, “Nope, Jack told me he had a college reunion and wanted a remote and quite place to have a nice time with them.” Mark sighed and looked outside in far oblivion. His eyes had dried off all tears but his heart was still too heavy with the wounds his friend and his love gave him.

“So Lisa was not aware of this place? And if not then I need to know why Mark?” Frank asked, while scribbling some quick notes in his notepad.

Mark now looked really annoyed with this line of questioning. But he knew that he needed to cooperate with the detective else he might look like a culprit.

Mark stood up and walked to the window near his reading table, still looking at that far off point in the oblivion.

“It was Lisa’s birthday next week and I wanted to gift this place as our secret getaway place. I even had made the papers for transferring the ownership under her name.” Mark pulled the wooden drawer out as he pulled a bunch of legally stamped papers and tossed on the table for Frank to take a look at.

Frank quickly donned his reading glasses and scanned through the paper.

“Jesus Christ!” Frank mumbled under his breath. “What a shame!” He thought to himself.

Frank found it very awkward to sit any longer. He put down the copy of evidence on Mark's table and slowly started walking out of the place.

“Detective, I have one last question.” Mark turned towards Frank, who was almost at the doorstep.

“Yes, Mark. How can I help you?” Frank asked, folding his glasses neatly back to their case and slipping it into his bag.

“You said Jack died an unfortunate death too, what happened to him?” Mark said as he sat down on the couch, flipping aimlessly through the papers kept on his center table.

“He was half eaten up, most probably, by the wolves.” Frank felt real bad for Mark as he stepped out of the house.

Mark sat in dead silence for a few more hours until the golden rays of dusk bathed the walls of his living room.

Then he lifted his face up. His face was still in deep thoughts though he didn't appear saddened anymore. He took the staircase and climbed slowly up to his bedroom until he reached the full-size mirror.

“You can come now, my king,” Mark said, suddenly his voice turned baritone and heavy.

The mirror suddenly turned all dark and from amidst that darkness, Arthur appeared. He was not wearing his Armour or royal robe anymore and one could hardly tell the difference between him and Luther!

“You look pale Marcus!” Arthur demanded an answer with a calm and poised face.

“My king, I always loved her, in this life or other.” Mark got down on his knees in king’s honor and said further, “I trusted her with my life but she has betrayed me again.” Mark said as he lifted his face and looked up.

"It was not easy for me as well, Marcus. She was my daughter. But her lust for power and empire got better of her love for me and you." Arthur uttered as the anger simmering in his eyes swept away the left off iota of love for his daughter.

"When do I see you again your highness?" Marcus slowly got up as Arthur gestured him to do so.

"Not in this mortal lifetime, my son," Arthur responded. "I could take a path back to this mortal land only when there was a full occult of blood moon by Jupiter. Besides, I am tired of living after death. I need some rest to forget the revenge and blood marring my salvation"

"I understand my good king," Mark said with an understanding nod.

Mark bowed his head to the king. Arthur nodded back and took a last good look at Mark. Slowly, the reflection turned into a black smoke before disappearing back into the oblivion of the other life.