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Sorry there's no sex in this chapter, but hopefully it's still sexy! I promise there will be a sex scene in the next chapter!
Chapter 5
I turn to the direction from which the arrow came. Nothing stirred amongst the thick bushes and undergrowth, until another arrow sailed from the greenery, striking Fen in his chest, just below his collarbone. He grasped the spot but hesitated in pulling the arrow out of his skin. Soldiers knew that despite every instinct to pull an arrow out, sometimes leaving it in was the best thing for the time being.
Upon seeing their two senior officers wounded, Jayme and Corden searched frantically for their weapons, which were scattered around the campsite. They both made moves toward the sword Jory dropped. They ran into each other and stumbled to the ground. Curses and shouts flew from their mouths as they tried to stand, and I scurried on the ground away from them, my hands still bound, worried they would try to use me as a human shield. Both men grew still as their gazes cast behind me, staring at something that I couldn't see but was starting to hear. A low growl came from over my left shoulder, and I slowly turned my head, my expression matching the look of fear the two soldiers had. Behind me, not even five feet away, was a large gray wolf, showing its daggers for teeth. Ice cold fear ran through my veins as the wolf stepped closer. I didn't move, frozen to the spot. At least the death by sword would have been swift. Getting eaten by a wolf promised to be a longer experience.
Suddenly, the wolf ran and leapt forward; I cowered in fear, closing my eyes as if it would do any good. But I felt the wolf's presence fly over my body, toward the soldiers. I opened my eyes to witness the wolf grab Corden's ankles with its vise-like jaws and bite down hard. Corden cried out in pain. Jayme wasted no time running away, not even bothering to gather his clothes or weapons, leaving his fellow soldier at the hands of the wolf. The unseen assailant along with his dangerous creature posed too great a threat for him to linger and attempt to fight. Fen and Jory followed, albeit slower and with curses streaming from their lips. Corden still struggled to fend off the wolf, limping towards the path the others had made. I heard a whistle from the bushes, and to my surprise, the wolf released Corden, who scampered away, blood trailing behind him.
I knew I should still be afraid: the wolf was in front of me and a still unknown archer was close by. But I sensed a calmness from the wolf. The creature was no longer baring its teeth, and instead was sniffing innocuously around the campsite. I cautiously moved to a sitting position, difficult with my arms still bound by rope; the wolf paid me no mind.
"He won't harm you," came a voice from somewhere to my left. Coming from beyond the undergrowth that had concealed him, a large, burly man emerged. He must be close to seven feet tall, broad shouldered, a muscular form that was clearly visible as he wore no shirt. Only his shoulders were covered by a fur throw. His leather trousers held various items that could easily be used as weapons, but I had the sense they were used more as tools. An axe hung from the right side and a large hunting knife from the other. He had a dark beard, and his hair was brushed back away from his face. Despite his size and musculature, he had a soft way of moving, each footstep barely making a sound. He held a wooden bow that had been carved intricately and polished with resin; a quiver full of arrows was strapped across his bare chest. He looked like a minor forest god, sprung forth from the ground and forged by earth magic.
He stepped forward, closer to me and pulled his hunting knife from its sheath at his hip. A brief flash of fear surged through me at seeing the long blade, but it faded as he bent down and cut the ropes binding my hands. He placed the knife back in its sheath with a flick of his wrist.
"My name is Jal, and that's Raja," he said, pointing to the wolf, who was helping himself to some of the meat that soldiers had been cooking. "And I believe you already met Fable." He motioned at something behind him that I couldn't see.
I stood up and peered around him. Dashing out of the bushes was my fox friend who I hadn't seen since the start of the scuffle.
"She's the one who told me you were in trouble," Jal added as he pointed to the food. I realized this was not for my benefit but for Fable's. She ran over and joined Raja at gathering up the scraps of meat and eating them.
I expected Raja to snap or growl at another animal taking a share of his food, but instead, he used his snout to push a few scraps towards Fable, as if he had been saving them for her.
"She told you?" was all I stammered out. But upon hearing my words, I recognized my own rudeness and added, "I mean, thank you. You saved my life. I suppose you all did." I gestured around me, indicating the entire crew.
"Clip didn't help much," said Jal, and I followed his gaze to the trees. Sitting on a branch overlooking the entire scene was a bird of prey with brownish gray feathers and a white chest. It was smaller than most of the hawks I'd ever seen, but its yellow talons still looked fierce enough to tear flesh if needed. "She doesn't like getting her hands dirty." Clip gave a short high-pitched call in response.
It was amazing: Jal was communicating with these animals as if they all spoke the same language. And it didn't even look like he was using magic. He was showing no signs of effort or concentration. As a mage, I should be able to hear and smell the earth magic he'd have to summon to speak with animals, but there was no scent of flowers and no soft notes in the air.
My curiosity eclipsed my now quieting fear. I now knew this man wouldn't harm me, so perhaps I could learn from him. And I had to admit, his deep voice and muscled bare chest made my cock swell in my pants. He seemed to notice as he glanced down, so I distracted him. "How do you do that? How do you communicate with them without using magic?" I had to know.
Jal smiled as he walked around the camp, surveying the items around him and wondering if he could use any. He stooped next to the fire and picked up a piece of meat that Raja and Fable hadn't eaten and tossed it up to Clip. The hawk caught the meat expertly in its beak and began to eat. "It is magic, just different from the kind of magic you're used to." He added a glance in my direction and a wink to his statement.
My cock instantly jerked in response. Why couldn't I turn this thing off? Not that I would choose to even if I could.
"It's not the time to discuss it though. Gather your things. It's not unlikely the men will return with reinforcements. We don't know how close the other troops are."
He was right. If this small contingent of soldiers had slipped across the border, what was to stop more from coming? Jayme hadn't been injured and could easily run back to warn his fellow soldiers that their plan had been foiled by a incompetent wizard-apprentice and a demi-god from the mountains.
I picked up my robe and draped it over my arm, not even bothering to put it back over my shoulders, as well as my traveling bag. Jal had found the tent that held the kingsguard uniforms. He held them up briefly, examining them, and then promptly threw them onto the fire. I wish I had thought of that. Now, even if the soldiers returned, their plan to make their way into King Rennick's palace would prove much more difficult. In just the short time I had known him, Jal was turning out to be a much more efficient emissary than I was.
"I'm ready," I said. I still didn't really know the man in front of me, but he had saved my life. And at this point, I wasn't in a position to turn away help. I had no idea where I was; I was out of food; and my magic was completely depleted. I had to trust him, at least for now.
"Follow me," Jal said, and I went with him along with the fox, the wolf, and the hawk into the forest.
Jal took me to his own camp. I wasn't sure in what direction we headed, but it didn't matter. I needed to rest and to eat, and if meant going in the wrong direction for a while, so be it. Whenever I got to Jal's camp, I would check the map Talin-Na had enchanted for me and find out where I needed to go from there.
We got to a part of the forest where the trees were so thick, you couldn't step between them. But Jal didn't stop when we were upon them. Instead, he walked right up to the line of trees and wrapped his massive fist around one of the branches. He didn't mutter any ancient words under his breath or close his eyes. But still, somehow, the trees parted, their branches and leaves retracting and curling around each other, creating a doorway in the wall of trees. Again, I couldn't sense magic, at least not any of the magic that Talin-Na and I used.
We walked through the doorway and into the camp. Though the word camp was not the best description. It was more of a homestead. The wall of trees created a large circular area which was less dense than the forest. Jal had built a cabin out of logs next to a fresh spring, and there was even a garden overflowing with ripe vegetables and a small apple orchard behind it. My stomach growled at the sight of blood red tomatoes hanging off the vine. Jal must have heard my stomach because he said, "I'll make us something to eat."
It wasn't long before I was eating roasted vegetables that Jal had freshly picked and used a firepit to char. He even had some salt to add a bit of flavor, and we washed it all down with homemade apple cider. It was the best I had eaten since starting my journey. Jal had created a little oasis in the Grey Forest, and it was perfect. Even the animals were joining us at our feast, eating some dried meat that Jal had stored for them.
While we sat around the firepit to eat, Jal inquired about my presence in the forest. "So what brings you into the Grey Forest, so far from the Rose Palace?" I started when I heard this question. How did Jal know I lived in the palace? My mission was supposed to be secret, yet it seemed that every step of the way, those around me knew more than they should.
Sensing my thoughts, he gestured towards me and explained, "It's your robe; it gives you away."
I looked down at the blue fabric draping my shoulders; I had placed it back on after arriving at the camp. The robe had been a gift from Talin-Na.
"It's seen better days and could use a good cleaning, but it's clear it's made from an expensive fabric. One only sees colors that vibrant in a royal court."
I examined the bottom of the cloak, where the ends would often drag along the ground. The edges had browned from dirt and mud and some of the embroidery was coming unthreaded. Jal was right, it certainly needed to be cleaned, but the midnight blue color still stood in stark contrast to the greens and browns of the woods.
"And the style as well," Jal continued, "only mages wear robes of that style." He glanced down at my chest where the robe didn't cover without my tunic. The familiar thrill of being looked at moved through my body.
"I didn't realize that my robe alone would give away so much about me," I admitted to Jal, and it was true. In the palace, people already knew who I was, but I always thought that had more to do with Talin-Na than it did with me. The rank of archmage was one of distinction and privilege, and Talin-Na was the Archmage to the King of Serenia no less. What notoriety I had was by association. And I didn't remember anything before my apprenticeship due to Talin-Na's spell. Life in the palace was all I knew.
Outside of the palace walls, I had expected to be invisible, an insufficient substitute for a spell I had trouble casting. But as I had come to learn over the last few days, I was very much visible. Kahl had said my robe was valuable as well and tried to rob me because of it. Perhaps I should abandon it and continue the rest of the journey topless.
"It only reveals you as a mage to those who know what to look for. Those who know something of magic." Jal refilled my cup of cider.
"How far are we from the border?" I asked Jal, changing the subject. Hopefully this simple question wouldn't give away too much as to what my mission was.
Jal was quiet for a moment as if considering my question. "Not far, a little more than a day's walk. But assuming you want to cross, that won't be easy."
"Why's that?" I hadn't thought about what crossing the border would be like. I had hoped I'd be able to use a spell, but now I wasn't sure I could depend on my magic.
"The border between Serenia and Arturia is formed by a large river with a strong current. Trying to swim will surely result in drowning. If you try to raft, the current will take you toward both nations' troops and the infamous border wall, if it doesn't crash you upon some rocks at first. It would take weeks to travel far enough north where the river is smooth and the current is gentle."
A dark shadow fell on my face as Jal's words filled the air. I was woefully underprepared for my journey. My magic was not strong, I was too untrained, and I knew nothing about Arturia and what things would be like when and if I could even make it across the border.
Jal continued, "There's no doubt you have magic. But if I'm not mistaken, you're having trouble with it as of late. Fable showed me your spell that didn't exactly go to plan." My mind flashed back to the Gale spell I tried to cast on the soldiers. It had failed miserably and even now, after eating and resting, I was unsure if my magic was strong enough again. Jal seemed to know a lot about magic. I needed to know more about him.
"Are you a mage?" I asked. It would make sense. The way he seemed to communicate with the animals, the hidden glade he lived in hidden by the trees of the forest, yet it opened to him with just a touch. But if he was a mage, he was different from any mage I knew.
Jal shook his head, "Not in the sense you mean. But mages aren't the only ones who have magic." That much I knew. I knew there were other beings like elves, spirits, demons, and monsters who all had magic, but the only humans I ever knew who used magic were mages, splintered long ago into two groups. The wizards who were in service to kings and rulers as royal advisors and military tacticians, and the witches who served the common people as healers and midwives. But a human possessing magic without being a mage, that I had never heard of.
"How do you know so much about magic?" I asked Jal.
"I have the gift of knowledge, given to me by the river god Asterion, the river that separates the two nations." My face must have had a look of utter fascination and disbelief because Jal chuckled a little when he looked at me.
I let out a nervous laugh as well. "I'm sorry. I've just never heard of such things. Obviously I knew the old gods existed, but I didn't know they could bestow gifts upon mortals."
"If you know how to ask. For me, I got lucky. I grew up in the mountains, among the Chitran tribe."
I remembered in my studies with Talin-Na that there were nomadic tribes that lived in the mountains, beyond the reach of either nation and claiming loyalty to no one. The chieftains of each tribe had struck an uneasy alliance years ago with the two nations. Leave us alone and we'll leave you alone.
"One day," Jal continued his story, "while I was out hunting, I came across Asterion at the wellspring of the great river. He was bathing in the spring." Perhaps, even river gods need to bathe. "When I glimpsed his naked form, I couldn't turn away. Such is the power of even a lower god. I watched him bathe, and after he had finished, he turned upon me and showed me how to receive a gift from the gods. He gave me the gift of knowledge, for water touches all things and thus, knows all things. Up until then, I had only known life in the mountains. But suddenly, my mind had opened, like a chest being unlocked, showing me what the world was like beyond my home. So shortly after, I left my tribe to find the god of the mountains. He gave me the strength of ten men and skin as hard as stone. Then I journeyed south to the greenwood, to find the god of the forest. His gift allowed me to communicate with all creatures, like my friends you see there." He gestured towards Fable, Raja, and Clip who were sitting nearby, listening intently to Jal's story.
"I've been to every corner of this world, journeyed through both nations, fought for both sides of the war, seen the darkness of men. Here in the forest is the only place I've found peace." He looked solemn. It wasn't until then that I really noticed the scars on his arms and chest, one large one on the side of his lower torso reaching around to his back. He was a man that had seen the world and had knowledge and magic beyond even my own. I made a decision then.
"Will you help me get to the border?" I asked. I had to trust this man; I had no choice. I needed his help if I was to cross into Arturia and succeed in my mission.
Jal was again quiet for a moment. He stroked his chin with his hand and looked at his animal friends. I sensed there was a silent communication between them. "Am I right in guessing you can't tell me the purpose of your journey?" I nodded in assent. "And am I also right in assuming it's something for the King of Serenia and connected to the war?"
I finished off the rest of my cider as I considered his question. When I sat my cup down on the ground, I reached into my traveling bag and retrieved the king's seal. I had removed it when I was at the waterfall and had hastily thrown it in my traveling bag when I left. I had been nervous to show it again, after its appearance had prompted Kahl to rob me, but only after he fucked me. Perhaps its symbol would still carry weight.
I didn't say anything about the seal, only showed it to Jal and watched his eyes widen. He nodded quietly after the surprise had faded.
"I'll take you to the border," he consented, and I breathed a sigh of relief. That was one problem solved. I wondered if Jal's gift of knowledge could help me with my other one.
"You mentioned my spell that failed," I started. Jal only nodded, encouraging me to say more. "I don't know what's happening with my magic. One moment it will be strong as always, but then another, even the simplest of spells weaken me."
"Has your master taught you about the links between sex and magic?"
He had. We never went into great detail, but through my research, at night on the palace grounds, I had learned that sex and magic were bound together in an inseparable coil. It was why I always felt stronger after taking a man's seed, either in my mouth or deep inside me. And why my cock always stiffened when I performed magic.
Jal continued, "Spilling your seed will drain your magic. You'll need time to recuperate. But you're young. Your magic won't take long to get back to full strength."
Most people would be embarrassed at discussing such things with a relative stranger. But discussing sex was not new for me, and what Jal said made sense. But this time had been different. I remember how drained I felt after my invisibility spell had failed in front of the young lovers. Not even simple magic had worked after that, and ever since then, my spells had been spotty at best. "But I've done magic after releasing before. I've never failed a spell in the past, at least not like this. Not air magic; that's my locus." These terms would be unfamiliar to a non-mage, but Jal seemed neither surprised nor confused. How much knowledge did his gift encompass?
"Were you performing magic at the time you released?" Jal asked. It was like he was seeing into my past.
"Yes," I answered, "an invisibility spell. Which I've had trouble maintaining to begin with."
"Spilling your seed while performing magic will drain you twice as much, and if it's a spell you haven't mastered fully, that will only add to your weakening." Jal stroked the fire as he spoke, and I secretly wished he wouldn't. The fire was necessary to cook our food, but after it had served its purpose, I didn't wish to see it any longer. "There are herbs that will help restore your strength. I have some and we can find more along the way to the border. And, of course, there's always the oldest method: replacing seed with seed."
The look on my face must have betrayed my inner thoughts. I assumed his statement meant he was offering, which of course I was all too willing to accept. Jal's naked torso left little to the imagination, but still I wondered what was under his pants. Upon seeing my wide eyes and thirsty lips, Jal threw up his hands and disappointingly said, "Not from me. I've left that part of my life behind. But I'm sure for a young man as beautiful as you, it's only a matter of time before you find someone willing to help. Even in these woods." It wasn't the phrase I wanted to hear, but it was flattering nonetheless.
"Even better if the seed you find comes from someone with magic. It will be stronger, more powerful; and will make you more powerful in return." This was new information. I thought back to my numerous encounters with men, the guards of the palace, young noblemen, Kahl, and even my master Talin-Na. I had a rush of realization as I remembered how Talin-Na never came inside me. It was always spilled between my legs or onto the ground, to be cleaned up later or left to dry.
"Is that..." I started, not being able to finish the sentence as my mind was still catching up with this revelation.
"Why your master never gave you his seed," Jal finished for me. "That's why the relationship between master and apprentice is the way it is. It can be dangerous to give apprentices so much power, if they haven't learned how to control it yet."
"Why wasn't I told any of this?" Anger surged through me. What had so much been kept from me?
"Don't think ill of your master. I imagine he would have shared it with you after you had progressed further in your training. Magic is a complicated subject. It can be overwhelming if given too much information at once. I should know." He said no more but I knew what he must have meant. After receiving the gift of knowledge, he must have had difficulty sorting through all the new information.
I had more questions: will I always be as drained if I came while using magic? Can mages receive the seed of many men to increase their own power ten-fold? What were the other connections between sex and magic that I didn't know of? Jal could probably answer them all, but I didn't want to pester him. I imagined that's probably why he lived here, alone in the forest, away from most people. Having the gift of knowledge could be a terrible burden. I tried to imagine Jal as a young man, unlike he is now, smaller and less intimidating. After his encounter with a god, he probably thought knowledge was the ultimate gift to ask for, not knowing it's painful consequences.
I decided on a more practical line of inquiry. "What are the herbs that can restore my magic?" I asked him.
Jal looked around the homestead, "We'll make a tincture. I'll teach you the recipe in case it should happen again." He stood up and walked over to his garden, beckoning me to follow. He sat about gathering a few handfuls of herbs and threw them into a pot of water from the spring, which he placed over the fire. He added ginseng and saffron, pepper and paprika for spice, and the juice of several fruits. After the mixture had boiled over the fire for a few minutes, he used cheesecloth to strain the mixture, pouring it into another container. He then went into the cabin and brought back a few glass vials of all different shapes, but relatively the same size. He filled them each with the mixture and handed them to me. He poured the last bit into a cup and gestured for me to drink it. "Take that now, and then one of the rest after every meal you have. It will take a few doses to restore you fully, but you should start feeling the effects pretty quickly."
I tossed the potion back and drank it one gulp. Jal was right; I could instantly feel my magic become stronger, but I didn't feel as powerful as I did earlier, after Kahl had deposited his seed in me. But it was a step in the right direction. My resolve to fulfill my mission was immediately restored. "When can we start towards the border?" I had already wasted enough time; I needed to get to Arturia.
Jal chuckled at my hastiness. "It's late," he explained, "we'll leave first thing in the morning." With that, he rose from his spot by the fire and began to clean up our mess from dinner and the brewing of the tincture. I could tell Jal was a very tidy man.
That night, I had hoped he would invite me into his bed, even just to sleep, though I knew I wouldn't be able to resist wanting more. But before Jal retired to his cabin, he made a fresh fire for me and helped me spread my blankets on the soft ground next to it. I slept under the night sky again, drifting off while gazing at the stars.
That night, I dreamt I was in Arturia, at the capital staring up at the palace of the emperor. It was a golden city filled with people that looked like bronze statues, with sun kissed skin, yellow hair, and amber eyes that blazed like stars. The palace was on fire as I watched a dark figure walk down the front steps and across the drawbridge, a lake of boiling lava beneath him. He walked up to me, his hair a wildfire. When he put his arms on my shoulders, they burned like brands. And then he leaned in to kiss me, magma pouring from his red lips.