Flesh & Magic

by Flesh Goddess

BEFORE YOU READ ON : Know that this story is NOT about heroic people. These women kill innocent people, make men do despicable things, and rampantly raise hell wherever they wish. Not that I don't like heroic people or stories about them, but I've wanted to write this for a while - by no means am I showing disdain for heroics with this story. YES I do have fantasies about being Tavra, or Jynn, but I feel we ALL have our dark, power-hungry sides. By writing this story and things like it, I feel I can exorcise those demons and live that secret life, which allows me to be a good wife, co-worker, daughter, sister, etc in real life. Realize that if you want to read a story about high adventure, chivalry, virtue, and how the goodguys won the day, this is not the tale for you. Lastly, I don't play D&D regularly, though I have dabbled in it (and it was great!), so throw all your preconceptions away, and prepare for a lusty tale of two wenches and their quest for godhood. Contact the author at fleshgoddess@hotmail.com

Chapter 1

Tavra moaned as her patron inserted his shaft into her. She spread her legs wider, closed her eyes, and tilted her head slightly to the side, allowing a bit of her dark hair to slide across her face. She inhaled again with the anticipation of what was to come next. He took position above her and began thrusting quickly, panting, almost whimpering as the waves of pleasure overtook him. Tavra clenched her teeth and touched her breast with one hand, clearing her hair away with the other, shutting her eyes tighter as her body spasmed slightly. She felt his hands on her breasts, one cupped above hers, squeezing tightly, almost amateurish, but the other sensations were too distracting for her to care.

After only a few seconds of his deep penetration, she was almost at orgasm, and was overtaken by the feeling right before, when her body and mind know what's next and the moment seems to stretch on forever, his pounding and her nerves exploding. She opened her mouth wide, arched her back, and moaned. Paralyzed by the ecstasy, she could only tremble slightly as his cock slid in and out of her smoothly. As the orgasm subsided, her whole body was overtaken by a strange tingling sensation. Her patron continued to thrust away, quicker now, approaching his own climax. Tavra could sense this, and another moment stretched on into infinity in anticipation again. This time, however, she knew it would be even more pleasurable than the last.

He began to cum inside of her, letting out gasps and moans of his own, thrusting rapidly, squeezing her breasts tightly. Tavra willed his juices to carry with them his precious life energy, which she absorbed. The feeling was debilitating - vaguely similar to, but much more intense than any orgasm could ever be. The sensation of him deep inside of her only heightened the pleasure. She arched her back once again and trembled, letting out a staggered breath as her whole body was bathed in the bliss. His thrusts began to slow as the life force seeped out of him with his cum, but Tavra was not finished. She willed his energy out of him, through his skin, and into her. She was lost in the ecstasy of absorbing his essence - her skin tingled with the passage of it, her whole body writhed in orgasm-like rapture, and she could feel her powers growing.

As the last of his energy became hers, the feelings of utter bliss subsided, and she could hear Jynn moaning across the next room. Tavra came to her senses, remembering where she was - in a cheap whorehouse she and Jynn had managed to "join" for the night so they could gather energy before their trip in the morning. The wooden walls showed signs of rot, but the curtains and rugs were elegant, if a tad bit stained. Tavra was laying in a pile of cushions while Jynn was riding her patron's cock on the bed.

********

She remembered how only two short nights ago she was awakened in her stony tomb by Jynn. This was the only memory she had, and even then it was hazy ; she recalled being led-out of a labyrinthine system of caves by her hand. Jynn was saying something, but she couldn't really make out what it was. As they left the cave, Tavra sensed something she wanted ahead, and began to move more quickly towards it. From there the haze thickened, and the next thing she remembered was the ecstasy. She was touching a man - a prisoner, draining the life from him slowly, feeling the power of another's soul-energy surge through her as he slowly slumped to the ground. The feeling was euphoric - more potent, constant, and long-lasting than an orgasm. She let loose with cries and moans loud enough to wake the dead, grimacing as the pleasure had been known to make her do.

When the prisoner was nothing more than a healthy-looking husk, she found herself kneeling in a pile of leaves, still touching him in order to siphon out the last vestiges of his energy. She looked around and saw trees, with a hill housing the cave behind them. Jynn was standing there too, a beautiful specimen - about the same height as her, 5' 6", with long, brown, curly hair down almost to her waist. Her hair wasn't as beautiful as Tavra's, but it was thick, more like a hay bale than Tavra's slick, straight, dark hair. Like Tavra, Jynn was naked - her body was a perfect paragon of youth and beauty, and her face alone could cripple almost any man with lust. She noticed that Jynn's breasts were not as large as hers, but she had more of an athletic build than she did. Her well-toned legs and arms lent a unique quality to her that could only add to her attractiveness.

Two other men, also obviously prisoners, stood near Jynn, staring at her naked body in awe, too mesmerized to notice their fallen comrade. Jynn was watching Tavra, smiling.

"More, my dear?" She said, motioning to the other two as she stepped away.

Without speaking, Tavra rushed at the men like a ravenous beast, clutching his head in her hands and draining the life from his body. Again the pleasure overtook her as new lifeforce flooded into her body. She could feel every nerve in her body explode with power as his vital forces quickened her. After what seemed like an hour of bathing in such pleasure, she dropped his corpse and moved to the next prisoner, doing the same to him. Once more she was paralyzed by the bliss, making groans, pants, and whimpers as he forcefully surrendered his life-force to her insatiable call.

"Very good, let's be on our way now, dear." Jynn helped Tavra up and began pulling her in the direction of the setting sun.

"Who are you? What just happened?" Tavra questioned as she moved along with her benefactor. She could feel twigs and rocks beneath her naked feet, but none of them were causing her pain or even difficulty walking. Without stopping or even turning back to look at Tavra, her benefactor said

"I am Jynn, and we are alike. To say that we feed upon life energies is inaccurate. We drain the energies of the living to become more powerful, well, actually so that we can feed other beings, but I'll explain that later, for now we must move - the forest would not be safe for you at night, my dear."

"Feed other beings? Where are we going?"

"There is little time. The basics are that the shattered parts of a being of some sort made us to give it energy. We were little more than mindless slaves of great power until I tatooed that rune on your inner thigh."

Tavra was able to catch a glimpse of some deep red paint on her inner thigh, but she could not quite make out what it was.

"Actually you were not a slave at all, but were in some sort of statis, trapped in that labyrinth, probably by someone who found out what you are. A mage of some power gave me my tatoo, and with his help I was able to free you as well. Now we're turning the tables as we seek out our masters in order to feast upon their power. Right now we're headed back to Gebton Hollow, a medium-sized city near your resting place. There we will feast upon some life force before we set out for Elezan, where I think my master is. There's a few other things I wanted to do there as well, but that's my main concern. Now once we get back to -"

Jynn's words were cut-short as four figures suddenly appeared in the forest around them. They brandished swords which looked to be in rather poor condition, and wore piecemeal armor - obviously whatever they could scavenge from those who passed by. Tavra and Jynn were surrounded. Advancing slowly, the two in the back producing manacles and chains from their belts.

"Now do as we say and we won't kill ya." The largest one said, raising his sword and adjusting his codpiece...

"Take him, I'll get the rest." Jynn said, moving towards one of them at unbelievable speed. Her great speed caught him off-guard, as she lifted him effortlessly into the air and threw him backwards about thirty feet. Tavra wasted no time moving at her designated opponent, who was distracted by his airborne comrade. She leapt upon him and started drinking his lifeforce instantly, losing herself in the bliss as he flailed about, trying to get her off of him. Her grip was strangely solid, as the larger man could not dislodge her. Tavra, however, was too lost in the ecstasy to realize this.

Jynn turned to the men behind them, focusing on one, she licked her lips and fingered her cunt gently, gazing deep into his eyes. Her whole body began to sway and move, dancing, snaking towards him in almost unnatural ways. She willed him to be hers, for her to be the only thing in his world that mattered, for him to be uncontrollably attracted to her and at the same time unable to act because of the incredible beauty, and thus it was so. He stopped his charge, standing dumbfounded at the vision before him.

The fourth attacker was on Jynn, swinging his sword wildly, it was obvious to her that he was no veteran, but she was. Deftly ducking under one of his swings, she came up under his sword arm and grabbed his off-hand while bringing her other hand up into his face. At the first touch of skin-to-skin contact, she began siphoning his energy - her eyes turned-up in her head and her mouth opened wide in pleasure as she bathed in the power flowing from him into her. She opened the floodgates, draining him as quickly as possible, knowing that her mesmerized victim would only remain so for as long as he could see her, and not much longer than a couple of minutes. Still, Jynn took no chances and drained him in a matter of seconds, almost collapsing as the great rush of energy filled her.

She sucked him dry and dropped him, realizing that she hadn't paid much attention to how much her powers had grown from all of the energy she had drained all this time. Her ability to steal life-essence had quickened, and moved to a new level. As she noticed one of them was charging her, she turned and decided to try something.

As Tavra finished sucking the energy from her foe's body, she turned to see one of the highwaymen dead at Jynn's feet, while another stood dumbfounded, almost hypnotized by Jynn. The one she had thrown had gotten up and began to charge Jynn, who had just turned to face him.

Concentrating, Jynn willed his vital energies out of him and into her. A white smoke appeared from his body and moved towards Jynn like an intagiable tentacle, snaking through the air almost instantly. It seemed to reach between Jynn's spread legs and into her cunt. It was then that Tavra realized Jynn was draining the life from him at range. Jynn put her hands on her hips and spread her legs a little more, inhaling deeply and squinting as if she was in pain, but Tavra knew it was quite the opposite as she saw her friend's body convulse and writhe with delight. At the end of her inhaled breath she titled her head back slightly and moaned between her teeth at the orgasmic pleasure. His charge slowed as he neared Jynn, until he fell to one knee a few feet in front of her. Tavra could tell he was trying to get up, but Jynn was quickly sapping the strength from him. After almost half a minute, he stopped moving, but Jynn was still draining him.

Tavra saw her opportunity for more life-force and charged towards the mesmerized highwayman. She clasped his face on with both her hands and began taking his energy, sucking in his life and reveling in the ecstasy. She shut her eyes tightly, her face contorted into a grimace of pleasure as every inch of her body was lit-up by new energy being drawn into it.

Still panting from the intense rush of power, the two surveyed the area.

"We should probably take their clothes - we can use them once we get into town. I'll tell you more as we get situated." Jynn's words were assuring as well as commanding. Tavra only nodded, still catching her breath from the intense rapture she had just experienced. Moments later they had stripped the bodies and were wearing the ratty, moldy clothes.

They continued on in silence, moving quickly through the woods. At some point Tavra noticed that they were both barefoot, but that the twigs and rocks were not bothering her feet. Before she could be perplexed at this, she noticed she could also see in the dark to some extent. Though there were no moons out tonight, the forest landscape had a soft twilight glow to it. It took her a bit to notice that she couldn't see very far into the distance, but the immediate surroundings were easily navigable with the strange ambient lighting. She also noticed that they were moving through the forest quite quickly, not growing tired, even in their slow jog between bushes and trees. They had been traveling at this constant pace for some time, perhaps a couple of hours, but neither of them were even breathing hard. Tavra had to know what the extent of these powers she had were.

"Jynn, I'm not tired, and I can see in the night. The rocks and branches don't cut me, what else can we do?"

"I'm not entirely sure. I know we can do all the things you just mentioned. It has to do with the amount of life-force we have. You, for example, are relatively weak compared to me. If we were to keep-up this pace for several days continuously, you would eventually get tired and either have to rest, or drain more energy. I, however, would take much longer to become tired, and would need less rest. Simple branches and other implements of nature can't harm you, but swords and other forged products can. In my state, forged weapons do little damage to me, but there are things which are enchanted by mages, or forged of certain metals which can harm us. P'jurium, for example, will harm us, and Saradite causes us pain just by coming into contact with it, but those metals are rare, and enchanted weapons are even more so. I've never quite figured-out how our vision works, only that it does. Darkness only limits our vision to a short distance."

"What else?"

"There are others like us, who still work for their masters - they will undoubtedly attempt to destroy us, or to erase the tattoos so that we can be enslaved once again. All of us have different powers, but those are the common ones."

"Well, how am I supposed to find out what I can do then?"

"You'll get certain impulses or feelings that you can do something. When I drained that man from a distance, I had a feeling that I could do that with my will, as if someone was informing me that I had that ability. Here, uproot this tree." She said, stopping and pointing at a small tree. It looked to be about two inches in diameter, perhaps thirteen feet tall. Upon closer examination, Tavra realized that it didn't look that difficult - a strong warrior could do such a thing with some work. She grappled tightly it with both hands, squatting to get more leverage on it.

"Can I drain it?" She said as she began lifting.

"No, plants don't have the right kind of energy. You can tell what you can drain if you pay attention. Next time we're near people just stop and look at them for a moment - you'll see." Jynn watched as Tavra continued to strain against the tree. It was firmly rooted, yet it did seem to move a slight bit. Tavra was straining quite hard for the little bit of movement the tree was making. Finally, after almost a minute of struggling with it, Tavra gave up. Jynn merely held out her hand and helped Tavra up, smirking a slight bit. "Don't worry, with more energy you should be able to throw trees around like they were leaves." Tavra examined her work and turned in the direction they were travelling, almost trying to forget that she had failed to uproot such a small tree.

"Well, what else can I do?"

"Yes, well you probably don't need it, but most of us can incapacitate the opposite sex with enough temptation." Jynn smiled widely as she said this - there was a certain spark of enjoyment in her eye which Tavra found almost sadistic, though this did not alarm her. "Depending on how you do it, they can stay mesmerized by you for seconds, or days." There was a short pause as Jynn eyed her companion - she had never quite realized how beautiful Tavra was.

Jynn could almost be jealous of her great beauty - she could have been a nobleman's courtesan, or a rich merchant's mistress. Tavra's long, obsidian hair was amazing - all the way down to her perfect waist. That was the feature that stuck-out in her mind most - Tavra's flawless, sculpted curves, especially around her hips and buttocks. No other woman had a figure as perfect as hers. Her breasts were perfectly-sized as well - courtesan-size. Only women with breasts as large and well-proportioned as hers could ever hope to be courtesans, while women with breasts that were Jynn's size would only ever be able to serve the masses as an everyday prostitute. Tavra's face was a mask of unparalleled beauty. She had a look that drew the deepest lusts out of men - the kind of face that every man would want to see contorted in orgasmic pleasure. Her eyes were deep brown, with a slight oriental air about them, and her lips were perfectly-shaped, full, and bursting with passion. Every man would want to see those lips wrapped around his cock or shaped into an "o" as her body was wracked with spasms of ecstasy.

"You, however, are quite beautiful and could probably do that on your own. But we also have a unique control over the minds of men. When we enter the city, stealth and control will become exceedingly important, and that power will be very useful there. With enough control and practice, you can make a man do just about anything. Usually though, I just incapacitate them so that I can drain their energy later. It's quite easy to do, just make them want you."

"Make them want me?"

"Yes, seduce them, draw them in with your body, will them to be the only thing in the world that matters to them, own their souls. You'll understand more once you try it - just let your own animal magnetism and lust come out in the way you present yourself to them. It doesn't always work, but most men do not have the will to resist us. Just keep in mind that we need to remain unknown for the most part, until you are stronger. We should keep moving, come on."

********

Squatting over her patron, Jynn used her knees to slide up and down his long shaft as she threw her head back and bit her lower lip. Her right arm was supporting her on the bed while her left was used to keep her face clear of her hair, which, like her, was bouncing all over the place. He wasn't all that much to look at, but all she needed him for was the pleasure he was giving. Though she looked forward to the utter bliss of draining his essence, she was of the opinion that nothing quite compared to the feeling of having a cock deep inside of her as her pussy throbbed orgasms through her.

She grinned at him, and then winced as more pre-orgasmic feeling shot through her. Jynn repeatedly flexed her insides around his manhood in order to more properly feel him. She could tell that he was trying very hard not to cum yet, as he had obviously paid well for these ladies of the night. His hands slowly made their way up to her breasts and started gently squeezing them, playing with her nipples every so often. He was no expert, but he did at least have an idea of what he was doing.

She noticed that Tavra was no longer making noise behind her. Turning her head to check on her student, she saw the girl pushing away the empty husk of her patron, revealing her wonderful, naked body. Perhaps it was the feeling of fucking, but she felt a spark of attraction for Tavra - she knew it was the same lust that men felt when they saw her face, consumed with the lust to make her cum, causing her perfect face to strain in pleasure.

The verge of her third orgasm snapped her attention back to her patron, who was also about to cum. Jynn braced herself, for she had only had it happen one other time, but the combination of her orgasm and energy drain at the same time would skyrocket her to new realms of enjoyment. Opening her mouth wide, she inhaled deeply and spurted-out the words "I'mgonnacum, I'mgonnacum!" just as she was reaching her climax, and so was he.

Time seemed to slow. She felt the warm cum enter her, carrying with it his primal essence. Her body trembled as the absorbtion of his energies intertwined with her orgasm. She instinctively fucked harder and faster, throwing her head back as his life-force flowed through her. Every moment was an eternity as she tried to slide up and down his cock faster. Jynn's eyes rolled back in her head and she began to feel dizzy with ecstasy. By now he was almost unconscious from being drained, but she was still drawing his life-force into her. The pleasure seemed to drag on for hours, and all the while she continued to mercilessly fuck him. When she could once again make sense of the world around her, she noticed the last bits of his essence were flowing into her, and that Tavra was putting the clothes back on her victim, as they had planned.

Tavra had managed to seduce some of the servants at the brothel, both male and female. They eagerly did as she asked, not bothering to wonder why the "drunk patrons" they had been removing from Jynn and Tavra's room never moved again. Still, Tavra was clever in telling them to put the bodies in an alley, where they would not be inspected for several days, which would allow the two of them time to feed and escape. Jynn's little student was learning quickly.

Jynn slid from her patron's still-hard organ, stood-up, and stretched. She looked behind her to see Tavra squatting and putting the shirt back on the man she'd just drained. Again a lust for Tavra briefly flashed through her, and was gone as quickly as it came.

"Shall we have more, my dear?" she asked, gathering the clothes of her own victim. Tavra turned and got up, her left hand wiping the cum from herself.

"Yes, please, just let me clean-up first."

"Oh, there's no need for that, just work your magic on them and they won't care once they're in your arms." Jynn retorted, smiling as she clothed the corpse.

"I suppose you're right." She smiled back at Jynn and opened her patron's cash pouch. She counted the money inside quickly, and then blurted "Wow, almost 300."

"Great. After our next batch we can go buy some really NICE clothes and still have some left over. I have just the outfit in mind for you, dear." She commented, still smiling widely as she finished clothing the body. "Ok, looks like they're ready to go, get the boy." Jynn said, pouring a glass of wine for their next victims.

Tavra nodded and went to the door. She knew she would only have to peek out into the hallway to find the servant boy in question. She did find it a bit strange that she hadn't even used her powers on him like she had the others, yet he still obeyed her every wish, and was always at their beck and call. Tavra opened the door and heard the sounds of someone shuffling around the corner.

"Gathim? I think we have more drunkards in here, honey!"

Instantly the young man appeared from around the corner, his soft, slim face smiling brightly at her.

Gathim was his name, and he had instantly taken a liking to her, even though the two of them showed up dirty and in rags. Ever since they had come to the brothel he had started loitering in the hall, listening to the two beautiful women have sex over and over again. He was a bit amazed at their stamina, and perplexed as to how the men could get so drunk so quickly, but the two women, especially the dark-haired one, were so beautiful...

The young man didn't even know their names, and he wasn't sure if anyone else in the brothel did either. None of that mattered though, for he now had a new goal - to be with her, just once. Gathim had counted his money many times over, but he had so little, and he knew that women like her don't come cheaply. It was almost painful to think about, for he knew that she would instantly fall in love with him, and they could run away together, start a new life, and perhaps even carve-out a merchant empire of their own somewhere.

"Again, miss?" he said, smiling as he made his way towards their room. Tavra smiled back and went back inside, leavig the door slightly ajar as an obvious symbol of his welcome. He entered and found two more men, obviously unconscious. He would have paide mor attention to the fact that they were fully clothed, except that her naked body was there, calling to him. The soft candlelight made her skin almost glow, and her hair was shrouded all around her, down to her waist. She stood by the other girl's patron and turned to face him - he melted in her beauty. Something inside of him, perhaps his hope to impress her, jolted him back to his job, and he began dragging the first drunkard from the room. It wasn't long before he had made it outside with the body.

"Wow, you're good! He didn't even notice me here!" Jynn commented, her eyes wide with amazement.

"But I...that's just the thing Jynn, I haven't used my powers on him yet. Any town idiot could tell those men aren't drunk. I just don't know what's come over him. You sure you didn't warp his mind somehow?"

Jynn threw her head back and laughed. "Tavra, my dear, I am glad to have found a travelling companion who is as witty as she is beautiful!" Tavra smirked briefly, still somewhat confused by the boy's willingness to cooperate. She wandered over to the window and peeked-out. It was still night, but the sky was just beginning to show the first hints of dawn. Turning from the window, she eagerly paced in front of the door. Jynn noticed this, but before she could ask what was wrong, they heard the servant boy in the hall.

"Ladies? Are you ready for the next batch?"

Tavra immediately replied with an affirmative. Her eagerness almost surprised Jynn, but she realized why Tavra was pacing - she wanted to ingest more energy. Tavra was turned towards the door now, anticipating their next victims.

Three soldiers entered the room and began taking off their armor and weapons. Tavra gave Jynn a look of concern, but she couldn't have seen it - she was already too busy smiling at them and fondling herself. Tavra took her position standing over by the mound of pillows, waiting for one of them to come to her. Jynn was already all over one of them, who was quite hastily disrobing by now.

"Well, guess that leaves you for both of us." One of the others said, looking at Tavra. She gave them a look of dismay, as if she didn't know what they had in mind, but quickly recovered with a smile and a demure, playful gaze.

"Where and how do you want me?"

"Get on all fours." he nonchalantly ordered as he began disrobing. Tavra complied, sinking to her knees and hunching-over. One of them moved next to her and laid down, motioning for her to get on top. Again she complied, and he sunk his hard cock into her. She squinted her eyes and whimpered, feeling the presence of the second soldier behind her. She arched her back a bit to make herself more accessible to him, and he proceeded to deeply penetrate her ass. Tavra responded with a deep sigh, her face grimacing at the double-entry. The two of them began to thrust, but not in unison - it was clear that they each had their own interests in mind. Nevertheless, she wailed as her flesh was suddenly awash in a sea of pleasure. Their hands and skin seemed to be all over her, grabbing, feeling, probing, leaving no inch of her body untouched. Heavy waves of orgasmic delight built-up, causing her to cry out as she came. The two continued their relentless thrusting, and after a few more moments of pounding deeper and deeper into her, her body shook as a second climax approached. She arched her back and screamed as it thundered over her. Seeing this, the two soldiers lost their concentration, and shortly afterwards were growling out in pleasure themselves as they came.

Tavra, just recovering from the orgasm, drew their energies into her through their cum. The ecstasy of draining two men at once was maddening. She felt their lifeforces filling her, and for a moment the sensation made her feel akin to a god. Her head swam in the overwhelming sensation of power, and there seemed to be nothing in the world but the feeling of their energy passing into her.

By that time, Jynn had already finished with her patron and was clothing the body. Tavra sighed as she removed the still-warm cocks from inside of her, mumbling something incoherent as she got up.

"What was that, my dear?" Jynn responded, smiling.

"That....was....amazing... Jynn, I want more."

"See? I told you - taking in energy is wonderful, but taking it through their cum makes it unbelievable. You can have more tomorrow, if we make good time. There's an outpost on the way to Elezan, I'm sure it's FULL of anxious soldiers who haven't seen a woman in ages." She smiled as she continued clothing the body.

"I want them. All of them. I want to bathe in their energies. I feel my powers growing with each bit of lifeforce I drain. It...it feels so good."

"That's the pleasure talking. Yes one of the perks of taking in energy is the feeling. It's quite amazing - there's nothing else like it in the world, not even an orgasm comes close, does it?"

"No, it doesn't. Jynn, I just drained two people, just like the others, but the feeling was far beyond normal, why was that?"

"Well, the more lifeforce you take in at one time, the more intense the ecstasy. When you are touching someone with only one finger, you cannot drain as much from them as you could if, say, your naked body was pressed against theirs. If two naked bodies are pressed up against yours, you can drain twice the energy at one time, thus doubling the feeling. On top of that, when you transfer their energy using specific parts of your body, such as your tongue or cunt, the pleasure is heightened to unbelievable levels, and if you were to drain two men at one time through their cum, well, I'm sure you're familiar with the feeling -draining done through a medium, like semen, or blood, or spit, is much more exciting. Get those bodies dressed, we need to go shopping soon and get on the road."

********

Shakaam knelt down to examine the remains his soldiers had told him of. He removed the blanket from the body, examining it for marks, but, just as he had been told, there were no signs of violent death. He could tell from the arrangement of all the bodies that they had been placed there, rather sloppily too - all sitting with their legs straight, backs against the wall, as if they had just stopped for a while to rest.

"Sir, we've stripped three of them as you requested." The lieutenant was jarred from his close inspection by one of his soldiers. Shakaam nodded, stood up, and strolled over to the stripped bodies and knelt by it. He looked it over closely, lifting its arms and moving the head around before finally turning it on its side. After going over the body for several long minutes, he stood up and said "Summon the seer." Runners were dispatched and the rest of his men grumbled amongst themselves. When the lieutenant wanted the seer, they knew it meant he didn't know what was going on.

After almost an hour passed, the seer and an escort of soldiers returned. Clad in deep blue robes, his face hidden by a veil with arcane markings, he approached the lieutenant and nodded. The two of them knelt by the body of one of his soldiers , a younger man, each of them touching one of his shoulders.

He saw a woman, beautiful beyond compare, in every way, straddling a man, making love to him. Her face was strained as she rose and fell upon her companion's cock, and she cried and whimpered with pleasure. Her hair was slightly curly, brownish, and flawlessly kept - as if she had very recently been professionally groomed. Her athletic build revealed perfectly-toned arms and legs, but smaller breasts - even that seemed attractive somehow. Shakaam was amazed - in all his journeys and wars, even the most gorgeous demoness could not compare to her.

The lieutenant watched as she and her companion reached their climaxes at the same time. Her movements drew Shakaam in, and her lover stopped moving, but she continued riding his cock, still in the midst of her orgasm. He was astounded by the length of time that her climax seemed to last, and when she was finished, her breathing slowed and she simply left the man. It was obvious from her body language that he was indeed not her lover, but merely a passing guest, or perhaps even someone she did not know.

Then the vision became hazy, and shifted to a young man, about 18, who came in and began dragging her ex-lover out of the room. He eventually made it out into the alley, where there were several other bodies, and proceeded to sit the corpse up against the wall. Shakaam couldn't get a good description of the youth - by that point the vision had started to decay already. He made note of general height and weight, hair color, and general musculature, but got little more.

As the vision faded, Shakaam found himself still in awe over the woman's beauty. He was snapped back to reality when the seer finally rose and began walking away, escorted by soldiers.

"Your report, sir?" One of his men asked.

"It... wasn't... it wasn't what I thought originally. This one's gonna be... tough." The lieutenant stood, straightened his uniform, and ordered "Gather the bodies and burn them. We don't need any walking dead like the last time to top all this off." With his gruff, commanding voice, his men began loading the bodies onto waiting wagons as he made his way into the brothel.

This early in the morning most of the attendants were asleep, though there were a large number of whores in the lobby, looking dejected and tired. Indeed, none of them came close to the beauty of the woman he saw in the vision - all of them looked trashy, and their hair was largely unkept. Some he found downright repulsive, He approached one, a blonde, and spoke

"I'm looking for a young blonde man, a servant -"

"Gathim. He left last night. Probably went chasing those two bitches. I hope he rots!" One of the whores blurted, cutting-off the lieutenant. Her outburst was followed by similar disgruntled mumblings about the women in question.

"I see. These women...what did they look like?" The whores again collectively expressed their disgust with the women in question with random slurs, calling them "hags," "slugs," and "worthless." Lt. Shakaam thanked them for their time and went upstairs, the whores still angrily chanting obscenities. He could tell from their reactions that they were merely jealous and eager to be rid of the two beauties. Such pettiness disgusted him.

At the top of the stairs he was met by an older man in highly stylized chainmail. His tabard was not decorated with anything, and was simply black with a single yellow stripe running down it. Shakaam was slightly disturbed at the fact that he wore no emblem anywhere - meaning he was either some sort of mercenary, or someone who belonged to a society so powerful and secret that he did not have to wear one. A scimitar hung from his belt, and a buckler was still strapped to his left arm. His face was rough and lightly-tanned, with a short, dark beard with some grey highlights. Four large scars in the shape of a clawmark made their way down his right cheek, and his blue eyes seemed to burn with an icy hatred.

"Lieutenant, we must speak." His voice was low and gravelly, yet forceful and commanding.

"Of course. I believe we have not been introduced. I am Lieutenant Shakaam of the Ghosamm Imperial Guard." Shakaam nodded and offered his hand in friendship, but the man did not seem to notice.

"I am Jarif Moonet, and I am after the same women you are. They must be hunted down and destroyed, and you will help me."

Shakaam was slightly disgruntled by the unknown man's command, but this quickly changed into surprise as Jarif produced an official document signed by Shakaam's superiors, authorizing the release of the lieutenant into the command of one Jarif Moonet.

"What in Charnus? Who ARE you?"

"I belong to a very powerful and ancient society. We have some sway over the monarchy, that is all you need to know. Gather whatever belongings you will need for travel - we will provide the rest. You have one hour. Meet me back here." Jarif pushed past the bewildered lieutenant and quickly left the building. Shakaam sat down, confused. He slouched and stared at the floor below, pondering the morning's events.

********

Lieutenant Shakaam approached the brothel, his mind half wanting to pursue the mysterious, beautiful woman, and half wanting to stay in Gebton Hollow just out of spite. As he rounded the corner he saw sixteen of the Imperial Elite Guards and their horses with Jarif, who was already mounted. For a split second he paused in surprise, but managed to make his next footfall look like he never faltered.

"She must be dangerous...that or I'm being set-up." He thought. As he approached, the guards stood at attention, and Jarif himself nodded to Shakaam.

The lot of them mounted horses and began riding east, on the road to Kemaj. The Elite Guard were silent the entire time, and so was Jarif. Finally, Shakaam could stand the silence no longer.

"Who are these women, and why are we so intent on capturing them?" Without looking at the lieutenant, Jarif responded in his low, gritty voice.

"I would think you had a vested interest in catching them. They killed your assistant, did they not?"

"I'm asking the questions here. Now why -"

"No. You are probing for information, which I will give you. Understand though that you are NOT in command here. I need your investigative skills for this task." Jarif still wasn't looking at Shakaam as he spoke. His eyes and mind were fixated upon the road before him.

"Then you should share information." Shakaam was obviously fed-up with his travelling companion. Jarif sighed and finally glanced towards Shakaam.

"For lack of a better name, we call them the Dark Maidens. To make a metaphor, they are sponges for lifeforce. Their slightest touch can drain a man in moments, depending on their power level. Unfortunately, unlike other beings, such as vampires, they do not use up this energy to stay alive. Each bit of energy they take in makes them more powerful than before - hence the sponge metaphor. They have other powers as well, invulnerability to weapons, great strength, the ability to hypnotize the opposite sex with their great beauty, and each time they drain life from someone, all of their powers, including their ability to steal energy, grow stronger. They must be stopped before they grow too powerful, lest we have godlike beings walking the land."

"So...do they have a weakness?"

"Yes, weapons forged from P'jurium will harm them, as will some magics. I have a special magical device which can imprison them indefinitely as well. My guards carry P'jurium daggers, since it is too rare to make swords from. My scimitar, however, is pure P'jurium, and I have slain one of their kind already.

"One? How many are there?"

"That is not known. I have only seen two in action, and one of them I slew. The other I have been tracking for some time, but she seems to have picked up another along the way. They may be gathering together for more safety. If that is the case, then we must stop them before they meet with any others. If they are smart, they will be careful not to leave too many bodies in their wake. That is why I need you - your investigative skills can discern normal death from their life drain."

"Why didn't you just get a seer?"

"Most seers cannot use their vision as often as I may need. If we run across three bodies in one week, even a good seer would be exhausted and near death if we were to find a fourth. Also a seer cannot track in the same manner as you, lieutenant."

There was a prolonged silence. Shakaam began thinking about his involvement with this group, and what kind of an vendetta they might have against these women. True, they were killing innocent people and must be stopped, but in his business he learned long ago that everyone has an agenda. Shakaam pondered what theirs was, and what this secret society that was using him was up to in all of this.

"Besides," Jarif continued, after the long pause, "I don't trust the Seers Guild. Do you remember the incident a few years ago in Elezan?"

"The one where the Seers Guild there was responsible for the slum killings?"

"Yes, that's the one."

"But that was cleared-up. All those responsible were executed for murder and treason, as I recall. You don't think they learned their lesson?"

"Somewhat. They were trying to drum-up more business for themselves, and though the Guild heads were punished, it did serve to point out that they have a sort of monopoly. A good Seer can make a vision last a few minutes and share it with someone. Finding a good Seer with morals is difficult. For all we know, they could be leaving-out crucial bits of evidence so that they remain in business. No, there is too much at stake here for simple greed to cause our failure."

Shakaam looked at him, somewhat disgusted. While the Lieutenant was a bit paranoid, as he thought any good investigator should be, this man excelled at such paranoia. He realized just how dangerous Jarif might be - a politically powerful man such as him with paranoid delusions could destroy the Empire from within. His thoughts turned again to the women he pursued, and what he misinformation he might have been given about them.

"The only thing we have working for us." Jarif continued, "is their need for pleasure. They find the act of draining lifeforce extremely pleasurable, and have a hard time resisting the urge to do so. This means that we will more than likely find a trail of bodies leading right to them."

********

It was a normal day at Arvord's Citadel - the morning patrol had returned from its sweep of the main road, returning with three simple thieves who were trying to be highwaymen. Baron Ahgran Arvord was overseeing the training of his soldiers in the courtyard when they entered. Two women, dressed like merchant's courtesans, both of breathtaking comeliness. The first was wearing something like a long, black cape with a large collar to it, flared high around her head. It was partially pulled around her front and held by a button just below her breasts, allowing them and her legs to be shown with almost full view, and her figure to be accentuated all at the same time. Her privates were hidden only by some expensive black lingere, but her dress emphasized her figure and her well-toned thighs, not her crotch. Her hair was light brown, with large curls, almost down to her waist. She was young, probably in her early twenties, and in good health. Her skin held a light, uniform tan, and her winning smile showed pearl-white teeth.

The other, however, was almost beyond description. The Baron instantly knew he had to have her. Her hips were the stuff of legend - no woman who looked upon them could not feel some small tinge of jealousy, and no man who looked upon them could not want her. Shrouding her legs was a tight, long skirt, deep blue and slit at the sides all the way up to her waist, revealing awe-inspiring legs. The slit was placed slightly forward so that those directly in front of her could see a hint of each leg. As she walked by, the piece of fabric covering her backside fluttered, revealing that she was wearing nothing underneath. A deep purple halter-top, which was more like a bag for her giant breasts, was tied-off behind her neck. The fabric strained just enough to reveal the outlines of her large nipples while giving a good idea of how perfectly-shaped her breasts were, leaving little to the imagination. Where it tied-together at her neck formed an interesting collar, arousing some hints of kinky fetish domination gear while forming a triangle to direct attention towards her picturesque face. She too was probably in her early twenties, with a face that made men want to defile her and worship her all at the same time. Flawless bow lips that called to every man in the compound, and perfectly-kept straight black hair, lustrous and full, parted in the center - it flowed freely, without a single wave, down just below her waist, providing a background for her hips.

Every man in the fort was held for a moment, in shock at their beauty and grace as they strode through the main gates. The Baron himself marvelled at the dark-haired one for a long minute, then regained his posturing, knowing that his wife may be watching. He turned back to his trainees and ordered them to form-up and run the courtyard twice. They clumsily got into formation, still gawking at the two women, and began to slowly jog to the walls. In that moment Baron Arvord contemplated taking her as his mistress, or at least a slave, but he would have to think about it, for she was most obviously a VERY high-class whore. First, he would have to concoct a legitimate reason to talk with her, perhaps after dinner, when his wife was listening to music. The women made their way to the guest rooms, and immediately off-duty warriors began to line-up at the door.

"Sergeant, what are those two girls doing in my barracks?" He called to the Gate Sergeant.

"Sir, they are...ladies of the night - we did not think you would mind the men having a little...relaxation...later...sir." The Baron paused a moment before answering.

"Very good... But ask my approval next time!"

********

Jynn squatted by the overturned wagon and gripped it firmly. She contemplated simply pushing it out of the way, but decided that a show of strength was in order. Besides, she was of the opinion that as long as she had the ability, she might as well use it. She lifted it and effortlessly swung-around, knocking three charging guards back. Tossing it effortlessly to the side, she rushed one of the now-crippled guards and took his hand, funneling his energies into her. The ecstasy flowing through her was great, but she managed to focus enough to begin draining a second guard from a distance. A smoky, white tendril emerged from his body and serpentined its way into Jynn's cunt. At its arrival she inhaled suddenly, as if she wasn't expecting it, and cried-out in pleasure.

Tavra held two of them high by their throats against the wall, hungrily devouring their lifeforces at the same time. The last vestiges of them flowed into her, and she dropped them, still breathing heavily from the intense pleasure of the dark feast. As per her request, they had been bathing in the power of these unfortunate soldiers all day, and there were many more barracading themselves inside the keep. The courtyard was strewn with their fallen corpses, broken weapons, and debris. Tavra surveyed the scene and realized that most of the kills were hers. If they kept up this pace, the two of them could destroy entire armies by themselves. She grew lustful at the thought of draining so many people and began looking for her next victim, but it looked as though everyone were dead already. Across the courtyard she sensed what she wanted - living beings that would suit her needs. She also heard Jynn moaning loudly from that direction. Hoping that Jynn had left something for her, she rushed over with unearthly speed, finding Jynn already taking the energies of two soldiers at once. Tavra spotted a third soldier trying to play dead amongst the others, and instantly she was upon him.

"Please...no!" he said, trying to fight her off. He was strong, but her strength had grown immensely since she had last tested it. He held up his hand, catching her in the chest and trying to stop her from getting any closer, but she was too strong for him. She grappled his arm and pushed slightly - hearing it snap as he screamed made her smile. She placed her hands on the sides of his face and began to siphon his lifeforce into her. The experience was still as pleasurable as the first time, causing her to close her eyes tightly and open her mouth wide. Her fingers straighened until only her palms were making contact with his skin, and she found she could slow the rate at which she drew in his energy. She took her time, reveling in the power surging through her.

Jynn finished-off her victims and surveyed the tower. She sensed the life force inside, guessing there to be almost a hundred more soldiers in there, surely they had blockaded themselves in by now.

In an effort to protect their lord, the warriors in the courtyard had moved the wagon in front of the door and overturned it. Back when it happened, Jynn saw them doing this, and giggled at the strain on their faces as they flipped the wagon over, knowing that she would easily be able to toss it out of the way as if it were no more than a bag of feathers. They were good warriors, loyal too, but they were absolutely no match for Jynn and Tavra. Their weapons mostly broke when used against Jynn and they passed straight through Tavra. Some of them tried using their fists, but that had little effect, as their great strength turned any fisticuffs into a one-sided battle. Jynn reveled in the conquering of these men - she felt like a village bully who was overpowering legions of smaller children for sheer amusement. Still, she wondered how they would get inside the tower - beating on the doors could take all day, and the keep had already sounded the call for reinforcements. No, they had to find another way in if they were to continue their feast.

She hadn't planned it all to go this way. They originally seduced their way into the barracks, offering themselves up as whores for the enjoyment of the warriors. The fucking and draining was wonderful, but then Tavra seemed to get greedy, and began draining them as they came in. Some of them noticed this and sounded the alarm. From then on it was a constant battle. Still, the energies they had gathered here today would serve them well in Elezan, as Jynn was familiar with the dangers that lurked in the city there.

After finishing her victim, Tavra turned to examine the tower as well. A random arrow from an arrow slit passed right through her head, signaling that the warriors inside were still trying to resist. Annoyed, Tavra went to the wagon and tore-off a large portion of its side. Hefting it under her arm as if it were a ram, she charged the doors, causing them to buckle slightly as she made impact. Jynn realized the genius at work and picked-up the remaining portions of the wagon, ripping off pieces to form a primitive but large battering ram. She tore bits off with no effort - her fingers simply grasped a chunk of wood and dug in, allowing her to precisely flake-away pieces. Tavra backed-up and took another charge at the doors, which buckled only slightly again.

"Help me with this, dear." Jynn asked. Her voice still had a politely commanding quality about it, as a mentor's voice should be. The got on opposide sides of the large battering ram Jynn had fashioned and charged the doors. Their incredible strength and speed caused the doors to buckle even more, sending splinters flying from it. With such a palpable hit they both stopped for a moment in shock - it was obviously a very well-made set of doors to withstand such punishment. Quickly they backed up and began to charge again. The second attempt was a bit slower, as Jynn was slightly distracted by the bouncing of Tavra's breasts as she ran. They were so large and perfectly-shaped, and the manner in which they moved drew her in - she had never seen breasts like that, nor had she seen them move so gracefully. This time the impact chipped a chunk of wood off the door, which was all Jynn needed.

Dropping her side of the battering ram, she grabbed at the place where the chunk had come off, sinking her fingers in and using it as a handhold. Placing her other hand on the door, she ripped a large portion away, revealing a dimly-lit room inside. Both of them attacked the doors ferociously and with great speed, tearing-away at them with a mixture of conviction, power, and feral rage which would frighten most men.

It didn't take long for them to destroy the door, only to find an iron portcullis behind it. Beyond that was a man dressed in rich red robes, holding a sword, most likely the lord of the keep. Beside him stood several guards, well armed and in plate-mail, and behind them was a small team of archers, bows at the ready.

"Stop! What is it you want from us? Name it and I will give it to you!" spoke the noble, his speech not showing any obvious sign of fear.

"We want your lifeforce, fool, and we will take it from you whether you give it or not!" hissed Tavra as she gripped the portcullis and began trying to bend it. She strained and gritted her teeth, and the bars began to move slowly apart. At the sight of this, some of the guards took a step back, but the noble stood his ground - she was beautiful even in her rage. Jynn only smiled at her lovely companion, for she could not have replied with a better answer.

"Then I challenge one of you to a duel!" Arvord said, raising his sword and his head so he looked slightly down at them. Tavra stopped bending, a slight look of bewilderment came across her face.

"What are the terms? You know your weapons cannot harm us, and we are strong enough to rip a man to shreds - what could you possibly challenge us with?" Jynn spurted, smiling widely. There was a brief pause before her enemy answered.

"Your friend and I make love. Whoever reaches their climax first loses. The winner takes whatever they want from the loser. If I win, you must both serve me forever, doing everything I ask."

"As I said, you are a fool. Nothing can stop me from bending these bars and taking your lifeforce anyway!" Tavra chuckled as she spoke, gripping the bars once more as if to continue her work.

"Ah, but if it is lifeforce you want, then I know of a place in the forest where you can find a large amount of it." he responded, smiling. Another pause ensued, Tavra looked at Jynn, who only smiled and raised her eyebrows. "That is the second part of the challenge - that if I reach my climax first, I will agree to lead you there, in person."

Tavra let go of the bars and backed-up a step. Jynn followed, coming in close to speak.

"He obviously wants you, my dear. He doesn't understand that women don't have sex the same way as men do - that we don't cum for just anyone. Besides, I'll show you a little trick." Jynn whispered, smiling widely and nodding with the excitement of a child.

Tavra looked at her quizzically, raising an eyebrow in disbelief. "Trust me my dear - we have nothing to lose! He wants you, it's obvious! He'll probably cum the moment he touches you! Besides, either way it goes, we can just drain him at our leisure!" Jynn continued, taking her companion's hand in hers. Tavra shifted her gaze to the floor, deep in thought. She remembered the boy at the brothel, and how attracted he was to her, and then she looked back at the noble.

"Sir noble, you have a deal. Name the time and place and you will feel a climax..." She ran her hands down to her crotch and paused slightly to gently finger her labia. "...mmmmnh, like no other." Every man in the room immediately began to grow hard at that sight - some even lowered their weapons and glared at her in awe.

Trying to retain his composure at such a marvelous sight, Ahgran quickly spoke "Ten minutes, in my room, at the top of the tower! My men shall escort you there. No tricks."

Tavra continued to lightly finger her pussy lips, now moving her left hand up to her breasts. Feeling herself, she tilted her head back slightly and drowsily closed her eyes, letting out a long "Yeeeesssss...." She stopped suddenly and gave him a look of desire, putting her already wet finger to her mouth and placing it between her teeth. The two women turned and slowly stepped-out into the courtyard, giggling. Every guard in the room suddenly caught themselves masturbating to her motions, and quickly stopped, some a little slower than others though.

The Baron left the room, obviously aroused. He could feel the wetness in his pants already, and the anticipation caused his heart to race. "Bring me the Gosharb Dust." He quietly commanded a lieutenant. Ahgran knew that the rare and magical dust was normally used to ritually prepare for a battle, but in this case, it would give his mind greater focus so that he would not cum when faced with his adversary's goddess-like good looks.

Outside Jynn turned to her travelling companion and excitedly said "That was FABULOUS Tavra! Did you see?! Did you see that every man in there was pleasuring themselves to what you were doing?! You own them already! All of them! Oh I'm so proud!" She wanted to hug her companion tightly, but something inside of her feared that would be crossing that hazy mentor-student line.

"Yeah, I...wow, were they really?" She replied, somewhat shocked at her own abilities. Jynn nodded quickly, showing great enthusiasm. "I was really focusing on the noble in there, not the rest....so...what's this 'trick' you were going to show me?"

"Well, first off, I know that he's got access to some magic dust which he will use to stop himself from cumming. Your job, obviously, is to make him WANT to cum so badly that he does so regardless of how much control he has. You know how good it feels when you take energy from someone - that's just a side effect of new energy entering your body. We not only have the ability to force energy out of others, but also to force it from us INTO others... do you see where I'm going with this?"

Tavra's eyes grew wide and she began to grin slightly. "I see - that's how we once gave the stolen energy to those beings that made us!"

"Exactly. Now, regardless of how much control he has, his mind can't stop some bodily reactions, and if you were to give him energy, his body would react...." She nodded as she spoke. "Just remember to do it before YOU cum, and remember what I said - funnel the energy to him through his genitals or his tongue, or both. There's no WAY he can resist then."

"I'm not sure...how do I...well I know how to drain energy from people, but I don't know how to GIVE it away."

"Easy. You just will it into them. However much you want. Give him a short, intense burst. It's not like we can't take it back later." There was an evil grin on her face as she spoke - Tavra could see devious plans forming in Jynn's eyes, but she did not shy away from that - it was her request that they come here in the first place, and she was the one who had intended to kill every man here.

Tavra nodded and looked towards the tower, then back at Jynn. "Well, I think I'll go a bit early." Jynn nodded and the two stepped back inside. The portcullis was raised and there was a small detachment of guards there barring the way to the stairs. At their approach, two of them nodded and stepped aside. Tavra began to ascend the stairs, leaving Jynn with the guards.

At the top of the tower, Baron Arvord had finished snorting a long line of his mind dust. He carefully brushed-away the brownish-olive remains from his nose and began to set his bedroom up for the coming ecstasy. As he did so, his mind cleared, and his thoughts turned once again to his wife. Though the past few years had been difficult, she was entirely different from this other woman - she would not hurt him or his men, nor would she ever be as beautiful. Arvord attempted to shake any desire for this woman from his mind, focusing instead upon his lovely wife. They had been together for almost ten years, and even in troubled times he never looked at another woman in this way, but this one had some strange and obviously magical hold over him. No, he would not be forced into anything. She would not control him, for he had done it - he had forced all lust for her out of his mind. As soon as she reached her climax, he'd force her to leave and never return. There was no way he could ever cum for this woman.

"My liege, your...appointment has arrived." spoke one of his door guards. Before he could respond, she had effortlessly pushed her way past him and strode into the room, still naked. She slinked towards him, placing one foot slowly in front of the other, her hands sliding up and down her thighs.

"My liege... I like that. Surely a powerful man such as yourself has a name. What is it?"

All trace of control slipped from his mind as she spoke. Once again he felt his pants dampen in anticipation, and his mouth gape in awe. His heart raced and he felt a strange weakness mixed with uncontrollable excitement inside him - he was going to have this woman, victory or not, he would have his way with her at least once.

"Baron Ahgran Arvord...and you are?" he spoke, attempting to regain his composure.

"I am called Tavra...shall we... get started?" She was close to him now, asserting her will against his. There was no way to know if he as resisting, as she was still quite new to her powers, but she could tell he was not as in control as he would like to be.

"Y-yes. First, I shall oil you." He grabbed an intricate glass bottle in the shape of a bird, filled with a clear substance. It was a clever maneuver, she thought, for him to try arousing her first by touch.

"No, I think I shall oil you." She concentrated hard, grasping the bottle and his will at the same time, wrenching them both from him. He stood stunned as she removed his pants, leaving them down by his ankles, and began rubbing the oil onto his body. At first he wanted to resist, as it was unwise for him to allow her to arouse him so, but something was stopping him - something very base and animalistic wanted her to serve him in such a way. The sensation of her hands smoothly running across his body only made him want her more - he summoned all of his faculties to resist taking her right then, violently, forcefully. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep up his resistance, but if he gave in, he would surely lose the challenge.

"Enough! .....We....ahhhh...." He inhaled deeply and regained some control as he continued. "Enough taunting.....on your back, wench!" His words were strong and commanding, but the tone only served to anger Tavra.

"No milord, I think you want to cum.....yes...right now....." She spoke softly, with less authority, but with more power. Once again she pinned his will to the floor with her own, forcefully accessing his desire. She had reached his genitals and was just starting to oil them, gently running her hands up and down his shaft while her other hand moved along his scrotum. For some reason, she had expected more from a noble - she thought he would be much, much larger than an ordinary man, not the same size. Waves of pleasure began to build in him, and though he wanted to cry out in anger and resistance, he could do nothing but writhe in rapture.

Tavra channeled some of her power through her hands and into him. Arvord felt curiously awake and stronger, yet less in-control. His body had taken-over, and he found himself a slave to it - where once he was the chariot driver, he was now only a passenger. He stood and watched in slow motion with a mix of terror and ecstasy as he shot cum into the air. A tide of bliss washed over him, pleasing him as never before. The next surge came and he fired a second burst of his seed, this time it landed on her shoulder. Again the feeling overtook his body, and his third shot dribbled onto her breasts. He growled loudly, almost screaming - in all his experience with hundreds of women, none of them had ever made him feel this way. As the orgasm passed he sprayed his remaining load onto her leg and the floor.

Tavra smiled up at him and then looked at the semen slowly making its way down her torso. "I guess this means I win...." She looked back up at him, still massaging his organ, but her face contorted in pleasure. Arvord suddenly felt weaker again, more than before. Her face was so lovely in that position that he almost didn't realize what she was doing. Tavra gasped as she slowly siphoned a little more than what she gave him back into her. The feeling of complete control filled her with lust, and she wanted to take it all, but she wanted to enjoy it. Thus, she began to slowly drink-in his essence.

"No! Stop! That was NOT the deal! We were supposed to make love! You haven't won yet!" He cried-out, still feeling the after-effects of an almost crippling orgasm.

Tavra's lungs filled as she slowly inhaled the air, and his energy. "Ahhhh, but you climaxed.....ahhhh...." The Baron realized he didn't have long until she absorbed all of his energy, but something within him strangely wanted to give it to her. She suddenly stopped, and her half-closed eyes opened all the way. "Fine, get on and let's get this over with." She angrily got on her back and spread her legs.

The Baron saw his chance - though tired, he could still pull a victory out of this. He had made love to hundreds, perhaps thousands of women, and had experience beyond measure at pleasing them. Besides, it was obvious that she didn't understand how men had sex - he had just climaxed a few moments ago, and his body needed a short rest to recuperate before he could cum again. Smiling, he squatted before her and guided his shaft in with his hands.

Tavra bit her lower lip and squinted as he entered her. Though there was no attraction for him, the feeling of a man filling her always made her wince. He thrusted, slowly at first, panting as he feigned ecstasy - she too faked the feeling and response, but as his hands roamed her body, she found his experience had put her on the defensive as her body reacted in spite of her mind. He stopped to turn her on her side, placing one of her legs on his shoulder. Continuing his thrusting, he slowly moved his hand to her ass - he could feel his body aroused again, and his will would not last long, even reinforced by the magical dust. He executed what he considered his "prize move" : he gently probed her anus with his fingers, massaging and playing with it. Though this would not make her cum by itself, he knew it would bring her many steps closer. Tavra gasped and shut her eyes tightly at this - her body was still that of a human, and it was very aroused now - there was no doubt that he knew what he was doing to her. Each thrust into her gave her undeniable pleasure as she began a rapid climb to orgasm. She knew she had to claim victory now or she might not have the focus in a few seconds.

Again she opened her energy to him, giving as much as she could for a few brief seconds. Ahgran was filled with power - he uncontrollably came again, firing everything he could into her. He howled with pleasure, mixed with rage, and rammed as hard as he could, clawing at her thighs and breasts almost violently. He felt strong once more, both physically and mentally - new power rushed through him, centered in his genitals. His penis throbbed with delight as he continued leaving is seed in her. Tavra had begun to climax as well, and with that, draw the energy she had given him back into her. Though he had already cum, he found himself unable to stop thrusting into her as her face strained and she cried-out.

He stopped thrusting just as she was finishing-up. Panting, she realized that he was unconscious, perhaps dead. As her head cleared, she realized that he was indeed still alive, but was dangerously low on life energy. Tavra allowed some of her own to flow back into him. After a few seconds he began to stir once again, groaning softly. She used her strength to lift him off of her and stand up, feeling revitalized. His motions had smeared some of the cum on her body, but she wanted a few drops to remain visible on her shoulder and dripping down her inner thigh, as a sign of his weakness - it would humiliate him in front of his men. Picking him up by his armpits, she pulled his face in close to hers.

"You lost, Baron! Now you will watch as I drink the lifeforce of every one of your remaining men, slowly. Then you will honor your words and lead us to this fountain of lifeforce in the woods."

"No, my men....they were not part of the deal....you can't...please..." he pleaded weakly, still trying to catch his breath.

"Wrong. You said that the winner could take whatever they want from the loser. Now, do you prefer to watch, or shall I leave you here to prepare for our journey?" Her words carried with them a venom which frightened him. To these women, he and his men were nothing more than weak cattle, and they were very powerful wolves.

"I will...do whatever you ask...but please...may I make one request...please?"

"Name it and I shall consider it." She moved him to the bed and dropped him.

"Please...I will watch you kill my men if that is...if that is what you wish....but please spare my...my wife." Tavra could tell he was on the verge of tears as he spoke. She wanted him to watch as they feasted upon the energies of each of his men, and there was little one woman could do to harm them...or so she thought.

"You will watch? You ARE a wretched human being - surely not a 'noble' of any sort. You have a deal!" She smiled as she helped him up. "Now, shall we?" She began to lead him downstairs.

********

"Ahhhh....yeeeeessss....it feeeeelssss....so....goooood....mmmmnh...." Tavra enjoyed taunting the Baron, making him watch as his men died meaningless deaths at his orders. She held the man by the back of his neck, face-first against the wall as he squirmed. As slowly as she could, she absorbed his energies, looking back at the Baron, slightly exaggerating as she grimaced in pleasure.

Baron Arvord wanted to feel remorse, or even pity, but he couldn't. He could only look on in fascination as the vision of beauty before him bathed in decadent ecstasy. She had done something vile to him, and he understood it. Standing there, naked before his own servants, he had become her servant, and even worse, a large part of him wanted that.

Indeed, there were many things floating-around in his head - his mind had become a soup of desire, hatred, disgust, and fear. In the center of it all was her, and through all the rage he felt for his current situation, he could not help but lust again for her body.

She dropped the lifeless husk and breathed deeply, smiling at the Baron. Across the room she heard Jynn whimper as she enjoyed her victim's essence. The last servant came up the stairs carrying several sacks and a backpack. He set them down behind the Baron and spoke.

"Sire, your travelling equipment is ready."

"Good, have you sent my wife on her way?" His eyes remained locked with Tavra's as he spoke.

"Yes sire. She wanted to see you, but I told her -"

"You have done well. Thank you. I want to tell you that I could not have asked for better servants, and that no matter what happens after this, you will always remain in my thoughts. Do not fear, for one day....servant?"

While he spoke, the servant had moved in front of him and towards Tavra. Part of him wanted to curse her, but he was too fascinated at the sight of the servant gripping the girl's breasts and suckling on one. She tilted her head up and closed her eyes - he could tell that his words had fallen on deaf ears.

"Ahhhhh...I feel....his lifeforce....flowing....out of him.....and....into me....making me...stronger...mmmnh...." She locked her arms around him and turned so that the Arvord could still see her face. The servant went limp but she continued to drain him, reveling in the power.

As she dropped the body, she noticed the Baron was pleasuring himself too. She took delight in this, and smiled as she looked down at his hand sliding down his shaft. As her gaze shifted, Arvord realized what he had been doing, and quickly stopped. She looked back up at him, her face half-pouting, half-smiling, and then walked around him.

Something within him snapped - he regained control once again, fully realizing all that had happened. On the wall beside him he saw his father's sword, an ancient blade, rumored to have slain a dragon - maybe it could harm her. He grabbed it and spun - Tavra was still walking towards the stairs, unaware of any danger. He lunged at her, swinging for her neck.

He grinned slightly as he connected - the sword passed through her neck cleanly, encountering no resistance as it sliced through bone and sinew. He had overcompensated though, swinging too hard and having to turn halfway before taking a look at his handiwork.

Tavra was standing there, unharmed, with her hands on her hips, giving him a look of tired annoyance. He looked down at the sword and found that there as no blood on it or the floor - the blade had gone right through her! With amazing speed, she made a grab for the sword, but the Baron anticipated her move and was able to deftly swing his arm under hers. He watched as the sword went right through her side, leaving no mark, as if she had no more substance than the air he breathed.

Annoyed, she made a grab for his arm which he was not able to avoid. Her mammoth strength held him tightly, causing him to grit his teeth and grimace in pain. Something instinctive inside of him told him to release the sword, for his own safety, but he defiantly held on. She put her other hand on his shoulder and grasped him hard. Unable to resist her might, he cried-out and fell to his knees, still gripping the sword. Angered, she looked down at him and spoke.

"Arvord, I'm only going to tell you once. Let go of the sword."

As she spoke, she loosened her grip and he looked up at her. When his eyes met her breasts all resistance faded. His arm went limp and despite his urge to rebel, he heard the sword clamor on the ground. She let go of him and picked up the sword, he sunk forward and held his arm. Tavra examined the sword and looked at him "Nice piece of work. Don't know WHY you'd think that it could hurt me though."

He was still mesmerized by the sight of her, half with a lustful appetite to have her again and half with a remorseful rage. He watched as she bent the sword tip to handle, then folded it again like a piece of paper. She threw the glob of metal across the room and looked down at him menacingly.

"Now, Baron, for that little display, you're going to burn down your own fortress."

Ahgran wanted to cry. He wanted to feel the wave of remorse and anger wash over him. He wanted to feel anything but attraction to this woman who had broken him, but her haunting beauty gripped his mind as she did his body.

He slowly rose and moved towards a torch on the wall...

Chapter 2

Through the forest's eyes, Benidyr'ra had seen the group travelling in the woods for almost a week now. She recognized the male as the Baron who owned the lands around the forest - she had met him once, long ago, and they struck a truce. She did not recognize the two women that were with him, though they were quite comely. They were pretty enough to be nobles as well, perhaps his daughters, or maybe his wife. Benidyr'ra had always thought nobles were supposed to be good-looking, but these two were outstandingly so.

Wondering what business the Baron had in her woods, she decided to go meet him. If he had brought an armed escort, she might have thought differently, but even he was unarmed, and his two companions were obviously dressed for enjoyment rather than business. Still, there was something very odd about the two women he was with, and her forest scouts could only tell her so much.

They had been walking for almost a week straight, and were far from the road. Jynn would have suspected the Baron of treachery if she didn't observe him constantly gawking at Tavra. There was no doubt - her powers had grown and pulled him under her sway. She too found herself influenced by Tavra from time to time. Indeed, when she mentioned going to the fort last week Jynn was hard-pressed to say no, though at the time she wrote that off as her own personal agreement. In retrospect, it was unwise to rampage through a military installation as they had - questions would be raised and people would no doubt be looking for them. Still, they had gathered much-needed energy there, and Tavra was quickly catching-up to her. If the Baron wasn't lying, then this trip into the Galoran Woods might supply them with all the power they would need to take on any resistance they might encounter from the incident at the Arvord's Citadel.

The Baron had said they were looking for a woman who was infused with the primal energies of the forest. She had watched this forest for as long as he could remember, keeping intruders out and at the same time minding her own business. Her territory was on the outskirts of his, and the two had an unofficial treaty of non-aggression. He didn't know much about her outside of that, only that she was a sort of focus for the forest's energy, and that she commanded the forces of nature within it.

He had been quite docile on the trip, and they had accommodated his needs for food and sleep. Her and Tavra were still riding the vigor they had gained at the Citadel, and she guessed that a draining of such proportions would keep them that way for weeks. After that, they would need to either drain more, or begin eating and sleeping once again. Tavra, however, did like to sleep every now and then. She said it was because she liked to dream. Jynn envied her - every time she had a dream, it would quickly turn into a nightmare involving her falling under the control of the old masters once again.

Ahgran still felt like emotional stew. His sorrow and rage had taken a backseat, and even his lust for Tavra had become mundane. Sure, he still marveled at her body, but he found himself able to turn away with much more ease than before. Now, mixed in with all the other emotions, there was a growing fear for his life - that once they were done with the Forestkeeper they would turn on him. He knew he must escape and he knew how he would do it, but it all depended on how long Benidyr'ra occupied them.

Previously, a large part of him could not even ponder leaving her side, but now he had more control. He did feel that something in him was missing though, something more than whatever lifeforce she took from him that night in the keep. He had become something less, something defiled and dirty. He had lost everything that was important to him, partly by act of his own will, and now he had become a sort of conspirator against a long-standing friend.

It was nearing twilight when they had just found a small clearing to rest in. The Baron propped himself against a tree while the two ladies began to sit as well. Suddenly they both sprang to their feet once again and looked in the same direction.

"Jynn, do you feel it?"

"Yes, up ahead. Something quite powerful." Jynn undid the button which held the cape around her frontside, allowing it to drop to the ground. As she removed her bikini Tavra turned to her.

"What are you doing?"

"Well, if this is a fight, I don't want my nice, expensive clothes to get ripped or torn. We'll need to fit-in better once we get to Elezan."

"Good point." Tavra began to untie the halter-top from behind her neck. Just as she removed her long skirt they saw a large woman descend from the trees on a vine.

She too was naked, except for the splotches of mud and some leaves in her hair, and tall - probably almost six feet, and fairly overweight. Her face was wide, with a small mouth and large eyes with a slight glazed-over look to them. Her entire face beamed friendship and compassion, and though she wasn't nice to look at, she did have an aura of calming comfort about her. Neither of them could place her age, though she couldn't have been older than forty. To the girls, she was a nexus for energy - her body was the choke-point in an hourglass of energy as if flowed into her and out again, emanating from and at the same time dispersing throughout the whole forest.

"Greetings. I am Benidyr'ra, Forestkeeper for what you call the Great Galoran Woods." She smiled widely and approached.

Jynn looked at Tavra with a slight bit of confusion, but Tavra was already advancing on the woman, slowly. She was confused at how such a small vine could support her weight, but as she pondered, the Forestkeeper extended her hand, which Tavra took. She began to tap Benidyr'ra's power, her face contorted in pleasure as she drew-in the large woman's essence. Tavra pulled herself in with great speed, embracing her so she could get more skin contact, and thus more energy drained.

Benidyr'ra felt herself weaken as the girl took her hand, and then strengthen again as the forest replenished her. She felt the great amounts of lifeforce in these women, but didn't understand why they had so much until now. Invoking the power of the forest, she began to ooze slipperymud from every pore on her body - she had to break free of this woman's grip soon, as the forest could only replenish her so much before it too began dying in order to save her.

Jynn rushed into the feast with great speed, grappling the woman as best she could and drawing energy out of her. Through the intense pleasure she could feel the woman attempting to free herself with surprising strength, but Tavra and Jynn had her firmly secured - it was only a matter of time now.

Tavra's frontside was suddenly covered in mud, and Forestkeeper was working herself free. Neither of them could maintain their grasp upon her, though they continued taking what they could from her, calling-out with yelps of pleasure.

Benidyr'ra worked herself free and leapt upwards, commanding a strongvine to carry her up into the trees. She summoned forth some hunter snakes to attack the trespassers and made her way to a branch. There was no doubt these women were powerful already, and they had stolen enough from her to kill a normal man several times over - it would take her a moment to pause and allow the forest to replenish her.

Meanwhile, Baron Arvord saw his chance to make a run for it. Just as he saw the Forestkeeper fly into the air, he turned and ran towards the east. The trees and bushes cut him as he moved, but he could not stop - as he grew further and further from Tavra he could feel her grip on his will loosening. Though he still wanted to have her again and again, she no longer held his attention exclusively. Now he could concentrate on surviving...and picking up the pieces.

Benidyr'ra watched in horror as the life energies of the hunter snakes were absorbed into the two women below. Their auras both seemed to grow as it happened, and they reveled in the act. Still feeling a bit weak, she summoned Greatstone, though she knew she would be dangerously diminished after doing so. Her only hope would be that the elemental could hold them off long enough for her to replenish her powers. The ground behind Tavra exploded, sending dust and chunks of rock flying. A hunched shape, vaguely humanoid, formed from the ground and lumbered towards them. It was possibly twenty feet in height, but stocky by proportion, and with arms almost to the ground.

Tavra charged the creation, punching at its leg as she ran by. Some bits flew off of it, leaving a fist-sized dent. Her hand throbbed with pain, and she held it as she continued. She could sense the creature turning around after she had passed it - whatever it was, it didn't react quickly. Tavra stopped to uproot a small tree, grinning at how easy it was now.

Jynn looked on, wide-eyed at the elemental's fortitude. Quickly coming to her senses, she grabbed a large rock, about her size, and threw it at the creature. The impact sent small bits flying from the thing's shoulder, and Jynn's eyes grew wider at its apparent invulnerability. She rushed to a nearby tree and started pushing on it, trying to aim so it would fall upon the thing.

Greatstone swung at Tavra, but she easily leapt over its arm, bringing her uprooted tree down hard on its shoulder. Though it was a blow which would have crushed and dismembered any normal man, it only sent a small cloud of dust and leaves flying. Upon landing, she dropped the tree and pushed hard against the elemental, trying to knock it over. At that same moment, Jynn was attempting to push a larger tree over onto it, hoping its weight would at least stun the creature. She felt the wood buckle as she leaned-in, and the elemental seemed to dive sideways, partly due to Tavra, but Jynn hadn't managed to dislodge the wood enough for the tree to fall.

Tavra knew better. She felt that her pushing on the creature wasn't doing much, but it seemed to lunge in the opposite direction to catch the Forestkeeper, who had fallen out of a tree. It set her down gently in some grass and turned to face Tavra. Jynn had managed to push the tree hard enough so that it began to break, and Greatstone noticed this. Turning its attention to her, it began to charge around the tree. Jynn heard the thundering footsteps headed in her direction and ran, hoping she could outrun the giant mass of animated stone. Even with her great speed, she was only barely gaining ground on the thing, and for a few, long seconds it gave chase.

Tavra rushed over to the Forestkeeper, lifted her up, and carried her in the opposite direction as fast as she could go. Her increased strength provided much extra speed, which she also used to leap high into a tree. She could sense that Benidyr'ra was dangerously low on energy - though she still had much more in her than a brigade of men, it dwarfed the power she had in her when they first met.

She wrapped her arms and legs as much around the large woman as possible, touching her with every inch of skin she could, and began to tap her power, roaring in pleasure as the energy rushed into her. Pulling herself even closer, she pressed the lips of her pussy against the Forestkeeper and drew energy in through it. The sensation sent her reeling - Tavra clenched her teeth and scowled as her breathing became more rapid. She shut her eyes tightly and could feel her body pulse with newfound power. Too engaged in the rapturous ecstasy, she didn't notice a tree next to her withering in seconds and falling apart.

Greatstone felt the Forestkeeper's life dwindling. It changed its course to find her, but it felt that she had somehow moved very far away. The grass underneath its feet lost some of its color, turning a sickly pale green, and leaves began to fall from the trees all around. The elemental charged with all its might, but it too began to weaken - its charge slowed to a crawl, and soon it collapsed.

Tavra's whole body trembled as she drew the last of the Forestkeeper's lifeforce into her. Every nerve in her body was bursting, every bit of flesh was tingling with the passage of energy. Benidyr'ra's body quickly turned to a dry and fragile clay-like substance and began to break apart. Tavra's rapid panting slowed and she opened her eyes...

********

Shakaam knelt by the burnt remains of the wooden gate. After examining it, he rose and moved inside to inspect the tower.

"Lieutenant?" Jarif half-grumbled.

Stopping in his tracks, Shakaam looked back at him and spoke. "They didn't force their way in or out. It looks as if they either snuck-in, infiltrated, or it was a mutiny of some sort. I need to examine the remains more though."

"My guess is they used their powers of seduction to lull the men into a false sense of security, then killed them all and burned the keep to hide the evidence of their feast."

"You don't even know it was them!" The Lieutenant was visibly annoyed at Jarif's assumption. He gritted his teeth and waved his hand wildly, screaming. "Why am I even here? You've already made up your mind!"

"Because, Lieutenant, these women grow more powerful each time they kill someone, and if they are responsible for killing every man here, then there's no way to know what we're up against. THAT, Lieutenant, is WHY you are here." Jarif retorted with increased anger, though he was still calm by comparison.

Hatred filled Shakaam's head and gushed forth from his eyes in a burning stare. He'd had enough of this unknown man and his secret society who'd pulled him away from his work in Gebton Hollow, only to be treated as just another grunt doing footwork. The Lieutenant had no tolerance for those who allowed their zeal to consume them - it was often those people that committed crimes in the name of their cause.

"Any number of things could have happened here! This outpost protects travellers on the road between Gebton Hollow and Kemaj - what if one of the bandit kings organized an army and attacked?! What if some of the men simply mutinied?! What if it was a group of assassins?! You don't know! But then you're so busy chasing these women that YOU don't care!"

Jarif looked off to the north, his eyes lowered to the ground. "Lieutenant, you may have a point. Perhaps in my zeal to defend the people I have... overlooked other... possibilities. Proceed with your investigation. We will rest until you have reached a conclusion."

Shakaam was shocked. This man that had made himself out to be infallibility righteous had admitted some degree of ignorance and humility. He stood dumbfounded for a moment before proceeding inside, thinking to himself what a shock Jarif would be in for if he managed to drudge-up some evidence that it was an outside siege.

What he was finding did not point in that direction though. The few bodies which were not burned showed little or no sign of physical damage to them, and there were broken weapons strewn about the courtyard. He found door-remnants inside of the burned-out tower, and the barracks had a small pile of burned bodies that reminded him of what he saw in Gebton Hollow. Sighing deeply, he returned to Jarif with his report.

"Jarif, we may have a problem. Do you know how much more powerful they grow with each life they intake?"

"I'm not sure, why?"

"Well, these forts maintain anywhere from...eight to nine-hundred soldiers at a time, plus cooks, servants, and so on. If we assume they killed every man here, and there's two of them, that's about five hundred for each of them."

"Then you are certain it was them?"

"I've never seen anything quite like this. I'd still say bandits if I hadn't seen all the broken weapons and corpses without wounds. Do you have any idea what their abilities were before this?"

"No. I only know what I've seen them do - what I told you before. I have reason to believe that one of them is ancient and has been active for hundreds of years - she may very well already be much too powerful for us to handle. The other I have never seen or heard of." For the first time, Jarif looked slightly concerned as he spoke.

Shakaam looked northward, his eyes following the many footprints in and out of the burned citadel. Most of them turned and headed east or west towards the caravan route. There was evidence of various movement in other directions, but the surrounding grass and rocks obscured further tracking. Even an expert tracker would have a difficult time in such terrain.

"Well the obvious route for them would be on to Kemaj and then to the capitol, but they've left an obvious swath of destruction. My guess is they're overconfident, thinking that none can oppose them, but if they're smart, they've gone off on another path, hoping to throw-off anyone who would be hunting them. Do they know you're after them Jarif?"

"As I said before, I have seen one of them once - she killed many men and fled quickly. That was almost two months ago. She seems to have grown in power since then. I have seen no indication that they know we are pursuing them, nor have we given them reason to believe so."

"Hmm... You say she's grown in power since then, what do you mean?"

"She killed thirty men and then ran when confronted with more - I think she may have been wounded in the fight somehow. Now she and her companion lay waste to an entire military citadel without opposition. Perhaps... perhaps there is something driving them..."

"You said they were ancient, but they have obviously grown in power since you've been tracking them. If they kept this pace all that time, why aren't they nigh-godlike by now?"

"Perhaps my information was wrong - perhaps they DO need energy to survive, and they were taking just enough to do only that, until now."

"Or they already ARE nigh-godlike and we can't stop them no matter what."

Jarif squinted at him. "That is not important. Our duty is to at least try to stop them, no matter the cost."

Shakaam looked away. "Many things are possible Jarif, but we should decide on a course of action here and get moving. We can't be too far behind them - the citadel was burned recently. I'd say we could catch them late tonight if we really got moving."

"Yes, but they may not be headed for Elezan at all. As you said, they have made their path quite obvious. To follow it now may be foolish."

"True, but there's so many people in the capitol - more than any other city in all of Akeryn, and maybe more than any in the whole world. If I were them, and I thought no one could oppose me, that's where I'd go."

There was a long pause, and Shakaam could tell that Jarif was weighing his options heavily as he looked eastward. He and the elite guard stood for a few long moments awaiting Jarif's decision.

"Capturing or killing these women is our primary mission, Lieutenant. We ride now, for Kemaj. There we will wait for two days, after which we will ride hard for the capitol of Elezan."

With that, Shakaam nodded, and the group set-out eastward, for Kemaj.

********

Strigori watched in horror as his men were tossed-around like leaves in the wind, flying high into the air and then landing, lifeless, on the cold earth. Within the space of a breath he'd lost three more men, joining the six already lying motionless. He didn't know whether to rush in and help or to run in terror. On one hand they were being defeated by two mere women, granted they had strange powers, but they were women. On the other hand, they were laying waste to his men without effort or resistance, and they seemed to enjoy doing it. Each time one of them touched one of his men, they seemed to draw some form of sexual enjoyment out of it, as their lovely faces contorted in orgasmic rapture while their victim quickly grew visibly weaker and eventually died. In addition to their deadly touch, they exhibited nigh-superhuman speed, and strength that was undoubtedly supernatural.

He'd had his back turned for only a moment, and somehow the women had broken free of their chains. His men had found them a few hours ago wandering the northern woods, dressed like high-class merchant concubines, and beautiful beyond compare. They chained them and brought them back, obviously in hopes of using them to pleasure themselves. Strigori had thought it odd that they didn't have their way with them right there and then, keeping them for themselves. He imposed harsh penalties for keeping such things to oneself, so they must have not thought these women were worth the risk. Now he almost wished that they HAD kept the girls, or that they'd never found them in the first place.

"It's her!" Gathim quietly exclaimed.

Gathim gasped in excitement as he saw the beautiful dark-haired woman once again. He had been trying to catch-up with her on the road from Gebton Hollow, but was kidnapped by these bandits and forced to march with them. For several days they had evaded patrols of soldiers, going further and further from the bandit camp. However a few days ago, the patrols all but disappeared, and Strigori, the bandit king, decided it was time to make a run for his camp. Now, as they were just returning, he saw the lovely woman again, still naked, wantonly killing his captors. If he hadn't been shackled he would have tried to help her, but in his mind, she would finish-off the bandits and free him, and she'd respect how he tried to follow her. Seeing his devotion to her, she'd fall in love with the him and they'd run off together. It was only a matter of time now.

After seeing them decimate his men with such ease, Strigori changed his focus - he was no longer concerned with saving his men or his bandit headquarters, only with survival. Quickly devising a plan, he drew his sword and slew one of the slaves they'd been dragging with them. The other captives looked-on in horror, except for the young blonde man who was too entranced by the women's killing - he somehow seemed to know them...

"Cover our flank. We retreat dis day." Strigori ordered his personal guard in a gruff tone. He turned to the young man who had been fascinated by the women and cut his shackles from the others' with a swift stroke. "And bring him along."

Gathim began to protest, but his cries were lost among the other captives' cries for freedom, mercy, and anger. Being all linked-together, they would now have to carry the weight of a dead man if they wanted to move. Some of them tried to get the others to start moving away, but they were disorganized rabble, and most of them were exhausted and hungry from their forced march.

Strigori and his men began to move away, three of them restraining the squirming boy. After a few minutes they could no longer hear the sounds of battle behind them. Though none of them were speaking, they all began to move a little faster, knowing that the strangely beautiful attackers may already be in pursuit.

********

Tavra surveyed the destruction of the camp. The scene was not unlike that of Arvord's Citadel when they had finished with it. Weapons lay everywhere, some shattered, while doors, emplacements, and even walls broken, and bodies carpeting the ground. She felt there was still a fair amount of lifeforce below her, slightly to her left. Searching in that direction, she found a system of large pit-cages holding prisoners. There were three of them per cage, crammed into a tiny living space. At the sight of her, they started begging to be freed. She smiled as she bent over and saw the looks of awe on their faces - they had obviously never seen a creature as beautiful as her.

Straddling both sides of the pit, she squatted low and willed their energies to pass through the air to her. A white snake of fog-like gas emitted from each of them and entered her cunt. She threw her head back and squatted lower as she bathed in their life energies. Tavra roared in pleasure as the newfound power surged into her. She placed her hands on her knees and looked down into the pit, seeing the white line of energy swaying slowly, connecting them to her. The confused captives didn't know what was happening until it was too late. They began to feel weak and then exhausted, trying to beg for mercy, but Tavra was too deep in her rapture to hear them.

After the first three were dead, she moved on to the next cage. Again, three prisoners, awestruck by her comeliness. Again, she squatted and forced their energies to pass into her, using her hands to move her long hair out of the way as she looked down to concentrate on the image of her own pussy and what was flowing into it. She found the act of watching their lifeforces flow through the air and enter her quite erotic. Tavra bobbed up and down, simulating a sexual motion as her senses were bathed in bliss.

Jynn's ecstasy was dying down as she drained the last remnants of her victim's lifeforce, adding it to hers. The world began to fade and fog around her - Jynn had seen this before. Sometimes when she took-in a lot of lifeforce her powers of arcane knowledge activated, and her mind felt like it was reaching to other realms for information. Time stopped, and she seemed to be outside of her own body, in another existence empty of all things except her consciousness.

Suddenly she found herself in the encampment again, holding the body of her previous victim. The only other living person she sensed in the immediate area was Tavra, who was busy reveling in her feast. Something new was in her mind, some fundamental part of the past had changed. She stood still for a few moments, thinking back, finally realizing what was revealed to her.

Long ago Tavra, herself, and six others like them were created in a great ritual. The ritual had elements of the Alnus Kagoi, the little-known ritual used to create true vampires. True vampires were fearsome beings - their physical prowess was almost unmatched, they were largely immune to physical attack, and they could create lesser vampires to do their bidding. The ritual that was used in the creation of Jynn and her "sisters" was twisted into something more, and fueled by a great and mysterious power, making them very much like true vampires, but without the same weaknesses. The most important differences were that they fed upon life-energy instead of blood, and they did not need to continually feed in order to stay alive. The energy they took in would only make them more powerful, unlike any kind of vampire.

There was also the matter of a demon's soul in the ritual. Somehow the soul of a great demon had been bound to a gem used in the ritual. It was a Succubus, a female demon who used her dark beauty to corrupt men. Apparently the demon was destroyed in the ritual, or rather its soul was "split-up" amongst the women. Jynn found it interesting that they were a sort of Vampire and Succubus at the same time, but more than just the sum of either.

The ritual, infused with power from whatever source they served, was made possible largely by human nobles and a small mixing of other races. The nobles had provided the most important part of the ritual - the place to enact it. Without their support, other humans would surely have heard about the two-month-long gathering and done something about it. The nobility bought the land, as it was their right to do, and provided some amount of manpower.

Somewhere along the line, the nobles gained the disfavor of whatever power created her and her "sisters," and the two began to war. The nobles had grown powerful and decadent, so the women easily decimated the order with their enhanced powers of seduction. However, this only forced them into hiding, and they began their own campaign to exterminate the women, and were hunting them, even now.

The knowledge did startle Jynn - someone out there knew about them, and quite possibly knew their weaknesses, maybe even better than she did. The only thing her and Tavra had working for them was that they were no longer automatons and because of that they'd grown much more powerful than the others, which might cause them to underestimate Tavra and Jynn.

********

Ahgran awoke in a grassy field, looking up at the early morning sky. He had no idea how long he had been there, or what day it was, only that he was hungry and that his much-needed rest may have shortened the lead he had on Tavra. She didn't need rest, or food, and she could kill him in moments if she caught him. What's worse is that he would more than likely let her kill him, or do anything else she wanted to him.

The Baron had hoped the part of him that wanted to be her slave would weaken as he distanced himself from her, but it had not. He wanted to see her again, to gaze upon her beauty and marvel in her majesty. He wanted to have her again and again, to defile her, to use her, perhaps even take something from her as she had from him. Last night he caught himself masturbating as he filled his mind with the memory of what they did in his tower - that night of passion that led to his downfall.

Something within him had changed on a fundamental level. He felt as if he was no longer human, as if perhaps she was the one who defiled HIM, somehow making him no longer whole. At first he wondered if it was all the lifeforce she'd taken from him, but he remembered Jynn saying to Tavra how their victims would become tired and listless after sufficient draining, and would never fully recover from such a loss. The Baron did not feel tired, just...altered.

As he lay in the grass, musing about the possibility that he was just depressed about losing all that he held dear, he heard people talking in the woods behind him. Turning quickly onto his belly, he crawled through the tall grass in an effort to get closer. The voices were distinctly male, though one of them was definitely younger than the others.

"How is it you know dem?" a low voice demanded. It had an accent to it, perhaps a Valabian accent - one of the hardy northmen from the frozen desert regions. They were a people to be feared, as their environment made them some of the strongest and most cunning warriors ever. It was remarkable to see one of them this far south, and in civilized lands.

"I...I don't REALLY. I just...worked for them." The younger voice said.

"What did you do for dem, boy, and what did dey pay you?" This time Ahgran could tell for sure it was a Valabian accent. He crept-in closer to see who these people were.

"I...moved...bodies...for them...I did it...because I thought they were...pretty..."

"Bodies? Who did dey kill - and why?"

"Just...brothel patrons...and a few soldiers...I don't know why...I just know they...slept with the men and then...they called me in to remove the...the bodies...told me they were drunks."

Ahgran almost couldn't believe this. How long had Tavra and Jynn been killing people? Could it be that he had found some potential allies in his struggle against those cursed women? He drew closer to the group - now he could see them through the bushes. Arvord's jaw hit the dirt when he saw their insignias.

The Grim Falcon - the sign of the bandit king Strigori the Grim. His men had done battle with the Grim Falcons, and though they were mere bandits with piecemeal equipment, they had managed to give his Imperial Legionnaires stiff resistance in a few engagements. They were at the top of the raider food chain. A few days ago, they were the Baron's main adversaries - now it seemed they had a common enemy.

There was silence for a moment as Arvord thought about his next move. Now that his fortress was burned to the ground and his men killed, he had no ability with which to carry out his vengeance. Sure, he could go crawling back to the Empire, but there was no guarantee that they wouldn't imprison him for his incompetence - there really wasn't a good way to explain losing an entire citadel to two women.

"Hrmph... What kind of woman kills like dat? Eh? Why would dey be after me? Perhaps we go see what de Sage-Eye says, no?" The Valabian said, finally breaking the long silence.

"They are not ordinary women, I promise you that. And they weren't interested in you, only your life energy." Arvord said, standing up with his arms held high. All thirteen highwaymen turned towards him, weapons raised. There was a boy with them, perhaps almost twenty years of age. He wasn't dressed like the others - it was more like he was an unfortunate traveller they'd happened across.

"Who would you be, and what do you know of deez... women." Strigori asked, lowering his sword.

"I... my name is Ahgran, and I was their slave for a time. They... have a way of... influencing men... I was no exception."

Strigori noted how this newcomer talked and carried himself. There was a noble bearing about him, though his clothes were torn and dirty. He stood tall, possibly almost six feet, and his body had no scars, yet he had a few minor cuts that looked fresh, showing that he was out of place in the woods. The dark-olive complexion of his skin went well with his slender and toned body. Greasy, shoulder-length black hair flowed beautifully from his head, and though there were hints of leaves and grass still in it, Strigori could almost be jealous of the man's good-looks and healthy body. If the man had been cleaner, it was clear that he could seduce any noblewoman.

Ahgran was not impressed by the outlaw lord before him. He was short, roughly five and a half feet tall, and ugly. The Valabian's small, pockmarked face seemed to be stuck in a perpetual sour-faced expression, and hair stuck-up out of the neck of his shirt. Small, black eyes beamed his stony gaze, yet there was a something about his stare that reminded Ahgran of a madman - indeed, as a whole he looked more beast than human.

There was another lengthy pause during which the two stared at each other, each sizing-up the other one. Ahgran was appalled at the depths he'd sunk to in only a few days, but he did his best to hide his contempt for them and his current situation. Strigori was impressed by the nobleman's courage and piety in approaching them - most noblemen would have ran screaming from a group of brigands. If what he said was true, then the noble had been reduced to crawling around in the woods and conspiring with outlaws.

"Denn tell us, Mr. Ahgran, why you have...volunteered dis... information."

"Because I want revenge. And because the enemy of my enemy is sometimes my friend. I have the knowledge, you have the manpower. You seem to have a problem with them as well, and if we work together, we can destroy them." As he spoke, he summoned forth his inspiring aura of nobility. For eons the people had been bred to look-up to the nobility, and when pressed, serve without question. Ahgran was hoping that this bandit had some of that subservient nature within him.

Strigori eyed him for a short while, deciding what to do. On one hand his forces were greatly weakened by the assault of the two women. Though he had other camps in the area with more men, those cursed wenches had destroyed his headquarters and the mainstay of his supplies and ill-gotten wealth. Years of progress were obliterated in a few minutes, and what's worse, he'd lost it to females.

"I shall make you a deal, Mr. Ahgran. We are going to another stronghold of mine, tree days from here. Dere I will use the Sage-Eye to divine more. You will give me more information I ask for. You travel wit us and tell me all you know of dees...women. If I am satisfied you told me all you know before we get dere, I let you live."

Arvord squinted and weighed his current options. His insides were still a strange mush of pride, self loathing, lust, and hatred, and he knew the only way he could redeem himself in his own eyes was to somehow kill Tavra. On the other hand, his self-esteem would drop to new lows when he began working with enemies he still despised. Pride was one of the things that made the nobility better than everyone else, and if he sacrificed his pride, what would he be then? Still, if he allowed Tavra to get away with what she'd done to him, he knew he'd be even less of a noble.

He nodded his approval at the brigand, and swallowed hard.

********

Arvord and the bandits travelled north for two days, making good time through the use of various shortcuts he'd never thought existed. It was obvious to him now how they had eluded capture so many times - they knew the land much better than his troops ever did.

During the three days he fabricated a story to tell Strigori about being a merchant who was seduced by the two women and drawn into their deceitful plan. He convinced Strigori that they used him to get into Arvord citadel and kill everyone there, though he did not know why and that he had escaped while they were feasting upon the soldiers Ever since then he'd been running in fear that they were still pursuing him. The disenfranchised baron also told Strigori of their powers - their unmatched strength and nigh-superhuman speed, their ability to incapacitate men with their beauty, and their immunity to weapons.

The bandit king did not seem surprised through all of this - he'd seen them in action against his men and how quickly they fell before these strange women. He had no doubt that he, nor anyone he knew could stand against them in a straight-up fight, but if they had the right information, he could set-up an ambush of some sort, or perhaps he could find a bargaining chip to use against them...such as the boy, Gathim.

Strigori wasn't sure if they knew the boy, and were perhaps even looking for him, or if perhaps he was simply just a bystander caught-up in the fray. Thus, he kept the boy around just in case he would be useful later. To throw-away any potential resource this early in the game would be foolish.

Gathim saw himself as a spy. The beautiful dark-haired woman that Ahgran referred to as "Tavra" obviously had some incredible powers, and she may have been trying to kill Ahgran or Strigori. To this end, Gathim kept quiet and gathered as much information as he could about her enemies. For example, he could tell Ahgran hated being involved with Strigori and his men - the displeasure on his face was visible at times, though he was careful to hide it from those that mattered. He overheard Strigori talking about how he had more resources scattered about the area, which he would eventually rally to be used against Tavra. Most importantly, he knew that both men hid their fear that all their efforts would be in vain - Tavra and her companion Jynn appeared to be nigh invulnerable

His only concern was this "Sage-Eye" they were going to see. Strigori said that he had used "it" in the past to build his bandit empire, and that it practically knew everything. If Tavra DID have a weakness, they may soon know about it. Still, he had enlisted the help of Ahgran, which meant that whatever power this "Sage-Eye" had was not infallible.

After two days of travel through the Great Galoran Woods, they finally reached their destination. There was another hidden bandit camp, this one much smaller than the previous one. The woods here were much more dense than at Strigori's headquarters, and the area around the camp was arranged with some large and quite nasty-looking brambles, allowing entry and exit through only two choke-points. Small shelters were either carved out of fallen trees or piecemealed together from branches and leaves.

Strigori made his way to a small tent hidden under some leaves. There were no guards outside, which made Arvord realize the fear and loyalty this bandit lord inspired in his men. The men all crowded into the tent, making it hard to see what Strigori was doing. After a short while the men parted, and the bandit was standing in the center of a strange arcane symbol which had previously been hidden by a rug. The symbol's mere presence made Arvord uncomfortable, as magic was usually something best-kept among the mage guilds, or at least those who knew how to use it. Those who didn't understand it were best-advised to keep away from it. He hoped the bandit knew what he was doing...

Strigori pulled a rather ornate knife from a fold of cloth. It looked rather worn, even rusted in some areas of the blade, but the main feature was a large and quite valuable looking ruby embedded in the hilt. Taking the dagger in his left hand, he ran the length of the blade across his right palm, wetting it in the blood. He carefully set the dagger on the floor, obviously paying close attention to where it fit among the arcane symbols and how the blood dripped across them. The ruby began to glow as Strigori stared at it, his eyes alight with a similar eerie fire.

All attention in the room was focused on him. Strigori allowed his consciousness to be drawn into the stone, "Ghirza" the Sage-Eye. He saw the distant past, though he didn't know how far in the past. There was a great battle in the heavens - it was a legendary battle between gods. Lightning and fire rained down, turning a vast forest into a desert and laying waste to great mountains. A great lightshow in the sky shook the land, and then, all was silent. One of the gods, defeated, fell to the earth with a blazing white fire rippling behind it.

Eons passed before his eyes. In that time, humans had built civilization, fought with one another, and the other gods had left for another world. All that time the fallen god made allies from disenfranchised humans, entering their dreams, promising them power. Others were drawn-in as well - the Stalgis - a bat-like race of nocturnal predators, long thought extinct, and the Qegran - sentient insects who had freed themselves from hive-mindedness and were in chaos. Together they formed a cabal to raise the fallen one back to its place of power. With the other gods gone, there would be nothing to oppose its rule, and the cabal would be granted a place beside it.

Meanwhile, the humans had forged great civilizations, ruled largely by nobility. Some nobles formed orders which held their mutual interests. Many grew into outdated social gatherings which were little more than a name, but one was seduced by the dreams of power sent by the fallen one. They schemed in dark passages alongside its followers and brought their wealth and influence to bear. Finally, there would be a way for the fallen one to rise again.

In a cave, possibly far in the north, Strigori saw a gathering of the fallen one's followers. They were enacting a ritual - lots of dancing, muttering, bloodletting, sex, and general mayhem. Finally, the crowd parted, revealing the women - there were eight of them, two of which he recognized from the raid on his camp. All of them were magnificent in their nudity, though some were much more attractive than others.

Time passed again, and he saw the death the women caused, and how it fueled them. Ahgran was right - they seduced and killed, somehow drawing the living energy out of their prey to grow more powerful. Each woman also had an appointed place they would meet with two mysterious and well-built men. The men were twins, but each meeting place did not hold the same twins, though they did all look alike. The twins and the woman would copulate, and they would draw the energy out of her, leaving her weak once again. The men would remain, and the woman would leave to gather more energy.

This had gone on for millennia, the nobles using the women to eliminate enemies, and the twins, somehow related to the fallen one, grew stronger. At some point the nobles and the fallen one became enemies, and the women immediately began hunting them. The nobles could not stand against the lures of the erotic huntresses, and thus they lost all the influence they'd gained, and their numbers began to dwindle. Forced underground, the noble order kept their remaining political ties a secret, and trained certain members to hunt the hunters. From their hiding places they struck out as best they could, all the while renewing their political ties in certain areas.

The bandit lord saw one such noble running a special scimitar through one of the women, killing her. The blade was an odd shade of yellow, and it was the first weapon he'd seen harm them. In another place, he saw a young mage tatooing some sort of rune on the thigh of one of the women who assaulted his headquarters. She was asleep, or incapacitated somehow, but when she awoke, there was something different about her.

She, in turn, put the tatoo on the darker-haired beauty that had attacked his stronghold, and ever after there was something not quite right about the two of them. Their actions seemed to be more "alive" than the others, and their craving for energy was not as controlled.

Strigori brought himself out of the vision for a moment, taking a mental step back to examine the facts. At first he thought he saw allies in the twins, as they drew the women's power from them. It made him happy to know that these women were being drained in turn by males - he would hate to think that these females were the most powerful beings in the world. But in the end, even the twins were pawns of a sort for the fallen god.

The real allies he sought were the nobles who were at war with this god. Or, Strigori thought, perhaps he could ally himself with the god by finding and destroying the nobles, and aiding the women... He'd witnessed the power the women held, and could only imagine the power the twins had. If he could only contact them somehow...

He focused once again on the Sage Eye, projecting his desire to see where he could find one pair of twins, the avatars of the fallen god. He felt the stone's power being blocked - something much more powerful than the artifact was hiding the location of the god's representatives. Strigori remembered seeing them in very nondescript places - caves with torches, ordinary stone rooms, a pinewood forest. He searched again, this time more forceful with his will, but still, nothing.

Frustrated, he withdrew from the vision and moved back into reality. He looked around the room at his men. With them were Ahgran and the boy, Gathim. They were important in this somehow, but he would not be able to use the Sage Eye again for some time. Ahgran was telling the truth, and there was something more to him than what he made out to be.

As usual, he would keep the knowledge to himself, not wanting anyone else to have the information should he fall. Now it was time for him to take action, though he did not know what. However, if he were to ally himself with a growing power such as the fallen one, it would be best if he did so soon, while he might still be of use to a fledgling god. Still, that would mean allying himself with those...women...

********

Ever since he joined them, Ahgran had been treated like dirt by Strigori's men. It did not annoy him as much as it frightened him - perhaps the bandit had found him out and was harrying him into telling the truth. He was randomly awakened in the night to do menial chores, was given smaller meals, and talked down to the entire time. At one point they made him dig a grave, which he was sure would be his own. Even when he discovered he was wrong, he realized that his usefulness to the bandits had to be proven again - he had given their leader knowledge, but now he had to show the men that he was worth something.

His name was Yasun, and he was among the strongest men in the camp. He'd been hounding Ahgran more than the others, and most of the bandits saw the big man as a foe only slightly less unbeatable than Strigori himself. Yasun was markedly less quick-witted than their leader, and did not have the ruthless charisma needed to run such an operation, otherwise he'd at least have posed a threat to the Valabian's position.

"What better way to prove myself to the men than by besting him?" Ahgran thought. "I don't really have anything else left to lose."

Arvord found Yasun eating alone at a table in the mess tent. He sat down across from the oaf and rested his elbow on the table, forearm pointing upwards.

"Alright you worthless pile of Vrunti slime, let's see if you can best me!" Ahgran challenged, paying careful attention to the wording of his request - he had placed himself in a higher position than his opponent, showing the bravado that Strigori's men respected.

Yasun stopped chewing his bread and stared at the newcomer. His cold eyes could convince anyone that he'd never known fear in his life. He shoved his plate aside and rested his elbow on the table as well. Yasun's arms were visibly larger and more muscled than his adversary's, though Ahgran did not break his stare to notice the comparison.

He took the oaf's hand and felt a surge of ecstasy pass through his body, not unlike when he was with Tavra, but much less intense. A startled look came over his face and he gasped at the sudden pleasure. It was then that he realized it - Yasun's energy was flowing into him! It wasn't difficult to control his reaction to the feeling, but his adversary did grin his confidence to the baron.

"What's the matter, weakling? Afraid?" Yasun smiled, showing rotting teeth.

Ahgran squinted a bit and stared straight into Yasun's eyes. "No, not in the slightest." The energy continued to flow into him, making him confident that he could beat Yasun with his newfound strength. However, he didn't feel any stronger - in fact, he sensed the energy was passing right through him!

Tavra stopped her brisk walk when the pleasure hit her. She inhaled a staggered breath and looked around, putting her hands on her hips and moving them up to her waist. She couldn't figure out where the power was coming from, but she was gaining energy. Looking upwards, she arched her back as the lifeforce flowed into her, though at a slower rate than she was used to. Tavra sensed...the Baron...was he doing this?

Ahgran's penis grew hard, and he felt his pants wetten slightly. He could feel Tavra at the other end, somewhere in the world, drinking the power that he was taking in. She was standing with her back arched, looking upwards, eyes closed, mouth open, hands made into fists and held at her sides. He wanted to stop what he was doing, but something in him couldn't - he was compelled to make her stronger, to serve her. The Baron was sickened by her greed, and at the same time aroused at his ability to make her writhe with such ecstasy. She seemed to be enjoying the flow of lifeforce more than he did, perhaps that was because he was only the conduit and she was the receptacle. Before he knew it, Yasun was looking tired, and the match was almost over - the weakness finally got to him, and their arms collapsed to the table. Arvord let go as quickly as possible and stood up. Tavra exhaled and opened her eyes drowsily.

"Are you ok?" Jynn was standing very close, inspecting her incapacitated travelling companion.

"Yes, I'm....quite good, actually."

"What happened? It looked like you -"

"Arvord. He...somehow... channeled energy into me."

Jynn squinted and looked puzzled for a moment. "Hold on, let me meditate for a moment." She looked away, as Tavra's body was too much of a distraction, and concentrated. Thinking hard on the issue, she enveloped herself in the fog again, questing. After a few seconds, the knowledge came to her. Her eyes widened as she spoke. "That's one of your powers - you made him into some sort of... energy... funnel!"

"But...how?"

"You exchanged energy with him - you took so much and replaced it with your own that...he's becoming your slave, Tavra, you can make slaves! You can see into their minds and control them! You can use them to gather energy for you!" Jynn looked at her companion excitedly, grasping her arms proudly. "He serves YOU now!"

"He serves himself."

"No, no! He's your minion, your slave."

"A minion who wants to kill me."

Jynn shook her head. "He only thinks he wants to kill you. You're in control, Tavra, and the more energy you gain, the more power you'll have over him! Exercise your control over him, do it now!"

Tavra looked at Jynn, frowning cynically. Still, the idea of controlling Arvord so completely did seem quite appealing - by controlling his will she could destroy him in a way no other person could.

She looked into the distance and thought of Arvord. She saw him in a wooded area of some sort. There were many bandits around with the same crest as that of the camp they raided earlier.

"Arvord...I want more."

The Baron was on his way to his appointed sleeping area when he heard her voice. He stopped in mid-stride, eyes wide with fear and lust.

She pressed harder upon his will. "Get me more energy. Do it again. Now."

Ahgran shook his head, mustering all he could to defy her. He tried to think of his home and his men, all that he'd lost because of her. She was far away, but still she had her talons in him. Closing his eyes, he started to push her out of his mind. After a long moment, the Baron shook off her hold and kept walking, smiling at his victory over her.

Frustrated, Tavra clenched her teeth and cursed. "Damn him!"

Seeing her displeasure and assuming the worst, Jynn tried to comfort the girl. "Tavra, my lovely, it's alright - you'll soon be able to bend his will without even a thought. He'll be channelling energy into you with every waking moment, just give it time."

Disgusted with her shortcomings, she thought back to the tree she could not uproot so long ago. Tavra began her brisk walk again. "We should keep moving."

********

Ahgran awoke in his tent to see Tavra's hourglass silhouette standing before him. He could tell her back was turned to him, and for a moment he thought of trying to do something - escape, stab her, call for help, but he knew there was no way to stop her from doing whatever she came to do. She parted the tent opening slightly, letting the moonlight in, and then turned around to him and paused. He was overtaken by a mixture of fear, rage, and lust - his cock quickly became hard as she approached, and his legs began to spread as if she had commanded him without saying anything.

She pulled the covers from him and straddled him. Lowering herself slowly, she guided his shaft into her, throwing her head back at the deep penetration. Tavra began to slide up and down his cock, letting out whimpers and yelps. Ahgran reached up with his hands and fondled her breasts as the waves of ecstasy passed over him. She arched her back and let out a single, guttural grunt.

Between his arms he saw a faint blue glow in her, and a strange yellow light feeding into it from below. Pulling his hands away, he saw she had become nothing but a silhouette with a blue light at its center. The yellow string of light passed through their connected genitals and originated in... him! She was draining him! He felt weaker, but could do nothing to resist, only watch the yellow mix with her blue as his own light grew more faint. He watched her light grow brighter as she writhed, back still arched, hands on her thighs.

Suddenly she leaned over and put her hands on his chest, and a string of blue light went through them, into him. He felt a strange strength, and then rapturous ecstasy as her power flowed into him. She was still draining him, but she was giving back more than she took. His body convulsed as the pleasure took hold. Ahgran's flesh tingled, and he felt like the most powerful being in the universe. He was continually cumming inside of her - little bits of the white fluid were dripping out as she thrust up and down upon him. In all the feelings of sensual bliss, he looked down and was horrified to see his own light was changing colors - the blue was mixing with the yellow to become a sickly green.

Then, suddenly, it all stopped. She rose from him and moved to the head of the bed. He could still see the light in her - it was still the same color as when they had started, but he - he was still a sickly green. He looked up at her to see she was no longer a silhouette, but was once again flesh, and he could not see either of their lights anymore. She smiled at him and turned, closing the tent opening before she left.

********

After almost a full day of riding from the burned remains of Arvord's Citadel, Shakaam and Jarif still had not seen any signs of their quarry. They had asked passing caravans and travelers if they'd seen the two women, as they were hard to miss, but they had no such luck. By the time they had reached Kemaj, Shakaam began to feel that their decision had not been a good one. Still, Jarif was in charge, and he said they would wait for two days in Kemaj, hunting their prey, then move on to Elezan.

Within hours their information gatherers had picked-up on an odd trail of bodies without obvious wounds - Jarif indeed had good connections. The group went to the basement of the Kemaj Town Hall to inspect the bodies, and Shakaam noted Jarif's reaction to the corpses when he saw them. It was almost as if Jarif knew the victims, but he had to hide that fact from his men and Shakaam.

"There were only three corpses, all found over the course of a week, which seems an odd pattern for these women. In Gebton Hollow there were about twenty similar deaths total, Arvord's Citadel was completely devastated, and now only three?" Shakaam spoke quietly, as if there were ears dipping into their conversation. He had always considered city halls and political centers as places more dangerous than even the seediest taverns.

"Quite true. Your investigative skills are invaluable, Lieutenant. Do you think it is possible they were not headed for Kemaj at all?" Jarif nodded as he spoke.

"Possible, but as I said, if I thought myself nigh invulnerable and wanted to grow stronger by killing lots of people, I'd make for the capital at best speed. It may be that they caused so much carnage behind them to tide themselves over for a longer journey, or they were trying to throw us off - the trail was quite obvious."

There was a long pause, after which Jarif finally retorted. "We can't afford to start second-guessing ourselves. We'll stay here two days, and head for Elezan the day after. In the meantime, I want you to inspect these bodies closer. See if you can find any other causes of death. I'll post a guard with you."

"Can I get a seer?"

"No, I want as few people in on this as possible. Nobody else hears of anything you find. Understand?"

Shakaam sighed, nodding. "Where can I find you if I need you?"

"I have some business to attend to. We'll be staying at the Eagle's Nest. I should be there each nightfall."

"What, are there vampires or something?" Shakaam joked.

"Yes, Kemaj has quite a large vampire population. That is one reason I want you to carefully inspect those bodies. Vampires are adept at covering their tracks, which is why they often live for so long." The lack of emotion in Jarif's words sobered the Lieutenant's attitude. He nodded and went back to the holding room where the bodies were located.

A closer inspection of the bodies did reveal two very small piercings of the neck on two of the victims. They were carefully done - an average inspector would have missed them. While he was inspecting the third body, some soldiers brought-in two more bodies, "Found 'em in the river this mornin'. Still lookin' fer more." Shakaam nodded and went back to his work. The third body had no visible marks, and was in very good shape. Shakaam read the report on the body : "Rejind Kadric, Merchant. Cause of death : Unknown. Burial code : 3b."

The Lieutenant called for a servant to find whatever records could be found on the merchant, and proceeded to investigate the bodies from the river. More bite marks. Jarif wasn't kidding. However, one of the bodies was marked for cremation. Shakaam pulled a dagger from his belt and cut into the wrist of the body. As he expected, there was a surprising lack of blood, but the rest of the body seemed perfectly intact.

"Vampires indeed." He said to himself.

********

Adjra locked eyes with the merchant. She poured forth her will into his mind, making him want her like no other woman. She licked her lips and turned away - it was only a moment, but she knew that was all it took. Soon her and Tirah would be in his manse, taking his energy. After that they could see the twins again.

In her dreams they came to her, the twins. They had told her that the only way she could see them again was to drain this man. They had told her this about other men many times over, but she did not care - all that mattered was that soon she could be in their arms again, with both of their massive bodies pumping and thrusting their large shafts in and out of her. She almost spasmed with ecstasy at the thought.

Lately though, the dreams took a more urgent note - they had told her and Tirah to operate together, for there were two renegades, Jynn and Tavra, who had rebelled against the twins and were trying to destroy them. Adjra couldn't see how any woman would possibly want to destroy such magnificent men. In all her eons of existence, she had never experienced such pleasure as she did when they were inside of her.

"Here he comes." Tirah whispered in her ear.

"Ah, hello, my dear. My name is Alev Thukar, and I noticed your...grace amongst the peasants here in the marketplace. You're...not from Kemaj, are you?"

Adjra turned to meet the man's gaze again. She noticed how ugly he was compared to the twins. Instantly a feeling of disgust came over her. She could easily muscle him off into a secluded area and drain him forcefully there, but that might arouse suspicion. Each time she was made to kill a man she could only think of how they were pathetic in comparison to the twins. Each time she just wanted to get it over with...

********

Jynn could see the road and the city of Kemaj in the distance, its towers and sprawling slums on the outsides of the city walls. Kemaj was a rogue's den, and at the same time a mercantile nexus of the Empire, and the world. Ships from all over came into Bargalo Bay to dock at Kemaj and unload their goods for transport to the capital of Elezan. Criminals came too, to escape on a ship, seek their fortunes, or most of all, turn-in other criminals. Long ago the Empire of Akeryn decreed that any criminal who turns another criminal whose crime was equivalent or worse would be pardoned.

She didn't want to stay long though - she felt Tavra's growing desire for energy. Jynn feared that she'd want to drain the whole city. While the thought of such a thing did turn Jynn on somewhat, she knew there were people after them who had already thrown a wild card into the fray. Furthermore, Jynn didn't know if she could resist Tavra if her companion really put her mind to taking the lives of everyone in the city - she had become that beautiful, and beyond that, she constantly radiated an aura which at the same time commanded obedience and ignited lust in all around her.

After Kemaj would come the real prize - Elezan and her master. Jynn could feel her master's presence, and how he still called to her, trying to control her. She knew he would be hiding somewhere on the outskirts of Elezan, probably in one of the many ruins from past wars and rebellions. She'd been close before, but feared that she couldn't take him on by herself. That's where Byen and Tavra came in.

Byen was the mage who had found a way to block their master's mind control with the tatoos made from magically-enhanced inks. He was also the only man to ever have satisfied Jynn without cumming. She still remembered the night he freed her.

She suddenly awoke, and as if it had been a dream, her memory of the past was spotty at best. He was standing over her, it was dark but she could see he was smiling and extending his hand to help her up. She took it and stood, finding that he was about half a foot taller than her, with short, dark hair parted in the middle, he was slim, well-toned, and absolutely beautiful. His eyes had a special property that seemed to draw her in, making her feel like she was looking for something valuable that had fallen into a pit and found something more amazing. His hands were strong - a minute quality many women in the capital found attractive. He wore nothing but a loincloth, as it was hot and very humid. His bare chest shined with sweat, and had only a small patch of hair around his bellybutton leading downwards to his groin.

His first words were memorable as well. He said "Jynn, you are the loveliest creature I have ever seen." His voice was deep, and there was a magic to it that aroused her. She immediately began asking questions - she grilled the poor man until dawn, when he finally decided he had to have rest.

Byen was a S'rinkali - a mage who specialized in magics that affected the mind. Most mages of his type were feared, as their powers of manipulation were subtle, yet strong. To insure their loyalty, they were magically bound to obey a noble, unable to disobey or plot against them. Because of this, his order had largely become little more than slaves who used fancy magics to enhance the sexual pleasure of their masters. To "own" a S'rinkali was considered at the same time decadent and noble, as it was their master's duty to watch over them.

His particular master was quite cruel, and particularly decadent. Jynn had caught his master's eye, who then instructed Byen to use his magics to find out more about her. His lord had hoped to add her to his menagerie of mistresses, and thus Byen set to work. He subtly delved into her mind, but before he could inform his master of the peril he was in, Byen felt himself freed from the magical bond his master held over him. His master was dead, and the young mage took Jynn into his laboratory to hide her from a strange group of men who came looking for her. He pieced together a spell which could free her from her own master's control, and became determined to return the favor to her.

When she awoke with the red tatoo on her thigh, she had been freed. She decided she didn't want to risk her master regaining control of her, and thus set out to destroy him - and Byen pledged his help. As he tried to leave to get some rest, she moved around front of him, got on her knees, and took his cock in her hands. She began to massage it, and her eyes grew wider as it did - while his length wasn't outstanding, the width was incredible. She knew then that she had to have him inside her.

They had sex most of the morning, and into the afternoon. She reached climax after climax, writhing on his thick shaft, but by noon, she noticed that he had not yet climaxed. Jynn tried every trick, every position, but could not make him cum. When she finally asked him about it, he reiterated that he was a mind mage, with ultimate control over his own mind, and that it was enough for him to see her enjoying herself. He then excused himself, saying he desperately needed food, water, and rest, but he offered to continue again the next day if she so wished. Jynn was at the same time offended and in awe. It was unfortunate that she had no actual feelings for him, as he was courteous, good-looking, and extremely good in bed.

As the weeks passed, Jynn carefully gathered energy in Elezan, killing her victims only once in a while, but most often taking only little bits from her patrons at the brothel. She didn't know who or what her master was, but she assumed she'd need a lot of energy to take him on. She set Byen to work on more tatoo ink, as he said it took a long time to prepare. He had found the resting place of another of their kind - sealed in a cave long ago by unknown forces. That, of course was where Tavra came in.

"Are you coming?"

Jynn was snapped back to reality by Tavra's voice. She was half-in a large horsedrawn carriage, the kind that wealthy people owned. Inside she could see a merchant, who had obviously been smitten by Tavra, and his wife, who looked at them in disgust. She nodded and stepped-up into the carriage while Tavra turned to sit next to the merchant. Jynn sat next to the merchant's wife - she found it odd that they had been sitting on opposite sides, but with the interest that he showed in Tavra, Jynn understood why his husband had switched sides.

Jynn knew that Tavra wasn't interested in the carriage, only the lifeforces inside of it. It had been about two days since they raided that bandit camp, and they had been far off the main road until now. That was the last time they took-in energy, and Jynn was also feeling the lust to have another's essence rush into her. The merhant was already pawing at Tavra's thigh, periodically moving more of her skirt so he could see more and more of her leg. Finally, he shoved his hand under her skirt and began kissing her neck. Tavra's smile slowly faded and she closed her eyes. Jynn could see the merchant's hands moving under her skirt. She looked to the woman across from her and willed the lust in the woman's soul to manifest. Immediately the woman's gaze turned towards Jynn, and she slithered to her knees. Moving the leather bikini aside, she began to lick Jynn's clitoris vigorously. She unbuttoned Jynn's cape and groped at the revealed breasts.

At times Jynn caught both herself and the woman looking at Tavra, whose face was beautifully straining from the pleasure. Her legs were spread high in the air as the man stood thrusting into her and fumbling amateurishly with her breasts. His thrusts were very shallow and very quick, and he came quickly, repeating "Ohh my!" over and over again as he came.

Tavra was disgusted by the man's size and inexperience. Men didn't need to be excessively large or good to please her, but he wasn't anywhere near up to par. Instead, she very slowly siphoned energy from him through her cunt - at least she'd get SOME pleasure from him. She was even more disgusted when he pulled-out and tried to make her lick it clean. She looked him in the eye and brought her powerful will to bear. His was an easy will to crush, and she commanded him to satisfy her. Immediately he fell to his knees and shoved three fingers into her. His tongue lapped all around his hand, only occasionally striking her clitoris. Tavra continued to drink his essence slowly, gyrating her hips as his energy passed into her, giving her some semblance of satisfaction.

Jynn was about to climax by this time. She half sat-up, supported by her elbows, and watched the woman work. Though she liked to have a man's cock inside of her, she also adored how good women were at pleasing their own kind. Time slowed, and she experienced the orgasm moment by moment. The woman's smooth tongue glided over her clitoris and her two fingers pistoned in and out, Jynn tightened herself around the woman's fingers. The building wave came crashing down on Jynn's genitals, and pleasure shot through her. Her tongue flicked again and her hands thrust inwards and outwards. Again, her senses were bathed in delight, her whole body shook, and her heart jumped into her throat. The orgasm seemed to go on for minutes, her flesh overcome by repeated surges of pleasure.

As the climax subsided, she drew forth the woman's energy, as much as she could at one time. Immediately her body again was awash in the ecstasy as new lifeforce gushed into her. Jynn roared a long and mighty "YYESS!" as she was filled with her victim's vitality. The woman's body slumped to the floor, and Jynn quickly regained her senses. Tavra was sitting alone, playing with her hair, looking out the window - the merchant was also lying dead on the floor.

"Sorry about that, I had to have him." She said. Jynn, still panting, raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry for what, my dear?"

"That I left you with that woman. I wanted a man in me, and you got the leftovers."

"Oh, no no, don't be sorry, she was magnificent! Sometimes women know how to please women better than any man." Jynn said, wondering if Tavra would catch her overture. There was a short silence and Tavra finally looked at Jynn, smiling, and responded.

"Maybe I'll try that someday."

********

As she entered the room, she turned and again willed him to want nothing in the world but her. Adjra wanted to get this over with - she was excited about seeing the twins again. His eyes grew large and he immediately began to undress. Tirah was already being penetrated in the doorway by Alev's young son.

She slid her summer dress from her shoulders and it fell to the floor. Alev moved over to her quickly and grabbed her hips, gently moving her towards his bed. Adjra rested her back on the bed as he bent over and entered her, fondling her small breasts. Even though he was no comparison to the twins, she still shuddered at the entry of his smooth flesh into her muscled passage. He slid in and out of her, and she could taste his lust for her. His thrusts became more and more rapid, and the pleasure began to build in her. She could not deny the feeling of her cunt wrapping around a man's cock. Adjra began to drain bits of lifeforce from him, quivering with pleasure as she did so.

She closed her eyes and imagined he was one of the twins, pumping his giant cock into her with great speed, his large hands running their way up her legs and hips. His muscled form loomed over her, and the size of his penis stretched her to the limit. When she immersed herself in her delusion, she began to cum, contracting herself around his shaft. The ecstasy the illusion gave her wasn't anything like what the real thing would be though.

Coming back to reality after her orgasm, she realized Alev had an arm around her arched back, and was cumming himself. She drew the lifeforce out of him with his cum, throwing her head back and screaming in pleasure. His thrusts quickly slowed, and she pulled him in closer to finish him off.

She quivered as his chest met hers and the last of his energy poured into her. Just as the feelings of intense pleasure died down, she noticed Tirah was gasping, or rather choking, her victim already slumped on the floor. A blade erupted from Tirah's side, spraying Adjra with blood.

Surprised that someone could hurt them, she was almost paralyzed by her companion's slow death. As Tirah's body fell to the floor, she saw an older man behind her with a long scimitar. He was still focused on his kill, and Adjra used that moment to enforce her will upon him. She concentrated hard on him, but when he looked up and noticed her, he raised his blade and charged.

Adjra threw her victim's corpse at him with ease, knocking him back. She darted for the window and looked-out. They were two stories up and she didn't know if she had enough energy in her to make her strong enough to withstand the jump, but she leapt anyway. Shards of glass flew with her out onto the mansion lawn. She landed hard, feeling a sharp pain in her right leg. Getting to her feet, she looked back to see several men leaning out the broken window throwing knives at her. Two daggers whizzed by her head - luckily for her she had jumped far enough so that they would have difficulty being very accurate. Getting to her feet slowly, she felt the sharp pain in her leg again. She began a brisk walk away from the mansion, as it was the fastest she could go. Adjra was so shocked that she didn't realize she was still naked.

Then there was a sharp pain in her back, and the feeling of liquid rolling down her skin. Tears welled-up in her eyes as she limped on, knowing that one of them had hit her somehow.

********

Shakaam stared blankly at the sheet of paper he was handed. It was a message from his associates in Gebton Hollow saying that Saalja, Baron Arvord's wife had escaped the burning citadel and travelled just off the main road until she was picked-up by a merchant caravan headed towards Gebton Hollow. She stayed with them until they reached the small town and then reported to the Imperial Guard stationed there. She spoke of women of indescribable comeliness who also possessed strange powers, including unbelievable strength and speed, which they used to decimate the soldiers in the citadel. The Baron challenged one of them to a duel of some sort, and he sent Saalja away in hopes of protecting her and his own legacy as well. When she had heard the citadel was mostly burned, she began to organize a small army to go looking for these two women and wring her vengeance from them. If it wasn't for what happened yesterday, they might be headed back home to Gebton Hollow to question her further.

Yesterday they were visiting a friend of Jarif's at his manse when they heard the sounds of moaning upstairs. Jarif instantly drew his sword and rushed up the stairs, as if he knew what was happening. Shakaam followed as best he could, but when he rounded the corner, all he saw was Jarif driving his sword through a woman in the doorway. As he pulled the sword from her body, she fell limply to the floor and he looked into the room and charged. Something large flew through the air at him and he was knocked backwards. Jarif's soldiers drew their daggers and rushed past Shakaam. He briefly saw a woman jump through the window, where the guards stopped to throw knives. Shakaam quickly moved to the broken window to see the woman turning to run.

"Give me your knife," Shakaam commanded one of the guards who was about to throw. He eyed the lieutenant for a short moment and handed it over. It had been a while since he'd thrown a knife at a moving target, but during the wars he had become the best knife-thrower in the Empire, which is why he was inducted into the Ghosamm Imperial Guard.

He aimed for half a second and threw. At first he thought for sure he'd miss because he got that feeling just as he let go of the dagger, but the knife struck her firmly near the shoulder, dribbling blood down her back. Jarif was suddenly beside him, in awe of the scene. He put his hand on Shakaam's shoulder and commended him.

"Lieutenant! Good show! I am impressed! Now we follow the trail of blood to her hideout to see if there are others!"

"It may be wise to stop her now, Jarif, while we have the chance. Who knows if she'll suddenly stop bleeding?" Jarif became sullen and grim, looking Shakaam dead in the eye.

"No, I know they bleed when hurt by P'jurium. It would be foolish to pass-up this opportunity, I give the orders, now we go."

With that he turned and stormed out of the room, heading down the stairs quickly. His men unquestioningly fell-in line behind him, and Shakaam stood for a long moment before following. All the while he thought about how Jarif had to be right - he had been fighting these "dark maidens" for a lot longer, and besides, he'd only picked-up Shakaam for investigations.

Outside, they were almost two blocks behind the woman, who was clearing a path before her as she ran screaming. Shakaam and Jarif could both tell the wound was well-placed - she would not stop bleeding for a long while. The group, with Jarif at the head, was catching-up - she seemed to be limping slightly, though still keeping up a good pace.

Suddenly a horse-drawn carriage wheeled-in, seemingly out of nowhere. The door opened, and Shakaam caught a brief glimpse of the woman he'd seen in the vision - she was even more beautiful in-person. She was naked, and her bare, lightly-tanned skin had a smoothness to it that he hadn't noticed in the vision. For the briefest of moments she made eye-contact with him, and in that time he was struck with an awe he'd never experienced before. With one arm, she grabbed the woman they were chasing and effortlessly hefted her into the carriage.

Jarif called out to the driver, but he was in some kind of daze, and didn't notice them. He rushed back to Shakaam with a mad zeal in his eyes. "Kill him!" He said, pointing at the driver. Shakaam's eyes widened at his command, but still he drew his knife and gauged the distance. Making a seemingly good throw, the knife whizzed past the driver, cutting part of his hat and falling to the ground. Jarif cursed, and by the time Shakaam drew another knife, they both knew the driver was too far away to hit. The carriage sped-off northward, and that was the last they'd seen of them.

It almost troubled him that he intentionally missed the shot. In the few minutes that followed the encounter, Shakaam wondered if the woman inside had some effect on him, or if he was simply against taking an innocent man's life. He figured it was probably a mixture of both, though he'd made it look like he gave it his best. What worried him more was the thought of what would happen if they ever did meet in battle. He'd probably let her drain him, or at the least he might try to run from the fight. Shakaam hated the idea of running from a fight, but there was no telling what a woman like that could do to him, and without special weapons, he couldn't harm her anyway.

Later, Jarif identified the woman in the carriage as the one he'd fought earlier. A call was put-out to stop any carriages from leaving Kemaj, but there was no way of knowing if they had already made it out by then. Still, Jarif was determined to stay in Kemaj for a few extra days hunting them. Shakaam was put to work finding the carriage, as it was more likely they had gotten rid of it and continued on foot. He had doubts as to if it was even possible to track the women, for if they had such incredible powers, they would be able to seduce or kill anyone they couldn't sneak past. It was worth trying, but he could tell that Jarif's patience for waiting around Kemaj would wear thin quickly. Shakaam assured himself that it wouldn't be long now before they left for Elezan - maybe even by the next nightfall.

********

Jynn virtually threw Adjra face-first into the seat. She cried in pain as Tavra pulled the dagger from her back. The dark-haired beauty held it up and examined it - the short blade glistened with blood near the top, and a golden-yellow metal near the hilt.

"Oh no... they're here!" Jynn gasped as she saw the dagger. Tavra raised an eyebrow at this.

"Who's here?"

"That's P'jurium!" Tavra's eyes grew large, as she knew it was one of the few things that could harm her. She held the knife out a little farther, her hands grew suddenly unsteady. "Tavra, there's an order of nobles that's after us, our kind I mean. They know what can hurt us - they hunt us and can kill us and this means that they're here!"

Adjra was in tears by now - she knew who these women were, that they opposed the twins, and that she might be punished, or worse yet, never see the twins again because she had been tainted by them. She went into a fetal position, hiding her face from them. Tavra looked at the girl, bloody and crying.

"Can you tatoo her?"

"To free her from the mind control? Not right now. I need a special ink that takes several weeks to prepare. " Jynn inspected the wound on Adjra's back and sighed. "I don't think she'll live that long."

"Hey," Tavra said, shaking the girl's arm, "do you know who did this to you?"

Adjra tried to drain her lifeforce when she was touched, but she felt nothing - no pleasure, no energy flowing into her, absolutely nothing.

"Leave me alone!" Adjra sobbed, "You're corrupted!" Jynn and Tavra exchanged confused looks, then, almost simultaneously, they realized it wasn't her talking - it was obviously the mind-control. Tavra took the girl's other arm and turned her towards them. Adjra tried to resist at first, but Tavra was so much stronger that she barely noticed.

She faced them now, and a strange calm slowly descended upon her as she looked upon her captors. Adjra knew them both from long ago - she never forgot who they were, though they had changed and defied the wishes of the twins. Jynn, Daughter of Sight, who could find the secrets of their enemies with her powers of arcane knowledge, and Tavra, Daughter of Beauty, whose lures no man, or woman, could resist. Even she found herself overcome by an attraction for the raven-haired woman.

"Be careful," Jynn warned, "she was trying to drain you." Tavra narrowed her eyes in anger and gripped Adjra's throat with a long arm. "Don't worry - she's not powerful enough to drain you."

"Can we drain her?" Tavra asked. Just as she finished speaking, she tapped the girl's life essence, tilting her head back and drowsily closed her eyes as the energy flowed into her. She stopped after a moment and regained her composure. Jynn watched, pondering their next move.

"I'd think we might be able to use her as a bargaining chip with those hunters, but she probably won't live long with her wounds, and I'd rather not deal with their kind." Jynn mused.

"Well then, no use in letting good energy go to waste," Tavra said, smiling. She straddled the girl, her naked pussy pressed against Adjra's abdomen. She smiled and took the girl's arms, holding them far apart. Adjra struggled, but her strength was no match for that of Tavra's. Tavra winced as she began to draw the girl's stolen energies into herself. She threw her head back and opened her mouth wide, whimpering a little.

"What are you doing?!" Adjra screamed.

"Why, she's taking your power, dear." Jynn replied, smiling. "I think I'll have some myself!" She spread her legs wide and sat back. A milky white snake of lifeforce shot from Adjra's chest and curved its way to Jynn's crotch. She moaned as it met her, half-closing her eyes in ecstasy.

Jynn sat up, reached over, and cupped Adjra's breast with her hand, drawing-in energy via skin contact as well. Her arm brushed along Tavra's thigh, although her companion didn't seem to notice. Both of them were drunk with the feeling of Adjra's essence entering them - she had a lot of energy in her, and they were going to take it all.

Tavra took-in as much at one time as she could, actively willing her powers of life absorption to their full potential. She hungrily siphoned everything she could, her senses almost overcome by the great amounts of energy entering her. The sea of pleasure her flesh was immersed in fooled her body instinct that she was having an orgasm. Her hips gyrated against Adjra as if she were being penetrated, and her insides tightened around the imaginary cock.

Jynn took a more casual approach to the experience - she was taking a lot, but she had no idea how much Tavra was getting. All the while she stared at Tavra, enthralled at her companion's beauty as she writhed in ecstasy. Tavra closed her eyes and contorted her picturesque face into the visage which all men lusted to see. With her other hand Jynn slowly stroked her clitoris, right above where the energy was entering her. Tavra's rapture-struck face made Jynn climax almost immediately. She rubbed faster as the orgasm shook her body, mixing with the pleasure of Adjra's energy emptying into her. Jynn clenched her teeth and erupted with a long, low growl.

Adjra felt them taking her hard-won energy. She tried again to resist, but might as well have been encased in stone. She began to feel weaker, and started crying out for help, tears streaking down her face once again. Slowly, a strange exhaustion overtook her, and she passed-out as the last of her essence flowed into her captors.

"AAAHHHHHYYYYYEEEESSS!!!" Tavra roared. She dropped Adjra's arms, moved her hands to her own breasts, and turned to her companion, her mouth in an open smile. "That was amazing!" Jynn was panting heavily, legs still spread wide open.

"Yes, it was...quite...pleasing."

"I want to move on to Elezan now, Jynn. I want to find your master and take his energy as well. We can come back to ravage Kemaj later - I want to go to the capital now." A streak of her obsidian hair fell over her shoulder and draped down her arm. Jynn smiled, though it was difficult to resist or even disagree with Tavra, she didn't want to hang around with those hunters in the area.

"Very well, I think we should leave the carriage though - maybe to make them think we're still here." Jynn's words sobered Tavra somewhat. She remembered how badly a simple dagger had hurt Adjra, and wondered if they had other weapons. She nodded in agreement, her dark hair falling forward over her breasts, and slid off of her victim.

The two of them got dressed in silence. Tavra leaned out the door and commanded the driver to stop, which he did. She climbed on top and gripped his throat, sucking the energy from him as fast as she could. She found the experience not quite as debilitating as it once was - average people still gave her great pleasure, but she could focus on other things as she took their lifeforces. She carried the body into the carriage with ease, and then exited again to join Jynn.

"On to Elezan?" Tavra asked, turning to her companion. Jynn nodded, and the two set off for the northeast gate.

********

Somewhere in the Great Galoran Woods, a mass of clay rose from the earth. It took a humanoid form, fat and stocky, and bits of rock rose around it and fused together, armoring its new shape. It looked off towards the setting sun and then turned east, and started walking...

Chapter 3

Shakaam knelt by the carriage, examining the foot prints that led away and onto the cobblestone road. There were two obvious sets leading away from it, both barefoot. He found it strange that they could travel so far without shoes, but there were more than likely many things he didn't know about them. The cobblestones would make tracking them nigh impossible, especially since it was a well-travelled road leading to one of the city gates.

If Kemaj hadn't been such a nexus for trade, they could have stopped every traveller at each gate and examined them, but even then, Shakaam figured the women could get by somehow. As it was, stopping everyone would only cause long lines and dissention among the people of the city and travellers. No, they had to think everything was alright. And for now, it was.

Jarif's crew was investigating the death of a gate watchman, and how three of his companions couldn't have noticed anything. No doubt Jarif would literally have their heads by the dawn, unless he was convinced to head north to Elezan. His zeal for catching these women made Shakaam quite uneasy, and each day spent with the man made the lieutenant like him less.

"No." The lieutenant said to himself, "They've already gone north to the capitol. There will be much killing there." He shook his head despairingly at the idea of how many could die at their hands. Even Kemaj couldn't compare with the population of Elezan. The one thing they had working for them was that Jarif claimed to know the prince, which more than likely meant the prince owed him favors, or he had some sort of sway over the Imperial family.

Shakaam felt a drop of water hit his nose, then immediately another brushed past his hand. It was beginning to rain, as he'd expected. There was a great storm coming in from the bay, which could make travel difficult if they didn't leave soon. Already there had been reports of shipwrecks and other ships blown far off-course. As if they didn't have enough difficulties as it was, now they were going to have the weather working against them as well.

"We've gotten all the information we can here. Let's see if we can't find Jarif and move on to Elezan." Shakaam said, mounting his horse. The two guards Jarif posted with him nodded and mounted their horses as well.

By the time they reached the gate Jarif and the rest of his men were at, the rain was coming down hard. Jarif was standing under an overhang, talking to his men. Shakaam dismounted and approached him.

"Jarif, we have to get moving - the storm is coming much quicker than expected." he yelled through the loud rain.

"We're not done here, lieutenant. We need to -"

"If we don't get moving now, the storm could put us days behind them. I think they're already on their way to Elezan. I'd stake my life on it."

"But would you stake the lives of those in this city, lieutenant? If they haven't left, they could run amok here while we had to wait-out the storm in Elezan and then double back."

Shakaam knew this would happen. He was still standing in the rain in a show of defiance, as if getting out of the rain would be giving in to Jarif.

"Alright then, I'm going to Elezan. Right now. If you want to send someone along with me, fine, but there's nothing more I can do here except wait." Shakaam protested.

Jarif stared hard at the lieutenant. Deep inside he knew Shakaam was right - they were probably just wasting time here in Kemaj. He thought about how his companion was right the last time they had a disagreement - they should have just tried to kill the girl instead of following her. It was no matter that they had found her dead inside the carriage the next day, the lieutenant had been right. Now he was forced with the possibility that he might be right again, only this time, much more was at stake.

********

Tavra gasped in awe at the lights of Elezan, capitol of the Empire of Akeryn. It was still far in the distance, but the fact that she could see the lights from this far away amazed her.

"See, just like I said, over the next hill. It won't be long now." Jynn said, smiling at her companion.

"What's that light in the sky over there?" Tavra said, pointing.

"That's the Holy Fire of Atsuin. It's atop the Emperor's Tower. It hasn't gone out for over three millennia, and is a symbol to the people of the holiness of the Empire."

"How many people live there?"

"In Elezan? Nobody's sure. There are hundreds of small outlying villages that contribute to the population, but the city itself is huge and overcrowded." She paused a moment, glancing at Tavra. "We're going to feast well there."

"Yes. I want them all." Tavra said, almost in a trace-like state.

"First we'll see Byen. You two should really meet. Then we'll track down my master and drain him, then we can take Elezan by storm."

"And then what?"Tavra said, still looking at the lights. Jynn paused, leaving a short silence between the two.

"Then we find your master, I guess, and play it by ear from there."

"Good. Lead on."

The two began moving down the hillside towards the city. They had been travelling for six days and nights, nonstop, paralelling the main road. Both of them were somewhat worried about their encounter in Kemaj with Adjra and her hunters, and thus they had taken strayed further from the main path to the capitol than most travellers cared to wander. Though she wasn't sure if their adversaries were headed towards Elezan, Jynn did think it best to stay off any main routes so as to not be noticed.

Six days. Six days since they last felt someone's energy coursing into them. Though she missed it, Jynn didn't seem to mind these dry spells. Tavra, on the other hand, got more and more greedy for lifeforce with each passing day without it. She imagined herself running into the city gates and draining the first guards she met, but that might give them away. Still, the thought was tempting, and grew more tempting as they neared the city. There was, however, one other option she'd been prying at all week...

********

Ahgran suddenly awoke in a cold sweat. She was at it again.

"Ahhhgraaaannnn..." she called to him in his mind.

"No!" He thought, "No, I've resisted her before!"

"Baaaarooonnnnn..." she called again. All week she had been slowly wearing away his willpower. At meals, during training, but worst of all, while he tried to sleep. He was exhausted from trying to resist her, and the fact that he couldn't sleep while she was tempting him did not help his situation. She'd deprived him of so much sleep in the past week, but he was determined not to give in to her.

As she travelled, Jynn noticed Tavra was rolling her thumb over her fingers in a strange motion. She thought nothing of it and continued their slow jog.

He felt her hands on his fleshy member, massaging it. Spasms of pleasure shot through him as it grew hard. His defenses were failing... she was slowly prying her way into his mind. He could feel her smiling as she sensed her victory.

Ahgran rose from his bed and quietly moved to the far corner of the encampment. Though it was normally hard to see in the shroud of night, he found himself strangely aware of his surroundings now, as if it were almost twilight to him. He could hear the night watch telling stories, but their attention was focused away from the camp, not within it. There were also the sounds of snoring among the crowd, and the flicker of firelight in the distance - the false camp they'd made to lure any would-be attackers.

The baron stopped and knelt by one of the sleeping bandits. He could feel her hunger, tearing at his own, using his own lust as a weapon against himself. Again the urge to satisfy her swept through him, and he gently bent over and took the sleeping man's hand. Arvord shuddered as the energy rushed through him. His lust only grew, as he saw her in his mind...

Tavra's mouth became an open smile, growing wider and more blissful with each second. She inhaled deeply and slowed her walk. Lifeforce pulsed into her, causing her own flesh to convulse and spasm.

"Yeeeesssssss..." she whispered loudly, exhaling and closing her eyes. She found the ecstasy not quite as distracting as it once was - her senses still reeled at the intensity of the pleasure, but she was focused enough to continue walking, though at a much slower pace.

Ahgran came, his penis throbbing small gobs of liquid into his pants. With the mixture of energy gushing into him and his own orgasm, it was all he could do to keep from crying-out.

The lifeforce of the bandit began to dwindle, and Arvord's pleasure subsided. He stayed in contact until the man was a lifeless husk, then the baron slumped over on the ground, panting heavily. He knew that each time he gave in to her and fed her energy, it strengthened her powers, even if only a little. Ahgran hoped that her ability to tempt him like this was not one of her powers which would grow stronger, for if it was, he was headed for a slow spiral downwards. He didn't even want to consider how powerful she would grow by taking in lifeforce on her own.

Suddenly there was a disturbance in a nearby tent. The baron saw the bandit king's bodyguards carrying Gathim out of the tent in a rather forceful manner.

********

Now was the time. He moved quietly out from under his covers, carefully avoiding the guard posted at his end of the camp. The darkness made it nigh impossible to see anything at all, but he'd rehearsed this for days now, and this would probably be his only shot.

Carefully he stepped, measuring each stride and following his measurements with silent footfalls. Sixty steps. He turned slightly to the left and was able to barely make out the silhouette of the tent against the trees.

At sixty more steps he stopped and knelt, feeling around for the rock he'd left, hoping that it hadn't been kicked or moved out of the way. Luck was with him - it was a few inches from where he'd left it. Standing once again, he continued on, clutching the rock tightly. It was a good rock, heavy, and sharp on one end. It would do the job.

Or so he hoped.

Another sixteen steps and he stopped and knelt again, fumbling around for the lip of the tent. He was a few feet off, but was still in the general vicinity. He got on his back and lifted the tent lip slightly, sliding under clumsily. Once inside, he went to where he'd seen his captor pull the dagger from. He may not have been the brightest of the bunch, but he knew what had happened when the bandit looked into the ruby - he saw something, something important, something about his beloved Tavra. Whatever he'd seen, it was so important that he didn't share it with anyone. In fact, the only thing the bandit king had said about the whole affair was that he understood the situation much better, and that he'd have to think a while on a course of action.

There was a sharp pain as he cut himself on the dagger. He withdrew his finger to his mouth and sucked on it, taking the dagger from its ritual cloth with the other hand. The thought of trying to use the dagger crossed his mind, as he was already bleeding, but he knew better than to mess with magic untrained. The fates of those who dabbled in the arcane arts were said to be decided by their skill to control magic. Worse fates than simple death awaited those who were not skilled enough or had a flaw in their spellcasting, and he was not about to find out what those fates were.

He moved the rug and found the stone tablet which held the arcane markings. He placed the dagger at the center of the tablet so that he could see a faint reflection of the firelight in the ruby. Raising the rock high above his head, he took aim at the glimmering stone and brought it down hard. There was a dull crack and a whoosh as the dagger flew past, narrowly missing his ear. He heard it clang outside, hitting something metal. For a moment he didn't know if the rock had shattered, or of the ruby had. Quickly feeling around the stone tablet, he almost cut himself on shards of glass. He smiled, knowing the job was done.

Suddenly there was a pungent, choking smell in the air. He coughed loudly and got to his feet just in time for two sets of very large arms to grab him and drag him outside.

********

Strigori fumed as he picked up the dagger, seeing a large gaping hole with chips of red glass where there once was his precious ruby. Looking through the hole he saw his bodyguards in the torchlight hefting the boy, Gathim, towards him.

"He's the one responsible." one of them said. Strigori's eyes grew wide and his mouth turned to a bitter frown. Gathim smiled at his handiwork.

Strigori's temper flared at the sight of the grinning boy. He charged at him and plunged the knife deep into the boy's stomach. Gathim gurgled, his tongue hanging from his mouth. Strigori twisted the knife with all his might, hoping to cause the boy as much pain as possible in his last moments.

"Oh thank Charnus!" a thick, male voice from the tent said, "I don't think I could have dealt with having to serve a mere boy!" Strigori and his men turned, swords were drawn all over camp - even Arvord took up a spear. What they had heard sounded inhuman on some instinctual level, causing a gut-reaction in all of them. There was a prolonged silence as they all waited for something to emerge from the tent.

"Who's dere?" Strigori called-out, waving a torch at the tent entrance.

A slim old man stepped slowly from the tent. He was clad in forest green robes, dirty and torn, and his skin was a sickly pale green. His eyes were pure black, without whites or pupils - no one could tell who or what he was looking at, if anything. The wrinkles on his face made him look to be in his sixties, but something in all the men in the camp made them feel like he was far more ancient.

"Ah, good." he said. His voice made them all uneasy, and the men stirred at this. "I am Th'ula Stiv, and you are Strigori - I know you well my friend." he continued, smiling widely at the bandit. His teeth looked silvery, perhaps even made entirely of metal. Strigori, still enraged at losing his artifact, deftly lunged forward with the dagger.

"Now you are dead!" he screamed, driving the blade into the old man's ribcage. Th'ula Stiv's smile quickly became a look of terror, and then pain. Strigori wiggled the blade around inside the wound, but there was something odd - it felt as if he had stabbed a bag of grass!

The old man suddenly began laughing, and looked up at his attacker.

"Had you for a moment, eh?" the old man patted Strigori on the shoulder, "Don't you know that you can only harm demons with special metals?"

Strigori withdrew the dagger and stepped back in shock. All of his men also took a step back, weapons still raised. Only Arvord stood his ground.

"A demon... Wh-where did you come from?" Strigori asked, wide-eyed, "And...why are you here?"

"Ah, from Charnus, of course! Where do all demons come from?" Th'ula Stiv continued to smile happily at the bandit. "I was imprisoned in that gem you called 'Ghirza,' but the boy freed me." He stopped and looked at Gathim's corpse. "I would normally serve him, but since you killed him, now... I serve you, my old friend!"

"I don't know you... we are not 'friends.'" Strigori spit.

"Ah, but I know YOU! I've shown you things, remember all those times in the tent looking into the gem? Yes, that was me. We've spent an awful lot of time together, yes, and you may need my help in your future ventures against these women who have wronged you so." Strigori's eyes grew wide again at the demon's explanation. His men took another step back, the baron again stood his ground.

Th'ula Stiv turned his head towards Ahgran and raised his eyebrows. He turned his whole body and walked slowly towards the nobleman, all the while his finger was pointed at Ahgran.

"For instance, I know this man's secrets... Yes, he has maaaany of them. Ahgran..." the demon chuckled, shaking his finger slightly at the baron. Again his men backed away, and again Arvord stood his ground.

He didn't know what to think - did this man really know his secrets? If he did, and he told Strigori of his noble lineage, Arvord might find himself nothing more than a hefty ransom piece who would be executed if he were ever returned to the Empire's clutches. He knew running would do him no good, as the bandit king's men would shoot him before he even got out of the camp.

"If you know my secrets, demon, then speak them and be done with it!" Arvord growled, resigning himself to whatever cards fate had dealt him.

"Oh, I will... unless you make a pact with me, of course..." Th'ula Stiv smiled, stopping in front of the nobleman.

"Only fools make pacts with demons!" he said, glancing quickly at Strigori, who was eyeing him carefully.

"And only dead men do not. It's your choice - everlasting life and my services, or a slow and painful end, either at the hands of time, or perhaps at the end of a blade."

Ahgran swallowed hard. He'd made a deal with Tavra and wished he had died instead. Still, if he could use this demon's "services" to get back at her, then it might be worth it.

"What are your terms, Charnusite?"

"It's Charnusian, and we'll discuss them later, in private." Th'ula Stiv turned and began walking towards the bandit-king.

"What if I don't agree to them?"

The demon only stopped and turned his head slightly, almost looking over his shoulder. "Then I tell everything about you to everyone I meet, including where you are. Someone's bound to want you dead, aren't they?" He turned back towards Strigori, smiling.

"What price do I pay, demon?" the brigand said disdainfully.

"What don't you understand about the word 'servant?' You killed the one who freed me, now you are the master. You run the proverbial 'show' here. All I do is advise you."

"You do not fight? I taught all demons were great fighters?"

"Well, some are, but not I. No, I may be invulnerable, but it would take me a long time to kill anyone. I'd rather just outlive them and then piss on their rotting corpses."

"Alright denn," Strigori said almost defiantly, "advise me!"

"Ah, well...I say get some rest because tomorrow we will be looking for your foes, Tavra and Jynn, in Elezan. You'll need all of your cunning, all of your..."

The demon was cut off by Strigori's loud outburst of laughter. "Duothi! HA! Elezan's almost two weeks march from here!"

"I have magic that will get us there. Anyhow, the women have enemies we'll need to contact once we find out what they're up to. They're still dragging their feet leaving Kemaj though, and we can't really wait around for them."

Strigori had stopped laughing, and again was looking on in confusion. "Wait, who says I want to kill dem?"

"Trust me, my lord, that's the best way. There are three powers struggling here. Tavra and Jynn, who laid waste to your primary camp, the Order of Stewards, who want to destroy all seven remaining women, and finally, the women who work for their master. There's only five of them left, and two of them have gone renegade. Tavra and Jynn are after their master's energies, and if they succeed in taking them, they will be nigh-unstoppable. Considering how powerful they already are, and how close they already are, I would count on that happening. If we help THEIR enemies, we can win their trust and work our way into their ranks, where you can eventually, with my advice, get rid of them as well and rule by yourself! If we were to side with the women, they'd try to bring their god back, and nobody can contro- ."

"Enough!" Strigori interrupted, half annoyed that his "servant" had given-away so much information already. "I follow your advice." The bandit king turned towards his men and continued, "Tomorrow we look for dees women, in Elezan, with the help of our new friend, Th'ula Stiv!"

With that, the men warily returned to their sleeping places and laid down to rest. They knew it would be an uneasy rest, as the mere presence of a demon shook their souls on a level they couldn't comprehend.

Ahgran remained though, watching Th'ula Stiv intently, wondering what HIS interests were. The demon whispered something to Strigori and returned to the tent he'd first stepped out of. Strigori stared at Arvord as he watched the demon.

"You stood your ground when my men retreated. Why?" the bandit asked. Arvord, still watching the tent, thought briefly of Tavra and Jynn, and what had been done to him. Without looking at Strigori, he replied,

"I've seen worse."

********

Jynn could feel Tavra's lust to take the energy of every guard at the gate, and the look in her eyes could have made anyone suspicious. She was proud of the restraint shown by the both of them. At least Tavra had some energy over the trip, Jynn hadn't felt the rush in days. They quickly passed the gate inspection, Tavra kept looking behind at them, wanting to go back, but as soon as they made it inside the walls, she could sense the energy before her.

It was after dusk in Elezan, and the streets were still somewhat crowded. Before them the Emperor's great palace of Ghar Dhuszat loomed high in the sky, domintated by the Emperor's Tower. Beyond the sandstone and brick walls of the nearby buildings they could both sense their crop of lifeforce, waiting to be harvested. The two decided to head for the bad part of town where the deaths they would cause would be explained easier, and investigated less.

After another hour of walking, they had finally reached the slum area, where they began to pretend to be lost. However, their hope that someone would take note of two beautiful and overly dressed women in a bad part of town seemed to be in vain, as the streets were empty - even beggars were not to be found.

Suddenly dark shapes emerged from surrounding alleys and buildings. There was a definite chill in the air. A brief gust of wind blew Tavra's skirt aside, revealing her genitalia, which she made no effort to cover. She brushed her silky hair from her face and examined the people before them. Both Jynn and Tavra didn't know what to make of them - they sensed no energy in these beings.

"We know what you are, and what you do." One of them spoke. "We know you leave unsolved murders in towns, murders that cause certain parties to look for answers. This leads them to us, which we do not appreciate. Consider yourself warned - if you kill in this town, you will answer for it." They drew in closer around the women, six of them, forming a loose circle. "There are thousands of us" he continued, his voice thick and serious, "and we have others who watch. You will abide by our rules here or suffer. Consider yourselves warned."

Tavra felt a chill run up her spine at his threat - a feeling she'd never felt before. Her eyes widened a moment, then the figures all turned in unison and left as quickly as they came. Jynn leaned over and whispered to Tavra.

"Vampires. It's a good thing they didn't try to drink our blood."

"Why is that?" Tavra whispered back.

"There's so much energy floating around in us, I'm not sure what would happen. They might become extremely powerful, or they might transform into true vampires or something."

Tavra gave her a puzzled look. "So those were... fake vampires?"

"No, just minions. Servitors created by a true vampire. True vampires are beings of great power - a mortal must use a very old and very rare ritual to turn themselves into one. They are nigh invulnerable, like us, though in different ways. It's no matter really, because once we take the energy from my master, we'll be powerful enough to destroy anything together." Jynn smiled at her companion, who smiled back. Both of them knew their powers had grown a great deal since they first met, and if Jynn's master had been gathering energy for thousands of years, there's no telling what they would be capable of after draining him.

"So," she continued, "we should watch our step until we can take them on at our leisure. Right now, let's head to the palace."

"Why?"

"I want the prince. I've heard stories that the males of the Ghosamm Imperial line have abnormally large genitalia, which is how they came to power." She started in the direction of the palace, Tavra followed.

"What do you mean?"

"They managed to outbreed, intermarry, and seduce the other houses into submission or destruction. There are tales of noble women seeking them out for satisfaction. I want to experience them firsthand. The emperor has been deathly ill for years now, but the prince... I've heard he's young and quite dashing." Jynn smiled as she spoke.

Tavra and Jynn made their way to the palace grounds. At the first gate stood several well-armed men milling about. Their eyes lit up at the two beauties approaching them, and the one who was obviously in charge stepped forward.

"Can I... help you ladies?" He bowed slightly. Jynn looked deep into the guard's eyes and focused her will. She could see into his mind for a moment, and his own will became a plaything to hers - an unexpected progression of her powers, no doubt.

"Take us to the prince. Now."

The guard looked suddenly surprised, and the others were too awestruck by Tavra to notice. He turned and led them through the gate, and then past two more gates. At each one, the men could do nothing but gawk in awe of the women as they passed-by.

Entering the palace proper, they weaved their way through halls and rooms, all eleganly carved from stone with the utmost care. Every wall was smooth and cold to the touch, the floors were well-kept and covered in most places by rugs, woven of the finest cloth and imported from the furthest reaches of the empire. Though they had no need for material wealth and could take what they wanted, Tavra and Jynn still marvelled at the expense of the decor.

At last they came to a set of oak double doors which opened into a great dining hall. The room was filled with nobles, some dancing, some eating, most talking. There were several scantily-clad and naked women about, sitting in noblemen's laps, feeding them, dancing with them, providing their company for a price. It was easy to tell they were all noblemen who had come here to be with women other than their wives.

In the middle of the room was a young man sitting in an elegant throne. His skin was light and smooth, and his features quite appealing to the two women. He smiled at a woman who sat in his lap, but like the others in the room, his smile faded into a look of awe when he noticed Tavra and Jynn. All was silent after a few moments as everyone in the room turned to marvel at them.

Tavra approached the young man in the throne, standing to his left and putting her hands on her hips. Looking down at him with a very serious expression, she was about to speak when he interrupted her.

"What fortuitous omen brings two exquisite beauties into this gathering?" He said, meeting her gaze. His hand began to move up her thigh.

"My name is Tavra, and you will..." she stopped when his hand moved up and under her loincloth, gently massaging her clitoris. She inhaled suddenly and closed her eyes. It had been some time since someone had touched her there, but she tried to regain her focus and continue speaking. Opening her eyes once more she attempted to continue.

"You will take me to..." she stopped, mouth agape, and moaned as he inserted two fingers inside of her. Probing his fingers around inside of her, he dextrously stroked her labia and clitoris with his thumb.

"What was that? Were you saying something?" he asked, smiling as she tightened around his fingers. She leaned over and braced herself on his throne with one of her arms, the other still on her hip. She began to squat a little so as to spread her legs a bit more. The young man continued his assault on her genitalia, and all she could do was close her eyes and gasp in pleasure.

Tavra gripped the chair tightly as the orgasm worked its way across her body. She cried out and trembled as his hand worked faster, her eyes squinting at the intensity of the orgasm. Others in the room couldn't help but stare in awe at the lovely woman whose face was contorted from the rush of pleasure she was feeling. After a few seconds of cumming, she was panting quite slowly and deeply. She backed away quickly, his hand sliding from her as she did. Still panting, she began to speak

"You will follow me. Now." Tavra focused her will upon the young man, bringing his lust out. He leapt out of his seat and briskly walked to her, taking her hips in his hands and kissing her passionately.

Jynn, who seemed to be focused on one of the merchants all that time, quickly moved to join her companion. She had tried to penetrate the man's mind and see how far she could go, but could get nothing more than surface thoughts of his lust for Tavra.

"Are you the Prince?" Tavra whispered, looking up as he finished kissing her. He nodded quickly and was about to speak when she put her hand over his mouth. "Take us to your bedroom then, my prince." She smiled. He pulled her to a door and opened it, looking back at the assembled nobles and merchants.

"I'll be back soon, no one leave!" He said, smiling.

********

They travelled down several long corridors and up some stairs, all the while, the Prince was leading them at a slow jog, his lust for them was obvious.

"What is your name, Prince?" Tavra asked.

"Viestro." He responded, not even stopping to look back at her. He led Tavra by the hand, though she had no trouble keeping up. As they rounded a corner he called down the hall to have his door opened. Viestro held the door open for the two women, smiling and motioning for them to enter.

He made his way to the bed as the two marvelled at the splendor of the room. Laying on the bed, he put his hands behind his head and smiled widely at them.

"Ladies - shall we get started?"

Jynn looked at Tavra, who was already disrobing. The two of them were naked in no time, but just as they began moving towards the bed to join him, he shook his finger at them.

"No no, we're in no hurry here, ladies. First, you must pleasure each other for me."

Tavra raised an eyebrow quizically at him while Jynn gasped with excitement.

"Trust me my dear," Jynn whispered, leaning in close to Tavra. "I'll make it enjoyable." She reached over and fondled her companion's clitoris. Tavra's confusion exploded into pleasure. Jynn had somehow touched her EXACTLY where she'd wanted to be touched in precisely the right way. She leaned over and lapped gently at one of Tavra's large nipples, sending the girl spiralling further towards orgasm. Tavra spread her legs a bit and threw her head back, grunting weakly as Jynn massaged her vital areas. Stepping closer, Jynn inserted her other hand into Tavra's cunt, and began pistoning two fingers in and out of her. Tavra began to climax long and hard the instant her companion's fingers entered her and targeted just the right spot - it was almost as if she were touching herself. Her breathing accelerated and she brought her hands up to feel Jynn's breasts as her flesh was overcome with the tingling of orgasm.

As she finished up, Tavra pulled Jynn in close and embraced her, kissing her companion passionately, their tongues entertwining. Jynn gave in to the lust for the girl that had built up all this time they had travelled together.

Tavra dragged Jynn down to her knees with her, sucking on her mentor's nipples the whole way. She moved down to the crotch and began to flick her tongue at Jynn's clitoris.

"Yes!" Jynn gasped, a victorious smile on her face. Tavra began to return her previous favor by penetrating three fingers into her companion, rubbing at the same spot she thought she would enjoy. Jynn squirmed in bliss, knowing that no amount of lifeforce could compete with the sensual assault she was experiencing right now.

Tavra felt Viestro's hands on her hips, and she arched her hind quarters into the air, kneeling with one knee. The Prince entered her and began sliding in and out, causing Tavra to tremble slightly and lose her focus for a moment. She quickly regained it and continued pleasuring Jynn, who was tightening around her fingers in orgasm. Viestro slowly thrust in and out of Tavra, causing her to tremble and gyrate as she continued to work on Jynn. Finally Tavra could focus no more, and called out as Viestro quickened his thrusts into her. Jynn lifted her and twirled her onto her back so that she could use her tongue on Tavra's clitoris while the Prince hammered into her.

The sensation was incredible, and Tavra screamed and arched her back in orgasm. Viestro lost control at the sight of this and began to cum as well. Tavra drew some of his essence into her through his seed. The rush of absorbing it was almost unbearable, and her orgasm lingered on for some time. The prince felt himself weaken and slowed his thrusts into her until he was dizzy from being so tired. Then he suddenly felt strength return to him, and with a great wave of pleasure he began to cum inside of her. She channeled energy back into him, stealing away what was his and giving him her own.

Viestro felt confused for a moment as he came - it was strange that there had been no warning, no buildup to the orgasm, just a sudden explosion of pleasure and he was firing his seed into her. However, the sensation was so great and unlike any other he'd ever had that he could only hold the thought for a couple of seconds.

Hours seemed to pass, perhaps even a full day. They had somehow managed to move to the bed as the three of them writhed in ecstasy, pleasuring each other, limbs flailing about in a mass. Viestro seemed no larger than normal, as the rumors had said, but he came again and again, more than either of the women thought possible. Tavra repeatedly drained the Prince and filled him with her own energy, even leaving him with a little extra. She was certain that he belonged to her now. Viestro did not penetrate Jynn but once or twice. Instead, they both concentrated on Tavra, who was being pleasured by one of them at all times.

Finally the women had their fill of him. Tavra rose from the bed and walked towards where her clothes were. Immediately Viestro sat-up in bed and called to her

"Tavra, my darling, I didn't say I was done with you." She turned and brought her will to bear on her new slave, nonchalantly saying

"Well, then why don't you cum again?"

As she finished speaking, Viestro's member began to spasm gobs of white goo. His body was wracked with waves of ecstasy as his seed spewed forth, hitting himself in the chest and running off onto the bed. He let out a gurgle and quickened his breathing, spreading and straightening his legs until the orgasm subsided.

Jynn giggled, Tavra shot her a victorious smile and approached Viestro. Just as Viestro was exhaling the finishing stages of his sudden climax, she bent over and cupped her hand over the head of his member. Leaning forward to look him in the eye, she said

"Cummmmmmmmmm..."

Again, the orgasm took him by surprise. He made fists with the sheets and grunted a few times as the creamy slime shot forth into Tavra's hand, where it ricocheted and pooled among her fingers. This time he continued cumming for much longer, causing him to cry out in pleasure a few times and arch his back. His penis throbbed uncontrollably, each time firing forth more of the ooze that was covering Tavra's hand and making the bed around him fairly damp.

After a few very long moments of utter bliss, his orgasm subsided again, and fatigue began to overtake him. Tavra brought her cupped hand to his face and said

"Clean my hand, lover, and then we'll be off."

Instantly he was wide awake again, and began licking his own cum from her. His eyes met hers, and the satisfaction on her face was apparent. It pleased him to know that he was her servant, and that he made her smile.

Tavra rose and began walking back to where her clothes were, but stopped halfway and turned again to the young prince.

"Oh, there's one more thing, lover. Call in one of your servants."

Viestro, smitten, clapped and called for a servant. A young man dressed in imperial livery entered the room. His eyes grew large at the sight of the naked women, and his attention seemed to be directed entirely at them.

"Now, go shake his hand." Tavra gently commanded, smiling at the prince and then at the servant.

The naked prince did as she asked, rushing over to the young man and taking his hand. Instantly he felt a surge of pleasure and inhaled in surprise. Drips of cum began to slide down his erect penis, he panted and looked at Tavra. She had her hands on her neck with her head slightly tilted back, her eyes half squinting. He somehow knew that she shared the same ecstasy as he did - some kind of energy was flowing through him and into her. Tavra moaned as the power rushed into her. It wasn't much, but the feeling of it always gave her pleasure. Viestro roared and gripped the man's throat, allowing more energy to rush into and through him. He could feel the servant struggle, but he was quickly growing weaker, and his lovely Tavra was growing stronger because of it.

The servant collapsed, weakened by the draining. The prince did his best to hold him up so he could continue doing whatever he was doing. The feeling rushing through him was greater than any kind of pleasure he'd ever felt before, and he luxuriated in the decadence of it. He intently watched Tavra gyrate her hips and writhe as she shared the strange sensation. The feeling began to subside, and the body seemed to get heavier, and finally he dropped it and sighed deeply. Tavra closed her eyes, smiled, and felt her large breasts with her hands.

"Tavra, my love, what was that?" Viestro said, his eyes wide. "I've never felt so good before...I felt as if... were you... feeling the same thing?"

"Yes, I felt it too. It is quite amazing, isn't it?" Tavra said as she nodded.

"And it was making you... stronger somehow, wasn't it?"

Jynn raised her eyebrows in surprise, still looking at Tavra. She found it interesting that he somehow knew about the energy transference.

"Why, yes, that's exactly correct. I want you to do that each day if you can."

Viestro turned towards the door and called for another servant.

"But, don't do it too often, lad." Jynn blurted. Tavra could hear the concern in her voice. Remembering their run-in with the vampires and the men in Kemaj, Tavra spoke out as well.

"She's right, my prince. If you draw attention to yourself, our plans may be endangered."

"Plans?" the prince asked as another servant entered the room. Tavra drew in close to Viestro and whispered

"Yes, great plans. Now, have the body disposed of."

The young prince gave the order and the servant dragged the body out for disposal while the women got dressed. All the while the prince hovered around Tavra, staring in awe at his mistress. At his door Tavra finally turned to him and said in a seductive voice

"Rest now. I'll return for you...later, lover."

********

She raised herself on her arms to look at the shaft penetrating her, thrusting in and out rapidly as she approached orgasm. She found it erotic to watch herself be pierced as such - the flesh rod entering and leaving her. There was a wet, slurping sound each time he thrust inwards - several men had already cum inside of her a few times each, leaving her wet and dripping with their seed, and lubricating the way for others. The feeling of her large breasts swaying up and down from the intensity of him driving his cock in and out of her only heightened her pleasure.

Her breathing accelerated and became staggered until she began to cum. Tavra winced as the sensation took hold. Her insides tightened, and she gurgled, still focusing on the image of her penetration. The man pushing into her lost his concentration as he saw her face displaying her rapture, and he roared loudly and grasped her soft breasts as his own orgasm began. Tavra willed his cum to carry with it some of his energies, which she absorbed, arching her back as his stolen essence spread through her body. She channeled some of her own power back into him, causing him to continue his calls of ecstasy and thrust harder into her.

Finally he was hers, and she could sense it. She un-arched her back and waved him away. He eagerly pulled out of her, his penis dripping with his own cum and that of other men. Panting heavily from such an intense series of copulations, Tavra leaned forward and examined her crotch. Whitish slime oozed forth from between her still-spread legs, dripping onto the table she was situated on, and even on to the floor.

The men in the room were all hers now. There were roughly twenty of them, all the richest and most influential men in the city, and perhaps the empire, and they would all do anything for her now. They were staring in awe at her, save two of them who were pleasuring Jynn. Looking to one of them, she spread her legs wide again and commanded him

"Clean me."

Immediately the man rushed over to her and began lapping at her clitoris and the surrounding area, his eyes locked on hers, looking for signs of approval. She gave it as she inhaled and half closed her eyes. Tavra slowly threw her head back and grunted, spasming as the clitoral orgasm took her.

Jynn finished with her two pleasure slaves and slowly stood, surveying the scene. She moved to one of the men who was watching Tavra and took his hand, running it across her breasts. He was only distracted for a moment, glancing at Jynn briefly and then going back to staring in awe at Tavra. Jynn moved his hand to the breast of one of the prostitutes standing beside them, who was also transfixed with Tavra. Instantly the man gasped and sqeezed the breast. He grunted and looked at her with wide eyes, moving his other hand to the woman's other breast.

Her orgasm was over with, but Tavra suddenly felt energy flowing into her. She could sense one of her new minions in the room draining a woman of her life essence and channeling it into herself. She arched her back and opened her mouth, gasping. Tavra could feel the woman's lifeforce streaming into her, mixing with her own - she could almost feel her own strength growing with the new power.

The man gasped as cum shot from his member onto the prostitute. She seemed somewhat flattered, though her eyelids quickly became heavy as her energy was drawn from her. She collapsed into the man's arms, he held her up and groaned for a few more seconds as he finished her off, and her life essence was taken in by Tavra.

She sat up, eyes still closed, and sighed heavily with a smile. The satisfaction was painted on her face as she looked at her new minions.

"I want all of you to be careful how often you do that for me. Be discrete, and I will reward you well." She said, smiling at them.

"Mistress, is there anything else we can do for you, o most beautiful one?" One of the rich merchants asked.

Tavra thought a moment and smiled again. "Yes, actually. I want to know about Saradite and P'jurium. I want to know if any shipments of the metals are coming into the city, who is responsible for them, and where they are going. If any of you have records of such metals going from place to place, I want to know."

Jynn grinned and thought how well she had shaped her companion, how she had surpassed the teacher, how beautifully deadly she was now. With the help of her minions, they could now turn the tables and hunt the hunters.

********

The two moved through the dawn-lit streets quickly. Peasants were already stepping from their hovels to begin their daily work, and were momentarily distracted by the two beauties walking briskly through the city. They came at last to a small tower with the name "Hegensheil" on the door. Jynn raised the heavy bronze knocker and beat the door seven times, paying close attention to the pattern. Once finished, she stepped back and smiled at Tavra.

They both sensed a lifeforce approaching the door, and then the sounds of locks being undone. The heavy oak door opened and a young man peeked his face out, instantly meeting Tavra's gaze. His eyes drew her in, almost hypnotizing her for the few seconds she looked into them. He was tall, as Jynn had said, with black hair parted in the middle, dipping down almost into his eyes. The two stared at each other for a long moment, and then he looked to Jynn and opened the door wide, ushering them both in.

"It's good to see you again, who is this?" The man asked, looking from Jynn to Tavra. Standing behind the young man, Jynn put her arm around him and another hand on his bare chest, facing Tavra.

"Byen, I'd like you to meet Tavra. Tavra, this is the man I've been talking about." Tavra awkwardly held her hand out, smiling weakly. Byen took her hand and bent over to kiss it, his eyes locked with hers the entire time. She could tell he had strong hands, but he was perfectly gentle. The touch of his soft lips on her skin was almost erotic, sending a shiver up her spine. He had something she'd never encountered in a man before, though she wasn't certain what it was.

Behind him, Tavra saw that Jynn had removed her leather bikini and was unbuttoning her cape, which met at her breasts. In seconds she was naked. Jynn placed her right hand on Byen's left shoulder. He turned and seemed surprised at her nakedness. She smiled and raised her left leg, bent at the knee, and used her other hand to reach under his loincloth.

"Jynn?" He said, somewhat confused. She guided his semi-flaccid member into herself, inhaling with wide eyes as he filled her. She smiled and exhaled as she began sliding up and down his shaft, feeling it harden and expand. Within moments he was thick and hard inside of her, his girth stretching her to the limits of her ecstasy. Jynn wrapped her legs around Byen's back and hung from his shoulders by her arms. She could tell her first orgasm wouldn't be far away now.

"Sorry, I just had to feel you in-...." Jynn started to speak, but was soon lost in the feeling of the moment just before orgasm. The rest of her words turned into gurgles as the sensation took control. Jynn closed her eyes tight and cried out. Byen was fondling her breasts and gently running his fingers around her anus. Somehow, he always knew exactly where to touch her, at exactly the right times.

Tavra watched, a little heartbroken with jealousy. Byen was by far the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen, and he was already thrusting his shaft into Jynn, who had cum once already and was beginning another ascent to climax as Tavra stared. It almost seemed as if neither of them paid any attention to her, except that Byen turned his head slightly to look back, as if to silently invite her in for the fun. She pretended to ignore them and walked past, into the next room.

They were there for what seemed to be hours. Jynn's calls of pleasure started to annoy Tavra, who tried to explore the small tower. Still, the cries of her companion echoed through the halls, almost mockingly seeking her out.

She found the baths and thought how nice it would be to have a warm bath. It was about that time that she realized in all her travels, she'd never stayed dirty for long. Even running through the countryside for a few days, both she and her clothes were still in pristine condition.

The bathwater was already warm, and was steaming at one end of the bath. Tavra guessed it was magically-heated somehow. She slid off her clothing and slipped into the water. The warmth of the water relaxed her, and she closed her eyes, resting her head on the stairs into the bath. She slipped in and out of sleep, or so it felt.

She was startled by the sudden presence of lifeforce in the room. Opening her eyes, she saw Byen standing there, looking down at her.

"Oh I'm sorry, I... didn't know you were -"

"No, it's alright. Don't mind me. We're your guests. I wouldn't want you to go out of your way or not do something that you normally do." Tavra responded. She began to stir, looking about the room for her clothes.

"No...please, stay." He smiled weakly at her. There was no resisting him - she met his gaze and sunk slowly back down to her original position. Her heart beat a little faster at his presence.

Byen removed his loincloth and stepped into the water. Tavra couldn't help but glance at his massive member. Although it was flaccid, its size was still impressive. She quickly moved her gaze to meet his - he was watching her eyes the entire time! Byen only smiled and sat down in the water, still watching her. The two stared at each other for a few long moments until he finally spoke.

"Are you alright? You seem... distant. Or are you always like that?"

"No I'm... fine. I haven't really had a chance to relax much. Not... not like this, at least." She responded, looking around the room uncomfortably, half smiling.

"You seem a bit tense." He said while moving over and sitting on the steps next to her and putting his hands on her shoulders. He had strong hands, a feature she suddenly found she liked. Byen massaged her gently, she turned and positioned her back to him and closed her eyes. His touch was driving her insane with passion.

He moved his hands under her hair and brushed it in front of her so as to get more access to her shoulders. As he was pulling his hands around front of her to lay the hair down, his left hand grazed her nipple, and he shuddered at the touch, gasping quickly in surprised lust. He definitely seemed to know what he was doing.

She could take it no longer. His assault on her flesh had brought her to the height of desire, and she rose from the water and turned. Tavra squatted down, holding his head with one hand so she could kiss him passionately. Her other hand she used to take hold of his cock and guide it into her as she sat down again. Her kiss faltered as she felt him enter her. She froze, and for a few seconds he was still attempting to kiss her, but she was unresponsive from the shock of his size within her.

Tavra began to slide up and down his shaft. She exhaled deeply and closed her eyes, grasping his head with both hands and touching her forehead to his. She half-opened her eyes to look at his massive member penetrating her, and how she glided along its smooth surface because of her own juices. The sight was extremely erotic to her, bringing her to orgasm swiftly and unexptectedly. She shut her eyes tightly and arched her back, gasping and finally calling out loudly.

Byen, surprised at how quickly her climax came, took the opportunity to gently suck on her large nipples. He found himself quite aroused at the size of her breasts - not too large, but also larger than most other women's. Never had he been so attracted to a woman before. He had seen comely women up close many times, some of them naked, but even they had SOME flaws. Tavra was several steps beyond that - beyond perfect, almost freakishly beautiful. Even the infernally-enhanced beauty of the Succubi from the lower realms could not compare to something such as her.

Tavra shared his passion. After her orgasm had finally subsided, she looked into his eyes and smiled, panting heavily. She had never felt this way about a man before - all the others were merely energy sources to make her stronger. Something very different was going on here though, something far beyond any lust for energy. She wanted to see him satisfied as well.

The two stared into each others eyes for a few long moments, and then she kissed him passionately. She wasn't used to doing such a thing, but she felt it was right. Still kissing him, Tavra began to slide up and down his shaft again. She hadn't recovered enough to have another orgasm, but he still hadn't had his, and it was important to her that he did.

After a few more moments of sharing passion with her, he put his hands on her hips, which aroused her greatly, and she felt herself beginning to climb to orgasm again. He was locked in the moment, enjoying each second as if it were a lifetime in itself. Both of them had never shared something this special with another being, and both were in, their own ways, intent on making the most of it.

She tried to distract herself with something else, anything else, so she could maybe outlast him, make him cum first, but she heard the slapping of her flesh on his and immediately lost her focus. Her riding motions accelerated as she neared yet another orgasm. Byen reached around and gently inserted his finger into her anus, which caused her to reach orgasm immediately. Tavra panted quickly, closed her eyes and arched her back a little. As she was coming down, she joined her hands behind his head and pulled herself in close to him, pressing his face against her breasts. Her waist-length obsidian hair draped around the both of them, enshrouding the lovers and their passions. He again sucked on her nipples and listened to her heavy breathing calm-down.

She was still riding him slowly, trying desperately to make him have a climax as well. She leaned back, brushing her hair away, and supported herself on her arms. He looked down at his penetration of her.

"You like to see it?" Tavra said, smiling and gyrating her hips. Byen nodded and smiled, looking into her eyes briefly before looking back.

Then Tavra suddenly froze with a startled look on her face, looking off into space. One of her minions was drawing energy forth from a prostitute. She could see him on top of her, thrusting away, groaning at the ecstasy of the lifeforce running through him. The girl's essence was transferred to Tavra, whose eyes grew wide at the feeling. She was still frozen, gasping, with her new lover still inside of her. Byen began to piston in and out of her rapidly, causing her to begin a climb to orgasm as well. Across town, her minion was also driving his cock into his prey, cumming uncontrollably at the feeling of her life essence rushing into him. Tavra's whole body trembled as the sensation took her. Byen could feel her insides tense and placed his hands on her thighs, trying to push even faster into her.

Byen was now thrusting furiously in and out of her, and the sensation of new life energy flooding into her combined with her newfound lust for her lover brought her to a level of climax she had never had before. Her eyes rolled-up into her head, and the moment seemed to last for hours. Byen was surprised at how long her orgasm lasted. The sight of her breasts bobbing up and down in such a fluid motion was incredibly erotic to him, and he reached up to feel their softness.

Her skin was left tingling from the intense pleasure. She breathed heavily, and pulled Byen in close again, wrapping her legs around behind him, kissing him passionately.

"When are you going to have one?" She asked, her face on his shoulder. Byen had never felt so obligated to a woman in his life. She pulled back and looked him in the eye. "It's important to me that you are satisfied too." He knew that arguing with her would ruin the moment, so he merely smiled and kissed her. Taking her arms in his hands, he slid his hands to meet hers, entwining his fingers with hers. Tavra was aroused by this, and the look in his eyes told her that he was ready to give in to her. She began to slide up and down the length of his shaft again, slowly at first, but her pace quickened as she felt the feeling take hold again.

Tavra clenched Byen's hands tightly as her orgasm began. Time began to slow down again. She closed her eyes tightly and arched her back, feeling Byen glide deep into her. As the first wave of orgasm hit, she felt Byen's cock spasm within her. He pistoned out, and another wave of orgasm hit. She called out and felt him spasm within her again. She felt herself quiver as he thrust deep within her again, spasming as he went, as both of their orgasms continued.

Tavra's climax ended quicker than Byen's, in fact, when she was finishing her orgasm, she opened her eyes slightly to see him squinting at her, a look of obvious strain on his face. He was still barely spasming inside of her, no doubt leaving copious amounts of semen.

She smiled at him and leaned over, embracing her lover tightly, his cock still inside of her. Byen let out a long sigh of relief and embraced her as well. The two nuzzled for some time on the warm stone floor, Tavra eventually drifed-off to sleep. Byen was too engrossed in her sheer presence to try to move her off of him, and he eventually drifted-off as well.

********

"Magus Byen, your master has been dead for far too long. You are to accompany us to the Imperial Court where you will recieve re-assignment." The husky voice echoed through the halls. Tavra and Byen awoke to it suddenly. Byen's eyes went wide with surprise and Tavra could sense the fear within him.

"The Volerim! They've come for me!" he whispered, rising slowly. Tavra quickly stood-up and helped Byen to his feet.

"What is a Volerim?" She whispered back.

"They're beings bred to control the S'rinkali, the Mind Mages, so that we don't run around controlling nations. My magics won't work on them... Tavra, I'm sorry, I can't stop them. I'll have to go with them. I'll have to do what they say or they'll kill me." Byen replied, putting his hands on her face and matching her gaze. His fear became more visible than ever, and there was a great pain at the threat of losing him. Byen could see the sadness in her welling up, and he knew he would have to deal with his own feelings of loss shortly. Suddenly, her despair turned to anger and she clenched her teeth.

"No. They're not taking you." She said, removing his hands from her face and turning to leave. Byen looked on in disbelief and confusion. Thoughts raced through his head of what he could say to stop her, but behind it all, he realized that if anyone could fight the Volerim, it would be she and Jynn.

Tavra stormed out of the room and into the entryway. Two hulking men stood there, ugly, scarred, and clad only in loincloths. Their faces bore scars as well, obviously in some sort of pattern which identified them to others. They both looked to her and scowled.

"Where is the mage? Tell us now, whore!" one of them growled. Tavra only smirked and pressed her powers of will upon them. She called to the lust in them, making it take precedence over their rational thought, but something was wrong - nothing was happening.

"She is trying to use mental magics on us, brother. Perhaps the whore is a S'rinkali as well and she is trying to resist us." one of the hulking men said, staring at her.

"Good." the other one said, smiling. The two chuckled and crossed their arms, standing their ground with confidence.

Hearing this, Tavra decided to change plans. She used her fingers to spread the lips of her labia and willed the lifeforce from one of them into her. The smoky white cord of life energy shot from his torso and snaked around behind her leg before entering her. She inhaled suddenly as it entered her, and let out a soft whimper shortly afterwards.

"Ah!" the one she was draining laughed, "More mind magics! She does not give up!" The two chuckled for a moment as she continued to siphon life energy into her.

Byen peeked his head around the corner and watched in confusion at what was going on. For a moment he thought the two Volerim with triumphant looks on their faces were doing something to Tavra, who almost seemed to be in pain, or in pleasure, he wasn't sure. Whispering a short incantation, their auras appeared to him. He could actually see her aura slightly growing in power, while the aura of one of the Volerim diminished rapidly.

"There he is! Come, S'rinkali, bring your whore with you, we will take you to your new masters." One of the men said, looking at Byen. The Volerim who Tavra was draining fell to his knees and held himself up with his arm, gasping.

"Yes..." Tavra whispered, closing her eyes and tilting her head upwards a bit. The man was more full of energy than most others, and draining him from a distance always took much longer than her touch. Sometimes she enjoyed the more time-consuming method more than the more intense pleasure of their energies rushing into her in a few moments. She felt his essence penetrate her, running the length of her vagina and being absorbed by the walls. From there his energy dispersed throughout her body and became hers, adding to her already great power.

The one who was speaking to Byen turned and noticed his compatriot struggling on the floor. He looked at Tavra and took a step forward, growling

"What are you doing to him! Stop it!" Clenching his fists, he charged at her. Byen tried to call out and warn her, but Tavra was too wrapped-up in enjoying the other one's essence, and the Volerim was too quick. He punched her with all his might, right in the chest. Tavra flew back several feet, hit the wall, and slid to the floor, the white line of energy withdrew back into the crippled Volerim, who was now face-down on the floor, barely breathing.

Just as the massive man drew his fist back for another blow, Jynn darted into the room with amazing speed and reached-up to grapple his arm. She let out a grunt as his energy rushed in to join hers, and he turned and tried to pry her off of him with his other hand. On the ground, Tavra parted the long, silky hair which had fallen around her face and spread her legs, commanding his energies to pour into her. A smoky tendril of his life essences emerged from the Volerim's back and sped forward into her cunt. Tavra purred as he fed her with more power.

The Volerim hit Jynn in the face with his fist and she released her grasp and slid to the floor, but he was beginning to feel very weak. Jynn swept her leg across the floor and kicked his feet out from under him, causing him to come crashing down as well. The white line of energy leading from his back moved to his front, arcing over him and into Tavra. He attempted to swat at it, but it moved away from his hand as if he had pushed it. Jynn took the opportunity to reach over, clutch his leg, and continue stealing precious essence from him. He sat-up and tried to pry her arms from his leg, but she was too strong, and he was getting weaker by the second.

The two women writhed as their bodies filled with new life energy. The Volerim continued to struggle against Jynn for a few moments, then collapsed back to the floor, exhausted. Tavra and Jynn continued to take what was left of his essence, and when he was finished, Tavra quickly rushed over to her first target and finished him off as well.

"Tavra, my dear, are you alright?" Byen said, looking concerned. Tavra only smiled coyly and wandered over to him, taking hold of his cock in one hand and caressing his face with the other.

"I feel great! Fantastic! In fact, every time I do that I want someone inside of me afterwards."

Byen only smiled and licked his lips as she began to slowly pump her hand on his cock.

"Oh really?" Jynn said, walking over to the two of them. She placed two fingers into Tavra's labia and channeled power into her companion, causing Tavra throw her head back and close her eyes, gasping in ecstasy. Jynn poured as much energy as she could into Tavra for a few moments, then withdrew her hand. She enjoyed watching her friend's face contort like it did, and even the heavy breathing after she was done continued to turn Jynn on.

"Well, I certainly hope that put you more in the mood. You two have fun, I have things to do." Jynn said, smiling at the two of them, then turning to leave. She knew there was no reason to be jealous of Byen, for he would eventually grow old and die, unlike her and Tavra. All she had to do was be patient, very patient, and one day, perhaps she would have Tavra all to herself. It was exactly like Jynn to plan these things far in advance, and exactly like Tava to seek short-term satisfaction. She would learn though, eventually.

********

The night was dark. Unusually dark. The sky was overcast and there was no sign of the stars or the moons. Even the false campsite they had set-up seemed far in the distance, and barely visible. Ahgran stood by the torch and surveyed the campsite. It had been two days since that infernal creature had been released from the gem, and they had not moved from their camp. Strigori had been in counsel with that being, Thula Stiv, for many hours now, and the Baron wondered how long the demon would keep his secret, and more importantly, what it wanted in exchange from him for keeping it.

His thoughts turned to Tavra, and the power she had over him. Sometimes he could see her in his mind, when she was draining someone. Her fair form writhing in ecstasy as her victims gave themselves up to strengthen her. Ahgran wondered how long it would be before she could control his every action, every breath, commanding him to his eventual doom.

Still, he lusted for her, for her flesh, for her hair, the gurgling noises she made when she was in rapture from drinking someone's life essences. Ahgran often thought back to that eventful night when they first met, how he fired his seed onto her, and then inside of her. Arvord's shoulder where Tavra gripped him hurt for days afterwards, but even her great strength turned him on. His roar of defeat and ecstasy during his orgasm filled his mind over and over again. Indeed, some nights he fantasized about being with her again, masturbating furiously at the thoughts of what he would do to her.

Suddenly he was brought back to the real world by the sound of thunder. He was right, there was going to be a great storm soon, and they would be on the outskirts of it. Tomorrow they would be using the demon's spell to get to Elezan quickly, so they could begin hunting their prey. This would put them in the direct path of the storm, making them more reliant on the demon to help them find shelter and their prey. Strigori had already discussed the possibilities of sending his men into town on patrols to get more information. Ahgran wasn't sure how much Th'ula Stiv knew about him, but he'd somehow convinced Strigori to allow the demon and the baron to go into town on a patrol with minimal guards.

"He's planning something... something he hasn't shared with the rest of us yet." Arvord thought to himself. There was no doubt of it in his mind either.

In the ancient times, the demons of Charnus came forth and ruled the lands in the East, turning large tracts of land into rocky wastes and enslaving humans by the millions. Eventually, The Fourteen Mages and their allies drove forth deep into their territory and enacted some sort of ritual which banished all but the most powerful demons from the realm, but the remaining demons conspired and tricked the Mages and their allies. What happened to them was still unknown, but it is said that they formed the State of Ghugal, a mysterious nation, thick with magic. This one small nation had fought the entire world to a standstill several times, and it was rumored that the demons were still in control there. No, Arvord knew Th'ula Stiv was up to something - he was a demon from Charnus, he had convinced Strigori of his servitude, and he had displayed his ability to manipulate others with information. There was no demon which served anyone without getting something more in return, at least as far as Arvord was convinced.

He hadn't been sleeping much at night, but he also wasn't tired. For a few days after he took someone's energy it would keep him from having to rest very much. Perhaps it was a side-effect much like Tavra and Jynn's ability to stay awake and refreshed as long as they took in energy every so often.

The sky began to grow lighter again, just barely. The sun would be up in a few hours and they would get moving. He would be paired with that damned demon on their trip into town. Just when he thought his position in life could not get any worse, it did. No doubt Th'ula Stiv would use Arvord to track Tavra, though how Strigori and his group would kill them was still in question. Th'ula Stiv never seemed to mention that they were immune to most weapons, a fact that made Ahgran sure that the demon had something else in mind.

The thunder sounded again, this time much closer. Arvord looked confused and sat up in his bedroll. The storm hadn't been that close last time the thunder sounded. Was it moving that fast? Suddenly, he noticed a burning fire in the distance. His eyes grew wide as he recognized it. It was the Holy Fire of Atsuin, in the Emperor's Tower, in Elezan. When they had made camp for the night, they were still almost two full weeks from Elezan, but suddenly they were on the far outskirts of the great city.

"The demon's magic." Ahgran whispered to himself, still in awe. "He is one of the powerful ones that was not banished long ago..."

********

"Three of them, down there, do you see them?" Jynn said, pointing to three men on the ground far below them. Tavra looked over the tower wall and saw the guards she was referring to. They were not clad in the standard colors of Imperial Guardsmen, and in fact had no symbols on their livery, only a black tabard with a single yellow stripe in the middle.

"I can make that landing easily." Tavra responded, confident in her abilites. The wind whipped around her face and made her hair go in all directions. Jynn paused a moment to look at Tavra, who was beautiful, naked, her hair almost blending into the blackness of the night. Only its radiant shine made it stand-out.

Tavra wanted to see the Prince and tell him in person not to send any more Volerim after her new lover. Apparently the Empire's grasp on stray mind-mages was tighter than anyone had thought - the two Volerim which came for Byen somehow had keys to get in. More were sure to show up if those two didn't return, but she was hell-bent on pressing her will upon the Prince so that wouldn't happen again.

Neither of them counted on their enemies being here already. Jynn had voiced her opinion that they should turn back and try again after they had drained her master, when they would be much more powerful, but Tavra wanted this done now, and Jynn could no longer resist the wishes of her companion.

"Good. Remember, they won't be easily influenced by our powers of seduction, and they will have weapons which can harm us. We must kill them quickly and get inside to the Prince as fast as possible."

Tavra nodded and raised her arms into the air, preparing to leap off. She gauged the distance to the three guards and took a short jump, timing the landing enough so that she didn't fall over with broken legs. If it weren't for her increased senses and incredible agility, she would have done just that. Instead, she landed right where she wanted - behind one of the guards, bringing her arms down onto his shoulders, knocking him to the ground with her strength and the force of the fall.

Quickly catching him by the head before he fully hit the ground, Tavra grappled his face with one hand and forced the energy from him as quickly as possible. The other guards began to turn, but one was crushed under the force of Jynn's elbow as she landed. The sounds of snapping bone and sinew could be heard as he crumpled into the dirt. Jynn reached down and drew his knife, instantly evaluating that it was indeed made of P'jurium, and threw it to the side.

The third guard drew his knife and backed-up when he saw he was outnumbered. Tavra was reveling in the new strength that flowed into her body, but her eyes were open enough to tell what was going on. The guard in her hands was struggling to get her off of him, but his struggle only lasted a few seconds, as his strength was rapidly adding to Tavra's. Jynn was standing above her victim, siphoning the power from range, squatting slightly as the white strip of life energy made its short trip up to Jynn's cunt.

The guard turned and ran, screaming the whole time. Jynn stopped what she was doing and sped after him. Easily catching up, she tackled him, tearing the dagger from his hands and putting her hand over his mouth to cover his screams while she drained his energies. Tavra had finished her guard and moved over to get what remained of the one Jynn left. She felt a raindrop hit her shoulder as she bent-over to touch his face. Soon the storm would hide their retreat, but first they would have to get in.

Jarif rounded the corner with a contingent of guards. Seeing the two targets he had devoted his life to destroying, Jarif drew his scimitar and quickened his pace. As Jynn finished the guard, she got to her feet and noticed Jarif coming towards her. She had fought him before, a few years ago, when she was still under the thrall of her masters. Because he was so well-armed, she was commanded to flee rather than risk her life attempting to destroy him. She'd seen him in the visions since then, learned that he and his men trained with mind mages to make themselves more resistant to the hypnotic powers of their enemies. He would be a difficult foe to defeat, even with Tavra's help.

Jarif drew from his belt a small silver disc and threw it at Jynn. With her increased senses, she easily moved out of the way, but as it passed her, it disappeared, and Jynn found herself in a large circular cage. She gripped the bars tightly and pulled, but her strength seemed to be gone. All of her powers seemed to be gone! Looking about frantically, she saw the guards were no longer paying attention to her, as she was no longer a threat. Some of them were raising bows and taking aim at Tavra, who was still far across the courtyard. Jarif was charging towards her companion with his scimitar in hand.

"TAVRA!" Jynn screamed, hoping she would hear in time. Tavra opened her eyes to see arrows headed her way. She deftly leapt to the side as they went sailing past. She saw that Jynn was in a very large cage and a man with a scimitar running was sprinting towards her, while more guards behind him were reloading their bows.

"Tavra! RUN!" Jynn yelled. She could only hope that the girl would do what was smart and come back later. Her companion looked like she was still in shock, standing there not knowing what to do. The charging fanatic looked very dangerous, but he was still a few seconds away. She could try to bolt past all of them, make for the palace interior, and hope that her control of the Prince would keep her safe, but that would be very risky at this point. Tavra heard the twang of a bowstring, and another arrow headed towards her. She moved her head out of the way as it whizzed past her. It was obvious that they were very good shots. Three others had reloaded but were holding their fire.

"They're waiting for me to turn my back so I can't get out of the way." She thought to herself. Kneeling, she picked up the body at her feet and flung it at the charging man with all her might. It came at him too fast for him to get out of the way, and he was knocked backwards onto the dirt a few yards from the force of the throw. The fourth archer was reloading, and more guards were coming out of the palace. Getting in was no longer an option, but she had managed to buy herself a few more seconds.

Turning, she began to run for one of the walls. She heard another bowstring and saw the arrow on its way to her, but she was already moving too fast, and it easily missed her. Tavra looked up at the wall, measuring the distance as she ran, and leapt as she heard another bowstring. Her great strength vaulted her up to the wall, but not quite over it - she had to catch hold of one of the stone merlon of the battlements. She hung there for a moment and heard another bowstring. Knowing she was an easy target now, she used her arms to vault up onto the wall walkway. The arrow clicked off the stone where she had previously been hanging. Tavra heard two more bowstrings and turned to see two arrows sailing towards her. In a show of her speed and accuracy, she reached out and caught the first one, then the second, and glared at the archers, who gaped in awe at her.

Tavra took one last look at Jynn, who was watching her the entire time, and then leapt to the other side of the wall. Thunder sounded as she landed, and the rain began to fall. She had no choice now but to face Jynn's master alone and hope that if she survived, she would have the power to free Jynn. Tavra set off in the direction of the ruins which Jynn had indicated held her master...

********

The rain fell all around Jynn's cage. She had tried several times to bend the bars, or to seduce one of the guards, but to no avail - her powers were negated while she was imprisoned here. The cage was quite large, probably meant to trap some kind of magical beast. Whatever magic was in that disc that was thrown at her was obviously very rare and potent. The others had left her for the time being, and now only two guards stood watch over her.

Even still, she did not blame Tavra for this mishap - it was her own plan that went awry when the third guard screamed, alerting the others. She should have taken a more stealthy route in. But even blame didn't matter to her now. All that mattered was escape. Jynn could only hope that her companion remembered the discussions about where her master was, and that Tavra would be able to take him on alone. If she could, then it might be possible for her to return and free Jynn. She had no doubt in Tavra's abilities, for she had surpassed Jynn's power long ago, but her execution left something to be desired.

Shakaam and Jarif stood in the entryway to the courtyard, looking out at their captured prey. A bald man in a black robe joined them, standing next to Jarif and looking out.

"She is magnificent, is she not?" he said. Jarif looked at the man in disgust.

"She is vermin, and she will be dealt with as such." Jarif growled.

"Oh no, I do believe your mother has other plans for her. Wonderful, wonderful plans..." the man replied, giggling as he spoke. Jarif sneered, staring at the man.

"Lieutenant, this is Evishen, a... mage, who serves my mother. Evishen, this is Lieutenant Shakaam, my investigative expert." The lieutenant looked to the mage, who did not seem to be paying attention to anything but the caged woman.

"A pleasure to meet you, sir." Shakaam said, extending his hand.

"Yes, yes, I'm sure." Evishen replied, still looking out at their quarry. "We should get her inside. Will you two help me?" Jarif grumbled something and Evishen nodded, still smiling. The three of them went out into the rain together and stood around the cage.

"What do we do?" Jarif yelled over the rain and wind.

"Stand around and make sure she doesn't escape somehow. I will move her inside." The mage concentrated on the cage. It raised into the air a few inches and glided towards the entryway, all three of them following.

Shakaam was in awe of Jynn's beauty. He couldn't help but stare at her for a long moment, and she took notice of his behavior. If she weren't still in shock from losing her powers and being caged, she might have even smiled at him, but as things stood, she wasn't sure why he was staring at her, or where they were taking her.

Thoughts raced through her mind - this may be the end, they may be taking her to be executed. This man staring at her did not wear the colors of the others. Perhaps her and Tavra had killed someone he knew, and he was here to witness her death as a sort of revenge.

Her cage levitated through the wide hallways into what looked like a huge dining room. As they came into the room, Jarif shut the doors behind them. When they were sure there was no on else in the room, Evishen walked to a wall, leaned-in, and whispered something to the stone. He then walked straight through the wall as if it wasn't there!

Shakaam and Jynn both looked surprised at the sudden disappearance of the mage, then Jynn's cage began moving towards the spot on the wall. Jarif nonchalantly stepped-through the wall as well, just before the cage. Taking a leap of faith, Shakaam took a step through the wall and found himself in small, very well-lit, oval-shaped room. An old, red-haired woman sat on what looked like a rickety throne, discussing something with a guard. Beside her, a strange bunch of moss hung from the ceiling.

Jynn knew this woman from when she first awoke from her mind-control. She had Jynn dead to rights once, surrounded by guards, any of which could have killed her, but this woman, Suz'aan, wanted Jynn. She was obviously very decadent in her tastes, as her own sexual conquest delayed the guards and gave Jynn the time she'd needed to escape. Since then she'd wondered what control Suz'aan had over these elite warriors, now it was all coming together.

"Wonderful." The red-haired woman said, smiling. Her wrinkled face lit up with delight as she rose from her throne and approached the cage.

"Mother," Jarif spoke, bowing his head slightly, "we have captured this vile woman with the use of the Scavian Disc. If I'd had another, I could have brought you another tonight as well. Please let me have the honor of killing this one."

"Killing? Oh by the Many Heavens, no. I have her right where I want her now. With her help, I will live forever, and we will hunt the others of her kind." She said, smiling at Jynn. "And as for the Scavian Discs, there is only one left in all the world. Our Stewards have already found it and are bringing it back to us as we speak. You will have the other woman soon." Jarif was visibly displeased, but said nothing.

"Mistress, shall I prepare the spells?" Evishen said, giddy with excitement.

"Spells?" Shakaam asked, confused.

"Ah, forgive me, mother. This is Lieutenant Shakaam of the Ghosamm Imperial Guard. He is my investigative expert. If it were not for him, we would still be held by the storm in Kemaj, while they were here wreaking havoc." Jarif said, putting his hand on Shakaam's shoulder and smiling slightly as he looked to his companion. "Shakaam, this is my mother, the Lady Moonet. She is the head of our order."

"Yes, well... good work, Lieutenant. We shall see that you are promoted for your distinguished service." Suz'aan responded, also smiling slightly. Turning to the mage, she grew stern and commanded him, "Evishen, prepare your magics. Tonight I become truly immortal." Evishen nodded eagerly and left quickly through the wall once more.

"*Truly* immortal?" Shakaam questioned, glancing quickly at Jynn.

"Yes, I will live forever, to combat our foes, of course. Her kind. I will use her body to destroy the others like her. Her... body..." The red-haired matriarch replied, almost seeming lost in Jynn's beauty. Suddenly she clapped her hands and yelled to one of the guards. "Bring in a virgin, I will demonstrate."

Turning to the Lieutenant, Jarif spoke "For many thousands of years these women have hunted and killed men for pleasure. Our family, and our order, are bent on stopping them. Our order has been around longer than they have, and it has always been our duty to hunt them. You, Lieutenant, have brought us our second victory in all that time."

"Just what is the name of this 'order' which you belong to?" Shakaam asked, not moved at all by Jarif's display of friendship. All this talk of how well he had served them convinced him not of their trust, but that it was time for them to disclose certain details to him. He'd been slowly learning to despise Jarif, and now that this beauty was in a cage because of him, he began to despise himself a little too.

"At one time there were a myriad of noble houses." Suz'aan replied, moving back to her throne. "A few gathered into a group with the common interest of destroying these women. Over time, those houses intermarried or were killed off by the vile creatures, and now we are only one house, the House of Tirek. Our members are specially-trained to resist them, and we are equipped with the finest blades of the metal which can destroy them. The only problem now is finding them all."

Shakaam nodded. He was thinking of asking why they hunted the women, but he knew that in their zeal they would claim that they were doing their duty by eradicating this threat to the Empire and to all humanity. Though they were finally giving him information, he could tell they were still withholding some as well.

Evishen returned with a naked young man whose hands were bound. Shakaam judged him to be no older than fourteen, and the look of fear in his eyes gave him away as someone who they had just grabbed from off the street.

He led the captive over to a strange bunch of moss that was hanging from the ceiling. As the lieutenant examined it closer, it looked like the plant had grown into the shape of the lower portions of a human body, with legs and female genitalia. There was a long vine wrapped around it, which Evishen began to unravel and hand to Suz'aan. The young man was distracted by the presence of Jynn. He obviously had never seen anyone so beautiful in his life. She, however was watching the entire affair in confusion.

Evishen waved his hands in front of the young man's face, who instantly moved his attention to the hanging plant. The appendages had swept-up to resemble a woman who was spreading her legs. He quickly inserted his member into the mossy vagina and began pumping as fast as he could. The young man yelped as he did so, reaching a climax very quickly. All in the room watched him as he came and then slumped to the ground, apparently unconscious.

Suz'aan smiled and put the vine into her mouth and sucked on it like a straw. Shakaam, Jynn, and Jarif all noticed the wrinkles on her face fade slightly, making her look a little younger. Jarif sneered a little, turning away so as to hide it and so that he didn't have to look at his mother being involved in such a despicable act. Shakaam noticed though, and he instantly realized the scope of the relationship Jarif had with his mother.

"Ahhh..." Suz'aan exhaled, removing the vine from her mouth and opening her eyes. "You see, the lifeforces of virgin men have sustained me for very many years now, keeping me from dying of old age. But the harvesting process is imperfect, and I have had to kill more frequently over the years." She rose and walked towards Jynn. "I have waited for this for eons. And now, I will have her body, forever..." Suz'aan stared at her captive for a long moment until Evishen interrupted.

"Mistress, the spell is not yet fully researched. It may have unforseen side-effects upon -" "I don't care, Evishen. You will begin casting it immediately." Suz'aan said, cutting him off. She was still inspecting Jynn with lustful eyes. Jarif and Shakaam both noticed how she was looking at Jynn, and both were a little sickened by it, though for different reasons. Evishen hesitated, then nodded quickly and closed his eyes in meditation.

"What is it he's doing?" Shakaam asked.

"Preparing to exchange my mind with hers. I will be in control of her body, her powers, and her... beauty, for all eternity. She will die a withering death, like she deserves." Suz'aan replied, finally breaking her stare at Jynn to look over and smile at Shakaam. He could see why she wanted to escape her body. It was old and ugly. Her smile looked almost like a sneer, and her red hair looked like it was thinning.

"Mother, please don't do this. I beg of you! She is the enemy, not something we want to become!" Jarif said.

"Jarif, I am taking this burden upon myself, to help us find others like her, so we can defeat them once and for all. With her body under our control, we can learn more about their weaknesses. And besides, my mind is made-up. You don't have to like my decision, but it has been made." His mother replied, firmly asserting her opinion on the matter. Jarif scowled and turned, heading out the illusionary wall. Suz'aan turned and gazed upon Jynn again.

Jynn shrank back in her cage, hoping beyond hope that she would be saved somehow...

********

Tavra wandered the ruins on the outskirts of Elezan for hours the rest of the night and most of the day. The rain had drenched her, the intense winds blew sand and debris around, making it difficult to see, and there was no sign of her target. This was all her fault, and she was determined to see that Jynn would be free. It was getting late again, and the already dark sky began to get darker, and finally it was night again. Though not fatigued, she was growing tired of looking and began to jog amongst the ruins, hoping to cover ground faster.

Then she felt it. From the east there was an enormous amount of life force gathered in one place. It was barely within the field of her perception, but it was there. She ran for it at top speed, dodging between ruined walls and fallen sections of buildings. Jynn had said this area was believed to be haunted, and was thus not inhabited. Though she'd seen no sign of spirits, there were also no signs of life other than plants and small animals.

Finally she stopped, practically on top of the energy. Concentrating on it further, she realized that she was in fact on top of it - it was underground, whatever it was. However, there was other life force about, also beneath her, but off a bit, mostly in a straight line.

"A cavern... clever hiding spot." Tavra smiled to herself at finding her prey's mistaken sanctuary. "Now all I need to do is find the entrance..."

She wandered about, following the energy sources she sensed below her. The rain was still coming down hard, drenching her, but she didn't care - she was so close to her goal now, a little rain would not stand in her way.

Rounding the corner of a ruined building, she saw a gaping hole in the ground, and beyond it, she sensed the energies she had been following. There was no light, but she could see a short distance in the darkness. The floor was only about twenty feet below, some sort of stone brick room with large supports. Tavra leapt into the hole, landing perfectly on the slick surface. The room was at an incline, and the rainwater was trickling to the other end of the room. Several large stone arches led to tunnels exiting the room. She sensed lifeforce down all of the tunnels, but the greatest amount was back in the direction she had come from when she was above ground. Tavra took a guess at which way would lead to her target, and then jogged into that hallway.

As she neared the first sense of lifeforce, she saw what looked like thousands of very large ants crawling on the floor. The formation parted and went up the walls at her approach, coming back down the walls as she passed. The ants were roughly the size of her fingers, and had pincers that looked like they could leave a nasty bite. She figured they must be some sort of magical guardians to stop anyone but the servants of the masters. Fortunately for her, they didn't know what her purpose here was.

Further up, the tunnel widened, and she could see what looked like very large bat creatures hanging from the ceiling. They had somewhat human-looking heads and a leathery maroon skin with patches of hair here and there. She was disturbed at how they watched her with eyeless faces as she passed, their heads all turning in unison.

She travelled onward for quite some time. Ahead she could see what looked like torchlight. As she moved towards it, she noticed the floors of the hallway had more and more leaves and plant-like growth on them. Tavra increased her speed as she sensed the incredible amounts of lifeforce ahead of her.

She came at last to a small stone room, overgrown with a carpet of leaves and vines along the floor and walls. Two Everburning Torches in sconces on the wall lit the room, and she could see her targets clearly staring at her. Two naked twins with muscular bodies and short, dirty blonde hair stood at the other end of the room. Their hair was the same color as Jynn's, exactly. They were beautiful, but posessed of a cold beauty, and didn't inspire the passion within her that Byen did.

"Brother, one of the renegades has come to give her energies to us." One of them said, smiling.

"She is a fine specimen. Tavra, daughter of beauty. It is too bad we will have to end her little rebellion now." The other replied, moving towards her.

Tavra focused herself and willed the lifeforce from the first one. The familiar misty white line serpentined its way from his abdomen to her cunt, and she felt his energy begin to surge through her. She instinctively spread her legs a little at the feeling, and the twin only looked down at the energy flowing from him and took a few steps forward, his cock in his hand. He inserted it into Tavra, cutting-off her draining of him and making her gasp in pleasure, wide-eyed. She grasped his shoulders tightly and began to take as much of his essence as possible, whimpering as the rush of ecstasy overtook her. He began to thrust in and out of her, his hands on her legs, which had naturally risen to clasp around his back.

Through all the pleasure, Tavra noticed that her body was giving up some of her own energies to him, though under no control of her own. Still, she was taking-in more than enough to compensate for the drain being put upon her.

From behind, she felt a pair of hands on her ass, spreading it open. She knew what was coming next. The other twin inserted his cock into her anus and also began to pump in and out. By now she had involuntarily spread her legs so much that she was off the ground, held in place by the massive arms of the twins. Tavra opened herself to their energies, taking in as much as she could from both of them, almost completely lost in the ecstasy of it.

Behind the pleasure was a sudden horrific realization though - she was now losing. Her body was instinctively giving-up more lifeforce than it could take from either one, and the pleasure of the two of them inside of her was too great for her to resist. She had to escape somehow, but the extreme sensations of pleasure distracted her thoughts. She came again and again as the twins pistoned in and out of her, slowly siphoning her energy away from her...

end