THEON
With closed eyes, I drew up my bow in perfect balance. Relaxing my grip and my breath, I opened them again. The tip was right on the bull's eye, but I took my time to focus. When I released, the arrow went straight through the body of the first one like thunderstruck, and into the middle of the target.
I grinned, proud of myself. Out of all the types of combat we learned, archery was my favorite. Adryan always bested me at swordplay, but never when it came to target practice. The training courtyard was empty today, as I told everyone to fuck off. Trying to keep my mind occupied, I shot arrow after arrow, until the quiver was empty. Cursing, my brain started to rewind the events of the last few days like a bloody nightmare. My total screw-up.
How could I be so stupid to let that bitch escape my grasp? In the arms of her fucking mutt no less! The memory of Red jumping on his back and running away, made my blood boil with anger. Also a bit of jealousy. I was not ashamed to admit that I started to like her in that period of time we spent together. Red was alluring and brave. I fantasized many times about owning her body, while she screamed my name in pleasure. It almost made me consider asking her out. But then, we found out who she truly was.
" What was the fucking chance! How was I supposed to know, damn it!" I thought and spat frustrated on the ground. Another stupid mistake on my part. Charmed by her good looks, I accepted to train with her and help her become the perfect killer. Now she used that to the Lycan's advantage. As always, it was our destiny to get fucked in the ass by those furry bastards!
My father was still too angry to speak to me after I ruined his perfect plan of reviving Adryan. We needed his murderer's heart to bring him back to life. That creepy sorceress had to use it as the main ingredient in her dark ritual. But now, after losing our only leverage, it seemed impossible to get to him again. That filthy beast was well protected behind his thick city walls. I grinded my teeth, being tired of the guilt and frustration I felt ever since that day.
When the dusk was near, I took my bow, feeling depressed and headed back inside the keep. The Lodge of Hunters had its base in the Rötteln Fortress. Surrounded by the vast Black Woods, this powerful fortification was located on a hill in the Baden Lands, southwest of Germania. Our guild won this incredible domain hundreds of years ago when they exterminated The Nocturnis, an old and powerful vampire clan that used to rule in this southern part of the country. My ancestors eradicated almost every trace of those blood-sucking vermin long past. I never had the chance to kill one yet.
The castle was three hundred meters wide, divided into an upper and lower ward, with a couple of defensive towers to the west. Its tall, stone walls were protected by sentries at every corner. As I crossed the drawbridge to the upper part, the gates of my home came in sight. Our soldiers resided only in the lower part of the fort.
The guards saluted me as I entered the great hall. This place was a fucking ice cube in the winter and I shivered, thinking about the warm fireplace in my bedchamber. One of the servants greeted me, taking my cloak and weapons away.
" Dinner is served, my Lord " she politely bowed, making herself scarce afterward. Torches were lit all around in the hall, but it was not enough to brighten this cold, gloomy place. The dining room was large enough for a ball, but these kinds of social affairs were almost non-existent here. As usual, I took a seat at an empty table, which was filled with many mouth-watering dishes. My father never ate here. He was mostly locked away in his study, plotting God knows what.
I slowly filled my plate, lost in thoughts. Right in front of me, on the wall was an enormous painting of my family. My parents were both smiling happily, holding me and Adryan in their arms. I watched it every day, remembering the few good old days we shared. But after mother died in childbirth, along with our stillborn sister, father was never the same. His heart died with her, now being hard as stone and a cruel leader. Gradually, he transformed his sadness into rage, being the only thing that seemed to fuel him up until now. Me and my brother had to endure it each day, terrorized by his hellish training and fits of fury. The only peaceful moment we had, was when Adryan and I were alone, hunting in the forest or watching the maids change in the servant's quarters. Now, my brother was gone as well. So, here I was. Eating dinner all by myself.
I felt my appetite disappear, being replaced by loneliness and anger. I threw the fork away with force, blowing off some steam. Maybe I should just quit this damn castle, along with my father's plots and hatred for the night creatures. I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair, trying to calm down.
I knew why I was so distressed and doubtful. The effects of the serum were starting to fade. I always had more on me just in case. In the back pocket of my breeches, I found the Sucker's Kit, as Adryan used to call it. The little black leather box contained a small syringe and four neon green vials. I placed it on the table and rolled up the sleeve of my shirt. We usually did this in the privacy of our rooms, but I didn't care anymore if the servants watched. They all knew about our addiction anyway.
I popped the head of a vial and pulled the glowing liquid into the syringe. Anticipation built in my chest as I searched for a good vein on my arm and pierced the skin with the needle. I groaned and hissed between clenched teeth when the serum entered my bloodstream. As much as I did it, it was still painful at the beginning. I felt the burning sensation spreading through my whole body, making my muscles grow bigger and the veins on my body to pulsate. You could see the green glow spreading under the skin through every blood vessel. I screamed in pain when it reached my temples, squeezing the tablecloth in my fists.
After a couple of minutes, the pain died down and I stood there panting and trembling, sweat dripping on my forehead. I caught a glimpse of myself in the windows. My eyes were on fire, glowing a bright green and my body frame doubled in size. The way I felt was even better. An amazing surge of power coursed through my body. I felt incredibly strong like I could do anything. All my fears and doubts evaporated, being replaced by a diabolic confidence. I rose to my feet and looked around. All the servants had their eyes on the ground, not daring to meet my gaze. I laughed, sounding a bit evil and broke a glass in the palm of my hand like it was nothing. I felt no pain, no remorse. I loved it.
In order to face the supernatural beasts, the original hunters paid a dark wizard to produce a potion that will make them powerful enough to withstand anything. So, the warlock created this serum and named it "The Draught of Chaos". We were not certain when this happened exactly, but the draught recipe was passed along from generation to generation. At first, the potion became dangerous for one's health, if taken in large doses. Many hunters died from using too frequently. But over time we perfected it so that it won't harm us physically anymore.
Now that I felt like myself again, I left the dining room and headed down the stairs, to the lower level, as I did each night. The underground dungeon was dark and huge, with lots of chains hanging on the walls. But as the hunters rarely took prisoners it was empty and quiet. I had no use for a torch because the serum gave me the ability to see in the dark too. In the middle of this vast, humid hall, a purple light glowed, attracting me like a moth to a flame.
The source was a large, magical capsule, placed on an ornate, stone pedestal. I approached it relaxed and gazed at my brother's face. He looked like he was asleep. Only he has been for the past ten years. I placed my hand on top, feeling an energy barrier vibrating, warm at the touch. This box was keeping my brother alive, his appearance unchanged, his last breath tucked away safely inside. After the second great battle was lost and Adryan defeated, the warlock at that time barely managed to save him by the use of powerful enchantments. Ever since he's been like this. Frozen.
I clenched my jaw when a sudden burst of anger made me punch the nearby wall, leaving instead a massive hole. This was my fuel, my way of keeping the fire of revenge burning. Seeing him each day in this state.
" I swear, brother! That fucking monster will regret the day he hurt you! I'll make him pay for this! " I roared, my arms trembling and nostrils flaring.
" And you will, my Lord. Once we find the Eternal Cup " a feminine voice spoke from behind. I turned around, narrowing my eyes.
" What are you doing here, witch?" I asked coldly, crossing my arms on my chest.
Evangeline Shaw was the current hired sorceress of our Lodge. She's been on our side for a couple of years now. Her tall, thin figure moved gracefully and without a sound across the room. Her whole appearance screamed dangerous, starting with her dark, hollow eyes to the tight, black leather dress she wore. A crimson lipstick covered her plump lips and her nails were long and sharp, probably edged enough to throttle someone. She was smoking hot, but frightening at the same time. I had no idea how old she was, but she looked like a young maid.
" Making sure the stabilizing spell is working properly. We wouldn't want to see your brother turn to ash, right? " she said without any trace of feeling in her voice.
" Of course not. Careful, that sounds like a threat " I furrowed my eyebrows, irritated by her arrogance.
" Believe me, pretty boy. You would know if I was threatening you! Stop being so suspicious of my intentions. I'm here to help " she smirked, placing a hand on my arm, slowly tracing and circling my figure. I gulped, goosebumps appearing on my skin at her cold touch.
When the first coven of wizards broke up, she joined The Coven of the Enlightened. I wondered what drove her to choose the dark arts, if it was a matter of the heart or simply a difference of opinion. I was perfectly aware of her cruelty and what she was capable of, so I told myself to stay clear of such reckless diversions.
Her attention turned to my brother. Evangeline started chanting a spell " Fiat firmum, custodi illum! " with her hands raised in the air. Light runes appeared around the box, making the capsule glow really bright for a moment.
" I heard about the setback on our plan " she pointed out casually, throwing her black, long hair back. I felt the soft flow of her dark curls brushing over my shoulder. The contact sent chills in my body.
" I don't feel like talking about it " I snorted sour, sick of remembering.
" Maybe it was for the best. Reviving your older brother won't win us the war, but the Cup will help us achieve both. Finding it should be our priority! ". Evangeline continued to apply magic spells over my brother while talking. Her hands radiated all sorts of colorful rays of light. The fact that she was not blaming me like all the others and also carrying for Adryan, made me appreciate her more.
" We have no idea if it exists. I only found a drawing of it in an old manuscript" I said, looking for the paper in my pockets. Damn, where did I put it? It probably fell around the house. I ran my fingers through my hair and sighed, a subtle way of showing her my big toned muscles, too. What was I doing? She watched my movements with interest.
" Oh, but we do. I know someone who had the privilege of seeing it ", she smiled sexy, approaching me like a panther on the prowl. " All we need to do is find out where they hid it ". Evangeline swayed her hips, standing now in front of me. I looked into her eyes hungry. It was a long time since I'd been with a woman and she seemed more than eager.
" They?" I asked, caressing her small, bare shoulder. She raised on her tiptoes and whispered in my ear " The Moonlight Circle", bitting seductive the earlobe. I groaned and took hold of her waist, tracing her body down to her round ass. She smelled sweet and I suddenly felt like ripping that dress off of her. Shit, the draught made me too careless.
" We just have to locate this certain warlock and extract the information out of him" she continued, not minding the way I touched her. When Evangeline licked my lips with a naughty expression on her face, it was enough for me to throw caution out the window. I pushed her against the wall and kissed her roughly until we both gasped for air. Our bodies were locked together so tight, that she could feel my growing arousal pressed on her belly.
" Let's do it then " I smirked, aware of the double meaning in my proposition and slowly raised her skirts. She let out a wicked laugh and quickly wrapped her legs around me. My muscles flexed with desire and anticipation, kissing the corner of her mouth and down the column of her neck. She moaned while undoing my pants impatiently. We both needed this spontaneous, casual sex with no strings attached, to unburden. I removed the upper part of the leather dress and squeezed her soft breasts, yearning for more of her.
" We must obtain... the information at all... costs" she whispered, sounding out of breath. Evangeline gasped and bit her lip in pleasure when my fingers found her soaked slit and started rubbing in small circles. I tugged on her hard nipples with my teeth, making them red and swollen like cherries. The thought of this powerful woman becoming a shivering mess in my arms excited me even more.
" Don't worry, Madam Sorceress, I will take care of everything " I spoke, my voice a deep rumble, as she stroked and squeezed my length firmly in her hand. The lust in her eyes and flushed cheeks indicated that she was ready for me. I held my hand by her head, only supporting her with the other on her butt. Because of the serum's power, I lifted her like she was a feather.
" Aah, yes.." she cried out when I finally thrust deep into her. I groaned, dazed by the immediate pleasure I felt. Her insides were hot and wet. Evangeline held onto me, moaning and curling her sharp nails into my flesh. I hissed, the pain making it so much better.
" Fuck.. you feel so good " I said in a hoarse whisper, pumping in and out of her relentless. She bit on my neck passionately, enjoying the way I twitched in pain. Sweat covered our skin, as we continued to fuck faster and harder, only the sounds of our breath and slapping bodies filling the room. When I felt her tighten around my cock, I knew she was close. I felt my climax mounting as well. With each passing second and thrusts we began to unravel. She let her head fall back against the wall and screamed in delight, coming undone on me. I felt my whole muscles stiffen when I pulled out of her and released my spunk all over the floor.
After a brief moment of gazing at each other panting, she pushed me gently and started rearranging her clothes. Her emotionless expression was back on in no time like we didn't even reached the peak together mere moments ago. "What did you expect? It was just sex after all " I thought, not bothered in the slightest. I just found it interesting, how cold she could be in general.
Evangeline threw her long, black hair behind and glared at me. " Don't fail me this time, pretty boy! I'll see you get a proper reward if you succeed ".
The sorceress winked devilishly and disappeared in a gust of wind before I could blink.