Merrie stretched her legs across the slightly dusty blankets of her master's bed until the ends of her ankles pressed against the carved headboard. The icy wood felt good against her skin, an anchor for the disbelief and anticipation that burned hotly through her veins. She pushed herself up on her elbows and up to her knees. Her nipples dragged along the blanket's folds, reminding her of her physical body.
Her eyes never left the collar. The heavy black ring sank into the bed, creating a depression that drew her eyes toward it. It was exactly like she remembered, black as the Lord of Shadows without a single scratch, ridge or decoration. Rakin didn't need to prove his ownership with a name or fancy symbols; he would have demonstrated it to the world by his complete mastery of her. The collar was barely a finger thick, but far heavier than the iron collars they shackled on her at the Puppy Mill.
It was sensual and terrifying. The only thing that broke the perfection was the missing segment of the collar. There were no latches or hooks, only two smooth ends of the adamantite ring. She knew from Rakin's memories that it would seal up as soon as he put it around her neck. And, once in place, it would never be removed. The idea of being collared forever kept a heat boiling inside her.
She peered down her body, past her hanging breasts to her thighs. The insides were glistening with her juices and strands of the clear fluid stuck to her labia and legs. The strands slowly slid down, but there was always more liquid oozing out of her pussy. Below, the blankets were soaked with her excitement, a large damp spot almost as large as herself.
It had been five minutes since she last masturbated, imagining someone collaring her. The person was always different but, while it quickly brought her to a screaming orgasm, it faded as soon as she stopped fantasizing about it. None of the people around her were strong enough for her. None were the master or mistress she needed.
(If they collar you,) Tamin projected sullenly, (it won't matter.) He was at the foot of the bed, curled up and dozing. He hated the collar and she could feel the jealousy bubbling in his thoughts. She remembered the same jealousy from Sable and Dixie, the bonded never shared their masters. And Tamin didn't want to be shared with another Alpha. His mind couldn't handle the idea of an alpha of an alpha.
Merrie sighed. It was an old argument now. Shifting over to a drier spot, she thudded back to the blankets and stared at it. Trembling, she reached out to stroking it, enjoying the faint tingle that coursed along her nerves when she touched it. The collar somehow knew her. She could feel the magic reaching out for her, ready to bind her forever. (But, if I get someone like Tai, she won't push me. I'd wither. She can't command me.)
(You already said no to Gail and Tai.)
(And Jacir or any of my other customers. They are sweet but, no one commanded me like…)
Tamin sent an image of Rakin standing over her, commanding her as she exploded into orgasm.
Merrie whimpered and dropped her head into the blankets, tilting so she could still stare at the collar. (Yes.) It tore her to think about it, but Rakin was her perfect master. He knew how to push her to her limits, how to force her submission and then fuck her until she couldn't stop coming.
(Maybe that's his curse? He's the only true master for you. He's the only one who can truly dominate you.)
She closed her eyes slowly. She ached from staying up all night and afternoon. She didn't dare let it out of her sight, but she couldn't find the answer. It was too big of a choice, too important to make frivolously. She needed a master, but there were none in her life. (Why did I say two days?)
Tamin said nothing.
(I wish the answer was obvious.)
His tail thumped against the ground. (If it was, then it wouldn't be a choice. And if it wasn't a choice, then it would be meaningless.)
(Stop being so smart.) Merrie let out her breath in a rush and rolled over on her back. The letter from Rendi crinkled underneath her, but she ignored it for a moment while staring at the ceiling.
(You made me that way, Alpha.)
She smiled and looked at his wagging tail. (I love you so much. What would you do?)
Frustration burned along their connection. It was too hard to keep his needs from her own. She knew he was jealous, but he also wanted her happy. He didn't have the answers either. Neither of them did, which is why Merrie remained on the bed staring at it.
She felt thin and stretched out, like her cloak. She finally had a chance of having a master and suddenly, there were too many choices. Almost none of them appealed to her.
(What about Borias? Regardless of that letter?)
Merrie rolled over and pushed herself down to bring the letter in front of her. She smoothed it out with her wrist and read the familiar words she had been reading for hours.
Before I even identified that… thing, I knew it was for you and I know who made it. Only one man would create such a horrifying artifact to utterly dominate a single person. I can't write his name because of this geas, but you already know who it is. He had so much power in his life. He protected this country for centuries, but everyone looked away when his thoughts turned to obsession. What was one woman to a hero? What are the girls he murdered when he invaded the… sorry, the geas makes it hard to identify him. But, I know you asked Borias about it, so you know what I'm talking about. Being a hero is not forever and it tears my heart open to know that he had turned his obsession on you.
This artifact is so much more than the spells that enchant it. Part of me is in there. I don't know how, but he stole me. Just like the collars I crafted for Bass, part of my soul is in there. It binds the spells to the metal, just as my god's power flows through its metal. I prayed for understanding of My Great Lord Misyr, but for once, I have no answers.
I also prayed for this item's destruction, since the geas won't let me do it myself. And my prayers were unanswered. No doubt, this my punishment for the horrors I did at the Mill. I will accept them as Misyr demands, but it doesn't make my penance any easier.
Merrie shivered at the words. It felt like Rendi was talking to her from the grave, not knowing she was going to be murdered days after penning the letter.
I'd be a fool to think you will destroy that accursed device. I know what you are and what you need. It is your nature and if I was in your position, I assume I would do the same thing. I'm only thankful that I'm not in your position. The only thing I can do is ask you to destroy it, fully knowing you will never do such a thing.
Instead, I beg your favor. One that is desperately close to my own heart. Please, please don't choose my son. I love him with all my soul, but if you bond with him, you will be killing both of you. He cannot ever tap into that magic again, he cannot feed the monster inside him. With your closeness and your need to serve, you two will make mistakes that would haunt me until my grave.
It has been thirteen years since he was sealed away from his magic and sent to the prison that has cursed my family for centuries. The Kivas have always been known by the two doors leading into Abbinkey. It almost killed me knowing he entered the red door as a prisoner, instead of the white like I did. When I found out you were what you were, I dreaded hearing news that he had bonded with you. Every time you looked into his eyes, I wondered if it was the last time I would see my son happy. Even after I left, I had nightmares. Terrible, terrible nightmares that haunted me every night. I was afraid that at the last minute, he bonded with you. By some random chance or choice, I was terrified that day would come. When you were sold away, I let out a pray of relief and thanked Misyr. I thought it was over. But, now as I hold this item in my hand, I realize that I'll be visited by the mares tonight.
His geas won't work with this collar. I'm sure of it, but I doubt neither of you would spend the time to research the geas with your collar, to know if the knowledge that you can't stay dead is powerful enough to get around the limitations of death. Even if it could, if it was cast to detect intent instead of status, then it would take just a single thought that one of your deaths was permanent to kill him. A single though, a single doubt, and I would lose my son forever.
I love my son. And I beg you with everything I can, everything I can give you. Don't pick him.
Sister Rendi Kivas, Wizard-Priest of Misyr
Merrie clamped her eyes tightly shut as the guilt slammed into her. (No, not Borias. Even if I knew how to get back to the Mill, I couldn't pick him.)
Unspoken was the other two masters at the Mill.
Tabitha was have been perfect and she had no doubt that she would be submissive to both her and Dixie. It would be a world of being hunted down, raped and torn apart. But knowing that she couldn't die would take the edge off the hunting and Merrie could see Tabitha growing more violent and frustrated with that knowledge.
Bass, on the other hand, would have been another perfect master, but she would never go back to the Mill. She couldn't, not now, not ever. She glanced up at the door to the bedroom, it was cracked and hung from one hinge. A large hole in the far side of the hall was a meter off the ground and still dripping plaster and shards of wood. She closed her eyes.
(I will never go back!)
Merrie hadn't moved, but she was surrounded by hundreds of black tendrils of shadows. They rose up from every bit of darkness in the room, from the gaps between the dressers and the darkness underneath the bed. They were rooted even from her cloak, using the folds for purchase in reality.
Dust filled the room as she stared in shock out the door. Tamin's body slid out of the hole in the wall. Black blood dripped down the plaster and soaked into the dust.
(It didn't hurt that much.)
Merrie's ears drooped. (I don't know why I did that.)
Tamin sent a pulse of affection that brought tears to her eyes. (It wasn't much different than our foreplay.) Being thrown through a wall or across a street wasn't much different than how they wrestled in the streets. Both of them had been tossed into wheels of wagons, brick walls, and through trees. It was just foreplay to them, a violent sexy start for sex that mixed blood and cum.
(Later,) she smiled.
(What about… the prince?) Claston was one of the few people who Merrie suspected could be her master, but she didn't know for sure. It seemed like a long-shot to choose someone so public when even the city guards couldn't be seen around her. He had secrets, that far she knew, and a strength of will, but she didn't know if he could dominate her.
(Gillette?)
Merrie tensed at the name of the shadow hunter. He was powerful and charismatic. She had seen him fight against the Reaper and the hordes of the shadows and win. He was commanding, but she never saw even a hint of sexuality in his actions. But, he was powerful and strong. He had a force of will and charisma.
(You could see yourself serving him.)
She moaned softly. (Yes.) Fantasies rose up of her fighting in the shadows next to him. She knew the sex would come, with her thoughts mixing in with his, they would become more than just companions.
Tamin rolled over and gave a dramatic sight. (Going to masturbate again, Alpha?)
Merrie blushed and smiled. She dropped her arms down to her pussy, enjoying the slick heat of her excitement. Pressing her wrists together, she stroked her clitoris and enjoyed the curls of heat. Her juices clung to her skin, tickling her as she began to build up the slow pleasures.
As she stroked her pussy with both wrists, she turned and stared at the collar. She couldn't wait until someone placed it around her neck and sealed her forever. An orgasm sparked inside her, but she arched her back and stroke faster, trying to lose herself in a fantasy of Gillette dominating her.
Just as she was reaching a fifth orgasm, a heat washed over the room. A moment later, the crackle and smell of burning wood filled the room. Without hesitation, she flipped over to her knees.
Her cloak crawled out from underneath the bed, grabbing the adamantite collar as it passed and wrapped around her. The heavy metal ring pressed against her breast as the cloak tightened protectively around her. She let out a soft gasp of relief knowing that the collar wouldn't be lost.
On the floor, Tamin was already on his feet and growling. (Intruders!)
She sent out a pulse to investigate. At the same time, she began to cast strength and speed spells into both of them. It could be a false alarm, but after the attack against her master and Rakin's ambush, she decided to fight first and question later. She only hoped it was her imagination, but the pounding in her heart told her otherwise.
The ripples of her senses came back. Four people were within a hundred meters of her. Three were wrapped in fire magic cast by the same mage and they were protected against her psionics. The fourth stood in the shadows at the corner of the house, a shade spell draped over their body to hide them from sight. Unlike the other three, there was the foul taste of necromancy and the sharp sweetness of some other type of magic. Sweat prickled her skin as the fear burned along her veins. She didn't think they would be coming for her like this or so soon.
(Alpha, the Shadows are burning.)
Calligraphic spells of protection ran across her mind as she pushed her senses beyond the barrier of the worlds and into the Shadows. The familiar shifting walls of the mansion were on fire, the flames as brilliant as the sun. She pulled back and shook her head. (Too dangerous.)
His ears perked up. (They're coming through the wall.) With his thoughts, his senses connected with her own. She could hear a roaring through the wall and the smell the smoldering wall beyond the dressers set up along the outer wall. Another wave of heat rolled through the room and flames flickered in the cracks between the furniture.
A blast of magic burned along her senses as it rushed toward the wall. She could feel the destructive energies burning her mind as it came up.
Merrie sent out a quick order as she used her cloak to grab the edges of the bed. (Tamin, circle around and kill the hiding one.)
(Yes, Alpha!) His dark form shot out the door. He bounced off the far wall and sprinted down the hall.
Merrie yanked the bed up, using magical strength and the cloak to lever the hundred kilogram frame on two legs and then brought it down on the side. Her cloak released the bed and spread out in a shield as the wall of her bedroom exploded inward.
The concussion blast slammed the bed back. Merrie yelped and planted her knees on the frame as it rushed toward the far wall. Her cloak shoved back on the bed, bracing her and stopping the mattress from crushing her. Burning blankets rained down on her head and she flowed out from the bed to escape them.
“There you are,” declared a man with a deep voice. He was a powerfully built man in black plate armor that had runes that glowed like embers. He wielded a large one-handed sword that burned with black flames. “Time for your new master—”
Her cloak burst out of the burning remains of the bed and slammed into his helm. There was a wet sucking noise as it disappeared through the visor and the man staggered back. His muffled scream rose in the air before a wet crunch silenced him.
Merrie raced past the first attacker and into the yard. The entire side of the house was on fire, burning brightly and sparking from the magical flames. There were two more attackers left.
Tamin came around the corner of the house, moving with the silence of shadows. His feet flowed along the ground as he came up behind an archer with a glowing bow. It was a young woman with slender hips, but it didn't matter as he bit down on the back of her neck and flipped over. A muffled pop noise came as her spine snapped and she went limp.
(You know, Alpha, all of these people want to be your master. Maybe one of these can make you their bitch?)
Grinning at Tamin's humor. (The first two already failed the try-outs.)
(Good idea. We try to kill them and if anyone wins, they get to be your master.)
Merrie transformed into a hound and raced for the nearest attacker. It was a heavy-set man sheathed in fire magic that wasn't his own. He had a staff in his hand, but his face was pale and dripping with sweat.
As he saw her coming, he stumbled back. “S-Sit!” With a gulp, he tried again. “You have to obey! Sit!”
His stuttered words had no dominance over her. Merrie snarled as she jumped at him. (You failed.)
She landed on his chest, throwing him back against the wall. She bit down, tearing open his belly and yanking out a meter of intestine before jumping away to avoid a sword slash from the third attacker, a man in scaled armor.
“Help me,” croaked the disemboweled man.
“I'm trying to!” snapped the other man as he tried to stab her. “Try to pin her down. Can you see the collar?”
The fallen man shook his head. His hands were bloody as he tried to shove his organs back into his stomach. “No… wait. I think I see it in her—”
Merrie tore out his throat before he could continue. Her cloak, dripping blood, wrapped around her. It was hot and sticky, but she focused on it long enough to feel the heavy collar press against her chest.
“Fuck this, this bitch will heal after I collar her.” Magic exploded from his body and his attacks became a blur, his blade screaming through the air as he attacked Merrie.
She dodged as quickly as she could, flowing around the slashes, but the blows kept coming and he was better skilled than she was. She shifted from one side to another, trying to get a opening to attack through his armor.
But, her opponent was too fast. His sword flashed across her and sliced along her shoulder, and then her side. Another attack caught her ear, slicing it open. As the blood began to soak into her fur, more attacks slashed her collar, paws, and chest. It tore through her cloak and the shreds of black fluttered to the ground.
Merrie stopped trying to attack him and tried to back away, but he followed her. Her body blurred and flowed away, but he slammed the sword down into her cloak and she was flipped over. The impact threw her back into physical form and she struggled to get back on her paws.
He yanked out the sword and slashed again, this time it struck the adamantite collar and it rang out like a heavy bell. “I got it!” he struck again, cutting into the cloak and slicing into her furry chest. Blood poured out as the collar fell out and hit the ground.
With a gasp, she lurched for it.
The fighter drove his sword into the cloak and pinned it to the ground again. His steel-toed boot caught her in the wrist, kicking her away from the collar. Spinning around, he followed up with another blow to her head.
Stars exploded across her vision. Merrie's heart pounded loudly in her ears as she shifted into shadow form and slid toward the collar. But, despite her speed, the fighter stepped over to it and bent over to scoop it off the ground.
A heavy boot slammed the collar back to the ground.
Merrie looked up just as Gillette pull back and punch the man across the chin. As Merrie's opponent staggered back, Gillette spun around and his scythe flashed out. The sharp, curved point caught the man between the ribs and it sliced through his armor like butter. The massive blade flashed out the other side with a spurt of blood.
Gillette looked down at her. “You looked in trouble.”
The attacker's upper body hit the ground with a wet smack and a spray of blood.
Panting, Merrie nodded and barked once.
“I saw a number of groups heading this way, all of them armed for war. At least two groups are fighting over you a few streets over. This is just the first wave, Shades.”
Merrie moaned and pressed her wrist against her breast. The blade had cut a line from her collar to her opposing leg. The agony burned along her senses and crimson blood splashed on the ground beneath her. She leaned to the side just as Tamin sat down next to her and caught her.
(Alpha, I found two assassins in the shadows. Neither are among the living now, but one was a shadow dancer and is currently feeding a Lord of Shadows.)
Merrie shivered at the memory of her master dying. She bumped her head against his chest. (Are the Shadows safe now?)
As the Lord of Shadows feasted on the soul of the shadow dancer, the Shadow version of the mansion crumbled around it. The dark energies rotted away at the fires and extinguish them. It finished consuming the soul but instead of splitting as it did with Merrie's master and the creatures of the forest, it did nothing. There wasn't enough power in the assassin's soul to let it reproduce.
Gillette grunted as he wiped his blade clean. “Do you know why they're attacking?”
Merrie glanced down at the collar still underneath his boot. To him, it was just a black ring and had no significance. To her, it was her entire world. Slowly, she dragged her eyes up along his muscular thigh and powerful chest. He was the warrior she could dream of bonding to. And, in person, her fantasies bubbled in the bottom of her thoughts.
Her skin tingled with anticipation. He could be her master. Her throat was dry and her heart pounded loudly in her chest. The pains of her injuries faded away as she stared at him, seeing him for what she wanted and aching to feel him against her mind. She just had to ask.
Taking a deep breath, she projected the thoughts. (Will you be my master?)
Gillette blanched and his thoughts wavered with shock. He turned sharply away. “W-What?” he choked.
She sent an image of the collar he was standing on along with the memories of what it was: the conference with Kirin and Monk, Rakin's own thoughts, and even the letter from Rendi. (I need a master and that collar gives me one. These attackers,) she gestured to the disemboweled man dying behind her, (are willing to kill to own me.)
He stepped sharply away from the collar as if it burned him. “This isn't the place or the time.”
Her fantasies were crushed in an instant with the sharpness of his rejection. There was a finality in his voice, a promise that he would never be hers. She whimpered softly as she started at him, struggling with the devastation that slammed into her.
Tamin tensed next to her.
Gillette glanced at her and then sighed. He spoke in a sharp voice but there was none of the vibrancy of his southern accent. “Decisions like that should not be made in the heat of battle. We'll defeat your opponents and then we'll talk.”
She reached out to read his thoughts, but there was nothing.
He turned away from her and headed toward the front gate. “There are more attackers coming. Send your dog to handle the ones in the back. Come with me and we'll take out the frontal assault.”
Merrie shivered at the command, the pleasure rising up. Maybe he would accept her after the fight. She barked once and followed after him, shifting into her human form and then back into a hound, erasing most of her injuries.
“Useful trick,” Gillette said with a grim smile.
(I have a few more.)
Three men stepped out on the street. She recognized one of them as Baron Falon from the day Rakin was convicted. Falon gestured toward her. “Kill the man and break her legs. I get the collar.”
The two men flanking Falon held out their hands and bright flames blossomed around their fists. It stretched over their bodies as they dropped into a defensive position.
“Those tricks,” Gillette said in a low voice, “any of them useful in combat?”
She barked cheerfully.
“Then we might get through this. Take the one on the right, I'll handle the left.”
He slammed his scythe once on the ground and then charged forward. Merrie chased after him, spells surging through her veins.
Twenty-five minutes later, the streets were on fire and blood poured through the gutters. Merrie stepped over Falon's corpse as she limped back to the front gate. She barely remembered ripping out Falon's guts when the next attack came. Four separate groups later had blurred her memories. Fortunately, the last two fought against each other as much as her and Gillette.
Her body ached from the battle and her efforts to heal herself. She sighed and leaned against the shattered remains of her front gate and looked at the house. The north wing burned brightly and part of the gardens were razed to the ground.
Gillette groaned and leaned against his scythe. He was covered in cuts and bruises. His hand smoked from an acid attack and he had torn part of his shirt to use as a bandage for a head wound. “You know, Shades, you are a pretty good fighter.”
She nodded and sighed. (Tamin, how are you?)
The hound sent a wave of love mixed in with exhaustion. (Two more archers killed and someone from the Assassin's Guild.)
(Good boy.)
His thoughts burned with affection and pride.
“I think every single adventurer and villain in this town is coming after you.” Gillette shook his head. “Someone has been talking. Any idea who?”
The images of Monk and Kirin flashed past, but she knew neither would have spilled. Someone, and she would kill them when she found out, had told the city that she had the collar and how to find her. Her lips pulled back in a snarl.
“Are you really that powerful?”
Merrie blushed and looked away. (I did create the Shadowed District.)
“But you destroyed it and that is what matters. Why would the evil people,” he kicked Falon's corpse, “be after you?”
(Because my power comes from submission. When I submit to my master's will, I both gain and enhance their powers. The more powerful they are, the more powerful I become.)
He slammed his scythe on the ground and blood on his blade dripped off, leaving it clean and polished. “But, you're good.”
(I'm what my master demands of me.) She tried to hold back the desperate hope that he would accept her. Her cloak tightened around her, holding the adamantite collar firmly against her chest.
“So, if the person that collars you is evil, you'll become evil?”
She nodded. (And if they are good and noble,) she fought the urge to picture him, (I would remain the way I am now.)
Gillette grunted. “That's a pretty big choice.”
She nodded.
“You would be a dangerous opponent.”
(Alpha, there are more coming.)
Merrie let her hound form slip off, leaving her exposed and naked. She noticed Gillette peeking at her, a blush on his cheeks. With a smile, she shimmied her body before letting the hound form wrap around her again.
“You always go naked like that?”
She panted and began to cast her combat spells again. (It is part of who I am, sex and submission.) Her ears drooped. (Is that a problem?)
He chuckled and shook his head. “I was married to two women at the same time. I can understand that. It's just… strange to see a beautiful, naked woman in the middle of combat.”
A blush burned her cheeks.
With a smile, he stood up straighter. “Seeing you transform, I presume there are more coming?”
Merrie sent a pulse to identify the attackers. She nodded and let more magic flow through her veins. The mental wave came back and she smiled at the familiar minds. It was Tai, Fang, Gom, and Snick. Her tail wagged back and forth as the transformation spell burned away, leaving her naked and squirming.
“What are you…? Are they enemies?”
(No, they're allies.) As the guards came around the corner, she presented their names to Gillette.
“Lacy!” called out Tai as she strode closer. Her boots splashed through the blood and debris. With a grin, she dropped to her knee and hugged Merrie tightly. “Gail sent us. There is a rumor through the whole city about your collar. Everyone is coming for you.”
Merrie licked her face. Over Tai's shoulder, she caught Fang looking embarrassed. She sent a delicate thought to him. (I'm sorry.)
Fang nodded. He opened his mouth, but then closed it. After gulping, he whispered. “Can we talk later?”
She sent a wave of agreement before wrapping her arm over Tai's shoulder.
“What's happening, girl?”
Merrie sent a compressed wave of memories to all four of the guards. The other three flinched at her intruding thoughts, but Tai was used to it already.
Tai stood up and turned to Gillette. “You're Gillette?”
Gillette came to a stop next to them. “Yes, Shades told you who I am?”
Merrie quirked at the two names they had given her. She could feel the confusion in their minds. (Both names work.)
Tai patted Merrie on the head. “Yes. She says… thinks… that you are excellent at strategy. Where do you want us?”
Gillette looked surprised for a moment, then cocked his head with a nod. “I am. Shades, who is coming?”
Merrie sent out four pulses in the directions, stretching out as far as she could. The wave of power rippled out across her mind, reflecting thoughts of submissives and people in the city. But then more ripples came back, of people draped in protective energies and brimming with enhancement spells. She could feel magical weapons and combat spells being prepared. And through all the thoughts was the lust for power. Her heart beating faster, she informed the others in her group.
“Very well, you and you,” he pointed to Gom and Snick, “in the back with the black dog. Protect our flanks but don't do anything stupid.”
Gom smirked and batted Snick. “Don't worry, we never do.”
His eyes scanned over both of the guards. “The dog is a better fighter than both of you combined,” he said in a sharp voice. “Let him handle the bigger fighters and mages.”
Both of their smiles dropped. There was a prickle of annoyance, but then respect. They both saluted him. “Yes, sir.”
Gillette turned to Tai and Fang. “All three of us are pure fighters. There's going to be a lot of magic flying around. I know the guards have anti-magic charms, but be careful. We'll use Shades to handle the mages and airborne attackers.”
“Yes, sir,” came the response.
Merrie got on her knees and barked. She squirmed her hips, enjoying the heat that boiled inside her. Her cloak rippled along her body, pressing the heavy metal ring to her breast. Soon, he would be her master.
An explosion rocked the house across the street from the mansion. It exploded into a column of flames. Shards of the house shot across the street but the shrapnel hit the ground before her feet.
“So, Shades,” Gillette said as he slammed his scythe against the ground. “If they want you so badly, why are they coming to kill?”
Merrie shook as she transformed into a hound. (Because if I'm collared, I can't die.) She shot forward, her body becoming liquid shadow as she raced toward a man stepping out of the flames wearing robes and sparkling with magic. (And, I like it rough.)
“I saw the snow and blood,” Gillette said as he raced after her. “I'm not into that, you know.”
She beamed as she lashed out at the mage. She bounced off a force field, but her cloak snapped out to grab the man's leg. Gillette's words burned in her mind. He was still considering her request. The heat and passion rose up, fueling her magic and she punched out with her mind, shattering the mage's shields and dominating him.
The sparkling mage froze in place, his eyes glazing over.
Gillette gutted him from groin to throat. The blood splattered everywhere, misting into the air.
Merrie flinched and turned away, the cloak rippling to protected the collar from blood. She didn't know if it could be activated by a dead man, but she wasn't going to take any chances.
“Incoming,” Tai snapped, “from the south!”
“And above!” yelled Fang.
Merrie spun around and peered down the street. There was a man wrapped in white cloth from head to toe. He was running low across the ground, a curved blade dripping as he followed the wall. Behind him, there was another man still falling to the ground clutching his cut throat. She snapped her head up to see a thousand arrows raining down on her. Each one burned brilliantly with elemental magic. With a gasp, she turned to Gillette.
“Get the others,” he commanded. Grabbing his scythe with two hands, he spun it above his head and the blade screamed as it blurred into a disk.
She flowed back across the cobblestones, reaching Fang and Tai in an instant. As her body solidified, her cloak spread out over them into two wide wings.
The arrows slammed down into the ground, shattering cobblestones and piercing rocks. The magic punched holes into her cloak, shredding it. She whimpered as the contents of the pockets rained down on her, the ill-gotten goods of her cloak's kleptomania: rings and necklaces, thousands of marks in coins and bills, even fruit and clothes. The prince's underwear, the one that Rimmy stole, landed in a puddle of blood. More of it came down, mixing in with the shredded remains of her cloak.
And the arrows kept piercing her cloak and shattering the rocks around her. Magic burst around her, tiny explosions of concussion punching her from all directions.
She twisted her cloak, deflecting the arrows from Tai and Fang, but she couldn't dodge and protect all three of them at the same time. Agony burst along her senses as an arrowhead slammed into her thigh, digging deep into the muscle and cracking the cobblestone underneath her paws. Another caught her tail while a third clipped her neck.
“Bitch!” cried Tai as she covered her head protectively.
Merrie whined at the pain, but kept protecting the two guards until the storm of arrows ended. She shuddered as the cloak wrapped back around her, the fabric almost ruined by the attack. She brought the collar back to her breast, but as she did, she heard it rip.
Gasping, she looked down as the collar slipped out of the torn fabric. It hit the ground and rang out loudly. Her heart stopped at the noise. It rolled over the stone, narrowly avoiding puddles of blood.
(No!) she screamed as she crawled after it.
“I got it!” Fang yelled as he raced after it. He jumped over a man's corpse, stomping on the ground trying to stop it. He tripped over Falon's outstretched arm and fell forward. He caught the ring as he slammed into the street.
Gillette's scythe came down on the collar, punching through the gap in the ring and into Fang's hand. A splatter of crimson blood spurted out in all directions, splashing on the collar and splattering the cobblestones.
Fang and Merrie screamed as one. Her voice tore through her throat, not quite a human's words but the scream of a dog being tortured.
The collar rang out like a bell, vibrating in Fang's ruined hand. It began to glow crimson as a line burst out of it and slammed into Merrie's heart. She shuddered at the impact but then crying out as she felt spells beginning to wrap around her soul. Runes raced across her mind, flashing with dizzying speed.
“Fang!” snapped Tai.
“You fucker!” sobbed Fang. He clutched his hand. Blood pouring down on the ground with wet splatters. Gillette's scythe had sliced his hand in half, almost completely cutting off his long finger and thumb from the rest of his palm.
Gillette yanked the scythe out of the ground. “Damn!” Blood dripped from the blade. He stepped forward and helped Fang up. “I thought it was getting away. Tai! Where is the nearest healer?”
Merrie could hear Tai yelling, but her eyes were locked on the collar. It was glowing bright red and whispers of power rolled through her senses. She whimpered as she looked up at Fang. He couldn't be her master. He didn't have the will or strength. She let out a sob, it couldn't be him.
(Alpha!) Tamin's concerned burned in her mind.
(No, no, it can't be him.) The transformation spell slipped away from her, leaving her naked and alone.
Fang dropped to his knees. He looked at her, his body trembling. “I'm sorry, Bitch. I didn't mean to do that.”
“You didn't,” snapped Tai as she glared at Gillette.
Merrie whimpered as she shook her head. (No, not him.) She looked down at the blood-covered collar.
“I-I don't want to be her master,” Fang whispered. “I'm not good enough. Not for her, I can't be hers.”
The sound of marching filled the street. Merrie looked up to see armed statues streaming in from a few blocks away. They were moving in perfect synchronization and commanded by two women in the center of the statues.
Down the other street, another woman wearing only a cloth over her breasts and one over her hips came sprinting down the street. Her body blurred as she held a huge, large-blade spear behind her.
Merrie looked up at Gillette. (Please, be my master. If you use more precious blood, you can—)
“No.” Gillette turned his back on her and slammed his scythe against the ground. “Sorry, but I can't make that choice. Not right now, not in the middle of battle.” In the stunned silence, he charged toward the statues with his scythe held high above his head.
Her heart broke in half. Merrie reached out for him but he was too far away and no longer listening to her projections. She closed her eyes tightly and let the sob tear out of her throat.
Tai cleared her throat. “Is… is there anything we can do?”
Merrie's ass hit the ground. (No, it's too late. The only thing else I can do is find someone willing to give up more precious blood and bind me.)
Her stomach twisted in agony but her pussy throbbed with need. She was going to be bound again, though it wasn't to anyone she even considered a possibility.
“Is there,” Fang leaned against Tai as he stood up, “anyone else? Any other masters you wanted?”
(The prince?) came Tamin's thought as the hound bit through someone's leg.
(The prince?) repeated Merrie.
“The prince?” Tai said with a shock. “You know the prince?”
Merrie's ears drooped. (Sort of. No, not really. But, it was the only other person I could think of who could be my master. I can't get to Borias in time. I don't know how to get to Blood County from here. No… no, the prince is the only one left.)
Tai nodded and stepped back. She closed her eyes and called for Gail. The psionic call was harsh against Merrie's senses, but Gail responded almost immediately.
Fang groaned and clutched his sword. “Pardon the Vigilant's pardon, but we have company.” Grabbing his sword with his off-hand, he shoved past Merrie to intercept the woman attacking from the far side. “Get out of the way, Bitch. Hide the collar and don't put it on! I like you, but I really don't want to be your fucking master!”
Merrie raced over to the collar and scooped it off the ground. Fang's blood was sharp in her mouth. Transforming back into a hound and wrapping her cloak tightly around her, she raced for the house. Part of house was burning, but the protection spells would shield her from detection long enough for her to find a gap to slip into the Shadows. She only hoped that the Lord of Shadows had stopped the fires and whatever prevented her from stepping across.
The heavy collar slapped her chin as she sprinted for the comfort of her bedroom. She jumped through the burning hole in the side and into the hallway. Wrapping herself with every repulsion and shade spell she could, she raced for the back room, the room where she had bonded the first time. It was quiet and safe from sight. And, besides the porch, it was the other place that the barriers between the worlds were thinnest.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she dropped the glowing collar on the ground. It rang out loudly until she stepped on it. Her transformation slipped away and she was once again naked, but covered in cuts and bruises. She was exhausted, but the terror in her mind continued to burn through her.
The spells on the collar were wrapping around her thoughts. She could feel the desire to put on the collar, a hunger that was rising up in her thoughts. She would have a master. Fang was like her first master, but she knew what she wanted now. She could work with him, teach him.
Trembling, she reached out for the collar but pulled back. She couldn't put it on, not until the prince came. Maybe he would be her master, but she knew he wouldn't accept it. Her ears drooped with her thoughts. He was the prince of the country, one of the most powerful people in the country, and he wasn't willing to bind himself forever to a bitch like herself.
Tears splashed down on the floor, puddling underneath her. She shook her head.
(Fang will be a poor alpha, Alpha.)
She sniffed. (I know, but what can I do?)
(What if the prince doesn't agree?)
Merrie couldn't think of it. (What choice will I have? I'll be bonded to Fang.)
She bowed her head and stared at the collar. The magic was pulling her attention, begging for her to put on the collar. It was seductive, a promise of an orgasm that would never end. She shook her head as she stroked the heavy metal.
A droplet of blood dripped off her ear and splashed down on the ground next to it. A moment later, the soft splatter of more blood came coursing down her cheeks, mixing in with the tears before landing on the ground.
She stared at it, her heart speeding up. The crimson splatters were stark against the black ring and the stained wood underneath. Tamin's words came up through her head.
(You bleed crimson, not black.)
Merrie whimpered as she stared at the blood. She lifted her arm to her ear, stroking it and bringing it down. The smears of crimson coated her wrist, reminding her of both her cropping and her mortality. There was another master, one that she never considered before: herself.
She gulped. (Tamin?)
He was in the middle of fighting, dancing from the shadows as he lashed out at an assassin. (If you make a mistake, your alpha will be Fang.)
(What if the prince doesn't agree?)
(Then your master will be Fang or the person who defeats you.)
She shook her head and slumped to the ground. (I have to wait.) She shivered and curled up, clutching the ring to her breast. Her body ached from the fighting and her exhaustion. All her plans were ruined by Gillette's sharp words and the agony of rejection cut at her heart.
The house shuddered from an explosion.
(Stone golem is attacking from the back wall. Gillette is back here fighting it.)
She felt useless cowering in the shadows. (Is Tai and Fang okay?)
(Yes, I'm in the front with them. Fang is struggling but, I'm keeping him alive. He refuses to go to a healer and he will probably be scarred for life.)
Merrie curled tighter. (Thank you.)
(Be safe, Alpha. My own meaning in existence is your happiness.)
She sent a pulse of love and then wrapped the shade tighter around herself. She would hide, at least until she got the answer.
Time passed painfully slow, punctuated only by the pulse of her heart. She activated her time spell for five minutes and counted the seconds until it passed. She did it again and again. Outside, the fighting continued to rage. She could feel Tamin's exhaustion and sent him spells to bolster him, but she wasn't out there fighting. She was helpless.
Gail's thoughts drifted across hers. (Black Lace?)
Merrie could feel regret and sorrow in the telepath's mind. She closed her eyes tightly and a tear ran down her cheek.
(I'm sorry. We couldn't get to him, he is in a private conference with the king and queen.)
Slowly, Merrie opened her eyes. She felt dead inside for a moment, the regret and fear burning in her mind. Sending out a wave of thanks, she wrapped her shields tightly around herself.
Trembling, she got on her knees, with the ring between her thighs. She took a long deep breath and looked down at the collar. (Tamin? Can I be my own master?)
(You already are, Alpha, for years now you have answered to no one but yourself.)
(What if it doesn't work?)
(Then, we'll teach him how to hunt.) There was sadness and trepidation in the hound's thoughts, but he was willing to risk everything for her.
Hesitation and fear stopped her. She looked down at her blood-streaked thighs and focused on the glowing red collar. Guilt burned inside her, she didn't know if having Fang or no master was better than the other. Could she, as an alpha and a submissive, have no master?
Her throat was dry and her chest hurt. She didn't want to make a choice but she had to. Both she and Fang knew that they couldn't remain bonded.
Steeling herself, she caught the ring between her wrists and held it up.
Her cloak slipped from her body and flowed across the floor to a fire and dove into it. The flames flared up and then died away, but it was enough to burn away any blood that clung to the ripping fabric. It came back, smoking and ripping. It wouldn't last much longer, but she only needed it for one last thing.
It rose up behind her, forming the snake-like head with two black eyes. She concentrated until its head became a long, sharp point. When she was threatened, it was poised to strike her enemies. It had ripped through internal organs and shredded her opponents from the inside. Now, it was the only way she could get the most precious blood she could, from her heart.
Closing her eyes tightly, she held the collar up in front of her. Her breasts rose and fell with her thoughts, the sweat and blood drying on her skin. Her nipples were hard and aching, just as her pussy burned with anticipation. She was going to bind and, one way or the other, she would have a master.
(Tamin, if this fails…)
(I will love you always, Alpha. For the rest of my life. It matters not if you bind with yourself or Fang, I will defend you. If you die, then I will die with you.)
The cloak snapped forward, the long point punching into her back, just left of the spine. It burst out of her breast as a black sword of animated cloth.
Agony exploded across Merrie's senses and her heart skipped a beat. It began to beat faster and blood spurted out of her chest, soaking her arms and legs. It poured out on the collar.
The crimson glow became a burning light, searing bright enough she could see it through her wrists and even her bones. It speared through the room and burned away the shadows.
The cloak burned away from the light, fading away as if it was nothing more than shadow itself. With it passing, the hole in her chest ripped open and blood spurted out and coated the floor, her arms, and the collar with more blood.
Dizziness slammed into her and she swayed forward. It was hard to breathe and her heart was beating too fast. It rammed against her ribs and she gaped for breath. Her arms shook and the collar slipped from her grip. It rang out loudly on the wooden floor and rolled away from her, a blood-red sun that she couldn't focus on.
Merrie tried to crawl after it, but the strength fled her and she slumped to the ground. Blood continued to spurt out of her, pooling underneath her body and spreading out in a puddle of her life. She forced herself to her wrists and crawled toward the light.
She slipped in her own blood and slammed into the ground. Sobbing, she tried to get purchase on the wooden floor, but it was too slippery.
(Tamin… help…) Her thoughts faded as her vision grew black.
Tamin spun on his heels and raced back toward the house. But, before he could reach the house, a concussion blast threw him across the garden. He hit the ground twice before flipping over the rotted fence into the next yard. He limped as he got back to his feet. (Alpha, I'm coming!)
Merrie strained to reach the bright star of the collar. It was the only thing she could see anymore. Everything else was pitch black.
A tapping filled the room. And then the light rose up from the ground. Merrie whimpered as she reached up for it, her body shaking with the effort to lift herself off the ground. Searing hot blood dripped off her breasts and sluiced down her stomach. It followed the line of her sex before splashing to the ground.
“When a normal person,” said Kirin in a sad voice, “is presented with artifact that destroys their will, they throw it away and beg to have it destroyed.” The guild mistress crouched down in front of her, her thick cock splashing in the blood. She wiped Merrie's cheek before pushing her up into a kneeling position. “There you go, Merrie, on your knees. Remember, bitches kneel.”
Merrie sobbed, blind to everything but the crimson star. She reached out for it. (P-Please?)
(Alpha,) Tamin's thoughts came cutting through the darkness, (the guild fighters are here. I'm coming.) Images of Elf and Pristine fighting flashed by, along with Scorch putting out the fires in the mansion.
(Kirin is here.)
There was a soft shudder of the Shadows and Tamin was there, leaning his icy body against hers. (As is Monk.)
Kirin set the adamantite collar into Merrie's arms. It slipped from her grip and hung on her right arm. “When an Alpha is given a collar, I bet she came so many times as she tried to decide on a master.”
Merrie gulped and clutched the collar, trying to lever it up to her neck. She needed to put it on. If she could collar herself, she would be safe. It slipped and she gaped with need. She reached out for Tamin, borrowing his senses.
Kirin wore a gold corset, matching heels, and nothing else. Her hair was done up as if she was at a party, but she stood in the pool of Merrie's blood as if it was something she did ever day.
Next to her, Monk stood in his red robes. His lips were pressed into a thin line and he looked uncomfortable.
Kirin pressed the collar between Merrie's wrist. When Merrie tried to pull it up, she held it down. “When people like you and me are given such terrible things like this, we do the unexpected.” She smiled. “But, we need a few more seconds before you put it on.”
Merrie gaped, her lungs burned and her heart pounded against her ribs. Every slam tore her breath away and she sobbed silently, her throat no longer making any noise. Blood spurted out of her chest and poured down her chest and thighs. It felt like she was coming, but it came with a cold pain that spread out across her senses.
“Just a few more seconds, Merrie. Just hold on, just a few seconds.” Kirin's soothing voice blurred with the guild mistress' Presence. It forced her to pay attention, to match her gasps with Kirin's words.
A flash of magic filled the room. Tamin spun around, snarling, but stopped when he saw Sari, the ghostly former guild master of the Whore's Guild. “Greetings to the current and still living guild mistress.” The four-armed ghost bowed and turned to Monk. “And the future and still living guild master.”
Monk blushed almost as red as his robes.
Kirin held Merrie firmly. “Sari, has the tree been warned?”
“Yes, the branches of the World Tree above us have been evacuated. Furthermore, you have been ordered by Her Royal Highness to present yourself at the fifth bell on pain of treason.”
Kirin chuckled dryly. “Monk, clear my schedule. I think the queen is going to need a bit of kissing up after this.” She kissed Merrie on the forehead before speaking again. “Tamin, if you can, join the fight and help. If you can't, then protect yourself. I'm not going to have Bitch's bitch getting hurt if I can help it.”
Tamin snarled at her. (I'm going to hump her face until she chokes.)
Merrie swooned with the dizziness and a high-pitch whine filled her ears. (Why don't they collar me?)
(They have their reason. But, I'll remain and you will give me your pain.)
Merrie gaped and let the agony fill Tamin. The large hound shuddered at the pain, the muscles underneath his fur bunching up, but he remained in place, acting as her ears and eyes.
“Monk? Go to my right. Sari, left. Get your force shields up. We probably,” she pressed her hand against Merrie's chest, “have less than a minute. Just keep breathing. But, first things first…”
With one hand, Kirin reached back and grabbed a large, two liter bottle of wine. Using her thumb, she ground into the side of the neck until the top of the bottle snapped off. Shards of glass flew everywhere but Kirin didn't seem to be bothered by the sharp edges. She wrapped her lips around the end and chugged it.
Merrie stared at her with shock, using Tamin's eyes, as the gulping noises filled the room. She could barely hear it over her own frantic heartbeats, but she couldn't do anything besides watch as the guild mistress finished the bottle.
Kirin tossed the bottle aside with a gasp. “One more.” She reached back and grabbed an identical bottle. Snapping off the top, she started to chug it.
Monk stood about a meter or so to Merrie's side. He held out his hands and was chanting underneath his breath. Lines appeared before him, swirling around as they sank into unrecognizable letters and strange symbols. The bright red lines were paled compared to the brilliance of the collar in her lap, but she watched as they filled up into a wide circle, three meters across. There wasn't even a millimeter of space between the lines. The smell of incense and ozone filled the air and sparks crackled along the shield.
“One more bottle…”
Sari, on the other hand, just stood there with his four hands clasped together and a faint smile on his lips. The translucent ghost looked unworried as he watched Monk.
With a sigh, Monk spoke sharply. “I'm not as fast as you, okay?”
The dead guild master shrugged. “Speed and strength comes with practice and need. If you want, I'm sure you can take a leave of absence and go to the battle lines for a few months. When you come back, I'm sure you'll be faster.”
Monk shuddered. “I'm a lover, not a fighter.”
Sari stretched his fingers and shrugged.
The world spun around Merrie. Her connection with Tamin faded out and he trembled to take her pain. She gaped and leaned into Kirin as the guild mistress finished her third bottle. (It hurts.)
Tamin growled and barked impatiently for her, speaking where Merrie couldn't.
Kirin gasped and tossed the bottle to the side. The glass shattered against the wall, but there wasn't even a drop as it fell to the ground. “Okay!” Her breath stank of strong wine, “Needed to get sloshed for this. Merrie,” her smile dropped, “I know you're scared and bleeding everywhere, but trust me. Please?”
Merrie whimpered, it was getting hard to think through a dark haze filling her mind. The only thing that kept her from slipping away was Tamin's presence. He was an anchor in her mind, holding her down and in her body.
“But, this is important. We are dealing with very powerful magic right now, both your powers and that collar. If everything goes perfectly, nothing will happen, but not even Rakin planned for you to put the collar on yourself. It could create a feedback loop that causes one or both of you to explode. And maybe take out the city.”
Blanching, Merrie shook her head.
“Don't worry. The Guild takes care of its own and we'll fulfill our duties to the crown. The three of us are an insurance against that. If anything explodes, it won't take out the city… just the tree above us.”
“Destruction of the World Tree is—”
“Monk, honey,” Kirin's eyes flashed gold, “if you finish that sentence, I'm going to rape your ass until Dith is pregnant.”
Monk snapped his mouth shut.
“So, I'm going to help you put the collar on yourself. I'm not going to touch it. I'm not going to bleed on it or do anything to get involved. And, if anything blows up, I want you to aim up, okay? And,” she smiled, “if you have to lash out, hit me. Do you understand?”
Merrie couldn't breath. Her mouth was open, but her lungs were no longer working. The frantic beating of her heart had grown erratic and the blood wasn't flowing as fast as anymore. She couldn't feel her limbs and her thoughts were quickly growing dark.
Tamin barked for Merrie.
She felt Kirin pressing her wrists against the collar again, moving her limbs for her. The sure grip of the guild mistress was an anchor, it felt unreal and graceful as the mistress held the heavy adamantite collar between her wrists and brought it up to her neck.
The glowing metal burned at her skin. The two ends were brands right along her throat and she could feel the spells pulsating. Her blindness only intensified the sensations and her entire existence became nothing but the collar. It was hers and it would bind her forever.
Despite adamantite being the strong metal known, somehow it fitted around her neck. One moment it was pressing against her throat, the next it was drawing two burning lines on each side of her neck, tracing the sensitive sides of her neck.
She froze as she felt the metal starting to pull together. It felt like a large cock pressed against her ass, that moment where another millimeter thrust would force the glans inside and everything would slurp into place. She was at the moment, the final moment without a collar.
Kirin's hands pulled away from her own.
Merrie was alone in her world, blind and deaf to everything. She was dying and yet she had her salvation pressed against her neck. With one little push, she would be owned… by herself.
She whimpered and shook her head. She couldn't feel anything, not even Tamin. It was her choice, her only choice.
A dark thought rose up. If she held it there, she would die. The pain would end and oblivion would take her. Her soul would be safe from the Lord of Shadows. She would simply cease to exist.
Her heart stopped.
Her ears stopped ringing.
The silence was deafening.
And then she was falling back.
She was sure someone was screaming.
And Tamin was calling for her.
With the smallest push, she let the collar come free of her neck. Metal seared along her skin as the adamantite sealed itself around her neck forever. Spells, hundreds of them, slammed across her mind as power coursed through her. She felt it stretched out from her throat and down into her body, seeping into every fiber of her muscles, every shard of bone, and every tendon. The spells kept coming, burning their way into her body and mind. She could taste the casters but could only identify Rendi's sweetness and the endless rage of Rakin. The others were just tastes and smells and feels as they forced their way through her nerves and dominated her.
She opened her eyes and saw again. Her vision was clear as she traced the swirls of plaster on the ceiling.
“Merrie?” Kirin whispered. “Merrie, are you okay?”
Kirin knelt on one side of her and Tamin sat on the other. Both looked down at her with concern radiating from their minds. There was a clarity of her senses, a sharpness in Kirin's emotions. Fear, hope, and desperation. The guild mistress loved her, but it was the same love she had for Nir and the others. Merrie was a daughter to her just like the rest of the guild. It was the only family Kirin could ever have.
Merrie's chest burned with yellow-green flames. As she took a breath, the flames faded into a dull pulse as the regeneration spell took hold. She could breath, but it ached as the hole began to seal up, crusting over the edges. She was sick to her stomach and every part of her body screamed out, but she was alive.
Shuddering, she tried to sit up but failed.
“Let me.” Kirin scooped her up and brought her into a sitting position. “Do you want to kneel?”
Merrie nodded and then winced as Kirin and Tamin pushed her into her natural position, kneeling in front of others. The collar settled around her neck, a heavy weight that bore down on her.
She gasped and reached up for it, caressing the ridge. Her wrist caught on something, a bump on the otherwise smooth surface. She frowned and touched it again. It felt like something had melted onto the ring. Frowning, she tried to identify it but the collar was forever around her neck and out of her sight.
Desperate to know what happened, she reached out for Tamin. (L—)
Her world exploded into agony. The projected thought came rippling back, echoing in her head and building up with power. She could feel it channeling through the collar and back into her own head, building up power until she was screaming in agony.
Energy burst out of her, black shadow tendrils that burst out of every darkness in the room. She couldn't escape it and every heartbeat increased its power. It was the same pulse Dixie sent to Tabitha for power, but it wasn't seconds to gain power but an instant magnification. The power flowed out of her and reflected back magnified, but then as she accepted it, she magnified it again and again. The power tore at her senses until she was blind to everything but the power rising inside her.
Tamin's thought reached into her and suddenly there was a place for her agony. She let it pour into her companion and he screamed out of his own. He was in agony, but he refused to pull back. (G-Give,) he tried to command, his mind barely able to handle the pain that flowed through their connection.
“… guess… we… problem.” Kirin stood as she spoke, her words barely audible over Merrie's screaming. Plaster and dust poured off her body and her forehead was bleeding. She strode forward holding two bottles in her hands. She slammed her feet into place and smashed the glass in front of her. The wine exploded into air, splattering in all directions, but then froze in place. Kirin's eyes glowed a brilliant gold as she snapped her hands out.
The suspended wine followed the movement, forming a massive shield of infernal runes in front of the guild mistress. The symbols crawled in the air, moving in ways that plucked at Merrie's sanity.
Merrie kept screaming as the power built up, feeding in on itself until it burned through her body. The regeneration spell blossomed to life, filling her with yellow-green healing, but the feedback tore through it, damaging her faster than it could heal her.
It began to seep out of her mind and she cringed. The city couldn't handle what she was experiencing. She tried to keep it inside her, but the energy burned away at her control and with a sickening lurch, it burst out of her mind.
The energy was visible as it exploded from her. It slammed into the shields and all three of them staggered back from the impact.
Monk's shield began to crack almost instantly, the runes snuffing out as her agony tore at it.
Sari's body began to burn, the ghostly form wavering in and out as he frowned. All four of his hands were held in front of him and they glowed brightly, but she could tell that he would also fall soon.
Remembering Kirin's command, Merrie focused the insanity pouring out of her toward Kirin, forcing it into a wedge aimed for the wine held in the air.
Kirin groaned and held out her hands, bracing herself as the force increased. The floor tore up from the energy rolling off Merrie and it rotted before her eyes. She could feel the agony turn to darkness and she felt the corrupting force of the Shadow pour through her. It dissolved the floor and then began to tear at the rocks underneath the house. Above her, the ceiling crumbled away as the energy boiled between the three shields.
Blood dripped from Kirin's nose as she held herself. Underneath her corset, light began to glow through the fabric. At first, it was just a glow of colors but as it grew brighter, the corset burnt away and then fell off.
Six symbols glowed on Kirin's stomach, a circle of five with a sixth in the middle. There was space for a seventh, but no rune glowed right above her pubic mound. The runes crawled in place on Kirin's skin as they shone brighter. They were words that caused Merrie pain to look at, but they were not intended for mortal men to see. They were her Infernal Marks, the contracts of a mortal who surrendered their soul for powers.
Merrie had never seen them before, but she could feel their meaning coming from Kirin's mind. The middle was from the Demon Lord of Sex, the corruption of pleasure into agony. There were others and as she realized what they were, the aspects of Kirin's life began to fall into place. Wine for her constant drinking and her ability to use it as a shield. Her massive cock came from the Demons of Horses, both terror and pain. There was also Acid, Gold, and Sapphires. They represented the source of Kirin's power, corrupted by evil. When someone was raped, or drowning their sorrows, or even obsessed with gold, Kirin gained power. The ever-present wine glass wasn't alcoholism, it was power in the guild mistress's hands.
Behind Kirin, her other bottles exploded. The wine streamed out of the shattered glass and surrounded the guild mistress, reinforcing her shield as Merrie's agony tore at it.
Next to Merrie, Tamin collapsed and his mind went black.
Merrie's throat burned as the despair rose up insider her. She killed her pack. It slammed against the seal that Rakin's anger had built and she could feel the threat of destruction looming above her. She couldn't fear him, not now, not ever.
Straining with all her might, she forced herself into her agony. She could barely see straight. She focused on Kirin's runes, using them as an anchor as she delved inside her. The agony was coming from herself, the power of an Alpha and her own psionics working through the collar. She remembered how it was suppose to enhance her master, but she was now the master of herself. The power was ricocheting back and forth, building up until it tore at the world around her.
She tried to stop the circuit but it was too tight, to intimate. It continued to build up. She concentrated on the power, trying to find some way of interrupting the power. She accidentally called up some Shadow magic and felt it pour through the collar and back into herself. It built up until the world around them grew black.
And then she became aware of the Lord of Shadows. It was above her, swirling around like it did for all the others. It was coming for her soul, though her blood still ran crimson. She bit hard on her lip until she tasted it on her tongue. She could force it into the Lord, maybe feed it and give her a chance to stop the endless loop of power.
With all her willpower, she poured shadow magic into the collar. Around her, the world burst into darkness as the shadows animated. She felt creatures of the dark stepping through. A Reaper appeared on the street and began to slaughter her enemies. Shadows of long-dead creatures burst out of the alleys and attacked the fighters, leaving her allies alone as they tore into those who came for her. It wasn't enough.
Screaming and screaming, Merrie forced her attention up. The energy burst out of her in a column of darkness. The ceiling of the room and the roof above her rotted away in an instant. The column of darkness speared toward the World Tree.
And then the Lord of Shadows ripped through the barrier between worlds between her and the World Tree. The column pierced into the absolute darkness. Shadow energy, as pure as anything else, poured into the original Lord and it blossomed in size. She watched as it tore in half and then again, but more energy kept pouring in. The pieces turned on themselves, splitting before swallowing each other. A boiling maelstrom of darkness spread out above the mansion, rotting the lower branches of the World Tree.
Alien personalities formed and were eaten. They blurred and mixed together, becoming darker until it felt the Abyss itself was looking at her. It began to gather once again, a single entity of unfathomable darkness focused on her. It continued to split. The new, smaller Lords raced away. Those that didn't move fast enough were swallowed by their creator and the original Lord of Shadows grew.
The holy leaves of the tree withered and fell down, crumbling to dust before they reached the city. The fading light was snuffed out by the darkness that consumed everything.
Merrie reached out for the Lord, trying to find relief from the power that tore through her. (Help me!) Her telepathic project reflected back on itself, but she channeled it up into the alien being above her. It would help or it would destroy her, but she couldn't do anything else.
The Lord shuddered. With claws of indeterminate size, it reached down. The remains of her mansion crumbled away as it pushed through wood and stone like mist.
Terrified beyond comprehension, Merrie held herself still as the Lord's claws grabbed her by her collar. Mist poured out of the connection of their bodies. Black blood formed and splashed down, coating her in obsidian and burning her skin. It seeped into the ring and she was suddenly terrified and relieved it was trying to bind her.
With a sickening wrench, the circuit ripped apart. She felt the connection snapping and reforming, but there was something else in the loop. Something that stopped the constant reflection. It glowed blackly in the darkness of the Lord of Shadows.
Merrie sobbed at the sudden relief. She slumped forward, hitting the ground hard. For a moment, she thought it had bonded with her. She could feel the Lord's alien thoughts, but they weren't intimately in her head. Hesitantly, she pushed out along the strange metallic connection, the leash of an Alpha, that had formed through the collar. But, on the other side was herself, seeing as an Alpha sees its master.
The Lord's claws pulled back. (Feed. Shadow Maker. Light Snuffer. Feed us.) Each thought crashed into her, battering against her sanity. She lifted her head, expecting to see a shadowy leash connecting them, but there was none.
With a wrench of the world, the Lord returned to the Shadows.
Merrie slumped back down, gasping for breath. The air around her stunk of blood and magic and shadow. It burned at her lungs, but she was breathing. She took a hesitate breath and then another.
(A-Alpha?) Tamin whimpered as he opened his eyes. (Your collar, it's melted.)
(Show me,) she commanded. When her world didn't explode into agony, she repeated the command.
Sinking her senses into Tamin, she focused on the collar where the Lord touched her, at the imperfection that had formed along its length. It took her a heartbeat to realize what it was.
She stared at the ring. It was the thing she was looking for. A reminder of her happiness and hope, a sign of both her master and mistress. She grabbed it with both arms and inched out from underneath the bed. The heavy ring rolled along the ground until she could sit up, dust drifting around her in a cloud. There was so much hope and love in that moment he handed the ring. She remembered the warmth that all of them felt that night, before the paladin came.
Merrie brought it up to her lips and kissed it. (I do,) she projected as she remembered the words that both of them would say when they married.
It was the shadow stone engagement ring. It had melted into the collar and the Lord had fused it into place. It was the thing that saved her, the part of her first master that stopped the circuit from destroying her.
Kirin moaned as she slumped down. She looked around at the shattered glass bottles. “I need a drink, now.”
Merrie reached out with her mind and Tamin obeyed. The dark form of the hound limped away and came back a moment later with a scorched bottle of wine. It was a Yurik Gold, of the same year that her master had stolen from Claston years ago. He set it down next to Kirin and headed for Merrie.
With a chuckle, Kirin snapped the top off and drained it. “Fuck, that's good.” She focused on Merrie, her eyes still burning gold. “Are we still there?”
Merrie barked, but no noise came out of her ruined throat. Next to her, Tamin stirred and barked for her.
“Good.” She panted. “Monk?”
“I,” groaned the mage, “hate you.”
Kirin chuckled. “Sari?”
The dead guild master was gone. Merrie didn't know if he had been destroyed or returned to where he remained, but there was an empty place where he stood.
With a sigh, Kirin bowed her head. “Fuck.”
(I'm sorry,) Merrie projected.
Kirin shook her head. “No, this is the price we pay. We all knew what could happen when I called on him.”
Dust swirled around as the rest of the defenders came up, each one covered in blood and injuries. Elf and Scorch held each other as they limped. Tai held Fang up and Pristine staggered with blood coating her side and legs. They looked exhausted and beaten, but alive.
The only one missing was Gillette, but Merrie could feel him walking away, lost in thought. She sent a quick thought to him. (Thank you.)
(Take care, Shades,) came the clear thought back and then he was gone.
Fang gasped as Tai came to a stop. “What just happened—?”
An explosion of air slammed into them as someone teleported next to Merrie. A shaft slammed down next to her, kicking up black dust and grime. For a moment, Merrie thought that somehow Gillette had teleported, but as the dust cleared, she was looking up at a woman in green plate armor glowing with powerful magic.
“Loyal Alestri says freeze!” came the crystalline command but there were no walls around them for her voice to echo. The power of her voice kicked up the dust and it blasted away from her, driven by the force of her domination.
The command slammed into Merrie, but she realized she had a choice to obey it. The collar shielded her, but she didn't want to resist. She let the submission wash over her, the ripple of orgasm replenishing the energy that flowed through her veins. She shuddered at the pleasure and sank into it, enjoying the trickle of energy that filled her.
“By the orders of Her Royal Highness,” continued the Loyal, “you are under arrest for the destruction of public and private property, treason for injuries against the World Tree, and for summoning the forces of darkness.”