Chapter 25: Flight Into the Woods

Note: Thanks to wrc264 for beta reading this!

Sven Falk – Forest of Lhes, Princedom of Kivoneth, Strifelands of Zeutch

The pain in my arm grew with every pounding beat of my horse’s hooves on the uneven forest floor. Branches whipped past my head. I sucked in breath after one thwacked into my wounded left arm. Numb agony throbbed up to my shoulder.

“Las’s putrid cum and disgusting cock!” I howled out, throat thick and hoarse.

My teeth ground together. The waves of agony swept through me, threatening to overwhelm me. I clutched at the reins with my right hand, cradling my left arm to my chest. Blood soaked through the bandage, bright and crimson. I bled again. A dizzy sway seized me. The world spun, dark spots fuzzing across my vision.

“Sven, my love,” Princess Ava squeaked, still perched on my shoulder, her rosy hands clutching my hair. “Oh, no.”

“I’m fine,” I lied through the pain.

“You’re not. You need Kora to—”

Horns sounded behind us. A burst of cold energy drove back the dizziness. I threw a look over my shoulder, but saw no signs of our pursuers as we galloped through the woods. The foliage grew more and more dense the deeper we penetrated.

“Master,” whimpered Zanyia. “We have to stop.”

“They’re still chasing us,” I growled. “Can’t you hear that?”

“It’s mistress!”

The concern in the Lamia’s voice whipped my head around to my sister, her horse led by Zanyia. Kora swayed in her saddle, the right side of her face swollen so badly it forced her eye shut. A deep, sickly purple marred the center of the swelling, radiating out into brown and yellow rings. She let out whimpers, her right arm twisted, the break shifting. It wasn’t splinted right.

“Kora!” gasped Ava.

“She needs help!” Zanyia groaned.

“We all do,” I gasped. The agony in my arm surged upward again right to my shoulder. I groaned, clutching my reins as we crashed through another brush.

“You have to stop,” Ava pleaded, tugging at my ear. “Please, Sven.”

“They’re falling behind,” the lamia persisted. “We have time, Master. We can take a few moments to let Kora cast healing magic. She’s a priestess. They always know those spells.”

“And they’ll be gaining on us.” My stomach twisted. My sister needed to be healed. So did Zanyia. Dog scratches covered her naked body, beads of dark-crimson blood grown sticky on the wounds. A nasty one ran across her left breast, half-tearing off her nipple. “Las damn it!”

I hauled my reins short. My arm jostled. I almost screamed from the intense, thought-robbing pain. I shook my head, sucking in deep breaths. They came fast as my head swam again. Blood dripped from my arm from a sword stroke that cut me to the bone.

“Get her off her horse,” I said. I couldn’t let my sister die. I loved her. Zanyia was in pain. I could barely fight now. “Hurry.”

“Yes, Master,” Zanyia said, her face flushed and glistening with sweat. She hopped off Rainbow, my sister’s horse, with nimble ease, landing lightly in a crouch. Her tawny tail swayed back and forth. She sprang to Kora riding my stallion Midnight, attacking the robes binding her to the saddle. “It’ll be okay, Mistress.”

“Are we safe?” Kora mumbled.

“We’re safe,” I told her. “It’s time for you to heal yourself. Isn’t that great, sister dear?”

“Yes, brother mine,” she said. She tried to climb off her horse. Her pink robes tangled between her leg and the stirrup, trapping her foot and throwing her off-balanced. She gasped, falling into Zanyia.

Agony screamed from my sister’s lips. I snarled, whipping out my short sword, staring in the direction of our pursuers. The pain echoed through the trees, my sister sobbing, cradling her broken arm as Zanyia struggled to support her.

“Kora,” Ava whimpered in shock.

Tears burned in my eyes. I should have done a better job protecting her. I should have guided us better. Why did I stay on the main highway? We came too close to Echur. To that bastard’s seat of power. I should have taken the longer way and added a few more days.

She wouldn’t be in such agony.

“It’s okay, Mistress,” soothed Zanyia, setting Kora onto the ground. “Do you feel the pain fading? It’s time to heal yourself.”

“Okay,” whimpered Kora, her voice so small. “But ... I ... I can’t remember.”

My stomach chilled.

“What?” I said, mouth growing dry, the pain in my arm fading beneath the surge of fear through me.

“Rithi, I need you...” She shook her swollen head. “No, no. It’s ... Rithi, bless my ... my ... What?” Tears shone in her left eye. “Sven, I...”

Kora Falk

“It’s okay,” Sven said, his voice so far away.

Why couldn’t I remember the words? They were...

“We’re in a forest,” I said, staring bemused up at the trees.

“Yes, Mistress, a forest,” Zanyia smiled at me, her triangular ears twitching.

“You have ears like a cat.” I struggled to move my right arm.

Pain shocked through me. I screamed out, my bones twisting against each other. Only agony gripped me. I howled. Breath sucked through my lips between shouts. I couldn’t stop it. The hurt ... It struggled to drown me. To smother me in never-ending torment. I had to ... I had to heal myself.

“Rithi ... bless my...” I needed to remember. But ... My head throbbed. And... “You have cat ears.”

“She’s slurring her speech,” Zanyia said. “She’s not making sense.”

“Kora.”

My Sven appeared, my brother whom I loved far more than I should. His weary face stared down at me. Something rust-brown smeared across his cheek. “You have mud on your face. You need to clean up or Mother won’t let you eat.”

“Mother?” He frowned. “Sister dear, you need to remember your spells. You have to heal yourself.”

I blinked. Right. “I’m a priestess. A radiant of Rithi.”

“That’s right. I know you can cast this spell.” He took my left hand, sliding it down my body. He pushed it into my robes. I gasped as he pressed my fingers into my pussy.

“This isn’t the time for that, brother dear,” I shuddered. “We can’t fuck right now. We’re being...”

Horns sounded.

“Hunted!” The fear shocked through the foggy hurt. “Oh, no, we have to flee.”