Blake found his way outside the village and sat beside the road. [So, I am going to Wynberg, and I need to get stronger and get ready to overthrow the king, and moreover, take a closer look at the churches.] his eyes scanning the horizon needlessly, and hands playing with a stick he had found, mindlessly peeling the bark away, [ I need to gatherer up power and maybe be ready to fight the other heroes, I don’t think it would be above that fat toad to place a slave mark on them.] He sighed hard at the thought of having to fight those two, [I don’t really know them, but they are both way more powerful than me for sure, and they are getting actual training.] his eyes come back to the stick now barkless and pale wood in his hand, sucking his teeth and throwing it aside while getting up. [well, that is something I’ll have to deal with in time.] he stretched a bit and looked back to the village, groaning a bit as his arms raised over his head and he twisted around, stopping after he heard a pop in his back. “Right, let's see if Miann is free now.” he said to himself as he started walking.

His walk back through the gate was intercepted by the chief, the old man’s face smiling at him happily, and his visage kind and warm, an honest joy to greet him. “Good afternoon Blake, I have been looking for you, Jackie said you went on a walk after lunch, I wish you had stayed there until I arrived.” The chief said his voice was not angry but a bit annoyed.

“Sorry about that I needed to think, and wanted to do it alone, too many of the villagers are very interested in me, and all the questions are a bit too much for me.” Blake said back with a smile and a nervous laugh, “Do you need something from me?”

The chief laughed and stepped aside gesturing for Blake to join him on a walk. “I understand that, they are an inquisitive bunch, especially with travelers, not a lot of people come here aside from city folk that wants to get out into the woods for a day or two.” the chief said as Blake matched pace with him. “As for what I want, I want to know your plans, I have a feeling that you don’t plan to stay, so what are you planning to do?”

“Well to be frank I am going to go to Wynberg and sign up with the adventurer’s guild there,'' Blake said back with a measured tone. “Beyond that, I haven’t thought about it, but I am sure I plan to come back and visit here a few times, it is nice here.”

The chief nodded along with a thoughtful expression, “I see, and the six you brought back, do you plan on taking them with you? I am sure they would go if you asked.” He said after a second.

“No, they have all made it clear that this is their home still and I would hate to take them away from that,” Blake said back quickly and then straighten out, “I am a bit surprised by their boldness on mine and their relationships, totally different from what I had thought would be normal.”

“Oh, ha ha ha,” the chief let himself chuckle for a bit, “They are all about twenty now, so they are all both ready and willing I guess, they had all been married for about three-ish years before the attack,” the chief said as he turned a bit and guided their walk, “I overheard them after the troll attack, they all agreed to at least have your child so that you would be anchored here, I think they planned to use your power for the safety of the village. Not that I blame them now, I didn't think Jackie was serious when she told us about the troll, but we all saw the end of that fight. i wrote it off as a fluke, but after your raid on the goblins and driving them off, I am sure of your might. Helgan, if my daughter wasn’t married I would have thrown her into that ring too.”

“Ha, thank you but no, I got my hands full as it is with those six and I think Hilda may change her mind.” Blake said back with a nervous smile. “Besides, them having my children would do more than anchor me here, it will make it harder for me to leave when I visit, I and my late wife had tried for one a lot before she passed away.” Blake’s voice shifted a bit at the memory from a different world, the face of his late wife forcing a tear out of one eye, which he wiped away quickly. “Always felt like I should be a father, if not for my personal want to be better than mine, then for my children so that they will know how they should act while learning that they will always be loved.”

“hmm…, “ the chief thought over Blake’s answer stroking his beard as he did. “Well, I can’t speak about your past, but I can say that I am happy they met you, while you are a difficult man to understand, I can tell you are a good one.” he said before reaching into the pocket of his vest and handing Blake a folded and sealed letter, “ Here, it is a letter of introduction for the guild down in Wynberg, along with an explanation of your exploits on our behalf, give it to the guild when you go to sign up, they will reward you appropriately, and if they give you any lip, tell them I’ll make sure they lose their hunting rights in the part of the forest the village owns.”

Blake took the letter with a smile, “Thank you, but I would not press for a reward, so how about I use a part of the money to send supplies for the village,” Blake said back after a second as he place the letter in his pouch. “That way you can have a bit less to worry about for the coming winter.”

The chief slowed down, smiling at Blake his face showing admiration, “I would not be opposed to your use of the rewards, thank you for everything you have done” He said with a tone that sounded appreciative of Blake, “Now I think our herbalist wants to see you.” he said as he shifted his head nodding to his left.

Blake turned a bit to look in that direction, realizing that their walk had led to Miann’s cottage, and she was watching the two out the door, a nervous expression on her face, her uncertainty at what they were talking about clear.

“I’ll see you tonight chief, have a good day.” Blake said and broke away.

“And you too, Blake.” the chief said back.

Blake made his way up the path, slowing to a stop outside of arm’s reach, his face giving a reassuring and comforting smile at her, “Hey, sorry the chief wanted to know what I am going to do after I leave tomorrow. How are you, did you get all your work done?” Blake said as he saw her eyes watching the chief as the man walked away.

“Yeah, I am still not sure about him, he had come the other day and told me the truth about the night I was taken away.” she said as her hand gripped a bit tighter around the door frame. “I still don’t know what to do about it.”

“That is your choice, you can forgive him, and forget or you can hold him at arm’s length until he passes on from the world.” Blake said as he slowly peeled her hand away cupping it in his. “But that is ultimately your choice, and I will support it.” he saw her eyes finally lock on his.

“Yeah I guess, but I understand why he did it, we had no idea you were making your way here, now come in.” She said before pulling him into the cottage, the scents were a bit overwhelming at first but he adjusted as she let him go and walked over to a worktable, taking off her apron and then rummaging around for something, “also yes, I did get everything restocked, and have made my rounds to give every home one pack of dried materials to treat wounds.”

“That's good, gods know that an infection can be terrible, and the recovery would be worse.” Blake said back thinking about the time he had gotten a cut on his arm infected.

“You sound like you have an understanding of medicines, but I can’t deal with an infection, at most I can slow it and get them to the church in Wynberg, and beg the clergy to cure the person.” she said as she pulled out a few jars of different leaves and roots as she kept looking for something. “Not that I think it is bad for them to hold off on doing it, the only way to get rid of an infection that has settled in is holy magic, maybe you can do it too, you use holy magic right.”

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Blake watched her for a bit then thought it over as he found a chair and sat down, “maybe, if i know the spell.” he let out a sigh and focused his gaze on her, watching her as she kept at her search. “Just because I am curious what are you looking for?”

“There you are, “ she said as she reached into a tall cupboard, having to reach up on her toes, balancing with the left hand on the counter now a bit under her abdomen. The whole sight of her feminine form made pronounced as her breasts and rear moved a bit more away from the center line of her body while she flexed to reach what she wanted. Before it relaxed with her letting out a soft “yes” at her effort, as she removed a small jar made of clay and painted with hearts and flowers as she set it down on the table, and glanced over to him. “Blake, I meant what I said the other day, and I am not going to make you stay, I would like you to tell me now if you are ok with this before we take this further.”

Blake’s eyes told him that she was asking honestly for an answer, but Blake was locked on her, his eyes gliding over her body and settling on her face, her visage show a desire held at bay by her wish to know if he is ready. “yeah, I am, and I know you don’t want to make me stay here, and that is fine with me I know you would take care of our child with love.” he said back after a second of thought and saw her open the jar and taking a small pill out and put it in her mouth, before walking up intently to him.

She reached down and tugged his hair back as she leaned in for a kiss while she started massaging his neck, her fingers moving in a way that if anything was at the back of his mouth would be swallowed. he felt the pill slip into his mouth and he swallowed it as her massage of his neck hadn’t stopped before releasing him and stepping back. Her eyes watched him for a few seconds, she then raise her hand and gave him an apologetic smile. “Grasping vines.” she said.

Blake's eyes widen as he was suddenly tied down to the chair by a set of vines that spring out of the chair and restricted his movement, his head shifted around and he noted that the was just tied down but now in any way that would make him and her keep at the act. “So what was that?”

She smiled and walked back over to the jar closing it then turned and smiled at him. “ it is a fertility pill, but it has a bit of a nasty side effect, hence the need for vines.” she said as she came back over and sat down in his lap, cupping his face, her face shows a bit of worry. “Don’t worry it wouldn’t last long and after you are back we can keep going.” she leaned in and kissed him.

Blake pulled out of the kiss, “what kind of side effect?” he asked nervously.

“You will lose your mind to lust and desire for about a minute, and if you start doing it during that minute you will stay there until you die of exhaustion but if you can hold out your energy and endurance will stay strong for an hour. It should take effect in a few seconds” she said back and leaning in closer, pulling him into her breasts, Her hand stroked his hair, her voice sounded a bit scared but excited, her body shaking a bit at whatever was running through her mind. “I’ll hold you down until you are back so please trust me.”

Blake could feel it already, the soft and subtle wave pumping out of his abdomen, his nose finding her scent intoxicating, his current confinement, pleasurable to him normally, was entrapping to his mind, as new thoughts of extreme desires, his thoughts growing more intense then they had ever been, and not just the lock on his desire for her but every woman he found attractive started to turn. “You can't let me cast spells, I need you to gag me now.” He said with hard inhales as he tried to keep his mind and thoughts his, she followed his request and pulled free her belt tying it around his mouth, before burying his face into her breasts again.

Blake felt his muscles tense as the waves rushed all the way to his fingers and everyone hammered against his mind. A primordial hunger and longing, howled in his mind shattering his careful guards against his power, his vision shifted in the darkness she was holding him in, but her aroma was invigorating to him, the scent of the herbs that she had worked installing a wish to see her sweat, the fragrance of her caramel skin, demand he holds her down and not let her go, the smell of her hair that had a few strands before his nose challenging him to grip tight and force her to his will. Then his thoughts shifted to Hilda, his mind conjuring images of her and him in the woods, having her hard and powerfully, not giving her rest even as night sets, the imagined image of her face contorted with pleasurable excess of ecstasy in enriching to his lust.

His mind ripped away from his dark desire for the shield maiden and to Granite, he could see himself forcefully slamming her throat, gripping her hair tight, and not letting her breathe until she is about to pass out, only freeing her to ram her harder. The thoughts of his darkest desire forced him to scream a muffled agony, but he heard his voice, it wasn’t agony, it was hunger. As his drug-riddled mind summoned the sight of Jade. and he saw himself painfully violate her, pressing her hard and deep, the wish to hear her scream most of all, to hear her make his assault on her known to the world. Before he could demand an end, a new sight came to him, one of Phanna, tied up and being ragefully slammed by him, her form at the teetering edge of her mind’s ability to survive, one end leading her to be gone and the other to her being a slave to his cock. Then his mind found the door to his thoughts of Jackie, his wish to test her clairvoyance to the limit by tying her up and letting her see all he just imagined until she begs for his cock if only to satiate herself, to hold to him as little more the at absolute power over her.

Then his mind summoned the image of the queen, her curvaceous figure plaguing him, until he snapped and broke her down until she was nothing but a drooling mess under him, whatever royal demure shattered as he would fuck her over and over until all she knew was him and his desires, submitting to him wholly and without hesitation. His will to hold finally collapsed, as his mind now raced with a thousand images and scenes of him hurting and forcefully having different women, a torturous yet truthful performance of his darker hunger, one he couldn’t escape from even as he tried to, the drug she gave gripping him down to where he was in his mind, not allowing him control of his body, his sensation of the outside world cut and replaced by his imagination, as the reality he knew as real slowly broke away and his mental hold slipped,

his trip down his demonic-sided mind claiming domination over his state, the time now longer hold truth as his mind hunted new and darker avenues of pleasure, some acts he had dismissed in his life now vengefully returning and arousing him, as his mind summoned one of the women, or even the goddesses whom he had met, in his life to perform them, endless scenes of cardinal excess of pleasure for him, his partners no longer being of a concern to him, the acts of sexuality shifting to more and more violent nature.

Until his sight returned, his eyes locked to the ceiling covered in hanging herbs, his breath hard out his nostrils, sweat dripping down his skin and collecting on his clothes, his muscles pinged with pain as he felt the chair and vines, but more of them as his position shifted, one hand raised a bit and held with an interweaving of vines, his fingers reaching to Miann, as his eyes rolled a bit and head strained against some vines hold his head back.

Miann looked at him, he could see she was studying him carefully, a lingering shock on her face, her shirt torn apart. Her stance and posture show she was waiting to see what he would do.

Blake looked over and shook a bit at her, getting her to come close enough but around to the side of him, carefully studying his eyes.

“Thank the gods you are back,” she said as she reached down and undid her belt, freeing him to breathe normally, before she undid the vines slowly releasing him. “ didn’t think you would break free with strength alone.” she pulled a bit away and her arm covering mainly her breasts.

“What the fuck?” Blake asked as he shifted forward and leaned on his knees, his breathing an incessant bellows as his body still felt like it was on fire.

“I don’t know exactly, but your reaction to the pill was far stronger than anyone I know about.” she said as she stepped away a bit more, fearful of him. “When you broke free, you were like a monster, I saw no hesitation in your eyes, no respect for me like I was nothing but a plaything, I didn’t think that would be what I saw when I pulled you away.” She spoke with a fear-riddled voice, whatever he did in that minute was likely traumatic for her, and he understood why, he had just spent that time watching what his dreadful designs for her were, and it made him sick thinking about it.

“I am sorry, this is my fault, I didn’t think that pill would take me there,” He hung his head, and looked to the ground, the floor around his boots was a bit wet from the volume of sweat he had gone through. “That side of me, it is part of the side I use when I am fighting, it is the part of me that I know about but can’t get rid of. It is the side that embraces violence and death as the only forces that matter and wants to bend anything and anyone to its will because it is stronger. You shouldn’t have been exposed to it, I am so sorry Miann, I don’t want to hurt you.” he shifted up and started for the door.

But was stopped as she gripped the back of his damp shirt, “No, I should have checked with you first, but I was afraid you would say no to taking the pill.” She pulled a bit more as she stepped closer hugging him from behind, her breasts pressing against his back, and her breath cutting through the fabric and caressing his skin. “How much of that side did you see?”

Blake inhaled deeply and slowly breathed out, a long exhale to steady himself, “Too much, and not only you but every woman I had met, it showed me what that side of me would do to them if I lost control or stopped caring. It made me sick to think of doing that to anyone, I understand if you can’t trust me after this, and I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to tell the others.” He said with a shudder at the images still fresh in his mind.

Miann squeezed harder as he spoke, and then kissed the back of his neck, “I see, so that is not the side of you that you allow free reign. You are disciplined and morally sound enough to know that side without succumbing to its will.” she said as she pulled him away from the door, getting him to the middle of the room, before coming around him without releasing him, her eyes locking on his. “Then I have nothing to fear anymore, as I know this side of you will not hurt me” She leaned up a bit and kissed him with intent to arouse him, as one of her hands caressed him back, and the other reached into his hair a tugged on it keeping him in the kiss.