Rule 24

Choose Allegiances Wisely & Powers Have Side Effects

Statement: I was not one to go on grand adventures. I firmly believe that people may long for such a thing deep in their hearts, but it’s a lie they tell themselves. Else, why would they sit at home and dream? There’s a world out there to explore. I call “bullshit” on anyone who thinks they’d embrace a new world such as this with arms wide open.

There are those few who, at least in the old world, tried to live life to the fullest. They fought, sang, dance, drank, and loved (or slept with anything that had legs—if one is crude). Where are they in this new world? Admittedly, I’ve only met thirty or so people and barely spoken with them for any length. Maybe the true adventurers left town long ago.

The cart went through the side streets. Six people were crammed into the back with a mess of weapons that Callisto obsessively ran her hands along. She caressed the swords like a lover’s thigh before sex. Both elves pressed close to me, as if the others were scary. I don’t know why they found solace in my presence.

I fought back mixed emotions and struggled not to think about dragging one of the women off our cart to an empty house. We’d only need a few minutes, or maybe an hour, or all night. And maybe this week. I could take a few of them if the first one wore out.

Post Note: That was the magically enhanced libido talking. I could have peeled away the spell but I wanted to keep a secret to myself. The elves didn’t know, Callisto’s party didn’t know. Only Little Shade did, and it would be a secret between the two of us. But having a shared secret isn’t the same as knowing the actual reason for an action.

Admission: I’m not sure I like who I was before the event. The hiding away and wallowing in self-pity. Lance, real me, was also the one murdering people. Hawthorn only went after monsters.

When I was returned to this world and getting used to the new rules, as if that were a simple task, a lot of facts were simply accepted and I moved on. One being the note a person calling himself “dad” left on my family’s home. This had struck me as odd, because there were no details backing up his claim.

I’d seen a person control others’ minds with some black neck marking. Anything might be possible. Probable, no, but possible. That made me nervous about trusting someone who claimed to be my dad.

Based on the survival rate of those coming through the line, it seemed highly unlikely that my father was really alive. Yet, there in front of our horse drawn cart, stood a man who looked exactly like my father.

Behind him was what used to be a lakeside park. Tall brambles went up in the air twenty or thirty feet. They were thick and impossible to see through, but a single opening, large enough for our horse drawn carriage, was along the pathway for us to make it past.

“We’ve brought your son, Mayor Kent,” Leon said slowly.

Allegra sniffed and sketched on a piece of paper. Her rough pencil markings filled the brief silence. She had been drawing the entire trip, using a small part of the carriage’s railing.

“This is him?”

“Sir, yes sir. He was at the house you mentioned. He’s been changed by items. But he’s” —Leon’s lips quivered—“very effective against monsters.”

“That sounds like my boy,” he said while smiling. His lips stayed tight and not a hint of teeth showed through. “And who are they?”

“They were captives. Allegra recorded a fight between your son and the Monster of Main Street. He killed the beast and rescued these two from its lair.”

“Very good. More of the Forestkin are always welcome. We have others tending the gardens.” He turned and waved toward the briar barricade.

I glanced at my four party members. They were grim faced. Callisto refused to make eye contact and Leon had shut his eyes. The two elves held their bodies still as if witnessing a lion walking calmly into their midst. Though Mayor Kent was off to the side.

The man calling himself my father motioned for the others to come down. Leon, Callisto, and Allegra gradually disembarked. I stepped off the back and rolled my shoulders. Both elves and Arson stayed aboard.

“Well, come give dad a hug,” the man said.

I did not. He took it in stride and gestured for me to walk along with him. That was allowable.

“What are you calling yourself in this new world?”

“Hawthorn.”

“Hawthorn, of course. That’s a good, strong name.“ Mayor Kent smiled. It was softer than I remembered. Dad had been a wide smiler, so large it nearly split his face in two. Right now it looked like nothing of the sort, it was tiny, hidden, and confusing.

Post Note: I ask myself frequently why he bothered me so. If I were to trust Midge, then because he let me name myself—he should be a bit more... benign? Was I mad at being abandoned after the car accident? It could not be pure disbelief at coincidences.

We walked and talked, and what we spoke of I could not say for sure. He sounded proud, I nodded and hummed at the appropriate times. The compound he’d taken over, or ruled as “Mayor” took up the entire park. There were farms, people were actually smiling and happy. It was the same sort of action I’d seen at Coach Madison’s base, but of a far lighter tone.

Not having cars piled up helped. Roses on the inside of the briar thorns also assisted in giving the place a cheerier dressing.

We slowly walked after the cart. It went on up to a station that might have belonged to park rangers. The building was in disrepair and needed a fresh coat of paint, but still felt brighter than the shadow covered library. There were basement floors with rooms, and single sheds farther out in the woods. Whatever parking lot they’d had was taken up by shelters.

This park was closer to a wildlife preserve near the center of town. It sprawled out across the landscape until reaching the outskirts. The thick bramble filled walls stretched on for miles, encasing a large enough area to house lots of people.

My father yammered. His words were essentially “Look what we’ve done” and “We’ve really come together” and “We can survive this strange new world.” I believed none of it. We eventually arrived at what he called the main office, a single room flat without a restroom. Outside stood the other party members, chatting quietly with some of the refugees my dad had rounded up.

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

I found myself drifting in and out while staring at Allegra and Callisto, which naturally came with intense imaginings. Leon stood near the far ramp, talking to the elves. He spoke English and the elves didn’t speak at all. He looked annoyed. They wandered off, completely disregarding whatever the armored man was trying to convey.

“Callisto, can you make sure my son is taken care of?” She and Allegra frowned. “Go get rested. You deserve it after everything you’ve suffered through. Killing that hydra monster? Those few still in hiding will welcome their streets being a bit quieter.”

That confused me. “What?”

“It was a boss monster, I’m told. It dying should clear out something in the town. We’ve seen similar issues in places like the corner store that Leon took you through.”

I nodded and struggled to focus on more than the desire to make Callisto lose control. My dad had been talking at me for a while and I’d barely put thought into a response.

I searched for the man I’d grown up with in his face. He looked like my dad, but something inside me said he wasn’t. Leon hadn’t given me that feeling, the old woman who rode the bus with me felt like herself, but I distrusted this person claiming to be my father. Mayor Kent felt more real than calling him father.

He studied me in return. “You look tired as heck.” Like my brother and I, he worked hard not to cuss. That much felt right. He was soft spoken and almost whispered.

“I am.”

“So, why don’t you and Callisto go find a room, see if you can reignite an old flame, or just get some sleep and we’ll catch up soon.” He smiled. “There’s”—Mayor Kent glanced to the side and winced—“lots of empty places in the park. Lighting’s a bit of a pain. A lot of people use a western side for nights, and eastern for sleeping. Helps keep track of time using the sun.”

My body jerked. Another series of thoughts flashed through my mind, wholly sinful. The idea of taking Callisto anywhere had stirred suppressed desire. Then it struck me, I did know Callisto. Only before, she’d been a brunette and kind of plain. That had been toward the end of high school.

That scored a point in dad’s favor. He’d been around when I briefly dated her. Sarah Hutchins. She’d been a bit plumper when we went out, but she’d broken up with me, not the other way around. The end of our old world agreed with her, or at the least, made her far more appealing.

However, a stump with a hole might have been attractive too.

Callisto took a deep breath. I noticed every single motion as if it were etched into my mind. I might be able to give Allegra a run for her money in redrawing the scene.

“Come on, Hawthorn. I’ve got a place on the eastern side. One of the… empty cabins.” She fidgeted with a sword at her hip and pushed it back to the side. “We’ll be able to talk in private.”

Her fingers pulled at the hem of the torn shirt.

When I looked up, Callisto smiled. I took that to be an invitation soon to be fulfilled.

Admission: If I really focus on remembering how she looked, it is probable that she wasn’t happy with escorting me anywhere. Callisto smiled, but there was a wince to it, a slight hesitation. I do not know if it was because of this new world, me looking inhuman, or trauma. Then that vanished and was replaced with something more lustful.

She walked off, and I stumbled after, without question. My head felt heavy and pants tight. Each bush, corner, or well propped tent looked more inviting than the last. Callisto had been one of my first girlfriends and there were a lot of memories bound up in that.

I’d show her exactly what she gave up.

“Kent gave you the tour?”

“Yes,” I said with my eyes firmly glued on her hips. It was crass and I honestly tried to pull my gaze away.

“Is it better than that other camp you went to?”

“The people don’t look afraid. Except the elves. They’re scared.” The words made me pause. Maybe I’d been paying closer attention than expected. There were a lot of differences, but something about how the elves reacted to Mayor Kent set me off.

“Yes. They are,” Callisto responded.

We continued through a small patch of woodland. The briar barrier was still in the distance. Callisto pushed along a path that I barely noticed when given better sights to pay attention to.

“Kent likes to give the orders around here. And most of us are all too eager to agree. But anyone can leave if they want. He’s turned this place into a forest castle. His idea of protection is to build a higher wall and force the strongest out to forage for others.”

She stepped into a house and I paused at the doorway. It was extremely dark but her form stood out, especially as she bent over a table to pick up a matchbox. The sudden burst of light made me reel back and stop leering at her well crafted thighs.

“Kent—”

“Why don’t you call him mayor?” I asked abruptly. My eyes were still blinded by the lantern being lit. A white haze blurred everything. Oddly, being blind made it easier to think clearly.

“He’s not my mayor, but I make certain concessions, to have a place that’s safe for myself. Most of us here, don’t have homes to return to. Not anywhere that’s safe to sleep at. The tougher monsters hunt us down.”

I lost track of what she was saying as my vision returned. Callisto wore less now. Her top shirt was gone, pants had been discarded. All that remained was black hair, chain mail, and whatever dangles of fabric she wore under that. I suspected she should wear more padding to avoid chafing. It also would have given me more to remove.

Callisto turned away from me. It felt as though I simply blinked and her chain mail armor had somehow instantly hit the floor. She had a single layer of thin clothes on.

I was losing my mind. It was the form, at least I thought it was the form. My fingers fumbled as I kept trying to reach the buckles to Callisto’s top. They were strings, at least, I thought they were. They led me to her arms, which trailed farther down until my mind blanked out with need.

It was like being on ecstasy. Even the air felt electric. It tingled and brushed across my skin and made every inch of Callisto’s finely honed body feel delightful.

She shuddered and melted backward into my embrace. I curled my arms around her and trailed fingers up to her breasts. My body shuddered.

“God, yes,” I said.

“Just say yes.”

It registered slowly that we’d been talking as we came into a makeshift bedroom. What, exactly, had been the subject, was beyond me. All I knew now was a naked woman was in my arms. My own clothes were gone, and she felt amazing.

“Yes,” I happily responded.

“Yes, what?”

I paused my meanderings and delightful enjoyment of how her neck tasted. There was a scent of warm earth, fresh turned up from a garden. It fit a hard working woman like the one Callisto had become.

“Did you forget what we were just talking about?”

“I did. You distracted me.” Honestly, I hadn’t been paying attention to a word to come out of her mouth. Instead, a long list of positions to explore played through my mind.

“Your dad wants you to help him take over the city. But I only care about keeping the people here safe. Can you help me do that?”

“Yes.” That was an easy one. People should stick together. As long as they weren’t being enslaved or selling their children to unknown creatures like the stewardesses. Happy with my answer, I went back to helping Callisto summon forth more attractive noises.

She stopped after a moment and grabbed my hands. “Will you love me?”

Love was impossible. I wasn’t a creature who felt that way about anyone. Lust, certainly the burning need to feel her body arch in pleasure against mine.

“No,” I said. “But I will make you cry out in pleasure. Again, and again.”

“You only want to have sex with me?”

Another easy question. “I can’t think of anything else. Not right now. I promise to make sure you enjoy every moment of it.”

And I did. We went three rounds. I felt well enough to go four, or five. Each time only made me desire more of her body. I couldn’t remember the color of her eyes once we finished, but I knew every inch of her legs and belly by touch alone.

My body rode the last of several loin numbing orgasms that made sex before the event feel like a faint dream. Every muscle in my body reported being worn, pleasantly, to a nub. Callisto was a bundle of sweat. The slightest movement in her direction made her giggle and push me away. I reached anyway.

She took a breath and I fought to keep my raging libido under control. “Can you think clearly now?”

“Not for long,” I said. This body’s requirement to speak the truth made me constantly surprise myself. It was like I had no defenses against admitting feelings that would have normally been kept secret.

“I need you to protect me,” Callisto started then waited for me to speak.

“Okay.”

“From your father. He’s dangerous, Thorn. You know that, right?”

I nodded. Of course my father was dangerous. He’d left me behind to wander the world after mom died. He was uncaring and distant at best, self-centered and fickle at worst. In this new world, being self-centered was a surefire way to be dangerous. She was right, I needed to help keep good, decent people, safe. If there were such a thing anymore.

Post Note: By that logic, I was no better, and certainly had proven myself to be dangerous.

“He’s got something planned. Something that may get us all killed. There aren’t enough of us left to risk death out here. He’ll, send dozens to their death if he thinks it’ll help you keep everyone alive.”

I nodded again. If she’d asked, I would have agreed that the sun turned green and the sky purple.

“That’s good.” Callisto moved closer, and my temporary self control broke again.

We went a fourth round before weariness claimed my mind. We’d both become slaves to this form.