Henrick downed his mug of ale before it even had the chance to land on the bar. Golden liquid dribbled down the mug’s rim onto his chin before it finally stained his colored tabard and gambeson. The soldier sighed with relief when he finished his drink, his hand slamming the empty mug down.
“That hit the spot,” he exasperated with a grin. “Another!”
The bartender across from him raised an eyebrow at that, prompting Henrick to slide the man some silver coins. The bartender sighed as he took the money and empty mug. It wasn’t long before he slid the tankard back to Henrick, its rim overflowing with froth.
“Keep those drinks coming, barman!” Henrick exclaimed happily as he drank. “I’m looking to enjoy myself tonight.”
“You’re awfully happy for someone from the Lumen Kingdom,” the bartender commented. “Especially after recent events.”
Henrick placed his mug down with a light burp, his gaze on the tabard he was wearing. It was the steel blue and orange colors of the Lumen Kingdom, complete with the symbol of a phoenix. He had neglected to change out of his uniform back when he arrived here in Norum after a long voyage at sea.
Henrick had been out at sea for the better part of five months, his sole job being patrolling the coast of Azurvale and the Lumen-controlled islands in Valenfrost. His deployment finally ended that same day, allowing the soldier to return to solid ground and enjoy himself for the next few weeks before he was called to duty once more.
“Recent events?” Henrick asked. Despite being out on the ‘frontlines,’ Henrick had little to no knowledge about what was happening with the world at large. His sole focus was getting through his day without being raided and robbed by bandits and pirates.
‘Then again, I do recall some people talking about something that went down in the south,’
“You talking about that raid on Vindis, the floating city?” Henrick asked. He remembered some passing merchants mentioning a huge battle that had taken place in Vindis. Marauders and the like. He didn’t see why those in the north would care about it. Vindis was so far south and east that it seemed irrelevant.
It was like telling someone in Lumen City that there was a conflict in the Horkus Mountains. Outside of a few outsiders, no one would care much. It was too far away to be considered at all a problem.
“Yes, Vindis,” the bartender said with a confused look. “How much have you heard about it?”
“Enough,” Henrick replied as he drank his ale. “Marauders raided it and then fucked off when the other clans came by. Nothing else to it.”
“I… huh,” the bartender muttered before he turned away. “I see.”
“What?” Henrick asked. He only watched as the barman went to tend to other patrons. The soldier shrugged at that and went back to drinking. While this bar wasn’t as rowdy as the ones Henrick was used to, it still was far from quiet. As the night grew late, more people drank and conversed around the bar, their loud voices and laughs irritating the soldier.
Henrick sighed in frustration as another drunk sat beside him, his hand slamming a handful of silver scraps onto the bar. The sudden slam was enough to wobble the soldier’s drink, nearly spilling it.
“Gimme what he’s having!” the drunk called out in a slur before he turned to Henrick. “Tonight’s gonna be a great night, eh?”
“Yes. Great night.” Henrick held back a biting comment as he took a swig from his drink. He knew full well that there was little he could do about this asshole. He was far too tired and drunk to even bother starting a fight.
The drunkard next to him continued to babble and drink alongside him, his words unintelligible and obnoxiously loud.
Just as Henrick debated whether to use his dagger on the man to shut him up, the drunk finally quieted down. However, the soldier’s respite was cut short when he saw how green the idiot’s face was.
“I’ll… be back!” the drunk managed before he waddled off to the backdoors of the tavern, leaving Henrick alone finally.
“Thank Delphine,” Henrick muttered in relief. He turned back to his ale, which was still half full. He scowled. That idiot had spoiled his mood.
“Rough night?” a young woman’s voice called out to the right of the soldier. Henrick raised an eyebrow and turned to the source.
Sure enough, someone was sitting in that drunkard’s chair. It was a young woman, her black hair cut short around the shoulders. She wore a dark, sultry dress, its sleeves reaching all the way to her knuckles while her hem was cut in a V shape, exposing her cleavage enough to make any man blush. With a quick glance, Henrick could see that her skirt was raised to her thighs, revealing pale, milky skin. Its material was that of a lavender color, mixed with segments of black cloth. It looked expensive.
“My eyes are up here,” the stranger spoke. Her voice was soft yet husky. Every word she spoke almost tickled at Henrick’s ears. The feeling would’ve made him visibly blush had it not been for the fact that the man was drunk.
“Sorry,” Henrick apologized with a laugh. He turned his focus to the stranger’s face. Her dark hair was brushed in a way that it hid half of her face, leaving only one of her eyes visible to him. She wore black lipstick, contrasting with her pale skin and faint freckles.
Henrick blinked. She was stunning, almost hypnotic in a way. He nearly thought her to be Valian but dismissed it once he saw what color eyes she had. Purple. That was new. Henrick had never seen such an exotic eye color. Perhaps she was Kasani? No, Henrick had met Kasani. They had dark, almost black eyes that were almond-shaped. This woman had the features of an Azurevalian mixed with Valian. Perhaps she had parents from both nations?
That made the most sense to Henrick.
“Are you starstruck?” the woman asked suddenly. Henrick jumped at the sudden question, his hand moving to brush some of his hair back.
“Nah, I’m alright,” he deflected. “The drink is just getting to me.”
The woman laughed, her elbow moving to rest on the bar. “Did you have one too many, perhaps?”
“I’ll be fine,” Henrick answered with a laugh. “What about you? What’s a beauty like you doing in this dunghole of a tavern?”
“Beauty?” She blushed, her gaze averted from the soldier. “Just call me Kira. I’m only here to have some fun. Drink a little and blow off some steam.”
“Kira, eh?” Henrick chuckled as he sipped his ale. “I’m here on similar business. I just got off a job that had me at sea for five months.”
“Five whole months?” Kira asked. She turned back to Henrick with a look of shock. “I can’t imagine how stressful that must have been.”
“It was quite the job,” Henrick admitted. He wiped some sweat from his brow as he placed his tankard down. The drink wasn’t helping. “Bandits, raiders, you name it, I fought them.”
“You must be so exhausted after such a long time,” Kira muttered as she scooted her chair closer to Henrick.
“You wouldn’t believe,” Henrick nervously chuckled. He tugged at his collar as more beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. Was it getting hotter? “I barely had the energy to walk here.”
“Perhaps I can help,” Kira proposed. She was closer now, her hand on Henrick’s leg. The soldier couldn’t help but shiver as the young woman rubbed at his thigh, her figure moving closer to him. “I bet you’re pent up, huh? Like you’re going to burst.”
Her soft words were barely above a whisper, yet Henrick could hear them clear as day through the tavern’s commotion. He could do nothing as Kira reached up to his ears, her lips gently brushing against his lobe.
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“I have a room upstairs. Perhaps we could let out some steam together.”
No words were spoken after that. Henrick could only remember paying his tab before he went upstairs with Kira. Only once the two entered the empty room did they start letting loose.
Henrick wasted no time getting the young woman undressed. The silky dress she was wearing fell to the ground with little to no effort. To his surprise and delight, Kira wasn’t wearing anything underneath.
Both drunkard and vixen got into the bed soon after that, the former groping and fondling while the latter undid his armor. It wasn’t long before Henrick got his own clothes and taberd off, his pants being the first to hit the ground of course.
Moans soon echoed out into the room, with Henrick using whatever vigor he had left in him to thrust and grab, his breathing heavy and hot as he pinned the woman to the bed.
“Excited, are we?” Kira giggled before she moaned, her body shifting underneath the soldier’s. Before long, she would place hands on Henrick’s chest, pushing him back gently. Kira would get on top right after, her voice calling out to Henrick in the form of a whisper. “My turn.”
Henrick did not argue. He instead watched as the young woman began to straddle him, her purple eyes almost glowing in the dimly lit room. It was probably the trick of the moonlight that poured into the room.
Henrick could feel the fog close in on his mind as Kira moved her hips, the pleasure of her thrusts almost comparable to a succubus’. Not that the soldier had ever experienced such a thing before.
His hands reached for the woman’s hips, his eyes traveling up Kira’s form. She had a beautiful body, skin with little to no flaws, and curves almost perfect. She had her arms raised high, exposing her breasts to Henrick. She… had her arms raised?
‘Wait…’
In that moment of clarity, Henrick’s eyes moved up to focus on Kira’s hands. While sparse, the light of the sister moons was enough to catch the glint of the steel dagger in the woman’s hands. The same dagger that Henrick had kept on him.
“Oh fu–!”
Henrick couldn’t react in time as Kira plunged the dagger’s tip into his throat, sending spurts of blood all over the two naked figures. He tried to move but found himself restricted. Kira had pinned his neck to the bed below, nailing Henrick like a butterfly.
Henrick gasped and choked, his hands weakly trying to pull the dagger. Kira did not let up, however, as her grip on the blade was strong and firm. Henrick couldn’t do anything. Even before the blood loss and stab, he was physically exhausted from that day. There was nothing he could do other than to look at his killer.
Kira had a cold look, her eyes glowing a bright, magical purple as she watched. Her nude body was covered in scarlet blood, the sight almost demonic and unholy. Henrick could feel his vision waning as he choked and gagged on his own blood, his body going weak.
“Tsk tsk tsk. Not yet,” Kira reprimanded softly. She leaned in, her lips curving into a slight smile. “I still need what’s in that head of yours. Try not to pass out while I do this, alright?”
Kira lifted Henrick’s chin, making it so he was looking at her eye to eye. Now that she was up close, Henrick could see why this woman’s eyes were glowing so fiercely.
Kira’s irises were that of a crystalline purple color, her pupils shaped like a burning star.
‘What, what in Delphine’s name is this?!’
Henrick’s thoughts were panicked and terrified.
‘This isn’t real! This isn’t real!’
“Oh, but it is, my dear Henrick,” Kira muttered. “It is real, and unfortunately, you drew the short stick.” Kira gave him a smile as she pressed her free hand onto his forehead. “This will be quick.”
Henrick’s world went black as the demonic woman before him ripped through his memories.
----------------------------------------
Kira sighed in relief, her body resting as she closed her eyes. That was draining. And disgusting. At least she got what she wanted from Henrick’s mind.
“Took you long enough,” a gravelly voice called out from the shadows behind her. Kira groaned and turned around. Sure enough, a man hid there, his goggles and grinning mask reflecting the moonlight.
“Does this turn you on?” Kira asked as she gestured toward her bloodied and nude body. Eilif simply stared at her.
“Wanted to make sure you got the right person this time,” Eilif muttered. “Does bedding them do you any good with reading their memories?”
“Not quite,” Kira said with crossed arms. Truth be told, the young woman wasn’t really enjoying the act itself. She had done it enough times that it was more like a chore than something pleasurable.
No, the real pleasure for Kira was the control—the act of being the one to start it and end it in a glorious fountain of crimson. Her heart fluttered every time she raised that knife, every time she saw the light in these men’s eyes die, their emotions flowing into her as she reached into their minds.
Kira was blessed with an ability only achievable through the demonic eyes she bore. She wasn’t sure what to call it since she had never encountered anyone or anything that had clues to what this magic was. The closest thing she could come to explaining it was to compare it to the same magic dream weavers used. The only difference is that she could peer into the mind herself, even if the person was awake.
Kira could experience memories, thoughts, and most excitingly, their emotions. The act of sex might’ve been mundane to her, but the sheer amount of pleasure mixed with fear that she collected from the men she killed was almost intoxicating. It gave her a high like no other, leaving her addicted for more.
Her master had called it the Blessing of Mind.
“You can extract their memories without the sex, no?” Eilif asked as he stepped up to Henrick, who was still leaking blood onto the bed. “You just need intimate contact, right? I doubt kissing them is any harder than what you just did.”
“I’m not kissing them,” Kira expressed with disgust as she slid off the bed. She went over to pick up her clothes. “There’s not much excitement in that, and it takes up a bit more of my reserves. Men don’t give in just from a kiss. Besides, you know I’m already pining for a special someone.”
“Ah, yes. A special someone,” Eilif muttered. “A stupid goal. It only hinders you.”
“It’s my ability. Not yours,” Kira said as she slipped on her clothes. “I choose who I want to express my love to.”
“Seems quite redundant,” Eilif pointed out. “I doubt your special someone would really consider your love if he knew that you’ve had sex with half the drunks in the north.”
“Fuck you,” Kira growled. The bounty hunter before her had no idea of Kira’s type of man. She bedded many, sure, but none were random. Not all men were created equal. Some released emotions differently, and others reacted in ways that surprised even Kira.
Everyone she killed was chosen for a reason. Whether they were men who were hardened veterans with strange quirks or even women who had an interesting history, they had all filled Kira with emotions that were entirely unique to them alone. Henrick was probably the first exception to that in a while. That could explain the lack of pleasure she got from killing him.
“You’re lucky our master favors you,” Kira muttered. “If it were up to me, I’d rip your spine out and throw it into the abyssal sea.”
Eilif chuckled. “I would love to see that. However, our mission will come first.”
“Of course,” Kira sighed. “Henrick’s memories showed that Lumen patrols have ceased in the south of Valenfrost and are slowly receding. This, and that they know little to nothing about the Midsommar incident. It could be that the Lumen council is refusing to acknowledge it. Either that or the last three Lumen soldiers we looked at were complete idiots.”
“Could be the latter, but I’d rather not take chances,” Eilif said as he placed a valdora in Kira’s awaiting hand. Despite them sharing the same master, Kira had refused to work for the immortal man without payment. She might have enjoyed the work somewhat, but she was no common whore working for silver scraps.
“Could have used scouts to figure that out,” he muttered after Kira stashed the bluish coins in her nearby satchel.
“Your loss,” Kira said happily. “Besides, do you really trust anyone else?”
Eilif only sighed deeply, his gravelly voice making it sound like he had glass in his lungs. He looked at Henrick’s body once more, which still lay upon the bed in a pool of his own blood.
“So I suppose you’re not getting Lumen backing anymore?” Kira asked nonchalantly as she finished dressing.
“Not exactly,” Eilif confirmed. “While it is true that Gwenyth has probably already alerted the council of my involvement, it won’t affect us entirely. We won’t get any assistance from the Lumen Kingdom, but they’re not exactly letting me go yet.”
“We’re still on our own then,” Kira sighed in frustration.
“Not exactly,” Eilif said.
Kira raised an eyebrow. “Who do you have in mind?”
“I have been busy in the south these past months,” Eilif said. “And I’ve found a way we could complete our quest and rid ourselves of Halvorson and Holter.”
“Oh?” Kira smiled at that. This was about to get very interesting.