18- Marked For Death

I left Hellera to whatever was going through her mind, turned back to Fayeen, and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. She responded with a lazy smile.

"Thank you for your gift," I whispered.

"Thank

you

," she replied.

I told her I was afraid I needed to finish the night's work, but she waved me off while peering at the new tattoo that was coming into being on the inside of her leg.

Avya and Auralla hadn't just been going down on Velleth and Dallinya by now, they had figured out the sixty-nine position. At least Velleth and Auralla were; it wasn't possible given Avya's size. Still, Dallinya was staring down between Avya's open legs and working her over with both hands.

I didn't even bother to stop them, but instead lifted Velleth's legs and laid them on my shoulders. The action got Auralla's attention, and she looked at me with an expression of combined excitement and lust.

"I can see why you like doing it so much," she said. "I can make her moan, and her moans go right back into me through her mouth."

I lined up the head and slid into Velleth with a grin. I had created a monster, which was pretty great. I just hoped they didn't see the world full of females and sexual gratification they could get there, and forget about me. Or rather, I hoped they didn't go back to visit Sunspire and get themselves in serious trouble by trying to turn the whole place into a fuckfest. Or rather, maybe I did hope for that.

I bent and gave Auralla a deep kiss. Velleth's insides were much tighter than Auralla or Fayeen, but it was because of size. The blue-skinned elf was a head shorter than me, and very compact. That was ultimately for the best, because I still had two loads to deliver before the night was done.

"I need a little time alone," I told Auralla, who nodded slowly. She shuddered with orgasm, groaning and encouraging Velleth with some soft words, and slumped off to one side.

A lot was happening and I didn't want to think about any of it right now. All I really wanted was to make this girl feel good like Auralla and Avya had, so I could hopefully build a relationship with her, secure my safety, and maybe do this on a regular basis.

Velleth appered half-asleep when she finally turned her attention my way. She began moaning a few slow, deep thrusts later, though.

"Did Auralla do a good job?" I asked.

"Mm-hmm," she said lazily.

"You'll need to compare me to her later," I told her.

"Ohh… yes. Yes please."

I sped up. There was no more talking after that. Instead she just groaned and moaned and sometimes repeatedly said 'Uh!' for a minute at a time. I went through a couple of positions with her: cowgirl and reverse, but it was doggystyle that set her off. Whatever different of anatomy there was, it was exemplified by bending her over and having her brace herself against the trailer while I slammed into her from behind. And that anatomical difference worked both ways, because some deep part of her rubbed against me in just the right way.

You have joined in the flesh with Velleth of Surrek. Will you take the power offered to you, or share in the power with her?

The choice wasn't difficult to make this time. Velleth had softened, and accepted that I was different than the world of the Masters.

I could see the magic welling within her, and it was a rainbow of various different colors, with strands looping back into a ball of light that shifted shape and color constantly. It was never anything for long, not the same shade or brightness, shape or color. It was very different from Avya, and different from Fayeen.

I stared at this in wonder while trying to stave off my orgasm, but Velleth wasn't having it. She did the work now, pressing herself backwards and forwards. Just the thought of her doing this finished me off. I came with a loud groan and emptied my seed, again unprotected, into another female.

I would've said I was worried about the possibility of filling this world with my children, but the Master spoke out of the darkness at that moment, and erased all the worries.

"I see you have begun consolidating your power," a deep male voice said from shrouded in the darkness.

I decided ignoring him was the way to go. After all, you didn't just interrupt someone mid-coitus and expect to get a good response. I bent and got in a couple licks of midnight blue nipple, then nibbled my way up her neck to her lips. Her eyes were wide and frightened, which was a bit of a buzzkill.

A wiry, winged man with the head of a hummingbird strode out of the darkness while I slowly pulled out of Velleth and helped her to her feet. I stowed away a sarcastic jab about hummingbirds needing to eat constantly or die of starvation, and instead strode over to meet him, cock slowly wilting.

"I'm in the middle of something important," I said, and ignored the notification that I'd received a mark of power from Velleth. Instead I gripped the nose ring where the axe was hidden and prepared to fight.

He was wearing clothes, this guy, which was weird, diagonal strips of clothing wrapped around his upper body and looking like the flag of a nation that loved blue, purple and green. He had a skirt that felt Egyptian to me, but I wasn't sure why. It ended slightly above the knee and was made of horizontal stripes mirroring his upper body… garment.

He was flanked by two other bird-headed people, but these were very female. They had on gigantic necklaces, almost like cloaks of blue and green metal with hints of gold in between the mosaic tile metal pieces, but those pointed down to fully open, bare breasts. Again, it felt Egyptian, like a big collar that reached to the shoulders but didn't have any function. One had the head of an owl and grey skin, the other had the head of a falcon, with paler skin. They were also wearing skirts, but the kind that were semi-transparent like Auralla's clothing.

As for the Master, his eyes were soulless black marbles, literally a giant hummingbird's head, with shining green and ruby feathers, but his arms were human, as were his legs. His body wasn't quite as covered in marks of power as Giskennen's had been, but it was easy to count past ten, and all of those had the bronze sheen of added power.

He also held a bident, just a forked spear about nine feet long, a silver weapon decorated with colorful feathers and a jawbone used like a bead.

Jerry came padding up to me, and I put my hand on his head.

"I have one more female to dominate," I told him roughly. "Say your piece and leave me to my business."

"Are you the one who was said to have killed Giskennen?" the humingbird man asked.

I nodded. "He gave me no choice."

"Giskennen was always going to come to a violent end. You surprise me though, Drifter. Giskennen was known to be bloodthirsty, but also powerful and clever."

"People who attack without first speaking don't stay clever for long," I said, thinking

what am I doing right now? Trying to intimidate a Master of Surrek city?

Was this asshole going to spear me through the chest before I could even react? "Their heads tend to take leave their bodies. Now, be about your business and leave me to mine."

"Fighting briefly broke out over Giskennen's holdings in Surrek," he replied. "A fire was lit there… and the Governor intervened. The Governor has called for a cessation of hostilities, and given you three days to present yourself and claim a portion of his territory as a reward for your victory."

"You flew all this way to tell me this?"

"Some two dozen females have been killed over Giskennen's estate, and one Master badly injured. This is good for no one. A waste of power and flesh. We could be invading outlander territories and forcing their submission, but instead we kill each other." He made a clucking sound with his hummingbird tongue that I'd never be able to make… unless I somehow transformed into a bird-head man.

"And what do you get for delivering this message?" I asked.

"The Master had two districts under his control, and one of them will go to me. The other, if the Governor judges you worthy, will be yours." I nodded. "I would be wary though, Drifter. Others have come to

notify

you of this arrangement with their spears and swords. With your body, they can claim Giskennen's district of Surrek."

He was giving me advice for two reasons: one, he was going to be my district neighbor, so he didn't want me coming to his section of town to murder him. Two, he wanted someone weak next door to him, so he could do the same.

"And why don't you just try to take my head now?" I asked, but I knew. He only had two fast fliers, and it would've taken a lot of energy just to get here, let alone try and fight me.

He waved a hand. "The Governor has decreed you be given the chance to take Giskennen's place at council. I honor the Governor's word."

"It would please me to know your name, Master in Surrek. I am Evan Westfield."

He said his name, which was something like

T'charrk!

If you didn't screech it, it wouldn't work.

I offered my hand, and he surprised me my grasping my forearm, hard, then leaning close. "The ones who are coming for you are the unlanded. These are the ambitious bottom feeders who make their gangs and create trouble in the streets. It would be a waste if one of those monsters killed you before I became neighbors with the very first Drifter I had ever met."

"Your advice is appreciated," I said. "Safe travels back to Surrek, and, uh… may you find many supple females to dominate."

Or whatever I was supposed to say.

T'charrk threw back his head and tittered in a way that confused me at first. I soon realized it was his form of laughter. I smiled in return, and waited for several minutes after he and his females leapt off the ground and flapped his way into the sky. For several tense minutes, I waited for a bident to come glinting out of the darkness at my chest, but it never came. Arrows from the bird-girl's bows didn't strike me. They were gone.

This bird guy had really murdered the mood. All the ladies were standing around the campfire, having disrobed, and were getting back into the clothes they considered 'normal'. I approached Dallinya.

"I'm really sorry," I told her.

"It's understandable," she said. "You're under attack."

"I can make it up to you," I said.

What I needed was… ice cream. I tried to picture where in the hell I would find ice cream. Obviously, the freezer section at Meijer. Some of the nicer stuff would do, that was much more expensive and wasn't usually sold by the gigantic block. I activated the

Adrift

power and rummaged around in the aether until I felt the freezer section of Meijer, and my hand closed on the quart of ice cream there. It ended up being moose tracks, which was pretty much perfect.

"This is from my world," I told her. "It's yours to have or share as you wish, as an apology for an unscheduled meeting. Please accept it, and if you're still ready, perhaps we can have some time in the cab when it's time to hit the sack. Spoons are in the cab."

I really wanted to get Dallinya from behind with that striped tail rubbing up against my abs. The more I thought about it, the hornier it got me.

The ice cream was a massive hit. I'd figured it could've gone the other way, with them hating it, but the concept of something frozen in the middle of summer was astonishing to them, like I'd just done… magic.

Pfft.

Okay, there was a little time, for them to test it out and experience everything. I really really needed to look myself over for tattoos, and check the UI to investigate my new suite of abilities.

From Fayeen, I'd received

Swiftwind's Mark

.

Swiftwind's Mark

*Aura*

*Normal tier, three stars*

Normal: Activate to give yourself and all allies in the area a significant boost to Quick. Everyone affected gains the Dodge skill at level 3 for the duration as well.

Lasts 10 minutes. Costs high mana. Cooldown: 10 minutes.

You gained this ability after joining with Fayeen of Surrek. This ability's tier is tied to your Relationship with Fayeen of Surrek.

"Yes," I breathed. This wasn't going to be just for me, but for all of us. I found the mark itself, which was a strong tattoo already, three stars into normal. It looked just like a stroke of lightning descending from a raging stormcloud.

Next on the list was something called the

Trickster's Mark

, from Velleth, and it was right up my alley. I couldn't find the mark itself, until I looked in Mack's big side mirror and noted the lines, loops, and knot designs running up my neck and down my jaw. There were a couple more hidden by my hair.

Trickster's Mark

*Spell, Illusion*

*Normal tier, two stars*

Normal: Activate to disguise yourself as another person. The believability of the disguise will be based on your Sly attribute. You may bestow the ability on another willing target by touch. Note: all illusions break when the bearer of the illusion makes a hostile action toward another, or willing the illusion to be dispelled. Those with ability-enhanced senses are more likely to see through the illusion.

Lasts 1 hour. Costs moderate mana. Cooldown: 1 hour.

You gained this ability after joining with Velleth of Surrek. This ability's tier is tied to your Relationship with Velleth of Surrek.

I immediately turned to what I'd gained from Hellera, before trying to figure out plans for this new, amazing ability to disguise myself… or others. This last one was called

Red Dragon's Mark

, and the tattoo was literally a dragon in flight at the top of my abs, searing part of me with dragonflame that definitely moved in liquid slow motion while I watched. I looked again at the thunderbolt, and saw that it too shifted, expanded and retracted in slow-mo as well.

Red Dragon's Mark

*Passive*

*Normal tier, one stars*

Normal: You gain moderate resistance to fire damage. Your mana regeneration rate is improved to a slight degree. You seem more naturally intimidating, to a slight degree. You may breathe fire as an attack, up to three times per day. Costs no mana, no cooldown.

You gained this ability after joining with Hellera of Surrek. This ability's tier is tied to your Relationship with Hellera of Surrek.

I could now breathe. Fucking. Fire.

I also took the time to look in on Hellera. First, I waited for enough mana to use

Empath's Mark

and get an idea of what she was going through.

The dragonite was sitting with her back against one of the large tires and staring at the Drifter's Mark on her bicep. She noticed me approached, and only hung her head to avoid meeting my eye.

Gods

, she thought.

He'll have my head for this. What I've done… Giskennen would have chained me up and whipped me raw.

Her thoughts then turned to the mark.

I don't understand why he still gave me this. I could… but I can't. Dallinya and Fayeen and Velleth would lose the mark when I spilled his blood.

"From what I understand," I told her calmly, "that will last until we stop having a relationship. Whatever you received, you can use it to get as far from this place as you can. Find a village of females that will take you. Set up your own place out in the mountains."

She didn't say anything. Her thoughts were a whirl though:

could I? The monsters are worse out in the wild lands, or so the Masters have told. The Masters could be wrong. They lied about the power. They told me no female could ever hold power, and I have my flame back.

"If you stay," I told her, "the power will increase. You'll have your old magic back, and my gift to use by my side."

And who knew what other bonuses I would discover building a

coterie

, whatever that was.

"They're coming for you," she whispered, then finally got up the courage to push aside her guilt.

I have to think about the future if I stay with these six suicidal idiots… these six powerful, laughing, groaning, passionate,

alive

suicidal idiots. They have souls inside; they aren't broken and empty like me.

"You could help protect them," I suggested lightly. "I reward that kind of loyalty with loyalty of my own. Sharing essence if you want, leaving you alone if you don't."

Protect them from the sort of fate that Hellera had suffered under Giskennen… she could do that. She should do that. Heh. She

would

do that. She would die for Dallinya and Velleth and Fayeen. And if this Drifter became Giskennen, she would run a spear through his back and another up his essence-sharing ass.

She stood. "

I

will protect them. You'll see… you'll fall fighting the Masters, with your Drifter head full of your Drifter world. I'll follow you until that day, but not for you… for

them

. I'll keep them alive when you can't."

Atta girl

, I thought.

Although I was pretty sure my relationship with Hellera had just increased a bit and an exclamation had appeared, I checked over the new marks.