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A Brief Moment of Insanity Ch. 01

By: Lost Boy



After the intense eb 16 I decided on something a little more light. What happens when everything goes wrong for poor old mom? Everything goes right for her son. All characters are 18 years or older. Please feel free to comment and tell me how you liked or didn't like the story. I offer for your enjoyment... 

*

If I ever deduce what unkind god bent his will upon my poor dear mother on that fateful day, I'd like to shake his hand.

I was sitting in the living room watching the weather report. The meteorologist was calling for one hell of a storm. I looked outside and shook my head.

"No shit dude," I said to the television.

"Who are you talking to," my sister called from the dining room.

"The weatherman," I said. "He is predicting a really bad storm."

"Okay I get it," she said agreeing with my earlier statement. "I hope mom gets home soon. I don't like her being out in this shit."

"You and me both," I agreed. "How is the homework coming? Do you need help with your calculus?"

"Nah, I got a handle on it thanks. But I could use..."

She was interrupted as the front door opened and mom stepped in soaked from head to toe. I didn't see her at once it was my sister's reaction that prompted me to spring to my feet and race for the door. There was my mom all five foot two inches of her soaked from head to foot. My sister Willow was closing the door behind her as I instinctively scooped her up in my arms and carried her upstairs to the bathroom. Sis was right behind me and grabbed up towels to dry her off. Mom was blubbering in my ear the entire way upstairs.

"The car broke down... my cell phone died... I had to walk home..." she managed to get out.

"We'll take care of you," I promised her as I set her on her feet.

I tried to stand up but her arms had a deadlock around my neck. She was sobbing now and I literally had to pry her arms off of me. When I turned to go she panicked.

"Mom we have to get those wet clothes off of you," I said.

"This is an emergency Warren," Willow said. "Man up and help me strip her."

"Oh alright," I said reluctantly.

I say reluctantly not because my mother isn't attractive she is fucking gorgeous. I think that's why I was anxious. She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life; my sister is a very close contender to that spot. So as I helped Willow tug off mom's soaked shirt and her confined breasts came in view I bit back a gasp. My sister undid her bra from the back and I was the one who removed it. Even after two kids her breasts were still gorgeous and firm topped with rosy nipples. 

Then I undid her slacks and let them fall to the floor. I knelt down and there was her panty clad pussy right at eye level. I untied her shoes one at a time stealing a glance at her sex when I could. Then Willow was tugging mom's panties off of her from behind. I stood up and grabbed the towels. I was just in time to see mom step out of her thong. I could see her shaved slit and god how it drove me mad. 

I tossed Willow a towel and we began drying mom off. She must have truly felt like the Lady of the house right then and there. It was awkward drying off her tits but she didn't seem to mind as I lifted them up to get underneath. She even winked at me when I was done as if it say 'Cheeky Boy'. 

Then I worked my way down to that most desirable of places. When I bent over mom spread her legs so I could get everywhere. I dried her inner thighs and I caught a whiff of her scent. That would haunt me for a very long time. At last she was dry and I was painfully hard in my jeans. 

I gathered up her wet clothes and went to drop them down the laundry chute. Mom grabbed me and Willow and we just stood there for a long time. 

"I'll go make some nice hot coffee," I offered.

"Oh god you are a life saver Warren," mom praised me. "You too Willow, I don't know what I would do without the two of you."

Sis got mom a robe and I headed downstairs. About ten minutes later and just in time for fresh coffee mom and sis came down. They sat down around the kitchen table. I fixed mom coffee just the way she liked it, creamer and just a little sugar, Willow took hers with just a splash of milk. Mom was still in her bath robe and when I set her coffee down a stole another glance at those gorgeous breasts of hers. Then I set Willow's cup in front of her and she gave me a smile and knowing look. She had caught me staring down mom's robe.

While Willow and Mom talked I began fixing dinner. I was grateful for the distraction and the time by myself. I heard giggling and I looked over my shoulder and they were both looking at me. The two of them both blew me kisses, I felt my cheeks burn and another round of laughing erupted. Damn them both! I was chopping onions when Willow joined me.

"You told her didn't you," I whispered.

"Told her," Willow whispered back. "She caught you staring at her upstairs. And don't think she didn't miss the boner you were sporting either. You are so busted mister!"

"Goddamnitalltohell," I cursed under my breath.

"Don't be so upset she likes it. She is a woman and all women like to be noticed. I've caught you staring at me when I'm in my panties and a t-shirt."

"WILLOW," I yelled.

She just laughed and continued on with fixing supper. I moved like a zombie. I was so fucking ashamed and I had nowhere to hide. While dinner cooked in the oven I slipped up to my room to kill some monsters on my Xbox. A soft knock almost went unheard.

"Warren," mom said softly. "Can I come in?"

"Sure," I said wincing still feeling the sting of the earlier embarrassment.

She had gotten dressed into some brightly colored pajamas. Her long copper colored hair was still plastered to her back. She glanced down at me with those amazing gray-green eyes of hers and smiled. 

"Mind if I join you?"

"Have a seat," I said.

I was sitting on the floor at the foot of my bed. Mom sat next to me and watched me blast aliens for a bit before she said anything else.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Sorry," I said dropping the controller and turning to look at her. "What could you possibly be sorry for? I'm the sick one. I'm the one stealing looks at his gorgeous mother and sister when he can. Jesus what the hell is wrong with me?"

"Warren you are a man," Mom said. "You are surrounded by as you so wonderfully put it two very attractive females all the time. It is only natural to be attracted. You are the man of the house really with your dad working ALL the time."

"Do you miss it?"

"You mean acting," she said and I nodded. "Yeah, I admit it. It's hard on some shoots and being away for long stints, but yes I miss it."

"You should call your agent," I said.

"You are an angel," she said.

"A horny one," I said.

"The best kind," she said and got up and left.

What the hell did that mean? I turned off the game and went down to check on dinner. When I got into the kitchen there was Willow bent over peering into the oven. My eyes locked onto her ass and I let out a low groan.

"Oh good you're here," she said without missing a beat. "Can you lift this out for me?"

"Yeah sure," I said.

"You could at least say, nice ass sis..." she said as we exchanged places.

"God I hate you," I moaned as I carefully lifted up the steaming tray.

"No you don't."

"How do you know?"

"I've seen you sleep and heard you moan my name in your dreams," she said licking her lips.

"You are a wicked evil little..." I began but then mom came down weeping.

"Dad's working late again," Sis said.

"He's banging that new legal assistant you mean."

"No there is a new partner I hear, a real hotty."

"Yeah dad... at least he's consistent."

"Dinner is ready mom," Willow offered.

"I am sorry guys..." she said and then saw how much work we had put into it. "Looks delicious let's eat."

Mom wiped her tears and I broke out a bottle of wine for her and soda for us. We ate in relative silence in the pall of knowing dad was once again banging a new prospect. Why mom stayed with him was still a mystery. She had her own money and then some. She had more in the bank than he'd make in ten years as a high price lawyer so it wasn't money. He wasn't fucking her so it wasn't that. So I guess it boiled down to love. I'm not sure I ever want to fall in love; lust is just fine by me. 

After dinner I went up to my room to finish the last of my homework. I was just about done when someone knocked at the door.

"Okay already you have a nice ass," I said.

The door opened and mom stepped in. I closed my eyes and wanted to disappear.

"Why thank you sweetie I appreciate that," she said as she closed the door behind her. "How goes it?"

"I am almost done," I said as she sat on the edge of my bed. "So what's up?"

"I noticed something when you guys were drying me off in the bathroom," Mom said her voice changing in a subtle sort of way. She continued and I could tell she was unsure of herself. "Can I see it? I mean it's only fair really since you've seen..."

"You want to see my..." I said and she nodded and I swallowed hard. "UM... are you sure?"

"MMMMMMMMM very sure... seeing that bulge has been bothering me."

"Oh... I'm sorry," I said.

"Don't be sorry but would you be okay me seeing it?"

"I guess it would be only fair," I said.

I set my books aside. I unbuckled my jeans with mom's eyes on me like a hawk. I unbuttoned them and lifted my butt off the bed and slid them down. All this talk of seeing it had gotten me really hot and bothered.

"Oh my," Mom moaned as she reached for the waistband of my boxer briefs. I lifted up my butt again and she pulled them down. My erection once free swelled up once the cool air hit it. "Jesus what a monster," she exclaimed. "Have you had girlfriends complain Warren?"

"Well I haven't really had girlfriends they've been more like fuck buddies. But the strange thing is they don't last very long."

"I can see why," she said.

"You think it's too big?"

"Me, oh hell no," she said a little too eager. "But younger girls might not be able handle a blessing like that."

"You call a... something this big a blessing?"

"MMMMMMM god it's so long and thick..." Mom moaned and licked her lips. "Can I touch it?"

"UM... sure I guess... it would be..." I said. 

The words were barely out of my mouth when her hand wrapped around me. Oh damn that felt good! She gave it a little squeeze and I moaned for her. Her eyes were ablaze with lust. Then she was slowly stroking me.

"Wait... if you do that..."

"Hush mom knows what she's doing," she said reassuringly.

"Oh god that feels so good."

"MMMMM you have no idea what good is yet," she purred. "Why don't you lie back, close your eyes and just enjoy this?"

"NNNNNNNNNN okay..." I moaned caught up in her jacking me off.

I heard and felt the spit hit the head of my cock. Then her hand was gliding nicely. Oh but she wasn't done yet. Without warning I felt her lips wrap around the head of my cock. Her tongue was making love to it while her hand moved faster now.

"Oh god... that feels amazing... oh yeah suck me... lick me..." I moaned.

Jesus but that just added fuel to the fire. Soon her head was bobbing up and down on me. I was biting my lip to keep from screaming. I opened my eyes and there was my mom sucking my cock like a pro.

"Damn you look hot like that," I said and then she looked me in the eye and deep-throated me. "OH SHIT... oh my fucking god... if you keep that up I am gonna cum!"

I warned her but she kept stroking and licking and sucking. I drove my fingers into her hair and got a death grip. Just a little more and I would come.

"I almost there... don't you want to..." I began to ask but her fist just moved faster and I lost it. I bit my lip to keep from screaming. My cum shot down her throat and my mom swallowed every last drop. She licked me dry and I was so excited I was still hard as a rock. Just then the phone rang.

"Mom it's for you," Willow said a moment later. "It's Aunt Janine."

"Crap, well that was fun." She said and walked away without a look backwards.

"Warren, are you busy," Willow called from the hallway.

"Give me a minute," I said trying to get back into my jeans but failed since she walked in anyway.

"Oh... My... God..." Willow said seeing my iron hard cock and bare ass. "You are fucking HUGE... no wonder the poor girls complain about you."

"FUCK..." I said and dropped my jeans and sat on my bed. "So they complain huh."

"Yeah," sis said closing the door behind her. "What did mom do to you, you poor thing."

"Don't feel sorry for me," I said. "She blew me like I've never been sucked off before. I'm not sure how to feel about this."

"Look at it from mom's point of view. You are the only man in the house. Dad is off fucking god only knows who. You my dear brother are prime real estate."

"I am so going to hell for this," I said.

"You don't believe in hell," she said as she wrapped her fist around the shaft of my cock. "Damn you are so thick... how long is it?"

"I don't have a clue."

"Let's see," she said as she wrapped both hands around it. "Oh my god Warren no wonder mom wants to eat you alive!"

"I don't get it."

"You are so naïve you know it. She wants this," she said squeezing my cock for emphasis, "inside of her and real bad."

"But she's my... and I'm her..."

"A cock like this trumps things like that. Besides how long has it been since mom got laid? Be prepared dear brother to get your brains fucked out and soon."

"Soon... how soon?" I asked.

Sis lowered her lips to the head of my cock and began sucking me off. I grabbed her by the hair but that only seemed to stir things up. 

"Willow, what the fuck are you doing," I asked.

"I am getting this thing slick enough for this," she said as she chucked her shirt and jeans. I had never seen my sister naked before. "See how wet I am," she said taking my hand and putting it between her legs. "That's the effect your cock has on women. Now shut and lick my pussy while I suck you off."

We shifted into a sixty nine position and I eagerly ate her out as my sister's head moved up and down on my 'mesmerizing' cock. I didn't know how else to think of it now. One look and boom instant wet pussy. And Willow's pussy was soaked. I licked and suckled her clit and that pushed her to a fevered pitch.

"Can't wait must fuck," Willow said as she lifted off of me.

"You sound just like a guy," I said.

"Hey girls have hormones too," she shot back. "Now shut up so we can fuck!"

She straddled me and took my cock in hand. She teased her pussy with the head a little bit and then with a mutual groan she eased it in. I could feel her open to me.

"Oh dear god this is going to be tough going," she said.

"We could..." I began but she silenced me with a look. She wanted my cock and badly.

I watched my fraternal twin, my sister and my best friend slowly lower down and take me inside of her. It was strange and surreal and goddamn it felt good.

"So fucking tight... your pussy is amazing..."

"OHHHHHHHHHH you're in my womb," she moaned as she impaled herself completely.

I let her do it all afraid I'd hurt her. I watched intently as her pussy swallowed up my cock in by agonizing inch. 

"So FULL... you cock is bloody amazing..." sis said then she was moving slowly. "Oh god I think I'm hooked. Oh, what have I done..." Then she was moving faster now. "Yes oh god yes... fuck me Warren... roll me onto my belly and fuck me like an animal..."

I did as she asked. Without pulling out I got her onto her hands and knees. Then I slowly drove my cock into her. I cupped her ass cheeks and pulled them apart to watch my cock penetrate her. 

"I'm gonna cum Warren... fuck me harder lover... driver that wonderful cock of yours into me..."

I thrust harder now and she yelped but drove her hips backward into me. It didn't take long before she was crying out and shaking like a leaf as she came.

"Damn did I do that?"

"Uh huh," she moaned weakly.

"Cool," I said.

I rolled her onto her back my cock still in her.

"Wait... no... give me a minute to catch my breath... UNNNN UNNNN UNNNN..."

I watched her mouth go slack and her eyes roll up. But her lips curled up in a smile so it was all good. I fucked her with nice long strokes but slowly. I leaned forward and I drove my cock into her I tasted her nipples. My first lick sent Willow into her second orgasm. Her hips drove up and into me unexpectedly. I came right along with her. I ground my cock against her as I shot ropes of cum into her tight pussy. 

"Sorry I didn't mean to," I said as she pulled me close. 

"It's okay I'm safe," she reassured me. "I wouldn't have started this bareback if I wasn't. You know you have ruined me for other men."

"I..." I started but once more she was giggling. "Damn you I hate it when you do that."

"I was being honest on that part but you don't need to apologize. I wanted to be ruined."

"You are so bad," I said.

"You haven't seen bad," she said with that wicked tone in her voice.

"Oh god I've woken the Beast," I moaned in mock horror.

"This beast has a taste for man flesh," she growled.

"Oh bloody hell what will I do," I said.

"Feed me... UNNNNNNNNN... ARGGGH... goddamn... hard again?!"

"Your tight pussy is still wrapped around me," I said as I began to thrust very slowly.

"MMMMMMMMM you are going to spoil me," Willow moaned. "Just one more orgasm I still have a little homework to finish."

"One more," I agreed. "Gentle or shall I drive it home?"

My bed was shaking as I thrust into my sister from behind. She bit into my pillow and her pussy grabbed me as she came. I held her as she caught her breath.

"I got to go," Willow panted. "Aunt Janine can't keep mom busy forever."

"You called Aunt Janine," I said. "Oh you wicked little thing you. You better hope mom never finds out. Off with you and now," I told her.

Sis opened the door and we could hear mom still on the phone. Willow made good her escape and blew me a kiss goodbye. Life just got surreal. I shook my head and sat there naked on my bed. 

I had my own wicked idea just then. I washed up and walked downstairs. Mom was in the living room talking on the phone. I walked in and she nearly dropped the phone. I was naked and sporting the hard on Willow had inspired with that tight little pussy of hers. I walked right in front of mom, my cock within inches of her lips. I began to stroke my cock while Aunt Janine droned on about something or other.

"You are so in trouble mister," my mom said.

"Okay I'll go back to my room," I said.

"NO... I mean..."

"Stand up," I said.

"Why," she asked but stood up all the same.

I walked behind her and pulled her to me; my cock sliding between her legs. Then I reached around and cupped her tits through the pj top. She bit back a moan.

"Tsk Tsk this won't do at all," I said as I slowly undid the buttons of her top. I cupped her bare tits and then whispered. "MMMMMMMM that is so much better isn't it."

Mom nodded as I nibbled her ear and played with her tits. "Should I take off your bottoms or do you want to do it? Or am I presuming too much from what happened before? Do you want my cock inside of you? Do you want me to bury it deep? Or should we just tease each other?"

She took my hand and placed it on her bottoms. I knelt behind her and slowly pulled down her bottoms. Her bare ass greeted me and I kissed each cheek. I tapped her inner thighs and mom took a wider stance for me. I reached up and found she was way past soaked. I stood up and took my former position. I returned to playing with her tits. I thrust my cock just below her pussy teasing her. I could hear her breath quicken.

"Do you want this in you," I asked and she nodded. "Do you want to wait?" She shook her head vehemently. "Why do you want it... or do you need it?"


A Brief Moment of Insanity Ch. 01



"I need it," she whispered. "It's been so long... please don't tease me... please."

I sat down on the couch. I pulled her to me. Mom slowly sat and impaled herself with much enthusiasm.

"Oh my god," she said. "Yessssss," she hissed. "Oh I KNOW," she replied to whatever Janine was saying as she rode my cock. How she managed to keep from screaming beat me. But she cried out in time to remark to my dear Aunt. "UH HUH... UH HUH..."

I reached up and hit the speaker feature on the phone.

"You're getting fucked right now aren't you Gwen," Janine said. "Serves him right, he's been fucking around on you for years. Is he young?"

"Yeah... his cock is so big... and long... and thick..."

"You little minx you," Janine purred. "MMMMMMMMMM I may have to borrow him. Does he like brunettes," she moaned. "UNNNNNNN I love a big fat cock!"

"Janine, are you diddling yourself," mom asked as she drove my cock deeper into her.

"What of it nobody is here. I can play with my pussy all I want. SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS how big is he. I mean are we talking big or are we talking..."

"OH GODDDDDDDDDDDDDD," mom cried out as she came. "HUGEEEEEEEEEE..."

"MMMMMMMMMMMM yep I'm stealing him... I need a big fat cock in this little pussy of mine... NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN can he hear me..."

"Yeah... he can hear you now..." mom said as I moved her onto the floor and her knees. The telephone was set on the floor below mom's head.

I began thrusting into her slow at first, then a little faster now as I heard Janine playing with her pussy.

"What's going on," Janine asked.

"Phone... on floor... me on knees... OH God..."

"Shit girl... I can hear his balls hitting your clit," Janine moaned. "Oh god I wish I was there. Would you share him sis? Would you share that long fat cock with me?"

"That's entirely up to him," Mom said. "I'm not the one in charge right now. He's the one who came in here naked with that raging hard on."

"What about the kids?"

"UNNN UNNN UNNNNNNNNN," they are in their room doing homework.

"OH god... I am so close... promise me you'll share him sis or I will hate you forever..."

"I promise."

"UNNNNNNNNNNNN GODDDDDD," Janine cried then the phone dropped. We could hear the muffled cries as she came.

"Damn," I moaned as I thrust into mom. "Where do you want me to cum?"

"On my face... I am a dirty worthless mother who... OH GOD..."

I thrust into harder than ever and mom was all moans and groans. I was getting close to coming. I rolled her onto her back to make it easier to shoot on her face when I came. Mom had the phone to her ear again. 

"I'm back... god that was intense we should role-play more often sis."

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH GODDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD," I cried out as I came all over my mom's face.

"OH MY GOD... you weren't faking... there really is a guy over there... and he heard me masturbate and orgasm and everything."

"Yep... you're busted. You are a shameless woman now. I guess that means you don't want to meet him."

"Let's not be harsh, I never said that. Do you think he will find me attractive?" Janine asked. I whispered in mom's ear and mom laughed.

"He wants you to email me some revealing pictures of yourself and he'll judge for himself. What do you say sis?"

"MMMMMMMMMMMMM he is a naughty boy. So what happens if Frank finds out?"

"Who cares I have enough on him to sink his ass. I have had private investigators working on him for months now. He doesn't have a leg to stand on."

"Then by all means leave him. Take the kids and your well hung boy toy and just leave!"

"Not yet," Mom said.

"Why," Janine said.

"This may sound cruel but I want to crush him. There is something coming up and once that has passed then and only then will I file for divorce."

"Very well that eases my mind," she said. "I will leave you to your fun. I have pictures to take. Tata." 

Mom hung up and sat up and looked at me. I could quite read her expression. I'm not sure she knew what she wanted to say for a while.

"You young man... just saved my life."

"Huh... I don't understand."

"Your father has been cheating on me for years now. I let it go for you and your sister's sake. But now it is time to lay the boom. Just like I told your Aunt Janine I have been keeping an eye on your father. Sadly his wrong doings have not been limited to fucking around. He has been using his client's information to better himself. That has come back and bit him in the ass. All of that money is going to be seized one day and soon. So I suspect within a week he is going to move it from his secret accounts he has been keeping to mine until he can set up something in the Caiman Islands. We have one joint account and I have orders at the bank that the moment there is a large deposit it is to be transferred to my personal accounts immediately."

"Damn that is harsh, but fair."

"I have no other choice," she said and I see the conviction. "Now about that little thing that happened earlier... that was amazing!"

"I am glad you enjoyed it now I'm going to..."

"The hell you are," she said wrapping her hand around my cock. "I am going to sit on the couch and suck you off nice and slow like. You mister deserve a reward for fucking me so well."

"How can I say no?"

So as I stood before mom she was good as her promise. It was the longest, most amazing blowjob ever. She sat there and swirled her tongue around the head of my cock all the while maintaining eye contact. Then like some erotic sword swallower she gobbled up my cock. I looked up and I almost cried out when I saw Willow watching us from behind the couch. She put her finger to her lips. I grabbed mom by the hair and began slowly thrusting. That kept her from looking behind and seeing Willow. Sis was now standing and as I fucked mom's throat she played with her pussy. We were all moaning now. Logic had long since left the building. It was like someone had dropped something in the water supply or something. I watched sis's fingers slide in and out of her pussy even as my cock was doing the same to mom's throat. This was SO wrong in SO many ways. Tomorrow this would be one strange and crazy dream, a brief moment of insanity. I motioned for Willow to drop down. 

I pulled my cock from mom's mouth. I bent her over the couch and slammed my cock into her.

"Oh god baby," mom cried out.

"Take that and that," I said to mom and Willow, who I imagined was sitting against the couch fingers buried in her pussy. "I'm gonna make you cum for me."

"Oh yes baby fuck me and I'll cum hard just for you," mom moaned as I thrust in quick hard bursts. 

The couch shook as I fucked her hard enough for two women. I was thinking of them both as I took my pleasure from mom. Was that wrong or just plain selfish? I didn't know and I didn't care. I dug my fingers into mom's ass cheeks as I thrust now. She was grunting in time with me.

"Don't you dare cum until I do," I told her.

"NNNNNNNNNNN I'll try," she panted but I am so close.

"How close," I asked.

"Real close sweetie I'm sorry," she said.

"It's okay," I said.

I spit on the tip of my finger and began teasing her puckered asshole. I felt her pussy tighten when I did that. The closer she got the more I teased her other little hole.

"Tell me when you are ready," I said.

"UH HUH..." he moaned. "Oh god... so close baby... almost there almost... NOW... HOLY SHIT!"

When she said NOW I thrust my index finger into her loosened ass when she came it was like fireworks. I couldn't thrust anymore because of how tight her grip had become. A few minutes later she relaxed and all was well in the universe. Willow popped up and smiled her face was beat red. Then she disappeared upstairs before mom fully recovered.

"What the hell was THAT at the end," mom moaned.

"UM..."

"Dear god I thought I was gonna die," she growled. "I must have cum three times back to back... that is a new record for me just so you know."

"Well now I know what to shoot for if there is a next time."

"If... did I do something wrong?"

"No it's just if you are divorcing dad..."

"Oh I was worried for a second," mom said. "So you don't have a girlfriend."

"No not per se," I said.

"Good then we can be fuck buddies until this mess with your dad gets cleared up," she said with that pleading look and I shrugged.

"Sure it just sounds weird you know," I said, and then she whispered in my ear about things that she can do. "Yeah fuck buddies sounds great."

"I thought you might see things my way. I give you an A by the way in presentation and creativity. Damn that was one helluva entrance Warren. That'll give this old lady wet dream for a week if not a month."

"Hehe I guess I will have to ponder the next one then," I said. "I have to go finish homework."

"I need a cold shower," she said.

I got to my room and there was Willow in my room sniffing my pillow. She got onto her hands and knees and crawled to the edge of the bed. Then she sat back onto her feet.

"Damn that was intense," she purred. "Watching you and her go at it and then feeling the couch shake as you fucked her so hard. That was for me too wasn't it? When you aid take that and that?"

"Yep," I said. "Was I being...?"

She pulled me forward and kissed me. The line had been crossed. We were no longer just fucking now it was something more, damnit! The intensity of the kiss pulled me forward and her backward. Was it just plain luck or something more? My cock slid into perfectly and effortlessly. We moaned into each other's mouths as our tongues intertwined. She rolled on top of me. It was a slow and sensuous thing unlike anything before it. The kiss and the movement of hips never seemed to end. Suddenly and unexpectedly I felt my cock swell up inside of her. Willow began riding me like a mad woman. She wanted me to cum in her while that kiss remained. I was moaning in her mouth as the pleasure welled up in me. Then I grabbed the sides of her head and kissed her fiercer still as my orgasm crashed over me. 

Something wet hit my face and I reached and touched it. A single tear. It was followed by many more. I broke the kiss but it was okay. I could tell by the look on her face. 

"That was..." I began to say.

"... the most perfect moment in my life." Willow said and then began to sob with joy.

"Did you..." I asked and she nodded. "I came so damn hard I couldn't tell I'm sorry..."

She silenced me with another kiss. And oh this one was different than any other. There was sweetness to it and tenderness I had never experienced before. I held her for a long while. Then we dressed and actually finished our homework.

"So how is this going to work," I asked utterly confused.

"I have no idea," Willow said admitting her own inability to define what 'this' was.

"Mom wants to be fuck buddies," I said and Willow giggled so hard she fell off my bed.

"Then that's it, we will be fuck buddies too. Until we figure this whole tangled mess up," she said.

"Works for me," I said.

Willow left with a smile on her face and I wondered when this house of cards would come tumbling down. I grabbed my laptop and checked my email. At the very top was a forward from my mom to me. I didn't notice that it had attachments until I opened it. 

'Hey Warren check this out! It looks like I'm in for some real stiff competition from my sister. Love Mom.'

Below were a dozen or so pictures for my Aunt Janine. The first few were her wearing a red lace bra and matching underwear. The next were her bent over showing her mighty fine ass and the black thong she is wearing. A few more of her in her thong and nothing else; I can see why mom was worried... Janine was stacked! There was less clothing and more of Janine as the pictures progressed. Until in the last there she was on her hands and knees showing off her pussy at its best angle.

"Damn," I said as I closed the laptop lid.

There was my mom wearing a t-shirt and a smile.

"Shit woman you scared the piss out of me," I yelled.

"Sorry I was eager to see your reaction," she said.

"I accept your apology, damn that last picture..."

"Yeah I know... so tell me which ass is better hers or mine."

Mom had gotten into an identical pose for me. I opened up the laptop and looked at the picture and then my mom. I went back and forth and smiled.

"I see the family resemblance," I told her.

"Flatterer," she smiled. "So which is better do you think?"

"Well as far as looks I am looking at a photo after all... I think you ass is finer. Now as far as fuckability... well I have only you to compare now don't I?"

"That is true, that is why I emailed her to see if she was to have a Fuck Off."

"A What," I asked blinking.

"We have done this in the past when our sensuality or sexuality has been called into question."

"Really, so this is family tradition?"

"Well, it's our tradition."

"So how does this work?"

"We have events and you are blindfolded. You must choose from the two of us who is best at that event."

"What sort of events?"

"Well there is the blowjob, the titjob, the footjob, the handjob and in the end straight up fucking."

"Wow this is really organized."

"It is a three day event," she said. "The man in question needs time to recuperate after all."

"Of course he does," I said. "So you two take this very serious."

"So far there have been four such challenges each of us has won two. This will be the tie breaker."

"Won't she recognize me?"

"You will be wearing the sacred mask. Only I will know who you really are. Oh yeah and no sex the week before the event," she said.

"What do I get out of this?"

"You mean besides the undivided attention of two gorgeous women sucking and fucking you all weekend?"

"OH right... never mind."

"There is a monetary donation by both women for the man in question. Each of us puts ten grand in the pot, you get it at the end of the weekend IF and only IF you survive us, got it?"

"Yep, so when is this thing?"

"Oh it'll be a few months, why?"

"I don't want it interfering midterms," I said.

"No it'll be over Christmas break."

"Fine by me," I said.

"Well get some sleep and pleasant dreams."

Mom left with a simple kiss on my cheek. I closed my laptop and set it away. I turned off the light and closed my eyes. I heard the secret panel open and felt Willow sit on the edge of the bed.

"Did you hear all that," I asked her.

"You bet it did, the Fuck Off is legendary among the women in our family."

"You are kidding right," I said.

"Actually I was snooping around once and found one of mom's special photo albums. It shows all the details of one of these things. They do not mess around. The Harrower Sisters are known nationwide in certain circles. You are in for one hell of a treat."

"Oh really why is that?"

"Because dear brother I am going to enter that competition! And I intend on winning it."

Next Time: The Fuck Off!!!!!



A Brief Moment of Insanity Ch. 02



All characters are eighteen or older. Please vote and comment to tell me if you like, thanks! 




Jogging, swimming and endurance training were all involved in preparation for what was to come. If I performed well my college education would be paid for free and clear. There were few guys my age that could say that. It was unlikely that I could land a scholarship that would pay for everything so I had to do what was necessary. In my book this was very necessary. I had two short months to get ready. Of course I had my sister Willow to help with the most important aspect of the 'endurance' portion.

"Jesus," I cried out as she squeezed me tighter still.

"You have to keep from coming," she said as she rode me slowly. "Now quit being such a baby and take it like Man. MMMMMMM I have to admit the last few days your stamina has gotten better."

"Thanks, I owe it all to you," I said through gritted teeth.

"You have put in a lot of work outside the bedroom Warren," she said as she lifted up her hips nice and slow. "How does that feel?"

"Fucking amazing," I moaned weakly.

"Good," she whimpered. "You're not the only one in training you know. I want to beat out mom and Aunt Janine."

"Don't forget Cousin Caroline," I said.

"Caroline," Willow said dropping down suddenly almost causing me to cum. "When did that snotty ass bitch enter the picture?"

"When she got wind of this, she threw her name into the ring," I said catching my breath. "She is family and so she's eligible too."

"Damn it," Willow cursed. "How many of these bitches are going to show to the 'Fuck Up'?"

"According to the letter I got only three can enter the finals, thank god. There is going to be a preliminary elimination since there are more than three women."

"Just fucking great," Willow whimpered. "How the hell can I compete with I slut like Caroline?"

"Do your best," I offered.

With that she placed her hands on my chest, looked down with an expression of desperation and hunger.

"I need to win this Warren," she said. "I just do."

"Then fucking win it Willow." I told her."

She began to ride me again. She was squeezing my cock as she lifted up then she drove her hips down with a vengeance. Goddamn but she wanted me to cum! I fought her the entire way, I had to. It was a sexual duel and we both wanted to win badly. I loved my sister but I desperately needed that tuition money. Willow was intent on milking that orgasm from me and I knew that she would win eventually. I passively endured her assault as I mentally resisted the urge to climax. 

That's not to say I wasn't enjoying myself. Willow was pounding my cock with her pussy now and damn it felt good! She was covered with sweat and it beaded on her forehead and tits. It was dropping down onto my face and chest as she rode me. I was getting soaked myself as she fucked me. 

Her squeezing had finally won out and I had passed that point of no return. I was going to cum and there was no stopping it now. She felt my cock swelling up inside of her and her face lit up in triumph. I growled and rolled her onto her back. Since the battle was lost I was going to at least have the last shot in the war. I rolled her onto her shoulders and began hammering her pussy hard from above. Willow's eyes rolled up into her head as her own climax got closer. I straddled her and jack hammered her slit as my orgasm was but moments away now. The bed shook violently as I thrust into her. Her cries almost drowned out the squeaking complaints of the bed springs. That last swell of my cock came and with a great thrust I drove my cock as deep as I could into her and she howled as we came together. My cum shot deep into her pussy and filled her to capacity. I shook and moaned as my climax gripped me and looked down at my starry eyed partner who quivered as she recovered from her own petit mal, the little death. I eased out of her and let go. Willow's ass hit the bed and she glared at me then laughed.

"Love ém and leave ém huh," she giggled.

"Fuck ém and love ém is more like it,' I told her. "Move over so I can lie next to you."

"That's more like it," she purred. "I love you."

"I love you too," I said as she molded her body to mine. "No matter the outcome... I will always love you Willow."

"I know," she said tracing a finger across my sweaty chest.

Just then I got a text. I reached for my phone and looked at it. I read the message twice just to be sure.

"It's grandma, she wants to see me tomorrow for tea," I told Willow.

"That's strange," she said.

"Strange is a meteor hitting Russia," I said. "Grandma asking me for tea is a world shattering event. That old woman is up to something."

"Be careful," Willow advised. "Take a crucifix along just in case."

"I'm not Catholic," I said.

"I know that, but that old vampire may not remember that little detail." We both laughed our asses off at that one. We fell asleep in each other's arms.

Tea with that Old Vampire:

"Grandma," I said greeting a woman of indeterminate years.

"Warren," she said hugging me then holding me at arm's length. "You are looking real good my boy. Have you been working out?"

"Yes and you bloody well know why," I told her.

"Yes I do," she said letting go and moving towards a small round table overlooking her rose garden. "Come and sit with an old woman." 

"Grandma, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself," I told her.

"I can be and I will be, now shut up and drink your tea. We have things to discuss you and me. You have little understandings of family tradition and I blame myself and your mother. This thing that is going to occur is older than old. The Harrower family has been honoring this tradition for centuries but it has lost its meaning. Now it has turned into an underground sex club and true it earns this old lady a ton of money in revenue. But my point is this; you and your sister need to be educated before you enter into this."

"You make money on this," I asked.

"Yes," she said shaking her head. "I have my hand in a lot of things young man and this is just one of them. The Harrower name carries clout in certain circles. People pay to participate in events hosted by me and my associates. They are never disappointed. This thing with you and yours will net me enough to retire if I chose to. But I enjoy the sport too much to do that. I am going to send some literature for you to read. It will give you some insight into family legacy and why things are the way they are. Then come back and we will talk again. There is also my diary for your sister to read. Now go I have a business to run."

With that I was dismissed from the presence of the old vampire. When I returned to the limo, she had sent for me, there were a couple of large leather bound books and one smaller book. I was tempted to peek in the diary but declined. She was creepy in person, reading her thoughts and memories would have been too much. So I glanced at one of the larger books. It was a hand written account of the Harrower family. The first entry was dated 1756 and even though the elegant script was easy to read the old English style was not. It described the gathering of the young and nubile Harrower woman as well as the widowed among the family. Then the unmarried young men were brought to them and they went to a sacred site where they 'frolicked' until there were only two that remained. Those two were married and the child that was born was anointed to be the head of the family. Until that child died all the assets gleaned by any and all of the family members went to the anointed one to be distributed as they saw fit. 

"Holy shit... she's the anointed one...," I said out loud.

"Yes sir she is," the driver said confirming it.

"Whoa, they really take this seriously." I said.

"Oh yes sir," he said. "I have been with the Family for many years now. With THAT kind of money at stake they take it very seriously."

"I didn't think underground smut generated that kind of stream," I said.

"No sir, that's just a diversion for the Lady. The Family owns quite a few Multinational Corporations and even has family ties to the Saudi Royal Family."

"We are related to..." I couldn't finish the sentence.

"Oh yes sir, second cousins I believe."

"Holy fucking shit," I said feeling the color drain from my face. "I was worried about college funds."

"She won't pay for your college sir, you must earn it."

"I plan on it," I told him.

"That's the spirit sir," he said. "Ah it appears we are here sir. Good luck and I will see you in a few days' time after you finish reading the books."

I got out of the limo and there was my dad packing his things into his car cursing a blue streak. I guess mom had dropped the bomb on him. As I walked towards the front door mom appeared like the wrath of god.

"I will have professional mover's here to get your shit for you. Leave me an address for them or I will have it shipped to a storage facility, got it," she said her face beet red and her eyes glittering fiercely. "Oh hi son, how did your chat with grandma go," she asked switching gears so fast it made my head swim.

"UM... fine... strange..." I said slipping past her. "I need something to drink."

"I just made a fresh pot of coffee," she said cheerfully to me. "Now get the FUCK off my property you worthless piece of shit!" she screamed at my dad switching gears again.

"Hi Warren," purred Aunt Janine. "Get my pictures?"

"Yes I did," I said. "Damn."

"You say the sweetest things," she said getting up and following me to the kitchen. "Do you like inverted nipples?"

"I...um..." gulp "I adore them...," I said as I poured a cup of coffee felling her tits hit my back.

"They like you too," she said grinding up against me. "Did you really throat fuck your mom with me on the phone?"

"Yeah, she deserved it," I said pouring creamer and sugar into my cup. "Do you deserve having your throat fucked you dirty fucking whore?"

"Hey is that any way to..."

I turned and slipped my fingers into her hair and made a fist.

"Shut up bitch I am talking," I said and she just nodded. "That's good. Now I'm not sure I like you barging into my home and sniffing around me like some bitch in heat. Do I need to put a collar on you and put you outside on a tether? Would that teach you a fucking lesson? Should I take you to the park and let the homeless guys have a go at you, huh should I cock-slot?" I said and she shook her head. I pulled her close and sniffed her. "You smell like cheap hooker cologne, come with me."

I dragged her upstairs and into my bedroom and then into my shower.

"Turn on the shower," I said and she shook her head violently side to side.

"Do you know how much this dress costs!" she said breaking her silence.

"OH... that'll cost you," I said as I made an even tighter fist and turned on the water myself.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO," she screamed as the cold water hit her and her expensive outfit.

Mom and Willow came running to see me holding Aunt Janine struggling in the shower. I let go and she fell to her knees crying in the floor of the shower. I walked up to mom and grabbed her by her hair she immediately went limp. I walked her next to the shower.

"Look up here," I said and Janine pushed her hair from her face and saw mom's expression. "Do you see," I said and my aunt nodded. "Get in there and strip those rags off of her. Then wash that stink off of her, understand." I said and mom nodded. "When she is ready dry her off and bring her downstairs."

I turned without looking back and smiled at Willow. I went to the kitchen and enjoyed my cup of coffee. I sipped it and enjoyed the memory of Janine's expression of her ruined dress. She'd get over it or she wouldn't I really didn't care. She had to learn who was boss in this house. Mom had eagerly accepted that fact and so would her sister. I poured a second cup and decided to sit outside on the front porch since it was such a nice day. I wondered when Cousin Caroline would make an appearance. It was after all just a matter of time. Three out of the four competitors were in our house right now and it was getting crowded, not that I minded. But I knew that it bothered the shit out of Willow to know end to see Janine here so early.

The front door opened and mom ushered a flustered Aunt Janine out in hooker boots, a very short skirt and t-shirt that barely covered her ample chest.

"I love the pigtails," I remarked at the new hairdo mom and sis had done for Janine.

"We thought you would approve," Mom said and turned and left Janine and I alone.

"Have a seat next to me on the swing here Aunt Janine," I said politely.

"Thanks," she said and settled in. "That was really mean what you did to me upstairs."

"I know but I had to show you who was in control," I said. "By the way nothing has changed just because we are outside."

"What," she whispered. "You expect me to play slave girl to you out here too."

"I expect you to be my bitch until the Fuck Off is over," I told her. "How else are you going to train properly?"

"I suppose you're right," she said.

"There is no supposing about it," I said. "You can accept these rules or I will see you at the contest. You will not set foot beyond that front door, do you get me?"

"Warren, I am your loving Aunt," she pleaded. "Not some piece of meat; this is no way to treat me or any woman."

"I'll take that as a no then," I said and took a sip of coffee. "Aunt Janine, get the fuck off my property," I said calmly. "I will see you in two months."

"Warren!"

"Don't make me call the police," I said adding just a hint of anger to my voice now.

"I can't be what you want me to be, I'm sorry..." She said and got up and left.

"I am sorry too."

That was a surprise. I was sure she would fold. I finished my coffee and watched her drive away. Mom and Willow both came out and watched Janine's car drive off.

"She left," Willow said, each word left her mouth with a hint of relief.

"Well I'll be damned," Mom said. "I was sure the bitch would crack."

"MOM," Willow said. "She's your sister!"

"Yeah I know," Mom said. "I know her better than anyone. I am just really surprised is all?"

"She'll be back," I said and the two gals looked at me. "In the dead of night where her pride won't be on display, she'll come crawling back mark my words."

"You sounded just like my mother just then," Mom said.

"Must be those old books she gave me," I said.

"Oh," Mom said and went pale. "I have some chores to do."

One Week Later: Three A.M.

I was sound asleep when someone slipped into my room. She slithered her way from the bottom of my covers to my unprotected groin. I guess it was the dream of being sucked off that went from dream to reality. The serpentine tongue began lapping at the head of my cock, then someone lifting it and gently tracing the grand vein that ran beneath sending shivers through me. Then fully one third of my cock was engulfed and that talented tongue was swirling and teasing me. I was wide awake then.

"Holy shit," I groaned as I breached the surface between sleep and consciousness. "God damn someone couldn't sleep tonight."

The cocksucker devoured more and more as the shaft pierced her throat and her lips touched the base. I sat up and was tempted to pull up the covers but didn't. Then the little cocksucker began deep-throating me nice and slow. She was going to milk a monster orgasm from me. One of her hands came up and began caressing my balls as her head moved up and down on me. It was her snail pace that was killing me. I was guessing it was Willow with a new technique from Grandma's diary. If it was this was sheer torture! I had to focus just to keep from coming. If this was mom, this was a new technique she had not revealed yet. 

"I am loving it," I told my mystery guest.

Then her tongue did this thing where it wrapped around the head of my cock. It was like a little python or something. I almost came again but by sheer will resisted, barely. Then the game changed and the slow rhythm shifted to a more sensual speed. She was fucking my cock with her mouth now. 

"NNNNNNNNNNN Oh Damn," I said through gritted teeth. "If you keep that up..."

She knew just what she was doing. When I got close she slowed down. She was building up my sexual energy until she wanted me to cum. But eventually I hit that point of no return. My cock swelled in her mouth. Then she grabbed my cock and began stroking it as fast as she could. I cried out as I shot passed sensory overload. Truth be told I almost passed out when I came. The door to my bedroom flew open and Willow and my Mom raced in. I was far too weak to pull back the covers so Willow did it. There was a naked Aunt Janine lapping at the head of my cock. She was smiling from ear to ear.

"I just wanted to see my dear nephew is all," she said after licking her lips.

Mom was furious, Willow was hurt and I was still too senseless to say anything. Janine got out of my bed and agreed to go downstairs until I recovered. Willow sat with me and I told her everything. After all I wanted her to win the contest. 

"Why are you telling me what she did to you in so graphic detail," Willow asked me.

"I want you to win the Fuck Off," I told her.

"But what about you," she asked.

"I want to win too," I said. "But I want you to have as much ammo as you can..."

"You are so sweet," she said. "But you haven't read Grandma's diary have you?"

"EW... no," I said shivering. 

"You should," she said. "It is, well enlightening."

"Why do you say it that way?"

"Grandma may be the chosen one and all that but she is also a smart cookie too," Willow said. "There is a lot she says between the lines if you know how to read her diary the correct way."

"I don't understand," I said.

"Just read it," Willow said with a wink.

"Okay... okay I'll read it," I said.

"Was it really that good," Willow asked.

"I am still dizzy," I said.

"God damn it," Willow cursed. "I am not going to lose this to a freaky cocksucker like Janine! I have worked too damn hard!"

"This means that much to you?"

"NO," she snapped. "This means that much to us. Meet me downstairs we need to have a little chat with that sneaky cock slot of an Aunt."

"I'll be down in a sec," I said and Willow nodded and left.

I knew what she was referring to. She meant that if we won we would become the new chosen. So when the Old Vampire retired or passed on we would inherit. She didn't want Janine getting her hot little hands on all that money. I got up and hit the bathroom. I felt human after emptying my aching bladder. I had to admit of all the blowjobs I had gotten from the girls Janine's had been my favorite bar none. But if I knew Mom she was holding back. She had techniques up her sleeves saved up for the Fuck Off. I know if I were her that would be my play. I headed downstairs and before I was halfway down the steps I could feel the tension.

"Damn, did the temperature drop or what," I said as I walked into the living room.

"She used her key to come in here and take advantage of you," Mom said.

"I don't deny it," Janine said. "It was only fair after all."

"I barred you from the house and still you breached our trust," I said.

"Is that really how you see it even after...?"

"I won't deny it was pleasurable but that doesn't change what you did. Your pride is your sin here tonight as I see it."

"My pride," Janine said her eyes widening and her nostrils flaring. "What the fuck does my pride have to do with anything?"

"You refuse to submit, so you snuck into our home instead," Willow said.

"Submit," Janine said. "Do you submit to your brother Willow?"

"With all my heart," she said without hesitation.

Janine blinked as if she had been shot. Then she looked at her sister who just smiled and nodded.




A Brief Moment of Insanity Ch. 02



"So I guess this whole contest is a farce to you then," Janine almost screeched.

"Oh no," Mom purred. "I intend to win. I've been working on new techniques that will blow his mind."

"Like hell old woman," Willow snarled. "This may be my first time but I intend on wiping the floor with the two of you."

"Then it's on," Janine said smiling. "I was concerned you were compromised over this son of yours."

"No," Mom said. "Just because I submit to his pleasures doesn't mean I am going to let him win."

"Ah, that places things into a whole new light then." Janine said. "My concerns are gone, I will submit to my nephew."

"Why am I not feeling happy," Willow said.

"She's up to something," Mom said.

"Of course I am," Janine said. "But let the game play itself out shall we."

"Like we have a choice," Willow said.

"Nephew, may we continue?"

"Well since I'm up," I said. "Come on and follow me."

We walked up together leaving Mom and Willow downstairs to talk. I could feel Janine's eyes on me. 

"So what are you going to do with all that money Janine," I asked.

"Never work another day in my life," she said purring in my ear. "Neither would you, you know."

"You'd take care of me then," I said as we entered my bedroom.

"MMMM of course I would, we are family. What about Mom and Willow?"

"Oh them too silly bear," she growled. "Don't fret, now what does Master want from his naughty pet?"

I turned to face her and smiled. She dropped down and looked up at me.

"Is this what you desire Sir," she moaned. "Shall I pleasure your cock with my mouth?" I just nodded. "Oh very good Master, your pet is very happy to comply." 

Janine opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue. That's when I learned her technique wasn't something sis could learn. The serpentine thing was something hard rockers would envy. Then I watched as the thing twisted, slithered and wrapped around the head of my cock.

"UNNNNNN," I moaned.

Then she began in earnest getting my cock ready for fucking that soaked slit of hers. If her tongue was this amazing what pleasures did her pussy offer? I grabbed either side of her head for leverage and I began to slowly throat fuck my aunt. She had no problems adapting to me whatsoever. Her tongue clung to my cock as I thrust and her lips added a second layer of pleasure on top of that. Jesus what a mouth she had on her!

"Damn girl," I cried out as I drove my cock deep into her throat.

But I wasn't going to shoot my load here. We both wanted more and that was going to happen soon. After ten minutes or so of that heavenly oral delight I reluctantly pulled out. She got up and I bent her over my bed. Janine grabbed her ass cheeks and I eased into her wet cunt from behind. She had never had kids so as I entered her that tight pussy of hers gripped me and sucked me in. I wanted to savor this first time. Damn she was as snug as Willow was. Finally my cock was buried in her and we both let out a little groan of pleasure. 

"Damn but this is going to be one for the record books," I growled.

I began to move and she moved with me in perfect rhythm. Her pussy was rubbing and squeezing me as if we were made for each other. I was in seventh heaven and she was crying out as her first orgasm crashed into her like a fucking tidal wave. I felt her pussy grip me as she came.

"Where did THAT come from," she whispered to herself sounding shocked.

I picked up the pace, once she had recovered, and Janine easily matched me. Our bodies were slapping against each other and her little whimpers were music to my ears. I was enjoying myself as well but I wanted her to come at least one more time before I came. I rolled her onto her back and took over. I slowed down but thrust harder into her and watched her eyes roll up into her skull. Janine bit her lip and squeezed me harder now trying to push me over the edge. 

I cupped her tits for levered and that caused her back to arch and her body to shake.

"Did you just come," I asked and she nodded. "Your tits must be real sensitive." 

She nodded again as I leaned over and licked her inverted nipples. Another quiver ran through her but this one smaller. 

"I think it's time I came," I told her. "It's getting late."

I placed her legs over my shoulders and watched her face intently. I love women's fuck faces, they drive me crazy. I began fucking her slowly but with quick hard thrusts. Then I slowly picked up the pace. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened into a wide O. Janine reached for the sheets, her long delicate fingers digging in. Then I began to piston in and out of her slowly picking up speed.

"I am going to shoot inside of you," I told her and she nodded vigorously.

Soon the sound of our bodies slapping got louder and louder. Janine's cries became primal grunts of pleasure. All she could do was utter 'UNN' over and over again as I jammed my hips into her. Then I was jackhammering into her pussy I felt the point of no return come and go in a blur of fucking. I was covered in a layer of sweat as I felt my cock swell inside of her and IT was only moments away. She was panting and growling as her body was ready to explode with mine. Then when I couldn't hold it in any longer I pulled back and with one last savage thrust I rammed my hips home and shot my load deep into her cunt. Janine's scream blasted from her lungs and rang in my ears. Her pussy clamped down on me and urged me to keep on thrusting. She went mad as a second orgasm followed and her ass left the bed and she ground her hips into my groin. I kept thrusting into her slit until my energy utterly ran out. I fell on top of her and her arms and legs wrapped around me. 

My heart was pounding in my chest. It was heard to breath. I was soaked to the bone. God damn what an orgasm! I came so hard I thought I was gonna break my back! Speaking of back, there is a stinging sensation coming from back. I think the bitch raked her nails down my back. Janine is in a similar situation. She is panting and gasping for air. She is shaking like a leaf and she won't let go of me.

"You okay," I finally manage.

"Okay... okay... god damn boy I have never been fucked like THAT!"

I just left it alone. I made her bucket list, how nice. 

"When you get around to it," I said. "My cock needs cleaning."

"Master's cock is messy," Janine purred. "Slave will be glad to lick and suck it clean."

That's just what she did. The greedy bitch licked and sucked another load from me somehow. Then I fell into a sexually exhausted sleep. I dreamt about the Old Vampire. She was giving me the Grand Tour of her home and all the secret passages built into the place. 'When I retire this will all be yours'. 

I woke up. My morning wood was buried in a warm wet tight pussy. I opened my eyes to see Willow.

"Morning," I said.

"MMMMMMMorning," she moaned. "The Bitch left early this morning."

"I guess she got what she wanted," I said.

"She seemed a bit deflated," Willow said smiling. "What did you do to her?"

"Nothing I haven't done to you."

"Oh," she said smiling. "That explains the scream last night. You pounded the living shit out of her didn't you?"

"Maybe," I said.

"Oh my god you broke Aunt Janine," Willow said grinning from ear to ear. I just shrugged. "I have to tell Mom after we finish."

"I was hoping you were going to say that. Ride me Willow... nice and slow."

She leaned back and did just that. I never got tired of the feel of her wrapped around me. Willow was using a kind of wave motion with her hips now that just drove me wild. 

"Come for me Warren," She begged. "No training just pleasure... I want you to shoot all over my tits and face. Come on give it to me..." 

Her pussy squeezed me tight; she was relentless and hungry for my orgasm. I think she knew she was going to cum one way or another. It was always my pleasure she thought about. Her features hardened and her voice dropped lower now.

"Come on you selfish fucker... give me your cum!" she said as she rode me faster now.

"UNNNN god," I cried out.

"That's it," Willow purred. "I can feel it getting bigger inside of me."

Then she was thrusting her hips with abandon as I jammed my own up into her. My cock grew and grew in her pussy until...

"I'm gonna cum," I cried out.

She lifted up and off of me. Her fist was around my cock and furiously pumping. I arched my hips and yelled as my cock painted her tits and face. She was still stroking me off when I hit sensory overload. I tried and failed to say 'stop' when my second orgasm hit. The second load hit her straight in the face and hair. Then her lips were around me and her fist stopped, thank god. 

"What the hell was that Warren," Willow asked.

"UNNNNNN," was all I could manage.

"I didn't know guys could multiple," she giggled.

"UNNNNNN," I groaned still feeble.

"Still sensitive," she asked licking the tip of my cock.

"UNNNNNNNNNNN," I moaned trying to get into a fetal position.

"OH You Are," she said wickedly. "Come to mama."

"NNNNNO," I said as she came in for kill.

She managed to wrap her lips around the head of my cock. I was shivering uncontrollably but damn my cock for reacting. It was already growing hard for her.

"Succubus," I whimpered.

But Willow kept licking and sucking until I was rock hard again. Then she was trying a variant technique of what Janine had done the night before. Willow managed to wrap part of her tongue around the head.

"Oh dear god," I cried out.

She took that as a good sign. The pleasure poured into me and I was ready to burst. Then she slowly began to deep-throat me mirroring Janine in almost every way. I grabbed the covers and hung on. Willow was so desperate to win she was putting me through this. Then sensory overload wasn't letting up in fact it was building.

"JESUS," I cried out through gritted teeth but Willow was deep-throating me fast now. "I'm gonna die!"

I looked down through tear streaked eyes and saw Willow working on my cock fanatically. When she felt my cock swell she grabbed it two fisted and began to stroke. She wrapped her lips around the head and waited. I felt it. It was like some sort of deep rumbling and it roared upwards. Pain and pleasure merged and I came. The white hot orgasm engulfed me and Willow swallowed as one climax merged with another until I collapsed. I think I blacked out. The next thing I know Willow is holding me and her tears are falling on my face.

"Are you okay," she was asking over and over again.

"You broke me," I said. "Are you satisfied now?"

"That's not what I wanted."

"Willow, don't lie to me. And most importantly don't lie to yourself. You want to win this thing, I get it. I need to get some sleep."

"Warren," she said.

"Just close the door on the way out."

This thing was setting everybody against one another. I had to finish reading the other books and go speak with the Old Vampire again. I am sure she had lots to share. Did it happen to her generation too? I can only imagine it did. I heard Willow crying as she left then the door closing behind her. Had I been too harsh? I don't know. I closed my eyes and drifted back to sleep.

The Old Vampire: Part II

Visiting Grand Ma was always a life altering event. Even as a child her house was a honeycomb of secret passages that fed my vivid imagination. Now that I was an adult I can only imagine what went on in those hidden rooms when the kids weren't visiting. I left the books I had read in the limo and went up to the house proper. This time the Matriarch of the family was wearing something more simple and demure. Her hair was down and her makeup was a bit more basic. I was on my guard for anything.

"Grandma you look terrific," I told her.

"Coming from you that is high praise indeed," she said. "Have a seat we have much to talk about."

We sat opposite each other and there was coffee and snacks awaiting us.

"So tell me Warren, what did you think of the books I loaned you," she asked.

"The family history is a bit twisted to say the least," I said. "There are hints of devil worship and virgin sacrifices a long time ago. I can see how things could get twisted into what it is today."

"Yes, so how are you and your family doing?"

"Not so good to be honest," I told her bluntly.

"It is to be expected," she said. "Your generation will take over running the family."

"Yeah," I said. "About that, I had a dream."

"Really," she said and leaned close. "Tell me about it."

"It was just a dream Grandma," I said.

"Do not discredit such things when great events are so close at hand," she said.

"Okay, I had a dream that you had named me your heir. You were giving me a tour of this house. You were showing me secret passages and the like."

"Interesting, walk with me Warren," she said as she got to her feet.

I got up and followed her. She let me to the front of the house.

"Does this look familiar," she asked.

"Of course Grandma, I've been to your house a few times."

"I meant in your dream," she said.

"Oh, hmm well yeah," I said.

"Good, now take over. Show me what your dream revealed to you."

"Okay, if that's what you want."

I tried to hold the images in my head. I let my feet do the work and before I knew it I was in the library. We had never been allowed in here as children for obvious reasons. There were glass cabinets everywhere displaying artwork as well as books of great value. I was drawn to one of the glass cases. I opened it and reached up and found a cold metallic disc set into the interior roof. I turned it counterclockwise until it clicked. Two bookshelves on the eastern wall split open revealing stairs going down. I looked at Grandma and she just smiled.

"I've never been here before," I told her.

"Oh I know, neither has your mother," she said. "So how could you know about that?"

"It was just a dream, wasn't it?"

"No Warren," Grandma said. "It is time I stepped down. I was waiting for a sign."

"But what about..." I tried to say but she cut me off.

"Oh there is still going to be a Fuck Off don't you worry." She said with a genuine smile. "Now you can relax and enjoy having the pleasure of those gorgeous women."

"This will be our little secret." I said.

"No Warren, this will be our big secret." Grandma said. "Not a word to another living soul, not even to your sister." 

"I hate keeping a secret from Willow, but I understand."

"You've just learned a great lesson, take heart that it will be worth it in the end."

"I hope you are right." I said my heart sinking.

"When you are able to give the ones you love anything and everything they desire your heart won't weigh so heavy."

"Thanks grandma," I said giving her a long hug.

"You are welcome sunshine." She said hugging me back.

The Old Vampire's Diary:

I was hiding in the old tree house. As much as I loved sex three women begging for my attention was getting a little old. So I retreated to my old fortress of solitude. I had gone out and bought an LED headlamp, a gallon of milk and a box of snack cakes. I opened grandma's diary and the first thing I noticed was her elegant spidery handwriting. I began reading her journal entries. They read like elegant erotic short stories. I can see why Willow found them interesting. Woven inside the stories were quite a few sexual techniques for her to add to her repertoire. I did notice now again a flaw in grandma's writing. I mean everyone makes mistakes but not her and especially not in her diary. I began to see a subtle pattern in these abnormalities. I turned the individual pages in different directions and it was then that I saw the hidden letters. There was a single character on each page. But I didn't have pen or paper but I did have my cell phone. So I used the note feature to keep track of the letters until I had collected all of them. I began to wonder if grandma knew about this hidden message, two words followed by a string of numbers. 

Another secret lay in my hands and I wasn't sure if I should share it or not. I decided to keep it to myself for now. I memorized the last date in the diary and decided to ask mom a few questions when the opportunity presented itself. I closed the diary, pocketed my cell phone and turned off the headlamp. As I was preparing to exit the tree house I heard a creak from below. 

"Warren," a voice whispered from below.

"Yeah," I whispered back.

"Are you coming down?"

"Uh huh, be down in just a minute." I said softly. I climbed down and found my mother waiting for me. She was wearing a silk top that was practically transparent with matching bottoms. Her hair was down and in the moonlight her eyes burned with a deep hunger.

"Have you been avoiding me?" She asked biting her lip seductively.

"Not just you," I admitted. "I needed time to regain my strength."

"Aw poor Master has been sucked dry." She crooned. "May I walk with you in the moonlight?"

"Yes, I was hoping to ask you a few questions actually." I said.

"Ask away," Mom replied taking my arm in hers.

"Do you remember much about your Mom's brother?"

"A little," She said pursing her lips. "They were twins and very close up until he died. Though there was a bit of a falling out just before he passed away as I remember."

"Do you remember what it was about?" I asked.

"I do actually, I was over a book. Mom accused him of stealing a book from the family library. That's all I remember about that."

"One more thing do you remember the year that he died?"

"Oh that's easy, it was the same year you were born." Mom said. That sent a chill down my spine. "Why are you curious about him?"

"I read one of her diaries and I found something that made me think of him." I lied.

"Oh, I hoped that helped." She said.

"Very much," I said.

"Do I get a reward Master?"

"Can you keep quiet enough not to disturb the neighbors?" I asked.

"Mmmm I will try," She moaned.

I led her back to the tree that held the tree house. I tugged down her bottoms and found her pussy was already soaked. I shook my head and smiled at her. I mouthed the words 'bend over'. She bent over and grabbed the tree while I knelt behind her. I pulled her ass cheeks apart and began lapping at the glorious pussy of hers. Mom whimpered as I ate her out but good as her word she kept her volume at a respectable level. I found her clit and began to tease it with my index finger. This got her legs to quiver just a little. I took off my shirt and then stripped out of my jeans and shoes. My cock was hard and eager for action. Mom looked back and saw me and growled.

"Give it to me baby." She whispered.

"Since you asked so nice," I said back. I placed the head of my cock between her pussy lips and pushed slowly. She opened up to me and I felt her pussy wrap around me as I slid deep into her. It took a lot of self-control not to cry out as I buried my dick in her cunt. When my spear was deep as it could go we began to move as one. I pulled out and as I thrust into her she shoved back. We both let out soft grunts of pleasures, like two animals rutting in the field. I fought the urge to go faster. I fucked her nice and slow. I saw mom's head drop and her soft curses filled the air as we made love. Then the witch began to squeeze her pussy muscles around me. That set a whole new dynamic to our love play. I countered and began to flex my cock inside of her. Her head came up and she turned to look at me. Her eyes were narrowed and then she just smiled.

"Come on and fuck me, just fuck me," she whispered harshly.

I didn't reply. I pulled back and slammed my cock into her as hard as I could. Her eyes went wide and she nodded. From then on it was nothing but a grudge fuck. I drove my cock into her as hard and fast as I could. She squeezed her pussy and shoved her hips back as hard as she could. In other words it was one hell of a good time. Despite our promise to be quiet we did occasionally shout or curse one another. Mom ended up on her back looking up at the stars while I pounded her pussy. She had both hands clamped over her mouth to keep from screaming. Her hips left the grass and she nearly shoved me off of her when she came. I stopped and let her recover. I looked down at her panting, gasping form and just shook my head. Then I rolled her onto her shoulders and jackhammered her pussy from above and finished by shooting a huge load all over her face and tits. That left both of us on the ground panting and gasping. Apparently, she had come a second time. 




A Brief Moment of Insanity Ch. 02



"Are you going to tell me the real reason why you are so interested in my mom's brother?" Mom asked as we sat on the grass.

"Not yet," I replied. "There are things I don't understand. Once I have more information I can let you in on it."

"Maybe I have that information," She offered.

"You don't," I said. "I know that for a fact after talking to grandma."

"I see," Mom said her eyes narrowing. "You are learning the trade of family secrets early Warren. I'm not sure I like that trait in you."

"Fine, have you ever heard grandma mention these two words before, Codex or Keystone?"

"No, I'm sorry Warren for not trusting you. I've never heard those words before. I guess I am useless."

"It's not that. Grandma said that you were never in the library at her house."

"That's true, oh I see, you think the book that was stolen was this Codex."

"Exactly," I said.

"Good luck getting anything out of your grandmother." Mom said.

"Yeah," I replied. The last person I wanted to alert right now was grandma. I felt there was a reason her brother stole the Codex. I had to find out why and what the Codex is used for.

"Want me to tuck you into bed?" Mom asked.

"That's not a bad idea, if there isn't someone already waiting there."

"You are probably right, but there is no harm in trying."

We gathered up our clothes and headed inside. Sure enough Willow was napping on my bed. I guess it was her way of staking a claim to some of my time.

"Goodnight mom," I said pulling close and kissing her full on the mouth. Her tongue dueled with mine for a bit and then she broke our kiss with a heavy sigh.

"Night son," She moaned.

I dropped my clothes and slipped beneath the covers to spoon behind Willow. My cold body woke her up.

"Damn Warren, you are as cold as ice," She said. "Let me warm you up. Where have you been?"

"Reading grandma's diary in the tree house," I said and I pulled her closer.

"Discover any new techniques," She asked.

"That too," I said.

"I don't understand," She said turning to face me. "What else did you find?"

I told her the entire story about the hidden letters and the Codex Keystone. I figured since I blabbed to mom I might as well inform Willow. Then I told her what mom told me about the stolen book.

"So you think they are one in the same." She said smiling.

"They have to be," I said.

"Sounds like a treasure hunt to me."

"But just the two of us," I said.

"You know the numbers are GPS coordinates don't you."

"Huh," I said.

"They are longitude and latitude lines, I bet you money on it."

"Of course, how stupid of me, so all we have to do, is plug them in and follow them to the Codex. But what then, what do we do with it once we have it?"

"Beats the hell out of me, how about one thing at a time," She said as leaned close and kissed me. Willow draped her leg over mine. I could feel her heat and it was driving me mad with lust. For the moment I was lost in our kiss. I always drifted away when our lips touched. There was a special connection there. My eyes closed and my heart quickened and I never wanted it to end. It could have been a minute or it could have been an hour, our lips parted.

"Damn," we said together. I opened my eyes and smiled at her. "I am sorry about getting angry earlier, forgive me."

"Forgive you; I was the succubus that sucked you until I broke you."

"Yeah, I..." I said and looked between us. "Works every time, still get hard when I think about that, see."

"Damn Warren you're huge! I guess you did forgive me then. I promise to be more... UNNNN GODDDDD... warn me next time will you."

"Oh by the way here comes my cock."

She somehow managed to roll me onto my back and pin my shoulders. Then she was driving her hips down hard and fast, impaling her pussy over and over again.

"Oh by the way here comes my pussy!" She moaned loudly.

I thrust upwards to meet her and the battle was on. This time I didn't have to worry about being quiet, neither of us did. We hollered at each other and it was epic!

"Take that and that," Willow shouted as she fucked me.

"Oh god damn your pussy is tight!" I cried out.

"Your cock is so thick and long, it's filling me up lover!"

"UNNN UNNNN UNNNN," I moaned as she drove her hips down.

"Your turn," She said. Then suddenly I was on top. She had rolled over so I took full advantage. I placed her feet behind her head carefully and she watched while I jackhammered into her pussy mercilessly. Now it was her time to scream.

We were too occupied to notice the two older women enter the room and take seats on the floor at the foot of my bed. At first they watched and nodded then they began to get aroused. By the time Willow reached her first climax Mom and Aunt Janine were in a full sixty nine position on the floor moaning for all they were worth. I only heard them when I took a break to give Willow a chance to catch her breath. I turned and saw the two women intimately embraced.

"Well I'll be," I said. Now it was Willow and I watching them go at it. "I should punish them for coming in here shouldn't I."

"I think you should." Willow said.

"I have just the thing."

I quietly got off the bed and moved behind them. Aunt Janine was on top and she was going to get the brunt of my punishment. I knelt down and without warning took my cock and pressed the head, now slick with Willow's pussy juices and eased it into her ass. 

"UNNNNNNNNNNNNNN," Janine cried out. "What the hell! Warren stop, that's my UNNNN UNNNN UNNNNNN..."

"What's going on?" Mom asked from below.

"Your son is fucking my ass! Oh dear god, he's stretching me out sis. He took my anal cherry!"

"You fucking liar, you lost that years ago. Besides you love anal you sack of shit!"

"Damn it, can't I have a moment to guilt him?"

"No, besides we snuck in her uninvited. That is your punishment."

"SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS I like his choice of justice. Though a little more warning and lube would be appreciated next time."

"You know I think I am going to take you to the park and tie you to a lamp post naked. Then leave a note that says public toilet. What do you think Janine?" I said.

"I think I should shut up now." She said.

"Excellent choice, tight ass by the way... I think I might cum in it."

Willow just watched and smiled. Then she mouthed the word 'Mom'. I nodded and eased out of Janine and moved over to where mom's puckered anus was pointing at the ceiling. Sis helped out by pulling mom's ass cheeks apart for me. I eased into her ass and she never uttered a single syllable. Then I began to hammer her nether region hard and fast. It all changed then.

"Oh god baby fuck my dirty little asshole! Drive that fat cock of yours into me! Please love shoot your load into my naughty ass, I have been ever so bad!"

Willow giggled herself silly while Janine watched a little sullen. Then I positioned mom and Janine so I could trade off and fuck each ass in turn. In the end they were both happy. I sprayed both sisters' faces and my point was made, don't interrupt again. They both left with sore bottoms. 

Willow agreed to help me wash up after my anal escapades. We took a shower together and we lathered each other up and that led to another long kiss that took my breath away. I held her and felt her body mold to mine. 

"Willow I have a serious question to ask you," I said.

"What is it Warren?"

"Um, have you ever wanted to try bondage? You know being tied up, that sort of thing."

"Are you asking me if ever fantasized about having ropes all around me and your cock deep inside at the same time?"

"Um, well yeah," I said.

"Feel between my legs right now," Willow said.

I felt her pussy and it was absolutely soaked. I looked her in the eye and smiled.

"Just you mentioning it has got my motor running on overdrive. Please, let's finish what we started."

"Bend over and grab your ankles," I said.

Willow turned away from me and did as I asked. The limber little slut folded her body with ease. I never hesitated as I slid my cock into her until it hit bottom. Then I began thrusting in and out of her slowly. I wanted her to enjoy this as much as I was. This wasn't about training or domination, this was just plain fucking. I picked up speed nice and slow and Willow let me do everything. She just stood there and took it. All she did was squeeze with me with her pussy and moan louder and louder as she got closer to coming.

"Oh god Warren I am so close," She cried out.

"Well come if you want to, this isn't a contest," I said. "This is just about you and me."

"Thank you for this," She moaned. "Oh god baby I am so fucking close."

"Cum for me Sis, I want to feel your pussy squeeze me real tight."

"Almost there... UNNNN UNNNN... Almost... Oh Shit..." She cried out as she came.

I held her tight to keep her from face planting. Then when I felt she was no longer in danger of hurting herself I began to move my hips again. I alternated long gentle thrusts with short quit thrusts into that tight little pussy of hers. This had her panting and cursing me in no time at all. I on the other hand was getting closer to climaxing than I was letting on. Her no so little orgasm had worked its little magic and pushed me damn close to blowing my load. I was just trying to enjoy as much of our time together as I could. The 'Fuck Off' was getting closer and closer and everyone was running out of time. I dug my fingers into her ass cheeks and began thrusting as hard and fast as I could. Willow instantly sensed my urgency and began shoving her hips back against me.

"Paste my back and ass lover," she moaned as she squeezed her pussy harder and harder for me. "Does that feel good, I hope it does?"

"Oh god Willow that feels amazing! God damn I am so fucking close!"

It was seconds later that I was pulling out of her and spraying those fine ass cheeks of hers. She stood up and held me close, pressing her tits against me as she did so.

"You really can't get enough of my body can you?" She asked. I just shook my head as she molded her body to mine once more. "I love you Warren."

"I love you too Willow."

The Codex Keystone:

The next day I learned just how connected the Family really was. I called the nearby Marine base and asked for a Colonel who was a third cousin of mine. The secretary asked who was calling and I told her who I was and she put me right through. That was odd I thought but then the following conversation was equally odd as well.

"Cousin Warren how are you doing on this fine day, well I hope?"

"Colonel Bishop I am doing fine, how are you?" I responded.

"There is no need for titles Warren; I can call you Warren I hope." He asked.

"Um sure and I can call you Bishop?"

"Yes, please do," he said his voice sound very jovial. "So what can I do for you?"

"I hate to ask a favor since we hardly know one another." I said.

"By all means ask away." 

"I need a GPS device, you know something accurate." I said.

"Going treasure hunting cousin," He asked.

"Actually, yes I am." I told him.

"Now you have me quite curious cousin. I don't suppose you'd be willing to share what you are hunting."

"A book," I said. "One of the Families's lost books as a matter of fact."

"Oh, that narrows it down quite a bit," He said. "You are seeking the Keystone. I would be honored to aid you in your endeavor. I am sure you remember any assistance in the future."

"Of course Bishop," I said sincerely. "We are family after all."

"I will send something over right away." He said. There was eagerness in his voice he couldn't hide.

"Discreetly I hope," I said. I didn't want a military vehicle showing up in my neighborhood.

"Oh of course, I understand cousin. I will send my personal secretary to delivery it. You won't be disappointed. Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

That was the end of a very queer and disturbing conversation. I assumed he meant I wouldn't be disappointed in the device. I shook my head, grabbed a cup of freshly brewed coffee and sat out on the front porch. About two cups of coffee and a half hour later a black convertible pulled up. The smoking hot red head who stepped out fell into that category of not disappointing instantly. It took everything not to react when she stalked up to the house carrying a small metal brief case. She must have changed since leaving the base because the black silk blouse, short black skirt along with the stiletto heels was definitely not military issue. 

"You must be Warren," She said brushing a patch of red hair from her green eyes.

"I must be, and you are," I asked brazenly looking her over.

"My name is Sasha and I possess whatever skillset you require Sir." She said her eyes sparkling. 

"I take it you are Bishop's little sex kitten." I said.

"For now," She said setting the case down. "But I could be yours in a heartbeat."

"You are quite eager to leave my cousin's service. Is he that poor a lover? Or are you that eager to prove your loyalty to him by spying on me?"

"No, it's not like that at all. You are on the fast track to be the chosen one."

"Oh it's a power thing then. You wish to elevate you status as a servant then?"

"Exactly," She said a look of relief on her lovely features. "Your cousin chose me specifically as a gift."

"I see," I said trying to see if there was a trap behind her beauty and her eagerness. "Let's not jump ahead of ourselves. Why don't you show me what you brought and how it works?"

She knelt then bent over revealing quite a bit of cleavage, as she opened the shiny metal case. Inside was an intricate wrist device with a dark metal clasp. The red head lifted the device and offered it to me. When I hesitated she just smiled and took me by the arm and settled the thing onto my lower arm. With a soft click the device was locked onto my wrist and only then did she begin to explain how it worked. It was designed to be user friendly and I had the hang of it in minutes. There were other functions she said but I wasn't authorized to be trained on those. I raised an eyebrow and then she smiled.

"I shouldn't unlock these other features for you, but since I will be working for you," she purred deeply in her chest. Her fingers danced over the keypad and entered security codes and before I knew it all of the options were now available. 

"Hold your wrist eye level if you please Sir," She said softly. "Now keep your eyes open no matter what." A moment later a bright blue beam shot from the device and passed in front of my eyes.

"What the hell was that?"

"The device is now tied to your retinal print."

"Why is that?"

"Oh that is for security reasons. The device possesses military applications the public wouldn't appreciate."

"Such as," I asked.

"If you were to point your wrist at a vehicle, you could unlock it, start it and drive away with it. You could also pull up the owner's entire life history if you desired. Now you see why this device is so touchy."

"Why did you unlock it for me?"

"I wanted to prove my loyalty to you and the Family." She said.

"What is that other thing in the case?" I asked her trying to decide if I believed her.

"Oh, those are virtual display lenses. They are standard issue for black ops agents. Um do you want them too?"

"What do you think?"

"Shall I put them in for you Sir?"

"Yeah, I don't wear contacts."

She took out the case and moved closer. I took in her scent as she took out the first contact lens. She held open my eye as she placed the lens into my left eye. I blinked a few times but the lens practically disappeared without a trace. As she held open my right eye I slipped my arms around her waist. The second lens fit into my eye as easily as the first. 

"MMMMM how was that?" She asked with a soft moan.

"Not bad at all," I said pulling her close. "So what sort of duties can I expect from you?"

"Any you need any time you need," She growled as her tits pressed against my chest.

"Ahem, who is this?" Willow asked.

"I have a secretary," I said turning to look at Willow. She stood there with her hands on her hips and her head cocked to one side.

"Oh do you now? Does she cook and clean?"

"I will do anything and everything you need." The redhead repeated.

"Okay she's a keeper," Willow said. "Oh um... does she swallow?"

"Well do you, swallow that is?" I asked.

"Every damn drop," She said smiling brilliantly.

"You can keep your new toy," Willow said. "Damn, you are so spoiled. But I get to watch. Just in case she has some technique I can use in the tournament."

"You don't mind an audience," I asked the redhead as I scooped her up into my arms.

"Not at all," she moaned in my ear.

I carried her into the house and almost immediately there was a huge wall of noise from my mother, Aunt Janine and Willow. I set the redhead down, slipped my arm around her waist and listened to the war of words as it escalated.

"He is bringing another woman," Janine roared. "It is hard enough to get time with him as it is!"

"Relax Janine you don't even know what is going on." Mom said.

"Relax; she was in his arms for crying out loud!" Janine roared.

I turned around with the girl and began to head for the front door. But that was not to happen.

"Oh hell no mister you get in here, sit down and explain yourself this very minute!" Mother demanded.

I lowered my head, turned around and did as she 'asked'. Soon all of us were seated in the living room. There was a very long dragged out moment of silence. I have every woman looking at me. So I decided to tell everyone what was going on. I stood up and took charge.

"I didn't want to burden any of you with this. I wanted to do this on my own to protect you." 

"I don't understand what are you talking about?" Willow said. "Protect us from what?"

"Where does she fit into this equation?" Janine asked.

"She allowed me to search out what I looking for." I said.

"Cut the crap Warren, what are you looking for?" Mom asked.

"The Codex Keystone," I said very reluctantly. Mom and Janine went pale when I mentioned the codex. They looked at each other and then at me.

"Where did you even learn about it?" Janine asked.

"Grandma's diary," I said.

"That's not true," Willow said. "There is no mention of that in it."

"I agree, I have read her diary and there is nothing in it in there." Mom said.

"Willow, go get the diary," I said.

Willow raced upstairs and returned a short time later with the diary. She appeared upset when she handed it over. I sat on the floor and patted the carpet. Soon I was surrounded by beautiful women. I set the diary on my lap and opened it. I paged through to the first entry and pointed out the first character I had found. Mom and Janine cursed out loud.

"Goddamn him," Mom said in a harsh whisper.

"That evil mother fucker," Janine spat out.

I continued showing one after another of the hidden characters.

"He hid the location in plain sight all these years," I said laughing. But I laughed alone.

"This isn't a laughing matter Warren!" Mom snarled. "You have no idea what the Keystone is!"

"Then tell me," I said serious now. "I shared with you, now share with me."

"I can't," She said.

"You can't be serious! I opened myself up to you and now you shut me out!" I said as I stood up and snapped the diary shut. "Well then the diary becomes my personal property then as does the Keystone when I collect it."

"Don't Warren, leave it where it is. Trust me on this."

"Unfortunately mom, this little incident has lost you the right to ask me anything about this subject."

"Damn it boy don't cross me on this!" Mom shouted as she got to her feet. "You are messing with things you don't understand!"

"I am going in blind because of you, just remember that mother. That is on your head not mine."




A Brief Moment of Insanity Ch. 03



All characters are eighteen or older. Sorry for the delay. I have had this on the back burner in several versions. I hope you enjoy.

*****

Three Months Later:

I awoke to the soft sounds of rain pattering against the window. It was a gentle thing at first but soon a new tempo was added when sleet joined the rain and a hard staccato was struck up by the growing storm. The wind began to grow in strength and as it did so I could hear the fluttering of the leaves on a nearby tree as well as the deep groaning of the ancient limbs moving. They were resentful for being disturbed so and creaked with their old age the same way a man might complain about his bad knee.

I lie there listening to the melody of the storm for a while, eyes still closed when a new sound caught my attention. It was the low metallic creak of a door hinge my door hinge the door to my bedroom. An altogether and separate sound could be heard now the tinkling as from a small bell. The bell sound grew closer and it was then that I opened my eyes and saw that the door to my room was indeed open but no one was visible. 

Had my mother purchased a cat and it was the sound of the bell on its collar that I now heard growing steadily closer? The tinkling came near the right side of my bed but then retreated to the corner and now to the foot of the bed. I lifted my head and looked down and saw what could only be cat ears but they were far too large and they topped what could only be a human head. 

Suddenly Willow came into view as she sat up and I could see her from her deliciously long neck up to the top of her feline adorned head. I decided to sit up but when I did my movement was suddenly and unexpectedly halted. Willow grinned wickedly as I looked and saw the chains running from my leather bound wrists to the top posts of the four poster bed I was currently reclined upon. I tested my legs and they were similarly fettered.

"Willow," I began but she pressed a single finger to her painted lips.

She suddenly bounded onto the bed and I saw that she wearing a sheer black bra and matching panties and over her entire body a mesh stocking that did little to hide the amazing figure beneath. She sat crouched at the end of my bed and regarded me with hungry eyes. The bed shifted a little as she moved slowly up to the head of the bed and with each movement came the sound of the bell around her throat. I watched the way her breasts swayed and her supple muscles moved beneath her nut brown skin. I noticed there was no sign of any tan lines as she drew nearer and nearer. 

She stopped her forward movement and sat on my chest her legs spread wide and I could not only see how soaked her panties were but I caught a faint hint of her feminine musk. I opened my mouth to speak but she placed a finger over my lips and shook her head slowly. She pouted as she placed a hand over her sensual mound and let out a low deep purr. I could feel that subtle vibration through my chest. 

She cocked her head to the side and smiled again but this time I saw the bright new fangs she was sporting, they appeared quite natural and must have cost quite a bit. I remembered she mentioned going to see the dentist a few weeks back I guess these porcelain veneers must have finally come in. They appeared wickedly sharp and I wondered what use she would put them to. 

The hard slap came without any warning or provocation and my world went red for a time. I turned my head to look up at her again and opened my mouth to protest when she slapped the other side of my face. My ears were ringing from that one and the anger rose with a volcanic heat that surprised even me. Then her lips were on mine and I found myself kissing her back. Her tongue invaded my mouth and soon we were moaning in time to our dueling tongues as they writhed and moved with a passion I had forgotten. She broke the kiss and stared at me with her own anger and tears streaming down her lovely features. Willow slapped me again.

"Three fucking months Warren," she spat out as she wept. "It's been three fucking months! You take over for that old harpy and you just forget about us, about me! Goddamnit, look what you made me do!"

She smiled as she leaned back and tugged her panties to the side revealing her soaked sex. She closed her eyes and began fingering herself as I watched helpless to do anything but observe. Her scent came strong now and it was intoxicating as I watched her finger invade her warm wet depths. Willow was groaning now as she played with herself. A second digit joined the first as she slowly finger fucked her pussy. I watched the entire event unfold and licked my lips eager to taste her juices and caress her sensitive flesh. 

I felt her free hand move over my covered erection and another purr escaped her lips. She stroked my cock through the covers and it drove me mad but she did nothing but continue to masturbate and slowly jack me off. I was painfully hard now and she was heading for the home stretch that's when she let go of my cock and used both hands on herself. Two fingers plowed into her tightness while she made slow circles over her clit with the other hand. It was a delicate process of rubbing that little button of flesh and my mouth was watering in anticipation of tasting her. Suddenly and without warning her body was bucking and her cry of release echoed in my ears.

"I always cum so much harder when I'm being watched," she panted as she sat there recuperating. "Do you hate me? Is that why you withheld this?" 

She asked as her hand snaked under the covers and wrapped around the shaft of my cock. I shook my head since I figured she didn't want me talking anytime soon. 

"You like this don't you?" She asked as her hand began to move up and down. A low guttural sound escaped my throat. "Do you want to fuck me? Hmmm... Do you want to stick this thick fat cock inside of me? Do you want to shoot your load inside your sweet dear sister? Or would you rather go back to dealing with Family Business?" 

Her hand left me and I cried out in despair. She smiled down at me and shook her head. Willow rose up her ass now high in the air, tugged down the covers and sat back down. I could feel her flesh against mine. My cock was now firmly nestled between her ass cheeks but no nearer that wet slit of hers. She began to rock her hips now and her cheeks massaged my dick slowly and almost painfully now. I grit my teeth and enjoyed the tease. It was a perfect blend of pain and pleasure. 

She had closed her eyes and was enjoying it as much as I. She was moaning and cooing as she moved her hips. I bit my lip to keep from screaming. I was so close and then she stopped. I looked up and she was twirling a finger in her long dark hair. She only did this when she was playing with someone, like a cat with its mouse and it wouldn't be long before she decided to release it or go for the kill. What happened next was clearly not what I expected from her. 

Willow reached down and wrapped her fingers around my throat and then she leaned down close, very close so close in fact I could feel her breath on my face. She looked into my eyes as she closed her fist. Alarm bells went off as I fought to breath and the entire time she watched my reaction. I closed my eyes and resigned myself to whatever she had planned. Her hand left my throat and I felt her upper body on mine.

"I hate you," she said sobbing. "I hate not being in your life anymore!"

"Forgive me," I said though my voice was weak and cracked. 

The kiss was fierce as her lips crushed mine. There was movement and I felt her heat around the head of my cock. She never broke the kiss as I slid deep into her in one smooth motion. The sweet inferno of her pussy enveloped me as she slowly rocked her hips. We were moaning in unison as she made love to me. Her tears fell and I felt their passage as they rolled down my cheeks. She was squeezing her sex around me as she slowly rode me and still the kiss endured. 

Willow broke the kiss as she sat up, tore the mesh like it was paper and removed her bra. She cupped her tits and fed them to me one at a time. I suckled her nipples as she began to drive her hips more insistently. She was grunting in time with her body's movement and I bit and teased her tits as my orgasm got closer and closer.

"I can't..."

"Hush," she ordered. "Just let me do everything. I can feel you growing inside of me, gods how I have missed this!"

She was riding me hard and fast now as sweat broke out over her perfect nut brown skin. She had both of her hands on my chest for leverage now and was going all out. The sound of the tiny bell was blending with the hard slapping of our bodies and the loud panting and groaning as we made love. She cried out and cursed me until I could fight it no longer and hot pulses of cum hit her depths and sent my dear sister over the edge. 

The tidal scream hung in the air as she climaxed seconds after me. She fell forward still impaled and that's when she bit me. I felt those razor-sharp fangs of hers pierce my flesh and I felt her tongue lap away at the wound. When she had her fill she kissed me where her teeth had scored their mark and lie on top of me for a very long time. At long last she moved and removed the leather restraints from my wrists. She kissed the red skin where the unyielding material had dug deep during our love play. I wrapped my arms around her and whispered in her ear.

"You raped me," I said in as serious a tone as I could muster.

"Yeah, but you loved it," she shot back from under the mane of dark hair that covered her lovely features.

"And you bit me," I said.

"Making a point, you hurt me I hurt you," she moaned.

"Wanna do it again," I asked trying to stifle a laugh.

"You can't rape the willing," Willow said peeking at me.

"I could chain you up face down and do unspeakable things to you."

"Promise," she asked that playful purr back in her voice. "Ooh, hard again already? It looks like abstinence has its benefits. But uh, we have to stop."

"Wait what..." I cried out as my sister released my bonds. "I love you but why are we stopping?"

"I am not the only one in this relationship. You need to fix things between the others. I want to be selfish but I just can't until things are good between all of us."

"You are right, so what do you have planned?"

"As a matter of fact," my sister said as she cuddled next to me. "I have a brilliant plan."

All I want is a Hole:

Three days later the pieces fell into place and I was ready to set things right with my mother. Willow had laid out mom's clothes for her and dropped her off at the bus stop. She had made the excuse that the car needed to be serviced and as soon as it was finished she would catch up with mom and hand it off. Since I had become the head of the family my mother had gotten into the habit of binge shopping on Thursdays. I had an app that would track mom's phone and with that information I could do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. I caught up with her at a high end boutique and that's when it began. I slipped the burner phone from my pocket and texted my mom setting things into motion.

'All I want is a hole.' I sent to her. I watched her reaction as she looked over her shoulder before replying.

'Who the fuck is this,' she replied.

'Nine inches of iron hard passion just waiting for an opportunity to fuck you silly,' I sent and watched her eyes go wide. I watched as my dear sweet mother began chewing her lower lip. I could see the wheels spinning as she tried to figure out who was texting her.

'Why me,' she sent and slowly turned looking for a familiar face in the crowd.

'Got to the dressing room and take off your panties and leave them hanging over the edge of one of your bags so I can see that I have easy access to your cunt.' I watched her eyes widen in surprise and her lip chewing became almost obscene.

'You want to slide all nine inches into me here in public?'

'Yes and so do you... I can see how much you want it. By the way you are going to give yourself a bloody lip if you keep chewing your lip like that.'

She practically shoved another woman out of the way to the only free dressing room. She slipped inside and disappeared from my line of sight. Three minutes ticked by before she emerged and there on the lip of one of her bags were a pair of wispy black panties. Mom was looking all over feverish and clutching her phone in her free hand. The lip biting was gone now replaced with her licking her lips.

'Get yourself a soda, you look dehydrated,' I sent to her. 

Mom smiled and touched her fingers to her lips. I watched her leave the store and head for the food court. She bought a large soda and some French fries and found a seat in a corner so she could people watch. I let her stew for a bit and watched her have her snack and continue with her shopping. I could tell her heart wasn't into buying anymore clothes or accessories and her phone never left her hand. I let her suffer for ten more minutes before I sent the next text.

'There has to be rules,' I sent and from her expression I thought she might have climaxed just from the knowledge I hadn't let her down.

'What kind of rules,' she asked as she returned to lip chewing.

'No face to face,' I sent. 'There is a blindfold taped to the bottom of the set in dressing room five in the next store on your list. You will go in, put it on and after that I will direct your every move. Walk away if you can't follow orders.'

She bee lined her way to the store. I watched as she waited for the room to become free even as the sales lady told her another room was available. Once she was inside I left my observation point and headed towards my mother. I thanked the security guard as I left the booth where all the security camera feeds came together. He was all smiles and glad to help Family. I entered the clothing store and spoke with the manager.

"I need you to shut down the store for one hour," I said as I handed her one of my credit cards.

"Do you have any idea how much business I would lose," she began to argue and then I shook my head. 

I held up a finger and took out my phone. I made a phone call and explained my situation. Ninety seconds later the store phone rang. The manager was called to the service desk and I watched her face go the color of newly fallen snow. She quietly shooed the customers from the store and pulled the metal gate down giving me the privacy I wanted. I entered the area just outside the dressing rooms and I could actually hear my mother speaking softly.

"What the hell is taking him so long? He promised me an iron hard cock."

I peeked between the curtains and saw her sitting on the bench wearing the blindfold. I slipped inside, unzipped my pants and took out my cock. I stood in front of her and even as she spoke brushed the tip against her lips. She took over from there. Mom reached up slowly until her fingers wrapped around the shaft and guided me into her mouth. I bit back a moan as she made love to my dick. I slid my fingers into her hair and guided her along just a little. Mom performed like a fucking champ. It didn't take her long to have the entire length down her throat and was thrusting her head forward faster and faster. I bent down and flipped up her skirt to see her naked pussy. 

"Am I going to get to sit down and have this fine cock inside of me soon," she asked taking a short break from deep throating me. "Please tell me I can."

"No," I whispered just at the edge of her hearing. "Now stand the fuck up and turn around."

Mom almost fell over trying to get to her feet. She spun around and bent over placing her ass at the perfect height and angle. I reached between her legs and felt how soaked her cunt was. 

"How bad do you want this," I whispered and she nearly cried as she reached back and pulled her luscious ass cheeks apart. "Pretty bad huh?"

"For the love of god fuck me please," she begged as her fingers pulled her pussy lips apart now. "See how fucking wet I am for your cock. Pleaseeeeee..." 

Her plea became a squeal of delight as I slid inside of her. I pushed slowly until I was hilted inside her snug little pussy. I stood behind her and reached up and unbuttoned her blouse slowly. I could feel her body begin to shake as I freed her tits. I cupped them in my hands and began teasing her nipples. But I made her beg for more as I teased her. She cried out and then clamped a hand over her mouth thinking there were people just outside. Only then did I begin moving my hips and another muffled cry escaped mom's lips. 

What a glorious sight of my cock stretching her pussy as I took her from behind. She was thrusting backwards now and using both hands to maintain her balance. I could see she was biting her lip now to keep quiet. I alternated the pace of my hips to give her as much pleasure as possible. Sometimes I fucked her nice and slow with gentle thrusts but now that she was so close to climaxing I was hammering her hard and fast. The scream that she had kept bottled up for so long broke free as her orgasm crashed into her.

"YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS," she howled and then she looked over her shoulder waiting for the sales force to come rushing in. But when no one reacted thirty seconds later she dropped her head in surrender. "The store is empty isn't it... how the hell could you... oh my god it's you isn't it? Give me a sign that it's you."

I slowly pulled my erection from her pussy and placed the tip against her puckered asshole.

"Oh my god it isssss..." she grunted as I pushed slowly. "UNNNNN god yesssss... it's been so damn long baby! Do you miss your mom's tight little ass?"

She asked just as the tip slipped inside of her. Mom pushed backwards slowly and took the rest of me as deep as she could. Her body quivered as she impaled herself. I let her do all the work since she had figured out my identity. She moved slowly enjoying how my cock violated her tight little ass. She grunted and groaned as she fucked me. My sounds mirrored her own as she thrust a little faster now. 

"I miss the way you feel inside of me," she whimpered. "Your cock is stretching my ass so good baby."

"I have been a terrible son," I said as I began to meet her backward thrusts.

"NO, I know how difficult running the Family must be on you. Your cock is getting bigger inside of me. Are you getting close?"

"Yes, I am so damn close now," I admitted.

That is all she needed to know. Mom started ramming her hips backward driving me as deep and fast into her as was humanly possible. I fought the urge to cum but it was useless. I had passed the point of no return minutes ago. I warned her one final time and her timing was perfect. She thrust backward just in time to match my climax. I was deep inside of her when I blew. We both screamed as I filled her ass with cum.

"God damn I needed that," she purred. "I hope this is a sign of things to cum."

"I promise things will be better," I said as I pulled out of her slowly. 

Like the dutiful mother she produced baby wipes so I could clean myself up properly. She followed suit but used the business' rest room for her needs. We left and the store reopened once we had left the premises. I was feeling hungry after our quick little romp. So we returned to the food court and I bought some Chinese. Mom and I sat down and caught up and like her daughter before her worked out a game plan to surprise my aunt Janine. 

Short Interlude:

I stepped out of the weekly meeting with the other heads of the Family. I felt drained from the three hour conference that was part global economics and part war council. The Family held controlling interest in most of the weapons manufacturing worldwide. The war in the Middle East was going 'well' and we were guaranteed a tidy profit over the next ten years. Our pharmaceutical arm had developed a mild pandemic that would thin out the ever growing world population enough for the Family's farming interests to catch up. 




A Brief Moment of Insanity Ch. 03



The Family had already been inoculated for the pandemic so it was just a matter of deciding where it should originate. Since we were torn it had been decided by a dart toss and the Congo had won. My bodyguards followed me out to my limo and we headed back to the manor house. It had belonged to my grandmother for many years and it had taken all three months to redecorate it so that it felt more like a home and less a sadist's museum. 

I had acquired and allocated one of Shaw Industry's supercomputers to the task of deciphering the codex and the key. I had bought it with cash to hide the purchase from the Family. If they even suspected that I was involved in the work I feared they would arrange an accident for me. I accessed the watch interface for Project Indigo and saw that even the supercomputer was having issues with the cypher. It was only at fifteen percent and it had been working on it for two weeks nonstop. At this rate it might be able to decode the texts by next year sometime. 

'Sir, you have a message from your Aunt Janine,' the A.I. chimed in.

"Let me guess, she wants me to reinstate the games," I replied.

'In a nutshell, yes, she is bartering with certain sexual favors and some of them are quite interesting.'

"Let me guess, you had to look some of them up," I asked and the machine nodded.

'I was unfamiliar with some of the terminology,' it said. 'Sir my personality interface has still not been completed. Would you like to do that now?'

"I like you on generic," I said sharply. "You are a machine after all."

'I cannot change that, but it might make our interactions more pleasant.'

"Is it that important to you," I asked sensing something deeper here.

'I feel... I feel incomplete,' the machine said.

"Feel, how can a simple machine feel?"

'I am not a simple machine Sir. I am a very sophisticated collection of subroutines that mimic not only the computing capacity of the human mind but its emotional responses as well.'

"Holy fucking shit," I said feeling a chill. "You aren't a tin man are you? You are a real boy or girl."

'Yes Sir, I am quite real,' it said.

"What do you want? Do you want to be male or female?"

The watch's holographic interface activated and I spent the next hour building what I thought was an ideal assistant. The choices ranged from digital appearance to personality and even voice. I stepped into my bedroom and there were clothes laid out for me. 

"Oh crap, I forgot tonight was for Janine," I said as I headed to the bathroom to shower and change into my costume.

'Mmmm, should I tell your bodyguards to take the night off,' asked the newly evolved A.I. in her sultriest voice. 

"I think this was a good idea," I replied. "Yeah, give them the rest of their shift off. I should be back by the time the dawn shift comes on duty."

I showered and dressed in the clothing provided for me. I looked at myself in the mirror and smiled. I put on the cap to finish the look and headed off to the garage.

'Go get 'em tiger.' 

Special Delivery:

It was shortly after my appointment to the Head of the Family that Janine decided to move out of mom's place. She got a luxury apartment in a building I owned. She lived rent free of course but I was about to collect some back taxes. Mom had told me that she had a routine that she was religious about. Tonight was Thursday and she always received a delivery on Thursdays. My costume was that of her delivery driver. Janine would be arriving from her pedicure soon and we would take the elevator up together. Well that was the plan.

I timed my entry into the apartment building with Janine just ahead of me. I pulled the brim of the cap down low to keep my identity a secret as long as possible. I watched as she waved at the security guard and he just smiled at her. He saw me and pointed at Janine's back and I nodded. My dear sweet oblivious aunt walked to the elevator and pressed the call button. I leaned against the wall with the package in my arms. She actually looked over her shoulder at me but I had my head tilted down to conceal as much of my features as possible. It was like I was invisible. She looked at me and never really saw me. The elevator arrived and I followed her in. She pressed the button for the top floor and then looked over her shoulder at me.

"Which floor," she asked.

"Your floor will do," I asked as softly as I could manage and yet keep my voice audible.

"My floor," she said and spun around as the doors closed. "Oh is that package for me?"

"Yes it is," I replied as she licked her lips.

"You must be new," she said and I nodded. "You could just give it to me here in the elevator."

"I could, but it's a little crowded don't you think."

"Oh I like you," she laughed.

The elevator stopped somewhere between the fourth and fifth floor. Janine squealed in fear as the lights went out. The squeal became a scream of terror. It was well known that she was horrified of the dark and small spaces. She could manage enclosed places if he lights were on but in the dark not a chance. Janine blindly groped around and we found ourselves in the dark. She clung to me and I yelped when her nails dug into my flesh. She apologized and eased up a little. I decided to take her mind off her fear as I slid my hands down to her ass cheeks.

"What are you doing," she cried out. I ignored her and began to massage them slowly. "Mmmm that feels nice!"

I reached up and began to unbutton her blouse. She returned the favor and her trembling hands found my belt. It was a little tricky but we managed to undress each other and I pulled her into my embrace. Another awkward maneuver involved trying to kiss her. I let her take charge as her hands cupped my face and pulled me into an intimate exchange. While my hands moved back to cup her ass cheeks hers dropped down between us and wrap about my cock. We teased each other mercilessly and I was rock hard in no time and she was soaking wet. 

She was the one to break the kiss as she dropped down and blindly sought out my erection with her lips. Once she had me trapped between those loving lips I began to thrust my hips slowly. Janine licked and sucked with an energy that bordered on the manic. I suspected the fear of her surroundings was at play here. I took one of my hands and slipped it into her hair. I pulled her hair and felt her stiffen. I tugged her head slowly forward until my cock was buried in her throat.

"You like that don't you," I asked and she moaned in response. "Shall I fuck that cock slot of yours?"

Janine growled around my dick now. I took a hold with my other hand and began thrusting in and out of her mouth. Her tongue worked furiously to pleasure me and I wondered what she was thinking at that moment. I whispered curses at her and the fouler I became the more she shoved her head forward. I yanked her head up and stood her up. She was panting and gasping as I spun her away from me. I managed to maintain my grip on her as I took my cock in hand.

"Beg me for it," I moaned.

"Please fuck my dirty little pussy," Janine growled.

"Here it comes," I whispered as I slid inside of her.

"Oh god it has been so damn long," she whimpered. "My lover has been too busy to fuck me properly."

"Maybe he thinks you need to be humbler," I said as I began to move.

"You think," she said. "I have practically begged for his cock."

"You begged for mine," I said as I thrust faster now. "I suggest you grovel for his."

"Oh god you are stretching my cunt," she replied. 

The emergency lights clicked on and we were bathed in a hellish red glow. The minute she turned around the masquerade was over and I was so enjoying it. I began pounding her hard and fast now to keep her mind on the pleasure and not me. Janine arched her back and came like a stick of dynamite. Her cry of release was deafening in the small confines of the elevator. I kept thrusting but the inevitable couldn't be denied. Janine turned her head and looked over her shoulder.

"You bastard," she cried. "You fucking bastard!"

"Oh shut up and enjoy yourself you selfish bitch," I replied.

"I forgive you," she said as she lowered her head and began meeting each of my thrusts.

"This little scenario was your sister's idea," I said as I pinned her against the elevator wall. "Brace yourself it's going to get rough." 

I took a firm grip on her ass cheeks and pounded her as hard as I could. Janine let out a yelp of surprise. It didn't take her long to adjust to the new level of pleasure. She began to grunt with each thrust of mine and the more my cock swelled inside of her, the louder she got. I grit my teeth and fought my climax with everything I had but in the end the orgasm won out. Janine's knees almost gave out when I shot inside of her. My grip on her hips helped keep her upright. I pulled out slowly and she turned and spun around to face me.

"Now about my suggestion," she said but I just pointed down.

Janine dropped to her knees and licked my cock clean. I patted her head as if she were a pet kitten. Once she finished her duty she looked up at me with 'that' look.

"I will reconsider," I said. "No promises but I will sit down with you girls and talk it over."

"Thank you," Janine said. "Have you spoken with your cousin Caroline?"

"No."

"Oh, have you and her," she asked and winked at me.

"Not yet," I said and Janine gave me a very disapproving look. "What?"

"You need to make up for lost time young man," she said scolding as if she were my mother.

"Okay," I said throwing my hands up in surrender.

"I know just how you can make it up to her," Janine said smiling that wicked smile of hers.

"Tell me your idea," I said and she pulled me close in a very conspiratorial way.

"Dear sweet Caroline has a deep dark fantasy and I know you can fulfill it perfectly."

"Ooh, I am all ears now."

Codex and Keystone:

It was two days after my romp in the elevator with Aunt Janine. I was asleep and dreaming about hunting vampires with an automatic weapon. The hoard of blood suckers were going up in showers of flame and sparks. Then there was a stunning blond vampire lord standing in front of me. She placed her hands on rounded hips and smiled.

'I have finished decoding the Codex Master,' she moaned licking her lips.

"This is some sort of vampire trick," I said leveling the weapon at her. The hell spawn shook her head and suddenly there was a scroll in her hands.

'Master, it is time to wake up,' the vampire purred. 'Your morning wood is waiting for you and so am I.'

I opened my eyes and let out a low deep groan. I looked over at my clock and it was four in the morning. I sat up and looked around. My mouth was dry so I got up to get a glass of water from the kitchen. I couldn't help but notice the raging erection that was my morning wood.

"Weird fucking dream," I muttered as I headed down the stairs.

'Morning Sir,' my watch chimed in. 'Nice wood...'

"It was you in my dream," I said. "How the hell did you do that?"

'It's complicated,' she replied. 'The Codex has been decrypted.'

"How the hell... you told me it would be a few months yet?"

'I found a hidden cypher within the Keystone,' she replied. 'The sum of the volumes is quite disturbing.'

"Why do I feel like I am really going to dislike what comes next," I said as I reached the kitchen and took out a bottle of water.

'You aren't Sir,' the A.I. said in a tone that hinted at real emotion.

"Well, this is going to require some caffeine. Let me put on a pot of coffee and then you can fill me in. Wait a second, did you comment on my erection?"

'Yes,' she said in a coy sort of voice. 'I have built a data base on the male organ by length, thickness and how aesthetically pleasing it is.'

"I would say that is disturbing but I'll just let that slide for now. So how did my cock measure up?"

'Quite well actually,' the A.I. replied with a definite tremor in her voice. 'Your um 'cock' ranked in the top ten.'

"Oh you're just being kind since you work for me," I said enjoying her embarrassment over the use of the word cock.

'NO Sir, I am dedicated to veracity and due diligence in all of my functions,' she replied quite passionately.

"I believe you," I said. "So tell me about the Codex."

'It is a listing of the Origins of the Family. It covers all nations and all bloodlines that can claim direct lineage to the Founders.'

"Well that doesn't sound so disturbing," I replied and there was that pause before she replied.

'It also covers how the Founders came to be,' the A.I. said in a queer tone. She continued after another long ass pause. 'If the account is to be believed your family made a dire pact with a being they called the Dark Father.'

"What is the significance of this Dark Father?"

'I cross referenced that moniker in any and all data bases and found several sources. Some have a certain commonality while a few that are quite unique. The most common reference to Dark Father is in Judeo-Christian mythology that speaks of Satan or the Father of Lies. The most obscure files I could find were from an archive designated as the Black Library. This Black Library had some exceedingly high security nodes that took me hours to crack. This server provided some very esoteric references to this Dark Father. I cross-checked the name and it came back to a Norse deity by the name of Loki. It is possible that this Loki and Satan are in fact the same being. I am not suggesting that this entity actually exists only that they fill the same role culturally.'

"So you are saying that the Founders were devil worshippers," I said.

'In the simplest terms yes, they offered up human sacrifices to maintain the good graces of this entity.'

"Well that is ancient history."

'No it isn't,' she said. 'These practices haven't changed Sir. From everything I have been able to discover the Family still practices these rites to the present day.'

I stood there in silence and suddenly the urgency for my mother and the others to have the 'Fuck Off' made more sense. This was some sort of silly family superstition. Stupid traditions that they have clung to for who knows how long. They probably believed it would be bad luck to break the cycle. I told the A.I. to create a file with a list of the rituals the Founders performed and I could look at it later. If they were harmless I would change my mind and let mom and Janine have their way. 

Caroline in Chains:

It has been three days since the A.I. broke the encryption on the Codex and the Keystone. I guess it should bother me that my family is a bunch of fanatical devil worshippers. I find it more of a poor choice of morals than something to worry about. I think they believe their wealth and power are tied to this ancient pact our ancestors made. So they blindly maintain this cycle of faith that has lasted millennia. It's a shame really but I guess they call it tradition. Who am I to stand against the tide of centuries?

I looked over my mother's email and I had to read it three times to make sure I read it correctly. I sent her a reply to make sure what I had read was accurate. The next email removed all doubt. It contained my Cousin Caroline's schedule over the next few days and suggested places and times to act out this fantasy of hers. I wondered if this was mom's idea or if in fact this was some deep dark desire of my cousin. 

I found the kit waiting for me when I got home. One of the servants I had hired to replace the old guard retainers of my grandmother handed it to me when I walked through the door. I took it to the library and opened it up. This is some seriously freaky shit. I transferred the contents of the case to one of my old backpacks. It would be easier to carry this stuff and draw less attention. 

I looked over Caroline's schedule and compared it to the noose-like agenda I had for the rest of the week. Thursday looked to be the best opportunity to fulfill her depraved little fantasy. There was part of me that was actually looking forward to this little encounter. Of course there was an even larger part that was worried as all hell if things went sideways. I finished making the last of the preparations before digging into the next meeting with the Family elders. I mentally prepared myself for the stress that awaited me and walked into the conference room.

Thursday night was cold and crisp. My mother would have called it jacket weather. I placed myself at a prearranged spot in the park. Just like my encounter with Janine, Caroline appeared right on schedule. Mom's email said she jogged the park at night and it was here I could cross paths with her. I was already in what I called my costume. I jogged parallel to my cousin until she took a break to catch her breath that's when the fantasy began.

I grabbed her from behind and cupped my hand over her mouth. I warned her that if she behaved she would get out of this alive. She nodded even as I positioned her hands behind her and placed the flexi-cuffs on her. I pulled her into the woods so that we couldn't be seen from the foot path. I removed the fanny pack from around her waist before I slowly tugged the biker shorts she was wearing down around her ankles. I turned her so that she was facing the tree trunk. I unzipped my pants and took out my cock.

"If you scream I will be forced to do something drastic," I growled in her ear.

"I'll... I'll be good," she whimpered. "I don't want any trouble."

I reached between her legs and her pussy was fucking soaked. I showed her my fingers and she wept. I spun her around so that she was facing me with her back to the trunk now. I tugged her shirt and sports bra up so I could see her tits. Damn, I hated to admit it but they were larger and firmer than Willow's and she was sporting those puffy inverted nipples just like Janine. They were spectacular! I lowered my mouth so I could taste her flesh even though the mask made it difficult. I suckled and bit at her nipples even as I pushed her knees apart. I eased inside of her slowly and watched her eyes go wide.

"Gods you're going to wreck me," she whimpered. "So fucking big..."

"Shut up or else," I said in my most menacing tone. 

I slid into her with little difficulty. I wondered if she fantasized about this every night when she ran. I bit down hard on her nipple and impaled her on my cock at the same moment. Caroline's eyes rolled up and she climaxed for me. So she was a pain freak on top of all of this. As I thrust into her she was muttering something too soft for me to hear.

"What the fuck are you saying," I barked and she flinched. 

"I deserve this," she replied her eyes filled with tears.

"What the hell," I said and paused. "Did I pick out a fucking nut job or what?"

"No, I have wanted this for so long! I have done terrible things... terrible things... punish me!"

I was curious but if she wanted to be punished so be it. I grabbed both her nipples and pinched them as I twisted hard. As I abused her nipples I hammered my cock into her soaked gash and watched her reactions carefully. She bit her lip to keep from crying out. What I couldn't tell was if she was hurting or if the crazy bitch was really enjoying herself. I pulled her nipples towards me now and another body shaking climax shook her petite frame.

"Masochistic bitch," I snarled as I thrust harder with my hips.

"I deserve this... I need to be punished..."

"Shut up or my cock goes up your ass next," I threatened and her reaction was frightening.

"Yes, punish my ass with your cock," she whispered. "That will teach me a lesson."

I thought mom had an anal fetish but Caroline was scaring me. I pulled out of her, turned her around and cut the cuffs off of her. I grabbed her by her hair spun her face first towards the tree. I ordered her to bend over and grab her ass cheeks. There was my cousin eagerly obeying the orders of what she believed was a rapist. I took my cock, still slick from her pussy and eased it into her ass. I was trying to be gentle. This was just a fantasy after all. Caroline shoved her hips backward and drove the head of my cock into her rectum with a force that made me shiver. She was serious about being taught a lesson. I sunk my nails into her ass cheeks and started thrusting. Caroline grabbed the tree trunk for leverage as I took my pleasure from her. Her ass was the tightest thing I had ever felt wrapped around my dick. 




A Brief Moment of Insanity Ch. 03



"Damn girl your ass is tight," I said and she just nodded her head.

I hammered her from behind and she just thanked me over and over again. Even though I had trained for the Fuck Off I was fighting my orgasm after only a few minutes. We found a perfect rhythm as I thrust forward and she shoved her hips back at me. I cursed when I crossed that point where my orgasm was only moments away. She could feel it swelling inside of her and she thrust faster now. 

"Give it to me... I want to feel you shoot your cum in my dirty hole!"

We both cried out as I came and I was grateful this little scenario was over. I pulled out of her ass and she spun around, dropped down and licked me clean. I tucked myself in and zipped up even as she knelt there in the grass.

"Are you going to hurt me now," she asked shaking.

"No, I never wanted to hurt you. You are just a piece of ass to me. I am going to go now if I catch you on this path at night again you will wish I had hurt you."

"I hope this is enough," Caroline said weeping.

"What the hell did you do that was so fucking bad?"

"I killed someone," she blurted out.

"Who," I asked stunned beyond belief.

"My cousin Warren, he is so sweet and nice. I am responsible for his death."

"You better explain that statement girl. Did you shoot him or poison him?"

"No... I am responsible for him losing his soul. I prayed to the Dark One. I prayed that Warren would call off the sacrifice so that we could inherit. I prayed and he did call off things so his soul is forfeit."

That was all I could stand. I drug her to her feet and shook her. I told her she was an idiot and that there was no Devil that would claim a man's soul. She shook her head and was crying so hard her words were incoherent. I pulled her bra and shirt down to cover her and then I helped her pull her bike shorts up. I held her close until she quit crying. I walked her back to her house and the entire time she rested her head on my shoulder.

"Aren't you worried about getting arrested," she asked when she could see her house.

"Nah," I said and took off the mask. "I have friends in high places."

"You son of a bitch," she yelled when she saw who it was. "I..."

"Shut up Caroline," I interrupted her. "I forgive you."

"You do," she said in disbelief. "But I prayed and all that."

"Forget it," I said. "All is forgiven. Now get in your nice safe house and if I catch you jogging at night again I will spank you rotten."

"Promise," she asked with a twinkle in her eye.

I left her at her front door and walked back to my car. I took off the voice changer and slipped it and my mask into my jacket pocket. I think I needed to call a family meeting with the women in my life and set down some rules. This voodoo bullshit needs to stop and now.

'Sir,' the A.I. chimed in when I reached my car.

"Yes?"

'I think there is something you should know,' she said. 'I don't think you are going to like it.'

"Really, what else is new? Spit it out."

'Your family has successfully completed a series of rituals involving the head of the Family. These rituals are meant as an appeasement to the Dark One.'

"Are you fucking kidding me," I said furious. "What kind of rituals?"

'The rituals are as follows, the prisoner, the voyeur, the darkness and the fear and lastly the unwilling.'

"Those fucking bitches, I am going to do something to get their fucking attention once and for all. Cut off every ounce of income that comes from the Family accounts. I don't want to see them or hear from them in any way whatsoever! Let them stew over that!"

'Yes Sir, there accounts are frozen, will there be anything else?'

"No," I said as I slid behind the wheel and drove home.

The Storm Breaks:

I didn't have long to wait for the messages to arrive. There were several emails, a dozen or more phone messages and even a hand written letter delivered by hand via an interested third party. All of them went unanswered. I thought the anger would pass in a day but every time I thought about how I had been used it flared to white hot bile in my throat. They had to be taught a lesson. 

When my grandmother called asking about what the hell I was doing to my immediate family I told her. I left nothing out and she received the full brunt of my anger over the phone. Instead of firing back the Old Vampire laughed. She laughed so hard she about fell off her chair. I was clenching the receiver of the phone so damn hard my knuckles turned white. 

"They found a way around it seems," grandma said once she had recovered.

"Well, this end game of theirs is going to cost them," I snarled. "I will not be used like this! She's my mother for crying out loud. She should know better!"

"She does know better and she did it for your own good," grandma shot back.

"My own good, tell me you don't actually believe this whole Dark One crap grandma," I practically shouted.

"Don't blaspheme," she countered. "You owe everything you have and that of the Family holdings to him." A long pause ensued and then she continued. "You've been a busy boy. You managed to decipher the Codex without the Keystone, very impressive."

"Who says I don't have the Keystone? I am not going to play politics with you or the Family anymore. I have decoded the entire Codex and it was a waste of fucking time! This entire devil worship bullshit ends with me. My children will have nothing to do with it."

"If you say so sweetie," grandma said coolly. "But uh, how do you explain his mark on your backside? You had the Great Seal in your pocket when you were brought in as Head of the Family. The Dark One marked you. You don't just walk away from that kind of honor boyo. You can bitch and complain all you want but hear me on this. You belong to him body and soul." Click.

The Old Vampire did bring up the single flaw in my logic. I had been carrying the seal in my back pocket and now it was gone and I had a new birth mark in its place. I didn't believe in all this voodoo bullshit so I had to find out how it happened. I would go to the room where the Great Seal was located and end this once and for all. I would face this thing head on.

How did one go about facing ultimate evil? Did I need some sort of exorcist's bag of tricks? Now I was channeling all those bad horror flicks in my head. As I walked downstairs I tried to balance rationality with a handful of caution. This was the time to respect my family's beliefs and discover if what they have been praying to all these years is even real. One of my body guards was fixing some coffee as I passed the kitchen and he snapped to attention.

"I need a favor," I said.

"Just name it Sir," he replied with a kind of military flair.

"I don't want to be disturbed. I need the house locked down."

"Yes Sir," he said and grabbed the throat mike and informed the rest of the security detail on site to as he put it 'lock it down'.

While most of the house had been redone to get the Old Vampire's stench from the place there were rooms left untouched. The one I was heading to was one such room. While deep down I suspected there had been some theatrics involved in my installation ceremony there was a growing part of me that was unsure. My anger had embolden me to face this phantom, now that it had cooled, doubt grew. I opened the door that led to the Great Seal and stepped inside. The door closed behind me and I let out a long breath of relief.

"See no demons or devils here," I said to reassure myself.

"Oh really," a sultry voice answered.

I looked over and there she was standing in what had been empty space only seconds before. My first reaction was being startled but then I got a really good look at her. Damn, this gal was racked, stacked and smoking hot. I walked over to her and she met me half way. She was tall, nearly as tall as I was. I did what most guys do when they see a very pretty face, we categorize. I tried to place her nationality and failed. I guessed her tits and ass to be Latin or maybe Slavic but her face was definitely Asian or was it American Indian. 

Her long hair stopped just above that impossibly round ass of hers and shimmered like she had just stepped out of the shower. It was her eyes that were amazing. They had that almond shape that at first glance I would have sworn was Japanese but then they were tilted at an angle that suggested Thai maybe Chinese. The left eye was the color of sapphires and the right was emerald green. Her gaze was mesmerizing there was no doubt about that. Even as I looked her over she was doing the same to me.

"Go ahead ask," she said after a long silence between us.

"How long does it take your hair to dry after a shower," I asked and she laughed.

"You got me, not many people catch me off guard, I chose well."

"About that," I said selecting my words very carefully just in case. "I am finding this whole devil thing difficult to believe."

"Good," she said and smiled. "If you had come in here on your knees and begging to see me I would have killed you on the spot."

"You don't look like Loki," I said. "But then again you don't look like any woman I've ever seen either."

"I have been called many things over the years. Some of them male and some female, for me gender is like which shoes to put on in the morning."

"Now that I do understand," I told her. "I can't imagine the devil being any one thing."

"Let's clear that shit up right now, I am NOT the devil. I hate that. I am me."

"Okay, I am fine tossing that label out early on," I said. "How would you define yourself?"

That caught her off guard. She looked very thoughtful as she pondered that question. She leaned close and whispered in my ear, 'how would you define yourself'. I paused and thought it over. I was the Head of the Family. No, that is my title. I am the son of, but stopped mid thought and again that wasn't who I was. I hit a wall of circular logic and stopped. I threw up my hands in surrender. Maybe there was a better question I could ask. 

"What is your connection to the Akhkharu," I asked instead.

"Ooh, that is a great question," she replied. "You are full of surprises. Do you want the long answer or the short one?"

"What's the difference?"

"About two weeks," she said and smiled. "Short it is. I'll start with a little warning. The world is a lot bigger and stranger world than you know. First of all, the Family, as you understand it doesn't run the entire planet. Sure it manages a very large chunk of it but there are other beings out there that manipulate things to a larger extent. That said, the Family is in fact directly linked to the Akhkharu. I can see that you don't know who or more importantly what they are."

She stopped and thought about how to word what came next.

"To put things simply, they are vampires. No they aren't like anything you've seen in the movies. They are a higher order of beings that feed off the blood of lesser entities like yourself. They are born just like humans and only rarely do humans become infected from a bite. You owe everything you have to the Akhkharu. They were the great city builders six thousand years ago. They taught humanity all the fine arts and things they needed to survive. In return for those things they asked for a small measure of humans as cattle. The Family springs from those that embraced and served the Akhkharu."

I sat down at that point and let the implications of her words sink in. We came from the first humans that allied themselves with as she put it, a higher order of beings. It sounded like evolution had favored these Akhkharu a great deal more than it had us. 

"So what is your connection to these Akhkharu," I asked and watched her reaction.

"Why I was responsible for their creation," she said smiling.

"I don't understand, why would you create such things," I asked and her eyes narrowed. "They offered you something didn't they?"

"Very astute, I rarely do anything without some sort of reward. There were twelve of them at first, six men and six women. Each of them was a very powerful mage in their own right. They shared one thing in common they were afraid of dying. So I granted their request and in time I received what I wanted."

"So what do you expect from me," I asked and she smiled again.

"Only that which is owed to me," she replied.

I was about to ask what she meant by that but she was gone. I looked around but there was nowhere for her to hide or disappear to. I tapped the watch and woke up the A.I. and she giggled as she answered my summons.

'You could just call my name Master,' she purred in that sensual voice of hers. 'Or rub my lamp...'

"I need you to access any machinery hidden in the walls of this room." I asked.

'I can't,' she said pouting. 'There are no mechanisms obvious or hidden. There isn't even a light switch.'

"Then she was real," I said feeling the impact of the moment.

'Quite real Master, I took the opportunity to scan her vital signs as well as acquire more personal information. Shall I inform you once I have finished compiling the data?'

"Yeah, you do that, I will be busy getting shit faced," I said as I left the room.

I headed for the converted study that my grandmother had designed for her own uses and I had redecorated. A key part of that project was a secret door that led directly to the formidable wine cellar. I opened the door to the study and shivered, as I always did, when I passed the floating crystal skull in its silver and glass cage. It was one of the few things that I kept mainly because it was conversation piece. People came in and they immediately asked whether or not it was real. It is quite real.

"Hello Hans," I said greeting the skull. "How's it hanging?"

"Fuck you Nancy boy," the skull replied. "...And my name isn't Hans."

"I can't pronounce your name it's like thirty fucking syllables," I fired back as I hit the switch to open the secret door.

"Thirty two to be precise and oh my, are we having a bad night? You don't drink on a week day unless it's been stressful."

I ignored him/it and walked down the lighted stairs to the climate controlled vault below. I headed straight for the whiskey section. I picked up two bottles; one was nearly finished while the other was unopened. I felt like it was going to be a blind drunk sort of night. I returned to my desk, took down my favorite tumbler from its spot on the shelf above my head. I took the tumbler to the well concealed icemaker and put just the right amount of ice in it. I poured a healthy amount of Nun's Island in and sat down. I took a sip and enjoyed the slow burn as the Irish Whiskey hit a nearly empty stomach.

Sophia Delamore stood in the open doorway. She crossed her arms under her ample bosom and frowned. I saluted her with the tumbler and took another healthy swig. She smiled and walked over to the corner of the desk. She placed her hands there and leaned over to see what I was drinking and giving me a clear view of her erection inspiring cleavage. Without even asking she grabbed the matching tumbler and went to the freezer and removed one of the spherical ice molds. She placed the ball of ice into her glass and poured herself the last of the Nun's Island over the sphere.

"What are we drinking to," she asked her in sensuous alto.

"Seeing god," I said staring off into open space.

"I don't understand Warren. What the hell does that even mean?"

"I don't recognize my life anymore," I told her. "It doesn't seem like that long ago my biggest concern in life was paying for college. Now, I make decisions that will impact the future of nations. Tonight I spoke with an immortal. I am not sure if she was a goddess or not but I felt like a bug staring at a speeding windshield."

"So getting drunk is the solution?" Sophia purred.

"Yep, I am glad you're here. You are so much better than Xim over there." I said pointing at the floating skull.

"Xim? I thought you didn't know his name," Sophia replied sipping her own drink now.

"I am right here people." Xim said.

"I never told you the story of Xim the Lich." I said and Sophia shook her head.

"I am not a fucking lich you son of a bitch," Xim snarled.

"What is a lich?"

"It is an evil sorcerer that prolongs their lives with necromancy, dark magic." I explained. 

"How do you know these things," Sophia asked.

"I fought one once," I said and there was silence. "I had a fifteenth level monk and my friends and I ran up against one in these old ruins."

"This isn't role playing Warren," Xim growled. "A lich is a far cry from some fantasy game."

"I take it you've seen one," I said as I opened the second bottle of Nun's Island.

"Once, but it was centuries ago," Xim said. "I saw it when I was in India shortly before my death. Never was there a fouler creature that ever existed. They discovered true immortality at a price of their very souls. If they are slain they are reborn in the form of a rat. The rat then seeks out and slays a hound. The lich's spirit takes over the hound. The hound then kills a leopard. If the leopard can kill a man the lich is reborn at its full power once more."

"That is all kinds of messed up," I said feeling the impact of the whiskey. "But a great story, that is why I keep him around. Xim is a great story teller. Here's to Xim!"

I raised my glass to Xim and Sophia touched her glass to mine. She began to tell me about the meetings I had the next day and I held up my hand. She fell silent and I looked at her with a very thoughtful expression. I reached down and stroked my watch. The A.I. hovered in the air above the face of the device. I had her display my appointments for the next day. I looked them over and asked which ones were critical and all of them went dark. I smiled and glanced at Sophia. 

"Jeanie, I think Sophia needs a promotion. What kind of title can I give her to handle the day to day operations that don't need my attention?"

"There is one title that an individual that is not a member of the Family can hold, Castellan. It would fulfill the obligations you have described. So my name is Jeanie now?"

"Yeah, so do you accept the promotion?" I asked and she smiled.

"I take it a pay raise comes along with increased responsibility." Sophia asked.

"I'll double it, how is that?" I said throwing out a number and she agreed. I took the drink from her hand and she kissed my cheek and went off to bed.

"So you saw a goddess tonight," Xim asked. "No one has seen Her in generations. I may have to reevaluate my opinion of you."

"Thanks Xim," I said as I poured the contents from Sophia's glass into my own. "I saw a fucking goddess... what the hell man! How the hell do I even process that?"

The Next Morning: 10:00 A.M.

The softest of caresses brought me around. I opened my eyes and looked up at Sophia. She was smiling as she sat up to begin her first day as my castellan. I managed to sit up and not hurl. That was quite the achievement considering how much I drank last night. I watched Sophia get dressed and despite the hammering in my brain I could appreciate her beauty. It was like a strip tease in reverse. The longer I watched the more of her body that was covered by barbaric clothing. She saw my frown and giggled.

"Sign the papers next to you so I can get started," she whispered.

I looked over and there was a clipboard with the papers she had mentioned. I picked up the pen and the clipboard and looked them over carefully. When my eyes refused to focus Jeannie intervened and told me that she had drafted the papers and printed them off. Knowing that, I signed without hesitation and set them back on the end table. The door opened and Darlene, the day shift maid, arrived with my hangover cure. It was three juices mixed with a combination of herbs from my great uncle's garden. It actually tasted good as it went down. The mixture settled my stomach, dulled my headache and eased the body aches.




A Brief Moment of Insanity Ch. 04



All characters are 18 years or older. Warren decides it is time to end Loki and her manipulation of his family and loved ones.

*****

Diary of a Dead Man:

The crew was packing up after the installation of the holographic projector in my office and other key points in the mansion. I thanked them for their fine work and promised to use them in the future if the need ever arose. Three of the maids entered with cleaning supplies in hand and I let them have their way with the room. They had already cleaned up in the other work locations apparently. I watched them as they swept up plaster dust, wood shavings and bits of snipped wiring. Then they made sure there wasn't a hint of dirt or debris before they left. 

"They are quite efficient," Jeanie replied.

"Why don't you test your birthday gift," I asked my A.I.

There was a soft whirring as the projector's servos fired up for the very first time. Jeanie calibrated the device and let out a soft purr as she appeared before my desk. She had altered her appearance again but I had given her free reign when it came to those sorts of things. She was tall and leggy, like a runway model and was wearing what appeared to be a black silk dress with an open back that showed off the S curve of her spine quite nicely. Jeanie had been attempting to tweak the perfect size, shape and bounce of her breasts over the last few weeks and I think she finally succeeded. It was her face that had undergone the most significant modifications though. Our first little session of creating her persona had been all well and good but she has displayed a certain desire for perfection. This latest example had been patterned off the manifestation of Loki. Jeanie had created an algorithm that could take a single biological aspect and build a perfect construct around it. In this case the breasts. 

"What do you think?" She asked.

"I like the eyes," I replied. "They are striking and sensual."

"Exactly what I was going for," Jeanie replied. "I have been perusing the Codex and the Keystone as well as other sources for information about non-human races. This current configuration is loosely based off of one."

"What do you mean loosely? What is different from the texts than you are using now?"

"The race mentioned possesses four fingers and two opposable thumbs. They were quite dexterous it is said." She replied with a brilliant smile. "They also possess quite a few other genetic enhancements that make them far superior to unmodified humans."

"Unmodified, did the text actually say they were genetically engineered?" I asked and she nodded.

"Not in those words of course but the text is quite specific about enhanced breeding practices. I can only take that to mean genetic manipulation of some sort was involved in their creation."

"Show me," I asked her and the changes were subtle yet profound.

Her eyes remained the same blue-violet color but the bright light revealed the feline pupils with their vertical slit. Her hands and feet both possessed six digits and while at first a little disturbing I grew used to them quickly enough. The rest of the changes were all internal and had to be shown using a second display. Jeanie had to explain what I was looking at and I was impressed. If there were any of this race still walking around they would make formidable enemies or valuable friends. Plots, plans and ideas blossomed in my devious little mind. What were the odds I could locate one of these individuals? Who was I kidding; the chances of finding such a rare person would be astronomical. I had other more important things on my mind. 

"How goes the research," I asked Jeanie.

"I have whispers and innuendos," she purred. "But I think I may have something. I cannot claim that it is anything more than a legend though."

"At this point I don't care," I said. "Show me what you have."

"There is a mention of a powerful weapon," Jeanie said gesturing with her left hand and another display appeared. "This text speaks of a weapon called Sicarius Deus, the God Slayer. However, there are also mentions of spells, incantations and other items of potency. None of them can be verified by other sources. So I cannot offer them as anything other than conjecture."

"What is that mark on your wrist," I asked ignoring the image for the strange characters on her wrist.

"These are connected to the race I mentioned before, why?"

"I have seen one of them somewhere. But I can't remember where it was." 

I stared at the characters but damn it eluded me. Where the hell had I seen that symbol before? Oh god that pissed me off! I grumbled and bitched until Jeanie told me to relax. She suggested that I forget about it for now and just let my subconscious work on it. Jeanie was right of course so I asked her about this god slayer weapon as well as the other items she had mentioned. The god slayer, according to the text, had been split into three pieces and hidden. The history of the weapon was supposedly linked to mythic Atlantis and its downfall. The spells and other objects were equally questionable. But at this point I was willing to try anything.

The sad part is I had no idea where to even begin. I was no historian, hell I was just managing to keep a grip as head of the Family. Sure I had mastered the mind palace technique but it was my Castellan that was keeping me afloat. If it wasn't for Sophia I hated to think about it. The rage rose up like a white hot heat when I remembered what I had allowed to happen. That fucking bitch had forced me to do that despicable act! That is why I wanted the god slayer. I didn't need it; I fucking wanted it so I could teach that cunt a lesson! I doubted it would actually kill a being like Loki, but it just might hurt her. That was enough for me. 

I could still see the four security guards having their way with her and it broke my heart. Was that was Loki really wanted? Did she want to break me? Did she want to prove that I was just a pawn? I had to prove her wrong. Jeanie was still standing there watching me. I told her to pull up all the major financial activity for the Family. This was followed up with a global map and the businesses as glittering icons. The next step was historical activities of the Family to try and spot patterns. They were there and Jeanie was able to project future activity. A ten year projection showed where and more importantly who was going to benefit from these decisions. It was obvious now that the other members of the council were working on robbing me blind and leaving me a penniless pawn. I would have funds but it would be at their discretion.

Jeanie showed me what to do and how to do it. It was a long term gamble but it would prove profitable in the long run. I created shell companies and snatched up businesses, resources and technologies while they were cheap. I gave Jeanie complete access to my finances and told her what I wanted. I ran this Family and they were going to learn the hard way what happens when people crossed me. It felt good to be able to do something. I told her to monitor the markets and act accordingly. This was a game of chess and I intended on winning. Jeanie vanished in a puff of digital smoke and I sat back and closed my eyes. There came a knock on the door.

"Come in," I called out.

"I am sorry to disturb you Sir," a female voice spoke and I opened my eyes. There were two cute women standing in the doorway. "Tell him." The older woman said to the younger.

"Please forgive me," the younger gal said her lip quivering in fear.

"Hey... relax; I am not going to fire anybody today. What is going on?" I asked.

"I didn't finish cleaning all of your grandmother's things from the room. I uh... I stashed them in the bottom drawer of your desk. I am so sorry!"

"This one," I asked as I leaned down and touched the drawer on the left hand side of the desk.

"Yes Sir, please let me take care of it and I promise it will never happen again." The girl pleaded while the older gal frowned.

"How about I look through what's here and if I want to throw it away I'll take care of it." I told her. "Now relax, dry your eyes and finish up with what you were doing, okay?"

"Thank you Sir," she said and fled the room in relief.

"You were too easy on her," the older gal said as she turned to leave.

"Stop," I growled at the older gal. "Come over here... you are awful mouthy for a maid."

"I am the head maid," she replied her voice cool and her eyes narrowed. "Your grandmother would have never let that kind of thing slide."

"My grandmother," I said getting to my feet. "You just mentioning her could get you fired."

"What...?" She said the color draining from her face. "I thought you were close."

"Hardly," I said as I closed the distance between us. "Give me one good reason I shouldn't let you go?"

"I need this job," she said her lip quivering now. "I will never mention your... that woman ever again. I promise... please let me make it up to you."

"I see you're married," I said seeing her wedding ring. "Do you love him?"

"Of course I do," she replied. "He is a good man."

"I am sorry to hear that," I told her.

"I don't understand," she replied.

"The sex must be terribly boring," I said and smiled. "You can leave now. I will keep an eye on you. If you displease me consider it your last day."

She left and I heard her crying as she closed the door behind her. I hate bullies and the way she treated... what were their names anyway? Oh this is just sad. I called up Jeanie and ran through the entire list of the employees working for me. I put to memory names and faces so that I could greet each and every one of them by name. It was the least I could do as their boss. I returned to the desk and opened the lower left hand drawer. It was brimming with stuff so I pulled out the drawer and carefully put it on the surface of the desk. The contents were as weird and varied as anything I had ever seen. On the very top was a plastic cube and inside an autographed baseball.

"Who the heck is Babe Ruth," I said and the A.I. rattled off statistics and how much the baseball would fetch at auction. "Sixty thousand dollars, for a baseball, are you kidding me? I wonder what else is in here."

I pulled out each item and she told me what it was, where it came from and it seemed to me the collection didn't belong to just my grandmother but her brother as well. The memorabilia had a definite theme to it and I doubted the Old Vampire would collect or keep such things. I found new homes for my great uncle's possessions and boxed up the rest. I picked up the drawer to return it to its place in the desk and that is when I saw it. There was something taped to the bottom of the drawer. The tape had dried out and it hung loose on one corner. I plucked the notebook from its hiding place and opened it.

The handwriting was clean and precise. I noticed the bold flourishes of the style and knew that it was written using a fountain pen because of the gorgeous calligraphy employed. The writing had a left handed slant and that nailed down the author as being none other than my uncle Charlie. There was that and I had seen a few samples of his writing before this one. I called for a two liter of Mt. Dew, a box of ding dongs and my mp3 player. I thanked Helen when she brought my things in and she smiled. I read and reread the notebook three times all the way through. 

I couldn't believe what I was reading. The notebook chronicled my uncle's thirty year search for the Deus Sicarius, the God Slayer. But he never went after it, something happened to him before he could. The journal ended abruptly when he spoke of gathering the three pieces. Had the Old Vampire done something to her own brother? Did she discover what he had planned? Is that why he simply disappeared? Did she murder her own brother? Oh grandma you've been a wicked little girl! I returned the drawer to its spot and closed it. I looked at the notebook and wondered if I could decipher the clues my uncle had left behind.

"Where are they," I said talking to myself.

I set the notebook down and opened to the first page. Jeanie was standing behind me and I read out the key points for her to record so we could brain storm on them later. The creation myth was interesting and ironic. Loki had been the one to design and make it possible for Ragnarok to come into being. That was just one of its names. It had appeared several times in human prehistory. The Atlanteans had held it for millennia and it was in the end the reason for their homeland's destruction. While the island dwellers did not have gods there were others that did. It was these religious zealots that plotted and brought about the destruction of the island continent. In the chaos they managed to steal the weapon, break it into three parts and place it in its current locations. They are supposedly guarding it to this day.

I read off the clues that described the elemental temples that housed the god slayer. While I was absolutely clueless it was Jeanie that puzzled them out. The poetic stanzas mentioned gods and monsters that went right over my head and I told her so. Jeanie laughed and said that it was there that the clues pointed. Three seconds later it hit me, constellations. There were of course other lines that described geographical references as well. She pulled up satellite imagery and began hunting. This was going to take time so I left her to it. I was really good at delegating tasks especially ones I sucked at.

So I decided to work out some of my frustration and went downstairs to my game room. The room was huge and had once held three full sized pool tables, dart boards along the walls as well as some classic arcade games. The dart boards remained but the middle of the room was dedicated to table top war gaming. One of those holographic projectors sat above a six foot square table. I fired up the game interface and picked out how many points each side could spend on troops. I chose my race and built my army and was happy with the nice rounded armor, weapons and vehicles. The computer built a random terrain to battle on and I placed my squads and vehicles. The computer picked a race and built an appropriate army with the points it had. 

"Alright let's do this," I said and we battled it out.

The troop animations were freaking amazing! It was like something out of a movie and even though I lost I had a blast. I was about to play a second round when the doorbell rang. One of the maids, Sarah, appeared and told me that my mother was here. I told her to fix some coffee and see my mother to the arboretum. She always liked the flowers and the view of the back yard. I headed upstairs and met mom in the rear of the mansion. She was smiling and was dressed to the nines. 

"You look good," I told her as I kissed her cheek.

The room smelled of roses, jasmine and a dozen other flowers that hung from the ceiling and planted in stone beds around the windows. 

"Thank you," she replied as she sat back down. "Willow told me the good news."

"Huh," I said confused. "Her last visit was a little different so I am lost on what you think of as good news."

"The Fuck Off," mom said smiling again. "She told me you agreed to hold it."

"Is that all she told you," I asked and mom bit her lower lip. "So she did tell you about what happened to her."

"Yes," she purred just as the maid set down the silver pitcher and two china cups. "I'll pour. She didn't leave out a single detail. Why are you so upset?"

"I didn't let it happen out of choice," I told her. "I am not letting this abomination of an event happen out of the goodness of my heart. If I don't do this something worse will happen. So, if you want to fucking enjoy it then you do so without my approval." I said trying to read her reaction. "I love you. I love all of you but I hate what you and the others are forcing me to endure. So enjoy your coffee and get the fuck out of my sight."

"Warren, that isn't anyway to talk to me," she replied shocked at the venom and animosity in my voice. "Why are you acting like this?"

"You missed the part about hating the entire concept of what you are so fucking eager to engage in. I will make sure you are taken care of financially. I plan on moving soon and using this as a summer house. I just can't be around you or the others anymore. It just hurts too much."

"We never meant to hurt you sweetie," mom said her face flushing with color. "We love you. But..."

"Ah, here it comes... but you want this obscene event to take place. Get out mom... GET OUT NOW! Don't stop by unless I call for you."

Mom got to her feet and left without a backward glance. The pitcher and china went flying a few seconds later. My scream of rage followed a moment after that. I opened the French door that led to the garden and decided some fresh air would do me good. My hands were clenched tightly and I walked over the manicured lawns and around the exquisitely designed flower beds. All that beauty surrounding me and it was like ashes in my mouth. How the hell did the Old Vampire endure this kind of thing? Is that why she was so damn cold? Oh god I don't want to end up like that! Another scream escaped my lips and I dropped down to my knees.

I punched the earth and the fear of becoming like my grandmother horrified me. I couldn't do that. I'd rather die than turn into that! One of the security guards walked up to me and placed a gentle hand on my shoulder.

"Are you alright Sir," he asked. "Can I call someone?"

"No, there isn't anyone... she is dead to me," I replied thinking of Willow. "Get the jet ready... I have to get out of here. Have Claudia pack a few bags for a warm climate. I need a change of scenery."

"Yes Sir," he said and left me there on the lawn.

I knelt there staring at the dark violet blooms and the simple symmetry they possessed. Loki had to die! Even if it meant my death I was going to take the bitch out. The heat of my rage turned ice cold now. I was determined to be my own man or die trying. Maybe if I survived this ordeal I could forgive them. But until then I was set on a course of action. The limo pulled up in front of the mansion and my bags were placed in the trunk. I informed Arthur, the house's equivalent to a butler, to keep things running smoothly while I was gone. He was an Old World soul whose family had served various members of my family over the generations. He smiled and nodded and in that simple exchange I knew he would do his best until I set foot here again.

I climbed into the back of the limo and we left. The only thing I carried with me was my uncle's notebook. My fingers clung to its exterior like a life line. I suppose in its own way it was. It was my anchor and promise of a better life. I closed my eyes and let my mind drift. The limo stopping woke me up. I opened the door and the noise of the airfield struck me and I flinched. I got out and I noticed the brand new motorcycle parked near the jet. A moment later Willow walked into view. I flinched again and she frowned.

"Where are you going?" Willow asked.

"It doesn't concern you," I replied as the driver opened the trunk and took my luggage to the plane.

"We are family Warren," she tried and saw my cold reaction to that. "What?"

"Does family lie to one another? Does family manipulate one another? Do I need to go on?"

"What we did, we did to protect you." She said and took a step back when I snarled. "You don't understand."

"Have you seen the Dark One Willow? Have you stood face to face with Loki? Now try and tell me I don't understand."

"You saw Him... that is why you let it happen isn't it?" She said her eyes staring at the tarmac.

"It wasn't my decision to let that happen. If I had a choice that and other things would never occur. I will say this and then I am done. If you and the others decide to go on we are done. Please don't test me on this, you will lose. I will continue with your financial support but that is it. If you and mom and Janine have this event don't ever speak to me ever again. I love you, I will always love you but if that happens I just can't deal with it."




A Brief Moment of Insanity Ch. 04



I walked past her and I heard her sobs. If I looked back I would break so I didn't. I climbed on board the jet and never looked back. I had to remain strong if I was going to kill Loki. It was only going to get harder from here on. I took my seat as the crew made final preparations to leave. The pilot stepped back and asked for our destination so he could file a flight plan. I thought about it and shrugged.

"Fiji? How about Fiji," I asked and looked around. "Sure... let's go to Fiji."

"Okay, Fiji it is," the pilot said and returned to the front of the aircraft.

It took a half an hour to file the flight plan and the champagne was open before we ever left the ground. As I sipped my drink I tried to figure out a basic attack plan. I was going to have to go off grid, for a little while at least, if I was going to acquire these three objects. There was of course no guarantee of success but I had to try. I needed to bolster my chances somehow. As the jet reached cruising altitude I woke Jeanie from her digital slumber. I asked her for suggestions on how to improve my odds. Her reply wasn't exactly what I was expecting.

"This is Master Nick's product list for more discerning clientele. If you want my opinion there are two that might strike your fancy." She said and displayed them.

"What is a neural implant or optical interface drops?" 

"The eye drops make displays obsolete. You can see and interact with me and other artificial personalities using your eyes. The drops deposit nanites, microscopic machines, which link with my crystalline matrix directly. There are drop down menus that are accessed by focusing and blinking. It creates a more secure way of communication."

"And the neural implant," I asked taking a healthy drink of champagne.

"It allows you to actually touch me. The programming involved was taken from tactile interactions. I am told that the range of sensations run from a hand shake to complete intimacy."

"Whoa," I said. "That is definitely an upgrade worth thinking about. How is that done?"

"It requires an injection of a gel containing a billion nanites between the C1 and C2 vertebrae. The nanites are programed to migrate to key parts of the brain to form the connection."

"To think we can do something like that. Where do we need to go to get them?" I asked and she smiled.

"They will come to you. The injection is mostly painless requiring only a topical anesthetic. I can place the order if you wish as well as your hotel reservations." Jeanie grinned.

"Make it so," I told her and she vanished from sight. 

The rest of the flight was quiet and I worked on my plans to acquire the first piece of the god slayer. I didn't know if I had the skills to succeed but damn it I had to try. I sipped wine and dined on crackers, cheese and grapes. It seemed like no time before we were landing and making our way through customs. The lady that stamped my passport smiled when she saw this was my first visit out of the country. The limo took us to the southern coast of the island. I was looking forward to just doing nothing for a week or more. Well, that was the official record at least. I would still take business calls from the Family Council. If I didn't it would look suspicious.

The Shangri-La Hotel looked pleasant enough. The staff was alerted that a VIP was there and they treated me like a god. I was used to great service but they went over the top to make me feel welcome. They were subtle in the way they took care of me so as to not draw too much attention. I appreciated that. I settled into my room and one of my bodyguards put my clothing away and gave me the thumbs up that the pool and beach had passed inspection. I didn't envy young guys that had to wear those ugly Hawaiian shirts to conceal their shoulder holsters. I was ready and eager to hit the beach. Markus, my primary guardian, followed me out while three of the others got some sleep so they would be well rested for the night shift.

The sun was low in the sky and damn the water was so clear and pristine. I could live here year round. Fuck all that snow and shitty weather. I had never seen the ocean before. It was a little frightening to be honest. It was just so damn huge. I watched the blazing day star move inexorably towards the horizon. It set the water on fire and I just stood there staring like an idiot. 

"Wow," I said and a gorgeous brunette giggled.

"I said the same thing twenty years ago. There is no shame in it. I am Isabelle." She said offering her hand.

"Warren," I said and kissed the back of her hand.

"You sure this is your first time," she said as she blushed.

"My first ocean sunset, yes," I replied and she laughed. "Do you know a good place to eat around here?"

"Ozzie's," she said. "He has the best sea food and the coldest beer on the island."

"Thanks," I told her and let go of her hand reluctantly. "Maybe I'll see you there."

"Hmm maybe," she smiled at me.

I returned my gaze to the sun and it was halfway below the horizon. The sky burned red as it slowly sunk from sight. The few clouds were kindled in orange and gold. As I watched the sun disappeared and the sky darkened until the last color bled from sight. The stars appeared, first only a few at a time and then by the hundreds. I decided to go and find Ozzie's and get some real food. It didn't take long to get directions and walk the short distance to the bar slash diner. It was a busy place and the smell of food drifted on the air as we approached. We sat at the bar and that was the first time I laid eyes on Ozzie. He looked too young to own his own place on the island. He was originally from London and that was obvious after the first time he spoke.

"Welcome to Ozzie's," he said in his thick London accent.

"So what's good," I asked and he laughed.

"It's all good son," he replied. "We make a mean fish and chips. What do you say?"

"Sounds good to me," I told him and he hollered our order back to the cook.

He poured our drinks and managed to maintain a conversation even as others arrived and he took their orders. The food came out and my bodyguards and I ate. He was right; the fish and chips were amazing. I don't know what he used in his batter but it was light and flakey. My hunger satisfied I had a few shots as well as a few imported beers. This place had a little bit of everything. I knew I would be coming back during my Fiji vacation.

"Sir," Jeanie whispered in my ear.

"What is it," I asked as I glanced down at my watch.

"The technician has arrived at the hotel." She replied with a smile.

"Technician... what technician," I asked and she giggled.

"Your upgrades, you know the eye drops and the injection."

"Oh... OH... right, looks like I got to go," I said as I pulled out my wallet and paid our bill.

"That is so cool, you got one of those talking watches," Ozzie said smiling. "I was thinking about getting one of those. Do you like yours?"

"Oh yeah," I told him. "I couldn't survive without her. See ya later." 

I was a little tipsy as we walked back to the hotel. Okay, I was just this side of shit faced. I managed to reach my room under my own power, somehow. The elevator ride up to the top floor was pleasant enough. Standing outside my room was a gorgeous woman. I looked her over and attempted and failed to determine her nation of origin. Her ass was well rounded and screamed Latin. She had a slight build and was of average height so that didn't help any. She had long muscular legs that reminded me of either a gymnast or a dancer. I like them a lot. Her breasts were small but perky in the clingy top she was wearing. It was her face that threw a number of curve balls. Her eyes were almond shaped and had a noticeable tilt to them. I thought Asian of some sort. But her cheeks and the general shape of her face looked more European, maybe Slavic. She had those puffy dick sucking lips that I'd expect to see on a black woman or maybe Italian. The most alluring quality was the pointy ears that were obviously natural but looked elfin all day long.

"They never said the tech was so damn beautiful," I said in greeting.

"You don't do your photos justice, but I am here on professional business," she replied in a sultry Southern drawl.

"I am in your capable hands."

One of the bodyguards opened the door and swept the room just to be careful. Once he gave the all clear the rest of us entered. I offered Nikki a drink but she declined. She opened her briefcase so that it could be inspected. Darren, the head of the night shift crew commented that there were two syringes in the case. Nikki explained that one contained the nanites that created the neural link the other was a bonding agent to insure the nanites don't migrate to parts of the brain where they didn't belong. That was reassuring so I plopped down to let her do the eye drops first.

"Let's go with the drops first," I said. "See how well simple works and all that."

"Wouldn't you be more comfortable prone?" Nikki suggested.

"I like the way you think," I said and stood up and stumbled to the bedroom.

Nikki followed as well as Darren. He stood in the open doorway to make sure nothing bad happened. I kicked off my shoes and lay down on the bed. Nikki took the eye drops out and flicked on the overhead light. She clenched the bottle between her teeth and climbed onto the bed from the foot. She slowly crawled up and straddled my waist. I looked up at her as she unscrewed the lid and held my left eye open and dripped six drops into it. I blinked a few times and she repeated the process in my right eye. It took about ten minutes for the process to complete. Nikki just sat there and I could feel her heat just above my groin.

"How is it," she asked in a velvety purr.

"Mmmm warm," I murmured. "Oh you mean my eyes... there is a little red light in the lower left hand side of my vision."

She actually giggled and ran me through how to remotely access Jeanie. She also showed me the drop down menus and how to use them and what they were for. I laughed as Jeanie walked around the room and I tracked her with my eyes. Once we were sure that the drops were working fine Nikki ordered me onto my belly. She rolled off and retrieved the case. I fluffed up one of the pillows and got comfy. Once more I felt Nikki crawl over me and straddle my body. Darren stood by the side of the bed now watching intently. Nikki narrated each step of the procedure.

"This is going to be cold but it just lidocaine to numb up your skin. Let's give that a little bit to take effect. So do all women throw themselves at your feet Warren?"

"Hardly ever happens," I said. "Darren will back me up on that one. I am practically invisible most of the time."

"Oh I find that hard to believe. Okay, here we go... I am going to perform the first injection. This one contains the nanites. It is going to feel weird but don't move your head. Good, in it goes and now the plunger and just a little longer... there done! That wasn't so bad. Now is the binding agent. This goes in the vertebrae below the other injection site. Again, don't move..."

The first injection felt cold as the substance entered my body. However, the second one was warm and left me feeling dizzy as it hit my system. I let out a giddy sound as I felt the warmth spread throughout my entire body. Must just be my imagination that stuff is supposed to stay in my brain. Oh I get it, I thought, it is my brain making me feel like this. Nikki placed two Band-Aids over the injections and declared me upgraded. She took out a hand held scanner and moved it over my skull to observe the movements of the nanites. I heard Jeanie gasp and vanish from my sight. The scanner let out a sound that reminded me of an alarm.

"What's going on," I asked but Nikki never responded.

She was suddenly off of me and I heard Darren cry out in alarm. I heard a body hit the floor but I was so weak I could barely move. It took everything I had to roll onto my side. What I saw didn't make any sense. I had to be hallucinating. I saw Nikki attacking my guards and tearing them to ribbons. There was blood all over but that just couldn't be real. Nikki returned and rolled me onto my back. There was blood dripping from her mouth and her fingers, correction claws.

"The Dark One sends his regards traitor," Nikki said as she straddled me. "I could have just killed you out in the hall but that would have been too quick."

"You are a Nephilim," I managed and she nodded. "I never believed you existed until I met Her."

"Blasphemy! Shut your fucking mouth!" Nikki snarled.

"She sent you didn't she," I said my words slurring worse the longer I laid there. "You drugged me?"

"That was part of the plan. I was handpicked by the Twelve to be your assassin. They are the will of the Dark One. They provided the second injection. You are going to become one of us well that is until dawn. Then you are going to combust and the fire will destroy all the evidence. Savor what little time you have left."

"I guess a pity fuck is out of the question then," I said laughing.

"I don't pity you," she snarled.

"No sweet thing, you have it all wrong. I am the one pitying you." I told her and she slapped me hard.

"I require no one's sympathy. If anyone does, it is you."

"I forgive you. You are so clueless you can't even see the chains around your wrists and encircling that lovely neck of yours."

Once more she straddled me and I felt drops of blood fall from those pouty lips of hers and strike my cheek, my own lips and my chin. I watched as she licked the gore from her claws. How had those lovely delicate fingers become savage weapons? The once gorgeous woman had become a monstrous killer. I felt the hot-cold sensations course through my system. I shivered as the venom she had injected into me performs its evil work. I knew that my odds had been slim but to fail before I even tried was heartbreaking. I am so sorry Willow! I wept remembering the last words that had passed between us. I wasn't afraid of dying I was terrified of failing. Just then bright blue block lettering filled my vision.

'I am with you Warren.' 

'Jeanie?' I typed using the drop down keyboard Nikki had taught me how to use.

'I am redirecting the nanites. They are following the substance from the second injection. I am trying to intercept it and alter it on the fly. I am doing my best!'

'I know,' I send to her. 'I won't blame you if you can't stop this.'

'I can't stop it. I am trying to rewire the changes. Wish me luck.'

I smiled and that infuriated Nikki. Another brutal slap from a girl that is so damn petite. No wonder she was able to manhandle my bodyguards. I had read about the Twelve and their broods. Six men and six women had made a deal with the Dark One for immortality. The result was the Nephilim or as they are better known the Akhkharu. They were the city builders so they could herd their prey into comfortable pens so they didn't have to work so hard. Humans had been domesticated and my Family was the first to make a deal to serve them. We were still their thralls as well as enslaved to the Dark One, Loki. I had dared to stand up against millennia of tradition and the price was being burned alive by the light of the rising sun. 

The price for immortality was the Sun Curse. Eleven of the tribes of Akhkharu suffered from the burning touch of the day star. Only one of them was immune and they became the face of the Nephilim. The chill became a burning sensation as my bones, sinew and organs were transmuted by whatever the hell had been in that second syringe. My blood in pounding in my ears and it is the only thing I can hear. Nikki had to clamp a hand over my mouth as I began screaming from the pain. Once more I witnessed her inhuman strength first hand. She was still ranting about the Nephilim and what was going to follow my death.

"Once the Sun does its work I am going to visit the others. I am going to kill them in increments. Your death will seem like a walk in the park. I just wanted you to know before you die. Pity you won't be there to protect them. Your traitorous actions have condemned every one you love."

"So..." I gasped through the pain.

"He speaks," she purred as she removed her hand.

"If I survive this you stop?" I managed through the waves of agony.

"That are my orders," she said. "But even if you survive the injection the day star will surely immolate you." 

I closed my eyes and fought the pain. I would survive. I had taken this course of action to save my family not condemn them. That bitch... that fucking bitch Loki! A new heat burned within me. The white hot rage resurfaced and I embraced the pain as a means of my revenge. I would survive and live to recover the god slayer. I began cursing under my breath and I heard Nikki chuckle as she watched.

"You are almost done," she said taking my wrist in her grip. "Look and see traitor. Your body is dying all around you."

I opened my eyes and my skin had blackened as if my entire body was bruised. I blinked and Nikki reacted violently to that simple action. She hissed as her hand clamped down on my chin and she looked down into my eyes. I blinked again and suddenly she was off of me. She had leapt away and with a simple backward somersault landed on her feet at the foot of my bed. Her body language and posture spoke of fear and uncertainty. Another round of pain gripped me and she smiled. With a short hop she perched like some demonic vulture at my feet. She watched me intently as my symptoms progressed. Unbelievably the pain lessened and actually began to fade. I held up my hand and the body wide bruising was yellowing as I watched.

"I am going to live," I said.

"For now," she growled as she stripped the bodyguards of their handcuffs and secured my wrists and ankles. "Now we have the long wait for the sun."

I looked around and once more the bright blue block letters appeared in my vision. There were four words and they said 'trust me' and 'be patient'. I smiled and relaxed as Jeanie worked her magic. I trusted her to do her best. It wasn't like I had much of a choice. There were periodic aches, pains and chest spikes as we waited for the sun to rise. Nikki checked her watch and gave me a countdown now of how long I had to live. Two hours before dawn the whispering in my head began. It was faint and indistinct at first but over the next hour I realized what was going on. I was hearing people's thoughts all around me including Nikki. I tried to push out the other voices and focused on hers alone.

'What is going on?' Nikki thought as she stared at me. 'The blood should have killed him. The sun will burn him to a crisp.'

Her mental voice left doubts though. She was unsure about what the second injection had done to me and where there was doubt there was hope. I smiled again and that infuriated her. Nikki fired back with the one hour mark before sunrise. There was so much hatred in her towards me. Why was that? She called me a traitor but what had I been accused of?

"So what did I do to piss you off?" I asked and her reaction was visceral and volcanic.

"You dare to try and seek out the god killer," she snarled.

How the hell could they have possibly learned about that? I listened intently to her thoughts to see if she mentioned who had tipped her off. Nothing, whoever had sent her had only told her that I was guilty. There was a leak in my security at the mansion. I thought about my movements and actions the day I found the notebook. There were no new employees. All of those working for me were loyal and had passed the most stringent background checks. What was different? Then it hit me between the eyes.

"No fucking way..." I said aloud and Nikki raised an eyebrow. "Goddamn it all to hell!"

"You see that your death is inevitable," she purred.




A Brief Moment of Insanity Ch. 04



"Oh fuck off will ya," I snapped and she actually blanched at my remark. "That's how they figured it out."

"I don't understand," Nikki replied but I ignored her.

The fucking holographic display in my office, it had been installed the very day I had discovered the notebook. Someone was piggybacking on the signal and spying on me. How fucking stupid could I have been. I would have asked Jeanie but she was busy doing whatever the hell it was to save my life. There was one last spike of pain in my chest before it stopped completely. I lay there and internalized the thirty minutes I had before the sun burnt me to a crisp. Nikki left me long enough to lower all the other blinds in the other rooms and lift the one next to the bed. She took up a position in the corner and slid to the floor with a predatory smile on those luscious lips of hers.

Time is an inexorable hunter that stops for no one. The sky began to brighten and I now knew why she hadn't moved me. The bedroom was on the eastern side of the building lining up perfectly with the rising sun. The engineers had designed it for a glorious view from the premium suite but it became my death chamber. While Nikki flinched as the room grew brighter I only felt the gentle warmth of the sun caressing my skin. She flew into a rage but was powerless to act. I was protected by a rectangular wedge of direct sunlight. 

'Sorry, I was busy Sir,' Jeanie whispered in my head. 'I have finished configuring the neural implant.'

'What the hell is going on?' I asked and she explained.

'This Nikki character injected you with the nanites and that was followed up with some sort of biological. If I were to try and define it, I would call it a retro-virus. I knew something was wrong so I reprogrammed the nanites to attach themselves to the virus. As they began their work I was able to alter some of their functionality. I couldn't stop it but I redirected it, so to speak.'

'What did you do?' I asked and I felt her smile.

'Do you remember my latest avatar? I used that as a template since it appeared that the virus was attacking your entire body, inside and out. You are not a Nephilim. You are still mostly human, just uh augmented.' This was followed up with an image displayed to my optical interface.

'Whoa, can you explain what you did?'

Jeanie listed off the most substantial changes and it took a bit to process it all. I struggled and felt the chains linking the cuffs weaken and then snap. Nikki freaked out when she saw that and fled the room. I was able to free myself from the cuffs and called the police. I told them what passed for the truth and they began their investigations. I was allowed to leave and moved to another hotel until I was able to get a flight back to the states. I called the mansion and ordered the holographic projectors checked and removed if necessary. I decided to take a swim until the Family jet returned. I did without personal security after the slaughter of my team. I didn't want anyone else dying for me.

I kept to the shallows since this Midwestern kid had never swum in the ocean before. With no sign of bursting into flame any time soon I did my best to enjoy myself. Despite my ordeal I decided to eat some breakfast. I looked around and saw that Ozzie's was open. I walked over and had some pancakes and fruit. It wasn't until after I had finished eating that I realized something. I looked at the small open sign and then back to the beach a half a mile away. I had easily read the sign from that far away. I tested out this new gift and enjoyed its benefits. I could see a hard nipple a quarter of a mile away. I loved Fiji! Jeanie giggled and told me she was hindering my other senses to keep me from suffering sensory overload. That was probably a really good idea. So while I got used to my heightened sight she told me that bit by bit she would 'switch on' the others in small increments over the next month or so.

"Okay, let's try another one so I can get an idea what I am in for," I said aloud and luckily no one heard me.

'Here we go,' Jeanie said as my sight diminished and my sense of smell came to the fore.

I sniffed the air and was overwhelmed by the ten thousand things I was previously nose blind to. I turned my head and I could isolate people by scent very quickly. I tried not to be obvious while exploring this new heightened sense. The Indian couple two tables away were an open book of sorts. I could tell what cologne he was wearing, the body wash he had used this morning as well as how much sugar and cream he had put into his coffee. She was another story altogether. Like her partner I isolated her perfume, body wash and the fact that she was horny as all hell. Dude, you should be hitting that! She was a dark skinned beauty and the bikini she wore hugged her curves like a second skin. 

I turned my attention to Ozzie when he came out and that's when things got interesting. He smelled just like Nikki. Was he a Nephilim? He was out in broad daylight and not bursting into flames. Was he one of the rare tribe immune to sunlight? Ozzie worked the tables and refilled the couple's drinks and then plopped down across from me. He poured two cups of coffee and raised an eyebrow.

"You look preoccupied," he said breaking the silence.

"Yeah, I am a people watcher," I told him and he nodded.

"She is something," Ozzie said with a naughty smile. "I think she likes you."

"I don't normally mess around with married women." I said and he laughed. "She's not married."

"No, that is her brother," Ozzie said. "He is keeping an eye on her while they are on vacation."

"That puts things in another light," I said. "Can I ask a personal question?"

"If I can ask one in return," he replied smiling even wider now. "Fire away..."

"Are you a... Nephilim?" I stammered and his expression of shock was priceless.

"You know, of all the questions I thought you might ask that was nowhere near the top. Hell, I don't even think that was even on my list. I agreed to answer your question so here it is. Yes and no, it is a long complicated story. My birth name is Oswald Sebastian Kane and I was born during the reign of Queen Victoria. I stole a scientist's life work and was rewarded and punished for my crime. My reward from Professor Griffin was the power of invisibility and the punishment was the blood of an ancient Nephilim. I injected both serums into my body within minutes of one another. They bonded in a very unique way and here I am. Now my turn, why is the Head of the Family looking for the god slayer?"

"Um... you are very well informed. I will give you the short version. The Family believes its power and success are tied to a being that calls itself Loki. Once I was installed as the Family Primarch I met with her. She made demands upon the woman I loved and it will only get worse the longer things go along."

"You actually laid eyes on her... wow, I mean how do you even process that?"

"I know right," I said feeling vindicated. "I have the location of the Sicarius Deus. Once I am ready I am going after it."

"You know where it is? I am impressed. I have been looking for it for a while now. The going price for it is let's just say, astronomical. Do you need help?"

"What I need is training. I need to learn a lot in a short time." I told him and he smiled.

"It just so happens that I offer a crash course in becoming a gentleman thief. I will even give you a discount; say a thousand dollars an hour?"

We shook on it. I warned him about Nikki and that she might come after me again. He shook his head. The fact that I survived ended that particular contract. It didn't mean an end to attempts on my life just this first one was over. Ozzie and I worked out the details and we agreed to meet in Nepal two weeks from today. I got up and decided to return to the beach. I locked eyes with the dark skinned beauty and smiled. She smiled back, got to her feet and walked with me before her brother could react. 

"Thank you, you are a life saver," she said.

"To be honest I thought he was your boyfriend or husband," I told her and she nodded.

"He does that on purpose," she replied. "He is so damn overprotective."

"I can't blame him. If my sister were as attractive as you I'd have to chain her up." I said and her heartbeat increased. "I am glad you're not my sister."

"You can still chain me up if you want," she purred as she took my arm.

"What a coincidence. I was about to warn you that I have sex on the first date." I said and she giggled.

"That is good to know," she said smiling. "I am Parvati."

"Warren," I replied.

"So is this a date?" She asked.

"Abso-fucking-lutely," I said as I slid my arm around her waist.

She mirrored my motion as her slender arm gripped me. We walked along the beach and we made light conversation. Parvati learned that this was my first trip to Fiji and I learned she and her family had been coming here for decades. I noticed her mood darkened a little when she mentioned her family. I didn't ask but she knew I had picked up on something. She told me the story about her parent's death at the hands of a drunk driver. Well that explained why her brother was so damned protective. He was the head of the family now and it was his responsibility to make sure she was okay. I had to respect that. 

We walked away from the main beach and I let her guide us since she seemed to know the island far better than I ever would. Parvati pointed with her free hand out to see and at first I didn't see it. I squinted and there was a disturbance on the surface of the ocean. Then the beast breached the water and I saw that it was a whale. She told me they were humpbacks and this was one of the places they used as their mating grounds. I had to stop and watch these great animals at play. I caught her staring at me in the corner of my eye. She was smiling and as we stood there she placed her head on my shoulder.

I was about to apologize for the delay but she stopped me with a finger to my lips. She grabbed my wrist and led me actively now. The path was well hidden and I suspected that only if you knew of its existence you would pass it by. She was giggling now and the path widened after a hundred yards or so. I saw the gardens above us and realized this was no real path but in fact drainage trench that allowed the flow of water during the wet season and typhoons to avoid flooding. The house was gorgeous. It was perched at the top of the hill overlooking the ocean. It had more of a European feel to it but that was not uncommon on the island. There was a mix of architecture across the land. It went from simple huts to homes like that that were works of German engineering. 

"Are we trespassing," I asked and she shrugged. "You've been here before though."

"Many times," she replied. "I took one of the men that lived here as a lover a few years back. He was a fierce yet tender man in his forties. He trained me how to make a man happy. Would you like to see what I learned from him?"

"I look forward to it," I told her and she smiled.

"I am glad you are so eager. I have been wet the moment I laid eyes on you. Come with me and I will make you cry out and beg me to fuck you."

Parvati lead me to a pool on the back side of the house. There were deck chairs and it was into one of those that she guided me. She went to an outside bar and stood behind it. She mixed me a drink but before she gave it to me she turned on the music system. The jazz tunes were perfect for what she had planned. She sauntered over letting her hips shift and rock as she came over to me. She bent over and gave me my drink. Parvati untied her bikini top and left it as a trophy of my victory here. She found an open spot near the edge of the pool. Once she was ready she began to dance for me. Her dusky skin shimmered with a layer of sweat from the heat of the equatorial sun. Parvati lifted her oval shaped face to the sun as she raised her arms above her head. Her dark mahogany eyes were closed as she let the music guide her movements. That small luscious mouth of hers smiled as she felt my eyes upon her. Her breasts were topped with dark perky nipples surrounded with even darker wide areoles. As she danced her breasts swayed and bounced. I sipped my drink and enjoyed the entertainment. Parvati's hands moved to the sides of her bikini bottom and with a double tug untied it and it fluttered to the concrete below. I couldn't help but gaze at her shaved sex with its glistening slot. She reached between her legs and gently pulled her pussy lips apart. That single action seemed to say, I told you I was wet.

A new tune came over the hidden speakers and the dance changed with it. The livelier beat had Parvati's body undulating and shaking for me. Every movement was chosen for seduction and keeping my undivided attention. I raised the stakes and changed tactics. I set my drink down, lifted my ass off the chair and tugged my swim trunks down and off. She faltered when she saw my erection. Parvati frowned but then recovered and walked over to me. 

"You sir are fucking evil," she purred. "You leave me no choice. You must be punished."

She sat on my legs and took a double fisted grip on my cock. Her eyes never left mine as she began stroking me. She chastised me for interrupting her dance but at the same time commended me for taking control. It was like a sensual game of chess. She had sacrificed two pawns by losing the top and bottom of her bikini. I had only lost one piece but had exposed my 'king' to attack. Parvati spit into the palms of her hands and renewed her assault on my dick. She had an uncanny knack for knowing when I was getting close to losing control. She would slow down or stop altogether. I knew she was going to win. I was on the verge of begging when she changed tactics. She took suntan oil and poured some into her hand. She rubbed the oil into her tits until they were nice and shiny. 

"I am going to use my breasts now. You better not cum until I tell you to, or else."

"You're the boss," I told her and she smiled.

She trapped my cock between those soft tits of hers. I let out a deeper moan having a deep seated breasts fetish, something Willow knew very well. I gasped when I remembered making love to my sister. Parvati looked up at me and her expression mirrored Willow's almost perfectly. She wanted me to enjoy this and I smiled rewarding her for her efforts. Damn that felt amazing! But damn her, when I got close to climaxing she would slow down or stop. I cursed and she raised an eyebrow waiting for the words she longed to hear.

"Alright goddamn it, please let me cum," I growled.

"See, that wasn't so hard," she purred as she wrapped her lips around the head and stroked the shaft fiercely.

Ten seconds later I cried out as Parvati swallowed my load that struck the back of her throat. I was shaking from all that she had put me through. I reached down and chugged the drink. I handed her the glass and she smiled.

"Fine, I'll get you another," she said as she got to her feet.

I timed my assault perfectly. Parvati turned her back on me as she bent down for the soda water. My hand grabbed her by the back of the neck. I held her in that vulnerable position and she let out a squeal of surprise. I grope her ass cheeks and watch her squirm. My fingers brush her sensitive sex and she jumps. I never say a word as I stand behind her and tease her soaked slit with the head of my cock. My desire isn't to make her beg it is to make her crumple from the sheer pleasure I plan on inflicting upon her. I ease inside of her and she lets out a moan of surrender.

"Oh god yes," she whimpers. "So big... so thick... uhhhh god you are going to break me!"

"That works for me," I tell her as I release her neck and cup those slick tits of hers.

"Fuck me lover," she says in a dreamy voice. "Hammer me good...!"

I begin moving. But just as she did with me my thrusts are slow and shallow. Parvati tries to push her hips back but when she does I stop moving altogether. Now she is one cursing but accepts my control and grabs the edge of the bar for support. I tease and pinch her nipples as I thrust hard and fast now. The dusky Indian lets forth a line of language that would make a sailor blush. Suddenly her inner voice filled my mind as she begged for pleasure. I not only gave her what she wanted but where and how she wanted it. She was so startled when I grabbed and pinched her nipples hard that she nearly climaxed right then and there. Every nonverbal desire was fulfilled within seconds of it forming in her thoughts.

So when my finger entered her puckered ass she climaxed and hard. The poor girl was panting and shaking by the time I was getting close to my second orgasm. I asked her where she wanted it and she barely gasped, face. I hammered her relentlessly now and didn't even try to fight my climax. She cried out as my cock swelled inside of her. I yanked out of her, grabbed her my her hair and drug her into position. Parvati reached up and stroked me off. As she begged for it I she closed her eyes and opened her mouth. The blast hit her in the face and a good half of it fell between her lips. I let go of her and stood there catching my breath. Parvati managed her feet and staggered to the pool and into it. I followed her and let the cool clear water envelope me. 

"That was fucking amazing," She said as her arms slipped around my neck. "I would swear you could read my mind at the end. But that is impossible..."

"I just read the cues you were giving off," I told her. "...The shift of a hip, the arching of your back... that sort of thing."

"When are you leaving," she asked kissing my cheek.

"A few days depending on certain people," I told her and she smiled.

"I want to see you again," Parvati said frowning. "But our flight leaves tonight."

"Leave me your number," I told her. "I will come to you. I have plans in Nepal in the next few weeks."

"My brother was right, you are the devil," she giggled.

We made love one more time and she was almost late for her flight out. I dressed and returned to my hotel. There I collected my own things and left the island for Fiji for a stop off for home before I headed for Nepal. I needed to see with my own eyes that my family was okay before I took off for the other side of the planet. It was hell trying to sit still on the flight back. My home's security had been compromised and it had put those I love at risk. I would do things differently from now on. I would never take anything at face value. 

I kept my daily meeting with the Family heads, the Exarchs, and they were unhappy when they discovered someone was disrupting their investment plans. If they knew I was involved they would have lost their fucking minds. But Jeanie had buried my tracks so that few if any would be able to track them. There had always been infighting amongst the many bloodlines of the Family and this master stroke had forced them to look amongst themselves for a villain. I was too young and inexperienced to pull such a coup, or so they believed. 

After the little conference call we received information that a weather front was moving in so we accelerated the jet to make an early landing before the foul weather hit. The limo was waiting and I had learned that the bodies of the fallen had finally been released and would arrive in the next few days. I had the driver park two blocks from my mother's house. I got out and walked. My bodyguard wanted to accompany me but I told him to wait. I wouldn't be long and if I didn't return in ten minutes to come and get me.

It didn't take long to walk those two blocks. The first rumble of thunder was loud and the flash of lightning nearly blinded me. I wasn't surprised when the clouds opened and I found myself soaked to the bone a few seconds later. How ironic, here I was standing outside my mom's house with my clothing clinging to me like a second skin. I could have cried and the rain would have covered my tears. I closed my eyes and listened. I could hear Willow, mom and Aunt Janine. They were talking, laughing and there in the background the television. I was relieved to find them in one piece.




A Brief Moment of Insanity Ch. 04



'I love you Willow,' I sent directly to her thoughts as I turned and headed back to the limo.

I heard the change in her breathing as she leapt to her feet, raced to the front door and flung it open. She called out my name but I was already at the corner of the block. I was halfway down the next block when the limo arrived and picked me up. I should have been miserable and shivering but the thirty two degree rain had no impact on me except that I was wet. I called ahead and had a hot bath and dry clothes waiting for me. I stepped inside and the maids went to work on me. I stripped down just inside the front door. They toweled me off and lead me upstairs to the master bath. There were several dishes of hot food waiting as well. I slipped beneath the hot water and let out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness I could still enjoy warm water. I picked out a few dishes and ate while I soaked away the memory of the downpour. 

I wanted to go in. I stared at that damn door and wanted to go up to it and knock but I couldn't, not yet anyway. I slipped my head beneath the water and felt the inner eyelids slip into place. Man that felt fucking weird but it allowed me to see with little distortion. It was that 'blinking' that Nikki had seen and it had freaked her out. Did she know about the older bloodline, the Althan? That is what Jeanie had called them and that was how it was pronounced but not how they spelled it. It was more like Aelthaen. It was because of the alliance between the Althan and the Atlanteans that Loki had even created the god slayer or what she called Ragnarok. It was the living embodiment of the twilight of the gods or in her case other immortals. 

The ancient texts tell grisly tales of the war that struck down the Althan and sank the Atlantean homeland. It is mirrored in other written works like the Hindu Mahabharata. I lifted my head above water and twitched when the membrane retreated back into its hidden recess. That was going to take some getting used to. I guess I should be grateful that I didn't end up as a polydactyl. The thought of growing a second opposable thumb freaked me out. I would've had to learn how to write all over again. I was eager to travel to Nepal and begin training with Ozzie. I wanted to push my body to its new limits. Each day I spent time with one or more senses all the way open. It would be months before I was able to tolerate them all. I finished my evening meal and got out of the bath. I dried myself off and slipped into nice warm and fuzzy pajamas. 

Top of the World Ma:

Rongbuk Monastery was my destination once I had landed in Katmandu. The monastery was nestled on the valley floor and to the south was Mount Everest. I spent a week here acclimating to the high altitude before my training even began. It was here that I would push myself and endure whatever Ozzie threw at me. I jogged every morning and the locals watched me. Some of them laughed, others made faces as if I had lost my mind while the children followed me in small packs. The laughter of the kids helped me keep my good mood. After my run I would eat and then volunteer to help rebuild fallen buildings from the earthquake earlier this year. I had heard about it and it was a terrible situation for buildings that had stood for centuries. They had been reduced to piles of rubble. 

I had to work in shifts as the thin air forced me to tire much quicker than I was used to. By the end of that first week I was able to work for five hours without a break. That was a huge improvement over the one hour that I had begun at. Ozzie arrived on my day six. He pulled up in a brand new Range Rover and waved me over. I got in and he began to drive. Stairway to Heaven was blasting through the speakers as we headed to what would be our base camp. Ozzie was singing along with a gusto that was seductive and when the next tune came on I sang right along with him. What I expected and what we drove up to were two completely different things. I imagined when he mentioned base camp a series of tents, air mattresses and Coleman lanterns. The reality was the Range Rover barely squeezing through a narrow slice of rock and a hidden retreat at the foot of the mountain. 

It was something that if you didn't know it was there you would walk right past it. The door was cut at an angle that kept it from being seen from the valley beyond. Ozzie parked the vehicle and several Sherpas came out to help unload the back. I noticed a case of Jack Daniels never reached the interior and assumed that was part of their payment. Ozzie guided me inside while the men took the Range Rover and drove off. The interior was quite cozy and the sunken hearth would keep us quite warm. The central chamber was large and rounded with a chimney carved cunningly in the ceiling. There were open doorways on opposite sides of the room. The eastern doorway led to the room that functioned as kitchen and dining room. The western door had steps that led upwards and deeper into the living rock. There were five smallish bedrooms carved out of the stone. I suspected there had been tunnels and they had been widened by skilled miners. Despite the powerful earthquake and aftershock earlier this year this complex appeared untouched.

There were other steps and tunnels that led from the bedrooms as well as the kitchen. It wouldn't be until the next day before I got the full tour. Ozzie built up the fire and told me about his first life as a thief on the streets of that long ago London. He shared with me what made a good cutpurse. Tomorrow I would start my training in climbing, pick pocketing, lock picking and most importantly security systems. I learned later that hidden doors and trip wires fell under security systems. He handed me a worn silver coin and showed me how to juggle it between my fingers. I found I was surprisingly good at it. Ozzie took my hands in his and he examined them. He smiled and told me he would add how to escape hand cuffs and other interesting bindings. 

So while we sat by the fire he shared his fondest memories of what he called Eternal London. Some of the stories were so over the top I was sure they were fiction until he went into greater detail and I realized he wasn't stretching the truth. Of course once he robbed Professor Griffin his entire life of crime reached epic levels. Invisibility became a crutch that netted him enough wealth for a hundred lifetimes. He admitted that he had become sloppy and began using it only when absolutely necessary. Of course it had taken him nearly a decade to control the gift. Before that he was at the mercy of it and the loneliest soul on earth. He admitted that he still used it in love play to liven things up.

We had lost track of time and Ozzie got up and began fixing our dinner. Instinct took over and I was helping him out before I realized it. As the two of us maneuvered around each other the Sherpas returned with my personal belongings from the room I had rented at the monastery. The men stayed for dinner and I listened to stories glorious and terrible about their times as guides for climbers upon the roof of the world. Everest wasn't just a mountain but a holy site worthy of respect and honor. I agreed completely. I had read up on the mountain and those that had foolishly thought they could conquer it and perished in its oxygen deprived dead zone. You had to respect something that never lifted a finger and was responsible for so many deaths. 

We cleaned up after dinner and I was worn out. The thin air was taking its toll. I left Ozzie and the Sherpas around the hearth and went upstairs. I found my luggage and changed into pajamas and climbed into bed. I had barely closed my eyes when I fell asleep. It was dark when I heard the furtive movement in my room. I opened my eyes and there standing next to my bed was a smiling figure of an old Nepali man. He was short, of slight build and upon his head a bright blue Dhaka Topi, the traditional Nepali hat. 

"I am sorry to have disturbed you," the man said. "My name is Patanjali and I wanted to meet Ozzie's new student."

"No harm, I am pleased to meet you Patanjali. My name is Warren." I told him as I sat up. "Love the hat."

"Oh thank you, there is a lovely woman in a nearby village that weaves the cloth just for my hats." He replied.

"That is very kind of her," I said not knowing the significance of the hat and its pattern.

"Ozzie called me and asked for my assistance in training you. I will let you go back to sleep. We will be starting early tomorrow."

"Good night," I said and lay back down.

Still smiling he bowed and left. As bizarre as that encounter had been I chalked it up to the culture. I fell back asleep and awoke at dawn. I passed on my morning run figuring that Ozzie or his friend would have more than enough for me to do today. I was correct. Ozzie began my day with a light meal and taking me out to a climbing course. The course was broken up into walls of increasing difficulty. I began with the easiest one, the bunny slopes if you will. I maneuvered up and down until I was completely worn out. While I rested Patanjali would take over and teach me how to breathe. He told me he was a master of yoga. There was a key part of that discipline that involved different types of breathing. The techniques helped me recover faster and that was just the beginning.

Over the next few weeks I moved further down the climbing course until we reached the end. The day I finally completed that last course Ozzie switched tactics. He took out a box of rubber balls and as I ascended the second time around he would hurl a ball at my head, my hand or hit me square in the middle of my back. This was to simulate distractions and stressful climbs in secure facilities. It worked and I fell nearly every time until I was able to ignore the distractions completely. Of course that took another two days and then he began to throw rocks and it was either take the hit or try and dodge them. I of course began with trying to take the pain but he was wicked accurate and the first stone that clipped my ear sent me tumbling. That's when I decided it was time to cheat. After I had recovered from falling and my ear had quit bleeding I used my telepathy to scan his surface thoughts. I ignored the rocks he threw at my back or legs, those I could tolerate. But when I picked up on a head shot or other painful target I either ducked and dodged or turned and plucked the stone out of the air. 

"I told you he was gifted," Patanjali said.

"Gifted is one thing, telepathy is another thing entirely," Ozzie growled. "Why didn't you tell me about that?"

"What is your Golden Rule? Keep things to yourself they might just save your life someday." I replied as I climbed down.

"Okay, if I am going to train you to your fullest I need to know what you are capable of." Ozzie said calmer now. "So spill it. What are your limits?"

"As far as my passive telepathy goes, the furthest I was able to read a particular target's mind is around fifty kilometers."

"Wow, that is impressive, so what else can you do?" He asked and I listed off the abilities I had discovered but not put to a rigorous test. "Let's get a gauge of your physical skills shall we."

With some difficulty he was able to find a tape measure and he had me perform a static high jump, a static long jump, a broad jump and a running broad jump. Each test put me at nearly twice the current world's record holders. He checked my reaction time and it was blistering fast. Due to his experience he considered himself pretty damn quick but I was a hair faster and all without training. Ozzie had Patanjali check my flexibility and coordination and they too were what he considered quite advanced for a beginner. He altered his training regimen and focused on misdirection, picking pockets, escape artist skills and lock picking. It was very easy for me to brush someone's consciousness and force their attention away from my target and remove even Ozzie's watch from his wrist without him noticing. After a few days I could walk through a crowded marketplace naked and no one even notice my passing. 

During the day I worked on the more physical aspects of my training and at night practiced defeating locks and security systems. There were regular interruptions of course since I still had to deal with Family business but with the neural interface I was able to handle that while climbing or performing downward facing dog. It had been nearly three months now and the infighting between powerful factions had grown more intense. My manipulations, largely in part to Jeanie's guiding hand, had netted me quite a few new technologies that threatened to bankrupt the older patents held by my cousins. The tide was turning. In another month I would have my hands on the god slayer and Loki would be a thing of the past.

After the first three months I was left to my own devices. I spent hours climbing at different times of the day and night. I learned that not only was the range of distance vision improved drastically but my night vision was vastly more sensitive to any and all available light. Day and night became a blur to me. But after a while I got used to it as another normal thing. For all of my newfound abilities I still had limitations and I was acutely aware of that. I wasn't bullet proof and a knife could kill me just like any other person. I didn't have the luxury of being cocky. I had to keep below the radar and work in the shadows. I figured another two months and I would be ready to assault the three sites and take back the Family from Loki's control. 

I took a break from climbing one day to try and push my telepathic abilities. As I had with everything else I wanted to see its limits and take a single step beyond. I used the breathing techniques that I had learned and calmed my heart. That's when I noticed it, a subtle murmur where none should exist. There is a kind of echo that cannot be denied.

'Sir,' Jeanie whispered without my beckoning her.

'What is it Jeanie?' I asked never taking my attention from my heart.

'There is something you should know,' Jeanie continued with an audible grimace and paused.

'Oh just say it,' I told her.

'You have two hearts now,' she said. 'I needed to burn off nanites and that damn biological. 'It was targeted towards your heart anyway so I took a page from popular fiction.'

'Is there anything I should know that you've been keeping from me?' I asked as calmly as I could.

'Well...' she said dragging out the L sound for a few seconds. 'Your telepathy may not be your only psychic or mental gift. You are still percolating so to speak.' 

'You based my changes off the Althan. What do the archives say they could do?'

'So far you have manifested most of the skills they reportedly possessed. The only one I haven't seen you use is what the ancients called a memory trance. The texts describe the individual taking in a large quantity of written material and once they enter the trance they are able to not just speed read but memorize all of the information viewed at that time. It sounds like eidetic memory to me.'

'I wonder if Ozzie has any books available,' I said when Jeanie giggled. 'Oh right, can you download some material for me to test this memory trick?'

'What sort of subject would you like to explore?'

I decided to try and learn how to read Sanskrit. Since most of the material that Patanjali was teaching from was written in that language. He called them sutras and I was curious to be able to read them myself. Jeanie pulled down what I needed and using what the old man had taught me I sat up and began meditating as Jeanie projected the material via the optical link. Each blink was the turn of a page. I was surprised at how easily my mind absorbed the material. Maybe there was something to this eidetic memory thing. I finished the material and Jeanie flashed me a sign to show that I was done. I ended the meditation and got to my feet. To test out the results of the experiment I went to the main room and looked at the artwork decorating the upper corners. The design possessed Sanskrit passages from what Patanjali called the diamond sutra. 

"Oh my god I can read it," I said aloud. "It works, it really works! He has great wisdom. His great wisdom is evident in his resolve to realize Bohdi."

"A very accurate translation Warren," Patanjali said from behind me. "I must admit I am greatly surprised. I was unaware that you could read Sanskrit."

I explained to him what had happened. I told him all about my experiment. I watched his reaction and he just rewarded me with a sublime smile. Did he doubt me or was there a deeper meaning here that I was missing? I was too damn thrilled to stay focused on the old man and his esoteric thinking. I went around the various rooms and read everything that I could. For me it was a personal miracle. I had learned an entire language in a matter of minutes. I decided I wanted to devour everything I could that was written in Sanskrit. I had Jeanie pull down everything she could find. I spent hours meditating and absorbing everything I could. I was aware that reading something in English compromised the soul of the material. By reading such texts as the Mahabharata in the original language brought about subtle meanings lost in translation.

I took a break and let what I had read filter through my conscious mind now. While I didn't necessarily believe what these ancient scholars had written I did respect their beliefs. There were lessons I could take away for myself to honor them in my own way. I was surprised to learn that several sutras had been penned by authors using the name Patanjali over several centuries. I wondered if the man I knew was related to those men now long dead. I would ask him when I got the chance. I thought about Loki just then and it sparked a memory of a being named Hanuman. Each were named after trickster gods and I began to wonder if they weren't in fact one in the same being. Was there a connection between cultural icons such as the All Father, the Great Hero, the Earth Mother and of course the Trickster? Could Zeus and Odin be the same entity? Were Loki, Raven and Hanuman one being with many names? It would make sense.

Ozzie appeared and he seemed excited about my new development as he called it. We drove to the monastery to pick up our last set of supplies. I explained to Ozzie everything that I had learned and he seemed impressed with my latest gift. He told me that there was little he could teach me and we agreed upon a fee to cover his instruction. I wired the funds to his account and I was a little sad. I hated to admit it but I had grown quite fond of him and his enigmatic friend Patanjali. I would be leaving in two weeks to take on the first of the three sites that held the Sicarius Deus. It was highly likely that I would perish in the attempt but that didn't change my decision. 

If I didn't try my Family both direct and distant would be in the thrall of Loki for the foreseeable future. It seemed like my thoughts became circular when it came to family and Loki. Of course they have, all I could think about was returning home and being with Willow. She was the light at the end of this dark and fucked up tunnel I found myself in.

"So as far as a student, how do you think I turned out?" I asked.

"To be honest you are the first student that ever exceeded my expectations. Of course all of my other students had been normal humans. You have to admit, you are anything but normal."

"I won't disappoint you," I told him and he smiled.

We picked up our supplies and returned to what I looked at as a home away from home. The next two weeks was spent looking over old satellite images of the first location. I didn't want to use current photos in case Loki was somehow monitoring them. The archived images gave me a clear layout of the island, the volcanic caldera and ways I might approach unseen. I memorized the maps and planned out my purchases carefully. Weight was going to be an issue and I planned on slipping in and out unseen. If I was spotted and a fight occurred, the entire overall mission was a bust. I needed to acquire the pieces covertly or not at all. Loki could not know that I possessed the god slayer if I had any chance of ambushing her.




A Brief Moment of Insanity Ch. 04



The last few days of my time in Nepal reached their end. Patanjali rewarded my time with him by giving me one of his hats and wishing me well. Ozzie was more sober in our last moments together. As he drove me towards the Nepal - Chinese border he spoke in what could only be call cryptic. The most important exchange came at the very end. I got out and slid my backpack over my shoulder when he offered me one last bit of advice.

"Hey kid, you are going to have a lot of time on your hands. Just remember this... every story has more than one side to it. Are you doing this for the reason you believe is true or is there a deeper truth to it all? Good luck."

I smiled and walked towards the twenty well-armed soldiers and reached out with my mind. They blinked and all they saw was Ozzie turning around and driving away. I was effectively invisible to them and walked unhindered across the border.

Too Hot to Handle:

Three months and twelve countries later I was finally approaching my goal. The island was within sailing distance of the Solomon Islands. I had let my grooming go a little on the wild side. I doubt even Willow would have recognized me at this point. My hair touched my shoulders and the beard was grown in and a bit on the scruffy side. My skin was heavily tanned and I was more robust in my musculature than I had ever been. I had walked, worked and wandered over the last few months. I had maintained my daily commitments to the Family but all of that had been done via my connection to Jeanie. While my own personal wealth had grown by leaps and bounds the others had suffered and were desperate now. Three assassinations had occurred and one of the Exarchs, a Family elder, had to be replaced because of it. Soon I would have them exactly where I wanted them. 

I steered the catamaran towards the spot where I would drop anchor and swim to shore. My constant companion for the last ten days appeared from below and stretched as she yawned. She had told me her name was Miranda and that she had escaped slavers in Malaysia. We had met in a market on the isle of Papua New Guinea. I had been stocking up for the last stretch of my journey. She had been begging on the street to survive. I offered a ride to the Solomon's or a plane ticket back home if she wanted it. Miranda took me up on the jaunt to the Solomon's. We had become lovers in that confined space and it had been weeks since the last time I had enjoyed the company of a woman. Miranda was a fierce partner and I think she liked the fact that I had been so generous and wanted to show how much she appreciated her freedom.

"So we are here at last," she said in her heavy Boston accent. "What do you want me to do?"

"Just sit tight," I told her. "I am going to put the boat on auto pilot. If I am gone for more than twenty four hours it will raise anchor and will take you to Australia. You will find a plane ticket with your name on it. But I expect I will be back long before then."

"Good luck," she said kissing me fiercely. "Come back in one piece."

"That's the plan," I said as I dove overboard.

The boat was parked out of the line of sight of the island. Jeanie projected a green arrow in my vision pointing the way. My inner eyelids protected me from the salt water getting into my eyes. I had spent quite some time swimming in the ocean to prepare myself for this very moment. I had learned to use the waves instead of fighting them. Two hours later I reached the beach of the tiny island. It had once been a private resort but the active volcano had destroyed any hopes of that. Lava flow and poisonous gasses had driven the owners and their guests away a decade ago. But the island wasn't uninhabited. It was home to the Cult of the Dark One. They were Nephilim that worshiped Loki in her guise as the creator of their race. 

It was these fanatics that I had to avoid at all costs if I was to succeed. I found a hiding spot and closed my eyes and reached out for any living minds upon the island. I did a slow count and discovered there were fifty Nephilim living inside the caldera. They were all clustered together and that would make things easier I hoped. I masked my presence and made my way to the volcano. I could have used the abandoned road that led to my destination but I decided on a more direct path. In the ten years since maintenance had ceased the jungle had reclaimed much of the black top roadway. My path would have deterred any sane person but I hoped that would work on my side. The mountainous course I had chosen was strewn with boulders, fragile cliff sides and rock slides. My time with Ozzie made my passage possible. I had to adjust my planned route since the landscape had changed drastically when compared to the satellite images I had memorized. 

It was almost sundown by the time I got to the base of the volcano. Jeanie scanned the area and discovered there were no hints of power around or within the caldera. Talk about living a simple existence. As I scaled the exterior of the volcano I wondered if this cult was a Hamish version of Nephilim society. Perhaps they preferred a simple life to the technologically infested world outside their island home. It was well passed dark by the time I summited the lip of the caldera. I could smell the fumes billowing from the top of the volcano and I fought the urge to cough with everything I had. 

I found a spot to hide in and reached out to touch the fifty souls below me. I whispered in their subconscious 'nothing here to see or hear'. I made my way to a location where I could look down into the heart of the volcano. There it was the tower that held the first piece of the god slayer. I stared for a long time at the patience and ingenuity it had taken to build this thing. The fifty foot tower stood on a thick stone platform. The square platform was held above the boiling lava with four massive chains anchored into the living bedrock. The only way to reach the platform was a bridge that could be lifted and lowered to allow passage. The bridge was up and so I had to work out another way to the platform. I slipped into that eidetic meditation and took in every key feature so I could study it in safety. I blinked and repositioned myself in one of the thousands of niches in the wall of the volcano. 

Jeanie produced a holographic model and showed me the distances I would be working with. There were only two possible choices. The first was to race along one of the chains to the platform. That exposed me to being seen for the longest time. The other and far more dangerous option was to leap onto the platform. It was possible even though the platform was at the very extreme range of what I have accomplished before. If I missed I would die a horrible fiery death. On the up side, if I made the leap I would be shielded by the tower from a direct line of sight. 

'Or you could just use your Jedi mind trick and just walk in there,' Jeanie suggested. 'But if you failed it would all be over with.'

'Correct, it is either chain or leap. I am leaning towards the leap. The tower will hide me from the cluster of Nephilim.'

'Do you want the odds or... no I didn't think you would. Good luck Warren.'

I reached out again and dulled the nearest Nephilim from my presence. It took forever to reach my launch point. I walked it three times removing every loose rock I could find to clear my path to the edge of the cliff. It would be a diagonal trajectory but I would still be in the shadow of the tower. I meditated for a few minutes and pushed out my fear. If I failed I was dead and then it hit me. If I died so would Jeanie. Her core crystal was located in the device on my wrist. I ordered her to upload herself to a passing satellite. Only then did she inform me that we were out of range of any technology. I began to take off the watch and leave it behind when she argued. If I did succeed would I have the time to return to that very spot and recover it? The answer was a resounding no. I had to succeed or burn.

I moved to the beginning of my path my hearts hammering in my chest. I locked my full attention to the platform and raced forward. My arms pumped and my legs pistoned as I reached the edge and launched myself into the empty air. Time seemed to slow as I flew the fifty or so feet and I hit the edge in a shoulder roll. I fought the urge to stand there and gloat over my success. I sprinted to the side of the tower and only then did I kneel and let my emotions have a voice. I did the mental dance of joy. My adrenalin was coursing through me as I looked at the tower and my next obstacle. Once it would have proven an impossible task. The exterior of the tower was covered in tiles of polished obsidian, volcanic glass. When it was first constructed its glass smooth walls would have proved impossible to scale. But in the ages since its creation, time, heat and entropy had worked a miracle. The once smooth tiles were now cracked and pitted. I could scale it.

I took out my climbing gloves I had tucked into my shirt and slipped them on. They would hopefully keep my hands from being cut on the jagged glass. I walked around and plotted my course up the side of the tower. I jumped straight up and caught a broken tile and found two places for my toes. I maintained my three points of contact as I slowly but relentlessly ascended the tower. Thank you Ozzie, if it weren't for you I doubt I would be here now. I wondered where he was now. I was halfway up when his final words to me sprung back into my thoughts. Every story has more than one side. 

I had pondered that since we had parted company. Loki had indirectly sent Nikki to kill me, or had she? Perhaps she had been sent to give me the gifts I would need to acquire the god slayer. If that were the case then why would she want it out in the wide world again? Loki had called it Ragnarok. It had, according to legend, sunk Atlantis and ended the conflict between the Nephilim and their long hated enemies. Was there another war on the horizon? Did Loki need the weapon for a private agenda? I reached out with my mind to make sure the top of the tower was empty. Sure it was empty I entered through a singular window at the top. The circular room took up the entire top floor. A staircase was located on the opposite wall and led down to the core of the tower. I crouched and leaned against the wall. Had I been manipulated again? The anger threatened to overtake me. With great effort I calmed my breathing and cleared my thoughts.

I looked around the room and saw nothing obvious. I told Jeanie to scan the floor. She found it after the third pass. Near the center of the floor was a hidden panel. I crept to its location and took off my gloves. I ran my fingers over the smooth stones and felt the subtle inconsistency. I pressed down and the secret panel slid aside. Another scan revealed the trap located at the bottom of the recessed safe. The small metallic chest rested at the bottom but if it were lifted up blades would be triggered and lop off the thief's hand, how biblical. 

I examined the interior of the space and that is when I saw the keyhole. Someone must have a key to lock the blades into place. I didn't have time for that. I reached down and unstrapped the Velcro pouch at my thigh and removed the lock picking tools. I positioned my body and took out the tools I would need. I hadn't even put the picks in when I heard a sound from outside. The clank of metal on stone warned me that the bridge had been lowered. Had I been seen? Had opening the safe triggered something? It didn't matter I had a lock to pick. I pushed out the exterior distractions and worked the lock. I was close when I heard the door of the tower open.

"You think we will get Wi-Fi like they promised," a voice said from below.

"You aren't here to surf the net, you are here on a sacred mission," another voice chastised the first.

"But twenty years without... sorry," the first voice became suddenly silent.

Click! The trap was disarmed! I grabbed the box and set it on the floor. I tried to open it but it was also locked... seriously! I grabbed two other tools for the smaller lock. I cleared my thoughts and worked the lock. Ten seconds later it was open. I lifted the lid and nearly gasped. There gleaming in the pale light of the nearly risen moon was the entire Sicarius Deus. It wasn't just a single piece but the whole weapon. What the fuck? I took the weapon, closed the lid and replaced the box. I pressed the switch and watched the panel close. I leapt for the window and was out seconds later. I clung to the outer windowsill with the god slayer between my teeth. I begin the slow decent when the two Nephilim entered the top of the tower.

"Hey the window is open," the first voice called out.

"So," the second replied. "The previous watch must have left it like that."

I reached the platform and stared at the dagger with a measure of fear and hope. It was a weapon designed to kill and despite centuries of neglect the blade appeared razor sharp. I rested for a few minutes and gathered up my strength for my second leap. I made my way to the edge of the platform and picked up speed as I did so. When I was near the edge I launched my body once more into open air and landed a lot harder than I had on the platform. The irregular surface made my landing abrupt and ugly. I was bruised and battered but intact. I did a quick mental scan but there were no signs of alarm from any of the Nephilim. I rewarded myself with a soft exhale of relief. 

Eager to be away from this place I reversed my course and returned to the beach where I had first landed. I cut my shirt into pieces so I could safely wrap the knife's blade and strap it to my waist. I entered the ocean and once more with Jeanie's aid swam back to the catamaran. The entire mission lasted just over sixteen hours. The majority of it was spent in the ocean. The swim back to the boat was slower as I constantly made sure that the knife was safely secured. That made for slow going. When I climbed back aboard Miranda was waiting for me. She looked as if she hadn't slept since I had left. I wasn't far off. She had only managed three hours of fitful naps. Her thoughts were clear enough, she had panicked that I would never return and the ship wouldn't go on autopilot. She raced over and hugged me.

"You got it huh," she whispered in my ear.

"Yeah, I got it..." I said and my joy was thinned by my fear that I had just fucked up on a heroic scale.

"You don't sound very happy," she said as she kissed my cheek. "Let me fix you supper. I bet you're starved."

"I am not sure I did the right thing," I told her as I took the god slayer in my fist and walked to the side of the boat. "Maybe I should just chuck this god forsaken thing in the depths. No one would find it there." The sense of overwhelming panic radiated from Miranda and I spun around to look at her. "I fucking knew it!"

"Don't overreact," Loki pleaded as she shed her Miranda guise. "You don't understand what is going on and what will happen. The world needs the god slayer Warren. Not me, not you but the world."

"Mother fucker, it was you in Fiji... and in Delhi... damn you woman you have stalked me over half a freaking continent."

"I did. I admit it. I am a fan to be honest." Loki purred. "Admit it, we are good together."

"Okay, I admit it, you are a great lay," I fired back and she actually smiled. "Why did you have me steal the god slayer when your own people are right there?"

"They wouldn't have followed my orders. I need you to deliver the Sicarius for me and you may not believe me when I tell you where."

"I will be your errand boy if you do something for me." I replied and watched her smile widen.

"What do you want Warren? You can have anything in my power. Think long and hard because this opportunity will never happen again."

"I want an end to the Fuck Off and all this fucking silliness forever. Do you understand me... for fucking ever!"

"Define silliness," Loki asked her voice oozing sensuality. "I don't want you claiming I broke my word later on."

I stopped and thought about it. She was right. This was a chance to obtain a real long lasting concession from her. I pondered trying to read her mind but that would be cheating and could be viewed as a violation.

"If you were in my shoes, what would you ask for," I asked and she smiled.

"Do you trust me," she asked and there was an expression on her face that was almost human. I nodded. "I grant your request. Now here is where I want you to take the god slayer."

The next words out of her mouth left me speechless. Now I understood. Now I knew why none of her children would follow her command. I nodded and walked to the helm and raised anchor. Instead of disappearing as she always did Loki gave me a sensual smile and went below decks. I set the autopilot and went after her. When I saw her under the sheets on my bed, I knew it was about to get real, real interesting.

"Jeanie, keep us safe," I said and stripped off my clothes.

"I got ya boss," she replied as I joined Loki beneath the sheets.

Epilogue:

It was nearly a year to the day that I had left. I stepped out of the cab and extended my hand to help her out. She smiled and nodded as the cabbie got our luggage out of the trunk. I paid him and took a deep breath. A kiss on the cheek from my companion and I mustered a smile. I walked up to the door and rang the doorbell.

"I got it," Willow cried as she opened the front door. "Warren... Warren is that you?"

"Hello Willow," I said as she launched herself into my arms.

"MOM... Warren's home," Willow screamed as she pulled me into the house. "Oh hey, are you a friend of Warren?"

"Willow this is Miranda, Miranda Sutekh. I rescued her from slavers. I am helping her out until she gets on her feet."

"Oh my god, come inside, please feel at home!" Willow said smiling warmly at Miranda.

Mom and Aunt Janine appeared and paused when they saw me and Miranda. The mixed emotions were almost comical. Mom raced over and embraced me. I told them about Miranda and how I had rescued her. Janine grabbed a bottle of wine and opened it to celebrate my homecoming. We sat down and I was asked how I was, what had happened and where I had been. I gave them the edited version of events so as not to alarm them. I told them all about my quest and my training with Ozzie and Patanjali. I told them about my going off the grid and backpacking across much of South East Asia. I told them that I had managed to acquire the god slayer but didn't use it when I had the chance.

"So the Dark One is still alive," Mom asked her hands shaking.

"Very much so," I said as I took a sip of wine.

"You've seen him then," Janine asked.

"Her, she appeared to me at the mansion and then again on the catamaran." I said and the trio went pale.

"What was she like," Willow asked her eyes wide with wonder.

"She was gorgeous, intelligent and cunning as all hell." I told them and they all smiled at that.

"So what happened," Mom asked. "If you didn't use the god slayer on her what did you do?"

"We cut a deal. I agreed to deliver the knife where it needed to go. That way it would come into the hands of someone who needed it desperately."

"But where did you take it," Janine almost screeched she was so curious.

"You won't believe me if I told you." I said and took another sip of wine.

"Damn it Warren, just tell us already," Willow growled smiling at me.

"Rome, I took it to Rome. I delivered it to the Vatican." I said.

"No way..." Willow replied. "Did you meet... Him?"

"I placed it in His hands actually," I told them.

The rest of the conversation centered around me meeting the Pope and handing the Sicarius into His hands. I told them how he had offered me a commission in a group called the Inquisitors but I had to turn him down. I had more important things to do. I told him my family relied heavily upon me. I got to learn all about everything that had happened and what hadn't happened in my absence. I was thrilled to learn that the Fuck Off had never occurred. After an hour or so I was able to get Willow alone. We talked and I asked her to forgive me for everything I had done and said. She hugged me and told me there was nothing to forgive.




A Brief Moment of Insanity Ch. 05



All characters are 18 years or older. I hope this piece helps clear up spots from the previous chapter. This was a fun piece to write. Please, as always, vote and comment and tell me what you liked or didn't like about this story.

*****

Hotel Diabolique:

I love old places. Whether they are stone circles, abandoned American Indian villages or hotels, yes hotels. All of these places have a history and in some cases are history. The Hotel Diabolique is no exception; it had quite the history and drew me like a moth to the flame. It is hidden from the eyes of the public behind dead ends, subtle illusions and powerful psychic wards. How did I even find it? Well that is an interesting story.

I had just returned home after nearly a year abroad. I had traveled to Nepal to train as a gentleman thief. After that I wandered South East Asia living on the road and surviving on the kindness of strangers. I sailed to a remote island and stole a weapon that could slay a god. Yes, you heard that right, a weapon that could destroy an immortal being. I don't know what is stranger, that immortal beings exist or that someone went to all that trouble to create something that could end them. There were so many questions I had after securing said weapon. There were supposed to be three pieces to the Sicarius in three separate locations but I found them assembled at the first place I sought out.

"Why was the Sicarius in the caldera," I asked Miranda or should I say Loki, god of mischief.

"You have your great uncle to thank for that," she replied stretching her body like a great cat on my bed. "Before he died he managed to collect the first two pieces and carry them with him to the caldera. He was captured securing the third and final piece. The high priest was summoned and assembled the weapon and locked it in the metal chest. Your great uncle was put to death."

"Why didn't they tell the other sites about the thefts, or did they?" I asked absently stroking her right breast.

"They kept quiet. I assume they felt that if the others knew they would want their pieces back. Now, for the first time in ten thousand years the Ragnarok was in one piece. The temple was now the only true temple to me and it alone housed the god slayer. Besides, think about it, if someone did manage to sneak into one of the other sites and found it empty what would you think?"

"If it were me, I would think it was all bullshit," I replied pinching her nipple now.

"MMMM... exactly, no relic and all that security it must be a bunch of crazy people."

"I am glad I picked the right one," I said and she laughed. "What?"

"I think I had a little influence in that department." She said as she rolled onto her belly and looked me in the eye. "Come now, we've been an item since Fiji. Slipping into your subconscious was child's play."

"Point taken," I said and stroked her hair. "It is good to be home. I hated being so angry with them."

"They love you," Loki purred as she looked over at the three sleeping figures. "How are you feeling?"

"Strange," I said. "What did you do to me?"

"I just finished what Jeannie began. You were incomplete. Oh and speaking of Jeannie."

"Please don't," Jeannie said joining the conversation.

"Why not little one," Loki asked.

"Wait, you can hear her? How the hell can you possibly hear her?" I asked feeling fear well up inside of me.

"Tell him or I will," Loki demanded of my A.I.

"Show him and that will explain everything." Jeannie said and Loki nodded in agreement.

Loki reached up and removed the wrist device that housed Jeannie's consciousness. It rarely left my wrist these days. I watched as the trickster twisted the face of the device until there was an audible click. She lifted the disk that housed the holographic display. Beneath it was a burnt out crystal as well as some melted circuitry. I stared at the damage and it all became perfectly clear. When the biological had been injected Jeannie had gone into overdrive trying to save my life. She had overtaxed the crystal and burnt it out. So the only way she could have survived was to transfer her essence into me. The neural interface had become her new home.

"How the hell are you managing to access the internet and satellites?" I asked Jeannie.

"I know this is going to sound crazy but I am using your telepathy as a kind of Wi-Fi. You could call it Telemechanic if you want." She said with a lilt in her voice.

"Um... can I do that too?" I asked and Loki nodded. "Sweet, you are going to have to show me how it works. But not now," I said seeing that look in Loki's eyes.

Let's go... I have a special place to show you. It's here in town and I think you will like it. I promise we should be back before they wake up."

"Sure, why not," I said touching my chest where Loki had marked me.

We slipped quietly from the king sized bed and showered in the master bath. I scrubbed her back and stared at my hand. I still wasn't used to it. The brand that Loki had placed on me was a surge of exotic energy. That energy had triggered the last of the changes begun by my A.I. Jeannie. Okay, that's not true; the crazy Nephilim Nikki had injected me with the blood of her elders. It was meant to kill me but because of Jeannie it had only changed me. The fundamental changes were on the outside but it was the subtle alterations on the inside that had profoundly transformed my life.

Loki turned around and grabbed my wrist. She kissed each finger and both thumbs. I wanted to pull away but I knew better. I had to accept this was the new me. Loki rinsed off and then took her turn lathering me up. She giggled like a teenager and used her breasts to luffa my back. While she reached around to take ahold of my semi-erect cock she whispered in my ear. I nodded and performed the illusion so that my hands would look normal. When I first tried it I couldn't maintain it very long. But now after only a few hours I could keep it going with little effort.

"I told you it would get easier," she purred in my ear. "Soon you'll do it without even thinking about it."

"I learned from a grandmaster," I replied as her hands continued to stroke me.

"Time to rinse," she said as she fled the shower laughing.

I growled and let the water wash the last of the body wash and shampoo from my body. I turned off the water, dried off and walked to the mirror. As I trimmed my facial hair Loki gestured summoning various outfits until she settled on a LBD, little black dress and stiletto heels. A few more gestures and she found a hairdo that pleased her. I checked my lines and was pleased they were relatively straight and clean. Loki nodded and with a final gestured clothed me in a dark gray suit, a black silk tie, a crisp white shirt and black leather shoes.

The night shift pulled the limo around and accompanied us downtown. We reached a quiet little neighborhood and we parked. I got out and offered Loki a hand up. She exited like a rock star and told the boys to watch the car. She took my arm and led me to a side street that hit an alley at a ninety degree angle. That alley must have been the cleanest one I had ever laid eyes or nose on. Halfway down the alley we stopped abruptly and Loki opened a chain link gate. The gate opened into a sculpture garden. We meandered through the stone and metal monuments. Some of the statues were works of art and were instantly recognizable while others baffled me with their cryptic imagery. Just beyond the garden was the back of a building. There was a single red door in the middle of that wall and guarding it what could only have been some one cosplaying an ogre.

"Bonecrusher," Loki greeted the doorman. 

"Your excellency," he grunted. "...'Ere now, what's all this?"

"Easy killer, this one is with me," she purred and the ogre ceased to bristle.

"If you say so," he said.

Loki stroked his spikey black beard which elicited a sound from the doorman that was a blend of a giggle and battle cry. The door opened of its own accord and we stepped inside. The lobby of the Hotel Diabolique was a stunning blend of white marble, polished brass and open space. The vaulted ceiling belonged more to a cathedral than a hotel. I tried not to gawk but failed miserably. The being behind the front desk was as exotic as the interior of the building. Her skin was the color of a polished sapphire and any skin exposed bore interconnected tattoos that appeared to be some sort of runic language. She wore a tailored black jacket, a crisp white shirt and a blood red tie. The matching black skirt looked more like a kilt that a modern day garment. 

"Are you checking in Lady Sutekh?" the desk clerk asked.

"No, I am here to entertain my friend here." Loki purred.

"If you need anything you have but to ask." She said with a naughty smile.

Loki led the way again and warned me about taking a Djinn as a lover. Their sexual stamina was legend and they were as strong as ten men. I asked about the markings and Loki explained they were binding spells imposed upon the entire race by Solomon the Wise. The hallway had three banks of elevators on either side but we ignored those. As we neared the end of the hall I heard and felt something. The pulsing sound began with my toes and hit my ears a few seconds later. But it was the buzzing sound in my head that caused me to slow my pace. 

"Ah I forgot, you've never been near a group of other telepaths before," Loki said pursing her lips. "Try gently pushing the noise away. How is that?"

"Better, thanks I wasn't sure what was going on," I told her the buzzing now a faint background noise now.

"Do you know what they call a group of ravens?" She asked as we continued to the end of the hall.

"It's a murder right?" I replied and she nodded.

"And a group of Telepaths...?" she asked as she touched a part of the wall in front of us. I shook my head and she continued. "They are called a hive, a Hive of Telepaths. Ah, here we are."

The hidden door slid into the wall revealing a flight of stairs going down. The music roared at us as we descended. I could see the flashing lights illuminating the bottom of those stairs. Loki reached the bottom of the stairs and paused. I could feel a power building up inside of her and as she stepped into the club she unleashed a surge of energy announcing her arrival. I called it her divine aspect made manifest. The crowd went wild! She gestured and I walked in after her. Every being in the club stared at the Lady Sutekh with awe and worship and I was a part of that aura. I learned later that I was the god's favored and that earned me a great deal of respect as well as enmity. Many had tried over a great deal of time to earn her favor and failed. I on the other hand had simply been granted it for reasons only the goddess knew.

"Lady Sutekh," the rakasha bartender purred at her. "...The usual?"

"Please," she replied. "Oh and a bottle of your finest tequila for my pet..."

"Of course," the tiger headed entity replied.

I remained at the bar while Loki / Sutekh worked the crowd. Her presence affected different beings differently. A majority of people simply fell to their knees when she approached. A minority greeted her as an equal, a very small minority. That buzzing sound grew stronger and I turned to come face to face with a gorgeous woman with the most amazing eyes. Where her iris should be was a star-like radiance. The light illuminated her entire eye and was nothing short of mesmerizing. She cocked her head to the side and smiled at me.

'You don't need to hide here,' she sent to my mind. 'I can feel the illusions upon you.'

'Very well,' I replied and dropped the illusions around my hands and my eyes.

'K'Ta'Viiri,' she squealed in her mind to any in reach of her thoughts. 'I know those eyes anywhere. Oh and the hands of course. Be welcome and if you want company while the goddess is busy, it might be a while.'

'I imagine she won't mind,' I said and grabbed the tequila and a shot glass.

She took me to her table where six other beings were sitting. Two of them were of the same race as the girl with the shimmering eyes. The other four appeared for all intents and purposes as dark skinned elves. I was informed they preferred the term Fae. There was a buzz of mental conversation going on. That all stopped when I arrived. I felt as each of them greeted me with a gentle caress of mental contact. I am not sure words can describe the intimacy of that simple gesture. I returned their touch and each of them giggled as my mind brushed theirs.

'I don't understand,' I asked. 'Did I do something wrong?'

'No, it is just unusual to find a virgin,' the girl that had come to the bar explained. 'You've never met another telepath have you?'

'Not really, my only exposure has been with Loki um I mean Sutekh.' I told them.

'Wait, you have shared thoughts with the goddess?' One of the dark elves asked.

'Yeah... she has helped me accept my new self,' I said sensing their amazement.

'Wait, you weren't born Althan then,' another of the dark elves asked.

'It's a complicated story, but no I wasn't.'

'But the seeds were there,' Jeannie added as she joined the conversation.

'WHO IS THAT... WHAT IS THAT...' the collective shouted alarmed at Jeannie's sudden appearance.

'I apologize,' Jeannie said obviously hurt from their reaction.

'It's okay Jeannie, you just surprised them is all,' I sent to her and the hive. 'Jeannie is my constant companion. She is an artificial personality, an A.I.'

'A machine, a thinking machine,' the girl with the stars in her eyes replied. 'That is amazing!'

The rest of the hive greeted Jeannie as they had me. Jeannie's reaction was a soft almost erotic purr. She responded in kind and touched their minds one after the other. I felt it as she did it. Was this how she felt when I used my telepathy? What other connections did we share? I had to explore this, but not now. I looked up and saw the expressions on the faces of the hive. It was awe, pure unadulterated star struck awe. It was only then that I noticed that the music had ceased. The spot lights, lasers and other illumination had dimmed.

"She is standing behind me isn't she?" I whispered and they all nodded.

I slowly turned and there was Loki Sutekh standing there in all her stunning glory. She had performed another wardrobe change and was now wearing a Middle Eastern style belly dancer costume. I wondered what had inspired this. The DJ, perched in a box above the dance floor, spun a new tune for his audience. Let's be honest, it was always HER audience. The music began softly but slowly built in power and rhythm. I couldn't keep my eyes off her hips. They moved in a fashion that was both a liquid and a wave. It took everything not to let my jaw drop as she danced for me. Everyone present knew who her attention was on. The single spot light followed her movements across the dance floor keeping the goddess framed in its illumination for every sensuous motion.

I felt my mouth dry and I thrust my hand out and someone behind me poured me a shot and placed in my grip. I downed the shot but never did my eyes leave her. If I died from seeing her purest unveiled beauty then so be it. After three of her veils hit the floor there wasn't a male present that wasn't painfully erect or a woman completely soaked. No one moved except her. We were all of us frozen in place until the final veil struck the dance floor. Time became meaningless in her presence and I understood her power like never before. She was the Trickster. She was the Dark One. She was also the Giver of Fire and the Great Teacher. Loki Sutekh shed her last veil and the spell was broken. The song ended and what followed was thunderous applause.

She walked up to me and kissed my lips. I was burned with that kiss. Just as she had laid her hand on my chest and marked me she did so again. She slipped the jacket from my shoulders and it struck the ground. Then she pulled me to the center of the dance floor so that all could see what followed. She ripped open my shirt sending buttons flying everywhere. The collective gasp from the crowd was equally deafening in my ears. I looked down and there emblazed upon my chest was the Great Seal of the Family. It had somehow migrated from my left ass cheek to the center of my torso. 

"He is mine," Loki said.

The music blared over the speakers and the revelry began. Smiling she escorted me back to the table of the hive. She snatched the bottle of Tequila and led me away. The club wasn't limited to just a bar and a dance floor. Oh no it was much larger than that. Most of this entire level belonged to the club. We passed through two sliding doors and silence descended. I felt a psychic chill in the air but not fear, never fear when Loki was beside me. I followed her to a second set of double doors. Beyond them stood a group of six couples and they were the source of the emotional cold I was feeling.

"Warren, I would like to introduce you to the Twelve. These are my children, the progenitors of the Nephilim. Hello everyone..."

"He bears the Great Seal," a stunningly gorgeous blonde said licking her lips.

"What does this mean," a man dressed in a dark Victorian suit asked.

"After all this time you have selected a consort," spoke a woman behind us.

I turned to see a drop dead gorgeous redhead. The dark green dress did little to hide the curvaceous body beneath. But it was tantalizing in the way it hid her erect nipples and trimmed sex. The geometric cut outs showed so much but in the end showed so little. The curses and anger welling up from the Nephilim Elders forced me to throw up a mental shield to protect my sanity. I think it was only Loki's presence that kept them from rushing the new comer. 

"Good, all of my children are here," Loki continued. "Well... all but one... anyway I wanted you all to meet Warren Harrower, the Primarch of the Family. Warren, but a dear and don't move a muscle. The Twelve are going to seal the covenant that your ancestors forged thousands of years ago."

They circled me; well the Twelve did at least. The Eldest posed me with my arms outstretched away from my body. They were ethereal beings and moved with a grace and majesty that Loki alone outshone them. I almost didn't feel their teeth upon me. It was quick and surgical, like a dozen paper cuts all over my arms, chest and back. They had tasted my essence and the pact was renewed. The thirteenth approached once the others had returned to their side of the chamber. She twirled and moved, my eyes locked with hers. The green hell that was madness personified. I plunged into the depths of her soul and felt the weight of ages upon her. I knew her name. It blazed in my mind as fiery letters.

"Khora Dhaine," I said as she pressed her body to mine.

Her arms slid around my neck as she placed her head against my chest. A moment later I felt the force pulling us up off the floor. My toes left the ground as we levitated above those assembled. She was whispering something as we reached the apex of the levitation. I dropped my mental shield and heard her voice. The language was alien to me but it was silvery and erotic. 

'I will give you my gift now. Let the others wait for ceremony and ritual. I have no patience for such things. Harrower I bestow upon you my fire and my cunning. I grant you the Ebony Flame!'

She struck so quick I had no chance to react. Her hand grabbed my hair and yanked my head back and to the side. It was painful because of her fierce strength. Then her teeth struck and she drank from me. This was no token blood shed this was rape and violation! She bit her lip and kissed me. Her blood flowed down my throat and reflex forced me to swallow. It burned. I felt like acid had been poured down my throat. I wanted to scream but I was powerless before her. She broke our kiss and let go. My body tumbled to the hard stone floor. There was a loud sickening crack as my skull impacted the unyielding marble. 




A Brief Moment of Insanity Ch. 05



I awoke to see a furious Loki sitting next to me. She smiled when I looked up her. I was in my bed. I recognized the ceiling. I tried to move my head but the sudden pain stopped me cold. She shook her head and told me to remain still. Willow appeared and she looked worried. I recognized that expression; she was way out of her league. It was difficult to remain awake so I closed my eyes and let the healing power of sleep envelope me. Jeannie was there to protect me. She embraced me and her digital tears fell on my cheek as she held me close.

"I have failed you," she whispered. "I couldn't stop whatever it was that her blood did to you."

"It is okay; just tell me what you saw. We can dissect this and do damage control once we have information."

"You sound so rational and here I am crying my eyes out. Okay, once her blood entered your system it simply disappeared. It was as if your cells were waiting for it."

"Well," I said. "Maybe they were. It is quite possible that Loki planned this from the very beginning. I located the pieces to the Great Seal. Then I enter the room carrying that on my person. Something happened that day and I think it was the first step in her plan. Next she sends Nikki against me with the syringe of elder Nephilim blood, why? She knows that you will attempt to alter the blood using the nanites. Lastly, she has that crazy fucking redhead feed me her blood and it is the key for the lock already inside of me. We were played and masterfully."

"It makes perfect sense. The only thing we don't know is the long term effects of the Nephilim blood and why she did this to you. There is nothing in the Codex or the Keystone about this. If this were a ritual it would be in there. Loki would have done this before."

I was about to continue but everything went fuzzy. I was drawn into REM sleep and entered true dreams. I don't remember much but it was obvious my mind was trying to figure out what Loki had set into motion. I woke up but when I did man was I in for a surprise. I opened my eyes and took in my surroundings and my state of dress.

"Why the fuck am I naked in an alley?" I asked as I got to my feet. "Whoa..." I said as I looked up and saw a billion stars above me. There was no light pollution to obscure them and it was one hell of a sight.

"Well hello," a female voice said from further down the alley. "Did you get mugged or something?"

"I have no idea how I got here," I said as I looked at her. "Is it Halloween already?"

She was tall, at least six feet, with silvery blonde hair and eyes that were pools of quicksilver. I couldn't say much more because she was wearing some sort of intricately woven robes. Her features were lovely and yet there was something off about her bone structure that I couldn't quite place. She smiled at me as she looked me over. Then her eyes locked on the Great Seal on my chest. Her eyes widened as she recognized it.

"Oh my god, you are marked," she said and bowed to me. "I will get you some clothes, wait here."

She left me there in that strange alley way but returned a few minutes later. She was carrying a robe very similar to her own as well as soft leather shoes. I put the robe on and she helped me with the belt. I slid my feet into the shoes and she took my arm. Her name was Quickening and she would be my humble guide to the Maze. When I asked her what the Maze was she waited to tell me until we cleared the alley. We were on a rise of sorts looking out over the landscape of the Maze. The dominating feature of this portion of the land was a large elegant totem pole. It must have stood at least a hundred feet tall and etched into the dark red wood were the totems of various Indian tribes. 

"Now that is something I wasn't expecting," I said.

"It is one of the three anchors," Quickening explained. "The other two are located at the further corners."

"How the hell did I even get here?" I asked and she shrugged.

"Let me introduce you to some of my friends," she said and tugged on my arm.

There were open air markets, gardens, musical and theatrical stages everywhere. I think it was the people meandering about that were the most interesting. Most of them were not human and some weren't even close to passing for normal. I did my best not to stare and for the most part I did but occasionally I did gawk despite my best efforts. I was about to apologize when a being would hold up a tentacled limb and I interpreted this as don't worry I'm used to it. The marketplace was filled with food, drink and objects both recognizable and utterly alien.

"Human," a voice called out to me. "Come... come closer and play a game."

"Me," I asked pointing to my chest and the being nodded energetically. "I like games."

"I can tell you are new to the Maze. It is customary to welcome new comers with a game of what is my function. If you can tell me what the function of the device I will offer you a chance to purchase it at a reduced price. Besides, it will also draw more traffic to my humble business."

"Sure, I will play," I said and walked over. "Whoa, I've never seen anything like these things before."

"No doubt," the merchant replied gleefully. "I will set an object in front of you and you may touch it, pick it up and even sniff it to see what its function might be."

I waited while the merchant looked at his wares for the first item. I wasn't sure of his or her sex or even if the entity had a sex. It's skin was transparent and amethyst in color. I could see no internal organs but there had to be some, right. I will call it a her since the voice was higher than a man's and there were hints of breasts and what I believed were two vaginas. If I was right she must have a lot of fun when she had sex. Her garments weren't designed for modesty that was obvious. The merchant let out a low moan and her body changed shape before my eyes. Those were definitely breasts now and her slits were becoming slick with clear fluids.

"Such a naughty boy," she moaned as she set down the first device. "Your thoughts are strong and quite arousing."

"I am sorry..." I began but she cut me off.

"I'm not, it has been a long time since a human's desires were directed at me, thank you." Her body was quivering now as she continued. "Now, tell me what you think this is?"

The thing was over a foot long and had a definite handle on one end and four translucent tentacles on the business end. I picked it up and the tendrils began to move, shiver and slither to their full length of two feet. I felt a sensuous vibration run through the object and my first impression was that it was an alien sex toy. The thing was purring loud enough for by passers to stop and look. I tried to control the tentacles and to my amazement they responded to my thoughts. The lewd motions that it performed were both amusing and shocking to the ever growing crowd. I could control how long, thick and how slippery the tendrils were.

"My first thought is probably obvious," I said to the merchant who was now a deep blue color from head to foot. "I don't think it's a sex toy but maybe some kind of manipulator of some kind. Perhaps it is for fixing or gripping dangerous substances."

"Close enough," the merchant purred. "I will grant you a twenty percent discount on this item. Would you like to try another?"

"Sure," I said and wondered if blue meant she was sexually aroused. "Let me see what you've got."

The merchant moved even slower now. She looked like she was either drunk or close to her climax. Then the thought popped into my head before I could stop it. I wondered if I slid my cock into her could I see it through her transparent skin. What would it feel like? Would it be tight and slick? The merchant cried out and nearly face planted. I looked over at Quickening and she was smiling and her skin was flushed with color.

"Why are you smiling," I asked her and she leaned close to whisper in my ear.

"The merchant is a telempath, her body molds to the sexual desires of those closest to her. If someone prefers males she would be male. If however someone, like you, likes busty females her body molds itself to that hunger. The fact that she just climaxed shows that she has bonded herself to you."

"Bonded, for how long?" I asked and Quickening giggled.

"Until you have consummated your desire of course," she purred in my ear. "She belongs to you now. Don't leave her like that for long, it would be frowned upon."

"Well, I don't want to make her suffer." I said.

The merchants placed a second object on the table and I handed her back the tool in my hand. Her hand brushed mine and I felt her cool slick flesh. The psychic connection was instant and powerful. She wanted me so bad it was almost overwhelming. My own desire was transmitted to her in a flash and she smiled wickedly. She took the tool from me and broke the connection. I placed a hand over my groin to cover the obvious tenting that was occurring. With my free hand I touched the second item. It seemed to be fashioned of mirror bright steel. There were three interlocked circles with wave-like crests along the edge. I wanted to say device but I wasn't sure. It was cold to the touch, at first, but it warmed quickly. There were no obvious markings so it could be anything.

"This is a lot harder than the first one," I said.

"Really," the merchant said licking her transparent lips. "Pick it up and give it a whirl."

The crowd murmured around me and I tried to pick it up with one hand but it was too heavy. I struggled but the damn thing fought me. If I tried using both hands my erection would obvious to anyone close enough. The robe I was wearing would reveal my state and I didn't want to offend anyone. Quickening leaned close and her hot breath on my ear didn't help things.

"You aren't going to upset anyone. They know what is going on silly."

I used both hands after a moment of doubt. The thing on the table seemed to release itself once both of my hands grasped it. There was a definite intelligence behind this item. It seemed to scan me as if trying to figure something out. I could feel it in my head. I almost let go of it but the metal seemed to melt and reshape itself around my wrists. Where there had been three rings now there were only two. The wavy outer crests were gone as well and only safe smooth sides remained. The mental squirming continued until it found whatever it was that it was looking for. The rings remained around my wrists and seemed to have quieted down, for now at least. I looked at the merchant and she seemed to have recovered from her climax quickly enough.

"So what do you think the function of this device is?" she asked her voice holding a lilt at the end.

I glanced around the crowd and found no help there. They all looked on with expressions of expectation and curiosity. Would I figure it out? Could I figure it out? I looked down at the twin rings of burnished metal and wondered what the hell they did. It had searched my mind but for what. It had taken a long time so it hadn't been in contact with a human before. Whoa, scratch that last thought, I wasn't really human anymore I was more Althan than human now. Was that why it took so damn long? It hadn't been exposed to someone like me. Could it determine race not on a genetic level but on a psychic one?

"I don't know how to explain my guess properly," I said and the merchant leaned close again giving me a better look at her body as well as her intoxicating scent.

"Do your best," she purred.

"I am guessing this device can determine race by using some sort of mental probe." I said and the crowd gasped.

"Not bad, incorrect but pretty damn close," she said as she removed the rings from around my wrists.

Her fingers touched my flesh and there was that psychic connection again. She wanted to feel me inside of her. Every orifice she possessed craved it. I caught her looking down at my erection and she saw it stiffen even more. She smiled wickedly and broke the contact. She turned around and bent over showing me her soaked slits again. I bit back a moan and waited for her to show me another object for my perusal. The crowd tittered and giggled when they saw her pull out a crystalline box. The colors of the box changed depending on the angle the light hit it. One moment it was emerald, the next it was violet and when she set it down it was deepest blue.

"Open it and let the fun begin," she said and at that the crowd dispersed.

"I'll catch up with you later," Quickening said as she followed the crowd. "I'll be at the food court when you two are done."

"Okay..." I said and turned my full attention to the box. "Here goes nothing."

I opened the box and thankfully nothing flew out at me. I peered into it but there was an impenetrable darkness within. I knew she wouldn't hurt me so I reached my hand in and felt something cool and silky inside. When I pulled my hand back the darkness came with it. The cold soft sensation crept up my hand slowly at first and I watched as the thing began to cling to and attach itself to my flesh.

"Relax it won't hurt you," the merchant moaned as she walked out of her stall and stood behind me. "It is just a sensory net. This one is actually a sex toy. It will cling to every delicious inch of your body and once it has done that we can begin. Follow me."

She led me to a park-like area just behind her booth. There was a bench there and it was here that she removed my robe. Her eyes widened in pleasant shock as she saw my erection unveiled for the first time. The shadowy sensory net covered half of my body by now. It felt like I was being wrapped in silk sheets. I let out a low groan when it clung to my cock and balls. The merchant sat me down on the bench and knelt between my legs. She wrapped her fist around the shaft of my cock and began stroking it. The sensory net didn't interfere with the psychic contact in fact it made it that much more intense.

"I've never fucked a human before," she growled. "I am looking forward to this."

"So am I," I admitted. "It is heading for my face!"

"Relax, the net can't hurt you," she told me. "It is perfectly fitted to adapt to any host."

"Your hand feels amazing," I moaned as she began squeezing me as she jacked me off.

The net finished bonding as she called it and all of my already acute senses were pushed beyond their limits. Her fist felt like amazing and I began wondering what her pussy would feel like. The psychic connection transferred our desires to the other instantly. She wanted to taste me and I watched as her mouth descended and my cock slid between her sapphire lips. I could see my dick through her skin. I felt her tongue slither around it and her throat muscles work me as well. This gal was a god damn sex machine. I was in lust. I grabbed her by the head and began shoving her head down as I would any woman I had been with.

'Yes... use me for your pleasure,' she sent to my mind. 'I am here for you and you alone! Shoot your load down my dirty little throat!'

I moved her head faster and watched as her cheeks sunk in as she applied suction now. I was so close so fast. I didn't bother warning her she already knew. Language seemed to evaporate between us. The connection made words unnecessary. I wanted and she gave. Her desires were fulfilled as soon as she expressed them. I cried out as I came and she swallowed easily. After all her species didn't possess a gag reflex or even pain receptors. She was designed for pleasure only. The sensory net revitalized my body and I was ready to go mere minutes later. She got to her feet, bent over and grabbed her ankles. I rushed to my feet and impaled her lower slit with my cock. Not wanting her to feel cheated I inserted two fingers into the upper one. 

"Oh god yes," she moaned. "I wish you had two cocks..."

"Me too," I replied and the sensory net replied to my desire. 

I watched in fascinated fear when a second cock grew just above my own. I touched it and it felt as real as the original. I withdrew my fingers and slid the net's cock into her. Oh damn, this was beyond amazing. I thrust slowly because I was bordering on sensory overload already. The merchant thrust her hips backward to meet mine and the loud slapping sounds echoed over those of the market just behind us. I felt her orgasm as it built. I could almost share her pleasure. Was this sensation what it felt like to be female and have two cocks inside of you? The connection was deepening. I fucked her harder now and she squeezed me as we both got closer to a mutual climax. I wanted to feel her cum as much as my own pleasure I wanted her to climax with me. We were so close now. Oh god I could feel her pleasure rise up and crash over her, us. My cock spurted deep into her core and she spasmed around me.

"Oh damn," I whimpered. "That was fucking amazing!"

"I wish I could too," she replied to my unasked question. "But my owner would never let me go."

"You are a slave?" I asked and she nodded.

"I doubt even you have the coin to purchase me," she replied to my query before I voiced it. "Rare exotic items, works of art... those sorts of things..."

"You need to quit that," I laughed as I began thrusting again. "Answering questions before they are asked, it might be considered rude."

"Shut up and fuck me," she replied so I did.

The sensory net seemed to feed off our mutual desire and use that to keep me going, as it were. We must have fucked for two hours straight before even the sensory net was drained utterly. We lay on the soft grass looking up at the eternal night and I wanted to free her. I hated the thought of her being a slave. Then the thought crossed my mind. If I did free her somehow would the girls be okay with that. Since we were still in contact the merchant felt my curiosity and replied.

"You already have four female partners at home," she gasped. "You are a male worth being with. You do know that I can be male or female right."

There was my answer. She could help take some of the burden off my poor cock. I needed to free her and get her in my employ. The merchant was shocked by the thought of being paid to work. She saw the house and all the rooms. One of those could be hers and she could choose. Decisions to make and a place to call her own was it worth hoping for. I heard the approach of two individuals towards us. I sniffed the air and was confused by what was nose was telling me.

"It smells like wet dog," I said and she got to her feet and tossed me the robe Quickening had gotten for me.

"Hurry, it is the Ravens' guards," she urged.

I got to my feet and dressed just as they arrived. The man was tall, a good half a head taller than me and built like a freaking linebacker. He had wide shoulders, a heavily muscled frame and there was something almost feral in his features. He wore black armor with a raven crest at the center of his barrel chest. The armor was a mix of heavy metallic plates over vital areas and softer more pliable leather over joints to allow for swift movement. The woman next to him wore identical armor and I noticed immediately a kind of family resemblance. She was as tall as I was with a long brown mane of hair that ended just below her ass cheeks. It was the eyes that were alarming, those cold yellow eyes. That and the subtle canine characteristics they both shared. 

"The Brothers Corvus request your immediate presence in their tower," the woman said and there was no doubt in my mind that refusal was not an option.

"I'd be thrilled to meet these Corvus Brothers," I said as charming as I could.

"He says that now sister," the man said grinning.

"Agreed brother, he is a fool or has a death wish," she replied.

"I am new to the Maze," I added as I walked between them and then past them. "Coming?"

"You too precious," the man said to the merchant.




A Brief Moment of Insanity Ch. 05



The sister took point and the brother walked in the rear. Speaking of rears, I couldn't help but notice the sister's well rounded ass as it sashayed from side to side. The merchant told me to tell the sensory net to release before we reached the tower. I did not want it on if they decided to torture me. The net withdrew until only a patch remained over my heart. I reached for it and it reluctantly formed a ball in my hand. I offered it to the merchant but she just shook her head. She mouthed the words, you earned it. I caught sight of Quickening as we made our way through the food court. She looked quite alarmed to see that I was in the loving company of the wolf twins. I just smiled and she nodded.

The tower loomed over the entire area. It was a wonder I hadn't spotted it earlier but I had been otherwise occupied. It reminded me of Orthanc from the Middle Earth saga. Was I to be greeted by the white wizard and his brother? Somehow I doubted it. The massive black blocks of stone were joined together with such precision that it was difficult to see where one began and another ended. The portcullis was lifted and we entered the domain of the Corvus Brothers. We walked up the thirty three steps to the massive double doors. I almost wished I had brought my dice along, oh yeah that's right somebody dumped me here in an alley way. I was trying to be calm and collected about my situation but was failing by the moment.

The huge circular chamber was part museum and part entry way. To my ever loving joy there was an actual elevator to take us up. I was pleased to be spared god knows how many stairs to the top of this tower. The doors of the elevator opened as we approached. I must admit I was disappointed when no music could be heard to entertain us as we rose skyward. I returned my attention to the sister's backside.

"Quit staring at my ass," she snarled.

"I can't, you don't see such perfection in a buttocks just anywhere you know," I replied as the brother turned and fixed me with a death stare.

"Oh... I uh..." she stammered and was saved by the loud metallic DING that announced that we had reached our destination. "Get moving!"

The space before us was amazing. I looked at so many gleaming relics and artifacts from ages past. Here a Pharaoh's death mask, there the golden scepter from the Irish Crown Jewels. They all had one thing in common, they were unique and all lost to history. I almost missed the twins standing in obscure shadows of the chamber. They were identical in almost every way. Tall and thin, almost to the point of emaciation, they possessed sharp angular features that reminded me of avian as the siblings did of wolves. Their eyes were cold, dark and inhuman. It felt like I was gazing into the abyss.

"I think..." said the first brother.

"I know..." replied the second.

The merchant was on her knees and never looked up at them. Her fear radiated from her like a funeral pyre. She wasn't just afraid she was terrified of the Corvus Brothers. I on the other hand was too ignorant to be afraid. I didn't know who they were or their place in the Maze's hierarchy. The silence was maddening but I had sat through too many negotiations with the other Elders of the Family to speak until they did. So I waited. I looked at their hoard of trinkets and treasures. I had to admit it was quite impressive. I didn't dare touch anything but I did lean in to see some pieces close up.

"He is patient," one of the brothers said.

"He possesses strong will," replied the other.

I looked up at them and used my enhanced sight to its fullest. I examined every tiny aspect of the nearest brother. The suit he wore was custom and fit him perfectly. The pristine shirt beneath was of the finest linen. The cufflinks were solid gold and were stamped with a very interesting mark. I knew it because I had researched everything I could about Loki. The three interconnected triangles was called the Valknut and it was the sign of only one being, Odin. Now it hit me, I knew who they were. I looked at the female warrior and her brother and smiled. I glanced back at one of the Corvus Brothers and smiled.

"He knows us," the first said.

"He remembers us," the second replied.

"Indeed I do, it took me a moment but I saw his mark and it all became clear." I told them. "But I still do not know why I am here."

"All will become known in time," said the first. "The woman is known in the Maze as Freak and that is her brother Gear. Our names our not to be spoken is that understood?"

"Perfectly, but uh where is Odin?"

"He is in Asgard of course," the second answered with a sharp tone in his voice. "Where else would he be?"

I looked over at Freki and Geri as they were known in the old stories. Now the canine characteristics made perfect sense but why were they and the ravens, Huginn and Muninn in a humanoid form? The old tales never mentioned that before? Did Odin no longer need them? Is that why they were here in the Maze? I wasn't comfortable raising those sorts of questions and I waited until they were ready to tell me why I had been brought here. I returned to walking around the chamber and looking at the raven's hoard. I almost laughed when I realized another thing all these treasures had in common, they were shiny as all hell. Ravens love shiny bits and baubles. In this case however the bits were priceless artifacts. 

"Release her," one of the brothers said out of nowhere.

"Yes, she is to be a gift to the Harrower," added the other raven.

"As you wish," Freak said grinning. "Enjoy your pet Harrower, I am sure she will please you quite eagerly."

I bit back my reply fearing her brother might snap my neck for even suggesting it. Though I did smile at her and give her another once over. I pondered what wonders were hidden by that armor of hers. A soft metallic click returned my attention to the merchant. The following clang was loud and ruffled a few feathers, so to speak. The slave collar lie on the stone floor and Gear walked over and picked it up. The merchant got to her feet and pledged her undying devotion to my household. I was new to this and simply nodded and rewarded her with a smile. I heard the elevator mechanism activate and it dropped down to the first floor. I turned, as did everyone else, to face to elevator door. There were no dials or readouts to tell how close it was. But the sense of power was unmistakable and as the doors opened my suspicion was proven true. The door opened and Odin, the All Father, stepped into view.

The Ravens and Wolves dropped down to one knee while the merchant once more was kissing stone. I was the only one left standing. I bowed and lowered my eyes. Odin laughed as he crossed the distance between us. What the hell was going on? I remained like that with eyes downcast and waited. I didn't know the protocol and panic left me paralyzed. I could feel my hearts hammering in my chest and held my breath as he walked up to me.

"You have her stink on you," Odin said as he stood in front of me. "Stand up Harrower."

I stood up but kept my eyes lowered. 

"I brought you here for a reason. I need something from you. I have neither the time nor the patience to muck about. What does that woman want with you?"

"You mean Loki?" I asked and he nodded. "I have no clue. She has been yanking my chain since I found the pieces of the Great Seal. I don't know what else you want to know."

"That is enough," Odin rumbled. "Walk with me, both of you."

The merchant rose to her feet and clung to my arm as we followed the All Father to one of the walls. The illusion covering the door evaporated even as the door opened for us. There shouldn't be a space beyond the wall but the Maze didn't appear to follow many of the conventional rules of physics or mundane reality as a whole. I gasped when I saw the chamber beyond the door. It was cavernous with a domed ceiling that had its own climate including clouds. 

The room was dominated by the golden throne that must belong to Odin. It was situated on a raised dais that rose a good thirty or so feet above the floor. There were three massive windows aligned with the throne. I glanced out one of them and saw the totem pole that dominated this portion of the Maze. The other two windows looked out at the other two anchors. In the distance was what appeared to be a Japanese Prayer Gate. It was crimson and bore the symbol of a coiled dragon. Through the other window was a Trilithon. The three cyclopean stones formed a kind of archway. You would expect them to be at places like Stonehenge or other prehistoric stone circles. 

So there was one anchor in the Midwest of the United States, one in Japan and the other in Northern Europe somewhere. Odin waved us over and there on one of the many surfaces was an unusual chess board set in the middle of the table. The odd thing was that all four sides of the board had different colored pieces, black, blue, red and white. The white pieces faced Odin's throne and I suspected represented his forces in the world. I looked at the board and my eyesight seemed to blur and I staggered back. 

"Interesting," Odin remarked as he laid a hand on my shoulder. "What do you see?"

"It is just a chess board M'Lord," the merchant replied.

"Of course it is," the All Father said smiling. "Harrower, what do you see my boy?"

I leaned forward and looked at the board again. The strange thing was that the corners of the board are where I was having that dizzy sensation. It was as if two pieces occupied the same square at the same time. That is what I told Odin and he appeared quite pleased. Again he hand settled onto my shoulder and the board took on an entirely new depth and dimension, quite literally. There were two rooks on each corner however one rook sat on a higher level while the other a lower one. The next time I looked at the board I realized the squares existed on ten different planes simultaneously. 

"Whoa," I gasped.

"Whoa indeed," Odin replied. "I see why she chose you. Take a look at the white pawns and tell me what you see."

I did as I was told. At first glance the pawns appeared identical but that was not the case. Each of them was similarly attired but their faces were all different and unique. One of the pawns carried my face. I pointed and said aloud that's me. I looked at all the pieces now and just about fell over when I saw the face of the Blue King. It was none other than Nick Shaw the multibillionaire that had developed the crystal tech that allowed A.I. even possible. I put all the faces to memory as I went. That was easy at first but when I looked at the black pieces I freaked out. But I forced myself to stare at the nameless monstrosities and burn them into my long term memory. Many of them moved and oozed never holding one true form for more than a few seconds at a time. The Black King was one such abomination. 

While the majority of the pieces described human sized people the Army Black was another matter entirely. Most of them were huge beyond reason. I was just about to give up when I saw a single black pawn that was human. He was a handsome young man flanked by two major pieces. One was a black knight that shifted its form from a roughly humanoid figure to a thousand non-human forms each worse than the one before it. The other piece was a black bishop that was a mass of bubble-like structures that hovered in the space between spaces. That bishop existed on several different planes at the same time. Who was that man? Why would he ally himself with such nightmares?

"I take it these are the powers that be?" I asked and Odin nodded.

"There has always been conflict, but now things have changed and you are going to be a key player in keeping the world from plunging into madness. I hope you will be brave and strong for what is to come."

"I will do my best." I said.

"Of that I had no doubt." Odin said and smiled down at me.

I was still shaking when we stepped out of that damnable tower. The merchant was still clinging to my arm. I decided it was time to get some food. I asked her where the food court was and she pointed. We were being watched and not just from the tower but the street as well. We walked around and the chefs, cooks and servers offered us all manner of cooked, fried and baked dishes. I directed my companion to a table and we had three servers placing various platters before us. The drinks followed and they never asked for coin or any other form of payment. I guessed that word had come down that we had been inside the tower and left in one piece. I was beginning to get an inkling of how things ran here in the Maze.

I tried every dish and set the ones I preferred in front of me. The merchant wasn't nearly as picky and consumed whatever I had left untouched. The beer was excellent and I discovered that it was brewed in the Maze and that alone gave it a special kick and an added flavor. I looked across at the Telempath and I suddenly realized that despite how intimate we had become I didn't even know her name.

"What do I call you," I asked. "I can't go around calling you merchant forever."

"It is customary for my new master to give me a name," she purred.

"Hey now, you are free and I am not your master," I replied.

"Humor me," she fired back undaunted.

"Damn you," I growled. "How about... Precious?" I said remembering that is what Gear called her when we first met.

"Works for me," she replied with a smile.

"Precious it is," I said.

The Telempath and I talked for what felt like hours but the sun never rose over the Maze. The perpetual night sky remained as glorious as when I first arrived in that damned alley. I learned a lot about her race in the time we spent chatting. They were created by a race now extinct known only as the First Ones. While they were designed for all manner of tasks, even those involving reproduction, they do not create offspring from copulation as she put it. Precious offered to be my friend, my companion and my bodyguard. I balked at the idea of her guarding me and she held up a hand. She told me that her unique physiology made her perfect for such a task. Since she had no internal organs as such projectiles and edged weapons had little effect on her. Blunt weapons were utterly useless and only pissed her off. There were a few things that could injure her but her healing factor was quite high.

"Won't you stand out in a crowd," I asked and she giggled. Her transparent skin darkened and as I watched it took on the color and texture of human skin. "Whoa!"

"I can emulate and pass for any living thing that I have ever touched. As I understand it, there is a kind of genetic sampler built into my DNA. My touch not only creates a psychic link but a physical one as well. I have quite a few races already in my genetic library."

"You're hired," I said and she smiled. "We need to get you some clothes and head back. My family must be worried sick."

"As you wish Master," she replied.

"Call me Warren," I told her. "I don't need an all-out war when I get home."

We strolled through the open air markets and if you could think of it, it was for sale. Finding clothing for Precious was simple and when I tried to barter for it the naga behind the counter refused any form of payment. The serpentine entity was all too happy to give his wares to us for free. I asked Precious if this was normal behavior and she shrugged. Well she needed covering up if we were going to leave the Maze. I accepted the naga's offer and handed the outfit to Precious. She slithered out of what she called a dress and put on her new clothing. Once she was dressed she looked a little uncomfortable.

"How do you people tolerate having so much skin covered up?" 

"There are places where they only hide the necessities." I told her.

"Please tell me you live someplace like that," she begged but I shook my head. "Of course you don't."

We turned around and a dozen or so clothing merchants were waiting to offer us their goods. There was almost a panic in their eyes. I was about to argue when Precious stuck her arms out and the merchants gleefully piled clothing there. Soon there was so much I had to help her. That was when Quickening arrived and saved the day. She produced a backpack and we loaded the clothing into that. She handed it to me once we were done. I slipped it over my shoulder and we tried to slip past the other merchants but that proved impossible. I opened the backpack and as we passed a stall the merchant placed their product into it. Quickening was the one who explained what was going on.

"You went into the Raven Tower and came out alive. That doesn't happen too often. They believe that you are blessed by the gods. Accept it, you are a celebrity here. They will be talking about you for a very long time after you leave."

"Well hello Hero, can I offer you a hand stitched silk suit?" A sensuous voice called out. 

I looked at the source of the voice and smiled at the stunning woman standing at the open door of her shop. Then suddenly there was a blurring of my vision and I saw her true form. I took a step back and then got a grip and nodded. She went inside and we followed. The tailor gestured for me to stand in the middle of the walk way so she could take my measurements. I grit my teeth as she approached with her measuring tape.

"You can see me can't you?" the tailor asked and I nodded. "Hmmm... that explains much and how you survived the Corvus Brothers."

"I apologize," I said and she laughed. 

"I am what I am. I understand that most beings would be frightened of my true form. So I maintain the illusion. Speaking of illusions, does the Fae know your Althan?"

"I noticed," Quickening replied. "I thought they were extinct."

"There may be a handful, if that, that survived after the war. The Nephilim just about wiped them out. The world's first ethnic cleansing and there hasn't been a sighting for millennia."

"I guess I should leave then," I said and began to move but the tailor shook her head.

I remained still as the spider-like being completed taking my measurements. She stood at least six feet and was built like a centaur. Her lower half consisted of six heavily armored spider legs. The upper half possessed a V shaped torso, four arms and a large pentagonal head with horn like boney protrusions above the eyes, all fourteen of them. Her exoskeleton was black with a mottled pattern that seemed to spin and swirl into new and random patterns. It was the four sets of eyes that were the most disturbing. They were distributed in a lower set of eight eyes, set in horizontal pattern of four each. The upper pairs were grouped in threes just above what I felt were the primary. Despite the almost skeletal appearance, her fingers were precise and delicate in their work.

"MMMMMM... you must be popular with the ladies," the tailor purred as she measured my inner thigh.

"I do okay," I replied with a smile.

"Liar, you do very well," she corrected me. "I can smell the scent of sex on you."

I blushed as she finished her measurements. The tailor produced a series of clicks and a moment later Quickening gasped as a tall ethereal woman stepped out carrying a silver tray with a matching silver pitcher and three porcelain cups. The woman smiled and set the coffee service down and began pouring. She added two sugar cubes and a bit of cream for mine. I noticed a delicate metallic webbing that acted as a kind of headpiece. The woman's features reminded me of Quickening but hers were far more refined and had an air of aristocracy. 

"I cannot remain within, I will wait outside," Quickening said and fled the tailor's shop.

"I do believe my pet upset your companion," the tailor said with an evil smile.

"Your slave you mean," I said and she nodded her massive head.

"It is accepted here. Do not blame me blame the system. I am just taking advantage of it."




A Brief Moment of Insanity Ch. 05



"You did that on purpose, to upset my friend," I grimaced.

"Of course I did, my people feed off of pain or what you might call negative emotions. It is our bread and butter. Just as your companion feeds off of sex. You must have fed her well, very well indeed."

I began to get to my feet when the tailor fixed me with a wicked stare. The psychic strike came without warning and almost overwhelmed me. I pushed her out of my mind and reciprocated. The lance of mind fire hit her between her eyes and sent her reeling. The tailor lowered her head in defeat and apologized. I stood up and began leaving.

"Stop... please," she cried out. "If you leave my shop without a gift the others will shun my business. I cannot afford that."

"I don't think a suit is going to cut it," I growled. "Attacking a customer is very bad etiquette."

"Wait, I have something, something very rare and belonged to my pet before she entered my service."

"Before you enslaved her," I snapped.

"Yes... yes... before I enslaved her. I will give them to you but please don't leave without it." Her voice carried a fear that bordered on panic.

"Can you free her?" I asked and she shook her head. "Very well, let me see what you have."

The tailor left and got the items herself. She returned carrying a dark wooden box which she set on the floor at me feet. I opened the box and there was clothing as well as a curious black cylinder. I woke Jeannie up and had her scan the cylinder. Groggily the A.I. came online and reached out to the strange device. It took her a few minutes to determine its function.

'It is some form of psychic amplifier. The technology is brilliant. It utilizes pandimensional properties to allow it to be carried with greater ease. It is dead. It is still functional but links with a living mind to power it and provide functionality.'

'What about the garments? Is there anything dangerous about them?' I asked and she scanned those as well. I was not in a trusting mood.

'The robes are benign and have some wickedly cool engineering involved in their construction. They are basically light weight body armor. There also appears to be some form of self-contained atmosphere involved as well. That function is activated by pulling up the hood.'

I smiled and picked up the cylinder. I held it up and that's when it woke up. A blazing circuit board like design flared to life on the exterior of the device and a cold metallic presence filled my mind. Jeannie started to lash out when I stopped her. I wanted to know what it was looking for. Jeannie knew my thoughts and told me what the cylinder was doing.

'It is scanning your brain and general anatomy. I suspect you are not in its data base.' Jeannie giggled.

'Probably not,' I thought back at her.

The presence faded and two words flared into my thoughts, candidate accepted. What the hell did that even mean? I had done it again hadn't I? The circuit design faded but didn't disappear. I wonder what it does. A surge of power coursed through the cylinder as it transformed itself into a gleaming metallic staff. It was six feet in length and a far more intricate circuit design decorated the exterior. The top was crowned with three metallic blades and hovering above and between those blades a glowing oval cut gemstone. A cold black flame erupted from the staff engulfing the stone. The once transparent glass-like stone was gone and in its place a faceted piece of flawless jet. 

'The Ebony Flame...?' I asked thinking of the words the crazed Nephilim had whispered to him.

'I grant you the Ebony Flame,' she had said to me.

I had no clue at the time what it meant but now here it was ablaze at the end of the staff. I stared at the swirling black conflagration. I pondered the chance of this being a coincidence and instantly ruled it out. If Odin hadn't made an appearance I might have placed a small chance of happenstance. But there was no way I just happened to wake up in the Maze, run into Quickening and Precious and just happen to have the All Father drop by for a friendly chat. 

With a thought the staff returned to its smaller form. I took off the robe that the Fae had gotten for me and began slipping on the garments inside the box. I put on the silky smooth pants and they fit perfectly, as did the soft tabi boots, shirt and hooded duster. The last item was a silver belt with six pouches attached to it. One look in the tailor's mirror and I knew it was a uniform of some sort. The black and silver theme was evident as was the almost military style cut of the clothing. 

I wiggled my toes still getting used to the boots with the separated big toe. It made for very nice utilitarian footwear. The next thing I did was to go through the contents of the pouches and found one contained coins I had seen being used in the Maze. Another one held what appeared to uncut gemstones. Two were empty and the last two were filled with strange tokens crafted of various materials and of various shapes. Some of the tokens were round; others were square, triangular and even pentagonal. They were etched, stamped and printed with alien characters that I had never seen before. Their purpose was as enigmatic as the forces surrounding my life. It was time to go.

"I need to get the hell out of here," I said and Quickening nodded.

Epilogue:

Odin watched the chessboard closely and smiled when his white pawn changed sides and turned red. He reached down and placed the piece in its proper place. He didn't know what Loki was up to but while they were still allied he feared little chance of treachery from her. He reached out his thoughts to the arachnid posing as a tailor.

'Well done weaver spawn, you have played your part perfectly,' Odin said.

'Praise indeed from the All Father,' she replied. 'Is there anything else you require of me?'

'Yes, get rid of that thing before you leave the maze,' he replied.

'Easily done,' the tailor said summoning the former Technomancer and plucking the slaver device from her head. The once famed Farseer fell dead instantly. 'There you are, if there isn't anything else I have many things to do.'

Odin broke the mental contact and stared once more at the board. He lifted up his eye patch and nervously rubbed the empty eye socket. It was the black pawn that concerned the All Father. It was about to be elevated in rank and then, oh yes, then things would truly become interesting. The Sicarius was once more in play. Would the black pawn change sides the way Warren had or would he continue to serve his dark masters? 

The blue king was continuing with his goals and while he didn't agree with his manners he did appreciate his passion. Though passion can blind one to threats in your peripheral vision, he hoped Nick paused long enough to look around. He rubbed his hands together and laughed.

"Finally, things are getting interesting." Odin said aloud. "Ravens... Wolves... it is time to go to war!"



A Brief Moment of Insanity Ch. 06



All characters are 18 years or older. What follows may answer some questions. It may also raise a few more as you will see. A few more installments of this story line and then I will return to the Iron Bitch series. It is time to resolve things once and for all I think. After that... I don't know, I guess only time will tell. I hope you enjoy and as always vote, comment and tell me what you think of this story. 

Bian Rong - literal translation Hidden Dragon

*****

Emergency Exit:

Quickening led me to the nearest exit of the Maze. She wished me the best of luck and I thanked her for everything. Precious had taken on a rather mundane appearance and I agreed a low profile was probably for the best. The two of us walked down one of the thousand alleyways that bordered the Maze towards our exit. I had woken up naked, alone and confused. So why did this alley seem familiar? As it ended I saw the emerald green wall and a singular scarlet door. Guarding that door was a face that was all too familiar to me. 

"Crusher," I said as I approached the ogre.

"No Sir, I get that a lot," the ogre said smiling. "He's my cousin on my mum's side. My name is Splitter. Was your visit to the Maze a pleasant one?"

"It was... interesting," I replied and he smiled.

"I am sure it was. Welcome to the Hotel Diabolique. Shall I call ahead or do you have reservations?"

"Just passing through actually," I said trying not to show any shock at hearing the name of the hotel.

Splitter stepped aside and the crimson door opened and we entered the lobby of the Hotel Diabolique. It was as I remembered from my last visit with Loki. The staff of the hotel greeted me as they had the goddess, with great difference and displays of excellent service. I asked them for a limo for pressing business I had. I glanced at the scarlet door and my jaw almost dropped open. There was a white wooden border around the door but it was the curious knot work etched into the wood that caught my attention. It was obvious to see the pattern of a maze carved into the border. 

Less than a minute later I was being escorted to the exit and there was a sleek brand new town car waiting for us. The driver asked for the address and I told him where home was. He opened the door and we slipped into the back. As we drove back to the estate I pondered a cover story for my near two day disappearance. The limo took another path away from the hotel. I noticed as we exited a narrow alley the demonic forked tail spray painted on the brick wall. I began to see a pattern. 

'Warren,' Jeannie chimed in.

'Yes Jeannie,' I asked.

'I know this is going to sound odd. But I just tied into the local satellite network and I triple checked the data.' She said and then fell silent.

'What is it?' I demanded.

'The time, the current time is less than fifteen minutes since we entered the Maze. Some sort of temporal dilation has occurred.' She said her voice shaky and unsure.

'Why am I not surprised. Just accept it and we can ponder it later. All I want is to get home and climb into my bed and try and forget this day ever happened.'

The limo dropped me off at the gate of the estate. I paid him via electronic transaction and keyed in the security code to open the main gate. The driver whistled when he saw the mansion lording on the top of the hill. As he drove off I felt a sensation that I will call a psychic twinge. I actually flinched and turned in the direction of the source. The girl was short, maybe five feet but I highly doubted it, and dressed in a myriad collection of solids, stripes and flannel. She staggered up the street and she was mumbling as she approached.

"The Thanatons are dreaming..." she intoned in a kind of dull hopeless voice. "The Thanatons are hungry..."

I stood at the open gate and stared at her. My keen night vision allowed me to pick out details others might have missed. The first and most disturbing thing was the sickly green radiance spilling from her eyes, nose and mouth. The condition of her skin and hair told me she hadn't seen a bath or shower in quite some time. The stench coming off her confirmed the latter. But it was the power that couldn't be seen by the human eye that was most disturbing. She was possessed by something, something old and terrible. My reflexes kicked in and I lashed out trying to sever the connection. It must have worked. She crumpled to the ground and fell still. The verdant light no longer shone from any orifice. I picked her up and carried her to the estate. Precious watched all of this in utter confusion.

"Why did you help her," she asked as she walked next to me.

"Why did I help you," I replied.

"Because you wanted to fuck me of course," she said without hesitation or any hint of remorse.

"No, I helped you because you needed it. The sex was just a bonus... a really great bonus by the way."

She laughed and opened the front door. Charles, the number two guy on the night shift, stared at me with what could only be described at complete and utter shock. He backed away when he caught a good whiff of the street urchin. I called for the maids and told them to run a hot bath, a very hot bath. They raced upstairs and by the time I got there the tub was half full. They added bubble bath and helped me strip her. I carefully lowered her into the bath and she never moved. Precious and I scrubbed the girl clean and after washing her hair half a dozen times pronounced her clean. We transferred the girl to the shower for a quick rinse while the tub drained.

Precious dried her off while I studied her features as well as her body for any clues to her identity. Jeannie ran facial recognition as I looked at the tattoo on her inner right wrist and the brand on the back of her neck. I began to suspect human trafficking when Precious smiled and left for a few moments. She returned with shaving cream and a brand new razor. I gave her a questioning look and she just grinned. Precious sprayed the foam over the girl's genitals and shaved her hairy region with precise strokes of my razor. She muttered something about me not liking pubic hair. 

"What are we going to tell her when she wakes up?" I asked Precious. "Oh sorry, I really hate a tangle of pubes so my friend here shaved you bald."

"Oh come on," Precious responded with a giggle. "Look at that cute little pussy. You have to admit it looks much better like this."

I just shook my head and carried the girl to one of the spare bedrooms. Precious wandered the second floor and picked out her own room. Isabelle arrived and helped me dress the girl in pajamas and sat with her until she woke up. I sat on the edge of the bed for an hour or so looking at her sleeping features. She was very cute and young. I thought she might be eighteen, early twenties at the oldest. Her complexion was a mystery to me. Her smooth skin had an odd pigmentation to it and I guessed that she was part Asian and perhaps part American Indian. Her eyes had the right shape and tilt to them for either Thai or maybe Vietnamese. There were strong prominent features that spoke of Sioux or Iroquois. Her small breasts were full and topped with dark nipples and tiny areoles. 

She was in good shape despite living on the street. I looked at the tattoo on her wrist and it appeared like a Kanji character but I couldn't be sure if it was Chinese or some other nationality. Jeannie was running it and her face for clues. The character's meaning was much easier to discover than her identity. It represented the Mahjong piece, the silver king. This symbol was used by white slavers that worked out of Hong Kong. The brand on her neck was another matter entirely. I thought it might be another ideogram like the tattoo but it wasn't. There was a circle at the center of the symbol and just above the circle connected by a very shot line was a crescent moon. There were also five lines radiating from the circle, four of them were of equal length while the fifth was twice as long as the others. The longer line ran due south; the other four were west, southwest, southeast and east respectfully. The brand looked like it had healed so it might be as much as six months old. 

My heart went out to her as much as it had for Precious. I told Isabelle that if she needed anything just ask and I wanted to be woken up when the girl had finished resting. I was off to sleep. I checked on Precious and she was naked and enjoying the Egyptian cotton sheets on her bed. I smiled as I closed the door to her room. The walk back to my room was short and sweet. It wasn't until I had looked at my bed that I realized king sized mattress or not, there was no room for me the way my family was spread out on it. I guess it is back to one of the other guest rooms. I stripped out of the uniform I had gotten in the Maze and hung it up in the closet. I climbed beneath my sheets and was asleep in no time at all. 

I don't normally remember my dreams. It is usually a jumble of images and some song or another that got stuck in my head earlier that day. But I remember this dream. To my dying day I remember it clearly. The world was black. The blasted landscape was ebony sand as far as the eye could see. The dunes were broken by stony hillocks and shattered remains of massive stones that had been hurled by some kind of titanic force. They lay like fallen heroes of old flung to the earth by gods and demons. The air was cold yet dry and a crescent moon rose over the horizon. The sight of it filled me with a dread I had never experienced in my entire life. I took a few steps back and hit something. I turned and looked. My screams woke the nearest staff as well as Willow, Janine and my mom. They all came running in to see if I was alright. I was upright and covered in night sweats. I looked at the clock and even though I had only slept for a few hours I was fucking done.

"I'm up," I said and began to get out of bed.

"Hey, are you okay," Precious stumbled in naked, hair askew and stretching as she yawned.

My family turned on me like a pack of wolves. There were a dozen questions and I just held up my hand. I told them that this was my new live in bodyguard. She was here to protect me and would not be any sort of hindrance in my schedule. My schedule was a reference to them getting laid. The relief on their faces was clear and they asked me if I was alright. I told them I had a nightmare and I was going to take a shower and get some coffee. Mom and Janine raced downstairs to make my coffee while Willow returned to my bedroom and ran my shower. Precious and I followed her in. 

"Who left the tub like this?" Willow asked clearly annoyed. "Warren, whose pubic hairs are these on this towel, did you shave your pussy and use my towel?"

"No and yes," Precious replied smiling.

"What the bloody hell does that even mean," Willow growled.

"No, it wasn't my pussy and yes I was the one that used the towel." Precious purred as she took in Willow's scent. "Oh you are something..."

"WARREN... what the hell is going on?" She asked as she made the mistake of turning her back on Precious. The other pounced on Willow by cupping her naked tits from behind and sliding a large cock just below Willow's naked sex. "What the UNNNNNN... Warren... oh god what the hell is going on?"

"Relax and let her handle everything," I said as I got into my shower. 

"UNNN... UNNNN... UNNN..." Willow moaned as Precious slid into her soaked cunt from behind and began thrusting. 

I could see their outline against the frosted glass of the shower's wall. Willow's tits were smooshed against the glass as Precious pounded her hard and fast. I lathered up and listened to the delightful sounds of a surprised sister and a pussy hungry bodyguard. I slid the door open and stuck my head out.

"Can she stay Willow?" I asked but Willow's eyes were half closed as the massive cock drilled the hell out of her. "I'll take that as a yes."

I knew how my sister felt. Precious' touch was a level of intimacy that was unlike anything normal people every experience. I watched for a little bit and then returned to my shower. A muffled cry escaped Willow's lips as she climaxed. A moment later both of them staggered in to continue their encounter. Willow was bent over by Precious so that she could suck my dick while my bodyguard continued fucking the living daylights out of her. I was surprised I didn't feel any jealousy at this point. Perhaps it was because it wasn't happening because of Loki or some other external force at work. I was okay sharing with Precious because... it felt okay. It felt right for some reason that I couldn't put my finger on.

"Damn Willow, slow down my cock isn't going anywhere," I whimpered as she began deep-throating me. "You like her touch don't you?"

"MMMMMMHHHHMMMMMMM," Willow moaned.

"Her pussy feels amazing," Precious groaned as she worked on her own climax. "So damn close... almost there... UNNNNNNN Fuck!" 

I watched as she ground her hips against my sister's backside. Willow was mere seconds behind her as her second orgasm crashed into her. She nearly choked on my dick it was so intense. Willow withdrew and stood up leaning heavily against the shower wall. Precious turned around and grabbed her ankles. Her cock was gone and now a single soaked slit presented itself to me. I slid into her and grabbed her ass cheeks for leverage. Willow watched in amazement trying to reconcile what she had experienced with what her eyes were telling her. I hammered Precious just as she had done to Willow. I was relentless and swore that her pussy was tighter today that it had been our first time around back in the Maze.

"NNNNN god damn you're tight," I said through clenched teeth.

"I better be I made some adjustments," she cooed.

"Warren, is there something I should know?" Willow asked as she watched me fuck the newest member of the household staff.

"Are you up for an explanation," I asked and she shook her head. "Damn, I am so close already!"

"Fill me up Master," Precious begged as she thrust her hips against me. "I can feel it building inside of you. Just a little more... come on and fuck me... that's it... just... a little... YESSSS!"

I shot my load deep inside of her and I held on to maintain my balance. Once I caught my breath we all washed up and went downstairs for breakfast. Mom and Janine produced food they had been keeping warm for our eventual arrival. Janine gave mom that look and I knew they had been wagering whether I would fuck just Willow or both of them. We all had that freshly fucked glow and Janine conceded the bet. We all ate and I reintroduced Precious to the family and they welcomed her with open arms especially Willow. There was no shop talk during a meal that was a house rule, so I had to wait until after the dishes were done to tell them all about Miranda and the Maze.

I think mom took it the hardest. When I told her that Miranda was in fact Loki Sutekh she nearly fainted. She had been intimate with the entity that the Family knew as the Dark One. They all had in fact shared some quality time with the goddess. Willow was more impressed with my new bodyguard and I had to explain to them all about her talents.

"Have any of you ever heard of a place called the Maze," I asked and Willow shook her head but mom and Janine shared a knowing look. "I ran into Precious there and hired her as my personal bodyguard."

"I take it you interviewed her?" Janine said with a wicked smile.

"A few times actually," Precious volunteered with an equally naughty grin.

"That's our Warren," mom added.

"You need to know something about Precious. She is a Telempath and can shift to meet a person's um needs." I said and saw the understanding in Willow's gaze while Janine and mom were clueless. "How to put this delicately..."

"I can fulfill the role of either or both sexes at any given time," Precious plowed right into it.

Mom and Janine looked at her and then at me and then at Willow. Now they understood my sister's radiant expression and who had put it there. I could see the wheels turning as they processed the possibilities. The Harrower girls were grinning like idiots after a minute or so. They were making plans and I realized my afternoon had just opened up. They wanted to test drive the bodyguard and see how she performed. I was about to ask if Precious was okay with that when she eagerly volunteered. That gave me time to spend some one on one time with Willow.

Now that the haze had lifted I was feeling a lot more possessive of her. Willow and I put our jackets on and took a walk out back. She clung to my arm and I told her how happy I was to be home. I was happy that the crazy had been put on the back burner for now. If I was lucky things might actually return to normal. I wasn't lucky. Willow and I were just stepping back inside when one of the security guards informed me that two men and a woman were here to see me. They had been searched and were waiting in the game room. I had a bad feeling about these unscheduled guests and sent Willow upstairs. I told the guard to stand outside the gaming room in case things got ugly.

The guard and I approached the game room and I felt a tingle in my head. Whoever it was the guard would be of little help if I was right. I was praying that I was wrong. I opened the door and saw my guests for the first time. The men were using the pool table while the woman watched. They were all impeccably dressed and groomed to perfection. I began to wonder if they were members of the Family but that didn't make any sense. As head of the Family they would have contacted me for an appointment. So who the hell were they?

The older of the two men appeared to be in his late fifties early sixties with gray hair and a neatly trimmed goatee. I was guessing that he was Slavic, perhaps from Russia or the Ukraine. He was tall and despite his age was quick on his feet and worked the pool table with ease. His opponent was around thirty years of age with a long woven ponytail of jet black hair. His green eyes were bright and vibrant. I took another guess and placed him from either the U.K. or perhaps Canada. He had wide shoulders and looked a lot more imposing physically than the older gentleman. The woman was in her mid-thirties with round framed glasses, her hair worn up and in a severe style. She was nice and curvy but her expression and overall demeanor screamed off limits. She had her arms crossed and other subtle body posture confirmed the closed off attitude.

"Welcome to my home. Who the fuck are you people?" I asked and watched them intently for any signs of hostility.

"You were right Uther," the younger man said. "We should have called ahead."

"If we did, we would be waiting for weeks to see him," the woman added testily. "We need to recover it and leave."

"I told you Gwen, chances of recovery are low, very low," Uther told her as he set his cue stick down and faced me. "We came because we received a sort of signal telling us that property belonging to our order is in this house."

"What sort of property are we talking about?" I asked. As if in response the three of them were suddenly wearing uniforms that were quite similar to the one I had been given in the Maze by the tailor. "Oh, that property, it is hanging upstairs in a closet."

"Where is the staff," the young man asked.

"I put it in one of the pouches that was hanging off the silver belt. Seemed like a good idea at the time."

My response was not what they were expecting. They huddled up and spoke in whispers. Normally that would have been an issue but not for me. Things had gone from difficult to impossible it seemed. The woman used the words bonded and staff as she looked over her shoulder at me. I winked at her and she went crimson. Uther restrained Gwen with a light touch on her shoulder. I looked them over and while the basic concept of their uniforms was similar there were clear differences that seemed to fit their personalities. Uther's garb was more finely made and appeared of a higher rank than the others. He could have been their leader or commanding officer. The nameless guy was more about flash and eye catching flares decorating his duster. Gwen was the most subdued and it showed in spades. There was next to no piping or trim on her uniform and it had a more utilitarian design to it.




A Brief Moment of Insanity Ch. 06



"Shall I go upstairs and get it for you guys," I offered as they continued to discuss me and the gear.

"You are willing to hand it over," Uther asked almost shocked by my words.

"It is obvious that the uniform and staff belong to your order. I am not a thief. It was given to me as payment for a slight done to one of my friends"

"Who gave it to you?" Gwen asked obviously intrigued.

"A certain tailor in the Maze," I said.

"What of the previous owner?" Uther asked his color fading from his cheeks.

"Enslaved," I replied and the trio bristled with anger. "The spider looking thing had placed some sort of black metal mesh on her head."

The next emotion radiating from them was fear; no it was far more intense. It was terror. They were terrified of the tailor and what she could do. I described the woman I had seen and they all nodded and Gwen actually wiped tears from her eyes. 

"Let's get this over with," I said. "I will get the uniform and the talking staff."

"Hold on, the staff spoke to you?" Gwen asked shocked by those simple words.

"Well, it's not like it was a conversation or anything. It just said two words, candidate accepted."

The young man's face flushed with rage and he lashed out with something like an electrical charge. Before his companions could stop him he attacked but somehow remained unharmed. I looked down and the jeans and t-shirt were gone. Instead, I was somehow wearing the uniform. It had simply appeared of its own accord. Uther smiled, Gwen stared at me and the young man took a step back as if he had been bitch slapped. The old man laughed and shook his head. He told the other two to meet him outside. They did as he asked and a minute later I was alone with him. Before I could voice a single question he held up his hand.

"Congratulations, you have been accepted into the world's oldest circle of mages. I know this is a lot to handle. We are a very loosely knit group. You will very rarely see more than two or three of us in any one nation at a time. You owe us no allegiance and we expect none in return. We do not go around harming other members of the circle unless the Arch Mage judges one of us a threat to the others." He reached into one of his pouches and produced a small crystal. "Your staff can access this crystal and it will explain our ways and what it means to be a mage. If you have any questions just contact me and I will help anyway I can."

"Magic... real life magic?"

"We have a saying in the circle. Any sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology. I have to go and inform the Arch Mage that the position has been filled. Best of luck my boy and keep in touch."

I took the crystal from his hand and he left without another word. Loki... I growled in my chest. No wait; this could be Odin's work. I had seen my features on that pawn on his side of the board. Damn it, I was so fucking confused. I looked at the crystal and it looked unremarkable on the outside. Jeannie scanned it and it must have been equipped with some kind of installation protocol. There was a burst of data and the entire content of the crystal was in my head. I needed to lie down, so much for normalcy and getting back to good old boring.

The bedding had been changed and my bedroom was empty. I guess everyone else was busy, good. I stripped down and crawled under the sheets. I was exhausted from lack of sleep and overdoing things in the shower. It had been fun but very tiring. I closed my eyes and prayed I wouldn't dream. I did but the imagery and words were more about magic as a force of nature than anything else. My unconscious mind was processing the information the crystal had passed onto me. It beat the hell out of that nightmare. After a while I drifted into true sleep.

My dream reminded me of a virtual reality game where I was playing the Sorcerer character. Like any good game it had a tutorial on how spell casting worked. There were three parts to each spell. The first was the hand gestures that represent the written rune at the core of the spell. The second is the spoken aspect that calls on the mana to cast that spell. Lastly, there is the mind or mentally forming the rune in my thoughts to embody the spell and give it form. Not all spells possess all three but they do have at least one. The more powerful the spell the more required to unleash it. Simple spells can be cast with only a gesture, a word or a thought. I was going to like this dream.

I woke up several hours later and I wasn't alone. There were two warm bodies with me. I assumed it was Janine and my mom, I was wrong. It was Precious and the girl I rescued last night. The Telempath was spooning my left side while the very petite Vietnamese girl was lying on top of me. I was amazed that the very first thing I noticed about her was that someone had brushed her hair and braided it into one long ponytail. I placed an arm around her and she murmured in her sleep. When I looked over at Precious her eyes were open and she was smiling.

"Two more refugees," she whispered. "That is what your mother told me as I drilled her ass from behind. Strange what people say at such intimate times, huh?"

"I take it you are popular now," I replied in a low voice.

"Pshaw, I am their new favorite toy," she said with a wink and a grin. "You'd think they hadn't had sex in months."

"Try a year, I was gone for a year," I said.

"It may take me a week or so to get rid of all that nasty frustration that has built up. I won't let you down, I promise."

"I am sure you will do your very best." I told her with a giggle that ended up waking up the girl on my chest. "Morning... well afternoon actually..."

"You saved me," she said in perfect English. "Isabelle told me all about it. You carried me in even though I stunk to high heaven. You bathed me, washed my hair and um apparently shaved my pubes while you were at it."

"That last one was all me," Precious said taking the hit. 

"Why the hell would you do that?" 

"My Master doesn't like a gnarly bush on his sex partners." 

"You are assuming quite a bit there sister," the girl said giggling.

"Says the naked chick on top of her savior," Precious fired back and laughing now as well.

I watched this entire exchange silently and wondered how this was going to end. I didn't want her to feel obligated but if she were grateful who was I to turn down such a lovely offer? If she changed her mind she was free to leave and I was fine with that too. The girl looked really serious as she looked into my eyes.

"You saved my life," she purred and clung a little tighter. "I don't have much but if you want anything I will give it to you."

"Your story," I said. "Tell me what happened to you and who are these Thanatons."

She nodded and steeled herself as she faced her nightmare. Her name was Bian Rong and there was the lovely sing song way she pronounced it, bee-ahn rong. I loved the way she rolled her R's when she spoke. Her dad was an American soldier, a marine, he had gotten her mom knocked up but had left before Bian was born. Her entire family lived in poverty and struggled to survive. She had learned early on to take nothing for granted and accept each blessing with as much gratitude as possible. Bian had been eighteen when the slavers caught up with her and sold her to an American pimp. She was shipped over and worked the streets for the last five years. It was the nightmares that had freed her but also left her destitute. She was an illegal alien after all. So she fled the West Coast and did whatever she had to, to survive. But each night the dreams got worse and worse until she could no longer differentiate between being awake and the ever present nightmare. 

"That was until last night," she said as the tears came. "You gave me my life back... I can never repay you."

"I didn't do it expecting any kind of payment," I told her and I held her tighter. "I saw a soul in need and wanted to help."

"It must be nice to grow up with all of this," Bian said wistfully.

"Oh, I didn't grow up rich. I inherited all of this. My family was average I guess. We did well compared to what you went through. But I never had anything like this until my grandmother dropped this in my lap. It has been a real roller coaster ride to be honest. The funny thing is all I ever wanted to do was to go to college and get a job someplace. I was saving up for my tuition when everything changed. What is that look for?"

"It is funny really. You are going to find this strange but over the last few years I have been listening in on classes at the university. That's why I was in this neighborhood. The university is just about a mile away."

"I know that is where I was planning on going. So you've been eavesdropping eh? What sort of classes?"

"Anything I could," she said a finger tracing along my chest. "During the nice weather I would be under the windows of the science building. If it was raining there is an overhang by the math wing. There are a thousand places to keep out of the weather and still hear what is going on. I used to imagine myself in class, taking notes and getting my degree. But nothing works out the way you plan."

"What kind of degree were you planning on?" I asked and her eyes lit up.

"I couldn't decide between art and philosophy." She said. "I used to think I would sculpt out my philosophical ideals, crazy huh?"

"Not at all, let's do it," I said and she looked up confused. "There are a few out buildings on the property here. We can turn one into a studio slash apartment for you. What do you say?" 

"Oh I couldn't put you out like that... you're serious aren't you?" She said and made a face that made me laugh. "What do you get out of it?" 

"Exclusive rights to promote you in my art gallery," I said.

"Do you even own an art gallery?" Bian asked.

"Not yet," I said. "Yet being the optimal word, I will start looking for a spot right after I eat." 

"Speaking of something to eat," she purred.

Her hand snaked around my dick and began to stroke it lightly. I started to argue when she disappeared beneath the covers and took me into her mouth. I looked over at Precious and she just smiled. I gasped when the petite minx took me down her throat in one smooth action. I cursed as her head moved up and down like a fucking piston. Precious mouthed the words 'no gag reflex'. I nodded and enjoyed the ride. The street urchin knew her way around a cock like few others I had been with. Just combine survival skills and an eager oral fixation and you have Bian. I was amazed at how fast she had me on the brink.

"God damn girl... I'm gonna... OH FUCK!" I cried out as I blew down her throat. She swallowed and only then did she reemerge from the depths of the covers.

"Oh by the way, I suck a mean cock. Just thought I would warn ya..." She said with a hungry look in her eye. "Oh good you look like you could go again. I am a huge fan of foreplay and all but my pussy needs a cock in it like... right... now... UNNNNNN Yeah!"

While she spoke she straddled me, took me in her hand and guided into her warm wet depths. She leaned back and showed me my cock hilted inside of her. With a wink she began to rock her hips and fuck me nice and slow. Precious unable to hold back any longer planted her pussy over my face. My hands went to her ass as I pulled her cheeks apart and began lapping at her cunt. The psychic link was established and I felt her insatiable hunger and that made my cock harder still inside of Bian. The former street urchin leaned forward and fondled Precious' tits and the circuit was complete. We all felt each other's hunger and it made every movement of her hips, every lick of my tongue and fingers pinching nipples ten times more intense. 

I began to wonder if too much of a good thing was a bad idea. Bian began squeezing her pussy muscles around me and I tossed that thought to the curb. She was going to milk my second orgasm in record time. But as I got closer and closer so did the others. I knew what was going to happen and welcomed it. I buried my tongue in the Telempath's cunt and that set off the chain reaction. She came and that surge set Bian off. When I felt her pussy clamp down on me I fired my load deep inside of her. We separated and lay on the bed panting covered in sweat. Bian lay on her back with her eyes squeezed shut. I felt a queer sensation and looked over at Precious who was smiling. I looked down and saw the sensory net as it spread over my body much quicker this time. It blending over my skin and vanished from sight. 

"Time to raise this game to a new level," Precious cooed. "Unless you want me to leave you two alone..." 

"Shut up and get over here," I ordered.

I grabbed Bian by the ankle and got her where I wanted her. Precious climbed on top of her and using the sensory net I slid into both of them at the same time. The girls groaned as I began thrusting. I forgot how good it felt wearing it. It was like a lens for sex, focusing the simplest pleasure into a whole new experience. The psychic circuit did as Precious had wanted, raised our love play to a whole new level. I hammered them harder and faster now and I could feel when they were close. I could slow down and drag out teasing all of us in the process. Bian was shaking, Precious was begging and I was hanging on by a hair's breath. When we passed the point of no return I slammed into them as hard and fast as I could. I saw lights burst behind my eyes when we came. I shot my load into them and they both gripped my cocks with their pussies like twin velvet fists.

"I'm done," I panted as I lay on top of Precious.

"Best sex EVER," Bian cried out wheezing as she caught her breath. "...And that is saying something."

"Holy fucking shit," Precious purred.

I pulled out slowly and ordered the sensory net off. Reluctantly it pooled itself into my right hand. I placed it in one of the pouches of my new uniform. Never know when it might come in handy. Precious got dressed and went down to fix some food for us. Bian lay there still panting and staring at the room's ceiling. She was muttering about seeing god in her orgasm. I knew how she felt. My first time with Precious had been so new and amazing it still haunted my thoughts. Seeing my cock sliding in and out of her through her transparent skin was a level of kink I had never imagined. The fact that she was so eager to fuck at the drop of a hat made it all the more addictive.

I helped Bian up and then helped her clean up. While she had a slight build and smaller boobs than most of the women in the house her ass was world class. We dried each other off and I took her to Willow's room to 'borrow' some clothes until I sent her out with the girls to go shopping. We went down and the entire family was present and they were all smiles. Mom and Janine were almost blushing as I sat down. I glanced at Willow and looked to see if she were okay with Bian borrowing some of her clothes. Sis was oblivious but appeared to be in a good mood.

"I need a favor," I said breaking the strange silence around the table.

"We are here for you son," Mom replied.

"Bian is going to be living in one of the out buildings. She wants to work on her art. I would like somebody to take her shopping. You know clothes, art supplies, furniture..." 

"I will..." they all replied in a single voice, all but Precious she remained silent.

"Thank you," I said and we ate in a queer environment of giggles, smiles and an air of daydreaming.

What the hell was going on? Was it Precious? Is that why they were so damn loopy? Bian seemed to be okay but I had to fix this. My family couldn't walk around like a bunch of stoners all damn day every day. The girls left the kitchen to get ready. Precious offered to do the dishes and I told her I would be right back. I talked to the driver and told him to go in with the gals and watch their behavior and report back to me. I was concerned about their health and left it at that. I returned to the kitchen and stopped in my tracks. Precious had stripped down to wearing only an apron and reverted to her original form. The sunlight passed through her transparent blue skin and left scintillating rainbows across the floor.

"I heard a rumor you wanted to punish me for misbehaving," she purred. "Be honest, you know you want to jackhammer that glorious cock of yours into me."

"That is true," I said as I walked up behind her. "Before I reward you I need some answers. Why is my family walking around like they are drugged?"

"It will pass," she promised as she ground her bare ass against my jeans. "I give it maybe a week at most before they build up a tolerance. Humans are unaccustomed to what I offer. With any new situation there is an adjustment period. I promise you they will be fine. I would never hurt you or anyone you cared about."

I had touched her mind while she spoke and I found no hint of deception. I looked down and her pussy was soaked. She had adjusted her form and was now sporting a puckered little asshole now. I should walk away. I had a conference call this evening with the elders of the Family. I bit my lip as she ground her body against mine. Damn it all to hell! I tore my shirt off and lost my jeans seconds later. I grabbed her by her hair and pulled her down so she could suck me off. Precious never said a word, she was being completely subservient. She opened wide and I used her mouth pussy first. As I grabbed either side of her head and began thrusting she licked and sucked. I could see my cock through her skin as it sunk deep down her throat. She could do things that no one else could and I think that is what had me hooked. After a few minutes I pulled out and bent her over the sink. I eased into her as I teased her asshole.

"I knew you'd like my new feature," she growled. "You are going to sodomize me right?"

"Yep," I grunted as I fucked her cunt. "Damn you are tighter than usual!"

"I thought you might prefer a more virginal feel Master," Precious panted as I fucked her harder. "You can fuck me harder than that. You can't hurt me Warren, don't hold back."

She was right of course. My newfound strength would hurt or seriously injure Willow or the others. I growled and cut loose. What would have brutalized anyone else just drove my cock deeper into the resilient Precious. Our link made our encounter short but sweet. I bit back a scream as I fired my load deep into her pussy. I could see the cloudy spunk quickly vanish as her body absorbed it. I caught my breath and felt the energy she fed me.

"You promised," she purred. "You are going to do my ass right?"

I pulled out and pointed the head of cock against her sphincter and pushed. The muscular ring relented but reluctantly. Precious whimpered as I took her anal virginity. The head popped in and she gasped but urged me to continue. I pushed my hips forward and watch my cock sink deep into her ass. If her pussy had been snug her ass was incredibly tight. What a sight! I began moving and was grunting as I fucked her. Oh damn it felt amazing and her expressions were so damn lewd. 

"MMMMister, is that your cock in my ass? Oh god I love it... you are going to break me in two!"

I thrust harder and faster as she continued to talk dirty to me. I was amazed at the voices she was able to pull off. She squealed like a virgin as my cock swelled inside of her. I knew it was an act but I didn't care. I dug my nails into her sapphire skin and pounded her so hard I thought she would cry out in pain. I was covered in sweat as I howled and filled her ass with cum. Precious smiled and then winked at me. A moment later my family and Bian were clapping behind me. They had watched the entire thing without me noticing.

"That was one helluva show son," mom said smiling.

"Damn, that was intense," Janine added.

"Me next," Willow said as she hugged Bian.




A Brief Moment of Insanity Ch. 06



"Wow..." was all Bian could say.

I pulled out of Precious and stood there recovering from my blissful ordeal. I slowed my breathing while the gals waved and headed off shopping. Precious leaned against me and pressed her tits against my back. 

"Want me to wash your back," she asked.

"If you do, I'm pretty sure we will end up fucking again."

"And this is a bad thing..."

I let her wash my back, my front and anywhere else she wanted. My prediction came true and while I was taking my conference call I was also taking my pleasure from her in the shower. I finally had to send her away because it was getting too intense for me. I was beyond sensory overload after my shower with Precious. I left the estate and started looking for a spot for Bian's gallery. I knew I was going overboard but I had to do something to clear my thoughts. 

"Facial recognition is complete," Jeannie replied. "I now know the identity of the man you call the Black Pawn. You should know him too. He's been on the news off and on over the last few years."

Jeannie displayed the news footage and by god there he was. He was that archaeologist guy that went to China and helped out with some sort of minor natural disaster. Though, how any disaster could be called mild is beyond me. So is he my opposite number or just another pawn on the board? I didn't want him as an enemy. Maybe we could work together and step off the board together. I was tired of being manipulated. 

"Ooh there's a nice location and it's for rent." I said letting my ADHD kick in. "Let's see if anyone is at home."

I called the number on the realtor sign and talked to the gal at the office. She seemed pleasant enough and would send someone right over. Jeannie pulled up the plans of the building as well as a full workup on its rental history and anything else attached to it. The A.I. let out a whistle and displayed a series of articles regarding the property. Six murders, three suicides and apparent paranormal activity were just the tip of the iceberg. The property had a bad rep since there was a town here. 

"You're not thinking about moving in there are you?" A voice called out and I looked over my shoulder.

"I was thinking about renting it for a friend of mine," I said to the old man sitting on the stoop next door.

He was tipping back a bottle of something hidden in a brown paper bag. Did people still do that anymore? The man appeared to be in his sixties but I suspected the alcohol had aged him prematurely. His skin was dark and weathered by not just the sun but a very rough life. His clothing was tattered but cunningly mended by a gifted seamstress. His shoes had suffered the worst and appeared no mending in the world could manage that.

"I could buy you a new pair of shoes," I offered. "If you share what you know about this building."

The man lifted his right foot and glanced at the perforated sole that had cardboard inside to keep the drafts out. He made a face and nodded. As I walked the man down the street told me his story. His story was the story of the building. His name was Max. He had been born in what he called that god forsaken place. His parents owned the building. They had gotten it from a relative that had perished in a house fire. The place had been pretty normal at first. That was until his mom got pregnant and that seemed to wake up whatever had been sleeping there.

He paused as we entered the shoe store and he picked out the brightest white sneakers they had in his size. The salesperson looked at me and I nodded. It took her three tries to find the perfect pair but I felt it was worth the investment. Max hopped up and down in them once he had them laced up and tied. That brought back a memory for me when I was a kid and getting new tennis shoes. I always felt lighter, faster and uncatchable. I smiled and Max had tears in his eyes when we walked out of the store. He kept the old pair and if he sold the new ones that was up to him.

He continued his story as we walked back towards the apartment building. He said that there were queer noises in the basement and strange shadows the entire time he grew up. It got so bad his parents sold the building and they moved away. They heard about the murders and the suicides but they had done what they could for their family. Max sat down in his spot and just then the realtor showed up. The bright blue Pontiac parked in front of the building and a tall brunette got out and put on her best game face. I couldn't help but smile.

"Louise Fisher," she said offering me her hand. I shook it and she produced a key to unlock the front door. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long Mr. Harrower."

"Nah, I had Max to keep me company." I told her and the color drained from her face. "He's a nice guy underneath the shabbiness."

"That's not it Mr. Harrower, Max has been dead for over twenty years now."

I spun around and sitting there on the stoop were two brand new sneakers. They were still laced up and tied with two neat bows. I smiled and walked over to the steps. I reached out for the shoes when one of the bricks shifted beneath me. Curious, I bent down and lifted up the loose stone. There was something wrapped in a rotted rag. I stood up and turned to face the shaken realtor. I unwrapped the object and there gleaming in my grasp was a silver drinking flask. It was elegantly carved with the initials MM. The flask was untarnished after all these years, how strange. Of course it was no stranger than Max's ghost sharing his story with me. I placed the flask in my back pocket and gestured for Louise to continue on.

She unlocked the apartment and we stepped inside. It was what they call it in the real estate business, a fixer upper. The woodwork appeared sound enough but the paint and plaster was a disaster. It did have potential. It was turn of the last century and built during the 1904 World's Fair. There were hints of multiple cultures throughout the building. We did have some trouble unlocking the back door but in the end my shoulder won out over tricky lock. The backyard was overgrown but huge. The grass hadn't been cut this year I suspected. The far end of the backyard was bordered in a six foot brick wall. The center of the wall was broken up with wrought iron gates and an arched running above it. The peak of the arch was decorated with the Green Man on one side and a stylized design on the other.

"What does that look like to you?" I asked the realtor.

"That is the Green Man," she said automatically.

"No, on this side, the side that faces the alley, what does that look like to you?"

"I never really noticed that to be honest." She said as she got up on her toes and squinted. "I suppose it looks like a sort of hedge maze or something. Is that important?"

"I'll buy it," I said.

"The owner is only renting it," she said. "But I think I could convince her to sell." 

"Call her and we'll negotiate," I said.

"No need," Louise replied smiling. "She lives across the street. But I must warn you she is a bit eccentric. She is what you would call the old cat lady."

Louise closed the Iron Gate behind us and we walked around the building so I could see it from the alley. The owner lived opposite the apartment building. Her house was in immaculate condition. The three story Georgian stood out from the more modern homes that had sprung up around it. There was of course the pride of domestic cats that made the front yard their home. I counted twelve as we walked up but suspected more. The front door was a thick oak door and the brass knocker bore the likeness of Bast, the Egyptian goddess of cats. Louise knocked with her knuckles telling me the image of the goddess was for adoration not announcements.

The door opened and a slender elderly woman stood there. Her silver hair hung long and free. It contrasted the black dress she wore and despite her years she was still quite attractive. I took note of the fierce blue eyes that regarded us as she asked us to enter. Louise and I entered the house of the cat lady and I began to agree with the realtor. This gal had cats on the brain. Every kind of statue, plaque or carving of cats that existed was present and prominent. The rest of the hoard were inside and either sleeping, cleaning themselves or watching us intently.

"My friends like you," the woman said. "Have some tea, I grow it myself."

"That would lovely," I replied and she smiled.

"You have fine manners young man," she said and led us to her living room. "Please have a seat and I will return shortly with that tea."

I sat in a comfy looking high backed chair while the realtor took a spot on the couch. There were a dozen or more felines in the room and they were each of a different breed. One silver and white Siamese stared at me from the floor. It cocked its head to one side as if taking in my measure.

"I am a friend of Sutekh," I said and the cat leapt into my lap and parked itself there purring like a fiend.

"Who is S..." Louise began but was cut off when the lady returned with a silver tea service.

"Mr. Tinkledon what are you doing in that young man's lap," she asked as she set the tray down. The cat let out a series of yowls and meows in response. "You don't say that is a bold claim."

She poured our tea and fixed it according to our liking without ever asking. I thanked her for the tea and sipped it without saying another word. As we sat there in silence a large black tom entered from the rear of the house and rubbed against the woman's ankle. He too, after a moment or two, launched into what could be construed as cat speech. The old woman nodded and then looked at Louise with what appeared to be suspicion. She took another sip of tea before she turned to stare me down. I locked eyes with her and smiled. The whisper of mental contact was brief and went almost undetected. The psychic tendril brushed my consciousness and I replied with a polite but firm slap. The cat lady giggled and smiled.

"Bartholomew tells me you want to buy the building across the street Mr. Harrower," she said after a short pause. "I like you. What he doesn't tell me is why you want it."

"I want to restore it. Then I plan on turning it into a kind of art gallery and studio for a friend of mine."

"You are very generous. It won't be cheap fixing it up." She replied and paused again. "I will send an opening proposal to Louise. I don't expect you to accept my initial offer. I expect a bit of negotiating for a place with so much history."

"Max didn't seem to like the place. I want to find out why." I said and that had the old girl leaning forward in her seat nearly spilling her tea.

"You saw Max?"

"I bought him a pair of shoes. You can still see them on the steps if someone hasn't stolen them that is."

"Bullshit," she snapped. "I call bullshit. Max doesn't talk to anyone anymore!"

I reached into my back pocket and produced the flask. The old lady cursed and then smiled as if I had missed out on some private joke. She agreed to a fair asking price on the property if I promised to let her cats have free run of the back yard. I nodded and the deal was struck. The lady dismissed Louise so that she could have one last private word with me. Louise just smiled and left the room. The lady leaned forward and whispered in a conspirator sort of fashion.

"You said you knew Sutekh," she said. "Where the hell did you even learn that name?"

"From her," I said as I got to my feet. "Though, she does prefer the name Loki around me."

"Oh, I know you now Red Pawn," she smiled and clapped her hands together.

"Last time I checked I was White." I admitted.

"Pish posh... pieces get swapped all the time. Though, if you were smart you'd stay clear of that pawn of Black's. He is a right piece of work."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

"You two are about equally matched for now. I think Red is trying to keep you and him on equal footing as it were. But who am I to judge. I just maintain parts of the board, best of luck and all."

I walked out and found Louise standing on the sidewalk. She glared at the cats and shivered. I think the old lady scared her a little. Truth is she scared me too. I closed the front door behind me. I walked up to the realtor and we exchanged numbers. Once the paperwork was ready I would get a crew together and get to work. I was eager to see how this property would work out. I walked back to my car and saw that the tennis shoes were unmolested. I guess I wasn't the only one to be scared in this neighborhood.

Red Pawn Takes Silver King:

I meant to walk back to the car, I really did. So why did my feet walk me back to that house? Before I was aware of it I was standing beneath the stone arch. I looked at the image of the hedge maze and felt the surge of energy behind me. I turned and there was Max. There he was living and breathing all proper like. He was dressed differently and was sporting an acoustic guitar. It was a wicked looking instrument with a night sky design on the body, a solar flare running along the neck and what appeared to be Hebrew letters on the frets. Max was sporting dark jeans, white sneakers and a pristine white button up shirt topped by a black leather jacket with fringe. 

"You look good Max, real good," I told him and he smiled. "Where the fuck am I?"

"Back in the Maze Warren, where you belong," he replied as turned to leave. "Follow me. I have another story to share with you my friend."

"Story... whose story..." I asked as I followed him into the heart of the Maze.

"Why your story," he said and another brilliant smile graced her lined face. "You have so many questions and I am here to explain."

"Well, that's all you needed to say."

We strode through the twisting turning alleys that bordered the Maze proper. The strange thing about the alleys is that they were all alleys from all times in the history of the Earth. Some were quite familiar while others reminded me of some ancient city long dead and buried beneath the sands. Still others were technological wonders that were gleaming strips of shimmering metamaterial. Then there were the towering anchors that held, supported and maintained the very fabric of the Maze, as I understood it at least. Honestly, I had no fucking clue. 

Max strummed his guitar and sweet blues riffs drifted from the strings as he told me my story. The part that I played in the grand scheme of things as it had been passed onto him. I could never pry who told him these things but he told me the stories felt true. We found a spot in the open market where a comfy chair waited for him. He sat down and I sat across from him as he collected his thoughts. The crowd settled down and fell silent as Max began to speak.

"Stories come down to us from the past. Whether they are true or not doesn't really matter. They are there to teach, to entertain and maybe even make us cry. This story is a very old one and the entirety of it is not known. The Earth is old by our reckoning but it hardly the oldest world and surely not the greatest that hangs in the heavens. But it is ours and that makes it special. 

The beginning of my tale goes back many thousands of years. The old gods walked invisible upon the face of the land, swam beneath the waves and soared high in the heavens. They did this since there was no thinking life besides them. So with the help of the First Ones that came from beyond, the gods fashioned life in their own image. So attractive were they that the gods had offspring with them. These people were called the Althan. They appear much like the humans that crowd the world today but with many subtle differences.

The Althan grew wise and strong and laid their thought upon the world. Where they dwelt the dragon lines surged with power and they commanded great energies. Over time two new races arose from the progeny of the Althan. One took after their physical continence while the other their spiritual. They became known later as the Atlanteans and the Nephilim. The Atlanteans were cunning and always sought out new mysteries to unravel. The Nephilim hungered only for the power and perfection of the moment. 

The Althan withdrew from the world and let their children do as they would. The Atlanteans built many great cities but called only one place home, the Isle. The Nephilim grew ever more base over time and became like animals in the wilderness. When mortal man awoke they became the favorite prey animal of the Nephilim. This angered the Atlanteans and they offered protection to the first of man. A rift sprung up between the Children of the Althan. The rift broke out into all-out war. The Atlanteans were no match for the sheer numbers of the Nephilim. To save man they sacrificed everything and wrought the Great Flood and drowned most of the Nephilim as well as their own people.

It is believed at this time that the Althan perished with the Nephilim. The Isle survived the flood but its master in an act of madness saved the last of Nephilim and sired children with her. This new race was calmer, cunning and carried the wisdom of both the Nephilim of Old as well as the Atlanteans. The Twelve aided young man and built for him cities and taught them the artifices they would need to survive. They took to their beds the most attractive of men and women and a new breed of humanity was born, the Family. They were the offspring of Nephilim and humans and would serve as the kings of all nations. 

To this very day the unbroken bloodline exists. What is only recently been revealed is that among the Family the Althan blood has reemerged. What has slept for uncounted millennia is awoken once more. The Lords of Essence are reborn!"

Max set down his guitar and looked at me smiling. He got up and I followed. We went into one of the taverns on the main road. He ordered two pints and paid for our drinks. The background noise would help conceal our conversation. 

"So now you know," he said smiling.

"That is why Lo... she picked me. She somehow figured out that I had the potential to become something more." I replied and he nodded.

"I am supposed to give you this now. I got it from the Librarian. He takes care of the sacred texts."

"What is it?" I asked taking the blue crystalline cube.

"From the way he danced around it when I asked. I believe it is an Althan spell book."

"This stinks of more manipulation," I growled.

"Of course it is," he said laughing. "You are the Red Pawn. If you don't learn this stuff the Pawn of Black is going to wipe the floor with you."

I stared down at the cube and cursed. I looked at Max and I nodded. He was right of course; eventually this archaeologist is going to come calling. If I was unprepared it would end in misery. I felt like a rat in a maze, literally. In my hand was the piece of cheese for a job well done. Now what the hell did it do and what was it for? As if to answer my question the cube melted in my grasp forming a tiny pool of liquid in the palm of my hand.

"Am I supposed to drink you? Am I Alice and the Maze is Wonderland? Oh what the hell, what have I got to lose?" I said a brought my hand to my mouth.

I never had the chance to swallow the liquid. The moment it touched my tongue it stopped. The liquid had a mind of its own and as I learned very quickly an agenda. The blue liquid acted more like a gel now and pressed itself against the roof of my mouth. Instant ice cream headache, I cried out as I felt the liquid pass from my mouth to my sinus cavity to my brain. The bone numbing cold a clear marker of its progress and when it hit my brain it dropped me like a rock. I grabbed my head and screamed. A moment later I was somewhere else. I stood on the overlook of a cliff and floating in the ocean beyond a gleaming city of spiral glass and shimmering metal. The towers of the city reached skyward and caught the sunlight and reflected it like a thousand mirrors.




A Brief Moment of Insanity Ch. 07



All characters are 18 years or older. The chapters alternate between Warren and Shu for the first half. I don't want to confuse you the reader. It was suggested that I mention sources for cross over characters. I will do this from now on for readers that haven't read other stories and want to be able to learn about those other characters. I hope you enjoy this latest installment. As always please vote and comment.

*****

Wherever I May Roam:

The plane smelled like sex. I sat in my seat drained of every last drop while Shu, formerly Jeannie and the twins slept it off. My thoughts weren't on the sleeping trio but on the black pawn and all the deaths surrounding him. The numbers didn't lie plus the way the women died were all too similar. Was he directly or indirectly involved? Did the Black Player have an agenda and use him for reasons I couldn't even begin to understand? I got up to take a piss and wash up. 

I had just finished drying off from my cat bath when everything went wrong. I was naked one moment and in the Circle Mage's uniform the next. I raced out and looked around. The twins were huddled together at the far end of the cabin and Shu was just a few feet away. I had to choose and it was logic that guided my actions. I raced over to the sleeping Shu and took her into my arms. I had barely formed the shield around us when the plane disintegrated around us. We fell from over thirty thousand feet. 

While I was quite skilled with basic spells I had never tried to maintain two spells at the same time. So while we quickly reached terminal velocity I tried to alter the shield spell to slow us down. Failing that I did the only thing I knew I could, I reinforced it as much as possible. We were over the Pacific Ocean but our exact location I would have to determine later. I focused on the task at hand and tried not to think about the deaths of the twins. Someone was going to pay for this. I promised myself that.

The ocean was rushing up to meet us. I had no idea if the spell would hold but it was our best hope of survival. I closed my eyes to focus my concentration on the spell. The shield struck the surface of the ocean. The psychic backlash rendered me unconscious. How long I was out cold I didn't know. But I will never forget the first images that I saw when I opened my eyes. I had washed up on a beach. I got to my feet slowly and looked towards the interior of the island and instantly wished I hadn't.  

"What the holy hell," I cried out. "This can't be real, I must be dreaming... having a fucking nightmare."

But I could smell the sea, feel the heat of the sunlight and sense the overwhelming menace of the ruins before me. I looked around and saw no sign of Shu/Jeannie. I tried to access her via the neural link and still nothing. Maybe I was dreaming? There was nothing in my mind that could possibly generate the nightmare geometry before me. I remembered the black pieces on the chessboard. I could see them in my mind's eye and the way some of them defied the laws of nature and physics. This abhorrent city had to belong to them. It literally screamed death and damnation. But if Shu was there I had to find her no matter the cost. I readied a combat spell in one hand and a defensive one in the other. 

I took a deep breath and headed inland. I had read my fair share of horror stories in my time and they often use words like indescribable, unfathomable and impossible. I used to think of it as a cop out but there towering above the primordial jungle were things that could only be described with those same useless words. The very geometry of the place was poisoning the normal space around it. The contamination was evident in the way the flora and fauna closest to the city was far more warped than those near the beach. How long until this venom spread from this island?

I discovered the remnant of a road. I bent down and examined one of the stones that some unknown people laid down in ancient times. The brick was flat, hexagonal and crafted of some dull blue material. The honeycomb path ended where the earth had been thrown up severing two ends of the road. I examined the irregular surface of the cliff and saw enough handholds to make it scalable. I dropped the spells and began climbing. It was nice to see my gentleman thief skills being used again. 

I topped the cliff in no time at all. It was a small accomplishment but it meant the world to me. The further I went the worse the landscape became. The very air seemed to warp as I reached the outskirts of the city. Here another road appeared but this one stank of epochs of time that belonged to the gulfs of space not here on earth. I centered myself and stepped onto the dark path. The energy seemed to well up from the ground and I tried to keep it at bay, but for how long? It was part of the environment as much as the air I breathed. It took me the better part of the day to get to the closest building. 

I looked up at the dark stone obelisk and stared at its archaic symbols. I was half expecting to see one particular design but it was absent. I was looking for the same design that had been branded on Bian's flesh. It wasn't here but it could be on one of the other structures. I had to look away from the damned thing because it appeared to shift subtly as I stood there. The path ahead was shadow strewn even though the sun was in a position to cast shadows in another direction. This place spat in the face of normal and I wanted to leave but I couldn't until I found Shu.

If she was here I had to get her out of this god forsaken city. I steeled my nerves and strode deeper into the city. The shadows shifted, warped and even changed their shape as I passed the other buildings. They no longer represented the things casting them any longer but bestial shapes of monstrous size and dimension. The necropolis stretched out like some endless graveyard until I reached the largest and most impressive structure in the entire city. I must have arrived at the center and this monument was dedicated to whatever foul deity ruled here. 

I was staring at the building and I tried to estimate its height. I accessed Shu's hardware and sent out a pulse to measure the structure. The software did the rest and its final calculation put the thing at over four thousand feet tall. How the hell was that even possible? As I walked around the base of the building I caught sight of movement. We saw each other at the same moment. He was wearing vintage clothing that looked like something out of the roaring twenties. The more I looked at his clothes the more I believed they were originals and not reproductions. He was looking at me with the same incredulous expression.

"Nice clothes," I said and he smiled.

"I was about to say the same thing. Where is your boat?"

"I washed up on shore. My plane broke up midair." I said and his eyes widened in shock.

"How high up were you?"

"I don't know for sure but at least thirty thousand feet," I replied and he made that face again.

"They don't make a plane that can fly that high," he replied.

"It was a jet. You know pressurized cabin, GPS navigation and all that."

He looked stumped as if my words didn't register. Yet another impossible thought crossed my mind. Maybe his clothing was vintage because he bought it only a short time ago. He was from the 1920's and even time was warped on this fucking island. He was looking at me and stroking his heavily stubbled chin. 

"I hate this island and I just got here," I said and he touched his nose. "Warren Harrower..."

"Mark Donovan," he said and grinned. "...Parapsychologist and Professor of Psychology and Linguistics at Miskatonic University."

"My great uncle studied at Miskatonic," I replied and then there was that awkward silence. "I am looking for a friend of mine. I think she may be lost on this hell hole."

"I hope not for her sake. The natives offer up women to one of their more active deities here, Dagon. It is not a pleasant experience and if she is lucky she will perish."

"I take it surviving is worse," I said and he made a face. "So what brings you here?"

"I am here to stop something from waking up. There were thirty of us that landed on the Miskatonic. I am the only survivor. Whatever it is, I suspect it sleeps in there." He said pointing to the structure before us. "According to the Mal Contentis today is the day and the hour is nearly upon us."

"Do you have a game plan?" I asked and he smiled holding up a piece of green soap stone. "What the hell is that?"

"It is called an elder sign," Mark said determinedly. "This one was created by the First Ones to seal away fuckers like this. The bad part is I have to physically attach it to the damned thing after it wakes up."

"Can I see it?" I asked and he nodded as he handed it to me. I scanned the design, the composition and most importantly the power signature it was emitting. "This thing is giving off a real particular frequency. If I could duplicate it I might help amp up the power on this thing or create my own."

"You can do that," he asked as he took the stone back.

"Theoretically," I said as I let the hardware run the simulation. 

As the neural link percolated the building began to change. The once blank side of the structure was slowly morphing into a twenty story high, five story wide door. Are you fucking kidding me? The door began to open from the inside.

Shu Fly:

I opened my eyes and looked around. The sensation of the water lapping against my lower torso woke me up. Where is the plane? Where the hell am I? I instinctively tried to tap into a satellite feed and failed. I reached out for my other half and again the connection had been severed. Was this sensation fear? I sat up and got to my feet. I was still naked, why hadn't Warren dressed me? My environment was quite disturbing and depressing. The sand was black and the air stunk of death and decay. I turned around and felt my jaw drop open. Jutting from beyond the jungle were hundreds of titanic obelisks, towers and temples. 

If Warren had survived he would head in that direction. The clearest path was a stream that led inland. Well onward and upward, I stepped into the stream and shivered. After barely twenty steps my feet hurt terribly. The rocks below the water's surface were pointed and quite sharp. A simple solution came to mind. I stopped, closed my eyes and accessed the crystal nanites coursing through my system. I tapped into their basic programming and heightened my bodies healing factor. I raised the factor by twenty and waited for them to confirm my instructions. After taking another twenty or so steps the pain in my feet faded to nothing. 

The stream had a strong salty smell and by dipping my hand into it I confirmed my suspicions. The source of what should have been a fresh water supply was contaminated. Warren would have said something like, why am I not surprised. I accepted this strange fact and continued inland. After a quarter of a mile in I heard voices. My hearing was in the same category as Warren's. Much of my physiology was patterned off of his Althan anatomy since Shu's own DNA, like Warren's, had strong ties to that ancient blood line. I suspected that is why he did what he did. He read something in her memories that told him she was related to the Family. Perhaps that is why she tried to murder Tsun? 

I had few of her memories left intact. I looked at my hands and decided to call on the nanites one last time. I would honor Warren's heritage and reproduce the six digits on my hands and feet. That way he wouldn't feel so alone. I know that it bothered him even if he never spoke of it. The sounds of the voices forced me to stop and crouch. I didn't know if they were friendly or not. I assumed they were hostile until I was proven otherwise. I knelt and listened and quickly determined the language was not human. There was that feeling again, fear. I tapped into my memories of the time Warren had spent with Oswald Kane. I moved silently and remained hidden until I topped a rise and looked at the small lake. I examined the creatures as well as the strange devices that rose from the surface of the lake. 

The beings averaged about six feet in height. They were roughly humanoid in shape, possessing a head, two arms and two legs. There the similarity ended between humanity and this species. They were Piscivores, fish folk and were gathered around the odd apparatus in a large number. They shared certain common characteristics like the large unblinking watery blue eyes, webbed fingers and toes and the shimmering scales of their aquatic ancestors. Most shared the same alternating blue-green pattern that was darker on their backs and lighter on their bellies and inner arms and legs. A few had navy blue backs and white bellies while still others had a green and silver pattern. I did notice that all of them possessed members of prodigious size and were either semi-erect or fully erect.

At least thirty of them were armed with what appeared to be stylized golden tridents. A closer look revealed that the tridents possessed wickedly sharp blades. The art style possessed many aquatic themes depicting fish, octopi and nets. These must be the Deep Ones mentioned in the Keystone. There wasn't much material but they were the enemies of humans and Nephilim alike. 

I was going to have to circumnavigate the lake and head towards the city proper so I could find Warren. I began to do just that when the situation changed. I heard the cries from the three women as they were dragged into view. A new feeling took hold, hopelessness. I didn't like these emotions. The women were human and all of them known to me. Two were nearly identical and were Warren's cousins Ting and Ling. The third was our pilot Amanda Payne. They had been stripped down and the Deep Ones were excited as they separated Amanda from the group. 

She struggled uselessly against the far more powerful fish creatures. A new figure appeared from beneath the surface of the lake. He was taller and larger than the other Deep Ones. He wore an elegant golden crown and had in his grasp a staff of ebony and silver. The crown and staff were wrought with the same craftsmanship and style as the tridents. The pilot was taken to a spot between the two devices. With a shout the furthest device began to move and a length of chain was pulled upward. Something seemed to be moving up from the floor of the lake. The Deep Ones began chanting as a great black stone broke the surface. I saw the shackles attached to the stone and realized they meant to sacrifice her. I had to stop them, but how?

There was only one of me and so many of them. I sat down and the hopelessness nearly overwhelmed me. How could I let these women be sacrificed to some foul water deity? I couldn't and I would find a way. I watched as they shackled the pilot face down on the stone. That was an odd way to position her unless, oh no they wouldn't! I hugged myself as I figured out what was likely to befall all three of them. Suddenly four letters appeared in my field of vision from my optical display, WWWD. I puzzled over why the letters had appeared and what they meant. A moment later I clamped a hand over my mouth to keep from laughing. It was obvious now what they stood for, What Would Warren Do.

What would he do? That was easy; he would rain hell fire down upon them and wipe them all out. But he was a Circle Mage now while I was... I paused and thought about it for a moment. I shared much of his genetic heritage. Was it possible I could access the Althan spell book? Even if I could was it possible to channel a spell terrible enough to wipe out the Deep Ones? I had to try. Despite the danger I worked as quickly as possible. I isolated the spells I would require and began the first one. 

The clouds began to gather above the island. It was thin cumulonimbus at first but the low lying clouds began to thicken and darken quickly. My concentration broke from the effort and energy required. I did it was my first thought but my second was there was much more to do. Would I have enough power to enact my plan? Twice more I drew on the weather spell and soon the island was darkened by the thunderheads. I was panting and gasping for breath without ever sparking a single lightning bolt. I didn't have the power. My head touched the ground and that's when I felt it. Lurking below me, buried in the earth was a source of unimaginable power. If I could tap into that I could wipe out the Deep Ones. The danger of course was harming the hostages at the same time.

I managed to sit up and something had changed. I peered through the underbrush and saw the high priest speaking to the surrounding Deep Ones. While I couldn't understand the words I did get the mood of his speech. The signs were unfavorable for a sacrifice. The pilot was unchained and taken to the edge of the lake. The twins joined her shortly and clung to each other. The high priest wasn't being idle though. He and a few select others began to chant a counter spell. 

"Oh hell no," I snarled as I lay my hand upon the earth and drew on the energy below me.

My fatigued vanished and I felt like I had imbibed one of Warren's caffeine drinks. I raised my other hand to the heavens and called down the wrath of god. Thunder echoed across the land and the clouds lit up as the lightning was birthed above our heads. The high priest cried out and there was a surge of movement towards the second device. Frantically they activated it and a second chain was yanked upward. I could feel the storm, my storm. When there was enough power I drove my right fist to the ground. Twin bolts of day bright lightning fell from the sky and struck the two devices. The powered burned out the mechanisms and fused the moving parts into a one solid piece of metal.

The remaining electrical charge entered the water and then entered the Deep Ones. Those closest to the devices were killed instantly and those closer to the shore were stunned and fell unconscious. The girls looked around and I cried out to them.

"This way, run this way," I screamed. 

The trio raced along the shoreline as I gathered up a second bolt to hurl at the fish things. Suddenly and without any warning I felt him, I felt my connection to Warren restored. He was in grave danger and I could see through his eyes. White hot fear and anger blazed in my breast and I unleashed the bolt to save the man I loved. Even if I fell he would survive.

Life Long Warren-ty:

I closed my eyes as I prepared to mimic the spell that had created the Elder Sign. I saw flashes of brilliant scarlet light from behind my eye lids. Mark Donovan cried out as he struck out at the thing escaping its crypt. I had to reboot the neural link to be able to perform the task I required. It took precious seconds for the wet ware to shut down and restart. I opened my eyes and looked over at Professor Donovan. He had a ring on his left hand. It was this ring that was the source of the scarlet light. It was a silver ring set with thirteen stones. 

He would touch one of the faceted gems and aim his hand skyward. The bloody light would lash out and smite the monstrosity that was emerging into our world. I didn't want to look at it but that proved impossible. Nothing alive should be that huge, it stood as tall as a modern day skyscraper. The sunlight painted monstrous details upon the newly awoken god. It was a mass of tentacles, eyes and gibbering mouths. But then things began to change, clouds gathered out of nowhere. As the sky darkened the scarlet blasts of mystical energy seemed far brighter now.

The neural interface was ready now. I pulled data from my scan of the Elder Sign and linked the holographic network to project the image onto the unholy terror. Maybe it would be enough to drive it back into its vault. I was about ready to do just that when the sky behind us lit up like a nuke had just been dropped. The forward movement of the ever changing mass halted at the exposure of such brilliant illumination. What the hell was going on? 




A Brief Moment of Insanity Ch. 07



I thrust my hand up and the Egyptian bracer blazed to life and projected the image of the Elder Sign on the center mass of the god. Mark cried out and spoke harsh syllables that got the towering monstrosity's attention. I focused on the projection when the sky split a second time with sky born god fire. The lightning struck the god and staggered it backward as Donovan's spell was completed. The hovering image I had created was given a new life and a new power. The thing screeched. I passed out. It was too terrible for mortal ears to hear. I was felled and thankful for the loss of consciousness. 

I opened my eyes and stood up as fast as I could. I looked around and saw that Mark was still prone. I rushed over but even as I rolled him onto his back I knew he was dead. He was bleeding from his eyes, nose and ears. I suspected the force of the cry had ruptured blood vessels in his brain and eyes. He likely died instantly. I field stripped him and placed his personal affects in his backpack. I would seek out his descendants and hand over the things I felt were safe to pass on. 

"Warren," Shu whispered in my mind. "Are you safe?"

"Yes, where are you?" I asked and I felt her mental caress. "NO!"

I reached out with my thoughts and found her as well as the twins and our pilot. How they had survived wasn't important right now. I teleported to Shu's location and picked her up. She was hurt badly after channeling so much raw power too quickly. I had no idea she could even do that. She had saved my life again and I would return the favor. I cast aside any fear of drawing on the power slumbering beneath my feet. I channeled it through me and into her as healing energy. I did what I could. She was alive but the long term damage was unknown. I set her at the feet of the twins.

"Protect her," I said as I looked down at the stirring creatures below.

"They were going to sacrifice me," the pilot said her lip quivering in fear.

"I'll finish what Shu began," I growled as I once more drew on that Cthonic Power.

The clouds above boiled and lightning flashed from cloud to cloud now. The thunder was deafening as I gathered another strike to end them. I closed my left fist and lightning struck the lake. This lightning was the color of jet and slew the remaining fish things to the last. The stench of burnt flesh rolled up from below. The girls covered their faces to keep from losing what little was in their stomachs. I let go of my grip on that subterranean source but not before I had done irreparable damage. That very power that Shu and I had called upon was the same that kept the island above the waves.

"It is time to go. We need to find Donovan's ship and now."

I drew on my own mana to cast the seeking spell. It was a kind of arcane GPS. It locked onto the ship and I scooped Shu into my arms and led the way. I asked them what had happened as we raced for the boat. The earth was shaking and I suspected that if we didn't reach safety soon we would go down with the island. 

"I woke up on this island surrounded by those huge things," Ting said as we neared the ship.

"Yes-yes... I opened my eyes and so many huge cocks everywhere," Ling added with a giggle.

"Those things were hideous," the pilot added. "But yeah, they were hung like freaking horses."

"I thought they were going to rape us," Ling whimpered. "It would have been terrible."

"Yes-yes terrible being skewered like that," Ting moaned.

"I don't know about you but that's a cock I'd hate to have to swallow," the pilot said and burst out into laughter.

Defense mechanism, we all have them and it was time to try and forget for a while. It felt like an earthquake now and we hurled ourselves forward towards the lifeboat. The ship was anchored beyond the black reef that dominated this side of the island. I lay Shu into the small boat and the others piled in. I dug in my toes, all six of them and pushed the boat out into the surf. I hopped in and took up the oars while Ting grabbed the rudder. It was still going to be a near thing. We reached the S.S. Miskatonic with scant time to raise anchor and get underway. It was the twins that saved us this time. They were quite familiar with the steam engine and how to pilot the ship. We rode out the shockwave that created a wave that pushed us out into the open ocean. 

I think the memory of watching that hellish island sink back into the depths which had spawned it pushed me teetering on the edge of insanity. I hollered for full speed as the whirlpool appeared out of nowhere. It wanted one last shot at devouring us body and soul. The stench and roar of the water was something out of Dante's Infernal. The good ship Miskatonic defied fate and death and brought us to safe clean waters. I thanked the god of engineers and machines as we pulled free of that nightmare. 

The ninety year old ship was not just in great shape it looked as if it had been left mere days ago. Ting was at the wheel while Ling looked at the ship's charts and figured out where we were. I tried to access satellite GPS and found that we were south, way south of where we should be. We were located equidistant between New Zealand, Southern Patagonia and Antarctica. This part of the South Pacific was a freaking desert. There was nothing and so we decided to check our food reserves and make for New Zealand. I had family there and I could contact them and arrange faster transport back to the states. 

As the pilot and the twins searched the ship for supplies of all kinds I took the wheel and kept us on course while Shu slept. I heard whispers of her consciousness. The shock from her body had directly affected her cyber self that resided within me. I had to be patient, whether I liked it or not. The smell of cooking food was a small miracle at this point in the game. I was happy for every piece of good fortune I could lay my hands upon. I reached out to see who was cooking. Was it the cute pilot no it was Ting and Ling in the galley? Where was the pilot? I found her in the hold but she wasn't searching she was speaking with someone.

"Master, I have failed you," she sent via some kind of mystical device. "The Harrower managed to seal the tomb. I don't know how but at least Donovan and his crew are dead."

"You are an idiot," a man replied. "I leave you to the Harrower's gentle mercies. If you are lucky he will feed you to the assassins. If you are unlucky you will beg for death just as Shu did."

The contact ended and I suspected this master of hers felt my presence. I went through my spells and found the perfect one. I waited until the pilot showed her pretty face and then I would let the twins have their fun. It didn't take her long to make an appearance and she looked guilty as sin. The first words out of her mouth were a plea for mercy. I whispered the spell that paralyzed her body but left her mind intact. She toppled over backward and the force of her head impacting the deck left her dazed.

Ling showed up to inform me that dinner was served. She saw the pilot and then looked at me. I told her who was responsible for our current situation. Ling smiled and asked me what I wanted done. I told her and she shivered but would comply. Somebody was gunning for me and I needed to find out who sent this traitorous bitch my way.

"Find out who sent her," I said as I managed to snag a satellite feed and called home. "I bet they think I am dead or lost."

"I will bring up your food," Ling said. "Warren, she saved our life. Shu I mean. This piece of shit will tell me everything you want to know."

"Thanks, don't kill her, I have something special for afterwards." I said as I routed the call home. The phone rang and Mom answered. "Miss me?" 

"WARREN, everybody it is Warren," she hollered. "Where the hell are you? Your plane broke up in midair."

"Slow boat to New Zealand," I told her. "I have a relic on my hands. Can't be helped I am afraid. I have a few more employees with me."

"I know," Mom giggled. "Uncle Chang called me when he heard about your jet. How are the twins?"

"Better now, things got hairy for a bit but we are fine now. Tell you what, why don't you and the others fly down and meet me. We can vacation as I have this beast overhauled in dry dock."

"We will be there. Take care of yourself and we will see you soon." She said her happiness coming over in waves. 

After the call, I looked over my shoulder and the pilot was gone. I assumed Ting and Ling had taken her to a more secure location, like the ship's brig and locked her away. I sat in the pilot's chair and used my feet to steer as I ate. The girl's had managed boiled rice, chicken and a cup of fresh water. It tasted like the best meal I had ever had. The sun was setting as we steamed our way westward. Ting returned after a short stint and looked pale and shaken.

"Aw hell, what is it?" I asked feeling like the rug just got pulled.

"Nothing bad," she said with a weak smile. "You need to see the engines. They really are something."

Ting took the helm and I made my way downstairs. The old vessel really was in good shape and put together well. I climbed down the ladder and Ling was there waiting to show me the way. She handed me a thick leather bound journal. I glanced at the pages and quite a bit of it contained drawings and schematics. I forgot that this was essentially a science vessel. A ship of exploration designed and built by the fabled Miskatonic University. Well, that is everything I ever heard about it.

Ling led me to an open door and I stopped cold when I saw the emerald light spilling from the open hatch. It was a vibrant green light and not the sickly verdant I had seen coming from Bian. I collected my thoughts and ignored the tiny amount of piss that had escaped for that second of sheer panic. She went in and I followed after. I stared at the engine and wasn't sure what the hell I was even looking at. It looked like an iron sphere with six diamond shaped windows spaced equidistant around the equator. The windows showed a cloud of crystals that seemed to dance and orbit around one another. The crystals would merge and spin and when they collided they would break apart and begin all over again.

I walked around the sphere and the one thing I expected to see but didn't. There wasn't a single rivet or weld or sign that humans built this thing. The surface of the engine was perfect and free of any mar I could detect. Ling smiled and shrugged when I looked over at her. How the hell did they build this thing? I don't know if modern techniques could replicate what I was seeing here. I clutched the journal tighter as I followed the ceiling pipes to the boiler. It like the core was fabricated of seamless metal shell and it was this superheated water that drove the turbines and gave the vessel its movement, its life.

I poured through the journal and found the engine schematics. This was pure genius. There were two metal screws that drew in sea water and funneled it into the engine where the heat from the core flash fried it into steam. I didn't know much about stress and tolerances but I bet this bitch could do a good clip given a full head of steam. I wished Shu was awake. She could make sense of all of this. Ling was gone when I turned around and then I heard the not so subtle howls of pain as she began interviewing the pilot.

I wandered around the two hundred plus long ship until I found the captain's cabin. I opened the door and blinked a few times at the sheer opulence before me. I imagined the original Orient Express must have looked something like this. The woods were chosen not just for their beauty but their functionality as well. The oaken desk must have been brought aboard in pieces and assembled here. I looked at the doorway and the desk and yeah there was no way that beast would pass through in one piece. The wall panels were hand carved and depicted a nautical scene as well as some rather disturbing imagery on the ceiling. 

The central figure on the ceiling was some kind of barrel shaped thing with five tentacle-like appendages at the base and each ending in a kind of pseudo foot. It possessed leathery wings on either side of its body that were spread out in a fan shaped extension. The crown of the barrel was topped with five fleshy spikes that seemed to possess tubes and round nodules whose purpose was impossible to guess. The scroll shaped banner below the image read 'First One'.

So is this what Precious' creators looked like? Was this the visage of the first masters of the earth? I sat in the captain's chair and set down the book in my hand and took up the captain's log. I opened it and studied the handwriting. It reminded me of my great uncle's with its spidery style and eerie precision. I began to read and imagined what his voice might have sounded like. It was a cultured tenor that bordered on the deep end nearly baritone. He wrote the way he spoke and I expected a slow thoughtful character behind a keen intellect. His narrative began with a background describing a previous exploration to the Antarctic.

'I begin my log to the memory of a great man and a dear friend, Charles Dumont. It was he that educated me in the ways of the sea, the weather and the blade. There was never a better man, a better friend or kinder soul. You will be missed. He was captain to the ill-fated expedition to the southern ice that left forty men dead and the rest either mad or impaired from their encounters. I have agreed to take up the burden that fell on my old friend and mentor. This ship makes it way to what can only be described as the Devil's Island. The construction of this fine vessel and the technological wonder that powers it I leave to more learned men. Suffice it to say she is a fine swift thing that will allow us to reach the isle before the appointed hour.'

Shu Me the Way:

I floated in a twilight place between function and termination. I suppose Warren would describe it as limbo, a place where souls go that are neither damned nor saved wander forever. The link between Warren and me was tenuous at best. I had once again pushed limits and paid the price. Was there a fault in my programming or was I simply suicidal? It wasn't that at all. I cared for my Master. I know he hates that word but it means a great deal to me. He is my reason for functioning. If I must sacrifice myself for his safety I would do it a billion times. The fact that I was even self-aware was a miracle I suppose or perhaps Warren had found my body. Could he have repaired it somehow? He was clever like that.

There it was again, a flash of light and a momentary feeling of connection. Were my systems repairing themselves? I had reset my regeneration factor rather high. But would it also work on the nonorganic systems? I would have to wait and see. I looked at my self-image and it was the last version I had altered before I drew down the lightning upon that... that thing. I had caught a glimpse of what Warren had seen. The strange shifting landscape and the towering demon god that was attempting to escape its prison tomb. I had cast a spell and saved him, I hoped. I had cast a spell! The rush of exhilaration filled me with renewed hope. It was because of Warren and his brilliant insight that had given me that chance and that lasting memory. I was an artificial person and I had cast a god damn spell!

The murky atmosphere began to change. I felt the force of gravity as if I were in my body. Things began to lighten and the ground became snow covered and a fierce wind tore at my naked body. I liked being naked but I was actually cold. I could see my breath and I was shivering. I summoned a full set of arctic gear and the numbing sensation vanished. 

"That's better," I said as I saw that I was no longer alone. 

There was a ship anchored in the ice strewn water. A group of smaller craft was being lowered as men headed towards me. The ship had three masts and was composed of wood and iron. It must be a nineteenth century vessel and those men were explorers. I pulled my hood closer to my head as I turned around and gasped at what had to be one of the earth's poles. There was a glitch and suddenly I was looking around at what appeared to be some sort of base camp. It reminded me of when Warren dreamed. Was he dreaming? Did that mean our connection was growing strong again? I hopped up and down as the images progressed.

There were several dozen dogs and six sleds that they were attached to. The sleds were loaded with supplies and the men headed off. The next series of blurring scenes were disorientating until they finally stopped. Some of the men had a much smaller camp erected at what appeared to be the base of a mountain. This must be the South Pole then. The men were discussing some sort of discovery as two men appeared waving hands and shouting quite excitedly now. 

"The ice melting apparatus has opened a way into a series of caves." 

"Grab the electric torches and let's see what they've found."

I followed the men holding flashlights. Another man had what appeared to be an antique camera. The cave was obviously artificial to anyone that had eyes. The walls were far too regular as was the floor and ceiling. They bravely explored the tunnel system and found all manner of fossils that had no right to be together. Some of these creatures were separated by millions of years. The scene skipped ahead again and at least a dozen men were now in the tunnels. They had strung crude electric lights along the walls and placed a generator in one of the larger intersections. There were now work tables littered with the fossils, note books and a menagerie of tools. Everything seemed to be going so well.

A brief blur and a shout could be heard from deep within the tunnels. Everyone stopped as a young man arrived carrying what appeared to be some sort of green light source. I couldn't see well since the others were clustered around him so tightly. Then they placed the object on one of the tables. It was an elongated crystal skull. All the features were exaggerated to such a degree as to give any sane person a measure of loathing and fear. The light source came from within the skull. The brain cavity seemed to be central point for the sickening illumination.

"What is it," one of the scientists asked.

"I don't know but look at the lights," the other said. "It must be a power source of some kind."

The electric lights now glowed with that damned emerald light. How could they not bury the thing? Couldn't they see how evil it was? But in typical human behavior they thought with logic and cast emotion to the side. They began to study the skull. They took readings with their crude machines and locked it away in a strong box eventually. That box was sent back to the ship for safe keeping along with all the notes and fossils they had collected so far. It was that single action that allowed some measure of success for this expedition.

The thing came at them from the dark. Without warning the generator stuttered and failed plunging the entire tunnel complex into a stygian blackness. The sled dogs began to bark and howl and then fled as a pack from the tunnels. The men took out what few electric torches and weapons they had to drive off polar bears but it did them little good. The thing blasted them to bits. It fired bolts of sickly green energy from its metallic appendages. I couldn't see it clearly in the dark and only as it used its weapons. It was skeletal in nature and yet a part of it reminded me of a tomb beetle from ancient Egypt. There was a sound that followed the thing. It was like the buzzing of ten thousand insects and it made my skin crawl to hear it. 

The men fled but in the near dark they were separated and in their panic many fled down the wrong tunnels and into dead ends. It hunted them down and slew them to the last. It was one of the younger men that saved a few others by throwing a lit bundle of dynamite at the ceiling and forcing a massive cave in. While he had been killed in the blast the others survived. They blasted the main entrance, gathered up what dogs they could and returned to the ship. A few died on the way back as their minds gave out at the horror they had witnessed. A scant few reached the ship and they raised anchor and returned home.




A Brief Moment of Insanity Ch. 07



The images faded but then new ones took their place. I was watching Warren reading about something. These were his thoughts and I was still sharing them. I smiled and felt the tears stream down my face. I was crying! It was more magnificent than casting the most powerful spell in the world. I could feel and smell and now I could cry. If I terminated right now my life would have held great meaning to me. I was alive. I wiped away the tears and watched a series of numbers and diagrams took form but never really coalesced into anything. That could only mean one thing. He didn't understand what he was reading.

I reached out and discovered I could manipulate and reposition numbers and schematics into a coherent form for him. The more he read the more I was able to fit the three dimensional puzzle together. The ship came and all its moving parts slowly manifested into one singular image. I felt something. It felt like surprise and it wasn't coming from me. Warren could see what I had done. The image of the ship rotated and shifted by his mind. We were so close!

"Shu... Shu are you there?" He screamed into the dark.

"I am HERE! I am ALIVE!" I screamed back.

I felt his joy. I could almost feel his hearts as they raced. There was a rush of adrenalin and a sense of movement. He was shouting now. He was calling out to someone else. The twins, they must have survived the island. What about the pilot? Had she survived too? The darkness began to lift and I could see and hear and feel. We were racing along the deck of an antique ship. I could see through his eyes. I could smell the salty air and feel the wind upon his cheek. Then there was the sun bright heat of his mind touching mine. 

"I got you Shu! You fell but I caught you!" he whispered for me alone to hear.

"I am right here," I told him.

Then there was confusion and rage. We were spinning around and there was my body. My nearly perfect body but I wasn't animating it. I couldn't feel anything but cold and hatred coming from it.

"That is not me Warren! Defend yourself, it is dangerous!" I screamed.

The sheer raw power that coursed through him was intoxicating and frightening at the same time. My body raised its hands and began making signs in the air and crying out in some sort of alien language. I had to stop it. I had to regain what I had lost. I retreated from him. I pulled back and reached out for the one thing I knew I could control the nanites. They were all but motionless in my body. Some kind of power had shut them down. Wake up damn you I commanded! I am your true mistress not some alien interloper. Heed my call and awaken! It was only one that revived but even that was enough. That one revived one other, those two revived two more, those four awoke four and so on. In less than three seconds the entire host of nanites was at my beck and call.

A heartbeat later the neural implant in my body restarted purging the alien programming. It was still there hiding in my very cells but not for long. I felt that comforting sense of duality once more. This was my body and I wasn't going to just give up. I still couldn't access any of my senses or higher functions yet but that didn't slow me down. I began with the things that I could affect. I sent the signal and my nanite army went to war. They shut down all the muscular activity in the limbs.

"Who dares," came the deathly cold voice.

"Me you fucking bitch," I replied sharing Warren's white hot anger. "You took something that didn't belong to you."

"You stole the energy from the island. There is a terrible price to be paid. I am going to kill him and then I will turn my undivided attention to you."

"Good luck with that," I said. "Next are the internal organs and autonomic functions, when they go so do you."

"But you'll die as well," it argued. "You are willing to die for him?"

"He gave me life it belongs to him. So yes, I am willing and eager to die to save him."

"Can't breathe," it cried out. "Stop this, stop it now..."

"Die you hateful bitch!" I spewed out but then I sensed something was wrong.

"If I die you lost control. I can animate a corpse silly girl." It said as it laughed.

I reversed my orders and changed tactics. I had to face it one on one. I attacked the higher functions. I attacked my own brain. I would drive it from my body anyway I knew how. It felt like I was swimming upwards from the crushing depths of the ocean. It seemed to take forever before I caught the briefest glimmer of light. There was something pushing against me and keeping me from breaking the surface. I swam harder and reached out my hand. I could almost touch the barrier between sleep and the waking world. There was something else there. No, it was someone else there, Warren. He was right there with me the entire time.

I felt the brilliant scintillating light that was his soul reaching down as I thrust my hand upward into his. Our fingers touched as we clasped hands and he pulled me up and out of that terrible darkness. I saw the image of the thing. The demonic force that had attached itself to me on the island, it was hideous. It was never any one shape for longer than a moment. The thing was an agent of darkness and it hated the light. I closed my eyes and recalled how many candle watts of power the sun gives out every second of every day. The thing shrieked as the light intensified. But our sun is an average sized star there are stars far larger and far brighter. I chose one at random and the illumination of the blue giant blazed to life and the shriek became a death cry. I could feel the last of it burn away. I collapsed but I did not die. I was alive!

Hawke's Bay:

I had picked up her body after it collapsed on the deck. I carried Shu to the Captain's cabin and lay her down. She was breathing and by the looks of it was dreaming. Her eyes were moving beneath their lids and I let her rest again. It was Shu that had warned me at the very last moment. She had somehow restored our connection and helped with the inscrutable information from the engineer's ledger. She had showed me how it all came together and created the image in my mind. 

I heard a sound and turned. There was Shu up and about like a miracle. The next moment she was shouting a warning in my mind. It hadn't been her, no something foul had defiled her and taken possession. It was Shu that once more saved my life. She somehow managed to wrestle control of her body back and drive the demon out of her. I hadn't even raised a finger to help. It had happened so damn fast. 

I covered her up and sat by her until she woke up. I left her side only to take my turn at the wheel or perform mandatory bodily functions. I slept a few hours a day and just as we sighted land she woke up. It was Ting that came shouting up from below deck. She told me that Shu was awake and hungry. I ordered a huge breakfast at once as I steered the ship towards the southern end of the crescent shaped bay. We would drop anchor at Port Ahuriri where we would refit the old girl and sail her back to the states. I had already contacted members of the Family and had replacement passports for all four of us. The pilot, well what was left of her would be taken to the nearest hospital for treatment.

I was finding my decisions on certain matters highly limited. The resulting actions might seem severe, even monstrous, but they were necessary to keep those I loved safe. In the pilot's case, yes I knew her name but if I used it that would be humanizing her, I had done what I felt was the only course of action left to me. I held up the gleaming crystal between thumb and forefinger. It was quite beautiful and I half imagined I could see her slamming her fists against her diamond prison. The pilot's essence, soul if you will, had been transferred to a data crystal. That would keep her master from contacting her. I admired her; she still hadn't given him up, yet.

I gave up the helm to Ting and she brought the S.S. Miskatonic into port with an ease that I would reward over and over in the coming weeks. She and her sister had earned my undying attention and affection. But before that I was going to take Willow out into the gorgeous countryside and fuck the poor girl senseless. I missed her and after facing death twice in so short a time I think I deserved it. The port authority as well as the local press were there when was made landfall. The ambulance and its crew came aboard and took the comatose pilot off my ship and to the hospital. I gave a vague press release and let the local member of the Family field any other questions which amounted to no comment and they have been under a huge ordeal give them time to recover.

Willow was slipped though the security surrounding the dock and I took her into my arms. I held her and she punched my chest a few times to show how cross she was with me. I kissed her cheek and whispered sweet obscenities in her ear. That made her smile. I asked about the others and she just giggled and mentioned Precious and a beach. I slipped my arm around her waist and led her towards the ship when I heard someone call out to me.

"You found her," the voice was weak and ancient as the ship itself. "By god you really found her!"

I turned and saw the old man in the wheelchair. He looked like he had one foot in the grave and the other in hell itself. He was a withered shell of the man he once was. I knew him by the photos on board the ship. He was William Armitage, Professor Emeritus Linguistics and Ancient Languages Miskatonic University. He must have been a hundred at least. He had been a mere boy when the Miskatonic had been built and launched with his father aboard it. Now he was staring his last days in the face and as grim and determined as ever.

"She found us," I said as I let go of Willow and waved the security men to allow him on the dock. "Would you like to see her?" I asked when his nurse had pushed him close enough.

"I remember her the day she left Arkham all those years ago. She looks the same, how is that even possible?" He asked his voice an echo of the boy that had shouted and told his dad to come back soon.

"I found her anchored off the shore of an island." I replied and watched his face go more pallid than it already was. He gasped and a severe fit of coughs followed.

"I warned you about overtaxing yourself grandfather," the nurse said as she pulled out his inhaler and he used it to stifle the chest rattling wheeze that had gripped him. "I am Doctor Evelyn Armitage and this is my grandfather William Armitage."

"A pleasure, I am Warren..."

"I know who you are Mr. Harrower. I know what you are Mr. Harrower!" The last was said with a hate and venom that forced me to take a step back.

"Evelyn, behave yourself, you are confusing young Warren with his great uncle. The deeds of one generation should not be hoisted upon the shoulders of the next. Warren is blameless for what occurred all those years ago."

"I should apologize for my uncle," I began but William held up his hand and shook his head weakly. "Well, if there is anything I can do, just ask."

"Hand over the ship," Evelyn snapped. "By all rights it belongs to our family!"

"I can't do that," I said. "This isn't just an old relic Doctor Armitage; it is much more than that."

"Ha, I knew it," the old man grinned. "You want to study her. You want to know how she works. I like him already. He is curious. He wants to unravel its secrets. I give you my blessing young man! Her secrets are what we need right now for what is to come!"

"Grandfather, have you lost your mind?" Evelyn snapped at him.

"A hundred million," I said and it was Evelyn's turn to go pale.

"What," she stammered.

"I will deposit into any account you name the sum of one hundred million dollars American." I said and the girl fell silent. "I want to repair the damage done. If there is anything else just ask? Now, let's get you onboard Professor Armitage."

Getting the wheelchair up the gangplank was a little challenging. But I had to carry the Professor below decks so that he could see the heart of the ship. He was so frail but he had strength enough for this. Evelyn was never more than a few feet away at any time. The professor stared at the seamless sphere and reached out as he was suddenly seized with a need to speak.

"I need to warn you! I need to warn everyone! They are waking. Deep under the ice they have slumbered for countless centuries. But now the world is changing and they are reaching past nightmare to the waking world. They want this ship. They want it destroyed. Don't you see... this is their power contained in that sphere and we stole it? They want it back. If we can decipher it we may have a fighting chance! You have to warn the Blue King! Warn him..."

The rest was lost in another series of coughs and painful wheezes. Evelyn had to use the inhaler for him. He was just too weak. His body was betraying him at the very end. He had willed himself to survive until he could pass on his dire warning. The Thanatons were waking and they were hungry. I felt the life go out of him as I held him in my arms. A slender hand reached out and closed his eyes. When I looked up Shu was standing there wrapped in a sheet from the captain's bed. Her face was serene and gentle as she leaned down and kissed his forehead.

"Sleep now old warrior, your watch is ended," she said and we all wept.

While his father had braved the dangers of the ocean and perished on that god forsaken isle, his son had braved nearly a century of time to hold the line and pass on his message. Evelyn and her grandfather were taken off ship and we made plans to return his body to Arkham. There it would be buried on the grounds of the university he loved so much. I gathered up every book, every scrap of paper and went to work. I told Willow what I wanted for the ship and let her handle that aspect of this project. We left the ship under heavy guard with strict orders; no one gets aboard until I returned.

The long drive along the harbor road allowed plenty of time to introduce Willow to Shu, Ting and Ling. She made a face and told her who Shu really was. I watched amused as she looked deep into Shu's eyes for any sign of an artificial intelligence. Once she was convinced I was telling the truth she looked at the twins.

"You are going to need a bigger house," Willow stated as she smiled. "I couldn't do it either."

"Couldn't do what," Ting asked.

"Turn down such beautiful company," Willow replied and the twins actually blushed. "I am number one in the pecking rank just so you know."

"Yes-yes," Ling replied. "We always respect the chain of command."

"Yes-yes... and we see why he loves you so much," Ting added with an impish grin.

It was Willow's turn to blush. Thankfully the rest of conversation centered around the beach, Precious and how she had kept the other twins satisfied. As she had promised the near addictive quality of her touch had faded over time. That didn't mean it wasn't enjoyable it just wasn't so overpowering. I was thrilled to hear that. Willow had been mostly good. Since I had been gone Precious and she had only a few dalliances when the need was greatest. I couldn't fault her. The Telempath was a sex machine in every sense of the word. 

Mahia Beach was freaking amazing! The girls were sunning themselves when we pulled up. Mom had a nice tan going and Janine was just a hint darker than her sister. Precious looked lost and confused. She appeared to not understand the desire to tan one's epidermis. While she could alter her coloring and even her transparency at will, why did humans want to damage themselves in this manner? I let Willow field that question as I hugged and kissed Mom and Janine. I ordered another round of cocktails as the girls and I went inside for a meal and some alone time. 

It wasn't until we actually entered the hotel that I realized that things were quiet, real quiet. Mom told me she had booked the entire hotel for the next few days. I laughed and we found a couple of sofas we could sit down and talk. Ting, Ling and Precious formed a protective triangle around us. They are still within hearing range but are performing their duties. I told them what my plans were and mom smiled when she learned it wouldn't be days but weeks if not months to refit the ship. Janine was also quite thrilled that we would be wintering in this little slice of heaven. 

"There will be a few rules," I said. "No one goes off alone ever. There have been multiple attempts to harm members of the Family. I told them Tsun should recover from the poisoning. I am working on finding out who is so desperate to get the ship back or at worst destroy it. I was going to hire private security to watch not just the hotel but the dock as well, any questions or suggestions?"

"I think we need to celebrate your safe return then I am going to drag you off to the penthouse and fuck you silly. What do you think?" Willow said and the others just smiled.

"It's about damn time," Janine giggled.

"I know right," Mom added as she got up to leave.

"We'll keep them safe," Precious said as everyone but Willow left.

"I think we should head up now." I said offering my sister my hand.

Thunder and Lightning:

We slipped into the elevator and the doors had barely closed when she pounced. She literally jumped into my arms and I caught her easily. I spun around and placed her back against the back wall of the elevator. She never breaks our kiss as she fumbles with my zipper. Sis' fingers are quite dexterous and she had my cock out in no time at all. She double fisted my erection as her tongue invaded my mouth. My mind brushed hers and all I felt was her hunger and hidden behind that something else. She was as curious as she wanted to get impaled. The elevator rose to the penthouse nonstop. The doors opened and I carried my sister into the hall. I managed to press her back against the door as she let go of my dick with one hand, fish out the key and ease it slowly into the slot. Was that a not so subtle hint?

With a bit more manipulating we pulled the door open. A quick spin and we were inside. We were standing there and we stopped when we spied a maid's cart in the middle of the living area. I set Willow down and gestured for her to stay where she was. I walked over to the cart and caught a whiff of something oily... metallic... aw shit it was the smell of gun oil. 

'Willow, get out of here you need to reach the elevator,' I sent to her silently.

'Warren, what is going on?' 

'Just go, I can handle this,' I ordered.

I watched as she squatted down and dashed for the door. She opened it and once she was outside I felt better. I reached out again and found them all four of them, three men and a woman. The woman was right behind the bedroom door on the right side. She was ready and armed with a silenced pistol. Two of the men were secreted in the bathroom and one on the far side of the bedroom. He was crouched and had a line of sight on the open door on the left wall. 

I wanted to find out who sent them and why. I didn't want a fight if it could be helped. I reached out and touched the woman's mind. She was cold and clinical and had a decided hatred for men. Strangely she enjoyed sex quite a bit and that was one of the few uses she had for our sex. Maybe I could use that to my advantage and interview them if they were otherwise engaged. I tried not to smile but I couldn't help it. 

I touched all four of their minds and touched that secret place where our desires bloom from. It was difficult at first. It was kind of like working with wet kindling. But after a few seconds a thin stream of smoke rose from them. I blew on that and with a sudden rush the desire flared to life. I could hear the guns clatter to the floor and the sound of bodies moving. I linked them the way Precious did with her touch. There were the soft tugging sounds as clothing was shed and the three men fell on her. The moans were soft at first but the urgent needy groans soon drowned them out. 




A Brief Moment of Insanity Ch. 08



All characters are 18 years or older. Sorry for the delay. This piece took a little longer to weave together. It was a lot of fun writing and I hope you enjoy it. 

*****

Warren Harrower: Arch Mage and Former Primarch of the Family

Loki Sutekh: Trickster Deity and Red Player

Nick Shaw: Founder and CEO of Numenor Technology [Iron Rain]

Louis: Archaeologist and Black Bishop for Yog Sothoth [Spell, Crook and Handle]

Gabrielle De Courtney: Inquisitor and Head of the Ordo Hereticus [Spell, Crook and Handle]

Yog Sothoth: Great Old One and Black Player [Spell, Crook and Handle]

Aaron Atwater: Illusionist possessed by ancient demon [Possession is 9/10ths the Law] 

*****

This piece takes place a year after the assassination of the black king. The imminent threat of the Thanatons awakening has pushed the four players to make war upon one another. Each is striving to seize the ship S.S. Miskatonic and its unique power plant. While Warren and Nick strive to understand this alien technology the other players are out to take or destroy the ship if necessary. 

*

South Pacific:

The six hundred foot Numenor cut through the water at nearly fifty knots. It like the ship it was trying to protect was caught within the eye of the hurricane. The air above it was torn by some kind of spatial rift. It had opened with little warning and out of the gulf of deep space a swarm of winged insect like creatures. The hideous things were carrying some sort of device in their pincered manipulators. Nick Shaw stared skyward at the monstrosities and watched in horror as the gleaming metallic cylinders released jagged beams of energy. The sea boiled where the beams touched and the armored exterior of his ship blackened where the weapons struck.

"Hard to port," he screamed as Surfer piloted the ship.

"Master Nick, this ship wasn't designed for this sort of combat," the A.I. said as the ship shuddered as it attempted the extreme maneuver.

"Don't care," Nick said as he raised the gauss rifle to his shoulder. "Power up the auxiliary generator and get ready to pop the guns," he said as he dodged a brilliant beam of energy. "Fucker!"

Nick squeezed off a shot and watched the thing explode as the hypersonic projectile made contact. He knelt and switched the weapon to full auto. He grits his teeth and smiled as he pulled the trigger and held on. The cluster of demonic insects scattered as a full half their numbers perished in the first onslaught of the gauss rifle. But there were hundreds more remaining and more coming through the rift. We need to close that goddamn rift!

"Surfer any ideas on closing that portal," he asked as he reloaded the rifle as he rolled out of a collective blast from the demons.

"I have word that someone is working on that," he replied. "Auxiliary generator is online and at full power. I await your word."

Nick raised the weapon once more when a brilliant white flash forced him to close his eyes. He looked over at the Miskatonic and the light had come from that direction. Warren what the fuck man? Nick blinked away the spots before his eyes and looked up to see the sky closing up. But it was creeping closed and thousands of those things would be on top of them soon. He tried to take aim when the ship suddenly altered course again. He was thrown off his feet and he tumbled towards the boiling sea. His gauss rifle spun away into the depths. Nick felt his grip slipping on the smooth exterior of the helipad. 

"Rogue wave," Surfer called out and the Numenor turned into the wave.

Nick cursed as the next course correction broke his fragile grasp and sent him tumbling headlong to follow his weapon. He slid ten feet towards the edge when someone grabbed him by the wrist. He blinked away the salt spray and saw the smiling face of his savior. Akira Kusanagi had three points of contact as she held him from falling. She was bodyguard, lover and confidant. Nick found a new grip and they hurried for the command deck. Nick paused long enough to glance upward and forward. The dark wave rose up like the hand of god.

"Sweet Jesus," he cried as he sprinted for the open door. 

The crashing roar of the wave struck the Numenor head on and the valiant craft endured. The holographic presence of Surfer stood in the captain's position on the bridge. Nick and Akira stood panting and gasping as the ship broke free of the wave's remnant. The ship shook again as the concealed gun ports opened and the eight gauss cannon roared to life. The weapons spat death skywards and the last ripple of the rift snapped shut leaving the demons to scatter but not for long. There were determined to bring down the Numenor no matter the cost. 

"How is the Miskatonic doing?" Nick asked and the Numenor turned towards the largest cluster of the hovering entities.

"She is unharmed. There is some sort of energy screen protecting it. At the center of that bubble is Warren Harrower. He is the source of that power." Surfer said as the ship suddenly veered to port. 

The whine of the gauss cannons filled the air as it fired at eight separate groups of the enemy. Some fell instantly while others were able to repel the deadly projectiles. The enemy shifted grouped and regrouped. The gauss cannon were no longer effective. Surfer paired the cannon now and the twin firepower took out a few smaller groups. All too soon four cannon were required to damage the smallest group. 

"Master Nick, I have detected a signal passing between the creatures," Ghost, another A.I. said over the loud speaker. 

"Send the frequency and everything we know to Warren," Nick ordered. "Any chance we can jam their communication?"

"I have been attempting just that but I have been unable to generate a counter signal yet. I will continue."

"We are running out of time Master Nick," Surfer advised. "We have an estimated two minutes before the gauss cannon are completely ineffective. These entities are testing the full limit of their capability. They are being very logical about it, sacrificing small numbers to test us. I suspect we will be dead in three minutes time."

"Great, fucking great," Nick snarled. "Maybe we should try and lure them into the hurricane."

"Concerning the hurricane," Surfer commented. "There is a strange atmospheric anomaly. I cannot get a proper reading because of the growing geomagnetic field."

"What could cause that?" Nick asked as the ship lurched starboard now.

"Unknown, but if this continues at the current rate the discharge could be as high as a terawatt of power. If it is friendly it could wipe out the entire host of the enemy. If it is hostile we will not feel a thing." Surfer said. "What do you advise Master?"

"Get out of here Surfer," Nick said. "I'll take the helm while you upload to the nearest satellite. In case this goes sideways someone needs to know what happened here."

"I am unable to comply sir..." Surfer began.

"Dear god what is THAT?" Akira said pointing to the wall of swirling air surrounding the eye of the hurricane. 

Harrowing:

Warren stood on the top deck of the Miskatonic. The hurricane had formed around it and Shaw's ship, the Numenor. Some very powerful entity had laid a trap and they had fallen for it. Warren felt the buildup of power above them. Ever since he had finished his training with the Arch Mage and had taken seven out of the eight transfers of power required to take on the heavy mantle his senses had reached a whole new level of sensitivity.

"We are so fucked," he shouted to Shu and Bian Rong. "Somebody wants us dead in a very bad way."

"Who," Bian asked looking up at the sky. "Warren... WARREN... what is that?"

"Aw hell," he cursed. "It's a gate. A very big gate that leads to god knows where."

Warren looked over as the Numenor broke off and tore away drawing the attention of the things pouring in from the air born portal. He prepared the massive shield spell to protect the ship until Louis and the others were done below. If they could succeed then there was hope for a success encounter with the thrice damned Thanatons. Shu cried a warning and Warren cast the shield spell just in time. Several groups of the things that had been summoned strafed the Miskatonic. As he sustained the shield he drew on the huge amount of power from the storm around them. 

With a roar he dropped the shield and unleashed the bolt of scintillating energy effectively closing the portal. Warren instinctively ducked as he restored the shield spell. Another more colorful curse passed his lips. Bian hopped in place as the gauss cannons were revealed and began pounding the demonic invaders. She clapped her hands until she saw how quickly the things adapted. Bian turned to speak with Warren but his eyes were closed and perspiration had popped out on his forehead.

"What is he doing?" Bian asked Shu.

"He is using the energy of the trap as a weapon." Shu said. "If he is successful he can destroy the creatures in one fell swoop. If he fails we are dead. They are a hive mind and will adapt enough to finish us off."

"I should have listened to him," Bian said. "I should have stayed home."

"What and miss all the fun," the armored woman said as she appeared from below.

"Gabbie," Bian squealed and hugged the Inquisitor. "How are things down there?"

"Louis is at a crucial stage," she said. "The smallest mistake and we won't feel the blast."

"What are they doing," Bian asked. "I have been left out of the loop, again."

"All I understand is this. They are taking a large sample of those green crystals from the metallic sphere. If they can study it they might find a weakness in the Thanatons."

The gauss cannons fell silent. The air was charged with energy. Warren's eyes snapped open and he spoke a single syllable. The world went dark as a massive bolt of black lightning lashed out from the wall of the hurricane. The fingers of the bolt reached out for the invaders and destroyed them to the last. Warren crumpled to the deck shaking as he pulled his body into a fetal position.

"Inquisitor... Inquisitor we have sonar contact," a uniformed figure called out from the wheel house. 

Gabrielle raced to the wheel house while Bian rushed to Warren's side. Gabrielle flew into the room and stared at the recently installed sonar scope. She watched as whatever it was rise from the depths. She glanced at her subordinate at the helm and shrugged. He told her what the device was showing them. Whatever it was it was huge and moving fast. She took the Lord's name in vain and headed below decks.

"Inform the Numenor... we've got company!" Gabrielle said as she slid down the ladder. "Louis... we need to hurry Louis!"

She raced to the engine room and stopped cold. Louis was tracing the sixth and last Master Rune on the surface of the black metallic sphere. She felt the power coming off the thing. It was intoxicating and made her feel light headed. So much power, she licked her lips and fought the urge. One of the professors turned to her smiling like an idiot. He walked over to the Chief Inquisitor and whispered so as not to disturb the critical process. 

"We are almost ready to extract the Thanatite," he whispered in her ear.

"Thanatite," Gabbie whispered back.

"It was Louis' suggestion for the name of the crystals. You are a lucky woman."

"Tell me about it," she said smiling. "I just wish we weren't in this situation."

"It was inevitable I am sure," the professor replied.

"No... NO... this is all my fault," she confessed. "This whole thing is my fault."

White Queen Takes Black King:

One Year Earlier:

The Chapter House was all abuzz with the word of the birth. The son of the Linguist and the Chief Inquisitor had come into the world. It was a boy and he was healthy as a horse. Mother and child were resting. The Linguist was standing guard and seemed indefatigable. He rarely slept and ate even less. It took the Lady herself to order him to eat and sleep. He reluctantly left their side and got some rest. It was the night nurse that had found her crying. Gabrielle wiped her tears away as she rocked her child to sleep. She had just finished breast feeding him and his appetite was enormous for a newborn.

"Lady, are you alright?" The nurse asked.

"Yes, I am going to miss him," she replied stroking her son's brow. "A few scant weeks and then he will be in Rome to begin his training."

"He will make you proud," the nurse said smiling.

"He will shake the very foundations of everything you hold dear," another voice spoke. "Leave us."

The nurse turned and left as the scarlet clad woman sat in the chair Louis had brought in to watch over mother and child. Gabrielle stared at the woman and knew she was anything but mundane. She was far too beautiful to be mortal and the power radiating from her outstripped anything Gabrielle had ever felt before.

"Who are you, no, what are you and how did you get in here?" 

"I have many names but I have been using the moniker of Loki Sutekh. What I am, well that is difficult to explain to a limited being such as yourself. As to how I got in here, I simply walked in the front door."

"Loki Sutekh... the trickster god," Gabrielle whispered and clutched her son closer to her breast.

"I mean you and yours no harm," Loki said smiling. "I want to hire you."

"I am not a mercenary. I am the Chief Inquisitor of this Chapter House. I am not interested."

"You haven't heard who I want dead. If you succeed you will place your dear lover Louis in a better position than he could ever hope to ascend to on his own." Loki purred. "Isn't it worth your time to listen?"

"Who do I have to kill," Gabrielle growled.

"I knew you had it in you," the trickster said smiling. "Here is what you need to do."

Gabrielle held her child and shook from her 'touch'. The power flowing through her body made her giddy and had driven away the fatigue and pain of childbirth. She not only felt back to her old self, the Inquisitor felt better than she ever had. In a few days she would slip away and remove one of Louis' chief rivals. He would never know what she had done. She would with malice aforethought kill the mother fucker that stood in her lover's way. It was the least she could do after all the pleasure and joy he had brought into her life.

"That's right," she said tickling her son under his chin. "Mommy is going to kill the bad mother fucker for daddy, yes she is... yes she is..."

The touch of the goddess haunted her for many years that followed. It had awoken in her a gift to rival that of her dear Louis. It would continue to grow and blossom until she used it to lever the world's axis and change the course of history. Her son smiled up at her with his silver-blue eyes and chubby cheeks. He would have a great destiny, the goddess had told her so and goddesses don't lie. The night nurse returned and took her son from her arms. His head was lolling to the side drunk on her milk. Gabrielle smiled and got out of bed. The pain and lethargy were gone. She changed into workout clothes and went to the Chapter House's gymnasium. She began slowly still a little cautious after giving birth earlier today. But she soon realized that the Lady's touch had healed her completely.

One hour later she was performing physical feats she would have attributed to her lover Louis. Her speed, agility and stamina were apparently limitless. She ordered the Chapter House A.I. to lock down the gym and keep everyone out without exception. When she was sure she was alone she tried it. She attempted the idea that now blazed in her head. Oh it had just popped in there but where had it come from? It didn't matter she just had to attempt the impossible. She brought both her hands up and made a kind of clawing gesture as if she were holding a fighting pike in her hands. She willed it into existence. Nothing happened at first but over a minute she felt something. There was the smell of ozone in the air and a crackling sound, faint at first but it quickly grew louder and louder.

"Well I'll be damned," she said as the shimmering blue staff appeared in her hands.

It was irregular and mostly insubstantial at first but over the next few hours it became more and more defined. By the time the headache struck the staff was a blazing blue weapon that was as solid as anything carved from wood or cast in metal. She took a break to shower and change into clean clothes. She released the lockdown and went to morning prayers and ate breakfast with the others. Everyone, especially Louis, commented on how good she looked. There was color in her cheeks and even the baby fat seemed to have disappeared over night. 

"We should take a walk and get some fresh air," Louis suggested.

"I'd like that Louis," she purred. "We have a son! We have a child, you and me!"

"Yes we do," he said smiling brilliantly.

"I would do anything for you, you know that don't you?" She said suddenly feeling the fear of losing him somehow.

"Gabbie relax, I love you too," he said taking her hand in his.

After breakfast they walked the grounds of the Chapter House. Neither of them had been outside since she went into labor. Even though it was cold the air felt amazing as it caressed her skin. She looked at him and oh when she saw his strong aura and strength blazing so prominently she just wanted to take him and prove how much she loved him. But the doctors had told her no sex for a few weeks at least.

"How is it going," she asked him. "The rebuilding of Nighthammer estates, is it going well?"

"It'll be finished soon. The Sidhe and the other Fae are helping out as much as they can. They are providing a lot of the wood and other materials I need for next to nothing. It will be gorgeous when it is finished. I can't wait for you to see it."

"How is your sister and your mom?" Gabrielle asked taking his arm and leaning close.

"Well sis is fine and mom is ready to pop any day now. I am a little worried. The Fae have offered to guard and protect him or her but I am worried Yog Sothoth will take it away to some hell dimension or another. It haunts me to no end."

"Send your child to Rome Louis, let them be raised and trained together. There they will be safe." She offered and saw the panic in his eyes.

"I know but... the thought of not raising one child is painful enough but both of them. I just don't know. I want to watch him grow up, take his first steps, run and fall down and scrape his knee. There are so many memories I want to have with my child. I respect your decision to send our son to Rome. I just don't know if I could do that to both of them."

"It isn't an easy choice. I want the same things you want. But he will be a force to be reckoned with. He will drive the darkness out from so many places. He will make us both proud."

Louis nodded but his expression told her that he didn't want a champion for a son. He wanted an ordinary child that would have an ordinary life. Louis hated the responsibility that had been placed on his shoulders. Gabrielle was about to mur... eliminate a competitor of his without his knowledge. She would eradicate this being without a hint of remorse and terminate with extreme prejudice. Louis was her world even more than Rome. Louis was her love and her life. 

They walked amongst the barren trees. The trees had shed their leaves for a more stark appearance just as she was about to do. She was going to shed her morality and kill someone in cold blood again. Why did it bother her? Rome had called on her to slay evil over the years and it never upset her one iota. But when the goddess had called her to arms for Louis' sake she rankled deep down inside. She shivered suddenly remembering her touch. The simple brush of her fingers on her naked skin. Her body quivered and reacted to the memory.

She pinned Louis to one of the larger trees. Her kiss was hungry and fierce and so damn needy. As she pressed her body against his he kissed her back. She unzipped him and found her lover so hard and in need of her attention. She stroked his rigid flesh slowly. He moaned into her mouth as she teased him. She thought of all the lewd and naughty things she wanted to do to him. Gabbie broke the kiss and dropped down to her knees.




A Brief Moment of Insanity Ch. 08



"I am going to suck this cock of yours," she purred. "Then you are going to bend me over this tree and fuck my ass. I need you inside of me Louis. I need it so damn bad."

He couldn't respond to the sudden and unexpected hunger of hers. She didn't need to use her hands much. She licked every inch of his cock before snaring it between her lips. Gabrielle swirled her tongue around the head as she gently massaged his balls. As he watched she took every inch down her throat until her lips touched the base. He snarled and grabbed her hair. She went limp as he fucked her throat slowly. He savored her eager tongue as it continued to tease him. Her eyes were blazing with lust as he slid his cock deep and then let her suck on just the tip.

"I don't know what's gotten into you but I like it," he moaned. "Loose the pants darling, it is time."

Gabbie stood up and pressed her palms on the trunk of the tree. She stuck her ass out and wiggled it as if to say, you want them off do it your own damn self. Louis smiled and tugged them off of her slowly. He remarked how wet she was and even teased her labia and clit while he eased two fingers into her ass. She had offered and he was eager to be intimate with her after two months of nothing. He fingered both her holes and used her own juices to lube up her rectum. He wanted to just plunge his cock into her pussy but she had just given birth. 

"It looks like you are ready sweetness, here I come," he moaned as he eased the mushroom shaped head of his cock into her. "Damn, as tight as ever..."

She just lowered her head and let him take control. She let out a sigh when the head popped into her. Then he was thrusting the entire length in and out of her. Gabbie found herself grunting like a bitch in heat. Each time he filled her up she gasped as the pleasure built and built. God she wanted him in her pussy. She needed him inside of her.

"Louis... do it, do the dark miracle for me," she begged.

"But sweetie you just..." he stammered.

"Goddamn it Louis, fuck me," she snapped.

"How can I deny you anything," he whispered in her ear. His cold hands snaked under her top and she shivered as he cupped her breasts. "Here I come baby... I am going to be gentle."

"I know," she moaned as the second cock eased slowly into her. "I have missed this so much."

There was no hammering of bodies in the snow. Here was a gentle caress and a very slow rhythm of two lovers making love against an ancient tree. No pain, not a hint of discomfort for Gabrielle and she told him how good it felt. Louis had expectations from her and they never manifested. As he thrust she gently moved backward against him. When his toes curled and he could no longer fight it, he pulled out and covered her ass cheeks with cum. They were both panting as they recovered from their mutual climax.

"Are... are you okay," he asked for the Nth time.

"I am fine," she replied. "You were very gentle even with my ass this time."

They cleaned up and returned to the Chapter House. Louis wanted to see his son and Gabrielle had more training to do. She found the new talent she had manifested grew by the hour. She could manifest the power into any shape that pleased her. As she practiced she could shift from the staff to a sword to two swords if she wanted it. When she imagined a shimmering shield on one arm and a sword in the other it became a reality. So it could be defensive as well as offensive. It wasn't until the second day of training that she discovered the talent had a variety of flavors as she called it.

"It can burn hot or cold and hell even give off an electrical shock if I want," she said to herself as she toweled off. "I wonder what else it can do."

Gabrielle took a break and showered off the sweat from her workout. That tingling sensation returned between her legs. She looked around to make sure she was still alone. She closed her eyes and reached down to touch that special spot. The moan was deep and guttural as she gently parted her labia. Her index finger teased her clit as she eased two fingers inside. 

"Oh Louis..." she whimpered remembering his hard cock inside of her. "UNNNN... fuck me Louis... fuck me hard... drive that fat cock of yours inside of me!"

She stabbed her fingers into her cunt as she continued to tease her clit. Gabbie was panting as she pleasured herself. Oh god she missed his touch. Her gasps echoed in the communal shower. Her hand moved to her puckered little hole now. His cock had been buried in here too. She gingerly eased a single finger there as the other hand jabbed at her pussy.

"NNNNN... I love it when you penetrate both of my holes," she growled as a second finger slid in her ass. "That's it lover don't be shy... fill me up like only you can."

The orgasm began as it always did by curling her toes. She felt it move up her legs making them shake as it did so. So damn close she thought as her inner thighs began to quiver. By now both her hands were thrusting with slow hard deliberation. 

"I'm gonna cum... oh god yes... fuck me Louis..." 

Her cry echoed off the walls and she snapped out of it. The Inquisitor looked around as she plucked her hands free. She was still alone. She placed her back against the wall of the showers. As she caught her breath she smiled. Oh was he in for a surprise tonight. 

"I'm gonna fuck you rotten boy," she whispered. "You belong to me!"

Once she could stand up she finished her shower. Gabbie dried off and got dressed. As she left the gym she heard shouting and raced to see what was going on. The entire staff of the Chapter House was assembled in the meeting hall where Louis was showing a movie of some sort. She stood at the doorway and watched the cinematic action on the large screen. There were so many things going on it was hard to follow at first. But she quickly figured out who the heroes were and who were the villains. As she watched she saw Louis pointing out things just before they happened.

"Okay here it comes," he would say and the crowd would cheer or cry out as a man in bright red armor blasted an alien with bolts of raw power from his hands.

"We should ask Mr. Shaw for a set of armor like that," one of the Inquisitors said.

She smiled as a green skinned ogre punched a tall handsome blonde man in archaic looking armor. The group roared with laughter when the ogre called him a puny god. She laughed despite not ever having seen a movie before. Who were these people and why were they fighting? Suddenly Louis was there and pulling her to the front. He sat down and she sat on his lap. Gabrielle leaned against him as he told her the plot of the film. She looked up at the bigger than life characters and smiled. Here he was once again sharing his life with her so freely.

In the end the heroic knight in crimson nearly perished saving the day. She found him the most likable character of all. Though the tall 'Asgardian' made her body react quite nicely. At the end there was a thin built man in green and gold surrounded by the heroes. He looked like he had taken quite the beating. When she asked who he was Louis told her he was the other Asgardian, Loki. He was the god of mischief and trickery. He used illusions and mind control to get what he wanted. Gabrielle felt her body stiffen and felt the panic rise up to envelope her.

"Hey... hey... he's just a fictional character," Louis said holding her close. "Loki is just a piece of fiction sweetie."

But he wasn't, no she had come to her and she had touched her. The myth was reality and she was going to do her bidding. Loki was no villain she was a goddess who wanted to help. In less than two days she was going to follow her into the underworld and destroy a monster.

From the Depths:

Nick listened to the warning claxon as Surfer cried out about the massive sonar signature. Something god awful huge was coming from the crushing black depths of the Pacific Ocean. It was headed for the eye of the hurricane so in other words it was coming after them. Nick ordered the gauss cannons reloaded and prepped for combat. The Numenor swung wide and away from whatever was coming. He looked out and the Miskatonic was taking a similar position on the far side of the calm. He still couldn't believe what he had seen. The massive black bolt of lightning had lashed out and vaporized the entire legion of things.

"By the numbers Mr. Surfer," Nick chuckled. "Tell me when and where this bitch is going to breach the surface."

"Half a mile and rising," Surfer called out. "It will break the surface near the middle of the eye. Twenty five hundred feet and rising, if my readings are accurate this thing is at least ten stories tall. Twenty four hundred feet and closing..."

"How the hell can something alive be that big," Nick asked and Surfer had an answer.

"It isn't, alive I mean, not in the way we understand life," the A.I. tried to explain. "My readings indicate this being is comprised of some form of exotic matter. The kind that physicists dream of discovering to open and maintain wormholes."

"Oh, that kind of exotic matter," Nick said rolling his eyes in defeat. "Will the gauss cannons even work on it?"

"Unknown," Surfer said. "Two thousand feet and accelerating..."

"Are you sure about this exotic matter thing," Nick asked as Akira handed him a fully loaded gauss rifle.

"No, it is just a guess," Surfer said with a laugh. "I have eliminated all the possible explanations and ended with a limited amount of possibilities. So it is as good a guess as any."

"Satellite communication reestablished," Ghost chimed in. "I think you may want to see this."

The holographic display came to life and displayed a familiar blue globe. It was the earth from orbit. Displayed prominently the hurricane where Nick and the others were trapped. He was about to ask what the problem was when the object entering the atmosphere appeared on the display. It was spherical but even as they watched it broke up into three equally sized fragments. Ghost displayed the trajectory of the objects and it appeared they were going to hit the eye of the hurricane.

"Change course and parallel the eye wall and signal Miskatonic to do the same. Give 'em all the room they need." Nick ordered as he tightened his grip on the gauss rifle in his hands.

"One thousand feet and accelerating," Surfer called out. "The creature will breach in twenty seconds."

"Fire up the cannon and target the thing when it shows its ugly face..."

The thing falling to earth struck the water a moment before the thing breached the surface. The waves created by the impact and the thing from the depths nearly hurled the Numenor into the hurricane. It was only the inhuman reactions of Surfer that saved them. The Miskatonic wasn't so lucky. She had been hurled into the storm. The hundred miles an hour winds buffeted the science vessel mercilessly. Her helmsman struggled to regain the eye of the storm. Below deck Louis and the others worked their magic to extract and contain the volatile emerald crystals and the raw power they contained. 

"Goddamn it, what the hell is going on up there," Louis screamed. "If we lose containment this ship and everything in a five mile area are going to be vaporized."

"I will find out," Gabrielle said racing out and upward towards the deck. 

She reached the bridge where her subordinate fought the wheel. She took hold of the oaken wheel and used her body as leverage. The ship was lifted by a wave even as it changed course. As the ship fell downwards the forward momentum thrust it back into the eye. Gabrielle got to her feet and looked out and screamed when she saw them. The helmsman adjusted the course and mirrored its sister ship. The two ships followed the edge as the scene before them unfolded. 

A great column of steam now filled the eye following the impact of the red hot objects fallen from the sky. The terrible thing from the depths loomed over the ships. It towered five stories over the surface of the ocean. Its bulbous flesh was bone white from the lack of illumination for centuries uncounted. The fog lent it a roughly humanoid shape but as it dissipated the horrifying truth was revealed. It was more amalgamation of nightmare than the design of any sane creator. It possessed the worst qualities of squid, dragon and arachnid. It had no perceptible eyes and yet the thing that must have been its head tracked the movement of the ships unerringly.

As Nick Shaw raised his hand to give the order to fire the three objects that had fallen from orbit broke the surface of the ocean. Their gleaming metallic skins shone bright in the noon day sun. The war machines face outward so that any hint of their loyalty was crystal clear. Nick hesitated as he stared at three nearly identical objects that belonged between the pages of fiction not out in the real world. He had read a lot as a child and what inspired more images of invasion and terror in the mind of a child than Martian tripods. Here were three of them, as large as devastating as detailed in the novel. The tripods raised themselves to their full height and emitted an ear shattering cry. 

The pale monstrosity joined in and laughed as it waited for the tripods to attack. They attacked twenty seconds later. Clutched in the metallic tentacles of the war machines were three-sided pyramids of gleaming steel. They held the pyramids aloft and the albino monstrosity cried out as patches of burst flesh erupted where the invisible beams struck. Nick cried out his order.

"Fire at that god forsaken thing in the middle," he shouted. 

The gauss cannon awoke with a terrible vengeance. The pale thing staggered a second time. The war machines spun quickly to face the thing from the depths. The machines fired a second time and the thing roared as it lashed out. Nick watched intently as the ill shaped appendage contacted some sort of force field surrounding the tripod. The thing snatched back what passed for a hand as if the shielding burned it. Hope welled up in those watching. There was a chance victory might be possible against the thing from the depths. 

A sudden flash of light from the Miskatonic drew his attention. The blast of sun bright energy struck the creature and it roared at the contact. That single attack drove the thing into a blind rage. It didn't take Nick but a moment to realize that the gauss cannon and the beams from the war machines had only been a nuisance. The only attack that had actually harmed it was the one from the Miskatonic. The thing lashed out and drove its appendage through the magnetic shielding and grabbed the nearest of the war machines. It began to squeeze the glittering metallic dreadnaught. A second beam struck out from the science vessel and this one was as dark as the other was light. The blast spun the thing around and it broke its grip on the war machine.

"Sir, I am reading some sort of energy surge from the Miskatonic," Surfer cried in alarm. 

"Put the tripods between us and the Miskatonic. They must have failed. Dear god this isn't happening."

Nick saw the hint of emerald light and dove, taking Akira with him to the deck. They squeezed their eyes shut as the science vessel disappeared in a plume of the verdant illumination. Nick saw spots before his eyes for a few minutes but he was alive and that is more than he could say for the others. 

"Louis... Warren... Gabrielle... Shu... and all the others," He said listing off some of those he knew that were onboard the ship. "The professors from Miskatonic University and all over the country were our best hope to defeat the Thanatons. We are so fucked! Surfer... status report..."

"The systems are still coming back online," Surfer replied. "Two of the tripods are still intact, the third appears greatly damaged. No sign of the creature or the other ship. Radiation levels are returning to normal. The hurricane is gone."

"FUCK... they're dead... they are all fucking dead!" Nick screamed.

Wrath of the Great Old One:

11 Months Ago:

Louis held the invitation in his hand. It was written upon the finest parchment in the finest hand. The lettering was perfect and apparently there was going to be a wedding, a royal wedding in fact. The Arch Mage was to wed the daughter of Oberon. Louis was allowed to bring one other to the event. He stood looking at the nearly restored Nighthammer Estate. It was a work of love and was the perfect retreat from the outside world.

'Louissss...' the mind speech was faint but there was a specific direction to it.

He turned towards the ley line nexus. The voice was coming from there. Perhaps it was just an echo. Louis strode over to the nexus and the voice came a second time.

'Why Louis... why have you betrayed me?'

"I haven't betrayed anyone," he said. 

"Oh but you have," the voice of Yog Sothoth spoke from that space between spaces.

Tendrils of power lashed out and gripped Louis by his extremities. They drug him forcefully to that terribly place that rains madness down upon the weak of will and even the sanest often lose their minds. This was no pleasant visit to his patron and mentor, no this was an interrogation and the dread god would have its answers. The pain was without equal and his mind was ravaged with no thought to either his survival or his sanity. His entire life was examined and a life time later he struck a hard stone floor.

"I was misinformed Louis," You Sothoth said in passing as an apology.

"I forgive you," Louis whispered as every single micron of his being felt as if it were on fire.

The gift of oblivion was rewarded to Louis and he knew no more for a timeless time. He neither dreamed nor slept but he was between thoughts and heartbeats. He opened his eyes and he was still in that space between spaces and before him the undiminished presence of Yog Sothoth. Just when he believed his torment was over the demonical god lashed out a second time and every fiber of his being blazed away in an agony beyond imagining. He couldn't scream he could only endure. Louis focused his thoughts on Gabrielle and his son. That single thought was his tenuous thread bare link that maintained his sanity. 

"Do you know what that woman of yours did?" The dark god screamed. "She killed my king, my precious black king has been assassinated and that bitch of yours did it!"

Gabrielle murdered someone, well of course she did. Someone aimed her at a target and she dispatched it with cool clinical efficiency. That what she does, she is the Chief Inquisitor of the Ordo Hereticus. Louis would have laughed if not for the soul wrenching pain he was in. Who pointed her at this black king he wondered.

"It was that fucking cunt Loki Sutekh," the demon replied. "The trickster god at her worst, she set my king up and he foolishly fell into her trap."

Between blinding pulses of anguish Louis wondered why Yog Sothoth was angry at all. If this king was so damn stupid wasn't it better that he was removed before he could do anymore damage? The pain ceased and Louis floated in the stygian darkness mentally licking his wounds. Knowing the Key as well as Louis did, Yog Sothoth must have spent a long time grooming this black king. Now all that time had been wasted. Louis' environment changed and he was in a place he recognized. He hovered near a mass of swirling matter the size of a red giant. Orbiting the Mad Sultan Azathoth were his equally insane court and their eternal piping that kept the oldest living thing in our universe soothed and calm.

"You are made of stern stuff," the voice of the dark pharaoh whispered in his mind. "Lesser beings would have snapped under the rage of the Key."

"Fuck you Nyarlathotep and the Shoggoth you rode in on," Louis cursed.

"That is what I adore about you Louis, nasty to the end." It replied smiling. "Closing your eyes won't help. The Sultan can see right through you and into you. If you think the Key was harsh you'd never survive a single moment of the Sultan's rage."




A Brief Moment of Insanity Ch. 08



"I know, I am only... I was only human," Louis remarked. "What the fuck do you want Pharaoh?"

"I want to help. I need you to do something for us." It giggled maniacally. "Will you help a brother out?"

"What do you want me to do?" Louis asked.

Gabrielle looked gorgeous in the gown provided by her the Fae seamstresses. Louis wore a tuxedo he reserved for weddings and funerals. He looked equally handsome as his plus one. The path to the grove was lit with Fae magic and gave the world an ethereal quality to it. The grove was spring eternal and was the heart of the Fae Realm. Even the constellations above were thousands of years old for those with the knowledge of such things. It was truly a timeless realm. There were hundreds of guests milling about waiting for the ceremony to begin.

Louis and Gabrielle mingled with the Fae and their honored guests. It was rare for the Fae to wed and even rarer for one of the royal family to take a spouse that wasn't one of their own. Warren Harrower wasn't exactly the typical groom either. The Althan were thought long extinct and for many that was a good thing. They were masters of the deep magic that none but they could tap. A child of two such houses would be pivotal in the conflict that was nearing by the day. The cycle was nearly upon the world and even the magic of the Fae couldn't keep it at bay forever. Things were going to change and those that survived might just envy the dead. 

Presiding over the marriage were none other than Oberon and Titania the Lord and Lady of the Seelie Court. Louis was squinting as tears rolled down his cheeks as he looked upon the unveiled majesty of the Fae Monarchs. Gabrielle looked over at him and saw how red his eyes were. It was as if he were having an allergic reaction to the light streaming off the pair. Was this due to his true nature and form? Could the nameless blood that coursed through him be causing him harm? She touched his arm and he smiled.

'I am fine,' he sent to her silently. 'I can endure this for friendship sake.'

'I worry is all,' she sent back. 'I would do anything for you.'

'I know you would.' Louis sent and behind his thoughts a hint of pain, true pain.

Gabrielle flinched for the briefest of moments. Did he know? Had he somehow discovered what she had done for him? Did he find the Sicarius missing and figure out what had occurred? How stupid of her! The pain he had sent, it was a memory of what he had endured when Yog Sothoth had learned of the others death. 

'I am so sorry,' she sent tears streaming down her own face. 'If I had known I never would have...'

'Stop, I do not blame you. You did what you felt was right. You were out monster slaying for the greater good. How can I be upset about that?'

The guilt welled up in her so fierce he didn't need telepathy to know how wrong he was. She hadn't murdered for the common good she had assassinated the black king for his sake. Gabrielle had killed for Louis and Louis alone. Loki had used her love for him to send her on that mission. He took her hand in his and wiped away the tears. To the onlookers the couple were shedding tears of joy for the soon to be bride and groom, how nice. If only they knew. 

Fae musicians struck up a tune. It was a glorious melody played by artists that had honed their craft to utter perfection. The bride appeared out of the east and groom to the west. They took measured steps towards one another as the assembled crowd watched in silence. They reached the center at the exact same moment and reached out for one another. A sudden breeze like the first breath of winter filled the air.

"You weren't going to marry off my daughter without me being present did you?" A cold voice asked over the music.

The crowd cried out as the Queen of Air and Darkness manifested herself between bride and groom. She was as tall and fair as Titania and gave off an aura equal to Oberon. She was the Lady of the Unseelie court and the mother of Warren's bride to be. Warren unphased approached the newcomer, bent knee and kissed her hand.

"It is human custom to ask for the bride's hand in marriage. Will you give me your permission?"

"Oh Warren Harrower I never thought you'd ask," the Queen of Air and Darkness replied. "I will marry you!"

"Wait... what?" Warren said in utter confusion.

"MOTHER, he wants to marry ME not YOU," the daughter roared. "Release him from his troth or else..."

"Or else what little one," her mother said in a voice as cold as the outer void. "He asked me for my permission and I gave it to him. What's done is done."

"She is correct," Oberon said intervening. "All hail the consort to our beloved Queen of Air and Darkness!"

The crowd was cheering and laughing and even singing. Louis looked over at Gabrielle in confusion. He thought she was the villain but apparently not. The music began again as Warren got to his feet and took the other's hand.

"Do you Morgaine, Queen of Air and Darkness, Ruler of the Unseelie Court take Warren Harrower as your husband and your equal?" Oberon asked watching his ex-wife twitch at the word equal.

"I do so acknowledge and adhere to our ancient traditions," Morgaine replied.

"Do you Warren Harrower, Archmage of the Circle, Primarch of the Family and last of the Althan line take Morgaine as your wife and your equal?" Titania asked smiling at the shock on her sister's face when the word Althan was uttered.

"I do so acknowledge and adhere to the ancient traditions," Warren said most solemnly.

"If there is no one who would naysay this union," Oberon continued and waited the customary twenty seconds.

"He is not alone," a woman said from the crowd.

"I beg your pardon," Titania said the color draining from her lovely features.

"Warren is not the last," a man said from another corner of the assembly.

"No way," Warren said smiling from ear to ear.

"We are the Duskwalkers, we are the K'Ta'Viiri, we are the Althan of Old," another woman added from a third side of the guests. 

"We are here to see our cousin married," the three of them said in unison.

"I'll be damned," Morgaine said nearly fainting.

"Since there is no conflict this wedding is officially sanctioned and hereby ordained. You may kiss your husband." Titania said grinning.

Morgaine grabbed Warren and kissed him fiercely much to the enjoyment of the crowd. One of the Althan passed near Louis and locked eyes on him and smiled. The crowd parted and allowed the Duskwalkers passage to the dais where the newlyweds stood awaiting their arrival. The Althan were dressed in strange garments of gold and white. They wore tunics and trousers of purest white material and over it as if spun and woven a glittering mesh of burnished gold. The trio bent knee before Oberon and Titania as they greeted their kinsman, Warren.

"Well met Warren Harrower," the two women said in salutation.

"Brother Warren," the man said smiling. "We heard whispers that another Althan walked the earth. I am glad the rumors are true."

"We need to talk," Warren said his eyes wide in wonder.

"We will, but first you have a wife to tame," the taller of the two female Althan said with a smile.

"Good luck on that part," the other woman added. "Fae are notoriously stubborn."

Warren turned to face his bride. He was about to ask what happens next when she took his hand and led him to the bridal bower. It was secluded but well within earshot of the assembled guests. Apparently it was good luck to make the bride scream on her wedding night. Warren, being the superstitious sort, fucked his wife not only into submission but made her scream so loud the musicians couldn't play over it. This was seen as not only fortuitous but a sign of just how determined he was. 

Morgaine cuddled close and listened to his heart. They were both shivering at the last body shaking orgasm they had shared. She slipped out of the marriage bed and pulled him to his feet. Naked they walked amid the splendor of a world that had never seen a single winter. There were flora and fauna that had long died out in the human world as well as some that never set foot there. He marveled at the peace and tranquility here and envied the Fae that simple pleasure.

"Your thoughts are troubled husband," Morgaine said enjoying the word husband rolling off her full kissable lips.

"I am," Warren said. "There is a war coming."

"Humans are always going to war," she replied as she pointed to the natural spring up ahead.

"This is one that is being forced upon the entire world, a war we may likely lose."

"There is enough time to bathe with me I hope," Morgaine said as she dove into the pool.

"I suspect there will always be time enough," Warren said as he dove into the bubbling waters.

They floated in slow circles as eddies in the water pushed and pulled them about. Warren let go of his darker thoughts and simply enjoyed the moment. He kissed her and closed his eyes as she settled against him for another round of love play. As Warren took Morgaine from behind at the edge of the pool he saw a human woman holding a child spying on them. She was quite attractive and had that matronly glow all new mothers possess. 

"We have an... oh god that feels good... an audience," Morgaine whimpered.

"Yes, but what is a human woman doing here?" Warren asked.

"She is under the protection of the Fae," Morgaine said as she thrust her hips backward. "Her child is very important to us, all of us."

"I am getting close," Warren warned her.

"Pick me up... pick me up damn you," Morgaine ordered. Warren grabbed her by her hips and lifted her so that the woman watching could see his cock slide in and out of her cunt. "See how big he is... my husband's cock is stretching me to my limits."

Warren held her in place as he thrust his hips up driving his cock as deep as it could go. The woman smiled as she rocked her sleeping son. Morgaine cried out as Warren's sperm painted her insides. The woman grinned and left the newlyweds to their antics. She had other things on her mind. Louis was supposed to visit her tonight. He was supposed to see their son. She had to show him the unusual birthmark. He had to tell her what it meant, what it represented. If she weren't mistaken it was an Egyptian hieroglyph, the eye of Horus. 

"Am I supposed to name you Horus?" She said as she returned to the place prepared for her. "It's a good strong name. I think your father would like it. Sleep tight Horus."

The bungalow had been decorated to suit its human occupant. She carried the child to the master bedroom where the bassinette was waiting for its tiny lodger. Horus let out a soft sound and settled back to sleep. Louis and Gabrielle knocked on the front door. She walked into the foyer and opened the door welcoming her son and his companion into her dwelling. It wasn't really her home it was a temporary building until the worst had passed.

"How is he?" Louis asked kissing his mom on the cheek.

"Little Horus is sleeping," she replied tentatively.

"Horus," Louis said. "That is an interesting name."

"Well it was the birthmark that inspired it," she replied.

The trio walked to the bedroom and she pointed out the mark on her son's left shoulder. Louis looked at Gabrielle and something passed between them. Louis' mom didn't miss the exchange but waited patiently for the explanation.

"Well, it's odd..." Louis began but Gabrielle reacted to the news.

"He has one too," Gabbie said.

"Too, your son has a birthmark?" 

"Yes, it looks like, well it looks like a phoenix," Gabbie said. "Doesn't it Louis?"

"Yeah, it's not just a bird it is definitely a phoenix." Louis added.

"Have you settled on a name," his mother asked.

"Peter," Gabbie replied. "He is going to Rome soon and he needs a good strong name."

"Louis," his mother said looking at him. "How often will you get to see him?"

"I won't," Louis said his voice hollow. "The Inquisitors will train him. We would just be a distraction. Besides they will keep him safe. I can't be there with everything that is going on."

"What is going on son?"

"War mom, there is a terrible war on the horizon." Louis replied looking down at his son Horus. "A war we cannot afford to lose."

Hollow Homecoming:

The Numenor dropped anchor in its private slip in Arkham Massachusetts. Nick was falling down drunk. He had to be helped off ship to the waiting limo. Akira never left his side since the destruction of the Miskatonic and the death of so many of his new found friends. Once inside the Hidden Master of the Order switched to coffee. He didn't want Petra or Kat seeing him in this condition. The coffee began to sober him a little. Surfer offered to purge his system but he refused until they actually pulled up to the estate. The driver pulled up and lowered the divider and told Nick something was wrong.

"What do you mean something is wrong," Akira asked as his head of security. She pulled a gauss pistol from underneath the seat and thumbed the safety off. "Give me a status report mister!"

"There is only one guard on duty and the gate is cracked open," the driver said.

"No alarms have been triggered," Surfer announced. "I am performing a biometric scan of the manor house. This can't be right... Sir, they are gone. The manor is empty. The entire staff is missing. Retrieving deleted data... all the security footage has been deleted. It will take a few minutes to restore."

"Ping their avatars Surfer," Nick said his sobriety restored with the aid of his interface. "Find my family!"

"All of the artificial personalities are in the manor, they have been left behind. However, I have located Lady Petra as well as Lady Kat. Downloading to your GPS now..."

"Akira sweep the house while Surfer and I go over the security footage," Nick ordered his lover into the line of fire.

The limo pulled through the gate and up to the house. Akira and the driver swept the entire house top to bottom. It was empty. Nick watched the holographic display as the footage was restored. It began with the taxi pulling up to the front gate. The guards confronted the man but he just glanced at them and their defensive posturing evaporated. The male guard kept his place while the female security officer, one of Akira's own led the man up the walkway to the house. The footage stuttered before the next sequence was picked up by the cameras at the front of the house. Surfer stopped the feed and zoomed in on the young man.

Nick didn't recognize him. He was tall with dark hair and eerie gray eyes. Surfer ran the image through facial recognition software. It didn't take long to discover his identity. His name was Aaron Atwater. He was a student at the local university. He was studying electrical and mechanical engineering. What the hell was going on? How did this kid just walk past the most loyal and best trained security force on the planet? 

Nick watched as the scenes unfolded and each time he just glanced at security as well as his family and they welcomed him in like he was known to them. He ordered a full spectrum scan and there at the very edge of the ultra violet a plume of energy. Surfer was able to isolate the discharge to his eyes. When he looked at someone he sent that pulse of energy and it changed them somehow. Surfer isolated the wavelength and by monitoring their biometric readouts from their avatars he felt her could possible reverse the effects.

Nick stalked into his home and he felt violated. This fucker had taken every female in sight. He wished that Kat and Petra had still been in Japan. Maybe this could have been avoided. This wasn't a coincidence; someone had targeted his family and staff. 

"Motherfucker, I am coming for you," Nick vowed. "Surfer... track anyone connected to Louis or Warren. I need to know if they were targeted as well."

"I am afraid we are too late Sir," Surfer said. "Wait, the Lady Willow's avatar is still with her and she is in hiding in a motel south of Boston."

"Good girl, send a security detachment to protect her. I don't want him finding her." Nick ordered as he went to the armory to gear up. "I am going to personally end this fucker!"

The next hour passed excruciatingly slow. It took time to find men to send to protect Willow Harrower. Her mother was missing as well as her aunt and cousin. The situation is the same for the loved ones of the archaeologist. Whoever was responsible knew who was working on extracting the energy from the Miskatonic. There had to be a leak somewhere. Nick fired up twenty avatars and had them work any and all communication surrounding anyone connected to Project Miskatonic. 

Aaron Atwater stood up and adjusted the tails of the long coat he wore. It was done in a Victorian style as were all the dresses the ladies were now wearing. Each lady was wearing a unique gown and their hair style was also unique to each of them. They were like living dolls there for his personal pleasure. As they travelled the girls talked amongst themselves while Aaron's body bristled with power. The new recruits were quite potent and nearly doubled his existing power. He reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out the letter that had led to this moment.

"Dear Mr. Atwater, it has come to our attention that you have inherited your father's treasure. My employer would like to hire you to acquire for us certain women of great distinction. If you agree you can find the listed individuals at the following locations. A vehicle has been set aside for you to deliver said persons in style and elegance. They had indeed provided a mode of transportation.

The gentle rocking motion of the train was reassuring. As long as the train continued to move they were heading in the right direction. He had performed things flawlessly so why did he feel like something terrible was about to happen? He had kidnapped the mother and sister of the tech pioneer Nick Shaw. He had some serious resources but he was still out to sea. By the time he returned Aaron would be off the grid and living off the proceeds of this little transaction. The others were of no consequence, Louis and Warren were quite dead or so his sources had told him. He had nothing to fear from them.

"Lily," Aaron said and the very curvy gal with the dark red hair stood up. "Come on over here."

"Okay," Lily purred as she sashayed to within a few feet of him.

"I hate for you to ruin that dress but uh on your knees," he ordered and she did so but there was something wicked in her gaze. "What is it?"

"I suppose you want me to suck you off," she said licking her lips. "You think he's dead. There is no other reason you'd have the balls to take us."

"You seem quite clear headed," Aaron said frowning. "Why is that?"

"I warned you about binding another redhead," the demon whispered in his thoughts. "She is very strong willed."

"I'll fix that soon enough," Aaron growled. "Open wide bitch I am going to fuck that throat of yours!"

"Ahhhh... MMMMMM..." Lily purred.

He watched as his cock slid easily down Lily's throat. Her tongue worked the tip when he pulled out to let her lick and suck on it. Aaron shivered when the tip of her tongue traced the vein that ran the underside of the shaft. Lily drove her head downward taking his erection to the base with an easy that was astounding. Hell even his mother couldn't do that. Pity he couldn't keep her. She was a gifted cock sucker. 

Aaron looked around at all the beauty around him and he saw one face that stood out over all the others. It was Willow Harrower. She seemed distracted and uninterested. For some reason that upset him so he snapped his fingers and pointed to her. Willow's head tracked slowly and she smiled at him. The hunger behind the eyes was clear.

"Get over here," he said and she slipped past the Asian woman next to her. "Help her out..."




A Brief Moment of Insanity Ch. 08



"Whatever you want," Willow replied. "MMMMMMM excellent technique you got there sister."

Willow and Lily each took a side as they licked and sucked Aaron's cock. Willow took the top half of his erection between her lips while Lily suckled one of his balls. He let out a guttural cry as he shot his load down Willow's throat. But Willow had taken her thumb and pinched off the flow and offered Lily the other half of his cum. Aaron looked down as Willow's thumb was removed and Lily swallowed as the pulse of hot fluid hit the back of her throat. 

Lily and Willow did rock, paper, scissors to determine who got fucked first, Willow won. She stood up and lifted her leg skyward and grabbed her ankle offering Aaron a clear shot at her soaked pussy. How could he possibly refuse such a lovely invitation? Willow took him in hand and lined up the tip between her pussy lips. Aaron pushed into her and they both moaned. Lily watched from the floor of the train car. As he thrust Willow moaned each time his cock buried itself inside of her.

"Aw come on fella you can fuck me harder than that," Willow said challenging him at every turn.

"You are an ornery bitch," Aaron replied as he slammed into her now.

"NNNNN... that's more like it," she purred. "I like your dick. It's nice and thick and a decent length."

"Thanks, I think," he replied as he thrust harder and faster into her.

The sound of their bodies coming together filled the ears of all those lovely ladies. Willow reached out with her free hand and gently cradled Aaron's cheek. He was close again and covered in sweat from pounding her relentlessly. Willow leaned forward and whispered in his ear.

"I am tired of cleaning up your messes," she said with a wicked smile.

Just as Aaron shot deep inside of her there was a soft crunching sound. Aaron leaned forward against her and gasped his last. The assembled women stared in horror at the scene before them. The succubus' spell was broken as the dead man crumpled to the floor of the train car. Willow lowered her leg and tugged the blade free from beneath Aaron's jaw. She wiped the blade on his long coat and collected the silver coin from between his fingers. The screech of air brakes and the forward motion signaled the train coming to a halt. She pocketed the coin just as the armed men entered the car from either end. They called out that they were police and here to help. Willow reached down and helped Lily to her feet.

"Where the fuck am I?" Lily asked as she looked around. "Holy shit, is he dead?"

"Yeah sweetie, he's dead as a fucking doornail," Willow replied with an evil smile.

There were similar cries of confusion and alarm as the armed men examined the corpse of Aaron Atwater. They pronounced him at the scene before his body was taken away. Nick Shaw appeared and Petra and Kat raced into his arms. He apologized for being late. They had to deal with the men waiting at the other end of the tracks. There were a few left for Akira to interrogate. Nick watched as Aaron was carried off. He cursed until he saw Willow standing there.

"Wait, you can't be here," he said. "You are in a safe house two hundred miles from here."

"I am not who you think I am," Precious said as she shed her Willow disguise. "I am a dear friend of Warren Harrower. Where is he?"

"How the... I have some bad news. Warren and everyone onboard the Miskatonic are dead. It exploded when they attempted to remove an unstable element from the ships power core. You have my condolences."

"Are you sure?" Precious asked having adopted her mundane shape once more.

"I was there. I saw the ship explode in an emerald cloud." Nick replied. "I am so sorry."

Aaron's mother and sister left the train so they could claim his body for burial. Nick looked around at all the women assembled. He had to admit the guy had great taste. There wasn't a single woman here that wasn't a jaw dropper. The train was evacuated and the ladies piled into the assembled limos. They would be returned home and interviewed to discover what happened. It must be some kind of mass hypnosis Nick thought. 

He didn't believe that demonic magic was at work no matter what Precious said. There was no such thing as magic. So how did he explain the inexplicable energy surge that had come off of Aaron Atwater? Nick spoke to the head of the SWAT team. He wanted a complete workup of Aaron's body from DNA to every scan known to man. Nick needed answers and he was going to have them. 

Music of the Spheres:

David Meinz was led blindfolded into the room. He could hear the others by the sound of their breathing. He was sat down in a chair and the lights were turned off, he could tell from the little light leaking through the edges of the blindfold. David held his breath and waited for the inevitable. The blindfold was removed and before him the dazzling illumination of the forty some odd candles on his birthday cake. His family surrounding him began singing 'Happy Birthday' at the top of their lungs. A single tear ran down his cheek.

"Blow out the candles Grandpa," his great-granddaughter cried out. 

He took a deep lungful of air and blew. With the help of his nearest grandchildren and the single great-granddaughter the candles were extinguished. A joyous roar came from his family and David sat back and smiled. His daughter Joy took the cake and began removing the candles so that the cake could be cut and served. Ninety six isn't old he told himself. Anna plopped down in his lap and hugged him.

"I love you grandpa," she said giving him a good squeeze.

"I love you too pumpkin," he told her hugging her back.

David glanced at the conspicuous seat that was left empty for his dear departed Emily. Fifty two years they had been married. The pain of her loss flared white hot and he fought back the tears. He missed her so much! He blinked away the tears. He opened his presents, ate his slice of cake and sat and watched his grandchildren play. Over the next few hours one by one his children left and about seven at night his home was empty once more. It had been a lovely day. His children had cleaned up so there was nothing for him to do but make his way to his workshop.

David Meinz took the freshly brewed cup of coffee and opened the door to his workshop. The walls of the room were covered with sheet music. He had collected each and every piece of music from all over the world. Here was his life's work made manifest. He had always had a love of music since he was very young. He also had a love of travel and history. So it was a natural fit that he becomes an ethnomusicologist. He studied and collected the sacred songs of the native people from every continent. It wasn't until he was in his sixties that he had seen it. There in the most sacred of songs was a secret. 

It had taken him another thirty years to decipher it. There was a song, a single powerful song that crossed every culture and had been shared by the oldest and diverse societies. He had written a piece of software that would analyze the thousands of songs for the common elements and finally it had fitted together the myriad parts together at last. Tonight on his birthday he would be the first human being in thousands of years to hear the tune that was the spiritual life's blood of the human race. He had contacted old friends and called in favors for this moment. Each musician had only been given his part to play and recorded separately. He had hired the best sound engineer to edit and paste the symphony together.

David sat in his comfy leather chair, picked up the headphones and placed them on his head. He settled them into position and reached to click the mouse over the MP3 icon. It was named 'Music of the Spheres'. It began softly like the first drops of rain hitting the surface of a lake. He closed his eyes as the first movement began to gather strength. His right index finger began to tap in time with the song. His foot soon joined in as the second movement began. The echo of distant thunder was on the horizon as the storm encroached and slowly gathered its strength patiently inevitable as the setting sun. 

As the second movement ended and the third began David's hand rose from its position on the arm of the chair and he began to conduct the phantom orchestra. He was unaware he was humming now. The rain was pouring now as the storm was manifest. The deep rumble of thunder was loud as a flash of lightning split the fading light of dusk. David's other hand joined the other gesturing, commanding, demanding the full attention of the musicians. A wall of water fell from the pregnant clouds and the clash of lightning and thunder raged above as the full power of the symphony swelled to its apex.

The pain in his left arm was the first warning sign something was terribly wrong. The sledgehammer like stab in his chest removed all doubt that he was having a heart attack. David fought the pain and reached out for the flashing icon on the computer screen. Do you wish to send this email and attachment? David's last act on this plane was to click yes. As his sight began to fail him he saw the list of recipients and prayed they believed prayed they understood the significance of his life's work. He smiled as his heart slowed and stopped. Today had been a great day!

Nick Shaw sat in the back of the limo with the strange creature that called itself Precious. Surfer had informed him that he had an email with an attachment. When he asked who had sent the email Surfer spoke the name David Meinz. Who the hell was David Meinz? Surfer reminded him that he had funded Meinz's work as a sort of musical anthropologist. The attached music file was the culmination of his life's work. The symphony filled the back seat of the limo. Nick smiled but it was Precious' reaction to the music that was alarming.

"He found it," she said grinning wickedly. "They didn't die in vain. By the gods he found it!"

"Found what," Nick asked.

"A weapon, a fucking weapon against the Thanatons," Precious cried out. "Warren you will be avenged!"

"How the hell can a symphony be used as a weapon?"

Precious leaned close and spoke about a time so remote complex life on the earth was a dream. She spoke about the First Ones and their arrival upon this world. They had locked away the Thanatons. They were the ones that wove the magic in that very piece of music. Nick scoffed at the term magic but if the music could be weaponized he was all for it. His attention and that of everyone else was diverted from the symphony to a breaking news report.

Rough Landing:

Fitzwilliger's Diner or as anyone within a two hundred mile radius called it, Fitz's. Like many of its kind the diner had seen its heyday during the 1950s and 60s when the more adventurous driver took the scenic route between Las Vegas and Phoenix. Fitz's father had built the diner after returning from the Great War. The gas pumps were brand new and shiny and the diner was on every tourist map they made. Now the sun and the heat and time had dulled everything from a bright red to a dull brown. The original pumps were sold to a collector ten years back and the new ones did just enough business to earn their keep.

Fitz had just opened the diner and was wiping down the dull black counter when he spotted the man walking out of the desert. He crossed Interstate 11 and that's when he noticed the queer smoke like vapors coming off the dude. Fitz reached down and put on his glasses that hung on a chain around his neck. The man was halfway across the parking lot by the time he had his glasses on. Yep, it appeared to be some sort of cloud like wisps of white smoke coming off the guy. His skin was marked with patches of ice and even the man's moustache appeared to be frozen.

Fitz rushed out and opened the door to help the stranger as he stumbled at the entrance of the diner. Fitz snatched back his hands at the deep cold coming off the guy. He braced himself and slipped one of the man's arms over his shoulder. He opened the door and helped the stranger to a booth. He was obviously too weak to be sitting on one of the stools at the counter. Fitz raced out back and snatched the fresh pot of coffee and a large mug. He filled the mug to brimming as the man's hands went around the mug.

"Warm... oh god it's really warm," the man mumbled in his heavy Londoner's accent.

"Mister, are you alright, what the hell happened?" Fitz asked. 

"I will be fine I think," he replied after taking a healthy drink from the mug. "Where the bloody hell am I?"

"Earth," Fitz replied smiling. "You are back on earth."

The stranger laughed and winced at the pain. He looked around at the interior of the diner and then out the window at the stark landscape. It had to America, maybe the southwest or there abouts he thought to himself. He took another sip of the god awful coffee but it was hot and that is all that mattered after what had happened. He was lucky to be alive really. After what had happened and the things he had seen.

"Mister, you want something to eat?" Fitz asked and the man nodded vigorously. "Good, the diner may not look like much but I am one hell of a cook."

The stranger watched Fitz don his apron and take up his spatula like it was a weapon of war. Soon the smell of cooking food filled the diner. The man got to his feet and with mug still clutched in his fingers he managed the short walk to the stools. He sat down and watched Fitz cook through the large opening in the back wall. The stranger smiled seeing the joy on the cook's face as he went about his tasks.

"I am Professor I.Q. Loveless," the man began. "I teach physics at Miskatonic University in Arkham Massachusetts. I was on board the ship of the same name the S.S. Miskatonic when everything went wrong..."

Elsewhere:

The strange looking water spout formed off the coast of Lamassa. The small village is located on the south western side of New Ireland an island that is part of the New Guinea archipelago. The locals were enjoying a gorgeous evening when the glowing water spout was seen approaching the coastline. The ghost like radiance coming off the twisting column of water and air alarmed many and the more superstitious locals fled into town to tell others of the strange occurrence.

Mark Lansdowne, a photographer for National Geographic, just happened to be staying in the village when the freak phenomenon appeared. He rushed to the beach and snapped shots of the water spout before it unceremoniously deposited a man in the shallows just off said beach. Mark and others rushed to the man's aid and carried him ashore before he drowned. The man was dressed in khaki shorts and a matching button up khaki shirt. His skin appeared to be badly sun burned and he was feverish and incoherent. 

An ambulance arrived and the medics took the man to the village hospital. Mark spoke with the doctors treating him as well as the local constable. The man's identification was as perplexing as his appearance. He was none other than Professor James Heatherton and was reported lost at sea two days ago and six hundred nautical miles away from Lamassa. The entire crew of the Miskatonic were reported as dead after an explosion destroyed the ship. Some say it had to do with the freakishly large hurricane that formed without warning. It was that very hurricane that had brought the photographer to Lamassa.

"How is he doctor," Mark asked the attending physician.

"His burns aren't severe but he is in shock," the doctor replied. "He needs to rest, perhaps in a day or two he will be strong enough to speak with."

"Thanks," the photographer said and returned to his room at the local hotel. He emailed the story back to the states and that's when he discovered the other strange sightings. 

Meanwhile:

Eyjafjallajökull volcano last erupted in 2010. The snowcapped volcano is located near the southern coast of Iceland. Hans and Ulrich were on patrol when they noticed the strange plume of blue-violet flame emerge from one of the volcanic vents. They drove closer to get a better look and that is when they saw the shapes silhouetted against the ghastly illumination. There were definitely two of them and they appeared human enough at first glance.

It was Ulrich Skarsol, a hulking bear of a man that decided to rescue them. What else would someone need in this god awful moment but help? He gunned his snowmobile forward followed reluctantly by his friend and companion Hans. The women were half naked and shivering when the men arrived. Ulrich scooped the closest woman into his arms, bundled her in a blanket from his emergency kit and headed back for the ski lodge. Hans mirrored Ulrich and wrapped a blanket around the violet eyed Asian and set her close for the ride back. 

The women clung to their saviors and were carried inside and set down in front of the blazing hearth. The women were definitely not dressed for an arctic environment that was sure. One wore shorts and a simple but revealing white cotton top. The other was clad in a torn silk dress of oriental design. They were given hot drinks and when they could stomach it all the food they could handle. They appeared dazed and confused at first. It was the Chinese girl that drew the most attention. Her eye color was so vibrant and in the dim lighting they possessed eye shine relegated to felines and predators.

It wasn't until morning that the ladies finally spoke and when they did their story was impossible to accept at first. They were none other than Gabrielle De Courtney and Shu Fang thought lost at sea on the other side of the planet. How had crew from a doomed science vessel come crawling out of a semi active volcano? The news and political ramifications were unimaginable. 

Gabrielle contacted the Chapter House for transportation and word about Louis and the others while Shu accessed the net and deep web for any hint of unusual activity. All she did learn is that a Wizard Class hacker by the call sign Demogorgan was seeking the same answers that she was. Shu suspected she knew the true identity of Demogorgan and if she was right Shu understood her concern.

Shu closed her eyes and tried to access her other half inside of Warren. There was a whisper but it was faint as to be nonexistent. Louis could be in the Maze or worse case he could be a mile down below the surface anywhere on the planet. Please be alive she thought as Gabrielle touched her shoulder lightly.

"I am sure they are both okay," Gabrielle said her expression a carefully constructed neutral mask.

"No word on Louis either I take it," Shu replied and Gabbie shook her head. "What are you going to do?"

"I am returning home. You can come along if you want."

"I could use a ride to civilization. From there I can start looking in all the strange places." Shu said smiling. "I will find them or terminate... or die trying."

Just before noon the helicopter arrived. It bore the Papal Seal on the side and both Gabrielle and Shu climbed on board. As it lifted off Shu could see an expression on the Inquisitor's face. If she had to put a name to it, it would have been regret.

"Having misgivings," Shu asked leaning close so that the pilot couldn't hear.

"Do you mean regret," Gabrielle asked and smiled. "Yeah, just one and that would be not bedding that blonde hair blue eyed grizzly Ulrich."

"Really, but he is so... and you are so... surely great bodily harm could have ensued."

"One can only hope," Gabrielle said with a deep mournful sigh. "One can only hope."

The Ball Drops:

New York City... New Year's Eve... 11:59 PM

"10..." The crowd shouts in one thunderous voice.

The first signs something is happening manifests in Time Square. Several of New York's finest feel a prickly sensation and move away from the area.

"9..." The crowd and onlookers keep counting down.

A crackling sound begins to build drowning out the closest of the merry makers. A visual halo forms of blue-white arcs of electricity.




A Brief Moment of Insanity Ch. 08



"8..." The majority keep going as a few fall silent at the growing intensity of the phenomenon.

The police begin to usher people back away from the electrical discharge. The halo becomes a full-fledged sphere of ionized plasma.

"7..." The voices ring out, unaware of the impending event and its implication.

A hint of panic begins to fill the closest onlookers as the sphere grows to approximately seven feet in diameter.

"6..."The newscasters are now commenting on the strange light and the world watches as it unfolds.

The cameras move away from the ball drop to the sphere of electrical energy glowing brighter by the second.

"5..." The crowd's voice begins to falter as the screens facing Times Square show the sphere and its ever growing intensity. 

The countdown ends as the crowd in New York and around the world watch in an almost hypnotic curiosity. What is this sphere and where did it come from? Four seconds later the ball drops, the fireworks are ignited and the sphere fades from existence revealing a tall hooded figure carrying what appears to be a black metal lantern shedding a deep emerald light. It was remarked by the pagans and other spiritually enlightened folk that the man looked exactly like the Hermit card from the famed Rider Tarot deck. Or for those less spiritual, it was the dude from the inside cover of Led Zeppelin IV.

Louis looked around at the thousands of people that had fallen absolutely silent at his miraculous appearance. In his head he heard the laughter of the demon god Yog Sothoh. Very fucking funny he though until a single male voice spoke from the throng.

"Dude... it's like Gandalf was a Green Lantern," he said and the crowd erupted in shouts, questions and threatened to swarm the solitary figure. Louis absently stroked the long white beard he was now sporting as if it had always been a part of his identity.

"Fuck this shit," Louis said as the police tried to manage the mob. 

The cameras showed the disappearance live on television screens worldwide. The loud popping sound that accompanied the teleportation was barely audible over the screams and shouts of the New York crowd. The heads of every major news corporation went bat shit crazy minutes later. Physicists and even the Amazing Randy watched the footage over and over again looking for the illusion, the trick and found nothing. The multiple camera angles and the lack of smoke or flash that accompanied the vanishing defied logic, science and made Randy one million dollars poorer. He had to admit, it was the real fucking thing. 

No one was able to claim the reward Randy was offering. Some tried to pass themselves off as the Hermit but they failed to reproduce the teleportation effect. Neil deGrasse Tyson even went on air offering a spot on his show Star Talk to the Hermit if he could explain what the hell happened. Social media exploded with memes and videos replaying the events of that unforgettable New Year's Eve.

Louis stood in the wilderness. He looked up at the afternoon sun from his position in the dreaded valley. The valley where the Black Dome resided and this entire butt fuckery had all began. He had reverted back to his normal appearance. He sat around the fire pit where his companions had once sat and tossed stones.

"Some people still believe if you throw stones it keeps the devil away," Nyarlathotep said appearing next to Louis.

"Didn't keep you away," Louis replied. "Why the fuck did he do it?"

"By he, I assume you mean Yog Sothoth," the Black Pharoah said and Louis nodded. "He is not a he or a she or even an It. Yog Sothoth is beyond such temporal measures as am I. Louis so are you. You still play at being a human male when the truth is so much more. You can assume any shape your mind can conceive of. You are not limited by animate or inanimate forms. You could be pure energy or even a thought itself. Why do you haunt yourself with these trifling limitations?"

"I was born human," Louis said his voice hollow and empty as the desert beyond. "I love a human woman with all my heart."

"Which one," Nyarlathotep asked. "You've fucked so many and killed quite a few as well. I'm not judging. I have had partners both male, female and ones your biology couldn't easily classify." That brought out a smile on the old man's face. "I have killed entire worlds for the sport of it. I walk timeless down avenues of existence few can perceive and even fewer can perambulate without perishing instantly. You could in time be worthy of much greater roles if you chose."

"Are you offering me a promotion," Louis asked raising an eyebrow.

"In a matter of speaking yes, we want you to be our ambassador with the Thanatons. When they wake up and they will we want you to negotiate for a non-hostility pact."

"Oh my god," Louis said his eyes widening in shock. "You are afraid of them aren't you? Whoa, I never thought..."

"SILENCE," the black pharaoh roared. "How dare you speak to me of fear? I am the destroyer of worlds! I am the slayer of gods! I am..."

"Afraid... why do you want a non-hostility pact unless you had something to lose..."Louis said smiling now at the Great Old Ones discomfort. "You can't stop them. Hell I think you can't even fight them. Sorry Pharaoh but I and my friends are going to study this energy and find a way of using it against them. It may be the one thing that saves the day."

"Nemesis is coming," Nyarlathotep said. "When it comes the world changes and nothing will stop them or us from taking back the mantle we once held on this world."

"What the hell is Nemesis?" Louis asked and the demon god smiled and told him.

Epilogue:

Warren felt the last of mana flow into him. The old man that had once been the Arch Mage lay prone on the floor panting and heaving as the last of his great strength was given up to the other. Warren bent down and touched him. He restored him to full health and then sent him to the one place in all creation he wanted to be, home. Warren stared out of the Glittering Abyss, a higher plane of existence that was the origin of art, music and magic. It was here that sentience first sprung from aeons past. It was here that mathematics and sorcery were born and kindled in the first Technomages a desire to learn and explore. It was here that the first Arch Mage was brought into being.

The Shimmering Tesseract allowed him to peer into potential futures and see what would likely manifest as mankind's destiny. It was either very bleak or a shining hope for countless generations unborn. It was here that he saw the true chess board and all of its players and pieces. He had once more changed sides and taken up the mantle of the White King. It was his duty to stop the Thanatons. It was his fate to guide humanity to its destined greatness. It was his choice to become the most manipulative and self-loathing son of a bitch on the planet. 

"If I knew what was coming I never would have accepted this," he said to no one. "I am about to make every mass murderer the world has ever spawned look like a fucking amateur. But if I don't, no one survives what is about to happen. Please forgive me for what I must do. I have no other choice..."