tags: rape, m/f, gore(not in sexual situations) "Are we there yet?" The young Yuya asked in a purposefully annoying tone. "Nay," Sal had replied in a unsurprisingly annoyed tone. "Well, all this walking is killing my feet." Sal stopped dead in his tracks, nearly throwing Yuya off his shoulders as he did. "Your feet are getting tired? I've been the one carrying you and your belongings." Sal turned the gaze of his single blue eye to Yuya. "Hey, I'm carrying your stuff though. So, it's an even trade off." She said smugly as if somehow she had won. "If you're carrying my belongings, and I'm carrying you. Then does that not mean I'm carrying my belongings as well?" He raised a dark eyebrow to her. "Nay." She said triumphantly. "Because I've got your bag in my hands." The young girl proudly held up a small, leather purse. "That's not my bag." Sal said deadly. "In fact, I've never seen that bag in my life. "Oh? You don't say." Yuya began rifling through the bag with excitement, "I wonder what's in it then." "Yuya, what happened to-" Before he could finish he was cut off. "Jackpot!" Yuya held up three gold coins from the purse and quickly hopped off of Sal's shoulders. "There's enough gold here for us to live like kings for the next few weeks." She exclaimed as she rolled the three coins deftly in her fingers. Curiosity had gotten the better of Sal and he snatched the bag from Yuya. He looked in and his face fell to terror. "Yuya, where did you find this?" He became stern with his companion. "I mean, really. Where?" "I don't know, I pilfer a lot. You know, to make coin and all. I thought we had looked through all my findings last night. I honestly thought this was your bag." She folded the coins neatly in her hand. Then they disappeared from sight and into the small pockets within her sleeves. "It's certainly not my bag." He pulled a large disc of metal. About the width of the mouth of a mug, "Not unless I'm 'Sir Erin of Bartoness'." He turned the disc to show the badge of a knight to Yuya. The front showed an embossed crest adorning a deer and a chalice. In a scroll at the bottom read: Sir Erin of Bartoness. "Sir." Yuya bowed dramatically without skipping a beat. "Sir, if thou wouldst like, mine hind quarters is free for taking." She turned her back to him and pushed out her rump. Her tone mocked that of a proper lady. "Wouldst, thou kind knight, fill me with thy large, thick, wealthy cock?" "Wealthy? Now I know you're just after my money." Sal laughed and playfully pushed her aside. Yuya laughed too, she knew full well that Sal was not interested in her, though her true conundrum was that she felt no feelings for him, nor any other man despite the urges women her age should feel. She never gave this much thought. Sal however, gave this all too much thought. As the two continued on their way, Yuya hatched a plan and naturally, she explained it faster than her brain could actually come up with details. "What if we used that badge in town and got like, free stuff? I bet they give swords and armor of all kinds to knights." Her yellow eyes lit up as she thought of all the instruments of destruction she could grab. "Knights don't get free things, and besides this town we're heading to is disgusting and full of degenerates. Naturally, doesn't take too kindly to knights. We'd fit right in." Yuya thought for a moment then quickly dug into her bag to pull out their tattered map, unfurling it as they walked. "Screw that town! We're proper knights now. I'll find a new town. One in need of a strong knight like Sir Erin." She eyed the map having no idea what she was looking for. "Well, we can't both be knights. You can be my trusty squire." He rested a hand on her shoulder as he took the map from her. Yuya's eyes widened, nearly stricken with tears of joy as she looked up to her friend. "It would be my honor to be your squire Sir Erin." She stood proudly and saluted him, holding back a giggle with great fortitude. "Here, we'll skip over Scales and head straight for Highland." He pointed to the towns labeled on the map. "I think that says 'Skaals' not 'Scales'." Yuya pointed out. "What do you know? It's in a different language." Sal rolled up the map and handed it back to Yuya. "Next fork, we make a right. Otherwise we'll be heading to Scales and not our new, more prestigious destination." He patted Yuya on the back and they continued their trek. "Ooh goodness. There will be so much coin in a castle town." Yuya nearly danced as she walked. "Speaking of gold, you're gonna pay me back for the stuff you lost, aren't you?" "Lost? It was your stuff you should have kept better care of it." "You said you'd handle it." "And I mistook your bag for Sir Erin's bag. Though, I guess you're Sir Erin now, so I did indeed bring your belongings." She paused then gave a big smirk. "Sir." The two had a good laugh and continued on in high spirits. The two adventurers had walked for two miles since they hit that fork in the road. They had not seen a single soul on these dirt streets. After what felt like an eternity the adventures had heard a cry from a small wooded area. Yuya perked up, as if she were excited. “Ooh! Do you hear that? Sounds like someone’s in danger!” She gripped her rapier with an excited grin. Her blade was a flashy one. It was more like a piece of art you could kill somebody with. Yet, here was Yuya, barely over fifteen wielding it around like it’s a toy. “Do you intend to save him?” Sal asked his all too eager traveling companion. “Of course,” Yuya said as she darted off with a spring in her step. “They may give us a reward.” Sal merely nodded, slowly following Yuya. As Yuya finally caught a glimpse of her all the commotion her grin faded. Just down the hill in a small town, four families lived here. The tiny town had been nearly taken hostage by small group of four orcs. The orcs rushed through houses and ate whatever they could find. The people of the town were panicked in the streets over all the commotion. The orcs hadn’t hurt anybody, though they were armed. “Orcs?” She huffed out a heavy sigh as Sal slowly approached her side. “Sal, we can’t kill these guys. They’re just looking for food and such, just as we would.” She let out a bit of a chuckle, “But they’re a bit leaky in the head, so to speak. So, they have to rely on strength and brute force.” She started as she walked into the streets. “Lucky for me I can use my head just fine.” Yuya’s left hand rested firmly on the sheath of her blade as she strided calmly up to the only orc in the streets. The orc was not paying attention. He was too busy searching for some scraps in the road and the large orc did not notice the small framed girl approach from behind him. “Ahem,” Yuya said calmly as she tapped the green brute’s shoulder. “You guys have eaten enough here.” The orc turned to her. He shook his head. “You not ‘da boss.” The orc’s basic was poor to say the least. “I’ll eat when I want.” “Well, dinner’s over.” Yuya leaped at the orc, she spun and elbowed her foe in the solar plexus. Her right hand gripped her sword and her left still held to the sheath. Her slender fingers deftly spun the three dials atop her sheath. She backed up the orc and pulled her sword out as the orc fell to the ground. Yuya’s blade had no edge, at least not currently. Yuya’s sheath had altered the blade. What should have been a sharp and slender blade was instead a squared rod with a small iron ball atop it’s point. “Don’t worry, I’ll be merciful on your friends.” She spoke to the unconscious orc at her feet. An orc ran from one of the houses and looked to his fallen brethren. His yellow eyed gaze looked up to Yuya with anger. He ran at the girl in a rage. Yuya merely pressed the point of her blade into the orc’s chest, stopping him dead in his tracks. Swiftly Yuya took a step towards the orc and in what looked like a blur her blade fell to the orc’s shoulder. The orc’s face twisted in pain and before he could fully recoil from her blow Yuya’s blade whirled over the orc’s head only to fall atop his opposite shoulder. After this blow the orc fell to his knees and Yuya quickly turned to the third orc. He was already charging her. The spry, young Yuya leaped forward and landed on the charging orc’s toe. The iron ball at the tip of her sword landed atop his knee just as her boots jammed into his toe. Yuya took a step back and bashed the side of the orc’s leg. This caused the orc to topple over to his side. Yuya stood proudly as she pushed her foil into her sheath with a click. Unbeknownst to her, the final orc was looming over her. Sal swept up behind the orc and with sheathed sword delivered a heavy blow to the back of the orc’s head, making him fall straight to the ground. Yuya looked upon Sal’s handy work and smiled. “Thanks.” “You’re just lucky I was here.” Sal smirked as he placed his sword back across his back. Sal and Yuya began pilfering whatever gold they could pilfer from the pockets of the unconscious orcs. Well, mostly unconscious. The orc who had taken several hits to the leg groaned in pain on the ground. It wasn’t even two minutes after their last pocket was picked when four knights sauntered up to the town atop four steeds with their four young squires following close behind. “A runner was sent to us with word of an orc attack is everything alright?” One of the knights spoke loudly and clearly to Sal. He wasn’t half as built as Sal was, but he still looked strong and was about the same age as the barbarian. “We happened to be passing by and heard the commotion.” Sal shrugged, “Right place, right time I guess.” “Tell me sir, are you a knight?” The man asked Sal. Sal hesitated but, Yuya jumped right in to cover his back. “Oh yes!” She exclaimed. “This is the great Sir Erin.” “Ah, Sir Erin? I think I’ve heard of you! From Bartoness to the west, if I recall--always a joy to meet a foreign knight. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. “I am Sir Theodore, these are my knights Leonard and Roger, and their squires Cuthbert and Gregory. This one’s, my squire: Henric.” The knight gestured to the dark-haired boy who rode the horse beside his. The boy’s piercing blue eyes looked to Sal with an expression that he forced into neutrality but that did not conceal a certain disdain. “You should kill that orc. It’s despicable to leave it in pain like that.” The young Henric spoke with what sounded like commands. “He’ll recover,” Yuya butted in. The two were about the same age, maybe only a few months difference between the teens. “And he’ll remember not to mess with this town.” “Be that as it may, he lost. He needs to be put out of his misery.” Henric got off his horse and stepped towards Yuya in anger. “Now, now Henric.” The knight spoke. “These two will be our guests tonight. Try to show some respect for Sir Erin and his...uh… his wife? Erhm, what was your name dear?” Yuya giggled. “I’m not his wife, I’m his squire!” Yuya said with enthusiasm. Oh how she loved being called a squire. There was a hushed gasp over the knights and Henric stepped away from the girl. “Ahem, well. I’m sure we can find appropriate lodgings for you two. Please: stay the night with us and share your stories. I want to hear all about Sir Erin over a nice dinner.” “Sounds great, lead the way.” Sal, or rather, ‘Sir Erin’ followed the knight as they turned around towards the camp. Henric let out a pout as he turned his back on Yuya. Speaking of Yuya, that grin on her face could never leave now. She was practically living the dream. A roof, real beds, and all the riches a knight could ask for. She was atop cloud nine. The dinner was filled with meat, vegetables, and lies. Sal had told all of his usual stories of being a mercenary, but with the added flair of knighthood. He told the tale of the monster and the girl who had lost her parents to the beast. Yuya was visibly uncomfortable hearing the story, despite the identity of the monster being replaced by a cockatrice Yuya’s plate was empty and had been the whole night. She couldn’t eat the food and she had just hoped that she and Sal could move on from this town so she could get something to really eat. The water was fine, a bit dirty and that seemed to cause the girl some discomfort, but otherwise she could ingest it. The squire Henric never pulled his eyes from Yuya, fixated on her for the entire meal. He saw something in her that he had decided he liked. And when he liked something, he wanted it. The dark haired girl was unaware of Henric’s attraction and even his attention. She was merely bored, simply wanting to leave this place where, as a squire, she had to pretend to have table manners. She finally perked up when she heard Sir Theodore speak. “It’s late. Let me show you to your rooms,” He gestured towards the rooms of the castle. “Of course, the young Yuya will have her own room. Sir Erin, you may bunk in the barracks with the other knights.” “Of course, nothing I’m not used to.” Sal lied. As they shuffled Yuya off to her own room he gave her a look that said, ‘Don’t do anything foolish.’ Yuya saw this look as: ‘Don’t eat anyone.’ Yuya’s room had a soft feather bed lined with more blankets and pillows than she had seen in her whole life. Just one of the pillows probably costed more than her whole bedroll that she kept in her bag. She made a neat little nest for herself in the bed with the pillows and blankets then reached into her bag and pulled out a book. The story told the moving tale of a young street thief, whom Yuya connected with all too well. The thief was caught by a lawman, who upon seeing the beautiful thief could not apprehend her due to being stunned by her beauty. The thief had also been rather taken with the lawman and had begun stealing more only to meet with him. Yuya scoffed at the thief. Despite the character being fiction all Yuya could think was that she was dumb for letting her feelings for the lawman get in the way of her perfect thiefing streak. Yuya felt too much tension thinking that the lawman could turn her in at any moment. The door to her room creaked open and she smiled up at the sound, “Come to see me off to sleep Sal?” “No, but I’ve come to see you.” The voice in the doorway was not Sal, it was much too young to be him. Yuya blushed and hid her book instinctively. “Who’s there?” She called out as the door shut and locked and a shape moved towards her in the shadows of the darkened room. “We met earlier. My name is Henric.” The boy’s blue eyes practically glowed in the dim light. Yuya’s golden, brown eyes actually did. Henric moved with purpose and energy, bouncing excitedly on the balls of his feet as he moved closer to Yuya. “These are my sleeping quarters. You don’t really have a right to be in here.” She stammered and blushed as his face neared hers. His messy dark hair fell over his face. Yuya resisted the urge to brush his hair from his face and feel his skin. This scene, the idea of someone unexpected bursting into a room… it was like something from one of her books. She didn’t know how to feel, whether to be afraid as instinct suggested, or excited as she would have been if she were a character in one of her own books. Henric placed a finger on her lips. “Quiet. One day, I will be king of this country, and these walls will have no boundries for me. I will take what I want when I want it and there will not be a single person who can stop me.” The young boy spoke with such passion that one might think he was much older than he was. “Well, at the moment, these walls are up for my protection.” “These walls won’t keep you safe from me.” The boy’s eyes were grim and Yuya’s heart filled with a sudden terror as the differences between the way things worked in her books and the way they worked in real life differed. She was about to scream, Henric saw the corners of her mouth twitch up. He clasped a hand over her mouth just before her cries began and they tumbled backwards onto Yuya’s bed, scuffling. “Settle down. I won’t hurt you. Quite the opposite. I want to give you pleasure.” A devilish smirk poured across the boys face. Yuya assumed what he meant--sex. Her novels detailed what was to come next. She had wanted to try it for some time, but in her stories the two characters loved each other. They knew one another for months, sometimes years, and only after a long time would they finally embrace in passionate lovemaking. She did not feel in love with the squire. But, she didn’t fight him. She would have said it was because she felt paralyzed, but that would have been a half truth. The paralysis sprang from confusion and fear, and the real reason that she didn’t move was simply because she was so very surprised and baffled that it didn’t really occur to her that she could for a long time. Finally, when Henric was on top of her, straddling her where she lay on her back, her mouth was the first thing to recover. “If I had my sword I could stab you,” she challenged him from where he had pushed her down on her bed. “It’s too bad you left it on the other side of the room,” he said, glancing at the scabbard leaning against the wall next to the door. He smiled at Yuya smugly, his cheeks red with a new kind of thrill that he was just learning to experience for the first time in his life, a thrill that he knew he would absolutely have to see through to the end. “Because I definitely did not forget my knife.” Yuya cringed uncomfortably, and winced when Henric pulled her out of her pants and removed his own. He fumbled plenty of times but the girl could never fully bring herself to resist him. By now fear had permeated her. Yuya had become very wet, despite not knowing quite why. She thought of her book and the thief and the lawman. Those characters had been in love, of that she was certain, but this wasn’t that. She had been in danger so often since she started traveling with Sal that the excitement derived from danger was the only excitement she knew, and now that she found herself in danger again, under Henric, she was indeed wet. Perhaps this was a response to her fear. He forced his way into her moist hole and tried not to let this new feeling of warm, wet squeezing overwhelm him entirely. Tears filled her eyes and muffled protests pushes out into his hand. Henric took pleasure in this. He had dreamed of commanding a woman in such a way. It kept him up late, it filled his thoughts when he met girls who seemed taken by his good looks. They fawned over him, but would they have done anything he asked them to, anything he demanded? Probably not. How he wished his knightly order allowed female squires. Then he could do this very same thing with other squires in his barracks, or perhaps his own squire when he finally became a knight. There were so many weak boys he knew from his training that he’d met--if even half of them had been girls he believed that he could have had any of them. Unfortunately this was not the case and Henric would just have to make due with travelers such as Yuya. His cock pounded her. The young girl’s hymen was broken by force and the physical pain had subsided but her emotional wounds were still being ripped open as Henric loomed over her with his hand pressing down roughly over her mouth and that toothy grin plastered on his face. He was so excited, so thrilled to be living out the fantasy that had dominated his thoughts of girls for so long that he didn’t last. The young man collapsed on top of her and she laid a hand gently on his back. Henric snapped away from her and pulled up his pants. Yuya was much too tired to say anything. Henric left the room, rather proud of himself. Yuya merely laid on the bed, too weak to even close her mouth. The next morning Yuya met up with Sal in the common area. The girl was quiet and didn’t look like she’d slept well. Sal was a little worried, but he didn’t push her. Yuya’s past was full of ghosts of the dead and he knew that even though she was normally so chipper, it must sometimes weigh on her. He didn’t want to be a burden to her. Sal ate his breakfast quickly while Yuya waited patiently. She blushed angrily when she thought about the night before and she didn’t know why. Sal stood from the table and looked to his companion. “Come on, let’s get you something to eat. We’ll find something,” Sal practically dragged Yuya from the commons. Her gaze had fallen upon Henric eating across the room and she simply could not look away. He looked up and saw her leaving, and a very smug smile passed over his lips. He lifted a hand and waved. Yuya didn’t wave back to him. She was grateful when she and Sal were all the way outside. She wanted to tell him, but she couldn’t. Would he be mad at her? Mad that she hadn’t fought, mad that she had been confused? Perhaps he would be angry because she was so young. Maybe he’d be mad that she wanted to talk about anything related to sex at all. She knew it was a private thing, something he certainly never discussed with her. The two found themselves at the town square where there were announcements from the king, musings from the church, and most importantly the public executions. Yuya was no stranger to the gallows. The place had become her dining hall and she had even found herself salivating at the thought. Sal was off talking to some peasant asking the usual banter of questions about where they took the bodies and such after the ceremonies. These were questions never well received, but generally answered because it was no secret. At worst people usually assumed Sal was a friend of a hanged man. “No dice,” Sal said once he had returned. He was frowning slightly and warping what was visible of the scar on his face. “They bury their dead immediately here.” “Then let’s go!” Yuya grabbed his hand and began running through the streets. The people she weaved between effortlessly were tossed aside when Sal was unwillingly pulled past them. It wasn’t that Yuya was strong enough to drag him if he dug his heels in, it was simply that he could not bring himself to do so. “Where are you going?” Sal asked as he barreled through the crowd. “To the cemetery!” “Do you even know where that is?” “No, but my nose knows!” Yuya turned back to him and pressed a finger to her nose with a sly little smile. Sure enough, the scent of death had brought the two to the cemetery. A man in a hooded robe was in the process of digging a hole when they arrived. He seemed to pay them no mind. The gravekeeper, no doubt, Sal thought. So he pushed his hair from his face with one hand and approached the man, putting on his friendliest face. “Excuse me, sir?” Sal sounded almost pathetic the way he spoke and with his low and gruff voice that was something. “You’re the gravekeeper, here. Yes?” Then he continued not letting the man answer his question. “You see, it’s just my friend was recently shipped here and I never got to pay my proper dues.” “One of the gallow swingers, eh?” The man lifted his hood and Sal was a bit surprised to see the man was younger than he had expected from a gravekeeper. His hair was cropped short and came to a point due to the sharp widow’s peak on his forehead. The only sign that showed his age were the wrinkles that formed just around his eyes. Most men tasked with tending the graveyards were old widowers who didn’t have lives to live elsewhere, not younger folks who could easily have gotten other jobs. “Some friend you’ve got.” “Yeah, well, he certainly wasn’t the most benevolent of men.” Sal chuckled, his hand scratching the back of his neck nervously. “They’re all back there. The men that came in today.” The young man tossed a thumb back to a cart that laid behind him. “You’ll have to sort through ‘em to find yours.” “Thank you sir.” Sal pulled away from the man and made his way to the cart. There was something about the young man. Something strange. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but the man simply gave him the creeps. That was gravekeepers for you though. He didn’t pay it too much mind. Gravekeepers tended to be somewhat off no matter where you went. “C’mon Sal, just pick one already.” Yuya whispered impatiently. “Hold your horses. I’ve gotta make it look like I’m looking for a specific person.” Sal merely turned a few bodies over, looking at their faces. With ears sharper even than his wits (and this was saying something), the young gravekeeper stifled a smirk. He considered letting them be and do what they wanted, even after the man with the eyepatch lied to him, but he didn’t like the idea of giving up one of his bodies. It was beginning to look like he’d have two more bodies to add to his collection. “Pardon me.” He stepped from the hole he was digging and stepped towards the cart. “Could I lend you a hand?” Smiling at his own hideous joke, he twirled a finger in the air and suddenly one of the stiffs from the cart reached up a hand, grabbing Sal’s arm. He tried to wrench it away, but its grip was strong. Yuya cupped her hands over her mouth as she watched the pile of bodies rise from what should have been an eternal slumber. As though the dead rising wasn’t strange enough, the bodies no longer looked decayed. The skin that was once gray and tight with mortem had become pink and soft. The living dead swarmed Sal, groping and grabbing at him with fists too strong for a dead man’s. “Just what’s going on here?” Yuya reached for her sword, with a few spins of the dials atop her sheath she pulled her blade forth. This time it was not a blunt foil, but an extremely sharp rapier. She twirled the keen edge in the air before thrusting it forth. She pierced the skin of one of the dead men and was shocked to see the blood push forth from the wound. With their previous dealings with the undead there was no such blood on those ghouls, yet these men bled like any living being. With all his strength Sal threw the dead men off him and drew his blade as quickly as he could. Yuya pressed her back to his as they stood in the middle of eight gasping ghouls. But in truth, looking at them, there was very little ghoulish about them. Their necks were bruised where they had been hanged but their skin had become pink and lively as before. Their chests moved as with breath, and even their eyes seemed to focus on them. “What do you suppose we do?” She asked, concerned. “Sometimes, you gotta hunt for your food. This is no different.” The two played it defensively, keeping the undead at bay and slashing when they saw an opening. Yuya was deft, not a single undead hand touched her quick movements. Sal was strong, with two men clinging to his back he had cut three down. They tried to choke him, but he was able to tear them away. When the the living were standing in a bloody pile of bodies they looked up to find the gravekeeper, but the man had fled. Yuya wasted no time going to the ground and eating her meal. Smelling the blood of the fight had made her starving. Sal stepped away, averting his eyes. He did not mind when Yuya ate, but he saw it as a private act. He did not watch her out of respect, just as he averted his eyes when she changed. As her bloodied hands pushed flesh into her mouth she thought of Henric. Would he find her appealing if he knew this element of her life? Would he do the things he had done if he knew she was a monster? “I thought you were bringing more bodies.” “There were complications.” The necromancer pulled his hooded robe from himself and hung it upon the wall. “Is it going to ruin your plan?” The young boy asked. “Nothing could ruin my plan, it’s just a minor setback is all.” The necromancer and the boy sat in a small hideout, the stumps had been transmuted to fine chairs, the logs to a lavish table. The bramble wood around them instead looked like fine wallpaper. “Tell me, what was that knight doing in the cemetery? I thought you said they would all be busy today.” The necromancer asked the boy. The child’s blue eyes were confused. “They are. There’s a very serious training regimen today, apparently.” “Oh? And just why are you here with me then, Henric?” “I learn so much more from you than I do from that idiot Theodore.” “Nonsense. You have to learn to be a knight too. After all, they don’t let wizards become kings. But princes are always trained to be knights. No one wants a king who doesn’t know how to be one.” The young man smirked at the boy. He knew just how to motivate him. How to get him to do precisely what he wanted. “So, go on. Head to that training. You can come back and visit tonight. While your knight sleeps.”