Warp Token Update

2k words

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-xXx-

Roderick awoke with a satisfied yawn, stretching his aching arms over his head. The events of the night had left him sore all over, and he wasn’t just talking about their battle with the Skaven ship or the ogre. He and Skyseeker had made love so many times that he couldn’t quite add them all up, Roderick blushing as he could still feel the exotic taste of her on his tongue.

There was a soft weight on his chest, Roderick looking down to see Skyseeker sprawled across his torso, posed like a deer that had just been run over by a tank. She had quite literally passed out from their proclivities, he remembered, most likely the only reason their rutting marathon had come to its end in the first place given how energetic she’d been.

He tried not to disturb her, but leaving the bed with her on top of him was an impossible task, and soon the rat woman opened her eyes, one of them zeroing in on his face before she closed them again. “Morning, Rick-rod,” she chimed, snuggling up against his bare chest.

“Morning,” he echoed, scratching her behind the ears in the way he knew she liked. After a few moments he swung his legs off the bed, planting his feet on the cold wooden planks as he ran a hand through his hair. There was enough light spilling through the window to see by, Roderick glancing down to see their discarded clothes messing the floor. “How are you feeling?” he added, noting that she was trying to rub every part of her body at once.

“My limbs are numb, my fur is sticky, and breeding place feels like it’s been reconfigured by your cock. Couldn’t be better!”

They shared a chuckle as she got up on her knees, shimmying up behind him and placing her hands on his shoulders. She began to massage his arms, occasionally leaning in to give his neck a doting lick, Roderick blinking over at her in confusion.

“What are you up to back there?” he asked.

“Grooming!” she explained. “Common practice after nap time.”

He made to say that’s what baths are for, but having her soft hands all over him was a pleasant sensation, Roderick leaning back to let her clean away the sweat and grime he’d accumulated through the night. After a few minutes she spoke up, Roderick picking up a faint whiff of her musk.

“Can’t believe I just bred with a man-thing,” she giggled, running her fingers through his hair. “Gnawdwell told me to watch out for surface-dwellers, not to let them give me their pups. Hehe! Would have an aneurism if he ever found out. Wait-Wait,” she added, pausing her stroking. “The Great Lord is watching! I-It’s not what it looks like, oh studious Lord!” she said, turning her head and directing her words to the side. “Skaven is just breeding the man-thing for intelligence!”

Roderick followed her gaze, but there was nobody was there. “We’re quite alone in here, lass.”

“Idiot! Great Lord has warpsight! Can see over massive distances!”

She certainly seemed convinced this Lord was in the cabin with them, but Roderick had never heard of a thing called warpsight before, perhaps it was some ability only the Skaven possessed.

“Are you… embarrassed?” he asked, failing to stop a touch of uncertainty creep into his voice.

She glanced up at him, her expression shifting. Gripping his arm for support, she raised herself above him, pressing her cheek into his, her whiskers tickling his face.

“Never,” she whispered, her tail waving back and forth behind her. “I am Rick-rod’s luscious mate, Great Lord, not your-yours! Bet you didn’t see that coming with all your precious books and foresight, did you! HA!”

He didn’t know what she was going on about, but he let her have her little  moment of rebellion, then stooped to collect his clothes. As he got dressed, he heard a distinct sound coming from out the window, Roderick making his way over while buttoning up his tunic. He peered out over the sill, his eyes widening.

“By the comet! Skyseeker, come take a look!”

“What is it?” she asked. She was stepping into her loincloth that served as her underwear, her breasts still hanging free as she scurried over. “I swear, if it’s the Skabrus I will jump off this boat.”

He gave her room to see, the fur on her muzzle ruffling in the breeze as she looked out across the ocean. Sloping out of the lapping waters was a beach, feeding into a sloping landscape of white sand that lined the horizon from right to left. Flocks of gulls coasted the shores in search of prey, their wings framed against the azure sky as they banked and swooped.

“Never been more glad to see land in my whole life!” Skyseeker exclaimed. “Constant ricketing making Skaven sick.”

“I know how you feel,” Roderick replied. “Still though, don’t be too quick to be excited. Few men of the Empire ever journey to these lands, and I imagine far fewer Skaven have either.”

“What you know about… uh, what’s it called again?”

“Arabia,” he said. “and I know little. It’s a realm of savages and beasts, and the humans who live there know nothing of Sigmar’s light. We must steel ourselves, lass, this will be the most treacherous leg of our journey yet.”

“Will need my daggers back-back,” she replied. “And other weapons, maybe some warpstone too! Might pick through ogre’s body again, see if I missed any, yes-yes…”

“Let’s go see Wilfred first,” Roderick said. “I want to check up on him, plus he might be able to convince the captain to give you your stuff back.” She made for the door, but he placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her. “After you get dressed,” he said, taking a pointed glance at her hanging bosom.

-xXx-

“There seems to be less wounded in here than last time,” Roderick muttered, striding across the room with Skyseeker by his side. They were back in the infirmary, moving between the rows of stretchers, men wrapped in bandaged lying in various states of lucidness. Those who were conscious didn’t even bat an eye at Skyseeker, they were too used to her presence by now to cause concern.

“Man-things are very resilient,” Skyseeker added, dodging around a nurse walking the other way. “Warp energy melts all thing-things, nothing to be scoffed at!”

“I believe its thanks to Wilfred that casualties are at a minimum,” Roderick said. “Ah, there he is now.”

The wizard wasn’t hard to identify with his green robe and white hair, the pair coming up to greet him. He was busy murmuring an incantation under his breath, bent over a wounded sailor with a horrible gash running down his arm.

“Fredwil!” Skyseeker began. “Need knives and stuff! Desert not far off now!”

“Hush,” Roderick said. “He’s casting a spell, don’t distract him.”

They waited for a few moments, listening to the incomprehensible words Wilfred was muttering. With a wave of his staff, the wizard finished the chant, placing a hand close to the sailor’s wound. Roderick watched as the bloody wound began to stich together before his eyes, the flesh mending together as though an invisible needle was suturing the wound. In an instant the damaged was reversed, leaving no trace of it save for a pink scar. No matter how many times Roderick witnessed Wilfred’s ritual’s, it never ceased to amaze him.

“Apologies,” Wilfred muttered, cradling his temple as he turned to face them. “I’m afraid I didn’t quite catch what you said. Something about a knife?”

“Arabia is finally within sight,” Roderick explained. “Skyseeker here wants to rearm posthaste. Are you okay, Will?” he added. “you look weary.”

“Directing the whims of the flesh is a… taxing affair,” Wilfred replied, leaning on his staff. “I am not the young man I once was.”

“When was that, a millennium ago?” Skyseeker mumbled, Roderick nudging her with his elbow to silence her.

“I can tell by those bags under yours eyes you didn’t sleep,” Roderick said. “You should get some rest, old friend.”

“I’ll rest when the wounded are safe,” Wilfred replied, waving a hand. “They came on this expedition under my authority, and I’m responsible for them.”

The wizard took a step towards the next stretcher, but faltered, and it was only thanks to Skyseeker’s quick reactions that she caught him before he fell over, the old man muttering a thank you to the Skaven.

“They have their own nurses and medics,” Roderick urged. “Let them tend to the injured for a time.”

“I should hardly expect the uninitiated to heal organs and ligaments, Roderick,” Wilfred replied, wiping his brow with the back of his hand.

“Man-wizard needs his nap time,” Skyseeker added. “Might fumble next spell without some sleep-rest, might turn organs into stone by accident! Stone brains! Imagine that!”

Wilfred made to argue, but his resistance soon melted away. “… Perhaps you are right, Miss Seeker, that did happen once or twice during my years as an initiate…”

“Wait, what?” Roderik asked. “You turned someone’s brain into stone?”

“A frog’s brain,” Wilfred elaborated. “and it was long expired at the time, not to fret.”

Roderick flashed back to all the times Wilfred had healed his wounds, a concerned look on his face.

“So we’ve arrived upon the shores of Arabia, have we?” Wilfred continued, confirming Roderick’s suspicions that he hadn’t left the infirmary all night. “Wonderful. Soon the artifact will be in the hands of Sigmar’s heirs. I can almost feel its power resonating through my thoughts…”

“So can I!” Skyseeker chimed. “Sounds like… chittering voices. Horned Rat’s speaking, perhance.”

“I can’t hear anything,” Roderick added.

“Perhaps you will in time, once your proximity to the artifact closes in,” Wilfred said. “We should fetch the captain to discuss strategy, and what supplies he has to spare.”

They waved over a sailor to request an audience with Von Kessel, the man hurrying off out of the infirmary. Wilfred was quick to question Skyseeker over how she could detect the artifact while they waited.

“Skaven can do anything! Warp power never beyond rat’s reach.”

“Have you any formal training before?” Wilfred asked, to which she shook her head. “Hmm. Perhaps your ability to consume warpstone warrants your magical aptitude. How fascinating! Perhaps you should have snacked on some during your lessons, Roderick,” he chuckled, Skyseeker laughing along with him at his little joke.  

“Make fun of me all you want, but I’m the only one here without voices in his head,” Roderick shot back.

After a few minutes, the captain arrived, making his way over to them. His ornate uniform was a little tattered in places, and hit peacock hat was missing, Roderick surmising it may have been damaged during the battle with the Skaven. “Master Wizard. Erdmann, Skaven,” Von Kessel began, addressing the trio. His tone wasn’t mocking, it seemed he was a little more forthcoming after seeing them all work to stop the Skaven from boarding his ship. “I assume this is about our next course of action, now that we’re a few hours from the coast of the Cracked Lands?”

“Indeed,” Wilfred replied. “While I brought provisions of my own, I must humbly ask to requisition some of your supplies for our journey into the desert.”

“Our?” Von Kessel echoed.  “No offence intended, but you don’t look ready for any sort of trek, never mind one into a blasted wasteland.”

“I’ve walked more leagues than all of you combined,” Wilfred grumbled. “a little short of breath is nothing to concern yourselves over.”

“I suggest we make camp on the shore first,” Von Kessel added. “Send scouts out to map the land, see if any of the savages are waiting for us. It’ll give us all a chance to prepare.”

“We’ve lost to much time going around those pirate fleets,” Wilfred said. “Any more delays, and we risk our enemies getting to the artifact first.”

“And losing you because you keep pushing yourself is a too great a risk,” Roderick interjected, his tone more forceful this time. “You must stay here.”

“But time is-”

“-Of the essence, I know old friend. That’s why Skyseeker and I shall go on ahead.”

Wilfred glanced up at him wildly, quick to shake his head no. “Not a chance! You will lose your way quickly in those endless dunes, and it’s only through my wards and spells that we can assure our success. We discussed this back in Altdorf.”

“Skyseeker can lead the way to the artifact,” Roderick continued. “right lass?”

“Probably,” she muttered, and upon seeing his sceptical expression, added: “Definitely! Relic stands no chance of hiding from my inscrutable sight.”

“You do have some magical ability,” Wilfred admitted. “but what kind of Sigmar’s servant would sit around resting while you walk into uncharted lands? I wish to aid you in your quest. Both your quests,” he added, glancing at Skyseeker.”

“Master Wizard,” Von Kessel began. “you can lend us your aid, even from here. My sailors still suffer from the wounds inflicted upon them, they need your healing if they want to survive. I know it’s not our place to question the conclave, but please reconsider.”

The wizard glanced at all three of them, then sighed, shaking his head dejectedly. “You’re quite right, captain, it is my duty to ease suffering, not to add to it. I will stay.”

Wilfred seemed to deflate as he leaned against the nearby wall, his frustration clear as day, but Roderick had said all he could on the matter, and they both knew it was the right decision.