Dominic N. Ashen

June Updates & New Editions of Steel & Thunder

Happy summer everyone! Or at least it will be in a few weeks, not that the Florida sun gives a fuck. Since last month’s update, I have of course been hard at work writing. By the time you are reading this I will have only two chapters left to go in the writing of Book 2! After that I have about a solid month of editing, and I will also start the planning for Book 3. This series is chugging along. For non-subscribers, I’ll be revealing the full title and cover art for Book 2 next month, as well as making the first two chapters available to read on my website!

In other news, I am happy to tell you that there are a couple of new editions of Steel & Thunder on the way! The first I’ve already talked about, the audiobook. The files have all been uploaded and appropriately tagged, so all we are waiting on now is for the vendors to approve them and get them listed. I am told this can take some time, especially on Audible, but it should be coming your way soon. The other thing I have in the works is a hardcover edition of Steel & Thunder! I don’t have a ton of info on this yet, as it’s still in the planning phases, but I’ll be sure to let you know when it’s available.

Until next time, happy reading!

This Month on Patreon

Here’s what I’ve been working on for June over on Patreon:

• 6/14: The first chapter of my first Patreon-exclusive, My Three Orc Dads, the (non-canon) story of what happens to David when Khazak leaves him in the care of his three fathers for a few days. No promises that the title won’t change, but for now it’s making me giggle.
• 6/21: A rundown on the history of the elves of Terra, and how the species that once had a seemingly world-spanning empire came to be the reserved diplomats they are today.
• 6/28: The Little Black Book tale of the Night Prowler, and the boy who used to leave his hotel room door unlocked in the hopes of someone creeping in.

Little Black Book Stories for June/July/August

Choose the the stories from my Little Black Book you want to read for the next three months, Remember, these are ranked choice, so you can vote for more than one!

Patreon-Exclusive Story for June/July/August

Vote on the Patreon-exclusive stories I will be releasing for the next three months! In the case of multi-chapter stories, you will get one chapter a month until completion.

Worldbuilding Articles for June/July/August

Vote on the worldbuilding articles for the next three months! Remember, these are ranked choice, so you can vote for more than one! For the winners, I'll go top to bottom on votes until it's time for the next poll.

Dom's Little Black Book: Fiveway

As a gay man, I can tell you that receiving an invitation to a friend’s pool party is a fairly common occurrence. It is also pretty common for that pool party to be clothing optional. And it’s certainly not uncommon for the people at these clothing-optional pool parties to pair off and find a room somewhere to have some fun. Like the room with the sling set up in it, if they bother to get out of the pool at all (silicone lube is handy, y’all).

On this particular Saturday, the party I was at was beginning to wind down. It had started in the early afternoon, and as the evening drew to a close, guests began slowly leaving the pool and hot tub. The hosts were friends of mine, and I would be crashing there for the night - something I usually do if I know I’ll be drinking late into the evening. By 10 p.m., the only people left are me, the two hosts, and another friend of theirs. I specify “of theirs” because, for whatever reason, this individual did not seem particularly into me.

One of the hosts was Daddy M, who I previously wrote about tag-teaming the sexy Bartender with. At this time, he was living with his then-partner Kev, and I would frequent their place often to enjoy their pool, hot tub, and sex with the both of them. The three of us had been chatting up a boy online earlier and made plans to have him come over once the party was done. The aforementioned sling was set up in the bedroom, and we were looking forward to getting him strapped in it.

Their friend was pretty drunk, and all three of us were wondering why he was still there. It became apparent that the reason he was sticking around was that he knew about the fun we had planned and wanted to join in. His desire to stay was more than a little strange to me, as I had the impression that this person - we’ll call him Jerk - did not like me in the slightest. He was always finding ways to be rude or a smart ass and enjoyed acting like he was better than me. Just an all around douche. Then it clicked – the reason this guy didn’t like me was because he like-liked me - or at least was jealous enough of my sexual relationship with Daddy M and Kev that he wanted a piece for himself.

I’m game – hate fucking can be just as much fun as the regular kind, sometimes even more so. At this point in my life, I had never been involved with more than two other people at the same time, and even that was still fairly new. Five people seemed like it was either going to be amazing or total overkill. Either way, it was certainly going to be an interesting night.

We all move into the bedroom once the boy arrives. Kev and Jerk are on the bed while Daddy M and I help the boy undress. Manhandling him between us, me at his front and Daddy at his back, we strip him slowly, turning him around to trade off kisses as we get him naked.  He paws at our dicks, which were never put away from the pool party, before we help him into the sling.

Daddy decides to go first and has me grab him a condom and a numbing lube. He rolls the condom on, applying the lube to his cock and Sling-boy’s hole before wiping his hands off on a towel. If you’ve never used numbing lube before: be careful. If you get any of it directly on your dick, say goodbye to cumming anytime soon. So when you use it, make sure you clean off your hand before you forget about it.

Daddy M starts fucking the boy slowly, waiting for the lube to take effect and allowing him to get used to the thick beer can of a cock in his ass. Seeing as it’s available, I move around towards the top of the sling so I can get my cock in the boy’s mouth. I hold the back of his head steady while I feed myself to him, fucking the first few inches of my dick in and out of his mouth. Eventually, Daddy starts thrusting hard enough that the sling is moving too much for me to continue, but thankfully there are other people in the room I can enjoy. I climb onto the bed on the other side of Kev and join him and Jerk.

So like I said before, in literally every interaction I have had with this guy up to now, he has been nothing short of a complete asshole to me. But as soon as I’m on that bed, he swallows my cock straight down to the root before I can so much as say, “hey.” I also hate to admit it, but he‘s talented too, with no gag reflex in sight. Now, I’m not someone who complains about a good blowjob, so while Jerk gorges himself on my dick, I lean over and start kissing Kev. I’m more than a little tempted to get rough with him - need to see about putting him in his place for how he was acting at the party earlier -  but I don’t want to kill the mood in the room, at least not before I’m finished. Let him hate me all he wants, but he’ll never be able to unsuck my dick.

Once it’s my turn to fuck Sling-boy,  I pull my cock out of Jerk’s mouth to roll on a condom of my own. I lube up the same way Daddy did and get in position, pushing the head of my cock into his hole. Daddy is right behind me, his mouth kissing my neck while his hands touch my chest and stomach. I start to relax and take the whole scene in. It’s my first orgy - anything more than four people is an orgy, right? - and I’m in my early 20’s, just starting my sexual journey. Who knows what kind of things I’ll get into one day? Well, you guys know.

I look down and watch as the boy swings in time with my thrusts, the chains of the sling rattling against its frame. Sling-boy’s eyes are closed, and he moans softly each time my dick slides in and out of his hole. I try to vary my strokes, aiming for his prostate but also trying to keep him from expecting what’s next. I stop pumping my hips and instead grab the chains and use them to pull the boy on and off my cock while I stand stationary. Once I’ve figured out the rhythm, I start to pump Sling-boy on my cock hard and fast, leaning back and kissing Daddy M at the same time. This is great.

I look over to the bed, and see Jerk sitting up against the pillows, with Kev’s head in his lap, sucking him off while sticking his ass in the air. I pull out of the boy to give Daddy another turn; I think I’d rather get inside someone else for a bit. I remove my condom – again making sure not to get any of the lube on myself – and climb back onto the bed, behind Kev. I grind my cock against his ass, and on instinct, he pushes back against me, gurgling a moan out around the cock in his mouth. Seeing as I know Kev and Daddy M so well, there are fewer concerns when it comes to protection. I grab some regular, non-numbing lube and slick my cock up before pressing in raw.

Kev can’t seem to suck and get fucked at the same time, so while I’m fucking him, he’s got his head to the side of Jerk’s lap, stroking his cock with his hand. I make eye contact with Jerk and give him a cocky smile while I fuck Kev into the mattress, the older bottom groaning with each snap of my hips. He gives a meek smile back, and I start to fuck Kev even harder. I’m still not entirely sure what’s going on in this guy’s head, but I don’t care anymore. I know he’s into me, and now I’m just wondering what else I can get him to do…

I can hear Daddy still banging away at the boy in the sling behind us, and I move so that Kev and I are both lying on our sides. Jerk is still watching us intently, playing with his own cock now that Kev has become too engrossed in getting his ass reamed. Kev reaches down to grab himself, any other cock aside from his own and the one in his ass long since forgotten. I pick up the pace, slamming myself into him, trying to push him over the edge. Just a few minutes later, Kev shoots his load all over the bed and collapses on top of it, incoherent and out of breath. Job well done, me.

Unfortunately, that also means I’m going to need to find someone else to help finish me off – Kev is the type of bottom that needs a break after he’s spent himself. I can see Jerk staring at me as I start to stroke myself for a moment. I move Kev out of the way and pull Jerk over, kissing him fiercely. I’m not interested in being sweet or sensual, I just want to cum, and he’s going to get me there.

I don’t get any complaints, and eventually, he takes some initiative and starts to knead my balls. Should have seen that this bitch was into me sooner. I bite at his lip and kiss him harder, inching closer and closer to cumming. To my right, I can hear the loud slams from Daddy and the boy in the sling, the clangs of the chains only barely drowning out the slapping of skin on skin. I growl into the Jerk’s mouth, and then I’m cumming all over my stomach, gripping him tightly to my side.

I flop back and relax my hold a little, catching my breath and savoring the warm afterglow. I look over at Jerk, hard cock bobbing free in his lap. Looks like he could use a hand.

Meh. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Gods, Myths, & Religion

For some people, religion is a way of life, and the people of Terra are no different. There are many different gods and pantheons, some you may be familiar with and others entirely new. The majority of the world’s population are followers of some form of religion, typically defined by the geographical area they are native to, but as the world becomes more globalized, beliefs have spread. Religious missionaries are not uncommon, though their actions are at least seen as less hostile, due in large part to the near-universal acceptance of the existence of other deities.

Unlike our world, the existence of Terran deities is a verifiable truth. Or at least it used to be; though there are numerous written accounts of mortals speaking one-on-one with the gods, direct communication with a divine being has not happened for some time. However, the presence of paladins, clerics, and seers, individuals who are said to get their powers from the very gods themselves, allow most Terrans to feel confident in their continued existence.

Because of the historical nature of the existence of higher beings, many myths and fables among the various religions are treated as factual, if not embellished, accounts of historical events, including many myths familiar to you and me. There are even individuals who claim to still be able to trace their lineage back to the gods and their descendants themselves. Whether or not these stories are true is something that is hotly debated among Terran scholars today.

As such, there is an increasing secular presence among the Terran population. It is not that these individuals doubt their existence. It is that they are not confident in their supposed absolute divine nature. Why do the creation myths of so many religions contradict each other? Why are there so many parallels that can be drawn between the thunder gods of completely different pantheons? Why are there so many differing accounts of the afterlife? These are the questions the secular population of Terra asks itself. They wonder if these “Gods” are gods at all, and not just otherworldly (and admittedly powerful) beings with a connection to their world.

Despite the evidence, there are still a number of atheists among the Terran population. Unlike the atheists of our world, Terran atheists are much more fanatical, espousing increasingly complex conspiracy theories to justify the presence of the divine. There are also certain groups who, if they do not doubt the existence of the gods, at least oppose that existence continuing and seek to remove the influence of these “false gods” from Terra completely.

Of course, there are also those who consider themselves devout but then see their religion as a reason, or even a tool, to attack others. People who wage wars in the names of their gods, or invade territory in the name of “saving” its people, or claim some divine right to a particular parcel of land. Though things seem peaceful in certain areas of the world and throughout Terra’s history, many wars have been fought in the name of religion. Some people wonder why supposedly benevolent gods would allow such acts to be committed in their names, why they would lend their power to the perpetrators.

Could it have something to do with the fact that no one has been able to speak with them directly in so long? Are they even aware of the actions being undertaken in their names? Or are they simply not as benevolent as their followers believe? Unfortunately, the only ones who can answer are the gods themselves.

Storms & Sacrifice: Chapter 2

I dream again about flying over the ocean. This time is different, though. The storm in the sky is raging, the wind howling as lighting cracks around me. The waters below are anything but calm, waves reaching high into the air before they come crashing down. Between the surge and the storm, it's taking all I have to stay in the air, looking in every direction for signs of clearer skies.

__________________________________________________________________________________

I wake to the sounds of birds chirping, the remnants of my dream slipping away. Haven't had one of those in over a week. The morning air is cool, and it makes me pull one of my legs back under the bedroll. Khazak is spooned up behind me, his arm under the pillow we're sharing. No matter how we fall asleep, we always seem to end up in some other position by morning.

I stretch myself out, making sure to press back against the warm body behind me. I feel a familiar lump against my lower back, one that I'm matching in front. And if we weren't only a few feet away from a bunch of other sleeping orcs, I might be tempted to do something about it. As it is, I shimmy my way out of the bedroll, reaching for my pants so I can step outside and pee. I hear a slight grumble from Khazak as I close the tent flap behind me.

There's a light layer of fog blanketing the forest, the sun still low on the horizon. Glasha is sitting by the campfire, the last one to take watch, which means she's also the first one up. She waves a hand at me as she tosses another log on the fire, which has gotten low over the course of the night. I wave back as I sleepily stumble beyond the camp's boundary, looking for a nice tree to stand behind. By the time I'm finished and stepping back into the tent, I'm greeted by the sight of a bleary eyed Khazak stretching his own limbs.

"Good morning." He smiles up at me sleepily.

"Morning." I crawl back into the warm bedroll. "Ready for our first full day on patrol?"

"Someone is eager." He sits up, stretching once more.

He climbs out, pulling on a clean set of clothes, though not his full uniform. I also finish getting dressed, pulling on a clean shirt and my shoes before we leave the tent together. Glasha is still the only one up, and I'm not sure what time it is or how long she's been at it. When the two of us move to join her by the fire, I notice Wu'dag reentering the camp from the north, a covered basket hanging from one hand. Poking out from underneath the cloth covering is a familiar purple flower, and I'm only just realizing the orc is wearing gloves as he heads over to us.

"Good morning, Captain, just finished clearing the flower patch." He lifts the basket slightly.

"Good morning and thank you, Shaman Bonespirit." Khazak gives a small bow of his head from his seat.

"You brought it back to the camp?" I figured he was just gonna use his magic to wither the plant or even burn it.

"Given that it's springing up a lot this year, I thought it would be smart to keep the antidote on hand in case of any accidents." He points over towards his tent. "I'll be brewing that this morning, so please do not enter my tent until I give the all clear."

"Understood, shaman." Khazak turns to Glasha. "How long until the others are due up?"

"Forty minutes or so," the orc woman answers.

"Perfect." Then he turns to me. "Are you any good with a bow?"

"I'm alright." I shrug. I was a decent shot on the archery range.

"Have you ever been hunting?" he asks as he stands.

"No, not really. Why?" I stand as well, following him back to our tent.

"Because we are on breakfast duty." He grins and grabs his bow.

__________________________________________________________________________________

"Does the shaman actually live in the camp?" We've been walking for about fifteen minutes now.

"He does." Khazak nods to my right. "Each of the patrol camps has a resident spellcaster, typically nature-based, two shamans and two druids at the moment."

"Seems like it would get lonely." I don't think I could handle not living in a city when I'm not traveling.

"I cannot imagine it does, considering there are always at least five other people around at any given time," Khazak reasons.

"Didn't think about that." Now I wonder if he ever wishes he could be alone.

"I have seen him in town, gathering supplies or for the occasional celebration, but he once told me he did not enjoy living in the city." Khazak pauses by a tree for a moment. "He feels that he fits better into the forest. I think most of the camp spellcasters feel that way."

I guess if you're connected to nature the way they are, living in it full time probably isn't that bad. Still not sure I'd want to do it. I'm not even sure I'll be happy by the end of this week, I was just getting used to not sleeping on the ground anymore. What? I've accepted that I'm a little spoiled now.

We keep walking until we come across a clearing.

"This spot will do." Khazak examines the perimeter. "Over here."

He leads us behind some bushes, crouching down low. I copy him, seeing that at this height I can peer through, into the clearing ahead of us. Satisfied, Khazak drops the bag from his shoulder and reaches for the bow and quiver on his back—handing them to me.

"You want me to do it?" Isn't he the hunter?

"Worried you are incapable?" His eyebrow quirks up.

"No." I glare, taking the bow. "What are we hunting?"

"That will depend on what comes along." Khazak bends down on one knee, beckoning me to follow.

He has me move ahead of him to watch the clearing while he moves behind me. Khazak's left hand comes up to cover mine as I hold the bow, helping me to position it correctly. I feel his other hand move down my arm to take my other hand, bringing them both up to grab the string.

"Good," he rumbles low in my ear. "You want to make sure you are steady, but still able to maneuver your upper body for your target."

This is all very unnecessary—the bow might be a little big and I'm not an expert, but I've handled a bow before, plenty of times. But when I feel his hot breath ghosting across my neck, I find myself not caring. He has me practicing drawing the string back, testing its strength. The bow is a little heavier than I'm used to, but I get the hang of it.

"Very good, pup." He sits back in a more comfortable position. "Now, we wait."

I'm not sure how long we're hiding in that bush for, but it's a while. I start to get bored, knowing there's not much to be done about it; we can't talk because we have to listen for our prey and not risk scaring it off. We don't really hunt for our food in Lutheria, at least not most of us. Maybe this is why.

"David, get the bow," Khazak whispers, seconds before I hear the sounds of something in the forest ahead of us.

Grabbing an arrow from the quiver, I kneel up into position, notching it onto the bowstring. I can feel Khazak behind me, not as close as before, trying to watch for the target along with me. There are a few moments of silence, and for a second, I think that whatever we heard may have turned around and left, but then I see the bushes on the other side of the clearing move.

It sounds big. Maybe a deer? The leaves rustle again and I see a flash of brown fur. That's it. I pull back the arrow, aiming for the spot where I expect the creature to emerge. Then I feel a hand on my shoulder.

"Wait!" Khazak whispers hurriedly.

What? I turn to look behind me, annoyed, but slowly release the tension on the bowstring, no longer aiming. I look to see what this creature I am suddenly no longer supposed to be hunting is. Then I hear a sharp intake of breath—my own.

What emerges into the clearing is a deer alright, but unlike any I've ever seen before. It's a male, and everything you see about it appears normal—brown and white fur, black nose and yellow-brown eyes—until you get to its head, where it is sporting a set of large, crystalline antlers. The sunlight streams through them, fracturing like a prism and scattering small rainbows across the forest floor. As it stands there, two more deer emerge from behind it, a female and what I can only assume is their fawn. It moves forward on unsteady legs, its mother watching every step. The two of us wait in silence as the happy little family passes through, never noticing the two men watching them from the bushes.

"Wow." My voice is still barely above a whisper, even though the deer are long gone. "Sorry, but I don't think I could have killed that thing even if you wanted me to. What was it?"

"It is alright." Khazak smiles. "Dhur'ovuk. A crystal hart. They are very rare, seeing one is a good omen. And killing one is considered bad luck."

"I can see why." I'm still kind of in awe. "Those antlers were amazing."

"They grow them at the start of spring, and they keep growing until the end of autumn." Khazak explains. "Once they enter their rut, they will use them to compete with other males for a mate, and normally shed them by the end of winter."

"I've never seen an animal like that before." I think that was my first encounter with an actual magical creature.

"Their antlers are a powerful magical regent," Khazak explains. "It is not uncommon to see people out in the forests in late winter gathering them. In the past, we have had issues with poachers, which is one of the reasons we patrol the area."

"Aww, so we're out here to protect them." I pick up the bow and dust off my knees as we stand and exit the foliage. "So, what do we do about food?"

"Come, we will find another place to hunt, and if we still turn up empty, we can try our hands at some fishing." Khazak grins.

"Ooo, fishing I have done before." I hand the bow back to Khazak so he can strap it to his back.

"We have poles and bait back at camp. We can search east of here first before we—" Khazak stops himself, his head turning to look towards some bushes. "David, climb up the tree."

"What?" I look in the same direction he is. I don't see— Then I hear it. Something stomping in our direction, fast.

"David, tree, now!" Khazak shouts, shoving me towards the nearest tree before starting to climb himself.

I barely have time to grab ahold of a branch before a massive boar bursts into the clearing. I mean it's huge, even on all fours it might be taller than Khazak. Its dark brown fur is heavily matted, and one of its tusks is broken, though it doesn't look any less deadly. It stomps one of its hooves into the ground with a grunt as it looks around, its dark eyes stopping on me and the tree I'm dangling from. With a snort and a roar, the boar charges the trunk of the tree, slamming into it with enough force that I lose my grip and hit the ground with a thud.

"David!" Khazak calls from above as I try to quickly get to my feet, a sharp pain shooting through my right ankle when I try to stand. Fuck, I must have twisted it when I landed. I hear another bellow from the beast behind me and I scramble to get away. It knocks into my back, sending me forward and flat on my face. I can feel where one of its tusks hit into me, though it thankfully didn't break the skin. Yet. I have my sword strapped to my back, but it's so small that I flounder, unsure whether I should try and get up again or just curl into a ball.

Khazak makes the decision for me, whistling loudly as he drops to the ground to draw the boar's attention. Bow in hand, Khazak fires an arrow that lands right in its flank, making the creature squeal in anger. Turn to face its new challenger, it runs towards the orc as he notches another arrow. Khazak leaps out of the way as the boar passes him, firing as it turns around and landing another arrow directly in its side. It's still moving, and now it looks angrier. Standing, Khazak notches two more arrows—at the same time—aiming steadily at his target. With a rage-filled bellow, the boar charges once more. Khazak lets the arrows fly, each landing with a wet and heavy thud, one in its snout and the other directly in its eye. With a final screech, the beast collapses mid-charge, corpse sliding along the ground towards Khazak.

Carefully, Khazak makes his way over to the boar, pulling his longsword from the scabbard on his back and driving it into the body, ensuring its demise. Then after laying the blade on the ground, Khazak moves over to me.

"Are you alright?" He kneels over my prone form, checking for my injuries.

"I think I twisted my ankle when I fell." I hiss at the twinge of pain that comes when I try to move it.

"Let me see." Khazak helps to lay me flat on the forest floor, rolling up one of my pant legs to inspect my ankle. "This may hurt, but I need to check if anything is broken or needs to be set."

I nod, whimpering when I feel his fingers pressing against the injury. Fuck, that hurts. Leg injuries are the worst. How am I going to get around? How am I going to get back to camp? Hell, how am I gonna get back to the city?

"Definitely twisted, but I think that is all." Khazak nods confidently. "Alright, hold still."

He places both hands over my injury, eyes closing as he mumbles...an incantation? I feel his hands start to get warm, and then my injured ankle begins to tingle. Is he casting a spell?!

"What the hell?" I whisper as I watch Khazak heal my ankle. "You're a spellcaster?!"

Khazak looks at me puzzled. "I can use a small amount of natural magic. I thought you knew."

"No, how would I know that?" I move my ankle around carefully. Feels a lot better.

"I mean, I am a 'ranger.'"

"Okay, but I didn't know you meant that kind of ranger." Rangers are typically known for things like scouting, hunting, and protecting forests, and some of those rangers can cast small amounts of natural magic. Sorta like a druid-lite. Look, magic is very confusing. "Does that mean all the other rangers are spellcasters, too?"

"Fair enough. A few are, but most are not." He frowns when I scowl at that reply. "David, I promise this is not something I was keeping from you."

"Feels like it." I thought we were past all the secrets and not telling each other things. "How come I've never seen you using it before now?"

"I did not have a reason to use it before now." I scowl more at the lack of explanation. "David, what I just did to your ankle is about the extent of what I am capable of. I am not that powerful, and also do not generally like using magic for things I am capable of doing myself. Frankly, given the source of my magic, I have even less of a reason to use it in the city. Other than a small amount of healing, everything I can do is related to animals and the outdoors."

I guess he has a point, we haven't exactly been outside much and it's not like he has any pets. Though he probably could have made finding that old lady's dog a lot easier. Or healed my scraped up knees after that first time I ran away. When I think about it, it's just...not really a big deal when you consider everything else that's happened between us. "Okay. I believe you. Sorry for overreacting."

Khazak smiles. "Can you walk?" He stands and offers me a hand up.

"I think so." I tentatively try putting weight on my injured ankle. "Feels maybe a little uncomfortable, but it doesn't hurt."

"Good. When we get back to camp, shaman Bonespirit will be able to heal you better than I can." Khazak turns to look at the dead boar. "We can get the rest of the patrol to help carry that back. I would say we found more than just breakfast."

"I didn't think you guys had wild boars around here." I've never seen one before.

"We do not." Khazak kicks the body lightly with his foot. "This is not wild, it is feral. It likely escaped from one of the human settlements on the coast and has been surviving out here for some time. Possibly years, given its size."

After dusting myself off, we start the walk back to camp. As always, I have a million questions about the new bit of info I just learned. "So... What else can you do?"

"What do you mean?" Khazak tilts his head.

"Your magic, what else can you do?" I really haven't met that many spellcasters, and the ones I have are all wizards or some kind of priest.

"Ah, well..." He starts to think. "I can use it to tell what the weather will be like, usually through the next day. I can manipulate a small amount of earth and water, and affect the growth of certain flora. I am able to search for specific animals and plants, especially of the magical variety. And in addition to what I did to your leg, I can detect and heal certain poisons. I can also communicate with animals to some degree."

"You can talk to animals?" That piques my interest.

"Communicate." He clarifies. "Animals do not talk. They use body language and sometimes sounds and noises, most that we cannot even perceive. My magic makes it easier to understand one another, even pass along a message to another person. Oh, here is a useful trick." Khazak pauses, holding his hands out to the sides and inhaling deeply.

"Shhhhhhh..." Khazak breaths out, as if shushing the woods themselves. All around us, the sounds of the forest go silent, sounds I didn't even realize were there. The wind blowing through the trees, a bird chirping, squirrels jumping from branch to branch. Everything is quiet.

"Wow," I try to say, but it barely comes out a whisper. Smirking, Khazak moves forward, motioning for me to follow. Once we're a few feet away, I can hear the sounds of nature return, as do our voices.

"How did you do that?" I'm hoping for an answer that isn't just 'magic.'

"The spell controls the movement of the wind in the area, stifling any sound traveling within it." I can tell he's proud of that, even if I didn't fully understand that explanation.

"Why didn't you do that when we were hunting the deer?" Seems like it would have been useful.

Khazak chuckles. "As I said, I do not see the purpose in using magic for something relatively trivial. Besides, if I had, I might not have heard the boar as it approached."

"How did you hear that?" If he hadn't, we might have ended up the boar's meal instead. "More magic?"

Khazak taps one of his large, pointed green ears. "These big things are good for something."

Everyone is awake and milling about when we make it back to camp. Khazak sits me by the fire while he talks to Wu'dag, who then comes over to take a look at my foot. While he does that, Khazak gathers three of the other orcs, as well as what looks like a pallet you'd use to carry an injured person, to bring back breakfast. Wu'dag kneels in front of me, inspecting my ankle.

"Always getting in trouble, huh?" I roll my eyes as he places both hands on my ankle and I can feel the warm tingle of his magic flowing into me. "There we go, should be good as new."

I flex and rotate my ankle, pleased to find that it doesn't hurt at all. "Thanks."

"That is why I am here." The shaman stands, brushing off his robes. "Cannot wait to see what caused all the trouble."

Twenty minutes later, the four orcs march back into camp, the body of the boar carried between them. They stop just after reaching the camp's border, moving the body off the pallet and onto the ground near the edge.

"Damn boys." Wu'dag whistles as he steps over, walking around the body. "This will feed us all week. Hold on."

The shaman steps into his tent while Glasha heads for the supply tent. Wu'dag returns with a small pouch, but Glasha comes back with a bunch of knives. Right, we have to actually butcher this thing. She hands one of the knives to Arik, setting the rest to the side. Both orcs stand back while Wu'dag reaches into his pouch and sprinkles a white powder over the corpse as he walks around it, casting a spell. I see the powder start to glow, but then it's gone, absorbed by the body.

"What was that?" I ask Khazak.

"Preservation spell," Wu'dag answers for himself. "Just needs a pinch of salt. A lot of priests and healers use it to preserve bodies after death, to wait for a funeral or in case the body needs to be transported. However, it can also be used to stop meat from spoiling."

"How long does it last?" Learning all kinds of things about magic today.

"About a week." Wu'dag eyes the corpse as the two orcs wielding knives roll the corpse onto its side and start making their cuts. "Ugh, I usually cannot stomach this part, I will be in my tent."

I quickly realize my stomach shares Wu'dag's sentiments. I know we have to drain and clean the meat first but... There's a lot of blood. Like, a lot. Turns out I am more than happy to leave that part of where my food comes from a mystery. I hope the tent walls block out the hacking noises. "I think I'm gonna go too."

"I have a better idea." Khazak smiles, a twinkle in his eye. "How is your ankle feeling?"

"Never better." I kick out the foot in question.

"Excellent." He turns to the other orcs. "David and I are going to go and get cleaned up." The orcs wave us off, Khazak stopping to grab his bag from our tent on our way out. We leave camp and head southwest.

"So, I noticed you didn't jump on the pig-slicing bandwagon back there. Not a fan?" Not that I blame him.

"Not when I can help it," he admits. "There is a reason I use a butcher in the city. I am lucky, not everyone can afford that. We have only kept livestock in V'rok'sh Tah'lj the last fifty years or so. Many orcs still supplement their diets by hunting. We will likely see a few in the forest over the course of the week." It is a big city, and orcs need more meat in their diets than most.

We walk for another fifteen minutes when I hear running water in the distance. I remember the small stream we crossed on the way here and figure it's that. There are some hills ahead of us that Khazak seems to be headed for, or at least leading us around. The sound of water only gets stronger as we climb up, and when we reach the top, I am amazed by the sight that greets us.

"Welcome to Shad'rok Springs," Khazak announces. I look over the springs ahead of us, the focal point being the large pool in the center. The water is so clear that I can see turtles swimming underneath. There are other, smaller ponds around the center pool, and a few places where the springs split off into rivers and streams. There's even a small waterfall feeding into the whole thing.

"It's beautiful." So beautiful It almost feels wrong to be here.

"Very." Khazak takes my hand, leading me down to the shore where he drops his bag. He reaches for his shirt, pulling it over his head and smirking. "Feels good too."

I take the hint, pulling off my own shirt before reaching for my belt. Khazak's naked a split second before I am, wading into the shallow waters with a hand outstretched for me. The water is cool as it hits my legs, though not in an unpleasant way. We walk a few more steps before reaching the edge of a drop, the small lake going deeper than it appears. You can still see all the way to the floor, though.

I'm the first to jump in, Khazak right behind me. The temperature is a small shock to the system, but I warm up quickly, especially with another body so close. There's some touching, even flirting as we swim together. At one point I dive down to see if I can touch the bottom (I can), and on the way back up I goose him on the ass, which devolves into a short-lived splash fight, which then morphs into a little making out. Which it turns out is not that easy to do when you're swimming. After a while we're both just floating there together, enjoying the peace around us.

Eventually we have to get out—we are out here to work after all—and we wade our way up the shore to our clothes. Sucks that we have to air dry now, but that was worth it. I see Khazak bent over and reaching into his bag and have to fight the urge to pinch him again. He's got a nice ass. He pulls out a big green and white blanket, shaking it out and spreading it flat over a patch of grass. Tossing the bag to one side, he lays down, patting a spot at his side for me to join him.

"What's all this?" I ask as I lower myself to the blanket.

Before he answers, Khazak pulls me to him. I shiver as he kisses me, our wet bodies cooling in the spring air.

"It was recently brought to my attention that you lost your virginity to a brute." He tucks a lock of wet hair behind my ear. "As your kavan, it only seemed appropriate that I remedy that." He calls himself the corresponding title to my avakesh, that means guardian and protector as well as owner. I ignore the fact that he is the brute in question, because I wanna see where this is going.

He leans in to kiss me again, before moving his lips to my ears and then neck. He sucks a wet trail of kisses down my shoulders and chest, running his hands across my stomach light enough to tickle. He lathes his tongue over each of my nipples, reaching over to his bag with one arm when he moves to my stomach. After rummaging around, his hand emerges clutching my trusty cleansing charm. I'm glad one of us remembered to pack that.

He kisses my stomach before placing the small stone in the same spot, where it warms as it activates. This handy little thing is enchanted with a spell that cleans me out and even lubes me up a little, which makes prepping for sex a lot easier. I gotta admit, I find it kinda hot when he does it to me, getting me ready for him to use—though I'm getting the feeling that it's not going to be that kind of a session. He puts the charm away while he moves down to my thighs, licking and then biting the insides gently before turning his face directly into my crotch. He nuzzles against my sack before moving up to my rapidly growing cock, engulfing me fully.

I moan, reaching down by reflex to grab his hair, and I realize this is maybe the first time he hasn't bound my hands during sex, or ordered me to keep them in place. It's...different. I run my fingers through his damp hair as he bobs up and down, catching his eye when he looks up at me. With a final lick, he releases my length, motioning for me to flip onto my stomach

He spreads my legs, hiking one up slightly as he lowers his mouth to my body again, this time running his tongue across my hole. I shudder and bite my lip. I love when he does this. He slowly licks over my hole again and again, until he decides he wants more and pushes it inside of me. I can't help but press back when he spears me on his tongue, steadily driving it in and out of me. He squeezes my backside with both hands, gently kneading the flesh as he feasts.

It almost feels like it's over too soon, or it would if I wasn't so eager to move onto the next part. He flips me back over, climbing up my front as he reaches into his bag once again. He slots our bodies together as he kisses me again, and it is certainly an interesting thing to taste yourself, your own (clean) ass, on someone else's mouth. It's not bad, just different, and I've certainly gotten used to it the past few weeks. When he pulls back, I see he's grabbed the lube oil. I love that he's always so prepared.

He moves to lay beside me, keeping me flat on my back and pulling one of my legs over his. Uncorking the bottle, he pours some onto his fingers and reaches them between my spread legs. I feel his slippery fingers slide between my cheeks until they find their target, slowly circling my rim. The first finger enters me slowly, the feeling of being breached making me close my eyes and moan. Khazak leans down as he presses in deeper, stroking his finger over that little nub inside me he's informed me is called my prostate, and I jump at the jolt of pleasure it sends through my body. He keeps pushing inside, not stopping until he reaches the last knuckle, before kissing me again, stroking my tongue with his own as he pumps his finger in and out of my body.

Soon a second finger joins the first, and I whimper once I start feeling the burn of being stretched. Khazak doesn't stop until both fingers are easily gliding in and out of my hole, which doesn't take very long thanks to all the practice I've been getting lately. Once he's satisfied, he moves between my spread legs, slicking his cock up as he lifts them to his shoulders.

He rubs the head of his cock against my hole briefly before pushing in. The position is a little awkward, the angle not great for leverage and the ground less than comfortable, but that kind of adds to the charm of the whole thing. I mean, I'm supposed to be losing my virginity again, right? Awkwardness is expected.

Of course, once he gets the rest of his cock in me, my thoughts aren't on things being awkward. They're a little too focused on "oh gods, I have his huge dick inside of me." He stops once he's all the way in, running his hands up and down my thighs and chest while I adjust. When I'm ready, I give him a squeeze, smiling to myself when I feel his dick twitch in response. He kisses my calf as he starts to move, pulling out only an inch or two before pushing back in.

His hips find a steady rhythm as he pumps himself in and out of my body. He's pulling out at least half way on each stroke and I'm really starting to feel it. My hole is relaxed, no longer feeling any burn, just the pleasant feeling that comes as he slides over my prostate and the familiar pressure that starts building in my groin. My cock is half-hard, as it usually is when I'm getting fucked, leaking a steady stream of precum onto my stomach.

My hole starts to tremble as his speed increases, the pressure nearing its peak. The more we've done this, the easier it's gotten for me to cum this way. A dry, prostate, or anal orgasm; I've heard them referred to as all three by now. I reach both hands down to squeeze behind his thighs, encouraging him to keep fucking me through it. I bite my lip as it washes over me, exhaling with a moan when I feel my hole futilely pushing out. Yeah, that's the good stuff.

He keeps up this rhythm for the next few minutes, fucking me through one more orgasm before I feel him start to lose control. Which works for me because as I said, the ground isn't exactly comfortable. I move my legs from his shoulders, reaching up for him with my arms. He lowers himself, bending me in half while keeping his dick buried to the hilt. I'm essentially being held down on my shoulders, and I am really glad we lucked out on a patch of grass without any rocks.

At this angle and with more leverage, the speed he's fucking me increases. A lot. He's got both his hands under my arms, gripping my shoulders to hold me in place. He kisses me, fast, hard, and sloppy, all tongue and teeth. The strength of his thrusts threatens to slide me off the blanket. He growls into my mouth as he slams his hips into me, and boy, I didn't think I was gonna cum a third time but I am there.

Apparently, setting me off is enough to set him off, and he growls again as his dick pulses inside of me. I can feel his cum, hot and thick as it shoots into me, his body pressing forward with every shot. His hands are still squeezing my shoulders, holding me to him tightly as he unloads. By the time he's finished, I just know I'm gonna leave a mess on this blanket when he pulls out, no matter how hard I try to hold it in.

We pull our faces apart and catch our breaths, our bodies covered in sweat that we traded for the water covering us earlier. May as well take another dip. He leans up, releasing my legs so they can fall around his hips, and they are definitely going to be sore later. I reach a hand up and run it down his chest. Worth it.

Carefully, he pulls back, allowing his softening length to slip out of me gently, a familiar sticky, wet feeling following. I try to tighten up by reflex, and am reminded how useless that is when I feel a familiar twinge of pain and no less of a mess. Oh well, not my blanket. Khazak falls beside me, pulling me into him and throwing his arm over my waist.

"Wow," I say again.

"Wow indeed." He strokes a hand down my cheek. "Did you enjoy that?"

"Yeah, a lot." I nod, kissing his palm. "Though I'd still take a rough roll in the hay with the brute any day."

"I do not think he has plans to go anywhere." He leans in to kiss me. "What did you think of the springs?"

"They're amazing." They really are. Kinda sad we have to leave now. "Thank you for bringing me."

"I hope I can bring you back." He leans in to nuzzle my neck. "And now you can tell my sister I finally brought you."

"I'll be sure to do that." I roll my eyes, pulling my head back so I can kiss him softly on the lips. Then my stomach growls. Right, we haven't eaten yet, and other than Khazak's load, I'm emptier than usual right now.

"I suppose we should get back to camp," Khazak sighs, standing and holding out a hand for me.

"Do you think they've finished carving up that pig yet?" I ask, stretching my sore limbs and following Khazak to the water to rinse off once more.

"Only one way to find out." We both dunk ourselves in the water quickly, and I take the opportunity to clean the cum that's leaked onto my thighs.

Khazak rolls up the blanket after using some of the cleaner and dryer portions to dry us off. When I'm finished lacing up my boots and we turn to leave, I give the Shad'rok Springs one final look. I really hope we come back here before I leave in a couple of months.

"I think next time I want to figure out how you can fuck me under the waterfall." Priorities!

To be continued...

May Updates & Post Release News

Happy May Ya’ll! It’s been one month since Steel & Thunder was released, and what a great month it has been. Not only have my book sales been way better than I could have hoped for a brand-new author, but the reviews the book has been getting have been universally positive! That doesn’t mean I still don’t want more though. Every five star review the book gets makes it that much more visible, especially on Amazon, so if you’ve bought the book but still haven’t left me a review... Maybe you’ll leave my one now, please? :D

First up in book news, the audiobook for Steel & Thunder has nearly wrapped up production, and will soon be available through all the same book retailers. Having heard a sample, I can personally vouch for the sexiness of the narrator’s voice, and also say that he does an excellent job of capturing David’s inner monologue. Aside from that, I have been hard at work writing! Book 2 has been coming along really well, and is currently over ⅔ of the way through being written. I’ve been wanting to tell the story for so long that it’s just been flying out of me.

Remember, if you’d still like to pick up a copy of Steel & Thunder, ebook or paperback, you can use this link to find a list of online booksellers. See you all in June!

This Month on Patreon

Here’s what’s coming in May on Patreon:

• 5/10: The second chapter of Book 2 in the Steel & Thunder series, complete with a steamy yet romantic sex scene.
• 5/17: A worldbuilding article detailing the views the population of Terra holds in regards to religion, myths, and deities.
• 5/24: From my Little Black Book, the story of my first orgy! Five people right after a drunken clothing optional pool party, featuring Daddy M from a previous story.
• 5/31: A new set of polls to determine the stories and articles I write for the months of June, July & August. This will include my first Patreon exclusive story!

Dom's Little Black Book: New Pup

This story starts out pretty boringly. I was at a family event one night, chatting with boys on Grindr and waiting for an acceptable moment to leave. You know, normal gay culture. It was your pretty standard fare, just a bunch of shirtless torsos looking for dick, when I see a message come in from a cute chubby Latino pup. His name is Leo, and he and his husband lived in an apartment nearby. Neither of them had much experience with kink, but were very interested in trying.

Now, normally I’m a little hesitant to get involved with someone “new” to kink. For any kind of kink/BDSM play, it’s important that the people involved have a level of trust in each other. That’s something that can take time to build. I’ve also had a few bad experiences with people who overestimated their interest in something. They don’t understand that when I say I’m going to tie them to my bed and fuck them stupid…they’re actually going to be tied down and fucked stupid. Or they say they like to be spanked and then complain when I start smacking their ass.

But something about this pup was calling to me. So, once I can leave, I grab a Lyft and head over to his place instead of going back to mine. I reach their apartment in the early evening, and Leo and I make our introductions after he lets me in. His husband is working tonight, so it is going to be just the two of us this time.

Leo had rolled a few blunts for us, so I spark one up while we start talking. When it comes to kink play, it’s important that you are in the right mindset and able to give proper consent when you are about to engage in some playtime. I really wouldn’t recommend getting drunk or taking tons of other drugs, but we wouldn’t be getting into anything too heavy, and weed just makes me really cuddly and handsy. Leo didn’t seem like he’d complain about that. As we smoke, we ask about each other’s personal lives, work, and kink. We had spoken earlier about some of what we were into, but I’m still trying to read on what exactly Leo is looking for. I don’t think he even knew himself.

About twenty minutes in, the tension in the room is getting steadily thicker. I keep catching Leo looking at me hungrily from his seat, but he’s clearly too nervous to make the first move. Which means I get to tease him a bit longer. Without saying a word I pull off my shirt and hand it to him.

“Fold that for me, pup.” I give him his first order of the night..

Leo does a triple take. “Yes, sir,” he responds, taking my shirt and folding it neatly, placing it on a shelf near my shoes.

I lounge back in my chair as if this is something I do all the time, knowing Leo was unable to take his eyes off me. You could cut the sexual tension with a knife. I am extremely turned on right now. A few minutes later, as I spark up my second blunt of the night, I also remove my shorts, leaving me sitting in only a jockstrap. After handing them to Leo to fold as well, I spread my legs and adopt a posture I can only describe as “cocky.” I am all in on dominating this boy, mind and body.

I continue to smoke and chat with the boy as if nothing is going on. I let the tension build a little longer before finally removing my jock. After handing it to him, the first thing the pup does is hold it to his face and sniff. Fuck yeah.

“You like the way my cock smells, boy?” I ask, the tone of my voice betraying that I already know the answer.

“Yes, sir. I love it,” he responds with complete honesty.

Then, wordlessly, Leo slides from his seat onto the floor and leans his head against my knee. I don’t think he knew he was going to do that. I don’t think he’s ever even done that before; it was instinct.

I also don’t think I’ve ever been so turned on before. There’s been no excessive dirty talk, not a bunch of pictures or video being swapped, no plans for anything specific when I came over. But right now I want to take this boy and just destroy him with my cock. My cock which, somehow while still soft is leaking precum like a faucet. It’s dripping through the fabric. I didn’t think that was possible;  a steady, sticky stream from a mostly flaccid penis.

I take note of this and use my index finger to grab the precum and show him.

“No!” he cries out, as though I’m about to waste a precious resource.

I’m almost taken back by his reaction, reading his expression. With a smirk, I place a pillow on the floor between my legs, and point to it.

“Strip and get on your knees, pup,” I order him for the second time tonight.

Very quickly, Leo removes all his clothing and is on the pillow. As he kneels, I grip my cock in my left hand and slowly stroke it, further hypnotizing the dick-drunk pup as I bring myself to full hardness. I lean forward and grab the back of his neck before kissing him. Then with my right hand, I grip him gently by the hair and move his mouth onto my cock.

With a moan, my balls are on his chin. He’s a hungry pup. He pulls back for a breath and swallows me right back down. I keep my hand in his hair, but let him control the speed of his oral attentions for now. He gags here and there but never lets it bother him. I release his hair and lean back, spreading my legs further. I close my eyes and just enjoy myself.

Eventually though, I’m ready to put him through his paces. I sit back up and grip his head with both my hands. I take control of the blowjob, keeping the pace close to what he was doing, but making sure he feels the push and pull of my hands on his head. The gagging becomes more frequent, but he does nothing to stop me.

I start snapping my hips, turning this blowjob into a face fuck. Leo takes everything I’m giving him. There is drool leaking out of his mouth, Leo unable to stop it with a rock-hard dick pistoning in and out of throat. Every few strokes, I hold his head down at the base. He coughs and gags but never fights or tries to stop me. Noth his face and my crotch are a wet slobbery mess, and  I am fucking loving it.

I debate shooting my first load across his face, but I don’t want to risk a refractory period issue - I am definitely fucking and breeding this bitch tonight. I let the blowjob continue a few more minutes, looking around the room for a suitable location to continue the fun. I spot an old futon in the corner of the room. I (very reluctantly) pull Leo off my dick and point at.

“Pull the mattress off the frame and onto the floor,” I direct, making sure I, and not my dick, have his attention.

“Yes, sir!” Leo answers eagerly, jumping to his feet to move the mattress.

Once it’s in place, I walk over and push Leo down onto the mattress. I grab at his ass, giving it a few playful smacks and watching it jiggle. Spreading his cheeks, I admire his hole for a moment before diving in for a taste. Loudly moaning as my tongue prods his hole, Leo pushes his ass back into my face for more.

When I’ve had my fill, I kneel behind the pup. My cock still mostly wet from our earlier oral adventure, I push the head against his hole. He’s tight, but I’m fucking horny. I push until my cock finally slips past the first ring of muscle and then quickly make sure to bury the rest of my length inside of him.

He lets out what I am labeling a “scroan.” That’s a combination scream/moan. I grip him roughly by the hips, pulling him back into me and not letting any of my cock escape. Once he’s calmed down and gotten used to the feeling of me stretching him out so much, I pull my cock about halfway out and push back in.

Another softer scroan, along with him pushing back into me, is my boon. I pick up the speed on the next stroke, and the next one, and so on until I am slam fucking him. The mattress is moving across the tile floor a little with the force of my strokes. Leo is only moaning now, begging me for more: harder, faster, just more.

I do my best to give him what he wants, and for the next twenty minutes we fuck like animals on the mattress. His hole grips my cock tightly every time I pull back, not wanting to let me go. He’s so fucking wet, and every time I slam home he moans for more. I almost don’t want to cum just so I can keep fucking him.

Once I can feel my orgasm approaching though, my priorities flip and I speed up just a little more to push myself over the edge. With a load growl, I blow bending over and biting him on the neck roughly as I unload in his hole. Gripping him to me tightly, I ride out the cumshots, still sucking on his neck.

Still coupled, I roll off him and onto my side, pulling him with me. Drenched in sweat, it’s all we can do to try and catch our breaths. As our heart rates slow, we begin talking again. Largely consisting of telling each other how much we enjoyed a certain thing or what we might wanna do next time. I’ve still got my arms over him, slowly stroking his body. It’s been at least two hours since I got here.

Once we are both calm, I start to feel a familiar stirring in my loins… I push my hips forward to grind my cock against Leo’s ass. He pushes back, and once my cock is hard again I slip back into his hole. My thrusts are less frantic this time, taking my time with round 2. I spend another 30 minutes just lazily fucking him there on the floor, breeding a second load into his hole. Once we finish, he cleans me off with his mouth.

“Good boy.” I stroke his hair as he sucks me clean.

Wonder what his husband’s like?

Magic & Spellcasting

Magic is a strange thing. A chaotic and at times otherworldly form of energy, it is found in all four corners of Terra. There are creatures born with magic infused into their very beings, written into their DNA. You have all manner of magical plants, each with their own unique set of properties, to be used as ingredients in medicines and potions. And of course, there are the people who can manipulate magical energy itself, known as spellcasters.

The basics of magic are this: sitting atop our world, the material plane, is another plane of existence, the astral plane. The astral plane is not a strictly tangible place, though there are many creatures who call it home. Instead, it is a place of wild and raw arcane energy, where the laws and physics of our world don't apply. The energy from this plane regularly flows into ours and back, concentrating in areas where the connection between worlds is the weakest. This is often due to something in the area acting as an antenna, natural or otherwise.

Spellcasters, also known simply as casters, are gifted with an innate connection to the astral plane's energies. That connection allows them to draw in and manipulate that energy via the casting of spells. Spellcasting takes many forms; it can be as simple as reciting a few words and making the correct hand gestures or as complicated as an hours-long ritual with strict instructions on timing, component measurements, and star position. The different types of spellcasters can be divided into four categories based on the source of their abilities.

• The Arcane - Arcane spellcasters make up the majority of most of Terra's magic users. They often view spellcasting like they are solving a math or physics problem - and indeed, the more complicated a spell is, the more important those subjects are. Producing flames from nothing, illuminating the darkness, moving objects across the room - these are all common tricks of an arcane caster's trade. It is said that the most gifted among them are capable of altering the physical laws of the material plane. Low-level and untrained arcane casters are known as magicians, although the term mage is also used to refer to spellcasters as a whole, while trained spellcasters are commonly known as wizards. Occasionally, an individual will be born with an ability beyond your typical spellcasting, leading them to go by titles such as sorcerer, enchanter, or summoner.
• The Divine - Divine spellcasters receive their ability through a bond forged with a powerful, often otherworldly being. This connection is most often with a deity or pantheon, but many other entities capable of empowering their followers. It is even possible to find worshipers of abstract concepts, like good and evil, whose actual source of power remains a mystery. While divine magic has the potential to be as destructive as any other type of magic, it is also the one primarily used to heal. From mending broken bones to regrowing lost limbs, a skilled healer is capable of much, some even rumored to be powerful enough to reverse death itself. At the same time, there are casters capable of doing the exact opposite, dealing in death, destruction, and the undead. In this way, divine magical energy can be divided into two categories, positive and negative. Positive divine casters are known as healers, clerics, and paladins, while negative divine spellcasters may use the titles of heretic, necromancer, or shadow knight.
• The Natural - Natural spellcasters draw their powers from the planet itself. They can sense and manipulate the natural magical energy of the world around them and commune with nature and the spirits within. Natural spellcasting focuses on altering the elements, weather, and animals - including humans, elves, and any other intelligent species. Their abilities allow them to affect their environment and the creatures living in it - making them capable healers right alongside their divine casting brethren. Possessing the ability to manipulate the earth, conjure storms, and even heal the injured, these casters can at times seem like a jack of all trades. Untrained natural spellcasters are sometimes given the title of sage, who have the potential to go on to become druids, shamans, and witches. Additionally, certain rangers possess a low-level magical ability and use this to enhance their hunting and tracking abilities.
• The Creative - Of all the types of magic, creative casters are the rarest and least understood, with some people doubting its very existence. Have you ever felt intensely moved by a piece of art or inspired after hearing a speech delivered by a powerful orator? These are all potential works of creative spellcasters, some of who may be entirely unaware of their gifts. Creative magic is most commonly used to affect the minds and spirits of other beings, but with training and practice is capable of affecting things on a physical level as well. Strengthening their allies, weaving illusions, and even harming their enemies are all within the realm of possibility with creative magic. The most well-known type of creative magic-user is the bard, actors and musicians whose performances are, in fact, how they cast spells. Beyond them are rumors of other creative spellcasters, with names like muse, maker, or conductor, but the powers they may possess remain unknown. Music that can shake mountains, statues brought to life, entire armies convinced to lay down their weapons and surrender - the true limits of creative magic are still being tested.

Storms & Sacrifice: Chapter 1

“You look good.”

“You look better.”

“...Sorry.” Adam’s words make me grimace. Knew I shoulda dressed down more for this.

“Come on. You know I didn’t mean it like that,” he huffs from his spot across the table and smiles. “I’m glad you’re doing good. We’ve heard some rumors, and I’ve been worried.”

“Yeah. Like is it true that after you lost the fight to that big guy he fu—oww!” Nate rubs his side where Adam’s elbow hit him.

Adam glares at the mage to his right before turning back to me. “Seriously though, David. Is he hurting you?”

“No, really. I’m fine. Better than fine, all things considered.” I smile back, trying to hide any discomfort over the topic. I can only imagine what they’ve heard—and how much of it is true. “I’m more worried about you guys in here.”

It's Astraday, which is visiting day at the Yash'ak Cr'hol Labor Camp. I’ve been worried about my friends and where they’ve been held since we were first arrested, and this place was no different. Even though Khazak assured me that everything would be fine, that this place was better than an actual prison, I still needed to see it for myself. So, before my first visit, he arranged for a brief “tour” of the camp for me. It’s actually…pretty nice. I mean it’s still a jail, but it’s also basically just a bunch of boring buildings behind a big fence.

It almost reminds me of the knight academy; everyone’s wearing a uniform, the prisoner’s rooms look more like dorms than cells, and half of them leave during the day to work—where they earn actual money. From what I saw (and smelled), the food doesn’t even seem half bad. Khazak told me the place is named after one of the city’s first rangers, and that the term “labor camp” is a holdover from when this place was an actual camp, when most of the city was still made up of tents. All the more reason I think they need to change it; labor camps are something very different where I come from.

This is my second time here, my first being last weekend when I saw Liss and Corrine. Thanks to Khazak pulling some strings, I’m able to sit with two of my friends at a time. After I get patted down by one of the guards, they bring me to a large room filled with tables where they’re already seated. They've got the prisoners split by gender, and since Adam insisted the girls go first—which is a very Adam thing to do—this week I get to see him and Nate.

“We’re alright. It's not as rough in here as you'd think.” Adam gives me a small smile. “The food’s not that bad, and the beds still beat sleeping on the ground outside. They say we’re earning some money while we're in here, too. They’ve got me and Liss working construction, so far just helping to build homes in the poorer parts of the city. It's mostly moving materials around and holding them in place while the mages do their thing.”

“What about you?” I ask Nate, more out of politeness than actual interest. When I was here last week no one had been assigned a “job” yet.

“Corrine and I have been hard at work transcribing books.” He flexes his hand like it hurts. “If they’d just let me use my magic, I could have the whole thing done in a few hours but nooooo...” On both of his wrists are small metal bracelets, the same as I saw on Corrine last week. They’re long-term versions of the city’s anti-magic bracers, lighter and unconnected to make it easier to move around and work while still cutting off the wearer from their magical abilities.

“What about you?” Adam ignores Nate’s whining. “What does... Ironstorm, is that his name?” Yep. I nod. “What does he have you doing?”

“Actually, I’m kinda...working with him and the people who arrested us.” I scratch my head, feeling embarrassed that I’m basically working with the enemy. “It’s not all that different from what we did back at the academy.”

It's been about two weeks since I started my “job” with the V'rok'sh Tah'lj rangers as Captain Khazak Ironstorm’s assistant. I wish I could say it's been an interesting two weeks, but sadly after the investigation we had my first two days, it has been incredibly boring. Khazak—or Sir, as I sometimes know him—wasn’t kidding when he said a big part of his job was filling out paperwork; he spends most of his time in his office doing that.

“Isn’t that kind of weird?” Adam sounds surprised. Understandable, given one of the main reasons we left home was the work we were doing as part of the Northlake Academy of Knighthood—you know, real honorable knight things, like arresting protestors or protecting rich people’s property. “It’s a lot more boring than it sounds. The most exciting thing that happened last week was helping an old lady find her dog.” She was thankful, at least. “Check it out though.” I bring up one of my arms and flex. “They’ve got a gym.”

Just because Khazak has to do a lot of paperwork doesn't mean I do, unless you count the whole “trying to learn a new language” thing. When he’s not making me work through my Learning Atasi book (which is going...alright), we manage to break up the boring downtime with some fun activities. Not like that (Well, except this one time we were stuck there kinda late...). I just mean there’s been plenty to keep me busy.

Not only do I have a gym to workout in now, but a few days after I started, they tore down the old cells in the yard and converted the space into an outdoor training area. When I can convince Khazak or one of the other rangers to join me, we’ll spar back there. It’s mostly hand-to-hand stuff, which isn’t really my forte against a bunch of muscled-up orcs, but there’s been a few times where I’ve gotten to wield a sword again. I even got my own work-issued shortsword! I know it's only been two weeks, but it already feels like I’m starting to bulk back up.

“You'll be back to your old self in no time.” Adam grins.

“Working out won’t make you taller, David,” Nate snarks.

“So anyways,” I push past him, “if you see the girls, can you let them know I won’t be able to make visiting day next weekend?”

“Why? Everything alright?” Adam tilts his head.

“Yeah, just gonna be spending the week in the woods.” That’s what Khazak told me a few days ago.

“You’re just...going camping?” Nate squints his eyes.

“No, it's this ranger thing. Every week a different group goes out and patrols.” It was one of those patrols that caught and arrested us. “At the end of the week, a new group comes in and takes the old one’s place. They rotate every four weeks or so, and we leave tomorrow for our turn.”

“Huh. Yeah, I’ll let ‘em know. Have fun.” I cringe inwardly at Adam’s use of the word “fun,” realizing that I basically just bragged about going on a camping trip for a week while they sit in jail. “If there's one thing we actually got good at in the last couple of months, it’s sleeping outside.”

__________________________________________________________________________________

“Did you have a nice visit?” Khazak asks when I return from the visitation room now that the hour is over. He’s been kind enough to give me privacy when I meet with my friends.

“Yeah, it was good to see Adam.” It has sucked to not have my best friend around to talk to about...any of the stuff that’s been going on. “He’s in good spirits, but he’s always been pretty good at hiding when he's unhappy about something.”

“What about your other friend?” He’s still learning their names.

“Nate? He’s fine. And I told you, he’s not my friend.” I refuse to acknowledge that dick as anything more than an acquaintance. “Thank you for bringing me.”

“Of course.” He reaches over and squeezes my shoulder gently as we walk.

Unlike work, things between Khazak and me have been anything but boring. Not that the excitement has reached anywhere near the levels of crazy drama that first week held. Would you believe I only managed to get spanked once last week? It was my own fault. I let Ragnar, Khazak’s half-orc, half-elf best friend, talk me into pranking Khazak by swapping his regular ink for some that turns invisible fifteen minutes after being put on paper. He didn’t notice until he was writing a particularly long report and the top started to vanish before he had reached the bottom. He said he spanked me once for each field he had to re-fill out on each form. I didn't keep count, but it felt like it.

Outside of that, things have been great. You’d think after almost three weeks of waking up next to and spending the entire day with someone, I’d be sick of him, but we’ve been getting along swimmingly. Even when we do start to grate on each other, I’ll just go for a run around the city or hit the gym at the station for some “me” time. There’s not a whole lot to do around here aside from eating, reading, and exercising, but he always manages to find something to keep us occupied. Which is sometimes me. Safe to say I think I’m getting kind of good at that kind of stuff.

“Ready to pack for tomorrow?” Khazak asks when we arrive back at the house.

“Yep. Do you have a bag I can use?” I’m gonna need a lot of clothes for a whole week. “And do you have an extra bedroll?”

“Mine should be big enough for the both of us.” Khazak walks down the hall, turning into the spare room with me following.

“Your bag or your bedroll?” One of those makes more sense than the other.

“Both.” He opens the closet and pulls out a large bedroll attached to a sturdy looking leather backpack.

“My clothes are gonna fit in there?” It’s sizable but so is he—as are his clothes.

“No, this is filled with tools and supplies.” He slings it over one shoulder. “I meant my other bag.”

I look at him skeptically, assuming he's talking about the pouch he carries around when we go out. I’ve had my suspicions that there’s more to that bag than meets the eye, but I haven’t gotten confirmation. He snorts at the face I'm making, bringing his camping supplies into the bedroom and motioning for me to follow.

“This bag is much larger on the inside than it appears,” he tells me after placing the bedroll on the floor and grabbing his other bag. He turns to one of his clothing chests and grabs a large stack of shirts and pants, a pile larger than the bag itself. I then watch as he proceeds to put all of them into the bag, which bulges out a little, maybe. Not nearly as much as it should—it should have burst by now.

“I knew it,” I whisper to myself. Magic bag. I’ve seen them before. Well, I’ve seen one before, once. “Where did you get that?”

“A port city in the north.” He motions me over, holding the bag open so I can peer inside. “My sister and I made the journey there together. It is known as a ‘spacious satchel.’ I’ve had it over a decade.”

Looking in the top of the satchel is weird. It’s pitch black, like a void. I’m almost scared to put my hand in. “How does it work?”

“After you have put something inside, you simply need to picture it in your mind as you reach in to retrieve it,” he explains.

I give it a shot, picturing one of the shirts I just saw him put inside. The inside of the bag feels cool as I insert my hand, and suddenly my hand feels full. Pulling it out, I can see that I’m now holding the shirt in question. I repeat this with another shirt and a pair of pants. Then I try inserting my entire arm, touching the bottom of the outside of the bag with my other hand at the same time and ignoring the smirk I receive for my antics.

“That's awesome.” I would love to get my hands on one of these myself. It would be so useful for traveling. Not only does it give all that extra space, but anything inside is basically weightless. I could carry all sorts of equipment and loot in that thing.

“I trust this will suit our needs, then?” He hands me the satchel so that I can start adding in my own stuff.

“Perfectly, Sir.”

__________________________________________________________________________________

Khazak and I leave for the patrol the next day after lunch. We’re both in uniform, him carrying the bedroll and supplies while giving me the weightless bag holding our clothes and other items—I packed a couple of books in case it gets boring. He wasn’t going to let me carry anything else until I convinced him to at least let me hold his bow for him, so I have that strapped to my back with my sword scabbard.

The guards open the gates for us when we approach through some mechanism I don’t see, but I’m willing to bet is magic. They both salute the captain as he passes through, closing the large doors behind us once we are on the other side. Immediately, we are greeted by the sight of the forest. As we make our way forward, the trees around the city walls look larger than the rest, covering the wall hiding the city behind it. Their height seems to even out to normal levels fairly quickly as we move away, and you probably wouldn’t even notice if you didn't know what you were looking for. More magic or just good landscaping?

The forest is quiet aside from the occasional bird chirping or squirrel rustling the leaves. It’s so peaceful and untouched, despite the fact that there’s a city not even a mile away. There are no paths—that would probably defeat the purpose of the city being hidden—so it feels a little bit like we’re just wandering randomly through the woods. Khazak seems like he knows where he's going though, so I don't question it.

“Do you know where we’re going?” Okay, maybe I do. “I mean, are you doing this from memory, or is there some kind of trail I'm not seeing?”

“Afraid you might get lost?” Khazak muses as he looks over to me.

“No... Maybe.” The last time I was out here I ended up getting arrested so...

Khazak laughs and pulls me up to walk alongside him. “At this point, I could probably get to the campsite blindfolded if needed, but there are landmarks. Remember that large tree we passed a short while ago?”

I nod. “It looked like some of the branches were bent strangely.” Almost twisted together.

“We left the city through the west gate and walked two kilometers until we reached that tree.” That’s around one-and-a-quarter miles—my twin brother Michael would be proud at all the math I’ve been doing lately. “Then we turned northwest and have been walking another two kilometers looking for...that rock formation.”

He points to a pile of mossy boulders coming up on our left. The smooth surfaces tell me they’ve been here a while. The largest of the boulders sticks up from the center, almost making the pile resemble some sort of throne.

“From here it is another kilometer north until we reach a stream with a fallen tree spanning it, and then after a short hike northwest from there, we will be at the camp.” Khazak marches forward confidently as he speaks.

I nod, glad for the instructions. I’m not actually worried, but if for some reason I do have to make it back to the city on my own, at least I know how. I try to pay attention to how long it takes us to cover a kilometer at our speed; it’ll mean less math to do in my head later. I keep my eyes peeled for the stream in question, though I figure it will be pretty hard to miss. Unless the direction we’re going is completely wrong, we’ll have to cross it eventually.

I end up spotting the fallen tree before the stream. It would serve as a very useful bridge to cross if the stream wasn’t little more than a trickle. I barely have to jump to get to the other side. When we’re both across, Khazak leans back against the fallen log with his hands clasped in front of him, waiting for me to tell him where we need to go next. Easy. We were already walking north, but I look up at the sun's position just to verify.

“Camp is that way.” I point northwest from our position.

“Lead the way.” He pushes himself up.

“Oh, is this my job now?” Despite my words, I start walking in the direction of the camp.

“Merely testing your skills,” he defends as he follows.

“Uh-huh. You just wanna stare at my ass.” I’ve gotten a lot more confident in the flirting area (at least with a guy).

I hear a thoughtful hum from behind me but no denial. Yeah, he’s totally looking at my ass right now.

We’re only walking for a couple of minutes when I feel Khazak’s hand on my shoulder. “Wait.” He points ahead of us. In the distance, I see a figure walking away from us: a person. An orc. Must be one of the other rangers headed to the campsite.

Khazak lets out a noise from my left, something between a growl and a bark. It’s not loud, but it does make me jump. It also makes the orc ahead of pause and turn around, returning the noise and throwing an arm up to wave when they see us. They start walking back to meet us halfway.

“You didn’t just say something, right? That wasn’t a word?” Otherwise, learning this language is going to be even more complicated than I thought.

“No,” he chuckles. “Just a signal.”

Once we get closer, I recognize the orc. Not just from the station, but...shit he’s one of the orcs I fought in the ruins. The one who was slightly burned before I feinted his attack and uh, kicked him. He’s a little shorter than Khazak, and a little chubbier, with medium length brown hair and a beard but no mustache. His left tusk is gold, either plated or replaced, and his arms are covered in tattoos, way more than the crest on Khazak’s chest or the bands on his upper arms, probably more than I’ve seen on any other orc so far. Shit, what was his name? Ranger... Bighands. Nope, that’s not it. Widefingers? No, wait it’s— “Deepfist!”

Both orcs turn to look at me for my sudden outburst.

“That is my name.” The ranger in question leans in and leers at me, winking. “Maybe one day I can show you exactly why they call me that.”

“I—I—” I stammer, the implication of his words making my body flush immediately. Khazak had mentioned something about fists in passing the other day, and my morbid curiosity made me press him for the details of what exactly “fisting” was.

“Wow, Deputy Rockfang was not joking. It is easy to rile him up.” Deepfist pulls back, a smirk on his face.

“If you are quite done,” Khazak chides, but there’s no irritation in his words. Probably just mad he didn’t think of it himself first.

We resume walking toward the camp in silence. Comfortable for them but awkward for me.

“I’m still really sorry about the day in the temple ruins!” I blurt out after another minute or two.

Deepfist tilts his head at my second outburst. “No need to worry, kid. You are practically one of us now.” He smiles. “Besides, I was mostly over that once I saw you give the captain just as much trouble in the arena. Not bad for a human.”

“You were at the arena, too?” I really shouldn’t be surprised by that anymore.

“Pretty much every ranger not on duty was there,” he states like I should already know. “And the rest of the force was told the story in very graphic detail.”

“...Great.” You’d think after working with them for two weeks, I wouldn’t still get embarrassed learning someone was a witness to my very public fucking, but here I am, feeling too warm in my clothes. Going forward, maybe I should just assume anyone new I meet has already seen or heard about me having sex.

“Hey, I said I was impressed. Most of us were.” At least they’re not dicks about it. “Call me Arik.”

“...Thanks Arik.” Khazak gives my shoulder a squeeze as we walk. I’m looking ahead for signs of the camp, but all I see is more forest. Did I send us in the wrong direction? No, Deepfist was going this way too. Where the hell are we?

I jump back when a few yards ahead of us an orc just appears out of nowhere. Both orcs I’m walking with pause, but it’s more because of my reaction than the orc who apparently knows how to teleport. She’s dressed like a ranger, so I know she’s no danger, but fuck. The new orc waves at us as she passes, giving me a funny look but walking past as if nothing strange has happened.

“I forgot to tell him the campsites are camouflaged.” Khazak’s voice is full of realization.

“That would do it.” Deepfist chuckles.

“What the hell was that?” They must have pretty fucking good camo around here.

In response, after walking forward a little farther, Khazak sticks his arm out ahead of him, and everything up to his elbow disappears from sight. Oh, “camouflaged” with magic. It’s not something Nate or Corrine can do, but it’s a pretty common practice to protect a campsite from wild animals—or other intruders—when traveling outside. With another chuckle, Deepfist walks forward past Khazak and vanishes into thin air. Khazak tosses his head in the same direction, and as I walk over the threshold with him, a campsite appears where before there were only trees.

When my friends and I were first told there were “orc camps” in the area, this is a little closer to what we pictured. Around a large central campfire are several tents, eight total with two on opposite sides that are much larger than the rest. One of those is open air, and I can see four orcs congregated at a table under it. Deepfist is over near one of the smaller tents, probably putting away his things, but Khazak leads us over to the group.

“Captain.” A female orc dressed a little more officially than the rest—more like Khazak or his deputy Ragnar—stands and salutes on our approach. Which around here is done by clasping your fist over your chest. With black hair and brown eyes, she is as tall as the other orcs I’ve seen. Her left tusk is shorter than her right, like it was damaged, and the top has been smoothed out. She’s got a short, cropped haircut, honestly not that unlike Khazak. It suits her.

“Deputy Captain Keenguard.” Khazak returns the salute. This is his second deputy, the one that works out of the other ranger station. “Here to relieve you. Anything interesting to report?”

“Just another quiet week in the forest, sir.” She doesn’t sound too upset by that. “Afraid you had all the fun out here three weeks ago.” Her eyes fall on me. “This must be David.”

“I do not believe you have had the pleasure of meeting him yet.” Khazak half-turns to me. “David, this is Deputy Captain Morgal Keenguard.”

Morgal holds out her hand to me, and I reach for it, only remembering a split second after she grabs my wrist that they do handshakes differently around here too, and I’m pulled in for a quick hug, her other arm slapping my back. Oof.

“Nice to meet you, David. Sir.” With another salute, she hoists a large bag over her shoulders and makes her way out of the camp. I see the air around the camp’s border shimmer as she passes through, the air snapping back into place once she’s on the other side.

“Let me show you where our tent is.” Khazak calls my attention back to him, walking us around the campfire to one of the smaller tents—though it still looks slightly larger than the others.

“Is this tent bigger?” I ask as Khazak undoes the ties holding the opening flap down.

“Yes, by ten whole square meters!” He says it like I’ve won a prize.

“What did I do to earn such incredible accommodations?” I deadpan.

“Sleeping with the captain comes with perks,” he jokes, stepping inside and dropping his bag to the tent floor before stepping back out. “I am going to go speak with the rest of this week’s patrol unit. Please put our things away and then come find me there, pup.”

“Yes, Sir.” I can do that. The fact that it wasn’t a request isn’t lost on me. He’s gotten more confident with his orders in the last couple of weeks, and I don’t mind it. I like following orders, when they aren’t being given by a dickhead.

I put our weapons to one side and drop my bag in one corner. The tent isn’t very big, maybe ten-by-eight feet. The walls and floor are made of a thick leather attached to a sturdy wooden frame, the corners of which are buried to firmly anchor it to the ground. The poles go straight up for about five feet before bending at a point to meet in the middle. I can stand up alright towards the center, but the orcs probably need to crouch some.

First thing to take care of is the bedroll. I pick what I decide feels like the softest patch of earth under the tent floor and unfurl it, smoothing out the corners with my hands. I find a small pillow in the center, realizing now that we forgot to pack a second one. Dammit. I grab some of our clothes out of the smaller bag, making sure to keep them all neatly folded and stacked. I don’t think we need anything else, so I straighten up the bags and weapons, nodding to myself when I’m finished before stepping back outside.

I make my way over to the open tent where Khazak and Arik are standing with the other orcs. I don’t recognize two of them, but the third I’ve gotten to know pretty well—Glasha Silentfang. She smiles when she sees me, her short brown hair falling over the right side of her face. The left side of her hair is shaved, exposing the silver rings pierced into her right ear. Most orcs around here seem to have brown eyes, but she’s one of the few I’ve seen with green. I first met her when she helped me kick Khazak’s ass in a rug’bal game (it’s basically football) during my first week here. Since then, I’ve seen her at the station, where we’ve had lunch together, worked out together, even sparred a little. I like her a lot.

Khazak notices my approach and smiles, pulling me over to him. “For those of you who have not yet met my avakesh, this is David.” Khazak uses the title for me in his language that means something between slave, servant, and pet. You get used to it. “David, these are Officers Stonearm and Proudblade.”

“Hi.” I say much more meekly than I intend. “Nice to meet you.”

“Hello.”

“Hi.”

Men of few words. Works for me.

“Over the next week, Rangers Silentfang, Deepfist, and I will periodically walk a patrol route through this section of the forest while the officers remain here and keep guard at the campsite,” Khazak instructs. Mostly me. Okay exclusively me, since everyone else obviously knows what they’re doing. “We will walk one more patrol today before it gets dark and we have dinner. Then we each take a two-hour shift, keeping watch overnight until morning.”

“Well, we do all that alone while you get a nice warm body to keep you company,” Deepfist half-jokes, half-gripes to my right.

“If you are so jealous, get one of your own, Arik.” Glasha rolls her eyes.

Noises behind me have me turning around, facing the other large tent across the campfire. When it opens, a small amount of smoke billows out as a sixth orc steps out to join our band. He looks different from the rest with no uniform to speak of, instead wearing brown robes that reach the forest floor. His long grey hair is matted, the individual locks adorned with jewelry that look to be made of bone and metal. His equally grey beard reaches his chest, and when he gets close, I can smell him. He doesn’t smell bad exactly, but well... Dude’s been out here a while. He speaks to the group, and not in Common, so I just nod politely.

“David, this is Wu’dag Bonespirit, the camp’s resident shaman.” That’s what that smell is. “He is responsible for creating and maintaining the wards and illusions in this part of the forest.”

A shaman is a natural spellcaster, like a druid or a witch. They get their spellcasting powers from a connection to the world around them—the whole “magic is everywhere” deal. All natural casters can see and communicate with nature spirits, but shamans’ abilities allow them to connect to them directly, able to channel and amplify the spirits' powers with their own. I know all this because Mike used to go on and on about random magical info.

“So, this is one of the little shits I felt a few weeks back.” Wu’dag gives me a once over. “Scrawnier than I expected.”

“I’m working on it.” I’ll show him a little shit…wait.

“Huh.” The older orc steps closer, squinting his eyes as he peers at me. “Anyone ever tell you that you have a weird aura, kid?”

“...Not exactly.” They didn’t use the word weird. “My twin is a wizard. I’ve got um...” Shit, what did that woman from the elven institute call it? “Latent magical potential. All my siblings do, but me a little more. It rubbed off on me, or we share enough of the same genes or something?”

I’m not doing a very good job of explaining it, but it basically means that while I can’t use magic to cast spells, I still have some flicker of it inside me. It’s like having the flint but no fuel for a fire. There’s no way to “turn on” the magic because there’s nothing to turn on; it just is what it is. Nowadays, it doesn’t mean much since most magical items are configured to work for anyone, but it used to be that they’d have to be powered, or at least activated, by the magic of the person wielding them. A spark to light the flame.

“Huh.” He squints again. “Yeah, I guess that could do it. Looks like we need an extra compass stone.” He stands up straight and turns to the rest of the group. “Alright, stones out. Time to sync up.”

All of the orcs around me, including the shaman, reach into their pockets and pull out smooth red-colored stones, no more than an inch or two wide. They gather in a circle, hands outstretched, clutching the stones together. The shaman takes his free hand and holds it aloft over them, slowly chanting a spell. I see Wu’dag’s eyes glow first followed by the stone in his hand, then I see the same glow coming from each of the others’ enclosed palms.

“This is for him.” Wu’dag drops the stone he held in Khazak’s open palm. “I will be in my tent if you need me.”

“Alright, David and I will take the first patrol, then Glasha, then Arik.” Khazak speaks to his troops. “See you back here for dinner.”

Everyone salutes and disperses, Khazak turning to me. “We will fill our waterskins and grab our equipment, then head out. We will be walking for at least a couple of hours.”

My eyes go wide. Hours? Wow, okay. We go back to the tent and retrieve our weapons and a pair of waterskins from Khazak’s supply bag. After filling them at a barrel under the big tent, we start to walk away from camp. I see the illusion warble as we pass through it, and a glance behind us reveals nothing but the forest. We walk for a while, not following any sort of path that I’m able to pick up on. I try to look for landmarks like before but don’t see anything. We go straight for a while before turning in another direction. We do this for a while in silence before I finally need to ask.

“Are we following an actual route here?” My voice ringing out in the quiet forest almost sounds wrong.

“Hmmm.” Khazak smiles, considering me for a moment. “Yes and no. There is a general path we are following, but we have a lot of leeway. We need to cover a certain amount of ground, and sticking too much to the same path might make it easy for someone to slip by.”

“Is that something you have to worry about a lot?” It seems like they’ve been doing this for years.

“Not really, but we do not want to get complacent.” He turns to me and smirks. “Cannot have someone raiding our ancient temples.”

I roll my eyes at the obvious dig. That was one time! We continue walking in relative silence. It’s nice though. After spending these past weeks together, the two of us have gotten pretty comfortable around each other. Plus, seeing as this is a patrol, spending the whole time talking would be distracting and kind of defeat the point.

“I was curious...” The sun is starting to set when Khazak breaks the silence between us. “Does it still bother you when people bring up the arena and ritual? Our match?”

“I wouldn’t say it bothers me, exactly.” I’ve gotten over that part of it, at least. “It can just be a little embarrassing when I think I’m meeting someone new, and it turns out they were a witness to me very publicly losing my virginity.”

“Would you like me to say something?” It’s a genuine request. Despite what he says, I know there are some aspects of the way we “met” that he still feels guilty over.

“No, I know they don’t mean anything by it.” I can handle the teasing. I know it's not malicious.

“Alright, another question. Was that truly your first time?” It’s not an accusation; there’s a measure of concern in his voice betraying why he’s asking. “Not that I have any reason to doubt you. I just know by the time I was your age I had already experimented quite a bit with both men and women.”

“I mean, you know I had girlfriends. I did a lot of kissing back in the day, and I’ve touched more than my fair share of tits over dresses. But no,” I shake my head, “you’ve been my first for everything else.”

“I see.” He’s trying not to, but I can hear a little disappointment. “I feel I need to apologize. Your first time should have been more—”

“Hey, come on. We’ve been through this already.” I turn to face him, walking backward. “Not only were we both tricked, I ended up liking it anyway. Plus, as screwed up as it was, you can’t say it wasn't memorable, right?”

“I suppose you are correct,” Khazak huffs, begrudgingly agreeing with me. This has been a minor sticking point for us. He continues to relive his guilt over what happened—him basically ravishing me in an arena full of strangers—while I would just prefer to move on.

“What was your first time like?” I jump at the chance to change the subject. I’ve never actually heard him talk about anyone in his past like that before.

“Awkward and hurried. And a little painful.” Khazak shakes his head as he recalls. “I think we were fifteen? Me and another boy from school. We were in my bedroom, and somehow the house was empty. We had no idea what we were doing.”

“Painful, huh?” I know that feeling.

“Yes, but not for the reason you are thinking,” he gripes. “He was very...enthusiastic about oral sex. Too enthusiastic. He sucked me so hard, he gave me... I think you call them ‘hickeys’ on the head of my cock.”

I can’t hold in the guffaw that flies out of my mouth and quickly clamp both my hands over it. “He left hickeys on your dick?!”

“Several,” he deadpans. “He took the ‘sucking’ very literally—” Khazak cuts himself off, eyes going a little wide. “David, do not move.”

I freeze in place. What?!

“Everything is okay. Just stay still.” Khazak’s hands are out toward me, but he doesn’t look panicked. “Look down. Just behind you.”

I slowly peer downward as requested, and right behind my left foot is a plant, a dark purple flower, maybe a foot high. Actually, there’s a whole patch of them.

“What is it?”

“A very poisonous flower known as ‘Ralor’s crown,’” Khazak speaks calmly. “You have not touched it yet. Just step over to me carefully.”

I nod slowly, moving away from the flower patch. I see now the way each of the petals bloom out then curl back in, each flower resembling a small purple crown.

“What does it do?” I ask when I’m safely away.

“In its current form, it would leave you with a very unpleasant rash before making you feel sluggish and causing your muscles stop responding correctly.” He looks down at my legs to make sure there’s nothing on them. “The real danger comes when it is processed into a poison. That increases its potency tenfold, enough to kill a person.”

“Fuck, and it just grows out here?” Seems like a bad plant to keep around.

“It is native to the area, but we do not normally allow it to grow so near the city. It is too dangerous.” He eyes the patch suspiciously. “This must have cropped up recently.”

It is spring, time for plants to start growing. “What do we do about it?”

“You and I will do nothing, but once we get back to camp, we will let Shaman Bonespirit know so that he can take care of it.” Makes sense. Plants are probably that guy’s whole deal.

“Sounds good.” We have been walking a while now. “Is it time to head back yet?”

“Yes, actually.” Khazak doesn’t move though, instead reaching into his pocket. “Here, this is yours.”

He hands me one of the red rocks from earlier, the compass stone Wu’dag handed him for me. He then takes a few steps away from me. “Hold it in your fist and stretch your hand toward me.”

I do as asked, and the stone in my hand begins pulsing in a steady rhythm. I drop my hand and the pulsing stops, only to return when I point my fist at Khazak again.

“The stones are all linked. When one is held and pointed in the direction of another, it pulses.” He takes out his own stone to show me. “The stronger the pulse, the closer the target stone. Try and see if you can find camp.”

“Okay.” I turn to the direction I think camp is, holding the stone out in front of me. I slowly scan it across the horizon until I feel it vibrate in my hand, and I freeze. It starts to beat steadily, but much more slowly than it did with Khazak. “I think I found it.”

“Glasha and Arik would have left for their own patrols by now, so it could easily be one of them. Keep looking, and see if you can tell the difference.”

I nod, happy to prove that I know what I'm doing. I keep using the stone to scan the horizon line, finding two more pulsing beat patterns. One feels almost as slow as the first, but the second is a little stronger. It’s also in between the other two, so that has to be it.

“Okay, got it this time.” I turn to Khazak, confident in my answer.

“Lead the way, pup.”

__________________________________________________________________________________

It’s nearly dark by the time we get back to the campsite. I see the two officers and Wu’dag seated around the campfire, some meat cooking over the fire. My stomach growls at the smell, hungrier than I realized.

“Welcome back.” Wu’dag greets us with the officers as we join them by the campfire. “Anything out of the ordinary?”

“Actually, yes.” Khazak frowns. “We found a patch of Ralor’s crown about five kilometers north.”

“Huh. I just cleared out a patch of that last week.” Wu’dag frowns. “I will take care of it first thing in the morning.”

“Thank you, friend.” Khazak nods, the two of us joining the group, and I groan happily when I take my seat on a log by the fire. I’ve done more walking today than I have in three weeks.

Glasha returns about half an hour later, then Arik another half hour after that, and the seven of us sit down for dinner—which ends up being some rabbits the two officers caught while we were patrolling, a signal of what future meals out here may be like. I’ve had rabbit before; it's not bad. Plus, by now I’ve learned to trust the orcs of Tah’lj and their cooking.

The rest of the night is quiet. After eating, the orcs hang around the fire and swap stories from their weeks. Glasha has her sword out, applying oil to it slowly as she listens to Arik talk about a barfight he broke up two nights ago. I join the two of them, happy to prove to Khazak I know how to take care of my equipment. I see Khazak disappear with Wu’dag into his tent for a minute at one point, but then he’s back out and sitting next to me by the campfire. After a couple of hours of this, everyone heads into the tents to sleep except Khazak and me, ready for the first round of watch.

“It’s kinda nice being able to do this with someone else,” I speak low, not wanting to disturb anyone sleeping. The only noises are the crackling of the wood in the campfire and the chirping of the crickets in the forest. We can relax a little more now than when we were on patrol. Me and my friends would do the same thing when on the road, but with five of us, we always had to do it alone. We also didn’t have any magical illusions to help hide us.

“It is.” Khazak smiles as he adds another log to the first to keep it going. “Having you here all week with me will be nice.”

“And will make Arik jealous,” I joke.

“Can you blame him?” Khazak walks over to where I'm sitting, standing in front of me. He gently takes a hold of my chin, stroking his thumb over my lip. “I certainly do not plan to keep my hands off of you.”

My breath hitches a little as the words pass through me, heating something familiar in my stomach. I’m nearly eye level with his crotch, and I can already see a familiar lump starting to form. I look up at his eyes, heavy with lust.

Then a cough rings out from one of the tents, and I remember we’re not actually alone. I stumble back from his hold, falling off the back of the log with a thud. When I look up, I see Khazak with one hand over his mouth, struggling to hold in his laughter. He reaches out with the other to help me up, clearing his throat when he's finished and mumbling an apology.

After that a display of nerves, he doesn’t try to make another move, and two hours later, we wake up Arik for his watch shift. The orc bids us goodnight as we crawl into our own tent, Khazak first. We undress, though not fully nude like we would at home—never know when you might have to get up at a moment's notice—and Khazak slides into the bedroll, holding it open for me to follow. I curl into his side, resting my head on his shoulder. Since we didn’t pack a second pillow, he can be my pillow.

“Sleep well, David.” Khazak turns his head to kiss the top of mine. “We have a busy day tomorrow.”

I nuzzle against him, too tired to reply, the sounds of the crickets in the night air already putting me to sleep.

Steel & Thunder is Out Now!

Happy April everyone, and since it’s April, that means Steel & Thunder has finally been released! I hope everyone who preordered the ebook version is already enjoying their copy, and that anyone waiting on their paperbacks gets theirs delivered soon! You have all been such a wonderful group of readers and I can’t wait to find out what you all think of the full story.

Please remember that if you liked the story, the best thing you can do for it is leaving a nice review saying so. Seriously, reviews are the lifeblood of new authors, so if you have a chance to, please leave me one! Amazon, Goodreads, or wherever you made your purchase. If you are still looking to get a copy, the link below will take you to a list of online retailers where the book is available.

• https://books2read.com/OrcLove01

Now, onto new news: I am fairly certain you are all already aware of this, but for the past three months I have been hard at work writing the sequel to Steel & Thunder. Well this month, exclusively on Patreon, I will be releasing the title, cover art, and first chapter, with the second chapter to follow in May. The book is due out October 1, 2021, so subscribe now if you want to read it early! Make sure you finish reading all of Steel & Thunder before you jump into the sequel, or things really may not make sense. For those of you that don’t want to sign up for my Patreon: don’t worry! I will be releasing the chapters and information on my own site as well as AO3 and Literotica in July.

This Month on Patreon

Here’s what is coming your way in April 2021:

• 4/12: The first chapter of the sequel to Steel & Thunder, including title and cover art!
• 4/19: The winner of last month's first poll, an article with information on how magic works in the world of Terra.
• 4/26: The winner of last month's second poll, a story from my Little Black Book about a meeting a new pup and putting him on his knees one night.

Starting this month, all Patreon content beyond news posts will be locked to their tiers, so subscribe today!

Poll: Little Black Book Chapters for April & May 2021

Choose which true erotic tales of mine you want to read for the next two months!

Poll: Worldbuilding Articles for April & May 2021

Pick which worldbuilding articles I write and post for the months of April & May 2021!

Dom's Little Black Book: Teach

When you were in school, did you ever start crushing on one of your teachers? Maybe you’d imagine your teacher disciplining you, or you’d contemplate the smell of your gym coach's jockstrap, or you called a certain professor “Daddy” in your head. You fantasize about it but it’s harmless, because you know nothing will ever come of it.

Well, something did come of it for me. I fucked my teacher. Okay the actual fucking happened in a different story I’ll have to tell you about later, but this is the story of the first time we actually got together.

Our story begins many years ago, when I was still in college. The degree program I was enrolled in was fairly new, and a lot kinks were being worked out as it went along. Along with that, we also had a pretty decent amount of young, or young-ish, professors. Since it was a tech-related program, everyone was pretty nerdy as well.

The subject my professor actually taught isn’t important, but you can be damn sure it was my favorite class. From that very first day, he made an impression on me. Scruffy facial hair, good sense of humor, and a lot of shared interests - he was teaching in my major after all. Instant crush. Then I found out he was gay, and I nearly went all anime-nosebleed everywhere. Found out in the middle of class too, so I really had to make sure I kept my shit together. After that, I probably spent the next two years hopelessly crushing on Teach. I think knowing he was gay gave me some sort of subconscious false hope that I actually had a shot. But I mean come on, I don’t think someone’s going to want to actually risk their job over some kid who can’t even legally drink yet.

We did become friends though, and I’d often go to him if I needed help on a project or to get a question answered. Eventually, I got over the crush. Not seeing him on an almost daily basis certainly helped. We stayed friends after I graduated, maybe even flirted a little, but by that point I didn’t think anything would come of it. There was this one time, when a minor run-in almost occurred. A guy we had both been hooking up with wanted to set up a threesome, neither of us realizing who the other person was at first. We were both in the idea, but once he saw a picture of the “other guy,” he was very upfront about feeling weird fooling around with a former student. I can't exactly fault him, as I’ve never been in his position.

But eventually...that rule went right out the window.

Several years later, I have long since graduated while he still teaches. We both run in the same friend circles - gay nerdy bears - so we actually run into each other now and then, but not often. When we do see each other, it’s mostly small talk and catching up, nothing major. Until one fateful day, when we are both at a group dinner for a mutual friend. It must have a been long time since he last saw me, because I was like an ugly duckling to him.

We start texting almost daily. The flirting between us becomes a lot more frequent and intense, to the point where it seems that us hooking up was inevitable. We’ve been talking so much about our sex lives, and about boys we each used, that sharing one between us seems like a good place to start. We are both primarily tops, and Doms, and we’re still figuring out what our dynamic is exactly. He’s my former teacher, yes, but I’m not that barely-legal college student anymore. Having a third person there between us would actually help facilitate things.

We drive to his boy’s place together. During the car ride, we revert back to the days of awkward small talk and clumsy flirts, my heart thundering in my chest so loudly I think he can hear it. I feel the stirrings of my former crush in my stomach. I’m anxious; worried something might go wrong and the whole thing will get called off. We pull into the parking lot and get out. I follow Teach through the maze of apartment buildings as he leads the way to his boy’s apartment.

The door is unlocked, apparently standard protocol for Teach’s visits. We walk in and he introduces me to his boy, who is wearing just a t-shirt and underwear. We waste no time in joining him, stripping down to our undies. It has been requested that I wear a jockstrap, and Teach is doing the same. If you’ve read any of my stuff before, you’ll by now I have an underwear kink.

We move to the couch and sit next to each other. His boy has some porn playing on the TV, but I’m not really paying attention to it. I keep looking at Teach, and his nice furry chest, thick legs, and a nice jockstrap. The boy kneels between Teach’s legs, and is told to get to work. He immediately latches onto Teach’s jock-clad cock, sucking and chewing on it through the fabric. Teach reaches over and pulls me in for a kiss while I reach down and start grabbing at my dick.

I’m happy to discover that he is a good kisser. Watching him order around his boy is definitely doing something for me too. I don’t know if I’m ready to submit to him just yet, but I could definitely get into domming someone right alongside him. As we make out, I feel his boy reach over and replace my hand with his. Then Teach orders him to take out his cock and really start sucking. I watch him swallow Teach’s cock down, as I’m sure he’s done many times before, all while continuing to stroke me. Teach has a nicely sized uncut dick, although I’m still winning in the size department; it’s certainly nothing to scoff at. I watch, enthralled, before Teach pulls me back in for more kissing, and all I can hear is the wet slurping sounds of the cock moving in and out of his boy’s mouth.

Teach then pushes my head down to his chest - he wants his nipples played with, roughly. I oblige him, taking his hairy pec into my mouth and sucking, hard. I hear a sharp intake of breath followed by a low “fuck yeah,” so I suck harder on his nipple and start using my teeth. I’m gentle at first, but I start to get rougher, though I’m careful not to leave marks. Though I’m positive he’d love that now, he (and his partner, who I am fairly certain does not know what he is up to) would definitely not be happy later.

Eventually he decides it’s my turn, and he grabs his boy’s head and pushes him towards my crotch. I lay back and let him work as he starts mouthing at my jock. It feels nice, warm, wet. I wish I’d brought a change of clothes, wet jockstraps can get uncomfortable, but in the moment, it’s amazing. It gets even more amazing when Teach leans over and starts kissing me again. He starts playing with my chest now, and I groan into his mouth. I don’t even pull away, I just reach down, pull my cock out, and guide the boy’s head to it. I moan again as I feel him sink all the way down. This boy is good. I might need to try out his other end sometime.

So far, this has been a spectacular morning. I’ve got a mouth on my dick and the teacher I’ve crushed on for years is groping and kissing me in nothing but a jockstrap. It’s hard to not just lay here, but I am nothing if not an active participant. I put one hand on the back of the boy’s head, moving him up and down with just enough force to show who’s in control. My other hand is touching Teach, rubbing and grabbing at his cock. He stops kissing me to move down to play with my nipples, and I start forcing the boy’s head even faster. I want to see how much I can make him gag, I love hearing him cough and sputter because he can’t handle me stretching his throat.

After a few minutes of getting my dick wet, I pull him off and push him back towards his owner, who he immediately swallows back down. I take the initiative this time and latch back onto Teach’s tit. He’s got one hand on my head holding me to his chest and the other on his boy’s. I can hear him saying things under his breath to his boy. Then I hear him start talking to me. Asking me "Do you like what I’m doing, boy?” I think things over for just a second - he wants me to be his boy, huh? I’m feeling it, at least right here and now. I let his nip slip out of my mouth for a brief “Yes sir!” before resuming my ministrations. I start attacking his nipple much more roughly, not as concerned with leaving marks anymore.

It must have done the trick, because the next thing I know, both hands are on his boy’s head, forcing him down to the very base of his cock. He lets out a loud growl as he spills into his boy’s mouth, causing him to struggle trying to swallow it all. Once the hands are removed, the boy lets the cock slip from his mouth and spends the next few minutes cleaning it up, like a good boy. As Teach is catching his breath, his boy just looks up at me, face sloppy with spit, eyes still hungry. I don’t say anything, just spread my legs and motion for him to move between them.

It’s my turn, and I am ready to seed this boy’s mouth. I don’t want to draw this out too long, but I also don’t wanna blow my load immediately. I wanna come back and do this again, so a good first impression is key, right? I lay back and let the boy do most of the work, enjoying the feeling of his well used throat. Teach leans back over and we kiss some more, much slower this time, and I just let myself enjoy it.

Once I’m ready, I decide I want to paint this boy's face a little. I grab his head and move it down to my nuts, ordering him with a simple “Lick.” He goes to town on my balls, licking and sucking on my sack with a fervor. I start stroking my cock, stripping it faster and faster. Fuck, this is it!

With my free hand, I pull his head back from my balls and aim my cock at his face. The first shot hits the rim of his lip and lands in his mouth, as does the second. No more misses after that, because I’ve shoved my cock into the back of his mouth to the hilt! I hold his head to my crotch and breathe, savoring the last few moments of my orgasm. I release his head, letting him catch his breath before he cleans me up.

I turn and look over at Teach. He smiles and asks if I had fun, and I just smile in return. Hell yeah I did. I can’t wait for the next time. Hopefully neither can you.

The Species of Terra

The world of Terra is similar to ours in many ways, but the presence of magic means that there are a lot more than just humans populating it’s lands. Each corner contains its own unique blend of cultures, and among any given species you will find dozens of variations in appearances, languages, and societies. The number of intelligent species in the world is in the dozens, and the following is a list of those with the largest populations in settlements found around the world.

• Humans - With a naturally adaptive disposition and a sense of determination that borders on foolhardy, humans are possibly the most populous and wide-spread of all the peoples of Terra. If there are lands to explore, oceans to sail, or creatures to hunt, chances are a human will try to be the first to do it. Unfortunately, this gung-ho attitude does not always earn them favor with their neighbors. Something uniquely common to human cultures is how many of them were formed based around the worship of a particular religion or deities; it is only in the last hundred years or so that human culture began leaning in a more agnostic direction. Some of these cultures include the Olympians, the Taiyohito, and the Nehehrama.
• Elves - Being the oldest of the intelligent species, much of early elven history remains a mystery, even to themselves. Agile, long lived, and born with an innate magical connection, it is not uncommon for an elf to dedicate their life to a specific pursuit—a life that spans nearly five-hundred years on average. Ancient elven ruins can be found tucked away in nearly every corner of the planet and are studied the world over in the hopes of unlocking some of their secrets. Though their past may be a mystery, elves today are known for their diplomacy and outreach, often uniting different peoples to work together towards a common goal. Some of the other names elves are known to go by are the Dalaketnon, the Pillanes, and the Yaksha.
• Gnomes - Nearly as ancient and long-lived as the elves, gnomes are known for being far more inquisitive and secretive than their taller cousins. Equally gifted in magic, gnomes also seem to possess a natural talent for mechanics and tinkering, and when these two skills come together it’s no wonder they lead the world in technological breakthroughs. However, one of the most unique things about gnomes is the variations in their height; while one group of gnomes may average three feet tall, another may grow no higher than a few inches. Gnomes can be found living anywhere, from a forest, to a city, to a home hidden inside someone else's home—gnomes are nothing if not ingenuitive. Specific groups of gnomes include the Pukwudgies, the Nuno, and the Aziza.
• Orcs - A hulking and brutish-looking group, their appearance often overshadows a connection to and respect for the natural world around them. Though they seem intimidating to outsiders, orcs can count some of the most skilled and dedicated artisans and tradesmen in the world among their numbers. Their large pointed ears and uniquely formed vocal cords make it much easier for them to both hear and mimic the sounds of other creatures, making many of them avid hunters and trackers. They can primarily be found living in the forests and jungles of the world, a fact which suits their naturally green skin and primarily carnivorous diets. Orc tribes in other parts of the world go by names like the Oni, the Rakshasa, and the Nawao.
• Dwarfs - Stout and sturdy and almost always with a beard, dwarfs can be found living within and on top of most mountain ranges in the world. More than content to uncover the secrets buried in the earth, it was only logical that after living so close to so many precious metals and stones they would become some of the most gifted metalworkers and jewelcrafters in the world. Most dwarfish cultures eschew traditional gender roles; what they value above all else is hard work. Requiring no sunlight and far more physically hearty than most non-dwarfs, it is not uncommon for a dwarf to spend years at a time underground. The Muki, the Vamana, and the Sihirtia are just some of the dwarfs populating the mountains of Terra.
• Halflings - While others look to expand their borders and build new settlements, halflings are more than happy to focus on fortifying what is already theirs. Gifted with an innately accurate internal clock and bodies that are naturally equipped to better resist and process most poisons, venoms, and non-magical diseases, these creatures are masters in medicine and agriculture. The annual yield of a halfling farmer’s crops could feel several small armies, which is a very good thing considering a single halfling household can contain up to twenty or thirty extended relatives—halfling cities on average are almost twice as densely populated as other cities. Some other names for halflings around the world are the Yehasuri, the Korpokkur and the Eloko.

Steel & Thunder: Chapter 2

Nathaniel, Corrine, and I sit silently in our cell, the tension thick in the air. No one has tried to talk me out of it though. Just an awkward silence—they want to get out of here as bad as I do. For my part, I do my best not to overthink things. The more I think about it, the more I might try to talk myself out of it, and I’m determined to get us out of here. True to Naruk’s word, the orc guard returns about an hour later.

“Captain Ironstorm accept challenge.” Well, if that isn’t an incredibly intimidating name, even in broken-sounding Common. He unlocks the door with a key, cuffing me in manacles before leading me out.

“If Adam and Liss get back here before I do, let ‘em know that I’m getting us outta here.” I do my best to make my final words to my team sound confident and not so...final.

“Good luck, David.” Corrine gives me a sad smile from her side of the bars.

“Yeah, kick his ass, man.” Nate does his best to not look quite so unconvinced.

“We’ll be out of here in no time.” I try not to think about how our freedom—and my life—is on the line.

Leading me from behind, the orc pushes me past a few more empty cells until we reach the door I assume I heard earlier. It’s heavy and made of metal, though I don’t see a lock. He presses his wrist to the door, above the handle, and a second later I hear a click. Huh? Before I have a chance to ask anything, I’m pushed through it.

As I’m led through the building, I do my best to take in my surroundings. We pass a few more doors before we end up in a larger room with a few other orcs. Some are conversing, but most are seated at desks and looking at papers. A few watch with amusement as we make our way through the room before we exit a final set of double doors to the outside.

Wow.

We are definitely in a city. Buildings line the road on either side. The streets aren't packed, but there’s plenty of people—orcs—going about their business. A hand on my neck has me moving again, my warden apparently tired of my gawking. We turn right, and then right again down the next street so we are facing behind the jail, and I see where we are heading.

What looks like a large arena over two stories tall is situated just a few blocks down from us. The bottom half seems to be made of wood while the top half is stone. We’re doing this with an audience then. I suppose I did ask for that. We pass several orcs along the way, some doing a double take when they notice the metal cuffs on my wrists. A few even run off to the arena ahead of us, I guess to get a good seat.

Once we reach the open-air building, I see that the wooden walls outside are actually just panels laid over more stone. Several have been carved with intricate depictions of orcs engaged in different activities. They’re mostly battle scenes, but I also see what I think might be some kind of game or sport being played, and occasionally just some orcs standing around talking. Before I can look in more detail, I’m pushed through another series of doors, past more orcs I don’t know—who all look at me funny. The guard finally slows down when we reach what seems to be the final door, knocking when we approach.

A woman opens the door, her skin, tusks, and large pointed ears a match for my jailer, though her hair is long and black. She says something in Orcish and the guard grunts in response before pushing me to her.

“Come with me, sweetheart.” Another orc who knows her Common, and also one who is a lot less pushy; she’s content to let me follow at my own pace into the room.

It’s a large room, not at all what I expected. In one corner is a wooden bathtub, the water within hot enough for me to see the steam rising from the surface. There’s also a table filled with food, and along one wall is a large mirror situated above a shelf covered with all sorts of bottles. There’s a couch against another wall with a second female orc currently sitting on it. About the only thing in the room I do expect is the huge amount of weapons lining one of the walls.

I follow my new guard over to the mirror. I’m only just realizing I don’t think I’ve ever seen a female orc before today, not even in artwork. I mean, I guess I knew they had to exist, but I've only ever thought of orcs as male. They don’t look any different than a human woman does from a man. I just never pictured them before for some reason. I’ve seen more than a dozen in the last twenty minutes, including the two in front of me now, both dressed in simple black robes.

“Did he leave the keys?” the other orc, whose dark hair is pulled into a bun, asks.

“Damn, I forgot,” the first orc sighs.

“It’s fine. Come here sweetie.” The other orc signals for me, and I step forward. She takes a hold of my cuffs, placing her hand over the lock before muttering something to herself. The lock on my cuffs clicks, the manacles easily sliding off. “Much better.”

“Now, do you need help getting ready?” the first orc asks. Both these orcs sound a lot more natural when they speak.

“Um, no thanks. I think I’m okay.” Get ready with what exactly? It’s a fight. Are they gonna spar with me or something?

“Alright. You should have about thirty minutes. Once the ritual begins, you’ll hear a bell chime. Select your weapon from the wall—only one—and then walk through that door there.” She smiles warmly as she explains, pointing at a door set in the same wall as all the weapons.

“Feel free to use any of the oils or perfumes along the mirror. Just one more thing.” The second orc leans forward and places her hand on my lower stomach, muttering to herself again.

Oooooohhh boy. Whatever she just did, it felt weird. Kinda like I’m… I dunno…lighter or something? The hell did she do that for?

“Alright, good luck.” The second orc winks at me, both women smiling before turning and leaving the room through a separate third door.

That was weird, but at least I’m alone for a little and can think. I make an immediate beeline to the table of food. It’s simple things like fruits and cheese, but still better than anything I’ve had in a long time. I haven’t exactly been eating great since we started traveling. I’ve lost a lot of weight, almost thirty pounds, and most of it was muscle.

I used to hold my own against Adam or Liss in a one-on-one fight, but now I can’t so much as arm wrestle them. It’s not like I’m starving or anything; I just never knew how much I needed to eat to maintain my size. You don’t really fill up on meals when you spend most nights sleeping outside. Still, what I lost in strength has been gained back in agility. I move quickly, precisely, using my opponent's strength against them. I’ve even practiced picking a few pockets here and there.

Which is why I’m not too worried about my chances here. But I do need to eat something. I help myself to some of the food, stopping when I feel like my stomach is full, though not so full that it’ll hinder my movement. Then I look over the rest of the room. The mirror I really don’t see the use for, but the bath... I haven’t felt hot water in ages. I pull off my clothes and toss them on the couch. They’re nothing fancy, just a shirt, some pants, and a loincloth, all cotton.

I use the stepladder next to the large wooden tub to lower myself in slowly. Fuck does that feel good. For a few minutes, I just lay there with my eyes closed, content to mindlessly soak. Only for a few minutes though—I’ve got a death match to win after all. I spot a bar of soap and a washcloth on a small table next to the tub, and I am happy to scrub all the days of being outside off of my skin. I’m not sure how long I’m in there exactly, but the water never seems to go cold. These orcs certainly know their magic.

After a rinse and a few more minutes of soaking, I grudgingly pull myself from the tub. After weeks of nothing but cold river baths, that was heaven. I grab the towel laid out for me nearby, tossing it to the floor once I’m dry. I leave off my clothes, content to wander the room naked for now, something else I haven’t been able to do for a while.

I ponder the wall of weapons. There’s a lot: swords, staves, maces, bows, and quivers—just about any weapon I could think of and a few I don’t even know the names for. My weapon of choice used to be a broadsword, but after all the weight loss, I switched over to something smaller, usually a short sword. They're lighter, and at the moment, easier to wield. I’ve been practicing using a second one in my offhand lately so it sucks that she said I could only take one.

I reach for a sword that looks to be a good size, removing it from its perch. Steel, I think, the blade sharp and well balanced. I practice swinging it a few times before adding in a few jumps and dodges. It feels a little silly to be doing this naked, but I want to get a good feel for this thing before I head out there. I wish I could use my own sword. It’s nothing special, but I’m used to it.

I continue to practice with my weapon of choice, taking the time to warm myself up. I don’t wanna go out there totally unprepared. I’m in the middle of doing some stretches when I hear a loud bell ring coming from somewhere behind the weapon wall. I guess it’s time. I pull on my clothes, grab my sword, and head through the door.

Another hallway, though I can see the gate on the opposite end is open to the outside. The arena. I make my way toward it, suddenly feeling like I’m walking to my doom.

Which I guess I might be.

Nope, not gonna think like that. I’ll kick this orc’s ass and win us our freedom. Maybe I won’t even have to kill the guy. Maybe I can convince him to yield instead. Everyone wins!

Yeah, right.

The sun is blinding as I walk into the open air. The stands look near packed, the gathered crowd erupting in applause at my appearance. A much more positive reception than I would have expected for a human who’s about to try and kill one of their own. I’m tempted to wave, but opt to remain stoic. This isn’t exactly fun, and the more the crowd cheers, the more I realize how fucked up this all is. Did I make a mistake?

My opponent, Captain Ironstorm, is already on the field. The closer I get, the more I recognize him from the “incident.” He’s got short, cropped black hair, and if it weren’t for the green-olive complexion, he’d almost remind me of my dad. Unlike Dad though, he’s got a full beard, and well maintained at that. His tusks are at least an inch long, maybe an inch and a half, and he has deep, intense looking chocolate-brown eyes. Not sure why I added that last part.

He's not wearing much in the way of armor, at least not compared to the leathers I remember him in earlier. He's got at least half a foot of height on me, maybe a little more, and holy shit is he built. No wonder Adam had problems taking him down. Fuck, I remember how he knocked me halfway across the room. If I try to jump at him like I did last time, he'll wipe the floor with me. I leave some distance between us when I approach, matching my relaxed stance to his.

"Come here often?" Cracking jokes at inappropriate times is a nervous habit. He looks...amused? He gives me a curt nod of acknowledgment but says nothing. I nod in return, but the only thing on my face is determination. This won't be easy, and... I really don't want to hurt anyone. But I'm going to do what I have to.

The bell chimes again, and I think it's to signal the start of the fight. Ironstorm shifts into a more combative stance, though his expression is only slightly more serious. I follow suit, and as the audience shouts, the two of us begin to slowly circle each other. He chose a sword as well, but his weapon is much bigger than mine. Definitely a two-hander.

He makes the first move, leaping at me with a horizontal slash, and I move backward to dodge before jumping forward myself. My own sword is deflected easily, but it doesn't feel like we're really fighting yet. Just sizing each other up. He comes at me again, this time with a series of steady over the shoulder swipes. I don't so much deflect them as I knock them out of the way. He's got biceps the size of my head, and it's all I can do to meet his attacks head-on.

Gotta think smarter, David.

He tries to leap at me again, and this time, I not only knock his sword away but deliver a swift kick to the gut too. He's pushed back slightly, holding his free hand to his stomach for only a moment. Gonna have to use my sword if I stand a chance.

We continue to toy with each other like this for some time. I'm not sure how long, but I'm starting to get tired, and frankly, the people watching seem like they’re getting bored. Time to stop screwing around, I guess. I think back to the fight in the ruins, the way that first orc came at me but totally biffed it and hit the ground. I don't think my opponent here is quite that stupid, but maybe there's a way I can still provoke him and use his reaction to my advantage.

I switch tactics, going entirely evasive, making sure I am consistently out of his reach while doing my best to land quick kicks and jabs where I can. Nothing more than small annoyances to him, but that's the idea. I can tell he's starting to get riled up when the smirk on his face shifts to a scowl, and then to outright anger. Here we go.

He lunges at me again, much harder and faster than he has before. But instead of jumping back and using his recovery to land a punch, I twist to the side, letting him pass me entirely and putting all my strength into delivering a hard kick to the back of his knee. His leg gives out and down he goes, his sword clattering to the ground just out of reach. This is it. He's face down on the ground, his neck and back exposed. I raise my sword, ready to land the final blow, his body prone before me to take out.

But I hesitate.

And that's all it takes.

He pushes off the ground quickly and comes at me, spinning around and delivering his own kick right to my stomach. The wind is knocked out of me, and I am launched backward before hitting the ground. My sword goes flying, to where I don't know since I'm too focused on trying to breathe again. Before I have the chance to move, I feel a leather boot on my stomach again, though not pressing to hold me down.

In victory.

Once I can breathe again, I look up, seeing his muscular green form standing over me, the sun behind him, his sword pointed down at me. I'm brought back to the ruins, the last time I passed out with him above me. As sounds begin to filter back into my ears, I can hear the crowd roaring, and I can only imagine the sight we are.

Why is he drawing this out? To humiliate me? Just get it over with.

"Do it," I say once I can find my ability to speak.

"Do what?" His voice is deep, gruff even.

"Kill me." Fuck, is he going to make me beg to die?

"What? Why would I... Why would I kill you?" He lets his sword arm drop to his side, and though the sun makes it hard to read his expression, he sounds genuinely confused.

"Because that's what we’re doing? Trying to kill each other?" What the hell is happening right now?

"You were trying to kill me?" Okay, now he’s less confused and maybe a little angry.

"Y-Yes? Weren't you trying to kill me?" I get a really bad feeling in the pit of my stomach, beyond the boot-shaped bruise I have growing. "Isn't that what we were supposed to be doing?"

"NO!" he roars down at me.

"O-oh." I don't know what to say to that. I don't know what's going on right now. What was all this then? What happens now? "I don't understand. What were we supposed to be...? What are you going to do now?"

There's a beat of silence. "Why don't I show you?" I don't need to see his face to hear the venom in his voice. If he's not going to kill me, it sounds like I may wish he had.

He tosses his sword to the side, and I see it land some distance from us. When I look back up, he's pulling his shirt off next, tossing it away as well. Shit, I can't believe I actually almost beat this guy. He's a hairy motherfucker, and I'm not sure Adam, myself, or any other knight back at the academy could get a body like his, even if we hit the gym every day.

He moves down, his boot no longer on my stomach. Instead, he kneels over me, and I can finally see his face clearly. Yeah, he looks none too happy right now. I probably wouldn't be either if I found out someone was trying to kill me. But what is he doing, and why did he take off his shirt? There’s some roundness to his stomach but even that has a fuck-ton of muscle underneath it.

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small pocket knife. I thought we were only allowed one weapon? I guess it doesn't really count, not like he used it. And just as I think that, he grabs my shirt in his other hand and uses the knife to rip it in half. The spectators around us cheer.

"What the hell!" That's my fucking shirt! I don't have a lot of those!

"Quiet, or I'll gag you." The order is delivered the way my old drill instructors used to give them, the kind not to be defied or questioned. He finishes tearing my shirt, removing it from me entirely before he drops the knife and grabs my wrists to position my hands above my head. Then, using the tatters of my now ruined shirt, he ties them together. Is he taking me back to jail? "Do not move these."

I make no attempt to move them. He searches my face for a moment, but all he finds is confusion. "You truly have no idea what is to happen here?"

"I told you... I thought we were supposed to be trying to kill each other." Can't say I pictured ever having to say that to someone. This is more humiliating than I could have ever imagined.

"Hmmph. Humans." He pauses before picking up his pocket knife again. "You really should learn to think before rushing to action." Then he grabs my pants by the waist and rips the knife down one of the legs.

"Would you stop that!?" I need my pants! I have even less of those than shirts! "Can you just tell me what you're doing!?"

"Taking my prize for winning." His expression changes from anger to hunger. What? He then rips through my other pant leg, the crowd erupting as he yanks the torn fabric out from under me. That leaves me lying on the floor of the arena in nothing but my loincloth, hands bound above my head. Then I notice his own pants, or at least the prominent bulge sticking out from them. Oh gods, why is he... Remember when I said this was more humiliating than I could have imagined?

I'm too scared to ask if my assumptions are right. My whole body flushes red and thanks to that fucking pocket knife, it's all on display. Everything except for the thin layer of fabric I call my underwear. Ironstorm, looking confident even when shuffling on his knees, leaves my side. When I realize it's to move between my legs, I snap them shut in a futile attempt to keep him away.

He only smirks, grabbing my ankles and swiftly removing my shoes before taking my knees in both hands and easily parting my thighs. As he moves forward, his eyes rake down my torso before stopping on the only area I still have covered, his eyebrows quirking up in amusement. "It seems you may have figured it out."

What is he...? Oh no. In my humiliation and fear-induced state, I didn't notice Little David deciding to wake up and join the party. Why here? Why now?

It's not like I'm enjoying any of this! I did not wake up today and think, “Oh boy I sure would like to get manhandled and tied up by a hot muscular half-naked orc.” I don't even like men! Even if I did just refer to him as hot. I've never been with anyone, okay? And traveling in close quarters for two months with four other people doesn't exactly give you a lot of alone time either. I'm just pent up, that's all.

"I think I will keep these as a trophy," Ironstorm jokes as he reaches for my underwear, apparently not intending to shred them. Instinctively, my bound hands shoot down in an attempt to hold onto my dignity, but they're caught before they reach their target. My captor looks none too amused with my stunt. "What did I say about moving these?" he growls before slamming my wrists back into the dirt above my head, his entire body looming over mine.

"Please." Not entirely sure what I'm asking for here. He's practically on top of me, his arm stretched over my head as he holds me down. His underarm is as hairy as the rest of him, and the scent of his musk hits me full-on. I can even feel his erection poking against mine. "I... I've never..." Aaaaaand I'm turning red again. Please don't make me say it out loud.

He looks at me curiously, but I can tell he doesn't quite believe me. "Do not move them again," he grumbles before moving back to his earlier position, kneeling between my thighs. He takes both my legs in his hands again, this time bringing them together, sticking them straight up and bending them over his left shoulder. Then, lifting me with one strong arm, he slips the loincloth off my ass and up my legs. You know, like when you diaper a baby.

Why can't he just kill me?

He lays my legs down once again, spread wide and leaving me fully exposed to him and everyone else in the audience, who are once again raucous with glee at my debasement. My hands are balled into fists as I fight every urge to cover myself, too fearful of the wrath of the giant man currently ogling my naked body. It's not like I have anything to be ashamed of. My dick is a nice seven inches when hard. It's more the being-forced-to-do-this-in-front-of-a-bunch-of-people of it all that is getting to me.

He moves forward and uses his knees to spread my thighs farther, exposing more than just my dick. He grabs my left leg and lifts it, placing it on his shoulder. He then reaches into the pocket of his leather pants, pulling out a small glass vial. I watch suspiciously as he uncorks the top and dribbles a clear liquid onto his fingers. By the time he recorks the vial and I realize what he's doing, his index finger is pushing into my ass.

I can't help but hiss and squirm, half in pain and half in surprise. I can't tell how much he's got in me, but it feels like a lot, and I know his hands are fucking huge. My eyes water as I futilely try to push him out, but he only pushes farther inside in response.

Fuckfuckfuckfuck. I've never done anything like this before. Maybe I've thought about it once or twice, but I've never actually had something in my ass before!

"Breathe."  My eyes snap open at the order, and I take a breath as requested. I didn't realize I was holding it. That's the only bit of kindness I get though, as he continues to drive his large green digit in and out of my hole. I try to focus on breathing, but it's difficult, especially after he adds finger number two. My eyes scrunch up in pain, and I turn my head to whine into my arm, earning me a small chuckle from above. It's about the only thing I can do. His free arm is wrapped around my leg, holding it tightly to his chest.

The initial entry may have been fast, but now that he’s in, he seems perfectly happy to take his time. His fingers stretch me as they slide in and out of my body, sometimes in sync, sometimes in a rhythm, and when he scissors them apart, it feels like I'm at my limit, like I might split in two. And once or twice he does this thing where he hooks his fingers upward and has me arching off the ground.

I'm not entirely sure when this switched from pain to pleasure, but now instead of fighting to push him out, I have to fight myself not to start pushing back on him. Especially when he hits that one spot. I don't even realize it's me making the noise when I start hearing the whimpering and moaning. I try to use my arm to muffle myself, but I know he's already heard me. Not to mention my dick, which wilted slightly after the first intrusion, and has stiffened back up to full hardness. Traitor.

More gently than I would have expected, Ironstorm pulls his fingers from my hole, chuckling when I whimper at their loss. It just feels weird, okay? I guess I haven't really considered the next logical step in all this, only realizing when he stands and begins undoing his pants what comes next. Panicking, I look at the entrance I came through, hoping for a chance to escape. But no, the gates have already been shut. Would I have even made it that far if they weren't?

When I look back up, he's once again towering over me, only this time he's fully naked. The sun once again blocks the details of his features, but his outline is clear. His cock is massive and as green as the rest of him. Even at my decent size, I'd probably develop a complex growing up next to that. He's got the vial out again, pouring more of the viscous liquid into his hand before discarding it with his pants. I'm mesmerized as he runs his slick hand up and down his shaft. Out of fear!

He kneels back down between my legs, and I shiver when his skin touches mine. The closer he gets, the more my anxiety grows, and when he lifts one and then the other of my legs to his shoulders, my body starts to quake. When he’s this close, I can read the desire on his face. This is really happening. He's really going to do this.

Why aren't I fighting to get away?

I feel the brush of his slick cockhead against my ass, and my breath hitches. I don't know if everyone has gone silent, or if I just can't hear anything over the pounding in my chest. Why did I agree to do this? Why did Nate have to cast that fucking fireball spell? Why did I even get on that fucking boat?

A hand on my face brings me back to myself. It's gentle, just cupping my cheek, making me look up at who it's attached to. The face looking back at me is softer than I've seen it all afternoon. The anger, or at least most of it, has faded away. In its place is...concern? I look up at him questioningly but before I can figure it out, he's leaning down to me, closer and closer, until...

Oh.

I gasp a little, certainly not expecting a kiss in the middle of all this. I mean, I guess it shouldn't be entirely unexpected. People tend to kiss when they fu—aaaand his tongue is in my mouth.

I groan, mostly in surprise but also because, and I hate to admit this, he's a pretty good kisser. I've kissed my fair share of girls, but none of them were like this. I was also usually the initiator of those kisses, though I guess I can see why some girls like the guy to take the lead.

Against my better judgment, I relax into the kiss. His tongue, larger than my own, slowly maps the inside of my mouth. It’s so different from kissing a girl. His beard scratches softly against my face, his tongue thicker and more demanding. He even tastes different. I run my tongue along his, letting myself moan a little. Something about my pride is making me want to prove that I'm a good kisser too. I feel a rumble of approval in response.

And then he starts pushing his cock into my ass.

I shriek—that's really the only word for it—into Ironstorm's mouth at the sudden invasion, though I'm not sure even I hear it as the crowd explodes into cheers at the same time. Anything resembling a moan of pleasure warps into a whimper of pain. I start breathing heavily again, and I can't help but move my arms from where I'm supposed to keep them. I know I can't push him off, so I wrap them around his neck and squeeze. I just need something to hold on to.

For his part, Ironstorm continues to kiss me as he pushes into me farther, stopping before I take the whole thing, his hips still some distance from my ass. I'm struggling to stop panting as my hands scrabble feebly at his back. I'm still whimpering, unable to stop them or the rest of my body from pleading with my abuser for some comfort. The tongue in my mouth continues its gentle mapping, and I don't know if orcs purr exactly, but there's that same gentle rumble from before as if he's trying to calm me.

I should point out that during all of this I am essentially being bent in half. I've always been pretty flexible, but this is not a position I've been in before. My knees are being pushed almost to my shoulders, and I can feel the full weight of the captain on top of me. I'm actually thankful for it because it means I can just relax my limbs and let him do the work at keeping me in place. Maybe thankful isn’t the word to use there…

Eventually, somehow, most of the pain subsides, and I'm able to relax, leaving me mostly with a feeling of fullness. But no sooner do I do this than the orc currently occupying space in my guts pulls back—both his cock and his face. My arms are pulled back over my head and what greets me is some of the same softness from before, but this time with an underlying lust that is clear as day. Lust that only grows as he pushes himself forward again.

He doesn't so much force the air out of me as he does a groan, an act he repeats a number of times at a steady pace. There's a slight burning sensation each time his cock is dragged in and out of my hole, but it's not nearly as bad as the first time. I find that I have to actually concentrate on relaxing because tightening up only makes things harder. The orc's face is on mine, no less hungry but watching me closely, I hope for signs of pain.

But...the more he does it, the less pain there is. My own cock lies against my stomach, having gone completely soft when Ironstorm first speared me open, but starting to wake up again. Because of the size that my “friend” is working with, he has no problem hitting that spot inside me that he used his fingers to toy with earlier. And it's starting to feel pretty good.

The first moan is involuntary. As is the second, and the third. I try to hold them in at first, but as he picks up the pace of his thrusts, I realize I'm fighting a losing battle. I didn't notice before, but the captain has actually been ever so slightly fucking more of himself inside me with each thrust. I look down at my cock again, fattened up slightly but not by much. However, a small puddle of my own sticky juices is pooling on my stomach, each pass inside seeming to push more out.

A glance up reveals my captor grinning down, knowing without a doubt that I've begun to enjoy this. And I'll be honest with you: at this point, I don't really care anymore. After all the humiliation and pain, I'm surprised I'm able to enjoy this at all. It's a little late to start fighting again now, so I'm done.

Two green hands grab me by the backs of my knees, pushing my thighs down and once again folding me in two. Leaning his weight on his upper body, the captain starts to speed up while also changing the angle of his thrusts. The people in the stands shout at the change of pace and position, and I nearly join them, the incessant prodding making me see stars.

I look up to watch him as he works, his hairy muscular form shining as the sweat from his exertion starts to drip down his chest. Some of it falls onto me, and it's only when the cool drops hit my skin that I notice just how hot I am. Even though I've done little more than lay here, I'm sweating like crazy.

That's not the only thing happening. With each slam of his cock, I feel that little burst of bliss. But I also feel a pressure growing, somewhere in my lower regions. I can't tell where exactly, or why, but the more it grows, the harder it is to concentrate on staying relaxed.

I look down, as if that’ll give me any answers, but all I find is my still mostly soft cock leaking more than I have ever seen, even by my own hand. Thanks to my amazing flexibility, I can also watch his cock pistoning in and out of my ass. It's mesmerizing, the green skin disappearing between the pink and tan, only to be pulled back out, dragging some of the skin with it. I almost forget I'm looking at myself. But that pressure keeps building and building, and I still have no idea what it means. Only that I feel full, so very full.

"Fuck." I don't know what's happening, but my eyes roll back in my head. It feels like I'm going to explode, my eyes squeezing shut, my toes curling. Every single muscle in my body is tight, and I can't help but cry out when after one, two, three more thrusts, I suddenly let go of everything I'm holding. More than that, I can feel all my muscles pushing outward. I groan loudly as the tension is literally fucked out of me.

My head lolls back, and I struggle to catch my breath. What was that? How do I do it again? Once I can see straight, I look down, my cock still only half-hard and sitting in a pool of my precum. Did I cum? It felt like I came. Even though I’m still really fucking horny. I look up at the captain, a look of triumph on his face, his body covered in sweat from his head to his waist. Holy shit. I am absolutely going to regret and probably repress all of this later, but this is one of the hottest things I've ever experienced. The sweat-drenched fur matted to his chest, the ripple of his muscles as he moves, the look of determination on his face—hell, I don't think I've ever smelled someone like him before and been so turned on.

The pressure starts to build again, and this time I'm looking forward to what I know is on the horizon. I bite my lip as it continues, closing my eyes in anticipation before I notice that the captain's thrusts are starting to get a little...erratic. Just as the pressure reaches its apex, I open my eyes to watch him looking even more determined than before, slamming forward and burying himself completely with a growl.

After a few more short and fast thrusts, his full weight is on me again as his tongue seeks entry to my mouth. It feels like his cock is growing bigger inside me, and as he cries into my mouth, I understand what's happening. I can feel the hot jets of his cum volley into my ass, the thick pillar of meat pulsing with each shot. Ironstorm still tries to thrust himself deeper inside me, as if he isn’t already buried to the hilt.

All of this is of course more than enough to push me over my own edge, the climax rolling through my body, if that's even what it is. I let my arms once again wrap around his neck as my body releases, some deep part of me (that I will likely also repress) finding the idea that I came with his load buried inside me intoxicating. I can't exactly see it, but once again it feels like my cock hasn’t actually shot anything, but if that wasn't an orgasm, I'm not sure I know what is.

All the while our captive audience roars with applause in the background, hoots and wolf-whistles abound. Eventually, his cock stops pulsing and my body relaxes. My arms back on the ground, he raises himself on his hands, a thin line of drool connecting his tongue to mine for a moment. I almost try to follow him, but I'm spent. I'm not even sure I can walk right now.

His hand cups my cheek again, the lust in his eyes sated. I grip his wrist for a moment, fighting and losing the urge to kiss the inside of his palm. He smiles, and it's only as he pulls his hand back and very gingerly pulls himself from my surely-wrecked ass that our surroundings start coming back into focus. I hiss once he's free, blushing at the wet feeling that follows. I reflexively try to tighten my hole, cursing at the sudden sharp pain when I do so. As my legs are lowered to the ground and the passion dies down, reality rears its ugly head and the realization of what I've just done begins to weigh on me.

Captain Ironstorm, after giving me one last look, stands, turning to face our crowd of onlookers. As he roars in victory to the sky, they explode once more, yelling and cheering for their captain and his conquered. He turns back to me and bends down, at first I think to help me up. Instead, his arm goes under my waist, and I'm lifted and tossed over his shoulder, like a prize. Which I guess I am. I want to protest, to fight further indignities, but I've got nothing left in me. I'm exhausted.

Looking down, all I am met with is a hairy, muscular, green ass. I dare not look any higher unless I make eye contact with someone in crowd who just watched me nearly get the life fucked out of me. As the crowd applauds, the captain moves, taking me along with him. I still have no idea what comes next. I was expecting to either win this fight or die trying. My friends are going to sit in that jail cell for the next six months, and after the brutal fucking I just received, I'm not sure if what I ended up with is better or worse.

Steel & Thunder is Now Available for Preorder!

You read that correctly but let me say it again: Steel & Thunder is now available for preorder! It feels like it has been forever since I started writing this book, and even longer since I started editing it (not sure how that works), and it feels so great to finally see it up for sale, like a real book! You can use any of the links below to be taken to an online bookseller and place your order. As of writing there are only digital copies available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, but the physical editions and other sellers should be coming online soon! I sure hope you’ll buy a copy of my silly book of orc porn. It would mean the world to me.

• All Preorder Links: https://books2read.com/OrcLove01 
• Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08WLPM13F
• Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/steel-thunder-dominic-n-ashen/1138830711

This Month on Patreon

In addition to posting what this month’s updates will be, this will also be the space where I announce the results of any polls being run at the end of the month. Here are the updates for March 2021:

• 3/8: The second chapter of Steel & Thunder, updated to match the version going to print.
• 3/15: A brief rundown on some of the fantasy races you will find in the world of Terra.
• 3/22: A tale from my Little Black Book about the time I hooked up with my former college professor - sharing the mouth of one of his regular subs.
• 3/29: Polls picking out the worldbuilding article, and Little Black Book chapter for the month of April 2021.

Dom's Little Black Book: Daddy M & Bartender

It was the fall, and I was away from home for the first time in a very long time. I was on the west coast visiting a good friend and former daddy of mine whom I hadn’t seen in a few years. I’ll call him Daddy M, or just Daddy, for the sake of this story. I could probably fill an entire book with the stories I have of Daddy M, but this particular tale is really more about a third person the two of us picked up together – something we enjoyed doing frequently, as we were both tops.

Since arriving a few days previous, my visit primarily revolved around food, fucking, and drinking. Overall a pretty great visit. Daddy lived within walking distance of a number of gay bars, which is how most of our evenings were spent. Being gay bars, naturally all the bartenders were very hot, and thankfully because of the neighborhood, mostly not straight. It’s always a little annoying when you find out the hot guy making your drinks and flirting with you is straight – what’s the point of being able to look if I can’t also hogtie him and throw him in my trunk?

Well, one bartender in particular catches my eye. Just a few years older than me, with strawberry blonde hair and a sexy beard right under a very impressive mustache. We’ll call him Bartender (Original, I know). I probably spend the next fifteen or so minutes just trying not to gawk at this gorgeous man while he works. Then I see Daddy just chatting with him like they’re old friends.

Because they are. Daddy calls me over and introduces us, and fuck if this guy’s not even sexier up close. Not only that, but he’s easy to talk to. As we order more drinks, we keep talking, smiling, flirting – whatever you want to call it, there was something there. The connection was so instant that I really had to consider if he was just doing it for the tip.

Between our flirting and him serving other patrons, I’m just enjoying the view. Bartenders get sweaty as fuck, y’all. And they like to take their clothes off. Every time he turns around, I get another look at the big muscular ass he’s got on him. It’s been a very, very good night.

A few minutes later, Bartender motions for me to follow him. I watch him disappear into a backroom as Daddy, with a knowing smile leads me to a side door that leads into the same backroom. The door opens, and hey, there’s Bartender. He smiles, steps a little closer, and pulls me in for a kiss. Fuck he’s a good kisser, and he smells and tastes amazing. Hell at this point he’s earned a good tip even if this is where our night ends.

However, he’s still on the clock, so we only get to make out for a few minutes before he has to get back to manning the bar. I get to go back to admiring him so I’m not complaining. The rest of the night is the same - drinks, flirting, and stolen kisses. By the end of the night, we make plans to get together the following morning at Daddy’s. As Daddy and I stumble home, I’ve got a big goofy smile on my face, and not just because of all the vodka. Looks like I’ve met a potential vacation fling.

The next morning, I am only slightly hungover – no drinking today. I get up, clean myself up, and try to start feeling like a normal person again. After I‘m officially comfortable calling myself “awake,” Daddy informs me that Bartender is on his way over. And there’s no playing coy about it – he’s coming over and we’re going to fuck the hell out of him. Twist my arm. So we get the bedroom looking somewhat respectable. You know, hiding the cum stains, getting out the lube, pushing the sling out of the way.

Bartender arrives looking just as sexy as he did last night. We chat a little, making that awkward small talk you do when you’re fooling around with someone for the first time. Then Daddy gets the ball rolling by kissing him, and then me. The three of us take turns swapping kisses with each other as we disrobe, and I get a nice up close look at the body I was admiring last night. I get to touch it too. At first, we have him on his back between us, the two of us demanding his attention with our mouths and hands. I run my palm over his stomach as I bite at his neck. He’s got just a hint of a belly, covered in a patch of light strawberry blonde fur.

We flip positions, moving Bartender to his stomach between Daddy’s legs. Daddy’s cock is already out, ready to demand the same attention that his mouth was earlier. I move behind Bartender, between his own legs, and admire the large swell of his ass. He’s not as furry down here as on his stomach, but I can still make out a slight sheen of peach fuzz. When I hear the telltale sputtering of a boy getting a cock pushed into his mouth, I waste no further time and dive in.

I take back what I said about him lacking fur back here - every time I swipe my tongue over his hole I can feel the light scratch of his hair. His pubic hair is the same strawberry blonde as the rest of him. I reach up with both hands, grabbing two handfuls of his gorgeous ass and squeezing as I prepare to set up camp. Rimming, especially when it's a nice ass on a responsive boy, is one of my favorite things to do. Possibly the favorite. I’ll admit it here - I don’t enjoy sucking cock. I can appreciate a nice dick, and in the rare instances that I feel like playing the sub, I’ll service them however they see fit. But when given the option, I put my boys in a jockstrap to keep their cock out of the way, and make it up to them by eating their ass like a starving man at Chinese buffet.

I take my time, swiping my tongue over the cleft of his ass over and over. Each time I feel him relax a little more, letting out the occasional moan, muffled by the cock lodged in his mouth. I continue to knead his ass as I further refine my plan of attack by gradually focusing more and more on his hole. I start pushing my tongue inside him, each time trying to get just a bit further in than the last. Every few seconds I’ll pull my tongue back to nibble at his pucker and blow cool air over it to tease him, before I dive back in, roughly scraping my beard against him. The dueling sensations are taking their toll as the moans and whimpers around Daddy’s cock  get louder and louder.

I start rubbing his hole with my thumb, first just teasing with it alongside my tongue, before  gently pushing it in and out. I pull back again, not to tease, but to watch as my thumb slowly disappears behind the pink ring of muscle. Fuck, that’s hot. I can’t help it, I growl and smack his ass with my free hand and he whimpers again. I can’t wait to hear the noises he makes once I’m inside him. I continue my feast for just a little longer – I could easily rim a nice ass for hours, just get me some water, prop a pillow under their hips, and we’re golden – but Daddy is ready to get inside him.

I’m happy to let him have the first crack at it – it’ll loosen it up more for me, and the idea of using Daddy’s cum as lube only makes my dick harder. We flip positions, me now sitting up by his head, presenting my cock to take it’s own turn plundering his mouth. I look over and watch Daddy pull Bartender back by the hips, positioning him where he wants with his ass on the edge of the bed. He slathers lube on his cock, swipes the rest onto Bartender’s ass, and starts pushing into his now-wet and relaxed hole. It’s always fun to watch another guy fuck - which is the whole reason porn exists - but there’s something in particular about this man’s fucking that I enjoy. Part of it is his cock. While I’ve got him beat in length, he’s got a dick so thick I can barely wrap my hand around it. Then there’s the way he fucks. He likes it rough, dirty, animalistic - and afterwards he turns into a cuddly teddy bear. Treat you like a prince but fuck you like a whore. A man after my own heart.

Bartender has taken this cock before, but my tongue can attest that he’s far from loose, so it still takes a moment to get in. All the while I’m in his face, guiding his mouth on my cock and watching as he goes through the wide range of emotions one goes through when they feel themselves stretched to the brink. A hint of worry, some shock, maybe even a little anger, all underscored by the lust and desperation locked behind their eyes - and always ending with bliss once the top bottoms out inside of them. Bartender is tight, but certainly no slouch, so it isn’t long before Daddy can start fucking like I know he wants to.

Daddy starts gently pulling his hips back, leaving just the head of his cock to be hugged by Bartender’s asshole, before just as gently pushing back inside to the hilt. Bartender starts letting out little moans around my cock, and I can’t decide if I want to keep going or pull out and start kissing him. I go with alternating between the two. His mouth is so warm and wet, and the sounds he makes just sound hotter and hotter the more of my cock I feed to him. Each time I bend down to kiss him, I can’t help but bite at his lips and growl.

Daddy and I continue to spit roast him on the bed, watching each other in action as we use our guest. We lean over him to kiss, slowing the pace down and just enjoying the tightness of both of Bartender’s holes. I give his chest and nipples a good grope and let out a moan of my own - kissing and body contact are also some of my favorite activities. We’ve been at this a good twenty minutes and I can tell Daddy is working himself towards an orgasm, ready to give our boy one of the loads he’s been working so hard at this morning.

It starts with a low groan, that quickly turns into a growl. Daddy grabs Bartender roughly, slamming their hips together as he unloads deep into Bartender’s ass. He gives a few more powerful thrusts, each accompanied by another growl and another shot of cum for the boy. Then Daddy is finished, still holding Bartender’s hips in a gentle grip, and everyone is covered in a thin sheen of sweat.

After catching his breath, Daddy extracts himself, giving Bartender a playful smack on the butt. I pull my cock out of his mouth and watch the warm smile grow on his face, his eyes lidded with a hint of sleepiness. The room is warm and smells musky. It’s damn near perfect. I run my hand over his back and move to lay beside him. I flip him onto his side to face me, smiling at his goofy contented look. I lean over to kiss him some more and trace my hand down to his ass, reaching in to tease at his hole. I can feel how open he is, how wet he is with Daddy’s load. Another kink of mine, if you couldn’t tell. He rolls onto his stomach and I move behind, climbing on top of him. I want body contact. I lay over him, reaching down to guide and grind my cock into his ass, seeking his entrance.

As I said, my cock is just a little thinner than Daddy’s, but it’s also longer. The first thing I feel as I slip in is heat, and then the wet warmth of Daddy’s cum coating his walls. I groan a little, thinking of how I’m just pushing Daddy’s load even deeper inside of him, ready to add some of my own. I stretch my arms up and over his, gently holding him by his wrists until he can feel the scratch of my pubic hair against his ass. I hold him just tight enough for him to know I’m there. I kiss and bite at the back of his neck, enjoying the feeling of his warm and wet hole wrapped around my dick.

Once he’s relaxed enough, I nuzzle at his neck and start moving my cock. I set a gentle, but steady pace, and I am rewarded with a nice moan from beneath me. I take it nice and easy at first, I’m in no rush and this boy is just so fucking sexy. I’m not even sure if I could call what I was doing thrusting - it was really more like I was grinding my cock in and out of his ass. I wanted to be touching as much of him as possible, moving my entire body up and down his back as I fucked him, all the while continuing to kiss at his neck and hold his arms down.

The feeling of the bed moving draws me out of my sex-drunk stupor for a moment, looking over to see Daddy settling on the bed, enjoying the show. I grin at him and start to pick up the pace, always up for putting on a show. I settle into a nice rhythm, my hips snapping back and forth, up and down, the sounds of his ass slapping against my thighs keeping the tempo. I start pulling back more and more of my cock with each thrust, until I’m fucking him with very long and deep strokes.

I can feel it building, my own orgasm. I can certainly hear the one Bartender has coming, if he hasn’t already. Without having his mouth occupied, the moans, whimpers, and whispered “oh gods” are driving me closer and closer to his inevitable breeding. I can hear him try to hold in his screams as I fuck him through another dry orgasm, his hole tightening and spasming on my pistoning cock. My thrusts are becoming a little more erratic, and I am no longer gently holding his wrists, but gripping onto him as though my life depended on it.

I bite into his shoulder, doing my best to be gentle so I don’t leave a mark, and slam my dick as deep into him as I possibly can. I growl around the mouthful of his neck as I try to push even further inside of him, each time letting loose another volley of cum. Finally, I collapse onto his back, both of us struggling to catch our breaths.

As we come to, I give Bartender a few more kisses to his neck, and rub at his wrists and arms. I’m just as demanding when it comes to cuddling after sex as Daddy. Eventually, and somewhat reluctantly, I attempt to gently extract my cock from his hole, while he attempts not to make any funny noises while I do so. We lay there just a bit longer, and I spoon him, rubbing gently at his stomach and nuzzling his back. I know he has to leave soon, this was just a stop before a list of errands he has to run, but I want to enjoy it. Daddy joins us on his other side and we just lay there, making dumb jokes and enjoying the afterglow.

Eventually, reality calls, and so we untangle our limbs and get dressed. As he goes to leave, I hug him tight and plant a nice deep kiss on him. I also make sure to grab a nice big handful of that ass again before we send him on his way. I experience a moment of melancholy. I’m not sure I’ll have the chance to meet up with him again before my visit is over, and I might have developed a little bit of a crush.

Daddy and I close the door, and then survey the bed, starting the clean up, before giving up and crawling back in bed to cuddle for a bit longer. If I don’t get to see him again, this was still an amazing morning, and a memory I’ll cherish for a very, very long time.

Always remember to tip your bartenders, folks.

Terra: The World of Steel & Thunder

The world of Steel & Thunder is not that unlike ours. Across the globe (and it is a globe) you have a wide range of environments and cultures, only a fraction of which I’ve shown in the story so far. Of course, there are also a lot more than just humans around as well. Elves, orcs, halflings; those are just some of the races populating the world. The planet goes by many different names, in many different languages, but the most common (at least in any language we’d be able to understand) is Terra.

Technology on Terra is many centuries behind our own, with most societies not having yet experienced any sort of industrial revolution. Swords and shields are still some of the most common weapons and defenses, and horses and carts are still the main form of ground transportation. There are some places though that have begun to experiment with the sciences of steam and steel, cities that are home to more mechanically-inclined individuals. There are even rumors of an island made entirely out of metal, created and run by gnomes. But these are few and far between, only rumors to some of the general populace.

Though they lack our level of industrial science, the people of Terra do have something we don’t: magic. The knowledge and laws of magic were discovered and developed right alongside that of non-magical technology, and that has enabled them to replicate many of our modern conveniences. Boats sail faster, crops grow stronger, and cities are built faster all thanks to magic. Even the medical sciences have benefited from the existence of magic, as even the most powerful healers and clerics can only be effective when they understand how the bodies they are healing naturally function.

The early days of Terra were dark, much of its history lost and forgotten to time. But the world of Terra is ever changing, its people constantly striving to grow and make new discoveries. And as the cities expand and kingdoms fall, secrets long since buried are eager to rise to the surface. These days, it is not uncommon to find groups of young men and women roaming the countryside, following rumors and looking for adventure, eager to make their own mark on the world of Terra.

Steel & Thunder: Chapter 1

“Are we there yet?” I hear Nathaniel ask for the hundredth time since we started walking this morning.

“No,” Elisabeth growls from the front of the group. “Now stop asking.”

“Yes, dear,” Nate sighs.

Corrine and I share a look, no doubt thinking the same thing: What does she see in him?

“We’re almost there,” Adam says from his position in front next to Liss (short for Elisabeth). “We should have just made it past the orc camps.” The people in the last town told us the orcs in the area were mostly peaceful, but we still wanted to play it safe and steer clear. I’ve also never actually met an orc before, so I’m not entirely sure I believe them.

Where we come from, there aren’t any orcs. Or many non-humans at all. Growing up, I learned there were orcs on the mainland in the south and east, but everything I knew came from the stories I heard. They didn’t exactly paint a pretty picture: lots of fighting, blood, and death. Sometimes they were a race obsessed with honor, other times creatures who would invade your land and raze your fields. So yeah, holding my breath on that one.

The current marching order has become our default travel formation. Adam, Liss, and I are the muscle, though those two have me beat in that department lately. They stay on guard in front while I take the rear, with our two squishy magic users sandwiched in the middle. I don’t mind—Corrine is surprisingly fun to talk to—but sometimes Nate is just so fucking irritating. I swear he does it on purpose. That’s what happens when you agree to travel halfway around the world with someone you barely know.

The five of us have been traveling together for a month now (two if you count that godsawful boat ride), and even rang in the new year together just a few weeks ago, making all sorts of plans as a group. Our goals as exploring adventurers are still a little undefined at this point, but after wandering up and down the coast taking odd jobs for weeks, we finally got a lead on something good in Holbrooke, the last town we stayed in. Apparently, a few years back, an earthquake uncovered some elven ruins in the mountains. Most people stayed away because of the orcs, but the rumors of there being something magical and powerful inside were enough to sway us. The desperation to do anythingbesides making a delivery or killing a giant rat may have contributed as well. That was four days ago.

I’m not sure what awaits us once we get to the ruins, but I trust my team to be able to handle it. Well, most of them at least. I’ve known Adam forever: tall, blonde, muscular, your classic golden boy who was nearly always the top of our class. I say nearly because the two of us were usually engaged in a friendly competition over...everything—sports, archery, sword fighting. Once, in the middle of a school day, we both jumped in a lake just to see who could hold their breath the longest. We met Liss when we entered the knight academy after finishing school. She’s maybe an inch or two shorter than Adam with fiery red hair that she normally dyes brown and cuts short. Since that’s not really possible out in the forest, she’s taken to wearing a hood over it. I’m just a couple of inches shorter than she is, clocking in at around 5’10” last time I checked. My black hair is currently shaggier than I like it, and I’ve got the beginnings of a beard from the three days we’ve been out here.

Corrine and Nathaniel joined us only a few days before we got on the boat. I was the one who noticed Corrine in the tavern, not that it was hard to spot the tall blonde pigtailed woman dressed like a nun. After asking me not to call her that, she told me she was looking for a group to make the journey across the ocean with for her “missionary work.” She seemed a little weird, but there was a healthy amount of fear and disgust over the establishment we were sitting in, so I knew she wasn’t totally out of her mind. Other than some Bible-study and group prayers, I haven’t seen her do much missionary-ing, but she says that “helping out anyone in the name of God is good work.”

We met Nate the following night in the same tavern after he answered an ad Adam posted. We were getting desperate for a magic user, but I still told Adam we might want to rethink going with the obvious mage-school dropout. His robe is dirty, his brown hair messy, and he seems to have perpetual stubble, even after spending days in the forest. He’s also just a little taller than I am, which wouldn’t be something I’d ever pay attention to if he didn’t point it out overand over and over.

At some point during the boat ride, Liss and Nate started fucking. A month on the water with only your hand is no fun, and it’s not like I have any experience myself to speak of, so I didn’t blame her for taking care of what she needed to. I was just surprised it continued once we were back on solid land, and there were more viable candidates around. A lot more viable. I mean, he’s been a finewizard, I guess.

“Are you sure we didn’t pass it?” He’s just so fucking annoying.

“I think I see it.” Liss points as we pass a hill to reveal the base of the mountain. A few more paces and I’m able to see what she means, spotting a cave in the distance. Large boulders sit on either side of it, huge cracks split the ground and mountainside, but there’s still a clear path—as if the rocks have been moved intentionally.

As we get closer, the details get less fuzzy, and I can make out some of the stonework carved around the entrance. I’ve never actually seen elven ruins before, so I don’t know if this is what they usually look like. There’s a smooth column along each side of the cave, but they’ve got to be purely decorative.

We stop just outside the entrance. The cave is dark—duh, it’s a cave—but that’s not an issue since Adam is already grabbing a torch and flint from his pack. There are letters along the top of the entrance—Corrine calls them runes—but I can’t read them. I swear it feels like I’ve seen them before, which is weird because, again, this is a first for me. For all of us, actually.

“Okay, I’m taking point,” Adam tells the rest of us. He’s technically the leader of our group. I’m second in command, though Liss might argue differently. “Once we’re inside, Nate and Corrine will start checking for magic. Elf ruins aren’t known for their traps, but David and Liss, keep your eyes peeled for anything I might miss.” He reaches in his pack for another torch, handing it to me once it’s lit. “Ready?”

“Ready,” we agree in unison. Adam draws his sword and in we go.

The walls of the cave are smooth, like the floor and ceiling. They’re plain at first, but as we move deeper inside, I see carvings along them. At first, it’s just more of the oddly familiar script I saw outside, but soon there are small figures, and then full-on faces, very detailed and obviously elven.

I don’t get much info on who they are, mostly because I still can’t read any of this. I’m trying to take in the details on the walls but also everything else since you never know when there might be a trap or a secret passage. These places have those, right? But so far, it’s just been one long hallway. I look back periodically and watch the cave entrance growing smaller behind us. I also hear some kind of ringing or buzzing in my ear.

“Hold.” Adam slows down. It looks like we’ve reached the end of the hallway and the entrance to a larger room. Adam and Elisabeth enter first, the orange-yellow light from the torch illuminating the room around them. “I think we’re good.”

The rest of us enter the room carefully. It’s pretty big. You could probably fit three or four dozen people in here. I count one, two...eight walls, including the one we entered from. They go very high, each one carved from floor to ceiling in intricate designs. I see words, figures, entire scenes depicted, the light making the details harder to see as they vanish into the darkness above. But what reallypulls focus is across from us, facing the entrance. Without being prompted, Adam steps closer and holds up his torch.

In the center of the wall is a large, very detailed sculpture of a man. I guess I’m not sure sculpture is the right word. Is it a relief? I didn’t really pay that much attention in art class. It's a part of the wall, but it also seems to be coming off the wall. He’s tall, though I guess I’m not sure if he’s meant to be life-sized or not. He’s in a robe, arms at his side, with short slightly curled hair and a full beard. He’s also got pointed ears, so not a human, but an elf.

“Do you guys hear that?” I rub my ear in irritation. The ringing worsened when we walked inside, and it’s making it hard to focus.

“David, get over here so we can get a better look at this.” Liss points next to Adam.

“Hold on.” Somehow, my ear and the wall aren’t the only things grabbing my attention in the room.

In the center of the room is a raised platform with a large pedestal, a brazier on the floor on either side. As I step forward, the buzzing in my ear grows, but it’s not so bad that I can’t light the two with my torch. As soon as the second one is lit, eight smaller braziers along the wall light up by themselves. The sudden illumination makes everyone jump, Liss even drawing her sword. No one says anything, waiting to see if we just sprang a trap.

“Shouldn’t you be telling us about things like magical lights?” Liss gripes, sheathing her weapon.

“Sorry,” Nate sighs before muttering a spell.

“I think that’s Zeus.” Corrine’s voice echoes through the chamber, startling herself. We all stare at her and then back at the wall.

The elf is flanked on either side up and down by clouds, each of them thundering with lightning. Strewn among the clouds and lightning are dozens of eagles, each carved so intricately I can make out the individual feathers from here. I’ve heard the name Zeus, but my family has never been terribly religious and wasn’t exactly interested in learning about someone else’s. But I’ll take Corrine’s word for it—she is the “missionary” after all. And if we’re looking at a god, I guess he might be life-sized after all.

“He’s not usually depicted as an elf though.” She steps past me, looking confused.

“The only other magical thing in the room is inside that box,” Nathaniel announces to the rest of us and points to the pedestal in the center of the room.

“Fuck, I think that’s where that sound is coming from too.” It hurts a little to even look at it.

“What are you talking about?” Adam uses the floor to put out his torch now that the room is lit.

“Seriously, does no one else hear that?” I put my own torch out and rub at my ears again.

“No.” Elisabeth moves forward. “What are you hearing?”

“I dunno, like a really high-pitched screech?” I shut one eye and rub my ear as if that’ll help block out the sound. The rest of the group converges on the pedestal while I stay put. Getting closer to that box makes my head hurt.

“Looks like it’s made of lead,” Nate says before tapping the box with his staff. “It's pretty rusted and banged up. Probably meant to block out whatever magic thing David is hearing.”

“What happens if we open it?” It’s not gonna make my head explode, is it?

“Dunno. Wanna find out?” Nate grins and lifts his staff high to strike the box.

“Hold on. Maybe we should—” Adam cuts himself off when he hears the same thing I do: footsteps. Heavy ones, coming down the hall toward us. Shit. “David, on my right; Cor, Nate, get behind us.”

I move to stand in formation, ignoring the throbbing pain in my head as I get closer to the lead box. I drop my pack and bedroll from my back and kick it to the side of the chamber, the others doing the same with their heavier gear. Corrine starts to speak the words to a spell, and a second later, my body tingles as the magic bolsters my strength. We all pull out our weapons as the footsteps quickly get loud enough for everyone to hear, and they’re moving toward us fast.

I can feel everyone around me tense up as a group of orcs bursts into the room, swords drawn. A total of seven pour in, all green skin and leather armor, weapons aimed steadily in our direction. After a tense moment of both groups eyeing the other warily, the leader (I mean, he’s the one in front at least) shouts something at us. Unfortunately, since none of us speak Orcish, it just sounds like a lot of growls and grunts.

Adam and I share a confused look, and he turns back to the leader. “We can’t… Are you able to speak Common?”

The orc narrows his eyes at us and huffs, looking very displeased. He opens his mouth to respond. “Who—”

And that’s when all hell breaks loose.

“IGNI!” A fireball the size of my fist flies over my left shoulder, landing near three orcs on our right who leap out of the way as it explodes.

“Dammit!” Adam shouts, annoyed but having no real choice but to leap toward the enemy leader while he’s distracted.

Liss and I are right behind him, each taking on a group of orcs on either side. Nate’s little stunt, while stupid, did manage to take out at least one of my group, who looks to be out cold with some nasty burns. The other two might be a little singed, but mostly they just look pissed off. I hear the sounds of grunts and metal on metal to my left, and I’ve got to hope that my team is able to handle things themselves for now.

I grip the sword tightly in my hand, ignoring the constant ringing in my ears and waiting for one or both of them to attack me. I really wish I’d brought that second sword. These two are big muscle-y motherfuckers: a man and a woman. Strong doesn’t mean graceful though, and when one of them runs at me, it isn’t too difficult to dodge and send him flying to the floor with a well-placed kick.

Just as it looks like his friend is going to lunge at me, a high-pitched scream has us both turning our heads. I find the source, Corrine, running around the back of the room with an orc in pursuit. The rest of the team fares no better, with Liss pinned to the wall by one orc and Nate being literally pinned to the floor by another. Adam himself is being wrestled to the ground by the leader who is growling something at him that I can’t make out from here.

“Hey!” I shout at the orc on Adam and rush him, and fuck is he big. Taller than Adam and with shoulders wider than I’ve ever seen on a human. I attempt to tackle him, but he doesn’t even stumble as I bounce into his side. Ugh, have I lost that much weight?

I pick myself up and grab my sword, ready to try again, but the orc doesn’t give me the chance. Dropping Adam, he barrels into me, shoulder checking me across the room and right into the pedestal. As searing pain shoots through my head, I look up to see a blurry green figure looking down at me, and then everything goes black.

_______________________________________________________________________

I dream that I'm flying over an endless ocean. Dark clouds fill the sky above me, stretching on forever. The seas and winds are calm, at least until the rain begins to fall. It starts slowly, barely a trickle, but soon it’s torrential with lighting streaking across the skies and thunder so loud my body shakes. The lightning begins to strike faster, moving closer and closer, until with a loud crack, my vision is blinded by white.

_______________________________________________________________________

“I think he’s waking up.” That sounds like Corrine.

“Mmmmff.” I slowly open my eyes, the blurry world coming back into focus. I wipe a hand down my face and sit up. “What happened? Where are we?”

“A jail cell,” Nate answers. “The orcs took us back to their city.”

“City? I thought it was just a small camp?” I rub my head. Feels like I’ve got a nasty bruise.

“Nope, it’s a whole-ass city.” Nate shrugs.

“Pretty impressive, actually,” Corrine adds.

“Where are Adam and Liss?” I look around the cell, realizing they aren’t with us. We’re in a small cell with no furniture to speak of, the three of us sitting on the ground. The walls are all made of solid stone except one. Instead, it has a set of metal bars with a door.

“After you went down, Adam and Liss kept fighting,” Corrine explains. “They… got pretty banged up. The guards said they were taking them to a healer.”

“Yeah, right,” Nate scoffs.

“Fuck.” For once, I agree with Nate. We need to get out of here and find them—now. “What about you guys? Are you okay? Can you cast something and get us outta here? And what did they do with all our stuff?” Not just my sword, but my armor and pack are gone too.

“Not at the moment.” Corrine frowns and holds up her shackled wrists.

“Anti-magic bracers.” Nate shows me his matching pair. “Neither of us can cast anything as long as these are on.”

“Shit.” How the hell are we going to get out of here? I’m the only one whose hands are free. “What do we do? What happens now?”

“They said someone would be back to talk to us.” Corrine frowns again. “But that was over an hour ago.”

“We’re never getting out of here.” Nate slumps down.

Like hell we aren’t. I stand up and dust myself off. My clothes are in surprisingly good condition considering our situation. I wouldn’t have expected our captors to be gentle with my unconscious body. I’m missing my leather armor though, and Corrine and Nate don’t have their robes, just the shirt and pants they wear underneath. I think it’s safe to assume they took all our weapons and other belongings. First thing to do is to find out what they intend to do with us.

I stand and walk to the cell bars, too close together to stick more than an arm out. We’re outside, and the sun is behind us, our cell casting a shadow into the empty cell opposite us. I can’t see anything else, though I do hear the telltale sounds of people in the distance, so it seems we are in a city. Then I hear heavy footsteps not far from us.

“Hello?” I call out, hoping it’s one of the guards.

“What are you doing?” Nate questions behind me.

“Finding out what’s going on.” I hold my face near the bars and shout again. “Hello? Is someone there?”

Sure enough, the footsteps get louder, and I almost jump back in surprise when someone with vibrant green skin comes into view. Right. Orcs. He’s a big guy too, with a shaved head, full beard, and a pair of tusks that go nearly up to his nose. I straighten up, feeling dwarfed by his size. The two of us just stare at each other for a minute before I finally have to break the silence.

“Where are our friends?” I don’t hide the resentment in my voice.

“Healer.” The orc narrows his eyes when he answers me.

“When will they be back?” The orc only shrugs in response. Real helpful, this guy. “Fine, do you know how long you’re planning on keeping us in this—” I stop and gesture at the cell around me. “—wonderful place?”

“Sorry,” the orc responds flatly. “Other cells being fixed.”

I roll my eyes at the bad joke. Either this guy doesn’t want to say much or isn’t smart enough to know how. Common isn’t his first language. “Is there someone else I can talk to, buddy?”

The orc sighs, looking annoyed before stomping off. Hopefully to get someone capable of saying words with more than two syllables. I hear what sounds like a door, so he must have gone inside.

“Well, that was helpful,” Nate mocks.

I ignore him, verbally at least, turning around to lean against the bars and flip him off. I’m doing more than you are, dick. It’s about ten minutes before I hear the door again followed by more footsteps. Expecting to see my new friend, I’m surprised by the sight of a different orc. He’s not as tall and certainly not as muscular, the skinniest orc I’ve seen so far. His skin tone is a little darker than I’ve seen so far, and he’s got short, slicked back, dark red hair and no beard. He’s also wearing clothes way nicer than I would have expected for anyone around these parts, the kind you’d see on stuck up rich people back home.

“It is good to see you are awake, Mister…” He speaks Common a lot better than I would have expected too, but the way he’s precise with his pronunciation tells me it’s still not his first language. Does he have an accent? He’s waiting for me to finish for him.

“David.”

“David…?”

“Just David.” No reason this guy needs to know my full name.

“I see. Mr. David.” He adjusts his glasses before his dark green eyes settle on me. “I am terribly sorry for the delay; we do not get many situations of this nature, and it took me longer to prepare than I expected. I am Naruk Redwish, and I will be acting as your legal advocate. In a few days, once your companions are healed, the five of you will be brought before a member of the tribal council for a hearing on your crimes. Given the circumstances and evidence against you, I am going to recommend presenting a signed an admission of guilt, then we—”

“Hold the fuck on—guilty of what? Why the hell are we even being held here? What gives you the authority? What did we even do?” The words spill out of my mouth like a petulant child.

“Are you being serious?” Any cheerfulness in his tone has vanished. “Trespassing, destruction of property, attacking a group of seven rangers. From what I understand, you barely even attempted to speak with them, just drew your swords and blasted fire everywhere.” I turn to glare at Nate, who sheepishly ignores my eyes. “Three of our best officers are currently at the same healer as your friends being treated for burns and other injuries. Now, I am not quite sure what your group thought you were doing, but I can tell you that your options on what you do next are very limited.”

My mind starts reeling at his words. What the fuck have we gotten into? “What… What happens after the hearing?”

“Well, no matter what I think you can expect to do some time behind bars.” I hear Corrine gasp behind me. “Most likely, if you accept your guilt, you can expect imprisonment for no more than six months. However, if you decide to argue a defense—and I would not recommend it—you may be looking at a few yearsat minimum if you were to lose.” Naruk speaks plainly as he lays everything on the table.

“Six months?!” Corrine sounds like she’s near tears.

“Holy shit,” Nate barely whispers.

“Those are our only options? Months or years in jail? That’s not… Please, it was just a misunderstanding.” Okay, that sounded a little pathetic.

“Misunderstandings do not typically end with someone having their arms and torso covered in serious burns, Mister David.” He says my name with a hint of disdain.

“There hasto be something else.” Six months in an orc prison? Would we even survive that? I mean, look at where they're keeping us now. I’m pretty sure that puddle in the corner is Nate’s piss.

“I am not sure what you would have me do.” He looks put out.

“Aren’t you guys supposed to be all about fighting and battle? Survival of the fittest? Isn’t there some other way we can resolve this?” I am totally just pulling stuff out of my ass now.

“Do you not feel that being knocked unconscious and waking up in a jail cell already did that?” Good to see sarcasm is a universal language.

“That was hardly a fair fight. Too many people in one room, and it’s not like either side was prepared for it.” Not to mention the loud piercing sound shooting through my head. “We certainly didn’t go in there expecting to fight a bunch of fucking orcs. I just want a rematch.” He flinches at the word fucking. I really need to learn to watch my mouth sometimes. But orcs love a fight, right? I’m trying to mentally comb through every story about orcs I’ve ever been told. Even the fairy tales. There’s something on the tip of my tongue...

He looks even moreannoyed now. “What exactly do you think we—”

“Trial by combat!” That’s the term I was looking for! Maybe it was a bard singing in a tavern or a story one of the old generals at the academy told…I just remember a story about an orc king ordering two of his subjects to fight to the death to resolve something. Strength and honor and blood and blah blah.

“Trial by…” He sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. “Why would you think we—” He cuts himself off, suddenly lost in thought. “Actually, there may be...something. The Nagul Uzu'gor. I think in your language it would be called…” He pauses, looking for the words. “The Ritual of Steel and Thunder.”

“What is it?” Those words may as well be gibberish to me.

“A trial by combat, as requested.” His tone is... I’m not sure. It’s not annoyed, but it also isn’t friendly. “The captive fights his captor, in this case the captain of the group you attacked. He would first have to accept the challenge—which he is not required to do—and if he did and you won, you and the rest of your party would go free. However, if you lost…” He smiles at me darkly, letting the unspoken answer hang in the air. Death. It’s a fight to the death. “Your friends would also still be brought before the council.”

I squeeze the cell bars, thinking. Six months versus a fight to the death? The two hardly seem equal. But could we even make it that long in an orc prison? No one knows we’re here or where here is, exactly. Hell, most people don’t even know I’m on this side of the world. “But if I win, that’s it? All five of us are free? We get all our stuff back too?”

“Likely minus some fines, but ritual or no, you would receive your belongings back once you and your friends are released.” He nods his head.

I wish I had Adam and Liss here to talk to. I could use some advice. They’d probably fight better than me too. If they’re even still alive right now. No, I can’t... I won’tlet us die in here. I can do this. I may not be as strong as I used to be, but I’m still a good fighter. Hell, I was handling those orcs in the ruins better than anyone else before I got knocked out, and there won’t be a stupid magic box giving me a headache this time either. “I’ll do it.” Another gasp from Corrine.

“Are you sure?” Naruk eyes me up and down. “There is no backing out once it has begun.”

“I’m sure.” My voice is confident because I’m confident. I got this.

“Very well. I will let the rangers know. If the captain accepts your challenge, someone will be out to collect you to begin preparations. Good luck.” His tone is less creepy and back to friendly, and he gives me a smile and a small bow before turning to leave.

I exhale once he is out of earshot, running my hand through my hair.

“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Nate asks, worry evident in his voice.

I take another breath, mustering up my most confident smile before nodding at Nate and Corrine. “Yeah. I’m getting us out of here.”

Patreon Relaunch!

Note to new subscribers: This is an old news post! The tiers amd update schedule have sense changed. Check the news post here for the details!

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Good morning patrons! As I have previously mentioned, I am relaunching my Patreon! I really loved using this as a way to connect with my audience, and as much fun as I’ve been having writing these books, I miss that feedback! Of course, this means a new posting schedule, new rewards, and new tiers for subscribers. All the changes are outlined below.

New Posting Schedule

Every Monday the Patreon will be updated with new content. This will include early previews of my books, new chapters of Patreon-exclusive stories, and worldbuilding articles detailing the setting of Steel & Thunder. The posting schedule will be as follows, with certain updates restricted to certain tiers of patrons which I will explain in the next section.

• The 1st Monday of the month will be a general update on what I’m currently working on, the status of any books I’m writing, and any other news I might have to share. These updates will be free available to the public.

• On the 2nd Monday of the month, I will post a brand new chapter of a story. This will either be an early preview chapter of my next book, or a new, Patreon-exclusive story. This story may be set in the same world as Steel & Thunder or not, it may even be a non-canon story I just want to write for fun. Either way, it’ll be sexy. These stories may appear in print one day but will otherwise only be available through Patreon. Patrons will also have the ability to vote on which story is written next.

• On the 3rd Monday of the month, I will post a worldbuilding article about Terra, the fantasy world of Steel & Thunder, covering the history and other details of the settingSome of these articles previously appeared in my newsletter, but I think they will fit in a lot more over here. As with other updates, patrons will be able to vote on which piece of worldbuilding they want to read next. Worldbuilding articles will go public six months after they are first posted.

• On the 4th Monday of the month, I will post a new chapter from a collection of stories I call “Dom’s Little Black Book.” These are retellings of true real-world encounters I’ve had over the years, and are a large part of where I get my inspiration from. As with the other stories, these may be collected in print one day but will otherwise remain Patreon-exclusive. Again, patrons will get the chance to choose which story they want to read next.

• Finally, on the occasion we have a 5th Monday in the month, I will post the polls mentioned above to run throughout the week. Once they are totaled, I will announce the winners in the following week’s update. Since this won’t happen every month, all polls will be ranked choice, and any options that aren’t selected will get recycled into the next round. 

New Patron Tiers

With all the new rewards and updates, new patron tiers are going to be necessary. All tiers grant users access to vote on which story or article is posted next, and each successive tier includes access to the rewards of lower tiers with the exception of one - I’m Just Here for the Porn, Sir. Make sure you read the descriptions so you know what you are signing up for! Tier names are subject to change in the event that I think of something funnier.

• $2 - Terran Explorer

  • This tier gains you access to the monthly worldbuilding articles, providing info and backstory for the setting of Steel & Thunder, Terra. This could be an account of a historical event or maybe details about the way certain magic works.

• $3 - Khazak’s Storytime

  • This tier grants access to my Patreon-exclusive stories, and to read early previews of my next book. These stories may be set in the same world as my others and feature the same characters, or they may be totally different. What I can promise you is they will all be kinky and fun.

• $4 - Just Here for the Porn, Sir

  • This is for those who just want to read my stories and nothing more. This tier gets you access to the stories in the Khazak’s Storytime and Dom’s Little Black Book tier detailed below, but none of the worldbuilding articles.

• $5 - Dom’s Little Black Book

  • This tier includes access to read chapters from my personal Little Black Book, a collection of stories about my real world encounters, as well as the other story and worldbuilding updates.

• $10 - Daddy’s Lil' Jockstrap

  • The only tier with a patron limit. This tier gets you access to every story, article, and update, but with an added bonus: The chance to name a character in one of my stories. I will contact the patron at the start of their billing cycle to work together on a name that fits the character and setting. This is currently limited to two patrons, but that may increase in the future.

All current patrons have now been set to the “Khazak’s Storytime” tier, though the billing cycles for February and March have been skipped. I’ll be kicking off this relaunch with a repost of the first chapter of Steel & Thunder, now updated as it gets ready for print, to be posted later today. The following Monday will be a worldbuilding article, and the final Monday the first chapter from my Little Black Book.

The month of March will follow the new posting schedule detailed above, but all updates until April will be available to all patrons so that you can get a feel for what’s coming and make any changes to your patronage before then. The billing cycle will resume April 1st, so make sure you go in and update your settings before then!