Lezard's Triumph

It was hard not to keep laughing. Lezard knew that made him seem insane, but he could not help it. After all, near overwhelming joy filled him, so jubilant was he at his success. All his careful planning, all the plots he had to balance against each other, the lengths he had gone through to achieve his goals had been worth it. He was a God! And not just any God, but the creator, Odin's power melded into his very being. The high he was experiencing was a lot like being drunk, laughter bubbling up again in his throat.

It was true what they say...you appreciated something more the harder you had to work to get it. And there was only one thing that had been harder for him to attain than divinity---a person actually, a woman who had forced him to go through great lengths to capture her attention. The sacrifices he had undergone, the pain his lovesick heart had afflicted him with, all the hoops she had made him jump through to gain a meeting with her. But now she was before him, wide eyed and wary, kneeling down before him. It was just too perfect. And there was no one to interfere.

Lezard ended his flight, touching down on the ground next to her. "Lenneth Valkyrie..." How he loved saying her name, hearing it roll off his tongue. "No no, don't kneel. I don't want you on your knees." Not yet, at least. He thought, smirking to himself.

His hands reached for her, grasping her by the arms, pulling her swiftly off the ground. Lenneth found herself drawn against her will into Lezard's waiting embrace, an arm going around her waist, molding her against the front of his body. She tried to back away, but he was immovable, holding her still with a strength that belied his slender frame.

"Let me go." She said tersely, through gritted teeth.

"Go? I think not! Not after all the trouble I went through to bring you here!" Lezard leaned his face in close to her neck, inhaling her sweet scent. It was a combination of jasmine and vanilla, with a hint of the oil she used to polish her armor. "It is all as I planned. None could stand up against my genius!" He kissed her neck then, burying his face into the crook of her shoulder. He could feel her stiffening in displeasure and ignored it, content to feel the silk of her skin underneath his lips.

Lenneth closed her eyes, trying to ignore the touch of his lips against her body. With his free arm, he reached down to slide his hand across her backside, grasping her butt with a light squeeze. Her eyes flew open and she gasped, not from any feelings he arose in her, but from how the room began to change around them. The ice crystals seemed to be melting and merging together to form solid white walls, and colors swirled before her eyes. The crystal she had been trapped in faded away, a bed large enough to comfortably hold half a dozen people appearing in it's place. She eyed that bed with dread in her stomach, not even noticing as more furniture appeared in the room, outfitting their surroundings into a luxurious bridal suite setting.

Lezard worked his way up her neck, placing a kiss on the underside of her chin, even as both hands now grasped her buttocks. She placed her hand against his chest, and pushed away, surprised at how easily she slid out of his reach. She whirled around, taking several steps away from the sorcerer. He let her, not overly concerned with his beloved escaping. After all there was nowhere she could run to in this world that he could not find her. Nowhere she could hide for very long. Instead he undid his cape, letting it drop down to the floor, where it lay crumpled at his feet.

She shivered, raising her hands to her bare arms, as she looked this way and that, taking in everything about the room. "Do you like it?" Lezard asked her, walking over to a table. Glasses appeared, and bottles of various liquids, turning the oak into a make shift mini bar. He poured himself a glass of brandy, and drank deeply from his goblet.

"Does it matter if I don't?" She demanded, reluctant to admit that the mad wizard had exquisite taste when it came to decorating a room.

"Of course it does. I want you to be happy here."

"Why do I doubt that..." she muttered, under her breath.

"Anything you want, anything you desire I can provide it for you." Lezard said, eager to further show off his new found powers of Godhood.

"How about my freedom?" Lenneth asked, turning to glare at him. "Can you give me that?!"

"Freedom?" He shook his head. "No no no! Lenneth Valkyrie, you are a guest here, not a captive. A most cherished and honored visitor to my new world." He poured the alcohol into a second cup, and approached her. "Pretty words that are all a lie!" She slapped his hand, knocking the cup down.

"You should have drank that." He lifted his wet hand, eyeing the amber liquid remains. "It would have done much to help you relax." He slowly and sensuously licked at his hand, keeping eye contact with her all the while. She flushed as he suggestively placed a finger to his mouth, licking upwards, before enveloping the tip in his mouth.

"I don't want to be relaxed!" Lenneth fumed, moving away from him. He followed, never allowing the distance between them to widen, even by a single step. "A toast then." He suggested with a smirk. "To my glorious victory over Odin!"

"I wouldn't drink to that." she said, frowning at him.

"To us then." He held out his hand to her. She ignored it, backing away. "To our finally coming together on this momentous occasion."

"You're crazy if you think I would celebrate that!"

"Genius of my caliber are often misunderstood." He retorted, a hint of anger in his eyes. He suddenly lunged forward, sweeping her up into his arms. Lenneth hated herself for that girlish squeal she let out when he grabbed her. He spun around with her in his arms, lifting her up in the air so that her feet dangled off the floor. "Put me down!" She cried out in alarm, slapping at his shoulder. He ignored her, laughing as he effortlessly held her up, leisurely walking towards the bed.

Once there he dropped her on the edge of the mattress, and she scrambled up backwards to escape. Smiling he placed one knee up on the bed, and then the other, crawling towards her. The look in his eyes was hungry, predatory. The look a man gets when he knows what's about to happen is a sure thing. It frightened Lenneth to see Lezard looking at her like that, and she continued to scoot away from him until she hit the headboard. He moved forward, sliding on top of her, grasping hold of her hands. He pushed backwards, pinning them behind her, and leaned in to steal another kiss from her lips. She jerked back, hitting her head against the wooden board, and immediately his hands flew to it, tenderly feeling for bumps. This gentle concern confused her, and she looked at him with a question in her eyes. "Lenneth..." Lezard whispered in explanation, tilting her face towards his. "I will cherish you. I will love you more than anyone else possible can. You will be mine..." His amethyst eyes glowed, intense and hypnotic and for a second she parted her mouth to allow him entrance. She sighed against him, being kissed and kissing back.

The spell was broken when he reached to undo the back of her dress. She squirmed and she clawed at his shoulders, crying out in protest. She lashed out with her leg, kneeing him in the stomach. His grip loosened on her, and she scrambled out from underneath him, sliding off the bed in a panic. "What did you do to me?!"

"I did nothing..." he grunted out, holding his stomach. He may be a divine being, but so was she, and she still possessed enough strength to make him suffer minor pain. "You merely gave in to your desires for a brief instant."

"No I...I couldn't...I wouldn't have any feelings for you!" She tried to dash away from the bed, but he leapt forward to hug her from behind. "Why deny it?" He whispered in her ear. "Surely you feel the same connection I do?"

"You're delusional." Lenneth said, feeling his hands slide from her arms, to caress her breasts. He bent and flexed his fingers, gripping her tightly, making her cry out. He leaned into her body, bending her forward as his hips rocked against hers. She gasped, feeling his rock hard arousal straining in his tight pants. "You can feel how much I want you." He stated, rubbing against her. "How much I desire you...?" He took her silence as a sign of agreement, reaching to undo the buttons of her dress. For each inch of skin that was revealed, he kissed her, a wet trail down her spine. The front of her dress loosened, slipping down to reveal her breasts.

"Let me see you Lenneth..." She shook her head, pulling away from him. She pulled and held the top to her chest, moving away from him. He took a quick step towards her, causing her to back up in fear. The back of her knees hit something, and caught off balance she toppled backwards, landing on the soft cushions of a love seat. He was on her in an instant, kissing her, cutting off her protests with his mouth. He kissed her deeply and passionately, it lasting a long time for gods had no need to pause for air.

She pushed at him, trying to dislodge the necromancer, but he remained a solid wall, pinning her against the seat, his hand roaming all over her body, exploring her curves, imprinting the feel of her skin on his fingertips. "Sto...Stop!"

"You don't really want me to stop my darling." He said in reply, a hand going up the slit in her skirt. Up it went, playing along her skin. She grabbed at that hand, holding on to it as tightly as she could, trying to stop it's progress. His fingers brushed insistently against her panties, lightly stroking her covered mound. She cried out, blushing furiously as she stared into his lust filled eyes.

"Yes, sing for me!" Lezard whispered huskily. "Let me hear you moan in pleasure."

"Don't talk like that!" She said heatedly, her skin breaking out in a flush to match her cheeks. "Don't tou---" He cut off her words, kissing her again and again, leaving her gasping between kisses as his fingers continued to stroke her. To her undying shame, Lenneth cried out, arching her back in fulfillment, pressing his fingers deeper against her. She turned her head to the side, avoiding his eyes, hiding from the smile that lit up his face.

"Look at me Lenneth..." A rustle of clothing drew her eyes back towards him, and she saw him shrugging out of his blue waistcoat. He wore a white shirt underneath it, his collar ruffled. He began unbuttoning it, revealing a chest that was lean with just a hint of muscle. His skin was pale, unused to being out among the sun's rays, his nipples small, two light brown points amidst all that white skin.

Her wrist was enveloped by his larger hand, being pulled towards his naked chest. He slid her hand along his skin, letting her feel up his abdomen. Down he dragged her hand, letting her feel the coarse brown hair that started below his belly button and disappeared down into his pants. She blushed, and tried to pull her hand away but he held on. "Touch me, my dearest Valkyrie. How does it feel?"

Her face was red, and she stared at him in shock. He looked at her, a desperate need in his eyes, making her want to pull a pillow over her head and hide from him. He pulled her other hand to his face, kissing the palm. Her heart beat faster, and timidly she moved her hand, not trying to get away, instead stroking him back. He sighed and leaned into the touch. "Yes, like that..."

He hugged her close to his body, his right hand going to her luxurious mane of hair. He wanted it down and loose, not tied back in it's regular braid. He found the ties that kept it bound, quickly snapping the strings off in pieces, then ran his fingers through the furrows, unwinding them. Her silver blue hair hung down to her waist, wavy from being trapped in braids for so long. He rolled them over, ending up on his back with her on his chest so that her hair pooled down, covering them like a cloak. He could feel her trembling in his arms, and a twinge of guilt flashed through him. He pushed it to the back of his mind, holding her to him.

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It was evening by the time they reached Villnore, the town lit up by torches, the flames casting intimidating shadows on the buildings. The streets were nearly deserted, only a few drunks and miscreants loitering around outside the tavern. A few caught sight of Alicia, and bellowed salacious offers to her, making her blush and open her mouth in shocked dismay. Rufus tensed besides her, and it was only Arngrim's hand on his shoulder that kept him from issuing a challenge to the men. Instead he settled for reaching backwards, hands grasping for hers, as he lead her past the lewd drunks. The larger man followed behind her, keeping the princess flanked protectively between the two men.

Alicia pulled her cloak closer to her body, more to ward off the eyes of those men than the chill night air. Her cheeks flamed crimson as the echoes of their words died down, already moving on to raucous songs, quickly forgetting about the beautiful girl they had just seen. "Filthy animals..." She heard Rufus muttered under his breath as they entered the inn adjacent to the tavern.

"Relax..." Arngrim said from behind her. "We don't want any trouble. We just need a place to spend the night..."

"But..."

"Arngrim is right" Alicia said sensibly. "The nearest village is two days from here. We can't afford to draw attention to ourselves, or worse yet, get kicked out of town before we can stock up on provisions."

"You're right...I know..." Rufus sighed. "But it still doesn't mean I have to like them talking to you like that."

"It's just talk Rufus...their words can't hurt me." Alicia sighed. Not when they were compared to the pains she had gone through these past few weeks. Losing her parents--both within the the span of minutes, the ghoul powder, Lezard's betrayal, the "death" he had inflicted on them. And finally losing her dearest and oldest friend, Silmeria. No, compared to those hurts, words really had no power over her.

The archer looked at her, seeing the truth in her eyes. "Fine..." He said tersely, and walked over to the counter. He fisted the little bell, pounding it as hard as he longed to beat on those brutes outside.

"All right, all right! I'm coming!" A voice shouted from behind the counter. A door opened up, and an old man dressed in nightcap and gown emerged, blinking sleep filled eyes at them.

"We need lodging for the night." A bag of gold coins, spoils from the treasure chests they had come across in Lezard's tower, hit the countertop with a loud thud. The money clinked as the coins shifted, and the old man's eyes widened in appreciation. "Oh yes, I can give you the finest room in the inn for that amount." Business was slow this time of year, and not even the refuges from Solde and Dipan had managed to take up all his rooms.

"We'd settle for bed and breakfast." Arngrim said, frowning at Rufus. He didn't like the half elf's casual showing off of their money.

"Yes, yes. We do that here." The inn keeper still had dollar signs in his eyes. "One room for all three? Or..."

"We'll be requiring separate rooms." clarified Arngrim, and he proceeded to negotiate the price with the innkeeper. Alicia and Rufus looked at each other, the green haired elf shrugging. Who had known Arngrim would prove to be experienced in price haggling. All too soon, the inn keeper led them upstairs, and with a casual wave, gestured at the open doorways. "Choose a room to your liking, it matters not to me." He stalked off, the price he had paid being not enough for him to personally bother with seeing them to their actual rooms.

The room Alicia chose was simple, the floor a cold stone, the walls built up of wooden panels. A faded blue throw rug was on the floor next to the bed, and aside from a small closet no other furniture took up space in the room. But to a girl who had been sleeping in the woods, and camping in monster infested dungeons, the room was a luxury. She walked over to the window, staring up at the moonless night. It was just one in a cycle of bad omens she had been noticing all day. Fiddling with the ring on her finger, she wondered what Lezard was up to. Did he know they still lived? Did he even care? Or were they beneath his notice, too quick and easy to kill? With a frown she walked away from the window.

Why must I be so trusting? Alicia wondered. She had accepted Leone as easily as she had Lezard, and both times had been proven foolish for doing so. Her heart hurt thinking of those she had once called friends. Silmeria...I desperately need your guidance... She listened, but no reassuring words came, and it was all she could do not to break down and cry.

A knock came at her door, and she looked up, startled. "Y...yes?" She called out hesitantly. "Who is it?"

"Alicia, it's me." came the muffled but familiar voice of Rufus. "Can I come in?"

She rose to let him in, standing to the side as he entered her room. "Hmm, I see your room looks like a clone of mine."

"You didn't really come here just to comment on that, did you?" She asked, frowning at him.

"No..no I didn't." He put a hand behind his head, nervous. "Actually...I heard you pacing around. I figured if you can't sleep, maybe you'd like some company...? He flashed her a hopeful smile, and Alicia couldn't help but smile back at him.

"That would be nice." She walked away from him, to sit on the bed. "I keep thinking about him..."

He understood who she meant. "You shouldn't waste your thoughts on that scum." Rufus said, leaning against the wall. He shook his head. "Lezard's not worth it."

"Maybe not, but what he's doing certainly is." Alicia fell quiet, knowing Rufus had made her promise to not discuss such things until the morning. "Rufus...what would you have done, had Lezard not interfered with our battle against Odin? I mean...when you used the power of Yggdrasil to become a God...?"

"That's easy." He said, with a smile. "My first act as God would have been to cure you of the Ghoul powder."

She blushed. "And then what?"

"Well, after we disposed of Odin, and got back the dragon orb, well gee...I don't know." He shrugged, sliding down to his knees so that he crouched down on the floor. "I hadn't really thought of it that far. I suppose it really didn't matter what I did, so long as I could be with you." His eyes were serious, a faint blush on his cheeks that he was glad Alicia could not see in the dim light. "What about you?"

"Me?" Once again she played with the ring on her finger, a nervous habit she was quickly developing. "I suppose I thought I would either die, or be consumed by the Ghoul Powder...I'm glad you thought of me..."

"If it was in my power to prevent it, I'd never let you die." He told her earnestly. She rewarded him with another smile. "I feel the same about you Rufus."

An awkward silence descended upon them, and they stayed there merely looking at each other, both too embarrassed to continue speaking. "Well..." Rufus eventually said, upon seeing Alicia stifle a yawn. "I suppose I better get back to my room..."

"Rufus..." Her hand reached out, but she hesitated before touching his wrist. "I..." She shook her head. "It's nothing." He seemed disappointed at this. "Right, well...good night..." He leaned towards her, giving her a chaste kiss on the forehead. "Pleasant dreams Alicia."

"The same to you Rufus..." She whispered back, staring into his eyes. He reluctantly moved away from her, and with one last wave exited her room, shutting the door behind him. With a loud sigh, she fell backwards against the bed, throwing an arm across her face. She felt hot and disappointed, wishing she had asked him to stay. Her innocent nature couldn't imagine anything more than holding each other close, feeling she'd be able to sleep better with him, than all alone. "What am I thinking..." She asked aloud. The room remained silent to her inquiry. "Arngrim would have pitched a fit about having to pay for an unused room." And with those words, she had to put a pillow over her face to stifle the laughter that bubbled up within her. She giggled and howled into the plush material, until her laughter turn into sobs and it was all she could do not to scream.

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To Be Continued

Michelle