AUTHOR'S NOTES:
This story is erotic horror, set in a fantasy world of magic and monsters.
While this story takes place in the same world as all my other tales, it is completely disconnected from the characters and areas in those stories.
In fact, I'm not even sure where in the world this location is just yet, other than by the sea in a sub tropical zone similar to Southern Florida in climate.
Likewise, the timing in relation to all my other stories is unknown and largely irrelevant unless I decide to incorporate the elements of this story into something again later.
Because the story is set in my world, it does occasionally make use of "modern" measures. This is a product of my world, in which these are the common measures of the times. I hope it doesn't detract too much from the story for the readers. My world is just long established, and it refuses to change its stripes.
This story was borne of pure inspiration at work. I was contemplating the storyline for another erotic horror tale that I'm converting from an older story I wrote, and this suddenly came to me and demanded to be written.
The characters are extremely foul-mouthed, and they are meant to be. The courser language of the narrative than I usually use is likewise intentional.
I'm sure some will recognize the root of the inspiration fairly quickly. This is my first venture outside of Sci-Fi/Fantasy on Lit, and I hope it meets with approval from a different audience.
Thanks to DanielleKitten for taking the time to read this over before I put it out to public scrutiny, 'twas most appreciated and helpful. This is a newly edited version of the tale, cleaning up my older work now that I'm working with Roust Writer as my tireless editor.
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Two figures, dark cloaked and masked, diligently scanned their surroundings as they guided a boat toward the sandy strip of beach ahead. The tang of the sea hung heavily around them in the humid air, leaving the approaching boat shrouded in mists.
The sea was calm and glassy in the faint light of the crescent moon, only the surge of the waves against the shore and the faint sloshes of water against the bow of the boat breaking the silence.
The keel of the boat barely scrunched into the sand when the figure in the front of the boat, the leaner of the two, swung over the edge and leapt to dry land. The person moved with a quick, silent efficiency to pull the stern closer to the beach, allowing the other cloaked passenger to disembark without stepping into the water.
Both figures then pulled the boat through the sand toward the hill rising above the beach, aiming for a tangle of driftwood and assorted flotsam pushed up against the hill by the relentless and frequent storms that pounded the region.
Upon reaching the tangle, the lean figure pulled away a section of nailed boards, which likely came from a boat wreck, revealing a carefully excavated hollow in both the tangle and the hill. The void was conveniently of a perfect size to house the boat that the pair now pushed inside.
After concealing the boat in the hollow, the stockiest of the pair replaced the boards while the leaner took up a branch and moved back along the path gouged in the sand by the keel of the boat and the feet of those dragging it.
The one figure moved up the hill, leaving the sand and loose dirt behind in favor of the grass-covered rise, while the other expertly erased all evidence of both boat and passengers from the sand.
Their tracks covered, both now lay at the crest of the hill, watching and listening for any evidence that they had been observed. With patience born from years of practice, both lay silent and motionless for a quarter of an hour, until they were sure the way was clear and they were unobserved.
Their eyes roved over the building, an old design that looked more like a fortress than a manor home. Constructed entirely of stone, it was flat roofed and sported gargoyles on each corner of both floors.
No word or signal passed between them, but they rose to a crouch simultaneously to creep amidst the swirling fog toward their objective. They moved directly toward the corner of the manor, knowing that the blind spot created by a lack of windows with a direct view of their approach would help mask their movement toward the structure, should anyone glance outside.
Once again, they crouched in silence upon reaching the stone wall of the building, waiting for sounds of alarm or movement.
The leaner of the two knelt to remove a pair of dark boots, before climbing the wall. The stones were closely fit, and well mortared, but it proved to be little obstacle to the climber. The figure ascended quickly, as if able to stick to the wall like a spider. Reaching a landing upon the roof where the second story sat back from the first, the climber stopped. Once more, they waited.
A rope dropped to the climber's cloaked partner, who shinnied up the wall and then pulled the rope up after. The pair carefully crept along the roof toward a nearby window, listening for any sounds before moving to peer inside.
Seeing nothing, the more muscular of the two stepped aside while the other worked a tool through the crack between the windowpanes and disengaged the latch holding the portal closed. Once the tool was secreted back inside its owner's dark cloak, both figures climbed in through the window and stepped into the floor of the hallway. Each checked to the left and to right.
They carefully picked up the tiny slivers of wood that dislodged during the break-in, closing and re-latching the window. The evidence of their entry now concealed, they began stealthily exploring the manor house.
Every door they passed was wide open, the rooms curiously windowless. The numerous windows of the manor only opened into hallways and sitting rooms on the seaward corners of the each floor. Every room was dark, revealing no evidence of anyone within.
Upon reaching the entrance foyer of the place, Victor Kaoten pulled back the cowl of his cloak and whipped off his mask, stuffing it into a pocket of the cloak. He scratched at his cheek where the mask had irritated five days worth of unshaven beard, and then ran his fingers through his dark brown hair. "Not a fucking soul."
His partner, Catherine Vata pulled off her mask as well. The face that the action revealed belied her nature. She had a face you could trust, seemingly innocent, naive – and beautiful by any standard. Only a spark of mischief in her emerald eyes betrayed the truth of her. "Something doesn't feel quite right."