Orc Bait 03

This story has strong themes of non-consensual sex, bondage, humiliation and violence. It is an adult fantasy revenge-of-revenge story. -Ax

-0856, day 29 month 06, Ulrich City

I watched as the angular stone parapets of the keep came into view over the treetops. It was the big keep, in the big castle, in the big city. The appearance of the huge building was a sign that I had been looking out for, a sign that we have reached our destination.

I was sitting on the deck of the cargo boat as it drifted down the river. I had bought passage from the city of Trujilo to the north. Duane and I had parted ways there. I had business in the capital and he was still in exile. He didn't want to risk going to Ulrich, home of the King who exiled him a decade ago.

We had collected the bounties on the orcs we had been hunting to the north-east, around Fangrind Forrest. It was a decent haul, and Duanes' magic proved to be quite useful in our hunting trips as we trapped and ambushed two separate orc patrols.

Duane was heading west, to Kabores' tower. No doubt he would be enjoying the hospitality of his fellow wizard who was still grateful for our freeing him and his tower from that mad witch Aerowyn.

...Aerowyn; I wondered where she was now. If she was smart she would be far away. Her ex-coven sisters were hunting her down, as well as the wizard Kabore. I had a niggling feeling that she would come after me again, after I had subjected her to some rough payback. I often wondered if I had done the right thing letting her live.

Now it was mid-morning, the sturdy wooden river-boat had been travelling down the Urial River all yesterday and through the night. The captain told me we would reach the coast by mid-morning.

The trees cleared from the river and gave way to plenty of farmland, with neatly ordered fields of crops and vegetables and fruit trees. I had a better view of the castle in the distance, surrounded by high grey stone walls. I sat cross-legged at the front of the deck, watching those walls slowly grow larger as we approached. The walls stretched out a great distance, encircling the entire city.

I breathed slowly and deeply as I sat there, getting into a semi-meditative state and preparing myself. As a ranger, I train to extend my senses, to maintain constant awareness of my surroundings. Out in the wild, it is often necessary for your survival. In a large city such as Ulrich, there is so much constant activity, so much movement, and a steady barrage of sounds and smells, it can be overwhelming for someone like me who is not used to it.

I remember when I first came to Ulrich with my lover, Baden, all those years ago. I grew up as a farm-girl in the western riverlands. Travelling into our local village was an occasion for me. So when Baden had taken me to see the capital for the first time, I was completely blown away. I didn't know that they built walls that high. The huge castle looming over the city had me awe-struck. There were so many people, and so much activity and noise. I was in a daze for most of the short visit. The constant barrage on my senses got to be too much for me and I begged Baden to get me out of there.

I had been back a few times since then, and I know what to expect. I need to be aware of what's going on around me; the city is not without its dangers. But I also need to block out a lot of the activity, there is just too much for me to process. It's tyring, but I can handle it, and I didn't plan on staying too long.

Now the city wall loomed over me. We were heading into the north-east river entrance. The city was split apart by the Urial River, sitting at its mouth in the Bay of Manara. The walls parted for the river and there were two round towers on either side. The babble of sound was emanating beyond the gap and the cluster of strange smells were also drifting out. Gods, I had forgotten how much Ulrich stank.

Soldiers watched from the battlements as we passed through into the city. I could see the huge rusty steel chain hanging loosely from each tower and laying in the water. It could be hauled up to stretch across the full length of the river and bar the river access if needed.

I steadied my breathing as the boat made its way further in. I was now enclosed within the walls, among the buzzing hive of movement, noise and chaos. There were several other boats on the river, ranging in size from small two man ferries to the larger cargo boats like the one I was travelling on. I could see many, many people all along the river banks, going about their business. There were way too many people to observe. I found that a little unnerving.

The boat paddled along the river, taking me deeper into the city. It drifted under the large wooden bridge that stretched across the river. I watched the people and carts and wagons move over it. The boat found its way to the Western docks near the market district. Several other boats were moored at the wooden piers. Our boat found a vacant spot and smoothly settled into its place.

I stood up and took a deep breath. I was working to block out all the stimulus around me. It wasn't too bad, just uncomfortable for me. It wasn't anything I couldn't handle.

"Are you alright Miss Rohme?" came a voice behind me.

I turned to the bearded, middle-aged captain, "Yeah, I'm fine thanks Halden." I looked over at the towering castle to the north, "That's always an impressive sight."

"Aye, it's an impressive castle, shame about the useless little turd sitting the throne inside. I provided passage to Ulrich, as per our agreement. Is there anything else I can assist you with?"

"No. Thank you captain, it's been a pleasant trip."

"It's been great having you lass, you stories are amazing. I heard plenty of tales of the demon attack ten years ago--can't believe I have an actual hero who fought them aboard my boat. I will be heading back up the river day after tomorrow, would you be looking for a trip north again then?"

"Possibly. I'll definitely seek you out if I am."

"You know where to find me. Good luck with your endeavours Miss Rohme."

"And you Captain."

I had my bow and quiver and light pack slung around my shoulders as I leapt onto the pier. A few burly dock workers were walking up, looking to unload the boats' cargo, which mainly consisted of drop bear pelts from the north.

One of the big, dark-skinned labourers stared at my full shapely breasts as he got near, with a slight smile on his rough face. I stepped past him and made my way off the pier. I stopped and got my bearings. I was at the western docks and the warehouse district. I just needed to follow along the river toward the castle and I'd come to the main road and the bridge that leads to Eastern Ulrich.

"Hello there, lovely lady." Dammit, someone had approached me without my knowledge. I hate this city. I quickly turned to the person who had spoken, a young man with scruffy long blonde hair. He was fairly short and thin, wearing a simple blue tunic with stained white sleeves and brown pants. "First time in the big city? You need someone to show you around?"

"No and no." I replied. I watched as two more young men approached. Both were bigger and stockier than the blonde man. One had closely cropped dark hair and a wide jaw, the other had scruffy medium length auburn hair and a short beard. I observed that each had daggers tucked away into their waistbands. I looked the three of them over, sizing them up. Just a gang of petty street thugs.

The blonde guy looked me over with his shifty blue-grey eyes, "Aint no one who knows this city better than me. The name's Sticky Gabbel. These are my good friends Wilks and Brunad. What's your name pretty lady?"

"Rohme."

"And what brings you to this fine city Rohme?"

"That's my business."

Sticky gave me a sly smile, "Sure it is. I was just bein' friendly. I can help you out with whatever you need to do. I can tell you which innkeepers water down their grog less, which craftsmen don't overcharge quite as much, which parts of the city a pretty girl might want to avoid. Or if yer looking for a good time, we'd love to help you with that."

I eyed him warily, "You seem like such a helpful fellow, but I told you--I've been here before and I know where I want to go. I appreciate the offer sir..."

"Hey nice bow!" said the dark haired thug, reaching out for it.

I quickly swatted his hand away. "Look, but don't touch!"

He gave me a sleazy smile, "Sorry, you look like the kind of girl that would go for some touching."

"Be polite Wilks," said Sticky. Then he looked my bow over, "That is a real nice bow. Elven? Worth a fair amount of coin by the look of it."

"It is. It also makes me a fair amount of coin...killing things."

Sticky smiled, "Yeah? What kind of things?"

"I'm not too particular." I said, staring him coldly in the eyes. Were they seriously targeting me? It's not too hard to believe I guess--a woman travelling alone, looking a little out of place. But I was way out of their league. It looked like this small-time crim was too overconfident or stupid to see that.

Sticky paused for a moment and then laughed, "Haha, I like you Rohme, come and hang out with us, we'll have us a good ol' time."

I looked the three men over again. Go with them for a good time, right! I could put them in their place, but a polite brush-off seemed the best option, "I don't think so. I have better things to do, but it was a pleasure meeting you Sticky Gabbel."

"I'll come with you," said Sticky. "Whatever it is you need to do, I bet I could be of great help."

"No," I said firmly. "I'm sure there are others who need your friendly service more than me. Good day gentlemen." I sidestepped past Wilks and walked away from them, down the street.

"Yeah, okay then. You take care, lovely lady." I heard Sticky call behind me. He said something to the others, but I didn't catch what it was over all the other noises around me.

I walked on down the cobbled street past other pedestrians and exhaled sharply. Lowlifes. I didn't need jerks like that bothering me. Part of me wanted to go with them and teach them a lesson, but I didn't need that kind of trouble right now. But then, the thought of them leading me down a dark alley and taking turns ravishing me also gave me a pang of excitement, my pussy throbbed in my leather pants. Damn it, there goes my dirty mind again. Perhaps I would seek out a comely city man and get laid while I was here.

There was plenty of activity going on around me. I passed a cart parked outside a tavern--The Golden Hurricane, where men were unloading barrels. A couple of small children were playing in dirty puddles. Small groups of men and women were gathered and conversing. Half a dozen soldiers marched past.

I found the main road without any trouble. I could see the large Western gate in the distance, guarded by the Kings soldiers. I walked over the bridge that I had passed under in the boat not long ago, and crossed over to the eastern side of the river. To the south of me, along the riverbank, was the artisans' district. I could hear the clanging of hammers on metal from the blacksmiths among the barrage of noise.

My boots were getting worn, I needed to see a cobbler and get them resoled while I was there. I also needed to see a fletcher to replace my broken and lost arrows. But right then I was still following the main road east. I saw the large cathedral loom up ahead, just off the main road. My destination was close.

It was a two storey building facing an open plaza opposite the large Felorian temple. The well-crafted hanging wooden sign displayed a quill and parchment and the word "Bookmaker." There was a large advertisement sheet hanging outside the door showing all the scripts the scribe had mastered. I walked past it and entered the shop.

A small copper bell attached to the door chimed as I entered the room and walked up to the sturdy wooden desk. Soon a man appeared from out the back and approached the desk, he was in his middle years, quite pudgy with a dark beard flecked with grey. He was wearing comfortable looking blue and grey robes.

He regarded me and a look of recognition came over his face. "Ah, Good morning Miss Walker. Welcome back. I had been expecting you. Have you been in the city long?"

"Good Morning Master Herneis. No, I just got here."

"Indeed, so you are keen to see your book I take it?"

"Yes please."

The man went into the rear of the shop and soon returned with a brown, leather-bound book and placed it onto the desk in front of me. I picked it up and felt a pang of excitement as I read the title, "The Heroes of Acton." This was it, my own book. I was finally holding it in my hands. I didn't want to think about what I had to go through to get it.

I opened the cover and started turning through the pages. "I'm rather proud of that one," said Herneis. "...Despite the rather basic script you chose, I think it turned out quite well. We have started duplicating it, as you instructed in your letter and there are many shops keen to sell it. Adventure stories are proving to be quite popular at the moment."

I looked at the illustrated map which pointed out the locations of the events in the book, it seemed quite accurate. I flipped further into the book and stopped at a page which was filled with a rather complex illustration. "Sierra was much more beautiful than that! ...and Strafe was bigger." I looked at the strange-looking woman holding a bow taut in front of her, "Ugh! Is that supposed to be me?"

"I will pass your compliments on the illustrations along to Master Nathaniel. So, do you still wish to put all the profits back into duplicating and distributing more copies?"

"Yes, I want as many copies made as possible. I want to get this story out there."

"Then we shall keep producing the book for as long as we are able to sell it, taking our agreed upon cut, of course. I have submitted the manuscript to the crown and we are awaiting approval for distribution, but we should have the book in shops around the city next week."

I was beaming, "Thank you, that's great news."

"Thank you for your patronage Ms Walker. You can keep that one for yourself."

"Great." I would give the book to Duane when I saw him again, I had promised him a copy. I wrapped the book in cloth and was putting it away in my pack when I heard the bell on the door chime again. I turned to see several city guards enter the shop. The stern look on their face as they looked me over made me tense up.

The commander stood in front of me, "Are you Rohme Walker?"

"Yes...who are you?"

"You're under arrest. Come with us."

"What? What for?" I immediately thought of Duane. I was the one responsible for him breaking exile. But how could they have known that?

"What's going on here?" asked Herneis.

"You're coming with us too scribe."

"What is this about?" I asked again.

"You can ask the King."

They took my weapons and magic items and marched me and the scribe through the street. I crossed the river again with my escort of six City guards as we moved toward the looming castle. All the while I was wondering what the hell was going on.

We were taken through the cleaner, more affluent area in the North of the city, where the nobles and successful merchants resided. Then we were taken through the barbican and into the castle grounds. I looked up at the huge keep towering overhead. It wasn't the first time I had been here. I remember looking up at the keep like this around ten years ago. I had Sierra, Strafe and Cordelia by my side then, and I didn't have this feeling of dread deep within me.

We entered the keep through the huge elaborately decorated doors and were walking down the grand hall, which was lined with guards standing straight and looking very bored. The spacious audience chamber beyond was filled with many people... At the far end of the chamber was the King sitting on his intricate throne.

He hadn't changed much from when I saw him ten years ago; a short, thin, man in his fifth decade, with long dark hair and a neatly trimmed dark beard. A thin weasely face with shifty brown eyes. He wore a coat of blue silk and sleeveless surcoat and mantle of scarlet satin, shoes that looked like high slippers and plenty of jewellery of gold and silver and different coloured gems, topped off with his extravagant gold crown adorned with jewels.

He was flanked by a couple of large knights in their shiny polished armour. There was also a wizard nearby, sitting in a comfortable chair, he was wearing dark blue mage robes and had long white hair, though he did not appear very old. I noticed the pointed ears, he was an elf, the first one I had seen in this city.

There was a man who looked like a merchant was standing in front of him talking, and the King appeared to be bored and taking no notice of him. His eyes flittered around the room and rested on me and he appeared to perk up. He spoke over the merchant, "Hello, who do we have here then? Come forward."

The guard nudged me forward and I approached the King. The guard next to me spoke up in a loud, clear voice, "Your Majesty, may I present Miss Rohme Walker, formerly of the rangers' guild." Then he turned to me, "You stand before King Farquad the second, ruler of the Kingdom of Acton."

I remembered my courtesies and got down on one knee, bowing my head before my King. I heard him say, "Rise." I stood again, looking at him as his eyes roamed over me. He seemed to have a sour look on his face, "Rohme, is it?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. I have had the honour of meeting you before; ten years ago."

"Yes, yes, you were with Sierra the Sorceress. Your little group resolved that ugly demon business. I am sorry to hear about your companions, the kingdom is in need of brave heroes like them now."

"Thank you, your grace."

He sneered as he looked down at me, "You have written a book about them."

Was that a question? "I have had a book written about them, your grace."

There was a tone of anger in his voice now, "A book full of lies and treason, written by a washed-up adventurer in order to glorify herself. And you aim to distribute this rubbish around my kingdom?!"

I was shocked, "No. It's a truthful account of what happened. I had it written to honour my fallen comrades and to let the people of this kingdom know of the sacrifice they had made for them."

"Truthful account, Peh! The truth is that your party went seeking more riches and glory, got in over their heads and wound up dead, like so many adventurers do. The rubbish you spouted about the demonic cult and their artefact of power, their ritual to give them the power to create an undead army and take over the kingdom is all fantasy. Yet you paint it as the truth, and aim to make me look incompetent and feeble."

Shit, this wasn't good, I wished Sierra was there, she would know what to say to him. "It wasn't my aim to make you look bad, your grace. Have you even read the book?"

"I don't have time to read books. I have them read for me. I am told that in this book, I refused to do anything about this alleged threat to the kingdom. How did you think that would make me look?"

"Sierra did come to warn you of the threat and you refused to listen to her."

"Because it wasn't true. If a group was gathering that much power in my kingdom, I would have known about it. It was just a bunch of religious zealots getting together for their kooky rituals. It happens all the time. Lady Sierra completely exaggerated the situation and went off hastily, that's what got your comrades killed."

I gritted my teeth and did my best to hold off my anger, "The threat was real, I saw those unholy creatures with my own eyes. They were strong and fast and very hard to kill. They could turn their enemies into loyal servants with a bite. My party sacrificed themselves to put an end to this threat before they could spread across the land. They deserve to be honoured."