17: Meeting
Jonathan's hand closed around the red orb, and an electric tingle surged up his arm. The world around him warped and twisted, the stone walls of the Resistance's compound melting away into nothingness. When the disorientation ceased, Jonathan found himself standing in a vast, gothic throne room, the high vaulted ceilings disappearing into shadow above. Dark stone walls adorned with arcane symbols and torches that flickered with an eerie purple flame. At the far end of the room, upon a throne, sat a figure cloaked in shadow.
"Welcome, Jonn Nightmare," The figure's voice echoed through the chamber, its resonance bouncing off the stone walls. "Or should I call you Jonathan?"
"How do you know my name?" Jonathan asked as he took a step back.
"A fortunate guess. You were not allowed to use your own name on character creation, so I doubt you would be called John. Jonathan was the next logical guess. Though your name could have been anything." The figure lowered his hood. He looked… pretty average actually, besides his unusual hair. "I am Fade, the Dread Sorcerer." a grin of anticipation played upon Fade's lips. His white hair seemed to glow in the dim light, contrasting sharply with the dark purple of his robe. His cold, calculating eyes fixed upon Jonathan, assessing him with a mixture of curiosity and satisfaction.
Jonathan's grip tightened around the shaft of his liquid metal spear which had materialised in his hands after his teleportation. He glanced around the room, noting the absence of Marra. It seemed she had fulfilled her promise to deliver him, though the circumstances left a bad taste in his mouth.
"Where am I?" Jonathan's voice echoed slightly in the cavernous room.
"You are in my sanctuary, the Dread Tower," Fade replied, leaning forward with an air of casual arrogance. "A place where power is respected above all else."
Jonathan's mind raced as he considered his predicament. He was alone in the stronghold of one of the most feared sorcerers in Adearath, a man known for his ruthlessness and ambition. The weight of his situation pressed down upon him, but he refused to show any sign of weakness or fear.
"Why am I here, Fade?" Jonathan asked, keeping his tone steady.
"I have been watching you, Jonn Nightmare," Fade said, steepling his fingers in front of him. "Your abilities are... intriguing. There is much we can learn from each other. You are here because I require your cooperation. In return, I will ensure your survival against the Empire and the Inquisition."
Jonathan weighed his options. From what he had heard in his travels, Fade was a sorcerer of immense power who had somehow managed to forge an uneasy truce with the Empire. If anyone could keep him safe from Zigarete and her minions, it was likely Fade. But Jonathan worried about the cost of such protection. Jonathan rubbed the back of his neck.
As Jonathan stood in silent contemplation, Fade rose from his throne, the fabric of his robe billowing out around him. He descended the steps of the dais with an air of regal authority, each movement deliberate and full of purpose.
"Come, Jonathan," Fade said, gesturing for him to follow. "Let us discuss the future over a meal. We have much to talk about, and I believe you will find my hospitality to your liking."
With a final glance at the empty space where Marra had once stood, neither her nor Yiarra where anywhere to be found. Jonathan took a deep breath and followed Fade towards the exit of the throne room.
Fade led Jonathan through the winding corridors of the Dread Tower, their footsteps echoing off the stone walls. The air was thick with the scent of incense and the faint hum of sorcerous energy. Jonathan followed silently, his hand never straying far from the hilt of his spear.
"You and I, Jonathan, we are the same, you know. Both of us were plucked from our mundane lives on Earth and thrust into this world of magic and mayhem. We are both outsiders here, trying to make sense of the chaos."
Jonathan listened, his expression unchanging. He was acutely aware of the potential danger Fade posed. But he also recognized the truth in Fade's words. They were both sorcerers, both strangers in a strange land, both fighting for their survival in a world that hunted them.
Fade continued, his tone almost wistful. "I remember the day I arrived in Adearath. The confusion, the fear... it was overwhelming. But over time, I learned to harness my abilities, to bend this world to my will. And you, Jonathan, have you not started to do the same?"
Jonathan nodded, acknowledging the similarities in their experiences. But his mind was elsewhere, consumed by thoughts of his friends. Saikhi, Talitha, Painsley, even Alistar... he could only hope that they were safe. And then there was Yianna, the runaway princess who had helped him escape the Resistance's compound. He hoped that Marra kept her promise to not leave her behind.
"Look Fade, you seem like a good dude." Jonathan lied, "but my friends... they're in danger because of me. I need to find a way to save them."
Fade paused, turning to face Jonathan. His eyes held a glimmer of understanding, a hint of empathy that took Jonathan by surprise. "I see," Fade said, his voice softening. "You carry the weight of their safety on your shoulders. It is a heavy burden, indeed." Maybe this Fade guy really wasn't all that bad. "Very well, Jonathan," Fade continued, resuming his walk. "Let us discuss your friends and what can be done to ensure their safety. I have many resources at my disposal, and connections that span across the continent of Adearath. Together, we may be able to devise a plan to rescue them."
Relief washed over Jonathan, tempered by a healthy dose of caution. He was not naïve enough to believe that Fade's help would come without a price. But for the moment, he was willing to play along, to leverage Fade's power for the sake of his friends.
They entered a grand dining hall, where a feast had been laid out upon a long, dark wood table. The aroma of roasted meats and freshly baked bread filled the air, mingling with the scent of exotic spices. Fade gestured for Jonathan to take a seat. Throughout the meal, Jonathan's thoughts remained with his friends. He would need to be cunning, to use every tool at his disposal, if he hoped to save them. And as he sat across from Fade, a powerful ally in his own right, Jonathan felt a flicker of hope. Perhaps, together, they could get out of this shit show.
"Did you appreciate my Matrix reference?" Fade asked as he chewed on a piece of spiced meat.
"It was refreshing actually. I have been making so many pop-culture references since I got here and barely anyone had been able to appreciate them. Well except for perhaps Lily, but I wouldn't say she enjoyed them very much." At the sound of Lily's name Fade stopped chewing.
"Lily can be hard to deal with. But I wouldn't be too hard on her she is stuck here just like us." Fade continued his meal.
"Stuck here like us? I thought she was sitting in a nice airconditioned office somewhere back on Earth looking down upon us mortals with sick amusement."
"No. In fact, she was the first one sent to Adearath." Fade words came as a shock. "It isn't something she talks about often."
"Damn…" Jonathan thought about how stressful it would have been to be the first person to come to this crazy world. "So she is your tutorial fairy too?"
"Yes. She is every Earth sorcerer's 'tutorial fairy'." That would certainly explain why she didn't have much time for Jonathan, Lily was needing to juggle helping a bunch of people.
"But enough about Lily." Fade wiped his mouth. "Marra, come here." Fade called for Marra to join them in the dining hall, the purple-skinned succubus entered, from the door behind him. "Jonathan, as a token of goodwill, I present to you Marra, my second-in-command," Fade announced, gesturing grandly towards the succubus, who now stood beside him. "Although you two have already met, you were unable to sample the pleasure she can provide. She is one of the many sluts I can provide you here in the Dread Tower. Consider her a gift, a plaything for your enjoyment."
"I appreciate the gesture, Fade," Jonathan said, with an uneasy voice. "But I'm pretty tired right now." Jonathan drummed up a tried and true excuse.
"Oh?" Fade raised an eyebrow, surprised by Jonathan's refusal. He had expected the young sorcerer to be easily swayed by the offer of a beautiful woman at his disposal. "Is it a matter of endurance? I believe you have already tried the x-viagra I developed. I could have some brought to you."
'So it was someone from Earth that had made the pills Aldo, the merchant, had sold me.' Jonathan thought. "No that's ok thank you." Besides, Jonathan didn't know if having sex with a succubus would be dangerous, didn't they steal people's life-force?
"Very well," Fade said, after a moment of contemplation. "If you will not partake, then I shall indulge in her charms myself."
Jonathan watched, somewhat reluctantly, as Fade rose from his chair and approached Marra. The succubus' body responded automatically to his presence, her arousal a conditioned response to the sorcerer's power.
Fade grasped Marra by the chin, tilting her face up towards his. The Dread Sorcerer's voice was a low growl as he spoke, "You know what to do, my dear."
With practiced ease, Marra sank to her knees before Fade, her hands deftly working at the fastenings of his robe. The succubus, once a queen, now a willing vessel of servitude, was about to demonstrate the full extent of her oral prowess. As Fade's robe parted, revealing the rigid length of his arousal, Marra's eyes gleamed with anticipation, her body aching with the need to satisfy.
Fade's cock was swiftly engulfed by Marra's eager mouth. With a well-practiced rhythm, she continued to pleasure Fade's rod, her head bobbing in sync with the silent music of their shared desire. The Dread Sorcerer's breathing hitched as the succubus' skilled tongue swirled around his shaft, her lips creating a tight seal that sent jolts of pleasure coursing through his veins.
Marra's hands, not to be idle, explored the firm contours of Fade's body, her fingers tracing the lines of his power. The air was filled with the lewd sounds of her lust, a testament to her unyielding dedication to pleasuring her master. With each thrust of her head, she lost herself further in the singular pursuit of bringing Fade to the brink of ecstasy. Jonathan couldn't help but watch the skilful display before him. It wasn't long until Marra received what she had been working for, Fade's cum filled her mouth as she swallowed each and every drop almost as soon as it arrived.
Fade, the Dread Sorcerer, watched with a sated smile as Marra, his loyal succubus, rose from her knees, her lips glistening with the evidence of her submission. He turned his attention back to Jonathan, who had been silently observing the exchange.
"Now, Jonathan," Fade began, his voice carrying the weight of his authority, "I could not help but notice the woman who was with you. Yiarra, was it not?"
Jonathan nodded, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Yes, Yiarra was helping me escape from the Resistance's compound. Is she here?"
"Yes she is." Fade confirmed.
"She's... she's a good person." Jonathan hadn't known Yiarra for long but she did right in his book.
Fade chuckled softly, his gaze lingering on Jonathan's face. "A good person, you say? In this world, such a description is a rarity. But tell me, is she your woman?"
Jonathan shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his mind racing. "No, she's not my woman. She's just someone who needed help, and I needed her help in return."
'Though we did bang.' Jonathan thought, but that wasn't really pretence to a relationship these days.
Fade nodded, a knowing smile playing upon his lips. "I see. Well, in that case, I will ensure that she is given comfortable lodgings here in the Dread Tower. She will be treated as a guest, not a prisoner."
Relief washed over Jonathan at Fade's words. The thought of Yiarra being treated well eased some of the tension that had been building within him. He knew that Yiarra deserved a safe haven.
"Thank you, Fade," Jonathan said, his voice sincere. "I appreciate your hospitality."
"Think nothing of it," Fade replied, waving away Jonathan's gratitude. "We are, after all, comrades in arms. It is only fitting that we look after one another."
Fade clapped his hands together, the sound echoing through the dining hall. "Now, let us discuss our next course of action. The Empire's forces seem to be on the move at a scale I have not seen for quite some time."
As Fade began to outline his plans, Jonathan found himself feeling a cautious sense of optimism. Despite the uncertainty of his situation, with Fade, he might be able to save his friends.