Chapter 27.3 The End
“S-Sade?!”
The sight of his comically oversized wife left Rick shocked, stunned, and quite possibly bamboozled. She was gigantic, towering at nearly double his height, sporting an equal amount of rippling muscles and feminine curves. She looked like an animated statue devoted to a demigoddess of war and lust. The fact that she was as naked as the day she was born certainly didn’t help in keeping his woefully lonely manhood contained at seeing her again.
At the sound of his voice, the fierce expression on her face melted away, replaced by something that could rival the dawn on a clear summer's day.
“Rick!”
In a flash, she had knelt down and swept him up into a crushing embrace. The stark contrast between the steel hard muscles and the pillowy softness of her breasts was as delightful as it was painful. Since his head, and consequently his mouth, was buried between those motherly peaks, Rick had to tap her arm when breathing became too difficult to endure.
“Whoops! Forgive me my love. I am still not quite used to my new strength.” Sade apologized before letting him go.
He sucked in a great wheezing breath before coughing a bit to clear his constricted airways. “Understandable…” He rasped and patted her arm to let her know he wasn’t mad at her enthusiastic welcome.
The sound of dwarven cursing grew louder and the two reunited lovers were surprised to find Daniela tumbling to a stop right in front of them. “ỊMierda! The puta won’t let me get anywhere close!”
“It seems her passive perception is just too high for you to deal with Daniela.” Rick quipped. “Try to get Ariwyn a bit further out of the combat zone so she doesn’t take a stray blow while she’s recovering.”
The dwarf first looked at Rick, then Sade, before letting a wild grin split her face. “Great to have you back chica! I got to say, that new look of yours is really feeding my kink. I bet you could fill me up with just your pinky finger.”
“Focus!” Rick chided. “It was bad enough when Lilie was too horny to think, we don’t need you tripping over your feet because you’re clenching your thighs together.”
Sade shook her massive head, as if just waking up from a daze. “Y-yeah, l-let us not think about the bedroom just yet.”
A high pitched scream of rage warned them of the oncoming attack before they saw it. The three all scattered as a turquoise fireball impacted right where they were just a split second before. Looking at where the spell came from, they saw Lady Rivenmoor rising back to her feet from where she landed after Sade’s sucker punch. Rick was more than a little proud of his future wife when he noticed the hugely swollen cheek marring the beautiful matron’s face.
She held up a single blazing finger, aimed right for Rick’s throat. “Take them down!” She ordered.
The demon screeched and stomped its clawed foot into Lilie’s shield, sending the healer skidding back a considerable distance. The thick fabric around its shoulders rippled. It was then that Rick realized that his initial assessment of the demon’s equipment was catastrophically wrong.
The makeshift cloak unfurled, revealing a pair of massive wings growing out of the demon’s back. With a single flap that could rival a thunderclap, the monster hurled itself into the air at tremendous speeds.
“They fly now?” Rick asked incredulously,
“They fly now!” Tyr confirmed and readied her bow.
The demon banked away before circling back towards the party, its lower set of arms extended forward. His internal question about what it was doing was immediately answered when purplish-red spikes shot out from the ridges on its forearms like bullets fired from a fighter plane.
Sade held up her hand and summoned a magical shield large enough to cover her entire body. This subsequently meant that all Rick and Tyr had to do was hide behind their giant lover until the demonic strafing run ran its course. It was as he was hugging his wife’s leg that he realized that his eye level was fully in line with her exposed slit.
No! No more horny thoughts for you until we get out of here! He mentally admonished himself while barely suppressing the urge to give her petals a loving kiss. He succeeded, but just barely. They really were all dangerously pent up.
The demon came around for another pass but a shape flew into the air on an intercept course. “I didn’t fucking give you permission to leave our duel asshole!” Lilie shouted as her sword cleaved through one of its outstretched arms.
Poking gracefully out from either side of her lower back, were a wide pair of wings that looked quite familiar. The arms were black and covered in scales, while the membrane was a deep ruby in color that matched the shaytoni’s eyes almost perfectly. She looked majestic as she soared through the air, armor and weapons shining in the light of Lady Rivenmoor’s flames.
“Where in the balls did those come from?” Rick asked in wonder.
“All shaytoni gain the ability to summon them after they awaken their aspect.” Sade calmly explained, seemingly unsurprised by the odd turn of events. “She had Rayna train her on how to use them in between school and all our other training.”
Tyr snickered and held a hand in front of her mouth. “Did ya forget how our sassy demon lord brought them out in that little fight of theirs?”
Rick blushed and turned his head away from the two large women. He had indeed forgotten that little detail about shaytoni anatomy amidst all the other things going on at the time. It didn’t help that none of the former bandits were fond of showing off their wings around the house.
“This changes nothing! The ritual will be completed, and your stain on this world will be erased!” Lady Rivenmoor growled before charging forward.
Her sword blazed with renewed vigor. Dashing forward with incredible speed, the noble woman closed the gap between them in a single breath, her weapon already swinging towards Rick’s chest. The sound of metal ringing against metal struck his ears before his eyes registered that Tyr had intercepted the attack with her last remaining axe.
“H-heavy…” Tyr grunted. Despite the obvious effort it took to block the swing, a satisfied grin never left the forest elf’s face
Sade’s voice snapped him out of his reverie. “She is strong, but not strong enough to take on all three of us!”
“Arrogant!” Lady Rivenmoor hissed. “Show me if you are worthy of spouting such drivel.”
“With pleasure!” Rick said, and the fight was on.
The four combatants engaged in a deadly dance of supremacy. Lady Rivenmoor’s sword danced around them, leaving bright trails in the air that were as beautiful as they were deadly. Tyr took the lead, her strength and skill with her weapon just barely a match for their overleveled opponent. Despite her enhanced size and strength, Sade held back and focused on casting spells to extinguish the ghostly flames tossed around by Lady Rivenmoor’s sword or free hand, as well as sending a magic dart or two the high elf’s way in an attempt to trip the woman up or interrupt an otherwise devastating attack Tyr wouldn’t be able to block or parry.
While using her fists against an enchanted sword was ill advised, that wasn’t to say Sade wasn’t using her new stature in the fight at all. Whenever an opening presented itself, Sade would slam a magical blade the size of a small tree crashing down towards the high elf, gouging out deep furrows into the stone at their feet from the force exerted. Lady Rivenmoor tried to block the conjured weapon the first time Sade tried this, and the blow sent her flying back almost all the way to the flaming wall. She focused on evading Sade’s blows after that.
Rick was right there in the thick of it. He knew after their short exchange earlier and from watching his elven lover struggle to fend off the smaller women’s blow that he wouldn’t be able to withstand a single solid blow if it connected with him. Therefore, he opted to trust his partners to lead in the dance. Honed by countless hours training and sparring together, he became the amazon’s deadly shadow. He filled the gaps in her strategy, striking from odd angles to either force the crazed noble to split her defense or simply being a nuisance while Tyr recovered from a particularly wild swing.
Through their combined efforts, Lady Rivenmoor was being slowly pushed back. That wasn’t to say they managed to accomplish this flawlessly. Each of the three lovers sported dozens of shallow cuts across their bodies, with several patches of skin, especially on Sade, covered in stinging blisters where the enchanted flames managed to bypass their defenses.
Worse yet, they all were beginning to slow down. Fighting several groups of high leveled mercenaries combined with staying awake all night long wasn’t doing Rick or Tyr any favors in the stamina department. Sade, with her magically enhanced strength, was managing to hold herself together well. But Rick could see that spending a week in captivity, probably subsisting on a minimal amount of food as well, was hardly conducive to keeping her in top form.
Their odd stalemate was shattered when bestial screams tore through the air. Tyr visibly winced at the noise, her usual ability to ignore distractions hampered by exhaustion. The high elf didn’t even hesitate to capitalize on the opening. Tyr barely managed to get her arms up before the smaller elf sent a powerful kick straight to her midsection. There was a loud snap as the bones in both of Tyr’s forearms shattered and she was sent flying backwards.
Before Lady Rivenmoor could capitalize on the opening she created, another shout came from above.
“Incooooooomiiiiiiing!”
Both Lilie and the demon came crashing down to the floor right where they were standing, the monster leading the way and the crazed healer riding atop it. More sickening sounds filled the air as the demon’s body crumpled from the impact, sending gore and bits of chiton flying all over the place. Lilie wrenched her sword out from the beast's skull and rose unsteadily to her feet. She looked drained, what little magic she had recovered all spent in the fight with her hated foe.
“Lilie! Tyr’s hurt, badly! We’ll cover you!”
Not even bothering to argue with him, the healer rushed towards her patient, leaving only the two intimancers left to deal with the high elf.
“Rick?” Sade said softly.
“Yeah?”
“Whatever happens next, just know that I love you more than I could ever properly convey.”
RIck nodded his head. “Funny, I was going to say the same thing.”
The two shared a chuckle before focusing on their opponent. The noble woman looked calm, composed, despite all the various rips and tears in her once fine clothing and the various cuts and bruises on her pale skin.
“It is over. I have won.” She said calmly, her eyes shining with wicked glee.
“Not yet it isn’t!” Rick called back and readied his spear.
Her smile grew wider. “Then come, show me the depths of your resolve!”
With a shout, the husband and wife pair charged forward. Sade shot out blades of energy which were easily countered by the confident swordswoman. Finally getting within range, the giant mage conjured her temporary oversized weapon and swung with all her considerable might. Lady Rivenmoor ducked under the attack, only to be met by the tip of Rick’s spear. She stepped back and caught the shaft of the weapon with a downward stomp, knocking it completely out of his grip. With her other leg, she once more swept his legs out from underneath him, sending him crashing down to the floor.
“Pathetic!” She sneered.
The sword came down like an executioner's axe. Before Rick could even blink, the blade was halted in its tracks. Looking up, he saw Lady Rivenmoor’s arm firmly gripped by Sade’s massive paw. In a flash, both of the elf’s arms were trapped in a vice-like grip as Sade slowly lifted the much, much smaller woman closer to her face.
“Nobody lays a hand on my husband without my permission.” Sade growled and then began to squeeze.
Lady Rivenmoor screamed as the bones in her arms snapped like toothpicks. Fire erupted out from between Sade’s fingers as the high elf attempted to free herself from the deadly grip. Unable to withstand the heat, Sade dropped the noble woman and staggered back a few steps. Lady Rivenmoor landed deftly on her feet, her useless arms swaying at unnatural angles.
“You will pay for that!” She hissed, flames swirling around her in a baleful tornado.
She took a single step forward when her thigh suddenly exploded in a shower of blood. Looking down, she saw the tip of Rick’s spear extracting itself from her limb. She turned just as he slammed his weapon into her other leg, finally causing the frenzied noble to crash unceremoniously to the floor.
“You… talk too much.” Rick huffed softly.
“And you are too late!”
Looking up, Rick saw the magical wall of fire had collapsed, revealing the final mercenary standing outside a brightly glowing circle of runes. She wore a smug grin as the glow from the circle grew brighter and brighter. Below him, Lady Rivenmoor was laughing like a woman possessed.
“And now your foul taint shall be purged!” She cried out. Rick wasn’t even listening. His feet were already in motion, heading towards the only place he knew he should be.
“Sade!” He cried before jumping in front of her as a beam of pure energy shot towards him and the whole world went white.
There was no pain. In the world bleached of all color, there was only a vague sense of peace and contentment. Briefly, he wondered if Sade and the others survived. The spell the mercenary cast looked quite intense, but perhaps him standing in the line of fire meant the spell's effects were lessened. Regardless, he had no regrets for his actions.
Faintly, he heard the sound of laughter echo throughout the space. It was low and feminine, with just a hint of seduction. It felt vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t quite place where. After a few seconds, both the chuckling and the overwhelming brightness began to fade.
Rick blinked his eyes. Slowly, the sights of the cave system they had been fighting in came back into view. He shot up off the ground, adrenaline coursing through his veins. Looking behind him, he saw the familiar form of Sade lying on the ground, unmoving.
“Sade!”
Rick scrambled over as fast as his limbs could carry him. In the back of his mind, he barely registered that his clothing felt looser than normal, but he largely ignored it. Sliding next to his lover, he put an ear to her mouth. Faintly, the slight exhale of breath could be both heard and felt by the sensitive organ. His body instantly relaxed and he sighed with relief.
The dark skinned woman stirred. “R-Rick?”
RIck cradled her head into his lap. “Yes, I’m here my love.”
Her rich brown eyes slowly gained clarity and focus. “Why do you look so…?” Her eyes widened and she looked down at her body. “Wait, what happened to me?! It… The coital energy… All of it, gone!”
Rick hugged Sade tighter to his chest and hummed softly in an attempt to calm her racing thoughts. They had indeed both shrank down considerably. Mentally piecing the clues together, Rick realized that they had reverted back to their small, almost childish bodies. It was like all the coital energy they had enhanced themselves with had been forcefully removed by whatever spell they were both hit with.
“It’s okay Sade. We’re both alive, that’s all that matters.”
Sade’s voice came out choked. “But… With everything that happened… All the things I did to escape…”
Rick had some sneaking suspicions on what the poor woman forced herself to do in order to escape. He knew that enough coital energy to turn yourself into an oversexed she-hulk had to come from somewhere. He knew he probably should have mild feelings of anger or betrayal at the thought, but all he felt in the moment was an overwhelming sense of relief and joy at being reunited.
“Don’t make me repeat myself.” He gently chided.
She examined herself once more. “But… What if we are unable to gain any more coital energy? We have no idea what that spell was or the consequences of it being used on us.” She looked up into his eyes. “What if I could never be beautiful again?”
Rick scoffed. “You were always beautiful, or did you forget how I reacted that first night in the woods?”
Her lips slowly turned up in a smile at the memory. Wrapping her slender arms around his scrawny neck, she brought herself close enough to give him a kiss. It was slow, sensual, the kind of kiss that told each of them just how much the other meant in a way that words could never fully convey. It was the language of love, of intimacy, one they both were quite fluent in given their vocations.
“How?! How are you two still alive?! The ritual should have purged you both completely!”
The mood shattered like a brick through glass. The two lovers turned to find the prone form of Lady Rivenmoor glaring daggers in their direction.
“This is unacceptable! I should have just slit your throats the moment I-” Her tirade was cut short when Ariwyn snuck up and placed a finger to her mother’s temple. Instantly the raving woman’s eyes rolled up and her whole body went slack.
“Mistress! What did you -Gahk-!”
Just like the noble woman before her, the mercenary's words were silenced when the petite form of Daniela appeared from behind and swiftly knocked her unconscious. Rick shook his head in exasperation. Those mercs really did suck at keeping their eyes on the rogues.
“Is it over?” Sade asked tentatively.
“Yep!” Rick replied before giving his talented mage another quick peck on the lips. “Let’s go home.”