Savage Flame

Chapter 11

In a whirl of magic, The Four found themselves standing on the cliff-side overlooking their beloved kingdom, or at least... what was left of it. A sinister new flag fluttered in the choking wind, cries of anguish wailing from the villages at the Fjord and flames licking up the sides of the neighboring castle wings. "Einarsson..." Amund's voice was lost in the smoke billowing into the darkly clouded, early morning sky.

"We can't walk in unannounced," Baard stated, Njal fiercely sharpening the blades strapped all across his chest and person one by one.

"Infiltration," Njal sneered, chuckling darkly in the direction of the castle, "is my specialty." The knights turned their attention towards their King, heart twisting at the look of bitter fury in Leoric's eyes. One nod from him, and the Four vanished, blending back into the shadows of the night.

Their horses made everything all the more difficult, but thankfully, the Gods blessed them with an empty stable with a village ally who pledged her life to protect their beasts. Baard was hesitant to let the girl stay behind unguarded, but Njal flashed a wildly flirtatious smirk at the girl, casting an impressed eye at the array of war hammers in her smith-shop. "She'll be fine."

"You bet your handsome ass, I will," she snarked, and Njal roared with laughter before the two shared a wicked kiss, and the platinum blond knight promised to be back for more, the girl rolling her eyes and threatening to gut him. That encounter left the Four in high spirits, even as their goal lay presently ahead, the Einarsson castle looming overhead.

"She's feisty, I'll tell you that much." Amund snickered at Njal's arrogant smolder, Leoric shoving him as if they were boys again.

"See? That is what could be waiting for you somewhere in the world!" Leoric sighed at his friend's remark, massaging his temples. The Four had just tucked themselves away in the servant's staircase, ascending up towards his royal chambers. There was a secret doorway from this staircase that led straight into his room, the entrance disguised under a large tapestry. The stones were achingly familiar to him as they neared the entrance to his rooms. But they were not expecting what lay beyond the fabric of the curtain.

Leoric tasted bile as he watched his former queen shamelessly buck her hips against that of a large man beneath her. Her hair was down, wild and untamed, the red dark like blood against her back in the candlelight. Her moans filled the room, unfortunately affecting Leoric and the knights that crowded around him to peek into the room. The sheer array of muscles of her back and limbs was undeniable. She was the epitome of art, if a liar and a cheat could be depicted in such a way. A golden tattoo pulsed with power underneath her hair, sending fractures of golden runes upon the ceiling of the bedchamber. She threw her head back, picking up the pace of her undulating hips, the smell of moist flesh and arousal filling the air like a sickening aroma.

Scarred hands gripped her hips, pressing bruises into her skin and pumping himself deeper inside of her. Her nails clawed at his chest and her moans heightened. Leoric swallowed back the rising bile in his throat. It was awful to watch, but he found that he couldn't look away. Her dedication to her partner was undeniable; she hadn't been like this with him. This was a raw, vulnerable attraction between lovers. The man's face was nearly indistinguishable until he flipped her onto her hands and knees, and began pounding into her jiggling flesh from behind.

"Vidar!" Amund hissed viciously, his body shaking with fury beside Leoric.

"Fucking traitor!" Njal agreed, seething through his teeth. Baard was quiet, his eyes only intent on his King, whose heart-brokenness threatened to diminish him into a helpless, little boy. As Leoric angled his gaze away from the sight, the other knights focused on their King.