The Sceptre of Samnos

Dermakarak Part 1

By the end of the day they were well into the mountains, and they made camp in a narrow valley between two mountain ridges, pitching their tents next to a bubbling stream that ran down its centre. Lirenna went off to a small grove of trees to answer a call of nature, and was just starting back when she noticed one of the mercenaries blocking her path, smiling at her insolently. Fear gripped her and she tried to get past, but he stopped her, gripping her firmly by the arm. "Now then, my lovely, don't be in such a hurry to leave," he leered. "We've only just met."

"Please let me go," said Lirenna, forcing her voice to remain calm. She tried to get past again, but he grabbed her other arm and held her tightly while his eyes roamed appreciatively across her slender body. "Come on, beautiful, I'm only trying to be friendly. I'm not gonna hurt you." He pulled her close, trying to pin her arms behind her back, and she had to fight the almost overwhelming urge to struggle, knowing that that would only excite him further.

Instead she managed to catch his eyes and hold them. She quickly spoke the words of a spell, almost blurting them out in case he figured out what she was trying to do and stopped her. Ordinarily, she would have had to get him to a state of sexual arousal, but he was already there on his own, saving her the effort. His hold on her loosened as his lust slowly turned to love. His eyes softened and he released her, staring at her adoringly.

Gasping with relief, she struggled to regain her composure and calm down. Then she said "I want you to look after me, see that no harm comes to me. Understand?"

"Yes, anything. I'll do anything for you," he said earnestly. "My sword is yours to command."

"I expect you may have to protect me from your two friends," she said, carefully. There was a limit to how far an enchanted person could be made to go. Trying to make them do something that went completely against their nature ran the risk of breaking the spell. The mercenary, however, seemed to have no trouble obeying this last command. He grew stern and put his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Don't you worry, Ma'am. I'll see that they don't bother you."

"Good. By the way, what's your name?"

"Connery, ma'am."

"All right Connery, let's get back to the camp."

Thomas and Jerry saw the two of them coming back together, the mercenary following the enchantress like a lovesick puppy. "What happened?" asked Thomas anxiously. "Did he...?"

She shook her head. "Don't worry," she said. "I can look after myself."

"So I see," said Thomas, watching the mercenary, who was giving him a warning stare. "Even so, it might be a good idea if you and Diana go together the next time you have to... you know."

She nodded reluctantly. "Yes, I suppose that's probably for the best." It was still only just beginning to dawn on her that she needed to be able to defend herself here. Until very recently, all her life had been spent in protected environments. Both Haven and Lexandria were enclosed valleys in which nothing evil was allowed to intrude, and the University had the added protection of the Proctors, the University's police force, which made sure that the rules were followed and that the apprentices behaved themselves. This was the first time she'd ever been exposed to the grim realities of the real world and she was having a difficult time getting used to it. It was strange to contemplate what Connery had wanted to do to her, and how he might have subdued her if she'd put up a fight. She wondered how ordinary women coped, women who didn't have the option of casting a spell on the world's less civilized inhabitants. "Anyhow, let's go and eat."