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Chapter 03
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“That was fast!” said Ohm Wire to a now heaving Adamast Cross. “What did you do, run full-force across Paragon before you came?”

Adamast was trying to catch his breath and speak at the same time, but at best he could manage was a nod tilted to the side. The other heroes standing with them laughed to themselves. They were in the Steel Canyon area, and standing outside of a cave entrance.

“He ran around town all night, thrashing the Circle’s members and its associates,” said War Lagoon. “He kept it up through one of my power naps.”

“You take power naps?” asked Ohm Wire.

“Only on days when I’m busy with my heroics. I needed a break, but David wouldn’t have it. Oh, sorry, I mean Adamast.”

“It’s OK. I think only we could hear that.” They were, after all, out in public.

“We split up, but I think he ran past me several times even while I was awake.”

“Hey,” said Adamast finally now that he was able, “I made a promise not to let any harm come to her. I’ve already screwed up in some way or another. Besides, how many of others, hero or villain, can say they interrogated the right guy in less than five hours?”

“There was one man who did it in five minutes. Of course, he got on a megaphone and promised that beating them up would be as quick and painless as possible if they just told him who robbed the ice cream truck and set it ablaze. Funny enough, they believed him, and he knocked out the one who stepped forward while the others ran away like crazy. Then there was another guy who did it in under twenty minutes with nothing but chewing gum and a safety pin.”

“I’m pretty sure the safety pin was the size of several ice cream trucks. Who wouldn’t give up information with one of those swinging at them?”

Ohm Wire giggled at that. Yeah, Paragon was a special kind of place.

“Are we ready to enter, boys?” asked Princess Undercut, “Or are we going to spend all day comparing sizes and lengths? It looks like Mortar won’t be joining us, so we’ll have to go on without him.”

Psi Wizard said, “No worries, I think we can manage. This is Steel Canyon; most of the Circle covens are just lesser mages with a few weaker spirits thrown in. Let’s do this.”

He and War Lagoon were the first to enter, with Princess Undercut not far behind. Ohm Wire unsheathed her claws before entering with Adamast, who had his ice armor on. Something washed over them when they passed the entrance. Dread. Confusion. Someone screaming, “—ait, it’s a trap!” Everything happened way too fast before the entire team was as good as wiped out in the first room of the cave.

“Mistress wants the girl,” said one mage. “Take the rest away. We’ll deal with them later as the mistress sees fit.”

Another asked, “Which girl?”

“The younger one. The innocent one, you fool.”

***

Oftentimes, the Circle had holding cell chambers inside of their dens. The cells were made from rock and mystical coral, as well as a magical barrier that was equally tough to bring down by force. Princess Undercut and the men were each given their own cell, along with a fake skeleton that had been added for effect, but none of the heroes were sure of that at the time.

Their jailer, an unusually large and powerful spirit, swooped down to meet a visiting mage. The mage said, “Mistress requires one of the men to take part in the ritual.”

“Very well,” came the jailer’s raspy voice. “Take your pick.”

“She was most specific.” The mage pointed toward Adamast. “That one.”

The jailer motioned to two smaller spirits, who floated up to Adamast’s cell. They dispelled the barrier, and the hero lunged at them with his ice armor growing back into place. He wailed away at the two spirits until they lost all form and ties to the mortal world. Then Adamast Cross turned on the jailer before he stopped mid-air.

“This one is too much trouble,” said the jailer.

The mage said, “All the more reason the mistress wants him. She wishes to break this one in her own way by making him take part in the ritual.”

“Do what you will. I have other prisoners to watch over.”

War Lagoon shouted out, “Take me! Damn it all, take me!” He pounded on the barrier in his cell and on the coral above it.

“You will be silent.”

Adamast Cross was taken away, his body bound by magic. Princess Undercut shuddered as she had been carried in here much the same way due to her high resistance, and usually impervious nature, to most attacks. She hated being bound and unable to fight back. When Adamast was gone, she winced and said, “How the fuck did this happen?”

“Light and sound barrier,” said War Lagoon. “I know Mortar managed to do something similar for our base in a couple rooms before we disbanded, but these guys did it with magic. Not with technology.”

“You know what I mean, War.”

“I know. I’m just trying not to admit to myself that we walked blindly into a trap set by a much stronger coven than Steel Canyon is known for, and are now in here when we’ve been through worse.”

“We need to save Ohm Wire and Adamast, and get out of here. Then we need to regroup and bring these guys to justice.”

Psi Wizard said, “Let’s concentrate on escaping first.”

“Right. Bust some heads first, and then plan our way out of here while we’re walking out the door. That sounds good to me . . . ah!” She did not mean to scream, but the jailer was face-to-face with her so suddenly.

The jailer said, “I find it amusing that you think you can escape. Many have tried.”

“Many insects maybe. War, how good is your aim from down there?”

War Lagoon replied, “Without looking up your skirt? Let me check.” A dose of dark miasma and even darker tentacles appeared around the jailer. The spirit’s empty eye sockets widened as his essence was pulled down into the unknown. When the unearthly sounds died down, all anyone could hear in that room was War Lagoon’s low chanting. He stopped and perked up. “Only that good. Sorry.” He was clearly holding in a laugh.

“Good job,” said Princess Undercut, preparing to have a boxing match with the barrier on her cell. “Now, let’s hurry out of this place. Oh, and War? Look up my skirt again, and we’re having a serious conversation with my fist.”

***

When Adamast entered the large room, a wicked, and equally sultry, voice filled the room. “Welcome, mortal hero. Oh my, yes, you will do splendidly.” He looked around the room to see where the feminine voice was coming from, but the only woman he could see was Kyra, Ohm Wire. She was naked and tied down to a stone table. “Do you like what you see?” The voice was definitely not coming from her.

Kyra said, “Adamast, no. Run!”

“I can’t,” he said. “Let her go. What do you want with her anyway?”

The booming voice said, “You, a mortal, dare to ask me why I do anything? I have endured centuries here.” There was a crystalline artifact of incredible size overlooking the majority of the room. The voice came from there, as Ohm Wire already found out and Adamast was figuring out now. Then the voice became a deranged whisper. “Centuries. How could anyone dare?” “I will feed again, and wander the land! You, hero, are going to help make that happen.” “The souls, their flavor . . .” “Worms! Release this man from your hold.”

In an instant, Adamast was able to move on his own again. All sorts of questions swarmed inside his head. How many more mages and spirits could he take down before being bound again? Could he reach and free Kyra from here? Could he do something about that artifact? The answers were looking grim as someone prodded Adamast to move forward toward the table. He tried and failed to resist feeling any amount of arousal in seeing Kyra like this.

Kyra said, “Adamast, I’m so sorry.”

“As am I,” he responded.

“Damn it, you demonic hag! Why are you doing this? Why me?”

The booming voice said, “Oh, you young fool. I chose you for revenge on another man long before your time. I chose you for your natural vigor and virgin blood; it’s much, much sweeter than any other. Sadly, my current power is over men. It is limited now, but I can control this one if need be.” The whisper said, “Is it finally time to feed? It’s been so long.” Booming, “Hero, remove your clothes at once. You can do it on your own, or any one of us can do it for you. You should know what I am expecting of you. You are but a mere human, mortal. Your desires and need for self-preservation dictate your every move. You are no doubt thinking of some means to get away.” “Oh, he would leave her.” “Yes, yes! Give in to your lust.”

Adamast said, “Give in to your oblivion!” Then he leapt at the artifact. However, he stopped mid-air and screamed. His costume burned off his skin as if someone had set it on fire, and then he fell back to the ground.

“Stupid mortal. I am giving you a chance at something greater than you have ever known, or may ever experience again. I’m giving you the chance to take it of your own free will. Take her virginity, and be mine for the rest of your short life.”

“Never. She is not your toy.”

“Then you shall be mine.” There was no telling if that was the booming voice or the whisper, maybe both at once, but the terror of it was only the beginning.

Limb by limb, all control of his body was lost. Adamast tried to resist, but he could do nothing more than feel his actions, see what his eyes stared upon, hear everything in the room around him, and act against his wishes. He climbed upon the table, so erect that his consciousness wondered if he could break the table with his dick alone.

Kyra let out another soft cry, “David, no. Not like this. I love you.”

This was not the way it was supposed to be. Try as he might, Adamast could not stop himself from groping and suckling at Kyra’s very fine breasts. Her nipples became erect, betraying her heart and mind to pleasure, and then a mage on either side poured a fragrant wax over them. Kyra screamed. Adamast’s hand moved down her body in a smooth stroke until it reached between her legs.

Kyra wanted to scream and cry, but something in the wax worked at her nipples and through her skin. It added to her arousal in seconds. It was doing something to her beyond imagination.

“Yes,” said the sultry, booming voice. “It is working. It is almost time.” Her voice was gaining in euphoria while Kyra was becoming wet. “It is time, mortal. Take her. Make her mine.”

Adamast stared into Kyra’s eyes, and she into his. Kyra did not want it to happen this way either, but she nodded to him. If anyone was going to be her first, she was glad it was him. That was the end of his resistance, and Adamast pressed his throbbing member into her. Her pain was obvious, but no one could hear her over the moans from the booming voice, or from the chanting mages around the chamber. Adamast started slow with his thrusts then, and Kyra felt her pain slipping away. Her first orgasm started to build.

The voice, more euphoric than before, said, “I can feel it. I can feel this shackle slipping. Worms, give it . . . OH! Yes . . . give him the ceremonial dagger.” One of the mages did just that while Adamast continued to thrust. “I will release your arm. This is your last chance. Surely you feel a fraction of yourself ebbing away. Your life essence is draining.”

He did, but Adamast felt a greater pleasure.

“There is a way to stop this. Quickly. Before she climaxes, you must strike the blade into her bosom. It will complete the ritual. It will grant you life as long as I see fit, a life of endless pleasure. You want that, don’t you? Hahaha, you’re nothing but a mortal, after all.”

The artifact was too far and at a wrong angle to attempt throwing anything at it. Oh, this was cruel beyond words. Kyra knew it and said nothing with whatever she had left of her mind. Adamast Cross knew then there was only one thing he could do.

“Do it, mortal, or I will take over and your life will end with hers, painfully!”

“Adamast! What the fuck?” The shout came from the other side of the room. It was Princess Undercut, and she stood with the others. However, they were too far and too late.

He looked one last time into Kyra’s eyes. “Forgive me,” was the best goodbye he could give. Adamast thrust one more time, only now with the dagger. It went directly into his intended target and flesh. It went easily into him rather than the woman beneath him.

“Nnooooooooooo...! What have you done, you foolish mortal?” The booming voice cried and screamed into silence.

The trio of heroes could hear Adamast say, “You’ve underestimated a real hero,” even with the dagger sticking out of his chest. The heroes at the entrance of the room knew they had to act fast if they wanted to save him or Ohm Wire. Any and all questions would have to wait, especially with the cave starting to shake and the mages running at them.

Princess Undercut ran forward shouting her husband’s heroic name. She trusted him to do what he needed to do, and he did it. Half of the mages froze in place, while the others were slowed down. Princess Undercut went first for the mage she recognized as the one who had bound her earlier, and she performed a bone shattering, neck snapping, roundhouse kick to the mage’s head before letting her fists fly at the other mages.

The artifact in the room exploded into a sphere of light that went as far as the stone table. That light came with two blood curdling screams that filled the chamber. Princess Undercut and War Lagoon did their best to rush toward it, knocking down a number of mages on the way, but then the light and voices faded. The stone table collapsed, with Ohm Wire and Adamast Cross nowhere in sight. The artifact was in ruin. And the whole cave was coming down. The trio failed to save their allies.

A hand fell on Princess Undercut’s shoulder; it was War Lagoon. He said, “We need to go. Right now.”

“What about Adamast and Ohm Wire?” she asked.

“David and Kyra are gone. We can’t let his sacrifice go in vain.”

Psi Wizard had caught up with them in time for Princess Undercut to take one more look at the table. She had no idea what had happened, but she knew there was no more time to think about it. She turned and ran with the men and remaining mages.