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Xera and Her Companions #13: Death of a Hero

by Sigma

I

“And so, I defeated the troll chieftain and saved the kingdom from utter ruin,” the blonde haired, disarmingly handsome young man said before taking a drink of his ale. All around him, the patrons in the tavern sat and listened in amazement, especially Ava, who watched him wide-eyed, with mouth agape.

“This story is bullshit…” Gurka uttered with her arms folded. “I’ve killed a troll chieftain before. It isn’t a big deal.”

“Shut up!” Ava said. “That’s Calum, the Chosen One!”

“Chosen for what?” Gurka asked.

“Ugh...you are so uncultured!” Ava groaned, shook her head and went back to listening to Calum.

“Yes, friends, with my skill and my blessings from the gods, I was able to fell the troll menace,” he explained. “And now, my destiny brings me to these lands, where I seek to rescue the fair princess Cora, who has been kidnapped and sealed away in the tower of the dark wizard Izador.”

“Oh, I’ve heard of him…” Minerva said. “He’s not a good person.”

“Should we offer our help to Calum?” Xera began standing.

“No!” Ava said, grabbing Xera’s arm and making her sit back down. “We’ll just get in his way. He’s beyond us!”

“Are you serious?” Gurka huffed. “What is the matter with you?”

Ava ignored her and continued listening.

“I bet you and the princess will make fine children, Brave Calum!” a man, another adventurer said, to many laughs and cheers.

Calum smiled a perfectly white smile and held up his hands. “No, no, friend. Princess Cora is meant for another. I am simply doing a hero’s duty. Though, that does come with the perk of being able to pleasure any woman I bed,” he said, to more laughter.

“You ever fuck an orc that could lift more than you, pretty boy?”

Every eye in the tavern was on Gurka now, with Ava’s face frozen in red hot fury.

Calum raised an eyebrow and looked Gurka up and down. “My, my...but you are an exceptional specimen of your kind, I must say.”

Gurka stood up and stretched. “I’m the 32^nd of Zog the Slaughterer’s 63 children,” she said. “I’m more than ‘exceptional’, boy.”

“The Tyrant of the Eastern Steppes himself…” Calum raised his eyebrows. “Impressive.”

Gurka finished her drink and slammed her mug down. “No, I’ll show you impressive. Let’s go,” she said before taking his hand and leading him to the rooms upstairs.

“X...Xera...should we worry about that vein on Ava’s head?” Minerva asked.

***

The bed creaked, the room was filled with the heat of two intertwined bodies, and both Calum and Gurka grunted as human fucked orc with sweaty, intense abandon. Gurka rode the hero’s cock, biting back mounting pleasure as she rocked her hips in time with his thrusts. He smiled, looking up at Gurka and gripping her green tits in his palms. The hero sat up, running his tongue on Gurka’s chest and neck, gently biting at the flesh and causing the orc to curse as she continued bouncing up and down on his cock. Her thick legs were already slick with the juices of two orgasms, and a third was just on the edges of appearing.

“I want you to choke me.”

“What?” Gurka breathed.

Calum took her hands from his shoulders and put them on his neck. “It’s always been a pleasure of mine, but I’ve only ever bedded one other woman as strong as you who was capable of getting it right, a barbarian of the Northern Hills. I’ve been chasing that high ever since.”

“Heh...fine...prepare to be impressed, Oh Chose One,” Gurka taunted before wrapping her hands around his neck.

II

A stunned silence hung over the bedroom as Ava, Minerva, and Xera all fought for the words to say. Gurka let out a sigh and turned away from Calum’s body, stretched out on the bed with her hand prints on his neck.

“So...I may have gone a bit too far this time…” The orc said. “It was an accident! He told me he wanted me to do it, then he started gagging, but...I can’t fucking believe I’m saying this...this fool was one of the best fucks I’ve ever had. I just...lost myself.”

“I...yeah, I believe you when you say it was an accident…” Minerva said. “Because...if you actually meant to kill him, you’d have just stabbed him, right?”

“Exactly! My knife is right there on my belt,” Gurka pointed. “It would’ve been quick and over. I only intentionally strangle people I truly hate.”

“You. Giant. Green. IDIOT!” Ava screamed, hitting Gurka repeatedly her arm with a series of slaps. “What the fuck did you do?!”

Xera quickly got between them and held them apart.

“It was an accident, blondie! Pay attention!” Gurka said. “Anyway, we’re well off the beaten path. I don’t think we have to worry about the law coming down on us here.”

“Wait...’we’?” Xera said. “You’re the one who murdered him.” 

“Actually…this is probably manslaughter…” Minerva chimed in, only to go ignored.

“That’s what you’re worried about?!” Ava said, before pushing past Xera, grabbing Gurka’s things, and throwing them at her. “Get dressed. Calum’s quest isn’t going unfinished. I’m rescuing Princess Cora and every last one of you is coming with me.” She stated before leaving the room.

The others watched Ava storm out and then looked at each other.

“Di...did you orgasm?” Minerva asked, looking at the body and then at Gurka.

“Three fucking times,” she held up fingers. “The third one’s what did it, I think. I tell you, little one, I briefly forgot my own name.”

“Wooow…”

***

The four were hours into their trek toward the Wizard’s tower, with Ava in front and her arms folded across her ample chest.

“Ava, are you going to keep ignoring me?” Gurka called out, only to go unanswered. “You’re being childish!”

“Gurka...leave it…” Xera warned.

“No! She wants to be a prissy little bitch because I accidentally killed some hero of hers. She’s acting like a damn child!”

“A child?!” Ava spun around and stomped over to Gurka. “No! I’m trying to figure out why in this world good people like Calum get chewed up and spit out and irredeemable asses like you constantly thrive!” she poked the orc in her chest.

“There are no fucking heroes, your holiness,” Gurka mocked. “Only those smart enough or tough enough to survive. You either eat or get eaten. It’s the way of things. Good. Evil. All that shit’s for the childrens’ books, princess.”

“Fuck off, Gurka!” Ava fumed and turned away.

“She’s being ridiculous…” Gurka said, and turned to the others. “Right?”

Minerva hesitated. “Actually...I agree with Ava...there has to be some hope in the world, right? Otherwise, what’s the point?”

“Ava is overreacting,” Xera shook her head. “The world is chaos...one has to adapt and rise above it. It’s not a thing that’s easily changed.”

“At least one of you is talking sense,” Gurka said as they continued on in silence. The group continued for a bit longer before coming to a black tower that rose from the earth like a like an ugly, jagged rock. When the four of them approached the base, they saw a lone warrior clad head to toe in dark armor with his head and face covered completely by his helmet. He held a sword with its tip in the ground in front of him and regarded the four with a single nod.

“I am the Guardian of the Tower. Master Izador’s champion. None shall pass lest they defeat me.”

Gurka readied her axe. “Finally, some action.”

Ava glared back at her. “I’ll handle him. You’ve done enough killing today,” she said before drawing her sword and shield. She approached the guardian, who readied his weapon. The two squared up and circled each other before charging. The guardian did not let out a battle cry when he charged, did not make any grunts of exertion as he and Ava fought. The two went back and forth, and Xera and the others simply took seats and watched the fight.

Before long, the Guardian scored the first big hit, missing a downward swing but then bringing his armored elbow up and hitting Ava in the jaw hard enough to knock her to the ground. She hit the dirt and groaned as the Guardian stood over her.

“Would you like some help?” Gurka asked.

“Shut your stupid mouth!” Ava yelled and got back up. She blocked his next blow, weaving away from his strikes and knocking aside his sword thrusts. The guardian’s every attack tested Ava’s skill and reflexes, and Xera and the others watched with growing interest, even as the fight dragged on and Ava refused to ask for their aid. Eventually, her chance came. The guardian thrust his sword forward, aiming for Ava’s midsection, but she deflected with her shield, spun to throw her opponent off balance, and then brought her sword down across the back of his exposed neck. His dark helmet rolled across the grass and Ava stood over her defeated opponent.

Xera stood up and looked on. “Why isn’t there any blood on your sword?”

Ava looked at her weapon, shrugged, and put it away.

Minerva picked up the helmet and looked inside, and then looked inside the suit of armor. “There’s no one in here…oh, this was just an animated suit of armor,” she explained. “Izador can steal souls. He probably had the soul of some great, forgotten warrior bound to this armor. Ava, you just released a hero that Izador killed,” she smiled. “Now he can finally rest.”

Ava smiled slightly at that.

“Score one for the good guys,” Gurka said mockingly before walking to the tower door.

***

“Welcome, ladies…” the wizard Izador said when they entered his chamber after a grueling climb up his tower. He sat on a throne in the center of the room, sipping from a glass of wine and watching the four women before him. “My, my...but you four are delicious,” he cackled.

He was a skinny, bald man in oversized red robes, with sunken features and pale skin. The nails on his fingers were long, and the long gray beard on his face was tied into a braid.

“Release princess Cora to us, wizard!” Ava demanded.

Izador let out a shrill cackle that echoed off the chamber walls. “I was told to expect that fool, Calum, but I see I have four hapless cows to deal with instead. No matter,” he said, rising from his seat. “Once I defeat you, those supple, healthy bodies will be mine to do with as I please…” he licked his cracked lips.

Minerva shivered just looking at him, and then looked around. “Everyone be on guard...I can feel his magic in the air…”

Without warning, Izador raised his hands and lightning shot out. Minerva managed to raise a barrier and stop the attack while the other three spread out to strike back. Gurka ran straight at the wizard, leaping into the air and raising her axe. He held out a hand and stopped her in mid air and then, with a wave, threw the orc into a wall.

Ava charged the wizard next and tried to bash him with her shield, but when she ran into him, it was like hitting a wall, and then some invisible force repelled her and threw her back until she flew into Gurka. The two of them tumbled back across the ground with Ava laying on top of Gurka, her face firmly planted between the orc’s tits.

“Getting a good taste?” Gurka laughed, squeezing her tits together against Ava’s head.

Ava glared at her and got up. “Just...stay out of my way!”

“You’re going to act prissy toward me now, of all times? You are unbelievable, woman!”

“Me?! You don’t show an ounce of regret for what you did!”

“Regret is for fools. You’d be better served to be a bit more ruthless in your dealings.”

“What? So I can be like you?!”

“I am sick of you thinking you’re better than me!” Gurka growled, dropping her axe and poking Ava in her shoulder. “You saunter around in your little bikini armor with your fucking blonde hair and perfect skin and act like you’re queen of the continent!”

“Yeah, well, not only is my skin perfect, but unlike you, I do good in the world and I bathe!”

“Oh, that’s fucking it!” Gurka growled before tackling Ava to the ground.

Minerva counteracted a blast of energy from Izador with one of her own, and the two battled it out with their magic before the sorceress turned and saw Gurka and Ava in a messy tangle as they wrestled each other on the floor. “Are you kidding me?! Xera!”

Xera was frozen in place, facing Izador, who had one bony hand held out in her direction. As his dark energies swarmed her, they formed faceless apparitions in the shape of men. Their grasping hands groped at Xera’s frozen body, playing with her tits and thighs, squeezing her ass and teasing the flesh of her pussy. The Amazon moaned at the seemingly countless hands assaulting her and, as they did, she could feel her body weakening. She could see a hazy apparition of herself being torn from her body as Izador’s minions continued groping her.

“No! Xera! He’s taking your soul!” Minerva warned.

Izador smirked and watched the Amazon. “And what a hearty soul it is, my dear. It has been a long time indeed since I’ve subjugated an Amazon,” He licked his lips and looked at the cock swelling between his legs. “I’ll leave just enough of it in your body that you can feel something when I violate you after this is done,” he promised.

Gurka and Ava continued wrestling, with the orc trying to pin Ava down, but she twisted her body, managing to slip out of Gurka’s grip and get a hold of her legs. With a surprising amount of strength, Ava twisted Gurka’s ankle around and locked the orc’s leg in a hold that brought her to the ground.

“Agh! Fuck! Ava!!” Gurka screamed in pain.

“Say you’re sorry!”

“Fuck you!” Gurka yelled, holding the sides of her head and gritting her teeth. “Fuuuck this hurts!”

Minerva watched the display while feeling the growing power behind Izador’s attack as he continued stealing Xera’s soul. The summoned spirits completely covered Xera now, with one filling her mouth with the shade of a swelled cock while the others continued making her flesh their plaything. The sorceress growled and looked at her two distracted companions. “Ava!” she screamed. “Put your fucking tits away and help me! Gurka, stop being such a heartless bitch to Ava and think of someone else for once!”

It was such an uncharacteristically harsh admonishment that both Ava and Gurka looked at Minerva in shock. Ava then looked down and realized, for the first time, that at some point in her wrestling Gurka, her top had come off and her meaty tits were hanging out freely.

“Oh my…” Izador said, distracted when he saw them. The wizard’s cock swelled even more as he smiled. Then, his whole body stiffened at a sudden, sharp pain in his side. He looked down and saw a dagger stuck in his ribs and when he looked up, Xera, free of his hold, was charging at him with fury in her eyes and her sword raised.

“Dammit…” was the last word to leave Izador’s mouth before Xera separated his head from his shoulders.

Silence hung over the chamber and the heroines paused to catch their breath and collect themselves. Ava put her top back on, Xera put her weapons away, Gurka got up and limped to her axe, and Minerva eyed Ava and Gurka with a harsh gaze.

Ava avoided the sorceress’ gaze and inched toward a door at the far end of the room. “I...I’ll go look for the princess…” she said before grabbing her stuff and running out.

“Good plan, distracting the wizard little one,” Gurka compliment.

“Gurka, don’t make me put a mute spell on you.” Minerva said before turning away and walking to another door.

***

Ava opened the door to a bed chamber off to the side of Izador’s main chamber and found a woman in fine dress seated by a fireplace. She was young, with light brown hair and classically beautiful features. Ava smiled and approached the girl. “Princess Cora? I’m here to rescue you,” Ava said, holding out a hand.

Cora looked her up and down and then stood. “You’re not Calum. Where’s Calum?”

“Umm...he couldn’t be here, your highness.”

“I was supposed to be rescued by a hero!” the princess screamed, stomping her foot. “Not some cow in stupid metal bikini!” She glared at Ava. “Why do you even wear that?! It doesn’t even protect your stomach!”

“I...princess…”

“Get out!” Cora screamed, pushing Ava. “I don’t want you here!”

Ava stepped back, dumbfounded as the girl kept yelling at her. She backed up as an increasingly furious Cora kept attacking her, and then the girl raised her hand and slapped Ava hard across the face. “I said go away!”

“Oh, that’s it…” Ava said before grabbing Cora’s arm.

“Hey, what are you….OW!” She shrieked and cried as Ava twisted her arm behind her back. “You’re hurting me!”

“Shut up!” Ava hissed and yanked on Cora’s arm. “I am here to fucking rescue you, because I am a hero, and that is what heroes do!” She then kicked the princess in the back of her knees and forced her to the floor face first.

“This is brutality! My father’s gonna put you in the dungeon for the rest of your life!”

Ava put her knee on Cora’s back and pulled the sheets off the bed. She then tore them, fashioning a gag that went in Cora’s mouth, followed by bonds for her wrists and ankles. Once the girl was hogtied, Ava put her on her shoulder. “You’re welcome!” she said before storming out.

When she got back to the main chamber, Ava walked to open doors that led to other side rooms. Minerva was loading up bags with spellbooks from Izador’s library, Gurka was helping herself to the wizard’s wine collection and stash of precious gems, and Xera was browsing an armory of what appeared to be masterfully crafted weaponry.

“Is that the princess?” Xera asked. “Why have you got her tied up?”

“I don’t want to talk about it…” Ava said. “We’ll be downstairs…”

***

Night had fallen and the heroines sat around a campfire with a skewered pheasant roasting and wine bottles passing between them. Cora still sat bound and gagged while the heroines ate and drank, saying very little. There was undeniable tension in the air, with Ava and Gurka glaring at each other, and Minerva glaring at them both. Xera simply watched it all and shook her head. They continued like this for several more minutes when rustling from a nearby bush caused them all to snap to attention. Xera was up first with her sword in hand, but the others followed soon after and they all eyed the source of the sound.

“Hold, friends. I didn’t meant to alarm,” a familiar voice said just before Calum emerged with his hands held up.

Everyone’s jaws dropped and they looked at each other.

“Wh...how?” Gurka asked.

“Calum?” Ava stepped toward him. “How are you alive?”

“Divine favor of the Gods,” Calum smiled. He then looked at Gurka. “You were perfect, by the way.”

“I know it,” Gurka grinned.

 “Apologies for interrupting your dinner, ladies, but I’ve been on your trail for hours now since I realized you were on the path to Izador’s tower.” Calum then turned and saw Cora. “Is that the princess? You ladies mind if I…?”

They all signaled him to go ahead, and Calum untied Cora and helped her up. She ripped her gag out, tossed it to the ground, and then glared at the four.

“You all are the worst heroes ever! If I ever see any of you dumb cows again, you’ll be executed! Come on, Calum!” she said before stomping off.

“Oh, looks like we’re back on the road. Good evening, ladies,” Calum smiled and bowed before following Cora.

Ava watched them go and threw her hands up in frustration.  “That’s it? That’s fucking it? He just swoops in, takes our princess and now he’s got another glory to claim?”

The other heroines all sat back down and returned to their dinner.

“I hate my life…” Ava shook her head. “What is the point to any of these heroics?”

“Ava.”

She turned when Gurka called her, and then caught a wine bottle that came flying at her.

“You might as well enjoy the finer things. All that self righteous bullshit only gets you an early grave. Seen it happen a lot of times, even put a few self righteous fools in those early graves. In fact…” Gurka tapped her chin. “I think I may have killed Calum once...I mean, before earlier today…” 

Ava sighed, pulled the cork from the bottle, and then sat down and started drinking.

III

Several days later, the four were traveling another road, with Gurka and Minerva sharing a laugh about something and Ava joining them. Xera walked at the head of the group, listening to her companions and smiling when something on the road caught her attention.

She stopped and held up a hand to signal the others before rushing to the trouble with her sword on her hand.

There was a man laying against a rock on the side of the road and a woman who had been nearly stripped naked next to him. It was only when the heroines arrived that they realized they were looking at Calum and Cora.

Calum had a nasty gut wound, his skin pale and his brow covered in sweat. Cora turned to them and then jumped up.

“It’s you! You have to help us!”

“What happened to you two?” Xera asked.

“A disagreement with some brigands,” Calum grunted. “There were a few too many for me to handle alone,” he admitted, trying to sit up. Minerva rushed to his side to help him.

“Hold on, I have some healing elixirs here,” Minerva said while going through her bag.

“Some hero he turned out to be,” Cora uttered with her arms folded. Her naked body and perky tits sported fresh marks and scratches like she had fled through unforgiving brush to get away from someone. “I want you four to kill those bandits.”

“Fu-” Ava started before Gurka stopped her.

“What do we get out of it?” the orc asked.

“You get the satisfaction of having fulfilled your hero’s duty,” the princess said.

Gurka was about to respond when the heroines noticed a sizable armed group approaching them on foot. It was about a dozen men, all carrying weapons and many of them bearing scars and hard looks. Cora shrunk behind Xera while Calum tried to sit up.

“That’s them, the bandits…” he explained.

“Oi…” the leader said, approaching Xera. He was a burly man with a scarred face and a club on his broad shoulder “These two friends of yours?”

“What’s your business with them?” Xera asked.

“Satisfaction,” the leader said. “We passed them on the road, had no interest in them as targets...but then that one…” he pointed at Cora. “Started talking shit...insulting us, saying we were filthy and not worthy of being in the presence of her and her hero.”

“Is that true?” Xera asked.

“Yes! Look at them!” Cora said. “They are low men and I do not want to be in their presence.”

“You’re paying us, princess,” Gurka said.

“What? No! You’re heroes. Do your jobs!” Cora demanded.

Gurka sighed and gripped her naked arm, pushing her in front of the bandits. “You boys know she’s a princess, right?”

“What is she doing?!” Ava said, only to be shushed by Xera.

There were murmurs among the bandits before they turned back around and the leader spoke. “We saw she was some fancy lady. Didn’t know it was a princess…” he said with a grimy, predatory grin.

“Well she is, and you can sell her pretty little pampered ass for a mint at the slave markets. Or you can pass her around among yourself,” Gurka said. “Impale her on that gigantic club you’ve got swinging between your legs, eh?” she teased, tapping the bandit leader in his swollen cock. “A nice, young, supple body to keep you boys warm on these cold nights,” she continued, fondling Cora’s tits in front of the men and watching some of them smile as unseemly thoughts ran through their heads while Cora squirmed in her grip. “Or, you can shut her insane prattle up by shoving a little something in that pretty mouth,” she laughed, grabbing Cora’s jaw. “What say you, boys? I give you this annoying little brat and we all part without violence?”

“I like your style, orc…” The bandit leader stroked his chin and conferred with his party.

“Hey, wait!!” Cora panicked. She stepped back, turned around, and grabbed Gurka’s arms. Her skin was pale, her eyes wide, her lip quivering. “Please...Ms...Ms. Orc, don’t leave me with them. Please! My father will give you whatever amount you want!”

“Any amount?” Gurka repeated.

“Yes! Anything!”

“No, I’m not convinced,” Gurka said. “Get on your knees and beg me, or you can get on your knees for them,” she pointed at the bandits.

Cora fell to her knees and clasped her hands together. “Please, brave and mighty orc...don’t give me over to these...these men.” 

Gurka laughed and cracked her knuckles before turning to her companions. “Well, ladies...let’s go be heroes,” she said with outstretched arms before grabbing her axe and approaching the bandits.

“This is so wrong…” Minerva said, readying a spell.

“I can’t believe this is my life sometimes…” Ava drew her sword.

Xera drew her own sword. “We’ll make up for at Cora’s castle. I’m sure the guest rooms and dining hall are nice.”

Calum grunted and sat up against the rock to watch the coming fight. “What a strange group of women…”

The End