Forced into Fantasy
Chapter 21 - Jharran

Ivy;

I wake from a deep sleep the next morning to replace myself dazed and incredibly comfortable, splayed out across the large mattress I can only guess is either a King size or bigger.

Actually, it’s rather fitting for a man the size of Adomis. He’d need something this size to sleep on comfortably.

A thick black fur blanket is currently covering me from my neck down and my hand slowly roams over it, astonished by the extreme softness of the fur. I wonder what kind of animal it came from.

A bear maybe?

Do they even have bears here, in this strange mythical land?

I only now realise that, even having created such a wondrous and elaborate world in my novel, I hardly know very much about the place and its inhabitants. Shouldn’t I know more about the lands, its people and its creatures?

Then it suddenly dawns on me. I sit up in the bed filled with a strange mixture of confusion and concern. My crystal blue eyes narrow as I wonder to myself I silence.

I wrote this fantasy world, I’m the one who created it with nothing but my own imagination.

It’s strange but I come to realise that Ronaar was never one of my story’s characters.

In my mind, The Moonlit Guild was always meant to be a band of thugs and mercenaries hell-bent on destroying Adomis and ending his supposed ‘evil reign’. I never created the Guild as an entire village of men, women and children starving, fighting for their ultimate survival.

Was the storyline somehow changing from what I had created originally?

Had I perhaps done something to cause it to alter, creating new characters and god only knows what else?

I shake my head and squint my eyes shut at the dizzying thought of it all. It’s too much, especially this early in the morning. I am well aware that the depths of my darkest mind can be a dangerous place to venture and I quickly open my eyes; now centred and calm once more.

A soft sigh escapes my lips as I instead glance around the room, hoping to replace Adomis lounging about somewhere nearby. He’s usually never too far away from me. But I am met with nothing but solitude and my heart sinks as I pull the furry blanket up to cover my exposed breasts.

‘Where the hell is he?’

I don’t know why but I feel abandoned here in this very moment. So much has happened to me lately and all I crave now more than ever is some sort of stability; some kind of reassurance. Safety perhaps? I don’t know.

Without giving him another thought I quickly toss the blanket aside and manoeuvre my legs over the edge of the bed. The stone floor beneath my bare feet is freezing, even as the warming rays of morning sunlight beam in through the filtered cracks of the thick, black curtain covering one of many large glass windows.

Pulling the fur blanket off the bed and wrapping it around my body as I would a towel, I make my way towards the enormous balcony window, stepping over several articles of both Adomis and my clothing from the night before scattered carelessly across the floor.

‘And what a night it was!’

I chuckle to myself at the thought.

That man… he fucked me mercilessly for hours on end, only choosing to break for small naps between rounds. Then I wonder to myself, how many rounds did we manage?

‘Six? ’

‘Seven perhaps?’

Honestly, after about the fourth time I think I lost count.

I’ve never felt so exhausted and yet incredibly satisfied in my entire life. No man has ever treated me in such a way.

Adomis is dominant, yet somehow tender at the same time. It’s obvious that he likes to be the one in charge at all times, but for a moment there last night I could see how much it actually turned him on to allow someone else to take control over him for once.

Last night he surprised me when he allowed me to pleasure him, to take charge over him.

Only momentarily and only in the bedroom, of course. I know he is a completely different person in front of his men than he is with me.

And no man has ever made me cum as hard as Adomis, that’s for sure!

Just as I begin to feel content in such a state of what I can only assume is happiness after such a troubling time, the sound of the door alerts me to turn my head as it opens inwards.

It’s him.

I can’t help but smile at the sight of him, standing there in nothing but his long black pants. His sculpted chest causes my eyes to betray me as they lower to roam across the hills and valleys of his muscular features, all toned, tanned and beading with… sweat?

My brows crease together as I meet his eyes. I feel the need to ask take over.

“You’re all… sweaty?”

“Morning sparring session.” he replies with his seductively deep voice.

“One of many duties as Overlord, no doubt intended to keep me fit and ready for anything.”

His deep brown eyes are fixed on me as he closes the chamber door behind him, never once breaking eye contact. A smirk begins to lift at the corner of his mouth as he leans back against the wooden door, crossing his massive arms and revelling in the sight before him.

“You’ve got energy for training? Even after… last night?” I ask with a guilty smile.

He returns my smile, along with a deep chuckle.

“I’m afraid it takes a bit more than that to tire me out, Ivy.” he admits and I bite back a smirk, pursing my lips together in an effort to conceal it from him.

But he knows.

Adomis;

The woman I am now bonded with… Ivy.

The temptress.

It’s early in the morning. Warm rays of sun are shining in through the window before her, almost giving her entire body a glowing aura as he stands before me wearing nothing but the fur blanket of one of my most accomplished kills to date; the Jharran.

The Jharran is a dangerously giant beast with elongated fangs and sharpened claws that hunts under the cover of the moonlight.

Before I know what I am doing, I begin to recounter that faithful night for her as I casually kick off the wall and slowly close the gap between us, one patient step at a time.

“It was a night much darker than any we had experienced in these parts for many years. I remember it well. The moon was full and glistened brightly against the blackened sky…”

Ivy furrows her brows, as if confused as to what I am referring to.

But I continue on with my tale.

“The creature had already attacked several villages and killed at least a dozen or so of their men. The villagers came pleading for help, begging that I replace this terrifying creature and end their merciless suffering-”

She cuts in, “-The Jharran?”

I nod my head and go on.

“A creature of the night that feeds on warm flesh and drinks the blood of the living…”

Her face contorts into an expression of disgust.

“Ewe…”

I merely chuckle.

“With huge fangs big enough to tear out your throat and claws like sharpened daggers, it hunted us that night, watching us from the shadowed treeline. We’d tracked its scent for around three miles north of here before we managed to catch up with it and corner it in a small clearing…”

“We?” she continues to enquire.

I clear my throat, taking yet another step in closer towards her.

“My men and I, along with Tabius. But back then he was merely my Captain. It was actually his idea to smoke the beast out of hiding that night. We created a contained burn-off to trap it, allowing us to close in for the kill…”

I pause for added effect and she seems to linger upon my every single word, edging her head forward as if she needs to know more.

“And? What happened then?”

I can’t help but snicker at the thought of telling her. Of revealing every single gruesome little detail of what had transpired there that evening. The blood, the sound of flesh being torn from bone. The cries of my men as the mighty beast fought for its life.

Of how I myself was the one who battled the creature with but my sword alone. The creature eventually succumbing to its fateful death at the hand of my sharpened blade as it sliced off its massive head with one clean slice.

I blink back to reality and choose not to disturb her any further with the gruesome details. Instead I come up with something a little tame for my liking. But this story is not intended for me.

It’s for her.

“I ended the creature’s life.”

My reply is short and simple, my tone shows the lack of fear I’ve always maintained, even all those years ago when I slaughtered the beast.

I am Overlord, I must be fearless.

“Oh.”

Ivy seems disappointed by my response, but nods her head anyway, forcing a small smile.

I point at the fur blanket she is wearing as I add the next part, linking the story to my reason for telling it at long last.

“That there, wrapped around you is my trophy from that night’s kill…”

She looks down at the fur wrapped around her naked body.

“The skinned fur of the Jharran itself.”

Suddenly her eyes widen into the size of the moon and she looks to me with a horrified expression.

“I’m sorry, WHAT?”

I watch in confusion as Ivy suddenly drops the fur to the floor with disgust, swiping at her arms in an apparently horrified manner. It’s as if she is trying desperately to get a layer of invisible dirt off her skin or something.

I’m quite puzzled by her reaction to say the least.

“Oh my god, that’s fucking disgusting!” she whinges, glaring directly at me now.

“Why didn’t you tell me that before? How can you sleep with that thing on your bed?”

But I am unable to muster up a reply, not even a single thought as I stand staring at her now completely nude body positioned in front of me, with the sunlight dancing about behind her.

The blanket is pooled around her feet as she suddenly realises her mistake.

Her expression of anger suddenly changes to one of embarrassment as she covers herself with her arms. Not that I understand why she does it. I’ve already seen her like this. I’ve done things with that curvaceous body that would make any grown man blush.

She is mine, after all.

We are bonded for eternity.

She belongs to me now. Though I do not expect she knows this...

Yet.

I then wonder if perhaps I should sit her down and have a discussion about our sudden and unexpected bonding. About what it means and where we go from here as a linked couple.

I suppose we would get married first off. And then, soon after she would bare me several healthy heirs, as many as we could create to ensure that my lineage is well maintained for the centuries to come.

By the time I pull myself from my wandering thoughts I realise that Ivy has sprinted across the chamber and into the adjoining bathing room, loudly slamming the wooden door behind her.

‘Is she seriously embarrassed to be seen naked by me?’

I chuckle at the thought.

Suddenly my stomach grumbles and I am reminded of my need for morning sustenance. I have not yet found the time to feed myself with such a busy morning schedule.

And no doubt after our countless sessions last night Ivy must also be starving.

Without another thought I turn and exit the chamber once more, this time on a mission to locate our morning meal.