Comfort of Two CH6

Commissioned by: anonymous

Written by: Danni Lynn

Date: 2024-2025

Word Count: 70,000 words

Synopsis: If surviving a world war as a drafted soldier is not already hard enough to handle, try falling into a strange fantasy world and straight into a battle of monsters, humans, and elves, bristling with medievalesque-weaponry and magic. Markus is determined to make his last stand, to protect a village of innocents, when the beautiful Sisters of Twilight burst onto the scene and change his life forever.

Disclaimer: This story is a work of OC-insert fanfiction. All characters and storylines belong to the rightful owners. This is a work of fanfiction, I do not claim ownership over any of these characters or ideas.

CW: Character death, action, violence, nudity, explicit sexual content, language, scary situations, & war.

NSFW Content: Due to the NSFW nature of this piece, the entire, uncensored chapters can be found here on my Wix website for 18+ readers only. A closed-door romance, censored- version of the story can be found over on Squarespace.

Chapters 1-3 do not have any NSFW content so you can read them all on Squarespace. There is NSFW content in chapters 4 through the epilogue so those can be read on Wix for 18+ readers only:

• Chapter 1: Squarespace

• Chapter 2: Squarespace

• Chapter 3: Squarespace

• Chapter 4: Censored version below, uncensored NSFW version HERE.

• Chapter 5: Censored version below, uncensored NSFW version HERE.

• Chapter 6: Censored version below, uncensored NSFW version HERE.

• Epilogue: Censored version below, uncensored NSFW version HERE.

Chapter 6

Ariel disappeared without a warning. The wind whipped and all at once, she was no longer there, and the empty skies and open field stared back at me after she teleported back to her people.

That was it. She was the key to my old life but in more ways than one, her blessing, warning, and welcome was a new key all on its own.

The Skaven Army was descending upon Athel Loren where another army was forming in defense. Too far away from me now, it all looked like two shadowy walls of color smeared across a canvas. I could hear the yells—a bestial roar—and the change in the wind that was more likely a coincidence but in a place of magic where nature is more than it seemed to be, a strong headwind kicked up and pummeled me in the back, thrusting me toward the forest and her people.

I shook my stirrups and pressed my heels into the gray steed’s sides with a shout.

“Hiyah!”

The beast lunged forward, and I pretended I knew what I was doing as I grasped the reins in an effort to stay amount. I’d really only seen people ride horses in movies, so I was not about to take any credit for its accurate motion. It was a smart creature, indeed.

The elven steed carried me back over the rolling hills and toward the towering trees in the distance. We veered across to avoid the back of the Skaven Army, where I would certainly be swallowed up by the forces in an instant. Instead, we skirted them and approached the elven army from the side, to join their ranks and refocus on the approaching enemy.

The wood elves standing en force looked like a forest of trees in their green cloaks and dark leather armor. The riders and guards formed an impenetrable wall with rows and rows of ground support. I joined in line, merging with the rows of green. Various elves spared me a short glance with arched brows, their ears perking as I returned. I nodded to the rider next to me and tagged on at the end of the line, my steed already turning around and standing at the ready.

My heart was racing as I attempted to steady myself, pulling out my bow and arrow, trying to mimic everyone around me. The elves in line were stoic as they stared down the thundering horde.

There was something unreal about a soldier’s bravery when sworn to a worthy cause. It was one thing to stand up and fight because a government forced you to and you were just trying to survive… but to fight for a cause you believed in?

It was something I had never seen before. A soldier supported. Championed. And here by choice.

And I was here for them.

The war horns reached a fever pitch. Without any orders, every wood elf raised their bows and pulled the loaded strings back to their cheeks. I notched an arrow when the tree line exploded and the massive Ceithin-Har burst onto the scene. Branches scattered and leaves toppled into the air at the monster’s violent exit. He unfurled his massive wings and with one incredible down-swoop, thrust himself high into the air, filling the veiny-skin of his wings with a billowing updraft.

Ceithin-Har belched a gout of fire as he roared a harrowing scream. My entire body froze at the sight, as if some ancient centamillennia old fear had stirred from the depths of my being. It harkened from the beginnings of humanity when large creatures still roamed the earth and hunted our kind.

It was an incredible sight.

But even better was the two sisters astride the dragon, perched upon its shoulders, stole my breath away.

A cloud of arrows shot off and turned the front rows of the approaching—only about a football-field length away now—forces into a pincushion. As the arrows hit and our foes were briefly distracted. Ceithin-Har pitched downward and doused the attackers in flames. The war cries turned into screams of horror as a dense black smoke filled the air. The heat as immense, even warming the air around me.

But above it all, Arahan and Naestra pulled out their arms and threatened the forces beneath them. Arahan’s mouth was opened in a constant stream of belittling comments and angry delights of war—as I could only imagine—and the forces were certainly doomed to have incurred her wrath.

 “Ready your bows, group two!” Leaders scattered down the lines, shouted commands. Like a legion of layered shooters, each row started to ready their bows, notch, aim, and fire in a round, one firing seamlessly after the other rather than in one fell swoop, in order to keep the enemy on the defense. I felt like I had stepped into a history channel documentary and was watching something from hundreds of years ago unfold before me, if it were not for the pointed ears and roaring dragon in the air.

I fumbled and followed along, notching my arrow when the elves on horseback readied their bows. We notched as one—the arrow sliding into place—then pulled the arrow and bow back to my cheek, the feathers brushing my skin. As the orders continued on, the elves standing in lines before me and the other line kneeling at the front, all moved in sync admist flutter of noise, a clatter of fingers and settling arrows.

I focused and stared down the arrow’s shaft and into the swarming masses. A mix of horned beastmen, hooded monsters with faces of bone, rat-like creatures waving a mix of weapons, and other unnamed horrors I could not recognize filled the enemy’s ranks. I aimed at one of the bony skull heads, too unnerved to even wonder if it was real, and released. My arrow and the others flew as one, and took down a whole slew of the enemies’ forces. In the chaos of it all, I could not tell what arrow was mine or what I struck but I hurriedly grasped for another arrow, ready to follow orders.

As Ceithin-Har terrorized the masses from the sky, Ariel appeared and hovered above the tree line with her massive glowing wings spread out behind her. She raised her arms as a green cloud of magic swirled around her being. She pointed to the attacking masses and her magic arched into the air and slammed into the ground like a boulder from a trebuchet. The green shots exploded upon impact, throwing enemies in every direction or vaporizing the unlucky-few directly hit.

The magical attacks thundered and boomed, echoing deep in my chest. My line fired another round of shots just as the enemy started to close in, eating up the land between for an inevitable clash.

This is all out madness, I thought. There was little rhyme and reason, as was normal in war, but this was—just like my own battle with the invading beastmen—a more in your face fight that was about to get very ugly. I wasn’t just firing my gun and looking down a scope. I was about to plunge into the heart of it all.

“Attack!” the guards hollered. Horses reared, heroes charged. The two opposing forces met with an audible clap. Bodies slammed together in the fury of chaos. Blades crossed, metal screeched, and a mix of dying cries joined the explosions of magic, twang of bows, and clamor of footsteps.

I hung my bow over my shoulder and drew my sword, the blade singing in the cold morning air. I squared myself toward the fight barreling toward me and nudged my steed forward. The line of horses jumped together, thrusting their riders into battle. Out of control, I was dragged in, beastmen, rats, and monsters suddenly swirling at my heels. I struck, slashed, and hacked, filling the air with splattering blood and sparks of steel-on-steel.

I tore into the beastmen, parrying their long reaches and outmaneuvering their vicious swings. One taller specimen, covered in snarled fur and long, heavy horns, charged me. A stream of stink came from these creatures, putrefying the air alongside the already present sweat and blood. He swung his chipped axe, connecting with my block. My horse danced around, shuffling sideways so I could meet him blow for blow. The horse’s barreled-chest expanded between my legs as it breathed heavily, funding its deft talents.

The other wood elf sentries and fighters swarmed around me, hacking down their foes. I fell into a rhythm as I focused on one threat after the next. I swung, hanging over the side of the horse, and twisted my wrist to disarm the beastman and then plunged my blade into his chest. The horse whinnied and kicked him over, ready to turn upon the next enemy.

As I attacked, Arahan’s tips and Naestra’s guidance flowed through my mind. How Arahan directed my hold of a weapon or how they told me how I should breathe and focus my mind. It was similar to holding and firing a gun—breathing and focusing before shooting—but these swings and attacks were a full body effort. Adrenaline pumped through my body and kept me moving onto the next threat, onto the next challenge. Rat monsters fell under my attacks. I thwarted bumbling fiends, fought spitting threats, and beat back clawing creatures.

Far above, Ceithin-Har roared somewhere, and a blast of green magic incinerated a portion of the horde coming our way. Shouts began to puncture the veil of battle and elves started to point at the center of the oncoming forces. One ranger next to me, wearing light leather gloves, raised his hand as his mouth opened in a gasp. The color drained from his face, his dark hair stark as it stuck to his sweat-drenched skin.

“A Warmaster!” he shouted.

I parried and cut down another adversary. Sitting up, I shielded my eyes from the rays of the rising sun to see a massive sillouhete standing over the surging ranks. My horse’s ears perked up and he stomped the trodden ground.

“What the hell?”

The creature stood a full body’s height above the hordes. It was a massive bi-pedal being draped in rune-covered robes and wielded a decorated staff. Its face was that of a rat, similar to other creatures running amok, but its long gray face was framed with wreathing horns, a thick pair curling by its face like a mountain ram’s, two curing back from his head, and two more twisting up into the air with a ribbed texture on them all.

Heavy metal armor ornamented his shoulders, and his arms and legs were spindly, skinny things ending in long bony claws. A long, segmented tail thrashed around, leaving gashes in the earth.

The original horror of the beastmen was nothing compared to this thing.  

“The prophet!” a sentry shouted.

“What is that?!” I yelled back. My steed reared up, kicking its front legs in the air. I held on, clinging for dear life as my cloak flapped back, and my weapons clattered against my back.

“That’s Vizzik Skour, Prophet of the Horned Rat—a wicked, cursed creature!” the elf next to me explained. We levelled our swords and continued the immediate fight before us as the monstrosity stomped around in the near distance.

“Is it…” What did I say? Dangerous? Unbeatable? I felt ridiculous and was not about to show a lick of fear in the face of a new enemy but… Come on! What the hell is this thing?!

The elf pointed to the sky as Ceithin-Har circled around, blasting us with a rush of air. The dragon focused on the new enemy and flared out its wings, swinging its body toward the monster-rat, feet first. Ceithin-Har extended his claws and slammed right into Vizzik without hesitation. A mighty shriek filled the air, but my attention was ripped right back into the here and now when the shaft of a pike looped my leg and pulled me right out of my saddle.

“Ack!” I yelped. I slammed into the ground and barely caught myself before my chin slammed into the earth. My horse leapt over me and charged whatever had pulled me from my perch.

“Son of man!” the elf shouted. “Look out!”

Before I could recover, a beastman was coming at me, its mismatched short swords slashing. Tangled in my cloak, I rolled and reached for my dagger, sitting where it belonged on the back of my belt. I grasped the familiar weapon and pulled it out in my non-dominant hand to block the first slash. Parrying, the slam of contact made my arm tremble as the bare-chested monstrosity bore down on me. Drawing my sword in my right hand, I entered the beastman’s dance. We whirled around each other, seeking for an opening or a weakness to appear. I scraped my blade across his, attacking with fury.

I slashed his arm, spraying blood into the air. I whirled and hacked off his leg, like an axe man whittling down a tree. The monster fell in a writhing heap. I quickly silenced it with my sword.

Down on the ground, the battle was all the more encompassing. The sky and surrounding area were blocked out from view. All I saw were the bodies pressing around me. Struggling bodies blocked out the sunlight and the horses beefing up our own ranks made me feel quite small as I tried to cut my way through the chaos.

I tried to pick one spot on the ground to protect. If I stayed here, and faced what came my way, I would keep myself from diving in too far and getting absolutely surrounded. A steady wall of protectors could do much better than a scattered melee of struggle.

Readying my sword and dagger, I turned to my next approaching opponent, one of the skull-rats. One stepped forward but instantly split into two as they diverged and tried to confuse me. Their long, dark cloaks were shadows slithering across the ground, perfect for hiding a number of weapons or magical surprises.

I met the first one with a block and spun to avoid the second one’s swing. Caught up in the moment of survival, I swung back around and kicked the first one, cringing as its body clattered dryly on impact. The second one rushed me with its little arms raised. I lopped off one arm and then spun around to build momentum. I levelled the flat of my blade and slammed it into the bony creature’s body. It squeaked and then shattered into pieces, falling to the ground like a bag of bones. Cringing, I turned to finish off the remaining one when I was overrun by a siege of creatures.

“Forget about trying to defend one spot!” I growled. This is now a struggle of survival! Hacking, pushing, and stabbing; I entered the fray. I was on constant alert, spinning and circling, in case an attack slipped through my defenses, or someone caught me off guard. I went from short, stocky rats to the tall beastmen one after the other. The ripple of the muscles in my arms as I strained to block their hits, the burn in my shins as I kept my center of gravity low, punctuated my efforts. My breathing became shallow as if I had been running and my eyes started to sting as all sorts of horrible things splattered my face and the smoke in the air made it impossible to see more than a few feet ahead of me.

As I struck out and defended, I started to chant encouragements in my mind. Offerings, promises, and hopes.

Here was a land I believed in. A duo I loved, and a people I wanted to protect. With each swing, I was hammering a nail further into my fate, binding myself to this world. Each drop of blood and sweat was my unspoken promise to serve these elves until my last breath. Each Skaven creature struck down was the fruits of my labor, a guarantee of the sisters and their people’s safety.

After today, after all I’d gone through, I knew one thing for certain, even in the overwhelming parade of stimuli in a war-stricken moment… This is where I belong. This is my home now!

Beyond the short distance I could see, flashes of fire let me know that Ceithin-Har and the sisters were continuing their part in the struggle. A massive quacking explosion rocked the ground, and I could only hope that meant the horrifying Vizzik had fallen.

Rough cheers erupted from the wood elves’ side. A new energy swept the field and they all continued to fight like wild animals defending their dens. The whoops and shouts of hope carried me forward and I too wanted to shout and cheer if I wasn’t gritting my teeth so damn hard in an effort to keep up with everything going on around me. The blasting magic was disorientating and the sheer variety of creatures we were fighting was enough to give me a headache for weeks to come. My body’s need to survive overran the shock and awe of it all but sometimes, something appeared like a dual wielding horned rat, and I had to stop and think, What the actual fuck is that? 

Soon, the enemies that were coming in twos and threes began to slow down. I was finally able to focus on one at a time. Two elven guards came to back me up and we systematically took down any who dared to cross our paths. And believe it or not, a little while later… the wood elves and I were the only ones standing in the curtains of smoke.

The first wave of the Skaven Army had been defeated.

A sliver of sunlight flickered through the smoke. My entire body ached, all my various pains and injuries making themselves noticed as my scar count grew obnoxiously higher. I sheathed my weapons and carefully checked myself over. A few scrapes and cuts here and there but nothing too deep to worry about.

Around me, the guard dismounted and began to check on the fallen. Friends hugged, others fist-bumped, or shouted blessings to the sky.

In all the smoke and destruction, not a spark of it had gotten close to the wood line. Athel Loren and everything inside was perfectly safe, against all odds. Even the fresh shoots of grass lining the very edge were still bright and tall, as if untouched.

“Incredible,” I muttered.

With the battle over, a new energy lit up the field. The distant Skaven Army was retreating in the distance, probably to regather their forces, and the elves were quick to start investigating the field. Bodies from both sides littered the tall grass. In the middle of it all, the strange mass of the fallen Vizzik was on its side, torn apart and charred from the dragon’s attack.

I scanned the skies to spot where Arhan and Naestra might have run off to. They were not on the ground, nor was the dragon in sight. Cupping my hands over my eyes to squint off in the distance, I saw the shadow of something large, easily mistaken for a large eagle, way off above the distant fields. Was that them? My heart panged. What were they doing?

“Um—son of man?” A guard hurried to my side. He was one of the Glade Guards who had brought in the injured guard a few days ago. “Are you able to help with the wounded?” he asked. His eyes were wide as he hung onto his question. Getting help, that was his quest. Having something to focus on was key in the face of such… atrocities.

“Yes, I can help,” I said. “Take me to them.”

He winced. He looked around pointedly at all the fallen. “Um… we need help finding them first. Some of the guard are setting up camp just within the trees. We can bring the injured to you.”

I nodded. A dead rat creature lay at my feet. An elf was nearby. She lay there too still…

“I’ll help,” I repeated. “I’ll try to help in any way I can.”

***

The scout led me to the tree line where elves were already hard at work, setting up camp within the safety of Athel Loren. Tents for the injured were going up under white tarps. Injured, the dead, and those looking for help were already being led or carried into the woods, one at a time.

“Dire injuries, head straight to the tent. Those who can wait, please take a seat outside and we will help you as soon as we can,” a female wood elf said. She calmly directed those around her to their specific zones, masterfully picking who needed urgent care the most.

“Gicia!” the scout exclaimed. He hurried over to her with me in tow. Her focus softened into surprise.

“The human, you are still here?” she asked.

“I couldn’t leave.”

“Well, since we are here, we can use your help. Go to the tent. There are some patients you may be able to assess.”

He led me to a large structure, wrapped around multiple trees as if they were the beams upholding a giant circus tent. Makeshift cots and blankets were on the ground and quickly filling up with the injured. Various healers, dressed in green and white were going from row to row, assessing who needed the most help.

“When will we know how many have been injured?” I asked. I was already calculating what choices I may have to make. Did we need to start helping only the most dire? Were there enough resources for the many in need?

“They are still bringing them in. Luckily, the numbers do not look to be too horrible. But we are still checking the fields.”

Behind me, it seemed that many wood elves were getting up and walking away from the battle. It was the other side we had turned back that had suffered much worse. Methodically, Glade Guards were going from body to body, finishing any enemy who still lived. I grimaced. That was always the worst task. But at least here, it wasn’t human faces looking up at you to beg for mercy. They were rats, monsters, and beastmen… but it didn’t make much of a difference in the end.

No matter what world or kind of creatures… that situation always looked the same. We all bled the same. Injuries and reactions of grief, shellshock, and trauma repeated across generations and places.

But with a dark-twisted reality, luckily, I was used to this. As much as one could be.

I followed Gicia around, providing a hand in checking everyone and starting to catalogue the injuries. Assistants cleaned the wounds and provided bandages and poultices to help clean and heal. Wounds were packed and bandaged up but I attended to the worst: stab wounds that needed suturing, removing arrows or weapons from the injured carefully to make sure they didn’t bleed out, stabilizing those going into shock… I kept my head down and stayed busy, assisting one at a time, the whole dictionary of medical terms and question banks I had studied as a student raced through my mind. I saw each injury as a problem with a solution or in the worst case, a plan of action. If I stayed calm, I could help more people, but I couldn’t stop my hands from shaking. I needed to stay here and help but my heart was pounding, begging me to stop and go find the sisters.

I need to know that they are safe…

***

The hours after the battle slipped by like molasses. Patient after patient passed through my hands until finally, Gicia and a few other helpers took over, announcing that everyone was accounted for, and I could take a break.

I stepped outside of the main tent into the mossy darkness of the woods. Unlike the bright fluorescent halls of hospitals or dusty horrors of the battlefield, the dark trees that once were a scary mystery upon my original arrival brought me a little bit of peace. The harsh smell of battle was softened by a breeze and the damp boughs. The trodden pine-needled floor smelled sharp, freshening the air like a pleasant perfume.

I took a deep breath and let myself bend over, collapsing slightly inward as I dug my knuckles into my eyes and massaged my face. I scraped at my brows and rubbed my cheeks, trying to wake up as the overwhelming exhaustion of the moment settled over me like a shroud.

The silence after a battle was always haunting. The hecticness of the medical tent filled that silence with clattering tools, groans of pain, and the crying injured. The slip of sutures, the snip of scissors, and the shuffling of fabric as I had tied and secured bandages was a familiar comfort. Something I understood. It gave me something to think about as my mind tried to fly away to other concerns but now out here in the woods by myself… the calling crickets in the dimming sunlight were not enough to distract me.

Where are they? Are they alright? My heart sang its sorrows. Everybody that fell before me fueled my concerns for Arahan and Naestra. With nothing to distract me now, they took up my full focus. The desire to know—the need—was all consuming.

I stood up and made my way to the edge of the woods where the world outside was still harboring a little bit of sunlight, despite the dusky light under the trees. I surged toward it like a man drowning underwater, reaching for the light as if it would give me the answers I needed.

Coming back to this world had hinged upon being by the sisters’ sides. They brought this world to life for me and they made me feel like I had a place in it. If I wasn’t with them, I didn’t know what I would do.

Reaching for the branches dividing me from the border, I pushed through and stepped into the fading sunlight. The trampled grasses from the scores of elves who had been hurrying all over the area all day crunched under my feet. I hopped over the pitted earth and went into the field, each step stumbling as I cast my eyes cast to the sky above.

“Where are you?” I whispered. My voice was thick, emotional. “Where?”

In the distance, a silhouette blended into the dark clouds on the distance horizon. The spiked spine and large wings of Ceithin-Har came into view as he sat back on his haunches and oversaw the surrounding area. The dragon looked like a gargoyle and at its feet, two smaller figures were standing, just starting to head back to the woods.

Their voices, angelic to my relief, floated over the fields as they made a b-line for the trees, angling away from where I stood.

“We’ll need to check on the troops.”

“I’ll make sure everyone is resting before drafting our next round of plans.”

Naestra and Arahan spoke quietly. They were not bickering as usual but instead were layering their plans glumly. They were still too far away for me to see exactly what condition they were in but as much as I wanted to run to them, I was rooted in place, overcome at seeing them okay and walking around.

Naestra dragged her fingers through her hair, shaking out her tangled mane. Arahan marched on ahead, but her head hung low.

“Should I look for Ariel?” Naestra asked.

“Why? We already know he is… gone.” Arahan answered. She paused, looking over her shoulder back to the dragon now grooming itself, chewing on and licking each claw on its forepaw as if it was a giant cat.

“We should make sure it went alright. That it was successful,” Naestra suggested.

“You only want to hear her talk about him, hear something about him one more time.”

They walked a little farther, now in line with where I stood but so in their own sorrow, I was invisible. In fact, I wasn’t supposed to be here so why would they look around for me in case they were wrong? The way they walked with blinders on, it was in grief. The monstrous bodies on the ground were nothing more than crooked cobblestones on an old road. They walked over them as if they were not there and continued on their way. Naestra looped her arm around her sister’s and Arahan, surprisingly, did not try to pull away at her sudden affection.

“Did the fight make you feel any better?”

Arhan stared ahead. “No. I barely registered it.”

They think I’m gone, I thought. They were now close enough that I could see they really were alright. Ash stained their clothes, the same green and brown armor and tunics they had worn when we first met. Each sister wore a half-mask and their faces were smudged, only partially wiped clean of the grit and soot by their anxious hands. Blood from battle splattered their arms, legs, and chests. Their weapons were haphazardly stashed back over their shoulders, a few arrows looking like they were about to fall out of their hold.

But no injuries marred their perfect bodies. They walked without a limp, no gashes cut through their armor and their visible flesh, their hands and faces were clear of any danger.

The realization soared with the joy of seeing them again. I had really come so close to never, ever seeing them outside of my own desperate dreams. My eyes burned as I drank in the sight, almost not believing they were here in front of me, walking, talking, and breathing.

That morning, I thought our moments together last night would be our last. The warmth of them, the smoothness of their skin, the tinkle of their beautiful laughter and the seductive attraction of their voices… The heat, the feelings, and the overwhelming need for them came surging back like a tidal wave. Those were feelings I thought I would have learned how to bury if I ever left them. But now? With them only standing a few meters away? I was suddenly on the precipice of a brand-new reality. A reality where nights like before were unlimited and the burgeoning love I felt had a real chance.

I broke from my silent adoration and ran.

“Naestra! Arahan!” I yelled. I stumbled over a fallen gauntlet, my arms reaching out and pinwheeling to stay upright. “Turn—around!”

The sisters hesitated. Naestra looked in my direction, but Arahan covered her ears with a grimace. Naestra blanched but no words came out of her pursed lips.

“I’m here, hold on!”

The moment hesitated at a standstill as recognition brightened their faces. Arahan looked up, her eyes widening just like her sister’s. She wasn’t hearing things just as I wasn’t seeing things. I was right here and so were they…

“Markus?!” Naestra shrieked. She bolted toward me, a flurry of dark hair and cloaks. Her mask fell away from her face to reveal her pink cheeks, and she hit me like an oncoming train. I stumbled back as her arms flew around me and the flowery scent and smoke in her hair surrounded me with a sudden pang of recognition. Of her adoration. Of being home. She hung onto me like a lifeline, as if she was scrambling up an impossible cliff face and I was the only rope. I wrapped my arms around her, my built frame dwarfing her tiny waist as I held her close.

Her hurried gasps blew into my ear as she pressed against me, her hands grasping and squeezing, and checking every inch of me.

“Are you alright? Where did you come from? What happened?!” Her questions were rapid fire, and she reacted just as fast, patting me down and panicking. I caught her hands, her delicate nails flashing against my skin, and pulled her to my chest in comfort.

“It’s okay, I—”

“You didn’t go?”

We froze. In the rush of the moment, I was so overwhelmed by all of Naestra. I had expected Arahan to be there in lockstep with her but there she was, kneeling on the battlefield before me. The brave, beautiful Arahan, was overcome. Her cheeks burned a scarlet red and her eyes watered. She looked as if her legs had given out in surprise and it didn’t make her look any weaker than she was, than the powerful warrior I knew her to be, but instead, it boosted my hope for the love I wanted us to share.

Strong, unstoppable, Arahan.

Naestra peeled herself away and stepped back so I could go to her sister. I quickly approached and dropped to my knees before her, only inches apart. She looked up at me balefully, her wet eyes darkened with a roiling cloud of conflicting emotions.

“Did something go wrong?” she asked. “Were you unable to make it home?”

Naestra gasped. “Oh no, no…”

I took Arahan’s hands in mine. Here they were, with their own world practically on fire and under threat and they were worried that I hadn’t been able to go back. Did they think the portal didn’t work and Ariel couldn’t help me? The warring thoughts behind her beautiful eyes were not a contrition struggling around what she thought of me, it was the raging struggle of happiness that I could see in the twitch of her lips, and the mournful realization that I might have failed to do what I had hoped.

“No,” I said. I cupped her chin, savoring the chance to touch her again. “I came home.”

Tears fell from Arahan’s eyes. She pinched her eyes shut and sagged against me. Naestra joined us on the ground, her mouth opening and closing, only little gasps of confusion and happiness coming out.

“Home, here, to us?” Naestra stammered.

“The only place I would ever call home,” I said. I wrapped my arms around the two of them and we three huddled together on the ground. “I couldn’t do it. I had my chance back in my old life and you here in this world gave me a new one.”

“But Ariel—”

“Ariel gave me her blessing. I couldn’t leave you two.”

“I couldn’t imagine you not being here in Athel Loren, even if it was just for a short time!” Naestra exclaimed. She leaned back to kiss my cheek and then covered me in little pecks from my forehead, across my face, and down my neck, muttering little word of affection and relief as she went.

“I’m—so—glad!” she managed between kisses. She settled down and nuzzled her face against my neck while her free arm wrapped around her sister, holding us all close. “You can stay with us for as long as you like. If you don’t want to go back, we will be your new home for you.”

“You chose us?” Arahan asked. She looked up from where her nose had been stuck in my collar, as she leaned against me wordlessly. She blew a stray piece of hair off her face and focused on me, her eyes still seeking. “But what about all you were fighting for back in your other world? Your friends? Your family?”

Her words pricked me with a momentary icy dread. I had asked myself the same thing back when I stood in the field with Ariel, on the precipice of leaving.

“My life in that world ended the moment I appeared here,” I answered. I knew I could never go back, even if I wanted to. “My heart, my hope, and my future… is here.”  

***

Naestra, Arahan, and I eventually broke apart, returning to the sobering reality of the desecrated land around us. We stood but no one really ever let go. Naestra held onto my side, walking in-step with me and Arahan held my hand. Arahan marched ahead, dragging us with her. She looked like a veteran leader, taking a troublesome duo to punish but the slight flush to her cheeks gave away her self-aware embarrassment. She walked quickly as if hoping no one would notice the three of us clinging together or, more importantly, see her feeling her emotions rather than being the bloodthirsty war maiden she was known as.

We entered the woods and passed the medical tents to a larger area where more tents and temporary structures were set up for bunks, room to train, and large tents for commanders and leaders to gather and plan.

Arahan made a b-line for one of the larger tents where a green flag flew, presumably colored for the wood elves’ faction. 

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“To our tent,” Arahan said. In her haste, any guard nearby scampered out of her way.

“We can’t believe you are here,” Naestra said. “I was dreading going back to this big empty tent tonight, without you.”

“Lonely with your sister?”

“I think it is clear what I mean. It would feel weird without you between us… where you belong.” Naestra squeezed my arm. I gulped. My body was rearing and ready to go but my brain was still trying to catch up to all these good things regardless. The awe of seeing them at a distance in battle, the fear of not finding them immediately afterward, and then their joy of coming together again. I felt I had jumped onto a rollercoaster going 100 kilometers per mile. I was all here for the ride, but I was struggling to hold on. Honestly, in more ways than one. The exhaustion of the fight against my raging hard on, and then the animalistic urge I was struggling with to not throw them down on the forest floor right here and now to be with them in every way possible.

I couldn’t get to this tent fast enough.

Arahan reached the tent first. She reached for a flap but paused and turned to a Glade Guard standing nearby.

“Make sure we are not disturbed for the rest of the evening. My sister, Naestra, and I will be out for the morning planning, but no one is to come to us in the meantime,” she ordered. The guard, a lithe male, nodded fervently.

“You will not be disturbed,” he agreed.

Arahan looked over her shoulder at Naestra and I with a wry smile. Naestra, at some point, had migrated from my arm and was now wrapped all the way around my middle, her head leaning on my shoulder and her feet tangled in mine.

“As long as there is peace to be had this evening,” Naestra said.

“Ceithin-Har will watch our borders. So will our soldiers,” Arahan answered.

“Do you think they’ll attack us at night?” The sobering thought was disturbing, to say the least. I would almost expect a nighttime attack from such a depraved enemy.

“We gave them a good beating,” Arahan said. Her smile spread to a toothy grin. “But I can’t say I wouldn’t love a carnal evening combined with a bloodthirsty fight afterward. The excitement.”

“Oh no, no, no,” Naestra countered. She unwrapped herself from me and pushed her sister into the tent. “We are not doing that tonight! We do not wish more harm to befall us!” They disappeared through the white flaps, and I was left outside alone, for just a moment. I gave the guard a guilty look. Was he going to stand out here the whole night? Hell, it was only a tent. Was everyone going to hear us if we got too… rowdy?

The guard swallowed visibly, his Adam’s Apple bobbing. He averted his gaze and focused away from us, into the distant gloom of the darkening evening.

The flaps ruffled and Naestra appeared, her dark hair disappearing into the gathering shadows around us. Her eyes softened as she smiled at me, her whole being glowing with her joy.

“Are you going to stay out here all night?” she asked.

“Not for a single minute,” I quipped. She reached out and I took her hand, letting her pull me in. The flaps opened up and accepted me in as I followed on her heel. Naestra’s outfit whirled around her as if she was in a dance.

The tent was roomy inside. It wasn’t a simple lean-to or a two-person camping tent that I was used to as a kid, but it was a full room with supported walls, a suspended ceiling, and enough floor space for a king-sized bed right in the middle. A pile of soft blankets and pillows covered its surface and Arahan was already standing by the side of it as if she was ready to give us orders to please her.

The second I entered the tent and took it all in, I wrapped my hands around Naestra’s waist and lifted her up into my arms.

“Ah!” she exclaimed. Her long arms wrapped around my neck, and I hurried to the bed where we both collapsed in a heap. Without missing a beat, I sat up and pulled Arahan down next, so both were underneath me. Their shoulders pressed together, their ears between each other pointed upward as their cheeks were squished together and their hair mixed into a flowing ying-and-yang.

“I need you now,” I said. My body was already on edge, burning for them. My breath was shallow, and I felt blinded by my need. The faster I felt their warmth, their nails on my skin … the sooner everything was going to feel real. I was lost in a desert with a shimmering mirage before me. I needed to sink deeply into them and feel every shiver on their glorious skin.

But right now, between me and them were their very detailed armors and outfits. Steel pads on their shoulders, knees, and shins; leather straps and light armor lashed across their body; and the long green fabric of their tunics were all a complicated obstacle. I grasped at Naestra’s collar, fingering the layered materials between me and her sweet skin.

Arhan sat up first and started to unbuckle Naestra’s armor, hearing my silent plea. She did this lovingly, stroking Naestra’s cheek as she started, but moved hurriedly, as if trying to free her from its binding.

“Oh, how I need you,” I muttered.

“Come then,” Arahan said. She waved at me as she continued helping her sister. Without a second to spare, I quickly pulled down my trousers and underwear, not even bothering to kick them off or remove my boots as I revealed myself to them. Arahan hesitated, her eyes locked on my length with a growing need. I knelt and unstrapped the steel knee pads on Naestra’s legs and threw them unceremoniously to the side. Naestra reached for me, her eyes focusing on the dewdrop of precum beading at the tip of my cock, but I held back her hands in case she finished me right now.

“Hurry, please,” she begged. “I need you. To feel you are here, that you are real…”

“He is not an illusion,” Arahan answered. “He will satiate your sorrow, sister.”

“Markus… please,” she whispered. Her voice pierced me. It shifted and stirred something desperate deep within me. I didn’t need to be asked twice. Forgoing our attempt to undress properly, I pulled down her padded trousers, stripping her bare. Naestra yelped at the sudden cold air and threw her head back. Arhan scrambled to her side and put Naestra’s head on her lap, bracing her and taking her hands as I mounted her, pushing easily into her warmth.

“Ah!” Naestra tightened with sudden ecstasy at my sudden entrance. “Y-yes, y-you’re here,” she stammered. “You came back to us…”

The suddenness of her and her sister being right here and very, very real hit me like a train. I began to move, so welcome within her body and started to slide, going slowly at first to help her warm up but between her little squeaks and my desperation, I started to speed up. I struggled to keep it together. I wanted to gush with relief at being with them again, but it took every-ounce of self-control to steadily push into her as I developed a concentrated rhythm.

We coupled quickly and despite my best efforts, it all came to a head-rushing end all too quickly. Naestra clawed at my back and wrapped herself around me as I came to a startling halt. Her cries had driven me over the edge and Arahan, watching us both, was satisfied as I collapsed to my side and Naestra lay there, her still-covered chest heaving.

Arahan kissed Naestra on the forehead and then unraveled herself from her and came to my side. She sidled between us and brought her face close, her lips meeting mine as I tried to catch my breath. She pressed hungrily, nibbling and teasing for more. Before I could recover, her arms were around me, pulling little silent promises from my mouth one at a time.

She started to undress me, her lips following and kissing any exposed skin as she worked me out of my armor and top until I was completely nude. During the break, Naestra did the same, her gorgeous form stealing my breath away with the soft swell of her breasts, the tightness of her muscled form, and the lithe balance of her figure.

I was a man trapped in a hard place. Between two gorgeous elves, it was an effort to know who to look at or who to focus on when both left me absolutely awestruck.

Arahan kissed the base of my shaft, pulling me sharply back to her attention.

“Get on your back,” she ordered.

“Yes, ma’am,” I said. Obedient, I flipped over, sinking into the soft blankets. Arhan, still dressed, got up and started to take off her armor. From the various plates and the leather belts she wore, she separated two leather straps and let the steel plates clatter to the ground.

“Are you willing to do something a little different, this time?” she asked. Naestra giggled. She leaned over me, tracing her fingers down my muscled side.

“Different?”

“Let me be in control. I’ll tell you what to do…” Arahan whispered. She glided one of the straps over my calf, almost tickling me as it glided over my skin.

“I trust you,” I said. Honestly, I would let her blindfold me, tie me up, and fuck me any way she ever wanted. To see her quiet excitement, the lust building behind her eyes… it was the sexiest thing I had ever seen. And I would give her anything she demanded to make her happy.

Arahan circled the bed, gently fixing me to the posts until I was spreadeagled with my arms stretched out, restrained by her straps. Naestra stayed by my side, smiling and giggling in excitement. I would have asked if I should be concerned but instead, Arahan undressed, removing her trousers until she was half naked. She straddled me, sitting on stomach as my cock started to grow hard once again. This elf had me in her hand like putty.

“So, you came back to us willingly?” she asked. She started to gently press herself against me, grinding against my abdomen. A warmth shifted over her face as she started to feel herself in doing so, warming up for whatever she was planning to do next.

“Yes, I did,” I said.

She smirked. “If that is the case, do you know what that means?”

“It means something delightful,” Naestra parroted.

I shook my head. “What?”

Arahan repositioned herself. She lifted her hips and backed up. Slowly, she lowered herself down and guided me into her, taking me all the way in. I groaned, suddenly seeing stars. My toes tingled; I saw little sparks behind my eyes. Holy shit, they were making me feel like a gooey adolescent who couldn’t handle himself.

“It means,” she whispered, swaying her hips, “We are never going to let you go.”

I gulped. Sweat beaded my forehead, and my heart was racing in a rush of butterflies and all that cheesy shit. I wanted to cry, I wanted to breakdown right there and tell them what they meant to me. I couldn’t imagine losing my mind like this before them but with her on top of me, her thighs flexing as she rocked over me… it was all too much.

“I’ll never… leave,” I managed. I gasped as she started to pick up the pace. Arahan placed her hands on my chest, tracing the scars webbing across my skin.

“Never leave, and always be here with us,” she said. It wasn’t a question. It was a rule. An order. A vow I would swear myself to wholeheartedly.

“Never again,” I said. I moaned. The light behind my eyes continued to spark as my body already threatened to betray me and burst in an orgasmic end again. I gritted my teeth and held on, flexing against the bounds on my wrists.

“Kiss him,” Arahan said. She gestured for Naestra to join us, and I ascended into heaven. I was not a religious man but, I didn’t think I could ever experience anything more beautiful than these two. Naestra descended upon me, her lips locking on mine, and her hands sinking into my hair. She stretched out so her breasts pressed against and smooshed onto my side, and it was all so overwhelming.

Arahan led the moment, rocking and taking me as fast or as slow as she wanted. She balanced her pace, ordering me to stay with her, to not lose myself too soon as she wasn’t done with me.

“This is what you get for leaving us,” she teased.

“And know you’ll only get better if you stay,” Naestra added.

I groaned, my voice twirling into a deep growl in my throat. I nipped her cheek and shot her a mischievous look. “Then untie me and let me make it up to you.” Naestra giggled and looked up to her sister. Arahan, intrigued, leaned down, her body flexing wonderfully around my dick. She continued to rock, keeping up an intoxicating rhythm as she got nose to nose with me, making it hard to concentrate.

“What was that?” she teased.

“Let me show you, what I can do…” I kissed her. My arms shook, struggling to fight the bands and made my chest and biceps flex. I drew her in kiss after kiss and when she was close enough, I managed to nip her ear. Arhan suddenly gasped and leaned back, her cheeks bright red.

There it is, I thought. I smiled. Suddenly, she hopped off me and they both removed my bounds. I was upon Arahan in a second, covering her with kisses and reaching to pleasure her with my fingers as I wrapped my body around hers.

“How could I ever leave someone as wonderful as you two?” I urged. I fingered her wet warmth, relishing in the way it made her shiver and moan. Then, focusing on her elegant ears, I caught her face in my free hand and kissed her, licking and teasing her elongated elf ears. Arahan quivered, trying to pull away but I held her fast.

“Ah!” she exclaimed. Her legs began to shake. Her toes strained and she struggled as I continued to stroke and kiss her. Next to us, Naestra settled in, her hands sneaking in to stroke my length and continued to pleasure me. She traced my back with kisses and the three of us were a knot of pleasure, sprawled upon the bed as we pushed ourselves to our limits as one.

Arhan finished first. The sudden swell of her release had a domino effect on me and afterward, we barely caught our breath before we all were at it again, taking turns focusing the pleasure on one after the other. Time, reality, or even where I was didn’t matter anymore as their cries echoed in my ears, filling my mind and soul with the deepest ecstasy. I’m sure the ruckus we made kept even the heaviest of sleepers nearby awake that night and we were determined to make the most of it until the morning sun stirred us from our stolen time together.

As we eventually collapsed onto the bed, clinging to each other, I kissed Arahan on the forehead and then Naestra. The distant smell of campfires floated into the tent. Birds outside sang.

Their eyes were heavy with exhaustion, and they were sleepy like two cats, purring with contentment.

“I’ll never leave you again,” I whispered. “I’m here until the end…”

***

The morning continued in a rush. Glade Guards gathered at our tent’s entrance and an entire retinue was ready to escort Arahan and Naestra to where the other leaders and commanders were planning.

Ariel was there as well as an assortment of heavily armored wood elves I had never seen before. Our existing forces had swollen overnight as the word of our fight continued to spread throughout the forest. Ancient guardians of various secret parts of the woods had come to lend a hand. Even Ariel’s partner, Orion had appeared with a retinue of ancient trees, alive and ready to join the fight.

If I hadn’t just spent the night with two elves, I might have pissed myself right then and there at the bizarre sight all around the planning table and maps.

Orion towered over the table. Great antlers branched from his head and were thick with leaves. He pointed at the map with a large finger, planning out that day’s attacks.

Once the planning was over, the war horns started their cry again and the Sisters of Twilight were being called away to remount Ceithin-Har once more.

“Wait!” I yelled. I was suiting up with the Glade Guard, to continue fighting on the ground and without a steed after yesterday’s fall. But I couldn’t let them go without saying goodbye.

Arahan and Naestra turned to face me. They were back in their full armor and regalia today. Their faces were half-covered by their curving masks and their hands were full of their sheathed weapons. The wind picked up their air, scattering it into a black-and-white cloud behind them.

I hurried over, ignoring everyone who watched us. I wasn’t afraid of being vulnerable in front of them and if I was right, I think everyone knew about our burgeoning relationship by now.

I skidded to a halt before them and pulled them both into my arms. Naestra laughed and threw her arms around me, Arahan planted a firm kiss on my cheek.

“Be safe,” I said.

“You should worry about the bad guys,” Arahan teased.

“We’ll come home to you,” Naestra promised.

I smiled. “I do fear for them. I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of your wrath,” I agreed.

“Let’s finish this quickly,” Arahan said. “Bloodshed does have its wonders, but I have better business to attend to tonight.” She narrowed her eyes at me. “Son of man, you better wish this battle tires me out for what I have planned for you.”

“I think I can handle it,” I said. I let them go and they went off to start the fight.

***

The battle lasted for a total of five days. The wood elves were determined to not only turn back their enemies, but to obliterate any who stood within our reach.

Naestra, Arahan, Ariel, and Orion led a full-frontal assault for the first two days before the campaign turned into a hunt to finish off the last of the Skaven Army’s ranks. I kept up with the guards on the ground, holding our defensive line and striking down anyone who opposed us.

Every evening, Arahan, Naestra, and I hurried back to our tent, checking each other for injuries and further taxing our bodies as we burned the midnight oil. We took advantage of every minute. We snuck away during breaks, mealtimes, and even right when battles ended, we rushed to each other to express our relief and passions.

Victory wasn’t declared until the final boss, Lord Skreech Verminking was destroyed. Another horrific looking creature. On that last day, I witnessed Arahan and Naestra tag-team and took him down singlehandedly with the help of Ceithin-Har. The fight was spectacular, and they handled it was such a mastery that I knew forever more, I truly never had to worry about them. They were more than capable of taking care of themselves but from that realization, a deeper fruit was borne.

Despite knowing this, in my heart of hearts, a fierce protectiveness developed over them. While I wouldn’t necessarily be a protector to two so strong, I was completely a teammate and soldier. I would do anything—give anything—to secure their safety and happiness.

When the last battle finally ended and the Verminking was slain, I awaited them at a distance in the scorched fields.

Arhan approached first, walking at a jaunty pace. She spun her lance in the air, almost dancing with it as the blood of her kill shimmered on her armor. Naestra hurried behind her, leaping over craters as her long hair flared behind her. A small section had been nicked and cut short after a close call but beside a scrape on her cheek, she was alright.

“Markus!” Arahan bellowed. She thrust her lance into the air and struck a victorious pose. I ran over and picked her up, overcome with joy.

“You did it!” I exclaimed. Naestra leapt onto my back, and we spun around, yelling at the sky.

“Victory!”

“Down with the Skaven scum!”

“Athel Loren is safe!”

Cries of victory and celebratory horns echoed up and down the border of the forest as everyone started to celebrate and announce the end of the war.

Gathering ourselves, we went back to the woods as we had every night before. Arahan chattered about her conquests and Naestra spoke of blessings for peace and prosperity. We trailed farther up the tree line above the wood elves’ camps and entered an undisturbed piece of the woods.

The trees welcomed us home. The woods opened to me like a dusky curtain and the earthly loam and pine put me instantly at ease. The sisters hurried on ahead, dancing around the tree trunks. I came to a stop at the base of a gnarly pine and glanced up at its ageless branches.

With the war over, what was next? What was going to happen to us?

I turned back to the sisters as they slowed down and waited for me to follow. I had no idea where they were leading me. Were we destined for another passionate excursion against the trunk of a tree? Or were they taking me to a sacred grove for some naughty privacy?

Now that we were about to enter a time of peace, how would things change? I imagined all the times we coupled, and for whatever was coming my way tonight… I imagined what might blossom between us, what possible things were in our future…

Naestra appeared at my side, tiptoeing over the pine needles.

“Markus?” she asked. Arahan followed her.

I pulled them close and pressed my hands to their stomachs while resting my head on their shoulders. For a moment, I imagined the possibility of children, of impregnating them… Of life growing in the wombs under my hands, of a light growing in our life, establishing our next challenge, direction, and love together now that all possibilities were open to us in a time of peace…

“Is something the matter?” Arahan asked. She cupped my chin and nuzzled my nose with hers.

“Nothing is the matter,” I said. “Actually, it is wonderful. I am home. We, are home and all is okay.”

“It is wonderful,” Naestra said. She hugged me.

Arahan’s eyes lingered on me. “What are you thinking?” she pushed. She was certainly the one to always see right through me.

“I love you,” I said. Her eyes widened and her ears drooped as if she had just heard something utterly shocking. Her fingers tightened on my chin.

I turned to Naestra. “I love you too,” I said. Naestra beamed.

“I knew that.” Naestra said.

“Oh, did you?”

“I could feel it!”  

Arhan looked up at me. “I love you,” she whispered. She trembled.

“I love you too, I love you both!” Naestra exclaimed. She hopped back as her sister wavered where she stood, overcome with her emotions. I scooped Arahan up and held her bridal style in my arms. I kissed her and then turned to Naestra.

“So, where are we going for tonight’s rendezvous?”

“I will show you the way!”

Naestra led us deeper into the woods. I walked carefully, aware of each step I took in the deepening evening blue. The silence of the natural forest around us was comforting. The trees were stoic, and the air was welcoming, homey, far from the dark wood I first saw as a stranger.

I knew, no matter what happened next, I was well and truly home.

My war had finally come to an end.