Free Futanari Legends: The Frozen Queen (Book 1: Brenna) by Angel Black Page B

Darkness
     
    Beyond the blood mixed with brackish mud laid a vast gaping maw of a cave consumed by stinging black-flies and the stench of death. The mud sucked at her hide boots inlaid with metal scales, threatening to pull them from her legs. Descending into this place felt like wading into Hell itself as her shadow crept towards the looming darkness.
    She knew she shouldn’t be here. The tingling sensation crept up her neck like a snake, with every shadow and every sound waiting to strike at her with razor sharp claws.
    This isn’t right. I shouldn’t be here.
    But the gold.
    Damn my greed. Want for no good purpose? Possibly. But this is war, and gold is safety and peace. Risk a little now to risk a lot less later.
    She stepped on a twig which sent a loud crack through the darkness and a jolt shooting from her head to her toes. The expected attack never came, but every bit of darkness jumped at her with a silent growl and a hungry maw.
    Or die now and forget about it all.
    She wrapped her leather glove around the comforting hilt of her broadsword, and slid the long blade free from the scabbard resting on her back. The metallic ring sent shivers down her spine, and it felt like an eternity passed between the point she held the hilt and the weapon was free in her hand.
    Nothing came, nor did anything jump at her before she drew her sword. Sometimes, the scariest enemies were the ones who waited, and the ones who did not care how much you prepared.
    It was out there. A drakewurm. And it knew it would kill her before half a heartbeat passed, it’s uncaring claws tearing through her steel breastplate like it was paper.
    And her fearless heart was beating itself out of her chest under her trusted and certain armor.
    As certain as death itself.
    Stupid woman. Stupid, stupid woman. Going and getting yourself captured by a drakewurm. Getting all these people killed, and me in here trying to save you.
    She stepped again, her foot finding solid stone in the darkness, and she tried to keep her wet boot from slipping on the smooth surface. The scuff of her foot sliding made her wince in anguish again, despite her best attempts she could not stay silent. Silence is life in a darkness filled by a thousand nightmare beasts.
    She stayed frozen in place, ears searching for the looming threat. All she needed was to hear a noise, to hear a growl, a maw opening, or worse yet, close enough to feel the inevitable hot breath of the dragon upon the soft flesh of her neck.
    In the darkness, nothing.
    Was the drakewurm even here?
    Something told her it was. It was here all right, somewhere down in this dark cave, waiting. Her eyes adjusted to the scant light, making out the pure gray shapes of the dank walls, twisted roots, and scattered rocks leading down away from the safety of the uncaring world above.
    So down she went, losing herself in a cocoon of nightmares and fears, moving through the darkness hopefully like a shadow itself. Though she knew it could see the heat of her flesh, and smell the scent of the living. Any sound betrayed her for miles down here, and it knew.
    It knew.
    She stepped around a rock, pushing her body close to a chilled wall. For a sword-wielder, space meant life, and the intrusion of a wall to her back limited her options. This was one less way to dodge, one huge problem for bringing a blow to speed, and a weakness her opponent could seize upon. Her father told her to a swordsman, corners were death, and a wall was one step closer to death than she liked.
    Dry roots tangled with her hair, and she feared getting too close to the stone. One misstep, one sound, or one scrape of metal to stone would kill her.
    For the longest time she sat quiet in this limited life.
    And then she heard the deep, throaty, rumbling growl shake the corner next to her body, and it sent terror reverberating through her very soul.
    It knew.
    She couldn’t control her breathing, yet she had to. She held her breath until spots appeared in her