The Amazon's Vengeance, page 1
The Amazon’s Vengeance
An erotic epic fantasy adventure
Published by Jade Fantasy
Copyright © 2019 Sarah Hawke
Cover Art by Tony Tzanoukakis
Maps created with Inkarnate software
This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this novel are either fictitious or used fictitiously.
All rights reserved.
The story so far…
My name is Jorem Farr, a sorcerer born in a city that despises magic and all who wield it. I’ve spent the majority of my adult life on the run from the Inquisitrix’s mage-slaying assassins, the so-called “Senosi Huntresses.” I always assumed they would catch me eventually—sorcerers, especially male sorcerers, rarely elude the Senosi for long—and a few years ago I was proven right. But amazingly, the Huntress who caught me didn’t kill or torture me—in fact, she asked for my help! Together Valuri and I tracked down and eliminated rogue channelers who were actually dangerous, and in return she kept me safe from the Inquisitrix and the rest of her Senosi sisters.
Oh, and we also fucked like crazy any chance we got. You see, Senosi need to feed on the blood of sorcerers to survive, but Valuri quickly realized she could extract the sustenance she needed from my other, more entertaining fluids. She was ravenous, and I enjoyed keeping her well-fed.
Deep down, I think I knew that our arrangement couldn’t last forever. The Inquisitrix eventually caught Valuri and imprisoned her for the “crime” of helping a sorcerer, and without her protection it was only a matter of time before the other Senosi found me. I called in every favor I’d ever earned, and I bribed enough sailors to get me on a ship to Highwind. It was there, on that big leaky barge, that I met the second great love of my life.
Kaseya is an amazon, one of the legendary warrior-women from the mysterious island of Nol Krovos, and she is one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen. When I first saw her, I found her long red hair, crystal blue eyes, and taut, nubile young body so breathtaking I was terrified to even talk to her. But after my healing magic saved her friend’s life, Kaseya immediately pulled me aside, got down on her knees, and pledged herself to my service. Ever since, her sword and her body have effectively belonged to me.
A better man probably would have refused the offer—or at the very least spent more than a fraction of a second considering the potential ramifications before he eagerly slipped his cock between her ruby lips—but good sense and willpower have never been my strongest virtues. Kaseya and I quickly became inseparable, and it never even occurred to me to ask why she had left Nol Krovos in the first place. That was my first mistake.
So much happened in such a short period of time I don’t even know where to begin. I suppose the most important thing to mention is that Kaseya’s older sister, Ayrael, turned out to be the Inquisitrix’s right-hand woman. Ayrael hounded us across half the region, and she tried to bait us into an ambush by offering up Valuri as bait. Mercifully, we rescued Val and escaped by the skin of our teeth, and the three of us spent the next several weeks trying to figure out how to defeat Ayrael and save Highwind from a seemingly inevitable war with my home city of Vorsalos. Unfortunately, we were so focused on our nemesis that we almost missed the bigger picture.
You see, on Nol Krovos only men are allowed to learn sorcery. These “moshalim” bond themselves to an amazon warrior, just as Kaseya had bonded herself to me. But during our investigation, we learned a scandalous little secret: the amazons are all sorcerers too. Their culture had buried this little truth for centuries, and they had essentially created a caste system where the men ruled and the women were denied their true potential.
Suffice to say, Kaseya didn’t take it well. She started to wonder what else her people might have been hiding from her, and she realized that this secret is what had turned her sister against us in the first place. But the betrayal didn’t stop there, of course. We soon learned that the Inquisitrix herself was also an amazon, and that her war against sorcerers like me wasn’t merely a quasi-religious crusade. To her, it was personal. She had learned that the source of all magical power in the region—the Fount of Velhari—was buried beneath Nol Krovos, and she was determined to destroy it.
We returned to the amazon island just before the Inquisitrix launched her attack, and while we were able to thwart some of her plans we couldn’t stop her completely. She got her revenge against her people, slaughtering everyone who had lied to her all those years ago. We finally confronted her within the Fount, but she destroyed it too…and we still don’t fully understand what the consequences will be.
I still have my powers, and presumably every other sorcerer in the region does as well. But what about all the priests and paladins who have apparently been drawing upon the Fount for generations? If they have lost their ability to channel the Aether, I can’t even imagine the chaos that is about to engulf Highwind. The only one who might be able to hold things together is Ranger-General Serrane Starwind (a preposterously gorgeous high elf who I also don’t deserve in my life). Along with the Knights of the Silver Fist, Serrane’s Duskwatch Rangers have defended the city for decades, but without their powers I fear they won’t stand a chance against the Inquisitrix and her armies. I have no idea how we can possibly win this war.
All I know for certain is that we have to try. Kaseya is determined to hunt down and destroy the Inquisitrix for all the devastation she has wrought across Nol Krovos, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned these past few months, it’s that no one should underestimate an amazon on a quest for vengeance.
The Highwind Universe
The vast majority my fantasy stories take place in the same shared universe. However, not all of the stories are equally important to the plotline (much of my early stuff was mostly just focused on the sex!). If you haven’t read anything and wonder where you should start, I put together a brief guide for you here.
The short version is that you should definitely read Ranger-General’s Submission #1-2 and The Amazon’s Pledge. Everything else is pretty self-contained, though you might enjoy them on their own merits!
The Spider Queen Series: The plot of this short series is self-contained, but one particular character makes a return in The Amazon’s Pledge and The Amazon’s Vengeance. In a way, this series acts like her “origin story.” You definitely don’t need to read these books to understand anything, but if you are into dark elves and femdom you might enjoy them!
Huntress: Origins: the prequel to The Amazon’s Pledge, this is an “origin story” for the relationship between Valuri and Jorem. Again this book is not strictly necessary, but if you like Valuri this gives a little more background on her particular brand of crazy (as well as some world-building around the Senosi Huntresses). This book is included in The Amazon’s Pledge: Ultimate Edition bundle.
Dirty, Filthy Fantasies #1: The Priestess’s Gratitude: The plot of this short story is self-contained, though the events are referenced in The Amazon’s Vengeance.
Dirty, Filthy Fantasies #2: The Headmistress’s Punishment: Yet again the plot of this short story is self-contained, though the main character, Headmistress Telanya, is an important player in The Amazon’s Pledge and The Amazon’s Vengeance. If you find her interesting or enjoy “blackmail erotica” you will probably enjoy this story.
The Ranger-General’s Submission: This book introduces Ranger-General Serrane. While her appearance in The Amazon’s Pledge is fairly minor, she is a major character in The Amazon’s Vengeance. I would highly recommend reading this book and its sequel, which you can purchase individually or as a part of the Dirty, Filthy Fantasies Collection.
The Amazon’s Pledge: This entire series is vital and carries the main plot of the Highwind Universe! You definitely want to read all of these before starting The Amazon’s Vengeance
The Amazon’s Pledge #2: Mark of the Huntress
The Amazon’s Pledge #3: The Black Mistress
The Amazon’s Pledge #4: Daughter of Destiny
The Amazon’s Pledge #5: Legacy of Winter
The Amazon’s Pledge #6: Wrath of the Inquisitrix
The Ranger-General’s Submission: Knightfall: The second book featuring Ranger-General Serrane is far more important to the story than the first installment. It introduces Knight-Captain Julian Cassel (a main character in The Amazon’s Vengeance) and shows his developing relationship with Serrane. I would highly recommend reading this book.
The Amazon’s Vengeance: The story continues!
The Northern Reaches
Dedication
I want to offer a special thanks to all my wonderful supporters on Patreon, especially Joseph, Lamar, Anino, Michael M., David, Alan, Vincere, Ashur, Michael B., Joe, Andreas, Jimmie, John, Timothy, Dumblindeaf, and Brandon. Because of your help, all of my books will finally have unique covers!
Content Warning
This erotic novella contains explicit sexual content. If you are offended by adult language, rough sex, and/or the idea of a harem of badass fantasy babes, then you probably shouldn’t be reading this! Consider yourself warned!
And perhaps intrigued…
1
Shattered
Had he only just arrived on the legendary, quasi-mythical island of the Amazons today, Jorem Farr would have been utterly blown away by its raw, pristine beauty. The lush green fields, the crystal blue waters, the grandiose architecture…Nol Krovos was objectively a paradise, and that was before he considered its tall, gorgeous inhabitants. Every man looked l
But since Jorem hadn’t just arrived on the island, he was able to see the darkness beneath the splendor. The fires from the battle with the Vorsalosian fleet had long since been extinguished, and the bloody corpses piled upon the shore had long since been buried. Yet the damage, unfortunately, had already been done.
“Red still believes her people can make peace with the peasants on Nol Pratos,” the leather-clad, raven-haired woman said from behind him. “Personally, I think there’s a fifty-fifty chance the whole island burns to the ground before the end of the month.”
“That’s because you’re an insufferable cynic,” Jorem told her.
Valuri Sorvaal, former Senosi Huntress and current pain in his ass, scoffed and shuffled up to the edge of the bed. “What you call cynicism I call realism. It’s hardly my fault that the world always proves me right.”
Jorem sighed and ran a hand back through his brown hair. They were still in their spacious suite overlooking the city proper, but the view wasn’t nearly as breathtaking as it had been the first time. On the streets below, the people of Nol Krovos were desperately trying to return to their normal lives despite everything that had happened. It wasn’t working, of course; Jorem could see the existential dread on the face of every farmer, merchant, and warrior on the street. Paradise, it turned out, was poorly equipped to cope with catastrophe.
“Kaseya will find a way to hold it all together,” he said with far more confidence than he felt. “She has to.”
Valuri slid off the bed and sauntered up behind him. “The dockworkers told me our ship will be ready in a few hours,” she said, gently kneading his shoulders. “At some point you need to tell Kaseya that we’re going to leave without her.”
Jorem grimaced and closed his eyes. They had made some real progress over the past few weeks—despite the death of the Matriarch, civil war hadn’t broken out between the Amazons and the moshalim or the “Unblooded” peasants of Nol Pratos and the surviving citizens of Nol Krovos. The political situation was tense, to be sure, but it didn’t seem hopeless. And for clear, perfectly understandable reasons, Kaseya didn’t want to abandon her people in their hour of greatest need.
But Jorem and Valuri were still outsiders, and ultimately this wasn’t their fight or their responsibility. He had been planning to set sail for days now, if for no other reason than to warn Highwind about the encroaching storm. It was only a matter of time before the Inquisitrix unleashed her fury on the mainland. He needed to do something, even if that meant leaving Kaseya behind.
He sighed and glanced down at the golden collar and silver ring resting on the nightstand. The tan’hema symbolizes your dominance, Kaseya had told him shortly after they’d first met. The tan’ratha symbolizes my submission.
Jorem hadn’t realized it at the time, but her pledge had changed both of their lives forever. He had become her Maskari—her bonded sorcerer—and she had become his faithful lover and protector. Together, she had insisted, they would save the Northern Reaches from the wrath of the Inquisitrix and the armies of Vorsalos.
Sadly, things hadn’t quite worked out the way she had planned.
Jorem swallowed heavily as he picked up the silver ring and rolled it in his palm. He could barely feel the Aetheric energy in the tiny runes inscribed on the surface. Without the sympathetic magical resonance from the collar, it was no different than any other mundane piece of jewelry.
“You said all along that you would never force Red to do anything, despite her pledge to serve you,” Valuri said. “You’re going to have to learn to let her go.”
“I know,” he murmured.
Growing up as a renegade sorcerer in a city like Vorsalos, Jorem was accustomed to disappointment. He had spent most of his youth hiding from magic-eating Senosi like Valuri, and he’d learned early on that a man should never take anything for granted. Still, after meeting Kaseya it had really started to seem like the gods might not have hated him after all...but then the Inquisitrix had brought her war here to paradise.
Everything had happened so quickly that even now, weeks later, it all seemed like a blur. He and Kaseya had confronted the Inquisitrix in the Fount of Velhari beneath the island, and they had done everything in their power to stop her. They had succeeded, at least partially—she hadn’t completely collapsed the Three Corridors and effectively wiped magic from the face of the world. But she had destroyed the Fount and absorbed at least some of its power, and Jorem still had no idea what the consequences of her actions would be on the mainland.
What if she really had destroyed wizardry? What if every mage and priest and ranger and paladin in Highwind had suddenly and irrevocably been cut off from their magic? Even if the Inquisitrix had bled out and died on the way home to Vorsalos, the damage she had inflicted would still be incalculable. The entire region—perhaps the entire world—would descend into anarchy. Religions would implode, civilizations would crumble, and sorcerers like Jorem would be the only ones capable of channeling the Aether…
“Look, I know things seem bleak,” Valuri said as she slipped her arm around his waist and pressed against him. “But if it makes you feel any better, Nol Krovos definitely won’t be the only place falling apart.”
Jorem groaned. “How is that possibly supposed to make me feel better?”
“I’m just saying, odds are whatever shit we step into on the mainland will be just as deep and terrible as this. It’s important to keep things in perspective.”
He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Gods, you are frustrating sometimes.”
“Yeah, but you’d be completely lost without me,” Valuri said, touching his cheek and turning his head to face her. Thanks to the four inch stiletto heels on her leather boots, she was already perched high enough on her tip toes that she had no trouble kissing him.
“You know, we’ll never have a better chance to sail a thousand miles away and forget all this,” she whispered. “I hear the shores of Varellon are nice this time of year.”
Jorem smiled despite himself. “How many years have we been making that joke now?”
“Too many.”
“Yet for some reason, I never take you up on it.”
“Because deep down you’re a real, honest hero,” Valuri said in such a deadpan tone it almost concealed the sarcasm. “And I’m a desperate, lonely girl who won’t risk getting too far away from her favorite food.”
Jorem grunted. “Are you even capable of being serious?”
“On occasion. But right now you seem like you need something else to think about.” Without a hint of warning, she clasped her fingers over his crotch and squeezed. “I have an idea how to distract you.”
“This really isn’t a good time,” Jorem insisted, snatching her wrist.
“Oh, come on, it’s the perfect time,” Valuri said, her green eyes glinting hungrily. “You haven’t fed me in almost a week!”
“You’ll live,” he muttered, twisting his body away from her. “Honestly, I thought you’d be a lot more broken up about leaving Kaseya behind.”
“I will miss her wonderful tits. And her wild tongue…”
Jorem snorted. He knew Valuri was just trying to make him feel better in the only way she knew how—which was to say, annoying the hell out of him—but he really wasn’t interested in her antics right now.
“When I look out at this place and see all the destruction, it’s hard not to wonder if she would have been better off if we’d never met on that boat to Highwind.”
“I ask myself that same question about you and I all the time,” Valuri said. “I probably could have been the Inquisitrix’s left-hand woman right now if I hadn’t gotten so addicted to your home cooking.”
