Cambrian
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Breaking Providence Ch. 21 (Original)
🕑 Added 2022-12-10 00:00:04 +0000 UTCA/N: This chapter didn't exist in the original outline, so I'm curious what people think of it. Might be a little to filler-y to be honest.
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Step. Thrust. Pull back. Drop. Sweep.
Nary a sound escapes Marcus’ lips as he goes through the motions, swinging his halberd through the air against an imaginary enemy that isn’t there. Training after all this time of just going with the flow feels strange, but also necessary. Sure, the bandits had been able to do precisely nothing to him. Likewise, the orcs had easily fallen to his fist and axe in a similar fashion.
But that didn’t mean it would always be so easy. From the way Angelina and Erised talked about Dark Generals, he shouldn’t take any of them lightly. Even if Roka-Ra was supposed to be the youngest Dark General from the previous generation, she was still apparently very strong. The stories said she’d just been promoted when the last Dark Lord, his mother, was slain… but she HAD been promoted. She was worthy of his respect, and a certain degree of wariness.
Would he be able to beat her if they fought? Would he be able to stand his ground if they came face to face and she didn’t listen to him? Not that Marcus was even sure he WANTED to talk anymore. But then, what did he want? He wanted… he wanted it to stop. The fighting. The killing. It wasn’t hard to figure things out, even of Erised had tried to make it sound like the attack on this town was perhaps an isolated event enacted by a single band of orc raiders. Marcus knew better. He knew why this was happening. Because of him.
Swing. Thrust. Step back. Reset.
From hearing stories around town before AND after the attack, Marcus had been able to piece things together easily enough. For the past decade at least, orc attacks had been practically nonexistent. They’d kept to the wildlands and ultimately refrained from pushing too close to human settlements. The only talk of attacks by orcs came when individual people tried to push too far out into the wildlands, either for hunting purposes or because they thought they could make a new life for themselves out in the wilderness by expanding into the frontier.
Apparently, if a single family tried to make a homestead out in the wildlands, then they were likely to lose it to the orcs. But if a whole village’s worth of people went all at once, they could usually set up without issue. And there was also all that talk of the orcs even being willing to trade with the border towns as well.
This was all to say, things had been relatively peaceful before Marcus came along. This attack might not have happened the day after he was Awakened in the Capital, but it had certainly happened close enough that he didn’t believe it could possibly be a coincidence.
Step. Thrust. Step. Thrust.
No, more than likely his very existence as the Destined Hero, declared as such by the Church, had riled the orcs up something fierce. News of his Awakening had spread across the Holy Empire fast enough that both that Bandit Lord and this border town knew who he was, so why not the orcs as well? Still, he supposed there was a chance Erised was right. That General Roka-Ra didn’t know what some of her orcs had decided to do. But he didn’t feel like that was the case. That final message… had felt rather personal.
And that meant he had to be ready. Not just to move at a moment’s notice, but also to fight his first Dark General, because Roka-Ra might not give him the chance to explain or even demand her submission before she attacked. He would have to force her to surrender. Or, if push came to shove, she might just force HIM to kill her.
Letting out an explosive breath, Marcus stops his movements, frowning as he looks down at his halberd. He’s not even breaking a sweat like this, to be perfectly honest. Maybe he should run around the town a few times to get his blood really pumping. Or see if there was anything he could do to help out, even.
It’d been a week and some days now since the attack. Marcus wasn’t stupid. He understood pretty early on that Angelina and Erised were working together to try and keep him preoccupied with both their bodies and the body of the beautiful barmaid Beth. Though, she wasn’t just a barmaid anymore, was she? With the death of her father, she’d inherited the tavern they’d been staying at. She was the tavernkeeper now.
A grimace spreads across Marcus’ face at that. The reminder of his failure. He hadn’t been able to save everyone. Beth’s father had died. Several other men and women had died as well. The orcs had been surprisingly indiscriminate in their brutal and savage attack. It wasn’t like the bandits where they usually killed the men outright and then took the womenfolk hostage to defile and desecrate.
To be fair, the orcs hadn’t gotten that far before Marcus had stopped them, so he couldn’t say for sure… but it certainly seemed like they hadn’t restrained themselves for the fairer sex. Both men and women had died in equal numbers during the short-lived raid. At least Marcus could say he’d been able to put a stop to it before it got any worse.
But yes, Angelina and Erised’s ploy had both failed and succeeded in equal measure. The two, even with Beth’s help, were not capable of exhausting him before he exhausted them in turn. In fact, right now his party members were upstairs, both unconscious in a rather messy bed after they’d tried and failed to tucker him out following a scrumptious breakfast.
At the same time, their gambit had worked because in spite of their failure to preoccupy him, Marcus had not gone running off the first moment he could. In the end, with a day or two more to think about things, he’d come around to their way of thinking. Not only were they actually in agreement for once, causing him to wake up and pay attention to what they were saying… but they were also, regretfully, right.
He would have liked nothing more than to go rushing off to find the Dark General Roka-Ra and force her to put a stop to any more orc attacks right away. But the sad truth was, he had no idea where to find her. The wildlands were a big place, and more than that, they were largely uncharted. There were no roads to follow, nor any maps to use. It wasn’t as simple as finding an orc camp and then going from there like they had the bandits either. He and his might wander around for weeks and locate no actual orcs at all.
Waiting really was the best option, especially when the town might come under siege again any day if it wasn’t actually an isolated attack by a single orc raiding party. He would never forgive himself if anything happened to Beth when he could have been there to save her. Especially with how he’d fallen into bed with her so soon after her father’s death. Shame and guilt still welled up within him when he thought about that. He couldn’t help but feel like he was taking advantage of-
“Good day, Sir Hero.”
Marcus startles. As though summoned by her name on his mind, Beth’s voice carries from the back door as she steps out into the yard. His eyes immediately dart to the spot where her father died, causing him to wince… but there’s no sign of the death at this point. The body has been cleared away, and the blood has mixed with the soil, fading from view. It’s almost as though it never happened.
But it did. It happened and Marcus would never forget nor forgive his failure. He still didn’t quite understand how Beth could even bear to look at him. How ANY of the townsfolk could bear to look at him. Except… he had one theory. A theory he was afraid of confirming.
“Beth… you don’t have to call me by that title. You can call me Marcus.”
His quiet words provoke a soft smile from the young woman, even as she makes her way across the yard to his side.
“Thank you, Sir Hero, but that would be inappropriate. You are the Destined Hero… and MY hero besides.”
Marcus flushes, the tips of his green ears burning. His eyes dart down to the green of his fingers and he scoffs.
“Some hero I am. Half a monster, more like.”
In the aftermath of the attack, Marcus had expected derision, hatred, and loathing from the surviving townsfolk. He was just as green as their attackers after all. And given he was feeling those things towards himself, it only made sense. Truthfully, he expected to be chased out of town along with the rest of his party.
But that hadn’t happened. The townsfolk had accepted his assistance instead, allowing him to help them collect their dead for the funeral pyre. They’d allowed him to help them with their repairs, which had been done within a couple days due to how fast he was able to end the raid. After that, they’d allowed him to help with any number of daily chores, though they never asked for it. They only gave him things to do when he insisted.
He still would have expected a distance to form at the very least. One or two of the townsfolk who had lost loved ones should have been throwing him dirty looks. After a lifetime of derision in the Capital, the awe and near-reverence the entire town seemed to have for him despite his appearance had initially thrown Marcus for a loop.
Then it had dawned on him why they were all so kind to him. Why they weren’t CAPABLE of hating him. And… it made his stomach turn.
“Is that truly how you see yourself, Sir Hero? A monster? You are no monster. You are this town’s savior. You are the man who saved my life and the lives of my friends. Is it truly so hard to understand why we adore you?”
For a long moment, Marcus stares at the glowing head of his halberd in silence. Finally though… he breaks. He can’t hold it in any longer. Maybe this was something he should have talked about with Angelina and Erised, but he wasn’t sure either of them would understand. Beth though…
“And what if I know better than you why it is you adore me, Beth?”
Glancing at the brunette tavernkeeper, Marcus sees confusion play across her pretty features. She furrows her brow and frowns slightly as she looks at him, bewildered.
“What do you mean, Sir Hero?”
Licking his lips to wet them, Marcus lets out a shuddering breath.
“I have… a new ability. Something I unlocked during the raid. It… bolsters the spirits of my allies, making them revere me and look up to me. It makes them see me as a leader, as someone to be admired rather than who I actually am. For my enemies, it massages the fear in their hearts if any exists. It focuses their bloodlust on me and me alone. I used it to great effect during the battle. But… Beth, it’s always active. I can’t turn it off.”
There. Immediately he averts his eyes. But at least he’s told someone the truth at long last. Or at least, part of the truth. He can’t quite bring himself to confess to Beth his true nature. That his Job, as far as he knows, is Dark Lord, not Destined Hero. Or that the ability he speaks of us not some Heroic or Inspiring Spirit as those around him would likely assume, but something called Dark Presence.
In the aftermath of the attack, Marcus hadn’t had any time to dwell on his new ability. He knew it to always be active, and there was too much to be done for him to worry about it overly much. However, once he woke up and had some time to think, he’d turned it over in his head a bit more. Luckily, while Dark Presence WAS permanently active, it did have a sort of… dial to it that he’d been able to figure out.
And yet, even dialed all the way down, it works precisely as he’s explained it. There was no true ‘off’ setting. And Marcus can’t help but feel dirty. The townsfolk, if left to their own devices, would probably hate him for what he’d done. But because of constant effect of Dark Presence, even at a lower strength, they all adored and revered him. In his darkest moments, he even feared that… well, that it had made Beth want to sleep with him.
“Oh… Marcus.”
Eyes widening, Marcus jolts as he looks back to Beth, drawn by the use of his name. Leaning forward, she places a hand on his cheek.
“You fear that your ability is making us into… what? Puppets who cannot think for ourselves? You think that my love for you is a result of that ability, do you?”
Straight from the horse’s mouth. N-Not that Marcus thought Beth to be a horse! She was much too pretty for such a comparison. Still, she’s cut right to the heart of the matter. He could forgive himself for potentially forcing the townsfolk to, if not love him, at least tolerate him. But if he’d made Beth fall in love with him, he-
Marcus’ eyes widen as Beth leans in and kisses him right then and there. It’s not a long kiss, though it’s also far from a chaste peck. Still, she pulls back before he can regain himself, let alone react, giving him a soft smile.
“You had my attention from the moment you first walked into the tavern, Marcus. I would be lying if I said it wasn’t at least partially because I already knew you to be the Destined Hero at first. But in the days after you arrived, I got to know you for who you truly were. You are a good man and I admit, my heart longed for you far before the attack. The only reason I didn’t make a move was because I feared there was no place for me in your bed, let alone your heart. After all, you already had two women who took care of all of your needs.”
Beth pauses here and ducks her head.
“… Even now, I know that we can never be more than what we’ve already experienced together. You cannot stay.”
Marcus swallows, a bit blindsided but forced to acknowledge the point. He nods sharply, even as he chokes out the words to complete what she leaves unsaid.
“And you… you cannot leave.”
Beth smiles sadly and shakes her head.
“What purpose does someone with the Innkeeper Job have going on adventures, Sir Hero? My place at your side was always to be temporary. Can you blame me for taking the opportunity presented to me by your companions? Even if my father’s death was fresh, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he would want me to seize this chance for happiness with both hands. No matter how temporary it might be.”
Letting out a shuddering breath, Marcus stares at Beth, his emotions a whirlwind. Learning that his Dark Presence was not what drove her into his arms… it did a lot to settle the disquiet he’d been feeling since the attack. Knowing that she liked him for him and not just because she thought he was the Destined Hero… that felt rather good too.
As such, when Beth goes in for another kiss, Marcus returns the favor. And when she wraps her arms around his neck, he lets his hands fall to her hips and grip her tightly as they deepen that kiss into something more. For a short time, they just stand there together, lips on lips, tongue against tongue. Eventually though, Beth pulls away.
Giving Marcus a wide, toothy smile, the busty brunette turns from him and leads him over to the fence. Facing away from him, one hand pressing against the fence in front of her, Beth lifts her skirts, pulling them aside to show she’s wearing nothing in the way of undergarments. Her glistening pussy lips nestled between her thighs stare Marcus in the eye as he considers them briefly. The offer is one he is glad to take… though not in the way Beth expects.
Dropping to his knees rather than pulling his cock free of its confines, Marcus grabs hold of her soft, pale thighs, spreading them wide as he slides his tongue right into her from behind. The young tavernkeeper lets out an abortive lustful cry, covering her mouth halfway through to silence the noise. It wouldn’t do for any of the townsfolk to hear her after all… they were all still on edge from the attack.
And yet, part of Marcus delights in the muffled noises she makes as he tongues her out. He can’t help but revel in the sounds he’s able to provoke from the beautiful young woman. She’s right, in the end. They cannot be together. He would never expect her to abandon her life here. To do so would be to leave behind the tavern her father built and the Job she had been granted upon her Awakening.
At the same time, Marcus cannot stay. He might not know what the fuck he is, but neither the Destined Hero NOR the Dark Lord were Jobs that could just settle down in a border town and be content. Especially not when the orcs may or may not be making problems for the Holy Empire after over a decade of near-peace.
Still, Marcus decided then and there that he would make the most of these days of rest and quiet as he stood guard over Beth and her fellow townsfolk. Eventually something would happen. Either General Roka-Ra would make a move, or news of what exactly the orcs were up to would arrive. For now, all Marcus could do was wait and see what happened next.
Driving his tongue particularly deep inside of Beth, he’s rewarded with a flow of honey into his mouth as she bucks her hips and climaxes for him. Supping upon her liquids, even as she squirms in embarrassment, Marcus finishes up and then rises to his feet. When Beth makes no move to pull away from the fence, but instead bends over further and thrusts her hips out in his direction, Marcus softly chuckles and finally goes about freeing his cock from his pants.
He's inside of her a moment later, buried in the busty, mousy brunette as he takes her from behind. Slowly, carefully so as to not make too much noise, he nevertheless fucks her. And Beth, for her part, loves every last bit of it.
Amusing to think he’s getting just as good at sex as he is fighting, if not more so. But then to be fair, he’s getting plenty of experience with both. Still, Marcus won’t let himself fall into the trap of thinking just because Roka-Ra is a woman, his only solution is fucking her. But he would put a stop to this. Whatever it took.
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A/N: Some closure between Marcus and Beth. Next time we see Elsenthia and the Capital's reaction to Roka-Ra's declaration. They find out about the Orc Warband before Marcus and his party do. This might seem odd, but the reason for that is explained in Chapter 23 when we get back to Marcus' POV~
As always, hope everyone enjoyed and be sure to give me your feedback!
Comments
SpectralTime
But double alas, he probably won’t come back to her in the end. Too many other things/people in his future… Then again, if he beats the odds and he proves me wrong, and she’s up there with the lady pope and the royals and everyone else in the end, good on everyone involved!
Cambrian
Perhaps~
Cambrian
Alas, a tale as old as time, love pulled apart by duty lol
Drakeulous
Considering there aren't Ye Olden condoms (and even if they're any Marcus doesn't have any) any chance Marcus is leaving Beth with a 9 month gift.
SpectralTime
Awwww… a happy ending that could not be. Oh well.
