Warlord!

Liam’s heart sunk deep into his stomach as he remembered the words that the guardian said to him. He stared at the apple, and all he could see was an entrapping poison, even though the fruit seemed really tasty and its red color made his mouth watery.

“No, my love. I think I will pass.”

“Are you rejecting this from me? This is a token of my love for you, look, it's an apple, a symbol of the passion that we share.” Circe persisted, pushing the apple closer until it touched Liam’s lips.

“Go on, have a bit.” She persisted with a smile that soon faded, looking like she was about to get angry if he refused to eat from the apple.

Liam stared at her for a while, and he could even see that the rest of the maidens standing at several corners had their eyes on him, waiting to see if he was going to reject a gift from their Mistress.

“Everyone is watching, my love. Are you going to lead me to a ridicule?” Circe smirked at Liam, her eyes dazzling but in am impending rage.

“Alright. Just one bite.” Liam succumbed to fate, struggling to hold on to the bravery that he wasn't used to.

Circe chuckled, and the smirk vanished slowly, giving way to a bright smile that flashed across her jaws.

“Go on, I planted it myself in my garden of eternity. My father Helios the sun god was benevolent in blessing my hands with a bountiful harvest.”

Slowly, Liam opened his mouth widely, and took a bite from the apple, looking at Circe who nodded in satisfaction.

“There you go, Phaunos my love. Savor in the sweetness of my seeds, for, later on, we shall make sweet love just like we have always done.” Curve basked in the euphoria of their previous moments of gratification, and even Liam could sense some of the moments of pleasure flashing inside his head.

After biting for a while, Liam held onto the apple inside his mouth, making sure that not even a drop of its juice got close to his throat.

“Come, my love. Dance with me.” Circe dragged the reincarnate up, and wrapped his arms around her waist, swirling to the rhythm of the fast-paced music.

Liam could feel a sudden sensation gripping his nerves, but it soon disappeared when he realized he could no longer hold onto the chopped apple inside his mouth.

Giving in to the idea that came to his mind, he held Circe who stood a few inches below his hair by her arms and turned her around like in a tango.

Before Circe could return to him, he spat the apple into his left hand and dropped it on the floor. He stepped on it with his right foot and grabbed her waist at once.

Circe chuckled as soon as she wrapped her arms around his neck, and they continued dancing amidst the cheers from the maidens.

Suddenly, Circe pulled out a golden dagger from her apparel, and stabbed Liam on the chaste, causing an uproar of awe from the maidens around them.

The music stopped, and all attention was focused on Liam amidst the sudden silence that engulfed the entire corners of the cave.

Liam felt the sharp sting, but it was not as painful as a stab should be, and when he let go of Circe’s waist and looked at the dagger pierced into his chaste, he could see that it penetrated deep, but there was no blood.

“Who are you? You are not Phaunos! You are not my love!” Circe growled with intense rage, her eyes glazing with displeasure at Liam who grabbed the dagger with his left hand and effortlessly dragged it away from his chest. He looked at it, and he could see that it had a sharp edge but no blood.

“Who are you, mortal? Where are you from? How are you in his body?” Circe quickly grabbed a sword concealed beside the seat behind her. Seeing the action of their Mistress, the rest of the maidens grabbed their weapons as well, and Liam could see swords, arrows, and spears pointed at him.

“Answer me, mortal! Who are you? And…” Circe looked at the spot where she had stabbed Liam on his chaste as a gasp erupted from her mouth.

“Why are you not bleeding?” She concluded, pointing her Khopesh sword at him.

Liam stepped backward slowly, holding onto the golden dagger while he looked at the maidens who were enclosing him.

“Speak, mortal!” Circe ordered with a hoarse tone, closing in on Liam with her sword directed at his head.

Just like their mistress, the maidens growled at Liam, ready to attack or seize him at any moment, with their weapons tightly gripped in their hands.

Liam looked around him, and seeing that the numerous maidens getting closer, and ready to attack, he turned around at once and fled from them.

“After him! Get him at once!” Circe’s voice roared as soon as Liam fled, and the numerous maidens went in pursuit of him, making cries of war as they thudded the hard floor.

Grateful for the enormous speed and strength that came along with his new body, Liam soon found himself outside the cave, giving the maidens a lot of distance while they continued with their pursuit.

“Dragon! I think this is the right time to show up!” Liam was anxious, and his eyes went up to the sky in full apprehension, but Tiamat was out of sight.

He looked in front of him, and all he could see was water surging at the force of the heavy wind.

“I can't swim!” Liam got a reminder in his mind, and just when he was about to give up with the maidens howling as they marched angrily at him, he heard the sound of a loud screech from the sky.

Tiamat soared down from the heavens and blew blazing fire on the space between Liam and the maidens who halted in terror as they saw the creature.

Tiamat landed on the ground with a heavy thud, and as soon as Liam removed his hands from his face, he quickly climbed onto the dragon, and it flew away.

“This is not the end, mortal! I will find you, and I will annihilate you!” Circe’s voice echoed from the ground as she stood in front of the blazing fire that burned the sand, producing glasses. She looked at Liam and Tiamat as they flew further into the sky, and she grunted in deep rage.

“You should have shown up earlier. Those women like Amazons didn’t look like they were going to be merciful.” Liam held onto Tiamat as it flew back to the infinite forest, and landed on the floor.

Liam climbed down from the dragon at once and sighed with his left hand on his chest, and his right hand holding onto the golden dagger.

Tiamat flew away at once, blowing air on the surface of the green land.

“Thank you!” Liam waved at the creature, and a whooshing sound was heard behind him.

“I see that you returned with the golden dagger as well. Well done, Emrys! You have completed your first quest! You are now the true heir of the Divine and the Almighty Warlord of the Forest!”