Hero Is Now Villain

Elder Druid Ophidia led Ryzen to her quarters at the East Wing of Castle Gale, a stone fort that was built a thousand years ago by the first Valforrest King, Kedmond I. The castle was located in the heart of city, and Ryzen passed a myriad of Frostmarch residents on his way there, all of whom had uniformly stoic, reserved faces and demeanor. Their clothes were mostly dark and simple just as the stone buildings that lined up the narrow, tortuous streets and alleys that were also paved with roughly cut, yet beautifully harmonic, stones.

Between Ryzen's jet black armor and Ophidia's blindingly white attire, Ryzen felt he was the denizen of the Ancient City than the Elder Druid herself.

Ophidia's private quarters were simple but elegant, with an aura of natural serenity and minimalist modesty. The only furniture that garnered Ryzen's attention was, of course, the spacious bed in the corner.

Ophidia lit up some scented candles and boiled the water from the fireplace that was burning silently and steadily. She offered Ryzen a seat by the antique tea table as she sat herself across him. As she sat down she crossed her legs and revealed porcelain white b.a.r.e legs that were hidden so teasingly beneath her thick coat.

"Do you mind if I take my armor off?" asked Ryzen, already taking off the pieces heatedly as he was saying.

"It is quite cozy in here, is it not? Feel free to make yourself comfortable," replied Ophidia as she, too, took off her cape and coat to uncover the perfect body Ryzen had seen last night through a hallucinatory spectre. She was now wearing a thin, partially transparent robe that outlined the curves of her body and shades of n.i.p.p.l.es and pubic hair down below.

Ophidia crossed her legs one more time, flashing the meaty t.h.i.g.h and the prized crotch to Ryzen's unbridled, ostensible excitement.

"You have a nice place here, lady," said Ryzen with a dried mouth.

"Being an Elder Druid comes with some perks," answered Ophidia with a captivating, flirtatious smile.

"And yet you are so young."

"The Elder is the most powerful amongst all, but being old helps, yes."

"So how old are you, exactly?"

"Old enough to run a city," answered Ophidia mysteriously as she got up to get the boiling water and prepare tea. She bent over deliberately to slip and display her delicious b.r.e.a.s.ts and accentuate the hip line as she poured hot tea for Ryzen.

"Ever tried Valforrest tea before, Champion?" asked Ophidia as she did not even bother to cover her exposed bosom.

"No. Just some beer at Sappling."

"Our tea is very strong, magical even. Once you taste it, you can never go back to drinking anything else."

"I see."

"Try it," smiled Ophidia, sitting back on her chair, this time spreading her legs a little to show her b.a.r.e v.a.g.i.n.a.

"Too hot," laughed Ryzen as he almost burned his tongue after one careful sip.

"The aroma?" asked Ophidia as she ran her finger along the tea cup alluringly, spreading her legs wider, lazier.

"Inviting," answered Ryzen as he swallowed and exhaled hoarsely.

"We Valforresters are serious people, and tea is probably the only thing that makes us relax. More so than any alcoholic beverages."

"I can see that," nodded Ryzen hazily.

"We also like to drink our tea cold, when we are in a hurry, or when things cannot wait," said Ophidia as she got up and opened a small storage-like cellar in the shape of a window. A cold air from the outside blasted into the heated room, making Ryzen shiver even though he was sure he was incapable of feeling the cold due to his cursed body.

Ophidia came back with a jug, vapor rising from the temperature difference from the outside and the room, with her t.i.t.s perky from the brief exposure to the cold—or from something else.

"Would you like to drink the cold tea instead?"

"Sure," answered Ryzen, feeling thirsty not just for the cold drink.

Instead of offering Ryzen a new cup, she placed the jug on the table and stepped closer to Ryzen and stood in front of him, with their knees touching.

Ophidia smiled down at Ryzen more seductively than ever.

"Sit tight, Champion."

Ryzen obliged, holding on to the arms of the chair, expecting anything to happen.

Ophidia slipped her thin robe off, coming off completely n.a.k.e.d to Ryzen's dreamy sigh. The real, touchable body of the beautiful druid was a hundred times more luscious than the fading, off-color nudity of last night.

Ophidia climbed and put her body against Ryzen in a position that her b.r.e.a.s.ts touched—smothered—Ryzen's face. Ryzen could smell a faint flowery scent from her body, of which flower he had no idea other than he liked everything about it.

"It is winter lily perfume, if you are wondering," whispered Ophidia as she tied her silky hair that was ticking Ryzen's arms into a pony tail.

"It is lovely. You are lovely," muttered Ryzen feverishly.

"Your eyes have been telling me so, from last night."

Ophidia smiled as she reached for the cold jug, let out a faint sigh before looking right into Ryzen's eyes.

"The best tea in Valforrest, just for you, Champion."

Ophidia poured the cold tea on her collarbone, from which the icy, clear, fragrant liquid dripped down to her b.r.e.a.s.ts and hanging momentarily at her n.i.p.p.l.es.

Without thinking, Ryzen s.u.c.k.e.d Ophidia's t.i.t.s fervently, passionately. Ophidia exuded another steamy sigh as Ryzen teethed and tongued her, his firm, strong hands gripping her other b.r.e.a.s.t and a.s.s at the same time.

"Keep pouring," said Ryzen, his face and hair wet from the cold tea splashing down all over the place. He slid down the chair and grabbed Ophidia's legs and spread them apart, now drinking the liquid between her legs, eventually sticking his tongue insider her v.a.g.i.n.a for the other, warmer taste.

The jug was empty, but Ryzen was bent on l.i.c.k.i.n.g off every part of Ophidia's body.

"To the bed," breathed Ophidia airily, and Ryzen lifted her and threw her to the bed as he roughly took off his damp clothes and revealed the club-like black p.e.n.i.s to Ophidia, half-amazed and half-shocked by her gaping face.

"Magnificent," said Ophidia at last, spreading her legs and urging Ryzen to enter, as freely and fiercely as he wanted.

.

.

.

Ryzen, somber as usual after hours of violent s.e.x, was standing n.a.k.e.d for his clothes to dry by the fireplace. Ophidia, still on bed and looking happily exhausted, was lying on her stomach and watching Ryzen's muscle-packed back with fondness and lingering d.e.s.i.r.e.

"Never in my forty years of life have I been loved like that," said Ophidia idly.

Ryzen turned and stared at Ophidia, her hair unkempt but still beautiful as ever.

"You are forty?"

"Disappointed?"

"You look younger," Ryzen shook his head and blinked for a moment, unsure whether he should comment further.

"You taste younger, too," added Ryzen, feeling embarrassed... vulgar as he did so.

"Thank you. Living amidst the woods and the cold weather helps, I guess," said Ophidia nonchalantly, combing or rather playing with her hair like a teenage girl at the same time.

"Being the most powerful druid in Alvyond does not hurt either, I assume."

"You overestimate me, Champion. What do you think we druids do? Concoct Elixir of Life in our spare time? Gobble at turtle hearts for longevity?"

"Shed off skin like a snake, perhaps?"

"You are referring to my spirit animal, but no, it does not work like that," smiled Ophidia as she got off the bed and took out a fresh robe—less revealing and more conservative than the wet, tea-dripped one laying on the floor. Ryzen watched wistfully as Ophidia put on the robe to cover her perfect, delicious body from his sight.

"Was it real, the snake? Or was it another hallucination?" asked Ryzen, mildly curious all of a sudden.

"Spirit animals can be real and unreal as we see fit. Real as in tangible, able to bite you, strangle you to death and unreal as not being in this room at the moment. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious. Seemed real last night."

"Would you have preferred to have me summon it as we were doing it? Stroke you down under with the scales? They are quite smooth, and stimulating, if you ask me."

"No, never."

"I have used her more than I could count, to be honest."

As Ryzen stood with his mouth open, trying hard not to imagine Ophidia playing with herself as the giant white snake slithered in and out of her tight, juicy v.a.g.i.n.a, the elegant Elder Druid was fully clothed and seemed the regal, charismatic dame from earlier.

"Would you like to join me for lunch, along with your lady friends, of course?" asked Ophidia.

Ryzen nodded stoically while his inner conscience ached with guilt that he had completely forgotten about Kisha and Garbiel until Ophidia mentioned them.

Ryzen's guilt intensified when he met Kisha and Garbiel at the East Wing Hall. The two young women were already seated by the long table with arrays of food in front of them, and they did not seem friendly when they saw Ryzen enter the hall along with a beautiful black-haired lady who seemed too friendly with Ryzen for their likes.

"Welcome to Castle Gale. I am Ophidia, the Elder Druid of the Ancient City," greeted Ophidia as she sat facing the two disgruntled girls with Ryzen sitting awkwardly next to the hostess of the luncheon.

"We were worried all night and into the morning fearing that you froze to death, and here you are, fully fed and warmed, I see," said Kisha coldly. Garbiel did not even glance at Ryzen, instead angrily stabbing her food with the fork.

"The Elder Druid and I had some business to discuss," said Ryzen, gulping the water nervously while at it.

"In her private quarters, I heard," frowned Kisha, disgusted and disgruntled.

"Which was a fit place to talk, and over tea too."

"Cut the bullshit, Ryzen, we know firsthand how much you love v.a.g.i.n.as, fresh or old."

Ophidia raised her eyebrow at the last word but proceeded to eat her lunch without saying anything. Instead, she turned coquettishly to Ryzen and smiled coyly as if for the two boiling women across the table to watch with jealousy.

"Ryzen, should I call you by that name, too?"

"As you wish?"

"It was rather awkward to m.o.a.n 'champion' all those four hours. I wish you would have told me your name sooner."

"I am just surprised that an old hag like you could keep up with those four hours. You could die, you know, when Ryzen is really at it," hissed Kisha.

"I can see that you may have some worries on taking a man for extended hours, seeing how skinny you are. Eat more, darling, there is plenty of food, and I apologize if my guards mistook you for a boy, as I did, pray forgive," Ophidia smiled ruthlessly at Kisha.

"Food here is disgusting," muttered Garbiel, who had barely touched her dish of venison steak, boiled cabbage, and barely bread.

"I think the food is excellent. Thank you for the meal, Elder," said Ryzen hastily.

"Oh, do not grovel just because she let you you stick your d.i.c.k inside her," said Kisha.

"And who knows where else," added Garbiel, who could not hold herself any longer to throw a dirty look across Ryzen.

Ryzen looked down and tried to finish his meal as fast as he could. Meanwhile, Ophidia was eyeing Garbiel with a vague interest.

"The guards told me you are a mage?" asked Ophidia to Garbiel.

"An enchanter, yes," answered Garbiel, lifting her chin defiantly.

"A peculiar profession, but I am sure it is just another mage's job?"

"Enchanters are rare because the study involved in the field is more esoteric—"

"Yes, I am sure you are adept. I only pointed out your mageship because I have gathered you, three outsiders with dubious backgrounds, to offer you a job."

"We do not need a job," snapped Kisha.

"A favor, then, to ask of Ryzen," said Ophidia as she turned flirtatiously towards the guilty womanizer.

"What is it?" asked Ryzen, avoiding deathly leers from the two female companions in front of him.

Ophidia smiled gratefully and was about to say something when the hall entrance opened and entered a handful of guards surrounding a stout, fat man with gray beard and balding head with a deliberately crude crown made of animal, presumably bear, bones—obviously ancient and would have been commanding were it placed on someone else—shambling and sweating.

"Ophidia? Where are you?"

Ophidia got up with an evident tired face and walked towards the group of men away from the table.

"My lord," bowed Ophidia tersely towards the fat, stout man.

"Not 'my lord,' you meanie tease, I told you to address me as 'my King'—"

The fat man noticed there were strangers by the table and frowned his hideous, greedy face with a start.

"Who are those?" pointed the fat man, first to Ryzen, intimidating at first sight and increasingly more so with each passing second, then to two foreign women, whose less imposing presence made the frightened man ease up a little.

"My guests. None worthy of your concern... my lord," said Ophidia with indifferent politeness, with a hint of annoyance and even disgust.

The fat man took offense at the repeated word, but realized that Ophidia was being careful around strangers.

"See me at the court, now," said the ugly overweight man as he turned to the exit, only to stop and throw a suspicious glance towards Ryzen.

"Black armor?" said the man with an ill-fitting bone crown to no one in particular.

Ryzen tensed, fearing that his murder on the way to Frostmarch was going to be brought up once again.

"Ophidia, you foolish girl, are you still obsessed with the prophecy?" scoffed the fat lord, sounding eerily like a pig's snort.

"They have nothing to do with it," said Ophidia patiently, stifling a sigh and clear distaste toward the obnoxious man in front.

"Chasing the Black Wolf when you have one right in front of you. I love how you are playing hard to catch, girl," said the piggy man, reaching his fat hand to c.a.r.e.s.s Ophidia on the chin. Ophidia twitched at the touch, not by surprise but by unpleasantness.

"Come to me at once. Those damn mages are at it again," grumbled the balding lord as he left the hall.

Ophidia sighed and came back to the table, apologizing for the interruption.

"Who is the pig?" asked Kisha, almost pitying Ophidia after witnessing the pretty lady touched and heckled by the ugly man.

"You should not call him that, he is the Protectorate of Valforrest, after all," admonished Ophidia, even though it was clear that she enjoyed hearing her lord being addressed so.

"That was Kedval III?" asked Ryzen.

"I am afraid that was him," answered Ophidia with a wry smile.

Garbiel was frowning the whole time, not by the homely appearance of the most powerful man in Valforrest but by what came out of his ugly mouth.

"Why did he ask you to call him 'my King?'"

Ophidia blinked and stared silently at Garbiel.

"A joke, nothing more," said Ophidia after a long pause, smiling charmingly as usual.

"Does this job you have for me have to do with the 'prophecy' that I keep hearing around you?" asked Ryzen, remembering last night when the white snake also mentioned some 'prophecy.'

Ophidia seemed to think for a moment only to shake her head, but not without lingering, expectant glance towards Ryzen.

"Druids have lots of prophecies, and most of them never occurring, let alone significant. What I am asking you is not something so abstract, but much more practical."

At that moment Garbiel interrupted with an exasperated sigh.

"Ryzen, did you really forget why you wanted to come to Frostmarch in the first place?"

Ryzen blinked, and awkwardly coughed to cover up an embarrassed face that he had indeed forgotten about the High Mage and accessing Mana Cloud for more information of his former self, the so-called traitor Betrard Falen.

On a second thought, Ryzen closed his mouth just before asking about exchanging favors, should he conclude that the dishonored King's General was better left forgotten and erased from people's memory rather than doing the seemingly impossible task of reclaiming the stolen, forgotten honor back?

Was there a point?

"You have a favor to ask me in return, Ryzen?" asked Ophidia with a gentle smile.

Ryzen looked at Kisha and Garbiel, former simply mad at Phidias intimacy with Ryzen and the latter more jealous than mad.

"I—We came here to see the High Mage. I was told that he is stationed here in Frostmarch by the King's Decree," said Ryzen with a rather deflated voice.

"And what business do you have with the High Mage?" asked Ophidia, her smile suddenly replaced with careful, taut lips.

"Information. I want a certain information whose access is only granted to High Mages and above."

"What kind of information?"

"The information that may be there or not. I am not even sure whether High Mage does have an access to it—"

"It is a done deal. You may see the High Mage," said Ophidia abruptly, cutting off Ryzen mid-sentence.

"Thank you," said Ryzen.

"Under one condition. Two, actually."

"And those are?"

"The High Mage of Frostmarch is currently incarcerated, for a crime that we cannot disclose at the moment."

Ryzen blinked and exchanged looks between Garbiel.

"What did he do?" asked Garbiel.

Ophidia simply smiled and shook her head adamantly.

"Do you know the High Mage personally?" Ryzen asked Garbiel.

"No, not personally, but he is not someone who would commit crimes. He is a scholar, a true King's servant, at least as far as reputations go."

"Well, reputations can be misleading, can they not?" said Ophidia

Garbiel, bewildered and somewhat shocked, did not seem to have heard Ophidia's comment.

"In other words, if you want to meet the High Mage, then you will have to see him down at the Frostmarch Dungeon, behind the cells. The jail ground is pretty flat, so you will not have much trouble drawing up a spell circle there," went on Ophidia as-a-matter-of-factly.

"That is one. What is the other condition?" asked Ryzen.

Ophidia's smile faded a little, but her voice was casual and practical.

"That you kill the High Mage after you are done with him."