at all times.
"His companions
watch this strange happening, at first thinking it might not be so bad . . .
until they see these woman are relentless! They attack him non-stop, forcing
him to participate in every imaginable transgression until he is all but dead
from–"
In a rare event, Krue
threw back his head and laughed heartily. His sons all joined in with him.
Even Yaniff's eyes were
twinkling suspiciously; although the wizard managed to contain himself, his
shoulders were shaking. Bojo listed to the side on his master's shoulder, his
bald head twisting upside down.
Deana clenched her
fists. "No! Wait! That is not the punch line!"
Lorgin chuckled.
"Surely, it must be as this is no punishment for a man, Adeeann."
"Any
Aviaran warrior could manage
but twenty-five women," Traed added seriously.
"Only
twenty-five?" Rejar
scoffed. "A Familiar would nap in between."
At that Yaniff, Krue, and
Lorgin absolutely guffawed. Deana noticed that even though she was supposed to
be sleeping, Suleila's lips curved as well.
"You do tell an
amusing tale, Adeeann." Traed nodded his head to her in appreciation.
" Grrrr. BUT
that is not the punch line!" Taking a deep breath she tried again.
"After they were
done with him, they tossed him to the side,
barely alive. Ooooooo. " The scary sound did nothing for
atmospheric effect with these lugs. They all gave her concerned looks.
Undaunted, she forged on.
“Now, remember his
comrades had witnessed this. So, the leader
approaches the next Charl . . ."
She trotted over to
Rejar and looked into his beautiful face.
"Yes, o'
leader?" He hands covered his heart theatrically. "I take it I am to
be similarly punished." He bent forward and spoke sotto voce, "Please
be sure to adjust the number of attackers suitably. I have my pride."
Traed lifted a brow.
"You think to better my twenty-five assailants?"
Rejar clicked his tongue
dismissively and followed it with a slow sexy smile.
Deana lowered her voice
to issue the decree. "Eez it death or Ploot Ploot?"
Two dimples curved his
cheeks. His white teeth flashed in a sensual grin, "Oh, I insist on
Ploot Ploot."
More laughter.
"Very well!"
Still in character, Deana lowered her voice and called out, "Ploot
Ploot!"
"Here they come,
brother," Lorgin quipped.
"It is a good thing
for you Lilac is not here, Rejar," Yaniff snickered.
Suleila spoke with her
eyes still closed. "Husband, it is fortunate you are not on this
expedition as well . . . for I would surely have to kill all of these women and
I am much too listless to do so in this heat."
More laughter.
" Argh! Stay
with the story, people!" Deana gritted her teeth, and blew her hair off of
her forehead in exasperation. “Fifty women come rushing forth. This time it is
much worse–"
"Or better,"
Rejar waggled his eyebrows. Lorgin laughed.
Unperturbed, she
continued on. "When they are done with him, the poor fellow is barely
alive."
"Clearly not a
Familiar," Rejar confirmed.
"She already said
they were Charl," Suleila said to her son, earning her a playful pinch
from her husband, Krue.
"Is not your son a
Charl as well?" he challenged her. She shrugged noncommittally. Just to
get his dander up.
“Do you think Charl
lacking in any way, my Suleila?" Krue drawled to his wife.
A slow smile spread
across her face. "I admit one Charl
can please one woman very, very well.”
Deana cleared her throat
loudly to regain the floor. "Seeing what has happened to his other two
comrades, the third Charl knows what is coming . . . !"
She sauntered over to
stand in front of her husband. "He thinks to himself, this is a horrible
fate to behold–"
This time even Bojo fell
over in gasps of ribald screeching.
"Punishment too
nightmarish to even contemplate," Traed intoned drolly.
"But . . .!"
Deana lifted her finger. "He realizes that where there is life there is
hope!"
Rejar also raised his
finger as if he were a teacher imparting great wisdom. "Especially if
there is life in certain