Escape is top priority

Duncan certainly has no reason to trust the creature that seems to be inhabiting him, but there’s no question about the need to escape this place. Once free of this prison, he’ll have plenty of time to figure out what to do about Gorgall.

“So how do we get out of here?” he asks.

“Unless I am very much mistaken,” responded Gorgall, “I should be able to just reach out....”

Duncan looks with astonishment as smoke seems to bubble out of the pores on his chest and form an impossibly-long arm. It reaches to the portal, and after encountering minimal resistance, pushes through to the other side. Duncan sees the hand at the other end of the arm grab hold of a pillar, and then he feels a tug as his body is lifted up, through the portal, and comes tumbling to the floor in the library.

He looks around, and the library seems strangely quiet after all he has gone through. He glances at a clock; he has been in the prison for over two hours!

Remembering that he is still naked, he looks around for his clothes, but they are not where he threw them. He is about to say something to Gorgall when he hears voices coming from another part of the library.

“No, MacTavish. You were right to come to me. I do not blame you at all, and neither will my father.”

It was his older brother, Crown Prince Stewart. Duncan is about to call out to him, when he hears something else that gives him pause.

“You must send someone to rescue him!” It was Terrice, and Duncan can tell that she is terrified. He cautiously peers through the book stacks and sees Terrice, clearly distraught, seated across from Stewart. MacTavish is on one side of Stewart. On the other side is Tawnley, the satyr and confidant of Stewart. Two members of the royal guard are also present, standing on either side of Terrice. Duncan recognizes Dathan, the Captain of the guard. He does not recognize the junior soldier.

“I’m afraid that’s out of the question,” said Stewart, dismissively. “There is a reason the G’mere was locked up. To send someone in there would be asking them to go on a suicide mission. And it would be futile. No doubt my impetuous brother has already been consumed by the foul creature.”

“You do not think the G’mere managed to escape, then?” asked MacTavish. “The young lady said she saw something reach through the glass before the prince fell in.”

Stewart looked at Tawnley. “What do you think, Tawnley? Is there any sign of the creature?”

The satyr lifted his face and drew in a long breath.

“Satyrs!” Duncan heard Gorgall’s voice in his head. “Of all the creatures to meet me when I escape, and it is a satyr! They are the natural enemy of the G’mere!”

Tawnley finishes sniffing the area and says, “I do not think so, Your Highness. When a G’mere changes shape, I can detect its scent. There is a hint of it in the air — no doubt from when it attempted its escape, but I don’t think the scent is strong enough to suggest that it successfully emerged from its prison.”

“You sound unsure,” says Stewart.

Tawnley looks irritated. “I confess, it is difficult to smell anything properly except the scent of this bitch’s rutting cunt!”

He directed the words at Terrice, who looked up with renewed fright on her face.

Satyrs are well known for their sexual insatiability, and putting Tawnley in an enclosed room, so soon after Terrice and Duncan’s energetic fuck session was taking its toll on Tawnley’s self control.

“Take it easy, my friend,” said Stewart. “I’m sure Terrice was not to blame for her virtue being stolen by my randy brother. You must not take out your frustration on her.”

Stewart puts his hand to his chin and thinks for a moment. “It is decided, then. It shall be reported to my father that my brother, acting contrary to MacTavish’s instructions, neglected his studies and engaged in a dalliance with this young woman in front of the mirror, thus triggering the release of a G’mere. Fortunately, the creature was fought back into captivity, but not before it grabbed Duncan and the young woman, and pulled them both into the mirror with it.”

Terrice looks up from her tears in confusion. “But my lord...?”

“I’m sorry, my dear, but it simply wouldn’t do for you to remain and raise further questions.” Stewart turned to Captain Dathan. “Please see to it that she is no longer an issue. I leave the details to you.”

Dathan nods and takes Terrice by the arm. He looks up, questioningly toward the prince. Stewart smiles and says, “Of course, you and your men may do with her as you will. I have no use for her after my brother soiled her.”

Terrice begins to protest and plead, but the two soldiers carry her out of the room. Duncan can hear her cries growing fainter as they depart.

“What treachery is this?” Duncan asks.

Before he can dwell on it further, MacTavish asks, “And what of the mirror, Your Highness?”

“Destroy it,” commanded Stewart. “As I understand it, it was kept only so my great-grandmother could **** the imprisoned creature. There is no sense risking another attempted escape.”

“As you wish, Your Highness,” responded MacTavish, with a bow.

“I do not understand why you gave that girl to the royal guard,” said Tawnley. “I could have made good use of her before sending her off.”

“As if you were wanting for servant girls!” said Stewart. “Besides, the sooner she is away from the palace, the better. Who knows when my father will return, and I don’t need him listening to the babbling pleading of that whore.”

Turning to MacTavish, he asks, “When will you dispose of the mirror?”

“Right away, Your Highness. I need only consult a volume on the matter. An artifact as powerful as that is worth making sure there are no mistakes.”

“Very well,” says Stewart. “I believe I shall get some lunch. Tawnley, you should discretely investigate and confirm that the servant girl did not say anything about the incident to anyone else.”

Tawnley bows and says, “Leave it to me, Your Highness.”

MacTavish disappears behind a bookshelf, while Stewart and Tawnley leave the library.

Duncan is left with a swirling mess of thoughts to sort out.