The Test of Ostra Read online

  The Brotherhood of Merlin

  Book Three: The Test of Ostra

  by

  Rory D. Nelson

  Copyright © Rory D. Nelson

  Print ISBN 978 –

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Dedication

  I would like to thank my best friend, partner, and love of my life, Janell Galindez, for all her hard work and support in helping me with this endeavor. Without her, this book would not have been possible. In short, she has been my rock of Gibraltar, my proofreader, editor, website developer, SEO specialist, ebook formatter, and all-around technological wizard. Being technological inept myself, she has proven herself resourceful and invaluable in running my cross-promotion events, giveaways, and Mailchimp campaigns. And, she has done it without monetary compensation – only to need to see my dreams of being a successful author come to fruition. She is the epitome of a selfless partner. Thank you Love!

  I would also like to thank my mom, who has always encouraged me to pursue my dreams and continues to recruit new readers for me among friends and family. Thank you Mom!

  Table of Contents

  Dedication

  Chapter 1: Fuck!

  Chapter 2: Comeuppance

  Chapter 3: Sweet Reunion

  Chapter 4: Setbacks

  Chapter 5: A Possible Ally

  Chapter 6: An Unsettling Welcome

  Chapter 7: An Act of Subterfuge

  Chapter 8: Hoodwinked

  Chapter 9: Tenuous Position

  Chapter 10: Unwelcome Travelers

  Chapter 11: A Summons for Felinius

  Chapter 12: Uncomfortable Questioning

  Chapter 13: Collateral Damage

  Chapter 14: A Truce

  Chapter 15: A Calculating Ruse

  Chapter 16: An Indecent Proposal

  Chapter 17: The Test of Ostra

  Chapter 18: The Last Job

  Chapter 19: Estranged

  Chapter 20: Unlikely Ruse

  Chapter 21: Aftermath

  Chapter 22: Tough Love

  Chapter 23: Mettlesome Sorceress

  Chapter 24: Infamous Bounty Hunter

  Chapter 25: Perpetual Pain

  Chapter 26: Bounty Up for Grabs

  Chapter 27: Tenuous Meeting between Two Rivals

  Chapter 28: Elimination

  Chapter 29: Titans Face Off

  Chapter 30: Strategy

  Chapter 31: Pontius’ Dilemna

  Chapter 32: Unholy Union

  Chapter 33: Herod Strikes

  Chapter 34: Agonizing Betrayal

  Chapter 35: Necessary Ruse

  Chapter 36: Blissful Reunion

  Chapter 37: Perpetual Pain

  Chapter 38: Moving Up

  Chapter 39: Clumsy Assassin

  Chapter 40: Newest Recruit

  Chapter 41: The Lead Title

  Chapter 42: It’s Over

  Chapter 43: Something’s Amiss

  Chapter 44: A New Player

  Chapter 45: A Sad Family Reunion

  Chapter 46: Day of Judgment

  Your Opinion Matters

  Book 4 - Available in early 2020

  Chapter 1: Fuck!

  Tennyson, Herod’s captain of the guards, rides out with Lanceon, a recently hired gun.

  A frigid chill pierced his spine the moment Lanceon recounted his tale. It forced him to go out and investigate for himself. He never trusted Felinius; in fact, he loathes the man. He has no sense of honor, and his loyalty extends as far as he can throw his horse, Sicelion.

  When he arrives at Colter Pass, his instincts were correct. He feels the blood running through his veins turn ice cold. Though he can’t make out much from this distance, he sees the vultures circling overhead. That means only one thing. Dead bodies.

  As Tennyson approaches, different scenarios play through his mind. Could these stories involve Felinius as deceitful or is he that incompetent in the deed? Tennyson wants a bullet in his head.

  He ventures closer to the first group of bodies. Consternation is etched on their faces. Tennyson approaches the scene and quickly dismounts his horse. Lanceon shakes his head, nonplussed and outraged. “Must have been seven or eight men who ganged up on them and killed ‘em. You ken?”

  Tennyson looks back at Lanceon with a condescending smirk. “I think I’ll find out what happened for myself.”

  Lanceon nods his head, “Ai.”

  Tennyson looks at Talbot’s body. His scalp almost totally ripped off his head with a hard caliber slug. The caked blood covers most of his face, a look of outrage on the unstained half. But that’s not what finished him. Tennyson looks at the gaping hole in his chest and the exit hole from his back, intestines dangling. Nothing about this scene makes sense. The only thing that may have caused that carnage is a closeup shot. The killer was near his victims and the slaughter was personal. Had to be.

  Tennyson goes to the other men to confirm his worst suspicions. He pulls each one of their guns from their holsters and smells the gun barrels. Nothing. He disengages and pulls open the cylinder and shakes his head. It’s loaded, as expected. He goes to each one and confirms their guns are also loaded. Except for one. Of the dead men, only Levin got off a shot. Five men gunned down. Fuck. Tennyson shakes his head in disgust. “Five good men. Dead.” He mutters.

  Two of the other men had rode over to check out the other grisly scene. They rush back to Tennyson. They shake their heads in bewilderment and rage. “It gets much worse,” says Kahn.

  “What?” asks Tennyson tepidly.

  “Look for yourself!”

  Tennyson doesn’t hesitate. In two seamless strides, he mounts his horse and gallops off to the next scene. As he approaches, his eyes bulge from their sockets. He had expected another bloodbath, which there was; but he was not expecting the other more alarming fact. A huge pile of earth had been dug up from the hole that held the boy’s coffin. He needs to confirm the worst.

  He notices the coffin, splintered along the hinges where the nails had been placed. He jumps to investigate and observes closely at the splintered wood. It appears to be teeth marks. And something else he notices. Another splintered tear in the coffin gives the impression it came from a 30-caliber slug. That’s Felinius’ bullet of choice. The boy is absent as expected.

  Tennyson clenches his fists so tight he can hear the bones creak. Tennyson drives his fist through the wood, creating a gaping hole and a small laceration in his knuckle. “Fuck!” He yells. “There will be hell to pay for this.” He hopes he can avoid the brunt of it.

  He moves the coffin to the side, stands on it, and jumps out of the grave. As he does, he notices riders approaching. Caius Cassius is among them and wears a malignant expression. He stops his horse and dismounts a few feet from Tennyson. Caius runs to the grave.

  “Fuck! Fuck!” He yells. “What happened? I buried him myself. Right fucking here!”

  “I know you did,” says Tennyson calmly. “I will relay that to your father myself. Someone else betrayed us.”

  Caius glowers. “Felinius. It’s fucking him! I know it.”

  Tennyson nods his head. “Ai. It would appear.”

  “I’ll find that rat fuck myself!” yells Caius and steps to his horse. Tennyson holds him back with a hand on his shoulder.

  “No. You need to see your father and break the news to him yourself.”

  “So, I can take the brunt of his anger?” asks Caius indignantly.

  “No. To remove yourself from suspicion. Your father will suspect everyone. Even those closest to him. It will be better to catch the news from y
ou and as fast as possible. You ken? You won’t find Felinius anyway, especially if he wishes not to be found. Tell your father the news and do your best to placate him.”

  “And what, dear Tennyson are you going to do?”

  “I’ll wait here. I have a hunch Felinius will return.”

  “And when he does?” asks Caius.

  “I’ll send him to your father, straight away. Set watch and warrant it.”

  Caius says nothing. He only turns, jumps on his horse and gallops away.

  (2)

  Felinius takes Talbots’ ride and Misty out a little way in Ager Swamp. The horses protest, but Felinius is adamant. Misty whinnies nervously while Felinius dismounts and kisses her on the snout. “Fuck me all to hell, girl. You don’t deserve this.” A tear rolls down his cheek. Without another thought, he grabs his shooter and puts a bullet in her head. She topples over and sinks deeper into Ager Swamp.

  “Fuck!” yells Felinius. He takes Henry, Talbot’s ride and heads out to the carnage he created. Somehow, he must rectify this shit.

  (3)

  Tennyson detects riders in the distance. As the first one gets closer, he notices the wide brimmed ponchero hat Felinius prefers. He grins to himself. Comeuppance is a real cunt. Felinius rides into view, but oddly he’s not riding his own steed, Misty. That’s strange.

  Felinius approaches. He looks exasperated and shocked. Is it an act? He gallops, stops, and dismounts. Then he walks over to Tennyson.

  “What the fuck happened?” asks Felinius.

  “A slaughter,” says Tennyson evenly.

  “No fucking shit!” Felinius goes to the coffin and yells, “Fuck!” Felinius sighs. “What happened?”

  “I was hoping you could answer that, Sai,” says Tennyson.

  “Why the fuck would I know? I got here.”

  “You were on the wolf’s trail. She is nowhere to be found. And from the empty coffin, so is the boy. You were charged with finding her. What happened? And where’s your horse?”

  “Ager Swamp. She was taken by a croc. Nothing I could do. I was lucky to leave there. As I exited, I happened on Talbot’s mare.”

  “How convenient,” says Tennyson.

  “Not so fucking convenient for me! I lost my favorite horse and we’ll bear the backlash from this. That fucking Caius!” says Felinius.

  Tennyson snickers.

  “You find this disaster so fucking funny, Sai?” asks Felinius crossly.

  Tennyson shakes his head. “No, it’s peculiar. He was just as quick to finger you.”

  “Of course, he was. I’m most favored to Herod. It would chagrin any son. You ken?”

  “We’ll see how long that favor lasts, Sai.”

  “The fuck’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Don’t play imbecile, Sai. You’re smart. You know how this looks. There was no one else in the area. It was you who were charged with tracking that beast and ensuring that fucking boy met his demise. Instead, our men are dead and the boy and his dog, absent. Another thing that’s curious is only two men out of twelve got a shot off. It’s as if someone they knew came upon them and shot them.”

  “Is that how you see it?”

  “As any man with an ounce of intellect would.”

  “Except I was without a horse for the last several hours, having ventured into Ager Swamp. So, I couldn’t have slaughtered twelve fucking men!” yells Felinius with acidic vehemence.

  “So, you say, Sai.”

  “It’s the truth!” He assures him desperately.

  “As you say.” Tennyson pauses and sighs. He looks at Felinius. “I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt, Sai.”

  “And I say thankee.”

  “One thing,” says Tennyson.

  “What’s that?”

  “I need to check your guns.”

  Felinius looks at Tennyson with malicious intent. Within a few seconds his expression changes to quiet acceptance. He nods. “Ai. If you say.”

  He dismounts. “You want to see my guns?”

  “To confirm your story.” Felinius pulls his speed shooter and points it at Tennyson, an inch from his forehead. A fraction of a second later, Tennyson grabs his own gun and points it at Felinius’ throat.

  “This gun, Sai?” asks Felinius contemptuously.

  They stand in a stalemate for several seconds until the other rider’s approach. Benny, the sergeant in Arms approaches. “Put your guns away, gentleman. I’ve got bad news. That little fuck lives and so does that bitch wolf of his.”

  Benny looks straight at Felinius in an accusatory frown. “You. Felinius. Herod wants to see you straight away. At tempest fucking halt! I’ll escort you.”

  Felinius snickers and looks at Benny with a wolfish grin. “Ai. Imagine he does, Sergeant.”

  Felinius mounts his horse and Benny takes hold of the reigns. “Let go of my reigns, Sai,” says Felinius peacefully.

  “I’m to escort you,” says Benny emphatically.

  “Are you?” asks Felinius. He nods his head in feigned compliance. As Benny turns to leave, he punches him in the nose. Benny falls to the ground and Felinius gallops away. Still fighting off his daze, he reaches for his gun. Tennyson stops him. “Let him go, Sergeant. That fuck will get his comeuppance soon enough. And we’ll have front row seats to it.”

  “Can’t wait,” says Benny, through blood stained teeth.

  Chapter 2: Comeuppance

  Felinius rides Henry toward Herod’s castle with a slight diversion, a much needed one at that. His cock is rock hard and is painfully pushing through his pantalones. The friction burns into it with every bump of the horse. He touches the tip, feeling the wetness that lathers his generous, mushroom-shaped head. The pressure of his engorged cock against his clothing tingles in anticipation. The ride seems to take days. At last, he gallops into the grove a stone’s throw away from the castle. He approaches the unparalleled beauty. She is lying in a white, lambskin blanket, which is permeable and see-thru. Her ample bosoms are hinted around the mesh material. He sees her nipples, milk-buttery and the size of silver pence.

  She rises and seductively stares at him. “I never thought you would arrive, Sai.”

  He smiles in response. “Ai. Never thought I would arrive myself, but here I am.”

  “Come, lover.”

  “Ai.” He rushes to her and slips underneath the lambskin blanket. He feels her milky white and hairless body. The only hair on her body is her gorgeous, thick, lustrous jet-black locks on her head. A close-cropped thatch of hair conceals her golden succulence. Felinius longingly gazes at her. She aggressively kisses him, and he kisses her back, quenching his hunger.

  She rips off his shirt, exposing his hairless, lean and sinewy body. His muscles tighten in response to euphoric pulsations.

  He grabs his boots and pulls them off in seconds. His extreme agility, dexterity and maneuverability extends well beyond his ability to fight.

  It excites her more. In one seamless move, Felinius pulls off his pantalones and exposes his rock-hard cock. She grabs it and puts her mouth on it, tasting the salty bitterness with reckless abandonment. He moans in delirious pleasure, knowing he is close to climax. She wants to feel his seed within her, so she holds off. Climbing on top of him, she inserts his massive member, and he pulses it rhythmically inside her.

  She groans in response. He pushes harder and harder, bringing her closer and closer to climax. She holds off for a few seconds longer, waiting for him to spill himself. He moans and cries out in extreme ecstasy, blowing his seed into her. She times her orgasm perfectly with him, and they cry out together. She collapses onto his chest, knowing in several minutes she will be ready to ride him again.

  In the interim, they passionately kiss and look into each other’s eyes. They have the same thought. If only they were in a different time, perhaps they could have more. But that’s impossible under present circumstances. They can only hope to steal a fleeting moment.

  For the next couple of hours, they fuck vigorously
until they are both spent. They collapse onto one another but do not rest long. Without uttering a word, they rise and dress in a rush, as if their little tryst never occurred.

  As if they had seen each other for the first time, Morgana becomes cold, formal and serious. She is all business. “Herod will want to see you immediately, Sai.”

  A small, playful smile breaks out for a split second but vanishes. “Seeing as you just arrived. I was told to bring you to him.”

  Felinius smiles playfully in response. “Ai, Lady-Mais. I will see him as quickly as I can muster my horse.”

  Morgana looks at him with a look of righteous indignation. “I will not broach your mind, Sai at this juncture. So, speak truth. Is there anything you would tell me before meeting with Herod? Anything you would not share with him but would relieve yourself of with another? Someone more trusted, perhaps?”

  He finds it difficult to meet her gaze but manages it. He shakes his head. “No, my Lady. Nothing to say you won’t hear in front of Herod. Set watch and warrant it so.”

  She nods with a stern look that seems to say ‘Ai, so you will have it that way?’

  “So be it then Sai. Remember I gave you an opportunity for disclosure.”

  “Let us be about hard business,” says Felinius.

  (2)

  Merlin waits outside the apothecary room where his patients are recovering. They are sleeping soundlessly. Their wounds scabbed and healing rapidly, only a hint of what the injuries were days before.

  Though Dante sleeps now, the night was a maelstrom of tossing and turning. He wakes several times in the night, screaming and hyperventilating. Dante relives the suffocating effects of spending hours in a coffin with limited oxygen.

  Merlin will not intervene. Dante would eventually learn to live with such trauma. His training would relieve him of his worst symptoms. Or so he hoped.

  Germanicus and Atteus arrive after their search. They cannot find any clues why the bloodbath took place. Domithicus and Savelle arrive thereafter, having found one-an attractive ornate, gold pocket watch.