These particular monsters looked like some sort of man-snake beast. All the monsters in this world had overlords. He could see the massive python from where he stood, even though it was far away.
"Illusion!" he called, as he started running toward the large reptile.
Illusion let out a scream in response, then dove down in the midst of the battle. Ashiyn pulled himself onto Illusion’s back as the equine ran beside him. Without fear, they charged full speed through the air toward the giant serpent that rose over the battlefield like a living tower.
The serpent snapped its massive jaws at them as they got close, but Illusion swerved back and forth and successfully avoided them. As soon as he was within jumping distance, Ashiyn leaped off Illusion’s back, sword drawn. The hungry blade dug deep into the serpent's thick neck and the force of impact slid it down to carve a thick slash for several feet.
Ashiyn turned his head to avoid the splatter of poisonous blood as the serpent reeled its giant head back and forth. He found a handhold behind one of its giant scales, then yanked his blade free to start hacking at the python’s thick neck. He was just far enough up that the dangerous head couldn't snap at him.
"Could I get a little help?" Ashiyn grumbled at his blade as his arms started to tire. The serpent kept thrashing, and even his hardest blows barely cut through the snake's thick sinuous neck.
I thought you were a god, the blade taunted. Then the black lightning licked out of the blade and flowed through Ashiyn's arms.
Ashiyn growled against the pain, but strength flooded through with it and within three more hacks, the serpent's head flew off to land in the middle of the armies. The body continued to lash back and forth violently, and he lost his grip.
Illusion dove in time for him to grab on and stop his fall to the ground. Ashiyn turned the equine back the middle of the battle. Illusion screamed in defiance as he crushed two of the snake-men beneath his hooves when he landed. Ashiyn hopped off and stormed forward. "Hear me! I have slain your overlord! You serve me now, dark ones. Come to me!"
The serpent-men stopped in confusion, but the magic that controlled them had transferred to Ashiyn. In a stupor, they slithered over to form ranks behind him. The villagers stopped amid their panic to stare in disbelief.
"Lord Ashiyn has saved us! Praise Lord Ashiyn!" one of the village women shrieked as she threw herself to the ground in front of Ashiyn. "Bow to your deliverer!"
The rest of the villagers followed suit, falling prostrate before him and singing his praises.
Soryn strolled over to him, having put out the fires in the village with his magic. He gave Ashiyn a grin. Ashiyn gave him a slight nod in recognition. Not bad at all. He'd gained the village's loyalty and now possessed an army of snake-men to do his bidding.
Ashiyn faced the villagers and commanded, "Clean up your village. And let all the dark ones know that you are protected by me."
There was a shrill bird cry above them and Ashiyn looked up to watch the black wyvern circle around, then fly off. Wyverns belonged to the supposed lord of this monster horde. The worst evil in the land. The one all others feared. For now. Soon they would serve Ashiyn instead.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Ashiyn cracked an eye open at the daylight streaming through the window to illuminate the room. He lay sprawled in bed in a room full of the town's very grateful women. Though the liquor had not had much of an affect on him, he could hear Soryn snoring away from somewhere in the pile of warm bodies.
The townspeople had thrown quite the party for them, complete with an orgy after everyone was sufficiently drunk. Was this how heroes lived? Ashiyn somehow doubted it. The poor fools didn’t know what they were missing.
His gaze fell on the dark-haired woman curled up closest to him. Ashiyn had spent the most time with her, and after the previous night’s pleasures, started to seriously consider taking her as his concubine. He let his lust-filled gaze trail over her voluptuous naked body as she lay sleeping.
He let his gaze wander on to find Soryn. His friend was also tangled up with half a dozen women. An amused smirk tugged at Ashiyn’s lips at the satisfied look on Soryn’s sleeping face. How had his friend gone so long without the pleasures of the flesh? Ashiyn was certain that was something he could never do.
It was tempting, but Ashiyn decided he would not lie here lazily for the rest of the day. His body protested as he rose from the bed and started to pull on his clothes and armor. "Soryn, it is time for us to depart."
Soryn was startled awake in mid-snore. He almost fell out of bed, as he clutched his head with a groan. His cheeks darkened when he saw where they were. He hastily started to dress.
"Embarrassed? Your first time with so many? Enjoy the benefits of being a hero, my friend." Ashiyn laughed at him, then picked his blade up from the ground as the women around them started to stir. He pulled away from a few that tried to convince him to stay and walked over to pick up the dark-haired beauty's clothes. He tossed them at her as she opened her eyes. "Come. You will join me at my castle."
She looked at him with wide eyes while the women around her glared. Then she obeyed and dressed.
"My Lord, a humble suggestion?" Soryn asked as Ashiyn walked up to him.
"What?" Ashiyn frowned at him.
"It might come across a little better if you were to ask her if
