Hero of Darkness: Shadows Over Holgard [Chapter Seven]

Hello there! Did you miss me? I hope not too much, if so! This is the newest chapter of the Colm/Neimi/Yvette series, henceforth known as Hero of Darkness- previously *AI's Got Me by the Balls* -and it's being written with a new AI program than when I originally started. That being said, I hope you'll forgive that it's a bit shorter as I'm currently working out the details, kinks, and fine-tuning for the best product moving forward.

I know some of you really wanted me to bring this series back and continue the story, so I hope you understand that I'm trying to do that to the best of my ability while keeping it AI-driven. With those things in mind, I do want to temper some potential expectations and inform you that I'll be working on this series to complete the Holgard storyline at the very least.

Will there be more after that? I don't currently know, but I know that if I do decide to continue beyond the Holgard Arc, it won't be immediate and there will likely be another hiatus afterward. Hopefully not as long as my previous hiatus, but I know that those who truly enjoy the writing and story will be okay either way.

Anyways, enough from me let's get on with the show!

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The group finally makes its way past the gates of the Ebony Claw's underground fortress. Colm is unable to help himself from being amazed by the sheer size of the place. Considering this was all built underground, as opposed to on the surface where landscaping would've been much easier. "This is actually quite impressive."

There are guards everywhere, patrolling along the walls, on top of towers, and walking the grounds. The sight of these men and women wearing armor adorned in ebony fur is quite intimidating. However, despite the overwhelming presence of security personnel, there doesn't seem to be any real sense of danger or urgency.

"I wonder if they know we're here," Colm wondered aloud, "They don't seem to be on high alert, despite the fact we've been infiltrating and hot on their heels for a little while now."

"Maybe they haven't caught wind of us yet?" Neimi asked, her tiny feet dangling off Colm's shoulder as she sat perched upon him.

"Maybe, but between Guinevere and the Matriarch, surely someone has been informed of our meddling." Colm replied.

Yvette then spoke up, "Who cares? We're so close now and it's not like we're going to turn back. Let's just get in there and slaughter these scum suckers before they do any more harm to my city!" she urged in a hushed, but agitated tone.

Colm had never seen Yvette like this before, and he was beginning to worry. He looks over to Neimi, who is staring at Yvette intently, before turning back to Yvette. He understood the stakes and what they meant to her, but they really shouldn't be rushing headlong into danger either. Colm knew that the situation was delicate enough without them causing any more trouble than necessary. If they were discovered, things could escalate to a whole other level. "Yvette, I know this means a lot to you but, we have to execute this carefully or else all our efforts will have been for naught."

She glanced back at him briefly, but remained quiet for several seconds until she answered. "Fine, let me think for a minute. How many guards do you suppose are stationed outside the entrance?"

Colm took a moment to calculate how big the building itself is and how many entrances it might have. "At least twenty or thirty, probably more considering the size of the structure. There may also be some patrols moving throughout the premises. So, forty or fifty total."

"Okay, I'm gonna assume that the majority of the soldiers are posted near the doors, and that there aren't too many in the rest of the building. That leaves approximately two dozen guards scattered throughout the entire facility."

Colm thought about it for a second and decided that she was correct. He continued to listen to Yvette's plan; they had always worked well together thus far, but he couldn't imagine why she seemed to know so much about the layout of this facility. Still, he trusted Yvette implicitly and would follow her instructions to the letter no matter how absurd they seemed.

After a short pause, she continued. "Alright then, I am going to use my magic to create two illusions of myself. One will be dressed exactly like me, except with red hair instead. The other will be blonde haired, green eyed, and clad in black clothing."

"What? You can create body doubles?!" Colm exclaimed, his voice straining to keep quiet.

"Calm down, it's not that impressive," Yvette assured him, "Besides, if we don't do something soon, we're probably going to get discovered by one of the patrols. Now, I need to concentrate for a bit. Please stand clear."

With that, she closed her eyes and began to chant softly under her breath. A soft glow emanated from her hands as her fingers moved rapidly across the palms of her hand. Colm watched as Yvette's arms slowly rose above her head and she started to levitate slightly off the ground. Her skin glowed faintly yellow and orange, and she emitted an ethereal aura that Colm felt was emanating from every part of her body. Then, as abruptly as it came, the spell dissipates, and she returns to normal gravity.

"Wow! You're so cool, Yvette!" Neimi exclaims, clapping her little hands together. "That looked amazing!"

Colm lets out a small chuckle, "Yeah, you're right. It does look pretty cool."

Yvette smiles, "Thank you, Neimi. But, I wouldn't say I'm very good at casting spells, especially when it comes to creating duplicates."

"No problem," Neimi replies. "I mean, you made two people with such different appearances. And, you did it in no time at all!"

"Well, thanks, but I'm not sure whether I should be complimented or worried," Yvette retorts. "Anyway, I better finish up this disguise thingy, or else we won't be able to sneak inside unnoticed."

Colm nods in agreement. "Yes, we must hurry. I don't believe anyone is going to come around anytime soon, but we cannot risk discovery."

He watches as Yvette closes her eyes again and starts whispering another incantation. This time however, she seems to be taking longer than usual. After nearly ten minutes pass without any change, Colm decides to ask her a question. "Is everything alright?"

"Oh, yes. Just working on the details. I'm trying to make the illusion appear as lifelike as possible."

"Can you describe it to me?" Colm inquires, intrigued by the method of spellcasting.

Yvette opens her eyes and looks directly at Colm, "Sure, let's see... Well first, she's going to be shorter than me by about a half inch or so. Second, she has pale, milky white skin, and bright emerald green eyes. Third, she's going to have long flowing golden locks of hair that fall just below her shoulders. Fourth, she's going to have an athletic build, and she'll be wearing a sleeveless dress of black silk."

Colm nodded as she listed each point. "And fifth, she's going to have a dagger strapped to her thigh, which is concealed by the fabric of her dress."

"Right, those are the basics," Yvette says, "Now I want to give her a slight curviness in the chest area, because that's important for distracting the guards. Plus, it's sexy. Alright, I'm almost done with the finishing touches. Give me one more minute."

Yvette closes her eyes once more, muttering quietly as she continues to speak in tongues. Suddenly, she jumps forward as though possessed by an unseen enemy and lunges towards Colm with her hands outstretched toward his throat.

Before Colm can even react, she wraps her slender fingers tightly around his neck and hoists him up into the air. Her grip tightens and constricts his larynx, forcing his mouth open wide. He feels himself gag repeatedly as he struggles against her hold. Then, after a brief struggle, Yvette's balled-up fist slams into his unprotected groin. She repeats this motion twice more, leaving him gasping desperately for air. Colm tries to reach for his dagger but Yvette swats it away before grabbing up Colm's testicles in a tight grip, her voice called out like it was caught in an echo chamber and warped as though she was underwater.

"Do you understand nothing?! You were warned to stay away! You will fall by the hand of the Matriarch herself!" Yvette yells, her voice not her own. Neimi had been knocked into the bushes and off Colm's shoulder in the quick scuffle.

"Get out-" Colm begins to protest, but Yvette cuts him off with another blow to the genitals. Her knuckles warping around his junk with ferocious anger.

"Shut your mouth, idiot! You're lucky I didn't kill you outright, but I guess I'll settle for ruining you." Yvette said, releasing her vice-like grip on Colm's throat, leaving hier holding him up by nothing more than his precious family jewels.

Colm's vision became blurry and he found himself struggling to remain conscious. He heard Yvette mutter something about 'not having time' before she released her grasp on his nut sac and threw him aside. Colm fell heavily onto the ground, feeling the sharp rocks scrape at the tender flesh of his backside. He groaned loudly as pain shot through his body, making his head spin. His mind reeled as he tried to process the events that transpired only moments ago. He lay there stunned, watching as Yvette turned her attention to Colm's exposed, prostrate form.

Colm was still dazed as he stood up shakily, attempting to rub away the ache and pain in his balls. However, Yvette quickly interrupted his attempts, pushing him back down forcefully and placing her boot firmly upon his crotch. The heel of her boot pressed against his balls, leaning more on the right teste than the left. The edge of the leather heel felt like it might crack his egg in half.

"Don't move unless I tell you to, or I'll hurt you worse than I already have!" Yvette ordered sternly. Colm stared blankly back at her, unsure of what she wanted from him. He noticed that Yvette almost acted like a woman possessed, had her spell done something to her or was this the true Yvette all along? Colm swallowed roughly as his mouth dried out, the aching pains in his testicles made him nauseous.

Yvette pulled her foot back and stepped away from him, giving him a few seconds to catch his breath before she approached again. She placed one hand behind his head and held it in place while she reached up and grabbed his ponytail, pulling his face close to hers. Colm winced as the roughness of her nails dug painfully into his scalp.

"Listen carefully, Colm," Yvette commanded harshly. "You're going to fail. You're going to die. You think your destiny is to save this world? Save this city? You can't even save this girl. She is nothing but a vessel. Hahahahaha!"

He stared at Yvette, speechless. What in the hell was going on? Had Yvette become possessed? Would he have to kill Yvette to save himself? The idea sent chills down his spine, and he quickly dismissed the notion. No, there was no way that he could allow himself to be beaten here nor would he let any more harm come to his friend.

Suddenly, Neimi's voice calls out, a mixture of fear and confusion in her shaky tone. "Colm? Yvette? Please..."

This distracts Yvette, who turns away to look at Neimi with blood-red eyes and a sinister glare. In the moment she turned away, Colm held out his hand and the shadows between his hand and his dagger shrank until there were none and his grip wrapped tightly around the dagger's handle. Turning the butt end against Yvette, he slammed it against her forehead and an ethereal shadow was forcefully shunted out of Yvette's body.

"Huh? What?" Yvette started, before she realized she was herself once again. "Sorry, sorry!" Yvette apologizes, releasing Colm from her grasp and allowing him to get back to his feet. By the time he got to a standing position, the wispy dredges of the shadow had dissipated. Colm cursed under his breath but then turned to Yvette.

Colm stretches, rubbing his neck and groin gingerly as he tries to catch his breath. "Are you alright?"

"Of course," Yvette answers, looking at Colm quizzically. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Neimi pouts and scolds Yvette, tears flowing down her cheeks, "Well, I dunno, maybe because you tried to choke the life out of your best friend!"

Colm raises an eyebrow and takes a step closer to Yvette. "What do you mean? Do you not remember?"

"It happened so fast that I couldn't really stop myself. One minute I was doing the ritual to cast my illusion spell," Yvette explains, her expression turning sheepish. "the next, I'm trapped inside watching my body fight you. I'm so sorry, Colm. Please... I-"

Colm sighs deeply and shakes his head. "Don't sweat it; I forgive you. It seems that you were being possessed anyway."

"Oh thank Freyr," Neimi replies happily. "I thought she had turned against us for a minute there."

Colm laughs nervously and glances over at Yvette, who gives him a confused stare in return. He clears his throat and speaks again. "So, how exactly did you manage to pull yourself free of the possession?"

Yvette shrugs her shoulders nonchalantly. "I don't know. It was like someone came and kicked me hard in the head. When they did, it felt like some sort of switch flipped within me, freeing me from whatever hold the bastard had on me." she pauses briefly before continuing. "But if that's what it took to break its control, I'd rather not go through that again."

Colm pondered if his strike had somehow banished the shadow's possession, though he wasn't sure that type of power was within his abilities. "At least now we know why you've been acting strangely lately. If I hadn't seen it happen firsthand, I probably would have thought you were crazy."

Neimi frowns. "Yeah, well, I hope that doesn't keep happening."

"No, I'm pretty sure we're safe for now," Colm assures them, "Though, I'm sorry Yvette but, I don't think we should have you try that spell again."

Yvette nods slowly, a little sadness on her face. "Fair enough. I'm sorry I caused so much trouble. I'm a disappointment to my mission, my father, to you and Neimi, and to the people of Holgard."

Colm smiles reassuringly at her. "Hey, don't say such horrible things. You're not a disappointment and I'm not mad or anything. I actually feel better knowing that you weren't trying to deceive us. Now that I know that it was magic that's caused you to act strangely, we can push forward and find the bastards that did this to you." He placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to cheer her up.

"Thank you, Colm," Yvette responds softly, bowing her head slightly. "That means a lot."

The trio stood around with a bit of unease amongst them until Colm spoke up, "Chin up, gang. This was but a minor setback." He put his hand in the center of them, gesturing for them to do the same. "We are so close to closing the deal on this thing. Let's get in there, kick some Ebony Claw asses, then go back to our fancy ass inn room and celebrate!"

They laughed together, happy to see that everything seemed to be returning back to normal. They each nod in agreement, putting their hands in alongside Colm's. "Together." he said, which Yvette and Neimi nodded and said the phrase with him the second time. He slaps the hilt of his weapon against his leg as he prepares himself for battle. Just as they prepare themselves, the group turns around to see numerous guards surrounding their position.

"Fuck," Neimi says with a pout, her words speaking what Colm and Yvette had in mind.

At least fifteen armed guards of the Ebony Claw Syndicate had their weapons drawn and at the ready. The lieutenant of this troop stands proudly in front of them, a tall man with dark skin and a shaved head. His eyes burned red with hatred and malice.

"I must say, I am quite impressed," the man says, his voice sounding like gravel grinding against itself. "To think that you would dare to stand against me and my men. We have been searching for you for weeks now, yet somehow you managed to elude capture. But alas, it has finally ended."

His gaze shifts towards Colm, whose face only angers the lieutenant with its permanent smirk. "You piece of shit!" cursed the man as he slammed an armored fist into Colm's jaw. "What's all this smiling about?" he growled, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Colm blocked his punch with his barehand.

"You said capture, which means your plan is to take us into your hideout. Once I'm inside, well, that's when you're at your weakest." Colm's smarmy attitude was really pissing the lieutenant off but, his orders were to capture, not kill, the intruders. So, instead of killing them outright, he decided to tie them up and drag them into the compound. After all, he reasoned, he needed these three alive to question. As he watched the soldiers begin tying up Colm's friends, he wondered just what questions his higher-ups would ask them later.

As the ropes tightened around Yvette's wrists, Colm looked around to see Neimi kicking wildly at the guard who held her. "Get off me you big oaf!" she shrieked, but she was simply too small and the guard could handle her easily with one arm.

While Yvette struggled with her own bonds, Colm stood calmly beside her. "Just stay calm, Yvette," he whispered soothingly. "We will make it out of this okay."

"Yeah right," muttered Yvette sarcastically. "Why aren't you doing something? Kill these guys in an instant like you always do!"

"Trust me," he replied with a smile, "we'll be fine. Once we're inside, that's when we'll make our-"

The lieutenant walked up to Colm and shoved him backwards onto the ground with force, interrupting his pep talk for Yvette. "Hey, what was that for?" Yvette yelled at the lieutenant.

"Shut your mouth, bitch! Or else I might forget to mention there was a cute, young blue-eyed girl among the group and leave you to my boys!" the lieutenant shouted angrily, glaring at Yvette. "It's been a while since they fucked a whore to death." He paused momentarily, before adding, "Or maybe I'll just cut out your tongue first and watch you scream for mercy."

"What kind of sick fuck does that!?" Yvette screamed, her anger boiling over. In a fit of anger, she lashed out a sent her right foot careening up between the man's legs, crashing hard into his fat, ripe plums.

"Fucking cunt!" With a grunt, the lieutenant doubled over in pain, dropping Yvette's rope as he clutched his crotch and began to sink to his knees. Colm stepped forward and grabbed the lieutenant by the collar of his armor, pulling him closer.

"Do your job properly, no one gets hurt. You keep threatening, or try to hurt, my friends and things will get quite difficult. Now, for calling my friend here a horrible name, apologize and beg her to kick your impudent balls for forgiveness. Unless you want me to put my dagger through your eye." Colm told the lieutenant calmly, his guards stunned and unsure of what to do.

After a few seconds of silence, the lieutenant groveled, "I'm sorrryyy... I didn't mean it... please forgive me..."

"Good," Colm started, "go on."

The lieutenant continued to speak quietly, "I'm sorry for saying those terrible things about you. And I also apologize for hitting you earlier. That was inexcusable behavior from me and I won't ever do it again." He then turned his attention back to Colm who told him he was forgetting something. The lieutenant gulped and beads of sweat formed on his brow in fear and nervousness. "Please, miss... kick me in my stupid balls as payment for your forgiveness."

He finished speaking, his defeated tone almost made Yvette feel bad for him, and waited patiently for her response. Her face remained blank as she stared at the man with disgust, her lip curled upward. Finally, she sighed loudly and shook her head. "Fine. I accept," she said coldly, her voice dripping with venom.

With that, the lieutenant closed his eyes and braced himself for impact. Then, Yvette bent forward to allow him a peek at her cleavage before tracing a circle in the air, signaling him to turn around. "Turn around. Face your men, I want them to see what happens when you mistreat a lady. Plus, it hurts so much worse when you can't see it coming." She taunted the man, making him squirm with embarrassment and shame.

"Yes, ma'am," he responded weakly, turning away and facing his men.

"Now, let's give everyone a show."

She winked playfully at Colm before she brought her foot quickly up off the ground in a deadly snap kick aimed right for the lieutenant's unprotected testicles. She hit him dead center, sending a wave of agony throughout the entire lower half of his body. His eyes rolled back in his head and he dropped to his knees, clutching his groin in pain. He fell to the floor where he lay still, moaning and whimpering as the intense and uniquely male agony washed over him.

Neimi laughed hysterically, giggling cutely at the lieutenant's miserable fate. "Yeah! Right in his stupid balls!" She cheered, clapping along with Yvette. The guards all looked uneasy and squirmed in place at the sight of their retching leader.

Colm grinned, amused by Neimi's enthusiasm. "Well done," he complimented. "Perhaps someone else should escort us to our destination? Prisoners can't very well just show up without armed guards, y'know." But none of the guards seemed eager to step up to the task.

"How about you?" Colm suddenly asked the brute carrying Neimi. "You seem strong enough to lead this merry band of misfits. Why not escort us to our cells yourself? Unless of course, you don't have the stomach for it?" He teased.

The soldier scoffed and snorted derisively at Colm's jest, obviously not taking it seriously. Still, he didn't feel comfortable leaving his fellow soldiers behind to tend to their leader's broken ego.

"Alright, alright. It's getting late anyway," the man conceded reluctantly. He pointed to about four or five soldiers, told them to tend to the lieutenant, and took the rest as heavily-armed escort detail. "Let's get moving. You'll have to answer to the Matriarch soon. Then we'll see who's laughing." Without another word, the man marched ahead, leading the way with the haft of his spear leaning menacingly against his shoulder.