I don’t normally do a sequel for my flash fiction stories, but Tuesday’s piece really cried out for more. I mean, what would a magical duel between two non-humans look like using a billiard’s game as the battlefield? I had to know. So, I wrote this. Enjoy!
The Hunt, part 2
Jin stared across the table at the hound finished setting up the table. Everything was set. He could feel the magical energy passing from him into his pool stick. He nodded towards the wall, and she pulled a random stick from it, not even bothering to check it. She also infused her with magical energy. She had to pause for a second before doing that, though. It had been a long while since she had a magical duel, dealing with most of her targets through more… direct means lately. The hound, however, was not her target, and she didn’t need him dead. In fact, dead was bad. She needed information. And the billiards game before her was how she was going to get it.
“Straight billiards?” Jin asked, and the hound shrugged, as if it wasn’t a big deal to him.
It was to her. Straight would be an easier game for the magical duel to take place in. He waved towards the table and moved aside to let her shoot first. She took position, bent over the table and struck the cue ball. She could feel the energy leave her stick and enter the ball. When it caromed off the racked balls, she saw the energy leave the cue ball and fly to the hound. He smiled. It was a light tap, as most breaks were. Now it was his turn.
He shot a few times in a row, hitting multiple balls each time, and each time, it felt like Jin were being punched in the guts. Or in the head, once. But she could take it. She ordered a beer. Alcohol usually helped in these kinds of matches. He frowned at her, but she shook her head. They never discussed rules. Of course, that was difficult with a room full of humans watching. And they were watching. Even this early, there were humans gathering around to watch them play, drawn, though they didn’t know it, by the energy being used.
A few more round went by, and it was hard to say who was winning. Sure, she was winning the game, but the duel was pretty close. If she were honest with herself, she would admit, in fact, that she was losing. He was clearly better at these kinds of things than she was. She needed an advantage. That was when she noticed the crowd.
A few of the men were cheering her on, clearly admiring her slender form. Even some of the women were cheering her on. She had forgotten the affect elves had on humans. It was a very long time since she actively dealt with a non-magical species. She grinned wolfishly. This would be her advantage.
Before he next turn, she unzipped her hoodie and took it off. She quickly moved her hair around and magically put it in place to hide her eyes, but now she was in only jeans and a tank top. The men really took notice of her now. She shrugged her shoulders and moved back to the game. She shot a few normal shots, getting a few scores but not enough to really put him down. Then, she drew on the humans around her.
Elves, like lots of fairy races, feed off human imagination, and lust was an easy way to spark said imagination. She drew on the fantasies that the men around here were having. She used that lust to power her, and when she made her next shot, the balls not only were struck by her cue ball, but they also bounced around the table, hitting other balls as they went. She saw the hound stagger. Sweat sprang up on his fore head. She inhaled, drawing in more energy. She shot and struck more balls, causing more energy to fly to the hound. He actually grunted.
She smiled. The energy was filling her to the brim. She not only felt alive, she felt… randy. The energy from the men was turning her on. A side affect of lust induced imagination, but she wasn’t complaining. She struck again and again, each time causing more and more energy to fly to the hound and strike home. It was euphoric.
She was about to make another shot when the hound put his hand on her arm.
“Enough,” he said. “I give.”
There was an audible groan from the crowd, but she smiled. She released the energy she had stored in her, and it felt like she shrunk two inches. Still, it was easier to focus on where she was when she wasn’t on a high like that.
“Take me to see your boss,” she said.
The hound nodded, thoroughly beaten. She smiled again. Not all the lust had left her yet, and returning to the hunt was a sure way to sate it.
Woo-hoo! I liked this. Probably because i really like pool.
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