Starting a Mission
The fourteen families think it is a strange decision that I have chosen women for my forces, but my houris can be called a provisional army in any sense. Because they can be equally violent and devious, women are fundamentally different from men when they go into battle. From the beginning, they have been chosen to value life. They have proven that they are the best protectors of the Golden Path. I encourage this through their training. At times they are relieved of their routine duties. I provide them with a special sympathy that they will remember for the rest of their lives. They mature in the company of their sisters while waiting for events that are of fundamental importance. What you share in such camaraderie prepares you for greater things. The veils of nostalgia shroud the days among their sisters and make them something they were not at all. In this way, history changes: Not every contemporary lives in the same time. The past is constantly changing, but only a few notice it.
In unison, the giant women marched through the Nest toward the central pillar. Their smaller sisters run out of their way, but then they stop and gawk for all they're worth. Their murmurs sound in the cavern like the hum of a giant beehive. "Typical adult mentality. First run away from the threat, then see if anything interesting happens to somebody else."
Gogo bares her rows of teeth. "Now come on. You've got to say that's a majestic sight. And one that gives hope. Ha, our jackrabbit made it. Go ahead and admit you're impressed, Jormungand."
Koko's eyes stare at the monitor. "An murderer leading a horde of other murderers. You bet I'm impressed." Gogo glared at the engineer. "You're telling that to just the right person. But even I can't come close to your kill count." A dangerous undertone crept into her voice.
Koko folded her arms. Which always looked strange on her. "I know my entries in the Great Book very well. I wrote them in there myself."
Both girls stared at each other for a while. "Anyway. Now that Lise and her brood are finally out of the caves, we can start planning the mission."
"Good, I'll inform Beatrix and Vernita." "Make it clear to your charges that I want to see this mission run smoothly." Gogo raised a finger. "I will tell them that our master personally ordered this operation. That should be sufficient, lastling."
Koko grunted, but then nodded. "'This way, then. Let them put their backs into it. Have them stay out of the way of the young Navnsdegi." Frowning, Gogo looked Koko in the eye.
"As for that..." "Is the matter decided, Gogo. Your magisters have agreed to it. Also in the matter of Athena Stone's friend, this Nicole."
Grumbling, the janitor turned away and went downstairs to the Nest.
As usual, the humidity hit one as soon as one entered the stalactite caves. There were small and large pools of water everywhere, dripping from the walls and ceiling and evaporating just as quickly. It was warm here. Almost tropical.
Crystal undressed and climbed into one of the pools. The bite wound on her face burned, but it was a pleasant pain, she actually enjoyed it. 'And it's healing nicely, too. Shit, that was a close one. If I'd stumbled forward...' Again she had Sarah's wolf's teeth in front of her eyes.
'Was she even trying to hit me, or was that meant for Hermione? Well, never mind.' Still, a shiver chased down her spine, the instinct couldn't be turned off so easily.
She focused on the warm water again, it tasted slightly salty. Like in one of those swimming pools with brine, as a child she had always taken little sips from the basin. It had fascinated her.
With her eyes closed, she surrendered to the warmth, loosening her tense body. Listened to the dripping from the ceiling, its gentle reverberation in the cave system.
A scream broke the silence, long and urgent. But Crystal allowed herself only one of her meager smiles. She still wasn't allowed to fight, despite her success with Lise. But here in the stalactite maze, it didn't matter. Again the scream rang out to her, it sounded fuller now and was shorter. Her fine hair on her body stood up.
Crys took a deep breath, flattened herself in the warm water. Then she heard the splash of bare feet on stone, she opened one of her eyes a little. And caught sight of Mahtab leaning on the edge of the pool to examine her. Immediately the SpecOps' muscles tensed, patterns of attack and defense ran through her mind. Bonded to the ban and remembering where she was here, she suppressed the Hmm.
And stretched out her arms. The Afghan's well-shaped, nut-brown thigh swung over the edge and dipped her foot into the water. Green eyes scrutinized Crystal's naked torso, salt water beaded against skin and reflected the faint light from the lamps, throwing it back like prisms in variegated colors. "Hyena tamer." Crys stroked her bite wound. "Hardly." Mahtab's second foot also landed in the water, perched on the edge, her powerful leg muscles peeking through beneath the skin. From here, Crys could see the part of her pubic hair that hadn't been shaved off. She lowered herself into the water and eyed the mujahidaat, the curvy body, the small moles on her hips. The full breasts, which hung heavily from the Afghan and her wide, inviting lips.
In comparison, the SpeOps felt bony. She was also slightly taller than Mahtab, more sinewy by all means. Perhaps a bit more muscular, too, but the appearance could also be due to Mahtab's larger body fat percentage. Not that Crystal had been too particular about her appearance so far, but looking at Mahtab.... A stab of envy bored into her heart. Blue eyes examined green ones. And with a soft splash, the Mujahidaat slid into the pool, swimming toward Crystal. Passing between outstretched arms, their bodies pressed against each other, the blonde leaned her head back. "Hmmmmm." Sweetnes flared between her legs as their hips rubbed together on impact. Crys put her hand around Mahtab's pelvis and pulled her closer. The latter's hands in turn both wrapped around the SpecOps' small breasts and began massaging them. "You're too tense." "'You sit in the dark for hours on end, surrounded by colossi like these." "Oh, I remember. Perfectly fine, in fact."
A sound escaped the Afghan, Cry's finger darting between her butt crease and touching her perineum.
Full lips wrapped around their narrower counterparts and the women began tongue play. An urgent cry sounded to them from somewhere, both warriors gave each other a smile as they heard the sound and snuggled closer.
Another kiss followed, gentle and searching. Running her tongue over the roof of her mouth, Crys tickled the foreign oral cavity. "Chiii, hey!" "When you sneeze, it sounds like a burst squirrel."
"Haha." Their tongues entwined, wrestling each other down in a duel. From which Crys suddenly withdrew, gently biting Mahtab's lower lip.
Again the Afghan whimpered, she lunged forward with her tongue, ran it over the blonde's upper lip, sucked on it. Crystal's reaction was a butterfly kiss, she moved closer to her enemy, fluttering her eyelids and stroking her round cheek with her eyelashes. Then Mahtab suddenly broke the kiss, pushed herself off Crys, and was now leaning back against the other end of the pool. The SpecOps dove into the water and with powerful pulls she closed in on the Mujahidaat, grabbing her by the knees and pulling herself up. Her mouth pressed against Mahtab's navel, kissing and breathing over it, before she lapped at her belly. Her blonde mane was grabbed and pulled roughly upwards, Crys looked up and immediately her mouth was sealed with sensual kisses. This time it was she who felt the sneeze as the naughty tip of her tongue moved across the roof of her mouth. With the point of her own tongue, she pushed the intruder down, but the opposing muscle countered. The tips circled each other as if in wrestling, both women moaning together and breathing faster.
Nimbly, Crystal Creasey's left hand grasped the dark nipple in front of her and kneaded it between her fingers. One hand settled on her belly, stroking it from top to bottom.
Just before the destination. The blonde moaned blissfully into Mahtab's mouth.
Now they looked at each other, eyed each other closely. Mahtab embraced her opponent, pulling her close, her legs intertwined behind Crystal's lower back and their loins rubbed against each other. Again and again that sweet flare, kisses followed, hot and intimate.
"You smell so good...." "It's the pheromones." "I know, mmmmmhhhmm." Greedily, their lips lay on each other, sucking tightly. The American can feel the pleasurable moan inside Mahtab's mouth, a tear rolling down her cheek. 'So good. Oooooh, so gooood.'
Shivering down her spine, with her free hand Crys wanders down to where their loins touch. The Afghan allowed this to happen, her hand too went on a journey and at the same time they reached their objective. As their lips separate, their fingers work, glances are exchanged, signs for pleasure or discomfort are sought. But everything is as it should be.
The first finger is soon followed by a second, Crys can't help but look at the full breasts in front of her, the hard nipples poking out at her, demanding her mouth.
As she leans down, the blonde feels the Mujahidaat's chin on her head, and as Mahtab's pelvis moves forward, Crystal's lips encircle her nipple.
Her sucking is followed by pleasurable moans, Mahtab's right arm grips her hip and pulls her to herself, the other hand is also busy, Crys can feel its action more and more clearly. Back and forth, middle finger and index finger are slightly bent. The thumb was lying on the front and rubs over the knob, quite automatically Crys tilts her pelvis, towards the fingers. Of course, she herself is not idle either, she imitates Mahtab's movements below, letting the Afghan continue to make those delicate sounds. The screams start again, this time coming from further away and from a different direction. 'Hnnnn, someone's having fun.' Lips on her ear as Mahtab whispers erotically to her, Crystal licks the areola with her tongue before biting the nipple and pulling the breast towards her. Immediately the Afghan's muscles harden, Crys kisses the firm upper belly before it can relax and then moves on to the next breast.
Fingers squeezing and rubbing, the warriors feel the thunderstorm gathering inside them.
Just one more minute to go. They both know how to read the signs, Mahtab's eyelids fluttering and Crystal's breathing more compressed, they feel their partner's thighs tremble.
"Yes. Oh. Oh. Yaaaaaa!" Mahtab slaps the water with the flat of her hand, over and over, droplets speckling Crystal's back. The blonde presses her pelvis harder and harder against her fingers, licking now with her tongue over the deep cleavage, lacking concentration for tongue play.
The storm follows right after, the women holding onto each other screaming as the lightning strikes causing their limbs to vibrate.
"Apparently I'm here just in time for the showdown." The SpecOps blinks past Mahtab's ear and puts on her soldier face as she eyes Athena. "Well, just missed, I'd say." Snowball eyes the girls sitting in the tub. Then she pulls her top off her body. Her breasts are the size of her fist and bounce like fresh apples in a fruit basket; Mahtab also eyes them with some interest. "I wanted to congratulate you on a successful mission. You're the talk of the day, jackrabbit." "Really?" "Mmm. Would have been happy to be the first to offer you her congratulations, of course." Crystal and Mahtab look at each other.
"Turned out that way. Are you coming or not?" Snowball grins. "Oh, you bet I'm planning on coming." "Then hop in already, Yankee." Mahtab's voice sounds smoky. "I want to move." "Oh, you will. Ezra should be here any minute, as well." The Yezidi woman was Mahtab's personal rival, a buxom little woman full of spunk. Mahtab had met her shortly after leaving the Hyena Den, and the two had loathed each other from the first moment. And one knows where something like that leads in the end. As Athena undressed, the Afghan gently pressed Crystal against the edge of the pool and nestled against her back. Crys could feel the erect nipples against her shoulder blades and leaned her head back so Mahtab could kiss her neck.
The sight made Athena hurry a little more.
Bare feet were again heard splashing, just as the ex-CEO sat down on the edge, Ezra stepped into the chamber. Mouse-brown wavy hair, soft googly eyes and a perky kissing mouth lined with laugh lines. "What? No toys?" Athena pointed to a small bag next to the doorway. "I almost forgot about those. Will you get them now, Peacock?" Mahtab snorted, the use of utilities still a bit objectionable to her. "Americans. I don't feel you complete without plastic." But as Ezra placed the contents of the bag in front of the sink, she too became curious.
While looking at the toy collection, Ezra grabbed her by the wet hair and forced a greedy kiss on her. "You ran away from me again, honey." "Hmmpf. Nonsense. I was just warming up the water for you." With a sweep, the Afghan turned to Athena, grabbed her by the back of the knee, and pulled her into the pool with a tug. "Prrrr, hey, not so wild." Ezra laughed at the sight and tossed her clothes carelessly aside before diving headfirst into the warm water. While still flailing her legs, Athena grabbed the Yezidi by the ankles and pulled her apart.
To immediately target the rosy slit between her thighs.
"Behold the goddess of the hunt, straight as an arrow." Crystal's dry comment was barely audible under Ezra's whoops. "And just as shafty." Kissing the shell of her ear, Mahtab snuggled closer to the blonde again. "Thought Artemis was the goddess of the hunt." " You're right."
'Artemis, the huntress, she is the moon and the wild and the restless heart. Artemis knows what a wild creature you really are.' And even though Athena certainly had a very passionate streak, she was a bit closer to her namesake.
'Yes, she really is. Athena the weaver, cunning and clever. Goddess of the city, full of angles and edges. She appeals to our minds.' Tenderly, Mahtab clasped Crystal's clitoris and massaged it, together they watched the other two women's lovemaking. 'Let's see... Teri 'Liberty' stands for Artemis in our wu. Molly is also simple. Hestia, of the hearth fire and the altar flame. Universally welcome, she enters every home. Women, Hestia sees through your walls.'
Crystal shivered a little, even through the warm water and the sounds Athena and Ezra were making right now. Yes, Molly was a caliber in her own right, as unassuming as she might seem.
But once you knew her and knew WHAT exactly she did.... She was O-Ren's best student.
'Okay, moving on. Now it gets a little more complicated. Demeter. Wheat and growth. The cycle of life and death. Mothers, proverbially or literally, Demeter watches you, in the raising of your gardens. She sees your sorrow for each grain that will not ripen. That would be Emma, our yoga pants.' Feeling a little sad at the thought, she turns her head and kisses Mahtab's cheek, teeth teasing atop her neck, the play between her legs growing more urgent, as did the sounds before her.
Desire grew within her. And brought her to Carol. 'Love, lust, passion, goddess of appetite. Aphrodite feels our craving, our hunger!' And damn, what greed could Dead Sexy develop. 'And myself... Ha, at least that's Athena's opinion. But then, it's true. Kind of. Goddess of the crossroads. Of power. Of death.' "Hecate knows your might. And your fear." The muttered phrase was mercifully lost in the moans of love.
Smiling, Crystal glanced sideways at Athena, working tirelessly between Ezra's legs, the Yezidi's eyelids fluttering and her pelvis moving rhythmically. But the younger girl decided to make the matter a little more competitive. Her hands dug into Athena's mane and pulled the latter's head upward, her right hand reaching under her chin, forcing Athena to lie on her back. Startled, Snowball snorted water, Ezra took her in the choke and pulled her even higher. Until the brunette was sitting on her lap. Now her left hand slid between the latter's legs, fingers finding their target, and it was Athena's turn to make lustful noises. She reached back, but the strangling arm tightened and for now she had no choice but to let the Yezidi do as she pleased. "Gnaaaa, ah, ah, hmooo."
Crystal licked her lips. Listened while Mahtab kneaded her nipples. Explored her womanhood with her fingers.
An idea occurred to her. She bent her knees, sank deeper the basin of water (and felt Mahtab's fingers all the more clearly).
As the pleasure washed over her, her hand grabbed the elbow of that arm that was spoiling her nipples and bent it upward. Mahtab was sufficiently confused and Crys dove under the raised arm, swung behind the Afghan and clasped her hips. With a jerk, she pushed Mahtab over the edge of the pool. "Gaaah, hey damn!"
While the latter flailed her arms in startlement, Crystal pressed her face deep between Mahtab's thighs and passionately kissed all she could reach.
A deep sigh escaped the mujahidaat, she tried to push herself back into the pool with her arms, but Crystal held against it with her whole body.
She sucked and teased, twirling the end of her tongue over her clit, making the Afghan dizzy. Athena could be heard coming from further to the right, breaking Mahtab's concentration. But Crys was also distracted by the sound, as she continued to move her mouth she imagined what Ezra was about to do to her vaiki.
That's when Mahtab shifted her weight. Her left thigh pressed firmly against the SpecOps' cheek, the right pressed against her shoulder, and Crystal tipped to the side.
Mahtab was free. And had a riffled dildo in her hand.
Immediately Crys pushed away, her hands going to defensive positions. The dildo in her fist grip Mahtab swung to the side and dived under, Crys looked frantically at the water, through the waves she saw only poorly where the Afghan was. But she guessed her destination. There, a movement. Her knee went forward, protecting her womanhood. But Mahtab grabbed the proffered shin and swung around on it, getting into the blonde's flank. With one slide, she pushed the dildo into the cute anus. Immediately Crystal shrieked out, that really hurt.
She turned and tried to shake off the mujahidaat, but she simply wouldn't let go. The dildo was moved back and forth, delights replaced the pain and Crys got weak kneed.
"Ooooooh, you biiiiiiitch!" "What was that again?" "Gnaaaaaaah!" Crystal could feel the nubs on the thing. Her enemy was behind her, one hand wrapped around her thigh, her legs clutching her calf. And the dildo hand was moving back and forth.
Wild shivers chased down the blonde's spine, she reached behind her but just couldn't get a grip on Mahtab.
After the climax, Athena was especially sensitive. She screamed shrilly as fingers squeezed her clit, teeth nibbling her neck. Another peak was approaching.
Growling, she suppressed her desire, grabbed Ezra's wrist with both hands and lifted her shoulder. Breaking the choke, she rolled along Esra's ample chest and pressed her feet against the firm belly. Thus she managed to get distance between herself and the Yezidi.
Rolling on her back, she fled from Ezra, who quickly recovered and went on the attack again.
But Athena was fortunate, she reached the edge of the basin and grabbed the very first thing she could reach for. A magic wand vibrator. The large head buzzed instantly, she swung around and Ezra immediately broke off the attack. Her eyes examined the device, then Athena. Who, confident of victory, put on her devilish grin and swam towards the Yezidi. Of course, Ezra tried to build up distance, but the brunette was surprisingly fast in the water. In no time Athena had reached her and swung the sex toy upward.
The younger woman felt its vibrations. And threw her hips around, her knee hit Athena's hand and the Magic Wand floated in the water. Both eyed each other, gazing at the pink thing floating between them. Simultaneously, they threw themselves forward.
Ezra was fast. Athena was faster. She grabbed the toy and hooked her leg under the calf of the Yezidi. She fell headfirst into the water, her counterpart wrapped her thighs around the back of her knees and pressed the twitching head of her weapon against Ezra's clit.
At first she was able to hold on. But then a scream rang from her mouth and she struggled with her arms to catch her breath on the surface. Athena's situation was similar, she too was rowing upwards with one arm, but the other was still extremely busy. Her rubbing with the staff produced rather funny noises in Ezra, bravely the Yezidi grabbed the edge of the pool and pulled herself up by it. Athena tightened her grip around her knees and pressed the head on a little tighter. "Muuaaaaaah!" As if that wasn't enough, the fingers of Athena's free hand now followed suit, Ezra moaned louder and kicked her feet in the water, making the drops splash in the brunette's face. "hahaha, how do you like that?" "Haaaaaaa!" "Hahaha. Cute thing."
Incensed at the belittlement, Ezra clamped her calf against the older woman's shoulder and pulled her toward her. "Ah, shit." Now the vibrator head was wedged between them. "Raaaaa, shiiihiiit."
Laughing, Ezra gripped the rim tighter and also took her second calf to help, now Athena couldn't swim away sideways. "Hnnnaaaa, y-you could, aaaaah, let go of that thing."
But the brunette didn't want to pull the Toy away, she finally had the upper hand by letting her fingers do more tricks. The Yezidi couldn't think of a way to defend herself at first, she clawed her nails into the stone and gave herself over completely to the pleasures.
"Brrrrr, good girl." Together they drifted toward the storm.
Again and again the dildo poked. Another climax was brewing inside Crystal, adamantly she held it back, reaching behind her again and again. But her opponent was slick, dodging every move. Her half Bear Hug was really good. And if Crys was honest, so was her handling of the toy. With her face pressed between the blonde's shoulder blades, the Afghan was well protected against every blow, and she twisted and bent the dildo back and forth in Crystal's anus. The woman thus tormented gasped loudly, but again she threw her arms behind her in despair.
Again she missed. Mahtab laughed gleefully. The SpecOps hooked her left leg under her attacker's knee, bringing them both down. But since they were standing in belly-deep water, this earned Crystal nothing but wet hair. Still Mahtab was behind her back, her legs tangled together, her right arm ironclad around her waist. Although the Afghan's face was completely below the surface of the water, to get air she merely had to stomp one leg against the ground and both women rolled three hundred and sixty degrees. Crystal was off balance, feeling the toy's ridged surface rubbing against her G-spot. With all her might she roared into the water, hopefully her shriek of orgasm was lost in the general commotion. Again Mahtab kicked her legs and Crys came to the surface, sucking her lungs full of air. "What were those bubbles that just came up?" "You voluptuous bitch!" Laughing, Mahtab pushed the dildo into the blonde.
All the way in.
Now Crys had had enough, though. She could brace herself against the floor, too, damn it.
She leaned back, pressed her heels against the stone and pushed off with all her might, Mahtab slammed back first against the edge of the pool and groaned. Now, finally, Crys was able to reach under the arm clutching her and release it. She lifted it up, slid her hand past her opponent's armpit and got a grip on her neck. A twist to the right, Mahtab lost her balance and was submerged underwater. To be pulled up again, she snorted violently and flailed. Crys pressed her forearm against the larynx and again pushed Mahtab against the edge. And guided the dildo between her expectantly opened labia. "Mmmmaaaa." "Well, do you like your own medicine?" The Afghan grabbed the mop of her hair and pulled Crystal to herself. Greedy kisses followed, aided by Crystal's vaginal massage, it wasn't too long before Mahtab threw her head back and screamed at the ceiling. Her limbs shook violently, water swirling. Satisfied, Crystal pressed herself closer to her enemy, covering the proffered neck with caresses. Two hands grabbed her buttocks and pulled her lower body closer, Crys angled the dildo anew, increasing its speed. Her other hand tenderly searched for Mahtab's clit and, once found, kneaded it without stopping. As the Afghan climaxed once more, Crys snuggled as close as she could, wanting to feel every twitch of the tanned body.
"Hmmm, nice." "Hihi. Yes, it was." Ezra grunted and stroked Mahtab's head; Athena had joined Crystal. All four women were not a hand's width apart.
"What do you mean 'was'? I was just catching my breath, we'll get right back to it."
Athena laughed and brushed her wet hair out of her face. "Peacock, you silly brute."
"So what? I just still feel in the mood." This was followed by approving murmurs, fingers intertwining and mischievous kisses. "Say, Mahtab. Why haven't you chosen a nickname for yourself yet?" Stumped, the Afghan looked at Crystal.
"Now tell me, why not?" "I didn't know I could choose it myself."
"Really now? What nonsense." "Seriously. I thought one of you would lend it to me." The women surrounding her glared at each other. "Okay. If you want..." They reached an agreement after some discussion.
"Israfil? Eh, pretty lofty, isn't it?"
"But it fits." Ezra put her face between Mahtab's breasts and took a deep breath. Athena and Crystal were also in each other's arms and the four of them spent the whole day in the warm grotto.
An arrow flew past Alteria's shoulder and struck one of her Valkyria warriors right in the eye. Cursing, the commander raised her shield, another volley of arrows flew in, and to her right and left the women were grunting and screaming. "Steady! Steady!" Another volley, Alteria gritted her teeth and looked down the mountain pass. A host full of Sheikah filled the Valley, thousands of dark-skinned sluts from the rival kingdom of the Great Sands. Thousands of enemies, with only one goal. To take the mountain fortress.
'Never!' Her auburn mane fluttering in the gust of wind, Altaria cursed herself for not braiding it neatly under her helmet, but she had not had time.
Her annoyance turned into a wicked grin when she noticed movement above the rocky passages. "Stupid sand cunts. Right in the trap." Another volley of arrows, bravely the female soldiers held their ground, even though some among them had been seriously wounded or even fatally shot. "Steady!" A flag was waved from above. The agreed signal.
"Steady! NOW!" Rumbling sounded, softly at first, then incredibly loud. Screams from the Sheikah's side as women-sized rocks rolled down and the first archers were crushed beneath them. The enemy's lines wavered and the Valkyria charged forward.
At the same time, the archers on the rocky passages also opened fire, and the startled Sheikah went down like wheat before the scythe. Roaring, their fair-skinned adversaries leapt into the breach, swords lowered and blood spurted.
Alteria roared, gave in to her bloodlust, and rushed into the thickest carnage with her personal bodyguard. In front of her, two young women grabbed each other by the hair and plunged blades into each other's bellies before drowning in the general tumult. 'Stupid. The art of war was not to die for one's country. But to let the other die.'
Her sword described an arc and severed an attacker's hand from her arm, howling as the dark-skinned woman held her stump before Altaria split her heart in two.
More screams from the Sheikah army, bodies riddled with arrows lay between the fighting women, the archers did a good job. The commander was proud of them.
With her shield she pushed a woman across the helmet, before the girl could rebalance herself, the sword plunged and the lass grabbed her neck. She drowned in her own blood.
Hooting and hollering on the part of the Valkyrs, full of confidence of victory, they advanced, hacking and stabbing. A red-haired fighter raised her spear in greeting to the commander. And was hit by a thrown pilus, right in the chest. "Stupid brat!" screeched Alteria, looking in the direction of the throw. The Sheikah had regrouped and formed a shield wall, behind them several of them set about preparing throwing spears. "Archers! What are you waiting for?" But no volley came, and the infantry's advance came to a halt under a barrage of heavy pili. Fainting with rage, the commander watched as rows and rows of female soldiers from her garrison were impaled in full charge. Where were the damn archers? Alteria looked up at the pass. And startled, the archers were locked in dogged hand-to-hand combat. Several extremely agile commando units had scaled the rock walls and surprised the long-range fighters! One could clearly see the scuffle, bronze armor of the desert dwellers flashing between the gray armor of their enemies.
An archer held her slashed body, her guts dangling from her. Her conqueror stood behind her and kicked the poor girl down into the valley. Now Alteria howled with hatred, the inglorious spectacle spurring her on to tremendous feats.
Adrenaline overcame her, she signaled her bodyguard and together they charged toward the shield wall. Stepping over the still twitching bodies of friend and foe alike, their own shields raised high. More throwing spears, they pierced the shields, making them too heavy to deal with reasonably. But it didn't matter, the squad had reached the rampart and the shields only interfered from here on anyway. Full of scorn for death, the Valkyrs leapt over the defenses of their hated enemies and brandished their weapons.
Surprised by the suicidal attack, the line of the Sheikah wavered again and their opponents seized the moment.
Like a flood, the Valkyrs poured over the sand warriors. All order was forgotten as swords clashed against each other, hoarse screams rang out. The smell of blood was everywhere.
Alteria basked in the carnage. One of her subordinates sank her axe into the shoulder of an enemy officer, the woman yelped and swung her weapon as if out of her mind, catching the Valkyre on the nose and chopping off a piece of it. The second axe blow split the Sheikah's ribcage and she fell. With a bleeding face, the Valkyre performed the death salute and looked for her next opponent.
On the passes the slaughter continued as well, three archers had formed a triangle and were fending off the assassins striking at them. A Sheikah clad in dark bronze attacked with two long knives, the desperately defending archer deflected one attack with the small round shield on her forearm, the second knife with her short sword. But the defense slipped and the back of her hand was sabered, the Valkyre whimpered and the Assassin bared her teeth.
She described an upward arc with her right blade and cut the archer's cheek. Her comrades desperately fought back against the attackers, but the girl at the left found time to stand beside her wounded sister. As the assassin set another blow, the graceful woman shot forward and stabbed at the thigh of the Sheikah, furious, the latter retreated. To advance again, a feint right, the left blade dug into the ribs of the wounded archer. Her end had come. Knowing that her enemies would now have the upper hand, the girl gathered her last strength and grabbed at her assassin, pushing forward. Friend and foe cried out in surprise, her sister screaming her name. Together with the assassin, the dying girl threw herself off the cliff.
Valkyrien and Sheikah looked after the falling ones. Then they turned on each other again, suppressing their grief and turning it into anger. All four were to meet their deaths today.
Elsewhere, too, the archers fought with all their fierceness, their opponents pouring in on them, the valkyrie settling into the mountain tunnels. Together they fought and died in the darkness, assassins strode over their fallen whose entrails covered the tunnel floors, their windy opponents roaring their hatred at them. Before they reached for each other's throats, gurgles torn open, from throwing stars or knives, one Assassin threw her dagger into a blonde's eye and let out a howl of joy before realizing the sting in her abdomen. With a mixture of fear and disappointment, she looked at the quivering arrow sticking out of her and fell forward.
More Sheikah advanced, quickly closing in on the shooters, and before they could let loose another hail, the exotic women fell upon them, hacking them to pieces.
When the bloody work was done, the Sheikah advanced. But their progress was slow, the tunnel system was a labyrinth and ambushes lurked everywhere.
In order to fight more effectively, the Assassins split up. This way, they could no longer be struck down in large numbers by the bows, but they also gave up combat power.
Duels in the darkness, a female archer threw aside her shield and drew her gladius, she shouted an insult to an enemy and waved her free hand. The challenge was accepted, the Sheikah gripped her scimitar tighter and saluted her opponent with her blade raised. The salute was returned and the fight began.
They circled each other, going back and forth before throwing their swords at each other.
A measure of physical strength, both women weighed perhaps sixty kilos at most, their thin arms straining with all their might. The archer kicked, a stomp kick against her enemy's knee. The Sheikah cried out and stooped, and the gladius severed her ear, sending her reeling. Blindly she lashed out, cutting into the light-skinned one's leg, but not deep enough. The archer rammed the tip of the blade into her thorax.
Gasping, the assassin looked up, looked her slayer in the eye, and nodded in acknowledgement.
The Valkyre performed the death salute and leaned against the stone wall, breathing heavily.
While the cut may not have been deep, it still hindered her movements.
Two assassins came around the corner and stopped in front of the wounded woman.
A dejected smile flitted across the floor gunner's face, then she raised her weapon. She would not sell her life cheaply.
"Go on, finish them off!" Alteria's words were followed by action, the Valkyries living up to their name, sending Sheikah after Sheikah to their bloody doom. The commander's heavy guard remained at her side, twenty sworn warrior women, determined to do all they could.
Together they charged the increasingly desperate attackers, their heavy weapons tearing great gaps in the ranks of Sheikah, a dark-skinned axe-bearer held her face screaming, the blow of a guard had taken her sight.
There was no time for a coup de grace, Altaria plunged the blade into her leg tendon and set off in pursuit of the enemy commander. 'Besides, I need prisoners, too. I want to know how they found out about the entrances to the cave system.'
She cross-cut her sword, opened the throat of an enemy guardswoman, and at last she was face to face with her adversary.
The Sheikah commander was bleeding from the shoulder, but she was fit to fight. Excellent.
"Disgusting sand cunt, your end is near." But the Sheikah only laughed strained and raised her falx. "Milkskin, I'll make a quiver for my arrows out of your pretty face."
Alteria howled belligerently and shot toward her rival. The Falx described a diagonal sweep, but the Valkyre dove from under it and swung her sword, driving the Sheikah back.
But the latter attacked right again, her long weapon biting viciously, Altaria feeling blood running down her side. Her own blow came instantly, severing a finger from the other commander's hand. Both staggered as the pain reached them. But the look they exchanged made them gather themselves again and the fight continued.
Steel clashed with steel, both women pressed their weapons against each other, their faces inches apart. "Who are you?" the Valkyre hissed.
Growling, the Sheikah gave reply. "Tell your ancestors that Aiza from the dunes send you to them, Impaler." Alteria hissed. She hated her nickname, even if it was not undeserved. She used to show no mercy to prisoners, didn't expect any herself.
There was only victory or death for her.
'Aiza. The name is familiar.' A high-ranking noblewoman, guardian of the Nuweiba oasis.
A worthy opponent. They disengaged from each other and placed feints, Aiza attacking the lower body of the Valkyre and almost hitting her. But Alteria was more agile, her blade lighter. She cut into the Sheikah's cheek and from there into her right eye, Aiza roared gut-wrenchingly.
But her heart had long sealed Alteria, her blade came in a low attack and sliced the dark beauty's leg in front of her, Aiza fell to the ground clutching her wounds.
A kick to the head silenced her.
'Her stubbornness is truly impressive,' Alteria thought as she looked down at Aiza's sweat-covered body. The Sheikah commander was sitting on a chair, one bandage covering her eye socket, a second one her leg wound.
Actually unnecessary, because her body displayed numerous new wounds in the meantime.
On her left hand, for example, she no longer had a single fingernail; they had all been torn out one by one in the course of the interrogation and were lying all around on the floor.
But still Aiza's will was not broken. So the torturer grabbed the hot iron and held it in front of the Sheikah's face. Alteria leaned forward.
"Last chance. I want to know where you got your information about these caves. We'll find out anyway, so save yourself the suffering and we'll send you to your goddess quickly."
"Hchhrrrr, filthy whore. I will never betray my queen."
The Valkyrie straightened up again and nodded to the torturer. Scalding hot steel was pressed against Aiza's left breast, the commander yelping in agony. For a good half minute. Then the torment tool was withdrawn and the Sheikah sank down.
Once again Alteria knelt before her enemy and spoke. "Give up at last. Your bravery is futile. Either you talk. Or we'll take on your female soldiers, one by one. Eventually, someone will speak. You can save them and yourself a lot of suffering if you cooperate." Only gasps came in response. Alteria rose and nodded to the torturer.
Soon the smell of burning flesh rose, the Sheikah screaming to the ceiling.
Her screams were the only sound in the chamber for the next few minutes.
Suddenly, there was a pounding at the door. Annoyed at the interruption, Alteria turned to the entering aide. "This had better be important." "Mistress, we are under attack."
Immediately, the Valkyrie grabbed Aiza's face. "Reinforcements? A rescue mission?"
"Mistress! The attackers are coming from the depths. Below the mountain." "What?" That someone had dug through the mountain to storm their fortress.... a silly concept.
Cursing, the commander picked herself up and stormed out of the chamber.
A guard flew past her and smashed into the wall with deadly force. Immediately, Alteria reached for her weapon and spun to her left. Her hand paused on the hilt of her sword. She blinked.
Before her, a wall of flesh battled five of her finest warriors.
A Valkyre swung her sword against a monstrously muscular arm, the blade cutting into the skin but was repelled by the muscles beneath. A hand as large as a head grabbed the soldier's face and squeezed. Bones cracked and painful shrieks rang out, not unlike the agonized screams of a torture victim.
The female giant, who had seized the Valkyre, swung her victim like a mace, wiping the other women aside. A leg thrust forward, the low kick shattered a guard's hip, the ensuing hammer fist crushed the fontanel. Soldiers hacked at the monster with their weapons, but it backed away. Altera's mouth was dry.
Nothing that size should be able to move like this!
Yet the huge woman did just that, her brown curls bobbing as she threw herself to the side. Her bare foot went up, a side kick followed which shattered the affected warrior's ribcage. Instead of a plan of attack, escape routes now came to the commander's mind.
She turned around, the aide already storming down the corridor to the right. Alteria followed her, interrogation forgotten. 'Damn, what was that?'
Even as she thought this, she heard the clang of weapons. Ahead of her was the guardroom, manned by twenty of her best men. Seven of them were already dead, slaughtered by the two women who spun like whirls.
One was so blond she could easily have passed for a Valkyre, the other was a deep ebony color. Both of them strode side by side across the room, the blonde holding a long, curved sword in her hands, reminiscent of the weapons of the Oneigesha.
Her companion held only two small knives in her hands. However, both did not provide the guards with a fight. They performed a dance of death!
With her knives, the dark-skinned woman jumped between three warriors, her hands twitching so quickly that Alteira did not even see if they were moving at all. Only the collapse of her female soldiers provided a clue as to what had happened.
Blondie was not a whit slower, her attacks slicing through the guarding women like butter.
Just a moment ago, a Valkyre stood in front of her with her sword raised, and suddenly the soldier was missing both arms. Then the head. Before the next guard could even comprehend what was happening to her, she was split from head to toe. Her halves landed on the ground as bloody mud.
Bravely, the adjutant stood in the way of the two strangers to buy time for her beloved commander. Alteria fled, but soon after she heard the screams.
Where was she supposed to go?
In growing panic she rushed back, from everywhere she heard shouts and roars, the sounds of the dying echoed from the fortress walls.
She saw the giant monster grabbing a guard and smashing her against her knee, the valkyre's spine snapped like a twig. Alteira had seen enough. Apparently there was only one way out of this. With huge strides, she rushed into the torture chamber and threw the door shut, grabbing her sword and holding it to Aiza's throat.
Giving quick commands to the tormentor, immediately the sheikah was cut loose.
"Okay, you have one last mission ahead of you. You're going to be my pawn, damn it." That's when the dungeon door was ripped off its hinges.
Tight as the door frame was, neither it nor the surrounding rock stood a chance against her physical strength, both shattering under her effort and making way for her.
With a heavy step, Lise was in the room. Her nostrils flared, the smell of fear and blood flooding her mind.
Immediately she knew where she was. Vernita and Beatrix had prepared her for this, but it was still a shock. She saw the knives. The other tools. The chair. A small part of her reminded her that her two viper sisters were nearby, stoic, sublime and beautiful. Knowing they were both with her gave her support against the tide of emotions that roiled within the hyena. At first, her gaze lingered on the torture mistress. Lise knew immediately what kind of person the woman was. Clearly she remembered the handsome, retarded Frenchman. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Her eyes captured the battered woman, who was apparently being held hostage. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Saw the bleeding fingers, the torn out nails on the ground. BOOM BOOM BOOM. Her heart pounded.
So wildly that her venous muscle pumps turned on, even her stomach contracted to support the work of the central heart. Her muscles jumped out, like steel cables.
There was a flaming in her toenails, a painful tugging.
The torturer went flying, her back hitting the tool bench where it broke in two, a rib piercing her lung. Slowly the Valkyre choked on her own blood.
With a pounding heart, Lise turned to the other two women. The short sword pressed firmly against the prisoner's neck, she lifted her eyelids and looked at the hyena, startled. Apparently unsure if she was hallucinating. Burns covered her body.
BOOM BOOM BOOM. Lise's hand jerked forward and twisted the woman's head abruptly, her cervical spine cracking with a dry sound. The hostage-taker, now stripped of her shield, stepped back and bounced against the torture chair. She ungallantly fell with her butt on the seat. And stared upward into Lise's doe eyes, big as soup plates.
BOOM BOOM BOOM. The hyena blinked for a moment. Immediately the little warrior stood up and threw her sword forward into Lise's belly. The muscles didn't even contract, but the sword was still deflected to the side and the Valkyre was within reach.
Pulled up by the shoulders, she screamed and kicked, grabbing at the giant brunette's arms in a blind attempt to escape. BOOM BOOM BOOM.
Again the memories, dark and wild. Lise too had been trained in 'enhanced interrogation techniques'. BOOM BOOM BOOM. Again there was a tug in her toenails, again she felt the breath of the dim-witted Frenchman on her skin, the looks of the man standing next to him, saw the red bandage with the swastika.
BUMMBUMMBUMMBUMMBUMMBUMMBUMMBUMMBUMMBUMMBUMMBUM.
Other memories came flooding back to her. Confusion when she had first awakened in the Oldest House. The shrieks and laughter of her sisters, moans of love. The familiar smell of meat with rice. The comforting darkness of the burrows, the presence of the other hyenas.
'It was Irma from whom we got our name.' She was the first to set down into the darkness. The first who could not stand the light and the warmth and the carefree laughter of the other women. The hyena of Auschwitz had stormed into the darkness, fleeing from the memories of the horror for which she was responsible.
'And we followed her. We too wanted to forget.' BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM.
Again Lise felt the tugging at her arms, she opened her eyes and looked down at the little woman in front of her, who was violently rowing her legs. Her eyes started to pop out of her head.
'I wonder if she realizes what she is doing here.' The thought came to Lise so suddenly, she had to close her eyes to protect herself from the flood of emotions.
'Does she comprehend what she's really doing here? What it's costing her?' BOOM BOOM BOOM. Lise comprehended.
She had seen. What it meant, what it took. To beat people in small rooms.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM.
'Enough of that!'
Her body tensed. The memories came crashing down on her, and this time the hyena didn't fight them. She let it all come over her, the pain and the fear.
The guilt. Of the things not written about her in the history books.
She accepted those things. Looked at the helpless girl in her grip.
Her hand slipped under the Valkyre's chin and with a jerk, Odette Sansom, code name Lise, ripped the commander's head from her shoulders.
Sensual scent settled around her nose. Lise inhaled it deeply as she looked down on the small clearing where her wu had set up camp. The fortress possessed a well-stocked larder, and the hyenas had taken as much of it as they could carry. Which was a lot.
Fires blazed merrily, the huge cauldron between the flames spreading the fragrance of its contents.
Hermione was taking her fourth helping, remnants of the soup clinging to her cheek. Sarah bent down and lovingly licked the affected area clean, Hermione closed her eye to protect it from the wet tongue and eagerly made her way over her bowl. At which she splashed herself again, and Miss Aaronsohn resumed working with her tongue.
Sighing, Alime gazed into the flames in front of her, the Crimean Tatar already full and looking as if she would fall asleep at any moment.
Next to her lay Cheng and Yoshiko, both making tender love in the glow of the flames, their soft sounds having a calming effect on the other women. Majda rummaged in the bags for more ingredients to throw into the cauldron, the role as cook seemed to appeal to her.
Once again, emotions welled up in Lise.
The three Hyena-wus had done a good job, the fortress was theirs and would serve as a base for the sisterhood in this strange world.
Twenty sisters, eighteen hyenas and two vipers, against a thousand entrenched female soldiers. 'And we did not fail. Did not lose ourselves in the frenzy.'
Again the flood of emotions as she gazed at the scene before her. Looked at the faces of the giantesses and saw in them something that she herself had long thought lost from herself.
But now it seemed to fill her up completely.
Honest, sincere pride.
With a leap Odette jumped down and joined her wub in feasting.
Even in the center of the Nest, the roar could be heard as five hundred youths strode in close formation across the threshold. The sisterhood was in turmoil, women gathered from all over, fights and love games were interrupted to witness the march of the Navnsdegi.
The young Suruvali proudly held their exquisitely crafted work tools, from simple picks to shovels, hammers and saws. But as simple as the tools seemed, in the hands of the apprentices, great things would be created with them.
Older foremen strode in the center of the crowd, the aura of calm and authority they exuded clearly setting them apart from their younger siblings.
That and their altered physiques. Black eyes and three-row dentures on the craftsmen, four arms on the engineers. Mossy white hair on the magisters who would organize the work on the new levels of the structure. Murmuring, the women gazed at the spectacle as the army of order passed them by. Then the Navnsdegi began to sing.
Go to fight at the World Stone
Drive the watchers from the Keep
Save the maids bound in shadows
Face the demons of the deep
Their song rolled over the adults, humming and deep, vibrating in the belly.
Go to fight at the World Stone
Drive the watchers from the Keep
Save the maids bound in shadows
Face the demons of the deep
The Master summons one of every race
To save the daughters fallen from grace
The neverborn have bound them in sleep
In the dark beneath World Stone Keep
Go to fight at the World Stone
Drive the watchers from the Keep
Save the maids bound in shadows
Face the demons of the deep
Make again the Stone a haven
Cleanse the sins of women past
Claim the Chalice of Aedestra
Now the dawn shall come at last
The women bowed down, some bawled, others clapped.
For the heroes darkness grows forever deep
Underneath the catacombs of Worldstone Keep
Where the two of the deadliest pass through the Gate
To vanquish now the fallen who where lost to their fates
And the strange, the hid-den, the uncho-sen women,
Battle demons on stones where the world once began,
The great design in peril, twenty fight for all life,
In the torturers lair where the blood stains the knife.
The women now clapped their hands in time, while the army of workers moved below them.
Go to fight at the World Stone
Drive the watchers from the Keep
Save the maids bound in shadows
Face the demons of the deep
Twenty in the Keep, Death in the Deep
And the heroines daggers fly at the enemies blazing eye,
The wolf cuts through the great watchers to claim the chalice of life
The beast with brother axes and the one with fists so rude
Descend into the dungeons where the winged-helmed monsters brood
With a pounding heart, Lise turned to the other two women. The short sword pressed firmly against the prisoner's neck, she lifted her eyelids and looked at the hyena, startled. Apparently unsure if she was hallucinating. Burns covered her body.
BOOM BOOM BOOM. Lise's hand jerked forward and twisted the woman's head abruptly, her cervical spine cracking with a dry sound. The hostage-taker, now stripped of her shield, stepped back and bounced against the torture chair. She ungallantly fell with her butt on the seat. And stared upward into Lise's doe eyes, big as soup plates.
BOOM BOOM BOOM. The hyena blinked for a moment. Immediately the little warrior stood up and threw her sword forward into Lise's belly. The muscles didn't even contract, but the sword was still deflected to the side and the Valkyre was within reach.
Pulled up by the shoulders, she screamed and kicked, grabbing at the giant brunette's arms in a blind attempt to escape. BOOM BOOM BOOM.
Again the memories, dark and wild. Lise too had been trained in 'enhanced interrogation techniques'. BOOM BOOM BOOM. Again there was a tug in her toenails, again she felt the breath of the dim-witted Frenchman on her skin, the looks of the man standing next to him, saw the red bandage with the swastika.
BUMMBUMMBUMMBUMMBUMMBUMMBUMMBUMMBUMMBUMMBUMMBUM.
Other memories came flooding back to her. Confusion when she had first awakened in the Oldest House. The shrieks and laughter of her sisters, moans of love. The familiar smell of meat with rice. The comforting darkness of the burrows, the presence of the other hyenas.
'It was Irma from whom we got our name.' She was the first to set down into the darkness. The first who could not stand the light and the warmth and the carefree laughter of the other women. The hyena of Auschwitz had stormed into the darkness, fleeing from the memories of the horror for which she was responsible.
'And we followed her. We too wanted to forget.' BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM.
Again Lise felt the tugging at her arms, she opened her eyes and looked down at the little woman in front of her, who was violently rowing her legs. Her eyes started to pop out of her head.
'I wonder if she realizes what she is doing here.' The thought came to Lise so suddenly, she had to close her eyes to protect herself from the flood of emotions.
'Does she comprehend what she's really doing here? What it's costing her?' BOOM BOOM BOOM. Lise comprehended.
She had seen. What it meant, what it took. To beat people in small rooms.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM.
'Enough of that!'
Her body tensed. The memories came crashing down on her, and this time the hyena didn't fight them. She let it all come over her, the pain and the fear.
The guilt. Of the things not written about her in the history books.
She accepted those things. Looked at the helpless girl in her grip.
Her hand slipped under the Valkyre's chin and with a jerk, Odette Sansom, code name Lise, ripped the commander's head from her shoulders.
Sensual scent settled around her nose. Lise inhaled it deeply as she looked down on the small clearing where her wu had set up camp. The fortress possessed a well-stocked larder, and the hyenas had taken as much of it as they could carry. Which was a lot.
Fires blazed merrily, the huge cauldron between the flames spreading the fragrance of its contents.
Hermione was taking her fourth helping, remnants of the soup clinging to her cheek. Sarah bent down and lovingly licked the affected area clean, Hermione closed her eye to protect it from the wet tongue and eagerly made her way over her bowl. At which she splashed herself again, and Miss Aaronsohn resumed working with her tongue.
Sighing, Alime gazed into the flames in front of her, the Crimean Tatar already full and looking as if she would fall asleep at any moment.
Next to her lay Cheng and Yoshiko, both making tender love in the glow of the flames, their soft sounds having a calming effect on the other women. Majda rummaged in the bags for more ingredients to throw into the cauldron, the role as cook seemed to appeal to her.
Once again, emotions welled up in Lise.
The three Hyena-wus had done a good job, the fortress was theirs and would serve as a base for the sisterhood in this strange world.
Twenty sisters, eighteen hyenas and two vipers, against a thousand entrenched female soldiers. 'And we did not fail. Did not lose ourselves in the frenzy.'
Again the flood of emotions as she gazed at the scene before her. Looked at the faces of the giantesses and saw in them something that she herself had long thought lost from herself.
But now it seemed to fill her up completely.
Honest, sincere pride.
With a leap Odette jumped down and joined her wub in feasting.
Even in the center of the Nest, the roar could be heard as five hundred youths strode in close formation across the threshold. The sisterhood was in turmoil, women gathered from all over, fights and love games were interrupted to witness the march of the Navnsdegi.
The young Suruvali proudly held their exquisitely crafted work tools, from simple picks to shovels, hammers and saws. But as simple as the tools seemed, in the hands of the apprentices, great things would be created with them.
Older foremen strode in the center of the crowd, the aura of calm and authority they exuded clearly setting them apart from their younger siblings.
That and their altered physiques. Black eyes and three-row dentures on the craftsmen, four arms on the engineers. Mossy white hair on the magisters who would organize the work on the new levels of the structure. Murmuring, the women gazed at the spectacle as the army of order passed them by. Then the Navnsdegi began to sing.
Go to fight at the World Stone
Drive the watchers from the Keep
Save the maids bound in shadows
Face the demons of the deep
Their song rolled over the adults, humming and deep, vibrating in the belly.
Go to fight at the World Stone
Drive the watchers from the Keep
Save the maids bound in shadows
Face the demons of the deep
The Master summons one of every race
To save the daughters fallen from grace
The neverborn have bound them in sleep
In the dark beneath World Stone Keep
Go to fight at the World Stone
Drive the watchers from the Keep
Save the maids bound in shadows
Face the demons of the deep
Make again the Stone a haven
Cleanse the sins of women past
Claim the Chalice of Aedestra
Now the dawn shall come at last
The women bowed down, some bawled, others clapped.
For the heroes darkness grows forever deep
Underneath the catacombs of Worldstone Keep
Where the two of the deadliest pass through the Gate
To vanquish now the fallen who where lost to their fates
And the strange, the hid-den, the uncho-sen women,
Battle demons on stones where the world once began,
The great design in peril, twenty fight for all life,
In the torturers lair where the blood stains the knife.
The women now clapped their hands in time, while the army of workers moved below them.
Go to fight at the World Stone
Drive the watchers from the Keep
Save the maids bound in shadows
Face the demons of the deep
Twenty in the Keep, Death in the Deep
And the heroines daggers fly at the enemies blazing eye,
The wolf cuts through the great watchers to claim the chalice of life
The beast with brother axes and the one with fists so rude
Descend into the dungeons where the winged-helmed monsters brood
With a pounding heart, Lise turned to the other two women. The short sword pressed firmly against the prisoner's neck, she lifted her eyelids and looked at the hyena, startled. Apparently unsure if she was hallucinating. Burns covered her body.
BOOM BOOM BOOM. Lise's hand jerked forward and twisted the woman's head abruptly, her cervical spine cracking with a dry sound. The hostage-taker, now stripped of her shield, stepped back and bounced against the torture chair. She ungallantly fell with her butt on the seat. And stared upward into Lise's doe eyes, big as soup plates.
BOOM BOOM BOOM. The hyena blinked for a moment. Immediately the little warrior stood up and threw her sword forward into Lise's belly. The muscles didn't even contract, but the sword was still deflected to the side and the Valkyre was within reach.
Pulled up by the shoulders, she screamed and kicked, grabbing at the giant brunette's arms in a blind attempt to escape. BOOM BOOM BOOM.
Again the memories, dark and wild. Lise too had been trained in 'enhanced interrogation techniques'. BOOM BOOM BOOM. Again there was a tug in her toenails, again she felt the breath of the dim-witted Frenchman on her skin, the looks of the man standing next to him, saw the red bandage with the swastika.
BUMMBUMMBUMMBUMMBUMMBUMMBUMMBUMMBUMMBUMMBUMMBUM.
Other memories came flooding back to her. Confusion when she had first awakened in the Oldest House. The shrieks and laughter of her sisters, moans of love. The familiar smell of meat with rice. The comforting darkness of the burrows, the presence of the other hyenas.
'It was Irma from whom we got our name.' She was the first to set down into the darkness. The first who could not stand the light and the warmth and the carefree laughter of the other women. The hyena of Auschwitz had stormed into the darkness, fleeing from the memories of the horror for which she was responsible.
'And we followed her. We too wanted to forget.' BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM.
Again Lise felt the tugging at her arms, she opened her eyes and looked down at the little woman in front of her, who was violently rowing her legs. Her eyes started to pop out of her head.
'I wonder if she realizes what she is doing here.' The thought came to Lise so suddenly, she had to close her eyes to protect herself from the flood of emotions.
'Does she comprehend what she's really doing here? What it's costing her?' BOOM BOOM BOOM. Lise comprehended.
She had seen. What it meant, what it took. To beat people in small rooms.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM.
'Enough of that!'
Her body tensed. The memories came crashing down on her, and this time the hyena didn't fight them. She let it all come over her, the pain and the fear.
The guilt. Of the things not written about her in the history books.
She accepted those things. Looked at the helpless girl in her grip.
Her hand slipped under the Valkyre's chin and with a jerk, Odette Sansom, code name Lise, ripped the commander's head from her shoulders.
Sensual scent settled around her nose. Lise inhaled it deeply as she looked down on the small clearing where her wu had set up camp. The fortress possessed a well-stocked larder, and the hyenas had taken as much of it as they could carry. Which was a lot.
Fires blazed merrily, the huge cauldron between the flames spreading the fragrance of its contents.
Hermione was taking her fourth helping, remnants of the soup clinging to her cheek. Sarah bent down and lovingly licked the affected area clean, Hermione closed her eye to protect it from the wet tongue and eagerly made her way over her bowl. At which she splashed herself again, and Miss Aaronsohn resumed working with her tongue.
Sighing, Alime gazed into the flames in front of her, the Crimean Tatar already full and looking as if she would fall asleep at any moment.
Next to her lay Cheng and Yoshiko, both making tender love in the glow of the flames, their soft sounds having a calming effect on the other women. Majda rummaged in the bags for more ingredients to throw into the cauldron, the role as cook seemed to appeal to her.
Once again, emotions welled up in Lise.
The three Hyena-wus had done a good job, the fortress was theirs and would serve as a base for the sisterhood in this strange world.
Twenty sisters, eighteen hyenas and two vipers, against a thousand entrenched female soldiers. 'And we did not fail. Did not lose ourselves in the frenzy.'
Again the flood of emotions as she gazed at the scene before her. Looked at the faces of the giantesses and saw in them something that she herself had long thought lost from herself.
But now it seemed to fill her up completely.
Honest, sincere pride.
With a leap Odette jumped down and joined her wub in feasting.
Even in the center of the Nest, the roar could be heard as five hundred youths strode in close formation across the threshold. The sisterhood was in turmoil, women gathered from all over, fights and love games were interrupted to witness the march of the Navnsdegi.
The young Suruvali proudly held their exquisitely crafted work tools, from simple picks to shovels, hammers and saws. But as simple as the tools seemed, in the hands of the apprentices, great things would be created with them.
Older foremen strode in the center of the crowd, the aura of calm and authority they exuded clearly setting them apart from their younger siblings.
That and their altered physiques. Black eyes and three-row dentures on the craftsmen, four arms on the engineers. Mossy white hair on the magisters who would organize the work on the new levels of the structure. Murmuring, the women gazed at the spectacle as the army of order passed them by. Then the Navnsdegi began to sing.
Go to fight at the World Stone
Drive the watchers from the Keep
Save the maids bound in shadows
Face the demons of the deep
Their song rolled over the adults, humming and deep, vibrating in ones belly.
Go to fight at the World Stone
Drive the watchers from the Keep
Save the maids bound in shadows
Face the demons of the deep
The Master summons one of every race
To save the daughters fallen from grace
The neverborn have bound them in sleep
In the dark beneath World Stone Keep
Go to fight at the World Stone
Drive the watchers from the Keep
Save the maids bound in shadows
Face the demons of the deep
Make again the Stone a haven
Cleanse the sins of women past
Claim the Chalice of Aedestra
Now the dawn shall come at last
The women bowed down, some bawled, others clapped.
For the heroes darkness grows forever deep
Underneath the catacombs of Worldstone Keep
Where the two of the deadliest pass through the Gate
To vanquish now the fallen who where lost to their fates
And the strange, the hid-den, the uncho-sen women,
Battle demons on stones where the world once began,
The great design in peril, twenty fight for all life,
In the torturers lair where the blood stains the knife.
The women now clapped their hands in time, while the army of workers moved below them.
Tools smashed against each other, bare feet stomped the ground to the singing.
Go to fight at the World Stone
Drive the watchers from the Keep
Save the maids bound in shadows
Face the demons of the deep
Twenty in the Keep, Death in the Deep
And the heroines daggers fly at the enemies blazing eye,
The wolf cuts through the great watchers to claim the chalice of life
The beast with brother axes and the chief with fists so rude
Descend into the dungeons where the winged-helmed monsters brood
And they meet the scout and the princess outside the fallen one's lair
Power flashing in splendor in the weapons that they bear,
Back to back in darkness, these six begin the fight,
The dungeon shakes, the dawning breaks the terror of the night.
And so they fight on the World Stone
Dead the watchers of the Keep
Save the maids bound in shadows
Face the demons of the deep
Brandish now blades of power
Fell the architects of death
Healing flows from the Chalice
Maidens, draw in living breath
Then the youths sang in their own primal language, a sound like rubbing stone on stone.
krummond mund
coro volya
Drummond cor havar a vin
Nanna havat a klaysha
Garkesh tromguld morga din
krummond mund
coro volya
Drummond cor havar a vin
Nanna havat a klaysha
Garkesh tromguld morga din
All two pairs of arms intertwined, Koko looked angrily into Gogo's face. "Well," was all the janitor said, "apparently word of the success of our mission has spread quickly."
"You wouldn't happen to have anything to do with this.... Display, did you, firstling?"
Suruvali did not lie. Escpecially, they didn't lie to each other. Gogo would never get carried away with it either.
But she'd be a poor craftswoman if she couldn't also at least slightly bend the truth.
"Rumors just spread fast. And it's understandable, isn't it, when children are proud of their mothers?"
In the half-light, her many teeth shone twice as white.
Growling, Koko jerked her four hands up and turned away. She had work to do, after all.