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Behind her sat the Queen, and beside her, was a low table empty save a set of gold scales balancing several gold sovereigns. One for each minister, Marcos, and Kaarthen now too, Janis, and the King’s Emissary in Mavvus.

“Of course we all look forward to the many tournaments.” She started looking around at the ministers seated around the room in a crescent shaped table.

“Every year is brutal, but the king wanted to add something to this year’s tournament for the title of ‘Blade Master’.” The court officer looked to Marcos and the Queen before continuing. “Last years deaths were near 120, and most of those were outside the actual competition. Many unknown fighter’s can’t participate, and thugs of mercenaries have their own unofficial tournament in the streets challenging each other, or even trying to get in by knocking off a recognized contender before they register themselves.”

The Queen nodded, the random street fights were a part of what the martial art’s festival was. “Competition breeds success, we could allow those fighters to qualify…” She again looked over the room of seated ministers. “A proposal was that perhaps we announce a preliminary battle royale or some extra rounds.”

“Will we vote for the addition of a few preliminary stages then?” the court officer asked moving to clear the scales.

A minister on the right edge of the room spoke up quickly. “The Battle Master tournament lasts nearly the entire month of the festival for the fighters to rest between rounds. It will also obviously change, or delay the festival’s closing ceremonies too. I vote against this. This festival is already enough of a disturbance. These rabble are just looking for excuses to get killed. It isn’t mentioned that the people challenging registered contender’s tend to die. There’s no point in paying for a three or four month long annual tournament this is one of the few times the criminal element does our job for us.”

The court officer dropped a coin for him on the scale.

“I approve.” Marcos said simply.

Kaarthen nodded trying to stay awake.

Janis raised her hand to signal silent agreement. She couldn’t find an actual reason to disagree with Marcos over this.

The King’s emissary nodded too and scribbled in his papers to annotate the direction of the decision.

The Queen gave a clipped nod since she was ‘impartial’ and was really supposed to not vote at all, the remaining ministers joined her.

The court officer turned and gave the scales an overly critical look. “Seven approve and one in dissent on the measure, 7:1, and the Queen accepts the favored position. We can now move on to the dates and then the make up of these extra rounds.”

“A battle royale will be quick,” The dissenting minister offered.

“I agree it would but, we don’t want to judge them if they fight in packs or in teams. Weaker fighter might try to take on people together, and this isn’t a tournament for team play.” The Queen said looking over. “Besides what magic could we use to decide the winner in all that? Each person captures someone’s flag? Our Imperial champion won’t be decided by such juvenile rules. So what then, they each bring back a head? We’ll be back to where we started.”

“We’ll just have them fight preliminary rounds in front of judges. We can have multiple sites to save time.” The emissary offered. “Besides the king was looking for something like an individual capture the flag. Something that allows the normal people to say they tried. They can then drink over it and stop the fighting.”

“That would be valid if every other tournament wasn’t made for that purpose.” The Queen retorted thoughtfully, “This is the Blade Master tournament. The whole point is for the very best to show case themselves all the way to the end. It would be all for nothing if they were injured early. The one-week rest we offer after the semi-, and quarterfinals would extend this into next year’s tournament if thousands show up. We will also have the Blade Masters from neighboring states show up too.”

“It matters little if a Blade Master from some small state comes.” Marcos huffed.

“Well your daughters will at least get a challenge, and perhaps an outsider will make it into the finals rankings for the first time.” One of the ministers said grinning. “Don’t worry, I’ll still bet on your girls.”

Marcos leaned back with a smug grin.

Janis loudly cleared her throat. “Well I hate to break a heartfelt moment between to perverts who seem happy to watch the Goddess’ children of beauty fight to the death over a title of little consequence but-”

“Easy there you silly old nag, my girls love the chance to go, and only ones I send are young girls. You have a lot in common with them since you’ve both been down in the stadium and your both virgins-“

“Wha-!?!” Janis’s face turned bright red as she bolted to her feet. The air crackled around her hands as she reached over Kaarthen seeking Marcos. For his part, the immortal was still grinning as he raised an ink quill with which to stab her.

“ORDER!!” The court officer and the Queen shouted halting the witch’s blood lust. “Let’s break for… committee deliberations… I think we’re done here for today, we will return to this and the marriage issues tomorrow before the noon hour.”

“Kaarthen please walk out with Lady Vixtorixx,” Kaarthen nodded and the Queen addressed Marcos. “Lord Panthi, a moment if you please.”

He didn’t have to worry about Queen Mensillin reprimanding him for disrupting the meeting since this was how the meetings usually ended when Janis was in town. Kaarthen watched the Queen disappear with Marcos. The two were very comfortable together, much more so than Janis who still bristled.

“You should have said something too, or does that man not listen to you?” Janis snapped as they moved away from the others.

Kaarthen gave her a big fake smile, “I can see you’re still angry and I get it. Forget about what happened earlier, why don’t you tell me about the past, or about the tournament. I’m new here and I know you’ve lived through a lot of history.”

Janis shot her a look but backed off. “Well I guess…Well my story of the tournament is how I met Marcos. The first time at least.”

Kaarthen lifted a brow but kept quiet as they resumed walking the halls of the Citadel.

“I’ll explain.” Janis muttered. “It’s something I can’t stop thinking about when he is near. Before I was me, before there were my statues, before Sisters sang my name to each other. I was weak. I was just a weak nobody born to an outcast sister. I had met up with Warrioresses fighting to win honor and a way back into the enclaves, and perhaps even legend.”

**************

On a frigid mountainside under a darkening cloudy sky, a Warrioress confronted a man in his tiny campsite as the thunder rolled overhead. Around them the wind was starting to blow over the grass and knock around camp rubbish as a storm approached.

Her silvery hair declared her an Amazon. She wore a grey homespun robe over her petite frame that reached past the knees on her long legs. A black bear pelt was wrapped over her thin shoulders. Her few weapons were all cheap, and in the case of the wooden spear in her hands, handmade.

“Are you ‘Garec the scribe’?” The young woman asked over the tip of the spear she kept pointing at his throat from across the fire. Looking at him under the point of her weapon helped her in summoning all the authority of her twenty winters.

“Aye,” The man slowly said straightening till he came to his full height.

The shivering Amazon had to bend back at the waist and step back to keep her spear at his neck. He was intimidating. He was way more than a foot taller than her at six feet. His barrel chested body was hairy. He seemed more animal than man. He even wore his dark dirty rags like a savage barbarian despite the cold.

Looking up into his darkened face, Janis straightened her back up but was still a head shorter than him. “There is a price on you.” She said in a strained voice lowering back into a crouch.

Moving forward, she closed in slowly around the fire, the man drew a sword from behind him that made her steps falter.

His weapon was a huge double bladed monstrosity. The steel glowed from end to end making it seem much bigger than anything she’d seen before. As though reading the mood, lightening flashed overhead and a strong cold gust of the storm front blew in. The chilly air did more than send a tingle up her spine, it felt as though death herself was toying her loose hair, and tugging her fluttering rags closer to oblivion.

“You’re no good dead.” Janis choked trying to stay in control even as her stomach tightened and her knees shook. She cleared her throat, clenched her jaw, tried to steel herself, and tried again. “Just put that down.”

“I ain’t goin back!” Garec shouted and lunged.

He fought like a cornered beast slashing at the Warrioress recklessly as she danced back. He shattered her spear with a powerful slash and quickly gained an edge. His berserker attacks forced her to draw her puny short sword to defend herself. As Janis tripped and stumbled around the cluttered campsite, he was able to hammer her with all his strength.

As she stumbled and fell dropping her sword, he kicked it away. Wide-eyed Janis’s blood ran cold as she scrambled to her feet, and tried to pull her knife before he got closer.

“Foolish girl!” He bellowed and cracked her over the head with his hilt. After a moment, she staggered and dropped to a knee feeling woozy and sluggish.


************

“Like I said I was weak.” Janis said stopping to sit on a bench in the busy central room of the Citadel. Before them, the wide central staircase went down to the lower levels of the castle. Beyond the stairs, a huge curved wall of glass windows stretched up a hundred feet to the ceiling and bathed the unofficial hangout of the Imperial capital’s elites in midmorning sunlight.

“But there was more?” A slow voice added.

Janis and Kaarthen looked over to see Ein with the two junior Princesses Ruegin, and Princess Nossin.

“We have an account of your first meeting,” Princess Ruegin said looking around. “I read about it.”

“That…Well that was..” Janis blaunched, “When Saliss wrote that we didn’t know the future’s path-”

“The truth is easy to see.” Princess Nossin said flatly. Seemingly out of her ears letters of the God’s creation tumbled out in glittery silver and gold. Kaarthen was the only one who could see that, but the others recognized Nossin going into a trance.


*********


On a sea wall of a coastal town on Menthino’s side of the Lazy river a beautiful pale blonde in a flowing dark purple robe turned her mischievous deep blue eyes to the northern shore.

“Hey Marcos, let’s cross the river. I want to tour around to see the principalities.” Princess Saliss said turning to her beleaguered bodyguard.

The tall, skinny, tan man in dark clothes had a huge overstuffed pack complete with a three-legged stool tied on top that made him seem comical though she dared not laugh while standing so close.

Marcos was sweating under the load as he watched the lighthearted swirling princess dance closer to the river’s edge enjoying the view.

The weather in early autumn was unseasonably warm down here in the lowlands, and it was a beautiful clear day. The river’s waters sparkled, and even the weathered fishing ships seemed handsome as they cut through the waves or sat at anchor. The low cliffs of the far shore a mile or two away could be seen with ease. Even the usually cloud covered white capped mountains to the north could seen.

“Wandering about is not why you’re here.” Marcos replied quietly. “I think you’re enjoying this too much.”

“Well it was an interesting lesson to see what the world is like without law and order. Considering who I’ll become, it was a heartening lesson on the necessary limits of power and so on and so forth.” Saliss prattled off in a flat voice then stopped and lifted her chin to affect some authority. “As a Crown princess, I have benefited from this structured adventure. I was illuminating to learn by the observation of the day-to-day lives of common citizens outside our country’s protective, loving, and guiding hand. But…”

This ‘adventure’ was the pinnacle of a Crown princess’ coming of age. It was a daring full emersion-learning trip into mystic lands of Alcanton where humans were the minority. If successful, it would tie together various points of her royal tutelage, and open her eyes to the common life outside the Citadel’s cushy apartments, and guarded halls. It was also a chance for the Heiresses to work over their crown’s patron Marcos while he learned about them and their qualifications before they took the ‘Eternal throne’ as Queen.

Marcos looked back up and realized she had turned away to look back over the water. The breeze picked up her hair and swept it away. She looked lonely as she stood with her back to him, vulnerable even. But, Saliss was a calculating woman. Goddess help the man who gave her what she wanted.

“Since we’re already out here, we could also do something more… ‘freeform’…” She paused for a moment knowing her minder already had a response coming. “I shouldn’t even have to ask you. Until we return to Mavvus, you can only follow me. But then… you know that already.”

Marcos stirred at the princess’ haughty words. She was too smart for her own good sometimes. She turned and flicked her suddenly serious blue eyes at him and pointed across the river to the mountains and cliffs on the far side. “I wish to go north… I have become aware of a certain map while preparing for this journey. On it, there are directions to a certain tower. I will not be denied Marcos.”

Well I can’t say I didn’t have a feeling something like this was coming for some time now.” Marcos started slowly still thinking of his response.

“I could think of better things to do up there. Do you really want to go on a treasure hunt this close to winter over a rumor you must have read in the little diary you princesses aren’t supposed to have, or pass around? And shame on your mother for keeping it hold of it and giving it to you.”


************

“So that’s how you know all this?” Kaarthen asked out of the blue.

“Ehhhhh…that’s a secret so don’t tell.” Ruegin muttered.

***********


Saliss pouted her lips and cocked her head. “You don’t like us learning about you or the about the world? This about the truth! We can’t come out here knowing nothing! Sure I may have read the many reports of what others have done out here. But, for now, it is just us. It’s my turn! When I have the throne, the world will be mine. I want to take this chance though to discover something. I need your strength. The search for the truth must continue! Don’t make me a fool!” Saliss shouted in a rising voice as she spun to look away from him and collect herself.

It had been a month already since they left the capital for this. For the entire trip, she had a mask of giddy wonder on her face as she had met and interacted with the foreign creatures, people, and cultures that were found just across the river from their homeland’s eastern border. On the surface she seemed to be doing exactly what was intended. She met with and associated with a wide range of society. But in truth, casual appearances aside, they had moved in one direction, and one direction only after they had began their trip.

“I didn’t need a map to notice you have been leading us straight north this whole time.” Marcos retorted.

She turned back to him and her face broke its stern demeanor and one of mischievous curiosity bloomed.

“Marcos, I can see past your bluff.” She said offering him a way out of his position of resistance to her idea. “You have let the others cross before. They were all seeking it… I know you know of what I speak of, that mythical ‘Crown of Emperors’. Lost for who knows how long since the old god Minun sank the nations of the east into the sea.”

Since this trip was also among the most important events in a princess’ life, clever girls had created a secret diary like a guidebook of things to do when ‘out’. Queens passed it to their daughters to read out of prying eyes. Over the generations, receiving the diary became a ritual in and of itself. Stories, myths, and legends were created stimulating countless princesses to see and discover more and more of the mystical world to the east. More than a few mysteries like ‘this magical crown rumor’ were created too.

Marcos cleared his throat and dropped the pack before stretching and giving his answer. “Any other princess that crossed this river was well east of here. I’m sure you know that, but still, if we cross here and head north, we’ll be in wild highlands of the mountains. There are more humans up there than other creatures but there still won’t be much civilization up there. Most of the land is wet tundra too cold to be called a swamp and wind swept barren rocky outcroppings. You don’t like nature enough to do this. Besides, with the mountains and the Moxle river to the west we’ll end up having to go east eventually anyways. But if you must go…”

In a huff Saliss stepped around him moving back to the empty road, she started up the road without waiting for him to finish. Marcos hefted the pack again and followed where she was leading them: north, towards the docks of the river ferry.


*******************
“To be honest I never heard that part.” Janis said thoughtfully.

“That was the famous Queen long before she took the throne.” Ruegin explained proudly, “ She apparently handled him so well that the following Queens named their daughters Saliss to give them an added advantage when dealing with Lord Panthi.”

“Well I can’t argue that, but Marcos was usually very easy on her.” Janis shrugged. “She was there when we first met. In fact, suiting her style, she was the reason we first met.”


******************


The pain was intense. Hunger is an insidious thing. After a few days without food it becomes all you can think about.

Janis plodded off the dirt road into a meadow and fell to her hands and knees feeling lightheaded. Once more, she would try to eat grass. Something had to be done.

Things hadn’t gone too well after being defeated. Dirty, starving, and dehydrated, her once white hair was matted like a birds nest, and her once pale grey Amazonian skin was tanned to a dark reddish bronze color and blackened further with the dirt and mud she found herself crawling in. Her already skinny frame had eroded into an unhealthy thinness. Under her now filthy grey short robe, her ribs, and small breasts could be seen through the armholes. Garec, the fugitive she found herself with had kept up a brutal pace, and never let her eat.

Luckily, the she was in a bountiful clearing in the mountains. The rough beauty of nature’s alpine splendor was wasted on her as she rooted in dirt around on her hands and knees. Tugging up clumps of sweet grass and wild onions, she ate hungrily with what felt like the last little bit of energy in her body. Finally, she collapsed. Exhausted and too starved to do more, she resigned herself.

As the sunlight on her back warmed her, bugs and other critters of the forest skittered over her. Unable to move, she just laid still digging her face deeper into the cool dirt as her back heated under the sun.

As the seconds ticked by, she became aware of a cold feeling on her back as a shadow fell over her. Struggling to open her eyes, her body went on alert as she realized Garec had come back for her again.

Janis cringed but was unable to move. “Oi! you still alive?” The man’s voice called.

A rough hand picked her up by the arm, and tore her tattered shirt from her shoulders. “Look at this stringy thing.” He muttered.

His heavy hands rubbed her head, and her body under the dirty grayish tunic she wore. She was usually able to slap his hands away but now her arms felt so heavy.

He got more and more bold from the lack of response from her. Moving freely, he tugged her hips and up dropped her back onto her face. Flipping up the bottom of her raggedy long shirt, he exposed her naked womanhood. Her pale slit was hairless like most Amazons who didn’t grow hair below the neck.

Behind her the grass rustled as he shuffled in for a closer look, his thick fingers parted her folds searching her out as he moved to get in front of her.

“No screams, no fighting, and I hope no biting.” The Garec chuckled as the briny stench of wiry hairs fell over her nose and a soft warmth flopped against her face.

His hands found her breasts and tugged on her nipples as he used her helpless body. In the weakened haze she was in, she could really only sense him by touch. Her other senses went in and out in a fuzzy cloud that made her feel distant and cold.

“Open your mouth girl.” Garec coached her as his spongy purple flesh filled her mouth.

His probing digits moved back behind her and found a rhythm as he started thrusting into her mouth with his wide cock. He hardened slowly in her mouth until his erection became much more than a mouthful and she was just slobbering on the knob at the end. His hands hungrily massaged her back as he got more, and more excited.

“I gotta do all the work.” He grunted pulling her face down hard onto his thick cock so he could get into her mouth as deeply as possible.

The urge to sleep was like a heavy blanket on her mind. Its weight pushed down the normal panic she would have been feeling as his cock meat rammed into her throat several times.

“Oh ya,” He pulled her back to sit up, and spit in her mouth before pushing her down onto his cock again. “Oh ya, even better.”

Her body jerked as she coughed involuntarily from a particularly deep thrust. “Calm down, you’re doing good...” He moaned.

The spongy head was sticking in her throat as he slid into her. After a few gagging thrusts that made her cough and make other unidentifiable wet sounds, she was pulled back and promptly skewered again by his cock.

As her numb tired brain shut down, Janis was almost asleep again and was quite surprised when the dick in her mouth started to cum without warning. After a brief moment the thrusting slowed, and stopped. Tentatively, she swallowed the offal left in her mouth. Its earthy taste wasn’t as bad as starving, and it helped wash away the grit still in her mouth.

Garec got off her and got up. He didn’t need her tied up to keep her close. Without the energy, means, or ability to fight back, she was bullied into being led around as he wandered the forest. Like a dog, she could only hope for scraps.



*************


“That part didn’t really need to be said” Janis hissed leaning in.

“I’m sure it was for context,” Ruegin offered with a grin. “So there are no questions later about what you had been doing after the capture up on the mountain.”

“I’m already in a bad mood,” Janis warned, “Get back to the story.”


********


It was several hours later that the two chanced on a woman bathing openly in a deep stream near the road. The bright sun shone on her pale lily skin concealed only slightly by the reeds around the edge of the water. Through the reeds, they could see she was a soft blonde beauty with light blue eyes. She was so pretty she could have been a water nymph, or the Goddess herself. She seemed carefree as she washed her supple body under the noon sun.

Coming off the road to get closer, they saw by her clothes a figure in black from head to toe on the ground. Obviously it was the guard for this gem, however its posture was slumped against a large pack as though it was asleep.

“I want her too, but; Do you think we could make it two?” Garec whispered aloud cryptically.

Janis had noticed for a while now that he spoke gibberish to himself from being alone so much.

“Oi,” Garec grunted turning to Janis and offering her a slim blade. “Oi, erm… slit his… that guy’s throat.” He pointed to the figure in black who lay unmoving.

Janis took the blade for several reasons but paused once it was in her hand. His trust in her was growing. Before he wouldn’t even chance her hunting out of sight. However, this was something else. It was quite a different thing to help him like this.

Janis eyed the blade considering what would happen next, he might release her once he had that beautiful blonde. That thought took her to a dark place. Trading her life for that woman’s was wrong. She had been properly fed exactly twice in the time he had her. Not that she as a grown woman should have to depend on him. Despite the man being comfortable in the woods, he was no woodsman, and food was getting scarce this late in the season. Everything she ate was merely scraps he missed, or wasted. That beautiful creature didn’t deserve to be ripped from her life to serve this man no matter how bad he wanted her.

Janis was startled with a rough shove. “Get over there and do it.” Garec whispered as loud as he dared. He again looked like angry hairy creature of the woods.

Janis took a step back and turned. She had called herself a Warrioress once. That title didn’t mean anything now. Her training couldn’t even get her past an untrained opponent like him. She had been defeated, but survived because her opponent knew she didn’t have the skill, or killer instinct to be a threat. Starving, she was reduced to being this man’s whore to stay alive. She thought on this even as she walked forward in a trance doing Garec’s bidding.

“Good, now just stab him good.” He whispered from somewhere behind her.

Realizing how close she was to actually killing someone, every step she took became a struggle. The ground before her stretched until it seemed she would have to walk a million more. Just walking became mentally overwhelming for her as her mind tried to persuade her not to follow through with this evil act.

“Don’t stop!” Garec urged from somewhere behind her.

Janis’ knees started to shake as she got closer by one step, then another. Suddenly standing over the feet of her target, it all seemed so unreal. She was going to kill someone. But, she didn’t have to did she? She suddenly felt oddly normal as her brain tried to tell her to turn around and walk away. If she left now she could have a chance. But then, her eyes fell on the figure below her who still lay unmoving. She became hypnotized and froze as her mind told her to run killing is wrong, and another part told her to take the chance, to take the advantage.

‘If I tried to kill him, it would be fair game for him to try and kill me right?’ The thought passed unbidden through her mind as one-side of her continued to hope she could just kill him cleanly, and another urged her to run away. The sour taste of bile rose as her knees gave out. She squat down and considered what to do.

“Now just stab him anywhere. Do it! Drive it in!” Garec urged almost frantically dropping any ideas of stealth. “Kill him!”

Janis looked back at him wide-eyed. As he spoke, the hair on the back of her neck stood up and a cold twitch went right down her spine. She became aware of the feeling of a large hand clutching her throat.

‘Too late!’ Her mind screamed. With a start, she slowly looked down and was surprised to see the sleeping man’s hand firmly around her neck. Its pressure was light, only the texture of his glove told her he had her.

For a moment, her mind’s eye pictured her not squatting over a sleeping man with a knife in her hand. Instead, she was in the maw of a large beast with a mouth like a cave. She was standing on the edge of the valley of death, and its dark tongue was wrapped around her neck furtively tasting its next meal.

“Do something!” Garec urged from behind her.

She couldn’t imagine attacking whatever this was that she stood so close to. “Do something!” She squeaked back in reply.

Under her, the man let go and the merciless cold feeling that petrified her was gone like a black mist under the hot sun. Behind her, she heard Garec give a loud sigh as the tension broke.

“Oh? Hello,” A syrupy woman’s voice behind her asked. “Are you two highwaymen? Do you wish to rob us?”

Janis bolted up and fell back wide eyed at being caught. The woman bathing had come out and stood before them wrapped in shiny white satin that shined nearly as bright as her exposed shoulders. Her aura made her seem as though she was looking down from a viewing balcony at them rather than standing two paces away among the reeds on the muddy bank of a stream.

Garec stepped away from the bush behind her and cleared his throat loudly. “It is I. I want you.” He announced clearly while setting his shoulders back and puffing himself up.

The woman, and even Janis both blushed at his admission.

“You’ve come to challenge him for me?” She giggled almost sounding hopeful. Her body had a regal posture. She looked them over with equal parts aloofness, and quizzical curiosity as she started to dry her golden hair.

“You cannot have her.” A low man’s voice said warningly from behind them. Janis and Garec turned to notice the figure in black standing with his hood still completely obscuring his face.

“When did he move?” Janis thought quizzically. That man was within arm’s reach surely she would have noticed.

Garec turned, squared up to him, and the two men faced each other. Hostile energies started to build till the air felt like it could crackle. Janis ducked out of the middle of the two and faced them from the same side as the blonde.

“You should get him now before he gets his sword.” The blonde urged, though it was unclear whom she was speaking too.

Garec took the hint and reached back to draw his massive sword. He only paused a half second before jumping out to cut down the figure before him. He missed completely, as like a flicking shadow, the figure jumped to the side.

Janis had never seen a fight between two masters before. This fight was only a halfway taste of one. The man in black deftly jump around just out of the sword’s long reach seemingly with ease. He kept his hands to his sides and moved only his feet as he weaved around the swings of the long blade. After several close shaves, the two fighters had moved away from the women and circled each other on the even ground near the road.

The men both stopped simultaneously. The figure facing Garec spread his feet and bent his knees taking position. Janis could see building tension in his body. Raising his forward arm, he extended it out, pointed his fist at the hairy man’s chest, and waited.

He didn’t have to wait long. Garec charged in with a howl and hacked at him in his bloodlust.

*Twang* The sound of metal reverberating accompanied Garec’s sword as it flipped through the air into the tall grass.

A flurry of kicks knocked Garec’s surprised hairy ass back and he stumbled around trying to gain distance for another assault.

Janis gasped knowing her time of liberation was at hand.

After finding his balance, Garec launched in again. He moved like a brawler throwing his superior weight around. For all his strength and bulk, it did him no good. He was flipped onto the ground when he tried to swing, and when he came back and made for a grab, the figure spun him through the air as though he was only tossing a hat.

“Hurry up!” The blonde shouted as she dressed. She combed her light golden hair through her fingers as she watched.

Janis was struck by her unimpressed poise. She seemed completely unafraid of her bodyguard losing to the brute.

The figure turned his head and gave her a glance before he moved in on Garec. In a blur, he rushed up, captured poor Garec’s right arm at the wrist and elbow, and climbed onto his shoulders holding the huge limb tight overhead as his legs coiled around the brute’s thick neck. Using both hands to rotate the arm over and past the larger man’s head, he paused as though checking his handiwork. Then one move, he hopped down to the left side using the trapped right arm to break his fall.

Janis winced as the huge man gasped and his shoulder and elbow dislocated with a loud *P-puk*.

“Happy?” The figure asked the blonde.

“That man was a suitor. My suitor!” The blonde suddenly protested, “You should have handled him more formally with a sword duel.”

“My apologies. I am just a—“ He paused to look at Garec who had stubbornly gotten back to his feet. “Oh? Well… excuse me.” Something in his voice that made Janis’s blood run cold.

“Protect me!” The blonde swooned mocking him as he stepped away. She played the part perfectly, and her eyes misted as she clutched her hands to her breast. “Go my knight, and fight for my honor, and chastity.”

“Tsk,” The man clicked his tongue and eyed Garec who now stood steady even as his right arm dangled uselessly. Janis almost wanted to tell him to lay down. Garec’s stubbornness was not enough to beat this man.

In a blur, the two charged. As the larger Garec took a swing with his only good arm, the smaller man dodged him easily and again climbed his bulk to ride atop his shoulders. He sat up there for a moment looking down with his legs tight around the brute’s neck.

Janis jumped as the blonde woman moved up next to her fully dressed in a discreet long dark purple velvet robe. Close up the silky velvet looked so luxurious and comfortable on her, she could have been a rich wife stealing away for an affair, or a baroness taking a ride upon the country. “A sad thing is about to happen to your friend.” She said slowly never taking her eyes of the fight.

Enraged, Garec had slapped at the figure who rode him only to get his only working arm caught. After a faint pause, the figure twisted himself so Garec’s balance was compromised and forced him to follow the movement by bending sideways at the waist while twisting. The torque of the movement dropped them over to the right side where the figure plopped his butt on the ground and grabbed Garec’s furthest foot while keeping his legs tight to poor Garec’s neck. For a sick moment marked by the sound of collapsing vertebrae and exploding cartilage, the very top of Garec’s head touched the ground just before either of his feet left it. As big man’s weight came down onto his head, the legs came off the ground and continued to swing away with the momentum.

Janis sat in awe of the masterful display. Despite being slow, in that other man’s hands Garec’s death was completely unstoppable.

“Ah, that was disgusting.” The blonde remarked as the Garec’s limp body spun head over heels through the grass. “I guess Marcos went all out. It was a bad for your friend to pick a fight.”

As the figure ‘Marcos’ walked back, he stretched his arms back overhead and yawned deliberately. He gave Janis a dismissive glance while moving past her to his pack.

“Wait! Please wait, I’ll follow!” Janis suddenly felt a rush of words spill out. “Will you teach me to fight like that? Please! You must!”

The blonde glided to him as best she could over the long grass as he made a show of nonchalance by crossing his arms and looking at Janis skeptically with narrowed eyes, and a raised brow.

The blonde gave a polite half smile as she locked onto his eyes and started to speak in a buttery voice that seemed oddly dangerous. “You have been getting more and more reluctant to carry the pack and obey me without question as of late. She shall serve me, and your duties will then be to train her to protect me.”

The man snorted looking at the blonde. “Don’t be silly, I protect you,” The man growled and raised a finger at Janis. “Besides, she looks half dead already, the pack would kill her.”

He turned to Janis with fury in his eyes. “Be gone wench. You should just stay out of the way.”

Janis cringed at his words knowing them to be true. Feeling weak, she fell to her hands and knees. “Please, I’ll do anything to get my honor…To go back… Just teach me, I will fight…” Around her, the world got dark and she collapsed as her stomach rumbled loudly.

“Huh?” a voice asked from the darkness. “What was she mumbling?”


*****

“So that is about what happened.” Janis confirmed. “So I guess than you want to hear about something else now?”

“No, this is good!” Ein barked. “Don’t worry about that mind stuff, Marcos drills that into us in the practice room ‘don’t look in their eyes or you’ll hesitate. If you must look, look at their nose or their mouth.’ People usually can’t just kill other, it is difficult even for some to fight each other. Most of our training he says is to make it automatic so that even if you are scared, confused, or tired you will kill without hesitation to save yourself and others.”

“But still, you’re one of the few to know mercy from Marcos.” Ruegin added. “I bet he’s pretty pissed he had the chance to kill you and didn’t huh?”

Janis seemed to whither. “No he doesn’t remember any of that stuff.”


*******


For a while, Janis only knew blackness. Slowly colors were added and finally they became images and she started to dream.

Janis’s mind dreamed of flawless fights against unwitting buffoons and faceless enfeebled criminals who had once eluded her. As her mind floated, her thoughts returned again and again to the man’s fight. He was in complete control well before Garec attacked. Garec had more courage than she gave him credit for to go all out till the end. Even when he touched her, she had felt his power as a tangible ominous feeling.

Old sage Sisters from the enclave she was born in had spoken of that feeling. They called it simply ‘a killer’s murderous intent’. It was an instinctive hair-raising feeling that people of the sword became sensitive to. It was the same thing you felt when confronting a wild beast. With him, it was strong enough that she could almost visualize the dark aura. This man was powerful, he had to teach her something. She would be accepted, and known throughout the land if she had his kind of power. She wouldn’t just have the reputation to return to her old enclave where people knew her, she would be famous enough to enter them all.

Her senses whispered to delirious mind of meat boiling in thick gravy. Steamy musing scents of spices tickled her nose. The crackling of a fire teased her ears.

“Stew,” She thought suddenly as her mind surfaced too consciousness.

“I’m really dying…” Her mind lazily pondered. Her body refused to sit quietly, and with a barking cough, she fought to roll onto her back.

“OH? She’s awake!” A woman’s voice exclaimed.

Janis opened her eyes. It was dark already, and the dying red sunset gave a soft glow in the crisp air. The pretty blonde woman sat on a stool by a fire not ten feet away with her feet tucked up under her robe eying her curiously with interested eyes. Her pale face and features were distinct in the diminished light.

“Interesting that she stayed alive.” Marcos responded sounding half incredulous. The other part of his tone made her cringe for appearing so weak before him. “If you really want to get her healthy so she can protect you I guess we’ll have to put off heading north…”

Looking past the fire, she could barely make out his dark form stirring a helmet sized pot that hung over a fire. The light seemed to go around him making it hard to see the details of his face.

“…m..mmm..,” Janis mumbled trying to croak out words to them.

“She needs some water,” The blonde announced.

Behind her, the man paused and looked up from his cooking. “Saliss…be a helper. Get some for her…you know how right?”

“Well…she can go for a little longer…” Saliss responded wrapping her robe tighter and daring a glance back at the man.

Janis slipped back asleep as she waited for some food.

She was surprised to get a light slap after she had just closed her eyes.

“Eat up,” she was ordered seeing Saliss hustle back to her stool.

Finding a bowl, and spoon just in front of her face she struggled at first then paused.

After a long struggle to get food in her mouth, the first taste brought her up, and awake. From the taste alone, her body seemed to become normal and the pain of starvation was put at bay. Her mouth watered until she drooled. Her hands became lighter and a bit shaky as she concentrated on eating more and more.

A heavy hand fell on her shoulder. Janis didn’t care to look up. “Hey there little sister, you can’t be doing all that. You must slow down.”

Janis fought to keep the bowl in hand as she was pulled back to straighten up. The man then pulled her food away with ease then snatched her spoon up from her scrambling hands like she was just a petulant child.

“You’re going to eat slowly,” The man said as he knelt before her and got comfortable. “Your body needs a slow steady stream of food right now. You’ll have slow down or you’ll get sick.”

He fed her a mouthful at a time, and waited till she was ready for more. Sitting close allowed her the chance to get a look at him. His face was mature, but youthful. He obviously knew his way around a cook fire, the food was delicious. In between spoonfuls, Janis studied his face more. He had black hair that was short, and shiny in the fire’s light. His skin was tanned and almost leathery. Finally, her eyes fell upon his lips as though drawn.

All at once, a strong pain hit her stomach as she felt everything explode with sharp pains radiating out from her middle.

“Gahhh?!....Ohhhh,” Janis fell over whimpering, and cradling her stomach as it cramped up.

“Hmm…That’s what it would look like…” The man said quietly backing off.

Throughout the night, Janis moaned pitifully as her body was wracked with waves of searing pain. By daybreak, the pain was gone and she sensed the pair moving around her and packing up. Unable to follow, she lay in the grass and tried to sleep. Getting up around midday. Janis scavenged into Garec’s pockets feeling stronger from the food. Around her, the sun-filled clearing was empty and still even Garec’s body was untouched.

‘North, they were arguing about going north’ Janis suddenly remembered as she got to the road and tried to decide what to do. Looking at the north, she figured they had to be heading that way by following the west road up around and into the mountains. Back on the road, and plodding along Janis felt relaxed again being alone. A small part of her did however look forward anxiously for a town to rest in, and a haystack to sleep in.

Nearly a day later of travel, she found one.

As she got into the tiny nameless mining town in the early evening, she got odd stares at her appearance. Her usually pale fit Amazon body was a ruddy red from the dirt, the sun, and perhaps some bruises. She had to be the least intimidating Amazon these people had ever seen.

Walking through the darkening streets of the plaster, and timber buildings, she found a hanging sign for the town’s only inn. Garec had made some coin selling furs he had robbed once, and since he was a fugitive in this area he had few places to spend it. Janis felt a cold smile creep across her face as she pushed open the door.

“Oi, you cheating bitch!” Came an angry man’s shout as she stepped in. The tavern had three rows of long tables and a bar to the right along the wall with the innkeeper’s book. Local men were all over but most were crowding to the back corner where a group of them stood in an agitated group.

“That’s how the game is played!” A proud woman’s voice exclaimed from in the corner as though she was referencing common knowledge.

Janis looked for the person who matched the distinctive familiar voice. A pretty blond with her face framed by the velvety purple hooded robe. Her sparkly blue eyes danced over their angry faces in open amusement. She stood completely relaxed with a smile on her lips as large rough looking men the local tavern, shook with fury around her.

Saliss quickly blushed and covered her mouth with the back of her hand as her eyes went wide in realization. “Oh, for shame! You men didn’t know this was a counting game?”

“Saliss?” Janis whispered incredulously as the half forgotten name popped into her head.

“You cheated us!” A blustery man shouted impotently as Saliss reached for her winnings on the table.

“Don’t be silly,” She replied soothingly as she daintily collected coins from the table. About five men stood over her looking quite furious but she moved methodically as though she didn’t see them.

“Perhaps a new game?” She offered just as it looked like the men were actually getting ready to attack her.

“You cheat! Every game you offer is rigged.” A man growled.

“Oi! I wanna mine moneyzz back!” Shouted another drunken one.

The woman looked at them each in turn and held the collected money in her hand as though weighing it. “Well what kind of woman would I be if I just gave strange men money? Is that what your mothers and sisters have to do for strangers? Do strangers bully your wives?”

That thought broke a few peoples concentration and gave the men pause. Saliss continued and talked fast as her voice dropped lower, and lower. “I wouldn’t be a decent one if I did that, and my mother raised me to be better. You men don’t want to make a kind-hearted lucky girl starve do you? Any of you men just want to make a bet?” Her eyes lit up at the last word, “Since you won’t play these games, perhaps your luck can redeem you just this one last time.”

“I ain’tz lizten’n to you! Iz wantz back mine MONEYz!” The same drunk crazy-eyed man shouted slamming the table. The two men on either side of him half- restrained him and half-propped him up.

Saliss ignored them all and continued. “Well then, how about we bet on someone nobody knows? Look to the door, that scrappy girl there. I bet she ain’t but had half a bowl of gravy stew in a day,” She mused mimicking the men’s accent. “How bout I bet that skinny thing can only get down two big bowls of that spicy beef tripe and vegetable bowl you all seem to like so much?”

“What? We ain’t betting on that!” A man snarled.

The Blonde smirked as though expecting nothing less. “Well I am. In fact, I’m going to put everything on it.”

Everyone started talking to each other at once suddenly.

“What who is she? I’ve never seen her. This is stupid.” Voices from within the group rumbled aloud. “But you already took our money…” Another voice bemoaned.

“Now is your only chance to get it all back. I’m not just going to hand it too you. So win it fair and square, you still have a chance to make some money tonight.” Saliss turned to a man who had been quietly eyeing her the whole time from the side of the table. “You, if the waitress comes back, make sure she puts in extra everything.”

The man looked up at her startled and unsure what to say as the table’s most sober accuser spoke up at her words. “Now you’re cheating again! You don’t want her to eat more!”

“Well, I guess I am being unfair…did you really think she could eat more?” She said slowly while she reached up to knuckle her chin thoughtfully.

“Oi! That waif could eat five.” A blustery voice shouted. “No she is way too small. Four! Four I bet she gets down four!” Another added. Soon a shouting match was raised around the table as they made their bets.

Nodding thoughtfully in the middle of the noise, Saliss looked over at Janis and waved her over. “Well bring her here then. Let us just see.”

With few words, Janis was seated on a bench squarely under the blue-eyed gaze of Saliss and the rest of the tavern patrons. With no words spoken, a waitress brought out a platter balancing four bowls.

“I suppose once a man loses everything he won’t be able to cover the food.” Saliss quipped as Janis took the first bite. “Let’s have the winner make a gesture and pay for the girl’s food…That is reasonable I’m sure.” The woman said looking around. “And don’t get angry if you lose. This girl seems to have been through enough, and I could have walked away with the money if my heart had been cold.”

“I can agree to that…” Said a reasonable voice as the room quietly watched Janis already scraping the bottom of the first bowl.

Saliss turned to Janis with a knowing grin and winked. “Well then girl, enjoy this, and don’t think it charity.”

One hour later…

Janis put down the spoon, and sat back unfinished. If she went for anymore and emptied the bowl they would just bring another, but then the chef would have to cook up a whole new batch.

The men around her were amazed. “F-F-FFourteen…Fourteen bowls”

Saliss walked over counting the bowls herself. “Well that’s the total. So I bet two, or was it three... Where did the man who bet seven go? There you are… I’d say you won.” Saliss grinned merrily clapping a very stunned wide-eyed man on the back.

Janis got up, and moved to the tavern door but a surprisingly strong small hand grabbed her arm as she ambled past. Turning around she saw Saliss holding her back.

“Hey come over here, you shouldn’t have to sleep out there. I hate for something to happen to a woman just because I’ve gotten her so out of balance playing a game.”

Janis looked at the slender hand that held her fast. It was unimaginably soft but still unyielding. Either she was really quite weak still, or this Saliss had lots of hidden potential behind those blue eyes.

With ease, Saliss pointed her over to the stairs and followed behind as she strode from the room. As they made their exit, Janis noticed for the first time the man in black sitting by the door. He had been undetectable the whole time.

She didn’t think too hard about it. After being brought to the room and dropping her pack, she fell into a lounge seat by the room’s unused fireplace and fell asleep.

Waking up as the white morning light filled the room from the lace covered windows, Janis looked up at the noise that woke her. She felt out of place in the suite. She was very aware she still hadn’t bathed properly and yet she was in a room filled with upholstered furniture, carved stonework, wood paneling, three fireplaces, and plush thick carpeting. On one side of her was the center fireplace with its elegant cover, and stone mantle. On the other side was the lace covered windows and a huge canopied bed oversized even for the luxury room.

Just out of arm’s reach, the man stood naked next to the bed. His tan tall slim body was very muscular she noticed. She also could see he was well hung. Her face burned as she stared at the impossibly thick rope of meat that hung down over his large balls. Each orb was larger than a chicken’s egg. She could smell a warm earthy scent coming from them. She was reminded of what she had done for food only a short while ago.

“Good morning girl.” His voice called, breaking into her thoughts.

Looking up, she blushed harder at his knowing smug smile and laughing dark eyes. “…Good morning Sir Marcos…” She croaked as her voice cracked.

“Mmmph…” The man was pushed aside as a naked Saliss got out of bed behind him. Janis marveled at her body as she moved over the bed like a drunk spider. Her whole body was a clean pale pink. Her limbs were long and graceful. While she didn’t quite come to the man’s height, she was still taller than an average woman.

Her perfect tear-drop shaped breasts were capped with faint reddened nipples, and her womanly hips, and thighs surrounded a trimmed thatch of blonde muff. She was the most beautiful woman Janis had ever seen as she stretched and looked around distractedly.

“…mm paaaa,” Saliss cleared her throat and pointed at Janis. “Chamber paa…”

“Huh?” Janis muttered.

“Get the chamber pot.” The blonde repeated rubbing her face catching her eye.

Janis looked around and grabbed it for her.

The blonde nodded as she took it. “Good, now get some hot water for a bath. I should be ready in a moment.” She said coming more and more awake. “This place should have pipes for it, and I bet the tub is back there.” She gestured to a curtained section by the fireplace on Janis’ other side before slinking towards the privacy screen.

An hour or so later, everyone was washed. After Saliss had washed herself, and emptied the tub, she had stared at Janis expectantly to refill it and clean herself. As she scrubbed months of hard living off her body, the pair looked over her clothes, pack, and sandals as they asked and answered questions.

“So Janis. Why is a lone Warrioress, who can’t take care of herself, going around trying to fight things?” The woman asked repeating more or less the first question she had asked a little while ago.

“For honor.” Janis replied simply. The two had a disturbing habit of taking apart her answers. It was best to give them very little to go on. Marcos mostly stayed non-verbal but he shrugged, or even giggled as Janis tried to explain herself.

“But since you lost your companions…what have you been doing for the last… two months was it? Before you met Garec. I guess I’m curious what you were trying to do alone. You seem painfully aware of your…limits.”

“Ah, yes, that…well…”

There really wasn’t much to say. Her companions had dwindled over the last year since they had set out. Janis hadn’t lived because she was the best. She had survived because many of her betters had protected her with their lives. “It won’t happen again if you teach me!” Janis pleaded to Marcos suddenly.

“…Hurmmph.” He grunted non-comittally. “You could die learning from me are you okay with that?”

“Yes!” Janis shouted falling before him.

“Don’t speak too soon.” Marcos snapped. “Don’t you love your life? My arts aren’t for the weak, you really could die.”

“I will be a Warrioress whether or not I get your help. I will fight for justice and die if I have too for it. I am weak now. I know it is only luck, and the sacrifices of others that I have lived this long. How I die doesn’t matter as long I am helping…”

Marcos grunted but didn’t say anything more.

As they went downstairs, Janis tried to remember what if anything they had told her about themselves. She drew a blank as she came out to the street with them. What she had been told was easy to pick up anyway. Saliss didn’t want to be somewhere and so they were going somewhere else.

The sunlight felt pleasant. Janis was glad for the recent warm weather. People were out and walking around in the warmth of the sun. The air was clear, and the town was filled with the sounds of horses clopping past, carts creaking, blacksmiths pinging away, and axes chopping down morning firewood.

“So much for lack of civilization, right Marcos?” Saliss joked as she pointed out a restaurant setting up for breakfast. The smell of honeyberry muffin made everyone’s stomach growl. “Let’s stop here…”

Eating outside in good company was rejuvenating for Janis as she saw the simple purity, and good of common men all around.

In the gold midmorning light, she followed the pair up the street trying to figure out her next step. Not having a decent weapon was a huge draw back to her plans to regain her honor. If she couldn’t get a sword, she would need a decent club, or knife, or even a staff.

As they walked up the streets into the sun, they found that up near the city square there was a gathering. A group of more than fifty people openly carrying weapons stood in the center, and a crowd of the townspeople surrounded them and listening to relatively well dressed man who seemed to be the town’s leader.

“Adventurers! Adventurers! Come hear this!” The man shouted from the center of the square on a stone pedestal built into the lip of a fountain.

Janis followed the two over to a spot at the edge of the crowd.

“There is a dragon among us! It plagues the villages to the North. These men are going, but we need more! We must end this threat! We have a man to lead us! Who among you wants the fame, the honor, and even some of the dragon’s treasure horde?” He said looking around at the faces before him.

“What do you think?” Saliss asked Marcos after hearing the announcement.

“It’s a trick. When they find its lair, the leader is going to go off alone to ‘get it to come out’, or ‘fight it’. When it does come out, he’ll be long gone, and it’ll eat everyone it finds. After getting its fill, it’ll likely sleep for years, or decades depending on its size, age, and how many people they take up there. Humans can’t kill dragons. It’s a dream to say they can even hunt them.”

“…So you don’t want to go then is that it?” Saliss grinned and her eyes glittered, “You’re not scared are you?”

“I think you just want to see a dragon. I won’t stop you, and you know I’ll follow. But, understand that if you do decide to go stand before it, I won’t be able to protect you.” Marcos said quickly. “Dragons, a least high dragons, are pretty close to gods on this plane. There are few things stronger I suppose, but none of them occur as frequently as even a rare dragon sighting.”

Saliss straightened. “So it is stronger than you?” Marcos just shrugged.

“Who knows it’s not my business to go and find out.”

“Oh this sounds interesting. We’ll have to see it then.” Saliss said with finality.

Pushing off the wall, she parted the spectators and led the group into the center of the crowd.

The ‘dragon hunter’ leading the group sat on the edge of the speaker’s pedestal. He wore battered bronze plate armor that was in need of repair. His helmet’s face guard was down making it hard to see his face. The men around him bathed in his regal presence, sure he would get them back alive. Among the crowd, several hardened warriors were sprinkled in. Mostly however the group was full of young men from surrounding farm villages. They strutted around arrogantly sure of their fortunes.

“Greetings, and salutations,” Saliss called as she came to stand before the leader. Janis got a creepy feeling wondering why this man would be covering her face. If Saliss had similar suspicions, she didn’t show it. “We wish to travel with your party.” Janis could feel the eyes in the crowd shift onto them at her words.

A young blonde haired man dressed in common clothes leaned next to the leader oozing impudence. After running his eyes over Saliss and Janis, he shifted the crotch of his pants and straightened from his slouch to speak up in his farmer’s accent that stretched the a’s and cut out the t’s as he spoke. “What do we need you women for? Are you whores here to keep us ready to fight?”

The crowd around them mumbled and pressed in tighter. “We are here to kill a dragon,” Saliss responded uncaring of the stirrings around her. “Hasn’t this leader killed one before?”

“Oi! what do you know? He was the sole survivor of the last attack on a dragon’s nest far to the east. Puzzlao knows how to kill a dragon.”

“Sole survivor? Puzzulio,” Saliss repeated slowly struggling with the man’s rustic pronunciation. “Well that is interesting. We shall join your camp then.” She said airily and turned to depart.

“Oi wait!” The blonde man called. “Where’s your tent?”

Saliss beamed him a smile that got hoots from the crowd. “Never you mind boy, when I want your money I’ll come for it.” She stepped closer and cupped his face. “I hope you have enough for me.” She turned and led her way out as the crowd gave a shout and went wil