by Sarah Hawke
“Your sister can rot in the abyss. The Inquisitrix…” Valuri sighed. “Look, I grew up in Vorsalos. I’d like to see the city free as much as anyone. But I’m not interested in getting myself killed for anyone’s ‘cause.’ If we can’t find reliable allies here, we should move on.”
“You really don’t have any honor, do you?” Kaseya said.
“Oh, please. Pull your head out of Jorem’s trousers and—”
“Enough,” I said, grabbing both their shoulders in warning. “We can debate this later. Right now we need to get on the road and start heading south if we want to make the rendezvous.”
“So you still want to side with Telanya?” Valuri asked. “Please tell me it’s not because you fucked her, because if I remember correctly you fucked that little half-elf back there too.”
“This has nothing to do with sex,” I said, sighing and pinching my nose. “I need some time to think. But right now, Telanya’s offer is the best one we’ve got. Once the cargo is safe and back in Highwind…then we can decide what to do with it.”
Valuri shrugged. “I’d say you’re the boss, but that only applies to Red and her collar here.”
I sighed again. “Why do you always have to make things so difficult?”
“Because you wouldn’t have it any other way,” she said, leaning forward and kissing me on the cheek. “Now come on. We don’t want those stable boys telling Telanya we were late.”
4
The stable hands had three fine Harusean mares ready and waiting for us when we arrived at the gate, and another set of Telanya’s house servants had already packed up the saddles with water and supplies. I wasn’t used to this kind of service; I almost felt like genuine nobility for the first time in my life. Kaseya was the best and most experienced rider between the three of us, and she quickly took point as we left the city and started down the southern road.
The fertile grasslands here were every bit as lush and rolling as the ones to the north. The entire region was pockmarked with farms and villages, many of whom were still scrambling to harvest their crops before winter. Windmills and grain silos were a common sight, as were patrols of Silver Fist Knights and Duskwatch Rangers. Highwind was the breadbasket of the whole region, after all, and protecting the farmlands was as vital as manning the city’s battlements. Even Vorsalos relied heavily on imported grain; the Inquisitrix was fortunate that her eastern neighbors were still willing to sell her food. If open hostilities ever did erupt between the two cities, the death toll from starvation alone would be unconscionable.
Vorsalos was far from the only threat, of course. Gnolls infested the Duskwood, and dozens of bloodthirsty orc tribes roamed the Shattered Peaks. Civilization only endured at the tip of the spear, the old saying went, and I was thankful for the knights and rangers even if most of them probably wanted to toss me in the dungeon.
“It’s strange seeing these people as allies after spending the last ten years learning how to kill them,” Valuri commented after we passed a Silver Fist patrol.
“I wouldn’t call them allies just yet,” I murmured. “From what I’ve heard, they’re not exactly fond of my kind…and they’re definitely not fond of yours.”
“The Inquisitrix has a scouting report on every single officer of consequence. Her spies believe the paladins are weak and complacent…not to mention randy as hell.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Randy ? You’re serious?”
“You wouldn’t believe some of the stories I’ve heard. Secret orgies, weird rituals with priestesses of the love goddess…it’s almost unbelievable.”
I grunted. I had never understood why anyone with an ounce of sanity would join a knightly order. The likelihood of dying on some godforsaken battlefield was bad enough, but the vow of chastity might as well have been a suicide pact. Then again, the Ravenguard Knights back in Vorsalos weren’t exactly paragons of virtue, either—they had been some of the biggest whoremongers in the whole bloody city.
“The rangers are a different story,” Valuri went on. “Telanya was right about what she said at dinner—everything changed when the council appointed a new Ranger-General. Serrane drove the rest of the orc clans deep into the Shattered Peaks and practically exterminated the gnolls in the Duskwood.”
“Sounds like a fun woman,” I murmured.
“Apparently she’s another blonde-haired, blue-eyed elf, so I’m sure if the two of you met you’d be fucking within the hour.”
I sighed. “Look, last night was…I don’t even know what happened.”
“The same thing as always,” Valuri shrugged. “You followed your cock around like it’s a compass.”
“You’ve never been the jealous type before.”
She scoffed. “I’m not the one you need to worry about. Though I heard you tried to make it up to Red this morning. I’m sorry I missed it.”
I glanced over at Kaseya. She was far enough of ahead of us that she was probably out of earshot. “We’re…she’s…it’s complicated,” I managed.
“Uh huh,” Valuri said. “Look, you can play with your toys however you want, but I’ll tell you right now I’m going to be famished tonight. You had better be ready.”
With that, she trotted ahead. I glanced between my two partners, wondering if I should be terrified or eager for camp tonight. My stomach settled on the former; my cock chose the latter.
We followed the main road the rest of the day, mostly because I doubted the Senosi would risk an ambush on such a heavily-patrolled path. I didn’t expect the knights and rangers to thin out until we got closer to Lake Dunarthe, and when they did I planned to weave our way through the thick grass and empty fields. Some of the local farmers might get annoyed if we trampled their crops, but I didn’t want to make our enemies’ job any easier than I had to.
Ayrael and her Huntresses were out there somewhere. I could feel it.
We kept a leisurely pace until nightfall, at which point we made camp inside a cozy little copse of trees about a mile west of the road. The autumn air was getting cooler by the day, and I helped Kaseya gather wood for a fire. I ignited the logs with a burst of flame from my palm, then leaned back on my bedroll and imagined all the possible ways this scheme of Telanya’s could go horribly wrong.
“What are the odds that the caravan has already been ambushed by the time we arrive?” I mused, folding my hands behind my head and staring up at the stars. “The Inquisitrix has spies all across the region. She must know about the vatari mines near Falcon Ridge. She could have already sent a squad to intercept the mercenaries.”
“Maybe, but if so I didn’t hear anything about it,” Valuri said as she unholstered her crossbows and sat down next to me. “She has spies in Falcon Ridge, but not many…and she doesn’t usually risk sending the Senosi that far. Besides, ambushing the caravan early just means a longer jaunt back to Vorsalos, and a longer jaunt to Vorsalos means more chances for a third party to get involved. The Highvale Pass has been plagued by bandits for a long time, and so have the Grey Moors.”
“Still, if she waits too long she’ll have to deal with the Silver Fist and the Duskwatch,” I pointed out.
“My sister will not care who stands in her way,” Kaseya commented. She was still looming over the fire and eyeing the reflection of the flames on her sword. “Ayrael will wait until the challenge is greatest before she strikes.”
“That does sound like her,” Valuri conceded. “She may be a force of nature, but she’s not too bright.”
Kaseya turned. “Because she prefers to fight head-on?”
“That’s one reason.”
“I suppose you would prefer to shoot your enemies in their sleep.”
“It’s certainly a lot safer that way.”
Kaseya groaned in disgust. “I shouldn’t have expected anything less from an assassin.”
“Glory is all well and good, Red,” Valuri said, reclining her head back onto my chest and crossing her legs. “But winning is even better.”
“Victory is
meaningless without—”
“I had a disturbing thought earlier,” I interjected, hoping to change the subject before they choked each other. “We still don’t know who the Black Mistress is, or even if she’s a single person. But what if it’s even worse—what if the Black Mistress is a Senosi operative?”
“I’ve been nursing that thought for a while,” Valuri said. “It’s definitely the Inquisitrix’s style—she did almost exactly the same thing a decade ago in Vorsalos. You remember the endless guild wars and the final purge.”
“Too well,” I murmured. I had only been twelve or thirteen at the time, but the battle for control over the city’s smuggling rings and lotus cartels had been bloody and brutal. Outcasts like myself had depended upon a certain stability in the underworld in order to survive, and originally I remembered welcoming the idea of someone consolidating power to stand against the corrupt nobles. But once everyone realized the Inquisitrix was the one taking over…well, the few other sorcerers I’d had known hadn’t lasted long. It was nothing short of a miracle that I’d managed to survive long enough to meet Valuri.
“I tried to pry some details out of Ayrael while we were sailing to Highwind, but she still didn’t trust me,” Valuri said. “I doubt she’s a very good liar, though, and it seems unlikely that the Inquisitrix would conceal such an important part of her plan from her new champion.”
I dragged my thoughts from the past and placed my hand on Valuri’s shoulder. “So you don’t think the Inquisitrix is involved?”
“Oh, I’m sure she’s involved in some way or another, but I don’t think she or any of the other Senosi are secretly the Black Mistress. I think it’s more likely that she’s just trying to manipulate the situation from the shadows.”
“That seems like a safe bet regardless,” I said, nibbling at my lip. “I had another thought today, too. It’s probably crazy, but what if we’ve already met the Black Mistress and don’t even know it. What if we’re working for her right now?”
Kaseya turned and eyed me warily. “You mean Telanya?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“Now that’s an interesting thought,” Valuri said. “What’s your reasoning?”
“She arrived in the city less than a year before the current conflict started, so the timing is convenient,” I said. “But beyond that, it also seems to fit her general interests. Most of the city believes she married the Archmage purely to gain power. Ruling the underworld would be another step in the same direction.”
“She’s also lying to the Highwind Council and hoarding these vatari crystals,” Valuri added. “She clearly has her husband wrapped around her finger, too—that must give her access to all kinds of resources. The trouble is, she’s not a sorceress.”
“No, but she does have a much more sympathetic attitude towards them than the Archmage,” I pointed. “I, uh, learned that during our private conversation.”
Valuri grunted. “Maybe if you’d fucked her harder she would have screamed her secret identity into your ear.”
“She also has a much more tolerant attitude towards sorcerers, and her position in the Highwind Academy would give her direct access to young people with the gift,” I said, ignoring the jibe. “A lot of pieces fit, if you really start to think about it.”
“If you’re right, it would also explain some of Silhouette’s strange behavior,” Kaseya mused, her eyes flicking back in thought. “She didn’t want us to tell her the details of what happened during our meeting at the mansion, but if Telanya is her mistress then she already knows.”
I nodded. “I considered that, too. Maybe this is all some kind of elaborate test. Telanya wants to see if we’ll try and bring this cargo to her or the Black Mistress, knowing she’ll get ahold of it either way.”
“Or we’re crazy and overthinking this,” Valuri said. “You and I have certainly made that mistake before.”
“True enough,” I murmured. “Either way, we’re not going to get all the answers tonight. We should try and get some sleep so we can leave first thing in the morning. I’d rather get to the pass early and scout out our options before the caravan arrives.”
Valuri rolled over and faced me. “You’re not sleeping for a while yet,” she said, clamping her hand over my crotch. “I’m not going to bed on an empty stomach.”
“We have bigger problems to deal with right now,” Kaseya scolded.
Valuri grinned. “There’s no need to be sour, Red. You can help out if you want, but you’re not stealing my prize this time.”
“This has nothing to do with Jorem,” the amazon said. “In a few days we will be fighting side-by-side, but we have not trained together. I do not know your capabilities or weaknesses.”
“Good point. I guess I’ll have to give you a hint.” Valuri pointed at her crossbows. “I shoot people with these things. When that doesn’t work, I stab them with my claws. Any further questions?”
“Many,” Kaseya said. “It is still early. We should spar.”
“Hold on a minute—you should really let me sell tickets first,” I said with a grunt.
Kaseya’s brow furrowed. “Allowing potential enemies to analyze our fighting styles would be a mistake.”
“That’s not what I…never mind.”
Valuri chuckled and leaned back even harder on my chest. “What are you hoping to learn, anyway? It’s not that complicated. You’ll stab them, Jorem will blast them, and I’ll shoot them.”
“Kaseya can also shoot them,” I added. “Up north, she was picking bandits off the battlements in the dead of night.”
“That is not the point,” Kaseya said, sighing in frustration. “Jorem and I can fight together effectively thanks to our bond, but I cannot anticipate your movements until I have seen you fight.”
“Your sister said almost the exact same thing during her Senosi training,” Valuri said. “I was still locked up at the time, but some of the other Huntresses told me about it. They said that Ayrael spent the first week or so watching and learning.”
“We are taught to study and adapt to our opponent’s movements as well our allies,” Kaseya said. “I’ve no doubt that Ayrael was able to defeat your comrades quite handily afterwards.”
Valuri snorted. “Your sister is good, but the Senosi aren’t exactly pushovers. She had a lot to learn from us, too.”
“Do I detect a hint of wounded pride?” I asked with a smirk.
She elbowed me in the gut. “Pride has nothing to do with it. Red just needs to understand that amazons aren’t the only warrior-women in the world.”
“Sounds like pride to me.”
Valuri elbowed me again, which only made me chuckle harder. She was a master at getting under people’s skin, but like most bullies she couldn’t stand it when the tables were turned.
“If my sister has learned your techniques, then it is all the more important for me to learn them, too,” Kaseya said. “Please, show me.”
I grinned when Valuri abruptly hopped up. She had weak spots just like anyone else, and it was amusing as hell to watch another woman exploit them so easily.
“I’ve never been much of a teacher,” Valuri said, flicking out her arms and unsheathing the concealed tiger claws in her gauntlets. “You better hope you’re a quick learner.”
She lunged forward and slashed wildly with her right hand, forcing Kaseya to hop back and catch the attack on the edge of her blade. I assumed the amazon would retreat and attempt to retrieve her shield, but instead she settled into an almost casual two-handed grip. The two women slowly circled around each other, their eyes locked in silent struggle like a pair of stags fighting over the right to mate with a prized female.
I probably should have felt emasculated by the comparison, but I was too mesmerized by their dance to care. Besides, I was planning on fucking on the winner…and then probably the loser…and then probably the winner again. The night was young.
Valuri eventually lunged forward again, striking with both hands in rapid succession. Kas
eya parried one with her sword and dodged the other before she attempted a dizzying twirl-riposte of her own. Valuri deftly crouched beneath the slash, then kicked the other woman’s vulnerable flank, knocking Kaseya backwards and nearly tripping her in the process.
“Too slow,” Valuri taunted, a satisfied smirk on her lips.
“I agree,” Kaseya said. “With more sensible footwear, you would be considerably faster.”
The Senosi’s smile vanished. “My boots are perfectly—”
Kaseya struck before Valuri could finish the sentence. Sparks flew off their weapons, and the shrill ring of grinding steel echoed across the plains. I probably should have been more worried about the noise, but I couldn’t look away. Their movements were so graceful and deadly I should have been horrified…but because I was me, my cock just got harder and harder instead.
After about a minute, it became clear even to me that Kaseya wasn’t trying actually to win. I was reminded of her battle with Ayrael on the Highwind docks—her sister had been toying with her, just like she was doing with Valuri now. The difference was that Valuri quickly grew frustrated and made a mistake.
She landed next to me a few seconds later, her lip bleeding from an elbow to the face. Kaseya didn’t gloat—she actually retreated a step and settled back into a defensive stance to wait for her opponent’s next move.
“Feed me,” Valuri demanded, wiping her lip with her arm.
I frowned. “Your hands seem busy. I suppose you could use your mouth.”
“Not that way!” she growled. “Blast me with something!”
I glanced up to Kaseya. The amazon’s face was unreadable, but she didn’t object. Sighing, I opened my palm and reached out to the Aether. Sparks of electricity crackled at my fingertips, and I angled them towards Valuri and zapped her with a quick burst of energy. Her eyes fluttered shut, but when they reopened a moment later they were glowing bright green.
Vaulting back to her feet, Valuri pounced at Kaseya like an enraged tigress. The tides quickly turned—Valuri was now faster and stronger than any human, and it didn’t take long for her to overwhelm her opponent’s defenses. Valuri caught Kaseya’s sword with her claws, ripped it free of the amazon’s grip, and then promptly kicked the other woman flat onto her back.
