by Ellen Wilson
That was without any mention to the state of tension Felowyn was in. If the village was under threat of an attack, this wasn’t a safe place for them. Unfortunately, traveling at this hour wouldn’t be any less dangerous. A big part of her wanted to be out on the streets, patrolling and making the place more secure for her queen, but she lacked the power to make any bit of difference.
These were the sort of thoughts that kept her awake and distracted her from the subtle shifts of the bed next to hers. It wasn’t until she felt Fiora slip under the cover beside her that she realized the queen had moved at all.
“Lady Fiora?” Capriella asked with some confusion. Her queen rolled over and straddled her, one thigh pressed against both sides of Capriella’s waist. Silver locks fell and greeted her with the fragrance of soap from the bath earlier. Fiora didn’t offer any verbal explanation for what she was doing. She didn’t give a single word, she just leaned down and kissed her.
Capriella all but melted there. Her lips parted easily when the queen’s tongue pushed past them. She welcomed her with her own tongue and a soft moan, squirming on the bed beneath her. It was a kiss that was every bit of delicious as it was the first and the last time their lips had united and any doubt about the queen’s identity or personality washed away right there. This was absolutely her.
Capriella gasped for air when their kiss broke. She must have been holding her breath without her realizing it; her chest heaved up against Fiora’s in labored huffs. Her queen only continued to trail her lips down her neck and collarbone, then lifted her shirt. Fiora all but tore off her undergarment, popping the redhead’s breasts out before taking one of her pink nipples into her suckling mouth.
“Ohh… my queen…” she whimpered softly. Her eyes closed and her body shivered as the queen lightly tugged with her teeth and flicked gently with her tongue. Fiora’s lithe fingers trailed down her belly and slipped beneath her pants, panties, and all. Capriella arched her back and drew in a sharp breath when she felt those digits worm their way in and start thrusting into her.
“Hah!” she cried, gripping fistfuls of the bed’s sheets. Fiora teased the other nipple now with her tongue, while fore and middle finger pumped Capriella’s hot slit. They were slick with the redhead’s excitement in a matter of seconds.
“I want you…” Fiora breathed against her breast, breaking the clasp of her mouth from Capriella’s nipple. The Sevelyn woman could feel the proof of that statement rubbing against her thigh. Fiora slipped her fingers out of the woman’s sex and used that hand instead to part Capriella’s legs. “I need you… I need it right now!” she cried, desperate, and before Capriella could agree with the sentiment, her queen pressed the tip of her cock against her and thrust her hips forward to send it home.
Capriella’s eyes shot open and wide as she was pierced into. Her queen had been blessed by the gods with her endowment and she absolutely filled Capriella, firing off sensation through every inch of her. It briefly hurt to have her suddenly inside, but it was something she had missed and gladly welcomed. The pain, she knew, was a small price to pay for the pleasure to come.
Fiora didn’t waste much time to bring that about. She furiously humped at Capriella’s sex, hands roughly seizing the redhead’s wrists to pin them down against the mattress, as if she might dare to wiggle away. Capriella’s moan was cut off by her queen’s tongue suddenly swirling with her own in another deep kiss. Fiora’s hard and determined motions proved she knew how to take what she wanted. Capriella’s eyes rolled closed as she reveled in the consequences.
She wanted to cry out her queen’s name and declare her love, but all she could do in blood-rushing ecstasy was take Fiora’s swollen member and muffle out her muted moans. The only other sounds in the room were that of her queen’s jewels slapping against her, the groaning and creaking of the bed they were on, and the vicious pounding of the headboard striking the wall, again and again; something that would surely disturb their neighbors, but ultimately trivial to the preoccupied couple.
The pleasure of Capriella’s loins built up to their peak and then exploded. Her scream was cut off from the insistent probing of Fiora’s tongue, but the orgasm was just as fierce. The woman’s legs clamped around her queen’s waist while the sensation ravaged her body, coursing down to her curled toes and reaching up to her brain that felt like a pile of happy mush.
“Mm!” Fiora grunted into Capriella’s mouth before spewing into her sex. She broke the kiss, crying out and arching her torso back, burying her throbbing organ into the Sevelyn woman. Her fingernails dug harder on Capriella’s wrists as she gasped and threw her head back in euphoria before the memory sparked in her. She could suddenly see it now, in her mind’s eye, the garden back at the Ivory Palace: grand statues, flourishing flowers, and her sweet, sweet Capriella, the most beautiful thing among them. Fiora shuddered before she looked down to the other woman with the new revelation. Capriella’s eyes were still closed and her mouth was open, bottom lip trembling as she whimpered, still in the thralls of ecstasy. Not only that, but the Sevelyn woman could feel the power surging in her, filling her being with the revival of the Ankhor’s energy.
Capriella slowly opened her eyes and, for just an instant, Fiora could see the flickers of flame in them. They returned to their normal color, the fire dying as it quickly as it had come. Capriella smiled.
“I see it again,” she said softly.
“See what?” Fiora asked, privately disappointed it had only been a small portion of her memory returned.
Capriella closed her eyes once more, as if looking inward. “The bird of fire.”
Spirit Beasts
“Fire?” King Kleon echoed, incredulously. He immediately glanced to the woman seated on his left, Queen Janas, who’s stare remained fixed on the fledgling Sevelyn. The entire court seemed to grow tense with anticipation at the news.
“Close your eyes and look in upon yourself,” the silver-haired queen said. Capriella hesitated, confused by the command. “It is as simple as doing it, girl. It is the most basic of things for a Sevelyn.”
Capriella looked to Fiora for support and the princess squeezed her hand and gave a comforting smile. That small gesture was enough to put her at ease.
“Okay,” she said softly, exhaling a deep breath as she closed her eyes. “Look inward.” It felt such an odd thing to do, but she knew better than to doubt the veteran Sevelyn’s words. After all, she had seen what lay inside her once already, out in the garden. Fiora had awakened something inside, but the only detail she could make out at that time were raging flames.
It was time to take a closer look. Queen Janas had been right when she said it was simple. Capriella’s darkness was replaced with the vision of fire once more.
“It’s just… fire. Burning, and…” she trailed off as her brow furrowed. She saw something. “I think those are… wings? In the fire? No… they’re part of it.”
She could hear King Kleon whispering excitedly, “Could it be? Does it sound right to you?”
Capriella opened her eyes, convinced she wasn’t going to make any more sense of what she saw. The entire scene was just a fiery chaos to her.
“The recounting is a little different from what we’ve heard,” Queen Janas replied doubtfully, her stare never leaving the redhead.
“Every description is always a little different. You couldn’t get two Sevelyn to even give a matching one for a Minotaur. But this… wings and fire,” King Kleon marveled, a grin on his face. He turned to look over his shoulder then, to one of the Sevelyn women at his throne-side. “Valtena.”
A bored looking beauty with the darkest hair Capriella had seen perked up at her name. “Yes, my lord,” she said readily before she began to advance on the girl.
“What’s going on?” Capriella asked in a whisper to the princess beside her.
“They think you could be a dragon. Valtena is a sphinx, so she’ll be able to look at the Spirit Beast inside you.”
Dragon. Sphinx. Capriella
wanted to ask what those were, but Valtena was in earshot now so she reserved it for later.
“Close your eyes and look upon it again,” the woman instructed. Capriella did so then felt Valtena’s palm over her forehead. “Hmm, it’s as she says. A lot of fire. Hmm, maybe wings. I can see that.”
“No monstrous face? Scales? Tail?” Queen Janas asked, apparently the characteristics she had been expecting.
“No. But there is something else,” the Sevelyn woman who was apparently a “sphinx” said. Capriella could suddenly see what she was talking about, her focus sharpening by Valtena’s will. In the same fashion in which the wings seemed to be of the flames, the sword they both saw burned in the same inferno and was only barely visible because of its intensity in relation. The fire burned fiercer and faster, contained from the rest in the shape of pommel and blade.
“A sword,” Capriella gasped, opening her eyes.
“Ho-ho! A dragon sword!” King Kleon chimed. “You’ve really hit the jackpot, Fiora!”
“Thank you, father,” the princess said, beaming.
“We don’t know that she is a dragon for certain,” Queen Janas reminded them.
“Dragons are the only known Spirit Beast that consort with fire,” the king said.
“Hmm, yes,” Valtena said, lowering her hand back to her side. “But one has never been described made of fire. It is quite peculiar.”
“Either way, we won’t be able to provide any proper training for you,” Queen Janas said directly to Capriella. “There being no other dragon or whatever here means you’ll have to forge your own spells and discover your powers for yourself. But do not distress.” For the first time that Capriella had seen, the queen smiled. For a woman who had showed so little kindness, that smile was huge. “We will assist you as best we can. If you are indeed a dragon, and the history is to be believed, there will be much more to see from you. You could make my daughter the strongest Ankhor the lands have ever seen.”
Ah. So, there was the reason behind the woman’s sudden kindness. Queen Janas still saw her as some object or tool to be used by the princess. In fact, at that moment, it felt like they all did. Capriella couldn’t help but want to defy that, but one look over to Fiora and the princess’ dazzling smile melted away that rebellion. Maybe being hers wasn’t such a bad thing after all.
Raid
Fiora’s bed went unused for the rest of the night, she curled up at Capriella’s side instead. Her queen had fallen asleep in her arms, but the Sevelyn woman was feeling charged up and restless. It wasn’t long until it became more than she could bear, so she carefully slipped out without waking the slumbering Fiora.
Capriella threw on her cloak, locked the door, and gave the innkeeper a passing nod before she left, stepping out onto the streets of Felowyn. Part of her was anxious to try her powers but she was wary enough not to, certain to draw unwanted attention if fire simply started to roar up in the darkness of night. She settled on a simple spell of night vision and started her own silent patrol of the streets instead, easily evading the paths of the sentries who announced their presence with torch light. Even better than just seeing the glow around a corner, Capriella could feel the flames throughout Felowyn. It was good to have her powers back. Being without them, as short a time as it might have been, reminded her just how great of a blessing they were. It was important she brought that back to her sisters as well. Eventually, she found a position on a high rooftop, near the center of town where she could keep a watchful eye on most everything. There, she immediately spotted something amiss.
Despite the fact that most of the security was focused on the northern edge, they were, unfortunately, unable to see what she could beyond the trees of the north. The woods were dense in foliage, but her gift allowed her to see the many different flickers of flame scattered deep inside. Campfires, she realized, and judging by how many she saw, this was no small party.
Capriella started up, wanting to shout a warning to some of the passing guards down below. She stopped herself before she could give away her position, still hesitant to announce her presence so soon. She had little doubt of the patrolmen’s allegiance, but any nearby ear could yet betray her. A different idea then came to mind.
One by one, their torches hushed out. On a windless night, it spooked most of the guards into jumping or dropping their hold on it. Once the initial shock wore off, it achieved Capriella’s plan on alerting the soldiers, of letting them know that something was about to happen soon. At the once well-lit northern part of town, the defenses there could see the faint glow behind the trees once their eyes adjusted to the darkness, and shouts of alarm began to bark in the night.
Capriella would have been relieved if the situation still wasn’t as dire as ever. There were more enemies than defenders; with Unicra’s queen being supposedly dead, it was open season for Dyssa’s barbarians to move in force and take what they wanted. Unfortunately, it would be violent. She realized Felowyn was going to need their help to survive the night and took off back to the inn.
Pythia smoothed out her dress and fiddled with her blonde hair before she stepped into Dyssa’s tent. It was important to her to look presentable, or really, to be as attractive as possible. Blessed to be Sevelyn, her looks were already a cut above the rest, but it was the allure of her eyes that she took special pride in: dazzling blue orbs that had been compared to a clean sea under the sun. It didn’t hurt that with her power she could add a little extra sparkle to them. Unfortunately, she didn’t have the juice to use any of her spells.
That was her current predicament. She yearned for the energy Dyssa could give her, but the barbarian queen refused until she could make the most of what little she had left of Fiora. As it were, Pythia was still able to locate her sisters, although the signals she felt were very faint. That was until one of them had awoken again. Capriella’s energies had flared up and was like a beacon, even to her weakened sensory, which was an unwelcomed surprise for the Sevelyn of fire had certainly been dead when they left her body at the ruins of the Ivory Palace. In hindsight, they should have lopped off their heads.
Dyssa was just finishing getting dressed in her furs when she saw the woman enter. The barbarian queen gave a knowing smile. “You’re here to tell me about the sword and queen surviving. I’m already aware.”
“The queen’s alive?” Pythia asked in shock. As unlikely as it was for one of them, to hear both women had survived shook her sensibilities. “How is that possible? They were both dead,” she said as if it were the irrefutable truth.
“Not dead enough,” Dyssa answered. “They’re tough. Fiora’s the only other Ankhor I’ve fought before. Well, in a serious fight anyways. My father…” the barbarian queen trailed off and her stare grew distant. She hadn’t meant to divulge as much, but the words brought back memories of the tutorage she had gained from the man.
That vacant look was replaced by one of rage and the woman snarled her next words through clenched teeth, “My father would want me to finish the job. Now, where is the sword?”
Her lady was more than ready to assist the town of Felowyn. Memories or not, her goodwill was unchanged. It was a dangerous move that would most likely expose them, but Capriella agreed it was the only option they had.
“Our best chance is for you to wield me. I know you may not remember it, but I will guide you,” the Sevelyn said, lifting her hands and turning her palms up. She closed her eyes and couldn’t contain her smile as she spotted the sword in the flames. After what the two of them had been through, it was going to feel good to share their power once more.
“Ah!” Fiora cried in surprise. The sword had roared to life, hovering above the Sevelyn woman’s palms.
“It cannot burn you,” Capriella said. “It is a part of me, and I am wholly yours. You can take it.”
Fiora apprehensively reached out with her hand before she closed her fingers over what she thought was the hilt. She started back again when the redhead suddenly combusted into flames. No, she ha
d literally become them, and the fire followed her back, drawn into the sword as if by some vacuum.
“Capriella?” the queen asked in alarm, while the fire in her hand began to shape itself into something firmer. It transformed itself into a scarlet metal and the hilt grew to wrap around Fiora’s arm. She didn’t have to keep her grip on it anymore when the blade was the one holding her.
“I’m here,” Capriella said, a voice in Fiora’s head. “My power is yours now.”
“Incredible,” the queen breathed, marveling at the glow of the sword in her hand. She could feel the energy from it buzzing up her arm; a power she didn’t understand but was eager to try. “Where are we headed?”
“Fires out,” Melodene instructed one of the barbarians beside her, a man who turned and began shouting it down their lines. She had just received word from one of their scouts that Felowyn had gone dark. Likely, their own position here had been found out somehow. The soldiers of the town were bound to be preparing themselves for the attack. Melodene didn’t like losing the element of surprise but she knew that their numbers would more than make up for it. Most importantly, they had her.
Melodene was a hydra, one of Queen Dyssa’s Sevelyn, and that granted her command of the barbarian force camped in the woods. With Fiora’s death, and her own Sevelyn force scattered and weak, towns that had once been under Unicra’s protection were now ripe with resources to be took.
“Ready them for battle,” she commanded. The barbarians began to pass the order when they all noticed an unexpected flurry of commotion down the ranks. Some of her warriors were rushing and pushing past others in a frantic escape and it was further behind them were Melodene spotted a blast of fire in the distance, dying away as quickly as it came.
