by Mark Summer
They fight for the third brother, let us remind you that he has also abandoned the fair people of this city. So it will be written all his allies including the crazed women folk known as the Amazons are conspired enemies of the capital and are hereby declared nonhuman and can be captured or killed without remorse.
The spokesmen had spoken to the large crowds gathered outside the royal palace in the large courtyard. New flags were being raised while the old one was being burned, All the libraries had been closed all food markets had been turned over to the new rulers. No more private property and all able-bodied males over sixteen were to be drafted.
The people had a mixed reaction but they were dramatized by the war and hungered for stability.
The two brothers showed themselves to the crowd, they wore shiny new armor that shined in the morning sun.
They had a hand on each other's shoulders and stood as the crowd began to cheer their name
Hail Etu
Hail Witu
The capital has fallen and if Cora was around she would have left the city if she would find a way to bring her family with her.
But of Cora, of course, didn't hear this she was near one of her favorite place to steal from. A large market that sold high prices foods and vegetables.
Cora looked for the long wooden ladder that leads to a small stone apartment building balcony
She found it and climbed the ladder to the balcony. The streets were bare and very quiet. She just figured the people we rent awake yet. Being that it was very early time but Cora continues the path to the market by
Jumping from the balcony to the next eventually she comes to the market roof.
There was a little door that when opened revealed another ladder that leads to the storage room
Cora had gotten some nice tasty grub from the market
Even though she hated a small amount of guilt when she first started. But that faded when the capital stopped providing its citizen with the basic needs.
Cora knew the dangers of being caught stealing, but under the new rule, she would be treated far worse. She would be considered nonhuman, something that can be bought or sold.
Cora was a beautiful young woman even though she kept her hair short and wore the clothes of a male. Anyone with two eyes could see that Cora had a beautiful body tan and strong.
If caught she would go straight to the harems. Where the girl's where skimpy dresses and feed grapes to slave masters. They are then mounted any time and must walk the house of their masters with bells on their ankles so he knows where she is.
The harem would average ten girls sometimes a pretty boy would be in there for flavor. IT depends on how wealthy the master was, slave girls of great beauty would be most prized. But as soon as the girl losses the beauty, she would out the door. To the work fields where she would spend the rest to their days plowing and growing. Maybe she would be taken by a worker but the rest of her life would be spent. Slave girls don't last past the age of forty if they are lucky.
Cora shivered at this thought if she only knew what happened to her capital. She was determined to find the food even with these dangers showing themselves in clarity.
Cora climbed down the ladder, dust, and deb re where everywhere there wasn't much light in the place. but when she started to move about she felt something sharp bite her on the leg and she fell to the floor.
The room was illuminated, and standing before her was two of the ugliest men she had ever seen. They both smelled bad and had rotten teeth one of them smiled. He hit his partner on the shoulder
"What do we have here"
"I think we found the monkey that has been stealing our shit"
"That's right it looks like she stepped into a pretty nasty trap"
"pretty nasty trap for such a pretty little monkey"
Cleo felt like hurting them if she wasn't hurting herself. No one calls her a monkey and gets away with it. Monkey is a slur used against the lower classes of the capital, even before the war. It was a very bad thing to say and if you said to the wrong person as her father. He would end you nothing else you would be a dead man.
But now the capital had fallen and it seemed like all people now were considered monkeys of the new rulers. The men wore the uniform of the enemy and were not likely the original owners.
They must have taken over the place in order to feed their armies.
Cleo was feeling the trap even more now, and then numbness.
Her world darkened and she fell into darkness.
Chapter Eight
"Hey girl you awake," said a voice
"Your breathing that's a good thing"
Cleo opened her eyes to see a skinny boy looking at her from the other side of a small cell.
"Man I'm so glad your alive, I was afraid they would put me with a dead girl"
The skinny boy eyes twitched and he kept rubbing his eyes. His skin was white and she could see the blue veins popping out of his arms.
Cleo had seen kids like him he was a powder. Powders roamed the city looking for the next fix they robbed and killed for a shot.
Cleo mind raced where was she some kind of prison. Then the reality of her family came over her tears started to form
"Oh man don't cry girl, it's not so bad"
She ignored the kid and put her face in her hands
The mid slid as far as he could toward her but the color and chain held him back.
Cleo noticed around her neck there was also a collar it was gold.
"That means your heading for the harem"
Cleo let out another sob
Hey at least your not going to the mine like me, i'll be dead in a few days.
He didn't seem concerned with his fate, in fact, a small part of him welcomed it.
Cleo wiped her eyes as the boy slid closer the smell made her want to throw up. "Listen in a few moments a guard is going to come, I'm going to stab him"
"What, why"
"Because I want to die and when I do you will run far away from here"
"I don't understand"
"Yes you do"
The boy then showed her a knife, it was made of broken glass and wood
"Please don't do this, I have to wait for my trial"
"Do you know what they do to young pretty girls like you"
Cleo knew enough, she knew that deep down inside she was headed for the brothels to be bought and sold.
"I have family in the city"
"I'm sorry for telling you this, but the city is has fallen the royal family is in shatters, there are blood and death everywhere leave the city and don't look back"
"But where I know only of the capital"
"There are others out there that will take you in, head north till you find the forests there are tribes of amazons"
"Amazons"
"They are savages, yes but they are way better than the savages in power"
"I can't go"
"It doesn't matter, I'm telling you that when I stab the guard that is your only chance, I'm sorry"
Cleo and the small boy sat in silence
"What is your name," said Cleo
"Jacob," said the boy "Son of the town baker"
"Then Cleo looked closer at his skin it was covered with flour, he wasn't a powder he was a simple baker. Cleo's heart sank lower if they arrest well hard working people what chance does she have as a street thief.
The footsteps of the guard were heard coming down the stone hallway of the jail.
"Now is the time," said Jacob as he gripped his knife placing it under his dirty rags
Cleo heard the guard stopped in front of her cell and place the key inside. Her heart beat hard and there was sweat pouring down her forehead as Jacob slid back to his spot.
The guard opened and turned on the light and placed the food in the small metal bowls on the floor. It was then when Jacob jumped onto him and stabbed him in back of his neck.
"Go now," said Jacob
Cleo got up and ran out of the jail and
ran barefoot onto the stone hallway. It was long she didn't look back. The place was not big and she found it empty the hallway then split into two and she saw down one of them a wooden door.
Her gut told her that this was an exit so she took it. Her instincts served her right and she was outside in an oddly beautiful meadow. The jail was just outside the city limits and around it was bush and forest. It seemed like heaven as it was early spring.
She was lost in the sights for a second before the alarm bells rang and she was on the run again.
Barefoot and alone she made her way, but all she could think about was the blood on the floor and Jacob who would be dead by now.
When the energy ran out she found herself deep in the forest. The green was overpowering and she felt safe for the first time in a long time.
Chapter Nine
Cleo awakens from the floor of the forest, around her was large females with face paint. They wore nothing but loincloths and they carried large weapons. there was about five of them. They spoke in a strange language of whistles and clicks. As Cleo got up they pointed their weapons at her fierce and dangerous. The Amazons thought Cleo
The leader of the group said something like a command and the others lowered their weapons.
She came up to the girl and offered her a hand
"What are you doing here"
"Running away"
"Away from what"
"My city has been conquered"
"I see, are you hungry"
"Yes very"
The leader yelled another command and a smaller warrior came and gave Cleo a bunch of fruit and dry meat. Cleo grabbed the food and then sat down and ate it the others also sat.
"So you guys are Amazons"
"Amazons"
"Yes you are Amazons warrior women"
It was clear with Cleo that they didn't understand changed the subject
"This is really good, is it grown here"
"No, if they are found in Uphutika"
"That is very far, how do you keep them fresh"
"We don't we just got them"
"I don't understand"
"We fly there"
"Fly you can fly"
The leader smiled,
"what is your name"
"Cleo, what's yours"
"Perera, these are my sisters"
The other four nodded as Perera named them
Glouadice
Pudnara
Greormiodice
Copley
"We are the last of the Wadi"
"The last what has happened"
"They are cursed, they have become demons and roam the forests of our homeland"
"How awful"
"Yes and we wish to find our queen our scouts have said she went underground with a man prince"
"A man prince, how strange"
"Cleo I fear you will die in the forest, you are welcomed to join us until you find a new home"
Cleo hadn't thought what she would in the future she never really thought about it before but something inside her knew she had to do something about the evil rulers of her city.
"But I'm not much of a warrior"
"We will find a use for you don't you worry"
"I don't understand"
"Come let us show you how we fly"
Perera got up and Cleo did the same she followed her through the thick forest until they were in a large clearing. There in the field, five Pegasus gazing. They were white and beautiful with wings onto their backs.
"These are ours the last of our fleet"
"This is amazing, I only read about these in story books"
"Storybooks," said Perera clearly confused
"Like stories, you tell children"
"You mean the songs of youth"
Cleo shrugged
"I don't know how to fly"
"That is no need you join me"
Cleo walked over to the tallest Pegasus and Perera whispered into its ear and then picked Cleo up and placed her on the back of the flying beast.
"He likes you, don't be scared"
Perera gets on as well and Cleo places her hands around her thin strong hips.
"Hang on, girl"
The Amazon then shouted something and the other four got on theirs and they departed.
Chapter Nine
Lisa took off the mask and found herself in a dirty room. She sighed and went over to the door opening she walked herself out.
"Are you leaving so early"
"Yes it's almost four, you should go to"
"I have to stay"
"Oh OK hey thanks for letting me use it"
"I didn't really"
"What do you mean"
"I mean nothing is free"
"I can't do that, I told you I'm not gay"
"Listen, I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to do but I would really like to see you"
Lisa sighed even though she said she wasn't forcing her she kinda was, it was blackmail plain and simple. But she also knew she wasn't going to get to play Amazon Tamer again if she didn't give her what she wanted.
"Fine do you want what do you want"
"I want you to watch me dance for you"
"OK fine but make it quick"
"It will be don't worry, go back into the room and wait for me"
Lisa did what she was told and sat on the bed,
Pat came to her body was not what Cleo was expecting
She was naked and her still pale flesh shone in the light. Her long, dark hair
had been worked into a single braid, which was tied about her neck like a collar, fastened
She then turned on some music from her phone, it was drums and very sexual
She ran to the area in front of Lisa and began to dance, but not with the
bovine, unsure steps of a shy girl. She moved with a practiced mixture of grace
and race and it was evident that she had practiced for many days.
Emily watched with growing wonder. This was her new friend,
a mother of two. Now she was dancing naked before her, in the most obscene manner imaginable.
It was almost hypnotic. Lisa gasped and her eyes rolled, but Pat danced on, as if oblivious to the exhibition she was performing. The rhythm quickened and Pat began to gyrate like a belly dancer. She held her arms above her head and bucked her hips in mid-
air in a blatant parody of sex. Lisa could hear only her labored breath and the soft slap of her bare feet on the wooden floor.
It went on for some time and Pat worked herself into a frenzy as if controlled by some demon of lust. Only when her flesh gleamed with a sheen of sweat did the drums stop. Pat collapsed in a heap of spent, dripping white flesh.
Lisa was stunned and could not move, the only words being.
Where did you learn to do that
"In the game, one of my slaves does it very well"
