by CR Barlow
She wasn't going to go into the tent by herself, though. She didn't trust these men as far as she could spit. Lolita made no indication that she was interested in going anywhere, and so Ingrid stayed out as well, waiting.
"I'd love for you to come join me." Ingrid suddenly focused on what was being said. The orc, Gnash, had moved close to Lolita, and put a hand on her knee. "Nights get very cold out here."
Something roared in Ingrid's chest and she leaned over, flicking the hand from Lolita's knee with a bolt of magic. "She's not interested."
"You're speaking for her now?" Gnash's eyes narrowed.
"Ingrid—" Lolita started.
Ingrid grabbed her hand. "She's not interested."
The orc put up his hands and shifted away from the two of them. He looked genuinely distressed. "Sorry. I didn't realize you were a couple."
"Well, we are." Ingrid was shocked by the words that came out of her mouth. Where had that come from?
She made herself keep glaring at the orc. It's just because I don't want to have to deal with any of these men trying to get us into their beds. That's it.
Lolita's face flushed and she got to her feet. "We should put up those magic wards to make sure we're not disturbed overnight."
Ingrid followed her, hoping Lolita wouldn't think that her actions meant anything. The two witches walked out a hundred meters before they decided it was a good distance. Ingrid cast the first wards, Lolita followed, strengthening them. Neither of them spoke, focused on their task. By the time they returned to camp, Ingrid was stumbling with exhaustion. Lolita put an arm around her waist, pulling her tight against her.
Gelron's eyes gleamed when the two of them slipped into their tent. "Make sure you get some sleep, there's a lot of work to be done tomorrow!"
Pig-minded elf, Ingrid thought, kicking off her boots.
"So we're a couple?" Lolita asked after casting a silencing ward on the tent walls.
Ingrid flinched. "Sorry. I didn't know what I was doing."
"It's fine. But orcs have a matriarchal society, all I had to do was say no and he would have backed off."
Ingrid shrugged. "Well, it's done now. Let's just go to bed."
She was suddenly reminded of their time on Pluto, working at a nursing outpost. They had had two beds there, but the cold had driven them to share one. The feeling of having somebody's arms around her at night had been the best part of those days. It was the only thing Ingrid could think back on without guilt about how things turned out.
"Ingrid, we have to talk."
"No."
Lolita grasped Ingrid's wrists, shaking her head. "Ingrid, this isn't healthy."
"Let go of me."
"I have been trying to figure out a way to say this without offending you, but I can't. The manticore venom you have already taken has made you mentally unstable. There is no way you'd accept hunting down sentient beings like this in your right frame of mind."
Ingrid twisted her hands, trying to free herself. "I said let go!"
Lolita's grip only tightened. Her expression became pleading. "Please, Ingrid. I don't care what is in our past, it's in the past and I'm okay leaving it there. But I still care about you—"
"You don't have a right—"
"—and I'm worried about you. You need to stop taking the venom, and you need to get your head on straight. If you go after Jorgensen—"
"I'm going to! And I'm going to kill him!"
"If you do, he'll kill you. I'm a poor substitute for real training, and—"
Ingrid yanked her wrist away, glaring at Lolita. "You said that you were going to help me."
"And I'm trying to. Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
"Maybe I am." Ingrid's hands trembled, and she grabbed her cloak again, wrapping it around her shoulders. "Maybe I want to die because I have nothing to live for but revenge, and maybe I don't care if you come or not. I don't need you. All you've done is cause me grief and try to change my mind. I wish I had let Ashley take you back to Earth!"
Lolita flinched, and Ingrid stormed out of the tent before she could say another word. She quickly found Gelron, volunteering to take night watch. He rose a brow, but luckily didn't press for any details. Ingrid was paired with Gnash, and the two of them headed out on their first patrol.
"I tell you, hunting manticore is no easy feat," Gnash said, a hand on the sword at his hip, as they patrolled just inside the protective wards the two witches had put up. "It brings a lot of good crown in, but we need to restock our crew after every trip. I'll be surprised if you and the blonde get out of this alive."
"Okay," Ingrid muttered, hoping he'd drop it.
"So what's the story between you two, anyway?"
"Oh, shut up," Ingrid snapped. "I'm in no mood for talking."
Gnash shrugged. "As you wish."
* * *
Ingrid yawned as she packed up the tent, hoping the chill of the planet would help her wake up. Even after her night watch duties were over, she hadn't been able to sleep. Both Lolita's and Gnash's words rang in her mind, playing over and over again.
This was the only path she could take. Nobody else was going to avenge Edan. She couldn't let his memory disappear like he wasn't important. It was up to her to make sure her husband's death did not go unpunished.
Lolita approached her as she slung the tent into her pack. The blonde held out a knife. "Here. You'll need this."
Ingrid turned her back on the other witch. "What are you going to use, then?"
"A steak knife. I'm leaving. I am not going to stick around to watch you self-implode. You can barter your way out with your new friends."
Ingrid whirled, eyes wide. Her heart began to pound. "You promised me you would—"
"I can't keep that promise. I care about you too much." Lolita touched her cheek and turned away. "Goodbye, Ingrid."
Lolita didn't turn back. Ingrid swallowed hard and turned back to her work. Her jaw tightened. I don't need her anyway. I don't need anybody.
Chapter Four
Ingrid tossed and turned in her bedroll, sweat beading across her forehead despite how cold she was. Her hands shook with intermittent tremors, and her throat felt like it was coated in dragon scales. A headache pounded at her temples, and she clenched her teeth, trying not to cry.
She wasn't aware that somebody had entered her tent until a hand rested on her shoulder. Ingrid jerked, throwing her arm in the direction of the shadow that hunched over her. A weak magical wind blew through the tent, making the walls flap, but the man kneeling beside her wasn't fazed.
Gnash put an arm around her shoulders and helped her sit. Ingrid pushed him again, groaning. What did he want?
"I'm not here to harm you," Gnash told her. "I recognize the signs of venom withdrawals."
Ingrid gritted her teeth and pushed against him. "Going to go tell your elf leader now?"
She'd be useless without her magic, and when the venom's course was run, she'd be left weaker than usual. Even now, the simplest of magics were difficult to cast, and without Lolita lending her strength it was just getting worse. She had no venom left to improve her situation, either.
"I'm not going to tell anybody," Gnash said. "I'm here to help. Roll up your sleeve. I've got a little venom from our last trip that I can give you. I will take it from your payment when we're done."
Ingrid's hands shook so much that she could hardly get her sleeve up, but she couldn’t even question Gnash's motives. She was too desperate to receive the healing venom into her veins. She didn't even feel the needle pierce her skin, but she did feel the warmth of the liquid as Gnash injected it. She stiffened then relaxed, sighing in relief.
Gnash held her gently, keeping her upright, his hands on her shoulders.
"Thank you," she sighed.
"You're welcome. So… what brings an Earth princess way out here?"
Ingrid stiffened again. "Wh-what?"
"I'd recognize Edan's wife anywhere. The amount of times we were forced to watch
your wedding?" Gnash shook his head. "An opulent affair."
"I just wanted friends and family. It was Harper's idea to—"
"I don't care. What brings you out here? Why delve in such illegal activities? Can't your father-in-law get you anything you want?"
Ingrid pulled away from him. "None of your business."
Gnash stared at her for a long time. "Does it have anything to do with the warlord Jorgensen?"
"None of your business!"
Gnash moved back from her, bowing his head. "I apologize. I did not mean to offend you. Any reason to leave Earth behind seems like a good idea to me."
She glared at him.
"Keep your wits about you, Ingrid. Somebody always dies during the hunt. I find myself hoping that it won't be you."
* * *
Ingrid watched Gnash out of the corner of her eye the next day, but he didn't so much as look at her. He acted completely normal, laughing with the other men, talking about what he was going to buy once this hunt was done.
The camp was packed quickly, and Gelron ordered them to a new location, where they would set up a trap. It was the most sure-fire way to capture a manticore.
Ingrid was going to be the bait.
She wasn't thrilled at the news, but manticores were drawn to certain types of magic, and, as Gelron reminded her, it was the reason she was there.
Once they were in place, Ingrid crouched low, chanting to keep a low-lying spell going. The other hunters were nowhere in sight, and she half-thought that they had abandoned her. But they wouldn't have. Not when so much money was at stake.
She stopped the spell suddenly–what if Harper had put a bounty on her? What if they were just keeping her contained until Harper could come and get her? They weren't after manticore money, they were after Harper's money!
As the thought came to her she jumped to her feet, her heart pounding. Where were the hunters? She picked a direction and ran, hoping her magic reserves were enough to defend herself against them.
A shower of dust and rock burst from the ground, right where she had been standing seconds before. Ingrid stumbled back as a red creature surged towards her. She caught a glimpse of a human face, jagged teeth, and a stinger flying at her.
A blue shield formed around the creature, locking it in place. The stinger crashed against the shield and the creature let out a pained howl.
Ingrid stared as the rest of the hunters came from their various hiding places, slapping each other on the back and cheering. The creature was red, with a lion-like body, a human head with a mouthful of razor-sharp teeth, and a scorpion tail that ended in a stinger. It struggled against the shield closing in around it, yowling like a cat.
"If you hadn't moved when you had, you'd be dead." Gelron slapped her on the back, making her stumble. "Well done, witch. It's an old, sick one, but it'll still have venom."
Ingrid didn't reply, shivering as she watched the trapped manticore.
She didn't want to be here anymore.
She hated this, hated these people. How could they be so proud of themselves when the creature was screaming in pain as it writhed in the shield? Her stomach churned and bile rose in her throat. She turned away.
Lolita was right. This wasn't her. She shouldn't be here.
"Don't get too close," Gelron warned. "Not until we can reinforce the shield—"
A strangled yelp made Ingrid whirl around. One of the elves had ventured too close; the manticore's stinger had managed to break through the shield and had stabbed the man in the heart. Ingrid gasped, rushing towards him.
Gnash grabbed her and pulled her back.
"What are you doing?" she squirmed, trying to break free. "That wound will be fatal if I don't heal him!"
"It's fatal anyway."
The hair on Ingrid's arms stood on edge, her eyes widening in horror as the man's skin took on a violet hue. His head lashed back and forth, blue foam frothing at his mouth. Electric sparks danced over his skin; little bursts of fire erupted from his fingertips, nose, eyes. His whole body stiffened. His eyes rolled into the back of his head. A long scream echoed around them, making Ingrid throw her hands over her ears.
Suddenly those eyes locked on her. A harsh, grating voice came from deep in the man's throat. "Those who consume shall be consumed."
Gnash threw Ingrid to the ground, shielding her with his body. A bang like a gunshot echoed across the plains and heat seared Ingrid's skin. When the orc let her stand again, all that was left of the elf was a pair of smoking boots.
Ingrid hunched over, her stomach rebelling at the sight. Vomit spewed across the ground. She wasn't the only one. Many of the hunters were on their hands and knees, also vomiting. Even Gnash looked a little sick.
"You'll feel better soon," he told her. "Happens every time. They say that, the consumers will be consumed, explode, and we all feel sick. Every time. Next time we cage a beast, the rest of this rabble will know to be more careful."
"Damn," Gelron said, and Ingrid looked up to see him staring at the cage. The manticore inside was limp, its eyes wide and glassy. "It must have used all its venom. And look, the explosion killed it. We'll have to find another one."
He walked over to Ingrid, raising a brow at her. "I hope you'll be as quick on your feet next time as you were this time."
Ingrid stared at the smoking boots and the manticore's body. Next time. How could she do this again?
Chapter Five
They were able to extract five ounces of venom from the manticore, then they left the body behind. The human eyes stared out blankly from its alien face as they walked away. Ingrid still shuddered at the end of the day, remembering what they looked like.
Her shoulders hunched and she wrapped her arms around herself as she stared out over the green, rocky, frozen ground. Gnash sat beside her, but luckily he didn't try to talk with her. She wished Lolita was here, to distract her from what she had seen, to reassure her, or even to convince her to leave.
Why was she feeling like this? It wasn't as though she owed Lolita anything! They were lovers once, but those times were over. She had moved on. Lolita had moved on.
It's just because I'm alone, she told herself. It's because I can remember how happy I was with her, back on Pluto. And since I can't ever have my happily ever after with Edan, I'm remembering those good times and craving that intimacy I had with her. But Lolita and I are not well matched.
It wasn't because they were both women, no matter what certain people on Earth still claimed. She and Lolita were simply no good for each other. She was still in love with her dead husband, and it would be a betrayal of his memory to go back to the lover she had left for him. It wouldn't be fair to Lolita, either, to use her when they had no future together.
Ingrid closed her eyes, remembering Edan. The flash of dimples when he smiled, the sound of his laughter, the way he held her against him when she was upset. When he fought against the orc incursion, there hadn't even been a body left to find. Just traces of DNA fused into the rock from the bomb that had been dropped on him.
And that was another reason why she couldn't let herself miss Lolita, allow herself to even think about her former lover. She wasn't going to abandon Edan's memory.
She had to kill Jorgenson. She was the only one who was going to avenge Edan, the only one who cared.
But unbidden, a memory floated into Ingrid's mind. It was back on Pluto. There had been a blizzard, locking her and Lolita in their little service outpost. Fuel was low, their food supplies were almost out, and the two of them huddled in their blankets together, wearing all their clothing and sharing body heat. Lolita's arms had been around her, and they had kissed; a kiss that filled Ingrid with warmth and contentment.
They had made love after the blizzard had ended and they'd gotten more supplies, but somehow the memory of their first kiss seemed the most intimate. Ingrid could remember Lolita's lips, soft and cool against hers, and her bright eyes, the smile, the way Lolita whispered that she loved her.
&n
bsp; "You gonna set up your tent?"
Ingrid's eyes snapped open to find Gnash staring at her. All the others had already staked their tents, and the light from the distant sun was growing weaker. Her hands trembled as she stood. She had to get Lolita out of her head!
"Are you okay?" Gnash's hand rested on her elbow.
"Yeah. I'm just a little tired."
Gnash nodded, not pushing her.
Ingrid set up her tent quickly, but she didn't want to sit around the campfire talking. She told Gelron that she was going to set up the magical wards and strode out, forcing herself to clear her mind. With the injection of venom Gnash had given her, the spells were easy to cast, and the familiar gestures helped ease her mind.
A strange hissing filled her ears and she head jerked her head around. The hissing stopped, but Ingrid didn't move. Her heart jumped to her throat. The only living creatures on Uranus were manticores.
Her muscles bunched and she summoned a spell, gaze dancing over the ground to find the creature.
The hissing came again, sounding muffled. One of the crust-bubbles was nearby and Ingrid crept to it. Part of her mind screamed at her to run, to get away from here, but she ignored it. Taking a deep breath, she jumped forward. The crust broke easily beneath her feet and she threw the spell beneath her.
A flash of light, an inhuman scream, and Ingrid quickly backed away. She felt her magic pulse in her veins, felt something thrashing against her spell, and she tightened the magical bindings around it. Creeping forward again, she saw a small manticore in her binding spell, mewling now, eyes wide and frightened.
Ingrid's breath caught in her chest. It was a child. The fur along its body was soft, orange, the consistency of baby's hair. What was she doing? She couldn't do this! It was only a baby.
But before she could release the creature, a silver device landed under her shield. A force field blossomed, encasing her magic and that baby manticore both. Ingrid's head jerked up. Gelron strode forward, a smile spread over his face. As he got to her he slapped a hand onto her back. She stumbled from the force
