The Heartstone Saga

by Archibald Bradford

  Booker’s eye tracked over the determined faces attached to nodding heads in the crowded mess hall and could plainly see the old man wasn’t exaggerating.

  “Fair enough, Mister Flet-”

  “Paul. If I bite it tomorrow the least you could do is call me Paul. Speaking of which, never did catch your first name.”

  Booker smiled thinly.

  “Nobody uses it. Not even my bond-mates. Clarence.”

  “Yeesh. I can unnerstand why. Yer mammy must have had a difficult labour to punish you with such a moniker. Booker it is. Where do you want us?”

  “You’re asking the wrong person. Dominar Volka is in charge now.”

  “Huh, smart man. Well, guess I’ll go and make a nuisance of meself to the winged lady.”

  Just as Paul said, they wanted to help however they could, and they weren’t the only ones.

  The Ogres remained in the city, working to clear the rubble from Evadne’s assault on the bastion. And so Tora and Kriss were hanging around the base of the spire along with the other giants when the people from Kettering came out of it.

  The blue skin of Tora’s cheeks darkened slightly in a blush and her eyes hooded as she looked Brandon Dixon over.

  “I like shape of that one.”

  At her side Kriss looked towards the young man.

  “He’s handsome, and the muscles are a plus. But he looks like a dick.”

  “I like dick.” Tora replied, mistaking her meaning.

  “Don’t we all? But that isn’t-”

  The Ogre wasn’t listening, instead she walked over to Brandon, doing her best not to shake the ground too much as she did.

  Kriss hissed and rolled her eyes.

  “This should end well.”

  After an incident in the woods involving a group of hibernating Blomma, Brandon had laid off the skirt-chasing in a big way, focusing his energy into learning everything he could from Magnus.

  As such it had been a long time since a woman had flirted with him, and the Ogre wasn’t the least bit subtle about it.

  In fact, she was so obvious that it was much akin to getting hit with a ham.

  An enormous blue sexy… ham.

  Chapter 45:

  Avalanche

  Things proceeded quickly after Paul’s arrival, and soon what seemed like half the population of Garland was on the move.

  A sharp screech from above announced the arrival of a Griffon; a hybrid monster girl with the wings and talons of an eagle and the legs of a lion.

  They also had pride enough to match a Dragon, but that wasn’t important in the moment.

  The flyer landed with a heavy thump at the top of a rise, beyond which the gathered Aegis and monster girl forces were waiting on the order to move.

  They were only a few miles away from Wayfelt, the entirety of their forces having mobilized quickly at Volka’s order; from grim-faced Aegis members to naked Dryads under the watchful protection of their Spriggin cousins.

  A variety of warrior breeds had heeded Volka’s call, Griffons, Amazons, Wolfen, and of course the backbone of their forces: the Antlion legionnaires.

  Even Xalanth and Sadie Essig were there, the Dragon refusing to part with her bond-mate in the final stages of the hunt for the Chimera.

  It wasn’t easy for them, Tora especially, but Volka had asked the Ogres from Garland to stay and protect the city, just in case.

  In truth, she felt that it would be too cruel for them to be forced to battle the very thing that they themselves were, mere days before.

  They would have needed to kill Kriss to keep her from coming along though, the Chameleon joining the mixed bag of monsters that Tiana had led against the Tenebrae in the city.

  Nameless had already begged the Amazons to keep his sister safe, without telling her of course, the young man still determined to forge some kind of a relationship with her.

  Once the world wasn’t ending anyways.

  The scout’s massive eagle wings folding behind her as she knelt before Volka on her cat-like legs.

  “My Dominar. I have found them, right where we expected.”

  She had blood trailing from a number of scratches, and a nasty injury on her thigh that had another monster girl’s broken claw sticking out of it, so a medic set to work on her immediately, but the Griffon was stoic and continued with her report.

  “The town suffered much damage, and it is swarming with Tenebrae even as we speak. A number of Harpies set upon me and I had to withdraw. But they gave up the pursuit not long after, returning to the town. They are just… waiting.”

  “For us. I suspect.” Volka pronounced; “As Miranda surmised, Evadne knows we are coming.”

  The hybrid monster girl bowed her head again.

  “There is more though. As you directed I flew a circuitous route so as not to lead them to our position, and discovered a downed Ogre to the west of here, she looks injured.”

  The Valkyrie’s eyes widened and she looked to the gathered Aegis council, likewise waiting on the scout’s return.

  “She was alone?” Booker asked.

  In just a few days since his injury he’d gotten quite adept at using his crutch and had refused to be left behind, though he’d taken Theo Holbrook off of his feet just to show him that the older man was still better in a fight, even hampered with his injury.

  “Yes, languishing in a field several miles away.”

  Dawn Morrow bit her lip.

  “Can we afford the detour necessary to check this out?”

  Queen Julia was there as well, with her silly bond-mate and his silly uniform still at her side; somehow the man managed not to look superfluous, very rarely dropping his regal bearing, especially when his queen spoke up.

  “We cannot. It could very well be a ploy to pull us out of position so that they can slip away.”

  “We can’t just leave her though.” Miranda objected; “She could be bleeding out as we speak.”

  “Or she could just have collapsed from exhaustion. Ready to wake up and rampage again.”

  “If that’s the case I’ll stop her.” Nina shrugged; “If she’s a Tenebrae than she will need my man to fix her anyways. So there you go. Look at me, solving everyone’s problems.”

  Several people were ready to object, but the Dominar was in agreement with Nina.

  Again Volka spread her wings and her aura to cease the discussion, a tactic some would argue that she was overusing.

  Not out loud though: silently argue. Safer that way.

  “I would rather you were there at the start of this. But I suppose Xalanth is mighty enough. The Aegis and the Longinus forces will head towards Wayfelt to ensure the Tenebrae do not slip away.” She declared before looking to Nameless; “But perhaps we should send additional forces with you just in case?”

  “No need.” Nina sniffed; “I can handle one Ogre.”

  “Yes, and by all accounts you’re going to need everybody you can get once you arrive in Wayfelt.” Nameless agreed.

  Volka smiled sadly.

  “Go. But catch up to us as quickly as you can, my husband, for we will need every ounce of your strength before this day is through.”

  While Nameless left with all of his bond-mates but his Valkyrie, Miranda ran her hand through her hair.

  “Hate to say it, but it’s probably better this way. Get the kid out of harm’s way until we have a handle on the situation in Wayfelt. Then bring him back into it.”

  Paul took a long draw on his pipe and shrugged.

  “Kinda figured that was the whole point. I love that boy like he were my own son, but he’s got more heart than sense.” He shot a speculative look at the Griffon.

  “I didn’t lie.” The winged monster protested with some indignation; “Not even an order from my Dominar would permit me to show such disgrace.”

  Commander Morrow stepped beside Volka as the Valkyrie watched her husband leave.

  “We should get moving, ma’am. Every second we delay-”

  “You�
��re right.” The angel cut her off; “Of course, you are right. Queen Julia! Take the van, if you will. I will be in the air.”

  She stretched out her wings and gave a powerful flap to soar into the sky, her focus already shifting away from her bond-mates and towards finding Evadne and fulfilling her duty.

  __________

  In one of the few houses still standing in Wayfelt, Evadne was eating placidly while sitting at the same table that Jonathan had bent her over after the attack on Garland.

  She took no pleasure from the mundane act, as it was merely another necessary bother, just as much as getting fucked by Jonathan had been.

  You were right to let the Griffon escape. I expect we will have some visitors very soon.

  “Yes.” The Chimera replied; “But you have yet to tell me your plan for dealing with the Valkyrie.”

  The demon chuckled in her head, the grating noise too familiar to be irksome.

  A problem that will solve itself. The Dominar is beyond you. She is beyond even me. But she is not beyond her own foolish instincts. We bide our time, remain hidden from her until she is tied up trying to save everyone and everything around her. She won’t be able to help herself. And who knows? Maybe we’ll get lucky and one of the slaves will kill her.

  “That… isn’t really a plan.” The Chimera complained as she set her fork down.

  It was a minor annoyance to be eating with her off-hand, her rigidly clawed gauntlet not up to the task of managing cutlery, and she let some of that annoyance bleed through into their conversation.

  But the demon didn’t object to her objection, too thrilled with knowing how much more death and destruction was soon to be wrought.

  Eyes up. Your puppet approaches.

  The door to the house opened and their conversation ended.

  With a certain amount of swagger, a sweating and out of breath Jonathan came into the kitchen as if he owned it. Having regularly indulged with his seemingly willing bond-mate, his doubts had been forgotten and he was determined to see things through.

  “We’re ready. It took some doing but I buried them all.” He announced with jubilant pride as he cast aside the shovel he was carrying; “We couldn’t be more ready at this point.”

  “I’m glad… Master.” The demon said while spreading Evadne’s lips into a semblance of a smile; “When this is over, I want for the two of us to go away somewhere, so that I can make up for the time we’ve lost by spending the rest of my life pleasing you.”

  Mentally Evadne rolled her eyes, thinking that perhaps the demon was laying it on too thick.

  But it fit into the fantasy narrative that Jonathan wanted: he truly believed that he had finally reached her.

  The Empath returned her smile eagerly and traced the back of his hand against her cheek, her face moving closer to accept the condescending little stroke.

  If she was in control in that moment, he would have lost a finger.

  “When this is over, we will.” He promised; “You’ll be spending a great deal of time on your knees for me, and I for you.”

  Below the table her snake tail hissed out the annoyance that Evadne was feeling, but he merely took it as a sign of her passion for him.

  He’d gone down on her once, and the whole time behaved as if he was being magnanimous somehow, while the demon in turn masterfully acted as if he was good at it.

  Another dry chuckle in her mind.

  Delusional idiot. When this is over I’m going to let Evadne eat your eyes.

  “Mmm, I can’t wait.” The Chimera cooed out loud, totally in control again.

  __________

  “The Griffon said she was less than a quarter mile past that farmhouse… which means she should be around here somewhere, right?” Erica mused as they looked around the open field.

  The owners of the land had been forced to leave it unplanted, so it lay fallow until next year, which was a small blessing as it meant the keen-eyed cat soon spotted the blue skinned giant, lying on the other side of it next to a strand of pines.

  “There! She’s over there, but she isn’t moving!”

  “Is she asleep maybe? Tenebrae… sleep, right?” Milly asked hesitantly.

  “Of course they do dearheart! But never mind that, let’s go and help her.”

  With Milly and Nina in the lead they sped across the field, until they all soon saw their target.

  “As soon as Nina gives the all clear, we find her heartstone and pull her out of it.” Nameless ordered; “I want to get back to Volka and the others as quickly as possible.”

  The Gigas sniffed.

  “Should be easy. I’ll sit on her right away just in case she’s playing pussy.”

  “Possum.” Erica corrected; “It’s playing possum.”

  “Why would anyone want to play with a possum? Those things are nasty. Pussy makes way more sense.”

  The silly debate ended as they reached the downed Ogre’s side, but it was clear immediately that they were too late, she was already dead.

  “I’m getting really tired of dealing with bodies.” Nameless lamented as he watched Nina close the poor girl’s glassy eyes.

  “May you find your way back to the forge of your mother, sister of the mountain.” The Gigas prayed simply.

  Milly put her arm around Erica while they stood over the body, or rather next to it, as the girl was huge even lying down.

  But they didn’t have the time to mourn for her properly.

  “Come on.” Nameless ordered; “We need to get back to the others.”

  Ophelia frowned though as she checked the dead girl over.

  “I don’t understand.” She muttered; “These bruises, and her neck is… broken?”

  Erica sniffled as she pulled away from Milly.

  “But, the scout said she just did a flyby so… what killed her?”

  Nina paced around the body, her eyes narrowing with each step.

  Then her head jerked up and she met Nameless’s gaze when he felt her alarm.

  “The only thing that could have.” She declared flatly; “Another Tenebrae.”

  Right after she made the realization, the giant spun around, hammer at the ready as she searched for any hint of danger.

  And a moment later, the hint came.

  Standing in the open field next to the woods, they all felt it: a rumbling deep in the ground, but only the Gigas knew what it meant.

  She gripped Milly’s wrist so hard it hurt and gave her a look tinged with fear, a rarely seen expression on the giant’s face.

  “Take him and go!”

  “Wha-”

  “Go now and don’t look back!” The Gigas roared as she squared off against the woods, putting her diminutive frame between whatever was coming and everything she loved in the entire world.

  The shaking ground had gotten so much worse, trees swaying from side to side, some even cracking from the strain.

  The Minotaur took her words to heart and tossed him over her shoulder like a sack of breakfast, ignoring his objections as she ran, Erica close behind while Ophelia took to the sky, leaving Nina standing beside the dead girl.

  If they had delayed even a moment, it would have likely proved fatal for one or more of them as a host of dark eyed Ogres poured from the trees.

  The Gigas crouched into her battle stance with her arms spread wide and sucked in a breath.

  “COME ON!”

  The shockwave of her challenge rolled across the ground, tearing up the scrub grass growing in the fields before hitting the approaching wave of Ogres.

  But their weight and rage were enough to lean into it, because they were mountains too.

  Just, you know, smaller ones.

  So Nina raised her hammer and lunged forwards, desperate to keep the attention of the Tenebrae away from her squishy bond-mates.

  It worked.

  For Nameless watching over Milly’s shoulder it was like witnessing an avalanche falling on his littlest love as the ten-foot tall Ogres met in battle with the lone G
igas.

  A tiny spark of red amidst a mob of blue flesh.

  Nina would never admit it, not even to her bond-sisters, but it broke her heart that she couldn’t afford to hold back on the fallen girls: fifteen against one, and each Ogre was easily more powerful than a half dozen Amazons without the enhanced strength of being a Tenebrae.

  If they were back in the arena, she would bet on the Ogres.

  Chapter 46:

  Full Circle

  As the Aegis neared the town of Wayfelt, they soon found evidence of Evadne and the girls she had with her; homesteads that had been ransacked, buildings damaged or even destroyed with claw and fang, and families massacred, too stubborn to abandon their land.

  “How do we even recover from this?” Ginger asked aloud, not seeing an obvious answer for herself.

  Her Harpy’s reply was immediate and unflinching.

  “By kicking ass and returning as heroes. Obviously.”

  But the redhead sighed as they left the barn to rejoin the main force, shaking her head at their commanding officer to communicate that they had found no survivors.

  “Not what I meant baby. Just… look around.”

  “At what?”

  “At the crops! Most of the fields we’ve passed haven’t been planted. And the ones that have-” Her throat closed with grief.

  The fields that had been planted were inevitably the ones where people had chosen to stick it out, and had thus been killed when the Tenebrae had swept through the area on their way to Wayfelt.

  “The growing season is far from over.” Baron called out, overhearing their conversation as they rejoined the group; “And plenty of people’s lives remain more or less normal, to the west anyways.”

  He stopped talking though when he noticed Ginger giving him a funny look.

  “What?”

  “Nothing, just didn’t see you as the type to be all comforting and stuff.”