The whispers had stopped. Yaser’s mind felt empty, hollow without the gibbering voices nibbling on the edges of his mind. The Lady had done it. Destroyed the strongest whisper. The invaders, with her help, had conquered this place.
Yet they did not claim Orgimer’s throne. Instead, they shouldered what they could carry and marched up toward the surface. Nothing moved to stop them. No creature dared raise a claw or snout to the three who had conquered all the defenders. Even the slimes instinctively slithered out of their path.
Yaser felt his heart struggle against the confines of his chest. He’d pledged to follow the Lady out into the light. She had promised that he would be the father of his own clan. Did that mean he should sieze Orgimer’s throne for himself? Yaser imagined that would not last long. Orgimer’s kin would not all be all gone. While Yaser had mastered the shadows, he remained small. No match for the brutal duels for the throne. There was nothing for it. Yaser would follow his Lady and await his promised reward.
****
Emerging from the earth and greeting the sky for the first time in days had always brought Illiana a sense of triumph, but this time, seeing the first bright twinkles of starlight flooded her with a rush of sheer euphoria.
“Cinder! Look!” Illiana bounced on the balls of her feet back to Cinder, slung one arm across her shoulders and pointed up at the stars. “They’re beautiful!”
The red-haired woman followed Illiana's finger up to the sky and squinted. “Wha? The star?”
Barnaby, who’d been in the lead, stopped to look up. “I don’t see any stars,” He turned toward the west where the curve of the sun peaked above the mountainous horizon. “It's still daylight up there… barely.”
“Mrrrowl.” Illiana’s ears half folded in disappointment as her happy moment failed to spread through her companions. “I see half a dozen.” She said, even as more appeared to her vision.
“Well, I’ve been looking at lots more than that for hours.” Cinder turned her head towards Illiana. Their eyes met, and Cinder’s lips quirked in a smirk. “Hell, there’s hundreds in your eyes alone.”
Illiana stared into Cinder, her irises were like rings of near molten metal and her breath caught as the spiced cinnamon of Cinder’s scent entered her nostrils.
“I wonder if they’re… more sensitive… to…” Cinder’s words gained a breathless quality as their lips drifted closer and closer together. They met, Illiana’s black to Cinder’s red and passion ignited between them. Both women surged against the other, tongues hungry, mouths wide. Cinder drove Illiana against the rocky wall of the dungeon’s entrance. Only for Illiana to roll them along it pressing her against it. Her tentacles wrapped around Cinder’s legs, their clubs pressing hard into the crotch of her pants. Cinder’s hands slide under the cloak to squeeze Illiana’s breasts.
“Ladies! Ladies! Can we not do this here?!” Barnaby said, looking around the scenery for any sign of ambush. “Its not safe!”
Cinder and Illiana made no sign of hearing him, the pair rolled again, Cinder pressing so hard that Illiana’s feet left the ground. Her legs quickly wrapped around Cinder’s hips.
“GIRLS!” Barnaby’s voice hit with the force of angry drill instructor’s.
Both Cinder and Illiana tore their lips away from each other to face this sudden threat. Only to see a red face Barnaby.
“Could this at least wait until we get back to town? It is both unprofessional and unjust.”
Illiana had no idea why sticking her tentacles into Cinder and making her scream her name would be unjust, but the unprofessional jab stung enough that she came back to her senses. Fucking anyone at the entrance to a monster-infested dungeon was asking to be made into a snack. Reluctantly, she uncoiled both her legs and tentacles from Cinder, who self-consciously brushed stray hairs off her armor.
“You shouldn’t let your unfortunate heritage get the better of you like that, Cinder.” Barnaby scolded before rounding on Illiana. “And you! You’re suffering under a curse! Its turning you into a beast! Resist it. I know you're stronger than this. If you fall much further under its influence, you’ll have to be hunted down like a rabid animal! Fight it!”
With that, he gave a heavy grunt and swung around on one heel.
“Let us find a safer place to camp before true night arrives.”
Hunt us will he? Oh, you're going to be far too busy for that holy man. The presence in Illiana’s soul whispered below her thoughts. They spawned bitter words that rolled into Illiana’s consciousness, but she before she could give them voice, Cinder spoke.
“He’s right.” She said, giving Illiana's hand a squeeze. “We need to get you checked out at least.”
“So some other wizard can skin me?” Illiana snapped, opening the cloak to remind her that it was very much attached.
Cinder jolted. “No!” Then after a moment. “I wouldn’t let anyone do that. But you're not a Glitch Saber. Remember? You’re Illiana. You’re human.”
“What if I’m Illiana, a Glitch Saber?” Illiana said, her starry eyes probing Cinder’s face. Cinder turned away.
“You’re not supposed to be a Saber. Thats not you. Sorry.” Another squeeze, and Cinder pulled her hand from Illiana’s grip to hurry away toward Barnaby.
Poor humans, always clinging to what was instead of embracing what could be.
Illiana scowled at Cinder’s back, confusion reigning in her thoughts. How could she speak words like that? Especially right after exchanging kisses that had them inches away from ripping off clothes? Now she ached for more of that touch. Down below, Cinder had said Illiana didn’t need to be human for her. Now she did?
Her stomach growled, the hunger of her body pushed away her turmoil. A hunt would do her good. It was never good to think on an empty stomach, and stalking was always a good meditation.
She rose to follow Cinder while sending her starself into the forest. As she scanned the surroundings for the passage of prey, she was struck by a dual sensation of both novelty and familiarity. How was that possible? Illiana remembered she’d never hunted for meat before, just for bounty. Concentrating, the twin sets of memories crystallized clear in her mind for the first time.
“Interesting.” She whispered to herself. Then her starself spotted a deer track. The hunt was on.
“Hey guys, I’ll catch up later.” She called out to Cinder and Barnaby, who walked ahead of her.
<fzzzst>