The wind blew in frigid wet sheets that rattled the tavern door, souring Palledia Griselda’s mood as she cleaned the glass behind the bar of her tavern. Cold wasn’t something an Amazon of the Queendom encountered often, the chilliest days of the jungle could still make a woman sweat, and the lowering temperatures of the approaching autumn in Imperial country were yet another reminder that she was far from home, a disgraced nobody in a foreign land.

She stared at her reflection in the pint glass a moment, with her hair gone grey and the dark leather patch over her eye nobody would recognize the great Lady Griselda of Rain’s End, hero of the Lizard War…

The disgraced baroness who tried to steal a man and his gold, she thought bitterly. She sighed, placing the glass back on the high shelf. Her tavern had been owned by an orc of immense size, and it was the only building in the small town of Corrinsburg that could accommodate her ten-foot height. She’d traded the last of her gold and jewels for it, those scant few things she’d been allowed to keep as a courtesy when the Queen had stripped her of titles and banished her to the Lizardfolk border.

Scaled bastards, she thought angrily, running a hand over her eyepatch absently. She’d stayed at her post, a loyal servant of the queen for years, fighting the Lizard raids and finally being discharged after a particularly brutal attack had cost her a left eye.

After that she’d drifted aimlessly, half fearing that Dirk or Cora, or even Tom Cat would hear of her release and come for her, or send others to do so. She’d disguised her appearance, drifted over the Mannish border, and finally come to Corrinsburg, a rain-soaked town in the Imperial lands where the wind cut like a knife and the trees bore harsh green needles instead of the soft wide leaves of her beloved jungles.

The most horrible realization had been that nobody had cared. The release of the infamous Lady Griselda, the woman whose scandal had rocked the Queendom, had gone without so much as tavern gossip. When she’d crossed the Imperial border, the only thing they’d cared about was that she was an Amazon, and not much at that, evidently many more of her sisters found themselves wandering the Empire these days. Even a backwater like Corrinsburg had barely reacted when she’d bought the town inn and tavern.

“Palledia!” Annie called, “Svetlana needs another refill!” the scrawny twig of a girl placed a mug in front of her, and she sighed, glancing at the inebriated Winter Court elf swaying happily in her usual booth.

“Fine,” she muttered, pulling on the beer tap and filling it to the brim, “but if she starts casting spells while drunk again, she’s out .”

Annie beamed, “Yes Miss Palledia!” the girl bounded off with the elf’s drink.

Palledia rolled her eyes, no doubt Annie was hoping to see her toss the dark elf out again, the girl had been working for her for the past several years since leaving an orphanage a few towns over, and seemingly relished seeing the amazon barkeep occasionally get rough with the patrons. Annie herself was a waif of a girl, who never seemed to grow above five feet despite the immense quantities of food she ate from the inn’s pantry. She had the same olive skin and darker hair that more southerly Imperials and men of the Queendom did, not entirely unheard of in this part of the Human nation, but enough to make her stand out slightly from the rest of the villagers.

“If she gets wild, are you going to do that cool wrist thing?” Annie whispered.

She sighed, “I just grabbed her to stop her from spellcasting,” she insisted.

“No,” Annie giggled, “that was a Queendom army maneuver, I could tell, it was practiced miss Palledia.”

“Poppycock,” Palledia said with a dismissive smirk.

Annie scowled, “One day I want to know who you were before you came here!” the girl snapped.

Unlikely you’ll ever know, Palledia thought, leaning against the counter with a sigh. The only thing that was left of Lady Griselda was her mother’s spear, a family heirloom hidden in the back room. She occasionally indulged herself in drilling with it under the full moon, when everyone else in the village slept. I should have gotten rid of that too, she thought bitterly, it’s a spear that deserves an honorable wielder, not you, a failure of an Amazon and condemned by the goddess…

The slow strumming of banjo music from the far side of the bar caught her attention, and with a growl Palledia glanced over at the green skinned frogkin girl sitting in a booth with a blonde imperial man. A small pink skinned pixy lay on the table near them, hopelessly inebriated as she sipped more beer from a thimble.

The Imperial, Axel something or other, was some manner of writer, selling tales of his exotic adventures and even more exotic dishes in the far corners of the world. At least one of his books graced the bookshelf in the corner, a courtesy purchase she’d made for any travelers hoping to read by her fire. The braggart had made a fine show of signing it in front of the other tavern guests, and the green skinned girl with him and hidden a smirk of amusement when Palledia hadn’t cared.

What’s a frog girl doing this far north? Palledia wondered idly. The Queendom had relations with a few tribes of the green demihumans, though she’d never dealt with any personally.

The door to the tavern burst open suddenly, and the clank of armor caused Palledia to groan as the town’s resident Imperial Knight sauntered in. Clyde was a handsome man, with that same straw colored imperial hair that had seemed so exotic on Dirk Sommer long ago, and a bulky physique that no doubt made him the strongest in the village… or the strongest man at least.

“Sir Orrick,” she greeted politely.

“Oh Palledia,” he laughed, waving dismissively, “I’ve told you, I’m just Clyde to friends. Where’s Annie? I’ll have an ale and an ear to hear of my latest tournament victory.”

“Annie is quite busy with-“

“You won!?” Annie squealed, bounding over to him. “Tell me all about it!”

Clyde chuckled, sliding an arm around the girl’s waist, “I was unhorsed at the joust, but I made up for it with the mounted shot contest. As a cavalryman the lance and the carbine are your best weapons, but there is a grenade throw competition, not with live grenades of course, and-“

“Annie, get the brave knight his favorite draught,” Palledia sighed, rolling her eyes. Even after several years in the mannish realms it was so odd seeing the men as the braggarts, wooing women with tales of their alleged feats.

“Why do you let him prattle on like this?” she asked the diminutive girl in a tired voice.

Annie giggled, looking up at the towering barkeep and back to the cavalryman, making sure he couldn’t hear, “He’s not all hot air,” Annie whispered, “he’s been teaching me some swordplay.”

“No doubt to get you into his bedroom,” Palledia replied dryly.

Annie shrugged, grinning and shooting the knight a wink, “That’s not a terrible price to pay, too few of the boys around here give me the same kind of attention as he does.”

“A man should be happy to have a girl like you, who works and has her wits about her,” Palledia muttered, “this might be a land of little sisters, but Diana willing you could still help keep some of these woolheads safe.”

“Me keep Clyde safe?” Annie giggled a little, “Maybe I could fight at his side if I got really good with a blade, or a gun…”

It’s a man’s country I suppose, Palledia thought, with a resigned sigh. She handed Annie the man’s drink, and watched as the girl sidled up to the man, no doubt to hear tales of his alleged prowess on the battlefield. I could toss him over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and five of his fellows besides… Or I could have once.

“Still seething over the boys running the show here?” Svetlana giggled drunkenly, pulling up a barstool and leaning towards her. The Dark Elf was slightly chubby, with melon sized breasts that jiggled as she laughed at things that a sober person would hardly find funny. Still, she was the only other person who seemed to be aware of the world outside of Corrinsburg.

“I still can’t get used to some things,” She admitted, grabbing a mug and pouring herself a strong shot of Amazonian rum. She knocked it back, scowling at burning taste. She rarely drank anymore, but some nights it was worth it to loosen Svetlana’s lips and forget how far she’d fallen in the world.

“The Winter Court has an empress,” Svetlana mused, sipping on her beer, “we’ve got some male lawgivers I suppose, but it still surprised me just how things are with humans… Still, I love human men, dark elf men are so serious and brooding… Human women love that, and I say the human women are welcome to them. A trade I say, a trade of all the men in both countries and the women in both would be happy!”

“In the Queendom we never seemed to have enough men, we’d go two Amazons and a little sister to one,” Palledia chuckled, taking the elf’s cup and refilling it with the rich brown draught she loved.

“Kinky,” Svetlana said, fighting a hiccup as she reached for the drink, “I’d have totally teamed up on a human with you Palledia, you haven’t lived until you’ve made a human tiny and trapped him deep inside you…” A new flush came over her face, one that had nothing to do with the alcohol, “We could do it Palledia, we could shrink one of these ones in the bar right now!”

“Oh Diana,” she chuckled, if nothing else Svetlana, you did bring laughter back into my life.

“Wouldn’t want to snatch Clyde from the barmaid,” Svetlana drunkenly muttered, “what about that guy with the frog girl over there?” she pointed to the couple, where the green skinned girl was slowly strumming her banjo again while the human nodded approvingly. “I’ll bet they do wild stuff,” Svetlana slurred, “I’ll go tell them we’re having a four way, me, you, the strawhead, and the frog girl… I want to see what she can do with that tongue!”

“Svetlana, don’t-“ Palledia started, but she didn’t have to stop the dark elf, gravity did the job as she slid out of her stool and made contact with the floor, snoozing idly with a goofy grin on her face. With a sigh she walked out from behind the bar, stooping slightly as her head almost hit the common room’s ceiling. She easily scooped up the unconscious dark elf, gently carrying her over to an empty booth and sliding her into it in an upright position.

She glanced in the direction of the frog-girl and her traveling companion, “You there,” she barked, “play me something cheerful and your next drinks are free.”

“Do it Emelie!” Axel laughed. The tiny pixy roused herself, flying up onto the human’s shoulder and shouting further encouragement.

The girl all but leapt up, croaking nervously as she cleared her throat and hefted her instrument, “T-This one’s dedicated to my special friend Axel!” Slowly she strummed the strings and began to sing, her voice surprisingly melodious as it filled the common room.

“ You are my sunshine, my only sunshine,” she hummed, “ You make me happy, when skies are grey… ”

Palledia slowly made her way back behind the bar, enjoying the light and upbeat song as the girl sang. She glanced over to Annie and Clyde, who were looking into each other’s eyes as the song played. She couldn’t help but snort, but found herself hoping things worked out for her barmaid. The girl had endured a rough enough life before coming to her door, starving and alone.

If I couldn’t protect my lands or my people, at least I properly provided for someone, She thought with a sad smile.

The song came to its end, and for a moment the cheers and clapping drowned out the rain that assaulted the walls. Even Palledia couldn’t help but smile at the red tint of the frog girl’s face as she bowed, nervously asking if anyone had requests for another song.

The ding of her doorbell cut off the debates, and they all hushed as a group of figures moved slowly into the light of the bar, rain dripping from their wide brimmed hats.

No, Palledia thought, her heart leaping as she recognized them, Not here!

“Greetingss,” the lizardman hissed, pulling off his wide brimmed imperial style hat as the others filed in behind him. “We sseek roomss for the night.”

The speaker was a strange sort, with jet black obsidian scales in contrast to the usual green hue most of their soldiers had, and his eyes were a solid red that seemed to take in everything and nothing at once as the water droplets slowly fell from his thick wool jacket.

“You should perhaps find another tavern,” Palledia growled, suddenly thinking of her mother’s spear, hiding below her bed in the back room.

“Nonsensse,” the lizard chuckled as his fellows took seats at booths, their beady reptile eyes taking in the other patrons, “The Imperial lawss state that all creatures that obey the Emperor's law are under the protection of hiss law, and we have committed no crimess!”

“The mannish realms don’t know your folk like I do,” she muttered.

“Best just serve them for the night,” Clyde said in a low voice. He glanced at them, the jovial look suddenly gone, “Palledia… perhaps I should stay too, it’s so wet out, I wouldn’t want to catch a cold walking home.”

“No,” she murmured, watching as the black lizard approached the hearth, “I suppose you wouldn’t.”

“What’s going on?” Annie asked in a hushed tone.

“Your fire iss dying,” the black lizard hissed. He held out a clawed hand, and the coals roared back to life, bathing the tavern in an eerie orange glow.

A mage, Palledia thought, her blood running cold.

The obsidian lizardman turned to Emelie and Axel, “Ah, sisster,” he hissed with a toothy grin, “Sso fine to ssee one of our allies so far from home… Perhaps you could sing uss a ssong?”

“I’d rather not,” Emelie muttered, taking a seat next to Axel, “Forgive me but I’ve been away from the swamplands for some time.”

The lizard’s red eyes narrowed as he saw her sidle up to the human, who had also gone keenly alert as his arm went around the green girl’s side. He gave a hissing chuckle as he grabbed a poker, stabbing idly at the log on the fire as the flames danced.

“So cold in thesse landss, in many ways it seems,” he said, “We are looking for a friend of ourss…” His ruby eyes turned to Palledia, and he tasted the air curiously as he stalked towards the bar again, “An Amazon… We came so far when we heard there wasss one here.”

A lizard and an Amazon friends? I think not… She glanced at the party of lizardfolk, who were eyeing their leader with some amusement, I’m sure you’re looking for an Amazon, but not for anything friendly. She wracked her brain trying to think of why they would be here for her, she’d certainly killed enough of them in the wars, and during her sentence as a guard, but she was nothing special among Amazon nobility, back when she’d been Amazon nobility.

Fine then, if you want Lady Griselda, you shall have her.

She glowered down at the creature, staring defiantly into the red eyes, “Very well,” she said in a low voice, “I would ask that you let my patrons and my barmaid leave, so that we might catch up on old times.”

The head lizard laughed, his tongue tasting the air as he spoke, “You are too old to be our friend, ” he hissed, “but we smell another Amazon here, we smelled her as soon as we entered this town…”

Another Amazon? Palledia’s brow furrowed, impossible, there’s no way another ten-foot woman could be here without me knowing!

The obsidian tale flicked behind the lizard as he stalked down the bar, his pale tongue tasting the air as he slowly reached Clyde and Annie. The knight apprehensively tightened his grip on the girl, who didn’t breathe as the lizard’s clacking walk came to a halt in front of the pair.

“Curiouss…” he muttered, “How old are you girl?”

“You don’t have to answer him,” Palledia growled.

“Eighteen summers,” Annie said defiantly.

“You do not look like what we expected,” the dark lizard hissed, “but…” he chuckled under his breath, gesturing to the other lizards who stood up in unison, producing knives, axes, and even a pair of flintlock guns. “There iss no misstaking that scent Amazon. ”

He reached for Annie, but with a shout Clyde was off of his barstool, his cavalry saber in his hand. The lizard hissed, raking the front of his steel cuirass with its claws as the two grappled each other. With a roar the other lizards surged forward, and while Palledia managed to get over the bar, soon they had her cornered, their weapons on her and threatening to tear her to pieces.

Clyde grunted in pain as the black lizard sent a wave of magical energy along his arm, causing him to drop his sword as the creature hissed angrily, bending down to pick up its wide brimmed hat once again.

“Bind the big one,” he ordered, straightening his hat as he stalked through the bar. His gaze lingered on the passed out form of Svetlana a moment, then on Axel, Emelie, and the small pixy on the table between them. “Don’t interfere and you will be sspared,” he ordered. A blade appeared in his own black scaled hand, and Annie screamed in shock as he slowly cut away her sleeve, revealing the small girl’s bare arm.

Palledia gritted her teeth as the lizardfolk tied the rough rope around her, “Leave her alone!” she demanded, “if you’re after an Amazon… I’m the only one here!”

“Appearancess can be deceiving,” the lizard chuckled, tapping the point of the blade against Annie’s arm, just enough to draw a single red droplet of blood as she winced. There was a spark across her skin, and the girl’s eyes went wide as a star in a circle appeared, as if tattooed on her.

“W-What’s that!?” Annie asked fearfully, “what did you do?”

“Your mother did thiss,” the lizard chuckled, “to hide you from uss!” He glanced around, “I ssuppose you will all make fine witnesses… For too long I have been tied to thiss ssearch, I am pleassed to see it end!”

I’ve got to get her away from them, Palledia thought, testing the ropes. Lizardfolk liked to take Amazons alive, to sate their despicable apetites, and the rope woven from the jungle tree fibers was too strong even for an Amazon to break free from… but these lizardfolk were far from home, and she fought a grin as she realized they’d tied her with much weaker Imperial made bonds. I’ll get one chance to surprise them, she thought, glancing around the bar and waiting for her opening.

“Your mother, sshe sslew our king’s most favored prince in the war, long ago,” The lizard said, raising the knife, “for nearly two decades we have hunted down every scion of your family to avenge him… tonight our hunt ends!”

Favored prince? Palledia’s eyes went wide, he can’t possibly mean Annie is the lost Ironshield girl!?

The Ironshields were old amazon nobility, with vast lands, wealth, and a lineage going back to Theodora the Great herself. The matriarch of the household had led one of the larger Amazon armies in the war, infamously killing the gem-scaled lizard prince in personal combat. The house had since been plagued with misfortune and assassinations, with the great Alma Ironshield herself having disappeared with her husband and last living daughter, only a newborn at the time.

“Y-You killed my parents!?” Annie whispered.

“With thiss very knife,” the lizard said with a toothy smile, “your father fought bravely for a man of the queendom… your mother died on her feet ass well.” He sighed, “It iss almost a disappointment to find you here like thiss.”

The knife raised, and the world seemed to slow. Palledia flexed, grunting as the rope frayed and snapped. The obsidian lizard’s snout whipped around, his red eyes going wide with horror as he saw a ten foot amazon barreling down on him, fury on her face. In one smooth motion Palledia lifted one of the barstools cracking the wood across the lizard and causing him to stumble away from Annie, who shrieked as she ran to the amazon’s side.

“Go out the back door, now!” she shouted, causing the scrawny girl to stumble as she ran behind the bar.

“Die monster!” Clyde bellowed, on his feet again and with sword and pistol in hand. There was a bang and a puff of smoke as the flintlock discharged, sending one of the charging lizards back to the void. Sparks flew as he parried a sword strike with more skill than Palledia would have expected.

There was another puff of smoke, and Palledia turned to see Axel and the frog girl with weapons drawn, having turned over one of her tables for cover as they reloaded their small firearms. The green skinned girl drew a wicked looking knife, eyeing a group of approaching lizardmen warily.

Suddenly there was a whoosh of flame, and Palledia barely managed to dodge the first of the fireballs. Evidently the dark scaled lizard wasn’t the only mage in the group, and she whirled around to see the grinning creature readying another fireball, one that would sear the flesh from her bones.

In the blink of an eye the lizard was gone, Svetlana in its place. The dark elf glanced down at the shrunken lizard mage, and raised her boot, slamming it down as if she was crushing a cockroach. A focus Palledia had never seen was on the elf’s face, quickly chasing away the remnants of her intoxication as she lifted her hands, trading lightning and fire with the obsidian lizard in a magical duel that filled the tavern with the smell of smoke and scorched the wood.

“Come on Emelie!” Axel shouted, popping off another shot from his own pistol as the frog girl bounded out the front door after him. There was a shimmer as the pair’s pixy followed, “Guards!” the man cried, “someone rouse the village guards!”

Something had caught fire, and the wall of the inn was starting to go up. A burst of green smoke obscured their vision of the remaining lizardfolk, and Svetlana’s eyes narrowed, trying to see her foe through the haze.

The elf grunted in surprise as Palledia grabbed her around the waist, hauling her under her arm like a small dog as she bounded for the back door. As she burst into her bedroom she paused, taking a moment to reach under her bed. The steel of her mother’s spear caught the flickering light of the fire, reflecting her face. She couldn’t help but smile briefly, for a moment she looked like Lady Griselda again, not Palledia the innkeeper.

She heard coughing from behind her, and turned to see Clyde stumbling after her, soot covering his face and blood staining his sword. Their eyes met, and with a nod he followed her out through the tavern’s back door.

“P-Palledia?” Annie squeaked, looking up at the Amazon as she sat the dark elf down. She had tears in her eyes, and she swayed slightly as Clyde moved to steady her. “W-Why did they want me?” she stammered.

“They seem to think you’re the heiress to a prominent family back in the Queendom,” Palledia replied, glancing nervously at the burning inn. “We need to get moving, lizardfolk will be sluggish in this chill weather, but once the sun gets up they’ll be after us again.”

“How can I be the heiress of an Amazon house if I’m not an Amazon?” Annie balked, “I’m nobody, I lived at an orphanage until you took me in!”

“Hmm…” Svetlana squinted, taking in the starred tattoo that had appeared on Annie’s shoulder, “I have some theories,” she muttered, “but for now we need to get on our way.” The sound of the lizardfolk’s hissing language was filling the night, at least some of their attackers had survived.

If that black scaled bastard died in that fire I’ll eat this spear, Palledia thought with a growl. The sound of the guards and their horses was echoing through the streets as well, and the last thing she wanted to do was spend the night in a cramped jail cell meant for a woman half her size while the human authorities figured out what to do with them.

“There’s an old army supply depot a few miles from here,” Clyde said, “it’s not in use anymore, but it’ll have beds to sleep in and a watchtower to let us see anyone coming.”

“Lead the way,” Palledia nodded.

…

The supply base was little more than a barn, a few cots, and a large wooden tower, but the group was thankful for it when they arrived. They’d lost their pursuers easily enough, the lizardfolk suffered in the cool night air this far north, and when the sun finally rose in the sky they were alone, surrounded by nothing but a vast range of evergreens that swayed gently in the wind.

Svetlana groaned, nursing a hangover as she walked to the perimeter of the small compound. With a murmured spell the headache vanished, and she blinked as her senses returned. Palledia was waiting for her, leaning against the large spear as she glanced off into the woods.

“So what now?” she muttered, “I don’t think your tavern made it.”

“We’ve got to get Annie back to the Queendom,” Palledia said firmly, “if she is somehow connected to the Ironshield estate…” She sighed and shook her head, “I can take her at least to the border, I might… I might ask you to take her the rest of the way.”

“You know I always wondered what your story was,” Svetlana said with a smug grin, “Annie’s right, you were someone back there, I’m just not sure who.”

“Someone who can’t go back,” she said bitterly. She glanced down at the elf, “Judging by the spellwork back there, you were someone back in your home too.”

Svetlana’s pointed ears drooped a moment, “Yeah…” she sighed, “it was all a misunderstanding, honestly!” Palledia raised an eyebrow, and Svetlana continued, “it was a diplomatic meeting, the human ambassador and I had been drinking-“

“Shocking,” Palledia said with a smirk.

Svetlana scowled, “So it all got out of hand when we went back to my room…”

…

Arturus the Imperial ambassador looked at the giggling dark elven goddess before him, “I have a confession,” he muttered, placing his wineglass on the bedside table, “Svetlana I… I’ve always wanted to be shrunk by an elf!”

“Ooh…” she giggled, “that’s really more of a summer court elf thing, but I do know their shrinking spell!”

Her fingers waved, and a moment later the human gasped in awe as he dwindled before her, his clothing pooling around him.

“What a cute little human!” she teased, lifting him up and dangling his naked body in front of her face, “Now what should I do with my new pet?”

“Y-Your breasts!” he called, “Please put me between them!”

“A good place to start,” she said with a wink, slowly lowering him between the deep purple orbs. The massive tits swallowed the human up easily, and she enjoyed watching his tiny body flail against her flesh like an ocean that threatened to drown him. “Uh oh,” she taunted, bringing a single finger down and pressing on his head, submerging him into the warm prison.

Svetlana giggled as the human ambassador tickled her with his struggles. For his part Arturus was completely surrounded by the warm darkness of the elf’s cleavage, a soft feminine lavender scent filled his nostrils as he felt himself sliding deeper.

“Now to get rid of this troublesome human,” she said in a mocking tone. Svetlana brought her hands to either side of her breasts, and with a wicked giggle pressed them together as hard as she could. Arturus cried out in surprise as the pressure around him increased dramatically, the warm titflesh pressing him from all sides as the air was knocked from his lungs.

Svetlana giggled, pressing harder and harder, the soft excited groans of the tiny man trapped between her breasts just giving her more encouragement as she smothered him between the immense orbs.

*Crunch*

She froze, her face going pale, “A-Arturus!?”

…

“You got drunk and killed an imperial ambassador with your tits!?” Palledia asked incredulously.

“N-No, he lived,” Svetlana said meekly, “He needed some time to heal up though…” she sighed, “The humans thought it was a real assassination attempt, and by the time Arturus was able to straighten things out it was enough of a scandal that my career was over.” She smiled up at Palledia, “So, are you ready to tell me what you did?”

“I…” she sighed, looking at her ornate spear, “I made a lot of mistakes.”

“Well that doesn’t clear it up at all,” Svetlana muttered, crossing her arms.

…

Annie sighed, looking at the door to the room where Clyde was staying. She gathered her courage for a moment, then pushed it open. The cavalryman was asleep, having taken the first watch the night before, but his eyes fluttered open and he smiled as he saw her.

“Annie,” he greeted, sitting up and stretching, “to what do I owe the pleasure?”

“You were r-really brave back there,” she stammered, clearing her throat.

“It’s a knight’s duty to protect fair maidens,” he said with a smile.

“I-I know I’m not as pretty as some of the other girls in the village,” Annie muttered, walking to his bed, “o-or as good at women’s tasks,” she giggled, “I can’t bake or sew worth a damn…”

“You’re getting a little better at swordplay though,” he remarked with a grin, “and as far as I’m concerned, you’re the prettiest girl in Corrinsburg.”

She blushed, “I don’t know what’s going on… Why those lizard things are after me, but I know I’m not afraid as long as you’re there with me.” She swallowed nervously, letting her fingers curl around the hem of her shirt, lifting it over her head and letting her breasts, small as they were, pop free.

Clyde’s eyes went wide, “Annie…” he whispered, taking her in.

“Shh,” she said with a grin, crawling into bed with him, “this is my first time… let’s make it special!”

…

“So you said you had a theory on how Annie might be an Amazon?” Palledia asked, glancing up at the rising sun.

“Yes, the tattoo,” Svetlana explained, “it only appeared once her blood touched it, it’s a seal of sorts.”

“A seal?” Palledia asked, “on what?”

“On your goddess’s blessing,” Svetlana explained, “you Amazons were mere humans once, it’s the blessing of your goddess Diana that makes you… well you. ” She gestured up at Palledia’s towering form. “The thing is, even the strongest mage is nothing to a goddess,” she continued, “the seal will likely have been deteriorating for some time… has she displayed any unusual traits since you’ve known her?”

“She eats as much as I do,” Palledia muttered, “Goddess, she’s got an Amazon’s appetite… How long until the seal breaks?”

“She’s a woman grown now,” Svetlana mused, “I’d say it could go any time, if she encounters a moment of particular emotional stress or excitement that might push it over the edge.”

…

Annie giggled, playfully wrestling with Clyde as the pair tumbled in the sheets. She grunted as he pinned her down, kissing his way up her neck as he held her wrists.

“Let me get on top!” she whined.

“Not this time,” he chuckled, “next round maybe…”

She huffed, but shot him a smirk as he squeezed her bottom, positioning himself over her. She gasped in pleasure as he slid inside, and then the world seemed to spin.

“O-Oh,” she muttered, “I-Is it supposed to feel like this?”

It was like a dozen butterflies were fluttering through her belly, tickling her and sending jolts of electricity down her arms. Clyde had paused, frowning in concern at her dazed expression.

“Annie,” he asked slowly, “are you-“

“AHH!” she shouted as her limbs seemed to shoot outwards. The bed buckled, then broke. Her chest itched, then there was a popping feeling. She blinked, looking down at her watermelon sized breasts in shock, the soft orbs swallowing up a surprised Clyde’s face. Her legs dangled over the edge of what was left of the mattress, and she realized that her lover was now much smaller, laying across her torso.

With a grunt the blonde knight pulled his face free of the breasts that had sprung into being and entrapped him, blinking with a dazed expression as he looked over Annie’s now Amazonian physique.

I’ve got to be close to eleven feet tall, she marveled, “Wow,” she whispered, flexing her arm and looking at the chiseled bicep she’d gained.

“Y-You really are an Amazon,” Clyde said, eyes wide.

“This is amazing!” she squealed.

“W-We’ve got to go tell the others,” Clyde stammered, suddenly feeling intimidated by the way their sizes had so suddenly reversed.

“That can wait,” Annie breathed, “I want to finish what we were doing!”

Clyde cried out in surprise as she grabbed him, rolling over and pinning him against the mattress. He struggled instinctively, but she handled him as easily as he’d pinned her moments again, easier even, for all of his strength Annie didn’t seem to be reacting at all as she easily positioned him below her.

“Looks like I’ll be on top after all,” she said smugly.

He grunted as she bore down on him, forcing his manhood inside herself as her hips bucked against his with enough force to make him wince. The bouncing of her mountainous breasts drew his eye as she rode him like a wild stallion.

“Yes!” she gasped, whipping her brown hair behind her head and grinning as she impaled herself on his erection again and again, mercilessly causing him to spasm and groan below her as his hips grew sore from the relentless onslaught.

Annie’s now massive fingers curled through his blond hair, holding him in place and causing him to wince as she gave a low guttural moan. A thin sheen of sweat covered her, and by extension him, and the room suddenly felt hot and muggy in spite of the cool morning air.

As she continued to ravage him Clyde reached up to her bottom, grasping the immense cheeks in each hand, marveling at the sheer size. If he’d hoped to gain any control over her pace it was soon dashed like a ship on the rocks as the storm of the amazon’s lovemaking continued to pound away at him. He leaned his head back, his eyes squeezed shut as she brought him to the brink.

“Finish with me,” she ordered, gritting her own teeth as waves of pleasure rocked her body, causing her to spasm and quake. Clyde shouted as his own hips bucked feebly beneath her, spraying his seed into her womanhood in an eruption that was milked out of him by each powerful downward thrust of the Amazon’s hips.

Finally the torrent slowed, Annie panted, grinning down at the utterly defeated man beneath her. A wave of emotions raced through her, she’d lusted after Clyde for years, known him as the strongest, most stalwart man in their town. Now he was beneath her, sprawled and defeated by the sheer force of her lovemaking, a conquered man, her man.

“I-I don’t think I can walk,” he muttered with a grin.

Annie rolled off of him, sighing as she landed on what was left of the bed next to the man. With a grin she snaked her arm around him, pulling him to her side and letting him feel her new toned and massive physique.

“You did great,” she muttered, ruffling his hair, “lesser men would have died!”

“I-I’m glad I could be of service,” he said, a bit of his cocky grin returning.

“Oh you’re going to be servicing me quite a bit more before I’m done with you,” she chuckled.

Clyde gulped, looking at the Amazon’s lustful grin and wondering just how far his Imperial Military calisthenics regimen would take him with her.

…

“So how do we explain this to her?” Svetlana asked, following Palledia through the small compound, “Sorry, your whole life is a lie, you’re about to be an Amazon?”

“She already thought she was an orphan,” Palledia replied with a sigh, “I’ll take care of her, I always have.”

The pair reached the door to the bedroom, Palledia forced to bend at the knees to fit in the mannish hallway. The dark elf glanced at her, then rapped her knuckles on the wood.

“Annie,” Palledia called, “are you in there? We need to talk.”

“We’ve got some uh… news,” Svetlana said hesitantly.

“Come in!” Annie’s giggling voice called.

The two looked at one another, then with a shrug Svetlana pushed the door open.

“Goddess,” Palledia breathed, looking around at the state of the room.

Annie had a dreamy smile on her face as she lay sprawled beneath a blanket, what was left of the bed beneath her as Clyde rubbed her feet, an adoring look on his face. The thick smell of sex hung about the room, and although Clyde hesitated as they entered, but one look from Annie set him eagerly rubbing her soles again.

“So I’m guessing you found out you’re actually an Amazon,” Svetlana laughed.

“Yeah, we’ve been exploring what that means,” Annie said, playfully poking the side of Clyde’s face with her toe.

“It’s been interesting, ” Clyde muttered, his brow furrowed.

Palledia knew that look and fought a chuckle, the poor fool is finding himself feeling like a proper man for the first time in his life, he’ll be following her like a lost puppy from now on… She idly thought back to Dirk Sommer, the man who had been her undoing. Perhaps she’ll make good use of him.

“I suppose there’s no denying it now,” She said, “you are the lost Ironshield heiress.”

“So I’m like, rich?” Annie asked eagerly.

“You are Amazon nobility girl,” Palledia said sternly, “there’s much more to it than wealth… I’ll teach you our ways.”

“I don’t know,” Svetlana giggled, looking at the destroyed bed and the man rubbing the newly minted Amazon’s feet, “I think she’s got a lot of this Amazon stuff down pat.”

Palledia smiled, “We shall see…”

…

Annie swore as the butt of Palledia’s spear shot out into her stomach, knocking the wind out of her as the older Amazon twirled the weapon, casually walking around her. The two were sparring in the open yard of the compound, Palledia using her mother’s spear and Annie using a simple wooden staff.

“If that had been the point, you’d be dead!” she barked, “Dodge it or block it!”

“Y-You’re too fast!” Annie groaned, using her own practice spear for balance.

“If a dusty old woman like me is too fast for you, then you’re hopeless!” Palledia said, shaking her head. She gripped Annie’s chin suddenly, shocking the younger girl, “You’re an Ironshield, if you expect to claim your birthright you’ll need to be strong, people will expect you to lead, to fight, to inspire. ” She separated from her, turning her back and twirling her spear skillfully, “Again!”

“You can do it Annie!” Clyde called from the sidelines, “remember what I taught you about parrying swords, it’s all the same fundamentals!”

With a roar Annie sprinted at Palledia, and the older Amazon almost casually dodged each jab of the wooden weapon. The butt of her spear shot out again, but this time the loud *clack* of wood on wood rang out as Annie just barely deflected the blow, stumbling back and panting as she raised her weapon again in a defensive pose.

“Good,” Palledia smiled, “Goddess willing we’ll make a warrior of you yet!”

“Goddess…” Annie asked curiously, “I’ve heard you reference her before, but I’m not sure you’ve ever said much about your… our Goddess.”

She felt a pang of sorrow suddenly, Should I even tell her of a goddess I failed so spectacularly? She wondered. She glanced at the girl, then gave a small smile, She’ll need to know if she’s to rule…

“The first Amazon was Theodora the Great,” Palledia began, “she beseeched the goddess Diana for aid when the lizardfolk fell upon her people and murdered her father…”

…

The group didn’t have much to pack beyond the clothes on their backs. Annie had only a makeshift outfit hastily woven from bedding and curtains, her old clothes having become too small for her. As Palledia had predicted, Clyde wasn’t letting himself far from Annie’s side, following the girl who now towered over him at nearly twice his height.

Svetlana walked up to her side as they marched out of the small depot, a smile on her face, “You know, it’s kind of nice to have a bit of purpose now… but what exactly is our plan?”

“We’re going to the Amazon Queendom,” The Lady Griselda said firmly, “And goddess help anyone who gets in our way!”

Palledia drove the group south at a hasty pace, both helped and hindered by the lack of gear and supplies. Clyde proved to be an able hunter, and had luckily kept his tournament winnings on him when coming to the tavern the night of the attack, giving the group a scant amount of gold.

“This damnable imperial chill will slow down our pursuers,” Palledia shivered, glancing down the road and scowling at the evergreen trees on either side.

“Chill?” Clyde laughed, “It’s hardly even autumn yet.”

“Where we’re going doesn’t have autumn or winter,” Svetlana remarked, “just a rainy season.”

“I feel like I might miss snow,” Annie said, looking at the slightly gray sky.

“The Queendom has its own wonders,” Palledia said with a small smile, “the great rivers by the Alabastor fort… Theodora’s falls, where the mist catches the sunlight and leaves the rocks covered in rainbows all day long.”

“I can’t wait to see it!” Annie said excitedly, “you’ll show me all of these things, right?”

Palledia started a moment, “I…” I don’t know if I can live in the Queendom again girl, but I’ll get you there. Annie frowned at her silence, but didn’t say anything.

“C-Can we get a breather?” Clyde muttered. He had his steel armor in a bundle over his back, and while he’d made good time even with the long strides of the amazons to contend with, it was clear that hauling so much steel cross country was starting to wear on him.

“Annie,” Palledia barked, “go help him with that.”

The girl walked to the man’s side, smiling as she grabbed the bundle, easily hefting it over her shoulder, “Oh, that’s not necessary,” Clyde stammered, awed at how Annie handled it,.

“It’s not a problem, it’s light as a feather!” she laughed, rattling the steel a little.

“If you see a man struggling with something, offer to carry it for him,” Palledia said sternly, “it’s the Amazon way to guide, protect, and help men when they need it.”

Clyde’s face was still flushed slightly, but he scowled, “I can take care of myself,” he retorted, “I’m an imperial cavalryman, and- HEY!” Annie had scooped him up around his waist, throwing him over her other shoulder as the group continued on again.

“Just rest a little, okay?” Annie giggled, enjoying the knight’s blustered stammering.

Svetlana giggled, then slowly sauntered up to Palledia, “So what do you think of those two?”

“He’s a good enough match for her,” Palledia replied, “suitably attractive and noble enough. Once Annie comes into her estate she’ll likely want to hire someone to tutor him in domestic work, despite his bluster he seems intelligent enough so I’m sure he’ll take easily to baking-“

“Not that,” Sveltana scowled, “I just thought they were cute together!” She frowned, “you’re already planning on making him some kind of house-husband, aren’t you!?”

“Are the Winter Court elves not a matriarchy?” Palledia replied, glancing down at the elf.

“Of a sort,” Svetlana replied, “we don’t get all huffy if our men want to fight though.”

“Annie seriously!” Clyde called, laughter tinging his voice, “I can walk, just put me down!”

“Be a good man, or you’ll get a spanking!” Annie said in a faux stern voice, “I’m an Amazon now, that’s how we keep our men in line!”

“Oh for the love of Diana,” Palledia sighed, turning around, “Annie, do not even joke about laying your hands on your man!”

“Clyde knows I’m just kidding,” Annie protested.

“It’s all right Palledia,” the man chuckled from his place over her shoulder.

I’ll have to add court manners to the list of things to teach this girl, Palledia thought with a sigh.

“So wait, you Amazons don’t spank your men anymore?” Svetlana asked curiously, “I thought spankings were the standard punishment for all the men who stepped out of line.”

“That sounds like masochistic Imperial fantasy,” Palledia said dismissively.

“What about Death by Snu-Snu?” Annie asked, grinning at the annoyed expression on Palledia’s face.

“If someone earns a death penalty in the Queendom it’s done by guillotine,” Palledia replied, crossing her arms, “what In Diana’s name is snu-snu?”

“A damn good time,” Svetlana chuckled, “Hey, Clyde, I don’t suppose you’ve got enough money in that coin purse of yours for us to stop somewhere for drinks?”

The knight’s coinpurse clinked as Annie set him down, letting him walk alongside her while she carried his armor. He pulled the string on the purse, chewing his lip uncomfortably as he looked at the small pile of coins inside.

“It would be best if we budgeted carefully,” he said finally, “whenever we get to a town we need to get Annie some real clothes, Amazons are rare here… we might have to pay a tailor to make something from scratch.”

“She’ll need a weapon too,” Palledia said firmly, “a short sword at least.”

“We might get lucky and find something made for an orc a little further south,” Clyde said, “but you won’t find an Amazon sized firearm until we get near Rain’s End.”

Palledia tried to hide the look of surprise on her face as he mentioned her old fief, “Are… firearms in our size common there?” she asked, trying to keep her voice level.

Clyde nodded, “Yes, it’s the center of the whole trade, some Imperial fellow financed most of it off of gold he found on his ranch, he even helped the Queen modernize the Queendom’s military some years back.”

Dirk, Cora… Palledia couldn’t help but smile a little, you took good care of what was mine…

…

The group spent the next two days on the road, camping in the woods, rising early, and eating little. Even the two Amazons were beginning to feel weary as the four of them saw the open farmlands beginning to appear, flattening the landscape as they came out of the Empire’s more forested northern regions.

Clyde had gone ahead into a small market town on the road, hoping to secure them food without attracting the additional attention that two Amazons and a Dark Elf would no doubt get. Sevetlana, Palledia, and Annie had decided to wait in a small field, and not letting the opportunity go to waste, Palledia had begun drilling Annie once again.

“Now you’re going to be the biggest and strongest thing on most battlefields,” Palledia said, handing her mother’s spear to Annie, “but you are still just flesh and blood. A spear lets you keep an enemy at bay.”

“Wow,” Annie breathed, running her hands up the ornate design of the spear shaft, “Palledia… where did you get this? It’s got to be worth more than the entire tavern.”

“Probably the entire town,” Svetlana remarked, cocking her head as she studied the weapon, “Family heirloom, right?”

“Yes,” Palledia said, shooting the elf a dark look, “what of it?”

“Looks like the kind of thing nobility would have,” Svetlana commented idly, “not just a run of the mill soldier…”

Annie was looking at her curiously too, and for a moment Palledia almost wanted to tell them everything, of Lady Griselda of Rain’s End, Cora, Dirk, and the rest, but she scowled instead, stepping away from the other amazon. She walked over to a small sapling nearby, casually ripping a long and reasonably straight branch free. She swished it through the air a moment, satisfied it would make a decent facsimile of a sword.

“Try not to let me get inside your defenses,” she said, turning back to Annie.

“Uh…” Annie gulped, looking at the spear’s sharp point, “I don’t want to hurt you by accident…”

“You won’t,” Palledia chuckled.

She rushed at Annie, causing the girl to squeak in surprise as the older woman’s arm went up under the spear shaft, tilting it skyward. There was a sharp cry of pain as the branch thwacked across the side of Annie’s stomach.

“Keep the point on your opponent,” she instructed, separating again.

“R-Right,” Annie muttered, rubbing her side a moment.

The sound of horses startled them, and Palledia took the spear back from Annie in a smooth motion, readying it as a column of horsemen appeared down the road, dust rising as they approached. Svetlana perked up too, moving to Palledia’s side.

The men were soldiers, wearing steel curaisses and with holstered carbines not unlike Clyde’s. They had lances raised and an Imperial standard, a gold crown on a blue field fluttering in the wind. The group quickly circled the trio, and while they didn’t lower or draw their weapons the men’s steely eyes were warning enough to discourage any missteps.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Palledia growled, gripping her spear tightly. Against this many all I can do is buy Annie and the elf time to get away…

“W-Wait!” Clyde stammered, dismounting from one of the horses and running to them, “please, there’s no need for any violence!”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” a woman’s voice barked.

“Oh no,” Svetlana murmured, moving behind Palledia nervously as a new figure dismounted.

She was a deathly pale woman, with jet black hair and reflective goggles covering her eyes. Dragonscales clinked together on her vest as she dismounted, and a pair of pistols were holstered at either sides of a leather belt as she sized up the pair of amazons, finally letting her gaze drift to the uncomfortable dark elf.

“Why Svetlana,” she said with a smirk, “and here I worried we’d never get to see one another again.”

“H-Hi Shelby,” Svetlana stammered.

“Are we under arrest?” Annie asked hesitantly.

“Sir Clyde Orrick here was granted leave from his military unit to participate in an Imperial sponsored tournament,” Shelby drawled. “He did not return to his post, and so I have taken him into custody for desertion.”

“I didn’t desert!” Clyde blurted out, “It’s just… things got complicated!”

“Complicated,” Shelby tutted, looking at the group, “Yes this does seem complicated, doesn’t it? It’s rare enough for a soldier to desert in peacetime, let alone one so decorated… and now I find you’ve been traveling with two Amazons, and a dark elf assassin!”

“I’m not an assassin!” Svetlana blurted out, “Come on Shelby, you were at my trial!”

“You used sorcery of some kind to confuse Ambassador Arturus and the jury,” Shelby said, waving dismissively, “I know the real truth Elf, you shrank him with the goal of crushing him between those massive udders of yours! The symbolic crushing of the human spirit beneath the fat cowlike elven-“

“He asked me to go here!” Sveltana shouted, pointing at her chest, “begged!”

“Excuse me,” Palledia cut in, pushing the stammering dark elf behind her again as she peered down at the diminutive inquisitor, “it seems to me that if my companion already had her trial, you have no other reason to hold us!”

“Normally, yes,” Shelby nodded, “but with the appearance of a certain dark scaled Lizard in the area, I’m not allowing anyone from south of our border out of my grasp without answering some questions.” At the mention of the obsidian lizard Palledia couldn’t help but start, and Shelby grinned as she saw the recognition, “Oh, so you’ve heard of Tebryn Darkscale before?”

“This is my first time hearing the name,” Palledia growled, “but I can assure you he’s no friend of ours.”

“Hmm… we’ll see,” Shelby smirked, “Are you going to walk to my headquarters on your own two feet, or shall I have you tall ones tied up and send for a wagon?”

“We’ll walk,” Palledia growled.

“Good choice,” Shelby chuckled. “I’ll be getting all of the answers out of all of you, so it’s best to cooperate and make things easy on yourselves…”

“We’ll never talk!” Annie blurted angrily.

Shelby grinned, the light catching her reflective goggles for a moment in an eerie way, “Oh you will, I think you’ll find my methods of interrogation can be quite… persuasive. ”

…

Annie’s stomach growled as she dug into the massive perfectly seared steak that had been set before her. Each bite was like heaven as the flavorful meat all but melted on her tongue, made all the more tantalizing by the expertly picked blend of spices. As she watched, a servant brought a new basket of rolls along with a fresh tin of chilled cinnamon butter.

“This is sooo good!” she moaned, delicately using the undersized knife to cut herself another piece.

“Only the finest for my guests,” Shelby chuckled, taking a seat at the other end of the table.

The group had been brought back to a mid-sized Imperial fortress, and Annie had been led through the cramped hallways until she was brought to a dining room with stern Imperial portraits lining the walls. With no chairs suitable for her she’d sat on the floor, and moments later a train of servants had begun to deliver her the best meal she’d had all year, one course at a time.

“So, we were talking about what you were all doing?” Shelby asked sweetly, “and what you know about Tebryn Darkscale?”

“Oh, we’re trying to keep away from him,” Annie said offhandedly, “He’s trying to kill me!”

“ Really, ” Shelby asked with a smile, leaning back. “So strange… and you haven’t any idea why?”

Annie froze, “I uh…” She looked down at her plate, chewing her lip nervously as she realized that a decent meal had been all it had taken to “crack” her.

“Why don’t we send for a dessert?” Shelby asked, “the kitchen was preparing a wonderful chocolate cake earlier today.”

“I don’t think so,” Annie said quickly, pushing her plate away, “I-I think I should go back with my friends!”

“Oh come now,” Shelby laughed, “surely one slice of cake couldn’t hurt?”

Annie licked her lips, thinking of the days on the road filled with light meals of wild game and hardtack bread, “One slice,” she agreed.

“So Tebryn wants to kill you?” Shelby asked curiously, “You seem like such a nice Amazon, how would you get tied up with the likes of him?”

…

Clyde sat upright as the door to his room swung open. Instead of a jail cell as he was expecting, Shelby had simply ordered them shown to an empty set of diplomatic suites, with extravagant four poster beds and elegant furnishings.

Annie grimaced as she bent over, nearly having to go to her knees to enter the man sized room. Clyde’s mouth went dry as he realized that the inquisitor had procured some proper Amazon sized clothing for her from somewhere, replacing the patchwork of curtains and blankets they’d made with a proper set of trousers and a buttoned shirt… the cut was still rather tight though, and as Annie bent over to enter the room Clyde had an eye catching view down the unbuttoned top.

“Wow,” Annie marveled, looking around the elegantly furnished room, “she really put us in a nice place for prisoners.”

“From what I gathered you and Palledia won’t fit in the jail cells,” Clyde chuckled, “so she’s putting us in a pair of these diplomatic suites… Thankfully they’re supposed to be able to accommodate any race a nobleman or a diplomat might wish to entertain, an Amazon included.” He frowned as he walked to the window, looking out into the fort’s courtyard at the drilling soldiers, “be wary though, these inquisitors are masters of manipulation, she’ll try to trick you into thinking she’s your friend, probably with a large meal and-“

“And chocolate cake,” Annie muttered, blushing.

Clyde looked up at her, “W-What did you tell her?”

Annie licked her lips, “it was really good cake, and she seemed like she just wanted to help-“

“This is all my fault,” Clyde muttered, sinking to the bed and covering his eyes, “I shouldn’t have come with you… I should have reported back to my post!”

“Hey, I needed you!” Annie insisted, coming to sit by the bed. Even as she sat on the floor she was nearly as high as he was, and looked him easily in the eye.

Clyde chuckled a moment and glanced at her towering form, “Is that… really true now?” he asked quietly.

Annie huffed, “I mean… you still need to teach me more swordplay, right?”

“Can I even spar with you now without breaking my arm?” he asked wryly, “and you’ve got Palledia now… She’ll take good care of you.”

Annie frowned a moment, then with a giggle launched herself up on the massive bed. Clyde only had a moment to cry out in surprise before she’d easily pinned him against the mattress, the springs creaking under her massive weight. Her face came down, locking lips with him as her tongue invaded his mouth in a passionate kiss that left him breathless.

“I’m bigger than you now,” she whispered with a giggle, enjoying his stunned expression, “stronger too… but when I wasn’t, you always said the heart of the blade’s wielder mattered more than the strength of their arm that held it.”

“Well, yes,” he admitted, blushing slightly.

“And you’re such a brave knight,” Annie whispered, hugging him close and causing his back to crack slightly, “brave enough to charge into a mob of hissing lizards to save me, brave enough to take up a quest to get me back home… even brave enough to spend a night in bed with an Amazon…”

She leaned up a moment, savoring the cocksure stupid grin that had returned to Clyde’s face, “I must admit, I’m often praised for my bravery,” he said, “Why once I charged into burning building to save a baby, while it was under attack by seven orcish bandits!”

“It seems the orcs add to their numbers every time I hear that story,” Annie whispered.

Clyde blinked, “well there was a lot of smoke in my eyes, the exact numbers are-“

He was cut off as Annie kissed him roughly again, her massive hands beginning to work at the buttons on his clothing as the two rolled in the immense bed. It was all the man could do to fumble against his immense lover, trying to unbutton her own clothing while gasping as her hands gripped his bottom, squeezing eagerly and filling his ears with a low and lustful groan.

“Lay down,” she ordered, sending a thrill up his spine as he watched the massive perfection of her sculpted body rise over him. Her legs were like chiseled pillars of marble as the came down on either side of him, leaving him trapped and staring up in awe at his goddess’s glistening pink opening as he contemplated what she was about to do.

“I’ve never done this,” he whispered uncertainly.

“I haven’t either,” she grinned down at him, “but you should probably take a deep breath.”

Like a man preparing to dive into the sea Clyde inhaled sharply as the mass of woman lowered down onto him, darkening his world and filling it with the familiar honeyed smell of Annie’s womanhood. He felt her face grind against him, and instinctively he stuck his tongue out, eager to please the woman who was eagerly beginning to ride his face.

“Goddess yes,” Annie hissed, leaning against the wall and bracing herself with her hand slightly as the trapped man went to work in earnest, his tongue exploring her delicate folds and eliciting soft gasps of pleasure.

Beneath her Clyde fought for air as her juices coated his face, and the world grew humid as the heat from her arousal bathed him. He licked at her as hard as he could, feebly reaching up to grasp her backside, hoping to get any leverage he could, but Annie just bore down on him harder, grinding against his working tongue and tightening her powerful thighs on either side of him like a vice.

“Keep going!” Annie begged, doubling over and gripping the pillows as she gritted her teeth.

She’s going to pop my skull like a grape! Clyde thought in panic, taking a quick breath as the walls of thigh on either side of his head pressed in. For a moment he saw white, but he never let up, letting his tongue reach the small pearl at the top of her opening in one final attempt to push the amazon over the edge.

“C-Clyde!” she moaned, her muscles quaking as reached down, gripping his hair and pulling his face into herself. Dimly she was aware of muffled and panicked moans beneath her, but in the throes of her lust the mere human man was nothing to the torrent of bliss that was wracking her body. With a final mewling cry she tumbled over to the ground, a sound that rocked the room as the triumphant knight rose and gasped for breath.

“A-Annie?” he panted, catching his breath and blinking his blurred vision away. He slowly crept to the edge of the bed, “H-How was that?”

“You’re the best and bravest knight that ever lived,” she said dreamily, struggling back to her feet. With a grunt she pulled herself back onto the mattress, shaking it and bobbing the springs.

Clyde chuckled, licking his lips slightly as more of her juices crept from his lips into his mouth, not an unpleasant taste, he thought idly. He looked at the panting Amazon and down at his own still untouched erection. Now for some real bravery…

“So,” He grinned, climbing over her, placing his hands on her massive breasts to steady himself, “Have I earned the right to be on top?”

Annie just grinned, leaning her head back, “I don’t know if I can move my legs, so it’s your show Sir Clyde.”

All things considered, Clyde found himself feeling much better about his place in the world by the time they were done.

…

“I’m going to go ask the guard how long this Shelby woman is going to be holding us,” Clyde growled, pulling his boots back on and lacing them up. If nothing else an hour or so alone with Annie had restored much of the knight’s confidence.

“Be careful,” Annie murmured, “I really don’t want her to send you home!”

Before Clyde could get to the door it burst open, revealing a large man in a deep blue military uniform and enough medals that they clanked when he walked, “On your feet Sir Orrick!” he barked, causing Clyde to involuntarily snap to attention. The man laughed at the way Clyde leapt upward, almost tripping over himself. He had shocks of grey through shining black hair, and a thick but strong looking build as he slapped Clyde across the back playfully.

“G-General Rathburn?” Clyde stammered, “you came all this way for me?”

“Ha, stow that ego cavalryman,” the general laughed, “I was here on other business, but I heard the man who won me a week’s salary at that last tournament was being held for desertion! The whole thing just sounded off to me, so I’m investigating it myself!”

“Uh, of course General!” Clyde smiled, “T-This is my friend Annie,” he gestured to her.

“Ah, pleased to meet you,” The general sniffed a moment, and Clyde’s face went white as he realized that, while the two had gotten dressed, the smell of their lovemaking was still thick in the air.

“Might want to open a window girl,” the general said with a wink as he roped his arm around Clyde, “walk with me boy!”

“Er… I’ll be back!” Clyde said, shooting Annie a nervous smile as the general led him out.

“I guess that answers the question of why you felt the need to run off,” General Rathburn chuckled, “good taste lad, good taste… ”

“It’s not like that,” Clyde insisted, “or at least it’s not all like that-“

“Save it boy,” the general growled, “a few youthful indiscretions like this are good for a military career, personally I don’t promote anyone who hasn’t done at least one stupid thing, and yours didn’t get anyone hurt! I’ll draw up some paperwork to have you given some small discipline and then we’ll get you back home.”

“General wait,” Clyde said, stopping in the hallway and causing the older man to frown. He sighed, “Annie, that girl back there… She’s being hunted by Lizardfolk assassins, she needs me to get back to the Queendom safely, she needs all of us! Is there any way you can get my party released?”

The general was silent a moment, chewing his lip, “And is there a reason why simply assigning my best dozen men to the task won’t work?” he asked finally.

“It’s… complicated,” Clyde muttered.

“Some kind of political thing,” The general swore, “you’re worried if the grand high muckity mucks in Camford find out who she is, they’ll want her in their little plots? Use her or hold her to advance the glorious will of Humanity, that right?”

“It had crossed my mind,” Clyde sighed.

“Damnation,” the general growled, “you don’t put me in an easy spot boy, you know that?” He swore under his breath again, stroking his chin and thinking. “D you love the girl?” he asked finally.

“I do,” Clyde admitted.

“The Queendom you say?” he asked, sighing in a tired voice.

“T-That’s where she needs to go,” Clyde said, daring to hope.

“All right,” the general growled, “Here’s your story, your aunt who lives in the Queendom died, she was your only living relative.”

Clyde blinked, “But my mother and father are-“

“ Your only living relative, ” the general repeated, “so obviously I’m granting you a special extension of your leave to pay your respects and get her affairs in order.”

“You have my eternal gratitude,” Clyde said, awed, “is there anything I can do to repay this?”

“Well, now that you should mention it,” the general said, a sly grin coming over his face, “I happened to see that group you came in with… including that rather fetching beauty. Before you set out, I would love to have dinner with her, if she’d agree?”

Should I warn him what happened to Svetlana’s last human lover? Clyde thought, but seeing the general’s eager face, and thinking of all the man was doing for him, he decided to simply smile and nod.

…

Palledia stared coolly across the table as Shelby poured tea, taking a place across from her, “The younger Amazon already filled me in on much,” she said, steepling her fingers and letting her gaze linger on Palledia from behind those reflective lenses, “though I’m still missing the key piece of why Tebryn has come so far into Imperial lands after her?”

“Perhaps he’s simply mad?” Palledia said in a dismissive tone, “Lizardfolk are often prone to bouts of spite and insanity when they’ve delved too far into those black magics of theirs. You Imperials are lucky we Amazons sit between you and their armies.”

“Yes, how fortunate we have a neighbor full of man-kidnapping bandits instead,” Shelby smirked, seeing the rising anger in Griselda’s face. “Tebryn’s not mad, no more than any mage is,” she continued seamlessly, “Supposedly he’s a diplomat from the Lizardfolk realms, but too many people seem to go missing around him for that, and he seems to spend a lot of time with the Emperor’s political rivals.”

“So shoot him and be done with it,” Palledia said angrily, “loan me a crossbow and I’ll do it for free.”

“If only it were so easy,” Shelby chuckled, “though I think you know more of the workings of politics and government than you let on Lady Griselda. ” Shelby produced a sheathe of paper, old, tattered slightly, and which sent up a small cloud of dust as she sat it down.

“Oh goddess,” Palledia muttered, rubbing her temples.

“Oh gods indeed,” Shelby said, “I checked the Inquisitor’s files on a whim, just to see if there was anything on any of you, and I found this… it’s got to be over a decade old, I doubt anyone but I ever bothered to pull it until now.”

“Yes, I was Lady Palledia Griselda,” she spat angrily, “but that was a long time ago, why in goddess name is there a file on me?”

“My predecessor was evidently concerned about a disgraced former Amazon noblewoman moving into the area,” Shelby explained, “he was sure you would link up with some manner of separatist faction, or criminal group…” The inquisitor shrugged, “evidently you bored him, and he stopped having his men check on your whereabouts after the first two years.”

“Yes, being forgotten about is exactly what I came here to do,” Palledia snapped, “and if you let my party go, I could go pick up where I left off!”

“And how am I to know this isn’t some grand scheme, some plot to join a band of Lizardfolk bandits, get revenge on Dirk Sommer, on the Empire itself?” Shelby asked, leaning forward.

“Dirk Sommer…” Palledia chuckled, “back to him again…” She slammed her fist on the table, startling Shelby so much that the inquisitor almost reached for the pistol at her belt as the Amazon stood up, looming over her as her head nearly touched the ceiling. “I hope Dirk Sommer is having a happy life,” Palledia said bitterly, “I hope he and everyone else in Rain’s End sees nothing but prosperity, and that they never think about me again. Call your guards, I’ve nothing left to say to you.”

Before Shelby could reply the door burst open, an Imperial man with shocks of grey through otherwise jet black hair stepped inside, the medals on his uniform clanking with each step. Clyde nervously followed behind him.

“Shelby,” the man bellowed, “I’ve dealt with Sir Clyde here, it’s all been a misunderstanding!”

Shelby balked, “General, be that as it may-“

“See that they are given provisions for their trouble,” the general said, waving dismissively.

“This is highly irregular,” Shelby insisted, “this is an inquisitor’s investigation, and-“

“And it’s into that black scaled fire huffing lizard, is it not?” General Rathburn said with a shrug, “I don’t see him here, so let’s not bother these fine people any longer!”

Shelby glowered at Palledia a moment, “I’m going to get to the bottom of this,” she shot a look at the general, “all of it!” With a huff she stood up, grabbing the dossier labeled “Palledia Griselda” as she stalked out of the room.

…

“He wants what!? ” Annie balked.

“He wants to have dinner with Svetlana,” Clyde explained sheepishly. The four of them had gathered in one of the room suites provided for them, and the group was for once clean, well fed, and clothed. Still, as Clyde explained the “cost” of it all, there were mixed emotions.

“Oooh I’ll bet he wants to be tiny!” Svetlana squealed, “humans love that, especially these high-ranking ones!”

“P-Please don’t shrink the general,” Clyde stammered.

“Humans all beg for it,” Svetlana insisted, “Look, he’ll be nice and safe, I’ll just slide him down the front of my underwear and slowly-“

“Enough!” Palledia said, exasperated, “we don’t need to hear every filthy thing you plan to do with this Imperial pervert! Just please for the love of Diana keep it gentle this time!”

“But what if he wants me to put him in my shoe and take a jog?” Svetlana asked sheepishly. Palledia just stared at her, stone faced. The Dark elf huffed angrily, “Fine, but you’re probably ruining a man’s dream with all this “gentle giantess” nonsense.”

 …

Clyde sighed, escorting Svetlana to the General’s quarters. The Dark Elf was practically giddy, and had bought, borrowed, or stolen a vibrant red dress that hugged her ample curves, complimenting a pair of silvery sandals that clacked as she eagerly walked with him. Clearing his throat, Clyde knocked on the door, and the General, in his finest dress uniform, opened it, an eager smile on his face… one which quickly became a frown.

“Er Sir Orrick,” he said to Clyde, gesturing him in, “A word…”

Clyde raised an eyebrow, but stepped into the General’s room. An ornate meal was arranged on a small table, a fine roasted turkey, along with chilled wine, brown roasted potatoes, and a fine array of colorful gelatins… but as Clyde looked longer he realized the table was raised unnaturally high, and the chair at across from the general’s own was quite large.

“No offense to the Winter Court woman, but that’s not the one I wanted,” The general murmured.

“Wait, you wanted Palledia!?” Svetlana said, having followed them in unawares.

The general blushed, “My lady, you’re the very picture of beauty, but not the er… company I desired?”

Svetlana just stared, “Fine,” she said sullenly, “you don’t know what you’re missing though!” With a huff she stormed to the table, pulling one of the wine bottles free of the bucket of ice. She flicked her other hand at it, and magic sparks pulled the cork free, letting her swig deeply from the top as she sauntered angrily away.

Clyde sighed, This just got more difficult, “I’ll uh… deliver a new dinner invitation.”

“Yes, yes, quite right,” the general muttered, “I’ll see about replacing that bottle…”

…

“No,” Palledia said, twirling her spear through the practice yard as the sun began to set.

“Please Palledia?” Annie begged as the bashful knight looked on. “We need his help or Clyde can’t come with us! And think of all he’s done for us so far!”

She growled angrily as she glanced at Clyde, he’s proved useful so far… Annie likes him, and he’d be a good man for her in the Queendom besides.

“I’m not changing,” she declared, “he’ll see me in these clothes, and if he starts mocking me, I’m leaving.”

…

“Presenting the Lady Palledia Griselda,” Clyde said, opening the door to the general’s room as Palledia ducked inside, standing up to her full height and giving the general what she knew to be her most intimidating grimace.

“Lovely,” the general whispered, a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye. He cleared his throat as he climbed into the high top chair that would let him sit eye to eye with Palledia, “Do me a favor and tell the Dark Elf woman her drinks are on me tonight, as an apology for the confusion.”

“That’s a mistake,” Palledia chuckled, watching the young knight go, leaving the pair alone. With a sigh she walked to the table, finding it comforting to sit in amazon sized furnishings as she took her seat. “So, what is this about?” she asked, reaching for the wine and pouring herself a deep glass. She swirled the deep red a moment, looking at her reflection, watching how the ripples in the liquid shimmered over her eyepatch, her greyed hair… No doubt he hopes to flatter me and gain some favor, she thought miserably, whatever a man might have once seen here is long gone.

“What’s this about?” The general laughed raucously, reaching for his own wine goblet and taking a gulp that would make Svetlana envious. “It’s not every day a woman like you walks through the door of a man’s fort, I simply had to meet you!”

“A woman like me?” she asked, numbly.

“A real lioness,” he said excitedly, “It’s in the way you carry yourself, that scar too…” he grinned as he glanced at her eyepatch, “did you get the bastard who did it?”

“I did,” Palledia said, smirking slightly and taking another sip of her wine, feeling the bubbly feeling rising in her chest.

“Excellent,” the general said, laughing, “I saw the way you handle that spear, you were in the Amazon Cavalry weren’t you?” He leaned in close, “I’d have killed to see you in your armor… you must have looked like a goddess herself!”

He’s serious, Palledia realized with a start, this fool man is sitting over there fantasizing about me on horseback again… Another part of her remembered those days, and why not, you were dashing enough to have men fawn over you at times, were you not?

“Seduction then?” she chuckled, “is that what you’re after? A night in bed with an Amazon? To finally feel what it is to be a real man, in the arms of a real woman?”

The general gave her a lustful grin, “God's honest truth I’d have been happy for some pleasant dinner conversation about old war stories, but if the night goes there…” he shrugged, “I think I could handle you.”

“Oh you could, could you?” Palledia laughed.

“I’ve had three horses shot from under me, cracked my lance on an ogre, and felt plenty of grapeshot whizz past my ears,” the general replied.

“I led a charge into a force of hissing greenskins four times my number to break their line, all while mages sent fire so close it singed my hair short,” Palledia retorted, enjoying the way the general’s eyes widened in excitement.

“Oh to hell with it,” the general slammed his drink down, “Come on then woman, sound your charge!”

Palledia drained her cup, repeating his gesture and standing up, looming over the imperial in his crisp dress uniform, “Take that off,” she growled, “before I tear it off you!”

…

Svetlana downed another cup of ale, belching loudly and wiping her mouth, “Keep ‘em coming!” she slurred, sliding the cup back across the bar. The small tavern just outside the fort was mostly off duty soldiers, and seemed a good place to drown her disappointment.

Fool human, she thought, wanting a night with Palledia over me, she’s probably going to bore him to death talking about Amazon stuff.

She glanced down the bar, spotting a fresh faced trio of young men, laughing and joking amongst each other. One of them, a brown haired one with broad shoulders, elbowed his fellows, and they whispered among themselves as she watched them.

Come on boys, one of you get brave, she thought with a giggle and a wink. Despite her flirting the trio was evidently too scared, and her amorous mood soon became one of frustration. Fine then, she thought, getting up off her bar stool and sauntering across the room.

“Hey boys,” she giggled, “Anyone want to share a drink with me?”

“A-Are you that elf that kills people in her boobs?” one of the men stammered.

Svetlana sighed, You just had to tell everyone, huh Shelby? “Yeah,” she took her newest cup from the bartender, taking a quick gulp of the dark beer, “That’s me, Svetlana the man squishing elf.”

“Not a bad way to go, you ask me,” One of the men, a blonde, giggled drunkenly, raising his own glass.

Svetlana smirked, “Just say the word strawhair, I’ll send you on a trip to heaven.”

“N-Now hold on here,” the third human, a nervous looking one of smaller stature than the others, started, “he’s just drunk, don’t take him seriously!”

“Aw, come on,” she pouted, gently running a hand over her ample cleavage, “there’s room for all of you boys if you let me shrink you small enough!” She let a few blue sparks dance over her fingers for emphasis.

“This is a terrible idea,” the smallest of the three humans hissed, “If we let her shrink us we’ll be helpless if she decides to-“

“Oops,” Svetlana giggled, dropping a bar nut down her shirt. The three watched as it tumbled down the soft purple surface of the dark elf’s breasts, eventually disappearing down her cleavage as she smirked lustfully at the three of them.

…

Svetlana giggled as she cupped her hands over her trio of shrunken playthings, feeling the men squirm like bugs across her palm as she pushed one of the inn doors open.

“You boys made the right decision,” she taunted, opening her hands and looming over the ant sized figures like a mountainous goddess, grinning down at them as they marveled at her immense size.

With her free hand she reached behind her back, unlacing the elegant red dress and letting it drop them to floor. Her passengers were treated to a view of her buxom chest, barely contained by the white cotton brassiere she’d chosen to go with her undergarments, contrasting sharply with her dark skin. Carefully to keep her hand level, she sauntered over to the bed, never taking her eyes off the trio.

She paused for a moment, Better safe than sorry, she held her hand over them, her palm like the canopy of some massive cathedral as she cast a second spell upon them, gritting her teeth as she focused as much magic as she could into increasing their durability.

“Now then,” she mused, “I believe it was this little blonde ant here who said that my chest was a good way to go?” if he was replying, she couldn’t hear him, and she fought a groan of lust as she pinched him between her fingers.

Slowly the young man was brought up above the massive canyon, the hot smell of her alcohol tinged breath washing over him as she pursed a pair of pillowy lips taller than a barn to give him the tiniest kiss.

“Bye bye,” she whispered softly, releasing the speck and letting him drop slowly down the front of her bosom, slowly disappearing into her cleavage as the twin mountains of soft flesh swallowed him up.

For the remaining two humans it was like watching a force of nature at work, an ocean swallowing up a ship while watched, stunned, on shore. Their companion was simply gone, and the goddess that had so easily sent him to his soft fate was now grinning down at them.

“Now let’s see,” she squinted, “which one of you is the bad boy that slapped my bottom just before I made you itty bitty? I think it was you!”

Like an angel from heaven the vast purple fingers came down again, pinching the next speck, lifting him through the air and around the elf’s vast backside, letting him see the field of cotton fabric stretched precariously across her ample bottom.

“You go back there and think about what you did,” she giggled, pulling her panties away and sliding the ant sized man down the trail of her lower back, and down between her cheeks. She playfully slapped herself, whistling and imagining the jiggling waves of her ass rocking the tiny man’s world like an earthquake.

“Now there’s just one left,” she said, grinning as she lifted the last tiny man in the center of her palm up to her face. She smirked with delight as she realized that the last one, the scrawny dark haired human, was the one who had been the most nervous. “Look at you, all alone with the big bad elf,” she said in a husky voice, letting her humid breath carry the scent of beer across her palm like a fog. “Don’t worry though,” she said, “I’ve saved a very special place for you! A safe place where you’ll have plenty of fun…”

The final dot sized man scrambled to keep his balance as she lowered him down to the hem of her panties, pulling them away in the front and tilting her hand, letting him roll in helplessly. At his size he was quickly swallowed up by the wiry forest of her pubic hair, and Svetlana couldn’t help but sigh with satisfaction as she trapped the last of her three toys on her body.

Flopping on the bed she began to slowly rub her gushing womanhood through her panties, moaning with pleasure as the quivering of her muscles and rising arousal tormented the trio of speck sized men.

“I really should shrink more humans,” she drawled dreamily, biting her lip as the first orgasm took her, no doubt flooding the tiny lover in her most intimate place.

…

Clyde and Annie waited at the fort’s entrance, generously armed and provisioned by General Rathburn’s secretary, who had given them their choice of items from the armory. Annie in particular had picked up a massive two handed sword, no doubt custom made for a giant of a man. To the amazon it would do for a short sword, and Clyde had promised to teach her more of swordplay once they had the chance.

Palledia joined them next, a curious smile on her face as she waved at them, “Good morning Clyde, Annie… the general would see us off, but the fort’s mage says he’s got a small pelvic fracture and needs to stay off his feet until the healing spell finishes.”

“Oh,” Clyde muttered, “That’s… too bad.”

“He’ll be fine by this evening,” Palledia chuckled, “He’s a strong sort.”

“And you told Svetlana to be gentle,” Annie giggled.

Palledia scowled, “He-”

“Begged for it?” Annie teased.

Palledia huffed, but then smiled again, “He had plenty of fine things to say about it at the end, does that satisfy you?”

“Ughh… you guys,” Svetlana groaned, stumbling towards them, bleary eyed, “did we have to leave so early?”

“We aren’t leaving particularly early,” Palledia growled, “perhaps you drank too late?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Svetlana replied, “Let me just get a quick spell ready to chase away this headache…” she stopped, frowning, “Huh…”

“What?” Palledia asked.

“Just a couple magical signatures I need to uh… investigate,” The elf replied. She dove her hand into her cleavage as the group watched, stunned, and a moment later she drew out what looked like an ant. Her face went red, “Oh, oops!” She quickly waved her hand, and a stunned looking young soldier appeared before them, his hair disheveled and only his smallclothes on.

“L-Lady Svetlana?” he blinked, “I-I had some clothes?”

“Well they’re gone now,” she said with a shrug, “they’re just lint to me, they probably got washed away by a drop of sweat when you took them off.” She chewed her lip a moment, “Uh… if that magical signature was a tiny guy, does that mean I have two more in me?”

“Y-Yes my lady,” the man stammered, “If you could unshrink my friends-“

“Sure,” Svetlana muttered, embarrassed, “let me just go back up to my room at the inn to uh… retrieve them.”

“Why do you need to go back to the inn?” Annie asked curiously.

“They’re not in spots I want to be messing around with in public,” Svetlana said sheepishly, practically jogging back to the tavern.

“I-Is she always like that?” the formerly tiny man asked, a mix of lust, awe, and fear on his face.

“We’re a fun group,” Annie giggled, watching as the man scurried off, eager to dress himself.

“Indeed,” Palledia muttered, “with all that’s happened here this Tebryn Darkscale will no doubt be able to easily track us, and as we get south it’ll be warmer… he’ll be able to outpace us.”

“This time, I’ll be ready,” Annie said, grinning as she gripped the broadsword’s pommel.

Annie giggled as Clyde’s thumbs slid deftly across her soles, “You’re getting good at foot massages,” she purred, folding her arms under her head as she watched the clouds drift by.

“I like seeing the look on your face when I do it,” he replied, pressing firmly just under the immense toes, causing her to moan with delight. “Besides, it’s the least I can do since you’re carrying almost all of my things for me.”

Annie just hummed in agreement, enjoying the warm sun on her face. Palledia had stopped them for an hour or so to rest, and the two young lovers had slunk away from the Elf and the older Amazon to “practice swordplay,” though both of their weapons lay against a nearby tree.

“I think I’ll have you give me foot massages every night,” Annie mused, “I’ll be very busy running my new fief.”

Clyde’s brow furrowed, “Have you given that much thought?”

Annie sat up, raising an eyebrow, “Well, you’re a noble, right? I figured between you and Palledia you could tell me what I’m supposed to do.”

“I was knighted ,” Clyde chuckled, “I was born in a barn the same as everyone else back home.”

Annie chewed her lip, “B-But you always seemed so sophisticated, and you told me about all of those fancy dinners you went to in the capitol!”

“Why yes, I’ve accompanied many officers to important functions!” he said hastily, “I didn’t exactly dine at the main table, but rest assured my manners were noted!”

“If you’re not going to help me run things, maybe you can be my official foot masseuse?” She giggled. The torso sized foot lifted up out of his lap a moment, pinching his nose and giving him a good whiff of the crisp sheen of sweat she’d worked up during their travels.

“Annie!” He protested, but then he grunted as she scooted forward, pressing her massive foot against his chest and driving him down into the soft green grass. He grunted as she flexed her calf, giggling as she pinned him. He tensed, trying to rise, but she easily kept him in place.

“I think you should give my toes a kiss,” she said sweetly, “you know, to show you love your new role!”

The amazon slid forward slightly, sliding her foot upwards over him until her toes were scrunching playfully over his face. He grimaced, the dirt and sweat of the road was thick on them, but at the same time he found himself growing hard, undeniably attracted to the sheer display of power.

“Uh oh, what’s this?” Annie teased, running a finger over the tent in his pants. “Could it be that brave Sir Orrick likes the smell of defeat?” He gasped as she gripped his manhood through his pants, sliding her hand over it in a loose grip that sent a shiver up his spine. Annie bit her lip, slowly, deliberately, bringing her foot down on his face. “I do believe I ordered you to kiss those?”

Clyde leaned up slightly, kissing the bottom of her big toe as she began to undo his belt. The dried sweat on them was almost coarse, with a thick musky scent that clung to his hair slightly as he pulled away. He grunted with surprise as Annie pressed down on his face again, driving her feet into his face while she slowly worked his pants down.

“Wow, you really like being the official foot-boy, huh?” Annie taunted, gripping the rock hard tower of his manhood and sliding her hand up in a smooth motion that made him squirm. “Keep kissing my feet, and I’ll keep going,” she said with a sweet smile.

Clyde didn’t need any further instruction, and with a gusto he grabbed the sides of her foot, nearly as wide as his torso, and planted kiss after kiss the pungent digits.

“Good boy,” Annie said, biting her lip as she increased her speed. Clyde began to quake as she kept playing with him, and with a giggle she pressed down harder on his chest with the ball of her foot, sliding her hand up and down faster and faster with each successive kiss.

The knight pinned below her soles was rapidly realizing he was helpless, both against Annie physically, and against his own desires to let her ravage him, make him her toy, her plaything. As his orgasm built he pulled her foot closer, giving her toes one final kiss as he began to spurt his seed across the Amazon’s massive hand.

“Beautiful,” Annie laughed, slowing her speed as the poor man below her sole roiled in the throes of pleasure, “look at you go!” It was truly an impressive show for the girl, and by the time Clyde was spent, laying panting and defeated, he’d covered her entire hand in his thick seed. Annie sighed, lifting her foot off of him and rubbing his cum off in the grass.

“T-That was…” Clyde blushed a moment, “Y-You were only joking about that official masseuse stuff, right?”

Annie leaned up, standing to her full height over the man she’d just brought to climax so easily. She put her hands on her hips as she grinned down at him with a smug expression, the wind blowing her hair slightly and making Clyde realize just how beautiful she’d become.

“I was joking about the title,” she replied, “but you will rub my feet before bed every night, and when I order it you will kiss them. Sound fair?”

Clyde blinked, reaching down and fumbling for his pants as he looked up at her in awe, “Uh… yes, of course Annie.”

She burst into laughter, holding a hand down to him, “Come on, let’s go find the others.”

…

“I don’t hear any sword’s clanging,” Svetlana mused, “Do you suppose that means she’s gotten so good at swordplay that she’s avoiding every blow?” the smug grin on her face as she rested under the shady tree let Palledia know just how serious the question was.

She let herself smirk, “I’m sure she’s examining his sword,” the amazon replied, “but I doubt they’re running combat drills.”

“Look at you, a joke?” Svetlana chuckled, “Excited about going back home?”

That wiped the grin right off Palledia’s face, and she scowled, going to the small well on the side of the road and drawing a bucket of water.

Svetlana frowned, “Sorry I said anything… You’re not wanted there, are you?”

“No,” Palledia sighed, “It’s just…” She regarded the elf a moment, then decided she deserved something for having come this far with them. “I did some terrible things, and whatever else I might have been once those terrible things are what I’m remembered for there… If I’m remembered at all.” She looked at her mother’s spear, twirling it through the air slightly as tilted the bucket of water, drinking out of it almost like a glass before setting it beside the well again. “I don’t know if I’d want Annie to be associated with my reputation when she comes into her inheritance,” she said finally. “I’ll probably have to leave you at the border, you can guide them the rest of the way.”

Svetlana sighed, “I can’t, and you know it. I’ve never been to the Queendom, and there are plenty of problems you can’t fireball your way out of.” She stood up and put her hands on her hips, looking up at Palledia, “If you leave that girl at the end of this, you’ll break her heart.”

“When she finds out who I really am, it’s going to break her heart regardless,” Palledia said softly.

Their conversation was interrupted by the return of their other two companions, Annie strutting proudly towards them with a smug grin on her face, a grinning Clyde following behind her like a puppy. Their hair was slightly disheveled, and while Palledia could tell it wasn’t from sword practice, she decided not to say anything.

…

“Would you look at that,” Clyde said, awed as the group entered the small town of Hatchville, “They’ve finally finished it!”

“What in Diana’s name is it?” Palledia asked suspiciously.

The massive device looked like a group of immense carriages hooked together, but instead of a horse or any beast of burden a black iron cylinder on wheels waited at the front, a massive cart full of coal just behind it. White steam puffed into the air as the wagons behind it were loaded with cattle, boxes of cargo, and passengers, waiting in lines and talking raucously to each other. The cries of animals and the laughter and shouts of the crowd mixed, and over it all the loud bark of a steam whistle startled Palledia, causing her to jump slightly.

“It’s The Iron Horse!” Clyde said excitedly, “the Empire’s first locomotive train! I read about it a few years ago when they started building it!”

“Is it propelled by magic?” Svetlana asked, peering at the device curiously.

Clyde chuckled, “No, it’s powered by steam pressure! It’s very advanced you see, I’m quite knowledgeable on the subject, why maybe even as much as the builders themselves! You see as steam gets heated, the primordial water spirits become angry, and-“

“Look!” Annie said excitedly, cutting him off as she pointed to a large ticket advertisement outside of the railroad office, “It goes all the way to Graston, that’s the town near the border with the Queendom, right?”

“Yes,” Palledia sighed, “Just a few days from Rain’s End…” She glanced at Clyde, “is this thing safe?”

“Well I’ve heard rumors that if it goes too fast, it can make your blood boil,” Clyde muttered, “but surely they’ve tested it a few times so they know what speed it can safely travel at?” He beamed, “Grasston is only a few days away though!”

“That is fast,” Palledia muttered, “Can you get us on it?”

…

Palledia shifted uncomfortably against the steel siding of the cattle car. Across from her Annie grimaced, trying to find a comfortable position.

“I’m really sorry,” Clyde said with a shrug, “When I explained to the ticket taker that I needed accommodations for two Amazons he said you wouldn’t fit in the seats, and most of the cars only have nine foot ceilings…””

“If we can really cut weeks of travel down to a few days, the cattle car is fine,” Palledia sighed.

“You’ll bring us food and water and stuff, right?” Annie asked Clyde.

“Certainly,” he nodded, “I’ll be just through that door there!” he pointed to the next car, where a door to a passenger compartment waited, “You can just knock or poke your head through, I’ll get you anything you need, and I’m sure Svetlana will-“ He turned and realized the dark elf was already walking towards the passenger door, “Svetlana?”

“Oh, yeah,” she shrugged, “I’ll be around, I’m going up to the lounge car though, they’ve got a bar, and gambling!”

“Oh goddess,” Palledia muttered, “Please try not to attract too much attention!”

“Hey, if there’s anyone suspicious on this train, they’re probably drinking and gambling right? It’s what someone of low morals would do!”

“Like you?” Palledia growled.

“Exactly!” Svetlana exclaimed, “Now Clyde, if you would be so kind as to loan me a few coins?“ Clyde chuckled and reached into his pocket, handing her a handful of small copper coins. She looked at the incredulously, then scowled, “Hey, what’s this? I won’t even be able to get a decent buzz going on a bunch of coppers!”

“Train tickets are expensive,” Clyde sighed, “they include meals at least… but when we get to Graston we’re going to need to figure out a way to make some money… My tournament winnings are spent.”

“I’ll pay you back when we get to the Queendom,” Annie said excitedly, “I’m rich, right?”

“Quite,” Palledia nodded, “your ancestral estate contains a large sugar plantation, an accompanying rum distillery, and tax revenue from several towns…” She thought a moment, “though truth be told it’s been decades since I’ve been there.”

“I suppose it’s a relief I’ll get paid back,” Clyde chuckled, “the train’s going to start moving soon… I’m going to go find a seat.” With that the knight turned to go, leaving the two amazons cramped in the cattle car, the group’s gear and weapons in a bag between them.

“Sooo,” Annie began slowly, “Palledia, I was thinking, when we get to where we’re going… I’ll have a big castle or something, right?”

“Ironshield Manor is quite grand,” Palledia replied with a smile, “It will take some getting used to, but I think you’ll find it better than sleeping in a spare room at my inn.”

“Since I’m going to have the room,” Annie said cautiously, “would you like to stay? I’d like to have a friend around I can trust, the idea of being a noble is so strange to me…”

“I’ll consider it,” Palledia lied, looking out the opened side door of the cattle, watching the beasts loaded into the train behind them.

…

Tebryn Darkscale watched as the mammal poured him a glass of the terrible swill the Imperials called “whiskey.” He took it politely, even indulging in a sip so as not to offend his host.

Allister Thorndale was the fattest human Tebryn had ever seen, the kind that would feed a village of his own people for a week. The massive suspenders on the man’s body dug into the doughy flesh as he lifted his glass for a drink.

“Now what can I do for my old friend Tebryn Darkscale?” he grinned, settling into his chair, which creaked under his bulk as he scooted it up to the desk. The office of the Imperial Railroad’s regional vice president was lavishly decorated, with a flattering portrait of Allister himself mounting a horse, something Tebryn was sure the man couldn’t physically do.

“I ssee that your train is headed for Grasston,” Tebryn hissed, nodding out the office window. The locomotive was nearly loaded, and the steam whistle bellowed sharply.

“A few days from here,” Allister nodded, wiping some sweat from his brow, “It’s too late to get any guns or explosives on this one I’m afraid, but if you’re looking to smuggle another few boxes of rifles and bullets back to your homeland, I can have my men ready the next one-“

“Unnecessary,” Tebryn growled, placing the glass on the table and locking his red eyes on the human, “Thiss train iss not going to reach it’ss destination.”

Allister frowned, “what do you mean?”

“Sseveral passsengers aboard it are enemiess of mine,” he said, grinning and revealing his razor sharp teeth, “I think that perhapss this train will have an accident…” He got up and stalked to the map of the railway on the wall, his claws clicking across the wooden floor. He pointed at a crossing marked over a large river canyon, “Thesse trainss of yours, they go so fasst, it would be unfortunate if ssomething were to happen to thiss bridge, it would be unable to sstop in time.”

The pudgy man paled, “B-but everyone on board will be killed!”

“That’ss the idea,” Tebryn said, grinning as he turned back to Allister. “The train iss inssured, is it not?”

“Y-Yes,” Allister stammered.

“Good, sso there is no problem?”

Allister gulped, “What do you need?”

“I will borrow ssome of your men, along with ssome of thosse wonderful gunss you humans make,” the lizard chuckled.

“A lot of people are going to die,” Allister said nervously, “this is a rather large thing to ask of me Tebryn.”

“Did you think sselling me thosse weapons killed no one?” Tebryn chuckled, “your handss are already very bloody. I will make sure to fill your palm with enough gold sso you cannot ssee the red.”

Allister wiped his brow again, but nodded, “Whatever you need is yours.”

Tebryn turned to go, taking his wide brimmed black hat from the hook on the wall as he did. Settling it on his head he reached into his pocket for a cigarette, lighting it with a magical spark and letting the smoke waft behind him as he stalked through the rail office.

It’s time to close the book on this, he thought, his red eyes gleaming.

…

Svetlana took a seat at the lounge car’s bar and slid a few coppers across, ordering the cheapest beer they had. She scowled as she saw that drinks on a train apparently came at a steep markup. Looking down at the handful of coins Clyde had given her, she licked her lips and looked around. There was a slot machine in the corner, along with several poker tables which some of the passengers were taking seats at as the steam whistle bellowed

I need to win some more money, she thought miserably. The slot machine was right out, so with a sigh she got up, taking the one drink she could afford and sitting at one of the green felted tables.

“Deal me,” she said, sliding her meager coins to the center.

“You haven’t got a lot to lose,” the man dealing cards said, grinning at her. He was in middle age, with a handsome face and dark black hair that, despite the grey streaks, shone brightly beneath his wide brimmed black hat. “You have a name, elf?”

“Svetlana,” she said, frowning as she picked up her cards, “yourself?”

“Tom Cat,” the stranger replied, studying his own hand, “I’ll tell you what, since you seem down on your luck, let me buy your next round.”

“My luck’s turning around already!” Svetlana beamed, “So where are you headed Mr. Cat?”

The man chuckled as he moved some coins into the center of the table. The other humans at the table scowled, folding.

“I’m heading home to the Queendom, I’ve been having a little fun and reliving my youth, but my wife and daughters are hot on my trail. I heard tell two Amazons are in the cattle car, I’m sure that’s them.”

Svetlana giggled as she sipped her drink, “Oh I wouldn’t worry about them,” whoever is after this man, it’s not Annie and Palledia, that’s for sure.

The card game went on, and Svetlana’s luck held just enough for her to keep ordering drinks while she and Tom talked. The two men who had initially been playing with them eventually bowed out, leaving the two to go back and forth with each winning and losing hand, neither making significant wins against the other.

“Damnit!” Svetlana slurred, taking another gulp of her beer as Tom scooped a pile of coins towards himself. She looked down at what she had left, it was a great deal more than what she’d started with, and what remained of her good sense told her to take what she had and walk. “I think I’m done,” she muttered, gathering up her pot.

“It was fine playing with you,” Tom chuckled with a nod, “now if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll go sample some of the barkeep’s best.”

Svetlana watched him go, then with a gulp finished her drink and looked around the lounge car for more entertainment.

I could really use a nice bed right about now, she thought, sourly thinking of the harsh wooden benches Clyde had reserved for them back in the coach car. Her gaze lingered on a young man dressed in a fine white shirt and black coat who was sitting in a booth by the window, watching the scenery go by.

“Hey,” She giggled, sliding into it across from him.

The young man jumped, startled, “Oh,” he stammered, “H-Hello miss elf!”

“Name’s Svetlana,” she said with a giggle.

“J-Jason,” he stuttered.

“That’s a nice watch Jason,” Svetlana said, eyeing his timepiece, “gold and… are those diamonds?”

The man blinked, he was a shy looking type, with a boyish face and jerky motions that said he wasn’t used to talking to women, “Why yes, a gift from my father after I c-closed a rather large business deal in Camford.”

“Wow!” Svetlana gasped, “you’re in a family business? That’s so interesting! I’d love to hear more!”

The young man blushed, “It’s just a small shipping concern, imports and-“

“I love boats!” Svetlana said, “hey, do you want to go talk about it somewhere more private?”

Jason blushed, and nodded, stammering something about his private first-class cabin. Svetlana followed him with a grin.

A cute human boy AND a first class cabin? She thought with a giggle, my luck really is turning around!

They crossed several cars until they reached the relatively tranquil first class car, divided into several private rooms. Jason slid his open, revealing an elegant bed, a small writing desk, and even a personal lavatory. With a squeal Svetlana jumped on the bed, sighing as she felt the softness of the blankets.

“S-So anyways, my family owns four two-masted ships, and we sent them off to-“

“Jason,” Svetlana said with a sweet smile, “I’d love to hear all about it, but right now I’ve got a couple drinks in me, and a handsome human guy in a bedroom, so why don’t you start taking off your clothes while you tell me what your family usually imports, yeah?”

Jason’s face went beet red, “M-Mostly spices,” he began, unbuttoning his shirt, “though porcelain is valuable as well.”

“Oh fuck, a spice merchant?” Svetlana growled, “I’m going to have to get really wild to impress you, huh?”

Jason gulped, but started undoing the buttons faster.

…

Tom whistled to himself as he walked through the long coach rows to the cattle cars at the back of the train. When he’d left home a few months ago he’d meant to wander up through the Empire, have an adventure or two, and then head back home. When his wife Cassidy had set out after him, the whole thing had become a strange game of cat and mouse, with him always keeping just ahead of her.

Sorry Cass, Tom thought with a chuckle, but a man’s got to get into some trouble now and then… He flexed his hand, resting it on the pommel of his pistol as he walked, nodding politely to the other passengers, giving one of the women a smirk and a wink that made her blush.

If the rumors of a pair of amazons in the cattle car were true, it probably meant that Cassidy had finally caught up to him though, and idly he wondered which of their daughters she’d brought to help drag their father back home.

“All right Cass, you’ve got me,” he laughed, pushing the cattle car door open, “As soon as we get to Graston we’ll-“

Tom froze, looking at the gray haired amazon in the cattle car, who stared back at him with a similar state of shock. His hand was like lightning, quick as it ever was in his youth as he drew his pistol and cocked it in one smooth motion.

“Griselda!” he growled, drawing a bead on her, “hands in the air, now! ”

“Thomas!” She spat angrily, throwing herself in front of the other Amazon with a sneer, “put that gun away before you hurt someone!”

“Indeed,” Clyde’s voice growled from behind him. Tom felt steel against his throat as the knight held a knife to it, “It would be best to lower that firearm sir.”

“Do you have any idea who that is?” Tom snarled, never wavering his gun hand.

“Thomas,” Palledia warned, “ don’t. ”

The sound of gunfire and the screams of horses drew their attention. Clyde held his blade steady on Tom as they all glanced out the cattle car side door, seeing dozens of horsemen approaching the train, pistols firing in the air as they shouted battle cries. Many were men, but a good number were lizardfolk, hissing triumphantly as they leveled their own guns at the train.

“You’re robbing the train!” Palledia and Tom shouted at the same time, pointing to one another. “ME!?” the both echoed.

“I see what this is!” Tom shouted over the din, “You’ve teamed up with the Lizards and now you’re headed back to get Dirk and Cora! Only you figured you’d take out old Tom on the way, is that it?” He spat, “You’re never getting Rain’s End back Griselda!”

“Spare me your wild ravings,” she retorted, “you were always a two bit troublemaker and cattle rustler hiding behind a pretty face! No doubt the Lizardfolk came to you and struck a deal for our heads, and what better way to settle an old score?”

“I haven’t rustled cattle in over twenty years!” Tom shouted, “What about you? Stolen any gold mines lately!?”

“Enough! Both of you!” Annie shouted, forcing her way past Palledia, nearly bumping her head on the steel ceiling. “You,” she pointed at Tom, “are you with the lizards?”

“Please, I’ve killed almost as many of them as she has,” Tom said, nodding at Palledia.

“Let him go,” Annie said, nodding at Clyde.

“Annie, he can’t be trusted!” Palledia protested.

“You keep going on and on about how I’m going to be some kind of important noble someday, right?” Annie asked, “well I’m making a decision, Clyde, let him go!”

For his part the knight didn’t hesitate, releasing Tom with a nod and running to their parcels, sliding into his steel cuirass and strapping sword and carbine to his belt. Tom glanced at Annie a minute, then scowled, holstering his gun.

“Looks like we’re on the same side against a bunch of hissing freaks again,” Tom said to Palledia, a small smile coming over his features, “just like old times, huh?”

…

Tebryn galloped his horse to the train’s boiler, deftly leaping from the saddle to the engineer’s compartment. The man gasped, raising the coal shovel and swinging it at him, but Tebryn caught it easily, muttering a spell under his breath that sent a bolt of lightning into the man, causing him to fall backwards with a shrill scream.

“What a curiouss device,” he muttered, looking at the roaring fire within the engine. With a chuckle he began a long and forbidden chant, holding his hands high. Thunder boomed out of a clear blue sky, and a moment later the orange coal fire turned a ghastly shade of green.

“WHY HAVE I BEEN CALLED?” the demon bellowed.

“I place you in thiss vesssel,” Tebryn hissed, slashing his own palm with his claw and sprinkling the blood over the flame, “bring death and desstruction! Heed my cry and bring ruin!”

The demon laughed maniacally as it possessed the locomotive engine, the smoke taking on a sinister black look as it roiled with the newfound Hellfire that burned within.

…

In the cattlecar the two amazons and the two men felt the train lurch as it picked up speed.

“What the hell?” Tom muttered, peering outside and watching the rolling green fields begin to speed by faster.

“Do you suppose the conductor is trying to outrun the bandits?” Clyde asked, checking his carbine as the two headed for the passenger compartment doors.

The steam whistle bellowed, the familiar shriek replaced by a long and wicked sound, discordant and sinister that sent a chill up all of their spines.

“I think something may have happened to the conductor,” Palledia growled. “That black scaled lizard is here, and I’d bet anything that he’s at the front of this train.”

“Black scaled lizard?” Tom asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Long story,” Annie said, “he’s not a nice guy.”

“Not too many of them are,” Tom shrugged, “You girls hang back, you’re too big to fight in the passenger cars.”

“I think not,” Palledia said, looking up at the small gap between the cattle and coach cars. With a grunt she hauled herself up, climbing atop the train. A moment later she held a hand down for Annie, who took it with a grin as the older Amazon hauled her skyward next. “We’ll meet you at the front!” Palledia shouted over the wind.

…

In the first class cabin Svetlana stirred from her nap, groaning as the sounds of shouting and gunfire disturbed her pleasant slumber. She looked around groggily for Jason, then felt something squirming in her still damp panties. With a sigh she reached down, fishing the tiny human out, laying him on the pillow next to her. With a snap of her fingers he was back to his full size, covered in her sweet and glistening juices.

“I-I think I’m in love,” Jason stammered, looking at her longingly as she got up.

“Oh hush,” Svetlana giggled, slowly putting her robe back on.

“Will you stay?” he asked, crawling to the edge of the bed eagerly.

Another round of gunfire rang out, and the cabin’s small window rattled in its frame as an explosion echoed from somewhere. Svetlana sighed and looked at him sweetly.

“I think I’ve got to go, sorry.”

“P-Please, I’m so bad with girls, you’re the first I’ve ever-“

“Hush,” she repeated, putting a finger to his lips, “Jason, you’re rich, you’re cute, and you were great in bed at big and tiny size, any girl would be lucky to have you.” He gave her a pouty look, but nodded as she walked towards the door. She paused a moment, “Hey, you might want to lock this after I leave, I feel like things might get rough,” she said with a wink.

With that she closed the door, walking out of his life. Jason sighed, sullenly walking over to lock it.

…

Tom and Clyde stormed their way through the coach car, to their credit some of the passengers had retrieved their own guns, crossbows, and in the case of one angry looking elf a bow, firing out the windows and taking cover as the attackers strafed the cabins with gunfire. There was a burst of smoke and shouts as the door at the far end of the car burst open, and Tom raised his pistol, firing at the first of the hissing lizardmen with a sharp *crack* that caused the beast to sprawl across the floor.

“Nice shot!” Clyde grinned, storming forward with his blade in hand, parrying the curved sword of the next attacker.

“If you hang around with Amazons long enough this kind of thing tends to happen,” Tom joked, readying a new percussion cap and bullet. “So kid, how’d you end with two of them anyway?”

“Annie is my beloved,” He grunted as he shoved the lizard back, slashing across its chest and earning an angered shriek.

“And Griselda? What’s a guy like you doing with a witch like that?”

Clyde growled as they stormed the lounge car, “Palledia doesn’t have good humor, but she’s been nothing but brave and true since I’ve known her!”

“Her bravery I’ve never found issue with,” Tom muttered, kicking over a poker table and taking cover behind it as a corner exploded into flames.

The lizard mage at the far end grinned wickedly, chanting as fireballs circled his head. Clyde unslung his carbine, letting off a new shot that took the mage in the shoulder. Another crack of Tom’s gun put the spellcaster down permanently.

“Gods preserve us!” The barkeep shouted, coming up with a shaking shotgun in his hands, “What in Typhon’s name is happening?”

“Just a train robbery,” Clyde said with a grin, “Rest assured everything’s going to be okay! There’s an Imperial military post just past the Silver Bridge!” He pointed out the window.

The Silver Bridge was an architectural marvel, with dwarven forged beams and the finest craftsmen that humans, goblins, and a dozen beastfolk races could find, the Empire had spanned the great grass gorge with a sterling bridge that caught the light and could be seen for miles away. So magnificent was the structure that the railway curved on approach to it, giving passengers on the railways a magnificent view before ultimately passing over it.

“Once we get over the gorge, the cavalry will come to our rescue,” Clyde said confidently.

A boom rattled the train’s windows, and Tom, Clyde, and the barkeep watched, mouths open in shock, as the massive shining structure collapsed in on itself, glittering in the light as it tumbled into the gorge below.

“On second thought… we should get to the front of the train,” Clyde said nervously.

As if in response to his words the daemonic steam whistle cried out again, causing the train to pick up speed as the unholy forces possessing the engine carried it ever faster.

…

The wind billowed Palledia’s grey hair around her face and stung her remaining eye as the train sped towards the now destroyed bridge. A group of men had clambered on top of the engine too, readying guns and swords as she and Annie leapt over the cars.

I’m so nimble, Annie thought, awed as they easily closed the distance on their foes. With a battle cry she followed Palledia into battle, her sword coming down and easily bringing her first foe to his knees as he tried to parry her with a curved cavalry saber. With a shout of surprise, he fell over the side, tumbling through the grass as the train steamed by. Palledia’s spear was like lightning, cutting down anyone who stood in her path as the two advanced.

The next man leveled a flintlock pistol at her, and there was a crack as Annie felt a sharp searing pain in her leg. She grunted slightly as she staggered, but as she ran her hand over the bleeding wound, she realized that it wasn’t deep, or even slowing her down much.

I’m… bulletproof? She thought excitedly.

“Annie, watch yourself!” Palledia shouted as the man hastily reloaded his weapon, “a gunshot in the right place will still kill you!”

Annie didn’t need to be told twice, bounding forward and snatching the weapon from his hands, “bye!” she said with a grin, tossing both it and then the man himself over the side.

“I’ll feasst on your flessh!” the pair saw a quartet of lizards guarding the coal car, curved swords and Imperial pistols in hand.

Annie shouted in surprise as Palledia leapt in front of her, shielding her one good eye with her arm as she braced for the volley of gunfire.

Instead there was a crack of lightning, roasting the four lizards and causing them to fall over twitching and thoroughly cooked. A purple face peeked over the top of the car as Svetlana waved to them.

“What did I miss?” She called with a grin.

“Heads up!” Tom called, firing his pistol at another row of approaching horsemen, “They’ve got more friends!”

“We can’t get over the coal car!” Clyde called, joining Svetlana as he climbed upwards, readying his carbine to help tom with their approaching attackers.

Palledia scowled, the coal car was the last one before the engine, with no ladders or easy grips the smaller trio had no easy access. She started to formulate a plan, but her thought was cut off as Annie charged past her, sword in hand.

“For Diana!” Annie said with an eager grin, leaping onto the coal car.

“Wait!” Palledia called desperately.

…

Tebryn glanced up as he saw Annie tumbling over the piled coal, leaping down into the engine triumphantly and with sword in hand. He grinned, tilting his broad black hat upward and letting her see his blood red eyes as the demonic engine screamed obscenities in millennia dead languages behind him.

“Annibelle Ironshield,” he hissed, “I’m sso glad you came to ssee me yoursself… but let uss have our ssatisfaction alone.” He waved a hand, and the coal car behind Annie burst into enchanted blue flame, rising high and preventing Palledia from leaping after her.

“Die!” Annie shouted, raising her sword high.

“You’ve inherited your motherss wit,” Tebryn taunted, raising a claw. Annie’s steel blade came down on a flaming blade that seemed to appear from nowhere, sparking as it met the earthly sword.

Annie brought blows down on the lizard like rain, only getting mocking hissing laughter in return as he blocked each strike with impossible speed. Annie dodged his first return strike, her eyes going wide with fear as he pressed her back against the steel of the conductor’s cabin.

“Y-You can’t possibly think you can take on an Amazon in swordplay!” Annie said, her voice filled with more confidence than she felt.

Tebryn just laughed, holding his flaming sword towards her, “Do you have any idea how many Amazonss I have killed!? Your mother wass my favorite though… I had hoped to relive my duel with her, but I must admit I am disssappointed!”

Annie’s eyes went wide as the black scaled lizard leapt at her.

Annie cried out in fright as the black scaled lizard’s flaming sword crashed into her own, sparks flying as the steel blade glowed orange. With a grunt of exertion she forced the lizard back, causing him to stagger slightly. With a roar she charged across the small engine car, the air hissing as she swung her broadsword, never catching the black lizard as he deftly dodged around each blow.

“Amazon sswordplay iss so brutal,” Tebryn mused. His free hand darted out, raking his claws down Annie’s forearm and causing her to cry out in pain as bright red blood ran down her arm. “A sword is a weapon of finessse, you amazonss treat your blades like hammerss!”

“Then I’ll treat you like a nail!” Annie screamed, swiping the blade at him again.

Tebryn sighed, easily deflecting the strike and slipping under it. There was a searing sensation and the smell of burning flesh as the firey blade raked across her side. Her heart was racing now, the white-hot pain making it difficult to focus as panic welled within her.

Amazon swordplay won’t work, she thought, staggering back to her feet. She forced her hand off her wound and brought it back to her sword. With a grimace she switched her stance to the style of swordplay that Clyde had taught her, one used by men fighting other men.

Tebryn grinned, noticing the way she changed her stance, “Ah, the Imperial sschool of fighting? An Amazon with ssuch knowledge iss a rare treat indeed!” He rushed at Annie, who parried his strike, trying to catch the blade even as every movement sent daggers of pain into her burned side.

“ONWARD, TO HELL!” the demon in the train’s engine bellowed. Above them the black cloud of smoke became black, roiling with green eyed skulls that cackled madly with every increase of the train’s speed.

Sweat rolled down Annie’s face, stinging her eyes as she used everything Clyde had taught her to keep the lighting movements of the lizard and his fiery blade at bay. Her muscles were burning, and her injuries screamed to stop, to rest, but even a moment’s hesitation would be her end.

Tebryn glanced out the side of the train, seeing that the engine had entered the grand straightaway before crossing the gorge. The twisted steel remnants of the bridge littered the landscape, a reminder of the plunge to come for the doomed passengers and the possessed railcar. His beady red eyes circled back to Annie, the black slits gleefully settling on her as she realized that he was preparing his final strike, one she would have no hope of stopping in her state.

* Crack!*

The bark of a musket rang out, and Tebryn ducked with an angry hiss a bullet plinked into the wall behind him, drawing sparks. From the other side of the wall of blue flame that had consumed the coal car, Clyde was reloading his gun, to his side Tom Cat was struggling to level his own pistol as the train raced forward. A second gunshot caused the lizard to step back, muttering an incantation that raised a wall of air in front of him to stop the bullets.

“Svetlana!” Palledia shouted, “fire resistance spell, NOW! ” With a roar she leapt over the coal car, her spear in hand as the dark elf’s magic shimmered around her. The heat from the burning coal singed her, hurt her, but did not burn her, and she landed in the engine a second later, covered in soot and coughing, but alive.

Tebryn hissed angrily at the older Amazon as she rose up, spear in hand and a snarl on her face. The lizard gave one last glance at Annie, then at the approaching gorge, and without another word leapt from the train.

Palledia ran to the side, I don’t suppose I’d be lucky enough to have the fall kill him? Sure enough a blue glow covered the black scaled lizard as he tumbled to the ground, protecting him from the impact. He looked at her hatefully as the train sped away, a toothy grin as he waved mockingly. Palledia turned her head, her silver hair billowing around her as she watched the approaching gorge.

There was a hiss as Svetlana’s magic finally extinguished the coal fire, and a second later Clyde tumbled over the cooling black rocks, leaping into the engine car to join them. He ran to Annie’s side, whispering comforts as she winced in pain and fought tears, Palledia wanted to go to her side too, but forced herself to take in the roaring engine fire.

“How do I stop it?” she shouted over the din of the train’s engine.

“The brake!” Tom shouted, pointing to a handle.

Palledia growled, reaching for it, but lightning arced out of the burning embers of the boiler, and a demonic laugh echoed overhead as the thing inside the train’s engine sped them along towards their doom.

“It’s possessed!” she shouted, turning back to Svetlana, who was just clambering over the coal, “Cast the demon out!”

Svetlana nodded, raising her hands high, “I call upon Turis to-“ A bolt of lightning lanced out of the skull shaped cloud overhead, causing the Dark Elf to scream in pain as she fell backwards, only saved from falling off the locomotive by Tom’s hand grabbing her robe. “I-It’s too strong!” she wailed as the man hauled her back onboard with a grunt.

Palledia felt the world seem to slow as she looked over them, her gaze lingering on Annie, looking almost comical as the massive girl tried to lean into Clyde’s arms, her eyes squeezed shut from the pain of her wounds.

Only a miracle can save us now, Palledia realized, her mouth going dry. She gripped her spear as she looked at the foul thing that had risen out of hell, now so determined to drag them all there. Diana grant me the strength to send this thing back to the pit. With a determined stride she lifted the spear high over the roaring boiler, muttering a prayer to her goddess under her breath.

“Do you really think she will answer you Amazon?” the demon whispered, looking within her as tendrils of smoke reached out, wrapping delicately around her arms, her face, her soul.

Palledia blinked, finding herself back in Rain’s End, watching Dirk Sommer approach in that white robe she’d forced him into, the foul compliance ribbon hidden just beneath them.

“Stop this,” she muttered, blinking and finding herself back on the train.

“You called on your goddess for aid, I want you to know exactly why she will let me feast upon you!”

This time she was in her castle, Miss Hardstone at the bank approaching her with a smile, “It’s done,” she said, “they’re dead… With no relatives, and with you as the ranking noblewoman in the area the land will surely pass to you.”

“I-I didn’t want them dead,” Griselda shouted over the roar of the train, “I didn’t know Hardstone would kill them!”

“ Liar! ” the demon snapped, the accusation rolling through the air like a thunderclap, “You used your wealth, your power, your divine blessing, all for wicked and terrible ends, you don’t deserve to call on a Goddess for aid, you deserve ME!” that ear curdling laugh rang out again as the demon made the steam whistle sing, “Hell waits for you Lady Griselda, I’ll escort you there personally!”

Palledia fell to her knees, tears streaming out of her one good eye as despair took her.

“Weep, there is no one who would wish to look upon you now, in the heavens your mother, your husband, and even your goddess turn away in shame!”

“P-Palledia?” Annie whispered.

She turned, blinking away the wetness as she saw Clyde and Annie, in each other’s arms.

I might deserve hell, she growled to herself, standing up again and gripping her spear, but they don’t.

“IN THE NAME OF DIANA,” she shouted at the demon, “I WILL BANISH YOU!” she raised her spear again.

“She will not answer!” The demon mocked.

Whatever wickedness I’ve done Diana… Whatever shame I’ve brought to you and my ancestors… She gripped her mother’s spear as she gritted her teeth, raising the weapon high. Let me be an Amazon one last time!

A blinding blue light filled the train car, and Palledia gasped as she felt an electric sensation race down her arms, making the hair on them stand on end. Around her the rest of the group shielded their eyes, shouting in surprise as their voices were drowned out by the roar of the speeding train.

The spear point plunged into the burning fires of the boiler car, and a long howling screech that pained Palledia’s ears and vibrated her skull rang out as the divinely blessed weapon met the demon’s essence. Daemonic blue flames licked out around the spear, tracing up and down Palledia’s body as if searching for weakness, stinging her but finding none. The demon writhed, howling in its death throes before dissipating like smoke onto the rushing wind. The engine smoke above went white again, the mocking skulls vanishing into mere vapor.

Palledia’s legs felt like jelly, and as she collapsed to her knees, leaning on the still cooling spear for support, she could make out the muffled cries of her comrades. She glanced at Clyde, who had leapt for the train’s brake, pulling it with all of his might. Annie joined him a moment later, gripping the handle in one of her massive hands and pulling it backwards easily.

The train lurched, sending them all sprawling, Tom and Svetlana tumbling down the coal pile to the engine car with the rest of them. Sparks flew from the train’s wheels as it skidded along the tracks, finally coming to a halt a dozen or so feet from the twisted wreckage of the tracks, extending into the open gorge like picked clean bones.

“Well holy shit,” Tom breathed, stumbling to his feet, “W-We did it…”

…

The aftermath of the near derailment of the train was a confused mess, with hundreds of passengers milling about in the grass, looking in awe at the ruins of the destroyed bridge and the great chasm they’d all very nearly tumbled into. Few of the travelers knew of the role the pair of Amazons and their companions had played in stopping the train, and Palledia was in no mood to talk as she leaned against her mother’s spear, watching the Imperial soldiers approach in the distance to sort things out.

Naturally the lizards and their human accomplices had vanished, leaving only a scant few corpses on the train to prove the tale. Palledia’s group would follow them soon, the agreement between them all being that further entanglement with the military would only slow them down.

Svetlana, Annie, and Clyde were beneath a shade tree a few dozen yards away. The younger Amazon seemed shaken by her duel with the black scaled lizard, and had clung to Clyde as he’d helped her limp off the locomotive. Svetlana’s hands were glowing with magic as she attempted to heal the burn on the girl’s side, a blackened blistered thing that hurt to look at.

She’ll be fine, Palledia reassured herself, an Amazon has to be tough.

“Griselda,” Tom’s voice disturbed her thoughts, and she stood up as she turned around, rising to her full height as she gazed down at him.

“Thomas,” She said flatly.

The two regarded one another for a moment, the wind whipping Palledia’s grey hair as Tom peered out from beneath that wide brimmed black hat. The silence grew until finally she could bear it no longer.

“What do you want?” she asked, trying to keep her voice neutral.

“Just a few words,” Tom said in a low voice, resting his hand on the pommel of his pistol, “If you can spare them.” He glanced back at Annie, who was wincing in pain as the elf’s magic knit her wounds shut. “I talked with them a spell, they had a lot of good things to say about you… Honestly I was wondering if they were talking about the same woman I knew.”

Palledia just smirked, “We knew each other a long time ago.”

“Yeah,” he sighed, “I guess that’s true…” He took off his hat, fanning himself with it a moment and revealing his own grey streaked black hair, “None of us are getting any younger, huh?”

“I always wondered if one of you would come after me,” Palledia chuckled, “it seems like a silly thing to worry about now.”

Tom shrugged, “I’ll admit I wasn’t the best man when you knew me.” The former outlaw looked at the horizon, “When I came to the Queendom… I guess I found people important to me, I wanted to be the man they thought I was… I’ll bet you feel the same way with that lot back there, I can see it in the way they look at you, the way you walk when you’re with them.” He put his hands on his hips and laughed under his breath, “Stick with them, I think things’ll turn out all right for you.”

With that he started off, walking away from the train with a tip of his hat.

“Where are you going?” Palledia asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I’ve got to stay a step ahead of my wife,” Tom laughed, “getting caught is only fun if you give her a good chase.”

Palledia thought on what he’d said as he walked away, I suppose he really has changed… Maybe a person can make a different life, even if they’ve made mistakes. Somehow that gave her some comfort. Twirling her mother’s spear artfully, she walked back to her friends.

…

Tom glanced back at the throng of people still gathered around the train, chuckling as he climbed the grassy hill. He didn’t have anything in the way of supplies, but the nearest town wasn’t too far, and with a bit of luck, which he’d always had in spades, he’d be on his way with a full belly and a pocket full of gold to anywhere he wanted to go.

“Thomas Cat!” a woman’s voice rang out.

“Oh no,” Tom muttered. A rope lasso looped over his torso, going tight so fast that he grunted as his arms were pinned to his sides. His eyes trailed up the fine corded rope to the woman holding it, a towering redheaded Amazon with a smug smirk on her face and a white hat with rose trim on her head. “C-Cassidy?”

“Finally caught you,” she chuckled, sliding off her massive horse and playfully yanking the rope, sending him stumbling towards her. “Now why’d you run away from home Tom?” She chuckled, flipping his hat off his head as she pulled his head against her in a warm embrace, letting him feel the toned muscle beneath her flannel shirt.

“A man’s got to roam away from home now and then!” Tom protested. “I need to remember I’m alive, get into some tough spots, a little danger… And maybe…”

“Maybe what?” Cassidy asked with a scowl, “I’ve been chasing you from one end of this empire to the other for the last two months, your other wives and your daughters are worried sick!”

“Maybe I just wanted to remember what it’s like to be chased?” he said sheepishly.

Cassidy stared at him a moment, then burst into laughter, “Goddess you’re lucky I like chasing you.” She looped the rope down around his legs, tugging it and causing Tom to tumble over into the grass as she bound his feet together next. “You know what I’ve missed on this little adventure Tom?” Cassidy asked with a grin.

“What?” he grunted as she tightened the knots.

“That talented tongue of yours,” she said with a grin, hefting him up. He watched, bound like a caught hog, as she carried him down the rise and out of view of the distant traincars, stopping only to hitch her horse to a tree before going a bit further and laying him down on a patch of soft green grass.

Tom watched as she unbuckled her belt, grinning down at him as she slid her trousers down slowly, letting him take in her long legs, the curve of her bottom. Cassidy had always had a tanned and toned figure from her ranch work, and while she’d picked up a bit of weight from bearing their daughters, it had all gone to pleasant places. Tom felt his manhood stir as he stared at that gorgeous soft behind, and suddenly his little excursion away from home felt silly.

“I’d tell you to tap my side if you need air, but…” she smirked and shrugged, glancing at his tied form. She stepped over him, letting him look up at her ten foot form, a statuesque monument on the grassy plains. The curled red hairs above her womanhood gave way to a moist pink slit as she fingered herself for a moment, grinning at the tied and bound form of her husband below.

She squatted down on him, her thighs coming down on either side of his head like massive tan pillars, the gateway to the temple of her womanhood. He could smell the warm musky aroma of he arousal as she lowered the puffy lips of her slit down on his face, the scent teasing him just before they made contact with his face, coating him in the silky fluids as he began to lick eagerly, tracing his tongue over spots he knew well.

“Oh goddess yes,” Cassidy sighed triumphantly, “now this is where you belong Tom, not out here on the run!” she giggled to herself as his tongue probed a particularly sensitive spot, then gasped and gripped his hair, pulling almost hard enough to hurt as she forced the smaller man’s face harder into her sex.

Tom gasped for breath, the powerful thighs pinching around him as Cassidy’s pleasure built. The taste of her womanhood was growing stronger, thicker, as he worked her slowly towards the peak. Her curled pubic hairs scratched and tickled as his cheeks as he worked, and the gasps of the immense woman overhead were like cries of encouragement.

“I thought about pinning you down and doing this to you every night I was chasing you!” Cassidy laughed. She stopped fighting her instincts, letting her thighs clench on his head so hard that what little of his face she could see turned red. “Come on, you’re teasing me!” she cried, “Finish me off!”

Tom did, finally letting his tongue trace up to the sensitive pearl and working it with a gusto. The amazon cried out happily, closing her eyes and letting herself sway on top of him a moment, nearly falling off the tied man as he pushed her over the cliff and into the vast sea of a blissful orgasm that seemed to cascade on as long as the chase itself had.

“Whew,” Cassidy panted, grinning and wiping a thin sheen of sweat off her forehead. She lifted herself off of him, a smug smirk on her face as she saw she’d completely soaked him.

“Okay, you’ve had your fun,” Tom laughed, blinking her juices out of his eyes, “Now untie me!”

“Oh no you don’t,” Cassidy laughed, “you made me chase you across half a continent because you got bored Tom, I’ll untie you when I’m good and ready.”

He scowled, “at least wipe my face off?”

“Nope,” She laughed, walking over to her clothes, “you can go ahead and enjoy the aroma for a while…” She paused as she picked up her underwear, a sudden devilish expression crossing her face. “In fact…” She walked back to him, wadding up her panties. Tom grunted as she stuck them into his mouth, gagging him and giving him a taste of the mix of sweat, cotton, and a hint of her.

After she’d gotten dressed Cassidy returned for her tied and trussed husband, chuckling as she tossed him over her shoulder. She gave his ass a quick light and playful spank as she carried him to her horse like a caught pig, laying him across the back of her saddle with enough force to make him grunt as she climbed on her mount.

“Let’s head home Tom,” Cassidy said, bringing her massive draft horse south at a slow trot. She turned back a moment, chuckling at his bewildered expression. Don’t worry I’ll untie you when we’ve gone a few miles, she thought with a smirk as she turned back around. A man who wants to be chased can’t complain abut a gal having a little fun once he’s been caught!

…

“How does it feel now?” Svetlana asked, stepping away from Annie and letting the girl stand up with a grunt.

“It still stings a little,” Annie said with a wince, running a hand over the burn scar on her side.

“I’m not great at healing anything beyond cuts,” Svetlana admitted, “just try to take it easy for a day or two and it should be fine.”

Annie sighed, nodding, “I… I will.”

“Something got you down?” Svetlana asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I couldn’t beat him,” Annie said softly, “He was toying with me, the only reason I’m still alive is because he wanted to draw out the kill.”

“Yeah, he’s a nasty one,” Svetlana nodded, “I crossed spells with him a little back when he first showed up at the tavern, I’m pretty sure he’d have beaten me if we’d gone on much longer.” Annie frowned, unsure of what to say. Svetlana scowled, then reached up, hopping to slap the sitting Amazon, “Hey! You screwed up, it happens! Don't’ go running off half cocked again, okay? I’ve never seen Palledia so worried!”

The two looked up as Palledia and Clyde approached the tree they’d taken shade under. Behind them the imperial soldiers were beginning to order the train’s passengers into wagons, evidently taking them to some nearby town for the night while the situation was sorted.

“There’s another bridge about twenty miles north of here,” Clyde said, “we’d best get started that way.”

“Can she walk?” Palledia asked, nodding to Annie.

“Yeah,” the younger Amazon sighed, stretching and wincing from the lingering pain of her wounds. “I think I can manage.”

“How did that man, Tom was it? How did he know you?” Annie asked as the group set out.

“She’s not going to tell us,” Svetlana said with a smirk, “she’s too hung up on her dark secrets to ever-“

“Fine,” Palledia said softly, “I suppose with us nearing the Queendom you all should know… I’ll tell you as we walk, stick close.”

Svetlana blinked, “Well isn’t this a goddess blessed day,” she muttered with a wry grin.

“You’ve no idea,” Palledia muttered. “I was once Lady Palledia Griselda, Duchess of Rain’s End.”

“Rain’s End?” Clyde balked, “The Gateway to the Queendom!? How did such a rich and prosperous town-“

“It wasn’t rich or prosperous then,” Palledia said with a sad smile, “It was a small place, and so few Imperials bothered traveling south that it wasn’t the gateway to anything. There was one though, a man by the name of Dirk Sommer…”

…

The day slowly turned to evening as they walked, and as the sun began its descent Palledia spared none of the grisly details of her past. She told them of how she’d involved Hardstone, the banker, how she’d known the woman’s murderous intent towards Amaya and Markus, but had looked the other way in her quest to get her hands on their land, and the gold underneath it.

She looked back at them now and then as they walked, hoping against hope to hear some commentary from the trio, condemnation, assurances, anger even, but none came. Her companions just asked her to continue, or “what happened next?” their faces stoney as she recounted more of her sins, growing closer to her downfall at the climax of the story.

The bridge they sought finally came into view just as Palledia neared the end of her tale. It was a long rope bridge, a far cry from the gleaming industrial marvel that they should have been crossing on the train, but it would do. They would be alone it seemed, the rise of the railroad had made this northerly crossing seldom used, with only the occasionally sound of the wind through the thickets of trees interrupting their words.

“So that’s it then,” Palledia said, turning to them, “now you know how I ended up serving drinks in Corrinsburg…” She gulped, blinking away a tear, “I-If you want me to leave you, I will…”

“Oh stop that,” Svetlana growled, waving her hand dismissively, “You’re always so moody and dramatic!”

Palledia couldn’t help but frown, “Svetlana please, this is very hard for me to open up about!”

“She’s right,” Clyde said with a sigh, “I’m… not happy to know these things about you Palledia, but at the same time, the woman in that tale isn’t the woman I know. I wouldn’t want anyone else leading us.”

“Annie?” Palledia asked softly, turning to the younger Amazon.

Annie smiled, leaping forward and hugging her. Palledia stiffened, gripping her spear tightly as she tried to process the gesture. Finally, awkwardly, she let an arm go around the girl.

“I can’t finish this without you,” Annie said, squeezing her tight, “you’re the closest thing to family I have.”

Palledia tried to say something, but her voice caught in her throat. She cleared it, pretending to be coughing as Annie separated from her.

“R-Right,” she stammered, “W-We should make camp.”

Annie and Clyde set out into the woods to gather logs for a fire, and Palledia loosed her own pack to check for their provisions.

“Feel like you can lead us into the Queendom now?” Svetlana asked, looking up at her with arms folded.

“I… I do feel better,” Palledia sighed. “Are you all really okay with this? Knowing who I am? What I’ve done?”

Svetlana shrugged, “I think I’m of Clyde’s opinion. Whatever you did, I really think you’ve changed, and maybe you can’t go back and fixed the things you fucked up, but you’ve been good to me since I’ve known you…” she looked down with a sad smile, “not everyone would have been so kind to a disgraced dark elf drinking her problems away every night… nor an orphan girl who nearly at you out of house and home. You’re my best friend, you know that?”

Palledia chuckled, “I… I think you’re mine too… Goddess, that’s a strange thing to think, that I have a best friend now…”

“A small consolation from the gods you might say,” Svetlana chuckled. She glanced off into the nearby copse of trees, nothing compared to the northern forests but enough to obscure one’s view, “So how long do you think those two will be gone?”

Palledia rolled her eye, “It’s been a long day, I’m sure they’re exhausted and just want to gather the firewood and be done with it.”

…

Clyde grunted as he was lifted off his feet and slammed into a tree trunk. Annie’s face descended on his, kissing him roughly and letting her tongue force storm into his mouth, exploring it in a way that left him panting and breathless by the time she pulled away.

“This has been a pretty bad day for me,” Annie growled, “I need to unwind a little.”

“Y-Yes, anything you say,” Clyde stammered.

“Good boy,” Annie grinned.

He cried out in surprise as she spun him around, lowering him to the ground and leaping on top of him in one swift movement. Clyde grunted, reaching down to fumble with his belt while the enormous woman ground herself against him, moaning slightly as a massive hand cupped his bottom, kneading with a rough squeeze.

“That’s what I like to see,” Annie groaned, pulling her own trousers down. “We’ve got to go quick, or they’ll wonder what happened to is, so I’m going to be a little rougher than usual, okay?”

“A little rougher than usual!?” Clyde asked in a panic, but he didn’t have time to question further before Annie impaled herself on him, crying out in ecstasy as she gripped his hair tight, drawing a wince as the first thrust came down on him like a blacksmith’s hammer.

“Oh goddess,” Annie grunted. Each blow was chiseling away at the stress and anxiety that had ruled the day, and she relished the way Clyde’s body writhed beneath her, his eyes nearly crossing as he fought to stay lucid under the Amazon’s assault.

“A-Annie!” Clyde breathed.

“That’s right, say my name!” she moaned, increasing her speed and causing a whimper of mixed pain and pleasure from her love.

“A-ANNIE!” Clyde shouted, gripping her back so hard that any other woman would have bruised.

Her only response was to tense and tighten, hissing through her teeth as pleasure welled over like a storm surge, tumbling down any resistance within her as she rode the waves of bliss that crashed with each downward movement of her hips.

“That was just what I needed,” Annie drawled, rolling off of the defeated man. She glanced over at Clyde and froze, he was still dazed, blinking, laying limply in the dirt like a man who’d taken a bad lance in a joust. “C-Clyde?” she asked hesitantly, “Sorry, did I go a little too hard?”

“I-I think I’ll be okay,” Clyde stammered finally, “I’m just going to… lay here a bit.”

…

The group made camp and enjoyed a deep and restful sleep. Crossing the bridge the next day was an uneventful affair, and with the train out of the question the party began the long trek across the southern Empire towards the Queendom’s border.

For Palledia it was like a burden had been lifted, and she felt like her steps were lighter, the sun brighter, her food more filling. As the days passed and they subsisted on wild game and slept under the stars, she felt happier than she had in years, decades even.

Finally they began to come out of the wilderness, the farms becoming visible on the horizon, the roads appearing out of the grass, and a town in their path.

“What do you think?” Annie asked Palledia as they gazed down at the small hamlet.

“This close to the Queendom they might have Amazon sized rooms,” Palledia murmured, “I’ll admit it would be nice to sleep on something other than the ground for a night.”

“And booze!” Svetlana said excitedly, “if anyone from the Queendom trades here they’ll have rum! Tequila maybe? No offense to you Imperials and your whiskey Clyde, but sometimes a girl needs a little-“

“I don’t mean to be rude,” Clyde chuckled, “but my gold is all but spent. Unless one of you has made some money while we’ve been trekking across the grasslands, I’m afraid a town doesn’t do us much good.”

“Let’s just go and look sad by the bar until someone feels sorry for us and gives us beer,” Svetlana said, almost bounding by Palledia.

“We might get lucky and find some odd job to do,” the older amazon growled, “I suppose it’s at least worth a look.”

“We could bill ourselves as mercenaries!” Annie said excitedly, “For fifty gold thalers we’ll kill any bandit you can name!”

“This place doesn’t look like the type to have many bandits,” Palledia chuckled, looking around the peaceful outlying farms. “Most likely a farmer will want a pair of amazons to cut wood or dig an irrigation ditch.”

“Yes this part of the Empire is fairly peaceful,” Clyde chuckled, “the nearest border is with the Queendom, and relations are good these days. Still, be on guard. Tebryn is still out there somewhere, and he’ll know we’re headed south.”

…

Svetlana sighed forlornly, batting her eyelashes at the barkeep, “It’s so hard for me to be here, surrounded by humans after everything that happened…”

“Oh really?” the barkeep asked, raising an eyebrow as he cleaned a glass.

The town’s inn and tavern wasn’t much, but the bar was well stocked, and after asking the group had found that it did in fact have a pair of Amazon sized beds, along with a common room with a high enough ceiling for them to lounge in comfortably, even if they had to sit on the floor. Still, the group had no money, and while the inkeep had invited them to rest in front of his fire for free, he’d been quite firm on the fact that beds would cost money.

“Yes,” Svetlana continued her “sad” tale, batting her eyelashes at the barkeep, “humans burned down my family’s home, they called us knife ears and other mean names!” She fought back a fake sob, “I just don’t know if I could trust a human again… but you!” she held her hands to her mouth, “t-there’s something different about you, I can feel it!” she glanced at the bottles behind him, “Why, with just one act of kindness I feel I could forgive humanity-“

“I don’t think humans burned down your home,” the barkeep said flatly, “if you’re thirsty I’ll pour you a glass of water. If you want liquor though? You’ll have to cough up a coin.”

Svetlana scowled, “Fine, what if we did a… trade? ”

The barkeep raised an eyebrow, “I’m listening.”

“You ever been shrunk to tiny size and shoved down the front of a girl’s shirt?” Svetlana offered, raising her eyebrows suggestively.

…

Svetlana took a seat at the table with her friends, poking her finger into her cleavage and hiding something from view as she sipped from tall mug of ale.

“How did you convince the barkeep to give you that?” Clyde asked with a frown.

“Huh?” She asked, “Oh, I just did him a little favor. He needed to take a little break anyhow, he’s been working the counter all day!”

There was a crash as a man stumbled in through the tavern door, wild eyed and with a pistol in his shaking hand. His wide brimmed hat fell to the floor as he stumbled to the counter, his eyes and his gun sweeping the room.

“D-Don’t none of you move!” he stammered.

“I don’t want to say you guys aren’t good friends,” Svetlana muttered, “but I do notice I get guns pointed at me a lot when I’m with you.”

The door swung open again, and a massive Amazon ducked under it, a ten foot tall girl in an imperial style brimmed hat that cast a shadow over her face as she stood upright, staring the man down. She was young, about Annie’s age, with a long mane of blonde hair down her back. Across one shoulder was a massive Amazon broadsword, and on her hip was the largest gun Palledia had ever seen, a pepperbox style revolver made for an Amazon’s hand.

“Okay Petey,” she grinned, “you put your gun down and let these fine people enjoy their drinks.”

“Nuts to you Amaya,” the man growled, swinging the gun at her, “you’ll never take me alive!”

The girl, Amaya, sighed, “Come on Petey, your hand’s shaking like a junglewood in a storm, even if you hit me you’re not taking me down…” She drew her own gun, cocking it and letting the click echo over the bar, “Meanwhile this thing’ll go through you, the bar, and the wall behind you. Now let’s say we put the guns down and talk?” He hesitated, and she scowled, “Petey I won’t take you, dead or alive, I’ll just let you go and let some other lawwoman deal with you. I just want to know where Tebryn stashed the goods!”

At the mention of the name everyone at their table stiffened, Palledia’s hand slowly reached for her spear, leaning against the wall, and Clyde tensed, ready to dive for his carbine.

Amaya seemed to notice, and raised an eyebrow, “You folks wouldn’t be working for the black lizard too, would you?”

“Hell no!” Annie said, standing up angrily, “we hate him, he-“

“Settle down,” Amaya laughed, “I believe you!” She turned back to Petey, “Looks like you’re outnumbered five to one now, seeing as those folks don’t care for your boss either. Come on Petey, I just want to know where the wagon is.”

The man licked his lips, “T-There’s a barn, west end of town. It’s in there, nothing’s missing, honest! Tebryn and his lizards were supposed to come back and move it to the next town on the line!”

Amaya turned to the four of them, “Name’s Amaya Spearwall,” she said with a grin, “bounty hunter extraordinaire!”

Palledia tensed at the name, Spearwall, she thought, could she be Cora’s… She looked at the blonde hair, blonde like Dirk Sommer. There weren’t many blonde Amazons to begin with, the odds of running into one with his hair and her name was inconceivable. You’re Dirk and Cora’s daughter, she thought, her mouth going dry.

“If you folks have a grudge with Tebryn, I’d love a hand, if you can spare the time,” the other Amazon asked with a smile.

“Yes!” Annie exclaimed, standing up, “Whatever it is, we’re yours!”

Svetlana bit her lip, glancing down at her cleavage and tracing a finger over her breast as she felt the shrunken barkeep squirm, “I’m gonna need a minute guys, you go on ahead and I’ll meet you outside!”

…

The barn was unguarded, and the five of them watched as Petey shakily put a key into the large padlock on the doors. Slowly he pulled them open, revealing a large Amazon sized wagon waiting in the darkened interior.

“T-Tebryn and his people just bring these things here for storage,” Petey stammered, “I don’t have anything to do with getting them here, honest! I just watch them until the next person picks them up!”

Amaya sauntered forward, pulling back the curtain cover of the wagon and glancing inside. She reached in, flipping the lid of a box open and drawing out a large bottle made of a dark brown glass.

“Ironshield Estate premium rum,” Amaya chuckled.

“Ironshield?” Annie asked curiously.

“Yep,” Amaya said, rotating the bottle and revealing a label with the ancestral shield of the family on it. Annie took it, staring at the label for some time.

That’s the first time she’s seen her family seal, Palledia realized.

“Can I go?” Petey asked, looking up at the trio of towering women, then nervously to the elf and the knight.

“Go on, get,” Amaya said, jerking her head, “You’re going to want to run like hell Petey, Tebryn’s not a forgiving guy.” Amaya grinned and turned to the rest of them, “That black scaled bastard runs a smuggling ring that brings stuff from the Lizard Kingdoms and the Queendom up through the Empire. He’s been selling a lot of stolen stuff from the Ironshield Estate lately, I don’t know how he’s getting it, but I was hired to find this shipment and bring it back.”

“He’s stealing from the Ironshield Estate!?” Annie asked angrily.

“Yeah,” Amaya asked, raising an eyebrow at the reaction.

Annie blushed, “S-Sorry, I just get worked up about him,” she lied.

“Yeah, he’s a real evil bastard,” Amaya muttered, glancing at the bottle before sliding it back into the wagon. She grinned, “At least he won’t be making a dime off this wagon!” She thought a moment, “Say… you folks wouldn’t happen to be heading South, would you? I figure a pair of Amazons and their…” she glanced at Svetlana and Clyde, “Friends, might be headed for the Queendom.”

“We are,” Palledia said carefully.

“I can’t bring this whole load back home by myself,” Amaya said, “it’s worth a lot of money, it would make me too easy a target for anyone looking to make a quick thaler, not to mention what’ll happen if Tebryn finds out I took it and comes after me.” She grinned, “the reward’s substantial, and we could split it if you folks will help me return it to the Ironshield estate!”

“I don’t know if we-“

“It sounds great!” Annie beamed, “We’re in!”

“Great, you four guard the wagon while I see about finding us some horses!” Amaya beamed. She quickly rushed out the door, off to find the draft animals.

“Are you insane?” Palledia hissed, “We can’t just-“

“What’s the problem?” Annie asked, “she’s going right where we’re going, and Tebryn’s after us anyway? We might as well get paid to have him chase us!”

“Also that wagon is full of premium rum,” Svetlana said, licking her lips excitedly, “I’m sure they wouldn’t miss one or two bottles…”

Palledia breathed out slowly, “That girl,” she began, “is Dirk and Cora’s daughter…”

Silence hung over the room, “Well she clearly doesn’t know who you are,” Clyde said finally.

“I’m sorry,” Annie murmured, “We can tell her we changed our minds if you want?”

Palledia thought a moment, her face twitching as she fought mixed emotions on traveling with the child of an old nemesis. She looked at the wagon, then back to Annie, Clyde, and Svetlana.

“I… I think she seems like a capable girl,” Palledia growled, “Goddess knows her parents were… If Tebryn does come down on us, I’m sure she’d be useful… and she is going to the same place we are.”

The sound of whinnying horses outside interrupted their conversation, “Looks like Petey had a few Amazon drafts just outside,” Amaya said eagerly, “Now, let’s hitch up this wagon and get acquainted! You all have my name, let me have some of yours?”

“I’m Annie!” the younger Amazon began, shaking Amaya’s hand eagerly.

“Clyde Orrick,” he said, bowing.

“Svetlana” she said with a cheery wave, “say, if I helped myself to one of those bottles, could you just deduct it from my share?”

“Palledia,” she said grimly, taking the girl’s hand. The handshake was firm, definitely Cora’s daughter, she thought, fighting the urge to squeeze tighter.

The group boarded the wagon, and the sound of bottles clinking together in the wooden crates marked the start of their latest journey as Amaya cracked the reigns of the horses. The human towns folk parted ways for the massive Amazon wagon, giving them a clear shot on the road out of town and to the south.

“What’s our route?” Palledia asked, poking her head out of the wagon as she climbed next to Amaya in the driver’s seat.

“We’ll shoot through Rain’s End, then down along the river to the Ironshield lands,” Amaya explained.

“R-Rain’s End?” Palledia stammered, “Surely there’s a better way-“

“Nope, sorry,” Amaya laughed, cracking the reigns again as the wagon picked up speed, “but my plan is to get through there real fast, I can’t linger around there.”

Palledia frowned, “Why? I’d think that you… Someone like you, would feel at home there?”

Amaya laughed, “Yeah that’s the problem! It is my home, my mom and dad thought I went north on some lame merchant guard work, if they find out I’m messing with Tebryn Darkscale’s smuggling ring?” she whistled, “My mom’s going to tan my hide and my dad’s going to lecture me for days. I’d rather just breeze through there before they know I’m back.”

Goddess, you are your mother’s daughter, Palledia thought wildly, “O-Of course, we wouldn’t want you inconvenienced, let’s avoid spending too much time in Rain’s End.”

The dust rose behind them as the wagon headed south.

Amaya whistled appreciatively as a pair of handsome looking young men trotted their horses by the wagon. Annie blushed, but still managed to giggle slightly as the pair of young Amazons watched the riders go by them. One of the young men smirked and tipped a hat to them, and once the pair was out of sight the two girls laughed together.

“I’ve got to tell you, I love coming up to the Empire,” Amaya said, “the boys here are so bold compared to back home.” She glanced back at the wagon a moment, Clyde and Svetlana were snoozing inside of it, the pair having taken the night watch the evening before. “Is the cute guy with you?” Amaya asked conspiratorially.

“Yep, he’s mine,” Annie said with a wink.

“Lucky girl,” Amaya muttered, “trust me, once you get into the Queendom the men get hard to talk to.”

“What’s wrong with them?” Annie teased, “they don’t like tall girls?”

“Down in the Queendom they’ve got two Amazons and a Little Sister each to pick from,” Amaya grumbled, “they’re picky, and they don’t like hearing about guns, spears, or swords. If you meet a good looking one in a tavern? He wants you to buy him a drink!”

“You hardly strike me as too poor to afford a drink for yourself or a comely man,” Palledia said neutrally. She trotted alongside the wagon, her spear over her shoulder. The older Amazon had been scouting along the edges of the road, trying to spot any sign of ambush. So far, she hadn’t found anything, save for one particularly unlucky pair of highwaymen who had been turned over, shaken but unharmed, to a stunned Imperial Road guard.  

“It’s the principle of the thing,” Amaya explained with a shrug, “Queendom men are so aloof, always with their noses in books, and not interesting ones.”

Goddess, it’s like Cora all over again, Palledia thought. “Queendom men are proper and raise brave and powerful daughters,” she said with a scowl, “Scholarship is an excellent preoccupation for a man of good breeding! Such men don’t want to hear about gore and the stink of a battlefield, they want a woman who will make sure they never have to think of such things!”

Amaya snorted, “Well you can have the men of good breeding when we get home. Me? I want a man who doesn’t mind getting dirty, maybe going out in the jungle and having a goldscale hunt with me!”

“I’ve always been fond of the brave ones myself,” Annie said, smiling as she looked back at Clyde’s sleeping form.

Palledia glanced at the wagon, Clyde’s an imperial, he’ll get some leeway at court, she thought, his manners are good enough… blast, I’ll need to find one of those learned men who can give him a good reading list, it won’t do at all if all the other husbands are discussing philosophy and Annie’s man goes on about cracking a lance on some fool’s chestplate.

“And would you look at that,” Amaya said with a grin, pointing to the horizon.

The three of them squinted, taking in the thin green line of the beginning of the jungle trees. They would start thin at first, growing thicker and the air more humid as they got closer. The Queendom’s border wasn’t well marked, though it was much more traveled than it had been in Palledia’s day. Even from here at least three other wagon trains could be seen, variously coming and going from the road to Rain’s End that had been hewn through the jungle.

“There’s a well a little further up the road,” Amaya said, “we should water the horses and rest a spell, after this it’s straight on until Rain’s End, and I don’t want to linger there too long.”

“Yes,” Palledia said a little too quickly, “let’s water the animals here… it wouldn’t do to get bogged down in town.”

…

The sound of cracking wood split the air as Amaya and Annie practiced swordplay with a pair of heavy sticks they were using in place of blades. Clyde sat on a nearby stump, watching the two intently with a small smile on his face as Annie combined the Amazon and Imperial sword styles.

“You’re good!” Amaya laughed, parrying Annie’s strike and leaping backwards.

“Thanks!” Annie beamed, “I’ve had a good pair of teachers!”

Palledia watched from a distance, leaning against the wagon. She couldn’t help but smile as Annie deftly weaved around Amaya’s counterattack. It was a mix of her own style and Clydes, certainly effective against the more seasoned Amazon girl.

“Amaya’s got her mother’s swordplay down exactly, ” Palledia marveled. She scowled as she saw Amaya leaving herself wide open in order to press Annie backwards, “Cora was always so aggressive in battle, too aggressive maybe.”

“I wasn’t there, but from the way you told it in your story this Cora girl kicked your ass?” Svetlana asked with a smirk, leaping down from the wagon.

“It could have gone either way,” Palledia growled.

“I’m sure,” Svetlana murmured. “You sure you’re okay with this? Working with your arch enemy’s daughter?”

“Dirk and Cora aren’t my enemies,” Palledia said, rolling her eye, “They’re two people I wronged a long time ago…” She sighed, crossing her arms as she watched the two girls spar. She felt a bitterness in her, one she tried to quash as a serious look came over Amaya’s face, That’s your father all right, Palledia thought as Amaya rushed under Annie’s guard, tackling the other girl and bringing the point of her stick just under Annie’s chin.

“Nice,” Annie breathed, looking at the other girl with awe.

Amaya smirked, tossing the stick away and standing up, extending a hand to the other girl, “that one was one of my dad’s, he’s no swordsman, but he still taught me a thing or two.” She patted her pistol, “Say, do you want to give this a try?” She slowly lifted the gun out, and while Palledia had little personal interest in firearms, she found herself staring at the device in awe all the same.

“That’s quite the gun,” Clyde nodded, “I doubt I’d be able to lift it.”

“It’s made for a woman’s hand,” Amaya said with a grin, “my dad and his dwarf friend designed a lot of stuff for the Queendom’s army, most of it is just scaled up Imperial guns, but they made mine special.” She ran a finger over the pepperbox revolver’s cylinders, “Six shots,” she explained with a grin, “and with an extra barrel right here below the top one with a shotgun shell.”

“Gods above,” Clyde chuckled, “that thing would be a monster on any battlefield.”

“Yep,” Amaya said, handing it to Annie, who hefted it appreciatively. “It’s a little too pricey for the army, so I’m the only one with this model out there right now. Now the key to shooting is the sights here…”

Palledia watched, wincing with the gunshots as Amaya taught a gleeful Annie how to handle the weapon. Everything, from the way she aimed, to the flourish of her pistol, was like watching Dirk Sommer all over again.

…

The journey into the Queendom didn’t have the emotional impact Palledia had expected, instead of overwhelming sorrow, guilt, fear, she’d only felt number. She’d looked at the wide expanses of green jungle trees, no doubt crawling with the razorlizards she’d hunted in her youth, and couldn’t manage to summon an emotional response to any of it.

“Northstar Ranch – 5 miles” read the sign on the side of the road as they passed. Amaya gulped, whipping the reigns of the draft horse to get them to pick up speed.

“Are you really so scared of seeing your parents?” Annie asked with a frown.

“The whole mess with Tebryn Darkscale’s robbery of the Ironshield Estate was pretty big news back when it happened,” Amaya explained, “if mom or dad happens to be out for a ride and sees me with a wagon of Ironshield rum? I’m getting dragged home by my ear.”

The thought of Dirk Sommer, that grim rifleman from her past dragging his protesting daughter, twice his size, home by the ear brought a smile to Palledia’s face.

…

Rain’s End was unrecognizable from Palledia’s time, and she couldn’t help but gawk at her old fief. The entirety of the old town had been swallowed up by main street, and only a handful of buildings from those days remained. The temple to Diana, no doubt still run by Cynthia, was a towering stone cathedral now, with elaborate and expensive looking stain glassed windows and even a pair of gas powered lamps on either side of the immense wooden door. The streets were crowded with throngs of people, towering Amazons and their massive wagons jammed traffic as they moved through the town to various warehouses for trade. A massive factory complex was visible at the edge of the new homes that had sprung up, standing just a little higher than the walls of Griselda’s old stone castle, a large set of letters across the building’s top read “Sommer and Hammerfist Arms and Munitions.”

That wasn’t the only new industry in town, as they went Palledia took in all manner of strange trades and traders, peddling exotic and expensive fabrics, spices, and materials, all of which she’d have never expected to see in a small settlement like Rain’s End.

It truly is the gateway to the Queendom now, she thought, stunned. It’s everything I wanted it to be, better even. She stared at a shop with an Amazon and a man half her size setting out a sale banner, from what she could tell they sold nothing but clocks, Dirk and Cora invested their gold well, she thought sadly, I could have never done this well, not in my wildest dreams… For all that she was happy to see her old subjects thriving, it did sting.

Palledia had to scowl as she saw The Silver Tongue, the old whorehouse, was still in operation, with only a new coat of paint to mark the passing of years. If anything, the men there had only grown more scandalous with their winks and flirtatious waves as their wagon passed by.

“Come my ladies,” a man in a blonde wig and a royal purple robe shouted, “Conquer the human emperor in our wonderful throne room dungeon! All three of you if you like!” the man, an obscenely handsome square jawed fellow in his twenties, blew a kiss that made Amaya chuckle and Annie blush.

“W-What does he mean conquer the human emperor?” Annie asked with a whisper.

“It’s a house of ill repute,” Palledia explained darkly, “the men there provide… services. ”

“Oh,” Annie said, her face going red, “I-I didn’t realize they had places like that where you could hire men. ”

“In the Queendom they’re almost all men,” Palledia said. In spite of the lewd topic she couldn’t help but chuckle, Annie you’ve so much to get used to…

“Out of curiosity,” Svetlana asked, glancing back at the human, “How much do you suppose it costs to ravage that blonde guy dressed like the emperor? Strictly as a hypothetical.”

“Too much,” Amaya snorted. She suddenly cleared her throat, “or so I’ve heard.”

“What’s all this about the emperor?” Clyde asked, poking his head out of the wagon.

“Nothing,” all the women said at once.

…

Theo Spearwall was taking a stroll through town, at his age walking was said to be good for the body, though he found that Rain’s End was so busy anymore that going up and down main street wasn’t so relaxing as it might have been in his own father’s day.

His brow furrowed as he spotted his granddaughter, Amaya, guiding a wagon through town.

That’s odd, he thought, Amaya almost always stops to say hi to me, or her aunt and sisters at the temple… His heart skipped a beat as he recognized the second passenger in the wagon, someone he’d hoped never to see again, Griselda!

He stumbled back, shaken, ducking into a store and watching through the window as the wagon rolled by.

“You okay oldtimer?” the storekeep, a concerned looking amazon, asked. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost!”

“Close enough,” Theo growled. That was her, I’m sure of it! Amaya’s in danger!

…

“And focus,” Cynthia said, holding out her hand and letting the fireball slowly drift back and forth in a smooth dance over her palm. “It won’t burn you if you don’t will it to be hot.”

“B-But mother,” Milly, her daughter, stammered, “If I make a mistake it’ll burn!”

“Then don’t make a mistake,” Cynthia said with a smile.

“Yeah Milly,” her sister Lily smirked, “Just keep focused and the fire won’t- OUCH!” the dark haired girl scowled and waved her hand as her fireball dissipated.

Cynthia sighed, shaking her head at her two daughters. The girls were identical twins, one with their father Dirk Sommer’s blond hair, and the other with her own darker color. Though barely sixteen both of her daughters stood a head taller than her, looming at over eight feet and still growing. While they’d never be tall by Amazon standards Cynthia couldn’t help but be a little happy they’d never be as short as their mother, and both were strong in magic, as she was.

“Now let’s try this again,” Cynthia began. She was interrupted before she could cast her spell by the wooden doors of the temple bursting open. Cynthia’s face grew serious as she saw Theo storming in, a panicked look on his face.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“ She’s back!” Theo wheezed, bending over to catch his breath, “Griselda’s back! And she’s got Amaya!”

“Goddess help us,” Cynthia whispered, “Where are they?”

“They were in a wagon headed south,” Theo said, “I don’t know if Amaya is her prisoner, or what her scheme is, but she had a few others with her, an Imperial, another Amazon, and an elf!”

“They must be mercenaries, that’s the only way they could overwhelm someone like Amaya,” Cynthia mused. She turned to her daughters, “Lily! Milly! Get on your horses and go tell your father and your Aunt Cora what’s happened immediately! Then get back here and tend to the temple while we’re gone!

“Gone?” Lily asked meekly, “w-where are you going?”

“To save your sister of course!” Cynthia snapped, “Did you not hear Theo? Griselda has returned for revenge on all of us! Now go! I’ll no doubt need your father and your aunt’s help to save her!” 

…

Dirk watched from his porch, rocking back and forth in one of the house’s few man-sized pieces of furniture as his massive aurochs grazed peacefully under the pale blue sky. He sighed contentedly, he’d become a very wealthy man over the years, owning more money and hiring more people than he’d ever dreamed. Plenty of people had asked him why kept the ranch at all, but however complicated his life had gotten he was a simple man at heart, and there was nothing that made him happier than roping and riding on his own range.

“It sure is quiet out here with Amaya gone,” Cora said, the boards creaking under her massive frame as she joined her husband in watching their aurochs.

“She’s just doing some simple caravan guard jobs,” Dirk said with a nod, “she’ll be back home before you know it, eating our food and staying up way too late reading those one thaler adventure novels.”

The two were silent for a moment, enjoying the distant mooing of the cattle and the sound of the distant jungle trees swaying in the wind.

“You ever think about the first day you showed up here?” Dirk asked with a smirk, “it was right over there,” he pointed.

“I remember you challenging me to a wrestling match for some free labor,” Cora giggled, tipping her husband’s hat rim playfully, “that humbled you pretty quick.”

“I’ll still beat you one of these days,” Dirk said with a smirk as he fixed his hat, “I’ve just been biding my time, waiting for the right moment.”

Cora stepped in front of him, blocking his view of the field and letting him gaze up at her impressive form, “Care to try right now? I’ll carry you up to the bedroom.”

Dirk was about to agree to a rematch, when he spotted a pair of galloping horses approaching, the large drafts that Amazons rode. He stood up out of his chair seeing the two daughters he’d had by Cynthia, his second wife, and he felt adrenaline filling his veins as he saw the panicked looks on their faces.

“D-Dad!” Lily shouted, “Amaya’s in trouble!”

“What!?” Cora shouted, turning to them.

“It’s Lady Griselda!” Milly said, leaping off her horse and running to them, “She’s got Amaya and they’re headed south!”

Griselda!? Dirk felt numb, he hadn’t thought about the noblewoman in years, she’d been relegated to a villain in a bedtime story for his daughters, and when they’d grown too big for such things that had been the end of her presence in his life. He felt rage beginning to boil within him, as his daughters looked on. Cora was questioning them, but Dirk wasn’t listening.

“Lily, Milly,” he growled, cutting off their frenzied explanations, “Saddle my horse.”

Without waiting for a reply he marched as a man possessed back into the massive Amazon sized farmhouse. It was like watching someone else as he stepped up to the mantle over their fireplace, the massive stone hearth more fit for a castle than a farmstead, and with a grunt he pushed his chair against it, using the added height from standing atop it to reach his old army rifle.

He leapt down, ignoring the slight pain in his knees and walking on as if he were a younger man, checking the dusty old gun as he went. Satisfied, he slung it over his shoulder as he stepped outside.

Lily and Milly stared at him, stunned they’d always heard stories of his exploits, but they’d only ever known him as a kindly father, someone who cared for them when sick, who taught them to ride and tie their shoelaces. Seeing him like this was like seeing a stranger in their father’s skin, an angry stranger.

“D-Daddy?” Lilly stammered, “Is everything-“

“I told you two to saddle my horse,” he said sternly, causing the two to squeak and run for the barn.

“Dirk,” Cora said softly, “I know how you’re feeling, goddess knows I feel the same way, but you need to calm down.”

“Yeah,” he sighed, taking a deep breath and nodding up at his wife. He shifted slightly, very aware of the weight of the gun across his back, It’s time to do what I should have done years ago Griselda…

…

“I think we made through without anyone I know spotting us,” Amaya said, glancing back at the road towards Rain’s End with a mischievous smile on her face. “The Ironshield estate’s not too far, we’ll be there by the end of the week!” She nudged a stone faced Palledia excitedly, “then we’ll get our reward, you can replace that grimy old eyepatch with a fancy glass eye!”

Palledia frowned, touching the black leather eyepatch unconsciously, “Of course,” she said politely.

…

The trip through the jungles to the Ironshield Estate was a mostly calm one, though several days in, on a stretch of abandoned dirt road, the rustling in the trees had spooked their horses, and the animals would go no further until the threat was dealt with.

“Razorlizards,” Palledia sighed, leaping from the wagon and gripping her spear as she scanned the treeline. “They’re as common here as wolves are in the Empire, they must be hungry to be stalking a caravan with three Amazons in it.”

“Right,” Clyde said, sliding down from the back of the caravan and unslinging his carbine, “Gods know I’ve taken care of my share of wolves…”

“Men stay in the wagon,” Palledia said without thinking.

“Now really,” Clyde said with a frown, “I know this is the queendom, but-“

“I don’t want to be Miss Chauvinist,” Amaya said as she unbuckled her pistol, “but these things are a lot nastier and smarter than wolves, one of them almost killed my dad and he was a veteran of that Elven stuff in the Empire’s army.”

“Hey,” Annie said angrily, “Clyde can handle an overgrown lizard,” she drew her sword and stepped to his side, “and he’ll be with me anyways, isn’t that right?” Clyde blushed, but nodded with a smile.

“Look, Clyde,” Amaya said, holding up a hand, “I respect men, really, but this is women’s work-“

“No,” Palledia sighed, cutting her off. Goddess am I really going to defend a man’s combat prowess? She wondered. “Clyde can handle Lizardfolk and he crossed blades with Tebryn Darkscale, he can handle himself with some razorlizards.”

“Thank you Palledia,” Clyde said, looking up at her with a bit of surprise.

“Just keep that armor on, stay close to Annie, and please use the gun and not your sword,” Palledia finished.

Clyde scowled, “Very well,” he said, following Annie into the brush.

“I’m with Palledia!” Svetlana shouted, leaping off the wagon and following the older Amazon, sparks of magic rolling along her knuckles.

“Shit, guess I’ll guard the horses,” Amaya muttered, cocking her pistol as she watched the rustling bushes.

Palledia gingerly stepped between the trees, her spear ready. She hadn’t hunted razorlizards since she was a girl, but it wasn’t something a person forgot how to do, even men hunted the beasts on occasion, and she felt no fear as she searched for the creatures.

“Hey,” Svetlana said in a hushed tone, “I wanted to ask, what’s our plan when we get where we’re going?”

“We show the steward of the estate the mark on Annie’s shoulder, that should be more than enough proof,” Palledia said dismissively.

“And if she doesn’t feel like turning over a rich sugar plantation, distillery, and mansion?” Svetlana asked, raising an eyebrow.

“The Ironshields will doubtless have had one of their finest servants to the task,” Palledia said dismissively, “an Amazon’s Amazon who will be eager for her mistress’s return.”

“Hmm… right,” Svetlana murmured, “Thing is Palledia you seem like you were a pretty upstanding noble at one point too, and you fucked up pretty bad.” Palledia turned to her with an angry look, but the elf just giggled and shrugged, “Am I wrong?”

“No,” Palledia admitted, “but few fall as far as I did…” she froze as she spotted one of the lizards, the creature was a few dozen paces away from them, waiting in a clearing and clacking its claws.

“Huh, I thought you said they were smart?” Svetlana asked, readying a gesture to toss lightning at the creature.

“They are,” Palledia said in a low voice, “the one in front is a distraction, the attack will come from the sides.”

“Clever girl,” Svetlana said with a nod. She pointed her fingers to her sides, and there was a boom as the bushes exploded on their right and left, the smell of smoke and the shrieks of reptilian pain reaching them as the elf raised her arms in an open challenge to the jungle. “Anyone else want some!?” she shouted. The only response was clawed scurrying as the remaining pack stalking them fled deeper into the thick jungle.

“Well, there’s hardly any sport in that ,” Palledia muttered.

“My people aren’t really about fair play,” Svetlana said with a shrug.

…

The sugar plantations around the Ironshield Estate were visible long before the castle itself was, and Annie looked in awe as she saw Amazons in the fields, collecting the sweet crop while a smokestack from the distillery puffed white clouds into the clear blue sky.

“T-This is all mine?” Annie whispered to Palledia.

Palledia just smiled and nodded, taking a moment to appreciate it herself as Amaya guided the wagon along the cobblestone road. The Ironshield manor was a large stone castle, not unlike the one Palledia had once had, with a stone wall around a perimeter with bored looking guards atop the battlements. They carried both swords as Palledia remembered, and large rifles across their backs, no doubt received in trade from Rain’s End.

“Open up!” Amaya shouted up to the guards, waving excitedly, “I need to see the steward immediately!”

The gate creaked open, and the party accompanied their wagon into the large courtyard. Unlike Rain’s End, the Ironshield castle hadn’t changed much since Palledia had last visited it decades ago. It was still grand of course, the stables, armories, and the mansion itself were all among the finest in the Queendom, and the guards wore shining and new armor to go with their imported weapons.

An Amazon just a hair taller than Palledia strode into the courtyard, and Palledia scowled as she recognized the woman. She was a regal looking type, with a well trimmed suit of silver armor and a sword and pistol at her side. Like Palledia her hair was mostly grey, but her face was sharp as ever.

“I am Lady Christina Fullquiver,” she said, looking at the party over, “Steward and Mistress of the Ironshield estate. The guards said you had business with me?”

“Name’s Amaya Spearwall, and I’ve got a load of your rum,” Amaya said with a grin, jerking her thumb at the wagon. “Stole it right out from under Tebryn Darkscale’s snout!”

“Indeed,” Christina nodded. She frowned as her gaze landed on Palledia, “girl, do you know who this is you’ve brought into my home?”

Amaya frowned, “Palledia?”

“Palledia Griselda, ” Christina sneered.

“Good to see you again too Christina,” Palledia said darkly.

“Wait, Griselda!?” Amaya balked, almost falling over herself as she leapt back from Palledia, her hand going to her pistol.

“Peace girl,” Palledia called sternly, raising her empty hands.

“You tried to kill my mom and marry my dad!” Amaya shouted, cocking the gun as she drew it, “and you’ve just been traveling with me this whole time!?”

“Amaya,” Annie said softly, putting a hand on her wrist, “please put the gun down…” She sighed, stepping in front of the group. “Lady Christina, I am Annie Ironshield, daughter of Alma Ironshield.” She put her hands on her hips in a way that she hoped looked impressive, “A-And I’m here to claim my birthright!”

Christina blinked, the guards around her shifted uncomfortably, “she does look like Alma,” one of the amazons whispered. Around them murmurs rose through the courtyard.

“That’s a bold claim girl,” Christina said slowly, “have you any proof?”

Annie raised her sleeve, revealing the star pointed tattoo with the runic writing on it, “My mother had this placed upon me as a babe, so that my divine blessing would be hidden and I could grow up in the mannish realm.”

“It will still bear the magical signature of those who crafted it,” Svetlana said, stepping forward, “if you have a priestess who knew Annie’s mother, the truth of things could be easily verified.”

“Alma Ironshield’s preferred priestess was a woman named Arabella,” Christina said cautiously, “I will send riders to see if she still resides at the temple of Diana in Alabaster Cliffs.”

“S-Surely that’s just a formality mistress?” The guard to her left said excitedly, “Look at her, she’s the spitting image of Lady Alma! And she’s got the seal!”

The other guards were grinning and nodding, and Christina’s face was cold as she spoke up again, “Very well, Lady Ironshield, ” she said, “let me welcome you back home… This is a rather momentous occasion, I’ll write the Queen at once, she’ll no doubt wish to welcome one of the Queendom’s finest lineages back herself.”

“T-The Queen?” Annie stammered, her eyes wide.

“Among others, a fine ball will need to be thrown I’m sure,” Christina said. She snapped her fingers, “Prepare them rooms, and… Take our liege to her personal quarters.” She bowed deeply to Annie, “my lady I must begin writing letters and preparing announcements, by your leave?”

Annie blinked, looking at the eager women around her, “Yeah,” she said, waving weakly, “go…”

“Right this way lady Ironshield!” one of the guards said, waving the party through the main doors.

“Well this is a weird one,” Amaya muttered, shooting Palledia a side eye. She holstered her pistol and followed the rest of them in, “What’s this all about Lady Griselda? ” she spat, “are you still trying to marry my dad? Were you being nice to me to try to make it easier to be my stepmother or something!?”

She rolled her good eye, “I’ve moved on girl, if I really wanted to hurt you, I’d have done it while you were sleeping beneath my watchful eye during our travels together.”

Amaya just scowled, “I’m watching you,” she muttered, pointing to her eyes and then to Palledia. “Hey Annie,” she barked, “since you’re running this place, who do I speak to about getting my reward money?”

…

The castle was abuzz with activity, and by the time they’d reached their bedrooms every servant, cook, and fieldhand had heard the news, Annie Ironshield was back! The smell of fine roasted turkey wafted up through the castle as the chef hastily prepared a feast for the party, and Annie looked out the window of her tall tower, beaming and waving as a passing group of fieldhands, Amazons, men, and little sisters, all cheered on spotting her.

“This is all like a dream,” Annie whispered, stepping away from the window. “I’m…” she giggled, “we’re in my tower Clyde!”

“Not bad for an orphaned barmaid,” the knight said with a smirk, taking his boots off. He looked around the room a moment, “Gods,” he muttered, “everything in this country is so large! It makes a man feel small… And so many amazons around, I must admit they make me nervous.”

“Palledia and I are Amazons, do we make you nervous?” Annie asked with a smile. Without waiting for an answer, she scooped him up, playfully tossing him to the Amazon sized bed. She had to stifled a giggle as she realized that his legs dangled over the side of the gigantic mattress.

“I know the two of you,” he chuckled, “It’s an odd thing to have so many people around me who could so easily overwhelm me physically… and they’ve been giving me some very amorous looks Annie!”

Annie frowned, “Well too bad for them, you’re mine! The new man of the house on the Ironshield estate!” She reached for his shirt, gripping it and tearing at it so hard the button’s nearly popped off as she pushed him down.

Clyde grunted, gritting his teeth with a smile as he tried feebly to wrestle against Annie. She toyed with him for a moment, slowly, but firmly pushing his arms down to the bed and pinning him as they shook with exertion. She brought his arms up over his head, gripping his wrists with her hand and causally holding them as her free hand traced down over his chest, the slight scratching of the Amazon woman’s nails causing him to shiver as he lay there helpless before her.

“Let’s get these off,” she growled, pulling at the hem of his pants, grinning as she saw his erection spring free as she drew down his trousers and underwear in one forceful tug. “Beautiful,” she said with a wink. She stood up, snapping her fingers for Clyde to follow her.

“W-What are we doing?” he asked hesitantly.

“We are going to take a bath together,” Annie grinned, pointing to a large porcelain tub in the corner of the regal room. Clyde nodded, not really listening as he watched Annie lift her shirt over her head, exposing her toned physique as she loomed over him.

…

Clyde sighed contentedly as he lay against Annie, his head nestled between the two immense breasts that warmed either side of his face as the warm water lapped against his chest. The tub itself was large enough for Annie to lay down in, and they’d been delighted to find that it had hot running water. The exquisite soaps were like nothing either of them had ever sampled, and the lilac scented suds gave the water a slightly cloudy and bubbly texture as the pair relaxed.

“I only ever used ash soap,” he chuckled, inhaling the soft aroma, “This is quite a change…”

“I want you to smell nice for me all the time,” Annie murmured, letting her hand drift to his manhood beneath the water. He winced in surprise as she gripped him, her other arm drifting across him like an iron bar and holding him in place.

“W-Well most men don’t use ah gods, most men don’t use scented soaps,” he wheezed, fighting the waves of pleasure going up his spine.

“Here in the Queendom they do,” Annie whispered in his ear, “you want to smell nice and pretty for the girls when we come back in at the end of the day.” She growled lustfully as she stroked him harder, squeezing to keep his soapy body from writhing out of her grip. “Look at all of those,” she said, glancing at the small shelf, “we’ve got strawberry, cantaloupe, roses… ”

“Annie please,” Clyde begged, looking up at her pathetically.

“You are so cute when you beg,” Annie laughed. She gripped his manhood and with a few quick tugs finished him off, causing him to spray his seed into the soapy water, moaning her name as she milked it all out.

He lay against her, panting and sliding down slightly as she released him. He was still in a daze as she reached over and opened the jar, scooping the pink beads of soap into her hand. Her strong fingers slowly began working it into his scalp, coating him with the thick floral scent of roses.

“See Clyde?” she giggled, “you’re going to smell so nice at dinner!” She scooped a bit of water into her palm, pouring it over him, “I’m going to comb this hair of yours too, I really want to show you off tonight.”

“Y-Yes Annie,” he stammered, feeling himself falling back against her again, sighing contendly as she massaged the soap into his scalp. Maybe I could get used to smelling like roses, sometimes anyway…

…

Palledia tied her belongings tightly into her pack, tossing it over her shoulder. She reached for her mother’s spear, leaning against the wall, and set out for the gate.

“Leaving?” Lady Christina asked, glancing at her as she went about her own business.

“Yes,” Palledia said with a sigh, “Annie’s home, there’s nothing more I can do for her, and with my reputation I’d only be a burden to her now.”

“That’s for the best,” Christina agreed, “It wouldn’t do to have her meet the queen and take over things with someone like you at her side.”

Palledia frowned, “Take care of her.” With that she pushed by the other woman.

Christina watched her go, a smug smirk on her face.

…

There was a small town on the edge of the Armstrong Estate, not nearly so big as Rain’s End had become, but maybe about the size it had been once. Palledia had decided to stay the night in an inn there, before moving on. She wasn’t sure exactly where she’d go, but it didn’t really matter.

She blinked away a tear as she walked alone on the deserted road, Annie… Live well.

…

Christina growled angrily as she walked into her own room, a large and expansive chamber decorated with art and finery she’d had moved from other parts of the castle, her castle. She slammed the door behind her and took in her guest.

“Why are you in my home?” she hissed at the black scaled lizard lounging in a man-sized leather chair.

“My quarry iss here,” he said with a toothy grin. His red eyes flashed from beneath his wide brimmed hat as he stood up.

“You were supposed to kill her in the Empire,” Christina said angrily, “when I gave you the girl’s location, you promised me this would be over! Now she’s here you scaley piece of filth!”

“It hass been a difficult hunt,” Tebryn said dismissively, “the old one has protected her and guided her well… It iss almosst admirable.”

“You were supposed to be this grand assassin,” Christina said, her voice rising, “a deadly mage and swordsman who hunted the finest Amazons for sport! The whole castle, the whole town knows she’s here now! Do you have any idea how difficult a position that puts me in?”

“And sshe will tragically be killed sshortly after her homecoming,” Tebryn said reassuringly, “and do not complain to me about your possition, you have profited well!” he gestured around, “Thiss esstate iss yourss in all but name, you have received a generous portion of what I take from thiss place and sell in the north!”

“I should call my guards in here and have your hide turned into a pair of gloves!” Christina growled.

Tebryn tilted his head and flicked his wrist. Invisible bonds lifted Christina off the ground, and she grunted in pain as she was slammed into the stone wall. A flaming sword appeared in the air, the point dangerously close to Christina’s throat as she gulped nervously.

“I will kill the girl and her lover tonight at the feasst,” Tebryn said, “before you and all of your guardss, if you continue to test my patience, I will kill you as well.” He turned away and Christina fell to the floor, gasping as she rubbed her neck, feeling the scalded skin where the point of the flame had danced. “You will follow my instructionss, yess?” he hissed, not bothering to look at her.

“Y-Yes,” she stammered, scurrying to her feet.

“I wish for the other one, Amay Sspearwall as well,” he continued, “sshe is not sso great a prize as the Ironsshield girl, but sshe has interfered with my busssiness and sspat in my eye.”

“She’ll be yours,” Christina said, “I never cared for Dirk Sommer or his brats anyway.”

“Good,” he nodded, “now here iss what you will do…”

…

Palledia sat at the bar of the small tavern, sighing as she looked down into the cup of strong ale she’d ordered. She’d known she would need to leave Annie when they arrived, but it hurt so much more than she’d expected.

“Another,” she called, draining her cup in one long gulp and slamming it on the table. There is something oddly comforting about being in a place with properly sized furniture again, she thought.

“Order one for me!” Svetlana called.

“Oh goddess,” Palledia sighed as the dark elf scrambled up into the stool. She had to get up on her knees to see over the bar, but her eyes lit up as the barkeep placed an Amazon sized beer in front of her.

“I figured you’d try to slink away,” Svetlana said with a smile, “so I decided to come drag you back!”

“ You are going to drag me back?” Palledia asked, an amused smirk on her face as she looked down at the elf. “You barely come up to my buttocks.”

“I’ll just shrink you,” Svetlana said dismissively. “You Amazons are a little hard to land size change spells on, but I’m pretty good at them, with a few tries I’m sure I could get you pocket sized.”

“I did what I had to do,” Palledia muttered, “let me slink back into oblivion.”

“Yeah no,” Svetlana said, gripping the massive beer mug with two hands, “Annie is not done needing you, and you know it.”

“She’s got you and she’s got Clyde,” Palledia said dismissively, “and she’s got Lady Christina now too.”

“I don’t trust her,” Svetlana said with a scowl. “She didn’t seem all that happy to have her liege lady return.”

“This isn’t the Winter Court,” Palledia said, “there is no skullduggery here.”

“There is skullduggery everywhere, ” Svetlana countered, “different cultures just dress it up in different ways.”

Palledia set her drink down and glowered at the elf, who didn’t flinch under the towering woman’s gaze, “There is nothing in the world that will drag me back to that castle,” Palledia said firmly.

The sound of a rifle cocking across the deserted bar drew their attention, “Evening,” Dirk Sommer growled, stalking into the bar.

Behind him came Cynthia, in her ceremonial robes and with her staff at her side, and Cora, her sword already drawn. Palledia stared at them all a moment, taking the trio in. Cora had become a true woman, with a steely gaze and a sharper face than the youthful one she remembered. Cynthia, that tiny priestess, had just one or two grey hairs poking out from beneath the razorlizard skull cap, and the elaborate designs traced on her black fur robe signified that she’d advanced through the ranks of Diana’s priestesses over the years. Dirk almost looked like he hadn’t aged at all, with his face only looking a little more weathered from when she’d put him in wedding robes all those years ago.

“I suppose the goddess felt my life was going too easily,” Palledia muttered, “Barkeep! Something strong!” she called, but the Amazon innkeeper had seen the weapons drawn and wisely disappeared to her back room.

“All right guys,” Svetlana said, magic dancing along her knuckles, “Let’s not do anything hasty!”

“Ha, your foul harlot of a goddess Turis is no match for Diana!” Cynthia called, leveling her staff.

“That was uncalled for!” Svetlana growled, “and I’ll have you know I sometimes worship Zenovia too!”

“Where’s my daughter, Griselda?” Cora said, stepping forward and brandishing her sword.

“She’s up at the castle, no doubt readying for the banquet with everyone else,” Palledia replied dismissively.

“If you’re lying, I’ll blow your brains out,” Dirk sneered.

“That sounds like a wonderful way to end this whole mess,” Palledia said, the beer starting to take effect. She swiveled around on her chair, throwing her arms open in a mocking gesture. “Come on Dirk, you could shoot a fly’s wings off at a half a mile away, can you manage a kill shot from twenty feet?”

Cora muttered a swear under her breath and stepped forward, lowering her blade and slapping the former noblewoman hard across the face, “What the hell happened to you?” Cora spat, “what the hell is this? You kidnap our daughter and when we come and confront you, we find you drinking with a Summer Court elf?”

“Winter Court elf!” Svetlana corrected.

“That’s true Cora,” Dirk muttered, “They really don’t like to be confused for one another.”

“Even when you were doing evil things, you used to be better than this,” Cora continued, “You were an Amazon, a noblewoman! Is this some plot for revenge? If so, this is just goddess damned sad Griselda, if I have to kill you, rise up and meet me as the woman I followed during the Lizard War!”

“Yeah Palledia, stop moping!” Svetlana added, keeping her eyes on Cynthia as the two readied spells.

Palledia let out a long sigh mixed with a grumble, so destitute and tired that the tension seemed to drain from the room. She slid off the stool, holding her hands up dismissively to Cora as she approached.

“I have no desire for revenge on any of you, Dirk, Cora, your daughter is a brash straw-headed fool, but she’s a fine Amazon, if my opinion matters for anything.”

“Yeah, she’s met Amaya,” Dirk muttered, lowering his rifle.

“Where is she?” Cora repeated sternly.

“She’s likely up at the manor house,” Palledia sighed, “the lost Ironshield heir has returned to claim her birthright… Amaya and I were traveling with her, your daughter is a guest of honor at the banquet tonight.”

“And we are too,” Svetlana said angrily, “and they’re probably taking pre-dinner drink orders right now!”

“Let’s go then,” Cora said, staring Palledia down, “but if my daughter isn’t there… I’m taking your head.”

“Fair enough,” Palledia muttered.

“Sweet,” Svetlana laughed, “I have to thank you guys, I thought I was going to have to shrink her and stuff her in my boot or something.”

“Griselda, who is this?” Dirks asked, eyeing the elf warily, “I’ve had some bad experiences with elves…”

“This one’s mostly good,” Palledia said as the group walked out of the tavern.

“Mostly!?” Svetlana balked. “And here I was about to shrink and stomp three people to save you!”

“You’d have never managed it,” Cynthia sneered, “I’ve studied your elven shrinking spells at length in Dirk’s dreams, I can dissipate them with a thought!”

“Try throwing a fireball at me and you’ll be licking my feet clean before you can say Humanity’s Downfall!” Svetlana countered.

“Let’s all try not to kill each other until we get there,” Palledia growled, leading the group back towards the Ironshield estate. Diana damn me, why can’t anything ever be easy?

Annie took a deep breath as she looked down at the dress the servants had brought. Amazon women’s formal wear was nothing like the puffy and frankly outlandish dresses that the high society in the empire favored. No, Amazons still wore dresses, but theirs were lighter, made of airy fabrics, and unlikely to hamper movement, they also came with a pair of pockets sewn in just near the hips where they flared out. As she slipped an ebony black dress over her head, she glanced at another piece of fashion that wouldn’t be found in the Empire.

“Why do you get a sword and I don’t?” Clyde muttered, raising an eyebrow.

“It’s just a ceremonial one,” Annie giggled, strapping the belt and scabbard around her waist. It was an elaborately jeweled thing; one Christine said her mother had worn to various events to the Amazon capital. She pulled the blade out, examining it. It was thinner, lighter, than her own sword, but still sharp.

“Still,” Clyde protested, “I should get one, right?”

“I’m afraid not,” Annie said with a sad smile, “most of the men here don’t do any fighting… I do have something for you though.” He cocked his head curiously, then frowned as she lowered an ornate diamond necklace over his head, one which went well with the white tunic he was wearing. She giggled at his reaction, leaning down and whispering in his ear, “I think you look good, really good.”

Clyde glanced down at the outfit the servants chosen for him. It was a fashionable black tunic, matching Annie’s dress, with an unusually low v-shaped cut on the front, exposing his chest. The pants were also rather tight around his buttocks, and Annie leaned over, squeezing them appreciatively as he blushed.

“Why is Queendom formalwear for men tailored so close?” he muttered, glancing back at his bottom with a slight scowl.

“To show you off,” Annie said with a wink. “It’s just for tonight, and maybe if we have to go to some function with other nobles… I couldn’t imagine you in anything but your armor.”

He smiled, “Well I don’t wear that most days either, but I suppose it’s not a bad thing to be pictured in by the woman you love…”

“Tomorrow we’ll speak to the guards, maybe see if they need someone to drill recruits,” Annie said as the pair walked towards the door together.

“Do you really think Amazons would want to learn swordplay from a man?” Clyde asked hesitantly.

Annie shrugged, “if it’s good enough for their liege lady, it’s good enough for them. Come on, I’m starving!”

…

Christina watched as Annie and Clyde entered the hall. The room was starting to fill with the women at arms, and a few of their husbands and fancied men. The amazon tables had high chairs so the men could sit and eat at the table, even if the women would still tower over them, and servants, mostly men and little sisters, scurried about, setting tables.

The hall itself was a large stone amphitheater, the arching high ceiling having been built centuries before by one of the Ironshield matriarchs of old. Where the estate had once been a well-fortified border castle, years of successful expansion by the Queendom’s armies had driven the frontier far away, and the windows which had once been arrow slits were now expanded into vast stained glass affairs, each depicting a scene from the Ironshield house’s noble history, glowing brightly in the setting sun.

The air was celebratory, with pitchers of strong ale and bottles of liquor being passed along the tables already. The sweet scent of roasting red meat billowed in from the kitchens, where the estates menfolk were hard at work preparing the coming feast.

“Are you okay Christina?” one of her guards asked, startling her. “You seem tense.”

“I just want everything to go well for our returned liege’s banquet,” Christina said with a sweet smile.

She glanced around the room, of the thousands of women loyal to the Ironshields, and the hundred or so that were on the estate at any given time, only six were loyal to her and trusted enough to participate in her dealings with Tebryn. Those six women were coincidentally the ones chosen for guard duty, and the only Amazons in the hall with anything other than flimsy ceremonial weapons. Four of them were in full armor at each corner of the room, massive Amazon broadswords at their backs and bayoneted muskets at their sides. Two more guarded the door to the hall, and would be sure it was locked at the appropriate time.

Her part in the plan was only to make sure that there was no competent defense of Annie, and as the drink from the plantation’s rum distillery flowed among the loyal soldiers, Christina was sure they’d be too slow-witted to come to their returned lady’s aid. Her own women would be “too stunned to react,” and she herself would take but a single wound defending Annie, a light one which Tebryn promised wouldn’t even scar, just enough to absolve her of suspicion.

She saw Annie and Clyde entering the room, and fought to keep a smile on her face as the women in the room cheered. She beckoned them over to her, seething internally.

Why are they all cheering for this whelp? Christina thought angrily, It wasn’t her who has run this estate, brought this prosperity! If Christina had any doubts about her choice of action, the raucous excitement from her own servants erased it.

“Have a seat here, at the head of the hall,” She said, pulling a chair out for Annie. Clyde climbed into the one next to her, setting himself at her side with a grin as the two young lovers gave each other sickeningly sweet looks.

Annie looked to the chairs next to them and frowned suddenly, “Where are Svetlana and Palledia?”

Christina sighed, sitting next to Annie, “My dear, you’re Lady Ironshield now… You cannot be associating with a criminal like Palledia Griselda, and the elf I believe left with her, two peas in the same pod no doubt.” She looked away, feigning sadness, “I spoke with her before she departed, she seemed to know her place in things, and wished you all the best.”

“Send riders after them,” Annie ordered, standing up so suddenly it startled Christina, “NOW!”

Christina glared at Annie a moment, “Your responsibilities as a Duchess must come-“

“I wouldn’t have any of this without her, and I won’t take any of it without her,” Annie said coldly.

“I must agree,” Clyde said, looking up at the towering amazons. “Palledia saved all of our lives several times over, and from a practical standpoint a skilled woman at arms with proven loyalties is more than worth a few dirty stares and rumors in a nobleman’s… Noblewoman’s , court.”

A mouthy little man you are, Christina thought irritably, the last Ironshield would come with a straw haired pretty-boy who thinks he knows politics.

She forced herself to calm, then smiled, “You are right of course,” she said demurely, “At first light tomorrow I will see to it that our fastest couriers are sent in all directions to find her, she won’t have gotten far in a single night. I know you are upset, but please don’t spoil this occasion for the rest of your vassals, who have waited so long and so eagerly for your return?”

Annie slumped back in her chair, an annoyed look on her face, “Very well,” she said with a wave, “but it will not be at first light, it will be as soon as this banquet is concluded!”

“As you wish, Lady Ironshield,” Christina said, reaching for a goblet of wine. And won’t it be nice to never say that again…

…

“My gun is ceremonial, ” Amaya spat. The argument with the pair of guards at the entrance to the grand hall was getting heated.

“There will be no firearms except in the hands of Ironshield guards,” the other Amazon said sternly, “Ceremonial swords only. You can leave your gunbelt here with me and I’ll return it to you when the banquet is over.”

“Whew,” Amaya Spearwall muttered, looking around the hall as she approached the table’s end, “You really are the lost Ironshield girl, aren’t you Annie?” She glanced up at one of the stained glass windows, where a proud amazon in battle regalia was depicted with a standard in one hand, a sword in the other, and a stern face that looked almost exactly like Annie’s own.

“Yep!” Annie beamed, “I didn’t know myself until about a month ago, it’s all so strange…”

“You’ll have to get used to all this high society stuff I’ll bet,” Amaya muttered, grabbing a bottle off a passing tray and uncorking it. With a flourish she drew a strong glass for herself, taking an appreciative sip. “My Aunt Cynthia and my Parents took me to the Queen’s court a few times, but I guess it never really took.”

“Nobility isn’t in the wallet as they say,” Christina said with a small smirk, “even one as full as your mother and father’s.”

Amaya glanced at her with her father’s practiced look of indifference, “Sure enough, but I’ve seen enough ugliness to tell you it’s not in the blood either.”

Christina frowned, Arrogant little upstart, she thought as she took a sip of her wine. Dirk Sommer and Cora Spearwall might be darlings of the Queen and her court, but the rest of us see you for what you are, upstarts with new money and no respect. She almost couldn’t wait to see what Tebryn would do to the girl.

“Speaking of nobility, where’s Griselda?” Amaya asked with a frown, “I had a few more choice words for her!”

“She’s not the woman you think she is,” Annie said defensively.

“Are you sure she’s the woman you think she is?” Amaya retorted. “I like you Annie, but that’s Lady Griselda, she’s killed my kin and tried to steal our land.”

“I know,” Annie said softly, “I’m not asking you to forgive her, but she’s not that person anymore, I’ve only ever known her as Palledia, the woman who took me in, who risked everything and faced assassins to bring me here.”

Amaya’s mouth was a flat line for a moment, “She seems to have done well by you,” she finally admitted.

“By all of us,” Clyde muttered, staring into his cup.

“Here comes the first appetizer,” Christina said, cutting off their conversation, “Look, this is Amazon sweetbread with auroch cheese crust, after living in the Empire so long you simply must try it!”

Christina watched the wheeled carts apprehensively. The Lizardfolk mages were skilled with teleportation and portals, though they required idols to their serpentine god to make their spells work. One of these carts hid one such idol, enough to let maybe a few dozen of the hissing creatures through, no match for the castle’s garrison of course, but more than enough to kill a pair of women and get out.

…

“Look,” Palledia said, annoyed, gesturing to the lights that lit up the Ironshield estate as the last of the sunlight drifted below the horizon, “A large banquet, just as I said!”

“I’ll lower my gun when I see my daughter,” Dirk growled, keeping it level on Palledia’s back.

She rolled her eye, “Of course.”

“You wouldn’t know anything about what it’s like to have a daughter,” Cora muttered, “to have someone you care about!”

Palledia frowned, “I…”

“Let it go Palledia,” Svetlana said, plodding along at her side, “let’s just get these people their girl and get them out of our hair.”

“What,” Cora sneered, “don’t tell me you had a kid?”

“I didn’t!” Palledia spat angrily, turning around briefly, “I…” She sighed, “Annie is… something like a daughter to me.”

“Something like,” Svetlana said, rolling her eyes.

“And she knows the kind of person you are?” Cora asked, crossing her arms, “or did you make up lies about us? Tell them how you were some noble woman, fighting to save Rain’s End-“

“Okay enough!” Svetlana said, turning to Cora. The Amazon balked down at the diminutive elf, who angrily confronted her, Dirk, and Cynthia. “Yeah, we all know, she did a lot of bad stuff,” Svetlana said, her voice rising, “But I’d take her at my side over anyone else in the world, I’ve seen more of what an Amazon is supposed to be out of her than any of you!”

“That a fact?” Dirk asked, a little amused.

Palledia glanced at her friend, and the two shared a small smile, “Dirk, Cora, Cynthia,” she began, “I’m…” She blinked a quick tear away with a scowl, “I am sorry for everything I’ve done, I’ve spent nearly two decades stewing in regret. It won’t mean anything to you, I don’t expect nor deserve your forgiveness… I’m going to go forward and do what I can for the people I care about, and do what’s right by them and the Goddess.”

“You think you’ll ever be right with the Goddess?” Cora asked.

“She is,” Cynthia said, raising an eyebrow.

“What!?” Cora exclaimed, “Cynthia, you can’t be-“

“It’s my place to know such things,” Cynthia said dismissively, “I don’t know if I am ready to look past our history Griselda, but you carry Diana’s blessing, it lingers on you like a sweet perfume.”

“Yeah, she banished a demon,” Svetlana said, “It was pretty awesome.”

“You took my daughter to fight a demon!?” Cora hissed.

“It was before I met her!” Palledia protested.

“We’ll settle this later,” Dirk said with a chuckle as they reached the manor gates. It might have been her imagination, but Palledia thought he lowered the barrel of the rifle ever so slightly.

…

In spite of Palledia and Svetlana’s absence Annie slowly began to let herself enjoy the evening. Toasts roared up and down the tables to her late mother and father as one after another servants rose and regaled them with stories of the late couple. With each passing toast the stories grew more slurred and more outlandish, until finally she was hearing one woman at arms proclaim the wildest tale yet.

“And thattssh when your mother and I killed a dosszen lizzards with our bare handsh,” the woman managed, swaying slightly. With a thump she sat down in the chair, and shouts and applause echoed up and down the ranks again.

As she finished a large dessert cart was wheeled in, covered in a splendid silver traytop. Annie, Clyde, and Amaya leaned in eagerly, and the crowd grew silent as they readied themselves for the final dish of the evening.

The servant lifted the top, and there was a gasp as an ugly brown idol with a sneering grimace and glowing yellow eyes greeted them.

“ Allow me to tell my own sstory of your mother and father!” Tebryn’s voice echoed.

There was a crack of lightning and suddenly the air over the tray seemed to rip in twain, revealing some far off jungle. A dozen lizards with drawn swords poured through the gateway, led by a grinning Tebryn Darkscale, his red eyes gleaming as his familiar fiery sword leapt to life in his hand. Screams broke out as the tables burst into flames on either side of the hall, creating an impassible barrier for the guests as Tebryn and his horde of hissing green followers advanced on the main table.

“Your mother felled my prince in battle,” Tebryn hissed, “And from that day forward I have been pledged to vengeance upon your housse!”

“Out of the way my lady,” Christina said, leaping over the table and drawing her thin ceremonial sword. She swung it wide, steeling herself for the small sting of a cut on her arm. Instead she gasped as Tebryn stabbed his flaming sword through her chest.

“Our bussinesss iss concluded Lady Christina, ” Tebryn whispered with a smile. With a grunt he shoved her massive body to the side, letting her tumble to the floor.

…

Zee and Terra had been in on Christina’s work with Tebryn Darkscale almost since the beginning, and it made sense that they would have the most important job, keeping the great hall door locked. Ostensibly it was to prevent uninvited people from coming in, but when the time came, it would be more effective in making sure nobody left.

“Look at this fucking gun,” Zee said, hefting Amaya’s massive revolver eagerly. “Six shots, and it’s got a shotshell barrel too, can you imagine drawing this thing?”

“Her dad owns the arms factory in Rain’s End,” Terra muttered, glancing over at the weapon, “She probably gets first pick of anything that comes down the line.”

“Well I’m thinking I’m keeping this,” Zee said, buckling the gunbelt around her own waist. She grinned, resting her hand on the gun’s grip.

“Go ahead,” Terra said with a shrug, “She won’t need it after tonight.”

The sound of approaching footsteps interrupted the conversation, and the pair of guards stiffened as a group came into view down the hallway.

“Hope you don’t mind,” A blonde man called, “But we let ourselves in.”

Zee and Terra readied their weapons, “L-Lady Christina’s orders,” Zee began, “no one interrupts the banquet!”

“I just need to find my daughter,” Cora growled, stepping forward, “I’ve been to the Ironshield estate before! My husband sold you those guns you’re holding!”

“Goddess,” Zee muttered, recognizing Dirk Sommer, “No entry, no exceptions!”

There was a boom from inside, “In the name of Diana open that door now!” Cynthia shouted, raising her staff.

“Y-You can’t!” Terra shouted.

“Why are you wearing my daughter’s pistol!?” Dirk snarled, looking up at Zee’s towering form. In spite of the difference in size Zee withered under the man’s furious gaze, and slowly unbuckled it, dropping the gun to the floor and stepping out of the way.

“Hey, Priestess,” Svetlana shouted, weaving spells in the air, “give me a hand with this door!”

“Gladly,” Cynthia said, joining her magic with the elf’s before loosing it on the wooden gate.

…

“Clyde!” Annie shouted, grabbing him and scrambling backwards as the first of the lizards leapt over the table. She drew the ceremonial sword, gulping nervously as she held the thin blade before her and her beloved.

“They’ve got guns!” Amaya shouted, diving for cover behind the table as the crack of black powder weapons rang over the surprised screams around them.

“Ssuch wonderful toys,” Tebryn chuckled, drawing a pistol from his own belt.

Annie’s eyes went wide as he cocked it with a clawed thumb, leveling it at Clyde. She squeezed her eyes shut, putting herself between Tebryn and him.

*CRACK!*

He missed? Annie thought wildly, opening her eyes in wonder as the expected sharp searing pain didn’t land. Instead a reptilian squeal of pain reached her ears, and as she opened her eyes she just caught Tebryn Darkscale’s hat flying from his head, his own shot striking the stone wall behind Annie and Amaya.

“Daddy!?” Amaya squealed excitedly.

Dirk grinned from behind the sights of his still smoking rifle, lowering it with an almost mechanical precision for reloading as Cora and Palledia bellowed battle cries, running by Dirk on either side as Svetlana and Cynthia followed, casting spells and extinguishing the flames.

“Annie!” Svetlana shouted. With a shout she leapt over the table, her spear lancing out at a pair of lizards and striking them down just before they could reach the girl.

“W-Why did you leave?” Annie asked, blinking tears out of her eyes.

“I… got confused,” she replied.

“This is touching,” Clyde said, scooping sword out of a fallen lizard’s hand, “but we should settle it later!”

“Hey Darkscale!” Sveltana shouted, “Ready for a rematch!?” lightning crackled across her fingers as blue bolts of fire leapt out at the lizard, staggering him as he snarled defensive spells and raised shields.

“Face me then elf!” he cried, lifting his hands high and letting howling demons made of fire leap from his claws.

“Back to the pit with you!” Cynthia shouted, her eyes glowing blue as she raised her staff, dissipating the spectral attackers.

“What’s the matter?” Svetlana taunted, “Can’t handle two girls at once?”

“If you find a few more maybe it sshall be a fair fight!” the lizard roared. His eyes flickered a moment, and the stained glass windows on the sides of the hall shattered as a fell wind burst from the outside, causing the guests to scream as Tebryn levitated, his tail whipping behind behind him ominously.

Light flashed through the hall as the two mages traded spells with the black scaled sorcerer, and there was another rifle crack as Dirk took his second shot of the evening, earning only a brief flash of a magical shield before the crumpled bullet clattered to the ground.

The guests were beginning to rally, though drunk and surprised they were Amazons, and even without weapons they were grabbing anything they could, from cutlery to broken bottles, and leaping to the defense of their lady.

Amaya cried out in pain as one of the lizards raked a sword across her arm, and she nearly dropped her pistol, clasping a hand over a bleeding wound. Cora came to her daughter’s side like a lioness, sweeping the lizards before her with practiced swordsmanship that had made her the finest warrior in Rain’s End. With a snarl she threw herself in front of her daughter, daring the lizards to come at her.

“We’ve got to get out of here!” Palledia shouted, gripping Annie’s arm and heading towards the exit.

“No!” Annie said, pulling away, “We can’t run from him forever!”

Palledia glanced at the levitating lizard, who was now using telekinesis to hurtle the heavy oak tables at his foes. Svetlana muttered a shrinking spell, reducing one to doll furniture just as it clattered into her chest impotently.

“This is beyond swords and spears,” Palledia muttered.

“He wants me,” Annie said firmly, “He’ll come fight me if I call him out, come with me!”

“Goddess, you are an Amazon,” Palledia sighed, gripping her spear, “right…”

“Annie!” Amaya muttered, limping to her, “I think you could use this more than I could!” She handed her pistol, complete with the gunbelt, to the other Amazon.”

“Steady yourself!” Cora warned, helping her daughter keep upright, “we need Cynthia to heal you now!”

“She’s busy mom!” Amaya snapped, pointing to where the priestess was cutting down a wave of shadowy teeth filled forms Tebryn had called up. She turned back to Annie, “Remember how to use it? There are three shots left.”

“And a flick of the switch on the side for the shotgun shell,” Annie nodded, buckling it around her waist.

“We’ll keep the rest off of you,” Clyde nodded at Cora as they eyed the remaining lizards.

“Sounds like a plan,” Cora muttered, “Amaya stay close, and don’t tear that wound open!”

“I’m not a baby mom!” Amaya protested.

Palledia and Annie strutted forward, “Tebryn Darkscale,” Annie roared, holding her sword high, “Come face me, let me avenge my mother and father, or let you avenge your prince, either way it ends here!”

Darkscale turned to her, and with a scowl flicked his claw. A wave of purple energy lanced out, wrapping around Svetlana, Dirk, and Cynthia and tossing them bodily out of the hall. The doors slammed shut again, locking with a click.

“Thosse three are sskilled,” Tebryn said with a grin as he descended, his claws clicking on the stone, “that will hold them for minutess at mosst, but we won’t need that long.”

The flaming sword appeared in his hand again, and for a moment Annie felt a tinge of fear. A firm hand clasped her shoulder, Palledia’s hand. She gulped and steeled herself.

I’m an Amazon, she thought, thinking of all Palledia had taught her. With a shout she ran forward, sparks flying as she crossed blades with Tebryn.

“You’ve gotten better!” Tebryn said with a grin. He ducked below her strikes, using his smaller size and his speed against her. Palledia jabbed at him with her spear, scowling as he leapt up and over the shaft, darting up it and raising the flaming sword to strike her. Annie’s own slash caused him to leap down again, and the lizard ducked and dived like a dancer, staying just ahead of their attacks as he looked for openings for his own.

Goddess I’m getting too old for this, Palledia gritted her teeth, struggling to keep up as her joints burned and her muscles ached. Still, they were keeping the lizard on his heels, and with all of his magical power going towards keeping the barrier in place he was forced to meet them with only his skill with the blade.

Tebryn hissed in pain as the tip of Annie’s sword scratched up his arm. He leapt back, drawing the pistol at his side again and cocking it.

“Annie look out!” Amaya shouted. She limped forward, her own sword in hand, and instead of Annie Tebryn turned the barrel of his pistol towards her.

“AMAYA!” Cora shouted, sprinting to her.

Time seemed to slow for Palledia, and she felt as if she were underwater as she leapt between Amaya and Tebryn. The loud crack of the gun seemed faraway, and she grunted as she felt as if someone had punched her in the gut. The strength left her legs, and she tumbled backwards. The roar of the battle faded, and she felt a numbness creeping through her, extinguishing the fires of pain as Cora looked down at her, stunned.

“Palledia?” Annie whispered.

“You will ssoon join her!” Tebryn snarled, dropping the smoking pistol and rushing at her.

Annie gritted her teeth, blinking away tears as her blade blurred, blocking each of the strikes. With a roar she adopted a stance the fallen Amazon had taught her, leveraing her mass and bringing heavy blows down on Tebryn, causing him to stagger with a hiss.

“Sstrong, but too sslow!” Tebryn mocked, twirling under her blade and getting inside her defenses.

Next it was Clyde’s style of swordplay, leaping backwards and deflecting each of his blows and causing the lizard’s rage to boil over. Annie shouted in pain as Tebryn slipped low, slicing the side of her leg and letting the magical sword sear her skin.

I’m not good enough to beat him, she realized, blinking through the pain, not even with everything Clyde and Palledia taught me… She felt the weight of the gun, and stepped back, whipping Amaya’s pistol out and cocking the hammer.

* blam-blam-blam *

Tebryn shrieked in surprise, dancing around each of the shots as they sparked around the stone where he’d just been.

Missed every one, she thought angrily. A sudden idea hit her, and she pulled the trigger another few times, letting the click of the empty gun ring through the hall while she looked at it in faux surprise and horror. Get closer you son of a bitch…

Tebryn chuckled, stalking towards her, and she gulped as he readied his sword again, “No more bulletss,” he hissed, “And with a hurt leg…” he clicked his tongue, “No more sswordplay for you…”

Annie flicked the switch on the side of Amaya’s revolver, lowering the firing pin down to the shotshell chamber.

* BOOM!*

Tebryn’s red eyes went wide, and he shuddered once as the massive Amazon sized firearm barked. His scales were tough, but as he looked down at his elegant dark clothing, dark red blood began to spread across his tailored suit. There was a whoosh as his fiery sword dissipated, and a moment later he fell to the ground.

The remaining lizards stared, seemingly in shock. They looked at one another, then one by one they dropped their weapons, raising their clawed hands in surrender. The various amazon women at arms came forward, grasping the smaller creatures angrily.

“If they surrender, do not harm them,” Annie ordered sternly. She sighed, standing over Tebryn’s body, panting from exertion and suddenly feeling every stinging cut she’d taken over the course of the battle. She let her sword fall to the ground too, ignoring the clatter as she limped over to Palledia.

“G-Griselda?” Cora asked, keeping her hand over the bullet wound. The older amazon had gone deathly pale, and her remaining eye was closed.

The door to the hall burst open again, and the two magic users stormed in, Dirk following them with his rifle at the ready.

“No!” Svetlana shouted, running to Palledia’s side. Her hands glowed blue, and she gritted her teeth as she willed the wound to shut.

“Rest elf,” Cynthia said. She lowered her staff, tapping Palledia’s head with the point of her staff. “Goddess Diana,” she whispered, “save your daughter, bring her back to us…” Soft blue energy traced down the carved rod, and a moment later Palledia stirred.

“Is she going to be okay?” Annie asked fearfully.

“She’ll need a lot of rest,” Cynthia said, “but she’s strong, she should recover.”

“Annie, you need to lay down too,” Clyde said softly, “That’s a very nasty wound.”

“No,” Annie sighed, looking at the battle worn banquet guests and the captured prisoners, “This is my estate, my steward is dead… I need to take charge here. Svetlana, seal this thing shut and don’t bother keeping the pain down.” The elf obliged, running a glowing blue hand up Annie’s leg a moment, causing her to wince as weeks of healing passed in a flash. “Right,” she sighed, clearing her throat, “EVERYONE LISTEN UP!” she bellowed, catching the attention of the remaining partygoers, “Here’s what we need to do…”

…

Palledia groaned, stirring in the bed. With a start she bolted upright, gasping as she looked around for any sign of Annie, Tebryn, of anything. Instead she found herself in a small bedroom, clean clothes on her, and a white bandage on her side. The door opened a moment later, and a man entered with a bowl of water and fresh bandages.

“Oh,” he said with a start, smiling, “Y-You’re awake Miss Griselda!”

“You can call me Palledia,” she growled, rubbing her head, “what happened?”

“You took a wound in the battle last week,” he explained, “we’ve been tending to you!”

“Last week! ?” Palledia snapped, “Where is Annie?” she paused, “I mean Lady Ironshield, where is-“

“Alive and well,” the man reassured her, “Along with the rest of the companions you came here with, in fact I’ll go fetch them at once!” with that he hurried out of the room, leaving her to collapse in shock onto the pillow.

…

Dirk and Cora reached her first, and she sat up as the blond man and his towering Amazon wife entered the room, “I wouldn’t expect to see you two wishing me well,” she muttered, shifting in the bed.

“You took a bullet for my daughter,” Dirk said flatly. “Whatever else is between us, I’m not the sort of man to let that go without a proper thanks.”

“You almost looked like the woman I remembered from the war,” Cora said with a smile. “If we ever see you around Rain’s End… I won’t draw a sword on you unless you earn it.”

“Fair enough,” Palledia sighed, leaning back.

The next to come was Svetlana, who bounded eagerly up the bed, “Palledia!” she squealed, hugging her and looking comical against her massive frame. “I was so worried!” She looked down at the wound, “That Cynthia girl is much better at wounds than I am, Tebryn did something to his shot that made it hard to seal up, but she managed it…”

“Is Tebryn…” Palledia let the question hang in the air.

“Oh he’s dead, Annie got him with a shotgun shell,” Svetlana said with a dismissive wave, “he’s old news, everyone’s getting ready for Clyde and Annie’s wedding!”

“They’re getting married already?” Palledia asked, raising an eyebrow. Good for you Annie, move quickly.

“Well in a few weeks,” Svetlana explained, “she’s been holding off on the details, I think she wanted to talk to you first.”

There was a knock on the door and Annie and Clyde entered next, grinning at the pair, “We’re all finally together again,” Clyde said with a chuckle, “It’s good to see you awake Palledia.”

“And to see you, Lord Ironshield, ” Palledia said with a smile.

Clyde blushed, “Yes well ah… I’m learning much about Amazon wedding customs.”

“Let’s give these two a minute,” Svetlana said, gesturing for Clyde to follow her out.

Palledia watched with a frown as the pair left, leaving her and Annie alone.

“Well here we are,” Palledia said softly, “you’re seated as the new Lady Ironshield, and from the looks of things you’ve slipped naturally into the role.”

“Clyde and Svetlana have been helping me a lot,” Annie admitted with a blush, “but… yes, I’m getting the hang of things… I need a new steward though, an Amazon who can manage my household, organize my women-at-arms…”

“I can’t Annie,” Palledia said softly, “the damage it would do to your reputation-“

“To hell with my reputation!” Annie snapped, “If you won’t take the position I’ll jail you until you come around!”

“You can’t just jail me Annie,” Palledia chuckled.

“Oh I can’t? I wouldn’t know, I don’t have a steward to explain laws and such to me,” Annie said indignantly.

Goddess, she’s not going to give this up…

“Fine,” Palledia grumbled, laying back on the pillow, “I’m yours forever.”

“Excellent!” Annie beamed, “And the other thing, as I’m sure you’ve heard Clyde and I will be getting married…”

“Congratulations,” Palledia said with a smile.

“… And I want you to march me down the aisle, as my mother would have,” Annie finished.

Palledia froze, “A-Annie, are you sure?” she asked softly.

“You’re the closest thing to a mother I have,” Annie replied, “I can’t think of anyone else to do it.”

Palledia sniffed, turning away so the girl wouldn’t see her break down, “I… I will.” She took a deep breath and composed herself, turning back to the younger Amazon. “I’m looking forward to it, I should be on my feet by then.”

Annie just smiled, standing up, “Well I’m afraid I’ve got a lot of work to do,” she sighed, “and they want me to train in spear-fighting too, apparently my mother was quite good at it, and Clyde insists there will be a place for steel on the battlefield for some centuries yet, guns or no.”

Palledia glanced at her own mother’s spear, the family weapon she’d carried through their journey, the only thing she’d taken with her from Rain’s End.

“Annie,” she said, gesturing to it, “take this, it was my mother’s, it’s the finest Amazon craftsmanship you’ll ever find.”

Annie’s eyes went wide, “A-Are you sure?”

“I can’t use it in bed girl,” Palledia chuckled, “and a noble needs to be seen by her subjects wielding a noble weapon.”

Annie hesitated a moment, then grasped the weapon excitedly, running her fingers up the ornately designed shaft, looking at her reflection in the polished point. She grinned, and gave Palledia one final hug before standing up and walking to the door.

“I’ll be back at dinner,” Annie said, “we can eat together, and I’ll tell you everything that’s happened!”

“I’d like that,” Palledia said with a smile.

With one final nod Annie left, off to take up her responsibilities as Palledia rested, content, on the bed.

…

The wedding of Annie Ironshield and Clyde Orrick became a massive affair, the story of her perilous journey home had set the imagination of the Queendom alight, and every Duchess and rich merchantwoman who could manage it attempted to secure invitations. The Queen herself was due to make an appearance, with both of her husbands at her side.

“What do you mean she wants to see me?” Palledia asked the servant girl.

The young amazon gulped as Palledia readied her dress, scowling as she looked over her formal attire, “S-She was very insistent lady Griselda, I didn’t really have the chance to stop her, I just got ahead of her, so-“

The door swung open, and a towering fifteen-foot mountain of a woman stooped under it, stepping into the room. The servant girl cleared her throat, fleeing the scene as the Queen entered, two men at her sides.

Queen Eudoxia Highgrass was a mighty woman, with thick thighs and wide hips, all the more impressive as stood over even the tallest of other Amazons. With her dark brown almost black hair and regal face she was a sure daughter of Theodora, the first Amazon. With a sigh she gestured for one of her husbands to shut the door behind them, and then walked over to a chair, plopping herself in it.

“Attend me,” she ordered to the men, and without another word the two scurried to each of her feet, delicately pulling her shoes off and giving her a slow gentle massage. The queen sighed in pleasure, wiggling her toes as each man worked the massive soles with both hands. She glanced at Palledia, “my apologies,” she said dismissively, “but I’ve been traveling all day, we almost didn’t make it!” She chuckled, “I had to throw Leonidas and Basil here over my shoulders and go ahead of my caravan.”

The two prince-consorts were known in the Queendom in their own rights. Leonidas Highgrass was an odd choice for royalty, a well built and athletic man with a thin curved sword at his side. Palledia had often dismissed him as the sort who spent too much time hunting with his half sisters and forgot his place, though the man’s quick swordplay was said to have saved Eudoxia a dozen times over. Having spent some time with Clyde she had to reconsider the man, a man with a sword was worth far more than she’d thought in those old days.

The other was a shorter fellow, with red hair and a pair of spectacles that sat across an almost boyish face. Basil Highgrass was more in line with what a prince of the Queendom was expected to be, well learned, well spoken, and rumored to be quite skilled in the base magics that human mages to the north relied on in place of the goddess’s will that empowered Diana’s priestesses.

“Queen Eudoxia,” Palledia nodded, “to what do I owe the pleasure, your majesty?”

“I just wanted to come see you before the ceremonies,” The queen smiled, “I must admit, I never expected to see you again… Yet here you are, bringing back the scion of one of the Queendom’s most prestigious families, and serving as her steward no less?”

“I got tired of wallowing in sadness and waiting to die,” Palledia replied, turning back to the mirror and adjusting her hair. “What is it to you, your majesty?”

“I must admit I worried at first that this was some political scheme,” Eudoxia muttered, playfully tapping one of her husband’s face with her big toe, “that you were trying to worm your way back into my good graces.”

Palledia couldn’t help but snort, “Your majesty I haven’t thought about you in years. No offense, but politics has been far from my mind.”

“None taken,” Eudoxia said with a smile. “I came to the conclusion after talking to a few people, the new Lady Ironshield in particular speaks quite highly of you… as did Dirk Sommer and Cora Spearwall, which I must admit, surprised me. There’s also an Imperial delegation here to show respect, a general by the name of Rathburn said he couldn’t wait to discuss war stories with you again?”

Palledia felt her heart do the strangest flutter, “Bartholomew is here?” she asked.

Eudoxia stared at her a moment, then chuckled, “You really are different from the woman I remember, for the better I think.”

The older Amazon couldn’t help but frown at that, “I was one of your strongest supporters, your majesty.”

“I know,” Eudoxia chuckled, “that’s why you got sentenced to military service instead of executed, and looking at you now I can’t help but think that it was the right decision.”

“I’m sure that caused some controversy for you,” Palledia said, “I’m sorry about that.”

The queen just laughed, “After marrying both of my lovely suitors here, I don’t think there was any controversy I could cause that would turn heads.” She glanced down to the two men, sighing as she pulled her feet away from them. “All right, we’d best go find our seats.”

“I’ve arranged everything Eudoxia,” Basil said curtly.

“The estate is secure,” Leonidas nodded, “your best women are on duty.”

“I almost wish another gaggle of lizards would try to storm the place,” Eudoxia muttered, “Goddess knows I haven’t had a good fight in years…” She grinned down at the two men, “I’ll have to tire myself out some other way after the ceremony.”

Palledia smirked, “Eudoxia, if you knew half the rumors that used to spread in court about you and your men-“

“Rumors?” Eudoxia paused a moment, laughing, “What, that I take them both to bed at once?”

“She does that,” Leonidas said with a flat face.

“It’s no rumor,” Basil confirmed with a small smile.

Palledia blinked, “Well… That’s wonderful your majesty,” she said uncertainly.

Eudoxia just laughed at her reaction, following her two husbands out towards the reception hall.

…

Palledia felt the eyes on her as she took Annie’s arm, walking the blushing girl down the aisle to where Clyde waited, a splendid white Queendom men’s robe on him. She passed Dirk, Cora, and Cynthia, who all sat together as the delegation from Rain’s End. Other nobles she knew gave her various looks of approval, or disgust, but she found increasingly that she didn’t care, the only thing that mattered was that Annie was over the moon with joy to have her at her side. As they reached the altar Annie separated from her, and Palledia went to join Svetlana and Amaya at her side as bridesmaids.

The priestess, an aged woman named Arabella who had served Annie’s mother, smiled and began the ceremony.

“We are gathered here today, in the eyes of the goddess…”

…

In the aftermath of the ceremony the crowds had enjoyed a large reception and banquet, a far more lively and thankfully peaceful one than the last in the Ironshield halls.

Svetlana found herself at the open bar, greedily gulping down another expensive cocktail made with the finest of Ironshield rum. With a giggle she wiped her mouth, swiveling around in the high topped human sized chair that let the smaller guests, mostly humans, sit level with the Amazons.

Now to find someone to have some fun with, she thought, leaping down from the high seat with a grunt.

“S-Svetlana?” a familiar voice called.

She froze, slowly turning towards the source, “Arturus?” she breathed.

The diplomat she’d nearly crushed to death in her cleavage was older now, but just as handsome as he’d ever been, the handful of grey hairs only making him look distinguished. Like her had a drink in hand, and he walked towards her eagerly, a smile on his face.

“I’m with the Imperial delegation!” he exclaimed, “I couldn’t believe it when I heard you were friends with this new Ironshield girl, it’s fate!”

“F-Fate, right,” Svetlana stammered, “Listen, I’m so sorry about everything that happened…” she gestured to her deep cleavage, “in here.”

“Don’t be,” Arturus growled. Svetlana could smell a hint of rum on his breath, and from the slight flush in his cheeks he’d also been taking advantage of the wedding’s open bar.

Svetlana giggled, blushing herself, “You got me into shrinking humans you know.”

“Regardless of how it ended, our one night together has lived on in my memory,” Arturus retorted, “Let’s do it again, for old time’s sake!”

“I don’t know,” Svetlana said, biting her lip, “If we have another accident we could start a war…”

“A risk I’m willing to take!” Arturus said eagerly.

Svetlana giggled, and with a flick of her wrist the diplomat was gone, reduced to a mere inch tall before her. She casually glanced around, the other guests were consumed with their own drinks and conversations, and no one saw her pinch the crumb sized man between her fingers and lift him up to the hem of her cleavage.

“Gods they’ve gotten bigger with the years,” Arturus murmured as he looked down at the purple canyon.

Svetlana’s finger gently pushed him deep between her breasts, the sea of warm flesh jiggling as she stifled a giggle from the tickle his squirming motions caused.

“Svetlana!” Palledia called, walking over to her with a grin, “Come, Clyde’s proposing a toast!”

“In a minute,” she said, poking her finger down and submerging the man further, “I was just catching up with someone!”

…

“So how do you feel, Lord Ironshield? ” Annie giggled, carrying Clyde up the stairs to her master bedroom.

“Like a blessed man,” Clyde said dreamily. “I never thought I’d end up taking your name…”

Annie shrugged as she shouldered the door open, “If we’d gotten married in the Empire I’d have taken yours, Clyde Ironshield. ” She seemed to relish saying it, biting her lip as she carried her white-robed husband over the threshold.

He grunted as she tossed him onto the bed, eagerly disrobing herself. He watched eagerly as more of her skin was revealed, even after so many times the sight of Annie’s long toned legs still lit the fires of his lust, and he licked his lips eagerly as she clambered on the bed, her statuesque naked form looming over him like the goddess herself.

“L-Let me get this off,” he stammered.

“No,” Annie growled with a grin, “Leave it on, it makes you look so sexy and… innocent. ” Clyde gulped, watching as Annie’s hands went low, slowly undoing the sash on his white wedding robes. “A few of the other Amazons told me about an interesting feature of men’s wedding robes,” she said in a low voice. She reached down to the pearly white undergarments, undoing a few laces and letting the cloth fall away, exposing his manhood but otherwise leaving him dressed in his wedding finery. “Perfect,” she growled.

She lowered herself onto him, bearing down like a thunderbolt out of a stormcloud, striking Clyde with enough force to make him gasp. HE would have sat up reflexively, but a powerful hand that covered half his torso forced him back down. With a lustful laugh Annie rolled her hips against his, keeping the rhythm fast and powerful so he couldn’t gather his thoughts or resist her.

“Oh gods,” he groaned, gritting his teeth and leaning back. It was like fighting a hurricane, each thrust of her hips battering against him one after the other and never letting him recover from each wave of bliss that rocked against the shores of his mind.

“Keep it together for me,” Annie moaned, “don’t finish just yet!”

Clyde summoned all of his willpower as the amazon’s strength came to bear on him. The striking blows of her lovemaking were each more pleasurable than the last, and his fists gripped the sheets of the massive Amazon sized bed a mewling groan escaped his lips.

I don’t know whether I want you to break or last, Annie thought, laughing as she rode him even harder, rocking the solid bedposts and causing the mattress springs to sing a song with their creaking that would no doubt be heard throughout the castle.

“Shout my name!” Annie ordered.

“A-An-“ Clyde tried, his thoughts scattering.

“SAY IT!” Annie grunted, shuddering as her climax hit like a train, seizing her up over him.

“ANNIE!” Clyde shouted, bucking his hips feebly against the massive woman.

…

General Bartholomew Rathburn swirled his drink, staring at the stars as he sat on Palledia’s lap. The pair had retreated from the dying party to a vast veranda on the edge of the old castle, leaving whatever was left of the revelry to the young.

“It’s good to see you again,” Palledia smirked, running her fingers through his beard, “How’s the hip?”

“Strong as iron,” the general replied. “You know I brought Sir Clyde Orrick’s discharge papers,” he mused, patting his pocket as he leaned against the amazon. “Our government thinks he’ll do more good for us as the husband to a powerful noblewoman than as a cavalry officer.” He looked up at Palledia, “I’m still not sure if he’ll want to stay though…”

“ANNIE!” Clyde’s pleasured shout echoed down from the castle keep, audible all through the grounds.

Palledia and General Rathburn looked at one another a moment, then burst into laughter.

“I think Clyde has taken a liking to Amazon country,” Palledia said, panting as their mirth finally left.

“I can’t say I don’t sympathize,” the general sighed, “Gods, I wish to have met you twenty years ago…”

“Don’t get hung up on regrets General,” Palledia said with a smile, “We’ll have tonight.”

The pair stared up at the stars together, thinking on the future.

…

“Are you ready?” Svetlana panted, laying back on her bed and holding the tiny human before her wet and waiting pussy, glistening with arousal and ready to swallow him up.

“Absolutely,” he nodded, grinning.

Svetlana groaned as she pressed him inside herself, the motion of his tiny body against her inner folds sending shivers up her spine.

No crunch this time! She thought smugly as she forced him further in. She’d cast every spell she knew on him to prevent physical trauma.

In the dark nether regions of the elf Arturs began to squirm, causing her to roll over on the bed, crossing her legs and her eyes as she squealed in pleasure. The motion became more frenzied, and Svetlana gasped, nearly falling off the bed from the flurried hummingbird sensation between her legs.

“Oh wow,” she breathed, panting as her muscles went lax, “that was… amazing.” She grinned and looked down at her slit, “You did a great job Arturus!” There was no reply, and she frowned, “A-Arturus!?”

…

“YOU DROWNED THE IMPERIAL DIPLOMAT IN YOUR CUNT!?” Palledia roared, fighting the urge to strangle the elf.

“I managed to resuscitate him!” Svetlana protested weakly.

“I’m fine,” Arturus said, chuckling and hugging the elf close.

The group was waiting outside the estate, the Imperial delegation, along with several others, were preparing to leave. The imperial horses and carriages looked positively small before those of the Amazon nobility

“Can you two share a bed without causing a diplomatic incident!?” Palledia growled angrily.

“Relax Palledia,” General Rathburn said, limping with a crutch up to them, “We’ll leave it out of the report.”

“And what happened to him?” Svetlana asked smugly.

“Fell down the stairs,” Palledia and the general said at the same time.

“Hmm… those steep Amazon staircases,” the elf giggled, winking at a blushing Palledia, “we really should carve out some man sized ones.”

“Ah, Palledia, is my carriage ready?” Eudoxia called, walking towards the group with her husbands limp over her shoulders and a group of four amazon guards about her.

“It’s being pulled up next,” Palledia said with a frown, “Are the prince consorts… okay?”

“Oh them?” Eudoxia chuckled, jostling the pair of sleeping men, “They had a long night, weddings always get me so excited. Our royal wheelhouse has a mattress for them.”

“Good to hear,” Palledia said with a polite nod.

…

Clyde sighed, looking up at his recruits, each of them twice his own height, “Right,” he began, drawing his wooden practice blade, “the key to swordsmanship is-“

“Excuse me,” one of then snarled, “are we really going to let a man teach us swordplay?”

Clyde scowled and flourished the weapon, “Hit me girl, and I’ll turn the instruction over to you!”

The Amazon chuckled and walked forward, swiping downward with a strong, but slow and clumsy stroke. Clyde simply stepped out of the way, the next blow was more serious, and he angled his wooden sword, grunting with exertion as he forced the ten foot woman downward and into the dirt. With his hand behind his back he darted forward, slapping the girl hard across the cheek.

“If that was a mannish or lizard foe you’d be dead,” he snapped.

The girl glowered at him, rubbing her bruised cheek, but she slowly stood up, “Fine then,” she grumbled.

Clyde smiled, “As I was saying, the key to swordsmanship is…”

…

Annie stood at the top of her keep, watching the sun set over her sugar plantation. Palledia came to her side, her new eyepatch with the Ironshield emblem on it catching the pink twilight.

“Worried about things?” Palledia asked, leaning over the stonework watching the daylight fade. “I know I was when I inherited my fief…”

“No,” Annie said with a smile. “Whatever comes I’ll have my husband, the bravest knight I’ve ever known, my court mage, a great elven sorceress, and my steward…” She turned to Palledia, “A true Amazon.”

The pair embraced as the last of the light dipped below the horizon.

The End