Tom Carlyle breathed slowly, the ragged wet feeling of his wound sending daggers through his chest as he stumbled down the road. The gunshot had torn straight through the hide vest he wore, and the rest of the gang had scattered, leaving him for dead as the law had pursued him towards the Amazon Queendom’s border. His pistol was tight in his grip, his arm swaying as he scanned the jungle. He knew those things were tracking him, those gigantic lizards with the terrible clicking claws. He’d shot one already, and the rest chittered from the lush greenery, mocking him as they waited for his wound to take him.

Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead as he looked around at the alien landscape, realizing he should have never left the empire. The Queendom’s border was desolate, sparsely populated, the Amazon town he’d often heard rumors of was too far away to reach on foot for a man with his wounds, but it had been his only choice to escape the soldiers pursuing him. He’d die in the dirt on this road sooner or later, then he’d be dinner, a fitting end to a miserable life marked by banditry and scrabbling for survival.

He tumbled into the dirt, his vision fading. The lizards hissed happily and darted out of the brush, Tom couldn’t bring himself to care, and just stared with half dead eyes.

He breathed in excitedly as he saw a massive arrow, nearly as tall as he was, spear one of the creatures through the midsection. With an angry screech the rest fled as a massive hulk of a woman blocked out the little sun that broke through the trees.

A woman’s face leaned down to him, dark crimson hair framing a tanned face that would have been angelic if not for a small scar across her cheek.

She smiled, “Hey, just relax, I’m going to take care of you, okay? I’m Cassidy.”

“Tom,” he rasped as she helped him to his feet, “Tom… Cat.”

“Odd name,” Cassidy said, gently helping the foreigner hobble over to her horse, “cute though…”

In spite of his injuries Tom laughed, “n-not as cute as you,” he managed as the massive woman steadied him in front of her in his saddle. He blinked as she rested her massive chest on top of his head, “am I hallucinating, or are you… really big?”

“New to the Queendom are you, Tom?” Cassidy laughed, “hold on as best you can, I’m going to get you into town so the priestess can heal you up!” Her arms circled around him, holding him steady as the massive draft animal galloped them towards Rain’s End.

…

Cassidy groaned as she sat up in bed, a light headache a sign that she’d overindulged on wine the night before. She sighed as she looked out the window, realizing she’d need to get up and simply work through the misery.

Tom, she thought, remembering those early days when she’d first found him on that road, half dead… where did it all go so wrong?

…

Dirk rode the border of his father’s ranch in the Empire, admiring the way the cows crossed the vast fields towards the crisp clear water of the stream that separated them from their nearest neighbors. He whistled a tune under his breath as he enjoyed the paradise of his youth, a carefree place…

“So this is the Empire,” Cynthia said, startling him so badly he nearly fell off his horse. “I’ve got you!” she giggled, catching him as his horse seemed to vanish. She glanced over the prairie and frowned, “that grass looks awfully brown… and it’s so cold here!” she shivered.

“W-What are you doing here? You weren’t on my family farm growing up!” he protested.

“I’m practicing my dreamwalking,” Cynthia explained, “it’s a lot easier with someone you’ve been intimate with, so I hope it’s all right if I pop in while you’re sleeping sometimes.”

“Do I have a choice?” he asked skeptically.

Cynthia huffed, “look, you won’t even know I’m here most of the time, males probably spend all of their time dreaming about their favorite women so obviously I’d be in your sleep to begin with,” She looked around, “hey, where is Cora anyway?”

As if summoned by his subconscious a towering version of her appeared, “Hi Dirk,” she said, eagerly holding a collar and leash. The dream version of Cora was at least a foot taller than the real one, and was wearing a shining black corset and leather boots that came nearly up to her knees.

“Interesting,” Cynthia said, slowly lowering him to the ground, “see Dirk, this is your mind speaking to you, telling you what you want, as the person responsible for your spiritual welfare-“

“Dreams don’t mean anything,” Dirk protested, but he was undercut by Cora snapping the collar around his neck, pulling the leash and drawing him to her side.

“I disagree,” Cynthia laughed as a bed appeared in the middle of the vast field, “oh wow,” she said, her smile broadening, “if this goes much further Dirk, you’re going to have to change your bedsheets! You know the chastity cage could have prevented-“

…

Dirk blinked sleep out of his eyes, stretching and feeling the loose grip of Cora’s arms around him. He looked over at her and then out the window. For a moment he rolled his eyes and sighed, remembering the fleeting details of his dream. A part of him wondered if Cynthia was really visiting his dreams, or if he was simply dreaming about her, he was certainly still aroused…

He bit his lip and looked at Cora, still sleeping peacefully with a smile on her face. A devious idea struck him, and he slowly moved his way down her body and under the blanket. She stirred, and he paused, making sure he didn’t wake her. As usually she slept in her underwear, and he slowly slid her cotton panties down, staring at her womanhood as he prepared to wake the enormous woman in a more pleasant way than simply shaking her shoulder.

Cora felt a warmth between her legs, then the soft pleasant sensation of a man’s tongue. She groaned, arching her back and letting her powerful thighs close around the object of her desire, trapping him in place as her senses came into focus, pleasure rising in her lower extremities as the sunlight crept over the jungle trees outside.

“Mmm… keep going,” she murmured, still half asleep.

Her hips began to rock in time with the tongue between her legs, lightly at first, and then more forcefully. Her eyes shot open as she realized what was happening, and she grinned as her hand shot below the blanket, grabbing the back of Dirk’s head and grinding him roughly against her sex.

“Well good morning sunshine!” she groaned happily.

Beneath the blankets Dirk was quickly learning that teasing an Amazon awake in such a fashion was a lot like teasing a tiger with a slab of meat, and he’d just been pounced on. Her legs curled around his head, forcing his face deeper into her womanhood and cutting of his air as he struggled to bring her to climax. She moaned and squealed excitedly, her face a broad grin as she looked down the blanket at the small lump of Dirk’s had, moving in a rhythmic motion as he fought for breathe between her thighs.

“Yes!” she sighed, almost laughing as her climax came, grinding him as hard as she could against herself as Dirk was held in place for the final few moments of bliss. “Whew,” Cora said finally, releasing dirk from her vice-like thighs, “what a way to start the day!” she lifted the blanket, giggling at his dazed expression and glistening face, his hair was a little moist, and the smell of her womanhood billowed up from beneath the comforter. She bit her lip, taking in the sight of her man with a fresh layer of her juices on his face, wonderful, she giggled to herself, just wonderful!

“Glad you enjoyed it,” Dirk said, crawling up her and letting her muscular arm pull him close in an embrace against her chest.

“Any chance we could make that my regular wakeup call?” Cora asked, a devious grin on her face.

Dirk just laughed, “you wish, come on it’s time to get up.”

Cora groaned, stepping out of bed as Dirk walked into the privy to use the wash basin, Cora raised an eyebrow, “you’re washing up at the beginning of the day?”

“I don’t want to talk to Cassidy with my face smelling like your cunt,” Dirk replied, splashing water over himself. Cora gasped, then giggled. Dirk paused and looked at her, “What?”

“Sorry,” Cora said, biting her lip, “it’s just so… vulgar, to hear a man say that word.”

“Cunt?” Dirk asked, raising an eyebrow, “you’ve heard me swear before.”

“Yes but a man saying cunt is so much dirtier than a normal swear,” she giggled, “it’s the kind of language you hear down at the Silver Tongue.”

Dirk cocked an eyebrow, “you sure know a lot about what goes on in there for someone who’s never been,” he laughed, enjoying the huff and embarrassed expression the remark elicited, “if you love hearing men say cunt so much there are some laborers back in my country that would drive you wild.”

“Say you love my cunt,” Cora said suddenly, her voice breathy.

Dirk finished washing up and then put his hands on his hips, staring at her and making eye contact, “Cora, I absolutely fucking love your cunt, I can’t get enough of it, it’s the best cunt any man has ever had.” He was almost laughing at the last part, but from the lustful look Cora was giving him, she wasn’t in on the joke.

“Can we-“ she began, but he held up a hand.

“We really need to get up,” he said with a sigh, it was a tempting offer… “Tonight though,” he said with a grin.

…

“Do you want your hat?” Cora asked, taking it off the hook and offering it to him as they reached the farmhouse door.

“Not today,” he said with a sigh, instead opening a small storage closet and fishing out a white kitchen apron.

Cora’s eyes bulged, “No way… you’re going to-“

“Make breakfast for my girls,” he said, looking up and giving her a wink. “Start the day’s chores, then bring Cassidy up here when the sun’s all the way up.”

Cora nodded, then leaned down to kiss his cheek with a giggle, “I suppose I shouldn’t get used to it?” she said, admiring the sight of him as he tied the back of the apron.

“Damn right,” he growled as she walked out the door.

With a sigh he went to the kitchen, tossing a log under the stove and starting to light it. While it warmed the attached oven, he walked to a small shelf and pulled the leatherbound volume of his uncle’s recipes off of it. The cinnamon rolls had evidently been a favorite, going by the way the corner of the page was slightly frayed. A few notes were written in the sides, tips about potential substitutions.

Cinnamon can be replaced with clove, nutmeg, note: cardamon is a NO, made Cassidy sick, Amaya refused to eat-

He chuckled, thumbing through the book. It seemed that almost all of the recipes contained some amusing note or anecdote about his late Aunt, and more than a few included Cassidy. He glanced around the kitchen, and felt a little closer to the man.

They had a life here, he thought, they were happy… it made him think of his own parent’s ranch, and how his own adolescence had been cut short by brigands. He sighed and pulled a mixing bowl from the cupboard, no time to linger on the past, he told himself, there’s one part of that life still standing, and you need to ask her what happened.

The smell of baking pastries soon filled the kitchen.

…

“Dirk’s in an apron,” Cassidy asked skeptically as the pair walked to the farmhouse, “cooking us breakfast? Did he hit his head or did he mess up bad enough to earn another ribbon?”

“No ribbon,” Cora swore, “he just insisted.

“Well I’ll have to see this for mys-“ Cassidy paused sniffing the air. Cora looked at her with a raised eyebrow, but Cassidy ignored her, following the scent into the dining room.

“Breakfast is served,” Dirk said quietly, placing a tray of fine looking cinnamon rolls on the table as the two towering amazons looked on. He’d set out plates and silverware, and he climbed into his raised seat at the massive table while gesturing for the pair to eat.

Cora sat close to Dirk, and Cassidy slowly served herself one of the cinnamon rolls, then slowly, hesitantly, lowered her fork in. She raised it to her mouth, as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing, and then placed it in, chewing slowly.

She swallowed, and then looked up at Dirk and Cora, her face a mix of emotions, “they’re just like his,” she said softly.

“I got the recipe book from Tom when we visited him, odd that he’d have it,” Dirk said in a low voice. He looked down at his own plate, chewing his lip a moment before continuing, “Where were you the night my aunt and uncle died Cassidy?”

Cassidy’s eyes welled with tears, and shakily she put the fork down, the soft *clink* against the plate punctuated the silence just before she burst into sobs. Cora glanced at Dirk uncomfortably, but he just stared, letting the amazon cry while they looked on.

Finally she managed to collect herself, her eyes red as she sniffed, “I was…” her lip quivered, “I was with Tom, okay? At his ranch… I sometimes snuck off to spend the night with him.”

“Why?” Cora asked, stunned, “what business could you have-“

“I love him,” Cassidy said quietly. Seeing their looks she sighed, “I know what he’s like, he wanted this land even when your aunt and uncle owned it… and…” she took the hat off, Amaya’s hat, and fingered the rose trim a moment, “I loved your aunt and uncle too, they were my family… and I just hoped that maybe it would work out.”

“Cassidy, he’s manipulative, he uses women, he-“ Dirk started, but he was cut off as Cassidy groaned.

“I know what he’s like,” she growled, “I… I was with him when he first came to the Queendom, I protected him from the other women and helped him get on his feet, I saw him learn how things were here and I saw how he found ways of getting what he wanted… but he was never like that with me,” Cassidy wiped away another tear, “he always said he owed honesty to me, since I saved his life…”

“And did he send the people that killed Amaya and Markus?” Dirk asked, looking up at her impassively.

“He swears he didn’t,” Cassidy said, wiping her nose a final time, “but… I don’t know if I believe him.”

“So where were you the night his women loosed our aurochs?” Cora asked, crossing her arms.

“I was going to sneak to his place,” she admitted, “like I used to… but I lost my nerve, I came back and found you and all of the razor lizards… I did my best to help…” she sighed, “I suspect you’ll want my cabin’s keys after we’re done here? If it’s all right I’d like to finish this cinnamon roll… I never thought I’d taste these again.”

“Keep them and have a second helping,” Dirk said, giving her a small smile, “my aunt and uncle probably wouldn’t want you thrown out… and I don’t either.”

Cassidy blinked, then smiled, nodding, “O-Okay then…” she bit her lip and sniffed a final time, “goddess it feels good to get that all out…” she looked up at Dirk, “do you think Tom… do you think he did it?”

“I don’t know,” Dirk admitted with a sigh. He forced a smile, “I dirtied the whole kitchen figuring out how to make these things, let’s enjoy them.” With that he cut a piece of his cinnamon roll, enjoying the flavor as it melted in his mouth.

…

Things in the ranch settled into a routine, Dirk and his two Amazon ranch hands bringing the ranch fully up to peak operation. The work was hard, and the days were long, hot, and humid, sometimes Dirk could swear the very air was water as sweat made their clothes stick to them and the stink of the herd of aurochs hung in the air.

Rain was common that time of year, sometimes a pattering mist that went all day, sometimes a downpour lasting a quarter hour or less that felt as though someone had just dumped a bucket over a man’s head. The real problem with the rain was that it was never intense or long lasting enough to justify simply taking a day off from work, as he’d been used to in the more temperate climes of his parent’s farmstead.

For this reason, when the powerful thunderstorm finally arrived, a roiling thing that caused the trees to sway in a slow circular motion, Dirk was glad. He tried to fight a happy sigh as he looked out his bedroom window, watching the endless angry grey sky, holding a cup of warm coffee in his hand. He spied the soft glow of Cassidy’s cabin on the edge of the property, and raised his cup to her in a mock salute to their day off.

“So, what do you want to do since we can’t get any work done today?” Cora asked in a sultry voice.

He glanced back at her, then back to the window to hide his smirk, “I think I’ll try my uncle’s soda bread recipe…” he saw her frustrated growl in the reflection of the window and chuckled, teasing amazons was a dangerous game, but one too amusing to pass up when the opportunity struck. He sipped his coffee slowly, pretending not to notice that she was watching, just waiting for him to put the hot beverage down so she could throw him to the bed.

“The coffee here is so much better than it is at home,” he said, almost putting it down, and seeing Cora tense with a smile on her face, he brought it back to his lips, taking another sip. “I think it’s because it grows here, in the Empire we have to import it…”

“Put the damn cup down!” Cora snapped, startling herself, “I mean… uh, hey Dirk, come over here a second.”

“I’m just enjoying my coffee,” he said in a low, smug, tone, “it would be downright irresponsible to come over there and roughhouse with you while carrying something so hot in this fragile mug.” He took another long, loud, sip for emphasis.

Her nostrils flared and she stood up, walking across the bedroom and looming over him, her massive breasts hovering over his head as she licked her lips. He stood his ground, even as her footsteps rippled his coffee.

“Am I going to have to drag you to bed?” she asked in a teasing tone, “look outside Dirk, it’s raining aurochs and goldscales, this is a day made for spending in bed.” She thought a moment, then grinned, “what if… and this is another one that does not leave our bedroom, what if I let you be on top?”

Dirk’s ears perked, and he put the coffee cup down on a nearby nightstand immediately, “Done,” he said with a grin, reaching up to unbutton his shirt.

Cora grinned, following his lead, and soon she was naked, laying back in the bed and waiting for him. He climbed up onto the bed slowly, taking a moment to admire the landscape of Cora’s body, her massive breasts, the ridges of her abs, her thick thighs that had so often and so easily imprisoned him against her sex, a sex that was waiting for him, glistening as her hand came down, rubbing slowly.

“Well?” Cora teased, “come on Dirk, you’re always fighting to get up there, now show me what you wanted to do!”

“Just planning my attack,” he said, crawling up her body.

Cora bit her lip, “this isn’t such a bad idea, it’s nice to see you at a different angle…” she leered at his physique, admiring his own chest almost as much as he stared at hers, then letting her eyes trace downward to his manhood, hard, ready… She giggled as she saw where tufts of his blond hair had grown back around it, I wonder if he’d shave there again? She wondered; I’ll have to ask Cynthia if she could convince him…

Her thoughts were interrupted as he entered her, causing her to gasp as his small body mounted her own. She sighed, leaning back as Dirk thrust into her, folding her arms behind her. He was certainly a good size, by Amazon standards, and she bit her lip, stifling moans as he placed his hands on her sides for balance.

Give her your best or she’s always going to want to ride you, he thought, grunting as he gave her as much force as he could, driving into her with all of his might.

“That feels nice,” Cora sighed, enjoying the more relaxed, slower lovemaking than she was used to. She reached up and stroked his hair, enjoying the way his face contorted in exertion. “Come on, keep going!” she said, encouraging him.

Dirk’s teeth were gritted as he summoned more strength, driving at her with as much force as he could, spearing her with his manhood as sweat began to bead on his forehead. He was glad to see Cora arch her back, her fists gripping the bed slightly, but at the same time…

She’s enjoying herself, but this is a gentle lovemaking for her, he realized. He wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry, I’m giving this more effort than I’ve given any three women and she’s finding it relaxing…

“I’m almost there,” she panted, her hands coming up to his hips as he continued to thrust into her. She grinned and looked him in the eyes, “mind if I help you over the edge?”

He nodded, panting as he felt her grip on his hips tighten. Suddenly she was rocking his hips with her hands, groaning as she added her own strength to his. He winced slightly as she squeezed him, an animalist growl echoing from somewhere in her throat as she slammed his groin into her own in a fast, repeated motion that brought them both to climax, shouting in time with the thunder outside the window.

Dirk collapsed on top of her, panting with exhaustion, covered in sweat. Cora just hummed happily, letting her hands cup his firm bottom and hold him against her while she basked in the afterglow. Dirk looked at her pleadingly, desperate to see how he’d performed.

“I liked that,” Cora said with a nod and a smile, “it’s nice to let the man do the work for a change…”

“Y-Yeah,” Dirk breathed, feeling her hand come up and run through his hair.

…

Later in the afternoon the pair of them were in the living room, with a small fire going to push back the gloom of the thunder and rain outside. Dirk was at the table in his raised seat, taking the opportunity to finally look over the papers Cora had retrieved from the bank in detail. For her part Cora was relaxing in the rocking chair, reading over a military history of The Empire that had belong to Dirk’s uncle.

“Dirk,” she asked hesitantly, “what are cannons?”

“Think like my guns, but bigger,” he said, frowning as he looked through the loan documents.

“How big?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“They’re pulled by horses,” he explained, “they shoot pretty far, we use a lot of them because we don’t have as many mages as a lot of our enemies.” Cora nodded, intently studying the volume with renewed interest.

His eyes narrowed as he scanned the loan document, secured interest in land, in aurochs, and other equipment… the next line item gave him pause, digging equipment, thirty thousand thaler interest… He looked up, blinking in surprise, what kind of shovels cost thirty thousand thalers?

The door barged open suddenly, startling both of them. Cassidy trudged in, dripping wet as the wind blew around her and fought against her attempts to force the door closed. With a sigh she removed a soaked poncho she’d thrown on, and hung her hat on a hook on the wall.

“Thought I’d come see what you two were doing,” Cassidy said, “not much to do down there by myself…”

“Cassidy did my aunt and uncle ever have any plans to expand?” Dirk asked, “something they’d want to spend big money on?”

“How much?” Cassidy asked, “for a few thousand thalers we could probably hire the help to burn back some more jungle, the property you own actually extends about another mile west.” She thought a moment, “they did say something about putting more wells in out that way for water.”

“Wells?” Dirk asked curiously, “with how much rain and how many streams there are out here I’m not sure why they’d need them.”

“They bought some kind of dwarven digging machine for the job,” Cassidy said with a shrug, “it was your uncle’s idea, he sent for it and they even paid top coin to have it brought here over from the Empire.”

Dirk’s eyes went wide, “what did it look like?” he asked suspiciously.

“It was as tall as an Amazon and it had big wheels made out of some kind of black spongy stuff,” Cassidy said, flopping into a rocking chair across from Cora, “a big shovel on the front of it too. When they used it it stank, just belched this foul black smoke that would make the Aurochs all go to the other end of the pen, and I wanted to go with them. They dug that well out on the eastern fence with it, and I didn’t see it after that.”

“That’s a dwarven mining machine,” Dirk said, almost leaping out of his raised seat, “the cost to buy one… let alone have it brought here…” he shook his head in shock, “where is it now?”

Cassidy chewed her lip, “I uh… don’t really know, they didn’t keep it in the barn, and I never used it… maybe it’s still out in the uncleared patch out west?” She shrugged, “or the killers could’ve taken it, but I don’t see how you’d keep that thing hidden if anyone from town saw it, there’s nothing like it out here.”

Dirk looked outside at the storm, finally starting dissipate as the pitter patter of rain gave way to smooth waves of grey overhead. Slowly he slid out of his seat, walking to the window and looking out the window at the western edge of the property, where the jungle loomed overgrown and wild, still swaying in the high wind.

“We’re going out there as soon as the rain stops,” he decided.

…

The three of them trudged over the muddy ground towards the wall of greenery that separated their ranch from the wilds. The air was thick, humid, and surprisingly chilly as the storm moved out. Dirk felt the first shiver the wind had given him as he trudged along the edge, his feet making squishing sounds in the wet soil as he looked for a path.

“Do you really think they had some kind of path or something?” Cassidy asked uncertainly, “I never knew anything about it and I was working the ranch almost every day…”

“It wouldn’t have to be too large,” Dirk said, “just enough to wheel that thing to… wherever.” He sighed, “also Cassidy, I’m sure they knew about you and Tom, they weren’t fools… maybe they didn’t want you telling him something.”

Cassidy looked at the ground, but gave a sullen nod.

“Look here,” Cora said excitedly, pointing to patch of grass and shrubbery that, while overgrown, wasn’t nearly as tall or thick as that around it. She drew her sword and began hacking a small path for them, clearing the spindly jungle trees and drifting vines as he and Cora followed behind.

“Do we have to worry about razorlizards?” Dirk asked, resting a hand on his pistol and peering into the thick brush.

“Those things usually lay low for a while after it rains,” Cassidy said, “and with it being this cool they’d be so sluggish you could bop them over with your fists if you wanted.”

“They can’t handle a chill?” Dirk asked curiously, looking up at the grey clouds. There was a little nip to the air of course, but it would still be positively mild weather in many of the places he’d been in the Empire.

“Not even a little,” Cora said with a grin, “probably why most of your mannish realms don’t have them. Cynthia says it’s something in their blood, like they can’t keep it warm or something…”

They trekked another half hour through the dripping wet jungle, until finally the vegetation thinned a little. Dirk saw a number of trees that had clearly been cut down, and even a stack of logs, now overgrown with weeds and vines, laying as if in preparation for use. In the middle of this clearing stood a bronze machine covered in gears and pipes, a massive shovel affixed to the front of it. From the way grass grew around the thick black wheels it hadn’t been moved in some time.

“Well there’s your digging machine,” Cora said, looking at it, impressed, “how does it work?”

“It’ll burn things, wood, coal, spirits maybe,” Dirk explained, “then it…” he struggled for the words, he knew little about machinery, “it makes gears move and they move other gears, and it digs.”

“Sounds too complicated,” Cassidy muttered, “why not just use a normal shovel?”

“Trust me these things will put a dozen diggers to shame,” Dirk said, walking around it. He glanced a little further and saw a trio of massive pools of water, no pits, they were pits he realized, and they’d been filled with water by the rain. “What were they digging for out here?” he asked, walking over to them slowly. Cora and Cassidy followed him, and the three of them looked down into the murky pool.

The sun broke through the clouds then, the first sign of it since the storm had begun in the early morning. As the rays hit the water they penetrated through the silty water and caught something on the bottom of the pool, something that glimmered on contact with the bottom of the pits that the machine had been used to dig months prior.

Dirk felt his breath catch, and he blinked several times, making sure he was seeing what he thought he was seeing.

“I-Is that,” Cassidy started hesitantly.

“Cora, Cassidy,” Dirk said in a hushed voice, “that’s gold.”