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.