Chapter 20:
Tearful Elation
The return trip across the desert was made far easier and much faster by Jubby. The jubilant girl swam just above the surface of the sand, the weary group awkwardly clinging to her back as her tongue gripped the top of her mouth, her naked breasts resting on her carapace as she chatted with them, her conversation focusing mostly on how great Martin was and what great sex they had.
Given that she was saving them days of weary travel they did their best to politely listen as she gushed about her new relationship with Martin and, surprisingly, Bask.
“And then they had sex again!” She finished telling them for the fourth time.
Even Ophelia’s smile was looking a little fixed by that point.
“So what now?” Nameless turned to Miranda.
The orphan really didn’t like this mode of travel, the blur of the sand moving past them was dizzying and he scrambled for something, anything, to distract from the motion.
“Well, given that you just made the most important discovery in a thousand years it seems we ought to tell someone. Don’t you think?”
He nodded. The shield was still strapped to his arm. He was reluctant to put it down, the golden heartstone at its center gleaming in the light. Kala glanced to it often, seemingly afraid it might disappear at any moment.
“So we go to Garland?”
“Yeah, I need to report on the arsenal anyways.”
He spent a few minutes in thought as Jubby chattered in the background.
“This changes everything doesn’t it?”
Miranda gave him an incredulous look.
“Ya think?!”
__________
The reaction of the Amazons of the Saenga tribe to the shield on Nameless’s arm was much the same as Kala’s had been. The patrol that spotted them was silent with awed reverence as they guided them back into the village.
“Truly you are Valkyrja , more so than any that have ever carried the title before you.” Alcaia managed to whisper as she used one shaking hand to caress the face of the shield he held before him.
Escrya was so emotional that some feared she might need to be taken away to recover herself. It was the teller’s duty to ensure that the Amazons never forgot the Valkyrie and their sacrifice, and she had to relive that loss with every telling.
Nameless doubted that he would ever really understand the implications of the shield on his arm to someone like her.
Eventually she stumbled to her knees in front of him, took his face in both hands and kissed him with such fierce hunger that he ended up flat on his back with her astride him. Her wet cheeks were pressed into his as her tongue invaded his mouth.
Milly pouted, Erica crossed her arms and Nina’s eyes narrowed as Nameless did his very best not to reciprocate the passionate kiss, though he couldn’t help his burgeoning erection.
She was an attractive girl and a really good kisser…
His heart was pounding when their lips eventually parted.
“When you were here before… you had our respect Valkyrja , now you have our eternal love. I have no doubt our daughters will forever speak of you with reverence. Were you not already claimed, I would take you this very moment.”
Her pale blue eyes were locked on his, her hands holding his face in place as her thumbs wiped her tears off of his cheeks.
“Yeah, too bad about that.” Erica said.
She was doing her best to keep the disapproval out of her voice, but was shocked when Escrya suddenly leapt off of him and grabbed her, kissing her with the same level of passion as she stood and pulled the smaller girl tight to her chest.
“Look, before this turns into a massive orgy with the poor little bastard getting squished by all the girls who want to bone him, I’m hungry.”
Nina’s eyes were on Alcaia as Escrya lifted Erica so her paws dangled off the ground.
Alcaia laughed and wiped tears from her face.
“Indeed, mighty Nina. And you will be fed this night, a grander feast the Saenga has never known! And as you can imagine, we are all eager to hear the story of how this miracle came to pass!”
The Amazons of the Saenga tribe took her words as an order and the gathered villagers began to prepare, beginning, unsurprisingly, with bathing their weary guests. The mood in the water was jubilant, laughter abounded, interspersed with the occasional bout of tears from the emotional Amazons as they celebrated the return of the Valkyrie.
The speculative looks that Nameless had received the first time he bathed with the Amazons would have been a welcome change to the looks he received now. They treated him, and by extension the girls bonded to him, with a veneration that he hardly felt he deserved.
Nina had tried to resist the Amazons again but they had learned from their previous encounter and a half dozen of them pounced on her at once. She didn’t want to hurt them by struggling too much, so she relinquished her grip on her hammer and was carried into the water and pampered and massaged to the point that even the taciturn Gigas relaxed.
Escrya bathed him along with two other girls, and despite the awkwardness of the situation he couldn’t help but unwind a bit as they rubbed their hands over his weary body.
She had regained her composure, though she couldn’t seem to stop smiling as she lathered up his chest and stomach, more than once drifting even lower and briefly soaping up his privates.
“Do not doubt, Valkyrja , my words from before. Should you desire it, I would claim you as my husband.” Her gaze was heated.
The Amazon working his right side laughed heartily.
“There is not an unbonded Amazon in the world that would not spread her legs for this one! Even those who are bonded would be willing. My own wife would likely give me a free pass with him if I asked her!”
“Do not be crass, Hila!” The Amazon on his other side chided.
They were older, and from what he gathered both were bonded, which is probably why they were bathing him instead of the unbonded girls, although Escrya seemed to be a special case.
It occurred to him that she may have some of the answers that he sought as she stood before him and lathered up his hair, his face closer than he was comfortable to her well-formed breasts.
“Um, E-Escrya?”
“Yes Valkyrja ?”
She laughed suddenly as she said the word.
“Sisters! The highest compliment we have is almost inadequate for this man!”
There was a chorus of laughter around them.
“But forgive me, you were going to ask me something?”
She settled back into the water, pulling her breasts out of his face. He nodded slowly as all of the burning questions in his mind came out at once.
“Do you know why I am able to carry her shield? And do you know why she is a shield? Or how she survived for a thousand years underground? And how could she have bonded with me if I never touched her stone?”
The words came out in a rush.
Escrya blinked a few times.
“I don’t know if I can answer all of your questions, only she could, I think. But one mystery at least I can solve for you.”
He nodded as she massaged his neck, holding him just a bit too close.
“The Valkyrie were… nay... they are warriors but they are also one of the spirit breeds. Their own legends say that their goddess gave her life to birth them into this world and her divine essence suffused their beings. Just as the primordial spirits epitomize their elements, so too do the Valkyrie epitomize their goddess’s nature.”
He was silent, as were most of the bathers within earshot.
“This essence is where their divine powers come from, and it is not easily extinguished. But just as the other spirit breeds, their corporeal forms can be killed. She likely used the power of the divine essence within herself to transfer her spirit into her shield, abandoning her body before it died. I have heard legends that the Valkyrie had the power to do this, but it wasn’t something they did lightly. The primordial spirits are much more changeable, shifting back and forth nearly at will. But for the spirits of the aether a change like this would likely be irreversible… and, well, a shield cannot wield itself!”
She shook her head sadly.
“I think perhaps they would prefer to die and look upon the face of their goddess, rather than trap themselves in such a state. Though she will eventually diminish and perish, as the essence will inevitably burn itself out to keep her alive throughout the millennia.”
“So she is alive?”
“Very much so! Just look at the light of her heartstone! We had thought that the Aegis of old wielded the shield of a deceased Valkyrie, a final gift from our dearest friends. I suspect now that was not the case. As for why you can carry her shield, well, in truth you cannot, she is carrying it for you. A Valkyrie’s spirit is unyielding, and by forging their shields with their heartstones they transfer that indomitability into them.”
His eyes widened as he looked to the shield that he had left propped against a large stone on the shore of the steamy bath. Amazons stood at attention all around it, forming a half circle facing outwards, protecting the treasured artifact while Alcaia herself knelt before it and burnished the ornate surface with oils from a bowl held aloft by a wide-eyed Amazon child.
It veritably gleamed now under her treatment.
“And your other question, how she bonded with you, I do not know. I have never heard of such a thing. In truth when you spoke of Volka and your quest I thought you might be mistaken about the bond. Forgive me for doubting you.”
He gave her a rueful smile.
“I doubt myself all the time. It would be pretty stupid to get upset when others do the same.”
Her answering smile was breathtaking and she leaned in to kiss him again, but stopped herself as she saw his other girls tense a bit.
“Forgive me sisters, I forgot myself for a moment.”
She tilted her head towards Milly and the others, who were beginning to finish their own baths. All except Nina who floated on her back, blissed out as four Amazons used all of their strength to firmly massage each of her limbs, making up for the fact that she didn’t let them pamper her last time.
Not surprisingly Ophelia forgave her immediately as she stood on the shore and fluttered her wings to shed the water before lifting her arms to allow the Amazons to towel her naked body dry.
“That’s alright dear. I think we have some idea of just how important this is for you and your sisters.”
Alcaia had finished polishing the shield and now held her head low in a brief prayer towards it, after a moment she tilted her head back and opened her eyes as she spoke into the air.
“Indeed, and I suspect that it will fall to my daughter to devise the telling of this day. You are a humble man, but I fear that you will have to grow accustomed to being revered by my people. Truly it would help if you did take an Amazon to wife, if for no other reason than to keep the others at bay. You were very attractive as an Empath, but now… you are something beyond desirable.”
Miranda, who had been silent up to that point as she enjoyed her own massage, gave a snort, though the fit operative drew no small share of looks herself.
Alcaia stood up and then reached down to embrace the Amazon child to her hip.
“Remember this day, little one! And when you are older, tell all you know of the time that Nameless the Valkyrja and his companions brought the shield of Volka back into the world!”
The girl nodded earnestly.
“But come! I think that he is thoroughly bathed, Escrya! And I think it would be best to get the temptation of his touch away from you!”
The Amazons all laughed, while to his surprise Escrya blushed crimson at her mother’s words. Her and the other two girls led him out of the water and patted him dry with towels.
Thoroughly relaxed now, they soon feasted with the Saenga tribe once more.
The food provided was… excessive.
Their first meal with the Saenga had been more than generous and they had all eaten their fill, but now it was as if they were having two feasts at the same time, though thankfully no mention was made of the ambrosia draught.
“You journey to Garland?” Alcaia inquired of Miranda.
“Yeah, there was a major weapons cache under the sand and we need to contain it before it falls into the wrong hands. That and I think maybe I should tell my superiors that we found a flippin’ Valkyrie.”
Alcaia chuckled.
“Indeed you should. If you do not object I would like to send some of my warriors with you, at least until you reach the edge of the wilds, though many will want to go beyond, if you will allow it.”
Miranda shrugged.
“Yeah, I figured you would. Just try to leave somebody behind to mind the children.”
There was a chorus of laughter from those in earshot.
Myrina stood and turned to Alcaia.
“I will lead them Warleader, in penance for my foolish words against him, and to ensure that our people do not cause them over-much grief when entering the world of men.”
Alcaia nodded, trusting in the experienced Amazon’s judgement.
“Mother, I will go with them as well, if you will permit it.” Escrya spoke.
Her mother frowned, considering her daughter for a beat, before finally nodding. Her eyes shifted to Nameless; he wore an indulgent smile on his face as one of the younglings was playing with Milly’s braid around his neck.
“He has more wives than I have ever heard of, and rightly so! Just… don’t get your heart broken, daughter.”
The teller nodded seriously.
“I go to learn what I can of their journey, so that one day I may pass it on to the children who come after. My stone is bright, and I will keep it close. Unless he asks, I will not offer myself to him again.”
The serious conversation was cut short by a squealing giggle as Nameless abruptly tickled the adolescent Amazon in front of him.
“Truly a day of joy.” Alcaia murmured.
As the light faded the younger children were taken to bed, the excitement of the day enough to tire even them. The older children were allowed to stay up as their elders ate and made merry around the fire. But soon enough eyes began drooping, Erica already slept, her head purring in his lap as he absently stroked her ears.
“What happens now?” He asked Alcaia.
Despite the late hour and the long day, he found that he wasn’t tired at all as he nursed a mug of tart fruit juice.
The older Amazon gave him a warm smile, her own bond-mate cuddled to her side and snoring softly. Nameless never did catch her name…
“Now you rest, beloved Valkyrja . You and yours are free to remain here for as long as you desire.”
“Er… no thanks. Not that your home isn’t lovely! It’s just…”
“Home is elsewhere, we understand. But home is far away, and you are all weary, I can see it. Your quest is complete, so rest amongst us or as long as you need.”
He turned to Miranda, only to discover that she was asleep as well, her head in Jan’s lap.
“I’m not, geeze, I’m not keeping everyone up am I?”
Myrina smiled from her place to Alcaia’s left.
“I doubt many of us will sleep this night.” She said wryly.
She and another Amazon were exchanging heated looks through the fire.
“Still, maybe I should turn in. This one, at least, needs her beauty sleep.”
He scratched Erica’s ear for emphasis.
“Yeah, because she is so ugly.” Nina nodded.
Nameless opened his mouth to object, but realized that he had phrased that poorly.
“I’ll take her Master.” Milly knelt beside him and pulled Erica into her arms.
The kitty gave a quiet meow but soon was purring softly into Milly’s cleavage. Many eyes were on them as they retired for the evening, and it was readily apparent that Alcaia had ordered guards posted at the entrance to their hut.
With the last of the Valkyrie inside, the Amazons were taking no chances.
As they settled inside, the sound of the Amazons still reveling around the fire and in their own huts was not enough to keep them from drifting off to sleep.