Chapter 1:
Awakening
Adrian Shaw woke with a start, his eyes rolling as the violent ghost of his nightmare still haunted him.
“You talk in your sleep.” A woman’s throaty voice interrupted the chaos of his thoughts.
He swallowed a couple times to try to moisten his dry throat as he slowly became aware that he was safe; warm and cozy in Olena the Witch’s odd home in the woods.
She lived inside a truly massive cedar, the bark seeming to have simply parted and opened up for her as the flesh of the tree formed a large semi-circular room which she had then filled with a bed and several tables, all arranged around a central divot where a fire cheerily burned.
Strewn across the surface of the tables were countless mysterious bottles and vials, containing everything from sprigs of evergreen to the husk of a dead serpent. Numerous other containers hung from lengths of twine suspended from the bark of the dome-like ceiling alongside drying herbs, mushrooms and various animal bones.
At least, he hoped they were animal bones; he made a point of not studying the larger ones too closely.
With a grimace of pain he sat up, gripping his wounded arm as the tight skin around the injury strained with the movement.
“H-how long have I been out?” He rasped as he looked to the Witch.
She was standing near the fire in the middle of the circular room with her back to him, reaching above her head to tie a free length of twine around the neck of an opaque yellow bottle.
“A day and a half, this time. Five total. Your fever broke during the night.” She finished the last knot and turned to face him; “You’re lucky, the infection alone nearly killed you.”
He blinked in surprise, not from the news of his condition, but because she was topless, her shapely breasts swaying with her movements.
Her head tilted to one side as he averted his eyes.
“Ah yes. Humans and their modesty.”
She carelessly draped a shawl over her shoulders to cover her chest before bringing him a large bowl of steaming water, along with soap and a wash cloth.
“You smell. I kept your wounds clean so you wouldn’t die, but I am not a bed nurse. I will return.”
She dropped a couple more pieces of deadfall into the fire-pit sunk into the packed earthen floor before stepping towards the opening in the roots of the massive tree.
“Wait! The people that attacked me, we have to warn-”
“They are dead.”
He shook his head.
“No, there were more. Upriver, um, to the southeast?”
She smiled slightly.
“Close. The river flows from the northwest.” She crossed her arms; “How many?”
He swallowed, still trying to get past the rasp in his throat, but the memory of his bond-mate dying in front of him suddenly overtook him and he gasped. One hand gripped his stomach at the pain of her loss, and he shed a few tears as the Witch watched him with an indecipherable expression.
After a moment she sighed.
“I see. You did smell of mushroom blood. You were bonded to a Truffle?”
Wordlessly he nodded.
The fungal girls had a number of useful abilities that made them ideal for working with the ordinance disposal teams in the Aegis. They could hold as perfectly still as a Gnome, and move with such deliberate slowness that even the most unstable of explosives would be undisturbed.
They were also able to emit a cloud of spores that would knock out any human that inhaled it, but they mainly used it to gum up the workings of dangerous lost-tech machinery with fungal growth so that their human partners could safely dismantle them.
The Witch shifted her weight to one leg and pointed towards the door.
“And the ones who killed her are still out there?”
Her tone wasn’t unkind, simply matter of fact, he didn’t notice though as he remembered the day they were ambushed.
For a moment it was like he was there again, his heart pounding in his chest as his friends died all around him, as Cheri died right in front of him.
Finally he nodded as he rubbed at his eyes.
“There were dozens of them. Armed to the teeth.”
She pursed her lips.
“That is unfortunate, now I really need to leave.”
He glared at her.
“What, that’s it? Do you even care?” His words were bitter and angry.
“Yes, but there is a blizzard coming. And before it arrives I must go and inform the Saenga that there was a small army trespassing across their lands. I should have done so days ago, but if I had you would have died.”
“Oh.” He shifted uncomfortably; “Sorry.”
She tilted her head as she considered his words, her inscrutable features unsettling him before she finally spoke again.
“Your apology is unneeded. You are Aegis, and the Witches have not forgotten why you exist.”
With that she slipped out between the roots, leaving him blushing slightly at the slight rebuke behind her words.
As he looked to the cleaning supplies he noticed that she had also left some bread and broth for him by the bed. He held the bowl with shaky hands as he gulped it down, his stomach was pinched and knotted from hunger and he felt dizzy from the effort of sitting up, but the warm liquid eased his hunger pangs until the bread eliminated them.
Once he thought his meal had settled he tried to stand but his wounded leg screamed at him to sit back down and a wave of nausea overtook him.
Helplessly he slumped back into bed, the thought of bathing appealed to him greatly but he had no energy to do it. His eyes were scratchy and his head hurt from oversleeping but in his weakened state he was unable to keep himself from slipping back into a doze...
It was as if he blinked and the light level in the hollow tree decreased, a few hours having gone by in dreamless slumber.
And he was no longer alone: a towering blonde woman with rich blue eyes hovered over him. She was clad in a simple hide skirt and top, the ubiquitous outfit making what she was instantly recognizable.
He couldn’t help but feel a sense of security as the palpable strength of the Amazon filled the tree.
“You are Adrian?” She asked gently as her eyes flicked over the name stitched onto his dirty uniform folded next to the bed.
Only in that moment did he realize that he was stark naked under the blanket.
Her face was close enough that the sweet warmth of her breath washed over his cheek.
“Yes, I-”
He struggled to sit up, surprised when she helped him, but she held her hands on his shoulders to keep him from trying to stand.
“Stay, Olena-Elda has told me of your ordeal. I am Alcaia, warleader of the Saenga and I am so very sorry.”
He swallowed the lump in his throat as his eyes burned, but he didn’t want to get distracted.
“The... the bastards that killed my team, did you find them?”
A single tear traced down her cheek and her head turned away momentarily.
“We did worse. We held a feast in their honour.”
His shock was plain so she hurried to explain.
“Four days ago one of our hunting parties came upon them, they were dressed in Aegis uniforms.” Her jaw clenched; “We were expecting your arrival and they deceived us. We fed them, we bathed them, and I sent some of my warriors to guide them to the great Sansee.”
The muscles in her jaw didn’t relax, if anything her teeth came together tighter as she finished.
“We found their bodies mere hours ago, on the edge of our territory. The cowards killed them with cursed lost-tech.”
Her hands were still on his shoulders and he felt the strength of her grip, her anger apparent.
“Forgive me Adrian, but the Saenga have failed you. We are searching now for... the remains of your people. But I fear we may not find them before the snow falls.”
His throat squeezed tight at the thought of seeing Cheri again.
She sat down on the bed beside him, and he was somewhat embarrassed when she reached into the forgotten bowl of soapy water, now cool, and began to wash his naked side.
“We have to catch up to them, we have to-”
“At this point we will be unable to catch them before they reach the grasslands. That, and I’m afraid of how many of us would return if we did. It is best to battle against lost-tech when we have the cover of the woods on our side, the land to the east is simply too open, they would see us coming for miles.”
Adrian wiped the tears off his face and gave a grudging nod, unable to fault her logic.
“They are way too well armed and well informed to be some band of crooks, these people are professionals.”
“Yes, but they are still humans. They will fall for what they have done. Perhaps not tomorrow, and maybe not even for some time to come, but they will face our vengeance. On the life of my daughter, I swear it.” She finished with his side and wrung the cloth out; “Turn.”
The water was cold and his clean skin prickled with goose-bumps, though he barely noticed the chill as he flushed at his own helplessness, feeling like a child being bathed by his mother.
“I c-can’t, my leg.”
“Of course. My apologies. You deserve far better than cold water from a bowl anyways. Hila?” She called softly towards the entrance, past where Olena stood watching them.
A moment later another Amazon ducked into the tree from outside.
“Warleader?”
“Prepare a litter. We must get him to the village before the storm hits. Olena-Elda, thank you for bringing this to my attention.”
“Wait, I can-” Adrian began weakly but the other Amazon was already outside again.
Meanwhile the Witch addressed the warleader.
“Alcaia, you are stubborn. Ask for my help.”
The mighty Amazon shook her head with resolve.
“No, we failed in our pledge to Aegis Holt to safeguard her people, we must make this right ourselves.”
The dark-haired woman sighed, showing some slight frustration.
“How many more warriors are you willing to lose?”
At the Witch’s words Alcaia looked ready to chew iron but Adrian spoke over her.
“If she won’t ask then I will!”
The startled monster girls looked to the wounded man, in his annoyance he had managed to get to his feet, though he was more than a little unsteady while struggling to keep the blanket around his waist.
He looked between the two women.
“These men are wielding lost-tech weapons, in direct violation of Aegis law! As the only member of the Aegis present, I am hereby invoking the charter.”
Alcaia blinked.
The Aegis charter, as agreed to by pretty much every monster girl tribe, stated that whenever someone violated its tenants, the Aegis would be the ultimate authority for dealing with them. Essentially it allowed for them to step in and take command of any organized group of monster girls involved in a given incident.
It wasn’t invoked lightly, and certainly not by someone in Adrian’s position, but he still technically held the authority.
Determination alone wasn’t enough to keep the weakened man on his feet however, and a moment later Alcaia was holding him from one side as his wounded leg buckled, her powerful arms more than up to the task of supporting him.
“You would master us, human?” The warleader’s voice was neutral.
The human swallowed bile, his nausea back in full force, but his words were steady when he replied.
“To stop the men that killed my team, and to uphold the law, yes.” He turned to the raven-haired Witch; “Miss Olena, I’m asking you to please assist myself and the Saenga in this matter.”
She smirked at being called ‘Miss’, but didn’t say anything.
Alcaia nodded slowly.
“Very well, then we will return to our village and decide on the proper course of action. The warriors of the Saenga are at your disposal... Aegis.”
“I will need to gather some things, and to see to Franklyn.” The Witch, still wearing her smile, said.
The mighty Amazon frowned.
“I wish you would allow us kill that beast, Elda.”
“What beast?” Adrian asked in concern.
The two women ignored him though as they continued the conversation, Olena shaking her head at Alcaia’s request.
“He is my responsibility, the price the Dryads extracted for my home. Besides, he’s not that bad.”
“He tried to eat me not ten minutes ago.” Complained Hila as she stepped back inside.
Olena looked her up and down, before winking deliberately.
“He was being affectionate.”
“What beast?” Adrian repeated insistently.
He still didn’t get an answer as Hila rolled her eyes and looked to Alcaia.
“The litter is ready Warleader.”
Alcaia nodded.
“Good, we leave at once. Evening is drawing to a close. We must get our guest settled for the night before the snow falls. Then I will gather the elders and see to our fallen.”
Once again Adrian felt like a child as they left him out of the conversation, and even more so when the Amazons carefully bundled him up and carried him out of the Witch’s home into the chill air outside, doing their best not to jostle his injuries.
Once they were sure he was settled in the improvised litter, they left quickly, an Amazon on either end carrying him swiftly through the trees.
“What beast were they talking about?” He asked as they loped along.
Rather than out of curiosity, mostly he spoke to distract himself from the cold and the nausea brought on by the rapid pace.
One of the Amazons carrying him looked down for a moment before explaining.
“Olena-Elda tends to the needs of a Man-eater just to the east of her tree.”
He almost sat up in shock.
“You’re not serious!”
“I am. It is well beyond our territory, so it is no threat to us, but how she can sleep at night with it so near I will never know.”
“Never mind her! I want to know how Jonas managed to come of age without being consumed by it!” The Amazon carrying the front of the litter threw back over her shoulder.
“Jonas?”
The Amazon above his head answered.
“Her adopted son. A gifted alchemist. He visits often, or... he did.” She sighed heavily; “His child succumbed to wasting sickness, and his wife to madness shortly thereafter. Please Aegis, do not bring him up with Olena-Elda. She hides it well, but she must be in terrible pain.”
“Of course.” He murmured.
Of all of the ills ever to plague the human race, wasting sickness was commonly thought to be the worst. Some called it a plague unleashed during the war, others a punishment from the gods for sins long forgotten.
To witness one’s child die of it... the thought brought Adrian’s mind back to his own grief and he closed his eyes as tears made them sting.
“Please bear with the pain for a short while longer, Aegis. We will tend to you once we reach the village.” The woman above his head promised, mistaking his sudden distress as being from his injuries.
Regaining control of his emotions he nodded at her, not trusting himself to speak yet.
Even blunted by the trees the wind had picked up to the point that he felt it on his cheeks, while enormous flakes of snow were tossed about between the massive cedars, inevitably finding the ground.
The storm was in full swing and night had long since fallen by the time he was carried into the center of the Saenga village. Fortunately the cliff that the village abutted sheltered them from the worst of the wind, though lazy flakes of snow still found their way down to melt into the hot springs against its base.
Armed Amazons were all around, their faces angry from the fresh grief of their slain sisters, though they were nothing but courteous to him.
Alcaia gave a few orders that sent warriors sprinting off to see them carried out, then she turned back to his litter.
“Olena-Elda gave instructions regarding your wounds, but you still need a proper bath.” He was shivering violently now, and she offered a small smile at the sight of him; “Our hot springs will drive the chill from your bones. I will see to it personally.”
He sat up as best he could and tried to protest between chattering teeth, but she pressed him back down.
How she and the others weren’t freezing their perfect asses off in the night’s chill he didn’t know, seeing as not a one of them wore more than Alcaia did, short skirts, scanty tops and simple sandals.
“As I said before, we failed you and it is up to us to make this right. Please allow me to tend to your needs.”
He gave up at that point, realizing that she wouldn’t accept no for an answer.
“I will help you, Wife.” A soft voice said from behind her.
Alcaia turned to face a human woman wrapped in a thick blanket and greeted her with a quick embrace.
“Thank you, my love. Adrian, this is my bond-mate, Maia.”
The slight woman stood in stark contrast to the towering Amazon at her side, she was quiet, but had a warm smile and kind eyes.
The bath that followed would have been a sexual fantasy to most men, but at first Adrian was just glad to be out of the cold when Alcaia lowered him into the water of the hot spring.
Even the stinging pain from his shoulder and leg in the water couldn’t dampen the simple pleasure of the hot bath and he groaned at the warm relief enveloping him.
He had never bathed outdoors during a snowstorm before, the juxtaposition of the cold air and the hot water was surprisingly delightful.
Adrian was so enamoured with watching the enormous snowflakes meet their end in the steamy water that he didn’t even notice when the Amazon and her bond-mate stripped off their own clothing, though he certainly noticed when they began to carefully wash him.
He opened his mouth to protest again, but the memory of similar baths from his past suddenly burst into his mind and caused his throat to close with grief.
Cheri loved bathing with him, and he with her.
Even the feeling of the two beautiful women’s breasts rubbing against his shoulders couldn’t pull him out of his memories and they stayed mercifully silent as he dealt with his grief.
After his spate of helpless tears subsided they finished the bath and brought him back into the village wrapped in a thick blanket and fed him a hot meal by a warm fire, by which point he was nodding over his plate.
Soon he found himself freshly bandaged and in a bed that smelled faintly of one of the Amazons, one who had obviously taken the time to warm it with her own body.
Alcaia’s eyes reflected dimly in the faint light of the moon as she spoke to him from the doorway, her voice soothing and kindly.
“We have much to do, but not this night. Rest, Aegis. Set aside tomorrow’s worries for now and find the peace of slumber.”
Amazingly, mercifully, he did.