“Breathless on Reversa: a new enemy in a topsy-turvy world”
Washing the troubles of life away was not difficult aboard the Dauntless: each crew room had a small shower, and there were also several public baths if somebody wanted to socialize. By far the most popular was the open-air hot spring, which replicated its Japanese counterparts as accurately as possible. The only real difference was what one saw when they looked up through the clear ceiling: the heavens were bursting with life in spite of the black background (or what science might want people to think); the galaxy’s natural wonders almost seemed to vibrate with song and pageantry. For the longest time, researchers had insisted that this area was called space—that is, a vast emptiness stretching farther than the imagination could believe, cold and lifeless and ignorant of the struggles going on in the tiny islands of life. But the crew of the Dauntless, specifically those women entering the hot spring now, knew this black ocean as the ancients knew it, breathtaking and majestic, bursting with energy and burdened with carrying around small rocks we mortals call worlds, where life is truthfully the weakest! It was a humbling honor.
Valti Brignor was the first one in that day. Back on the penal colony where she had been imprisoned, showers were a weekly luxury, tepid and brief and without any privacy. She had personally never feared for herself as she was packed in with all those other women—she was one of those inmates people never crossed—but all the same, it was a degrading way to spend a few minutes. Here, though, one felt blanketed by the warmth, serenity, shamelessness, joy, and purity of the water. Disrobing was a virginal experience; submerging in that bubbling surface sent pleasant chills all the way to the scalp; floating in the water, listening to the tap-tap of the bamboo waterspout and the ambience of lapping water, one almost felt like never getting out. Too bad Kyrie wouldn’t set foot near this place! Valti really wanted her for company; they had bonded quite easily.
“Umm, hi.” She opened her eye (how easy it would be to fall asleep and drown here!) and saw a beautiful, bashful young woman standing petrified at the edge, clutching her towel protectively. Valti had to open her other eye to see who it was. The maiden looked like a timid fawn pausing before a lake: she had crystalline white hair that billowed like a sheet around her shoulders, eyes as sweet and green as grapes, a strong, feminine body that suited her lifestyle—and her relatively tall size—and a mark over her thin eyebrow, hinting that this lady had seen troubles before.
“Hey Becky!” Valti waved. “C’mon in! Don’t be shy!”
“Easy for you to say,” she muttered. Valti beamed and decided to make herself vulnerable for Rebecca’s sake. She stood up, exposing everything from the waist up.
“Come on, be an adult about it. I’m not like Chandra at all. You’ll regret it if you don’t come in here.”
“What do you m…oh, never mind.” Muttering, fidgeting, inching closer, and blushing a bit, Rebecca took her towel off and stepped into the water. Valti couldn’t help but stare and wonder what in the world this girl had to be so ashamed about. She was gorgeous!—and her snow-white mane made her look angelic (and that was her natural color!). She might just be unaccustomed to people—that’s what it seemed like. A shy bounty hunter… Well, Valti wanted to make sure she felt at peace, even around a six-armed freak like her!
“See? What’d I tell ya? Nothing wrong with sharing a nice hot bath with other people!”
“I guess,” she murmured, smiling feebly. “I…I’m just not used to it.”
“I figured as much. I don’t mean to fluster you; I just wanted some company. Actually, I’m glad you’re here, Becky.”
“You are?” Valti nodded and swam a little closer. She had an austere expression and seemed to be burdened by whatever was on her mind. True to her word, she did not ooze Chandra’s sexual charm or even Yenae’s flirty giddiness. Valti was a scientist first and foremost, and was probably less experienced with romance than even Rebecca herself.
“Yeah. I’d like to talk to you for awhile. I’ve got some questions.”
“Oh? Uh, you know I’ve stopped trying to hunt you down.”
“It’s not that…but thanks anyway! Although I will miss the flattering obsession.” She chuckled sweetly; Rebecca paled but tried her best to smile. That was probably the closest Valti ever got to actually flirting with anyone. “Anyway, about my question. Your last name’s Hill, right? H-I-L-L. Do you know a…Baker Hill, by any chance?”
“You could say that,” Rebecca said numbly. “Baker is my father’s name. He’s a fairly famous geneticist. Why, do you know him?”
“Uh, not really,” Valti said carefully. “I just heard of him. I figured Hill was a pretty common name, so I didn’t know you’d be related! Heheheh…” She giggled unconvincingly, which made Rebecca wonder just how many screws this professor had loose. But her sad, kind, wholesome face pierced through the eccentricity and she gazed at Rebecca like one would look at a long-lost sister. Valti was projecting love through the veil of a pained expression; Rebecca thought she was about ready to embrace her, for some unknown reason. She restrained herself in the end and smiled, laughing quietly and with complete control.
“Forget it. I was just curious. I bet it’s cool being the daughter of a famous doctor.”
“Not really. I kind of hate him. He ran out on mom and me when I was just a baby. I only know about him because mom won’t shut up about him. I can’t even tell if she still loves the guy or if she resents him. I’m not living in his shadow, though, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“No… And I’m glad you’re striking out on your own. Well, I better get out; my skin’s almost red. Take care, Becky—take very good care of yourself.” Again, Valti threw that melancholic, affectionate look at her, and as weird as it was, Rebecca didn’t think she was coming on to her. There was certainly love in those eyes, but it was a wounded, forlorn love, like a memory coming to surface whenever Rebecca was around. She clearly reminded Valti of somebody—perhaps she really did know her father—but she wouldn’t be able to figure out anything else that day.
……
“Reversa?” Kate looked up at Allegra’s excited face.
“Yup, Reversa! I heard there’s a heap o’ treasure there just ripe for the pickin’!”
“And where’d you hear that?”
“I picked up all kinds of stories wanderin’ around back on Earth,” she replied proudly. “Some people say that the world of Reversa is a barren, desolate wasteland, a natural guard against intruders like us, and since it’s such an impressive fortress, people’ve been saying there’s bound to be somethin’ good there!”
“And it never crossed your mind to question these unfounded rumors?”
“Don’t get ahead of me, darlin’. I’m as educated as the next lady. Like I said before, I don’t usually cast the rod unless I think there’s gonna be fish in the lake. The stories also say there’s this lonely castle in the middle of the desert, the last remains of the ruler of that world, and they also say he hid all his loot right there where nobody would find it.”
“So if these stories are so popular, what makes you think people haven’t tried finding these treasures?”
“I reckon they have, darlin’, but who among them came back to brag about it? Anyway, it’s worth a lil’ glance, and we don’t have nowhere else to be. I missed out on the last adventure cuz’ I was busy keepin’ people away from Naja’s place, and now I think I’m entitled to some fun!”
“It’s your call,” Kate shrugged, “but do you really want me to come along?”
“Sure! We’re friends, aren’t we?”
“But I barely know you.”
“All the more reason to go!” she exclaimed. Kate chuckled weakly—Allegra had a good point—and figured things would go much smoother if she went along with the gunslinger’s schemes. Now that people were taking advantage of the Tome of Treasures, there was a growing list of possible destinations to visit, and Dr. Miracle assigned herself the harsh task of prioritizing them. Allegra had requested a visit to Reversa not long after the adventure on Olria, and the only reason this was being put at the top of the list was that Reversa was so close.
“It really wouldn’t make sense for us to hop around the galaxy aimlessly,” Amy had insisted. Because she went by location and not the order which the request was made, this forced most of the crew to rethink their plans. In the meantime, Allegra and Kate were recruiting volunteers, but did not have much luck since not many people wanted to visit an uninhabited wasteland with only one landmark. Sharyn signed up enthusiastically, and Lyara decided to tag along as well, saying “it’s high time I did something on this cruise.” Amy wanted to go with them, but her foot was acting up and Fuuka was doing her best to control it.
“Do any of you know how Reversa got its name?” Lyara said. Kay and Tee were unable to land the ship due to the unavailability of level ground, so a shuttle had to descend instead. It might have been cramped in there with more people, but it was actually quite pleasant: everyone had her own space.
“I know little of the worlds outside New Avalon,” Sharyn admitted. “Gwen, perchance thou hast the knowledge?”
NO.
“T’was worth an attempt,” she sighed. Allegra smiled softly; she liked Sharyn a lot in spite of her strange choice of words. She had never seen a person with green skin before and felt it was a quality lacking in humanity.
“Allegra’s the one with all the stories,” Kate pointed. The gunslinger grinned as all eyes fell on her.
“I don’t know myself. The name comes from the word reverse, which means something that’s backwards or the other way around. Maybe that’s a clue. I guess we’ll find out in a second.” Teleah had guaranteed them all that it was safe to breathe Reversa’s atmosphere, but they still wore suits to filter out the billowing grit. The area they landed in was relatively calm, but it looked like a sandstorm was already gearing up. For as far as the eye could see, the world rolled and curved with sand dunes, worn-down rock formations, flat plains of gravel and pebble, and desolate soil, as hard and gray as stone. Like most deserts, the temperature would waver between two extremes—blasting heat during the day, chilling cold at night—and there was not a bit of shade or shelter to be found anywhere, except in the legendary castle, which was visible from their position.
“Is that it?” Kate whispered. Allegra was stunned for a moment. In spite of the heat, she felt incredibly cold.
“Could be.” The castle was suspended in the air, upside-down, clinging like a barnacle to a floating platform, its spires scraping against the shifting surface, its banners fluttering against the billowing sand. It was no larger than the ancient European castles of Gaia, but the fact that it hovered in the air, the entire construction turned on its end (reversed, in other words), was enough to justify the fantastic rumors Allegra had heard. But there was a scientific explanation for everything, and as the crew got back in their shuttle and headed towards the unnatural spectacle, they began forming theories.
“From my perspective, that appears to be an antigravity platform,” Lyara observed. “Now if the castle were on the other end, I could believe the way it floats. A device of that size and strength could easily lift an object that large and heavy into the air. But how is it hanging like that?”
“It’s stuck on there good,” Kate added. “I’d say there’s some adhesive keeping it place, but there’s nothing out there with that much strength. Maybe there’s a special force field that completely nullifies the force of gravity and renders the castle weightless. Antigravity disks have that built in anyway, so it’s not much of a stretch.”
“Methinks dark sorcery has its hand in this,” Sharyn muttered. “Lady van Landingham, what is your theory?”
“I’ll be darned if I know. If there’s no gravity there, that could work to our advantage. I’d hate to climb through that thing in the shape it’s in.” The shuttle penetrated the castle’s defenses without incident and latched onto the tallest tower. The height in which the castle hung was lesser than anticipated—a fall would be like jumping off the hull of the Dauntless onto soft sand—but even so, as the four women squeezed into the castle through an open window, they took great caution and made sure every step was safe. Sharyn shrieked once, but only because she had briefly confused her directions and had forgotten the spire sloped downward.
“Y’all right?” Allegra said as she helped her stand. Sharyn nodded; she looked greener than usual.
“Merely a slip of the foot. My thanks.”
“Don’t scare me like that. Awright, so how do we move around here?” Lyara shakily climbed up the spire and rattled a ladder that led to the upper (or was it the lower?) regions.
“Whoever constructed this aggravating fortress had some charity in their heart. But we should be careful. I sense that we’re not alone in here.”
“Art thou certain thou art not receiving our own thoughts?” Lyara nodded firmly.
“This emotion is all malice. In each of you I sense a goodness and honesty that sooths my spirit, but …there are devilish intentions out there. It’s far away, but who knows how long that will last.” She made her way up the ladder carefully, the others filing after—and so they began to climb and explore the Reverse Castle.
……
Not surprisingly, Sharyn proved to be an excellent guide as the four women picked their way through the upside-down castle. She seemed to have an innate knowledge of its construction and could tell which paths were safe to take and which led to dead-ends, or worse. It took awhile to get used to the bizarre construction, but except for the furniture stuck to the ceiling, the lamps shooting out of the floor, and doors that had to be climbed up to open, navigating the castle was fairly easy as long as the women had some ingenuity. Kate stacked items atop each other to reach high places, ladders were constructed, stools were improvised, and walls were either climbed or broken down. Gwen sometimes doubled as a scout if Sharyn felt uncertain about an opening or a passage, and Allegra provided the morale when the obstacles seemed too great.
Lyara, however, was on edge the whole time, keeping her senses attuned to the evil force she had felt earlier. Her edginess affected the others: they walked around with bated breath, whispering or gesturing to each other, jumping at the slightest noise and wearing themselves ragged. Confronting this danger would be simple enough if it had a material form, but waiting for it to strike, or trying to avoid it, was much more nerve-wracking. Fighting a tiger head-on and hunting for it are two very different experiences and one is vastly easier than the other. Kate muttered that they had been better off not knowing, but Sharyn insisted they couldn’t let the enemy get the drop on them.
“If it came down to being afraid and prepared, or innocent and vulnerable, I shall opt for the prior.”
“I understand your point, but this skulking around can’t be healthy for us. We’re too jumpy.”
“There is such thing as a sword that is too sharp,” she agreed. The group took a rest in an upside-down ballroom, complete with a piano on the ceiling and a chandelier rising from the floor (lit with candles that burned “down”). In spite of the eerie surroundings and the sinking feeling that they were all being watched by this invisible villain, the women tried to make the most out of their respite and shared a small picnic together.
“I must admit, I hath not seen its like in my lifetime. Ne’er mind how aught hangeth or riseth from floor and ceiling, whoever crafted this castle was certainly a loving master. If everything were in its proper place, its beauty could rival the moons.”
“It is a pretty nice castle,” said Allegra. “So Sharyn, tell me: do all y’all from Avalon talk in that flowery language, or is it just you knights in training?”
“Tis’ all, friend. I am no exception. Do you find my speech so extraordinary?”
“Surely you’ve noticed not everyone talks that way,” Lyara murmured.
“Aye, but how could I expect those from other worlds to share our culture—or aught else? T’would be like saying the goat ought to mimic the leopard simply because they share the same land. I think thine own speech is odd, Allegra, but certainly not unwelcome.”
“At least you’re open-minded,” the elf said with a smile.
“So what about your skin?” Allegra asked. “I mean, I’m not puttin’ it down or nothin’. I think it’s very becoming. Do all y’all…”
“Nay, but the majority does. I know not its origin. Seldom have I seen those with pink skin, like thine own, or those that are black and brown, such as Aseria and Chandra. But blue, purple, red, gold… I know not why the palates differ so.”
“The important thing is that you accept it and love it,” Lyara said. “But enough of this lame crap. It’s about time we get moving. I think our enemy’s close. That either means they’re onto us or we’re about ready to uncover the treasure.”
“I’m still a little tired,” Kate sighed, “and I’m experiencing vertigo.”
“A tough lil’ lady like you’ll survive!” Allegra laughed. Kate smiled shyly and stood up, thankful for the encouragement. She wasn’t used to people liking her and didn’t know how to carry herself. She didn’t know why Allegra could feel so at ease in her presence but it felt like she understood Kate on some level. Sharyn was also friendly to her; she realized she held a degree of popularity aboard the Dauntless. Well, she was not the strangest woman there.
Lyara was walking slower than normal, but everyone patiently waited for her and supported her. By now they all understood she could pick up emotions, and in order to figure out where this enemy was, she had to open up her senses like the sails of a ship and intercept the electronic waves that resulted from emotional distortion. But now she was breathing hard and grasping her forehead in pain, even when the going got easy. The team was either very close to this person or else their malice was so repugnant that it could affect Lyara this much. She had learned how to separate and silence these feelings early on, and this talent had saved her dozens of times during her old life as leader of the Night Hammers, but it was always a double-edged sword, a curse and a blessing coexisting with one another. It gave them all a degree of safety but it meant that all those sensations and feelings were swirling around in Lyara’s head, devouring her from the inside out, and it was only a matter of time until they burst.
“Art thou all right?” Sharyn gasped as she grabbed her arm. The elf suddenly lashed out at her, chomping her teeth like an animal.
“Stay away from me, you ugly fucker! I own this planet and everything on it! That makes you rotten bitches my slaves! What the hell’s the matter with you? If you don’t get off your fucking lazy asses right now and leave me alone, I’ll rip your fucking faces off and force you to eat them! What the hell are you staring at? Useless whiny mother-fuckers!” Lyara groaned all of a sudden and jumped back, hyperventilating noisily. Nobody dared approach her after hearing such a vulgar retort, but after a few moments, it became clear she had not been in her right mind. She stared at Sharyn in horror and revulsion, and whined as she fell to her knees.
“Forgive me, I’m sorry, I should’ve told you. Sometimes other people’s emotions affect me, too. They bleed over and overrule everything else I’m feeling. Please don’t hate me; I didn’t mean what I said. I just felt so…angry and desperate. Whoever this is, she’s incredibly wicked.”
“She?” Kate murmured, still recovering from the shock. Lyara nodded and mopped her face; the rag came out soaked with her sweat.
“It’s definitely a woman. Sharyn…please forgive me. I can’t help it.” Sharyn wanted to offer her love and forgiveness, but she had never been treated so despicably before, not even by her worst enemies. She didn’t know Lyara very well but she once felt like she could trust her. Despite her sharp tongue and elusive manner, she seemed like an honest, capable, even likeable person, with a level head and a leader’s stout heart. Those kinds of people are much harder to like or trust once you see their dark side: we as humans are quicker to judge the good more than the bad. Sharyn took a few breaths and bravely approached Lyara, clasping her hands and weeping over them.
“If thou art truly influenced by the feelings of others, then perhaps my humble efforts shall cure thee.” Lyara could indeed feel these fresh emotions wash over her, and sighed with relief and thanked her; she felt innocence, doubt, pride, and deep love all at once. A noise broke their silence that sent their skin shivering and their spirits perking: Allegra was loading her gun.
“It behooves me to avenge your honor in the fastest and most effective way possible. Who does this swamp witch think she is, fiddlin’ with a woman’s mind like that? I’ll punch a few holes through that head of hers, then we can watch all that evil seep out. Y’all with me?”
“I shall definitely be at thy side!” Sharyn exclaimed, drawing her sword quickly. She glared at Lyara with righteous anger and love, silently telling her just how committed she could become. “Thou art not to blame, friend! The scum that ails thee is what we must extinguish. We came seeking treasures but now must destroy a villain. Forgive me for ever doubting you!” She smiled hopefully; Lyara tried not to reveal how elated she was feeling. She normally had control, but if the emotions were powerful enough…
“What about you, sug?” Allegra said to Kate. “We didn’t come all this way just to turn back.” Shepherd snorted haughtily and crossed her arms.
“You have me confused for someone else. I never said we should turn back. Shame on you, Allegra!”
“Whoops, my bad! Well Lyara, ya ready to kick some kiester?”
“Need you ask?” she grinned, rising to her feet. “Now stop dragging your feet and follow me. We’ve wasted enough time psyching ourselves up. And hey…thanks for not running out on me. You’d all fit right in with the Night Hammers.” Her bluish-white hair billowed like a banner as she led the charge, Sharyn at her side. She could no longer use her emotional sensory to pinpoint the enemy for fear of being taken over again, but there’s more than one way to flush a rat out of hiding.
……
“If this castle truly be cast from that mold which is familiar to me, the royal treasury ought to be in the lower levels—erm, that would be the highest in this place. According to Gwen’s studies, we have surpassed the halfway mark and are almost directly above—um, below the vault. No other place could our foe reasonably hide.” This was Sharyn’s theory, for what it was worth, but it was something everyone believed implicitly. She had been correct about everything so far—it was as if this castle had been made in homage of all the ones she was familiar with—so there was no reason to doubt her now. She walked slightly ahead of Lyara and did not speak to her more than necessary; this caused her some grief but she didn’t complain. She was sure that Sharyn didn’t blame her for that uncontrollable outburst and forgave her; the matter was just too serious for small talk.
“I could smash these ceilings if you want me to,” Kate offered, knocking on the stone. “I mean, not with my bare hands, but…you know…if you had a blunt object…”
“Only one problem with that,” Lyara murmured carefully: “we don’t know what’s above us. Anything could come crashing down, even the treasure we’ve been looking for. I’m not even going to try and sense this bitch anymore, so you can scratch that idea.” Kate grimaced sheepishly and sulked away. Allegra hung back and offered a badly-needed smile.
“She ain’t mad at you, honey. She’s just cranky, that’s all.”
“No, don’t bother cheering me up. I wasn’t thinking. C’mon, they’re getting ahead of us.” She tried smiling for Allegra’s sake and pressed on. The gunslinger was starting to feel like a good friend, and Kate believed she could trust and like her to a degree. She decided to take the initiative and spoke to her while wandering through the reversed castle. “So how come you like me so much? I’m not exactly pretty and…let’s face it, I’m hardly ladylike.”
“Do I need a reason to like someone? Maybe it’s because I think you’re nice. You’re certainly not unattractive if that’s all you’re worried about. But maybe it’s because I can see something when I look at you. There’s a certain gleam that shows up in a person’s eye when they’ve been through a bad experience. A lil’ sliver of their purity goes away and they begin to show a harsh strength. I’ve got it too, so don’t you be thinkin’ you’re the only one. Here, see for yourself.” Allegra put her face in the light and widened her eyes. Kate blushed as she stared into their emerald depths—she was close enough to smell Allegra’s modest perfume—but she could see that telltale gleam and realized that behind Allegra’s charm, there was a dark, brooding, depressed woman crying out for help. It was nearly like looking at another part of herself.
“I kept track of all the people I’ve had to kill in my life. The number is a private secret, but needless to say, it’s quite high. You ever hear about people who carry around the ghosts of those they’ve taken? Let’s just say that that’s my curse too. It ain’t somethin’ I do for fun—a lady does not kill in cold blood—it’s more like an evil necessity. That’s why I was so relieved to hear we’d be fightin’ robots back on that book-planet. The worst part by far is that you usually can’t do much to wipe all that away, except keep tryin’ to do good. Sorry if it sounds like I’m ramblin’ or preachin’, but I’m your friend, hon—and you did ask.”
“Yeah.” Kate smiled at Allegra and clapped her on the shoulder. This moment of bonding would no doubt make them unlikely friends for life. But then something occurred to them both. “Uh, hey, why hasn’t Lyara yelled at us yet?”
“Oh my goodness, y’mean we’ve been sittin’ here cluckin’ all this time?! My gracious—we’re either lost or done for! Miss Lyara!! Miss Sharyn!! Y’all come outta hiding!”
“Lyara, Sharyn, where the hell are you?” Remorse and self-loathing washed over their skin as they foraged through the confusing castle, fearful that they had been left behind. The only good thing about being lost is that most of history’s greatest discoveries were made by accident or chance, and while they were stumbling around in that upside-down labyrinth, Allegra and Kate came across the treasure room (with rare jewels piled high above their heads), and the enemy they had been dreading all this time. Their fear lessened considerably as they got a good look at her: Allegra aimed her gun and Kate cracked her knuckles. Between the two of them, they could certainly take down one foe, no matter how evil they were.
The woman turned around to see who had interrupted, and she, too, was upside-down—clinging to the ceiling with her talons, her wings tucked against her back and her arms grabbing everything in sight. She looked like a harpy, that infamous bird-woman of myth that frustrates the living and torments the dead, but in truth she was related to the Avias race, a group of humanoids with wings who evolved from birds. Her chest was bared and she wore a tight-fitting skirt that was not affected by her hanging position. She leaped down from the ceiling and righted herself, standing no taller than her rivals. Her face was wild and twisted with madness, and her plumage glimmered blue, green, gold, and black, like a peacock’s. She snarled at the two and thrust a large lapis at them.
“Get the fuck out of here! This is my world and my treasure! If you’re intruding, you’re forfeiting all your rights to me! If you wanna live, load this shit up! Otherwise, I’ll skin you and tear out your fucking skeletons!”
“I guess we figured out where Lyara picked up that uncivilized language,” Allegra muttered. She fired at the monster but missed; the harpy was very fast and had already flown into the air, clutching jewels in her hands and talons. Allegra fired several warning shots and received a hailstorm of gold and diamonds in return.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” screeched their foe. “I told you this is my castle! Get the fuck out, bitches! Get outta here!”
“Shut up!” Kate picked up a gold plate and threw it like a discus. It grazed the harpy’s wing and sent her spiraling, but the woman pulled up and fluttered away, cursing frantically. Allegra fired three more rounds and ran after her, loading with fluid grace and speed. The harpy flew away from the treasure room and soared down to the upper tiers of the castle, tossing whatever she had handy. Kate knocked the larger pieces of debris away as Allegra returned fire, but they were in a narrow, winding space, and it was difficult to tag anything. The two women suddenly heard a piercing scream, cringed, and ran out to check up on it. When they arrived, they saw Sharyn and Lyara facing off against the harpy, who had been struck on the leg. Blood and feathers both rained down as Sharyn jumped in the air, slashing wildly, but the harpy always soared out of the way, and sometimes barreled back down to tackle into Sharyn. She tried ripping her apart with her talons, but they ineffective against her armor.
“You want treasure?! Then take it!!” Lyara threw a gold brick at the harpy and struck her right in the chest. The woman tumbled and fell, tossing and bouncing along the ground until she came to an unsteady halt. Allegra’s rifle, Sharyn’s sword, and Kate’s foot were all hovering overhead before she could mount a second attack. Lyara calmly dusted her hands and approached the fiend.
“Let’s see if you can respond to a civilized conversation. Who are you and why are you here?”
“This shitball doesn’t belong to anyone,” she murmured defensively. “I just came here for the god-fucking-damned treasure. For that matter, what the fuck are you all doing here?”
“The same reason,” Kate stated.
“Then leave me the hell alone! I haven’t done anything wrong! What the hell gives you the right to attack me like that when I haven’t done a god-damned thing wrong!?”
“You sounded mighty bloodthirsty back there,” Allegra gestured.
“Yeah, but I warned you, didn’t I? Just leave me the hell alone! God! I didn’t do anything wrong—and don’t tell me I’m a thief, cuz’ then you’ll just be a frickin’ hypocrite!”
“All right, give her some room,” Lyara sighed. It was odd hearing her say that, but since the bird-woman did have a point, the trio backed down and let her breathe. She climbed to her feet, glaring hatefully, her pride and her body wounded, naked chest heaving in pain. “What’s your name?” asked the elf.
“Breathless. What’s it to you?”
“Just curious. Breathless, take what you want and get out of here. You haven’t done anything wrong yet, but I’ll be watching you. We’re here for the treasure too, so don’t interfere with—“
“Hey, I saw this shit first, bitch! I laid claim to it and there’s not a god-damned thing you can do about it, so just step off! Don’t think I don’t know the law!”
“Technically, these prizes are the property of the castle’s owner,” Sharyn murmured.
“Who gives a shit?! That guy died eons ago, okay?! As far as I know, I own this fucking planet and you all trespassed! Now get the fuck out before I murder you!”
“I do not respond to threats well,” Sharyn warned her.
“I told you I don’t give a shit! What, you gonna draw on me? You gonna kill me just cuz’ I called you names? Huh? Get the fuck out of here!” Allegra suddenly fired at Breathless’s talons, forcing her to flap away.
“We ain’t the police, and we ain’t citizens, so don’t think we care about the law either. We can pluck you and roast you just cuz’ you’re a foul, deplorable creature, and the very stench of you offends me.”
“Okay, you asked for it!” Breathless charged at them all, crashing in like a torrential breeze, knocking them onto the ceiling. Allegra knew she was the only one who could stand up to this monster, but even though Breathless was rather on the evil side, she didn’t want to kill unnecessarily. She loaded her weapon with practice shells instead, and let loose with such ferocity that even Breathless was overcome. Two of the shots hit her previous injuries, one in the leg and the other against her bare chest, and the third struck her against the cheek as she was crashing down for a final attack. The impact between the two was so great that Breathless was sent hurtling back, breaking through a stained-glass window and down, down, down to the sandy surface. She recovered quickly, though, but decided that retreat would be the best option. She swore revenge as she flew back to her ship and dedicated the faces of her enemies into her memory.
……
Several hours later, the women returned to the Dauntless loaded with treasure. They only decided to take as much as they could individually carry, and heaped four armfuls of gold, jewels, and precious artifacts into their rooms. Amy told them that everyone could keep whatever they found—nothing more or less, unless someone was feeling charitable—and so most of the crew was now green with jealousy. There was no time to dwell on missed opportunities, though: the next destination was set and the ship was already sailing. Allegra took this time to treat Kate to a drink, while Lyara went for the sauna, hoping to scald her outburst away.
No doubt her fair skin would redden very quickly in this bubbling bath, but she wouldn’t be the first piebald elf out there. She tied her long bluish-white hair up, holding it with pins and long needles, and sank until the water reached her chin. Lyara stood up again, exposing everything above her hips, and tried to admire her impressive physique. Half a life of living on the street and leading a gang had honed her once-delicate body into a strong, sleek frame, but she also had several minor scars as permanent reminders of the tribulations she had been forced to suffer through. She knew it would take a long time to return to that innocent, wide-eyed young lady she had once been, but signing onto the Dauntless was a good start, and she could already sense a difference.
“May I join thee?” Lyara had been too busy staring into the water to notice someone approaching. Sharyn stood there at the edge, completely naked and a little shy, a towel in her arms and her red hair tied back. Nudity gave grace and prominence to her emerald skin, and a mixture of humility, self-doubt, and arrogant pride stirring in her spirit made her all the more intriguing. Lyara nodded silently and watched as Sharyn climbed in; she waded for a moment as she got used to the heat.
“It feels good,” she said. Lyara sighed and got straight to the point.
“You’re a little…afraid of me.” Sharyn looked away, neither confirming nor denying the observation—but Lyara knew it was true. Even though she had sworn to fight for her, and had probably forgiven her for something beyond her control, the young knight-errant was still quite apprehensive. Lyara sighed gloomily and waded closer. “I don’t want you to be afraid of me.”
“Nay,” Sharyn insisted quietly. She walked over to Lyara’s side and sunk down into the pool, covering her shoulders. “At least, not presently. I’m just…uncertain.”
“There’s that too,” Lyara confirmed. But there was also an interest there as well, and even…yes, no mistaking it now… There was even an attraction. Against all odds, Sharyn was drawn to Lyara. She chuckled softly and shook her head. “I’m sorry. It’s unfair of me to be doing this. I just wanted to know what was on your mind.”
“You needn’t use thy abilities to discern that,” she said, smiling cheerfully. She carefully put her hands around Lyara’s arm, drawing close until their bodies touched. “Thou hast only to inquire, and I shall reveal all. But prithee, friend, do not inquire too much!”
“I won’t.” Lyara smiled softly and combed her fingers through Sharyn’s hair. It had been a long time since she could trust somebody to get this close to her, but she could tell, even without her senses, that this woman was an honest soul. How long that honesty and purity would last, though, remained to be seen.
Preview of next chapter
Vimmy: We’re all aching for an adventure, we just need to find the right planet, there seems to be one in our near future, I heard it contains the rare Orihalcom, why that’s worth more than a ton of Lennethium, if we even chipped off a fleck of it, we’d be filthy rich, come on Mink, let’s go find that mineral!
Kyrie: But this is a freaking big world! Hey, I know! Let’s split up and turn this into a contest!
Kay: Must we?
Tee: There are already too many egomaniacs and prima donnas on board.
Kay: Yes, let’s not encourage them.
Tee: Hey Kyrie, that guy looks like he’s related to you!
Kyrie: That’s just Derian, a greasy, scummy, cowardly Red. G’hey, what’s he doing on this world?!
Vimmy: It seems one of our rivals is connected to Kyrie, this makes things much more interesting, the Orihalcom wouldn’t be worth anything if we got it too easily, but perhaps you should distract Derian while I grab the treasure, and we must all watch out for Fog Ninjas!
Kay: Those guys again?
Tee: They’re baaaa-aaaack!
Kyrie: All this and more in the next chapter, “A Great Divide: we split up for the sake of a treasure!” BURN, BABY, BURN!
Kay and Tee: She can be on Vimmy’s team!
Vimmy: Nuuuuuu!
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