There is no night and day in space, only meaningless time and clocks kept around to observe the immeasurable hours. Out of a lifelong adherence to the rituals of slumber, most of the crew chose the later hours to rest, but many were just as free to sleep during the “day”, while others crashed at random intervals, never knowing when they might be jolted awake or knocked out. The majority of the crew was in their rooms, snoozing or getting ready to, and the ship was relatively quiet: the Space Race and the events following it had tuckered everybody out. The Acheron twins had put the Dauntless on autopilot, choosing a long, barren course to coast their vessel through until they woke up or somebody chose to assume control (usually someone assertive, like Naja or Aseria). Things were generally at peace for the moment. Nothing was going on and the crew was glad to have it that way.
Rachel the Ifritah was the only person onboard who did not require sleep, and while she did take rests, it was more of an action she performed than a necessity: it was like cooking, or climbing stairs for her. She was removed from her activity by a strange force, as if a fellow macro-organism was tugging her skin. She sat up refreshed, flew down from Amy’s ceiling, and hovered in the air as she meditated on this development. What happened next was odd, but you must remember that this is a Jinniyah, and they as unstable and unpredictable as all the legends claim.
She shouted out loud—not in a particularly painful voice, for Amy was jolted and not deafened—waking the entire crew, regardless of their nocturnal condition. No degree of chaos or order could protect anyone as Rachel inhaled sharply, threw her limbs out, lit up with white fire, and painlessly removed every living creature from the Dauntless as it floated through the depths of the heavens. The unusual effects of this freak occurrence knocked everyone unconscious.
Aseria Tolan was the first to wake from the darkness. She felt groggy and lightheaded, and was sporting a mild headache, but she usually felt that way after coming out of slumber, especially if her night had been wild. She wasn’t injured, which seemed remarkable after everything she had been put through, but she was also no longer aboard the Dauntless. The ground beneath her was flat, dry, dusty, and barren, and she jumped with a start as it dawned on her that she had been thrust onto an alien world. As she squinted in the midday sun, she noticed she was not the only victim of Rachel’s mischief: Allegra had been thrown here with her, and she was beginning to wake as well. But that was the extent of her blessings. Aside from this charming, mysterious woman who was a virtual stranger to her, Aseria had no other company: indeed, not a soul could be seen for miles. She realized, with a sinking stomach, that she was lost on a strange world, and would have to survive in the wilderness until her companions came to find her.
Voyage of the “Dauntless”
VOLUME FIVE: IN SEARCH OF FRIENDS
“Separated and Lost on a Strange World: oh no!”
“Well I’ll be hornswaggled,” Allegra sighed as Aseria explained what had happened—or at least what she could gather. According to her testimony, Rachel must’ve suddenly gone berserk, and the uncontrollable surge of power that shot out of her being sent the crew plummeting into this strange world. Aseria had scouted the horizon while Allegra came to, but found nothing save a desolate, lonely savanna, though there was plenty of evidence that life could exist on this world, if it couldn’t thrive. Tough, thistly bushes were grouped in uneven clusters, and scraggly trees broke through the flat land to provide distant shade and fruit. Allegra’s eyes could only see so far, but Aseria spotted a mountain in the far distance, and she also noticed a herd of animals galloping several kilometers away. It was still and dull in the immediate vicinity, though, and not even Aseria could sense her allies, not even when she attempted to call forth Sindarin magic.
“It certainly beats the desert,” Allegra commented, taking a moment to observe her feral surroundings. “It’s not half-bad out here, y’know. I could do for a nice drink and a bath, but all things considered, we got off lucky.”
“Do you really call this situation ‘lucky’?” Aseria asked bitterly. “We’re lost on an alien world, there’s no sign of our friends, there’s no food or water anywhere, we’re exposed to the elements out here in the open, there’s probably a hundred savage animals roaming around, Iluvatar only knows which planet we’ve been sent to, and—before I forget—our ship may be on the other side of the universe for all we know! How can you call this ‘lucky’?!”
“Because we ain’t dead, that’s why,” Allegra huffed, backing down from the infuriated elf. “And if you’d just hold your horses, I could prob’ly fix half o’ those worries in a jiff. Land sakes, you sure are uppity for an elf! I thought all you people were in touch with nature or something.”
“Nature and a civilization that forms a symbiotic, respectful relationship with it,” she corrected stiffly. She gestured towards the veldt and turned purple with anger. “But this isn’t nature or civilization! It’s just a lot of dead nothing as far as the eye can see! And to make things worse, as far as I know, we might be the only people on this whole planet! Our friends—“
“If that’s so, then we’re definitely in luck,” Allegra replied enthusiastically. “That means they’re either back at the Dauntless, scratchin’ their heads and wonderin’ what happened to us, or they’ve been thrown to a world where they can find a spaceport. Lord have mercy, woman, if you’d just stop fussin’ for two seconds, you’d be a much happier person!”
“This coming from the brooding gunslinger.”
“I don’t have time to brood now,” Allegra replied as she searched her person. Spending several years as a drifter on Earth gave rise to several practices that were now coming in handy: she had carried a knapsack with her when she went to bed, out of habit, and now that sack was still with her, along with her trademark Whitworth rifle and enough ammunition to last for half a month. She completely emptied it and separated the items into categories, muttering to herself as Aseria watched keenly. Among Allegra’s belongings were a flint and tinder, a compass, a pocket-watch, a hammer and nails, a hatchet, a Swiss army knife, a few flares, binoculars, a compact mirror, a skillet and fork, a blanket, some rations, and equipment to extract juice from cacti. Aseria didn’t want to admit it, but she was impressed.
“Looks like we’re in business!” exclaimed the gunslinger. She split one of her ration bars in half and gave a piece to Aseria. “We’d better eat now, since there’s no telling when we’ll have the chance.”
“Thank you,” she murmured. The bar was tasteless but fulfilling, not unlike Sindarin waybread. “You’re right. Our first course of action should be to find some food, and water to go
with it.”
“Look for fruits first,” Allegra instructed. “The juice’ll hold us if we can’t find water right away. I can cook just about anything, and I’ve got my gun for huntin’. I’m really more worried about findin’ the others, if any of em’ came with us.”
“You should leave that part to me,” Aseria stated quietly as she sat back down. She didn’t like the state of affairs she was in, or even the company, but she could adjust, given the situation. She would just have to force herself to get along with Allegra until they could get some help. After finding a suitable place to recline, Aseria arched her head back, unbuttoned her shirt, and cast it aside, exposing her beautiful black skin. Allegra stared questionably as she also removed a white choker Lillianne had given her, and the brassiere that concealed her bosom. She blushed modestly and focused on her work, but couldn’t help asking questions.
“Um, pardon me for askin’ a potentially stupid question, but what in Sam Hill are you doing? I hope you aren’t thinkin’ of gettin’ a tan, especially with your complexion!”
“No, of course not, don’t be ridiculous,” she stated sharply. Aseria was now unfastening her ceremonial belt, and wriggled out of her dress like a snake shedding its skin. Her stockings and shoes came off next, exposing twelve cute toes (all elves have one more digit than humans do, including Lyara), and soon there was nothing left but her panties, which followed suit after a bit of struggle. Sweat was trickling down Aseria’s obsidian body, but fear of overheating wasn’t the reason why she had stripped down.
“I need to absorb the sun’s energy in order to perform the correct spells,” she explained, giving Allegra a professional stare. “Tell me, how much do you know about magic?”
“Just what I saw at the carnival.”
“Then I’ll try and make this lesson easy to digest. Elves such as the Valar and the Sindar—that is, the races that Lyara and I belong to—can control the Arcanum to their will, providing they have a sufficient external and internal source. In other words, if I wanted to cast a spell to guide our friends to our location, which is what I’m preparing for, I would have two basic options in terms of drawing the necessary energy: I could either use my own life-force, which would be a bad idea in our situation, or I could borrow some from the elements and infuse myself with it. Since I’ve deduced that the best way to attract our comrades would be to cast several large light spells at intervals of, say, every hour or so, I’m going to need to infuse myself with the sun’s light. Does that make sense?”
“Sorta,” Allegra paled. “So what you’re saying is that you’re kinda like a solar-powered magician, right?”
“No, you misinterpreted my meaning. Casting a water spell would be easy, since my body’s composition is mostly water anyway, but casting several consecutively would mean I would have to infuse myself with that element—like bathing or drinking. Starting a little fire would also be simple, since I could just use my own body heat, but producing a massive blaze would mean…well, ‘befriending’ Kyrie Lastgear. Oh, don’t give me that look; it’s very simple once you understand. If you’re uncomfortable with my body, I promise I’ll get dressed around dusk.”
“Not like I’ve never seen a naked woman before,” she muttered. “Although I will admit, that color of yours is unusual. I mean, not that it’s bad or nothin’—shoot, I think you and Sharyn both look mighty fine. Anyway, I’m babblin’, and I’m also hungry. I’ll get a fire going soon, then I’ll go out and hunt. Can I trust you to stay here and keep watch over my things?” Aseria raised a thin, pale sapphire eyebrow.
“I don’t have to be still to absorb the sunlight, if that’s what you mean—or is it that you
don’t trust me? I’m not a thief, Allegra.”
“I didn’t mean it like that, either!” she insisted. “I’m just worried that if we leave this place unattended, we’ll never find it again, and I can’t lug all this stuff around while I’m huntin’.”
“Point taken,” Aseria smiled. “I’ll stay here and keep watch over things. Here, take the watch with you at least, and come back here in two hours. If I don’t see you, I’ll throw a little light in the air, and if I still don’t see you, I’ll probably have to avenge you.” Allegra grinned and slapped Aseria’s naked shoulder.
“Aw, shoot, that’s mighty sweet of ya, but don’t you underestimate me! Remember, you were mouthin’ off like a lil’ city girl when we first got here! It’s you that might need avenging.”
“I’m not as delicate as I look,” she vowed. The two women smiled at each other one more time before Allegra wandered off, hoping that they could ride this trial through safely.
……
Allegra van Landingham had plenty of time to think as she wandered around in search of game. Back home on Earth, she was usually trapped by her own thoughts as she drifted from town to town, trying to stay one step ahead of the law—the prey escaping predators, now turned predator herself. Back then, she had no choice about her lifestyle; it was the same here as well. She didn’t know why she wanted to live so badly—everything she ever loved had been taken away from her—she just knew that deep down, the thirst for life had taken control, and for good or ill, she would devote herself to seeing where this path would take her. Allegra briefly broke out of her inner diatribe as she noticed a group of roebucks grazing in the distance, and set her rights on a small one, adding a silencer so she wouldn’t attract the wrong kind of attention.
These animals had never come into contact with guns before, so when one of them fell, the others jerked to attention and perked their ears up. They couldn’t see, hear, or smell any predators, and seeing their brethren perish so suddenly puzzled them. They decided to make a break for it, leaving Allegra’s prize behind as they galloped away. Lady van Landingham approached the dead roebuck carefully, placed her hand on its neck, and caressed its fur thoughtfully before lifting it. Despite its petite size, the animal was brutally heavy, and Allegra was forced to rest every few minutes as she carried it on her shoulders. For awhile, she focused on returning to camp, hoping that she could find her way back. She didn’t really trust Aseria, but she didn’t think the dark-skinned elf would leave her behind, either. It was a very odd relationship.
Thoughts of her family crept into her mind as she settled down for a longer reprieve. Allegra had never spoken of them to anyone; it was emotionally difficult for her to pull those memories out. She preferred acting cheerful and sophisticated, sometimes even a little reckless; it was better than succumbing to the aching loneliness and depraved insanity again. Part of the reason she was forced into the life of a wanderer was because she had fallen into that dark pit of despair; she closed her eyes and shed tears of frustration and sorrow as the ghosts of the men she had killed during that bleak period came back to haunt her. This was her curse: she was condemned to remember them for the rest of her life.
“Welp, time to move on!” she exclaimed shakily, picking herself up and slinging the roebuck over her shoulders again. Staying on the move helped diminish the nightmares and kept
her mind steady. She tried thinking about what she was going to do when she got back to camp, how she was going to cook this thing, what Aseria would say—whether she was still naked or not—and wondered how effective that magic of hers was. But inevitably, her thoughts also wandered to the man she had loved, the children she had conceived with him, the horror of his death, and the frightening person she became shortly after. She also thought about Kate—that strong, sweet, shy woman who shared a similarly grim history. Just by looking into her eyes, Allegra could tell that this was a kindred spirit—this was a woman who could identify with her, and share sympathy with her—and wished she had been stuck with her instead of Aseria.
“I could probably count on Kate to rescue me,” she muttered as the strain of the roebuck dragged her down. She set her trophy on the ground, took a breather, and smiled with relief as she saw the outline of the camp, the smoke from the fire she had started, and a beautiful, bare-skinned elf glowing with an ethereal radiance.
“Hey, naked girl! Get that rear end of yours over here and help me haul in supper! I swear, you’ve got some nerve takin’ a nap while I’ve been bustin’ my back!”
“So how’s your magic comin’ along?”
“I should be ready to open myself to the Arcanum fairly soon. You know, you’re a pretty good cook.”
“Thanks. Eat as much as you want: we’ve got plenty of food now, but it’ll spoil quickly. Uh, say, you wouldn’t happen to have the ability to magic up some water, would you?”
“You’re thinking of your circus magicians again,” Aseria pointed sharply. “There’s a world of difference between their childish tricks and the Craft of the Arcanum. It’s like comparing a child’s crayon drawing to a masterpiece.”
“Awright, I get the idea,” she pouted. “You don’t have to rub it in. I’m just saying that we’ll be gettin’ thirsty shortly.”
“That will not be a problem,” Aseria said quietly. During the meal, she couldn’t help but notice how similar their manners were, and was impressed that someone like Allegra could stay dainty and ladylike with a messy meal like this. The Empress herself would be hard-pressed to surpass van Landingham as she picked at the meat with perfect elegance and civility. Aseria smiled and resumed eating, savoring every bite as if it would be her last.
“So you found some water?”
“Yes, a stream not too far away. I took a walk while you were out hunting and came across it by chance. I also found a small pond we could use as a bath.”
“I hope it ain’t filled with frogs and algae,” Allegra grumbled. Aseria laughed.
“Not algae, at least. There were a few dragonflies and fish, too. Don’t be so finicky.”
“I don’t like frogs,” she stated. Aseria laughed and threw her bones away. No doubt that scavengers and flies would be crowding the campsite shortly, since they couldn’t take the rest of their dinner with them, so they would have to find a new encampment.
“Do you mind sharing a bath with an elvish princess at least?”
“I can’t see the harm in it,” Allegra answered quietly. “I’ve shared that sauna with some of the others.”
“All right. We should probably walk there. I don’t want to get in the water while I’m still digesting. It’s only two kilometers in that direction.” Allegra peered into the distance and saw a blurry green spot resting on the horizon. She couldn’t figure out what it was, so she just had to take Aseria for her word. She packed as much meat as she could, and together the two
women headed out.
……
Since Aseria was still naked, and apparently comfortable walking in that state, she merely stepped into the pond without pause. Allegra, who always prided herself on her modesty, was much more timid as she took her clothes off and jumped in. Of course, this only helped draw more attention to her, and Aseria caught herself admiring the lady’s figure. She certainly had a graceful body, but it was also fit and lean, and her hands and feet were politely calloused from years of handling firearms and wandering from town to town. Her skin glowed tan, cheeks flushing as she distanced herself from the elf. Aseria smiled to herself and wondered if it would ever be possible to seduce this prude. She turned around to expose her naked back and tied her long cerulean hair up, unveiling her shoulders and nape.
“Be a dear and wash my back, please. I’m afraid I can’t reach.”
“Uh, I ain’t got no sponge or nothin’.” Aseria giggled.
“That’s okay, just use your bare hands. I’ll count it as a massage.” Aseria wanted to see how embarrassed that statement made her companion, but she left it up to her imagination instead, and waited patiently. Allegra certainly turned red—she had never given massages before, least of all to another woman—and she struggled over the implications. She didn’t know much about Lady Tolan, but she did know that this woman was hardly innocent. “What’s wrong?” she called as Allegra hesitated. “Do I intimidate you? Perhaps I should wash you first to break the ice.”
“Um, I dunno about that…”
“Nonsense,” she chirped as she turned around. Allegra made a face and looked away; her companion giggled seductively, waded towards her, and made a circling gesture with her finger, indicating that van Landingham should turn around. “Unless you want me to wash those beautiful breasts of yours first.”
“Um, no, that’s okay, I can handle those! I mean, if you’re set on doing something, ya may as well wash where I can’t reach! B-but no funny business, okay? I’m not that type of lady.”
“Oh, what a pity,” she sighed as she massaged Allegra’s bare back. Aseria thought this was the sexiest part of a woman’s body, and made no effort to hide her lust whenever she made love to her sister or Lillianne. She was incredibly tempted to kiss Allegra’s shoulders, reach around to graze her breasts, bend down to caress her bottom, and slide her fingers over her enticing womanhood, but miraculously restrained herself.
“Making love to another woman is such a beautiful, exciting experience, especially if it’s someone you trust--or someone really sexy!! You should try it sometime!”
“No thanks,” Allegra barked. “I’m finished with love! I just wanna spend the rest of my life doing good.”
“That sounds noble, but depressing,” she hissed erotically. “Why not try sharing your heart with someone? Your life could be so much more fulfilling.” Allegra pushed the dark-skinned elf away and sulked.
“Even if I wanted to, I could never find someone nice enough to take me in. My hands’re too dirty to hold anyone. I wouldn’t fall in love with a woman, anyway.”
“Why not? What if you met the right one? Why should you let something like gender keep you from opening your heart? If a man and a woman have the exact same qualities, why should you discriminate between them?”
“Because it’s immoral and disgusting, that’s why! I mean…” She hugged herself coldly and sunk into the water, shaking with doubt. “I didn’t mean it to sound like that. I’m not a homophobe, Aseria; I just don’t think it’s right for me. Hell, I don’t know what I’m saying. I’m just not cut out for love. And while we’re on the subject, how in Sam Hill did you meet up with an ornery woman like Lil?” Aseria’s seductive aura mellowed slowly, until all that was left was a faint, warm glow—not quite love, but just as deep and disturbing.
“I found her,” she answered vaguely. Allegra made a face.
“You found her?”
“Yes. She needed someone to rescue her, and I was there to save her. Somehow, it seemed like destiny. I really can’t explain it any better.”
“I don’t believe in that nonsense,” she scoffed. “So if you love her so much, why’re you flirtin’ with me?”
“I’m not in love with Lillianne,” Aseria whispered eerily. “She’s just important to me. We have a bond—a connection. Ours is a free relationship. Well, she seems to think she’s free, in any case. She behaves like a slut, but expects me to be faithful only to her. If she saw me making a pass at you, why…she’d rip you apart!”
“Possessive much?” Allegra grimaced. Aseria nodded forlornly.
“I wish that selfish Mun would just let me make love to somebody else. Aria and Naja are great, but my heart isn’t trapped in a cage. You know, we could—“
“Nope, outta the question! Not even if I was a dyke!”
“What’s a dyke?” she asked innocently. Allegra cringed and told her to never mind. She later relented and washed Aseria’s back, and there was no effort on the elf’s part to make it anything other than a friendly gesture.
As night fell, she got dressed and started casting light spells, sending brilliant flares into the inky sky every hour until sleep overcame her. Allegra strengthened their fire, then laid next to her companion, pulling her blanket over them both so they wouldn’t freeze. She probably would never be Aseria’s friend, but for the time being, she had to keep and care for this woman, because she was the only thing standing between sanity and oblivion. Before surrendering to the night, Allegra wondered if she could bring herself to fall in love again—or if anybody could love her in return.
Probably not.
Preview of next chapter
Aseria: Hey Allegra, since Naja and Lil aren’t here, what say you and I have some HLS to pass the time?
Allegra: BWUH? Please tell me you’re jokin’, hon!
Aseria: No, I’m serious! You may pretend to be a lady, but I know you’re really wild, and I bet you’re curious, too! Don’t be afraid; it’s actually very pleasurable!
Allegra: wails Get me outta here!
Aseria: giggles I never noticed how cute your bum was! Come on, let’s do the horizontal tango!
Allegra: In the next chapter, I spend so much time tryin’ to get away from this horny toad that we ain’t even mentioned! Who else is trying to survive in this harsh world? Find out in “The Flawed Couple: someone please come to rescue us!”
Aseria: GRAB! Whee, you’re mine now! purr
Allegra: whines Where’s a crowbar when ya need one?
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