Sentinels of
Rek:
Stepping Out into
the World
Part
2
By
Gerund
Warehouse
District-Night
Kimber Vahn, the Sentinel known as Shade, serenely observed the warehouse
she was about to raid. She had been there for three hours, using her power
to cloak herself in shadow, to study the warehouse and its defenses. She
counted seven guards, and some minor magic defenses. Her experience in the
past week led her to believe that there was an ambush waiting for her somewhere,
probably in the form of a mage.
The criminal element of Lomar had finally started to take their mysterious
new opponent seriously after two months of disastrous losses. The three Sentinels
had run rampant on the various centers of criminal activity, grinding many
illegal trades to a halt. Shade knew that it was a matter of time before
the criminals worked through all the rumors and horror stories and prepared
an organized response. So a week ago, Alexis, codenamed Lioness, ran into
nasty resistance from the guards of an arms shipment. They stood their ground
and manage to fight her off, signaling the end of the easy run the Sentinels
had enjoyed.
Now the city was crawling with bounty hunters and gangs offered rewards
for the Sentinels dead or alive. The fact that the criminals now knew they
were women had only served to increase the number of bounty hunters. The
gangs and bounty hunters, however, were for the most part normal humans and
posed little trouble for the super-powered Sentinels.
Shade pushed all thoughts of the past two months out of her mind as
she noticed the barest flicker of movement at the warehouse diagonally across
from where she sat perched on the roof. Satisfied that her intuition paid
off, she calmed herself and prepared mentally for what she was about to do.
Emotionless, she pulled the shadows around her and leaped from the roof,
making her way to her would-be ambusher.
Inside
This is a waste of time,
John said for the tenth time. These so-called devil women
are not going to come here, and I am sick of spending my nights here when
I could be doing something important!
Ned, the leader of the crew put in charge of the warehouse, regarded
John coldly, ignoring the nods of agreement that the four other guards inside
the warehouse gave to Johns statement. The only thing John considered
important was getting drunk and blowing his money on drugs and Ned was getting
tired of his constant whining, after this was over he was going to talk to
Hamilton about having John replaced.
All right, John, Ned said, starting to grin. Go
ahead and leave, I just tell Boss Hamilton that you had more important things
to do than worry about the welfare of his business, Im sure hell
understand.
John opened his mouth, but closed it quickly after. He turned, grumbling,
and went to sit at a table where two of the others were engaged in a card
game. The three then pretended to act like the card game was the most interesting
thing in the world, hoping Ned would forgive their minor
dissension.
Ned shook his head, running his hand through his thinning sandy hair.
This job was more a pain that what it was worth. He heard stories from the
crew that successfully defended the arms shipment a week ago, and he had
come away with more questions than answers. The descriptions were pretty
consistent; a woman, about 56, with a mass of golden, curly hair. She
was wearing a golden bodysuit that fit like a second skin, with a gold eye
mask that molded to a beautiful tan face. The suit was so tight you could
see all her muscles work as she moved, and the slight jiggle of full, youthful
breasts.
But her beauty was not the most unusual thing about the woman; that
would be the freakish strength shed displayed in her attack. She appeared
without warning, taking down three guards before they could get organized
and fight her. She tossed men around like rag dolls, constantly in motion,
always striking a different place. If not for the timely arrival of the transport
team, who attacked and drove her away, the crew would have been completely
destroyed and the shipment gone.
Now everyone was under pressure from The Vulture to bring in a least
one of the suspected three vigilantes for questioning. Each passing day brought
an increasingly angrier Vulture, putting more pressure on the lieutenants
to bring in the troublesome females.
Boss Hamilton, Neds employer, was one of the few that managed
to resist The Vultures offensive plan. He was losing money at an appalling
clip, and no one had survived any attacks to even give a description of the
assailant. So Hamilton decided that he would focus all his manpower on defense
until he got more concrete information on what he was facing, which was why
Ned was here.
The Vulture had surprisingly agreed to his line of thinking, even
loaning out a mage from the famed Dirty Jobbers crew. The mage
was in the warehouse next door, waiting to spring some nasty magic attack
on the vigilante female. Ned didnt have much faith in the man, as he
looked like he hadnt eaten in days and stunk like a dead animal, but
it wasnt Neds place to question him.
Vance, the outside guard, passed by the front of the warehouse, the
multitude of windows allowed Ned to watch his progress. Each guard would
take a two hour shift outside, always watched by the people inside. Ned watched
Vance turn the corner, listening to the rowdy talk of the men sharing the
warehouse with Ned. This was their third night in a row, and they were starting
to lose focus.
Ned took a deep breath, about to reprimand the men for slipping, when
he noticed that Vance was not coming back around the building. Ned waited,
thinking that he miscalculated the time, but Vance remained
absent.
Hey, Vance is gone, Ned said, trying to keep the panic
out of his voice, all the stories hed heard coming back sharply in
his mind. The men looked at him like he was speaking some foreign language,
then all seemed to start moving at once, grabbing guns and spreading out.
Each man was wide-eyed with fear and anticipation as silence filled the large
warehouse.
The table used to play cards now sat off to the side, so it couldn't
be used as cover by the attacker. The dusty floor was bare, the crates on
each side of the group were too high for anyone to even crawl on their belly
on; the only way to get to the merchandise was through them, and there was
no cover for any would-be attacker.
Ned and his crew waited, dozens of scenarios running through their
minds. Not one man made a sound, but nothing suggested an attack. The men
started to fidget, wanting something to happen now. John, standing beside
Ned, started to open his mouth and say something, when the roof began to
creak.
Ned barely managed to signal hold fire before the men
opened fire at the roof. The creak of the roof indicated that whoever was
up there was coming towards them. The men listened until the creaking stopped
just above their heads. The men backed up slowly, guns aimed at the
ceiling.
They were unprepared when both Vance and his mysterious attacker came
through the roof not with a crash, but as mist-like apparitions. The frightened
guards opened fire at the ghostly figures, all concern for Vance disappearing
at the unnatural sight. The bullets passed through Vance, who shielded the
attacker from view. Despite their appearance, both Vance and the attacker
were falling at normal speed and all of the sudden they became solid and
two shots rang out.
Too many things happened at once for Ned to comprehend. He heard Vance
hit the ground with a bone-crunching thud, and he saw two of his
men EJ and
Davis go down with their heads
exploding from two perfectly placed shots. The maroon blur that rolled off
of Vance came to a stop at the feet of
Patrick, the chubby kid who just joined Neds crew, and lash
out at his knee. Ned heard the sickening crunch of bone and Patrick crumpled
to the ground. The maroon-clad woman was behind him and caught him on his
knees before he could fully collapse.
After the initial shots, no one managed fire again. Things just happened
too fast for the tired brains of the men to take in. Ned and the two remaining
men now spread out to face the maroon-clad intruder and her hostage.
Despite the report of the arms shipment crew, her appearance still
surprised Ned. When he learned that the attackers were women, he always imagined
mannish women with facial hair. He couldnt have been more wrong; the
woman before him was a slim, graceful young beauty. He guessed she was about
55 or so, and he could tell the suit she wore was skintight, as he
could see the muscles in her slim arms flex as she maintained a stranglehold
on Patrick.
Her skin was a deep bronze, he could see curly jet-black hair peeking
out of the maroon mask that covered the top half of her head, and she had
hazel eyes that bore into him as she assessed the situation. Ned knew that
he had to act know to have any chance of taking the woman
down.
Now, sweetie, why dont you lay down that gun so we dont
have to hurt you too bad, huh? John said before Ned could formulate
a plan.
Ned shot John a murderous look to silence him and turned his attention
back to the woman, who was now grinning coldly. Ned opened his mouth to speak,
but the woman launched Patrick at him with one hand. Patrick hit Ned hard,
driving all the wind out of him, and as he fell under the weight of Patrick,
he heard two shots in rapid succession.
Neds head bounced off the hard floor of the warehouse and his
vision blurred, when he regained focus he saw John dead with a round hole
in his forehead. He knew that the other
man whose name he could no
longer recall was also
dead.
Another shot rang out, and he felt the impact as it went through
Patricks head. Patrick was now dead weight on top of him, and he no
longer had the strength to move him. The woman now stood over him, silent
and frightening. He never in his life had seen a woman like this. The maroon
suit outlined every inch of her fit body. He saw the holsters at each hip,
and the revolvers she had in each hand, each with a maroon grip. She looked
down at him, no emotion in her eyes.
He couldnt decide whether to beg for his life or go out defiant;
he even considered making up some story about a family that needed him. But
every word that came to his lips died when he looked into the young womans
eyes. She aimed the revolver in her left hand at his head, and Ned closed
his eyes, expecting a great deal of pain, but to his surprise he didnt
feel a thing.
Warehouse District
Day
Boss Hamilton rubbed his eyes as he look at the burned-out remains
of his warehouse. His merchandise destroyed, seven of his best men gone,
and one of the Vultures prized Dirty Jobbers dead with
a broken neck. Things just kept getting worse, these vigilantes had destroyed
his business in two months, and the Vulture was getting
impatient.
The outside of the warehouse was untouched, just as Hamilton remembered
it from three days ago when he gave Ned his orders on guarding the place.
It was still a nondescript, grey warehouse that could use a fresh coat of
paint. But inside it looked like a war zone.
The dusty warehouse had been stocked with crates filled with both
his property and other more innocuous items, but not anymore. Everything
was burned to less than ashes, with no trace of how such a thing was
accomplished. The best mages the constables had were surveying the scene,
trying to determine what kind of magic was in use by the vigilantes. Boss
Hamilton hated the constables with good reason, but they disliked the idea
of vigilantes patrolling their city almost as much as The Vulture did. The
head investigator, Constable Powell walked up to Boss Hamilton, who was standing
just inside the doorway of the ruined warehouse.
We cant find any damn thing, Powell said, shaking
his head. We cant even determine whether magic was used or not,
this is the third time is the last two months, and we dont know anymore
than when we started.
Boss Hamilton was about to say something when he noticed the ground
was starting to shake. He turned around and saw a large, rock golem coming
toward the warehouse, riding on its shoulder was a wild-looking young man
in ragged, sewn-together clothes.
Both Powell and Hamilton stepped out to greet the golem and its master.
The golem rumbled up to them until it was almost on top of them, then it
stopped. The young man leaped down from the shoulder with uncanny grace,
landing in front of the men with a grunt. He smiled and looked both men over
before introducing himself.
Im Dash, of the Dirty Jobbers, Dash said with a
big, brown-toothed smile. The Vulture sent me to assist you and take
care of this embarrassing problem. Constable, I think its best if you go
back inside and look for footprints or something.
Powell looked about to protest but then thought better of it. He nodded
to Hamilton and turned to head back into the warehouse.
Lawmen, Dash said with a shrug. The Vulture
said that you are to authorize a shipment of all your remaining goods through
the emergency routes starting tonight, we will handle the
rest.
Why? Hamilton said.
The Vulture suspects that spies have infiltrated our operations,
and the best way to find them is to catch one of these crazy bitches, so
we set up a trap and catch one. Dash said as if it would be the easiest
thing in the world.
My men would tell you its not so easy to slow one of those
crazy bitches down, Hamilton said, growing angry over the
young mans casual tone.
Dash raised his hands and smiled. No need to be angry with me,
well get her back for all you lost, believe me, he grinned wickedly.
Witch never faced the Dirty Jobbers before; she wont know what
hit her.
Hamilton search the wild young mans face for a minute, then
nodded wearily. Dash, grinning, turned and tapped his golem on the knee.
It lowered and he hopped back on it shoulder.
Like I said, well stick it to her good and the rest will
fall like dominoes. Dash said as the golem turned and headed back the
way it came, scattering anyone who happened to be in its
path.
Hamilton watched the golem leave, and then turned to look at the
warehouse. There wasnt even anything to bury of his men, he thought,
anger growing in his belly. He turned and walked towards his carriage, to
head home and get things set up for tonight. He hoped the woman who did this
suffered as much as his men had.
Bones Circle
Bones Circle was one of the worst areas of Lowtown. It had started
out as a tenement section for newly arrived immigrants, but overcrowding
and rampant crime caused the place to become a death trap that unsuspecting
immigrants could not escape. So instead of immigrants getting jobs and moving
up, they became poorer, often addicted to drugs circulated by the powerful
criminal factions that ran Bones Circle.
Then the business men of Lomar decided to help. They said
that they would lift up the immigrants to a place of moral integrity
and make Bones Circle safe. Their idea of help led to mass evictions,
often brutally carried out by the constables, and empty, rotting tenement
buildings that were breeding grounds for disease and crime. The renovation
of Bones Circle was to have been completed 2 years ago according to
original plans, but only minor surveys had been
attempted.
Shade stood in a top floor apartment of one of the tenements. Rotting
furniture and childrens toys littered the cramped apartment. The room
stank of mildew and body fluids. Shade closed all this out, waiting for the
emergency shipment to arrive.
When the Rekan spy had come through with the info that Boss Hamilton,
the leading drug producer in Lomar, was cutting his losses and just hoping
to get what little drugs he had left out of the city while he still could,
Shade had felt ecstatic. She couldnt wait to get out tonight and deal
the death blow to Hamiltons hideous operation.
Both Alexis and Mackenzie had cautioned her, saying that an ambush
could be the motivation for the sudden evacuation of goods. Shade knew that,
but she still felt that she had Hamilton on the ropes, and all she had to
do was finish him off.
So she waited, arriving four hours before the shipment was to be received
and removed from the city. In that time she soaked up the atmosphere of the
tenements, the overwhelming feeling of despair and tragedy. She wondered
how anyone could allow a fellow human being to suffer like this, and used
her outrage to fuel her focus. She was more than ready when the first wagons
begin arriving. The wagons transporting the shipment arrived first from the
south, while the ones receiving it for transfer out of the city arrived from
the north. She watched as two men got out and greeted each other, loudly
like old friends. The rest of the men start to unload and transfer their
cargo.
Shade decided it was time, she pulled the shadows around her and phased
through the floor, until she reached the ground level. She quickly left the
building, covered in shadows. She circled around the men, listening to them
joking and boasting about what they will do if she attacks. She settled into
some ruins directly behind them and waited for the talking to stop. It soon
does, as the men fall into the rhythm of their work. They wish to be done
and out of this place as fast as possible.
When Shade was sure they were caught up in their work, she moved,
running faster that any normal human could. She threw off her shadow cloak
and her hands slipped to her revolvers. As soon as she reached the wagons,
she sensed something wrong. She tried to pull up and survey the scene, but
it was too late.
The ground exploded right in front of her, sending her flying through
the air, and landing hard on her back. Her first thought was dynamite, but
when she looked up, the dust settled to reveal a massive, man-shaped rock,
its hands formed into permanent fists.
The men had stopped working and started to gather around. Some were
cheering on the golem, others were placing bets. Crates were pulled up and
men sat and stood on them. Shade noticed two new people among the crowd.
One was the only other woman besides Shade, she was scarred and ugly with
close-cropped blonde hair that she wore spiked. She had one blue eye and
the other was filmy, the color of dirty water. Her companion was a man, he
looked to be at least 60, but he stood straight and had the muscle definition
of someone 40 years younger.
Shade turned her attention back to the golem, which was now charging
her. Shade rolled away before it brought its massive fist down, shaking the
ground. Shade quickly got to her feet and back-flipped away from the golem,
drawing her revolvers in a blur of motion. She fired rapidly, destroying
the golems head in an explosion of rock. The golem teetered, but quickly
renewed its advance towards her.
Shade charged the golem, aiming for its knees. The bullets tore through
the golems knees, bringing the golem down. Shade, who had run up on
the golem, dodged the falling mass of rock. She came up behind the golem,
firing into its torso. The bullets tore apart the golem, sending massive
chunks of the golem flying.
Satisfied that the golem was out of the fight, Shade turned to deal
with the spectators. As she did this, she noticed a flicker of movement out
of the corner of her eye. The next moment she was sailing through the air
and crashing into the building she had originally hid in. She landed in the
living room of a ground floor apartment, bouncing across the
floor.
The world turned yellow and she seemed to go deaf as the pain hit
her all at once. Shade ignored it and focused on her breathing in an attempt
to clear her head. She looked up and felt dismayed as she saw a second golem.
This one was shorted and leaner than the first. It moved with a quickness
that nearly matched Shade's own. It was on top of her before she could gather
herself, grabbing her right ankle and throwing her out of the building. She
went sailing across the open yard, before crashing into the cheap walls of
another building.
Shade blacked out for a moment. When she came to the golem had hold
of her again. He threw her towards the wagons, sending the men scattering
as she crashed into the side of the wagon, overturning it. The golem paused
in its dominance of Shade. That pause allowed Shade to regain some of her
composure. Her hands went to her guns, but she no longer had the gun on her
left hip. She cursed as the golem charged with its unnatural
speed.
She was ready this time, though. She fired quickly at it knees. The
shots did enough damage to send it careening wildly into some men who had
been too close to the action. The weight of the golem crushed the men. Shade
got up unsteadily. She trained her lone gun on the golem, her head still
fuzzy.
Before she fired, she heard a faint buzzing noise. She looked up to
see a brilliant wave of orange energy coming towards her. The energy was
so bright that it blinded Shade before it hit her. The blast sent her flying
over the overturned wagon to land with a bone-jarring thud and skidding across
the ground.
When the world came back into focus, Shade noticed the woman walking
towards her with the old man beside her. She no longer had her other revolver,
but she still tried to get up and fight. Her body would not respond to her
commands, however. All she could do was lay there and wait helplessly for
the woman to reach her.
When the woman got to her she stared down at Shade with a startlingly
perfect smile across her ruined face. She didnt say anything as pointed
the palms of her hands at Shade. When Shade saw the orange glow around her
hands, she frantically ordered her body to move, but to no avail. The energy
hit her full in the face, causing Shades body to overload with pain;
finally Shade could take no more and passed out. The woman maintained the
attack for a few moments more; just to be sure Shade was unconscious.
That wasnt so hard, the old man said as he walked
up to stand beside the woman.
She was good, though, she replied, the old man
shrugged.
Two men stepped out of the ruins and joined them. One was Dash, a
look of supreme triumph on his face. The other man had almost identical features,
except his hair was stark white, his skin deathly pale.
Nice golem Flash, Dash congratulated the white-haired
man.
Yeah, I figured speed would be better suited for her from what
I saw with your golem. Flash said as he studied the fallen
woman.
Dash nodded and bent over to inspect Shade closer.
Nice, he said, running his hand over her body, enjoy the
softness of the fabric and the warmth of her skin. He took extra time to
squeeze her breasts, clearly enjoying himself.
Enough, the woman said as she took a folded sheet from
the old man.
One of Nortons things? Dash asked as he stood up,
nodding to the sheet.
Yes, he said it would hold her
easily.
Dash grabbed Shades shoulders and Flash her ankles as the woman
spread the sheet out on the ground. The two gently laid Shade on the sheet
and stepped back. The woman said a word and the sheet quickly enveloped Shade,
tightly binding her.
Good work, people, Dash said. Sef you carry her,
lets get out of here.
The old man nodded and picked up Shade. The men had finished moving
the shipment and were now getting ready to leave. Satisfied, Dash lead his
crew back to their horses, eager to deliver his prize to The Vulture.
Ruin
The next few hours were a blur for Shade. She vaguely remembered waking
only to be forced back into unconsciousness. This happened a few times, and
she was never awake long enough to learn about her captors or
surroundings.
When she finally came awake fully, the first thing she noticed was
her nudity. That should have been impossible, considering the magical protections
on the suit. Second, she was chained up in a dungeon of some sort. Her wrists
were linked together tightly and pulled over her head, forcing her to stand
on her toes. A thick black pad that held a sponge-like ball, rendering her
completely silent, covered her mouth.
The last thing she noticed was she had company. Sitting in a chair
that hid her partially in the shadows was a stern-looking old woman who studied
her intently. Even sitting down, Shade could tell the woman was tall, with
a long bent neck and a noticeable hump in her back.
Awake, she said in a strong voice. It took us a
while to get you out of that amazing suit of yours. Eventually we fooled
it, with your help of course.
Now all the instances she remembered of waking up made sense. She
studied the woman and wandered who she was.
The woman smiled as if she could read Shades mind. Im
The Vulture, she said simply.
Shade continued to stare at the woman, hoping her shock didnt
register in her eyes.
Your little crusade against my people caused me great annoyance.
You probably thought you helped people but in reality you hurt them and their
families, taking away their sources of income. If you thought you were hurting
me, then you really have no clue as to the strength of my organization. I
will find out who you are, who you work for, and how you gained the abilities
you have.
She got up, walking across the room to the door and knocked on it
three times. The door opened and the woman that defeated Shade after her
fight with the golems stepped in. When she came in she looked at Shade, that
unnaturally white smile of hers growing as took in Shades nude and
stretched out form.
Youve met Tulip, The Vulture said, grinning.
Shes going to help you relax before I turn you over to Mr.
Norton.
The Vulture nodded to Tulip, who raised her hands and sent a wave
of orange energy at Shade. She braced herself, but the pain was intense,
jolting her nude body. She lost count after 5 waves, passing
out.
When she regained consciousness, she noticed that both The Vulture
and Tulip were gone, replaced by a well-dressed, average-looking man. He
was staring at Shade, but his mind was clearly elsewhere.
His face brightened when he noticed Shade was awake. Youre
back, he said like he was speaking to a friend. Im Mr.
Norton, and you must be exhausted after hanging there for so long. Im
going to let you down, but resistance will be punished
severely.
He waved his hand and the chains released Shade, and she collapsed
bonelessly to the ground. Her whole body ached, and she noticed with growing
alarm, she couldnt access her powers.
We used some drugs that are commonly relied on to neutralize
mages, we had to get creative but we think we found something to keep you
nice and helpless.
He walked up to her and studied her with an intense look of concentration
on his face. She wondered what he was doing when she started to feel a presence
in her head. She tried to shut her mind to him, but he easily pushed past
her defenses.
Those drugs also made you much more receptive to my charms,
he said as he burrowed deeper into her mind.
As he further cemented control over Shade, two things happened. One
was the urge to tell him everything, even her most intimate secrets. The
other was an overwhelming sexual desire.
Shade knew instantly that she couldnt fight both urges. She
chose to defend her secrets. The lust hit her with thought-crippling force.
She instinctively fought, despite her choice. Norton was excited by the struggle
on her face.
Im a mentalist. I was top of my class at Lomar Academy,
destined for a profitable career. But when it was found out I was experimenting
with mixing sex and mind magic, I was expelled. Things looked bleak until
The Vulture found me and offered me a job. Mostly I target wives of men who
wish to cause The Vulture trouble, so you are a unique and welcome
challenge.
Shade was losing control as Norton spoke. She now was slipping her
hands between her legs, only to pull them away. This went on for several
minutes, to Nortons amusement. When her eyes fell to his crotch, he
nodded and spoke to her.
Now you are ready, so lets get out of here to somewhere
more comfortable. He said and used his control on her mind to force
her into unconsciousness.
Ruin- Nortons
Bedroom
Candles illuminated Nortons room, as he stood at the foot
of his bed, nude while Shade sucked his cock. The room was hot, which Norton
liked when he was having sex. Both he and Shade were coated in sheens of
sweat, Shade more so because of the work she was doing and the high state
of arousal she was in.
Her mouth worked the length of his penis slowly, almost lovingly.
She slurped and choked on his cock with skillful rhythm, driving Norton wild.
The fact that she still fought his control only added to the
excitement.
He sent a mental command for her to take as much of him as she could
in her mouth. She did so, fighting the command the whole way. When she reached
her limit, nearly his whole cock, he listened to the rapid, desperate attempts
to breath through her nose, the way her hands fluttered uselessly, bound
behind her back, he became so excited that he came with a yell in her mouth.
He quickly sent a mental command for her to swallow all of it, which
she did, even licking his penis clean. He pulled her away by her dark hair
and looked into her eyes. She was lost in her lust, desperate for release.
Her breath was rapid and her chest heaved, dark breasts glistening with
sweat.
Your oral skills are truly excellent, Norton congratulated
Shade. But Im sure you want release.
Shade nodded reluctantly, still gasping for
breath.
Just tell me something I want to know. Then you can have pleasure
you wouldnt believe.
No, Shade said softly, trying for the hundredth time to
use her powers.
Norton shook his head in mock disappointment. Well since you
wont talk, well have to find other work for that luscious mouth
of yours.
Happy and hard, Norton pulled Shade by her hair back to his cock.
She resisted initially, but as soon as her lips touched his member, she greedily
took him in her mouth. Not believing he got paid for this, Norton began thrusting
hard.
Department of Human
Studies
Princess Agnes Teres strode down the foreboding halls of the Department
of Human Studies, her bodyguard Ulga trailing behind. Her true home, Agnes
never noticed the sense of dread that filled the place. Here she could be
herself, wearing worn jeans and mens shirts. No elaborate and uncomfortable
dresses that her name demanded she wear in public. Here she could be comfortable
and do what she loved; study the mysteries of the human
body.
But those studies had to be put on hold, to Agness endless
frustration. The mysterious vigilante attacks had ground the trade of human
flesh to a halt, leaving Agnes with a limited number of specimens. That simply
would not do, so she decided to take matters into her own
hands.
Using an experimental orb that could record and project images, she
hoped to catch what the mysterious vigilante looked like. Despite Agness
dislike of magic, she trusted the orb out of desperation.
Her trust was rewarded, the orb caught footage of the vigilante fighting
in the whores section of Lowtown. The footage shocked Agnes and, she
was a little ashamed to admit, aroused her as well.
No one she employed could hope to match the power and skill the vigilante
possessed. Well, her bodyguard Ulga and her chief of security Lurker could,
but both were too valuable to use against such a dangerous foe. She had been
about to erupt in full fury when a name popped into her mind, and she knew
exactly what to do.
So now she and Ulga were heading to the third of three subterranean
floors, an area that did not exist as far as the public was concerned. Here
the most dangerous enemies of the Empire were kept. Intellectuals, generals,
and revolutionaries went here. Also, horrifying reminders of the Empress
Cassias madness were locked away beneath the earth.
When Cassia went mad and took over Archibalds Rock, the floating
prison in the bay of Lomar, Emperor Robert ordered a naval operation to retake
the island. This turned out to be a complete and total disaster. As soon
as the first men landed, they were hit by a massive transmutation wave, the
first of five unleashed before Cassia passed out from
exhaustion.
Most men died of the horrible changes they suffered that day, but
not all. One of the survivors was Karl Stavros, and he was going to help
her catch the vigilante.
I do not like this, mistress, Lurker said as he joined
to guide them down the magically protected path to the subterranean floors.
Only Lurker was allowed to know the way just in case something happened and
Agnes was interrogated about them.
Ulga looked down at him with disdain on her face. Ulga was mute, but
always made her feelings known.
Agnes smiled as Lurker flinched. You saw the footage; hell
do what I ask.
I can do it, Mistress, Lurker said, lust in his reptilian
eyes.
I bet you can, Agnes said, repulsed. Ulga shot him another
look that silenced him until he led them to the third subterranean
floor.
They were greeted by the moans and screams of the hopeless and insane.
Agnes didnt even notice the pleas for release or death, as she focused
on the lone cell at the end of the hall.
The cell was different from all the others, instead of bars, the inmate
was held by an electrified, magically-fortified sheet of glass. Inside the
cell was a man who looked like he coated his muscular frame in
mud.
Karl, I have an offer for you, Agnes said. Karl looked
at her like she was some exotic animal. If you do this job for me,
I will release you and you can go wherever you
please.
He focused on her now, interest growing in his strange yellow eyes.
What, he croaked.
As an answer she took the orb she had just viewed and placed it on
the floor in front of the cell. She activated it and stood back, as an image
rose from it.
In the projection, a beautiful, slender, red-haired woman was fighting
a group of men much larger than her. Armed with a Bo staff, she handled the
men like they were children. Graceful and deadly, she beat six armed men
in a matter of minutes. After the last man was down, she stood and surveyed
her work. As he studied her, Agnes noted long-forgotten desires ignite in
his eyes. Agnes didnt know whether to be disgusted or excited, but
at least all the years in prison hadnt affected his
taste.
The red head was slender and sinewy, her frame a study in muscle tone.
Her small breasts were high and pointed, outlined by the solid orange circle
on her chest. The rest of her suit was pure white, with orange stripes running
down the sides of the sleeves and legs. A small white eye mask molded itself
to high cheekbones. Green-grey eyes studied the fallen men, full red lips
pouted in concentration.
Yes, Karl croaked again.
Excellent, Agnes said. She couldnt wait to get her
hands on the little red-haired vixen.
End of Part 2