The Trial

by James Hunt

  "Who are you to deny me? I am your Queen!" She said and struck him across the face. The minstrel fell to the ground and made no move to get up. She rolled him over with her foot and gasped.

  Pale blue and lifeless, Gayne's eyes saw nothing and said nothing.

  * * * *

  Niyana awoke startled and sweating. Buried under two cloaks and sharing the body heat of her follower in the warm pre dawn air had made her uncomfortably hot. She pulled off one of the cloaks and pushed the other down. It gave some relief, and so she curled back up against Kelria. The Lunarian pack master was still sleeping soundly. Niyana closed her eyes and tried to return to her dream. Deep relaxing breaths and a creative imagination wasn't enough to send her back. She grew anxious as the hot flush in her cheeks was obviously not from being warm. Despite her efforts she couldn't fall back to sleep and her arousal from the intense dream wasn't going away on its own. Her hand strayed to her chest and started to lightly brush a nipple through the fabric. It was slow and delicate at first, barely noticeable, as her thumb rubbed back and forth over that specific spot. It felt very pleasurable, more so than it should.

  Her companion breathed deeply next to her, oblivious of everything. With Kelria asleep there was no need for embarrassment, and as long as she was careful, there was no reason she couldn't alleviate her urges without waking her companion. But as she thought of the meek girl she found herself staring at the ample chest that heaved slowly up and down as the sleeping elf breathed.

  Fingers explored the waistline of her trousers until they found an easy way past the buckled belt into the hot, stifled condition of her womanhood. Her fingers cupped her slightly furred mound, and rubbed the whole of it slowly and firmly. It caused a deep gasp followed by profound sigh in the princess loud enough to wake most sleepers. Gently she let just a finger play lazily with her erect clitoris. It protruded from her petals, beginning for attention. Her hand sated some of her desire and so Niyana let it work as she relaxed and enjoyed the sensations. The more it played however the less effect it had on her, and she rubbed faster or more firmly to try and maintain that pleasure. But eventually it all turned to frustration as the desire only seemed to build to the point that it was all she thought about. She needed more.

  Her thumb and forefinger pinched a nipple through the fabric. Niyana let out a muffled moan of ecstasy as she mimicked the motions between her legs and tried to bring herself to a climax. Faster and faster they worked and her pants grew too loud and frantic to be subtle. That too eventually lost its effect and she was left worked up to a frenzy with no release.

  A madness came over her then as she tore her clothes off as quickly as possible. Niyana straddled her sleeping companion and lifted the girl's arms and her shirt up over her head. Repositioning to face away, she slid off Kelria's skirt and started to pull her boots off in wanton urgency. Kelria started to stir.

  Hungrily and without regard, the princess dove her lips in between the girl's thighs tasted her dark fur and lips. Kelria whimpered in the deep grogginess of spell induced sleep but was responding to her princess's licks and kisses. The taste and the smell of this elf's pussy excited her more and fueled her fervor. As the girl's whimpers and moans signaled her waking, Niyana repositioned her legs to pin the girl's arms down and to hover her waist over Kelria's head. The motion didn't interrupt her attention to Kelria's wet lips. The girl was quick to excitement and Niyana's lips were already glistening with her juices. One hand delicately parted the pink elven lips as another slid a finger into her tight hole.

  Kelria shouted in a mix of pleasure and startled pain.

  "Lick me!" Niyana growled huskily. "Do as I do, I command you!" she ordered as her tongue reached out and caressed the girl's inner lips, circled the entrance to her womanhood, and stopped over her clitoris to lavish a few lashes of the tongue. Kelria repressed her response and cried.

  "No!" she whimpered. "please stop. I cannot do this." The elf girl started to cry. Her cries didn't fall on deaf ears; Niyana was once again denied her pleasure. She rolled off the sobbing Kelria and grabbed a short blade from her vest. Before Kelria could roll away and compose herself, her queen was upon her again. Strong arms grabbed her and forced her back down, as strong thighs pinned her arms and squatted above her face. With an animalistic growl the princess placed the blade tip to her cheek.

  "Do this now, or I'll mark you worse than you are!" Niyana snarled at her.

  Kelria could only obey. Her cries turned to pitiful sobs as she kissed and weakly licked at her Queen's womanhood. Her efforts had no skill, no tenderness, no purpose -- they were just blind obedience as she tried to choke back the pain and embarrassment.

  "Do it properly!" Niyana growled and pressed the sharp tip into her cheek until it drew a small bead of blood.

  RY! His voice echoed painfully in her head.

  Niyana dropped the knife, aghast. For the first moment she realized fully what she was doing and gazed upon the terrified and horrified girl. This wasn't her. This wasn't what she would do. She moved off her and tenderly lifted the girl up and pulled one of the cloaks around her.

  "Oh Kelria..." she said with heartfelt sorrow as she wrapped her arms around the crying girl in a tight embrace. "I'm so sorry. There is something wrong with me." There was nothing more she could say. She wanted to prostrate herself before the friend she had just wounded terribly and attacked so mercilessly. To bow at her feet and beg forgiveness, but her mind was fighting itself at the moment. The girl's pride, ego, and self esteem had just been shattered. It was all she could think to do was hold and comfort her. The mental battle ended with her emotions overpowering the unruly lust within her. She cried for her friend with her face pressed to the girls back.

  Kelria's sobs dwindled away and she placed a reassuring hand on her queen's arm. Their hands met and they held each other's for strength, forgiveness, and reassurance. But the words to reconcile this uncomfortable situation were far from coming.

  "You are corrupted." Kelria said softly to finally name the malady.

  "No," Niyana protested. "I still have the heart of an Lunarian. This... is different. Some drug, or spell, that makes the darkest carnal urges irresistible. I want it out of me, I want it cured."

  "Why... me?" Kelria asked uncomfortably. "Why not... a male?" The question was odd and Niyana didn't have an immediate answer.

  "There are none around." Niyana finally said uncomfortably, with a slight chuckle.

  "I didn't know women can... do that." Kelria commented. "If there were men around, would you take them in such a manner?" The question stung her; Niyana shook her head violently against the girl's back.

  "I..." Niyana paused to consider her answer. "I wouldn't want to."

  "I see, so it makes you?"

  "Yes. I'm so sorry" Niyana sighed, embarrassed and apologetic. Kelria squeezed her arm affectionately.

  "Do Zecairin women do that with each other?" Kelria asked.

  "Yes," Niyana sighed. "And they did it to me as well. They call it Sapphic love."

  "I understand now." Kelria said. "And I... forgive you, my Queen." Kelria pulled one of Niyana's hands to her lips and kissed it. "I will help you fight it. But please don't command me like that. We should go."

  Niyana nodded and released her. They dressed and packed in silence. Niyana led the way out from under the willow tree. Her soldier's pace was hard for Kelria to keep up with through the morning. Every hour or so Niyana would stop and get their bearings while Kelria caught up. The trees were dense, and quiet. Animal sounds could be heard in the distance, but no so much as a squirrel was nearby. It made Niyana nervous.

  "Well lookee here fellas!" A man shouted from atop a strider lizard a few yards away. The two Lunarian women froze to find speaker. Kelria gripped her pack tightly to run but Niyana took a firm hold of her arm to keep her still. He was Zecairin and in full scale armor -- one of their scouts. A giant bow rested across his lap with equally large arrows in a quiver strapped to his saddle. If they had run, Ni
yana had no doubt that archer could have picked them off or run them down on his mount. "We got us some Elth wenches! HoooPA!!!"

  "HooooPPA!!!" Came the return call from the woods around them. And even more came after the first barrage of calls. Slowly, one by one, more Zecairin troops appeared and surrounded the two women.

  "Fifteen so far," Niyana whispered. "By calm, be quiet, be sensible." She advised the girl. Two dark skinned Zecairins in mail on juvenile striders the size of horses circled them with long forked spears in their hands.

  "Drop that bow Elth, and all them shiny, pointy things, or well make skewers outta ya!" The loud mouthed archer called as he approached slowly. Niyana did as instructed and dropped her weapons to the ground with composure. Her companion followed her lead and slid the pack off her shoulders to the ground. "You with the pack! Stick them arms up to the sky!" Kelria did as the boisterous strider rider instructed. "And you, Stand on yer toes!" He pointed one end of his bow at Niyana. She obliged with the slightest bit of effort.

  "Now both of ya, spin around in a circle!" he snickered at them. The other soldiers laughed and hooted. Niyana looked to the girl and nodded reassuringly. There was fear in Kelria's face, but so long as Niyana maintained her lead, it kept Kelria from panicking and acting rashly. The two Lunarian women twirled on their feet. Niyana maintained more catlike grace and stealth than her awkward friend. "Wooo wee! We got us some pretty little things, don't we fellas?" the archer leered at Niyana and waggled his eyebrows at her every time she came around again to glare at him.

  "Enough!" shouted a female voice. The speaker pushed her way through the circle of spectators. "Shut that windbag of yours! There could be more Elth scouts in the area, are you looking for an all out fight?!" she was practically screaming at them. The soldiers exchanged silent glances.

  "Yeah!!" The loud-mouthed archer cheered. "Bring them Elths on, we'll stick em in more ways than one!" He hollered and made vulgar thrusting motions with his hips atop his mount. The other men snickered and cheered. "Besides, ain't nobody around for klicks, we ran our sweeps already. "

  "Shut it!" She commanded. "Kill them here. Kill them now. We don't need to be made." The men booed her. "Shut it, the lot of you!" she screamed. One of the strider riders came up with his lance angled low. He snagged the bottom hem of Kelria shirt as she stretched high to the clouds. Slowly his spear pushed the cloth up, exposing her pale smooth skin. The men whistled and leered at the spectacle. The shirt snagged at her breasts, but the spear wielder handled his weapon with incredible dexterity. With the sharp spear tip he pushed it up over one breast, then the other, and the soldiers whistled shamelessly at the sight of her bare chest. The Lunarian girl raised her gaze and stared at the sky. Niyana never let her eyes leave the loud archer as his gaze went from her to the spear show.

  "Look at what I found," the spear wielder said. His diction was much more sophisticated than the sloppy speech of the archer. He wore the same uniform of dark scale shirt and helm, making his appearance indistinguishable from the other soldiers. Only his weapon and his mount spoke of his status and ability among the group. Niyana scanned the faces of the foot soldiers and realized they were all low birth Zecairins. The woman and the archer were the only ones with the tell-tale arrogance of Zecairin nobility here. They were the ones in charge -- one more than should be. The spear wielder rested the tip of his weapon right between the girl's breasts and slightly left of the sternum -- right on her heart.

  "Such a shame, we could have had so much fun," he sighed with a smirk. The girl opened her eyes and stared at him with tearful streaks coming down her cheeks. "Don't worry Pretty, it'll only hurt at first." The soldiers laughed. Every pair of eyes was eagerly waiting on the plunge of that tip.

  "The Killer will send his regards if you harm her," Niyana spoke loudly so everyone heard, as she stopped dancing for them and stared down the soldier. All eyes went immediately to her. The spear wielder raised his spear immediately and looked at Niyana befuddled. The mirth in this group suddenly vanished.

  "What?" The loud mouthed archer said. Niyana saw the woman Zecairin push her way back into earshot of the group. Niyana got a good look at her this time. She wore head to toe matte black leather with twin half swords at each hip. She was a shadow lurker - a soldier that murdered more than killed.

  "I don't repeat myself to males," Niyana kept her eyes on that woman as she spoke. It was obvious there was a battle for control going on between these two. And she was going to use that to her advantage.

  "Speak, Elth. How do you know that name?" The woman's pale yellow eyes were just as dead serious as the others.

  "Because I belong to him," Niyana said proudly. "And she belongs to me, but I must share with my lord and master from time to time."

  "Faugh! Impossible. These Elths are just spies that got a juicy bit of gossip from some slack-jawed merchant!" The mounted archer yelled.

  "I could describe him to you," She said. "But I'm sure only the Mistress here would be interested in the parts I could describe." She added in a sultry tone. A deep flush suddenly came to the pack girl's ears. Niyana tried hard to suppress the sudden urge to chuckle. Kelria was too naive to be out here in the wild.

  "I was there when he became a General," The woman said with a cautious tone as she approached Niyana. She made a show of drawing both weapons one by one from their sheaths and twirled them in her hands. "So let me make this clear Elth. I will know if you are lying. If you are lying about being his property, you will die. But not before telling me how you came to know his name. And then, only after I've made a bloody mess of your entrails for the scavengers to eat." She stopped within striking distance of her prisoner and waited.

  "Shall I describe the veins on his large, throbbing cock as it twirled inside me? Have you seen those?" She chided her back. The lady had to shift her feet uncomfortably, her bottom lip trembled ever so slightly. Was that anger? Or interest? Kelria's breath caught in her throat and she stifled a cough.

  "Faugh, this Elth wench could describe any of our cocks and we'd never know the difference." The archer grumbled loudly.

  "I think she'd know the warts on yours." The third rider, the one that had kept his distance from the spectacle thus far, chirped in. The look the archer gave him killed the mirth in his joke. The mood here had changed so dramatically. Niyana never suspected the power she wielded with just a name.

  "Except that my master's cock isn't Zecairin...." Niyana whispered softly enough that only the Zecairin lady could hear it.

  "eeep!" The pack girl squeaked despite herself. Her embarrassment was obvious by the trembling in her outstretched arms and the bright flush in her cheeks and ears. Niyana was rewarded with the look of disbelief and recognition in her captor's eyes. But that quickly changed, she saw her tighten her grips on her swords.

  "How did the general die?" The lady asked loudly, to purposely change the subject. Niyana suddenly had a sneaking suspicion that not many Zecairins knew that The Killer was human. That would make sense -- a political cover up to prevent embarrassment, while still being able to use the legend to inspire troops. If she misspoke, and let that secret out, property or not, she would be dead along with the rest of this troop. There was probably an oath of secrecy about to be enacted here, and she could see some sign of it in this woman's eyes -- a dreadful fear of the inevitable. Niyana looked her dead in the eyes. She knew whom she was talking about.

  "His gorget was crushed in by my master's bare hands." She said evenly. "He slowly choked on his own blood as he tried to free himself." The lady's eyes were suddenly sizing her up. She had passed the test, but now a new one was forming.

  "Where is he now?" She asked, and sheathed her weapons. Niyana had won their lives, but this next trap could cost them their freedom. If they learned Kreth was dead, or thought they had escaped, they would enslave them again.

  "I will only speak with you privately about that," Niyana said. "I wouldn't want a slack-jawed merchant to find out." She gave the loudmouthed st
rider rider a sneer.

  "You will be my guests then," The lady said with certainty. "If I like your answers, you may go as you please. If not... you'll be their guests." She turned and nodded to the smaller riders. "Take them to camp and secure them. The rest of you have a patrol to finish. We'll have answers tonight." She paused in front of the frightened, blushing Lunarian girl that still had her arms in the air and her shirt up.

  "Stop showing off," she grumbled. Kelria lowered her hands and her shirt.

  The riders came by and scooped them both up onto their saddles. The three striders sped off through the trees. Niyana kept nervously scanning the tree line, part of her wanted history to repeat itself so soon. She wanted another pair of Lunarian tree archers to take this lot out. But that would mean they had been tracking her as well, and she didn't want to kill more of her people.

  She took comfort that both her and this girl had been spared for the moment. Perhaps she could even use this troop to her advantage, maybe even get some information out of them as to why they are so far out of their territory. Perhaps...