Legacy of the Valkyrie

by Archibald Bradford

  “At this point it doesn’t matter what direction we go, even if we rationed the water we’d never make it out of the desert. If the big worm girl comes through for us then great. Otherwise we’re all dead. So we go on. Who know, maybe Volka will turn out to be a Naiad.”

  Despite her caustic tone and the seriousness of their predicament Nameless felt a wave of relief. So they salvaged what they could from the remains of the wagon, waited for nightfall and set out into the sand once more.

  Even rationing their water they ran out three days later.

  Chapter 17:

  Beneath the Sand

  Jubby swam through the ancient desert, she knew that the currents, the ebb and flow of the sand, were ever changing, but she could have sworn the underground spring was this way…

  If she traveled too far north she would run into that cavern with all the nasty spiky metal-bitey things that always chased her and burned her when she got too close, so she tried her best to give it a wide birth, swimming through ancient ruins that had been beneath the sand for centuries.

  The priceless ruins held no interest to her though, her sense of the shifting sands focused instead on the odd little trickle and shuffle that would indicate water.

  These were the first people she had met in a long time and she was determined to befriend them, and she knew that the only way of doing that would be to find them water.

  The giant worm paused, she had heard it…

  She strained, focusing all of her attention on her sensitive skin, and felt it again!

  Excited now, she swam through the sand towards the noise as it grew stronger by the second. But in her eagerness she completely missed another noise.

  A metallic skittering noise.

  She poked her head into the underground cavern and stuck out her tongue, her vision having no difficulty with the low light, Jubby smiled as she saw the flowing water of the underground stream as it drained into a large pool, though her face fell a bit when she realized that she would have to worm her way over the unyielding stone of the cavern floor to get to it, not an easy task for the behemoth creature. But she was determined, and heaved her bulk free of the sand, panting with the effort.

  When she finally reached the edge of the pool several minutes later she drank her fill before filling her mouth, but even as she did there was a flash of green light and she felt a familiar burn on her carapace.

  She let out a squeak as she pulled her tongue into her overflowing mouth, holding her breath even as she flopped her massive body on the stone floor of the cavern, desperate to get back to the safety of the yielding sand.

  The metal-bitey things were all over her now, and though she crushed more than a few in her desperate thrashing they were burning her again and again while her tongue let out a burbling scream underwater.

  __________

  None of them had anything to drink in well over a day.

  No one spoke, each of them lost in daydreams of rushing rivers and the multitude of babbling streams in the rainforest that the Saenga lived in. Only Nameless thought of something other than water; Volka’s light was blazing in his mind now and it kept him moving, indeed he outpaced them all.

  But it wouldn’t matter if they didn’t find water soon, though none of them had the heart to tell him so.

  Miranda knew that at most they had another day before people started to collapse; already Jezebal was no longer clinging to Kala but was being carried limply on the Amazon’s back, the miserable frog girl had been hit the hardest by the heat during the day and now the lack of water had dropped her.

  The Aegis operative felt overwhelming guilt at having brought her into the desert in the first place. She should have stayed behind with the Amazons; they could have looked after her.

  She shook herself out of her helpless reverie as she watched the back of Nameless’s head as he purposefully strode ever deeper into the desert.

  Fucking kid got us all killed.

  But she stomped on the thought even as it arose, she knew that it was just bad luck that had done them in.

  She was roused from her grim thoughts when Ophelia fluttered back down out of the night sky, the Flutterby had taken to flying high above them in the night, hoping to spot something in the endless dunes.

  Vain hope, Miranda knew, but again she didn’t have the heart to say anything.

  They all looked to Ophelia but she simply shook her head sadly before Milly pulled her into her arms. The bond-sisters took a few moments to comfort each other. The steadfast Minotaur was no longer producing milk and she hated the empty feeling in her breasts.

  It reminded her too much of what it was like before she had bonded.

  It wasn’t until the night was mostly through that Nameless at last turned from his headlong pace and took a long look at the others.

  They were a bedraggled bunch.

  Nina’s shoulders were slumped in defeat, her hammer being dragged limply behind her; even giants need to drink.

  Nameless tried to think of something, anything to say, but even if he had the words he didn’t know if he could muster the strength to speak them.

  The worst part was knowing how badly he had failed them all. His own girls were bad enough but the sight of Jez limply riding Kala’s back broke his heart.

  He was overwhelmed with grief for a moment, but then Ophelia once more fluttered down from above.

  “Light!” She gasped out hoarsely when she landed amongst them.

  __________

  Jubby burst through the surface of the sand, in the same area that she had left them.

  She was still bleeding a bit in a few places where bits of metal were sticking out of her carapace, and the stinging burns from the metal-bitey things throbbed.

  But she was determined not to let her new friends down.

  She poked just the tip of her pink tongue out of her mouth, her carapaced lips held tight to keep her precious payload inside her as her face emerged and looked around.

  Only to discover that they were gone.

  Her good mood evaporated and she fretted at their unexpected absence. She’d told them to wait here hadn’t she?

  As she scanned the horizon, straining her senses again, this time to feel the tiniest of shuffles that might indicate footsteps, she at last gave a shrug.

  They had been heading this way before so maybe they kept going.

  The massive creature dove back below the sand.

  __________

  “Huh?” Erica’s eyes were dull and her ears flat at Ophelia’s words.

  The Flutterby desperately licked at her parched lips, trying to moisten her mouth enough to speak again.

  “Light! In the distance!”

  “Surely it is the dawn…” Kala trailed off though as Ophelia shook her head.

  “Firelight.” She coughed out.

  Miranda gripped her by her shoulder. Trying to wet her own lips to speak.

  “How far?”

  Ophelia took a few steadying breaths.

  “A few miles at most.”

  They all shared hopeful looks.

  “That way?” Nameless pointed.

  She looked puzzled.

  “Yes but…”

  “Volka.” Was all he said.

  Their hopeful looks turned to excitement at the name.

  Miranda’s eyes widened in surprise after the sun rose a few hours later.

  “That’s a dig-site!”

  “Good, they’ll have water!” Erica exclaimed.

  But Miranda grabbed her by the arm before she could take more than a single step.

  “They’ll also have a full complement of guards who will be very curious as to why we are way the hell out here!” Her voice was hoarse and croaking but the intensity of her gaze was impossible to miss.

  “Well, whatever, the Aegis runs these things right?”

  Miranda gave a quick jerk of her head to the negative.

  “No we have no formal outposts in the Sansee. Which means that this will be
run by a tribe, contracted out by the Aegis. We are way outside my jurisdiction, and only the nastiest prisoners get sent into the wastes. Which means the girls guarding them won’t be soft. We will need to be on our best behaviour.”

  “They’ve spotted us.” Jan commented, shading her eyes with one hand.

  “Right, I’ll do the talking. The rest of you, look harmless.”

  “That shouldn’t be too difficult.” Ophelia gave a sidelong glance at Kala and Nina.

  Both warriors were gripping their weapons and sizing up the approaching figures.

  The hazy shapes revealed themselves to be twenty armed and armoured Troglodytes. Nameless’s eyes nearly popped out of his head at the speed with which they moved over the sand, they almost seemed to fly across the top of the dunes and with military precision they quickly surrounded the group.

  Miranda put her hands in the air before her.

  “Peace, warriors, I am-”

  “Trespassing.” One of them said in a flat voice.

  “Not long for this world.” Another hissed out.

  “It’s not like that, we are looking for someone.”

  One of the more imposing monster girls stepped forward and leveled a massive blade at Miranda’s chest.

  “The humans here are all convicted criminals with life sentences. You will not take any of them away from here, alive or dead. I will happily wear your skin if you try.”

  Kala puffed out her chest and raised her spear at the woman who dared to utter such threats at her beloved wife.

  “Insolent wretch! I am Kala, wife of-”

  “If you are about to challenge me to single combat then you are wasting your breath Amazon. We Trogs care nothing for your foolish honour. We take pride in winning wars not waging them. Continue to brandish your weapon and we will leave your carcasses to dry in the sand.” The leader snapped.

  Nina rolled her eyes, she had heard enough.

  “Look lady, if you and your sisters are gunna start some shit, I’m gunna start squishing lizards.”

  The Trog paused, sizing up the mighty Gigas.

  “We may fall to your hammer, if you can catch us with it, but your companions will all bleed out into the sand.

  Nina narrowed her eyes dangerously as her grip shifted.

  “This is ridiculous! I am Miranda Holt, Aegis Special Operator First Class. We aren’t here for a fucking jail break! How the hell would we even have known where to find you?”

  The leader gave her a long stare, which Miranda returned with a fierce frown of her own. Finally the lizard woman lowered her weapon, slowly.

  “If you are really with the Aegis, then we have no quarrel with you. I am Bask, this site is under my supervision. I would ask why you are out this far into the wastes, but I really don’t care. Leave this place at once. Aegis or not, you are still an outsider.”

  Miranda shifted her weight onto one leg and put her hands on her hips.

  “Do we look ready to travel anywhere? We lost our water a few days ago.”

  The Trog snorted with contempt.

  “Then you will die, softskin. The Sansee is no place for the weak or foolish.”

  “It wasn’t our fault! This big dumb snake thing knocked our wagon over!” Erica protested vehemently.

  Bask hissed, her glare leveled on the Katje, but before she could speak there was a commotion from the dig-site.

  “Bask! I’ve made another discovery!”

  The lizard woman’s shoulders slumped as the group looked past the armoured Troglodytes at the tall man stumbling through the sand toward them.

  “Shifting sands!” Bask cursed; “That man will be my end!”

  Surprisingly, several of the warrior women smiled, one even laughed for a moment before quickly regaining her composure.

  “Bask! I was right! Seriously! I was right this time!” the breathless man caught up to them, panting in the heat and oblivious to the tense nature of the confrontation; “The eastern section, past the north… just like I said it would. Diggers broke through. Whew… hot today!” He gripped a stitch in his side.

  Bask held herself back from throttling the tall man, barely.

  “Martin! This isn’t the time for-”

  She drew herself up in an attempt to re-establish her authority but he talked over her as if she had never spoken.

  “Oh! Goodness, we have guests! Hello! I’m Martin, Martin Green!”

  “Hello Martin, a pleasure to meet you. My name is Ophelia.”

  Of all the weary travelers only she remembered her manners.

  “You look exhausted! Come down to our camp and have a cool drink!”

  “Thank you. That would be lovely.”

  Bask was dumbstruck for five whole seconds as Martin took the weary Flutterby by the arm and began to lead her towards the quarry.

  “Martin! They are trespassing-”

  “Oh and Bask, please have your sisters reposition the diggers, I don’t want them going into the new section until I’ve had a chance to take some samples.”

  With that he began to walk back to the dig-site, chatting animatedly with Ophelia.

  The lizard woman’s face was a particularly bright shade of pink. One of the other Trog’s leaned in and whispered in her ear, and she managed to regain her composure somewhat.

  “Well! I guess we are entertaining guests now! Fine! You will follow us, don’t talk to any of the prisoners. In fact, don’t even look at them!” Her voice verged on hysterical.

  The Trogs quickly surrounded them and they followed after Martin and Ophelia.

  Despite Bask’s warning regarding the prisoners, Nameless and the others couldn’t help but look around as they descended into the quarry.

  It seemed that the sand had been shifted away to reveal the bedrock beneath and the diggers then began to, well, dig.

  All around were men in chains, they were filthy and gave them sullen looks with dark eyes, ever mindful of the Trogs guarding them.

  They were led into a series of tents at the bottom of the pit. Everywhere were tables with maps and archeological tools, as well as one table where ancient items were laid out with great care. Martin had clearly been busy.

  “So you see, I believe that this was a hospital! And a big one at that!”

  Martin chatted animatedly with Ophelia as he poured water from a pitcher for her and the others.

  They were too thirsty to be polite and quickly drank what he had poured for them.

  “Slowly kids, too much water too fast will make you sick.”

  Disciplined Aegis operative though she was, it took all of Miranda’s willpower not to gulp down the precious water herself.

  Kala unslung Jez from her back and together with Jan they worked to get the dehydrated frog to drink.

  It took them nearly five minutes to rouse her.

  All the while Martin kept right on speaking as if Miranda hadn’t said anything at all.

  “-have yet to break into the main structure, it’s been kind of challenging finding it to be honest, but we know it’s there!”

  Nameless, glass in hand, closed his eyes.

  For the first time since they set out on their journey, Volka’s light was pointing in a different direction.

  Slowly his eyes opened and his gaze shifted downwards.

  “Below us…” He breathed.

  The other girls’ eyes widened.

  “Hmm?”

  Martin, at last realizing that no one was listening to him, was watching Nameless with a puzzled expression.

  “I can feel her, she is so close.” Nameless took a gulp of water to clear the lump in his throat.

  Milly pulled him into her arms with a gentle low.

  Nina began hefting her hammer and examining the ground.

  “Hey four-eyes, what’s down there?”

  The giant pointed where Nameless had directed her.

  Martin adjusted the spectacles on his nose, taken aback by the Gigas’s bluntness.

  “Down there? Well, nothin
g, at least I don’t think.”

  “What do you mean?” Miranda snapped, losing patience with the scatter-brained man.

  “Well, we just broke into another chamber, on the eastern wall there, and I am convinced that…” He trailed off though as Nameless was shaking his head.

  Martin had been pointing in almost the opposite direction of where he sensed Volka.

  “She is that way.” He emphatically pointed down.

  “Er, pardon me, but who?”

  “Volka. Pay attention.” Erica chided.

  “Oh, er sorry?”

  The archaeologist was flummoxed; none of his notes indicated anything that deep, unless…

  “So how do we get to her, I mean, I could just start swinging but who knows what would happen then. I might end up crushing her.” Nina frowned.

  “You will do no such thing!” Bask broke into the conversation for the first time.

  “I will do whatever it takes to find my bond-sister. Get in my way and I will kill you and everyone you love.”

  The glare that Nina fixed on Bask caused even the battle hardened Trog to step back a bit, reconsidering the wisdom of letting the powerful Gigas onto solid ground in the middle of her dig-site.

  If necessary she and her sisters could have run circles around the giant in the dunes, inevitably wearing her down, it would have been a long battle but she was confident that they had a good chance of triumphing in the end.

  Not here though, not when she could simply break the very earth at their feet and throw it at them.

  “Nina, easy. We’re guests here.” Miranda cautioned.

  Nina rolled her eyes.

  “Please don’t get in my way because I will kill everyone you love?”

  “Aha!”

  Martin had shifted back to his notes again and leapt up holding a scrap of paper, cutting through the sudden tension.

  “Bask! Remember, last year, that system of hallways, we stopped exploring after that cave in.”

  Her forked tongue slipped out between her lips in agitation, her eyes still on the Gigas.

  “And?”

  “At the time, I made a note, and it does head in that general direction…”

  “Well, what are we waiting for? We’ve rehydrated, let’s go get Volka already!” Erica said.