by L R Deney
“Good vintage, no?” Sarah asked.
Zenn nodded weakly.
Another smirk and the halls twisted and turned through the massive structure, everything proving the Queen’s own vanity as they passed it. Eventually Zenn began to hear a lot of background noise, and her mind started to fixate on it. It sounded like a vast array of voices, and maybe some music and a low rumble amidst it all.
Before she knew it, they emerged out on a balcony where they were greeted with an awe inspiring scene. Below it was a huge parade ground, and marching out of it toward the gates was the army of golems that Sarah had seized from her. Accompanying it were several of her own officers as well as a few companies of demons, potentially meant as air support. Off to the side were a few more demons blowing trumpets.
“As you can see, I have already arranged for a counter offense with your officers embedded with mine,” Sarah explained. “Together, we will turn back the enemy from our borders.”
“Where are they heading?” asked Zenn.
“To Azraelopolis.”
“I don’t know what or where that is.”
“It’s the city that you and your armies emerged from. As it contains a portal to Earth, it has very important strategic value. It’ll certainly help us establish a foothold in Kadmon’s territory.”
“Okay, so we’re attempting to turn it into a joint beachhead.”
“Precisely! Oh, you know your stuff. We’re going to make a beautiful team together.” Sarah suddenly placed an arm around Zenn and pulled her close. “To victory!”
“…To victory.”
◆◆◆
Aku no Shi was grateful that Julia Frandsen was able to get her into the prison to see the orc. She was accompanied by the guards who had looked at the official request with some bemusement and mild skepticism, but there was no mistaking the councilor’s signature no matter how hard they looked at it. Finally they relented and led the bounty hunter into the prison complex.
The prison’s interior wasn’t anything special to look at, every single corridor of cells looking exactly like every other. It was a veritable maze too. She had no idea how massive the place was but it certainly was large enough to house the entirety of the population of Azramoas and then some. After all, it existed on its own plane of existence separate from the city.
It took a while to reach the orc; he was on one of the upper levels, and several dozen corridors away from the front of the prison. Essentially it took the better half of an hour just to get to his cell. Without the guards accompanying her, she would have never have found it and would have probably gotten lost. That wasn’t a desirable prospect in the least.
She had to stand by while the guards unlocked the door. The ball of light that floated nearby only provided so much illumination, but the prisoner the was revealed to be inside looked like someone no one in their right mind should fuck with. One punch from those huge hands looked like they could potentially cave in someone’s skull. She certainly wouldn’t envy whoever managed to piss him off that much.
“Are you Grithnak?” she asked, stepping closer to the cell as calm as she could get.
“Who wants to know?” retorted the orc as he stood from his bunk.
“I am Aku no Shi. I hunt that is which guilty by law.”
“So you’re a bounty hunter.”
“Hai.”
“Fancy name that you got there.”
“I am glad that you find it so pleasing.”
“I didn’t say I found it pleasing, I just said it was fancy. Not such a big fan of fancy stuff.”
Aku no Shi eyed the orc thoughtfully. “You are not much different from Staci. She also enjoys being insolent.”
“Ah, this is about Staci is it? Curious if I know where she might be hiding? Well you can go suck my big, fat orc cock.”
The witch frowned. “So crude.” She turned to look back at the guards. “Do you care to leave us?”
“No can do, ma’am,” one of the prison guards stated. “It’s against procedure to leave a prisoner unattended with a visitor.”
“Essentially they want to make sure you’re not breaking me out,” Grithnak explained with a toothy, mocking smile.
Rolling her eyes, Aku no Shi let out a frustrated sigh. “Maybe position yourselves on opposite ends of the corridor then? There’s no way in or out of here because of the wards. I give you my word I will stand in view of the light.”
Both of the guards looked at each other for a moment. “Very well, but no funny business.”
Once the guards had positioned themselves on opposite ends of the corridor, Aku no Shi turned her attention back to Grithnak. “You are the owner of the Rusty Hook are you not?”
“Yeah, I am, what of it?”
“Is it true that Staci Drenvauder was with you on the night Speaker Ravenford was assassinated?”
The orc eyed her suspiciously.
Aku no Shi was starting to feel annoyed. “Please, I must know, that is why I sent the guards away. Staci Drenvauder vows that she is innocent and named you as her witness. I intend to discover if that’s true.”
Grithnak’s expression visibly softened and he sighed. “It’s true.”
The witch felt a chill run down her spine. “So she was nowhere near the capitol.”
“Nope, she was hanging out in my bar’s stock room. She had just escaped a major clusterfuck that happened in the council chamber and was lying low. It would have been stupid of her to go back and kill a guy. Nah, I gave her some stew and a few drinks and she hid back there for several hours.”
“Any idea who might have killed the Speaker?”
“Not a clue. Might have been the Nazis.”
“The Nazis?” There it was again, mentioned so matter-of-factly.
“Yeah, Staci’s been trying to stop some kind of kidnapping plot they’ve been running. The Order of the Black Sun is what they call themselves. Staci thinks they have a guy on the Council.”
The witch thought this over for a few moments. “Thank you. I have much to reflect on. I may have taken this bounty in haste.”
“Glad to shine a light on that noggin of yours.”
“Of course.” She looked down both ways of the corridor. “All right, I am done with my questioning. You may secure the prisoner again.”
Almost immediately the guards rushed to her side, checked that Grithnak was still in his cell and immediately locked the door.
“Awww, come on guys, you’re not going to jack me off first?” the orc shouted from inside his cell.
The witch had to suppress her urge to laugh while she was led away. She had much to think about now. What would be her next step of action? Would she abandon the bounty and head back home, or maybe she would help out Staci with the Nazi threat? There was a lot to reflect on now.
Chapter 25
She was fully prostrated on the floor, eyes staring at the stone tiling. Only the slightest hint of sound came from around her. She felt humiliated, debased, and insulted as she had to keep herself presented this way. Her mind went to some very dark places, some of them extremely suicidal ideas. The fact that the pair of boots was resting in front of the throne before her didn’t help her mood much.
“This is your proper place,” said amused, cruel voice. “Before my feet. You do what I say, you respond when I call you. I’m top bitch here; you’re no longer the wickedest witch in the room. I own your motherfucking ass.”
“I just did what you asked me of,” she said pathetically. “I’ll always do what you want of me.”
“Except when you’re acting like an ungrateful little bitch. Like this fucking morning. Still, your loyalty is appreciated and I can always count on it. You’re like the patron saint of loyalty.”
She nodded slowly, the words making her swell a little bit more proud. It always pleased her when the being sitting before her appreciated her. It was so rare of an expression from her that she learned to savor every moment of it. The Devil was in a better mood today, so best help her
keep that mood up.
“I have another task for you,” said the cruel Devil. “But first you’re going to prove your loyalty even further by licking my boots.”
She hesitated and was about to look up but caught herself and kept her head down.
“Come on, motherfucker. Fucking do it, or I’ll have my hellhounds chew off your fucking face and you’ll never be pretty.”
So with great reluctance, she gently handled and lifted the booted tip and opening her mouth to stick out her tongue, she began to….
◆◆◆
Staci jerked awake and sat up, heart racing. Shaking the images from her mind, she tried not to think of the nightmare. Every night seemed to include a nightmare about Kadmon now, the traumatic memories racing into her mind by the dozen. Now that that bitch was back in her life, she couldn’t shake it off.
She looked around the dark to remind herself of where she was. Melanie was still sleeping soundly beside her, and she reached to gently caress her side. She sighed softly and shifted so that she was spooning Melanie closely, feeling comfort in her warmth. Eventually, she wound up drifting off again.
The next thing she knew was the persistent, rumbling drone of a washing machine. Or was it a dryer? She couldn’t really tell, it was just one of those monotonous sounds that one either woke up to or fell asleep to. Problem was, she couldn’t really recall if she included a washer and dryer in the sanctum. She probably did though, it only made sense.
Melanie turned onto her back and looked at her with a smile and they exchanged a kiss. There was a comforting warmth that passed through both of them as their lips met. The sheer delight to be in each other’s presence, accompanied by that magical, emotional energy of love that could make life worth living each day.
“Sounds like the laundry’s being done,” remarked Melanie, snuggling close to Staci, their bodies still bare.
“Yes it does,” replied Staci, a hand smacking Melanie’s rear. “Think Theo would mind if we walked around naked?”
“I don’t know them well enough to make that assessment.”
“A fair point, although it would be amusing to find out.”
“At the very least, our clothes will be clean again.”
“Ugh yeah, being separated from my wardrobe this long is not doing any favors for my mental health.”
“You’ll get it back. I know you’re innovative enough to figure it out.”
“Yeah, I suppose I am. I just hope ideas come to me soon.”
They kissed and just spent their time in each other’s arms, underneath the covers. Off in the distance, the only noise in the room was that of the washer or dryer running somewhere down the hall.
Eventually Staci got curious and climbed out of bed and walked to the bedroom door. Yawning briefly, she poked her head out of the room and looked in both directions. No one was in sight, and Staci furrowed her brow. Slipping out of the bedroom, she followed the sound of the machine and found herself in the bathroom. She didn’t recall these being here when she last used it, but she wasn’t going to complain. However, she did discover it was the dryer that was running.
“Huh, well, that answers that question,” she decided and turned to head out of the bathroom.
There stood Theo, looking rather shocked and Staci only had to smile at the reaction. Theo tried to look anywhere else but Staci’s nude form, humming softly to themself in a desperate attempt to remain casual. This only prompted soft laughter from Staci as she simply reached over for a towel and covered herself for Theo’s benefit.
“So, doing laundry, eh?” Staci asked, acting like there was nothing that had made the interaction briefly awkward.
“Uhhh… yeah, figured you two needed your outfits to be fresh,” Theo replied with a slow intake of breath. “Any problems?”
“No, not at all, just checking on things, bring ‘em by when they’re done please.”
“Yeah, sure thing.”
Staci returned to the bedroom and promptly tossed the towel to the side once she was back in. Then she climbed in with Melanie and cuddled up to her side, feeling the return to warmth. Another kiss was shared and they clutched each other tightly.
“So, how’re our clothes?” Melanie asked.
“Almost dry,” Staci answered with a smirk.
“Oh good. Umm… what happened?”
“Ohhh, just ran into Theo.”
They both laughed softly. About fifteen minutes passed and Theo came into their room, their clothes folded. They looked around and placed the clothes down on a nearby table and smiled awkwardly before stepping back.
“Voila, here they are,” Theo remarked before stepping away.
In several moments they were dressed, the outfits they’ve been wearing for the last few days fresh and warm. It was bit of a relief, feeling that sensation, as they were both sure that their clothes were beginning to smell. Then they were out the door of the sanctum, emerging from the tent outside it. Everything was pretty much as they had left it the day before, but once again there was a pig parked a few cars down along and across the road. More intimidation tactics, Staci presumed.
They went on another patrol, this time a little farther than the day before because Staci’s prescriptions were running low, so they went to the nearest branch of her pharmacy. Again, it was looking like another day without sight of the Nazis, and while that was fortunate for the minority groups they were abducting; it made tracking down the fascist bastards difficult.
But it was perhaps that thought that provoked later events as they came upon a scene not far from the camp on their way back. Two men in black suits were hassling a black teen near a chain-link fence. Finally it looked like they had found their quarry, the two men laughing at the youth as they backed him against the fence. There was no mistaking that these were the Nazis causing trouble again.
“Hey, you two, step away from him,” Staci said, each infuriated step drawing her closer.
The two Nazis turned around; ready to deal some damage to anyone that interfered with their task. What they did not expect was Staci Drenvauder herself to show up and cause trouble. They both were shocked to see her, clearly recognizing her from descriptions that would have been passed through their organization by now. Neither of them seemed to have any idea what to do now.
“This… this is none of your business!” declared one of the men, his face contorting in to an expression that was meant to be intimidating. “Leave now or you’ll regret it.”
Staci laughed softly at the attempt to scare her away. “Do you even know who I am?”
“We’ve heard of you,” said the other.
“Then you know that I’m big trouble for both of you.” She looked to the teen behind them. “Run. Get out of here.”
The youth nodded and hurried the fuck out of there, booking it down the street as fast as his long legs could carry him. Once he was gone, she smiled at the two Nazis, waving her hands in careful, somatic incantations. It was clear that these two were very much outmatched by her skill and that they were actually quite terrified.
One of them attempted to fire off a spell, sending a blood red dart of energy toward her throat. This became deflected as she sent a larger bolt of darkness at him, consuming the dart itself, briefly increasing in size. The man looked absolutely shocked and tried to move out of the way at the last moment but wound up being slammed against the chain-link behind him.
She turned her attention to the other fascist and laughed as he was looking around for a means of escape. The witch drew closer with her steps, angered by the gall that these men had for abducting innocent people off the streets. Her hand extended and another bolt of darkness fired out, sending him slamming back against the fence as well. Finally she stood over them, both of them having collapsed to the ground.
“Well now, looks like we have an option here,” she said, hands on her hips. “You can either give up the location of your sanctum, or I can finish you both off right here and now.”
“Never,” o
ne of the men said, panic in his eyes. “If we give you that information, the Fuehrer will surely kill us.”
“Perhaps you didn’t hear me; I just said I’d kill you if you didn’t tell me. What do I care if your Fuehrer kills you instead? The only good fascist is a dead fascist.”
“I… uhh….”
Staci kneeled down to the man and gripped his throat tightly, glaring into his eyes. “Are you so much more afraid of him than you are of me?”
The man gulped, unsure what to do, his options were limited. Staci was squeezing tighter when the other fascist jumped on top of her, trying to wrestle her into submission. They rolled together for a while, the physical confrontation not being something Staci was best suited for. Nevertheless, she finally was able to break free of him and hammered the sole of her boot into his face, knocking him unconscious with a sickening crunch as his nose shattered in a spray of blood.
“Fucking bastard,” Staci cursed, climbing back to her feet.
Melanie rushed to her side. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah… but obviously you can have a look at the other guy.” She smirked. “Now for you, fascist number two… where is the sanctum?”
The Nazi had been trying to get up himself, but when Staci had broken free of his compatriot, he was now frozen with terror. “All right, all right, I’ll tell you.”
“That’s a good boy.”
“Our sanctum is located at the—” He was never able to get out the last word, as a bolt of black and red lightning suddenly struck him and he exploded into a mess of chunks of flesh, blood, and bone chunks.
“Poor Edward,” said a familiar voice from the direction whence the lightning had come. “Does he not remember that betrayal means death?”
Staci turned her head and saw Chadwick with three more men, one of which was clad in a police uniform. She wasn’t surprised, and she wouldn’t be surprised if it was the same pig that had been monitoring the homeless encampment, searching for easy prey to abduct. Her fists balled up and clenched at the thoughts.