Feature Writer: Phineas
Feature Title: Wizard 3
Published: 06.06.2021
Story Codes: Erotic Horror
Synopsis: John meets new, ahem, friends in the wilds.
Author’s Notes: Traveling through the dangerous wilds with a troop of gladiators… what better companions could there be?
Wizard 3
John stepped out of the trees and into the small camp. Four riding horses, an open wagon pulled by another horse, and three tents made a loose circle around a campfire set up with a proper iron spit with pots hanging to heat soup. A portly man tending the fire and food. A young girl stood at the ready to jump whenever he asked for something. Two tall, slender men were sparring on the far side of the camp. Others were sitting, standing or probably resting in their tents.
“Now this is a camp,” John mused.
“John, I need a favor,” Jennaca said.
“Another favor?” he asked with a lewd wink.
Jennaca blushed. “It’s because of that,” she whispered.
“I don’t understand… is something wrong?”
“Not wrong… exactly. It was right. So very, very right.”
“We were seen, you know.”
She grinned. “I know… I think that’s part of the problem.”
“You’ve never been shy before. It’s natural, you said… why now?”
“Oh, I’m not worried… I’m… well, I’m still ready for you, if you know what I mean.”
John’s jaw dropped. He collected it and stared at the blushing woman. “I’m not going to bed you again this soon! It’s been what, fifteen minutes?”
“Closer to twenty or thirty, I think,” she said and shrugged. “I’m not asking for that though. Might be awkward, rutting away like animals in heat in the middle of their camp.”
“Yeah!” John scoffed. He shook his head and chuckled. “What’s gotten into you? Besides me, I mean.”
She grinned. “Yeah you did. So into me. Saints, it felt wonderful. You were so rough and powerful and fucked me so deep.”
John coughed. “Jen!”
She grinned. “Sorry. I can’t help myself. And after, when I swallowed you down? Mmm, so good. You’ve changed me, John. I see these men here and I wonder how they’d compare. Could they fuck me half as well as you? Would they taste as sweet?”
He stared at her with his lips parted. He was shocked and turned on. Granted, he was always at least a little turned on since waking up pledged to Mistress Beytrixxa, but this was something different.
“Oh, don’t worry. I won’t touch them,” she said. “I wonder, but I couldn’t bring myself to be with anyone else. I don’t understand it, but I know it’s true.”
“The contract,” John said.
“Oh, from our first time, when you finished inside me?”
He nodded. “It will last a year. You’re stuck with me until then, I guess.”
“Mmm, good,” she said. She looked him up and down and bit her lip while squeezing her legs together. “Next time, maybe take a little more from me?”
“I think I might have to,” John agreed. “Is that the favor?”
She shook her head. “No… I need to bathe, but I can’t come up with a good excuse to go jump in the river.”
“Why do you need to bathe? You, um… I finished in your mouth.”
“It’s not you that’s running down my legs, it’s me,” she said. “You do this to me, John. Didn’t I ever tell you that?”
“I… wow. No. No you didn’t.”
“Well, you do. Now stop being so smug and use your magic to freshen me up.”
John nodded. “Right… just… there you go, all better.”
Jennaca let out a sigh and smiled. “Thank you, Master.”
His eyes widened.
Jennaca giggled. “Got you!”
“Remind me to thank my Mistress,” John said. “If I were still a normal mortal man my heart wouldn’t have been able to handle you.”
Jennaca grinned. “Thank her for me too then.”
John chuckled and turned his attention to the new man walking up to him. Another man followed behind him, shorter and younger and… John wasn’t sure he could be called a man. He was young. Old enough, John supposed, but only barely. John turned his focus back to the man. He was more than old enough, judging by the salt and pepper beard and the grey at the temples of his dark hair.
“Lord John and Lady Jennaca, I’m told?” the man greeted them and offered his hand.
John took the man’s offer and they grasped forearms before breaking away. “She’s Lady Jennaca,” John said with a nod to his scantily clad huntress.
The man’s mask broke with a laugh. “I hoped as much! My name’s Matthew. No title to it, but I lead this sorry group. My apologies for the misunderstanding with your furry friend.”
Sasha answered with a soft roar.
“It ended well,” Jennaca said. “I think Sasha enjoyed the hunt more than your friends did.”
John frowned. “Are they well? They mentioned you had a healer?”
“We do. Sadie, she’s a priestess of Eile that can’t seem to get her fill of us,” Matthew said. “She’ll have them swing a sword in no time.”
John nudged Jennaca.
She turned and looked up at him. “What?”
He glared at her until it was obvious she had no idea what he was hinting at. “Weren’t you going to say something about what you did?”
Her brow creased. “On the trail? When we—”
“No!” John hissed. “Your arrow?”
“Oh… that. Well, I hadn’t planned on it. Should I?”
John let out a heavy breath and looked at Matthew. “Matthew, please forgive my companion. She’s spent much of her life in the northern wilderness and sometimes simple matters of courtesy escape her. I cherish her honesty and company, even if it comes at a cost of civility at times.”
Matthew laughed. “Begging your pardon, milady, but I’m lowborn and don’t have much use for civility either. Still, I expect I’d put up with a lot from a companion as fine as the one you’ve got yourself, my lord.”
John smiled. “All the same, I’m sorry she put an arrow in your man. It was unnecessary and I hope your healer can help him.”
“She’s healed worse,” Matthew assured him. “Might be it taught him a lesson too, although I was the one that sent them off after your cat proved better than our trap.”
Jennaca’s eyes narrowed. “Your trap?”
“Sure enough. We knew there was a tiger in the area. They usually stick to the plains north of here, but sometimes one comes down. Figured he’d make a fine addition to our show.”
“She,” Jennaca corrected him. She spoke with tight, controlled words that left no doubt as to her change in mood. “And I saved her from another group of people like you that used her for sport.”
He held up his hands. “No harm done,” he said. “And we’d have made sure she wouldn’t have been killed. Sadie could fix her up too, if she was hurt. That’s part of what we do here. We fight and yeah, sometimes accidents happen, but we’re here to entertain, not to kill.”
“The last people that had her only cared about how much gold she could bring them on bets,” Jennaca admitted. She nodded after a moment. “We’re good, but let me warn you now, never try to enslave any animal for your purposes.”
He glanced at John and then back into the deadly serious eyes of the young woman. He smiled and nodded. “I’ll take your words to heart, milady. I’ve got a feeling about you… I’d love to see you spar with one of my fighters. Would you?”
“Why?” she asked.
“To humor an old man and maybe teach one of my men a few things.”
“I already taught a few of them how to shoot a bow,” Jennaca reminded him.
Matthew laughed and turned to see the boy at his side staring at Jennaca with wide eyes. He clapped the boy on the shoulder and said, “Careful Troy, I’d guess she’s only a few years older than you but she’s probably more dangerous than her tiger is.”
“Sasha’s not my tiger, she’s my friend,” Jennaca said. She softened a little and added, “But you’re right about the other thing.”
Matthew laughed again and waved them in. “Come, join us. The hour grows late and George has been cooking for a while now, it must be near to done.”
“We would,” John said. “I’ve a wagon and more companions back down the road a bit though.”
“I’ll go get them,” Jennaca offered.
Matthew shrugged. “They’re welcome. Blasim told me you were headed north, as are we. I’d welcome people as skilled as you are. Perhaps you might even come to enjoy what we do?”
John smiled. “From what I’ve heard, strength in numbers would be wise. I’m afraid I’m not much of a fighter.”
“That’s a fine spear. Unusual though, I’ve never seen metal quite like that nor a blade like it. Was it cast with four blades?”
“It was,” John said. He didn’t offer any more about it. He turned to Jennaca. “Go ahead and tell Artesia to join us. Hurry, I’d like to watch you too.”
Her eyes twinkled. “I’d like to be watched.”
John smirked as she turned and broke into a jog. A few of the people in the camp turned and watched her run past the outskirts of the camp and then disappear into the forest with a flash of black and red fur beside her.
“Your wife is something else,” Matthew said as he led John into the camp.
“Oh, she’s not my wife,” John corrected him. “Just one of my traveling companions. A dear friend, to be sure, but that’s all.”
“I heard there was something more to it,” Matthew mused.
John blushed. “Ah, the trail.”
“The setting sun must have played tricks on Hector’s eyes,” Matthew said.
“Maybe,” John allowed. He smiled it away and asked, “So you all fight one another but nobody is killed?”
“We have some trick blades,” Matthew said. “Filled with fake blood to make it look like a fatal blow was struck, but we rarely use them. Accidents happen with such things and all that.”
“So… are your men actually fighters? The north is filled with real dangers.”
Matthew chuckled. “A fair question. Wait and see, my lord.”
“Wait to be attacked?”
“No! I meant wait for Lady Jennaca to return. I trust she’s as good with her axe, sword, and daggers as she is with her bow?”
“You know, I’m not sure,” John admitted. “She did fight her way through a castle to reach me once though and showed up covered in blood… none of it hers. I’ve never really seen her fight though.”
“Sounds like we’re both in for a treat then,” he said. He turned and gestured at the cook. “George, this is Lord John, he and his companions will be joining us.”
George turned to look at John. Sweat beaded his face from his time spent over the fire. “Rag!” he snapped.
The short haired girl beside him darted in and mopped his brow with a cloth. She smiled at John and then dropped her gaze to the ground.
“My lord, I hope you’ll excuse the simple fare. If I’d known—”
John waved it away. “No need for excuses. If it weren’t for you I’d be eating something on a stick. Rabbit or squirrel, most likely.”
“Well good! I’ve bread and venison stew. Not as much venison as I’d like— they took the carcass before I could cut off the best parts.”
“Bait,” Matthew said. “Wasted bait, it seems.”
John smiled. “I’m looking forward to it, George. Thank you.”
Matthew pulled him away and looked to one of the two large tents. He motioned for John to follow and led him over and inside of it. The hair on John’s arms stood up the closer he got until, at last, he almost felt as though something was tickling him. Matthew pulled the flap aside and stepped in. He held it open for John.
The tingling was gone almost as though it had never been. John blinked and frowned. He looked around, hesitating a moment longer, and then stepped into the tent. He gripped his staff, needing the confidence the magical weapon imbued him with, and saw Amos lying on a bloodstained bedroll while Roderick was kneeling on the other side of the tent. A woman was bent over him and holding his hand.
John’s eyes went to Amos’s belly where his arm rested. The shredded and bloodstained sleeve had been pulled back and cut off to reveal his arm. His whole and healthy arm. There were pink lines on it where Sasha’s claws had torn flesh and muscle, but all of that was restored.
“By the last words of the Keret’Por…” John breathed. “What about his hand?”
“Just finished,” the woman said. She stepped back and turned. Both her hands dropped, one from the holy symbol of Eila she held and the other from where she’d held it in front of her. She gasped and stepped back.
John ignored the priestess and looked at Roderick making a fist with his hand and then straightening it. “Feels good, Eila. Thank you!”
Eila stared at John instead of responding. She had presence of mind enough to take her holy symbol in hand and hold it to her lips.
Roderick’s chest was bare, his shirt removed and the arrow wound in his chest nothing more than a red X of scarred flesh. Some of the blood on his skin was still wet and sticky but most of it hard dried and darkened.
“Amazing,” John whispered.
Eila stepped back again.
“Eila, what’s gotten into you?” Matthew asked. “This is Lord John. His lady— sorry, his companion, Lady Jennaca, was the one that put the arrow in poor Roderick here. Her pet, that tiger, tried to tear off Amos’s hand.”
“Yeah, I’m sorry about that,” John said. “The arrow, that is. Sasha was only defending herself. That was a lesson well learned I think.”
Mathew chuckled. “I’d say the other was a lesson too. They say she drew, loosed, and nocked a fresh arrow before they realized the first one was sticking out of Roderick’s chest?”
“It’s true,” Roderick said with a nod of his head. “I didn’t even realize and I was the one she shot!”
Mathew turned to John. “And from twenty five feet, if that?”
“Seems about right,” John agreed.
Mathew whistled. “I’ve got to see her in action.”
Roderick met John’s eyes and looked away. His cheeks colored pink and so did John’s. Roderick had seen her in action… an entirely different kind.
“I’m sorry,” Eila mumbled. “Healing them took a lot out of me… I need to lie down, I think. Pardon me, Lord John.”
John held up a hand. “Pardon me for intruding. Such healing is truly magical,” he assured her. “I would enjoy learning more about this later, if you have the time.”
She hesitated and nodded. “Of course, my lord.”
John smiled at her and saw her raise the holy symbol back to her lips. John backed out of the tent, uncertain what exactly had just happened and then had Matthew gesture at the two men returning from sparring.
John gasped. “Those are women!”
Matthew howled with laughter and said, “You’re damn right they are! Pardon my lowborn tongue, milord, but that’s Roxanne and Helleen.”
“They’re tall,” John said. “Tall and… are they sisters?”
“Twins,” Matthew shared. “Strong as any man here too. To the point Helleen prefers that hand and a half sword and not a man among us would take that for pit fighting.”
John admired the women as they approached. They were glistening with sweat and had loosened their leathers to let the wind touch their skin. John approved of the view even if he did see the faint traces of scars of past battles.
“Roxanne, Helleen, this is Lord John. His… companion was the one with the tiger that tried to take Amos’s hand,” Matthew introduced the women.
John took the two women in. Roxanne had a shield slung across her back and a heavy mace that sat in a harness at her hip, studded ball end up. Helleen wore the hand and a half sword across her back. Aside from their weapons, only their scars and the hair marked them as different, and even that was a mirror image. Roxanne’s brown hair fell to her shoulder on the right and was shorn to her scalp on the left. Helleen’s brown hair was shaved close on her right and fell to her left shoulder.
“I hope I never make you angry,” John greeted them with a smile. “I saw enough of you two sparring to know how I’d fare.”
Roxanne grinned as she looked him up and down. Helleen did the same, without the grin, and looked to her twin before saying, “Be careful, Roxy might offer you some private sparring lessons.”
John smiled. “I have been training lately, it might be a good to get a fresh perspective. I’ve gotten pretty good at surviving the beatings I’ve been receiving.”
Roxanne laughed and elbowed her sister. “You hear that? He even asked for it. Besides, I know how much you enjoy teaching tactics for two on one encounters.”
Helleen grinned. With a fresh twinkle in her eye she looked at John and said, “Be careful what you ask for.”
Matthew chuckled and clapped John on the shoulder with a heavy hand. He looked at John’s shoulder and then seemed to appreciate for the first time that John was as tall as he was. He turned his back on the two warrior-women. “I’m thinking maybe you two might want to be careful with this one, and not because you like to play rough, either,” he said.
“We won’t leave any marks,” Roxanne promised.
“Come on, let me introduce you to the rest of them.”
John returned the smiles of the two woman a final time. They were sizing him up in more ways than one and it made his blood race to think of the possibilities. He forced his attention back to Matthew as the man led him over and began introducing to the final gladiator, Weston. Weston was young enough that he struggled to look older with wisps of hair instead of a proper beard.
“Weston, this is Lord John, he and his crew are joining us for supper,” Matthew said. “He’s the one Hector and Roderick were telling us about. Him and his friend and her friend, the tiger.”
“Sasha,” John said. “The tiger’s name is Sasha. My friend’s name is Jennaca.”
“Lady Jennaca,” Matthew said for Weston’s benefit. “She’s going to spar with us later too.”
“Honor to meet you, milord,” Weston said while sizing John up. His eyes went to John’s spear and his eyes widened. “That’s a fine spear you’ve got. I’ve never seen it’s like before.”
“Thank you. It was specially crafted as a gift for me,” John said.
Weston eyed it a moment longer and nodded. “Fine weapon indeed,” he said before turning to Matthew. “Are we to be off on the morrow then, if the beast— my pardon— if Sasha got away?”
“We will. Hopefully with Lord John and his friends alongside us. We all head north and the saint’s know I’m tired of hearing the same lies from Blasim’s mouth over and over again!”
The flap on the other large tent pushed open and Blasim walked out. He saw John and nodded before looking to Matthew. “Every story I’ve told is true.”
Matthew chuckled and shook his head. “Even the one where you tricked the bandits into thinking you were a dragon magicked into looking like a man because you held a candle up to your arse and blew out flames when you farted?”
“Burnt a hole in my pants doing it!”
Weston and Troy laughed at the man’s claim.
“It’s possible,” John said. “A fart will burn, it’s much the same as swamp gas.”
“Coming from Blasim, I believe it. He smells worse!”
Blasim’s grin faded as soon as Matthew’s insult hit home. He gestured at John, and said, “Clearly this is a learned man. Show some respect!”
John joined in the laughter and soon they were talking like old friends. Others joined them and they made their way to the fire pit while sharing updates, insults, and stories they’d told countless times to each other. John listened and absorbed all that he could, learning of them and determining that they seemed likeable enough, even if they weren’t overly bound to each other. The except was Roxanne and Helleen. They were never far from each other’s side and shared more with a look or a gesture than words would allow. Only Sadie didn’t join them until the sound of John’s wagon arriving could be heard over the friendly banter.
Jennaca and Sasha walked into camp first, causing all conversations to stop as they watched the half naked woman moving as smoothly as the fierce cat beside her. Jennaca smiled and waved at them all before stepping up next to John.
Jennaca turned to take in Roxanne and Helleen from head to toe and back. She nodded. “Oh, they’ll do nicely!”
John coughed and looked at her. “Nicely? For what?”
“That would be fun to watch,” Matthew agreed, misunderstanding Jennaca by an order of magnitude. “Jennaca against the Slash and Smash Sisters!”
The men hooted and cheered at the thought. Roxanne and Helleen looked at Jennaca and then at each other. They shared a grin and then nodded.
“Slash and Smash?” John asked.
“We’ll do it,” Roxanne said. “I’m Smash.”
“And I’m Slash,” Helleen added while stroking her fingers up and down the grip of her sword over her shoulder.
“I’m hungry,” Matthew said. “George, is it ready?”
“I’m not going to fight with a full belly,” Helleen said.
“Wouldn’t look right,” Roxanne agreed.
Jennaca turned to John. “What did you get me into?”
John grinned and shook his head. “I didn’t do a thing. This was all you. Maybe if you weren’t so good…”
She couldn’t keep the smile off her face. “I’m good, am I?”
“The best I’ve met,” John said. “A natural.”
“You haven’t properly met us yet then,” Roxanne said.
“There’s time for that introduction later,” Helleen scolded her sister. “First we get to introduce ourselves to Lady Jennaca. I have a feeling it’s going to be very exciting.”
Roxanne rolled her eyes. “Yes, I’m sure you do.”
Jennaca looked back and forth between the two women and then to John. “I feel like I’m missing something.”
John shrugged. “If you are then so am I.”
“All right, clear a spot and let’s do this,” Matthew said. “I’ll eat while you fight.”
“Are you ready?” John asked Jennaca.
Jennaca rolled her shoulders, causing her tightly bound breasts to rise and fall. She shook her arms and nodded. “I’m already ready. Sasha, stay back. You had your fun earlier, now it’s my turn.”
Sasha rubbed against her bare belly and purred. The vibration was loud enough everyone felt it.
“Give us a minute to change,” Helleen said.
“It’s just a sparring match, not even an exhibition!” Matthew sputtered around a mouthful of stew.
“You want us at our best, we need to look it too,” Roxanne pointed out.
“Lady Jennaca’s outfit is on point already,” Helleen drove their argument home.
Matthew shook his head and sighed. “Women… even the fighting kind…”
“I wouldn’t live in a world without them,” John said.
Matthew chuckled. “You just wait. On a normal day of fighting Roxanne and Helleen end up as one of the highest cheered matches. Imagine all three of them together.”
The other men nodded and chuckled, smiles on their faces. John raised an eyebrow and looked to Jennaca.
She shrugged and checked that her weapons were free and ready. “What are the rules? This is friendly, right?”
“Aye, be mindful that we’re all friends,” Matthew said. “But accidents happen. We’ve got Sadie for that.”
“Oh! That’s right, you have a healer. I haven’t known a decent healer since I was back home. Where is she? She worships Eile, right? I’ve never known a priest— or a priestess— of Eile. She teaches mercy and healing and compassion… it makes sense she would travel around a lot. She must meet a lot of people in need of her aid traveling about like this. And I’m sure there’s enough to keep her busy if you’re fighting constantly. Good thing I kept you from capturing Sasha. Even a healer like Karthor wouldn’t be able to help after Sasha was finished with someone trying to fight her.”
Everyone stared at Jennaca. She stared back and then glanced at John.
John smiled and shrugged.
“What?” she asked the small crowd.
Matthew spoke first. “Well, I can see you won’t be the first one winded in a fight!”
Jennaca blushed and everyone else laughed. John gave her a comforting smile.
“All right, let’s do this!”
“They’re changed already?” John asked as everyone turned. His mouth closed and then fell open when he saw the twin sisters in their exhibition garb.
Helleen’s armor consisted of sandals with leather straps to her ankles. Interconnecting links of chain were sewn into the straps. The next protection she had was a skirt that consisted of equal sized strips of leather that fell to almost to the middle of her thigh. Each of the three inch wide strips came to a point and was covered on the outside with chain links. Above the chain link covered belt was a strapless bodice made of the same chainmail-sewn leather. She wore leather gloves that stretched up to her elbows, covered in steel rings like the rest of her armor save for her palms and the bottoms of her fingers. Helleen’s sword was strapped over her shoulder and a long spear was held in both hands.
Helleen’s armor was decent compared to her sister.
Roxanne’s sandals were made of a dark leather and the straps climbed all the way up her legs. Strips of leather ran straight up and down her legs and disappeared beneath her skirt, with a strap buttoned to the strip every inch or two all the way up.
Roxanne’s skirt was made of overlapping scales. It was short too. Shorter than Helleen’s. So short, in fact, John doubted she could take a normal step without answering the question of what she wore beneath it.
And that was it. Her only other equipment was her mace in her right hand and a round shield on her left.
“That’s so not fair,” Jennaca muttered.
John shook his head but found his gaze drawn back to the pair of muscular women. Roxanne in particular, especially as she swung her arms back and forth to loosen them up. The motion had a noticeable effect on her chest. “Very distracting,” John agreed.
“No, that’s not it,” Jennaca said. “Her boobs are small, she can get away with that. If I did that I’d end up biting my tongue off or knocking myself out.”
John glanced around at her and saw Jennaca stick her tongue out and gestured with her hands as though her boobs flew up and smacked her in the chin and knocked her head up and to the side. She bit her tongue for affect and then winked at him.
John looked back and, with a tiny bit of his focus restored, he took note that Roxanne and Helleen were both so lean and muscular that their breasts were little more than teardrops. Well, he assumed Helleen’s were the same as Roxanne’s, her low cut bodice hinted as much. He shook his head when Jennaca walked past him.
“Wish me luck, my lord,” she said.
John swallowed and nodded. “Right… yes, good luck. And try not to hurt anyone this time?”
“Oh! Good idea,” she said and slipped her bow off. She handed it to him and then unclasped her quiver from her belt and gave that to him. John fumbled to hold it all as he followed her with the others until they joined Helleen and Roxanne in an area cleared of all but trampled grass on the far side of the cook fire. Helleen’s spear could take up half the distance of the clearing, giving her a clear advantage.
Roxanne and Helleen stepped apart from each other. Roxanne raised her shield so it covered her body and blocked John’s view of her bare chest. Her mace lifted to the ready as well, but he found he wasn’t paying attention to that. No doubt that was part of her strategy. Helleen’s spear was held in both hands and pointed at Jennaca.
“Lady Jennaca, good fight to you,” Helleen said.
“And to you,” Jennaca said. She hesitated and glanced around. “Is that it, do we start now?”
“Fight!” Matthew shouted, signaling the matches start.
John expected the seasons gladiators— gladiatrixes?— to press their advantage. Jennaca surprised him and leapt forward. Her arms moved so fast her sword and axe almost seemed to appear by magic.
The twins had experience to spare and reacted to Jennaca’s aggression smoothly. Helleen lunged forward and thrust her spear at Jennaca. It was a simple move so easy to avoid even a farmer would be able to jump to the side… and right into the approach of Roxanne.
Jennaca did indeed step to her right as expected. Where she surprised the twins was that she kept moving forward. Jennaca hooked the shaft of the spear under the head of her hand axe and pulled it tight to her side behind her. Her forward curved sword struck the spear’s shaft ahead of her, splintering the wood and letting the woman spin and use her side as leverage to break the weapon in half.
When Jennaca’s spin ended the four feet of spear spun through the air at Roxanne. She raised her shield and batted it aside… and blocked her view of the cunning woman that lunged forward and ducked low to sweep her foot across and take the tall Gladiator’s feet out from under her.
Roxanne hit the ground and rolled away. She jammed her shield and the knuckles of the hand holding her mace into the ground to stand up but Jennaca’s knees on her back drove her back to the ground with a grunt of exploding air. The ring of steel against steel made Roxanne jerk under Jennaca’s weight.
“Your sister’s dead,” Jennaca said. Her sword was held overhead, blocking the heavy strike of Helleen’s hand and a half sword. Jennaca’s hand axe rested against the back of Roxanne’s neck, the sharp edge burning the woman’s skin with the pressure each movement put against her.
“I yield,” Roxanne grunted while trying to catch her breath.
“I don’t,” Helleen snarled and yanked her sword to the side, trying to upset Jennaca’s balance.
Jennaca sprang off Roxanne’s back by driving her knees into the woman’s bare ribs and lower back. She landed on her feet and caught a surprise backhand slash on her sword. She angled the blow up and over her head and raised her axe to feint a chop at Helleen’s hip.
Helleen danced away and brought her sword back in guard. She glared at Jennaca and ignored her sister picking herself up and retreating to the crowd. The two women studied each other for all of a second before Jennaca darted in and thrust her sword at Helleen’s belly.
Helleen swung her sword, trying to catch her, but Jennaca ducked under the blade and slipped to her left so it passed by over head. Her kukri missed but she was inside Helleen’s guard. Jennaca spun to her left and caught the sword on its way back on her blade. Helleen snarled and let go of the grip with her left hand. She made a fist and drew it back to strike Jennaca, only have her breath driven from her as the blunt side of Jennaca’s hand axe struck in the chain-mail covered side of her bodice.
Helleen let go of her sword. Without any resistance Jennaca’s sword swept the weapon away. Helleen’s foot lashed out and caught behind Jennaca’s ankle. Helleen’s hands, now free, slammed into Jennaca’s chest while Helleen threw her weight forward. Jennaca tried to leap away but they crashed to the ground together, Helleen on top of the smaller woman.
Sasha’s roar stilled the cheering for a moment. Helleen and Jennaca ignored the great cat. Helleen drove one thigh between Jennaca’s legs and kept her other leg outside of Jennaca’s. She grabbed her tight fitting top, managing to slip her leather clad fingers under the fabric near her shoulder and tugging on it while her other hand closed around Jennaca’s throat.
“You yield,” Helleen panted while adding pressure from her thigh against Jennaca’s crotch.
Jennaca dropped her sword and axe. She spread her legs and drew them up, grinding herself against Helleen’s leg. Helleen’s eyes widened when she felt the hot slickness on her thigh. Jennaca used the distraction to bring her right hand up and twist her grip so she grabbed Helleen’s neck on her right. Her left hand she drove into Helleen’s arm pit while she used her planted legs to drive the woman up and over.
Jennaca followed, landing on top of her and reversing their position. The only difference was where Jennaca’s hands were. She pressed Helleen’s left wrist to the ground, forcing her to slid up on Helleen’s body and leave her thigh behind. Jennaca’s right hand held a dagger she’d pulled from the sheath on her left forearm and pressed the point into the hollow under Helleen’s arm.
Helleen stared up at her with wild eyes. Her nostrils flared as she felt the prick of Jennaca’s dagger. Her eyes darted to Jennaca’s outstretched arm — she couldn’t punch her in the face because her shoulder and arm were in the way. Jennaca’s legs were set too well, one foot on solid ground and her knee pressed into the strips of chain-covered leather over her mound.
“I yield on one condition,” Helleen said.
Jennaca grinned. “This is fun… name it.”
Helleen licked her lips. “A kiss.”
Jennaca tilted her head and then shrugged. She lowered her head and pursed her lips, only to stop when Helleen let out a hiss of breath.
“Not now!” Helleen breathed. “Later… in private. Walk with me.”
“Oh!” Jennaca gasped. Her eyes darted back and forth as she remembered they were being watched by a crowd. A crowd that included her Mas— a crowd that included John. “Sorry, I got caught up in the moment. Yes, I agree to your condition.”
Helleen smirked.
Jennaca looked down at her dagger and blushed when she saw the small drop of blood her dagger had drawn. “I’m sorry,” she said. She grinned a moment later and pointed out, “I agreed, but you still didn’t yield.”
Helleen chuckled and conceded, “I yield to you, milady.”
Next to John Roxanne whistled softly and said, “You friend is an amazing warrior.”
John stared at the two woman on the ground. Jennaca had been amazing, even if the fight had been short. Even more amazing was how her loin cloth was twisted and leaving her completely exposed in her bent over position. He cleared his throat and said, “Yes… yes she is.”
“She’s a terrible gladiator though,” Roxanne said.
John turned, the statement shocking enough to pull him from the entertainment. “What? She handily defeated the two of you!”
“A gladiator must entertain. It’s not about winning, it’s about entertaining. Our matches last several minutes and encourage the crowd to join us. It’s part acting as well as fighting. Each fight is a story. Poetry, in action, if you will.”
“I see,” John said. He nodded. “Yes, well, in that case, Lady Jennaca is a poor gladiator.”
“But a deadly warrior,” Roxanne agreed.
“Jennaca! Get up, you’re arse is hanging out!”
John looked over to see Artesia walking into the small clearing.
Jennaca sat up, lowering her bottom down until she straddled Helleen’s leg. Helleen gasped and tried to lift her leg up against her. Jennaca smiled at her and then took Artesia’s hand. She climbed to her feet and grabbed her weapons.
Helleen checked her armpit and then shrugged at the small nick the dagger had made. She looked at her thigh next and stared at the moist skin Jennaca left behind. She licked her lips before shaking her head and coming to her senses. She climbed to her feet, picked up her sword, and sheathed it.
“Well fought!” Matthew called loudly. “Well fought indeed! A little quick for us, but that shows the difference in styles is all. Lady Jennaca, you are every bit the deadly warrior I suspected you would be. Too dangerous, I think, to be a gladiator.”
“What?” Jennaca protested. “I beat two of your best… and they are good I can tell you that. They’re tactics and teamwork were perfect. I’d hate to fight them again now that they’ve taken my measure.”
“I am very good,” Helleen agreed and sent her a wink.
Roxanne rolled her eyes and looked at John. “She’s shameless, I apologize for my sister’s behavior.”
“No apologies needed,” John said. “It doesn’t look like Jen’s upset by it in the least.”
“Far from it,” Roxanne admitted. “Helleen is a beautiful woman, can you blame her.”
John smiled at Roxanne. “She clearly got her good looks from her sister.”
Roxanne laughed. “You’re going to be trouble, aren’t you?”
Artesia walked towards John but Matthew intercepted her. “Well hello there, milady, John mentioned others but I didn’t realize—”
“I’m no lady,” Artesia said. “Pardon me, I need to speak to my lord.”
“I meant no offense,” Matthew said and stepped out of the way. “It’s an oddity, two beautiful and dangerous woman in one day… It makes an old man like me feel like the saints are smiling down on me.”
Artesia looked at him with a stony expression. She pointed at the scar on her cheek and said, “Last man that called me beautiful gave me this. You’d need a shovel to see what I gave him.”
Matthew’s eyes widened. “No offense meant, miss.”
Artesia nodded. “Good then, none taken. I must see to my lord now.”
He bowed his head again and let her go. The others were discussing the fight and watching, eager to talk to the winner, and the losers. Helleen and Jennaca were more interested in each other than the others and soon slipped away to head for the river and wash away the sweat and dirty from the fight.
“Pity, I wasn’t in the fight long enough to get dirty,” Roxanne pouted.
John tried, and failed, to not look at her upturned breasts. “I’m sure there are ways to get dirty, if you’re craving a bath in cold water.”
She laughed. “Believe it or not I love the cold water. Makes my blood race and my body hard. It reminds me to stay strong.”
“Doing what you do, I can appreciate that,” John agreed. He noticed Artesia standing off to his side and giving him some privacy while still being close enough should he need her. He smiled and said, “Roxanne, this is Artesia, she’s my woman-at-arms.”
“Woman-at-arms?” Roxanne repeated while looking Artesia up and down. She smiled. “I like it. You keep good company, milord.”
“Talent and ability shows no preference for race or gender, I’ve found,” John said. “These are the best people I have had the honor of knowing, and I’m very fortunate that I’m able to keep them close.”
“My lord, do you trust these people?” Artesia asked.
Roxanne’s eyes widened and then she laughed. “I like her, lord John. You need to keep this one close!”
“And you need to cover yourself,” Artesia countered.
John chuckled. “Come, Artesia. Let’s have some dinner and I’ll explain all that’s happened. We’re all headed north, after all, it seems like it might be a good idea to travel together.”
“I’d like to hear the story too, my sister and I were training while all that happened. We came back and here was this handsome Lord and beautiful Lady in our midst. Then Matthew is calling for an exhibition match,” Roxanne said. She smiled at Artesia and said, “I’ll go change first though.”
Artesia watched her leave and muttered, “More of an exhibitionist match, from what I seen.”
John snorted and gestured Artesia to follow him over to the cook fire. “Today’s gotten away from us. Tomorrow night we’ll work on your studies more.”
Artesia’s eyebrow raised. “You mean what you were talking about earlier — about using magic to help in a fight?”
John nodded. “Today’s battle proved one thing to me, using magic in a fight is difficult if you’re an active combatant. Everything happens so fast that any distractions can cost you your life.”
“So now you say it can’t be done?”
“Oh, it can,” John reassured her. “I think we need to focus on fighting smart. Preparing the battle field. Temporary enchantments and such.”
Artesia’s lip tweaked up in a smile. She nodded and took the bowl from George. She mumbled a thank you to him and nodded again as she considered what John had told her. John watched her and smiled. Artesia was always so somber and grim, he liked seeing her smile. It made her beauty shine… not that he’d ever admit that to her, she’d probably backhand him into the fire if he tried!
John took a bowl of the stew and a quarter loaf of bread with it. He looked for a place to sit and eat it when Jennaca’s voice came drifting through the ether of their infernal contract. Her voice was ghostly and ephemeral, but missing the typical humor she lived every day with.
“John! Come quick! Something’s happened… something terrible.”
THE END OF CHAPTER THREE