They passed through a hive of activity in the captured skydock and staging area. Two of the seed lances had already been dragged back through the portal, and Delara noticed oxen being hitched to the magitanks as well. She wondered if the army planned to use them, or if it was some strange strategem of the portal mystics. She didn’t see how the tanks fit in with Amazon war doctrine, but then again, there was a lot she didn’t know. 

     They passed through the portal, and immediately Delara felt a profound relief of homecoming as night turned into day and winter turned to balmy summer. They shed their weapons, armor and gear at the armory, and Delara was glad to be rid of it. The padded gambeson had made for welcome insulation in the cold, but in the heat of Amazonia, it was stifling indeed. 

     They both left the armory wearing just their loincloths and halter tops, though Delara had the bandana with her coat of arms tied around her neck now. She couldn’t help glancing over to see what Mina looked like out of her armor, and was delighted to find that she was both toned and curvy, which her shortness only accentuated. Her skin was pale, almost white, and she had black tiger-stripes all along her body. She had soft-looking fur on her forearms, shins, the backs of her hands, and the tops of her feet. Her fluffy cat tail poked over the top of her loincloth in the back, swishing over her nice, round butt. Delara wondered if she liked being spanked or not.

     She led Mina over to a nearby park, and then to a secluded grove where she often went to get away from people and read a book in peace. The shade, combined with a nice breeze, made for a perfect resting spot. Delara gestured for Mina to sit besides her on the soft grass, and she complied.

     “Is it okay to speak now?” asked Mina.

     “During the debrief, you said that you left your unit to chase the necromancer,” Delara said. “But it seems to me that you’d already done that. Did you actually leave when you saw the spider grab me?”

     “Uh, sorta,” said Mina. “We stalkers are skirmishers, so our formations are pretty loose. I was pushing the limits of being out of position when I followed you, but I didn’t actually disobey any orders until I ran after the necromancer.”

     “But if the spider had retreated further than it did, before any of that other stuff happened, would you still have followed?”

     “Uh, yeah,” said Mina.

     “Why?” said Delara. “You barely know me.”

     “Well, yeah—but I want to change that,” said Mina. “And that wasn’t going to happen if some nasty spider sucked out your insides. I couldn’t let that happen.”

     “Why do you want to get to know me so bad?”

     “Ahh—you’re going to make me say it?” Mina stared down at her toes and started blushing. “Well, you’re really strong and beautiful and talented, and everyone says you’re really nice, but that you had an awful controlling girlfriend and a bad breakup.”

     “Ah, thank you—for that first part,” said Delara. People sure did talk a lot.

     “Yes, but… I wanted to apologize, for what I did back there,” said Mina. “I put you on the spot, and… Look, I know how I come off, sometimes, but I’m not dumb. I know how much shit we could be in, if it ever came out—“

     “Actually,” said Delara. “I wanted to thank you for that.”

     “Yes, I know I… wait, what?” 

     “Thank you for lying about the goblins,” said Delara.

     “Why… are you thanking me for that?” said Mina, staring up at her in confusion. “You don’t seem the type, to…”

     “I’m not,” said Delara. “I never would’ve had the guts to do something like that if you hadn’t done it first. It never would’ve occurred to me. I would’ve reported their existence and said that I didn’t think they were a threat and they didn’t seem to be part of the Reapers. And who knows how that would’ve turned out. But this way they’re safe—for now, anyway—and it’s all thanks to you.”

     Or, at least Delara hoped they’d be safe. Hopefully they’d stay confined to their ruins for the next few months, hunting spiders, or whatever they did to survive. Once the army finished stripping and demolishing the mercenary base, Intelligence would probably leave spies to stake out the remains. 

     Anyone who came looking for the Korchra Reapers, be it allies, enemies, or trading partners, would be marked for further surveillance. She just had to hope that no curious goblins stuck their heads out of the ravine before the stakeout had concluded. If that happened—well, Delara would face whatever punishment she got without complaint. She’d made her choice. She joined the army to defend Amazonia from scum like the Korchra Reapers, not to slaughter innocents. A knight would never do that—not the knights that existed in her heart, anyway.

     “Oh, thank you,” said Mina, blushing cutely. “I mean, I figured that it was the least I could do, since it was me falling down there in the first place that would’ve got them discovered. But, um… y’know, I just told you a bunch of stuff… about how I feel about you, but umm… you haven’t, uh….”

     Delara reached out and took Mina’s hand. Then she bowed low at the waist, brushed her lips over the back of Mina’s hand, and said, “If my lady would permit it, I would be honored if you would accompany me on a moonlit stroll by Lake Hyele this evening.”

     “Uhhh… okay,” said Mina, with a bemused smile. “But, you know, if you wanna kiss me, my lips are a lot nicer than my hands.”

     Delara nodded, then nudged her finger beneath Mina’s chin, tipping her head up as she leaned in for a kiss, savoring the sensation as her lips parted, accepting her eagerly. Delara felt her passion flare as her affection was returned, and then some. Delara swallowed Mina’s moans of pleasure as the shorter woman threw her arms around Delara’s neck, then jumped up to wrap her legs around Delara’s waist. Delara took her weight with ease, reflexively grabbing Mina’s ass to support her, then adding a nice squeeze on top of that, prompting Mina to gasp and clutch her tighter in response. Mina pressed into Delara with an intensity and insistence that it almost became too much. Delara’s senses reeled and she broke the kiss, resting their foreheads against each other as their breath came out labored and heavy. 

     Mina spoke first.

     “Um… you know, what you were saying…. earlier,” she panted. “About walking by the lake, in the moon, and stuff… That’s nice and all, but I have another idea.”

     “You do?” said Delara.

     “Yeah, so… instead of that, how about you just take me someplace nice and shady and then you can totally fuck my brains out?”

     Mina looked about, in mock surprise. “Oh, hey—look at that. We’re in a nice shady place right now!”

     Delara stared at Mina. Truly, chivalry was dead. Well, nothing to be done about that, except go with it.

     “As you wish,” she said, sinking to her knees and gently lowering the smaller woman to the soft grass beneath them, resuming their kiss, which led to a great deal more than that, which led to Mina getting exactly what she asked for. Over the next few years, their relationship deepened, grew into a partnership, which led to a formal Ceremony of Bonding. And that would lead to an even greater adventure, a tale that would change the world. 

 

 

Delara and Mina will return 

 

in 

 

The Artificer and the Genie

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