Chapter 2
for the record, I am not a dude, but thatnks for the reviews! lol.
I am going to change my rule (one review = one chapter) now that I see that lots of people enjoy my stories, I don't think that it is completely unreasonable for me to ask for 5 reviews per chapter.
And you all know what would be so cool? Is "Always With You" was nominated for some award, that would be the greatest thing in the world, this is the first step to my dream of being a fantasy fiction writter and have my name on bookselves along side Anne Mcaffrey, Jane Yolen, R.A. Salvator, Laura Reskick and Micheal A. Stackpole.
Sorry this chapter is rather long, I kind of got carried away, but I swear with every story I get better, tell me what you think please.
~*~
Sierra awoke to find herself unceremoniously thrown onto a large bed.
She rolled onto her back and sat up to look around. The bed was made of rare gray wood, including an inch thick head board and foot board. The thick quilt spread over the large mattress insured warm nights in this cold, almost hostile looking room, and the slate gray silk sheets, guaranteed nights involving pleasure to be perfect and smooth.
Sierra snorted at that thought, she had never been with a male, and had never felt the need to be. She never understood why some women went in search of a man to sire their children, yet returned to those men for night of pleasure. She knew this from the sorcerers, and what the told her. Sierra understood the need to breed and continue their species, but women went to these males even while their were already bearing children, what was the point? Sierra sighed and decided not to dwell on the pointless debate.
She then went back to inspecting her room from her vantage point on the bed. The dresser, desk small table and two chairs all were made of the same wood. She had a fire place with a metal mantel above it. The walls and windows were covered in gray velvet. Sierra finally looked up and saw dark wooden rafters.
With that in mind she stood up off the bed. She was already without shoes so she need not worry about them as she usually would have as she shifted her feet to their true gargoyle like form. She pulled on one of the sheets of fabric that hung down the walls, it seemed sturdy enough and held her as she scaled up it and perched on a rafter, her talons on both her hands and feet gripped the wood leaving deep trenches in the beam as she waited for the beast who humiliated her and kept her captive. For the moment. How she would make him pay. She had never felt humiliation such as that. Being over powered by a man, how disgusting. But she would make him feel her humiliation, and then she would kill him.
~
Chesta came through the door first, cautiously looking around. He moved forward slowly and glanced into the metallic bathroom, which contrasted against the wooden theme of the main room, yet he still saw nothing.
Dilandau stepped through the door, smirking as he saw Chesta's muscles tense in anticipation of one of his commander's outbursts.
But Dilandau ignored his subordinate and quickly looked around. The only evidence that his Shira had been here at all was the wrinkles on the bed spread.
"Where the hell has she gotten to?' The albino thought inspecting every corner of the confining room from his position in front of the closed door.
A blur, falling from the roof hit Chesta, throwing him to the ground.
The black haired creature raised her clawed hand to rip through the Dragon Slayer's armor and skin, right to his heart.
Dilandau acted instinctively throwing his right hand forward.
Sierra flew off Chest and flipped upside down, unintentionally, in the air. Her back slammed against the thinly covered cement wall.
She fell in a heap and with a crunch on the floor. She rolled onto her hands and knees only to hear a clatter above her.
All three of the rooms occupants looked up and saw a metal rod bearing down on the fallen Shira.
She only managed to let out a short high pitched scream that shattered all the glass and mirrors in the room before the beam landed on her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. She was pinned down under the weight as the silver curtain that was once upon that rod floated down onto her.
Dilandau suddenly began to laugh, and not entirely his completely insane sadistic laugh. But an actual laugh which painted a look of horror on Chesta's face.
"Shut up you stupid bastard." He heard the feminine voice growl from beneath the sheet of fabric which cause Dilandau to laugh even harder.
"Get up you stupid beast." Dilandau choked out. He then managed to recompose himself as she crawled out from under her burden.
"I will kill you."
"Yes I am sure that you will." Dilandau replied sarcastically. "But until then you will join us all for breakfast, behave and not attack any more of my Slayers. Or…" Dilandau thrust his hand forward again, she slid back under the fabric, and flew against the wall, pinning the curtain between herself and the wall, draping over her face. He pressed harder on her chest forcing the air out of her. Her gasping choking sound was music to his ears.
"Are we clear?" Dilandau smiled with glee.
Sierra gasped and coughed and the fabric over her head bobbed.
"What was that?"
"Ye…."
"Huh? I didn't catch that." Dilandau's eyes gleamed.
"Lord Dilandau?" Chesta neared his commanding officer.
Dilandau's eyes flashed dangerously just before he back handed his subordinate.
"Stay out of this!" He yelled. "As for you!" He forced more weight on the slowly suffocating girl causing her to gag and a rough noise of air trying to be forced into her lungs. "SAY IT!" he screamed.
"YES!" She screamed.
Dilandau was thrown backwards by a strange force. He fell back onto the floor and watched Sierra struggle up onto her hands and knees and hacked. She spit a ball of blood off to her left.
"Yes." She said again roughly.
Dilandau struggled to his feet as Chesta fell all over himself trying to help his General to his feet.
Dilandau stared hard at the girl as she used the wall to support her as she stood weakly, sucking in air by the mouth full.
"Put some shoes on, quickly!" Dilandau demanded still shocked by the sudden aggressive power forced against him, causing himself and his own power to back down.
Sierra pulled on this knee high boots that the empire thought was fitting that she wear. She hated them, they took so long to get off if she needed to climb a wall, or needed her talon feet for some other purpose. They were so small and confining and the leather was top grade quality so that if she kept them on and tried to shift her feet all she'd end up with was sore feet.
She followed the damned albino General out of the room, his lackey following behind her, his hand permanently glued to the hilt of his sword.
She thought of what the sorcerers had told her of her species. How her whole kind had started.
Demonic woman had come forth out of the world. They could not bear children and had no males of their own. So they had scoured Gaea looking for males with something they wished their offspring to have.
But they could find none for their forms scared all those they may have considered to flee before them.
But one group accepted their shape, and enjoyed copying it. The Shifters mated with the Sikara's, bringing forth the Shira's. But the Sikara's female genealogy had over wrote the Shifters so only females were produced. But even then, whom ever the Shira's mated with daughters of pure Shira blood were brought forth from that union.
Because of the Shifter's ability breeding forth into the Shira's they could change some or all of their entire form.
Sierra frowned. It had been many years since she had completely shifted.
It had been her first kill, and seeing how easy it was to kill humans, she never shifted again, felling that the energy used was a waste.
She hated that the sorcerers thought that they could contain her true form and create a male Shira, which they thought to name a Shiro. She found that to be a perversion of her blood and species and never gave them the opportunity to take her essence..
Plus it was easier, faster and took less effort to shape parts of her body into her true form.
Suddenly, before she knew what was going on she was in a large room with bright lights and loud noises that assaulted her ears.
She froze at the strange happenings that were going on. There was so much movement and noise! She suddenly realized that her breathing had sharpened and quickened. She slowed it and continued forward, pretending not to see any of the men that sat around the tables. From the armored soldiers, to the servant boys, to the large, muscled, yet chained men in the corner and their keeper.
She followed Dilandau, across the large open floor, up to the largest table which for some reason had the clearest view of the floor.
Dilandau sat at the head of the table, Chesta sat next to him.
Sierra looked around for a seat but found none. And as she looked around the room she saw none of the women in the room were seated.
With a sense of indignity, she wish she could crush Dilandau's skull in the palm of her hand. Her hand suddenly shifted to it's clawed form, as if it ran on her emotions. She quickly hid it behind her back and got her emotions in check. Her shifting had always been run by her emotions, she had never really had a hold of it.
"MEN!" Dilandau shouted getting to his feet and attracting the attention of all those in the room. "Today I have a treat for you. The empire has trusted the care of their most impressive assassin to me!"
A roaring cheer rose from among the spectators.
"And this creature here." Dilandau gestured to Sierra. "Is that assassin."
A hiss filled the room.
"Yes, yes." Dilandau brought his hands up then lowered them to silence the crowd. "I know that it is appalling that a woman would be granted such a title. But this is no normal woman. This is a Demon Woman, a Shira!" Dilandau looked around at the stunned men. Some of them quickly looked at Sierra, into her eyes, then quickly tore their gaze away.
"Now then, I know that you all wondering if the rumors and legends are true. And I say we find out!" Another cheer rose from Dilandau's announcement.
Sierra's eyes widened in horror as she tried to contemplate what this inhuman bastard was thinking of.
"Sess! Zhusk!" Dilandau called.
Two of the huge men rose from their table, their keeper moved forward and un chained their feet. They were each handed a weapon of one sort or another and moved forward into the center of the room.
Sierra suddenly understood. The center of the room was open to allow room for gladiatorial battles during meals of banquets.
"These two!" Dilandau waved to his two prized gladiators who had won themselves fame and fear and even more money for their master whom they respected and served willingly. "They will test the strength of the Shira!" A roar rose once more from the men as the two barbarian sized men flexed their well muscled biceps.
With one last gesture Sierra was thrown forward into the middle of the floor. She was thrown with such a force that she rolled to a stop in the middle of a howling, hooting mob.
"Rules!" Dilandau called forth. "You are not to harm anyone but each other! And the tables and such, they are of no importance. And if you are stupid enough not to get out of the way of these men and this creature, well then you deserve whatever harm befalls you."
The men cheered again as Sierra rose to her feet. She had only a second to look at her enemy. One man, Sess, he carried two blades, each the length of his arm, and brood in width. Zhusk used a whip, the tip was small sharpened blade of metal that would slice through flesh so easily.
Sierra managed to yank one of her boots off, just before the attacked together.
Dilandau grinned with glee as he watched the demon bitch fall on her ass and scramble away from his prized fighters. They trained together and were the prefect team. One for close up combat the other to keep the enemy at bay. They were the best solution to his Shira problem. Her constant humiliation at his hand would soon break her will and her spirit.
Sierra ran into the legs of a table in her retreat. She raised her hands and grasped the edge of the wooden surface.
She pulled herself up somewhat, pushed off the ground with her feet and back flipped onto the table.
But in mid flip Sess slashed upwards catching the leather of her remaining boot, slicing her foot free.
She landed in a crouch strewing dishes into the laps of the soldiers who had occupied the table. The men quickly pushed away form their table, weary of the talons molding Sierra's feet and hands.
Sess slashed at her ankles, throwing more dishes onto the floor with her swipe.
Sierra leapt up into the air, then raced to the end of the table.
Zhusk's whip lashed forward, just a second after Sierra's feet left the wooden surface.
She did a free hand cartwheel, landing on the next table.
She raced along that table, onto the next, the gladiator's in hot pursuit.
Sierra took one last leap and dug her talons into the wall. Her feet scrapping against the hard stone until they found sufficient grip. She quickly scaled the wall throwing a burning torch at the men below her causing them hesitation.
She again took to the rafters.
"Oh Shira, what ever will we do with you? You are to be providing entertainment, not playing hide'n'seek!" Dilandau mocked before he sent a wave of power into the rafters.
Sierra leapt off of the bean she had perched on. And grabbed one of the many chains hanging from the ceiling, providing a place to hang candles.
Dilandau's power wave hit the fixture her chain was attached to, sending her too the floor in a heap of flesh and metal.
Men roared with laughter at the spill she had taken.
The two barbarians came closer to the fallen demon.
Sierra crawled to her feet, her breath labored and rough.
"I'll kill you, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" She screamed throwing the small disk that formerly held a candle, striking Sess in the forehead. They disk, though small, left a clean red line on his brow.
She whipped it back behind her, the chain wrapped around her own throat, then unwound itself and flew at Zhusk.
They chain looped around his neck, the disk wrapping twice around the part of chain leading back to her hand, locking it in place.
Sierra gave it a sharp jerk, bringing the men to his knees.
She spun, wrapping the chain around her waist, bringing herself closer to the fallen giant, pulling the chain tighter around his throat. She wrapped a length of chain around her forearm, then again around her waist, by then she was right before the man.
She seized the candle disk, locking it tighter.
Her luscious crystal blue eyes dancing as she watched the white around the man's chocolate brown irises turn blood red.
"You are the first to die!" She proclaimed tightening the chain again.
The man's jaw fell open, his muscles laxing.
A blunt hit from the hilt of one of Sess's blades sent Sierra's emotionally exhausted body to the floor, saving his friends life.
Sierra's eyes remained open only to hear a voice ring over the silence.
"Take her to her chambers, lock her in."
for the record, I am not a dude, but thatnks for the reviews! lol.
I am going to change my rule (one review = one chapter) now that I see that lots of people enjoy my stories, I don't think that it is completely unreasonable for me to ask for 5 reviews per chapter.
And you all know what would be so cool? Is "Always With You" was nominated for some award, that would be the greatest thing in the world, this is the first step to my dream of being a fantasy fiction writter and have my name on bookselves along side Anne Mcaffrey, Jane Yolen, R.A. Salvator, Laura Reskick and Micheal A. Stackpole.
Sorry this chapter is rather long, I kind of got carried away, but I swear with every story I get better, tell me what you think please.
~*~
Sierra awoke to find herself unceremoniously thrown onto a large bed.
She rolled onto her back and sat up to look around. The bed was made of rare gray wood, including an inch thick head board and foot board. The thick quilt spread over the large mattress insured warm nights in this cold, almost hostile looking room, and the slate gray silk sheets, guaranteed nights involving pleasure to be perfect and smooth.
Sierra snorted at that thought, she had never been with a male, and had never felt the need to be. She never understood why some women went in search of a man to sire their children, yet returned to those men for night of pleasure. She knew this from the sorcerers, and what the told her. Sierra understood the need to breed and continue their species, but women went to these males even while their were already bearing children, what was the point? Sierra sighed and decided not to dwell on the pointless debate.
She then went back to inspecting her room from her vantage point on the bed. The dresser, desk small table and two chairs all were made of the same wood. She had a fire place with a metal mantel above it. The walls and windows were covered in gray velvet. Sierra finally looked up and saw dark wooden rafters.
With that in mind she stood up off the bed. She was already without shoes so she need not worry about them as she usually would have as she shifted her feet to their true gargoyle like form. She pulled on one of the sheets of fabric that hung down the walls, it seemed sturdy enough and held her as she scaled up it and perched on a rafter, her talons on both her hands and feet gripped the wood leaving deep trenches in the beam as she waited for the beast who humiliated her and kept her captive. For the moment. How she would make him pay. She had never felt humiliation such as that. Being over powered by a man, how disgusting. But she would make him feel her humiliation, and then she would kill him.
~
Chesta came through the door first, cautiously looking around. He moved forward slowly and glanced into the metallic bathroom, which contrasted against the wooden theme of the main room, yet he still saw nothing.
Dilandau stepped through the door, smirking as he saw Chesta's muscles tense in anticipation of one of his commander's outbursts.
But Dilandau ignored his subordinate and quickly looked around. The only evidence that his Shira had been here at all was the wrinkles on the bed spread.
"Where the hell has she gotten to?' The albino thought inspecting every corner of the confining room from his position in front of the closed door.
A blur, falling from the roof hit Chesta, throwing him to the ground.
The black haired creature raised her clawed hand to rip through the Dragon Slayer's armor and skin, right to his heart.
Dilandau acted instinctively throwing his right hand forward.
Sierra flew off Chest and flipped upside down, unintentionally, in the air. Her back slammed against the thinly covered cement wall.
She fell in a heap and with a crunch on the floor. She rolled onto her hands and knees only to hear a clatter above her.
All three of the rooms occupants looked up and saw a metal rod bearing down on the fallen Shira.
She only managed to let out a short high pitched scream that shattered all the glass and mirrors in the room before the beam landed on her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. She was pinned down under the weight as the silver curtain that was once upon that rod floated down onto her.
Dilandau suddenly began to laugh, and not entirely his completely insane sadistic laugh. But an actual laugh which painted a look of horror on Chesta's face.
"Shut up you stupid bastard." He heard the feminine voice growl from beneath the sheet of fabric which cause Dilandau to laugh even harder.
"Get up you stupid beast." Dilandau choked out. He then managed to recompose himself as she crawled out from under her burden.
"I will kill you."
"Yes I am sure that you will." Dilandau replied sarcastically. "But until then you will join us all for breakfast, behave and not attack any more of my Slayers. Or…" Dilandau thrust his hand forward again, she slid back under the fabric, and flew against the wall, pinning the curtain between herself and the wall, draping over her face. He pressed harder on her chest forcing the air out of her. Her gasping choking sound was music to his ears.
"Are we clear?" Dilandau smiled with glee.
Sierra gasped and coughed and the fabric over her head bobbed.
"What was that?"
"Ye…."
"Huh? I didn't catch that." Dilandau's eyes gleamed.
"Lord Dilandau?" Chesta neared his commanding officer.
Dilandau's eyes flashed dangerously just before he back handed his subordinate.
"Stay out of this!" He yelled. "As for you!" He forced more weight on the slowly suffocating girl causing her to gag and a rough noise of air trying to be forced into her lungs. "SAY IT!" he screamed.
"YES!" She screamed.
Dilandau was thrown backwards by a strange force. He fell back onto the floor and watched Sierra struggle up onto her hands and knees and hacked. She spit a ball of blood off to her left.
"Yes." She said again roughly.
Dilandau struggled to his feet as Chesta fell all over himself trying to help his General to his feet.
Dilandau stared hard at the girl as she used the wall to support her as she stood weakly, sucking in air by the mouth full.
"Put some shoes on, quickly!" Dilandau demanded still shocked by the sudden aggressive power forced against him, causing himself and his own power to back down.
Sierra pulled on this knee high boots that the empire thought was fitting that she wear. She hated them, they took so long to get off if she needed to climb a wall, or needed her talon feet for some other purpose. They were so small and confining and the leather was top grade quality so that if she kept them on and tried to shift her feet all she'd end up with was sore feet.
She followed the damned albino General out of the room, his lackey following behind her, his hand permanently glued to the hilt of his sword.
She thought of what the sorcerers had told her of her species. How her whole kind had started.
Demonic woman had come forth out of the world. They could not bear children and had no males of their own. So they had scoured Gaea looking for males with something they wished their offspring to have.
But they could find none for their forms scared all those they may have considered to flee before them.
But one group accepted their shape, and enjoyed copying it. The Shifters mated with the Sikara's, bringing forth the Shira's. But the Sikara's female genealogy had over wrote the Shifters so only females were produced. But even then, whom ever the Shira's mated with daughters of pure Shira blood were brought forth from that union.
Because of the Shifter's ability breeding forth into the Shira's they could change some or all of their entire form.
Sierra frowned. It had been many years since she had completely shifted.
It had been her first kill, and seeing how easy it was to kill humans, she never shifted again, felling that the energy used was a waste.
She hated that the sorcerers thought that they could contain her true form and create a male Shira, which they thought to name a Shiro. She found that to be a perversion of her blood and species and never gave them the opportunity to take her essence..
Plus it was easier, faster and took less effort to shape parts of her body into her true form.
Suddenly, before she knew what was going on she was in a large room with bright lights and loud noises that assaulted her ears.
She froze at the strange happenings that were going on. There was so much movement and noise! She suddenly realized that her breathing had sharpened and quickened. She slowed it and continued forward, pretending not to see any of the men that sat around the tables. From the armored soldiers, to the servant boys, to the large, muscled, yet chained men in the corner and their keeper.
She followed Dilandau, across the large open floor, up to the largest table which for some reason had the clearest view of the floor.
Dilandau sat at the head of the table, Chesta sat next to him.
Sierra looked around for a seat but found none. And as she looked around the room she saw none of the women in the room were seated.
With a sense of indignity, she wish she could crush Dilandau's skull in the palm of her hand. Her hand suddenly shifted to it's clawed form, as if it ran on her emotions. She quickly hid it behind her back and got her emotions in check. Her shifting had always been run by her emotions, she had never really had a hold of it.
"MEN!" Dilandau shouted getting to his feet and attracting the attention of all those in the room. "Today I have a treat for you. The empire has trusted the care of their most impressive assassin to me!"
A roaring cheer rose from among the spectators.
"And this creature here." Dilandau gestured to Sierra. "Is that assassin."
A hiss filled the room.
"Yes, yes." Dilandau brought his hands up then lowered them to silence the crowd. "I know that it is appalling that a woman would be granted such a title. But this is no normal woman. This is a Demon Woman, a Shira!" Dilandau looked around at the stunned men. Some of them quickly looked at Sierra, into her eyes, then quickly tore their gaze away.
"Now then, I know that you all wondering if the rumors and legends are true. And I say we find out!" Another cheer rose from Dilandau's announcement.
Sierra's eyes widened in horror as she tried to contemplate what this inhuman bastard was thinking of.
"Sess! Zhusk!" Dilandau called.
Two of the huge men rose from their table, their keeper moved forward and un chained their feet. They were each handed a weapon of one sort or another and moved forward into the center of the room.
Sierra suddenly understood. The center of the room was open to allow room for gladiatorial battles during meals of banquets.
"These two!" Dilandau waved to his two prized gladiators who had won themselves fame and fear and even more money for their master whom they respected and served willingly. "They will test the strength of the Shira!" A roar rose once more from the men as the two barbarian sized men flexed their well muscled biceps.
With one last gesture Sierra was thrown forward into the middle of the floor. She was thrown with such a force that she rolled to a stop in the middle of a howling, hooting mob.
"Rules!" Dilandau called forth. "You are not to harm anyone but each other! And the tables and such, they are of no importance. And if you are stupid enough not to get out of the way of these men and this creature, well then you deserve whatever harm befalls you."
The men cheered again as Sierra rose to her feet. She had only a second to look at her enemy. One man, Sess, he carried two blades, each the length of his arm, and brood in width. Zhusk used a whip, the tip was small sharpened blade of metal that would slice through flesh so easily.
Sierra managed to yank one of her boots off, just before the attacked together.
Dilandau grinned with glee as he watched the demon bitch fall on her ass and scramble away from his prized fighters. They trained together and were the prefect team. One for close up combat the other to keep the enemy at bay. They were the best solution to his Shira problem. Her constant humiliation at his hand would soon break her will and her spirit.
Sierra ran into the legs of a table in her retreat. She raised her hands and grasped the edge of the wooden surface.
She pulled herself up somewhat, pushed off the ground with her feet and back flipped onto the table.
But in mid flip Sess slashed upwards catching the leather of her remaining boot, slicing her foot free.
She landed in a crouch strewing dishes into the laps of the soldiers who had occupied the table. The men quickly pushed away form their table, weary of the talons molding Sierra's feet and hands.
Sess slashed at her ankles, throwing more dishes onto the floor with her swipe.
Sierra leapt up into the air, then raced to the end of the table.
Zhusk's whip lashed forward, just a second after Sierra's feet left the wooden surface.
She did a free hand cartwheel, landing on the next table.
She raced along that table, onto the next, the gladiator's in hot pursuit.
Sierra took one last leap and dug her talons into the wall. Her feet scrapping against the hard stone until they found sufficient grip. She quickly scaled the wall throwing a burning torch at the men below her causing them hesitation.
She again took to the rafters.
"Oh Shira, what ever will we do with you? You are to be providing entertainment, not playing hide'n'seek!" Dilandau mocked before he sent a wave of power into the rafters.
Sierra leapt off of the bean she had perched on. And grabbed one of the many chains hanging from the ceiling, providing a place to hang candles.
Dilandau's power wave hit the fixture her chain was attached to, sending her too the floor in a heap of flesh and metal.
Men roared with laughter at the spill she had taken.
The two barbarians came closer to the fallen demon.
Sierra crawled to her feet, her breath labored and rough.
"I'll kill you, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" She screamed throwing the small disk that formerly held a candle, striking Sess in the forehead. They disk, though small, left a clean red line on his brow.
She whipped it back behind her, the chain wrapped around her own throat, then unwound itself and flew at Zhusk.
They chain looped around his neck, the disk wrapping twice around the part of chain leading back to her hand, locking it in place.
Sierra gave it a sharp jerk, bringing the men to his knees.
She spun, wrapping the chain around her waist, bringing herself closer to the fallen giant, pulling the chain tighter around his throat. She wrapped a length of chain around her forearm, then again around her waist, by then she was right before the man.
She seized the candle disk, locking it tighter.
Her luscious crystal blue eyes dancing as she watched the white around the man's chocolate brown irises turn blood red.
"You are the first to die!" She proclaimed tightening the chain again.
The man's jaw fell open, his muscles laxing.
A blunt hit from the hilt of one of Sess's blades sent Sierra's emotionally exhausted body to the floor, saving his friends life.
Sierra's eyes remained open only to hear a voice ring over the silence.
"Take her to her chambers, lock her in."
