"They did what?", Carrie's eyes widened. "They were experimenting on her; if I had to guess, perhaps to make her some sort of slave weapon, but lost control.", Kori chuckled. "Could never dream of her being a slave; even with her sickness and crippling, she had the raging fire of a warrior queen of old burning inside her.".
Carrie exhaled, "By Hera...No wonder why she's angry...They kidnapped you and Komi in the chaos of war, just out of nowhere like that?", frowning sharply.
Kori nodded, "Yes...I was trying to protect her and all, with her being stubborn and refusing to be saved like an invalid. Being treated as a slave was an eye-opener, as I was naive when I was made heir...Komi knew the ins and outs, and still does...I never wanted the throne...I just wanted...I don't know, to just be myself, to explore and make new friends, to show that I am not just a princess, being a woman with needs, and searching for my equal partner, to court and marry, and have a family with.", stunned as she is somehow feeling easily comfortable to tell so much to Carrie, considering that they were in a scrapping spar and all.
"Wow...", Carrie took a deep breath. "So... why did she want to kill you then? I heard that right before, correct?", Carrie asked as Kori nodded.
"Yeah, the moment things started to fall apart with our captors, I saw it as probably the best chance to escape. But I wasn't going to leave without her... of course, I found her, flying, unleashing fireballs, basically everything that is practically second nature to our people after some time growing up... I was so happy. Of course, she wasn't as you can guess, especially when she saw me.", Kori explained.
Carrie grimaced, "How old are you and Komi exactly?", and Kori took a moment to think before replying, "I'm 17 summers old, and Komi is 18 summers old. The childhood illness happened when she was between 7 and 8 summers old. Why?".
"Put yourself in Komi's shoes, imagine yourself as her...That is 10 years for Komi since it happened, unable to be the queen she's destined to be. How would you feel if your parents forbid you to be yourself, unable to explore and make new friends, and forced to be betrothed to someone you don't like or want, without you having the freedom to find your partner and court?", Carrie inquired, while inwardly surprised that Kori is really single which explains the flirting, yet she would have been around women sexually or something as Kori wasn't flustered at the state of her, still mentally blushing a bit of remembering it.
"Upset... I do agree, but... I don't know, I thought considering that I was trying to do so much for her, maybe I shouldn't receive her ire...", Kori sighed as she glanced away for a moment. "All I know for sure was that she was trying to harm me as we tore our way out of the ship fighting each other. I was just trying to calm her down, she was going for the kill.".
Carrie nodded, "And?", and Kori exhaled, "I don't know if it was a piece of the ship or some space debris, but as she was going for the kill, it clipped her there in the back, and I was trying to save her, but she was fighting me and before I knew it, there was fire, heat, night sky, a flash of gold, and then this crater...The bandage came from one of our pockets as we were slaves, and we needed cloth to clean shelves and such at their orders...".
Carrie took a deep breath, "Well, I know what happened for most of that; you two somehow went through the atmosphere of the planet; incredible you can do that, breathing in space... like the Gods...". She muttered that last part. "Then the flash of gold... Kori, this island, our people, we're sort of isolated from the rest of the planet. It's a bit of a long story but this paradise is a sanctuary created by our Goddess, Hera.".
Kori blinked, "Oh...So, your community sisters?", and Carrie replied, "We're called Amazons, women warriors. We are protective of our home, and we're not exactly like the rest of the world as my mother, the Queen has ruled here for centuries.".
"Wait, you're-", Kori exclaimed when shouts of women were heard, and they looked up to see a patrol of Amazons with spears and bows and such, a few riding on horses, with the others on foot, and Carrie patted her shoulder, "I got it.", getting up, showing a few quick signals that she's completely fine and is at peace with visitors.
The Amazons let down their spears and all, relaxing somewhat as they got closer and closer, and Artemis, the leader of the patrol looked at Carrie, "Who are they, sister?".
"Two princesses seeking for sanctuary. One of them is injured and burning up with fever, I personally checked on her, it's real bad, Artemis. The other one is fine, and she haven't lied to me as it seems like Hera has allowed them through.", Carrie explained.
"They're strange.", Artemis admitted as Carrie nodded. "Yeah, for starters, they're from the stars.", she pointed up as Artemis' eyes widened. "And before you ask, they're beings from another world, not Gods. Men always did theorize if we were alone in the universe... those sisters prove them that there's life elsewhere.".
"I see. So, if Hera let them through... then a purpose you think they might serve?", Artemis asked as Carrie nodded again. "Remains to be seen but right now they need our help. The older one, injured, she tried to harm her younger one...we can explain later but right now, no matter what the elder has done, she should be healed. Mother can then decide what to do with her at least. Oh, and Artemis, the younger one knows English... apparently their people can learn the tongues of others by...", Carrie then blushed red. "Lip contact.".
Artemis raised an eyebrow, "She took you off guard?", and Carrie replied, "More or less, but not until after I fought her. She fought well.", not going to mention that she had been nude during it all.
"Seems like your training had paid off, but you owe me a week of duels, sister.", Artemis replied, and Carrie nodded, realizing that Artemis is going to test her again, and Artemis then replied, "Let's get them to the Healing Halls, then.", before speaking to one of the other riders to offer their horse for taking Komi and all.
It didn't take too long for word to spread once they arrived fast to the halls. Komi's loud groans of pain could be heard echoing as Carrie and Kori were waiting outside; several other women were inside to commit a guard just in case Komi tried something. For all intents, Komi was now a prisoner and by extension, so was Kori. At least in this case, Carrie was Kori's prison guard.
Kori glanced at her as they waited in a sort of private section of the great stairs, away from the main road and the city, "So...you're immortal, then...", and Carrie glanced at her, "Not exactly yet...It's true that most of the Amazons and my mother is essentially immortal, but they will die someday, like the girls my age and I once we reach 18, and we age very slowly by then, and we're essentially immortal like them...I'm honestly 16 summers old, as I'm a recent Amazon compared to most.".
"Wow...That's incredible...And 16 summers old, eh? So, there's still a couple more years to make you even more beautiful, and then practically gorgeous...Not that you're already very beautiful to me...", Kori flirted, complimenting Carrie.
Carrie blushed again. Why was this outer space girl working her up so much? And why did she feel good by hearing all that from her? "Well, hopefully, I'm a bit different from most of the others but so far... well, as you plainly saw, I'm filling in quite nicely. Or so says my mother and elder sister.".
Kori chuckled, "I can tell..", and Carrie blushed even more. She knew that she's attracted to women, but this...By Hera, it's like Kori is flustering her far more than the experimental flings, and she's acting like a woman who hadn't been complimented by a gorgeous woman before.
Carrie had to ask..."Did you say that you wanted an equal partner? I'm sure when you and Komi get back to T-Tamaran, your planet, there's plenty of men and women to court and all...I don't fly or make fireballs or anything your people does.". She had to admit that the kiss was really nice and comfortable, and fighting with her was thrilling and she somehow didn't freak out when Kori had plenty of opportunities besides looking over her and having watched her when she was nude in the waterfall and all, considering the stories from her mother and Diana.
"Well... I honestly don't know...", Kori sighed. "For all I know, Komi and I could be the last of our people. And as you said before, it's probably unlikely we'll get home.".
"Oh, right... yeah, guess that would be a problem...", Carrie bit her lip. "And about what I said about an equal partner?".
Kori looked at her, "Yes, it's true that all Tamaran look for their equal partner whether male or female, it means it has to be equal in all aspects of companionship; emotionally, mentally, and physically. It's not just being equal in some things like strength, flight, and all. And who says that it has to be a Tamaran I want to court and all? Carrie, you are a budding woman of great beauty, bound to be gorgeous like me, you somehow were able to make me feel like I can tell anything and listen, and you were incredible when you fought me...You are having strength, speed, and spunk. You clearly had a choice to ignore my flirtations, my compliments, and even if I am making the wrong signs, I'll wait for you to say so, and I would just be happy to have you as my first friend here on Earth.".
"Kori...", Carrie blushed as she tried to look away. What was wrong with her? She was a proud Amazonian now, had been for years and yet here she was almost like a schoolgirl, blushing so deep as the girl next to her was saying the sweetest compliments and feeling her heart flutter!
Kori chuckled softly, watching her and not pushing her, honestly a bit cautious of making Carrie combust out of emotion. Carrie took a few moments and looked at her, "Kori...you aren't sending the wrong signs...I never thought about being called out as attractive and being a potential partner, though I admit I thought I couldn't find someone here as of late, considering that most of my sisters are courting and... there's something that you probably didn't know, back there at the waterfall, and it means-", before a royal call around the front called out, "Princess Carrie, bring your potentially important guest/prisoner!", making Carrie groan at the impromptu interruption of her mother.
"I'll tell you later.", Carrie sighed as she got up. "Come on, let's not try to get things on the wrong foot with regards to Mother and all...", she said as Kori followed her.
Kori nodded, getting her hint, and came around the corner of the great steps, and gulped slightly at the sight of the queen, surrounded by other Amazons, walking across the landing, and followed Carrie into the formal bow of respect in kneeling.
Hippolyta replied, "Tell me why and how you got here. And do face me when you do it. I despise liars, and I shall force liars if I have to.", instinctively touching the golden lasso by her side.
"Take her at her word...", Carrie told her. "That lasso... if anyone's wrapped up in it, they're forced to speak the truth. You couldn't lie no matter how hard you could try.". Kori nodded.
"Well, your majesty...", Kori began. "Why I and my sister are here is because we had been chased from our home world. Captured and experimented upon by some cruel beings from another star system. We eventually managed to make our escape, though my sister who had been the one really experimented on was greatly upset and took her aggression out on me. We fell from space after our fight and ended up crashing here.".
Hippolyta nodded, "I see pain and truth in your eyes. And you and your sister are princesses?", and Kori nodded, clearing her throat formally, "Yes, your majesty. I'm Princess Koriand'r, second-born daughter of King Myand'r, and Queen Luand'r, and obligatory heir of Tamaran. My elder sister is Princess Komand'r, first born daughter, and she was first in line for the throne until a childhood illness stole it from her, and our people spurned her away, and our parents made me heir which I didn't ask for.".
"Strange names you have, young one...Any meaning of them you know?", Hippolyta replied, and Kori took a moment to think, "I believe, in English, my name means Starfire, and my sister Blackfire, but please do not call me by my royal name. Please call me Kori...After all, we are forced to exile our home, and we are no longer princesses officially, even if my sister may think otherwise...Has your healer, Epione told you of my sister's state? Has she said good news?".
"She's made some progress, but it'll take more time, I'm afraid. And there's also the issue that you mentioned about your sister fighting you, taking aggression out...", Hippolyta pointed out as Kori closed her hand into a fist, "Please, your majesty, let me at least try to talk to her! If you plan to keep her prisoner, then you'll have to keep me one too because I will not let my sister rot away in a prison cell!".
A few Amazons shifted, and Hippolyta held up a hand, and replied, "Loyalty can be great, but only if it's guided properly...If it's guided improperly, it turns into blind loyalty, and it can become into betrayal.", looking at Kori intently before exhaling, "Your sister's fever has cooled enough for her to see a visitor, but the injury is still needing time to heal, perhaps by your sister's defense against our healing techniques. She will be chained to the bed, and you do have an hour to talk to her. If she remains aggressive, even if it's ebbed down a bit in case she listens to you, she will be in prison for our people's safety, do you understand, Koriand'r of Tamaran?".
Kori took a deep breath and nodded, "I understand.". Hippolyta motioned which allowed her to come through before she walked into the chamber, to find her sister exactly as the Amazonian queen described. "Sister...", Kori spoke up as she walked over to sit near her.
Komand'r opened her eyes, and scowled, speaking in their native Tamaran language, "What do you want? Here to brag that you saved me, even when I can just save myself just fine?".
Kori replied, "Komi, please, it was the only way as we were escaping those monsters and-", and Komi spat out, "You should have left me alone to escape my way! I didn't need your fucking help, and why did you care when you took everything from me?! It was my birthright, my future, I should have been the popular one, the one people look up to me for anything, but no, it was all this. 'Why aren't you more like your sweet sister? Couldn't you be stronger like your sister? Can't you try to realize that you are not worthy to be queen? Why couldn't you be as perfect as her?' Our parents paid fucking more attention on you since I lost my powers, my reputation ruined, everything!", as Kori tried to put in a word, yet flinched back at the angst and aggression in Komi's voice.
"I didn't ask for it, Komand'r!", Kori screamed at her, finally having enough, realizing that she finally found her chance to be alone with her sister as they were watched vigorously on the ship, and before that, surrounded by servants, their parents, their little brother, and all.
Nothing was said for a few moments as Komi huffed, "So now what... leave me at the hands of these primitives? If you actually had any damn brains, you should've just left me to die because the moment I'm actually recovered, I'll snap your neck without even giving it a second thought!".
"DAMN IT, KOMI! ENOUGH OF THIS!", Kori roared as she then got right close to Komi's face; her face now one of tiredness and anger that even took Komi back a bit because this was a side of her that she never saw. It didn't last long as the younger sister started to break down and sob.
Komi was stunned as she never saw Kori like this before, and seeing her cry and break down, she partly reached out yet hesitated, and spoke, "K-Kori?".