Thick coils of rope wound their way around her powerful legs and arms, keeping her perfectly restrained. A light, silky cloth had been stuffed in her mouth and another tied around the back of her head to keep it sealed inside. A third had been pulled snug around her eyes, rendering her completely blind.
Artema remained still within the quiet room and allowed everything to melt away. The worries of the order, their awaited scout report, which was a day late, and the weight of her responsibility as leader all drifted from her mind. For now it was just her and the ropes binding her within a tranquil plane of naught but serene, soundless peace.
For a moment, Artema allowed herself to strain hard against her bonds but the ropes held firm in spite of her massive strength. They groaned and creaked but the ropes were tough enough to keep the huge warrior woman bound, gagged, and blindfolded within the peaceful room.
The leader of the Order of Ikaatan allowed herself to relax again and leaned up against the padded wall of the quiet room. She felt the thick ropes around her ankles and calves chafe against her sandals for a fleeting moment. The others made their presence known around her thighs and arms by digging into her skin but the sensation only reminded Artema of the challenge of escaping. She wriggled her bound wrists a bit but she let her mind clear again. This was not a time for escaping. Right now, Artema needed time to be relaxed and at ease with herself and the world around her.
Just as she felt the first traces of sleep upon her heavy, blindfolded eyelids, someone knocked on the door.
“Mmmph,” Artema grunted.
“Artema?” The warrior recognized her wife’s voice. “Artema, are you awake? I’m sorry to bother you but the scout has just arrived.”
“Hmmph!?” She sat up straight and struggled against her unyielding bonds. “Lmmlllmmmph,” she said, trying to call out to her wife.
Lanala didn’t hear her but she always had good instincts and moved aside the heavy door bar, sliding open the wooden door. Artema sat up and faced the doorway when Lanala entered the room.
“Oh, good. You are awake. Luna’s outside with Jonas right now.”
“Hmmm hmm smmd hmmghmmgph?” Artema asked.
“Here, let me take that gag out,” Lanala said.
Lanala untied the silk cloth around Artema’s head and the one around her mouth. She helped her spit out the one wadded up into her mouth.
Artema blinked a few times when she saw the dim light of the quiet room again for the first time in hours. She worked her jaw up and down and then asked her question again.
“Has he said anything?”
“He’s waiting to speak to you, specifically,” Lanala said. “And Luna’s been yelling at him...”
“Damn it. Help me out of these ropes. This is what we’ve been waiting for.”
Lanala began to untie the coils upon coils of rope around Artema’s body.
“He wouldn’t even tell us why he was late. He just kept saying ‘I’ll tell you after I speak to Artema.’”
“It’s his protocol,” Artema said. “He is a spy, after all. He only deals directly with those in charge. Don’t be angry with him. It’s just how he does things.”
“Oh, I wasn't angry,” Lanala said. “But I know Luna is.”
Artema remained silent from there while Lanala continued to unwind the long coils of ropes binding her.
...
“Luna, please. There’s no call for that.” A deep, tired, and gravelly voice spoke very measured and calm words to the ice caster that currently stood before him by the entrance courtyard to the order’s headquarters.
He was very tall and had broad, square shoulders. He wore a black, long sleeved shirt and loose black pants. Thick, brown leather boots matched the protective leather vest he wore. A quiver of arrows hung from his back and a weathered, sturdy longbow rested there beside them. The man himself had tired and angry grey eyes and thick brown hair, cut short, atop his head.
Luna confronted him, arms folded, and glared ice daggers into his sunken eyes.
“Why won’t you tell us now? It’s ridiculous.”
“It is imperative that I speak to Artema first. It was her that the Queen gave the mission and it was her that sent for me. You can even listen if you want. But I must say these words to Artema, first and foremost.”
“Damn you, Jonas. You ask me you’re just a rat, sneaking about and waiting to see whose back you can stab first.”
Jonas cleared his throat and let out a long breath.
“Luna, I’m not-”
“And how am I to know what you’re not when you never say anything? You’re always ‘not at liberty to say.’ I don’t trust that.”
Before Jonas could reply, a bubbly, happy voice spoke his name from behind Luna.
“Jonas?”
Jonas ignored Luna for a moment and peered behind her. A small woman with light green hair stood there and her eyes smiled when they met each other’s stare.
“Mirelle!”
Jonas spread his arms wide and Mirelle charged at him and threw her arms around his chest. Jonas winced a bit when she collided with him. But he managed to return her embrace.
“You haven’t visited in so long. I got worried when I heard you were coming and then didn’t show up on time,” Mirelle said.
She stepped back from him and he winced again, rubbing his left shoulder.
“Oh no. Are you hurt?”
“Nothing major,” Jonas said. “Just a bit of a dust up on the way here. Nothing to worry about.”
“And he still won’t tell us about it,” Luna said.
“Luna, you know he has to speak to Artema first.” Mirelle turned back to Jonas and a worried look entered her soft eyes. “She hasn’t been giving you a hard time, has she?”
“Not at all,” Jonas said. “She’s been keeping me company, actually.”
“Oh, that’s our Luna. She’s such a nice girl when you get to know her. Right, Luna?”
“Well... I guess so,” Luna said.
“Don’t be so modest,” Mirelle said. She turned back to Jonas. “She’s a sweetheart. But I bet you know that already.”
“Believe me, I do,” Jonas said, meeting Luna’s eyes for a second. A hard stare passed between them and they both turned their attention back to the happy spellsword.
“Well then, I think I’ll leave you two to get back to whatever it was you were talking about. You be careful out there, Jonas.”
“Always,” Jonas said. “And you take care of yourself, Mirelle.”
“Oh, don’t worry about me,” Mirelle said. “Just come and visit us more often. You know, not for work?”
Jonas nodded and clasped his hands behind his back.
“Sure. I’ll make a point of it. See you later, Mirelle.”
“Bye, Jonas. Remember to be careful, like I said.”
When Mirelle left the two of them, Luna stepped closer to him and just stared into his eyes for a few moments. She clenched her hands into fists and a ring of frost appeared around each one. Just as she was about to speak again, a strong voice bellowed from behind them.
“Luna! Come here!”
Artema and Lanala approached from the training barracks and stopped a few feet short of the two others. Luna stepped back from Jonas and stood straight for her leader.
“Yes, ma’am?”
“Stand over there with Lanala. I will tell you what Jonas says when I am finished speaking to him. And if I hear of any more problems from you, I’ll throw you in the training cell for a week. Are we clear?”
Luna took a deep breath.
“Yes, ma’am. Very clear, ma’am.”
“We’d better be. Now go and wait with Lanala.”
Luna left without another word and Lanala followed closely after her. Artema growled under her breath and turned her attention to the tall man standing by the front gate. She still stood at least a full head taller than him but he was still taller than everyone else in her order. She thought him an impressive man and he moved very quietly for his size. Artema imagined that skill came in handy for his line of work.
Artema extended a hand to Jonas and he shook it gladly. She clapped one hand on his left shoulder and he grimaced when she did. He rubbed it again when the giant woman let go of his hand.
“So you are hurt?” she asked.
“Didn’t Mirelle tell you?”
“I haven’t seen Mirelle. I’ve been meditating for the past few hours. I heard it from... somewhere else.”
Jonas furrowed his brow.
“What? How? Only Mirelle knows.”
“Elyn and her tricks. I didn’t think they actually worked.”
Jonas nodded.
“Ah, yes. Don’t underestimate Elyn, Artema. She’s clever. And capable of far more than she lets on.”
“You always seem to know an awful lot about us,” Artema said.
Jonas shrugged. “It’s my job.”
“So about this sacked caravan...”
“Right,” Jonas said. “They’re a wily sort, the ones who attacked it. I’ve checked with all my sources and there’s no history with whoever’s running this operation. Pretty clandestine stuff, and that’s coming from me.”
“Well did you find out anything about them?”
Jonas smirked. He reached behind him and produced a leather bound folder to Artema.
“Compiled a full dossier,” he said. “So you could say that I did.”
“I shouldn’t have doubted you,” Artema said.
She flipped it open and pored over the pages and pages of information. Artema nodded and handed the folder back to Jonas. A concerned look entered her eyes.
“I think you see the problem,” Jonas said.
“You’re certain it’s her?”
“She was there when I was attacked,” Jonas said. “So yes. I am.”
“How did they find you?”
“She knows how to look for people like me,” Jonas said. “That and, well, I kind of maybe got a bit angry and let myself be known.”
“Damn it, Jonas.”
“Hey, I called myself every name in the book for being so stupid.”
Artema rubbed her chin with one hand and shook her head.
“The spymaster,” Artema said. “I didn’t see that one coming.”
“Nor did I. But as soon as I found out she betrayed the Queen, well... it may have bothered me a bit.”
“A bit?”
“Okay, a lot,” Jonas said. “The point is, Jhana needs to be stopped. I don’t know what she’s doing with all those kidnapped people but we need to find out.”
“And that’s where we come in.”
“You’re a relative unknown to her,” Jonas said. “She told me as much numerous times. Jhana always thought of you lot as useless.”
“Good,” Artema said with a smirk. “That gives us the upper hand. She won’t be expecting a real fight.”
“Don’t just go charging in though, Artema. She’s hired Lila’s mercenaries and you know there’s no end of them.”
Artema remembered her last run-in with Lila and her band of mercenary women. Despite being outnumbered, Artema fought and subdued fourteen women and captured Lila herself. She was sent to prison only to be released a week later. Lila certainly wouldn’t forget last time.
“So reconnaissance then?”
“Send your best,” Jonas said. “Jhana won’t know what to look for. She never studied your order but she isn’t stupid.”
“Why not just send myself?”
Jonas shook his head.
“Lila knows you too well,” he said. “And those two put together make a scary team, Artema. Those caravans, the Honour Guard they captured, they never stood a chance. But your order will if you play this right.”
“What do you suggest?”
“I’m not the strategist,” Jonas said. “That’s your department. I just gather the information and pass along warnings.”
Artema nodded.
“All right. I’ll come up with something. In the meantime, I want you to rest up here and patch up that shoulder.”
“Artema-”
“Don’t argue with me, Jonas. Do what I say or I’ll break the other one.”
Jonas smirked again.
“You wouldn’t.”
“Do you want to test that theory?”
Jonas knew he was nowhere near the powerhouse that Artema was. There was no way he’d want to even so much as test her.
“Fine,” he said. “But I can’t stay for long. I do have other things that need doing.”
“They can wait,” Artema said. “Go find Mirelle. She’ll be happy to hear you’re staying for awhile and she’s our best healer.”
“All right then. You be careful, Artema. What you’re dealing with here is... well, it’s got the potential to get really nasty. Whatever Jhana is planning, with Lila at her right hand, is really not good. So be safe. Tell that to the others, will you?”
“Even Luna?”
Jonas smiled. “Yes. Even Luna.”
Artema nodded.
“I will. Go and rest up now. I’ll gather the team.”
Jonas nodded back to her and left without another word. Artema watched him go and shook off the nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach. This was no time to be having reservations. It was time to act.
...
Luna and Lanala crept along the side of a cliff face and approached a yawning cave mouth that had to stand fifteen feet high. The ice caster held up a hand to stop Lanala when she spotted the two mercenary guards outside the cave. She pointed them out to Lanala.
“That’s them,” Lanala whispered.
“Are you sure?”
“Artema told me how they dress. Animal hide leather that barely comes to their thighs, leather pauldrons, braced sandals, it all fits.”
“They’re huge, though,” Luna said. “Almost as big as Artema.”
“Nowhere near as strong, though,” Lanala said. “You and I can take these two women.”
Lanala pushed past Luna and started sneaking toward the woman on the right. She pulled the short staff from her belt and it started arcing at its tip.
“Wait, Lanala,” Luna said. “What if it’s-” She was interrupted when three spear tips were suddenly pointed in her face. “A trap.”
Lanala was doing her best not to be noticed and so didn’t realize that Luna was in trouble. She continued sneaking up on the unsuspecting woman. Before she could strike, someone strong grabbed her from behind and covered her mouth with a heavy hand.
“Hmmph!”
She fought back against her attacker but they were devastatingly strong. Lanala was very strong herself but the woman that had a hold of her was perhaps as strong as Artema herself.
“So,” a thick voice whispered. “Artema refuses to come herself, eh? Sends in the magic goons instead?”
“Hrmmmph!” Lanala kicked at the air and tried to shake off the attacker, whom she still didn’t see, but the woman refused to let go.
“Time for a nap, cutie.”
A heavy rag was then pressed against Lanala’s mouth and nose. It smelled quite pleasant but it made Lanala feel woozy. Turupet! Lanala thought, remembering that the pleasant, cedar-y odour meant that she was being forced to inhale a sleep-inducing, alchemical solution.
“Grrmmph!”
Lanala fought harder but it forced her to take bigger breaths and gave her an even bigger dose of turupet. It made her feel even weaker and her body grew steadily heavier.
All the while, Luna had managed to escape the three women with spears for the time being by tossing a wall of ice between them and running for the trees. They doggedly pursued her, however, and the very act of the ice wall spell took a lot of her energy.
Luna decided to try and lose them between the trees. She ducked and dodged, nimble as she was, between the branches and a quick glance behind her revealed that three mercenaries no longer pursued her.
“Ha!” she said. “That’ll show y-woooaah!”
As she spoke, she suddenly found herself vaulted upward by the legs. Within seconds she was dangling from a tree branch about six feet off the ground. She looked down, or up, at her ankles and noticed they were bound together by a thick rope that had caught her while she ran. Her three pursuers casually surrounded her and laughed.
“Great,” Luna said. “Another trap.”
Without much energy left, Luna could do nothing to stop the mercenaries from advancing on her. In the distance she caught sight of Lanala slung over a large woman’s shoulders, unconscious.
“So much for the element of surprise,” she said.
As the pair of them were carried off, a pair of wild, crimson eyes followed their trail. The orange-haired woman smirked to herself and waited for them to be carried inside.
“Follow orders, she says? Well, look who gets to play plucky heroine today?”
The woman disappeared from view and kept her mind on the two captives of the mercenaries. She waited until everyone was well out of sight and pressed on toward the cave mouth.
...
“Lrmmmllmmph!”
It sounded to Lanala like someone was trying to call her name but couldn’t for some reason. Everything still felt hazy and her head was swimming as she tried to wake up.
“Mmmph?” she said, groggily. Wait. Why can’t I talk?
When light finally began filtering into her eyes, Lanala realized that she was in a cave. It was well lit and noisy, with people milling about all around her. She could make out a flat area with tables and chairs and heard the distinct sound of someone sharpening a blade. She then realized that her view of the grey rock was obscured by metal bars of some kind. She felt the floor beneath her and it, too, felt like it was made of metal bars. Lanala’s head swam and she tried to reach up and rub her head but something stopped her hands from moving upward.
“Hmmph?”
“Lrmmmllmmph!” she heard someone calling her name again in a muffled voice. That was when she saw there was someone else near her. The blurry, blue person couldn’t seem to move or speak in any reasonable manner.
“Hmmmph?” Lanala questioned again.
A sharp voice brought her back into reality.
“Finally, the cute spellcaster awakens,” the voice said. “I can see why Artema married you, my dear.”
Lanala looked down at her body and realized why she couldn’t move or speak. Thick, sticky ropes wound their way around her legs at the ankles and knees. More ropes kept her arms stuck to her sides and another coiled around the back of her neck and looped around her arms. The ropes framed above and below her breasts and stuck to her body like glue. More rope lashed her wrists in a cross position behind her back. She also noticed that she was in a small cage, shared with Luna, and that her wrists had been bound around one of the bars. To top it off, something, a rag most likely, had been stuffed in her mouth and a thick cloth, coated in some strange, sticky substance, clung to her face like a tight mask.
She looked across at Luna first, who had been bound and gagged in the exact same way. Then she remembered the sharp voice that had spoken to her. Lanala looked up at a tall, curvy woman dressed in a short robe that extended down to about halfway up her thighs. The hood had been pulled down and the robe looked royal to Lanala, lined with gilded trim and coloured a deep, gorgeous, royal purple. The look was completed by the woman’s flowing, black hair and black, knee-high boots with tall heels. The woman was holding Lanala’s lightning staff in her hand and knelt down to meet her eyes.
“So, the useless troupe did show up after all, eh?” she asked. “I was hoping for some fun. But you disappoint me. I had expected it to be a little harder than that.”
“Mmmph!’ Lanala and Luna said in unison.
The tall woman stood up and handed Lanala’s staff to the even taller, brawny woman standing next to her.
“You were right, Lila. She is positively adorable. And so strong-looking and fit. I’d only ever heard her name before, but to see her for myself... she’ll make a fine addition.”
“Hrmmmph!?” Lanala tried to sit forward but her bound wrists pulled her down into a slumped position again.
The brawny woman she had called Lila, the mercenary leader, was dressed in short, leather armour and had cropped, brown hair. She towered over the woman in the short, purple robes.
“You want to make her one of your, um, statues, Jhana?”
“Mmmph!” Lanala realized that they had run right into the ring leader!
The Queen’s former spymaster strode over to the cage confidently and knelt down again.
“Not yet,” she said. “I want to see her squrim first. Her and her pretty little friend. Who knows? Maybe someone will mount a rescue. Then I can have more!”
Lanala struggled hard against her bonds but they pulled very tight against her body. Escape training hadn’t covered these strange, sticky ropes! Just what were these things covered with, anyway?
“An adhesive,” Jhana said.
“Mmph!?” Had the spymaster just read her mind?
“Yes,” Jhana replied. “I have many talents. Anyway, that is a simple adhesive agent crafted by one of the royal alchemists. It was made to fix leaky ships but I find that it makes rope so much more... secure. Wouldn’t you say?”
Lanala tugged and pulled against the ropes that bound her. Every one of her toned muscles strained and groaned with the effort but her bonds held firm. Nothing would come loose. What made it worse was that the knots were practically fused together by the adhesive! She couldn’t even begin to undo them on her own.
“Yes, this is a predicament you’ve found yourself in,” Jhana said. “And you’re going to stay here for quite a while longer, I imagine. And then I’m going to make you into a decoration.”
“Hmmmph!?”
“How? Why? Well, the how isn’t important. The why, well,” she began. “This is a coup. I am Queen by birthright. And any subject still loyal to our fair Queen will become more, shall we say, compliant. But some of them,” Jhana said, leaning closer to Lanala. “Some of them are just too good to be made into a mere symbolic message. No. Some need to moulded into a work of art. I’m going to have to think carefully about you, my dear.”
Jhana stood up and Lanala struggled uselessly against her bonds again. The former spymaster patted Lila on the shoulder as she went past.
“Keep an eye on them. Make sure no one-”
“We caught another one!”
Another of the female mercenaries interrupted Jhana with a loud shout from just inside the cave mouth. She was pushing someone forward, who had her hands bound behind her back and more of the sticky ropes around her arms.
“You don’t need to shove,” the smoky voice said.
“Elmmmmph?” Lanala and Luna both said, simultaneously. The fire mage was pushed forward and shown to Jhana, with her arms fully bound.
“Hello,” Elyn said. “Good to see you again, Jhana.”
Luna and Lanala shot each other a confused look and then turned back to Elyn.
“I’m certain it is,” Jhana said. “Of course a failure like you would join up with that useless order, Elyn.” She waved the mercenaries forward. “Bind her to a chair. We have no more room in the cages.”
“You got it, boss lady,” the female mercenary said. “Get a move on.” She shoved Elyn forward and toward a chair that Lila held onto.
“Oh, you’re too kind,” Elyn said. “For me?” The wordless mercenaries forced her to sit and began binding her legs.
Satisfied, Jhana sauntered off deep into the cave and disappeared from view.
The mercenaries continued tying up Elyn and she started getting excited.
“Oh, yes. Tighter, please.”
Lila bent down to her face. “What?”
“Tie me tighter. I don’t want to escape,” Elyn said.
Lila furrowed her brow.
“What are you playing at?”
“Nothing. Can’t a girl have fun?”
Lila growled and shook her head.
“Somebody gag her so I don’t have to listen to this crap.”
“Oh, yes please!”
Lila whirled around and leaned down into Elyn’s face again. “What is with you? What’s your game?”
“Oh, no game, I just like to be t-mmph ummph,” Elyn said, while a wad of cloth was being shoved into her mouth. A thick, sticky rag was then placed tightly over her lips and tied behind her head.
While the other mercenaries worked, Lila kept a close watch on Elyn. She seemed to be perfectly happy with all the ropes binding her arms, legs, and wrists. When a final rope was tied to her ankles and attached to her wrists, Lila held up one hand to stop the mercenary women from leaving.
“Use more ropes,” she said. “And get something to blindfold her with. I don’t want her getting loose.”
The mercenaries did as they were told and wound more ropes around Elyn’s arms and legs. A normal rag was pulled around her eyes and knotted behind her head. Elyn moaned and sighed, satisfied.
“Damn you,” Lila said. She turned to one of her mercenaries. “She’s going to try something. I want everyone guarding her, understand? Don’t let her out of your sight.”
Every mercenary in the cave, including the ones watching Lanala and Luna, situated themselves within eyesight of Elyn and encircled her at a wide distance. Lila nodded in satisfaction and then headed off down into the cave where Jhana had gone.
With their captors no longer paying attention to them, Lanala took an opportunity to look around for any possible way to free herself. She noticed a sword, carelessly left leaning against their cage, just out of Luna’s reach.
“Lmmphmph,” Lanala said. She kicked and squirmed to try and gain Luna’s attention. The ice caster finally looked her way and Lanala nodded toward the sword near her. Luna looked to her left and noticed a sword just a few, tantalizing inches away from her hands. She wriggled and bucked every which way to try and reach the blade but she couldn’t get any closer. Lanala furrowed her brow and then her eyes lit up. She had an idea.
...
Artema paced in front of the gates and awaited her wife’s return. She stopped suddenly and shot a look toward Taria.
“How long’s it been?”
“They were due back an hour ago.”
“Something’s happened,” Artema said. “We’re going after them.”
“Could be risky,” Taria said. “You know better than anyone how Lila operates.”
“Not to mention the spymaster,” Meryn said. “Who knows what kind of traps she may have in store.”
“That doesn’t matter,” Artema said. “They were supposed to be on reconnaissance. This shouldn’t be taking them so long. We have to go after them. All of us.”
“You sure that’s wise, ma’am?” Taria asked. “A more careful strategy might be called for here.”
Artema began pacing again when she heard someone approach them from behind. Two someones, in fact.
“What’s going on?” a cheery voice asked.
“Mirelle, good. I need your help. Lanala and Luna aren’t back yet.”
“Oh dear. That’s not good.”
“I’m taking Taria and Meryn with me to look for them. I want you to stay behind and out of sight. You can do that, yes?”
“You mean like a cloaking spell?”
“If it helps,” Artema said.
“Yay! I love cloaking! Okay.”
Jonas gave her a look and straightened his back.
“I could-”
“No,” Artema and Mirelle said at the same time.
“Why not?”
“For one, your shoulder’s in a sling,” Artema said. “And you haven’t rested yet.”
“I’m fine,” Jonas said.
Artema reached forward and patted Jonas on the back of the shoulder. A pained look entered his eyes and he growled under his breath.
“Didn’t feel a thing,” Jonas said through gritted teeth.
“You need rest,” Artema said.
“Look, I won’t do anything physical. I can be your eyes. Let you know what traps are where.”
“I’ve got this one for that,” Artema said, nodding to Meryn.
“At least let me back up Mirelle. None of you should be alone.”
Artema mulled this over for a few seconds and then relented.
“Fine. But stay back and if a fight breaks out you are to steer clear. You hear me?”
“I got it,” Jonas said.
“All right. Let’s move!”
...
The female mercenaries had all gathered closer to Elyn. She was writhing and thrashing every which way, putting on a show. She moaned and mewled into her tight gag and even giggled a few times when the sticky ropes refused to budge.
“Hmmph hmm hmm,” she laughed.
“Wow,” one of the mercs whispered. “She’s actually enjoying it?”
“Shut it,” said another. “You’re spoiling it.”
With all of their guards thoroughly distracted, Lanala and Luna shook their cage back and forth in an attempt to dislodge the sword. It stayed stubbornly upright and they were making more noise and risked drawing attention to themselves.
“Lmmphmpp mpph,” Lanala said.
Luna seemed to get the message and stopped struggling. Lanala spoke as clearly as she could into her gag.
“Mmph mmm mmpht ummph thmmph,” she said.
“Mmmph?”
Lanala huffed.
“Mmph. Thmm. Cmmpht. Umph. Thrmmph.”
Luna nodded.
“Mmm hmm.”
“Ummkmmph. Ummph. Tmmph. Thrmmph!”
They both struggled and bucked, causing the cage to rattle a bit across the floor. It dragged one way and the sword fell toward Luna and clanged to the floor. The sound echoed off the cave walls and several mercenaries looked their way. Thinking quickly, Lanala stared squirming in her bonds and calling for help.
“Hllmpph! Hllmmph mmm, lmmmph! Hllmph!”
Luna followed her lead.
“Hllmph mmph, mmmphummph! Hllmmph!”
The mercenaries rolled their eyes and huffed, turning their attention back to the cute fire mage struggling in the middle of them. Elyn screamed out a laugh as loud as she could.
“HMMPH HMM HMMPH!”
When no more mercenaries were looking their way, Luna managed to get one of her hands on the sword. She carefully gripped it and started rubbing the ropes binding her wrists against the sharp edge. She only hoped Elyn could distract their captors for long enough.
...
Artema crouched low between the trees. The cave’s entrance was well within sight but she was wary to approach. She nodded to Meryn, who stepped forward and scanned the treeline.
“Six traps so far,” she said. “Just snares. Nothing too bad.”
Artema waited for her to continue.
“Hanging net over the cave entrance. Probably a tripwire somewhere.”
“Anything else?”
Meryn kept her eyes on the trees and she came to rest upon one.
“Over there. Snare’s been triggered. They caught someone.”
“I knew it,” Artema said. “All right. You two spread out and watch your backs. Stick to the trees. I’m going for the cave.”
“Don’t forget about-”
“The net, I know,” Artema said, interrupting Taria.
“No. Lila. She’ll be after your blood. Her and about half her mercs that you sent off to the slammer.”
“I’ve got it, Taria. Just stay out of sight and wait. All right?”
“Whatever you say, boss,” Taria said.
Taria and Meryn crept off, silently, and kept each other in sight, taking cover in the trees. Artema, meanwhile, stepped out of the woods and toward the cave entrance. She stopped along the wall and shimmied her way to the wide mouth. A quick glance above her reminded her of the net that would drop if she wasn’t careful. Then Artema leaned around the corner and shouted into the cave.
“Hey! Got your pipin’ hot ass kickin’ out here! Fresh from the oven!”
She moved back and remained well out of sight of the cave entrance.
Mirelle and Jonas moved through the woods on the opposite side in that exact moment. Mirelle concentrated hard to keep both of them concealed by her cloaking spell and Jonas, ignoring Artema’s advice, had dropped his sling and knocked an arrow to his bow. The arrow had a thin tip, like a practice arrow, meaning it was non-lethal. He had coated it in a special paralysis poison that could paralyze its victim for up to eight hours but eh effects would wear off after that. He, like Artema, was no killer and refused to use lethal methods. She had taught the same principles to her order.
Jonas suddenly bumped into someone he couldn’t see and stopped dead. He grunted at the pain in his shoulder.
“Shh!” Mirelle said. “Someone’s coming out of the cave.”
Jonas eyed the cave and raised the bow to his eye.
“Wait,” Mirelle said.
“Don’t worry, I will.”
Five mercenaries had stepped outside and followed the sound of Artema’s voice. One of them walked around to the right of the entrance, where Artema was, and kept following the rocky cliff face. She kept her eyes to the ground and felt something brush up against her. She looked up and then kept looking up at the mountain of a woman that stood in front of her.
“Good night,” Artema whispered.
She threw a vicious punch right between the woman’s eyes and she slumped forward and fell, unconscious. Artema laid her gently on the ground and drew both swords at her hips. Three of the remaining mercs spread out but one remained by the cave entrance. Artema spotted the trip wire just behind her feet and rushed straight for her. She shoved her back, the tripwire broke, and Artema leapt back out of the net’s path. It crashed down onto the mercenary and the woman began thrashing about, only entangling herself worse. Soon she was just a writhing mess on the ground.
The other three heard this and turned around. The hulking, purple-haired warrior stood before them with two swords drawn and a mean scowl on her face.
“All right. Who wants some?”
Two of them ran at her but the third fell when something sharp entered her left shoulder. When she tried to get up, she found she couldn’t move. From the trees, she swore she could have heard someone swear as though in pain.
“Ah, damn it,” Jonas grimaced. “At least I got her.”
“Jonas!” Mirelle scolded. “Where is your sling?”
“Oh, I thought you didn’t notice,” he said.
“Oh, Artema is going to be so mad at you!”
“Hey, I helped, didn’t I?”
Meanwhile, Artema planted herself and stood at the ready for the last two mercenaries. Before they reached her, however, one of them was dragged downward by a green and blue blur and knocked unconscious. Taria stood over her, sword drawn.
The other stopped dead when something entered her leg from the trees. She pulled out a dart and looked it over.
“Oh, son of a-” she passed out and fell to the ground. Meryn stepped out of the trees with her mini crossbow in hand. Artema smiled.
“Hardly had to lift a finger. All right. Let’s go.”
...
“Hmm mmph!”
Luna still struggled to saw through the ropes on her wrists. They were much tougher than she had been expecting and her limited range of movement made it very slow going. She started struggling harder when she heard Lanala try to call to her.
“Lmmphmmph. Lmmphmmph!”
Luna stopped sawing and looked her way. Two mercenaries had broken off from the group and were approaching their cage. One of them noticed the sword.
“Well well, ladies,” said the woman who spotted the sword. “Aren’t we resourceful? Well, I think that will be enough of that.”
“Mmmph!” Lanala said.
“Hmmph. MMMMPH!” Luna screamed when they took the sword away. She thrashed and kicked but nothing came loose. She had barely made a dent in the ropes around her wrists. She couldn’t escape.
“I’m thinking these two need to be more properly restrained,” the second woman said.
“Say, that’s a good idea,” said the first, who tossed the sword away. “Let’s start with some blindfolds!”
“MMMPH!” they said in unison. They could do nothing to stop the women from wrapping thick rags around their eyes and making the whole world go black.
“There. And what about some more rope for the lovely ladies?” the first woman said.
“That sounds-”
They were interrupted by a furious bellow from the cave entrance.
“Get away from them!”
The two mercs turned around and looked down from their outcropping to see Artema standing there, a sword in each hand, and heaving with fury.
“Oh, Goddess!” the first woman said. “It’s Artema!”
“Oh, this ain’t good,” said the second woman.
“She isn’t alone!’ said one of the mercs that surrounded Elyn.
“Agghmmphmmph?” Elyn said, surprised to hear the voice of their leader.
Several mercs charged the hulking warrior woman but they fell quickly, being thrown every which way and knocked flying backward by the incredible strength of Artema.
Several more became confused when a green and blue shape rushed past them and knocked their weapons from their hands.
“What was that?”
One of them took a heavy hit to the back of the head and fell to the cave floor. Another took a hit to the face and joined her ally. A third backed up, managed to pick up her weapon, and block the furious flash of Taria’s blade. She finally met the eye of the lithe warrior.
“Pretty fast,” Taria said. “But are you this fast?”
Another two quick moves and the woman’s blade was knocked from her grasp again and she was rendered unconscious beside the other two.
Meryn joined the fray beside Artema and battled the mercs swiftly and without mercy. Soon, there were only a handful left conscious.
By the cave entrance, Mirelle viciously took down two mercs who got close enough to attack Jonas, who still favoured his shoulder.
“Thanks,” he said.
“You’re welcome!” Mirelle said, before dispatching a third.
When all the mercenaries lay unconscious upon the floor, Lila rushed in from deeper within the cave and found herself surrounded by four warriors. Artema stepped forward and put a blade to her throat.
“Where’s Jhana?”
“She’s... she’s gone. I don’t know where.”
“Yeah right. I’m supposed to believe that?” Artema said.
“Believe what you want, she ain’t here! I swear!”
“We’ll see about that,” Artema said, keeping the blade to Lila’s throat. “Taria, Meryn, tie this idiot up. Gag her, too. She’s headed right back to prison.”
“Damn you, Artema,” Lila said. “You got lucky this time.”
“And last time? That isn’t luck, Lila.”
Taria and Meryn grabbed each of the big woman’s arms and starting by tying her wrists behind her back with some of the sticky rope still within the cave. Artema nodded and sheathed her blades. She looked up to the outcropping and spotted Elyn first, sitting bound and gagged to the chair, still enjoying herself.
Artema approached the fire mage and knelt down to her. She let out a long sigh.
“I should just leave you here,” she said. “But you’d like that too much. You’re a damn fool.”
Elyn smirked under gag and chuckled.
“Cmmnph ymm blmmph mmph?”
Artema patted her on the shoulder as she walked past.
“Consider this extra time a gift from me. I’m going to see my wife.”
“Tmmhph ymmph,” Elyn said.
“Yeah yeah, whatever.”
Lanala’s eyes smiled when her blindfold was removed and she saw her wife’s face.
“Agghtmmphmmph!”
“Yes it’s me, sweetheart,” Artema said. “Are you all right?”
She removed Lanala’s gag and they stared deep into each other’s eyes.
“I am now,” Lanala said. “Thank you for coming for us.”
“What else was I going to do? And how did this happen, anyway?”
Lanala hung her head.
“It’s... it’s my fault, Artema. I tried to do too much. I wanted to impress you.”
“You impress me every day,” Artema said. “What else do you have to do?”
“Mmph mmmph!”
Artema looked up and noticed Luna, bound, gagged, and blindfolded across from Lanala.
“Oh. Sorry, Luna.”
She removed the ice caster’s gag and blindfold.
“Oh, thank you,” Luna said. “And it wasn’t Lanala’s fault. I think we both underestimated just how well prepared they were.”
“Which means I did too,” Artema said. “We’ll be better prepared next time. You have my word on that.”
Artema proceeded to untie the two women and when she finished, Lanala jumped up and threw her arms around Artema’s broad shoulders.
“I love you, dear,” Lanala said.
Artema returned the hug and picked up Lanala off the ground.
“And I love you.”
When she put Lanala down, she returned to the still bound and gagged Elyn. She removed the blindfold first and looked into the fire mage’s eyes.
“Playtime’s over, hotshot,” Artema said.
“Elyn was amazing,” Lanala said.
“Yeah!” Luna added. “She got into Lila’s head and made them pay more attention to her. She kept the attention of all the guards and gave us time to try an escape attempt.”
“Really?” Artema removed Elyn’s gag and she smiled wide.
“I do love to put on a show,” Elyn said.
“I’ll bet you do,” Artema said. “But you still disobeyed my orders.”
“I know. What are you going to do? Tie me up and throw me in the training cell for a week?”
Artema smirked.
“No. You’re going to spar with me every day for a week. Without magic. And I’m not holding back.”
“Oh...” Elyn said. “That’s... less pleasant.”
Artema finished untying Elyn and the entire order regrouped and was whole once again. A bound, gagged, and struggling Lila lay on the floor in a strict hogtie at their feet.
“Taria and I checked out the cave,” Meryn said. “Lila wasn’t lying. Jhana’s gone.”
“Damn,” Jonas said. “I wanted to pay her back for my blasted shoulder.”
“Speaking of which,” Artema said. “What happened to your sling?”
“My what? Oh, umm... would you believe I lost it?”
“Damn you, Jonas. What the hell were you thinking?”
“MMMMPH!!”
They were distracted for the moment by the gagged and muffled screams of Lila on the floor.
“Shut up,” Artema said. She turned then to Lanala and Luna.
“Did you find out what Jhana is planning?’
“A coup against the Queen,” Lanala said. “And she mentioned something about making her loyal servants more compliant. Lila mentioned that she was turning people into statues or something. I don’t know why but it doesn’t sound good, Artema.”
Artema turned away from them again.
“No. It doesn’t.”
She then bent down and cut the rope that hogtied Lila and hoisted the big mercenary over one shoulder.
“Let’s get this one to prison and then head home. It seems we’ve got more training to do.”
“What?” Lanala asked, incredulous. “But we’re all exhausted! We’ve had the fight of our lives out here and you want us to go home and train?”
Artema sighed.
“Fine, you big baby. After you get some rest. Now, let’s move!”
The seven members of the Order of Ikaatan left the cave together but Jonas did not follow. Instead, he made for the trees and disappeared from sight. He still had work to do. He still had to warn the Queen. In the meantime, he hoped Artema and her crew got all the rest they could. Jonas had the sinking feeling that they were going to need it.