Blade of the Nymph

It was several hours later when Kal awoke, still well before dawn. The shoddy traveler's lodge wasn't the sort of place he preferred to stay but Astra had been demanding. After she'd finished wringing him out he had been left completely worn out and rather than wending his way back to the more comfortable room he was renting for himself, he'd simply collapsed into bed next to her. She was still sleeping peacefully next to him, moonlight picking out the curves of her breasts and legs.

For a moment Kal wasn't sure what had woken him but then his ears picked up the faint scraping sound in the darkness. The sound of metal delicately scratching against metal: lockpicks. That moment of recognition jolted him fully awake, sitting bolt upright in the bed. Astra mumbled something incomprehensible and reached out, pulling him down and shoving his face into her breasts.

"Astra!" Kal sputtered into her chest. "Not now Astra, wake up!"

"Mm? Kal?" Astra mumbled. "Shut up. Sleeping."

Kal struggled against her as she pulled him closer and slung one of her legs over his hips. Normally having his face wedged into her cleavage would be pleasant but he could hear the lockpicks scrabbling in the keyhole. He could tell from the sound that the person on the other side of the door was a complete amateur but the locks in this place were surely not particularly complex either. He twisted his way out of Astra's clutching arms and finally rolled out of bed, still naked, when the lock clicked open.

"Fuck!" Kal shouted, "Astra! We're being attacked!"

That seemed to kickstart Astra's warrior instincts and she snapped upright right as the door burst open. A rough looking man charged in, holding a knife, and made a beeline for the bed, perhaps thinking of taking a hostage. This proved to be a mistake as Astra twisted around, snapping a leg out and connecting her shin with the side of the thug's neck. The force of the kick spun him completely around and he dropped like a felled tree. In the same motion Astra whipped herself out of the bed and landed in a crouch between Kal and the door.

"You'd best close that door and scamper away" She snarled at the other intruders standing in the doorway, her previous playful sleepiness completely gone. "Or you'll end up worse than your friend there."

The would-be robbers hesitated, clearly unnerved by how quickly their companion had been put down. But the lure of coin, or perhaps the lure of Astra's bare breasts and thighs, seemed to be too good to pass up. They drew their blades and started to advance into the room. Kal was quite aware of his own nakedness and his eyes darted left and right, looking for anything that might serve as a weapon. His eyes caught something in the shadows under the bed: a sheathed blade.

It was Astra's sword: a huge, two-handed executioner's weapon. Normally, a sword that size would be too unwieldy to be much use in combat. But Astra was an Erinys, a warrior-woman trained in primitive, mystical combat arts which granted her practically superhuman strength and stamina. Kal had never fully understood how a mountain-nymph came to be a warrior, let alone an Erinys, but he couldn't deny her abilities and he'd seen her swing the sword as though it were made of balsa wood.

He lunged for the bed, snagging the scabbard's strap and pulling it from under the bed. The weapon was surprisingly light in his hands but he didn't have time to ponder what that meant. Instead he sprung to his feet and tossed Astra the sword.

"Here, your sword!" Kal shouted, "Lop off a limb or two and I bet they'll run for the hills."

*****

Astra heard Kal's cry behind her and she half-turned, snatching the sheath out of the air. She winced a bit internally but had no chance to explain the problem to Kal before the first of the robbers lumbered into the room. Perhaps he had a bit of ogre blood in his ancestry, he had to duck to avoid breaking his nose on the doorframe. His face looked like he had to learn to duck the hard way.

The huge thief lunged at Astra, his footsteps shaking the floor. He carried no weapons, trying to grab her with hands like ham hocks. She ducked low under his grasping hands and drove the metal-capped butt of her scabbard into his solar plexus. The thug's eyes crossed and he choked as the breath was driven from his lungs. Taking advantage of his stunned condition Astra grabbed a fistful of his hair and rolled her body backwards, pulling him down on top of her. With her back braced against the floor she drove her feet upwards into the giant man's stomach, using his forward momentum and her own strength to send him flying towards the back of the room.

Kal had to duck to avoid being bowled over by the flying robber and he slammed into the wall, shaking the entire room with the impact. Kal looked back and forth between Astra and the poleaxed man, braided hair swaying with his movements.

"Uh...Astra? He's getting back up." Kal backed off a few steps, "Astra!"

"Take care of him, I'll deal with the others." Astra rolled back to her feet, facing the huge man's companions.

"I'm literally naked right now! I don't even have a weapon!"

"Whining isn't attractive Kal!"

"I don't give a shit about attractive! Just cut his head off!"

Astra sighed slightly, "That might be a bit of a problem."

As she spoke she grabbed the hilt of her sword and pulled it from it's sheath. The blade was almost as wide as her hand but ended in a jagged stump five inches from the hilt. Three months back she had been hired to explore the Blight and fought one of the aberrations that lived there. The thing had jagged iron teeth and although Astra had won the battle, most of her sword had been left in the beast's stomach.

"Astra..." Kal's tone was worried, "...why are you carrying half a sword!?"

"Why do you think I've been hanging out in this shithole?" Astra snapped, "I've been trying to buy a replacement!"

Before Astra could continue the conversation with Kal the three remaining rogues stepped into the room. One was a woman, sporting a rat's nest of blonde hair and an eyepatch. She was flanked by two pock-marked men who looked so similar that they might have been twins. Their gap-toothed grins even seemed to match. They carried leather-wrapped clubs and looked like they were used to rough work.

One of the men leered at Astra, "Drop the blade pretty lady. The slave market don't mind a few bruises but they pay less if we gotta knock your teeth out."

His near-identical companion chuckled wickedly and licked his lips theatrically, letting his eyes linger on Astra's bare breasts, "I dunno...girl with no teeth could be a lot of fun. Might want to try her out before we sell her."

"If I had a denar every time some scab-faced toad thought I'd make a good fuck-toy, I wouldn't have to bother with treasure-hunting." Astra laughed contemptuously and spat on the floor, "If you're going to fight, then fight."

*****

Kal shifted nervously in the cramped space as his oversized opponent climbed to their feet. He was intensely conscious of his own nakedness and the fact that he did not even come up to the larger man's collar. Kal had been in his fair share of fights, but he much preferred to face his opponents with a sharp blade than his fists. Still, he knew better than to pass up an opening when he saw one and so he stepped in close while the big man was still gathering his wits and drove his fist directly into the huge man's gut.

He twisted his waist, putting his full weight and strength behind the blow. The result was disappointing: the giant rocked backwards slightly and Kal nearly dislocated a finger. The big man grinned, revealing a cemetary of dead teeth stained brown from chewing kafe vine.

"Fuck..." Kal flexed his hand, trying to get feeling back into his fingers. "I don't suppose you'd like to settle this the easy way?"

The thug's only response was a backhand that caught Kal under the chin and sent him sprawling to the ground. Kal's eyes blurred and it was only instinct that let him roll out of the way of a floor-rattling stomp that would have caved his ribs in. One of his hands fell on something metallic and cold and he snatched it up without thinking, only for his heart to fall when he realized it was nothing more than the overly-elaborate buckle of the expensive belt he had shed a few hours earlier.

Kal staggered back to his feet and spat out a gobbet of blood while wrapping a length of braided leather around his fist. "Okay...hard way it is then..."

The giant reached out with a meaty fist, catching one of Kal's braids and nearly yanking the smaller man off his feet. Kal whipped the belt at the giant's face, snapping the jagged metal buckle across his cheek. The sudden pain forced the larger man to release his grip on Kal's hair, allowing him to backpedal out of reach. He spun the belt in a tight circle while the giant clutched at his face, letting the metal buckle buzz through the air.

"Fukkin rat!" The huge man growled, "I'll kill y-"

The man's words were cut off by a cry of pain as Kal's belt buckle snapped out again, striking like a scorpion and catching him just below his eye. Half-blinded, the giant staggered backwards into the wall, slurring a litany of curses against Kal and his parentage.

Kal took the opportunity to put some space between him and the robber. With the belt he, barely, had the advantage of reach but he needed something more effective. While the whip-cracks might sting, a few feet of leather and half-an-ounce of metal would not be nearly enough to end this fight. He needed a blade.

"I'm gunnah rip yer balls off," The huge man snarled. "Then I'll stuff 'em down yer face."

"Dead gods man, no need to get so brutal" Kal snapped his belt to keep the big man at bay. "Can't blame a man for trying to stay alive, can you?"

The buckle caught the robber on the shoulder, but he ignored the pain and tried to grab Kal in a bear hug. With little move to maneuver, especially while Astra battled the other three behind him, Kal had no choice but to leap onto the bed to avoid the attack. The rotting bedframe, already weakened by the athletic night he had spent with Astra, sagged and creaked under the sudden weight. While he tried to stay balanced on the lumpy mattress Kal caught a flash of moonlight on metal out of the corner of his eye.

While the giant regained his balance Kal whipped his arm towards the ceiling, where Astra had buried a knife in the rafters the night before. The braided leather of his belt wrapped around the handle of the dagger and he gave it a swift yank, tugging the knife free. As the giant turned to face him Kal flicked the belt at his face, burying the knife into the giant's left eye. The thug howled and fell backwards, collapsing against the wall with blood streaming from his face.

*****

The robber with the eyepatch circled around to Astra's left, trying to flank her, but Astra swung her empty scabbard and caught the woman in the face. A bloodied tooth skittered across the wooden floor and the woman fell back, cursing and spitting blood from her swollen mouth. Astra lunged forward, ready to thrust the jagged remains of her sword into the other woman's gut. However, before she could drive the blade home one of the two near-identical thugs swung at her wrist with her club, forcing her to retreat to avoid being disarmed.

"You bitch, you'll pay for that!" The female robber wiped blood from her mouth. "I'm going to make sure you get turned into some beastman's cum-bucket.

"You should've stayed in the whorehouse," Astra sneered. "Or are you somehow worse at fucking than you are at fighting?"

Despite her brash words, Astra's situation was untenable. Even nearly unarmed one or two enemies would have been easy enough to dispatch. However, with three opponents in close quarters any attempt to focus on one of them would allow the other two an opening to rush her. All they had to do was wait for her to stumble or for her stamina to flag, and then they'd have the chance to take her down. Things would be even worse if Kal wasn't able to handle his own part of the battle and she ended up attacked from behind by the ogre-blooded brute as well.

Weighing her options, Astra took a step backwards, letting her ankle fold slightly and feigning a stumble. One of the twins took the bait and grabbed for her left arm, only to meet the edge of her empty scabbard hard against his throat. As the other two thieves closed in Astra kicked the thug in the stomach, sending him stumbling into his two allies. With a moment's breathing room Astra tossed the scabbard aside and dropped into a crouch, reaching underneath the bed and retrieving a small leather wineskin.

Astra slashed the skin open with the stump of her blade and brought it to her mouth, drinking deeply of the liquid inside. It tasted of spices and honey, but mostly it had the burn of potent spirits. She gulped the brew down, letting the excess run down her chin. Her nipples tingled slightly when the alcohol splashed onto her chest. She tossed the empty wineskin aside, wiping her lips with the back of her hand.

The three robbers facing her were briefly left nonplussed, sharing confused glances at Astra's behavior. The woman with the eyepatch shrugged slightly before hefting her club and rushing Astra, hoping to take advantage of the brief gap in her defenses.

"Stupid bitch, you'd better take us ser-" Her words cut off when Astra's hand snapped out and grabbed her by the throat.

The woman struggled in Astra's grip, raising her club to smash Astra in the face but it dropped from her fingers when Astra tightened her fingers, lifting the thief off her feet. Astra smirked at her and then, with a sudden surge of power, she flung the hapless rogue through the nearby window. There was a brief scream followed by the sound of her hitting the ground a story below. Her companions stared, both wearing near-identical slack-jawed expressions.

Astra felt the heat of the firemead spread from her belly up to her breasts and then her face and her breathing became deeper and more rapid. Her breasts, glistening in the moonlight, raised and swelled slightly as the muscles of her torso tightened and flexed. The heat continued to spread, traveling downwards and settling between her legs. Her skin tingled with the same excitement she felt just moments before orgasm as the strength granted by the firemead flowed through her limbs.

"Come on," Astra purred, her voice made huskier by the drink. "Please don't leave me waiting."

The twins shared a glance, clearly uncertain of their chances now but also unwilling to flee. Eventually both seemed to come to a decision, raising their clubs and advancing on Astra in an attempt to flank her.

Astra flicked her wrist, sending her broken blade flying and burying it in the throat of one of right-most twin. The man gurgled as he tried, and failed, to breath around four inches of cold steel.

"Stoobie!" The other man shouted. "I'll-"

Before he could complete the sentence, Astra darted close to him, side-stepping his swing and grabbing his weapon hand by the wrist. Yanking the man off-balance she pulled his arm straight before driving the palm of her hand into the back of his elbow, snapping his arm like a rotten tree branch. He screamed in pain, a scream that only intensified when Astra kicked the side of his knee, causing it to bend sideways with a sickening popping noise. Astra's expression was a mixture of cruel satisfaction and sexual euphoria.

"Mmmm" Astra let out a pleasant sigh as she gripped the groaning man by the hair, "That was nice but I wish you could have made it last longer."

*****

Kal panted as he stared down at the hulk lying on the floor, still buzzing with adrenaline and somewhat shocked that he'd managed to take down such a huge opponent. He spared a glance for Astra just in time to see her toss another woman through the window. He caught sight of the emptied wineskin on the floor and realized that Astra wouldn't be needing any help from him dealing with the other two. He had no idea what they put in firemead, but the effect it had on Erinyes was dramatic to say the least.

Hopping off the bed he snatched up his breeches and pulled them on, glad for the chance to cover himself at last. He spotted Astra's rucksack and started to stuff their discard clothing into it while trying to ignore the unpleasant gurgling and popping noises as Astra dealt with the two remaining thugs. While he could fight well enough when needed, he didn't share Astra's sensual excitement for violence. He was confident she'd be done soon enough.

While shoving things into the sack Kal spared a glance at the giant slumped against the wall, wondering if the big man or his companions might have anything worth bringing along. They didn't look particularly wealthy, but they might still have a few pilfered coins in their purse and Kal wasn't one to turn down ready money. However, his eyes caught something peeking out from under the giant's sleeve and he froze. Moving closer he pulled up the tattered cloth to get a better look: a rampant heraldic lion sporting wings and the tail of a scorpion.

"Shit..." Kal muttered before raising his voice to call to Astra, "Hey, this is going-"

His words were cut off when the giant suddenly lashed out, grabbing Kal by the throat. The man's hand was large enough to almost completely encircle Kal's neck. Kal tried to break free but the giant didn't even seem to notice his struggles.

"Fukkin rat..." The giant's face twisted in fury, blood still pouring from the knife embedded in his eye. "I'll pop your head like a boil."

Kal could hear his heartbeat pounding violently in his ears and there was a tremendous pressure behind his eyes, as though they were about to pop from their sockets. He kicked ineffectively at the giant's torso as his vision began to dim.

"This is why you make sure they're dead before you try looting them."

Just before Kal's vision went entirely black he saw the giant look up at someone standing above them. A split-second later he saw Astra's hand lash out over his head, slamming the heel of her palm into the butt of the knife stuck in the man's face, driving it fully into his brain. The man gave a hissing death rattle and his grip finally loosened, allowing Kal to suck down blessed gulps of air.

"That was..." He was interrupted by a fit of coughing. "That was much too close. Thanks for the help."

"No problem," Astra stroked Kal's chest hair, pressing him firmly back against the wall. "Now, you can help me out."

Astra leaned in, laying a line of kisses along Kal's neck and shoulder and pressing herself against him. Even with his throat still burning and his head still spinning Kal couldn't help but take note of her nipples brushing through his chest hair. Her breathing was heavy as she moved her lips up his neck and sucked his earlobe into her mouth, nibbling it gently. He could feel the heat radiating from her body, especially from where her waist was pressed against his, as though he were standing close to a roaring campfire.

"No, Astra, no." He tried to push against her but with the firemead in her veins she was just as immovable as the giant she just killed, "Keep it together. We have to get out of here!"

"Mmm, you know what the firemead does to me...I need this." Astra's hand slid into his pants, circling her fingers in his pubic hair. "But we can move to a different room if you're going to be a baby about a few dead thieves."

Kal struggled to keep his thoughts straight as Astra's fingers moved lower, stroking the length of his cock and coaxing him to hardness despite himself. He took a deep breath and ran his hand up Astra's back and into her hair. She moaned eagerly as he gripped her short hair and pulled her head back, kissing her deeply. Their tongues stroked and flicked and he could feel her body soften against his. Then he pushed her away, taking advantage of her temporary relaxation and holding her face firmly in both hands and gazing directly into her eyes.