Demonthorn Chapter 12
Samantha snored and it annoyed the hell out of Lara. Her sister had always been a light sleeper, almost a mournful ghost at night because of her insomnia. She had tolerated Kelli doing it, because she really kind of liked her. Samantha was intolerable.
She kicked the sleeping Fury on the hip a little with her bare foot. Samantha just snorted and slept deeply.
Lara wasn't trying to be mean, but since she had gotten to Ravencrag everything had been a whirlwind pace to get everybody ready for some prophesied battle against the demons Below. Now that she had the powers she needed or at least close to it, everything had slowed to the pace of a glacier. It was time to get moving.
"Hey, Samantha!" She whispered loudly.
She got another snort for her troubles.
"Wake up!" She shouted, her temper getting the better of her.
Samantha's eyes fluttered open. She shook her head and blinked rapidly, as if she didn't remember where she was.
"I dreamed." She mumbled as her eyes fluttered closed.
Lora shook her awake again and Samantha groaned in protest.
"What did you dream?" Lora asked through gritted teeth.
Samantha seemed not to notice.
"Everything was frozen solid except for me. The trees, animals and people were all dead and frozen." Samantha shivered. "That wasn't the worst part."
"What was?" Lora asked, now actually interested.
"Samantha looked at her with her ice blue eyes.
"Everything started melting and everything that could run did. They ran past me. They ran from a wall of fire. I was frozen, I couldn't move." A tear leaked out of her right eye and slowly froze on her cheek.
"It's ok, it was a dream." Lora said, distracted.
"Then the fire hit, burning everything around me." Samantha continued, not listening to Lora. "Everything burned except for me and I saw a figure with purple eyes in the fire, laughing. I think it was you."
Lora was quiet for a moment, unsure how much to tell the suddenly emotional Ice Fury about her own dreams.
"I had a similar dream, where I lost control and fire burned everything around me, I walked the ashes of Arden in despair." Lora choked back a sob. "I guess we aren't so different. Same dreams."
"We are the last two Furies, we should be on the same side." Samantha said.
"I am on your side." Lora said, narrowing her eyes.
"Our dreams say different." Samantha said, her voice cold.
"Well, the only way to fix that is to prepare me as much as possible for what is to come." Lora said sagely. "Whatever that is."
"I suppose so." Samantha said.
"So how are we going to bag me a demon's head?" Lora said, a grin on her face.
"First, breakfast." Samantha said.
"It is always food with you Samantha!" Lora said loudly. "We should be out there smiting or destroying and bring justice and all of that. Not eating brunch for three days!"
"If you don't eat, you don't fight." Samantha said, yawning. "Plus I didn't hear you complaining over the last 3 nights."
Lora blushed. Samantha had been her only true sexual partner and had monopolized Lora's time as they had spent the days in a stupor of luxury, food and sex. If she were to tell the truth, she felt ashamed. She wanted to use her power for the good of the people and spend time with Kelli, not the humorless Ice Queen in desperate need of a good humping
'After we eat, can we go to a council or something to get everything started? I feel like we were in such a rush to get to this point and now we are moving so slowly." Lora said, still blushing.
Samantha yawned again, the morning light shining all over her naked Fury's body.
"We have a council meeting scheduled for mid-day. I suggest you dress for the occasion." Samantha said, pointing at a mannequin in the corner of the room that Lora hadn't seen.
On it was the finest armor that Lora had ever seen. It seemed to be made out of liquid metal, dazzling with rubies and inlaid in gold. It was made for a woman, the bust clearly visible and the helm designed to let her red hair flow free.
"It is beautiful." Lora whispered.
"Who's slow now?" Samantha asked, teasing. She had already started on her own armor, which lay where she had tossed it, three days earlier.
Lora laughed and she excitedly began to dress. Samantha had to help at times, as Lora had never put on armor before. The end result was breathtaking.
"You really are something else." Samantha breathed as she spun Lora to look in the mirror.
Lora truly looked the part of the Fire Fury. She dazzled in the armor and the rubies glowed brighter when she took in breath. She could feel as well as see what everyone else had seen in her, the wonderful woman hidden within.
"Breakfast, then a meeting is all I have to do. I will be smiting by sundown." Lora said as she cracked her knuckles.
"We'll see." Samantha said with a grin.
'What do you mean by that?" Lora asked.
Samantha's grin only spread wider as she moved to the staircase, her wings folded.
"What do you mean by that?" Lora called after her as she followed. "Samantha!"
"Ugggh this is the worst." Lora groaned quietly.
"Bet you wish we were back upstairs alone, now don't you?" Needled Samantha, who was seated next to her.
Breakfast had been longer than Lora thought could have been possible. It seemed that every sycophant for miles was there, ready to lick Lora's boots to increase their status. She had to endure what seemed like days of congratulations, but in reality could not have been more than a few hours.
Then the meeting had started.
She had been hopeful that the business of smiting demons would be at the top of the agenda, but instead she had been assailed with crop outputs and steel import grades.
"How long do we have to waste time here?" Lora said.
"I have been doing this for almost thirty years and I think they have actually gotten longer." Samantha said with a sigh.
