Author's Note: Just a short chapter to establish the setting. This will likely be a multi-chapter fantasy novella involving a predominantly female protagonist. Sex/bondage/the works are not a central part of the story, so if you enjoy world-building, plot, and character-development with erotica as a bonus, Gods and Heroes may be to your liking.
Preface: Based on warrior women and various mythologies.
--
Bella held out her spear and charged, with her comrades side-by-side. The sky flared golden as Celestia, the floating city, expelled a wave of supercharged energy, pushing back the encroaching darkness overhead. The din of battle was immense, and demons engaged demigods over the entire stretch of the battlefield.
Her company was dressed in revealing light armor, accentuating their beauty and agile potency; the bulk of their protection came from their holy goddess, animating their lithe bodies with forces of yore. They were unstoppable, yet the horde of darkness met them with equal fury, their accursed champion cleaving apart many warriors before they could even reach their ancient enemy.
She could hear a distant voice, strangely familiar, calling her name.
Ducking underneath such a blow, she felt the ground rumble with the impact of the axe against the cracked, blackened earth. Where there had once been life and abundance, the landscape has been ravaged by this hellish invasion. She reared up and drove her spear deep into the dark champion's body, and was promptly deafened by a howl of undulating rage. Before she could react, it grabbed her, titanic claws instantly crushing three of her ribs, and held her high above the chaotic din.
"Champion of Serenity, you shall make a fine prize for my master this day!" Roaring, the monstrosity made to impale her on the axe.
Suddenly, her companions were with her. The Celestinian Royal Guard surrounded the archdemon, pinning it with sanctified spears and evading its retaliatory blows with acrobatic ease. But even the elite guard could only do so much against such a fearsome foe. She watched with horror as the monster feinted, then, with lightning speed, drove his demonic axe into the flitting body of the nearest girl. Nadia, hero of Celestia, was cloven in twain easily by the monster's weapon, her adamantine shield failing her in this time of greatest need, unable to withstand such a terrible blow. Golden ichor, blood of the gods, sprayed everywhere as the monster roared in triumph, the dead girl's corpse flung violently to the ground.
She heard her name again, but this time, it was much more urgent. It sounded almost... annoyed?
