Saving Hibreon

This is chapter 10 of this story, so it'll make more sense if you've read the previous chapters first. Thank you for reading, and I hope you like the story so far.

-Guinevere A. Hart

***

Mila called out directions while she led Kytia, Wy, and Ilyana to a table where they could plan their strategy. "Slick, get the map. Index, you keep on that data. I want to know what the Ay'niki have planned for our missing ylf'nim and mages."

Without looking up from the display, Index answered, "On it, boss."

Slick rolled out the map, and Wings spoke to Boomer. "We got their attention at the Auction House. The power plant's next. Get prepped."

Mila leaned over the table and pointed at the map. "The quarry here is basically Xian's version of prison. The perimeter wall is charged to keep the inmates contained. Wings and I had originally planned to black out the city, everything but our own little hole in the ground. So, that plan hasn't changed much. We'll go in two teams. I'll take my team to the plant and shut it down. Wy, your team hits the quarry once you see the lights go out."

Slick added, "All the prisoners are going to be locked in their cells at night. I can handle the locks, but the guards are another story. Hopefully, the nightshift is a light crew."

Ilyana bragged, "Pfft. Kytia and Wy break Ay'niki face all day."

Everyone looked at Kytia for confirmation, and she shrugged. "Call it a hobby. How many guards are we talking about, and where can I find them?"

***

At the gate, there were two armed guards in mechanized suits. After hearing about the fire in the city, those guards stood alert and ready for trouble. They expected a few more Ay'niki inside, but they couldn't see what they were dealing with until they got in.

Ilyana, Kytia, Wy, and Slick waited, hunkered down in some tall weeds just outside the bright lights of the quarry perimeter. So much power ran through the surrounding wall, that Ilyana could both feel and hear its low and constant hum. To her, the entire planetoid buzzed with the manufactured lightning that kept Ay'niki technology working. She'd already developed a headache and had begun to feel cross.

Tired of waiting, she was about to suggest teleporting them all inside, when the ground suddenly shook with a loud whump. All the lights went out at once, plunging them into complete darkness. Ilyana smiled then, for with the lights, went that vile insect thrumming that had been nibbling at the edges of her brain.

Inside the quarry, the guards called to each other. Someone in charge yelled at someone else to go and check some cables. Then Ilyana's attention was drawn to the top of a watchtower where the lookout shouted, "Don't bother. I can see it from here. The whole damn city's gone out." Mila, Wings, and Boomer's job at the power plant had been a success.

Wy spoke to Ilyana as they moved toward the now inert walls. "You know the routine, love. Watch our asses, and make sure none of us gets shot."

"Yeah, I watch. You and Kytia have nice butts," she joked. Then not wanting to leave out their new friend, she added, "You butt is good too, Slick."

Slick gave Kytia an incredulous look and asked, "Seriously?"

Playing along with Ilyana, Kytia tilted her head to check him out. "Sure, you've got a nice enough ass, I guess. For a

myn'nim."

"Gods," slick muttered. "I should've gone with the Revenant. I'm going to fucking die, here."

"Pfft," Ilyana said.

"Nai,

you not. I good to watch everybody's butt."

When they got close, Kytia resumed seriousness. "I've got the two at the gate. I'll lure them away so you can get inside."

She started to head out, but Wy grabbed her arm to stop her. "The hells you are! They've got guns, Kytia!"

"Yeah, Wy, and its

their

gods damned tech crawling around in my veins. If I get hit, I'll get better. Besides, their too damn slow.

And,

we have our very own witch, who's only just mentioned that she's really fucking good at what she does. So, let me go."

He tried to keep hold of her for a minute, staring her down, but Wy knew Kytia would do what she wanted. Eventually, Wy grumped, "Crazy ass elves."

He let her go, and she ran off to taunt the gate guards. Kytia kept on the move, darting this way and that, and they couldn't get their aim on her long enough to fire. She managed to lead only one of the guards away, while the other remained at his post.

Wy could take care of that one, while Ilyana solved the little problem of the Ay'niki in the tower. She opened a portal and stepped through, emerging in the tower nest with the lookout. She startled him so badly that he squealed. Before he could call for help, Ilyana whispered, "Hush."

With that word, she cast a spell that removed the Ay'niki's mouth. It was not in a painful or gory way. There was simply a blank space of skin beneath his nose. Tears welled in his horrified eyes, and she almost felt bad for him. It was a cruel thing she'd done, but no crueler than he was for keeping people against their will.

Using what she'd learned from the telepathic Eloua, Ilyana locked her opponent's eyes with her own. She rode the optic nerve far inside where she found his motor control, and she simply shut down the use of his arms. She caught his thoughts while she was in his head. This Ay'niki considered Ilyana a monster, something he should be afraid of.

No one had ever expressed such thoughts about her before, and it bothered her. Still, she had a job to do. When she released him, he shuffled back away so fast he nearly toppled over the side of the tower. Ilyana grasped a handful of the front of his uniform and kept him from falling. She dropped his knees from under him and left him in a heap in the corner.

Ilyana turned her full attention to her companions. She giggled when she saw Kytia leading her guard on a wild chase toward the lake. Wy had disarmed the other guard, and it was a wrestling match between two giants in ridiculous armor. Ilyana saw the guard's gun laying on the ground. Just in case, she softened the earth around it, and sank it into the ground. Her friends were fine for the moment.

Inside the quarry complex, there were four Ay'niki. Two of them argued over whether they should leave their post to see what happened at the power plant. The other two yelled at the roused prisoners to get back in their bunks. She spoke to Wy through her comm and gave him the situation.

His reply made her laugh. "Little busy right now, sweetie. Be there in a second."

Behind her, the guy in the corner whimpered and snorted through his nose. She didn't need him choking to death on his own snot. She glanced at him and warned, "You scream, I take it off again." Then Ilyana gave him his mouth back.

"Wh-what are you?" he squeaked at her.

Ilyana returned to her duty, unsure how to answer. She didn't know what she was. Maybe he had the right idea about her. Maybe she was a monster. In a soothing tone, she told him, "Be good, and you can go home, 'kay?"

"Why are you here? What's happening?" he asked.

First, Ilyana tried to explain it to him in her own language the war that was coming. He didn't understand her. So, when she put it in the best Barter she could, it was a much simpler idea. "You Ay'niki gotta learn a hard thing. When you do bad, the bad get on you. Eloua come. Sil come. You gotta learn."

Her focus shifted when a commotion happened beneath her. Wy and Slick were inside, and the Norrhim gave the Ay'niki a tough time. Slick immediately went to work on the cages. As soon as the inmates realized what was happening, the whole place was in an uproar. She turned back to look out over the field and spoke ylf'nim into her comm. "Kytia, we're in. Quit playing hard-to-get with that Ay'niki. Just knock him out and come meet Wy's brother."

A dark chuckle was her response. "Dumb fuck chased me right down the bank. Slipped in the mud and nearly drowned in all that armor. Just let me crack open this shell, and I'll be right there."

Ilyana assumed Kytia intended something gruesome. Choosing her words carefully, she tried to talk her out of it. "Kytia, they're not in charge here. They're just doing their jobs. You don't have to kill him."

The ensuing silence made Ilyana's belly ache. "Kytia?"

"I know I don't, okay?" Her voice was tense, but her next words were resigned. "I'm not going to kill him. It's just that in all this get-up, he's too heavy for me drag his ass all the way back up there."

Ilyana checked on Wy, and he was busy ushering the guards into an empty cage. She released her hold spell while simultaneously teleporting her own prisoner into the cell with his colleagues. She looked at Wy and simply stated, "Kytia." No further explanation was needed.

Using her portal magic, Ilyana phased down to the bank to help Kytia. She was in the process of yanking the soggy and unconscious Ay'niki from his suit. Kytia raised the faceplate on her helmet and asked, "Everything okay back there?"

"Yeah. You 'kay?"

"Aside from the fact that you and Wyfrost are turning me into some kind of soft, squishy, people-hugger, yeah. I'm good. You come out here to help me with this shit, or you just going to watch?"

Ilyana grinned, saying,

"I'm soft and squishy. And you like me."

"I

love

you. That's why this fucker's not dead. Now, why don't you do your thing and get us back up to the quarry before he wakes up."

Back in the quarry, there was a stir as prisoners broke open the gun lockers and armed themselves. It seemed motivation wasn't lacking; they just needed the freedom to act. In the middle of it all, Wy had his helmet under his arm and stood between Slick and another Norrhim that Ilyana assumed was his brother.

Raeric looked like Wy, with the same generous mouth and kind eyes. They might have had the same nose, except Raeric's was crooked where it had been broken and not healed properly. He was also a bit taller with a lighter build than Wy.

Wy introduced them, and Raeric shook hands. "Nice to meet you, and thanks for helping us out here."

***

They met back up with Mila at their underground camp. She wasted no time and called for everyone's attention. "Thanks to our new friends, our plans have changed." She held a dramatic pause, then announced, "We're going home!" The small crowd erupted in a cheer, and she gave them a minute to settle down. "I've got some work to do yet, and I'd like a handful of volunteers to see it through. As for the rest of you, I'll see you soon. Wyfrost here is going to tell you how you're getting home."

Mila turned her platform over to Wy, and she joined her friends at her planning table. Ilyana stood up with Wyfrost in case there were any questions about her ship. Kytia joined Mila and the others in their discussion at the table.

Wy said, "The

Nephilumen

can carry around twenty people at a time. The bad news is it'll be cramped. The good news: with superior Eloua technology, it's going to be a real short trip. There's an Eloua station just outside Ay'niki territory. Once we've got everyone together there, you'll board an Eloua liner and ride in style all the way home to Hibreon."

There were questions about travel times, rosters, and the definition of "luxury", but Wyfrost seemed to have it all under control. He'd started subconsciously tugging at his chest plate, and Ilyana knew he'd have to get free of it soon. She left Wy with his brother and wandered over to the table to see what Mila's next step was.

Index said, "The Ay'niki have prepped the mage-crafters for shipment, treating them like they're nothing more than cargo. And I don't think we have much time left. There's an empyreal armada scheduled for a stop at Xian, and they'll turn our people over to their scientists. Once the transfer's been made, we won't be able to save them. If we're going to help our mages, we've got to do it now, Mila."

Ilyana asked, "Why they do this?"

"Scientific research." Index replied. "The nicest thing that's going to happen to them is dissection."

Ilyana recoiled at the repulsive idea. Before she could respond, Mila snapped at him, "Where are they being held?"

"They're stored in stasis pods in this depot." Index pointed to a place on the map. "But due to our recent endeavors towards chaos, security's going to be a real bitch to bypass."

Kytia spoke up for the first time. "Yeah, well, security hasn't met

this

bitch yet." She looked at Mila. "What's our plan?"

Mila was surprised by the question. "I thought you'd be going to the station with Wy and Ilyana. Why would you help me with this?"

Kytia struggled with something internally. Ilyana knew her girlfriend wasn't good at dealing with emotions, especially her own. She took Kytia's hand and linked their fingers. Gaining strength from their bond, Kytia was able to answer. "Because it's right. And because I need to. Okay?"

"Yeah," Mila said with a slow smile. "Okay. So, let's figure this out."

Kytia gave Ilyana's hand a gentle squeeze. Then she leaned over the table to plan with Mila's crew. Ilyana had not anticipated the split in their group, yet she was proud of Kytia for making the decision. She and Wy could handle shuttling everyone else to safety.

She looked over to see that Wy had delegated the roster to one of Mila's people. He'd found an out of the way corner and gone to work on his armor. Raeric tried to help in his own way. However, he seemed more interested in studying the contraption than getting his brother out of it.

Ilyana could tell Wy wanted to keep calm, but he could use some real help. He visibly relaxed when she approached and began to properly unfasten the suit. Her hands were smaller, faster, and she knew what she was doing. In seconds, she had his head, chest, and shoulders free. Raeric stepped back and smiled at her quick handiwork.

As she worked with Wy, Ilyana explained, "Kytia

es nai

going to

Luma

with us. She help Mila. We gonna get her after we done, 'kay?"

Wyfrost nodded and grinned. "Don't tell her I said this, but she's starting to look like an actual hero."

Ilyana giggled and mock whispered, "Shh, she gonna hear you."

Raeric complimented Ilyana. "You know, you're pretty good at that."

"Yeah," was her only reply. Having been raised on Arcadia, Ilyana was, in a way, just as much Eloua as she was ylf'nim. Their science was a simple thing for her.

"And you're modest, too." Raeric added with a grin.

"Nai,"

she said. "I not that." Both Wy and Raeric laughed.

No one had said anything to Raeric about his wife and his village. There was no talk of ghosts, and how his mate's spirit was caught in the middle of translation, unable to progress to her afterlife. Then again, Raeric hadn't asked. An unspoken agreement between the brothers kept the banter light, and Ilyana realized that she was grateful for it. There would be time for painful explanations on the trip.

Kytia approached with a steaming cup in her hands. With a friendly smile, she said, "Hey, Raeric, they've got some strong hot tea over there. A working shower, too, if you want to freshen up before heading out."

Raeric looked back and forth between his brother and the two ladies. A good-natured smirk reshaped his face, and he winked at Wy. "Well, I guess I'll just be over there then."

Once Raeric was out of earshot, Kytia set her cup down and said, "I need to talk to you."

Wy grabbed Kytia around the waist and pulled her tight against his body. "Yeah," he growled, "I need to

talk

to you, too." His medication had worn off. The fortunate little side effect had kicked in, and now that his elder brother was out of sight, he let his desires be known.

Ilyana giggled, taking their hands in hers as they parted. With the hustle and bustle of preparations, she was sure they could find an at least semiprivate spot. She found a space between two enormous, rusted machines. Ilyana let go of her lovers' hands and proceeded to wiggle out of her suit.

Wy already had his under-armor pulled down around his hips. His massive member nestled between Kytia's skilled hands. The sight of it, along with the subtle pleasured gasps from Wy's parted lips, kindled Ilyana's fire.

Once Ilyana was naked, Kytia kept one hand on Wy, and gave the other to Ilyana. Wy reached down and lifted one of Ilyana's legs, and Kytia slipped her fingers between her folds. Anticipation had already started Ilyana's juices flowing, and Kytia's massage quickly worked more fluid to the surface.

Kytia took her hands away, and Ilyana positioned herself between them. Her back to Wyfrost, she faced Kytia who was removing her own armor. She leaned forward when she felt Wy work the head of his engorged cock along her parted slit.

Wy moaned softly as he tucked inside of her. Ilyana's breath came quicker when the thick muscle stretched her tight channel. He moved slow, shifting his position behind her until he could find a rhythm that would pleasure them both.

By the time Wy was set and began to pick up the pace, Kytia had stripped down and engaged Ilyana in a deep kiss. Kytia gave her support while Wy's thrusts shook her. Pressure and heat built, and Kytia's free hand found Ilyana's clitoris.

Kytia knew just how to stroke her, causing a rush of bliss as her rings of muscle clenched around Wy's cock. Wy's hands tightened their hold on her hips. His voice lost to growling grunts, he came only seconds after Ilyana did. He rubbed Ilyana's back and shoulders, slowly withdrawing from her.

As Ilyana stepped back, Wy told her, "Keep a look out."

She nodded and moved to put her clothes back on. She kept one eye out for any company but kept the other on her lovers. Wy was rougher with Kytia, but this was their way. Kytia quickly had him hard again, and he had her pinned to the ancient machine.

The two of them were loud, and he thrust so hard they started to rock the large vehicle. Ilyana smiled and shifted the space around the machine. She cast a simple illusion to make the thing look like it was standing still. She wondered if she should cast on her mates as Kytia started repeatedly shouting, "Yes!"

Ilyana maintained her post as lookout until Wy and Kytia had their fill. While Kytia pulled her suit back on she asked, "Did you hear me, Wy? I said, 'yes'."

With a prideful grin, Wy replied, "I think the whole place heard you, Kytia."

Ilyana giggled, but Kytia was serious. She took Ilyana's hand and drew her close. At the same time, she got into Wy's space and looked up at him. Kytia's expression was solemn as she locked eyes with him. She reiterated, "Wyfrost, I said, 'yes.' And I meant it."

His grin faded, and he got serious as well. "Yeah? Really?" he asked.

"Fuck yeah, really. Now, we ask Ilyana."

Wanting to be in on the joke, Ilyana asked, "What you ask me?"

Kytia and Wy turned those heavy expressions on her, and it made Ilyana feel nervous. She didn't like not knowing what was going on. Then Kytia asked, "How do you feel about marriage, Ilyana?"

It made sense that Kytia wanted to marry Wyfrost. Ilyana didn't like it, but she'd get out of the way for their happiness if she had to. Still, she wasn't about to try and hide the tears that suddenly burned her eyes. "You gonna marry Wy?"

Kytia glanced at Wy, then she spoke softly to Ilyana in ylf'nim. "Yes, I want to marry Wy, but I want to marry you, too. And so does he. The three of us, together, always. Do you understand, Ilyana?"

Wyfrost thumbed away a stray tear from Ilyana's cheek. He said, "We love you, and we can't be us without you."

"Gods, Wy. You're so fucking sappy," Kytia snarked. The remark made Ilyana snort through a combined sob and giggle.

"So, what do you think?" Wy asked.

Ilyana nodded and rubbed her arm over her face. "Yeah, okay. We gonna be married."