Author's Note: This next chapter is actually about Paladin Sharonna and the start of her adventure on the other side of Sindara. Naturally her scenes will feature a lot more lesbian sex.
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I tumbled out of the portal end over end and landed on my back into burning hot sand. At least it was soft, but not quite soft enough. I twisted my ankle in the landing and very nearly dislocated my arm that was holding my spear. So, it took some time to get back to my feet.
Then shadowy tendrils of dark magic emerged from the portal and two demons with maces and tusks like wild boar ran out. I held my spear back, then with a twirl summoned a magical whirlwind and engulfed the two demons in a dust devil. Then I charged forward, tackled one to the ground and drove my spear through its back and stabbed the other through the neck.
Caustic, sickly-purple blood gushed from the two demons and they burnt up into reeking, smoldering piles of ash. Nothing more came out of that first portal, but from my vantage point atop a high dune, I saw a dozen more open within a mile of me, and something dark and malicious clamored out of each one.
"This is going to be a very long day," I said. Then I looked around. And looked around. And looked around some more, but there was nothing except barren desert as far as I could see. For a second, I panicked. I had no idea where I was, but before mind numbing fear could set in, I calmed myself and said a prayer for guidance.
"Give me anything to guide me out of here," I said. Then on a whim, I looked to the east, at least I thought it was east given the position of the sun. There, at the very edge of the horizon was a nearly undetectable column of smoke.
"The only things out here that burn are probably artificial," I said. It was the best sign I would get, so I set off into the blistering sun.
More demons attacked throughout the day, and my trek turned into a rolling skirmish atop the dunes. Some dove out of the sky, others tried to crawl up the sides, and all of them fell to my magic and spear. By the time the smoke was just over the next dune, I was exhausted and deathly thirsty.
Finally, I crested the dune and my lungs felt like they were on fire. Far below a lone warrior held off a trio of encroaching demons. Before I could run in to help, one of the creatures tricked the warrior into swinging their sword too soon, which left them open for the other two demons. I ran down the sand, but the fighter was dead before I got there. The smoke was rising from a burning tent and two women huddled inside the flames. I feared the worst for them, but there were still demons to take care of. I whispered an incantation, and then I was surrounded by mystic, ethereal armor that seemed to be made of light. A blade of similar magic grew out of the tip of my spear and it transformed into a glowing glaive.
"HELLSPAWN!" I shouted, "YOU WILL NOT HARM THE INNOCENT!"
Then I threw the glaive at the nearest demon like a javelin. My aim was true and struck the creature in its stomach and the others separated to divide my attention. I pulled my weapon out of the demon's smoldering carcass and blocked with the haft of the glaive, stunned it with a pommel strike, then cleaved its arm at the shoulder. It roared in pain and terror just as the second demon attacked me from behind. I rolled out of its reach and swept my weapon in a wide arc, knocking it off its feet. I lunged and drove the blade right through it into the ground. Then the first one grabbed its disembodied arm and swung it like a club. I threw up a shield ward just in time, batted it to the side using its own momentum, then struck it in the stomach with a magically infused kick. The hit sent it flying into the side of the dune, and I yanked my spear out of the other fallen demon, aimed, then fired the ethereal blade like an arrow.
Just as before, the demons smoldered into piles of rancid ash which blew away in the blistering wind. Using my magic had really taken a lot out of me though, so I had to lean on my spear to avoid falling over and my summoned armor faded.
"It's the goddess Kassia!" one of the women said.
"That's not the goddess, look at her," the other said, "She's human." Then I remembered the other two, the women who I thought were burning in the flames. Now I realized not only were they alright, but they weren't even human.
One of them was very thin with emerald green skin, two long horns like an antelope, and her hands ended in three-claws. I also noticed her tail from which had a row of long spines. The other girl possessed a much more human skin tone, a dark olive color like people from the south, except her bare shoulders were covered in fine scales. Her body also had more generous curves, her horns were shorter and more jagged, and her tail had a long vertical fin all along its length.
"Sindarans, oh gods," I said, this was just about the last thing I expected today, "There's nothing more to fear ladies. I am Paladin Sharonna, I'm here to protect you."
"I am Franya," the green one said, "And this is my harem sister Iman." I nodded to them each in turn.
"How were you able to cast magic?" Iman asked, "Humans can't use magic on this world."
"I may be human but my magic isn't," I said as a demonic wail echoed through the dunes. The two half-dragons held each other tight and I gripped my spear tightly while anticipating another attack.
"If we stay out here the demons will swarm us," I said, "We need to find shelter."
Franya looked at the burning remains of their tent and said, "That was it."
"What is the fastest route back to civilization?" I asked and Iman pointed towards the mountains.
"Then follow me," I said.
"In this heat we'll never make it!" Franya said as another demon wailed somewhere in the desert.
"We don't have a choice," I said, "The dunes will protect us if we keep low and stick to the shade. I'll use my magic however I can to protect us from the heat."
If thirst doesn't kill me first, I thought.
Before we set out, Iman ran up to the fallen warrior, but it was far too late. The young Sindaran girl sighed and removed the dead woman's helmet, placed it on the fallen warrior's chest, then folded her cold hands across it.
"Who was she?" I asked.
"Her name was Mantle," Iman said, "She served and protected my family for years."
"I'm sorry," I said, "Were you close?"
"No, but she defended us to the very end," Iman said and followed with a quiet prayer in draconic then took the fallen sword.
"She was a foreigner to these lands," Iman explained, "Her people have a custom that their weapons should be returned to their next of kin. She can't use it anyway."
"Neither can you," Franya finally said.
"Ladies, we need to move," I said.
"Right," the young women said. We went slowly to avoid overexerting ourselves in the heat. We stuck to the shade of the dunes wherever possible, but even in the shade it was sweltering hot. The worst part was that unlike my lover, Adiran, I had actually paid attention during lectures and knew that a day was considerably longer on this planet than on Cadionia. So, it wasn't about to improve any time soon.
I did what I could to keep myself cool, using my magic to remove the heat from the air immediately around me. This was a mixed blessing though, because using my magic tired me out quicker. On the other hand, while this gods-forsaken desert was harsh, it wasn't anything I hadn't experienced before either. I also offered my magic to the two half-dragon girls, but they insisted they were more acclimated to the heat than me, and I wasn't in the mood to disagree with that assessment right now.
Meanwhile my dragonblood was making my temper as hot as my surroundings, and I very much wanted to take it out on either the next demon I met, or on Adiran's cock. Wherever he was. However, I had enough self-control not to be too irritable towards my new travelling companions, even as they pelted me with question after question.
"How did you find us?" Franya asked.
"I followed the smoke from your tent," I said, "Ironically if it weren't for the demons, I wouldn't have found you, but if it weren't for the demons I wouldn't have needed to either. Fate is a double-edged sword."
"But what are you doing on Sindara?" Iman asked, "Wait, you're a paladin, are you here to attack us?"
"Really, Iman?" Franya asked, "Then why would she be helping us now?"
"For all either of you know I could be leading you right to a battalion of battlemages," I joked, "Actually, I'm here completely by accident. One of my comrades caused a portal storm back on my world. I have no idea why that sent me to Sindara, but here I am."
"And the demons?" Franya asked.
"We were already fighting them when it happened," I said.
"You said there was someone else," Iman spoke up, "Where are they?"
"I have no idea," I said, and then the realization struck me. I really had
no
idea where they were, and it made me angry that I hadn't thought of it sooner. Then again, I had more pressing concerns like surviving a day in the desert on another planet.
"We were travelling to join a harem in another tribe," Franya said although I never asked, "We only set out two days ago."
"Just the three of you?" I asked, "Sounds dangerous."
"Well we hadn't planned on a demonic incursion," she said, "Besides, this region of the desert is a lot less hostile. Diablos don't travel this far north, the dunes are too shallow for sandspiders, and this isn't enemy territory. So, it should have been relatively safe."
"I see," I said, "Is it breeding season or something?"
"It's called a breeding cycle, and no it isn't," she continued, "It will be soon though. We were... exchanged to strengthen ties with the other tribe."
"Is that where we're going now?" I asked.
"Yes," they both said.
