SCARLETS DOMAIN

"You must beware of Omphale!" Xanthe grabbed my arm as
we bound Karelia's supine body with stout ropes. "She
is not trustworthy, and her mistress is not of this
world."

I looked Xanthe in the eye. Her cascading red hair,
catching the sunlight rendered her truly beautiful,
and my heart skipped a beat. I smiled at her. She was
learning the craft of the warrior well, taking her
initial bloodings far better than most I had seen.

"Thank you for your words of warning, Xanthe, and we
will be careful. In the meantime, you must continue
training. You mustn't allow yourselves to become the
chattel of marauding peasants."

Xanthe nodded hesitantly. "You will need assistance
carrying Karelia," she said.

"Yes, but you must lead your kin until we return. In
the meantime, perhaps you could choose two of your
most trustworthy girls to come with us."

Xanthe chose Amia and Kith, two athletic looking
blondes to bear Karelia suspended on a pole between
them. So it was, with the sallow Omphale leading us,
that we set off for the cave of Streeth.

It took us a few hours and the sun was low in the sky
when we came upon a dark cave entrance.

"Wait here," said Omphale, "while I tell my mistress
of your arrival and your needs."

With that she disappeared into the cave.

I glanced at Gudrun. "Xanthe said not to trust her," I
said. "I'm going to follow."

Gudrun touched my arm. "Be careful."

The concern in her eyes almost made me forgive her for
being the cause of Karelia's suffering and our
presence here. I smiled and headed for the cave
entrance.

It was dark and I shivered, as much from the
atmosphere of the place as anything. As my eyes
adjusted to the dark, I moved further into the cave. I
could hear voices.

"...food for you my mistress..."

"... four, you say..."

I could make out two figures. That of Omphale, and...

Xanthe was right, her mistress was not of this world.
White skin contrasted with red lips and long hair as
black as nothingness. When she opened her mouth, sharp
white teeth almost seemed to glow. It was her eyes,
though, that sent a chill of fear through me. The
irises were bright red and the pupils slitted like
those of a snake.

"Thank you my acolyte," the creature hissed to
Omphale, "for bringing my meal. You have done well!"

I had heard enough, and retreated silently from the
cave.

"They will not help us," I said to Gudrun, "Omphale
plans to feed us to that... that thing in there!"

"We must try!" said Gudrun. "We cannot leave her like
this."

Having come round some while ago, Karelia was writhing
and straining against her bonds, spitting red froth at
anyone who came near. Indeed, it was hard to say she
was Karelia any more. Even so, I had to admire the
power and beauty of her body as the sinews stretched
and strained against her bonds.
I nodded, and as Omphale re-emerged, we both knew what
we had to do.

"My mistress will help you," she lied, "just follow
me, but you must leave your weapons outside."

The point of Gudrun's sword pressed suddenly against
her left nipple, and she yelped in surprise.

"Tell me why I shouldn't kill you now?" she hissed.

"I.. I said... my m.. mistress would help!" she
stammered.

"I heard what your mistress said, you lying bitch!" I
snarled.

Omphale's eyes widened in horror.

"P... please don't kill me!" she whined, "She.. r..
really c..can help!"

I glanced at Gudrun, then at Karelia. It seemed we had
to clutch at anything.

"Then we will go in," I said, "but one wrong word from
you and I will spill your guts over that slimy floor,
and split your mistresses black heart!"

With that I urged Omphale forward, the blade of my
sword pressed against her throat. Gudrun followed on,
and behind us the two village girls carried Karelia's
writhing form.

I knew what to expect, but Gudrun didn't and neither
did our bearers. I heard them cry out in horror, as
Streeth came into view. Beside me, Gudrun swore an
oath.

As soon as the demon had registered the situation, she
hissed angrily, opening her mouth wide to reveal, for
the first time, her sharp fangs.

"Release my pretty one," she commanded.

I summoned up all my courage. "If we do that we die!"
I said, simply.

The demon turned her head to one side, regarding us
venomously.

Finally, she said, "What is wrong with your friend?"

I gestured the two bearers forward, and they came
unwillingly, depositing Karelia's writhing form in
front of Streeth. She spread her arms, bending over
Karelia, and then stooped, to pick her up, taking her
to a large stone slab where she laid her. For several
minutes she stood over her, making grotesque cooing
sounds as she stroked her cheek.

"Beeeautifullll.," she murmured, "I want you for
meeee, prettyyy!"

Gudrun drew her sword, ready to strike, but I gestured
to her to hold back. Finally the demon turned to us.

"I will help," she said, a sly grin on her face, as if
we hadn't heard her, "but you must release my sweet
one," she said, looking at Omphale.

"We release her after you return Karelia fit and well
to us!" I demanded.

Streeth hissed dangerously, but finally nodded her
acceptance. She turned back to Karelia, and I
shuddered as she moved claw-like hands over her body.

"I need you to bring me... certain items," said
Streeth.

"What do you need?" I asked.

"Ooooh!" she said, running her hands through Karelia's
hair. "Fair locks like this, mmh? And."

She paused, touching Karelia's body all over, and
kneading her breasts. ".meat like this."

Gudrun and I looked at each other with mounting
horror.

"You... mean you want us to bring you someone. like
Karelia." I said, my mouth dry.

Streeth nodded, and then she thrust her hand deeply
between Karelia's thighs.

"Ooh," she said, shaking her head in disappointment as
Karelia writhed, "the Gods will only accept, one who
is pure."

Gudrun looked at me, briefly. "You mean a virgin?"

Streeth inclined her head. There was a brief pause.

"We will do as you say," I replied, my voice a hoarse
croak.

"She remains here, then," murmured Streeth, "she is
prettyyyy."

"No!" screamed Gudrun.

"You have no choice, if you want your friend back!"
the demon hissed.

I held Gudrun's arm. "She is right, and besides I
believe Karelia no longer resides in that body."

Slowly, Gudrun drew back, her face twisted in disgust.

"We will bring you what you ask," I said.

With that we left the cave, emerging into glorious
evening sunlight, and made haste to return to the
village. As we put more distance between us and the
lair of the witch, our confidence began to return.

"Move, bitch!"

Kith shoved the bound Omphale, making her stumble.
Amia, tripped her, completing her humiliation. The
two girls laughed as they taunted Streeth's
unfortunate apprentice.

Meanwhile the evening is darkening. We will not make
it back before nightfall.

"We must gather firewood and think about making
ourselves comfortable," I said.

Gudrun nodded in agreement, and we foraged for wood
and food before lighting a fire and settling for the
night.

"I would gladly have given my life for Karelia,"
murmured Gudrun as we chewed on the bones of a rabbit
that had fallen foul of one of her arrows.

"As would I," I responded wistfully. Gudrun shot me a
glance but said nothing.

"Well," interjected Amia, "one thing's for sure..."

I looked at her questioningly.

"You'll have a tough time finding a virgin in our
village!"

Kith laughed, and we all joined in, glad for something
to relieve the tension. Only Omphale remained
impassive.

The two girls sat before us, glancing slyly at one
another. It seemed to me that I was missing
something. Then Kith said "I suppose technically, you
and I are 'pure'!"

Suddenly both girls were silent, Amia flushed and
looked away. Kith shot Gudrun and me a couple of
fearful glances.

Suddenly it struck me. The way they sat together, the
way they touched one another. They each preferred the
company of women to men. Specifically the company of
each other.

I smiled at them.

"Don't worry," I said, "we are comrades in arms, and
you are perfectly safe from us. We would no more
betray you to Streeth than we would each other." I
glanced at Gudrun.

They smiled back, reassured.

The thought had been planted in my mind, though, and I
secretly wondered if they might actually represent a
quick way of rescuing Karelia. After all, what would
two extra lives weigh in the balance of my existing
crimes?

We settled down to sleep and I took the first watch.
The first and last are always the longest because the
middle watches break a soldiers sleep. Gudrun had
drawn the last watch, leaving the other two to take
the middle watches. Omphale, the prisoner, enjoyed
the luxury of a full nights sleep for obvious reasons.

Under the cover of the blankets we'd brought, I
watched the writhing forms of Kith and Amia and
listened to their moans. Although I prefer the hard
body of a man to slake my desires, they awoke a
yearning within me. It was so long since I had enjoyed
the warmth and touch of another human.

I glanced across at Omphale. She too, it seemed had
found something to love, even though it looked in the
gloom, like it was just herself. I smiled.

Gudrun lay still, her chest rising and falling evenly.
She slept the disciplined dreamless sleep of a
warrior. Wold that I could do the same.

Eventually Amia and Kith stilled their wrestling and I
was left alone to ponder the night and to try to make
sense of Omphale's nightmare mutterings.

Nothing disturbed us except the skitterings of
mysterious night beasts. Once in the distance, I heard
the unearthly howl of the wolf, but he came no closer.

Eventually it was time to waken Kith, to take her turn
at the watch. She rubbed her eyes and shivered,
pulling her tunic over her naked body as she emerged
from her warm nest. Then I settled into the troubled
sleep that I had grown used to.

I seemed to have slept only moments when I was
awakened by a dreadful scream!

Amia was on watch, now, and was staring with a
horrified expression at Kith.

I was on my feet, sword in hand, suddenly awake, as
was Gudrun.

Something had taken possession of Kith, its dark form
twisting itself around her thighs and body. She was
screaming horribly as her naked body writhed against
the pressure of the coils.

We each raised a sword to strike, but it was too
difficult to avoid hitting the poor girl.

"Help her! Do something!" sobbed Amia. "For pity's
sake!"

The oils tightened around Kith's body, and I heard the
snapping of a rib as she gagged and choked. Her right
breast, crushed obscenely by the serpent, for that was
what it was, seemed fit to burst, while the tail
seemed to force itself against her crotch, crushing
her sex.

Suddenly Amia lunged, stabbing with her sword at the
body of the snake. her first blow missed, slicing
into Kith's distended breast, which opened like a
pomegranate, exploding gobbets of flesh.

By now, blood was spewing from Kith's mouth, silencing
her screams. More bones cracked within her and it was
clear that it no longer made a difference where Amia's
sword struck.

The snaked hissed, lunging at Amia as she slit open
its body, then released its grip on Kith, sliding away
into the darkness.

Amia dropped to her knees, weeping uncontrollably,
holding Kith's broken body.

It was Gudrun who noticed.

"Omphale! She's gone!"

"We don't have to ask where she went!" said Gudrun.

I put my arm on the shoulder of the weeping Amia.
"Come, we have no time to lose!"

She looked up tearfully, anger in her eyes, and rose.
Taking a last look at Kith's broken body, she swore an
oath. "I will avenge you, my darling!"

We set off at speed through the lightening dark, back
towards Streeth cave.

Several times we caught a glimpse of a shadow flitting
through the trees, but if it had been Omphale, she was
too quick for us. We carried on pursuing her until,
finally, we arrived at Streeth's cave, just as her
shadowy form disappeared inside, her laughter ringing
in our ears.

I stopped. I was exhausted, and in the grey light of
dawn, the cave entrance looked so black that I felt it
would swallow anything without trace. I had faced
Streeth before, and my spirit had held despite
everything. Now the memory of those ghastly red eyes
was too much to bear.

"I... I think we've lost her," I said.

Gudrun paused, guilt suffusing her face. She didn't
have the courage to pursue Omphale either.

"And what of your friend Karelia?" sneered Amia,
barely breaking her stride towards the caves entrance.
"Will you leave her to face eternal hell for your
cowardice?"

With that she disappeared into the darkness, driven by
revenge. Gudrun and I had no choice but to follow.

Streeth now stood over Karelia who was spread-eagled
naked on the stone slab, and Omphale held a knife
which she offered up to her mistress. As we entered
her cave, she turned, smiling.

"Ah, my pretty one, you have done well! We now have
four meals, where before we only had one."

I shuddered involuntarily as I heard the grinding of
stone behind us. We were trapped, and the cave was now
lit by a red glow which seemed to emanate from the
walls. It was the stench of death that tested my
spirit.

"Stay your hand, witch, or we will feed your gizzards
to the crows!"

Gudrun tried to hide the tremor in her voice. As it
was, Streeth simply threw back her head and laughed,
and her cackles echoed through the cave long after she
had finished?

"Have you got something against crows?" she sneered.
"You cannot defeat me, I am invincible in here as you
well know."

With that she turned her attention back to Karelia,
while we stood impotently. None of us doubted the
power of the witch, and with dread we realised that we
had at least to try to save Karelia.

I drew my sword and Gudrun followed suite, but it was
Amia who stood to the fore.

"Stay your hand witch, for you have a bargain to
fulfil!"

Streeth turned, her blazing eyes inspecting the brave
young woman.

"Bargain?"

"You sought the body of a pure warrior woman in
exchange for Karelia's soul." she paused. "I am such a
woman!"

Streeth was suddenly close to Amia, without having
appeared to have moved. Her eyes roved Amia's body,
and her clawed hand grasped suddenly at Amia's crotch,
causing the girl to recoil in shock. She hissed her
approval.

"It is true! You are virgin flesh!"

Streeth appeared almost to shake with desire. Her
mouth opened wide revealing sharp white fangs, and she
pulled Amia's body to her, tearing her tunic from her
body.

"Wait!" said Amia, "you must use me to cure Karelia,
it is what was agreed!"

The witch paused, and smiled. "But you have nothing to
bargain with any more!" she said, glancing at Omphale,
whose eyes glittered in anticipation and whose hand
had already strayed to her groin.

"DIE, VILE ONE!" screamed Gudrun, lunging at Streeth
from behind.

The blow would have cut any ordinary mortal in two,
but Streeth merely raised her arm and a blue flash
sent Gudrun crashing against the wall of the cave,
where she slumped to the ground semi-conscious.

Once more, Amia was drawn into Streeth's embrace. The
witch forced back the struggling girls head, exposing
her vulnerable throat.

It seemed I had no choice but to watch her die, and
panic began to well up inside me. I glanced at
Omphale, who was openly massaging her crotch as her
mistress bit into Amia's neck. The girl gasped as she
felt the teeth burst through her skin.

Then, before my horrified gaze, her clawed fingers
ripped into Amia's belly, sending blood spurting. Amia
screamed and thrashed, but could not break free. There
was a sickening tearing sound and Streeth held a
dripping lump of read meat in her hand while Amia's
entrails spilled uselessly onto the floor.

I realised that Streeth held Amia's womb. She gazed at
it with rapt attention before biting hungrily into it.

I felt sick. This had to be stopped.

Suddenly I had an idea. From what I had seen, I
realised that I couldn't hope to hurt the Witch Queen
herself, but maybe...

In a flash I had my arm around Omphale's neck and my
sword was pressed against her breast, ready to rupture
it if need be.

"Careless, witch!" I said.

Streeth turned suddenly, releasing Amia, who collapsed
to the floor quivering in her own offal. She hissed
and I felt the baleful glare of those red eyes burning
into my very soul!

"Release her, or you die horribly!" she whispered, her
face appearing suddenly inches from mine so quickly
that I was almost shocked into letting Omphale go, but
I held my ground.

"No, you keep our bargain as Amia said," I said
keeping my voice as level as I could. "She's paid the
price!" I added bitterly.

For a moment Streeth hesitated. I was right, Omphale
meant more to her than our lives. I thought I could
see genuine anguish in those evil eyes.

"She. she won't do, any more," said Streeth, "she is
spoiled now."

"You can have Omphale, just as soon as you have cured
Karelia!"

"You," she said, "must find a virgin warrior to
replace this one, or I cannot help your friend."

I didn't trust her at all, but it seemed that we had
reached an impasse.

"Let us go, then," I said, trying not to sound to
anxious, "and I will find your virgin!"

There was a moments pause, and I heard the grating of
stone again. Gudrun struggled to her feet, and we
moved as quickly out of the cave as possible with the
struggling Omphale.

"Bring her back to meeee!" Streeth's voice wailed from
the cave. "You must return my pretty!"

At last in the daylight, we could breathe.

"How are we going to find a virgin warrior? Asked
Gudrun, breathing in the fresh morning air.

My eyes lit up. Suddenly, I knew exactly where we'd
find a virgin warrior.

"In Amazonia!" I told Gudrun

At first she didn't comprehend. "What?"

"Think about it, woman. They do not allow men in their
society! That makes them all..."

"....virgins!" she continued for me, the realisation
of what I was proposing dawning. "Antiope, we cannot!
I know you hate the Amazons, but for me they are
little short of divine! It's... well it's blasphemy!"

"How much do you want to save Karelia?!" I rounded on
her fiercely. "Besides if they are puny enough to
allow us to take one of their number, they cannot be
divine!"

Gudrun scowled, but in the end she had to agree.

"What about the village?" she said, "Will they be all
right without us?"

"They'll have to be," I said, "all the more reason to
make haste.

And so we headed towards the Amazon lands, pushing the
bound Omphale, and never keeping our eyes off her. We
shared watches when we had to sleep, but Omphale made
no attempt to escape. Perhaps she herself wanted a
piece of Amazon.

Will continue in chapter 12...