Tigris and Irene trekked through the woods in search of meat to take back to Berwick. The supplies they had brought in would help them last a bit longer, but they still needed protein. Lots of protein. Tigris’ ears perked up at the sound of twigs being snapped. Both girls brought up their automatic crossbows as they looked towards the bushes. Tigris took point, and moved quietly as Irene brought up the rear. As Tigris and Irene peeked over the bushes they spotted a small squirrel that scurried about looking for any fallen acorns.
Tigris sighed. “You know if we are really careful about rationing the little bastard might last us a whole season.”
“Hmph.” Grunted Irene.
“Suit yourself.”
Both girls moved on ahead as they searched for any signs of bigger game. Irene looked at some crushed leaves that were a bit sunken into the earth.
“Find anything?” Asked Tigris.
“Something like that. Some tracks. A bit old… Maybe a few hours or so. If memory serves there’s a creek just ahead. We’ll find some game there.” Explained Irene as she picked up one of the crushed leaves.
“I get the feeling there’s a but in there somewhere.”
“Predators like to go there too.”
“Surely nothing the two of us can’t handle. Lead on.”
Tigris could feel something off about Irene. She could not put her finger on it, but ever since she told Irene about how she became a legionnaire she had been defensive in a way. If not defensive she had definitely put some distance between the two.
“So are you and my brother fucking?” Asked Tigris at point blank range.
“Seriously? You’re doing this now?” Asked Irene.
“I’m just curious is all. Sometimes you follow him around like a lost puppy. Kinda like when we were kids. You used to follow me around with those same eyes.”
“Don’t push it Tigris.” Said Irene.
“C’mon Red… It’s just girl talk. You know how it is. We talk about people we like, gossip, and… How to kill people, but that’s probably just a legionnaire thing.”
“Like how you follow Embry around? Seriously why bother with her when she doesn’t even like you?”
“If her quest to save Onyx fails, which it will, she’ll need a shoulder to cry on.” Answered Tigris with a smirk.
“How do you even know she likes girls?”
“I can tell. Before she got so hooked on Onyx I’d catch her eyes wander whenever we’d shower. Would make you think she’s never met women before. See we’re totally engaging in girl talk. We’re gossiping now if we were legionnaires all we have left to do is…”
“I wish I could kill you.” Irene cut her off.
“Is that so…” A smile crept through Tigris’ face. “Then try me. It’s just the two of us alone. You can make up whatever story you want… Assuming you can win.”
Irene’s face formed a scowl as her finger made its way to the crossbow’s trigger.
“At first I thought he might’ve ditched you for someone else, but that couldn’t be it. Naturally I assumed he couldn’t get it up, but that’s not it either, unfortunately. Are you barren then? Is that it?”
Irene sighed and let go of the trigger. “You’ll definitely live longer if you shut up. How your squad leader puts up with you I’ll never know.”
“That’s because he can pull rank. You can’t.”
“And if he orders you to spread your legs will you follow that order too?”
“Insubordination is always an option. Not like he’d ever do that anyways. Especially given what’s happened to him. Shit! He might never want to get naked with anyone else. Embry’s just wasting her time.”
“It’s quite shocking that none of you’ve tried to kill each other.”
“We’ve tried on several occasions. Sometimes Tykal will try to kill Onyx, sometimes Lyo will try to kill me, and so on. It helps keep your guard up at all times.”
“Hmph…” Irene grunted as she moved forward.
“Don’t think that I’ve forgotten about your issues with me yet.”
“Get bent!”
Tigris chuckled as she followed Irene towards the creek. The girls took cover behind some trees as they scanned the edge of the creek for any signs of game. From their position, just twenty feet away, they were able to spot five skex. A skex was similar to a chicken only much larger, standing at approximately five to six feet, and potentially dangerous. Just as both girls brought up their crossbows they heard something rustle behind them.
Just as quickly as they turned the beast leaped out of its cover, and attempted to bite Irene’s head off. The sound scared off the skex away as they scrambled in every direction to avoid the predator. Tigris caught a glimpse of the beast, and saw that it was a wildabeast. Just as she was about to take a shot another emerged from its hiding spot.
“Son of a bitch!” Cursed Tigris as she moved out of the way.
She scrambled to get to her feet as the wildabeast was about to set itself upon her. Tigris used the crossbow to shield herself from its bite. The beast gnawed at the crossbow as it chewed through the string, and crossbow’s frame. Tigris transformed as she struggled to push the beast off of her.
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Meanwhile, Irene had already transformed and had managed to keep some distance between herself and the wildabeast. She fired a volley of arrows at it as the beast lunged at her. The wildabeast howled in pain as it fell to the ground. Irene noticed Tigris struggled to push the beast off of her. Just as she was about to fire again the crossbow clicked empty.
“Fuck!”
She then pulled out her knife and jumped on top of the beast’s back, and repeatedly stabbed it. The wildabeast got off of Tigris, and tried to get Irene off of its back. Tigris then pulled out her knives and stabbed the beast repeatedly as it fell on top of Irene.
Tigris fell backwards as she tried to catch her breath. “Fuck me that was too close.”
“Get this thing off of me.” Grunted Irene.
“Oh shit! Here let me help you.” Said Tigris as she pulled the wildabeast off of Irene. She then offered her hand to Irene, but she refused to take it.
Irene walked towards the creek to wash up, and clean her wounds. Tigris inspected the wildabeasts for a moment before she joined Irene. Tigris saw stripes around the neck which were marks of adolescence in wildabeasts. That probably meant that these two were not from around here, and were probably about to move in and make a home for themselves. Tigris walked towards Irene and sat at the edge of the creek next to her.
Tigris splashed some water on Irene. “You missed a spot.” She said with a smirk on her face.
Irene simply growled as she continued to wash her face.
“In that case…” Began Tigris as she pulled Irene’s head down into the water.
Irene struggled as she gasped for air. “One, two, and…” Tigris counted until she finally let Irene go.
“THE FUCK’S THE MATTER WITH YOU!?” Yelled Irene as she screamed in anger.
“That’s right Red let it all out. What I want to know is what’s really going on with you? You’ve been acting like an impossible bitch since we set out. Although I bet it started when I told you that little story.”
“Just fucking leave it alone Tigris.” Irene growled.
“Fucking try me.”
“Fine if that’s what you want.” Spat Irene as she stripped herself of her clothes.
It was then that Tigris saw that her genitals were completely mutilated. On top of that she had a scar on her belly. The type of scar that a woman would have if she were to remove a baby.
“Boyfriend must’ve been a real asshole then.”
“The Zulamarian Inquisitors did this. In a place called Abu.”
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Irene
Irene was carted in with several other children. They had all been captured from several tribes. Their mutterings were incoherent, but amidst it all some prayed, and others cried. All that Irene could do was hold on to her baby that was still inside her, and hope that it would all turn out for the better. The wagon stopped and two knights pulled the children out of the wagon.
“Alright you little shits off the wagon!” One of them grabbed Irene’s arm and threw her off the wagon.
Irene grunted as she kept her arms wrapped around her belly. She noticed that all of the prisoners were mostly children, and teenagers with a few women mixed in. The place she was being detained had multiple long houses possibly for prisoners and soldiers, there were also several towers that overlooked the camp, a large building that was three stories tall, a stable, and a large wooden platform with some wooden posts at the center, the entire place was surrounded by a fence made of barbed wire.
Irene heard some men struggling as two teenage boys tried to escape. Suddenly a shot rang out as one of the boys fell to the ground. Irene saw a man holding a smoking pistol in his hand. The man walked towards the other teenager and aimed his pistol at the boy’s head.
“Just fucking do it!” Yelled the teen.
“Sadly for you this isn’t that kind of place.” Said the man as he aimed the pistol at the teen’s groin and pulled the trigger.
“GYAH!” Shouted the boy.
“If I wanted you all dead I wouldn’t have brought you all here. Throw this one out. As for the rest of them… You all have your orders.”
Irene was then escorted inside the main building with the other women and girls. They were led inside a large room, and were ordered to line up. As they did Irene noticed some inquisitors standing by the edges of the room observing them.
“All of you strip naked.” Ordered the inquisitor.
The girls were hesitant until the inquisitor pulled out a pistol, and shot at the feet of one of the girls at random. “The next one’s going straight for the head. Now strip!”
Irene and the rest stripped naked. Several inquisitors walked amongst them as they did so, and inspected them. One of the inquisitors stood in front of Irene. Irene could not hide her swollen belly.
“This one’s carrying.” Said the inquisitor. “Get over there with the rest of them.”
Irene walked towards the far end of the hall where the rest of the pregnant women were gathered. When the groups had been fully divided between pregnant and non-pregnant women their hands were bound. They were taken to the basement, and as Irene walked to the dark below she could hear the blood curdling screams of several women.
The dim fires of the torches revealed women strapped and bound to the wooden boards with their limbs outstretched. Some of them bled from their groins, others from their stomachs, and a few did not move at all. Irene heard the cries of a woman nearby along with those of a baby.
“No! Don’t take him away!” Cried the woman as one of the surgeons took the baby away from her.
Irene saw as the surgeon carried the baby to what looked like an oven, and tossed it in there. Irene’s eyes went wide with shock and horror as she felt being pushed to one of the wooden boards.
“No! No! NO PLEASE DON’T!” Screamed Irene as they slammed her body against the board. Irene was then bound, same as the other women.
“Such a young little thing.” Said the surgeon as he brought up a needle to Irene’s neck. “This should make you more manageable.”
Irene felt a sharp prick in her neck. She felt most of her strength leave her. She saw the surgeon cut her clothes first before cutting her stomach open. Her breathing became incredibly labored. She felt numb to the pain, but could still feel the surgeon’s hands all over her. His cold sharp blade penetrated her body as he attempted to reach her innermost parts. Irene choked up, and she almost felt as if she would suffocate right then and there. She wanted the day to be nothing more than a horrible dream. Then she saw the surgeon pull out her baby. Tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Close her up, throw her out with the others, and bring out the next one.” Said the surgeon as he carried the baby to the furnace.
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Tigris
Tigris sat there silently as Irene finished recounting her story.
“I can never get back what they stole from me. So in return I’ll take everything from them.”
“And how’s that worked out for you? You should just give up.” Replied Tigris.
Irene was shocked by Tigris’ statement. “How fucking dare you? They took our people and…”
“Irene… Our people are never going to win. They will never win. We are dying. You’re all too fucking stubborn to see it.”
“I used to fucking look up to you! But then you ran away and for what? To be slave to Karash? Was it worth it in the end? What if Lashe could see you right now?”
Tigris scratched her legionnaire’s tattoo then smiled at Irene. “Well Red she’d be pretty disappointed to know that I’m still single.”
“You bitch!”
“But I don’t know what she would say. She’d be happy that I became one of the Heroes of Tofar. The one thing that Karash gave me that the rest of the clans could not is a life. I will live on my own terms. Even though I will have to pay my tab to Karash. I can live with that.”
“Then why….” Irene began.
“Life isn’t perfect Irene. You and I… Fuck, every single legionnaire that has fought and died is a testament to that. Some of us cannot be bound by worthless traditions, and if our people don’t figure that out then they will die a slow death. It will not be the Zulamarians that will kill us, but each other. Is Amani really worth it?”
“Then we will have nothing.” Answered Irene.
“Legionnaires start with nothing, but they have each other. That is enough for us.” Replied Tigris.