"You still have bits of brain and bone in your hair. You should probably get cleaned up," Lynn said, breaking Chess from her frank perusal of Lynn's new body. There is something to be said for big areolas and nips on big tits, Chess thought then gave her head a shake, forcing herself to meet Lynn’s eyes.
"Thanks." Chess raised an unconscious hand to her head and found her hair had half fallen from its braid. Loosening the tie, she let it fall free across her shoulders. Scraping her fingers through the tangled mop, she drew out several slimy chunks of Gwen’s head and shook them from her fingers with a flick before repeating the gesture a few times. "Fuck." Talk about a buzz-kill, she shuddered.
“You good?” Chess asked Lynn while giving her another quick look up and down. Just, damn. Chess swallowed hard and looked away.
“Go, please,” Lynn insisted while running her fingers in the gap between the pair of cats' heads at the ends of her amber knotwork torc. It appeared her friend was reassuring herself it wasn’t a full collar. The torc looked magical in nature, but Chess didn't get a window when studying it. But then, she didn't get one for the slave collars or their control rod either. Maybe this is some sort of obscuring magic? I'll have to remember to ask. Would be nice for my underwear if possible.
Chess decided to give Lynn the time she wanted and turned her back in search of a rag to clean herself and her armor with and her gaze landed on the old Lynn.
Chess studied her friend’s empty shell for a moment, noting that the wounds had been removed, leaving the body looking pristine and peaceful.
She shut her eyes for a moment before opening them and coming eye to eye with her daughter who had risen to stand over Lynn’s old body.
Chess gave Ashley something resembling a reassuring smile, and after digging an old shirt from the pile of loot, she headed towards the stream tunnel.
Ashley padded in her wake.
“Who is Xena the warrior princess?” Ashley asked again, and Chess looked down on her daughter. Right.
“She's a fictional warrior princess from my homeworld. People acted out stories about her. I think they based her on a collection of people from history. The stories all reportedly took place a couple of thousand years before my time,” Chess said with a nostalgic smile brought on by memories of time spent watching the show as a kid.
“What was she known for?” Ashley prompted.
“Well,” Chess dragged the word out, unable to remember any specific foe she had overcome, just that it took place in ancient Greece. “Other than being a badass? She was known for being very good with a weapon called a chakram,” she finally said when they reached the stream, and she began using the torn shirt to clean her hair, then the rest of her, of gore.
“What’s a chakram?” Ashley asked.
Chess paused in her task for a moment to think of how to describe it. Do they have frisbees? Nope, no word for it. “It’s sort of like a discus. Do you know what that is?”
Ashley shook her head, “No.”
“It’s a circular... You know what? Let me finish cleaning up and I’ll make you one,” Chess said, pulling her hammer from her belt to clean the blood from it.
“Okay,” Ashley said enthusiastically, then more quietly, she added, “do you really think that woman is Lynn?” while looking back down the tunnel.
“Yeah,” Chess sighed then hesitated for a half breath. “She was right. Before I came here, I was a human man. The change was part of the sacrifice I made when Freya dealt with me for my service. Freya was the only one who knew, and I can't see her telling anyone but Lynn that.”
Ashley looked at her with wide eyes. “But... why would you do that?”
“The truth?” Chess asked and Ashley nodded. “The idea of dying scares the piss outta me,” she said honestly.
“Freya said it was only a possibility that she’d have to change my sex, but I didn’t want to die. Not when I didn’t feel like I’d accomplished anything with my old life, and I feel I owe it to Kira to live my life,” Chess sighed.
“I feel like more has happened since I came to Astra than in my whole life before, and it's been little more than a month. Kinda sad once I think about it,” Chess admitted and sat back on her heels to meet Ashley's eyes.
Chess took a long breath in then out. “Anyway, we should continue this conversation with Lynn. She deserves the truth as much as you. Enough damage has been done by my keeping secrets already.”
“Okay,” Ashley agreed.
Chess took a long minute to finish cleaning up before continuing. “I hope you can forgive me. I won’t make excuses other than to say I was afraid.”
“What else did you lie about?” Ashley said slowly.
“I’ve never outright lied to you intentionally, other than to mislead you about who I was before. I only failed to tell the whole story,” Chess said honestly.
“Okay, I’ll think about it,” Ashley nodded to herself before meeting Chess’s eyes for a moment before heading back down the tunnel towards the main cavern.
I guess that’s all I can ask for, Chess thought and let out another long breath before following.
When the pair returned to the main cavern, Lynn was busy pacing back and forth with a determined look plastered on her face and not being very successful in her endeavors. Every few steps she seemed to overbalance or inexplicitly trip over her own feet and fall onto her hands and knees.
Chess winced then stifled a laugh at the sight of the naked woman’s difficulties.
Ashley started giggling.
Chess smiled wide when Lynn turned on them.
“How do you walk with these things?” Lynn said, cupping the offending appendages and taking a half dozen steady steps towards them. “Between them and not having a tail for balance...” Lynn clenched her jaw in frustration only to fall on her ass again.
Chess laughed. “Maybe try not thinking about it?”
“Easy for you to say, you’re used to this!” Lynn countered while leveraging herself back to her unsteady feet.
“Wasn’t always,” Chess said ruefully, and Lynn stopped short.
“Oh, right...” Lynn nodded.
“Yeah… About all that,” Chess scratched the back of her damp head. “What Freya said was true. I…”
“No. I understand why you’d keep quiet, and now isn’t the time to have this discussion. We have lots to do yet.”
“No,” Chess argued. “You still have to adjust. Maybe it will keep your mind off it and make it easier.”
Chess gave Lynn another lingering appraisal.
Lynn smirked when she caught her, and Chess coughed into her hand then turned away.
“I guess I should put clothes on first—it’s gonna be so strange needing to wear them. You should also adjust my armor for me,” Lynn said, brushing past Chess on her way to the pile of looted gear.
“Not gonna use the armor she...I mean the stuff you took off your body?” Chess stuttered and felt a flush warm her chest as she watched Lynn bend over the pile exposing her goods. Yeah...clothes are a good idea, Chess decided and pulled on the collar of her breastplate. Get a grip Chesty, it’s Lynn!
Lynn shook her head. “No, believe it or not, I think your wooden armor is better than their chain shirts. I saw it deflect a bolt from one of your crossbows. It must be close to the strength of unenchanted iron plate mail. And It’s lighter than the chain.”
“Do you know how to do this?” Lynn asked, holding up the length of cloth the woman had used to wrap her breasts.
“No sorry, I have a bra,” Chess said.
“I do,” Ashley said cheerfully. “Though my friend, Jolie, liked to steal her mother’s silk wrap when she could,” she added giving the length of linen a dismissive look.
“Well, we do have plenty of silk,” Lynn agreed and bent carefully to pull the strip she’d used for the altar and her knife from the tangle of vines. Thankfully all the blood had been removed from the silk by Freya.
“Oh, Dammit. That bitch!” Lynn said with a snarl and held the blade up for them to see in a white-knuckled grip.
Amber Lynn’s cursed Athame
Type: Dagger
Unique (Personal)
Properties: A petrified-ironwood six-inch double-edged dagger with an amber and crystallized blood hilt.
Durability: 600/600
Enchantment (Faith):
Wounds made by this blade in active battle bleed twice as much for Faith (Mod) x Vascular Core Rank seconds after being removed from the flesh. [Current 1 second]
Curse:
Cursed Return: If this blade leaves Amber Lynn’s possession for any reason for longer than Vascular Core Rank x Faith (Mod) hours, it will return, impaled to the hilt in one of Amber Lynn’s extremities, one day after time elapses. The blade fades from the current reality after the grace period elapses. [Current 1 hour]
Cannot be stored in an extradimensional space.
This Enchantment and Curse are hidden from the view of unbelievers.
“You should’ve looked at it before you picked it up,” Ashley said with a short nod.
“It’s not all bad,” Chess hedged with a grimace.
“Do you have any idea how hard it is to break a normal curse?” Lynn groused as she rose to pace with proficient steps back and forth again.
“No,” both Chess and Ashley said in unison.
“It’s difficult and expensive. Like, buy a core expensive. This thing will be damn near impossible unless we can find someone who is dedicated to Freya and has the ability. Everyone else won't even be able to see the bloody curse to work on it!” Lynn shook the offending item.
“Yeah…that will be hard, considering we’re it for Freya’s followers on Astra,” Chess said with a wince. “I guess just don’t lose it?”
“Right, you said you were going to explain yourself,” Lynn said with a sigh before she used her new implement to cut a strip of silk for a chest wrap. She set the old on top of the new and worked her way around with her razor-sharp blade.
Chess did her best not to stare at her friend's assets, instead, focusing on the wall over Lynn’s head as she spoke. She did note that Lynn had no issue completing the task when she wasn’t concentrating on what she was doing.
“I’m not exactly sure where to start,” Chess admitted.
“How about with how you got here from your world,” Lynn suggested.
“Yeah, okay... Well, I was in an accident…” Chess began.
Chess described her encounter and deal with Freya as well as her sacrifices, a little about the man she was before Freya changed her, and a bit about Earth and its lack of magic and the fact that it used technology for a lot of things instead. Then she circled back to what Freya wanted her to accomplish on Astra by spreading her faith.
As she talked, Lynn, with the help of Ashley, got herself properly wrapped and dressed in a clean set of the woman’s clothes they found in the woman's pack. Chess felt relieved when a clothed Lynn got her to start the task of adjusting her armor to fit her new body.
----------------------------------------
“Really life was peaceful where I lived. Sure, there were wars, but most of them were overseas, and I largely ignored that and lived my life,” Chess finished with a shrug as she helped Lynn into her rebuilt breastplate then handed her the now full helm.
Lynn’s new body was significantly bigger than her old one. She stood a good head taller than Chess, and Chess had to cannibalize the rest of Lynn's armor to make the two items from ironwood. The rest she remade from redwood. I need to collect as much ironwood as I can when we leave here.
Chess had to admit that up close she found Lynn intimidating now. The marks Freya had left her with only added to the effect.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“That certainly explains your complete lack of skill in fighting, though that isn’t unusual for many people. There are many ways to avoid service in the army or guard,” Lynn said, setting the helm aside and moving to pace back and forth again. Lynn's coordination improved as she moved.
Ashley took Lynn’s place and gave Chess a side hug to which Chess returned a fond smile and back rub. "Hey."
“Can you make my Chakram now?” Ashley asked, giving Chess puppy dog eyes.
“Sure, I’ll make you some open discs for now so you can get a feel for how they fly.” Chess laughed and used some of the scraps from remaking Lynn’s armor to make a half-dozen of the hollow frisbee-like discs. It took her a few minutes to make something that would fly properly. Sadly, she didn’t receive a creation window when she finished the first.
After showing Ashley how to throw them, she had her daughter move to the other side of the cavern so they could play catch.
Lynn sat down on the floor beside Chess as they played.
“You were right. The less I think about it, the easier it is to move properly. Clothes helped too. I think it will still take at least a few days to adjust, if not weeks. I will admit not having to spend all that time on personal grooming might be nice. I am worried about using weapons though,” Lynn said. “Can I ask you a few questions?”
“Anything,” Chess answered.
“What's a Paladin?” Lynn asked, tripping over a very English pronunciation of the word.
“Why would you want to know that? Ow!” Chess asked with a barked laugh that made her miss her catch and take the wooden disc to the forehead.
“It's my new class.”
“Really?” Chess backed up a step and studied Lynn critically. "You don't seem like Paladin material, aside from the armor I guess.”
“Please, just answer the question,” Lynn rolled her large seafoam green eyes. Now that she was dressed, Chess couldn’t help but notice how striking Lynn’s new eyes were.
“Fine." Chess started rattling off everything that came to mind. "They are a sort of righteous holy warrior that fights for what's just and all that. They heal the poor, smite evil and shit. Usually, they are so self-righteous and pious people can't stand them.”
“None of that sounds realistic or practical,” Lynn said slowly.
“I guess it's not, really. If I boil it down further. Maybe heal the sick and defend those that can't defend themselves?” Chess shrugged. “I was never that big into those games. Only played them a few times.”
“The weak?” Lynn asked.
“Yeah.”
“Games?”
“There were all sorts of games people would play… I don’t even know how to start explaining them,” Chess sighed after making a deft catch, inches from Lynn’s head. Ashley was getting more accurate with her throws albeit slowly.
“So, a defender that also heals?” Lynn clarified.
“Yup, those are the two most important aspects. Paladin is where the term Lay on Hands comes from, I think. They're synonymous from what I can remember. That and magical shields that allow them to take huge blows and remain unhurt, also self-healing so they can live to defend others because that's important too. At least from what I can remember from the games I played… I mean there was retribution?... You know what? Never mind that part. Healing and shields to help and defend the weak.” Chess nodded decisively.
“Tell me about retribution,” Lynn said flatly.
“It's just damage to your enemies when they hit you,” Chess said with a sigh.
“Okay, none of my abilities suggest that so I'll ignore it for now,” Lynn said.
“So, Lay on Hands is a Paladin ability?” Lynn asked, catching a throw that had gone well wide of Chess. Her return throw plowed into the floor cracking the thin ring of wood.
“Hey!” Ashley pouted and got a new one from her stack of them.
“Yeah,” Chess answered Lynn’s question.
“Good. That means I can wait to take it later,” Lynn nodded. “Still… Ashley, can you read me your Lay on Hands ability please?”
“Sure,” Ashley agreed and did so before throwing the disc to Lynn.
“Yeah, my mend flesh should be enough to put the choice off for now,” Lynn said, doing much better with her second toss.
“What else were you offered?” Chess wondered.
Lynn sighed. "I guess your insight will be valuable," Lynn conceded then listed off her available ability choices as Ashley and she played, leaving Chess out.
“What do your pyths do?” Chess asked and sat down. Playing will be good for Lynn, she decided.
Lynn paused the game and read them out for Chess.
“That’s a nice Core,” Chess said with a tinge of jealousy. “So, it sounds like a blood Paladin class,” she reasoned and smiled when the male Heliwr decided to claim her lap and rub at her hand with his head begging for pets. She obliged and quickly had him rumbling.
Lynn shook her head. "That's likely the Vascular core's influence. It's blood-based so the rest reflect that. Though I wouldn’t put it past Freya. It could be the best way she could find to replicate what you described from your homeworld.”
The pair of female Heliwr decided they were gonna play catch too and began attempting to snag the discs from the air making Ashley and Lynn adjust to avoid their grasping claws. Chess laughed at the resulting game until Lynn begged off and Ashley started playing catch with the Heliwr who only occasionally returned her discs.
"Do you want to talk out your decision?" Chess asked Lynn when she joined her and added her hands to the petting of the large male.
"You're a big suck," Chess told the animal.
"Might be best," Lynn agreed with a nod.
"Okay first, I'm not taking an active version of detect lies. People often get suspicious if you use magic before you talk to them and you can't always predict when you'll need it. Hopefully, I'll be offered a passive next level or even at level six. Either sense lie or sense deception like I had before would be preferable to a mana-intensive active," Lynn started. “Besides I can tell a lot from someone's emotions and the people who depend on lying for a living tend to have abilities or items to hide their deception.”
"Sounds fair. Wait you're level one?” Chess asked.
“Yeah,” Lynn sighed. “Part of my deal…”
“Detect life?" Chess asked. It was clear Lynn didn’t want to talk about her deal yet.
“I'm a frontline fighter now, not a seeker or scout. I don't need a detection ability yet. That's more in your field. With your absurd charisma, you will likely get better options than I would in the future. Besides, again Sense Emotions will be sufficient for now. Most people don’t actively mask their emotions. That and it doesn't fit with what you described a Paladin as." Lynn shook her head. "Mental ward is out for a similar reason. We might never know when it's needed and likely it's set on an area, not an item or person so…" She shrugged. “It’s better to hope for passives or look into mind-type pyths. In fact, I may just do that.” Lynn trailed off as she spoke.
"Alright," Chess said.
"We’ve covered Lay on Hands. Which leads me to my first choice. Harden Flesh or Crystallized Blood Shield. The two defensive abilities offered. Seeing as I'd prefer not to get hit if I can help it, the natural choice is the shield.
"You said Paladin are defenders and shields and armor is where the legendary synergy for my class is. That combined with the fact that you're offered the cheapest to rank up but still powerful abilities at level one and many are never seen again, it's the obvious choice.
"I choose Crystallized Blood Shield," Lynn said, her eyes immediately going distant.
"Oh, huh," Lynn said with a frown.
"Well?" Chess asked.
"This is definitely blood magic but it's my blood. So, I should be able to get an exemption from the delver's guild," Lynn swallowed noticeably.
"That sounds ominous. Care to share?" Chess asked.
"Of course, though I wonder," Lynn muttered then the window popped up for Chess.
Crystallized Blood Shield: Rank 1
Rank 1: Form a custom shield of crystallized blood no bigger than, Rank x Con (mod) square feet wide and tall by Rank inches thick, from your lifeblood that can be manipulated as a free-floating extension of your will. [Current max: 2 feet wide, 2 feet tall, and 1 inch thick]
Blood Shield counts as a living extension of your body and will heal itself over time. You can use healing spells or donate extra blood to speed repairs.
Blood Shield can be used no further than Rank x Con (mod) feet from you. [Current 2 feet]
Hardness is determined by Constitution mod. -3: Tin, -2: Copper, -1: Bronze, 0: Iron, 1: Steel, 3: Moon Steel, 5: Mithril, 11: Adamantine. [Current: Steel]
Effective blocking mass is equivalent to your body mass when fully formed. Holding friction is equal to you with your feet braced firmly on the ground behind an equivalent-sized shield when fully formed.
Blood Shield's shape can be changed as desired taking no less than 10 - Rank minutes for any readjustment.
The shield can be stored within your body and/or summoned Rank times a day through an open cut or large puncture.
Some or all blood used to create the shield can be reabsorbed into your bloodstream Rank times a week. This is not similar to storing it and will need to be reformed afterward.
"How did you do that?" Chess asked, knowing sharing windows should only work for family members.
"Sworn retainers can do some things similar to a family member. I guessed it would work because of Freya's last command before she left," Lynn said and once again ran her fingers through the gap in her torc. “I'm sworn to Freya and she's made me your retainer,” Lynn explained.
"I see. Well, the ability seems… useful. It's gonna suck to make though. That's a lot of blood, I think that's more than your body can hold. Close to ten liters?" Chess guessed. "I think the human body only has half that."
Lynn frowned. “Would you explain what white and red blood cells are? And what a blood type is? Freya told me to ask you," Lynn asked.
“Sure,” Chess said. “If I remember correctly red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body and white blood cells fight off illness. They also form scabs I think, or was that proteins? Blood type is harder. All I know is that O-negative is the universal donor and I think AB has something to do with plasma. Sorry, it’s not something I thought much about. On Earth, I was AB positive which was rare apparently. Not sure if I still am though.”
Anatomy skill Reevaluate: Current 19
“I’m starting to think a lot of skills are missing from my list,” Chess observed after reading the prompt.
“Seldom or unused skills often don’t show up,” Lynn said offhandedly.
"Okay that leaves the choice of Exsanguinate or Blood Share," Lynn said.
"So, bleed out or share blood?" Chess reasoned.
"More like share blood-born passives or make people bleed more if I have to make an educated guess," Lynn explained. "Either could be very useful. However offensive abilities are more likely to appear again in the future and buffs are rare. If I can get the right pyths I might even get a better version of Exsanguinate so… I have a few more questions. By universal donor do you mean anyone can use my blood in place of their own?"
"Yeah..." Chess said and Lynn started to pick her brain for the little Chess could remember on the subject.
"I choose Blood Share," Lynn said out loud once she'd finished picking Chess's brain for every bit of detail she could glean.
“So?” Chess prompted.
Blood Share Rank 1
Rank 1: Share your personal blood supply with up to Rank people within Rank x Con (mod) meters. Current 2 meters. Granting them all benefits inherent in your blood. Benefits persist for Rank minutes after the skill is canceled or the target moves out of range. Target people's blood does not enter your system.
You can replenish your blood from willing living people or the recently dead with a matching type (O-negative).
No wound or incision is needed to facilitate these transfers of blood.
The magical transfer of blood out of your body or from the body of a living donor will cease before the loss of proper bodily function. This limit cannot be subverted.
You can pump blood into the body of someone without a functioning heart for Rank x Con (mod) minutes. Current 2 minutes. Beginning no longer than Rank x Con(mod) minutes after cessation of proper heart function. Blood will be lost normally from injuries. Using this ability may increase strain on your heart.
All blood taken in from donors or the dead with Blood Share is purified of new harmful pathogens within 5 minus Rank minutes. Minimum 1 minute. This doesn't purify blood making its way in by other means. [Current 4 minutes]
Synergies found between Blood Share and Crystallized Blood Shield:
Use dead or willing donors with a matching blood type to facilitate repairs or form a Crystallized Blood Shield.
Crystallized Blood Shield can be used to defend people under the effects of Blood Share.
"Damn," Lynn breathed a sigh of relief.
"What?"
"As long as I can't forcefully take blood from living people, I'm within Brastian Law. This class just barely stays away from that prohibition.
"We could always just leave Brastia, though I will say pulling the blood from your enemies doesn't sound very Paladin-like," Chess pointed out.
"True. Trust me, I would love to, but how many other Astrain languages do you know? Besides, there has to be a reason Freya choose this place for you to start," Lynn reasoned.
"Hells if I know what it is, but you're likely right," Chess agreed. "Though it could just be where the rift opened. Oh, and I know some wood elven. Chilkuy spoke a little, and I feel I could understand most basic concepts."
"Fair point. Anyway, we should get the rest of this sorted and packed up. We have less than a day before we need to leave," Lynn said. "Could you please store my body for now too?"
"By we, you mean me," Chess said dryly. "And of course, I will."
Lynn gave her a saucy wink. "Do you mind if I do some tests on you?" Chess felt her heart flutter.
"Fine. I swear you did that just to fuck with me," Chess grumbled.
Chess got up and got to work answering Lynn's odd question about her ability. It turned out Chess received every blood boost Lynn had but it used her own stat modifiers instead of Lynn's. Neither she nor Ashley was O-Negative unfortunately.
Lynn only managed to form a shield the size of her hand before Blood Share cut the supply off. It did not have anywhere near the stopping power the ability claimed the full-sized version would.
Chess's suggestion that Lynn should make a finger-sized spike, instead of a shield, also failed since a light shove from Ashley could move it around with ease.
To Lynn's consternation, both blood share and Crystallized blood shield employed a handful of thick creepy-looking veins and arteries to connect to Lynn. Thankfully they were a magical construction that you could freely pass a hand or item through without affecting the abilities or getting tangled in them.
Blood share also removed Crystallized blood shield's requirement for an open wound.
Lynn did contemplate their captive for a moment but he remained firmly unconscious and no one was ready to kill him without offering him a binding first.
The crowning effect in Lynn's opinion was that her Body Awareness perk let her sense problems with the bodies of people tethered with blood share as long as the blood was involved. Though this didn't extend to the brain or nervous system. Chess figured it had something to do with the blood-brain barrier.
Chess also learned Ashley's new class perk let her sense lingering souls or malicious spirits within a few dozen meters.
"Are you going to take any of the pyth we have?" Chess asked Lynn once she'd finished packing, Lynn was satisfied with her experiments, and Ashley and her pride of Heliwr had exhausted themselves. The group sat around a small fire to cook dinner.
Lynn shook her head, "I thought about the binding and harvest we just got but they're best used by Ashley. I would like to hold off until I can talk to a pyth broker, if I can. If we run into a situation where I need and can take something, I'll use up our cheap ones like power attack until…" Lynn trailed off in thought.
"Would you be willing to trade your hammer for my spear until we get back to civilization?" Lynn asked.
Chess frowned then sighed, "Sure I guess, though I'll just make an ironwood hammer when we get outside instead, and stick to my crossbows if I can. Why?"
"Because it's a Power Attack weapon. How much power attack pyth do we have?" Lynn asked.
Chess brought the group pyth box out along with her personal one and sorted through the bags. "53 doses. Mostly from harvesting Gwen's crew and what they had on them."
"That's only Rank 2 but better than I thought." Lynn nodded and held out her hand for them before pouring some and some water into a cup. Lynn grimaced with the first taste but gamely drank 30 doses before returning the rest to Chess.
"What does it do?" Ashley asked and Lynn shared the window with them both.
Power Attack Pyth: Rank 2 Common
Active: Up to Rank times a day, increase the striking mass of any weapon you hold by 5 x Rank x Str (mod) percent for Rank seconds. [Current 30%]
Can't be used for 10 minus Rank minutes after each use, minimum 1 minute. [Current 8 minutes]
Passive: Increase the striking mass of any weapon you hold by Rank x Str (mod) percent. Max 100%. [Current 6%]
"Not bad but not great either," Chess admitted.
"It's good enough for now and better, it's cheap," Lynn agreed while she worked her way through an extra-large helping of spider legs at Chess’s suggestion. To rebuild her blood supply.
Their captive chose that moment to groan and bring the conversation to an abrupt end.
“I guess it’s that time,” Lynn said standing and donning her full-face helm.
“Yeah,” Chess said softly and followed Lynn to where Flemming lay.
“Remember it’s best if he never sees my face,” Lynn said.
“Yeah,” Chess agreed. “Now what?”
“Ashley?” Lynn looked back at Chess’s daughter.
“Coming!” Ashley said around a mouth full of spider meat.