Dark Empathy by Archibald Bradford (inspiring books for teens TXT) 📕

“Dearheart, I’ve never been afraid of you! I just thought… I thought this was a bit much, I mean, look at her!”

She waved at the bruises on Escrya’s face as well as her other injuries.

Nina set her hammed down beside the bed and hopped on top of it to get a better look.

“Broken bones?” She demanded.

It took the Flutterby a second to realize it was a question.

“Um, none.”

“Internal bleeding?”

“No…”

“Ruptured organs? Brain damage?”

“You know there isn’t.” Ophelia said with realization in her voice.

Nina patted Escrya on the arm with surprising fondness; a smile had slowly spread across the Amazon’s face after each question.

“Working with flesh is much like working with steel. You have to know how far it will bend, how much heat it can take, how hard you can hit it without breaking it.” She looked at Ophelia again; “Just like a weapon, warriors must be tempered, or they will break when the time comes that they are truly tested. This is what I am doing with Milly, and this is what I was doing earlier today with this one, just sort of… all at once. She’s had more training so she can take a lot more than Milly can.”

Unbeknownst to the three of them, Volka and Brooke had left the room so they could talk.

“I love you Ophelia, you are my bond-sister and I will do anything and everything to protect you.” Once again raw emotion was in her voice as she looked away from the Flutterby; “But in the hall before… I hate the thought of you despising me for doing what I must.”

There was a long silence between them, Escrya watching them worriedly as Nina wiped at her eyes again.

Finally Ophelia broke the silence with a sob, wrapping the tiny girl in her arms and kissing her on the side of her head again and again.

“I love you too dearheart, I could never despise you! I’m so sorry if I made you feel that way.”

They held each other for some time, Escrya quickly sitting up in bed and wrapping her arms around them as well to assure them that she really was well.

Their embrace lasted for some time, and when it ended everything was alright between them.

__________

Far away from the little dramas of Nameless’s family, melting piles of snow decorated the woods as the warmth of spring filled the massive wilderness surrounding the Saenga village, the warmer climate in the lowlands allowed them to break free of winter’s embrace long before the civilized lands to the west would.

Adrian tugged his worn uniform shirt absently before scratching at the beard that had grown in since he first met Olena and the Amazons. He strode with purpose past the many huts, people and Amazons alike watching him as he walked.

Alcaia had summoned him to the center of the village: one of her scouts had finally returned, and she wasn’t alone.

He arrived to see a small crowd had gathered to welcome the lone warrior home, as well as greet the monster girl that accompanied her.

Standing before Alcaia was a Minotaur dressed in a loincloth and little else, and this was no domesticated dairy cow: she held the same wild edge that the Saenga Amazons had, though she had kind eyes as she took in the arrival of the worn Aegis technician.

Her rich chocolate coloured hair looked as if it had never known the use of scissors, and was done up in thick braids down her back. While colourful patterns were painted across her sun-bronzed skin and her black and white hide with brilliant dies made from wildflowers.

She nodded her horned head in respect to him before turning back to Alcaia, having no trouble matching the warleader’s intense gaze.

Evidently they had been waiting on him, and now that he was there she got straight to the point.

“I am called Helga. My herd and I were travelling north when we found them. Are you with the Aegis?”

Though she spoke evenly, her tail swished behind her, betraying some anxiety.

“I am.” Adrian nodded in puzzlement; “Who did you find?”

She smiled with apparent relief before explaining.

“A small group of lizard girls, and a strange man with glasses. Also this really big worm thing, she called herself a… Jubby? I have never seen anything like her before.”

Alcaia’s eyes widened.

“This sounds like the Troglodytes that our Valkyrja-datta encountered in his adventure! Where are they now?” She demanded.

Helga’s tail began to swish again as she turned to the animated warleader.

“In the grasslands, north and east of here. The Jubby does not move so well out of the Sansee, I doubt she could make it to the edge of the woods in the days since I left them. I came looking for help, as from what little we gathered, someone attacked them with lost technology.”

She spoke with no small amount of fear, but it was heavily tinged with indignation.

Adrian was doing everything he could to stay patient: this, whatever it was, this was what they had been waiting so long for. His injuries had healed, but his grief was as raw as it ever was, unhelped by the few occasions he had coupled with Olena since their first time together.

Fortunately Alcaia had arrived at the same conclusion, turning to face her people.

“No way is this a coincidence, they must have run afoul of the men who wronged us! Sisters, our time for vengeance is at hand!” At her words there was a resounding cry, but she did not join in as she turned to face Hila, her third behind Myrina; “I want sixty warriors ready to leave within the hour! But for the Vohan, we travel light.”

“As you say, Warleader.”

The warrior nodded her head, equally unaffected by the enthusiasm of the