Fledgling Demigod Ch. 10

["Before I'm through with you, you might have more than that,"] she purred again.

He chuckled to himself and kept moving. Before long, Devi nudged him again, pointing out a sentry. He prepared a rock but she stopped him. ["What is it?"] he asked in thought.

["Look,"] she said and brought his attention to his right, then his left. ["More sentries within earshot of this one. If you take him out with a rock, the others will hear."]

Galen looked and, sure enough, another sentry was standing guard not a hundred feet away on both sides of the one in front of him. ["I guess we wait,"] he said. ["Priscilla will be attacking the supplies soon and the sentries will be turning in that direction. We can make use of the distraction then."]

"This is pointless," the sentry in front of him spat and Galen nearly jumped out of his skin at the sudden loud sound. "He's not coming."

"Do you really believe he killed King Jasper?" the sentry to Galen's right asked.

"Maybe," the one on Galen's left replied. "That whelp could have been killed by his own trouser laces." The three men laughed at that.

"I don't think he's as strong as the emissary claims," the first sentry said. "He just got lucky."

"Really?" the second sentry said. "Lucky? That's what you're going with? A man has the strength to rip another man in half and you think he just got lucky?"

"Sure," the first sentry replied. "You stick your fingers in the right place against the spine, use the right amount of leverage, and it can be done."

"You're an idiot, Farnk," the third sentry said. "Eyes out. I'm going for a piss."

"Going where?" Farnk said. "It's dark. Whip it out and piss already."

["Get ready,"] Devi said. ["That one's female."]

["Fuck,"] Galen thought. ["I really wish you hadn't told me that."]

["So don't kill her,"] she shot back.

["And have her sounding the alarm before Priscilla shows up?"] he thought back to her.

["Then kill her,"] Devi said. ["Like you said, war is hell."]

Galen quietly hissed through his teeth as he followed the female sentry further into the woods. When they were out of eyesight from the other two, the female sentry pulled off her helm and sighed. She started undoing the laces of her trousers. Before she could get them down, Galen snuck up behind her and put a hand over her mouth and a knife across her throat. She gasped into his hand and instinctively slammed into his chest with her back. Losing his balance in the process, he fell backward, pulling the woman on top of him, never losing his grip on her mouth.

"OY! Lairn! You alright?" Farnk called.

Galen whispered quickly into Lairn's ear. "Tell him you fell on your ass or something. If you try to say anything other than that I'll have your eyeballs for dinner. Understand?" She nodded quickly.

He slowly released her mouth and she shouted, "I'm fine! Tripped over a root and fell on my ass!" The other two laughed. "Be back shortly!"

"Good girl," Galen said replacing his hand over her mouth and the woman stiffened. "Yes, I know you're a woman, and no, I don't mind slitting your throat and leaving your carcass for the wolves." Galen smelled piss and looked to see her trousers wet at the crotch. "Well it seems you weren't just wanting a break to take off your helm for a spell. I'm truly sorry about that," he said, and he meant it. "However, I need to know you're not going to warn your buddies over there." She shook her head quickly. "Okay. The moment of truth. I'm going to take my hand away from your mouth and you're not going to utter a peep unless spoken to, alright?" She nodded again and Galen moved his hand away from her mouth while still keeping the knife at her throat. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Lairn," she answered softly.

"That your real name or just the name you use in the army?" he asked.

"My real name," she said. "Is it true-"

Galen tightened the knife against her throat and she cut off her words. "Not very good at following instructions, are you?" he asked. "Next question. Do you want to live?"

"Yes!" she whispered vehemently.

"Well, Lairn, this is your lucky day," Galen said. "I hope you're not too fond of any of those boys back there." She shook her head. "Good, because if I hadn't found out you were a woman, you'd be joining them as corpses tonight." She whimpered slightly as she raised her hand. "What?" he asked.

"Is it true Lord Jasper is dead and this Lord Galen has taken over?" she asked.

"I-" he was about to respond when Devi cut him off.

["Tell her,"] Devi said in his brain.

Galen growled but obeyed. "What if it is?" he asked.

"Is it also true he made a decree enabling women to serve in the guard?" she asked. "Openly?"

"Maybe," he answered cryptically.

"Please," she begged. "Please, I know you don't have any reason to believe me but I volunteered for this assignment. I wanted to try and get as close as I could so I could defect to King Galen's castle."

"Why should I believe you?" he asked.

"Long piss, eh, Lairn?" Farnk called.

She put a tentative finger to his lips and called over her shoulder, "Whatever that slop was the sergeant brought out to us gave me the shits," she said. "Gonna be another minute!"

The other two men laughed again. "Sure, sure," Farnk called. "Take your time. Just make sure you wipe your ass good enough before coming back. I don't want to smell that."

"Fuck you, Farnk!" she yelled back. The two men laughed again and Galen released the knife from her throat. She turned in his arm and looked at him. The knifepoint came up under her chin as she looked at him with pleading eyes. "You have no reason to trust me," she said in a whisper again in answer to his question. "But I've been waiting for a chance to run. They won't let us alone for a moment, though. They're expecting Lord Galen any moment to come down on us like the plague."

["She's telling the truth,"] Devi said.

["Took you long enough,"] he growled back in thought.

["Don't be so petulant,"] she said.

"Do you know any other women in the camp?" he asked.

"No," she said.

"Well, that's to be expected, I suppose," he said. "You're excellent at hiding yourselves. Next question. Did you have a chance to leave with Baron Jaxon?"

"He left!?" she almost cried out, then covered it with a loud groan. Laughter from the sentries again.

"Guess that answers that," Galen said. "What are you wearing under your uniform?"

"What??" she said and moved to cover herself.

"Not like that, you idiot," he said. "If you're not wearing anything other than underclothes, your life is about become uncomfortable for the next few hours."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Strip," he ordered. "Everything off that ties you to the empire. Are you any good with directions?"

"Somewhat," she answered hesitantly as she slowly started to take off her armor.

"Quickly," he ordered, motioning to her body. When she was in nothing but her small clothes, which was nothing more than a wrap around her breasts and panties, he reached out and ripped the wrap in a few places causing it to tatter. She squeaked slightly but looked at him in wide-eyed fear. He pointed the direction he came from. "Go that way about a quarter of a mile then take a sharp left until you reach the edge of the forest. You should see the castle. If the camp is still within sight, get back in the woods and go further until the camp is out of sight. Then make a beeline to the castle. Clear?"

"Yes," she said, nodding and even in the dark he could tell she was blushing.

"If it helps, I think you're incredibly beautiful. And take off those wet panties as soon as you get out of my sight," he instructed. "It'll be more believable when you tell the castle guards you escaped the camp from the life of serving the army as a comfort woman."

"What!?" she exclaimed in a whisper.

"That's the only thing that keeps you out of a jail cell until I return," he said. "Now, go! Ask for Queen Lillian at the gates or Lady Drusilla."

She took off and Galen heard her pause and shuffle around a bit before a pair of wet panties sailed out of the air toward him. He chuckled softly as they landed nearby. ["Well that was incredibly chivalrous of you,"] Devi said and giggled.

"I should have told her to tell the guards I sent her," he whispered out loud.

["Not a good idea,"] Devi said, giggling.

"Why not?" he asked, confused.

["Because she is bound and determined to find Lord Galen and show him just how appreciative she is for his decree on women,"] she answered, still giggling.

"And?" he asked, confused.

["Oh you poor man,"] she said. ["Are you sure you're not bipolar? One minute you seem to understand the women of this world to a tee and the next you're as clueless as a prepubescent boy. She's going to try and fuck your brains out, idiot."]

["Well excuse me if I'm not letting my raging hormones control the rational part of my brain,"] he shot back in his head. ["I'm in the middle of enemy territory in case you hadn't noticed."]

["Hmm, I suppose,"] she said flippantly. ["Heads up. Farnk and his buddy are on the way to check on Lairn."]

["Perfect,"] Galen grinned. ["Any particular way you'd like me to finish them?"]

["Just kill them quietly and get it over with, drama queen,"] she said dryly.

"Lairn," Farnk called. "You alright?"

Galen was on the ground hiding behind Lairn's discarded armor. Seeing their comrade on the ground, they rushed over and knelt to check on him. Galen popped up and thrust a dagger under each helm, puncturing their jawlines and driving into their brains. Letting them fall gently to the ground, Galen listened for a long moment. When no footsteps approached, he whispered instructions to his two Drakken. "I'm going into the camp," he said. "Please stay near the tree line unless I'm out of sight and not in a tent. When Priscilla makes her presence known, feel free to kill as you please."

Not waiting for an answer and not expecting one, he got up and snuck his way into camp. As soon as he entered a tent to kill its occupant he heard a shout then an explosion. A second later he heard the cry of a dragon. He punched the man lying in bed in the chest as he grinned. He quickly donned the man's armor and left the tent among shouts of alarm. Another explosion and the dragon cried out again, this time in unmistakeable pain.

["She's alright,"] Devi reassured him. ["But there are four, no five mages, and they were ready for her second sweep. One of their spells cut a gash along her side but it's superficial. Quickly, throw five stones straight up into the air and slightly in the direction of the fires."]

"All at once?" he cried aloud.

["Yes! Hurry!"] she cried in his head. He did as instructed and tossed the stones as hard as he could. Galen watched them soar out of sight. A few seconds later, looking in the direction of the fires, he saw five bodies drop as if they'd just passed out. ["Got 'em!"] Devi said.

Galen started killing indiscriminately. Those within reach died by his hand and others died by his rocks. Because he was at the back of the commotion he met with little to no resistance. ["What did you do?"] he thought to Devi after flinging three stones in rapid succession. An arrow came out of nowhere and thudded into the side of his head. He looked in the direction the arrow came from to see a wide-eyed archer pointing at him. He flung a rock and the archer died with a rock through his mouth and out the back of his head.

["I only used a trickle of power,"] she said. ["I manipulated the wind to have the rocks smash through the tops of their skulls."]

"Genius!" he cried as more men fell to his rocks or fists.

It took a long time but he was about halfway through the army when they finally realized where the real threat came from. Priscilla had completed her task and Galen could smell burning flesh as she made her final pass and took to the sky again to look for stragglers. The army tried to form ranks and every time they started to get a formation together, Galen would zip in and break it apart like bowling pins or his Drakken would scatter the formation. Power and strength flooded his body as arrow after crossbow bolt sailed in his direction. Most missed, but some hit and bounced off, much to the horror of the men on the front lines. Finally Galen paused. He was breathing heavily but he stood tall before the remaining men.

"This is your last chance," he roared. "Throw down your weapons, strip your armor and clothes and walk with your hands on your head to Redd and I will spare your lives! Continue to fight and you WILL die! Attempt to flee and my dragon will electrocute you where you stand! You have thirty seconds!"

Out of the some two hundred men remaining, only thirty or so surrendered, and a majority of those were women. There were gasps all around the camp as the women stripped in front of Galen, revealing who they were. In only a chest wrap and panties, just like Lairn, they walked toward the city a mile away with their hands on their heads. "ANYONE ELSE!?" Galen roared loudly and the army trembled but stood their ground.

Before he could continue the slaughter, a dragon's roar caught his attention. The army cowered as Priscilla swooped down to hover before Galen. Her wings beat at a mesmerizing pace as she dropped a figure from thirty feet up and Galen heard bones snap as the man's legs broke. Galen grinned as he looked up at his beautiful dragon. He waved at her and she took off again.

Galen approached the man lying on the ground in front of him. "Are you sure you don't want to surrender?" he yelled to the army and they gasped again when the Drakken revealed themselves. The man was curled up into a ball where his army couldn't see him. He'd most definitely be rewarding Priscilla for this present. Reaching down, he grabbed the man by the back of the neck and hoisted him off the ground with one hand. Holding the man high over his head, he faced the army and yelled, "This is what you follow!? A coward who runs at the sight of battle to leave you all to die!? Look around you! Your comrades, your friends, are all dead around you, and your supposed leader flees like a dog with his tail between his legs!"

"Give him a chance to explain," someone called out.

"I'm not keeping him from speaking," Galen called back. "But I'll shut up so Duke Latham can explain his actions." Everyone looked at the duke. He was whimpering in pain and self-pity. When he didn't speak, Galen shook him slightly. "Speak, coward, so they can see you for what you are."

"Ahh," the duke cried. "Orders!" he squealed. "I was ordered to run if the battle went badly."

"You have proof?" a man at the front of the line asked.

"N-no," the duke stuttered, still in obvious pain. "It was a v-verbal order from the e-emperor himself!"

There was a commotion throughout the group and about half of them dropped their weapons and started stripping. Without another word, naked except for their undergarments, they started marching toward the city of Redd with their hands on their heads. "Despicable, Lord Lanthrey," one of the men spat and started to strip. "To think I served you honorably all these years only for you to betray your people, no matter where the order came from. You were willing to sacrifice us all for the petty whims of a tyrant." Now standing almost naked, the man placed his hands on his head. "I'd kill you myself if it were possible."

"Oh, he's not getting off that easy," Galen said. "I wonder how he'd fare being slowly devoured piece by piece. My dragons are hungry, Duke Latham." Almost if it had been planned, Priscilla roared in the distance and the duke whined and pissed himself. "Not to mention, my Drakken. Come to think of it I don't think I remembered to feed them today." At this, the duke threw up all over his front and passed out.

"Good," the man said and started walking. "Serves him right."

Slowly, the remaining army surrendered and walked with a wide berth around Galen, Una, and Ula. Only a dozen remained and they fidgeted where they stood. "Well?" Galen asked. "Surrender or die. Your choice." The two Drakken growled menacingly.

The dozen warriors approached slowly with no intention of attacking. Cautiously, they all removed their helms and knelt on one knee before him with their heads down and their right fists on their breastplates. They were all women. In unison, they all said, "We pledge our lives and souls to serve you, Lord Galen."

The one in the front said, "Just please, we beg of you, don't make us strip naked."

"Bold," Galen said and they all flinched. "of you to assume I'm Lord Galen."

One woman looked up at him in admiration. "The stories precede you, my lord," she said then bowed her head again before whispering so softly Galen almost didn't catch what she said, "Please give me a child."

The other women giggled or snickered at their friend's boldness. "Rise," Galen said and they obeyed, looking at him. Some looked with admiration, some with reservations, some with caution, and some with outright lust. "I assume you all managed to find out you were women in one way or another and banded together?"

"Almost, my lord," the leader said. She was a blonde woman with a pretty face marred by a broken nose that never healed properly. "Half of us just got assigned together, whether by coincidence or chance. The other half we recruited when we found out who they were."

"Hmm," Galen said. "Very well. Strip your armor and weapons. You can keep your uniforms on if you can remove the emperor's crest from them." They all frantically unfastened, unbuckled, or downright cut off their armor and threw it to the ground. They started pulling, tugging, and even sawing at the crest with daggers to get them off. Looking at the leader, Galen said, "What's your name, soldier?"

"Andrew, my lord," she said. "I mean, Anna." She blushed slightly.

"Well, Anna," he replied. "What rank do you hold in the group?"

"I was never assigned an official rank, my lord," she replied.

"You consider yourself their leader?" he asked motioning to the group.

"I do, my lord," she replied.

"And the rest of you?" Galen asked. "You consider Anna to be your squad leader?"

"Yes, my lord," they answered in unison.

"Then congratulations on your promotion, sergeant," he said and smiled. The duke still in Galen's grip moaned slightly in his sleep and Galen shook him awake. "Shut up, idiot. I gave you the chance to leave but you chose death."

"Sergeant, my lord?" Anna said, with excitement.

"Yes, sergeant," he replied. "When you get to the city, seek out Lady Lucinda. She's in charge of my personal guard. She'll find a place for you. Make sure you tell her explicitly that Lord Galen promoted you. She won't contest that."

"Yes, my lord," she said and bowed at the waist. "Thank you, my lord."

"Oh, and one more thing," he said and she paused as she was about to turn. "Look for another of your comrades by the name of Lairn after you report to Lady Lucinda. She might be with Queen Lillian or Lady Drusilla. Make a place for her in your squad if she wants to join."

"A queen rules the kingdom?" another woman asked incredulously as the others looked at each other in awe.

"Indeed," he said. "The rumor is true. Women have the same freedoms as men in the kingdom. I can't say that it will still be safe to operate openly because the emperor's spies are everywhere apparently. However, there's nothing stopping you from joining the guard or opening up a shop or being a blacksmith, if that's what you want to do."

"What about children?" the woman from before asked and Galen couldn't help but blush.

["Yes, my love,"] Devi teased. ["What about children?"]

["Don't start,"] he thought to her. "You'll be free to marry who you wish," he said out loud to them. "But I have to warn you. If you allow yourself to be taken out of the kingdom I can't guarantee that there won't be repercussions for the life you chose to live."