Perspective of an Optimist Ch. 01

Lily watched as the two stood in the human circle. She noticed Ser Illain didn't put on his helm. They began to circle each cautiously. A nervous hush came over the crowed as they waited to see who struck first.

It was Ser Illain, he lunged forward swinging his sword. Lily gritted her teeth as Breya deflected it with hers. The clang of steel meeting steel seemed to reinvigorate the crowed as they all began to shout. Despite the hooded woman's words Lily didn't see how Breya could win.

Ser Illain took swipe after swipe and Breya deflected or danced around them all. For her height, she was extremely nimble.

"Breya just needs to get her hands on him and he's finished." The hooded woman said.

Ser Illain went left then right and Breya stepped to the side leaning back letting the sword swish by her, and then she pivoted to her right letting the other slash do the same. He swung horizontally and Breya parried. She used this opening to send an attack of her own and he blocked it with his shield. The wooden shield groaned and cracked. Breya swung again and the shield exploded into toothpicks. How strong was this woman?

The fight picked up heavily. Both opponents had felt each other out. Lily didn't know a thing about fighting. Yet for some reason as she watched she could analyze the battle expertly.

She seemed to know every move, and she knew what to do with it. Lily didn't understand where this knowledge had come from. It was as if it had appeared out of thin air just like she had in this world. Breya swung her sword only to have it deflected by Ser Illain again and again.

As they danced around the fighting pit it became clear that Ser Illain was a far better swordsman, but Lily could see he was scared to get to close despite his armored state. He was afraid to take a hit. Breya was far stronger and he knew it. He was waiting for her to mess up. He was waiting for an opening. Their footwork was about equal but if he kept out of her reach his opportunity would present itself.

It wasn't long until that opportunity came around. Ser Illain fainted high left and then went low right. Breya fell for his trap. He slid his sword along her thigh and she went to one knee. She tried to quickly stand but with his free hand he punched her right where her bandage had been and Breya fell back to her knee. The crowd cheered for this meant they would be making a lot of money today.

Ser Illain kicked her in the chest sending her onto her back. Lily glanced at the hooded woman looking for some kind of reassurance.

"You should learn your place, bitch. You belong behind a man not in front" Ser Illain said. "Just because you're an Amazon doesn't make you better." He added as he stabbed down at her. Lily closed her eyes. She was sure that was the end. The lady knight fought valiantly to save her, but happy endings only happen in fairy tales. She heard a gasp from the crowed.

"Oh, is that where my place is? I must have gotten lost. I'm new to your country after all." Lily heard Breya say. Her eyes shot open. Breya was laying on the ground gripping his sword by the blade. It was inches from her face. Ser Illain looked astonished.

"It's over." The hooded woman said. She stopped stroking Lily's leg and jumped up from her seat. She began to walk towards the auctioneer. Lily looked back at the fight and Breya was now on her feet pushing the man back still gripping the blade of his sword. Lily could see a trail of blood that had dripped from Breya's hands as she advanced on Ser Illain. If her hands slipped at all the blade would impale her.

She pulled and swung to the side. Ser Illain tried to hold on but the Amazonian woman was to strong. He was sent flying along with his sword. Quickly he tried to crawl to his weapon but she was on him in an instant. She was faster in her leathers than he was in his metal suit. He pulled a knife from his belt and tried to stab her but Breya caught him by the wrist. A loud crack echoed through the dead air. The crowed fell silent stunned by the turn of events.

Ser Illain only grunted in response to the savage woman snapping his wrist like a twig. She knelt over him and sent down a storm of punches. Teeth and blood splattered left and right with each vicious blow.

"Don't disrespect the Amazons. Next time I will fucking kill you." Breya said as she stopped the pummeling. The man's face was battered. Every inch of it covered in blood. His nose was completely squished and there were more teeth on the ground than in his mouth. The Amazon eyed everybody in the crowed as she walked to the stage to claim her prize.

"You took a lot of my money today, cunt." The auctioneer said to the hooded woman.

"I think you mean my money." She said as he handed her a big pouch filled with coins.

Lily looked down in awe at the tall woman standing in front of her. She came up to her waist even with Lily standing on the stage.

"Come." Was all Breya said as she stared up at her from the ground. She wore a meaner expression than Ser Illain, though he wouldn't wear much of any expression ever again now. Lily stepped forward then stopped. She looked back at the stage. She saw the four people still on it. She was about to say something to Breya when she heard a voice scrape through the air like nails on a chalkboard.

"Go, child. You do not die today. None of us do." The witch of the woods said. Lily stared back at her confused. She saw a bright light emanating from her boney hands and poof, they were gone. The crowd gasped. Nobody was more stunned than Lily. She didn't even have time to process what just happened before the crowed went into a frenzy

"Time to go." She heard Breya say as she abruptly cut the rope that bound Lily's hands before another strong pair of hands reached up and plucked her down from the stage. The crowed and the soldiers began to rush around in panic of the witch's magic. Some ran away in fear and the soldiers ran in search of the witch. Soon they were moving through the frenzied crowed.

Breya did not put Lily down, and instead carried her. Despite the blood getting all over Lily from her hands it was the best course of action. They moved so quickly Lily doubted she would be able to keep up. Before Lily was ready she was launched up onto a horse and almost fell off the other side. She looked down as she clutched onto the animal. The hooded woman and Breya were talking.

"Go take care of her. I can handle him myself." She heard the hooded woman say to Breya. Breya grunted in response.

"Wait, did the auctioneer give you my camera?" Lily asked. It had been taken off her when they loaded her into the wagon. They both just looked at Lily in response. She caught a glance under the woman's hood. Lily saw that she had red hair. Not like Lily's. The woman's red hair was the same color as blood.

"Hold on tight, girl." Breya said. At least girl was better than whore, though it wasn't like what another girl would call her friend on a night out. Breya got up into the saddle of the horse. She sat behind Lily. Breya's arms came around her and took the reins of the horse, and just like that they were off.

...

Breya didn't say much during the ride despite Lily's questions. She stayed mostly silent or gave extremely short answers. She didn't seem like she was ignoring Lily though. Breya was constantly looking around. Almost as if she was waiting for something to jump out at her. One of her bloody hands on the reigns, and one on the hilt of her sword.

After a while Lily stopped asking questions. Despite Breya being constantly alert this was the first-time Lily had felt safe since last night. The incredibly tall and strong lady knight she sat against gave her comfort.

Lily found herself leaning against Breya more than she needed to. Her butt was sore from the saddle and It was the most comfortable position for her to sit in. Now that she didn't immediately have to think of survival she could stop and think about where she was and how she got here. Lily was an open-minded sort of person. She didn't discount anything unless she had evidence against it. She was also a creative and logical thinker.

She went over the thoughts in her head. Breya's presence comforted and helped her remain calm so she could think more clearly. Sam had gotten her a camera. One that held endless amounts of pictures, and had an endless battery as far as she could tell. She looked at one of the pictures right before she went to bed and woke up the next day in the place where the picture was taken.

As implausible as it seemed she concluded that the camera was magic and had teleported her to another place. Whether that was another world or another time she had no idea. After the day she'd had it didn't actually seem that out of place to her. She woke up on a medieval battlefield, met lady knights, was put up for auction, one of the lady knights fought an evil knight to save her, a witch made four people disappear into thin air, and now she was headed to wherever her hero was talking her.

She tried to remain calm. She didn't want Breya to tell her to shut up again. She thought back to photography to help her figure out what she should do. She decided she would deal with the small things first, and think about the big picture. Still she couldn't help but worry about Sam. She had no idea if she woke up alone in bed, or an equally crazy place. In her deep thinking, she didn't notice the horse had come to a stop. Breya got off the horse.

"Come on, I will help you off." The Amazon said as she reached up and lifted Lily off the horse. It was like her weight was nothing to Breya. That shouldn't surprise her considering what she did earlier today. Considering what Breya had put herself through to save Lily she felt guilty.

"Thank you, and I'm sorry." Lily said as she bowed her head low.

"I don't think you should be thanking me. You might not find your situation ideal." Breya said as she tended to her horse.

"What do you mean? You saved me." Lily said confused. She saved her from being bought as a slave by an evil knight.

"I suppose I did save you from that bastard Illain, but you are still my slave. I have no intention of freeing you. I paid good coin for you, and a lot of it." Breya said glancing over her shoulder at the red headed girl. Lily was only further confused.

"I don't understand. You're a knight, and from what I understand about knights they are honor bound to protect the people. There is no honor in keeping slaves." Lily protested. Breya just laughed.

"Hah. Fuck honor. Honor gets you killed, and I am no knight. I'm a Sellsword. Every coin my partner and I make is earned with blood, sweat, and tears, and not always our own.

"You aren't a knight?" Lily asked. She had heard Breya say the words, but they were so different than what she wanted to hear that they almost didn't register.

"I don't know what fucking fantasies you have about knights, but if you were paying attention that knight I fought was the most fucked in the head person you will ever find. Knights are honor bound to protect people, but to them you nor anybody on that stage was a person. You were peasants. Knights are honor bound to royal families who shit gold. Not common folk like you. To them you are nothing but shit, and not the gold kind." Breya said harshly.

Breya finished tending to the horse. She went into the cave it appeared the two Sellsword woman were squatting in. Breya motioned for Lily to follow her. Lily walked behind reevaluating everything she had originally thought about the women. She had assumed that Breya was a knight, and that the other woman was either her squire or another knight.

She had let her love of fantasy get to her. This woman wasn't a hero from the novels or shows. She wasn't a rough around the edges knight with a heart of gold, but ever the optimist Lily still didn't want to think badly of Breya. She still saved her from being a slave to an evil knight. No matter what a man nicknamed the Black Knight couldn't be pleasant. Breya and he companion had to be better than him.

Breya turned to her. "Look. I sounded a bit harsh out there. I don't want to be like that piece of shit Ser Illain. Stories of his sadism are legendary. Here's the deal. My partner and I paid a lot for money for you. I was going to just let you be sold, but she insisted we use the money we were paid for that battle to buy you. So, you will be our slave until you can work it off."

"But you won all that money from the fight for me. Didn't you? surely you must have made a lot. Everybody bet on the other guy." Lily retorted. Though she slunk down when she said it. She was intimidated by the handsome woman towering over her.

"That was all my doing. As I said before. Every coin I make is earned through blood, sweat, and tears. I sweat, and spilled a lot of blood today to make that money. I broke even on you, and if I hadn't bought you I would be in the same position minus the injuries. Get it?" Breya said putting her hands on her hips and leaning over her. She truly did tower of Lily.

"Yes." Lily said. Despite the intimidation, she had already made up her mind. If the world was as dark as this she would never survive on her own, and knight or not her only chance of survival was under Breya and her companion's protection. Besides, she didn't know why but she was kind of smitten with the Amazonian woman already. She had that strong dominant personality that drove Lily wild.

Lily thought of Samantha. The two had a polyamorous relationship, but they always talk about it first, and Lily had never been with anybody else without Sam being part of it. Lily jumped. Why was she thinking of this right now? She had much bigger problems to deal with.

Though as she looked up at the tall muscular woman she couldn't help but notice how handsome she was. She had short sandy blond hair, and she had eyes of glowing gold. Her face was the perfect blend of masculine and feminine features. Sharp jawline but feminine lashes and cheekbones.

"Now help me get my riding leathers off, and do you know how to dress a wound? If you are going to be our slave you need to learn how." Breya said. Lily did know how to dress a wound. All kinds actually. She had been a lifeguard and taken many first aid classes.

Breya turned around and Lily reached up and undid the laces and buckles that tightened the leather she wore. She pulled the leathers off revealing her smallclothes. They were completely damp with sweat. The smell of the woman intoxicated Lily. Her scent was strong but not unpleasant. She smelled like the strong tall dominant woman she was. She also had a slightly feminine sweet aroma that emanated though her more masculine scent.

Lily marveled at her hard body. Her muscles were so lean, and the definition was incredible. The woman looked as if she were chiseled from stone, and her butt was surprisingly big. Her chest was also extremely full. It was like everything on this woman was scaled up on a body slider in a video game.

Finally, Lily's eyes stopped at the cut on her thigh. It wasn't too bad, but it needed to be addressed. Nothing like the cuts on her hands. Lily had no idea how she had managed to go the whole ride without addressing them once. The wound on her side also seemed to have opened. They all needed to be cleaned badly, but her hands in particular.

"Your hands need to be treated right away. They could get infected." Lily said as she reached for the Amazon's hands to get a better look. Breya let the small girl take them. Her hands were massive compared to Lily's, and they were so rough and callused compared to her soft hands.

"Your hands feel as though you have never worked a day in your life." Breya said looking down as she towered over Lily. Lily's face grew red with embarrassment. "Come, there is a spring in this cave. We can wash them out there." Breya said as she led her to the underground spring. Lily couldn't deny her attraction for the Amazon. She wondered if Breya felt any attraction towards her at all. Lily couldn't read her at all.

...

Breya stood in the interior of the spring located deeper into the cave. Lily stood awkwardly behind marveling at the beauty of the hot spring. Breya supposed it was quite beautiful. The natural waterfall flowed down from deep within the cave into a natural pool created by the formation of the rocks. The water was so pure it almost seemed to glow a light blue color.

Breya did not often appreciate the natural beauties and wonders of the world. She was far more watchful of the dark natures and danger that it brought. She supposed staying alive was a good tradeoff for being blind to the beauty this world could bring.

She was not blind to all beauty however. She was keen on the beauty of women, and particularly the iridescent beauty standing behind her. Since Breya had met her she had felt an attraction. She was like no other Breya had ever encountered, and as an Amazon she had an uncountable number sexual conquests. Women were like her first language, but there had to be something special about a woman that could make Breya throw caution to the wind and risk her life to save her twice in one day. She had the fortitude to let her go, and it lasted all the way up until Lily's big blue eyes had filled with tears. At that point, Breya knew she needed to protect the girl.

More over her partner had even spoken up for Lily, and she was even more cautious and dark than Breya.

"Come." Breya said to Lily. "As our slave one of your duties will be to treat our wounds, and they will be plentiful I can assure you." Breya stood in front of Lily crossing her arms. The girl's blue eyes that resembled the water from the spring. Lily stared up at her through messy red hair. Breya stepped forward took a lock of Lily's hair in hand.

"They say those with red hair have been blessed by the God of fire. They bring good fortune and opportunity." Breya said. Lily seemed to smile at that. It warmed Breya's heart. She was not without guilt for the situation, but Breya was a practical woman. Whom in this moment was also feeling emotions of attachment and had a fierce urge to protect Lily. Lily being her slave gave her an excuse to do those things, and anything else she wanted.

"Do you believe in Gods?" Lily asked in a mousy voice. Despite her nervous and shy demeanor, the girl had fire in her heart for asking such hard-hitting questions. The Gods were a tricky thing to talk about around here. Especially for a woman.

Offend a particular religion and you were likely to be burned at the stake. Woman had it rough here. Particularly the Amazon's that had come over from another continent. They challenged pre-conceived notions and threatened the masculinity of men, as well as gave woman the courage to stand up for themselves.

"Do I believe in them, possibly. Do I follow them, No." Breya said sternly as she turned towards the bath. She began to shed her smallclothes. As she slid off her tight undergarments Breya heard an audible gasp. She would never get tired of hearing the surprise that came from a woman when they saw the member of an Amazon for the first time.

"You're a man?" She heard Lily say in shock. Her brow twitched with agitation.

"No, I am an Amazon." Breya said as she took in the girls face. It wasn't just a surprised expression that spread across her face. It was complete and utter shock. Where is this girl from that she has never heard of an Amazon? Breya pieced together the girls line of thinking.

"Some women from Amazon tribes are different from normal women. We are born with a mix of masculine and feminine traits. Including both sexes in order to reproduce." Breya explained to the ignorant girl. The expression of shock was replaced by a look Breya had seen many times. "Yes." Breya said, answering Lily's silent question. "We are far bigger than most men."