The Heartstone Saga by Archibald Bradford (pdf to ebook reader txt) 📗

concern on her face; getting knocked around a bit during training was normal, but it usually went the other way.

Nina shook her head at the cow’s worry as she straightened up again, already more or less recovered from the surprising blow.

“Did- did you just kick me?” She demanded incredulously.

“No!” Milly replied, looking a little guilty; “I punched you... with my foot.”

Nina rubbed at her abdomen and nodded her head in understanding.

“Whatever you did, I felt it. I might even have a bruise from that. Well done.”

Given how durable Nina was, it was high praise.

“Um. Thank you.” Milly smiled uncertainly.

In response the red-skinned girl tilted down and lunged forwards, as she often did when she thought that her student had dropped her guard, but was surprised again when the Minotaur actually rolled over her back.

A solid thwack from Milly’s spear across Nina’s tushy told everyone watching that it was her win.

A first.

Nina’s eyes were wide as saucers when she turned to face her bond-sister.

“What the hell was that?!”

“What? You’ve hit my butt before-”

“Not that!” The Gigas corrected impatiently; “That move! I didn’t teach you that!”

Milly shrugged, a bit uncomfortable at seeing her bond-sister so flustered.

“No, um, Myrina did. I’ve been trying to incorporate the Saenga and Brael fighting styles together. I’m not very good at either of them yet though. At least, not compared to someone like Yana.”

A voice called out then, pulling their attention away from each other.

“Do not compare yourself to our warleader, Milly!”

Tiana and a handful of other Brael girls were smiling wide, having strode into the training grounds in time to witness the tail end of the practice bout.

“And know that even Yana could not best Nina alone.”

“Let’s not get carried away.” Nina said; “My cow spanked me, she didn’t really best me.”

Milly stuck her tongue out at her, then turned to embrace the Amazons, having not seen them in a while.

Tiana rubbed at her back, their breasts pressing together as she heartily kissed her on the cheek and accepted a couple of familiar licks in kind.

“Volka told us we could find you here. I am glad to see you keeping up with your training! Well, one of you at least.”

All eyes looked to Erica.

The Katje had been dozing in the sun on one of the benches nearby, Milly’s hat providing shade for her face. It was far too hot for training in her humble opinion, but she woke from the familiar voices of the Amazons.

Rolling onto all fours on the bench she arched her back and gave a feline stretch, her claws audibly cricking into the wood of the bench as she did.

An arguably inappropriate pose, given that it left her ass jutting into the air, her purple panties exposed as her shirt fell up her torso.

Not that anyone was arguing.

“Mwaaah!” Her tongue curled out in a yawn; “Hey girls, nice to see you! Who’s gunna scratch my belly?”

Once she finished her stretch she rolled over onto her back again, Milly’s hat falling away as she did, her black ears turning this was and that to better here the laughter of the Brael Amazons.

“Scratch your belly? Sit on your face is more like! Who sleeps in a space meant for training?” Tiana challenged.

Unapologetic, Erica closed her eyes in the sunlight, her tail swishing back and forth beside the bench.

“Too hot, gotta sleep to stay cool.”

The Amazon reached down and massaged at her tummy under her shirt, an indulgent smirk on her face as she felt the cat’s purr vibrate through her sun-warmed skin.

“Would that someone had a bucket, they could cool you off!” She teased.

“Hmm? Nooo.” Erica pouted her lips out drowsily; “Mmmm so comfy.”

Getting a napping Katje to move was an exercise in futility. Only when it was too hot, as it had been in the Sansee Wastes, would she pass up the chance for a good bask in the sun.

Tiana chuckled, but left her in peace with one final scratch of her stomach.

“Anyways, Milly, your training. Well done. It took a great many of us to subdue Nina. I’m sure that if you were there at the time, your help would have been invaluable.”

Nina’s face twisted with displeasure, not at all liking the thought of her and Milly meeting when the Gigas was still a Tenebrae.

But soon she was tapping her chin in thought.

“You make a good point actually, Tiana.” She admitted eventually as she measured the Brael girls; “You and your sisters did beat me once.”

The Amazon leader shrugged noncommittally, not wishing to give offense.

“That wasn’t really you Nina. But why do you bring it up?”

The Gigas bent at the waist and touched her toes, stretching out her muscles as they talked.

“Because one of the things I need to work on is how to fight a mob without killing them, by all accounts that’s what Evadne has.” She came out of her stretch and gave Tiana a little nod of acknowledgment; “Since you and your girls took me down once, you’re probably the only ones qualified.”

Tiana frowned.

“We meant only to stop by for a greeting. Volka is keeping us quite busy.”

“Now who’s shirking their training?” The Gigas countered, still stretching; “Volka won’t mind if I borrow you. And it will give you a chance to see if Milly is up to snuff as well.”

“There are only six of us here. And we had help from the Dryads when we bested you before, not to mention we had Yana.” Riya, one of the other Brael Amazons, observed.

As a warrior, she was intrigued with the prospect of a rematch with the powerful Gigas, but at the same time she had to be realistic.

If Nina held nothing back and fought them for real,