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

she and her sisters would likely all perish; to have a chance against a giant, the Amazons would need numbers.

Recognizing her objections, Nina was quick to find a way around them.

“Yeah, but I was also a Tenebrae, all out of control and shit. And this time-” She moved to the side of the ring and let her hammer fall to the ground with a heavy thump; “You’ll have a different advantage.”

The vast majority of her strength lived in her hammer, without it she wasn’t much stronger than Milly.

To best her before, the Amazons had to pry her fingers off of it one at a time while the Dryads kept her pinned with their magic.

A breathless silence settled on that part of the training grounds, the few other monster girls and humans in them pausing in their practice to observe.

Tiana and Riya, the strongest amongst the Brael girls aside from Yana, shared a quick look.

There was really only one thing to be done; never ones to back down from a challenge, the Amazons cast their spears to the side in a unified clatter.

Roused again from her nap, Erica watched with some concern, her tail swishing in agitation.

“Whoa, is that actually happening?” She called out to Milly, likewise watching breathlessly.

“I guess it is.”

“You should come sit with me then lover, because you are way too close.”

The Minotaur cleared the field, not wanting to get caught up in something that was very likely to prove extremely violent.

Strolling back into the center of the circle of dirt, Nina tilted her head to one side to crack her neck, before interlacing her fingers and likewise cracking her knuckles.

“Don’t stop coming at me until I tell you, or until I can’t tell you.” The Gigas ordered, all kidding aside as she focused.

Tiana nodded and made several gestures at her sisters to get them in position all around the tiny red girl.

“As you wish. We will not hold back, so neither should you.”

Nina snorted.

“Fat chance of-”

One of the Amazons behind her let out a harsh cry and kicked her between the shoulder-blades, immediately pitching her forwards and to the ground.

Though she wasn’t expecting it, the tiny red girl managed to turn the sudden momentum into a roll, absorbing the worst of the blow.

When she was back on her feet she was beset on all sides.

The Amazons moved with purpose to contain her, but Nina drew on all of her experience in the arenas to evade them; she bit, she slapped, she punched and she squirmed, struggling free of their grasping arms and even diving between their legs like a greased piglet to delay the inevitability of her capture.

It took the blonde haired warriors almost four minutes to corral her, by the end of which not a one of them wasn’t sporting a nasty bruise somewhere from the giant’s tiny fists.

Each of Nina’s limbs was held by two of them, spreading her out to hang in the air, only then did she admit defeat.

“Not bad!” She barked, her exposed naval hollowing with each heavy breath; “Now let’s do it again!”

They did, and then another time after that.

While they were at it, Erica went back to sleep and Milly resumed her own training, working through the forms that the Amazons had taught her with her black spear.

In the middle of working through one of the more intricate routines she sensed someone behind her and hard-won instincts from constant Nina-ambushes made her spin in place and thrust the padded end at them.

She stumbled backwards in surprise though when her weapon rebounded off of Volka’s glowing shield.

“A fine strike, my sister!” The Valkyrie complimented; “Though remind me not to hug you from behind anymore!”

Milly blushed at the mishap.

“I’ve seen what happens to people you sneak up on.” She countered with a bit of a sulk; “Which is it this time? A mean note? Or is it ice?”

Volka clutched at her heart dramatically, eyes closed as if mortally wounded.

“Ah! Such distrust! Though fair.” She moved closer, her eyes warm; “Actually, today it is merely a kiss.”

Milly pout melted away as they shared a tender embrace, though it was marred slightly by Nina swearing at the Amazons doing their best to stomp her into the dirt.

“You bitches need to try harder! I didn’t even feel that!” She roared.

The Valkyrie and the Minotaur broke apart to watch them, but soon returned their attention to each other, sitting together on the end of the bench where Erica was napping.

“You have grown to be quite skilled with Kar’s weapon.” Volka offered; “She would be proud of you.”

Milly smiled sadly, but shook her head as she looked down at the spear lying across her lap.

“I just wish it wasn’t black now. I sometimes feel like I let her down by dirtying her mother’s weapon like this.”

“Any Amazon would consider the blood of such a foe-” Volka began.

“I know! I do, it’s just a feeling I get sometimes.”

One of the angel’s wings wrapped around the Minotaur’s shoulders, a loving blanket of soft feathers that made her feel as secure and protected as her shield would.

“Milly, precious Milly... Of all of the Minotaurs that I have known, from any of the herds that followed my people into battle, you are amongst the most gentle and kind.”

Naturally Milly blushed deeply at the blatant and even extravagant praise.

“Gosh, I mean. I’m not that special.”

But Volka’s fingers found her lips as her other arm encircled her waist.

“You are. You really are. Life has taken much from you, as it has from all of us, yet you still hang on to hope where others would have long since succumbed to despair.”

Her golden eyes, so full of passion and life, held the Minotaur’s baby blues