Amazonia

  The entrance to Caravan House had been built in a Greco style, with carved pillars flanking the entrance, guarded by a pair of Daemo warriors wearing the black, pitted armor made out of their secretions, but holding wooden spears with steel tips. Inside, the first room’s floor held a worn mosaic of men and women in togas and flowing dresses feasting, with a courtyard beyond and doorways to either side.

  The doorway on the left held a tiled counter, with a large, armored Daemo behind it so angular that it resembled a wood carving come to life. “This is Mol,” Lady Alexina said, “my guard captain. Turn your weapons into Mol’s care and they will be well protected.”

  “Normally I’ve got a few of my boys doing this,” Mol said in a gruff voice as he turned towards Amazonia, “but when Mistress Alexina told me you were coming, I took it upon myself to keep your Rune sword safe.”

  “Mol was a Chaldean Wardog in ancient Babylonia,” Lady Alexina said, “who died in a Reaver Knight’s service.”

  “I have lived, died, and been reborn in the spawning pits many times since then,” Mol said as Amazonia’s eyes widened. “I don’t remember anything about those days, but I do know I got a lot of respect from the Mistress of the Eastern Pit this last time when I crawled out. Mistress Alexina filled in the gaps I cannot remember, including how important your Rune sword is to you. So, I will guard your sword with my life until it’s time for you to depart.”

  Dancer asked, “Can’t Az keep it with her?”

  “My iron bound rule is for all weapons to be turned in until the person or persons leave.” Mol gave him a steady look. “If I bend the rules for her…”

  Mol let his words hang and Amazonia nodded. “You’ve got to bend it for all,” she said, unstrapping the sword belt she wore like a baldric. “How can I be sure no one’s going to sneak a weapon in under their cloak?”

  “Because all Daemo can smell both Ironwood and steel,” Mol replied as Titan handed over his massive sword. “A little metal is to be expected, belt buckles and whatnot, but anyone stinking of iron gets stopped.”

  Troll asked, “What if they won’t give up their weapons?”

  “Then they’re asked to leave, and if they won’t…” Mol grinned. “I always enjoy myself when they won’t leave.”

  “I really like this guy,” Troll said as he gave over his great-sword.

  “Love at first sight,” Dancer replied, giving over his spear.

  The Nomads handed Mol their katanas, and Amazonia reluctantly gave Mol her Rune sword, feeling a pang of loss as the sheathed weapon left her hands. It must’ve shown on her face, because Lady Alexina said softly, “What you are feeling is Antoninus’ spirit becoming upset. It will pass when he realizes you are in no danger.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Lady Alexina motioned for them to follow her into the courtyard. “Quite sure.” The courtyard was paved in white marble, with a small pool in the center possessing a fountain of two intertwined fish pouring water out of their open mouths. Each side had several doorways leading deeper into the building. An older boy in a white tunic and sandals stood next to the fountain, and as she motioned towards him, she said, “Marcus will escort your Wardogs to the male baths, while Ghost takes Amazonia to the female one. Then—”

  “Fox, Mistress Alexina. My name is now Fox.”

  The tall Daemo gave Fox an odd look. “Already?” Fox nodded, and her expression grew thoughtful. “It would seem Jhadra has a talent for this. Regardless,” Lady Alexina’s voice becoming brisk, “once you are both finished, take Amazonia to the Blue chamber where the table will be laid. Oh, and take your time in the baths; the drama will not begin until the sun has well and truly set. Titan, bring young Paulus, and I will escort you both to my quarters where my servants will attend to you.”

  “But I’m Az’s squire now,” Paulus whined. “I’m supposed to attend her.”

  Lady Alexina turned and bent down so she and the boy were at eye level. “Paulus, you will become her squire at dawn tomorrow. Tonight, we need to keep you hidden away so no one will be tempted to abduct you, as Lord Eurax, who doubtless will be attending tonight, wants to do.” Terror seized the boy’s face and she placed a hand on his shoulder as she smiled. “Have no fear. After you have bathed and eaten, my servant will lead you and Titan both through a tunnel to a secret room behind Dionysus’ throne, where you can watch the play from the front row center.”

  As Lady Alexina stood back up, Titan raised an eyebrow. “Will there be enough room?”

  She shrugged. “You will have to sit, and Paulus stand if you both wish to see the play, but there will be room. Come,” and the Daemo led the two of them away as the boy Marcus beckoned for the men to follow him towards a doorway on the right.

  Fox led Amazonia towards a doorway on the left, which led into a hallway. The floor had a mosaic of geometric patterns that repeated themselves, while the walls were stucco painted a sea blue. After a few moments, Az began smelling water, the air growing humid as they walked into a large chamber with more doorways leading off it and four stone tables in the center.

  The chamber also had stone benches built into each wall, and as they entered, two human women in white tunics down to their knees, one fair skinned while the other’s skin was nut brown, rose to their bare feet. “Be welcome in this place,” the taller, blond-haired woman said. “I am Rina, and this is Imren. Mistress Alexina gave us instructions to attend to you both, so if you will remove your armor—”

  “I should be the one attending to Domina,” Fox said, folding her skinny arms across her chest plates.

  The young woman blinked. “Ghost, when did you grow a backbone?”

  “Her name’s Fox,” Amazonia said, “and yes, you may attend to us both.”

  Fox whirled around. “But, Domina—”

  “You need a bath as much as I do,” Amazonia replied, a touch of exasperation in her voice, “and if this includes a rubdown, you deserve one after your bravery in the arena.”

  The slender, dark haired woman beside the blond squeaked, “You were in the arena?”

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  Fox nodded, then unexpectedly winced. “Domina, is this your will?”

  Az frowned. “Yes, it is. What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing, now,” Fox said as the discomfort on her face eased. “May I at least help you unbuckle your armor?” Mystified, Amazonia nodded, and once she was out of her armor, the two women undressed Fox as well

  Neither wore any other clothing save the traditional loincloth and the cloth band across their breasts, and as Amazonia removed hers while the two women disrobed Fox, Az heard a sharp intake of breath behind her. “Now I understand your new name,” the blond woman said. Az turned around.

  The dark red image of a fox was tattooed on the Daemo’s back, so realistic that, for a moment, Amazonia thought it real. Its claws had been drawn as if dug into her back as well as its teeth. “You’re bleeding a little,” Az said, striding over to rub her forefinger along one of the drawn teeth. It came back with a milky white liquid which immediately dissolved, leaving her finger dry. “Did one of the Monsters cut you?”

  Fox shook her head. “The tattoo holds a Huli Jing, an ancient spirit of Xian that Lady Jhadra embedded inside it. The fox spirit has some definite ideas about what I should be doing and isn’t afraid to let me know.”

  “Well, not tonight,” Amazonia said, placing her hand on Fox’s shoulder. “You are to enjoy yourself and not worry about attending me unless something happens. This is my will.”

  Fox smiled. “Yes, Domina.”

  Az patted her shoulder and let go. “Now, where’s the hot pool? I really, and I mean really, want to soak for a while.”

  Fox led her through a doorway to the next room, most of it taken up by a rectangular pool, and through the doorway beyond. Steam rose from the surface of a pool only large enough to hold a half dozen females, the walls covered with mosaics of Daemo females in a jungle of strange plants. The water was hot enough that Amazonia had to ease herself in, but didn’t seem to bother Fox a bit, for she hopped into the pool and submerged herself under the surface. As Amazonia slid down all the way with a grateful sigh, Fox came up for air. “Domina, gratitude. Heart-longing for hot water.”

  “You and me both.” As Amazonia felt the tension in her muscles ease, she studied the mosaics on the walls. “Are these depictions of your homeland?”

  Fox glanced up at the mosaics. “They are supposed to be, Domina, but the human laying the colored tiles refused to add details, like the stalks with eyes attached to them on the blight berry, or the way strangler vines wrap themselves around their victims. He told Mistress Alexina it would frighten the human females using the baths.”

  Amazonia snorted. “Hades hairy eyeballs, it would frighten me, and I don’t scare easily.” She regarded the Daemo for a moment. “Is your entire world like that?”

  “Pretty much. Everything in the Underworld is active to some degree and at least semi-intelligent, so when you travel outside the cities, you have to stay wary.”

  “I’ve heard the skies there rain blood.”

  Fox smiled. “We should be so fortunate. Domina, instead of water, the skies rain down a liquid we can live off of if nothing better’s available, which the plants also feed off of.”

  “When there’s nothing better available?”

  “Exactly. Daemo only feed off each other when there’s no other choice, but the plants have no problem dining on other plants or on us, if we’re unwary enough to get caught. Unlike the plant life here, in the Underworld, everything’s active.”

  Thinking about a land where the plants ate people, Amazonia shuddered. “Remind me to never visit. Why do they call it the Underworld, anyway?”

  “Because our world’s a big, hollow ball we live inside. I’ve never been to the surface, but supposedly it’s a barren wasteland where the air’s poison and nothing ever grows.” Fox shook her head. “I don’t ever want to go back there.”

  “I don’t blame you.” Amazonia, beginning to sweat, decided she’d had enough. “I’m going to cool off in the long pool,” she said, pushing herself out of the water. Fox moved as if she’d join her until Az gently pushed her back down. “I need a little time by myself. Soak as long as you want, then join me when you’re ready.”

  “Yes, Domina,” Fox said, sliding back down into the hot water.

  Amazonia padded through the doorway towards the long pool, knelt down beside it, and hopped in, making hardly a splash. Then she pushed off the side and began swimming with long strokes. When she’d been a girl known as Tagwizult, her village had been nestled in a sheltered cove, living off the bounty the sea provided, and she’d learned to swim in the ocean. After a few trips back and forth, Az stopped to rest along the far end of the pool. Her hand unconsciously went to her throat.

  “I used to do that all the time after Mistress Alexina broke my collar.” Amazonia looked up. The dark-haired young woman, Imren, standing near the edge of the water, knelt down less than an arm’s span away. “It’s like I couldn’t believe she’d actually freed me. I used to wake up in the middle of the night, terrified that it had all been a dream and I was still enslaved. Then I’d touch my neck and settle back down again.”

  “Lady Alexina doesn’t keep slaves?”

  The dark-haired woman shook her head. “No Daemo will enslave another or keep a person enslaved… though they do let themselves become slaves and wear the collars, but only if their human masters agree to meet their needs.”

  Amazonia frowned. “You say Daemo don’t keep slaves, yet when I first met Fox today, she wore a slave collar little different from my own.”

  The woman’s lowered her eyes. “Mistress, it’s not my place to tell tales, but no, she wasn’t a slave. The collar was in place for a different reason. When you’re ready,” the woman’s eyes meeting Amazonia’s again, “I will massage your muscles, then Rina will rub you down with oil made from golden olives and scrape you clean.”

  Amazonia pulled herself out of the pool and stood up. “I’m ready now,” she said, letting the obvious change of conversation pass. “What about Fox?”

  The woman’s expression turned sardonic. “Ghost… crave pardon, Fox, will soak in the hot pool until the very last moment possible. Rina’s good at estimating sizes,” she went on as they walked out of the room into the larger one, “and now that she’s seen you, she’ll get clothing that will fit.” The woman hesitated. “Although I’m not sure we have any dresses large enough to fit your frame.”

  “A tunic’s fine,” Amazonia replied, stopping beside the longest stone table. “What do you want me to do?”

  “Lie down on your stomach, and I’ll begin.” Amazonia did so, and the woman began working on the knots in her muscles, loosening kinks Az didn’t even know she had. Blond haired Rina returned a short time later with a dark blue tunic and trousers, embroidered lion heads at the hems and the inseam, along with a matching dress for Fox, and set them on a bench. She waited until the Imren finished before bringing out a ceramic pot of oil from a shelf built into the stone table, and began rubbing it into Amazonia’s skin.

  Then she took a bronze tool with a dull, flat blade ending in a hook, and began scraping the oil off Amazonia’s skin into a small leather bucket. Amazonia knew she should’ve felt vulnerable, letting someone she didn’t know get close to her with a blade in her hand, especially when Rina began delicately scraping the intimate parts of her body. But at that moment Az didn’t care. For the first time in her life, she was being treated as if she was a noblewoman, or even an ordinary citizen with money. Tomorrow, she’d have to shoulder the burden of finding a way to make her mission succeed. Tonight she didn’t have to do anything except just be herself.

  Or so she hoped. As Rina finished scraping off the last of the oil, Imren fetched the Daemo from the hot pool, drying her off with a large, thick cloth. As Amazonia took her time climbing off the table and stood up, Fox’s eyes widened. “Domina, you look like a polished statue of onyx come to life. You’re beautiful!”

  Amazonia snorted. “I may be many things,” she said, giving Fox a sardonic look, “but beautiful won’t ever be one of them.”

  “Mistress,” Imren said as Rina began cleaning off her scraping tool, “Fox is right.”

  “Not in the way of Aphrodite,” Rina added, looking up as she put the bronze tool away, “but as Athena the Huntress. She is the goddess of war, yet also the keeper of wisdom, and I see both in your face.”

  Amazonia, at a loss for words, fell back on old habits. “Don’t tell Troll that,” she said as she began getting dressed, “or I’ll never hear the end of it.”

  “Domina,” Fox said in a serious voice, “he wouldn’t dare. None of us would.” Amazonia’s expression must have shown both her surprise and wariness, for the Daemo added, “We’re your Chaldean Wardogs now. We are your slaves, with our tattoos both our collar and the mage who dictates our punishments if we misbehave. We will never be free until the sword shatters.”

  “And what will Troll do on that day, I wonder?”

  Fox could only shrug.