In the Hall of the Mountain Queen (CasualVelociraptor x Alisa_Perne)

[Alisa_Perne]

"Find its price, and I shall pay it." Sita said without hesitation, "It is only fair that I help you in any way I possibly can with this endeavor, after all I am the one responsible for the disaster." She said, staring into Chloe's eyes, not really setting her gaze on her, just trying to show her true sincerity, then, a revelation hit her. "Chloe?" she asked, "I think I know what I am. I am poison." She stood up, "Everyone that gets close to me gets put in danger, or even dies, I destroy what others love and I only seek to satisfy my needs, I've tried to fuck every single one of you, and I go crazy when I can't, and now, I've taken something from you that you value the most, a book that told the history of the world to which there is no other copy and the last living descendant of its author may very well be dead." She stopped at the window and stared out of it, "Perhaps maybe you should all go before he gets here, leave me to die on my mountain alone, after all, I was cursed to stay here and do just that, I would rather die in a war against my most hated enemy rather than slowly wither away."

 

[CasualVelociraptor]

"Deal," Chloe beamed, going back to her usual cheerful self for a moment. "Besides, it's only a childish possession, and it was falling apart. Things can be replaced...people cannot. I learned that the hard way when I cared not for anything but my pain, and in a moment I'll always regret, and that I know Alice and Edward must resent me for...how do I even say this?" she wondered.

"As the Darkness overtook me, I accidentally shoved my own mother, Kate Guthrie, against a dresser drawer?" Chloe continued. She was phrasing that like a question because she wasn't entirely sure if that's what had happened. "How was I supposed to know she would hit her head against the wall and just...stop..."

She then closed her eyes, licked her lips, and squeezed out a couple errant tears. "Well, anyway, point is, I'm not letting anyone else die on my watch who doesn't deserve it. I'm trying to be better for her, for Alice, for everybody I care about. If I can, you can too. And while we're here- sorry if I've said this already, because sometimes I don't remember exactly what I say- I'm not giving up on you. Whatever you've done, whatever, you are not poison. Because..."

Chloe didn't know quite what she was going to say either. There was something wanting to burst out from her, of course, but she knew better.

"Because you're still alive. And while you're breathing, you can choose to change. You don't have much of a choice either, because I'm going to really put you to work for as long as it takes to fix this airship," is what Chloe settled on, then winked.

 

[Alisa_Perne]

"Giving me busy work to keep my mind off things?" she asked, "Well, I guess it would be good to have a purpose again, even if it is to get the only means you have of leaving this mountain running again, which will inevitably cause you to leave. No matter. I shall do it for you any way." She looked around almost as if just now realizing they were in Chloe's room. "Say, why did you want us to come up here anyway?" she asked.

 

[CasualVelociraptor]

“Oh, no reason,” Chloe said. The night thankfully concealed her blush. “Apart from that I was tired and wished to retire for the night, but I’m too busy to be tired now. It turns out I just needed a short break anyway.” Then she hastily cleared her throat and walked back out to the roof.

 

[Alisa_Perne]

"Chloe, wait...." Sita said, standing up and grabbing her by the wrist gently stopping her. "You are hiding something, tell me why you brought me here, you think that I couldn't see you blush, but I did, I smelled the blood running to your face and I felt the heat, please tell me what you want to tell me." she said, in earnest, wanting to know.

 

[CasualVelociraptor]

"I just was sweaty and flushed from repairing the airship, that's all," Chloe said, jerking herself away from Sita, then crossing her arms over her chest defensively. Meanwhile, Akari was getting a bit sleepy but pushed on with her task of sewing the fabric in place, Kalisha utilized the strength of her clockwork arm to lift materials and tools, and Sita also did a lot of heavy lifting. All three other women, however, were silent as they wondered whether to intervene in this conversation between Chloe and Sita and if so how.

 

[Alisa_Perne]

Sita pulled Chloe in close and looked into her eyes, "Chloe, tell me the truth." Sita whispered, "Do you like me?" She grinned.

 

[CasualVelociraptor]

“I think you’re alright,” Chloe said bluntly. The pilot was torn, wanting nothing more than to kiss the vampire and feel a cock inside her for the first time, especially one this fat, and long, and…argh, why did Sita have to like Alice?! Why had she destroyed her book?!?! She was so irresistible yet so punchable right now.

“Still sort of processing the whole…book thing, but we’ll get to friendship at some point soon, hopefully,” she then added, alongside her trademark grin. She didn’t have Alice’s street smarts and smooth wit, it was true, but for someone who had been cut off from the world for almost ten years, she had picked up how to bluff.

 

[Alisa_Perne]

"You're lying." Sita said, her eyes flashing to a hot pink, "I can hear it in your words, and you're bluffing. You may be book smart, and you may be well read, but you should have read the fine print about me. You cannot outwit me and you cannot mask your emotions." She was pushing Chloe's buttons as she did Alice, as she did everyone, she pushed, she poked till you exploded and told the truth.

 

[CasualVelociraptor]

“Look, I don’t have time for your pathetic schoolyard games!” Chloe exploded, and not in the way Sita would have liked, as her eyes started darkening. “I need to get this fucking piece of shit ship in the air so we can figure out what we’re up against, we can find a way off this rock before AN ENTIRE GODSDAMN ARMY kills us all, and I can find out what the hell happened to Alice and Edward! Okay?! Alright with you?”

“Oh, this is gonna be good,” Sajida grinned, always liking to see Sita squirm. Even if the vampire was secretly in love with the woman who had converted her to this life, she could be so needy sometimes, so the schadenfreude was piled high and Sajida would come for seconds. Well, that and Sita had physically abused Sajida multiple times…

But Sajida didn’t want to dwell on that, though she had threatened to hurt Sita back worse, also many times, if she ever acted like that again, and now she was fired up about Chloe being hurt and watching Sita like a hawk, feeling strangely protective of a Caledorian of all people. Perhaps it was also to cover her own guilt about using Chloe to get off and then treating it like a one night stand with a common whore.

Meanwhile, Kalisha sighed heavily. She’d nursed feelings for Sita for seven years and was glad she could be open with. But she AY haqqiqiyaaaa that girl could be denser than a rock and still float somehow! And she also noticed that Akari was unfazed, and almost inhumanly calm as she remained singularly focused on sewing. Kalisha might have to talk with Akari about what could be done, since she had a feeling that Akari could talk to Chloe, as a fellow member of the terrifying club of Darkness, about how to remain calm while Chloe could teach Akari how to open up.

 

[Alisa_Perne]

Sita put her hands up in surrender, she had gone too far too quickly, she aimed to push the girl over the edge and express the feelings she knew she had for Sita deep inside her, instead she only pushed her off the cliff of anger and frustration. "I'm sorry." she said, calmly, she was trying to be the new Sita, not the one that would lash out and snap Chloe's neck for her outburst, but a Sita that would admit her mistakes and ask for forgiveness, "I now understand the volatility of the situation more and I put you in a position you did not want to be in, I know I do not deserve it, but please, if you can find it in your heart to forgive me I would like that very much."

 

[CasualVelociraptor]

“No. Now let’s get back to work,” was all that Chloe huffed before she heel turned and walked away. Sajida narrowed her eyes, as she detected a bit of the haughty, commanding tone of an Imperial in her voice, but didn’t necessarily think Chloe was like that consciously. That was just what Caledorians were like when they had power in her experience. But in any event, Sita continued to use her strength to haul what needed to be lifted, and set aside the burdens of others.

For now.

Kalisha, ever the mother of the group, instinctively hugged Sita, trying to appease her wounded heart. With a kiss on her ear, she stroked the back of Sita’s neck and whispered, “I love you, Sita. You’ll always have me, and have for so many years before you even realized it. Just…you can be an acquired taste for some. Give her time. If she truly does have feelings for you, then she’ll say so.

“Hopefully she won’t take seven years,” Kalisha joked, “but even if so you need to be patient, baby. Promise me.”

 

[Alisa_Perne]

"I promise." Sita said, whispering in Kalisha's ear, "Tonight? You? Me?" she said biting her lip, gazing into Kalisha's eyes, "Just like old times? A hot bath, a bottle of wine, an old record, and nothing between us but bare skin and sheets." Sita could be charming when she wanted to, she could be as charming as a fox and twice as cunning, and normally her charms worked, but she was struggling with Chloe, not even just the getting in her pants part, but overall winning her over, she had won, then she destroyed the book, then won again a few moments ago, then quickly lost, with her words after she had grabbed Chloe, but with Kalisha, she never had to try again and she knew it.

 

[CasualVelociraptor]

“Mmmm…some other time, perhaps,” Kalisha yawned. Sita couldn’t have it easy with anyone, it seemed. “I’m pretty beat, but I’m going to be working as long as I can, and then telling you and Sajida how to fix this before I pass out.”

“Hey, I could go a few rounds after we get this overgrown balloon to the finish line if you want,” Sajida winked. “Just try to keep your paws off my throat and nails off my face this time,” the fisherwoman snidely said.

 

[Alisa_Perne]

Sita smiled, her eyes lit up, and she nodded eagerly, all the events washed away, even if she couldn't have Chloe, she would have Sajida, and that would sate her for now, slightly disappointed that she had been rejected by Kalisha, the bottle of wine and hot bath got her almost every time, but then again, just like now there were times when it didn't and besides, Kalisha did not outright reject her, she just said another time and gave a logical explanation as for why it was not happening tonight. "Hope you're ready Sajida." She winked and smiled as she continued to go about her busy work.

 

[CasualVelociraptor]

“Hey, gotta give you some incentive to get your lazy ass moving. Now help me lift this beam,” Sajida smirked, playfully sashaying her hips while hoisting the surprisingly intact pylon of dampfsteel.

 

[Alisa_Perne]

"Oh just incentive?" Sita said helping her hoist the beam, "You sure it isn't desire?" Sita said smirking and wiggling her eyebrows.

 

[CasualVelociraptor]

The early morning of Friday, June 16th, 1893

Sajida rebuffed Sita’s probing question, refused to say anything, and instead got to work, following Chloe and Kalisha’s precise instructions for every little part of this delicately engineered ship- including and especially how and where to place the clockwork pieces from Gambit’s body. But once the humans fell fast asleep from exhaustion, the poor dears, and were put to bed, Sajida and Sita worked on the airship for a few hours until the raw, ravenous angry tension between them consumed them.

Swept along by predatory lust, they retreated to Sita’s bedroom and fucked, in all of Sajida’s tight holes that were grateful for Sita’s cum, until the sun came up. And although Sajida still refused to say anything, even threatening to castrate her if she ever asked that question again, nothing really needed to be said yet, as Sita could now hear The Song of Sajida in its entirety and Sajida heard The Song of Sita as well, in the same strange manner as Kalisha and Sita had in the souldance when they’d first made love. All either woman knew deep inside was that this was different from the other sexual encounters they’d had, and this spurred a frenzied mating like few the world had ever known. They also understood how each other felt on instinct, even if words remained trapped in their throats.

What neither knew was that this psychic power around all the women who made love here was deeply rooted in the love Leela and Sita and then Alice and Sita had shared long ago, as well as the wave of love that Alice and her new husband, Jareth Williams, unbeknownst to anyone here (or even each other), had spread across the world a few days prior. All this heartsong had triggered something in the Ballad of Creation itself, and was concentrated in ley line convergences where magic, though faded, was strongest, like Radiant City and Mt. Klandethan.

For now, though, Sajida insisted on sleeping even though she didn’t need to, for she hadn’t been a vampire for as long as Sita had and had been well and truly pounded into an uncountable number of orgasms. The only other thing she urged was that Sita spoon her, at least for a few hours until Sajida opened her eyes again.

 

[Alisa_Perne]

The whole experience seemed to transcend more than just a sexual encounter with two beings who were deeply angry at each other and attracted all at the same time, it wasn't quite hate fucking but there was definitely more than just a primal need being sated here. Sita despite her long existence and vast attainment of knowledge never could explain it, even to this day, that night still remained a mystery to her. When it was over, Sita did lay next to Sajida and hold her and hug her, and, she never let go, not till morning, she didn't need to sleep either, but she was compelled to join Sajida and close her eyes as well, giving her one last kiss on the back of the neck before drifting off to a dreamless sleep.

 

[CasualVelociraptor]

Sajida sighed and yawned as she rose from her slumber. That had actually been a decent (or at least, sufficient for a mortal) level of sleep that she'd gotten. She was going to miss that well-rested feeling when the curse fully took hold in...how long would it be? A year? A decade? A century? Even still, she knew some tiny part of her that didn't realize she didn't have this need anymore would demand- was demanding- that she close her eyes, but she would not be able to. And she couldn't use that level of alertness that came with her vampire curse to hunt anything bigger or more sentient than deer. Bummer.

The oddest part, however, as she explained to Sita when she shook Sita to full activity, was that she had dreamed. That hadn't happened since the night she was turned seven years ago. Or at least, it seemed like a dream. There was no other way of explaining what happened when she dozed.

She'd been sitting on Nefaris itself, on the gaping maw of the crater left behind by the demons, that 12,000 year old scar, and looking upon the entire planet of Emada. The world was so much smaller from up here, yet so much more imposing. A true marvel as the twin suns danced around it. Perhaps even fascinating to her was the way that cities, those strange things made by so many ants from miles below, illuminated the dark side of the planet. Behind her as she leaned (carefully) around the moon, multitudes of asteroids, planets and stars, some discovered by science and some still cloaked in darkness. And to her left was...Shandara, the goddess who had supposedly saved her life as an infant.

"My Champion," Shandara said and kissed Sajida on the left cheek.

"What? I'm nobody's Champion. I'm just some dumbass fisherman's daughter from Bamba who had to be turned by a vampire."

"Then you do not know of the Grand Bargain? Shame. I don't have time to explain to you now. It took me a long time to break through the 'vampire,' as you call it, side of your mind."

"Yeah, that's the thing. I don't know who the fuck you are."

"You don't, nor could I give you a name from deep within your mind. But listen to me. This is important. Sleep every night from now on."

"But I can't. I'm a vampire."

"You are so much more than that, my dear. You can control that side of you if you will it. And your destiny demands that you do!"

"What destiny?"

"I know you have so many questions, Sajida Dhawan of Bamba. If you sleep more regularly, then I can show you better than I can tell you. Look upon this beautiful little world you call your home."

Sajida did as the strange dream lady from the moon told her to, and gazed upon angry clusters of fire that spread smoke across the world. "That is the war," Shandara (?) explained.

"The Final War? As in, the big bad Empire versus the equally suck-ass Confederation? We're seeing it in real time?" Sajida wondered. Such a conflict, and all the people dying to it, looked so small from here.

"Yes. But this small flame on dry grass that you call war is not truly final, not compared to what may happen if you do not leave this mountain and one day restore the Ballad."

"What Ballad? Can you stop talking in riddles?" Sajida demanded. She then felt an urge to bite Shandara, but her mouth phased through the ethereal neck.

"Remember who you really are: Sajida Dhawan, fisherman's daughter, snatched from Death itself. And my Champion. And you alone have the power to choose which world we become." Then the planet itself split apart with a wave of Shandara's hand and formed into three separate Worlds.

The First World appeared on her left.

The Second World on her right.

Then, finally, the Third World in the middle. Sajida liked the look of this one the best, as it most resembled the home she'd grown up in. Maybe even a little greener, more verdant.

And then, suddenly, a commotion appeared from behind her and had woken her up.

 

[Alisa_Perne]

"You know." Sita said smiling, "I sorta saved you too there, does that mean I have a part to play as well, even though I cursed you, it seems your goddess thinks it a gift." She smiled a fanged smile but it wasn't a menacing one, it was perfectly friendly, as most of her new companions knew just because she bared her teeth did not mean she had evil intent. "Tell me more about your goddess and what you think this dream means, it sounds like you are really the one that is going to save us all here, I hope that after you are this hero, you still have room in your heart for me."

 

[CasualVelociraptor]

“Hey, I’ll give you some credit for that, since I guess she did too by association,” Sajida joked and playfully punched Sita’s arm. “But nowhere did she call it a gift in those words. The only gifts you’ve really given me are a little bit more strength, speed, and an insatiable lust for human blood. How are these supposed to make me a heroine?

Sajida now pulled on her own hair and rocked on her haunches. “At least Akari and Chloe are able to use their Darkness for good, and Kalisha can hurl godsdamned lightning. So, what, am I gonna save the world by biting people? Does Shandara have some great ability she’ll bestow on me now? How am I going to force myself to sleep every day indefinitely…and for what?”

 

[Alisa_Perne]

"I think its time." Sita said, "My blood is in your veins, that means my power is yours, that means technically while I cannot reproduce by traditional means, that makes you my heir, which means when I die, if I ever die, you are the new queen of this mountain. You lot have changed me and I will work to build my legacy for good and do good things, but since I am coursing through your veins its time we really taught you what its like to be a vampire of the most powerful race. You are not just stronger and faster, as a member of my clan, are are the strongest and the fastest. Magic courses through your veins. You are a hero, we aren't evil, and we are going to prove that to the world." Sita smiled, hoping her speech made Sajida feel better.

 

[CasualVelociraptor]

“Thanks for…believing in me, I guess? But I don’t know how I’ll prove that to myself, much less the world…” Sajida started to say with the heavy sigh of one so burdened by the world so long. At least this time she could, and did, lean her head on Sita’s shoulder.

Before she could say or confess anything more, Kalisha belted out, “IT’S ALIIIIIVE!!!!”

This made Sajida bolt up to her feet, and run up to the roof of the massive castle on instinct to see what was going on, only to then realize it was bright outside and she had to remain in the shadows to appreciate the sight.

The Leaky Bucket was floating under its own power, free of any rope, with Chloe at the wheel. Looking on with pride were Kalisha, Akari and more than a dozen Shadow Accord fighters who had arrived in the middle of the night, then worked hard with them as soon as the three human girls had woken up this morning to make sure this got done. But with no whale oil in sight for a while and concerns about the steam tanks rupturing, it also landed on the roof seconds later.

And then, Sita could have sworn, let out a “Neiiiiigh…”

 

[Alisa_Perne]

Sita dashed to the roof behind Sajida and she bore the biggest fanged smile on her face as she saw the craft taking flight. She heard a familiar noise. "Gambit?" She said softly, approaching the ship, "Chloe....did you?" She said, "No....its not possible." she said. She approached the ship a little closer and looked it over, "How?" she asked.