DAUGHTERS OF THE SKY
The Adventures of Azure and Sapphire
Episode 1 The
Slavers of El Arish
Chapter 1 The Sky Maidens
Thousands of feet below, the brilliant green
landscape of Lemuria rolled past beneath Azure and her sister Sapphire. It was
their first solo adventure, and the sisters exchanged a glance, the incredible
cerulean blue of their eyes glowing like the most brilliant of gems. The two
astonishingly beautiful young women were alike in every way except hair color,
which was not surprising considering that their mother had given birth to them
only minutes apart seventeen years ago.
Sapphire’s silver-white tresses blew wildly in the
wind, while Azure’s waist-length raven mane was controlled in a single thick
braid that hung down to the small of her back. Other than that, it would have
been difficult to have told the two beauties apart.
Both of the charming damsels were mounted on
magnificent flying beasts that resembled enormous gryphons. The tremendously
powerful wings of each huge creature spanned thirty feet from wingtip to
wingtip. Their hindquarters were those of a lion, but the forequarters ended
not in paws, but in powerful four-taloned claws. No reins guided the giant
avians, but instead the two girls relied upon voice commands and the gentle pressure
of their knees to direct their steeds in the direction they wanted to go. The
gryphons had been a part of the two warriors’ lives since they had been old
enough to walk. The girls had been introduced to the two creatures when the
gryphons were only fledglings and a deep bond had developed between them. Azure
called her gryphon, a female, "Sky" and Sapphire had
named her male gryphon, "Fire." They were
formidable fighting creatures and made the two young women almost invincible
under normal circumstances.
The young warriors were strikingly dressed. A silver
diadem encircled Sapphire’s forehead, while Azure’s head was crowned with a
diadem of gold. In the center of each band was a blazing red ruby, the emblem
of their Sisterhood.
Azure’s arms were ringed with gold armbands and
Sapphire’s with silver. A white cloak trimmed with blue protected each of the
riders from the high altitude rays of the sun. In keeping with each girl’s
chosen style, Azure’s cloak was secured with a light gold chain and Sapphire’s
with silver. About each of their slender necks hung an amulet on which was
mounted each girl’s name gem; azurite for Azure and a sapphire for her sister.
A silken strap over each shoulder secured a vest of
the finest chain mail to each girl’s torso. Its gleaming metal gleamed with he
brightness of a mirror where the sunlight touched it. A glittering belt girdled
each girl’s waist - silver for Sapphire and gold for Azure. The belts supported
swords forged by the greatest armorers of Lemuria. Their keen-edged blades were
capable of sheering through steel.
Each woman’s ensemble was completed by a short white
skirt and thigh-length black boots. But it was not their clothes and weapons
that caught the eye of most persons who saw them, but rather their incredible
beauty.
Each of the almost-identical twins was stunningly
beautiful, standing about five-foot-nine inches tall. Their tanned bodies were
exquisitely muscled attesting to a life spent in hard martial training. Long
legs merged into delicate buttocks which narrowed to tiny waists. High perfect
breasts completed a picture of incredible beauty.
Azure flashed her sister a brilliant smile. It lit
up her high-cheekboned face. She and Sapphire were on their first mission away
from their Sisterhood. As novices, neither of the young women as yet bore the
mark of the warrior. That was a badge that had to be earned in battle.
The Prioress had chosen a relatively simple task for
their first mission. Azure and Sapphire were the most gifted novitiates she had
ever trained, but she wanted to start them off slowly. Experience was a
precious commodity best accumulated a little at a time. As a result, she had
sent the enticing duo on a routine flight to one of the more distant outposts
of the Sisterhood of the Blood Ruby. Their mission was to escort a
caravan of precious stones from the gem mines of Ulthor to the trading town of
Cyban. Such caravans were sometimes subject to attacks from roving bands of
bandits, but it was nothing that two such highly trained warriors could not
handle.
The gryphons moved with tremendous speed, covering
in minutes what would have taken a person on foot several days. Hills, valleys,
fields, and towns passed below them. Both young women were fascinated by the
ever-changing panorama. They had, of course, flown before, but never this far
from the sacred cloister where they had trained since infancy. They were
experiencing a whole new world and were enjoying every minute of it.
Azure’s gryphon suddenly gave a sharp cry. Its
telescopic eyesight had picked up something far below.
"Down," Azure commanded. The huge
creature folded its wings and dropped like a stone. Sapphire repeated the order
and followed directly behind her.
"Eeeeyaah!" Sapphire gave a little cry
of joy. Diving at high speed always gave her a thrill. She enjoyed the rush of
excitement she always felt in free fall. Next to her Azure’s face was also
alight with exultation. Both young women were exhilarated by a feeling of
independence and duty. They were finally on an independent mission. Their long
years of arduous training were about to be put to the test.
"Slow," Sapphire commanded.
Immediately each of the gryphons leveled off, circling the tall trees. The
gryphons were now only a few hundred feet over the dark green of the forest.
Just below them was a small clearing in the center of which was a farmstead.
What each of the young women saw filled her with a quiet rage.
A band of forest brigands had descended upon the
small farm and had taken the farmer and his family prisoner. Such farms were
usually left alone by most of the marauding forest bandits, as they had little
of value and could be used as a source of food and supplies. However, on this
farm the forest thieves had stumbled upon something valuable, the farmer’s two
comely daughters. Azure guessed that the two girls were no older than about
twelve or thirteen. The two frightened young women had been trussed up in
preparation for marching them off into the forest. The robbers no doubt
intended to either sell them into slavery or to make use of them themselves.
The farmer and his wife, taken by surprise had
offered little resistance. It probably would have made little difference if
they had. They were outnumbered seven to one and were poorly armed and had no
military training. They too had been tied hand and foot, and could only watch
helplessly as the robbers prepared to lead their children away.
It was the weeping of the young girls and the
wailing of her parents that Azure’s gryphon had heard. Azure’s mouth clenched
in a straight line, as did Sapphire’s. Each of the warriors reached for her
bow, which was slung just in front of her knee.
The gryphons circled lower, closing the range to
less than a hundred yards. Azure bent her powerful compound bow until the arrow
was next to her ear and let fly. The barbed missile struck one of the robbers
who was holding one of the girls just below his collarbone. With a gurgling
scream, he fell to his knees, clutching at the feathered shaft, the point of
which projected a good foot from the lower part of his back. Next to him a
second robber took Sapphire’s arrow in the throat. He tried to scream, but his
larynx was pierced through. He fell, blood pouring from his mouth.
For a few seconds the stunned robbers simply stood
where they were, paralyzed with surprise and fear. That hesitation cost two
more of them their lives, as two more arrows struck home. The three remaining
villains took to their heels. They still did not know where the attack had come
from, but they had no intention of remaining where they were. Shouting oaths
they disappeared into the thick cover of the forest.
"Land," Azure commanded. The gryphon
folded its wings and dropped into the clearing, followed closely by Sapphire.
The small clearing was just large enough for both of the gryphons to set down.
Upon reaching the ground both of the women warriors dropped from their mounts,
their bows still at the ready. But there was no threat from the robbers. Their
flight could be easily heard as they crashed through the forest.
The amazed victims of the forest bandits could
hardly believe their eyes. The women warriors of the Sisterhood of the Blood Ruby
lived in legend among all the peoples of Lemuria, but the farmer and his family
had never expected to meet any of them, much less be rescued so unexpectedly.
Azure and Sapphire made short work of the ropes
binding the farmer and his family. As they were released the four peasants
crowded about their rescuers, thanking them again and again. Somewhat
embarrassed by all the attention, the warrior maidens blushed and stood
awkwardly in the midst of the grateful family.
"We cannot repay you for so great a
service," said the grateful mother, "but you must stay with us for
the midday meal. It will be but peasant fare, but we will give you the best we
have."
Sapphire and Azure would rather not have had their
journey delayed, but realized that it would have been bad manners not to accept
the hospitality of the forest family. The farmer and his family wanted
desperately to show their appreciation for what the two women had done, and
they had nothing else that they could offer. And so they accepted the meal,
while at the same time declining the family’s offer to stay the night,
explaining that their gryphons also needed food and they would have to fly to
the next town to find a sufficient quantity of meat for the huge beasts.
They had lost a little bit of time due to their
little adventure, but both young warriors were exhilarated by their experience.
It did not count toward gaining their mark, as there had been no hand to hand
combat against anyone who could be considered their equal, but it was their
first triumph. They had made their first step toward full-fledged warrior
status.
The gryphons slowly gained altitude. They were not
powerful flyers so much as they were soarers. They used the slow beat of their
wings to gain elevation and then rode thermals to greater heights. They could
stay aloft for hours, riding the air currents and conserving their strength.
When they dove, however, their striking power could be devastating. Azure could
remember the time when she had seen a wild gryphon pick up an entire cow and
carry it away seemingly without effort.
By early evening they were approaching the first
stage of their journey, the small woodland town of White Falls. It was situated
at a point where a river descended into deep gorge, forcing boats to unload
their cargo and transport the goods by land either upstream or downstream
before continuing the river journey.
The Sisterhood had long protected the important
forest junction and the two novices were welcomed warmly. They were provided
with food, lodging, and meat for the gryphons.
They rose early the next morning and prepared to
depart. As they mounted their gryphons, however, they were greeted by the town
mayor. "I regret to delay you, but news of danger was brought to me while
you slept. A caravan from the Great Sand Waste to the south has been delayed by
brigands. There is a danger that they will overwhelm the caravan’s escort and
despoil its cargo. Many innocent lives will be lost. We would try to send help,
but I fear that all may be lost before we complete the two-day journey."
Both young women nodded. "The Sisterhood would
be pleased to aid the people of White Falls," said Sapphire. "We will
see to it immediately."
The gryphons pushed strongly into the air. Azure and
Sapphire turned their mounts south. Two hours later, they were gliding high
over the fringes of the Great Sand Waste. They followed the road, expecting to
pick up the caravan. Soon, it came into sight. The brigands had chosen the site
of their ambush well. The caravan, consisting of about 150 camels and a hundred
armed escorts, was trapped in a deep canyon. It was hemmed in both front and
back by several hundred heavily armed men. They were using their elevated
position to rain arrows on the outnumbered escort and had already killed and
wounded over two dozen men.
It presented a problem for the two warriors, as the
wingspan of their gryphons was too great to allow them to safely enter the
narrow defile. They would have to dismount and attack on foot. First, however,
they swooped over the outlying forces of the brigands and rained arrows down on
the surprised foe.
The aim of the two female warriors was deadly in the
extreme. Every arrow they shot found a mark. Panic ensued amongst the brigands
as they came under this unexpected attack. Men dashed in all directions,
seeking some sort of shelter from the aerial assault. Soon there was a complete
absence of targets and the two women guided the gryphons toward the ground.
They did not allow the two huge flying creatures to land, but donned their
helmets, grabbed their shields, and dropped the last few feet to the ground.
The brigands they were up against were skilled
fighters. Both Azure and Sapphire recognized them from pictures they had
studied when in training. They were the Bedouw, a tribe of desert warriors
known for their skill with the sword and the bow. This would be the first real
test of the novices’ combat skills.
The two women closed with the enemy as quickly as
they could. It was better to engage them in close combat as quickly as possible
to prevent the possibility that they might sit back and shower the women with
arrows.
A few shafts were launched their way, but these were
easily deflected by their shields, and then they were amongst the foe, striking
hard with their sharp blades.
The swords wielded by the two heroines were of the
finest steel in all Lemuria and they were handled by two of its greatest
swordswomen. Azure and Sapphire cut a swath through the enemy, hacking off
limbs, and ripping open the bodies of their less skilled opponents. To the
Bedouw it was as if they had been set upon by demons. Never before had they
seen the like of these two young women who seemed invincible in battle.
The reputation of the Bedouw, however, was not
without foundation. Momentarily stunned by the ferocity of the unexpected
attack, they fell back, but rallied around one of their leaders.
Mahmoud Ben Aben, was one of those rarities in combat,
a man who could think clearly in the heat of battle. He saw that none of his
men could stand up to the assault of the two women, but did not give up. Even
as his men fell before the sweeping blades of the amazon warriors, he gathered
a small group of men about him. Spreading his men out, they allowed the
charging heroines to penetrate their ranks, and then closed in from the back
and sides. They did not, however, seek combat with the two deadly females, but
instead each man pulled from his belt a bola. Such a weapon was not normally
used by the Bedouw in combat, being mainly a tool for catching small game, but
Mahmoud reckoned it would now serve as his best weapon against the incredible
fury of the two young women.
More than a dozen bolas were launched all at once.
Both Sapphire and Azure saw the objects swirling toward them and did their best
to block them. Had they been ordinary missiles they would have presented little
danger, as they would have caught them on their shields and swords, but this time,
such a defense played right into Mahmoud’s hands.
Azure intercepted a half dozen of the bolas,
catching three on her shield and three on her sword. Instead of being knocked
to the ground, however, the whirling missiles wrapped themselves around both the
shield and the blade of her sword. For a brief instant, while she struggled to
disentangle her weapons from the ensnaring ropes of the bolas, she was
defenseless. At that moment, Mahmoud’s men closed in, swarming over the young
beauty.
A few feet away, Sapphire met the same fate. A score
of hands laid hold of her, grabbing at any part of her body they could reach.
Now a desperate struggle ensued, as Mahmoud’s men sought to wrestle the two
heroines into submission. There was no thought of killing them. All of the men
had recognized the two women for what they were, members of the Sisterhood
of the Blood Ruby, and therefore more greatly prized than any treasure.
Each of the young women, alive, was worth a king’s ransom on the slave market.
Both of the sisters had been trained in the arts of
unarmed combat, but they were simply overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of their
attackers. A man caught at Azure’s long braid, pulling her head back. Two more
grabbed her left arm and another two seized hold of her right. Two men wrapped
their arms tightly about her slender waist, and five held on tenaciously to her
kicking legs. Having grappled with her, the eleven Bedouw then held on to the
bucking, writhing, and heaving female for all they were worth. It was like trying
to hold a wild horse. The strength of the amazon warrior was beyond anything
any of them had ever experienced in a woman, or even in most men for that
matter, but they kept hold of her, while others ran to get ropes to bind her
arms and legs.
Sapphire gave a mighty heave, shaking loose many of
her attackers, but several maintained their grip, and the others immediately
pounced on her again. One of the men was already carrying a rope, which he
skillfully looped abut her thighs, binding them together. With only her arms to
worry about, they were soon able to completely immobilize her, despite her
almost panic stricken struggles. As in the case of Azure, her captors were
amazed at her great strength. It took six of them to hold her and slowly force
her arms behind her back where they could be bound and controlled.
Azure fought in quiet desperation. The only sounds
she made were grunts of exertion and her heavy breathing as she battled for her
freedom. Somehow she had to get her arms free so that she could pick up her
sword and fight her way out of her hopeless situation. Even a few seconds of
freedom would enable her to use her martial arts skills to devastate her
opponents and gain a little more room. But it was not be. She began to tire, as
the sheer effort of heaving almost a dozen men about wore her out. Suddenly she
felt what she dreaded most, the touch of hemp rope upon her skin. Redoubling
her efforts in one last incredible outburst of energy, she almost broke free,
but did not have the strength needed to completely shake loose from her
captors. Slowly she felt her arms being pulled behind her as the ropes were
pulled tight. For the first time in the battle, she felt fear, as she realized
that she had been totally immobilized. She was completely at the mercy of her
captors!
Sapphire too was in despair. Her long legs were now
completely bound with several lengths of rope being looped about them. Other
ropes had been lashed to her wrists and upper arms and these were now drawn
tight, forcing her arms behind her. She struggled to the end, but soon found
that she was quite helpless. She could move neither her legs nor her arms. She
glanced over at her sister and saw that she was bound as tightly as she was.
They had been taken prisoner and now awaited the cruel attention of their
captors!