S(he)-Devil with a Sword

Jamie burst into Gypsy's dressing room at the Pleasure Club without knocking. "You gotta stop him," he begged her. "He's gonna—"

"Too late." Gypsy shrugged a robe over her dance costume. "He already is."

"Sonuva—" Jamie raked his hand through his already-messy red hair. "He's gonna hurt hisself."

"It's a rubber sword, Jamie."

"I ain't talking about the sword."

Gypsy pursed her lips. Even she, a connoisseur of exotic costumes, had questioned Lamar's latest choice. But once a snake-shifter tossed his coils around a notion, he tended to squeeze it to death. There'd been no deterring him. "I voiced my concerns," she said. "It was all I could do. I have some salve for afterwards, if he needs it." She rested her hand on Jamie's shoulder. "Can you stand to watch?"

"Guess I better," Jamie grumbled. "Case I have to carry him offstage."

The performance had already started by the time Gypsy and Jamie reached the floor. Lamar was in the middle of a sinuous sword dance, writhing in ways only a snake could pull off without physical damage. The audience ate it up, forgetting even the food and steins of beer on the tables before them. When a crowd's made up of mostly predators, that's high praise indeed.

Jamie couldn't help wincing. "I can't believe he'd wear that. I can't believe she wears that."

Gypsy nodded in sympathetic agreement. "Ouch."

After the Amazon warrior had popped into existence in Talbot's Peak over a week ago, there'd been a minor fad at the Pleasure Club, with the dancers adopting warrior-woman garb. Gypsy herself had devised a variation on a Xena costume. It wasn't practical for fighting but allowed for adventurous dance moves.

Lamar had gone in a totally different direction. A flaming red wig and two brief strips of glittery metal barely inches away from a wardrobe malfunction. Calling it a bikini was being generous. Even for Lamar it was risqué.

"Is that real chain mail?" Gypsy asked.

Jamie nodded glumly. "He bought it off some cosplayer. They had a comic book convention down by the exit last year."

"Some poor human girl was wearing that?" Gypsy shook her head.

"It's a genuine Red Sonja costume, so he's been telling me. The theory is, the bad guys get distracted by her boobs and forget to fight. Lucky for her. That armor don't cover up scat."

"It covers enough. Just barely." Gypsy couldn't stop staring at the bottom half of what passed for Lamar's outfit. All that interlinked metal pressed up against a woman's most sensitive area. The mail didn't even leave room enough for protective panties underneath. She shuddered.

"It ain't so bad for him," Jamie said, interpreting Gypsy's queasy expression. "Snakes don't have body hair, and his personal property's tucked away in the pouch. The falsies protect his nipples. Still, it's gotta pinch. But you know Lamar. Anything for art."

"If he chooses to suffer for a performance, that's his decision. I wouldn't wear anything that dangerous, though. Not even after a wax."

"It's not about the performance so much. It's afterwards. He wants to wear it to bed. I ain't snuggling up against that. I got body hair."

Gypsy couldn't help but smile. "He wants you to be Conan?"

"I got nothing against that either. Wish I had the build for it. I ain't no Schwarzenegger. Hey, you know who'd make a terrific Conan? Sergei. Least he's got the muscles." Jamie gulped. "Aw scat."

"What?"

"I just pictured Sergei in a loincloth. With a sword. I think my balls just ran for cover."

Gypsy also imagined her massive lover in furry briefs, wielding a broadsword, with his long hair flying and his shaft at attention. She growled happily.

"What about Tarzan?" she asked Jamie once she got her voice back. "They always used to cast swimmers as Tarzan for the movies. They're not as bulky. And you'd get to wear a loincloth."

Jamie watched Lamar shake his near-naked ass at the audience. "Tarzan and Red Sonja?"

"Tarzan and Jane. The books were written back in the '20s, I think. Jane always dressed modestly. Nothing that threatened the skin. At least … " Gypsy's dimples appeared. "Until she put on the leopard-skin swimsuit."

"Yeah." Jamie looked thoughtful. "Boas are a jungle snake. Bet he'd go for that. Wonder if I can do the yell? It's pretty close to a howl."

"You'll be fine," Gypsy said absently. Her mind had drifted back to thoughts of Sergei in a Conan pose. All of a sudden she wanted her shift to be over. Somebody was going to be doing a lot of yelling tonight.

# # #

Which brings us to today's public service announcement. For all you female comic fans out there, I direct you to The Hawkeye Initiative. This site is devoted to pictures of male superheroes copying the skimpy costumes and contorted poses too often foisted on women in comics. Enjoy!

His Amazon Warrioress ... Meeting of the Alpha Minds At O’Malley’s Gin Joint

Fireworks howls and yowls, shapeshifter lovers.

When it rains trouble, it pours trouble on Talbot's Peak. Mayor Gil has bought some time... but...

However, Delvezio couldn't be happier. He figures all he has to do is prove himself to his Amazon warrioress... but yeah, always easier howled, then accomplished. Right?

~~~~~~

His Amazon Warrioress

"Wolf," Kazmyra spat at the tall, oddly-garbed shapeshifter. She hauled back on the reins, preparing to do battle. "If you value your life, you will not attack."

Not two body's lengths away, the man stood staring up at her -- yet offered no sign he meant her harm. She had watched him leap from his strange metal wagon, then race toward her. No other from his gathering followed. Nor did any other of the shapeshifter inhabitants approach.

Never in all her days had she witnessed the signature energy forms of so many who could alter themselves to animal. Any moment, Kazmyra expected a charging vicious attack. Thus far, all she observed was curiosity carving the faces of those who watched her like a family of hawks. 

The alpha man who continued devouring her with his gaze, did so from carnal desire, and from a ravenous wish to learn about her. That was in her favor in this peculiar land.

"Wolf," he repeated. "Yes, I am man and wolf. My name is Delvezio." He spoke in a broken version of her language, and while the sound of his voice was pleasing, his accent was utterly unfamiliar to her ear.

"I greet you in the name of all who live here." The wolf human smiled, but not wide enough to bare his teeth.

"Here. What is this place? Where is this place?" Kazmyra soothed her nervous mare, stroking her neck. No doubt the unusual smells disturbed her.

'You have been brought to the future.'

The witch entered her mind with ease, and Kazmyra started before she could control herself. She grabbed hold of her lance's hilt, while scanning for the source of the supernatural voice. A woman with red-flowing hair similar in color to hers moved cautiously toward the wolf man, Delvezio.

'The lightning from the dying beast opened a pathway to this time, this place,' the witch explained. Her language couldn't be determined. It was the pictures flooding Kazmyra's head that caused her to understand, to realize she had been catapulted far, far away from her land. Her time on the MotherLand.

As the monster of uncertainty seized Kazmyra, she fought, dismissing her enemy, fear.

"This is Sapphyra, a friend." The wolf embraced the witch's shoulders to demonstrate his words.

"She understands me telepathically." Again, the witch's language remained a mystery as she spoke to Delvezio.

'I am telling him I can speak to your mind.' The woman, Sapphyra, sent waves of calmness, of a desire to help.

Able to sense deception despite any meek appearance, Kazmyra stated, "Tell Sapphyra I will accept her help. I am lost from my home land. Is there a place I might stay, where my battle skills will be useful?"

***

Delvezio repeated the Amazon's words, then asked, "Sapphyra, can you get leave from the bank today?"

"I was practically shoved out the door when I said I could possibly communicate with our newest arrival." Sapphyra gave a small, somewhat nervous laugh. "El Presidente said they'd survive without my managerial and psychic input."

"The Bull Man would say that." Delvezio shot what he hoped was a reassuring smile to the warrioress, who watched them with fierce, blue-jewel eyes. "She can stay at the ranch I've been renovating. First, why don't you establish a relationship with her. Anything you think she needs I'll pay for. I've got this unavoidable meeting with Mayor Gil —"

"No, you don't," Gil announced from somewhere behind Delvezio. "Since you evidently speak her...her language, I designate you in charge of making our latest arrival feel welcome."

From the mouth of destiny to the mayor's mouth... that's how Delvezio saw it. Inside he rejoiced. Yeah-howls! A full effing river of happiness overtook him, body and soul.

"How do you know her language?" Sapphyra was asking, even as she kept a friendly eye contact with the warrioress, who encompassed them with her intent gaze.

"My parents," Delvezio silently sent his thanks to them. "They researched, translated, and spoke ancient languages related to our heritage."

"There is a place where you are welcome, and needed for defense," Delvezio formally addressed, while his heart danced a tango. "You and your magnificent horse."

****

Meeting of the Alpha Minds At O’Malley’s Gin Joint

Questions, like a hive of pissed off bees, buzzed in Delvezio's head. Fresh  from the meeting with Mayor Gil, and the townsfolk, he and Dante strode side-by-side toward O'Malley's Gin Joint, a venerable institution in the Peak – and a safe haven from the SkyNet surveillance now aimed at Talbot's Peak territory.

To not give away their tech-advanced hand, their cyber team allowed a certain amount of spying, often subtly scrubbing the gathered info later. In this instance, the chessboard move had been deemed necessary, given the dire situation in Talbot's Peak.

A block away from the gin joint, Dante gave the hand signal that their cyber shield had been activated – this, under the guise of his friendly wave to someone who hollered his name.

"What the hell just happened in there?" Delvezio growled only for Dante's ears. "Besides protecting the mayor from those ready to call for a new election?"

"Yeah, had to put on a show to save Gil from a recall petition. We also had to act to save his were-squirrel butt from outside enemy forces." As he spoke, Dante took hold of Kitty's hand, bringing her close to his side."After you left for town, Basque wolfman, our AI-assassin girl dug deeper and found a new threat, not only to the mayor, but to every living soul in TP territory."

"A cat and mouse game directly from the evil empire." Righteous anger colored Kitty's outwardly calm voice.

"The whole fracking thing is a front for infiltration...for bad-guy occupation of our territory," Delvezio muttered in a low growl. "Gil didn't realize that, did he?"

"He thought after a meeting with Dante that he was making the right move by providing certain statistics to save our mountain water supply," Kitty offered. "I didn't realize how much the mayor was being pressured...blackmailed even. Threats were made against his children."

"Gil didn't want a midnight werewolf hunt, either," Dante growly added. "So, he played the political game. Biding for time. Said he didn't have time to contact me beforehand."

"The mayor still doesn't realize what we're really facing, does he?" Delvezio mused.

"Howls to hell, right on, Basque wolfman. Our Witch's Circle picked up on that fracking-op a few days ago, and warned me there was a real bad moon rising on the Peak. But we didn't have a reference point, or a designated enemy. Shadows remained shadows whenever our witches and psychics sought answers. On top of that our cyber team was too busy discovering ways to stealthily eliminate any and all census data from the state's computers, and from the NSA's digital cloud."

"Yeah, alpha-boss, I got it." Delvezio shoved open the door to O'Malley's for Dante and Kitty, then handed off to Vernon.

A sense of relief instantly flooded him. The older werewolf owner, Keirnan O'Malley, didn't allow any type of e-device in his vintage-style gin joint, and had with Dante's assistance, used key materials to insulate from wi-fi signals -- plus other harmful EMFs. And the coup de grace, O'Malley had outfitted his basement conference room with further shielding superior to a Faraday cage.

Most of Dante's Alpha Protection team waited in the conference room for a meeting of the minds. The temporary truce between Dante and his sire, Damien, still held, and once they entered, Delvezio scented the vicious werewolf, who had originally taken over Talbot's Peak. His top pack members were present, and surrounded their alpha, arms folded, legs braced.

In the far corner, Zhere Ghan regally perched on an over-sized pillow. His contingent of ninjas ringed him. Of late the Tiger Yakuza leader had proven to be a true ally in defending the Peak. Delvezio figured it was because the tiger shifter possessed a healthy sense of self preservation, and wanted to keep his local empire.

White Fang gave Dante a quick wink, the signal that the situation was under control. The super wolf, and another one of his kind, Night Runner, would be acting as referees -- for all intents and purposes, bad-ass bouncers. If needed.

Delvezio stationed himself near one of the exits, prepared to assist White Fang and Night Runner. And to speak should Dante give him the nod.

"Gentlemen, Ladies, I trust whatever food and drink you requested has been served," Dante began, his alpha authority obvious behind a soft paw. Once the murmurs and nods ceased, he continued. "Let's get this show on the road then. As some of you know, we face a military occupation of Talbot's Peak territory. Let me say, all ideas and solutions will be entertained. However, I ask that you hear me and my Protection team out first."

~~~~~~


Wishing you love and passion on the wild side ~ 

Savanna 

Savanna Kougar ~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance

Amazon Warrioress In Talbot's Peak

Mid-June howls and yowls, shapeshifter lovers.

Recently I saw a news story about ancient Amazon women... and that's what partly inspired today's flash scene. However, the scene will have to be continued next week, since once again I find myself under the weather.

HEADLINE-SNIPPET: "2500-Year-Old 'Wonder Woman' Found on Vase
Jun 5, 2015 by Rossella Lorenzi
A 2,500-year-old predecessor of DC Comics’ Wonder Woman super heroine has emerged on a vase painting kept at a small American museum.
Drawn on a white-ground pyxis (a lidded cylindrical box that was used for cosmetics, jewelry, or ointments) the image shows an Amazon on horseback in a battle against a Greek warrior.
Much like the fictional warrior princess of the Amazons, the horsewoman is twirling a lasso." ~news.discovery.com/history/archaeology/2500-year-old-wonder-woman-found-on-vase-150605.html~

~~~~~~

Amazon Warrioress In Talbot's Peak

Kazmyra tightened the reins on her battle mare, a signal to rear high. Mightily swinging her blade -- half the length of her body -- Kazmyra slashed through three of the monsters tentacle-arms in rapid succession. The giant beast with the face of squid and protruding teeth like daggers had been about to capture, then crush her.

High-pitched screams of rage pierced Kazmyra's ears as she spun her mare away from the thirty-foot beast's charge. The defensive sounds were meant to stun her into helplessness. But failed.

She was Amazon.

Circling her courageous mare, Kazmyra aimed her lance, and hurled it for one of the squid chimera's hearts. The true strike caused the monster to writhe it's serpentine yet bulky body in agony and fury.

Swiftly using her superior strength and reflexes, Kazmyra sliced through three more of the razor-clawed arms with her blade as the red-eyed beast attacked. She whipped her mare to one side, barely avoiding the knife-long teeth targeting her face.

Galloping the mare in a wide circle around the flailing monster, Kazmyra sheathed her blade, and gripped her trident-shaped weapon. The ugly color of a leaden, storm-green sky, the beast followed her movements, twisting into the appearance of a misshapen vessel.

Kazmyra positioned her arm, preparing to throw the dagger trident -- embed it in the most vulnerable spot on the murderous chimera. With an enormous hiss, and striking like a cobra, the squid monster sprang, a tower of slithering muscle.

For an instant in time, all Kazmyra saw was the evil brilliancy of its red eyes, the gargantuan beast's intent to devour her whole -- then, the intent to celebrate her death by regenerating its arms...by terrorizing the surrounding villages with ever more ferocious attacks -- with more loss of life.

NO! Welled up inside Kazmyra like the force of a geyser triumphant over rock.

For, she and her Amazon sisters had arrived to  rescue the villagers from the monster's torment. She could not fail in her warrioress task.

Sighting the soft spot of flesh between and just above the beast's red glowing eyes, Kazmyra expertly flung her small, three-pronged weapon. As if all motion ceased, she watched the barbed prongs sink, then dig into the gelatinous gray tissue.

Again, hideous screams rent the air, and the vile odor of the dying monster moved around her like black oily clouds. Kazmyra backed her mare away swiftly, then reined her toward the arch of rain-cloud trees.

Bolts of lightning from the squid chimera crackled and streaked past her as she and her mare raced for the safety of the jungle. Close to breaching the arch of trees, suddenly a blast of white light enveloped Kazmyra. Her thoughts ceased as if she'd been beheaded.

The clattering sound her mare's hooves running on a hard surface was the first sensation Kazmyra experienced as she regained consciousness. Seeing an unknown world with odd compact buildings, and strangely dressed people, she immediately pulled her mare to a halt in the center of a roadway, and scanned her surroundings.

Stunned, Kazmyra stared at bizarrely built wagons of several different types. They disgorged goose-like honks, seemingly aimed at her. As she realized no animals pulled them, alarm sparked through her.

Where in the Goddess's sacred world was she?

Even though she had adventured throughout various lands, facing down the most horrendous of enemy soldiers, the most dangerous beasts the gods and goddesses had conjured in their floating vessels... yet, nothing! Nothing compared to what Kazmyra observed now.

****

TO BE CONTINUED...

~~~~~~


Wishing you love and passion on the wild side ~ 

Savanna 

Savanna Kougar ~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance