Revelation (M/F) (F/M) - A sequel to Devastation

[GreyLord]

You never fail to impress, [mention]wolfman[/mention]. But I must take one issue with our friend, [mention]Caesar73[/mention]. There is nothing tranquil about battling a forest fire. I do hope that Nikita will find peace with her family.

[wolfman]

What a beautiful chapter @wolfman - after the trials and tribulations of the ritual Nikita went through a more tranquil chapter. I like both parts: The Conversation Nikita had with the Guild Master - in speech patterns it reminded a bit of Tolkien´s style. Nikita seems to blend in with the locals.

The second part? I like it that Nikita shows her appreciation of what Galton and her people do.

I cannot tell yet, but to me it seems as if Nikita wants to avoid on some level the return to home and family. As she says herself: Atlantis seemed to be a place for her to build a home.

Interwsting obaervations. I wanted Corven to come across as a learned man doing his best to translate his highly technical knowledge into cpmmon language. I guess he is a little Gandalf.

You never fail to impress, [mention]wolfman[/mention]. But I must take one issue with our friend, [mention]Caesar73[/mention]. There is nothing tranquil about battling a forest fire. I do hope that Nikita will find peace with her family.

I wanted a different type of challenge so she could test her abilities and wxplore what ahe can do.

You both pick on a reluctance to go home. This is true to an extent and the reasons will become clearer later in this tale.

[wolfman]

Two wells and five hours sleep later.

Nikita stretched the kinks out of her back and throws the bedsheets off of her, welcoming the cool air of the early afternoon on her skin.

She breathes deeply, inhaling the scents of the Palace. She extends out her senses, feeling the lifepulses of everyone in a two mile radius and settling back on the bed and relaxing.

Nikita stares at the ceiling for a moment and emptying her mind and just aenaes her body, feeling the silk of the bed sheets, where they touch her skin, the cool air and the sensation of her muscles at rest. “I love these moments when the day slowly enters my senses, I feel so alive.”

In one fluid movement, she rises from the bed and with a flourish, is dressed in a red t-shirt and black leggings, matched with a pair of black trainers.

Silently, she pads through the silent corridors of the Palace, to emerge in onto one of several lawns. She removes her shoes and socks, relishing the cool grass under her feet and between her toes. With practiced precision she begins to slowly stretch, first with squats to warm up her legs and then slow circles with her arms, the loosen her shoulders and arms.

She closes her eyes and lets the slow rhythms of Tai Chi flow through her. Each sweep of her arms, allows her to turn her focus outwards a little more, sensing the pulse of the city and its ebbs and flows. Her mind clears and she immediately senses several pairs of eyes, watching her from beyond the Palace’s high fences.

Nikita comes to a stop and opens her eyes. She subtly looks over and sees a group of girls and boys in their early to mid teens, staring at her.

She smiles to herself pulling her socks and trainers on, she begins and slow jog around the perimeter of the grounds. When she approaches the teenagers on the other side of the fence, she breaks into a sprint and leaps the twenty plus feet over the fence.

The girls look at her with a mix of fear and excitement. Each of them is rooted to the spot, speechless, until a younger girl, nervously asks, “Is it really you?”

Nikita smiles warmly at the girl and crouches a little way in front of her, “That depends, if it is really you?”

The girl looks confused for a moment and innocently answers, “I think so.”

Nikita beams a smile, “That’s good. I think so too. What is your name?”

“Penelope.” The girls says proudly.

“Very nice to meet you, Penelope. My name is Nikita.” Nikita asks, suddenly struck by the appearance of the girls, “Why are you all dressed in red jump suits, with the sleeves cut off?”

One of the older girls steps forward, “We want to be like you. We all carry your message.” She says, nervously. The girls all sweep their hair back onto pony tails, showing the litany above their left breasts, “Be open minded. Be humble. Be ready. Be kind.”

Another of the girls, shows her litany with pride, “We reapply it to each other every day as a reminder that the message is not our own and we are not alone when we bear it.”

Taken aback, Nikita shakes her head subtly, and raises her eyebrows, “I am touched that you would do this. Why does it mean so much to you?”

The girls look at one another and a tall girl speaks up, “We are all orphans of the war. Our lives were torn from us. But you came and showed us that there might be hope and we might have a future again. We all want to be like you.”

Nikita sees the nods and hopeful looks of the girls and speaks gently, making eye contact with each of the girls in turn, “Don’t limit yourself, by trying to be like me. There is no shame in learning the lessons of others, but focus on being the best version of you that you can be, then you will achieve greatness in your own right. Find that part of yourself that brings you peace and nurture it. Find something that you love and embrace it.”

Nikita moves among the girls, using her hands to accentuate her words as she speaks, “All of you can make a difference in this life. Everyone of you, can make a difference to someone else’s life. You just have to make a choice. Be the good you wish to see in the world.”

All of the girls nod, but one of them frowns asking, “How can we be heroes, if we stay humble?”

Nikita winks at the girl “What’s more important? Saving a life or everyone knowing you saved a life.”

The girl considers for a moment and then her eyes widen in comprehension, “The recognition means nothing, without the act itself.”

“Exactly.” Nikita winks and nods, “If you stand for what you believe and do what you feel is right, the world becomes a better place.” She pauses for a moment, letting her words sink in, “If you do something good and word spreads, you will become celebrated, but your deeds may inspire others. However, the most important thing is doing something in the first place.”

Over the next hour, she learns their names and their hopes and dreams and sends them back to their orphanages with a message of hope. “Be the good, you wish to see in the world.”



In military dress uniform, Halpron reads the day reports over a glass of fresh orange juice, when his concentration is interrupted by a knock on his door, “Enter.” He commands, impatiently.

Nikita gingerly opens the door and steps across the threshold, “Is this a bad time, Your Majesty.”

The King’s expression and body language softens and he beckons her to join him. Nikita crosses the room, having changed into a simple white toga.

He stands as she sits and then returns to his chair. “You are looking well, how are you feeling?”

“All things considered, pretty good thank you. During the ritual, my body was able to recover and now I feel lighter and stronger.”

“Excellent. I am glad to hear it.” Halpron says, with a smile, “I hear you have been busy. Galton sings your praises and Corven says you are a genius. Dare I ask what you are up to?” He shoots her a conspiratorial sideways glance and takes a sip from his glass.

“I have a few ideas about fortifying supply chains and opening up new tactical options. One of the things I have seen in disaster relief is the devastation that the lack of preparation can bring. To be honest, that is not an issue here.”

The King listens and nods, listening intently, before taking a slip of paper and scribbling on it. He covers the paper with his hand and asks, “What is the issue?”

Nikita chooses her words carefully, wary of causing offense, “I think, you have been successfully defending against the enemy using the same tactics for so long, that consideration of other approaches, is disregarded.”

Halpron purses his lips and rises from his seat, walking over to the window and clasping his hands behind his back. Nikita feels her heart sink, “I have offended him.”

He breaks the silence in the room, softly asking, “Could you please read, what I wrote down?”

Nikita reluctantly reaches across the table and retrieves the paper. Her eyebrows raise when she reads it to herself and then reads aloud, “We have been fighting the same enemy, the same way for so long, we have forgotten how to explore new ideas.”

He turns to her, almost tearfully, “I spend my days, second guessing my own thoughts. You have no idea what it means that someone else sees it. Cassius is the finest General we have ever had, but he will only respond to strong tactical options, which show clear benefits over and above current methods.”

Nikita takes to her feet and joins the King by the window, “I think I have planted a seed with Corven which if I am right, will be a game changer in time.”

“Cryptic, but I trust you.” He says, with a smile, “I am due to inspect the troops on Garnos that are to reinforce the beach head on Daemos. Would you like to join me?”

“I would be delighted, Your Majesty.” Nikita says, with a curtesy.

“Would you be alright to change into your operational gear? The troops could do with the inspiration.” Halpron gives her a wink and assures her, “I'm in uniform to honour the brave men and women who are spearheading our defence.”

“Of course, your majesty.” Nikita agrees, with a salute. “Although, I have used all the ammunition for my weapons, so have left them in my room.”

Halpron smiles and winks, “No problem, you shouldn’t need them.”



Cassius salutes seeing the King stepping off of the shuttle, in full military uniform complete with sidearm and gladius, thinking, “It is almost a shame, he is King, we could use more like him on the front lines. Finest officer, I have ever had.”

He looks on with a measure of respect when Nikita steps off of the shuttle, thinking, “It’s funny, she came across as a force to be reckoned with in the pillars meeting and the video of her battle. But seeing her here, in her bodysuit, ready for action, is something else. Muscles on muscles, constant stance of readiness. Everything about her, screams predator. Woe betide anyone or anything that gets in her way.”

He warmly shakes the hands of his guests and gestures towards the parade ground, “Your Majesty, it’s good to see you in the trenches. How fares your day?”

“All is well general. How are the troops?” The King asks, surveying the formations of soldiers, both raw and hardened lined up in waiting.

For a moment the General has a thousand yard stare, “They are in good spirits but they are rightfully nervous. The Annunakin keep testing the defences of Camp Shouit and last might they nearly breached.”

“What are your thoughts?” The King asks, concerned.

“They will reach full strength in a matter of days and we run the risk of being overran.” The General says, bleakly.

“How about thinning the numbers prematurely?” Nikita asks, “Drop me on the plain, I draw them into the open where they can be picked off with artillery and long range fire. My previous mistake was standing my ground and getting mobbed, if I keep moving, I will be fine.”

The King and the General stare open mouthed at her. “That is too high risk, I can’t allow that.” The King says, shaking his head. “You are too valuable to us.”

“No risk, no rewards.” Nikita says with a shrug. Lighting a cigarette with a nod from the King, she continues, “If this works, it would be a way to keep the numbers in check, while the camp is fortified and reinforcements are embedded.”

The King winces, “You make a good point, I just wish you didn’t have to put your neck on the line to prove it.”

“I have several snipers in place who could provide close cover, while the numbers of the pursuing horde are thinned with gyrojets and platform bombardment.” Cassius confirms, thinking on his feet. “I can also have a couple of heavy transports with rapid response escorts on station for extraction, if the base gets overrun and a rapid response wing to get you, if it goes south.”

Nikita folds an arm across her stomach, framing her breasts subconsciously and blows smoke skyward, “If I need to bug out, I will do so under my own power. Less risk of blue on blue.” Seeing confusion on the others faces, she clarifies, “Friendly fire.”

Halpron nods, “If you are sure.”

“This should work.” She confirms, taking a deep lungful of smoke, “I have reviewed footage of various hordes. When they swarm, they advance as a line, sweeping away from the mountain as if radiating outwards. When we crashed, the advanced and converged on me. They singled me out.”

She crouches and begins scratching a rough outline of Daemos and the mountain in the dust, then marks concentrations of different cohorts, “From what I understand the Annunakin are in these areas, using the rocks as cover from indirect fire.” She then traces a line from near the Eastern shore, directly north along the coast, and then west skirting the base of the mountain, “If I can take this line or something close, I might be able to draw them into the open.”

Halpron looks down at the outline, “This is risky, but if it works, it could buy us a few days. What are your thoughts General?”

Cassius crouches, checking her route and nodding sagely. “This is a good route, close to all cohorts, far enough from the mountain to give clearance from rock slides. Plenty of open ground. We can cover you from an offset with the platforms.”

“I think we have a plan.” The King says, “I think we’ve kept the troops waiting long enough.”



Nikita looks out across the sea of faces before her, “That’s an impressive sight. A thousand men and women, head to toe in black, padded canvas vests with Orichalcum inserts and a new submachine gun strapped to each of their right hips with an arrester on their left. Sidearms in shoulder holsters and gyrojet rifles slung at the shoulder, black polished helmets at their feet. They are ready for war.”

She switches her glance to the King as he prepares to address the soldiers. He takes a deep breath and begins slowly, “I have stood with you on the fields of battle and had the honour of serving alongside a number of you. I have seen the war first hand, felt the breath of the enemy and fought, as you will fight. I know some of you are scared. You have heard tell of the enemy and its fearsome nature, seen friends and loved ones come back scarred or simply not come back. Some of the stories are true, they are fearsome and powerful.”

Halpron pauses, taking a sip of water, “But so are we. They have the numbers and raw physical power. But we have something that they don’t.” He pauses for effect and continues, gradually increasing the pitch and cadence of his delivery, from a shout to a roar, “We have you! The thin Orichalcum line. Those who have chosen to put themselves in harms way. Today and every day, Atlantis salutes you for your courage. Time and again, Atlantis has called and you have answered. Today, we ask you to reinforce a beach head on Daemos. If we can hold the line, it could be the first step towards taking back Daemos and in time, peace. Your nation and the world needs you. It is your time. Destiny is calling you, will you answer?”

Nikita feels the words resonate in her heart and feels something else. Her pulse quickens and the words he speaks melt away on the breeze. He breath catches in her throat, “Am I really falling for him?”

A roar goes up from the assembled soldiers and the King continues, “You are not only going to slay the enemy. You will build the future, with each Annunakin you face. The road ahead is hard. However, I know you are harder.” The King pauses, snapping a crisp salute, “I salute the finest fighting force in human history. I stand here humbled in the face of greatness. You honour yourselves, your families and Atlantis with you service. I am proud of each and every one of you and I will see you on the other side.”

Nikita watches agape as he continues, building up to a crescendo while he whips his troops into a frenzy. She begins feeling a slow tingle between her legs as he speaks. Her cheeks flush and the tingle spreads with each word he speaks. With great effort she maintains her composure, as something explodes inside of her. At the same moment, the soldiers unleash a roaring cheer for the King.

[Caesar73]

I will reply in more detail later [mention]wolfman[/mention] - but this is another extraordinary chapter. And I want to do it justice, The opening touched me: The orphans seeing Nikita as a role model.

[GreyLord]

[mention]Caesar73[/mention] is correct, [mention]wolfman[/mention]. I will say that this chapter was inspired. There are word here we should all heed.

[wolfman]

I will reply in more detail later @wolfman - but this is another extraordinary chapter. And I want to do it justice, The opening touched me: The orphans seeing Nikita as a role model.

[mention]Caesar73[/mention] is correct, [mention]wolfman[/mention]. I will say that this chapter was inspired. There are word here we should all heed.

This was in some ways very hard to write. I wanted to do a lot in this chapter. I wanted to show a bit of Nikita's softer side. A lot of this arc has focused on her growing and showing how tough she is, but I felt it important to show that she is more than just a warrior and I am happy withe the result.

It was also good to explore and develop Halpron a little. We shall aee what the future brings

[slackywacky]

I am happy with the result.

Which in the end is the only thing that counts. As long as you as the author are happy, you did good. Being happy with ones story means in most cases readers will enjoy it too. A story like yours, although probably any story that runs for a longer time, depends on character building. Without it stories will go flat and readers will move away. You (and [mention]Caesar73[/mention], [mention]GreyLord[/mention] and [mention]Bandit666[/mention] and a few others) are the writers I keep coming back to. There are others, but they have (not yet) written stories that should be called sagas, as they are more than simple stories.

Watching you develop the story over time is entertaining and educational. And I am proud to say that occasionally I use some of your chapters to find inspiration for my own stories.

[GreyLord]

Well said, [mention]slackywacky[/mention].

[wolfman]

I am happy with the result.

Which in the end is the only thing that counts. As long as you as the author are happy, you did good. Being happy with ones story means in most cases readers will enjoy it too. A story like yours, although probably any story that runs for a longer time, depends on character building. Without it stories will go flat and readers will move away. You (and @Caesar73, @GreyLord and @Bandit666 and a few others) are the writers I keep coming back to. There are others, but they have (not yet) written stories that should be called sagas, as they are more than simple stories.

Watching you develop the story over time is entertaining and educational. And I am proud to say that occasionally I use some of your chapters to find inspiration for my own stories.

I have always tried to allow my characters to grow and develop organically. Many have tragedy in their histories but rise above it, through their own actions and the support of those around them. I have been trying to create characters that interest me and if other like them too, that is awesome.

As for you saying that you have found inspiration in my work for your own stories, means a great deal as reading Bondage Model By Choice was one of my main reasons for joining thia site and posting my own work. Thank you [mention]slackywacky[/mention]

[wolfman]

The quiet of the room is only interrupted by the occasional shrik of Nikita’s finger blades slicing through the NAKI suit she holds. When she is finished, the legs have been severed above the knees, letting the air get to her calves.

She slips it on and rolls her shoulders, checking she has free movement. “This should be a bit safer than my last visit to Daemos. If they get too close I can swarm as locusts and reform.”

Nikita closes her eyes and takes a slow deep breath. “I am the calm in the eye of the storm. I am like water, flexible and untameable and I am alive.” She smiles to herself allows her body a moment of relaxation.



A soft knock interrupts her meditation, “Come in.” She says, in a gentle warm tone sensing the man who knocks.

Halpron opens the door with a smile, then closes it behind him once he has stepped though, “Am I interrupting?”

“Not at all, your majesty. To what do I owe the honour?” Nikita asks, gently.

The King presents Nikita with a small box with straps attached. “I thought you might appreciate an arrester for the drop.”

Nikita beams a radiant smile, “Thank you, your majesty. I was going to ask for one so I could be dropped high and fast.” She takes the device and begins fumbling with the straps.

“Would you like a hand? The configuration can be a bit of a pain at first.” The King offers, remembering his early years using them.

“Thanks, getting in a bit of a mess here.” Nikita says, trying to untangle the mass of straps.

The King takes the arrester and shakes the straps loose. Then he stands before her, and reaches behind her, placing it over the small of her back. She gasps, subtly, feeling his arms around her, for the moment it takes to position the device. He brings two of the straps forward, securing them around her waist.

He moves to her side and takes the remaining two straps at the back, with his right hand, passing them between her legs to his left. Then he secures them to the front clips on the belt, before gently but firmly tightening them either side of her privates, making her gasp.

He takes the end of the waist strap and slips a finger of his other hand, between the belt and her body. “Sorry, need to make sure it is snug and not twisted.”

“No problem.” Nikita days, whilst thinking, “I don’t know if it’s my new lease on life, or something in the air, but this man drives me wild.”

Absent mindedly, he checks the straps between her legs, before reaching around her for a final check on the position of the arrester.

The world seems to melt away. Nikita and Halpron become the only souls in existence. She entwined in he. Their lips touch. A storm of emotions rage in each of their hearts before they pull away from each other with a look of shock.

Nikita’s eyes widen in fear and she raises her finger to her mouth in shock. “I am so sorry your majesty. I didn’t mean to kiss you. Please forgive me. I didn’t mean it.”

In a heartbeat, Nikita feels the daydream she has been having, turn to dust on the wind. “Please, your majesty, I sorry I kissed you. I......”

With a single finger, he stills her lips and robs her of her voice, “I kissed you.” He says, gently, “I am a King, but I am still a man. I’m sorry, I had no right.”

He lets his finger drop and turns away from her. “You are unlike any woman I have ever met.” He says, sadly, “If your great beauty was not enough, you are smart, witty, insightful and selfless. I am sorry I was overwhelmed.”

Nikita listens to his deep, voice extolling her virtues and melts a little inside, “Your majesty, you are the most noble man I have ever met. You are guided by your principles, selfless in your actions and honourable. When I was swamped, you put your life on the line for me and I will never forget that.”

“I would do it again, in a heartbeat.” He vows, solemnly.

Time seems to stand still. Nikita and Halpron stand motionless, barely breathing. Something almost imperceptible passes between them. They both feel it and are changed by it.

They slowly move together. His fingers brush the skin of her upper arms, her breath catches in her throat, her senses aflame.

His arms wrap around her, pulling her close. Her hands rest on his hips and they both close their eyes preparing for a second taste of bliss.



They move apart with a start, when there is a knock at the door. Both are flushed, breathing heavy. “Come in.” The King commands, regaining his composure.

A low level officer opens the door and stands at the threshold, saluting the King, “Your majesty.” He turns to Nikita, “Your craft is ready and all measures are in place.”

Nikita smiles warmly at the young woman, “Thank you. I will be there in a moment.”

Apparently satisfied, the officer leaves, closing the door as she leaves.

Nikita and Halpron, begin to giggle uncontrollably as the tension in the room is released.

“What were we thinking?” Nikita asks, with a hint of regret.

Halpron smiles warmly back at her, “We found ourselves, in a moment that was bigger than both of us and it led us astray.”

“Very true.” Nikita sighs.

“I don’t want to leave things as they are.” Halpron says, unsure of himself, “Would you join me for dinner this evening?”

“I would be.” Nikita pauses, stopping herself, “I would really like that, your majesty.”

“So would I. There is just one thing, when we are alone, please call me Hal.” He says, gently, stroking her cheek with the back of his hand, “I want you to know me as a man and not as a King.”

“I want you to know me as a woman.” Nikita says, placing her hand over his and pressing his palm to her cheek. “Please call me Niki.“

“Tonight, we dispense with the trappings of our roles and duties and just meet as two friends, who may become more.” He says, savouring the touch of her hand in his.



Nikita smiles to herself, remembering the kiss, but snaps back to focus, thinking, “You have a job to do and right now that comes first, or you won’t get another kiss.”

She checks her NAKI suit and begins with some gentle stretches in the cargo bay of the shuttle. She declines the offer of armour and a weapon, simply saying, “No thanks. Need to travel light this time.”

The red drop light starts blinking and she steps towards the cargo bay doors. With a ripple of her skin, she is covered in thick but flexible scales. Spider like eyes, pepper her skull giving her all round vision. Her legs lengthen by almost a foot.

The doors open and the cabin is bathed in light. The oil like substance coating Nikita’s dermal scale armour glistens in the sun, in the same way that the razor edges of her diamond hard, three foot long finger blades, glints.

Nikita sees the blinking light turn green and steps into thin air, emptying her mind in preparation for the run ahead.



Even as she falls, she sees the Annunakin nearby start to converge on the spot of her landing, “OK I will have to fight my way clear before I can begin to lead them. This is going to be interesting, indeed.”

She keys her headset and speaks quickly, “I need a danger-close bombardment of my landing zone to commence on my mark and cease on my desist.”

“Affirmative, awaiting instruction.” The operator says, calmly.

“Mark.” She says and begins to count, she sees the shells sailing in from nearby platforms and nods to herself. When the first shell hits she stops counting. “Eight seconds from command to launch.”

She begins counting again, watching the area under her erupt. She keys her headset again, with a simple, “Desist.”

Nikita braces herself for landing, as the last bomb lands. She lands gently in the crater of a recent shell and winces at the touch of the scorching hot ground underfoot, “Yeah, maybe should have worn boots.”

She chuckles to herself and breaks into a run, her now longer legs pumping hard. “Here we go.”

Nikita charges towards the mountain at breakneck speed and the Annunakin are right on her heels. Her senses are ablaze feeling every grain of sand underfoot, the vibration of the ground under foot, from the feet of the creatures in hot pursuit of her

The air erupts around her, the artillery striking between the rear periphery of the horde and the leading edge of the creatures closing on her.

The air is filled with dust and scorched earth. Acrid black smoke hangs low like a pall, carrying the scent of used explosives and burnt alien flesh. Plunging the horde and Nikita into artificial twilight.

Up ahead she sees the lifepulses of the cohort ahead, within a swirling dust cloud from their movement. “That could be a problem, my fire support will be even less able to see me.”

A loose rock moves underfoot as she steps on it. “Bugger it.” She cries, pitching forward. She lands with a roll and comes up running, but the horde has closed behind her and they dive at her heels.

Her arms ripple and become five foot long tentacles each tipped with five, two foot long, razor sharp claws. Seeing behind her, she strikes backwards, without breaking her stride, dicing the first two to lunge at her and cutting the next off at the knees.

“Damn, they work.” Nikita thinks, vaulting over a boulder and subtly changing direction and angling west. She senses the lifepulses of the group approaching from the north and shakes her head, “So far there are thousands of them coming for me, with more to come. You do get yourself in some stupid situations, girl.”

Picking up her pace slightly she trails her claws in the dirt, kicking up dust and rocks. The Annunakin behind her slow, with their vision impaired, but still keep pace with their quarry.

Nikita shifts her focus from the creatures behind her, to her front and her eyes widen in fear, “Shit, the other cohort is on the move as well. Things are moving too fast.”

The explosions rocking the plain, fill the air with dust and smoke. Nikita inhales the scent of burnt alien flesh and scorched rock and grimaces. “Going to take a long bath to scrub the stink out.”

Everywhere she looks, explosions erupt spontaneously. The sound if the screeching horde and the constant bombardment is deafening in the heart of this storm.

Springing from foot to foot, she zigzags forward, with a slight boost of speed as, the northern cohort joins the original mob behind her and the thunderous din on their cries and charge rises to a crescendo, punctuated with several massive explosions.

From above it appears, as if two mighty river tributaries meet at Nikita’s back, but instead of water, it is a roiling churning mass of charging creatures. They chittering, they squeal, they screech and they charge relentlessly.

“Stop pissing about Niki.” She thinks, focusing on the approaching horde. “You are about to become the filling in an Annunakin sandwich. You need a plan.”

“OK, they are big, strong, fast on their feet and covered in armour.” Nikita thinks, feeling a sense of calm wash over her, “What are their weaknesses?”

She decapitates a brave Annunakin as it leaps at her from a large rock to her left, “That was close. But, it makes a point, they all want a piece of me and they are built for charging in. They can use claws but they are designed to blast in and overwhelm with impact first, followed up with the claws on a downed foe.”

“I am faster and more manoeuvrable and can strike fast. Just got to hold out long enough for the guns to thin the numbers.” Nikita thinks, “I will bring them towards the centre of the plain and try to keep them there for as long as I can.”



Nervous eyes, united in purpose watch the monitors in the control centre. No one speaks, everyone stares. The monitor shows an aerial shot from high above Daemos. The plain, pock marked in the aftermath of bombardment. The roiling mass at its centre, churns like boiling tar, with a single red dot darting around its centre.

From above the mass looks like a cyclone, being fed with more material from the mountain as more and more Annunakin join the fray, fresh from the portal.

General Cassius, looks alarmed at the mote his adjutant passes him and whispers to the King, “There is a problem.”

Halpron looks him in the eye, concerned, “What is it old friend?”

Cassius holds up the note, “The numbers. There are too many of them. They are surging from the portal and have already formed a horde larger than any before. It is only Nikita that is stopping them from running amok and shredding the camp.”

“Options?” The King commands, staring coldly as the screen.

Cassius slumps down, sitting on the desk, the colour draining from his face, “We unleash fuel air explosives, it would scour the plains of life for a two mile radius. Then we could focus the remaining fire on stemming the flow from the mountain.”

“What of Nikita? How would she get clear?” The King asks, feeling a pit open in his stomach.

“She would need to stay on task, to prevent the Annunakin from dispersing.” Cassius says, with a heavy heart.

“Not an option.” The King says, shaking his head, “We need her.”

Cassius guides the King to the side of the room and whispers, “Damn it, I don’t like it any more than you do. It know you have feelings for her. My officer told me what he saw, when he came to advise Nikita that her flight was ready.” He pauses, conflicted, “Please don’t let your feelings get in the way of the right decision.”

Halpron looks at him with a flash of anger, that soon dispels itself, “Yes, I have feelings for her. No, my heart is not ruling my head. She is a hero to the people of Atlantis. The media metrics since she survived the ritual have gone through the roof. If we sacrifice her for a single victory, there will be uproar in the streets. Tactically, it is the right course of action, however, politically it is the sacrifice of one who embodies the hopes and dreams of a nation. More than that, she is a friend. We don’t sacrifice our friends.”

Cassius smiles at him, “Your father would be proud. He always balanced risk against the need to do the right thing. You have learned well.”

Halpron smiles, “Yeah, I learned a lot from you too. Such as, if you don’t have a back up, you don’t have a plan.” He sighs, “And yeah, I really like her.”

“Knew it.” Cassius says with a wink, before his features become a mask of sorrow. “Napalm. Surround the mass with napalm and give Nikita a chance to escape before carpet bombing.”

Halpron exhales slowly, “However, the flames and smoke will block the vision of the gunners and they would not be able to fire without risking hitting Nikita and there is no guarantee she would be able to get clear.”

Cassius nods, grimly, “It’s a back up, but I didn’t say it was perfect.”

“She didn’t take a comm unit because she said she might have to shape-shift and lose it. We have no way of getting in touch with her.” Halpron says, “This is an impossible choice.”




Nikita leaps from the shoulders of one Annunakin, to land on the back of another. She slices off the creatures head and leaps again. She flies through the air, like an acrobat, with countless claws tearing the air in her wake and the screams of the baying horde rising to the heavens.

“Not as efficient, but safer than standing my ground.” She decides, leaping after another kill.

She sighs, plunging her claws into the next creature and rending its chest asunder, “This is not going to work though. There are too many of them and they are pouring from the portal like a river.”

She backflips over the horde and sprouts wings from her shoulder blades and begins to ascend. “Time to change things up a little.”

She looks down and sees the horde practically climbing over each other to reach high enough to attack her. Sadly she comes to a stark realisation, “At some point, the military will come to the same conclusion and will have to push the button on something that will likely kill or at least mess me up.”

“There are too many to snatch the life out of them and end this now. Doing it to groups would thin them out. But at what cost?” She asks herself.

At a height of three hundred metres, she closes her eyes and falls backwards, pulling in her wings and transforming into a massive pteranodon. The leading edge of each of her massive twenty foot wings is a razor sharp blade of bone. She screams toward the mob and levels off at head height.

Hitting the mob at almost eighty miles per hour, her wing blades slice effortlessly though a swathe of the creature for a hundred metres before pulling up she rides the thermals generated by the heat of the bombs that fall around the horde.

She looms over the battlefield like an angel of death. Swooping down again and again gouging the horde horrifically with each pass. “I am barely scratching the surface and the artillery isn’t enough.” She thinks swooping and banking.

“There is only one way, I can do this, however I need to get a few parts in motion.” She decides, banking towards the nearest aerial platform.




A hundred metres above the melee, platform Theta hangs, motionless in the sky, like some impossible oil rig held aloft by unseen lines.

The constant whump of its mounted artillery, beats like the heart of this machine, while it rains death down on those below it.

The commander leaves his office, allowing the newcomer privacy to make the most important call in the history of Atlantis.

Nikita sits in front of the screen and dials those she needs and waits for the calld to be answered.

“Nikita? How?” General Cassius answers as he connects.

“I am on a platform above the horde. They are still homing on me but I need to get back to them soon so they don’t lose the scent.” Nikita says, calmly.

“Niki? Are you alright?” The King asks, connecting to the call. His eyes are full of concern, fear and hope.

“Just a breather to talk about strategy.” Nikita says, beaming a smile.

“We didn’t anticipate any growth in the rate that they come through the portal “ The General says, grimly, “Their numbers are growing too fast, for the guns and your efforts to keep pace with.”

“I know.” Nikita exhales slowly, “You can bomb the horde, but you need me in place to stop it from dispersing. If I am aerial, then I will potentially be in the way of the bombs as they fall. I am guessing that the main options are fuel air explosives and napalm.”

“Pretty much.” The King says, in a sombre tone.

“There is no other way.” Cassius says, sadly.

“If only that were true.” Nikita says, barely able to look at the screen.

“Good evening your majesty. General. Nikita.” Phobos says, joining the call.

“Good evening professor.” Nikita says, steeling herself before asking, “Can you close the portal?”

The King’s eyes narrow, whilst the General eyes widen. Phobos, straightens his tunic and subtly wobbles his head, considering his response, “If I were in its presence and had at least an hour uninterrupted, then in theory, yes.”

“No.” Halpron protests, suspecting what is coming next.

“I can try to lead the horde back through the portal and keep them busy long enough, to buy you some time.” Nikita says, lighting a cigarette, “Once enough of the horde are clear, you come in with an escort for Phobos and hold the line, so he can do what he has to do. Then you send me a signal of some kind, as the portal is about to close so I can return.”

“It’s too risky.” Halpron says, shaking his head. “They might not follow you back. If they do, they may return when we start clearing out to tunnels. They may also return when Phobos starts work on the portal.”

“Not to mention that even if they do follow you and something happens to you they might return.” Cassius points out.

“All of your points are true. If something happens to me, I want you to seal the portal. If it looks like the tide is turning and they begin to return, close it. Even if I am not back. Gentlemen, if this works we can end the war, tonight.” Nikita says, taking a lungful of smoke.

She remembers the words of a psychologist on the radio , she heard years before, “So you see. Ten percent of your life, is made up of events that happen to you. The other ninety percent of your life, stems from how you face those events.”

Nikita rubs the back of her neck and thinks, “For fucks sake Niki. You do it to yourself.”

[Caesar73]

In my opinion this chapter is built on contrast: First the tender almost gentle Interaction between Nikita and Halpron. An intimate momemt captured very nicely. And then the change to action. It remains to be seen if Nikita is successfull. Very intense and very dramatic!

[wolfman]

In my opinion this chapter is built on contrast: First the tender almost gentle Interaction between Nikita and Halpron. An intimate momemt captured very nicely. And then the change to action. It remains to be seen if Nikita is successfull. Very intense and very dramatic!

An interesting take on it. I wanted to show that Nikita is not just a warrior and Halpron is not just a King. They are both human at their core and in a moment of stress they reached out for each other, just like so many reach out in times of stress. But then when the chips are down, they step up to the challenge.

This is in some ways different to the other arcs of this story, in that I am not holding back and am throwing everything at the wall. There are terrible lows and great highs and everything in between. I just hope everyone reading is still enjoying the ride because it will start to get bumpy real soon.

[wolfman]

“I would say that this is a stupid plan, but it is not a plan, it is barely even an idea.” Nikita thinks, stepping off of the edge of the platform. “For fuck's sake Niki. You do something bloody stupid things.”

She lands in the midst of the baying horde and with a flourish, her arrester is stored. “Here goes hell.” Nikita thinks with a smile, before dispersing into a swarm of locusts.

The Annunakin flail wildly, trying to catch the myriad buzzing forms in their midst. Even the lucky few that lay a claw on one of the insects, see it slip from their grasp due to the slick coating of natural oils.

The swarm flows low to the ground and forms a river of black around the shins of the horde.



“It’s working.” Cassius says, closely monitoring the horde, “The horde is continuing to converge on Nikita’s position as she moves towards the portal.”

Phobos nervously thumbs through his eldritch texts, memorising the ancient cants needed to close the barrier. Anyone who glances his way, sees the sweat on his brow and the fear in his eyes.

“These rites have not even been attempted in over a century. They are complicated and difficult. Even in ancient times they were so draining on the caster, that is claimed their lives. The successful completion of this closure could kill me.” Phobos thinks, picturing the faces of his grandchildren, “If it gives them a hope of a future free from war, I pay the price gladly.”

“Excellent. Prep the drop craft for dust off, once we have confirmation that the majority of the horde has followed her, we move.” The King, commands calmly, “Can someone get me a Nikita smg and ammunition? I am going with them.”

“No, your majesty. You can’t. It’s too dangerous.” Angela says, indignant.

“Agreed, this is too risky.” Cassius adds.

“As it stands this could be the start of the unending horde. If we fail to stop this, everything goes away. Nikita is not one of us, but she is laying her life on the line. This could be the last fight of our lives and I will not sit on my hands.” Halpron says, firmly.

“We need you to manage to people and the chaos if we fail.” Angela pleads.

“If this fails, you will take over. General Cassius has plans for full evacuation of Atlantis. Titus will provide sanctuary.” The King says, firmly.

“Why do you have to go?” Angela asks bitterly, knowing she will never win this fight.

“Father taught me a lot. Politics, warfare, leadership. But mostly he taught me to choose battles wisely and that when something is worth fighting for, fight like nothing else matters.” He smiles at the echo of his father’s words in his mind. “Nikita is not one of us, however she stands for us. I have sworn to act according to my conscience for the good of Atlantis. It is my belief that this action is necessary and that my place today, is on the field.”

Cassius nods gravely at his rulers words, “Corporal, fetch the King a weapon, ammunition and armour.” The General says, reaching into his desk and pulling a small bottle of lemoncello and several shot glasses. He fills the glasses and passes them out to all present, “Your command, Your Majesty. I will brief the other pillars.”

With a finality he is unused to, King Halpron addresses all present, “We will go. Nikita will succeed. Phobos will close the portal and we will see peace in our times.”




Nikita gathers the swarm along the ceiling of the massive chamber, housing the portal. She marvels at the sickly green light, coating every surface of the cave like a liquid.

Below her the baying horde, gibbers and howls in frustration. Nikita all but ignores them, staring at the portal. “Here goes hell. Will soon know if this works, but I had better go in one body, not in a swarm in case I lose cohesion when I go through.”

The swarm coalesces into her normal human form, held aloft by suckers on her hands, knees and shins, gripping the ceiling of the massive stone chamber.

She crawls upside down, above the heads and flailing claws of the Annunakin. “They are starting to climb on top of each other to get to me. Better get a wriggle on.”

Maintaining three points of contact, she scrambles across the rough hewn rock ceiling. Then allows her knees and shins to hold her. She reaches forward, her arms becoming powerful tentacles which latch on to the ceiling just above the portal.

“Too late to back out now.” She says to herself with a crooked grin and launches herself at the glowing disc of light with an empty mind.

As she enters the portal, it enters her. Filling every cell with light. For a split second, she sees the entirety of both worlds, Atlantis behind her and the formerly lush world of Elysia before her.

She gasps, out of the light of the portal and into the sickly light of the cave on the other side. With a snap of her tentacles, she is secured to the ceiling.

She surveys the life pulses around her and feels her heart lurch. “This is much worse than I feared.” She thinks understanding the scale of forces arrayed against her, pausing and formulating a strategy.

“Fuck it. Plan stays the same. Buy time, draw Annunakin away and stay alive.” She decides.

She exhales slowly, and allows her body to disperse into a swarm of locusts once again. Each insect has a glint in its eye when she descends to flow around the legs of the horde.

“The air has more nitrogen here and less carbon dioxide, although the oxygen is about the same.” She thinks, pushing towards the surface through the legs and clawing hands of her foes. “The plan at least seems to be working. They are following me back.”

“It all makes sense now. The hive mind, each a part of a greater whole, controlled by a greater entity.” She thinks, as the swarm explodes out of the cave into the chilled night air.

“They are not just a hive. They are all parts of the same whole. Drones united in a single purpose.” She thinks watching the lifepulses, around her and the faint almost imperceptible ribbons, leading to the gargantuan creature before her on the plain.

“Just as I thought, when a drone strikes a foe, they would siphon power back to the collective. No it’s more than that, their mere presence draws life energy in to their collective.” She thinks hovering above the plain, seeing nothing but desolation as far as the eye can see. “They move from world to world, sucking it dry and ever expanding. They are a horror.”

Nikita allows the swarm to coalesce back into her normal form albeit with massive wings, “The main question, is how the fuck do I kill it?”

For a moment, Nikita stares at the creature, two miles away trying to take in the scale of the beast. Its mile long body, heaving and quivering along its length as more Annunakin peel themselves away from its girth.

She tries to take in the scale of the beast, part whale, part insect, part crocodile. Soft flesh, covered in chitin with bony ridges jutting out along its terrible length. But worst of all is its maw. The beast snaps at the air, opening its hundred foot wide mouth and snapping its jaws shut with a sonic boom.

“That is a big old beast. Easily a hundred metres tall, sucking the life out of this world and any other it can feed from.” With a powerful beat of her wings, she stops gliding and streaks towards the beast. “Its lifepulse is centred on it, but gradually extends as far as the eye can see.” Looking down she glances back towards the cave and smiles, “They can sense that their?” Nikita pauses seeking the right word, “Mother, I suppose. They can sense that their mother is in danger.”

“I need a better look at it.” She thinks beginning to circle. A moment later, the rules change.




“They are on the move your majesty.” Cassius informs the King.

Halpron stands on the loading bay door of the transport, clad in black kevlar and canvas, with an Orichalcum breastplate. Gladius sheathed at his left hip, smg in a snatch holster on his right leg. Ammunition and equipment pouches cover his back and sides and in this moment, he is not a king, he is a soldier once more.

“Buckle up people. We are dusting off as soon as we get the all clear.” He says, firmly.

The company in the craft are Visibly shaken to be riding into combat with the King himself in command.

“Your majesty, what is the mission?” One soldier asks, nervously.

“We are going to Daemos. Once onsite, we will secure the portal and provide close personal protection for Pillar Phobos while he tries to close it.” Halpron explains, making eye contact with each soldier in turn. “The Champion is currently on the other side of the portal drawing Annunakin forces back through to the other side. If this works, the war ends tonight.”

The cabin of the craft is shrouded in stunned silence, as the soldiers exchange worried glances, as Halpron continues, “There is a news blackout on this operation, which will only be lifted after its conclusion. I will not lie to you, there are massive risks. If the Annunakin, decide to return when we are on station, we will need to evac quickly. The team on craft two, will be securing our escape route. Craft three will be securing the landing zone. We are craft one, we will be going for the portal, Phobos will be coming with us to place wards on tunnels as we pass. The Champion’s heralds will protect him. Should prevent us being ambushed from behind and allow us to expedite our advance. Questions?”

More worried glances are exchanged and another of the soldiers speaks up, “Why us, your majesty?”

“On this operation, I am not your King, I am a citizen of Atlantis, looking to defend his home.” Halpron says, “To answer your question, you have no spouses, or dependants. Moreover, you are long term soldiers, with proven operational experience and have direct experience of close combat with the enemy and between you have notched up over a thousand confirmed kills. In short, the best soldiers for the job.”

Feeling a little more confident the soldier asks another question, “Why are you here, sir? Why not leave it to us?”

“The author GK Chesterton said it best, ‘a true soldier fights, not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.’ I love Atlantis and all who call her home and want a future for our children. I could not stand by and send others in my stead for a task I so dearly wish to see completed.”

“Your majesty, most of the Annunakin have returned through the portal but some vestiges remain. Approximately two hundred Annunakin.” Cassius confirms, over comms.

“Very good General.” The King surveys the faces of the soldiers around him, seeing the quiet calm descend on their faces as they prepare for battle, “Ready weapons and arresters and fix bayonets. We will need to fight our way to the portal, resistance may be heavy but this is the best chance we have of doing this. No one will be forced to enter the caves and no one will think ill of any who choose to remain behind.”

“Well, it’s such a nice evening, it would be a shame to waste it. I fancy a little wander.” One soldier says, with a shrug.

Another soldier stretches and clicks her neck, “Yeah, been cooped up for a while, could do with a workout.”

A third shakes his head, “None of you fools can read a map, without me you will end up conducting a lightning commando raid on the souk in Marrakesh.”

“I had better come too. Who else will patch you up when you shoot yourself in the foot, Garik?” Another adds.

“Yanos owes me a steak dinner and there is no way I’m standing by and letting him get his ass killed without coming good.” A scarred female soldier chips in.

One by one all of the soldiers, agree to attend and the King stands back to admire the bravery of the unit.



Nikita stares down at the back of the Mother. Sleek Annunakin smaller than their kin at roughly four feet long, with wiry frames and limbs, ascend on insectile wings. All heading straight towards Nikita.

“Damn, they cannot let these guys loose in Atlantis. The air force is not set up for an air war.” Nikita thinks, “There are so many of them. I will never kill this lot.”

The stream of flyers, races towards Nikita at a dizzying speed. “Don’t hold back.” Nikita repeats, like a mantra, letting her body shift.

The sky becomes a cloud of acidic vapour with the flyers unleashing gouts of corrosive ichor into the air.

Nikita easily dodges the cloud, but begins to climb. “The wind is stronger the higher we go. This will dissipate the clouds and give me a gravity boost on acceleration to counterstrike.” She surveys the flock of Annunakin flying towards her. “There are over a hundred of them. Even if I split myself up, it will take too long to kill them all.”

The stream of chittering, hissing creatures races to meet her, spewing toxic vomit into the air where it almost seems to hang. She sees their lifepulses, strong and vibrate and detects their taint in the clouds they create. “Whatever else happens, these things cannot pass through the portal.” She thinks grimly, before a smile curls her lips, “I don’t need to kill them, just ground them.”



“Form up on me.” Halpron commands, shouldering his smg, “You three, protect Phobos.”

The soldiers form a tight line behind the King, weapons ready. Each prepared to cover their own firing arcs. They are calm and each soldier, feels themselves relax knowing that this is what they have trained for.

“Controlled bursts. Mark your targets. If you can’t get a headshot, go for the legs and slow them down. You each have a buddy, if you kill one, your buddy makes sure and vice versa.” Halpron commands, fixing the tunnel entrance, a hundred metres ahead, firmly in his sights.

The air is rent asunder with a series of roars from the mountain side and a dozen shapes begin charging towards the unit. “On me, weapons hot.” Halpron says, advancing, knowing the snake will follow.

The unit advances at a half run, firing as they move, not breaking stride. By the time the reach the entrance of the cave that will take them to the portal, all of the charging horde are dead.

Halpron extends and lowers his left hand and slows his pace, cautiously stepping over the threshold. “Two hundred metres down, the cave narrows to eight feet in places, we have a lot of dark corner and blind turns, stay sharp.”

For the members of the unit, all had faced the enemy, but none had been into the mountain. They take comfort from the Kings words, as he leads them into the cavern.



Nikita waits for the ascending horde, extending her senses and wrapping them around the lifepulses around each of the creatures in the air with her.

She takes a deep breath and slowly exhales, sweeping their ability to fly from her foes and releasing it on the breeze. The flying horde, chitters and screams, each of them dropping like a stone.

By the time they smash onto the rocks below, Nikita is diving towards the massive Mother. She extends her senses, feeling several powerful Annunakin converging on the Mothers seat of consciousness. “I need to draw them away from her seat of consciousness. If I land the opposite end of her, I can draw them away and open a window.”

Far below her, the horde is scrambling towards their Mother, sensing the danger she is in. Many are crushed in the chaos, in the fight to reach Nikita atop the behemoth creature at their heart.

Nikita drops onto the back of the huge mass of flesh at the heart of the plain, surprised by what she finds, “This thing is kind of soft underfoot, a bit like walking on a mattress. It feels warmer here than in the air, it must be kicking out a lot of heat.”

She advances cautiously, waiting for the foes she feels but cannot see, to launch their attack. She folds her wings back into herself, adding another layer to her bone armour and extending her fingers into thick two foot blades.

For a moment, Nikita sees everything with crystal clarity. “This creature colonised and killed this world with its horde, just as in its home dimension, its kind have wiped out almost all life. They live to feed and when they cannot, they move on, planting a seed in another world.”

She blinks coming back to herself, “This far and no further.”

With unwavering determination, she takes a step towards the behemoths head, with one thing on her mind.



The cloying heat and humidity of the cave closes in on them, while gunfire echoes, around the snake of soldiers, shapes advance in the darkness. Unseen one moment, illuminated in muzzle flashes the next.

“I didn’t expect resistance to be this heavy, they have fought us every step of the way.” Halpron thinks, finishing off a foe, downed by the man behind him.

Halpron is calm in the eye of the storm. With cool efficiency, he unleashes two bursts, claiming the heads of two Annunakin.

He reloads, not taking his eyes off of the field. Slamming a magazine into the weapon, as the man behind him shoots an Annunakin, a split second away.

The shooting stops jarringly. The only sounds are the soldiers ragged breathing and shell cases, from the last rounds fired, hitting the ground.

Halpron signals back to his men, half to cover the side tunnel to their left, the rest to cover the cave towards the portal and bring Phobos up.

The older man strides forward, flanked to sides and rear by Wulf, Oscar and Aldo and wordlessly begins drawing sigils in his blood, on the walls and floor of the side tunnel. The King and soldiers watch his quick precise movements and sonorous incantations, collectively giving a sigh of relief when the sigil flares and fades.

“That is the last side tunnel, up ahead we will hit the portal chamber in about fifty metres. They know we are coming. Cassius has said there is no ingress from the other side as yet. But that may change. Stay alert everyone.” Halpron says, as calmly as he can.

He locks eyes with Phobos and nods to him, “How are you holding up?”

The older man smiles, with a glint in his eyes, “A bit better than being stuck in a study, reading musty old texts. Managed to pop a couple of these beasts. Have a story for the grandkids after this.” His smile drops for a moment, “Thank you for letting me be a part of this.”

Halpron smiles and pats him on the shoulder, “Thank you for coming. For too long we have pushed you and your people aside. If we are to have a future, we need you there, just as we need you now.”

Phobos nods graciously and thinks, but does not say, “You are more like your father than you realise. He would have been so proud of you. Even if we fail tonight, you are a fine King.“

The soldiers of the unit, wait calm and ready, each keeping one eye on Halpron and another on the last cave to be assaulted.

Halpron senses the moment and looks everyone there in the eyes in turn, “This is it. We sweep and clear. Squads one and two sweep the chamber with me, squad three cover the portal, squad four float and shore defences as needed.” He orders, whilst thinking, “I might not be much of a King, but I am a soldier and will be until the day I die. I just hope today is not that day.”

In silence the unit advances, weapons ready, marching towards their destiny.



Nikita stands tall, not cowering before those that would do her harm. She senses the movement of her would be foes and allows her body to relax in the moment that they begin to close in.

“I have no idea what is coming, but I am more ready for it than I have ever been.” Nikita thinks, feeling a deep sense of peace.

“Scores of them are sweeping in. They will either try to drive me forward or surround me to keep me stymied.” Nikita thinks, leaping high and changing the colour of her armour to match the texture and hue of the high bony ridge the latches onto. “Shame for them that, isn’t my plan.”

[GreyLord]

You leave me speechless, Grand Master [mention]wolfman[/mention]. I can't think of anything to say but, WOW! I twill think about this and try again later.

[Caesar73]

Another grandiose chapter [mention]wolfman[/mention] ! I wonder what Nikita has in mind ....

[wolfman]

You leave me speechless, Grand Master @wolfman. I can't think of anything to see but, WOW! I twill think about this and try again later.

Another grandiose chapter [mention]wolfman[/mention] ! I wonder what Nikita has in mind ....

Thabk you both for your kind words. Your support means a great deal to me. It is my hope that the next few chapters will show that no matter how wild things get, i can always turn up the heat.

[wolfman]

The Annunakin guardian has been honed through generations of combat and defence of Horde Mothers.

He is not a mere drone, mindless and brutal. He is a creature of patience, skill and expertise. His body, is not optimised for running and power. He is a creature of speed and agility.

The guardian stands eight feet tall on two long and powerful, but slender legs. His torso is lithe, but more densely armoured than the chargers, but the main difference is its arms. The lower two arms are tipped with dexterous clawed digits, while the upper arms end in mantis like scythes.

He stalks silently, he smells his prey and converges with his brethren on the spot where she hides. He pauses, his attention drawn by something on the wind. Dismissing it he presses his back to the wall, muscles taut like coiled springs, ready to unleash a storm of speed.

He breathes out slowly, his body and mind in perfect rhythm. Almost imperceptibly, he moves away from the bony ridges of his mother’s back. This is the moment he has lived his life for.

He feels a thump in his back and looks down as he flies off of the edge of his Mother. He flies in a graceful arc, landing with a bone shattering crunch in the midst of his drone kin.

Nikita detaches herself from the wall and scrambles up the side of the bone ridge to settle in camouflaged form at the top. From on high she watches her would-be assailants approach the place that their comrade fell. She smiles to herself, surveying the area, seeing the other parts of herself, spread out and ready to attack.

Cautiously the Guardians enter the area, senses alert, ready for almost anything.




The gunfire in the cavern is thunderous. Halpron throws a grenade through the portal and counts three.

With the temporary lull in the Annunakin advance through the portal, the Atlanteans press forward. Weapons sweeping every inch of the portal chamber, clearing the last of the embedded enemy, before turning back to the portal itself.

“Fall back to the walls, move by threes, alternating convergent fire.” Halpron orders, knowing his soldiers are low on ammunition. “Radio for resupply. I will focus their attention.”

Halpron holsters his smg and draws his sidearm in his left hand and a gladius in his right. He uses the tip to draw a line in the dirt then steps back.

He keeps low, slashing at the legs and necks of Annunakin, as soon as they cross the threshold. The men take turns providing covering fire and keeping a close eye on the ammunition that they have remaining.

The Annunakin are relentless, driving forward constantly probing, only to be turned back by blade and bullet.



The ridges either side of the Annunakin Guardians, ripple and explode with grasping tentacles. Guardians howl as they are flung off of the Mother’s back.

Nikita hurls the last of them off and reunites with herself, assuming armoured and scythe clawed form. “They are not dead from the fall.” She observes with a shrug, exuding a think layer of natural oils “Still I don’t need them dead, just out of the way.”

She feels the creature move under her feet and inhales its musk, “It senses me approach.” She thinks, “I can smell its fear. More to the point, so can her children.”

Across the plain of this world, Annunakin scramble frenzied towards their Mother seeking to protect her.

Cautiously, she begins to approach the base of the behemoths crocodilian skull, aware of the Annunakin all around her. She senses the change in their life pulses, when they charge. It is not much of a warning, but it gives her enough of an edge to stay alive as she approaches her target.



Halpron stumbles, misjudging a strike, leaving himself open. The looming Annunakin before him, lunges. His armour protects him from the blow to his chest, but he lays on his back, frantically deflecting the hooves of the enemy with his sword.

A burst of gunfire, tears the Annunakin away from him and Halpron feels himself helped to his feet. Wulf pats him on the shoulder, “Sorry to break protocol. Additional ammunition is on the way. Phobos is hanging back behind everyone, so we are at a loose end. Figured you might want a hand.”

Halpron nods and gives a lopsided grin, “Wondered when you guys would join the fight. Where’s Xang anyway?”

“Picking something up for Niki. He is going to be so annoyed he missed this.” Wulf says with a shrug, before his posture hardens, “Here they come.” He says, at the same time he and his fellow Heralds, ready their swords.



The screeches on the plain reach a deafening crescendo. Nikita charges headlong into the throng, batting aside Annunakin left and right, barely breaking her stride.

Creatures loom out of the darkness on all sides to assail her, but she fights on undeterred. “You have sucked most of the life from this place, but I will stop you before it is a truly dead world and you will go no further.” She pledges, solemnly.

With fifty metres to her target she redoubles her efforts. Charging through the thickening horde, until she stops dead in her tracks.

Before her, the horde parts and a lone Annunakin stands before her. Easily fifteen feet tall and heavily armoured, the creature towers over its peers and takes a step forward. In the flashes of lightning, she sees it stand on two legs. with arms and scythes like the Annunakin Guardians, however, with much more raw physical power. “It was foreseen that someone like you would come, but not that they would get this far.” The creature speaks in a low rumbling hiss, in the ancient tongue of Atlantis.

Nikita leaps forward, claw blades extended. She stops sharply, plunging the blades into its chest. Across the plain, all Annunakin feel a small sting in their chests. “I am connected to all of my kin and am the avatar of this mothers brood.” He hisses shoving her away hard, “You need to kill all of them if you want to kill me.”

Nikita skids to a halt and feels the baying Annunakin surrounding them, both on the Mother’s body and the surrounding plain, and doesn’t need to count them to know that there are millions, she sighs and cracks her neck, “It will probably take a couple of months to kill them all, but I will get there.” She quips, beheading two nearby Drones with a backhand slash.

Now it is the Avatar’s turn to move, lunging at Nikita. His claws slide off of her oiled carapace and she lashes out with a vicious strike to his throat that heals as soon as it connects.

She senses the Drones backing off slightly, giving the creature before her some room. She holds nothing back, striking at the creature, slashing it’s chest, legs, face and throat. She gouges its eyes and strikes at its heart, hitting every time.

And yet, the Avatar still stands.

“So that’s the way it is, huh?” Nikita says, grimly preparing herself to press her attack.



The portal is a churning pool of baleful light, spewing forth denizens of another world. The King of Atlantis and the Heralds of the Champion stand fast against the darkness.

Gunfire that once filled the chamber is sporadic. All present know how low their ammunition reserves are and each dreads the moment when the last weapon clicks on an empty chamber.

Halpron swings straight and true, but in his heart he knows that if they didn’t stop coming soon, the line would be overwhelmed.

The King rams his blade into the armoured chest of a drone, bisecting its heart. He plants his left foot on its chest and heaves his blade free allowing the beast to fall dead.

Aldo stands ready with two rapiers. He slices off the grasping arm reaching for him and jams his other blade up, under the chin of the beast into its brain.

Wulf hefts the broadsword and effortlessly beheading the closest creature to him. As the sword descends another creature lunges at him. He ducks left ramming the beast in the throat with his shoulder and finishes with a downward slash as it flounders backwards.

Oscar keeps low, with a bulbous ikul firmly in his right hand. Where the others on the line stand their ground, he ducks and weaves moving in close and smashing his foes with the short but heavy sword.



“Nothing I do even slows it down.” Nikita concludes, in the wake of a frenzied flurry of slashes and strikes, “Every hit is spread around the horde and it is starting to feed on my life energy.”

She ducks back easily evading her foes strikes, then dodges as the Annunakin behind her lunges at her, “This thing is the conduit between the mother and the rest of the horde. Everything flows through it.”

“Submit to it.” The creature commands, “You cannot defeat me and you surely must feel the pull of the collective on your life energy.”

“Not today, pal.” Nikita snarls, defiantly. She smashes her hands either side of its head, crushing its skull. Only for its head to be unharmed when she pulls back.

She leaps screaming like a banshee at the creature, tearing it apart. Body parts fly in all directions but when she is done the creature stays reforms before her.

“Stop fighting it. Join with us. You can live forever and explore all realities that we touch.” The creature hisses, “We are eternal, immortal and all seeing. All who resist, will be crushed before us.”

“I’m not interested, fella.” Nikita fires back, “When this is over, only one of us is walking away.”

“I am truly sorry you feel that way.” The creature hisses, slowly advancing towards Nikita, its claws and fangs bared.

Nikita instinctively thickens her armoured carapace and sprouts spines, “Even if I take him, there are all the others and I am not even sure if they have stopped going through the portal.” She thinks, surveying the plain, “There are so many of them.”

Nikita ducks under the first blows and sidesteps the creatures follow up. She backs away from the powerful blows aimed at her head and heart.

She senses the surrounding Drones closing in and lashes out with two razor edged tentacles, beheading three of the beasts and forcing the others back.

Nikita feels their life pulses and sighs, “They are closing in. This is it. Now or never.

The Avatar sweeps in low, claws gleaming at knee height. Nikita drops to her back and flips to her feet as they pass over her. Several Drones charge at her and she keeps low, ducking and weaving, taking their lives with precision strikes as they attack.

In their wake the Avatar advances, it wraps a massive hand around her, but her oil slicked body cannot be gripped. It rears back, its hand shredded by her spines, but only for the moment it takes to heal.

She rolls forward, striking his left leg with the blades on both her hands severing the leg below the joint. Quickly, she evades right, avoiding his falling body.

Then horrified, she watches as the severed leg dissolves into nothing and the Avatar begins regenerating another in its place. “This must be what is feels like to fight against me.”

Without warning, the creature leaps at her. She grunts, under the Avatar’s weight feeling the bulk of the creature above her. Stunned, she moves too slowly as the Avatar rear back and thrusts a claw through her left shoulder.

Nikita roars in pain. She hacks at the arm, which reforms too quickly for her to dislodge it from her shoulder. The Avatar picks her up effortlessly and smashes her into the ground and the ridges around it, in a frenzy.

Battered and bloody, she flies down the Mothers back, landing eighty feet away. “Shit that hurt. Don’t want too much of that.” She thinks, sweeping the extradimensional contaminants from her life pulse and slowly rising to her feet.

Still groggy from the effort of regenerating her ruined shoulder, she dodges a split second too slowly, as the Avatar lands before her and punches one fist through her chest, shredding her ribs and bursting her right lung and the other through her stomach, shattering her spine.

“This is the way of things.” The Avatar hisses. “Lesser beings stand before us and lesser being fall. It is your time.”

Nikita feels her body fly through the air once again. For a moment, she sees everything. The dried sea beds between the islands of this world Atlantis. The endless mass of Annunakin chargers, swirling around their mother, the crack of lightning overhead and the power being drawn into the Mother. She lands with a thump she barely feels.

Her pain addled mind fights itself, one side wanting to fight, the other just wanting a moments stillness. For a terrible moment, the stillness wins, until she remembers who she is.

She barely manages to sweep her lifepulse clear and begin focusing her healing, when the first chargers reach her.

Nikita closely examines the pulses of the creatures around her as they sweep in en masse. There is no finesse, no style, no mercy. Both sides know this is a fight for their lives and neither wants to lose.

Movements heavy, she changes the bone blades on her right hand from five blades four feet long, to one blade six feet long. She charges vaulting over one drone and launching herself high from another, fighting to get back to the Avatar.

Chargers strike at her as she passes through their ranks, ripping at her legs. Slowing but not stopping her. “I was dumb, I held back. No more.” She pledges.

The Avatar draws back as she lands, however her right forearm/blade strikes the Avatar’s left collar bone in a powerful sweeping arc, expanding as it drives deeper, pumping it full of every toxin she knows how to make as it travels through the creature. With her power and weight driving the blow, it passes through his body and exits under the right upper arm almost a foot wide.

“This is a distraction. I need to get to the base of this things skull.” She decides, stabbing each of the Avatar’s halves and, flinging each a different direction off of the Mothers body, then charging headlong through the horde between her and her goal.



The portal chamber erupts to the sound of gunfire. Halpron spins seeing that some members of the support units had pushed forward and were providing fire support.

One squad lays down suppressive fire, engaging targets onsite, whilst the other two squads pass out ammunition. The portal chamber comes to life with sounds of weapons being reloaded and shouts of “Ready.”, from soldiers in the Kings unit.

The suppressive fire squad remains in place and the other squads return to the surface to obtain more arms and ammunition for the embedded troops.

Halpron braces himself and calls out, “Nothing changes. Hold the line. Nothing gets through until Nikita returns.”

When the men roar their response, Halpron thinks, “Come back Nikita. Even if we fail here. I would rather have you at my side than lost for all time.” He cracks his neck, wiping off his blade and bracing for the next assault.



With a ripple, her claws fade and her arms become ten foot long, powerful tentacles. Those Annunakin she cannot brush aside, she charges through. Those who do not yield, she vaults over, claiming their heads as the cost of their resistance.

“It doesn’t matter how many fall.” She thinks, smashing her way forward, “They are all one organism, just in many parts. I only need to stop the brain.”

Nikita sends swathes of Annunakin into the air with powerful sweeps of her freshly sprouted tentacles. Any that draw close are rent asunder with her claws and the closer she gets, the more frenzied the Annunakin become.

However, the Annunakin are undeterred. They pursue her along the Mothers back, striking at her when they get close enough but none able to strike anything more than a glancing blow.

“This is nuts. They just keep coming.” Nikita thinks, rolling sideways to avoid a blow to the head and then rolling forward so she is not caught between two charging creatures. She rolls to her feet and continues her sprint. “Got to keep moving, if they manage to stop me, I will be swamped instantly.”

Almost on cue, a mob forms ahead of her, shoulder to shoulder, blocking her path. Nikita leaps at a creature to her right, using her momentum to vault over the mob.

Whilst in the air, the mob moves and she lands in its heart. Even before she lands, blows start raining down upon her. She crouches, bringing up her arms to protect her head.

The Avatar, now fully regrown approaches the knot of creatures across the Mothers neck. He flexes his claws ready to rend Nikita’s flesh. He leaps backwards, avoiding being hit by the exploding knot of bodies.

Annunakin fly wildly off of the Mothers back, knocking the Avatar off of his feet. Nikita reabsorbs her tentacles and then, flips to her feet again and resumes her run, smashing the jaw of a drone as she passes.

Nikita reaches the base of the Mothers skull and breathes out slowly, “Here at last. This is it.” She thinks, catching her breath.

The Avatar leaps at her and this time connects, wrapping its arms around her, in a death grip. Nikita opens her jaws inhumanly and clamps on the Avatar’s neck. With a twist his head and body become separate entities.

She lands on her feet and spits his head over the left side, then tears it limb from limb and flings it to the four winds. “Keeps him out of the way for a little while.”

Nikita presses forward, flailing, slicing and dicing, unyielding. She deepens the ridges on the soles of her feet, stabilising her grip on the blood slicked surface and presses on, ignoring the myriad blows upon her body.



Overhead clouds gather and purple lightning splits the sky with a cacophony boom. Beneath her feet she feels the seat of the creatures consciousness. All around her, Annunakin rise on their hind legs baying for her blood.

Time seems to stand still for a moment. The lightning’s flash, casting an eerie light over the scene. Nikita sees all of the Annunakin on the plain, both those on the ground and those that are climbing. She feels that hatred and fear of her, coming off of them in waves.

“They are like white blood cells trying to fight a foreign infection.” She says in a moment of clarity, “They are really all extensions of the Mother.” In that moment, she understands what she must do.

Time starts again and the horde charges in. Impossibly fast. No way to escape.

Lightning slams into the Mothers back, around her while rain drills into her skin.

In a moment of true peace, she allows herself to relax and flow, becoming a three foot tall and six feet wide limpet. With relentless suction, she clamps onto the Mothers back, protected from those around her, by a two foot thick shell.

She punches down, piercing its mammoth hide with a three metre blade of bone. Once through the creatures skin, the blade becomes a tentacle with lamprey jaws at the heart of every sucker, wrapping around the base of the creatures brain stem.

With blows raining down upon her, she feels every claw and tooth. With every blow, she feels her foes get closer to her flesh.

Nikita contracts the tentacle and begins ripping, chewing and tearing through its brain matter.

Nikita sweeps the contaminants from her lifepulse and grits her teeth. She feels the Annunakin hammering on her back, but instead of fighting, she crouches and thickens her armour. “This is not an answer, but hopefully it will buy enough time.” She thinks, at peace.

She feels a wave of memory wash over her, each ripple the face of a loved one or a cherished memory. She feels renewed in its passing and pulls hard on the tentacle feeling it pop, as the giant mothers brain stem is severed.

With a roar she sends the tentacle into the creature brain, to scramble its grey matter and speed its demise, while the Annunakin become frenzied. “If this is my end, I meet it gladly, knowing that Atlantis and the world is safe.” Nikita thinks, closing her eyes.



Nikita warily opens her eyes, noticing the distinct lack of anything hammering her shell or tearing into her flesh. She lays on her back. Body bleeding and bones broken, but alive. She takes a moment to sweep taint from her lifepulse.

She extends her senses and feels nothing alive within the range of her senses. Gingerly she rises to her feet. To slowly stagger between the bodies of dead Annunakin, strewn across the corpse of their dead Mother.

“When she died, they died. She was keeping them alive as part of her and now she is gone....” She thinks, allowing the thought to trail off.

Nikita takes a moment, to change into a more normal version of herself, without the armour, blades or animal traits. All that remains are her broken bones and torn flesh. She stretches gingerly, feeling the extent of her injuries and takes a first step towards the portal.

She holds out her scarred arms and they become pristine giant birds wings. “Oh seriously, you have got to be kidding.”

Nikita changes the wings back to her arms and shakes her head, “How much have I suffered needlessly.” She snorts.

A moment, later she has transformed herself into a pristine version of herself, free from injuries, bearing only echoes of the wounds she has received. “You are a dumbass, Niki.” She whispered to herself, before recreating wings and soaring towards the portal.



Somewhere in a silver room, a woman with silver skin has a faraway look in her eyes. She smiles and punches the air, “I knew you would get there eventually.”

She pour herself a glass of squash raising it in a toast before taking a sip.

An impossibly well muscled man, with silver skin and blue eyes joins her and clinks his glass with hers, “What are we toasting?”

“The future.” She says, beaming a smile.




“They have stopped coming.” Halpron radios, “Can we escort Phobos to the portal with all haste?”

“What of Nikita?” Wulf asks, catching his breath.

Halpron winks at him, “She will be here and we will be ready.”

“How can you be sure?” Wulf asks, sceptically.

“Because she is Nikita Green. That is all that matters.” Halpron affirms, with a smile.

[GreyLord]

This is a truly epic story. Well done, Grand Master.

[wolfman]

This is a truly epic story. Well done, Grand Master.

Thank you [mention]GreyLord[/mention] , i appreciate your support.

I hope you continue to enjoy.

[wolfman]

“Movement!!!” One soldier shouts, seeing a ripple from the surface of the portal. The portal chamber echoes with the sounds of weapons being readied and aimed.

Nikita emerges from the portal, limned in golden light, hair blown by an ethereal breeze. She notices the weapons aimed at her and raises her hands languidly, “Steady on guys, this is my last NAKI suit.”

Halpron rushes forward and embraces her tightly. She beams a smile hugging him back, “I am so glad you are OK. Did they stop coming when I went through?”

“No, but we managed to hold them off.” He says, before leaning forward to whisper, “I thank the gods, you are back.”

A dam inside her threatens to break but she steels herself, “I had to come back, I promised to join you for dinner.” She whispers, softly.

“It is already getting light, we might have to do breakfast instead, if that is alright.” He whispers sadly.

“I would take any reason to spend some time with you.” Nikita says, feeling a thump in her heart.

Halpron closes his eyes and just takes a moment to savour the feel of her in his arms, “I need to address my people, but we will have some time.” The King says, not wanting to let her go.

Phobos coughs softly, from behind them, “Sorry to interrupt, but I had better get this portal shut down, before something else comes through.”

Almost without thinking Nikita solemnly says, “Don’t worry, everything is dead on the other side.”

Stunned silence fills the chamber. Even Halpron gasps, slightly and releases the embrace without thinking. Nikita realises what she has said and follows up, “All of the Annunakin were part of a hive mind, linked to their Mother. When I killed it, it took away their ability to live and they all died.”

Halpron nods, and drapes an arm around her shoulder, “That is as we theorised. You were right.” He glances at Phobos, “Nevertheless, why don’t we let Phobos do his thing?” He gestures towards the entrance to the cave and the route back to the light.

Phobos, wails in a language before time, unleashing gouts of his blood to spray in eldritch patterns around the portal before it gutters and dies. In the half light that remains, everyone takes a moment to realise what they have done.

The King takes a moment to move around the assembled soldiers and shake each man’s hand, before shaking the hand of Phobos last. He winks at Nikita and then keys his comm unit. “This is Royal command one. Over.”

The radio crackles to life, “Copy Regal one. This is General Cassius, over.”

Shakily, he speaks, “Copy General. Mission accomplished. I repeat, Mission accomplished, over.” Halpron says, almost unable to contain his relief.

A moment turns into a minute, turns into three, before the radio crackles again, with sounds of cheers, sobbing, laughter and disbelief in the background. General Cassius, tries to maintain his composure and speaks as calmly as he is able. “Copy that Regal One. Good work everyone. Relief units are on the way, come on home, over.”

“Show us en-route and attending. You might want to have some ice cold beers and promotions on standby. Over.” Halpron says with a smile.

“Beers and promotions for the unit are on standby. You are already outside of my promotional remit sir. Over.” Cassius says with a chuckle.



Nikita and Halpron stand shoulder to shoulder waving in the relief team, around them half of the unit sits, dazed. Some smoking cigarettes, some cleaning their guns, other in shock about what has just happened. The rest of the unit, is securing the portal chamber and confirming that all Annunakin are dead.

The armour of the soldiers gleams in the first light of day, as dust kicked up by the relief craft swirls around them.

Soldiers drop from the craft before it lands. As soon as their arresters deposit them on the dirt, they sprint towards the men and form a defensive perimeter.

Their captain skids to a halt before the King, snapping a crisp salute, “What are your orders, your majesty?”

The King returns the salute, “At ease, soldier. We need you to take half of your people and set up an interim command post here, with comms and medical. With the other half, set up a fire team with support elements, covering the entrance to the portal chamber.”

The captain’s eyes widen, “Yes sir.”

“The portal is closed and cannot be reopened unless Phobos releases it. This is purely a precaution.” The King assures him.

“Sir.” The captain says, the looks up at the King, “Wait. It’s closed?” He asks, not daring to hope.

The King smiles and swallows, before saying once more, “Yes Captain. It is closed. Do you want to give the news to your unit?”

The captain is unable to speak, simply nodding with eyes moist, threatening tears. The King, pats him on his shoulder, “Very good Captain. You have your orders. Move out.”

The soldier sprints for all he is worth to his team and calls them close, while the King leads his men to the waiting transport.



Halpron begins cracking open bottles of ice cold beer and passing them out to his men, finishing with a bottle for a still weakened Phobos and finally one for Nikita.

She accepts the bottle and presses the condensation coated side to her forehead, with a soft sigh.

Halpron gazes at her as she cools herself and feels a part of him melt, “With all her power, she is still very much human. Perhaps the most human I have ever seen.” He thinks, marvelling at her silently.

Nikita takes a long cool gulp and smiles to herself, “There have been a few moments lately, when I never thought I would have another beer ever again.” She thinks before declaring out loud, “Best beer I have ever had.” To a burble of assent around her.

She sets herself down in an empty seat and smiles when the King sits next to her. Neither say a word when, he slips his hand in hers and they lace their fingers together.

Without speaking they come to a similar thought, “We have gone through hell. I need something good to cleanse me.”




Military Command HQ, Garnos Ring, Regal Chambers.

Halpron paces the room nervously. He wears the formal uniform of his rank of Commander in Chief. Black silk shirt, canvas trousers, under Orichalcum chain mail. Medals adorning his chest.

He looks at the clock, “Thirty minutes to the most important speech of my life.” He says, trying to calm his nerves. “I can face a slobbering horde of monsters with a sword and pistol day in and away out. But, a camera feed watched by the nation terrifies me.”

A soft knock at the door, draws his attention, “Come.” He says, gritting his teeth.

Nikita slips through the door, “I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t be here. But I can’t handle all the questions. I need space to breath.”

Halpron gazes at her, seeing her exhaustion and softens, “As you welcomed me in my hour of need, I welcome you too. No one will disturb you here.” He says with open arms.

She shivers as if a coldness has just left her and steps into his arms to embrace him once again. “Thank you your majesty.”

He pulls her close and holds her tight, “Call me Hal.”

“Thank you Hal.” She says melting into his arms. Without thinking her lips find his. With each sweep and thrust of their tongues, their worries leave them until peace is restored to both.

When their mouths part, Nikita rests her head on his shoulder, whispering with disbelief, “Did we really do it?”

Halpron nods, kissing the crown of her head, “It’s like a dream. I can’t quite believe it either.”

Nikita closes her eyes and sinks into the sensation of being in Halpron’s arms, until she feels him tremble slightly. “Are you OK?”

He releases her from his embrace and turns away from her for a moment, “We have done the unthinkable and now I have to tell my people.” He turns back to her visible shaking, “This is the moment, that will define a generation, possibly several generations. I need to be calm and ready, but between the lack of sleep, adrenalin comedown and nerves, I am anything but.”

She stands back agape, “I have known and grown close to a few strong men, but none who have had the strength to show vulnerability.” She thinks, seeing him in a new light.

“Give me a sword and set me against an army and I will stand straight and true, but the thought of addressing my nation on an occasion such as this terrifies me.” He slumps into a chair and places his head in his hands, “I can’t do this. I am not a King.”

Nikita takes a step towards him and rests a hand on his shoulder, “I have seen so many sides to you. You are kind, compassionate, brave, intelligent, fair and wise. You are the King. More than that, you are the man of the moment and you can do anything. I believe in you.”

He looks up at her and places his hand on her, “You are all of those things and so much more. You have given us a future, that we could never dream of. Now, I can dare to dream.” He says, with a gentle smile, “Yet it is you who stands before me and say that you believe, when it should be me saying, Nikita Green, I believe in you. I wish I had your strength.”




The words hit Nikita like blows to the heart, not to hurt her, but to beat it like a drum and set it thundering in her chest. Slowly she places her hands on his thighs then begins to lower herself to her knees.

Halpron looks at her stunned, “What are you doing?” he asks, his face a mask of confusion.

Nikita swallows her nerves. In this moment, the indestructible woman and unkillable maniac decides to risk the one thing that she cannot heal. Her heart. “Your Majesty, I am kneeling before my King, to pay tribute. Not to the crown he wears but to the man that he is. Let me help you forget your doubts.”

Halpron sits open mouthed watching, as she slowly slides her hands up his thighs and moves the chain mail aside. He doesn’t resist when she unbuttons his trousers and pulls them down to his ankles. Nor does he resist when she pulls his underwear down, exposing his manhood to the cool air of the office.

Nikita’s eyes widen slightly, seeing the proud package before her, “Oh boy.” She thinks, comprehending its length and girth. All she can think in this moment is, “Don’t hold back.”

Halpron holds up his hands, “You don’t need to do this.”

“You are my King and you need my help to calm your nerves. You have awakened something in me, that I can no longer deny.” Nikita says, before leaning in close and placing a kiss on the tip of his rock hard member.

He sighs softly and closes his eyes, savouring the feeling of her soft kisses along the length of his shift. He moans softly feeling the heat of her tongue and lips, gently caressing his scrotum before taking his length into her mouth.

Nikita takes her time embracing his girth with her lips and taking him deeper into her mouth. With a thought, she expands her throat accommodating his length and girth. Still allowing for a little tightness when he thrusts then, when he pulls back, she closes her throat to squeeze him. With a little practice, she matches his rhythm expanding and contracting her throat, when he thrusts and pulls back.

Slowly, she rocks back and forth massaging him with her lips and takes him deep into her throat, in sync with his thrusts into her mouth, drawing groans of pleasure from her King.

Her tongue is pinned under his shaft, until she flattens it and is able to curl it around him. Halpron’s eyes go wide feeling her tongue squeeze him mid shaft, only to roll back in his head, when she drains the heat from it and makes it pulse with different rhythms, while she works her way backwards and forwards.

Nikita reaches into his lifepulse and amplifies his sensitivity to touch. Halpron gasps, feeling stimulated in a way he never has before. The hotness of her throat and lips with the cool of her tongue, the alternating pressure from her throat, the softness of her lips and the pulsing caress of her tongue driving him wild.

She grips the base of his shaft with her right hand and pumps herself along its length, slamming into her throat. Her left hand gently reaches under him, manifesting a second mouth in the palm of her hand, to lick, suck, caress and gently squeeze his balls. His hand blindly finds the back of her head and helps her slam into him.

The corridor outside the room is silent, but the room itself is transformed by Nikita and the King’s grunts and cries of pleasure.

Nikita alters the muscles in her neck to allow her to move her head back and forth faster, accelerating his approach to climax. She inhales his musk and savours his scent, craving the man before her.

Her mouths, tongues and hands work in unison in a wanton frenzy of motion. Halpron’s senses are flooded with sensation, leaving him gasping for air when the flood subsides enough for him to breath.

She senses his approach to climax before he does and heightens his senses at the moment he explodes into her throat, with a scream of pleasure.




Halpron sinks back in the seat, spent for now and relaxes, while Nikita licks and sucks him clean. His breathing slows as his senses are returned to normal and his pulse slows.

Nikita smiles at him and then slips into the bathroom to rinse her mouth and wash her face, before returning with a damp washcloth and a fresh towel

Halpron gasps at the cool, moist touch of the cloth wrapped around his shaft by gently fingers, thoroughly washing him, before caressing and cleansing his scrotum.

“Thank you so much. That was amazing.” He pants, coming back down front the post orgasm high.

“I am sorry if I overstepped my bounds.” Nikita looks up at him with her big blue eyes and smiles, using the soft towel to dry him.

Halpron beams a goofy smile back, “No Niki, I have never felt such pleasure. You are amazing.”

“My pleasure.” Filled with relief she says, with a smile and a wink, “Think of it as a sixty eight.”

Halpron frowns, “I’m not sure I follow.” He says confused.

Nikita bites her lip, before softly saying, “Just like a sixty nine, but you owe me one.”

Halpron laughs gently, “You are a bad girl. You’re going to get me in trouble.” He pauses for a moment, to pull up his underwear. “I am good with that.”

Nikita looks serious for a moment, “Everything has been so heavy and serious, maybe we deserve some fun. I don’t know what we have together. But it feels right and I don’t want to lose that.”

Halpron leans forward in his chair and places her hands gently on her shoulders, looking deep into her eyes, “I don’t know either, but I feel the same way.”

“If it is too much for either of us or not working, we walk away.” Nikita proposes, feeling she should give him a way out.

Sensing her nerves, he nods, “This has to work for both of us, or it is no good.”

Nikita’s eyes flick to the clock, “You have ten minutes, to get ready and get down there. Whilst you have already given me a good mouthful, can we still do breakfast after?”

“I would like that a lot.” He looks up almost nervously, “Would you mind coming with me? I would really like to have you by my side.”

Nikita beams a smile at him, “I would be honoured Your Majesty.”

“You can call me Hal in private. I would like that.” He says smiling back.

“I know, just practicing for when we are out together.” Nikita pauses hearing her own words, “Are we doing the right thing?”

“Niki I think you are amazing. I’ve thought that from the moment I first saw you in the resort. You excite me, you inspire me and you fill my thoughts when we are apart. It might sound crazy, but it’s true. When you entered the portal, for a brief moment I imagined you not coming back and it scared me.” Halpron pauses, searching for the words, “I was scared of a world, where I didn’t get to see you again.”

“I felt that too. I have never met a man like you before. A man of power, rich in many ways, a soldier, a ruler, but you are so much more. I have never met a man as strong as you, who was willing to show his vulnerable side. You inspire me too. I may not be of Atlantis, however, I would have you as my King.”

“As I would have you as my queen.” He says, planting a soft kiss on her lips.

[GreyLord]

I think that Nikita could spoil a man real quick. Your great story is moving on, @wolfman.

[wolfman]

I think that Nikita could spoil a man real quick. Your great story is moving on, @wolfman.

I don't know what you mean. Ahe can read what a person is feeling, manipulate her body and the body of her lover to heighten senses and stimulate him to perfection..... Yes i take your point on that.

[wolfman]

The throne room falls silent as the usher announces, “His Royal Highness King Halpron and Champion of Daemos, Nikita Green.”

Halpron strides forward in immaculate military uniform. Nikita keeps pace, slightly behind him, allowing him the limelight. She wears her Nirvana dress uniform of a black jumpsuit with purple piping, coupled with a dark purple shirt and beret.

When Halpron steps up to the podium, Nikita takes a seat next to General Cassius.

Halpron stands tall and rests his hands on the sides of the podium. He looks into the camera with calm confidence. For a moment, he imagines Nikita standing at his side with an arm around his shoulders.

“My fellow Atlanteans, I stand before you on this day to quell some of the rumours that you may have heard about the events on Daemos over the past twenty four hours.” He begins, filled with the calm that the endorphins racing around his body gives him. “I would like to talk to you about yesterday, today and tomorrow.”

“Over the past few days, the other-worldly Annunakin have been growing in numbers. Our forward weapons platforms and Air Force, engaged with sustained bombardment, whilst ground forces established a forward command post and mounted a valiant defence. However, early yesterday evening the horde began to surge, to previously unknown levels and slowly began to threatening our defences.” He pauses, taking a sip of water and leaving the nation holding its breath.

“We were out of options, and running out of time. However, our Champion stepped forward, unafraid and pledged to lead the Horde in her wake. The plan was that in doing this, it would draw them after her and slow their advance, in order to buy us time to engage and thin their numbers.” The King explains, before frowning, “Alas, it was not enough. All of the signs were there for the infinite surge, where the horde swells and does not stop.” Halpron closes his eyes for a moment to allow anyone listening to comprehend what he has just said. He looks up at the camera and smiles, allowing his body language to relax, “Then a bold plan was proposed.”

He sips his water and takes a deep breath, “It had been proven that the Annunakin would follow The Champion. So the decision was made that she would lead them back through the portal and lead them a merry dance on the other side. Then once the portal chamber was clear, a specialist unit would deploy on Deamos to secure the chamber, until such time as Phobos could close the portal.” In his mind he imagines the hope welling up in the hearts of everyone watching.

“The Champion commenced her run and everything went to plan at first. The Annunakin followed as planned and the field cleared. General Cassius selected a team to clear the cave system and escort Phobos. The mission was launched and whilst the numbers of hostiles was greatly reduced, significant resistance met the soldiers. Under the overall command of General Cassius, the brothers and sisters of Atlantis in our Spearhead unit, lead by myself were able to secure the portal chamber, after a pitched battle for control of the tunnels. Through their training, professionalism and load out, whilst some injuries were sustained, no soldiers were lost during this operation.” The King pauses, knowing that the key part is coming up and delivery is crucial.

“Meanwhile on the other side of the portal, alone and without communications or support, The Champion mounted a valiant assault. From her observations, she determined that the Annunakin were of one mind and united purpose, controlled by a greater intelligence. She was able to locate the Mother of the Horde and after a titanic battle, with its drones successfully ended its life and in turn, ended the threat of these Annunakin.” Halpron’s voice catches in this throat, before he continues, “Victorious. The Champion returned to our ranks and Phobos was able to close the portal after a titanic display of esoteric prowess.”

Halpron smiles warmly into the camera and speaks with authority and a subtle power to his voice, “After so long at war, our enemy is no more and the portal that acted as a doorway, is closed. For their actions the soldiers that took part in the operation, will be awarded the title and role of King’s Guard. For her valiant efforts to defend Atlantis and her victory over the Annunakin, from this day forward, Nikita Green shall add the title of Saviour of Atlantis, to her Litany.”

He takes a deep breath then slowly and warmly says, “That was yesterday, so we come to today.” He relaxes, finding his rhythm, “Today, we are safe. We are at peace. On this most momentous of days, I ask you to embrace those around you and come together, as all Atlantean’s united. We have looked into the abyss of war and survived, so today we unite and tomorrow we begin to heal and take our first steps on the rebuild and free our allies from the tyranny of war.”

He pauses for a moment, before closing his speech, “A great woman once said Be open-minded. Be ready. Be humble and be kind.” He pauses hearing a soft gasp from Nikita before concluding, “These are qualities that since I heard them, have come to mean a great deal to me. Being open minded has lead to new thinking and ideas which have shaped policy and our approach to the Annunakin. Being ready has allowed us to act when the time is right. Being humble helps us to see that truly great things happen when we come together and do what must be done, without a thought for glory. Being kind has allowed us to provide for our brothers and sisters through good times and bad and will allow us to grow as a nation.”

Taking a final sip of water, “The time for fear has passed, now is the time to hope.”





Halpron does his duty after the address. He shakes hands with the camera crews and station team and even allows a few photos to be taken of him with General Cassius, Nikita and Phobos before the four of them retire to his official study.

“I hate to say it, but we might have to work with Neophytos on this. Film an extended interview where we talk about the parts we individually played in the night.” Phobos says, squeezing the bridge of his nose.

“I’ve given her a breakdown of the events of the night already and she will let us know when she is ready for an interview.” The General adds.

Despite the nods and sounds of assent around her Nikita holds up her hands and shakes her head, “Wait, slow down. This is too much.”

“Your accolades are earned with your sweat and paid for in their blood. You are our Saviour.” The King underlines.

“I am not comfortable being Champion, let alone Saviour. I am just a simple girl from Earth doing what she can.” Nikita protests.

“A hero is not defined by their origin, but by their deeds.” Cassius, proclaims then adds, “Advising the military, with a strategy that allowed us to conduct a bloodless defence of Atlantis. Saving the King. Saving a large number of crops from fire. Completing the ritual of the Mirrored Self. Entering the portal and defeating the Annunakin allowing a period of peace to be ushered in.”

Knowing he is right, she sits back in her chair and with a small flourish , produces a cigarette and lighter. Cassius leans forward in his seat immediately, “How did you do that?” he asks, with amused curiosity.

Nikita shrugs, “Sleight of hand.” She says dismissively.

Phobos clears his throat and with a smile, softly says, “Nonsense. I know a dimensional cantrip when I see one.”

Nikita blushes, “You got me.” Then pauses before asking, “Wait, how do you know about it?”

“It is the first spell taught to Esotericans as part of their training.” Phobos says, casually.

Nikita stops in her tracks and considers the implications for a moment, “How many people have you got that know it?”

Phobos pauses thoughtfully, before answering, “The whole order.”

“Could they teach the army to do it?” She asks, her mind racing.

Phobos shrugs, “Possibly, but to what end?”

Cassius also weighs in, “What use would it be?”

Nikita smiles and scrunches her nose, “I am not sure, but.” She pauses producing a handgun with a flourish and places on the table, “I can’t help but think.” She produces a Kalashnikov and places it on the table, “There might be some.” She places an automatic shotguns on the table, “Use that a soldier.” She places a field surgery kit on the table, “Might have for it.”

Cassius’ eyes go wide and his mind starts to race, Phobos sheepishly admits, “Ah, I hadn’t thought of it like that.”

The room is quiet for a moment, then with a nod from the King, Nikita lights her cigarette.

Cassius sits back in his chair and turns to Phobos, “When could your people show mine how to do this?”

The older Esoterican rubs his chin, “We would start the day after tomorrow. Probably one person could show a group of ten in around three hours. We could work our way through your entire force in a week or so.”

Cassius nods with a glint in his eye, “Perfect. This will go a long way to ending supply problems in the field and allow each man to carry every weapon and tool he might need, whilst reducing the amount that they physically need.”

The King smiles, looking at Nikita, “Once again your actions, underline your heroism.”

Nikita blushes and opens her mouth to speak, but the look of warmth in his eyes, robs her of speech.

The room erupts into a spirited discussion of the use of this technique for soldiers and police in the field, before the first of a number of appointments whisks them away.



The day passes in a flash. A constant cavalcade of military committees, civil groups and schools, before culminating in an official dinner for all pillars and assembled dignitaries.



Tired of the constant bombardment of hand shaking and fawning from the assembled guests, Nikita finds herself in the grounds of the Palace away from the crowds. “This all seems so mad. Ever since arriving everything had been a kaleidoscope of wondrous chaos. I need a moment of peace.”

Her deep red silk dress is slit to her right thigh and despite the three inch heels she navigates the grounds with ease finding a secluded spot, ducking around a few couples looking for their own solitude amid the biggest celebration for several generations.

She lights a cigarette and leans back against a tree, “What a mental few days.” She thinks, blowing smoke at the moon, hanging low in the sky, she closes her eyes and breathes deeply taking a lungful of tobacco and holding it for a moment before releasing.

She notes every function of her body and casts her mind back to the meeting with The Stag. Then plays through everything that happened since.

Returning to the present, she nods, “My body clock verifies the passage of events, so no missing time.”

Nikita then replays her memories of her thoughts going back to The Stag and nods again, “No aberrant thoughts, nothing out of place.”

She opens her eyes and takes another pull on her smoke, then exhales exclaiming, “Everything fits. Nothing false or implanted, everything is in its proper place. This is not a dream.” She swallows, nervously, this is real.

Nikita hugs herself, with a shiver not born of cold and finishes her cigarette in silence, thinking of what she will do next. In that moment fear leaves her and she smiles in the night. “It is real. Which means I really did it all and I really feel the way I do about Halpron.”

[wolfman]

Nikita walks back to the main hall of the Palace, heels clicking in time to the faint strains of the music carried on the breeze. She wears a sleek red halter dress, hugging her figure, slit from hem to her left thigh. With a thought, her breasts grow half a cup size and then shrink back to normal as she thinks, “I don’t have to present a false front. I just need to be me.”

The room swirls with colour and dazzling ornamentation. From Orichalcum statues of bygone Kings and Queens from the nations past, nestled among bold tapestries and paintings of moments from history.

From dignitaries, to captains of industry, military officers and Atlantean media icons, all snap to look her way, when the usher calls, “Nikita Green, Champion of Daemos and Saviour of Atlantis.”

Nikita suppresses a blush and smiles, striding across the room, guests eyes and the burble of conversation follows her as she crosses the ballroom.

King Halpron and Angela wave as they make eye contact. She returns a casual wave and joins the King and his sister.

“Was beginning to think you weren’t going to come.” Halpron says, giving her a hug. “I cannot tell you how glad I am that you did.”

He cuts a dashing figure in a tailored back tuxedo, bow tie and crisp ice-white shirt. His stumbled jaw at odds with the rest of his appearance, he looks every inch, both King and soldier.

To his left stands Angela, High Priestess of the Phlogiston Order, resplendent in an off the shoulder aquamarine dress with Orichalcum jewellery. She raises a glass to Nikita, as the warrior approaches.

Nikita smiles and apologises, “Sorry, I’m late. I needed to gather my thoughts, Your Majesty.”

“It’s been an eventful couple of days, without breathing space, I understand completely.” Halpron says, with a warm smile.

Angela passes Nikita glass of champagne and proposes a toast. “To the King and our Saviour, may their bravery be rewarded and their courage be revered for eternity.”

Nikita sheepishly clicks her glass, but then leans in to whisper, “Steady on, I’m not exactly comfortable with the attention.”

“Relax, everyone is here to blow off steam and this is my battlefield, I will protect you.” Angela says, with a wink.

Nikita chuckles softly, then whispers, “My hero.”

Nikita barely registers the look between Angela and her brother. Before he moves to her side and speaks softly into her ear, “May I have this dance?”

Nikita bites her lip nervously and allows herself to be led to the dance floor in the centre of the ball room. Halpron pulls her close, taking her hand in his and pulling her tight to him with his other hand in the small of her back.

The strings swell and they begin to waltz to the strains of the Blue Danube. With each step it is as if they step further away from the room and deeper into their own private world.

“You look beautiful, Niki.” Halpron whispers softly, “But then, you always do.”

“You look as dashing and handsome as always.” She whispers back.

“I wish we could just leave now. I want you all to myself.” He whispers, then smile warmly at her.

“So do I.” Nikita whispers wistfully, “Are we moving too fast? I am worried, I pushed too hard this morning.”

“We both wanted it.” He says softly, looking into her eyes, “I value what we have and I don’t want to mess it up. We can go however fast or slow, we are both comfortable with.”

Nikita smiles, feeling a sense of peace fill her. “I would like that.”

“While we are dancing, at least we don’t have to make small talk to everyone else.” Halpron says, with a wink. “Only way to get a bit of privacy on a night like this. We can only dance for one or two dances at a time, but it is still a break.”

“Sounds good to me.” Nikita says, smiling gently. “Gives us a chance to talk for a bit and get to know each other”

“That sounds nice. I have read your file, but I know nothing of the real you.” He says, subtly stroking her lower back.

“What would you like to know?” Nikita asks, allowing herself to be swept around the dance floor, “Ask anything you wish. But, be warned, I expect some answers to in return your Majesty.”



Nikita leans back on a dining chair, feeling a pang of regret at the choice of her foot wear on one hand and on the other feeling the buzz of the night.

She feels the lifepulses around her throng with positive emotions and allows herself to be carried on a wave of joy. “This is a great night. I wish the others could be here.” She thinks, with regret.

Nikita leans back in the chair and takes in the spectacle of the night, the Orichalcum drenched walls shimmer in the light of the crystal chandeliers. Revellers dressed in every colour and cloth swirl on the dance floor. Decadent aromas fill the air, from the abundant feast provided, wine vapours and salty sea air tinged with the scent of lemon and olive groves.

The room is filled with the excited burble of conversation. She takes a sip of champagne and allows the words to wash over her. Gentle laughter, talk of how the King looks in uniform, disbelief that the war is over, hope for the future and a myriad other conversations meet her ears.

She frowns sensing the amount of alcohol in Angela’s blood. With a thought she reaches into the alchemists blood and purges it of intoxication.

Angela looks around confused as she instantly sobers up. She catches Nikita’s eye and mouths the words , “Thank you.” Nikita raises her glass and gives a wink in response.



Nikita turns back to the table to see General Cassius sitting opposite her. She raises an eyebrow in mild surprise, “That’s impressive. Not many who can sneak up on me.”

“I think you and I need a little chat.” He says leaning forward, “Would you like to get some air?”

Sensing a nervousness in the man, she relaxes her posture and nods, “Lead the way.”

Cassius leads them to a quiet alcove outside and leans back against the wall, while Nikita lights a cigarette. “What’s on your mind?” she asks, watching him closely.

“Have you thought about your future?” The older man asks, warmly.

“Kind of making it up as I go at the moment.” Nikita admits, “Not sure what I will do.”

“The King really likes you and you are a hero here. If you wanted to stay, there is definitely a place here for you.” He says gently.

“I really like him too, but it is early days.” Nikita confesses.

“There will always be threats to Atlantis and we will always need the brave to stand up to face them.” The General, says calmly, “Would you consider working with my command team and I to restructure training and operations.” He raises a hand when she moves to object, “We have fought the same enemy for generations. We need new thinking and new approaches. Your help will make a real difference.”

Nikita blows smoke up at the moon, then chews her lip for a moment, genuinely considering the offer. She smiles at the older man, “Whatever happens, I will work with you and your people.” She smiles, fondly, “Atlantis has a special place in my heart. I don’t know what my future will bring, but I would like to think that at least a part of it will be here.”

Cassius nods thoughtfully, before looking Nikita in the eye, “Atlantis needs to recover and to change to face the new world. Some will call for us to open our doors to the world, but I fear that we will lose our way of life if we do this.” A mix of emotions play out across his features, before he continues, “But, by the same token, we need earth as much as it needs us.”

“How do you mean?” Nikita asks, wondering what he means.

“We are largely self sufficient, however, we need supplies from earth and it is our spiritual home. The average Atlantean is familiar with pop culture and the news of the day from Earth and we value a lot from our home.” He says fondly, before his expression becomes more serious, “Earth has dimensional soft spots, like the one we have in the portal chamber. We stay current with the news, looking for a sign of a hostile dimensional incursion into the homeworld.”

“What if you find evidence of one? Will you swoop in?” Nikita asks, suspecting the answer.

“Earth has no idea what is out there. If we need to, we would dispatch a response force with royal and Pillar approval.” Cassius confirms, before adding, “Same for any of our allies.”

Nikita blows smoke out of the corner of her mouth, and raises an eyebrow, “Other Allies?”

“Oh. Olympus, Shangri-la, Lyonesse, Alexandria, Lemuria, Mu and a few others.” Cassius says, lightly. “They are similar to us. They live in spaces outside of Earth but connected to it. Now our war is over, we will be called on to aid in theirs.”



Nikita returns to the ballroom, to see the party still in full swing. The orchestra plays a composition, of which she is unfamiliar. The chord structure is more akin to music from India than Europe with strange echoes of Latin American tribal music, where the beat is fast, but the notes seem to unfold slowly.

She watches the dancers closely, their movements closer to combat than classical dance. The dancer are arranged in rings, with the King at the head of the central ring.

“Three rings. They are dancing in the formation of Atlantis.” Nikita thinks, beginning to feel the effects of being on the go for so long. “I have been on the go constantly for the past few weeks. I will have a lay in, tomorrow morning.

She watches the dancers in their circles, following their complex movements. “They are showing a display of strength and power. As they move, they twirl, warding off attackers and defending their home. More to the point they are mimicking Hal.”

The music and the dance is hypnotic and Nikita finds herself transfixed, unable to look away. The King whirls and battles unseen foes, followed by the dancers in formation until the music stops and all leap into the air with a roar.

Then the dance is over and the dance floor clears, to be repopulated by other dancers as the music shifts to a foxtrot.

The King spies Nikita watching the dance and makes his way over to her, cutting through the crowd of well wishers.

As he approaches she snaps out of her trance and smiles at him, “Heck of a show, Your Majesty.”

“You should have seen my father lead the Atlantean war dance. He would have twenty rings and a couple of thousand performers.” Halpron says, with reverence.

“He would have been proud of you and all you have done.” Nikita says, fighting the urge to hug him in public.

“He was not one to express himself freely.” Halpron days, hesitating for a moment before continuing, “He would have liked you.”

“Really? Why do you say that?” Nikita asks, with a smile.

“You are a powerful warrior, brave beyond measure and beautiful beyond compare. He would have liked you a lot.” Halpron confesses.

“You miss him don’t you? Your Majesty.” Nikita asks, picking up on the pain in his voice.

“All this.” He says, spreading his arms wide, “This should have been his celebration. He should be here for this. I haven’t earned this.”

Nikita takes his hand and they begin to dance, “This is your celebration. You approached me and persuaded me to stay. You were brave enough to embrace new thinking and lead a bloodless defence against the horde. You came for me when we crashed when you could have retreated. You led the team that secured the gate when I went through. This is your celebration and Atlantis applauds you.”

They whirl around the heart of the dance floor heedless of those around them, “Thank you.” Halpron whispers, in her ear, “You are too kind. I still feel like a pretender.”

Nikita subtly pulls him closer and whispers, “Don’t be the King that your father was. Be the King that you are.”

Halpron looks up, spotting Neophytos trying to catch his attention. He turns to Nikita and whispers, “Duty calls. I think my presence is required.”

“Do what you need to do. I will wait for you. Your Majesty.” Nikita pledges, with a smile.

“Tomorrow will be a quieter day. It is my hope that there is time for us.” Halpron says, feeling an ache inside that will only be sated by her touch.

“I would like that too.” Nikita says, seeing an image of herself laying against Halpron’s chest with nothing to do but spend time, spending time.




“Thank you for an awesome night. I wish I had a bit more in the tank, however I think it is time for me to turn in.” Nikita pauses for a moment, before hitting send on the message. Then feeling the effect of too long on the go, she relents and sends it.

She drains the last of her double vodka and bids good night to the newly formed King’s Guard. “They are a good bunch and damn they can drink.” She thinks, slowly making her way out of the ballroom.

Feeling her phone buzz, she ducks into an alcove to read the King’s response, “I thank you for your company on this night I am sorry, I have been called away so much. I promise there will be time for us. In the mean time, I hope you can rest well and sleep soundly.”

Nikita types a quick response, “Thank you Hal. I hope you can turn in for the night soon and get the rest you deserve. I cherish every moment we share and can’t wait to see you again.”

She doesn’t have long to wait for the response, “Sleep well Niki. I too cherish the time we share. Thank you for everything. May the time we wait, make our reunion sweeter.”




Nikita lays back on her bed, fresh from the shower and gazes out of window, “What a mental few weeks. I have saved a King and a nation. I have made more of a difference than I ever have.”

As she lays back on her pillow, she begins to softly cry tears of joy, “I’m finally starting to believe that I matter.”

[GreyLord]

Well done, @wolfman. It is so very open for whatever may follow.