Her Mythical Warriors (Book Two)
Chapter Twenty-Six: Cave of the Living Dead

“How big is this fucking mountain?” Darius grouched.

Akira chuckled and wrapped her arms around her Pegasus. “Are you scared?” she whispered.

He looked down at her and smirked. “Nah. Just bored.”

Akira shook her head and sighed when he wrapped his arms around her.

“No wonder there are guards at the cave opening,” Julianne said, moving closer to her prince. “This place is creepy.”

Levi chuckled and wrapped his arms around her.

“It’s so dark,” Stella grumbled.

“Shh.” Wolfric stopped moving. “We’re not alone.”

The moment he said the words, chaos erupted from everywhere.

“Torch!” Akira shouted, pointing to a torch on the cave wall.

Julianne took a deep breath and blew at the cave wall. Every torch in the cave came to life, lighting the cave as if it were daylight.

“How did you do that?!” Akira shrieked.

Jules smirked and pointed to herself. “Fire Elementalist, remember?”

Akira grunted. “Why haven’t you used your powers before?”

Julianne shrugged. “None of the other realms were strong enough to handle my power.”

Akira shrieked when she was lifted off her feet by her hair. She looked into the face of the dead.

“Draugar!” Darius shouted.

A sword sliced through the Draugr’s stomach, making him drop Akira, but he didn’t fall. The Draugr moved to attack Wolfric, but the wolf was too fast and lopped off the Draugr’s head.

Akira looked around them and found that they were surrounded by draugar.

“Lop off their heads!” Darius shouted.

Akira looked around her and pulled out her sword. “They won’t grow two more heads, will they?!”

Wolfric and Malique shouted with laughter, and Akira chuckled.

Darius shook his head and grinned at Akira. “No, little one. They won’t grow more heads.”

Akira nodded. “What about you? Why haven’t you turned anything to stone?”

Darius stopped as if he was thinking about it. “Probably the same reason Jules hasn’t used her element.”

Akira grunted. “So, none of the other realms we’ve fought evil in were strong enough to handle either of your gifts?”

“Have you not noticed the difference in using your healing? How much stronger it is in my realm and your home realm?”

Akira thought about it for a moment, then shrieked when a draugr head landed at her feet.

“Stop goofing off and kill the fucking dead!” Wolfric shouted.

Akira chuckled and turned in time to lop off the head of a Draugr about to attack her. She turned back to Darius and shrieked when a Draugr came up behind him.

Darius turned his head and looked into the dead creature’s eyes. It turned to stone, its arms reaching out to the Pegasus.

“There,” he said, grinning at Akira.

Akira shook her head. She hadn’t thought of the other realms’ magic—or lack of.

“Akira!” Julianne shouted.

Akira turned in time to watch three draugar burn to ashes.

Akira turned to her best friend and grinned, “nicely done.”

Julianne grinned, then ducked as another draugr came up behind her. Vines came up from the ground and wrapped around the Draugr. The Draugr’s head popped off, making both women squeal.

Leviasen laughed. “I am the prince of my realm. Did you think I wouldn’t have my own powers?” He grinned at Akira.

Akira chuckled. “Earth?” she asked.

Levi nodded and ducked when a draugr head flew past.

“Five left!” Malique shouted.

“Four!” Wolfric growled as he ripped the head off a draugr.

“Zero!” Julianne called out as she set the last three on fire.

“This would have been so much easier in the other realms if you guys could use your powers,” Akira complained.

Wolfric chuckled as he pulled her to him.

Akira shrieked and pulled away from him. “You’re covered in dead people!”

Wolfric looked down at himself and chuckled. “We fucked with Mare goo all over us.”

Akira shook her head. “That’s not the same.”

Wolfric and the others laughed.

“I can sense water nearby,” Zelious said, grinning.

Akira looked at Malique. “You didn’t drink their blood, did you?”

Malique grinned, “nope. I know better than that.”

Akira nodded.

Zelious chuckled and took Akira’s hand. “Come. We’ll clean and change clothes. We’ll make camp by the water.”

The group followed the merman to the watering hole in the middle of a cave lit by their fairy friend’s powers.

~⚔~

“Such pure water,” Akira whispered as she drank from her hand.

“It flows year-round,” Zelious said, smiling as he watched Akira drink from the spring.

“Maybe we should take turns in the spring to clean up?” Julianne suggested.

“Good idea.” Leviasen took her hand and led her out of the cave.

“Come on,” Stella said, dragging her brother from the cave.

Nibbles hopped over to Akira and jumped onto her lap. Akira stared down at him, her left eyebrow raising.

“Did you eat one of those dead creatures?” she asked her pet.

Nibbles ignored her, looked to the water, then jumped off her lap and into the spring.

“He stabbed one in the chest. When he realized what it was, he pulled his horn out and jumped to the ground. The draugr went after him, and I lopped off its head,” Wolfric informed Akira.

Akira shook her head as she watched her Al-Mi’Raj splash in the spring.

A squeak had Akira looking at the entrance to the cave that held the spring. Julianne’s phoenix, Aarush, waddled in, squeaking and flapping his wings. Nibbles stopped splashing in the spring and jumped out of the water. Akira and her warriors watched the two animals run at each other. They laughed when the animals stopped inches from each other and started making noises as if conversing.

“Aarush!” Julianne called.

“It’s okay!” Akira called out to her friend. “He’s talking to Nibbles.”

“As long as he’s not bothering you,” Jules said.

Akira grinned, “nope, not at all.”

“Are you done washing? I want to get this filth off me.”

Akira looked down at her own filth and grunted. “Not yet.”

“Hurry!”

Akira chuckled and looked at her warriors. The four men grinned at her.

“I’ll help her strip while you three find us a change of clothes,” Wolfric cheerfully said as he moved toward Akira.

Akira grinned as she stood and let her Wolf Warrior strip her of the blood and gore.

She was pretty sure brain matter was stuck to one of her sleeves.

~⚔~

Akira stirred in her sleep. Something wasn’t right. She reached for her Wolfie and whimpered when she couldn’t find him. She opened her eyes and blinked. She wasn’t alone, even though none of her warriors were with her. She turned over and found Julianne lying beside her.

“Jules,” she whispered, nudging her friend with her elbow.

“Let me sleep more, my prince,” Jules grumbled in her sleep.

“Wake up,” Akira growled.

Jules opened her eyes and looked at Akira. “Why are you in my bed?”

Akira grunted. “I don’t know. Why are you in mine?”

Jules blinked and looked around them. Akira turned her head and sucked in a breath.

“Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore,” Jules whispered.

Akira snorted. She loved that her friends from different realms somehow got cable from her own.

“Where are we?” Akira asked as she sat up.

“I don’t know.” Jules sat up as well.

They were able to look around the cave better in this position. They definitely weren’t where they’d fallen asleep.

“I think we left Kansas in the dust,” Akira grumbled.

Julianne snorted. “You think?”

They got to their feet and checked out the cave, which resembled a home. There was even a kitchen off to the side of the room. Couches, chairs, and dining table with wooden chairs. And everything was humongous. So much bigger than either of them. Even bigger than Akira’s warriors.

“Akira….”

“I know,” Akira whispered.

The two women moved closer together.

“We were kidnapped,” Akira hissed.

~⚔~

“Where’s Akira!?” Wolfric bellowed as he jumped off the blankets he’d fallen asleep on—next to his Psychi.

“Jules!” Levi shouted, jumping to his feet.

“Did they go for a walk?” Darius asked, looking around the cave.

“We have no clue what is in this cave system. I don’t think they would have wandered off like that,” Wolfric growled.

“Can you feel Akira?” Levi asked, looking at the four warriors.

The four men looked at each other, then closed their eyes.

“She’s alive, but she isn’t close,” Wolfric growled.

“Can you follow her sense?” Levi asked.

Wolfric looked at the fairy. “No time for packing,” he growled, then stormed out of the cave.

~⚔~

“Are the others okay?” Jules asked, watching Akira.

Akira closed her eyes and felt out her warriors. When she felt them, she sighed.

“They’re okay, but they’re not close.”

“What the fuck happened?” Jules grumbled.

Akira shrugged. “Someone brought us here for something. But I have no clue what.”

“Can you reach out to Wolfric with your mind?” Jules asked, hopefully.

Akira shook her head. “Only when he’s in wolf form.”

Jules sighed, then her eyes opened wider. “Use your last wish.”

Akira smiled. “I wish we were out of here and with our men.”

“Granted.” Jules grinned and snapped her fingers.

But nothing happened.

“What the fuck?!” Jules shrieked.

“Did I lose my last wish?” Akira asked.

Jules shook her head, “no. You’re the only one I owe wishes to. It should have worked.”

Akira huffed.

“Maybe there’s a block on magic,” Jules said, looking around.

Akira nodded.

A loud noise had them turning to the large door on the other side of the cave. They moved closer to each other, ready to fight whoever was coming through the door. When the door opened, they almost fell on their asses, and a gigantic man walked through.

“Holy fuck,” Akira whispered.

And they thought Helmfred was big.

The man turned to them and grinned. “You are awake. Make my dinner.”

Akira and Jules looked at each other, then at the giant of a man before them. His single eye glared at them.

“I said, make… my… dinner!”

Akira sneered at the asshole. “Wolfric, I hope you’re in wolf form….”

~⚔~

“Can you communicate with Akira like you did when you were imprisoned?” Malique asked Wolfric.

“I could only do that in wolf form,” Wolfric answered.

“Then turn into a fucking wolf!” Darius shouted with a growl.

Wolfric growled at him, then shifted into his wolf. “Akira? Can you hear me?”

Nothing.

“Akira! Answer me, damn it!”

Nothing.

Wolfric whimpered as he lowered his head until his nose touched the cave floor.

“Akira,” he whimpered.

A pull snagged him, and he looked up. She was trying to contact him, but something was blocking them.

~⚔~

“Akira?” Jules whispered.

The Cyclopes had picked them up and dumped them into the kitchen when neither of them would move.

They’d found a way to move around the kitchen, though they were too small. They used each other as stepstools and started fixing the asshole his dinner. The block of magic in the cave even kept Julianne from shifting inter her fairy form. And without their weapons, they couldn’t attack the cyclopes. Jules already tried setting the prick on fire.

“I can feel Wolfric trying to reach out to me, but whatever is blocking your magic is blocking our connection.”

Jules huffed, “I hope it doesn’t block it enough that they can’t feel you out.”

Akira nodded. She started to slip, and Jules grabbed her.

“Why would he steal us from our men?”

“Apparently, he wants us as slaves,” Julianne hissed.

Akira shook her head, “we’re too small for this house….” She looked around and shook her head. “If you can call it that.”

“Cave-house, they’re popular. Jotnar’s have them. Remember, Helmfred lives in a cave.”

Akira nodded. She remembered.

“Where’s my dinner!?” the cyclopes shouted in agitation.

“Almost done! We’re too small for this fucking kitchen. You need to give us time!” Akira shrieked back.

The cyclopes grumbled as he sat at the table, making the cave shake with his movements.

Akira and Jules almost fell over. They grabbed the edge of the countertop and righted themselves.

“I hope our men find us soon,” Akira grumbled.

They finally served the giant his dinner and sat on the floor, waiting to be rescued—or for the asshole to order them to do something else.

When the cyclopes finished his meal, he burped, making both women groan at the smell. He walked into the living room and flopped down on his couch. Akira and Jules held onto each other as the cave shook.

“Come here!” the jerk ordered.

Akira and Jules moved through the cave until they got to the other side of the couch and looked up at the jackass. He smirked down at them as he kicked his shoes off, then pulled off his socks. He set his feet on the coffee table and wiggled his toes.

“Massage my feet.”

Akira and Jules looked at each other.

“I think I draw the line at that,” Julianne whispered.

Akira nodded in agreement.

The cyclopes picked them up—making them squeal—and set them on the coffee table.

“I said, massage… my… feet.”

Akira felt her dinner come back up.

“Now,” the asshole growled.

Akira and Jules whimpered as they did as the cyclopes ordered them.

“I am so going to bleach my hands when our men rescue us,” Jules moaned, holding her stomach as bile came up.

The cyclopes’ foot pushed into them, and the stench had them both retching.

“I’m going to kill them for letting this happen,” Akira growled.

Jules shook her head. How the fuck did this asshole steal them from their warriors?

When the jerk-wad’s foot moved again, Akira felt like passing out.

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