For Love, For Life

Treya watched the two figures moving towards her without smiling.  Her hand stopped wringing at the silky platinum hair falling to her shoulders and moved to clench the sword at her right hip grimly.

She turned and strode from the window, her steps silently carrying her to the open, empty room the home's door opened into.  The only clothing she wore was a black dress reaching down just past her hips, its fine silk in no way impeading her movement.  She shifted slightly, the mithril shirt underneath her dress rearranging itself more comfortably.  Then she waited.

The door opened loudly, the larger of the two women Treya had seen outside entering first.  Kara showed no fear, only curiousity turning to confusion as she spies Treya standing calmly on the other end of the room.  Kara's voice was loud and authoritative.

"Treya?  Why are you here?  I thought you said you had business to see to today.  Explain yourself quickly, I have reason to believe there is danger here."

The blond woman only smiled back at Kara.  Beautiful Kara.  Flaming red hair, over pale skin tinged ever so slightly green by the scales that made it up.  She had jaws, strong and sharp where a mouth should be, and ears that reached up above her head to her full seven and a half foot height.  She the draconic blood was strong in her veins, making her impossibly fast and strong with a ferocious temper and monstrous tastes.  She was also one of the kindest, most thoughtful, caring people that Treya had ever known.  She also happened to own Treya, the collar around the smaller woman's neck an intricate affair of silver and steel.

Treya waited to speak until the second woman entered the room.  This one was smaller even than Treya, barely over five feet tall.  Her hair was midnight black, matching her skin.  Her dress was almost identical to Treya's, only brilliant white to contrast the deep black of the grim woman's.

"Hello Kara, Adari.  I am afraid that I am taking care of the business I told you about."  Her hands were still, no longer nervous or in any way second-guessing.

Kara's confusion remained, but took on a very grim air.  "The letter I received told me to bring Adari and come here or you would be killed.  What is the meaning of this?  I will not tolerate games like this Treya.  There had better be an excellent reason for this."

Adari spoke up too, her voice quieter and softer than the half-dragon's.  "Sis?  What's going on?  We're here because we didn't want you to be hurt.  Why would you play a trick like that on us?  We were worried!"

Treya's thoughts swirled dangerously in her head as the fourth and final individual in the house moved down the stairs.  He was dressed in a tight-fitting tunic, clearly revealing his sculpted arms and the sword held sheathed in his right hand.  His voice was smooth, but with undertones wholly unnatural and dark.

"She has her reasons, I assure you.  But you are right, Kara, there is danger here."

He stopped at the bottom of the steps, creating a triangle between himself, Treya, and the two who'd been summoned.

Kara's confusion dwindled in her eyes as she saw the man.  Krade.  "What do you want, half-demon?  I received your letter and I am here with Adari.  Now tell me why you made a threat against one of my slaves before I take you apart for it!"  She raised her hands before her, the massive trident in them stabbing directly towards the grinning man.  It was solid metal, the entire thing.  Treya was always impressed to see it wielded so easily, it outweighed her by close to a hundred pounds.

Krade grinned for another moment before drawing his sword in one slow motion and taking a quick step towards Treya.  Kara sprang as he did, her spear stabbing for a spot between the demon and the woman.  He backpedaled, slashing upwards as he went, their two blades meeting with a clash of sparks and a loud clang of metal on metal.  The demon was strong as well.

Adari started, but didn't move from where she was standing.  This battle was beyond her, and her chain would only get in the way.  She drew it out anyways, the kusari-gama feeling comfortable in her hands.  Treya frowned, smiling inwardly at the sight.  She had trained for this for some time.  She moved around the battle in the center of the room, drawing her twin swords as she got close to Adari.  The smaller woman looked to her with surprise.

"What are you doing, I might be able to distract him without getting too close, but you can't with those.  We need to believe in Kara, Sis."

Adari almost jumped as Treya let out a snarl, running the last few steps to bring them together and bring down her sword.  The smaller woman managed to catch it on her chain, but the look of confusion in her eyes deepened and grew hurt.

Treya's voice carried the same edge her snarl had implied.  "Do not call me that!  I am not your sister!"  Her blade flipped in her hand, the woman sliding into a spinning dance of blades and kicking feet while Adari tried to regain her stance and bearing under the assault.

"Yes!  You are!  Kara made us a family, why are you doing this!  You can't mean this!"  Adari's voice was practically choking in despair.  "You mean more to me than anyone, I thought you felt the same!  Why?"

Treya's attack let off for a moment and Adari turned in a quick spinning sweep of the other woman's legs.  Treya rolled back and away, coming to her feet in a ready stance with both blades before her, fury and hatred in her voice.  "You're lying.  We both know who you really care about most, and we both know who she really cares about most."

Adari's eyes flickered over to Kara, embroiled in her own battle sufficiently to have only just noticed what was happening.  Her voice called out, a sword steadfastly blocking her path.  "Adari!  Treya, stop this now!  I gave you those swords, sheathe them!"

Treya only laughed bitterly.  "She loves you, she wants to be with you!  As long as you're here I can only watch and die inside, and I won't do it anymore!"

The woman launched herself forwards, catching the kusari's blade on her sword and striking the chain with the other.  Adari slid to strike again with her blade, and Treya leaned over impossibly, flipping over the strike with both hands on her blades and spinning the chain around one of her swords.  The prepared slave turned, burying her tangled blade in the ground before whipping her remaining sword around in a wide sweeping cut at Adari.  The smaller woman blocked it, then jabbed to try and buy some space.  Treya leapt forwards, taking a cut across the her cheek from the jab and kicking into Adari's stomach, knocking her sprawling.

Treya watched as Adari got to her feet, weapon lost and coughing.  She could hear Kara's efforts growing frantic and smiled.  Her voice lowered, only loud enough for Adari to hear over the clanging noise.

"But killing you would forever destroy any hope I had of her ever loving me.  I can't watch anymore, and I can't live without her.  That leaves me only one choice."

She threw her sword down, drawing a small dagger she had always worn beneath her dress.  Krade's motions slowed slightly as she did.

Treya smiled at Adari, her voice soft and pleading.  "Please don't hate me for this, Sis."

With another snarl, Treya charged towards Adari.  Kara screamed, finding no opening to get past the demon, but not being pressed either.  She threw her trident, striking Treya and carrying her across the room to pin her to the opposite wall.  On hearing the meaty impact, Krade sheathed his sword and stepped aside.

Kara turned to him quizzically.  He no longer smiled.  He walked out of the room with only a single phrase trailing behind him.  "Our contract is completed, Treya."

Treya bled.  The spear had been slowed by her mithril, but not nearly enough.  She was all but impaled by a blade the size of her arm.  She looked up at the two, managing a smile.

The dying slave's voice was quiet and slow.  "You never would... have let me... die.  I... Kara... I love..."

Treya's eyes fell slowly closed, a serene smile on her face.