77: To the Victor Goes the Spoils – Pt. 2

Awakening to the rough shuffling of ocean waves breaking against the ship’s hull, Derrick looked around the dark space with confusion. Several men were bound and secured against the walls in front of him. Something or someone had kidnapped all of the men from the bachelor auction. Stretching his own arm, he realized he too was fastened with chains and bolted into position. Testing the bonds on his wrist, Derrick was just about to rip himself free when a deep voice broke through the gloom.

“Don’t bother. I think they’re made from steel.”

Relaxing back into his seat, Derrick began thinking of another means of escape, one that wouldn’t expose him as a supernatural being to a boat full of strangers. With another glance through the gloom, he came across a familiar face. “Mike?” his head lolled with the cresting of another wave but he remained unconscious.

“Do you know what’s happening to us?” The voice asked as the man straightened his back against the wall behind him.

“Not at the moment,” Derrick replied. “How long have we been moving?”

“I’m not sure. I came to just a few minutes before you.”

“Has anyone come down in that time?” The man shook his head in the negative and Derrick sighed. “Well, did you see who these people were when you were grabbed?”

“Women, believe it or not, big ones like bodybuilder big.”

“Fuck,” Derrick whispered under his voice. He knew in that moment exactly who had come for them. And if he was right, every man onboard was doomed to die.

Victoria and Rowan arrived at her home, and she rushed inside. “Ahem,” Rowan cleared his throat as he leaned in the doorway. “Do you mind?”

“Oh right,” she said, moving back toward him with her arms crossed in front of her. “I’m not sure I should extend an invitation to you. You are, after all, the not-so-living embodiment of pure evil.”

“Ouch! Now that’s not very hospitable. What other nasty little barbs do you have to hurl at me?” Rowan asked behind a grin. “So, you are perfectly fine with Marcel being on the guest list but ‘Big Bad Rowan’ is persona non grata?” 

“Marcel is only on the guest list because you tricked me into…” she paused, seeing the grin on his face become a full-blown smirk. “You know you’re making my point for me.”

“Yes. But surely you see the absurdity of allowing my enforcer inside your home and yet restricting me,” he insinuated with a smile.

“See! Pure evil. Dear Sir, welcome to my humble abode most venerable, Count Grafton. Please, make yourself at home,” Victoria said with a faux British accent, ending with an overembellished bow.

“That’s more like it,” he retorted, stepping over the threshold and into Victoria’s foyer.

“Well, I hope you’re not expecting a tour. That’s about where my hospitality ends,” she countered, leading him into the living room. Hades charged around the corner, instantly cornering the vampire against a wall with his thunderous barking.

“Lovely, you have a hellhound.”

“How did you know he was a…”

“They all have a very distinct smell,” he replied, cutting her off.

“What? He’s just saying that boy. You smell like sunshine and roses, yes you do, yes you do! Who’s my good boy? It’s you. Yes, it is. You’re a very good boy.” Rowan smiled, watching her interact with a childlike innocence with her pet. “I don’t smell anything.”

“You’re also not a vampire with heightened senses. Now, if you don’t mind?” 

“Hades, down boy. Rowan’s a friend.” Rowan’s eyes met Victoria’s at her introduction and she ushered the excited canine toward the stairs.

Rowan paused as Victoria started up and frowned. “I feel we got off to a really bad start, Little Witch.”

“Oh, you mean between the threats, tricks and kidnapping that you never once shown an ounce of remorse for?”

“I was simply trying to help you become the beacon of power I know you can be, Princess.” He shook his head, glanced away briefly before taking three large steps toward her. Standing face-to-face with her he started again. “No, no that’s no good.  Victoria, I—I didn’t mean you harm. And if…”

“Apology accepted.” Rowan looked down at her in surprise before gracing her with a sincere smile.

“Thank you, Luv.”

“You suck at apologies you know?”

“Indeed.”

“How painful was that?”

“Excruciating. Now then, let’s see what you have in your bag of tricks that’ll help us against the Amazons,” he said, rushing upstairs ahead of her.

The ship docked on a small island in the Mediterranean. The men had been corralled into a large cage at the center of the remote locale. Mike, who’d finally been roused, took a look around the exotic setting. The sun reflected off the clear, blue water creating a glare that forced his eyes toward the ever-growing jungle of trees and vines.

They were surrounded by lush greenery as far as the eye could see. Coconuts dotted the sandy white beach while overhead, large birds hovered the coastline. Soaring palm trees created soothing shades from the harsh sunlight and in the distance, he could hear rushing water. It was a place that could be enjoyed, if not for the army of militant women holding them prisoner. “Where are we?”

“How up are you on your Ancient Greek geography?” Derrick asked.

“Ancient Greek?” Mike asked, raising a curious brow in his direction. “Derrick, where are we?”

Before Derrick could answer, a clatter of noise rang out just beyond a cluster of trees. The men froze stiff as they watched the rustling and waited to see what other hell this tropical paradise would bring. The group didn’t have to wait long. The bushes separated and a large, deformed creature lumbered into the clearing.

It wasn’t clear what type of species this monstrosity was nor could they make out distinguishable features. It stood well over ten feet tall, towering over many nearby palms. Its long, thin arms spanned about the length of a city bus. Its hands were wide with gnarled, bony fingers and razor-sharp, bloody talons on each. The creature didn’t have eyes. Instead, two empty sockets stared back at the men from a face with gaunt, wrinkled skin. Its jaw stretched open, revealing several rows of sharp daggerlike fangs.

“What the fuck is that?” One of the men shouted as they watched the bulky figure shuffle toward them. Leaning down once it reached the cage, the beast roared a loud, echoing boom. The stench of its foul breath nearly making many of them gag and heave. It slammed a hand down onto a tree, smashing it to splinters as it gathered sight of its quarry.

“That would be a Euryonmos—a corpse eater,” Derrick replied matter-of-factly. “Listen, this creature looks intimidating but trust me, it will not attack unless ordered to do so and only then, it’s mostly used for cleanup.”

“‘Cleanup?’” Mike repeated.

“Yes. It’s not called a ‘corpse eater’ for fun.”

“Derrick, who are we dealing with?” Mike asked, leaning closer to whisper to the vampire.

“Amazons. And, unfortunately, if we don’t get out of here soon, none of us are leaving this cage alive.”

As Victoria exited her bathroom, she found Rowan laying back, cozied in her bed. He looked up at her with a smile and lifted his arms behind his head. “You have a really nice layout here; silk sheets and a goose feather down? Comfy.”

“Yes, and I’d like to keep it that way,” she said, throwing his feet off her comforter. “What are you doing?”

“Making myself at home. Isn’t that usually the sentiment when you invite someone into your home?”

“Not to this extent, Rowan,” she sighed and watched as Hades moved toward the vampire’s side, waiting to be petted. “What did you do to my dog?”

“Absolutely nothing. I’ve no idea why the vile creature has become so affectionate. To be quite honest it’s a little unsettling.” Rowan turned his gaze back to Victoria as he hopped up from her bed. “Are you ready, Princess?”

“Almost.” She handed him a vial with a green liquid inside. “Drink.”

“What’s this?”

“A potion. You’ll need it for the spell I’m about to cast.”

“What does it do?”

“It’s a tracer, for our trip. It will help the spell send us to the correct location.” She paused and smiled as she looked up into his stark blue eyes, finding a hint of confusion and suspicion. “What’s the matter, Rowan, don’t trust me?”

“I wouldn’t trust my own mum when it comes to magic. Witches are rather— cunning.”

“You mean you think I’m trying to kill you?”

“It wouldn’t be the first time a witch has tried.”

“Well, that would be stupid of me. You’re the only way I get Derrick back.” Placing her hand over his, Rowan jerked at first, following the motion before he allowed her to gently lift his arm toward his lips. “I need you, Rowan. Drink. It won’t hurt. I promise.”

“It’s not sodding pain I’m concerned with, Luv. Trust me.” A smile ghosted his lips and he nodded at her before downing the bottle in one swig. “Mm, green apple?”

“Yes. I like to flavor my potions. I think it adds a little something.” Again, she paused, this time taking a deep breath as her eyes shut and then reopened. “Rowan, before we go, I wanted to say thank you. Our—interactions have never been the friendliest and I know you didn’t have to help me. I really do appreciate this.”

His expression softened and he inched closer to Victoria, gently reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear before slipping that same hand into his pocket. “You’re welcome, Little Witch. Besides, it’s not as if I’m getting nothing from this exchange,” he smiled gently.

“Right. Of course. How quickly I forget,” she sighed harshly. “It’s not something you’ve done out of the kindness of your heart.” Rowan’s appearance fell and Victoria backed away.

“No, Princess. That’s not what I—”

“Let’s do this.” Her eyes closed briefly and she invoked her teleportation spell.

A burst of bright light flashed on the far side of the island as Victoria teleported herself and Rowan to the location he’d given her. Immediately, Rowan collapsed to the ground, shaken and a little nauseated. “Bloody hell, Luv. You could have warned me it felt like this,” he said as he struggled to his feet, brushing sand from his knees.

“Sorry, must have slipped my mind,” Victoria hid a smirk as she glanced at their surroundings.

Large trees made a canopy of jungle leaves, concealing what hid beneath. There was no sound, save the rhythmic rushing of the waves behind them. The sheer silence emanating from the dark forest made Victoria shiver with fear of what could be lurking in wait. “Right, what are we waiting for? We should…” Victoria placed a hand on Rowan’s arm as he started walking toward the path into the woods.

“That’s unwise.”

“Ok, then what do you suggest, Dove? We should stand around in the sun all day and fry?”

“You don’t fry.” Victoria narrowed her eyes at him and sighed. “How is it that you’re not frying? I mean I know how Derrick does it, but I never really considered your…condition.”

“It’s a mystery,” Rowan shrugged. “Shall we get to the matter at hand now?”

“The Amazons don’t know we’re here. We at least have the element of surprise. I think it would be best to use a stealth approach and figure out what we’re dealing with exactly.”

“I’ve told you already, Luv. The Amazons are an indigenous people who live in a matriarchal society. The only time you’ll see a man on this island is for mating purposes. They are fighters. All of them.”

“That much I know,” she said, rubbing a hand over the bruise on her cheek. “What I need to know is if they are immune to magic or any weaknesses we can manipulate.”

“Not that I know of. Go nuts! But let’s go. The more we dally, the less time Derrick and your partner have to live. These women tend to get right down to their business, as it were.”

“Alright,” Victoria sighed. “Let’s do this then.”

The heat of the sun pounded down on them as they entered into the endless jungle. The closer they moved toward the center of the island, the louder the sound of banging drums became.  “Ah. Sounds like we’re right on time for the celebrations,” Rowan commented, with a slicing motion across his neck. Fearing the worst, Victoria gave up on the idea to scout first and rushed impetuously through the rest of the wilderness.

“VICTORIA!” Derrick shouted, watching her emerge from the woods.

“DERRICK!” she yelled in equal surprise. He and the men were all gathered together in a cage near a giant pit. Cauldrons of fire aligned one side and separated them from a row of drummers who were playing for a group of flailing women.

As she reached the cage, Derrick pulled her forward and pressed his lips against hers in a quick kiss. “What are you doing here? You shouldn’t have come.”

“Wild horses, Derrick,” Victoria replied, looking around for a way to open the cage. “There must be a lock or something. How…”

“There,” Rowan said, tapping her shoulder and directing her attention to a hook on the top of the cage. “It appears to have been lowered onto them.”

“We’ll get you out of here. I promise.”

“You know, you really shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep,” a voice rang out behind them. “And this is one you are definitely breaking.” A young woman dressed in a fine silk gown sat in a throne overlooking the pit. Beside her, the large brunette who’d disrupted the auction stood a force, an intimidating scowl on her face.

“And you would be?”

“Aella. I’m in charge of this island and these people. And as your friend said, you shouldn’t have come. You won’t get what you came for.”

“That’s what you think. You’ve kidnapped my friends and I’m here to take them home.”

“No! We took these men, your warriors, fairly by force. They are ours to do with as we please.” Aella said, throwing her hands on her hips. The brunette took a step forward as if to punctuate her point.

“There was nothing fair about you ambushing a bunch of people trying to enjoy themselves and making off with a chunk of the party.”

“In our world, you must always remain prepared.”

“Then stay in your world! You came to ours where your rules don’t apply and stole from us.”

“Fine. Let’s settle this then. A contest of wills. You win, you take what’s yours. We win, we keep them—and you!”

“What did you have in mind?”

“No! Victoria, don’t!” Derrick warned. “You don’t know what you’re doing. These women spend their entire lives training for moments like these.”

“He’s right, Luv,” Rowan agreed. “You’ve no idea what you’re getting yourself into.”

“I can handle it. Besides, if I don’t at least try, I lose Derrick and Mike anyway. I wouldn’t be able to live with that,” she said, turning her attention toward Aella again. “What kind of contest did you have in mind?”

“Combat. You vs our mightiest warrior,” Aella stated. “Phoebe.” At that, the brunette that had already knocked Victoria out once stepped forward and an audible hum of respect rumbled through the gathered crowd.

“Fine. I guess we fight.”

“No, Vik!” Mike cried out, “Think about what you’re doing!”

“I have thought about it. It’s all or none, Mike. And I always have your six.”

“Rules are, you battle hand-to-hand, no weapons, no cheating and if you flee the pit, you’re automatically disqualified,” Aella said as the other women cleared the surrounding area, taking positions to better view the action unfolding. “You have guts, little one. Too bad they’re about to be spilled all over the dirt.”

With a quick nod, Aella took her seat once more and a gong sounded. Phoebe hopped down into the pit and was soon joined by Victoria. Phoebe’s face darkened and she seemed to swell up. The woman stood at least a foot over Victoria, but she wouldn’t let that deter her. Not when she’d come this far. Phoebe exploded at her, testing Victoria’s agility and launched herself forward with her right arm sweeping around in a giant roundhouse strike. Victoria sidestepped the blow, ducking under her arm, bounced up and spun around on her heels.

Thank Derrick for all those endless training lessons. She felt more than ready this time. And she wasn’t about to be sucker punched again. Phoebe stopped suddenly, whipped back toward her and came at Victoria again. Same move. Her right arm swung and Victoria sidestepped and ducked only this time, Phoebe lashed out with her left as she was changing positions and caught Victoria just under her ribcage. “Oof,” she grunted, resting a hand on her side, but she kept herself upright.

The Amazon maintained a straight face but Victoria could tell from the gleam in her eyes she was enjoying this. Without hesitation or giving Victoria time to catch her breath, Phoebe charged again, this time aiming for Victoria’s chest. But now, Victoria was ready. She crashed an elbow into Phoebe’s jaw, gripped her by the arm and threw her to the ground. Before she could take advantage of the attack, Phoebe kicked up and out of the position and was back on her feet in a matter of seconds.

She bounced straight up, soaring at Victoria with a giant fist that passed about an inch above her head. Victoria felt the breeze of the glancing blow and connected with a left hook to her side, but the woman showed no pain or concern. Phoebe was a large woman and it didn’t seem to take away from her fighting prowess. She had all the practice and finesse of a seasoned combatant. And her sheer size alone made every punch and every kick that much more devastating.

Phoebe glided through the air at Victoria, whirling her large body around like a piston as she feinted a right, threw a left and connected with a blow that knocked Victoria off her feet like she weighed nothing at all. 

Victoria scrambled to stand, avoiding another fist by a quarter-inch but the wild momentum of the strike pulled Phoebe toward her at a downward angle, placing the side of her head in line for a right hook. Victoria rocketed a punch with everything she had and felt her fist crash into Phoebe’s ear. She staggered back and Victoria followed with a colossal shot to the jaw and a few more cracks in quick succession.

The Amazon teetered backward but barely moved. She had hit Phoebe a total of four times but it was like she hadn’t touched her at all. The two elbows had been solid strikes and the two punches had been as hard as anything she’d ever thrown in her life. And aside from the small amount of blood on Phoebe’s upper lip, there was absolutely nothing wrong with her. Phoebe looked at her as if she knew exactly what she was thinking and smiled a wide grin of pleasure.

Phoebe came straight at Victoria and landed a right hook in the center of her chest. It felt like running full force into a brick wall at top speed. Her sternum seemed to crack and she thought her heart would stop from the shock as she crashed to her back in the dirt.

“VICTORIA!” Mike shouted. Rowan growled and jumped to attention as though he was prepared to end the Amazon where she stood, but Derrick waved him off. If he reacted now, it would mean all of their lives and he needed to see if Victoria could pull this off. He hoped she could.

Victoria lay there a moment, deciding her next move and whether she could survive this brutal combat. The faces of all the men she’d worked with, who now stood prisoner in a cage twenty feet away flashed before her, Derrick’s face, Mike’s face. She wasn’t just determining her own fate. She held the lives of all of those men in her hands. And she chose to survive. Rolling over twice, Victoria pushed off with her hands and balanced herself upright.

Every muscle and bone in her body screamed in pain but she couldn’t focus on that now. It was about staying on two feet and alive for Phoebe’s next assault. Victoria’s chest hurt and her mobility was lowered but she dodged every attack for another minute. Phoebe was fast, but she wasn’t invulnerable. Victoria sent a blow to Phoebe’s face. It cracked her nose which started bleeding, forcing her to open her mouth in order to breathe. 

Capitalizing on her momentum, Victoria followed up with a roundhouse kick to Phoebe’s knee, dropping her to the ground once more. And for that fraction of a second, Phoebe’s defense was wide open. Victoria wound up and unleashed with a series of blows that slammed into Phoebe’s mouth, breaking her jaw and busting a few teeth.

Coming up behind her, she struck Phoebe like a battering ram with all her weight, shoving her against the ground and watching as blood spilled from between her lips. Victoria hit her again and again, listening to her fist pelting her raw flesh and feeling every blow all the way through to her elbow. Phoebe managed to grab ahold of Victoria’s arm and threw her back. Climbing to her feet, she prepared to rush her, angry and growling, she ground the ball of her foot into the earth.

“STOP!” Aella shouted, jumping to her feet. Instantly, Phoebe took a knee as she awaited further command. Slowly, Aella walked down toward the pit, joining her fiercest warriors at the circle before regarding Victoria. “It’s obvious you care about these men so I’ll make you a deal. Leave us three to mate with and I will return the rest.”

“No. No deal,” Victoria answered without hesitation. “You said if I win, I get to take what’s mine. I’m fighting for all of my brothers in blue. I take them ALL.”

“Well then, you’ve made your decision. TO THE DEATH IT IS!” An electrified shout kicked over the crowd as all the Amazons whooped and cheered at the announcement. A low chanting began as Phoebe stood once more, sheer rage blanketing her face as Aella continued. “And that means, anything goes.”

Weapons were thrown into the pit and Phoebe quickly snatched up a large spear. Aiming it toward Victoria, she rolled her neck, cracking bones as she readied herself for an attack. And now it was Victoria’s turn to smile.  Taking in a deep breath, she waited for Phoebe to move and conjured up a large energy orb which she launched into Phoebe’s midsection, sending the warrior flying back and out of the pit.

“HECATE!” Aella shouted. Instantly, every woman fell to the ground in worship as their leader stared at Victoria in awe. Quickly gathering herself, Aella also fell forward in devotion.

Victoria managed a brief look in Derrick’s direction before composing herself and stepping toward Aella. Kneeling down at the woman, she pulled her up and rested a hand over hers. “Release them.”

“At once, Your Divinity.” Aella nodded and ordered the immediate release of her prisoners. “We did not know.”

“And it’s why I will do no further harm,” Victoria replied. Tapping on Phoebe’s head, she healed the woman and hurried over to Derrick and the others. “We need to leave quickly before they realize I’m not who they think I am.”

“As you wish, My Goddess,” Derrick smirked, bowing briefly as he gathered everyone together. Victoria chanced one last look over her shoulder before uttering an enchantment and sending everyone home.

The spell destination landed them back at the Stanley Marsh Art Gallery. And before anyone could question what they had just experienced, Victoria executed a mass forgetfulness invocation, leaving everyone at the auction none-the-wiser. “Tough luck; a total blackout on tonight of all nights. Do you plan on giving this date auction another go, Victoria?” Officer Brad Davis asked with a smile.

“Absolutely. We’ve secured the building for tomorrow. Let’s hope our luck holds out then,” she replied with a wink.

Continue---->