Her Blood On Your Hands: Part 7


 * This story is from Old Age Canon. Some of the lore may have changed.

Previous: Her Blood On Your Hands: Part 6 The knife wound would heal over a short time with very little trouble but more war markings would be added to Nuly's tired body during the span of the few days trek to Dagirow. Nuly wailed a harsh cry as a blade slashed through her skin and into the muscles of her lower neck. After quickly inhaling with the pain fresh in her mind, she flung her fist at the southerner's face. The hit was so damaging that the soldier landed fully limp on the grassy ground before Nuly finished him with a final hack to his neck.

Two more came to her, two more kills to be added to her name. An expression of pure shock came over one of them, his left hand attempting to hold his organs in from spilling out onto the ground after a lethal cut. With his hand still clutching his insides, he tried to deal one more swipe with his sword. Before he could, Nuly killed him with a whack to his face after disposing his partner with a standard piercing cut to his own guts.

Nuly's wound was serious enough to make her grimace as she ran, blood running down under her armor and onto her chest. It only invited more southerners to converge on her, ready with shining blades. Hasty slashes at her stomach and head were dodged with some effort or simply banged against her armor. Nuly was losing ground as she was again outnumbered. Two wasn't too much of a challenge considering she was trained to face multiple opponents. Three on the other hand was forcing her to spread herself too thin.

An iron spearhead drove itself in below one of the soldier's armpit, an ample scream coming from the female's maw and Nuly found herself whispering a quick thanks to Vilous once again. Iron rang when she defended against another hit, pushing the attacker away with a brutal kick and most likely knocking the air out of him. Her assistant made quick work with the other enemy in her sight, staking the foe through the stomach. The last one, still rising off the ground from Nuly's strike, was dealt one more gash to his head.

Nuly looked to see that her helper was a bit shorter than her, her armor appearing to be oversized for her meager frame. That's when Nuly realized how young the soldier was that stood before her. But what also caught her attention was that the juvenile's eyes held no fear, no worrying gaze. Instead, it was surprisingly void of any emotion at all. Nuly decided to give the child a nod of thanks, and when she did the same, they both parted back into the battle.

The pain in Nuly's neck was a lingering reminder of her own mortality. Each instance could be death's moment to grasp and send her off to her ancestors. But to her, death only meant failure in the eyes of her superiors, and the further anguish of her bloodline. 'See it through' Nuly reminded herself, 'see it through.'

Death was sure to be occupied that day with the trail of flesh that Nuly had left behind of course, but it was also certain that death would be most busy with Rain's work. She didn't hesitate, she didn't flinch, instead she was caught in the warrior's dance. Multiple soldiers stood around her waiting for their opportunity to attack, but she would give no such thing to them.

She twisted and pivoted with dangerous speed, her double-bladed sword gracing all that touched it with broken bones and torn flesh. She stabbed a soldier through his stomach and then yanked it out through his side. She punctured the next one's abdomen, lifting the female off the ground before catapulting her off her sword and into the air. Another was beheaded before one more had his face divided into two. Her battle trail was paved with severed arms and legs, drowned in red, and at the tune of howling screams.

Her face, golden eyes over tears of red, would always be stretched in a smile and with teeth bared. Occasional she would giggle, coupled with her animalistic calls. Nuly stood frozen when the General speedily turned to face her, eyes agape with a type of ecstasy. Or was it revelation, Nuly asked. Had Silves, in the throws of her prowess, sensed some deceit in her presence? Had she pinpointed it in Nuly's essence, her eyes penetrating her spirit to view her true intentions?

Nuly couldn't move for that whole second, hands still holding onto her sword. But when the moment passed, so did the General's gaze which then targeted another hapless southerner in her sights. A single swipe at the legs and he was kneeling before another cut was added onto his neck. All would have their try at her, and all would perish. After her astonishment had subsided, Nuly decided to follow her example.

Once again, another victory for Clan Shigu. More bodies to be burned, cut, and feed upon. A few would be kept alive, mouths wrapped shut and arms bound behind their backs. A few armor pieces would be taken, but only the ones that fitted their soldiers. Spares that were lighter than the Shigu standard, but not as hardy.

The wounded called out for medical assistance, and the few medics came to their need. Wide lacerations would be stitched closed, the less serious assisted with bandages. One trooper shook with pain, holding his arm steady as the medic applied several rolls of bandages to the stub where his hand had been. All the while, Nuly watched that familiar medic, trying to remember his name. Hona? Hono? Damn, I can't remember she confessed before giving up.

When she saw another medic wandering around, she called him over to where she laid. She presented him her laceration, which was a gash from the side of her neck to her upper chest. "Small scratch," he said, applying a greenish gel to it. She clinched her teeth while he stitched it close, the gel stinging like a burn. "Keep it clean," he said with a serious tone, and without another word he left to aid someone else.

Nuly flexed the muscles in her neck and there was a noticeable soreness and pain. It would only burdened her for a few days. Thank Vilous sergals were fast healers. The wound only burned with a resistible itch before Nuly found her friends. They too had sustained a few blood stains in their fur and a number of cuts, but nothing severe enough to require a medic.

"Luka!" Unkli exclaimed, her eyes locking with the injury as Nuly walked over to the group. "Did you get a booboo?" Did Unkli hint at some concern she had in her voice, Nuly asked herself.

"Yes, quite," Nuly responded, grunting when she lowered herself down to sit. Nuly's eyes widened a bit when she viewed twin incision from Unkli's upper stomach to the side of her navel. When she looked up to her face, she also saw that a thick scratch had been added to her muzzle near her right eye.

"How bad?" Unkli asked, glancing at the wound again.

"Not even close to enough to make me stop.  How about you?  I see that you've got your own markings." Unkli looked down at her stomach, touching the cuts with a gentle hand.

"Only claws.  These southerners don't know how to keep their hands to themselves, and on their weapons."

"Can you blame them?  We are such beautiful creatures when compared to them," she smiled, before spitting out a quick word of "inbreds." Nuly turned her head to see Unkli staring at her while Akuna, Niyi, Budio, and Rupland played a game with a pair of bone dice. "Dicily?" she asked, pointing at the gambling item.

"Yes."

"Let's play then." Doubles means a win, two threes means a lost. Pass it along after one roll until one wins the pot. The wagers were some kind of eastern currency that the enemy carried on them. Nuly had found a few when searching corpses, coins with a trident-like emblem embroiled on materials of either gold, silver, or bronze. Even when Budio had found himself running low, he started to add blades of grass and pebbles to the pot as a joke. Everyone screamed with laughter as Nuly jumped at the sight of a dead insect after Akuna threw it in the pile of grass and rocks.

"Want to go get a bath at the river?" Unkli asked neutrally. They had been following the river for some days now, the sound of it's motion a relaxing noise in everyone's ears. Nuly's fur had been getting more and more soiled with the pasting days, so a bath would be very apposite to remove the new layer of blood on it.

"Sure," she said, unfolding her legs and lifting off the ground. "Maybe we can do something about that stench that seems to be mended into your fur.  Get your armor too.  Let's wash that as well." She looked to Unkli, who put on a smiling though sneering mask on her face. They begin putting their armor back on, easier to simply wear it than carry all the pieces.

"You're talking about the smell of my fur when your's stinks like a hundred unwashed taints?" Nuly had to admit that was a good comeback, but...

"Maybe I should vomit on you so you might smell less offensive than you do now." Nuly started walking in the direction where the river laid, and Unkli joined her.

"Still, with or without vomit, I would still smell better than you."

"Suck my lower tongue."

"Gladly, if you didn't stink so badly," she chattered before Nuly decided to give chase after her. Unkli zigzagged through the trees, actually gaining speed while still being dress in most of her armor, excluding her helmet. There was a few other soldiers taking advantage of the nearby river down yonder, either cleaning themselves, their armor, or quenching her thirsty mouths. They threw empty glances at the two females as they approached, whom began taking off their armor. Some of the males still stared as they stripped, but neither Nuly or Unkli seemed concern at their attention.

Nuly cautiously placed her feet upon the muddy edge of the river, careful not to slip on the muck and bust her ass. Unkli joined her soon after testing the almost lukewarm water, wary of moving too far from the shore. Sergals weren't the best of swimmers.

Nuly knelt to the water, cupping handfuls of it to splash on her arms, legs and chest. Her eyes surveyed the nearby area: she couldn't see any wildlife as the sun rays illuminated the ground underwater. The other side of the river appeared as serene as this side, but Nuly's instincts were still wary. Nuly proceeded to dunk her head under the water, the pads of her hands rubbing away all the weeks worth of grim that had accumulated into her hair. After surfacing, she shook her head violently to do away the water from her now matted fur, wiping her eyes clear.

At the sound of something moving through the water behind her back, she turned to find Unkli had moved near her, her fur just as wet and as drenched as hers. "Help me with my back," she said, but Nuly turned around.

"Do mine first," and she did so, hands moving up and down her spine in a strong but soothing motion. Unkli did well getting all the usual places, from the top of her shoulders to the base of her tail while Nuly was occupied washing her chest and belly. She then felt a hand touch her stomach, and began to slowly move downward.

"Did you do your undercarriage?" Unkli asked softly, fingers going around in circles above her lower tongue. Nuly grasped her moving hand, gradually moving it off her pelvic region.

"I did," she half-smiled, "but it's time for me to do your back." There was some reluctance in her movement, but she turned around anyway. Nuly scrubbed down the same places as she had done, but she felt Unkli take her hand, placing it onto her upper vagina. Nuly could felt her hood wiggling between her fingers, but she didn't move it away.

"I forgot to do this part," Unkli smilingly said. Nuly's heart pounded, finding her breath quivering as her hand kept twitching. Would she get mad if she refused? Or was she just playing with her again? Nuly slowly stoked the front then under her slit before taking her hand away.

"Our armor needs washing," Nuly said in Unkli's ear before she began for the shore. For a second, Unkli stood there wearing a somewhat confused expression on her face before she joined Nuly. If it wasn't an overcast sky, the sun would have been some assistance in drying their fur. Wet hands polished the semi-smooth metal of their armor to an acceptable shine, blood and dirt and sweat washing away with most of it's smell.

All the while, Nuly's head was replaying what happened just a moment ago. How did she feel about it, she asked herself. Did it feel good to her? Did she want it? Why did it worry her so? Then, when the thought of being attracted to a female came to her head, so did the image of Aduli. Nuly recalled the warmth of her body, the calming tone of her voice when she spoke, her smell, and how conformable she felt when they groomed and laid together. Nuly couldn't say that she felt the same for Unkli, but would she eventually? Still, she couldn't be for sure as she buffed her left thigh plating.

"You seemed nervous," Unkli spoke, breaking the silence between them. "Would you like to talk about it?"

"It's something..." Nuly trailed off, trying to find the right words to convey that she was troubled about some matter. "It's something that I've been trying to deal with."

"How so?" she asked, glancing at her.

"Those times with the commander," she began, hands laying down the left thigh plating between her legs. "I've never felt so much disgust within me.  Never before have I felt so unclean." Nuly swallowed, trying to show some visual indication of her pain. Her eyes watered, but no tears would emerge. Her hands gripped her thighs before she pulled her legs inward to wrap her fingers around her shins.

"I'm sorry.  Did I...upset you?" Such seriousness didn't suit Unkli, Nuly thought, and she knew it was making her uncomfortable.

"No," Nuly said, shaking her head. "It's me.  It's the way I feel." Nuly sighed, ducking her head down. "I...don't know if I can feel right again." Nuly listened as she heard Unkli move towards her, hands touching her back and arm. Unkli came in close to have her muzzle nurture Nuly's own. Nuly briefly put out a quivering laugh that was barely noticeable. "You don't smell anymore."

"And you only smell like fifty unwashed taints," she retorted and Nuly lightly giggled. Unkli then let her go, lifting up to stand over Nuly. "Come on.  Let's get back." Nuly and Unkli donned their armor, but before they headed back to Rupland and the others...

"Give it some time," Nuly said to her as they walked together.

"Hmmm?  What?"

"Give it some time.  I'll be ready soon." But as Unkli smiled and brought her in close to squeeze her hard with one arm, Nuly had realized her mistake. She should have said nothing. "You should make friends," Aduli had said to her with a stern voice, "but don't become attached."

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Overcast heavens would transform into darkened skies, rain saturating everyone as they made their way through the dripping forest. It was no longer silent, the pitter patter of precipitation invading Nuly's and everyone else's ears. There had been a few scampering enemies hiding themselves in the thickness of the trees, hardly hindering the Shigus with the occasional arrow or spear. A few squads would take off after the cowards when such an occurrence happened, bringing back pieces of flesh and weapons.

Unkli would clasp her arms around Nuly whenever they rested, and at times Nuly would return the favor. It provided little, but a much desired comfort from the nonstop downpour. They trekked through muddy grounds near the shore, the smell of the salt water entering Nuly's nose. Under the guise of night with the rain still in full force, they decided to descend upon the harbor city of Dagirow.

Silves sent in small squads first, favoring a more stealthy approach than a full on rush. They were ordered not to destroy the docks, only dispose of any hostile resistance. Little noise could be heard from the rain, but when they approached the city from the surrounding slopes Nuly could hear slight cries and calls in the darkness. Bodies laid in the grass and on the impacted ground that served as the city's streets. Nevrean and the ever rare Agudner corpses were easily distinguished from the larger sergal ones.

For Nuly, who had only heard but rarely seen a waterborne vessel, it was quite an experience. Her eyes had adapted to the surrounding dark, and much of the ship yard was visible to her. She saw the many ship masts waving in the quaking waters, the docks seemingly empty with it's silence. Yells could be heard as a boat escaped the ship yard, a strange one without any masts or sails at all. It withdrew from the docks with what could be called a loud growl before disappearing beyond the darkness. Many heads watched it leave, and when it was gone they moved on.

Nuly saw that many of the buildings here were quite larger than the ones she had seen in previous villages. Many were as high as two stories, and even a few reached up to three, each being entered by several armed soldiers. Several presented clan banners over their windows and doors, blue fabric with stripes of black under a white depiction of the sun. Not Reono, maybe a Nevrean or Agudner clan. Small mobs of the local militia would try to hold back their squads, but they were of very little challenge. Every home, residence, and dwelling was searched, all of whom that resisted was purged.

Nuly didn't know what to feel as her blade cut down a male Nevrean, cries cut short by death. The soldier she entered the house with took care of his mate who put up more of a fight than he did with a fine-looking dagger. The female did a few good stabs with her weapon before the Shigu retaliated with a shove to the floor and a spear through her chest. Pity, pity for the couple. That's what Nuly felt.

Back outside, a young Nevrean attempted to fly away from the chaos out of a window, but the rain wouldn't allow him. He fell to the earth with a sickening thud before the soldiers ripped through him. Many fled, running towards the forest to hide and escape the massacre.

An Agudner male held up his hands in fear when Nuly entered his bedroom. "Please, no!" he said to her in a most frightful tone. "I surrender!"

"Spread yourself on the floor then," she commanded and the male followed her demand. Without any trouble, Nuly lead him down the stairs of his dwelling and exited out onto the streets. She followed the others soldiers to the city square where the rest of the civilians were rounded up. They all looked so miserable, shivering with their clothes, hair, skin, and feathers sodden with rain water. Many held one another, either their mates, their children, or both.

After much of the population had been either killed off or captured, Nuly, like the rest of the army, wandered through the streets. Many looted and tore apart whatever they saw. She heard a group of soldiers laugh, their backs to her while they made someone scream. Nuly turned her eyes away, not willing to witness their own morbid cruelty.

Nuly found her way back to the docks, many people still milling about there. She waited outside a building, watching the ship yard with a fabric shade above shielding her from the rain. Nuly overheard a passing group talking, but all that she heard from them was, "more ships coming in." Enemy reinforcements? Maybe, Nuly thought. She stood with her back against the building alone, fur dripping wet but now beginning to dry a bit while see watched a few soldiers walking around on the wet docks.

A darkened shape on the sea then headed into view, a ship coming in to dock. Nuly put a hand on the hilt of her blade, but the soldiers didn't become frenzied with aggression. Instead, they prepared for the ship to come in. They caught ropes thrown to them from the vessel, pulling them in and the tying the ropes to beams. The ship was large, the port not built to receive such a massive vessel. But it did anyway as a gangplank was placed between it and the dock and sergals started to unload from the boat.

Reinforcements, indeed they were, but Shigu reinforcements. Dagirow was an excellent strategic location. With this harbor city, the army could have a way to transport supplies and troops with very little danger. Yes, they were savages, Nuly thought about the Shigu, but it would appear the Reono didn't give them enough credit for their intelligence. Another ship would come in with another fifty or more soldiers with it.

Not long after, the squads were regrouped into their lines and moved onward opposite of the sea as they traveled along one of the city's main roads that lead into the forest. A few squads stayed within in the city to keep Clan Shigu's asset safe. Nuly felt a tad disappointed, desiring to see the ocean after the rain had passed. The rain would come to an end soon, the sky clearing to show the sun rising.

They rested one more day in the forest, Unkli snoring loudly as she rested near Nuly's side while she stayed awake. She wondered at the specifics of their relationship, and how it could hinder her. Could they use her as leverage? Then she remembered Rain asking for her friends' names. Could she be a spy for the General? Both were a possibility. It was also possible that this relationship was just a fling, a fleeting development of sexual desire that would dissipate within the coming weeks. Nuly could only hope for such, considering her duty. But for now, she would play the part, feeling Unkli rubbing up against her in her sleep.

The forest was beginning to recede as they approached the nearby mountain range. Nuly stared in wonderment at the rocky terrain straight ahead in the distance. Being a Shigu had it's ups and downs, but the travel was certainly was one of it's more positive aspects. Throughout that day they followed the road towards the mountains, keeping their eyes open for any hostile opposition. As they neared the unnamed heights, Nuly felt a slight nervousness in the pit of her stomach. The highest she had ever climbed were the large rock faces she scaled during her training, but she felt relieved when she saw there was an apparent path through the rocks and earth.

Grass, smalls bushes, and shrubs were positioned on the edges of the trail they walked while trees could be seen here and there in the distance. The green ground contrasted well with the brown earth that covered much of the place. Most of their time was spent traveling between wide and steep slopes, so tall that they shaded them from the sun at times.

It was the perfect opportunity for an ambush, Nuly thought to herself. And that's what several Nevreans thought as well as they ran over the edges to reveal themselves, craving some vengeance for what occurred last night. Their vigorousness was much to admired, females shooting off arrows at a distance while the males did the same as they flew overhead.

Their aim was expertly honed, hitting a few sergals with an arrow to the neck, face, or arm. Out of pure rage, a number of soldiers threw their spears at them, but all their weapons fell short with the Nevreans well out of their range. The commanders thought well to employ some archers in their ranks, the enemy's advantage becoming less great. Iron-tipped arrows flew to and fro, males falling from the sky with the females beginning to retreat up the mountain. Others would have their try as the Shigus hurried over the land.

Frantic screams came to Nuly's ears as they walked a narrow passage, a steep edge to the right providing a quick way down below. She turned her head to see behind her a couple of soldiers helping up one of their own who almost fell off the ledge. Close call compared to the one that plummet with the sound of crashing metal and crunching bone moments later. "Hinus!" another soldier yelled after the trooper, but there was no response. He repeated the name many more times, but the rocky depths provided only silence.

"He's gone!  Move on!" his squad leader said to him. He unwillingly did so, his whimpering being quite auditable to Nuly and the others.

More male Nevreans came to take shots at them while they transverse the slender path above the ledge. More bodies fell, of both races and from both the air and rocky ledges. Regardless of their noble intentions, the Nevrean numbers were too little and their skills too unrefined when put against the sergal archers. The last two escaped, flying away out of sight around a rocky corner.

More calls were heard again when a male soldier wouldn't move, his fear stilling his legs as he held himself against the rock wall. His friends aggressively persuaded him to carry on before they 'pitched him off the edge.'  After a few more refusals, he finally continued with his legs still shaking when he walked.

The avian resistance seemed to have given up as the Shigu army descended down the other side of the mountain. While they traveled the last few turns and lengths, smoke rose above the trees of the new forest the trail lead into. They entered the forest with no force ready to take arms at them, instead it was strangely calm, but everyone was still prepared for another attack. None came as they traveled to where the smoke came from, finding a well sized village void of any inhabitants.

The streets were empty, the houses' innards completely unoccupied, only a few unattended buildings and small crops burning away. "Cowards flew and ran away," someone remarked. Nuly's squad was tasked with searching the surrounding brush for anyone, but all that could be found were a couple of Apas grazing on plant leaves. Two males lead them back into the village before their throats were cut and their meat harvested.

For the evening, the village was the Shigu's and many of the troops found some entertainment in breaking and tearing down the dwellings before their captains demanded they settle down. Who could blame them, boredom was on the high tonight. A few lutes played rapidly, providing the tunes for dancers and onlookers alike beside bonfires.

Nuly noticed that many of the doorways to the houses were shorter, particularly crafted to accommodate Nevrean and Agudner size. Still, some houses had that sergal musk about them. A few flew the banner of another clan Nuly didn't recognize:  yellow with two green crescents surrounding an orb of black. Again, not Reono.

"Damned Nevreans," Nuly heard Akuna spat as she made herself conformable next to her. "These weakling birds can't fight fair at all." Her usual rough tone was full of anger, her muzzle wrinkling with tension. "One almost got me in the arm.  Bastards!  Shit eaters!  I would rip their wings off if they ever got close to me!"

"Well, you have to understand," Niyi said with a light sarcastic tone, "if you had wings, would you not use them in a fight, even against those who couldn't?" Budio smirked, but Akuna gave off a not-so-friendly leer.

"They have machines that will let us fly," Akuna responded, receiving their full attention with that insight, "but they don't want us to have that ability.  They only want it for themselves."

"Like wings?" Niyi asked, massaging the back of Budio's head while Rupland sat off to their right.

"No, like ships.  They have them, but they won't let us use them."

"Well, maybe it's because people like you are too heavy to fly on it.  It would crash."

"Clamp your mouth shut, Niyi!  You can suck my asshole!"

"No," she said, giggling lightly, "Rupland can do that for you." Rupland threw a blank look their way before leveling eyes with Akuna.

"I wouldn't mind the company tonight," Rupland said with a small smile.

"Fine," Akuna answered after growling under her breath for a minute, getting off the ground. "Let's find a house.  It will take some of my anger out of me."

"I think they're all full," Rupland said back to her.

"Then we'll make room!" With that, Rupland was up and following her before vanishing into a wooden house. Nuly gave off a smile while she picked at the hair on Unkli's skull.

"And what about you two?" Niyi then asked them with curiosity filling her voice, Budio's eyes targeting them now. "Have you two dipped your tongue's into each other yet?" Nuly stopped what she was doing and stared at Niyi for a second while Unkli moved her head to look behind her.

"It's progressing," Nuly retorted with a smile and began working on Unkli's fur again. Unkli seemed content on not voicing any jokes. "Still a little uncomfortable with sex."

"With a female?" Niyi then asked.

"With anyone," Nuly answered back. "Thoughts of the commander still cloud my head." Niyi nodded slowly, and preceded to stay quite the rest of the evening. They too found a place for them to grind into each other, leaving the two alone with still much fanfare playing around them.

Nuly accepted Unkli's comforting hold, laying with their arms wrapped around each other. Each day they rested, time slipped by them as they talked and traded stories. Nuly was sure to make up her own, taking details from both her and Aduli's past to fill in gaps.

She would tell her about times of mud fights during the rare rains of summer, her fur coated in brown before the drizzle left. Unkli passed on the stories of her rodent pet of the name Wilnot, taking care of the little creature when she was younger before a much larger animal came along and ate it. That creature died that same day, a prize nearly two times her size and one of great surprise for her parents. Those were relaxing nights, their breaths filling each others' ears as they slept.

There were a few creatures to gut before the Shigus left the forest, considering the lack of actual hostility during their advance for three days. The world felt as if it had opened up to Nuly when they finally exited the woods, a broad bare plain providing a view of an unobstructed sky. And after a few more rekusus, something else caught their eyes.

The army's march ceased for a moment, soldiers whispering loudly amongst themselves. Some sight had gained their fancy, the atmosphere filling with some kind of excitement. Nuly looked about them, attempting to gain some insight on what they found so interesting near their right flank. Nuly stood on her toes to look over their heads, catching a glimpse of another line of individuals who were moving away from them in the distance.

"Hey," she tapped the male soldier's shoulder in front of her, "what is that?" Before she had even asked he had a smile on his face, and his answer was full of much glee.

"Civilian caravan." Nuly swallowed hard when she heard him, but she put on an awkward smirk anyway. It did little to remove the overwhelming weight of her dread she now felt.