Sonera stumbled into the riverside, her clothes still caked in blood. After the battle against the Xenquar, she had fought off several Consortium stragglers all the way into the dawn. Luckily, they seemed to be nothing more than a picket of scouts containing low-ranking members.
But of course, Sonera knew they were merely a prelude. The net was closing in.
With a newfound acknowledgment of Lunae's condition, she was more determined than ever. A fire raged from within, separate yet equal in ferocity to her hatred for Yrix.
Lunae could sense that flame.
"Sonera," Lunae's voice hitched, as she clung tightly onto her shepherd's crook, using it to support her weight. "We've been at this for too long. They lost our scent. You need to rest. Just for a bit."
Sonera seemed slightly agitated, her monotone cadence taking on a sharper edge. "I'm fine. And how are you certain?"
Lunae signed. It was a pointless question. Sonera was well aware that her partner was still hiding many secrets from her, keeping them close to her heart. Nevertheless, it was safe to say Lunae had some experience with hunting, both as prey and predator.
"The Consortium won't rest. Yrix won't rest." Sonera muttered as she clenched her fist. "Neither will I."
Lunae diverted from Sonera for a brief moment, stepping onto the water with her bare feet. As always, her Psionic talent allowed her to move with unmatched grace, a fact proven by her ability to walk atop the trickling liquids without submerging an inch of her skin.
"Here." Lunae pointed to a small waterfall with her staff. "The creek has a rock shelter. They won't smell us in there. Especially not if you wash up."
Sonera shrugged, turning to leave. Lunae was quick to appear at her side, wrapping her crook around the girl's neck as she pulled her back. It was a gentle yet stern gesture.
"You'll do as I say." Lunae huffed. "You've protected me countless times. Let me do this for you, Sonera. You need rest."
Sonera didn't argue. But still, she felt a sense of guilt wash over her.
"Lila and Ivy are still out there, while we hide."
Lunae groaned as she pushed Sonera into the tame waterfall. "I bet they're doing the same. Laughing and fighting. Maybe even confessing to each other. Who knows?"
"No." Sonera flinched at the touch of the cold water. "They aren't interested."
She had no idea.
Lunae placed a finger on her lips, watching from outside the cascade of water as she spoke. "I know these things. Trust me."
A primal yet familiar desire washed over Lunae, compelling her to take action. But unlike the voices that ripped apart her mind after her kill, this sensation was met with open arms. It was one of the few times she was proud to be who she was.
The blue-haired Psion snapped her fingers, causing Sonera's vest to suddenly unbutton. Her plans, unforsaken since her last attempt, were still in motion.
Sonera flinched. It was unnecessary for her to remove any clothing to wash out some of the muck she had earned on the battlefield. Lunae was clearly playing with her.
"I know a lot of things, actually." Lunae teased. "Want to know what else I've discovered?"
"Lunae...we need to focus." Sonera squinted.
Lunae spoke in an unfamiliar tone. "You did. Now it's my turn. You live for that fight; you prosper in it. But this is my domain."
Sonera stared at her plainly. Her cold gaze remained unfazed, even after the top half of her clothing had slipped off her shoulders. That was nothing new.
But suddenly, without a moment to react, her cheeks became flushed with red warmth. It was a different feeling. A foreign feeling, caused by her partner's unhinged actions. Only then did Sonera begin to take in the sight of Lunae's new attire, which she had forged for herself during their last battle togethor.
On the bottom half of things, Lunae wore an ornate hip-scarf of sorts with blue transparent fabric at the bottom and an impossibly tight silver belt around her waist, strategically positioned to emphasize her figure. Her belly and midriff, now entirely exposed, gave her an even greater presence as an enchantress.
And as if to make things even harder for Sonera, Lunae had chosen to wear a stylized crop top with an open back, giving her markings plenty of room to glimmer in the dark. All togethor, her attire was intentionally jaw-dropping in ways both familiar and foreign to Sonera.
"Y-your domain?" Sonera stuttered in a rare moment of hesitation.
"You heard me."
Lunae crossed her legs, lifting the bottom layer of her outfit as she spoke.
"I know…you like this," The enchantress whispered into Sonera's mind, placing two fingers around her navel. "You like me."
Sonera stammered. "Lunae."
She could hardly control herself. Her legs became queasy. Her arms drooped. She was visibly aroused in her own feral way. It was a very Sonera-like reaction.
"What's wrong? We're all girls here." Lunae snickered, her eyes narrowing into that same void-like pit of desire as she stepped through the waterfall, cornering Sonera. "We're surrounded by danger and death. Why so nervous of little ol me?"
Sonera had few problems holding herself together against her towering foes. She never faltered, no matter the injury. But with Lunae, she had become a trembling mess. Even her cold expression was gone, replaced by the visage of a startled girl.
"Lunae." Sonera's breath hitched.
"Sonera." Lunae responded with a piercing tone as she began to undress herself.
Sonera fell backwards onto an outcrop of stone, trying in vain to escape. It's not like she wasn't staring, however. It would have been easy to just close her eyes and look away.
She wasn't going to do any of that.
Lunae's hair flowed down her naked chest as she traced her fingertips across her midriff.
"I finally got you."
Sonera didn't exactly have anything to rebuttal with. She was caught. And there was no way to fight her way out.
"Wait." Sonera struggled with Lunae's tender hands as they began to tug on her skirt. "Lunae."
"That feeble little grasp of yours can do better." Lunae hummed to herself, proud of her work. "If you don't like it. Just use that strength of yours. What could I do to stop it?"
Having been completely exposed, Sonera backed herself further into the corner, trying to escape. Her vain resistance only allowed Lunae to grab her from behind and pull her partner's head in with a firm grasp.
"Give it to me," Lunae whispered softly. "Your memories. Your soul. Everything."
She cupped her palm over Sonera's mouth, all the while prying into her mind with her Psionic grasp. It was working, ever so slowly. Bit by bit, she could erode Sonera's defenses.
The stone-hearted girl never did like to talk about herself. Her story was sealed away with a lock and key. But in that little cave, naked and tamed by Lunae, she had let her guard down.
Sonera's orange eyes flickered with energy. She could feel Lunae peeling her way into her mind. It felt euphoric, however sudden and uncalled for.
"Mmh." Sonera struggled, her voice muffled by Lunae's hand.
"Relax, O Guardian mine," Lunae whispered. "Let me in."
That was when it appeared: a strange plant-like cord that stretched out from Lunae's backside. She had a tail. Realizing she was yet again at a loss as to the identity of her own friend, Sonera began to panic.
Or at least, that's what she would have done if she weren't still enthralled. Lunae could be as forceful as she wanted, but the truth remained the same. Sonera believed, on a primordial scale, that the girl was from a dream. And when the tip of her tail's bud began to open, and latch onto Lunae's undergarments with its petals, she felt herself slip completely.
"Sssh, there, there, I'm not going to do anything so soon," Lunae reassured her frightened, naked friend. "I just want to see you. All of you. Inside and outside."
Lunae may have been focused on her mission, but even she took a moment to pause and observe her prey.
Sonera's body was entirely smooth and hairless, her bones jutting out from her skinny flesh in all the right places, giving her the appearance of a smoothly chiseled doll. It was an appealing look even to an alien like Lunae.
"Who would have known you were hiding all that?" Lunae giggled. "When this is all over. Promise me you'll figure out which one of us is real."
She was getting closer.
Lunae began to feel the rush of Psionic energy as Sonera's story flowed into her mind. It was a start. She could see the girl's parents, faceless and indescribable.
Apparently, not even Sonera remembered them. She could see her first days at the Bratva. And she could even see her first performance. But it wasn't enough. Lunae wanted Sonera's pain, not merely the images in her mind.
"So brave. So hidden." Lunae growled like a feral animal as her tail wrapped itself around Lunae's neck, pinning the girl to the wall as her cheek scraped against the wet moss.
Sonera gasped and wheezed, a strand of saliva seeping out from her lip. She held out for quite a while. But at a certain point, all things could break.
"Cuh!" Sonera choked, her delicate voice escaping her mouth as she wrestled with Lunae. "Ha!"
Her empty breathing became heavier and heavier, as the light in her eyes began to fade. Her mouth dried up, and her expression turned sour. She was falling asleep.
For only the briefest of moments, Lunae could see the deeper pigmentation. Sonera's Psionic trace, in all its untamed power, brushed against her soul. She could have done better. But it was enough for now.
Sonera's eyes rolled to the back of her skull, and she went limp. Lunae released her grasp before placing a kiss on her friend's nape.
"See, mother? I can take what I want, with love."