Red Sonja: Betrayed 




http://literfull12.deviantart.com/art/Red-Sonja-Betrayed-562467679

Every so often there was pain. A wound inflicted upon her that never fully
went away. A scar on her shoulder from an arrow would bother her, a blade mark
from months back would remind her of its sting. These pains, on some nights,
made sleeping in the rough a seemingly impossible task.

These were the nights Red Sonja would find the nearest town and use what
little coin she had to treat herself with libations and a warm bed.

Sonja was a powerful, proud, and commanding figure-- A beautiful, curvy, toned
body draped in revealing scale-mail armor, Sonja was a fiercely attractive
figure with frightening combat skills. Her leather, forearm length gloves and
leather boots had a modest amount of wear and tear, with more to be piled at
some point.

All of the articles of protection and clothing fell away-- Sonja was deep in
throes of passion, her lips meeting the silk-spun lips of a nearby ale house's
bard. Mera had the voice of a goddess, the body of an angel, and the intensity
of a devil. Her skin was flawless, smooth, her meticulous fingers climbing up
the back of Sonja's neck and moving between each strand of Sonja's red hair.
Sonja's hands remained curled around the bard's waist, slowly pulling the
woman down into the expensive bed Sonja procured for the evening. Her hair was
golden and smelt of flowers, seemingly immune to the waves of bile and filth
and alcohol that polluted the almost dingy ale house Sonja found her in.

Sonja fell back, pulling Mera down along with her! They met the bed with a
soft, yet deep impact, the somewhat ragged brown sheets of the sturdy framed
bed. "Tonight, I have the honor of bedding the She-Devil," Mera panted. Before
Sonja could utter an objection, Mera turned the warrior woman onto her back.
Straddling her she moved her lips over the She-Devil's.

"I do 'the bedding,' gorgeous," Sonja twisted and turned under Mera's grip,
however to her suprise she was unable to escape as Mera's soft hands held
Sonja's wrists pinned above her head. "Or perhaps not."

"You shouldn't have to do all the work, lover. You're a fierce, accomplished
adventurer. Beauty unparalleled."

"Flatterer."

"And where will flattery get me, oh mighty She-Devil." Mera began planting
loving kisses on the left side of Sonja's neck, eagerly moving back up to
Sonja's lips.

"Everywhere," Sonja moaned, an overwhelming surge, a quivering, wracked her
body with every sensual touch. "Everywhere."

______________________

For Mera, time was short. The morning sun was on the cusp of rising, yet she
stood still. She stared wistfully down the road, standing in wait outside the
inn where the She-Devil rested. Sonja was a powerful lover. The finest she
ever had. This did not change things. The work Mera undertakes takes priority
over sexual prowess. She wore only a corset gown, emerald in color. The
glimmer of warmth from her torch had faded as the morning chill approached.

In the distance rode two women by carriage. The hold of it was well concealed
by the thick tarp coating the wagon. "It's about time," Mera huffed, stomping
her bare feet on the uneven dirt road.

Margot and Wyna were intelligent, sadistic opportunists. They traded in blade,
food, and most importantly, flesh. Slave-Warriors, servants, and worse. After
they've had their fun, of course. They were always certain to make that point.
Mera would offer them goods from time to time in exchange for coin. Her
profession. Her beauty. Her voice and her touch. They gave her advantages best
suited towards Margot and Wyna's business.

Margot was a lithe, lean figure in black leather grieves, boots, leggings and
a tunic. Her scalp was shaved clean, but from what Mera understood the woman
had hair more fiery than the She-Devil's. Margot's eyes were as blue as the
ocean and had a weight in their gaze.

Wyna was different. An immaculate, gorgeous woman. A figure in the shape of an
hourglass, hair as dark as the night sky, skin perfectly tanned. She was
dressed similarly to Margot, save for a more exposed bust-line. Wyna fiddled
with a dagger as Margot brought the horse tugging the carriage to heel.

Mera could not be certain if either woman was sane. In fact, most times she
felt they'd kill her, if given the chance. "What do you have for us today,
traitorous, filth-mouthed music wench?" Margot enjoyed picking at Mera's
duplicitous nature. She was no better than a slaver and it needed to be
addressed, time and time again.

There was a moment's hesitation, where her shriveled conscience made one last
play to rule Mera. How many people have Margot and Wyna killed and ruined? How
much was Mera culpable for? Could she ever live with that much blood? But
then, she spied the sack of coin resting in between Margot and Wyna, a glimmer
of gold shimmering at the lip of a hand-sized black sack.

"I have quite the prize, good ladies," Mera bowed and smiled as they stepped
away from the carriage, sack of coin in hand. "The She-Devil. Red Sonja."

______________________

Sonja had never felt so at peace. Her body rested heavily, her heart in a warm
embrace. She had been satisfied by the experience in ways that were beyond
words. Mera had ruled and treated Sonja's body with a firm delicacy. It left
the She-Devil exhausted, to clothe herself felt like applying boulders to her
chest and waist. Sonja wanted to head out early, but was uncapable of putting
on her revealing scale-mail before succumbing to the rigors of exhaustion.

She buried her head in her pillow and wondered where Mera had wandered off to.
She wasn't seeking an encore, Sonja just wanted another person to lay beside
her. Good companionship was scarce in the harsh world she traversed. A friend,
a lover, even for a moment these comforts brought her an immense sense of
safety and calm. Her blue eyes grew heavy, if allowed Sonja would most
definitely sleep through morning.

Fortunately, the door to her room slowly opened and a light pair of feet
stepped carefully on the old creaky wood of the inn. She recognized the short
breaths Mera took and her scent. Sonja played the sleeping fool-- A woman in
blissful sleep, curled around a cheap, poorly made pillow.

Mera, to her credit, slithered around The She-Devil with a remarkable
proficiency. There were moments Sonja lost track of her approach, only for the
floor to remind her. "Sonja. Red Lover with a sword. Are you awake?" Mera
whispered in Sonja's ear before planting a soft kiss on her cheek. "Sonja?"

"Yes. I am awake, Mera," Sonja happily replied, her eyes slowly opening.

"That's too bad," Mera replied. Sonja barely had time to react. Mera straddled
her naked body and pressed a damp cloth over Sonja's face, its smell
overwhelming Sonja. Ether! She gasped, struggling against Mera's weight. A
pair of arms seized her legs while another set of hands grabbed her wrists.
"It would have been easier if you were asleep."

Sonja tried to hold her breath, to fend off the powerful chemical seizing her.
She was already exhausted, already on the cusp of sleep, it made it easier.
Sonja couldn't fight back the flood, her strength melting away under its
strength. Still, she fought.

She was the She-Devil. How could she not? To be brought down by a simple cloth
was a stain on her record. Sonja bucked and twisted wildly in the grip of her
attackers, all the while Mera offered advice. "Shhh, lover. Shhh. Let it go
dark. Please, let it go dark."

"Mmmmmfff..." Sonja gasped and huffed, hearing the muffled half-sobs Mera
continuously choked back. Her legs skin went numb, and the roaring blood in
her ear slowed. Sonja could fight the darkness off no longer, its beckoning
too powerful.

"She's out," Mera regrettably declared, removing the cloth from Sonja's face.
"But she's a fighter. Best bind her now." Mera brushed a length of Sonja's
hair back, drinking in the feel and the beauty of her incapacitated captor.
"Just...Be gentle with her. Be--MMMMG?!"

Her mind slipped away within seconds-- Margot held a rag firmly over Mera's
face. The ether drenched cloth overwhelmed every coherent thought, leaving her
mind to thrash in panic. "Nnn! Nnnn!" Mera gripped Margot's wrist, weakly.

"Don't worry about your Filth-Mouth whore, Music wench," Wyna said, barely
glancing at Mera as she dragged an unconscious Sonja from the bed. "You'll be
taking the journey together. To Khitai, of all places." Mera's mind drifted
away, riding along the numbing chemical slathered over her face, a chemical
she had no choice but to inhale.

"What now?" Margot asked, letting Mera drop limply along the edge of the bed.

"We bind them. Gag them. Load them up. Pay the innkeeper, of course. For the
trouble." Wyna was disinterested in the well being of her captives. She only
cared for the work and her convenience.

______________________

Cold. Stiff. My head...

Sonja awoke to the rock and bounce of a carriage on the rough road. She hung
half an inch from the floor for a moment, only for gravity to exert its
influence and force her back down. Little rays of sunlight ran through gaps
and holes in the tarp covering the carriage, providing her sight the barest
amount of light to play off of. "Mmmff?" Sonja tried to speak, only to find
her jaw and lips locked and stuffed. Two separate rags, from what Sonja could
suss out in her groggy state-- One firmly pressing down on her tongue, with
another wound around her head many times with a large knot at the nape of her
neck.

She commanded her arms to reach up and remove the infernal gag, but they were
hobbled as well. Sonja's wrists were crossed behind her back, and lashed
tightly with strong and scratchy rope. More of this rope was coiled underneath
her chest, effectively pinning her arms to her sides. Sonja's ankles and knees
were bound as well, much to Sonja's understandable frustration.

"HHHMMMMNNN!" Sonja roared, aiming her head towards the front of the carriage.
She could see two figures through the tarp, their shadows casting them as
female. Assuredly they were damned women who held her down while Mera drugged
Sonja. Sonja began to worm her way towards the wooden siding of the carriage,
desperate to find an edge to play off of.

Yet, her attention was drawn to the soft grunts and pants across from her--
Mera. Bound exactly as Sonja had been, assuredly gagged the same if their
captors were fond of consistency. Mera's face was bright red from exertion or
sobbing, or likely some combination of the two. Not that it mattered-- Sonja
was furious. If she had a free hand she'd throttle the woman who betrayed the
sanctity of The She-Devil's bedroll.

"GNNNNNMMM!" Sonja hissed and growled through the rags, slowly becoming more
aware of the taste of dry dirt being expelled from the packing. Mera sank in
her restraints even moreso than she already was. The dour, woeful glance
barely tamped Sonja's ire. "Hnnn!" Sonja audibly sighed. She worked around,
and began to slowly inch over to Mera while the carriage ran against hard
patches of dirt, brush, and rock.

As Sonja approached, Mera began to aim her head towards her thighs, desperate
for Sonja to pick up on the signal. Sonja did, of course. She remembered as
both women became intimate, as they undressed each other, Sonja spied a dagger
strapped to her thigh. "Such a dainty weapon," Sonja recalled saying before
she tossed it aside.

Mera made it easy for Sonja to curl around her legs. She worked her bound
wrists as close to the blade as she could, the ropes denying her leverage
every second. Mera slid more towards the floor. She hoped Sonja would be able
to remove the dagger from its black leather sheath. Sonja forced Mera's dress
up her legs, above the dagger, which allowed her to grab the blade by the
hilt.

Luckily, Sonja had wielded a blade bound before. It was a simple matter to
flip the lip towards the ropes to saw at her cruel restraints. Each push
snapped fiber after fiber until the wretched cords snapped and fell to the
floor. Sonja immediately cut her ankles and knees free, then her chest.
Slowly, she pulled down her gag and released the packing from her mouth.

She didn't say a word to Mera. Instead, she turned her attention towards their
captors and crawled, quietly, dagger in hand. They were content to keep their
backs turned to Sonja, the Hyrkanian Scourge, assumed to be a bound and
helpless and hapless damsel. Red Sonja was anything but.

The She-Devil bursted through the tarp and placed the dagger over the bald
one's throat. "Ladies," Sonja sneered. She pulled the woman close to her chest
and kept the blade hard pressed against her thin throat.

"Margot!" The dark-haired woman yelled, pulling the reins on the horse in. It
rose up fast, snorting and gasping before halting abruptly. Sonja was jostled,
a space formed in between her grip. Enough for this "Margot" to slip through.
She grabbed Sonja by the bicep and tossed her over the side of the carriage.
Sonja landed roughly on her back, the air forced from her lungs.

Margot drew a jagged, barbed blade. It was sadistic with its grooves and Sonja
could see dried blood in the nicks. The woman was a killer. But, then again,
so was Sonja. Margot leaped off the carriage and tried to plant both her feet
into Sonja's chest. Sonja managed to quickly roll out of the way and scrambled
back to her feet. Sonja managed to avoid a swipe aimed at her forehead however
Margot followed up with a hard kick to the gut of the naked Sonja that made
her stagger backwards. Margot charged forwards but Sonja avoided thrust and
managed to trip Margot to the floor. As Margot tried to stand up Sonja tossed
the dagger into her thigh. Margot was stunned, the blade almost reached the
bone. In that moment, Sonja rose up and delivered a high-knee to Margot's jaw.

It forced the swordswoman onto her back. She tried to rise up, but Sonja
delivered a forceful stomp against her chest. Sonja was in no mood for games,
or for banter. She just wanted the day to be done. She seized Margot's sword
and aimed her anger at Wyna, who wielded a twin maces. "Do you know what they
call me, She-Devil?" Wyna twirled her maces around, confident she was more
than a match for her cargo. "Wyna The Soul-Killer. Wyna The Menace."

"I don't care," Sonja gripped the pilfered blade with both hands. She charged
at Wyna with ferocity and grace. Wyna crossed her weapons, blocking the long
blade. She pulled her weapons down, snapping the tip of Sonja's sword.

Sonja reeled herself back, weaving around Wyna's wild and wide strikes. If
they connected, flesh and bone would shred and splinter. Wyna was, like
Margot, a seemingly savage and capable killer. But she was sloppy, and to
Sonja sloppy meant stupid.

Red Sonja moved forward, between Wyna's strikes, and brought the blade to
Wyna's throat. "This is done," Sonja proclaimed, a part of her itching to
follow through. "Do you understand me? I'm leaving. Keep Mera, help your
friend, I don't care."

"Never," Wyna lunged backward, throwing a mace through the air with one hand.
Sonja batted it away and pressed forward, adjusting her stance as the mace
took more of the blade off. Wyna swung her mace downward, eager to cave
Sonja's head in with one mighty blow.

But Sonja was quick. She twirled around the strike, letting the mace collide
with the dirt. Wyna didn't have time to recover-- Sonja delivered a powerful
blow to Wyna's head, rendering her unconscious. "Damn. This was sloppy work,
on my part," Sonja sighed and panted, brushing the sweat from her brow.

The snap of a branch was the only warning she had. A familiar smelling rag
clamped down over her face, the stink and effect seeping over her once more.
"NNNOOOOAM!" She roared, turning and twisted as a familiar feeling arm wrapped
around her waist and pulled her backward.

Sonja fought with all her might but she was unable to escape the hold of her
attacker.

"Forgive me, Sonja," Mera whispered as she struggled to hold The Mighty
She-Devil. "Forgive me." Slowly the chemical began to weaken her body and numb
her senses. Sonja's knees gave under her weight, and she fell towards the
dirt. The drug warmed her chest and twisted her mind. She felt a peace and
restlessness all at once. Sonja looked up to see Mera, her gag hanging around
her neck and loose ropes around her body. She couldn't hear Mera, but she was
certain she was mouthing "I'm sorry."

______________________

"Margot and Wyna have huge bounties on their heads. Enough for me to escape,
to build a life," Mera tried to explain, checking her rope-work to ensure that
there was no slack. "You certainly have one to. None can argue that. I
just...I refuse to turn you in. You're better off here."

"Hmmm!" Sonja angrily huffed through the large knot her teeth were clenched
around. Another damnable rag wedged into her mouth. Sonja was sitting against
a tree, wrists bound behind it, ankles and knees lashed together good and
tight. "Lll Kll Yff!" Sonja tried to assure Mera, the bard who bedded,
betrayed, and bound her.

Mera weakly dropped a small black sack and a dagger at the bottom of Sonja's
feet. She looked dour and depressed, for whatever that was worth. "Sonja.
I'm...You were the best I had. Better than me. I've wronged you and that will
stay with me," Tears started to build around Mera's eyes. An act, Sonja
believed. A convincing act. "The path is frequented by merchant and bandit
alike. If you're unable to reach the knife and the coin, your mewling and
thrashing will draw their attention."

Sonja twisted against her restraints and swore through her gag that she'd make
Mera pay for her transgressions. For not just Sonja's honor and trust, but for
the dozens of others Mera certainly damned before her. "Goodbye, Sonja. My
love. We will not meet again."

The sun began to set before a pack of bandits noted Sonja's struggling. They
saw the nude woman as a prize. They cut her bonds and were immediately beaten,
some slaughtered. Sonja would walk the trail completely naked,restless,
bootless and disheveled. She made her way back to the town where she met Mera
and the inn where she was captured to retrieve her gear.

Unable to stomach inhabiting the wretched space, Sonja would journey for days,
unable to sleep. She'd deny herself comfort to keep the sting at bay. To stop
herself from thinking about her. About Mera. Even as old aches returned to
wreak tolls on her body, Sonja would resign herself to the rough and dangerous
wilds.

The End