Chapter Eight

***DISCLAIMER***
Deepest apologies for the lateness in getting this one up. A lot of things came at me and while I had the idea back at chapter seven, I never got around to writing it until now. Hopefully it'll be worth the wait though. :)

_________________________________________________________________________

Alexandria. Cleopatra's Palace, Dungeon level

The rattling of chains echo through the cavernous halls of the lower dungeons. Bars line along the walls keeping captives inside perhaps making the shackles a little redundant. But no one down here would really complain to their holder, they know a far worse fate could befall them. At least it's known to all but these five the way Celes continues to struggle against her bindings that hold her standing along the wall. The other four, in similar positions, are alongside her watching over as their friend only wears herself out further.

“You're not breaking those chains.” Jess informs attracting Celes' attention for a mere moment before she continues. “Are you listening?”

“I'm not giving up.” Celes growls back as she tugs at both shackles at the same time until Lori notices something red trickling down from behind the rusted shackle.

“Celes--”

“Enough!” The bellowing call comes from the cell directly across from them. From the space between and the cell itself, there's enough darkness to shroud over the woman making the command but it's still clear to some just whose voice it is.

“Commander Hayes?” Felicity calls out.

“Jessica now.” The former commander responds. “Soon to be end table, by the way the torturer was going on.”

“Certainly serves someone like yourself right.” Felicity spits out as Jessica lets out a mild laugh.

“Yeah, perhaps. But what's happening to your people here pales in comparison to what we did.”

“I feel no comfort in that.” Felicity responds coldly.

“I didn't think you would. But it doesn't matter, you won't be feeling anything soon enough. It's a trivial position they put you in. It isn't death, but it isn't life. You lose all conscious thought but your body is still kept alive. You're given a purpose and you serve it dutifully. I assume your queen is undergoing the same procedure.”

“Don't you dare speak ill of her!” Felicity shoots back but it gets no response. Over time, everything just falls silent in the dungeon.

~*~

Alexandria. Cleopatra's Palace

Her pillory positioned just at the edge of the balcony, Lilandra is forced to watch as her people are led down the streets in chains and leashes all the way from the port. Even the warm air breezing along her naked flesh does little to better her mood as she tightens her fists and jaw muscles at the sight of her once proud race being told to kneel for their company brandings. Their screams fighting with the noise of the general crowd through the bazaar as shopkeeps sell off their human and elf shaped merchandise. That's when Cleopatra steps in from behind the former elven queen. She firmly slaps a hand along the naked backside stroking it upward enticing a soft moan from the elf before finally stepping in beside her.

“Beautiful, isn't it?” Cleopatra inquires staring off toward the docks watching as ships come in and out. “With so many of your kind and so many of Slutton coming into port, I've had to turn warships into slave transports. Oh, the captain's are never pleased with this transformation. But no one dares defy a Goddess.”

“What will become of them?”

Lilandra asks while Cleopatra makes her way toward a golden tabletop held up by two women encased in white leather suits. Gold chains run from one anothers nostrils and nipples while they stare blankly into one another's eyes. It's uncertain whether they know what they're doing, where they are, or even who they are anymore. All that they know, all they seem to understand, is they're nothing more than table legs.

“What will become of them?” Lilandra asks once more, only this time in a far more demanding tone. One that earns a disapproving click from the Goddess' lips.

“I don't know what gibberish you're speaking, but here people tend to finish their comments to me with “Goddess”.” Cleo smiles back at Lilandra briefly turning her attention from the table top prior to going back to it.

Atop of it rests a few instruments of quick serving punishment. A few riding crops, a couple of floggers, and a bull whip. The Goddess' fingers trace along everything before ultimately selecting the horsehair flogger. She runs her fingers through it as she returns back to her bent over prisoner.

“You sounded like you were trying to say something. Perhaps you should try again?” She queries waiting as Lilandra just watches the outside biting hold of her upper lip. “Very well. Hold this for me. Will you, slave? I shan't be using it now.”

Lilandra prepares to look back when she feels something sharp penetrating up inside her backside causing her to let out a wicked howl of pain that resonates down even through the busy streets. Patrons pause and take notice for a moment...and then go back to their work as if there was nothing of concern going on.

“I adore working over your species.” Cleo smirks as twin trails of blood form down Lilandra's shaking legs starting up between her cheeks where the flogger has been sent. She quivers and makes painful mutters as Cleo rests herself against the pillory keeping the Elf queen in her bondage. “Your whole love affair with nature has given your people the stigma of being innocent. A little naive even. I mean, there are stories I've heard about elves coming to the cities of humans and just marveling over the massive structures, paved roads, and busy lifestyles. In fact, it's said that elves were the first to be curious about humans.”

Lilandra says nothing as her fists continue to clench tighter trying to fight back the pain. Although every now and then she gets a little reminder over how much it hurts and it makes her squeak out a little.

“The tale goes that two elves came to a human city curious after watching it from the mountain forests. Oh, they hid their identities quite well. They had to, less they be found out you see. Anyway, from what they saw the two elves took back home differently. One elf saw the love and tenderness of humans as something that could be approached. The other saw the greed of expansion and feared one day their own mountain palace would be overrun. The Queen at the time, being a fearful and superstitious individual, believed more the tale of the second elf and began preparing for defenses. But soon defenses turned to plans of offenses. As this was going on, the first elf felt she had to warn the humans and when she was seen,” Cleo pauses to run a hand down along the curve of Lilandra's rump making the elf quiver. “Do you know what happened?”

Lilandra had heard the tale but at the moment couldn't come up with the means of replying. Cleo, unfortunately, wasn't set on taking silence as an answer and so gives Lilandra's backside a firm, open palm slap.

“Do you?”

“N-No!” Lilandra manages out before feeling Cleopatra's hand come down upon her again.

“Do you?”

“No...no, G-Goddess.” Lilandra lowers her head, ashamed of her own words. Not just the fact that she had declared Cleopatra her Goddess, but that she had lied. Something she only did to try and make certain she wouldn't be forced into speaking more through her pain.

“Pity. Because when she was seen she was immediately declared an abomination and burned at the stake. This enraged the Elven Queen who ordered her troops to march against the city. Unfortunately, they were untrained. Out equipped. They really had no hope and were all but whipped out. Even the Queen found her end in combat. Those elves that remained soon retreated back into the woods where they were followed. Luckily though, cooler heads eventually prevailed over everything and a peace accord was signed. The elves, being seen as fragile, required protection. The city that would eventually become Jennaton offered it.” Cleo steps back gripping hold of the flogger giving it a twist prompting Lilandra to cry out again, although not as loud as the first. “Such a bloody beginning to a historic union, no?”

Cleo rips out the flogger as Lilandra lets out a silent scream feeling her blood follow after the flogger for a short bit. But the loss and the pain was more than enough to send Lilandra into a state of unconsciousness. Cleo comes around front gripping the Queen's hair bringing her head up.

“Such a blood start to our own union, no?”

No answer from Lilandra as Cleo smiles letting her head drop back down then marches off back toward the table.

~*~

Alexandria. Cleopatra's Palace, Dungeon Level

Despite the stillness of the night, Felicity finds herself constantly waking up finding it troublesome to sleep with her arms shackled up above her head. Though wouldn't anyone? She glances alongside her to see if that were true and spies the same struggling eyes in her comrades finding it hard to to get themselves to sleep without putting too much pressure on their restrained wrists. Impossible, and Cleopatra would know it. Therefore, Felicity is forced to wonder what they will all become. A table? Chairs? Wall art?

“Get your hands off me!”

It's not just the voice from across the hall that startled Felicity, but the guard being pushed up against their own set of bars. He growls and turns back around striking hard against a soon screaming Jessica. This commotion knocks the others from their attempted slumber as they watch a couple guards drag an unconscious Jessica from her cell and down the hall.

“Where are they taking her?” Lori asks looking to the others.

No one gives her an answer. Not because they don't know, but because they'd rather not think about it.

~*~

Alexandria. Cleopatra's Palace

“Say it again!”

Cleopatra commands striking the riding crop hard across Lilandra's thigh. The Elven Queen still held up in her pillory with the blood along her legs now dry lines. She cries out as her bottom has turned a hearty red from the strikes being given to her. But aside from that, she says or really does nothing.

“You were certainly so willing before. What changed, hm?” She inquires coming around front to grip hold of Lilandra's head and bring it up. “Am I being too rough on you?”

“My people...will find their way home...once more. You bitch.” Lilandra responds looking up defiantly at her captor who sighs letting the elf's hair go allowing her head to drop back down.

“You certainly have trouble recognizing your predicament, don't you? The only thing stopping me from performing my tasks on you is how tired my body gets. I am immortal and you still have at least another millennium left of your life. You will break.”

“I'll die before I serve you.”

Lilandra lets out a sudden gasp when she feels the presence of a knife's blade being held close up to her throat. Cleopatra comes around once more locking eyes with the elf now letting out shorter breaths.

“Then do it. Run your throat along this blade. I'm offering you your out. Do it!” She shouts but Lilandra remains still. “I knew it.”

The Goddess takes the knife away and goes back to her golden table placing it down.

“Though, to be fair, it was certainly smart of you not to. I only want your body after all. So you dying here and now would only speed up the process to parading your body, hanging your body, then making it into a plant holder or some--”

“Then why keep me alive? Why spend all this time torturing me?” Lilandra cries out giving a short struggle in her bondage as Cleopatra looks back over.

“Because I want to hear you say it again. Without the defiance, without the struggles. I want you to believe your new place before I put you there permanently. It's just...a hobby of mine.”

~*~

Alexandria. Cleopatra's Palace, Gardens

Lilandra was still restraining and today held a better example of that. Moved from a pillory to a simple metal embroidered stock, she struggles hard against the leash pulling at the front of the metallic bar locked around her wrists and neck. Her hands were still virtually useless, but she could pull back hard against Cleopatra's pull.

“I guess...you don't want...any fresh air. Do you?” She asks, to which Lilandra only responds with more pulling back.

Eventually, Cleopatra just lets her leash go sending Lilandra crashing down on her hip. The Goddess approaches, hands on her own hips, as she casts her shadow overtop of the fallen elf and sighs.

“Very well. Run along then.”

Lilandra, who had been struggling to her feet at this point, stares up at Cleopatra with some surprise on her face. She looks off in the direction that the Goddess gestures toward and is even more surprised to see it's one of the larger gates leading into the city. Feeling this to be some new sick test, Lilandra comes up to her knees and looks back up at Cleopatra who only shoves her down onto her back.

“I said go! That's what you want most, right? To leave? Then leave. Tell the guards I told you that you could go.”

Whether this was a trick or not, Lilandra was still willing to take it above anything else as she works her way back up to her feet pausing to see if the stockade would at least be removed. With Cleopatra just turning away, it was clear the device would remain locked in place. It didn't matter as Lilandra would find a way out as she turns and begins running for the gate thinking any moment she'd be ensnared or her leash would be grabbed or something.

Nothing. All the way up to the gates there was no attempt at stopping her. So she stands at the bars looking through them at the long stairway leading down into the city before stepping back and glancing up at the walkway along the tower.

“I'm free to go!” She shouts out hoping the guards will hear her. With nothing in the way of response, she tries again after checking nervously around her shoulder. “Cleopatra. She told me I was free to leave! Don't defy your Goddess!”

That gets a response as the gates begin to lift up. Lilandra waits just long enough for the gates to come up before ducking under it and begins running down the steps.

The city was a labyrinth of shops and walkways that only the townspeople knew. They would constantly cut across her way, shout out at others, all mannerisms of confusing her way out. There was also the general dustcloud from so many people Lilandra wasn't accustomed to mixed in with the smoke of store furnaces. It was a mess, one that Lilandra found herself lost in constantly. The only thing she knew was which direction the palace was in. She would try and use that as a guide walking away from it, but the roads had a way of leading her back around in some other direction. Not to mention how along the way she would see the constant sight of her fellow elves being driven by leashes, put into positions that would become their permanent stasis, and just generally finding abuse from around every corner.

Their faces were all masked with a layer of dirt as their feet trudged along to their relegated position. Their eyes kept low and those that Lilandra could see were vastly without hope. It wasn't acceptance that put them willing on their path, it was the knowledge that there was now nothing else for them. No heroes to save them, no army to take up fight in their freedom. This was a trick, one that Cleopatra had to have been laughing about by now.

~*~

Alexandria. Cleopatra's Palace

The young girl whimpers shivering away from Cleopatra's touch as she smiles resting her fingers along her lengthened ears.

“You're going to make a wonderful chair for my daughter.”

The young girl shies away a little more when the noise of closing doors echo throughout the grand hall. Both turn and only the Goddess smiles when she sees Lilandra slowly returning, her head hung as low as the stockade would allow it. With a gesture, she has one of the guards take the young girl away to another room. Cleopatra then beckons Lilandra over who stops just a few feet shy of the woman. Keeping her eyes away, Lilandra's legs give a little quiver before finally bending as she falls to her knees before the Goddess.

“I...I will not abandon my people. I will suffer as they suffer.” She promises keeping her head low until Cleopatra brings a hand beneath her chin lifting her gaze back up.

“You won't know suffering soon.” She says with a smile before looking to the corner. “Do you like my new table?”

Lilandra glances over and sees a fully nude and completely shaven Jessica kneeling on a small pedestal with her hands up by her head, palms flat to allow for a slightly larger circular slab of polished wood to be rested there. Her eyes stare blankly ahead as if not certain of where she is, what she is, or even who she is.

~*~

Alexandria. Cleopatra's Palace, Dungeon Level

The muffled scream does little to counter out the sound of searing flesh as smoke rises up from Lilandra's backside as the branding iron is pressed firmly against it. As the torturer presses the iron harder against her cheek, Lilandra bites down even more on the wooden bar provided for her waiting until the end, until her Goddess signals that the symbol should be in well enough. Eventually she does and the iron is pulled away leaving a dark red mark that will scar over in time. The symbol used was a crescent Sun with rays coming out along the side of it and with it now firmly a part of Lilandra bringing pain to her legs, she stumbles away from the bar dropping down to her knees and nearly further still given her wrists were still shackled up in the stockade. Luckily, she's caught by Cleopatra who once more finds herself pressing a pair of fingers beneath her slave's chin forcing the head up.

“Let's try for that walk again, shall we?” She insists.

Lilandra glances away for a moment. Then, after a moment's consideration, she looks back up at Cleo and nods.

“Y-yes, Goddess.”

~*~

Alexandria. Cleopatra's Palace, Gardens

Outside, in the hot breeze this time, Cleopatra tries again for a walk leading Lilandra along by a leash connected to the front of her stockade. This time, things were much different in that the only thing causing a struggle was the pulsating pain in Lilandra's leg.

“Lovely day.” Cleopatra remarks looking up at the crisp blue sky before checking back at Lilandra finding her still hobbling along. “You'll get used to it.”

~*~

And in time she would as her tasks became more and more frequent, Lilandra would have no time to recover from the last. Soon, her stockade would be replaced by a posture collar with a buckle at the back connecting a two-link chain to her gloves forcibly pinning her arms in behind her back. Over time she would get used to that as well as her devotion level rose so to did her threshold for pain. She would spend hours upon hours nuzzling her Goddess' feet, remain by her Goddess' side when trials of the townspeople would be conducted, (and perhaps her favorite of all activities) being placed back in the pillory and whipped all while proclaiming her newfound devotion toward her Goddess for all below to hear.

Additions were soon made to Lilandra's attire in the form of piercings through her nipples and nose while a triangular chain would connect the three. She would be frequently sent down to the barracks to “entertain” the guards and at first it was a timid affair for her, but eventually when it came time for this she would quickly present herself over a table with legs spread and mouth open only to leave when all have had their fill or she was summoned back to the palace. As a result of this, her body would change as well. Her slender figure would widen as her legs and arms would thicken and her stomach would push out. Within time, what would have originally been a horrific moment came in the form of joyous celebration for Lilandra; she was pregnant. Her one wish being that her daughter would live up to the expectations of her Goddess.

~*~

Alexandria. Cleopatra's Palace, Ancient Chamber

“Is this the surprise, my Goddess?” Lilandra queries looking around the dimly lit hall that looks to have been abandoned for some time.

“It is, slave. Have you wondered how I am able to break the minds of my furnishings so easily?” She asked her leashed pet.

“Only thoughts permitted by my Goddess are allowed within this mind, my Goddess.” Lilandra replies not to suck up, but in a truthful manner. Still, it causes Cleopatra to laugh a little.

“Well said, slave. But this is how.”

Taking a torch from the wall, Cleo lit up a patch along the floor causing the fire to spread along in a circular line drawing along what appeared to be a bunch of ropes and then ultimately into large sconces along the walls lighting up the entire chamber. In the middle of the room was a massive beast of tentacles chained down in place, it's appendages wriggled and moved in what freedom it was given. Before it, Lilandra took a few steps in awe.

“This...this is an Abyss creature.”

“Captured and conquered long ago. It's appendages have the ability to erase thoughts from the host so all furnishings are put through a procedure where a part of the tentacle is embedded into the brain. Over time the tentacle grows and the procedure becomes permanent.”

“How long?”

“A day or two. I've brought you down here because now it's your turn.”

Cleopatra's words caught Lilandra off guard as she turned back toward her Mistress.

“M-my turn?”

“Yes. Is this resistance?”

“No. Not at all, my Goddess. I will do anything you command of me. But...why am I not put through the same procedure as the others?”

“Because of this.” Cleopatra reached out touching a hand along Lilandra's stomach. “I want to know the extent of my creatures abilities. If it can implant itself inside an unborn childs mind and have it come out healthy and moldable.”

Lilandra looks down at Cleo's hand along her stomach then lifts her gaze back up to her Mistress and nods smiling some even.

“Yes. It is my hope my child will live to serve as I do, my Goddess.”

“Good.” Cleopatra removes the leash and steps back letting the tentacles come around Lilandra. “When the procedure is over, I'll be back. I have further ideas for your conditioning.”

“Yes, my Goddess.” Lilandra rests back into the tentacles moaning when she feels them beginning to penetrate her body. She watches her Mistress start to take her leave but then calls out. “M-my Goddess!”

Cleo looks back.

“I...I won't...get a chance to...say this, but...it...it has been a pleasure...serving you.”

“You'll always serve me, slave.”

“That...makes me...h-happy...my...my Goddess.” The tentacles envelop Lilandra further as Cleo turns taking her leave of the chamber to begin preparations in the next phase.

~*~

Alexandria. Cleopatra's Palace, Dungeon Level

“How long have we been here?” Celes asks unable to lift her head.

“I don't know.” Jess replies. “But I'm assuming we're going to be here a while longer.”

Hearing that creates some whimpers out of Becky as Lori looks over moving her arm as if to try and dry her tears only to remember her shackled wrists. Still, she can't give up on her friend.

“Don't worry, Becky, we'll be free soon.”

“You still recall one another's names?” The voice draws the attention from the five girls toward the bars where Cleopatra stands letting out a sigh. “How disappointing.”

“Please,” Lori begs, finding the strength to bring her head up and look toward Cleopatra. “We shouldn't be here, we wanted nothing to do with your war.”

“War?” Cleopatra muses to herself. “I would call it more of a slaughter. But if what you say is true, what business had you with the Queen of Illsvalia?”

“We went to cure our friend.” Celes responds. “She was turned into a Dark One in Slutton and we could only find help there.”

Cleopatra considers this a moment before speaking back up. “I don't believe you. But even if you were telling the truth it wouldn't matter. You're here until it's decided what you will become. At that point you'll just be here forever, I'm afraid.”

She doesn't sound too concerned though when she puts it that way. But as the others worry, Felicity brings her head up shooting a glare as though she had forgotten that, like the rest, she was chained up along the wall.

“Where's Queen Lilandra?” She snarls as Cleo begins to smile.

“The Queen? She's a queen no longer for star--”

“What have you done with her?” Felicity now demands taking Cleopatra a little back some.

However, it only takes her a moment to regain enough composure to smile again as she tugs on a chain bringing out the sound of padding feet along the cold, hard ground. Everyone looks, and everyone gasps. However, it's Felicity who begins to weep when she sees what has become of her Queen.

Her body was even larger than it was before. Her stomach, at least, had expanded to nearly double the size it was earlier making it look like she could give birth to an entire horde. The piercings were still there running a chain from her nose to her nipples and now down over and underneath her stomach. Both arms had been severed at the bicep with metal caps put in their place with rings giving way for heavier chains connected to Lilandra's nipples forcibly pulling her breasts to the side allowing for more stomach room. Her head had been shaven and her eyes were now empty.

“What...have you done with her?” Felicity questions showing the growing fright in her voice.

“I've made it better. I've made it a breeding port.” Cleopatra smiles as Felicity struggles hard against her bindings now bringing a laugh from the Goddess that only becomes interrupted when Harriet comes rushing down the steps.

Cleopatra and her guards turn to find the child Queen of Slutton glaring back at them pointing toward Lilandra.

“That's mine.”

“How did you get down here?” Cleo inquires.

“Found a port, sailed across here. I gave you the assistance of my army. You promised me control of my elves.”

“Then control them. Control them from the empty city.”

Cleo's smile only entices Harriet further as the young Queen rushes the Goddess only to be caught up by the guards. Harriet puts up a struggle yelling out at the top of her lungs while Cleopatra continued laughing out. During the abrupt confusion, something slithers out from between Lilandra's legs and works its way into a dark corner of the cell.

“Such an idiot coming at a Goddess like this. What was your escape plan, hm? I suppose you can think about that from your position as a doll.” Cleo laughed a little more as she leaned in close to Harriet's ear. “You're going to make my daughter incredibly happy, I hope you know.”

With a gesture, the guards strike the still resisting Harriet across the side of the head knocking her unconscious as she's dragged down the hall. Cleo watched her go then turns back to the others grabbing hold of Lilandra's leash.

“I'll tell you what, since all of that put me in a good mood...I'll let you decide what furnishing you all become. Though...I would like another breeding sow. I'll let you decide whom that will be as well.”

Still smiling, Cleopatra gives Lilandra's leash a tug leading her away as Felicity drops her head and begins crying out.

“I guess that'll make you the second sow.”

“Jess!” Lori exclaimed.

“What?” She replied. “Face it, we aren't getting out of here so we might as well take whatever liberties we can. Becky, you can be a garden gnome as I'm certain your powers could still be utilized that way.”

“Jess, stop it!” Lori further protested but her outburst is soon interrupted by Felicity.

“No. She's right. The Queen was a last hope, and seeing Harriet barging in with nothing but her own arrogance...there's no hope for us.”

“Freedom is not out of your reach.” A voice echoed from the darkened corner drawing the attention of the five prisoners. The voice sounded as though two women had been talking at once and as she comes from the shadows, Felicity's eyes widen.

“Y...your highness?”

“No,” The apparent doppelganger replied. “This body is the image of your Queen, but I am closer to an offspring than anything. But explanations can come at a later time. For now, you must all be freed.”

The elf sets out opening the shackles as Becky, now freed, rubs at her wrists and looked back at the rescuer.

“Who...who are you?”

After a momentary pause, the elf answered. “I...I believe I am Hope.”

~*~

Alexandria. Cleopatra's Palace, Torture Chamber

Sometime later, Harriet begins to come to. Her vision blurred as she glances around trying to figure out where she is. All she knew was that her arms were bound above her head and her body had become cold. The reason, she spied, was that her clothes had been removed and dropped into a pile in the corner. Across the room was the torturer looking over a few of his instruments. Upon hearing the groan from Harriet, the disheveled man looks back and smirks.

“Awake? Good. The job is always much better that way.” The man shuffled along toward Harriet, his face hidden behind a layer of dirt and his straggly hair. When he arrives, he smiles a near toothless grin as he holds up a tiny, yet incredibly sharp looking, curved blade. “When making a doll...first, I need the skin. So-so I...I make a small, tiny incision...just at the back of the neck. Then...I...slide the knife down...slicing...slicing your skin,” He pauses to chuckle a little as Harriet swallows. “Down...straight down...to your tail bone. At which point...the peeling begins.”

“Fascinating.” Harriet replied coldly turning her attention to the corner. “What are those for?”

“What are...those...”

He repeated as he began shuffling back in a circle to see just what Harriet was looking at. Seeing that it's his tools, he turns back his smile slowly returning. However, it dropped the moment he realized Harriet had begun pulling herself up along the chain. Harriet wrapped her legs around the torturer's neck before seizing control of the knife kicking him away shortly after.

“G...guard...”

He begins as Harriet cuts her bindings and comes back down to her feet.

“G-guard!”

He shouted while Harriet approached looking the blade over.

“Do you know what the difference is between you and me?” She asked looking down at the man who begins to smile. “Nothing.” She answers as she suing the knife down.

Not long after, a couple guards enter in to find the torturer lying dead, his throat slit. One guard goes to investigate while the other looks around startled by a loud shriek as Harriet comes around a corner stabbing him in the neck. The other guard stands as Harriet glares at him.

“I am not becoming the daughters doll.”

She insists perplexing the guard allowing for Harriet to stab him as well. With the trio dead, Harriet looked down at the second guard confused over his reaction, but just grabs her clothes and leaves thinking nothing of it.

~*~

Alexandria. Outside Cleopatra's Palace

They were free now, still freshly rubbing their wrists thankful to be out of their cell. Becky is down on the ground testing to see if her spells still worked trying to bring some green life in the desert. Meanwhile, Felicity was already itching to get back into the palace.

“We have to go back, we have to get the Queen out. We shouldn't be leaving her like that.”

“What Queen? I saw no Queen.” Jess calls back. “I saw an empty headed, loyal because it's her programming, pregnant slave.”

“How dare you speak of the Queen that way!” Felicity shouts back.

“She's not a Queen! Not anymore. Besides, what would you do if you freed her? Hm? She's a pet now, it's all she understands.”

That was apparently too far for Felicity's liking as she turns toward Jess leaping for her throat only to be caught by both Celes and Lori restraining her back.

“You wouldn't be saying those things...if it were a human Queen up there!” Felicity shrieks.

“Maybe. But you'd definitely be where I'm standing. We leave without her.” Jess' words seem to be absolute as she turns away.

Felicity slowly began calming as Celes, keeping a hand on her shoulder, came around to her front.

“Felicity, I know it's rough but...there's nothing we can do. Jess is right when she says that what we saw...she was no longer a Queen.”

“Don't...” Felicity pleads not wanting to hear a fellow elf admit to such a thing as well.

“Besides, there's very little we can do about a Goddess who's immortal.”

“Goddess? Cleopatra?” Hope questions looking back to the others. “She is not immortal.”

~*~

Alexandria. Cleopatra's Palace, Private Chambers

The guards had been all over the palace, which made it a miracle Harriet had come as far as she did. Although the fancier the decorative walls got, the less guarded the place seemed to be. Harriet could have sworn she was down on her way to a slave holding pen or something given by the lack of care in attention, but the walls were far too expensive looking. Even the furnishings were becoming more and more human. Their eyes, of course, were dead and unwatching as Harriet made her way down the hall. She knew as she tested a fair majority of them to make sure.

Eventually, her sneaking had taken her to a double set of embroidered doors with gold handles. Handles she touched and found cold but curiosity still got the better of her as she twisted it and opened the door stepping inside. Inside was definitely a forniphiliac's version of a wet dream as every piece of furniture was shaped out of a person. Not just humans but elves, cat girls, demons and angels even. Each had the same dead look in their eye as Harriet approached them. She shook her head following her investigation of the angel and turned toward the canopy bed where, sure enough, each post was a different species holding up the top all facing inward toward the bed. A little creepy for Harriet's liking, but this didn't hold her attention long as she noticed a second door.

She approached it with an even greater sense of caution uncertain if one of these furnishings might start screaming out her presence for the guards to hear. But all remained silent as she grips the handle finding this one warm. She turns it and opens the door finding a second bedroom, smaller though than the one she was now leaving. In the centre, seated on a small elven child set out like a chair, was a young girl roughly Harriet's age humming as she read through a book. At least until the noise of Harriet closing the door draws her attention. She looks back at the approaching child Queen and tilts her head using a tone that certainly commanded respect.

“You are not my mother.”

“No, I'm not.” Harriet answered, the pieces finally coming together to her as she approached slowly beginning to smirk at the child. “I'm someone better.”