Dark Warriors: A Dark Lands Anthology (Darklands)

To housekeepers and those who cook. You’ve prevented many a nervous breakdown. Thank you!

Autumn Dawn

“The situation is getting grim, Dagon.”

Dagon turned his back on the fire-streaked sky. The night breeze ruffled his short dark hair, caressing his damaged cheek with lover’s promise.

Pity it was the only lover he was likely to have in his lifetime.

Not that he wanted a wife. Unfortunately, to get what he did want, a wife was required.

“And you expect me to do what, Ser? Conjure more women from vapor? Personally impregnate our few surviving women with female babes?” His hands curled around the stone balcony rail. It was as unforgiving as their future. Even if the women who’d survived their enemy’s virus managed to conceive (a feat in itself) none of them ever dropped girl children. If by some miracle all of them gave birth the next day to twin girls, there still wouldn’t be enough women to go around, and those babes would take years to mature.

Ironically, they couldn’t even steal women from their enemy, for the virus had infected their women as well, devastating their population. It looked as if their generation’s long war was going to end in total destruction.

The triple moons cast a pale light over Dagon’s scarred face. The shiny acid burn ran in a narrow, long streak from his left eye and curved behind his ear. The arc looked like whimsical silver paint, but there was nothing smiling in Dagon’s manner as he listened to his friend Ser’s arguments.

“We find women or we die out. I, for one, am not willing to give up hope,” Ser leaned forward as he argued, intent on winning.

Laser torches sprang to life as their companions lit the darkness. There were more than a dozen warriors gathered that night; grim veterans desperately seeking some hope for the future.

“There are the women of Symbiont nation,” one man suggested.

“We can’t lightly risk war,” Dagon said firmly. “We would be in the wrong if we took their women, and they can defend themselves.” The people of the swamp were dangerous and unpredictable, and the last thing they needed was war.

The shape shifting Haunt were equally difficult. Besides, while the two races had similar life spans, they couldn’t interbreed.

“What of the tunnels?” an older man asked.

“What would we do with them?” Dagon countered. “Our enemies have the same problem as we do. Their women will be of no use to us.” The tunnels had been useful for teleporting into their unsuspecting enemy’s territory in lightning-fast strikes. Unfortunately, they had developed counter-technology and the tunnels had fallen into disuse. He couldn’t see how they’d be any use now.

“There were rumors,” the man, Xcallion, said slowly. “That the tunnels had been used to explore other worlds; worlds with no lack of women. Compatible women, who could breed daughters.”

Silence met his words. No one wanted to speak of their sudden hope.

“I’ve been there; to a place called Earth,” Xcallion went on. “We were not allowed to talk about it, but I saw the women. Some of them were very beautiful.”

The lone female among them, an aged, revered lady called Ellyn, spoke up. “If you speak the truth, Xcallion, and you go after these women, as I’m sure many of you are already thinking of doing, you must find a way to do it without causing more pain than must be.”

Still stunned by the idea of available women, a whole world’s worth, Dagon demanded, “What do you mean?” He wanted to find the tunnels tonight and see these women for himself. Perhaps choose a dozen.

“Some of these women will have families, friends, perhaps even husbands or children. You need some way of discovering which are free to come. You can not make them leave their husbands or babies.”

There was a general murmur of agreement.

Dagon nodded. The laws of their world decreed a slow, painful death to a man who stole someone else’s woman. Besides, he wanted a woman who was eager for his touch, not wasting her energy pining for another. She’d need all her energy just to keep pace with him. “We need a trap.”

“You are not hunting, Dagon,” Ellyn said sharply.

“Oh, but we are: for young, lusty alien women. It will be one of the finest hunts of our lives.”

Male laughter and appreciative murmuring accompanied that. Already they felt hope.

It had been a long time since Dagon had felt hope.

Heated arguing about the best way to get the women broke out. Finally they decided to send out scouts. Once they had more information, they would act.

“I’ve said it before, Ser. I don’t think women are going to be attracted to something like this.” He would have overruled the council’s decision if he’d had a better idea.

They’d remained behind in the new Earth-based command center after everyone else had left, arguing over details. There was still a lot of work to be done in preparing the site, but the workers were eager. Already letters of invitation had been sent out to selected marks. The women would begin arriving very soon.

Nothing about the coming project made Dagon feel easy.

Ser glanced up from his plans. “I agree. Unfortunately, the elders have gotten involved. They looked at the information and decided the best way to screen women was to pose as a military-type academy offering incredible incentives: ‘Dreams come true’, as they put it. If a woman wants to own a home, we offer to make it possible. She wants education, we promise it.”

“Empty promises,” Dagon said with a frown.

“No; they’ll just take place in a different manner and on a different world than they anticipate.”

Dagon grinned. “True, but why the pretense at being a military academy? What if only brawny, ugly women apply?”

“We’ll screen them,” Ser said quickly, obviously disturbed by the idea. No one wanted an ugly wife. “And the military ruse will give us a chance to give them medical examinations. We don’t want anyone with disease. A few days of calling you ‘sir’ will also train your woman to automatically look to you for authority.”

“You hope,” Dagon muttered, arms crossed. He’d seen the attitude of some of these Earth females in the two months they’d been hunting. He was used to protecting women, treating them with consideration. These Earth women almost demanded a man take them in hand before they would give him a measure of respect.

On the other hand, these American girls were also quite relaxed in their morals. Remembered temptation heated his blood. He was surprised he hadn’t jumped at the chance to revel in the beds of the many women who’d offered since he’d been here. Others certainly had.

Unfortunately, he found himself strangely reticent. He could kiss them, caress their soft and eager bodies, but always something would stop him long before the final act. Maybe it was disgust at himself or the woman’s easy virtue…who knew? He only knew that once a woman started snaking her hands under his shirt, he had to disengage; often to her loud protests and even curses.

Most likely it was his religious training that was hard to break free of. It was easy to follow the credo of chastity outside of marriage when there were no women to sin with. A part of him had always looked askance at the rule, and he’d wondered how he’d feel if the opportunity to sin arose. Well, now he knew.

Some virtuous piece of his soul had survived the years of vicious warring. He was set on having a woman of his own to claim and defend, and wanted to forget the hard won lessons of deceitful women and politics. That part of him was like a starry-eyed, smooth-skinned choirboy, and would take more effort to smash than was worth it, considering that he was about to have the pick of their captives in a matter of weeks. He was a man. He could wait that long.

At least he didn’t have to worry about pleasing a woman. That niggling worry had been completely dissolved. Now he just had to find one that wasn’t eager to share with any likely male who wandered by.

Papers shuffled as Ser slid a folder out of the haphazard pile on his desk. He handed it to Dagon, an amused gleam in his eye. “By the way, we’ve finished our list of those in charge of physical training. Your name is on it. As program ‘director’ we decided it would be expected.”

Tension gripped him as he looked at the list. “The only training I know is the hard kind, Ser. These women will not appreciate it. How will I find a wife when they will all hate me?”

Unperturbed, Ser sent him a sly grin. “You’re clever. You’ll think of something. Besides, it will keep them occupied while we gather all the women. It will only be for a few days, but we don’t want to miss any of the women who are delayed.”

They couldn’t afford to. Once the women started disappearing, the Earth authorities were bound to get suspicious. They expected nearly a thousand women to arrive; an ambitious number. It would take a great deal of manpower to handle them, but the volunteers were more than eager to do so. If they could get two more groups of that size, they would have barely enough women for the remnants of their population. The youth of the next generation might have to import their own wives in a few years, at least until the female babes of the Earth women grew up. Thanks to their science, they would be able to assure the sex of the children. They couldn’t afford not to be selective.

Dagon closed his eyes at the nebulous image of the woman who would be his. Very soon, he would slake this endless hunger. Soon, the loneliness would end. The hope of future generations rested on him getting her pregnant as soon as possible.

Anticipation made his blood race and head light. He couldn’t wait to do his part.

“Girl, you need a new hobby.”

Helvana Clue looked up from her microscope and blinked as her eyes adjusted. “This isn’t a hobby, Kelsa. It’s my job.”

Her roommate splayed one hand on the workshop counter and peered at her microscope slide. “How can you sit and stare at bug guts all day? Look at this poor guy. He’s spread out and pinned down like some sort of sadistic sex experiment.”

Her clipboard made a poor shield, but Helvana grabbed it and jotted down a few notes anyway. “I study microbes, insects, and lower life forms,” she said in her best ‘you are not going to get to me’ tone.

“Bugs, girl. You study bugs.” She grimaced. “Do you know how hard it is to fix you up with anyone decent with a hobby like yours? And don’t call it a job. You’ve yet to get a paycheck.”

Annoyed, she tossed aside the clipboard. “As if I’m dying for a date with one of your weird friends. Thanks for the thought, Kelsa, but no thanks. That last guy had a pierced nipple.”

“He showed you?” Kelsa asked with a naughty grin.

Vana grimaced. “Unfortunately. It blended in well with his bleeding skull tattoo.”

“Yeah, but could he kiss or what?”

“Why are you pestering me?” Vana asked, dodging the question. Of course she hadn’t kissed the guy, especially not after he’d wiggled his pierced tongue at her. Thank God they’d been on a double date. She’d hate to think what he’d have been like if they’d been alone.

She braced her feet on the bottom of her stool and scowled at Kelsa. “For that matter, you usually knock before you invite yourself into my lab.”