The Monster's Stratagem (Lesbian Story)

19: Scream

Dawn was vaguely aware of being moved, her body swaying back and forth with the one who carried her. The sound of rushing water reached her ears, followed by a voice once her body was laid on the ground.

"Come on, human, fight. Fight it." An urgent voice whispered to her, the owner's silhouette moving behind her eyelids. "Wake up, Dawn."

Slowly, Dawn cracked her eyes open, body feeling as though she had been battered to pieces. In a sense, she had. She could feel something pressing against her lips, a cool bottle tipping soothing liquid into her mouth and down her throat.

"This medicine should help with the pain and stiffness." Syrena whispered, not daring to speak any louder. As she helped her sit up, the Venturer noticed that she was wrapped in the same piece of clothing the monster had previously worn as an outer garment. Looking down, she could see harsh bruises beginning to form on all corners of her body, littering her peach skin in deep shades of black, blue, and purple. The orange glow of the sunset did little to hide the events that had transpired hours before.

Dawn couldn't speak for fear of screaming, so she sat there motionless, sitting on the rocky river bank as she regained her sense of thought. Syrena sat beside her, equally as still and silent. It appeared as though the Commander had gained consciousness not long before the Venturer, and had managed to recover her spear, their satchels, and Dawn herself. Perhaps she had carried them all at once.

Dawn stared blankly at the slow pace of the river, feeling her fury rise with each passing second. Anger was something she could never easily swallow as oftentimes it acted as her own personal lifeline in situations such as these. It was a good mask to hide behind, a bridge of some description over the gaping chasm of terror that constantly opened up beneath her, threatening to consume all that she was.

Syrena, equally frustrated with the situation, picked up a rock and threw it with a cry. The pebble whizzed through the air, colliding with the steep rock face opposite the river. The force with which she threw it caused a small avalanche, the water rising and splashing as larger pieces of dirt and rocks crashed and sank beneath the surface of the river.

Crouching down again, the Commander buried her head in her hands as she breathed heavily, her anger matching Dawn's as she struggled to compose herself and not be overwhelmed by the roaring emotion.

As the Venturer herself began to lose control of her steady breaths, her thoughts drifted to the monsters and in particular, the one with the luminous eyes. Dawn wanted them dead, and not just a quick and easy death. No, that would be too easy, too kind. She wanted them to scream for mercy while she laughed. She wanted revenge. She longed for it. With every beat of Dawn's heart, with every pulse of her blood, she felt her soul scream for it.

Perhaps Garrett was right, humans needed to be stronger. The vermin should not be allowed to live, to be able to commit what they just had with no repercussions, as though they were above justice itself. However, this would mean betraying the alliance and her family, unless Dawn could think of a way of getting her sisters out of harm's way before it came for them. She could do it, but the question was should she? The terror and powerlessness she had felt, was still feeling, was not something she wished to continue feeling for the rest of her life. If whoever Garrett was working with could truly improve humans, then perhaps Dawn could finally fight back on even footing. She could hunt down her attackers one by one and deliver her vengeance tenfold, even if they were essentially on the same side. Should she be selfish and choose the option that would bring her most satisfaction? Should she risk her loved ones for the sake of her bloodlust?

Syrena, seemingly having read her mind, sighed as she too faced the water. "I won't blame you if you decide to work for Garrett now. I don't think I could stomach helping Monstra if I were in your position."