The sound of loud banging startled Pan out of her bed. Her sword was in her hand within instants. The room was dark, the light shinning through the cracks in the wooden panel that covered the window telling her it was still late at night.

“Pan, wake up!”

Kajou’s voice eased her concerns, she sheathed the sword. “I’m coming.”

“Dress up.”

That gave her pause. If she was to dress, then this was more than just Kajou visiting at the late hours. Pan nodded and quickly donned her full gear, the movements a welcome comfort, the protective clothes were always more comfortable than the alternatives. She was out of the small room within the span of two minutes, finding Kajou and two Court guards flanking her.

“The Lady’s called for an emergency meeting.”

Pan’s brows rose, was it finally time? “Do you think…?”

“I think nothing. I’ve not been told what this meeting is about.”

The tone stung, but Pan kept it from showing. It was clear Kajou was still very much irritated. Perhaps from their last argument, or the one prior. At this point it was becoming hard to keep track of what had been the last issue to cause sparks between them.

They marched into the palace, its massive size hidden in the darkness as the trees stretched up towards the night sky. Four towers that had been built by the elves long before the current Court came to be. Pan couldn’t help but wonder whether the dark elves had sought this place or merely stumbled upon it, her wings itched with the sense of awe for the elves of old, now long locked in slumber or enslaved to the humans.

The moment they stepped into the palace it was clear something was off. The guards were tense, they were trained, their emotions hidden behind discipline. But it was a clear sense of something larger looming over everyone.

Kajou had clearly noticed as well, her hand remaining idly on her sword.

They were taken towards the conference room.

The table was gone, the chairs were gone, in their stead was Embla, seated on a stool as if it were a throne. She had the same fearsome black armor they had seen her wearing during the feral rush, using her right hand to hold the giant war-axe standing in place as it rested beside her. The implications prickled at the back of Pan’s mind. She shared a look with her sister, they knew they’d just stepped into a Dragoness’ den. They could feel the gaze of the maiden from within her helmet. One wrong step and they would burn.

“We greet you, Lady Embla.” They spoke in unison, bowing low in a show of cordiality and deference.

There was the barest of nods. “I greet you in turn.” Embla’s voice carried perfectly even through the armor’s helmet. Silence stretched out, and the sisters glanced at each other once more. “I have reached a conclusion to our negotiations. But you will first wait.”

Wait for what? Another worried quiet look, they dared not speak and nodded.

It didn’t take more than a minute for someone to knock at the door.

“Come in.”

As soon as Pan noticed who was opening the door, she felt her hackles rise. Her hand twitched and froze when Kajou’s own hand gripped it tightly, the two maidens shared a cross look as Pan’s jaw clenched shut tightly and waited in silence as Barry stepped into the room.

The human was clearly not to meet them either.

“Do you… need me?”

“Yes, come.”

Even with Barry’s presence, both sisters could feel the Lady had not moved her focus away from them even an inch. Once he was standing in front of her, she waited several more seconds before moving her attention to the human.

“You have lived with us for several months. You have seen our ways, met our people, and have dined with us.” Embla’s voice boomed outwards, carrying every bit of power she wielded. “It is time to decide. Will you join us?”

He shuddered under the pressure, nearly falling to his knees but holding out. “I… thought I had.”

“No, you had not.” She stood, dwarfing him. “Joining the Court means you will fall under my command. It means you are ready to obey that command. And it means you are ready to lay down your life for our cause. Do you understand what this means?”

“I mean, I-.”

Squirming, he did not step back as she stepped closer. His eyes looked into the helmet and he paled.

“This is your only chance to make a decision. If you stay, you become one of ours, we will protect you as one of ours, but we will also command you like one of ours.” A heartbeat of silence. “If you leave, you can do so on your own, or with them.”

Seeing the look of panic Barry had when looking their way, it suddenly became clear why they’d been called. Pan’s eyes widened and fury boiled in her blood, her mind was half made up to stake a step forward before she felt Kajou’s grip tightening around her hand painfully. Only then did she realize Lady Embla had not let go of the gigantic war-axe, holding the weapon exactly where it needed to be to block them if they tried anything. And trying anything would get them summarily executed, no doubt.

“I… I want to join. I want to fight with you.”

Barry’s voice carried as much resolve as it could under the pressure Lady Embla was putting out. He was shaking, pale, and likely would faint soon, so it had come out as barely a whisper.

“Very well.” She released the pressure, he stumbled forward, falling into her embrace. With one arm wrapped around his shoulders and pulling him against the armor, Embla’s attention turned towards Pan and her sister. “How this proceeds will depend on you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Barry was liberated from your abuse upon his reaching our Court. Under our law, he is due vengeance.”

A chill ran down Pan’s back.

“Even by Coven standards, you have been barbaric.”

Pan took a step forward, and Kajou yanked her back. The Valkyrie glared at her sister. “Don’t do this.” Kajou mouthed under her breath, pale and shaken. If a fight broke out, they knew exactly how it would develop.

She yanked her hand out of Kajou’s grasp, turning towards Lady Embla with a glare.

“You took us in and yanked us around like we’re some-.”

The words were cut short, the war-axe swung and Pan barely had the time to unsheathe her blade to block it. Her whole body rung like a bell, instinct moving faster than thought, wings spreading wide to slow down right before smashing into the wall. The most surprising thing wasn’t how hard she hit the wall, but why Lady Embla had not followed through and split her body in two.

“STOP!”

Barry stood between the Lady and Pan, arms wide. He was three shades paler, skin closer to snow than flesh.

“I don’t want revenge.”

“That had not been for what you are owed.” Embla had not moved, war-axe held on her right hand like it weighed nothing. “You have two choices, ambassadors.” Her voice was smooth, cold. “You can either both die, or the Valkyrie willingly surrenders and the other leaves.”

Pan’s eyes widened.

“If you surrender, the Amazoness walks away with everything we know about the collars we were supplied.”

“That’s a death sentence all the same!” The winged maiden shrieked. “She’d be feral by the time she reached the mountains.”

“Not if she bonds Bary.”

Whatever was said next, Pan did not hear it. She roared, bursting away from the wall with fury and coating herself with radiant flames. There was just enough sense to know she would stand no chance against the Lady, so she turned her focus towards the human. Putting every bit of power she could pour into her blade, she met the scared look on his face as she swung.

Just as her blade began to arch downwards, something washed over her, and the world around her became empty of energy, of her own power. The searing white fire surrounding her blade sputtered and died, the energy coating her body for protection vanished.

It knocked the air out of her, everything slowed, the very acceleration she’d been trusting on dying as well. She didn’t see the metal boot coming her way, but she felt it as it landed squarely against her chest right as her powers flickered back into existence. It barely avoided her ribs cracking under the impact.

The consideration as to how to retaliate died when the war-axe came down upon her. Again, instinct kicked in and she raised her blade, gathering every bit of power she could in an attempt to deflect the incoming attack. The two blades sent sparks flying, Pan kept a close eye on the Lady’s energy, trying to get a read whether the next attack would be elemental in nature or physical.

She didn’t expect another burst of void to hit her. It was followed by a singular punch to the chest that came before her powers came back. She chocked and stumbled, the war-axe was coming back, its edge bit into her leg with searing hot pain. Pan did not hesitate, lunging forward with her wings right as her powers flickered back in place, blade dancing towards the visor.

Her adversary turned enough for the metal to miss and scrape against the enchanted murisium. The movement flowed into a thrusting movement with the butt of the axe, smashing against Pan’s wing. The blow was too heavy, Pan stumbled back, nearly falling over from her wounded leg.

With glowing hands she sealed the wound before it could bleed her dry. There were voices shouting, but she heard none, leaping right forward. Her blade thrusting at her enemy as she carefully tried to read when the next flicker of void would hit her. Not that she could keep her focus away from the war-axe more than a split second, the Lady swung it close to her body with such precision and speed it was impossible anyone else would have been able to accomplish such a feat, even less within the tight quarters of the room.

Lady Embla danced with her axe, a deadly sharpened edge stuck to a gigantic pole of wood and steel that barely avoid scraping against her own body. The armor and weapon ought to weight several humans on their own, even maidens would have a problem putting that much inertia and shift the direction, but Lady Embla made it look easy, weightless, a leaf in the wind.

Pan had no room to attack, barely room to defend. She gathered her power onto her blade, ready to strike at her opponent’s elbow, seeing the gap in the armor.

Pan did not expect Lady Embla to take the attack, to allow it to pierce into her flesh.

In her surprise, she could not react to the burst of void.

Nor the war-axe coming down to her head with a definitive blow.

Except something shoved her out of the way.

The cry that followed made Pan’s world shatter.

Kajou stumbled, her right arm gone, a spray of blood painting Pan’s side.

There was only one thing she could do.

“I yield!”

She threw herself in front of the Lady, kneeling and looking up at the uncaring cold eyes within the helmet. “I… yield.” Her hands spread wide, her head hung low. “Please, not… not her.”

“Pan…” Kajou grimaced.

A clatter of steel and stone, Pan’s sword yanked out of the wound and tossed across the room to a corner. Lady Embla wasn’t even breathing hard, she merely reached down and, with a gesture, yanked Pan’s collar.

“You won’t be needing this. I heard of what you’d done to Barry and his companion during your trip. And so the same will be done to you.” She tossed the piece of enchanted leather at Kajou and ignored the younger maiden as she turned to Barry. “They will go feral in one week. Whoever you have not bonded with, I will execute.”

The guards took them both away.