Return of the Queen

A warrior queen with an unusual talent is magically marooned on another planet and tries to use another type of magic, the magic of technology, to get home.

This story has a little of everything — action, adventure, drama, tragedy, romance and comedy. It also happens to be the sequel to The Distant Queen, but I wrote this story to stand on its own. I wrote The Distant Queen several years ago and it's not my best work. I didn't want anyone to have to read my earlier story to know what's going on in this one.

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This is a complete story of twenty chapters and I'll post two chapters every weekend.

Return of the Queen
by Terry Volkirch

CHAPTER 9

Ten long, maddening days later, Gabrielle was nearly ready to run screaming out of town. Either that or throttle Thelma to within an inch of the woman's life.

Thelma had slimmed down two more sizes over that time. She should've been happy. But all she did was complain. She complained about dieting. She complained about exercise. She complained about having to learn more of the local language, and worst of all, she complained about men. Not that the queen could blame any woman for not liking some of the pigs that passed for men in town, but Thelma could be most annoying, especially when she shouted, and she shouted incessantly about all the men who wouldn't leave her alone.

As Thelma lost weight, she became extremely attractive. Even Gabrielle had to remind herself that she already had a mate, lest she be tempted to do more than just occasionally drink in the sight of the curvaceous redhead. The queen tolerated long, lustful looks from men, especially since she actively encouraged such looks when she danced. It was the aggressive conversation and "accidental" groping that was difficult to take. The dancing queen had her sword and strength to keep men under control but Thelma had nothing for protection except Gabrielle when the tall, warrior woman was around. Even then, the men didn't slow down much. They'd come in pairs and try to pick up both Gabrielle and Thelma. Nothing short of gender changing magic would stop them. Saying that they were lesbians didn't work at all. The men would try pressuring the two women to kiss, and when the pair understandably refused, the men would usually either try to convince them they could be turned from their lesbian ways or accused them of lying about being lesbians. The drunks were the worst. Almost without fail, they'd just keep trying to get the two women to kiss.

"I've got to get out of here," the queen muttered as she sat on a wooden bench next to Thelma for the evening meal.

"Don't you mean we?" Thelma whined. "Please don't leave me!"

Gabrielle winced. "Shut up, Thelma. Just please shut up. You know I won't leave you. Are you trying to drive me crazy?"

Thelma sulked and went back to eating, trying not to make eye contact with any of the men in the dining hall. More and more men showed up at the inn where the two Kisprian women stayed and it was getting increasingly difficult to avoid annoying encounters.

"I'm sorry," Thelma said in a quiet voice. "Perhaps we should take our meals in our room. I know the men have been bothering you as much as they have me."

"Very good, Thelma. You didn't shout, and you've got me all figured out... except for one thing. I'm not letting the men force me into hiding. They're going to eventually see that they'll get nowhere with us and they'll soon leave us alone."

"You pretty much said the same thing three days ago. How much longer before it happens? I don't know how much more of these morons I can take."

Gabrielle took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. She'd been on edge for far too long. It even started affecting her dances. She started taking more chances with some reckless swordplay, almost losing her grip and sending the sword into the crowd where it would likely skewer someone.

"I'm sorry too, Thelma. I'm letting them get to me. It's all getting to be a bit much. Do you feel up to traveling yet? I know you're not down to the weight goal that we set but you're able to walk five laps around the town without much trouble."

"I do feel pretty good during my walks. But do you think I'm ready? I'm not looking forward to marching across a desert."

"It's not quite a desert, Thelma. There are plenty of small trees and water sources along the way. It's just very hot and dusty. I traveled at night and did okay. With the five of us working together, I think we can make it easily. You'll lose a bit more weight along the way and be in great shape by the time we reach Roggzer."

"I'm not sure I want to get in better shape. I tried to tell myself that the men were all going after you but I can't fool myself any longer. They're really getting to me. I think I'd rather face a desert than keep having to fend them off."

"It's not a desert, Thelma. I keep telling you. And you'll likely have the same problem in Roggzer that you have here. Men are men, everywhere you go."

"Yeah. The men in my family were just as bad."

"Well, I don't plan on staying in Roggzer all that long. I really have to get back to Kispri. We'll try to find as many fellow Kisprians as we can and get a guide to take us through the dangerous wastelands."

"Ugh. At least I won't have to worry so much about men in the wastelands."

"Durgan and Thor have been behaving themselves so far. I hope any other Kisprian men we find have the same self-restraint."

"I guess we'll find out." Thelma smiled then. She actually felt happy about the prospect of finding more of her victims and helping them return to Kispri. Her happiness, and especially her rare smile, surprised herself as well as Gabrielle.

'Great Sister Sun!' thought the queen. 'What a dazzling smile! We'll never be rid of men if she keeps that up.'

~o~O~o~

The five Kisprians met in the dining hall of the inn the next day to discuss plans for traveling to Roggzer. Dalene was quite upset about walking through the scrubland instead of on the road but she calmed down after it was explained how much longer it would take on the road. The road to Roggzer actually veered away from the big city until it connected with another main road to the south. It would take at least an extra day to use the roads and they didn't want to spend any more time away from the comforts of civilization than they had to.

With their money pooled, they had more than enough to buy all the provisions that they'd need. The only problem was how to carry it all. Thor suggested a pack animal but that would cost too much. In the end, Durgan came up with the idea of using a large pack that could be strapped to their back. Gabrielle could've kicked herself for not thinking of that when she made the journey from Roggzer to Marzelle. On that trip, she tied several small water skins to the belt around her waist and slung a large bag over her shoulder. It didn't work very well. The backpack, as Durgan called it, would hold a lot more and leave the hands free. Everyone would be able to carry enough to easily make the trip.

They still might have money problems when they reached Roggzer. There wasn't much money left after they bought everything they needed and they'd need a place to stay in the big city. They'd also have to hire a guide. It helped to sell all of their things, some at a discount to at least get something out of them. But it was Gabrielle' s turn to contribute with a good idea for making some quick money.

"For our last night in Marzelle, we'll put on a real show; not just a dance but a show."

"That's stupid!" Thelma blurted out. "Even if we knew what we were doing, we'd have to rehearse."

"Very true for the most part," said the queen, smiling. "But we have our magic talents and a secret weapon that should get people to throw more money our way after the show."

"What secret weapon?" Thelma pouted and folded her arms under her large breasts, pushing them up and out, inadvertently emphasizing them to the delight of all of the men in the hall.

The queen's smile just got bigger. "You, Thelma! You're our secret weapon. You'll see."

"Ha ha. Very funny," the redhead scoffed, thinking that it was just a joke.

Gabrielle just kept smiling.

~o~O~o~

After a bit of work and a little practice of the magic talents, everyone felt good about the show, everyone except Thelma. She wasn't allowed to participate.

"This is just... stupid," Thelma sputtered after she was alone with Gabrielle. She grudgingly admitted to herself that the magic talents would greatly enhance the show. It was her own participation that bothered her.

"Just sit there and look pretty, Thelma," the queen told her. "That's all you'll be doing in the show."

"You just want me to dress up like a whore to get stupid men to throw money my way!"

Gabrielle had gone back to Mezzie to say her good-byes and ask for one last favor. She'd wanted to gather some scraps to make Thelma a bikini and sheer skirt for the show. Mezzie had been happy to help the pretty little red-haired heartbreaker, as she called Thelma, and in less than two hours, the simple outfit was complete.

It took the promise of an extra astral trip to get Thelma just to try it on, and another astral trip to agree to wear it for the show that night. But she didn't like the idea of just standing around doing nothing with hundreds of men undressing her with their eyes.

"If you still feel too uncomfortable, you can have some of Durgan's wine. He's graciously donating the last of the summer wine for your performance."

"I don't want any of that stupid wine," Thelma grumbled.

"Think of it as medicine to help you relax," the queen suggested.

"No! That's what my father called it. He needed his medicine to make himself feel better... when he kicked me." The redhead sniffled a little when she remembered the beatings she used to get from her father. Except for her father, there was nothing she hated more than alcohol and what it did to people.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Thelma. I didn't mean to remind you of that. It's not really medicinal. Forget I said that. But it will help you get through the show."

"I'm not drinking it." The stubborn woman didn't look like she could be budged but that just made the queen try harder.

"I won't ask you to drink ever again after tonight. Just please try it. You might even like the taste."

"I'm not getting drunk!"

"I didn't ask you to get drunk! Oh! Now you're getting me to shout. Please. Let's stop shouting. Thelma? I don't want you to get drunk. I just want you to drink enough to relax. As soon as you feel relaxed, you can stop and never drink anything alcoholic ever again. Deal?"

"I don't wanna."

"If you do, I'll take you on an astral voyage all the way to Kispri."

"Why would I want to go there?" She surprised herself with that question, though it shouldn't have been a surprise. Why would she ever want to go back to the environment that produced such a bitter and angry little man?

"Didn't you say you had a brother? We could find him to see how he's doing. It's easy when you're in astral form."

"Bannett." Thelma sniffled some more.

"Right. We could find Bannett."

"I don't really want to. We weren't very close."

"But aren't you at least curious? He is your brother."

"I don't know." The redhead stopped to think a moment. Did she want to go home with Gabrielle and the rest? Wouldn't it better here if she stayed? Once she learned the language, she could do... something, couldn't she? She had no skills but she'd have the same problem back on Kispri. But unlike Kispri, she had no bad reminders of her former self on Agrin. She had nothing but the promise of a bright future. She just needed to find someone to share that future with. Friends! She was sure she meant friends. More than one. Lots of friends. Then she'd have no reason to go back.

"I just realized something," Thelma said.

"Oh?"

"I don't want to go back with you. There's nothing for me on Kispri except bad memories."

"Are you sure, Thelma? Once we leave, you'll be stuck here for the rest of your life?"

"I"m learning the language. I'll manage."

"Uh... right. You've still got a long way to go. You realize that, right?"

"Yeah yeah. Like I said, I'll manage."

"Well, there's still plenty of time to think about it. We'll see how things play out in the meantime."

'Who knows,' the queen thought. 'You might surprise me. You're doing that more and more, Thelma. You've come a long way.'

~o~O~o~

With everything worked out, the group of Kisprians went back to their respective homes for a little rest. They wanted to leave right after the performance and expected to walk as long as possible during the relatively cool temperatures at night. It didn't take them long to drop off for naps. They worked hard to prepare for the show.

Thelma woke up first. Since she did the least amount of work, it wasn't surprising. She yawned and stretched, accidentally brushing a nipple with her arm. The pleasant sensation shocked her and she looked around as if someone might have seen her. Blushing in spite of the lack of an audience, she shook her head, wondering how she'd manage at the show. Perhaps she should have a little wine to relax.

Looking over on the floor, she saw Gabrielle, fast asleep, and she couldn't help herself. She moved quietly over near the queen and whispered to her.

"Your Majesty? Would you like some hot cocoa?"

Gabrielle didn't react at all.

"Hot cocoa. Get your hot cocoa. Get it while you can. It won't last long."

The queen still didn't stir. She wasn't really present in her physical body. She was off on an astral voyage so she couldn't hear anything back on Agrin.

Thelma soon lost interest in trying to tease the woman who had helped her so much. She had to admit that she was growing to like her.

The redhead decided to make herself useful then. She filled several water skins to get them ready for the hike to Roggzer. After that, she changed into her bikini outfit and sat herself down to sample Durgan's wine. It wasn't half bad.

After her second glass she did feel relaxed, so she decided to try imagining being in front of a large audience of enthusiastic young men. That was a mistake.

She immediately guzzled a third glass of wine and was well into a fourth when Gabrielle finally woke up.

"Well, Thelma. I see you decided to try the wine after all. Do you like it?"

"Oh, yesh. Ish very good."

"Um... how much have you had?"

Thelma held her thumb and index finger a short distance apart. "Juz thish much," she said before snickering.

"I think that's about enough then. Let's have it."

"No! Mine." The short redhead pouted and hugged the bottle of wine between her breasts. She looked down and giggled, then chanted, "Drunken boobies. Drunken boobies."

"Oh, no. You're drunk. Come on. Give me the bottle."

The redhead wouldn't let go and keeping it smothered in her cleavage kept the queen from fighting for it and accidentally tearing Thelma's outfit.

"Fine then," Gabrielle said. "Hold the bottle. There can't be much left anyway."

Gabrielle sighed and hoped the best for the show.

~o~O~o~

Thor hefted the large musical stone sculpture that Durgan had crafted earlier. As he carried it, he practiced blowing wind through it. He really liked the sound it made as air blew through the hollowed out chambers. Each chamber was shaped to produce a specific musical note and by pulsing the air through each chamber in order, a little melody was played. It would make a nice accompaniment to Queen Gabrielle's dancing.

When he got to the stage, he saw Dalene in the middle of using her magic to make several small, stone balls glow all different colors of the rainbow. It was a beautiful sight and many people already stood around to watch. It promised to be a very a good show. He smiled as he thought of the show as a big celebration, a going away party. He liked the townsfolk but he couldn't wait to get back to Kispri.

"How do you do that?" One young woman asked Dalene.

"They're just special lanterns. Nothing all that difficult. I'd show you but I'm leaving tonight." The young Kisprian was careful not to reveal her magic or her destination in case of bandits. She was advised to be careful. The group didn't want to leave anything to chance.

After each stone orb began to glow, Dalene handed it off to Durgan who attached it to the top of a thin stone shaft with his power. Each stone shaft was a different height with the shortest ones in front at about the length of Durgan's forearm. The shafts in back were about a head taller than Gabrielle and all together, they formed an oval around the stone floor of the stage.

Everything was running smoothly and the three Kisprians were quite enthusiastic about the prospect of making a lot of money for the show, but then Gabrielle arrived with a very tipsy Thelma and the group wondered if they had any chance at all. The redhead was singing vulgar sailing songs that would make most people blush. Luckily, she sang in her native language so none of the townsfolk understood her.

"I'm sorry," the queen said. "She started drinking before I woke up. She was already drunk so I just let her keep the bottle.

"Thish is great shtuff!" Thelma said. She held up the nearly empty bottle of wine with a belch and then started giggling.

The small group groaned and had Thelma sit on a chair near the back. The redhead finally ran out of wine with a long, last drink and quietly pouted when she realized that she wouldn't be able to drink any more. They meant to keep her somewhat out of the way but several young men already noticed the redhead. The skimpy bikini and what it barely contained held their interest, more so than the queen's equally skimpy outfit.

Gabrielle warmed up for a brief time and then nodded to Thor who started the music. Everyone nearby stopped what they were doing and turned their eyes towards Gabrielle — and Thelma — as the queen started her dance.

For a time, the men and a surprising number of women clapped and cheered after each little dance. The warrior queen always performed with her sword by this time, doing weapon katas — a series of martial arts moves with both offense and defense against imaginary foes. Thelma seemed to be forgotten except by a few young men who occasionally stole glances in her direction when they weren't distracted by Gabrielle. The clink of coins dropping into several small, stone urns was a frequent noise heard between dances.

At the beginning of the seventh dance, Thelma decided she'd sulked long enough. She suddenly felt neglected and didn't like it, so she smiled and stood up. Gabrielle almost lost the grip on her sword when she turned to see the redhead. But Thelma behaved herself. She simply closed her eyes and swayed to the music. She couldn't seem to help herself. She felt like dancing.

The other Kisprians all breathed a sigh of relief, and were very happy with the result after the dance. The coins were clinking with greater frequency. Then began the eighth dance.

Thelma opened her eyes after the seventh dance and didn't like what she saw. She got attention but most of it was young men with eyes full of lust. It sent shivers down her spine at first. She felt a little fearful. But with the start of the eighth dance, her fear turned to anger. How dare they treat her like... like... her brother and father treated women! That did it. That made her begin to recall some unpleasant memories of her childhood. The poor redhead remembered how her mother used to degrade herself to calm her foul-tempered father, performing erotic dances and more for the man while Farrott the boy hid in the shadows and quietly whimpered.

She got confused then. She couldn't decide whether she should try to punish all the men somehow or just give in to them and give them what they want like her mother did. It was touch and go for awhile until the drink pushed her over the edge, to the passive side. She imagined she wanted to help her mother out by taking her place. She thought about how her father reacted when he saw her mother's bare breasts. So that's what she did.

"Hey! All you men!" Thelma suddenly screeched, interrupting the music and the dance. She spoke in her native language so the audience didn't understand her, but that didn't stop all eyes from watching her every move. They knew something big was about to happen.

Thelma, once she was satisfied all eyes were on her, ripped off her bikini top and screeched again. "Take a look at these tits!" With her top off, she shimmied and sent her large breasts bouncing in all different directions.

The audience went wild. Men started fighting each other, trying to get to the sultry, sexy redhead and drag her off to their bed.

The Kisprians ran for their lives. Gabrielle kept her wits enough to keep her sword. The others just ran, losing sight of each other and hoping they'd all be ready at their rendezvous point so they could leave town right away. No doubt the local authorities would be after them and the queen couldn't afford any delays.

Thelma disappeared into the crowd, much to the queen's dismay, but there were too many people around to do anything about it. She briefly contemplated turning the men into women but she didn't want to be responsible for so many new women. She had to get back to Kispri at any cost.

'Mother Moon, give Thelma strength,' she thought as she ran back to the inn to get her backpack and water skins.

~o~O~o~

 © 2012 by Terry Volkirch. This work may not be replicated in whole or in part by any means electronic or otherwise without the express consent of the Author (copyright holder). All Rights Reserved. This is a work of Fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional and any resemblance to real people or incidents past, present or future is purely coincidental.