Thunder and Lightning

Part 1

“Fear not, for we shall slay the monsters! All shall be right again!”

The high, clear voice preceded a vision in white. Cyntia’s long, fair hair fell in waves over her ragged white dress, strips torn from it to make the cloth boots that touched the boards as she leapt to her feet.

Silence fell over the crowd as we drew in a collective breath.

“Take this for slaying our mother! Take that for stealing all that we had!”

Eliana was flame over coals, red hair cascading over her dark dress, as shredded as her sister’s. She reached for a dagger sheathed at her thigh and every man leaned forward in eagerness for a glimpse of flesh.

Ike had his hand in his pants and he wasn’t the only one.

Fucking perverts, I thought. They’re only fourteen.

Ike elbowed me roughly. “I’m going to request them both from Madam Bitch first thing in the morning.”

My fist itched and made a most satisfying connection. Ike spat out a tooth in the dirt as I spat my reply. “They’re my sisters and too young for breeding.”

He glared at me, rubbing his cheek with the back of his hand. His eyes were darker than the night around us. “That means they’re off limits to you, but not to me. If they’re old enough for bleeding they’re not too young for breeding. A bit of the war god in them, that’s what they need. I want to get my hand in first, as it were.” He gave a wink and stumbled off. I hoped he tripped, fell and cracked his thick head open. I thought about helping it happen, but dismissed the desire. Another night, maybe.

The battle onstage resumed with clashing, shouting and dramatic deaths. Beneath the cover of noise, the conversation continued.

“When they call for more guards, we’ll volunteer, as planned,” the voice behind me intoned. I turned to see one of the identical men whose name I couldn’t remember. Gunter? Barak? One of the two, anyway. “The more we have of ours in the palace, the better chance we have of taking down Madam Bitch.”

We all nodded in agreement, facing forward as the thunder of applause sounded around us. We joined in, as loudly as we could. No matter how many times we heard it, the story of Thunder and Lightning had the power to inspire. All slaves long for the day a hero, or twin heroes, will kill the monsters and set us free.