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Tera managed to get her emotions under control before they all stood in a line at the front of the stage and bowed. A few photos were taken and Tera could retreat to the safety of the dressing room. If the small crowd was any indication, she was going to be well received at the larger event. Tera certainly hoped so, because she really wanted to get out an experience other worlds and cultures.

What she really wanted was to get out of her families' shadow and make a life of her own. A relationship with someone special would be nice, even a date would be nice. Tera felt a little lonely at times living by herself, the only person she knew who was single still was Sephya. Her cousin spent more time at work than she did, thought Sephya at least got to ask guys out. Granted the augmented warriors had a bit of aura and myth around them, making them very sought after.

Wednesday sat next to Tera and the other band members took seats around the room. They primarily talked about the performance and more light hearted topics while waiting for the crowd to finish their drinks and clear out. Eventually they let Roslyn and Sephya back so they could be with Tera. Neither of them liked Tera being out of their sight for very long.

Nodrog stayed later to help Winston and the others clean up for the night. He was a little surprised when Sephya called out to him. After putting away the last of the instruments, he teleported to her location. The lovely Velopian warrior was standing out on the roof top patio, leaning on the railing. "Something troubling you?"

Sephya turned. "Oh, sorry I thought Tera was in trouble. Turns out her cries were of joy and not fear."

They both looked to the south where Tera and Roslyn played in the air. The young girl was rather vocal in her excitement. Her cousin on the other hand, seemed a little down. Nodrog listened carefully. "It is a little hard to tell given the wind and her tone. Oh to be young again."

"That sounds silly coming from a dragon." Sephya sighed as she watched her cousin play, sad that she could not join her.

"Even we miss the simple pleasures of youth." Nodrog said with a smile.

"I suppose that is true no matter a person's background and race. I guess that is what makes the Salaks so easy to get along with. They never seem to really grow up, even in old age there is still wonderment in their eyes." Sephya said.

"Age is just a number, and a trivial number at that. What is a year really?" Nodrog mused.

Sephya gave it a little thought. "That depends on what world you stand on. Much like how long a day is."

"You missed my point. A year to Roslyn is one thing, but to you it is something else. As for me, a year is far too short no matter the world I stand on." Nodrog chuckled.

"Is that why immortals kill themselves, or go mad? When time effects everyone but you, it eats away at something inside." Sephya said.

Nodrog shrugged. "That could very well be. However the conversation has taken a slightly dark tone. So I have a much lighter question to ask."

"Okay." Sephya said and blushed as he looked at her with a sly smile.

"Do you want to join them?" Nodrog asked and held out a hand to turn her attention back to Tera and Roslyn.

"I can't fly..." Sephya said and blushed a little more when he took hold of her hand.

"But I can." Nodrog said with a playful grin.

Sephya was not sure what happened next, but she now found herself on Nodrog's back soaring through the air. Having taken his true form in the blink of an eye and somehow getting her on his back in the same amount of time. They lazily chased after Roslyn and Tera across the sky. Tera giggling as she zipped this way and that, while Sephya felt the wind blow through her hair and fur unimpeded by mechanical means.

The city lights brightly glowing in the background and only light conversation to break the silence. The metal dragon beneath her barely made a sound as he slowly followed Tera and Roslyn. It was at this rather peaceful moment Sephya realized why all races fell in love with dragons, it had nothing to do with physical attraction or even personality, dragons embodied freedom.

The excitement finally caught up with Tera and Nodrog scooped her out of the air as easily as he had put Sephya and his back. Roslyn must have felt left out and landed behind Sephya. Given his size, the three ladies had plenty of room. With a final slow loop around the facility he lightly landed on the roof so they could get off and put Tera to bed.

Tonight's concert had actually wound her up, which she than spent all of her energy flying. It certainly helped get used to the short days here on Earth. Nodrog excused himself as Tera went to get ready for bed leaving Roslyn behind. The raven winged otter found herself in another unusual situation that she had never considered before, brushing another woman's hair. Sephya was back taking a shower and so Tera asked Roslyn to brush her hair.

Like everything about the young Velopian, her hair was also soft and now was rather long. It fell down just past where her pale skin stopped and her fur began. Roslyn did not know what was in the soap or shampoo she used but the little Velopian smelled like heaven, or what Roslyn imagined it might smell like. Her imagination might be slightly influenced by the white cotton like top Tera was wearing for her nightgown along with her white feathered wings.

"I never understood why you liked that so much." Sephya said as she came out of her own room, completely naked. Velopians were not very shy and nudity was not something they gave much thought about in a setting like this. After all, Roslyn had the same parts as she did, the otter just lacked a second set of legs. It did cause her cousin to blush a little since Roslyn and her had larger breasts than Tera.

Tera blushed a little. "I don't know why, but it feels nice... You do remember we have company?"

"Roslyn has boobs, it's not like she hasn't seen them." Sephya said in a manner that reminded Roslyn of Jenny.

"No big deal, when in Rome and all." Roslyn said as she kept brushing Tera's hair. It was rather therapeutic, in an odd way.

Sephya had gone to the kitchen for a drink. "What does that mean, when in Rome?"

"It means to act like the people of the place you are at. Not in the literal sense of copying them, but the same sort of mannerisms. There are a zillion things people do that you don't actually really notice, but people from a similar region all do." Roslyn realized it wasn't as easy to explain as she first thought.

"Oh. Kind of like a kiss on the cheek when you met someone. The antelope tribes of the southern plains always greet someone with a kiss on the cheek." Sephya said.

Roslyn smiled. "That's it exactly, while it might be different to you, you do it anyways because that's where you are. The Amazons also have some different things they do in certain settings, so when I was there I had to get used to their cultural differences. I didn't understand it, but I went along with it."

"That makes a lot of sense. I never had a fun little phrase to say when thinking it though. When in Rome..." Tera giggled.

"Except there is no Rome back home, so it won't make any sense to anyone there." Sephya said and chuckled.

Tera still smiled. "We don't even know if there is a Rome here. Where is Rome?"

Roslyn laughed at Tera's sudden interest. "It is a very large and very old city in Italy, a country on the other side of the world. I have been a few times in my travels, it is a place someone should visit in their lifetime. At least for those of us who live here on Earth, I am sure there are cities on your world that lots of people visit every year."

"Well the capital is a popular destination. That is the city you have been to every time you have come out. How old is old?" Tera asked still happy to have Roslyn brushing her hair.

"I have no idea, by now it is probably more than a thousand or two thousand years. History isn't my strongest subject." Roslyn said.

"There are no cities or monuments back home that are that old. Only those that lived in the very cold climates built permanent structures. Actually large scale cities are still rather new on our world. Counting the capital, there are five major cities with a population over a few million. I think average is three of four hundred thousand for the rest of the cities." Sephya said as she sat down next to Tera.

"That seems strange since you seem to thrive on being social and enjoy big gatherings." Roslyn said.

"I think that is why we will see more large cities in the future. Once space travel is more common, I am sure we will build more grandiose cities around space ports." Sephya said and turned down Tera's offer to brush her hair.

Tera was a little hurt, but cheered up quickly. "We moved to the city so mom and dad could be in movies and make music. Of course college is there as well..."

"Why do humans seem so interested in history? I have heard Alice's job is to search for old things." Sephya asked.

"I don't have an answer for that question. I will say that the Amazons are very meticulous about their record keeping. They have kept track of everything for thousands of years." Roslyn said.

"Maybe it is just me." Sephya sighed.

"I doubt you are the only one who thinks it is boring." Tera teased.

Roslyn laughed. "Nodrog is not really a big fan of it."

"I might feel different if I was making history, like Tera or Alice. So far I am not even a footnote." Sephya grumbled.

"According to Jenny and Alice, Nodrog did make history, they just left him out of it. Maybe that's why he dislikes it." Roslyn said and was a little surprised Tera leaned against her.

Tera looked back and up at Roslyn. "I think he dislikes it because it was so sad. He not only lost people he was close to, but he lost an entire race he was quiet fond of."

"I thought Glados created the Valkyrie?" Sephya asked and ignored her cousin's attempts to be rather close to Roslyn.

"She gave us life and molded our culture and society. However Nodrog was a dragon god of war, since we were rather war like in all aspects... he took us under his metal wings." Roslyn said and thought it odd how close Tera was to her.

"I never thought of it that way... Think I am going to call it a night. I am surprised you are still even awake cousin." Sephya said as she stood up to head to her room.

Roslyn was a bit confused as they made a short exchange in Velopian before Sephya closed her bedroom door. Although Tera's sudden shyness and blushing hinted at it being about her. "Let me guess, you are tired, but you don't want me to leave."

"Sorry, it's just certain things still make me nervous." Tera mumbled as she tried to figure out what to say.

As Tera put an arm around Roslyn, she figured out what Tera was thinking about and she actually got a little scared. Roslyn held Tera's wrist. "I don't want to jump to conclusions, but if this is what I think, I can't do it."

"But, why not? Alice and Jenny have that kind of relationship." Tera said with tears in her eyes.

"I am not against those kind of relationships, I don't see you as a potential love. Because... I think of you as a daughter." Roslyn said. She let go of Tera's wrist and held her hand.

Tera's eyes grew wider. "You think I am... but."

"I know, it's complicated. I have had sex with other women, and it was very enjoyable... I just don't think I can do that with you. Maybe it is just the way I see you, so innocent and pure. Or our age difference... I am old enough to be your mother, and I do have feelings for you." Roslyn said as she struggled with what she was feeling. A darker part of her wanted to experience every part of the little Velopian. Though she still felt more as a mentor than a friend with benefits.

Tera sighed, that was exactly why no one ever thought of her as anything more than a friend. She had dated, with disastrous results, and the one time she did have sex it was: awkward, uncomfortable and rather unsatisfying. Still she understood the odd position she put Roslyn in, it wouldn't be fair to push it further. Tera liked Roslyn too much to ruin their friendship by letting her needs override her thoughts. "Sorry, I thought you saw me differently than you really do."

"Considering our cultural differences, I would be surprised if there was not a little confusion. I won't lie, you are very beautiful and remind me of another young woman." Roslyn said.

"So you have a problem with young women falling in love with you?" Tera blushed even though her tone was playful, ignoring her earlier thought about not pushing.

Roslyn blushed as she grumbled under her breath. Tera hit that nail square on the head it seemed. Jenny and Jaws were both much younger than her and so were most of the men she had one night stands with. Usually fucking someone younger than her was an accomplishment Roslyn sort of reveled in. Nodrog was the only one older than herself that she had sex with in a long time.

Tera blushed and leaned in closer. "I might not be experienced, but I am not naïve either. It is so frustrating that everyone thinks the same thing about me. Maybe I could change your mind."

Tera wasn't going to wait for a verbal response and was going to kiss Roslyn, but Roslyn put a finger on Tera's lips and stopped her. "Tera, I can't do this. I can't sleep with you just because you want me too."

Roslyn quickly stood up. "I'm sorry, I just can't."

Tera sat a little dumbfounded and sad as Roslyn said goodbye and left the apartment. After a moment Tera got up and headed to her bedroom, alone. Yanking the covers up, she pathetically flopped on the bed and covered herself completely up. The one time she tried to be a little more assertive and it backfired. Maybe she really was not cut out to be a Valkyrie, and would have been better off being a tiny little fawn. Tera had few friends, so the thought of losing Roslyn was devastating. She eventually cried herself asleep, but it was not very restful.

Sephya had gotten up and ready without hearing a peep from her cousin. Either they did end up being lovers or Roslyn turned her down. Which was what Sephya suspected would be the case and why she had warned Tera about it. They had places to be, so preparing herself for either outcome, Sephya opened the door and walked over to the bed.

Tera was completely hidden under the covers and given the fact her cousin was alone, Sephya knew it did not work out. "Are you awake?"

Sephya nudged Tera who responded to quietly to actually hear what she had said. With an annoyed sigh, Sephya yanked the covers back and found Tera curled up as small as possible. "Time to get up, we have places to be."

Tera didn't move, except to try and make herself smaller. Normally Sephya would find it cute, but now was not the time. "I did warn you."

Sephya was a little surprised by the glare Tera gave her. It was incredibly cold and hateful, made more so by Tera's usual shy demeanor. "You can mope about it later. Nodrog will be here in thirty minutes to escort us to the TV station."

Both of them jumped when Nodrog spoke. "Actually, you have thirty minutes to get dressed, eat and be at the station."

"Please don't do that again. Oh goddess I nearly pissed myself." Sephya said and managed to get her breathing slowed down.

Nodrog only smirked when Tera glared at him. "You are not the first one I have spooked, so now that you are awake. Get ready, as Sephya said you can mope about it later."

Sephya was truly shocked that Tera would defy any dragon, let alone the most powerful of them. Nodrog stood with his arms crossed at ease as Tera lost her temper, she actually even used two whole Velopian swear words in her little rant. What was even more startling was Nodrog quickly reaching out and flicking the tip of Tera's nose.

Tera instantly teared up as she put her hands over her sore nose. "Owe, thad hurd you bid meany..."

"The pain will pass quickly. If you want to eat something, you best not drag your hooves any more. Roslyn is mad at you, but she does not hate you." Nodrog said and turned to walk out of the bedroom.

"She told you?" Tera asked the pain already subsiding.

Nodrog stopped and turned back. "Of course she told me, she was really confused when she came home last night."

Tera blushed and looked away. "I'll be ready in a couple minutes."

"Good." Nodrog said, he turned and left the room with Sephya following.

They heard Tera moving and Nodrog had sat down on the couch. Sephya glanced back at Tera's room. "Okay, why the nose?"

Nodrog chuckled. "It is a very sharp pain that goes away quickly. No one ever expects it, so it is rather effective on young adults and small children. Works far better than a swat on the ass for getting their attention."

"If I ever have kids, I will remember that. I told Tera that Roslyn might not reciprocate her feelings, but she insisted on pursuing it." Sephya said.

"That is good though, Tera should stand up for herself and her feelings. Even if her feelings get hurt. Everyone gets rejected now and then, all part of living." Nodrog said.

"I can see where she is coming from though. No one ever sees her as a nubile young woman who has very adult desires. As pretty as she is, Tera is always in 'little sister' or 'best friend' zone." Sephya said and felt bad for Tera striking out again on love.

"I am sure there are those who do see her as a nubile young woman, and they are the ones we probably beat the shit out of." Nodrog grumbled.

Sephya chuckled. "I have done that once on her behalf."

"Tis true, I have very poor luck when it comes to love." Tera said as she came out. She blushed and bowed. "Sorry about this morning."

"It is okay, sometimes we all need to blow off a little steam." Nodrog said with a smile.

Chapter.

** ** Roslyn stayed home, actually she skipped her normal morning run. She had told Nodrog about last night, and while they talked about it, he could not offer her any advice. Since he was always considerably older than those he slept with. Plus he was used to having sex just because someone else wanted it. If not for his already toxic physiology Roslyn would be worried about STDs. Roslyn chuckled because Jenny, Alice and her had that very conversation, and Alice bored her to death with details.

Still, Roslyn was pretty emotionally confused. Darn that kitten and her fantastic lesbian sex, and that shark and her fantastic lesbian sex. Life was so much easier when she only thought about studs. Granted life was not that easy living paycheck to pay check and wondering if her next flight out would be her last. Really she was surprised how many times she did get away with only cuts or bruises. As for broken hearts, that was a new experience.

Roslyn was never in a long relationship before, so she had never really had her heart broken. A fling here, a slightly longer relationship there. Maybe that was why being with Tera scared her, she was afraid of Tera hurting her... It was easy with Jenny, and Jaws because the two of them just wanted to fuck her, purely for the physical act. Tera had deeper feelings for Roslyn and she did not know how to react to that. Nodrog was the only one she really had felt love for, and the only one who really loved her back.

With a grumble Roslyn got up and headed to the flight simulators. Maybe that would help her clear her head. She didn't know what to do about Tera and might have already burned that bridge by the way she left the young Velopian last night.

Downtown Tera was a cute mix of awe struck fascination and shyness hiding behind a metal dragon. Her manager and Sephya were walking behind her, both of whom quietly thought she was adorable. Nodrog greeted the show producer and introduced the three Velopians. Tera and her manager followed the producer to the dressing room where they would do a little makeup before Tera went out on stage.

"At least she seems in a little better mood." Sephya said as they watched from just off camera.

"Quite the little professional. Seems she has already gotten humans to eat out of her hand." Nodrog quietly chuckled.

"Our own kind are rather enamored with her, I think her shyness only makes her more endearing." Sephya said.

Both of them chuckled as Tera's manager fumed when Tera did a little singing. Tera always did it on purpose, she could sing whenever she wanted. Thankfully the host stuck to questions that were easy to answer. The usual ones, like when did she get into singing, who her inspirations are, and what she thought of Earth. The only questions she skirted were the ones about relationships. Tera though it strange that everyone was so impressed with her English, Velopians never commented on how well a person spoke their language.

Mimicking sounds was one of the things Velopians had been doing forever. So they learned languages incredibly quickly. That was one of the reasons the Elves were rather intrigued by the Velopians, along with their somewhat similar resemblance. Slender build, pointed ears and the ease with which they could use magic were the other reasons the Elves decided to build some enclaves on the Velopian world. Tera knew a fair amount of Elf and Velopian history because her musical talent impressed even the most jaded of Elvin performer.

Tera was moderately famous with the Elves before she actually became famous to her own kind. Once she grew her wings and was found to be a Valkyrie the Amazons became interested in her. That brought up what Tera always thought was the silliest question non Velopians asked her, how she and other Velopians could sustain vocals or wind instruments so long between breaths.

"It takes practice, but we learn to use both sets of our lungs to sing or perform." Tera said.

"You have two sets of lungs?" The host asked.

Tera smiled. "Of course, we also have two hearts. The upper set supports our upper bodies, while the lower set supports our lower body. That is how most of us quadruped taurs function."

Sephya chuckled at her cousin stunning the host with her scientific knowledge. She would have thought the host would have been better prepared. Really her cousin handled the attention a lot better than she probably would. Attention usually went straight to her head, unlike Tera who shrugged it off. Actually Sephya was excited to be taking a trip back to the Amazon world with Tera, since after a short stop back home that was Tera's next tour destination.

With the TV spot done, they all piled back into the van for a trip down to the large theater Tera would be performing at next. It was one of the oldest buildings in the city and had been renovated dozens of times to make sure it could still be used. This theater had opened way back in the 1930s and for the time was incredibly large.

"This is where we are performing next?" Tera asked as they walked up the steps to the door.

"Yes it is. Jenny has told me that there have been some very famous performances here over the years. It is one of the theaters people dream of performing in." Nodrog said and held the door open for the ladies.

"I had expected you to be a little later." Winston said as they walked over to him.

Nodrog glanced at his watch. "Right on schedule for a change."

"Speaking of schedules, when are the other members of your bad arriving Tera?" Winston asked as they followed him around the theater.

"They should be here today, I am not sure of the time. Space travel, while exciting, it hurts to think about." Tera said.

Nodrog chuckled. "It is amusing that they will arrive here the day before they leave the Velopian world."

"And I thought international travel on Earth was odd." Winston said and pulled open a door.

Tera knew it was the stage access door and stepped through it. Her hooves clicked lightly on the well worn wood as she walked past curtains and props out to the main portion of the stage. Her timid nature gave way to a giddy little giggle as she walked out to the center of the large stage. Looking out to where the audience would be sitting, Tera was amazed at how open the theater really was. Aside from outside shows, this was the largest auditorium she has ever been in. It looked like it seated double what any of the theaters back home held, at least the ones she had performed at.

Winston, Sephya and Nodrog chuckled as Tera giggled and pranced around the spacious stage. Her manager just grumbled and answered her phone, good news as the starship had just landed with a few of the musicians who performed with Tera. Although Pipes could be a handful as the large Velopian always seemed to encourage Tera into mischief. Pipes was the oldest of the musicians Tera performed with, and usually encouraged anyone's misbehavior.

While Winston and Tera talked acoustics and placement, Nodrog and Sephya talked about other things. The others would join them after they were shown their rooms and got a quick bite to eat. They were an impatient lot and wanted to see their shining little star.

Tera squealed with glee as her friends finally arrived. They had come in a different set of doors and she took off in a sprint before flying over to them "Pipes and Cynthia! You made it!"

Pipes, who towered over everyone laughed deeply as he caught Tera. "And you have learned to fly."

"That certainly is a surprise, though her excitement is a bit out of character." Cynthia said in a velvety and seductive tone. Winston and Nodrog would agree that she was one of the most beautiful Velopians they have seen.

Nodrog thought Pipes came from the same stock as Sharn. The two were giant compared to the other Velopians and both had heavy antlers. Pipes was slightly more robust than Sharn, perhaps from less physical activity. Cynthia had dark red hair and sharp amber eyes, she was the same height as Sephya, but more womanly in certain aspects. To be fair Sephya was considerably more athletic and toned than Cynthia.

"I will blame it on all the pricklypiples she has been eating." Sephya said as the other walked over to them.

Pipes chuckled, his baritone voice was so deep in nearly rumbled the ground. "They are a sweet treat for sure. I suppose we can thank you Nodrog, for her learning to fly."

"No, the raven winged one taught her how to fly. I trust your trip was pleasant?" Nodrog asked and shook the giant Velopian's big hand. Cirrus had taken the starship to the Velopian world to pick them up and bring them to earth, so he was curious as to how the human ship was doing.

"Aside from having to duck through every doorway, it was a pleasant trip." Pipes chuckled.

Cynthia put a hand on his arm. "Pipes darling, you have to do that everywhere."

Winston was a little surprised when the two Velopians turned their attention to him. Cynthia spoke first. "You must be Winston, Tera told us all about her performance at your club."

"That she did, it is nice to know she was so well received here." Pipes said.

"Nothing to it, she stole the show. I am sure that will be the case when we play here at the end of the week." Winston said.

"I am looking forward to it." Cynthia said and turned to admire the old theater.

Sephya was not alone in not fully grasping English, as Pipes had a bit of trouble with certain phrases. Cynthia sounded like she has spoken it for years, and with her velvety and seductive tone managed to keep most male attention focused on her. Aside from Nodrog who seemed to be immune to it. Roslyn had joined them for dinner, because Tera insisted they meet her. Sephya was a little relieved to see that Roslyn had not taken Tera's infatuation too poorly.

"You are kind of quiet." Roslyn said.

Sephya smiled. "Just because we are cousins, it does not mean I am friends with all of Tera's friends."

"So how upset was she this morning?" Roslyn asked.

"She was pretty mad at herself... Even used two swear words when Nodrog came in to get us." Sephya said quietly, they didn't want the others to over hear them. "I tried to warn her."

"I thought that might have been what you had said. You're not mad at me are you?" Roslyn asked and blushed a little as she took a drink.

Sephya also blushed and giggled. "Why would I be mad at you? I was prepared for either outcome. Along with a little jealousy."

"Jealousy?" Roslyn asked a little surprised.

"Well yeah, Tera is not the only one who thinks you are attractive. Though admittedly I am a bit more promiscuous than my cousin. So a fling with another woman is always an option." Sephya said and blushed even redder as she admitted to thinking about it.

"I did not think I had that effect on so many." Roslyn grumbled.

Sephya laughed. "It might have more to do with your myth than just your looks. After all those of us in the augmented division attract a fair amount of attention just because we are perceived as elite. You are the Iron Raven after all, and the first reborn Valkyrie. Who wouldn't want to jump in the sac with you?"

"I wonder if that is why Tera wants too." Roslyn mused.

"No, that is not it at all. Tera sees you as someone she not only looks up too, but wants to spend her time with. I don't know enough of your language to properly word it. It might be a young woman's crush, or it might be actual love. I can't say." Sephya said. The two of them laughed at Pipes sudden outburst over something amusing.

"Love is a bit of a foreign concept to me. I don't have a lot of experience with it." Roslyn said and looked at Sephya when she put her hand on Roslyn's arm.

Sephya smiled warmly. "Trust me, Tera is pretty clueless when it comes to love as well. Though she tries so hard, it is pitiful really."

"I suppose we all have to start at the bottom." Roslyn said. Tera was currently being held up in one of Pipe's arms and the two were singing what Roslyn figured was a Velopian drinking song, since both had a drink in hand.

"So is there someone special in your life?" Roslyn asked.

Sephya shook her head. "Not at the moment, I have a close female friend with benefits, but the two of us are looking for that special guy. It is hard in our line of work, a little more so after that pirate incident and several died."

"Nodrog told me about it, it is always hard to lose your sister in arms. Especially to such underhanded tactics." Roslyn said.

"That sounds like the voice of experience. I did not think you fought in any conflicts." Sephya said as the two kept singing loudly.

Roslyn smirked. "I was no soldier, I was a pilot. Shot down for flying medical personnel and supplies. I tried to protect them, but I was no soldier and neither were they."

"I am sure to those that made it, you are a hero." Sephya said, glad that Roslyn understood her.

"That's what everyone tells me, they gave me medals. I sure don't feel like a hero." Roslyn mumbled.

"I don't know what to say. They gave us medals for helping Nodrog and Inilth blow up that building, and a few of us got medals when the Grays attacked this very compound. I was only doing what I was ordered to do." Sephya said.

"The one that gets me is the sword the Amazons gave me, all I did was lose my temper." Roslyn said.

"Can I see it?" Sephya asked.

"Sure." Roslyn said and the two got up and quietly left the lounge.

"This is a nice little place, not what I was expecting though." Sephya said after Roslyn let them in.

"What were you expecting?" Roslyn asked and headed back to the bedroom.

"Well, something a bit more lavish and posh. I expected more of a castle since the Iron Dragon and Iron Raven call it home." Sephya said with a smile.

"You will find the two of us are much more down to earth than people make us out to be." Roslyn chuckled and picked up the sword off her dresser.

Sephya admired the sword before actually even holding it. With a nod Roslyn let her know it was okay to unsheathe the sword. Sephya drew the sword and carefully looked over the exquisite detail in the etching of the blade. It had a beautiful hilt and hand guard, it was balanced perfectly. "They certainly know how to craft an elegant and functional blade. I am sure even a dwarf would be impressed."

Roslyn smiled as Sephya took in every little detail of the sword, even the metal sheath was intricately detailed and etched. It was also very expensive with the gold and gems, the sword itself was a mix of high grade spring steel and titanium. It had give to it so it would be difficult to break, and it would remain sharp for a very long time. Nodrog had told her more about the sword's make than the Amazons had.

"There are some fantastic weapon smiths back home, but now I might just have to see what an Amazon smith would charge me for a weapon." Sephya said and carefully sheathed the sword before handing it back to Roslyn.

Roslyn took the sword and placed it back on her dresser. "With the high-tech power armor and energy weapons, what would you need a sword for?"

"Swords make excellent weapons of surprise and stealth. Plus energy weapons run out of ammo, and one can only carry so many batteries." Sephya said as they went back out into the living room.

"I figured the weapon used energy from the armor." Roslyn said and went to the kitchen to get a drink. "I would offer you something, but I don't know if I have anything you could drink."

"That is alright, I am fine. Actually the lighter weapons do draw power from the suit, the heavy weapons have their own supply. The capacitors would drain too much power from the armor, compromising its own functions." Sephya said.

"I just figured the armor had some mini power plant in it, that gave it unlimited power." Roslyn said as she poured herself a little whiskey.

Sephya laughed. "No, we do not have anything like that, at least not yet. The Salaks have a small little power source they use for their robots and cyborgs. It is some really far out there stuff, fusion batteries about the size of your bottle. They protect that information just as much as their A.I. systems."

"That does not seem very safe." Roslyn said and sat down on the couch.

"It's not, and the power source is the most protected part of the robots. A battery failure is a very bad thing, a cyborg could take out a building." Sephya said.

"And they have all of those just walking around?" Roslyn asked.

Sephya shrugged. "They keep a close eye on it, any sign of a battery problem and the A.I. instantly goes into a low power mode and sends out an emergency distress call. The integration of the A.I. and Salaks is truly amazing they really watch out for one another."

"Have you tried the sentient plants they pay people to thin out?" Roslyn asked.

Sephya blushed. "Yeah, we did a little training with some of their augmented soldiers. Several of us had a bunch of it and well it turned into quite the heated orgy."

"Alice tried some and even wore out a dragon. Guess it is a little potent to humans." Roslyn laughed.

"Oh I have heard it will even get an Amazon hot and bothered, and they can be very demanding lovers without aphrodisiacs." Sephya said with a smile.

"Does it affect the Salaks at all?" Roslyn asked and sipped her whiskey.

"I don't think so, I have never seen one eat any. Probably just hate the damn plants too much to even eat them." Sephya said.

Roslyn gave it a little thought, but not much. "I just wasn't sure. Course I am not really sure what to do about Tera either."

Sephya smiled. "She really got you that flustered? That is kind of cute."

"Confused, I do have some feelings for her, but they are a little mixed." Roslyn said.

"I would guess her age doesn't help. She is twenty one now, though unless you are familiar with our race it is hard to tell." Sephya said and gestured to her breasts. While not big, they were bigger than Tera's.

"It's a little of that and a little of how I see her. She is pretty, and her voice just holds me hostage. But I guess I see her more as a student or daughter than a young women." Roslyn said as she tried to explain it.

Sephya sighed. "That is how nearly everyone sees her. I suppose that was why she lost her temper this morning. She would kill me if she heard this, but even mad she is adorable."

"I did not think she had a temper to lose." Roslyn said and smiled.

"I guess that is the first time I have seen her mad. Usually she just gets really quiet and goes along with whatever." Sephya said as she thought about it.

Roslyn sipped at her drink and gave it some thought. "So same sex relationships are pretty common on your world..."

Sephya laughed. "I never really thought about it. We do not look down on it. After all when we were nomadic tribes there were times when the women and men would be separated... Sex just happened. Sort of like when we are out in the field, I do not consider myself a lesbian, but some nights you just have to be close with someone."

"I wonder if the Amazons feel the same way, there are so few males..." Roslyn said and blushed at the thought.

"I suppose I should head up to our place. It is getting late." Sephya said and glanced at her watch. "I will say that if you decide to give in and see my cousin, you understand that I will not be upset about it."

Roslyn blushed a little more. "I still need to get used to your kind being so forward. Have a good night."

"You too." Sephya said and headed out.