Ylgr ok Bjǫrn III

Posted on Fri Aug 26th, 2022 @ 10:39pm by Lieutenant Commander Lyra Cassiel & Lieutenant Commander Andrei Petrov
Edited on on Fri Aug 26th, 2022 @ 10:40pm

Mission: In-Between (S1:E3-S1:E4)
Location: Holodeck 2
Timeline: Mission Day 7 at 0230
2417 words - 4.8 OF Standard Post Measure

ON

“See, now I’m just going to have to burn down the entire little village.” Madeline said and sighed as if this were something regrettable. She moved past Andrei toward the house and pulled one of her bloodied swords as she walked.

As soon as she passed, he paused, figuring it was a one man job in there. She was eager and he wanted her to have the kill. He hung back and waited a few feet away from the house, watching her as she stalked in with her bloodied sword. His eyes drifted to her behind, admiring the shape of her body despite the armor.

Maddie opened the door to the house and took three cautious steps inside. From Andrei’s point of view, she was standing there completely in his line of sight and then very suddenly, she was gone as three men tackled her after hiding on the blind side of the door. One was older, the other two were relatively strong and fit men. Children and women started to scream from inside, and there was the sound of scuffling. “Die, heathen whore!” One of the men called out, followed by the sound of a blade being deflected. “Grab her arms!”

Andrei’s animal brain realized what was happening before his rational one, and he surged forward, wide eyed, and forgetting he was in a simulation. His sword was drawn and his rage again could be felt. In a second, he was inside the house. One of the younger men had Madeline by the arm and was struggling with her, his back toward the door. Andrei’s sword sailed out through his ribs and, spitting blood, the man slumped to the ground. He then moved toward the other young man who had left Maddie to engage him, but not before kicking the door closed with his bear fur boot. His sword sang together with the man’s axe. He pulled his weapon again and slashed to the side. Again the man blocked, desperation in his eyes. Andrei could only assume this was his family home.

Andrei kicked the man in the shin hard, causing him to stumble back and bend over. He then kneed the man in the head causing him to turn, still facing down, but wobbling. Then Andrei lifted his sword high in the air and came down faced, cutting the man’s head off clean, as in an execution.

“LEAVE NONE ALIVE!” He bellowed, turning wide-eyed to the women and children. He was sure the older man was being taken care of.

“Andrei, stop!” Madeline called to him, reaching out and grabbing his arm to stop his swing down into the women and children. For a moment, just a moment, it looked like she might have gone soft. “No.” The older man groaned from the floor, his hands now missing from his wrists. If Andrei were to look in her eyes, he would see no intention to leave these people alive. She wanted to make them pay.

He was shaken from his frenzy just before he struck. The women and children huddled on the floor shuddered and cried, their faces wet with tears. He still held his sword aloft, looking at Maddie.

"What do you mean stop?" he asked, his brow furrowed. He was frustrated, but not angry.

Maddie touched his chest and released his arm, not giving him a direct answer as she instead turned to the women and children. She knelt down and looked at the children specifically, blood having poured down the side of her face. “Children, I want you to know that everything that is coming next is the fault of your father.” She reached out and placed her hand on one of the children’s cheeks. It would have been maternal had it not been so terrifying. “They failed you and left you, and now you pay the price.” She stood then and turned to the door. Her hand went to Andrei’s back as she ushered him away from the terrified group.

“Please! Spare our children!” One of the women begged.

Madeline looked over her shoulder, her eyes glittering with a ruthless hate. “No.”

Andrei watched as Maddie started to go. He didn't understand what she was about, but then he remembered her comment about burning the village. Maybe she intended to take care of these people from the outside. He looked back at them threateningly, like an angry animal barely chastened, and followed her out.

"What's your plan?" he asked, placing a hand gently on the small of her back.

"Oh it's a good one." Madeline said and closed the door, leaning against it as the women inside rushed forward to try to get out. She held it closed with ease against them. "Would you bring that barrel over here, darling?" She asked of Andrei and indicated a large barrel off to the side of the house that was still sealed and hopefully heavy.

He raised a brow, but eventually nodded and moved toward the barrel. It was quite heavy, obviously full of something, and even he strained to lift it. But he did and, eventually, got it placed right in front of the door.

“Thank you.” Madeline said and gave him a genuine smile. Once the barrel was in position, Maddie moved from the door and set to her task. Like it had been in Luca’s quarters, her movements were playful, almost merry. She tore down one of the king’s banners and shredded it with her hands into strips. She moved back to the house, setting strips outside the small windows and then went back for the banner staff and what was left of the banner. She wound the remnants around the top of the staff and secured it. Every movement was thoughtful, a dance. She touched the end to an open brazier nearby meant to provide pockets of warmth for the people of the village. The flames engulfed the fabric quickly; it wouldn’t burn long but she didn’t need it to. Maddie flitted back to the house, lighting the fabric on the windows and then the edges of the roof. She tossed the burning pike up to the top and then proceeded to pull down bits of roof to add to the windows.

Finally, she was satisfied, the thatch roof catching quickly and starting to bloom into a proper flame. She returned to Andrei’s side finally and gave a pleased sigh.

As the house went up in flames, slowly at first, and then it seemed all at once, Andrei grabbed her hand and held it gently. They stood together in silence for a long while as the terrible screams of the people inside slowly ebbed away to the sound of crackling wood. It would catch other houses soon.

“We’re sick, you know.” He said with a serious expression, and then he smiled a charming smile, showing that they had only been words.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." She lifted his hand and kissed the inside of his wrist intimately, her eyes moving up to his just for a brief moment before they were pulled away by their warriors exiting the monastery with their loot. She lifted her free hand to call their attention. "Block their doors, burn them out." She commanded. Gold and relics were abandoned in the middle of the square as they moved to obey their jarl and soon enough, the town was alight.

Their bounty was retrieved and the group departed to head back to the boat, though Madeline let the holograms go first and lingered back with Andrei safely outside the gates and watching the flames grow bigger. "I have a favor I wanted to ask of you."

“Oh, have you?” He asked, raising his eyebrow and angling his head up by way of evaluation. His green bionic eye zeroed in on her features, seeing the changes in her body temperature related to her current state. He hadn’t learned to read those yet, but he was starting to be able to tell the difference.

From everything he could tell, Madeline was perfectly at ease, her attention still on the fire as it roared up into the inky black sky. "Your sword - the one in my quarters - I'd like to borrow it for a while."

“Oh, the one you wanted to hold for me..” he said, not asking a question nor seeming to make a point. His mind worked. He was trying to work out what she was up to, since he doubted she would tell him. For people so fond of each other, they did keep a lot of secrets. Yet there was a certain trust between them that couldn’t be quantified. “Why would you need such a dangerous weapon, Mad Maddie?”

Madeline turned to face him then and stepped closer so she was nearly chest to chest with him. She lifted one hand to touch his bare chest; the runes were smeared and he was painted with both holographic and real blood. Licking her lips, she looked up into his eyes and smirked slightly. "It is a surprise."

“You are full of surprises aren’t you?” He asked her, looking back into her eyes. Her fingers on his skin caused goosebumps, though he only responded with a grin. He leaned in a bit more until his face was very near hers. As the town crackled and cooked in the background, he lowered his voice to a very intimate volume. “And will I like this surprise?”

"Oh yes." She smiled, leaning in so her lips nearly touched his. "It is a gift, really." For him, yes, but also for herself. "You'll like it very much." Her hand moved up from his chest and slid up his neck slowly with her fingers exerting some pressure, but nothing threatening.

“Then yes, you may use it.” Andrei said, placing his hands at her waist. He allowed the closeness to continue and to ignore his burning urge to kiss her again.

"Thank you." Madeline purred softly to him, her lips still temptingly close, though this time she didn't lean in and take the kiss from him. She wanted it, but she wouldn't always be the one to take.

“Computer, end program.” Andrei said, and the burning night and chilled air disappeared as did their clothing. He was left in nothing but his underwear since he had stripped everything off for the costume. With a chuckle, he leaned in and took the kiss.

There was that brief and visceral reaction to something unexpected and unpleasant happening. Her hand tightened into a fist, and anyone else but Andrei probably would have received the hit, but her logical brain caught up the instant before he kissed her and her hand relaxed. She returned his kiss with restrained passion. Her body pressed to his and he would be able to feel the warmth of her skin, the solidness of her body offset by the softness of her covered breasts. She wasn’t completely naked, but stood there with him in a simple black bra and pair of black shorts that hugged her hips like she had been poured into them.

“Rude.” She chided with obvious amusement in her voice and then kissed him again. All of the holographic blood and paint was gone from their bodies and left only blood and sweat from their exertions. The side of her face was completely covered in blood as was her upper back, but she didn’t much seem to care; the injuries weren’t severe.

“I know you like it.” He said with a smile, his eyes moving over her body and settling on her breasts for a moment. His interest was obvious but controlled and not desperately focused. He looked into her eyes then. “If you hadn’t, you might have tried to slap the skin off my face. By the way, I have to say I prefer this costume to the uniform or, even, the Viking Shieldmaiden. You should wear it more often.”

"Give me some credit, Andrei, I'd at least do you the respect of punching you." She teased and kissed him again. She noted his interest and the restraint in his eyes. "Talk to your father and see if he will make it standard issue." Pausing, her head tilted just slightly and she focused her gaze on him. "Now, if you would like to, I have some very strong alcohol and a dermal regenerator in my quarters. Otherwise, I'll say goodbye here."

Andrei’s smile lingered for a bit, but was fading fast. Now that real life had returned, so had all of his troubles. Being with her made it much better, but part of him refused to burden her with even the scrapes of his depression. He looked down, his face now neutral, then he looked into her eyes again, bypassing her tempting physique.

“That sounds wonderful and I’d like to take some time with you doing just that.” He started, but shook his head. “But I should probably get to the gym. I’ve got more training to do.”

"I understand." She said and took one more opportunity to run the backs of her fingers down his arm. "A second set of hands would be nice to get to this cut on my back though if you change your mind." It was the truth. It was going to be a pain in the ass to fix it by herself but she would manage. She pulled back from him then and moved to grab her shirt, pulling it on and then scooping up his clothes in her arms to bring to him. Handing them off, she kissed his shoulder and headed for the door.

“If you really need help, let me know. There’s no point in you twisting around in a mirror by yourself when I’m around.” Andrei said, his voice strange and unusually quiet as she moved for the exit. It increased then, resembling more what it normally did. “I also give a mean shoulder rub…among other things.”

Madeline would have left him to his devices had his voice not caught her when he spoke louder. She paused just before the door and looked back over her shoulder at him. He wanted the invitation. A slightly challenging smirk appeared on her face and she tilted her head toward the door in invitation. "Prove it."

END