Shallista, Penelope, and Audrixia were in the fields outside of town. They had just sat down on a blanket Penelope made, about to enjoy a picnic. "Isn't today a lovely day?" Shallista asked. "The sun is shining and we're in the company of friends. Could anything be better?"
"Honestly, I'd rather be training," Audrixia said.
"You can't just train all the time," Shallista said. "I like exercise as much as the next gal, but there's more to life than just training. Live a little, Lady Audrixia."
"I...guess it couldn't hurt," Audrixia said. "I've been training for years, so I guess a break won't undo everything I've worked to achieve."
Then, Penelope pointed out further into the fields. "Hey! There's a person staggering around out there. She may be injured."
Shallista looked. There was indeed a woman stumbling around. The woman then fell and vanished into the grass. "Crap! Let's go help her out."
*
She awoke and found herself looking up into the eyes of a green-eyed, redhaired woman. She was dazzled. "Wow, you're beautiful."
"I'm glad to hear it," the woman said. "You passed out in the fields not long ago. My friends and I brought you over to our picnic and checked you out, but you don't appear to be injured. Maybe you're just hungry. We'd be willing to share our picnic lunch with you if you'd like."
She hadn't eaten in several days. Maybe that's why she passed out. Perhaps she'd take this woman up on her offer. "I can do anything but pork. I'm allergic." No need in eating something that would kill her. That would defeat the purpose of trying not to starve to death.
"We have roast chicken sandwiches," the woman said. "They are topped with strips of bacon, but I guess we can pull them off one."
"Oh, I'll take one, then." She sat up and looked around. There were two other women, one with dark skin and braided hair, the other a pale skinned woman with short black hair. They all had one thing in common. "W-where are your clothes?"
They all looked down at their barely covered bodies. "We're wearing plenty of clothing," the redhead said.
"You're barely even wearing underwear," she shot back.
"As long as you can't see the naughty bits, we're technically fully-covered," the black-haired woman said. "Embarrassed, but fully-covered."
The redhead handed her a sandwich, putting the bacon that used to be in it in another sandwich. "One bacon-free chicken sandwich."
She took the sandwich and savored it. As she did, she looked around at the women. They were very relaxed, sharing jokes and laughs. "How can you all be so...at ease dressed like that?"
The redhead gave her a sly glance. "Would you like to find out? You can feel it a lot better than I can explain it. We can size you up for sexy armor."
"No!" she squealed. "I don't want to try it. I just want to know what's going through your minds. Aren't you worried about being laughed at? Being called sluts? Being raped by a group of men who can't control themselves?"
The black-haired woman raised her hand. "I have been laughed at. Yes, it is quite embarrassing, but I don't regret my decision to wear sexy armor."
"And being called a slut is no big deal," the dark-skinned woman said. "It doesn't matter what you wear, somebody is always going to have something to say."
"And if men get too excited and try to take one of us by force, it won't go too well for them," the redhead said. "I can guarantee that much."
They were so confident. She did notice they were very fit and armed. These women were all warriors, which only made their attire that much more baffling. "If a fight broke out, you'd have no protection. An opponent could literally hit you anywhere and it would kill you."
"Then maybe we just won't get hit," the redhead said. "Wearing sexy armor is indeed a risky undertaking. It takes a special type to successfully pull it off. Most people can't. So, what class do you think that puts us in?"
These women must have been monsters on the battlefield. The best of the best. Who were they and why had she never heard of them before. Surely women who could traipse into battle dressed like them and walk out victorious would have a number of credible victories and battles under their belts. "Who are you people?"
"Glad you asked," the redhead said. "We are the Sexy Warriors guild and I'm the guild leader, Shallista the Siren."
Total unknowns. "How many battles have you people fought in?"
"As a guild, not a single one," Shallista said. "By myself, I've fought in a lot of skirmishes and dust ups with bandits, monsters, deserters, and various riff-raff."
"Well, I was a wizard knight for the Kingdom of Tolunda," the dark-skinned woman said. "Tolunda doesn't have any real enemies and is generally peaceful, so I asked to be discharged to venture the world. I've been in a brawl here and there, but nothing to really test my skills. I am, however, devoted to my training and am more than a match for whoever I may face out in the world."
"I'm just a town watch in the sleepy town you were walking towards," the black-haired woman said. "In fact, Shallista was my first real fight. I got my ass kicked."
Their resumes weren't impressive, but she could sense they were strong. Shallista, in particular, was giving her the vibe of someone not to be trifled with. She wasn't an intimidating person, but that was just it. When someone was that relaxed, it was a sign they were trying to keep some monstrous power or skill in check. Behind that beautiful exterior was a warrior forged in the flames of battle. "Sexy Warriors, huh? I'd be interested in seeing what kind of training you do."
Shallista smiled. "Can't wait to get out of those hot clothes huh? Come to our guild hall and we'll get you fitted." She stood and dusted herself off.
"I-I don't want to wear the outfit," she said. "I j-just want to see how you train to effectively fight in such outlandish clothes."
"Sure, sure," Shallista said. "Well, Audrixia. Penelope. Picnic's over. Let's welcome our new recruit."
"Yes, milady," the other two said.
"Are you listening?" she asked. "I said I don't want to join you or wear your clothes." The Shallista turned around and bent over to pick something up. "Eww..."
"What's wrong?" Shallista asked.
"You're wearing a thong," she said. "I can see your butt."
"Duh, it's sexy armor," Shallista said. "I'd be disappointed if you didn't see it." Then she stood up and looked back, trying to see her buttocks. "Wait. I'm not getting saggy, am I?"
The dark-skinned woman looked. "You're fine."
The black-haired woman said, "Perfect as always, milady."
Was this real? "You can't possibly be comfortable walking around like that."
"Do any of us look uncomfortable?" Shallista asked. "Now follow us and see what it takes to be a Sexy Warrior."
*
She followed Shallista and the others, eventually coming to a stop in front of a large building.
"Well, here we are," Shallista said. "Welcome to the headquarters of the Sexy Warriors guild."
"You mean this monster of a building is yours?" she asked. "You must have an army of women behind you."
"Not yet," Shallista said. "Eventually, this building will be packed with Sexy Warriors. It's going to be special. Join up now and enjoy the glory in the future."
"No," she said. "Just no."
They entered and Shallista gave her a quick tour before taking her to where she really wanted to go; the training grounds. Now she would see what they were made of.
The sight was unbelievable. Several women were lounging around in sexy armor. Some were sunbathing, some were reading books, and one was even dancing. There was one practicing archery, but everyone was quite relaxed. "What the hell is this? A resort?"
"We work hard around here, so my girls are enjoying some well deserved rest," Shallista answered.
"If somebody raided this place, you'd all be killed," she said. "I came to see how well you all can fight, not how well you can read and sunbath."
Everyone stopped what they were doing and all eyes were on her.
"Do you doubt us?" Shallista asked, pulling a pair of training swords from a nearby rack. "Feel free to put our skills to the test." She handed her one of the training swords. "Pick any of my girls to spar with. You can even pick me if you want. The only one off limits is the one with the black pigtails. She's a healer and won't fight."
With that in mind, she looked over the nine candidates. "Heh, it doesn't matter which one I choose, it would be a humiliating defeat for her."
"It doesn't matter, huh?" Shallista said. She handed the other training sword to the dark-skinned woman. "You're up, Audrixia."
Audrixia took it. "Yes, milady."
She smiled. "Sending in your lackeys, huh?'
"Not without reason," Shallista said. "As a wizard knight, Audrixia is the mightiest of us. If you can defeat her, you can defeat anyone here. Well? Care to give it a try?"
At least they you showing her the proper respect. "I'm glad you're not sending a weakling after me. I'll accept the challenge."
"Good," Shallista said. "Now make sure you win or you'll have to wear sexy armor."
"What!" she screeched. "I agreed to no such terms. And what do I get if you win?"
"Me and my girls will wear decent armor and never wear sexy armor again," Shallista answered. "In other words, the fate of this guild lies in your hands."
That did sound pretty good. If she could contribute to there being fewer women dressed like them, she will have made the world a better place. "Okay." She looked around. "Get ready to cover up everyone." Then, she got into her stance and faced Audrixia. "You ready?"
Audrixia got into her stance.
"Okay, fight!" Shallista said, raising her arm to signify the start of the battle.
She was thinking about making the first move, but saw Audrixia preparing to strike. She got set to block and counter. She did block, but Audrixia blocked her counter.
Audrixia then went on the attack, forcing her back with a flurry of slashes. The strikes were powerful, too. It was almost pointless to block. And she left no openings in between attacks. Powerful, fast, and quick. And being a wizard knight, she hadn't even started using magic yet because this was just a training session. Had she truly never been in a real battle? Was she a perfect warrior?
This couldn't continue. She had to find a way to strike her. She was a highly skilled warrior, too. She would not be made a fool of. She continued to block until the time was right. Then, she struck.
Audrixia sidestepped, then lunged behind her, and gave her a good whack in the small of the back.
She seized up from the pain, dropping her training sword and falling to the ground. "Oww…"
"Is she going to be okay?" one of the women asked.
"Don't paralyze the recruits, Audrixia," Shallista said.
"Sorry, milady," Audrixia said.
Shallista then came over to her and knelt down. "Rest up. Round two is in two minutes."
That hit hurt. Really hurt. "Do you always hit each other like that? How are you all not bruised and battered?"
Shallista pointed to the woman with the pigtails. "If not for our resident healer, there be a lot of hurting going on around here. As long as she's here, we can train all day."
Maybe... "I'd like some healing, please."
"From a little hit like that?" Shallista asked. "Surely, this isn't the most a fully dressed woman can take from a woman in sexy armor. Is it?"
So that was the game. She shook off the pain and rose back up to her feet. "I won't lose!"
*
"Just give up already," Shallista said. "You aren't going to beat Audrixia."
She'd been knocked down fifteen times and was in a good deal of pain, but she couldn't give up. She wouldn't give up. Doing so would mean having to wear that embarrassing armor. "I won't do it. I won't wear sexy armor!" She looked around. "I won't be like all of you! I can't be! I refuse!"
She looked at Audrixia, who was ready to give it another go. What kind of monsters were they training around here? After years of training, was this the best she could do. She was outmatched. She simply didn't stack up. "Damn it..." She dropped to her knees as the first tears started to run down her cheeks. "Damn it! I give up..."
Shallista knelt down and patted her shoulder. "Is the idea of wearing sexy armor really that bad?"
"It's not the armor," she said. "It's the difference in skill. I didn't think I was so far behind. I never had a chance."
"There no shame in losing to Audrixia," Shallista said. "I'll tell you what. You don't have to wear the armor if you don't want to. You're free to go."
A sense of relieve came over her but her sense of honor overwhelmed it. "No, I said I would do it. I'll wear it." She looked at Audrixia, then back at Shallista. "And there's a lot I can learn from her. With a beast like her training me, it can only be good for me. So...if you'll have me...I'd like to join your guild."
"Are you sure about this?" Shallista asked.
"Yes. Make me a Sexy Warrior."
Shallista took her hand in her own and shook it. "Welcome to our guild...um..."
She looked into Shallista eyes and gave a smile. "Nicolotte. My name is Nicolotte."
"Welcome to the guild, Nicolotte. Feel free to introduce yourself to everybody. And don't be shy about asking Wendy for healing." Then, as Shallista looked over her charges, she looked puzzled. "Now that I think about it, Akiko's been gone for a few days. Has anyone seen her?"
The others looked around, confused.
That's when a diminutive woman came out of the building and into the training grounds. She was dressed like the others, but her body was covered with bruises and cut. Her leg dragged as she walked toward everyone.
"Akiko!" Shallista said, hopping up to her feet and bolting over to her. "What happened?"
The woman with the pigtails hurried over as well, likely preparing a healing spell.
Akiko handed Shallista a piece of paper. "I'm done gathering intel. It's a map of the surrounding area. Landmarks, surrounding town, threats, everything you need to know is on it."
"I need to know what happened to you," Shallista said.
Akiko shook her head. "There's no need. The threat has been eliminated." Once her wounds were healed, she turned around and headed for the door. "Well, I'm off to gather more intel. See you soon."
And just like that, she was gone.
What a group of women she'd joined. Hanging around here just might be fun.
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