“A disgrace. That’s what she is.”
“Shameful, truly shameful.”
“To bare herself like that in front of everyone to see, and to enjoy it. She was representing our order, our country!”
The knights, kitted in their full armor, grumble and complain about the broadcast sent out throughout the kingdom, showing their so-called “Champion” Salome facing off against some adventurer type. Among these knights is one whose armor is lighter than most, but still covering her form. She listens to them speak, but she doesn’t say anything herself.
“And to not only enjoy that smut, but to actually LOSE to that woman? How horrible!”
The female knight stops, the others stopping beside her.
“Luna. What gives you pause?”
“I’ll handle her,” Luna says. “Don’t worry about it.”
“But you and her were in the same class, and-”
“That’s why I can handle her,” she responds. “I don’t need you here when she arrives.”
“Surely, you’ll need our support?” one of the others says.
“I’m your superior,” she responds, turning her head to face them. Though her face is covered, they can tell the intensity of the small knight’s stare, and they bow, leaving her in the Mirror Hall.
The knights use these mirrors to travel, and this is the training hall that Salome had left to reach the Tournament, so it shall be the one she returns with. Luna sighs once they leave and grabs her helmet, pulling it off and letting it fall to the floor with a clang.
The mirror before her shows her flushed face, the mouth half-opened. As she sees herself, she remembers what she saw in the broadcast in the battle. Seeing every inch of Salome. Every muscle, every scar.
The image on the mirror fades and undulates, and soon, the figure of the taller, Chaos-Born woman approaches through. She dresses in a fresh tunic with light armor over top of it, holding her hand to the hilt of her sword. Her crimson eyes widen when she sees the figure before her.
The horned woman speaks. “I wasn’t expecting anyone to greet me, let alone you.”
Luna closes her eyes and rolls her shoulders. “Salome. You’ve done your people a disservice by your display, you know that.”
“Yes, but I became true to myself. And that is what matters.”
“How long?” Luna asks.
“Hm?”
“How long were you hiding?”
Salome frowns, lowering her shoulders. “Far too long. I’ve been thinking about it and-”
“So, when we were training, you were hiding?”
Salome grips her sword, gritting her teeth. “I didn’t want to accept myself. I wouldn’t have been accepted if I decided to admit I admire the female form!”
Luna’s eyes widen when she hears that. “You… what? Of course I knew you like girls, did you think—oh, wow, you actually thought I give a crap about that?” She convulses, pressing her gauntlets to her face and fighting against a bout of laughter.
“W… wait, what are you talking about?”
Luna smirks. “You were holding back against me when we fought before. Why, is it because you had a crush on me?”
Salome narrows her eyes “are you making fun of me?”
“No, I’m challenging you,” she says “I may not be a part of this Tournament of yours, but I would love to go a few rounds with this Salome, this one not up-tight about herself. One ready to let loose. I saw you enjoyed every strike against you. I knew you loved being dominated in battle. Well, I want some of that, myself.”
Salome pulls her sword from its sheathe. “I see. Well, I do need to train to keep myself from losing my next fight. If you wish to battle me, so be it.”
“We’re near a healing sanctuary,” Luna says. “Our wounds can be treated, our energy restored. You don’t have to worry about being harmed here. You’ll be safe.”
Salome smirks at that, her demonic tail uncurling from around her, flicking back and forth while her crimson eyes glow. “Well, then… if you want to see what I’m truly capable of, I suppose I’ll be quite happy to show you.”
Luna bites her lip and stands tall. “Well then, have at you!”
Salome rushes forward towards the shorter knight, the excitement in Setuna’s eyes, the curve of her body, the gleaming of shining armor across her form all spur the fire within the Chaos-born. She remembers the times she would sneak glances over at Luna while they bathed and dressed their wounds after training. She recalled the aching muscles she felt after sparring with her back then, and she loved every moment of it. As she swings her sword and the other knight deftly dodges underneath of her, all those emotions, all those feelings, come rushing back to her, and they feel so good!
Luna rises up, grabbing Salome’s wrist and twisting the unarmored knight, forcing her to drop her weapon before kicking it aside and away.
Salome, disarmed, spins around, her tail point sharp and dangerous. It’s an attack she hadn’t thought about using before, but it cuts along Luna’s thigh, drawing a red cut along her skin.
Luna hisses, but retaliates with a high kicks, ripping through Salome’s tunic.
The two hop back, sizing each other up. The burn of the cut and the warmth of her blood tells Salome that she’s alive. Meanwhile, Luna’s gloved hand holds onto her own superficial wound and nods. “Ah, not afraid to use all of your body against me, are you? Well, if you win, you can use my body however you want? Does that fluster you, oh high-and-mighty Salome?”
“Frankly…” Salome says, unbuckling her breastplate. She drops it and grabs the torn part of her top, yanking it off, exposing her midriff. “It’s turning me on!”