Neo and Alvina had been running for nearly two hours when the trees finally thinned and Veya’s laboratory came into view. The building sat low against the forest floor, its metal walls half-swallowed by moss and vines. Neo pushed the door open without slowing. Inside, the air smelled of ozone and hot metal. Veya stood with her back to them, bent over a workbench, hands moving across a glowing panel.
"Veya!" Neo called. "Can’t you hear me?"
She did not turn. "I saw you on the cameras the moment you crossed the perimeter. My threat system registered nothing dangerous from either of you. So I see no reason to tense up. Speak. What do you want?"
Neo let out a short breath. "We need a weapon that can kill the Ajax monsters." He walked closer and described them the way the representative had: the thick hide, the way they moved in packs, the heads they preferred to take. Alvina stayed half a step behind him, arms folded, watching the dwarf with open distrust.
Veya rubbed her chin. For a long moment the only sound was the soft hum of the machines. Then she straightened. "I know the right weapon. But it will cost you."
"What kind of cost?" Neo asked.
Veya rose from her stool. She was short, the top of her head barely reaching Neo’s chest. She turned, set both palms flat against the wall, and lifted the hem of her white robe until it rested on the small of her back. The motion left her bare from the waist down. She looked over her shoulder.
"I want you to test that cock of yours on a woman’s body. I’ll be the test subject. Electrodes on both of us. I measure mana output while you fuck me. Fair trade."
Neo went still. The request landed like a slap. Behind him Alvina’s face flushed dark with anger.
"No way!" She seized Neo’s wrist and yanked him toward the door.
Veya spun, caught Neo’s other wrist, and held on. "Wait. What did I ask wrong?"
Alvina’s voice cracked like a whip. "Do you think I would let my man fuck a dwarf?"
The temperature in the lab dropped so fast Neo felt the chill crawl up his arms. Veya’s body locked. Her shoulders began to shake. From the ceiling speakers a calm mechanical voice spoke.
"Commencing destruction of highest-graded enemy: Alvina."
Neo cursed, ripped his wrist free, and dragged Alvina out the door. They ran hard, boots pounding through undergrowth, until the laboratory was only a distant glint between trees. In a small clearing they finally stopped. Neo turned on Alvina and struck her across the cheek with an open hand. The sound was sharp in the quiet forest.
"Why the hell did you say that?"
Alvina’s eyes went wide. She pressed a hand to the heated skin and dropped her gaze. Tears slipped down her face. Neo had never hit any of the women before, not even when they pushed him. The fact that he had done it now told her exactly how far she had crossed the line.
"It wasn’t me," she said, voice thick. "My grandmother drilled it into us from the time we could walk. Dwarves are the weakest creatures. The words just came out. I didn’t mean them the way they sounded."
Neo stared at her until the anger cooled enough to speak. "What’s the real history between barbarians and dwarves?"
Alvina wiped her eyes. "Sworn enemies. Different beliefs. We trust strength. They trust intelligence. We’ve clashed for generations. There were wars. Old blood."
Neo nodded once. He reached out and rubbed his thumb across the red mark on her cheek. "Your words hurt her. She’ll remember. Next time we pass that lab, you apologize. Clear?"
Alvina understood the unfinished threat. She would not risk whatever they had for an ancient grudge. She nodded hard.
"Good." Neo’s mouth curved. He slapped the heavy curve of her ass hard enough to make it bounce. "Wipe that face. We’ve got a tribe to save."
They ran again. When the barbarian settlement came into sight, Neo’s steps faltered. The barrier that once wrapped the entire camp was torn open in three places. Fires still burned low among the wreckage. Bodies lay scattered across the ground—some missing limbs, others whole except for the empty space where a head should have been.
Neo’s heart slammed against his ribs. "Why only the heads?"
Alvina’s voice was quiet. "The representative told me. Ajax monsters like the heads best."
They walked in. Alvina led him between the tents until they reached one that still stood intact. Inside, a young woman in her early twenties sat on a low cot. She wore the same tribal leathers as Alvina, dark hair braided tight against her skull. Neo’s system labeled her at a glance: Zira, representative of the chief, middle-rank tribesman.
Alvina crossed the space in two strides and pulled the girl into a hard hug. "This must have been hell for you."
Zira clung to her and cried against her shoulder. When she finally pulled back she wiped her face, then fixed Neo with a sharp glare. "So you’re the one who stole big sister from me."
Neo tilted his head, pointing at his own chest. Alvina actually laughed.
"This is Zira. I found her in the woods years ago and took her as a sister."
Neo gave a short nod. Alvina turned back to the younger woman. "How many came last night?"
Zira’s expression darkened. "The most we’ve ever seen since the attacks started."
Alvina went quiet, thinking. Neo spoke first. "They’re testing you."
Alvina’s head snapped toward him. "Testing us?"
"Simple. They’re measuring how many bodies this tribe can take before it breaks. By now they know the number. Tonight will be the last wave. They’ll come to finish the job."
Zira’s eyes widened. "But they’re supposed to be stupid. Mindless."
Neo shook his head. "Not smart. Adapting. Looking for the cheapest way to win."
Alvina looked at him with open need. Neo answered the look before she could speak. "I’ll stay. We hold the line together tonight."
Relief loosened her shoulders. She turned to Zira. "Since Neo is here, we show him proper hospitality. Tell the head butler to prepare a feast."
Zira nodded. She had seen the spear throw that dropped a dozen warriors in a single pass; she did not question his strength. She stepped outside and called for the head butler, giving the order for a full meal.
Neo closed his hand around Alvina’s wrist and drew her toward the tent flap. "We’re going to look at those Ajax tracks while there’s still light."
Alvina glanced back once. "Take care of yourself, Zira."
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