by Lyra Shanti
Zin and Ayn were somewhat speechless, and a little winded after listening to her rather lengthy story.
“So, my young Ohrian,” she said with a smile, “I'm willing to let you have it for a mere eight hundred. But I really do insist that you play at my brother's club! Who knows? You could be a star!” She winked at Zin, then handed him the instrument in its sleek, black case.
Zin looked as though he was about to cry. He gulped and muttered, “I… I really can't-”
“We'll take it!” Ayn blurted out, much to the surprise of his soul-friend.
“But Ayn!” Zin protested.
“No, Zin,” Ayn said, steadfast, “you've gone far too long without music, which I feel is at the heart of the of your soul! It is my money after all, so I will say what we do with it!”
“Yes, but Ayn,” Zin argued, “we need that money to stay at a hotel and for food! We have no idea how long we will be staying and-”
“Well, that's not really a problem,” the woman interrupted with a grin. “Like I said, my brother is a generous man, and if you are willing to perform at his club, I'm sure he'd set you up somewhere nice. Maybe you can even make it a permanent job. I’m sure he'll be as impressed with your playing as I was.”
The full-bodied woman walked to the counter and scribbled something with pen on paper - a rare sight since most used plasma-powered writing tools. “Here,” she said as she handed the paper to Zin. “Give this to my brother. Go to Luc's Lounge in the heart of the city. Play for him like you did for me, and I guarantee he'll set you up.”
Zin looked at Ayn who gave him a reassuring smile.
“Thank you,” said Zin.
“You're more than welcome, my dear,” the woman replied. “And if you ever want to visit me again sometime, my name is Velna. I'd be happy to show you more of my... inventory.”
Ayn got the feeling the busty woman was a little attracted to Zin. The idea was slightly alarming to Ayn, considering she looked twice Zin's age. Ayn put his discomfort aside, however, considering how helpful she seemed to be.
“I can't thank you enough, Velna,” said Zin. He then reached into his pocket and opened his wallet, handing the woman the eight hundred nex.
“You can thank me by playing that glorious instrument at my brother's bar!” said Velna as she shoved the money into the drawer behind the counter, counting the bills while hungrily placing them inside.
Zin nervously smiled at Ayn, looking for approval.
“It's alright, Zin,” comforted Ayn. “I understand how much this elenon means to you. We'll be alright, I’m sure. The Gods will give us help when we need it. We must have faith.”
Zin didn't believe in Ayn's Gods, but he hoped Ayn was right. They would indeed need help, and Zin wasn't sure if he could trust Velna or her brother, Luc, or anyone on Xen for that matter.
However, when he looked at the shiny, smooth case with his beautiful new elenon inside, he began feeling as though there might really be Gods watching out for them after all, manipulating their surroundings, and giving them both a new chance at a new life. Unfortunately, the feeling didn't last long as Zin's ever logical Ohrian upbringing snapped him away from such ideas. I’m being silly, he thought. There are no such things as Gods, only chance and will… though I am grateful, nonetheless.
Ayn sensed that Zin's aura had changed; it was clearer, brighter, more golden-orange. It made Ayn glad, even if it meant they were now down eight hundred nex. Truthfully, Ayn wasn't entirely sure if his statement about the Gods was a correct one, for his faith had been dramatically tested as of late. He was certain, however, that he'd done the right thing in letting Zin buy the elenon.
Ayn suddenly remembered something Meddhi-Lan once told him. It was an old Deiusian proverb that said, “Follow your bliss, and you will become the richest man in The Un.”
Ayn smiled, perhaps for the first time since he left Deius. He remembered, not only Meddhi-Lan's warm voice, but the wisdom within his words. “Following your bliss brings pure happiness,” said Meddhi-Lan within Ayn’s memory, “and that is the greatest treasure of all.”
“So simple,” thought Ayn, “and yet so true.”
--
“Impossible!” Pei declared as he threw off the silken covers on his bed.
Having tossed and turned more than twenty times since he attempted sleep, Pei was now at the point of completely giving up. How could he rest after such an insane and unbelievably eventful day? His mind was a mix of pain and pleasure with random thoughts streaming into his brain. One minute, he saw Ona's lovely, oval face, and the next, he saw his Lan's blood-soaked body lying motionless before him.
Darting up from his bed, Pei headed toward the large glass doors that loomed on the other side of his room. Frustrated, he opened the doors with vigor, revealing the expansive gardens below. With winding paths of purple and rose-colored flowers amidst the backdrop of tall trees, the gardens overwhelmed his senses. Even in the haze of moonlight, Pei saw its grandeur and was amazed.
Feeling calmer, he became aware that there was something of Ona in the gardens; her aura lingered in the wind. He sensed she had walked in them countless times before. Perhaps she has felt as lost as I feel now? he wistfully pondered.
Leaning over the white and gold railing of his terrace, Pei was lost in thought, and didn't hear the knock at his door.
The woman who had been knocking, let herself in, then slyly walked up behind him.
“You know, young priest,” she said with a smirk, “it would be all too easy to push you over.”
Pei whirled around to see the same red-haired woman Atlar gave orders to in their recent private meeting.
“What are you doing here?” asked Pei as he covered himself up with his robe.
Reese laughed under her breath, then leaned her back against the railing of the terrace, forcing her breasts to protrude slightly from her bronze, full-bodied leather uniform. “Don’t get all excited, priest,” she said with a grin. “I just wanted to talk with you. May I?”
Pei didn't know what to make of the catty woman in front of him. There was something dubious about her, and yet, Atlar seemed to trust her, so Pei wanted to as well.
“You may,” Pei replied, “but I am no longer a priest so you do not have to refer to me as such. Now, what is it that you wish to talk to me about?”
Reese snickered and said, “My, my... you're so very regal and polite, aren't you?”
Pei was utterly perplexed. He could tell she was teasing him, but why? “Well… I...” Pei nervously sputtered.
“That's alright,” said Reese as she walked up to him with a wily smile. “What's your name again? Pei? That's alright, dear, don't worry about it. I know you were a Dei priest for most of your life. How could you be anything but diplomatic and... stiff?”
She then gently pressed herself against Pei's body. He could feel his senses reeling uncontrollably as her firm breasts touched his chest.
“Excuse me!” Pei blurted out as he broke away from her closeness. Catching his breath, he quickly walked back to his bedroom. His nervous reaction entertained her as she slowly followed him, grinning like a cat hunting its prey.
“You're excused,” she said, laying a hand on her hip.
Pei felt a mix of confused disgust and guilty pleasure. Everything about the woman seemed wrong to him, yet he found her intriguing. From the way she moved to the way she spoke; it all made Pei far too excited to even think.
“What… um... I mean, what is it you wanted to talk to me about, Lady Reese?” he asked, swallowing his nerves. She looked at him and smiled for a moment. She then folded her arms and leaned against the dresser of his room, lifting her right leg up onto a nearby chair.
Pei was certain she was fully aware of her sexual power, though he was determined to act as if he didn't notice. However, as she stood gazing at him with her green cat-eyes and her slightly exposed bosom, it seemed an impossible task.
“Please... just call me Reese,” she finally replied.
/>
“But,” asked Pei hesitantly, “aren't you a lady of the royal court?”
To that, she gave a hearty laugh and shook her head. After she stopped laughing, her focus centered again on Pei, this time with even more fiery determination. Then, much to Pei’s surprise, she walked to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing herself so closely against him that he was certain his body would betray his mind.
“You are just the most adorable thing,” Reese cooed as she tickled his mouth with her full, rosy lips.
Pei knew he had to stop the strange, oversexed warrior-woman pressing herself against him, but how? All he could think about was her red lips and curvy, yet muscular body.
Just then, he had a sudden flash of fear. What if she was sent here to kill me? he thought in his racing mind. Unable to control his paranoia, he suppressed his excitement and pushed her away.
“I asked you and will not ask again!” he shouted. “What do you wish to talk to me about?”
Reese looked at him with a raised brow. “Oh, I see,” she replied in a low voice.
“You see what?” asked Pei, frustrated and confused.
Reese folded her arms and said, “I heard you have a little crush on our dear princess, and I see now that the rumor is true. So I suppose someone like me just isn't good enough.”
Unable to fathom her in the slightest, he curtly replied, “I really don't see how that is any of your business.”
Reese grinned and said, “Oh, but it is my business, dear priest. You see, you are going to be trained by General Baran himself to become a Lirhan soldier.”
“I am?” Pei replied, shocked.
“Yes, dear priest, you are,” she said with a smirk, “and when Baran is called to fight, Atlar will probably ask me to continue your training. Now, if I'm going to make an elite soldier out of you, then everything you do from this point on is of interest to me: what you eat, how you sleep, who you desire - everything.”
Pei stood silent with his mouth slightly open. He was both frightened and excited about becoming a Lirhan warrior.
Ignoring his state of shock, she added, “Now, I feel I have to warn you, dear priest. Trying to bed Kri's most perfect little princess is tantamount to climbing the highest mountain of Deius… without a rope!”
Releasing a hearty laugh, she annoyed Pei immensely. Refusing to let her teasing get to him, he calmly said, “Lady Reese, I am most appreciative for your concern, but I assure you, I am aware of my own actions, and I know what I am doing.”
Reese's smile slowly turned to a look of contempt. “Oh, you pathetic boy,” she said with a low, guttural voice, “you have no idea what you're doing. You’re a commoner! You think Atlar will allow you to be with his only daughter? And even if he did, that picky little princess is going to take your heart and throw it on the ground where it will crack into a thousand pieces. Just let her go, priest, if you know what’s good for you.”
Pei shook his head in denial, suppressing his anger. “Please,” he said as he pointed toward the door, holding back from shouting, “just... leave now.”
Reese smiled again, but this time with a hint of pacified amusement. “Alright, I'll go,” she said as she walked to the door. Stopping before she left, Reese turned back around and said, “but do me a favor and re-think your future, not only about your silly desire for that spoiled princess, but also about becoming a Lirhan. We are an elite group who live and breathe for the truth of Krian morals. We live and breathe and DIE by those morals, and if you aren't willing to put your entire body and soul into the training you're about to receive, then you will fail... and probably die.”
With those icy words, Reese swiftly left his room, leaving Pei to feel as though he had just been hit by a tornado.
Will this day's raging storm never cease? he silently asked the Gods.
Exhausted, he locked his door, then flung himself on his bed. His thoughts raced, but soon turned into nothingness inside a deep void where only dreams were welcome.
Chapter 18: Topsy Turvy
Luc's lounge wasn't as far as Ayn feared it would be. They had hailed a hover-car that took them directly into the heart of the city, and it had arrived at the club in less than fifteen minutes.
As Ayn and Zin walked up to the arched entrance, they saw a big sign above that read, “Luc’s Lounge.” Walking inside the club, they saw a few locals exiting at the same time. Ayn had to look twice at the appearance of one of the people walking by them. The creature was a woman, but she looked a little like a lizard with protruding eyes and green skin. She made Ayn wonder what sort of strange beings lived on X-314.
They slowly entered the smoke filled club and saw a circular room with a round stage in the center of it, giving the entire place a feeling of intimacy, especially between the patrons and the performers who played there. At that particular moment, there were five musicians playing on the stage with instruments Ayn had never seen. The musicians looked exotic and new to him as well, and they seemed similar to the lizard-woman who had walked past him on the way in.
Is Xen an outpost for these lizard people? Ayn thought, somewhat frightened. Where did they originally come from? Were they born on this planet? Why didn’t the priests teach me about these types of people?
Zin turned with a big smile on his face and said, “This place is fantastic!” He had to shout above the loud, upbeat music that the lizard-like musicians were playing. Ayn shook his head, confused and uncomfortable. “I wonder where Luc is?” Zin shouted again.
They looked around, seeing a myriad of beings, many Ayn never knew existed. There were men with faces like horses, complete with tails and hooves. There were even women with multi-breasted bosoms. Looking at them, Ayn became quickly embarrassed, so he instead looked over at Zin who was obsessively staring at the bizarre women.
“Stop it!” Ayn said as he nudged Zin's shoulder.
“What?” Zin replied, feigning innocence through a devilish grin.
Ayn nervously smiled in return. Looking around the club, they both couldn't believe the variety of patrons. Where did they all come from? wondered Ayn.
“Can I get you two boys a drink?” came a voice from behind. They turned around and saw that the voice came from a young woman who looked to Ayn to be of Deiusian origin. She had two arms and two legs, and Ayn was comforted by her normality.
“Sure!” said Zin, happily.
“Do you want to sit at a table or at the bar?” she asked, smiling at Zin in particular.
“A table would be wonderful,” Zin replied flirtatiously. Ayn rolled his eyes, but followed behind as the Deiusian girl led them to a round, clear-colored table. When they sat down, she gave them a menu showing prices for drinks and food.
“Take your time,” said the waitress, “and I'll be back to get your order.” She winked at Zin, then walked away. Both boys uncontrollably watched her as she walked away, mainly because her bottom was noticeably peeking out from under her skirt.
“Do you think that's the normal attire on this planet?” asked Ayn.
“I hope so!” replied Zin who was smiling from ear to ear.
Just as Ayn was about to scold his friend, they were distracted by a man who jumped onto the stage. He had shaggy, blonde hair and was dressed in a purple vest with a silky blue shirt and pants.
“Ladies and gentlemen!” the shaggy-haired man announced. “I have the deepest pleasure to bring you the one, the only... Lady Raven!”
The crowd seemed to know the Lady Raven woman because they erupted into eager applause and whistles. Ayn and Zin both looked at each other, wondering what sort of entertainer was about to take the stage.
As the lights went down, they heard a voice; it was eerie, yet lilting and calm. The voice then became louder and turned into a smooth, pleasing tone. When the lights rose on the stage, they saw her; it was Lady Raven, and she was gorgeous. She had a black satin gown draping down her lithe body with the shoulder straps half falling off her pale shoulders.
As they li
stened to her sing, they found themselves intoxicated by her soothing, tantalizing voice. There was only one thing that distracted Ayn about the singer; she had wings. He didn't know if they were part of her dress, but they appeared to be coming from her back and hovered over her like looming, black clouds. Even with such an oddity, however, Ayn thought she may be the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. Zin seemed smitten as well.
Neither one of them could think about food or drink while listening to Lady Raven's voice, but as soon as her set ended, and the roaring applause finally died down, Ayn's stomach grumbled loudly, reminding him of his hunger. Ayn then glanced at the menu’s prices and found them a little high. He didn't really care though; he was desperate.
“What should we have to eat?” Ayn asked Zin who was still looking at the remaining musicians on the stage, mesmerized. Distracted, Zin replied, “What?”
Ayn shook his head. He knew Zin was lost in the music and couldn’t be bothered at the moment with food.
When the Deiusian waitress came back to their table to take their order, Ayn took it upon himself to order for the both of them. He ordered something called a “Wet Wonder” for Zin and a “Teal Tornado” for himself. He had no idea what kind of drinks they were, but their pictures on the menu looked fun and tasty. As for dinner, he ordered “Blue-fin Salad” and “MahMah Stew.” Both were Deiusian, vegetarian dishes he had dined on as a child when he would visit his mother at The Royal Palace. It gave him comfort to have a tiny bit of home, at least for the moment.
As Ayn was about to tell Zin how he felt, he noticed his Ohrian friend was no longer seated at their table. He looked around the club, but couldn't see Zin anywhere!
Just as a dread panic was beginning to take hold, filling Ayn's head with irrational, fearful thoughts, such as being all alone in the city at night, he saw his silver-haired friend standing at the foot of the stage. Ayn was immediately relieved, though he wondered what Zin was doing.
The waitress brought the drinks to their table, and as Ayn took a sip of his strangely bitter, yet surprisingly refreshing drink, he saw Zin standing next to Lady Raven. Zin seemed to be flirting with nothing but his body language. Ayn had to laugh at his friend, for he reminded Ayn of when Pei was younger and would behave nervously in front of their Lan during a difficult lesson. The memory made Ayn so homesick that he almost felt like throwing up his intensely strong drink. Would he ever see Pei again? Was Pei even alive? Ayn had no idea.