by Jeff Gunzel
* * *
“That’s it, dear,” said Nima, her voice tight with strain. “Steady it. Steady it. Now push back towards me. Good, you’re getting it.” Jade bared her teeth, forehead furrowed from tension. She leaned forward with her hands out, driving her Chi energy back into Nima. “Yes, dear, that’s it.” Nima’s feet were actually beginning to slide along the ground as she was pushed backwards.
The drill had been going on back and forth for several hours now. It was a basic exercise, practiced by all Palins in training. The exercise required two, so each was partnered with another student. One would go on the offensive, pushing forward with their Chi, pressing against the other. The second student would absorb the pressure for a time, then the two would switch roles. The second student would begin to push, forcing the first to use their Chi defensively, trying to resist the push. And in this manner they would go back and forth.
The drill taught the students to hold their Chi for long periods of time. It also trained them to shift its form within their bodies, transitioning from an offensive push to a defensive shield. The two actions were very different, and many lost focus during the shift. It was not unusual for a student to go flying across the room because they could not reshape their Chi fast enough.
In the hours that Jade and Nima had been practicing, Jade appeared to be getting better by the minute. Her control was improving, and her command of her energy had excelled. “I’ll make a master out of you yet,” grunted Nima, her feet slipping backward once more. Focusing hard, she narrowed her own energy into a thin line. Centering that single line of power, she sliced back through Jade’s pushing energy like a knife.
Jade refocused quickly, shifting her Chi into a defensive force, absorbing Nima’s push. She could now make the transition with ease, a feat that had proved quite difficult only an hour ago. “Is that all you can do?” said Jade, teasing. She tried to play it off as if this were a simple task for her, but in reality the strain was very intense. “Perhaps I should be teaching you.” Despite her teasing, the heavy strain in her voice implied otherwise.
A slight rustle in the bushes gained their attention, putting a stop to the back-and-forth exercise. They watched with surprise when a short, slim girl broke through the shrubbery. Her short hair was pulled back in a red band, and her drab, brown clothing hung loosely around her petite body. Upon seeing Jade and Nima, she immediately bowed her head. “Excuse me,” she said softly, eyes low. “I’m sorry to disturb you both.”
“Toyono?” said Nima, eyes wide with surprise. “How did you— What are you doing here?”
“My apologies,” said the young girl, looking more nervous by the second. “Several times I’ve watched you come this way, through the trees. Out of curiosity, I followed you once. That’s how I knew you would be here.” Nima’s mouth worked wordlessly, not knowing what to say. Toyono’s eyes widened, sensing Nima’s alarm. “Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me,” she blurted out. “I will never tell anyone of your hidden sanctuary. No one saw me enter here. I made sure of that.”
Nima relaxed a little, still eyeing Jade with an unsure look. She raised her eyebrow suspiciously. “Then why exactly are you here?”
“It’s the Circle, they’re looking for you; both of you.” Jade and Nima glanced at one another. “It’s about the Shantie Rhoe. You better follow me.”
But it was Toyono who ended up following as the other two bolted from the clearing and down the hidden path. Jade peeked her head through the forest leaves, only half-heartedly checking to see if anyone was nearby. She sprinted down the dirt street, followed closely by Nima. The streets were quiet, save for a few children and the occasional woman folding freshly washed blankets. The relatively empty streets worried Jade even further. Where is everyone?
When they turned the next corner—the Circle’s quarters just up ahead—Jade’s question was quickly answered. The street was flooded with people, many wearing white face paint and long, black cloaks. Nearing the door, the crowd became even denser. Jade dipped her shoulder, then began slinking her way through the people. Neither her nor Nima stopped to talk to anyone, but the gossip buzzing around them made it clear what was going on. Eric had passed the first two trials, and the village was now bustling with energy.
After finally making their way to the front, Jade was the first to storm through the hanging beads. Three soldiers staring down at her through their wicker helmets moved to block her path, but it only took them a moment to recognize who she was. They sidestepped, allowing both her and Nima to pass while muttering apologies.
Wara was there waiting, along with the twins, who were seated near the far wall. Her cold, green eyes looked them up and down expectantly, as if waiting for some sort of apology. Jade, fed up with the Circle’s arrogance, met her gaze. “He’s on the third trial?” said Jade, breaking the silence, ignoring Nima’s tugging at her from behind. Jade did not answer to the Circle and was not in a particularly tolerant mood. “Why didn’t you send for us earlier?”
“Because nobody knew where you were, you ignorant child!” Wara replied, clearly not in a very tolerant mood herself. “If you and your little friend here are done playing Palin, perhaps you would like to witness the final test with the rest of us.” She gestured towards a white globe on the table. “Soon, he will be challenged with the final test. And I, for one, am eager to see if he is who he claims to be.”
Nima attempted to grab Jade’s robe, but she broke free and lunged towards Wara, stopping an inch from her nose. Face to face, they glared at one another for some time before Jade finally spoke, “Although I am aware that I stand upon foreign soil, my friends and I have gone to great lengths to abide by the ways of your culture. We have done our best to honor your chain of command and show respect at all times.”
“Fair enough, child,” said Wara with an eye flutter and a dismissive wave. “I’ll consider tha—”
“I am not finished,” Jade interrupted, her crystal blue eyes blazing like shiny sapphires. “You’ve separated me from the one I’m sworn to protect, all because of your ancient laws. And out of respect for you and your people, I stood down and allowed it. In the meantime, I’ve done the only thing I could to help ensure the Gate Keeper’s protection upon his return. I was not playing, I was sharpening my skills further so I might become an even more efficient killer.” Her eyes narrowed dangerously. “And if the Gate Keeper does not return from this Mountain of Dreams,” her voice lowered to a whisper, “I’ll hold you personally responsible for the world’s loss. With my role in this diminished and no one left to protect, revenge will become my only reason for existence.”
* * *
Morita drifted down the mirrored hall. Graceful, light on her feet, she hardly seemed to touch the floor. Her hips swayed with each step, her slim figure accentuated by a clinging yellow slip. With its low neckline and single strap hanging loosely from her shoulder, her ample bosom seemed one deep breath away from spilling out.
As she turned the corner, a wicked smile flashed across her full lips. She stopped in front of the door, hand on the knob, and purposefully turned it slowly. Morita wanted to make her entrance felt. She gently pushed back the door with a light, creaking sound. Inside were two frightened servants, waiting for her just as instructed.
“Well, hello, Aosa,” said Morita to the unclothed girl sprawled out across the bed. Her flowing blonde hair, spilling across two pillows, stood out against the dark-red sheets. Her dark eyes held unimaginable terror as she trembled, too frightened to move. Swallowing hard, she rolled her head to the side, exposing a neck covered with white, puckered scars that looked old, obviously built up over time, despite how young she looked.
Morita drifted up to the edge of the bed like a ghost. She leaned in, riding her moist, forked tongue along the girl’s neck, tracing each scar with careful attention. It left a thin, translucent coating of saliva. She retracted her snakelike tongue, smacking her lips and savoring the taste of the girl’s young flesh. “Tempting, darl
ing, but not today,” she whispered, running a finger along the girl’s neck, down between her breasts, then placing it in her own mouth. Morita didn’t look convinced, as if she might be having second thoughts about her choice of entertainment this evening.
“Tonight, I will only be a spectator. I promise I’ll do no more than watch.” Morita gestured towards the young man seated at a nearby table. He flinched, as he’d been hoping he’d somehow been forgotten. “Rise, young man, and come around to this side,” she said, suddenly breathless, her chest heaving in and out. The young man, wearing only a shirt, stood hesitantly. Trying to pull the shirt down to cover himself, he slowly came around to her side. Even with long, dark hair matted down over his angular face, she could see he was as frightened as the girl. Morita’s reputation for being completely unpredictable frightened all the servants.
“Now then, don’t be so shy. It’s alright, you can come closer, my pet.” Morita’s musical voice promised only the most innocent of intentions, but it was still at odds with her constant heavy breathing. He moved closer, head hung low, like he was marching towards his own execution. She grabbed him by the face, gripping him so tightly that white lines formed across his cheeks.
Pulling him in, she pressed her lips into his. She pushed so hard, he began to grimace from the pain. Her teeth ground against his lips while blood ran from the side of his mouth, dripping off his chin. She released his face, but still gripped his lower lip in her teeth, as if not sure whether or not to let him go yet. Finally, she did. His bloody lip snapped back after being stretched to its limit.
Dragging a gentle hand across his chest, Morita circled around to his back. She gripped the back of his hair, forcing his eyes towards the bed. “Beautiful, is she not?” she whispered, the words funneling into his ear, followed shortly by her tongue. Terrified, he rattled his head up and down, feeling her cold, sticky tongue work its way in deep. “Oh, it’s been a long time since I’ve witnessed something so...traditional.” She nipped at his ear with her front teeth, forcing a soft whimper. “The proper mating between a man and woman. This is what they call love, is it not?”
Forcing his gaze to remain on the young girl, Morita’s hand slid down his chest, across rigid stomach muscles built up through years of labor. When her hand found his groin, she let his shaft slide between her ring and middle finger. Ice-cold fingers suddenly cupped his scrotum, making him whimper again. The pace of his breathing began to increase as she massaged them gently. He swallowed, cool sweat dripping from his temples. “I say again, is she not beautiful?” she repeated, a touch of impatience ringing through her mostly mild tone.
“Ye-Yes she is, my lady,” he stuttered breathlessly. “Very beautiful indeed.” He gasped as icy fingers moved along his shaft. The redhead began to stroke roughly, long, drawn-out pulls stretching him beyond comfort.
Her grip tightening further, she began to pull harder at a more rapid pace. Tears streamed down his cheeks as the pace quickened to near violence. Her aggressiveness was more like milking a cow than anything that would bring a man pleasure. “If she is so beautiful, then what seems to be the problem here?” she barked angrily, pulling harder still. He bit into his own lip so as not to cry out.
The girl on the bed began to cry. “Stop. You’re hurting him! Please, let me do it. I promise I can get him ready.”
“I was so looking forward to watching the two of you perform for me. Imagine my disappointment,” she hissed, still milking away, her hand growing slick with fluids. “You have until the count of ten to be aroused before I rip it off.”
The young man began to cry shamelessly. No man could become aroused under these conditions. Now he just felt numb from the waist down. Through his own violent sobs, he could hear Morita counting, could hear the girl on the bed wailing in fright.
“My lady,” came a female voice from the doorway. No one noticed the redheaded girl come in. “My lady,” she repeated, louder.
Morita looked crazed; her eyes bulged and her teeth were bared as she ripped and tore. “Seven...eight...” She looked up, noticing the new girl for the first time.
“My lady,” she repeated once more, voice trembling. “By your own words, you told me to come get you when it was time. Please don’t be angry. I’m only following your orders.” Her lip quivered, eyes pooling with moisture. Who knew how Morita would react to being interrupted, no matter what orders she had given prior?
“Ahh, indeed I did,” said Morita in a most innocent, tranquil voice. “Thank you for remembering.” She released the man’s ruined phallus and headed for the door. He dropped to the floor, doubled over in pain. At this stage, it was unclear if he would even heal properly, but that was no concern of Morita’s. There were other male servants in the temple to replace him. And she had something else planned for today. Something she had nearly forgotten about.
* * *
The old woman hung from her wrists, head bent forward with greasy hair slicked over her eyes. Even as low as she could hang, her backside was still several inches off the ground. This was the closest she could get to a comfortable, sleeping position. Despite the awkward pose, pure exhaustion forced her into a sleep-like state. Not quite asleep, not quite awake, she hung there numbly, mind dancing in and out from dark dreams. By this time, both her shoulders were dislocated, but she couldn’t tell anymore. What was once a constant, burning pain had now become a tingling lack of feeling.
Even through her hazy dream state, she thought she heard the rattling of keys. Her eyes fluttered a moment, then shot open with the distinct bang from the upper door. It was never quite clear if they were coming to feed her or kill her. And strangely, it didn’t seem to matter anymore. Simply being kept alive had become painful. Could death really be any worse than this?
She tensed like she always did when someone was coming. With each footstep drawing nearer, the ball of ice in her stomach grew larger. A youthful girl with large brown eyes in a white dress peeked through the bars. “Are you awake?” she said softly. The old woman raised her head in answer. “I was instructed to bring you food.” The girl fumbled for her key while balancing a small silver tray in her other hand. The sweet aroma of spiced meat filled the cell long before she got the door open.
“I’ve never seen you before,” groaned the old woman. “Sent to feed the local pet, I see. I assume you’re being punished for something.”
The young girl giggled innocently. “Far from it,” she squealed in a high-pitched voice sounding even younger than she looked. “This is for you.” She held the tray under the woman’s nose. “Just relax your arms. I will feed them to you.”
One by one the girl popped the spiced meatballs into the woman’s mouth. They were still hot. Hot enough that she needed to chew with her mouth open. It had been so long since she ate food fit for a human. “Wonderful. Did you prepare this yourself?” mumbled the old woman, her mouth still full.
“No,” she replied, sounding disappointed about that. “Morita made them.” The old woman stopped chewing, bulged eyes staring straight ahead. A piece of meat fell from her mouth, hitting the floor with a wet tap. The girl went on, as if nothing about that should have been alarming, “She said it was your birthday today, and that she was going to make you something special.” The girl perked up. “But I’m going to be the one taking care of you from now on. I’ll bring your food, clean your cell—”
“Who are you?” the old woman squeaked, her voice barely a whisper.
“Well, that’s what I’m trying to tell you, silly,” the girl squealed, sounding every bit like a twelve-year-old. “I’m Brenda’s replacement. You won’t be seeing her anymore.” The girl put down the tray and skipped towards the open cage door. “But the two of us aren’t allowed to talk, or be friends, or anything like that. Morita said so. She said if we do, something bad will happen.” She sounded chipper and lively, as if she were talking about the weather. The old woman’s head began to spin, nausea rolling through her stomach.
The girl ducked out j
ust for an instant, then returned with a lidded silver tray. The crazy girl raised an eyebrow, doubtful. “I don’t expect you to eat this part, but Morita said I should leave it here anyway. It’s not as good as what you already ate.” She placed the tray on the floor and lifted the cover. There, eyes wide open in a wet pool of blood, laid Brenda’s head.
The girl skipped out of the cell, locked the door, then headed for the stairs. Somehow she was able to block out the old woman’s harrowing screams, the sounds stopping only now and then to allow her to vomit with a wet splat.
Morita was waiting at the top of the steps. The insane girl smiled when she passed by, receiving a pat on the head for being so good. When the girl was gone, Morita burst into a fit of laughter, cackling away at the woman’s screams.
But when a glimmering line of yellow slashed the air in front of her, she stopped cold. As always, her first impulse was to run. But as always, it was already too late for that. The glowing line stretched downward, opening up and forming a glimmering golden hole. The man in white burst from the portal in a blast of golden sparkles and grabbed her by the neck. Morita was far stronger than any human, but her body seemed limp and feeble in his solid grasp. Unable to even slow him down, her feet left the ground as she was hoisted into the air. He slammed her up against the stone wall.
“Master...master,” she rasped, lungs deflated. “If I’ve done anything to offend you—”
“Offend me?” he said, appearing confused, wondering why she would say such a thing. As if he were not squeezing the life out of her. He dropped her suddenly, then burst into his own fit of mad laughter. He laughed so hard that tears began to flow from his gentle brown eyes. Then, suddenly, he stopped. “The gods themselves have offended me,” he mumbled. He turned to look at her while she crawled along the floor. “Do you know what is happening right now? Do you know where he is?”
Morita was too afraid to answer. She could only assume he was speaking of Eric. That was the only thing he ever seemed to think about. She just shook her head. “They think it is him!” he boomed. Then his voice fell to a soft hush. “But he is not...it is me...because he is false... I will show the world...it is me.”