Caught in the Devils' Hand

by Ruby Duvall

  “Oka?” she called, her eyes on her little brother. His gaze, fixed on Mai, was startled into looking at her. She motioned him over to her and he obediently came, bringing along his wooden sword. In his finery from the day before, he looked like Vallen’s exact opposite. Whereas Vallen was a dark and dangerous warrior king, his body and expression conveying every kind of passion that only adults enjoy, Oka was a light-haired, naïve little prince, his body and expression holding wonderment for the world around him.

  “Sister?” he said, his voice barely a whisper. She smiled down at him, cupping her hand around his cheek.

  “Working hard?” she asked, bending down to bring her face closer.

  “Rosuke is a good teacher,” he beamed, obviously happy to finally be learning swordsmanship from someone.

  “That’s good,” she smiled, reflecting his happy expression. “I need you to stay with Vallen and Rosuke over here. Mai and I want to test each other out,” she explained, trying to soften the harsh words he must have overheard.

  “O-okay,” he agreed, his small hands gripping his sword tightly. Standing straight again, she maneuvered her brother with one hand on his shoulder until he stood between Vallen and Rosuke.

  “Don’t interfere,” she said sweetly, looking at all three of them. “I want to know just how much potential I supposedly have.” Vallen nodded, but Rosuke’s jaw stiffened, and Oka simply stared at her, a bit frightened, she was sure.

  “Well then, Mai,” she said with a louder voice as she turned around. “Let us find some space.” Mai nodded, having watched the scene in silence, and set her bag down on the tree roots next to her.

  They kept their distance from one another but walked together toward some open space between the trees. The tree branches overhead sprawled so far that only bits of sunlight were able to penetrate, but the breeze was strong enough to pierce the denseness of the forest and she felt her wild, clinging locks of hair flutter about her face. They were soon out of earshot of the three males but were at least within visual range.

  “That blondie is your brother?” Mai asked softly but harshly, sounding as if the question had been burning inside of her.

  “Yes. His name is Oka, not ‘blondie’,” she warned. “He does not deserve such a misnomer.” She looked over at the older woman, now stepping back to put more space between them, and saw the look of surprise on Mai’s face.

  “A blondie is a blondie—”

  “A blondie is a cruel, undeserving person who does nothing but thrive on the oppression of others. Oka is a sweet, pure boy and I’ll not have you call him such,” she corrected her. Mai’s jaw stiffened, but she nodded in acquiescence.

  “I’ll make my own judgment before calling anyone names, I suppose, and that includes you, Shumei,” she said with a hard edge to her voice. “I’ll never call you empress unless I judge you fit for such a title.”

  “That’s the best anyone can do.”

  Mai seemed to be annoyed at her attitude, probably expecting a different reaction, but she decided not to worry about what that expected reaction was supposed to be. She needed to worry about passing this woman’s test…or at least surviving it.

  “Then prepare yourself,” Mai said, her husky voice speaking seriously.

  Shumei’s eyes widened and a harsh gasp was drowned out as the woman’s magic suddenly burst out of her with an audible boom. It encompassed her and filled the surrounding air with green-tinted waves that pulsed with heat and energy.

  It was almost like watching a bonfire through green glass and at the center, Mai burned without burning, the kindling of all those green flames.

  She knew then that Mai was meant for a House of Spring.

  She brought her arms up to protect her face as a strong wind blew out from where Mai stood, sending leaves and twigs swirling away. Her heart was palpitating with adrenaline and the cold hand of fear came to rest on the base of her spine, making her shiver. She watched Mai the best that she could, even though the air around her was now bright with power, and she realized that the woman was about to rush her. What happened when Mai reached her, she didn’t know. Nor did she know how to defend herself from a magically enhanced physical blow.

  She was in trouble.

  “Empress!” Rosuke shouted, his voice revealing his panic. She spared two seconds to look back at the three males standing far from her. Vallen had two hands on Rosuke’s arms, holding him back even though his own face was filled with concern, and Oka stood stiff with fright, his wooden sword forgotten on the ground.

  Looking back at Mai, she gasped with fright as Mai began to sprint toward her, both hands holding balls of green energy and the word that she had been practicing all morning would not come to her tongue. For half a second, she considered dodging, but her body wouldn’t move, nor could she even close her eyes. She could only watch as the older woman drew closer, and her body stiffened as it awaited the blow.

  She felt incredibly disappointed with herself…but somehow wasn’t surprised. After all, she couldn’t really be the empress, right?

  A high-pitched whining filled her ears and she blinked in confusion as Mai’s body stood frozen, her face still holding a look of determination as the long ends of her braids flowed behind her. The heat waves of her magic hung like smoke in a windowless room.

  The wind had stopped and Shumei’s hair now hung straight. Forest debris was suspended in midair and every sound was gone except for the buzzing in her ears.

  The entire world had stopped.

  “There’s no denying it, my chosen one.” She gasped, turning around, and with that one motion, she swung into a new world. Suddenly the forest was gone, the buzzing was gone, and she was once again standing in a familiar darkness, only able to barely discern the semi-solid, smoky figure of a man in front of her. Her gasp of recognition was loud in the still and quiet darkness.

  “Are you…?” she began to ask, but she stopped, unable to bring herself to finish the question.

  “You shall reign as empress and you shall be the greatest of them yet. Your court shall bring peace to my kingdom. Your power shall quell the evil that disturbs my people…your people…our people.”

  “A-are you the…” she tried again, her voice coming out shaky.

  “I shall teach you things as your need grows, and your next lesson is now,” he declared, stepping forward.

  “Are you the Divine One?” she finally asked, and realized almost immediately the answer to her question. As faint as it was, she detected a smile on the man’s shadowed face.

  “I am. Now come to me,” he said, his arms spreading open as if he wanted a hug.

  Tears stung her eyes, and she pressed her fingertips to her lips to stop their trembling. It was belief in the Divine One that made it possible to continue living, even during the worst of times in her village—belief that he loved her as much as the rest of his people—that he would accept her soul, her love, her faith.

  Now here he was, right in front of her, though she wasn’t quite sure this darkness was any real place. His arms were open to her, accepting her just as she had hoped.

  She took the three steps that separated her from her god and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. His smoky presence seemed to be a trick of her eyes too for his body was solid and he was so warm.

  His arms wrapped around her, and she felt like she had finally come home. Love radiated off him like perfume from a bed of flowers and every safe feeling one could have filled her. It was like the kiss of a mother, the hug of a father, the laugh of a friend, the passionate touch of a lover… Her tears flowed freely and she happily accepted his lips when he kissed her.

  Heat poured inside her with his kiss, the same as when she had kissed Vallen and Rosuke. His power quickly filled her, from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, and with it came an incredible amount of knowledge. Her entire body began to tingle and her mind tried to follow the words flowing into her, but after only a second, she felt an incredible headache co
ming on and gave up, simply letting it fill her.

  She quickly became lightheaded and her knees shook with effort to keep her standing, but the one giving her his knowledge tightened his hold, keeping her upright. He held her in his embrace for what felt like an hour, his lips gently massaging hers in an almost chaste kiss as she took in his knowledge, her arms clinging to his powerful shoulders.

  When his mouth finally released her, she felt his hand press tightly against her back and a great surge of adrenaline filled her, making her pant for air. The sensation that followed was frightening, for it felt as if she were running all out, sprinting as fast as her legs could carry her, rocketing through the void at full speed. Her lungs burned with effort, and she felt faint as fatigue turned into nausea.

  “What’s…h-happening?” she gasped out, feeling her strength quickly evaporating.

  “I am forcing your body to learn stamina. The drained feeling will not last long,” he explained. Even from this close, she could not clearly see his face. She could not even tell if he had a beard or not, though she knew he did not since she had just kissed him. She supposed it didn’t really matter since, as a god, he didn’t have any physical form.

  “W-why…can I not…see your face?” she panted, seeing as how he was answering her questions readily enough. Her legs lost their strength, and she felt her grip on his shoulders slip. His arms gently and easily kept her in place against his chest though.

  “You haven’t decided what I look like yet,” he answered. That faint smile was there again.

  “W-what?” she asked unsteadily, fighting to keep her eyes open.

  “I think that’s enough,” he responded cryptically. He then removed his hand from her back, lifting her higher against him again, and his words became clearer. “I’ll now share my strength with you. Use it well, my chosen one. I know you shall.”

  She could no longer even hold her head up, she was so tired, but the Divine One gently cupped the back of her head and supported her as he curled close. He sighed into her mouth, the perfume of his breath like the sweetness of honey, warm like the sun and she felt her lungs take it in. The effects spread quickly, speeding through her veins, and soon her entire body felt warm, as if she had spent a lazy afternoon napping under a tree in full summer.

  Her fatigue faded almost immediately, leaving behind a drugged sleepiness like one feels after a night’s sleep ends too quickly.

  He sighed a second time and the scent was now of mint, cool and fresh in her mouth. Her limbs began to tingle as her lungs delivered the divine breath throughout her body, and she found that she was able to lift her arms again, which wrapped themselves around his shoulders. The soles of her feet found purchase in the ground again, and she stood straighter in his arms.

  He sighed a third time, his breath spicy, and energy surged to life in her body, making her heart flutter in her chest. The spicy scent reminded her immediately of Vallen, who always smelled of some exotic fragrance.

  His lips pressed against hers again, gentle and very soft, as if sealing his gifts with a kiss, and she felt a single tear slip down her cheek, cool against her heated skin. His lips lifted away, kissing her cheek to catch her tear and she sighed.

  She felt energized, ready for anything, and opened her eyes to look at the shadowed face of the Divine One.

  “It is now time for you to prove yourself to the new head of a House of Spring. Her past is rather painful, my chosen one. Help her find the one to heal her.” He gently released her from his embrace, and she looked at him pensively, turning his words over in her mind. The Divine One placed his hands on her shoulders.

  “Don’t hit her too hard,” he said with a smile in his voice. His hands turned her away from him then and she swung back into her world again. Mai was still there in front of her, her long braids whipping out behind her.

  “Now,” the Divine One whispered into her ear.

  The world slammed back into place and she had less than half a second to make up her mind as to what she would do next.

  Dodging to the left, she swiftly leaned back to avoid Mai’s fists. The balls of energy, what Shumei now knew as Flying Fists, shot out of the other woman’s hands as she shouted the keyword, and both spun away harmlessly to hit the ground, sending leaves into the air.

  “Tsuyosa,” Shumei whispered, knowing that Mai wouldn’t hear her. Her magic eagerly complied with her wishes, and every muscle in her body began to tighten and burn with power. Mai stumbled to a halt, her head whipping around to look at her in surprise, but the older woman quickly recovered, much to her own credit.

  Mai brought up her hands, forming a bowl that pointed toward the younger girl in front of her, and a giant ball of energy rapidly formed itself in her hands. It was a little different from the ones before and sizzled as if it held the energy and power of a lightning bolt.

  “No, stop it!” Rosuke hollered, and Shumei ignored him this time. Mai was simply creating a large version of the Flying Fist—the Flying Kick. It would be easy to deflect it.

  “Kaihou!” Mai called out, and the monstrously large green ball flew at her like lightning. Shumei placed her forearms in front of her face in the shape of an X, deciding to use a spell that would end this more quickly.

  “Kagami!” she screamed in response. A faint wall instantly appeared in front of her.

  It wasn’t faint because it was weak.

  It was faint so that the user could watch the result.

  Mai gasped, watching the events unfold with large eyes. The Flying Kick bounced off Shumei’s summoned mirror, reflected back in the opposite direction, and it zoomed toward Mai at twice its original speed. Mai tried to use a blocking spell, but she didn’t even finish the keyword before the ball slammed into her, sending her flying back. Luckily, she didn’t hit a tree before she landed.

  “Go, sis, go!” her brother screamed, his voice breaking on the last word.

  She watched Mai’s prone form for a few seconds, breathing heavily due to the adrenaline rush, and expected the woman to sit up and try something new, but after thirty seconds, Mai didn’t even twitch.

  Don’t hit her too hard.

  “Shimatta,” she whispered.

  Oh no…

  She quickly ran over to where the older woman had landed, worried that she had seriously hurt her, and was only a few feet away when another Flying Fist shot at her.

  “Ude-tate!” she blurted out, bringing up one arm covered with the magically created shield. The Flying Fist ricocheted off, smacking into a tree and removing a single layer of bark. Mai’s leg shot out at her, and she snapped to the side, kicking out and landing a hit on the other woman’s ankle. Mai cried out, and she knew that she had just left a serious bruise, if not worse.

  Backing up a couple of steps, she watched admiringly as Mai shot to her feet and showed no more than a small wince when she stepped on her injured ankle. Without preamble, Mai spun, bringing her arm around to punch her, but Shumei had already called upon her strength spell, having been prepared for hand-to-hand fighting. She blocked with one arm and brought her other hand up to catch Mai’s second fist. Gripping hard, she pulled Mai toward her with one hand and brought her knee up into the older woman’s stomach, softening the blow just a tad. She didn’t want to rupture anything.

  Mai coughed harshly, jerking her hand out of Shumei’s grasp, and backed up as well. She now looked incredibly frustrated as she stood there, rubbing her stomach and wincing. It was obvious that she was about to try something rash.

  Shumei knew then that she had won.

  Pushing off, Mai ran at her at full speed, intending to tackle her to the ground, but Shumei dropped low with perfect timing, shouldering the woman as she hit her and tossing her away like a rag doll. The other woman gave a small shriek once she was airborne and landed with an audible huff as the air was knocked out of her.

  Now frustrated as well, she marched over to where Mai lay gasping for air on the ground and leaned down. She grabbed fistfuls of the taller
woman’s clothes, lifting her up and off the ground. Though she only hung a few inches from the forest floor, the fact that a smaller woman held her up definitely had Mai frightened. The woman’s eyes were wide with surprise and she gripped Shumei’s wrists, trying to wriggle free.

  “Do you yield?” Shumei asked, her voice very serious. Mai’s eyes were wild as she looked down at her.

  “How can this be? You—you couldn’t even do a blocking spell just a few minutes ago. How?!” she gasped out. Shumei shook the woman, amazed herself at how well the strength spell worked if she could do so without breaking a sweat.

  “Do you yield?” she asked again, now in a louder voice.

  Mai hastily nodded, kicking her feet, and Shumei gently set her down, although she had the urge to simply drop her. The older woman’s ankle was already injured though. Dropping her would be spiteful and only aggravate the injury.

  Mai immediately fell into a low bow, her shins, hands and forehead pressed to the ground.

  “I beg your forgiveness, empress! I should not have judged you so harshly before. I didn’t have the right!” she apologized, her voice sincere. Shumei’s mouth dropped open in surprise.

  She looked over at the boys and almost giggled at their expressions. Oka was grinning, dancing where he stood, and both Vallen and Rosuke looked like they were going to collapse to their knees. Their arms were limp, their postures were slack and their mouths hung ajar. They almost looked sleepy, except their eyes were wide with shock.

  She smiled at them, and then looked down at Mai again, gentling her expression as the older woman looked up at her. Her eyes now held the same expression that Rosuke often turned her way lately.

  Wonderment…

  “No apologies necessary, Mai. Please stand and join us,” she said, holding a hand out to help her up. It was easy work to pull the woman to her feet and she realized that her strength spell was still active. She shrugged off the spell and her ball of magic obediently released it.