Shatari

[Arellia]

Well...it needs one more edit. And it's rather...odd. I don't generally write love stories...if you could call this such...but I'm pleased with the piece. It's from an ongoing story/novel...thing. If it's liked, I'll post more from the series. If not, oh well. Comments are appreciated.

The Meaning of Shatari
By Sydney Cooper

The fire crackled in front of one lone officer in the black of night. It danced in the wind, casting his shadow in eerie patterns against the trunk of a large tree. He tossed a red caplet into the flames, and did not flinch as the fire roared loud and high. The heat blazed against his pale blue skin, but he would not waver from his position. He the burn creep over his epidermis until it was near unbearable.

This night, the fire was not for heat--a Kadaran fears not freezing nor scalding. The fire was not for light, as a Kadaran is bred to see in the dark. Food is that of raw blood and bone--what use has he for a blazing inferno?

He leaned back against the bark, his armor pinching at the unprotected skin beneath. He made no move to alleviate the annoyance. It was nights like these when he dreamt of her, when he was separated from his unit. Her memory lived in the fire. The gold of the flame luminesced as her eyes, the lashing play of the wind the movements she made when she fought.

He blinked. He realized immediately that if he was Human like her, he would be grieving, crying. In fact, he would not have minded to do so at that moment. Yet for as much as he wished to, he could not.

She was an idol to him. She was everything he�d ever wanted, everything he wished he could have, and he could not attain her. To be near her now, to feel his hands in her hair�the warmth of her skin against his own�her breath against his neck� Oh, what he would give. A thousand times over he would give it, if he could have her. For without her, it was dark, and the darkness held no compassion for him. It was a deadly kind of darkness.

He played with the dagger at his side, one of many weapons he carried. He ran his fingers over it, pressing hard into the blade until he bled. It would be so easy to end it all, just like that. A little slit of the wrist, a jab to the throat, a knife to the head�it was unbelievably appealing. Four hundred thirty-seven years would be a long time to live. Two living sons would mark his legacy, the army could survive without him. He could be complete, he could end the cycle tonight, and no one could do anything about it.

His hand tensed, and the side of the blade hit against his finger bones. Crimson spilled out onto the ground, soaking into the soil. He could end it, if he would not consider what that would mean for her. His death would be followed by her own. They were married. One could not be without the other; ever. And if he were to die, he would never see her again. He would never be able to tell her the truth one last time. He couldn�t deny this truth. He had realized it long ago, and told her. She had despised him, for he had harmed her near beyond repair. And yet somehow, over the decades, she came to the same conclusion. He was in love with the core resistance to his military, and she had admitted her mutual affection for him. Well. Once, she did.

�Hub Shatari.� His head shot up, his expression a mix of panic and rejoice. She smirked; a beautiful, joyful sight. �Turikun,� Her voice was as soft as he remembered, �Turikun, you didn�t think I�d leave it be, did you?�

The angel, who had been perched on a branch above his head, walked towards him, into the light of the fire. For the first time in 15 years he viewed her--unscathed, not a trace of blood on her seemingly young figure. A white combat uniform, skin tight to the hips and soft from there down clung to her body in a very, very aesthetically pleasing manner. Golden eyes, the color of sunrise against clouds were large a bright, nestled amongst pale skin. Her hair--her long, angelic, fine hair--hung free down to the small of her back. She moved like a dancer, a separate entity, a cherubim come to earth, and sat next to him, tapered hands folded in her lap.

Turikun was speechless in the presence of such beauty. In his astonishment, he had forgotten to breathe, forgotten he should smite her where she sat. He wanted to take her close to him, prove to himself that the image was real. Here. With him, this second. He was frozen.

Her smile had interrupted time which had, of course, stopped.

�NoB�� he breathed, �You came��

He looked closer. Tears brimmed in those delicate eyes, pain in every gem-like section of the iris. And still she smiled. �I had to come.� Her voice faltered, and she stared at the ground. Turikun jumped in spite himself.

She knew. She�d known all along, all these months.

She knew she was going to die.

Her jaw trembled. She was 300 years old, and still death frightened her. Suddenly, for the first time in a long time, her 16-year-old body suited her. The silence was black, and it hung around them. Haunting them.

No, it wasn�t just the silence that haunted them. It was the raw truth. Turikun had been instrumental in all of this. He had killed that so dear.

Her shoulders shook, but she refused to let fall the tears. �I love you�� the words were thick and choked. Turikun felt a pain in his chest, and throughout his whole being. Her pain--he could feel it. Her terror, and her astounding lack of hatred. His own throat thickened. �Turikun�� She sobbed loudly, and the tears glistened dangerously in the firelight. Her face was of one who had lost all hope. Helpless�never had he rendered her helpless� �Turikun, I love you.�

What had he done?

Compelled by forces beyond his control, he lurched forward and took her in his arms. She shook under his grip, and the tears spilled down her cheeks. His grip tightened, and he crushed her in towards him, as if somehow if he held her now, if he kept her close, that her essence might fall into his, and she might be immortal. That maybe if he never let go, time would stop, and cruel fate would leave them be.

He was breathing increasingly unevenly the harder she cried. It was killing him, it was bleeding him dry to know he�d killed her.

He had killed her.

He bit his lip, and felt his own muscles working against him, choking him against his will. �I�� There were no words. What could he tell her? He was going to murder her. �Sorry� didn�t exactly cover it. �I�wish�things had been different.�

��I know��

Turikun�s thoughts came to a halt, and he pushed her away. She stared at him innocently, only an arms� length distant.

�You�� Turikun shook his head in disbelief, �You don�t hate me?�

Through her grief, NoB laughed. �Turikun,� she half-sobbed, half-chuckled, �I could never hate you.�

�I�� Turikun again found himself at a loss for words. He shoved her, using the momentum to get to his feet. She rocked backwards, but stayed upright. He stared at her in a sense of�spite? Pity? Sadness? He wasn�t sure which he was feeling, so it came as all three. He began to pace, fully aware of her ever-following gaze.

NoB raised an eyebrow at him, and he tore away. The sight of her, the essence of her cause him agony.

�You should kill me.� He said in finality, back to the fire. He felt NoB�s soft touch on his neck, and he shuddered under her cool skin.

�It is as it should be,� every trace of weakness was absent from her voice, �I have known for years it would�end�this way.�

Turikun spun to face her. She didn�t wince, didn�t even blink. She was so calm. He could only wish to have her sense of reserve. �I can�t live alone!� he shouted, �Please�� with his still-bleeding hand, he held the dagger�s hilt out towards her. Bowing his head, he knelt down to the forest floor. �Complete me.�

NoB took the dagger with her usual grace and turned the blood-stained blade, watching the fire�s light reflect against it. Slowly, she brought the blade to her lips, and ran her tongue along the dripping edges.

With a sudden, violent movement she jerked around and flung the knife tumbling through the air, until it hit its mark in the trunk of the largest tree. Both of them were still a moment, staring at the dagger.

NoB squatted to his level, and stared deep into his frighteningly red eyes. He looked back at her blankly.

�Not yet,� she said.

Turikun shook. If it was anger or sadness he felt, he couldn�t tell. �What-� He was cut off. Her arms flung around his neck, and her lips pressed against his, hard and aggressive, as if it was necessary to live. He paused, and she pulled away, blinking slowly.

�This is the last time I will see you this way. What do you think?�

Turikun made no move to respond. How should he know?

NoB grinned, but the grin quickly faded to melancholy. She sat cross-legged on the ground and relaxed slightly. �Well?�

Turikun sighed and mimicked her position. �What?�

�There�s something you haven�t told me.�

After the kiss, that was not what he was expecting. He paused, �Such as?�

�What happened between you and Cleopatra?�

Turikun�s mouth dropped, and NoB remained calm. �She and I��

�Yes?�

Turikun was indignant, �How did you find out?�

�Find out what?� NoB knew damn well what. She just refused to let it go.

Turikun look to the sky in and ever-so-slightly child-like manner. �It was 17 years ago.�

NoB waited patiently with one eyebrow raised, staring at him. Turikun shrugged. �What?!�

NoB blinked in that slow, owl-ish way. �Go on.�

He sighed again, �Weretillias is my son.�

�I suspected as much.�

There was another long pause, the silence only interrupted by the occasional �pop� of the fire.

�Orders?� NoB said suddenly.

�Of course.� He wasn�t phased in the least, and it showed.

NoB stared, listless, at the dirt. �I guess there�s no reason to be mad at this point, is there?�

Turikun somehow doubted and answer in agreement was what she wanted to hear. He stayed quiet.

NoB let out a breath and rose. �I got what I came for. I guess I should-�

�No!� Turikun surprised even himself by blurting the word out so brazenly. She appeared amused, to his horrification.

�No?�

�Please�� he fumbled, �Star the night. Here. One last time.�

NoB looked at him strangely, and finally nodded. �Alright�� she sat down beside him, �One last time.� she echoed.

It took Turikun a moment to get the courage to face her, and a moment longer to cautiously drape his arm over her shoulder. It had been so long since they�d touched that he jumped when she leaned in towards him, and he could feel her press against him. The fire reflected in her eyes, which were subtly filling with tears. She tried to remain silent, but he could read beyond words. He squeezed her, calling ever more of his energy to her. �It�s alright,� he murmured, kissing her softly on her forehead. It was the very least he could do, as her husband of over sixteen years. She struggled to speak.

�I don�t want to die�� she whispered, �I don�t want to leave before my work is done�I�I hoped that I�d live to see peace.� A single tear trailed downward, �I wanted to be with you.�

Turikun stared at the beauty beside him. There was nothing he could say, nothing he could do to change fate. There was nothing anyone could do.

NoB began again to tremble in the silence. Turikun let her go, stood, and tore the armor from his body, leaving him with only his black training uniform beneath. He returned and held her tighter. She was killing him from the inside out doing this. He deserved every moment of torture she could deal him.

�I don�t want to die�� she repeated, �I don�t�don�t want to die�� she closed her eyes, and took in a long, shaking breath. More tears. �I don�t want to die��

Had she been any other female, he would�ve cursed her--called her names, beat her for being a nuisance. But NoB was one of a kind. She was different.

Never would there be anyone else like her, and he�d killed her. His wish to run the knife through his head was unbearable. He could not live with this. He could never live with this.

He rocked her back and forth, and let her mumble to herself. He held her against him, and let her stay like that, feeling her presence and warmth against him, for hours, until the fire had begun to die out. He wrapped his arms around her. She had broken him. And only around him would she let this be known. She had no other equal. There is only but one equal, and when found, the only one who can hear the whispers of anger and hurt this far down. She was tumbling farther into the abyss that was death--knowingly--not trying to dig herself out of it. He was the only one who could watch and know all that would happen.

For only the second time in his life, tears slipped down his face. Even if he�d been trying, he could not stop them. She laid her head on his shoulder, and he squeezed her with what strength he had.

�I love you�� he told her, �And�I�m�sorry��

She sighed sadly, �I know.�

They broke away. NoB took a deep breath. �This is goodbye.� She said matter-of-factly.

Turikun nodded solemnly, and with the one last moment that they had together, he brought his lips to hers once again. Kissing was a Human custom, not Kad, but it felt right. They stayed linked a moment, before NoB pulled away. She tried to grin, but found she could not.

�Kiltas kalaia,� she said, �Ji enta meyan vak lok, hub Shatari.�

Turikun shuddered at her words, so forgiving. �U Ji enta meyan vak lok, Shatari.� His words were broken with grief, �Meyan.�

NoB�s chin quivered, and she knew just as he did that one more minute together and they could never leave. She leapt into the air and flew away like the angel she was, disappearing amongst the foliage.

�Goodbye,� Turikun said feebly to no one in particular, �For the last�time��

Cruel realization hit. She was gone. Gone, and not coming back. It had been the last time he could hold her, and she would respond. It had been the last time they would kiss with her still conscious of it. It had been the last time he could look upon her as the strong, healthy, beautiful creature she was. He body ached in sorrow at her loss. He wanted her to come back, to turn around and be with him again. Now and forever, she could stay, and he would never tire of her. Yet there he�d let her go, and he could not go after her. It had ended, just like that. Game over, no lives left to give, no means of rectifying it. He was severed; broken for good.

In a heated rage, he cried out into the forest. At the forest. A good many things were killed at his hands that day, and he could not honestly say he cared. His soul was sold to the pale-skinned demon of light, which he had killed. His life, anything good that could ever happen to him died with her. His world, as he knew it, had gone from torturous to hell in one swift motion.

And it was his own fault.

[AndrewBullock]

***Edited 1:10 A.M***

[AndrewBullock]

What an inspirational story. With the right music and a cup o tea, readers can enjoy themselves. You did a fantasic job Exalya. If only I had your skills

[Arellia]

Warning: PG-13

Shatari II: How She Fell
By Syd Cooper

There was silence a moment while he was blinking at the sand-constructed doorway, and he didn�t turn around for a while. If he turned around, it would be there.

But then again, as it was, he could feel it without seeing it.

�Ridiculous�� he murmured, pacing. Pacing was awful. It was Human. And he had somehow, someway, picked up the habit. Pitiful. But then-

The lump in the corner of the cell stirred, and he stopped, turning to watch it.

It reminded him nothing of what it once was. Dark, frail hair covered it�s back. Its skin was bruised and cut, a sickly gray. Its face was down in the beige sand, as if it couldn�t feel it, or didn�t care. No, it couldn�t care. It was nothing but a mass of used-to-be-and-now-spent matter, the residual dirt in the river bed that once teemed with life, once stirred sweetly in the calm breeze. The creature had been something he could recognize, at one time.

It moaned, and the muscles in Turikun�s back pulled taught. The moan was cracked, painful to the ear and the imagination. He could practically hear the blood in the wretch�s throat. It writhed unnaturally there on the floor, and turned itself over. Sightless, colorless eyes stared up at the ceiling, the soul behind it drained away, captured and locked in a giant spiked cell. At once he was compelled to run far, far from it. To get away from the tormented presence of the prisoner. And yet at the same time, some measure of compassion for the rudimentary and severely handicapped individual begged him to rush to it. Spontaneously, it began to scream.

Turikun had to brace himself against a wall to keep from falling over. The scream was agony, hurt, primal. There was no way to ascertain age or sex from the scream, for it was a power unto itself. The scream tightened his entire body, and threatened to take him over with projected pain. It pleaded with him to stop the hurt, it cried out in pitiful attempt to grasp some handhold on reality. He squeezed his eyes closed even as it continued to rattle the room with its anguish. The screams soon muddled with sobs, broken by the organism�s wincing and cringing. Without warning the thin membranous skin tore open, splitting into a creeping pattern of gory artwork. Black-red blood spilt over the ghastly pallor. In nothing more than obvious nervous reaction, the sobs and screams intensified to hysterics.

He was barraged by piercing torment and could take it no longer. His choices presented themselves a second time--run away, or run towards. The latter won him over. He dropped his weapons, flung off his armor, and dove for it. Cradled in his arms, he held the thing close to his chest. It was a mass of blood, bones, and dead muscle, all life in it seemed to have shrunk into it. Somewhere within the carcass lived the woman he loved. But maybe �lived� wasn�t the right word for it.

�Shatari?� He whispered gently to it, but this time, he did not receive an answer. The body of NoB was flaming with fever under his hold--still screaming, still racked with a pain from within. Its lips were chapped, the disgusting red pigment dripping down its chin. It took everything he had not to toss it away in sickened abhorrence. He had felt things die in his hands before--this, though, was entirely different. Never had he felt such contempt and despair at the death of an enemy.

Of�a soul mate. Of his Shatari.

Without his consent, his face became heated, and tears dropped down onto NoB�s face. His tears. Hot, angry tears coming to his eyes in droves, spilling over his cheeks. He clutched NoB�s body tighter.

The skin tore.

He trembled, coughing, choking on despair. The eyes were open, but there was no light in them. NoB was, to him, as good as dead.

�God�� He sobbed, pressing the vacant body close to his. �God, why have you done this?�

Turikun did not know if there was a God--frankly, he didn�t care. Yet at this moment, this second in time, he would give absolutely anything; his soul, his life, his command, if some deity would drop from the sky and fix this. As it was, no such entity was showing itself.

He cradled his once-wife�s head in his hands. The plains of her face were sunken and ill, covered in blood. He bent low and pressed his lips against hers, the high, sweet taste of blood coursing over his tongue. The body was once soft, warm, alive beneath his hold, a fighting presence of a lovely adversary. Now it was brainless, powerless.

�NoB, I�I want�� He clenched his eyes closed.

Zi n�yora sjorap. Meyan, Shatari. Caeta. Sjorap, t�klnt�

�The blood binds�� he murmured.



�Do you understand what it means?�

�No.� NoB shot back from her position, sitting elegantly on the cot. The laboratory was flickering and dim around them--of all the places he could�ve hidden her, this seemed the least fitting. Her beauty screamed from her body in dire attempt to fix the shack it had been placed within. Turikun was sitting on one of the tables, having cleared a heap of broken glass onto the floor. They were staring at each other, two equals, fighting with words. For the first time, it wasn�t a physical tournament they had entered. �Old Kad traditions. They mean nothing. Your people gave up their dignity hundreds of years ago, long before I was created.�

�Not all of us!� Turikun exclaimed, using every resource to pound the concept into her head. �Not me. The traditions had meaning. They were--they are--sacred. They are the best of my people. I offer you my best.�

�Shatari.� She spoke the word with a foreign accent, it seemed, though her Kad was factually perfect in every lilt of tone. Shatari meant little when stated so blandly. �It�s a word, like all the rest of your words. Tarnished. Your people have no use for it. Vak, Shatari, Caeta�they�ve sucked the meaning away. It�s only a memory.�

�No, no, it�s not�� Turikun bit his lip, staring unfocussed at the floor. �You are Shatari. The body of it. It is the connection, the depth--can�t you feel it? You of all people, you must��

The beauty paused, fiddling with her long, glinting hair. �I-�

She jumped in surprise when he was suddenly there, on his knees, holding something out to her. NoB blinked with her usual elegance and reached out cautiously to finger the ornament, make for certain it was truly there. A small double-ended vial of blood cased in gold, capped at one end with another precious, shining metal, lay in the soldier�s hands. Long spines reached out to each corner of his palm, shards of steel that had pricked his skin so lightly. It was ancient, its spirit permeated the room.

�Zi n�yora sjorap,� Turikun whispered, an innocence in his eyes that NoB could�ve never placed even with her vast imagination. �The blood binds.�

She moved to speak, but that look--that look--where had it come from? Ruthless, cold, dead soldiers were not supposed to have that nascence. The Commander of the Kad army was not supposed to be flamed in passion for anything other than killing. There it was, looking straight at her, unafraid, uncensored. He was not just any enemy. Two hundred years of hatred was never hatred at all. She knew all along there was a spirit within the automaton. It was only now that he took the time to remind her.

�Zi�n�yora sjorap.� She was breathing slowly, but at a distance she was watching herself, unable to fill her lungs. �You��

He pressed the metal to her hand, his far larger, strangely-pigmented digits were gentle on her skin. �Meyan, Shatari. Hub Caeta.�

�Mey�meyan.�

He grinned. And this time, it wasn�t out of sadistic, sick pleasure. The innocence had not gone away, had not dissipated into dream. It was pure. �You understand now.�

�I�I think so��

He touched her, felt up her arms, held her to him. She could not speak, she could not comprehend it. Those hands were the same hands that had hit her, beat her, fought with her in mortal battles. Those were the hands that were holding her now. What he had done didn�t matter.

�Shatari, I love you. I promise you, it�s no lie.�

She shook, yielded to him. He wasn�t; he really wasn�t lying. There was no right and wrong here. They were dealing with concepts far beyond that petty argument. No. It wasn�t wrong for her to be there. It just was.



Forty years snapped back into his brain and hurled his mind against his skull. He�d made a promise to her. He had promised to love her, as he was meant to. As a Kadaran. A true Kadaran.

�I�ll do it, NoB�� he whispered, hoping distantly that she could hear. �I owe it to you. God, I owe you more than this��

�Shatari, you�ve given me everything.�

�What�?� He eyed her, but no, she had not awakened. The corpse was still just that; a corpse. A shell. He shook his head. Shadows of the past could no longer plague him. He had to do what was right. He stroked the body a few times more, then laid her carefully on the blood-soaked pad. As silently as he had come, Turikun picked up his armor and went back to work.

[Krall]

Well, This looks to be a Very well done story! I only wish there was more to read. ehehe

[Arellia]

Once again, Warning: PG-13

Arellia
By Syd Cooper

�But I don�t want her, Lateni.�

�That�s your jchylmni problem. I don�t care. She�s here. And I can�t do an ean-�

�Lateni�� Turikun grimaced at his old friend, unabashedly tired. He flopped onto the bed, prostrate and grim. �You don�t need to swear.�

Lateni laughed and took another swig of Queniliak. These quarters were no better than any others, and for the night, Turikun and Lateni would be sharing them. The room was close and hot around them, the sand dusted their nostrils and every inch of their skin. Lateni was seated at the table, a large carafe of inebriating beverage half-drunk on its surface. He didn�t bother with a cup. For one, the commander and the lieutenant had been through enough that drinking after one another was the least of their past sanitary issues.

For another thing, Turikun had been uncharacteristically sulky, and refused to eat, drink, swear, or--in this particular argument--allow his own slave to enter their quarters.

�I don�t get it.� Lateni pressed on thoughtlessly. In the past few years, he�d learned to speak frankly with his superior. As a friend and Turikun�s own son�s Yita�yan, he�d learned that his place was not only to follow orders. He was more than welcome to question them. Off duty, of course. That and the drink were helping matters along quite nicely. �She�s beautiful. Hell, she�s stunning. She came all this way to work for us and you want to turn her away, tonight. Tonight! We should be celebrating. If you don�t take her, I will.�

�And here I thought you had more tact.� Turikun snapped, his voice tainted with dryness.

Lateni shrugged helplessly. �I do, Commander, I do. I�m sorry. But for just one night I�ll be an honor-less vey if I can celebrate with a girl like that.�

Turikun rolled his eyes and took a deep breath, pressing his bald head hard into the pillow. Not quite regulation was the fluffy sleeping piece, but Turikun happened to like them. That was NoB�s fault. It was also NoB�s influence that made him dread the woman on the other side of his door. Lateni�s brazen attitude wasn�t helping him. Granted, he might not mind the attitude if he were drunk, too. �Did you even look at her?� Turikun shot a glare in the direction of the table, �Did you look? Even once? No, no, you�re so drunk you can barely tell me from Ralin. You saw curves and your mouth watered and now you�re mad at me because I�ve got a shred of decency.�

The long string of angry words made Lateni jerk a little, fidget ever so slightly. �Turikun, I�ve seen you do some incredibly indecent things to your chattel. In fact, you�ve done a lot worse than me. I might get drunk now and then, and maybe I take a slave every few years, but I don�t beat a girl into Quen every week.�

�You haven�t the faintest idea what you�re talking about.� Turikun squeezed his eyes closed. �Couldn�t you see her? Emerald-green eyes, sharp as gemstones and a thousand times sharper. Black hair, the kind that�s so dark you want to fall into it, down to her waist. Not a shred of fat on that hard body. Pale skin. Dammit, Lateni, think about it.�

Lateni almost dropped his bottle in mid-swallow. It clunked to the table with a sound that echoed through the high-ceilinged cavern. �You�re kidding me.�

Turikun sighed. �No, Lieutenant. I wish�I�was.�

�Arellia Forai.� Turikun winced at the mention of the name and blinked his eyes open to see his friend leaning against the bed-wall, staring down at him from close proximity. �I thought she was dead.�

�She�s sure as hell no two hundred-year-old ghost.� Turikun groaned, rubbing his temples. �She�s alive. And she�s standing eight feet away from me.�

�She�s going to murder you.� Lateni tried to smile, but it came out so watered-down that the effect faltered. �You know that, don�t you? The twin of Minniette, one of NoB�s greatest allies comes back from the dead in time to watch you kill her.�

Turikun narrowed his eyes, fighting the moan in his throat. �Yes, I know.�

Lateni shrugged, idly taking up his bottle again, and heaved a sigh. �So what�re you going to do? The Forais aren�t known for their infirmity. She�s going to stand out there and wait for you until you die, or she dies.� He smirked, �And even then, she�ll make sure her skeleton is there to greet you on your way out.�

Lateni raised an eyebrow at the pending glare. The two men blinked at one another, until Lateni finally took another sip from his precious bottle. �So bring her in.�

Turikun snorted and covered his eyes with his hands. �I don�t want to kill her.�

�You�re starting to sound like your wife.�

�Fine!� The red eyes blazed, Turikun�s body sitting upright and erect in a flash. �That is just fine with me! What�s wrong with being like my wife? You always liked her.�

Lateni shrunk in presence and receded back most subtly. �I never said I disliked NoB. I wouldn�t have performed the Yituch�wi if I thought she was not your true Shatari, or unworthy of you. It was I who told you to start the whole thing in the first place.�

�You told me to blackmail her!�

�That was more than a century ago, mezcha! I was an idiot and so were you. T�kali!�

Turikun panted a moment and slumped back against the wall. �Fine. Just fine.�

�So what�re you going to do now?� Lateni pressed, �Send Arellia away? Kill her? Rape her? It doesn�t matter to me, I�m not the one breaking my only blood-vow.�

�I have every intention of killing myself, Lateni, don�t worry.� Turikun smiled enigmatically. In any other circumstance, it might be funny. �I just�she�s going to ask me for something.�

�I would be less concerned with that than trying to figure out who brought her back from the dead.� Lateni shrugged and settled back down in his chair, as placid as he could manage. �We�re not going anywhere with this. Are we going to open the door, or do you want me to toss out an explosive and be done with it?�

�I-�

Lateni growled and kicked open the door. The girl on the other side fumbled a little, having to straighten herself from leaning against the doorway. She assessed Turikun�s quarters quickly--noted that the two men were out of armor, flicked her expert green eyes over their weaponry, paced the length of the room with her gaze. The Forai girls had always been, and obviously always would be, some of the best tacticioners of the Human race.

She had aged only a little since the men had seen her. Her slender body, loosely clothed in standard combat fatigues, was still firm and muscular. Her coloring was surprisingly good for having been reported dead for so many years, the slightest of grins gracing her sharp features.

If the men hadn�t known better, they would suspect her to be a girl in her twenties. As it was, they simply couldn�t make out a good idea about anything surrounding her precarious situation.

She entered the room gracefully with her cat�s prowl, that same demeanor that her sister had worn every day of her life. She closed the heavy metal door behind her, backing herself up against the door frame, the most opportune spot for escape. She regarded them with clipped, business-like courtesy. Thankfully neither Lateni or Turikun were stupid enough to look at anything but her face, and took care even in doing that. Her sister had been an object of pleasure to both of them, as had she. Turikun could hardly breath when her eyes stared into his. He refused to let her know how terrifying her presence was, and made no show of it.

�Arellia.�

�Commander Turikun.� Her voice was that soft, whispery sort, high and sweet, minus the shrouded contempt that could be heard in how she spoke of her twin�s murderer. �It�s been a while.� She paused, and her trenchant look turned upon Lateni, her second, less important victim of intimidation. �And, if I�m not mistaken, you would be Lateni. Still an ensign?�

�Lieutenant, trana-class.� Lateni corrected curtly. �Still dead?�

Arellia smiled gamely in a predatory sort of way. She slunk closer to him, her tongue lashing out between her teeth. Lateni managed not to indicate how provocative she was, though the alcohol was slowly wearing away at his self-control. She allowed one well-manicured nail to scrape in a hair-raising, sensual manner from the back of Lateni�s neck, pausing when she reached his throat. Lateni clenched his fists as not to shiver� or strangle her. �Do I seem dead to you?�

�Leave him alone, Forai.� Turikun commanded gruffly.

Arellia sighed and dropped her hand in total disinterest. Lateni immediately relaxed and shot Turikun a thankful glance, mixed with the slightest bit of �I hate her, can I play with her and then kill her?� Turikun�s corresponding glare indicated a �no.�

�Pity,� she said, �I needed a refresher course.�

She turned around to regard him and the light caught her cheek bone, her lashes glistened and hugged the emerald gems.

Blood, blood on the floor. Shame leaked in tears and mixed with the thicker liquid, pooling gracefully. Dismembered body parts once pale now covered in red. NoB�s sobs racking the room�screams, shouts, whimpers and pleas, her voice was going hoarse�

Turikun shook himself. The girl was glaring at him. It was all he could do to not collapse to his knees and beg her mercy. �What do you want?�

�What do you think I want?� Arellia scoffed, �I wasn�t dragged here like all those *beeps* out there would tell you. The only reason anyone managed to bring me here is because I wanted to come.�

The two locked stares, and Turikun seemed to be the unfortunate weaker opponent. He was melting under that scorching look she was giving him. His glare paled in comparison. �Where did you come from?� Turikun hushed the gasp that followed the words. He didn�t realize his body had taken to suffocating itself.

�Don�t you remember the execution, Turikun? Or does the memory cause you pain?� She was mocking him with every tool at her discretion. �It�s hard to leave Alinacep when you�ve been thrown into the machines.�

�Like hell.� Lateni shot at the girl, inching closer to his friend, who was obviously in dire need of a life raft. �Spell us out the story or leave. Unless you want to take me up on that educational segment instead.�

Turikun gripped the back of the chair while the ebony-haired beauty clenched her fists. If it weren�t for Lateni, Turikun wasn�t sure he would be bothering trying to stand. The memories boiled and poured over his flesh, clawing into his skin. He couldn�t stop them.

It had been two hundred and thirty years, at least, perhaps a little less. After he�d�killed�Minniette, the remains had been buried in NoB�s own front yard. His now-wife then-enemy slipped into a depression that would last well over a year. In desperation she had fled to Alinacep, where the Quen factories flourished, and where Minniette�s identical twin dwelled as a slave. NoB bore the news to Arellia, and the twin had tried to comfort NoB. Arellia had always felt a kinship with the Lady of Hatra Callu.

Turikun heard tell of this story, and in one drunken night he had raved to his unit over it. He was still yet a rising Lieutenant, but his superiority had emanated among his peers even then. They agreed to help him on a personal mission--to finish the job, to complete NoB�s destruction, and remove the shadow of NoB�s only companion.

By the time he and his men had reached Alinacep NoB had already left. This didn�t matter to them. Lateni, at the time, was in control of Arellia�s chareklnn; the grouping of slaves she was classified among. Turikun hungered after Arellia�s body when he saw her. Minniette had been his slave--a personal slave--since she was ten years old. Arellia was a perfect match for his preferences. He confronted Lateni, and in good comraderie, the two men agreed to make a night of it together. That was how they bonded when they met. That was how they learned of one another�s ideologies.

That was how they killed her.

After they had finished with their fun, Arellia was covered in deep gashes, bruised, cold and soul-less. It was evening of the second day before they had let go of her and stood back to look at the damage they had committed to. Turikun had planned on killing her anyway. The men smiled at one another. They had smiled at one another--and Turikun took the initiative. Lateni held her down while Turikun strangled her. Her screams went unheeded; they didn�t even blink conspicuously while she effectively shattered her vocal chords with the strain. The damage done, they left the motionless body on the floor of the cell they had taken up in. They just walked away. Someone would find her, they knew, and ask no questions. She would be tossed into Alinacep�s famous factories and become fodder for the blood vats.

Something told him that she�d never made it to the vats. That perhaps she didn�t die after all.

Arellia sucked air through her teeth and fought to keep herself back against the wall. �I heard that you captured NoB.�

Turikun went numb. His body disintegrated from his senses. Was he still standing? �Yes.� He said distantly. �And?�

�My organization isn�t pleased.� Light voice. Light tone. She was speaking too calmly. Lateni inched a little closer to his superior in apparent defense.

�What�re you doing here, Forai?� Lateni said, covering for Turikun�s lack of response.

�I wanted to sit back and reminisce, Lieutenant.� Arellia smiled, and at that moment, she looked more like Minniette than ever. �Maybe have a nice little party, just the three of us, like old times.�

Turikun ignored the words. He fell into a chair, his head resting in his hands. Arellia cocked an eyebrow and sat across from him. �I suppose you deserve a little explanation. I�m here because I was sent by a good friend of mine�you might have heard of him. His name�s Red.�

Turikun�s eyes unfocussed as he stared at her in complete disbelief. Lateni�s hand brushed up against his bicep, he�d come so close. Nobody in the room seemed to be breathing.

�Red.� Turikun licked his lips, �Forai, what kind of a necromancer have you become?�

�You know, you should really check your corpses before you leave them carelessly on the floor�� The girl shrugged, regarding Turikun with some degree of civility. �You never know who�s going to pick them up. Let alone what they might do with them.�

�Keep talking.� Turikun�s mind was blank, he was responding on instinct. Lateni grasped at his friend�s shoulder, muttering softly. �Turikun, why are you letting her go on like this?�

He didn�t get a reply.

�Red�s a real nice kid.� Arellia continued levelly. �I met him about four or five years ago, after I woke up. He was real young. Fifteen, sixteen maybe.� Her voice thickened as she plowed on. �He was just about as bad off as I was. If the others hadn�t been ready right then to take care of us, he might have died, and so would I. He was really in love with her, that boy. He was crushed that he wouldn�t be able to see her again, but he knew well that I was the only person who could get to Afghanistan fast enough. Him and the rest of us, we�re a pretty small group. Minniette might be with us if you hadn�t�if she hadn�t�� Arellia swallowed. The gleam in her eyes spoke volumes. The memory wasn�t hers, but in her eyes, Turikun knew she could picture her twin�s body in a dripping lump on the floor. �Anyway. I was sent.�

�By whom?� Lateni asked pointedly.

�That would be giving it away, wouldn�t it?� Arellia smirked a little through her tears. Lateni�s heart pounded in his chest. �I was sent here to warn you. If you kill her, you�ll be doing more harm than good. If you kill her, they will come.�

�She�s dead.� Turikun said hoarsely, �She�s dead. Her soul is dead. Her life is gone, don�t you understand?!� His anger took hold, and the table went flying into Arellia�s navel. Arellia jumped just in time to bang her back against the wall, landing free of the wooden structure. �Now go to hell! Tell them to forget it, do you hear me? I�m dead and they can be happy so you get out of my room!�

Arellia panted, her eyes wide. Her back ached, reminding her that reality was, in fact, proceeding along in the continuum of normal time. Lateni stood back from his friend, the anger pouring out of Turikun�s body. His form was nothing but a radiant haze, and he doubtlessly was seeing that ruddy haze through his own eyes.

�I�m scheduled to stay in Tora Bora for the next three weeks before I�m shipped back to Alinacep. I have business here.� Every word was annunciated with careful diplomacy. Her gaze steady, Arellia wiggled into a more comfortable position. �My accommodations were to be set up with the two of you. Now, you can contest the order, or you can live with this as it is. It�s up to you.�

Turikun only had two words left. �Get out.�

Forai stood and dusted off her slender, model-perfect body. She smiled with a viper�s temper, bowed, and exited the room quietly, primly shutting the door behind her.

Lateni stared at the wrecked table, then to Turikun, who was in turn staring at the wall with a most disturbing expression on his face. Lateni didn�t care about his Commander�s mental health for the moment. �You broke my bottle.�

There was silence a moment before Turikun�s dead gaze rested on Lateni. He blinked slowly, and sighed. �Yes, Lieutenant. I shattered your damned bottle.�

[Krall]

OOO, I do hope you finish this, You have me hooked