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Hejira: Crystalline Hall

By Mantrid Brizon

Episode 08: Emancipation

Several days have passed since the mushroom incident, and Kahlera and Naomi are back to normal. They have left the cave and walked over twenty miles further north. There are only a few hours of daylight left, so they set up a camp for the night in a clearing about fifty-hundred meters from the edge of the trail. They haven’t seen a sign of sentient life in days, and no one feels like wandering into the woods for a more secure campsite. Gareth is collecting firewood just inside of the woods while Naomi prepares a meal near the campfire.

Kahlera sets snares around the camp by small game trails, but something catches her attention. She spins around and her ears prick. She squints her eyes as she looks around and listens carefully. She hears the faint sound of male voices nearby. As Naomi sets food aside in three portions, Kahlera appears from the edge of the camp and rushes up to the fire.

“Put this out, right now.” She tells Naomi in a quiet but stern voice.

“What? Why?” Naomi asks.

“Raiders are nearby.” She tells Naomi.

Kahlera scoops up handfuls of dirt, but Naomi panics and throws water on the fire before Kahlera can stop her, creating a thick cloud of smoke. Kahlera scrambles to put dirt on the fire, but five raiders show up and interrupt them, rushing them on foot. Naomi looks for the Kahr, but left it on the other side of the campsite. The raiders completely overlook it as one of them tackles Naomi to the ground. Kahlera puts up a fight as she is tackled by two other raiders.

Though she struggles, they lift her up and cart her off, while a third raider struggles to tie her wrists together. A single raider walks behind as Naomi and her assailant wrestle on the ground. She kicks the lone raider in the face, but he grabs her ankles. After several minutes of struggling, he pins her down and sits on her stomach.

“Now I’ve got you, bitch.” He grins.

Naomi screams and a shot rings out. Blood pours out of a hole in the thug’s temple as Gareth plants a foot on his side and shoves him off the young girl. The stunned Naomi shivers as she wipes the blood off her face. Gareth kneels down and helps her up, giving her a tight hug. She cries as she grips Gareth’s vest tightly. He looks around but doesn’t see Kahlera.

“Son of a bitch!” He cries out as he stands. “Fucking shit! Not her too!”

He spots the tracks and drags Naomi to her feet. He holds her wrist and pulls her violently behind him as he rushes to catch up to the other four raiders. He doesn’t lose their trail, but the daylight begins to fade. He struggles to keep on the trail, but as luck or fate would have it, the raiders camp was not far from their own. He stops and sits Naomi down by a large rock, standing on a hill that overlooks the raider’s camp. He watches with binoculars as Kahlera is tied to a tree, her arms pulled high above her head.

She is still clothed and seems unharmed, but she struggles as two of the raiders leave and enter a nearby tent. A raider runs his hands along her body, placing them over her breasts. He seems to fondle her as he says something to her; Gareth’s blood begins to boil as he grips the binoculars tightly. They quiver in his hands and the plastic creaks as he squeezes. The raider releases Kahlera and leaves, followed shortly by the fourth. He isn’t sure what their plans for her are, but whatever it is, he isn’t going to allow it. He turns back to Naomi and kneels beside her.

“I need you to listen, okay?” He says softly. “If they are going to hurt or rape her, then I’m going down there, and you’ll have to wait. If they leave her there for a while, then I’ll wait until it gets dark and go get her. Either way, I’m not going to leave you for long… Okay?”

He sets his hand on Naomi’s chin, turning her head to look at him. She nods slowly and Gareth turns back to watch the camp. He puts away his binoculars and starts to head closer to the camp, trying to be silent. Kahlera struggles with the ropes on her wrists and looks over her shoulder. The raiders are arguing amongst themselves inside of a large tent. They seem to be debating who will rape her first. She concentrates and manifests her aura claws. She sticks out her right index finger as a golden blade nearly nine inches long grows from her fingertip.

Gareth stops and watches the blade extending from Kahlera’s finger. She tries to cut the ropes above her wrists, but a raider suddenly comes out of the tent, dropping his pants. She coils her finger, hiding the blade as it fades away.

“Looks like I won. Ever had a human?” He asks with a twisted grin.

He holds his erect penis as he steps up to her from behind. Gareth draws Vetra and rushes him, but shuffles leaves and sticks while he is still a distance away, catching the raider’s attention. The raider stops and looks into the woods.

“Who’s there? Is that you Mack?” He calls out.

Gareth has already hidden himself behind a tree, not wanting the raider to call all of his friends out at once.

“Fuck!” The raider pulls up his pants. “Don’t play games, you asshole. I could be balls deep by now!” He says as he draws a dagger and moves toward the woods. “I get to go first, so fuck off!”

Gareth creeps around the large tree trunk, in full view of Kahlera, who watches on. Gareth stands behind the raider who looks into the darkness. He aims at the back of his head, and squeezes the trigger without hesitation. Blood, and bits of brain matter explode from his skull, and he drops to the ground with a loud thud. Gareth whistles in amazement at the sight, and quickly moves to another tree, dashing away from the corpse. The other three thugs come out and look around, drawing swords and axes.

“What was that?” One asks.

“I don’t know, but Mack isn’t back yet.” Another says.

“Where did Donovan go?” The first thug asks.

“Shut up and walk the camp!” The third barks.

They wander the camp and quickly find the corpse. The man calls to his friends as he stands over the lifeless husk. The other two rush to the body and the three raiders examine it. Gareth steps out from behind a tree and aims, firing into the unsuspecting raiders. Several rounds rip into the body of one, and the other two scatter. Gareth walks calmly up to the men, his rage at its peak. He fires slowly with well-placed shots, hitting another raider in the back. The final remaining raider turns back to look at his attacker. He stumbles, falling over onto his side as Gareth casually walks up to him.

“Scream for me…” Gareth says with a smile.

“What?” He cries out in confusion and terror.

“Scream for me, bitch!” Gareth demands.

Gareth stands well out of reach of his victim, just about five meters away. He aims down at an angle, pointing Vetra at his head. He slowly moves the pistol around as he seems to decide where to shoot the man.

“Please! Please don’t kill me! I didn’t mean it! I-”

Gareth fires a single round into the man’s throat, interrupting his pleading. He holsters Vetra and squats down, as he watches the man choke to death on his own blood. He gets up and returns to Kahlera, who watches in awe. He takes out his large recurved knife and gently rests a hand on her wrists as he cuts her free.

“Why did you do that?” Kahlera asks in a soft, melancholy voice.

“He had it coming, and he knew it. He was already dead.” Gareth replies.

“No…” Kahlera clarifies. “Why did you come after me?” She asks.

“What the hell kind of question is that?!” Gareth growls angrily.

“This is the second time I have caused you trouble. Third if you count that mushroom thing. I am not worth it.” Kahlera says as she looks solemnly to the ground.

“Yes, you are! Don’t ever belittle yourself like that again.” Gareth barks.

Her eyes immediately race up to look at him; they well up with tears as he speaks.

“Look… You are a part of my group; my companion. I like and trust you, and I’m not going to let anyone hurt you, at least not while I’m alive. You had better get used to that. Besides, when you have people that you care about, a little suffering comes with the territory.” He speaks with a smile.

Kahlera’s eyes keep welling with tears as he frees her from her bindings. He sheaths his knife and reaches out to her, gently caressing her arm. She can’t contain herself any longer and lunges at him, holding him tightly as she cries. He wraps his arms around her and gently strokes her back, trying to comfort her. Her tail sways and she buries her short snout underneath his chin, laying her head on his shoulder. Emotionally, this is as close to a male as she has ever felt, and it overwhelms her.

“It’s alright.” He says softly into her feline ear.

He wipes a tear away with his thumb and gives her a tight hug. He gently strokes her cheek with his hand. She slowly calms down and releases him, pulling away from his grasp. He looks around and searches the camp, finding her stainless-steel knife and Keffiyeh that the raiders confiscated from her. She looks over the camp, collecting important tools, extra food, and currency, before placing them in a sack. Gareth taps Kahlera on her shoulder. As she turns around, he presents her with her knife and scarf. She takes them from his hands as they lock eyes.

“You seemed really into that.” She says as she motions to the bodies.

“I uh… I enjoyed it.” Gareth begins. “Not because I enjoyed killing, but because I wanted to punish them…”

She looks at him with curiosity. He hesitates to continue, but as he gazes into her eyes, he feels his emotional walls crumbling. He wonders why he is even bothering to hide his feelings.

“They had the audacity to think that they could take you away from me, and I really liked making them pay for it. I don’t ever want to lose you…” He admits, lowering his head in embarrassment.

He worries that she will be afraid of him now. He can’t blame her if she was, as he is almost afraid of himself. He has never killed so gleefully before. He didn’t even realize that he was capable of such actions. He is also scared that he revealed his feelings too soon, and that she may not share them. His heart pounds in his chest, even harder than during any encounter he had with the raiders. Her mere presence makes his heart race, and the gaze of her golden eyes makes his temperature rise.

Kahlera is touched, and finds the sentiment very sweet. She struggles to find the words to speak to him, but her heart pounds and her hands twitch. She doesn’t want to feign disinterest any longer. She steps up to him and rests a hand on his chest. He looks back to her as she shakes her head, moving her bangs from her face. She looks up at him with her golden eyes. A gentle breeze blows; their hair flutters in the wind as though they were dancing, while they gaze at each other.

She slides a hand up and rests it on the back of his neck, tilting her head slightly. She pulls at him and Gareth leans in. He slides his arms around her body, holding her up against him. They lean ever closer as she moves her other hand around his back. They hold each other as their lips meet. They share a passionate kiss and her body trembles. Everything is turbulent; her emotions and the excitement, combined with his actions, are clouding her mind and making sound judgement impossible. This is pure impulse.

They hold each other and kiss repeatedly, as she grips his back. Their breathing becomes labored as his hands slide down towards the small of her back, creeping ever lower. She moves her hand from the back of his neck and down his side, racing towards his belt. Their hearts are beating out of their chests. She suddenly stops and pushes away as she struggles to come to her senses. She should not be succumbing to her desires so easily, nor should she be consorting with a human at all.

“Wait, wait.” She says.

“What?” Gareth asks, concerned.

Kahlera pauses, as though trying to come up with an excuse. She suddenly has a realization.

“Where is Naomi?” She asks him.

“Oh, damn.” Gareth mutters.

He picks up the sack of valuables and takes Kahlera by the hand. They walk back up the hill towards the rock where he left Naomi only moments earlier. Naomi sits behind the rock, unmoved since he went down the hill. She keeps her eyes closed tightly and covers her ears with her hands, as though hiding from the reality of the situation. Gareth calls out to her, but she can’t hear him. He startles her by tapping her shoulder. She looks up and leaps at him, hugging him as she realizes that he isn’t dead. She climbs off him and the three of them walk back to their camp.

“Hey, Kahlera… What was that thing you did?” Gareth suddenly asks.

“What thing?” She answers in a confused tone.

“That claw thing. I saw it when I came down the hill.” He replies.

“Oh, that… That was my talent. One of them, at least.” She says with a sigh.

“What talent?” Naomi asks.

As they walk, Kahlera lifts her right hand. She focuses on her claws and after a second, golden blades grow from her fingertips, startling Naomi. She smiles and waves to her human companions with the nine-inch claws.

“Okay, Krueger. You can put those away now.” Gareth tells Kahlera.

He looks in awe as the blades fade away.

“How did you do that?” Naomi asks.

“I sometimes forget that you are new here.” Kahlera begins. “It is my aura; the physical manifestation of my spirit.”

“Kind of sounds like ‘The Force’.” Gareth thinks quietly.

“Some people have an aura strong enough to control, using powerful skills called ‘talents’. I have several, but they are somewhat weak. I did say that I was not much of a fighter. With focus, you can summon the talents at will, though unskilled users typically only see them appear when they are in mortal danger, or very upset.” Kahlera continues.

“Does everyone have these talents?” Gareth asks.

“No. Maybe only a quarter, and only a few of that quarter are exceptional. I am not exceptional.” She answers.

“So why didn’t you use them when you were being captured? I didn’t see those guys with happy magic claws.” Gareth comments.

“The reason that I did not use my aura talents is because people with talents, especially the Sahvorai, are often targeted by people without talents. If I used my talents and failed, I most certainly would have been killed right away, a risk I was not willing to take. Waiting to use my powers and allowing myself to be captured was a better option than fighting, at least in that particular situation.” She answers.

“I understand the reason, but you were almost raped…” He retorts.

“Well… I am not letting that happen again.” She adds.

“And neither am I… So please, if there is a next time, feel free to use whatever you can.” Gareth says with a smile.

Kahlera smiles back; she knows that he is sincere. They arrive at their camp, just in time for the darkness of night to shroud them completely. Gareth removes the raider’s corpse, dragging it from their camp. They eat the meals that Naomi had set aside earlier and sit in relative silence. There isn’t anything to say tonight. Gareth and Kahlera keep looking back at each other, sometimes at the same time. It is soon time to sleep, and they prepare their sleeping bags and bedrolls for the night. Gareth motions to Kahlera, who is a short distance away. She approaches and kneels down beside him, holding her bedroll under her arm.

“I want to keep you close.” Gareth says with a smile, patting the space right beside him.

Kahlera feels herself flush as her heart beats harder and faster. She sets her bedroll down next to his sleeping bag. It isn’t nearly as cold as it was the previous nights, so he unzips the sleeping bag, keeping it draped over him like a blanket. Gareth uses his pack for a headrest, giving her his clothes pillow again. They lay there in silence, supposedly trying to sleep, but Gareth looks back over to her as she keeps her back to him. Quite a bit of time passes and they are both still awake. Gareth looks over to her again and wonders what he is waiting for.

Kahlera is suddenly startled as Gareth moves closer to her. She turns her head and looks over her shoulder as he presses his chest against her back, and his pelvis against her buttocks. He drapes an arm over her and leans in, resting his face just over her shoulder. Her mouth hangs open and her eyelids lower as she breathes heavily. He places his hand on the ground, his arm brushing against her flat stomach. He nuzzles the side of her snout with his nose for a moment, before giving her a passionate kiss. She promptly rolls over onto her back and gazes up at him.

The spontaneous release of the built-up tension pushes her mind aside all over again; she invites the impulsiveness, and Gareth, with open arms. He leans over her and kisses her again and again as his free hand explores her body, starting from her abdomen and working its way up. He feels her breast underneath her top; it fills his hand, and her soft fur rests between his fingers. She pulls at Gareth’s belt and he climbs atop her, holding himself above her on his elbows and knees. They kiss passionately as her hands caresses his body, sliding up and underneath his shirt as she feels his skin on her hands. She gently scratches him with her claws, and he seems to enjoy it. His flesh is so warm and inviting to her, and hers to him.

“Wait.” Kahlera suddenly whispers.

“Yeah?” Gareth stops.

“Is Naomi awake?” She asks him.

They both look over, seeing that Naomi is fast asleep. She seems to mumble, and briefly snorts as she rolls over. Gareth shakes his head ‘no’ as he looks back down at Kahlera.

“Good.” She says with a lustful grin.

She repositions herself underneath Gareth, spreading her legs farther apart as he kneels between them. She reaches down and lifts up her skirt, but struggles with his belt and pants. Gareth can’t help but laugh quietly, before doing it himself.

“Do you need help with this part too?” Gareth winks.

“No. I know what to do from here.” She coos.

“Good. So do I.”

He leans in and continues kissing her. His lips move from hers, traveling along her snout and past her cheek. He necks her tenderly, and she closes her eyes. His touch is intoxicating; she can’t believe that she is letting this happen, or that she waited this long. She holds onto his hips and prepares herself. He leans into her slowly; her grip tightens as she suddenly gasps.