Kimi and Reisu's Story 02 Thread Five: Reisu tossed and turned, her body covered in sweat and the sheets tangled around her legs. Panicked, she sat up, eyes darting wildly in the dark, breath coming in short gasps. The dreams had even more intense than usual tonight. She closed her eyes against the ring of Kribensis’ laughter in her head. The blood, the beatings, that stifling smell of rot—it had been so real. So vivid, that Reisu reached down to touch her stomach, just to prove that the wound from the dream didn’t exist. Why was she having these dreams? Why was Kimi in them, and who the fuck is Kribensis? Sighing, she flipped on the lamp next to the bed and reached for her book. It was useless to try to sleep again after all that. As she settled into the pillows, the door opened, and Kimi burst into the room. “Tell me you just dreamed what I did,” Kimi said, her green hair a tangled mess and her breathing hard, as though she’d just run a marathon. Reisu shook her head in frustration. “Yeah, just like the others.” Both of them had started to have strange recurring dreams of this Kribensis person for the last several weeks. The fact that Kimi was having the same exact ones was just bizarre. The dreams had been the run of the mill standard nightmares, and Reisu had always known she was dreaming and could waken herself at any moment. But tonight…tonight she had thought she was going to die. “No, this was too realistic,” Kimi continued, plopping onto the bed. “It has to mean something, right?” “Oh come on, how could we have been slaves to an evil empire under a guy we’ve never met when we’ve lived here all our lives? You don’t honestly think this person is real do you?” Reisu exclaimed, dropping the book on the nightstand. “It’s ludicrous to just randomly search for some figment of our overactive imaginations.” Kimi rubbed at her temples as though she had a headache. “Did you hear that techno music in the background? Could it mean one of the dance clubs in the Bridge District?” The purple-haired girl sighed. “You’re grasping at straws, Kimi. Just because there was techno music doesn’t mean we’re going to stroll down there and find him.” Stubborn brown eyes gazed at her through a fringe of green bangs. She’d seen that look way too many times and had learned long ago that arguing with Kimi was pointless. “Fine, I guess we can go take a look if it’s going to shut you up about all this hidden meaning crap.” She flung the sweat-damp sheets over her friend. “It’s not like I’m going to be able to go back to sleep anyway.” __________________________________________________ Two hours later, the girls walked down Kings Street in the Bridge District of West Central. Dance clubs and bars lined the narrow road, music spilling out and overlapping on the sidewalk. Neon signs illuminated the frigid air, promising a good time to passerby. Reisu hugged her sweater around her body as she and Kimi made their way past the late night crowds. The purple-haired girl had groused through the entire subway ride and continued as they’d quickly searched three clubs. She’d gone on and on under her breath about how searching the rest for a nonexistent person was going to take forever. Why couldn’t the dream have been silent? Or at least involved a warm bath? If the two of them hadn’t been friends since the third grade, Kimi would have killed her long ago. “Hey, Reisu—“ she turned to her friend, but the girl had disappeared. Whirling around, Kimi spotted two long, purple ponytails rounding the corner of a nearby building. Hurrying back the way they had come, she ducked into a narrow alley and ran straight into Reisu. Peering over the girl’s shoulder, she got a look at what had attracted all the attention. Standing at a side entrance to Stripes, one of West Central’s smaller, but hottest clubs, was a pair of gorgeous twin men. They were smoking cigarettes and talking to two other guys, seemingly unaware of Reisu and Kimi’s presence. Kimi instantly recognized them as the new transfer students at their university. Originally from Germany, the twins had moved to America as part of their modeling contract. With their long, flowing orange and blue hair, pale skin, and golden eyes, they had created a legion of fervid fans within moments. Kimi stared, breath frozen in her lungs as the beautiful twins filled her vision. She had never seen two more perfect figures, and was fairly sure that the sun would fail to rise if they asked it not to. She could have stood there forever without complaint, but Reisu pinched her arm, rudely yanking her from the bishounen-induced trance. “Hey!” Reisu dangled a Kleenex in front of her face. “You want a tissue to handle that drool?” Kimi shot her a nasty look. “There’s nothing wrong with admiring good genes.” “Please,” Reisu said. “We both know which jeans you were looking at.” Her eyes flicked over the identical forms. “However,” she acquiesced, “they do fill them out quite nicely.” Kimi nodded, glancing into the alley, but the twins had returned to the club. Stinging pain stabbed into her shoulder as Reisu pinched her again. “You coming or what?” The purple-haired girl asked as she turned for the main street, her shoes clicking loudly on the pavement. When she didn’t move Reisu stopped and shot her a questioning look. “You do want to follow them, don’t you? Maybe something will happen to make this wild goose chase worthwhile.” __________________________________________________ Inside the dark club, pounding rave music overwhelmed the girls as they paid the cover and stepped inside. The flashing lights and smell of alcohol interlaced with sweat permeated the air as people swayed on the dance floor or talked at the bar. Working her way through the tightly packed crowd of hipster college kids and twentysomethings, Reisu quickly lost sight of Kimi. She hated it when the crowds were this bad and people were packed in like sardines. No one needed to be that close to her body unless she personally invited them. Pushing into a group of kids in wide-legged pants and animal shaped backpacks, Reisu was quickly encircled even as she tried to maneuver around the gyrating bodies. Losing her patience almost immediately as a girl with pink braids stepped on her foot; she tried yelling above the music only to lose the words to the pounding bass. The kids began swinging their arms in unison as the song sped up, flinging Reisu around the group like a pinball. She tried once again to slide away from the dancers, annoyed as one of them began giggling about bubbles, but the kids pressed tighter, almost as if they wanted to prevent her from moving past. Dangerously close to losing her temper, and not seeing Kimi anywhere, Reisu grabbed the nearest kid by the shirt, intending to physically remove him from her path. Before she could shove him away, the boy sank his teeth into her wrist, dull, reddish eyes staring blankly. __________________________________________________ Grinding to the pulsating beat, Kimi moved across the dance floor, shifting around the writhing bodies of the other college kids. She hadn’t seen Reisu since they’d paid the cover at the door, but with the huge crowd that wasn’t too surprising. The strobe light flashing, Kimi danced to the slow, thumping bass of the song. Her mind turned over the events of the night, the craziness of the dream melting in the stark light of reality. How could she have possibly thought any of that could be real? Things like clairvoyant dreams or past lives just don’t happen. Besides, she and Reisu were only freshmen in college, in the same town they’d grown up in. They’d both had their share of personal tragedy, but nothing in the past nineteen years that could warrant these kinds of thoughts. Let alone actually believing the dreams could have any truth or hidden meaning to them. It was probably just a case of the two of them getting worked up, like watching a horror movie and dreaming about it later that night. It had to be their own Pavlovian suggestion they were feeding themselves. Sliding and twisting against the crowd, she slipped from one group to the next, loving the heat and sweat that permeated the air. Dancing was such a primal experience, steeped with carnal desire and need when bodies crowded this closely, the lights were dimmed, and all you could hear was the steady rhythm of the bass. In her ancient cultural history classes she’d read that this kind of dancing was often the beginning of mating ceremonies and being this close, existence narrowed down to an intoxicating concoction of the five senses, she could easily understand why. The song continued with the same lethargic pulse, packing the floor as people hemmed in from all sides. Another dancer slid in behind Kimi and for a while they moved in unison, tightly pressed together. He smelled like sweat and men’s cologne, and she shivered as he wrapped strong, toned arms around her waist, long hair floating down in a damp, sweet-smelling cloud. For a moment she almost felt as though her were protecting her, like she was made of glass and about to break. Capitalizing on the liberties that only dancing allowed, she reached around to run her hands up and down his thighs and back, happy to discover a strong, muscular frame. Reveling in the delicious sensation of his sweaty chest sliding against her back, Kimi tilted her head back to rest on his shoulder, caught in the spell their slow grinding cast. If time stopped right at this second, she’d be perfectly content. Inevitably one song faded into the next, the beat speeding up and Kimi stepped back to look at her partner. Her eyes traveled up the slender, perfectly proportioned body, taking in the tight pants and form-fitting t-shirt until she was gazing into the liquid golden eyes of the orange-haired German twin. Before she could say anything, he gently put a finger to her lips and smiled mischievously, fading into the crowds without a word. Recovering from the shock, Kimi began to look for Reisu. She needed someone to share the incredible news with. For god’s sake, one of those gorgeous twins had danced with her! After searching for her friend near the bar and the seating areas, Kimi finally found the purple-haired girl in a corner of the club, surrounded by several kids decked out in rave gear. Slipping through the crowd, she grabbed the nearest t-shirt clad teen and pushed him out of the way. Reaching through the circle of kids, Kimi latched onto Reisu’s arm and hauled her from the midst of the dancing teenagers. “You are not going to believe what happened!” Kimi nearly screamed in excitement. “I saw one of the twins and he danced with me!” “That’s great,” Reisu said, hand clamped over her bleeding wrist. “You dance with a hot guy and I get bit by a stupid kid.” She carefully examined the wound. “It was like they wouldn’t let me leave and I could have sworn for a second that his eyes glowed.” “Did he really bite you?” Kimi asked distractedly, concentrating on scanning the crowd for either of the twins. Dragging her gaze over the line at the bar, she finally caught sight of the identical models. They were pointing in their direction, but then a group of people walked by, cutting off her view. When the crowd passed, they were gone. “Shit, now where did they go?” She muttered, determined not to lose them completely. “Kimi!” Reisu screamed from behind her, and Kimi whirled around to see her partner crouched on the floor, trying to protect herself from the same group of raver kids. They had apparently tired of the attempts to get Reisu to join in and had pushed her down, kicking at her as they danced. Ten pairs of vacant eyes turned in her direction as she charged into the center of the group, the gap closing instantly as she stood protectively over her friend. No one would mess with Reisu if she had anything to say about it. The kids squeezed toward them and Kimi lashed out, surprising even herself as she caught one of the kids in the kneecap. There was an audible crunch, and the boy dropped to one knee, but he just sat and stared at Kimi, his glazed-over, dilated eyes utterly blank. A small twinge of panic flared in Kimi’s stomach. Something was definitely wrong. Hideous screeching blared over the speakers and the music died, leaving the club with an eerie silence. Laughter erupted behind them and both girls froze, Reisu still kneeling on the floor and Kimi cautiously warding off the crazy raver kids. Slowly, as if it were a scene in a Hong Kong action movie, they turned, and Kimi gasped aloud as her eyes found the source of the echoing snicker. Standing on the bar, leaning against one of the support posts, was a tall, thin man in his early twenties. Silver hair that brushed the edge of his jaw framed delicate features that were set off by alabaster skin and flashing indigo eyes. He wore perfectly cut jeans, ripped fashionably along the thigh and shin, a black shirt held together in some places by fishnet, and a long, white scarf. “Kribensis!” Reisu shouted in sheer disbelief. Kimi pushed harder through the crowds, desperate for a better look at the man from their dreams. He was real and they had actually found him. What the hell had happened to reality? From his place above the clubbers, the man calmly took a drag of his cigarette and leveled a hard stare at both girls. A dull red glow lit the club, all attention in the room shifting briefly to him before every pair of eyes swiveled to them in unison, and the college kids moved toward Kimi and Reisu like an army of toy robots. __________________________________________________ “What the fuck is going on?” Reisu swore, stepping up next to Kimi. If this Man was real, could the other parts of their dreams be? Did this mean she really was the slave girl from the past? She’d heard of people experiencing past lives, and remembered her grandmother telling her as a very young child that with a mirror and a candle you could see images of who your soul used to be. This was far crazier than her grandmother’s stories, though. For one, some mysterious benefactors had given her uncontrollable magic to fight a sorcerer! Reisu thought that this would be a good time for her to wake up, but that didn’t seem to be happening. What the hell were they going to do? It wasn’t like in the dream where they had weapons and instructions from the Selestarri. Panic started to take hold and as her mind whirled through various means of escape, the image of the blue-steel tipped glaive flashing repeatedly. Somehow she could feel the weight of the weapon, the smooth edges of the carved runes. This was insane! There was no way something could appear from thin air! Yet the image stubbornly hung on, quickly replacing all other possibilities of running. Fine, it wasn’t like it could make things worse! Closing her eyes, she called upon the glaive, trying her best to imagine exactly what it would feel like even though, short of a broom, she’d never held anything like it. A brilliant purple glow flashed like a strobe light, chased by the acrid smell of burned metal, and heat scorched her hand. The strange calm she’d felt from the Selestarri in the dream wrapped tightly around her as fresh images began flooding into her mind like a tape running in reverse. Everything she had dreamed for the past few weeks was pulled into her memory and staking its permanence. The overwhelming replay of a life once lived almost caused her stomach to turn and release its contents. It was all happening too fast; the blood, the pain, the humiliation, all at once. Eventually her head stopped spinning and she opened her eyes to see the gleaming glaive grasped tightly in her hands. Next to her a green light also pulsed and then slowly faded. Kimi stood gripping a beautiful rapier. Staring down at the weapon, brown eyes wide, she looked just as shocked as Reisu. On the bar, Kribensis leaned against a column, arms crossed in boredom. He lifted a hand and proceeded to pick idly at his fingernails. “Kill them,” he sighed, and glanced in the general direction of the girls. The edge of the glittering rapier cut a sharp whistle through the air just as Reisu felt the glaive jerk in her hands. Pulled along helplessly, the haft forcing the entranced clubbers to either side as they pressed through the crowds. Kimi walked backward, fending off all attacks with a threatening swipe of the sword. Hands clawed at their hair and clothing and legs sought to trip them, but the weapons were threatening enough and with an effort, they reached the exit. Reisu pushed the door open and leapt onto the sidewalk, Kimi following in her wake. The door swung shut as the girls spun around, ready to attack and breathing so hard it sounded like someone hyperventilating. The seconds ticked by as they waited for the club kids to appear, but the door remained closed and no one followed them. Tightly gripping the glaive, hands sweaty on the rune-carved length and body shaking with a mixture of fear, anxiety, and strangely, excitement Reisu continued to stare at the motionless door entrance. Kimi looked just as unsure, her face a ghostly white beneath the fringe of green bangs. Even as her mind struggled to comprehend everything that had happened in the last ten minutes, Reisu turned to smile reassuringly at her friend, but sound of clapping echoed in sharp staccato, and both girls whirled around to find the source. Standing under a streetlight, haloed in pale yellow were the beautiful European twins. Smoke swirled in gray spirals from the pinprick glow of lit cigarettes, rising slowly before disappearing into the night. “You really shouldn’t be here,” Kimi said, taking a step towards the twins while attempting to hide the sword behind her back “Oh really?” The blue-haired model asked, his German accent giving the words an unusual lilt. “It seems to me that this is exactly where we should be.” “We do anything that our master asks of us,” his brother added, dropping the cigarette and crushing it under his foot. Master? Reisu and Kimi exchanged puzzled looks. “I see you’ve met Stoer and Lochs,” Kribensis’ voice floated down from the roof of the neighboring building, managing to sound ominous and bored at the same time. “Actually they’ve been watching you for some time now, ever since I sent them to your university.” He turned and walked down the length of the rooftop, snow-white scarf floating in his wake. “I trust you four will play nice,” he added, as a dark ripple of shifted through the air around his body and he vanished. Stoer and Lochs stepped onto the sidewalk, smirking at one another before the words had completely sunk in, and Reisu barely managed to ready the glaive as they drew close. Determined to get through this quickly so she could go home and reason everything out, she leveled the weapon at the approaching orange-haired man. Just as she felt the glaive begin to pull, Kimi stepped between them. “We don’t want to fight you,” the older girl explained, sword held at her side. “I’m sure Kribensis is not who you think he is. Hell, we don’t even know whom the fuck he is exactly, and he’s trying to kill us.” A blur of black swung through the air, faster than either girl could follow, smashing into Kimi’s chest. Without a sound, she dropped to the broken concrete. Anger roared to life like a gasoline-fed bonfire and Reisu lashed out at the nearest twin, sweeping the glaive in a wide arc. The blue steel blade sliced his hand and the model cursed at her in furious German. The twin with the flame-hued hair sank into some type of martial arts style fighting stance and Reisu moved in his direction, but a voice from the sidewalk drew all attention. “Please,” Kimi pleaded. The injured girl had pushed herself into a sitting position, but blood dripped from her mouth, staining her hands and clothes. “No more fighting.” The model standing opposite Reisu laughed. “But I think your friend still wants to play with us.” He turned to his brother, golden eyes amused. “What do you think, Lochs? Haven’t we been impolite to keep the lady waiting?” In one fluid motion the twins leapt at Reisu, moving with speed so fast it was all she could do to defend herself. Desperately raising the glaive for protection, she quickly lost track of their strikes, managing only to parry by sheer luck. The unrelenting press of their attack continued and she stumbled as a foot connected with her knee, forcing her over the edge of the curb. Arms flailing as the pavement rushed upward, she almost missed the streak of blue that snatched her wrist and twisted it close to his face. Her green eyes leveled with his gold, and he smiled. Wrenching her arm over his shoulder, she was jerked forward like a puppet on a string. Heat and the delicious smell of expensive cologne wrapped over her as their lips met for a brief instant. His mouth was soft and slightly moist, a pleasure she savored just before he hurtled her across the concrete and into a row of trash cans. Landing with a crash, purple hair flew around her prone figure, and she struggled to catch her breath. Kimi had regained her feet and was already moving toward Reisu as she pushed aside plastic bags reeking of rotten food. A flash of orange stopped the girl in mid-stride, immobilized by the grip that held her long, green ponytail. His arm snaked protectively around her waist and he seductively pressed his hips against her, moving to an imaginary beat. Kimi glared at him as the hilt of her sword bashed against his side. The model seized the weapon and easily pulled it from her grasp, a metallic clang ringing through the air as it skittered across the road. The sharp snap of electricity ripped through the air, punctuated by the smell of burnt sulfur. All eyes immediately shifted to the roof, where Kribensis had reappeared. “We’re going,” he announced. “You can finish playing later.” Stoer and Lochs grinned, returning to their place under the streetlight as the air rippled and they melted into the darkness. On the roof, Kribensis was gone as well. Stunned, Reisu and Kimi stood on the deserted street as a cold wind blew through West Central. Thread Six: Through the thick, rolling fog, Kimi and Reisu walked down the brick sidewalks of their university, hair streaming around them in an unfelt wind. They giggled to one another, soundless mirth conveyed only by the shaking of their shoulders. Other students passed by, laden down by heavy backpacks, most either overtired or carrying the visible strain of a coffee addiction on their faces. Kribensis sighed and turned away from the pond, climbing the steep embankment to sit on a decaying wall of fieldstone. The mist crawled over him, seeking entrance to his warm body through mouth, nose, and ears. Shrouded in the low-hanging cloud he could barely make out clumps of other stone, the remains of what had once been a house, or perhaps a barn. There was familiarity in the ruins, something that swirled though his mind like a leaf caught by a strong wind. Sometimes he gave in, chasing it through the empty areas where his memories used to be, but even if he succeed in catching it, the scrap would turn out to be blank, and he knew not whether it was only wishful thinking or he was truly insane. Still, he’d been on these foggy shores before, of that he was sure. Leaning forward he pushed his hands through silver hair, resting his chin on his knees. Six months ago he’d awoken to a place he didn’t understand, just as when he was young. No memories of how he’d arrived, the loyal reassurances of Stoer and Lochs the only thing he could trust. Then the dreams began, snatches from the lives of two girls he’d met a thousand years ago in the throne room of his castle. How had these slaves come to live in this modern world? Had they been returned as he was? Would they attempt to disrupt his goals? Were they still aided by their mysterious benefactors? “That will remain to be seen, but you shouldn’t trouble yourself over it.” A wolf and hyena emerged side by side from the mist, a caracal with shining white wings trailing behind. He’d met them before, the animals that seemed to know more than they would tell. They were always in the ruins. “Those girls are your primary concern. You must kill them,” the wolf continued, sitting on the dew-streaked grass. He was larger than the average wolf, with a coat of jet and a patch of white over his left eye. When he spoke, his mouth did not move, but Kribensis heard the words as if they were said aloud. He nodded. “I’ve met them, and have sent the twins to their university. If they are as driven to find me, than we will inevitably meet.” The hyena cocked her head, blue eyes meeting his. She was lean, but muscular, her brown spotted fur glinting with luminosity and health even in the fog. “The more they use the weapons given to them, the more their strength will increase. Be aware that defeating them will become more difficult.” “If they increase too much in power, how will I destroy them? My magic has not changed any in a thousand years.” “Magic has always been your gift, it will aid you,” the impatience in the wolf’s voice was thinly veiled. He glared at the wolf. “What do you mean ‘always?’ Is there magic I can’t unlock because my memories are gone?” The wolf and hyena traded looks, but it was the caracal that spoke. “Yes, the magic is within you, and the memories will come when necessary, that is your destiny. The prophecy has been declared.” Angry, he stood, further irritated by the apathetic violet eyes of the large cat. “I want them now!” he yelled, but the caracal had risen to his feet and walked back into the mist. The hyena and wolf followed, their padded feet silent. “We’ll see you again,” the wolf promised, glancing over his shoulder. Kribensis ran after them, but the fog was thick and he quickly became disoriented. The animals were gone. “Don’t you understand!” he screamed into the gray wall of mist. “That’s—“ “…All I ever wanted,” his finished quietly, opening his eyes to the black velvet ceiling of his canopy bed. He was so tired of vague allusions to his destiny. Why would no one tell him something useful? Sighing, he reached over to the nightstand and pulled a cigarette from the half-empty pack. Lighting it, he took a long drag and stared at the looping swirls of smoke, completely blanking out all thought as each swirl dissolved into nothing. Thread Seven: The crisp autumn wind gusted sharply as Reisu crossed the main quad of West Central University. The sun shone overhead, but despite its warmth she felt chilled. She and Kimi had been up the rest of the night, trying to figure out exactly what happened. Fragments of memory were branding themselves into their minds with an alarming permanence. How did a dream turn into this? Was that man really Kribensis and what about Stoer and Lochs? Kimi was being unusually stubborn concerning the twins, she kept insisting they were only enchanted or lied to by Kribensis and therefore not truly evil. After an hour of arguing, Reisu had given up. The only thing they’d been able to agree on all night was that they needed to find out where Kribensis was and track down the truth. Reisu had even lost the fight about Kimi going to class, but the girl had insisted that her injury wasn’t that bad, just a welt surrounded by a deep bruise. Even if it wasn’t life threatening, Reisu still hadn’t been happy to see her leave for class this morning. Heading towards the library to meet Kimi, Reisu stopped in her tracks. At the entrance to the building stood Stoer and Lochs, the blue-haired model talking on a cell phone while his twin leaned against the building, cigarette in hand. Sneaking behind the bushes near the library’s main doors, Reisu strained to hear what Lochs was saying. Unfortunately, the wind only carried bits and pieces of the conversation to her. “Yes master, the girls will be taken care of… No, Stoer and I will handle everything…” “What are you doing in that bush, Reisu?” Kimi asked quietly, staring down at her crouching partner. “You look very ‘Charlie’s Angels’.” Reisu grabbed Kimi by the wrist and yanked her down. “Look,” she said pointing to the twins, but they were gone. “Quick, aren’t they?” Kimi said. “They did that to me at the club too.” She pushed annoying strands of hair from her eyes as the wind started up again. “Oh, and Jennah told me which one was which. Blue is Lochs, orange is Stoer. She seems to know their life story, so if we need anything else I’m sure she can help out.” Reisu sighed, standing up and brushing dirt off her pants. If they couldn’t keep track of Stoer and Lochs, how were they going to find Kribensis? “Wait a minute; they were using a cell phone, right?” Kimi asked. Reisu nodded, and Kimi continued, “I’ve seen them on that phone a lot. If I can get a hold of it for just a few minutes, we can figure out what numbers they’re calling.” Kimi gasped as Reisu embraced her in a suffocating bear hug. “Kimi!” Reisu shouted, clutching her friend. “You’re a genius!” “…And then… I can look up the… number on the Internet… I can’t breathe, Reisu, and you’re hurting me,” Kimi choked out. “Oops!” Reisu stepped back and Kimi dropped to the stairs, gasping for air. Still coughing and choking, Kimi managed a weak wave before heading towards the Mathematics Building. “I’ll meet you after your class!” Reisu called, opening the glass door of the library building. Hopefully she’d be able to find the twins. An hour later Reisu sat on a bench outside the Mathematics Building. It was late afternoon and she hadn’t seen either brother at all, but Kimi was getting out of class soon and maybe they’d have more luck searching together. Sighing, she laid down on the bench, watching the passing students as they crossed the windy quad. From the corner of her eye Reisu caught a glimpse of blue, and twisting around on the bench, she saw Lochs enter the Mathematics Building. Heart pounding in her chest, Reisu jumped up and sprinted after him, almost crashing into a passing student as she ran. Shouting an apology, she wrenched open the heavy wooden doors and squeezed through. Inside, she stayed hidden as Lochs talked to a professor in the hallway. As they chatted, Reisu dropped her backpack alongside an awards case, hoping no one would find it interesting enough to take in her absence. Finally, the woman smiled and walked away, and Lochs pulled out the cell phone and disappeared into the men’s bathroom. So much for good luck, Reisu thought as she stood outside the door. What was she going to do now? She couldn’t just walk into the men’s room! They needed that cell phone number, though, and since she doubted the twins would hand it over if asked, this was the only way to get it. It was time to be brave. “You can do this.” Reisu coached under her breath. Glancing down the deserted hallway, she quietly pushed the door open and stepped inside. Just beyond the entrance, she caught sight of Lochs’ reflection in the mirror. He stood in front of a row of urinals, back to the entrance. Reisu blushed and pretended to study the wall graffiti as the sound of liquid splashing over porcelain filled the air. Sneaking a glance at the mirror, Reisu sighed in relief to see the model turned away from her, cell phone on the sink counter. Inching further into the room, she hoped that Lochs wouldn’t notice her. Suddenly, the bathroom door swung open, and Reisu found herself face to face with Stoer. Grinning, the man grabbed a handful of purple hair and pushed her further into the bathroom. “It seems like the university has a nosey freshman infestation.” Stoer said, shoving Reisu into the green tiled wall. “Maybe we should help them clean it up.” Darkness overwhelmed Reisu’s vision as her head met the cold tiles. Staggering, she grasped the edge of the sink, clinging to the cool ceramic like a life preserver. Crimson drops splattered the white basin, streaking toward the drain. It took Reisu a moment to realize exactly what the liquid was. “This will be easier than I thought.” Lochs’ voice echoed through the small bathroom. Dizzy and fighting a rising tide of nausea, Reisu whimpered when rough hands grasped her shirt and forced her against the wall. The air whistled in warning before pain exploded in her jaw and blood flowed, hot and thick, into her mouth and down her throat. Frantic attempts to push Lochs away were rewarded with another shove, his tall frame pressed closely against her. “If you don’t treat your toys nicely, you’ll break them,” Stoer said. He leaned against the stall doors, watching the scene with excitement in his golden eyes. Lochs shot his twin a nasty look, hiding his prize from view. “This is my toy. Go and find your own if you don’t like the way I treat her.” Stoer grinned. “I will, but only if you leave this one alive long enough for her friend to come looking for her…” Kimi... Reisu thought as Lochs wrapped his hands around her throat. __________________________________________________ 432 and 229 was 661…and the nearest whole square root…multiplied by the number in the tangent…Kimi frowned as she worked through a difficult problem in her textbook. The students in the surrounding seats toiled as well, more than a few of them silently damning the professor to a long stay in hell. Reaching for her calculator, Kimi gasped as sharp pain stabbed through her head. Managing not to scream in agony as it continued, she gathered her things as quickly as possible and hurried from the classroom, ignoring the concerned looks from her classmates. In the hallway, Kimi dropped her books and braced herself against the wall, the blinding agony continuing to rip through her temples. A few students looked at her curiously, but kept walking. She needed to get somewhere she could handle this sudden migraine in peace. There was no lounge on this floor, only the women’s bathroom. Gathering her backpack and books, she stumbled down the hall. Silence blanketed the corridor, muffled only by the echoed rise and fall of her footsteps. Fighting the ache, Kimi limped down the hall, stopping frequently as the pain increased. Finally, the door to the ladies’ room appeared on her left, and she slipped inside the yellow-tiled bathroom. Sitting on the toilet and leaning against the wall of the nearest stall, Kimi let the coldness of the metal soothe the misery in her head. What was happening to her? The last twenty-four hours had been like something out of a movie, and she was exhausted. Did this migraine have something to do with all that? An increase in the hellish sensation was her only answer, a stabbing pain so intense she didn’t notice the commode and walls shake until it happened a second time. Pushing all distractions aside for the moment, Kimi waited for the vibration to happen again. The men’s bathroom was next door, but what could be causing the walls to shake? Sliding off the toilet, Kimi left her backpack in the stall and slipped out of the restroom. Pressing her ear against the door to the men’s room, she realized only as an afterthought that her headache was gone. Inside, she could hear two people talking to each other, and a sound she recognized all too well from the slowly emerging past—flesh striking flesh. A whimper and the sound of someone choking were all Kimi needed to thrust the door open and rush into the bathroom. Held against the green tiles by her throat was Reisu, scarlet dripping down her face and angry red marks along her jaw line. Lochs, the blue-haired twin, squeezed his bloody hands tighter and smiled as he watched the girl struggle for air. “Reisu!” Kimi yelled, but her friend didn’t move. “Let go of her,” she commanded. “You’re threatening us?” Stoer asked in mock-disbelief. “After last night I thought you would have learned your lesson.” Kimi ignored him and turned on Lochs. “I’m warning you, let Reisu go.” The German model shrugged and released Reisu. The unconscious girl slumped to the linoleum. “I can always play with her later.” “Don’t ever touch her again,” Kimi growled, “or I’ll rip your fucking head off.” Lochs turned to his twin. “Your toy has a nasty mouth.” Stoer grinned. “She’s a little rough around the edges. It makes her more interesting.” His brother laughed and knelt beside Reisu. “I like this one,” he ran his hand through Reisu’s long, purple hair. “Less of a challenge, perhaps, but the look in her eyes as she’s fighting for her life is such a turn on.” He placed his lips on top of hers, kissing her gently as Kimi fumed. How dare he! Grasping a lock of hair, he ripped free a long strip. “Souvenir,” he smiled, directing the words towards Kimi and tucking his prize into a jacket pocket. “I warned you,” Kimi growled. Her hands shook with rage as the rapier appeared without warning. Pointing the weapon at the twins, she promised, “For what you’ve done to Reisu you’ll answer to me.” Lochs chuckled as though Kimi was a preschooler who’d said something adorable and Stoer stepped away from the stalls, smiling. “You and me,” he said, gilt eyes locked on hers. Kimi backed apprehensively into the entrance of the bathroom as he approached, sword ready. “What’s wrong?” The orange-haired model mocked, arms spread wide. “Don’t you want to dance with me now?” Kimi replied by lunging forward, blade cutting through the air. Stoer dodged the strike, jumping back into the main part of the bathroom. The path to Lochs and Reisu finally cleared, and shifting direction, Kimi leapt at Lochs. He turned to face her, but Stoer was quicker than she’d realized. Jumping in front of his brother, his hand clamped around her arm, wrenching her around until their bodies were close. “You can’t switch partners in the middle of a dance.” He teasingly slid his palm along the outside of her thigh, hot breath washing over her ear. “It’s impolite.” Furious, Kimi twisted in his grip, flipping her hold on the sword’s hilt and attempting to stab at his legs. Stoer proved again to be too fast, gracefully stepping to the right and shoving her from behind. Unprepared, she tripped and slid face first into the row of urinals. Managing to maintain the grip on her sword, but momentarily stunned, Kimi scrambled to regain her feet. The bruises from last night ached anew, and a small cut seeped blood into her hair, but the anger held her focused. Gorgeous or not, these two fuckers deserved to have their asses kicked. Across the bathroom, Stoer had his back to her. “After all we were told,” he said to Lochs, “I expected more from the great Kimi and Reisu.” Seething, Kimi steadied herself and sprang at Stoer. Surprised, the twin turned at the last second, taking the sword deep in the shoulder. “Bitch!” he hissed, blood staining his white t-shirt. Grasping the thin blade, heedless of the damage to his hands, he pulled the rapier free. The sudden movement caused Kimi to reel back, crashing into the urinals once more. “Let’s go Lochs, it seems that my toy has more bite than I expected,” Stoer snarled, applying pressure to the wound. With one last look at Reisu, Lochs followed his brother, the door squeaking shut as they departed. Jumping to her feet and crossing the room in two steps, Kimi dropped to her knees beside her friend. “Reisu,” she said softly, taking the girl’s hand. “Are you all right?” The purple-haired girl moaned a little but managed to open her eyes and smile. “Hey Kimi,” she whispered, holding up the bloodstained cell phone. “I got it.” Thread Eight: Breath, hot and strained, washed his neck with desperate, keening pleasure, the impatient push of leather clad hips an intermittent accompaniment to a dance constructed of desire and ravenous need. Fidgety, questing hands slid over a chest straining with agony, streaked with sweat, muscles wracked with pain, but distracting enough that he could concentrate on the sensations they elicited, lose himself for a moment. A cloud of hair tinted in the shades of autumn and laced with musk he was only too familiar with, pressed against his face, grounding him in the fusion of torture and euphoria. Sharp nails scored the pale, flawless back, gasping whimper rising between pants from the slim form astride his thighs. There was no admonition, no protests, the only response the grip of heated fingers, and then the licentious sweep of a tongue, sliding from nail to knuckle, engulfing the digits in scorching wetness. Wrenched from his throat, the resulting groan coincided with another tear in the willing flesh. Below, the solicitous advances were less frequent, attention focused instead on the press of skin, smell of lust, taste of blood. This lapping tongue, rough hands, and eager bulge, doppelganger to those above, moved with identical intention, differing only in the aggressiveness with which they were carried out. Bloodstained hands pressed carefully into the weeping, vertical slits marring his shoulder blades, the broken skin burning at the new hell imposed upon it. Nudging several sharp, protruding objects within the wounds, the probing fingers ceased as Kribensis shrieked, the pain terrible and blinding, the twisting of his body almost upsetting the orange-haired model perched on his lap. Strong arms laced with crimson from fingertip to elbow encircled his waist and pulled close, cradling gently. “Meister, they must be removed,” Lochs whispered, breath stained with the scent of blood. Kribensis shook his head, silver strands of hair matted with sweat. The bedroom blurred to formless colors, ragged gasps choked through clenched teeth as the mere expelling of air became difficult. “I…can’t…” Stoer shifted, sunset-hued hair draping over his lacerated back. “Please, you must, Meister.” His face was so close; the smell of him so tantalizing that for a moment the presence of the German suppressed all thoughts of bodily injury. “Let us take some of the pain,” he whispered, voice a sultry promise. Golden eyes locked with indigo, drawing Kribensis deep as warm, skilled hands slid over the thin fabric of his underwear. Pleasure returned with the force of a tidal wave, momentarily overriding the harsh twinges in his shoulders, shunting the agony to the back of his overwrought mind. Undergarments quickly disposed of; smooth fingertips caressed the inner thigh as a velvety heat wrapped over his erection. Moan reverberating through the spacious chamber, he allowed Lochs to tilt his face even as hands fisted in gossamer strands to yank Stoer’s head closer, forcing further into the man’s throat. Grip tight on his neck, lips soft but commanding and tasting of metallic saltiness, the elder model pressed with enough force to bruise. Impatient teeth demanded entrance and Kribensis eagerly obliged, more than willing to yield, dizzied by the smell of blood and Stoer’s busy mouth. Rough nails scraped against the sensitive areas of his chest, forcing a groan between the collision of their teeth, tongues, and lips. Breathing was a chore, belabored pants gasped only when Lochs allowed, the lack of air magnifying the spiraling sensations muddling his thoughts. It was always like this with the twins, an assault that left the mind spinning, off balance and unsure where to concentrate as ecstasy flooded from all directions. They worked in conjunction, feeding off one another’s actions, keeping whomever they bedded constantly aware and unable to linger on any one feeling for too long. Identical in every physical aspect except the color of their hair, the two German men possessed a beauty that could still one’s breath. With the bloodlines of the European elite, their exquisite faces and slender, muscular bodies had graced fashion magazines and runways since early childhood. They had drawn the eye of designers, photographers, royalty, and the wealthy, not to mention a legion of ravenous, infatuated fans. Yet it was what lie beneath the beautiful exterior that kept Kribensis’ attention, the thing about them that had held him spellbound longer than any previous lovers—the twisting, writhing, almost palpable blackness that infested their minds and hearts. The manifestation of the evil was the only major difference between the twins. Lochs enjoyed the physical torture of his victims, shredding their bodies to derive his pleasure, proving dominance through aggression and intimidation. Stoer, his orange-haired twin, ran the opposite end of the spectrum. A complete masochist, he loved to watch his brother destroy a victim piece by piece, adding his own unique stamp by breaking the poor soul’s mind with games and feigned tenderness. Alone, they were terrifying and dangerous, together, they were death in its most seductive guise. Surges of electricity raced down Kribensis’ spine, ripping him from idle thoughts, exploding in a thousand streaks of flame, but even as the edge loomed, Stoer sat up and his brother pulled away. Skin flushed and lips moist, pale hands closed tightly over their counterparts as the liquid gold eyes of the younger German found his once again. Entranced by the lust-glazed pools, Kribensis allowed Stoer to pull him from Lochs’ lap and across the cold, Italian tile floor to the fireplace. Yellow and orange light spilled from the enormous hearth, casting the surrounding leather furniture and imported wool rugs with flickering shadow. An open bottle of cabernet sauvignon reflected off the ebony top of the coffee table and the shattered remnants of a wine glass littered the floor amid droplets of burgundy. The enthralling glide of the younger twin’s hips, the walk of seduction practiced and perfected in the seedier establishments of Amsterdam, would draw the attention of the blind. Directly above the tailbone, burned into the flesh was the marking that bound him to Kribensis, the magical seal that, in conjunction with the identical brand on Lochs, would open the doors to EbonReach. The binding magic was powerful, intensifying when they were in close proximity to one another, spreading the seal over the skin like an infection. Stoer’s back and legs were covered in the markings, shifting under steel-strong muscle as he walked. The blackening bruises on arms and shoulders and the jagged, bloody trails left by fingernails only furthered the beauty of the model and renewed the demanding cries of Kribensis’ body for release. Even the bandage protecting the rapier damage to his left shoulder was somehow erotic. Seizing the sun-scorched locks, he jerked Stoer backward, kissing him hard, teeth scoring the firm bottom lip. Savagely pushing him away, Kribensis struck the German across the face, sending him sprawling on the carpet. Despite the darkening welt, a solicitous smile graced the alluring features as the man willingly spread his legs. Digging into slim hips, pressing against pronounced bone, the initial thrust waited on no lubrication, no kindness. A sharply inhaled breath was the only reaction, and was completely ignored as Kribensis set a rapid pace. The agony in his back flared to life like a bonfire fed oil, and he drove harshly into the constricting heat, punishing the slender twin so brutally that the wound in his shoulder reopened and scarlet seeped through the white gauze. Back arched, eyes closed, legs twined around Kribensis’ thighs, Stoer was blissfully unaware of the aggravated injury. Hair fanned like a halo of flame across the weave of the rug, a dark angel of the inferno basking in the scattered, darting shadows from the hearth. Nails clawed at the wool fibers as low-pitched moans spilled from a straining throat, the sex-flush deepening with every violent push. Panting with exertion, silver hair plastered to his face and eyes locked on the twin below, Lochs’ presence went unnoticed until the older brother kissed his neck, feather-light touch sweeping over the maimed flesh on his back. Scarlet smeared in a thick line across his cheek and jaw, the spreading key scars covering neck and shoulder as the golden gaze, feverish with hunger, devoured its indigo counterpart. The long curtain of azure hair draped over them both as another kiss dropped onto his ear, hot tongue gliding over the thin, curving shell. Teeth grit, Kribensis focused on Stoer as gentle fingers dipped beneath burning skin and grasped the foreign object. With a sharp tug Lochs pulled it free, a fresh torrent of blood cascading from the wound with an eruption of agony so strong it washed the room with hazy darkness, stomach surging in dangerous revolt as a scream of pain shattered the air. Wrapping his hands around the neck of the prone model, squeezing as the pain burned like wildfire, he renewed the sadistic assault, ignoring the bloodied black feather Lochs held in his hand. Delicate flesh tore like thin paper, fresh stains marring the imported wool. Golden eyes pleaded for mercy, begging for breath even as hips strained forward, searching for more. Desire rioted as tight muscles grasped his cock, constricting with each deep push. Relentlessly plunging into the hot cavity, he released his hold to lean in close, nipping at the exposed neck and shoulder, panting and moaning in chorus with Stoer. Rust-colored hair tangled and streaked with sweat, the beautiful twin writhed, shouting in his native tongue just as the orgasm seized his body. Viscid fluid spread between them, heightening the friction of each thrust as Kribensis continued, heedless of Stoer’s hands clutching at his shoulders, pulling him close. Locked in the post-euphoric embrace of the panting twin, the second feather slid from his back with relative ease, the crushing pain blunted by sinking his teeth into soft flesh and increasing the already fervent pace of his hips. Standing on the knife’s edge, the frenzied need demanded satiation. Stoer, his hands tangled in Kribensis’ hair, flexed his back and pelvis, pushing him over just as Lochs forced out the last feathers in one swift motion. The splatter of liquid on glass echoed in one brief moment of quiet before the room was filled with a screaming mix of torture and ecstasy. Blinding stars blossomed behind fading sight and fire raced over dilacerated nerves in millions of tiny explosions. Throat raw, body shredded, but exhilarated by the smell of gore and sharp thrill of pain, he twisted around, seizing a fistful of hair and forcing the elder brother to the carpet. Rapacious, gilt-edged eyes met deep blue, crimson spatter mingling with the key markings across the pale chest, breathing harsh and labored. Yanking hard on the thick strands, the back of Kribensis’ hand met the refined cheekbone, snapping Lochs’ head to the left, blood streaming from a split lip. “You failed me!” He screamed, driving his fist into the defined muscle of the twin’s stomach. Gasping for air, Lochs hunched over, arms wrapped around his chest as a soft moan slid from clenched teeth. Kribensis shifted to his heels; sweat running in rivulets down his back, salt stinging the battered skin. “Your life belongs to me. If I command you to walk through fire, you will. To drink poison, you will. To stand before a train, you will.” He pulled the model’s hair until the man lay flat, panting for air, eyes tightly closed. Releasing his grip, he dragged rough fingernails down the length of Lochs’ body, drawing blood on the tender inner thigh before grasping the German’s straining length. Hips bucking in response, groan pulled from his throat, the older brother thrashed desperately on the carpet. Stroking rapidly, Kribensis glared at the model, rage tinting everything with a faint sheen of red. “If I tell you to kill two fucking witch-whores, you will do it!” Slamming his knees into Lochs’ torso, pressing his full weight into the slim frame, he swung his fist again, blood erupting from the aristocratic nose. “Even if the two of you are dying, you will carry out my orders,” he hissed. “Your lives are nothing if they do not further my goals!” Face stained with scarlet, moans blending to form one continuous sound, Lochs shuddered violently, sticky liquid coating Kribensis’ hand. Wiping the mess on the matted, azure hair, he stood, leaning heavily on a leather-upholstered chair as exhaustion crashed over his body. Stoer, quiet as his brother was punished, lay curled near the fire, the bandages on his shoulder darkened and sweat-stained. Fresh white fluid dripped down his chest and even as he dropped his eyes to the carpet, he licked the substance from his fingers. The picture of repentant servants, both brothers remained silent under his stare. “I will not tolerate another failure,” he said quietly. Content that they knew his displeasure, drained and wanting nothing more than sleep, he turned for the bed. The room spun with a sudden, gut-wrenching lurch, colors reeling wildly, and dimly he felt his knees hit the tiled floor before there was only darkness. Glittering droplets of rain, backlit by the surrounding city, streaked the windows when Kribensis awoke. The bedroom was draped in the shades of night; shadow softening the hard edges of the modern furniture. Cushioned by thick blankets and finely woven sheets, his aching body luxuriated in the heat from those pressed closely. Stoer nestled against his chest, silky hair a spread of shining flame against the stark bedclothes. His brother held Kribensis from behind; strong arms possessive even in sleep. The patterned marks on their skin had faded, leaving only the smooth alabaster so cherished by their fans. More than any servants he could remember, he cared for these two, the black stain on their hearts so similar to his. After summoning him in the deep woods of the Thuringia Wald, they’d stayed in Germany, living at the twin’s estate while he learned of the new, modern world. He’d been so confused, dropped into a place he no longer understood, angry and miserable. Then the dreams came, the caracal, wolf, and hyena explaining why he was here and the importance of the twins, how the keys set into their flesh were essential to recreating his empire. Destroying the detestable witches was critical as well. They’d failed him in their task today, running when they easily would have defeated the girls. His fingers traced the dark purple bruises on Stoer’s cheek, the consequences of disobeying your master. There was no mercy for those who could not complete simple assignments. Suffocating as the encompassing heat thickened, Kribensis wove the magic for teleportation, sharp tingle passing through his nerves with blinding speed, momentarily blanking out vision. Standing at the foot of the oversized bed and chilled by the fall temperatures, he wrapped an unused blanket around his shoulders, the cashmere soft against abused flesh. The twins had dressed the wounds with thick gauze, the faint smell of antiseptic clinging to bandages and hair as he took a lighter and discarded pack of cigarettes from atop the chest of drawers and crossed the cold tile. A series of wide French doors ran the entire length of the wall nearest the bed, sheer silk curtains partially masking the breathtaking city view. On the coffee table, shards of the shattered wineglass gleamed within cold pools of blood, the burgundy fluids mingling before spilling over the edge to stain the rug. Ignoring the twin’s so that they may understand the depth of his displeasure, he’d stayed in his room all evening, lighting the fire and opening the wine. He’d drunk two glasses while considering their punishment before the pain wracked his body, screams drawing Stoer and Lochs to his aid. Outside, smoke spread deep in his lungs as the rain drizzled steadily, calming ragged nerves, seeping into the gaping holes that comprised his life. Memory riddled like termite tunnels in a tree, large spaces of unaccounted time stretched back to his early childhood. None from his village knew where he’d come from before he’d appeared, bloodied, body broken, an amnesiac. Branded as an outcast, he’d spent hours attempting to trigger the memories, desperately searching for any scrap that would satisfy the reoccurring sense that something about his obscured past was wrong. Finally, the frustration grew to such an extent that it was either stop or go mad. Turning his attention to the villagers, he’d earned their respect—their fear—with his magic, forging them into an army, and despite his age, built an empire in the thick forests. Yet there were these holes, filled only with a thick gray fog, shrouding the parts of his past with dampness and a chill he seemed to know too well. Where had he come from? What happened after he’d fought the slave witches in Ebenholz Falke? Why was something, or someone keeping these things from him? He’d asked the dream creatures, but received only vague responses about prophecy and destiny, bullshit that did little to ease the aftertaste of wrongness in his mind. Flicking the remainder of the cigarette into the wet sky, embers trailing like a pitiful excuse for fireworks, Kribensis pushed clinging strands of silver from his face and stared out into the night. The lights of the surrounding buildings twinkled like a great blanket thrown across the sides of the valley. From this height it was as if he stood in the center of the heavens, looking down at the pathetic civilization below. West Central was similar to all the cities he’d passed through during the last several months, rotting from the inside, slaves to their materialism, desperate for a unifying leader. Stoer and Lochs had explained that magic was very rare now, the sorcerers dying out long ago, left only to myth and legend. Very few would oppose him, with exception of those slaves turned witches and the ones who aided them. The animals in the dreams had promised him that this was a minimal threat, the benefactors of Kimi and Reisu would not interfere directly, and after the disposal of the girls, they would have no other champions to send. The witches would die, even if the twins were killed, even if he must fight them himself. No matter who or what must be sacrificed, his empire would return Thread Nine: The next morning, Kimi slipped quietly down the hall of the apartment she shared with Reisu, avoiding the creaky spot in the center of the floor while trying to balance a tray loaded with breakfast. Reaching the door to her friend’s room, Kimi steadied the tray and leaned against the wall. She yawned, trying to forget that she’d only had three hours of sleep. It had taken much longer to track down the cell phone number’s location than she’d originally thought. This wouldn’t have been too bad, except pulling the favors needed to hack into the company’s site to get the address had proved to be difficult as well. When everything had combined, the night became very long. Pushing the door open, Kimi was surprised to see the injured girl awake, a book propped up on the patterned comforter. White gauze bandages encircled Reisu’s head, a sharp contrast to the blue and purple bruises that marked her face and neck. Kimi felt her temper flare—it made her so angry to think of what Stoer and Lochs had done to her best friend. How could she have underestimated their evil nature? After all the dreams, it was foolish to believe they’d only been tricked into serving Kribensis. Now Reisu had paid for her mistake, and guilt gnawed a hole in her stomach every time she recalled how Lochs had brutalized the younger girl. The sharp clanking of ceramic pulled Kimi’s attention from thoughts of the previous night. The plate with the toast had slid into another plate, chipping it. From the bed, Reisu gave her a questioning look. Kimi smiled and set the tray down on the varnished dresser. “How are you feeling?” She asked, sitting on the edge of the mattress. Reisu shrugged. “My throat’s fine, but sore.” She tried to smile, but ended up wincing at the pain of the bruised muscles. “I feel all right everywhere else, too. Mostly I’m just achy.” “Good,” Kimi said, handing Reisu a glass of orange juice. “I finally tracked the cell number and got the address.” The purple-haired girl nodded. “I knew you’d figure it out. It was worth all this if it helps us find Kribensis.” Kimi nodded and stared down at the blankets, silence falling over the room. This was so strange, the dreams, fighting at the club, Stoer and Lochs…all of it. After a moment she looked at Reisu. “Do you really think those were our past lives, living as slaves, getting magic from the Selestarri, and then dying after fighting Kribensis?” “I don’t know,” Reisu replied quietly. “This whole thing is so weird that I’m not sure what to make of it.” She plucked a piece of toast off the tray and nibbled at a corner. “We have the magic, though, so that must mean something. I mean, we couldn’t summon weapons before the dreams started.” “True. Do you think we’ll meet the Selestarri?” Reisu shrugged. “Do you really want to? They gave them, um, us, magic that ultimately killed anyone unfortunate enough to be in the way, although it did accomplish the mission. They don’t seem especially truthful.” She expertly pulled the top crust off the toast and popped it into her mouth. “The real question is, what do we do now?” Pushing idly at the scrambled eggs with a fork, Kimi made a yellow egg smiley face. “We’re in too deep to back out now. I think we need to see it through to the end.” Her friend thought it over for a moment before responding. “You’re right. Even though it may be dangerous, I think we should finish this too.” Her fingers absently smoothed the gauze at her temple. “Besides, I owe Lochs some pain.” Kimi reached over and took Reisu’s hand. “If I had known what they’d do to you, I wouldn’t have let you go alone. I never thought something like this would happen.” “Kimi, it’s not your fault.” Reisu squeezed her hand. “I knew the risks of following Stoer and Lochs. They’re heartless and the pain of others means nothing to them.” Reisu sighed. “But this has proved one thing.” “Which is?” “I think it’s safe to say that it wasn’t Kribensis that made the twins evil.” Kimi nodded. She had been so stupid to believe that Kribensis only deluded Stoer and Lochs. It had nagged at her all night, their evil nature and its ability to make her argue with her best friend. Kimi pushed a hand through her tangled green hair. “I know,” she said. “It makes them another obstacle between us and Kribensis, one that we’ll have to overcome.” Reisu smiled. “Don’t take it too hard, Kimi. They are really hot.” Stretching out at the foot of the bed, Kimi covered her face with her hands. “God, why are all the hot ones either evil or gay! I went to college to meet hot guys, not get my ass kicked by them!” she yelled, collapsing into a fit of giggles. “Law of the cosmos,” Reisu replied, giggling as well. Kimi sat up and handed her friend the rearranged plate of scrambled eggs. “When do you think you’ll be well enough to find Kribensis?” she asked. Settling into the pillows propped at her back, Reisu shrugged. “Tomorrow night should be fine.” “Are you sure you’ll be ready?” Reisu nodded through a mouthful of sausage. “Actually, what hurts the most is where he ripped my hair out.” She gingerly touched the spot on her head through the bandages. “I think Lochs has a little crush on you, Reisu,” Kimi snickered. Soft whiteness blinded her as a pillow came flying from across the bed. Thread Ten: In the dim light of her bedroom, Reisu sat polishing the glaive. The weapon didn’t actually need maintenance, but it helped keep her mind steady. The day had been calm and quiet, both she and Kimi choosing to skip classes and relax at their apartment. She’d practiced summoning the weapon all morning, attempting to familiarize herself with the weight and balance by following some kung fu exercises she’d found on the Internet. The weapon would fight for her, just as it had at the club and in the past, but she’d rather be more prepared for the sudden, jerking movements. The memory of being electrocuted by the glaive was also fresh, so perhaps becoming accustomed to it would help prevent another round of unpleasantness. Kimi had located the twin’s penthouse and they’d decided it was the best place to begin searching for Kribensis. Even if they couldn’t find him, there may be clues to his whereabouts or his intentions in West Central. Finding the former emperor meant that there was a distinct possibility she’d face him again. In the past, he had stolen everything in life that was important, and although that pain was a distant ache, it still demanded retribution. Placing the glaive on her bed, she stood before the mirror and straightened her clothes. Surprisingly, deciding what to wear to a potential fight was more difficult than choosing something to go clubbing in. Finally she’d selected a pair of jeans, her favorite, well-worn leather boots, and a white tank top. She’d removed the bandages, but the bruises on her neck were disgusting and so she wore a burgundy, pink, and black scarf to hide them. The whole outfit was perhaps a shade too Buffy-ish, but she’d bet on comfort over fashion. Sighing, she began to plait the long, purple pigtails. Kimi had kept to her room most of the day, and Reisu had only seen her at lunch. Once it was decided that they would continue this craziness, her friend had become remarkably serious. When asked about it over tuna sandwiches and chips, she’d said only that her life in the past had been very difficult. Not wanting to press the issue, she’d let it drop. Kimi always took time to think over the things that were bothering her, but Reisu knew from experience that she’d discuss it when she was ready. Tying off the end of the braid, she glanced at the mirror one last time before closing her eyes and concentrating on the image of the glaive. With only a small effort, she was able to dispel it, and when she turned toward the bed, the weapon was gone. Scooping her jacket from the floor, she headed down the hallway toward the living room. Kimi sat on the couch, her rapier resting across her knees as she stared out at the city lights. She also wore jeans and boots, but had opted for a t-shirt emblazoned with an abstract design. The long green hair flowed from the back of a baseball cap that shadowed her brown eyes. Quietly crossing the carpet, Reisu placed a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Ready?” She asked, and Kimi nodded slowly. Five minutes later, they sprinted through the streets, weaving between shadow and deep pools of electric streetlight. The streets were unusually quiet for a Friday night, the crisp chill of November keeping many people inside. The address was several blocks away in South End, a part of West Central known for its luxurious homes and wealthy residents. The streets became wider, the sidewalks swept and repaired, and the building façades more ornate as they moved through the city. Oak Hill, the section of the city where they lived, was one of the oldest, and although it was well taken care of, the stretched awnings, doormen, and abundance of Town Cars and Mercedes clearly drew the neighborhood borders. “Why do they get the expensive apartment?” Reisu complained as they cut from one block to the next down a narrow, empty street. “Evil people should have to live in the slums.” “Because Stoer and Lochs are hot and they’re models, that’s why,” Kimi replied, leaping over a sewer grate. “Models make a lot of money.” “It’s nice to know that you think of us in your spare time.” Stoer’s voice reverberated from beneath the shadowed eaves of a nearby building. He landed silently on the pavement behind them. “I told you they couldn’t resist us,” Lochs added as he stepped from a darkened side alley to block the path. The twins were dressed in matching outfits of compete black, absorbing the light and extending the shadows over the sidewalk in long trails. White strips of cloth wrapped over each brother’s wrists and down to their knuckles, crisscrossing over the pale skin and leaving only long, slender fingers visible. Skidding to a halt, it took only a moment for the Selestarri weapon to appear in Reisu’s hands. This time there would be no pleas for pacifism, no snide comments; it would be a battle from the outset. The twins stood between them and Kribensis, and since it seemed they would not step aside, she and Kimi would have to go through them. “This time we’re ready,” Kimi promised, the whip-thin rapier held in her white-knuckled grip. “We’re counting on it,” Lochs told her, but he smiled directly at Reisu. Without warning, her stomach contracted painfully and the bruises on her face began to burn. Last time they’d fought she’d stared into his eyes as his hands slowly crushed her throat. He’d been so excited, eyes aglow with a feverish thrill so close to insanity that even upon recalling it, she was repulsed. An odd mixture of anger and fright rolled through her head like thunder, but despite her best attempts to steady them, her hands shook at the mere thought of his touch. With a snarl, Kimi launched herself at Stoer, green electricity crackling down the sword blade. The German model remained calm, his foot moving so fast she wasn’t sure he’d connected until Kimi was sent flying into a low, brick fence. Reisu turned to help her friend, but Lochs crossed the sidewalk, the insidious grin still plastered on his face. Stifling the defiant pain still gripping her stomach, she backed away, the glaive positioned between them. A sudden burst of sizzling energy shot from the wide, blue-steel blade, scorching the ground at the blue-haired twin’s feet. Just as in the dream, there’d been no warning, as if the weapon just decided to discharge electricity on its own accord. How was she ever going to learn how to wield this thing if it was so unpredictable? Distracted, she failed to notice Lochs’ clenched fist streaking toward her stomach, bright stars blossoming in her sight and air knocked from her lungs as it connected. Gasping and wheezing, she doubled over as he loomed above, chuckling softly. With an odd gentleness his hand stroked her head, like one would pet a dog or comfort a wounded child. Anger, exploding into an inferno of rage, burned away the pain in her chest, and she willingly complied as the glaive urged her arm forward, driving the end of the weapon into his chest. Fueled by the sight of him coughing and clutching his sides, she whirled the weapon around and smashed the flat of the blade onto his back. Snarling, he grabbed her legs just above the knee, heat spilling from his palms as smoke rose into the air. Screaming, she twisted away, but he held tight, the magic burning like the top of an electric stove. Stabbing frantically at his legs, she scored his calf and Lochs finally released her, blood splashing over the concrete. Moving away, she kept the glaive pointed at the German as she glanced down at her legs. The material of her jeans had been burned away where he’d held her, and two bright red, steaming splotches marked her skin. The shadows shifted as Lochs moved, but Reisu was ready and gritting her teeth against the pain, she swung the glaive. The razor sharp edge sliced deep into the model’s shoulder and he reeled back, but she pressed the attack, slamming the blunt edge of the weapon against his shins. Stumbling, Lochs fought to regain his balance, crimson seeping into his black shirt. With a final thrust, she shoved him and he fell forward, a sickening crack echoing over the street as his head hit the brick building and the blue-haired man slumped to the pavement. For Reisu, the entire scene moved in slow motion and was surrounded in a haze she could not shake from her eyes. Her once clumsy movements had been graceful and calculated, the attacks decided by her and not the Selestarri weapon. It was almost as if the magic had finally fused with her body, and she was no longer fighting against it, but with it. Turning from the unconscious Lochs, Reisu caught sight of Stoer sprinting across the sidewalk. Still dazed by the sudden merging with the magic, she simply stood still. His wrapped fist rocked her head to the side, blood surging from a bitten tongue. She gasped as he seized her shoulders, shaking so hard that the haze disappeared and the glaive was wrenched from her grasp. “I’ll fucking kill you,” he promised, hysterical. “You stupid—” The model’s voice dropped off as his hands abruptly lost their grip. Steadying her blurry vision, Reisu found Stoer crumpled at her feet, scarlet oozing from the back of his head. Behind him stood Kimi, the hilt of her sword dipping with blood. She had several minor cuts and bruises, but seemed to be all right. “Never turn your back on your enemy,” she growled and spat on the unconscious German. Reisu retrieved her weapon and turned to her friend. “Let’s put an end to this.” Kimi nodded in agreement and seconds later they were racing through streets once more, determined to finish what was started all those years ago. Thread Eleven: After fifteen minutes of searching, they stood alongside a large fieldstone building. The windows throughout the entire structure were dark and empty, reflecting images of the light-filled city that surrounded it. “Are you sure this is it?” Reisu asked, out of breath from the sprint. Kimi nodded. “This is what I got from the cell phone company. Should be the top two penthouse floors.” She studied the windows for a few moments, but like the rest of the building, they remained lifeless. “We should at least check it out though, right?” Reisu asked, advancing to the next building where a fire escape looked close enough to access the balconies adjacent to it. “Yeah, of course,” Kimi replied, trying to sound more confident then she felt. Kribensis was dangerous, and the dreams had been only too explicit when it came to the pain he heaped on their former selves. They’d promised to see this thing though, but she was still worried. Even if a person had multiple lives, she wasn’t done living this one. “Hey,” Reisu said. “Fighting the twins, did you feel anything from your sword?” “Like I understood what it wanted me to do, and wasn’t jerked around by it all the time? Yes, and it was strange. One minute it was pulling me along, the next it was following what I wanted to do.” Her friend looked down at the glaive. “I don’t understand half of what it can do, but I’m glad we’re at least on the same page.” She closed her eyes and after a moment the weapon vanished. “Shall we?” she gestured toward the painted metal scaffolding, and Kimi nodded. With Reisu in the lead, they climbed the fire escape, ascending until they were parallel to the topmost balcony. Standing atop the railing, the purple-haired girl leapt across the narrow space and Kimi followed, landing soundlessly on patterned tile. Next to them, the sliding glass doors stood ajar, gauzy curtains fluttering as the wind swept them into the night. Kimi glanced over at her friend. “Ready?” she asked, mustering a nervous smile. Reisu gave her a shaky nod in return, the green eyes anxious. She took a deep breath. “Lets go.” The younger girl pushed the curtains aside and stepped into the darkened room. “Just because this magic reincarnated us once doesn’t make me any less nervous,” Kimi muttered under her breath as she trailed after Reisu. The air in the penthouse was deadly silent, as though not a living thing remained within its walls. In the darkness they passed through what appeared to be a bedroom, given the huge king-sized bed positioned against one wall. In the hallway, the girls crept along the wall, staying away from the banister that led into the empty space created by the cathedral ceilings. Kimi paused every few moments, listening for noise of any kind, but she was beginning to suspect that the penthouse was empty. Creeping down the thickly carpeted stairs, she ran into Reisu’s back as the girl froze. Reisu pointed to a blue-white light that spilled from one of the doorways on the first floor. Nodding, Kimi followed her friend down the remainder of the stairs. Cautiously, she peered around the doorframe molding and into the room. Against the far wall, its sound turned off, a flat screen TV cast snippets of color into the blackened room. Looking back at Reisu, Kimi shrugged. At the end of the corridor, a large room spread out, its height spreading to the extended ceilings above. Dark slate tiles covered the floor, stark against the pale walls. Several bare windows at the far end faced out into the city lights of West Central. The panes were turned inward, letting the chill night air blow through the room. A leather couch and matching loveseat faced the massive fireplace, the room’s only furnishings. Holding their weapons tight, the girls stepped carefully into the silent space. Long moments passed as they stood, tense in the unnerving quiet. Finally Reisu sighed and walked over to the windows, staring out into the night. “Have you come looking for me?” Kribensis sneered. Whirling around, Kimi and Reisu saw the slender, silvery-haired man sitting cross-legged on the huge mantle of the stone fireplace. Smoke from his lit cigarette made lazy spirals in the air. “Well,” Kimi replied just as coldly, “once we finished off your precious twins, we decided you were next.” In the half dark, Kribensis folded his arms and gave them an ice-laden smile. “Stoer and Lochs were only meant to tire you out.” He flicked his cigarette to the floor and both girls jumped, their tightly wound, tired bodies aching from over anticipation. Amused laughter followed “I see it worked.” “We promised to kill you, and it seems whatever universal force handles reincarnation is on our side.” Reisu said, steadying her resolve and griping the run-inlaid haft of the glaive. “Oh yes, your promise. I heard about that.” “Heard about it?” Kimi asked, following Reisu’s lead and readying her sword. Kribensis leered down at them, the frosty smile returning. “Just as you see me in your dreams, my dear, I see you in mine.” “What?” they gasped in unison. The silver-haired man shrugged. “Not that it matters,” he said, jumping off the mantle. “You are the only obstacle between me and my empire. Once you die, I’ll be free to return to what I once was.” The piercing indigo gaze slid from Kimi to Reisu. “I look forward to being drenched in your blood.” “Shut up,” the purple-haired girl snapped, and Kimi couldn’t help but laugh. His taunting was growing old. She glanced at Reisu, and her friend nodded. Standing side by side, they leveled sword and glaive at the tall, silver-haired man. Kribensis’ fingers blurred to pale streaks as he rapidly drew three circular patterns in the air, all in the amount of time it took to inhale two breaths. Formed of pulsing silver energy, they briefly hung suspended before colliding to form one large design that rippled and disappeared. A hissing crack cut the silence as a bolt of lightning streaked through the air. Rolling in one fluid motion, Kimi regained her feet, silently thanking her foster-parents for all those years of gymnastics classes. The magic had burned through the loveseat and over the smoke she could see Reisu glaring at Kribensis. A snap of his wrist summoned the silver sword, the wide blade flashing in the moonlight. Stalking across the floor toward Kimi, he smiled as she backed away and then jumped forward, forcing her to parry. Sparks flared to life as the blades squealed, locked together at the hilt. Stronger than her, Kribensis pushed her to the left, twisting around to stop Reisu’s glaive as it arced toward his exposed back. Locked in a whirlwind of flashing strikes and blocks, they fervently fought, the battle an eerie mirror image of the one that had taken place in the throne room of Ebenholz Falke a thousand years ago. Small wounds opened as sharply edged blades grazed the skin, and the smell of sweat permeated the air. Panting, Reisu withdrew, purple magic exploding from her glaive toward Kribensis. A brilliant flash erupted, and a hazy cloud hung in the air. Singed, Kimi began to cough as she anxiously searched the cloud. Nothing moved within it. A full minute passed and the room was silent, the smoke beginning to dissipate. They’d done it! Kribensis was defeated! Exhausted, she lowered her weapon just as a quick movement from above the fireplace caught her eye. Kribensis’ body shimmered into existence, reappearing in front of Reisu, a sadistic laugh rolling from his lips. Stunned, Kimi watched helplessly as he drove Reisu against the nearest wall by her neck. Blood dripped from a fresh cut on her cheek, staining the pale skin. Kribensis darted forward and licked the wound clean, his show of supremacy hitting home as the purple-haired girl began to shake. Moonlight glinted off the sword as he thrust it through Reisu’s shoulder. The terrified girl staggered in pain as Kribensis pulled the weapon free and raised it to strike again. “No!” Kimi screamed, sprinting across the large room. She slid between them and caught Kribensis’ sword on her own. “We killed you once,” she growled as their swords screeched like wounded cats. “You need to work on your technique, then,” he replied, twisting hard enough to pry the sword from her hands. It slid beneath the ruined loveseat. Seizing her wrist, Kribensis twisted it behind her, forcing her knees to slam into the slate floor. Yanking hard on the green hair to expose her neck, his indigo stare met her brown and he sneered, “No matter how many times you return, I’ll still be here to kill you, slave!” The sword flashed as Kribensis raised it for the final strike. Kimi’s mind reeled as she stared at the descending arc of silver. Disarmed, there was nothing she could do to stop him. They had failed. She closed her eyes, unable to watch as death came for her. A soft gurgle, followed by the splatter of liquid on the slate forced her to open them again. Kribensis still stood over her, his hand tangled in her hair, sword raised, and lodged in his chest, blue-steel tainted with crimson, was Reisu’s glaive. Blood slid from the corner of his mouth and the former emperor of EbonReach dropped his weapon to wipe at it, staring at his fingers in shock. From behind her, Reisu’s booted foot calmly pressed into Kribensis’ stomach, pushing until the blade slipped from his chest. He swayed a moment before collapsing, pools of scarlet tracking over the dark stone. Shaken back to reality, Kimi scooped the discarded silver sword from the floor and flung herself at the fallen emperor. This time they’d be sure he was dead. A grip strong as steel closed over her neck, forcing her backward until she crashed into the wall, Reisu at her side. Clawing at the invisible hands, she watched as the air behind Kribensis rippled and two black-cloaked figures appeared. The shorter one with the metallic wings turned in their direction and stepped over the lifeless body, but the voice of the black-winged Selestarri called out, “We cannot interfere. He must kill them on his own.” Fighting to breathe, black spots beginning to obscure most of her sight, Kimi felt the hostile gaze of the shorter person rake over her. With an impatient, disgusted sound and a wave of its hand, air flooded into her lungs and she doubled over, coughing and sputtering. Beside her, Reisu was gasping and clutching her injured shoulder. When Kimi looked up again, all three were gone, and only smeared pools of blood remained. __________________________________________________ The sun rose over the city, spreading its pink and purple rays over the tall buildings. Reisu sighed in relief as she and Kimi climbed from the balcony and onto the rooftop of the penthouse. “Have we done it?” her green-haired friend whispered, shifting her weigh as Reisu leaned heavily on her shoulder. “I don’t know,” she replied, staring out into the horizon. “It was the same as last time; they showed up and took him before we could make sure he was dead.” “And if it’s not over and we have to fight again?” Kimi asked. Reisu sighed, delicately smoothing the improvised bandages wrapped around her shoulder. “Then we will, I guess. I never believed in fate before, but it would seem as though our lives are bound to his, and if he returns, we must battle him.” “In this life or the next,” Kimi agreed. Soaking up the warmth of the awakening day, they watched the sun rise, each wrapped in her own thoughts, before turning for home. Postlude: The absolute darkness that always followed a Vision slowly lightened into gray, and the Sidereal Oracle found herself once again in her chambers on Aureus Eyrie. Her body ached with exhaustion, and as she shifted her stiff wings, the attendant at the side of the bed offered a crystal glass filled with water. Accepting the drink, the Oracle watched as other attendants moved silently throughout the room, drawing the thick, velvet curtains and bringing extra pillows to the sleeping area. “How long was the Vision?” She asked the hooded Selestarri nearest the bed. “Three cycles of night and day.” Three days had passed as she had seen the world through the eyes of Kimi and Reisu. Although the girls had served to deter Kribensis once more, the Vision was meant to show her that this meeting had not killed him either. The appearance of the two black robed individuals was highly unsettling. Just as in the past, the Dark Selestarri were involved. With their help, Kribensis would return to Earth once again, and although they’d fused with the weapons given to them so long ago, Kribensis would also grow more powerful. She doubted if Kimi and Reisu had the strength to defeat him for a third time. “Summon Calexi,” she told the attendant, forcing herself to sit upright. “Ask her to come immediately.” As the robed Selestarri hurried away, the Sidereal Oracle pulled on a heavy purple cloak. The power of the Vision had drained her strength and she suddenly felt very old and tired. A war with the Dark would be catastrophic, and she doubted that the Bright could protect the Earth, or even their own floating islands, once the fighting began. Crossing the room, she pulled aside the curtain and stared out at the night-blanketed forest. Despite her reluctance to do so, she needed to use an option she’d wanted to avoid. Yet she still could not directly involve the Bright, even if the alternative was highly unstable. Resting her head on the glass, she sighed. The old human saying of desperate times calling for desperate measures seemed particularly apt in this situation. Far below, thunder rumbled in the cloud line, sounding ominously like a death knell for both the Earth and the Selestarri… End Streifen: Prelusion Bounce: 2001/2002; Revised Spring 2006 ~ BACK ~ MAIN~ All content contained on this site is (C) 2001-2008 by Bounce and Angsty-os (all rights reserved) Please do not take, steal, link or borrow anything on this site without written permission from Bounce (Bunny Writer - Resin Fox)