Yspaddaden - Chapter 26

 Kady followed Yspaddaden across the desert unquestioningly, trusting in his world-wise judgement that he knew what he was doing. He jogged steadily, fast but not too quick so she could keep up, and made sure to stay to the side of her so he could see her in his peripheral vision. She had seen nothing of the supposed danger that he had on the horizon, but she knew there was something there. This place gave her an unsettling feeling and she wished they had not needed to travel this way. She was much more comfortable in the city, or at least in a forrest where she could imagine the tall trees as buildings on all sides. But out here, with nothing at all taller than the mounds of dust that accumulated in their wake, there was nothing. No landmarks, the only way of determining direction the angle of the sun. And because of the reflective nature of the dust, it sometimes appeared there to be two or more suns in the sky. Kady trusted Yspa's judgement that he knew which was which. Sometimes she wondered at why she trusted him so much. But she just did. The interesting thing about trust was that it was never true. There would always be a hint of uncertainty between them. That's why trust was so important a choice. It kept decisions true, it made them stick together, no matter what. Even in a place like this.

Yspa stopped and Kady came up to his side, breathing heavily from the exertion of running for several minutes. He seemed hardly winded at all. Kady wondered if he had stopped for her sake or not. He kept his eyes trained on the land in front of them as she bent over, hands on her knees, trying to keep her breathing steady and true. The dust swirled up around them and settled slowly, covering them both from head to foot. It was disgusting how it got everywhere, made its way into every crevice of her body. She wished so badly to reach civilization again so she could take a bath and wash the filth from herself. Yspa pointed with one finger and spoke softly to her.

"There. You see that?"

Kady glanced in the direction he pointed and squinted in the sunlight. Either his eyes were very sharp or his hight made a huge difference. She could see nothing. She needn't have said anything for he wasn't looking her way. His voice remained at a low volume as he explained what it was he was looking at.

"It looks like…like a cloud or…or a swarm of some sorts. Yes it's moving, changing shape. I think it must be a swarm of insects. Maybe locusts?"

Kady nodded. She could just make out the shape on the horizon now, a black spot that changed and shifted, growing in mass as it grew closer to them. As she watched she grew more convinced that it was quite a large swarm, whatever it was. The cloud grew larger and closer, yet the bottom was still hidden by the curve of the earth. As the dark form moved ever closer to the pair, she could hear the sounds of their wings. The only way she could describe it was a combination of metal scraping bone and the low growl that a dog in heat makes. It was a disturbing noise and it unsettled her greatly. She laid a hand on Yspaddaden's arm as he spoke.

"We need to find shelter. There must be something around these parts that could provide us with at least a bit of protection."

Kady glanced around them and could see nothing. The land stretched out in all directions, ending at the curve of the earth. She turned around herself, trying to see anything that could suffice. There was literally nothing. And now she had lost the direction in which they had been traveling. She glanced up at the sky and noticed the sun directly overhead, giving no indication as to direction. She put her hand to Yspa again and asked him about it. He pointed with certainty without taking his eyes off the swarm of insects that grew larger with every passing moment. Kady could now just make out the cloud of dust that traveled with them, buffeted up from the ground by the air circulation their wings made. She did not even want to know what sort of creatures these were, but if they were caught in the middle of that, they could suffocate easily. Yspa grasped her hand and pulled her after him.

"Come. We have to keep moving. If we keep going the way we were, maybe they will pass straight by us. Come."

She obeyed, running behind him, two of her footfalls landing for every one of his long strides. They ran like that for quite a while, until Kady was breathing more heavily than she even thought possible. Yspa again must have sensed her discomfort for he stopped and glanced backwards. Kady regained her composure and followed his eyesight. The swarm was even larger than before. They had changed directions and were heading straight toward the pair. They were also close enough now that Kady could see details of the creatures. They were no ordinary bugs. They had to be at least four feet in length, a wingspan of ten feet. Their front pair of legs ended in pincers and large tusks exploded from their mouths, dripping with some sort of dark, vile liquid. And they still had no place to retreat to.

Just as Kady was about to sit in the dust and accept her fate, Yspaddaden gave her a tug on her dress. He jerked her toward him and she looked at where he was pointing. A shelf of stone several hundred feet away. She knew what he was thinking. If it was a connection with the large caverns that lay underneath this land, there was a possibility that a tunnel could be accessed and shelter found underground. She nodded without having to speak and he led the way, running at top speed. The insects gathered in force behind them and flew faster, racing toward them rapidly. Kady and Yspa reached the stone first easily enough. But could they find shelter?

Yspa stuck his hand out and grabbed Kady by the arm, preventing her from running out onto the stone shelf. The bugs were a mere hundred feet behind them, and flying fast. He stuck his leg out and tested the rock, applying pressure to the stone and making sure it wouldn't crumble underneath the weight. It appeared to by sturdy. He motioned for Kady to continue.

"Go. Be careful. If you feel the ground give way at all, let me know immediately."

Kady nodded and stepped lightly onto the stone, glancing behind her to see where the bugs were. She noticed Yspaddaden had unsheathed his sword and stood guard, standing with his back to her. She yelled at him to follow her, but he paid her no mind. Her attention was focused on him as she stepped again and didn't notice the differently coloured patch of stone that crackled and gave free, enveloping her foot, then leg, then entire body in a dark pit. Her scream echoed across the desert as she groped frantically at the edge of the pit, trying to find something to hold onto as she fell.

Yspaddaden

Yspa heard the scream and spun around. His scream mingled with Kady's as he watched in vain as she fell into the void, hands grasping at air. He had not a moment to spare her though, for the first wave of the giant bugs hit him from behind and he was knocked to the side. He swung his sword and connected with one of them, drawing a dark blue blood that splattered and stained the dust. It didn't seem to absorb the blood, rather the blood beaded up and started to run, going every which way. Yspaddaden accidentally stepped on a globule of it and found his foot sliding with the lack of friction. He tried to keep his fighting stance, but as he swung and hit more of the bugs, his feet gave way at every turn. It helped him in some regard, for whenever he might have been keeled over by a large beast ready to take his head off with the giant tusks, blood would trip him up and he would fall out of the way, out of harms way. His mind was racing, trying to focus on the fight, and yet distraught as to the fate of Kady. He felt a tear or two come to his eyes, which did not help the swing of his sword. The bugs rained down upon him, buffeting him with their wings, screeching at him through their tusks, snapping at his face with their large pincers. He kept swinging, hitting most, killing all he hit, but there were some who got by his defenses and attacked him to his face, knocking him to the dust. He was on the verge of giving up, running full tilt at the stone shelf and hoping that it would swallow him whole as it had Kady. But then something curious happened. One particularly large bug was flying straight at his head, murder intent in its heart, when it suddenly swerved to the side, giving a frightened screech that echoed across the desert. Yspa dropped to his knees, watching as the rest of the swarm funneled upward, flying to a safe distance away from the ground, circling above him and crying out their protests. It wasn't until a voice spoke up behind Yspa that his heart soared and he turned around, to see Kady standing on the edge of the stone shelf.

"Sorry about that. I got a little lost." She grinned at him to show that she was alright.

Yspaddaden leapt to his feet and ran to Kady, enveloping her in his arms, hugging her tight. He pulled away and felt something slimy and sticky on himself. Kady winced at his repulsed reaction and appologised.

"I caught onto a solid lip of the hole I created and hung there, lying against the side of the rock. There's some kind of mushroom down there, growing in the dark. I could see down into the pit and find where the walls were, for the mushrooms glowed blue. I must have smeared a goodly portion of their juices on myself as I crawled out." She glanced up at the sky and the hovering, circling bugs. "And I take it they don't like to look or smell of it for some reason."

Yspaddaden smiled at her and kissed her on the forehead.

"Well, not to be too rude about it, but you do smell something awful."

Kady could only laugh at his statement. The sound echoed across the desert and seemed to make the bugs even angrier at them.

Kadyriath

After reaching a shelf of stone that tested sturdy, Yspa pitched two small tents while Kady took out a ration of meat and water for the two of them. They needed no fire for the meat was already cooked and the heat of the desert remained with them even at night. Kady's job was finished quickly, but instead of trying to help out Yspaddaden with the tents, she sat back and slyly watched him struggle with it. He hated putting up the tents, they never seemed to do what he wanted them to. But she enjoyed watching him, seeing how he dealt with the material. Sometimes it made him so frustrated that he almost gave up, but he never did. He battled through the task and eventually erected them. It was fun for her to see the annoyed faces he made. He even at times muttered under his breath, talking to and cursing the tents. It made her smile.

He eventually got the tents to a solid, standing position, and came over to where Kady was to partake in their meal. She handed him a chunk of meat and the canteen they shared. He smiled at her in thanks and took a chunk of the meat off with his teeth, chewing it thoughtfully as he washed it down with the water. They ate in silence, Yspaddaden looking out across the desert and Kady looking at Yspa. She had always though him very handsome, a certain rugged quality about him, but it had only been in the past few days that she had been seeing him in a whole new light. Even now, as his silhouette sat outlined against the setting sun, she gazed at his large body, tracing his muscles with her eyes. His profile was sturdy, his jaw set, his eyes squinted against the half-sunlight. He looked so handsome, sitting there as he was. She thought back over the times they had been together, mentally blocking out the rough times and highlighting the good. He had been so good to her, so kind and caring, loving even. They had grown to be quite good friends and Kady was confident that he harbored a few secret feelings toward her. As soon as that thought crossed her mind, she felt her body grow warmer with emotion. She breathed out, hoping that her face wasn't too flushed. Strange how that had come about so suddenly. She knew what lust was, but this was different, deeper, stranger. This was true affection. Men had come and gone in her life, and she had felt a certain friendship to the males who had resided in the compound, but never before had she truly had a male friend, someone she could talk to, share with. She felt she really could do that with Yspa.

Throwing caution to the wind, she decided to let these feelings overtake her. As she arose and crossed the short distance toward him, she felt the emotions rising in her, penetrating her deeper. She honestly could not understand what all she was feeling toward him right now. At the base there was the raw sexual urges, but on top of that lay a trusting, compliant willingness. She felt safe with him. She wanted him, not just his body, but him, his mind and his nature. She wanted his trust. She wanted her feelings reciprocated. Could that be possible?

All these thoughts raced through her mind within seconds as she sat down next to him. Her emotions almost made her freeze in time out of fear, but she had been trained all her life for situations like this, so she took his arm and snaked hers through, hooking them at the elbows. He allowed the intrusion, smiling at her and repositioning himself so that she could lean up against his side. She laid her head on his shoulder and they both looked out over the horizon at all four suns and watched them fall gently toward the earth. Neither of them spoke for a while, they just sat and enjoyed each others presence. She didn't even notice when she had begun, but her hand ended up inside his and their fingers entwined. She felt the heat rushing through her, and couldn't help but glance down at Yspa to see if his emotions were responding the same way hers were. She wasn't disappointed. She was glad she wasn't a man. Their bodies betrayed their feelings so much.

She looked up at his face. He looked down at her. Was it the glow of the suns, or was it blush that made his face red? She hoped for the latter. Again her feelings almost made her freeze in fear, but she forced her way past them and acted, following through, trying to recall all the training she had received at the compound over the years. No words were needed as she leaned in closer to him, her right hand resting on his thigh and her mouth rising to meet his. He said not a word as she leaned in toward him and even wrapped his arm around her waist to pull her in closer, not roughly, but gently. She kissed him with all the skill and passion she had, bringing her hand up to his face to hold him there. She stroked his cheek as they kissed and her eyes closed as her emotions went wild, tossing her all about. But he seemed to welcome the intrusion and kissed her back, the heat from his breath filling her up. She didn't even know how long it was until they broke apart, but when they did she panted, trying to regain the air that had been lost in time. Their eyes locked and she found herself staring into his tender brown eyes, and made sure she displayed all the passion she felt in her own blue ones. The waning sunlight sparkled in his, accentuating the moment. She realized that no words had been spoken between them for a while, and she sort of wished that they never had to speak again. All communication that was needed was being transversed right here, in the gaze that held steady. His hand began to stroke her back. She smiled and traced his jaw with her fingers. He smiled back, rubbing her neck from behind and again drawing her in close for another kiss. Her heart soared at his actions and she almost cried, yet she knew not why. He was just a man. A kind, gentle and good man, but a male none-the-less. Why had she never felt these things before? And what was it she felt? Fear? Guilt? Joy? Unworthiness? Love?

Again she pushed everything rational from her mind and simply let the emotions take control, relying on her training. It was a schooling that had let her rise to the top of her profession, giving her all the freedom and prestige that could be allowed one such as her. She drew on everything that had ever been taught her now, relying on that time spent in the compound to guide her.

She gently and gradually lowered her hand to his knee again, slowly rubbing his leg as they kissed. She moved her hand up his thigh in a gentle progress, taking her time. She hoped so much that he would not reject her, yet in the back of her mind she half knew what his response was going to be. Yet that did not stop her. She had to try. It had been so long.

Her hand traveled up his leg, her mouth distracting the movement. Eventually she reached a point that gave him no illusion as to her intentions. For a second he allowed the invasion, distracted as he was by the kiss and no doubt not thinking with his mind at the moment. But she felt something in his resolve snap and he shook himself awake, pulling away from her. She smiled at him and grabbed his neck, trying to pull him back into the kiss. But he would not allow it. She almost cried again as he gently but firmly pushed her away, his face showing all the feelings she did not want to see, fear, regret, loathing. She tried one last time to draw him back in, laying a hand on his bicep and squeezing hard, trying to portray all the vulnerability and longing and passion in her eyes that she could. But he would have none of it. He just shook his head sadly and stood up, walking a few paces away to compose himself before turning back to her.

"I can't do that Kady. Not now. Not ever."

Her scowl burned through the air as she eyed him with disdain and disappointment. This made no sense. Had she not shown her emotions to him? Had she not detected the same emotions flowing from him? Had they not just now shared a kiss? What was the block? Why did he not want this?

"Do you think me that undesirable? Am I that ugly that you would even wish to sleep with me?"

"Kady, it has nothing to do with you!"

"I see, so I do not matter, is that what you're saying? If I don't matter why do you not want this? Am I so low that even that does not entice you to me?"

Yspa shook his head emphatically.

"That's not what I meant. I cannot do what you want of me to. Yes, you are desirable, yes you are lovely beyond compare. I feel things for you that I have never felt toward a woman before. In another time and place I wish we had met, for then we could have become what you want. But it cannot happen. Not like this."

"Why not? What is so wrong with me that you do not find me worthy of your time? And we have plenty of time. We're in the middle of a vuzhong desert!"

"Kady, there's nothing wrong with you! See, that's places like your compound teach, that if you are not desirable by a man, you are not worthy of anything. But you are Kadyriath, I know so. I have spent these few months in your presence, and I can truthfully say that I wish I had the rest of eternity to spend with you. But I cannot do this act. I have sworn it away."

She looked at him curiously.

"You are no monk. You are no man of god. You make no sense."

He smiled gently at her, not out of laughter, but out of sadness.

"People like me must seem that way to you. You have spent your entire life living as one person, spending all your time only as what someone else sees as opposed to becoming who you truly are. I have seen the true you on this quest Kady. And I love her. But please don't ask me to do this with you, because I can't stand the look on your face when I deny you. It makes me feel as if you are dying."

Kady folded her arms and stalked away, her response wafting up behind her.

"Now you have a small taste of how I feel."

Hrodlious

Finngal, Nazhuu.

Hrodlious stood outside the doorway to her kings hut and growled, signaling her presence. Othurk had no need to ask who was at his door, he merely grunted a response in answer. Hrodlious waited patiently as the movements inside abated, then disappeared. It was only a few seconds after that a young female emerged from her husbands bedchamber and nodded a good night to the sorceress. Hrodlious ignored the girl and entered, facing Othurk with all the intensity she could muster. The smells in the hut were overwhelming and it drove her mad with lust and ecstasy. Othurk still lay in bed, naked. Perfect. Hrodlious stomped over to the bed and threw herself down on the sheets.

"Time will tell. Time will call. Time brings all. Little becomes large, over time, after time, through time. Creation is essential, and work is to be done."

At that she reached up and took ahold of the sleeves to her dress, ripping the sewing at the seams, giving him no illusion as to what was about to take place. Othurk said not a word of protest as his wife lay down on top of him.

King and Queen.