Chapter 17
TL retrieved an orb from her bag, illuminated it, and sent it forwards through the portal. She smiled, nodded, and proceeded forwards. Arne allowed Loxy her custom and followed. The party consisted of Shen, Loxy, Arne, Yaffa, Torny, Jerica, Tane, and Erico. A dozen others came carrying supplies, and took back goods that had Arne’s shipmates had collected near the gate.
The ship was a Knarr, christened the Aslog-flyer, and in sight of the gate. It was tied to a stone dock. It was one of a dozen docks, all stone. The docs themselves met a landing, and stairs up led to the portal. In the distance was an abandoned city, all of stone.
“Wow,” Shen said.
“Isn’t it a sight?”
Orton met Arne at the gate. Shen noticed Orton was a little upset, but thought it wasn’t his business. He walked away to stay out of it, TL following him.
“Can you determine how long it’s been abandoned?”
“I cannot,” TL said. She sent her scout-orb out to explore the city.
“Can you teach me that?” Torny said.
“I cannot,” TL said. “But I will share the info.”
TL sat down on the ground and began drawing the city from an aerial view. Arne stormed past her, headed into the city. Erico slowed only to tag Torny with an invite.
“Come on, Torny. The fools went into to town, and haven’t been seen since,” Erico said. “Shen, you and Loxy wait here.”
“Go with, Shen,” Loxy said. “I got you.”
Shen followed Arne and his party. When Arne realized Shen was with him, he confronted him.
“Go back to the boat, Brother,” Arne said.
“I intend to walk with you,” Shen said.
“My men disobeyed a direct order to remain by the boat,” Arne said. “They’ve been gone for over a day. That means danger. You don’t fight. I don’t have time to rescue your ass while saving others. Go back.”
“Don’t rescue me, then,” Shen said.
Arne pointed.
“You’re not telling a grown ass man where to go, are you?” Shen snapped.
Arne shook a closed fist, turned and stormed off into the direction he was traveling. Erico gave a shrug of eyebrows and moved on. They spread out.
“You really should stay back,” Torny said.
“I face what you face,” Shen said.
Shen stopped. Whatever it was, it was tangible, and likely he was more sensitive to it due the sensors in his uniform.
“What?”
He closed his eyes and stepped back. Torny whistled to get the others’ attention. Shen grimaced. “Don’t do that?” He kept his eyes closed, stepped back further, raised a hand as if following something. He went in a new direction, eyes closed, Arne and company following him. He touched an invisible wall. He felt sick at his stomach. He walked sideways.
“What is he doing?” Erico asked.
“He’s lived with ghost,” Jerica said. “Maybe he is sensitive to something we can’t see.”
“Giants?” Tane said.
“There are no such things,” Torny said.
“You keep saying that and yet we keep finding shit,” Erico said. “No such things as Siren, we find Sirens. No such things as ghost, we’ve seen ghosts…”
“Shen?” Arne said.
Shen opened his eyes and proceeded forwards at a quick pace as if he was determine to meet something. He stopped just shy of what looked like a miniature Roman aqueduct. There was water in the upper trough, he could discern that with the orb TL was flying. To get into the city proper, one had to pass through the arches that supported the water way. He stopped their progress.
“Don’t move,” Shen said. “Definitely, don’t go under the arches.”
At each of the columns were circular stepping stones. Two for each column, or two for each arch, and coming towards the arch at an angle revealed stepping stones on the other side. In light of his understanding of the gates of Midelay, he had concerns.
“We’re wasting time,” Erico said.
Shen picked up a rock and threw it through the arch. The rock disappeared.
“Fuck me,” Torny said. “Gates!”
Jerica lit up her staff, the whole of the gateway was suddenly illuminated blue. The edges of it flared. Every portal reflected light back.
“They’re all on,” Yaffa said.
“Where do they go?” Tane said.
“Loxy, I need the sentinel,” Shen said.
The orb was suddenly by his side, descending from a height.
“Is there a way around?” Arne asked.
“This aqueduct encircles the inner city,” Shen said. “It branches off and runs straight to the mountain. It’s fed by a spring.”
“You know how much power it takes to run all these gates?” Yaffa asked.
“No,” Shen said.
“Well, it’s a lot… And these are just full time on?” Yaffa asked.
“Where do the gates lead?” Tane said again.
“I don’t know,” Shen said.
“Different places in the city,” Jerrica said. “Short cuts.”
“Or away from the city,” Torny said. “A great way to keep invaders out, send them somewhere else.”
“These pedestals might be locks,” Shen said. “A master stands here, turns off the portal, we go in, two Master on other side allows the last one in.”
“Unless it’s the other way around,” Jerica said.
“Doesn’t matter,” Arne said. “They wouldn’t have known that. They would have just gone through.”
“Sentinel, I need you to pass under the arch, please,” Shen said.
The sentinel proceeded through the arch. It disappeared. Shen frowned.
“What?”
“We lost contact with it,” Shen said. “It either ceased functioning or it is so far from us we can’t connect. In the event of the latter, it will autopilot back home. I will learn more when I go back home.”
“So, we pick one and go through, or we all go through one,” Tane said.
“Loxy, would a telescope work?” Shen asked.
“Try it,” TL said, in his ear only.
Shen suddenly had a long, thin telescope in his hands.
“What?”
He gently probed the gate. To his relief touching the field didn’t suck him through, and if he pulled it out, he retrieved the whole of it back. He then stuck the wide end through, and looked through the eye piece. Nothing. He pulled it out and looked back at the boat to make sure it was working. It was. He picked another gate and tried to see on the other side. Nothing.
“What do you see?” Torny asked.
“Nothing,” Shen said. “Light must not be able to pass back through the event horizon.”
“What?”
Shen tossed the telescope down. Tane picked it up. On examining it, it became his favorite new tow. Shen magically retrieved rope from his bag, secured it to a nearby statue, tying the other end around his waist.
“You’re not doing that,” Arne said.
Loxy was now with them. “What Arne just said.”
“Someone’s got to. You can pull me back,” Shen said.
“We don’t know that,” Loxy said.
“If we assume a straight line from here to the boat, they probably picked one of these gates. We’ll take turns. I will take this one. You count to 20, then pull me back. Then we will try another one and see if the places are the same or not.” Privately he told her, ‘you know it has to be me. If I get into trouble, I can fly away.’ ‘Assuming the suit isn’t disabled.’ ‘This is not the same level of portal as the other.’ ‘I concur, but, this is dangerous.’
“I will take the first one,” Arne said.
“No, I am secure and ready to go,” Shen said.
“These are my people,” Arne said.
“I know,” Shen said, and rushed the gate.
Arne chased but Loxy blocked him. “You’re the compass for your people. He’s right.”
“He won’t fight, but he will risk his life for a people he doesn’t know?” Erico asked.
“Yeah,” TL said.
“Shouldn’t we be counting?” Tane asked.
“Fuck twenty. Pull him back now,” Arne said.
They pulled the rope. Shen returned shivering. Loxy embraced him, manifesting a blanket coat. She kissed him, and in his head ‘your suit has a heater, you know.’ ‘I didn’t think I would be there that long.’ “Thank you,” Shen said.
“Where were you?”
“Antarctica?” Shen said. “Ice everywhere. Fuck, you think your place is cold? Even Santa wouldn’t stay where I was.”
“Your suit is still operational,” TL said, relieved. “Did you see the orb?”
“It must have followed protocol,” Shen said. “Probably should modify them to linger longer. Also, we should consider putting satellites in orbit.”
Loxy nodded. Next time they logged into the Shangri-La, she would put in the work order. Jerica handed her staff to Torny and joined Loxy in the blanket, a ruse of offering her heat. She undid the rope and secured it around her waist.
“Alright, so, let’s explore the next one,” Shen said.
“My turn,” Jerica said, not wanting to be shown up by the new guy. “They would have gone in that one.” She said, pointing to the monolithic stature that had jewels imbedded in it. Arne agreed with that. She saw Shen was mad and patted his face, even kissed him. “Oh, do you care, or do you just want all the fun?” And with that, she went through the gate.
Unlike before, the rope did not remain slack. There was a calm, Tane was counting. The rope went tighter, snapping, singing like a guitar string. Shen dropped the blanket and rushed the gate. Not to be undone, Arne and Erico followed. They emerged on the other side. They were in a circular arena. There was no apparent way out, as each of the ‘arches’ led to a brick wall, except for the one with a rope, coming out of nowhere. In the center of the arena was a large plant. The light where the rope intersected nothing and disappeared seemed irritated. The central feature of the large plant was a lotus. It had large leafy pieces and vines. The vines were alive and one of them had Jerica by the legs, pulling her towards the lotus. The rope had slipped up to her underarms and she was clinging to it tightly with her hands, trying to just hold her position.
Arne and Erico immediately fell to fighting off more vines. The vines were not impenetrable to swords, but it required hacking. Even Shen’s knife wasn’t working well on the vine that had Jerica. Erico screamed when his sword was ripped from his hands, and his wrist caught. Arne dropped his sword to grab his friend.
“Fuck,” Shen said. He manifested a Torch. The golden beam of his sword flared, igniting with a loud retort. The energy sword cut through the vine like tissues paper. He brought his sword up and around, cutting the vine and dropping Jerrica. The plant sent vines towards him, but they all fell- the hurt end withdrawing, and the loose ends writhing blindly. One of the loose ends caught Erico’s legs and blindly tried to entwine him, revealing it was still a threat.
A woman emerged out of thin air- her feet lighting down like a ballerina that was being slowly set down by invisible hands. She was mesmerizing. High cheekbones, rosy cheeks, hourglass figure, and a sultry walk that would have made Jessica Rabbit seem like a nun in a robe. Her hair was comprised of dread locks that moved like snakes.
“Finally, a real man,” the woman said. “Make love to me. Give me children, and I will raise you to be a king.”
“Identify yourself,” Shen said.
“No, wait,” Jerica yelled. She was pulled back. Erico went with her, holding her hand. Arne stayed with Shen.
“Kill her,” Arne said.
“Silence!” She did something with her hand, and Arne went to his knees. A plethora of vines and tentacles were growing towards them. She smiled at Shen. “Lower your Light. I will not harm you. I promise.”
Shen lowered his weapon. The blade of light retracted.
“See; nothing to be afraid of my dear,” she said, coming closer.
“Don’t listen to her!” Arne said.
She kicked Arne, knocking him to the ground.
“Hand me your Light,” she said, grasping it. “Shhh,” she said, kissing him. “I have you my pet. Relax.” She admired the Torch. “Oh, I have not seen a psychic amplifier like this in ages.” She shivered as if orgasmic. “It’s tuned to you. That’s super smart of you.”
“Who are you?” Shen asked.
“Yes,” she said. “Yes! Know me. Explore me. Smell me, deeply. Naming me solidifies me in you. You want to be solid in me? Call me Jazmyne,” she said. “Close your mind to her!” Arne said.
“You are difficult to penetrate,” Jazmine said, hugging him, and giving him butterfly kisses with her eye lids. She looked at Arne, pointed the torch at him. “You, on the other hand, you are a part of this world. I will not raise you, but if you wish to join your men, I would be happy to invite you inside.” She petted Shen, pushing her breast him. They were oily, and smelled of coconut oil.
“You killed them?! All of them?!” Arne demanded.
“They wanted ecstasy,” Jazmyne said. “I gave them that. But their seed is useless. You, on the other hand, Shen. Your seed is precious. Share it with me. I need it.” She licked his face and hugged his neck. “Day dream with me. Look around you. They used to come from thousands of miles to watch me feast in my glory days. Feasts, and orgasms for everyone. That was a brutal regime. It could be different with you, Shen. Man of peace. Bring me your criminals, your unwanted, the homeless, the drug addicts. I will keep your city pure. Your people will love you and I will be your queen. I will keep you young, forever…” She licked his ear and whispered. “How is it you resist? Ahh. I am competing with another of my kind…”
Loxy emerged with the rope tied around her, remaining taught behind her- going back into the irritated field of light.
“Oh, I remember your kind, bitch,” Jasmine said. She latched onto Shen, arms encircling him like vines. “Shen, join me. I will give you everything you want. I will give you the keys to this world, and the universes beyond. I will server you better than she. I will do what the others refuse to do. I will send you home.”
“Just like that?” TL asked her. “Nothing in return?” She dropped a line to Arne. That line was attached to her.
Jazmyne ignored her. “Mate with me,” she said, licking his face. “I will give you anything. Take our children back to your universe, plant them anywhere, and you and I will reign forever,” Jazmyne said.
“Am I dreaming?” Shen said.
“Yes!” Jazmyne. “Cum inside. Inside your mind. Just go with it. Come with me.”
“Let him go, or I will kill you,” TL said. She did not say this empty handed. She held her own Torch. Her light was purple; igniting and twirling the blade was sufficient distraction for a tether to launch from her belt to Shen’s. Not only did it attach, it became solid, one piece as if it were all the same material.
“You can’t kill this kind,” Arne said. He had wanted to tie the line to him, but it tied itself the moment he tried to secure it around him. “The best thing you can do is not feed them meat.”
“He speaks truth,” Jazmyne laughed. “Cut me down, and a dozen more heads will come forth.”
“Who are you again?” Shen asked.
“She’s a tulpa, a personality interface for this plant,” TL said. “She has established a telepathic bond with you, Shen. She coupled to an archetype inside your mind to better seduce you.” The archetype the plant was channeling was a blending Medusa, Lilith, succubus, vampire, and siren.
“The siren effect,” Arne said. “How is he resisting her?”
“He isn’t,” Loxy assured him. “I am blocking a majority of her attack. Jon, I need you to focus.”
“I sense profound loneliness…” Shen said.
“Yes, I need you…”
“Shen, you’re projecting loneliness, she is echoing to draw you…” TL said.
“Come to me, my pet,” Jazmyne said. She had vampire teeth. She raked his neck with an unproductive bite. She had bat wings that were green, plant, reptilian, and mammal. “I promise you will always be satisfied. Inside me. Suckle my breast. Drink me, taste me, come inside.”
“Is that what you said to the other guys?” Arne demanded.
“They were not like this one,” Jazmyne said.
“Jon,” Loxy said. She deactivated her Torch and hooked it to her belt. “It’s time to go. You’re from Texas, what’s the rule?”
“Ladies first,” Jon said.
“I will not let you take my man…”
“Mine,” Loxy said, and she stepped forward and kissed Jazmyne. Jazmyne was unprepared for the jolt of pleasure that rocked her, much less the kiss- few people voluntarily came straight her and made contact. While Loxy kissed her, she shouted into Jon’s mind: “Make us cum, Jon.”
“Okay,” Shen said, eagerly enough.
Shen pushed energy, telepathically and through tech. His pent up energy escalated the push. Jazmyne couldn’t let go of Shen’s Torch, her grip to it was as if she had held something electric, forcing muscles to restrict. Jazmyne went to her knees, gasping, her eyes rolling back. Loxy let her go. She grabbed Shen, hugging him tightly with arms and legs. Arne Flew backwards. Loxy and Shen followed, she was telling him in his mind to cum with her. They arrived back on the far side of the archway. Arne was on his butt, trying to get up. Shen was on his back, TL on top of him.
Loxy sat up, still holding Shen, holding him tight to her. He smiled faintly at her then went to sleep, his head dropping to her shoulder.
“You okay?” Torny asked Arne.
Arne smiled. “Yeah,” he said, and also fell asleep. Torny and Erico caught him and eased him down.
“Sorry,” Loxy said. “I may have overestimated the level of response necessary to push a psychic climax.”