Spacer Clans Adventure 2: Naero's Gambit (13 page)

He paused and jabbed a finger at
another young Tua woman who jumped back, one of the three who had started climbing before.

“Y
ou. I choose you, you little beast. Attend me this night. See to my baser needs when I call, and then be silent and cringe out of my way otherwise. Or I will do even worse to you.”

She nodded
, speechless, trembling hard with her eyes cast down. But she climbed up quickly to obey.

Master Vane floated back up toward his cave without another word.

But the High Master’s blow had in fact imparted some kind of life-restoring energy to the dying Tua girl.

The
girl suddenly gasped. Her eyes popped wide open.

Naero picked her up and gave her over to the other Tua women to attend to her.
The revived girl still frantic and hysterical with fear from her ordeal.

The High Master was
long gone by then. His new native concubine slipped into his ominous cave behind him and vanished from sight.

Naero shuddered and stood staring all around her in her own kind of shock.

They said the High Masters could each be difficult in their own ways…yet she never expected anything like this.

Iika and Bahan came to her.

They both knelt and each of them kissed her hands.

They attempted to kiss her feet, but Naero pulled away from them.

“Please…don’t do that. It’s degrading, to all of us. I don’t see you and your people as my slaves to exploit.” She looked up and felt her own face flush scarlet with shame, and not a little anger.

“N
ot like some, obviously. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Iika smiled.
“You have done nothing wrong. You stood up to a Great One for one of our kind–when he could have destroyed you.”

“Y
ou got him to restore life to young Jemi,” Bahan said. “Her life is yours now. When she has recovered, we will send her to you.”

“I
don’t want any…servants.”

“B
ut…she is yours. She belongs to you now. She owes you a life debt.”

“N
o, she doesn’t. If so, then I set her free and release her from it. Just tell her to live her life and be happy. That is all I wish.”

The two of them almost looked disappointed.

“Very well,” Iika said. “But it is a terrible waste.”

As if on cue, Naero
’s head started to throb.

Great. She rubbed her temples.

“Where is my cave? I think I need to get some rest before tomorrow. I’m sure it’s going to be a fun day.”

They both climbed up to one of the lower caves and Naero followed, reaching
the one already prepared for her.

It was pretty much a cubicle of stone. Luminous crystals stuck out of the wall, with covers of the same brown hide for each to darken the chamber if desired. A pile of fairly clean hides and rushes to sleep among. A wooden pot carved out of a hunk of log to use as a toilet, with a pile of big soft
dark leaves to wipe and clean with as needed. How quaint.

Bahan promptly undid his loin cloth and relieved himself in the cave pot, thinking nothing of doing so in front of two females.

Then he picked up the chamber pot and motioned for Naero to follow him. He took her to the mouth of the cave and explained as he disposed of his waste.

“T
he Great Ones made this system for us long ago. When the smell of your cave pot gets too strong, dump it down here, on the left.”

A sluic
e formed right in the stone, most likely fed by a mountain aquifer carried the waste away down below, probably to a swamp or cesspool away from the caves.

Iika went to the right and took up a crude wooden bowl set in the wall on the right side. She held it under a smaller sluice, and it filled up with cool spring water. She hand it to Naero, who drank and actually felt
somewhat refreshed.

“D
rinking water is always on the right. Do not confuse the two…or you will be sorry. More gifts from the Great Ones. They do make many things better for us as well, and we are grateful. Do you require food?”

“I
could eat something. Thank you.”

Bahan whistled below and threw down a thin grass rope weight with a colored stone
on the end.

“B
ring food for our new halaena.”

Within minutes, he hoisted up a small sack. When he opened it, he revealed
small servings of dried meat and fish, even a tiny chunk of salt, some nuts, lots of edible shoots and green tuber plants, a piece of orange fruit, and some purple berries.

Naero ate about half and felt full, deciding to save the rest for later.

Now she really was tired. But she couldn’t help being curious.

“H
ow old are you two? Are you a mated pair? You seem to be in charge here.”

They looked at each other and smiled happily
, clasping hands. “We are mated,” Iika said. “We help lead and protect the Tua here. Yes, we are quite old. I am twenty-five summers of age, and my Bahan is–”

“I
am almost twenty-six summers. Iika and I have been mates since we came of age at fourteen. Young Tua are not allowed to
chunga
or take mates before they become adults.

“Y
ou lie, Bahan. You know very well we snuck around to chunga as much as we could when we were both three and ten summers.”

He chuckled.
“And we suffered our beatings when the elders caught us.”

Iika
’s eyes glistened. “Some things are worth a beating.”

They both laughed together.

Naero had a pretty good idea what chunga meant.

“D
o you need anything else, halaena?” Bahan asked.

“N
o, just some sleep. Thank you. You’ve been very kind. And please, can you just call me Naero?”

“N
aer-ro,” Iika sounded out. “Should we send you a Tua to pleasure yourself with later, after you have rested? We know even some halaena like to chunga together. Like this last pair did.”

This Hashiko and the male adept before her arrival had been lovers?
Naero barely caught her mouth from dropping open again. For a moment she did not know what to say to their frankness.

“I
t is quite all right. Halaena cannot breed with Tua, so do not worry about such. But the pleasure release of chunga is still good for both,” Bahan explained. “We can send a young male, or a young female if you like, more than one, or perhaps one of each for you to chunga with, Naer-ro.”

Iika even smiled slyly and reached out and touched Naero
’s long black hair tentatively. “You are very, very, pretty, and strange to us. And after the way you saved Jemi, I’m sure many of those who are of age and unmated among the Tua would gladly do their best to chunga well and give you much pleasure.”

“U
m, that’s okay. That won’t be needed. I guess you would say…I’m kind of mated already.”

She was bald-faced lying of course, but she didn
’t see any other way out of such an embarrassing mess. Especially not after High Master Vane’s brazenness, which the Tua all seemed to accept without question.

Iika shot Bahan a pleased, knowing look.
“See, I told you one as beautiful as she would already have a mate. Perhaps several among the stars. The wager is mine. You will do my bidding this night and please me as I like, my Bahan.”

Bahan grinned wide.
“Then in losing I am also the winner, my
kuva
.”

Having eyes only for each other suddenly, the two dropped the matter entirely and eagerly climbed up away from Naero
’s cave without so much as a good night or any other words.

Naero looked around at her new quarters, breathing a sigh of momentary relief.

15

No tek worked on Janosha, but luckily Naero had a spare set of silver-gray togs with her that she had pweaked the legs and arms shorter into more of an athletic body suit.

It was a style that many Spacers used for PT and sparring,
similar to those she knew adepts wore, so she kept them that way prior to her arrival on Janosha. Now they were stuck in that mode.

With the hotter climate, more rainforest, jungle, and savannah, the shorter suit would keep her arms and legs free and allow h
er to be cooler. Since the temp-regulating feature of her togs was inoperative.

But
her togs would still protect her somewhat, and they remained durable, nearly indestructible.

She
took to wearing some of the tugi, soft leather-type moccasins that some of the Tua wore. They had left her a pair as a gift.

N
atives anywhere usually had good ideas that were just plain practical.

Since
Master Vane’s tek-suppression abilities wouldn’t even allow her to re-program her togs, she was stuck with them in their default, neutral, silver-gray pattern. No more basic Spacer black for her.

On her
first day, Vane said she was set to meet and spar with his other adept. Adept Hashiko.

Naero had a
sinking feeling she wasn’t about to get any slack or compassion from Master Vane’s star Chaos pupil either.

But
Naero did as she had been instructed.

M
eet in the sparring circle west of the caves, Vane said. Little more than a low grass clearing a short distance from the caves, like a green bowl a hundred meters in diameter.

The competition circle was fifty meters in diameter, and marked by a circle of black sand. Four ancient looking, weathered
wooden benches marked the four compass points.

Strange native trees with their shiny
, dark green, angular leaves and lower thorny shrubs ringed the sparring circle like pillars. Even taller dark pines further up the mountains.

Naero guessed that the
trees could even be used like a calendar against the angle of the sun each day, if the natives or anyone chose to do so.

Old signs of great violence slashed and gouged the outside of the sparring circle and even out into the trees where some of them had been smashed, knocked down, or blasted to splinters here and there and left where they lay to rot and return to the forest. New saplings of various sizes sprang up to compete to replace them.

How fitting.

The scars on the land looked more or less covered over by new grass and overgrown. But some of them were fresher.

Naero wondered if these were from Hashiko’s fierce matches with the other adept. The one who just left.

Yet some power, perhaps
biomancing from Master Vane, kept the sparring circle refreshed, the black sand level, and tough green turf renewed each day.

Naero had gotten to the circle early to warm up
, well before dawn.

If Hash
iko was a prime adept, a Mystic prodigy like Baeven had been, she was most likely an accomplished fighter by now. Perhaps one of the best Naero might ever face.

Hashiko stormed onto the sparring circle
out of nowhere suddenly. She looked very angry.

Naero attempted to smile and hold out one hand in greeting.

“Hi, I’m Naero–”

Hashiko sprang into the air blinding fast and kicked her up side the head, then spun in mid-air and smashed her into dirt and grass
at the edge of the circle, pinning her there with one foot.

Naero struggled to break free, her own anger seething.

“What the hell is wrong with–”

Hashiko snarled and booted her right in the face
again. Then pressed her foot down into Naero’s throat.

She spoke through bared white teeth, gritted together in anger.

“Silence, inferior adept. Do not speak. You dare to disrespect me? Here? I am Superior Adept Mitsubishi Hashiko, primary student to High Master Vane; and I will not be insulted in this manner. When Master Vane is not present, this sparring field is my property. Mine. It belongs to me and to me alone. You do not enter it without my express permission. Is that clear?”

“A
bundantly–”

Hashiko rammed her foot into Naero
’s throat again, snarling. “I did not give you permission to speak on my combat field. Nod or shake your head. That will be sufficient.”

Naero choked.
“Can’t…not with your foot–”

“S
top. Talking. Do you ever listen? You have made these your problems. I do not see how they are mine.”

Quick as a snake, Hashiko yanked Naero up by her hair and one leg, and flung her
completely out of the sparring circle.

Very impressive strength.

Naero crashed face down into the grass and dirt and tumbled to a halt.

She jumped back up and came forward, careful not to enter the sparring circle. Naero stood right on the edge, feet shoulder width apart, hands resting on her hips.

Hashiko went through her warm-up forms and exercises without hesitation, ignoring Naero as if she weren’t even there.

“P
ermission to speak,” Naero asked.

Hashiko snarled and launched into her again without warning.

Calling on her experiences from her one-sided training matches with Baeven, Naero did her best to defend herself and fend off the flurry of powerful attacks that pummeled her and drove her back.

In seconds Hashiko had her bloody, bruised, and battered
on the ground again.

“H
aisha! Will you just tell me the protocols instead of attacking me?”

“B
e quiet!”

“H
ow will I know how to act if we can’t talk?”

Hashiko
backhanded her, a real head-ringer.

“H
aisha! Does the inferior adept ever shut up?”

“J
ust tell me what to do!”

Hashiko screamed at her in rage and frustration.

Yet it was more than just a scream.

Naero swore she saw the air actually warp between them as Hashiko unleashed a sonic attack on her, first driving her into a rut in the grass and dirt, and then flinging her out of the grass bowl entirely, spinning and smashing into the strange trees beyond.

Hashiko immediately went back to her exercises.

Her punches and kicks, every movement sped up into a whirring blur, attacks snapping and cracking with tremendous speed, precision and power.

Naero cautiously approached the sparring circle once more and waited.

Hashiko kept her waiting for a long while.

Finally Naero had enough. She started waving her hands and arms to get Hashiko’s attention.

She got it all right.

Hashiko beat her down into the grass and dirt yet again.

Then she stepped back and let Naero get up
once more.

“D
o. Not. Distract me. Are you completely stupid and disrespectful? Arrive at the appointed time. Never before me. You must wait until I am finished. Complete your own pitiful warm-ups before you get here. To ask permission, raise one or both hands to your shoulder and remain still.”

Hashiko openly imitated and mocked her, swinging her arms in exaggerated, silly abandon. “
Never above your head. Do not wave them around. Did any of this sink in from your orientation with the High Master? Did you assume he was joking about our protocols?”

Naero glared at her
furiously, popping her eyes wide, lifting both hands palm out to her shoulders.

Hashiko
’s mouth curled up into a brutal smile.

“P
ermission…not granted. As stated: you must wait until I am finished. Until I am ready to acknowledge your presence…and any idiotic questions that you may have.”

Naero turned to storm away.

Hashiko flashed in front of her, punching her right in the nose, knocking her onto her back once more.

“T
his is my sparring field. I have not given you permission to turn your back on me, or to depart.”

Laughter erupted from the south bench behind them.

Both of them turned to see High Master Vane sitting there, his hood over his head, almost obscuring his face. Apparently enjoying himself.

Hashiko lowered her head and
gaze ever so slightly.

Naero did not know what to do, so she stayed on her hands and knees.

Master Vane roared again. “Get up, Maeris. You’re not one of the herd animals here on Janosha, are you?” He bleated like some kind of cattle or goat creature.

Naero rose up to stand.

Hashiko snarled and shoved Naero behind her, stepping further in front.

Vane remained sitting.

“Master.”

Vane waved his hand.

Hashiko pointed back at her. “This girl is an idiot. She’s rude, arrogant, and extremely disrespectful. She cares nothing for our ways.”

Vane yawned.
“Perhaps…that’s because I never told her anything about them.”

Naero glared at the
m, as if she could burst into flame and reduce them both to ash.

Vane laughed.
“I was far too busy with other matters at the time and quite forgot about her orientation…perhaps I even did so on purpose. Perhaps I thought it would be good to see how both of you might react. Pretty amusing, really. How’s your orientation going, by the way Maeris? Not quite what you expected from training with the wise and stoic Mystics, eh, Maeris?”

He
waggled his hands in the air, then lifted himself up slightly and farted with a grunt.

"Well, get over it. Throw out anything you think you might know about what we should be like.”
Then he chuckled again and waggled his fingers in the air once more with additional mockery.

“K
ind of flies in the face of all of those romantic notions you must have, doesn’t it? Well get over them too, and get over yourself while you’re at it. We all have a lot of work to do. Including you, if you are even capable.”

Naero glared at him again.

We’re both of them nuts?

“Y
ou’re an asshole,” she stated flatly.

Hashiko snarled and went at Naero again.

“Wait!” Vane said, lifting one hand.

Hashiko stopped short.

“I’m sure she’s still a little confused and put out by my little prank. I’m sure our new adept thinks we’re both major shitholes, right Hashi?”

Hashiko snorted.
“I care not what vermin think.”

V
ane stared right back at Naero. “Well, like I said. Too bad, girlie. The world is an asshole. The galaxy–the entire universe–just bigger and bigger sphincters. Get it straight, Maeris. No one cares or gives a crap about you or what you think. You’ve been sent here to learn about Chaos energy and wisdom. We’re not here to coddle, you or become you’re friends and lovers.”

Hashiko rolled her eyes.

“Oh, please.”

Vane
’s temper flashed.

Hashiko
’s breath caught in her throat and her eyes widened suddenly.

A ring of pure, bright red Chaos energy
cinched tight around Hashiko’s throat.

“H
ashi. I’m talking here. Save your attitude for your little-girl-time together between you two. This is my turn to be indignant, smug, and superior.”

Hashi
ko nodded, still struggling to breathe.

Vane released her.

“Now where was I? I despise being interrupted. Oh, yes. We’re here to test and train you within an speck of your pathetic life, Maeris. To break you, learn every strength and weakness you have, and explore your freakish abilities. In the end, when you will most likely fail, go insane, or prove yourself an uncontrollable threat to us all...

“
I’m going to kill you.”

He snapped his fingers like a cracking thunderbolt.

“Dead. Just like that. We’ll let the rats bury your festering corpse somewhere with all the other Mystic failures, and send some kind of blah-blah-blah excuse to Intel and whatever wretches who knew you. You got that? Go ahead. Speak now.”

“G
ot it.”

Vane looked around.
“What? No protests? No long-winded speeches about fairness or justice? I’m a bit disappointed. Not at all like the insipid, whining Maeris bastards I recall. Very well then. I think that’s enough for today. Sheesh, we’ve got three years on our hands to crush, discourage, and destroy you. I spend most of my time doing whatever pleases me. Then I train Hashi, and I guess now for a laugh, I have to find some time for you as well. I tell you. What, a, bother.”