20(S2E7)-What am I?

20

(Season 2, Episode 7)

What Am I?

The blast was violent.

The size of the table had contributed to a massive explosion.  Vul’ Garr was hurled off his feet and in the opposite direct into the outer wall.  His mass, combined with the velocity in which the impromptu bomb had created, propelled him with enough force that even the four-foot, stone wall wasn’t enough to stop his forward momentum.

The wall gave way and Vul’ Garr, along with nearly a ton of broken stone, tumbled out of the tower and into a near endless freefall back to the base level of Avalon itself.

Zachariah was launched backward at a hundred miles per hour.  His impact with the interior wall would have killed him had it not been for his legs, which caught the edge of the only free standing structure left in the living room; a counter top.  This collision diverted his flight path slowing him, sending him into a violent head over heels spin and, of course, breaking both his legs.  His crash course ended when he slammed face first into the wall and then crashed to the floor in a broken heap.

“Nai!” Kahn screamed in Japanese as she watched Zachariah’s possibly fatal collision with the counter and wall.

She tried to rush to him but she stumbled to her hands and knees, the effects of the beast’s mighty blow having not quite subsided.  She shook her aching head and willed herself back to her feet.  Her focus was on Zachariah and the preservation of his life, if possible.

This focus, coupled with the beast’s attack, kept her from noticing the druid.

Seamus blindsided Kahn, the bear tattoo roaring over his chest.  His strength was at full force.  He powered Kahn back, first into the wall.  The power in which he did this knocked the air out of her lungs.  He then brought his right hand across her face with a mighty hook.  Blood sprayed from the master ninja’s mouth as her head rocked from side to side like a broken doll.

Seamus’ mighty hand wrapped around her throat and pulled her up off her feet sliding her up the wall.  “A master ninja, my lucky day you would fall into my lap.”

Kahn gasped as the super-humanly strong druid slowly began to crush her throat.  “I want you to see my face ninja.  I know who you are and I know you had something to do with my sister’s death, so I want you to see my face.”

“Seamus!” Mel’s voice was surprisingly low and authoritative as he flew through the broken doorway.  “She has safe passage!”

Seamus did not release her nor turn to face the pint sized nex.  “Ninjas are to be killed on sight!  You have no defense for her.”

“She is the accused protector and here at the wish of the Rognaithe!  The law is clear Seamus, regardless of her heritage profession or previous crimes.  She has safe passage!”  Mel took a couple of steps forward and began the chant for his lighting spell.

“You lie!”  Seamus turned his head now but maintained his hold on Kahn’s throat.  “The Rognaithe had no previous knowledge of her existence!”

Mel’s sarcasm was heavy.  “Well, maybe you’re right.  Why don’t we settle this by asking the Rognaithe?  Oh, that’s right, he’s dying on the floor!”

Seamus’ anger was clear but at the end of the day, he was a protector of the law.  He released Kahn who fell to her knees gasping.  Seamus bent down close to her ear.  “The trail will end eventually, one way or another, and then we will revisit this issue.”

Kahn looked up at him with cold eyes behind a bloodied face.  “Sore wa watashi no yorokobi to narimasu.”

Seamus stood and marched out the door brushing shoulders with the healers Mel had called before going to Kahn’s aid.

****

It all came back to her slowly as her eyes fluttered awake.  She saw the chaos in the room, the damage and destruction and the nexes standing over Zachariah’s broken body.  “Oh God, Zach…”

Mary’s whimper grabbed the attention of everyone in the room, including a badly hurt ninja woman she had never seen before but recognized instantly.  “Kahn…”

Kahn’s cold emotionless face allowed a curios eyebrow to rise.  “He speaks of me?”

“Only when he’s drunk.”  She said absentmindedly as she stood and a rush of memories played like a DVD in her head.

“I hit him,” Mary said, staring at her hands.  “And he hit me… I…I should be dead.”

 The healers gave her a look of disgust then went back to work on Zachariah, mentioning they needed to get him upstairs to a bed.

Mel’s gaze never left Mary and for the first time, it didn’t show hate or disgust, but sorrow.  “You really don’t know yet, do you?”

Mary’s eyes widened.  “Know what?!”

“You are not human.  You are Kiseichū.” Kahn said coldly.

“What?” She said, confused.

“You’re not human.”  Mel said while looking at the floor, unable to meet her gaze.

“What the hell am I?” She screamed.

Mel sighed.  “You are a succubus.”

****

At first, she refused to believe it.  Instead, she just shut down and began to focus on Zachariah and his condition.  The healers had stabilized him and moved him to his bedroom.  With their spells in place, it was matter of time before he would recover, which in and of itself, was a shock to Mary considering Zachariah’s injuries.

Two broken legs, four broken ribs and a punctured lung.

The healers had gotten to him in the nick of time.  He was also lucky to have not broken his spine.  The healers would not have been able to correct that.  The healers’ powerful magic can speed the healing process but not correct fatal damage or severe injury.

Mel thought it was ironic that he would be healthy by morning to face the death penalty.

The healers had gone.  Mary sat by Zachariah’s bed while he breathed low and quietly. Kahn stood in the corner, her need for secrecy gone she just stood, her own healing medicine applied to her cut lip and bruised face.

“What are you doing here?” Mel asked the cold and quiet ninja.

“My mission is to keep the Rognaithe alive,” she said as if Mel should have known better.

Mel turned toward her, confused.  “I thought that ended with the wyvern?”

Kahn shrugged.  “Then you are stupid.”

Mel scowled.  “I would like to remind you who just lied to save your skinny, little ass back there.”

Kahn turned to Mel and considered his statement.  “I owe you my life.  I will repay the debt.”

Mel threw his hands up.  “You could start by saying thank you.”

Kahn’s eyes narrowed.  “My actions will speak for me.”

“Bitch,” Mel mumbled turning back toward Mary and becoming surprised to see her starring back.

“How do you know?”  She asked, genuinely confused.

Mel shrugged.  “Succubus are very interesting creatures.  They are very territorial so when they are born they are placed away from the mother in a safe place until they get old enough to understand what they are on their own.”

Mary shook her head.  “What does that have to-”

Mel cut her off by raising a hand.  “How many family members or friends live on your street?”

Mary frowned.  “That doesn’t mean anything!  We are a close family!”

Mel shook his head.  “Your mother does not live on your street and you have never really gotten along with her.  Right?”

“Well, yes but that’s just a lucky guess.”  Mary tried to defend herself.

“The people on your street are her thrulls.  They are there to protect you.  She put them there so that she didn’t have to.”  Mel finished, sighing.

Mary was going to defend herself but her curiosity got the better of her.  “What is a thrull?”

“A succubus is substantiated by love and worship.  They are chameleons, becoming down to their very core, a different person each time they hunt.  Once they find their prey, they acquire their love by becoming the victim’s perfect woman then slowly, or quickly in more violent cases, consume the love that the person has.  Every kiss, every fuck, every time they hold hands the succubus takes a little more until that person’s love is completely absorbed.  At that point, the victim is forever controlled by the succubus and will do their bidding for the remainder of their life regardless of how they are treated.  Once this happens, the succubus sheds her personality in order to hunt again.”  Mel’s explanation was long and cold.

Mary starred wide-eyed.  “That’s terrible, I would never..”

“Would never, what?  You’re already doing it subconsciously.  Zachariah is just your current prey.”  Mel finished her thought for her again.

She shook her head, tears coming to her eyes now.  “It can’t be…”

Mel’s face became pained.  “I’m sorry, but it is.  Think back.  None of your relationships have lasted longer than four or five years, right?  They remain hopelessly devoted to you while you move on, always changing.  How many types of music have you liked? Ho many different styles of fashion… Even your weight has fluctuated hasn’t it?”

Mary was sobbing, “It’s not true…”

“You know it is, don’t you?”  Mel continued, his voice soft but accusing.  “It’s why you survived the orc attack.”

“Please stop…” Mary sobbed uncontrollably now.

“And the proof is right in front of you.  Your husband.”  Mel continued, wanting to get it all out now.  “He knows, doesn’t he?”

Mary just sobbed with no answer.  “He knows about you and Zachariah and yet he stays with you.  You already consumed your first real thrull.”

“Enough.”  Zachariah’s raspy voice stopped the conversation and Mary spun around, her blood shot eyes meeting Zachariah’s.

He tried to hide his fear but it was impossible.  How could he?  Not from her, not from the thing he lived for.  She turned and stormed out and Zachariah closed his eyes, drinking in the anguish that racked his soul.

The one woman who had ever loved his miserable ass was slowly consuming him.

“She had to know.”  Mel muttered in the awkward silence.

“Fuck you, Mel.”  Zachariah said back with nothing but cold hatred.  “You don’t always have to explain it.”

Mel frowned, hurt by Zachariah’s words.  He turned and walked quietly out.

Zachariah looked at Kahn.  “You want to add anything?”

Kahn shook her head.  “Honestly, Zachariah, I don’t care.”

Mary is a succubus?!  This changes everything!  Or does it?  How will Zachariah deal with this, especially with the trial in the morning?  And does Mel have what it takes to defend him after everything that has transpired?  Will Kahn ever really care?!

Answers! Next Time!

Stranger Things; Zachariah’s Trial.

TO BE CONTIUED…..