Play Testers Wanted Pt. 22

"Black Dragon," Akira said. "Nick was one of its most gifted practitioners."

"Another one to add to my collection. I seem to gather fighting styles while some folks hoard china, paintings, or money. Let me get a feel for it before we move on."

I didn't miss the dichotomy of being utterly unfamiliar and intimate with every move it encompassed. I surrendered to the knowledge while I kept an eye out for more of Nick's influence. To my relief, the memory was just a recollection of the past without a guiding mind to propel it. I paused and performed a breathing technique attached to the primary remembrance. The sudden surge of power matched that of drinking the water from the fountain. Chi energy not only cleared my head but help reunify my body, mind, and spirit. I had heard stories about martial artists claiming the many benefits of Ki or Chi. Some of those assertions appeared to be true. I glanced at Akira and smiled.

"I'm thirsty."

"Let's hit the pub and maybe throw some darts if they have any boards," I suggested.

"Excellent idea," Akira replied with a genuine smile on her lips.

"After that, I will fuck you until you beg me to stop," I added with a kiss on her cheek.

"Good, you scared me to death," She laughed as her eyes crinkled at the corners.

"How do I look?"

"Somewhere between a musketeer and a gunslinger," Akira chuckled. "Don't get me wrong. It is a good look for you. All you are missing is the armored duster or long coat and appropriate weapons."

After a few missteps, we found the pub. Welcome to the Blue Fox. The sign greeted us. It screamed Irish pub all day long. So much dark wood, photos of dart champions, and the regulars gathered around the bar on their stools. Akira got a lot of looks from the male patrons. She ate it up, thrust her tits, and walked up to the counter. I joined her, ordered pints for everyone, and then paused; what passed for currency in this town? Akira pulled out a small purse, plucked out two silver coins, and set them on the bar. She leaned forward and not so subtly pushed her ass out for everyone's inspection. Akira knew how to work a crowd.

"How long will this last?" She asked when the bartender turned to face us, and it took everything not to gawk at him.

He was a freaking elf, or Fae, as Wraith called them. First an Osirian and now him. What other species will we run into, and what was their point of origin? I smiled and somewhat kept my composure. He was beautiful in the way male models were, and then some. He examined one of the coins and smiled.

"How generous can we be?"

"Very," The Fae stated with a smile that would melt the coldest of human hearts.

"Let's be charitable if that is okay," Akira asked the regulars, and they were acceptable to drink with us.

"Where did you get those?" I asked as I took the stool next to her.

"Iram, there were thousands of them, and he wanted us to be able to use them when the opportunity arose." Akira danced around using Nick's name. "I always keep some on me."

The once scantily clad brunette from the balcony strolled into the pub and sat next to me. Gone was the lingerie; now, the woman wore a KISS t-shirt, ass-hugging jeans, and a mane of hair that rivaled Akira's in length and beauty. The bartender handed her a pint, and she was surprisingly shy or acting that way. I looked at her, and she lowered her gaze with those violet eyes so dark and piercing in what came off as a submissive display.

"Forgive me," I said and continued. "I am new here and am not familiar with the social norms. If I do something that offends, it is not intentional."

"I will keep that in mind." She said in a sensual voice and yet impossible to isolate her nationality. "I am Serein, by the way."

"Booker and this is Akira," I replied, trying to figure out her genetic heritage.

It proved elusive and reminded me of the earth goddess I had encountered inside the game. Serein was like her but not quite as ethereal, but who could compare with computer-generated perfection?

"Oh, you are the guy that saved the other Booker," Serein stated like I had done a public service. "I treated him after his seizures and helped him recover."

"Are you a nurse," I asked, and she shook her head.

"I am a masseuse. I tend those in need with a gentle touch and acupressure," Serein explained.

I finished my first beer and asked the bartender for a refill. I looked back over at Serein and flinched. Her hair was now a deep scarlet, and gone was the long mane of hair; instead, Serein was now sporting an undercut hairstyle. I looked for further changes but found none.

"Neat trick," I said, and she smiled. "Are you a shifter?"

"Yes, my people are empathic and react to strong mental needs or urges. You love redheads, and this style seemed appropriate to get your attention," Seiren purred. "You think about her but crave multiple partners to satisfy your enormous libido."

"She has got you dead to rights Booker," Akira laughed. "Just enough hair to hold onto while she impresses you. The Ia'Shandri are rare since the purge of their home dimension. N... someone bought up several isolated islands for them to migrate here and call Earth their home." Again, she bit back using Nick's name. "Are you from the Ju'Dari colony?"

"I am," Seiren declared happily. "I was offered a position here as masseuse and Tak'Dahl, a kind of spiritual healer. Your species does not have an equivalent term to describe it accurately." She paused and blushed furiously. "You are a naughty girl."

"Yes, I am," Akira moaned. "I have had the pleasure of spending a long weekend with one of your folk on a single occasion. I could have died happily after that little sensual jaunt."

"That good, eh," I muttered as I exchanged my empty mug for a full pint. "How long have you been working here?"

"In human reckoning, over twenty solar cycles," Seiren replied after a quick mental calculation. "My people, due to the nature of our home, are less rigid when it comes to the keeping of time. It just isn't that important to us."

"You don't look old enough to be forty-something," I said as a compliment, and she laughed.

"The Ia'Shandri," the Fae bartender explained as Seiren wiped her eyes free of tears. "Her people are effectively immortal. Barring the destruction of an area by massive heat or acidic compound, they can regenerate from just a few cells."

"No shit," I said, feeling euphoric from the beer. I thought of pounding the living hell out of her when she bit her lower lip and grabbed the bar's edge with white knuckles. "Sorry, my mind got carried away."

"Your hunger is stronger than any mundane human I have ever encountered," Seiren growled. "You aren't, are you, mundane, I mean." I held up Left, and he displayed all six digits to her. "Duskwalker," Seiren whispered.

"Oh boy, girl, you don't know the half of it," Akira snorted as she lifted her mug. "This beer is kicking my ass."

"That is not beer," the bartender replied. "It is ambrosia. There is a grove of Golden Ambros in the valley's northern end. I collect its leaves when they are ready and brew the best ambrosia this side of the Tenth Heaven."

"Friend Booker," Druin boomed. "I am glad to find you here. This fine lass' distraction was too strong to ignore any longer."

The sound of his hand slapping Akira's ass reverberated across the bar. I chuckled, seeing Akira turn crimson and bite her lip hard to keep from yelping. Druin had her number from the get-go.

"Come on and say it," I suggested. "No, I'll say it for you then. Please, sir, may I have another."

Crack!

"Ooh, that was a good one," I said. "Did you climax?"

"Uh-huh," Akira whimpered.

"Damn girl, wait until he sticks it inside. That'll be like setting off a stick of dynamite."

"God, I hope so."

"Get my friend Druin a pint of ambrosia," I said.

"Now, we're talking," Druin said. "Here, lass, have a seat." Druin lifted Akira off her stool by the waist and planted her on his lap. She let out a soft coo along with a deep guttural oof.

'Another classic,' Left said silently.

'He's fucking her, isn't he?'

'Damn straight, all ten inches buried in her soaked pussy.'

'Pretty brazen.'

'Druin is no coward. He knows how attracted Akira became when she saw him at his smithy. Akira is willing, and he can't resist that kind of offer. Aren't you jealous?'

'No, I love her, but the openness works both ways. What kind of selfish monster would I be if I fucked many women and demanded she remains monogamous? That's insane.'

'There are many that would argue about property rights. Sadly, those ladies often end up on a slab before they escape someone like that.'

'I want her to be happy. If she chooses to stay here with Druin, Akira has my blessing. I would miss her, but some things are more important, and selfish love is no love at all. Ooh, she is about to blow; see that expression. Three. Two. One.'

"Oh, God!" Akira howled.

By the look on Druin's face, the feeling was mutual. She must have milked that one out of him. The Fae bartended reached up and rang a polished brass bell. He gave it three swift pulls of the rope attached to the clapper.

"Drinks are on Druin. House rules. You fuck. You come. You pay," The Fae grinned as he lowered his hand and took my empty mug. He used a different keg this time. "Here is a sample of last year's vintage."

"The Tenth Heaven, I feel a geography lesson is required," I said, taking a mouthful of the drink and letting it sit in my mouth to take in the subtle flavor.

"I am hardly the Fae to explain such a complex concept," the bartender stated. "Uriah, is the Dutchman awake, or have you seen him around lately?"

At first glance, the satyr passed as a burly human youth, but I noticed the stubs of horns poking through his curly dark hair after a moment. Uriah shook his head in response to the bartender's question.

"No, he went into the Maze. He finished that project for the professor. Though he did leave me with enough product to make a few coins while he was gone," Uriah stated with a friendly smile. "Here, take a look."

He said and rolled what appeared to be a ball of shimmering glass. I stopped the ball and picked it up. The exterior of the sphere had what seemed to be an oily sheen. The globe's surface felt squishy, and my fingers sunk into it half an inch or so.

"What is this stuff," I asked as I played with it like it was clay or play-doh.

"It is the professor's latest invention, liquid glass, and it took him decades to perfect," Uriah proudly said.

"Liquid glass," I stammered. "It is like a whole new state of matter."

"Cool," Akira said, eyeing the ball still seated in Druin's lap. "What is the application besides a child's toy?"

"Ask the Shifter, and she'll tell you," Uriah said.

"Not everyone approves of my kind," Seiren said, her mood darkening and with it her appearance. "I cannot hide my emotions more than you can conceal your erection." Her hair was a light eating black, her features hinted at an atavistic nature beneath her usually calm exterior, and even her eyes had taken on a bright green with slits for pupils. "My people's art, I guess you would call it technology, is amorphous. Our homes, ships, tools, and even teaching devices are mercurial. We are a race of whims with no clear form and no desire to be pinned down to one. As you call it, the liquid glass is a tool for my folk to strengthen our shifting skills. Our children use devices like that to bend it to their will and understand the sensation of different states of being."

"Makes perfect sense to me," I replied, but Uriah took offense. Like Nick, it seemed that the Professor and the Dutchman had stolen technology from the shifters and claimed it for their own.

"Try it," Seiren purred, her lips by my ear. I had not seen or heard her move from her seat. Yet, she was behind me and pressed her breasts against my back how I liked it. "You like my tits don't you," she growled. "Cup your hands together and let the sphere settle against your skin. Good. Now, pick a new shape for it to take on. Try something simple your first time around." I closed my eyes, and the first thing that came to mind was a twenty-sided die. I imagined all those triangles locked together, forming the shape. I willed it to change, and nothing happened. "You are trying too hard," Seiren declared, and her hand touched the back of my neck. "Let me in. Just your surface thoughts, and I will show you how to do it."

'I will keep an eye on her,' Surfer promised, so I let my guard down.

'So crowded with thoughts, some your own while others are not,' Seiren's mind touched mine. I thought she must be using my BMI somehow or perhaps telepathy. 'Is that the shape you desire? Good. It is different yet uncomplicated. Feel the glass pool in your hands. That is it. It is cold to the touch and forms a flat round disk. Guide it up and envision the triangles forming and connecting.'

"Unn, Druin, it is changing," Akira gasped in surprise. "It is moving on its own. It looks like me."

'Her voice inspired you. Open your eyes and see,' Seiren urged, and I did. A statuette of Akira stood in the palms of my hands. 'Make it rotate. Imagine she is standing on a spinning stage. Excellent. Ooh, she does have a nice butt.'

'You cannot fully appreciate it until you are deep inside of it,' Left intruded and just had to let her know of his existence. 'Of course, she had to know. If you do not seal the deal, I will. Do you know how long it has been since I had the pleasure of an Ia'Shandri? No, you do not, because it is all about you. Do not disappoint me, partner.'

'Who was that?' Seiren gasped as her arousal spilled into our shared experience.

'Left, formerly, if you believe the stories, a Hyperborean wizard of great renown or so he claims.' I joked, and she had heard of him by her emotional reaction. 'I warn you. He is only in it so he can sodomize you.'

'And your point,' Seiren growled playfully.

'Yes!' Left roared triumphantly. 'Nice sculpture.' I opened my eyes, and there was a new creation in the palm of my hand. It depicted me standing with Seiren kneeling before me, giving me head, but that was not all. Akira was held aloft by me with her legs dangling over my shoulders and my face firmly planted between her legs.

'I give you passing marks for such an accurate and pleasing creation,' Seiren purred.

"I like the way you think friend Booker," Druin rumbled. "I wish to explore more deeply the pleasure the Akira offers. Come on girl, you are driving me crazy."

"You haven't seen anything yet," Akira promised as she stood and waited for Druin to make himself presentable. I felt Seiren's attention fade and lock onto Druin. The sight of his exposed cock became irresistible to her.

"Go, I wish to explore Iram a bit; I will catch up later," I said.

"My place is not far," Seiren stated as the three of them went to her masseuse studio instead of her apartment. "My neighbors do not like how loud I get. I soundproofed my studio for discretion and the peace and quiet of others. Even then, I have the tiles replaced regularly. It is worth the expense. There is one condition, though, I can only be with one of you at a time. Two such hungry and powerful minds would cause me great distress. I hope you understand."

Akira gave me a look that screamed divided obligations, one side to me and the other to herself.

"I still have some healing to do."

"Only if you are sure," she said as Druin's arm slipped around her waist. His other already held Seiren close.

I finished my pint of ambrosia as Left fumed silently.

'What the hell was that all about?'

'She has her own life to live. Things are changing, and if Akira wishes to leave, I will grant her that; it is the least I can do.'

'Wow, you do love her enough to lose her.'

'Having a stranglehold on someone isn't healthy. My mom found out the hard way. I've seen what obsession does to people with my own eyes. I guess that is part of why I won't settle down.'

'Oh, Booker, I didn't know.'

Left's thoughts triggered the memory of the night my mom's boyfriend tried to kill her. Suppose I hadn't shown up and grabbed the baseball bat. With an effort of will, I shut it down and focused on the bar and its patrons.

'I need to be alone right now. Well, you know what I mean.'

'Listen, I'll go into sleep mode for a bit. Get your head back in the game and take all the time you need.'

'Thanks, Left.'

I left the tavern somewhere between tipsy and shitfaced. Nothing would have surprised me less than to end up near the middle of town. Once more, I felt the moisture from the fountain and the pillar at its center. I walked around the pool and pondered its ability to mask the town and fool its citizens. Was this a natural property, or perhaps it had been constructed and served a purpose?

Left remained silent, and I didn't interrupt his quiet mood just yet. I felt a subtle psychic tug and followed it. The park stood on the easternmost corner of Iram. There was plenty of room to practice martial skills and deal with my recuperation. I stripped out of my shirt, folded it neatly, and placed it on the grass. I would start with Black Dragon and see if I felt any remnant of Nick in the back of my mind.

"Here goes nothing."

I knew the moves this time, and nothing stood between me and the motions. My muscle memory was perfect as I felt my Chi intensify the further I got into the form. When I neared the end of the series, my body felt like it crackled with power.

"Come on, are you in there? If you are, I permit you to show yourself."

The closing gestures came and went when my body launched into a new yet familiar sword style. I snatched a fallen stick and used it in place of a weapon. Was the Chi energy flowing through me that granted the faux sword an afterimage as it cut the air? I felt a rush of joy and picked up speed. The stick whistled as I seamlessly shifted from one style to the next. I combined several sequences from lightsaber forms and the others I knew into a new and formidable collection. I imagined foes surrounding me, and just like a kid with a flashlight pretending to be a Jedi, I cut down the phantom enemies with clinical precision.

"It is okay to feel. Let it out," I said to myself.

My tears blinded me as the damn burst. The stick flew from my grasp as I dropped to my knees and wailed. The words were meaningless but helped purge the last of my anger, fear, and hopelessness as my fists pounded the damp Earth and mashed down the grass. I used my shirt to dry my eyes and wipe my mouth to remove the vomit.

"I need a new shirt. A new life. Hell, I don't know what to do anymore."

"Do nothing, be nothing, for the universe is patient," she said. "A wise friend of mine told me that once."

"Asa Khai, Dosu Khai, ushan gri savanti," I replied. "Where the hell did that come from?"

"It is the language of the K'Ta'Viiri, the Duskwalkers. I have kept it safe."

I looked to see the Bastet that had given me clothing standing nearby. She was crying, but her eyes were bright, and I realized she was happy, not sad or upset.

"I have gotten the shirt you lent me dirty," I said.

"It is nothing water and soap cannot remedy. I have been watching you. If it is permitted, I brought a picnic basket and a blanket. Call me old-fashioned, but would you share a meal with me?"

"Over there, I think, this is a little nasty right here."

I took the blanket and unfolded it before spreading it beneath a sleeping cherry tree, so it must be autumn in Iram and the perfect weather for an outdoor snack. Qui Wan uncorked a bottle and poured its contents into two silver goblets.

"Did you see anything unusual?" I asked. "When I was playing hero with my mighty stick."

"You mean the streaks behind it as it sliced the air? No, nothing."