Chapter 2

2167….

She stepped back from Konis on the tarp. "You going to try anytime now, Tough Guy?" She raised her fists, and bobbed slightly on the balls of her feet. Konis's smile disappeared.

"We commence, Kina….Attack me."

Bildea had left the fighting area to the upper level, and was making himself look "busy" with ordering equipment among the racks lining the far wall….He didn't want to look, hated not watching, and tried his best to block out what he expected to come to Kina.

Kina skipped on her feet, then ran at Konis.

Konis stood waiting, one side of him forward, a hand behind his back, one set of toes turned inward as she came, and he stepped forward with his other foot, turned and simultaneously kneed her in the side as he had reached out and gained control of her head with his first hand closest….Kina leapt up from the knee after being hit, and after being rolled aside….She got up and attacked him again, but this time he struck her violently in the head, stunning her even though she was a fighter used to the blows….He grabbed her wrist and wound it painfully up high behind her head, pulling down to between her shoulder blades….It looked elegant as a dance, the way they lined-up against each other's bodies so intimately, her back nestled along the muscles exposed by his skinweave's front, and his gloved-hand was sliding upward, along the exposed side of her waist, stopping under the shoulder-pit stretched wide and open….His hand grabbed her breast over the skinweave she wore, fitted to her as a second skin, and with the strength of those fingers, Konis squeezed….Kina shrieked in pain—a gasping, sharp cry as he inflicted this punishment upon her breast, then proceeded to drop her onto the tarp beneath him. "Yield to me, and I will kill you…." And Kina tried to get up—It wasn't in her blood to back down, but Konis beat her….She gasped, cried-out again and again in pain as he kicked and knocked her about, forcing her into the tarp, not letting her get her feet again though she tried….She had thought that, Yes, there would be sparring, Yes, there would be "bluff" and "talk"….Not this….Not what he was doing….The strength and training of Konis was upon her, and she feared for her body….A crippling blow to her back made her arch up with her head before another strike knocked her flat, and Konis picked her up only to slam her down into the tarp again, away from him, a throw that jarred her teeth and rattled her skull….He demanded her to get up, but waylaid her by beating Kina into submission.

Bildea's eyelids slitted against the sounds come from the pit, and he cringed when he heard Kina's stuttered calls….Gislayne no doubt had ordered Konis to give no mercy to Kina….This was "training"….He dare not step between Konis and a student.

It wasn't fair….She didn't "volunteer" for this.

Their enemies would do worse to her….Konis wouldn't rape her, humiliate her, hang her dignity in front of all to see….What he was doing was preparing Kina….Teaching her what to expect when it came.

The hits were hard, solid, nothing being held back.

He was supposed to love this woman….This….This wasn't love—Waiting there, pretending to be "cleaning the rack equipment", while letting her get hurt like this by Konis….Even if it were by Traus….Bildea hated being a "spinner"….What Kina had said, teasing him for using the word himself to describe what they did.

He was tired of being spun….Dizzy from spinning—being used….Not knowing who they were anymore, only what the "Elders" knew….who knew where Bildea and the rest had started from before they became "thralls".

Bildea shoved the rack over, pretending to only "bump" it with his hip, sending the equipment scattering.

The sounds of Kina's beating stopped, and Bildea bent to correct his "accident"….The fall of the rack's equipment had been calamitous.

Konis's gaze went to a heavy ball for training with, bumping its way down the steps onto the tarp, and he raised his gaze to the tipped-over rack close to the upper level's step, finally to Bildea picking everything up….His gaze returned to Kina, unconscious on the tarp beneath him.

"Billy, hold what you're doing and get the Salts."

After setting the rack upright, Bildea crossed the training center to another wall to access a cabinet recessed into it….He picked out a vial of Salts and brought it back to Konis, closing the cabinet behind him….The door clicked shut….Turning to walk back to the pit steps, he hurdled some of the equipment on his way down the stairs….Bildea handed the vial of Salts to Konis, whose gloved hand fell upon it.

Bildea did not let go.

He and Konis looked eye to eye, "….She did just survive a brain hemorrhaging, Traus."

"Mistress Gislayne specified that Kina is to be spared nothing from her education."

"Like I said….She did just survive a brain hemorrhage."

Konis took the vial of Salts as Bildea's grip freed it….The strength by which Bildea had been holding onto the vial, against Konis's own hand, made the drell pause to consider his colleague walking back up the steps, having picked up the heavy ball on his way.

2182, Bildea was now laying half-off the bed, struggling to breathe from what Konis had done to his vertebrae, his tebral structures, his airpipe, his esophagus….He considered everything crushed, or moved out of place, and figured he was donefor….but he wanted to live, he wanted to see Kina….He wanted her safe from Konis….His foot slipped on the stained carpet, wet with blood from Konis, as his eyes focused on Kina's above him, hair hanging in front of her face….and he wanted to push it out of the way to see her eyes better….Blood on her temple and cheek—she was yelling at him, pulling him back on the bed by his shirt to stop him from slipping downward…."Billy, breathe!—Breathe!…." Tears fell from her eyes, she not understanding what had happened….How could she?….That asshole had her viced!….She pulled his shirt, popping off a button as she hauled him onto the bed, and leaned over him, his hand reaching for her cheek, touching the wet skin and smearing some of the blood with her saltwater tears under his thumb…."Billy….Calm down….Breathe, Billy…." He tried to tell her he loved her, but it only came out in a dry gurgle from his throat….Tears fell on his face, reminding him of rain.

She pulled him up by his shirt to her face, looking him in the eyes, her hands regripping to hold fast to his shirt, breath in his nostrils, "….Billy," she was inches away, gritting her teeth, "….hear me?….What is it, point or show me what's wrong….Where's…." She supported him further by slipping her arms under his, holding him closer to hear him, listening with her ear pressed against his throat and tebris….Her hair mussed against his neck and buccal fringe.

His eyelids started to close, the colors in his eyes glazing, and Kina pulled her head back to look at his face, saw she was losing him, "….Billy!….Help me find out what's wrong with you!…." He pointed to his neck and made a circle….Kina looked to where his finger fell away from….She pressed through her mind to feel him without realizing she was doing this….She saw what was the matter.

His neck's inner structures were collapsed inward, impacting his ability to breathe, and Kina placed her hands on his neck, "….Hang on, Billy….I don't know if this is going to work…." Her eyes closed, and the skin about these tightened, Kina feeling for the structures in his neck with the "fingers" of her mind, and she pressed herself deeper into the soft folds of his tebris, stabilizing the harder formations behind it….Her mind began to "push outwards" from its shelter in her head, filling him with her strength—and among those injured walls of his neck, the underlying structures, things began to move….Kina began to set the tissues right.

As the tissues of his body's inner composition realigned, her power guiding these into place with force, and pushing outward, Bildea felt the constriction lessening, air filling his lungs now easily, coming out with less of an effort….His eyes widened as he gasped, "….Kina!"

"Billy!"

His voice was hoarse and stricken, and Kina's eye opened, white light suddenly bursting out and blinding him….She placed her mouth against his and "pulled" the pain into herself….There was a brief moment when in Bildea's mind, he saw a pearlish-white spectre of a drellahna—with high-scrolling crests, soft light about her, eyes as deep as space but with the light of stars shining out from these—kissing him, breathing healing life into his body before her as she stood—Floated!—in front of him in that ethereal world. Gossamer silks floated, spreading, and scintillated about her form, as if lifted by air currents warm and soothing….I choose you to not suffer, Bildea Onun.

And then it all vanished—The spell-bounding apparition was gone from his head….Bildea's arms hung limp at his sides.

Kina was wrapped around him, her arms still supporting him on the bed, stabilizing him against her….He could breathe….He could smell her, taste her lips without indulging. The structures in his neck felt opened and stable again, Kina having worked her "small" miracle.

Blood was on her dress, her hands and fingers, taken from his clothes and the damp fabric on the bed, printed with bloody hands from he and Konis….Her hands had moved to Bildea's back, bunching his shirt in her grip as, a confused woman, she held onto him, not sure to let go yet….Her eyes closed, the light cut off from his face, and when she reopened her eyes, she moved away from Bildea, looking again with her irises as before into his own….Bildea gawped at her, speechless.

Shit….You're the one.

"Billy," Kina felt his hands settle on her face, fingers sliding into her hairline as Bildea's expression told her he was trying to sort out what happened, "….where's Konis?"

His face took on a look of surprise, and then evident disappointment, "….Kina—"

"Where's….Konis?…." She turned her face from Bildea's hands, his eyes and expression falling down as she called for the other, turning herself to the doorway of the bedroom, seeing the blood stains leading out into the common rooms, "….Konis?….Konis!…." She left Bildea's grip, leaving him there on the bed to step down and onto the carpet, following the blood trail….He didn't stop her.

She strode out into the common rooms, turned to follow the prints towards the kitchen, went around the island, and knelt down.

She held her hands up, ready to do something but what?

Kina could see there was a large puddle of blood under Konis, thick and brimming against its own surface tension over the tiles containing its spread, and still pulsing from the cut in the armor under Konis's chest….She moved her knees closer, oblivious to the blood staining her skin on her knees as she placed her hands, one on the warm wound under his rib, the other to his neck, "….Konis…." His eyes were open, looking still at the ceiling above.

They moved suddenly to her face.

"Konis!….Dear Gods!….Billy—Come help me!"