Chapter 7

Man Floors Are Hard

Regaining a moment of clarity, I realized that I had been drugged, toyed with, then tested for something I wasn't sure of. As infuriated as a stoned guardian could I huffed, "What's that?"

The Reef's Ruler and Patriarch had switched positions on the exotic chair. The half-naked woman answered as she fawned over her superior. "My Queen had me plant a chip on you to monitor your heart rate."

"Why on Earth would you do that?"

For the first time the Patriarch's eyes narrowed and her true feelings for me erupted. "Well for starters human, we are not on Earth; or has your little brain forgotten that?"

Feeling woozy again, I tried to understand what the Patriarch had just said.

"Now, now, Melenia; don't play with her like you do your food." The Queen seemed amused by our exchange.

"The Queen was testing your predilection for women by measuring the dispensation of your arousal towards me."

Further confused about what was happening I stammered, wiping the sweat from my brow. "Wh...What?"

Not speaking until her mistress gave her permission, the Patriarch answered, "To gauge your fondness towards Awoken females."

None of this was making any sense to me as I muttered, "Huh?"

"Really your grace, I think the Guardians can be quite thick sometimes." A small wave of the Queen's hand dismissed the alluring woman's objection and instructed her to explain. "The monitor was to indicate if you are sexually aroused by a woman."

"Why would you do that? What does that mean?"

The powerful Queen finally spoke as her long nimble fingers fondled the sheer material draping the patriarch. "You have passed stage one."

"And that means…?"

Releasing a deep sigh the ruler answered, "I won't kill you…" Allowing the fabric to fall from her fingers her majesty added, "…yet."

Fighting the blue potion coursing through my veins, I swallowed hard and remarked, "Well, that's good to hear." Attempting to step forward, I suddenly felt the room start to spin. Feeling like a toddler learning to walk again, I gripped the chair even harder and hung on for dear life. Blinking my eyes I struggled to find clarity and asked, "How many stages are there…?"

Looking at me like a predator about to pounce on its accidently wounded prey, the white haired woman hummed, "Enough or that is until my curiosity no longer exists."

The disgust on the Patriarch's face suddenly became very apparent. Instantly I thought, Oh no, had she become bored with the overly alluring Patriarch and dear God,… was I next?

Realizing that I was barely holding on to consciousness, the Queen stood and brushed off her adoring subject. "If you must know Guardian…" Why did it always sound like 'you son of a bitch' when she said Guardian? "…there are three stages. You might refer to them as tests. One, you have already passed: your appreciation for the female body."

Seeing that my eyes were beginning to droop, she added, "Stage two is top physical fitness." Her steel blue eyes conducted a visual inspection all their own. "Since you are a successful Guardian, then it is acceptable to presume that you are in excellent physical shape. The slender Goddess slinked her way around me. "No doubt you have an extended stamina as well."

If I didn't know better, I would have said she was flirting with me, but I as I struggled to keep my feet under me, it was apparent I wasn't really in my right mind to make any sound judgments at the moment.

Returning to her seat, the gorgeous ruler explained, "Stage three is your competence in battle."

Now that, I understood and frankly I was insulted, "Haven't I already proven that over and over, hunting down your bastard Fallen?"

"Yes" she hissed. "But that is not enough." She batted her eyes at her adoring patriarch before standing. "They are weak."

They didn't seem that weak to me…remembering how many times my ghost had to revive me when I fought the Pack of Wolves on my own.

Tearing me from my thoughts, the queen added as she waited for the patriarch to pour her a drink. "You have yet to fight a real warrior: a Royal Awoken Guard."

As a shiver ran up and down my back, I did not have to speculate long who that warrior would be. It was the enlightened expression on the Patriarch's face from someone behind me that caused me to turn around. With blade in hand, that warrior strolled leisurely through the doorway. Huntress Seetra looked all too eager to fulfill the Queen's request.

Struggling to remain upright, with what little consciousness I had left, I stared at the queen. Oblivious to all else, she began petting her treasured patriarch's thigh. Like a snake, the fair skinned woman was wrapped around the Queen's body. They appeared to be sharing sweet whispers when the alluring woman suddenly giggled loudly in a playful manner, "Your grace."

The last thing I remember seeing was the Queen's hand sliding in the patriarch's dress and between her breasts before my head hit the floor.