/=|= The Lost Raven =|=\
12
"The Ring Blade"
With her right hand pressed against the wall, her left hand outstretched in front of her, Tira swam down the old sunken remains of an ancient castle, slowly letting her held breath out one teeny bubble at a time. She swam down until she touched the floor, then forward until she met the wall, hanging left until she reached the door to the stone stairs spiraling down and into an abyss of utter black.
She continued to follow the wall clockwise into the new chamber until her fingers touched a candle holder who had not held a candle in decades. She pressed her feet against the wall, sprang off with her arms outstretched, and passed through the center of her beloved Ring Blade, caressing its harmless interior with the gentle touch of her fingertips. On the other side, she did a flip, and planted her feet to the chamber's floor, her arms outstretched to either side where she took a bow to an invisible audience and said, "Thank you!" As always, the sound came out funny in a stream of bubbles, and she started to float up as human bodies are want to do when not actively swimming down.
Tira backtracked to her Ring Blade, and disengaged it from the three chains anchoring it in place. Three devices that looked (and felt) like locks, but were really subtle puzzle mechanisms which, if held and twisted and turned just the right way, would open up. The Bird of Passage used them all the time, so she could work them blindfolded (and holding her breath) no problem-o. Free of its chains, the Ring Blade slide over Tira's sexy figure, resting upon her right shoulder, and her soul was complete once again.
…
Tira emerged from the waters of Snake Lake, a small wave of the cold liquid flowed off her curves as she stood in the waist-deep waters, walking ominously up the beach, her body and ring blade glistening in the dimly lit fog. The three Lizardmen jumped up at the sound of her footsteps splashing in the water; they grabbed up their primitive weapons, and rushed towards her.
Tira giggled. But not a playful giggle. Oh no, an evil one.
As the lizardmen closed in, she rushed forward two steps, leapt up, brought the Ring Blade beneath her feet, and kicked out with it. She connected with the first lizardman's face, knocked him down, and rode his snout like surfboard, grinding his head deeper and deeper into the mud. Stomping on her downed opponent, she leapt forward and spun around, ready for the next assault.
The next two lizardmen came at her at the same time, swinging wide to either side hoping to bring their clubs together and crush Tira in the middle. But Tira stabbed the ring blade into the sand, and slide through its center, kicking the reptile to her left. Both clubs struck the circular shield around her, and the blade cut into the bone weapons making them stick. Tira scissored her legs around her target's legs, and brought him down on the ring blade, and gravity made sure the sharp edge cut deep into its throat. She hopped up and snatched up her weapon just as the third lizard got its club free. It tried to do a backflip and kick Tira, then whack her with its tail, but she stood back, letting the whole routine pass harmlessly by, and then she sliced the tail clean off. The creature landed less than gracefully on his face.
The first lizard peeled itself out of the mud, and rushed Tira again. Swinging high, and Tira went low to the ground, sweeping with both feet and knocking the creature off its feet. And with no immediate impending attacks coming her way, she could finish him off. She did a summersault and drove her ring blade (powered by her heel) into the creatures chest and a small splatter of blood flew up and briefly stained Tira. But not for long. Not even two seconds later the rain had washed her skin clean.
The second lizard, the one with the deep throat wound, slowly picked itself back up, but was in no condition to attack. She casually strolled over to it, and as it raised its weapon she jammed her fingers into its open wound. The creature let out an inhuman shriek and dropped its weapon. It cried out in agony, and Tira smiled brightly. It glared, bared its claws and fangs, and came down on Tira. But she dropped to her knees and curled up into a ball inside the ring blade, and once again that lizard came down upon her weapon, slicing its own wrists and mouth and tongue.
It crumbled, no doubt to bleed to death and never rise up again. Tira straightened up and chuckled. "Stupid lizard." As the last of the enraged beasts rose up behind her. "Just don't know when to give up."
The last lizard came in with a predictable rage-induced overhead attack, trying to pound Tira into the ground like a stake. Tira actually yawned as the beast closed in, sighed as the attack sped for her head, the effortlessly repelled the club. Not only repelled it, smacked his weapon away with enough force to send the creature momentarily off balance, its club aimed up at the sky, leaving the whole length of the beast vulnerable to Tira's whims. And Tira pounced immediately. She leapt up onto the beast, kicked it square in the chest, and rode him down to the earth. Still standing on her conquered foe, towering above him, she began spinning her ring blade around her arm. Spinning it like a buzz saw. And then slowly, Tira started to lower it to the lizard's face.
It squirmed beneath her, but could not topple her as the blade inched its way closer and closer.
"STOP!" Zasalamel commanded, and with a twirl Tira made the ring blade spin up her arm and around her body, coming to a rest upon her shoulder. Her master snapped his fingers, and pointed to the sand in front of him. Tira immediately went to her master, laid her weapon at his feet, and lowered herself to all fours on the very spot he pointed. "The time you took was unacceptable, you worthless maggot, and you shall pay dearly, but not here," The Egyptian grabbed up her ring blade, and headed back to the wagon, snapping his fingers for his pet to follow. Tira barked pathetically and obeyed, climbed up into the wagon, and they were off again.
The lizardman fled.
Hooking the scythe under Tira's chin, Zasalamel brought his pet to her knees, grabbed her hair, and pulled her head back forcefully (on the verge of ripping her hair out). With his other hand, Zasalamel covered Tira's face and spoke, "You are still bound to me, but for a moment you are free to express your emotions—your displeasure, your dissent in the quiet expressions on your face. The rest of your body, your voice—everything else—still belongs to me. But for now, you have temporary freedom and control over your face." And when he slid his hand down, the blank expression was gone and Tira glared death, destruction, and despair at Zasalamel.
"Excellent," he said, "I was afraid my spell had completely destroyed your mind. But I'm glad to see it intact, imprisoned, and helpless."
Lacking a voice, Tira mouthed the words, "Go to hell."
And Zasalamel laughed. "I live there every day, maggot. Especially with you nearby, you disgusting excuse for a human being. I contemplated releasing you when I was done, but after this failure—"
"I didn't fail!" Tira quietly snapped.
"—I have decided you do not deserve a reprieve. And you have no idea how glad I am that you are still alert and aware and utterly powerless beneath my spell. Well, now Tira, now I shall share with you your fate. I will tell you how your tale ends. Once I have no more use for you, a day which will not come soon enough, once I gain the ability to die once and for all, I will make one last journey in this world. And I will take great pleasure in bringing you back to this very lake. I will take you just outside the nest of those Lizard creatures … and I will order you to remain motionless on your knees."
Tira's eyes went wide, and she gulped as the implications set it.
"Yes, you'll be helpless as you watch them wake up, watch them approach you, circle you in curiosity, and eventually the one you did not kill will step forward." Zasalamel then leaned in close to Tira's ear and whispered, "And the lizards will tear you limb from limb, and with your own ring blade in hand, you won't be able to even blink. Your end will be as pathetic as your life."
"No," Tira mouthed.
Zasalamel towered over Tira, looking down on the helpless girl, smiling victoriously. "And if there is any justice, the Gods will punish you for helping to set me free ..."
"Please," Tira soundlessly begged, her eyes pleading.
"… and if there is any justice, you will be doomed to be reborn and live a chain of increasingly pathetic lives, each more painful than the one before …"
Tears ran down Tira's cheeks and her lips quivered.
Zasalamel passed his hand over Tira's face, and she stared straight forward with empty expressionless eyes once again. But it didn't matter. Zasalamel knew deep down, she could hear him. He knew deep down, she could see, understand, and her pride, ego, and soul raged and screamed for freedom that would never come. He laughed knowing she suffered lacking even the ability to express her eternal crushing defeat.
And as he threw his defenseless slave to the floor of the wagon, shoving her into the corner with his foot, he said, "If there is any justice, you will suffer FOREVER!"
Writer's Note:
For this story, I imagine Tira looking like my version of her from SCIV's editor. Link to My Tira pictures located in my profile. (I would link here, but won't let me for some reason.)