Pakal

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rufusluciusivan
Posts: 1225
Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2017 5:08 pm

Re: Pakal

Post by rufusluciusivan »

Trackman: Didn't want to keep you waiting too long, since you seem to enjoy this story a lot. ;)

I hesitated to keep the most light-hearted part at the beginning, out of fear that the mood whiplash would be too big, but ultimately I couldn't resist leaving it, because I thought that Young-Yuka's retort to Azeneth was just hilarious. NEVER tell a woman she's old. Plus, I wanted to briefly illustrate how things were like when Yuka was young. She'll probably resent me for having shown her 'awkward phase' though. :lol:

Yuka refuses to fail them a second time as subconsciously she sees this event as a way to redeem herself.

This part was all about character development for Yuka, but also for Coulter who's starting to integrate herself to the band. Though it's happening slowly, I want it to feel realistic. Coulter is an asocial grump, she won't just suddenly become bestie with everyone, hence why the first time she truly joins them is because they share a common interest in beating up the kind of people they all despise.

A 'predator type scenario'. I love this expression. It sums up perfectly the scene. ;)

Illari was a brief minor victim of the week, as given how out of her league she is when confronted with the main characters you can hardly call her an antagonist. However, I wanted to make her very despicable to make her subsequent defeat and humiliation more satisfying. Hence why not only is she a racist bully, but she's also a pathetic coward at heart.

I realized when writing the next scene that I almost never truly used the fact that Azeneth lived the same trauma as Yuka and Coulter, even though it's a perfect narrative tool. Indeed, she can guide Yuka on a better path.

I wanted to emphasize the bonds Yuka used to have with Tsuki and Hinata, though the line between 'protective' and 'possessive' is sometimes blurry, and being 'overprotective' can have negative effects. Yuka's character development partly centers around the fact that she has to make peace with her guilt and the fact that she's partly responsible of Tsuki's downfall because of her overprotectiveness.

Sticky vines technically, but yes. Did it show that I was happy to be able to include more the possibilities of magic in uniform stealings?

While the taking down of the lynch mob was the most satisfying mugging to write in this part, I also had a lot of fun with the scenes with the forest wardens. Perfect synchronization from the heroines, plus the classic 'tied back-to-back' scene.

Alicia said it herself. Yisüi is 'pure'. So when she's trying to sound tough and mean, she just looks precious. Maybe Bianka was won over by her cuteness? Indeed, Yuka was tempted once again to succumb to her inner demons (especially with Illari), but this time she made the right choices.

This installment was Azeneth's moment to shine. A good thing to remind that in a world of magic and shapeshifting, a woman can still become a good uniform stealer with her good ol' fists. (Plus, hopefully, a certain someone will appreciate the little detail of the stolen sandals. :D )

Sometimes, mugging people for their clothes as a first instinct can have downsides. Indeed, it is very rare that uniform stealers choose to renounce a mugging, quite an interesting rather unique situation. Though in this case it was justified for a myriad of reasons. Leaving Charioteers defensless would indeed put their lives into jeopardy, and the mere idea of mugging them is bringing Coulter bad memories. Plus, you can't mug women in front of their kids.

I wanted Yuka to interact with the younger versions of herself and her friends, though it was tricky to feature these interactions without breaking the pace of the uniform stealings. Pakal's heavy focus on non-USB-related character developments and plot is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because I can't emphasize how stimulating it is to imagine this story and these characters (and honestly, had I been only writing short stories with no overarching plot, I'd probably have stopped writing after nearly three years now), but also a curse because it has become harder and harder to regularly feature uniform stealings (which, let's be honest, is still supposed to be the main purpose of the stories posted on this Board). Honestly, I'd understand if some people, because they don't care about the characters and appreciate more Uniform Stealing-focused stories, told me they didn't like Pakal because uniform stealings are secondary in its plot. Hopefully, the other series can balance it out...

This story featured Yuka's biggest temptation: a world where her old friends are alive and well, but staying here would mean abandoning her new friends... Had she not had friends by her side, she would have succumbed.

The skirmish with the soldiers was a late, but fun, addition. A little nostalgic call-back to the classics. Plus, Azeneth kicked butts again.
Yuka was lucky enough to get two of the soldiers to show her their bums as they so graciously slumped to the floor, bums right up in the air.
I believe these two soldiers were called Sian and Ruby. :lol: (Just kidding though. There's no people forcibly transported to another world. For now. :lol: )

Yuka was able to start to make peace with herself by helping her younger counterpart grow up, and by getting to save both Tsuki and Hinata and to properly apologize to them and say them good bye.

I confess that this entire story was designed to make you teary-eyed with the ending though. ;) It was however logical that Yuka would NOT take well the moment she had to leave forever these counterparts of her friends. She had just given up on one of the things she secretly desired the most. Luckily for her, she has friends to support her...
That's one of the many reasons that truly make your stories stand out, you have this unique of always somehow developing new scenes that just seem to work, your characters always shine through, it never feels forced, as a matter of fact, it actually feels a lot more genuine. It really is a pleasant and refreshing thing when I read one these scenes, something that only you could conjure up, it's great.
Thanks a lot! I admit that outside of the main lines, a good chunk of the details of the story are added on the spot. However, I have a clear definition of everyone's personality, therefore when a new situation arises, I simply wonder how each character would react to it and it leads to a new scene.

Tirepanted: Well, these villagers are uneducated hicks from a backwater village, therefore they're not the brightest of the bunch... :lol: Having their number dwindle as they are mugged one after the other until Illari reveals her true colours was the takedown I had the most fun writing, though I confess that the characters' interactions were the things I liked writing the most. The part with the soldiers was a late addition, a little nostalgic trip since soldiers (well, technically guards) were the first victims of this series. (You guessed right, Pakal in general is inspired by Mesoamerican cultures.)

Time-travelling is a difficult tool to use, even when technically, they are not in the past but in another potentiality that looks like their world. Hence why I chose to only use it for character development and for a limited period of time, not having it impact the plot outside of the growth it gave to the characters.

This part was all about character development, mostly for Yuka, but it was important to show that Coulter is slowly integrating herself to the group. Normally, the plot should rear its head in the next installment. Though we might get one or two short final detours during the world jumping, at least if people have other ideas for scenes they'd like to propose. ;) ;)
Trackman281
Posts: 1600
Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2018 6:08 am

Re: Pakal

Post by Trackman281 »

She needed this, her moment of redemption was well deserved and very much needed. :)

I don't expect Coulter to suddenly wake up one morning and automatically be a changed woman who enjoys USB scenes, it is really nice watching her evolve naturally as it will be more special if / when she starts willingly joining the others. :D
Hence why not only is she a racist bully, but she's also a pathetic coward at heart.
Aaahhh a bit like real life racists then. :D

She can, I trust Azeneth completely and I know she'll help Yuka overcome her inner demons. :D

Yes, as we saw with Yuka flashback with her and Tsuki going after the black star. Well in this other timeline / world. I'm glad to see thst Yuka, Tsuki and Hinata will remain safe and friends forever, yeah I guess young Yuka did need a bit of a reminder to not be so overprotective. But she's strong and very intelligent, in the other timeline, young Yuka will make the right decisions, I know she will. :D

Yes sorry, they are sticky vines. Guess I was just so absorbed in everything I momentarily forgot haha. :D

Yisüi is such an awesome character, her purity is quite enjoyable to watch, maybe Bianka realised her cuteness or maybe she did just realize the weight of the task she had been given, either way I liked how you handle and oh yeah......... Back to back tied up scenes, are always amazing :D
Plus, you can't mug women in front of their kids.
No you can't, that's wrong on some many levels. All in all though I still think it was a great stand out scene. :D
which, let's be honest, is still supposed to be the main purpose of the stories posted on this Board). Honestly, I'd understand if some people, because they don't care about the characters and appreciate more Uniform Stealing-focused stories, told me they didn't like Pakal because uniform stealings are secondary in its plot.
Yes, I fully understand what your saying but honestly......... Look around you......... You've got people here that clearly enjoy the story as much as the uniform stealing scenes themselves, myself definitely included..........I read stories so I can get lost in their worlds and let my imagination run free, share the characters adventures and their lives, its great...... And if I am in the mood for just seeing a USB scene, I go to the clip section or the picture section. :D

Hahahaha, I'm quite a fan of the Aika / Najica style knock out poses myself, whoever wrote those series knew what they were doing, so I can honestly appreciate it when I see those sorts of knockout poses else where. They're a delight. :D
Yuka was able to start to make peace with herself by helping her younger counterpart grow up, and by getting to save both Tsuki and Hinata and to properly apologize to them and say them good bye.
Yes and the entire scene was really nice and I really did enjpy it. See I think this why I can never bring myself to dislike the original Tsuki from grown up Yuka's world, I've seen how much Tsuki's friendship meant to Yuka and when we watched her succumb to the black stars influence, it did hurt I won't lie.......... Well, HOPEFULLY, Tsuki will eventually be redeemed because where there's a will there's a way. Who knows maybe Yuka can somehow save her Tsuki from the black stars influence........ So many possibilities. :D
I confess that this entire story was designed to make you teary-eyed with the ending though. ;)
Hahaha, I thought it was, well mission accomplished, but I'm not sorry it did. I love it when stories get me that hooked that I truly feel everything that the characters are going through, both the good times and the bad times. :D

Your series continues to inspire me and makes me care for the characters more and more as time goes by. :D
rufusluciusivan
Posts: 1225
Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2017 5:08 pm

Re: Pakal

Post by rufusluciusivan »

Yes, I fully understand what your saying but honestly......... Look around you......... You've got people here that clearly enjoy the story as much as the uniform stealing scenes themselves, myself definitely included..........I read stories so I can get lost in their worlds and let my imagination run free, share the characters adventures and their lives, its great...... And if I am in the mood for just seeing a USB scene, I go to the clip section or the picture section. :D
I guess you're right. By now, the people just looking for classic USB scenes have probably learned to avoid my stories. ;) Or to just skip to the Uniform Stealing scenes. Well, one thing is certain, I'm influenced by the comments I receive, so as long as people say that they also enjoy the story, I'll keep it up. I trust everyone to mention it if the plot goes out of hand.
Hahahaha, I'm quite a fan of the Aika / Najica style knock out poses myself, whoever wrote those series knew what they were doing, so I can honestly appreciate it when I see those sorts of knockout poses else where. They're a delight. :D
I share the sentiment, but it's rather hard to feature them in a written story. They work far better with pictures...
Yes and the entire scene was really nice and I really did enjpy it. See I think this why I can never bring myself to dislike the original Tsuki from grown up Yuka's world, I've seen how much Tsuki's friendship meant to Yuka and when we watched her succumb to the black stars influence, it did hurt I won't lie.......... Well, HOPEFULLY, Tsuki will eventually be redeemed because where there's a will there's a way. Who knows maybe Yuka can somehow save her Tsuki from the black stars influence........ So many possibilities. :D
It's so hard to not spoil this part of the story. ;) I am impatient to get to the part where this plot will be resolved, but at the same time I know that it will still take quite some time.
rufusluciusivan
Posts: 1225
Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2017 5:08 pm

Re: Pakal

Post by rufusluciusivan »

Oof! Finally able to finish this part. Honestly, I was very tempted to post it in two times (and enjoy double the comments :lol: ), but the last part features a lot of plot and action, but few uniform stealings, so I thought it'd be bette to pair it with the first part that contains a lot more uniform stealings. Enjoy!




Chapter 4: Part 4

**************

“Here they are…” a woman of Safiye’s squad whispered.

“Now, remember that they must not see your faces under any circumstance.” Safiye reminded her small squad. “They must think that they were attacked by bandits.”

Through the foliage of the bush behind which she was hiding, the brown-haired green-eyed woman was watching her targets.

The patrol they were about to ambush consisted of twenty-one soldiers and an officer.

The foot soldiers were each wearing brown calf-long boots, thick black trousers, brown leather protections on the forearms and the legs, a grey padded tunic, and a brown leather breastplate, as well as a leather helmet. A stylized rose was carved at the center of the breastplate. They were each armed with a spear and a small wooden shield, and a small sword was strapped onto their leather belt.

These soldiers were working for the Order of the Thorn, even though they weren't knights or squires. Indeed, this order of knights was maintaining a regular army of light infantry to back up its mounted fighters.

The soldiers of the patrol were also all women. The Order enforced a ‘no mixed-gender groups’ policy when it came to its foot soldiers. The women’s hair were tied into ponytails of various lengths, which wasn’t surprising since in the Vassal Kingdoms it was the fashion for the women. Nine soldiers had brown hair, six had auburn hair, three had red hair, and three had dark blond hair. They all had a light skin. Their eyes were either brown or blue. Their officer was a tall athletic-looking woman with a light skin, an aquiline nose, sharp cheekbones, honey-coloured eyes and auburn hair tied into a shoulder-long ponytail. She was wearing the same uniform, but her padded tunic was bright blue instead of grey.

“Do we have to go this far?” Astrid intervened.

Safiye resisted the urge of rolling her eyes.

Their guide, Astrid, fancied herself as some kind of knight-errant. A naive do-gooder who wanted to help the poor, and thought that Yuka and her team were evil criminals. Given the fact that they mugged the blond knight to steal her appearance and her gear in Dun Merida, she wasn't entirely wrong. However, the truth was a lot more morally grey than the blonde thought...

Safiye didn't care about Astrid. For the brown-haired spy, the blond knight was a naive noblewoman who had way too much free time. However, she was very useful as a guide and as a fighter. Her naivety was also making her easy to manipulate. Safiye intended to keep the knight around as long as she was useful. Therefore, she had to be careful to not let her true nature show, as she knew that Astrid wouldn't appreciate to learn what kind of person Safiye truly was.

“The Order is hampering our efforts to find our criminals. They didn't leave us the choice.” Safiye said, pretending to be saddened by this turn of event while in reality she didn't care that she had to get her hands dirty

Though, when it came to the attitude of the Order of the Thorn, she was telling the truth.

The Order of the Thorn was indeed very jealous of its autonomy. They didn't like receiving orders, even from the Empire. They wanted to deal themselves with the women who humiliated them, and didn't want other people to interfere in their business or in their mountains. Of course, they would never dare to openly defy the Mages. However, they were clearly dragging their feet to communicate information and were finding insincere excuses to prevent Safiye and her troops from exploring the mountains in which Yuka and her friends had gone.

“I don't have much sympathy for the Order of the Thorn.” Astrid admitted. “They are greedy and they despoil peasants of their lands. But the low-ranked foot soldiers have no say in the decisions of the knights. I don't want to harm them more than necessary.”

“I've told you that I don't kill. In fact, I came up with this convoluted plan just so we can take their uniforms without having to kill them.”

Thanks to Tsuki’s dreams and visions, Safiye knew in which mountains were located the ruins where Coulter and Yuka (her two targets) were. However, since she was short on time and the Order of the Thorn was hampering her search, the brown-haired spy chose to select a smaller force of women among her squad to be more mobile and discreet: seventeen soldiers and their lieutenant.

And she chose to steal the uniforms of a few foot soldiers of the Order of the Thorn to be able to fool the guards watching the access to one mountain road.

Now, of course such an action could lead to a diplomatic incident between the Order and the Empire, as even though Pakal was a lot more powerful, the Mages knew that they couldn’t allow themselves to make an enemy of the Order of the Thorn while they were waging war on two different fronts. However, Safiye was a crafty person. The women she took with her to ambush the patrol were all wearing the dark green hooded cloaks, dark green scarves, brown tunics, dark green trousers, brown gloves, and brown boots that were worn by the various groups of bandits of the region. The Pakal women would of course use the cloaks and the scarves to hide their copper-coloured skin and coarse black hair.

The irony was that, in order to get these clothes, they captured a real band of female outlaws to steal their outfits…

The capture went without a hitch. The real outlaws, stripped down to their white, beige or grey sleeveless undertunic and underpants, were currently being escorted to the nearest fluvial town by the soldiers of Safiye’s escorts that weren’t part of the ambush. The prisoners were roped into a long coffle. They were walking in a straight line. Each woman was cleave-gagged by a thick piece of cloth, with her wrists tied behind her back and her shoulders bound together with ropes.

Safiye intended to have the outlaws shipped to the Empire to be sold as slaves. She of course neglected to mention that little detail to Astrid.

Well, the capture of the bandits also allowed Safiye to wrap the blond knight-errant around her finger by pretending to care about helping local peasants.

Dumb generous fool. She really deserved to be assaulted and divested of all her belongings…

Safiye waved at Itzel.

The mage-woman nodded, then casted a spell.

There was a lound ‘BANG!’, and a ball of light exploded in front of the squad, temporarily blinding the women.

“Witchcraft!” the officer commanding the squad shouted.

Safiye made another gesture of the hand.

The smaller team of eighteen women that she personally selected among the squad that was accompanying her jumped out of their hideouts in the bushes, and charged.

The foot soldiers were still temporarily blinded by the light. They couldn’t defend themselves, let alone see the faces of their assailants. They were barely able to vaguely discern their clothes. Which was the point, as Safiye wanted them to believe that bandits were the ones who were attacking them. She even asked Itzel to use a spell similar to the ones used by the local rogue witches.

Safiye’s women were armed with small wood truncheons, weapons designed to knock out a foe in close combat. Of course, the foot soldiers were wearing leather helmets. However, since they were temporarily blinded by the light, they weren’t able to defend themselves with their spears. Safiye’s soldiers could take the time to aim at this very specific spot between the neck and the shoulder that wasn’t protected, as it was between the leather helmet and the leather breastplate.

Therefore, for each foot soldier, the process was the same: A swift precise hit of the wooden truncheon, a small grunt, and a woman falling unconscious on the ground.

The auburn-haired officer was desperately trying to protect her soldiers, but since she was still temporarily blinded because of the light, she couldn’t do anything.

Safiye attacked her from behind and used her favorite technique. She wrapped a viselike arm around the tall auburn-haired woman’s throat, and squeezed. The officer squirmed, gurgled and groaned, but didn’t break free of Safiye’s hold. After a few moments of pointless struggles, her eyes rolled back and she slumped into the brown-haired spy’s arms, out cold.

Holding the auburn-haired officer under the shoulders, Safiye watched around her.

Her troop of seventeen soldiers was standing victorious next to twenty-one moaning groaning unconscious women.

“Perfect work. Now, quickly drag them behind the bushes, and pick up all their discarded equipment. Don’t remove your hoods or your scarves before they’ve all been secured and blindfolded.”

Her instructions were scrupulously obeyed.

A few moments later, the trail was devoid of any clue of human presence. Any trace of the patrol had disappeared.

**************

Safiye watched appreciatively her squad of women remove the gears and the clothes of the unconscious foot soldiers. They were methodical and efficient.

First, they confiscated the weapons and shield. Next, they removed the belt and the protective gears: leather helmet, leather breastplate, and leather limb protections. Then, they pulled off the grey padded tunic while lifting the upper-body and letting it fall back. Finally, they removed the brown boots and pulled off the thick black trousers.

Their victims were all wearing the same sort of underclothes: a beige short-sleeved undertunic, matching beige knee-long underpants tied around the waist with a string, and grey woolen socks.

At the same time, Safiye was stripping the auburn-haired officer. The woman moaned slightly as she was left clad in a red undertunic, white matching knee-long underpants, and grey socks.

The foot soldiers and their officer were thoroughly bound, gagged and blindfolded. Each woman’s wrists was tied behind her back with rope. A rope was wrapped and tightened around her thighs, another was around her calves, and a third one around the upper-arms. A thick piece of cloth was shoved into her mouth and tied behind the neck as a cleave-gag. Another thick piece of cloth was tied over her eyes as a blindfold. Finally, they were bound with ropes to trees in a seated position, by groups of three or four.

Now that their victims were blindfolded, and therefore unable to recognize them, Safiye’s soldiers removed the hoods, scarves, and clothes that were concealing their identity. They quickly got dressed. Soon, they were looking the part of a patrol of foot soldiers.

Astrid put on a uniform as well. She glanced at the defeated soldiers. A few of them were coming to their senses. They moaned in their gags and moved their heads when they realized that they couldn’t stand or see.

“I hope that no harm will befall on them…” the blonde commented.

Safiye shrugged while putting on the officer’s uniform and protective gear. “These lands belong to their Order. They will be found and rescued soon enough.”

This time, Safiye wasn’t even lying. It was in her interest that no long-lasting harm befell on these soldiers.

They would get rid of the stolen outfits in the mountain, and pretend that they were allowed by one of their checkpoints. As Itzel was constantly communicating with the Mages thanks to her magic, the knights wouldn’t be able to take advantage of the situation to organize a little ‘accident’ for the group of women.

As long as no soldier was killed, the Order of the Thorn wouldn’t dare to openly defy the Mages once presented with a fait accompli if they had no proof… They would play along to not lose face.

Safiye grabbed two spare sets of uniforms, then went to a more concealed part of the forest a few feet away from her squad.

Itzel had returned at the bedside of Tsuki after the short scuffle with the soldiers. The shapeshifter was lying on a stretcher and was deeply asleep.

“I brought you your disguise.” Safiye said to the mage-woman. “And also one for Tsuki, in case she wants one when she wakes up.”

Itzel nodded and grabbed the set of clothes to put them on. "Well, we're certainly making this more complicated than we have to..."

“Things would have been easier if you were able to cast a full illusion to mask our appearances.” Safiye retorted.

“I’ve already told you. Casting an illusion big enough to conceal everyone’s entire bodies would have required too much efforts. Thanks to these uniforms, I can concentrate on concealing only the faces.”

“Then why don’t Ce-Acatl send a few more Mages as backup to help us? Why did they say a rookie mage-woman?”

“Mages are busy people. They are needed to run the Empire, and to watch the borders. They can’t just spend months on the road to track down a few rebels!” Itzel retorted. Given how red her cheeks was, Safiye easily deduced that Itzel’s low rank was a touchy subject.

The brown-haired mercenary chuckled ironically. “Yes… Instead, they send us to do the grunt work. I guess they’re waiting for us to confront the red-haired shrew… They’ll be able to locate her when she uses her powers to fry us alive.”

“Why are you complaining? They gave us catalysts to protect ourselves from her spells.”

“These things only protect from a direct hit. The redhead is not stupid. How long will it take her to figure out that she’ll be able to bypass our protection by simply making the mountain collapse on us? The Mages want to minimize the risks for them, they don't want to confront the Moon Child without assessing her strength first. That's where we come from. I’m not stupid, Itzel. I know that the main reason they sent us is because we’re both competent but also disposable.”

Itzel remained silent.

Safiye looked at the sleeping Tsuki. When she was in a deep slumber, without her unhinged smile and her glimmering eyes, the woman actually looked adorable.

Tsuki had been asleep for days without once waking up. Itzel pretended that, thanks to her magic, the shapeshifter was able to interfere with the artifact their targets had found through the realm of dreams. Safiye couldn't care less about the practical details of this little miracle of magic. She was simply delighted by the fact that a sleeping Tsuki was a lot easier to control. The spy was secretly hoping that they would be able to keep the shapeshifter in that state for as long as they wanted, but she suspected that they were only able to put Tsuki to sleep with magic because the latter was allowing it. Her body was so imbued with the power of the Black Star that she was immune to drugs and mind magic…

I can’t help but wonder what she’s doing...

**************

The realm of dreams was a strange oniric place, made of unfathomable colours, rivers of power, and constant changing.

Tsuki was feeling angry, which was a feat in itself. The Black Star’s blessing was indeed constantly overflowing her mind with a multitude of sensations. Sorting them out was difficult. And remaining focused on one was even more difficult.

But this time...

How can she do it?! How can she renounce the perfect world I allowed her to reach?! I gave her everything she wanted! I gave her back Hinata! And she turned her nose up at my offer?!

They were once about to use the artifact. She could feel it.

Tsuki needed to reach them before they could come back to their potentiality! She wasn’t worried about not getting to them on time though. Time was flowing differently in the realm of dreams. What was taking a few seconds in the real world felt like an eternity here…

However, Tsuki’s journey through the oniric realm was making her come across other people’s dreams.

The shapeshifter noticed one in particular.

In the bedroom of a castle, a curvy woman with an ivory white skin, ocean blue eyes and waist-long loose honey blond hair was looking at herself in a mirror. She was dressed as a princess. She was wearing a tight but full scarlet red regal-looking dress with pink sleeves and gold threads. The cuffs and the collar of the dress were made of white lace. A stylish red veil fell down from the head, completely covering the neck.

“What a boring naive predictable dream…” the shapeshifter commented to herself.

Tsuki couldn’t help it. She entered the woman’s dream.

The blonde frowned. “Who are you?! What do you-”

Snap of finger. Puff of smoke.

The gorgeous princess dress was gone. The honey-blond-haired woman was now only clad in her undergarments: a white long-sleeved ankle-long undergown.

Tsuki was now the one clad as a princess.

The blonde opened wide round eyes. “My clothes! You stole them!”

Snap of finger. Puff of smoke.

The honey-blond-haired woman was now tightly hog-tied with ropes on the floor. A thick piece of black cloth was gagging her.

“Mph?! Mhhhh! MHHHHH! HHHHLPHHHH!” she tried to shout, but the gag was muzzling her. She squirmed on the floor. Her dream was now fully under Tsuki’s control.

The shapeshifter’s face and body contorted until she took the woman’s appearance. The blonde’s eyes widened when she saw that she was now facing a perfect copy of herself.

However, it was at that moment that, to her horror, Tsuki realized that she barely took any pleasure in the process of stealing this woman’s clothes. It didn’t even quell her anger.

What is going on?

Tsuki took back her default appearance, and left the blond woman to her nightmare.

She jumped into another dream that caught her attention.

The woman had an athletic body, brown eyes, a dark skin and short black hair. She was adjusting the pink clothes she was wearing. With her foot, she closed the door of a small cabinet. Inside, there was an unconscious bound-and-gagged woman with red hair, stripped down to her underwear.

The black-haired woman had just stolen the clothes of the redhead, and was now locking her victim out of sight.

Tsuki saw the infiltrator’s eyes, and she understood that the black-haired woman was like her. That she took pleasure in the process of stealing a woman’s identity. Tsuki did it for the fun and the thrill, this woman for the power rush and the feeling of dominance, but there was the same logic behind it.

Tsuki glared at her. As if a mere human could even so much as come close to understanding the true beauty of stealing someone’s appearance. Poor imitator.

Tsuki couldn’t help it. She pounced on the woman in her dream.

“What?!” the black-haired woman exclaimed.

She desperately tried to fight back, but the shapeshifter was several times stronger.

Tsuki immobilized the woman and choked her until she was unconscious. She frantically removed her victim’s clothes one by one, including the underwear.

A snap of the finger allowed her to make a few coils of rope appear. She used them to tightly ball-tie the naked woman into a seated position, with her knees pressed against her exposed breasts. Another snap of finger, and two thick rough rags appeared in her hand. Tsuki cleave-gagged and blindfolded the infiltrator. She threw the woman into the cabinet.

Since this was a dream, the redhead was gone. The black-haired infiltrator was alone.

Then, Tsuki put on her victim’s clothes.

The woman woke up while the shapeshifter was closing the door of the cabinet with her foot.

“Nhhhh! Whht!” she tried to beg.

Once in the dark, the infiltrator started to panic. The cabinet was airtight. The woman was locked. She couldn’t breathe!

The shapeshifter ignored her muffled calls for help, just like this specific uniform stealer always looked down upon the women she mugged.

Still no rush... Tsuki thought to herself.

She barely took any joy in taking down this woman.

For the shapeshifter, it was a horrible feeling. It was like losing the taste for a gourmet, or losing the hearing for a musician.

Tsuki cursed.

How could she NOT feel anything when taking someone else’s appearance?!

Was it because of her anger?

What is wrong with me?! This is who I am! This is what I do! Why can’t I feel any pleasure in it anymore?!

“Hhllp! Hhllp!”

The woman’s muffled pleas were getting on her nerves.

“Shut up…” She kicked the cabinet. “Just take it in silence, like all the people you harmed…”

Tsuki was trying to concentrate. She needed to think of something. She needed to find a solution.

“Plhhhsh! Plhhhsh!” the gagged woman tried to beg.

Tsuki teared out the door of the cabinet.

“I said: Shut up.”

She grabbed the woman by the hair and pulled her outside.

“Shut up!”

She backhanded her.

“SHUT UP!”

She grabbed the bruised woman by the cheeks.

“SHUT UP!!! You think you have the right to overpower other people to steal their identities?! You think you have the right to overpower them to feel strong?!”

The infiltrator whimpered.

“Well you don’t! This is not YOUR nature, it’s MINE! I’m a shapeshifter! This is who I am! Not you!”

She hit the woman’s face a second time.

“THIS IS WHO I AM!"

hit

"ME!"

hit

"ME!"

hit

"ME!”

Tsuki threw the woman upward until she became a twinkle in the sky.

The dream shattered, as the woman woke up brutally.

Tsuki let out a long shrill scream and teared off her hair.

The Black Star’s essence that was flowing through her veins reacted to her emotions, and sent waves of intense pleasure. Tsuki felt a warm sensation overrun her entire body, as if she had just entered a hot bath. It was how the Black Star worked. The more in distress, the more in pain Tsuki was, the more the Black Star’s essence was overflowing her mind with sensations of pleasure.

Tsuki… I can’t allow my vessel to feel bad… We’re supposed to reshape this world...

However, this time Tsuki was too angry to care.

Tsuki. The artifact. This time it was Itzel’s voice, talking to her thanks to her magic. The mission...

Tsuki couldn’t care less about the mission right now, but a part of her remembered WHO they were looking for.

Yu’.

Of course! The root of her problem was her anger.

The root of her problem was Yuka.

Tsuki understood what she had to do.

It was time to set things straight with her clan sister…

It was time to bring Yuka back where she belonged…

With me.

One way or another…

Tsuki allowed the power of the artifact to draw her, like a moth to a flame.

**************

Yuka and her friends were once again in the nothing between the potentialities. Coulter was trying to send them to their own potentiality, but something was still hampering her efforts.

Or more precisely, someone.

“YU’!”

Yuka winced.

Of course, she knew that she wouldn’t be able to avoid another confrontation with Tsuki while trying to return to their own potentiality...

This time, it wasn’t only her voice though. They could actually see Tsuki appear in front of them. Or, more precisely, a giant translucent reflection of the unhinged shapeshifter.

“Coulter… Hurry up please…” Yisüi whispered to the mage-woman.

“Easier said than done…” the redhead retorted between gritted teeth.

Azeneth tightened her grip on Jinora’s and Yisüi’s hands.

“I’ll try to buy us some time.” Yuka intervened.

She turned to face the reflection of her former clan sister.

Tsuki glared at Yuka. In her eyes, there was a mixture of anger and incomprehension.

“HOW?! How could you do it?!” she shouted. “How could you renounce them?! I gave you what you wanted the most! And THIS is the thanks I get?! How UNGRATEFUL can you be?!”

She was sounding furious, but also incredulous. She pointed at Azeneth, Jinora, and Yisüi.

“How could you chose these… these HUMANS over your own CLAN SISTERS?!”

Yuka shouted a retort.

“My place wasn’t in this world, Tsu’! I could have been happy with them, but it would have been fake!”

“SO WHAT? You’d still have been happy!”

“There are people who are counting on me in our world, Tsu’! I can’t just give up on them to pursue my selfish wants!”

Tsuki glared angrily at her.

Then, suddenly, she started to laugh.

Her brutal mood-swing was even scarier than her anger, because Yuka could see how artificial her joy was. It was a result of Tsuki’s mind being overflown by the impious energy of the Black Star.

“You know, it doesn’t really matter…” Tsuki commented. “Soon, we will be reunited. Whether you want it or not.”

“What do you mean?”

“We are currently looking for you!” Tsuki explained with an impish smile. “The time flows differently in our world and in here… In our world, time flows a lot faster. While we’re busy having fun with your artifact, Safiye and her squad are heading to the ruins where your physical bodies are.”

“Our physical bodies? So… All that we’re living… This isn’t real?” Yuka asked.

“Oh no, no, no... It IS real! Let’s just say that your wonderful toy is simply allowing you to be in two places at once… But make no mistake. If you die in another potentiality, you’ll also die in our world. And for good…”

“But our main bodies are still in the ruins.” Coulter deduced.

“Exactly! And you’ll probably guess HOW comical things will become if the Mages’ agents manage to get a hold of your main bodies before you can return to them… That would be quite the nasty surprise, wouldn’t it?”

Yuka looked at the red-haired mage-woman. “Coulter. Bring us back to our world. NOW!”

“Oh no, no, no!” Tsuki interrupted them. “I shall make you visit INTERESTING places… To keep you occupied, the time for us to arrive… Don’t worry, Yu’… Soon, we’ll be reunited...”

Coulter glared daggers at Tsuki’s reflection. “And you think that I will let you-”

A flash of light.

**************

A flash of light.

Yuka blinked.

They were in another potentiality.

They had appeared inside a building made of wood. The room was looked like some kind of tavern. There were several wood tables and chairs.

Unfortunately, Yuka and her friends weren’t alone. Four women were in the room in which they had appeared. They were lazily sitting on chairs, while sipping glasses of rum. Yuka immediately understood that these girls were trouble.

The first woman was wearing a white ample long-sleeved blouse, light brown loose pants cut off just below the knee, white woolen stockings, and brown shoes. She had an oval-shaped face, black hair and brown eyes. Her haircut was made of several collarbone-long braids adorned with stone beads. A red bandanna was covering her head.
The second woman had neck-long unattached sandy blond hair and dark blue eyes. She was tall and lanky. She was clad in a beige blouse, faded blue baggy trousers, grey woolen stockings, black shoes and a black bandanna tied over the head.
The third woman was wearing a red mantle over a white tunic, brown loose trousers, black shoes, and a black tri-cornered hat. She had ginger red hair tied into a shoulder-long ponytail, and green eyes. Her chin was pointy and her face was angular.
The fourth woman had short chin-long brown hair and hazel eyes, as well as a round face. She was shorter than her companions. She was wearing a dark grey blouse and black loose trousers. An orange headband was tied around her head.

The women all had the tanned skin of people who were often outdoors, and they were all rather young, in their late twenties and early thirties. However, their clothes left no doubt about their profession.

Pirates.

“Yarr! Who are these harlots?” ‘Red Bandanna’ exclaimed.

“Little mouses trying to spy on us?” ‘Black Bandanna’ added.

“Who cares? Have you seen the blond one? The slavers will pay good money for a girl with such hair!” ‘Tri-Cornered Hat’ commented.

“Yarr! Let’s grab them!” 'Orange Headband' concluded.

The four women threw away their glasses of rum, jumped on their feet and grabbed their weapons, either a saber or a cutlass.

Now, when armed women were threatening her and her friends, Azeneth didn’t waste time asking questions.

On the contrary, she struck first.

The metis jumped into the fray and took the pirates by surprise. They weren’t expecting her to take the offensive.

Azeneth socked ‘Red Bandanna’ in the left temple before the latter could even think of raising her saber. The woman let out a grunt, and fell unconscious on the floor.

‘Black Bandanna’ tried to slash the metis with her cutlass. Azeneth dodged and punched her in the stomach, before finishing her off with an uppercut. “Urk!” The woman was out cold before even falling backwards.

‘Tri-cornered Hat’ tried to assault Azeneth from behind with her saber, but only managed to end on the wrong end of the metis’ spinning kick. Azeneth hit her in the right side, and she fell on the floor.

‘Orange Headband’ hesitated one second too many. Before she could decide between attacking or fleeing, Azeneth was on her. She kneed the pirate in the stomach, then grabbed her by the neck and hit her forehead on the nearby table, sending her to slumberland.

‘Tri-cornered Hat’ tried to get up. Azeneth towered over her and smiled.

“Yarr.” the metis mockingly commented.

“Wait-”

Her fist collided with the woman’s forehead, right between the eyes, and put her out of commission.

Standing in the middle of four half-conscious moaning women, Azeneth stretched her fingers. “Well, that takes care of them!” she happily exclaimed.

Jinora and Yisüi chuckled.

“Az’… We may have needed one of them conscious to answer our questions…” Yuka commented.

The metis shrugged. “Well, they started it.”

“By the way… Don’t you feel like we’re short one person?” Yisüi intervened.

Indeed, they hadn’t heard anyone complain or rant during the past minute.

“Coulter?”

They all shared a worried glance. The redhead wasn’t with them!

“I’m here.”

They jumped in surprise.

“Gah! She’s invisible!” Yisüi exclaimed.

“I’m talking in your head. the voice retorted with an annoyed tone.

There was no doubt. Only Coulter would talk like that.

“But how?” Yuka asked.

“I’m still in the nothing between the potentialities. Can’t talk to you for long. I’m in… a battle of willpower with Tsuki… to take control of the artifact… She’s attempting to- attempting to send you to random potentialities... Just go along with whatever’s happening… I’ll try to bring you back-” Coulter’s voice was interrupted.

Jinora, Yuka, Azeneth, and Yisüi shared a glance.

“Well, you heard her.” Azeneth then commented.

She grabbed the nearest pirate, the sandy blonde with the black bandanna, and pulled out her blouse.

“You sure this is the best thing to do?” Jinora intervened.

“These ladies probably aren’t alone. It’s best to disguise ourselves, in case we come across other pirates before Coulter can transport us…”

“I suppose it’s the best we can do in the meantime…” Yuka admitted.

She, Yisüi, and Jinora each grabbed a woman and removed her clothes. Yuka grabbed the black-haired pirate with the red bandanna; Yisüi, the brunette with the orange headband; and Jinora, the redhead with the tri-cornered hat.

They stripped the four pirates down to their undergarments, which were the same for each woman: a beige short-sleeved chemise and thigh-long white open drawers. While the four friends were still worried about their situation, the process of divesting the pirates of their clothes helped ease their mind, and made them feel better and more confident.

The four friends then took off the Pakal soldiers uniforms they were still wearing after their former adventure, and cut them into strips. The makeshift ropes were used to hog-tie each pirate. A few more strips were used as gags and blindfolds. Yuka, Azeneth, Yisüi, and Jinora each dragged one woman. They hid them under a table.

Finally, each woman put the clothes of the pirate she stripped. Including the headgear. Azeneth tied the black bandanna as a headband, since she didn’t want to remove her high-braid.

“There you go!” the metis exclaimed with a smile. “Now, we’re ready to fool the other pirates. Because I know that we will come across a few more of them before we are transported elsewhere.”

They all felt a warmness surround them. It was magic.

“Oh come on! I bet she’s doing it on purpose! Just to prove me wrong!” Azeneth complained.

As they were rising into the air, drifting away and disappearing, Yuka saw the captain of the four pirates enter the building.

She saw her hog-tied women, who were starting to come to their senses.

“What?! You four landlubbers were humiliated once more?! And who was it this time? What’s your excuse?! Another Cryomancer?”

Another flash of light.

**************

Another flash of light.

Yuka blinked.

The place looked like the workshop of a painter, though for some strange reason there were no windows. Dozens of lanterns were lighting the place. It was a vast room filled with easels, paintings, and canvas. On several tables, there was a plethora of painting material: pigments, inks, brushes, rags, paints…

The painter herself was standing in front of a gigantic mural.

The four women’s arrival hadn’t gone unnoticed however.

“How dare you enter my workshop?” the artist barked. “Who are you? How did you find me?”

Just by the way she looked, Yuka could tell that something was wrong with this girl.

The painter was a young woman with a white skin, a soft round face, short dark brown hair and brown eyes. Sure, she was shorter than average, but she still clearly was an adult. And yet, even though Yuka didn’t know anything about the fashions of this potentiality, she could see that the painter was wearing childish clothes. On her head, there was a white painter hat adorned with a cute red pom-pom. She was wearing a long-sleeved dark grey knee-long one-piece dress with a white collar, dark grey trousers, and black shoes. The front part of her body was covered by a grey apron stained with paint.

In the painter’s eyes, there was an unhinged look.

However, the scarier part of the room wasn’t the painter herself, but the mural she was painting. The thing was unnerving, with bizarre perspectives and grotesque forms. Worst of all, the color lines were moving by themselves, as if the mural was alive.

Impious magic was at work in this workshop.

There was no doubt left. Tsuki was the one who chose this potentiality.

Next to Yuka, Azeneth couldn’t help but exclaim. “Who are YOU? And what is THAT?” She pointed at the mural.

The painter glared daggers at her.

“My name is Gloria, and I do not expect you simpletons to be able to understand my art.”

“You shouldn’t stand next to that mural… This thing is oozing with dangerous magic…” Yuka commented.

Gloria stomped on the floor with her foot. “How dare you? I am a genius! This is my masterpiece! It is I who infused this painting with magic! And once I give it the finishing touch, she shall lay waste on this town, and teach a lesson to all the fools who refused to see my talent!”

Yuka didn’t understand what was going on. It was as if she had turned up into a completely different story.

Trust Tsuki to choose a completely bonkers potentiality at some point...

“Coincidentally, I can’t let you leave now that you have found my hideout.” Gloria added. “I can’t let you warn the talentless fools that are searching for me...”

Gloria put her brush and her palette, and grabbed a knife.

“Therefore, I shall use your BLOOD to get the red paint I need to finish my masterpiece!”

She lunged at them.

With a scornful expression, Azeneth dodged her attack and knocked her out with one clean punch to the temple.

“Ouch!” the mad artist grunted.

Gloria dropped her weapon and collapsed face first on the floor like a sack of grain. Out like a light.

“Yu’… Your friend is SICK!” Azeneth commented. “What kind of world is th-” She was interrupted by a loud voice.

MISTRESS?! WHERE ARE YOU?

The four women gagged.

The voice was coming from the mural! Several yellow eyes made of paint opened.

MISTRESS? WHO ARE THESE WOMEN?

Yuka was terrified. This thing was the kind of eldritch abomination that brought the Black Star to her mind. Still, she reflexively did what she did best to try to get out of this situation.

She stole another woman’s appearance.

Her facial features and her body briefly blurred. She became shorter. Her skin turned white, her hair became short and dark brown, and her eyes became brown.

“But it is me, your mistress. Can’t you see?” the shapeshifter answered while using Gloria’s voice.

The sentient mural fixed its attention on Yuka.

At the same time, Azeneth was dragging the real unconscious Gloria by the legs to put her out of the sentient mural’s line of sight. She concealed her in a corner of the workshop, behind a bunch of easels and canvas. Yisüi and Jinora hid with her.

MISTRESS… YOU ARE NOT WEARING YOUR USUAL CLOTHES…

“That’s- That’s because I had to go out incognito…” Yuka improvised while hiding her fear. “I am going to put them back on right away!”

Azeneth, Jinora, and Yisüi got the picture. The three of them worked together to take off Gloria’s hat, paint-stained apron, and other clothes as quickly as possible. Luckily, her one-piece dress was easy to remove. Jinora and Yisüi took off her shoes while Azeneth unclipped the belt of the trousers that the artist was wearing under her dress. They pulled off the trousers, then threw all the clothes to Yuka. Gloria was left clad in white thigh-long bloomers, grey socks, and a childish-looking white sleeveless undertunic adorned with pink lace at the edges.

Yuka dropped her current outer clothes to the floor, and put on the artist’s outfit faster than she ever did with any other clothes before.

“You see?” Yuka asked while adjusting the white painter cap with the red pom-pom.

THERE YOU ARE MY MISTRESS.

The mural seemed satisfied.

Of course, Gloria chose this moment to start to come to her senses. She moaned, groaned and frowned as she was regaining her consciousness.

WHAT IS THAT NOISE MISTRESS?

Azeneth hit Gloria on the forehead with a forearm blow, right between the eyes, to ensure that she would stay in slumberland. The mad artist grunted and saw stars, but her body relaxed once more. She went silent.

“Nothing.” Yuka answered.

The metis pointed at a cleaning cloth used to wipe paint. Jinora grabbed it and gave it to her. Azeneth immediately shoved it into the unconscious woman’s mouth. Luckily for Gloria, it was one of the few (mostly) clean ones.

Yisüi found a few more cleaning clothes, as well as a coil of sturdy strings. She, Jinora, and Azeneth worked together to cloth-gag Gloria withthe pieces of cloth, and to bind her wrists and ankles with the strings.

ARE YOU GOING TO PUT THE LAST TOUCHES TO ME, MY MISTRESS? I AM IMPATIENT TO LAY WASTE ON THIS TOWN...

“Coulter… Be quick please…” Yuka whispered through gritted teeth.

Maybe the redhead heard her plea, or maybe it was a stroke of luck, but suddenly she felt a warmness surround her.

Just as she and her friends were rising into the air and disappearing, she saw a group of people burst into the place. Some heroes had come here to put an end to Gloria’s insane projects…

… and were about to discover that mysterious people did half of their job, since the mad artist herself was already all trussed up, like a nice package ready to be sent to the prison.

Another flash of light.

**************

Another flash of light.

Yuka blinked.

She and Azeneth were in a town. Its tall angular buildings were made of beige or yellow stones, and its streets were cobbled. They were standing in an alleyway, away from prying eyes. Thankfully, since the few people who saw Yuka’s paint-stained clothes were giving her funny looks.

Wait a second... Azeneth and I?

She and the metis exchanged a panicked look.

“Coulter! Yisüi and Jinora aren’t with us!” the shapeshifter exclaimed.

They heard the redhead’s voice.

“I tried to bring you to a- to a normal-looking potentiality… But Tsuki managed to separate you… within a few seconds of each other... It- It means... they actually arrived- arrived a few hours before you... They’re in the building- the tall building nearby… with the blue banners...”

“Why can’t they go out?”

“This is some kind of- of university… The scholars who saw them appear refuse to let them go… They want- want to know how they managed to do that… They want to- to study the phenomenon… They are fine, but they-” Once again, Coulter’s voice was interrupted.

“I bet Tsuki’s trying to have fun at our expense. She’s putting us in situations where we have to steal clothes.” Yuka commented.

“Who cares? We need to enter the building! We have to be close to each other if we want Coulter to transport us!” Azeneth exclaimed.

Yuka put a hand on her friend’s shoulder to calm her down. “Then let’s find a way…”

Even though they were anxious to rescue their friends, Yuka and Azeneth knew that they had to wait for the right opportunity. They were trained experienced people, who knew how to keep a cool head, as rushing without thinking wouldn’t help them reach their goal. They went to an alleyway closer to the building with the blue banners, and observed it from afar.

The place indeed was some kind of university or academy of research. A part of Yuka was impressed by the diversity of the people leaving and entering the building complex. So many ethnies. So many hair colours, skin tones, and eye colours. She could even see physical types that were unheard of in her home world, such as people with white hair, other people with a red skin, or with amethyst purple eyes. The shapeshifter wasn’t used to see so much diversity in her home world, except in a few port towns.

Yuka quickly noticed that there was some sort of hierarchy in that academy of research. The students were also working part time as apprentice or as assistant for the scholars. Their clothes were indicating their status.

“We need to grab the ones wearing the brown jackets and the beige trousers. They’re the low-ranked assistants.”

Azeneth nodded. “Got it.”

And sure enough, one suitable assistant finally passed near their hiding spot.

She was an average-sized young woman with a white skin, white hair and eyebrows, and blue eyes. She had a chin-long straight square haircut with a straight fringe.

She was wearing grey long boots that were covering her calves, beige pants, a black belt with a grey buckle, a white tunic and a brown opened jacket over the tunic.

The young assistant was too busy complaining to herself to notice that she was being watched.

“And now they’re sending me to fetch their new books… I can’t take this anymore. Tia do this, Tia do that… And for what? Never any thanks… Am I just good enough to be their lackey? And Bran who STILL hasn’t made his move on me… When will he take the hint?! Gods! It’s really one of those days…”

Now, to be honest, Tia didn’t say out loud that ‘This day can’t become any worst.’ However, she thought it very hard. And it was enough to tempt fate...

Once the assistant was within reach, Azeneth jumped out of her hiding place in the dark alleyway and pounced on her prey. She grabbed Tia by the shoulders and pulled her inside the alleyway.

YANK!

“Eek--!” the girl shrieked.

The white-haired young woman disappeared in the shadows, with no one the wiser.

Azeneth immobilized and hand-gagged her victim.

Tia opened big frightened eyes.

Yuka stood in front of her. “Don’t scream please, we won’t hurt you. We will just ask you a few questions. Do you understand me?” She was talking softly to put Tia at ease.

The white-haired assistant nodded.

“You won’t scream if my friend removes her hand?” Yuka asked.

Another nod.

“Az’, please.”

The second the metis removed her hand, Yuka realized that Tia was going to scream. She had learned to notice the little breath that her victims were always taking when trying to call for help.

Yuka was faster than her. She pinched a specific part of Tia’s body, right between the neck and the shoulder, and infused a small fraction of her power in her fingers. Her thumb and her index finger glowed.

The white-haired young woman opened her mouth, but only let out a: “Ah… oh… uh… mh… oof.” Her body had a few spasms, then her eyes rolled back and closed. She slumped into Azeneth’s arms with a vacant smile on her lips. Out cold.

“I hate it when they do that…” Yuka commented. “I mean, I don’t blame them for trying to scream, but still… It’s annoying.”

“Well, it looks like we have no choice. Yu’, remove your dress. We’ll use it to make ropes. You’ll put on her clothes and take her appearance.”

Yuka was delighted to have an excuse to remove Gloria’s clothes. She didn’t need to be asked twice and she quickly dropped the painter’s outfit.

At the same time, Azeneth was removing the assistant’s clothes: she pulled off the boots, unclipped the belt and slid down the trousers, unbuttoned the light jacket and pulled off the tunic. As undergarments, Tia was wearing beige socks, faded blue thigh-long undershorts and a light grey sleeveless top.

Azeneth used one of her knives to cut the painter’s dress into strips while Yuka donned her disguise.

The metis tied the young woman’s wrists behind her back. She wrapped a second makeshift rope around her elbows, also tying them behind the back. She bound Tia’s ankles with a third strip of cloth and her knees with a fourth. Finally, she seated the assistant in a corner of the alleyway. She wrapped a strip of cloth over her eyes as a blindfold, shoved a few pieces of cloth into her mouth, then cloth-gagged her with one final strip.

Once fully clothed, Yuka took a deep breath. Her hair became white, her skin lightened, and her eyes turned blue.

“Perfect.” Azeneth commented. “Now, go without me.”

Yuka incredulously looked at her. “What? There’s no way I’m leaving you behind! What if Coulter transports me when you’re not around?”

“And there’s no way I’m leaving Jinora and Yisü’ behind!” Azeneth retorted. “We don’t have the time to wait for another stroke of luck! You have to rescue them! I hope they’re not too scared… I will-”

“Az’! Wait!” Yuka interrupted her. “I see two more assistants approaching…”

Indeed, two women were leaving the academy, and were going to pass in front of their alleyway.

Azeneth and Yuka shared the same hopeful look. They got ready.

“Almost within reach… Almost… Wait! That’s…”

“Jinora! Yisü’!” Azeneth shouted.

“Not so loud, Az’! Don’t forget that we’re standing next to a bound half-naked woman we just assaulted…”

Azeneth was too relieved to listen however. “Jinora! Yisü’! We’re here!”

The two women dressed as assistants were indeed Jinora and Yisüi. They ran to their friends.

Azeneth embraced them.

“To think that I was worried sick! And while I was here wasting my time biting my nails, you two just stole a few outfits and walked out of the building as if it was nothing! These jokers didn’t know who they were up against!”

“You’ll have to accept that we’re becoming better than you…” Jinora commented with a smile.

Azeneth blinked. “How… How dare you tease me?” she playfully retorted.

“I trust that things went without a hitch.” Yuka intervened. She was feeling relieved.

“We asked for a meal, that’s how we grabbed the first one.” Jinora explained. “Then, we pretended that I was sick, that’s how we lured a second one.”

“They weren’t exactly good at keeping people against their will… Most of them are old scholars. If we hadn’t been in a hurry, we may have let them finish their studies.” Yisüi added.

"Though I can reassure you that we didn't bind and gag any poor elderly scholars. Only young women." Jinora concluded.

"Stop joking like that, Jinora, or I'll start to think YOU are the one who was replaced..." Azeneth commented.

"I'm just relieved to see you. I thought this was going to be Lord Devingshae's fiasco all over again." Jinora confessed.

The metis simply hugged her a second time.

Yuka nodded. Now, they simply needed to walk away and-

“Oh shit- I think that your escape’s been noticed!” Azeneth suddenly exclaimed.

Indeed, a group of white-haired scholars surrounded by a swarm of assistants had exited the building. A few of the old men were brandishing their canes.

Of course, Tia chose this moment to wake up, and she immediately started to try to call for help through her gag. Plus, with the commotion Azeneth made when she reunited with her friends, the pursuers knew exactly where to look.

“Great… After a group of pirates and a painter, I’m going to beat up a bunch of elderly professors…” the metis commented.

The epic fight was going to be postponed however.

Suddenly they felt a warmness surround them.

Once again, they rose into the air and started to disappear.

Yuka had the time to see one assistant release Tia while everyone else was trying to comprehend how they disappeared.

“My hero!” She jumped into his arms and wasted no time giving him a long passionate kiss.

Judging by these two’s behaviour, they had been turning around each other for months without being able to declare themselves...

“Well, this is one girl who knows how to make the most of a bad situation.” Yuka commented.

Another flash of light.

**************

Another flash of light.

Yuka blinked.

She heard Azeneth comment. “Well, it looks like we’re not the ones who stole the clothes this time…”

They were in the room of an inn.

And indeed, a woman with a copper-coloured skin, coarse black hair, a lanky figure, a tall forehead, and an oval face was lying unconscious in front of them. Her haircut consisted of three shoulder-long braids adorned with red stones. She was stripped down to a red loincloth and a brown strip of cloth wrapped around the chest and the back. Her hands were bound behind her back with ropes. Her ankles and her knees were also bound. She was gagged with a thick rag.

“Girls-!” Yisüi pointed at a nearby scene.

Two young women were currently busy restraining a second copper-skinned black-haired woman with a shoulder-long braid, clad in a black loincloth and a grey strip of cloth covering her breasts. The two muggers were wearing Pakal pilgrim clothes: comfortable brown hooded traveling robes with rope-belts, matching trousers, and thick comfortable traveling boots. Yuka easily deduced that these were stolen outfits though. The first young woman had a tanned skin, shoulder-long dark brown hair, and green-hazel eyes. Her face was angular, and she had a pointy chin and an aquiline nose. She was slightly taller than average, and her body was athletic-looking. The second young woman was of average size and build, had round sky blue eyes and soft neck-long light brown hair. Her skin was light-coloured. Her hair were tied up into a small ponytail. Two locks were falling on her cheeks, one on each side.

It was strange that they didn’t react to the four friends’ appearance, given the fact that the inn room was rather small.

“They can’t see or hear us, and probably can’t touch us either.” Jinora understood. “It’s as if we don’t exist in their world…”

Yuka was starting to realize what this ‘potentiality’ was in truth.

“I recognize these stripped pilgrims.” she blankly commented.

Azeneth pointed at the fake pilgrims. “So these two impostors are…”

“Yes.”

“No no no!” Yuka’s counterpart was saying. “Don’t knot the ropes like that Tsu’, do it like that…” She grabbed the ropes and bound the woman’s wrists behind her back.

“Sorry…” Tsuki meekly replied. She was nervously fidgeting with the jade earring of her left ear.

“Don’t be sorry. Be better.”

“I’ll try…”

Yuka’s face softened and she embraced her clan sister. “Don’t worry. I’m here to help you. I'll teach you. With these clothes, we’ll be able to travel the Empire unnoticed.”


The scenery blurred.

**************

They were now in the docks of a Pakal port town.

“We’re not in potentialities.” Yuka commented. “We’re in memories. That’s why we can’t interact with anything.”

“Tsuki can do that?”

“The boundary between the nothing between the worlds and the realm of dreams is thin. Of course she would try something like that!”

They saw Yuka’s counterpart drag an unconscious woman by the legs to conceal her behind wooden crates and barrels. Her victim was a docker. She had short chin-long dark brown hair, a short burly body, and a tanned skin. She was wearing a black bonnet, an ample light blue blouse with ample sleeves rolled up to the elbows, striped red-and-yellow ample trousers, a dark red cloth sash tied around the waist, and black shoes.

Behind the crates, Tsuki finished binding a second docker’s arms behind her back. This docker had neck-long dark auburn hair, a white skin lightly tanned due to her exposure to the sun, and a slim body. She was clad in her undergarments only: a white short-sleeved linen chemise and matching thigh-long underpants. Her legs were already wrapped with ropes and she was gagged with a thick scarf.

Tsuki was wearing the clothes of her victim: an ample white blouse with ample sleeves rolled up to the elbows, light brown ample trousers, a blue cloth sash tied around the waist, black shoes, and a red bonnet.

Yuka let go of her own docker’s legs and smiled when she saw her friend’s ropework. “There you go! You see? You did everything on your own, this time! And without my help!” Yuka commented.

Tsuki blushed slightly. “I feel… stronger now… like you...”

Yuka briefly embraced her and caressed her cheeks, a display of strong friendship for her species. “I’m so proud.”

Tsuki smiled. “I couldn’t have done it without you… It was thanks to your lessons...”

“We will keep on improving. It’s the two of us against the world, but as long as we’re together, we WILL prevail…”

Then, Yuka started to strip her own docker.


The scenery blurred.

**************

They were in an alleyway. The architecture was still bringing the Empire to the mind, but there was also a clear influence of the Vassal Kingdoms. They were in the westerns provinces, near the border.

“What is Tsuki trying to do?” Azeneth exclaimed.

“She’s trying to buy some time.” Jinora answered. “Yuka, we have to do something!”

But Yuka had a hard time stopping looking at her past.

Tsuki and Yuka ambushed the soldier when she tried to bring round her unconscious comrade. Both women had short coarse black hair, muscular bodies, dark brown almond-shaped eyes, and a copper-colored skin. They were each wearing a black long-sleeved tunic and matching trousers, brown leather shoes, and a leather belt tied around the waist. They were each armed with a polearm and a small wooden club.

Yuka tackled the soldier from behind, and made her lose her balance. The black-haired woman fell face first on the ground.

Tsuki immediately grabbed the woman’s neck. Her palms glowed.

“Ah… ah… ah…” The soldier’s body had a few spasms, but Yuka was still pinning her to the ground. The black-haired woman kicked the floor a few times. Then her eyes rolled back and she fainted.

Tsuki and Yuka shared a smile and a fist-bump. “We did it!” they happily exclaimed.

They wasted no time stripping the two soldiers. Tsuki wasn't hesitating anymore.

Both black-haired women were wearing a brown loincloth and a red strip of cloth wrapped around the breasts and back, and tightened under the armpit with a brooch.

The two young shapeshifters blindfolded and gagged the soldiers, tied their wrists and ankles, then bound them together while facing each other with ropes. That way, they would take up less space and would be easier to hide. They tightened the ropes to press the two unconscious bodies against each other as much as they could. Tsuki and Yuka concealed their victims in the small gap between two buildings, then used their powers to steal their appearances. They slipped into the warm uniforms.


The scenery blurred.

**************

They were in the bedroom of a manor of the Vassal Kingdoms.

“I- I won’t try to scream… Don’t hurt us, please…” the woman said while showing that her hands were empty.

She had light red hair, light green eyes, and a light skin. Her hair were mid-back-long, and tied up into a ponytail. She was frail-looking, with a skinny body and an angular face. The redhead was wearing the clothes of a servant of the Vassal Kingdoms: a faded brownish red ankle-long dress belted at the waist, with an overskirt forming an apron, grey shoes, and a white linen bonnet.

Tsuki jumped the servant from behind and hung onto her back. She wrapped her legs around the woman’s waist and arms, wrapped one arm around her shoulders and clamped a hand over her mouth. Unbalanced, the servant fell backwards, with Tsuki still hanging onto her. The terrified woman reflexively struggled, but she couldn’t break free and her frightened cries were muffled by the palm clamped over her mouth. Tsuki’s hands glowed.

The servant had a few spasms, then she let out a long muffled sigh and fell asleep.

Tsuki moved the unconscious woman away and put her on the floor. She was beaming with pride.

“Hey Yu’, did you see that?”

“You were fantastic, Tsu’!”

Yuka was holding under the shoulders an unconscious noblewoman. The woman had brown hair, a light skin, and a voluptuous body. She was wearing a deep blue form-fitting bliaut over a pure white full chemise with tight sleeves. The bliaut had a flaring long skirt and sleeves tight to the elbow and then widening to wrist in a trumpet shape. It was adorned with golden threads. The brunette was also wearing a silver-plated long belt that looped around the waist and was knotted over the abdomen.

“That was flawless!” she added.


Present-Yuka was now realizing that, to knock out a frightened physically weak woman who had already surrendered, such a method was overkill. But at the time, Yuka could only see how strong and confident her friend had become. She was refusing to see how eager, how addicted to the feeling of dominance and to the power rush, Tsuki was becoming.

The Black Star didn’t create Tsuki’s addiction. It removed her inhibitions and amplified feelings that were already there.

Feelings that were born because of Yuka. She was the one responsible of the birth of Tsuki’s obsession. She was the one who made her friend steal other women’s clothes and identity. Again and again and again...

By the time they reached this noblewoman and her servant, how many pairs of women had they mugged and impersonated? She had lost count…

Tsuki stripped the maid while Yuka divested her mistress of her clothes.

The red-haired servant was wearing a white linen smock and grey socks as undergarments. The brown-haired noblewoman was clad in a lavish blue undergown.

They cut some bed sheets into strips, and trussed up the two women. They bound the ankles, the calves, the thighs, the wrists, and the upper-arms below and above the breasts. Rolled strips were used as cleave-gags. Finally, they laid the two women on the aristocrat’s bed, side by side. They covered the bound unconscious bodies with one thick sheet to conceal them.

Yuka and Tsuki started to disguise themselves.


The scenery blurred.

**************

They were in the Yr Widdfa, in a small cavern that was offering shelter from the cold. The wind was howling.

Tsuki and Yuka were huddled together, in front of a campfire and under a thick blanket. Each was holding the other’s hands to warm themselves.

“You will see… It will be worth it.. It will be worth it… We’ll be unstoppable… We’ll change the world…” Yuka was repeating to her friend… and to herself.

The truth was that, after weeks of searching the mountains, Yuka wasn’t so sure of it anymore. However, she kept repeating it to herself, to silence her own doubts.

“It will be worth it… It will be worth it...”


Present-Yuka couldn’t take it anymore.

“Tsuki! I got it! Stop playing mind-games and let’s finish this once and for all!”

Another flash of light.
rufusluciusivan
Posts: 1225
Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2017 5:08 pm

Re: Pakal

Post by rufusluciusivan »

Be careful! I had to separate the post into two parts due to its legth; therefore make sure to read the previous post before this one.














****************

Another flash of light.

Yuka blinked.

She, Azeneth, Jinora, and Yisüi were greeted by the sight of a blood red sky and an ashen grey landscape. To their left, an ocean of black water. To their right, a forest of fossilized trees. In front of them, gigantic mountains. The tops of these mountains were floating in the sky, and the rivers coming from them were flowing backwards.

“Gods above! This potentiality looks horrible!” Azeneth exclaimed.

“This is not a potentiality…” Yuka whispered. “This is a vision… This is the world Tsuki and the Black Star long to create. A world of chaos, and perpetual changing.”

Suddenly, the forest of dead trees came back to life. Leaves and flowers grew up on the formerly fossilized trees, until the vegetation was luscious.

“EXACTLY!” a voice echoed above them.

In the red sky, black clouds gathered to form the unhinged shapeshifter’s face.

“Honestly, I wonder why I didn’t think of it before.” Tsuki commented. “I mean… Why waste my time sending you in other potentialities when I can just trap you in my dreams? Here, you are exactly where I want you to be…”

Her gaze went to Azeneth, Jinora and Yisüi.

Yuka immediately understood that her friends were in mortal danger.

She had to divert Tsuki’s attention.

“Tsu’. Why did you show me these memories?”

“To remind you how much you did for me, of course! Thanks to you, I became stronger… I owe you so much, Yu'...”

Yuka grimaced.

“Tsu’… There’s something I’ve always wanted to tell you… This is my fault if you became like that. I… I’m sorry.”

“Why apologize? I am so much better now! I’m even learning how to fly, Yu’. TO FLY!” Tsuki paused, then added: “But don’t worry. Everything will be fine once we are reunited...”

She stared once more at Azeneth, Yisüi and Jinora.

“Or, more precisely, once I make sure that there will be no more distractions to prevent you from returning to me.”

The air around them started to blur.

Yuka hurriedly shouted: “Tsu’, you’re taking a huge risk by doing that! You’re at your most powerful in your dream, but also at your most vulnerable!” She was desperately trying to distract her clan sister.

The giant head in the sky tilted to the right. “Oh really?”

“Yes. And-”

Yuka suddenly got an idea.

“And I bet I can defeat you with ease!”

Tsuki’s smile widened. “OH REALLY?”

“Yes! It will only take me one question!”

They heard a childish giggle. “A game of riddle then? Fine. I accept your challenge.”

“Yu’… Are you sure?” Azeneth asked her friend with a worried expression

“Trust me. I’ve got this.”

Yuka looked at the giant face in the sky.

“Tsu’, listen to me. This dream is your vision of a perfect world. A world remade in the image of the Black Star. This world is what you aim to create.”

Tsuki’s face in the sky didn’t lose her smile. “Get to the point, please. I can’t wait to win!”

“Alright. Here is my question: If this vision is your idea of perfection… Then where is Hinata?”

Tsuki stopped smiling. She frowned. “What kind of riddle is that?!”

“This is my question. Where is Hinata?” Yuka insisted. “Where does she belong in this world?”

Tsuki was staring into space now. She was frantically searching her dream to try to find Hinata.

“Where is she? Where is she?” she asked.

“She’s not here, Tsu’!” Yuka shouted. “She’s not here because you can’t put her here! You can’t put her here because deep down inside you know she would never approve of this abomination!”

They could hear in Tsuki’s voice that she was panicking. In her dream, the sky split, the sea was parted in half, the forest withered, and the ground cracked.

“It can’t be… Where is she? I can’t… I can’t have forgotten about something so important… I can’t possibly have forgotten about her… WHERE IS SHE?! I CAN’T HAVE FORGOTTEN ABOUT HER! I CAN’T!”

“Maybe I’m not the only one who forgot who my true friends were!” Yuka shouted. “Maybe you forgot too, Tsu’! Maybe the Black Star made you forget!”

Tsuki screamed.

Around them, the world started to shatter.

“Uh… Yu’… Do you know what will happen to us if the dream ends while we’re still inside?” Jinora nervously asked.

Coulter’s voice suddenly echoed in their heads. “She’s weakened. This is our chance! Hold each other’s hands!”

Everything then happened very quickly.

One second they were in Tsuki’s dream. The next second, they were with Coulter. The redhead was brandishing the baton with her artifact.

“Coulter, you did it!” an overjoyed Azeneth exclaimed. “I could kiss you right now!”

“No time for the mushy stuff! Let’s go back in our world!” the redhead interrupted her.

Yisüi, Azeneth, and Jinora approved.

A voice echoed behind them. “Yu’! You can’t leave me!”

This time, Tsuki was sounding genuinely desperate. Yuka couldn’t see her anymore, but she could still hear her voice in the black void.

“Life is losing its flavor, Yu’! I need you by my side! I’ll forgive you! I’ll forgive you everything! The Black Star will forgive you! We will have so much fun! All the people of the world will be our playthings! Just come back!”

“Tsu’. I’m sorry, but I can’t come back to you… Not like that... Not as a pawn of the Black Star.”

Coulter unleashed her power, and took control of the artifact to bring them back to their world.

At least it spared Yuka the sound of Tsuki’s scream…

“I’ll save you! I’LL SAVE YOU!” she shouted, though she didn’t know if the latter heard her.

Another flash of light.






Chapter 4: Part 5

**************

Another flash of light.

Yuka blinked.

Coulter's magic was lighting the place.

They were back in the ruins. The shapeshifter didn’t believe that she would one day be relieved to see again these horrid mirrors, which were the cause of everything to begin with…

There was a short moment of silence.

Then Azeneth, Jinora, Yisüi, and Yuka jumped into each others’ arms.

“WE’RE HOME!” they exclaimed.

Coulter ignored their embrace and approached the artifact that sent them into other potentialities in the first place, still on its pedestal. In her hand, she was holding the baton onto which there was the artifact’s counterpart from another world.

“So we truly were in two places at the same time…” the redhead commented. “We still have the clothes we stole there, and I still have the second artifact… I wonder...”

“Coulter?”

Without a word, the mage-woman pressed the jade-coloured artifact of her baton against its counterpart. The two stones briefly glowed…

… then they crumbled into tiny little pieces.

Coulter smiled. “Good riddance…” she muttered to herself.

She then took great pleasure in smashing the specific mirror that was showing her reflection with her baton.

The redhead smiled harshly, and turned. She frowned when she saw the four other women standing in front of her in silence.

“What’s with the solemn faces all of the sudden? Weren’t you busy making out with each other a few seconds ago?” Coulter commented.

Azeneth smiled. “We wanted to thank you. You saved us.”

“Don’t read too much into it. I saved my own skin just as much as yours.”

“Maybe, but when Tsuki separated us from you, you could have tried to transport yourself while leaving us on our own.” Yuka explained. “Yet, you didn’t do it. You actually fought tooth and nail to bring us back before your returned to our world.”

“I was acting on instinct. I wasn’t actually thinking.”

“Then it means that your first instinct was to rescue us.” Jinora answered.

“You’re twisting what I said. I-”

“No need to be on the defensive. We just want to thank you.” Yisüi concluded.

Coulter took a step back. “I know where this is going. Don’t you dare!”

But it was too late.

“(SECOND) GROUP HUG!”

Coulter wasn’t able to escape the collective embrace. She grimaced. Azeneth, Yuka, Yisüi, and Jinora shared a well-deserved laugh.

However, suddenly, they felt Coulter’s back stiffen.

“We have a problem. A BIG problem.” the redhead interrupted them. She was sounding afraid.

They immediately stopped hugging and smiling. Only one thing could make Coulter afraid.

“I felt someone use magic…” the redhead said.

The other four women shared a quick glance, and didn’t even hesitate.

“Then transport us elsewhere! To hells with the unexplored parts of the ruins!” Yuka exclaimed.

The red-haired mage-woman nodded, and they all held each other’s hand. Coulter took a deep breath…

… and nothing happened.

“Uhm… Coulter, if this is your way to get back at us for the hug, can you wait until after we’re safe?” Azeneth commented.

Coulter shook her head. “This is not a prank! Something is preventing me from transporting us…”

“The Mages?”

“I don’t think so.” Coulter looked at the ceiling and at the walls. “I think it’s because of this place itself. These ruins are imbued with old magic. It’s preventing me from transporting us...”

“How could you not realize this?!” the metis shouted.

“I didn’t try until now! Most of my other powers work fine! I can draw power into the invisible world, but not access it!” the redhead retorted. “We didn’t exactly need to make a swift exit when we arrived!”

“Both of you, calm down! We have to keep a cool head!” Yuka intervened.

“Do you have a plan?” Jinora asked her. She was rubbing her hands together, a sign of her nervosity.

“We will assume that our pursuers have reached the main entrance, and are therefore guarding it. So we have only one solution… We have to try to lose them in the ruins. I’m sure we can find another way to leave the place.” the shapeshifter announced.

Azeneth nodded. “Good idea. There’s no way this place has only one entrance. There must be at least one emergency exit.”

“The second there’s no more roof above our heads, I will transport us elsewhere.” Coulter concluded.

They all nodded. They didn't have a better plan anyway. They knew that their chances were slim, but it was better to try something, anything, rather than give up.

**************

“We will send a team to drive them out, and we will leave a few bowwomen to guard the entrance and prevent them from escaping.” Safiye instructed her squad’s lieutenant while observing the entrance of the ruins.

“Of course.” the officer approved. She then quickly glanced at Safiye, and remarked: “However, the women will grow uneasy if you’re not leading us inside the ruins.”

Her tone was polite and neutral, but Safiye wasn’t fooled. As a former courtesan, she was trained to identify the subtle innuendos. The officer’s remark also contained a warning.

The lieutenant was a lot more insightful than your average obtuse soldier. She had identified Safiye’s true nature. In that regards, she was a lot smarter than Astrid. Still, the officer had no choice but obey the instructions of the Mages. And the Mages named Safiye the leader of the expedition.

However, Safiye knew what she’d risk if the lieutenant rallied her squad to mutiny against her.

“I will lead the way. Give each soldier a protective catalyst and deploy your squad.”

The lieutenant bowed her head. “At your orders!”

Itzel approached them. “I’ve announced to the Mages that we have reached our destination.” she announced with a proud smile.

“What?!” Safiye shouted. She glared daggers at the mage-woman. “You imbecile! How could you?! Even I know that mages can sense when someone uses magic to communicate nearby!”

Itzel’s eyes widened and her smile disappeared. She realized her mistake. Ironically, since it involved directly tampering with the ‘invisible world’ in which mages were drawing their powers, communicating with magic was a lot more noisy than casting a minor spell.

“The red-haired shrew is more powerful than any living Mage! You can bet that she sensed you! You just ruined our element of surprise, you dumb oaf!” Safiye shouted.

“I… I…”

Safiye rubbed her temples. “They have probably escaped by now…”

Itzel frantically shook her head. “No. If she had transported herself, I would have sensed it…”

The brown-haired mercenary stopped rubbing her temples. “Really?” She briefly thought, and realized the implication. “Then it means that something in the ruins is preventing her from using the invisible world to transport herself and her friends elsewhere... We still have a chance. We will-”

A voice suddenly echoed behind them.

“Safiye! I hope you weren’t going to start without me!”

The brown-haired spy winced. She then forced herself to smile.

“Of course not...”

Tsuki had woken up.

The shapeshifter walked next to Safiye, and looked at the entrance. Her expression was different than usual. She was looking a lot more serious. Safiye shivered. She had learned to dread the moments when Tsuki was NOT looking disgustingly happy-go-lucky.

“So they want to play a game of hide-and-seek…” Tsuki commented.

Without any hesitation, she did a cartwheel, then ran into the ruins without bothering to wait for anyone or to listen to Safiye's plan.

The lieutenant looked at Safiye with a questioning look.

The brown-haired woman shrugged. “Just let her do her thing and stay out of her way. With some luck, we’ll be able to lose her in the ruins…”

The officer nodded.

Safiye gave instructions to her squad: “Itzel, you will watch the entrance with two bowwomen. We will split up into three groups of six, to make sure that we are more numerous than them. Lieutenant, take five women with you. Astrid will take five other soldiers, and I will lead the third group. Make sure to always stay together. They have the nasty habit of stealing uniforms to impersonate other people. But since they are only five, they can’t impersonate our patrols. We will also choose a password that we'll use every time we meet another patrol.”

Hopefully, her planning would allow them to bypass these women's nasty habit to impersonate their foes in order to worm their way out of any situation...

**************

Coulter grabbed five pebbles on the floor. She clenched her hand, and her palm briefly glowed.

Then, she gave one stone to each of her companions.

“Use them in case we are separated and you get lost. I’ve linked them. They will glow once pointed in the direction of the others.” the mage-woman explained.

The others nodded and thanked her.

They got going.

At first, everything went well. The ruins were big and labyrinthine, therefore it was hard for their pursuers to keep track of them.

The five women were exploring corridors and artificial caverns that they hadn't explored before. They were probing the walls, trying to look for another exit. Coulter was using her magic to light their way with a faint glimmer, to not be noticed.

However, their luck was short-lived.

“We have a problem. There’s one group coming our way.” Azeneth warned them after checking a corridor.

Yuka quickly thought of a plan.

“I have an idea. It’s risky, but it may work. I want you all to position yourselves in these two corridors, with all lights out, and to prepare an ambush. I’ll try to lead the soldiers away from our position, but if this doesn’t work then we’ll have to neutralize all six of them.”

**************

Yuka couldn’t pass herself for a soldier. Not without a uniform first.

But she could try another trick…

She took Tsuki’s appearance. Her eyes became sky blue, her skin became lighter, and her hair turned light brown.

Two soldiers of the patrol were holding lanterns, and they were all wearing a protective catalyst tied around the neck.

The shapeshifter walked in front of the group of soldiers and blocked their path. The six women stopped.

The soldiers were wearing Pakal uniforms designed to protect them from the cold: a dark red cloak with a hood, a red headband, a padded long-sleeved red tunic, matching padded trousers, a leather breastplate, and leather protections. They were each armed with a macuahuitl, a dagger, and a small round shield. Their lieutenant was wearing the same uniform, but there were golden threads on her tunic and trousers. The six women all shared the same physical appearance: the athletic body of people who trained a lot, a copper-coloured skin, almond-shaped brown eyes, and coarse black hair. Their haircut consisted of a small shoulder-long braid adorned with black stone beads.

“Tsuki? What are these clothes?” their officer asked.

Yuka mimicked Tsuki’s childish impish attitude and gave the patrol an unhinged smile.

“They are neat, uh? I saw them in one of the potentialities, and I knew I had to try them… Want me to show you how I did?”

The soldiers grimaced, confirming Yuka’s suspicions. They had already witnessed Tsuki’s disgusting way to create clothes from her own skin.

“I don’t think we have the time for that.” the lieutenant objected.

Yuka eyed her. “Or if my clothes bother your, maybe I could just take one of YOUR sets of uniforms… So you'd better leave this part of the ruins for me...”

This was exactly the kind of remark Tsuki would make.

The officer's eyes widened. “You… You...”

However, the lieutenant didn’t react the way Yuka expected. She glared at ‘Tsuki’ with unhidden anger.

“I knew it! I knew that Citlalli would never desert! It was you all along, right?!” she shouted. “And Safiye played along to cover your tracks!”

It took Yuka all her talent to not break character. She kept smiling, as she knew that Tsuki would never look guilty or confused.

The lieutenant reflexively grabbed the handle of her macuahuitl. “Citlalli was a brave soldier! Ten times better than you! I should-”

“Lieutenant… We have instructions…” a soldier interrupted her.

“She’s alone, we are six, and there are no witnesses.” the officer remarked. Her murderous intent was clear.

Yuka immediately understood that the soldiers would follow their officer. By the way they were looking at her, it was clear that this specific lieutenant was respected by her women. Yuka didn't know who Citlalli was, but apparently she was liked by her companions and something happened to her, and Tsuki was the one responsible. Maybe my idea wasn't that good after all...

The shapeshifter quickly retreated into the shadows.

“After her!” the lieutenant barked.

Well, the plan didn’t exactly work out, but maybe we can still try to ambush them...

Yuka ran to the part of the ruins where her friends were waiting in ambush.

The six soldiers were after her.

Yuka quickly disappeared into the shadows.

“Where is she? Where is that demon?! I’ll skin her alive!” the lieutenant barked.

The officer and her soldiers scanned the dark corners and corridors in front of them. Two of them were brandishing lanterns.

They didn’t notice however when a hand was suddenly clamped over the mouth of the soldier at the end of the group. The woman didn’t even have the time to try to call for help. Azeneth hit a specific spot between the shoulder and the neck with the edge of her hand. The soldier let out a faint muffled grunt, her body became limp and she was pulled into the shadows. Azeneth left the unconscious body in Yisüi’s arms, who discreetly dragged the soldier out of sight to conceal her.

A second soldier was also standing slightly behind the others, and she actually noticed that her companion was missing. She turned to try to look for her. Azeneth clamped a hand over her mouth and punched her in the stomach, silencing her and cutting her breath. At the same time, Yuka exclaimed: “Why are you hesitating? Just come and get me if you dare!” while using Tsuki’s voice. The noise distracted the patrol, and drowned out the sounds of the soldier being taken down. One hit to the neck knocked her out cold, and Azeneth pushed her into Jinora’s arms. The latter dragged the woman into the shadows.

The four remaining soldiers sensed a movement behind their back this time however. They turned and saw Azeneth standing in the open.

“Ambush!” the lieutenant exclaimed.

Yuka suddenly rushed from the dark corridor in which she was hidden. Her hands were glowing. She took advantage of the fact that the soldiers were turning their backs on her to grab the lieutenant’s and one soldier’s heads. To make sure that they wouldn’t be able to free themselves, she conked their heads together to dazzle them, and firmly kept her grip on the women’s heads until they were knocked out by her touch. With a moan, both women collapsed on the floor.

The second remaining soldier was jumped from behind by Coulter, who hung onto her back and made her lose balance. The soldier froze and remained still when she felt the Charioteer’s dagger on her throat. "Wait! I surrender! I surrender!"

The last remaining soldier brandished her macuahuitl.

Faster than her, Azeneth pinned her to the wall, with a knife on her throat, before she could swing her weapon.

“Think about it twice. We only need five clean sets of clothes, and you’re number six. I can get as bloody as I want with you.”

Azeneth was the kind of woman who tried to avoid bloodshed, but she also wouldn’t hesitate to kill someone during a scuffle if she had to.

The soldier dropped her macuahuitl.

“Smart choice.”

The metis took her knife the other way and hit the woman’s neck with the hilt of her weapon, knocking her out cold. At the same time, Yuka knocked out the woman caputred by Coulter.

"Seems you weren't able to convince them to go elsewhere peacefully..." Azeneth commented.

Yuka shrugged. She eyed the women's uniforms. "I guess it's a blessing in disguise..."

Azeneth chuckled. "Heh... 'Disguise'..."

"When in doubt, take your enemies' clothes and disguise yourself." Yuka concluded. "Let's get to work."

Azeneth, Jinora, and Yisüi nodded.

Coulter groaned in annoyance.

**************

They wasted no time divesting the lieutenant and four soldiers of their uniforms. Since they didn’t have much time, they left the sixth soldier fully clothed and immediately bound and gagged her.

The soldiers were wearing similar-looking undergarments, designed to protect them from the cold: a grey thick short-sleeved undertunic and matching ankle-long underpants and socks. The lieutenant was clad in a red short-sleeved undertunic with black threads and matching ankle-long undertrousers and socks.

Yuka and her friends took the ropes they had been using to climb the mountains to bind the six women. They hog-tied each soldier by binding the wrists and the ankles, then connecting the two knots. They cut strips of their former clothes to stuff-gag and cloth-gag each woman.

The defeated soldiers were dragged into a dark corner and left out of way.

Then, they got dressed. Coulter casted an illusion to hide her and Yisüi’s hair and skin, and Yuka took the clothes and the appearance of the lieutenant.

Once they were disguised as Pakal soldiers, they quickly picked up the discarded weapons and walked away.

**************

Playing the part of the lieutenant, Yuka was leading her squad of disguised impostors. They were getting as far as possible from the main entrance, reasoning that if there was another exit, it wouldn’t be near the main one.

“Another patrol is nearby…” Azeneth suddenly commented.

"They are very efficient." Jinora remarked. "The person leading them knows what she's doing..."

“Remember to play your part and let me do the talking. They must NOT see that we’re short one soldier.” Yuka instructed her friends.

They nodded.

The soldiers were all wearing protective catalysts to prevent Coulter from attacking them with their magic.

Leading the patrol, there was a woman that Yuka and her friends already knew. A blond knight, wearing a brand new suit of armour – which was logical since her previous set had been stolen by the shapeshifter and her friends. Last time, they were lucky to ambush her and take her by surprise. When seeing her move with her axe at hand, Yuka understood that they stood little chance against her in a fair fight.

“Lieutenant!” one soldier exclaimed. “Any progress?”

“This part of the ruins are empty. They are not here.” Yuka answered.

She was playing her part well, and she could see that the soldiers weren’t doubting her story. Her disguise was working.

She added: “You must-”

“Wait!” Astrid intervened before Yuka could come any closer. “Password?”

Taken by surprise, Yuka hesitated one second too many.

“It’s them! They’re here!” Astrid shouted.

With no warning, she swung her axe. It was only thanks to her quick reflexes that Yuka didn’t end up cleaved in half, from head to feet. She dodged by side-stepping the assault.

Yuka started to move back. "Wait! I can explain why we mugged you-"

The blond knight swung her weapon a second time. A circular strike, meant to decapitate. She was insanely fast, especially taking into consideration the fact that she was wearing a metallic armor.

Yuka ducked by bending down.

At the same time, Azeneth threw a knife.

However, Astrid had noticed her movement. She moved her axe and used the flat of the blade to parry the projectile.

The metis cursed. Her opponent was wearing a metallic armour. Outside of the head, there was no weak spot.

However, Azeneth’s attack bought some time for Yuka. She quickly moved to put herself out of range.

“We run!” Yuka shouted to her companions.

Astrid charged and swung her axe.

Yuka and her friends were actually forced to split up into two groups to dodge. Azeneth and Yisüi ran in one direction; Yuka, Jinora, and Coulter in another.

“Don’t let them get away!” Astrid shouted.

**************

Yuka and her two companions were running.

“She’s still after us!” Jinora shouted.

For a woman wearing a heavy metallic armor, Astrid was surprisingly fast. Her soldiers were actually having her hard time keeping pace with her, even though their equipment was lighter.

“Looks like your keenness to solve problems by mugging people turned against you!” Coulter exclaimed.

“NOT NOW COULTER!” Yuka retorted.

We have to find a way to distract her.

Suddenly, Yuka got an idea.

“Follow me!” she instructed Coulter and Jinora.

She led them across the corridors of the ruins.

“This is the part where we left the patrol…” Coulter commented.

“Yes! That’s the plan!”

They passed near the group of bound-and-gagged soldiers, with Astrid and her squad hot on their trail.

The hog-tied soldiers that had regained consciousness mewled in their gags when they saw their captors, and mewled louder when they saw their friends.

As Yuka expected, Astrid and her soldiers hesitated when they came across their defeated comrades. They knew they couldn’t split up, as it was too dangerous, and that they risked not being able to find their way back to their companions if they left. Therefore, they had to choose between rescuing their friends or continuing the pursuit.

Their hesitation allowed Yuka, Coulter, and Jinora to get ahead of their pursuers.

They managed to lose them.

The red-haired mage-woman suddenly pointed at a direction.

“Over here!”

“Why?”

Coulter grabbed Yuka and Jinora by the arms, and pulled them behind her.

“I’m sensing something. An artifact. Or maybe some kind of catalyst.”

“Do we have the time?”

“It’s not like we have a better direction! Azeneth and Yisüi can use my stones to find us!”

“Fair enough. I just hope that Az’ and Yisü’ are doing fine…” Yuka commented.

**************

Azeneth and Yisüi were fleeing. Luckily for them, Astrid chose to pursue the shapeshifter that mugged her. Therefore, there wasn’t anyone after them. For now.

The metis was using Coulter’s enchanted stone to try to regroup with their friends and to light their path.

They ran across several corridors, and arrived in a vast circular artificial cavern. This specific cavern looked like some kind of amphitheatre. Contrary to most parts of the ruins, some crystals embedded in its walls were lighting the place.

Azeneth and Yisüi knew they had to move fast. They were in the open here.

A voice suddenly echoed in front of them.

“There you are! Yuka's new friends...”

It was a woman's voice. Her tone was impish, and a little childish.

“I’m glad to come across you. We shouldn’t be disturbed here.”

Azeneth and Yisüi froze in fear.

“Too bad the third one isn’t with you though.”

A lone figure was blocking their path.

“Yisü', stay behind me.” Azeneth hurriedly whispered. “And whatever happens, don't let her touch you.” She walked in front of the blonde and drew two knives.

“Yu' seems to like you very much…” Tsuki commented. “So much that she'd renounce her old friendships for you...”

Tsuki approached them. She was smiling. A spark of pure insanity was dancing in her eyes.

The shapeshifter wasn't hurrying, but Azeneth knew about her dangerous powers. She knew how Tsuki could use her own bones as projectiles. The metis knew better than to turn her back on her opponent!

“I have been thinking... I have puzzled and puzzled until my puzzler was sore. And then I’ve thought of something I hadn’t before.” Tsuki said in a sing-song voice. “Maybe if I get rid of you, Yu' will have no other choice but get back to me...”

“Don't come any closer!” Azeneth warned while threatening the shapeshifter with her two knives.

Tsuki paused. Then she giggled.

“I think I have finally figured out why Yuka bothers having you humans around. Your pathetic attempts at trying to surpass yourselves are SO amusing...”

The shapeshifter shook her head. Her expression was oozing with fake sympathy.

“I mean, look at yourselves. Trying to play the part of real infiltrators, when all you can do is steal clothes... You will never understand the true meaning of stealing someone's ENTIRE identity. All you can do is insipidly try to mimic us shapeshifters...”

“Because you think that you are better than us?” Azeneth retorted. “At least, we owe our success to our skills and our cunning. Not to some kind of unfair advantage that we were lucky to be born with!”

“I recognize here the petty jealousy of the humans… Your kind has always been envious of mine. That’s why you’re tying to hunt us down to extinction.” Tsuki shrugged. “Why should I be ashamed of the fact that I was born superior to humans? In fact...”

Tsuki took a deep breath. There was a disgusting noise and a projection of blood coming from her back.

Azeneth recoiled. Yisüi shrieked in fear.

Tsuki sprouted her wings and spread them.

“... I am a lifeform far beyond ANYTHING you can ever hope to become!” she exclaimed.

There was a short moment of silence.

“You think that I'm impressed? You can't even fly with these wings!” Azeneth barked. “You're way too heavy for their size!”

Tsuki scratched her chin. “That is a fair point.” she admitted. However, suddenly, she smiled brightly. “But I can do this...”

The brown feathers on her wings turned grey.

Azeneth frowned.

However, it was Yisüi who understood first.

“Look out! It's metal!” she shouted.

Tsuki flapped her wings once.

Yisüi tackled Azeneth on the floor.

A barrage of deadly sharp feathers made of steel rained down on the cavern.

Yisüi groaned in pain.

Thanks to the blonde’s reflex, she and Azeneth had managed to avoid most of the sharp steel feathers, but since Yisüi had shielded her friend with her body, she was hit in the back and the arm by several projectiles.

“Yisü'!” Azeneth exclaimed.

She gently laid her friend on the floor. Yisüi was moaning faintly. Azeneth casted a murderous glare at Tsuki.

“I will kill you!” she shouted.

The shapeshifter was looking at her with polite curiosity.

The metis got up in one fluid motion, grabbed her steel knives, and threw them one after the other at the unhinged shapeshifter.

Tsuki didn't move. She simply turned her skin into metal at each point of impact. The Black Star's blessing was allowing her to react faster than the projectiles. The knives bounced harmlessly with metallic noises.

Azeneth stopped one she was down to two knives. She realized that, this time, she probably wouldn't be able to retrieve the battery of knives her father gifted her before his death.

Tsuki tilted her head quizzically. “Is that the best you humans can do? I understand now why the Black Star says that people like me were supposed to lord over people like you.”

“Will you just shut up?!”

Azeneth threw one of her remaining knives at Tsuki's head. The shapeshifter was smiling. She knew a knife wouldn't harm her.

The metis, however, had a plan. Immediately after throwing her projectile, she ran towards Tsuki.

The knife she had thrown bounced on Tsuki's forehead, as she turned her skin into metal. Of course, it didn't harm her. However, while it didn't wound her, the impact still distracted her.

Azeneth took advantage of the distraction to tackle her opponent.

Thanks to the power of the Black Star, Tsuki was stronger than any normal being, but she was still as susceptible to be unbalanced as anyone else. In fact, in that regard, her wings were even a disadvantage, as they were adding more weight in her back.

The unhinged shapeshifter yelped in surprise as Azeneth managed to tackle her to the ground. At the same time, Azeneth stabbed her with her last knife. She couldn't aim, but was satisfied to feel the knife penetrate some flesh. As she suspected, Tsuki needed to concentrate herself to turn her skin into metal. She had a hard time doing it while unfocused.

Tsuki roared in pain.

Azeneth didn't know if she had inflicted her opponent a serious injury or not. Either way, she chose to not try to push her advantage. She suspected that the Black Star's power was making Tsuki a lot more resistant, and was granting her an accelerated healing factor.

Still holding her bloodied knife, Azeneth moved out of Tsuki's reach just in time to avoid her glowing hands, as the shapeshifter was trying to grab her and use the 'touch' on her.

Most of Tsuki's skin had reflexively become metal to protect herself from another stab. The shapeshifter was hissing, but her metallic skin as well as the wings in her back had now become a burden. They were preventing her from getting up, as they were too heavy. Because of the pain and the surprise of having been bested by a normal human, Tsuki had a hard time thinking straight. She was reacting on instinct, like a trapped animal. The metis had a few instants before her foe would recover from her shock.

Azeneth rushed towards Yisüi. The blonde hadn't moved from her position.

“Az'... Flee without me...” she weakly said.

Azeneth ignored her. She didn't have the time to check on her friend's injuries, or even to remove the few projectiles still embedded in her shoulder and her back.

The metis slung her friend over her left shoulder, making sure to not drive in a projectile in the process. Armed with only one knife, and with Yisüi slung over her shoulder, Azeneth ran away.

She used the stone Coulter gave her to try to find her friends.

“Please… Be safe...”

Behind her, she couls still hear Tsuki scream.

**************

The room was a small cavern. On tables made of stone, there were a dozen of catalysts designed to look like jewels. Coulter was avidly grabbing them all.

"Well, if we survive, at least this trek won't have been for nothing..." the redhead commented. "These catalysts are powerful... More powerful than the ones I already have... They alone will make all this adventure worth it..."

Yuka wished she could share her enthusiasm. She was worried for Azeneth and Yisüi.

“Yuka. I think I found our way out…” Jinora said. “There's a door here leading to some sort of balcony built on the side of a cliff… with no roof over our head.”

“Of course… The people that built this place would want a way to train outside while using the catalysts.” the shapeshifter remarked. "Good work!"

Suddenly, a voice called them. “Yu’! Jinora!”

“Az’!”

Yuka’s joy turned into worry. Her heart missed a beat when she saw Azeneth arrive while carrying a wounded Yisüi on her shoulder.

“Az’! What happened to-”

“It’s Tsuki! She attempted to kill us!” Azeneth barked. “I don’t care she’s your friend! If… If Yisü’ dies, I will kill her! I swear it, Yu’… I will KILL her!”

Yuka couldn’t find anything to answer to defend her clan sister. Tsu'... What have you become?

“Play the blame game later!” Coulter intervened. She looked slightly ridiculous with all the catalysts she was wearing, like some sort of social upstart trying to show off her wealth with an overabundance of jewels. “Let’s leave this place! We’ll be able to patch her up once we’re safe in Rashid’s hideout.”

All was said.

Yuka took Yisüi and put her on her own back, as Azeneth was tired. "Thank you..." the metis said.

“I got you!” a voice echoed behind them.

Six women had entered the room, drawn by the sound of their conversation.

Safiye and a squad of soldiers.

Coulter smiled devilishly when she recognized the brown-haired woman. The new catalysts she was wearing glowed slightly.

“Or maybe it is I who got you… I could incinerate you, right her, right now.”

Safiye brandished her protective catalyst. Her soldiers did the same. “Just try.”

The redhead scoffed. “I’m sure it will protect you when I bring down the mountain to squash you…”

“Coulter! We need the element of surprise if we want to transport ourselves out of the ruins!” Yuka shouted. “If you use your powers, the Mages will locate you! Even with all your catalysts, fighting them head on would be too hazardous!”

Coulter shot a nasty glare at the brown-haired mercenary. “You’re lucky!”

"Contrary to you." Safiye remarked "I see that your friend is wounded. Why don't you surrender quietly? We'll patch her up in exchange of your cooperation. It's a fair-"

“Enough talk!” Azeneth threw her last remaining knife at the brown-haired mercenary.

Safiye and her soldiers dodged, but it gave an opening to Yuka and her friends, who ran through the door Jinora found to reach the balcony.

"Capture them!" the brown-haired mercenary shouted.

The second they were in the open on the stone balcony, facing the chasm, Coulter smiled.

“It's going to work. Quick! Grab my hands!” she instructed them.

The air around them blurred as Safiye and her squad were arriving.

They disappeared.

The last thing they heard was Safiye's scream of frustration.

**************

Yuka thought they were safe.

However, in the invisible world of the energies, there was a final obstacle on their way.

“The Mages!” Coulter shouted.

The fugitives realized their mistake too late. The Sun Mages were aware that their team had reached the ruins. Therefore, while they sent their agents to scout the area in order to not rush head first into danger, they were still carefully monitoring what was happening from the Empire with their powers.

So, when they sensed someone try to escape by transporting themselves, they immediately casted a barrier of power to try to intercept them.

Coulter collided head on with the power of the Sun Mages. Ce-Acatl was leading the collective effort.

They could hear his thoughts. You’re mine.

Their enemies tried to ensnare them with bonds made of golden energy.

Coulter shouted and unleashed all her power at once. The catalysts she found in the ruins shined brightly.

The two waves of power collided.

Then, something unexpected happened.

Coulter and her companions bounced.

**************

The five women appeared in a flat landscape made of grassland plains.

Yisüi was unconscious because of her wound, and was lying on the grass near Azeneth and Jinora.

“Coulter! The Mages will locate us!” Yuka immediately shouted. “Transport us to Rashid’s hideout! Quick!”

She heard a faint moan.

“Coulter?”

The redhead was passing out because of the exhaustion. Yuka was barely able to catch her before she fell face first on the ground.

The shapeshifter cursed. If Coulter was out of commission, they were done for!

However, the Mages didn’t appear out of thin air.

“Why aren’t they appearing?!” Jinora exclaimed.

Yuka gently laid the unconscious redhead on the ground. She exchanged a glance with Jinora.

“Where are we?” she asked.

“It’s too cold to be in the Empire, but I don’t think we’re in the Vassal Kingdoms anymore. I think these are the Great Steppes of the Gengis…” Jinora answered.

“That would explain why the Mages aren’t transporting themselves here to catch us.”

Indeed, the Great Steppes of the Gengis were imbued with a powerful magic, linked to the earth itself. This energy was messing with the powers and the perception of the people who used sun magic.

“We’ve got no time for that!” Azeneth exclaimed. “Yisü' needs healing! Now! Help me bandage her!”

Yuka and Jinora nodded. Their priority was to remove the projectiles embedded in Yisüi's body and to patch her wounds. They would try to wake up Coulter later. The shapeshifter simply threw her stolen hooded cloak over the motionless redhead to protect her from the cold. The three friends gathered around the unconscious blonde.

However, Yuka, Jinora, and Azeneth didn’t have the time to catch their breath.

The Mages maybe weren’t able to locate them, but their arrival hadn’t gone unnoticed either.

The three women suddenly heard the sound of a loud stamping. The kind of noise made by a group of horses at a gallop.

“Crap! Gengis mounted archers!” Yuka exclaimed.

“Why are you worried? They’re at war with the Empire.” Jinora remarked. “We have a common enemy.”

“Need I have to remind you that we’re currently dressed as Pakal soldiers, and that we’re standing next to a wounded member of their people?!” Yuka retorted.

Jinora’s smile disappeared. “Oh… Crap…”

“Who cares?!” Azeneth shouted. “We need them to heal Yisü’!”

The mounted archers rode in circle around the five women and surrounded them.

**************

Safiye and her squad set up their camp near the entrance of the ruins.

Astrid and her escort had helped the defeated soldiers leave the ruins. Luckily for them, Safiye had the foresight to bring spare sets of clothes when they climbed the mountains. The unscathed members of her squad were tending to their humiliated companions.

The brown-haired mercenary was sitting in front of a camp fire on her own, isolated and out of sight.

Tsuki hadn’t exited the ruins yet.

Safiye heard the shapeshifter scream in pain at some point. Maybe they killed her...

The thought was very comforting.

The brown-haired woman let out a long sigh of contentment and tilted her head back. She closed her eyes to savor the clean pure air. She felt as if she was released from a heavy burden.

Then, she opened her eyes, intending to grab her map…

… and she jumped in fright.

Tsuki was sitting in front of her, on the other side of the campfire.

Safiye gagged and nearly fell from the rock on which she was sitting.

Tsuki, with her impish grin and the unhinged glimmer in her eyes.

“Surprise.” the shapeshifter commented.

“Ts- Tsuki! I thought you were- I thought they killed you!”

She noticed that there was blood on Tsuki’s clothes, but her wound seemed to have disappeared.

The shapeshifter tilted her head. “Oh! Were you worried for me?”

“Y- Yes of course.”

Tsuki’s smiled widened. “That’s a lie and you know it. But you should also know that you won’t be able to get rid of me that easily. I’m the barnacle of your rock, remember?” She paused, then added: “Besides, I’m basically the only friend you have left.”

This is a nightmare. I’m going to wake up.

Tsuki chuckled slyly. “It really tells something about your life, doesn’t it?”

“You sound… different.” Safiye finally commented.

“Yuka has refused to come back to me. I have been bested by a mere human.” Tsuki stated blankly. “Plus, the last times I stole other women’s appearances, I didn’t feel anything. Can you believe it? This is who I am. And yet… Nothing.”

Safiye immediately realized that this was NOT a good thing. This new development wouldn’t stop Tsuki’s urges. On the contrary, it was going to increase her cravings even more.

That’s it. She’s losing it. I have to get rid of her if I want to survive.

She and Tsuki were isolated from the rest of the troop. Nobody would see her. It was now or never.

“I’m going to tell Astrid, Itzel and the others about your return.” the brown-haired mercenary lied.

Tsuki nodded without losing her smile. She was staring vacantly at the fire.

Safiye walked behind the shapeshifter’s back, grabbed a rock and approached Tsuki without making a sound. She hit the back of her victim’s head, with all her strength.

She heard the noise of rock hitting metal.

Tsuki chuckled. “I see you couldn’t resist the temptation, in the end…”

Safiye tried to move back.

“No… no no no wait!”

In one fluid motion, Tsuki turned and jumped the brown-haired spy. She tackled her and pinned her to the ground. The shapeshifter used her legs and thighs to immobilize Safiye. Her eyes were pitch black.

“Wait, Tsuki!”

Safiye winced in anticipation.

Yet, the shapeshifter didn’t attempt to hurt her. On the contrary, she gently caressed her cheek, which was a display of strong friendship for her species.

“Oh Safiye, you’ll never realize how much you mean to me… Thanks to you, I live constantly on the edge, awaiting for the inevitable betrayal… And for that, I love you as a friend...” Tsuki shook her head. “But there’s also one thing you should know. You’ll never be able to kill me directly. Not anymore...”

“It can’t be- Unless… You did something to me, didn’t you? With- With the Black Star?!”

“So you finally got the picture, eh?” Tsuki commented with a smile. “Yes. I linked our souls.”

Safiye realized the horrible truth. She would never be able to get rid of Tsuki.

“So that’s why you always find me back...”

While she was far from a paragon of virtue, Safiye still believed in the One True God of Ghazan. And one of Their teaching was about retribution. One way or another, the One True God always finds a way to punish someone for their bad actions...

Tsuki was her retribution. She was Safiye’s punishment.

I will never be able to get rid of her.

Safiye heard Itzel call her.

“Safiye, the Mages are here. Ce-Acatl wishes to speak with y-” She stopped talking when she saw the two women. “Am I interrupting something?”

Tsuki smiled brightly. Her eyes were sky blue once again. “Of course not!”

She moved away to allow Safiye to stand up. Just before following Itzel, the shapeshifter lightly kicked the rock that Safiye tried to use against her. “You’re going to have to do better than that next time…” she whispered with a wink.

Safiye waited until she was out of earsight.

“Don’t worry. I will.”

The brown-haired woman survived the Seraglio. She survived the criminal underworld of El Idriss. She survived years of working as a spy and a mercenary. She was going to survive Tsuki.

**************

END OF CHAPTER 4
esercito sconfitto
Posts: 7096
Joined: Tue Jan 12, 2016 12:06 pm

Re: Pakal

Post by esercito sconfitto »

I love the description of the patrols ambushed at the beginning and at the end of the installments! :D thanks!
Trackman281
Posts: 1600
Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2018 6:08 am

Re: Pakal

Post by Trackman281 »

My goodness, this is a wonderful surprise indeed, well allow me to get stuck in. 8-)

Heck of an opening so far with Safiye and Astrid. Crafty one, mugging a group of outlaws to in turn be the outlaw, well played. ;)

What an ambush, perfect opening and all of it was extremely well paced out, very well written and the execution was flawless. :D

Some nice little comments there from Safiye and Astrid about not wanting any harm to come to the soldiers they've just taken down, it's the little details that make this series go the extra mile and I for one, love it. :D

very nice scene as well with Itzel and Safiye planning and talking about the upcoming confrontation with Coulter, it all sounds great if I'm being honest and she has every right to wonder........What is Tsuki dreaming about. :D ;)

Haha, I laughed at the princess getting mugged for her clothes by Tsuki in her own dream.....Or rather nightmare at this point, probably more than what I should have done. :lol:

Then Tsuki mugs a woman.......Who in turn had just mugged a woman for her clothes.........Aaaahhh missile guided karma, how I love your presence. :D

Blooming hell, took a turn for the worse there didn't it, something tell me that lady won't be sleeping again for a few nights after what Tsuki just put her through. :) :o

BEAUTIFUL confrontation between Yuka and Tsuki.........Damn it, I'm always routing for both of them for different reasons, I love it when a story gets me hooked like this. :D

Okay first of all I loved the pirate knock out scene, definitely a rare but welcoming treat and of course, bonus marks for thinking of a unique outfit idea. Secondly, another Cryomancer.......Are you hinting at something we discussed recently. ;) :D

WOW! That next universe they entered, it has massive layers of fear vibes to it.........I loved it, it was eerie, it was creepy and then you threw in a USB scene in for good measure.....Seriously I appreciated and respected the hell out of this scene, fantastic work! :D

HAHAHA! I sense a massive nod to the recent star wars scene for this next universe they've appeared in, I'm very appreciate of it to be honest and I absolutely love it. Well done! :lol:

I also quite enjoyed the little playful banter between Jinora and Azeneth, I have missed the banter between our heroines. :D

The sudden jump to memories was an unexpected twist in the story, Can't wait to see how this unfolds. :D

My word, how quickly the pendulum swings..........these memories sequences were a spectacle to behold, so much knowledge, so much history and so much realization in one set of sequences.......Mmmm that was some fantastic story writing, I felt it all throughout, I must admit Yuka's predicament is tough, I fully understnad that she now see's what she's done.....BUT.......At the time, who could blame her, she thought she was doing right by Tsuki, building her confidence, making her see that she can become so much more, honestly......No one could blame her........Man, that was good story writing there and I loved it. :D

Whoe........What a scene with Tsuki's vision of a perfect world, such emotion, such powerful feelings, watching Tsuki desperately search for Hinata certainly was a somewhat difficult thing to see, the desperation in her voice, the feeling of things not quite adding up......Plus seeing Yuka have to watch it all unfold as well..........That was some very powerful story writing right there and I loved it. :D

Heck yeah, SECOND GROUP HUG! It needs to be done! 8-)

Ooohh here we go, things are really heating up now judging by how this next scene played out, Safiye and her soldiers are getting to advance and Tsuki has arisen from her slumber, things are going to get real interesting now aren't they. :D

Indeed, whilst Yuka's plan didn't exactly go the way she thought it was going to, we can't deny that it set up some interesting scenes to follow........It was great seeing a couple of the soldiers suddenly get "shadow takedowned" shall we say, just to dwindle their numbers for the ambush, very nice touch. 8-)

I saw Azeneth's little pun there. ;)

Well, well Astrid has returned, this was an unexpected encounter, nicely done though. :D

My god, what an intense fight scene between Azeneth and Tsuki, it was back and forth, back and forth, I was on tender hooks the whole time, not knowing which way it was going to go, it was magnificent, plus the whole time I was worrying for Yisui the entire time, you really known how to make one hell of a suspenseful, exciting and such a scene filled with both joy and dread at the same, what an awesome feeling! 8-)

Another tense stand off there as well with Safiye and her squad, your pulling out all the stops on this one, damn it's good. :D

Incredible scene afterwards, absolutely incredible and I can't wait to hear more about the lore and the history of "The Great Steppes of the Gengis". Another fine addition to your world of interesting locations and kingdoms. :D

Haha, WOW, what a twist surprise their at the ending, I honestly and truly can't wait to hear more from Safiye about this little revelation. :D

MY GOD!.......What a chapter this was, you held nothing back, it was full throttle all the way through, the bond between our heroines shined throw with awe and grace in all the scenes they were in together and even in the scenes that they weren't together, you could still feel the care for another as they pondered about each other's well being, what a delight...........The USB scenes were top notch as always, they were filled with originality and you had some really great takedowns, so naturally you get a ten out of ten of the USB front. 8-) ...............This instalment was written tremendously well, seeing some of the characters going through these more physical trials and actually seeing how certain characters would react when they met on the screen for the time, for example Azeneth and Tsuki........I can't get enough. :D

You know you've done it again, you have this way of crafting such UNQIUE and interesting chapters that every time I start reading them, I just can't stop........I don't WANT to stop, it's such an excellent read that I just constantly find myself going "Okay, I need to happens next........Damn now I want to know happens next to this character."...........You've conjured up this world that makes me want more and more! :D

Plus I need to know is poor Yisui is going to be okay, she's such an awesome character let hope that they can find a place to get her warm and find a way to heal her up and whilst were at it, hopefully they'll find a place for Coulter to rest her weary head for a while, it sounds like she going to need it for the perils / trails ahead. :D

All in all, I am amazed and stunned over how good this chapter was, this was just pure perfection! As I said as soon as I started reading it, I jsut couldn't stop and just wanted more and more, you've got such a powerful hook on me when it comes to the series and I'm perfectly fine with that, but this is just phenomenal. Many, MANY thanks for this fantastic treat of a chapter! :D
rufusluciusivan
Posts: 1225
Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2017 5:08 pm

Re: Pakal

Post by rufusluciusivan »

esercito sconfitto: I suspected you'd enjoy the part featuring soldiers. After all, there's a small defeated army at the beginning. ;)

Trackman281:

The beginning centering around the mugging of the patrol was a ton of fun to write. Uniform stealings featuring a large group of people are hard to feature, so I simply jumped at the opportunity.

Speaking of jumping at the opportunity... Of course Tsuki would take advantage of the situation to mug women in their dreams. The mood whiplash with the second victim was very deliberate. Gotta highlight Tsuki's threat.
Okay first of all I loved the pirate knock out scene, definitely a rare but welcoming treat and of course, bonus marks for thinking of a unique outfit idea. Secondly, another Cryomancer.......Are you hinting at something we discussed recently.
Any resemblance with something we discussed recently would be VERY deliberate. If you want to use them, I offer you four victims of uniform stealing for the price of one.

With Gloria's scene, I wanted to give the impression that the heroines accidentally stumbled into the plot of another JRPG villainess... Looks like they messed with the upcoming boss fight! :lol:

A nod to the recent Star Wars scene indeed. A great scene, but its lack of aftermath made it such a missed opportunity... that I decided to give this girl an aftermath AND a happy ending! Coming up with banters and good lines is becoming harder, so I'm always glad when I'm said that the interactions are enjoyable...

This part was a lot about Tsuki and Yuka, hence the flashbacks to explain Tsuki's behaviour and Yuka's guilt. Plus the memories allowed to feature plenty of quick uniform stealing scenes. The confrontation in the dream vision of the chaotic world Tsuki longs to create was a part I really enjoyed writing. I just enjoyed how Yuka was able to defeat Tsuki by forcing her to face her own contradictions.

Of course I wouldn't waste an occasion to feature a GROUP HUG! :lol:

The second part was a lot more action-oriented. I confess that it proved to be harder to write than I expected. On paper, a "hide-and-seek confrontation" sounded like a good idea, but actually writing it ended up being a chore. I was very glad when I finished it, and I actually rushed some parts, it bothered me that much. (The only exception is Azeneth's and Tsuki's fight. I've actually been itching to finally bring this scene to life for months. ;) )

The scene with soldiers "shadow takedowned" was actually inspired by a CERTAIN scene featuring Golden Tigers... ;)

As for Astrid, well Coulter sums it up: sometimes, one's eagerness to mug people for disguise to solve their problem can backfire. It seems that Safiye is forming her own squad...
Incredible scene afterwards, absolutely incredible and I can't wait to hear more about the lore and the history of "The Great Steppes of the Gengis".
More lore, and more importantly, more types of clothes. This upcoming chapter will certainly be an important step: the heroines have now visited all the cultures of their continent. These people may not be friends with the Empire, but our heroines may not have an easy time either... The Gengis aren't a united people. They may have a common enemy, but their inner-rivalries are strong. If this group is at odds with Yisüi's home village, things could turn out ugly...

Glad you enjoyed this new installment. Sorry to end it on a cliffhanger this time. Hopefully, it won't take me too long to post this part...
tirepanted3
Posts: 1934
Joined: Thu Jul 13, 2017 11:40 am

Re: Pakal

Post by tirepanted3 »

A double-length treat! Glad to return to this world, and these new chapters did not disappoint.

A lot of dimension-jumping here, most of it to worlds only briefly explored, but fun and enjoyable scenarios all the same. The scene with the pirates was pretty hammy - "Yarr," indeed - but fun to see those women get their comeuppance. The Gloria scene was interesting as well, even though it was never really contextualized - I like the idea of the heroines stumbling upon another storyline/adventure that's never fully explained - adds a level of spontaneity to the proceedings.

Plus, there's an entertaining homage to the recent Star Wars scene - and posted on Star Wars Day! Very fitting. A charming scene with some great dialogue - and of course, more detailed than the comic book. :)

Still, while the scenes in the different potentialities were quite enjoyable, my favorite part of the chapter occured at the beginning, with Safiye, Itzel, and their team ambushing the foot soldiers. As I've mentioned before, I find Safiye to be one of the most interesting characters in the series, and her brief conversation with Astrid helps reveal the shades of grey she operates in. And the general takedown of the soldiers was well-paced and well-written. While the potentialities are fun, it was good to spend some time on the main world.

The second half pf the chapter, as you note, was more action-oriented, feeling like a traditional climax. Perhaps not quite as strong as the first half, what with all the magic and spells (which are not quite my preference), but I love it when the five main characters strategize and work as a team. Or simply when they have a group hug. :lol:

The end of the chapter is quite promising, and I look forward to seeing what adventures the women have in Gengis. Quite a cliffhanger there. Don't know how the heroines will get out of this one. (Though I expect it will involve acquiring some less conspicuous clothes. ;) )

I do feel sorry for Safiye, despite her crimes. She deserves better than to be linked forever with Tsuki. Stay strong, Safiye, we're rooting for you. (Well, some of us, anyway. :lol: )

A strong end to the latest volume, and as always I look forward to the next one.
Trackman281
Posts: 1600
Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2018 6:08 am

Re: Pakal

Post by Trackman281 »

But you see, I've said this time and time again, a true heroine is as only as good as the villainess she's up against, Bridget has Dr. Chen and of course Yuka has Tsuki.........This dynamic is just brilliant, now I know that we all know that Yuka is ultimately the one who inadvertently forced Tsuki down this path and I hope both Yuka and Tsuki will find redemption and be brought back to the light (I hope). But it's the way these characters reflect of one another. It's truly awesome to see.

You sure as hell know how to write interesting and exciting villainesses and I think Tsuki is one of my favourites.........Damn I do like my bad women don't I. 8-)
Any resemblance with something we discussed recently would be VERY deliberate. If you want to use them, I offer you four victims of uniform stealing for the price of one.
Four victims for the price of one eh?.......Hhhmmm......You've got me thinking......Watch this space. ;)

So they did, well as well all know, some of the most hardest boss encounters in any video game are always either the secondary ones or the hidden one's.......(I'm having Dark Souls and Bloodborne flashbacks) :D

The future of Pakal sounds absolutely amazing and you can bet your last coin, that I'll be alongside them every step of the journey. :D
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