Den of Iniquity

by J G Jerome

  Bernadette tells Clarice, “Please burn that or put it in the rag bag, darling. Even if we have her doing domestic work, she should have nice clothes. Tori, please whip something up for her quickly.”

  Both ladies bow to their mistress.

  I take Ilara’en by the hand and lead her to the fainting couch that I remember so fondly. She seems flustered more by my kindness than by her nudity. I lift each of her legs and check the bottoms of her feet with my second sight.

  I instruct her, “Lay down please, Ilara’en.” She does, which allows me to run my fingers through her sparse muff. There is definitely a glyph in there. I use entropic energy to turn the hairs to powder. Once I’ve done that, I push entropic energy into the glyph. It slowly fades and disappears.

  “Great,” I comment. “Now let’s try to heal the wound on your face.”

  I look for remnants of a glyph, or one that is embedded in the muscle of her face. Nothing is apparent. So I push growth energy in the exposed muscles of her face. Once they are looking healthy, I focus on the skin. I push energy into it and it slowly begins to grow back together. As the gaps in the skin close, I use my fingers to align the edges of the flesh and try to gently grow them together. There will be scarring, but I’m trying to minimize it. When I’m done, there is a small knot of scar tissue about the size of a peppercorn and faint lines running into it.

  “Ilara’en, that’s as good as I can do I’m afraid. I’m pretty new to all of this,” I tell my patient. I look at Bernadette. “Jack wasn’t kidding about how difficult it is to heal elves. I pushed about three-quarters of the energy I harvested last night into her.”

  Bernadette nods. “I never had the opportunity to try, but Julius said as much. Even so, you might have been able to save Feliz if not for Valya’s glyph.”

  I frown. “I suppose I’ll never know. I’m glad I was able to help you, Ilara’en.” I stand and offer her my hand. The elven woman rises to her feet. I have my boots on, so the crown of her head is still significantly below my collarbone.

  Bernadette says, “Now the ownership glyph, darling.”

  I squint at Bernadette. “I thought I couldn’t do that to a being with a soul.”

  Bernadette shakes her head. “Elves are different from humans. Their innate toughness allows them to take glyphs in their flesh without harming their souls. Most humans would die from what Ilara'en has experienced, and she is far from the most-marked elf I’ve ever seen. Use your pure energy and your glyph.” She communicates with her eyes.

  I raise the elf’s silky hair off her neck and inscribe my glyph into the base of her skull. When I finish, she gasps.

  “What are your orders, Master?” she asks.

  I cup her newly healed cheek. “I want you to serve Bernadette - accept her as your mistress. I want you to support her and strive to find happiness doing it. No matter the duties you are assigned, I think you will find service to Bernadette is vastly superior to serving Valya. I will check on you frequently, Ilara’en.”

  The elven woman curtsies gracefully. Clarice and Viktorija lead Ilara’en out of the office to get her settled.

  Bernadette wraps me a hug. She tells me, “Ilara’en is not a gift. She’s here for a purpose. I just don’t know what she is here to do.” She squeezes me. “I don’t need this distraction right now. I don’t know Valya well, but she is now the sole head of an elven house. I wouldn’t put it past her to have pushed Lorn to pull his stunt last night in the hopes we would eliminate him for her.”

  “What does that mean?” I ask.

  “Well,” Bernadette says. “Lorn was born to house Valeran. Based on what I know of elven society, that means there were no female heirs to the house when the previous Duchess died. With his marriage to Valya, Valya became the heir to the duchy. Now she doesn’t share the throne; she is the throne. And she’s establishing a presence on this planet.”

  “What do you know about her?” I ask.

  “Not enough,” Bernadette says. She squeezes me tightly and looks up at me. “The timing is suspect. And elves don’t normally run around in the wild. They take a host and then go home when they are done. Sometimes they will contract as individuals to stay in person for a limited time, but only in ones and twos. It’s unsettling that they are here openly.”

  “She mentioned to Lorn that he should just demand Clarice as tribute,” I tell her.

  “She what?” Bernadette asks. Her eyes blaze. “It’s a good thing Jack killed him, because I would kill him for that. If the opportunity presents itself, Valya is dead.” She buries her face in my chest. “She’s like a daughter to me, Will.” She looks up at me. “She used to call me ‘Mummy’ when she was little. I love her so much.”

  I assure her, “We’ll protect her, Bernadette. Don’t worry, Love.”

  She smiles up at me, “You better be careful throwing that pet name around, William Darling. I may start to take it to heart.”

  “Any time, Bernadette.” I kiss her gently, and she quickly escalates.

  She eventually releases my mouth and tells me. “Let’s go feed you, Darling.”

  Bernadette grabs my arm and escorts me to the dining room.

  Jack and Darcie come down the stairs as we walk past on our way to the dining room. My ladies are already at the table along with Serena, Rosalie, and Michelle. Candice, Chantelle, and Tanu serve breakfast of fresh fruit, yogurt, waffles, back bacon, and scrambled eggs.

  We all load up on the deliciousness on the table served by the delicious ladies.

  Darcie asks, “So what happened last night?

  Audrey says, “It’s unusual for elves to be here running around outside a host.”

  Bernadettes says, “House Valeran, one of the royal houses on the elven home planet, is establishing a presence locally. They are the worst of the worst. They consider themselves warriors, and they don’t give a shit about what anyone else thinks. Other houses consider them rabble and thugs. They have a rather small continent on their home planet that is severely overcrowded.

  As a result, they are constantly fighting to gain more territory. Other houses on their planet band together to keep them on their ‘little rock,’ which is about the size of Australia.”

  Marissa does a quick Google search. “Australia has about thirty-three people per square kilometer. It says that translates to about twenty-six million people spread over roughly eight hundred thousand square kilometers.”

  Bernadette says, “House Valeran’s continent has a density closer to twenty-five thousand people per square kilometer - they have twenty billion people on roughly the same land mass. They have very little farm land to feed themselves.”

  Marissa says, “Damn! We only have a little less than eight billion people on our whole planet.”

  Bernadette says, “Their culture doesn’t really promote arts and intellectual pursuits like most of the other houses - fighting, fucking, and farming are what they do. Controlling urges and restraint are essentially inconceivable to them - especially the royals. With a roughly five hundred year life span and no thought towards birth control, there’s no mystery how their planet is so overpopulated. It would be worse, but they lose a lot of people to war and famine. They also sell their people into slavery to other houses to keep the rate of increase on their lands from rising too fast.”

  Ilara’en walks in wearing a forest green silk kimono. Viktorija and Clarice follow her in.

  Ilara’en adds, “We also cull ten-to-fifteen percent of our population every year. Birth defects and chronic illness are death sentences.”

  “Jeez!” I proclaim.

  Ilara’en says, “Duchess Valya is from House Serenissima. Magic is their strength. She was a minor royal in House Serenissima, so becoming Duchess of House Valeran was a big leap for her. House Valeran attacks House Serenissima frequently due their proximity, and she brokered a deal to provide food to House Valeran for five years if the Duke would marry her and turn their attentions elsewhere. He did. She makes the collars for the gua
rds. She hands them out only to her chosen favorites. She put the glyphs on me. She personally tied me up, cut the glyph off my face, and told the janitor to take out the trash and drop it off here. The card was an afterthought,” she tells Bernadette.

  Ilara’en wipes her eyes. “Valya may act appalled at how House Valoren behaves, but she loves inflicting pain and was happy about you killing off Lorn. Less so about her pets, the guards. Sometimes I think she is part imp.”

  I ask, “What was the point of last night?”

  Jack answers, “Making contacts. I don’t think it worked out like they planned.”

  Ilara’en says, “They knew that powerful and famous people attend Bernadette's parties. I don’t think killing off Lorn was in the plan, but I am certain she took it as a boon. She is now the sole ruler of House Valeran. This world should tremble.”

  Bernadette says, “Thank you for sharing that, Ilara’en. Clarice, please take Ilara’en to the kitchen for something to eat.”

  Those that remain at the table continue eating. When Ilara’en is gone we discuss the plan for ‘he who shall not be named.’

  Bernadette says, “My foundation spun up quickly and has identified three candidates. We should have one here by the time you get back from North Carolina.”

  Audrey says, “I will summon a lesser imp next weekend for Will to practice his craft.”

  I mentioned, “Despite how much I want to do that, what’s the likely benefit?”

  Bernadette shrugs, “Negligible. It would be better to summon the same species and kill them for practice. I’m not willing to intentionally bring one of them here.”

  Audey agrees, “No way.”

  Jack nods. “I agree.”

  Bernadette says, “I’m thinking we do it in four weeks. Does the 9th of November work for everyone?”

  We all agree that it does work. So we finish breakfast with lighter conversation.

  28

  Building the team

  After breakfast, we slowly get ready for Master Hiromatsu’s class.

  All four ladies come along to train together while I train with the advanced class. Master Hiromatsu works with them on jo staff techniques and tactics, and he teaches them basic sword strikes with bokken. Master Nakamura runs the advanced class.

  Master Nakamura drills us on long, short and combined sword tactics. After about an hour, he switches to open-hand and short stick and knife attacks rotating through opponents several times before switching to a Bull-in-the-Ring scenario.

  I’m very focused after last night, and my performance reflects it. I actually hold my own against all five of the other senior students, and I excel in multiple attacker scenarios. Master Nakamura nods respectfully at the end of the exercise.

  We take a break after that, and Master Hiromatsu pulls me aside while the ladies keep practicing.

  Master Hiromatsu says, “Your ladies are very focused. You appear more focused, too.”

  “Yes sir,” I agree. “We were attacked last night. People died. I probably should have died. I was attacked by two opponents that were stronger and faster than me. They were intent on killing me.”

  He asks, “Why are you still alive?”

  I think about it for a moment. “I refused to be a victim. I worked with the advantages I had. Used my strengths to find ways around theirs. Honestly, Marissa saved me in the end.”

  Master Hiromatsu nods. “The fierce one. She is formidable. The Korean is also formidable.”

  “Yes sir,” I agree. “They both trained from the time they were young. Their fathers are teachers.”

  The Master says, “That helps with effectiveness. However, their devotion to you and each other is what makes them fierce and formidable.” He looks at the floor for a moment before locking on my face. “I would like to test them.”

  “What do you propose, sir?”

  The Master says, “I would like for each of them to face off against a senior student. Then two against one senior student. Then all four against two senior students. Attackers will have shock knives.”

  “May I coach them, sir?” I ask.

  He nods, “I think that would be best.” He turns to Nakamura-sensei. “Shiro, I will be working with William and the ladies. I would like to use your students as attackers in about five minutes.”

  Master Nakamura bows. “Yes, Master.”

  I have the ladies demonstrate what they have learned. I point out a few things to be careful of, but I am careful to be encouraging and not overwhelm them by teaching them new ideas. I ask for questions, and there are a couple. Once they are done talking, I tell them what we are going to do.

  Marissa asks, “Rebecca? Josie? Are you two okay with this?

  Josie looks fierce as she grunts, “Yep.”

  Rebecca grimaces. “I have to be ready to fight for my family. I can’t do that by being coddled. I’ve been dead once. I don’t intend to do it again.”

  “Damned right,” Josie agrees.

  Marissa and Audrey nod to each other. She says, “Okay. Let’s do this!”

  I tell Master Hiromatsu, “We’re as ready as we can be today, sir.”

  The Master says, “Alright then. Ladies, prepare to defend yourselves. If you do not, you will feel the sting of the blade - it is a shock blade like an animal prod. Injury is a possibility. The men you will face are adept and dangerous when provoked. I understand you were attacked last night. Remember what that was like. Remember your fear and your anger. Don’t let those emotions control you, but use them to establish a fierce mindset.”

  The ladies nod and sound off. “Yes, sir!”

  Master Hiromatsu tells them, “First you will face one on one attacks.” Shiro walks up with his students. Master Hiromatsu tells the attackers, “Do not take it easy on them. As the slight one said, they won’t learn if we coddle them.”

  Marissa steps forward with her bokken at the ready. No bow. No preliminaries. The attacker just attacks her quickly with the shock knife.

  Marissa shuffles forward, dropping the point of her bokken. As the attacker stabs forward toward her core, Marissa slides off the line to the left and whips the bokken in an upward cut, but then drives the hilt of the weapon into his face, steps up the circle, and whips the blade down into the back of the man’s neck.”

  Like all of Shiro’s advanced students, the attacker is well trained and steps off the line of attack, but Marissa still manages to catch the side of his neck with the blade. He stumbles, and the Master calls a halt.

  Master Hiromatsu addresses the attackers. “This one is the strongest. The Korean is also trained - not new to the sword like the rest. The other two are novices. Next.”

  Rebecca steps up with a bokken at the middle ready stance - a Chudan no Kamae.

  The attacker holds his knife in front of his right shoulder, similar to the Hasso no Kamae - the over the shoulder ready position. He launches forward and knocks Rebecca’s bokken out of the way.

  Rebecca steps up the circle and squats below her grip as the momentum of attacker’s strike takes his blade past her. She keeps her bokken over her shoulder as she rises before cutting downward across his knife arm, but he reverses his cut to deflect her blade.

  Rebecca slides closer, dropping the tip of her blade to her right. However, her attacker drags the shocking blade across her side, causing her to fold forward. In the process she clips his throat with her blade.

  The Master calls, “Yame. Stop! That was nearly ‘aiuchi,’ a simultaneous kill. You stopped your opponent, but you won’t be there to protect your family against the next.” Rebecca nods.

  The attacker bows deeply, and she returns it. The attacker concedes, “Good first time.”

  Josie steps up and takes a classic overhead Jodan no Kamae position. Her attacker tries to circle her, but she remembers the early footwork lessons and applies them well. Her maneuvers are not perfect, but they are good enough to keep her attacker from cross footing her.

  The attacker reverses direction, and Josie d
rops back to change her lead. He reverses again, and she drags her lead back to switch her lead before she launches toward him. The attacker's eyes open wide, and he launches back a step.

  Josie maintains her momentum, and he acts disgusted like he’s going to quit, and then launches straight forward.

  Josie drops back her trail leg to create distance and slams the heavy stick into his forearm. The attacker drops the blade in pain, but keeps moving around Josie to deliver a finger strike with his left hand to Josie’s left carotid. She folds to the floor.

  The Master calls, “Yame. Halt!” He waves me forward to check Josie while Shiro checks the attacker. I massage Josie’s neck, and she starts coming around.

  The attacker offers Josie a hand up, so I back out of the way. She takes it, and he pulls her up.

  He bows deeply. “That was a good strike.”

  Master Hiromatsu explains to Josie, “It was not a killing strike, so he continued to attack. If you had a blade he might well have bled out. Regardless, he took you out of the fight and had the ability to get to your family. You have to finish your opponent Josie-san.” The Master lets that sink in. Josie doesn’t drop her eyes, but rather she nods in acceptance. The Master smiles at her. “Regardless, it was a good first time.”

  Josie says, “Thank you, sir.” She bows to the teacher, then again to her opponent. The guy grins at her and nods.

  Audrey steps up and takes the middle stance, the Chudan no Kamae, but with her right leg forward. It’s something I would have expected from Marissa, as Kenpo practitioners like to put the dominant hand and foot forward more than other arts. I wasn’t aware that any Korean arts did that.

  The attacker is a large, older black guy. I knew him in the desert. He was an Operations Sergeant-Major for First Infantry Division. He used to teach this one kid from the Division Band when we were in the sandbox. He’s always kind of gruff, but I’ve always liked him. We like to push each other hard on the mat and joke around when we are off.