peaks and chasms

Damayanti smiled and hummed along with the radio softly. Dawn was just breaking and the rosy light was streaming in through the eastern facing windows of the kitchen. Her cleaning routine was second nature to her.

“As soon as I get this done, I will make breakfast for everyone.” she thought to herself as she wiped down the counter. She grinned as she spied birds fleeting from branch to branch. Tomiko jumped up to the window. The furry fey feline chattered and trilled at them before Damayanti shooed her down.

Mr. Yoshida walked by the open door leading to the kitchen. He stood there for a moment. A small smile graced his features as he watched his disciple go about her morning work. With inner control, he acknowledged the rising desire for her, and then set it aside for the proper time. He settled into just admiring her for a moment. It was so nice to have someone take care of the morning tasks.

Damayanti came with a stack of small plates. Upon seeing Mr. Yoshisha, she made a slight bow.

“Good morning Sensei,” she greeted, “I will have breakfast ready shortly.” Mr. Yoshida dipped his head,

“Good morning, Little Pomegranate.” he greeted in turn. He sat down and got comfortable, letting Damayanti go about her business. Tomiko came by and gently rubbed up against him. He cast a skeptical glance down at the feline, and raised a wary eyebrow. The fey cat stalked off, tail held aloft.

Rupak and Mercedes came out and sat down. Each said their greetings to Mr. Yoshida. Soon, savory scents came from the kitchen. Damayanti came out with platters of food, each arranged with a beautiful floral pattern. A beaming smile spread across her face as she poured tea for everyone. Rupak was serene in his particular way. Mercedes lowered her eyes and softly smiled. Mr. Yoshida looked from one to the other, finally settling on Damayanti.

“It must be a pleasant morning to see you so happy, my Disciple.” he murmured. Damayanti momentarily met her sensei’s eyes then cast them to the level of his chest. A blush rose to her cheeks.

“Yes, it is. I am happy this morning. This is the first morning I have felt a sense of rightness and peace.” Mr Yoshida smiled, Mercedes’ eyes got wide for a moment, her chopsticks almost to her lips.

They made small talk for a little while. When they were finished eating, Mercedes went to wash the dishes in the kitchen. Rupak went to take a morning walk in the gardens. Damayanti poured her sensei more tea.

“Little Pomegranate, I would like you to go out and explore today. I will be having a guest. Practice your interactions,” he said, then playfully arched an eyebrow, “Have some fun. Remember the one main rule.” Damayanti’s eyes lit up,

“Be back before dark,” she replied, “Thank you, Sensei” She bowed, letting a little bit of the joy show through her eyes. As she walked back to the kitchen, his eyes followed her admiringly.

An hour later, there was a ring at the door. Rupak answered and let the guest in. Rina bowed to Mr. Yoshida as she entered the main room.

“Good morning, Yoshida-san.” she said brightly, “Forgive me for coming unannounced, but Damayanti-chan gave me a call.” His lips curved in a small smile,

“Ah, it is good. I am glad that you and Damayanti have become friends,” Rina partially hid her grin behind her hand and dipped in a quick bow.

“Yes! She can be sweet and engaging,” Rina tittered. Yoshida looked back towards her room.

“Yes, she can be..” he thought and then stated to Rina, “She should be coming out here shortly.”

Damayanti was putting the last of the things that she needed in her purse. Mercedes looked to her in hope. As if reading her sub’s thoughts,

“Of course you are coming with us,” Damayanti replied as she walked over and ran her fingertips along Mercedes’ jawline. “Why would I leave you here with Sensei?” Mercedes cast her eyes down and to one side. Damayanti’s eyes flashed emerald, “Besides, wouldn’t it better for you if you have a chance to get a lay of the land?” her eyes narrowed and as she smirked, “Sometimes anticipating your Dom’s wishes will get you the reward.”

“Yes, Mistress.” Mercedes responded.

“Come! Let’s go have some fun! Rina is really sweet and she can show us around!” Damayanti said brightly as she shouldered her bag.

They all said goodbye to Mr. Yoshida and walked to the bus stop. Rina and Damayanti chatted as they walked. Rupak kept a proper distance and was alert to any potential danger. Rina looked over at Mercedes and beckoned her over,

“Hi Mercedes! I’m Rina.” She stuck out her hand and arm at an awkward ninety-degree angle. Mercedes, with a smile and a quirked eyebrow, took her hand, and gently showed her how to shake hands in the American style.

“Hi Rina, I’m Mercedes.” A broad smile broke out across Rina’s face.

“Ooh! I am so happy that you ladies are coming out today! You too Rupak!,” she grinned at Damayanti, “I have so much planned! Damayanti had a good idea too!” Damayanti laughed and shrugged,

“I just wanted to see the sights and maybe find a good karaoke bar,”

The group chattered and plan out their plans on their way into Tokyo. Rupak interjected on occasion, but for the most part he made sure to research their route and keep an eye out for any dangerous or strange sightings. Rina was gregarious and her sweetness was infectious. Even Rupak found himself sharing a little of her joy.

When they arrived in Tokyo, the group was introduced to a few other people that Rina had invited. Some strangers disembarking gawked upon seeing Damayanti and the others. A few snapped shots with their cellphones. Rupak made a mental note of the group of fans as he continued to scan the crowds. He was a darkening storm cloud following beams of sunlight.

Rina led the group directly into the main shopping district. Damayanti let out a short exclamation of joy at the sight,

“Wow! It’s so much different than what we have in America!” Mercedes stared at the tall buildings around her. She pointed at one, which was six stories tall and the size of a city block.

“That’s a bookstore? It looks like one of the old department stores back home, like a Macy’s” Rina led the group to that side of the street. Damayanti let out a low whistle and grinned at Mercedes,

“Specialty stores are so small and barely surviving back in the states.”

“Come on! They have a great selection!” Rina said, beaming as she grabbed Mercedes’ hand. Damayanti was not prepared for the sight that met her once they were inside. There were escalators between the separate floors. Each floor had a topic or theme. She gaped a bit and then laughed in delight. A couple of Rina’s friends tittered behind their hands. The group split up into pairs and picked a floor. Rupak rolled his eyes and followed the direction that Damayanti was going.

Two hours later, all of the girls wandered out with a bag of books each. Damayanti had the biggest haul, she had two full bags. Rupak stepped forward as they were exiting,

“Miss Damayanti, let me take that for you,” he held out his hand to take her bag.

“Oh! Thank you, Rupak.” she said as she handed the bag over, “Did you find anything that caught your eye?” She spied one small bag in his hand.

“Yes, miss” he said. The girls all tittered and whispered among themselves, looking owlishly at Rupak, and how he was acting around Damayanti. Rina gave them a bit of amicable side-eye. Her friends quickly quieted. The group continued on to the next store. Damayanti noticed that the group seemed aware of what dynamic both Rupak and she had. They were being polite and not making a big show of it. A couple of blocks down the street, everything settled back to normal interaction.

“Damayanti, you picked up some manga…” Rina said slyly with a huge smile. She sidled up to her friend, “I’ve done some research, after you said that you like karaoke.” Damayanti grinned,

“Oh and what is your hypothesis Rina?”

“We need to get you decked out in the proper outfits!” she said as they turned the corner into the clothing part of the district. After getting some snacks, the girls window shopped to find the best clothing stores.

The group spent the next couple of hours going from shop to shop, finding the perfect outfits for themselves not only for karaoke, but for other occasions. Damayanti and Mercedes were at the tender mercies of Rina and her friends. They tried on a multitude of outfits and Rina, with her excellent knack for the aesthetic, made sure that the outfits that they purchased were perfect. By this time, Rupak was overloaded with bags and parcels. Instead being the carry-all; at one stop, he rented a cart to stack all of the purchases that the girls had made.

Damayanti was super excited to get to the karaoke club. Mercedes was happy, but was starting to flag after all of this walking and being immersed in the atmosphere of Nippon. Rupak was still alert as always, the storm cloud of a man pushing a cart of luxuries.

Once inside, the concierge on duty directed the party to a private room. He called a couple of ushers, who with the sense of propriety and decorum that Damayanti was getting used to, helped carry all of the parcels into the room.

They settled in, the girls ‘oohing and ahhing’ over the various outfits. Rupak scanned the room and gave it a once over. He found that there was recording equipment and that the access was granted through the user interface of the karaoke machine. Other than the door that they entered through, there was a fire exit door behind the stage at the opposite end of the room. There was also a small dressing room off to the left of the stage. Damayanti went up to the interface and started scrolling through the song choices. When he had confirmed that the room was clear,

“Miss Damayanti, I have confirmed that the room is secure,” he stated quietly. She looked up from the screen,

“Thank you very much,” she replied with a smile. Satisfied, he settled into a chair at the table. Damayanti picked the first song and went to choose an outfit.

A soft ring chimed overhead. One of Rina’s friends went for the door. Rupak’s gaze shot in that direction. A liveried server stood just beyond the threshold. He strode in and laid down both drink and food menus. He explained how to use the intercom system that was set into the table to call if the party needed anything. Everyone placed their initial orders for food and drink. The server then bowed and left.

The drinks had arrived by the time Damayanti was ready. She quickly took a sip of iced tea with lemon. Rupak blinked at her for a moment, surprised at the fact she was dressed as a waifu angel, complete with wings and a halo. Mercedes grew doe-eyed and blushed. Rina and her friends exclaimed in delight at her get-up.

“Is everyone ready?” Damayanti inquired with a wink.

“Yeah!” the girls exclaimed in unison.

Damayanti mounted the stage. With a couple of taps, the recording was turned on and the lights changed to the proper color. The screen behind her started the countdown as she grabbed the microphone. She tapped her foot in time with the percussion for a moment and then started in. The urge for inner harmony rose within her and she gave herself over to the song. When the song ended, she looked out to her friends. Rina whooped and clapped. Mercedes’ eyes practically glowed with barely repressed arousal. Rupak’s eyes were wide and then he sat back pleased as if he just had a rumor confirmed. Rina’s friends were completely slack-jawed with shock. They blinked a few times and then let out a cheer. Damayanti bowed and then stepped down from the stage.

“Next one up!” she said with a smile.

“You have to go again!” said one of Rina’s friends.

“I couldn’t possibly. Someone else needs a turn.”

Rina gripped one of her girlfriend’s hands,

“I told you she was awesome!” Damayanti looked around at the table.

“I could…do you want me to?” she asked, “It will take me some time to get into my next costume…I want to hear you all take your turn. Anyone can sing,” she stated.

“Not as good as you!” chirped another one of Rina’s friends.

“You danced too!” exclaimed another.

“Come on!” Damayanti said, “Please, I want to cheer one of you on!” She looked over to Rupak and Mercedes, “One of you can have a turn.” Mercedes’ blush deepened and she glanced to the floor, silent. Rupak had a sly smile across his face. He held up his half-finished beer.

“Listen to your audience, Mem Sahib,” he said with amusement in his voice, “I will need something stronger than this before I climb up on that stage.” Damayanti hung her head for a moment, defeated and out-voted. She then looked up with a smile,

“Okay, give me a little bit to get into my next outfit.” she conceded with a smile. As she got dressed, she heard all of her friends out in the main room chatter excitedly. Sweet happiness filled her with a thread of longing.

“I wish Arlo and all of my other friends were here too.” she thought as she touched up her makeup in the mirror. “Oh how I miss the scent of fresh dew on clover…” she said softly. Straightening up, she adjusted she shrine maiden costume. The twitch of a frown pulled at her lips, “Another mask, another costume, another aspect…camouflage…have to hide my true face while I am here.” she shook herself a little, rapping one knuckle gently against her temple. “I can’t get the jitters now, not with ‘my audience’ waiting.” One last look in the mirror, perfect.

There were exclamations once again as she strode onto the stage. Damayanti noticed that the food had arrived and drinks had been refilled. Her stomach growled softly. They were more impressed with the second song. Rina and the girls demanded a third.

“Alright, how am I supposed to deny you!” she laughed and then pointed at the food on the table, “One more! Then I challenge you all to come up here and sing. Together or separately! I’m getting hungry!” She rushed into the dressing room, donned an elegant full length gown with long bell sleeves in a cool garnet shade. Her makeup was reminiscent of some of the Divine plays of her homeland. Gradient dots of cream, rose and ruby accented her eyes. Jeweled bindi between her brows. Golden bangles on her wrists. She threaded some small faux rosebuds through her hair.

Rina and the girls gasped as she ascended the stage. Rupak let out a low whistle and smiled broadly. Mercedes gaped, turned almost scarlet, looked like she was going to faint. Phones came out. Damayanti closed her eyes, centering her thoughts for a moment on home. Her fingers drifted towards where Arlo’s mark lay upon her. The thoughts touched on Valentino, Zhon, Javier and all of the others across the ocean. The orchestral intro started and she picked up the microphone. She became so absorbed by this song, she forgot where she was. All was the feelings that were conveyed in the lyrics, the melodies and chords. When she finished, tears sparkled at the corners of her eyes. She raised her eyes to her friends around the table. All were silent with wonder for a moment, then erupted into applause. Damayanti blinked back the tears, smiled at her friends and took a bow.

By the time they were finished, all were happily exhausted with fun that they had singing. Damayanti laughed heartily with some of the antics that had happened; the alcohol had run freely among the rest of the party. To Rina’s friends’ surprise, Rupak had even loosened up and sang a love song. They looked at the stern Gurkha in a new light and whispered among themselves.

Damayanti ordered cab rides; one for the members of her household and one for Rina and her friends. Once they were outside, Rina gave her a hug, stumbling slightly, Damayanti steadied her and returned it with gusto.

“Oh thank you so much for this day, Rina,” she laughed, “I really needed this!”

“You are so welcome!” she replied, a slight slur in her voice, “I will see you soon!”

“Yes, Please! I can’t wait to work on so more art with you!” Her friends waved good bye, one of them cast a lingering look back at Rupak. They all chattered loudly as they got into their cab.

On the cab ride home, Damayanti cast a knowing glance at Rupak as Mercedes scooted up against her.

“Looks like you may have an admirer,” she whispered in Hindi

“One can never know things for true, Miss.” he replied stoically.

“Oh come on, you had fun.”

“I expressed myself just a little bit, Mem Sahib.” he responded, a twinkle of merriment in his eyes.

Later in the evening, Mercedes was helping Damayanti put the costumes and clothes away. Mr. Yoshida had retired to his study, stating to that he would see her early in the morning tomorrow, before he left for a meeting. Once finished cleaning, Mercedes rolled out the bedding. When she was finished Damayanti helped her undress and then turned so Mercedes could undo the knots of her kimono. An amused mien fell over Damayanti’s face as she heard her sub humming a few bars of one of the songs that she had sung. She turned in the circle of Mercedes arms and draped her arms around her sub’s waist.

“Thank you for coming with me today,”

“My pleasure Mistress,” Mercedes replied as she cast her eyes obediently down.

“We’ve had a long day and your behavior has been exemplary. You have been so good.” Damayanti said as she drew her sub into a deep kiss. Mercedes heard the squeak of floorboards as Mr. Yoshida moved from his study to his bedroom. A wrinkle marred her brow in irritation for a second. Damayanti pulled away slightly, “I saw all of that barely pent-up desire when I sang karaoke. I am very pleased that you controlled yourself in front of the others.”

“Always, Mistress.”

“Time to relive all that repression,”

The two women enjoyed each other for a time. Mercedes kept herself as quiet as possible, keenly aware that Mr. Yoshida was just on the other side of the wall in the next room. Resentment and jealousy filled her heart. Damayanti was the only one that mattered to her, she was the only one that lifted her out of her sadness. She would love to see that elitist prick put in his place. She let a flat sigh.

“Mercedes, what’s wrong?” Damayanti asked

“Nothing, Mistress. Just got a slight chill.”

“Well, we’ll have to get a bit closer. Mutual friction will warm you up.” Damayanti chuckled and pulled the down comforters over them.

Afterwords, spent and glowing, Damayanti lazily thumbed through her updates and photos.

Mercedes was curled up around her, dozing lightly.

“Gotta ignore the haters.” Damayanti muttered. Mercedes shifted and rested her head against the hollow of her shoulder. She trailed her finger along the Celtic tattoo on her Dom’s chest.

“Mistress?” she whispered.

“Hmm?” Damayanti replied as she continued to thumb through her updates. She noticed that her ‘special troll’ had made a post. An icy chill ran down her spine. She quickly thumbed back up what Max had sent for photos and scrutinized them more closely.

“Mistress…” Mercedes repeated.

“Yes?”

“When are we going home?” Damayanti blinked,

“We are going home when my business is done here.” Mercedes’ fingertip trailed deeper into the Celtic knot-work.

“Do you know when that will be?”

“Not exactly. I have several more things to line up.”

“With Mr. Yoshida,” she extrapolated, “Like the fact that he has trained you in archery.” Damayanti blinked, and then gazed in to the distance for a second. Mercedes continued, “Why would you need to learn archery in this day and age? Forgive me, Mistress, but you don’t seem to be the combative type.”

“He is teaching me more about his cultural heritage,” Damayanti sent a quick text to Max, checking in to see if everything was alright at home. Damayanti didn’t notice Mercedes’ concerned glance.

“I wish we were home. Arlo treats you with more respect than Mr. Yoshida. I am sure that he is not happy that you are staying in another man’s house. I know that if I was in his shoes I would be damned pissed out of my mind,” Damayanti bit the inside of her cheek. Max had replied to her text that everything has been normal, unfortunately Ashanti has not improved much. No word from Arlo.

Damayanti turned and looked directly at Mercedes.

“We were invited here by Mr. Yoshida. Nippon has a different way of living We have to be proper guests.”

“I understand that Japan is different.” Mercedes said picking up one lock of Damayanti’s hair and idly running it between her fingers. “He doesn’t treat you like a guest. It’s as if he is so high in station, One of those elitists. What at snob, but what do I know? He is a celebrity chef,” Mercedes made a rude noise and dropped the lock of hair. “I like Gordon Ramsay better.” She ran her hand down to Damayanti’s navel. I don’t like the way he looks at you. He’s devious. I am afraid he is going to take advantage of you.”

“It will be alright,” Damayanti ran a soothing hand along her cheek. “This will be all over soon, then we will head home,” Mercedes rolled onto her back and gazed at the ceiling.

“You aren’t listening,” Her Dom rolled onto her side,

“I am listening, You are worried about me. I appreciate that you are so attentive of me,” she said sweetly.

“I feel like I am in a room with people who are having a conversation that I can’t quite hear.” she sighed, “Nothing’s been right for me since that first night here, since I had that awful nightmare. Everything has been strange, like I walked into an episode of Stranger Things,” A sharp spike of alarm filled Damayanti’s chest. “This place is so repressive. Everyone seems to be wearing masks all the time.” Ice filled Damayanti’s veins. “I’ve seen shops and places that don’t let foreigners in, it’s like the whole country has segregation laws” Damayanti pulled her close, while slowing her own breathing.

“I am just glad to have you here with me. We came here together, we’ll leave together.” she murmured reassuringly. Mercedes smiled wanly,

“Sometimes I feel like this country is going to swallow me up.” Mercedes whispered.

Damayanti clenched her teeth, roiling emotions filled her. Within her mind, her separate aspects moved against each other.

“Shh. We’ve had a long fun day today. Let’s not ruin the budding memory.” she whispered as she kissed her cheek. “You are so good to me.” Mercedes cuddled up to her as she heaved out a huge sigh. She pillowed her face against Damayanti’s breasts,

“I love you, Mistress,” she whispered, “I don’t want to see you hurt.” Damayanti started to softly sing a lullaby. She sang it until she was sure that her sub was soundly asleep. She then gently disentangled herself from the loving arms of her sub.

Damayanti got up and dressed herself in a light kimono. She softly padded out of the room. Her thoughts were a burgeoning storm in her head.

“What has she seen? Has she been observing Sensei and I without our knowledge?” she thought as she padded into the kitchen. She stifled a yawn. She could here the echoed whispers and feel shades of clashing emotions in her head. Her aspects were trying to rise to the surface. Taking a breath, she attempted to center herself, but the intrusive thoughts kept surfacing. “Is she watching him, seeing something that I am not? I wish that I had someone to talk to… to really talk to. I miss my husband…Arlo… please be safe.”

The tile floor of the kitchen was cool beneath her feet. All was shadows and moonlight coming through the windows. The garden plants and trees outside cast strange inky shapes on the kitchen walls. Her eyes darted around for a moment, then she flicked on the light. A sigh escaped her lips as everything sprang into familiarity. Her aspects murmured unintelligibly.

She walked to the cupboard and pulled down a cup. In another cupboard she found the chamomile tea that she had picked up a couple of days ago. Lately, this has been one of the things that has helped her sleep. After placing a tea bag in the cup, she filled the teapot with water and set it on a burner. Her brow furrowed as she turned the dial for the burner,

“You need to reset the boundaries with her… she cannot be allowed to see the truth…she will not be able to handle it.” whispered the Poisoner.

“The avatar of Tsukiyomi has hobbled us, banked our fire… if we cannot light the way to see in the dark… make the shadows run…all will be ashes,” whispered Passion.

“He has been so sweet to us…he has defended us…we can bring the happiness out in him…he will reciprocate…everyone will be better off,” whispered Joy.

“He has plans that need to be followed through if we are to succeed…” whispered Intelligence.

“There is a distraction going on…we need to continue to observe…there is no guarantee that help will come…we may already be in the jaws of a trap…” whispered Despair

Damayanti looked to the ceiling, her gaze was beyond and through it. The path she perceived before her had twisted into a tangled knot. She closed her eyes and centered; the water started to bubble in the teapot. The voices of her aspects quieted down to a distant echo. The wind was picking up steadily outside and she jumped when a couple of branches tapped the window. She chuckled to herself,

“Come on, I am acting like a child, jumping at shadows and sudden small noises,” she chided herself. Behind her on the stove top the teapot opened one heavy eyelid.

When the water was hot she filled the cup and let it steep for a few minutes. She checked in the refrigerator, noting that she would have to send someone out to gather a few more groceries for her in the morning, if she was going to make a satisfactory dinner tomorrow night.

When the tea was ready, she added a little bit of sugar and cream.

“What am I going to do with all of these variables that have suddenly fallen into the equation?” she muttered to herself. “I’m pregnant in a country that is not my own, ran off from everything familiar. Not one of my brightest moments.” She turned and leaned against the counter. The teapot watched her, staying silent.

After she finished her tea, she rinsed out her cup and placed it in the dishwasher. She gave the kitchen one last look before she headed back to bed. All was as it should be. Damayanti headed down the hall, quiet as a church mouse. She heard Rupak gently snoring as she passed by his door. She did not hear any movement from Mr. Yoshida’s room. Upon entering her room, she noticed that Mercedes was still deeply asleep. Damayanti stretched and had a full long yawn. With a sleepy smile, she crawled under the covers, curling up with her sweet sub.

Damayanti awoke in darkness. Feeling around, she placed her hand up against what felt like a granite wall. There was sunlight up ahead streaming down from far above. Behind her there were subtle sounds in the impenetrable blackness. She hauled herself upright and trailed a hand along the wall as she moved towards the shaft of daylight. The wall was rough and gritty to the touch. Small minerals with in the rock glittered with a neutral olive hue against a charcoal gray matrix.

Suddenly, she heard a sharp sound behind her, she whipped around, alarmed. She caught the light flash off of something in her peripheral to the right, and a fist size chunk of granite roll into view from her left. It stopped a few feet in front of her just at the limit where the light reached. Damayanti let out a long breath and turned back to the light.

When she reached the pool of sunlight, she looked up. Far above her, the exit beckoned. Damayanti squinted her eyes against the glare, her vision adjusting to the change in light level. A swift chill wind blew past her from the cave behind. She shivered as it whistled past. Carried on its currents was the moistness of the grave and the stench of rotting flesh. Her nostrils flared and her gorge rose as the miasma surrounded her. Swallowing heavily, she spied three silhouettes above.

“Hey!” she called, “I’m down here!”

A strange wet shuffling sound came from somewhere in the darkness. The miasma of rot was overlaid with the coppery scent of blood and acid funk of bile. A clack echoed off the narrow walls of the tunnel around her along with the scrape of claws against stone. Damayanti paused trying to get the attention of those unknown people above. She quickly realized that this was not rocks falling from the walls of the cave.

‘Clack! Clack!’

With what seemed infinite slowness, Damayanti turned her head back towards the shadows in the cave. Her eyes widened in horror as she realized that there was movement in the blackness. A creature paced out into the soft edge of the light.

What ever skin was left was stretched taught across the skull. This brought the length of teeth of the creature into a sharp relief. Pus and blood tinged saliva dripped from the jaws. The body was that of a large canine, rivaling the dire wolf of ancient times. Muscle and sinew was exposed. Organs throbbed and pulsed wetly. The lidless eyes focused on her and it’s jaws came together in what she ascertained was the clacking sound.

Panic gripped her heart and she quickly moved against the wall. Not moving her gaze from the monstrosity that approached, she called up to the figures,

“Help! I’m down here! Someone throw down a rope!” there was no answer from up above. She slowly turned and searched for a way up. A low gurgling growl came from the creature. Howls reverberated from somewhere deeper in the cave. The chill air took on a sickly luminescence, a fog started to pool about her feet. All of the horror and panic within her along with the fact that there was an exit above, spurned her to risk climbing the wall.

Damayanti had to feel along for a couple of feet, but then she found her first purchase. She pulled herself up a couple of inches. The canine creature stood there, watching. Its slavering breath added to the stench that was steadily increasing. Whispering echoed about. She gritted her teeth as she reached for the next hand hold.

“I have to get up there,” she said to herself, while poignantly ignoring what was beneath her. The warmth of the sunlight goaded her on. Foot by foot, she slowly ascended up the shaft. It was quite steep, but not insurmountable. All the while, part of her mind wondered why those who were up above did not do a thing to help her. Maybe they could not hear her. The tendrils of fog shifted and twined up from the floor. She felt its clamminess against her legs.

Finding a place to rest, she glanced up to the exit once again. She could see the three figures. By the way they stood, they were all male. She could tell that they were looking down the shaft, but she still couldn’t see exactly who they were due to the intensity of the sunlight streaming down.

“Hey!” she called again, “I’m here! Please help me out, throw a line!” There was the sound of claws on stone. She bit her lip and looked down beneath her again. Two more of those creatures had come. They were sitting as if they had all the time in the world. They had stayed mostly in the shadows, their eyes glinting in the half-light. Fetid slime fell from their jaws. Beckoning whispers from deep in the darkness continued, she shut her eyes at both the sight and the sound. It grated at all of her senses.

Shifting dust and pebbles fell from up above, someone had shifted at the opening. Renewed hope lit within her chest and she resumed her climb. Her sights were to meet with the three at the top outside. One had seemed to be focused on her exclusively.

“I’m coming! I will be there soon! Just a little while!” she desperately called. The three looked to the left for a moment and then looked back. Damayanti had the creeping feeling that they were not necessarily watching her progress, but studying the shaft and the darkness beyond her. She picked up her pace. The clefts in the rock were gritty, but the ascending murk of mist from beneath was starting to make the ascent slick. She cursed as her hand slipped. She was able to cling to the rock face and breathe for a moment. Frustration gripped her and she looked up to the men,

“Aren’t you going to help me? Or are you all just going to stand there? I don’t want to believe that chivalry is dead!” There was a yip and a clack of jaws beneath her, as if those canine things were getting restless. “Help me! Please!”

The man in the middle shifted in place. He turned his head down and away, shoulders slumped as if in sorrow and defeat. As if there was sudden activity or a barked order, all three men looked to their left. For a moment or two all was silent. Then Damayanti heard the sound of a large stone being moved above. The three turned their attention back to the shaft.

Damayanti froze in place for a second, the truth dawning on her.

“They are going to seal me in!” she thought. She turned her face up to the three,

“NO!” she screamed, “I AM COMING! DON’T TRAP ME HERE!” She scrabbled up the rock face. There was the excited snap of bony jaws and teeth far below her. The whispers increased in volume and tempo as the mist suddenly rushed around her. Unmindful of the injury that she was doing to herself in her panic, she rushed, reaching for the most tenuous of holds. All the while the stone was grinding across the exit. The men had stepped back and were swiftly being lost to her view. Light was fading with her chance to escape this hole.

“NO!” she screamed as the stone was slid into place.

“NO!” she gasped as she sat up in bed. Sweat slicked her body. She automatically reached for her dream journal and pen at the side table. She did not hear Mercedes’ call her name, trying to calm her. Damayanti whipped open the pages, her hand swiftly writing down the dream in Devanagari script. She filled several pages with all of the details before the nightmare had started to fade from her mind. Once she was finished, she snapped the journal shut and replaced it on the table. She took a large steadying breath, as she blinked her eyes several times. She looked around, the familiarity of her room at Mr. Yoshida’s coming into focus.

“Mistress!” Mercedes said, her voice still holding a note of alarm. Damayanti pulled Mercedes into a hug.

“Sorry,” she said breathlessly, “I had a nightmare.”

“It must have been one Hell of a nightmare.” Mercedes said, returning the hug, “You were muttering in your sleep. You’ve never talked in your sleep before.” she smoothed her Mistress’ hair back, unsuccessfully.

“What did I say?”

“Nothing I could recognize, but I could tell you weren’t comfortable. You were moving enough to wake me up.” Damayanti threw back the tangled covers.

“What time is it?”

“Quarter to six, Mistress.” Damayanti’s eyes widened.

“Crap!” she exclaimed and jumped up, “I’m running late!” she snatched up a change of clothes and a towel. “I’ve got to get in the bath.” she quickly left the room. Mercedes’ eyebrow shot up at her Mistress’ behavior. Damayanti then poked her head into the doorway. “I need you and Rupak to run an errand for me today please,” she quickly said, “I have quite the list. It may take a while. Meet me in the kitchen in thirty minutes.”

“You aren’t going with us?” Mercedes inquired

“I have to make sure that the house is to Mr. Yoshida’s standards. He mentioned something about having a guest in the next couple of days. Besides, it’s Wednesday.” she explained. Mercedes looked to the strange gods that Damayanti had on a large table on the east side of the room. She rapped a knuckle against her temple,

“Ah! I forgot! Today is worship day!” she admonished herself. A sly smile crossed Damayanti’s face,

“Don’t torture yourself, my Lovely. That’s my job,” she purred. Mercedes blushed and cast her eyes to the floor. Damayanti glanced at the state of the bedroom, “I need you to straighten up in here, please.”

“Of course Mistress, it will be to your standard.”

Echoes of the dream drifted through her mind as she ladled the water over her. They chilled her more than the icy water. She scrubbed the soap roughly through her hair. Suds flowed into the drain. As she closed her eyes, she could almost smell the stench of those creatures.

“What were those things? They were horrific!” she thought as she used the washcloth. She scrubbed herself roughly, still feeling the cloying air of the shaft. Her skin reddened alarmingly as she scraped the rough cloth against her skin. A squeak escaped her lips as she poured one last ladle of water over her.

She turned on the tap for the bath tub, she did not bother flipping the switch for the hot water.

“I need to make sure that I am purified after that dream.” Its miasma still skirted on the edge of her consciousness. A memory from India came over her, pushing the images of the dream to one side; of a yogi sitting underneath a waterfall. Glacial water cascading over his matted dreadlocks, serenely taking in the austerities before he went to the temple of Shiva.

“Dreams of the deepest parts of the Underworld cannot be a good omen.” she muttered. A shirek passed her lips as her body sank into the ice cold water in the bath. Her teeth chattered. She sucked in a deep breath through them as she centered her mind on the serenity of snowy mountains of her homeland.

Mr. Yoshida passed by the bathroom door as Damayanti plunged into the tub. Raising an eyebrow, he noted that this was not the standard routine for the morning. He had grown used to her gasps at washing, but not out-right shrieks. He slid the door to the bathroom open and blinked.

Damayanti sat in what was evidently a tub full of unheated water. He spied the clenched muscles in her jaw jumping with the effort to keep herself from screaming. She was sitting in the tub, shaking and shivering. There was cool cast to her red lips.

“Little Pomegranate, is everything alright?” he asked, a note of concern in his calm voice. Damayanti glanced over at him, a grimace stretched over the fine bones of her face.

“Good morning, Sensei,” she greeted, a tremor in her voice. He continued to silently study her. “Everything is fine,” she continued, “I am very sorry, I overslept this morning. I will be done in a few minutes.”

“Did you forget how to get hot water, my Disciple?” he asked.

“No, Sensei.” was her simple answer.

Mr. Yoshida’s eyebrow rose higher, her answer was appropriate, but as he read her body language and demeanor, something was off. He nodded,

“I am going out for an early morning meeting,”

“Forgive me for not having breakfast or at least tea ready for you this morning,” she apologized. Mr. Yoshida held up a hand in a calming gesture,

“No need, I will get something on the way. Don’t worry yourself.” She splashed water over herself, and shivered. He noticed that her nail-beds were starting to take on a bluish hue. His eyebrows lowered, this was a behavior from her that he wanted an answer to. He motioned to her, “We will discuss this later.

“Yes Sensei,” she said while staring at the wall that was beyond her feet.

Damayanti sucked in another tight breath as Mr. Yoshida slid the door closed. She pulled her legs up to her chest. Wrapping her arms around them, she rocked back and forth in the frigid water.

“It was just a dream…” she murmured, “It was just a dream…,”

She stayed in the bath until she could stand it no longer. Passion’s voice stirred within her.

“We cannot pause on the path at this juncture. Burn through this fear.” Her body temperature rose as she stepped from the water. As she toweled off, steam rose lazily from her.

“I am not just going to call Father today,” she said to herself, “Mother and a few of the others among the Deva need to be informed.”