Of Her Nature II

Part Six: Redeemable

Hakkai and Tasha became entranced in conversation and sake.

Gojyo looked over at Scarlet, she winked at him, “Ya know, a man of your, ummm, stature is in rather high demand around here.”

Gojyo let his mind run right into the gutter, he chuckled to himself and just knew that it couldn’t be what she meant, “Why a lot of pickle jars need to be opened?”

Scarlet smiled mischievously, “No, not pickle jars,” She tilted her head quickly to the side, “Don’t worry about me. I know I can’t have you.”

Gojyo looked in the direction that she jerked her head and two blonde demons were standing next to each other. They both wore purple pantsuits. They both had long blonde hair down to their thighs and large blue eyes. He looked at their faces, “Twins?” He gasped. The women giggled and turned toward each other. Gojyo scanned the room, it was then that he realized he was one of four men in the entire place. He smiled widely and looked at Scarlet.

“Go, have fun. Don’t hurt yourself now.” She laughed as she spoke.

He leaned over the table and winked at Scarlet, “You know, I’ll be thinking of you.“ Gojyo walked toward the women in purple, “Why, hello ladies!” He draped an arm over each one of their shoulders and walked out of the room between them.

Hakkai looked at Tasha, “Are all the women in violet teachers like you?”

Tasha watched the three leave the room and she laughed and shook her head, “No.”

“What does the violet clothing mean?” Hakkai looked at Scarlet and Tasha, they were both laughing.

Tasha replied through guffaws of laughter, “Sorcerers!”

Hakkai laughed until his sides hurt.

Scarlet regained her composure and stood up, ”If you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”

Hakkai stood up as she left the table. When he sat back down, he noticed that Tasha had poured some more sake.

Hakkai looked at Tasha, “Ok, so now that I know Gojyo’s got his hands full. What’s the meaning of the other colors?”

Tasha looked at her sake and looked up at him, “Green is for the healers and white is for the defensive arm. We all have different roles, but basically everyone is one of three types, a healer, a majick user or a fighter. “

“But, I saw Jorja, Mikia and Scarlet using their chi during battle.”

Tasha nodded her head, “Yes, a full Priestess must be trained and able in all three areas. Jorja, as you know, is the High Priestess, and, as you may not know, she’s no normal Priestess no matter how you label it. ”

Hakkai knew, “How did you come to be here? The children, how are they here? Born here?”

Tasha looked at him and smiled, “Rather inquisitive aren’t you?” She sighed, “All of the women and girls here were abandoned, rejected, left for dead or came to us on their own. Jorja turns no one away….well no female away. Very few are born here. Remember the little girl Gojyo tickled?”

Hakkai nodded his head.

“We found her on the surface when she was about two. We don’t know why, but she was lying face down in the street nearly every bone in her body was broken. She was covered in so much blood we didn’t know her hair was red. She didn’t speak for three years. Then for months, she would only speak to Jorja, now she laughs and plays.”

Hakkai tried to get the visual out of his head.

“Scarlet is a child of a rape and her mother tried to kill her shortly after she turned seven. Her mother began drinking after her birth and, well, it escalated. Scarlet escaped from her mother. Later, Jorja happened to be at the right place at the right time and managed to intercede. ”

Hakkai was beginning to change his opinion of Jorja. “Intercede?”

“Yes, little seven year old Scarlet was on the auction block, if you know what I mean.”

Hakkai nodded, “Mikia? How did Mikia come here?”

Tasha looked at Hakkai and shrugged, “I don’t know, she was here when I got here.”

“How did you get here?”

Tasha looked into her cup of sake, she saw the light reflect in the red liquid. She looked up at Hakkai and eyed his ear cuffs. “My husband,” she paused, “was a good man. He fought against the demons that gave into the change. He fought and he fought. “ She began to tremble. She moved her mouth without making a sound, Hakkai knew she was trying to find the words. “Well, let’s just say he didn’t die human and he couldn’t tell friend from foe. Bleeding and broken I…..I woke up here.“ She drank her sake in one gulp. “Are we going to talk shop all night?”

Hakkai smiled, he knew when to change the subject. He wondered what happened to the boys that get born here. “I know this is difficult to talk about, but I have to ask.”

Tasha sighed, “Go on.”

“What happens when a boy is born here?”

Tasha shrugged, “Never been one. Again, are we going to talk shop all night?”

They sat in silence for a bit and stared into each others eyes, green meeting pink.

“Here, let me show you something.” Tasha had a mischievous grin on her face.

Hakkai looked around and smiled. “Ok, what are you up to?”

“Just sit still, hold your hands out palm up and close your eyes.”

“How can you show me something with my eyes closed?”

“Look, just do it, ok?” She tilted her head.

Hakkai closed his eyes and held his hands out. Tasha stretched her fingers out and placed her finger tips about ¼ of an inch over his. About 50 tiny bright tendrils of pink chi emerged from her finger tips, she slowly moved her finger tips to the heel of his hand guiding the little lightening strikes.

Hakkai opened his eyes and whipped his hands to his chest and shook them out “O-Oh-oo-oh! That’s too weird.” He shivered from the sensation.

Tasha smiled at him. “Pretty cool huh?” She grinned exposing her very white top teeth.

“Yes, indeed.” Hakkai looked at his hands. “Wild.”

She leaned over the table and winked at him, “Its got its uses.”

Hakkai leaned in and raised one eyebrow, “Oh really?”

She got closer to him, “Uh-huh” she whispered.

Hakkai closed the distance between their lips and he felt the tingle of chi bounce around in his mouth. He shuddered. *The sake must be getting to me. Have I drunk that much?* He pulled back from her lips and looked down the table. He saw all the empty bottles of sake.

Tasha stood up, “Hmmm, I can’t to be accused of taking advantage of someone.” She started to walk off and looked at him over her shoulder, “Can I?”

Hakkai stood up and quickly walked over to her, “You still need to show me around.” He stumbled ever so slightly as he walked.

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Next! Part Seven: Coupling