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From: "Dark Pen" <darkpen@gmail.com>
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Subject: {ASSM} Avatar - Book 2 Chapter 23 (M/Ff BDSM ws SciFi)
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IF YOU HAVE NOT READ AVATAR, BOOK 1 YOU WILL BE TOTALLY LOST!

This is Avatar: Establishment, Book 2 and it picks up right where the
first one left off.

This is a work of fiction.  If you are under whatever arbitrary age
your elected officials have decided to choose for viewing adult
material, understand that you will be breaking the law if you read
this.  If you get caught,  I don't want to get blamed because your
parents can't keep track of you.

Please don't try this stuff at home (or anywhere else, for that
matter).  Some of it could be very dangerous.  If you have a hard time
telling fantasy from reality, please don't read any of my writings and
go seek medical help.

If you are a religious fanatic of any flavor and you hate my stuff,
please note that you shouldn't be here to begin with - no one forced
you here.  If you are offended by sexual liturature (such as it is)
then go visit somewhere else.

This story may not be posted on any pay site.  It may not be archived
without permission from the author and if it's reposted, this
disclaimer must remain with it.  Copyright c 2005 Dark Pen.

~Dark Pen~
www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/DarkPen/www
Live Journal for Comments:
http://www.livejournal.com/files/Authors/DarkPen/www/

Avatar 2
Chapter 23

	With everyone so intent on their studies and getting used to their new
lives, the time just seemed to fly by.  Tina was trying not to get
frustrated by her inability to get to Cindy, and Ken was trying not to
get frustrated by his inability to understand what Sensei was teaching
him, but overall everyone was just enjoying life.

	They had decided that they'd have a large Samhain party on Saturday,
November first.  There would be a small gathering on Friday night for
the ritual, but as Lea had requested, Ken was planning on keeping it
short.  He wondered what his Goddess had in mind, but She was curiously
silent about Her plans.  He didn't sense that She had some mischief to
spring on him, which was usually the case when She wouldn't talk about
something.  No... there was something else going on, and he knew he'd
just have to wait and see.

	The ritual was quiet and contemplative.  People chose to wear robes
for this, even though the evening was still warm enough to go skyclad.
It was odd that, for the first time since they'd started the Circle,
there was no sexual undertone to it at all.  Considering it was the end
of the year for them and that the focus was on ancestors who had passed
on, the mood wasn't much of a surprise.  The other oddity was that Lea
did not attend, at least in the flesh.  Her presence was always felt
during ritual, and She had always appeared at some point during the
past rituals.  She did not appear this time, and the feeling of her
presence was far fainter then it had ever been before.  Once it was
over, they sat down for a quiet meal that was relaxed and friendly.
Ken was a little on edge. waiting for the summons from his Goddess.

  	Thus, he almost jumped out of his skin when the doorbell rang.

	By now, Ken was very attuned to the estate.  He always knew when there
was someone on the property; hell, he could even feel whatever animals
were on the property if he concentrated hard enough.  But knowing which
humans were on the property was second nature by now, and the fact that
someone had managed to get past the gate and all the way up to the
house without him feeling it was very alarming.

	Bill and Eric joined him at the door when he opened it, and he could
feel Jane at the top of the stairs.  He turned to look up there and saw
her with, of all things, a high-powered rifle in her hands and trained
on the door.  He'd have to talk to her later about that.  Taking a deep
breath, Ken opened the door to find a tall, very thin, very old man
standing there with a large briefcase.

	"Good evening, Mr. Whitestone," he said.  "My name is Gorden
O'Donnell.  May I come it?"

	The man had a faint Irish lilt to his voice, and at his age didn't
even remotely resemble a threat.  What's more, he actually felt like...
well, almost like Circle.  He felt very connected to Lea in a way that
Ken hadn't experienced before.  Ken stepped away and waved the man in.

	"I assure you, Mr. Whitestone, that I am no threat," smiled the man.
"I'm sure the young woman can dispense with the rifle she has aimed at
me."

	Ken glanced up at Jane and nodded.  She stood up and stopped aiming at
the man, but still held the gun at the ready.

	"I'm afraid, Sir, that I have little time.  It would be best for you
and I to speak quickly, as there are some important matters I must
impart before I go."

	This was all very odd, but when Ken reached out to Lea, all he found
was Her happy glow.  Whoever this was, She was glad to see him.

	"Please, this way," said Ken.

	Mr. O'Donnell nodded, as if he already knew the way, and they walked
to Ken's study, where the two sat down.  Jane had entered with them,
and while she no longer had the rifle, she did have a very nasty
looking pistol in hand.

	"Would you care for something to drink?" asked Ken.

	"I believe, unless you've opened it already, there is a very nice
bottle of Ballantine's up on the top shelf of the bar, behind several
other bottles."

	"We don't drink very much around here," said Ken as he rose to look
for the bottle.

	Sure enough, it was where the old man had said.  Ken opened the bottle
and poured a generous splash into a glass, sans ice, and gave it to
him.  For himself, Ken poured a small amount of red wine.  Eric and
Bill had left the room, and after a moment, Arianwen entered.

	"Such beautiful women She has for High Priestess," said O'Donnell.

	Both of the women smiled, but Jane's hand never strayed far from the
pistol.

	"Well, I suppose we should get on with this.  I expect that my arrival
was bit of a surprise?" asked O'Donnell, who smiled at Ken's nod.
"Yes, well She has always liked surprises."

	"She?"

	"Mistress Lea, of course."

	Ken said nothing for a second.

	"So, you know of Her?" he asked.

	"Oh yes.  My Master and I served Her for a very long time," was the
reply.  "My final service to Her is tonight.  My Master is already
gone."

	"Who was your Master?" asked Ken, who very much doubted that Mr.
O'Donnell and he used the term 'Master' the same way.

	"Mr. Richard Kavanagh," replied O'Donnell.  "The former owner of this
estate."

	Ken sat bolt upright, his mind whirring with all kinds of questions.
There were so many questions about the Mansion -- not the least of
which was the strange way the payment for it had been fed back into the
the funds for running it.

	"It feels different now," smiled O'Donnell.  "It is more Her place
now, than when we lived here.  Of course, we were only holding it in
trust."

	Even though he was sure he knew the answer, Ken had to ask.  "For
whom?"

	"You," said the man, taking another drink of the Scotch.  He closed
his eyes and took a deep breath.  "I know you have a lot of questions,
but time is so short.  Let me tell you what I came here for.  Then, if
there is time, I will answer what questions I can."

	Ken nodded and, as difficult as it was, remained silent.

	"My Master and I came to this country a long time ago.  We were the
last followers of Lea. anywhere.  She had given us hope that another
person would be found -- the person that She'd been waiting centuries
for.  Her Avatar."

	Mr. O'Donnell beamed as he fixed Ken with his gaze.  "She was right,
of course.  She found you, and it became apparent that Master
Kavanagh's time here was finished.    He passed soon after you were
found."

	"Wait," said Ken, unable to contain himself, "Richard Kavanagh was
Lea's Avatar before me?"

	O'Donnell looked confused.  "Of course not.  He only served Her as a
Priest.  There is only one Avatar.  Surely you know this?"

	"Lea hasn't been... overly informative."

	"I'm sure She has her reasons," was the reply.  "She always does.
Anyway, we bought this place years ago, and prepared for the day that
you would take over.  Mistress Lea assured us that no one but Her
Avatar would buy it.  It took a while to set up the funds to make the
house self-sustaining.  I noticed, when last I checked, that you are
using the money well.  The house fund has grown, not shrunk."

	"That would be due to the people we have controlling the investments,"
said Ken.

	"Which would be Ms. Wakemen and Ms. Paige.  Excellent financial
people, those two.  They came very close to unraveling the cloak I put
over the money."

	"Why was that necessary?" asked Ken.

	"For any number of reasons," said O'Donnell.  "Not the least of which
is the government.  Even if you are very rich, they are like wolves,
always looking to find ways to take what you have.  Master Kavanagh was
quite well-off.  And in order to pass on everything to a person whom we
didn't even know, events had to be set in motion thirty years ago.  The
government was greedy even back then, of course, but their lust for
control and money has grown exponentially in these last years.  Anyway,
I digress.

	"In this bag is a computer which contains the rest of the financial
information that you'll need.  All of Master Richard's holdings have
been turned over to you.  The bulk of the liquid assets are in overseas
accounts.  You now own a great deal of property in the United States,
and some property in Spain and England.  Other, non-liquid assets are
located in the vault.  You have found it, right?"

	"Vault?"  asked Ken.  "No.  Not unless you're talking about that safe
over there."

	"No.  That is just the study safe," said O'Donnell.  "Well,
instructions for how to get in the vault are also in the briefcase, as
well as various pieces of paperwork, bearer bonds and whatnot.  Most
just require your signature, and either of the ladies who run the
finances can file them appropriately."

	The man suddenly paled a bit and gripped the arm of the chair.

	"I fear that time is even shorter than I thought," he said.  "I'm
sorry, I won't be able to answer any more of your questions.  Please, I
understand that you have a place you worship Her?"

	"Yes, the Garden," replied Ken.  "But if you're feeling sick, perhaps
we should call a doctor."

	"That won't be necessary," he said.  "Please, if you would, help me to
the Garden."

	Even though his mind was still crammed with questions, it was very
clear to Ken that the man was getting weaker by the minute.  Ken stood
and let O'Donnell lean on him, surprised by how light he was, and they
went to the Garden.  Before they left the house, though, Mr. O'Donnell
stopped and looked at Ari and Jane.

	"I'm afraid, ladies, that it is necessary that Master Ken and I go
alone," he said.

	Ken, having felt Lea's call just as O'Donnell had said that, knew that
now was his time to go to Her, as She had requested.

	"It'll be alright," said Ken.  "I'll be back soon."

	Jane looked like she wanted to protest, but Ari's eyes were filled
with tears for some reason.  She just nodded and took Jane's hand as
the two men entered the Garden.  Lea was there, fully dressed in a
beautiful gown that seemed to be made up of the colors of autumn.
Greens and golds, with an occasional touch of reds and browns, swirled
over her body.  For once, Ken felt no overpowering sexual desire for
Her.

	"Oh, Gorden," She said, holding out Her hands and taking his.

	The man seemed to straighten as She touched him, and he smiled.
"Mistress," he said, "it has been too long."

	They embraced for a long time, then he stepped back.

	"Is it time?"

	"Yes," She said, Her smile radiant.  "He has missed you a great deal."

	With that, another man appeared, stepping out of the shadows.
Although he was as tall as O'Donnell, he wasn't nearly as thin.  The
two embraced, and Ken looked on, surprised.  It was obvious from the
deep kiss they shared that the two were lovers.  They broke apart for a
second, and the new man looked at Ken.

	"Good luck, Avatar," he said.  "When we meet in the future, I'm sure
you'll have much to tell me."

	That was as long as the two could keep their eyes off each other.
They hugged and kissed again as a greenish light, like that of a spring
morning, began to grow around them.  It grew very bright for perhaps a
few seconds, and when it dimmed, there was no sign of Mr. Gorden
O'Donnell, nor the man whom Ken assumed was Richard Kavanagh.

	"I wish I'd had more time with them," said Ken to Lea.

	She smiled and replied, "Their time has passed.  They served me well
for many years and have their reward.  Part of which is that they are
no longer the last of my worshipers as they once were.  And now, it is
time for you to speak to someone from your own past."

	"Oh?" asked Ken, confused and a little alarmed.  "Who?"

	"Hi, Kenny," came a voice that flooded Ken's veins with ice water.

	He spun and found himself face-to-face with Susan.  Looking exactly as
she had just before she'd been killed.

	"I know it's a surprise, but aren't you happy to see me?" she asked.

	"Susan?  Is that... is it really you?" asked Ken, totally unprepared
for the blast of emotions her presence created.

	She was so beautiful!  At nineteen, she'd been throwing off the last
awkwardness of being a beautiful teenager and becoming a poised, sexy
young woman.  Ken thought his heart was going to stop.

	"Of course it's really me," she smiled, holding out her arms for a
hug.

	Ken had no idea what to do.  How do you talk to the fianc�e that had
been dead for over a decade?

	Her smile faltered just a bit.

	"Kenny?" she said, "it really is me.  Please, we only have a short
time, and it's been so long since I've been able to hold you."

	Ken stepped forward and took her into his arms.  It seemed like she'd
never left them.  The feel of her, her scent, her heat, it was like
she'd never... died.  Plus, with his new senses, he could feel her as
he never had before.

	"How is this possible?" he asked, stepping back.

	"This night is the one night of the year when some of us can return,"
she said.  "Your Goddess helped me come back to see you."  She paused.
"I missed you so very much."

	Naturally, a good many questions came to mind, not the least of which
was how she could miss him if she was dead.  But he could still sense
Lea, and knew that if She was near, everything should be fine.
Thoughts like that were cut short as Susan moved her head toward his,
wordlessly asking for a kiss.  Thoughts of how much he'd loved her, how
he'd wished desperately for years for just one last chance to say good
bye, to tell her he loved her, to apologize for not saving her almost
overwhelmed him.  Here was his chance.

	"Susan," he panted after they broke the kiss, "Susan, I love you so
much!  I'm sorry, so sorry that..."

	She put her hand over his mouth.

	"No apologies," she whispered.  "It is done, and it was necessary.
I've made my peace and now it's time you made yours.  We have a little
time now, let's not waste it."

	They talked.  When Ken looked around, he was in Her forest.  It was
daytime here, shafts of sun sliding through the high canopy of trees,
illuminating everything with brilliance.  They held hands, sat by a
small brook and fed each other water.  They kissed often as Susan drank
in the details of his life.

	"So, you're married to two women now?" she teased.

	"Uh, yeah, I guess I am," he replied, unaccountably embarrassed.

	"Mmmm, I would have liked to make love with a woman," she said.

	"You never told me that," he said.

	"Well, bisexuality wasn't very accepted back then," she said.  "But I
would have done it with the right person -- as long as you had been
there."

	"I would have been there for you," he said.  Then, "I tried, Susan, I
tried so hard.  I just wasn't good enough to..."

	"Stop, Kenny," she admonished.  "Stop.  As I said, it's in the past
and we can't change it.  My love, had I known how things were going to
turn out, I still wouldn't have changed our time together.  Now that I
know what my death allowed you to become, I know it was the right
thing.  Not an easy thing, no, but the right thing.  As Lea's Avatar,
you are going to have a very full life, and I couldn't wish for more."

	"Still, it's very unfair," said Ken.

	"Life isn't fair," replied Susan.  "But now you'll have the resources
to start a new religion and maybe even a new society.  Arianwen and
Jane will stand with you and help you, if you need it, and the people
you're drawing to the Circle will make you all very strong."

	Ken said nothing, just enjoying the warmth of his hand in hers.  Her
scent was just as he remembered it, and now that he could feel her, he
could see why they had been so compatible before.  They still were,
perhaps now even more so.

	"I don't suppose you can tell me where you've been all these years?"
he asked.

	"I'm afraid not," she replied.  "There are no words for it, no... way
to describe what it's like."

	"Are you happy though?"

	"Yes," she said, her smile so bright that it almost broke his heart.
"And even more so knowing that you are doing what you were meant to
do."

	"I don't suppose..."

	"Hush," she said with a giggle, laying her finger over his mouth.
"There is something I want from you before I go."

	"Anything," he replied.

	She smiled, and kissed him again, and in a very short time, they
weren't concerned with anything but the feel of their bodies, the touch
of their skin and the pleasure they brought each other.

	Ken still remembered every curve of her skin, how she liked to be
touched and where.  He used his new skills to do his best to bring her
orgasm after orgasm, to do what he could in the time they had to make
sure she was pleased.  If this was the last time they ever made love,
and he supposed that it would be, then he wanted it to be something she
would cherish for a long time.  Eventually, exhausted, they dozed, and
when he woke, she was gone.  He sat up to find himself on the little
bank of sand by Lea's stream.  She was sitting on a rock, and he stood
to go join Her.

	"I'm sorry," She said as he walked up.

	"I don't understand," Ken replied.

	"I'm sorry that in order for you to serve me, Susan had to... die,"
She said.  "It's more complicated than that, but the end result was the
same.  You lost Susan."

	Ken was silent for a moment.  He was surprised to discover that the
ache that had always been there when he thought of Susan had been
replaced by a warmth.  She loved him.  She forgave him his inability to
save her.  She was safe and happy, wherever she was.  What more could
he ask for?

	He took Lea's hand, brought it to his lips and kissed it.  "I serve
you," he said.  "And I love you.  Susan and I both understand."

	Her face was serene, but Ken could tell She wasn't feeling Herself.
So he kissed Her, and could tell She was surprised by his action.
Immediately heat rose in his body, and the lust, now combined with a
deep love, filled him.  His hands shook as he slid them down Her arms.

	"Oh, Kenneth," She smiled, "I love you, as well.  Thank you."

	They kissed again, but to his surprise, She broke away.

	"There is one last person you must meet this night," She said.

	That worried Ken.  The last two people he'd met had been something of
a shock.  He wasn't sure he was in the mood for another one -- not that
it mattered.  If Lea required it, he would do it.

	"Don't worry," smiled Lea, "this person is not someone from your past,
but from mine."

	At that, darkness closed around him, and he began to smell the salt of
the ocean.  He looked down and saw he was standing in sand, and saw
that he was, indeed, at the ocean.  It was night, the air smelled like
nothing he'd ever experienced, and the sky!  It was so clear!  No
clouds, no moon, just billions of stars.  So many, that even without
the moon, he was able to see a bit, and when he focused on the beach,
he saw someone approaching him.  No knowing what else to do, Ken just
stood there.

	Once she got to him (and it was a she), she got a startled look on her
face and immediately knelt with her head to the sand.  For a moment,
Ken was too surprised to say anything.

	"Please," he said, kneeling himself, "why are you kneeling?  Is
everything alright?"

	The woman looked at him, and he knew that he was staring at a
Priestess.  One that he'd never met, but a Priestess of Lea,
nonetheless.

	"My Lord," she said, "the Goddess promised me I would meet you
tonight."

	This was weird.  Ken was certain she wasn't speaking English, yet he
had no problem understanding her -- nor did she apparently have a
problem with English.  She came to her feet, and he was able to see her
a little better.  She looked Spanish and was, unsurprisingly, extremely
beautiful.

	"Did She say why you would meet me?" he asked.

	"Si," said the woman.  "I have done as She required.  I finished the
histories, and they are well-preserved and well hidden for the future."

	She fished something out of the light robes she was wearing, and
handed it to him.

	"Here is the map," she said.  "When the time comes, you can use it to
get the histories."

	Ken sat down on some rocks, gesturing for the woman to sit as well.

	"What is your name?" he asked.

	Even though it was still dark, he was having less and less difficulty
seeing her.  She was even more beautiful than he'd originally thought.

	"Almira Flores Basque," she replied proudly.  "I am the last of Her
people on this island.  The rest have gone over to the other God, and I
fear that my time is short."

	"Why?"

	"I think they will kill me, if I do not accept their 'mercy'," she
replied.  "Plus, they think I am a witch -- the Inquisition has a long
arm."

	"The Inquisition?" asked Ken.  "But, that's not possible!  It's been
..."

	Ken's voice trailed off as his hind brain began to put things
together.  The clear sky, the lack of pollution, Almira's odd way of
phrasing things.  It was preposterous but...

	"Almira," he said, taking both her hands, "tell me.  What year is
this?"

	"You do no know the year?" she asked, surprised.  "The Goddess said
you would come from far away, but surely you use the same method of
counting time, yes?"

	"Humor me," he said.

	"The year is 1560," she responded.

	"Holy shit," he muttered under his breath.

	"My lord," she said, somewhat shyly, "the Goddess promised me a
reward, if I did as She asked."

	Ken returned his focus to the present -- if it could be called that.

	"Yes?"

	"She promised me a night with Her Avatar," said Almira.  "I can feel
that you are strong with Her, and I know you must be him."

	To say it was difficult to focus on the subject at hand was an
understatement.  Was he really back in time, or was this just Lea's way
of presenting information to him?  If so, why had She made it so
complex?  Because this was really elaborate, even for Her.  Still, he
took Almira's hand and allowed her to lead him down the beach a bit,
then onto a short path that eventually led to a small hut.

	Inside, it was neat and, he supposed, clean, although his nose was
cataloging all kinds of smells that were absent in the modern world.
Almira lit some candles, and he got an even better look at her, and he
forgot all about the hut.

	She was short, no more then five-one or so.  She had long, curly dark
hair, and her skin was tanned dark.  Her eyes were a deep green, and
her lips full.  Her body was full, as well; beautiful, but without the
sleek, athletic look that he associated with the Circle Priestess.  Not
that she was fat -- just curvy and sturdy-looking.  Wide hips and large
breasts, with big, dark nipples which he was easily able to see as she
slowly began to disrobe.

	She was unshaven pretty much everywhere, and her scent was stronger
then a modern woman's.  Clean, though, and sexy, but completely unmixed
with any modern perfumes.  It was intoxicating, actually.

	Almira was baffled by the shorts that he wore.  It wasn't the button
holding the shorts up, but the zipper, which of course, wasn't
something she'd ever seen.  His watch she ignored, but was fascinated
by the workmanship on his leather sandals.  None of that distracted her
for long, and she smiled and purred when she took his large cock in her
hands.

	"Mmmm," she said, stroking it, "you will fill me well."

	Ken, however, had other ideas, and rather then just sit back and let
her straddle him, he twisted around and gently pushed her back onto the
bed.  Then he started kissing her.  She moaned a bit, then a bit more
as he kissed her neck, tasting the salt of her sweat.  She sighed and
whispered things to him as he played with her large breasts, gasping as
he tweaked her nipples and lightly bit the bottom of her breasts.  But
when he got to her pussy, spread her hairy lips wide and started
licking her, she went nuts.

	Almira was a loud and enthusiastic lover.  She gave freely and enjoyed
his orgasms as much as her own.  It was to be expected, of course,
because she was a Priestess.  They resonated well together, and she
even took him in her mouth, after he'd cum in her pussy, to get him
hard again.  Then she decided that she liked him there, and they
sixty-nined to another great orgasm.

	The hut was filled with the scent of her sweat and sex when they
finally stopped.  He'd looked at the time on the face of his watch, but
it didn't seem to be working, since it showed no time had passed since
he'd arrived -- or at least since the last time he'd looked at it.

	"The Goddess was right," smiled Almira.  "You surely are Her Avatar.
Tell me," she continued, "where are you from?"

	Ken was silent as he tried to think of what to tell her.  He doubted
that the concept of time travel was something she'd understand.  Not
that he understood it either, but at least he knew what it was, if not
how it was possible.

	"I'm from a very long way from here," he said, truthfully.

	"Are there many of Her worshipers there?"

	"Not yet," he said, "but we've just started there.  I think we'll be
able to give the Goddess the people She needs."

	"That is good," Almira replied.  "I know there are not many of us
left.  We have been scattered to the winds by followers of the One God,
and before that, the Arabs who killed us when we chose not to convert."

	"I'm sorry," he said.  "I wish I could take you back with me, but I
don't think that's possible."

	He heard something, or rather several someones approaching the hut.
Almira jumped up and started dressing.

	"Quickly!"  she said. "We must leave.  I fear they are coming for me."

	"They?" asked Ken, dressing as well, "'they' who?"

	"Those who work for the Inquisition," she said.  "I feared before that
they might be coming for me, but not this soon."

	Ken had finished dressing as the door to the hut was flung open and
two men with swords stepped inside, followed by a third man with a
torch.  They stopped and looked at Ken in surprise.

	"What is this?" sneered one, "The witch has summoned up a demon
lover?"

	"Uh, no," said Ken, completely at a loss.

	"No?" asked the third man, in rich robes as he looked around the hut.
"Then what are you, dressed like that, if not a demon?"

	"I'm from... from the Americas," said Ken, trying to think on his
feet.

	"Well, no matter," he said.  "Like as not you're a sailor who made the
mistake of taking up with the wrong whore."

	"She's not a whore..."

	"You mean she hasn't charged you?" said the man.  "Then she is worse
than a whore.  Whatever she is, she could be easily heard this night.
And this night, we will deal with her."

	Almira shrunk back, trying to hide behind Ken.

	"Please, I have done nothing wrong," she said.

	"You're a witch and a whore, and that's enough for me," said the man,
fingering a large wood cross.  "Take her."

	The two men started to move forward, and Ken moved in front of Almira.

	"She's done nothing wrong," said Ken.

	"Unless you want to die with her, dog, you'll step aside," he said.

	Ken sighed and put his head down, stepping slightly aside.  The man
grinned, then found himself flying over a small table, his sword arm
broken and his jaw unhinged.  The other man, obviously a trained
fighter, came on guard rather than attack.  Ken glanced at the downed
man's sword, which turned out to be a mistake since the standing one
chose that moment to lunge at him.  Time slowed, and Ken twisted; his
side was grazed by the metal as it barely missed being buried in his
stomach.  He gripped the man's wrist, thick and powerful from years of
wielding a sword, and squeezed, actually snapping some bones.  With his
left hand, he hit the man's floating rib, discovering too late that it
was armored.  That hurt.  Still, he managed to spin in the small area
and hatchet-kick the back of the man's neck, sending him crumpling down
in a heap.

	The third man looked on in astonishment.

	"Back from me," he said raising the cross.  "You are demon spawn, and
when I return, we will burn you out!"

	With that he ran, but not before tossing the torch onto the roof,
where it quickly caught fire.

	"C'mon," said Ken to Almira, "we need to get out of here."

	She nodded, but instead of heading toward the door, she knelt in one
corner of the hut and started digging.

	"What are you doing?" he asked, as smoked drifted into the room.
"This place is going to collapse!"

	Almira finished digging and pulled a small bag from the ground.

	"We cannot escape without money," she said.

	Ken grabbed her hand, and they started to run along the path, but in
seconds Ken realized that he was alone, back in Lea's forest.  He
stopped and looked around.

	"Almira?" he said.  "Almira!"

	"She is not here," said Lea, appearing in front of him.

	"What do you mean she isn't here?" he asked.  "I was just with her..."

	"Yes, but it was time for you to return."

	Ken's heart froze.

	"What happened to her?" he asked.  "Did she get away?"

	Lea shook Her head.

	"Why didn't you let me save her?" asked Ken.

	"It was her time," She replied.

	"It was her time?" repeated Ken.  "That's bullshit!  I could have
saved her if you'd have let me stay!"

	"I'm sorry," replied Lea.  "If she had lived out the night, you would
not have been able to go to her at all.  At least, not using this path,
which is the only one open to us."

	With tears in his eyes, Ken looked at Her.  She, too, was sad.

	"I don't understand," he said, sinking to the ground.  "This whole
night has been insane."

	Lea walked over and sat next to him, the soft sounds of the forest
filling the silence.  After a time, She spoke.

	"This night, you can travel the pathways of time," She said.  "You
can, to some degree, interact with people who are no longer in this
plane of existence.  But you cannot change the past -- to do so would
be disastrous, provided you could at all."

	"What happened to her?" asked Ken.

	"She did not suffer," replied Lea.  "When she saw capture was
inevitable, she took certain herbs before they realized what she'd
done.  She died before she even saw the inside of the jail."

	"Why?"

	"It was her time," said Lea.

	"Why didn't you save her?"

	"Back then, I had not the power," She said.  "Even so, when it is
someone's time to pass the gates, it is not for me to stop them."

	They were silent for a long time after that.  There didn't seem to be
anything to say.

	End Chapter 2-23.

-- 
Pursuant to the Berne Convention, this work is copyright with all rights
reserved by its author unless explicitly indicated.
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