Chapter 17 - The Capture and Initiation of Jadeite's Daughter

           There were lots of vigils for the Virginia Tech people - she had a T-shirt from visiting it, but that was a lifetime ago. She had  worn it all week - today she washed it for the third time by hand in the coed bathrooms. Today, she was going to simply rest in a coffee house on Telegraph Road. There was a head shop nearby, with some punks going in to buy "water pipes" to get stoned. She never believed in that stuff.

            Suddenly, somebody snatched her purse. She went off into a dark alley to confront the guy and get it back. Somehow, this alley seemed to stretch on and on - until she got to the end, with the thief in her sights. She pulled out her fists and got ready to fight.

            A thin black whip from behind wrapped around her wrist. She tried to pull with her might, but it would not snap off. Another one went to her other wrist. Another one pulled her legs together, and she fell over onto a pillow. Soon the pickpocket came up to her.

            "You foolish bitch. Could have known you were so sexy."

            He crouched over into a fetal position. He bulged green muscles out of his clothes and what looked like a false skin. Then, he grew a tail, and a pair of eyes were on his back. He sprouted giant claws on his feet, and his legs grew into green scaly limbs. His arms became similar, but his hands were giant claws. He had a pair of eyes on his back, then another pair farther up, and then he had four eyes, and a huge mouth which opened like a giant rubber band, and teeth were everywhere inside it, like giant daggers.

            "Yooooouuu are MIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!"

            Juliana screamed at the top of her lungs, but nobody was there to hear her. The monster grabbed her with one claw-hand and snatched up. A large tentacle with a foot long claw wrapped itself around her shoulders.

            The monster carried Juliana through a warp in space, then across a series of darkened tree-lined fields. Soon, the monster went through the gate to the courtyard, and placed Juliana in a cage with four legs. Suddenly, the cage moved on its own volition and went up through the hall into the throne room.

            On the throne was a woman with long red hair and a dark purple gown cut low, almost to the waist. She had a strange crown and a staff.

            "I hope the Dark Scorpion kept you safe."

            Juliana, still shocked, said a simple. "I'm fine."

            "Please, let me introduce myself. I am Beryl, Queen of the Dark Earth Kingdom. You have been brought back because you have inherited a title."

            "Title? Can I simply defect like my adoptive parents did?"

            (Juliana had the cyrillic note translated, in which she learned of her origins. She did not believe in it until now. Come on, guys, a fantasy world in reality is hard to swallow!)

            "You cannot defect like those out of the Soviet Union. There is too much at stake here." She pointed to a woman with long black hair and green eyes in a blue jumpsuit. "Tetis, take the girl to her quarters. Explain to her what is happening."

            Tetis walked to the cage, which opened up to let Juliana out. She then took Juliana by the hand and led her down the hall, past three women in atrocious maroon and orange Japanese Navy men's suits - one with red hair, one with reddish blonde hair and one with white hair and an orange cape, all with VT logos on the front. The one with white hair looked straight at her.

            In Juliana's head, a voice whispered, "They made one for you. You can wear them for training the day after tomorrow."

            She winked at the white-haired one. As Tetis led her out, she shook her head. Not even Hokies would approve of such a fashion atrocity.

            After going to a carriage that floated, Juliana and Tetis went to a four-towered castle. Inside the one facing due East (Tetis told her this), there was an Asian-themed suite in blue, with a blue Chinese bed and a blue and gold lacquered makeup table, bathing quarters and huge closet, complete with huge selection of clothes that were all the right size and fashion!

            "Is this all mine?"

            "Yes, my sweetie," replied Tetis. "It is customary to give the Far Eastern Commander exactly what she likes."

            Juliana sat down to a table, and Tetis opened a plate of sushi, with a lot of wasabi and pickled ginger. She ate her fill, and then got green tea ice cream and lychee nuts. Tetis lovingly helped her into a bath and into bed.

            "Sleep tight, my little sweetheart."