Verdantia: Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven: It Begins

Minako was staring in concentration at the Koi Pond's ledger when the rapping of knuckles on her office door made her look up. She rubbed the bridge of her nose between the tip of her thumb and forefinger before sighing and snapped the large leather-bound book closed. Her business was doing well but the numbers always gave her a headache. This ledger issue was best left to the accountant after all. But even the meetings with the accountant were tedious, Minako concluded with another sigh.

She sat back in her chair before calling out, "Enter."

The visitor, a woman with shoulder-length brown hair, entered and closed the door gently behind her before striding to stand in front of Mina's desk. The blonde had never seen the woman before but she only had to take one look at the visitor to know that the woman worked for the Neo-Queen. The knowledge of it was apparent in the visitor's ramrod straight posture. She wore civilian clothing of muted colors but the starched neatness of her attire were a giveaway. She may as well have worn her typical armor, Minako thought.

"You are Mistress Aino?" came the query, much to Mina's amusement. Even the women who worked for Minako did not call her that. Perhaps it was because Minako discouraged such proper custom. At most, some of the women insisted on calling her Miss Minako and the blonde had given up on dissuading her staff from using the prefix.

She slipped out of the chair and slowly strolled around the desk to stand behind the woman who stood two or three inches shorter than Minako She slipped her fingers through strands of brown hair and whispered against the woman's neck, "Call me Mina, there is no need for such...formality..."

A sly smile grew on Mina's face when she heard an audible gulp. She often made a game out of playing with the Queen's minions, guessing which would run from her advances and which would stay and play with her. Four times out of five they stayed and played. Mina had a good idea this one would follow through with her duty. Thoroughly.

Numbers be damned, she grinned to herself.

-x-x-x-

Ami woke by varying degrees, a gradual ascent from slumber's heavy hold. A sensation she had not felt since she was a child enveloped her. The feeling of sleep-warmed arms and body around her felt nostalgic yet very different from what she remembered. She focused on the feeling of being held. It had been so very long since she experienced such simple affection.

Her eyes were still closed when she fully awakened; a large part of her, an overwhelming part, dared her to open her eyes and confirm by sight what her body felt. A husky moan escaped her bed-mate, followed by shifting body as strong arms tightened around her. She opened her eyes and closed them almost as quickly. The bronzed skin covering taut yet relaxed forearms under her neck and around her waist belonged to someone incredibly familiar. A rush of air leaked passed her lips much like a spurt of water from a punctured waterskin.

Makoto? Of course it was Makoto. And truly she would have preferred no one else at this moment but the proximity was still unnerving. It was too much too soon and all the while Makoto's soft snores brushed past Ami's suddenly crimson ears, she could tell there was something she was quickly forgetting. Something lurking under her consciousness, an itch she couldn't quite reach in order to scratch. The need to grab this quickly fading thing would have been her first priority if not for Makoto's form pressing against hers from behind.

Ami shifted, hoping Makoto's hold would ease but no such thing happened. She took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of lilacs and the cool breeze which floated through the window. A slight frown marred her brow; from the scent and the faint light coming in through the window she instantly knew she was not at home. Memories from the three day trip with Makoto came to her and Ami recollected how much relief she felt from seeing the sun of dawn climb upwards from the horizon upon entering the town. The last thing she remembered was following the woman, Minako, into her office with Makoto. Something fathomless had seemed to resonate upon meeting the blonde. A drop that caused a reaction within her, falling into a still pool of water until it formed a perfect roundness growing outward until it became so large it touched the shores deep inside her. But that was all she recalled. She could tell from the faded hues of orange light that it was evening now, had she been asleep since this morning?

She wriggled again to no avail; Makoto seemed to have no intention of letting go. "M-makoto..." she called softly, hesitantly, almost loathe to give up the wonderfully intense feeling of the brunette's arms.

Steeling herself she called out once more, her voice stronger than before. Makoto uttered a sleepy hmm? before burying her nose in Ami's turquoise locks. Her soft snores resumed and Ami tried to regulate her breathing as the taller woman continued to cuddle their bodies together. The third attempt provided a better response from Makoto. The brunette stirred then stiffened when she seemed to realize where her arms were located.

"Ami?" Makoto's voice was rusty, and Ami could detect bewilderment in the tall woman's tone. Ami shifted with some effort in the the Traveler's embrace. She sucked in her breath at their unexpected intimacy. Their faces were mere inches apart. Sleepy green eyes perused her face, and Ami felt a shiver build inside her. She licked her lips involuntarily and the emerald gaze fastened on her lips.

Her own eyes were glued to Makoto's eyes, the sleepiness in the woman's visage was being replaced by a certain awareness. She found it difficult to breathe as the Traveler's face came even closer.

"Mako..." Ami sighed before she felt the woman's lips gently graze her own. The feeling of their lips rubbing together was intoxicating and it was the closest thing to perfection the Healer had ever felt. Her lids fell closed. It could be construed as an innocent kiss by some but Ami felt a deeper connection of rightness combined with an electric current that ran between her and Makoto. Nothing else in Verdantia mattered to her at this moment. She sighed in contentment, thoroughly enjoying the feel of Makoto's body against her own.

Makoto moaned against her and Ami parted her lips, the act as natural as breathing. The Traveler deepened the kiss, her tongue tracing feather-light caresses on Ami's lower lip before entering the Healer's mouth. The new sensations caused by Makoto were the only things Ami knew. There were no thoughts or words to describe the pleasure and her responsiveness to it. Her heart beat heavily in a chest that was pressed against Makoto's soft breasts.

A knock jolted them apart, sending them scrambling to the opposite sides of the bed as the door was opened. Ami noticed the smirk on their host's lips right away as the blonde stared at them with a raised eyebrow.

Ami was very sure her face could not get any hotter but her body proved her wrong when Minako asked, tongue in cheek, "Should I come back later?"

-x-x-x-

Makoto felt very refreshed after a hot bath, had felt grateful to Minako for providing one along with clothing for herself and Ami. What she did not care for was the knowing grin the blonde had sported when she walked into the room earlier. She had taken one look at their erratic breathing and the rumpled bedspread and her blue eyes had lit up like fireworks.

When the blonde had suggested a bath Ami and Makoto had jumped at the offer after shooting a quick but heavily-laden glance at the other. Now that Makoto had some time to herself she admitted she had been attracted to the small woman from the start. It had only been a matter of time before she had acted on it. Of course laying in bed with each other covered in three days worth of grime had not been the best of places to make a move. Not that it seemed to bother Ami at all. A happy grin flickered on Makoto's lips when she thought of how responsive Ami had been. Something akin to electricity sparked inside her when she recalled the feeling of the Healer's lips.

A knock on the door catapulted her back to reality and back to the small dressing room with a connecting bathroom. "Ma-ko-tooo..." came the sing-song voice, "are you decent?" Makoto could practically hear the leer in the blonde's voice.

Makoto quickly stepped into the pants Minako had provided her before the bath and immediately thought, I'm sure this is a mistake. It just has to be. The soft leather knee-length breeches with rawhide drawstrings lacing down the outside of each thigh clung to her; as in the breeches showcased every lean and curvaceous lower part of Makoto like they were painted on. She blinked while looking down at herself again. True, she did not typically wear baggy jeans but her pants were never this tight-fitting. The short-sleeved green drawstring tunic she had previously pulled on was rather flattering on her frame, but the breeches were too much.

"Yes, feel free to come in," Makoto said dryly, after a moment as she glanced down at herself once more. Minako stepped through the doorway and wolf-whistled when she caught sight of the brunette.

"I hate to sound ungrateful Minako, but these pants are way too snug," Makoto declared as she gestured to her lower half.

Mina waved away the complaint. "Forget that, wait until the women see you, until Ami sees you." The blonde stressed the Healer's name and Makoto thought twice about the tightness of her breeches. Perhaps it was not as bad as she initially thought.

"Maybe I can wear them for a little while," Makoto conceded.

"By Ashtarte, you are easy!" Minako muttered under her breath.

"Sorry, did you say something?" the Traveler asked, as she pulled her mahogany locks into her customary ponytail. She peered into the full-length looking glass to ensure she caught the especially willful strands. Mina appeared beside her in the mirror and adjusted her own blonde bangs.

"Just thought I'd let you know Ami and I will be in the drawing room whenever you're ready," the blonde smiled and exited the dressing room, her hips swaying. Makoto shrugged and went back to fixing her hair. For a moment there it had sounded as if Minako had said something else entirely.

-x-x-x-

Even though it was night Rei could make out the odd patch of grass in the clearing the size of a large cottage due to her excellent vision . Unease filled her stomach when she caught sight of it. She had not been following a particular path but had hoped to come across a clearing to set up camp for the night. Rei had spotted the strange coloration of the ground through the trees and it drew her closer. A cold gust of wind stirred the leaves above her and she pulled her dark brown cloak around her to fend off the chill as she cautiously stepped out of the break of the trees. The crunch of brittle, dead leaves emerged under her knee-high boots and she paused, looking down.

The sound of that crunch was unnerving to the hunter and before her other foot came down upon the strangely-colored grass her bow was in her hand, an arrow at the notch. The crunch continued as she made her way to the center of the clearing. The sensation of being watch bombarded her and she spun quickly, glancing back the way she came but failed to notice any animals-prey or predator alike-nearby. The typical forest noise had abated until the only sounds she detected were the wind in the trees. But the trail of her own footprints struck her as odd, the way they pressed downward into the grass and earth, compacted as if she had stepped in wet sand.

She looked down and frowned, shouldering her bow and placing the arrow back into the quiver before she squatted. Upon closer inspection she realized why the sound of the crunching grass seemed too brittle when she stepped on it. Each blade of grass appeared completely crystallized, bleached of color and no longer appeared to be part of a living plant. She continued to frown as she snapped a blade in between her thumb and forefinger; it immediately crumbled, the dust of it trailing in the cold breeze that assaulted her.

Examining the ground again, Rei could see the strange occurrence began directly in the middle of the clearing, where the blades of grass were completely bleached of color before spiraling outwards in a circle. A quick glance revealed the grass appeared natural-looking at the edge of the clearing. She did not understand why she felt a sudden bolt of fear but she did not question it; her instincts were what kept her alive, and Rei never questioned the moment they told her to move. Instead, she allowed the presentiment to fully overtake her until nothing existed but the adrenaline that flowed through her veins. She would hear her own breathing, the sound of it extra loud as she gracefully moved. In times like those, time itself seemed to either speed up or slow down considerably. She could feel the beginning of it now as her heart sped up and she stood, slowly stepping backwards.

But it was too late for Rei. The center of the clearing seemed to crumble into itself, the hole growing wider like an opening trap and she fell feet-first into the dark maw of the earth. There were no handholds for her to grab; the grass, the tapering tree roots, the very rocks buried in the earth, everything broke away into dust and followed her down into the darkness. Rei took one last look upwards, hoping to see something, anything but could only see the shrinking patch of night sky and its sprinkling of stars as she plunged into the bowels of Verdantia.