POV: Runa
The difference between the two Kai Drakes could not be underestimated. Her Kai Drake, who she considered the real one, had become a partner at an international consulting firm (a big deal, she’d been told), won third place in a kendo competition, knew how to fire a gun, and was easily in her top 5% of most skilled lovers. He was a good father, even if not always present, whose exceptional children loved him. His leadership and charisma were top-notch.
Her real Kai Drake, not the cheap one in this universe, had unraveled Lakeshire’s troubles by saying, “I don’t want to solve these problems for a day. I want them solved forever!” Then he organized the villagers and put them to work on their own issues, like they should have been doing. He received supplies out of gratitude. It had taken two hours. Actually, two and a half, they begged him to officiate a wedding.
Her Drake was wealthy and his lovers on Earth were appropriate for a man of his stature. The pictures of his home he’d shown them were amazing. If it were fortified, she’d have said it was suitable for her.
This universe’s imitation Kai Drake had very few strengths. She thought he might be physically stronger, determination greater, pragmatism crueler, love for his children deeper, and the pictures on his father’s phone were better.
There was a ‘selfie’ of his dad and a damn attractive mom for an older woman, overlooking a cliff. The same cliff Drake had been snapped up from. The wonderful devices had recorded the exact latitude and longitude for that cliff. Simple math could tell her where that cliff was and where one of her two selves would land with the real Kai Drake.
The great thing about being the same person as someone else was that it was easy to make plans. She just had to assume her other self would think of something similar.
As Runa attempted some quiet scheming, the others were talking about mind control. Eh. It was fun for the first few dozen times, but it got old quickly. If you wanted to make a man do something he didn’t like, it was hard and unrewarding. Hours were required, it was impossible to make anyone go against their core natures. And the target would justify actions in his own mind, that’s how it worked. You never got to see the moment of “no, no what have I done?”
Although she didn’t think that was funny anymore. The real Kai Drake was an unfortunate influence.
Sayaka, interestingly enough, knew a thing or two about mind control. Specifically, the wizard whose collars were on the wyverens. She somehow knew they worked on people and knew the wizard was a Chthonic Elf.
And by “somehow” it did not require mind-reading to know that this wizard had messed with Sayaka before, and was dumb enough not to kill her. My, my, my! Delicious drama was to be found in that tragic misfortune Sayaka called a brain. A slight temptation existed to open it up and take a look.
Not that Runa would. Mind-reading was dangerous. It usually caused the target mind to imprint itself alongside the wizard’s. Insanity was the typical outcome. Two different people in one head never worked.
However! If Runa ever met the other Runa again, she wanted to get that side effect intentionally. They were close enough to being the same already. Runa wanted them to be identical. The thought was exciting. Maybe they could keep doing it over and over. Eventually losing track of who was who. That was hot!
People were talking loudly at her.
It seemed she hadn’t been alert to whatever the others were doing.
Whoops.
“Runa!” Kai waved his hand in front of her face.
She was sitting inside the carriage and they were all leaning forward to get her attention.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
“Could you repeat the question please?”
“Mind control! Monster controlling mind control. What do you know about it?” said Sayaka, more intently even than usual.
“Not much, because as a good citizen I kill all mind controllers, necromancers, and demonic summoners as per decree.”
Baggage tilted her head and her hair swayed. Wait a minute!!!! Did Baggage’s hair brush up against Drake?!?!
It wasn’t her beads, of course, just the tips on one side. The little trollop wasn’t so far gone into eroticism as to let Drake touch her beads. They’d have to get their parent’s permission for something so lurid. Well, good for her! Maybe in a month they’d be going ice skating if they could find a chaperone.
“You guys kill mind control wizards?” Kai asked.
“Some of them,” said Baggage, the wicked slattern. “Eromancers are an exception.”
“Because it’s about…that?” asked Kai. A man who used the word ‘fucking’ at least once a minute couldn’t talk about actual fucking. Pathetic. Time to put a stop to this idiocy.
Runa said, “No, Kai. It’s because they’re bad at it and they use it for certain kinds of therapy. Like for elves.”
“You’re done talking, Runa,” said Sayaka.
“The Queendom mandates a minimum number of children, but elves don’t have a lot of intimacy with each other. They save that for humans. Right, Sayakaaaaauugh-kak! Air! Stop!”
Sayaka had her hand under Runa’s jaw and lifted, her feet were dangling and she grabbed Sayaka’s wrist. The elf’s arm didn’t move and her face was eerily calm.
“Don’t move,” Sayaka whispered. “My leverage is bad. I’d hurt you by accident.”
Kai said, “Hey Baggage, it’s been at least an hour since we argued about our relationship, let's take it outside.”
Baggage was already walking out the door.
When they left, Sayaka put Runa down.
“Was there more you wanted to say, Runa?” she whispered.
“N-No.”
“Too bad. I’ve been offered a lot of money to kill you, by a lot of people.” Sayaka kept whispering and looked, as expected, bored.
Runa didn’t reply. She had no idea Sayaka could kill her so easily. It was intimidating.
Sayaka whispered into Runa’s ear, “Do you want to kiss me, Runa?”
“N- No.” Was that the right answer?
“Good. Because I’m not skilled at it these days. I might crush your face by a tiny mishap. And then you wouldn’t be so pretty anymore, would you?” The whisper was terrifying.
“No, Sayaka.”
“I’m going to let the others in now. Just do me one tiny favor? Screw up and piss me off again. Please. I’d like that.”
Runa didn’t dare say anything.
Sayaka opened the door. The lovebirds were chattering.
“-and my dad went to West Point, it’s a military school. He dropped out almost right away because he met my mom. A big penalty for doing that. He’d made smart investments and was able to pull out of the problem. Oh, done already, Sayaka?”
“Yes. Runa agreed to the new plan: ‘’. Baggage, get a map. Look for any known enemy fortifications in the area. Kai, exercise with your shirt off to keep Baggage from thinking too much. Runa, heal me. One hundred percent. Use all our food if you have to, but not Kai’s.”
- - -
It had taken Baggage a short time to find the probable location of whatever it was Sayaka wanted. With Baggage distracted and Kai exercising, the only brain left was Runa’s.
Sayaka didn’t count. She’d finally flipped.
The trip had taken almost the rest of the day. It was the fourth day-hour as wizards told time, almost sunset.
They were on top of a ridge, almost a cliff. It was long, very long. At least three Ri.
“None of this geography looks natural,” complained Kai.
“Well neither is that keep, army, or demonic summoning circle.” Baggage pointed out.
They had been the only two talking and seemed comfortable with that. Baggage wobbled between being close to him and backing up.
Runa froze. Sayaka pulled her close and whispered again.
“Unless I say otherwise, he’s taking you to Earth or I’m killing you. Those are your choices. Baggage stays here so you don’t use her for some experiment to come back.”
“What about his-” Runa began to say.
“Don’t question me.” Sayaka’s whisper promised death.
The other two approached. Oblivious of the tension.
“So what next?” asked a very chipper and loud Kai. He had spent time in the first real small talk chat he’d had with a woman in a long time. That’d cheer anyone up.
“Orcs and goblins like to use bamboo for their ballistas, right Baggage?”
“I think so, I’m not sure.”
“Great. Step one. Runa, makes me about 10 or 20 percent lighter. Step two. We get them to fire at us. Step three you wait for me to get back. Questions? No. Good. Go, team.”
She hadn’t waited for them to ask questions. If she had been allowed, Runa would have asked what Sayaka was going to do about that demon that was slowly being summoned in a ritual that looked similar to the one that brought Kai over.
Runa was not going to ask. What she was going to do was help someone else with their goals. A flat 10-20% weight loss wouldn’t do it, if Runa was right about Sayaka’s plan.
And right now, Runa was completely committed to Sayaka’s success.
Dammit! Everyone who met the Drake in the other universe was so mellow! She hated this place!
