High Commander Diah's Resistance

Rude Awakenings Like Luve Over Tea Kettle

I really should not have been surprised to find that my host would have a very real reason to not only still be a rebel, but to have to continue to put on the performance of the millennium, that he was still a reformed bad boy, fully having gone back to the Lagoan brand of Kool-Aid tasteless though the phrasing may be.

But it was still a rude awakening... like going ass over emotional tea kettle, to step into what I had believed would be a mere guest bedroom. Yeah, not so much. It was clearly a room that belonged under the description 'shrine to a little girl'. I felt nearly horrified as I stood in the middle of the room, trying to determine just where the actual owner of this room had gone. Spinning towards the boys, who had so politely shown me the way here, I was about to grill them charbroiled about it, when they looked back at me with such sad eyes. I drew up short and looked at them, waiting to see what they would say.

"Our female siblings old room, as you can see..." One of them explains sadly, gazing around the room. The other looks to be barely holding back a deep seated anger. "She was but twelve rotations old! And they took her just because her Nesting time had begun! We had no choice but to allow the Priests of Lagos to collect her and take her to the Temple of Purity." His fists are clenched as though even now he wants to be able to reach out and snatch her back from that day.

The dinner we'd just finished was now churning sickly in my tummy. I had been wondering what made the savages so bad... bad enough to go to war over. Seemed I may just be about to find out from the natives. Not exactly certain how what I would learn would tie in to that decades old event, but just knowing these 'Teachings' might condone child marriage or at the least some kind of drafting of females for selfish reasons? Hell I was already set to kick those other Patriarch's asses all over the planet and back. Maybe I am just overreacting, I tell myself before I voice my questions, "So all girls get taken from their family's once their 'nesting' time starts? And they are taken, willing or not to this Temple of Purity? And it's been like this since the Isles inception?" I look between the boys as they nod reluctantly.

"Is nesting the Luve way of saying her body was ready to bare fledglings?" I can't think of any other meaning for nesting but that it's a version of menstruation. The womb could be thought of as a Nest. Their affirmation via bobbling their heads at me and looking relieved at not having to explain something so awkward, let's me know I'm clearly on the right track here. I prodded some more, "And do your females mature at different ages? Or does it happen at a fairly consistent age, with your sister being an exception?" They informed me that females ages varied, but typically began two to three years later than their sister. And also that the priests weren't usually so insistent on taking girls the moment they began. Most were able to stay with their families till they became sixteen rotations old. That's a little better I guess, but still not good enough. Depending on how long they are sequestered in this Temple of Purity until they get mated off that is... which reminds me,

"So is the Temple like a place to keep the girls safe and 'pure' till they are mated?" I ponder aloud, giving them a curious look after I did so. They again began to look uncomfortable, nearly squirming in place. I was pretty certain I wasn't gonna like the answer. "Well, yes they are kept safe and 'pure' as you say, but they also begin their training once they arrive..." the one to answer flushes and looks away. Qua?! Training?! Just what the nucking futs are twelve to sixteen year olds going to be learning all that time?! When I asked this? Again I was given a squirmy reaction. "We're not entirely certain, but we suspect that she is being groomed for a particular Patriarch..." his voice trails off as he looks at his brother, neither look thrilled at this theory.

"Is he old or something? Depraved? Is the Temple of Purity really meant to be named Custom Mates R Us? This is bullshit! But let me guess, you have no real proof as to who her future mate is suspected to be?" Both brothers look fit to chew nails at this point. They both begin talking over each other as they hiss and growl about this particular Patriarch. Seems, they not only know who he is, but he's an obsessive follower of the 'Teachings' to the point that even other Patriarchs give him a wide berth.

"So this crappola he's pulling by special ordering your sister so young... the others would have a problem with it then?" I asked. The blank yet perplexed stares I got back told me I should probably save my theories for the girls parental units. I mean, bless these boys hearts they clearly loved and missed their lil sis, but they were still teenagers and as such weren't quite at the level of maturity a rescue attempt of any sort would require. Especially if it involved allying with those who usually have very opposing viewpoints. So, in the end I just shook my head and waved my hand dismissively, while muttering about the enemy of my enemy being my frenemy.

That was more than enough to chase them out the door in bewilderment, no doubt to ask their father what hell I had been nattering about. Good luck with That one boys! I thought as I made my way to the bathing room that was thankfully attached to the room and showered before slipping into the muy awkward nightie Dayth had lent me in a bundle just prior to the boys showing me the room. I had no clue it was so... skimpy, when she handed it to me... but this beggar ain't gonna be ungrateful, so I put on the scrap of slinky fabric and scooted into the room and hopped into the bed as quickly as possible, covers up to my chin before the startled Dayth, who'd likely come to check on me, could register what had happened. Her startled laugh made me giggle at my own silliness in return.

She came and sat in the chair situated by the bed and asked how I was doing. Not sure how she did it, but her gently spoken questions lured pretty much my whole life story out of me in very little time. After which I gently coaxed information about her own little missing princess from her, as turn about is fair play and all. She was sobbing delicately into my shoulder by the time she had confirmed what her boys had told me... That a crusty old Patriarch had used his position to snatch her baby girl in order to brainwash the poor little bobbin to be his perfect pet. Nasty old fart didn't even need her for bloodline continuity's sake, he just wanted a pretty little doll that he'd pretty much custom ordered.

I told Dayth that on my world such behavior was not only socially unacceptable, but that the male in question would have found his pervy old ass tossed in prison rather than accommodated. She sniffled a bit as she wistfully admits that she wished my worlds laws were her own. When I mentioned that I suspected that there could be other Patriarchs that would support her and Adlar-Batoor were they to lodge a formal complaint, she turned cautiously hopeful eyes to me and asked if I truly thought so. I nodded encouragingly and suggested she discuss the idea with her honey-kins, and that we could discuss it more in the morning.

Thankfully she was just as eager as I to hit the hay, and scooted out the door shortly after bidding me a restful sleep. I really did think they had a chance to get her back, but then I had take a moment to realize... I had no idea just how long the poor kid had been gone already, or how traumatized she may already be. I was only privy to the fact that she'd been unwillingly collected at the age of twelve. But not how long ago that was exactly. Because let's face it, no twelve year old needs to know anything about what goes on between the sheets or how to make a person happy between said sheets. They should be outside playing sports, or socializing with their friends, or doing some kind of innocuous hobby. Not being forced to learn how to be some kind of non-con cross breed of a sub-pet and a stepford wife, as it were. And these girls were being raised to think it was normal in most cases on top of that. It was all just so wrong... as they were not being given an educated choice in the matter. They were just being made to suffer for the butt-hurt feelings of some immature religious figure from generations ago.

As I lay there in the bed of a girl who should be in it instead of me, I knew I had at least part of my answer as to why the rest of the world despised these people. Anyone who could allow such things to be done to their most vulnerable members would be reviled. Now to discover what made them think they had the right to enslave the Leonade, and hopefully set as least a few of them free on the sly. Of course that would depend in large part on them still having enough fight left in them to try, as well as enough spark to extent some trust in what would no doubt be my odd little self, to them. I nodded to myself, confirming what my mission to cause both chaos and assistance while I was here would entail. As I drifted off to la la land with a hopeful optimism coloring my emotions, I discovered I had made a rather unexpected blunder...

I found myself in a hut of some sort. I looked around curiously and saw I was in what looked like a fur and grass nest. It has suspiciously familiar golden feathers scattered in and around it. I got up on my knees and called out experimentally, "Goldest?" A sudden loud thudding noise could be heard from beyond the huts doorway covering. It was getting louder as the thudding drew closer. My very shocked looking putty-tat burst through into the hut and made straight for me, bowling me over in his excitement. You are here! But how?