The Black Witch 4

"Alright lets get off this roof, and go cook up a traditional dish." my voice loud and clear. The remenants of my smile hung on my face in the form a what probably looked like a smirk. "Why would we have to cook?" Kuri's voice and inquesitive eyes asked the same thing. I turned toward the guard stationed at the roof's entryway "Simple, they refuse to cook for me here. Not that I trust them to do so. So, we'll have to enjoy the kitchen and try our best no to screw up the dish." My explination trailed me as I approached the guards with kuri, who had quickened her pace to walk beside me. "Hmm, izzat so?" Kuri proded. "Hey one of you gaurds, go tell the kitchen that I ,Kuriga, want a traditional dish of their chosing." Her command was met with confusion. "Lady Kuriga, we are to watch that scummy man at all times so we can't do that." The guard at the center of the door informed Kuri. This was met by an odd sensation where the sky around us went dark, sound no longer traveled, and Kuri's pressure was ever present. "I will watch him in place of one of you so there is no problem.I am the Black Witch Kuriga, nations tremble before me and the darkness that mankind fears heeds my call. If I ask something of you your response should be yes. Just so we are clear this man is a prince and lord of this nation. You who are but guards will adress him as such." Her warning was spoken directly into our minds with a calm even voice. Kuri's enrapturing voice had such a weight to it that even knowing it was not meant for me my body was covered in goosebumps.

The atmosphere that once held us in place disappeared as fast as it had appeared. The guards were held in place for some ten seconds after it had fallen. The central guard came to first, her bow was so deep that her torso was parallel with the ground. "My apologies, I will inform the kitchen staff posthaste." She was covered in sweat and her eyes were like that of an animal cornered by a massive predator. Yet her voice showed none of it. The guard rushed off to escape the pure force of nature who had the body of beautiful woman. Kuri's scowl lasted longer than she intended as she quickly put a forced smile on to cover it up after the guard left. There was something awe inspiring in that scowl. Her blue eyes glowed as if they were the hottest flames in a sprawling fire. I couldn't help but stare mouth agape at her. "Lets go dear expirement." her call pulled me back in to the moment. "Ok, do you think that was a bit harsh miss researcher?" The question pulled a small pout from kuri "Miss researcher?? why not dear researcher? Can you not be so formal." Her response made that pure display of power seem a dream. "Hahaha, my apologies. I thought only to give you the respect that display demanded. Let's go dear researcher." This pulled forth that devious smile I knew.

On our way to the ground floor where the kitchen and the massive dinning room was situated the terrified guard informed us that the meal would take roughly an hour. The guards led us to a lounge room, where kuri sat herself in an armchar with her legs crossed over an arm. "We have time to kill so lets talk about your past elliot." Her demand was highlighted by those eyes that wanted to know everything. "What do you want to know Kuri?" I answered her greed. "First how would one who is not an entertainer of some sort know so many songs?" Her first question caught me off gaurd. It drew a soft chuckle from me. "Thats what you want know? How do you know I was not an entertainer?" I asked in an attempt to tease her. "I could tell from your humming, it was not beautiful." The fair response still wounded my fragile ego that pertained to my musical prowess. "Fair enough. It's rather simple, bands and singers would perform their songs in a place where specialized machinery would record the sound. Then that recorded sound would be distributed to the masses in different forms for a price." The explination was a challenge as I tried to avoid any lingo that was relegated to my homeworld. "Oh, I see. So one could listen to this music anytime so long as they paid? How did they listen to it?" The question was overshadowed by the gears obviously turning in Kuri's head. I wondered what fantastical things she was imagining. "Many people owned a special device that remebered the recorded sound and played it, they had their limits but you could listen quite a bit." Upon hearing this Kuri put her left hand in a half fist up to her mouth with her index finger resting gently on her plump limps. The conversation about listening to music continued with me answering Kuri's almost infinite well of questions and musings.

About half an hour into our conversation the three guards that had been subject to Kuri's display of power switched with the first three that I had met. "Did you thin-" "Excuse me Lady Kuriga." The voice that once guarded the stairs interrupted Kuri's question. "How may I help you?" Kuri's voice was twinged with annoyance, but her overall good mood kept it minimal. "I feel I should warn you about this person. He will attempt to make you drop your gaurd so that he may enact his nefarious plots. While this may be no concern for you the rest of us may be affected by your deamonor and let ourselves be victims to his plans." I was sure that the gaurds matter of fact explination would draw out the ire of the force of nature lazing on the arm chair. Kuri turned her gaze to me and smirked "Tell me Elliot are you some villanous actor?" the pitch of her voice let me know she wanted to tease the guard. "You have caught me. I am the most villanous man alive." I confessed letting my tone match hers. The gullible gaurd bit harder than an alligator. "See, he fears you so he can't lie now." Her confidence drew out a wheezing laugh from myself and my partner in crime. "Listen he is under a spell that lets me see in his mind. I would see any mal intent long before he could do anything. What's even more, what have you seen that suggests such plans aside from your baseless assumptions?" Her laugh faded as she attempted to assuage the gullible guards fears. "He is a man so they are not baseless ." She answered growing red. "What's your name?" Kuri skirted the ridiculous fact put forth by the gaurd. "My name is saki" Her redness was halted with the question "I'm a witch and there have been many witches who were despicable. I am despicable as well?" The guard remained silent. "I still do not trust him." The guard retaliated with her eyes turned down.

"Now now dear Saki, no need to be so wary of my dear Elliot." That fake smile waltzed over while offering this guidance. For an instant I felt my drive disappear, but I caught her signal. Lora wanted to ensure that Kuri would see our joyous union. I knew it was futile but hopefully Kuri would call it out. "Thank you, my kind princess. Always to my rescue." the words felt as though I was telling every person I loved that I hated them. I could feel the inquestive eyes I wanted to look into scruntinizing me. They remained silent though. "I conviced the chefs to make some appetizers, shall we go eat some before Lady Kuriga's expirement with you?" Those large disdainful eyes asked me. The question was meant to be obeyed. "You didn't have to trouble the chefs just for me. You're to kind honey. Let us go enjoy the fruits of your kindness" My concession was the obvious choice. Thus Lora led Kuri to the dinning hall with the guards and me in tow. "Thats some excellent acting" Kuri's honeyed voice poured into my head. "I do what I must to avoid annoyances and possibly severe backlash" I thought back in an attempt to justify my part in the charade. "Ah how very cowardly of you. Your contempt and fear of this harlot almost made it impossible for me to think earlier." The chastizing brought my opinion of my situation even lower. "I'm kidding my fragile expirement. I know you have to do this to survive. Don't forget that you are someone who intrests me greatly. I will not allow you to be broken." The understanding that permeated Krui's smooth voice filled my head and drove back the feelings of defeat.

With a renewed strength and Kuri's care we entered the dinning hall for our meal. Once the three of us were seated at the massive mahogany esque table a serveer walked in carrying a rectangular platter. She handed the three of us our plates. Thinly cut rolled meats with some unknown filling were arranged in a circular pattern. Almost in unision kuri, my wife, and I took a bite of one of the tubes. As I swallowed my tongue went numb and a strange burning sensation followed the chunk of food down my throat. My lungs could not pull any oxygen and the world became fuzzy. "Ah, I'll die by poisoning before I can find any extended respite." The thought entered my head, but I fought. With blurred sight I could see guards frozen in place mid draw. "Elliot it's okay." I felt that warm hand on my cheek. Kuri's voice signaled a revival of my breath. "Lora, lora, lora. Surely you did not try to kill someone who I wish to observe in front of me." My reawekened sense could feel a bloodlust so heavy that Lora fell from her seat. "Does this world need to be reminded of the power of my unbridled rage?"