The Lexal Affair by DM Arnold (grave mercy TXT) 📖

adrift in deep space, its crew and passengers dying. I saw our homeworld, empty and uninhabited. We must find a way home, Andra. I must return to her.”

“Return to her you shall,” she replied.

“I wish I was so sure.”

“With the exception of a few, everyone on this world believes Janna was aboard that shuttle. Undoubtedly, they're looking for us.”

“I suppose you're right.”

“Besides, from what you've taught me of the temporal paradox... If your hallucination were to come true ... you and I wouldn't be here talking about it.”

Kyto entered the hut. He looked at Andra. She glanced at Nyk. “I don't need to speak his language to know when I'm not welcome. I'll leave the men to their men-talk,” she said and stepped outside.

The old man followed her with his eyes. “You did well.”

“What now?” Nyk asked.

“Now, you are a member of the village. Come, you must be recognized. Tonight we feast in your honor.”

“Kyto, do you feast in honor of every event?”

“As many as possible,” the old man answered with a twinkle in his eye. Now, come. You won the first place.”

“First place?”

“Yes -- you bore the poison the best -- you were the last to vomit. You get first choice.”

“I didn't realize it was a competition. First choice of what?”

“You must choose a maiden. Then, tonight we feast in honor of our new villagers.”

Kyto led Nyk to the doorway of the lodge, where he joined the other two youths. Kyto raised his staff and addressed the assembled villagers. “We welcome three to our village.”

The villagers began chanting. An elderly woman led five young women to face Kyto. Nyk saw Vipsa among them.

“Choose a maiden,” Kyto whispered to Nyk.

“What for? Kyto, I already have a woman.”

“This is part of the initiation ritual. You must choose.”

Nyk stepped forward. “I choose Vipsa.”

Vipsa's lips formed a faint smile. She bowed her head and stepped back. The two youths chose their partners.

Kyto tapped his staff on the ground. “We convene at sundown for the feast. Now, make ready.”

Nyk followed Kyto into his workroom at the rear of the lodge. “You made a good choice,” Kyto said. “Vipsa is a nice girl. I wish I could make her my apprentice.”

“Why can't you?”

“The village would never accept a woman as their healer.”

“Kyto, faced with the choice of Vipsa or no one, they'd accept her.”

“Ylak will become my apprentice when he's of age.”

“Ylak doesn't want to be healer -- he wants to be chief. Can't you see that?” Kyto glanced at him. “Vipsa's smart and eager, and she already knows much.”

Kyto nodded. “I've shown her more than I should. You're right, Nykkyo. Ylak does have his eye on the throne.”

“You're teaching Vipsa on the sly.”

The old man smiled. “The forbidden fruit is often the sweetest.”

“Did you encourage her to approach me at the village assemblies? The rest of the villagers prefer to keep their distance.”

“They fear the unknown -- the unfamiliar. Vipsa doesn't -- her mind has an appetite, and I've been feeding it -- as have you. I'm getting old. Some day -- and fairly soon, I'm afraid -- it will fall upon Vipsa. I've waited a long time for a youth to come along -- one with an open mind and a desire to learn.”

“That youth came and she's a girl.”

“Yes ... You observe well. I had hopes for Ylak, but his mind doesn't hunger -- his appetite is for power. The village may have no choice but to rely on her.” Kyto approached his workbench and examined some earthen jars. He opened one and invited Nyk to sniff it. Scratched into the side of the jar was the same pictogram Vipsa had drawn for him. “Vipsa compounded these oils for me. She'll be busy today readying herself. I am pleased you chose her, Nykkyo. I care for her and I know you're a kind and gentle man.”

“Kind and gentle? What happens next?”

“Tonight, after the feast, you will go to Vipsa in Kwama's hut and open her.”

“Open her?”

“Yes, to initiate her into womanhood.”

“Do you mean make love to her? She must be a virgin!”

“Of course she is.”

“I'm no virgin, Kyto.”

The old man cracked a smile. “Neither are the two youths.”

“I really don't want to do this.”

“Nykkyo, is there a reason you're objecting?”

“It's ... it's ... it's that ... defiling virgins ... isn't something I go around doing!”

“But, you're not. This is her rightful initiation into womanhood. If she were to give herself to a man and lie with him before tonight -- that would be defilement.”

“She seems so young.”

“She's of age and fully eligible.”

“I've pledged my love to another woman.”

“One of the two with you?”

“No. My woman's on another world.”

“Then, she's not here to object, is she? You must do this, Nykkyo. You accepted initiation into the village. This is part of the ritual, and it's too late for you to back out of it, now.”

“What if Andra or Nayva objected?”

“That would ... complicate matters. I can't recall such a precedent. I hope for everyone's sake they hold their tongues.”

“But... but...”

“Enjoy yourself tonight. It's a happy occasion for Vipsa, and if I know Kwama, she'll be well prepared.”

“Prepared?”

“Kwama will have explained to her what she should expect.”

“Am I now married to Vipsa?”

“Married? I don't know that word.”

“Is Vipsa now my mate -- my partner for life?”

“Oh, no. If you don't desire pairing with her, you're under no obligation.”

“After tonight, that is.”

“Yes, that's right. After tonight, you and Vipsa may go your separate ways.”

“Kyto, how do families work within the village?”

“Families? I don't know that word, either.”

“Children -- How are children cared for?”

“Children belong to the village. Rearing them is women's work. Women who have milk feed the infants. Once a child reaches adolescence, a sponsor is assigned -- a man for a boy and a woman for a girl.”

“So, Ylak's not really the chief's son?”

“The chief is Ylak's sponsor.”

“Who are Ylak's mother and father?”

“His mother is Kwama. His father is ... who knows? One of several men.”

“So, the men and women pair up ... however they want?”

“Yes -- some pairings last for years and others only for days. The chief was paired with Kwama when Ylak reached adolescence. He desired to be the boy's sponsor.”

“You wanted to sponsor Ylak.”

Kyto nodded. “What the chief wants, he usually gets. Tonight we will pass the pipe in your honor. You may not indulge -- you'll need your full faculties for Vipsa.”

“Kyto, there were five maidens but only two youths.”

“We're fortunate to have a surplus of maidens.”

“Did that surplus have anything to do with your people inviting me to join?”

“You're perceptive for such a young man. I was hoping to inject some new blood into the village.”

“You mean for me to make her pregnant? I'm afraid it's not possible -- I'm sterile.”

Kyto shook his head. “That's a shame. No matter -- we'll still have another fertile woman joining our ranks.”

“What if there had been a surplus of youths?”

“We can only induct as many as we have maidens. Some would have to wait.” Kyto opened a cabinet and withdrew a small earthen jug and handed it to Nyk. “You may use this. It's a rare, fragrant oil -- pleasing to women. The blossom that yields this is very scarce. Now, you should join one of the hunting parties.”

Nyk walked to his hut. “What was that about?” Andra asked.

“I'm expected to deflower Vipsa tonight.”

“Lucky you!”

“No. I don't want to do this.”

“Don't protest too vehemently, Nyk -- if you wish to maintain your credibility. Vipsa is a cute girl.”

“I hadn't noticed.”

“Don't lie to me,” Andra replied, “you're not good at it. You can't convince me you aren't the least bit curious about what's underneath that long pelt coat she wears.”

“You know I've never liked making intimate with strangers. Kyto says I must do this -- it's all part of the initiation. I have a plan, though.”

“Which is?”

“I'll explain my situation to Vipsa and spend the night with her -- chastely, that is -- and in the morning we'll both agree she's no longer a virgin. After all, isn't virginity more than anything a state of mind?”

“Not to these people, I think,” Andra replied.

“If you'll excuse us,” Nayva interrupted, “Andra and I must go foraging for inkroot.”

Nyk sat on a dais made of lashed poles, his stomach full of game, inkroot and tubers. Earlier he had bathed in the stream flowing near the village. His bathing had been quick and cursory as the water was only a couple degrees above freezing. Kyto had lent him the feather-pelt robe he was wearing.

Beside him sat Vipsa, cross-legged. He regarded her -- her hair had been taken out of the cornrow braids she had been wearing. Now it formed a mane of soft, light red curls framing her face. Vipsa glanced up at him and her face broke into a broad smile. Nyk slipped his arm around her and she leaned against him. The spicy fragrance of her hair filled his nostrils.

On either side of him sat the other two youths and the young women they had chosen. The villagers began to chant and sing. Kyto produced the pipe and held it aloft. The women stood and began heading toward their huts. “I'll see you in a little while,” Vipsa whispered and stepped off the dais.

One after another, the men lifted the pipe to salute Nyk and the two youths. Then, the village men began heading toward their quarters.

Nyk stood near the entrance to the lodge. A late-middle-aged woman approached him carrying an earthenware grease lamp. “Nykkyo, I'm Kwama.”

“I'm pleased to meet you,” he replied. “Believe me, I'm fond of Vipsa and I won't do anything to hurt her.”

Kwama gave Nyk a frosty look as she regarded him. “Humph,” she said, “I suppose she could've done worse. Please come with me.” She led him to one of a cluster of huts and pulled back the hide flap that served as a door.

Nyk stepped into the structure -- larger than the hut he had been assigned. Inside was a stone hearth holding a small fire. Screens of woven twigs separated the interior space into rooms. The floor of lashed poles was carpeted with a layer of moist, green leaves from low-growing vines Nyk had spotted during the hunts. The place exuded a smoky, musty aroma.

“Why the leaves?” he asked, pointing at the floor. “Our hut doesn't have them.”

Kwama pointed toward the hearth. “Your hut doesn't have a fire. Should a spark fly -- the leaves won't burn.” She gestured him behind one of the screens. “Vipsa will join you shortly.” She hooked the grease lamp onto a cord hanging from a rafter pole and stepped outside the hut.

He regarded the room and saw a sleeping-frame, lashed together from heavy logs. Suspended inside the frame was a net woven of heavy, corded vegetable fibers and covered with a pair of feather-pelts. A hide bolster stuffed with dried leaves served as a pillow. He removed his robe and slid under the top pelt. The net bedding was firm yet yielding -- almost comfortable, in fact -- particularly after so many nights of sleeping on the hard floor of the storage hut. The thought crossed his mind that, now as full members of the village, the three of them might be assigned better accommodations.

Vipsa entered and stood at the foot of the platform. “Nykkyo, I've come, for you've chosen me,” she said, slipped from her feather-pelt and stood nude before him. Her torso bore intricate patterns rendered in a violet dye -- a sunburst surrounded her navel, vines covering her stomach led upward to an elaborate forest scene tableau across her breasts.

Nyk scanned her as she stood; and he realized his assessment had been wrong and Andra's had been right. Vipsa's face and stature might belong to a teen, but her body was a young adult's.

“I'm not too keen on this,” he said. “Are you?”

“I'm eager to join the village. The ordeal made you a member -- now you must make me one.”

“This is how you become an adult -- a woman?”

“Yes. Nykkyo, I'm honored you chose me. You earned the first place, and you chose ME! Now, you're unwilling. Don't I please you?”

“You're a very pretty girl, Vipsa.”

“Kwama bathed me and anointed me with fragrant oils...”

“You do smell sweet.”

“Don't you like my decorations?”

“They're stunning.” He turned back the top pelt. “Please, join me. You must be chilly standing there.” She slid under the cover with him. “These feather-pelts are very cozy.” He lay facing her and traced her eyebrows. “You have beautiful eyes.” He stroked her eyelids. “It seems odd to me to see blue, Asian eyes on a blond girl.”

“Asian? What does that mean?”

“The little fold of skin that gives your eyes their beautiful shape is called an