Title: In The Beginning
Chapter 2
“Chosen.” The word was still on Ahn’s lips as she floated slowly towards consciousness. She was utterly relaxed and more comfortable than she had ever been. Being able to just lie in a bed without having any pressing chore waiting was a novelty. She clung to the last bits of sleep tightly. Whatever she was stretched out on was softer and smoother than anything she’d ever slept on. Where ever she was, it was exactly warm enough for her. She didn’t want to wake up. She wanted to stay in this wonderful dream world.
Ahn couldn’t hold awareness at bay forever. Her light blue eyes fluttered open. The dream didn’t vanish though. She was still lying on a soft bed covered with an amazing fabric. It felt like someone had managed to weave cloth out of the wind. synsilk An unknown word appeared in her mind. She had never heard it or anything like it, but she was certain that was the word for this. “Synsilk” she sighed, savoring the sinuous sound.
She was rather surprised to find herself awake, unrestrained, and able to move. She wasn’t in utter darkness for once either. There was a soft white light shining from small lamps built into the walls. She was in a room nearly the size of the common area of her family’s home. This was no mudbrick hovel; the walls were smooth. As far as she could tell in the dimness her bed was the only piece of furniture.
She lay there a while, but there was nothing more she could learn about her surroundings without leaving her bed. She sighed and sat upright, treasuring the feel of her naked body sliding on the frictionless sheet. The floor was not as comfortable, but it still felt quite nice on her oddly sensitive soles. it won’t hurt my knees to kneel on this. Ahn’s brow wrinkled a second at the strange thought, but it was probably true. She stretched, and then thought she saw movement at the other end of the room. “Hello?” Ahn said. She knew what she had said was a perfectly normal greeting, but the sounds themselves were somehow totally foreign. She stood up, hoping to ask whoever was there what was going on. Then she froze.
The other person was a naked girl, and she was stunning. Stunning in the most literal way possible, Ahn could only stare. Fortunately she seemed just as surprised to see Ahn. They stared at each other rudely. This girl had long chestnut colored hair and olive skin. She was slender with flowing curves. She had elegantly toned legs made for dancing, and strong sculpted arms meant to wrap around a lover. Ahn stared at the arc of her hips and admired how it led to the girl’s firm smooth stomach. The girl had beautiful breasts, high and firm with cute perky nipples. They looked like they were exactly a handful. Ahn absently lifted her right hand toward her own meager chest. Only when this beautiful girl did the same did it dawn on her that she could be looking at her own reflection.
Nothing about that idea made sense. Reflections happened in still water, or on polished bits of copper or obsidian. They didn’t stand life sized in dimly lit rooms. mirror, another word appeared. it’s a mirror. it’s made of glass. Knowing that only raised further questions, and that couldn’t possibly be her real reflection. She didn’t look like that. Reluctantly, Ahn tore her eyes from the beautiful girl and looked down at herself.
She saw that mirror-girl’s beautiful breasts, her rounded hips. With a much closer view she could also appreciate her smooth flawless skin. There didn’t seem to be a single hair on her other than what flowed from her head and a small strip above her sex. Everything about this girl’s body was perfect.
Disbelief warred with joy. She looked at the mirror and accepted she was seeing her own eyes. She laughed, and then laughed more at the sight of the mouthful of shining white teeth. Perfect she thought. Deliriously happy she raced across the room. She stopped within reach of the mirror, wanting to appreciate her new body in detail.
Her hands were trembling. Slowly she brought a finger up toward the underside of her breast. Soflty, so softly, she touched it. It wasn’t a mirage, it didn’t vanish. “Oh!” Ahn sighed, dragging her finger up in a slow swirl. It felt so good, and her hands were so soft. She softly flicked her own stiff nipple, letting out a noise that was half gasp and half laugh. She locked eyes with herself as her other hand drifted slowly over her firm belly. She loved the light that kindled there as her hand crept slowly down.
Years ago one of the old women of Ahn’s village had told her she would feel better if she took her pleasure into her own hands. “Even if you were married, dear, you’d wind up having to see to yourself most of the time.” Unfortunately that woman was rather deaf, and delivered all her wisdom in thunderous bellows. People snickered and Ahn was humiliated again. But later she had tried to follow her advice. It was no use; she couldn’t get herself very excited before her mind inevitably went to that night at the Gathering. Then she would feel ugly and worthless as all desire fled her.
Ahn was staring into the eyes of a girl who would never have that problem. Nobody could ever humiliate her. She was too beautiful and fearless and strong. Ahn’s fingers gently traced along the edges of her warm, wet womanhood. Her other hand circled her nipple. The girl in the mirror had a body built for pleasure. She was breathing hard. Her eyes were half closed. She was meant to enjoy, and to be enjoyed. She slipped a finger inside herself and sighed. She looked at herself, flushed and panting under her own hands, and couldn’t help laughing. “You’re so vain. Getting so hot for your own reflection,” she said aloud, not noticing the strange sound of her words. The girl in the mirror was smiling back at her with that beautiful smile, her eyes smoldering. She didn’t stop. She pushed her finger in deeper. She closed her eyes. She squeezed her breast. She moaned. She brought her thumb to the stiff nub above her slit.
Release hit her hard. She squealed, she saw stars, her legs collapsed under her. Reflex brought her hand off her breast in time to stop her from falling face first into the mirror. Instead she slowly slipped down to her knees as her wonderful new hips twitched and shuddered. Years of tension, frustration and shame burst out of her in a single glorious wet moment. Ahn could only kneel there, resting her head on her arm, taking deep breaths. The scent of herself was intoxicating.
The floor was warm, soft and smooth. It really didn’t feel bad to kneel on it. Ahn was quite comfortable. this is where i should be. this is how i should be. kneeling and wet and ready The strange thoughts were like half-heard whispers. At that moment Ahn couldn’t disagree with them. The idea of staying down here on her knees drifting in the afterglow forever was quite appealing. But ready for what?
Master. Right. That was what she was Chosen for, to be one of the brides of the Master. Ahn wondered what he would be like. i love Him so much. That seemed a bit premature, but she was certainly feeling good about him. He sent the light. He chose me. He made me beautiful All strong arguments in his favor. Ahn would be willing to overlook quite a lot of faults in a potential husband who did all that for her. But she should really see him at least once before falling in love with him. She should try and find him. She needed to thank him. Which meant opening her eyes and getting off her knees. So she should do that. One day.
She gradually became aware that there was more light and warmth around her than she remembered. So far lights shining on her had led to something interesting. Abduction, testing, questioning, changing; all these things began with light. i’m so lucky the light found me. This new light was probably something new and wonderful too. Still kneeling with her eyes closed Ahn straightened her back with her arms at her sides. She smiled at the feeling of her lovely new butt resting on her heels. this is right.
It did feel good to kneel like this. It made her feel ready for whatever came next. She held her head up, took three deep breaths, and then opened her eyes.
She’d been prepared for something strange. She was still stunned by what she saw. The light on her face was nothing but sunlight. The mirror had vanished and now the glass was almost perfectly clear. She was looking out at blue sky and an impossibly green expanse of forest. And beyond that…
Ahn had heard of the sea. Second and third hand tales said that if you followed the river down out of the hills and stayed with it through the broad flat floodplain you would eventually come to a vast marshland. If you somehow found your way through that you came to it, water without end. Ahn had also heard that if you went upriver far enough you came to a mountain with a cave leading to the land of the dead. Maybe that was true too, because Ahn could see the waves breaking on a sandy beach.
She waited a moment to see if anything was about to happen to her. When she was convinced nothing was coming, she focused on what she was seeing. It seemed like this room was on a mountain. The sides were covered with trees like nothing she’d ever imagined, and more stretched out on a flat plain leading to the shore. She could see the trees sway and sometimes distant flecks of color darting between them. It was all so beautiful, even the smudge on the glass where she had been resting. She loved that smudge, it was proof this was real. She never would have thought to imagine a smudge.
it changed when i touched it. Ahn tapped it, and the mirror was back and everything was dimly lit by the lamps again. it’s a reactive surface. That made sense, except for the words that described it. She tapped it again and it changed back. it’s a mirror, or a window, and a door.
A door? She instantly found the handle on the edge once she thought to look. Ahn was still not used to knowing things she had no way of knowing, but she stood and reached for it. The glass slid effortlessly, and she could feel the wind off the sea and hear the cries of countless strange creatures.
There was a floor out there, made of the same comfortable material as the one inside. Ahn stepped out into the sun. She walked to the edge, finding a glass wall that came up to just above her waist. She leaned over, resting her arms on the top. She unconsciously arched her back and raised her hips to better display her curves as she gazed at the sea.
Ahn could have been there for hours, or perhaps only seconds. She might have stood there for the rest of her life if she didn’t hear something behind her.
“Beautiful” her Master said.