The Dakini Hunt (Pt. 1) (IC)

[DukeVan Acker]

I opened my eyes. For a minute, I'm confused. The stone ceiling of my room in Iqisray Khait is gone. The ceiling resembles tatami, only larger, and a sprinkle of dirt is falling down on me, tickling my nose. I sit up straight, my eyes adjusting to the dim light. At least my potted plant Bob is still there by my feet. Hi Bob.

Why was I here again, at the Dakini Land retreat? I rubbed my head, and pulled on the pants crumpled at the foot of my cot. I had slept in the shirt I'd worn on the shuttle. The High Priestess had been vague. I stretched and stood up, making my way to the common room, dodging vines that had inexplicably been allowed to make their way through the roof of the retreat. Opening the sliding doors to the outside, I blinked.

There was a woman I had never seen before looking me straight in the eyes.

"Hello and welcome to Dakini," I eventually said lamely. The woman was dressed in khaki shorts and a tank top, sporting a heavy black collar necklace. "I'm Duke, did you have any questions?" As if I had any answers.

"I'm NishiSuzuki. What are you doing?" She stared at me blankly.

What was I doing? A good question.

"Well, I've been stationed here temporarily by the Companion's Guild. I'll be working on a little project for the next few days."

"What...purojecto?" she asked. A Japanese accent. Interesting.

"To chronicle the Dakini phenomenon, as thoroughly as possible before this planet is closed to outsiders," I explained, turning my back on her and gesturing towards the beach. "You're rather lucky to be visiting now. Within two weeks, this area will be off limits."

I turned around again and she was gone. Vanished.

My jaw dropped. I looked comically under the porch and then between my legs. No, she wasn't approaching for a back stab.

"Fancy a wrestle?"

"Who said that?" I whipped around again. It wasn't Ms. Suzuki's voice. She must have wandered off into the underbrush. It was my first Dakini.

It was egg-shaped, floating at approximately three feet off the ground between the shore and the Companion's Retreat house. A golden multiarmed figure beckoned from within.

"Dance. Dance.. Dance.. Dance... Dance.. Keep on Dancing!" it spoke again. To me or no one in particular, it was impossible to tell. I approached more closely and placed my hand on its smooth surface. It was cool to the touch.

"Image recognition," I spoke to myself, my HUD within my cybernetic eye searching through my data base.

Transitional Tzatrawarmini

Dakini (Vajrayogini)

One of the eight heroines of the body in Tibetan Buddhism.

"That does not tell me a whole lot," I murmured to myself.

"I wonder when you will stride up the mountain," it said again absentmindedly.

"Not until after breakfast," I replied. I pulled my Camyo out, programmed it to target the Dakini and myself and flicked it out and back to take a pic.

"Probably lunch..."

[Beeflin Grut]

Great storytelling