‘THE DOVE'S SHADOW’
The slight beep caused Nisha to open her eyes and turn to look at the beaten-up pager on her bedside table.
Reaching out she grabbed the device and looked at the message, before cautiously swinging her legs out of bed, careful not to wake her sleeping girlfriend, silently dozing besides her. Sneaking out of the room, she pulled on a business blouse and a pair of suit trousers, before pulling her dark hair into a tight bun. Looking at the pager again, Nisha sighed and walked down the stairs, before unlocking the door and walking outside, the full moon shining down at the condo grounds. Scanning the garden, Nisha’s gaze stopped on a pale white dove grooming itself on an exposed piece of rock.
“You called.” Nisha asked the dove as she walked over to the bird, its head stopped mid groom.
“You lost what?” She continued as the dove cooed and flapped its wings slightly and cocked its head to one side.
“Yes, I understand that I’m your vassal.” Nisha sighed as she bent down to look the dove in one of its eyes.
“Okay I will do as you wish and recover what was lost. Now where is it you said you lost them.” The dove cooed and flapped its wings twice before bobbing its head and walking to the edge of the rock.
“Again?” Nisha sighed as she placed a hand on her head. “What did we agree?” She asked the dove as it took to the air and flew over her head, a spray of liquid waste striking Nisha in the face. “Of course.” She growled before whipping the bird faeces off herself and walking towards the entrance to the condo complex.
Club Kigal, Tampa Bay…
Nisha looked up at the blue neon sign of a skull with a star clamped between its teeth and shook her head. While most clubs would still have a queue of people waiting outside, Club Kigal looked abandoned, save for the massive ogre of a man dressed in a suit standing guard outside.
“You don’t belong here Miss,” the bouncer grunted as he looked the coffee skinned woman up and down, straining to remember where he had seen her before.
“My shadow is my mask.” Nisha grumble as she walked up to the bouncer, the man looking down at her before shrugging and removing a scanner from his belt.
“Can’t risk a narc getting in.” The bouncer growled as he scanned Nisha from head to toe, the device remaining silent through the whole process. “You’re clean.” He added as he opened the door for the young woman.
“For your troubles.” Nisha told him as she fished a ten dollar bill out of her suit jacket pocket and handed it to the man. “Have a good evening.” She added as she walked inside, heading down a set of stairs to a dive bar, the few patrons coughing and choking as they took sips from dusty flagons with chipped edges. Heading to the bar Nisha sat down on a stool and placed her hands on the bar, the bar tender walking over, his gaunt face pulled into a sneer, his yellow eyes unblinking and slitted like a serpent.
“Nisha returns, the shadow of the dove of peace and war.” The bartender hissed as he cricked his neck to reveal four tumours on each side, thick burning green sap dripping onto the floor.
“Well, where the dove goes, I go.” Nisha replied as she pushed her hands together and looked him in the eyes, the tumours on his neck dripping even faster as he nervously drummed his fingers on the bar. “And I know she didn’t stop here, so I can’t linger here.”
“Of…of course.” The bartender hissed as he slipped a piece of paper to Nisha, a sixteen-digit code written on it.
Taking the piece of paper. Nisha sauntered over to a corridor that led to the club’s toilets, the third door locked with an electronic deadlock. Typing the code in Nisha heard the deadlock slide open, before pulling the door open the sound of baying people and heavy-duty house music radiating up from the underground space.
Heading down as a figure in a funeral shroud headed up, Nisha stepped off the stairs into an underground space with a dance floor, bar and boxing arena. The majority of the denizens of the club were dancing, but a few were gathered around the arena where a woman dressed in green holding a long-handled scythe, its blade glowing pink blocking blows from a man with spiked gauntlets and spinning buzzsaws on his shoulders and elbows.
Watching the fight for a while Nisha turned as she heard a scream of pain to see a boxer with a broken nose, cut lip and bruises on this bare chest clutching a wound created by a scorpion tail snaking out of the skull of a women dressed in a burkah. Hovering both of them was a middle-aged man dressed in a wife beater shirt and jeans, his greased hair slicked back to reveal a weathered face.
“You sicken me Meteor Fist.” The man in the wife beater boomed, a slight lisp in his voice as the scorpion tail snaked back from the wounded man, the bruising on his face being to fade. “You couldn’t even last three rounds with Massasunga! I had to put Rhapsody and the Gladiator on earlier than scheduled!”
“He was killing me!” Meteor Fist groaned as his nose reset and the woman in the burkah walked away from where she had performed her cruel medical miracle. “I have a family to support!”
“And I have a business to run.” The fight coordinator snorted as a scream echoed around the room as the Gladiator cut through the woman’s scythe only to be repelled backwards as a sonic blast emanated from the broken weapon. “You are going to get back up and give me the remaining three rounds you owe me and the Conspiracy!” He grunted as Nisha walked over, causing both men to look at her.
“Well, if it isn’t the Dove’s Shadow!” The fight coordinator stated as he stepped over Meteor Fist to loom over Nisha. “I warned you what would happen if you came back to this club!” He added as Nisha crossed her arms, not even flinching as the Gladiator slammed Rhapsody into the nearest post, even as a sonic blade was stabbed into his eye.
“Regardless, I’m here, and all three of us need something.” Nisha stated as the sonic blade detonated throwing the Gladiator across the ring, the force knocking him out, the crowd cheering. “I want what I came for, Meteor Fist wants to live and you need a fighter. Everyone wins.” She added as a team of men in AIM beekeeper uniforms and the woman in the burkah ran out into the ring to tend to the two wounded fighters.
“You’re willing to die for what she left behind?” The fight coordinator asked as the AIM team began to drag Gladiator out of the ring.
“I am her vassal; she has asked,” Nisha replied in a professional voice that masked any fear she felt as she looked at Rhapsody, the winner of the last fight, her right arm hanging off her body only remaining attached by a few sinews, “and I must do as she commands.”
Nisha stood in the ring as her opponent, a bare-chested man with a bald head tattooed with a serpent’s maw vaulted into the arena before shucking the quiver of javelins he was armed with onto the floor. Flexing his muscles, the combatant and roared for the crowd as they took photographs and handed slips of paper for the man to autograph.
“And in the red corner we have Nisha, the Shadow of the Dove!” The Fight Coordinator boomed as a red spotlight lit up where Nisha was standing dressed in her blouse and trousers, her jacket hanging off the post in the corner of the ring. “And in the blue corner we have the king of the ring, the Serpent Lord Massasunga!” As the words left his lips, the crowd cheered and hollowed, excited to see the carnage that was about to unfold.
And then the bell rung…
With a grunt Massasunga struck as fast as his namesake, and slammed his fist into Nisha’s face with enough force to crack her skull, before following up with a rib shattering strike. Wheezing and coughing Nisha had just enough time to see Massasunga grab her by the head and slam her into the ground. Turning away to pose for the crowd, Massasunga heard Nisha stir and get back to her feet, her body bruised and battered.
“You have strength woman, but now the serpent strikes!” Massasunga growled as he struck with an open-handed strike, only for that strike to transform into a black skinned snake and latch onto Nisha’s arm, causing the woman to scream. “My venom will cause you pain beyond what you can imagine.” He hissed, as the serpent transformed back into his human arm, his grasp unrelenting as he threw Nisha over his shoulder to the opposite side of the ring. Seconds later Nisha struggled to her feet, and looked at her opponent as he showboated, the cheering dying down, now filled with a dead silence.
Turning round Massasunga looked at Nisha with an intense anger before clicking his fingers, his towel boy tossing him one of the javelins from his discarded quiver. With a grunt he threw the projectile at Nisha, the spear transforming into a black scaled rattlesnake that struck Nisha in the throat. Struggling with the serpent Nisha had just enough time to see Massasunga power across the ring, seconds before he tossed her over his shoulder and delivered a powerful kick as she landed sending her and the snake skidding across the ring.
“I am the serpent, and I am the king of this ring!” Massasunga boomed as the snake moved into position to strike Nisha again. Ignoring the showboating fighter Nisha looked down at the snake and cocked her head slightly.
“I see.” Nisha told the snake. “I must admit you are quite a handsome reptile.” She added as the snake froze in its strike position still hissing, its tongue flicking out.
“I promise to release you somewhere nice if you want.” Nisha told the snake, causing it to relax as Massasunga turned to look at the pair. “Somewhere he can’t use you as a weapon.” She added as the snake slunk backwards allowing the woman to get to her feet, just in time for her adversary to throw her back down to the floor and grab the snake.
“We are in a battle and you prattle on with that traitorous wyrm?!” Massasunga growled as he twisted the snake’s head snapping the vertebrae of the neck before dropping it to the floor. “Get up and fight!” He ordered as Nisha pulled the dying snake over to her and whispered under her breath to it. “So be it.” He hissed as he swung at Nisha, only for her to block the blow with her middle finger.
“Show some respect, this creature served you and you broke it. Let its final moments be peaceful.” Nisha ordered in an even voice, albeit one that caused the baying crowd to fall silent. Bowing her head, Nisha stroked the snake with her free hand as it thrashed in pain before becoming still.
“I’m sorry.” Nisha replied as she got to her feet and walked a few steps away from Massasunga before turning to face him, his fist’s already in motion. Thrusting her palm out, Nisha caught the blow and pushed back, the bones in her attacker’s arm snapping as Massasunga screamed in pain. Cradling his arm, Massasunga looked at Nisha before transforming his uninjured arm into a black scaled serpent and swung at the woman, the jaws locking round her hand and slithered forward up over to the wrist towards her elbow.
“Doves are food to snakes.” Massasunga hissed as Nisha narrowed her eyes to glower at him. “And when a dove is eaten, she had no shadow.” He sneered, before fingers stabbed through the bottom of his serpent arm. Screaming he saw Nisha retract her arm from the serpent hand’s mouth, the flesh on the snake’s belly ripping open.
“Its true snakes do eat birds.” Nisha replied as she pushed Massasunga to the ground and delivered a stomp to the wrestler’s forehead, knocking him out. “Now somebody bring me what I came for.” She stated as a mixture of boos and cheers rang out from the audience as the AIM team entered the ring to remove Massasunga.
Walking over to the dead snake, Nisha picked up the dead reptile and went to retrieve her jacket. As she did the fight coordinator brought a wooden box carved with the same star eating skull from outside the club on the lid of the box.
“Your prize.” The coordinator huffed as he placed the box on a table while Nisha vaulted out of the ring and landed in front of him. Placing her free hand on the box, Nisha bowed her head and nodded before placing the box on her shoulder. “You went through all of that for the contents. Either you’re insane or desperate.”
“The word is devoted.” Nisha replied as she headed for the stairs up to the club’s façade.
Nisha entered the condo and placed the box down next to the rock, the dove sitting on the rock, cocking its head as it watched her. Opening the box, Nisha removed a white silk dress, golden crown, two golden bracelets, golden torc and a silver breastplate and placed them on the ground in front of the rock.
Turning away from the rock, Nisha scratched a small hole in the dirt and placed the dead snake inside, before pushing the dirt across the surface.
“Sleep friend, you are safe now.” Nisha told the dead snake as there was a silver flash that lit up the grounds of the condo.
“You promised.” She announced without even looking over her shoulder. “You promised me you wouldn’t go back.” She added as her cool façade finally broke down, angry tears running down her face. “You didn’t even need to go back, you got your happy ending, why can’t you let me enjoy mine!?”
Behind the glowing figure beamed upwards, not even bothering to answer her questions. Getting to her feet Nisha turned to face the rock and balled her fist ready to break it before opening her hand.
“It’s not worth it.” Nisha sighed as she turned to go inside, only to see the sleeping form of her girlfriend glow with pinpricks of light.
“No!” Nisha yelled, waking the sleeping woman with a start. As she reached out for her lover Nisha saw the pinpricks of light widen engulfing the woman until there was nothing left. Screaming in rage and despair Nisha bent over the bed crying and screaming words in an ancient tongue, long turned bitter through lack of use. As she lamented, the dove landed on the windowsill, causing Nisha to wheel around in anger.
“You, I did everything for you, I was your shadow!” Nisha hissed as she advanced on the bird. “How could you punish me like this?!” She added as she went to grab the bird, only for a blinding flash of light to throw her back, the dove glowing silver. Trying to get to her feet, Nisha could only manage a bowing position as the dove entered the room, becoming a glowing silver woman with wings dressed in the clothes and jewellery.
Silently she crossed the room and kissed Nisha on the head before caressing her, the two women crying for a moment before Nisha struggled her way onto her feet. As she finally stood the shining silver woman was gone, leaving Nisha alone in the dark alone.
The slight beep caused Nisha to open her eyes and turn to look at the beaten-up pager on her bedside table.
Reaching out she grabbed the device and looked at the message, before cautiously swinging her legs out of bed, careful not to wake her sleeping girlfriend, silently dozing besides her. Sneaking out of the room, she pulled on a business blouse and a pair of suit trousers, before pulling her dark hair into a tight bun. Looking at the pager again, Nisha sighed and walked down the stairs, before unlocking the door and walking outside, the full moon shining down at the condo grounds. Scanning the garden, Nisha’s gaze stopped on a pale white dove grooming itself on an exposed piece of rock.
“You called.” Nisha asked the dove as she walked over to the bird, its head stopped mid groom.
“You lost what?” She continued as the dove cooed and flapped its wings slightly and cocked its head to one side.
“Yes, I understand that I’m your vassal.” Nisha sighed as she bent down to look the dove in one of its eyes.
“Okay I will do as you wish and recover what was lost. Now where is it you said you lost them.” The dove cooed and flapped its wings twice before bobbing its head and walking to the edge of the rock.
“Again?” Nisha sighed as she placed a hand on her head. “What did we agree?” She asked the dove as it took to the air and flew over her head, a spray of liquid waste striking Nisha in the face. “Of course.” She growled before whipping the bird faeces off herself and walking towards the entrance to the condo complex.
Club Kigal, Tampa Bay…
Nisha looked up at the blue neon sign of a skull with a star clamped between its teeth and shook her head. While most clubs would still have a queue of people waiting outside, Club Kigal looked abandoned, save for the massive ogre of a man dressed in a suit standing guard outside.
“You don’t belong here Miss,” the bouncer grunted as he looked the coffee skinned woman up and down, straining to remember where he had seen her before.
“My shadow is my mask.” Nisha grumble as she walked up to the bouncer, the man looking down at her before shrugging and removing a scanner from his belt.
“Can’t risk a narc getting in.” The bouncer growled as he scanned Nisha from head to toe, the device remaining silent through the whole process. “You’re clean.” He added as he opened the door for the young woman.
“For your troubles.” Nisha told him as she fished a ten dollar bill out of her suit jacket pocket and handed it to the man. “Have a good evening.” She added as she walked inside, heading down a set of stairs to a dive bar, the few patrons coughing and choking as they took sips from dusty flagons with chipped edges. Heading to the bar Nisha sat down on a stool and placed her hands on the bar, the bar tender walking over, his gaunt face pulled into a sneer, his yellow eyes unblinking and slitted like a serpent.
“Nisha returns, the shadow of the dove of peace and war.” The bartender hissed as he cricked his neck to reveal four tumours on each side, thick burning green sap dripping onto the floor.
“Well, where the dove goes, I go.” Nisha replied as she pushed her hands together and looked him in the eyes, the tumours on his neck dripping even faster as he nervously drummed his fingers on the bar. “And I know she didn’t stop here, so I can’t linger here.”
“Of…of course.” The bartender hissed as he slipped a piece of paper to Nisha, a sixteen-digit code written on it.
Taking the piece of paper. Nisha sauntered over to a corridor that led to the club’s toilets, the third door locked with an electronic deadlock. Typing the code in Nisha heard the deadlock slide open, before pulling the door open the sound of baying people and heavy-duty house music radiating up from the underground space.
Heading down as a figure in a funeral shroud headed up, Nisha stepped off the stairs into an underground space with a dance floor, bar and boxing arena. The majority of the denizens of the club were dancing, but a few were gathered around the arena where a woman dressed in green holding a long-handled scythe, its blade glowing pink blocking blows from a man with spiked gauntlets and spinning buzzsaws on his shoulders and elbows.
Watching the fight for a while Nisha turned as she heard a scream of pain to see a boxer with a broken nose, cut lip and bruises on this bare chest clutching a wound created by a scorpion tail snaking out of the skull of a women dressed in a burkah. Hovering both of them was a middle-aged man dressed in a wife beater shirt and jeans, his greased hair slicked back to reveal a weathered face.
“You sicken me Meteor Fist.” The man in the wife beater boomed, a slight lisp in his voice as the scorpion tail snaked back from the wounded man, the bruising on his face being to fade. “You couldn’t even last three rounds with Massasunga! I had to put Rhapsody and the Gladiator on earlier than scheduled!”
“He was killing me!” Meteor Fist groaned as his nose reset and the woman in the burkah walked away from where she had performed her cruel medical miracle. “I have a family to support!”
“And I have a business to run.” The fight coordinator snorted as a scream echoed around the room as the Gladiator cut through the woman’s scythe only to be repelled backwards as a sonic blast emanated from the broken weapon. “You are going to get back up and give me the remaining three rounds you owe me and the Conspiracy!” He grunted as Nisha walked over, causing both men to look at her.
“Well, if it isn’t the Dove’s Shadow!” The fight coordinator stated as he stepped over Meteor Fist to loom over Nisha. “I warned you what would happen if you came back to this club!” He added as Nisha crossed her arms, not even flinching as the Gladiator slammed Rhapsody into the nearest post, even as a sonic blade was stabbed into his eye.
“Regardless, I’m here, and all three of us need something.” Nisha stated as the sonic blade detonated throwing the Gladiator across the ring, the force knocking him out, the crowd cheering. “I want what I came for, Meteor Fist wants to live and you need a fighter. Everyone wins.” She added as a team of men in AIM beekeeper uniforms and the woman in the burkah ran out into the ring to tend to the two wounded fighters.
“You’re willing to die for what she left behind?” The fight coordinator asked as the AIM team began to drag Gladiator out of the ring.
“I am her vassal; she has asked,” Nisha replied in a professional voice that masked any fear she felt as she looked at Rhapsody, the winner of the last fight, her right arm hanging off her body only remaining attached by a few sinews, “and I must do as she commands.”
Nisha stood in the ring as her opponent, a bare-chested man with a bald head tattooed with a serpent’s maw vaulted into the arena before shucking the quiver of javelins he was armed with onto the floor. Flexing his muscles, the combatant and roared for the crowd as they took photographs and handed slips of paper for the man to autograph.
“And in the red corner we have Nisha, the Shadow of the Dove!” The Fight Coordinator boomed as a red spotlight lit up where Nisha was standing dressed in her blouse and trousers, her jacket hanging off the post in the corner of the ring. “And in the blue corner we have the king of the ring, the Serpent Lord Massasunga!” As the words left his lips, the crowd cheered and hollowed, excited to see the carnage that was about to unfold.
And then the bell rung…
With a grunt Massasunga struck as fast as his namesake, and slammed his fist into Nisha’s face with enough force to crack her skull, before following up with a rib shattering strike. Wheezing and coughing Nisha had just enough time to see Massasunga grab her by the head and slam her into the ground. Turning away to pose for the crowd, Massasunga heard Nisha stir and get back to her feet, her body bruised and battered.
“You have strength woman, but now the serpent strikes!” Massasunga growled as he struck with an open-handed strike, only for that strike to transform into a black skinned snake and latch onto Nisha’s arm, causing the woman to scream. “My venom will cause you pain beyond what you can imagine.” He hissed, as the serpent transformed back into his human arm, his grasp unrelenting as he threw Nisha over his shoulder to the opposite side of the ring. Seconds later Nisha struggled to her feet, and looked at her opponent as he showboated, the cheering dying down, now filled with a dead silence.
Turning round Massasunga looked at Nisha with an intense anger before clicking his fingers, his towel boy tossing him one of the javelins from his discarded quiver. With a grunt he threw the projectile at Nisha, the spear transforming into a black scaled rattlesnake that struck Nisha in the throat. Struggling with the serpent Nisha had just enough time to see Massasunga power across the ring, seconds before he tossed her over his shoulder and delivered a powerful kick as she landed sending her and the snake skidding across the ring.
“I am the serpent, and I am the king of this ring!” Massasunga boomed as the snake moved into position to strike Nisha again. Ignoring the showboating fighter Nisha looked down at the snake and cocked her head slightly.
“I see.” Nisha told the snake. “I must admit you are quite a handsome reptile.” She added as the snake froze in its strike position still hissing, its tongue flicking out.
“I promise to release you somewhere nice if you want.” Nisha told the snake, causing it to relax as Massasunga turned to look at the pair. “Somewhere he can’t use you as a weapon.” She added as the snake slunk backwards allowing the woman to get to her feet, just in time for her adversary to throw her back down to the floor and grab the snake.
“We are in a battle and you prattle on with that traitorous wyrm?!” Massasunga growled as he twisted the snake’s head snapping the vertebrae of the neck before dropping it to the floor. “Get up and fight!” He ordered as Nisha pulled the dying snake over to her and whispered under her breath to it. “So be it.” He hissed as he swung at Nisha, only for her to block the blow with her middle finger.
“Show some respect, this creature served you and you broke it. Let its final moments be peaceful.” Nisha ordered in an even voice, albeit one that caused the baying crowd to fall silent. Bowing her head, Nisha stroked the snake with her free hand as it thrashed in pain before becoming still.
“I’m sorry.” Nisha replied as she got to her feet and walked a few steps away from Massasunga before turning to face him, his fist’s already in motion. Thrusting her palm out, Nisha caught the blow and pushed back, the bones in her attacker’s arm snapping as Massasunga screamed in pain. Cradling his arm, Massasunga looked at Nisha before transforming his uninjured arm into a black scaled serpent and swung at the woman, the jaws locking round her hand and slithered forward up over to the wrist towards her elbow.
“Doves are food to snakes.” Massasunga hissed as Nisha narrowed her eyes to glower at him. “And when a dove is eaten, she had no shadow.” He sneered, before fingers stabbed through the bottom of his serpent arm. Screaming he saw Nisha retract her arm from the serpent hand’s mouth, the flesh on the snake’s belly ripping open.
“Its true snakes do eat birds.” Nisha replied as she pushed Massasunga to the ground and delivered a stomp to the wrestler’s forehead, knocking him out. “Now somebody bring me what I came for.” She stated as a mixture of boos and cheers rang out from the audience as the AIM team entered the ring to remove Massasunga.
Walking over to the dead snake, Nisha picked up the dead reptile and went to retrieve her jacket. As she did the fight coordinator brought a wooden box carved with the same star eating skull from outside the club on the lid of the box.
“Your prize.” The coordinator huffed as he placed the box on a table while Nisha vaulted out of the ring and landed in front of him. Placing her free hand on the box, Nisha bowed her head and nodded before placing the box on her shoulder. “You went through all of that for the contents. Either you’re insane or desperate.”
“The word is devoted.” Nisha replied as she headed for the stairs up to the club’s façade.
Nisha entered the condo and placed the box down next to the rock, the dove sitting on the rock, cocking its head as it watched her. Opening the box, Nisha removed a white silk dress, golden crown, two golden bracelets, golden torc and a silver breastplate and placed them on the ground in front of the rock.
Turning away from the rock, Nisha scratched a small hole in the dirt and placed the dead snake inside, before pushing the dirt across the surface.
“Sleep friend, you are safe now.” Nisha told the dead snake as there was a silver flash that lit up the grounds of the condo.
“You promised.” She announced without even looking over her shoulder. “You promised me you wouldn’t go back.” She added as her cool façade finally broke down, angry tears running down her face. “You didn’t even need to go back, you got your happy ending, why can’t you let me enjoy mine!?”
Behind the glowing figure beamed upwards, not even bothering to answer her questions. Getting to her feet Nisha turned to face the rock and balled her fist ready to break it before opening her hand.
“It’s not worth it.” Nisha sighed as she turned to go inside, only to see the sleeping form of her girlfriend glow with pinpricks of light.
“No!” Nisha yelled, waking the sleeping woman with a start. As she reached out for her lover Nisha saw the pinpricks of light widen engulfing the woman until there was nothing left. Screaming in rage and despair Nisha bent over the bed crying and screaming words in an ancient tongue, long turned bitter through lack of use. As she lamented, the dove landed on the windowsill, causing Nisha to wheel around in anger.
“You, I did everything for you, I was your shadow!” Nisha hissed as she advanced on the bird. “How could you punish me like this?!” She added as she went to grab the bird, only for a blinding flash of light to throw her back, the dove glowing silver. Trying to get to her feet, Nisha could only manage a bowing position as the dove entered the room, becoming a glowing silver woman with wings dressed in the clothes and jewellery.
Silently she crossed the room and kissed Nisha on the head before caressing her, the two women crying for a moment before Nisha struggled her way onto her feet. As she finally stood the shining silver woman was gone, leaving Nisha alone in the dark alone.