Sahana pov: The Trip of the Mind

We arrive just before his friend does at a warehouse. Not abandoned, but creepy feeling nonetheless. Night time behind a warehouse that's closed for the night is only slightly less scary than an actual abandoned warehouse. I looks like it was a toy factory. I didn't want to know what kind.

As he walks up, he's staring at the ground, then stops just a few yards away. When he looks up, there is fear but no surprise in his eyes. He knows something. "Terran, make it quick. Something doesn't feel right." I whisper to him who is to my right and a step ahead of me. He nods acknowledging he heard me.

"Hey bud. I'm gonna get to the point. What's going on with you and what do you know about the right of passage ceremony?" He takes another step forward still holding Kajite by the sheath. His friend suddenly looks perplexed about what we were asking but the fear in his eyes never left. What bothered me was he wasn't afraid of being a victim of a murderer but of doing or saying something correctly.

I step forward a whisper to Teiran, "Someone is here waiting for a specific set of words. We have to grab him and go. Now." Just like we discussed on the way there, his hand let Kajite slip out of his hand so I could grab him, and speed over to the man. I placed my blade, already unsheathed, against his neck near a major artery and whispered, "don't move and don't say anything. I don't want to kill you. And I won't as long as you give what I want. Got it?"

His eyes were wide and there was true fear. He moved his head to nod just the slightest. We walked over to Tei's car where he grabbed a rope and tied his friend up. Then we tossed him into the back. "Got somewhere safe we can go?"

Tei nodded as he answered, "Yeah, I know just where to go. Hold on tight, you two. It's gonna be a bumpy ride." And grinned a mischievous smile.

••••

About thirty minutes later we arrive at another apartment. It looked like we weren't followed but none could be too sure when it came down to hunters on the move. If they thought something was fishy, they acted fast and discreet. I was the most discreet, but noticing others hasn't been on my list of things to accomplish. I was good, others were better. Tei being a fine example.

We didn't gag the guy with us so we questioned him for what he knew. I even threw in some questions about the royal family. It wasn't something that I wanted others to know it was the kind information I was looking for. Many would start to wonder why I, the greatest hunter, wanted to know about Hidden's right of passage and its lineage. That leads to questions I was told to forever avoid.

He answered honestly and we gave him a decision. To go home and never speak of what we talked about or leave him here at this apartment tied up like a pig. He decided to go home and take the discussion to the grave. I planted a bug on him just to be sure he followed through. I put a reminder on my phone to check it everyday.

We took him out just after studying out surroundings to make sure no one was watching. I didn't feel eyes and I knew that feeling, but did Tei? I should think so, but who knows. We walked him to the door, untied him but held on to his wrists to make sure he didn't try to escape, and opened the front door to his place. His wife was in the kitchen in the back and his two kids were watching tv right in front. They noticed him and jumped up to greet him. "Daddy! Daddy! Your home! Look it's our favorite show!" I let him go and smiled as I gave him a light shove. "I am so sorry we kept him from you all. I hope all is well! We will be going now." Teiran waved at them gave the kids a quick hug and closed the door.

We went back to the car and drove home. Home? Odd that I now see it as home. I guess everything they say about being around the right people can make a place seem like home. I don't remember having this feeling. He opened his house to me, trusted me not to do anything stupid. I trusted him more than I trusted my parents and I needed that trust if he was going to do my right of passage test.

It was something mental that transpired into the physical. Just like changing gun types and knife types, I have to break through the mind barrier to make an object become something else entirely. Someone who has gone through the right of passage needed to be the instructor, normally a parent or aunt or uncle. But he was going to be the one to guide me.

I was making way to clear the living room but he shook his head. "Not here. Follow me. I have a basement that would better suit this type of work." And walked to the stairs. He knocked on the wall three times and a latch unhooked. Next thing I see are the stairs shifting heading down. My jaw dropped. He had a secret basement.

I know. Part of me was still a school girl. That part took over and I was totally fan-girling about the hidden door. The whole jumping up and down, squealing in excitement, "Thatssocool! Whendidyougetthat?! Whenwereyougoingtotellme?! Thatssocool!" He laughed at me. I stopped because his laugh was beautiful. It wasn't that manly snicker or giggle. It was a full blown laugh. And it. Was. Lovely. He gave me a side glance wondering why I stopped but he let me go first into the basement. I blushed.

We walked down into a matted room; the walls had mats, the floor had mats. It was spacious since nothing else was in the room. I did a a roundhouse back handspring a couple times getting a feel for the space and he laughed again at me. I stopped and blushed. He laughed. No one made me stop the way he did. I can't understand how or why.

"Let's sit in the middle. We will face each other ur hands facing ur in my own, our foreheads touching. It's a bit intimate but as we both know, a family member is supposed to be doing this not me." I nodded in understanding and sat in the middle just as he was.

He held his hands out and I place mine in his palms facing up like he indicated, then leaned forward with my eyes closed. He leaned forward and our foreheads touched. Next thing I knew I was in a green field encircled with trees.