CHAPTER TWO

LOVE AND HATE

Cause and Effect: these terms cannot be without each other. Just like Love and Hate, Darkness and Light, Night and Day. Buy maybe we need a Darkness to our Light and a Hate to our Love.

Rode was angry, she was furious. She uttered some abusive words as she walked down the circular stairs from the temple; each of her footsteps were precise and aggressive, like those of warriors.

The temple of Aphrodite which she scampered from was erected with an architectural brilliance and elegance, with ionic columns; slender and delicately decorated in a scroll-like design, the walls were made with stones, resonating with the gardens amongst it, which was planted with the freshest of beautiful lilies, violets, roses, and some yellow wall flowers, which added an assorted variety of colors to the white temple, she arrived at her horse carriage not too soon after.

“Take me to the palace immediately.” she barked an order to the carriage driver; a thin lithe man who simply obeyed, whipping the horse as soon as Rode entered.

The city of Ishtar was one of city in all of the realms, famed for its aesthetics, not just because of its eccentric style of architecture which depicted brilliance and order, but because of the flowery goodness that was grown there. Its vegetation was flawless in demonstration, along its major roads were beautiful flowers like the freshest of roses, the most beautiful white, crimson and purple stocks, dark brown and yellow wallflowers, the richest of pink lilies and other exquisite flowers which gave different colors when in bloom at separate seasons, and the triumphant sigil; a red flag with a rose and dove on it, made the city pleasing to behold at any time of the day.

The horse carriage hauled to a stop at the sight of the large wooden palace doors, Rode alighted down hesitantly, she stood at least seven feet tall, with a rigid body so alike a man, a warrior's body, her ginger-hair was bundled up in a ponytail; it had the color of a blazing fire in the midst of a choking dark cold night. Her eyes were blue like the sky in summer sun, without the clouds. She had a hateful sneer on her face, which always scares people away from her, she was woman of unpleasant abusive words and hard knuckled sense, Rode was a warrior of great status, her tales of war have gone beyond the city walls, today she wasn’t accompanied by her trusted friend Merciless, her blade made with the finest of steel. She also held the responsibility of being the leader of a warrior cult group called the Immortals which had a vast league of spies in all the realms.

She couldn’t be a spy herself. Rode was too brave to hide. She was adrenaline addicted, the sidelines wasn’t for her.

The palace door opened with a squeak not a thud, as she made her way into the building meant to house the royal family of Ishtar, she walked quickly. She knew where and what she was looking for. Rode arrived at the second floor, after climbing the series of steps, in which she cursed through every stair and climb before her. Her movement was echoing through the resident, she stopped abruptly to listen to the sounds of moans and signs of pleasures coming from the end of the room at the end of the passage. Rode made her way there, and then with a giant push she slid the door open, filled with a curious mind, but sadly her curiosity was met with the scene of a sexual act in progress; a hypnotic gyration of pure ecstasy where a slim lady was humping with a profound aggression atop a ginger-haired man, who was more or less lying underneath the lady in pure grandeur of dopamine that rummaged his mind, as he felt the coming of a seductive burden of climax. Their procreation came to a halt, as soon as Rode entered the room, and the procreators jolted with surprise as they both tried to best cover up with the dignity that was remaining of them, they shuffled onto bed sheets and floor dropped clothes to hide their nudity.

“What in Heras name Rode! screamed Tiki, her twin brother. They weren’t look alike, the only giveaway possible was the color of their hairs was their only resemblance.

Tiki was lean and lithe, with a chiseled jaw and the gift of a handsome face, and he had a stare that could pierce through the deepest of souls; with features that could make young girls fall in love, his eyes were navy blue; the color of the sea under cloudy skies.

Rode glared across the room only for her eyes to settle on the co-conspirator, she was often so protective of her twin brother against any danger, even the danger of himself. Tiki was an unrepentant womanizer, with broken hearted victims strung to his chest like medals on a celebrated general, due to his status as the being royalty, and his notorious pleasing looks.

“Is that you, General Ching Shih?” asked Rode, her voice was hoarse and low, shock rummaged her mind, blank with better words to mask the surprise of her victory.

“Oh! Rode. Darling, we never by any chance expect you to be back so early or to barge into our somewhat . . . Little fun.” said Ching Shih, with a disdain. “Do you want mind joining us?”

“No . . . I do not want to ever fall as low as to join in your treacherous act.” replied Rode, with a face of disgust; her thoughts blared into different directions all simultaneously.

“Treacherous act you say. So darling, you would accuse me of treason just for the tiniest act of sleeping with the Regent's son? Tell me is there a law against it if I may ask?” asked the general, her voice was high pitched but calm, her body looked lustrous under the satin sheets which didn’t quite hide her hardened nipples, her demeanor was like that of a striding, seductiveness of a cat.

“Just because there isn't a law against it doesn't change the vile message it carries, you horny whore of a General,” said Rode, her temper flaring up, reaching its tipping point.

“Ah! At last! You speak your mind, you called me a whore but that’s the beauty of it darling, I am a whore, a proud one at that, a fervent worshipper of the religion of sex but don’t you forget it darling, I am also your general so you'd treat me as the title deem fit or else .” said Ching Shih, her voice was stern, but a warning lay beneath her eyes. She was truly the General of the City of Ishtar, the right hand woman to the City's Regent was Rode and Tiki’s endearing mother) Ching Shih was often more rumored to be sexual predator, jumping from body to body, without a hint of regard. She was powerful and also alluring with an elfin body, her exotic features were entrancing to the eyes, her personage was of being ruthless, which was needed in keeping order in the city and she often beheaded the offenders or rebellious ones herself, with a ghastly grin on her lips.

“Darling! Don’t tell me you’re jealous? Because I left you for him.” said she seductively. “Trust me when I tell you that you were fun once, don't get me wrong. But with your brother Tiki it feels more magical you know, he’s so riveting and gentle, although not as passionate as you, but I truly being the one in control, with you everything was a battle.”