Among The Val Kyr free porn video

This story was originally written and posted as a serial story over a several month period on both Big Closet and my Yahoo group. Among the Val Kyr By Morpheus Part 1 Lunch in the school cafeteria was always loud and crowded, but I'd long since learned how to tune out most of the noise. I sat in the area of the cafeteria that was usually reserved for seniors like me, though I was alone at the end of a table, silently reading the latest Dresden book on my Kindle. You've got to like a guy whose solution to the zombie apocalypse was to create his own zombie dinosaur. I was off to the side by myself, not because I was one of those outcast loners who had no friends, but because I enjoyed reading during lunch and I couldn't do that while people talked to me. As far as I was concerned, the entire lunch period existed for the purpose of giving students a mental break, and this was simply how I preferred to use mine. Of course my solitude didn't last for long as I saw my girlfriend Julie Rosewald walking in my direction with a tray of food. She was short and a little chubby, but not enough to be called fat, and she had on a pair of glasses that she couldn't see without. But in spite of not looking like some stereotypical cheerleader, I rather would have been dating her than any other girl in school. She was smart, funny, and best of all, the two of us just clicked. Julie and I first met back in junior high, when her family had just moved to town and she was the new kid in school. One day at lunch, she'd seen me reading a comic book in the cafeteria, so she'd sat down beside me and started a conversation about all things geeky. The two of us had immediately become friends and we'd eventually started dating as well. "Hey Mike," Julie greeted me with a broad grin, sitting down right across from me. "Have you come up with any ideas yet?" I turned off my Kindle in order to give Julie my full attention. "I was thinking maybe Mario and Princes Peach." Julie gave me a thoughtful look and then shook her head. "No, you're tall and thin...more like Luigi. And Peach isn't a great match for Luigi, so I could go as Princess Daisy instead." "Good idea," I agreed, grinning as I thought about how much fun the two of us would have making those costumes. For the last week, Julie and I had been trying to decide what costumes we wanted to make for the next convention we went to. The two of us liked to cosplay, and we always had a lot of fun doing so. During the last convention, I'd gone dressed up as Waldo while she went as Carmen Sandiego. We took pictures of each other in costume, then went our separate ways and began showing the pictures off to people around the convention, asking everyone if they'd seen the other. We'd gotten some good laughs out of that one. "I'd also considered Harry Pottery and Hermione," I told Julie. "But those ones have just been too overdone." Julie nodded agreement. "Besides, if I was going as Hermione, you'd have to go as Ron instead..." We both chuckled at that. "Maybe for the next convention," I told her. Julie and I talked for a little longer, but then I suddenly became aware of a large figure looming up behind me. I glanced back and saw Bufford 'Buff' Grissom, the biggest and meanest looking guy in school, not to mention a star player on both the school football and wrestling teams. "I've got something for you," Buff stated, looking more than a little intimidating. "Lunch money." With that Buff handed me a ten dollar bill. Last week, he'd been a bit short on cash so I'd lent him a little to buy lunch. The guy had a big appetite, so he definitely appreciated that. "Thanks for the loan," he told me with a grin that almost looked threatening. In spite of his brutish appearance, Buff was actually a pretty nice guy...at least to anyone who wasn't facing him across the football field. "No problem," I told him with a shrug. "By the way, how's your brother doing?" "Nicky?" Buff asked. Then he grinned. "The nerdy little punk just got accepted to MIT...at fifteen. I tell you, he's going to be the next Bill Gates." There was a clear note of pride in his voice at that. Buff gave me a friendly slap on the shoulder, nearly hard enough to bruise me, then he continued on his way. Julie just chuckled, and when I gave her a curious look, she said, "I was just thinking that we should do a Sin City cosplay sometime. We can ask Buff to come with us as Marv." I nodded at that, agreeing that Buff would probably make a great Marv. After that we returned to the topic of our own costumes, which is what we spent the rest of the lunch period talking about. However Julie seemed just a little distracted and not into it as much as she usually was. I noticed that but didn't really give it much thought. Several hours later, I was sitting in my final class of the day... history. History was a subject that I'd always been fond of, mostly because of how different time periods were often used as part of the background of my favorite stories. Quite often during this class, my mind would wander and I'd come up with story ideas for things that could occur in that kind of setting. Over the last two weeks, history had been even more interesting than usual, due entirely to the presence of Ms. Lindrell, the substitute teacher who'd taken over for Mrs. Bonner. Ms. Lindrell was one of those teachers that just couldn't be ignored, especially by the male students. She was tall...probably about 6 foot 2, though she always wore heels as well, making her tower over nearly everyone in class. And of course she was gorgeous looking, with long blonde hair and a body that made every boy drool and every girl jealous. Not only did she have a killer figure, and a rack that threatened to burst right out of her clothes, but from what I could see, she also looked really fit...like some kind of athlete or fitness model. Ms. Lindrell slowly looked around the classroom as she lectured, her gaze settling on Julie for a moment. Julie was sitting on the other side of the classroom for me, and for some reason, she seemed to be a favorite target of attention from the substitute. For some reason, Ms. Lindrell seemed to have taken a liking to Julie, not that I could blame her. Julie was a very nice person. A few seconds later, Ms. Lindrell turned her attention to me, the other student who she seemed to pay an inordinate amount of attention to. However unlike with Julie, she seemed to dislike me for some inexplicable reason. "Michael," Ms. Lindrell called on me, giving me a flat look at the same time. "What year was this?" I let out a sigh, not at all surprised that she'd called on me. Ms. Lindrell seemed to enjoy calling me out in class when she didn't think I was paying attention to her lecture, or when she thought I wouldn't know the answer. Because of that I've made sure to keep up with my reading assignments, just so I wouldn't be embarrassed again like I had been the first couple times. "Nineteen fourteen," I answered, thankful that I was able to actually remember that. I usually couldn't remember exact dates of events. "Correct," she responded, almost seeming disappointed that she hadn't caught me with another wrong answer. She gave me a sour look, then continued with her lecture. When class was over, I joined up with Julie at the door. She still seemed a bit distracted, so I decided to get her attention with something I knew she liked, her favorite anime series. I was quite familiar with it since she liked making me watch it with her. "You know," I told Julie, "I was thinking about your suggestion that we make up Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask costumes..." Until now, I've been hesitant to go quite that cheesy, but I knew that she'd be happy if I agreed to it. "I figure, maybe we could do that the next convention... after this one." "That sounds great," Julie told me, grinning excitedly for a moment before her expression turned slightly sad. Then with what was obviously a forced smile, she said, "I can't wait." I certainly wasn't an expert on girls, but I knew Julie well enough to know that something was wrong. Unfortunately I had absolutely no idea of what it was or what I could do about it. That just made me feel frustrated. Just then, Ms. Lindrell called out, "Julie, if I could have a word with you in private..." "Sure," Julie responded, giving me an apologetic look before hurrying over to the teacher. Ms. Lindrell and Julie went off to the corner and talked where I couldn't hear them, but they both looked pretty serious. Julie quickly glanced at me, but her expression looked almost guilty. I frowned, wondering what was going on. When they finished talking and Julie came back towards me, she seemed to be in a grim mood but didn't want to talk about it. We walked to the front of the school together, neither of us really saying a word. It was obvious that Julie was distracted by something, and it had only become more obvious after her talk with Ms. Lindrell. I was curious and worried, but also uncomfortable. Though Julie was both my best friend and girlfriend, I didn't want to come across as overbearing and pushy by demanding to know what was going on. As we climbed onto our bus, I finally asked my girlfriend, "Are you okay?" Julie hesitated a moment, then said, "Yes...no..." She paused for a moment before adding, "I don't really want to talk about it right now." "Okay," I said with a frown, not pressing the issue. After several minutes, Julie let out a loud sigh and finally said, "I don't know what to do." "What do you mean?" I asked carefully. Julie hesitated a moment, then said, "I've been offered an opportunity...a once in a lifetime opportunity. I mean, this is the kind of thing I've been dreaming of for my whole life...but..." She cut of at that giving me an odd look. "An opportunity?" I asked, wondering what she meant. Then it dawned on me. Both of us would be graduating from high school in just a few months, and Julie had already been sending out some college applications. "You got accepted to one of those colleges..." "Sort of," she answered with a forced smile and adjusted her glasses, which she tended to do when she was nervous. "Well, that's great," I told her with a grin. "I know how much you've been wanting that..." "You don't understand," Julie blurted out. "It's everything I've ever dreamed of but... But there's a price..." I was definitely getting worried, especially with the odd way Julie was behaving. It took a bit of effort to keep my voice steady as I asked, "What are you talking about? I'm sure your family would help pay for it..." Julie frowned and stared out the bus window at the passing scenery. Then she looked back at me and carefully said, "I'd have to leave home...and I'd probably never get to see you or my family again." I gasped at that and Julie winced. After a few seconds, she explained, "It's like a foreign exchange program, for a very specialized trade school. I've been told that it's really far away and completely isolated." I stared at Julie in silence, trying to wrap my head around what she'd said. The whole thing seemed a bit questionable, so I pointed out, "It sounds a bit like a cult." I gulped, then demanded, "You're not running off to join some cult, are you?" "No, it's nothing like that," Julie quickly assured me, turning bright red. "And I haven't even decided if I'll go yet..." "Where is this place?" I asked her, trying not to sound too demanding. "I mean, what kind of school is this?" "There's sort of a...non-disclosure agreement," Julie told me with a forced smile. "I'm not allowed to talk about it." "So it is a cult," I said with a long sigh, now even more worried about Julie. "It's not a cult," she assured me, though she didn't look completely certain. However her expression brightened quite a bit as she explained, "But it is an opportunity...a chance to do something amazing with my life. I REALLY want to do this...but..." "But you'd have to leave home," I said quietly, mentally adding, 'and me'. "Yeah," Julie responded, then quickly assured me, "But I still haven't decided." I stared at Julie for a moment, remembering her odd private conversation with Ms. Lindrell. I was sure that this had something to do with the substitute teacher, but I wasn't really sure what. And though I really wanted to warn Julie away from this, to tell her not to leave me, I'd seen the look on her face a moment ago when she'd talked about doing something amazing with her life. "If...if this is really a once in a lifetime opportunity," I finally told her, trying to keep my voice steady. "You need to go for it." "Really?" Julie asked me in surprise. I gave her a forced smile. "Sure. I mean, that kind of thing doesn't come along every day. Just...be careful. Make sure that you know what you're getting into first." Julie gave me a big hug and a kiss on my cheek. "Thank you," she told me. Then as the bus came to a halt at her bus stop, she got up and said, "I'll talk to you tomorrow." By the time I got home a mere fifteen minutes later, I was feeling depressed at the idea of Julie leaving me to go off to some overseas school. I was worried as well, hoping that I hadn't just talked her into joining a cult or something. If she did and something happened to her, I didn't know if I'd ever forgive myself. I went into the house, not at all surprised to find my dad stretched out on the recliner with a beer in hand while he watched TV. He'd taken off his prosthetic leg, so I could see the stump which ended right above where his knee had been. I quickly averted my eyes, not wanting to see that nor wanting him to see me looking at it. Dad looked up at me and scowled. "You going to work tonight?" "Not tonight," I answered, careful to keep my voice even and without inflection. I had a part time job flipping burgers, which I absolutely hated. However Dad had been out of work for two years now and his unemployment and disability weren't enough to cover all the bills. I did what I could to help out, though unfortunately I was sure that my dad resented me a bit for having a job while he didn't. "Good," Dad said with a grunt, turning his attention back to the TV. "You can cook dinner." "Sure," I responded, since that would have been a given anyway. I carefully avoided looking at my dad, knowing the man he'd once been and feeling sad over what he'd become. Of course I didn't remember the time when he'd actually been an Army Ranger since his accident had occurred back when I'd only been a toddler. However I knew that even though he didn't talk about it, he was ashamed that he hadn't lost his leg while serving his country...but as the result of an ordinary drunk driver. My dad blamed that accident for everything that was wrong in his life, and I could understand why. After he'd lost his leg, he'd also lost his military career. Shortly after that my mom had up and left him... left us. For a long time, he continued to do the best he could, teaching me how to hunt and generally trying to be a good father, but then the economy had gone bad and he'd lost a series of jobs, one after the other. It had been two years since the last time he'd had a steady job and this had really taken a toll on him. Suddenly, Dad snarled at me, "Don't you dare look at me with pity..." "I wasn't," I protested, gulping at his rising anger. "I was a Ranger," he exclaimed, giving me an angry glare. "I was a God damn Ranger with the United States Army..." "Yes sir," I responded, trying to appease him. Over the last couple years, Dad had slowly been getting worse and worse, and though he'd never tried to attack me physically, I could see the resentment building. "I served my country," Dad continued his rant, going on for another minute. "You have no idea what I've done for this country...what I've given up..." Then he shifted to another old topic, one that I was tired of hearing about. "You're soft...weak. The Army can build you up...make a man of you...give you a purpose." While my dad was in this mood, I knew that it would be pointless to remind him that I had absolutely no interest in joining the military. I had no real idea of what I actually did want to do with my life, or even immediately after graduation, however I was pretty sure that it had absolutely nothing to do with wearing a uniform, going on marches, or shooting people. Once Dad was sufficiently distracted and was grumbling more to himself than me, I slipped away and into the kitchen. Since I was on tap for making dinner, I pulled some cubed venison meat out of the freezer and began to defrost it. The venison, like the summer sausage in the fridge, were leftovers from a hunting trip that Dad had taken me on. I smiled faintly as I remembered the trip, which had probably been the last time the two of us had actually done anything together. Then after a moment, frowned and sadly shook my head, missing that version of my dad and hoping that he'd come back some day. "Venison stew should work," I mused, reminding myself that we had some ground venison as well, which would go pretty good in spaghetti sauce. I got the stew prepped and in the pot, then put it on to slowly cook while I wandered back to my room, carefully avoiding my dad's attention as I slipped through the living room. Once I was back in my room, I closed the door behind me and let out a sigh. I sat down on my bed and pulled out my Kindle, deciding to do a little light reading before I actually had to get to my homework. At the moment, I really needed something to distract myself from what was going on, and a good book was my preferred means of distraction. Dad's behavior was frustrating, though it wasn't anything new. In fact, that was one of the problems. Dad was slowly getting worse and worse the longer he was out of work, and I was growing increasingly worried over where that would lead him. At the same time, I was also thinking about Julie and her mysterious opportunity. I worried that she might be getting involved in something hinky, but admittedly, I was actually a little jealous at the same time. Julie had been so excited about this, whatever it was, and I could only imagine how great it would be to find something that excited me like that. "But no such luck for me," I said with a sigh, trying to think about my own future, though I couldn't even see a direction. After several minutes, I just shook my head and mused, "Michael Jay Sorensen...what are you going to do?" Part 2 It had been an especially long and boring day at school, yet I consoled myself with the knowledge that it was nearly over. I was sitting in my desk, waiting for the final class to start, knowing that I only had one more hour to go until I was free for the day...for the week. After all, it was Friday afternoon. Normally I liked to pop open my Kindle and do a little reading between classes, but this was Ms. Lindrell's class, and if she saw me doing that I had no doubt that she'd find an excuse to call on me. Because of that I opened up my history book and glanced through the reading material from last night, wanting to be ready for when she tried to single me out for embarrassment. After glancing over the rest of my homework, I looked across the room to where Julie sat at her own desk. I frowned slightly, remembering how she'd been a bit distant to me all day, which worried me after what we'd talked about on the way home last night. There was a look of determination in her eyes as well, so I knew that she'd made her decision about accepting that opportunity. I felt a surge of jealousy and regretting talking her into it, but I tried to quash those emotions and feel happy for her instead. However I knew that I was going to talk to her about it again after school, and hopefully, this time I'd be able to get some more details. Ms. Lindrell finally came into the classroom after all the students had already arrived. Without a word, she went to the front of the class and looked around, her firm gaze stopping only twice...once on Julie... and once on me. "Homework," she said simply and everyone began passing their work sheets to the front of the room. Then once everyone had turned in their homework, she immediately looked right at me and said, "Michael... Please describe for the class..." I spent the next five minutes answering a series of questions about last night's reading assignment, along with a few about things that we hadn't even covered yet. Because of that I'd only gotten about half her questions right, and by the time I sat down, I wanted to duck under my desk out of embarrassment. "Hey Mike," the guy next to me whispered. "What did you do to piss her off?" "I have no idea," I answered miserably, though the truth was, I was pretty sure it had something to do with her interest in Julie and in Julie's mysterious opportunity. Normally Ms. Lindrell would only call me out like that once during class, and not quite that badly. However she was in a real mood today because she called me out twice more, though thankfully not quite as badly. She didn't even bother to correct anyone's homework, and for the rest of class, she kept alternating between glancing at Julie and actually staring at me with an odd look. Normally getting so much attention from a beautiful woman might be a good thing, but this was downright creepy. When class was over, I went to join up with Julie, but Ms. Lindrell told her, "Julie, I need to talk with about...what we've been discussing." "Of course," Julie told her with an oddly serious expression. Then she turned to me and smiled, but it seemed a bit nervous and forced. "What's going on?" I asked Julie, hoping that she'd tell me more than she had yesterday. Julie just gave me a hug and said, "Everything is fine..." Then she pulled away and looked me in the eyes with an odd expression on her face, one that set off the warning bells in my head. After a moment, her expression turned a little darker. "I've got something to do here, so go on and I'll catch up later. I'll tell you everything then." I stared at Julie for a moment before nodding my reluctance acceptance. "Okay, just be careful." With that I grabbed my book bag and slung it over my shoulder, then glanced back at Julie again before leaving. I went out to the front of the school, but I didn't climb onto the bus the way I usually would have. Instead I leaned up against a light post and waited for Julie to come out. The way she kept acting all mysterious and secretive was really making me increasingly worried, not to mention curious. I wanted to know what was really going on, and when Julie was finished with Ms. Lindrell, I was going to hold her to her promise. However when our bus finally drove away from the school, neither of us was on it. I waited for a little longer, feeling impatient and frustrated. I told myself that I was just staying to make sure that Julie was all right and that she got home safely, but I was actually a little worried that I might come off as some kind of stalker. Eventually though, I decided that I'd waited long enough and went back into the school to find Julie. I went back towards Ms. Lindrell's classroom, then paused outside the door when I heard voices from within. "I'm glad that you've finally accepted," Ms. Lindrell said, sounding pleased. "Staying here this long has been quite dangerous and I couldn't have risked staying any longer." "It wasn't an easy decision to make," Julie admitted. "I mean, this is absolutely amazing, but... Everything I have to leave behind... Everyone..." "It isn't easy," Lindrell agreed, her voice sounding sympathetic. "It never is. But you'll make new friends, have a worthy purpose, and you'll see and do things you can only imagine. In the end, I promise that this will be worth it..." I winced as I listened in, those words confirming my suspicions about Ms. Lindrell being involved in whatever was going on with Julie. I was burning with curiosity and wanted to listen more, but I didn't. I felt too much of a stalker as it was, so I turned and slowly walked away from the door. Julie seemed to be fine at the moment, but it was obvious that she was holding back even more than I'd thought. She didn't trust me. It hurt to realize that after as long as we'd been friends, and with as close as I'd thought we were...she didn't trust me. "It looks like I'm going to be walking home alone," I muttered bitterly, heading back towards the school exit for the second time. This time, nearly everyone else was already gone so the halls were almost entirely empty. I was about halfway back to the front entrance when I suddenly heard a loud scream from somewhere ahead of me. I jumped in surprise, but didn't see anything, at least not at first. Then one of the teachers, Mrs. Clarence, came running out of a side hallway, letting out another scream. I only had a moment to wonder what was going on when something else burst out of the hallway behind her, something large and utterly impossible. And as I watched in shock, the massive creature pounced and left a splatter of blood and shattered human remains where the teacher had been. "Holy shit," I gasped, too shocked and horrified to even move. The creature had four legs and was shaped something like a wolf or mountain lion, though it was obviously neither of those animals...or anything else that I'd ever seen. It stood about four feet at the shoulders, and instead of fur, it was covered with dark red scales. A long thin tail stretched out behind the creature, waving back and forth. My eyes were drawn to the tip of the tail, which had an odd bony shape that reminded me something of a blade. And then the creature turned, giving me a good look at its head...along with the mouth full of sharp teeth that were dripping with fresh blood. Even though every instinct screamed at me to run, I still found myself frozen, unable to take my eyes off this monster. It was like something right out of a movie...or one of the books I liked to read. A voice in the back of my mind provided a name for this creature. Hellhound. This thing was just like a hellhound from one of my stories, and even if that wasn't what it really was, it certainly looked like it deserved the name anyway. A moment later, the creature...the hellhound turned the rest of the way and looked directly at me. It let out an eerie sound which seemed to be half howl and half hiss, and which sent chills all down my spine. Then as it started moving towards me, my brain was finally able to engage my muscles so I turned and ran. I ran as fast as I could, but even from that glimpse I'd seen of it pouncing on Mrs. Clarence, I knew that I didn't have a chance of outrunning it. Then, almost as if to prove just how much God hated me, another figure stepped out of a classroom and blocked the hallway in front of me. The figure was holding a massive double bladed axe that had to be five feet long from tip to top. It wasn't the kind of axe that a lumberjack might use, but the kind I could easily have imagined a barbarian like Conan wielding into battle. But what surprised me even more than seeing such a weapon in the middle of school was the fact that it was being held by Ms. Lindrell. I stopped running, seeing that I was trapped between a rock and a hard place...or between a monster and a psychotic teacher with an axe. I knew that Ms. Lindrell didn't like me, but I never would have imagined that she hated me enough to come after me with an axe. "Michael," Ms. Lindrell exclaimed, looking surprised. "Get behind me..." Ms. Lindrell charged almost straight at me, and then continued right on past, hitting the hellhound with the massive axe just as it was about to leap at me. I snapped around and saw the teacher slam the monster with the flat of her blade, knocking it back and into the lockers. Then I regained my senses and started to run again, only to see Julie crouched down in the doorway Ms. Lindrell had come out of, watching the fight with a look of simultaneous excitement and fear. "Mike," Julie gasped, grabbing me and pulling me into the classroom with her. She stared at me with an expression that seemed to be equal parts surprise and worry. "What are you doing here?" "I was waiting for you," I admitted, poking my head out through the doorframe to watch Ms. Lindrell. "Then that thing showed up..." The hellhound hit Ms. Lindrell with its claws and she was sent flying back, leaving a trail of blood as she slid across the floor. However as soon as she came to a stop, she was right back on her feet, charging at the monster with her axe as though she hadn't even been injured. All I could do was watch in stunned disbelief, feeling like I'd suddenly stepped into one of my books. Admittedly, seeing this kind of thing for real was a LOT scarier than reading about it. "This can't be happening," I gasped, sure that I had to be imagining this whole thing. Dad must be right...I've spent too much time reading comics watching TV so now it's rotted my brain. When the hellhound lunged at Ms. Lindrell, she used her axe to block its claws, though it snapped at her with its jaws a moment later. She kept swinging her axe, hitting it and seeming to cause it pain and injury, but the monster just kept coming. Then she suddenly dropped to her knee, slamming the base of the axe against the ground. There was a flash of light from the axe, and ice began to form around it and spread across the floor. A few seconds later, the hellhound tried to leap at Ms. Lindrell again, only to have its feet slip right out from beneath it. "Now I have you," Ms. Lindrell exclaimed, launching herself at the monster again and driving her axe right into its head. The creature collapsed to the ground, spasming several times before it finally stopped moving. As she backed away from the monster's body, I saw that its entire head was coated in frost and ice crystals. "That was amazing," Julie exclaimed, stepping into the hallway for a better look. "That was insane," I gasped, trying to make sense of what I'd just seen. Ms. Lindrell stood there with the massive axe in hand, wearing torn and bloody clothes, and she was acting as though that was all perfectly normal. She stared at me with an odd expression and actually sounded worried as she asked, "Are you all right, Michael?" "I...I think so," I answered, tempted to add that I might have a head injury that was making me see things. Then I gulped and demanded, "What the hell was that thing?" "A daemon," Ms. Lindrell answered grimly. "We need to get out of here." "That was even scarier than I thought they'd be," Julie said, making me look at her in surprise. "We need to get out of here," Ms. Lindrell repeated firmly. "Now." Before I could demand to know what was going on, Ms. Lindrell was walking down the hallway, gesturing for us to follow. Since she'd just saved my life from that hellhound...that daemon...I no longer thought she was going to kill me. In fact, I was pretty sure that if there were any more of those things around, she'd probably have to save me and Julie again. Then, as if responding to my thoughts, I heard another of those hissing roars like what the creature had made. That was all the warning we had before a second daemon came tearing around a corner and charged straight at us. Ms. Lindrell snarled something in another language. I had absolutely no idea what language that was, but I recognized profanity when I heard it. She ran towards the daemon, slashing at it with the axe, which she was swinging around as though it weighed nothing at all. If I hadn't been ready to shit my pants, I probably would have appreciated the sight a little more. The daemon slashed at Ms. Lindrell, then swung around, catching her with its tail which sliced right across her stomach. She grunted, and lowered the axe for a moment and the creature snapped at her with its jaws. However she raised the axe quickly enough to block the bite. It shook its head, then clawed at her again. And though she blocked the slash, the force sent her sliding down the hallway. "Come on," I told Julie, knowing that from what I'd seen, Ms. Lindrell could probably take care of the monster. However I didn't want to be any closer to it than absolutely necessary. Just as we were starting to run again, the daemon snarled and leapt straight at Julie. Without even thinking about it, I threw myself at her as well, shoving her to the side a moment before the daemon struck. My entire body exploded in pain before I even hit the floor. "MIKE," Julie cried out in horror. "NO," Ms. Lindrell yelled, throwing herself at the daemon just as it was about to bite off my head. An instant later, its own head went flying. I was spread out on the floor, hurting like hell from the waist up. However from the waist down, I couldn't feel a thing. I had a bad feeling about that...a REAL bad feeling. I gasped for breath, having a hard time getting enough air. "Oh God, Mike," Julie exclaimed, dropping down beside me and crying. I grimaced, trying my hardest just to avoid screaming in pain. I was scared...terrified, and since I couldn't feel anything beneath that massive ball of agony in my mid-section, I had no idea if I'd shit myself or not. Ms. Lindrell spat out a furious stream of profanities in another language, then snarled, "The summoner..." "Oh no," Julie gasped, jumping back to her feet and staring at something down the hallway. Then after a moment, she cautiously said, "He doesn't look so dangerous..." I turned my head, which was about the only part of me I could really move at the moment. It hurt to move even this much and it took a lot more effort than it should. However I was able to see down the hallway, where a man in a tattered crimson cloak was standing. I couldn't make out much about the man because his features were covered with the cloak, but he was holding his hands out and the air in front of him was glowing. I had no idea of what he was doing, but I knew with absolute certainty that it wasn't anything good. "He's trying to summon another daemon," Ms. Lindrell snarled furiously right before she threw the axe. It flew through the air, slamming right into the cloaked man, who dropped to the ground in a spray of blood. "Oh God, oh God, oh God," Julie cried out frantically, looking back as though she was about to start screaming. She finally settled her attention on me again. "Oh Mike... I'm so sorry..." Ms. Lindrell surprised me by crouching down beside me as well, taking my hand, and then staring at me with a grim look. In class, she'd always singled me out and acted like she hated me, but she'd just saved my life...if only for a few minutes. And when I looked into her eyes, all I saw was sadness. "Michael," Ms. Lindrell said, her voice shaking just a little. "I can save your life..." "You can?" Julie blurted hopefully. "Then do it..." Ms. Lindrell ignored her and continued looking at me. "You're dying, Michael," she told me in a gentle tone. "I can save your life but...I need your permission..." "Do it," Julie pleaded as tears ran down her cheeks. "Please save him..." "It will mean changing you," Ms. Lindrell stated with a grim expression, reaching out and touching my cheek. She held my face so that I continued looking up at her when my head wanted to flop to the side. "You will become someone else...but you will live. One way or another, the life you know ends now. However...I can give you a new one...if you accept." It was hard to breath...hard to think...hard to focus. I gasped for breath, having a hard time getting what she was saying or what she meant. However I understood that she was offering a choice between living and dying. For a moment, I struggled just to remember how to speak. Everything was so foggy and fading fast. I stared up into Ms. Lindrell's crystal blue eyes though, using them as the anchor I needed to focus. Then with a great deal of effort, I whispered, "Yes..." Ms. Lindrell gave me a sad smile and said, "Then let it be done." She held up her hand, which was beginning to glow with an eerie golden aura. And after holding it there for a second, she brought it down onto my chest. A surge of energy burned into me, going straight into my heart, which felt like it was about to explode. Suddenly, the energy shot through my entire body, riding my veins and nerves. I would have screamed if I'd been able, so instead, I just lost consciousness. Part 3 Roses. I smelled roses. When I opened my eyes, I saw that I was in an unfamiliar room, one with walls that were made of some sort of tan colored stone. Sunlight poured through stained glass windows that covered most of one wall, illuminating everything within, including the short but very wide and sturdy looking bed that I found myself in. I remained where I was for a moment, silently looking around this strange room and feeling dazed and confused as to where I was and how I'd ended up here. A flash burst across my mind of a monster, followed by a memory of searing pain as its claws tore my stomach open. I gasped with a surge of terror and scrambled out from beneath a pile of blankets, only to discover something even more shocking and confusing. My body felt wrong...very wrong. When I looked down, I saw why. Two fleshy mounds pushed out of my chest, but they were merely the first thing I noticed. As my eyes swept down over the rest of my body, taking in the smooth skin and new curves, I realized that I was no longer even myself. Somehow I was not only in this strange place, but in a new body. A female body. I stood there for a moment, feeling confused and afraid. This was a dream...it had to be. I had another flash of that monster leaping at me...and of lying on the ground with my entrails spilled out. My heart jumped in my chest as I started to panic...as I tried to make sense of what was going on. Before I could decide on what to do, the wooden door opened and a young woman came in. She was a beautiful brunette about my own age, though she was dressed in an outfit that was just as odd and out of place as the room. Her pants and shirt were loose and flowing, looking as though they were made of silk or some other light fabric. But in spite of the material, they were dyed a dull gray color that most girls I knew would never wear in public. "Mike," the girl exclaimed with a look of relief on her face, right before she rushed me and grabbed me in a hug. "Who are you?" I demanded, pulling away and staring at the girl suspiciously. She looked familiar but I couldn't place her. Her eyes widened she took a step back, blushing. "It's me," she said with a nervous smile, gesturing down at herself. "Julie..." "Julie?" I gasped in surprise. This girl definitely didn't look like Julie, but once she pointed out who she was, I could see the similarities. Though she didn't look like the Julie I knew, she did look like Julie's prettier sister. Her hair was longer and more lustrous while her acne and freckles were missing, along with her glasses. And then there was the fact that she was taller, thinner, and had an athletic yet feminine build that she'd never possessed before. After taking a moment to absorb all the changes that Julie had gone though, I asked, "What happened to you?" "The same thing that happened to you," she answered, giving me an odd look that suddenly made me extremely self-conscious. After all, not only had my body become female, but I was also buck naked. With a gulp, I dove for the bed and tried to cover myself with a blanket, shaking as I did so. "What happened to me?" I demanded. Julie's presence, and the fact that she seemed calm, helped to ease my own fears a little. "It's okay," Julie assured me, giving me an almost pleading look. She came closer and slowly gave me another hug, this time taking her time and obviously trying not to startle me. "Lindrell saved your life... If she didn't change you...you would have died..." Julie pulled away from me again and I could see she was crying, though I wasn't sure if it was because she was happy I was still alive or sad that I'd changed. I sat down on the edge of the bed, feeling dazed as I remembered what happened at school. Those monsters...daemons. Ms. Lindrell tearing them apart with a monstrous axe that could have come straight out of some barbarian movie... And of course the daemon tearing me to pieces. All of it came crashing down on me, and to my horror, the things that I'd thought had only been a nightmare were revealed to be real instead. "Oh God," I gasped, not sure how to process all this. Julie sat down beside me and put an arm over my shoulder, promising, "Everything is going to be fine... You're alive and that's the important thing..." "Alive," I whispered, remembering just how close I'd come to dying. Instead of panicking like I'd been doing a couple minutes earlier, I now felt numb and in shock. I was still confused, still trying to process this and make sense of what was going on around me. In the space of an instant, reality had been torn away from me and I'd suddenly been thrust into one of my books. I'd always loved stories where a normal person discovered that there was more to the world than they'd always known, then had to deal with things that they'd never even imagined possible. However suddenly being thrust into that role made things much less fun. "What's going on?" I demanded, staring at Julie, who seemed to have the answers. I remembered what I'd overheard her telling Ms. Lindrell in the classroom before everything went to hell, and I felt hurt and betrayed. However Julie had always been my friend before so I thought she deserved a chance to explain herself. Julie was silent for a moment, staring at me with an expression of guilt. "I'm sorry I got you involved in this," she finally told me, looking down at the floor. "You never should have gotten involved..." "Involved in what?" I asked her, forcing my voice to remain steady, though it wasn't easy...especially when I realized that even my voice had changed. It sounded different to my ears...feminine. "Where are we and what the hell is going on?" "You know how I told you that I was invited to a...special program?" Julie asked me carefully. When I nodded, she gave me a weak smile and said, "Well, here we are..." She gestured around the room. "Please explain," I told her grimly. "Real answers...not vague hints..." "Sorry," Julie apologized, blushing, which looked even cuter on her than before. "I just don't know how to describe this, and admittedly, I don't really know everything. I mean, I'm a new recruit so they haven't really told me any real details..." She paused at that then gave me another forced smile. "Sorry... I'll try to tell you what I know..." "Good," I said, making a very conscious effort not to pull the blanket away from my body and look at it again. My whole body just felt...odd. "I know this is going to sound like a fantasy novel or something, but..." she started, then gave an apologetic shrug. "Anyway, there's a group of women called the Val Kyr, who have magic powers and have been fighting daemons and monsters for thousands of years... Lindrell is one of them...and she asked me to join too. It turns out, she was at our school because of me...because they knew I had the potential to use the same kind of magic that they do...and they wanted to recruit me..." I just stared at Julie, still feeling more than a little dazed at what was going on. I remembered how vague and evasive Julie had been with me on the bus ride home, and now I understood why. If she'd tried telling me that stuff before, I would have thought she was joking. Even now, I had a hard time believing it, and I'd seen the monsters with my own eyes. "How could I say no?" Julie asked, almost pleaded with me for understanding. "I mean, they were going to make me strong...and powerful...and..." She paused at that before almost whispering, "Immortal." At my look of surprise, she quietly explained, "Lindrell says that they don't age and that some of them are over a thousand years old..." "Impossible," I started to protest, though I already knew my concept of 'impossible' had long since flown the coop. "I could be like Buffy...or Wonder Woman," Julie explained awkwardly. "This whole thing, it's like a dream come true... I just wish you didn't get caught up in it..." For a moment, I just stared at her, remembering the conversation between her and Ms. Lindrell that I'd overheard. Suddenly I realized that Julie hadn't just been staying after school to talk to her about this...she'd stayed after school because she was planning to leave. Julie had promised me that we'd talk about this later, that she'd explain everything. But now, I realized that she hadn't ever intended to fulfil that promise. "You were going to leave," I said bitterly. "You weren't even going to say goodbye..." Julie winced at that though she didn't deny it. "I...I didn't know what to say to you," she admitted quietly, not looking at me. "How could I tell you that I found out that magic was real...that I was going to get magic powers and become some kind of super hero...that I might live for centuries...and that you couldn't have any of it?" She finally looked at me, though she quickly wiped the tears from her eyes. "I know you love this stuff just as much as I do...and I thought it would be mean to tease you with something you could never have. I mean, Lindrell says that only women can be Val Kyr and have this magic..." That little reminder made me glance down at myself and squirm uncomfortably. "And what's this about?" I asked in confusion. "Why turn me into a girl?" "Because," Ms. Lindrell's voice came from the doorway, "that was an unavoidable side effect of the power used to heal you." I stared at Ms. Lindrell, remembering just how intimidating she'd appeared while wielding that axe at school. She looked even more intimidating now that she not only had that axe strapped across her back, but was also wearing armor. The armor covered most of her body from the neck down, looking like something from the cover of a fantasy novel rather than something that had ever been used in the real world. It seemed to have a leather base, though there were parts that were coated with chain mail while much of chest and torso were covered with small scale plates. But in addition to the armor, she had a red sash tied around her waist. Ms. Lindrell stepped into the room and looked me over, her expression surprisingly gentle considering the way she was dressed. "How are you feeling, Michelle?" I immediately noticed the way she'd called me Michelle instead of Michael, and I was about to protest until I realized how silly that would be. At the moment, there was no doubt that I looked a lot more like a Michelle than Michael. And of course, I owed that entirely to her and her strange magic. For several long seconds, I just stared at my armor clad teacher, suddenly realizing that I didn't know whether to yell at her for turning me into a girl...or thank her for saving my life. At that moment, it was actually a pretty tough decision. "Thank you for saving my life," I said awkwardly. Ms. Lindrell nodded at that, giving me an odd look at the same time. "I regret the circumstances that led to the situation. They were there for me...me and the person I was sent to recruit." She looked to Julie, who was obviously uncomfortable. "I had thought to be away long before any daemons found us." "Mrs. Clarence," I whispered, wincing as I remembered the way the daemon had killed her. However that just reminded me that the other one had done the exact same thing to me a short time later. "She was a bitter old woman who blamed her students for ruining her life," Ms. Lindrell commented. "But she didn't deserve that." I nodded at that then cautiously asked, "Who are you?" Ms. Lindrell stood there for a moment, staring at me with an expression I couldn't quite read. She finally said, "My name is Lindrell... sometimes called Lindrell Frostaxe. And as Julie has already told you, I am part of an ancient order known as the Val Kyr..." When Julie had mentioned the Val Kyr before, I was too distracted to really notice the name. This time, I caught it. "Valkyrie?" "Val Kyr," she corrected me with a faint smile. "Though admittedly, the stories about the valkyrie and amazons were mostly inspired by the Val Kyr. Most legends do contain a grain of truth, but don't ever mistake legend for reality." Julie put her arm around my shoulder, saying, "I know this is all really weird... I didn't believe it when she first told me about the Val Kyr either...not until she showed me a few things." "Like healing?" I asked, once again fighting the urge to look down at myself. Lindrell, who I couldn't really think of as my teacher being dressed the way she was, frowned and nodded. "It was the only way to save your life." I winced at that my thoughts flashing back to when I'd been laying on the ground with my guts spilled out. My heart jumped at the memory and I felt a phantom pain in my stomach, even though I'd already seen with my own eyes that there was no sign I'd ever been injured. My mind had been a bit dazed at the time, but I remember her telling me that I would be changed...and asking my permission. I licked my lips, trying to keep my voice steady as quietly asked, "What now?" "Now, Michelle," Lindrell said, putting her hand on my shoulder and giving me a reassuring smile. "I'll get you some clothes, then we'll get you something to eat. Afterwards, we'll talk. There is much we need to discuss." Part 4 I sat on the edge of the large bed, still wrapped up in a blanket and trying my best just to wrap my head around everything that was going on. Beneath the blanket, one of my hands was pressed up against my new breasts, which felt absolutely enormous to me. I hadn't taken the time to really examine myself, but I knew that I was larger than most of the girls in school. The idea struck me as bitterly ironic and I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Lindrell had left the room a few minutes ago in order to get me something to wear, but Julie had remained behind and was sitting beside me, awkwardly trying to comfort me. She didn't seem to know whether to put her arm around me or give me space, and I honestly didn't know which I would have preferred at the moment. So I just looked at Julie, who looked so different from the way she always had before. If I hadn't known who she was, I probably wouldn't have guessed that she was actually my old friend. In fact, when I'd first seen her like this a short time ago, I hadn't recognized her. "Why did she save me?" I asked Julie, thinking of Lindrell and the way she'd always glared at me...and made a point of embarrassing me in class. "She hates me..." "Lindrell doesn't hate you," Julie quickly assured me. "I mean, before this..." She gestured around us with a pained look on her face. "She asked about you a couple times and wanted to know everything about you. And after you were hurt, she was really worried. She said that...that her power might not have been enough to save you." I gulped, not wanting to think about just how close I'd come to dying. When I'd been on that floor with the taste of blood in my mouth, I'd been sure that it was over. Of course I was still alive, but obviously, my old life really was over. There was no escaping that fact. "You've seen the way she always calls me out in class," I pointed out bitterly. "But I guess she won't be doing that anymore. I don't think that any of us are going back to class..." Julie nodded in sad agreement before admitting, "I think she may have blamed you because I was taking so long to decide... I mean, I didn't want to leave you and my family, so I guess she was afraid that I might turn her down entirely...partly because of you." "So I was just the boyfriend who was getting in the way," I said with a grimace. "Lindrell saved your life," Julie reminded me with a firm look. "And she's being punished because of it." I gave her a look of surprise and she continued, "I don't know much about what's going on, but I guess she broke some serious rules when she saved you." "She's in trouble because she saved me?" I asked in surprise. "Why?" Julie hesitated a moment, then reached up to adjust her glasses, only to pause when she realized that she was no longer wearing them. She gave a self-conscious smile and then carefully said, "I look like this because Lindrell changed me...into a Val Kyr. I guess this means that I'm not quite human anymore. I mean, I can feel this power flowing through my veins...even if I don't have a clue about how to use it yet..." I stared at Julie for a moment, not at all surprised since this explained her sudden transformation. If I hadn't been so distracted with my own changes, I probably would have guessed that already. "Then I guess you'll have that cool magic too..." Julie gave me a faint smile before saying, "I'm not the only one. Lindrell said that she saved you...by turning you into a Val Kyr too." I shouldn't have been surprised by that one, but I still was. As it was, I was getting hit with one shock after another and I wasn't sure that I could absorb any more of them. I shook my head, once again wondering if I was caught up in some kind of weird dream. However I couldn't buy that one for even a moment. As strange and impossible as this all was, I had no doubt that it was real. While I was trying to absorb this latest surprise, Julie continued, "But we're here now...both of us. It was really hard, finding out about all this amazing stuff and not being able to share it with you. But now I can..." She gave me a weak smile and I could see that she was trying to be optimistic and focus on the positive side of all this. "And I'm still alive," I added with a weak smile of my own. At the moment, that was the biggest positive I could think of, and reminding myself of it helped to keep from freaking out over the fact that I'd just lost almost everything else. Lindrell returned just a minute later, bringing me loose fitting gray clothes that were nearly identical to what Julie was wearing. She even brought me a pair of tennis shoes, which were about the most normal things that I'd seen since waking up in this place. Then with barely a word, Lindrell and Julie left the room, giving me privacy in order to get dressed. Once I was alone, I let go of the blanket that I'd been using to cover myself, letting it drop to the floor. Then I took a deep breath and braced myself before looking down at my naked body again. This time, I knew what to expect so I wasn't caught by surprise, though I still found myself gasping a little anyway. A quick once over confirmed that I was definitely all girl now, and though I was curious to look myself over more, I dreaded the idea of doing so at the same time. So with a sign of resignation, I focused on getting dressed instead. "This is so weird," I muttered, looking down at myself once I was dressed. The clothes might not have been meant to show off a woman's body, but with the way my breasts stretched the fabric on the shirt, I still ended up feeling a like I was on display. I bit my lip at that and shook my head, only to have long hair fall into my face. I noted the fact that not only had my hair grown to just a little past shoulder length, but that it had also changed color from the dark blonde I was familiar with to a rich golden blonde. "Great," I grumbled, glancing down at my breasts again and knowing that I would now be subject to blonde bimbo jokes. I shuddered at the idea. I took another minute just to steady my nerves and brace myself, then announced, "Here goes nothing." I left the room and found myself in a large hallway with wooden doors spread out on both sides along the whole length. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all made of the same tan stone as the room I'd just left, though there were open skylights along the ceiling which let in natural light. Then I noticed that beside each of the wooden doors, there was a small alcove built into the wall. In the alcove beside me, there was a ceramic vase that was filled with freshly cut roses. The scent from the flowers tickled my nose, just as it had been doing from the moment I'd woken up. Julie and Lindrell were both standing off to the side, waiting for me. From the looks on their faces, it was pretty clear that they'd been talking about me as well, not that I was surprised. In fact I probably would have been more surprised to find out that they hadn't been talking about me behind my back. After all, my situation was so... weird. And the truth was, I barely had any idea of exactly what my situation entailed. "These were left as welcome to a new sister," Lindrell explained with a smile a she gestured to the roses. Then she gestured to something else that had been on the alcove, and which I'd nearly missed. A dagger. "And this was left as welcome to a new comrade in arms." "Comrade in arms?" I asked suspiciously. "You obviously have a great many questions," Lindrell told me with a reassuring smile. "But you must also be famished after your healing and conversion..." It wasn't until she'd pointed it out that I realized just how hungry I was. Until that moment, I'd been too distracted by everything else to really notice it. "Yeah," I admitted awkwardly. "I am pretty hungry..." "Then we'll eat first," Lindrell stated, giving me an odd look before she continued. "Afterwards, I'll answer your questions and explain the new realities you will have to accept and deal with." That wasn't very reassuring, but she was already starting down the hallway so I gave Julie a curious look and then followed. Lindrell led us through a series of hallways until we came to a large room that immediately reminded me of my high school cafeteria, due to the fact that there were more than a dozen tables scattered about. However after slowly looking over the wooden tables and stone walls, then noticing the numerous weapons that were hung from the walls, I was reminded of something else instead. This room made me think of a movie set, from one of the scenes where everyone in the castle was gathered together in one room for a huge feast. In spite of how much space there was to sit, the room was virtually empty. There were only six people present besides ourselves, all of them women. One was wearing armor similar to what Lindrell wore, though she had a sword strapped to her side rather than an axe on her back. Three of the women were wearing outfits very similar to what Julie and I had on, though they had sashes around their waists. The last two women were dressed surprisingly normal, with one in jeans and a t-shirt while the other had on a dress. All six of them kept glancing towards us, but none made a move to approach. "Take what you like," Lindrell told us, gesturing to a table in one corner that was loaded up with food. "You'll find that your appetites are somewhat larger than you're used to." The food was set out much like it would be at a potluck, with trays of fruits, vegetables, meats...and dishes that I couldn't quite guess at. There was even a whole pig on the table, albeit a fairly small pig that was already partly eaten. I grabbed a large plate and began filling it while Julie and Lindrell both did the same. At this point, one of the women finally came over towards us, nodding to Lindrell, then giving Julie an appraising look before giving me a suspicious one. "Lindrell," she said politely, looking at Julie again and asking, "I take it this is your new recruit..." "This is Julie," Lindrell agreed with a faint smile before introducing me, "And this is Michelle..." The woman made a clear point of ignoring me while she looked Julie over again. Julie squirmed, a little uncomfortable from the attention, though I wasn't exactly pleased either. I had no idea who this woman was, but she was clearly going out of her way to ignore me. However since I didn't know what was going on or who she was, I bit my tongue for the moment. "I thought you knew better than to make a convert," the woman told Lindrell, finally looking to me again. Her expression wasn't friendly. "You know that never ends well." "What's done is done," Lindrell told her with a scowl. "There's a reason we don't make converts anymore," the woman insisted. Lindrell gave her a flat look and said, "Jass... I stand by my decision and I'll face the consequences. Now leave us be. Our new sisters are hungry and have a lot of questions that need answering, and I don't want their first impressions of the Val Kyr to be ones of hostility." The woman...Jass...glared at Lindrell for a moment, then she glared at me with a look of contempt before she turned and walked away. I watched her go, feeling stunned and confused by her reactions. Then I looked to Lindrell, who'd gone up a couple more notches in my eyes. "I'm sorry," Lindrell told me apologetically. "But not every Val Kyr will be accepting of you. You see, we've had...problems with converts before." "Converts?" I asked. "What exactly is a convert?" "Our term for men who've been converted to Val Kyr," Lindrell explained as she led the way to an empty table. "Converts are...uncommon...but not unheard of. Unfortunately a lot of them have had a difficult time adjusting and have given converts a bad reputation. The last one before you was converted three hundred years ago. Ever since then, the practice has been virtually banned." Lindrell had a grim expression on her face, which suddenly reminded me of what Julie had said earlier, about her being punished because she'd saved me. After this, I wondered if she was in trouble because she'd saved me...or because I'd been a guy when she did it. And of course, that led to the question of just what kind of trouble was she in. But then again, I had about a million questions at the moment, and she had promised to answer them once we'd finished eating. I could be patient that long. Lindrell set her axe on the floor beside the table, then began to eat. I watched her for a moment, then looked around again before commenting to Julie, "Why do I feel like I'm surrounded by larpers at a convention?" "I was thinking of it as more like a ren faire," Julie responded with a grin. After that we began to eat, not speaking much as we did so. I tried not to think about how odd I felt or how surreal the entire situation was, and I was hungry enough that the food on my plate was able to distract me from those things, at least for a little while. By the time I was finished, I'd eaten every bite on my plate, which surprised me since I had three times more food than I normally would have been able to eat. Lindrell had warned us that our appetites would be larger, but I hadn't really believed her until now. "You will find that you can now go without food for much longer periods, when necessary," Lindrell explained when she saw me staring at my empty plate in surprise. "But most of your appetites will have grown larger as well. This is due to the val flowing through your body." "The val?" I asked blankly. "The val is what we call the magic we wield," Lindrell explained, shifting into the lecturing mode that I was quite familiar with from class. "It is a form of energy that fills our bodies, flows through our veins, and gives us all of our special abilities. In fact, the term Val Kyr literally means...warriors of the val." "And it only works for women," Julie volunteered, though she did glance to Lindrell as if waiting for co