Shantra was now taking the role of Queen. She placed new
servants and advisors and made it possible for women to also
posses the power to assume the shape of a bat. Trend and
Tyle barely saw each other anymore, and Shantra told
everyone that Lucid died in her arms the night they made
love.
Shantra was seeing many different men now, but her favorite
toy was Trend, who spent almost every night with Shantra,
perhaps wanting to keep Lucid's memory alive. One night
Trend came to visit Shantra, and the servant showed him to
her room.
"How are you, Shantra?" Trend asked, "You look especially
beautiful tonight."
"Oh, stop teasing me" Shantra said joyfully, and Trend
followed her to the bed. After a while they began to make
love, and when they were done, Shantra handed Trend Lucid's
old black pipe which she still kept.
"You remind me a little of Lucid," Shantra said.
"In what way could I remind you of Lucid?" asked Trend
cynically, "I bet it's my great personality, right?"
"If you say so," Shantra replied without interest. "I'll let
you do the honors, Shantra," Trend said and passed her the
pipe. Shantra took a hit and her eyes turned red.
"What am I into?" she asked Trend.
"You're into 'love', Shantra," Trend answered and took the
pipe. He inhaled from the pipe but felt very strange. He
asked Shantra what he was into, "you're into 'human'"
Shantra replied, lying back on the bed. Trend got up and
went to the bathroom to wash his face.
Trend started to hear a voice speaking in his head, "its
Lucid," he thought to himself and splashed some more water
on his face. He started to feel a bit dizzy and had to lean
against the wall to keep from falling. When he looked in the
mirror and almost fell down astonished, as he saw Lucid's
reflection staring back at him.
"Only you can help me, Trend," said Lucid's reflection,
"Shantra has swallowed my soul and now she posseses all my
powers. I need your help, Trend!" he said pleadingly.
Trend looked back at the mirror "what can I do?" he
stammered, not sure what's going on.
"There's a purple stone hanging inside the diamond
chandelier in the bedroom. The stone is the source of my
energy," Lucid's reflection said quickly "Shantra put it
there the night she swallowed my soul. My only chance to
return is if the stone is destroyed, and it must be
destroyed in her presence."
They were unaware that Shantra, in the meanwhile, was lying
on the bed, overhearing everything.
"How shall I do it?" Trend asked Lucid.
"Once the stone is removed from the chandelier, my powers
will slowly come back to me," Lucid explained, "but I need
the stone to be destroyed in her presence to regain full
control of my soul and to re-enter life!"
"I don't know how to do it, Lucid!" Trend cried in panic.
"Find a way, Trend," Lucid said seriously, "you're my only
hope."
Lucid's reflection disappeared and Trend turned off the
water "Listen, Shantra," Trend said as he returned to the
bedroom, "I have to go now, ok?"
"You can't deceive me, Trend!" Shantra yelled furiously.
"What are you talking about, Shantra?" Trend was startled,
"I really have to go now," and he headed for the door but
Shantra was not convinced "You'll pay with your life!" she
cried and called out "Guards, Guards!"
Trend quickly changed into a bat and jumped out of the
window. He didn't know where to go and eventually found
himself at the old spot on the mountain top where he used to
spend time with Lucid. He sat down and put his hands over
his head, "I just have to find a way," he choked, "because I
know Lucid would have done the same for me."