Magi Sabiyya: Magical Girls of Dune I

Sayaka found the restaurant in a rundown neighborhood of Arrakis, this was far enough from the shrine of Leto, from Leto II’s citadel and construction projects. Inside the smell of spice attacked her nostrils, out of Arrakis spice would be used very sparingly in food, in Arrakis spice was rather common for food, Fremen cuisine had such large amounts of spice one had to remain grounded to reality itself to stay sane.

She sat at one of the tables, Sayaka took a date from a plate over the table, she found even this was spiced. Courtesy over a table was a sure sign that the owner of the establishment was not Arrakian, they had lived through such scarcity that no Arrakis business would give something for free unless it was charity.

Sayaka looked around, the waitress looked back, she bobbed her head once, Sayaka nodded. A few moments later Sayaka had a flat bread wrapping some spiced meat, it looked like a cigar.

“Can I order something else?” Sayaka asked to the waitress.

She smiled and chuckled “Burritos, spice beer and water, that’s all I sell”

Sayaka sighed and took a bite “I’ll have some water”

“That you’d need to pay upfront, 100 solaris for a glass” The waitress waved at a Fremen who had just sat down.

“What?! 100 for water?! How much is the food?!”

The waitress sighed “1 for a burrito 2 for a beer”

“How does that make any sense?! For all I knew I could distill the beer and drink that water”

The waitress shook her head “You have no idea how spice beer is made right? Seriously is that who they send for me? I was expecting more!” The waitress crossed her arms.

Now Sayaka started to notice a few things, this waitress looked too calm for such an environment, not out of apathy, she was aware of how many of her patrons were armed, she had received Sayaka as an important guest.

Sayaka noticed the shield generator at the waitress’ sleeve, even considering to attack would put this woman on edge. Sayaka instead started to eat “Bella knew you’d run if anyone else came”

The waitress relaxed “I’ll bring you a beer… I’ll tell you how it’s made after you eat”

Sayaka imagined something like the old processes to make sake, mikos chewing rice. The spice didn’t help. The image and the spice mixed in her head, she was aware the shrine was not there, but she could still see it. The blessing of the swords, this was not a genetic memory, this was not enough spice.

Sayaka was not the miko, her mother had forced Sayaka’s hand into a box that made her feel pain, in exchange she received a sword, she would have received it either way, but Sayaka would have been buried with it if she jerked away from the box.

Ginaz had adapted to the Bene Gesserit rather well, after all many forgotten techniques for weapons were perfectly remembered by Reverend Mothers who had actual memories from the times of old Terra. Sayaka’s sword was concealed under her robe, this was probably something this waitress had noticed, it was easy to hide it for the naked eye, not to another Bene Gesserit.

Sayaka waited until the restaurant was empty, it required hours but patience is a trait every member of the sisterhood had to learn. She left the solaris for her food over the table, then unsheathed her sword.

The waitress got out of the kitchen holding a spear. This was why this waitress wouldn’t run, it would be dishonorable to run from combat. Reverend Mother Bella knew that it required someone brash like Sayaka.

“Still the food is too cheap, and nobody here buys water” Sayaka’s sword had a slight blue tinge, ceramic, very light.

The waitress bowed “There are other ways to make money in Arrakis. The tyrant pays his bounties well”

“Miki Sayaka” She bowed, if two battlemasters of Ginaz fought it was customary to give their names, of course in a war nobody did, but in instances like this they followed tradition.

The waitress attacked, Sayaka moved out of the way though the spear detached into different segments linked with chain, the momentum hit Sayaka with the edge of the blade cutting deep into her chest.

“Sakura Kyouko” the spear became solid once more.

Sayaka started getting up, Kyouko was not expecting her to get up “Don’t push yourself, we can fight again when you are better”

Sayaka though was already getting better, the gash was quickly closing, until nothing remained.

Kyouko took a step back and readied herself. She wondered what monstrosity had the Tleilaxu done to Sayaka.

Kyouko’s spear wrapped around the sword, a tug was enough to break it, though just like Sayaka the blade fixed itself, it turned liquid and quickly made a new one. Kyouko dropped her spear, Sayaka stopped.

“Geez! What lab did you escape from?!” Kyouko smiled as Sayaka sheathed her blade again, then picked up the pieces that had broken, they had turned soft and gooey, Sayaka put them somewhere under her cape.

“Bella needs you. One of our acolytes got kidnapped by Count Walpurgis”

Kyouko picked up her spear and rested it on her shoulders “Send Mami then, she has you and she has Mami”

“Unless you want to wait for a ghola, an abomination named Charlotta took her out” Sayaka sighed “Or we wait until her daughter grows up and awaken those memories, but I doubt we have the time”