by L. Fergus
I have no idea what would take that long to inject.
“You told him ‘sweet dreams,’ if that helps?” said Snowy.
Kita snapped her fingers. “I gave him a long-term dose of hallucinogenic drugs, a psychedelic, and a delirium. He’ll be like this for a while.” Kita cringed. “Sorry.”
“Well, that explains why he hasn’t stopped screaming. I wonder what his nightmares look like,” Cowboy said with an amused look in his eye.
“They probably focus on Kita,” Snowy said with a laugh.
“I said his nightmares, not your dreams.”
“You’re going to be riding Nightmare in a second,” Snowy scolded with a smile.
“Speaking of riding, if Kita’s ready, we should get a move on.”
“Does this mean I don’t have time to eat?” Kita said from the kitchen doorway with an armload of food.
As Kita entered the large rectangular command tent, everyone came to attention. She released them and found Forrester hanging some maps.
“Commander, good to see you’re feeling better.”
“Thanks, how are things?”
“Excellent. Each group has claimed its territory under the big top. We should be up and running within the hour. When would you like to send the notification team?”
Kita raised an eyebrow. “The what?”
“The notification team goes under a flag of truce to inform the city that it’s going to be attacked. It’ll give them a chance to think over their options—like surrendering. They may decide to send troops into the field against us. If they lose, we take the city. Worst case is, they send troops out and we still have to siege. Either way it goes, we will have to line up for battle. The stronger our show of force, the better chance of a less violent resolution.”
Kita laughed to herself. She loved it when Forrester went into scholar mode.
“Send them in the morning. Tell them they will have two days to make up their minds. You can set the meeting place, right?”
“Of course. It’ll be whatever location I select for the battlefield. I can take care of the details. Two days is plenty of time for us to get organized. I was afraid you’d march us straight into battle.”
Kita sighed. “No, I only do that to myself.”
“Hey, authorized personnel only,” said a guard at the door as Xeen and a dozen Arconians pushed their way inside. Kita disappeared.
“What is the meaning of this?” Forrester demanded.
“We are here for the dishonored one,” said Xeen while drawing his sword and pointing it at Zidin.
“How dare you draw a weapon in here!" exclaimed Forrester. "This is the command area, not a practice ring. Get out of my tent.”
“We’ll gladly leave, with him.”
“Dammit, Xeen. We went over this,” Snowy yelled. “I told you he belongs to the Legion, and you can't touch him.”
Xeen glared at Snowy. “The elders met and decreed the Legion rules do not supersede Tradition. He will come with us to die. If you continue to stand between us and him, cat-woman, I will have a new sporran.”
“The Legion protects its own.” Cowboy changed into The Rider and drew his revolvers.
A thunderous roar rocked the tent as Frostbane left his corner and sat in front of Zidin.
“The Arconian sword is mighty. We will defeat all who oppose us,” Xeen thundered.
“Oh, I don’t think so,” Kita’s voice sang through the tent. She appeared between Zidin and Xeen, a dark venomous scowl etched on her face. With her arms crossed, she hovered at eye level with Xeen.
“I am sorry, Lady Rose, but he must come with us. It’s Tradition and the elders have ruled on the Legion’s claims. I know you don’t understand now, but you will in time.” Xeen pushed Kita aside.
Kita drifted back into his path. “Let’s get one thing straight. In this camp, no one supersedes my authority—not you, not the elders, not the King of Yorq, not the Legion, not anyone. You best get that through your thick head. You aren't taking him. I don’t care who says what. Your stupid honor system be damned. As far as I’m concerned, Zidin has more honor than the rest of you combined.”
“You must abide by the elders ruling, Lady Rose,” said Xeen with an air of finality.
“Fine!” Kita screamed. She ripped off her bandana so her roses were visible. “Look carefully, Xeen. Now they’re there, now they’re not.” Kita’s roses vanished. She opened her eyes to reveal the empty eye sockets causing Xeen to jump. “I can leave them off—forever. I don’t care. You and the rest of the Arconians can go home and have a good long wait for the next member of the Rose Guild to appear. I don’t need you; I don’t need this.”
“You don’t have a choice. You are Lady Rose.”
“I was Lady Katrina Logine, daughter to Duchess Marie Logine long before I was Lady Rose, or Commander, or even a fallen angel. I'm not some iconic figure for you to put on a pedestal. I'm not some perfect soldier. I'm not some wicked and evil spirit. I am me!” Kita shouted. “These are all part of who I am, but they do not define who I am. I will not allow you to do it to me. I will decide who my friends are. I will decide who my lovers are. I will decide who and what I am.”
Kita drifted back a few feet and vanished. She reappeared as the Fallen Angel. Dusk and Dawn flourished, leaving red streaks in the air. They came to a stop, outstretched, pointing downward.
“If you want him, you will have to come through me,” Kita said in a menacing growl.
Xeen lowered his sword. “You’ll have your way, for now.”
“Xeen, one more thing…” Kita glided to him and struck him across the face. “Don’t you ever threaten Snowy again.” Kita hit him several more times, knocking him backward toward the tent's entrance. With a high kick, she sent Xeen flying out of the tent and chased after him. Xeen landed at the feet of a large group of Arconians. As he tried to get up, Kita landed on him. “Don’t you ever make that threat against Snowy ever again or I’ll skin you! You sick son-of-a-bitch!” She rained down blow after blow.
Some Arconians grabbed Kita as others pulled Xeen to safety. Kita knocked several Arconians unconscious. The Arconians rippled as a group made its way through the crowd. The group stopped at Xeen. Kita tried to see through the Arconians surrounding her, but every time she floated upward, they shoved her back down.
The group approached Kita. The Arconians holding her let go. Kita took advantage and lifted off. The new group comprised of twelve individuals. Each wore a dark blue cloak with gold trim. In unison, they removed their hoods and opened their cloaks. Each cloak revealed a wizened face wearing the traditional Arconian kilt and kit.
The one in the lead called up to her, “You may come down, child. We will not hurt you.”
“I think I’ll stay here. It’s a little rough on the ground at the moment. Who are you?”
The leader spoke with a calm but stern voice, “We are the elders assigned to this contract. We decide the course of the contract and make sure it follows Tradition. Events have kept us from meeting until now, Lady Rose.”
“Right now, I am not Lady Rose. I have been around a while. The camps aren’t that big, and I’m easy to find. The big black wings make it easy. It sucks playing hide and seek.”
The leader shook his head. “You will always be Lady Rose—no matter what else you are. It is not a title you can put on or take off as you please. It is a bloodline that traces from you back to our people’s very beginnings.”
“That’s nice, but right now, I’ve got more important things to worry about. So, if you’re here for Zidin”—Kita drew Dusk and placed the sword against her throat— “you’ll be mopping bloodline off the ground.”
“There is no need for such bravado, Lady Rose. We are not here for the dishonored one. We merely wish to talk to you about him and other things. We feel there’s been a miscommunication between you and us.”
Kita put Dusk away. “Fine, but I get to choose the place. We’ll do it in the Region of Yorq’s area. Jeffrey i
s as much an Arconian as I am. The rest of the Arconians have to stay outside.” The leader nodded his agreement. “Oh, and one last thing, elder—with me, there is never bravado.”
The meeting between Kita and the Arconian elders took place in Jeffrey’s personnel tent. The parties stood among the elegant furnishings. The elders gathered at the far side of the tent, Kita took advantage of the tall ceiling and floated a few feet off the ground, and Jeffrey stood next to her wearing his full regal attire.
“I’m sorry, Lady Rose, this meeting is for you only. He will have to wait outside,” said the Arconian elder leader.
Kita glared at him. “He’s my brother and the son of my mother. He’s as much an Arconian as I am. Whatever you have to say, he’s got a right to hear it. If you don’t like it, then we’re just wasting each other’s time.”
“Calm, child. This is the first time any Arconians have seen you, and we know nothing about you. Normally, everyone has watched Lady Rose grow from a seed to a flower. You are not a rose, but a rose bush.”
“Watch where you stick your hand, I come with a lot of thorns.”
“A skilled gardener knows how to work around the thorns to cultivate the biggest bloom,” the leader said with a gentle smile. “You are the rose, the people of Arcone are the thorns, and the elders are the gardeners. Without proper care, the bush grows wild with few flowers and many thorns. For us to better be able to help you, we must know you.”
Kita rolled her eyes. “What do you want to know?”
“We want to know about your journey to becoming Lady Rose and how you came to this crosscurrent in your life.”
Kita sighed and started at the beginning. She told of her Proving Ritual, the death of her mother and father, and the escape from the castle. She left out Omega and kept details of the Legion to a minimum.
“That is an interesting tale,” said the leader.
The elders replaced their hoods and cloaks and lined up to leave.
Jeffrey blocked the exit. “I think as our mother’s children, we deserve more than that.”
“The tale she tells is full of places, people, and deeds,” said an elder. “It does not tell us who she is. She could be a crow with its head stuck in a rose thicket.”
"My sister is a bullheaded manipulative killer," said Jeffrey, snidely. "Yet, she can talk people into doing anything for her. Her friends and lover worship the ground she walks on.”
The leader faced Kita. “You did not mention you had a lover.”
“I didn’t think that was any of your damn business.”
“Love can tell a lot about a person. Even the hardest of stone hearts can melt when in the presence of the one they love. We would like to meet him.”
“Her,” Kita growled.
“Her?”
“Her, as in female. My lover is female. Do you have a problem with that?”
“It is unusual, but it is not unheard of in Arconian clans. Regardless, we would like to meet her.”
Snowy entered the tent. Her bangles and earring sparkled in the light. She carried her tail on her arm. With grace, she walked up and stood next to Kita.
“Are you the Lady of the Mountain?” said an elder.
Snowy cocked her head to one side. “That is a name I have not been called in a long time.”
“Our legends tell of a woman who lives high in the mountains with the war cats. She protects them. To see her was an omen of death.”
“Legends are based in truth, but I used to rescue stranded travelers. If you saw me it was an omen of life.”
“I feel that it is we that are children in your eyes. Tell us, how old are you?” said the leader.
Snowy’s eyes narrowed. “I am old enough to remember when the land and peoples were different. I remember when your volcanic islands were nothing more than bare rock. I can still see where great cities stood. I know whatever questions you have of me are just questions. Like all questions, their significance is fleeting. What do you wish to know?”
“Why do you love Lady Rose?” said an elder.
“You don’t choose who you love. You may choose to be with them. If you mean what is it that I see in her that I like, there is a lot. When I first met Kita, I fell in love with her. It wasn’t until after she tried to kill herself that I realized that I wanted to be with her.”
Kita met the disapproving looks from some of the elders with a hard glare. She shrugged at Jeffrey's curious glance.
“Kita is the most amazing person I’ve ever met. I feel safe and wonderful when she’s around. Anything is possible with her. Without her, I wouldn’t be who I am now. She’s shown me more about myself in the last few months than I knew about me in the last few millennia. I’ve grown as she’s grown. I know she’s young, and she has a lot to learn, but she makes me feel young. I love being there to support her, help her, and reassure her. She has done the same for me. I find her convictions refreshing and her passion is paramount.”
“If you are so long-lived as you say you are, wouldn’t it be hard to watch her grow old?” said an elder from the back.
“Kita and I have talked about this. With Kita’s nanites and access to medical facilities, she’ll live at least a millennium or two. Who’s to say that if she dies, I will want to continue to live without her?”
The elder’s huddled and talked. Kita’s scowl softened in Snowy’s presence.
“Lady Rose has picked well, I believe,” said an elder when the huddle broke. “Time will tell if you are the perfect pollinator, but you have our approval.”
“For what that’s worth, child.”
“We will deliberate further on what we’ve heard.” The leader put his hood over his head.
“And what exactly are you to deliberate?” The Rider’s eerie baritone asked from the door. He and Zidin stood blocking the exit.
“Whether Lady Rose’s decisions have led Arcone down the wrong path. We know nothing of her, so we do not know why she has made the choices she has. She will always be Lady Rose, of that there is no question. We wonder if her other commitments have clouded her judgment.”
The Rider chuckled. “I’ve wondered the same thing myself.”
“Who are you?” said an elder.
Cowboy turned back into his human form. “I am Cowboy, a senior member of the Legion and advisor to Commander Logine. My job is similar to yours. I was assigned to her to make sure she kept with the Legion’s mission.”
“Has she?” said another elder.
“Yes. She has proven herself to be very committed to her Legion, even willing to throw everything else away to save it from you.”
“How can one person expect to show the same level of commitment to two different groups?” said a third elder.
“I was tasked with evaluating that very question. As you are aware, the Legion does not accept Arconians because of commitment issues. Kita is a unique case. She was drafted and received her markings on the same night. After studying her, I came to the conclusion that it would be unfair to remove someone so dedicated to her command, just because she might be required to represent someone else’s interests. What will happen if those commitments collide? I don’t know. We will have to trust her.”
“The Legion is willing to trust her with a great responsibility. Why?” said the leader.
“With great responsibility comes a great headache. I whisper the Legion’s interests in her ear, Zidin represents Arcone’s interests, and Snowy, even though she is a Legion Commander, represents Kita’s personal interests. We believe she will do what is right for all, not just for the Legion.”
The leader turned to Zidin. “Dishonored one, you have been guiding Lady Rose for Arcone?”
“Yes, elder.”
“Why?”
“To make sure she upholds Tradition to honor her people.”
“Has she?”
“No”—Kita cringed at the answer. I hope you’re listening, brother. Not everyone does as I want— “she doesn't adhere to Tradition, but she does to
the spirit of Arcone. She doesn't believe in honor, but she fights for the innocent. Her skills as a warrior are unmatched. She will be out front leading the charge. Those she commands come first. Often, she’s taken way past the point of exhaustion. She has died trying to save her comrades. Nothing stops her. Victory is her only destination. I would follow her to the Crushing Depths.”
“Even over your own people?” said the leader.
“She is the future. The people of Arcone have been adrift too long without the guidance of Lady Rose. Just because she wishes to take us on a new course doesn’t mean we shouldn’t follow.”
“We will decide on what course to take, dishonored one,” said the leader.
“Tradition states that I do not lose my position simply because I’m dishonored.”
“Who are you, dishonored one?”
“I am Zidin of Clan MhicAoidh, bearer of the great sword Great White. I am the last Great Elder to be chosen by Lady Rose, Kita's great-grandmother.” Zidin drew the giant sword and slammed its tip into the ground.
Got it in one. How old is Zidin?
The elders exchanged glances. “How did you end up here, Great Elder?”
“My unit was defeated a hundred years ago. Lady Rose, Kita’s mother, found me and others like me after she married. Together, we reformed Clan MhicAoidh. I challenged Lady Rose in her Proving Ritual. I did not believe she was worthy of receiving the honor of being Lady Rose. She beat me in the Proving Ritual and in an Honor Ritual. In a short time, she has convinced me that she is a worthy successor to the line of the Rose. She may not do everything in accordance with Tradition, but she has the best interest of all of her peoples at heart.”
“Thank you, Great Elder. Please leave us. We wish to confer and make our decision.”
Zidin nodded and led Kita and the others outside away from the tent.
Kita drifted back and forth. “By the blazing suns! I can't believe everything will unravel because of a bunch of old dried bones.”
Snowy put a hand on Kita’s arm. “Don’t worry, kitten, everything will be fine.”
“You heard them. They think I’m unworthy because I wasn’t raised by them. They disapprove of you, and they think I’m a puppet of the Legion.” Kita slammed her fist on a hitching post causing it to splinter.