Cat Out of the Bag

by A L Fogerty

  “Would you really?” I asked Vex and Moira. “It’s going to be dangerous. Who knows how many will fight us when we confront them? I hope that they will just agree to leave the planet peacefully, but considering what I already know about them, that’s highly unlikely.”

  “It is good that you wish to solve things diplomatically,” Avalon said. “That is to be commended. There are few summoners who would choose the way of words before the way of swords.”

  “But I thought wanting to do the right thing was what made someone a summoner.”

  “There is the right thing, and then there is the right thing,” Avalon said. “There are many perspectives, just as there are many summoners. What separates a dark summoner from a light one is that the light wield their power to help others and to protect themselves. Dark summoners will attack and destroy for personal gain. There’s a distinction.”

  “I see. Mythril told me I should get over my squeamishness, but it’s hard. I’m hoping I can get a spell that changes people’s minds.”

  “Mind control is no less violent than actual violence,” Avalon said.

  “Yes, but when my dragon uses his stardust, its turns people into dust. It’s probably the most violent thing I could imagine, as it kills them instantly.”

  “That is a consideration.”

  “Your dragon has a really powerful spell,” Vex said. “I can use my fear spell to make people stop what they’re doing, but they usually start back up again as soon as it wears off.”

  “I just wish that everyone could be fair and get along and be nice to each other,” I said.

  Avalon smiled sweetly at me, as though she were smiling at a little kitten, and put her hand on my shoulder. “You have an innocent heart, dear Mango, and I hope you never lose it.”

  “Let’s destroy these Landlords,” Moira growled, her lips curling back over her teeth.

  “I’m sure the three of us will have a much better chance than I would alone,” I said. “Think anyone else would help us?”

  “I can come with you, and we can ask the general assembly to volunteer, though there are few summoners at HQ today. There is a celebration happening on Earth right now, and most of them have gone to join the humans in their festivities,” Vex said.

  “I didn’t know you did that kind of thing.”

  “It helps the summoners feel more involved with their world. You can’t spend your entire life fighting crime and the forces of darkness—sometimes, you need a song, a dance, and a cold beer.”

  I nodded. “Is Serious here?”

  “I’m afraid he went with the revelers. We’re only here because the one thing Moira and I have in common is that neither of us likes loud noises or big crowds,” Vex said.

  “And I’m here to keep them from fighting and tearing apart the entire mansion,” Avalon added. “I will send a message to Serious and see if he’ll ask the others to join us.”

  Avalon closed her eyes and invoked one of her avatars. To’tonya flew up over her head, and Avalon nodded.

  “To’tonya can send messages like that?”

  “Telepathy is an advanced skill. You will learn many more skills by the time you are at my level. It appears that most of the summoners are indisposed.”

  “What does that mean?” I asked.

  “It means that they are either drunk or sleeping, or they have disappeared somewhere and Serious doesn’t know where they are,” Vex said.

  “If you want to leave now, we should go without them. The others can join us later.”

  “Okay then,” I said. “Let’s go.” I summoned Mythril, and he slid from my palm, whirling around in a circle in front of me until a shimmering black portal opened in front of us. Everyone stepped through, and I followed, closing the portal behind me. We stepped out into the living room, and Pappi nearly fell on the floor.

  “Everyone, this is my Pappi. Pappi, this is Moira, Vex, and Avalon.”

  “You are all summoners like my Mango?” he asked.

  They all nodded. “Indeed,” Vex said.

  “So I guess now I should open a portal to the Imperial city?”

  “Have you ever been to an Imperial city?” Avalon asked as Mythril coiled around my arm.

  “No.”

  “You can only open portals to places where you have been.”

  “But what about Serious? He opened the portal to the junkyard. And then he opened the portal to you.”

  “That is a skill that comes with more practice and ability.”

  “What about when the dragon is calling?”

  “That is the one time you can open a portal to somewhere you’ve never been.”

  “I guess the next time a dragon calls me, we’ll see how that works.”

  “How will we travel to the Imperial city?” Avalon asked.

  “We could borrow the hover bus from the other village.”

  “Or we could ride Mythril,” Vex said, twirling her braid. “He’s big enough.”

  “I have a giant eagle,” Moira interjected, wanting to outdo Vex. “We can ride him.”

  “Very good.” Avalon said. “How many will fit on your eagle?”

  “Only two. I will take you, Avalon, not ghost girl.”

  “Very well, then. We should be leaving soon. Serious will be ready to join us by the time we arrive.”

  “Are you sure about this, Mango? I still don’t know if it’s the best thing for you to do.”

  “Pappi, I have to protect the forest and the Sho’kin. They will never leave us in peace if we don’t stop them. I don’t see what choice I have.”

  “You always were such a brave girl.” He gripped my shoulders, and I saw tears in his eyes as he leaned then pulled me into a hug. He patted my back then stepped away. “Take care of yourself. All of you, take care of her and bring her back in one piece.”

  “We will protect her. We can assure you of that much,” Avalon said. “Now, ladies, let us proceed.”

  Out in the front yard, Moira and I summoned our creatures. Mythril stood erect and ready, waiting for Vex and me to mount up. Moira’s giant eagle flapped his wings and screeched before bending low for Moira and Avalon to mount. Once we were all safely seated on the giant winged creatures, they flapped their wings and launched into the air.

  Chapter 28

  “Which way to the Imperial city?” Mythril asked.

  I pointed him over Sho’kin Forest, and he flapped his giant wings as Moira’s eagle flew beside us. The people in the villages below pointed up into the air at the colossal creatures flying overhead. I waved to them, wishing them well and hoping that they would not be attacked while I was gone. It was time to end it. It was time for the Landlords to leave us alone.

  We flew all day and finally landed on top of a mountain and took shelter in a cave. The creatures disappeared into the ether, and Moira built a fire. She told us she would go hunting with her beasts to bring us food, and Vex and I tended the fire. Avalon filled a pitcher with water for us to drink. Moira returned as the sun was setting with several rabbits and a cup full of berries. We roasted the food over the fire and ate until we were full. We spread out our blankets on the cool ground, and Moira summoned her bear to guard us for the night.

  We woke the next morning at daybreak, cleaned up our camp, ate the rest of the leftover meat, and mounted our creatures. It was another day’s ride over the many miles of the Sho’kin Forest to the Imperial city, but we flew along the coast. We watched the water break on the shore far below, and the wind whistled in my ears. We arrived at the Imperial city at sunset and landed on the outskirts of the outer villages, deep in the forest where no one could see us. We walked into a small town and found an inn with a tavern, where we could sleep and eat. Inside the tavern, music played, and the atmosphere was festive. I had never been inside a human tavern. There were few humans in the junkyard, as most of them lived around the Imperial cities. Avalon approached the innkeeper, paid for our rooms, and bought our meals. We sat down at a table in the corner as the men ey
ed Moira and Vex.

  “I don’t think they see women dressed like you very often,” I said quietly.

  “That’s their problem,” Vex replied.

  “She has a point,” Avalon said.

  “Would it be better to wear nothing?” Moira said, scratching her hairy armpit.

  “I don’t think so,” I said.

  “Hi there,” said a tall human man with dark eyes, who focused on Moira.

  Vex rolled her eyes.

  “If he starts hitting on her, I’m going to haunt him,” Vex said under her breath.

  “What do you want?” Moira asked, stabbing her fork into her meat. She lifted the large chunk of meat and ripped off a bite with her sharp teeth.

  “What kind of creature are you?” the man asked, eyeing her up and down.

  “I am a Beastie from the moon of Tautus in the Solaris quadrant.”

  “Haven’t seen any of your kind around here before.”

  “That’s because you stink,” she said. “And not in a good way.”

  The man was taken aback by her comment, especially considering that Moira gave off a rather pungent aroma herself. Perhaps that what was what she meant by stinking in a good way. The man backed up a couple of steps.

  “You offended him, Moira,” Vex said, cutting very thin slices of meat and popping them delicately into her mouth.

  “I think that my crocodile would offend him more,” Moira said, opening her palm.

  Avalon reached across the table and took Moira’s hand. “Best not to summon in public.”

  “You’re just a dirty barbarian,” the man said, turning away.

  “You must like dirty barbarians,” Vex said loudly enough for the man to hear. He turned his head over his shoulder but did not come back. Avalon shook her head and rolled her eyes. I giggled under my breath. Moira took another chunk off of her meat, and Vex twirled her braid around in her fingers and smirked.

  “So you guys are friends now?” I asked.

  “No,” they both said at once.

  I shrugged. “Okay, whatever you say.”

  I couldn’t quite figure them out. Sometimes they acted like the worst enemies, and sometimes they acted like best friends. The two of them were much more alike than they admitted, and they sometimes seemed to read each other’s minds.

  After we finished our meals, we went upstairs to find our rooms. Avalon was only able to book one, so we had to share two double beds. It was better than sleeping on the ground, but Vex grumbled that she would never share a bed with Moira in a million years, so Moira and I shared one bed, and Avalon and Vex shared another.

  I was used to a lot of strong smells, having grown up in a junkyard. But sleeping so close to Moira was definitely an experience. I had no idea what I was smelling. It was a mixture of body odors of several different types, combined with dirt and the undercurrent of what had to be poop and death.

  The next morning, we had a hearty breakfast in the tavern before most of the other patrons had woken up. We feasted on raptor eggs and chicken, hearty bread, and jam. The food was delicious, even better than the food in the tavern back in the junkyard. In the human settlements, there was much more to eat, given the farms and ranches around the Imperial city, and things were imported from all corners of the worlds, making the Imperial cities a hub of trade and culture.

  I had never been to an Imperial city. The only places I’d ever been were the forest and the junkyard in the desert, other than the brief time I spent at HQ and taming Mythril. I felt as though I was on quite an adventure, despite the fact that I was about to enter the greatest battle of my life.

  After breakfast, we left the inn and walked through the streets of the village, past the tradespeople and the markets. We passed a dress shop, and Moira and Vex each told the other they should get a new outfit. Avalon just shook her head at the girls, and we continued until we came to the edge of a forest, where we could summon our creatures and continue our trek into the city.

  Once we approached the far outskirts of the Imperial city, people would see us, and the Landlords would know we were coming. There would be hover ships and laser guns. We would most likely have to face opposition before we even made it to the center of the city. A shiver went down my spine as I climbed on to Mythril’s back. I didn’t look forward to all the death and destruction, but I knew there was no other option. We had to get the Landlords to leave peacefully. If they chose to fight us, we had few other options.

  “How much longer before Serious and the others arrive?” I asked Avalon before we took to the air.

  “They are gathering to return to Summoner HQ. Hopefully, they will join us in no more than a few hours.”

  “Should we wait?” I asked.

  “No more waiting,” Moira said, climbing onto her eagle. “We fight.”

  “I’m sure we could take these idiots ourselves,” Vex said.

  “I’m not so sure about that,” I said reluctantly.

  “How many have you defeated single-handedly so far?” Vex asked me.

  “Several dozen hover ships. So probably a few hundred altogether.”

  “See?”

  “But that wasn’t all at once… Except when they came to attack the forest and burn it down. I defeated about a dozen hover ships by myself that day.”

  “Let’s get closer to the center of the city so that Serious can hone in to our location more precisely. It will make it easier for him and the others to find us.”

  “Okay, that decides it, then. We leave now.”

  “Yeah,” Moira said as she helped Avalon onto the eagle.

  We all climbed aboard our creatures, and Mythril muttered that it was about time. Everyone else seemed much more confident about the fight than I did. And it was a strange feeling for me. Usually, I was the one full of belief and confidence, but the Landlords were my foe. The others had just come to help. I knew that the Imperial city was the hub of their stronghold and power, not to mention the Imperial soldiers who would most likely take the Landlords’ side.

  “How far is it to the center of the city?” Avalon asked.

  “To’tonya says it’s about an hour of flight from here.”

  “The people below are staring at us like they’ve never seen a giant eagle and a dragon flying overhead,” Vex said.

  “I doubt they have. There are no dragons or giant eagles in this world.”

  “Or summoners, I suppose. You are the only one from this world that I have met,” Vex said.

  “Are summoners rare in your world?” I asked.

  “My entire family were summoners. They summoned different types of creatures—ghost summoners are not that common, but they aren’t as rare as dragon summoners. I’m going to do something about all of these people gawking below us,” Vex said, opening up her palm as she sat behind me.

  “What are you doing?” I asked, feeling a thread of panic roll down my back.

  “I’m going to haunt them.”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I said

  “Too late.” Vex had summoned one of her ghosts, and it was charging down from Mythril’s back to the grounds below, where a crowd of villagers stood, pointing at us. The ghost plummeted into the village, and they began to scream. They ran for their lives as the ghost darted around them.

  “That wasn’t necessary,” I said.

  “Yes, it was. I don’t like being stared at.”

  “I think I need your ghosts for something more important,” I said, pointing at the Imperial ships sailing toward us through the sky. They had the emblem of the Empire on all sides and were manned by humans.

  “Oh, boy,” Vex said. “I’m going to haunt them.”

  “Wait. This is the Empire, not the Landlords. I want to try to make a bargain with them.”

  “Fine, have it your way. I think we should haunt them, but this is your world, so I won’t tell you what to do.”

  “Is there any way you can amplify my voice?” I asked.

  “As a matter of fact
, there is. It’s called voice projection. Let me summon the ghost that can do it.”

  Vex summoned a second ghost but kept the first one close at hand. The second ghost was a little girl with long black braids who reminded me of Vex.

  “Hannah, we are going to do a voice projection. You listen to everything Mango says and go tell those men over there on that hover ship.”

  “How fun,” the little girl said, twirling around in the air.

  Mythril was flapping his wings, holding steady on an air current as he treaded air like a swimmer in the water. “Why don’t I just blast them with my stardust?” he asked.

  “Because if we can have a diplomatic truce, then we can settle this without any bloodshed. I just want to ask them to get the Landlords to leave and to give Sho’kin Forest back to the Sho’kin.”

  “I don’t think it’s going to work,” Mythril said. “People like this never listen to reason.”

  “Well, I have to at least try. Are you ready, Hannah?”

  “Ready when you are,” said the little ghost who darted around Mythril. He snapped at her when she got too close to his snout, and she giggled as she flitted away.

  She rode the air currents toward the Imperial ships, and they shot at her with their laser guns. The lasers just went right through her, but that didn’t stop them from continuing to blast into the air.

  “That was not the response I was hoping for,” I said.

  “I doubt they’ve ever seen a little ghost girl flying around. They’re probably terrified.” Vex snickered.

  “Imperial soldiers.” Hannah began repeating my words. “I have a message for you from the summoners and the Sho’kin. We ask that the Landlords leave this world immediately. We do not wish to fight you. All we wish is to be left to live in peace in our ancestral forest, for all of the taxes owed by the Sho’kin to be null and void, and for the Landlords to never to tread on the surface of this planet again. We will leave the Imperial crown in peace as long as they agree to these terms.”

  There was a long silence after I finished speaking, and then a booming voice came through Vex’s mouth. “Summoners and Sho’kin,” the voice said, “this is Admiral Tenant of the Imperial air navy. We have transmitted your demands to the Imperial court. Their response is that your fight is with the Landlords, not with the Imperial crown. We can neither grant nor deny your request as long as the Landlords remain. You must take your demands directly to them.”