by Kate Sander
That's the thing about large men. They're slow.
Her sword chopped his head clean off, helmet and all. A mighty clang rang through the small house as blood spurted up to the ceiling. The Ampulex general fell face first on top of the dead Genkei. Tomo winced when the table broke under their combined weight.
A grunt from the floor behind her called her attention away.
"Eito," she said, rushing up to him. "Eito are you okay?"
Blood was leaking from his mouth, and his laboured, wheezing breaths told her the answer. He grabbed her shirt and pulled her close. "Save Akira," he mumbled.
Tomo didn't watch him die. She couldn't spare the time.
"I will," she said and she ran out of the broken doorway.
The body of Chuya was lying on the ground at the feet of another Ampulex man. Wearing thin, black, leather armour without a helmet, Tomo could see the two daggers on his hips.
"You!" she yelled, pointing her sword at him, breathing hard. "You bastards come in here and kill them to get to me? COME GET ME!"
She charged, katana held high.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a familiar voice said from behind her. Tomo stopped and turned.
"No," she breathed. "Not you."
Kelly smiled at her, "Sorry, I'm not sure that I know you. My name is Eris, and I'm the Princess of the Ampulex."
"No, you're not," Tomo said weakly. All the fight had gone out of her. It was her fault Kelly was here. She'd made the pills. Now Kelly was walking down the path of killing innocents. What had she done? "Your name is Kelly. We met in another world where all Zoya come from. I couldn't save you then. I tried but I couldn't save you."
Kelly could have never predicted that this was going to happen. "Lies," Kelly hissed. "My name is Eris and I'm the adopted daughter of Queen Mother Malin and King Father Roald. I have no memories from before because they took a sniveling and weak girl and turned her into the Princess of the Ampulex."
Tomo sighed. "I'm sorry."
Tomo charged. Kelly brandished her Khopesh, a sword with a crescent moon shape that Tomo knew was Egyptian. Their swords met in a clash. Kelly parried and dodged well, but Tomo was better trained and older. She began to beat the teenager down, but kept pulling the katana away before it made a knick.
"Listen to me," Tomo said as she swung. "This isn't you. You were a nice girl, Kelly."
"My. Name. Is. ERIS!" She swung the khopesh angrily and Tomo didn't get her sword up in time. It cut her arm as she dodged away.
"I sent you here!" Tomo yelled. "Why can I remember and you can't?"
"LIES!" Kelly yelled as she charged.
Tomo dodged and got her fist up to punch her in the face and hopefully slow her down. Her fist hit her face. Tomo screamed. It was like punching steel as hard as she could. Her hand collapsed into a broken mess and hung uselessly at her side.
Kelly held the khopesh to her neck. "My skin is invincible," she said. "You cannot defeat me. Zoya have gotten stronger since you came over here, Blood Empress. It's time to learn your place. General Camora!" The man who killed Chuya hustled over. "Bind her hands."
Another man jogged up as Camora roughly grabbed Tomo's hands and put them behind her back. Nausea swept over Tomo as the pain was unbearable.
"She got away," the man said to Kelly. "I'm sorry Princess."
Tomo's heart leapt. Akira got away.
I'm sorry Akira the Mighty, she thought through tears. I cannot come with you. I'm sorry your parents died because of me. I will have vengeance if I can.
"Leave her," Kelly barked. "If you fail me again, General Pile, I will have no choice but to kill you. Let's go."
They hauled Tomo to her feet and marched her away, one painful step at a time.
14
Akira
Akira waited for hours in the roots of a large fir tree. The cold settled in, and she had to move or freeze. As the sun set in the forest, the air grew cold, especially in the ground. She untangled her hands from around her shins and squeezed her way out of the roots. The hole she'd been hiding in was only big enough for her and that man in the black armour had no chance of finding her.
She waited in silence for what seemed like hours, trying to be sure it wasn't a trap. The growling of her stomach was so loud she was scared it would give her away. Deciding that they would have now killed her if they could have and she was, indeed, alone, Akira picked her way through the forest back to her house.
She knew what she would find. Her mother's scream cut short was burned in her mind. She wasn't stupid. Her family was dead. But she needed to be sure. She had to see it for herself.
It took twenty minutes for her to make the clearing where the house stood. The wind howled. A storm was blowing in. Akira shivered and clutched her skinny arms around herself.
Stumbling, she reached the clearing and stopped in her tracks.
The scream had prepared her. She thought it had.
Her mother was lying dead in the grass.
The scream hadn't prepared her at all.
Akira rushed to her side.
"Mother!" she sobbed. "Mother they are gone, you can get up."
Silence. She didn't move. Deep down, Akira knew she wouldn't.
"Father!" she called, and turned and ran to the house.
Her house, her home, the only place she had ever known, was completely destroyed. The pieces of the shattered door didn't cover her father's leg, lying there, unmoving.
But she had to be sure.
Her father was so active in life, yet so still in death.
"I'm sorry father," she sobbed. "I'm so sorry."
Rain fell. As did her tears.
Eventually they dried, and Akira the Mighty decided that she needed to carry on. Vengeance was the only thing on her mind.
The last moments of her mother's life flashed before her.
Akira had been laughing at a joke her mother had told as they weaved a basket together.
"Run, Akira." Her mother said in a monotone voice, staring at something over her shoulder. "Don't look back, love. Run."
Akira had run. Someone had followed and she'd stowed away in the tree roots. Her mother had screamed. Akira knew in her bones that it was her mother.
"I will avenge you, Father," Akira whispered to him.
But first, she needed to bury her family.
She dug three graves as deep as she could in the pouring rain. The work was hard, the mud thick, but she managed.
"Akira the Mighty," she muttered as she dug. Tomo's nickname for her. She needed to find Tomo. Someone took her. Otherwise, Tomo would still be here. And the giant man in the house with no head told her that Tomo had fought back.
By the time she had finished the graves, the clouds had cleared and the morning sun was on the horizon. Akira dragged her family and the man from the village to the graves. It was hard work.
"Hard work helps the soul," she said. A common phrase her father had used.
The last thing she did was take her father's katana. It was a family heirloom and rightfully hers.
The graves were left unmarked.
Akira put her pack together, bringing food and some water that she found in the destroyed kitchen. She left the giant on the floor. The wolves could pick away at him.
It didn't take her long to pick up the trail of the group that had attacked her family. Four distinct treads. Her mother had taught her how to hunt and track. She'd put that to good use.
She would find Tomo and kill anyone who got in her way.
Turning her back on the only life she ever knew, Akira the Mighty started her path of revenge..
15
Eris
"I know this isn't you," the mumbled voice said quietly in the dark.
Eris turned to the figure slouched uncomfortably by the fire. General Camora and General Pile were sleeping soundly, trusting in Eris to keep watch.
"You don't know me," Eris said quietly.
"I do," Tomo said. She spat out a wad of blood
and Eris' stomach knotted with guilt. She should never have let Pile beat her so severely.
"See? You're feeling guilty about letting that guy smash my face in," Tomo said with a chuckle. Her left eye was so swollen it distorted her once beautiful face. Her smile was crooked and she had at least three missing teeth. Dried blood in her hair gave it an even deeper shade of red that danced wickedly in the fire light.
"I'm not," Eris snapped. "You killed his friend, General Samson. He had every right to hit you the way he did."
"Letting him walk all over you," Tomo said. "I thought better of you. I assumed you were in charge of this little mission. Where I'm from, we don't beat unarmed and bound prisoners."
"No you just kill them. What? You think I haven't heard the stories of the famous Blood Empress of Anzen?"
"The stories of my reign are often exaggerated," Tomo said softly. "Don't get me wrong, I helped spread the rumors myself. Fear is a great weapon if used properly. I probably saved countless lives, as most of the revolting territories laid down their weapons before our army got there."
"You're full of shit," Eris said. "You're just trying to make yourself feel better for killing everyone in villages."
"Seems that the Ampulex are doing the same. Didn't you just kill the entire village looking for me? The children too?"
Silence. Eris' guilt roiled in her gut.
"That's not my fault," Eris said. "Pile said-"
"Who is in charge?" Tomo demanded with such force that Eris snapped silent. "Under your command the village was slain, don't you forget it."
"I will be praised by the King and Queen," Eris said desperately. "They told me to bring you to them by any means necessary."
"Well you succeeded," Tomo said. "How does that make you feel? You're not one of them, Kelly."
"My name's not Kelly!" Eris said, too loudly. Pile snorted in his sleep and rolled over, making the duo fall silent until he was again sleeping soundly.
"My name is Eris, Princess of Ampulex," she whispered once he'd settled.
"You're a Zoya," Tomo said. "I sent you here. Back in our world, you were a sweet-hearted young woman named Kelly. Yes, you'd come from a rough background, but I could see that you were gentle. Why do you want to be this Princess of the Ampulex so badly? You know in your heart they are wrong."
"The Ampulex want peace," Eris said. "People as individuals are stupid and require guidance. Through the leadership of the Ampulex, peace is inevitable, as there will be no room for revolt."
Tomo chuckled. "Glad you were paying attention in school, kid. I was worried. Do you believe that? Do you honestly believe that the King and Queen want peace and aren’t doing this for some other reason they aren't telling you?"
Eris didn't know what to say.
"When they do what they are going to do to me tomorrow, ask yourself that. I will never join the Ampulex. I'd rather die making my own decisions than be some zombie shell of myself. You were once in a life of servitude. Deep down you remember. Now tell me, is taking away a person's choice the right thing to do?"
Eris stared at the fire. "It's for the greater good," she mumbled half-heartedly.
Tomo laughed. "Whatever you say, kid. Whatever you say." She yawned and closed her eyes, leaving Eris to stare into the fire.
The cheers of the Ampulex army greeted them as they marched the prisoner into the camp. Eris led, head held high, followed by General Pile and General Camora marching the bound and gagged prisoner between them.
"Well done, Princess, well done!" the blacksmith called to her. Worthless cheered as she passed and booed the prisoner, cursing her name. The prisoner walked with her head as high as Eris', ignoring the hatred.
But was it genuine hatred? Eris wasn't sure. Were the Ampulex just acting out of fear and in the way they thought the King and Queen wanted them to act? Or, worse still, did they simply have to act that way because of something the King and Queen did?
"Go to hell!" A Worthless yelled at Tomo and she threw a rotten tomato at her head.
Eris pulled her khopesh and swung it at the woman's throat, stopping just shy of a deadly blow. The crowd immediately fell silent, shifting on their feet, unsure of what to do.
"You will NOT throw things at the prisoner," Eris said softly. The Worthless was breathing heavily, big eyes focused on the sharp blade being held to her neck. "She will walk to the King’s and Queen's tent and no harm will come to her," she said loudly so the crowd could hear. "Is that understood?"
The Worthless nodded quickly, not daring to look away from the deadly blade.
"Good."
She sheathed her weapon and continued to the King’s and Queen's quarters. The cheering resumed, but with less enthusiasm. Eris caught a glimpse of Tomo smiling at her but Eris ignored it. She led the group across the vast army’s camps, stepping through mud and piss and shit.
"My daughter!" Queen Malin said as they approached their quarters in the center of the army. She walked on planks so her bare feet remained clean. "You come to us with your head held high!"
Eris approached and knelt on one knee.
"Rise, daughter," Malin said. "And embrace me."
Eris did what she was told, and Malin hugged her in a tight embrace.
Eris returned it weakly.
Maybe I'm only listening because Malin told me to.
"Let me see this wretch," Roald said. He passed Eris and patted her shoulder, "I knew you could do it, Daughter."
"Thank you for the confidence, Father," Eris said, but Roald wasn't listening. He was already sizing up Tomo.
"So you are the famous Kogo Tomo Hachiban," Roald said to her darkly. "You're not much to look at. Dr. Freudman will be glad that we fixed his mistake."
"So you work for that asshole," Tomo said. "Well, never took him as being a boss but the more you know, right?"
"He works for us," Roald snapped. "And he told me you'd remember. Search her," he commanded General Pile. "You're looking for a red gem."
Pile searched her, and Eris noted that his hand lingered on her breast.
"Enough!" She commanded Pile. "I will search her."
The King shot her a warning glance but stepped aside, allowing her access to the prisoner. Eris searched her roughly and found a necklace tied underneath her wide belt. It was a golden dragon, with a ruby for its eye.
"Ah, yes," Roald said, taking it from Eris before she could hand it to him. "A piece of the Remiel. Freudman guessed that this was so when he saw this necklace disappear as you died." Tomo glared at him. "I will be giving this to the lovely Malin for safe keeping," Roald said as he turned quickly. "Take her to our personal chambers. We need to move quickly while she still has her memories."
General Pile and General Camora snapped to attention and dragged Tomo to the adjacent tent. Eris stood still.
"That includes you, Daughter," Roald said firmly. "If you go out of your way to disobey me again in front of your subordinates, I will have no choice but to punish you. Is that understood?"
Eris reeled, "Father he was touching her inappropriately. I don't think that we should be treating prisoners that way."
"We will treat prisoners however I say they will be treated," Roald snapped. "You do well to remember your place, Daughter."
Anger was about to boil over. Malin intervened and put her hand on Eris’ shoulder, guiding her away from the King.
"Join me, Daughter," Malin said firmly. "Walk me to the tent."
Eris nodded and, taking her mother's arm, led her silently to the tent where Tomo was being held. When they entered, Camora and Pile were sitting Tomo in a chair in the center of the lushly furnished tent.
"You will watch only," Malin whispered venomously into Eris' ear. "If you disturb us, I have no problem having you removed."
Shocked, Eris could only nod. She'd never heard that tone of voice coming from her mother, especially directed at her.
Eris removed herself to the corner and watched. She shook her head slightly. Her parents had a point. This
Tomo had gotten in her head. She was the Princess of the Ampulex, not some girl named Kelly. This is how the Ampulex did things and only doing things this way would lead to peace.
"Now," Roald said as he entered the tent, deliberately not looking in Eris' direction. Eris looked down in embarrassment. "I want to get this over quickly. Where is your partner, Senka?"
"You got me," Tomo said. "Probably fucking someone in our world."
Roald hit her on the left side of her face. Eris twitched when she heard the already broken cheekbone shatter to pieces. Her eye was no longer in the proper place and it drooped in its socket. Eris' stomach roiled. The woman's face was a swollen mess of bruises. Her one eye was a full inch lower than the other, giving her a distorted, gross appearance.
"I don't have time for the attitude or the language," Roald said sharply. "Tell me where she is."
"I don't know," Tomo said, breathing heavily through the pain but holding his gaze with her one working eye. "She was still alive when I died. I don't know."
"Well," Roald said softly, "if that is the case, then we have no choice." He leaned over her and grabbed both sides of her face, forcing her to stare him in his eyes. "What do you fear?"
Tomo started shaking. "No!" she gasped. "NO!" she was trembling and trying to get away, but Roald held her firm, forcing her to look at him. "KELLY, NO!" Tomo screamed.
Eris twitched. The prisoner's greatest fear... had to do with her? She was reeling. She'd never met this woman...
"NOOOOO!" Tomo shrieked.
Roald was showing her a vision of the worst moment in her life. Over and over he'd be playing it, grinding her down, wearing her out. Every time he played it, it would be different but more terrifying, until he reached her greatest fear. That was his Zoya power.