by Drew Wagar
* * *
The girl had been given food and water and had revived in the warmth of Fareth’s small house. She’d slept for half a stretch before waking again, ravenous for more food. Crenech broke out the provisions he had brought with him and shared them around. Then he, Joachim and Fareth sat with her.
‘This is Fareth, a well-respected man of these parts,’ Crenech said, introducing his companions. ‘It is he and his family that rescued you from the snare.’
The girl looked at him and nodded. ‘You have my humble thanks,’ she said. ‘I thought I was dead.’
‘This is my servant, Joachim,’ Crenech continued. The girl looked at Joachim, but said nothing.
‘And I am Lord Crenech,’ Crenech finished with a smile. ‘These lands belong to me.’
‘Lord Crenech?’ the girl said. ‘Of Viresia?’
Crenech nodded. ‘Yes, the same. And who are you?’
‘My name is Gemma, my Lord,’ she answered. ‘I am the granddaughter of Lord Sequon, he took me in after my parents died in the plague …’
‘Then that’s where I saw you,’ Joachim said. ‘In the Viresian courts …’
‘Sequon?’ Crenech exclaimed. ‘Then you’re one of the chosen tithe sent to Drayden a round ago?’
‘Yes my Lord. Prince Torin took us …’ She stopped at the look on his face.
And she has escaped from Drayden?
Crenech sat back and thought for a moment.
‘Can you tell me of Lord Sequon?’ Gemma asked. ‘Is he well?’
Crenech rubbed his chin.
‘Alas,’ he said, softly. ‘Lord Sequon is dead.’
‘Dead?’ she wailed. ‘How? Why?’
‘Killed by the high priestess herself,’ Joachim said. ‘After the city fell.’
The girl’s eyes were wide now. ‘The city? Viresia is fallen?’
Crenech nodded. ‘The priestesses defeated us in battle, Viresia is theirs now, though it still stands.’
Tears flooded her eyes at his words.
‘Then there is no escape from them …’
‘Much has happened since you were sent away,’ Crenech said. ‘But first … how did you escape from Drayden, are there others?’
Gemma shook her head. ‘No others, none but me.’
‘Then how?’
‘One of the priestesses set me free,’ Gemma said. ‘She smuggled me out of their city, flew me to the borders sunward of here on a dach. I walked from there, hoping to reach Viresia.’
Crenech frowned, shaking his head in confusion.
‘Why would a priestess do such a thing?’ he asked.
‘She said she saved me for Scallia,’ Gemma said. ‘And that she was of Scallia herself.’
‘Of Scallia?’ Joachim echoed. ‘A priestess? How can that be? Who was she?’
‘She was young,’ Gemma replied. ‘Maybe five rounds older than me, but powerful, strong in their ranks, a warrior of their people.’
Crenech was leaning forward now.
‘What was her name?’
Gemma looked up. ‘She called herself … Kiri.’
CHAPTER TWO
Amaris, Capital of Amar
Round 2307, Seventh pass
A dimly lit cell.
Two women; two sisters.
One was bound in place by ropes at her wrists, arms and neck, defenceless, bloodied and hurt. The other stood nearby, holding a long blood-stained metal staff aloft, striding back and forth.
The kai, the weapon of the priestesses.
Kiri and Zoella. Sisters united only by a bond of hatred.
Zoella lifted the kai.
‘And you killed Ren,’ she screeched, howling her pain and misery. ‘He was just a boy …’
The blow from the kai went wild, catching Kiri across the face. Kiri’s head was knocked back against the chair and she slumped in her restraints.
Zoella grabbed forward with her other hand, lifting Kiri’s chin again. Zoella saw blood flowing from her lips. Kiri’s eyes rolled in her head, unfocused for a moment before she managed to look at Zoella.
‘Not my fault,’ Kiri whispered. ‘I didn’t want to hurt him …’
‘No,’ Zoella screeched, tears burning her eyes. ‘Always lies. Always murder. Now it stops … stops forever!’
Zoella let go of Kiri and stepped back, raising the kai above her head, a screech of unbridled rage coming from her.
She saw Kiri look up at her, realising what was to come. Zoella saw the fear and hopelessness in her blue eyes, the dread …
Now die!
In a vicious swinging arc, Zoella brought the kai down.
‘No!’
Something thumped into her, knocking her sideways. She lost her grip, the kai clattering to the floor. She slammed into the wall, stunned by the impact and sank to the floor, dizziness whirled about her. She blinked, trying to clear her vision.
Someone else was there. Rage boiled up within her.
You! How dare you interfere! How dare you …
Meru stood before her. He’d picked up the kai and was holding it out before him, pointing it towards her.
‘Back off!’ he yelled.
Zoella got to her feet, staggering. Meru was standing between her and Kiri.
‘Get out of my way,’ she snarled.
Meru shook his head, tears in his eyes. ‘I won’t let you do this.’
‘Don’t you see? She must die!’ Zoella screamed at him. Anger, betrayal and sorrow fought for dominance in her mind. Anger won. She raised her hands towards him.
‘No,’ Meru said, raising the kai. Zoella stepped forward.
Don’t make me hurt you! Because I will!
Meru was already swinging the kai. She heard him yell as her mental blow crushed around his mind, saw him stagger with pain.
It was too late. The blow from the kai was clumsy, but it connected with the side of her head. Bright lights flashed in her vision and then darkness swamped her.
* * *
Meru dropped the kai and ran to Zoella, pulling her up.
‘Zoella!’
There was a cut on her temple and a bruise was already growing. She was unconscious, but she was still breathing. He lowered her to the floor as gently as he could.
No time, got to get out of here or …
Meru straightened and turned, pulling a knife from his belt. He stepped over to Kiri’s prone body, still tied to the chair.
She was barely breathing. Her head had fallen forward, her body slumped in the ropes.
‘Kiri? Kiri!’
She didn’t respond. Her face was battered, one eye almost swollen shut, blood trickling from her mouth. A rattling gasp came from her, but that was all.
Meru cut the ropes around her ankles, waist, wrists and neck before moving forward to pick her up. Her body fell into his arms, lifeless.
As gently as he could he pulled her forward, lifting her up before swinging his arms under her. She yelped in pain and he felt her body spasm in his grip. Her head fell back, her eyes closed and her arms limp. Meru turned, staggered and made his way out of the cell with Kiri in his arms.
* * *
Coran gasped as the pain in his head evaporated in an instant.
It had been agonising, as if his head had been caught in a vice and crushed. Beside him Mel was crawling to her knees and Daf and Creg were pulling themselves up, Fitch likewise.
‘We’ve got to stop her,’ Mel managed.
‘How do you suggest we do that?’ Coran said, wincing. ‘She has the same powers as the priestesses and she’s clearly not afraid to use them on us.’
‘She’s hurt, upset … angry.’
Coran nodded, getting to his feet and pulling Mel up beside him. ‘She’s not the only one.’
‘Aye,’ Fitch muttered. ‘And she’s totally out of control.’
‘Come on,’ Coran yelled, pulling them all towards the exit.
All five raced downwards, their footsteps echoing on the stone flooring. They found the door, the two guards insens
ible on the floor. Coran was ahead and raced into the cell, skidding to a stop within.
Kiri was gone. Gore was splashed around the chair. Zoella, her face sprayed with blood, was lying dead or unconscious on the floor. Mel went straight to her, crouching down to check.
‘She’s alive,’ Mel said, cradling Zoella’s head in her lap. ‘Coran … it’s not her blood …’
‘Then where is Kiri …?’ Coran demanded.
Fitch inspected the chair where Kiri had been secured. He pulled at the ropes, holding up their ends.
‘Ropes have been cut,’ he said. He stooped to pick up the kai. It, too, was blood-stained.
‘What happened?’ Coran asked. ‘Where is she? Daf, Creg! Kiri must have escaped somehow, go look. She can’t have got far in that condition.’
The two big men retreated out of the cell. Coran heard their footsteps thump outside.
Mel stroked the hair out of Zoella’s face. Coran could see a bruise across Zoella’s right cheek and a cut across her forehead. He crouched down next to Mel.
‘Zoella? Can you hear me?’
Zoella moaned and stirred, her eyelids fluttering.
‘Can you hear me? What happened? Zoella!’
Her eyes opened and she looked around at them, her face a picture of bewilderment and confusion.
‘She has to die … she should die.’ Zoella’s voice was a croak.
‘What happened?’ Coran demanded. ‘Zoella, tell us what happened!’
Her expression crumpled. Tears formed and dripped down her cheeks as she sobbed, her body shaking in Mel’s embrace. Coran watched as the girl slumped in Mel’s grip.
‘Zoella …’ Mel said. ‘You must tell us.’
Zoella tried to speak, but it was several moments before she was able to say anything.
‘She’s gone,’ she stuttered in between choking sobs.
From outside a noise came, reverberating through the walls of the cell. Mel, Fitch and Coran stared at each other, recognising it immediately; the sound of engines, whirring up to speed.
‘The medical transport,’ Fitch whispered. ‘Meru …’
‘Shades,’ Coran said. ‘Mel, stay with her.’
Coran and Fitch raced from the cell, leaping up the stairs four at a time. They both ran across the Senate forecourt only to see Daf and Creg before them, both staring up into the sky.
The silhouette of the medical transport was already receding into the golden disk of Lacaille.
* * *
Meru waited until the altitude indicators levelled off. The medical transport was already above the clouds and heading sunwards. He throttled back the engines and triggered the autopilot. Sandra’s tones responded as he expected.
‘Maintain a sunward course,’ he instructed.
‘Autopilot engaged. Course zero, mark zero.’
‘And Sandra,’ he said. ‘Switch off the radio and the remote flight controls.’
‘Neither action is recommended …’
‘Just do it!’ Meru snapped.
Sandra’s voice was as inflectionless as ever. ‘Radio and remote flight control capability has been deactivated.’
Meru undid the flight harness and got up, satisfied for now. He walked backwards into the mid-section where the medical bays were housed.
Kiri was still there, lying where he had left her, unconscious in one of the surgery bays. She was secured by the straps he’d tied around her. Gently he loosened them, easing her around until she was lying on her back. He looked her over and swallowed.
‘Shades …’
She was in a bad way, her face was swollen and a mixed colour of blue, black and yellow. Blood was congealed across her face. There were bandaged wounds up and down her body, stained with blood. The fingers on her right hand were bent at unnatural angles. Her breathing was coming in ragged gasps, wheezing as her chest rose and fell. Zoella had beaten her to within an inch of her life.
At least she’s still breathing.
He activated the medical system as Caesar’s training had instructed. Instruments popped out of the trays above the bay and he clipped them on to Kiri’s arms. A moment later the small devices flashed and screens lit up above him. Sandra’s voice sounded nearby.
‘Scan underway, please standby.’
Meru waited, watching as a series of graphs and indicators appeared on the screens. He recognised some of them and could see they weren’t telling good news. A pulsing flash of light flickered across Kiri’s body, starting at the head and working down her body.
As the light moved it paused, Sandra’s voice sounded again.
‘External scan. Multiple lesions. Head trauma detected. Broken jaw. Three broken ribs. Broken femur. Penetrative wound to right thigh muscle and epidermis. Broken finger bones in right hand. Broken right wrist. Sensor input data follows. Blood pressure eighty two over sixty. Pulse fifty two.’
The lights flickered. Meru watched the graphs. They were all heading downwards.
‘Indicators falling. Significant discrepancy from norm noted. Internal organ scan commencing.’
‘Quickly!’
‘Internal haemorrhaging detected,’ Sandra’s voice intoned.
‘What does that mean?’ Meru demanded.
‘Internal organ damage has been noted,’ Sandra replied. ‘Blood loss is accelerating.’
Meru could see the pulse indicator was dropping. Kiri’s skin was pale, and growing whiter with every passing moment.
‘Blood pressure dropping outside of tolerance,’ Sandra intoned. ‘Heart rate continuing to drop. Atria and ventricle depolarisation in progress.’
‘Do something!’
‘Subject requires surgery,’ Sandra said. ‘Activate autonomous mode.’
Meru stared at the instruments, looking from one side of the displays to the other.
‘Where? How do I …?’
‘Autonomous control is activated by selecting the mode descriptor from the available list of …’
Meru jabbed at the screens, searching for the commands as Sandra read them out.
‘… then select the appropriate routine from the selection provided.’
The monitors flashed red and an alarm blared. With horror, Meru saw the pulse rate drop to zero. The tone from the monitors became a constant drone.
‘Cardiac arrest detected.’
‘No!’
He jabbed at the controls again.
‘Autonomous mode selected. Engage triage routine?’
‘Yes!’
Cables snaked down from the roof of the bay. One moved towards Kiri’s head. Meru watched in shock as two small nodules forced their way into her nose. The tube bifurcated further, expanding itself to cover her mouth. He heard a surge of pressure as air was forced into her lungs, saw her chest rise.
‘Artificial respiration engaged.’
A series of mechanical appendages appeared next. They were metal, hinged and jointed in multiple places. Meru watched as they descended close to Kiri’s chest. There was a bright flash of light and Kiri’s tunic was sliced open. More appendages joined in pulling back the tattered shreds of the clothing and then placing two large metal fasteners on to her exposed skin.
‘Cardio stimulation in progress. Stand clear.’
Meru stepped back.
There was a sharp buzz. Kiri’s body jolted, her back arching for a moment before slumping to lie prone in the bay.
‘No response, retrying.’
Again Kiri’s body lurched and fell back.
‘No response, retrying.’
‘Please …’ Meru whispered.
Kiri’s body lurched a third time. There was no change to the constant tone of the monitor. It hummed, insistent and unarguable.
‘No response,’ Sandra said after a moment. ‘Unable to proceed. Vital statistics continuing to drop. Time of death recorded as …’
‘Try again,’ Meru shouted. ‘She’s not dead. She’s not!’
‘Repeat cardio stimulation will not be effective,’ Sand
ra intoned. ‘Discontinuing resuscitation attempts. I am sorry, Meru.’
‘No …’
The metal appendages detached and the tubes retreated back into their housings.
Meru grabbed Kiri’s hand. It was cold. Her chest fell as her breath sighed out of her. Then she was still and silent.
Meru could hear nothing but the tone of the monitor. ‘Kiri?’ he whispered.
He closed his eyes, remembering how it felt when she had used her gift to speak into his mind.
Kiri! Don’t leave me. Please!
The tone remained, steady, sure … mocking him. He searched deeper in his memories, wishing he had the power to push into her mind as she had into his.
You must be able to hear me, come back, come back!
The tone was interrupted and began pulsing again.
Bewildered, Meru opened his eyes and looked around at the displays.
‘Sandra?’
‘Spontaneous cardio reactivation detected. Reason unknown. Pulse rate now stabilising at nominal levels. Proceed to internal surgery?’
‘Yes, yes!’
Meru stepped back as the tubes reappeared and the mechanical appendages made short work of the bandages that had been wrapped around Kiri. Yet another appendage appeared, this one containing a cylinder with a needle at one end. The needle pierced Kiri’s right arm. At the same time another was fastened into her left, fluid began to move down it.
‘Blood type AB-negative confirmed. Adjusting antigen mix.’
Then a bright beam of light flashed across Kiri’s abdomen. Meru watched in horror as an incision was made and then the appendages proceeded to pull the flesh apart. Tiny manipulators entered her body. Blood trickled from the wound.
He swallowed, feeling sick, lightheaded and dizzy. He had to turn away and staggered across the room to lean against the bay on the other side.
‘Surgery is proceeding normally,’ Sandra said.
‘Oh good,’ Meru said, and sank to the floor.
* * *
‘Stole it?’ Henoch exclaimed.
Coran nodded. ‘Nobody else can fly it. It has to have been Meru. He was aboard under medical care himself.’
Henoch and Janaid had heard the medical transport take off and had come running. By the time they reached the plaza where the machine had stood it had disappeared over the sunward horizon.