The War for Mare (The Fall of Man Book 3)

by Jacqueline Druga

  Snake truly loved the Ancient City. He told me that at one time it was known as the city that never slept. It was still that way.

  While the others slept, he drank fruity beverages tainted with alcohol and I broke down and had some honey. He and I waited through the evening alone.

  “I wish we didn’t have to lose this place,” he said.

  “We will rebuild.”

  “You know, Madge,” he said, “you’re a pretty hot woman right now, but I liked you better in the other form. You just were more natural.”

  “As did Davis.”

  “Um, yeah.” Snake sipped his drink. “I just wish you hadn’t done the things you did. I want to like you. I really do.”

  “I may not be able to make up for it or make it disappear from your minds, but I will try. I really will.”

  We spoke through the entire night, indulging in substances that made us feel good. Snake talked much about the past human world and things that I would have loved, like the Internet and a drink stand called Starbucks. I spoke of my old world and of things I knew he would have loved, like harems of women, wine, and architecture only alien worlds could deliver.

  Aside from talking about the past, we spoke of the future and in our inebriated state we broke down a plan. A few sobering hours later, that drunken plan was still a good one.

  We went to the king.

  “It’s a pretty good plan,” Snake said.

  I showed my father the map. “We need to pull every gatekeeper that is in place from the Straits and strategically put them around the city.”

  “That leaves the Straits vulnerable,” My father said.

  “There are no Savages to attack them right now, they are north of here. If we lose this battleground then the gatekeepers can concentrate their powers back on the Straits. But we cannot lose this battle, it happens here, in the Ancient City. We draw them in, we destroy them here.”

  “How are we to draw them in if we are veiling our city?” my father asked.

  “Our gatekeepers are not projecting a barren veil, they are projecting normalcy, a city that is unaware of an attack. While we evacuate, the gatekeepers will project that the city is full. In fact, let’s make it double full. The Savages will come, they will invade, and we destroy them.”

  “Madge said your seer Yaku can work like an old radio,” Davis added, “and send messages to those waiting to fight the Savages. I want to put him on Mt. Charleston. It’s west of here, but still high enough that he’ll see the wave coming.”

  “How many warriors will we need inside?” my father asked.

  “Four or five,” I answered. “Vala, I, and three of the strongest Ancients can create a wall and battle until the explosives take hold. It will have to be fast. Once the Savages land, it will be no time at all before they realize they are attacking only projections and not people, so we need to get them into the city, and move fast.”

  “You realize,” my father said, “all of you inside the city could die.”

  I nodded. “I do.”

  Davis said, “Can we not only set explosives here, but break the dam?”

  Snake laughed. “Aside from the fact that the Hoover Dam is six hundred plus feet deep of concrete, and there’s not a bomb that can break it, we’re upstream, higher, and water flows downstream. What I don’t get is, Moses was a Mare, right? He wasn’t pregnant by an Ancient, so he wasn’t as strong as Vala. Yet, he parted the Red Sea. Why can’t Vala just bring Lake Mead here?”

  The corner of my mouth rose. “She can. But it will take more than just a wave of her hand. She will need to work on that.”

  “Yes,” my father added, “Moses didn’t just lift his arms and say ‘part’. He had lots of practice.”

  “One of the pyramids was never finished because of him.”

  Davis scratched his head. “The Bible left that out.”

  “Yes,” I said. “Moses was quite accomplished in his abilities. As my father will attest, I am one of the most powerful Ancients. I can train her. What would really be perfect is if there were another Mare. Two would not only cast protection around the projection of the gatekeepers, but that would surely assure our victory.”

  My father cleared his throat and that caught all of our attention.

  Davis asked, “Is there another Mare that you know of?”

  “Yes.” My father stood. “As a favor, the Mare was returned to human form and granted a human life outside the Ancient City walls. The Mare is very powerful, but will also need training to regain the skills.”

  “Another Mare?” I smiled. “That’s wonderful. Who? Tell us. We will find the Mare.”

  <><><><>

  I did not think he’d be happy to see me, even in my Ancient form, but Burt grinned widely when I arrived in Hopeland.

  “Madge, you must have made up for what you did wrong.”

  “I did, I think. I’m trying. Burt,” I grabbed his hands. “You look wonderful.”

  “Wow, this is really odd hearing this form of you talking like this. What’s up with the life jacket?”

  “You’re not mad are you?” I asked. “Davis gave it to me. I know you and we sparked.”

  “Not mad at all. Still holding out hope for us. You’re a knockout.”

  “Burt, you flatter me. I will create many garments for your people once this is settled.”

  I expected him to ask questions, but then the boy Tanner appeared from behind him.

  “What is she doing here and that form?” “I am here for Burt,” I said, then squeezed Burt’s hands. “You are needed. I know you were granted a fresh start, but we need you, the Ancients and the humans.”

  “I’m out of shape.”

  “Father will give you the shape, and you will be transformed again, temporarily if you like. But it is imperative. If the boy is here, you know what awaits.”

  “I do.”

  “Wait. Wait.” Tanner held up his hand. “Why do you need Burt? And what is so special about him?”

  “Like your Vala,” I said, “Burt is a Mare.”

  FORTY-SIX – VALA

  I did not think I would ever wear them again, but it felt good to pull out the clothing I wore when I lived in the Straits. The cowhide pants, thin white shirt, and boots. I felt like the old Vala, the one that went to school and dreamt of leaving Arkana. Now I wondered, what if I never left? Would we have been victim to a sneak attack by Anubis, never seeing it coming?

  I stood before the mirror fixing the braid in my hair.

  “Are you ready for training with Nito today?” Iry asked me.

  “It makes my skin craw and my stomach ache.”

  “You will be fine. I am sure it will not be difficult.” He kissed my shoulder.

  “The first convoy has left. Why are you not packed?” I asked him.

  “I’m not going.”

  “Iry, you must. You are to take Sophie to the boats in Angeles City.”

  “I have a better protector for her. The king. He will see to it she is safe, and should something happen to you, Davis, or Tanner, if anything, he is a good father. He will keep her safe.”

  “What about you?”

  “I am a strong Ancient. I am staying. I will fight beside you, Vala. You are carrying my child. If something should happen to you, then it happens to my child. What reason is there for me to continue my existence?”

  “Iry…”

  “I am well aware that you are not on the same page as me. But one day, maybe, with the birth of our child you will be. If anything we are a great pair. We both like ALF.”

  I smiled, leaned up to him, and kissed him on the cheek. “I have not dreaded our moments.”

  “Gee, that’s good to know.”

  “Iry…”

  “Go. Go say goodbye to Sophie. I am putting her on the next convoy with the king. She needs to be at a safe distance.”

  “I will do that and I’ll see you after training.”

  “Vala, who knows? Maybe you and Nito will be best friends after a
ll this.”

  “Please tell me you are joking.”

  “I am joking.”

  I left Iry to find my sister. I hated that he was not going with her, I trusted Iry with her life, but I understood why he wanted to stay behind. After I said my farewell to my sister I would head to training. Whatever that entailed, I was sure I was ready.

  <><><><>

  For some reason, I believed training was going to be indoors. I had no idea I would be so far from the Ancient City in a dry desert. What exactly Nito had planned, I didn’t know.

  When she arrived she wasn’t dressed as she normally did in ceremonial attire. She was wearing the oddest of clothing. She had on tight cloth pants that came to just about her knees, and perhaps her maiden had washed her clothes in too hot water, because her shirt exposed the skin on her belly. Thankfully, the life jacket covered her breasts.

  “What are you wearing?” I asked.

  She gave a flirtatious look to Davis who came to observe, then looked at me. “I asked Maggie the vendor woman what human women wore to train. She described this outfit, and I made it last night. It is quite comfortable.”

  “Are you aware it shows every outline of your body? Is nothing sacred? It’s nearly obscene.”

  “This body will not be mine for too long, I want to flaunt it.”

  “Will you please leave Davis alone?”

  “Jealous?”

  “No,” I answered. “I am not. Not even of your life vest.”

  “Why mention it then?”

  “Ladies!” Davis called out. “Are we going to train or what?”

  “Where is Burt?” I asked.

  “He has not been in Ancient form in years, he needs to adjust. He’ll be here,” Nito said. “Are you prepared, my young human Mare?”

  “I despise you.”

  “But I am the teacher. You are the student.”

  “What can you teach me that Davis has not?”

  Nito laughed manically. “Davis taught you? No offense to Davis, but he hasn’t a clue what you can do. Oh, yes, you can shake a stick and make fire, scream shrilly and drop a few Savages, but you are more than that. If there was one ability you wished you could have, what would it be?”

  “To fly.”

  “Good thing for you, that’s almost a possibility.”

  “I can fly?”

  “In a sense. Like I do. That skill combined with the others will come in handy.”

  “Wait,” Davis said. “She can fly?”

  “It’s more speed running, jumping, and flinging. Watch.”

  Nito moved fast to the left, so fast she was a blur. She jump to one rock, used it as a springboard, and sailed to the next. From that she leapt again and zipped back to us.

  “Like that,” she said. “Can you do that, Vala?”

  “That?” I nodded. “Please, I will do it not only with ease, but better than you.”

  Nito held out her hand for me to show her.

  I took a breath and ran.

  Maybe I should have asked for instruction or not been quite as confident in my abilities, and perhaps I would not have fallen flat on my face after trying to make the first jump.

  Nito laughed and walked over to me, extending her hand. I smacked it away.

  “Again?” she asked. “Want to run foolishly or would you like me to tell you how it is done?”

  I stood and brushed the sand from my clothing. Hating to do so, I asked for an explanation. It looked easy enough, and in time I was sure it would be for me. I just hoped there was enough time.

  FORTY-SEVEN – TANNER

  Hopeland decided to take their chances, placing their faith in Burt and standing their ground, remaining two hundred feet below the Earth’s surface.

  It made me feel good they had that much faith.

  “Did you know?” I asked Brea. “That Burt was a Mare?”

  “No one did. We knew he was special, not a Mare, no.”

  “It’s crazy.”

  “Do you have to leave, Tanner?” she asked.

  “I can’t stay. Angeles City is my home, my people, just like this is for you. They’re going out on boats, going up north. I have to help move people out.”

  “That’s not what you want to do, is it?” Brea asked.

  “No. No it isn’t. I want to fight this fight. I want to battle. My whole life, I focused on defeating the Ancients. They were the bad guys. Then I found out that I was fighting the bad guys all along and didn’t know it.”

  “I think you knew it. So why aren’t you up there with Davis?”

  “This fight is not for mortal man. It’s bigger than us. And you know what sucks? The fate of humanity is in the hands of a few Ancients.”

  “Why does it suck?”

  “I wanted to be part of saving mankind.”

  “You are,” she said. “You maybe not be blasting Savages, you may not be blowing up cities, but you are ensuring that man survives. That people live whether the Savages are victorious or not. Mankind will still be around. If that’s not saving the world, then I don’t know what is.”

  More than I realized, I needed to hear Brea’s words. She was pretty cool, and I was glad I got to know her. God willing, after the war, I’d get a chance to know her even better.

  FORTY-EIGHT – NITO

  I didn’t want to tell her Vala; she didn’t need any more arrogance, but she grasped onto the leaping better than I expected. She sparred with me in practice fighting. She took it seriously, and I was certain I would bruise, something that rarely happens to Ancients.

  “They will come at you,” I told her. “Ten at a time bat them away, but those of us who are with you will focus on the fight. You will need to focus on the water. That is why you will be placed on the Needle Building.”

  “Which one is that?” she asked.

  “You will be on top of the tallest structure in the city. It looks like a needle with a hat.”

  Davis laughed. “The Stratosphere? Oh wow. That’s pretty high.”

  “She’ll need to be able to control the water and concentrate. Not to say they won’t try to bring her down, but she will prevail. Vala, when was your last check?”

  “This morning,” she said. “Your mother was sleeping.”

  “Check now.”

  “It’s daylight.”

  “Savages don’t sleep, my mother was only resting. Try now. Follow your—”

  “Blood, I know.” Vala closed her eyes.

  While she focused, I looked at Davis. Moisture was seeping from his body, a reaction to the heat. It was an attractive quality for some reason. I caught his scent, and then noticed Vala. She jumped up and began to wipe her hand frantically on her body.

  “What?” I asked. “What is it? What did you see?”

  “Oh my God,” she wrapped her arms close to her body, turned, and then vomited.

  Davis stood. “How bad was it?”

  “Horrible. They… they were mating.”

  His eyes widened and I would have gotten sickened at the thought of my mother mating with Anubis had it not been for Burt arriving in the desert with Iry.

  No longer middle aged and lumpy, Burt was now young and chiseled. His hair was full and long like a god’s and when he smiled, he had all his teeth. “You are an attractive and fit sight.”

  “Yeah, this body does rock.” He ran his hand down his chest.

  “You remind me of my twenty-second husband.”

  “Twenty-two!” Davis barked. “You had that many husbands?”

  “More,” I replied.

  “That’s nothing,” Burt said. “I had thirty-four wives. Hard to keep it alive when you have infinite life. Not many can be together like the king and his wife, and they were, like, thousands of years.”

  My father and mother were together forever, and then thinking of them made me shudder because instantly I thought of her mating with Anubis.

  “Enough of marriage,” I said. “Let’s get to serious concentration training.”

  �
��Sure,” Burt said, clapping his hands. “What are we doing?”

  “See that mountain?” I pointed.

  “Are we running to it?” Vala asked.

  “No,” I replied. “You are moving it.”

  The look on their faces was priceless. They weren’t really going to move the mountain, but in trying, they would develop the strength it would take to move a body of water. That was what was important.

  FORTY-NINE – VALA

  I wasn’t certain if I were more in tune or the queen’s blood pumped more viciously, but every time I closed my eyes, I was there with her, in her, and seeing through her eyes. I couldn’t relax. For two days solid the visions increased, making rest impossible.

  The night before the Feast of the Dead, I wandered the empty streets of the Ancient City. The lights still gleamed as if the town were filled. But it was empty, not one vendor graced a corner. Every human and Ancient had been moved.

  The only ones that remained were those of us who would battle and the gatekeepers who diligently held their last post. Whether we won the war or lost, they would be victims of the battle. They needed to stand their ground, casting the visions of a populated and unaware city until the Savages saw through it. By then, it would be too late for the gatekeepers.

  Unable to sleep, I took to walking. Snake was checking on the explosives he had set, strategically placed around the city.

  “Hopefully, we won’t have to blow her up,” Snake said. “You can move mountains, Vala.”

  “An inch,” I smiled and held my fingers a little apart.

  “Are you ready?” he asked.

  “I am. Burt is by my side. Iry will be battling along with Gosho. He is good. We are ready.”

  “And the Savages?”

  “They are antsy and hungry, so they will be more driven.”

  He took a breath and exhaled. “Scary thought. You gonna try to sleep?”

  “My abilities make it impossible. You?”

  “The bars are empty. Think I’ll go toss a few back and pass out on the blackjack table.”