by Paul Kidd
Kotaru scratched his snout and sighed, unable to think of anything more to say.
“Well - well that’s it I suppose. ‘Cept to say… Well, we’ve all worked real hard an’ all. I know how much you’ve dreamed of doin’ this. I just have to tell you…” Kotaru looked down at his feet and gave a sigh. “Awwww skreg it! I love you bastards!”
Kotaru threw his arms about his team mates, and the Wrens clasped tight. Kotaru hid his eyes and turned back towards the playing field.
“Now come on! Let’s get out there and show them how real artists play the game!”
The players cheered and thundered up into the air. Kotaru lingered on the ground with Shadarii; she came into his arms and kissed him as he ran his fingers through her hair.
“What I said goes doubly for thee, my love. Stay well clear of the Skull-Wing’s. They’ll try to hurt thee if they can.”
Kotaru bent to kiss her once again, sighing as he felt her perfect touch. She pulled away from him and carefully mastered his attention.
<>
Kotaru felt mystified.
“What do you need to say, my love? There’s no need for words between us. I always know just what you mean.”
<
“Aye…” Kotaru swallowed. “I just haven’t thought… About you and I, I mean. I’m not leaving you! Not now, not ever!”
<
“You’ll come with me? You’d do that? I have nothin’ to offer a fine lady. Nothin’ save a poor man’s love…”
Her whole being seemed to yearn up towards him. Shadarii carefully mimed her next few words, her hands trembling in fright.
<>
Kotaru‘s jaw dropped down in shock. Shadarii swallowed hard and tried to keep the fear back from her eyes.
<
The young hunter’s eyes filled up with tears.
“Oh! Oh Rain! Oh sweet Mother Rain!” He flung his arms around her in delight. “Oh of course I will, you silly girl! Oh…” Oh was about as far as the poor lad’s tongue could get. Shadarii was in paradise; she grabbed him and she kissed him, pouring burning energy through his soul. Hand in hand they sprang into the air.
“Wings spread, ball high!”
The game of the century had begun.
The crowd’s cheers shook the mist like a mighty storm. One point up! One point to the Skull-Wings. The Katakanii tribe went wild, and high up in the tree line, the observation platforms shook with the people’s laughter. Nobles slapped each other on the backs, howling praise for their champion team.
Amongst all the revelry, a single figure sat in silence. Prince Tekï’taa looked pale and wan; he had passed a grim night on the latrines, wildly praying for a tree to fall upon his head. Even so, he had managed to crawl out to see the game. It was a moment he had planned for so many weeks, and no illness would come between him and his triumph.
Play began. The Skull-Wings snatched the ball with a surgical slash clean through the Wrens’ formation, and the Katakanii crowd cheered as their team raced for the goals. Tekï’taa struck while the elation still filled the air, leaning across his father’s ambassador to raise his voice above the noise.
“King Saitookii, your team plays well! I must commend you on your players’ skill. No one has yet stood firm against our Wrens.”
The King flicked his eyes in Tekï’taa’s direction, his skeletal old face never showing an expression. Tekï’taa leaned closer.
“The game intrigues me. Perhaps a wager? Two yam fields along the river banks against your peach orchards. Accept?”
Appaled, the ambassador sputtered helplessly.
“My Prince!”
“Silence! King Saitookii, do you accept the bet?”
The King muttered in the ear of his attendants; finally a young Priest looked from the ambasador to the Prince.
“Very well, oh Prince. The Katakanii accept your foolish wager!”
Down on the field, the Wrens tore free of the Skull-Wing team, swirling up to hover in the branches of a tree. Tingtraka held the ball aloft, grinning as she shook her catching staff.
They had the ball! The Skull-Wing’s weren’t invincible. The Wrens gave a whoop of joy and gathered about their captain. He made a few brisk signals with his hands and rallied them for the attack. Heavy men like Totoru were placed high above the others in the team.
Why? Shadarii barely understood. Her breath rasped painfully beneath her mask, and the catching staff felt awkward in her hands. She felt like a third leg - a useless encumbrance to the others; how stupid to have thought that she could help…
Kotaru swooped in close and clasped an arm about Shadarii’s armoured shoulders.
“Alright everyone! Take your cues from the ball handler. Everyone stay close to Shadarii. She’s our best asset once we get in close!” He gave the girl another hug. “We need that sorcery of yours! Just tell us how you want us; we’ll listen!”
She blinked up through her mask holes in amazement; he trusted her. He trusted all of them…
“Tingtraka, we’re all yours!”
The skinny scholar climbed high above the field. The others followed, fog streaming from their wings, and with a howl of rage the Skull-Wings rose up in pursuit.
Zhukora’s team were deployed in depth, expecting one of Mrrimïmei’s famous fast attacks. In the fog, one girl with red fur looked much like another. Tingtraka split off from Shadarii, her copper tail gleaming in the gloom, and raced towards the flanks. The Wrens broke into two swirling streams behind them as Shadarii folded up her wings and dove down into a screaming storm of enemies.
Black shapes flashed past; Shadarii ducked as a staff lashed past her ear, then punched out with a plane of ïsha, shearing an enemy from Tingtraka’s path. More creatures raced to block her. The little dancer dove at breakneck speed between her enemies, curled into a ball and tumbled past a skull-faced helm. The Skull-Wing gaped in amazement, slamming into a team mate in a grisly shower of wings. Shadarii flipped out of her tumble and rolled away with a dancer’s easy grace.
They were through!
Zhukora’s team snapped into new formations with terrifying precision, and suddenly the Wrens were being torn out of the air. Tingtraka hurtled away the ball just moments before being clubbed across the skull. Shadarii gave a gasp and lashed out with her mind, dragging the ball up into her catching staff.
She had it! She had the ball!
So what now?
A predatory howl rose from the Skulls all around her. They hurtled past their opponents and flung themselves towards Shadarii. The girl fled in panic, coincidentally racing straight towards the enemy goals.
A snarling pack of demons raged behind Shadarii’s tail. The girl grimly whirred her wings and closed the ïsha shut behind her like a clap. Skull-Wings tumbled down in ruins as the ïsha left their wings. Shadarii looked across her shoulder and stuck out her tongue, flipping up her tail to show the Skulls her furry backside.
Ha!
There was a piercing scream of fury from above. Shadarii felt her bladder clench in fear. She rolled aside, feeling a breeze rip past her wings.
Zhukora snarled and stabbed into the attack. The girl lunged her staff towards Shadarii’s throat, and Shadarii lashed out with her mind to blast the thing away. The catching staff suddenly exploded into fragments, and Zhukora gasped in shock as Shadarii whirred on her way.
Kotaru plunged between the sisters, rolling up into a ball to crash into Zhukora’s back. She hit the ground and plunged shrieking through the grass as Shadarii dunked the ball clean through the goals.
&nbs
p; A goal! The Wrens swirled through the air and cheered. Shadarii’s head swam. She had finally done something right. She threw her arms about Kotaru and hugged him tight, thrilled to be sharing in his victory.
Down in the grass, Zhukora angrily dusted off her greaves, Skull-Mask glaring up into the air in hate.
“Who is she?”
Daimïru stood staring at the plump red girl inside the Wren formation.
“She’s not the one we watched at practice. They’ve swapped her for their fast striker.”
“The Vakïdurii must have kept her hidden from us. We should have known no tribe would field a team that lacked a noble! She’s a surprise, and I hate surprises.”
Zhukora drew her gauntlets firmly on her hands. She took a spare staff in her grasp and stared up at her enemy.
“Take her out. Break her, Daimïru. I don’t care how.”
The two black banshees rose and clattered off into the fog.
A new play raged across the playing field, and the audience stared at the flash and bang of ïsha deep within the fog. Here and there the mists were melting, showing Wrens and Skull-Wings grimly battling in the air.
Up on the Royal platform, the High Priestess leaned forward in alarm.
“Who is that? Kanoochi, who’s the player flinging all that power?”
“Red ribbons on the helmet. The girl’s name is Mrrimïmei, a Fast Forward. No one of importance.”
“Well she’s blasting a hole clean through the Skull-Wing line! Have the Vakïdurii priests investigate the girl once they return. She could be valuable.”
Out on the field, a battle raged around the ball; Tingtraka and Shadarii hovered high above the teams. Tingtraka grinned, her long black pony tail gleaming in the wind. She pumped her fist and thrust it out towards the milling demons far below. The two girls dove gleefully through the middle of the Skull-Wing team with Tingtraka’s laughter trailing in their wake. The two girls swooped past the Skull-Wing Rovers and knocked the ïsha from their wings. Tingtraka snatched the ball and hurtled it up towards Kotaru’s men. Shadarii gave a victory roll and threw her arms out wide.
Suddenly Zhukora erupted through the air and slammed her staff into Shadarii’s face. Shadarii crashed against a treebranch and span down to the ground. The girl somehow staggered to her feet, half blinded by the lights still dancing in her eyes.
Daimïru dove out of the fog, streaking straight towards Shadarii’s throat. Another figure instantly smashed into Daimïru’s back; Kotaru grappled, ruthlessly pinning her wings down flat as he rode her to the ground.
Kotaru and Daimïru rolled apart, and the crowd roared as the Skull-Wing kicked Kotaru in the crotch. She smashed his face into the dirt, screaming as she saw his blood spatter on the ground.
Other Wrens left the game in panic. The Skull-Wings snatched the ball and raced off for the goals. Totoru roared and landed by Daimïru, plucking the girl up in his arms and dashed her against a tree. The huge guard turned away and went to help his captain. Daimïru shot back into action, lunging on Totoru’s back to gouge the eyeholes of his mask. A dozen Wrens hauled Daimïru from Totoru’s throat.
The umpires ordered Daimïru off the field; the Wren’s magician was still in play, but now Zhukora lacked her bodyguard.
The score now stood at two to one.
Kotaru leaned back against a treestump as Shadarii stripped away his helm. Blood ran from his mouth to stain his chin. Shadarii whirred up into the branches of a eucalyptus to pick the fine new leaves while Kotaru turned to face his team.
“Wh-what did I say about fighting!”
Totoru eased his mask off, dabbing at the blood that ran out from his brow.
“Are you mad, man? We just saved your tail!”
“We-we lost the point!”
“Point be damned! I’ll snap the next man to attack you clean in two!”
“We lost the point! They won that goal because we all behaved like fools. We brawled like animals instead of worrying about the ball!”
“We have to do something about their play! We can’t just let them kick us in the balls and then kiss their arse in thanks!”
Tingtraka passed the water bottle around her fellow players.
“They want Shadarii-Zho! It was planned! Did you see the way they just peeled off after her?”
“They’ll take out anyone who seems a threat!” Vast and dark, Totoru flexed the massive muscles of his shoulders. “We have to fight violence with violence. Show ‘em what it costs to fight us!”
Totoru made sense; the others began to mutter in agreement. Shadarii broke the moment by alighting in the middle of the team. She scowled and moulded ïsha with her hands.
Kotaru rolled his head.
“She says you are stupid. She says that Zhukora will fight and we will fight, and what will be achieved? We must beat her by winning the game as quickly as we can.”
Shadarii spat leaf pulp into her hand and cleaned Kotaru’s wounded jaw, then let her aura bathe his wound with light. Kotaru blinked and absently ran his hands along the smooth, healed cut.
“We’re still twelve strong, and they’re down to eleven. We shall not be provoked. We’re stronger than they are. We can beat them without falling to their level.” Sharp eyes looked from face to face. “We’re going to play for fun just the way we always have.”
He knew his friends too well; they shuffled their feet and reluctantly agreed. Kotaru gripped their hands and led them back into the air to play another round.
Shadarii hung back behind the others and stared upwards at her sister, her tail thrashing as she watched the demons whirl. Zhukora was the Skull-Wings’ weakness. Without her, they were like a viper with its head struck off.
The ball whirled into the air. This time Shadarii took the whole field by surprise. She rammed aside the other players, snatched up the ball and dashed into Zhukora’s team. Before anyone could stop her she had clouted her sister clean across the backside with her staff. A legal hit! Shadarii whirled and flung the ball back into her team.
Zhukora was out, and only seconds into play! Her team floundered as the Wrens moved into the attack. Kotaru flung his people at the Skull-Wing’s weak points, slicing through their lines to dunk a clean goal home. Seething with fury Zhukora climbed back up to her players, glaring towards the Wrens as she flexed her claws.
“Bitch! I’ll do her for that! Kukutu, split your squad left once we engage the centre. We’ll turn them there. I’ll take the lead! Go two to one on their main players. Clear the field as quick as you can.”
The ball sliced up from the ground. Zhukora lashed out with an ïsha whip and took the ball. She lead her screaming team towards the goals, laughing as she felt her play strike home.
All of a sudden blue figures plunged past Zhukora’s face. The Wrens had swooped down through a tree to blast into her formation. Staves cracked and rang as players battled just a few tails short of the goals.
Zhukora turned and fought. The ball plunged out of the wild melee and fell down into the grass - right into the catching staff of a plump little figure slyly waiting in the shadows. Shadarii fixed her eyes upon Zhukora and gave a malicious grin, then flung her staff with all her might, shooting both stick and ball up towards Zhukora’s team.
“Look out!”
Zhukora whirled as Shadarii’s staff lanced up into her chest. Zhukora shrieked with rage. The rule’s were clear; anyone within ten spans of the ball was fair game. She had been struck out again! She watched in fury as the Wrens tore the initiative from her team, slamming home with yet another goal.
“Three to two! Three to two! Who’d ever have believed it?” Counselor Fotochi desperately mopped his brow. “They’ll climb back! Just you wait and see!”
“This never would have happened if the Orchid’s had been allowed to play!” Mistress Traveesha’s face screwed up in disgust. “That damned fool girl is going to cost us the game!”
Fotochi swiftly gulped his tea. Far out on the field something screeched in rabid
anger; Chief Nochorku stuck his finger in his ear and jiggled it about in irritation.
“Gaaah! What’s that dreadful noise on out there in the field?”
Traveesha cleared her throat.
“I can’t quite say. I suppose Zhukora is having some gentle words with her team before they once more begin to play…”
The Katakanii nobles anxiously edged forward in their seats as the ball was brought back into the centre of the field.
Shadarii was rewarded by delirious hugs from all the Wrens. The girl turned a somersault before them, waggling her tail in delight. Kotaru drew his team in close and hunched down to confer.
“People! People! Three down, one to go. This time I reckon they’ll be plenty mad!”
Tingtraka waved her antennae.
“Let’s try’ somethin’ silly! That Zhukora’s goin’ to charge straight down at that ball like a flash o’ lightning!”
Kotaru licked his injured lips and let his eyes light up with inspiration.
“Right… Yes, alright then, we’ll let her! Coax her down our end, picking off the supporting members of her team. We’ll thin the numbers, block her shot and then double forward. Totoru, we’ll need you by the goals this time. Shadarii, you stay with him. We’ll need everything we’ve got to make sure that ball don’t get through.”
The team shook themselves out into a rough formation as Kotaru took Shadarii by the hand.
“Alright now, my fine young miss. I’ve seen just what you’re up to and I’m proud of you. You’re a mischievous little bugger an’ no mistake! Just remember that Zhukora’s dangerous. This time keep clear of her. I don’t want you hurt, and we also can’t risk her findin’ out just who you are.”