by Auryn Hadley
Sal sighed. "It's signed 'With all my respect, Ilija Vayu, a soldier's son.' I wonder if Dom told him he'd be a Marquis before the night was out."
"Prolly na," Jase said. "Dom likes ta show off almost as much as LT."
"So does this change anything?" Geo asked.
Blaec nodded. "Yeah, man. It changes pretty much everything." As his shoulders relaxed, he smiled. "I can't believe they found a solution. The damned humans found a way around the human laws!"
Sal leaned against Blaec with a pleased murmur. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head.
"LT, I'm not a tactical genius. You know that's where I took the shit kicking in my trial. Spell it out," Geo persisted.
"Ok. Anglia can't invade Terric without causing a lot of problems. The first being the repercussions of becoming a conquering nation. Anglia takes Terric, Escea tries to take Anglia, and it becomes a vicious cycle. We did this a few centuries ago. There's some international treaties about it, and the economic repercussions would kill them."
"Us," Zep grinned.
Blaec nodded. "So, since Viraenova has always stayed out of things, they never signed the treaties. They also don't get involved in most wars. Anyone that's tried to invade Viraenova has been met with stone walls and silence. That place is its own world. They barely contact anyone outside their borders, and the country is bordered by the ocean, two massive rivers, the mountains, and a small section of flat land between them and Myrosica. The few kilometers – it's less than a hundred – well, they built a wall. Each gate is manned with pale skinned soldiers. They sound a lot like Risk, to be honest, but you know how stories are."
The Blades chuckled, having been the subject of more of those than they cared to remember.
"So, Viraenova can do whatever they want. An alliance with them is about as tempting of an offer as it gets. Everyone has tried, and no one has managed to get it."
"Until now," Sal said.
Blaec nodded. "Add to that the grauori? Human laws do not apply to them. They're now a people of Anglia, but still an independent government inside Anglia, and there's not much anyone can do about it. Since they have a personal interest in the iliri, well, they have a reason to do the same thing we are."
"Do na forget," Jase said, "Dom just gave us the same thing. Sal could claim it and be basically a queen. And as iliri, exempt from the rules."
Sal shook her head. "In theory only, killer. The humans have been demeaning us as a people for so long, they wouldn't respect it without a bit of weight behind it."
"Dom's building that weight," Blaec pointed out.
"So what comes next, boss?" Razor asked.
"Same shit as before, but we have a better exit plan, men. I'm sorry, Sal. We still need to deal with the Conglomerate. What we need most is a continental alliance."
She nodded. "I know, but unless they execute me in the middle of the court, I'm feeling a lot better about this. I'm still keeping the bars, Blaec."
He reached over to trace the one closest. "Kaisae's bars, my love."
"I just have one question," Zep said. They all looked at him, and he sighed. "I don't want to beat a horse or anything, but I'm still human."
Jase shook his head. "Nah. You're iliri now. We accepted ya, and that makes ya iliri in the eyes of Anglia. Did ya miss that?"
"No, I got that, but the rest of this shit. Treaties, laws, international conventions. I'm still human."
Blaec stared at the ground for a moment, thinking. "Sal?"
"Yeah?"
"Did Dominik have any hobbies? Politics, history, things like that?"
She shrugged. "I have no idea. I mean, he loved his whores, but besides that, I don't know. Why?"
"Because he's taunting the world with something. He said anyone declared by the Black Blades to be iliri is, in the eyes of Anglia. He said that in a block of the speech that he meant to be seen by the Conglomerate."
"He kept books on international law," Jase said. "In his study, Sal. The books were all on the rules governing inter-country interactions."
"Oh damn," Arctic gasped. "Any unit acting under another's oversight is to be treated as if it belongs to the overseeing body. There was a whole ordeal about it in my first officer training course. If the Blades were assigned to Unav, as an example, we'd be bound by Unavi laws until we were released."
"That's it!" Blaec looked over at Zep. "You're human, but you are sworn to an iliri unit. No different than that human Sal just assigned to the grauori. The Conventions of War wouldn't apply to either of you because you're seen by international law as being either iliri or grauori."
"A loophole," Sal said softly, smiling. "Dominik Jens found the loophole to make Zep truly iliri."
Zep chuckled. "I feel like I've been used."
Sal patted his hip. "Yeah, you're just a political tool now. Good for nothing but proving a point. Well, that and being my big brother."
"Ya know what this means?" Jase whispered.
"Yeah," Arctic said. "We just fucking won. There's nothing they can do to us now. We just fucking won."
"We don't have to pretend anymore," Sal said, pulling Jase closer. "We don't have to play human. We don't have to lie to ourselves. We don't have to hide who we are. We didn't just win the war. We just won our freedom. They can't stop us now. We don't have to fight this alone. We have three kingdoms, maybe four, with us, and they can't fucking stop us."
They all looked at her for a moment, the realization slowly sinking in.
Zep grabbed Sal's hand and sank to one knee. "Laetus, my Kaisae," he whispered. "I pledge my sword and my life to you, above all others. I swear to be true and faithful, and fight against your enemies and embrace your allies, nor will I ever with will or action, through word or deed, do anything which may cause you harm, so long as you will hold to me as I deserve it."
Sal slowly pulled Zep to his feet and looked in his eyes, reciting the King's answer to the oath of fealty he'd just offered. She accepted his loyalty and swore to honor him. One by one, the Black Blades repeated the vow to her, and one by one she accepted and swore to honor them above all else. Unlike the humans, Hwa bowed in submission, but the gesture meant the same. When the males had made their vows, Roo moved to Sal's side.
I will honor you, Kaisae, but my vow is different, she said, bowing low. I pledge to you the fruit of my womb, may it strengthen the pack. I swear to honor the traditions that came before me and seek to continue those traditions after we all are gone. I promise to care for the pack, to feed, clothe, and comfort any of mine, for the family of the Kaisae is as precious to the ilus as her own pups. I hold your love and honor as the greatest treasures I can earn, and vow to never go against you in will or deed, word or action.
"Roo," Sal said, lifting the rafrezzi's nose from the ground. "I swear to you that your children shall be as my own. Our traditions will grow together, and our lives will be bettered by your care. I swear to respect your sacrifices as equal to that of the hunters and to judge each of us as we are, not as I think we should be. I swear to you, little sister, that together, we will grow strong."
Razor hopped up on the rock beside her. "I wonder if the King realizes what he just turned loose on the continent."
"Nah, man," Zep said. "Humans don't understand. They can't feel anything like this."
Behind her, Blaec lay back, pulling Sal down against him. Jase smiled and caressed her arm before moving away. "Nah, they do na understand it, but ya do, big brother. I guess that means ya'd best give up calling yerself human now."
"Yeah," Zep said, smiling wistfully. "I'm finally an iliri."
Dear Reader,
Defiance is the culmination of the first part of the iliri series. Many of you have followed Sal as she grew up, learned all about her species, and figured out that sometimes the easy villains aren't really who you're fighting. Of course, there's more. The Black Blades aren't close to done. Please consider following me on my author page to get updated when the next book comes out.
; Now, I would like to ask a favor. In the day and age of digital publication, readers find their next book based on the opinions of those who read it before them, as I'm sure you did. Whether you loved or hated my writing, please consider leaving an honest review. It helps the author improve and makes it possible for our work to be found.
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DEFIANCE
Books by Auryn Hadley: (Keep reading for select excerpts)
Adding Ink:
One More Day
Two of a Kind
Three Sheets to the Wind
Four Ways from Sunday
The Wolf of Oberhame:
When We Were Kings
When We Were Dancing
When We Were Crowned
Eternal Combat:
Flawed
Challenge Accepted
Virtual Reality (coming soon)
Rise of the Iliri:
BloodLust
Instinctual
Defiance
Inseparable (coming soon)
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Flawed
A broken Lovestory
by Auryn Hadley and Kitty Cox
Prologue
Unlocking the door, Destiny tossed her backpack on the couch, grabbed a Coke, and ran up the stairs as fast as she could. First, her finger pressed the power button to turn on her computer, then she stripped out of her school clothes. Baggy fleece pants and a t-shirt so old and worn that it was nearly transparent took their place. She'd promised her guild that she'd join them for the raid at eight but still had to do one more read-through before posting her latest blog entry.
Dropping into the well-worn chair, she ripped open a mini Snickers, shoved it in her face, and opened a browser. A gulp of Coke washed the whole thing down. Probably not the best choice. Chocolate and soda – that definitely wouldn't help her drop a few pounds. With one hand she pinched the flab at her waist, while the other clicked the button to log into her blog.
Well, not like she needed to be pretty to become a game developer. The biggest question was whether to get a degree first or ride the wave of her recent fame. Electronic Arts wanted her to come in for an interview for one of their massively multiplayer online games, but the letter lying on the kitchen table was too tempting to overlook. A scholarship to the school of her dreams, the University of Southern California, wasn't something to take lightly. Then again, could she really learn anything new, or would she just be spending money she didn't have for a dream she was about to achieve on her own?
Destiny shoved her hands through her hair and let her eyes scan the blog. That image wasn't in quite the right place. Nope, she wanted that to say now instead of not. What the hell was that sentence supposed to mean? Oh, right. Well, it needed to be rephrased. Then she read it all again. When the whole thing was good enough, she pressed the button to post and started on the comments. Most of them were readers who didn't bother to log in or sign up for an account.
Anonymous: Dum fukin bitch. Nothing wrong with girls in Legend. Them elves are hawt!
Anonymous: It's called rock, paper, scissors. If you could do more than just make a sandwich you fat fuck, you'd know that.
Anonymous: Talk bout Legend agn & I'll rape you.
Fyre: Is it more appropriate to alter the attire for female models, or offer equally scandalous clothing to the males? What about offering players both, so that those who choose to sexualize their own avatar have that option, and those who find it foolish can select armor that actually appears to serve a purpose?
Anonymous: I fap to your stream. Luv me a fat hoe.
Soul_Reaper: Face it, more dudes play than babes. Armor reflects that. If you got a problem, go play Hello Kitty Online.
Anonymous: Glad someone said it! Legend is just bad!
She couldn't take anymore. Yes, she knew she was opening a can of worms when she called out a game for its atrocious representation of women. Not only was their "armor" barely more than dental floss, but the women were always abused, assaulted, or treated like objects. Granted, her faithful fan "Anonymous" wasn't helping her ego any. Fyre had a point, though. Was her problem the unequal options, or was it simply that she was so sick and tired of being told she was only good enough if she dropped twenty pounds? She clicked his name, which gave her the option to respond to his account privately.
You raise a good point about character clothing options. While I personally find it irritating that a few strips of flimsy cloth represent top tier damage protection, none of us are fooled into thinking that games are equivalent to real life. Mostly, I believe the issue isn't the clothing (although getting to see some hot guys in leather straps would be nice for a change) but the use of females as quest objectives.
Let me explain. In the few instances where a male needs to be saved, the storyline always includes him doing everything possible to help himself. Women, instead, are stupid, rushing headlong into danger because of a failed love, lost item, or any other superficial BS the designers feel is "good enough" to keep the story going. It's not. Women make up almost half of the population of online games, now, and we want to be tough, smart, sexy, and super-powered, too.
She sent it and started deleting the most crass of the anonymous comments. Her blog was supposed to be a place for gamers to discuss the mechanics of both the available games and those currently being designed. She popped another Snickers into her mouth, her hand moving down the list, deleting based on the first few words in the quick view. Pressing a button, the icon spun, removing all of the nastiness and hate.
Her computer dinged softly, indicating another private message. Really? When she opened that folder, she was shocked to see that Fyre had already responded.
As a man, the objectification of women is a little too easy to overlook – sad as that may be. I think that people of alternate lifestyles, such as the transgendered and homosexual, also need representation. Back when I was a kid, only little boys played games. Now, that's not the case. Must say, I love your blog, Deztiny, and enjoy hearing your perspective on your stream.
Pretty sure you won't answer it, but one last question. As the most influential private gamer this year, if you could persuade a development team to make anything, what would your dream game be?
She chuckled at the misspelling of her name but wasn't upset. The guy was obviously a fan, but she was neither Dez nor tiny. Easy accident to make, though. Granted, her mom freaked out if she spent too much time talking to any one person so she'd answer this guy another way. Since he sounded genuinely interested in her opinions, she'd give him an eyeful.
See tomorrow's post for a detailed answer. Short answer: I want it all, and I want something that feels smooth. Raid in World of Warcraft tonight at 8 pm EST, lachesis@streamgamesnow.
He responded immediately.
Will be watching. Won't cry if you happen to give up the secret to holding agro! Love your blog – best insights I've heard in a long time.
That was exactly what she'd needed: a nice little boost to her ego. Granted, most of the work she'd done for Sony and EA so far was contract jobs, but the non-disclosure agreement still held. Not to mention that she didn't want everyone to know she was just a kid. It seemed like as soon as people found out she was still in high school, they assumed she was an idiot. Never mind that she'd proven herself over and over. Nope, all that mattered was
that she was chunky and ugly.
Her inbox dinged again, but this time, the message wasn't from Fyre. With a sigh, she opened it. Someone had caught a screenshot of her talking on the stream and photoshopped a penis into her open mouth. Destiny just deleted it. If her mom ever found out some of the things these people said to and about her, she'd make her stop blogging.
What her mom didn't know wouldn't hurt her. Destiny focused her attention on the game of her dreams. Oh, she already knew what it was. She'd been wishing someone would make it, but the technical hurdles would require a very specific team. Hm. Maybe she'd address that as well. If nothing else, it would look really good on her resume.
***
Two weeks later, Destiny finally got a response from Fyre to the blog she'd written for him. At first, she'd been a little annoyed, but she realized that since her inbox received a few hundred messages a day – something she didn't keep secret – he'd probably just read it instead of commenting. Didn't matter. It still made her smile to see a fan that actually cared enough to hold a dialogue about something other than how girls should be seen and not heard.
When she opened the message, she found it short but oh so sweet.
You are brilliant. I think someone is making your game. Watch TGC, 9 pm EST.
That was in seven minutes! She Googled the channel, opened it, and begged for it to load faster. Her computer was a piece of crap, but it was all her mom would let her have. If she had something better, she might try more than just online role-playing games, but shooters were out with the dinosaur she was running. While the website did its thing, she flew down the stairs, found another Coke, grabbed a handful of candy, and scurried through the living room.