“We both did well, My Love.” Meeka said and turned her head. In the midst of the conflict she heard her name. “Brooke, destroy the control crystal. I’m needed. Zatal’s arm was blown off before his mates took down the mage.”
“Go then. None left in this place are stronger than me. The dragon and this man were the only ones who could.”
A blue board appeared under Meeka and she flew halfway across town and landed near Zatal singlehandedly stabbing his spear through the skull of a soldier and kicking him off with tremendous force while one of his mates tried staunching the gaping wound where once was an arm. Meeka got right to work and threw up a shield around all three of them to begin growing the limb back. It took a few minutes to grow bone, muscle and skin. He still kept his spear ready while they worked till she said “Support only. Take out resistance forces. You’ve lost blood and growing an arm used more energy that you’ll admit to.” He was going to fight till he looked into those healer’s eyes that would not let a patient have a say if he knew what was good for him. Instead Zatal nodded and leapt on top of the nearest burning building and bound off to less heated areas, three of his five mates right on his tail so he didn’t find any more trouble than he could handle.
Brooke followed both her senses and the spy reports she memorized which led her to a simple hut. It was easily passed by as something not worth mentioning, but hidden within it and under the dirt was a sapphire the size of her head. She could tell it was heavily warded, but she was amply prepared for its destruction. She pulled out a complete wooden heart from her suits pocket between her breasts, one her own mate grew and sat it right on top of the dirt, above where she sensed the town’s primary magical protection. “Countdown, sixty seconds. Melt and shatter!”
She slammed the door as she ran out and leapt into the air while firing another, but much brighter green orb.
Just as quickly as the attack took the city, the Utala fled.
The heart of wood heated the surrounding sand to soup and sunk. The moment it touched the sapphire it sent a burst of power so strong its own wards were stripped and it cracked more than enough to completely destabilize Bay Port’s defenses, allowing for Rex Hessan and ten soldiers to appear suddenly within and place one of their own control crystals which extended their own territory in favor of the alliance so fast Rex Shakka had to seethe with impotent rage as they lost enough space in five minutes where defenses held off attacks for weeks. There was no warning till the town’s gem lost power.
As the sun rose Tohka bugged Meeka and asked “Can’t you make your hair be like sunshine again?”
“Personally I find her ravishing as a brunette.” Brooke said while coming up to plant a quick kiss on her knife wielding warrior who did so well hunting stupid men in the night.
Tohka pouted as she began spooning stew from the pot into bowls for her mates. “But I like when her sunlight hair tickles my nipples. She is prettier blonde.”
“No need to fight.” Meeka said while looking between her two gorgeous buxom lovers. “I needed to change the color because my hair easily gives me away even in the faintest light, but I can make a compromise to keep both of you happy.” Before either woman could respond they watched her wonderful soft blue eyes close and were captivated as her dark brown mane started changing several strands and highlighting it to its original color. Her hair became a beautiful dirty blonde that spilled just over bare breasts as the tribe waited in the forest, fifteen miles from Bayport to rest and wait out the day.
“I can agree to that at least.” Tohka promised. “You are such a wonderful creature, Meeka love.” She handed over a steaming bowl to her younger mate while biting her bottom lip to lower her arousal. Meeka though smirked as Tohka’s traitorous nipples hardened expectantly. To break the awkwardness the nurturer started filling her first true love’s bowl while asking “Feel better now, Love? You seem calm after your hunt. You smiled today at least.”
“Better than this whole week for sure, but I’m still going to slap our man’s lance till its red and swollen… and not in the good way between my legs.” Brooke then sat and started eating, propping her back against a tree trunk.
“Good thing I can heal him.” Meeka grinned as she ate another spoonful of stew.
“I was just as worried our mate was hurt, but the spy knew we weren’t faking our emotions. It was odd though.” Tohka said as she bit her thumbnail.
“What was?” Moril asked as she and all her mates sat nearby as well.
“Well… the best way I can describe it was I was… conflicted.” Tohka rubbed her small baby bump lovingly and confessed “When my tears would not come any more and I could not sit watching the healer dragons work… I felt… a pull. Like my man wasn’t there by us, but going further and further that way.” She pointed.
Brooke’s spoon plopped as she said “You feel it too?”
“So it wasn’t just me either?” Meeka looked at her lovers the same way they looked at her.
“The mate’s bond.” Both Ulon and Poli thought to their partners.
“Oh, how could I have been so stupid!” Brooke smacked the heel of her hand to her forehead. “Megdline once explained when I went with Cage Love, to go after you, that there are four main ways to find someone.” She told Meeka. “Sight mirror, seeker thread. Some deep meditative trance that is very dangerous…” she held up one finger. “and a way reserved only for mates who spend so much time together they can tell wherever their love is. Damn, he tricked me again.”
“We should have told each other sooner. We would have known he tricked us.” Tohka said seriously and her sister-mates couldn’t deny that logic.
“But we got so emotional when we sensed how badly he was injured. That clone was exactly like him, even with his reinforced bone density. If I didn’t have the two of you I would have gone mad with worry.” Meeka said solemnly. “I know life would not be worth living if he or either of you died on me.
“And that is what he planned on the spy seeing.” Moril spoke up, unable to keep quiet any longer. “Cage is beyond an expert at manipulation and is now right under the empire’s nose and they don’t see him. I’m highly impressed it worked so well. He might not be leading us as our legends tell, but we are warring under his strategy. His mind is more frightening than his power. Everything he planned has come true up to this point. Not even we have a tenth of the strategic skills to have come up with something so elaborate. Our prey is getting surrounded and they do not even know, and hopefully won’t even discover till it is too late. We must travel at night and continue on, especially in two days when we reach the Lowt Desert. It will be a close victory if we survive. Look up and tell me what you see.”
All listening faced up and none said a word. It wasn’t required.
Many leaves were changing color.
Summer was ending.
Fall and the true battle for Raliea were getting closer every moment.
Elder Metak and his smaller group of warriors crouched down behind the thick brush and looked to his six young and beautiful mates along with Fredrick and Shorty while the rest of the warriors waited a quarter day’s journey from their position, in relative safety. It was four days since the tribe separated and again it was another hunt at night. The city’s torches and magical ones were like a beacon, but they dared not make so much as a spark.
The nine looked at the road, the only one that led into Bower. Its natural cone shape funneled to the rather large town that was quite alive from the influx of Maywa refugees after abandoning their northern home. Where the Utala hid was the last place to avoid being spotted as more than half of the cone shape had been harvested from felling trees to build their homes.
Shania had created a barrier to stop sounds, but was far enough away that no one on the road could detect her use of magic. Metak still whispered “What are you hearing, Shania Love?”
Her warm brown eyes stayed closed as she continued moving her head to hear from over a half mile away. She was focused on a
group of soldiers wearing the empire’s standard. Emblazoned on breastplates and on one mage’s robe was a double set of mountains that looked to be about to erupt. Fredrick and Shorty knew that standard all too well, Metak noticed not for the first time. Elder Shania eventually said “It is difficult to make out, but the older, large man with the horsehair plume on his helmet is saying to each person that comes before him ‘The night is worm and the days are cool.’ And the other person replies ‘So too is the opposite of the enlightened.’”
“What does it mean?”
Fredrick said “It is a challenge and response.”
“Challenge and response?” one of the elder mates asked as she held her spear close should there come an ambush.
“It is a standard military practice to find spies. You challenge the one coming with a unique phrase. Their response will determine how they act. If you do not answer correctly they will try to capture you or kill if unable. Most likely there are several challenges to make sure that those still coming are from Maywa and maybe Krii, are trustworthy. Elder Shania, see if our group’s spirit can teach us or at least find out the responses.”
She nodded and then pushed out some mana several feet in front of her. Though they couldn’t see the spirit, a scratchy woman’s voice said “It is about time someone let me speak.” She huffed. “Oh, never mind. You are all still young at thinking like a mage. Listen close, all day I was spying on the gate. There are fifteen challenges, but only four responses. It is a clever trick, but the one challenging will expect the same answer out of five questions, one for three, one for four and one for three as well. What you cannot see from here are five small colored stones. His right foot will casually point to one while putting a hand on the guard of his sword, the grip or pommel.” She went into detail to explain each of the fifteen challenges, how the stones and the man’s grip on his sword will all lead to one of the four answers. It was complex and would weed out any who didn’t truly know. Sight mirror couldn’t be used to have seen what the spirit explained, setting up a trap for anyone foolish to get in. “Now before you get on with destroying their potions and poisons supplies, remember to not get near Bower’s lake as it is monitored by several freshwater Familiars and must not be drank without adding the root of ginger to negate the lake’s poisons that are specifically created to paralyze humans only. One sip will be more than enough.”
“Thank you for the warning.” Elder Metak said for the fifth reminder.
Elder Shania opened her eyes, ending the power which allowed a spirit to talk. “Shhh, two riders approach.”
“Were ready.” Fredrick said right after, knowing the plan.
Both he and Shorty, naked from the waist up, stalked though the woods without making a sound. Then Shorty crossed to the other side and drew his thin throwing daggers while Fredrick checked the square crystal in both guards of his short swords.
Two riders moves side by side and were soldiers. Both were young, but their armor was standard issue and not the quality the officers wore. A simple sword and shield as well as simple provisions spoke of border patrol. They were garrisoned and slave citizens of Bower, both being raised from birth to be soldiers. They were fierce warriors in their own right, living for a single purpose thanks to their more enlightened superiors. Only, they were unaware of what lurked in the darkness.
Shorty and Fredrick knew no better chance would come tonight after scouting the area since yesterday to learn patterns. They had moved well out of the gate mage’s hearing and tensed as the horses came into view.
Not even the horses were prepared when two forms leapt from bushes from over twenty feet. Fredrick’s left blade pierced up under the faceplate while Shorty slashed his arms in a blur and tore open the other man’s throat. The well trained warhorses didn’t whinny, even as their riders fell off, but were caught before clanging on the road. Shorty sucked in a sudden breath and Fredrick turned to see his companion had barely managed to catch his enemy’s severed head, balanced carefully on the top of his foot. Both sighed and drug the bodies into the brush where two graves were already dug. They quietly undressed the soldiers and washed the armor when Elder Metak brought a bucket. As the two men applied their new armor, Elder Shania handed Fredrick a bag holding his and Shorty’s real armor while the other five women kicked the bodies in the pits and covered them with dirt. In a few minutes it was all over and they went back to the horses that grazed and mounted. It was fortunate the armors were roughly the size of the men that now wore them. Elder Metak said “Go. I will add feathers to the blood so if any see it they will think an animal died…”
“I found a dead bird earlier, Metak Love.” Elder Shania said and pulled it from an outer thigh pocket by her thigh sheathe.
“Wonderful.” He watched as she put down what seemed like a mauled owl in the dark, wet puddle of blood and then set his gaze upon the two men. “May the great spirits watch over you both and instill fear in our enemy.”
“Thanks, Elder.” Shorty smirked. “Asses are going to get swiftly kicked.”
“Focus, Shorty. You can make more ass jokes after we get in. Be thankful these bastards don’t wear crests people will recognize as family or friend. Let’s go.”
“Yes, Sir.” Shorty saluted and gently heeled his horse’s ribs to enter a brisk trot beside his former captain and now closer friend. Both kept a tight rein on their sacks bundled to the saddlebags and moved without saying another word.
In fifteen minutes they came around a slight bend and soldiers at the closed wooden gate noticed their approach. Both men felt the tingle of magic at being scanned and the mage said something that had the soldiers grip their blades, but otherwise hold position. When they reached a point where they had seen all lower ranked soldiers stop, they did so without signaling each other in any way.
Both already being highly trained knights, Fredrick and Shorty hit the ground together and saluted without moving for several minutes without so much as shifting their weight. Eventually the mage said something and the gate commander said “So sets the eternal sun.” and the two men watched his foot slightly shift to a brown square rock while gripping the hilt of his blade tightly.
Fredrick knew they were given the hardest challenge, but he immediately replied promptly without lowering his salute. “Only to rise again when the chill of dawn is vanquished and pray that victory comes in Her name at long last.”
The other soldiers sighed fractionally and the tense expression on the commander softened. “Men, our captain here says you carry magic. Explain yourselves.”
“Sir,” Fredrick said, still not melting his rigid stance. “The sentry patrol thought it wise we bring critical evidence located this morning without sending word we found two sets of armor from the Vlaran and Emrocan alliance. We were tasked with bringing the sets for inspection after they were discovered by our commanding officer. It was a small cache and judging by the lack of debris and tracks in the area, we have enemies in the area. So as to not alert the enemy we found their supplies, we brought them without arousing suspicion. Judging by the armor, it seems it is like those who were reported to ride dragons. That is the extent of what I was told, Sir!”
“Bring the supplies here soldier!” The mage demanded.
Fredrick passed the reigns to Shorty and lifted both sacks from the saddles to bring them forward into the light of burning torches. To make it more authentic he grunted slightly as the armor was rather heavy. He untied the bags before the mage. Along with the armor and weapons he also pulled out the air pressurized harnesses. After laying it all out he stepped back and put both arms behind his back, looking straight ahead to await further orders.
The mage knelt down and moved his hand over the metal till stopping at the hidden mechanism that locks a crystal to the harness system. He lifted the catch and removed the opaque gem to spend several minutes studying it before saying. “All is authentic, Commander. It was wise secrecy was used to bring these here. The complete armor and hooking system have yet to be
completely retrieved to be duplicated for our needs. This symbol on that breastplate is of an Emrocan captain and that second one is of a weapons master. These must be carefully studied for weaknesses so we can improve and use these against those soft fools who resist our empress.” The mage replaced the crystal and turned to the scouts. “Take this armor to the colonel’s office for examination and then rest. At sunrise we need to discover the whereabouts of our enemy and search for any more cache’s. If by any chance we’re still being observed we cannot risk communicating magically and be intercepted. Soldier, where exactly were these discovered?”
“A hard, full day’s ride just a half mile south of the lake’s eastern bottom.”
“Then at sunrise a search will begin. Dismissed.”
“Sir!” Fredrick saluted quickly and put the armor back into the bags and mounted alongside Shorty.
The gate opened to let them in and they slipped into Bower. A pair of soldiers stood to either side of torches, keeping a close eye on four slaves raising and lowering the metal portcullis. Neither stopped moving or allowed their eyes to wander and risk arousing suspicion, even with their helmet faceplate’s down. The greatest benefit to the empire’s larger helmets are they hid their bright orange warrior tribal beads. When it shut, Shorty sighed loud enough for Fredrick to hear and he nodded at just how difficult getting in was. So many things could have went wrong.
Bower was a city the size of Dali, not big, but big enough to not get easily confused. They passed a slave brothel and could hear women either crying or moaning thanks to open windows to at least keep the humid heat from making one too exhausted. The men fought to not seem disturbed. Both had been to brothels before in Emroc and Twilight, but at least those girls and boys chose that life. Here, slaves captured or sold to the owners had no choice. As they passed the business, two girls no more than twelve years old were being groped by a rotund man as he walked them inside, choosing them from the ten women standing on the entryway to entice customers.
Empress's Endgame (Book 5 and final of the Death Incanate Saga) Page 45