Carrot and Stick
Lieutenant Rolan Zill sat around a makeshift table with three other officers of the Pacifica. Sergeant Susaan Hartson sat across from him, eyes on the gameboard between them. She moved a piece, taking one of Rolan's from the board. The two men at either side of her watched the game avidly. "Your move," she said, smiling. He'd won every game they'd played so far, and this time she was certain to beat him. Her smile faltered when she noticed him staring off into space, a grim expression on his face. "Rolan," she said firmly, "it's your move." "Mm?" He returned to himself, glanced idly at the board, then absently moved one of his priests to the space before her monarch. "Game," he muttered, standing and crossing to the shuttered window. He looked out through a small crack. "Rolan, for pity's sake," a younger woman said from across the room, "she'll be here if she can. Staring out the window isn't going to bring her along any faster." She returned her attention to cleaning her gun. The man sitting next to her snickered as he took his shock baton apart. Rolan turned from the window to glare across the bare room. Dust glittered in the few sunbeams that criss-crossed the air. "Mind your tongue, private," he growled. "If Captain Moxen does not arrive, we few are all that stands between this city and total destruction. We need to-" "What you need, lieutenant, is to keep your flair for the dramatic in check," Kai said from the door. As the soldiers turned to look at her, she tossed her captive into the room. He hit the floor with a loud thud and began to stir. Kai stepped into the meager light and grinned. "Children," she said by way of greeting, glancing at each in turn. "Captain," each answered, saluting. "Who is this?" Rolan asked, pointing to Fifth. "This," Kai said, standing over her prisoner, "is one of them." Everyone took a step back. Kai laughed. "No, it's okay. I threw him out a window earlier. I think he's still getting over that." Fifth grabbed her ankle and flipped her onto her back, then jumped to his feet. "I've been over it for some time, ape," he sneered. He looked around the room at each member of the Pacifica in turn. "I'm going to kill all of you now," he said. Rolan drew his shock baton and drove it into Fifth's chest. Color and presence rippled through the grey man from the baton's point of impact. Fifth threw his head back and laughed, then snapped Rolan's neck and took his baton. He shocked himself in the chest again and sighed. The ripple effect happened again, but with less intensity and for less time. Kai was on her feet and kicked the baton out of Fifth's hand. He groped for it to no avail. Kai caught it and crushed it in her hand. Fifth fell to his knees, weeping grey tears. "Well now," Kai said slowly, a wicked smile spreading across her face. "This is an interesting development." She turned to the younger officers. "Ferrik, Jonah, bind this one tight, take him downstairs and watch him. No shock batons. Use blades or cudgels if he gets out of line." Private Jen Ferrik nodded as Bin Jonah set to wrapping Fifth's arms and legs with stout cord. It was woven metal, purportedly unbreakable. Private Ferrik asked, "What of Lieutenant Zill?" "I'll tend to him, Private." With a curt nod and orders to get to work, Kai walked off.
***
It was hours later when Kai made her way downstairs, leading a tall woman of middle years to Fifth, who lay huddled on the floor, weeping and shaking. Bin and Jen stood guard. Kai nodded to each and they left. Once she heard the creaking slam of the cellar door, Kai spoke to Fifth. "Let me guess," she said, "you were the weak one." "Go away, meatling." Kai ignored him. "Every group has one," she continued, "even a group such as yours. That one useless member who somehow ended up coming along." "Be silent." "No," Kai said, shoving Fifth with her foot. "No, I think you'll be silent unless it's to answer my questions." Fifth pushed himself to his knees, glaring up at Kai. "You dare..." Kai laughed. "Of course I do," she said. "You got a taste of something you haven't had in a long time, didn't you? Seems like it really wiped you out, coming back down to whatever you are now." She stood over Fifth and smiled down. "I have my own ideas about that, by the way, and you're going to verify them for me." Fifth growled from his place on the floor. "I'll tell you nothing," he spat. "You tell me what I want to know," Kai said, "and I'll let Roelle touch you. She's an Engineer," Kai explained. "I assume you know what that means." Fifth stared longingly up at Roelle, who smiled thinly down at him. "She could give me..." "All the Spark you can handle," Kai nodded. "Yes, provided you behave yourself." "I could just take what I want from her," Fifth snarled. Kai chuckled. "By all means," she stood aside and gestured toward Roelle, who stood, relaxed, still smiling her thin smile. Fifth gathered all his remaining strength and leaped for Roelle. The tall woman's smile grew and she reached out to touch Fifth's forehead. He fell, all strength gone from him. He was nearly insubstantial, his grey color fading further. "I can also take Spark away, you foolish creature," Roelle's voice was a soft melody, with the hint of laughter, "and you haven't much to spare." She touched him again, and he rippled, seeming a bit more present than before, but with no color save a darker grey. He leaned against the wall and sobbed. "Now," Kai said, crouching down to sit on her heels, "about my questions..." Fifth nodded weakly. "Anything," he gasped, "anything you want to know." Kai smiled. "I want to know it all." With a shuddering breath, Fifth began to speak.
The River
Kel sat under the tree, a robe of vacuum and starlight around him. His mother sat across from him, hearing the last of his tale. "Oh, Kel," Artemis said, and Kel winced at the pity in her voice. "My sweet boy. You weren't ready for this." "Hm," her son raised one eyebrow at her. "Something you might have thought of before you, say, exiled me." "That wasn't--" she stopped, then sighed, before chuckling wryly. "I suppose, thinking back on it, I wasn't ready for this either." She looked at her son, her eyes determined, the triple moon across her eyes flaring white. "I should have been," she growled. "And you must be." She stood, beckoning him to follow. He rose and matched pace with her, following to the shore of a wide river that faded into nothingness, a strange giant machine floating above it. Beautiful glowing shapes were drawn to it. Kel could not immediately tell if the glowing shapes were fuel or a component of the machine. Mandhe would know, he thought. "They are human souls," Artemis told him, "and that machine reincarnates them. With the destruction of the Summerland, the souls had nowhere to go until Emfex built his Reincarnation Engine. It's made out of the remnants of the Summerland itself." Kel nodded. He looked out across the water. "What's on the other side?" "It used to be the Summerland," his mother said, "now no one knows what is there. No one has ever crossed the river from Faery." Kel looked out again, then back at her. "Until now, I'm assuming." She nodded. "I have to swim across the river to nothing?" he asked, incredulous. She nodded again. "Why?" "You'll know when you get there." "Of course," he sighed. Then a thought occurred to him. If there truly was nothing at the other side, throwing himself in it would be an acceptable penance for what he'd done. He smiled at his mother. "Very well," he said, "if you insist. I'll see you when I return?" He made his smile wider. It fell a bit when Artemis shook her head. "No," she said. "I don't think you will." She reached up and caressed his cheek, smiling sadly. "Goodbye, Kel." Kel stepped back, touching his cheek. Then, without another word, he turned and dove into the river.
Pleasure and Pain
Mar Dagnae leaned her head back, resting it on the shoulder of the man behind her as his two strong hands massaged her breasts and his lips traced a line from her ear to her shoulder. A second man had his head between her legs and she arched against him, breathing heavily. A low moan escaped her lips as she kissed the first man's mouth, their tongues entwined as she thrust her hips against the face of the second man. She wrapped her legs around the shoulders of the man between them and cried out, her back pressing into the chest of the man behind her. Spent, she slid over onto the empty side of the bed, sighing happily, a contented smile on her face. The two men began to gently trail their fingers along her legs, clearly hoping for more. "No," she murmured into the soft linen sheets covering the plush mattress. "I'm done. You two can go now." She smiled wider and smiled again as her jilted lovers walked dejectedly out the door. Once they were
gone, she rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling, still smiling. "This is more like it," she said to the dim lights above her. "A woman could get used to this." She frowned. Was she getting used to this? She sat up, concerned. How long had she been at this? She counted up as she rose from the bed, drawing a thin robe around her. She gasped, hand flying to her mouth, "Three days!" Mar stood at the window shaking her head. Three days of this, and no closer to leaving Baern. Jat Loren had probably taken Vega City by now, and would soon be hailing the man he'd left in charge. Mar grimaced. The man who's throat she'd slit. She shrugged. Well, she'd planned to be gone before it became a problem. Turning away from the window, she sought her clothes, finding them strewn about the floor. As she dressed, she cursed herself for her indulgence. They needed to leave. They needed to have left long before.
***
Mandhe sighed, irritated. "It isn't time to leave yet." Idly, she drummed metal fingers against the side of her throne. "So you've been saying," Mar said down at her ostensible protegé. She stood next to the throne, arms crossed. "I've accepted the notion so far, largely, sad to say, because I've been enjoying myself." She smiled slightly, musing, "It's been some time since I've had the chance to enjoy myself." "So why don't you go on enjoying yourself?" Mandhe smiled back up at Mar. "We have everything we want here." She gestured at the people around her, mostly guards, all former followers of Jat Loren. "They worship me," she said. "Mmm," Mar answered, looking around at the adoring faces of the assembled. "And why is that, exactly?" she asked rhetorically. "Ah, yes. Because they believe you to be some sort of goddess, accoutered as you are." She gestured to indicate the whole of the machinery that had merged perfectly with the young Engineer. "People eventually expect miracles from their gods. Do you have any?" Mandhe scowled. "I thought so," Mar said brusquely. "Okay then. We need to move. Staying here only gives Loren a chance to get stronger. We have to lead these people to Vega City and--" Mandhe was already shaking her head. "No," she insisted. "That's what he wants me to do." She turned up her nose and sniffed. "And I'm not listening to him anymore." "Who?" Mar looked around. "Emfex," Mandhe sighed. She rubbed her thumb and forefinger together, creating a small round device out of seemingly nothing. "He talks to me sometimes," she tapped the side of her head, "in my brain." She shook her head, "But now I don't listen." Mar took an involuntary step back. "Umm, Mandhe? Are you okay? You don't... you don't seem yourself." Mandhe laughed again, the sound echoing mechanically. Her voice did that sometimes. It always scared Mar a little bit, now even more so. "Of course I'm not me," Mandhe said, giggling. "He's me." She jabbed her thumb against her chest with a slight ring. "I'm him." Mar backed away even further, reaching behind her back for the pistol in her belt, knowing how futile a gesture that would be. Mandhe hadn't seemed this strange yesterday. Or was it the day before? She shook her head. "Ohhh... bloody Hells," she muttered. "Sex always has to end badly for me, doesn't it?" Mandhe stood and faced Mar, grinning. "You see, Mar," she explained, "I learned a few things while you were servicing half my guards these past couple of days." Mar bristled, but said nothing. Mandhe continued, "I learned that there's a lot more going on here than we had any clue about. This isn't just some lunatic messiah with a mob, this is a war between Order," she held out one hand, "and Chaos." She held out the other, then laughed. "You know it's funny," she chuckled, "but Emfex was sent here to preserve Order. When he was broken, he merged with me so he could continue his mission. The thing is," she explained, "I couldn't handle his voice, you know, in my head." She held her arms up. "His wires in my flesh, gears in my chest and circuits in my skull..." she looked over at Mar, pleading, "It all just got too much, you understand." "Mandhe..." "No, I'm okay," Mandhe held her hand up. "But when it was time to choose, as I had to once I'd learned about this war, I was in an interesting spot. There I was, a being of immense power, being asked to take sides in a war between Order and Chaos." She grinned wildly at Mar. "And me," she said, "having just gone mad." "No," Mar stepped forward. "That's just what Emfex said when I chose," Mandhe sighed. "Well," she considered, "he more screamed it than said it. Hm. Come to think of it, he really mostly just screams now." Another tap. "In my head." "So, you're really not going to Vega City?" Mar stalled for time as she drew the pistol slowly from its holster. "You're just going to stay here? What's so chaotic about that?" Mandhe shook her head and chuckled. "Oh, I'll be going to Vega City soon enough, don't worry," she promised, "just not to save it." She threw the small round device she'd made at Mar. It struck the other woman in the chest. Pain lanced through Mar's body as current shocked her central nervous system. Mandhe's words echoed in her ears as she fell to the floor, the world turning black. "I'm going to tear it down."
The Stranger
Fifth sat on the floor, arms bound behind him, barely able to move. He was insubstantial as to be nearly transparent and he looked up at the assembled humans with weary eyes. "The first thing you have to understand," he said, his voice an empty whisper, "is that, in those days, you people were hardly more than animals. Humans were essentially hairless apes, organized along tribal lines around the living godheads of Luna's brood." He snarled a bit when he said this. "Not that you've really changed all that muuuaaaaowww!" He rubbed his side where Kai had kicked him. "Just tell the damn story," she growled. "Right," he said, glaring. "Anyway," he continued, "my companions and I had taken the side of the Sol Ky Taan in their ill-fated invasion of Faery. We were to grant them access and lead them to the places of power, where they would have assumed control." He clenched his fist and grit his teeth. "We were promised," he swore. "We were assured that victory was guaranteed!" He punched the floor and turned his head, muttering, "Damned battle was done before it started." "Who promised you?" Kai asked. "Umbra," Fifth spat, "Great Queen of the Underworld herself." He stared hard at the floor, snarling, "Bitch." He shrugged, sighing. "This was all before she got caught, of course," he said. "She was just Solar and Luna's little brat back then. But she was powerful," He nodded as though agreeing with himself. "Powerful enough to convince us to turn on our own people." "As I understand it," Kai offered, "that was something of her specialty." "Mm." "So," the Pacifica captain drew the word out as she walked around her captive, "you were all creatures of Faery once." Fifth nodded. "I was an Earth Spirit," he sighed, thinking back. "I loved it," he murmured happily. "So why risk it on Umbra's false promises?" Kai wondered. "As you said," Fifth waved his hand dismissively, "she was good at it. Plus," he considered, "all my friends were doing it." He grinned without mirth at her. "And I am the weak one," he said, "right?" Kai kicked him hard across the face. "OWW!" He grabbed at his nose, a brackish, thick grey blood oozing between his fingers. "Aye," Kai said with a smile, "that you would be." Fifth wiped his nose, which had stopped bleeding. In fact, his nose was completely undamaged. His eyes still watered slightly from the pain, however. "Do you have to keep DOING that?" he demanded, gingerly touching the side of his nose. Kai nodded. "Yes. Now," she said, gesturing at Fifth, "you were caught and punished. Presumably you had some power stripped away?" "Our aspects," Fifth corrected. "We were no longer Fire Spirits or Earth Spirits or Bird Spirits," he said. "We weren't spirits at all." His head hung down. "We weren't anything," he muttered. "And then?" Kai asked, unmoved. "Exile." Fifth spread his arms wide. "Cast out of the First World down to the Real World. Here to spend all eternity as punishment for our sins." He sighed, then chuckled. "We were weak at first," he explained. "As you've noticed, when we weaken, it takes time to regain our strength. We are living Spark, this is true, but the nature of our punishment is that the Spark keeps us alive, but no longer empowers us. We need to take the time to store power if we want to have any." Kai perked up at this bit of information. "So, this whole time..." Fifth nodded. "We've been getting weaker. Of course, I wasn't that strong to begin with, not like One or Four." He thought a moment. "No, definitely not like Four." He laughed at Kai, shaking his head. "So don't think they'll be as easy as me," he told her. "In fact," he said, "I think Four has foun
d a way to become stronger." Kai dismissed his words with a gesture. "I'll deal with her," she said. "So you waited," she returned to the tale, "biding your time until you gained enough power. Once you'd stored up enough, what did you do?" "Well," Fifth said, "by that time, many thousands of years had passed. The monkeys had gotten smarter, and thanks to breeding with the little godlings, they were developing powers of their own. Particularly one of them. A twisted and brilliant monkey who called himself the Mad Wizard." Kai's hand went to her mouth. "The Mad Wizard," she breathed. "Then you must be..." "Aye," Fifth smirked. "That we are. The Grey Strangers. Mysterious and vicious allies of the Mad Wizard, responsible for the death and horrendous torture of millions. Exiled across the multiverse to languish in the Outer Dark by one of Vega's little royal bastards. But now we're back," he stared eerily around the small group, his translucent eyes gleaming, "and we're taking what's ours." "No," she said, "you're not." She stepped back and Roelle approached, hands reaching out. "In fact, it's we who will be taking from you."
Amorlia: Age of Wonder Page 10