“My daughter said you were humble,” said Duke Bistoria. “I see she was right.”
“You mean, Captain Bistos, sir?” Richard said knowing full well the duke did. But he needed time to think, so he was determined to stall for time anyway he could.
“Actually, she’s Commodore Bistos now,” said the duke. “She was promoted two weeks ago.”
“I’m impressed,” Richard said. “She’s moving up the ranks fast.”
“Yes, she is,” the duke said using a strange tone. “I hazard a guess that’s why she volunteered for duty with the Empire instead of opting for Trecor’s military.”
“To make rank fast?” Richard asked. “Surely she’d have done as well in the Trecorian Navy.”
Richard had asked his question without considering he might be delving into the personal lives of the Bistoria family. Fortunately, the duke didn’t seem to mind.
“Perhaps,” said the duke. “But, I’d guess the main reason she choose the Empire was to prove to herself she could do it on her own.”
Richard gave the duke a questioning look. Richard didn’t understand the duke’s comment.
“Oh, come now, wizard scout. Surely you can imagine how difficult it would be living under the shadow of your royal relatives. You’d always wonder whether your achievements were based upon merit or more upon who you were.”
Actually, Richard couldn’t imagine. He wasn’t royalty, and he didn’t want to be.
“But I digress,” said the duke. “The point I was trying to make was we thought we were ready for anything. Obviously, we were wrong. Outgunned twelve to one, you destroyed four of our cats, and you still managed to escape unscathed.”
“I was hardly unscathed, sir,” Richard said. “My Warcat was shot out from underneath me. Not to mention someone put a fist-sized hole through my left shoulder.”
“Yes,” said the duke. “But only because you insisted on staying and saving the lives of two of Trecoria’s finest cat pilots.”
The duke’s voice softened. “You have no idea how much I appreciate what you did. The lives of all my soldiers are precious to me, but some are more precious than others.”
The duke paused before continuing. “I need to know why you did it. I doubt the Empire’s standard operating procedures are to save the lives of those who are trying to kill you.”
For a second, Richard almost gave a flippant answer. But then he saw the look on the duke’s face. It was the look of a man who had a desperate desire to know.
“My orders, sir, were to not kill anyone if it could be helped.”
“And was that the only reason you risked your life to stay and rescue those cat pilots?” asked the duke.
Richard contemplated the scene in his memory for a second before answering. “No, sir.”
Letting his shields down was something Richard normally avoided, but he decided to take a risk now. After all, the duke was Liz’s father.
“The cat was on fire,” Richard said. “And the two pilots were trapped. When I saw another pilot trying to beat his way in from the outside, well sir, I guess I just imagined how I’d feel if it were my friends trapped inside that burning cat.”
Richard paused. He saw an image of the burning cat in his mind along with the frantic efforts of the Trecorian pilot to free his companions.
“If it had been anything other than fire,” Richard said momentarily forgetting who he was talking to, “I…, I don’t know…, well, I just couldn’t leave them to burn.”
The duke was silent for several seconds. He seemed to be giving Richard time to compose himself. Richard noticed the duke pretending to read his computer screen.
“Sir,” Richard said finally. “There were children at the battle. I didn’t kill any of them, did I?”
The duke shook his head no. Richard breathed a sigh of relief. He’d done some bad things during his life, but he’d never killed a child, and he had no desire to start.
The duke remained silent for a while as if lost in thought. When the duke spoke again, his voice had taken on a hard edge. “Three companies of cadets were on the planet for training. They were under orders to stay well clear of the fight. Their commander made a mistake. That situation has been rectified.”
“Sir?” Richard said trying to figure out what the duke was saying.
“Never mind,” said the duke “But then again, their commander thought you were a normal recon soldier, as did we all. He had you outnumbered three hundred to one. Even considering his command was composed of cadets, their commander assumed his infantry would have no trouble preventing you from leaving the kill zone of our trap. The cadet’s commander had both armor and air support along with his infantry. But you still managed to break out of what should have been your death trap.”
Richard said nothing.
“And that brings us to the second reason why you’re here,” said the duke with a hint of nervousness.
“Sir?” Richard said. He was curious about the change in the duke’s demeanor, but not so curious as to sound like he was curious.
“You seriously wounded several of our soldiers,” said the duke.
Richard nodded. He wasn’t sure where the duke was going. He began to get a little nervous himself.
“Elizabeth and Terrie say you’re a healer.”
“Yes, sir,” Richard said. He wasn’t sure who ‘Terrie’ was, but Liz was certainly familiar with most of his wizard scout abilities.
Is that why he wants me here? Richard wondered. To heal his soldiers? Richard unconsciously shook his head. He’s barking up the wrong tree if he thinks I’m going to heal any more of the soldiers who were trying to kill me.
“I’m an emp-healer,” Richard said. “Surely you have healers of your own.”
The duke nodded his head. “We have some of the best in the galaxy. But a few of the injuries continue to resist the combined efforts of our medical teams. Elizabeth thinks you may know why and be able to help.”
“How would I know,” Richard asked bewildered. “A wound is a wound.”
“Maybe,” said the duke sounding unconvinced. “But, perhaps you’d take a look before you form an opinion.”
Chapter 23 – Bandits and Thieves
_____________________________________
The old hag looked back at Jeena in the fading light. Her greasy, gray hair was a tangled mess which hid much of the crone’s wrinkled face. The old woman’s eyes were a dull gray. She smiled revealing crooked-yellow teeth with large gaps denoting places where a majority of her teeth had rotted away.
Jeena splashed her hand in the water. The ripples momentarily obliterated the reflection of the old hag. But the image quickly returned as the water stilled.
“I’ll say one thing for Master Jathar,” Jeena told her reflection. “He has one hell of a polymorph spell.”
With a final look at her reflection, Jeena finished filling her canteen and retraced her steps along the animal trail in the direction of her camp.
As Priestess Aldriss had said would happen, her escort of elven scouts had left her at the Silvore river. That had been twelve days ago. On the advice of Priestess Kantaria, Jeena had made cold camps ever since she’d entered the lands of the humans. The absence of a fire at night had hidden her from prying eyes, but it had also taken a toll on her emotionally and physically.
The first snow of winter had begun falling two days ago and continued still. Both her days and nights had been turned into a continuous series of shivering and sneezing. The kit packed by Priestess Aldriss fell right in line with what one would expect an old crone traveling alone to possess. In other words, she had almost nothing to keep her warm or dry. Priestess Aldriss had assured her if she had nothing to steal, robbers would leave her alone. However, Jeena found scant comfort in her mentor’s opinion since she was basically freezing to death.
So far, Priestess Aldriss’ plan for avoiding robbers and thieves had worked. No one had tried to steal her meager belongings. But then, she hadn’t seen a
nyone either. While Jeena had spied the smoke of an occasional fire, she’d avoided the isolated farmhouses and camps for fear of what could happen.
Finally, after two days of walking in knee-deep snow and subsisting on cold cheese and semi-frozen grapes, Jeena had come to the end of her vine. She knew if she didn’t get a hot meal soon, she’d never make it to the Oracle.
With reluctance, Jeena had set a snare and asked a young rabbit to sacrifice itself for her benefit. With a prayer of thanks and a heartfelt request of forgiveness, Jeena had placed the quartered rabbit in her cooking pot along with some wild onions and a potato she’d been fortunate enough to forage.
As Jeena walked back towards her camp, she could smell the enticing aroma of the rabbit stew as it boiled over her small fire. With a liberal use of the fresh water in her canteen, Jeena had high hopes she’d soon be enjoying a plate of warm stew and a hot cup of pine-needle tea. Jeena’s stomach rumbled in anticipation of her upcoming feast.
As soon as the sight of her lean-to and small fire came into view, Jeena heard a voice which sent shivers down her spine.
“Well, well,” said a deep, gravelly voice. “Didn’t I say if we waited long enough someone would return and invite us to stay for supper?”
The sound of laughter from multiple voices came out of the brush on either side of Jeena.
“So you did, Stavis,” said a second voice. “But I was hoping for something a little younger to help keep the chill away tonight. It promises to be a cold one again.”
A flood of primitive emotions swept over Jeena from all sides. The emotions hit her in the stomach like a balled fist. Jeena bent over and almost fell to her knees, but she caught herself with the aid of the Lady’s staff. Jeena wracked her brain for any spell which might be of use, but she came up empty. Tenth-year acolytes weren’t trained in offensive spells; at least not any which would be useful in a real fight. And Priestess Aldriss hadn’t seen fit to provide her with a wand. The priestess had told her carrying a wand would draw too much attention.
A large, scraggily-bearded man stepped from behind Jeena’s lean-to. He eyed her before turning his attention to the pot of stew.
“I hope you can cook better than you look, old woman,” said the large man. “Otherwise, we may not have a use for you.”
“And wouldn’t that be a pity,” said a voice behind Jeena.
Spinning around, Jeena spied a fat, balding man dressed in rags which were almost as full of holes as her own. However, the dagger in his left hand was topnotch. Its blade looked sharp, and there was no sign of rust.
Two other men stepped out onto the trail. One was a human boy not much older than her in human years. But the evil grin on his pockmarked face did nothing to soothe Jeena’s fears. Instinct told her the teenager was a born killer. The raw emotions Jeena felt coming from the youth told her he was someone who killed for the sheer joy of killing.
Even from a distance of a half-dozen paces, Jeena could smell the stench of the men. She hadn’t had a bath since she’d left the Silvore river, but the smell of the men still overwhelmed her own body odor. Jeena’s eyes darted left and right for a path of escape. There was none. The thick brush on both sides of the animal trail would make running difficult. If she’d been in her own elven form, Jeena might have risked a dash for freedom. Unfortunately, Master Jathar’s polymorph spell was too good. Her body really was that of an old woman. She had no hope of outrunning the younger humans in her present form.
“You’re welcome to what supper and supplies I have,” Jeena said trying to stall for time. “What little I have in my pack is yours as well. Take what you want.”
“Now isn’t that nice of her,” laughed the man with the knife. “She’s giving us what we were going to take anyway.”
“Well, maybe I want a little more than food,” said the teenage boy as he raised a club and walked close enough to grab Jeena’s arm. “Come with me, you old hag. We’ve got some business to take care of.”
Jeena jerked her arm free of the boy’s grasp. He was stronger than her current form, but the sudden move caught him by surprise. His surprise didn’t last long. The boy swung his club at her head in a long roundhouse blow.
During her youth, Jeena had spent many afternoons training with the palace guards. Several of them had decided to take her under their wing. Perhaps they felt sorry for the orphaned elf-child. Whatever the reason, they’d taught her well in the arts of self-defense. Their training came to the forefront now as Jeena reacted instinctively.
Striking out with the edge of her foot, Jeena caught the side of the boy’s knee. While her body and muscles might be old and weak, her aim was dead on target. Her blow was rewarded by the clear snap of a breaking bone mingled with a scream of pain and anger.
The sound of running feet accompanying by a feeling of intense hatred warned Jeena of the approach of the boy’s companions. The pain in her belly increased as the humans’ base emotions took their toll on her senses. However, Jeena managed to duck her head just in time to avoid a swipe by the fat man’s knife. Its sharp edge cut a few of her hairs, but that was all.
Swinging her staff with both hands, Jeena aimed for the man’s chest. Just before her staff made contact, she felt a blaze of Power. The illusion spell Master Jathar had placed upon the Staff of the Lady of the Tree hid its true form, but it couldn’t diminish the staff’s Power.
Jeena traced a flow of Power from the gem at the tip of the staff. The Power struck out as the staff made contact with the man’s chest. The air exploded with a blue light so bright it lit the surrounding area for a hundred paces in all directions.
The man was thrown into the air and hit a nearby tree with a resounding crack. Once the man’s bloody body fell to the snow-covered ground, it made no further movement.
Without thinking, Jeena pointed the staff at the third human on the trail. He’d drawn a sword, but he hesitated to charge as if unsure of his best course of action. Jeena made the decision for him. She gathered Power from the staff and shot it out at the man. A beam of pure Power hit the man in the chest and blew him into a hundred bloody pieces.
A sound from her rear drew Jeena’s attention. The man near her fire who’d spoken first had drawn a bow. It was aimed in her direction. When the man saw her looking at him, he didn’t fire. Instead, he threw down his bow and ran through the brush in the opposite direction as fast as his legs could carry him.
Using the Power of the staff, Jeena followed the man’s retreat until he was quite a distance away. Somehow, Jeena knew she could still use the Power of the staff to kill the man even at a distance, but she didn’t. She allowed the man to continue running.
The sound of nearby groans caused Jeena to turn and face the teenage boy. He was clawing his way down the path while dragging his shattered leg behind him. Jeena allowed him to go free as well. She doubted he’d survive the freezing night which was fast approaching, but she gave him the chance. She knew it was more than he’d have given her.
Quickly gathering her meager belongings and stuffing them into her pack, Jeena left her makeshift camp. All thoughts of a hot meal and a warm fire were gone. The sight of the two bodies of the men she’d killed lying in the blood-splattered snow made her sick to the stomach. She’d never killed anyone before. Jeena never wanted to kill anyone again.
Chapter 24 – Elizabeth Bistos
_____________________________________
Richard had thought the whole situation strange even before his meeting with the duke. It got even stranger as Duke Bistoria personally escorted him to the city’s main medical-facility. Richard had a thousand questions, but he kept them locked up inside. Duke Bistoria opted not to discuss the situation further either. Instead, the duke became a tour guide of sorts as their hover-car flew towards the city.
The duke pointed at a set of long buildings in the distance. “Those are part of our city’s training facilities. Military service is a requirement for every Trecorian who’s physically able. There’re no except
ions.”
Richard doubted the validity of the duke’s words. He’d seen too many exceptions made in the Empire for rich kids or sons and daughters with parents who were politically well-connected. Richard was tempted to argue the point with the duke, but he decided against it.
The duke must have sensed his thoughts. “You don’t seem convinced, wizard scout. I assure you, every citizen does their duty. The military is considered an honorable profession on Trecor. When our children reach six years of age, they begin their initial military training.”
“Why?” Richard asked. “Why start so young? And if you need soldiers so badly, then why allow Trecorians to volunteer for duty with the Empire?”
The duke seemed to consider Richard’s question before answering. “I suppose the answer lies in our history. You see, Trecor is located near several major folds in the galaxy. Unfortunately for us, this makes our sector a good jumping off point for invading armies trying to pass from one point to another. Also, asteroid belts in several of the Alliance’s star systems are rich in critical elements such as brerellium and even titanium. As a result, we’ve had to defend Trecor and others within the Alliance many times over the years.”
“I see,” Richard said more because he thought he should rather than due to some great insight on his part.
The duke gave a slight smile as if guessing Richard didn’t really see despite his words. “As you know, wizard scout, we’re currently at peace with the Empire. But a hundred and twenty-five years ago, our two civilizations fought a major war. It ended in a draw.”
Richard nodded his head. He’d read about the Trecorian wars. The conflict had been more a series of large skirmishes fought over a thirty year period than it had been a full-scale war.
“Now we’re being hard pressed by the Balorian pirates and their Crosioian allies,” said the duke. “And yes, we could use all our citizens in our own military, but soldiering is in our blood. The military of several other civilizations such as the Empire actively seek our volunteers because they make excellent soldiers. I suppose we allow our volunteers to serve with other militaries as a way of introducing new ideas and concepts into our own armed forces.”
Wizard Omega (Intergalactic Wizard Scout Chronicles Book 4) Page 24