Amora spoke again. "Juno banished Umbra to the Underworld, to rule over Tyvian, ages ago. Umbra's still upset about it and comes up here to wreak havoc every once in a while." Kore's pretty friend reclined back on her klina, lazily eating some grapes. She did not seem that concerned.
"Who's Juno?" Kore asked, for she had never met that goddess.
Her friend looked at her incredulously. "Our mother, the Queen of all Goddesses."
Kore shook her head. "I don't have a mother. I don't remember one. All I remember is the Light, since the beginning of life."
Amora shook her head, and let her gaze travel across the courtyard they sat in. "Juno is your mother. Umbra's mother too. You don't remember her because she has so many children, she cannot devote time to any one."
"Does that mean we're sisters?" Kore asked, suddenly happy to have a mother she'd never met if it meant she could be sisters with Amora.
Amora smiled, her face shining like the Sun that Kore was. "Of course."
~
Amora's words stayed with Kore, and her curiosity got the better of her. Umbra didn't sound so dangerous. She decided to pay the ruler of Tyvian a visit.
She dressed in her favourite peplos, strapped up her golden sandals, adorned her neck with a silver necklace and her wrists with copper bangles. She wore a brass ring on her right hand, and she took her walking stick with her.
The trip to the Underworld was long. First she alighted in the Palace of the Heavens, a familiar haunt where hours with Amora had been spent. It was night, and she should have been sleeping -- the denizens of the Palace were. Instead she searched the Palace for a doorway, or staircase -- something to take her to the earth below.
She found it behind Juno's throne. A small archway in stone, leading to a staircase. Carefully she descended the uneven stairs, and eventually ended up in a forest.
Now she was truly lost, but undaunted. She set her feet in the direction that felt right and walked onwards, determined to find this Underworld.
After a long time she came upon a cave. She knew this to be the entrance to the Underworld, though she could not say how she knew. Kore ducked as she entered the cave's mouth and stepped into the expanse beyond. It was pitch black in here, a greater darkness than had existed outside in the nighttime. But Kore herself shone, her bangles clinking together as she walked, and she went forward, knowing no fear.
Soon she came to a Gate. It was guarded by an ugly creature, all fangs and horns and claws, who told her that in order to go on she had to remove her sandals. Kore complied, and she went through the first gate barefoot. When she came to the second gate, she was told to remove her necklace. On through the gates she went, until she was down to her peplos and her walking stick; then her peplos; then nothing at all.
It was then she came to Umbra's throne room, and stood naked, her unbound red hair brushing her ankles.
Umbra stood, rage suffusing her features. "Who dares intrude on my domain?" she snarled at Kore.
Kore inclined her head. "Forgive me. I am Kore, the sun. I wished for knowledge of the dark."
Umbra smiled and stepped down from the dais that held her throne. "Then knowledge of the dark you shall have, sister," she whispered, and Kore felt a great piercing pain in her chest.
Her last sight was Umbra, eating what used to be her heart.
~
For thirteen days Kore's body was on display in Umbra's throne room, shown to all who entered, like a trophy. On the earth, darkness reigned. The sun did not appear; plants and animals died; humans went mad. It grew cold, and soon Juno realised she had to interfere. She travelled to the Underworld herself. With her strength she cast aside the guardians of the gates, and stood fully armored in her daughter's throne room.
Umbra hissed and spat at her mother. "Is it not enough that you banish me from your realm? You must come and invade all I have left?"
Juno said nothing, and instead picked up Kore's body, cradling her daughter in her arms. From within her peplos she drew a piece of golden zircon, and it she placed within the hole in Kore's chest.
Kore's eyes opened, and the zircon glowed.
Juno smiled sadly. "I'm afraid I cannot restore your innocence along with your life, daughter. Threads of darkness now lie within you. Take up the sword, and train yourself as a warrior to soothe your shadows."
With that Juno was gone. Kore now faced her twin, a hardness on her face.
Umbra, now with threads of light swimming within her, shivered in fear. "Please don't kill me, sister."
Kore smiled. "You made me what I am," she said. "How could I kill my creator?"
Underworld
Yarrow
Jourd'Bellona, 19th Primera
Trust was the issue, of course. Anytime, anywhere, in any situation -- it always came down to trust. Yarrow was fairly sick of it.
"We can't," said Caelum sharply. "They're unknown variables. We can't risk it."
Yarrow's eyes flicked to Jules. "As was Jules," she said, watching the medic's face cloud with anger. She looked at Anala. "As was Anala."
The other bellica nodded in agreement. "Aye. And as ye'd been ta me. But we'd only be here, tonight, in this tent, a'cause o' Ghia's meddling."
There was a general silent consensus around the room. "The girl is certainly good at that, it is true," Yarrow said.
"Would you rather she weren't?" asked Jules testily.
"I wasn't insulting your betrothed, Jules -- calm down."
"She's not my betrothed."
"Then what in Tyvian are you waiting for?"
"Enough bickering!" said Aro. Yarrow and Jules fell silent, Jules glaring daggers at her. The bellica looked at Aro sharply -- they were the first words he'd said at this meeting. He'd been increasingly quiet the closer they'd gotten to Aeril. Yarrow had worried that perhaps he was having second thoughts, but Anala had assured her that Aro was as committed to the cause as all of them -- mayhap more. "Bickering doesn't help matters. The fact is, that we can't know whether or not to trust Anita and Leala without asking Ghia, and..."
"...we can't do that," Caelum finished for the other major.
"And why did no one think to ask her before we left?" A chorus of shrugs answered Yarrow's question and she leaned her head back and sighed. This conversation had transpired in several different forms over the past two hours, until Yarrow felt like stabbing something. When she'd originally planned to revolt against her sister, she'd thought rebellion would be easy. Step one: raise an army. Done. Step two: storm the castle. Easy -- she lived there. Step three: take the Sceptre and set the country to rights, bringing about a new age of peace and prosperity in the land that would be talked about in history books for ages to come.
Not so easy, that. But she could just decide what to do when she got there. First she had to get there.
She wished the third regiment had not been sent with them. It would make this incredibly easy. She was sure her sister had sent Anita and Leala's regiment as insurance against possible treachery from Yarrow and Anala . Zardria was not stupid, for Juno's sake. She would have noticed Yarrow, Anala, their majors, the healers, and Anala's boys riding in to Atherton that day. She would have seen the new-found camaraderie among the group -- the core rebel team of nine, all equally surprised to be in the group with one another. Well, team of seven, she supposed -- Lares and Dagon seemed to hold no passion for rebellion aside from their devotion to Anala. Yarrow didn't think she could really count them.
But that didn't really matter right now -- right now what mattered was helping the Aeril insurrection while making it look like they were subduing it, if indeed Anita and Leala could not be trusted. If they could, then discussions could end, and they could just go ahead as planned. Somehow Yarrow doubted that would happen.
"Feck this noise," she said, tired of it already. "We need answers as of two hours ago. I want suggestions -- now, and ones that don't involve asking Ghia."
A small silence passed before Jules spoke, after a brief look at Lares. "Reconnaissance, Ma'
am. Send someone to spy."
"Great. Whom do you suggest, Medic?" she said, though she already knew what Jules was thinking, and wasn't terribly pleased about it. She didn't trust Lares still, despite Ghia's assurances. She wasn't even sure she should trust Ghia -- the girl wasn't even human, for Bellona's sake.
Lares cleared his throat and bowed low before them. "I would be happy to serve in this capacity, Bellica," he said smoothly.
The group looked at Yarrow expectantly, and she realised there was not another option in sight. It was trust Lares -- and by extension, Ghia -- or risk bollixing up the whole operation. That, and her intuition told her to go for it -- and if a bellica can not trust her battle sense, that tightening of the gut that tells of danger more strongly than one's eyesight, then what can she trust?
She gave a sharp gesture with her head. "Go. Be quick about it."
Lares was already going through the tent flap, and Yarrow sat down to wait.
~
"Well, that may make things a mite tougher."
Anala's voice roused Yarrow from the doze she'd fallen into in her incredibly uncomfortable chair. She looked up to see Lares back, and before he even shook his head 'no' she knew the answer.
"Understatement of the year, Anala," she said wryly, cursing her luck.
Anala smirked at her. "Nay, the understatement o' the year would be that yer sister has a bad temper."
Yarrow let out a bark of laughter. "True, friend, true," she said, smiling at Anala. She was very glad they were close again -- she'd missed the banter they'd shared so many years ago. "Alright," she said, abruptly changing the subject. "We need to decide what to do."
Another silence passed -- much longer this time. Yarrow tried not to feel despair as no ideas came to her. Come on, Yarrow -- you've been bellica for how damned long? Think!
"Too bad the third regiment can't just come down with a case of swiftshock," she said at length, only half-serious, trying to stimulate ideas.
Jules looked at her with a stricken expression. "Better they don't -- no medic of worth would abandon the Creed, and then you'd be out of your medicorps," he said seriously.
Yarrow waved her hand irritably. Goddess, but he'd been touchy since Mudflat! "Lighten up, Jules. I wasn't serious." Not really, though it would be convenient.
A pause, and then the second bellica spoke. "Tha rebel core o' Aeril occupies tha 'acienda, Molly said. Third regiment dosnae have ta enter tha building, ye ken."
Yarrow blinked, and a slow smile spread across her face. "You're brilliant, Anala -- how come you're not first bellica?"
Anala smiled in return. "I'd be a mite slower," she said, but with no rancor.
"Apparently not," Yarrow said, though she knew Anala spoke of physical, not mental, speed. "Third regiment will be on duty in the town, then -- subduing the people, on orders to use minimal force. First and Second infantry and officers spread throughout to make sure nothing gets too fecked up. We can take the hacienda."
"All we need now is someone to warn the townsfolk," said Aro, the second thing he'd said all day. Yarrow couldn't help but mentally remark on the total flip in personality between him and his bellica. "Resistance could lead to accidents."
Yarrow nodded, glad to have his input. She wouldn't have thought of it. "Someone who can ride there tonight," she added, and looked around the room for volunteers.
Immediately Dagon the sailor stepped forward. "I'd be willing ta go," he said. "I'd not be in uniform, fer one thing, and fer another they'd be more of a mind ta trust a Harbourtown cretin than someone who sounds court-educated."
Yarrow looked at Anala briefly, expecting the other bellica to be offended, but only saw agreement on the younger woman's face. She addressed Dagon directly: "It will be dangerous, sailor. Can you handle it?"
He gave her a half-smile. "I worked on an un-guilded merc ship fer ten years, more often than not flying under tha standard o' Exsil Vis. I'd be no outlander ta danger, Bellica."
Anala's head snapped up in surprise, and Yarrow saw the other bellica was just as shocked as Yarrow was to learn her Honor Guard had served Voco. It didn't matter, however, as Dagon served them now, and he did have a fast horse -- the mare used to be Anala's, after all, and was still young. "Go, then, and make all haste."
He bowed, and then left the tent, followed by Anala and Lares.
"That's it, then," Yarrow said, addressing the rest of the room. "Rest well, soldiers. Tomorrow comes the hard part."
"Now that is the understatement of the year, Yarrow," Caelum said with a smile.
Despite herself, Yarrow smiled back.
Aro
Jourd'Muerta, 20th Primera
Ostara
Aro nearly cried to see his hometown again, but this time it was with tears of joy.
Whatever the powers that be wanted to say about rebellions in general, it was obvious these rebels had done what they'd done for the good of the province -- several buildings had been rebuilt, and the rest were in differing stages of being repaired. The streets were clean, the Market looked polished, and even the hacienda no longer looked dark and forbidding.
It truly was a miracle, and Aro could have kissed Molly for what the woman had done.
He had kissed Anala very deeply for his bellica's commitment to the cause, and for her making contact with Molly in the first place. A kiss that had led to something deeper, much to Aro's surprise and delight. As a result both he and his bellica had gotten very little sleep the night before, for Aro had wanted to take his time, the first time with the woman he loved.
So he had. Several times. Both he and Anala looked exhausted, but it was a happy exhaustion, and he'd heard no complaints from his love -- aside from something about her saddle being too hard.
He could only smile, for he couldn't really believe in the first place that she'd been ready. She'd told him why she felt ready. She realised that she did love him, and that she didn't want to wait for a peace that might never come. The time to deal with her past demons she might never get.
If she couldn't get the time she needed to do it alone, then she would get the support she needed from him to deal with it now. So it came about that she'd told him everything. He'd been filled with a burning rage -- and a desire to go back in time to kill Adem himself. He remembered the kid -- hadn't ever really liked him, for no tangible reason. The priva had been kind and helpful, even if a bit cocky. Aro had just never warmed to him.
I suppose I saw his true nature, even then. For Adem was evil to the core -- a bad apple in Athering's society. The major now felt intensely glad that Adem had been so cocky, for that quality had ensured a painful and drawn-out death by treecat mauling for the boy. It was better than he deserved.
Aro looked over at Anala, and as if she sensed his gaze, she looked up and smiled at him. Aro forced himself to keep his smile light, and then they broke the contact, not wanting to cause rumours.
Besides, they were in the town proper now, and Aro felt overwhelmed from emotion to see his town looking so good.
"Are you well, friend?" came Jules' voice from beside him. "You look on the verge of tears and laughter at the same time."
"Aye, that I am," Aro whispered back. "But I've never been better."
Jules
Jules could have thought of better ways to spend Ostara. Drinking at the tavern came to mind. So did being naked in a comfy bed beside a lovely young woman (with red hair and a bewitching smile -- but I am not, under any circumstances, naming the vision in my fantasy, he thought determinedly, though that was no use). Tyvian, just relaxing at home -- whether Atherton or Atton -- with family or friends would have been preferable to riding into a battle at the worst or a very tricky situation at best, with a bellica he no longer liked very much and a very large absence of know-it-all healer to bicker with him.
Never mind they were on the rebellion's side. Never mind they were an entire rebellion themselves. They still had to keep up pretenses, the alternative was unthinkable to Jules as a medic. Pe
rhaps not to Yarrow or Caelum, for they are more ruthless than I. He could never justify doing away with Anita and Leala simply because they could not be trusted. Good thing I am not a major -- I would have been terrible at it.
As it stood, they had to pretend to follow the Empress's orders: rout the rebel leaders and bring them back for execution and reclaim the town for Athering. While not really following these commands, they had to get the town to play along as well. Jules couldn't help but feel it promised to be a disaster.
As if to lend veracity to his ill thoughts, two people exited the hacienda then to meet the regimental force: a tall man with a chest like the trunk of a tree and arms like the masts of ships, and a young, slight woman who held a strange-looking weapon that put into Jules' mind drawings from history books of the Second Age.
Second Age weaponry? Oh, yes -- they were deep in the blood water now.
The young woman hailed them, then, and Jules rode closer to the front so he could hear the exchange.
"Halt!" she gestured meaningfully with her weapon. "The province of Aeril no longer recognises the Empress' authority. We are now under the leadership of Aradia!"
There was a collective indrawn breath from most of the soldiers, but Yarrow and Anala showed no surprise.
"And who are you?" asked the first bellica.
The young woman inclined her head slightly. "Jester. I am second-in-command. Ewan here is our brute squad." She gestured to the young man beside her, and Jules almost laughed. Yes, yes, the man was their brute squad. "I already know who you are and why you're here, bellicas. It's admirable that you continue to obey the orders of a corrupt government -- but we no longer do, and I will not let you take this town back."
"You have courage, I'll admit as much," responded Yarrow immediately. "But we stand three regiments strong, and you have a one-man brute squad. I'm curious how you intend to accomplish your aim."
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