Bellica

by Katje van Loon

  Molly and Jester sat in cages now, though they were quite comfy, Yarrow had made sure. Now the bellica was getting drunk at the tavern -- she'd set Lt. James to guard the rebel leaders, for she'd seen how he'd looked at the young Jester.

  Bellica Yarrow, playing matchmaker, she thought sardonically. Fairly an ironic situation. Seeing as I can't get the one I want. She watched Caelum make his way from the bar to his seat in the corner of the tavern, drink in hand.

  They had come to some sort of terms with each other, back in Mudflat. Such a day, the day she and he had discussed treason, rebellion, spies, and trust. The day she had declared her decision to rebel against her sister and aunt -- against the whole reiaume, really.

  She still didn't know what had possessed her to make such a decision, or when she'd even made it in the first place. She was happy being the first bellica, Goddessdammit! At least she thought she was. It was a good enough job: follow orders, kill people in an honourable fashion, serve Queen and country.

  Except there was no more Queen. Her aunt and sister had taken the Sceptre, traditional symbol of sovereignty in Athering, and turned it into a jewelled beat-stick.

  That was wrong. She knew it was. On some level, Yarrow hated the injustice and needed to see it stopped. And I'm the only one who can do this. Others may have the choice to rebel, she thought, thinking of Anala and Molly. But I am the only one who can hold the Sceptre once the rebellion succeeds.

  Theoretically she could just sit back and let the others do the work, only stepping in once the dust settled, At heart, Yarrow couldn't stand to do that.

  Not because it wouldn't be right. Because it wouldn't be fun.

  In a gotterdammerung, all the fun was in the fighting. For sure, she did not look forward to ruling part. But the battle leading up to that? The revenge for her mother's death? Oh, yes, that she wanted. Very badly.

  It was confirmed, finally. The suspicions she'd held so long, that Zanny and Zardria were, at root, responsible for her mother's death, had been confirmed four days ago with Aro's revelation. As far as she was concerned, that was all the proof she needed. And all the incentive she wanted to kill the other two women.

  I've spent too long wallowing in self-pity and despair, flailing in helplessness. Too long trying to love Zardria. There is nothing left to love -- there has not been for years.

  So. Rebellion it was, then -- and sure death for her sister and aunt.

  In truth, she had no plan. Yarrow had lived much of her life that way. Intricate plans only fell apart; so she simply set a goal and however she reached that goal was good enough in her eyes.

  With some stipulations, however. She would not, under any circumstances, use poison. Besides the legal gray area it rested in, it was a cheater and a coward's way out -- not to mention it took all the fun out of victory.

  This was why she'd been so mad at Caelum -- and he knew it, too. Had known it. She'd yelled at him still again. He needed it. "How am I supposed to enjoy my job when you bollix it up for me, Caelum? You took the fun right out of the East Campaign!"

  He'd said nothing. Just sat there and took it, the best course of action if he wanted to survive her rant fest. "I mean, feck, man. If you keep on trying to save my life like that I shall be forced to kill you."

  He smiled at that. "Usually when you threaten to kill me, it's the signal we're friends again," he pointed out.

  "And why would that change?" she pulled him out of his chair and embraced him. "You're an idiot."

  Yes, friends again. No forgiveness. No forgetting. It was impossible to do. But not impossible -- at least, not for Yarrow and Caelum -- to go back to friendship.

  And lovers? She shook her head. Never mind what that meddling healer has to say. Cae is Cae and though I may love him, there is no indication that he.... her thoughts trailed off as she watched him again, and noticed how he looked over at her from time to time. She thought about numerous exchanges between them, over the past five years. Thought critically about the way he related to her. And realised who the real idiot was.

  "Feck it," she sighed. You only live once, if the Paixemortiennes have the right of it -- let it not be said that Bellica Yarrow ever was a coward.

  With a predatory grace she rose from her seat and began to stalk her quarry.

  It was not difficult. He'd not moved from his seat by Major Aro for most of the night -- the friendship of the two men had seemed to blossom since the start of this crazy trip, for which Yarrow had been very grateful. But not at the moment.

  "Major Aro, you've had Caelum all night -- mind if I steal him?" she said, coming up behind Caelum and putting her arms around his neck.

  Aro inclined his head to her gracefully. "Not at all. He's yours first, Bellica," he said, and Yarrow could hear the double entendre he gave his words.

  Juno -- the healer was right. Cae and I must be incredibly obvious.

  "Good," was all she said, however, as she left, gesturing imperiously for Caelum to follow her.

  He got up quickly from the bench and nearly ran after her as she looked for an appropriately shady corner. Unfortunately, the tavern was too new and too well-lit to be as abundant with said necessary shady corners as a tavern should be.

  Growling with frustration, she grabbed Caelum by his shirt and headed upstairs. If this worked, they'd end up in a bedroom anyway.

  At the landing she stopped and pushed him up against a wall with her hands and body. And stopped, suddenly unsure.

  "Are you mad at me again?" Caelum asked, trepidation written all over him.

  "What? No," she said, and stopped again.

  Desirelle, Yarrow, you've done this a thousand times! She stopped and counted silently. Ok, a few less than that. But still! The idea of you being nervous....

  Caelum still looked worried. "What's going on, Yarrow?"

  "I. Um. Well," she said, stalling.

  "Are you upset I haven't been filing my reports? I've been meaning to, but, well, what with one thing and another -- leave, our fight, the trip to Mudflat and Harbourtown, being deployed again -- I've just not had a chance. I'll get on it as soon as we get back to Atherton, I swear on -- "

  She cut him off with a hand on his mouth. "Just. Stop talking," she said, and then pressed her lips to his.

  There was something to be said for experienced lovers. Both she and Caelum had had their share. It definitely pays off. She explored his mouth with her tongue and moaned in delight when he returned the favour. Two good kissers meant heavens on earth before they even fell into bed together.

  The heavens -- however long it had been -- faded when Caelum pulled away from her.

  Tenderly he brushed stray tendrils of hair away from her face. "Yarrow -- as nice -- no, wonderful -- as wonderful as this is, I need to know if this is you or the ale kissing me."

  While part of her was glad to know he respected her enough to need to know, the other part of her wanted to slap him silly for even having to ask in the first place.

  "Let's just say that the ale has enabled Yarrow to do what she wanted to do, and has wanted to do for a while -- sober or otherwise."

  The little bit of light in the darkened hallway glinted off his teeth as he smiled slowly. "So...you do want to be with me."

  "Yes, Cae. For years now."

  "You haven't called me 'Cae' for a while."

  She snorted. "You haven't deserved it. Now shut up and kiss me."

  He crushed her lips to his and she melted, folding her body against his more completely, and he flipped them so that now she was pressed against the wall. She smiled against his mouth at the dominant move. His hands made their way down to her hips as hers found their way to his chest, and soon they were working on removing each others' clothes, forgetting they still stood in the hallway.

  Suddenly realising this important fact, she broke off long enough to ask "Bedroom?" he nodded breathlessly and followed her as she made her way to the first door she saw. She opened it as Caelum pressed up against her from behind and they bot
h stumbled in, giggling madly.

  "Can we help you?" came a male voice from one of the beds, and Yarrow turned to see Jules and Lares. Together.

  "Oh. Whoops. Sorry," she said, and, still giggling, she and Caelum left the room, taking great care to shut the door soundly. "My room, I guess," she said, and they made their way to the next door in the hallway.

  Anala was not in the first and second bellicas' shared room, so before the door was even all the way closed buttons were being undone and clothes were flying in bellica's and major's haste to get the other undressed. The second Caelum was naked and Yarrow almost there, she pushed him backwards onto the bed, kicked off her pants, and straddled him possessively.

  He laughed softly as she gently bit his neck and shoulders. "I love when you take charge."

  She flipped her braid over her shoulder and looked at him wryly. "So -- all the time?"

  "Pretty much," he answered evenly.

  She rolled her eyes at him. "I think that's just an indication of laziness on your part, Cae," she said, and all of a sudden was on her back, pushed into the mattress by a now very dominant Caelum. He pinned her arms above her head and growled at her, nipping her lower lip as he kissed her. She smiled up at him and wrapped her legs around his waist. "Now that's more like it. About time you did some work around here."

  He laughed seductively in her ear and a shiver ran down her spine. "Oh, Yarrow, I'm going to do so much work here tonight that come sunup you'll be begging for me to stop," he whispered silkily.

  Yarrow moaned and shuddered underneath him. "If that's a challenge, Major Caelum," she said, voice husky, "I wholeheartedly accept."

  Lares

  Falling into bed with Jules had been completely unexpected on Lares' part. But not unpleasant, he thought as he lay, sated, in bed with the medic.

  Lares had never thought of himself as a lover of men. Indeed, on Voco the idea was far less popular than it was in Athering, and to be thought of as such was, at best, a scandal. With Jules, the phrase didn't seem to apply. This was not to say that Jules was not a man -- he definitely was that -- nor that they were not lovers -- there was no other term for what they'd shared. Being lovers for one night, however, did not make Lares a lover of men in general. It was what it was. He and Jules were very close friends. Very close friends who occasionally slept with each other.

  Or just once. Whether it happened again or not did not matter -- Lares did not expect it to affect their friendship negatively in any way, and they would never be more than friends, anyway. It was obvious to Lares and anyone with half a mind that Jules was besotted with Healer Ghia, and Lares would not stand between the two as-of-yet-unrealised lovers.

  As for himself, Ghia was right. He needed to heal his heart before he could truly give himself to another. With Hope gone, I do not see that happening anytime soon. He did love Jules, on some level, but he was not ready to commit to anything, while Jules and Ghia were obviously destined to be together. Sex was a good release for two men harrowed by the stresses of what their particular lives held -- and so he and Jules would never be more than friends. Friends who occasionally slept with each other.

  I'm strangely alright with that. He did think it strange, for it was certainly not usual -- especially not in Voco and apparently not in Athering. He doubted that Aro and Anala would be satisfied with being friends with certain benefits -- nor would Yarrow and Caelum, from the looks of it.

  "Pence for your thoughts?" asked Jules suddenly and Lares jumped.

  "I was just wondering how long Yarrow and Caelum have been in love with each other."

  Jules snorted and adjusted position, curving his arm over Lares' side more comfortably. "A long time. Five years at least."

  "And they're only now doing something about it?"

  There was a pause during which Lares could clearly hear a moan from the next room.

  "It appears so," Jules said wryly.

  Lares snorted with laughter and they fell into a comfortable silence punctuated occasionally with the sounds of Yarrow and Caelum's lovemaking.

  "Pence for yours?" he asked after a few moments.

  There was a pause, then: "Wondering when I'll stop being such a coward and just ask her."

  "Ghia, you mean."

  A snort. "Who else? In such a short time that girl has become everything to me." He sighed, a wistful sound. "I've known her for a long time, but..." he laughed breathily. "I could make a career out of emotional blindness."

  "I'll go into business with you, then," he said, and the two men shared a chuckle. "You'll be a very lucky man, when she says yes. Ghia is an extraordinary young lady."

  "Understatement of the year."

  "True."

  A pause.

  "Do you think she feels the same for me?" Jules asked in a small voice.

  "No doubt in my mind," Lares said immediately.

  "None?"

  "She loves you more than life itself, Jules."

  Jules sighed. "I hope you're right."

  "I am right," Lares said, turning to face his friend. There was a moan and a thump from next door. "Now if that continues, we're not going to get any sleep. Suggestions?"

  "Get dressed and rejoin the party downstairs?"

  "An option."

  "Or continue doing what we were doing before," Jules said, grinning wickedly.

  Lares returned the smile. "I like that one more."

  Before either man could say anything more, Jules kissed Lares passionately, and no words were said the rest of the night.

  Ghia

  Ghia groaned as she landed harshly on the ground. She stayed on her back, trying to regain the wind that had been knocked out of her lungs.

  Will you live? Rosa asked her wryly, and Ghia wanted to hit the Magi.

  Nothing damaged, she replied, doing a quick scan of her body. I was shielding.

  For Cora's sake, I should hope so, girl -- or you'd have learned nothing in these months. A branchy hand appeared above the healer, and Ghia accepted the help up.

  She brushed herself off and sighed. I don't understand why such intensive battle training is needed, Rosa. Anala, Miranda, you, and I are the only Magi around --

  As far as we know --

  Point gained. But who else will be able to toss around the attacks you've been hitting me with?

  Rosa gave her a droll look before returning to her position across the room. They were on the third floor of the North Tower, which had been converted into a sparring room at some point -- no doubt at Rosa's request. It's not like you to be so whiny, Ghia. You know full well it's good to be prepared for every eventuality -- what brings about this complaining?

  Ghia sighed and shook out her sore muscles, taking up her place again. I don't know. Just tired, I suppose.

  Rosa rolled one shoulder, but Ghia was not fooled into taking it as a shrug. Fair enough, the Magea said, and sent a blast of Earth energy towards the healer.

  Ghia leapt before the quake could hit her and expanded her air powers, staying afloat above the ground. She felt her etheric wings spring up from her back, and though she couldn't see them with her naked eye she knew they were large, feathery, and colourful. Quite beautiful, really. She wished she could show them off to others.

  Upon her return to Athering, she had cornered Rosa and demanded some explanations. She'd gotten them and more.

  I'm tired of being kept in the dark, Rosa. You haven't explained things to me fully, and I know you haven't gone in depth with my training. What are you hiding?

  Rosa had sighed and looked out the window, which she was wont to do when she didn't want to elaborate on something. Before Ghia could yell at her teacher again, however, Rosa spoke.

  I've hidden things because I'm not entirely sure of them myself, child. I'm a scientist. I like to be sure before publishing my findings.

  The bird you saw in Anala was the manifestation of Anala's magi heritage, which apparently blends Kernorian and Sarian powers to form a water Phoenix. The Phoenix are all lon
g extinct now, but they used to live in peace with the Magi, sometimes deigning to work with Magi as...there is no Terran word for it, but the Ereneden way of saying it is ercoichmayaere nedaipriant tirth airetherened. Literally translated, it says "friend of Magi, they speak the sacred truth," but that is not what the phrase actually means. Some things never translate from Ereneden to Atheē -- this is one of them. The Phoenix would guide and aid us, as friends would. They rarely helped any but the Sarians, for they were a fire creature -- but occasionally that rule would be bent, in the case of an especially talented Magi. When they worked in that capacity, their powers would combine with the powers of the Magi and the two would become symbiotic. In meditation and magek., that Magi would then appear on the other planes as a Phoenix.

  Somehow, Anala has blended with the spirit of a Phoenix. I do not know how it happened or when or why -- I do not even think it is possible. But I know what I saw, and that was the impossible. So it leaves me in a quandry.

  There was a pause while Ghia absorbed this new information. And the water within the Phoenix, then? How does that work?

  Rosa let out what passed for a bark of laughter from her, and the creaking of branches reverberated throughout the room. Don't even get me started on that, child. I am as confused as you are. The only explanation is that the water heritage comes from her mother, who was definitely Kernornian -- but that makes no sense at all, as all the Magi-Terrans should be Aiprorian. Suddenly Rosa stopped, and Ghia frowned at the cut-off.

  No more secrets, Rosa, she said warningly.

  Wind rattled the branches as Rosa sighed. The progenitor of your breed was Aiprorian -- my wing-brother, to be precise.

  Wing-brother?

  What you would call a brother-in-law. I was engaged to marry Corinus' brother Ather, but my fiancé died before our sealing could happen. Rosa's voice shook like leaves in a storm and she stopped, trying to regain her composure. Corinus and I parted ways many, many, millennia ago, along with the other remaining members of our race. The other four died a long time ago, but I never felt Corinus' death -- he's the only one who survived long enough to be the possible 'father' of the Magi-Terrans, and he should have begotten only other Aiprorians. So far, however, out of the Magi-Terrans I've encountered, you're the only one who makes sense.