The Tigrens' Glory (Soul-Linked Saga) (Volume 9)

by Laura Jo Phillips

  ***

  Lariah Dracon flew in the general direction of the garrison airfield, taking her time as she played in the thermals, her leopard spotted wings spread wide. Her sensitive dracon ears heard the transport long before she saw it. By the time it completed its descent, landing on the thick blue grass of the airfield, she was climbing high into the sky above it.

  “Feeling dramatic?” Garen asked, speaking into her mind.

  “From what I’ve read, the Ramouri are a very traditional and status conscious people,” Lariah replied. “There’s no harm in making a striking first impression, especially since we’ve no clue as to the purpose of the Princess’s visit.”

  “Agreed, Sharali,” Garen said just as he, Trey, and Val suddenly appeared in the air around her in their dracon alter-forms.

  “Do you want us to roar flame?” Trey asked.

  “No,” Lariah replied, rolling her enormous dracon eyes. “I think arriving in our dracon alter-forms is enough.”

  “As do I,” Val said. “Spitting flame at our guest might be seen as something less than friendly.” Lariah snickered as she climbed higher into the lavender sky, the huge male dracons in a triangular formation around the smaller female.

  “This should be enough,” Garen said. “Turn.”

  On his command, they flipped around as one, their wings spread to slow them as they descended in an angled line toward the air field. Lariah’s dracon vision allowed her to see every detail of their visitor as she stepped off the transport long before the Princess became aware of them.

  Princess Gloriani was very tall and slender, with golden brown skin and long black hair which hung down her back in an elaborate configuration of thick, glossy plaits woven with gold cord. She wore a snug black vest with gold fastenings, loose black pants tucked into knee high leather boots with gold buckles along the sides, and black gloves. Everything about her, from the way she moved, to the manner of her dress, to the short curved sword and row of throwing knives hanging from a belt slung low on her hips, told Lariah that their visiting princess was a warrior.

  “Shall we roar to gain her attention?” Trey asked.

  “Please don’t,” Lariah said with a mental wince. “Let’s flap our wings a bit to warn her of our presence so we don’t startle her too much. That’ll be enough.”

  “Agreed,” Garen said, and the four of them made a show of flapping their enormous wings a couple of times as loudly as they could. The Princess looked up at them with shimmering, metallic bronze eyes, her expression calm, her body relaxed, though Lariah noted that she placed one hand on the leather-wrapped hilt of her sword.

  “If we force this woman to show fear, she will be shamed,” Lariah said with sudden insight. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.”

  “No, Sharali,” Garen argued, “a small display of power was, and is, a good idea. We shall be cautious, though I don’t think this is a woman who is easily frightened.”

  “I wonder where her escorts and servants are.” Val said. “She cannot be alone, can she?”

  “Yes, I think she is,” Garen said. “See the travel bags at her feet?”

  “She is allowed her weapons only because she is Ramourian royalty,” Trey said. “Yet she comes to us as a lone traveler with two small bags that she carries herself? I don’t like this.”

  “This woman is no threat to us,” Lariah said. “In fact, she’s very important.”

  “What do you mean?” Trey asked. “Important how?”

  “I don’t know yet,” Lariah replied. “We will soon find out, but please, be patient.”

  “Of course,” Garen replied. He trusted their Arima completely, and had great respect for her rapidly maturing talents as Nahoa-Arima, Soul of the Jasani, member of the Three, and Dracon Princess. Still, he didn’t take his eyes off of Princess Gloriani’s sword hand for a moment.

  “Why don’t you perform the introductions?” Garen suggested as a light breeze brought him a taste of the woman’s nervousness, though her expression remained steadfastly calm.

  “Yes, that’s a good idea,” Lariah agreed.

  Glory remained motionless as she watched the winged beasts grow larger and larger before, finally, they all landed a short distance away. Years of practice allowed her to maintain a stoic mask of utter calm while watching the creatures approach, though behind her mask she’d been more than a little frightened by the sight. It was only the reactions of a small group of people getting out of a ground car nearby that had convinced her to stand her ground. They’d glanced up at the beasts in the sky and returned to their business without a second look, indicating that there was no cause for concern.

  Just when she’d decided there was no need to draw a weapon, they’d shifted, shocking her all over again. She’d expected something like this. Counted on it, even. But it was still a shocking sight to behold.

  In place of the gigantic furred dragon-like creatures, there now stood a petite woman with red-gold hair that sparkled in the sunlight, surrounded by three very large, nearly identical men with long black hair and fierce, slashing eyes. They were all dressed casually in jeans, with no sign of wealth or rank save for a thin golden circlet set with a single star sapphire on the woman’s forehead. Glory had no doubt as to the identity of the group as they bowed their heads briefly in greeting, then approached her.

  “Greetings, and welcome to Jasan,” the woman said in a low, husky voice that seemed at odds with her delicate stature. “I am Princess Nahoa-Arima Lariah Dracon, and these are my Rami, High Prince Garen, Prince Trey, and Prince Val.”

  Glory had to force herself not to stare at the markings on Princess Lariah’s arms and shoulders. She’d seen tattoos before, but never anything like the brilliantly rendered copies of the three dragon-like creatures. They were incredibly realistic, with glittering eyes in gold, blue-green and gray, that exactly matched the Dracon men’s eyes. She could almost believe that, if she touched one, she’d feel fur beneath her fingertips instead of skin.

  “I thank you for your kind welcome,” Glory said with a nod deeper than those she’d received as befitted their respective stations. “I am Glory.” She felt the male Dracons’ surprise when she didn’t claim her title, but Princess Lariah did not react at all. Glory smiled inwardly. There was more to this woman than met the eye.

  A little girl of five or six who’d been standing beside the ground car while the adults with her watched another transport begin to land, began walking towards them, her big blue eyes intent on Glory.

  “Hello, Nica,” Princess Lariah said as the little girl approached.

  The child paused and looked at the Dracons. “’Scuse me, Princess Lari,” she said. Then she turned to stare at Glory again. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to be rude.”

  “It’s all right, child,” Glory said, intrigued by the little girl, though she wasn’t sure why.

  Nica’s eyes brightened and she hurried forward, stopping just in front of Glory, and craning her neck back to look up at her. “You’re so pretty,” she said.

  Glory flushed. No one had ever called her pretty before. “You are quite pretty yourself, young one,” she said as she knelt down on the grass. Normally she would never do such a thing, but her instincts were telling her that this little girl was important, and she always listened to her instincts. They’d spared her life on more than one occasion. “My name is Glory.”

  “My name is Monica but everyone calls me Nica,” the child said. “You’re a princess, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, I am,” Glory replied. “Did you have something you wanted to say to me, Nica?”

  Nica nodded, then reached out slowly to lightly touch the back of one of Glory’s gloved hands. “You don’t need to hide stuff,” Nica said in a whisper that, to the Dracons’ ears, was easily heard, though they pretended otherwise.

  Glory blinked, the only sign of her surprise. “You are certain?”

  “Yes,” Nica said. “Mana and Dodi and me used to have lots of secrets b
efore we came here. Having secrets is hard. I like it better now.” Suddenly her dark blue eyes widened, then filled with tears. “You have to help them,” she said urgently, no longer whispering. “If you don’t, they’ll die.”

  Glory was rocked. “They are real?”

  “Yes! They’re real, honest they are!” Nica replied, nodding her head so rapidly that her long dark braids bounced around her shoulders. “It’s not your ‘mangination!” Nica stilled, her eyes grew unfocused and distant. “If you fail to save them, then so shall you be lost, and the Klanaren will soon follow,” she said in a voice not quite her own.

  Glory’s mouth fell open in shock. She closed it as Nica’s eyes refocused, the strange trancelike moment gone. “There are lots of others that have to be saved, too,” she said, tears streaking her cheeks.

  “Others?” Glory asked, having completely forgotten where she was and who was listening for the first time since she’d been a child herself. She’d fruitlessly searched for information such as this for years, and suddenly here it was, in the form of this tiny precocious child.

  “Not like them, e’zactly,” Nica said, frowning. “But lots and lots more people of all kinds. But ‘specially the…the…garkys.” Nica stumbled over the unfamiliar word, then turned around to face the Dracons. “You have to take her with you,” she pleaded. “There are so many...,” Nica faltered, then began crying in earnest. “Please, you have to take her with you. If you don’t, they’ll all die.”

  By this time Lariah had come forward and knelt down beside Nica. “Nica, sweetie, please calm down or you’ll make yourself sick,” she said, taking Nica’s small hands in her own. “We will heed your advice, I promise.”

  Nica hiccupped as she struggled to stop her tears, but it was clear to everyone that she began to relax as soon as Lariah touched her. She looked at Glory again. “You have to tell them so they can help,” she said earnestly. “They’ll believe you, really they will.”

  “I shall do as you ask, little one,” Glory said. “But you must do a favor for me in return.”

  “Okay,” Nica said, still hiccupping.

  “You must do as Princess Lariah has requested, and calm yourself,” Glory said. “If you have more to tell me, you may come to me at any time, and I’ll gladly listen. Otherwise, release these worries from your mind. You have helped me a great deal, and I’ll not forget what you have told me. On this you have my word.”

  “Okay, thank you,” Nica said, smiling through her tears. While Glory was talking to Nica, Garen used Water magic to further soothe and calm the child. When her tears stopped, Trey lifted her into his arms and carried her toward the ground-car where three bushy haired men were waiting. He handed Nica to one of them and spoke for a few moments, then returned.

  “We apologize,” Lariah began, as both women rose to their feet, but Glory shook her head.

  “There’s no need, I assure you, Highness. Nica is a remarkable child, and she has done me a great favor this day.” While she spoke, Glory saw another set of three spotted dragon-like creatures approach at high speed and land nearby. They shifted into the forms of three men who looked much like the Dracon Princes before hurrying toward the group near the ground-car, and surrounding the man holding Nica.

  “Nica is, indeed, a remarkable child,” Lariah agreed. “She has a very strong gift, and is a treasure to us all.”

  “We don’t pretend to know what she was speaking of,” Garen said. “However, I can assure you that Nica is always right, and her words have caused us great concern. We’ve never seen her become so upset before. If you can help us to understand the things she spoke of, we would be most grateful.”

  Glory bowed her head in acquiescence. “As little Nica has helped me with matters I’ve long struggled with, I shall do what I can to help you, as well. This is, in truth, the very reason that I’ve come to Jasan and requested to meet with you.”

  “As interested as we are in hearing what you have to say, I’m sure you’d like to rest and refresh yourself after your long journey,” Lariah said.

  “Yes, thank you, Highness, that would be appreciated,” Glory replied.

  “Please, call me Lariah,” she said with a friendly smile. “We’ve chosen a guest house for you that isn’t too far from our home. We’d love to have you as a guest in our home, but we have six children. We thought you’d prefer more peace and privacy than our home can offer at this time.”

  “You are much blessed,” Glory said.

  “Yes, we are,” Lariah agreed happily as she led the way toward a ground-car at the edge of the airfield, her Rami trailing behind. Lariah noted that, while Glory’s words were warm enough, her facial expression and tone of voice remained calm and aloof. She’d smiled once at Nica, and her bronze eyes had widened in surprise a couple of times. But, beneath Glory’s cool mask, Lariah sensed warmth, courage, strength and, buried so deeply she nearly missed it, a bottomless well of excruciating, soul-searing pain.

  Chapter Two

  Hope Bearen sat on the edge of the exam table as Dr. Honey rolled a stool over and took a seat in front of her. “How much longer before the new infirmary is finished?” she asked.

  “The building is complete,” Honey replied. “It’s just not stocked yet. Our supplies were needed to help outfit some of the task force ships’ infirmaries. I’m told we’ll have to wait another few weeks, minimum, since the fabricator in Badia is running full time for the same reason.”

  “That’s too bad, but understandable,” Hope said. With Jasan gearing up to go to war with the Xanti, many things were being put on hold.

  “I hear your guys are staying here,” Honey said as she flipped through Hope’s file on her hand viewer to remind herself of her patient’s previous stats.

  “Yes, and I’m happy for it, though they aren’t,” Hope said. “They’d much rather be in the thick of things.”

  “Yeah, mine too,” Honey said. “Even though most Vulpirans are scientists, all Clan Jasani are warriors at heart. Everyone left behind will be in full battle mode until this is over. When I told them how nervous I was about it all, they took it as an insult until I convinced them that I have complete faith in them. Men are sometimes very difficult to understand.”

  “I know what you mean,” Hope said with a laugh.

  There was a brief knock on the door, which Honey got up to answer.

  “May we join you?” Jackson Bearen asked.

  “Of course,” Honey replied, opening the door all the way to let the three blonde giants in. She went back to her stool as Jackson, Clark and Rob entered the room, each of them kissing Hope before taking places on the other side of the exam table.

  “How are our daughters doing today, Dr. Honey?” Rob asked.

  “I was just about to find that out,” Honey replied. She set her file viewer aside and waited while Jackson helped Hope to lie back on the exam table. Then she placed her hands on Hope’s abdomen and closed her eyes to help herself focus. After a few moments her eyes flew open in surprise and she pulled her hands back before she could check her reaction.

  “What is it?” Jackson demanded.

  Honey glanced at him, gave her head a quick shake and placed her hands back on Hope’s now very tense abdomen. She sent her energy into the babies again, gently seeking, then double-checking to be sure she hadn’t made a mistake. When she was positive, she lifted her hands and opened her eyes. She turned to reach for her file viewer while attempting to hide her shock.

  “Honey?” Hope’s voice was trembling with worry. Honey could have kicked herself.

  “I’m sorry Hope,” she said. “To begin, there’s nothing to worry about. Your daughters are perfectly healthy and strong. There’s nothing wrong with them.”

  “Something shocked you, Honey,” Hope said, reaching over to place one hand on Jackson’s arm in a silent bid to keep him from demanding answers. Jackson patted her gently then helped her to sit up.

  “I’ve studied the history and physiology of the Jasani very care
fully,” Honey said. “So I know what I’m about to tell you is going to be a shock, but again, I must stress that there is nothing wrong.”

  “Okay,” Hope said, taking a deep breath. “Tell us, please.”

  “Your daughters are shifters,” she said.

  “Shifters?” Jackson asked in surprise. “Do you mean they’re bearencas?”

  “Not exactly,” Honey said, wishing with all of her might that Doc were there instead of on the far side of the galaxy. “One is bearenca, one is katrenca, and one is gryphon.” Honey watched the Bearens’ faces as she delivered the news and was relieved to see that, while they were surprised, they weren’t horrified.

  “I don’t understand,” Hope said. “How could this be?”

  “Your cousin fathered the first Clan Owlfens to exist in thousands of years,” Jackson said thoughtfully. “And we know from your pre-conversion DNA tests that your particular genetic line is more Jasani than most.”

  “That’s probably a factor,” Honey agreed. “I also think that Mother Nature, for lack of a better term, is stepping in here, as well.”

  “Mother Nature?” Hope asked.

  “Think about it,” Honey said. “The men of Ugaztun ended up here, on Jasan, without women, but they were at least able to mate with human women who gave them sons. Sons who transmitted the Jasani genetic heritage for three thousand years so that it would survive to the present day which is, in itself, quite remarkable. When they began to find their Arimas, three thousand years later, they discovered that their own physiology had changed to make converting those females possible, insuring the continuation of the species.”

  Honey paused to be sure that they were all following her train of logic. Jackson nodded, and she continued.

  “All of the unmated females of Ugaztun that we know of ended up on Earth, but without their male counterparts to convert them, they couldn’t shift, or give birth to children who could. Nor could they maintain their genetic blood lines. Now that the descendants of those women are able to mate with the descendants of the male Ugaztun, maybe Mother Nature is taking this chance to correct things so that women are able to insure the continuation of the species if such an event were to happen again.”