by I. Christie
Alexandra took a deep breath as the image of a portal, like the one on Merker's Outpost came to her. Yes. In a dream I saw it.
Well, no, not really. I understand dreamtime is used for lessons on anotherlevel. I also understand that not everyone remembers those lessons.
Ev…I mean the Sha'Kar that traveled with me did so because it wanted toprotect me.
Alexandra could feel the group's curiosity at why a Sha'Kar had taken interest in a solid's business.
"Maybe she needed a new direction to continue her growth. You can only learn so much by meditating on your navel," Alexandra blurted out before she realized what she 276
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had said and to whom. It was something that Gari had said to her when she was teaching her how to be still and meditate.
The others in the room were about to erupt into arguments but the Queen silenced them with an upraised hand.
They are fighting you.
And havoc to the energy balance on this planet. Have you ever thought tosend them back from where they came?
That will take a long time.
'reinforcements' to gather them back up into your ships> I gathered you have not had an agreeable discussion with those aboardEmperor's Last Chance.
"No compromise," Alexandra muttered aloud.
"Wait a minute! I didn't tell you about the reinforcements and the admiral and general were only told recently…have they arrived yet?"
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Alexandra could feel her face turn red at the thought of JG knowing the others also picked up on her thoughts. Alexandra refocused on the apparition of the Queen. So,the meeting here is to see if I will choose to accompany these colonists back to theirvillages and…
So far the thoughts Alexandra was picking up from the Queen were images and the image she received of morphogenesis was something she learned at an early age.
I learned of it as a child, starting with the hundred and one monkey effect asa story to understand the concept…well, she smiled wryly, as best as a child can.
The people around the table nodded in agreement with the Queen.
"It's the energy on this planet," Alexandra stated with conviction.
Alexandra nodded understanding more of what her dreams were about. But the seeds they eat. It makes them feel out of sorts.
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Alexandra nodded, knowing it was going to be something the colonists bring about themselves and not something the Queen arranged.
Why isn't the energy of those that follow your way help the unbelievers sothey can move to a more harmonious life?
But what about the rules of rebirth? Why…Alexandra's mind was trolling her past lessons on rebirth and how a soul choose situations to be reborn in.
For some reason Alexandra worried for the young girl, so slight yet shouldering a heavy responsibility. Harbinger of comfort was working both sides of the fence of justice.
Alexandra felt the amusement of the entire room. Her face heated with the realization that she was assessing something she lacked knowledge on; thus, maybe insulting those in the room by implying the young woman did not have the fortitude or strength of character to do as she stated. However, the young queen did not seem bothered by her misjudging her 280
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capabilities in front of her supporters. Alexandra reminded herself that thoughts were the same as speech and she needed to think less on a readable level.
But what happens to people that can't change for reasons outside of themselves?
Her thoughts went to Alan's soldiers.
The energy I felt in Alan's castle…what is that?
It was a long trip and those people in the pods would be easy subjects to preyon.
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Alexandra took a deep breath then nodded more to herself than those in the room.
This energy or entity that is manifesting harmful vibrations you don't refer to it as an
'enemy' but rather something that needs to be steered toward a less destructive path.
Alexandra felt those sitting around the table's approval. She also felt she had agreed to something but did not quite know what it was…yet.
"We will assist you in your journey," Kaili Maipuga offered, after the Queen left.
"I will guide them," a soft voice spoke. The tall thin body rose from its chair bowing toward Alexandra, "if you wish a guide."
"I would appreciate your presence and guidance."
Kaili Maipuga nodded to the two, "Then it is so, Gi. Good journey."
The young guide turned to Alexandra. "Anyone that wishes to follow, is free to enter the tunnel of kismet with me."
Alexandra turned to the group sitting against the wall that was looking at her expectantly. She gathered whatever had prevented them from witnessing the business that had transpired was no longer present.
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Why was I?
Alexandra could feel the amusement of her new guide.
"I'll take you to your village. Our path will be under the mountain."
"Our village? Returning back to our villages right now is not safe," Amonic objected.
"If there is a village to return to, " Sys'mara snorted.
"What about the soldiers…beating up on the poor nonviolent natives?" Jer asked.
"I'm leaving. Are you in or are you out?"
The three men sighed and nodded.
"What does a sigh and a nod mean?"
"We'll tag along! Damn it to hell woman!" Jer told her explosively. He jerked his thumb towards E'l, "Gotta drag her back anyways."
For a brief moment, Alexandra had a feeling they had no intention of taking her back. What their alternative was, made her almost sick.
E'l watched the group and nodded when Alexandra looked at her.
"That's the lot," Vanstar remarked.
"Let's get our gear together then." Alexandra nodded around the circle.
Alexandra slung her pack onto her back, pulled the straps tighter. Now, even E'l had a pack that their hosts had provided them with. In place of the bag of weapons Vanstar had been carrying they were all provided with walking staffs.
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The men were taking a longer time, so Vanstar practiced working with her staff familiarizing herself with its balance and what movements she could do for self-defense with a pack on her back. Wetfoot gave her a few testing smacks with her staff, grinning when Vanstar shook her hand out from the vibration that shivered up her arm.
Alexandra spotted Gi as he exited the men's room with the men following him.
The colonists looked grumpy.
Gi joined Alexandra. "I hope you don't mind, but I thought I should remind the men what the rules of proper behavior are on Arnica and the reasons behind them. I don't want any misunderstandings."
"So, whatever behavior they choose, it's with open eyes."
Gi nodded watching her as she studied the unhappy men who were pulling on packs and taking the walking sticks they were handed. The men looked awkward wearing the packs. Alexandra wondered how the men traveled if they were not familiar with packs.
Chapter 9
The dark clad figure on the chair stirred as the apparition he had been expecting began to materialize.
"Well?!"
"We have not been able to locate either."
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Alao slammed his fist on the chair's arm. "They are strangers! Easily recognized!"
He threw back at the apparition his very words. Shakily his hand reached to rub his temple.
"We do have an herb for those headaches," the apparition informed him quietly.
Alao waved his hand in dismissal. Before Alan Fermin, his look-alike, rescued him from the slums on Velon, he experienced headaches, hallucinations, and incredible visions of the future with accurate outcomes. Alan had given him medication that would lessen the headaches without diminishing the visions. But he was now out of the medication and his body had not adapted to the herbs from Arnica.
"Your medication is too strong," he said finally, miserable to be sick and alone.
"The strength can be regulated."
Alao laughed softly to avoid sending a ribbon of pain through his head, and then wearily lifted his head to stare at the apparition, focusing on what he needed from this temporary partner. "What else do you have to report?"
"The Queen will suspect soon that something is not right on Allint."
"Then give her something to occupy her time so she does not notice. What about her mother, maybe her death will do it. Women get so wrapped up in sorrow and weeping. Didn't you say there is a one year ritual that goes with a death?"
The form faded a bit then came back. "We cannot kill directly, especially someone from the royal family."
"You keep saying that! What is so difficult about taking a knife and slitting their throat?" Alao took pleasure in saying that, knowing it made his partner uncomfortable.
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Just how profoundly uncomfortable, Alao would not understand or know. As much as Alao was using him, he was using Alao.
"The energy is almost low enough on Allint for commoners to step on its shores.
We will send someone then." The form hid his dislike that commoners would set foot on Allint. He wondered if they would be able to kill the Queen Mother even now with her powers depleted. Of course, once the deed was done, the killer would have lowered his energy so low that immediate death from standing on Allint would occur, getting rid of the evidence conveniently.
"Hmm. Maybe we can use the same method we used on the brat's mother on her.
Surely you have found her favorite spot where she lets her guard down by now?" His contempt was not masked.
"No. We have not."
"Do you think she suspects? She's just a child." He answered his own question quickly flicking his wrist disdainfully.
"No. Our healers have told her, her mother is suffering from a hereditary disease.
She believes."
"Are you sure?" Alao's suspicious nature kicked in.
The figure was annoyed. "One person cannot hide from a group mind, much less from a Drosuan trained to see into the dreams and desires of another undetected."
"Of course," he smiled, looking disdainful, "my benefactor had dream workers in his employ." His demeanor changed as he realized that this could lead to something 286
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more. "They would delve into the dreams of those Alan wanted tormented and tamper with their dream images." Alao ru
bbed his hands. "I would love to be able to do that."
"When this is done, I will send you such a teacher."
"Really? Good! Good! Well, let me know when the kid and her mother are gone.
Then we'll proceed to our next step."
A small surge along the Drosuan's connection rippled his image.
Alao grinned. "I see you haven't gotten your energy source stabilized."
"Have you any further business to discuss?"
Alao sat up in his chair, "Yes. What is this about getting this king of theirs out of jail? I have no intention of helping those soldiers release their leader…he's mad!"
The image again wavered. "You made the agreement with them. It's your problem." And then the image was gone.
"If I had known he was mad I would not have done it!" Alao's voice bounced back at him in the nearly empty cavern. Dejected he looked about him. It was not as luxurious as his rooms in the castle. But they had to leave in a hurry and there was only so much the soldiers were willing to haul up the mountain to form the new headquarters.
Alao was not a soldier. Nor had he gone to any schools that could teach him to lead. It was times like these that he valued Alan. The soldiers were programmed for his command. Alao had learned to ask his captain's opinion, but that was after he had caused the loss of half his troops and all their equipment. His second in command recommended he make a pack with others that were disgruntled with their governments. The black alliance would give strength to Alan's plan.
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The temptation to release Alan out of his ship was there again. He wondered if any of the soldiers were aware that he had discovered Alan's key code. With it he locked the ship's exit doors down and cut the communication off so Alan was stuck inside his ship. The ship was still sitting in the castle's courtyard, but few of the soldier's were there.
He was reassigning them to his new fortress. If Alan died in the ship, that would not be his fault. After all, he had an alternative; all he had to do was push the button to return to where he came from. He chuckled to himself, guessing Alan burned a lot of bridges before he left. Too bad, idiot. You're mad too.
The Allintian suggested the cave he was in now was an ideal place to set up his domain. Well protected militarily it was nearly in the center of the continent close to a strong ley line. Of course he could not tap into it himself, and being near it gave him a bad feeling. The Allintian had provided an energy destablizer to protect him, but he worried it would break and then what would happen to him?