Tiva Boon: Heir of Abennelp (Tiva Boon Series Book 2)

by Jenn Nixon

  “By guardian light, we shall protect you in times of darkness until the bitter end.” They chanted the oath of the Royal Guardians and Tiva’s heart sank. Adam squeezed her hand gently; his wing bumped her up to her feet. Knowing the blush of her markings was apparent; she took a breath, bowed her head then crossed the room and embraced her friend.

  Turning to the group, she noticed several familiar faces smiling back at her, which in itself was a comfort. Keeping her composure at the surprising confession of her childhood friend, Tiva bowed to them and pressed her fist against her chest.

  “I am honored and humbled to serve with you once again. Many of you may know my story. I fled our home to protect the king and his family when the Rebel forces cornered us on the grounds of Kinchar. Had we known then that so many of you would rise up and fight, our circumstances would be different. Instead, I was forced to make my way through the universe and along the way found friends and allies who uphold the same standards of peace and freedom as we do.” She motioned to Adam, Harai, and the group of men. “More are coming to our aid. However, as Neola has said, things must change. An unknown craft has landed in the east; we fear they are supplying the Rebels with advanced weaponry. Our ways of living will always remain, but we cannot allow ourselves to become blind to the technology and complex workings of the universe around us. We will train and educate you with what we know and offer, but it is up to you to accept the uncertainty facing you.”

  A soft mumbling moved through the crowd. Tiva exchanged a worried glance with Adam; he only smiled and motioned with his head to continue.

  “Lives will be lost if we are to engage the enemy once again, but I have learned that one does not have to kill in order to be victorious. It is my belief that from the beginning, many cycles ago, the Rebel factions manipulated the guardsman and Legionnaires. They pitted our people against each other, all for power and control. Those responsible will answer for their crimes against the people of this land, but we must remember that despite the fact they are our enemy at present, they are still children of Abennelp.”

  A few heads bobbed up and down, surprised yet understanding looks were scattered across the room. The majority of the people who knew anything about the Great War or all the episodes leading up to it were dead or with the Rebels. She hoped the fact that she was Harer’s daughter or a former Royal Guardian was enough for them to trust her.

  “I have learned the ways of other cultures and societies during my time away, and I bring that knowledge back with me so that we may rebuild a world we can all be proud to call home. Rule of Abennelp, however, will no longer remain in the hands of one person. Together, we will put new government in place. All people will have a voice in their government. We will train new guardians; they will not protect only the nobles, but all the population. You all will be the backbone to this endeavor. You will be the peacekeepers and govern with a firm yet understanding hand as was done in the past. I will lead you to peace, we will rebuild, but the decisions about Abennelp’s future will be shared by all.”

  Tiva stepped back and glanced over to Neola and Wirto. He smiled at her and wrapped an arm around Neola’s shoulder.

  “We will reconvene in the morning; your orders for tonight are to gather reports from all your sectors while we brief Lady Boon and her friends on our status in more detail,” Wirto announced. “Keep safe.”

  The group slowly dispersed through the room, Adam, Harai and the others neared. Tiva sighed with relief, she would have to get used to talking in front of so many people again. Though she wanted to talk with Neola—she still had many questions—she sensed that the bond between Neola and Wirto had grown intimate and she couldn’t bring up Jex in front of the former captain. She would find time alone, eventually. Her first task was going over all the information the Loyalists had to offer. Thankfully, Wirto and Neola wanted to waste no time in small talk and began giving orders to those staying behind.

  Wirto escorted her to the back of the structure while Neola took Adam and the others to the ships to unload the supplies. The Loyalists set her up in one of the small studies and granted her access to the computer.

  “This station doesn’t have much information and we’re not connected to the other systems in the base, but you’ll be able to review everything else from the datarecorders,” Wirto stated as he punched in the clearance codes. “Perhaps with your advanced technology on that vessel you can sort through what we have quicker…”

  “Yes, it would be faster, but computers have been known to miss things or not prioritize correctly. I would rather review this all myself first,” she replied.

  “I understand…” He paused; something in his voice caught her attention.

  “What is it?”

  His markings blushed slightly and he shrugged. “I’ll admit I know not how to address you. Though we were not friends prior to your departure, I was a Legionnaire and under your command. I sensed earlier you’re uncomfortable with being called the queen.”

  Tiva smirked and bobbed her head. “Quite true. It has been a long time since I have been around people who could read my emotions.” She waved her hand changing the subject. “I can tell you and Neola have taken good care of each other, and those loyal. Speak to me as you would a friend, for that is what we are, now, Wirto.”

  He smiled back and pressed his fist to his heart. “If you need anything, Tiva, please call us. Neola will come for you when evening meal is prepared.”

  “Keep safe.”

  When Neola came to get her a couple hours later, Tiva asked for a glass of juice and a pastry. Adam and Harai kept busy explaining and training the Loyalists on the weapons, medical supplies, and food they’d brought. That would keep them occupied for the entire night. She read every bit of information they had in the study. Her eyes burned and her back ached, but she refused to move until she was through.

  The dark of night crept into the room through the small window to her left. A few stars twinkled down at her; she smiled slightly and leaned back in the chair for a moment just to relax her mind.

  “You haven’t even touched your food,” Neola chided as she entered the room. “It’s almost midnight, Tiva.”

  “I have a few more files to review,” she answered, opening her eyes and glancing over. “Have the others retired for the evening?”

  She laughed and shook her head. “You must be jesting. Adam and the other woman…”

  “Harai,” she pronounced again for her friend.

  “Yes, Harai, along with her men are having target practice in the forest with the new weapons you’ve brought.”

  Nodding, Tiva rose from her chair, picked up her juice to sip it, and glanced out the window to see the streaks of plasma fire zip through the trees. “Neola, I do not wish to bring you any more pain, but…”

  “Something weighs on your mind, but you are hesitating because of my feelings for Wirto.” She smiled slightly. “It’s okay, Tiva, I’m sure Jex understands. He would want me to be happy. Wirto is a good man.”

  “You are very lucky to have each other. Struggling alone through such trouble is difficult…Jex died in my arms.” She sighed and put down the glass before walking toward the Vicar. “I promised him I would tell you how much he loved you and that he would always be with you.”

  “And he has been. I know he keeps watch on me from the Eternal Lands. Every day I think of him and the others who were taken away from us, all the loved ones lost.” Neola took Tiva’s hands. “You have suffered more than any here, the trials you went through before you left were enough to break any spirit, yet you became stronger and more protective of your king and family. Still, you hide the sorrow you live with every day. I can sense it deep within you.”

  “You are the only one left who truly knew me, Neola.” Tiva forced back the tears. “I know not if I can convince the rest of the world what the Rebels have done. They cannot understand the magnitude of grief and torment they have caused. They do not know all that has happened. Though I have see
n some familiar faces like Healer Kiya and Lo’mu from the squad of Legionnaires I worked with, everyone else who fought against them is gone…”

  “There are no words to comfort you for I have found little comfort myself. But we are alive, Tiva. The spirits spared us and together we’ll stop the senseless deaths. I know we can defeat the Rebels now. I have seen what your friends can do.” She squeezed Tiva’s hands gently. “You should rest; I’ve set up rooms in the barracks for everyone, unless you wish to stay at your home…”

  “I may visit there soon, but we will stay here with the others. We need to keep our strength together, my friend. And when the new reports come back in the morning, I want to be here to read them at sunsrise.”

  Neola Riin nodded and smiled. “Despite your pain you have always protected others, it is no wonder you have made such fine friends in your journeys.”

  “I only hope we have not come too late,” Tiva whispered softly.

  “No, I have a feeling the tide will turn in our favor this time. The Rebels have had their fun, but the people long for peace again…”

  “I pray to the Eternal Spirits you are right, Neola.”

  After the Vicar left, the plasma fire in the forest began to subside. Through the window, Tiva watched the Loyalists proudly carrying their new weapons back to the barracks. Silently, she exited the study and walked through the meeting area. Small clusters of people were huddled together talking softly. Several took notice of her and saluted, was she ever going to get used to that?

  The night air was crisp in her lungs and the scent of new buds on the trees lingered on the breeze. Tinbo and Rufal, two of Harai’s men smiled at her as they walked inside the base. Far in the distance, another group of men and woman patrolled the main bridge to the Finto land, others were scattered about guarding the borders. To the left sat the forest that traveled far south to the tip of Cenii province, it too was well guarded. Slowly, her gaze moved to the right, her heart beating faster as her eyes searched the land. Her friend Tespor had often said he could see the lights in her room, she however saw nothing from this point of view.

  “I can take you there…” Adam’s voice softly called from behind.

  “I do not think I am ready,” she replied, not turning.

  His hand was warm on her neck a moment later. “What about your tree?”

  “Te?” She turned meeting his eyes. “I do not even know if he is still there.”

  “We can go find out…” Adam offered his other hand. She nodded and took it, wrapping her other around his neck. His wings expanded fully and with a few hard flaps, they lifted off the ground. “I’ll have to stay low to avoid spies, but this’ll get us there quicker.”

  They soared up twenty feet then Adam shifted and headed toward her family’s land. The air was colder as it brushed past them, Adam’s arm tightened around her waist holding her close. When the roof of her home finally came into view she tensed. It looked very much the same except for some added wear on the exterior. Forcing herself to look away, she motioned to the field and the lonely tree in the middle of a plush carpet of grass. “There he is.”

  Adam nodded and adjusted his descent; he hovered about ten feet from the tree and softly landed in the knee-high grass. “Someone needs to mow this place.”

  “Mow?”

  “Yeah, cut the grass…”

  “Oh, yes, it seems to have been neglected.” She grabbed the bottom of her braid and took a few steps toward the tree. The trunk was still strong and the bark silvery-gray. Te’s branches drooped more than she remembered, but the long golden leaves still swayed lightly in the wind. She ducked underneath and smiled. “Hello, Te. How are you my old friend?” The leaves lifted, tickling her back. “I have missed you as well.” Tiva touched the tree with her hand then wrapped her arms around the trunk hugging her nature friend for a moment. “I am going to climb up now, do not let me fall.”

  She heard Adam chuckle as she climbed and positioned herself in her normal hiding spot. He smiled at her then rose up in the air to meet her eye to eye. “I’ve always liked trees, too, they tend to relax me.”

  “He was my best friend as a child…I have missed him a great deal.”

  “I bet.” Adam moved a bit closer and hovered. “Did you get a lot of work done?”

  “I was able to read through all their information; we have a challenge here, Adam. I pray we have enough time to ready everyone before the Rebels decide to strike.”

  “We’ll get them ready. Harai and her boys are damn good if you ask me. Not as good as us, but, you know.”

  She smiled and jumped down from the trunk landing in the half circle of roots that was her bed many times before. “Yes, I know.” Glancing toward her home, she parted Te’s branches for a better view. “What do you think of Abennelp so far?”

  “It’s pretty, I’ll say that much.”

  “I will show you more when the time is right…there is much to see here though the planet is nowhere near as big as Earth.”

  He was behind her again, his arms wrapping around her stomach as his wings shielding her body from the cold. “And how are you, m’lady?”

  “I am adjusting.”

  Adam turned her shoulders and lifted her chin. “How are you, Tiva?”

  “Tired, confused, worried, scared, happy…I do not know all that I am, Adam. I am home and yet I cannot roam my land freely. Almost everyone I have ever known is gone. These people look to me as their queen and I fear I will let them down.”

  “Hey, hey,” he whispered and brushed his thumb across her cheek. “I’ve seen the determination in their eyes. They believe in themselves as much as they believe in you.”

  Tiva held him and buried her face in his wing. “This will be a fight unlike anything they have seen, Adam. I do not want more to die, I know it is inevitable, but my heart cannot take much more. We know not what weapons the Rebels have. We have no idea who manned the Bujeni ships. What if you or Harai get hurt or die…what if I die?”

  His eyes flashed red as he lifted her chin again. “We’re not going to die, damn it. I’m not losing you. I’ve lived hundreds of lifetimes since the last time I loved anyone as much as I love you and there isn’t a weapon, mystic, or deity that is going to take you away from me. You understand? Nothing…”

  Tears formed in her eyes as she looked at him. “I wish I could live with you, forever, Adam.”

  “I know,” he said softly wiping her cheek. “I will love you forever, Tiva.”

  “You will not forget me?”

  “No.” He kissed her tenderly. “I’ll never forget you.”

  ~*~

  Tiva woke a few hours later with Adam fast asleep beside her. The small chamber Neola set aside for them was still dark; no sign of daylight penetrated the room. Silently, she stole from the bed and stripped off her sleep clothing. At first, she reached for her Union uniform, but instead of wearing that she opted for a deep-gray tunic and black pants. After attaching all her weapons, she ventured out of the chamber and down the walkway through the general barracks. The majority of the group was still sleeping. Outside, the people on patrol were alert and caught her presence quickly. Saluting them, she headed toward her family’s land, but stopped just at the edge of the Finto property.

  Wirto appeared in her peripheral vision, but she kept her gaze forward as he approached. “You sleep about as much as I do, it seems, Tiva,” he said casually.

  “Ever since I was a child my sleeping habits have been erratic.”

  “Have you Calmed since returning home?”

  “No, not yet,” she replied and glanced over at him. “It is still cold and I usually Calm in the water…”

  “Ah, yes it should warm up in a week or so,” he offered with a smile. “I’m expecting the reconnoiter teams back shortly, do you wish me to find you when they arrive?”

  Tiva nodded. “Has there been any activity in the forests nearby recently? I would like to take a run before morning meal.”

  “No, this a
rea is secure. The Rebels don’t know about this base. We only finished construction of it before the Cooling began, feel free to run the grounds. I’ll alert the patrols on PCD if you wish.”

  “Thank you, Wirto. I shall see you later.” She smiled and took off toward Te, picking up speed, and ran right past him and only slowed when the line of trees came into view. Expertly she weaved through the forest, ducking low branches and hopping over fallen trunks. Before she realized it, she was standing in the clearing looking at the pond. Slowing down, Tiva jogged to the edge of the water and caught her breath. She dropped to her knees and dipped her hand into the cold water. Images of Litru filled her mind. While the pain was still there, it didn’t torture her to remember him anymore. When she decided to fight the Rebels, for him…for all those who died, it helped her to realize that closure was possible.

  Slowly, she rose to her feet and smiled, seeing the first streaks of sunlight. Running through the forest, Tiva made her way back to Te, then cut to the left, and returned to the base. More people were awake, and as she neared, she heard some commotion by the Finto home.

  “Yes, it’s confirmed, the off-worlders who landed have given the Rebels more weapons. They look the same as these,” the young man said to Wirto.

  “And the agents we have in the palace have reported more recruits being trained,” a middle-aged woman added. “Codica told me that Queen Mirta’s family has also vanished.”