In Her Name: The Last War

by Michael R. Hicks

  But the wonder of what was in the power of the Empress to accomplish, to create or destroy, was gone.

  All that remained to her was duty.

  Ri’al-Hagir strode up to Ku’ar-Marekh and knelt as she saluted. “My priestess, the Kalai-Il and the arenas will be finished in another three turns of the sun.”

  “And have you made arrangements to hold the humans who will await their turn in the arenas?”

  “Yes, my priestess. Pens are being constructed for the animals.”

  “When are the first humans due to arrive?”

  “This evening. A column of the animals is being marched from the south.”

  “How many are there?” Ku’ar-Marekh ran her eyes across the arenas, watching as warriors hauled the sand on which the combats would be fought.

  Ri’al-Hagir glanced up, then returned her eyes to the safety of the ground. “Thousands, my priestess. That is just in this first catch. There are many, many thousands more that we can take at our leisure.”

  “So many allowed themselves to be captured?”

  “There were few warriors here, it seems. Some still fight on in small groups, but most are as our clawless ones, unable to defend themselves.”

  Ku’ar-Marekh grunted in surprise. The clawless ones of her race, those such as the builders and the healers, the armorers and many more, were never allowed in harm’s way, for they were precious beyond their skills. They were the sacred legacy of those priestesses who had cut off their talons as a proclamation of faith and honor to the First Empress after She had been betrayed, over a hundred thousand cycles ago.

  To leave any such as their own clawless ones undefended, vulnerable to attack, was unthinkable to any warrior.

  “Animals, indeed.” Ku’ar-Marekh made a flicking gesture with her talons, indicating disgust. “Be they human clawless ones or merely untrained warriors, they will fight and die in the arenas.”

  “As you command, my priestess.” Ri’al-Hagir again saluted, then stood and hurried away to fulfill her duties.

  * * *

  That evening, Ku’ar-Marekh found herself restless despite a long day of accompanying some of the hunting parties that ranged across the planet, looking for humans to capture.

  It had been a dull, empty day in a lifetime of such days since the Change.

  Despite her weariness from covering many leagues on foot and whisking herself from place to place across the planet, she found that sleep eluded her.

  With a sigh, she finally got up from her bed of animal hides and, on her knees, began to dress. Like everything else that was of the Way, there was a ritual to guide it. Unlike many of the peers, she normally slept in the nude, wearing only the collar about her neck and the pendants that hung from it.

  Now she knelt beside her bed and carefully unfolded the black gauzy undergarment that was worn by all Her Children. It fit close to her skin, molding itself to her as she stood to put on the bottom, then the top, and she sealed it closed with a stroke of her hand.

  Kneeling again, she began to put on her armor, drawing each piece in sequence from the neat stack she had made when she undressed. First came the sections of black leatherite that formed a layer covering her body from her ankles to just below her collar, and along her arms to her wrists. Then came her sandals which, like everything else, had been created by a senior armorer to fit her body perfectly. She tied the leather laces around her calves.

  Last came the armor plate, which always gleamed like a black mirror, the cyan rune of the Nyur-A’il at the center of her breastplate glowing in the darkness. She put on the armor protecting her shins and thighs, then her upper and lower arms. She attached her breast and back plates, which molded themselves to her body. Then she put on her armored gauntlets, which had openings in the ends of the fingers for her black talons.

  She cinched the leatherite belt around her waist and slid her sheathed sword into the holding ring. Her dagger was already attached, the deadly blade shrouded by the scabbard. Last, she attached three of the deadly shrekkas, throwing weapons, to her left shoulder.

  Standing up, she pulled aside the white cloth that formed the door of her temporary quarters, which was little more than a large domed tent. Like all things, it was traditional, but she would have much rather slept in the open so she could see the stars before sleep took her away into blissful darkness for a few hours. Sleep that had passed over her this night.

  Walking past the warriors who continued to labor on the Kalai-Il and the nearby arenas, she nodded her head as they saluted her, even though she felt completely isolated from them.

  Ku’ar-Marekh did not know or care where she was going. It did not matter. Her warriors had the situation on this world well in hand, and the ships of Her fleet in space above were vigilant. All was quiet.

  Too quiet.

  She wandered the dark streets of the human settlement, her footsteps making no sound and leaving no mark, marveling at how ugly it was. Wishing she were of the builder caste, she imagined how she might remake it to be more pleasing.

  Then she sensed it. The same small human she had seen the night she had arrived on this world. She did not need to cast forward her second sight to know it was the same creature, for she could sense its heartbeat, which was as unique to Ku’ar-Marekh as a face.

  Curious, she silently glided toward the young animal.

  * * *

  Allison crept down the street along the side of the market, heading toward the front of the building. The back door was locked, and she hadn’t wanted to risk trying to break in.

  She felt guilty for having gone out tonight, because they really didn’t need any more food right now. But the truth was that Allison needed some breathing room, some freedom from being cooped up with the kids all day, and it wouldn’t hurt to have a little extra.

  A quick smile crossed her lips as she thought of the word. Kids. She wasn’t a kid anymore, she knew. She was an adult. For a moment she was proud of that, before she remembered how it had come to be. The smile faded as she thought of the contrails in the sky and the sirens, of her family, dead in the street.

  The bodies, both human and Kreelan, had all been removed, along with all the weapons. Allison had planned to go see the bodies of her parents and brother, but they and all the others had been taken away before Allison had first ventured into town.

  She didn’t know what the Kreelans had done with them. The vids she had seen about the aliens had only made clear how little humans really knew about them. No one had said for sure that they didn’t eat people, and their fangs made it pretty clear they were meat eaters.

  Allison shuddered and shoved the grisly thought aside as she moved up to the corner of the market, crouching low. The building didn’t face onto the town square where the Kreelans were busy with their construction project, but it was close enough that warriors passed by frequently. She always had to be careful here.

  She took a quick peek around the corner, then pulled back. It was clear.

  Taking a deep breath, she took the corner quickly, still staying low.

  There, right in front of her, was the warrior who had landed that night. The one who had absolutely terrified Allison, and who somehow had grabbed her heart.

  Even though the street was pitch dark and the warrior’s features were indistinct, a shadow that blocked the glow of the star light, Allison knew it was her. A faint glow shone from the strange rune on her chest armor, as if it was lit from within.

  Allison knew she couldn’t get away if the alien wanted to get her. She had no idea where the Kreelan had even come from in the second between when Allison had checked that the coast was clear and when she turned the corner. There had been nowhere for the alien to hide. She was simply...there.

  “What...what do you want?” Allison cursed herself for asking such a stupid question, but she wasn’t sure what else to say. What was the proper thing to ask a member of an alien race that was bent on annihilating humanity?

  The Kreelan, of course, said n
othing. She simply stood there, unmoving, starlight glinting from her eyes.

  Allison tensed as she saw the alien clench her hands, and felt a sudden stab of fear at the sight of the Kreelan’s claws. They were five, maybe six centimeters long, and Allison knew they were wickedly sharp.

  “Can’t we talk about this?” She could barely hear her own whisper above the blood pounding in her ears.

  Then the alien did something Allison never would have expected in a million years. The Kreelan stood aside, and made a clear gesture for Allison to pass, holding her hand out, palm up, in the direction Allison had intended to go.

  Stunned, Allison simply stood there a moment, wondering if it was some sort of trick. But she quickly realized that the alien had no need to trick her. Allison’s life was entirely in the alien’s hands. Or claws.

  Biting her lip, Allison was tempted to turn and run, but didn’t. Not so much because of what the warrior might do, but because running would be like surrendering. And one thing both her parents had taught her was that the worst thing you could ever do was give up.

  “Okay, then.” Steeling herself, she took a step forward. Then another, which drew her up next to the warrior, who kept her eyes fixed on Allison, but otherwise made no move.

  With the next step, Allison passed the Kreelan. She wanted to turn around to keep her eyes on the alien and back away from her, but resisted the urge.

  Instead, she walked slowly to the market’s front door, which had been blasted from its hinges. Shards of glass still littered the walkway, and the sound of it crunching under Allison’s shoes sounded like a long string of gunshots in her ears. Her nose wrinkled at the sickening smell at the threshold, but she knew it was only spoiled food.

  Glancing over her shoulder to see if the warrior was still there, Allison saw that the alien was following right behind her, barely an arm’s length away.

  Growing a bit bolder now, Allison asked, “So, I guess you’re hungry, too?”

  * * *

  Ku’ar-Marekh was intrigued by the industrious human. While obviously little more than a pup, the animal had repeatedly come into the human settlement, no doubt seeking sustenance for the other pups that Ku’ar-Marekh knew had taken refuge at a destroyed homestead beyond the settlement. The young animal had taken great risks to do so, even coming back after an encounter with a group of patrolling warriors.

  Through the numbness in her soul, she felt a tiny sliver of warmth: respect. It would not change the eventual fate of the pup and those sheltering with it, for when they were old enough to pose a credible threat to her warriors, or when Ku’ar-Marekh grew tired of their existence, they would be put to the arena.

  For now, however, the young animal provided an interesting diversion.

  It stood at the entrance to what must have been an indoor market for food, much of which had spoiled. The reek was overpowering to Ku’ar-Marekh’s sensitive nose, but it was hardly the worst thing the priestess had endured.

  The human said something in its incomprehensible language.

  Ku’ar-Marekh again gestured with her hand in a way that she hoped the human would understand, urging it onward.

  * * *

  Allison saw the alien raise her hand again, palm up, simultaneously nodding toward the market’s dark interior.

  She found herself nodding back, then took out her flashlight and flicked it on. There was no reason to be stealthy, now that she had a Kreelan chaperone.

  “Unreal,” she breathed as she moved into the market. She moved quickly down the aisles, stuffing her backpack with boxes of breakfast bars, freeze-dried food packets, and some medicine that she hoped would cure what she knew was an infection in the hand of one of the kids. With every step she hoped that the warrior wouldn’t decide to kill her. But every time Allison glanced back, the warrior was right behind her, intently watching everything she did like a curious but deadly puppy.

  With the backpack nearly full, Allison tried to jam in a package of dried fruit. As she did, one of the closures on the pack flew opened and everything spilled out.

  None of it hit the floor. Allison stood there, mouth agape, as the spilled contents of her backpack floated in the air as if they were in zero gravity in space, reflecting the light cast by the tiny flashlight that was clamped in her teeth.

  Looking up at the Kreelan, she saw that one of the warrior’s hands was out, fingers spread, as if she were going to pluck the items from the air. With a graceful turn of the warrior’s wrist, everything magically flew back into the pack as Allison’s shaking hands held it open.

  As the troublesome dried fruit joined the other items, the pack closed itself, sealing tight. Then, as Allison stared at the warrior, she felt the pack lift up and seat itself on her shoulders.

  Allison gulped. “Thank...thank you,” she stuttered.

  The Kreelan just stood there.

  Carefully, as if she were stepping past a tame but hungry tiger, Allison moved toward the market’s entrance. Glancing behind her, she saw that the warrior was gone. The Kreelan had disappeared as mysteriously as she had appeared in the first place.

  “Oh, my God.” Allison sighed with relief as she moved quickly along the front of the store and turned the corner back the way she had come.

  And there stood the warrior, waiting for her.

  “You know, that’s really getting annoying.” Allison didn’t try to mask the anger in her voice. It was a more comforting feeling than unbridled fear, and even a tiny bit of jealously. She wished that she had powers like the alien did. It was like - she hated to use the word - magic. It was impossible.

  But Allison knew that she wasn’t just seeing things. She didn’t imagine it. She wondered if all the aliens possessed such powers. If they did, what chance did humans have?

  Not wanting to take that line of thought any further, she hastened down the street, heading toward home. The only difference was that she didn’t take her normal route along the creek to try and stay out of sight. She walked right down the road, this time ignoring the aliens who passed by.

  The alien warrior stayed right behind her the entire way.

  * * *

  Ku’ar-Marekh padded silently behind the human, marveling at the animal’s courage as it marched right past the warriors moving through the night on their appointed tasks.

  Other than a curious glance, the warriors paid the human no mind, seeing that Ku’ar-Marekh was with it. She felt intense curiosity from them through the Bloodsong, but they only saluted her as they continued on. Warriors did not question the affairs of a high priestess, especially of the Nyur-A’il.

  When the human reached the path to the homestead that led from the main road, it stopped and turned to her. The animal held out its clawless hands toward her, as if pushing Ku’ar-Marekh away. The meaning was clear enough. Come no farther.

  Ku’ar-Marekh pondered the peculiarities of the situation. Save the Empress and those who stood higher upon the steps to the throne than Ku’ar-Marekh herself, she would have instantly killed any other member of her race for such an egregious act. She would never even have given it thought before striking. She would have demanded ritual combat from any of the priestesses who stood above her had they done such a thing.

  And yet, this human, this tiny thing that Ku’ar-Marekh could slay with the barest thought, gave her pause. The pup must eventually die in the arena, if Ku’ar-Marekh or another of her warriors did not kill it first. So why let it live?

  The realization came to her with sudden clarity. She saw in this human something of what she herself had once known as a young warrior, fiercely proud. This animal clearly was not the One, for Ku’ar-Marekh could tell it was female and its blood did not sing.

  Yet for the first time she gave some credence to the belief that the salvation of Her Children might be found among the humans. While she did not entirely accept the notion as fact, she no longer dismissed the possibility.

  The human said some more words, shaking Ku’ar-Marekh from her reverie. Lo
oking deep into the human’s strange eyes, she bowed her head slightly.

  * * *

  Allison stood there, her arms still raised to ward the Kreelan off, hoping that the alien wouldn’t become angry and decide to kill her.

  The warrior shifted her gaze momentarily, as if looking at something beyond Allison. Glancing over her shoulder, Allison couldn’t see anything behind her.

  Looking more carefully at the warrior, who stood just beyond arm’s reach, Allison thought the alien must have been deep in thought. Even in nothing but the starlight, Allison could see that the Kreelan’s eyes, which looked much like those of a cat and in their own way were beautiful, were empty. Dead. Allison had seen enough of other warriors, had seen their expressions through the binoculars, to know that this alien was different. The other aliens showed expression, even if Allison couldn’t read them. This one didn’t. Her face was an unmoving mask, her eyes lifeless mirrors.

  And if she was entertaining herself by following a human child around, rather than going to kill other humans, she was probably alone, too. Perhaps an outcast, even though she was clearly the leader here from the way the other warriors acted around her.

  For a moment, Allison felt an unfamiliar sensation toward the warrior. Pity. She could never forgive the Kreelans for what they had done, but she couldn’t help but feel sorry for this one, all alone out here, with no one for company but Allison.

  But she wasn’t about to invite the warrior in for dinner. “Go away, now. Please.”

  The warrior refocused her attention on Allison, spearing her with a gaze that sent a cold rivulet of fear through Allison’s stomach.

  Then, much to Allison’s astonishment, the warrior bowed her head.

  Not trusting herself to say anything, Allison slowly backed away, then turned and began walking down the drive toward the ruined house and barn.

  After half a dozen paces, she threw a glance back at the warrior, but she had already vanished.