by Melanie Ray
All because he hadn't taken Yeducavich seriously enough. He could have nabbed him, stopped him anytime he wanted until it was too late to know about the 'extra companion'. Ooh! That had never happened before. The strength and time it would take to convert, it would be longer than a warno would ever dare to be in a presence of a waryes. She'd have to practically be locked in a room with him. What would she be doing that for? It made no sense.
He wouldn't give up though. King Yeducavich won the battle, but he would win the war. That rhyme had always gone more than one way, and now with so many pure warnos in each spot, all he needed was Ezraponia.
He'd fix her so that she could reverse every warno and turn them into a waryes. In fact, pure waryes. It was always the best way to win, but pure waryes could not breed. However, it didn't matter anymore. He'd rather live as a proud race and become extinct, then ever become a warno.
IN THE ENDING PART FIVE
Chapter 95
NEVER A WAY TO WIN
There's never a way to win.
There's never a way to win.
Yed looked over toward Queen Ezraponia, gently stroking her hand. She pushed it away. He tried again, but she pushed it away again. “Ezra.” They had received the news.
“He has them!” She screamed the words at him, as if it had been his fault. She got up and moved away.
Yed stayed still. Fayu knew exactly where his family had been at, but he had a decision to make. He had a small army, but it did consist now of Xiamipoc Cattral.
Iridescent was still with him. He nabbed Muinela with no pressure, since he'd been going up that way. Fayu had brought his own communications, insuring that Yed and Ezra knew.
If she didn't give herself up, he was going to make them jump.
Guy, Tigeravich and Carressella were all safe, but Zaria and his baby were missing. Probably taken by Fayu too. They had gained so much back, but Yed was losing it all again.
Xiam. Muin. Zaria. Even Ezra's mind was torn up right now, not able to let go of them. Yed followed her again, having given her a few minutes to grieve. “Ezzy?”
His queen was crying in a corner still. If only he could do something for her. “Everyone knew it was a risk. There was a chance no one would make it out.” His words wouldn't help though, and it didn't help him either. “There's always something lost in war.”
“Not them.” Ezra turned around, sniffled and crossed his arms. “Go and get them.”
“It's not that simple.” Yed shook his head. “He's got an army on a mountain.”
“You're the King, command everyone to go then!” She yelled. “We can't just let them go like this. They don't deserve it.”
“They don't fight.” Yed tried to rub her back to ease her pain, but she jolted him away again. “Even if I commanded them to, they won't get far. Their instincts are not to fight. Have you ever seen how hard it is for the average warno to fight?”
He watched Ezra's head shake up, then down, not quite wanting to share. “Xiam and Zaria fought. For the car to get to safety.” She wiped her eye. “It wasn't easy.”
“No, it's not, not unless you were raised that way.” Yed scratched his head. “I'd be sending many innocents to their death.”
“So we just have to let them die?” She looked away. “No, no.” She banged the side of the castle wall. “I can't let it happen. They don't deserve it.”
“Xiam is already gone,” Yed reminded her. “And Iri . . . Ezra, she'd probably prefer this over what happened.”
“I know.” Ezra gulped. She rubbed her chin. “Muinela, Zaria, and their babies. I'm sure they would all rather live.” She looked toward him, eyes full of hope. “Please get them out?”
Yed didn't answer as he stepped over some concrete as he watched Regwallis run over to them. “Easy. This place is still banged up bad. Watch your step.” He grabbed Regwallis' hand. “Ezra Mother is not feeling well right now. Why don't you go play for a little while nearby?”
“Can you make her happy again?” Regwallis asked.
Make her happy? Not without the lives of her family. “It's not that easy.” He escorted Regwallis toward the outer edge. The Warno Kingdom's castle was still in utter ruin from the war. Yed refused to rule the kingdom on the other side though. After time, the castle would be rebuilt and repaired. The only thing that wouldn't be repaired was their hearts.
“King Yeducavich!”
Yed kept his communicator on. As much as it pained him to, he had to keep in touch with Fayu. “I'm here.”
“I am warning you,” Fayu said through the communicator, “once. There is nothing you can do. I have also attained the two children and their father. Had to kill a couple of former waryes that didn't remember their place when I asked for them.”
Yes, he would kill anyone in his way. “What?” Yed seethed. “What do you want? Yes, you have them, not surprising!” He hit the wall with his other fist. “But I am not letting you take Ezra. You think I'm stupid? You'll turn her, and then she would be the conduit to turn the entire world into waryes.”
“You're just going to let them die?” Fayu said, almost in disbelief. “This is your family. Your brothers. Your sisters. You are going to stay way out there, while I just execute them? You are so honorable.”
“Shut up!” Yed yelled into the communicator. “I didn't say that, but I will not let you win Ezra this way.”
“I am going to make them kill each other,” Fayu said. “I thought it would be fitting. My newest Pink will be killing his former wife. I've no need to worry about children or revenge at this point. I've already had my fun with her.”
Yed closed his eyes. Sick.
“But with Muinela and Zaria? Oh, you'll love this part.” Fayu chuckled into the communicator. “I am going to make one of them kill each other, otherwise I drop their children. If they both live, the children die. One must make a sacrifice. Oh and if it's your 'sweet sister' that survives, I'll have the same fun with her that I did with Xiamipoc's. Neat, huh?”
“You sick son of a-!” Yed paused, trying to control his rage. Muinela. So many years together. As children, and in Aryu Institution. The things he'd do...
Aryu. X and M-Win. That life felt so far away now. Thousands of miles away, yet the memories burned inside of him. Xiam would rather die than go on if he lost Iri. Iri was probably crumbling. Zaria and Muin, they were strong for each other. How could one of them choose to sacrifice the other to save the children? And Muin afterward? No.
Yed won the war, but Fayu was bringing a battle against him to make them crumble on the inside. He wanted to go and get them. Sneak off, and try to enter that mountain. Sneak around the armies and pull them away.
But that was just a dream. All of the firepower and concentration would be on his family. His only chance was to grab them while they were falling, and that wouldn't happen. Not on the side of a mountain. There had to be something though, he couldn't let his family go through that.
Fayu would let them go for Ezra, but that would never happen. Ever.
“King Yeducavich Father?” Regwallis squeaked around the corner.
Yed sighed and put the communicator away. “I told you, give her time.”
“I didn't listen,” Regwallis admitted, “but, she's not over there anymore.”
She's not over there anymore? “Ezra?” Yed shouted as he jumped over the fallen concrete slabs. “Ezra?” He looked around all the corners and called for every available warno in the area to look for her around the castle.
She could not be found. Her ancestor had been a lost princess, so Yed was betting she knew some secret way out. “Regwallis, where are your secret exits?”
Regwallis shrugged. “I'm not old enough to know them yet.”
Yed hit the wall again. “Ezzy!” He yelled again. Damn it. She was going to go after them. Without any fighting knowledge, she would be committing suicide.
“Yed?”
Yed heard her voice on the communicator. He picked it up right away and held his breath.
“Ezraponia.”
“I won't hold this much longer.”
“Where are you?!”
“I won't be emerging for awhile.”
“Damn, Ezraponia Cattral!” Yeducavich seethed, biting his lip. “Get back here. It's useless.” He gestured his hands through the air. “You think I don't want to save them?”
“No, Yed. I know you do.” Her voice sounded hoarse from all her crying. “They are dying because of me, but it won't end with them. Fayu knows, and he will keep hurting everyone I love for me! I am the answer. Try to save them because there won't be anything to put up for their lives soon.”
“No.” Yed breathed hard into the communicator, swearing his heart just stopped. “Ezzy.”
“I'm the answer. If I'm gone, then no one can turn me. The warnos will be safe. All the pain will be over.”
Ezra turned off the communicator. All the pain would be over soon. She was the key, to paradise or hell, and no one else. Her family was going to be killed because of her. What about her children's future? What about Yed? Someone else would be hurt as long as she was alive. The secret was revealed, the whole world knew she had power.
It would be okay though. This world, she had gone through too much pain. There was nothing to hold onto. Her children were targets with her, but Yed could raise them strong. They would be great leaders for the kingdom.
Ezra, however, was not queen material. Never had been, and never would be. She was the kind of woman who liked things simple. A simple family. A simple meal.
A simple man who could love her back.
But, life wasn't simple, it was as difficult as it could be. One victory simply led to more tragedy. The only regret she had was that she would be dying like an animal. Walking along the ground on all fours, she couldn't forget the fact that her body had been changed against her will. She would not even be able to stand up proudly to throw herself off the cliff.
Yed had done the impossible before. Sure, facing an army to save her family wouldn't be easy, but he would. He had to try.
Funny though. Ezra wondered if this would have happened if Yed had not traveled back in time. Was it better, or worse? Were they all doomed to die this way, or would it have had a better ending for them? It was something she'd never know.
And another thing about time travel, why? Why did time allow itself to be bent for someone's pleasures? She always believed those movies in the past, that when time messed up, it would correct itself. Well, it didn't. Carressella had grown up and was flipping around in time. Yed had messed with time. Fayu had been the first to mess with time.
If nothing had happened, would she have met Yed? Would she have had such powerful feelings for him, or would she have met someone else? Could she have had the simple life and family she had so desperately craved?
Life with someone else. It sounded weird, and wrong. Yed had always been the only one for her. Ever since they were kids, she felt it. Oh, she had kept her feelings hidden, knowing he could never share them. But reality couldn't change the feelings she had deep inside.
It was better this way. If Yed couldn't save her family, then at least she might see them in the afterlife, if there was one. It should feel right. Ending it wasn't cowardly, it saved others from Fayu. He could never change anything again, as long as she was set free. It should feel right.
But something pestered her. Why did time not fix itself? It was all warped. It was creating paradoxes left and right with itself. Why hadn't it blown up? Yed said it was parallel, but was that truly it?
Yed went into time. Carressella went into time because of Yed. King Sheward was a part of it somewhere. How did King Sheward and Fayu fit in?
Oh. Oh! Ezra shook her head as she realized the truth. But, it didn't matter. Time could be as messed up as it wanted to be. She wouldn't be around much longer to enjoy time anyhow.
“I will capture him!”
Ezra looked at her communicator. She hadn't flicked it all the way off. Yed's voice had screamed from it.
“Give me a little bit of time, Ezzy, and I promise! He'll be like a nightmare that finally went away for you.” Yed's voice was so weak, it sounded like he was almost crying. “I'll do anything. Just, don't.”
Ezra looked at the communicator a moment before deciding. “When I reach my destination, I'll ask what happened. After that, I'll decide.” She turned it back off and went back to walking. It wasn't easy to walk like a dumb animal and talk on a communicator. It was even harder when she had walked with her Chronicle. It was probably stupid to bring it, but every warno took care of their Chronicle. She had tied it on her back, and was yanking the chords to watch it fall. As it landed with a thump, it opened up to a page when they were kids. A page about her sister and brother fighting with Yed over the television.
Like that was even important? There was nothing important about that. Chronicles were just blocks that kept power in check. Feeling the rage build up inside of her, she grabbed it and started ripping out the pages. The ones in there would soon be gone, and she knew it! As she ripped, it began to thunder and rain.
She ripped like an animal, tearing into the book so much that it started to cut up her hand. Damaged, the papers blew away into the oncoming hailstorm. All that remained was the cover.
“What do you think you're doing?” Yed's father yelled at him. “No, son, no. It's over. It's your duty to rule this kingdom.”
“Here.” Yed handed the royal crown over to him. “You rule it. I have nothing more to offer it.”
“Son.” Yeducavich Senior tried to grab his shoulder. “You have children that you need to think of. I know that your friends mean the world to you, and so does your queen. But this war is not about something so small.” Yed looked toward him in surprise. “You've already won it, Fayu is throwing a temper tantrum.”
“A temper tantrum?” Yed pulled himself away. “He's killing everyone I ever cared about, and you're calling it a temper tantrum?” He growled at his father.
“You've saved the kingdom,” his father tried again. “It's time to...to live your life. Don't go after Fayu. He can travel through time, and then he'll just go somewhere else and cause more trouble.”
“Really compassionate, aren't you?” Yed sneered at him. “Another time gets screwed by him. No worry for you, it's not real to you.”
“That is not what I meant.” Yeducavich Senior groaned. “You have more responsibilities. You need to take care of your family.”
“That's what I'm going to do,” Yed countered him.
“You can't do it!”
“Then I'll die trying.” He looked toward the ground briefly. “I know what needs to be done.”
“Hey, you two.” Yeducavich entered the makeshift nursery. “I've gotta go, and I'm not coming back.” He nodded toward his sister who had been watching them. “Take good care of them.”
“Take good care of them?” His sister moved over toward him. “No way, they are yours. You need to be there for them, don't be stupid.”
Everyone could hear through that communication. There was too much openness. “This is for the best. I can't let them rot out there.” He looked toward the children. “They'll grow up strong without me. Just make sure you keep an eye on the boy.” He turned and left before his sister could say anymore.
Last time he left them that little, he didn't have a choice. Neither did Ezra. This time, they both knew what they were doing. It killed him, but it had to be this way. He couldn't leave everything the way it was. Muin would not become Fayu's plaything. Xiam could not kill his own wife. No one was going to die.
Somehow. He had to save them somehow.
Chapter 96
STUBBORN LOVE
Zaria kept his eyes ahead. A few steps forward, and it was the end. They were all kept toward the edge.
“Just wait a little while,” Muin whispered to him. “Yed will come. He always comes.”
Zaria didn't think so. Yed was a great Protector, but to take on an army? There was no way to sneak them o
ut, there was an army all around them.
Iri was beside Muin, her eyes seeming to have little expression. Muin shouldered her slightly.
“You could try talking to him?” Muin gestured behind Iri. “He didn't go through years of change, it was all at once. Maybe there's a way to talk to him?”
Iri didn't even act as if she had heard. Zaria reached for Muin's hand as he heard Xiam growl.
Xiamipoc's eyes were dead pink. He drooled constantly, no former memory of who he had once been. It was a fate worse than Zaria's.
“Muin.” Zaria looked at his wife. “When it's time, push me.”
“No.” Muin shook her head. “Yed will come.”
“Muin.” Zaria didn't want to dash her hope. Muin would be devastated when she realized the truth. “If he doesn't come,” he chose his words carefully, “then you have to push me. For the children, and for you.”
“Am I missing a sweet moment?” Fayu came round Zaria's side and pulled his hand away. “No touching each other or I'll cut your hands off. Of course, that doesn't apply to me.” He strolled toward Iri, touching her shoulder. She shivered. “That never applies to me. Although I rarely use physical touch as my chosen instrument of torture.”
A real sicko. Zaria looked ahead, trying not to imagine what Fayu meant by that phrasing. When it came to the inhibitors, he knew everything somehow. He knew things the Warno Kingdom never could have.
“Don't worry, it's almost over,” Fayu said to her as he touched her hair gently. “It's only fitting your husband pushes you off. He'd rather actually slice your head off, Pinks prefer that, but this fits better.”
Iri's blank expression broke and Zaria saw all of her emotion leap forward.
“Like I said though, it's almost over.” Fayu let go of her hair, and touched Muin's shoulder. “If Zaria is the noble one, then you'll be her replacement.”
Muin, never the one to be pushed around, struggled against him. His army was aimed and ready to shoot, but Zaria grabbed her. If he lost his hands, he'd lose his hands. He was already losing his life.