Knights of the Chosen (Spirit of Empire, Book Two)

by Lawrence P White

  “You know me?” he asked.

  “I know of you, Sire. You’ve been a thread linking many of my visions, and I saw you clearly in one. You are truly a Great One.”

  Mike felt a chill run through his body, and he shuddered. “The very idea of your visions frightens me,” he offered softly.

  “They frighten me, too. It is not an ability I want. It just is.”

  “You speak the words of your mother.”

  “But I am not a Chosen. I’m just Krys, frightened out of my wits most of the time.”

  He smiled. “So am I. In that, at least, we are similar.”

  “You’re afraid? Impossible. You’re the man of dirt.”

  “I’m just a man, Krys, a man from an emerging world who finds himself in over his head most of the time.”

  Her lower lip trembled. “But we serve, Sire. We have answered the call.”

  He smiled kindly. “We do. I was unwilling at first, but I’ve come around.”

  Her eyes widened. “I, too, was unwilling.” She risked a glance at Ellie. “Very unwilling at first. Not anymore.”

  Mike felt himself warming to this young woman who had battled her own deficiencies, just as he had, and won. He felt rooted in place and had to force a foot to move in her direction, then another. He stuck his hand out. “Welcome to our small family, Krys.”

  She stepped back, her hand held out before her to warn him. He stopped in surprise and stared at her. She lifted pleading eyes to him. “Sire, you are intimately tied to most of my visions, and we have never even met. Touch me at your peril.”

  His eyes widened, and he stepped back from her, more frightened than when he had faced the Chessori. They stared at each other, Mike with fear in his eyes, and Krys with understanding and patience.

  “I think this is part of our duty, Sire,” she breathed softly.

  “I know. I don’t have to like it.” He looked to Ellie for help, but what could she do? He turned back to Krys. “I can’t move my feet.”

  Krys nodded. With her gaze never leaving his, she stepped boldly to him and held out both hands in a fist. His eyes left hers to stare at those hands. Then, with pursed lips, he grasped them in both of his own.

  The moment they touched, Krys’ eyes glazed over and her body stiffened. She held for long moments, then crumpled to the floor. Mike had felt nothing. He forgot his own fear and scooped her up into his arms. He looked around, then carried her to a couch and sat with her on his lap, her head resting in the crook of his arm. Ellie, truly frightened, knelt before them, her hand on Krys’ face.

  “Is she okay?”

  Mike felt for a pulse in her neck and found one easily. “She’s okay. Just give her a minute.”

  When Krys came back to herself, her eyes opened to find her First Knight’s eyes staring into her own from inches away. His hand brushed at her face and she closed her eyes again, yielding to his comforting touch. “I saw . . .”

  Mike placed two fingers over her mouth. “There’s time for that later. Rest, Krys.” She closed her eyes, and he continued to brush his hand across her face. So young, he thought, and so much depended on the rightness of her visions.

  Ellie leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “Would you like me to call Tarn?” she asked softly.

  Krys nodded and tried, weakly, to rise. “The Guide should be here.” She looked into Mike’s eyes. “I’m sorry, First Knight.”

  “Don’t be. Close your eyes and rest. It’s the least I can do for one of my Knights.”

  He felt her body relax, and they stayed that way until Tarn arrived on the run. A Great Cat opened the door for him before he got there, and Tarn came into the room skidding to a halt, Krys his only concern. He knelt beside her and called softly to her. There was no response. He looked up at Mike. “What happened?”

  “Actually, I think she fell asleep. She had a vision and collapsed, but she was awake for a minute or so. She’s okay, Tarn.”

  “Are you sure?’

  “Pretty sure. I’ve never seen her have a vision. This one seemed to take the stuffing out of her. Is that normal?”

  “No, it’s not. Not at all. Have you called for a doctor?”

  Ellie touched his arm, suddenly more concerned than she had been. “No, Tarn. I’ll do so immediately.”

  Krys reached an arm out slowly to Tarn. “I’m okay. I’m awake, sort of.”

  He took her hand and looked up at Mike. “Who are you?”

  “Around here I seem to be known as the man of dirt.”

  Tarn stared at him, blinking, then he bowed his head. “First Knight.”

  “Relax, Tarn. Krys is our only focus at the moment.”

  The doctor arrived and ran a portable sensor over her body. He pronounced her fine and left. Krys struggled to sit up, glancing with hooded eyes at Mike.

  “I’m so embarrassed, First Knight,” she said shyly.

  “Don’t be. I’m not. We’re all in this together, young lady.”

  Mike and Tarn traded places, and she rested her head on Tarn’s shoulder.

  Ellie clapped her hands together. “Well! This has been interesting,” she said to the room at large.

  “I’m sorry, Mother.”

  “It’s my fault for springing this on you. I’m just glad you’re okay. Are you okay?”

  “I am. It’s the strongest, clearest vision I’ve ever had. I was actually able to look around.”

  “Are you ready to talk about it, or would you like to wait? Can it wait?”

  “It can, but I’m ready.” She looked to Mike. “The vision was of you, of course.”

  “Of course?”

  “All of my recent visions have come from contact with that person. I don’t know if that’s always necessary, it wasn’t for my earliest visions, but that’s how it’s been. You were walking out of the Imperial Senate chambers.” She looked to Ellie. “He was carrying you in his arms, Mother.”

  “Was I . . .?”

  “I don’t know. You were completely limp.”

  Mike and Ellie exchanged frightened looks. Tarn shared their concern and spoke softly. “You said you could look around this time. What else did you see, Krys?”

  “Before me, a cruiser hovered some twenty feet above the ground, filling the park in front of the Senate. Ramps were just extending to the ground. The remains of a number of stingers were smoking here and there, and many soldiers dressed in strange attire moved among them, some leading or carrying wounded. A number of Great Cats patrolled. I looked behind me, and the senate chamber was full, but all the senators were down. I believe they were under the influence of the scree. Several soldiers stood on the stage. One of them was pointing a blaster at a small group of Chessori, the only others in the room that were standing.”

  Mike had risen to his feet as she spoke. “You say the senators were under the influence of the scree, but Ellie wasn’t moving?”

  “I’m sorry, Sire,” she said, looking back and forth between him and Ellie, clearly frightened. “She was completely limp in your arms.”

  Silence descended on the room. Tarn broke it, moving to kneel in front of her. “You said that’s what you saw. What did you feel, Krys?”

  She considered his words, and surprise filled her face. She looked on him with love shining in her eyes. “You ask just the right question, my love. I didn’t know until you asked. I felt . . . accomplishment and . . . hope? Yes, hope.” She lifted her eyes to Ellie. “I sensed hope, Mother. I sensed hope.”

  Mike had gone to Ellie’s side and pulled her into his arms. Two sets of frightened eyes stared at her. “But you don’t know, do you,” Ellie said softly.

  “No, Mother, but the feelings I sensed were those of your First Knight.”

  Ellie stared at her, then she turned to Mike and lifted a hand to caress his cheek. “Then I, too, feel hope,” but her actions belied her words. She put her arms around his waist and clung fiercely to him.

  Mike looked over her head at Krys, not certain about how he should fe
el. He wanted to hate this young woman, but as he saw the agony in her eyes, he wanted to hold her in his arms, as well. Clearly, the vision had taken a great toll on her. He reached a hand out to her, and she stood up and took that hand. He pulled her to himself with one arm, Ellie pulled her in with another arm, and the three embraced.

  Tarn stood to the side, forgotten. When Mike noticed, he disengaged and stepped over to Tarn. “Ellie told me you had been helpful to Krys with her visions, and I see she’s right. Thank you for your last question. I would not have wanted the vision to end without it.”

  “Uh, we might not be done yet, Sire.”

  “After what’s gone on here, I think we can dispense with titles. Don’t you think Mike might be a little more appropriate?”

  “No, Sire. I’m just a lieutenant.”

  “You’ve also been a key player in all of this, and I suspect you’ll continue to be. Ellie considers Krys part of her family, and that makes her part of my family, too. I get the impression that might include you some day, as well, eh, Lieutenant?”

  Tarn’s eyes narrowed, and he stepped back from Mike. “That’s the second time I’ve heard the word ‘family’ used here. Are you saying what I think you’re saying, Sire?”

  “I’ve only known you and Krys for a short time, but it’s pretty obvious you’re in love. Will that lead to marriage? Is that what you’re asking?”

  “Did it for you, Sire?”

  “It did. I thought you knew.”

  Tarn stared at his First Knight, then grasped his arm and led him away from the women who were, at the moment, wiping at each other’s tears. When they reached the far wall, Tarn stopped and turned to face Mike. “Are you a king, Sire?”

  “I’m married to your Queen. She tells me that makes me King. Why?”

  Tarn nodded his head as things fell into place. “There’s something about dirt falling through spread fingers, Your Majesty. What does it mean?”

  “Just a private thing between Ellie and me.”

  Tarn’s lips pressed together in determination. “Explain it,” he demanded.

  Mike looked at him with furrowed brow. “It’s nothing important, and it’s private, Lieutenant.”

  Tarn took a deep breath, then let it out and said softly. “Then I ask you as family, Mike. It’s that important.”

  Mike stepped away, then turned back to Tarn. “Very well. Are you familiar with how Ellie and I escaped from my home world?”

  “Not all the details, but in a general way, yes.”

  “It was a long voyage, a very long voyage. We were under a lot of strain, and everyone was counting on me to navigate Resolve. I was doing well enough for a while, particularly when we were being tracked, but after we solved that problem, a lot of the stress went away. I expected my skills to continue improving, but they didn’t. In fact, they got worse. I started making mistakes. I missed a few jump entry points, and a couple of calculations went awry. I dug in and flogged myself, but it was obvious to my Rider and to Ellie that something was wrong. To make a long story short, we talked about it, and she even Tested me, not to see if I was true, but to see if she could discover why my performance was slipping. And she figured it out.”

  “Figured what out?”

  “I come from a long line of ancestors who were closely tied to the land on which they lived. I guess it’s in my genes or something, because I, too, am tied to the land. I didn’t even know it, but when Ellie asked me what I would most like if I could have anything I wanted, I thought for a while, then found myself in my mind reaching for a handful of dirt. I held out my hands and let the dirt trickle through my fingers. Do you see where I’m headed with this?”

  Tarn nodded. “The nearest dirt was light years away.”

  “Exactly, and that was the source of my distraction. Once I understood, I could deal with it and the problem went away.”

  Tarn blinked as his mind reviewed the words of Buskin’s vision, until now unsolved. It was no longer unsolved. “Thank you, Your Majesty. It all makes sense now.”

  “What makes sense?”

  “I ask your leave to delay the explanation, Your Majesty.”

  “Tarn,” Mike said threateningly, “this was all man to man. Why must I wait?”

  “Things are going to start hopping around here, Your Majesty. Real soon, and I’m not sure we’re done with the vision Krys just had. Let’s finish that one up before we move on to another. Some of her visions are accompanied by words. Let’s find out if this one was.”

  Mike took Tarn’s shoulder and led him back to Ellie and Krys. “Is there more to the vision?” he demanded.

  Ellie answered with a grin. “There is. It was accompanied by words. This vision was so strong for Krys that she tells me the words are clear, not a riddle this time.

  “Never underestimate your opponent. The man of dirt learned his lesson well. His battle is won, and all is well. Friends and family are all that matter now.”

  His eyes lit up, and they shared a moment of triumph. He nodded to Krys, then took Ellie in his arms. “Surely it means you survive.”

  “I think it does, Michael. How else could all be well for you? I think my realm will survive after all.”

  Mike and Ellie turned to Krys and invited her into another embrace. She, too, enjoyed the moment, though in her mind, she most enjoyed Ellie’s clear display of love for the man of dirt, the knight in shining armor she had foreseen for Ellie so many years ago. Her thoughts turned to Tarn, her own knight in shining armor, and she discovered him standing with his back to them.

  “Join us, Tarn,” she called.

  He turned to her with a stricken look, and she instantly sobered, misunderstanding his grief. She let go of Mike and Ellie and went to him. “I’m sorry, Tarn. We’re not excluding you.”

  “I know,” he said absently.

  Alarm suddenly filled her eyes, and she understood the stricken look. Tarn’s gaze lifted from hers to Ellie’s, then to Mike’s. “I hope you’re right, Your Majesties. I’m not certain that you are.”

  “Right about what, Tarn?” Mike growled, his arm slowly falling from Ellie’s waist.

  Tarn closed his eyes, hating what he was about to do. “What if you’re wrong, Sire? What if it really is a riddle? The words of all the other visions have come in the form of a riddle. Why would this one be different?”

  “Because I saw so clearly,” Krys assured him. “I’ve never seen so clearly.”

  He shook his head and took her hand. “All your visions have been messages, My Lady. Every single one. Whether it was a message of hope, or a message of instruction, or a message of warning, each was a message, and the message carried by each has been of grave significance to the outcome of this war. Why would this one be any different?”

  “But it’s so simple.”

  His lips pursed as he nodded his head. “It is . . . on the surface. I don’t know what happens on Triton with the Imperial Senate, but clearly, something of import takes place. We can’t say for certain that the Queen lives through it, but you sensed that Mike is coming away from this engagement with a sense of hope and accomplishment.”

  His gaze rose to take in all of them. “Look deeper, all of you.” He stared at Mike for a time, considering how best to disagree with his First Knight and King. “Someone, or something has gone to a lot of trouble to send these visions to Krys. We’ve listened to all the messages, and now the war is over. Right?”

  He didn’t wait for Mike to answer. “What if you’re wrong? What if your hope is misplaced, Sire? This being has gone to all this trouble for us, for you, and what if you’ve failed it? Consider the message as if it was given in anger, with disdain. I see the words coming from lips that are curved into a leer.

  ‘Never underestimate your opponent. The man of dirt learned his lesson well. His battle is won, and all is well. Friends and family are all that matter now.’”

  Mike considered the words. “You’re saying that I didn’t learn my lesson well, that all is not wel
l, that friends and family are not all that matter. I’ve missed the boat, so to speak.”

  “Partly, Sire. These messages are never simple. I would offer a slightly different interpretation. I want to believe that the source of these visions has not given up on us, will never give up on us. The words might be said with disdain, but I believe there’s still a message here. I believe the first and last sentences have dual meaning. They add to the disdain, but they might also contain a message.”

  Mike mumbled the words to himself. “Never underestimate your opponent. Friends and family are all that matter now.” He looked inside himself, then he looked at Tarn. “I must not underestimate my enemy, and friends and family do matter.”

  “Put another way, Sire, you have underestimated your opponent, and your friends and family need to be your focus. They’re in trouble. You have a location.”

  “My friends and family are here, Tarn.”

  “Not all of them, Sire.”

  Mike’s eyes narrowed. “You’re right, Lieutenant. They’re on Earth.” He turned to Ellie. “Could we have gotten so focused on the senate that we forgot about the Chessori?”

  She looked at him in horror. So, too, did Krys.

  Mike turned away from them and paced, a grim expression on his face. He turned suddenly to Tarn. “How much time do we have? Does one follow the other?”

  Tarn spread his arms wide. “I don’t know, Sire. I’m guessing at all this just as much as you are.”

  “It’s Mike, darn it, and your guesses are a heck of a lot better than mine. What do you think?”

  Tarn considered the words again and shook his head. “Do they mean it’s already too late, or do they mean there’s still time? It’s a message of instruction, but the instructions could be taken either way. I don’t know, Mike. I’m not sure it matters.”

  Mike stared at him. “How can it not matter?”

  Tarn’s eyes shifted from Mike to Ellie. “Because of another vision, Your Majesties.”

  Krys sucked in a breath, then shrieked. “Your Majesties?” She stared at Tarn, then whirled to face Ellie. “You married your knight in shining armor, Mother?”