Jackal’s Gambit

by C A Ardron

  ‘I'm always on guard, Falcon,’ Leopard told her, that ominous note returning.

  Lion followed the two women into the gloomy darkness, thinking Falcon had made yet another slip. She was trying hard to keep her thoughts hidden, to keep herself separate and distant from them. She'd revealed yet again not only her willingness but her ability to lead a group of warriors. It came to her unbidden, almost an automatic impulse. Lion didn't think she was even aware she was doing it.

  ‘Light, it reeks,’ Leopard muttered.

  Falcon stopped and let out a weary sigh.

  ‘What it is?’ Lion asked, instantly worried.

  ‘I can’t see much in here.’

  ‘Wonderful,’ Leopard offered her acid commentary.

  Lion let out a small laugh. ‘I should have thought of that. The eyes of a falcon aren't very good in the dark, are they? You’ve got a straight path in front of you, about thirteen feet away there’s a wall and the sewers split into a left and right path.’

  ‘Okay, my aura sweeps tell me we need to be going left. One of you better go in front of me, otherwise I’m going to walk right into that wall.’

  Leopard took the lead and turned left at the junction. Falcon took them around several other corners after this and Lion became concerned.

  ‘Falcon, are you sure we’re going the right way?’

  ‘Positive, we're getting closer to the main body of Sarpiens.’

  Lion swallowed, that was not necessarily a good thing. ‘We seem to be taking an awful lot of corners.’

  ‘This is the sewers,’ she reminded him. ‘Did you expect a-whoa!’

  Leopard turned and looked down at Falcon, who'd lost her balance.

  ‘Are you all right?’ Lion asked, trying to keep the amusement from his voice as Falcon picked herself up, shaking the goo from her boot.

  ‘Sorry, Falcon,’ Leopard apologised, her voice deceptively mild. ‘I probably should've mentioned that hole was there.’

  Lion winced at Falcon's very pointed silence.

  They started to journey onwards but only a few feet down the sewer Falcon called a halt and looked down. ‘Lion, I need your eyes.’

  ‘What am I looking for?’ He asked, crouching down.

  ‘We ideally need to be below the sewers now. Look for anything that might give us access to the tunnels.’

  ‘We should have brought Tiger,’ Leopard complained. ‘She could've blasted us a way through.’

  ‘Not without drawing attention to us, she couldn't,’ Lion disagreed.

  Leopard just grunted and joined in the search on the grimy stone floor. ‘Ah-ha,’ she exclaimed after a minute or so.

  ‘You’ve found it?’ Lion asked.

  ‘I’ve found something.’ She put her head to the floor, listening for sounds below. Then she unceremoniously dragged a metal sheet away. Lion looked suspiciously at the room below. The ladders leading down seemed rusty to him and the dim light of a bulb illuminated several piles of boxes.

  ‘Leopard,’ Lion spoke quietly now, his voice firm. He wanted to be sure both women knew they'd passed the time for humour and chit-chat. ‘You go first, stealth and scout around, tell us what's there.’

  Leopard nodded silently and shimmered as she disappeared from their vision.

  Is she any good?

  Lion jerked in surprise at Falcon's voice in his head. He still wasn't used to it even though Dove spoke to him sometimes in this way.

  He paused before replying. The way Falcon had asked was quite reminiscent of how two fellow captains would confer about their warriors. He couldn't shake the feeling that Falcon was used to authority.

  She's one of the best, he responded, forming his words carefully. Until today he'd never been able to communicate with anyone like this. Predgarians don't have much use for stealthers, but she's managed to surprise both Dakkonin and Sarpiens in the past.

  Good, Falcon replied. Most of the Elite may still be below ground, and Mantis is notorious for spotting stealthed warriors.

  Lion scowled inside his helmet. It was Leopard's biggest fault. She became a bit of a loose cannon when Mantis was involved. He tensed as he glanced at Falcon. There's no way she could know that though, surely? At that point he struggled with himself, teetering between his loyalty to Leopard and his duty as captain. All the others in his unit were aware of Leopard's past, and took it into account when working with her.

  About Leopard, he told her reluctantly. She seeks vengeance against Mantis for killing her mother. She can get a little obsessed when she knows he's nearby. Can I ask you to keep an eye on her?

  Falcon had grown rigid at this new information. You allowed someone emotionally compromised to join your unit?

  Lion winced, she really did think like a captain. We're Predgarians, Falcon. We protect the town, but ordinarily would leave the Sarpiens to the Dakkonin.

  Falcon nodded seriously. You're right, sorry. I was just surprised. It explains a lot though. I suppose that means her dislike of me isn't personal.

  Lion nodded. She hates all Sarpiens, it's not really anything to do with you, no.

  ‘All clear,’ Leopard's whisper drifted up to them.

  ‘I’ll go first,’ Falcon offered. She didn't bother to use the ladders, simply leaping down, landing nimbly on the floor in a crouch, her silver wings trailing behind her.

  Lion didn't think he could jump down without his armour ringing off the dubiously uneven rocky ground below so he took hold of the ladders. They screeched loudly as he put his weight on them.

  He heard Leopard and Falcon hiss at the loud noise. He decided that jumping down would make less noise after all but just as he was about to leap, the heavily rusted ladders tore away from the wall.

  Lion found himself toppling backwards through the room, ladders still in hand as he tumbled amongst the boxes, sending assorted digging tools sliding, skidding and crashing across the floor.

  He saw Leopard and Falcon freeze in the enormously loud aftermath of his mistake.

  ‘Who's in here?’ A harsh voice called out as the door behind them opened abruptly.

  Leopard turned on her heel and smashed the brown-armoured Sarpien in the face with a Palm-Strike.

  Lion struggled to get out of the boxes and saw Falcon rush in. She expertly positioned herself so that as the Sarpien was reeling back, she could catch his shoulder in one hand. She twisted him around and punched him in the chest with a heavy Cat-Paw.

  The Sarpien now falling in the other direction, Falcon closed the storeroom door while Leopard pressed the attack with several lash-strikes, ruthlessly aiming for the chest and neck.

  Falcon finished it with a Lightning-Claw, her fist connecting with the side of the man's head. He crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

  Lion finally managed to free himself of the tumbled mess he was in.

  ‘So much for our quiet entrance,’ Falcon said, sounding far from happy.

  ‘Sorry,’ he gasped, catching his breath. ‘I thought the ladders would be quieter than jumping down in this armour.’

  ‘Don't ever expect Sarpien equipment to be good quality,’ Falcon warned him, a slight touch of humour was evident in her voice though.

  Lion laughed softly. ‘I'll keep that in mind.’

  Leopard knelt down to study their downed opponent. ‘Insecta.’ She pushed the Sarpien over onto his front. ‘Not one I recognise.’

  ‘Let’s get moving,’ Lion was appalled he'd made so much noise. ‘Before any others show up.’

  Leopard stealthed again and the door opened and closed just a crack.

  ‘The corridor's empty,’ she didn't bother to reappear. ‘Seems like that Insecta was alone.’

  ‘I can live with that,’ Falcon told her and opened the door.

  Lion followed the two women into the long, smoky tunnel. It went on as far as he could see in one direction and ended quite near to them, only several feet away, in the other. The tunnel end was jagged with boulders of varying sizes strewn about.

 
Falcon was looking about her and swore softly.

  ‘What is it’' Lion asked, suddenly tense.

  ‘These tunnels are really narrow,’ she explained. ‘Trine's domain must be much larger than I thought if we're still on the outskirts.’

  ‘Are you sure we're only on the outskirts?’ Lion asked.

  Falcon nodded briefly. ‘Definitely, Sarpien tunnels are never this narrow in the main section, and that storeroom with the tools is another giveaway.’ She pointed at the tunnel end, which looked much like an excavation in a mine. ‘And there's another. It doesn't look recent, but someone's been digging this tunnel out. We may have a bit of walking on our hands before we get to where we need to be.’

  Lion sighed. ‘Which means we may have to fight through more Sarpiens. Leopard, go ahead of us, let us know if you see anyone.’

  ‘On it.’

  Leopard said nothing more and didn't make any sound during her departure either. She could still have been stood with them as far as Lion knew.

  Falcon started to lead the way up the tunnel, stopping briefly when she got to the end, looking at the two passages she found there.

  Lion saw her purse her lips in thought but refrained from asking what she was thinking. If he asked which way every time they reached an intersection Falcon would no doubt become annoyed. She continued, veering left again.

  Lion noticed the tunnel starting to dip. ‘Do sclithe live very deep in the ground?’

  ‘Sometimes,’ Falcon replied, her voice quiet. ‘Greens and reds are especially known for it.’

  ‘There are red sclithe too?’ He tried to stop the sick feeling in his stomach.

  ‘Yes, and brown. The purples have all been killed though.’

  Lion remembered the snake mark concealed beneath her armour. ‘They're all dead? Did you serve the last one, then?’

  Falcon didn't reply. Lion thought the silence was more than a little icy. Well, he'd wanted to know more about her. He was starting to think Dove had been right, maybe it was better to take Falcon as she was. With every question answered, Lion found himself that little more uneasy in her presence.

  ‘We've got company,’ Leopard's voice broke the silence, though she didn't reappear.

  ‘How many?’ Falcon asked, the sharp blades of her steel claw whistling out of their sheathe.

  ‘Two, male, young. They don't appear to have medallions.’

  ‘Potentials,’ Falcon grunted, and allowed the claw to retract again.

  ‘What are potentials?’ Lion's hand was already on the sword strapped to his back.

  ‘Trainee Sarpiens. Deactivate your medallion, we won't need to fight this time.’

  ‘But-’

  ‘Trust me, Lion.’ Falcon deactivated her medallion. ‘I can get us past these without arousing suspicion.’

  Lion clenched his teeth, finding he didn't trust her at all. He deactivated though, if the potentials didn't have medallions anyway, they would be able to fight their way through if things went wrong.

  ‘Your funeral,’ he heard Leopard mutter darkly.

  ‘Hide your medallion,’ Falcon instructed, placing her own beneath her black leather vest.

  Lion managed to get it underneath his plain t-shirt just as the two youths appeared at the corner.

  Falcon assumed an arrogant swagger as she sauntered up to them. ‘You two,’ she barked, her voice ringing down the passage.

  Lion looked on, amazed at her sudden change in character. The two potentials saluted automatically, even though Falcon had no snake or medallion to be seen.

  ‘What are you doing in this section? Don’t you know we’re under attack?’

  ‘Yes Ma’am, but Rhino told us-’

  The potential didn’t get any further because Falcon kneed him in the stomach. She sneered pitilessly at him.

  ‘That’s Grey Rhinoceros, you piece of dirt. Respect the Elite, or you'll find yourself volunteered for the next midnight sacrifice.’

  ‘Yes, Ma’am,’ he breathed painfully, his eyes terrified.

  ‘If the Elite have given you orders, get on with them, otherwise, find your teachers and await their command.’

  The two potentials scurried past them and Falcon let out a long breath, the hard glint she had pierced the youths with, now dissipating.

  Lion was about to tell Falcon how amazed he was by her performance, but he swallowed it as her breathing became even more laboured and she fell against the wall, sliding down it, almost as if her energy had been drained.

  ‘Are you all right?’

  ‘Yeah. Just...give me a minute.’

  Lion knelt down next to her as Leopard reappeared from her stealth.

  ‘You sounded just like a Sarpien,’ Leopard accused with a deep scowl.

  ‘I’ve had a lot of practise,’ Falcon responded. She'd obviously being trying for sarcasm, but her voice was so faint that it sounded pained, upset.

  Lion put his arm around her as she began to shake, he had no idea what the problem was, but he had to move her past this. ‘We have to keep going, Falcon,' he whispered. ‘Jay's waiting for us.’

  She nodded and struggled to her feet, shrugging him off.

  Lion stood up. ‘Does this happen a lot? Are you ill?’

  Falcon shook her head. ‘No, I just...never thought I'd ever have to...’

  Lion got the impression she physically couldn't finish that sentence, but he understood what the problem was now. She hated what she used to be. To have to pretend to be a Sarpien must've been more than she could bear.

  ‘Next time,’ he smiled, ‘we'll just fight them.’

  Falcon returned the smile with a small, wan one and pulled her medallion back out. He did too and together they activated.

  Leopard stealthed again and Falcon led them on, though Leopard was keeping well in front of them, at least Lion hoped she was.

  Falcon had regained her composure, but it seemed to Lion she was tenser than before, the slightest noise setting her on edge.

  Lion looked at the wide tunnels they were passing through, and it occurred to him that these much broader corridors, the torches casting many more shadows, were perhaps the central network, where they should expect to encounter Sarpiens.

  With that thought now firmly in mind, he found he was jumping at shadows and small noises too.

  He put a hand on Falcon's tense shoulder to halt her when he noticed the tunnels becoming narrow again. ‘Falcon, where are you taking us? Surely we want to stay in the centre?’

  She half-turned to him and even in the torch-light he could see her tight, wry grin. ‘Just where are you expecting to find Jay, Lion? Where the Sarpiens gather for food? You think they might be plying him with sweets?’

  ‘Well...’ He hadn't actually thought about it.

  ‘I'm hoping this leads to the cells. That's the first place we should be looking, if he's not there then we'll try the potential's training area.’

  As they continued, Lion very faintly heard Leopard's sardonic laugh and he gritted his teeth. The truth was he'd been so focused on getting to the tunnels at all, that he hadn't stopped to consider exactly where in the tunnels they should be aiming.

  A few minutes and a few corners later, Leopard shimmered into sight again and raised a hand to bring them to a halt.

  ‘I've just found those cells Falcon was talking about,’ she told them in a whisper. ‘there's only one prisoner there and it's a woman. She's being guarded by potentials I'm guessing, judging by their age and lack of medallions.’

  ‘That's good,’ Falcon whispered back. ‘Why don't we try and get a bit closer and see if they're talking. They might reveal where Jay is.’

  ‘We should rescue the woman while we're at it,’ Lion added.

  ‘I wouldn't,’ Leopard's voice turned to disgust. ‘From what I've heard already, she's a Sarpien.’

  Lion paused in complete surprise. ‘A Sarpien? Why would they lock up one of their own?’

  ‘It's not uncommon,’ Falcon told him. ‘Disobedience is
the usual, or perhaps Jackal managed to unravel one of her plots before she could bring it to fruition. Or even to just set an example to others. Either way, we probably don't need to concern ourselves with her, it's the potentials I'm interested in.’

  Lion nodded and the three moved closer to the cells, Leopard disappearing from their sight. Before long, he heard talking. Sure enough, the potentials were chatting to one another.

  ‘I can't believe you got assigned an Elite for a teacher,’ one of them was saying, his voice dripping envy.

  ‘I wouldn't get too jealous,’ the other retorted. ‘You heard what the general said. I've got five weeks. If I'm not ready for the tests by then, I'm dead meat.’

  ‘An Elite teacher,’ Falcon murmured, her lips barely moving. ‘That kid's being groomed straight for Elite by Jackal. That's rare.’

  Lion's mouth was a grim line. He wished he could take that young man with him, but the youth had sounded excited, even with the possibility of death if he didn't do well enough.

  ‘Yeah,’ the other potential laughed. ‘When you put it like that, I guess I am better off.’

  There was a short interval. ‘Still,’ the “favoured” potential spoke up. ‘I'd say I'm still better off than that kid in Lord Trine's chamber.’

  ‘Yeah, that's right. I wouldn't be in his shoes for anything. Damn, I mean, that machine Bronze Cobra's built is a horror.’

  Machine?

  ‘That was probably the idea,’ the favoured one replied. ‘Cobra's one nasty piece of work. I'm relieved the general assigned me to Silver Harrier, at least he's more or less normal.’

  The other one laughed shortly. ‘Yeah, what did you make of what the Elite were saying? More powerful green gold for Lord Trine to eat, actually created by people with Power abilities.’

  ‘I don't know, I'm trying not to think about it. I'm just glad I can't touch the Power.’

  Falcon was moving off up the corridor, the way they'd come. Lion hurriedly caught up with her and Leopard reappeared.

  Falcon's face was a thundercloud. ‘Jackal, you mangy, good-for-nothing-’ She suddenly reverted into another language, muttering quickly to herself.