Chapter 21

Chapter 21

I woke up the next morning feeling very good. I got up and did my Forms and meditation then went back to bed. Sasha brought breakfast to Skyler and I, so we stayed in bed for a while longer. When I finally got up it was to discover that the entire city had taken the day off as a holiday. I gave Ja` Lynn the day off so that he could spend it with Mary Ann, but they both decided to tag along with Skyler and I.

We decided to watch some of the competitions that sprang up. Some of the messengers had an obstacle race throughout the inhabited part city. There was a platform that had been raised to watch it so we headed up there. From the platform we could also see several other competitions. There were several sword fighting matches along with archery, spear throwing, and knife and hatchet throwing matches. Everywhere we went we were greeted with cheers and shouts of ‘happy birthday.’

Everything was going great, until I heard Mary Ann scream. I turned to look and just caught sight of her hair as she went over the edge of the platform. Skyler and Ja` Lynn both jumped over the edge after her so I apperated to the ground. I saw her falling above me so I launched myself into the air. I could fee Ja` Lynn and Skyler both trying to use energy to slow her fall, but it didn’t seem to be working.

I met her in the air and tried to slow our fall, but it felt like I had just tried to catch a building. I was about to apperate us to safer ground when the earth suddenly met us. Rather then hitting like we should have we slipped through it, like jumping from a high dive. I knew it wasn’t my energy that let us move through the earth so I assumed Sasha had caught up to us.

I got us to the surface and checked Mary Ann. For the first time I got a good look at her. He entire body seemed to be covered in thin white lines. They were thin enough that they wouldn’t normally be seen unless you were as close to her as I was and looking for something wrong. The lines seemed to form a pattern, almost like she was covered in very small scales. Her eyes fluttered open and for a brief moment I thought I saw a second set of translucent eye lids open. I knew I wasn’t seeing things when I saw her eyes. They were a deep emerald green rather then their normal blue and slited like mine get when I go into my Kier form.

I watched her eyes change back to the round, blue eyes I was used to seeing. I could still feel the energy that had let us pass through the floor so I traced it back to it’s source and sure enough, it was coming from Mary Ann. Ja` Lynn and Skyler landed then rushed over. I helped her sit up and asked if she was ok.

She looked at me and asked, “What happened?”

I shrugged, “I was just about to ask you that same thing.”

She looked around then back at me, “I don’t know. I was standing by the edge then I slipped on something. I remember falling and thinking, ‘I hope the ground isn’t too hard when I hit it.’ Then I hit you in the air. I don’t remember very much after that. Did you stop us from hitting the ground?”

I shook my head, “No. I couldn’t break our fall in time. We passed into the ground as if it were water.”

“Oh. Well, thank you for saving me. I guess I should be more careful.”

“You should be more careful, but it wasn’t me that saved you.”

She looked confused, “Then who? Was it Sasha?”

“No. It was you.”

“Me? That’s impossible though.”

“Impossible or not Mary Ann, it was your energy that carried us through the ground and back to the surface.”

She looked at me for a bit then to Ja` Lynn. She looked back to me and said, “I suddenly don’t feel so well. I think I am going to go lay down for a bit.”

Ja` Lynn helped her up and said, “I will see that she gets to a safe place. If you don’t mind I would like the rest of the day off so that I can take care of her.”

I smiled, “Not at all. See to my friend. I know she will be safe in your hands. I’ll be by after a while to check on her.”

Skyler stood next to me as Ja` Lynn and Mary Ann walked away. Skyler looked at me, “Why didn’t you go with them?”

I looked back at him, “Because what she needs right now is time to process exactly what happened and someone to hold her while she processes it. She could have died today, Skyler. Hell, I might need time to process exactly what happened. Care to spar with me?”

He smiled, “I would love to, but I won’t do it alone. With all of the training you have done recently I already know you could beat me down like a spoiled child. Why don’t we invite the winners of the sword fights?”

I smiled, “I love the way you think. Send word to all the winners. I want to watch the end of the messenger’s race.”

He kissed me then said, “I will meet you on the platform then.”

I kissed him back, “Ok. See you in a bit.”

I flew back up to the platform and watched the race while trying to process what had happened with Mary Ann. I walked over to the spot she had been standing and saw a very smooth area that looked almost like polished glass. I reached down and touched it. It felt solid. I ran my hand along it and it slid smoothly along the surface until I reached the edge of the glass-looking spot. I looked up and saw that the rail should have stopped her so she must have panicked when she slipped and accidentally shifted herself through the rail.

Skyler landed next to me and I looked up at him, “As far as I can tell it was an accident. The only thing I can see that might have been intentional is this slick spot here, but that could just be from raising the stone into the air. Besides, why would anyone worry about a slick spot around a bunch of people that can fly?”

“True. I don’t believe it was malicious either. It may have been a practical joke that never got cleaned up, but I don’t believe anyone set out to hurt anyone.”

I stood up and looked over the edge. Nearly all of the inner city had been rebuilt and a lot of the surrounding land had been turned into farm land. It may seem strange to have farm land underground but we do get decent light and what we lack in natural environment we can make up for in magic.

I looked at Skyler, “I want this platform to stay up here. I like the view.”

“I’ll make sure it’s done. The sword fights are over and the champions are waiting for you in the main arena.”

I smiled, “Well, I guess we should get going then.”

We both dropped over the edge and glided to the main arena. We landed and made our way to middle where the champions of the sword fights were waiting. I looked over the six that were there, “Congratulations on besting all those who stood against you. I would like to place a wager. I know that you all received some kind of winnings from the fights. I challenge all of you. If you win I will double any amount that you lay on the table. If I win you all must serve for two months on the city guard. As I am challenging all of you that means that there are seven of you against me because Sk` Yler will also be fighting with you. Do you accept my challenge?”

The six of them gathered together and discussed it then one of the ladies stepped forward, “My Lady, we don’t feel as though the fight is balanced. Our seven to your one would be over too fast.”

I smiled, “I would be happy to allow those who came in second to join you if it will help you feel better.”

They chuckled and the lady that had stepped forward said, “On these new terms we accept your challenge. Allow us some time to prepare and send for those who came in second.”

I nodded and looked at Skyler, “Do we fight to grounding or first ten hits?”

He looked at the others and they shrugged as if it didn’t matter to them. He looked back at me, “First ten hits. You must hit each of us ten times to win.”

I smiled, “I accept that. Don’t go easy because I won’t.”

He smiled back, “I know. Now go to your side. We have plotting to do.”

I bowed to them then flew to the far side. I brought up my internal radar and waited for them to be ready. I saw the other six arrive and join the rest. After a few more minutes Skyler sent me the thought, “We are ready.”

I sent back, “As am I. Begin.”

I apperated to the middle of the arena and stood ready. They went invisible and moved forward. I let them surround me. Just as they attacked I launched into the air and did a front flip. I took a page from Sasha’s book and sent out an energy blast when I landed. I rushed a group of four and had ten hits on each of them before they could recover from the blast.

I spun just in time to block an attack by the second group of four. Those four backed off and linked into a Quad. I felt the other group link into a Quad. Skyler mover so that he was in front of me. I saw him grin then felt him invert his energy. He suddenly vanished off of my radar.

I glared at him, “You’ve been holding out on me.”

He laughed then went invisible. I head him say, “Catch me if you can.”

The two Quads attacked as one and I was able to get away with only taking three hits. I took another two hits as twin energy blasts caught me. I looked over my shoulder at the two Quads and smiled. I reached into Inok and ignited the air inside of the arena. I saw a shimmer of Skyler and launched at him. He wasn’t able to hold his energy inversion while trying to defend himself so he dropped it and fought back.

I was able to get all ten hits on him, but took another three hits from the two Quads. I started jumping through the flames and taking pop shots at the Quads and managed to knock them down to just their Focals. I felt the two energy blasts coming toward me and could have blocked them, but let them hit me, allowing them to score the last hits they needed to win.

I bowed to them and sent a messenger to get one of the treasurers. A short while later the treasurer arrived I nodded to him, “There is a table on the other side of the arena. What ever is there double it and what ever these two claim as their winnings double that.”

The treasurer nodded, “I will see it done, my Lady.”

I turned to the group I had just fought, “Good match all. I rather enjoyed it. I look forward to the next time we are able to do it.”

The all bowed to me and Skyler walked up, “Shall we go?”

I nodded, “I need to see how Mary Ann is doing.”

I took his arm and we walked to Mary Ann’s house. I checked with Ja` Lynn to make sure we weren’t interrupting anything. He said we weren’t. While we walked I asked Skyler when he had learned how to inverse his energy.

He shrugged, “I don’t have a clue. I guess I just did it out of reflex. I was the youngest and smallest of six children so I was usually the punching bag. I tried hiding, but they would just track my energy. One day I decided to focus on hiding my energy and I felt it change. It was as if I was feeling it through a barrier, but I could still use it. That day none of my siblings could find me, so every time I wanted to hide from them I would just do it. Le` Than was the first one to tell me that is was inversed. Ever since then I have been working on controlling it. As you have noticed as long as I don’t have to fight I can hold it. The same goes for channeling. As soon as I start the energy reverts.”

“Huh. Well, I can see how that would be useful. If you wanted to you could pass off as a normal human.”

“Yeah. It was useful when I was watching you. It was how I was able to hang out with you without tipping off Valora that I was Kier Sona. I didn’t know it at the time, but now I’m glad I took the precaution. I don’t think she would have let me anywhere near you if she had known,”

I smiled, “She wouldn’t have. I don’t know though. She would have had to give me a good reason why to avoid you or it would have just pushed me even closer to you. It would have been more exciting because it would have been forbidden.”

He smiled, “Things definitely would have turned out different. Who knows, we might still be going to high school looking forward to graduation.”

“Yeah, or I might have run away and had no reason to go back when we went to the crater the first time.”

“You would have come back eventually. Either that or Valora would have come looking for you.”

“Yeah, she would have. Oh, well. Past is past. Things happened the way they did and I wouldn’t change it if I could.”

“Neither would I.”

We got to Mary Ann’s house, which happened to be just behind the day care building we had set up for the children. I knocked and felt Ja` Lynn tell us to come in. We went in and down the hall to her bedroom. Mary Ann was pacing and Ja` Lynn was sitting in a chair next to a writing desk.

Ja` Lynn stood up when we walked in. He looked at us, “She tried resting, but when that didn’t work she started pacing.”

Mary Ann glared at him with enough force that I could almost hear the air sizzle. Scratch that, I could hear the air sizzle. She almost spit the words, “She is still in the room. She doesn’t like being talked about as if she isn’t here.” She turned the glare to me and I felt her rage double, “You need to leave here or die where you stand.”

I looked in her direction, “I didn’t come to take your lair. I came to invite you to a neutral location where neither one of us will be a threat to the other. Will you join me?”

“Tell me the place and I will think about it.”

“My home while I am here.”

“I will think on it, now go.”

I looked at Skyler, “You can come with me or stay here, but I need to leave now. I am going to apperate if you are staying here.”

He nodded, “I think I will stay for a bit. See you at your place.”

I nodded and apperated to my office. I didn’t have to wait very long before Skyler let me know they were on the way. I let the staff know that more would be expected then sent a thought to Anna Marie and let her know that Mary Ann had at least a duel element and could possibly be more. Anna Marie sent back that she would be here as soon as she had a chance. I went down to the front room and waited for Mary Ann to get there.

I knew when they arrived because I could feel Mary Ann’s rage. I told the staff to make themselves scarce and they seemed grateful that they wouldn’t have to be there. I told Skyler to just com on in and a few moments later him, Mary Ann, and Ja` Lynn were sitting in my front room.

I looked at Mary Ann, “Feel a little better now that I am not in your lair?”

She nodded, “Yeah. I’m still pissed off for no reason, but I don’t want to kill you as much. By the way. Why do you keep calling my house my lair? You make it sound as if I’m some kind of animal.”

I smiled, “Would you prefer I call it your nest? The instinct to protect it from any that you would see as a threat is the same.”

“Nest sounds even worse for some reason. If that is the case though, why aren’t you going for my throat right now? Aren’t we in your lair?”

I shook my head, “No, this is just my house. My lair is the small set of rooms in the cavern entrance. That is the place I claimed when I came into my nature. Most of our kind claim a place when they come of age and rarely change it throughout their lifetime.”

“Huh. Well, why can I stand Skyler and Ja` Lynn and not you? Shouldn’t they be a threat too?”

I smiled, “They would only be a threat to each other. In fact I am fairly sure that Ja` Lynn had to show remarkable restraint when Skyler walked in.” Ja` Lynn smiled with teeth that were a bit too pointed. I flashed him a grin and continued, “What I would like to know is how you were able to suppress your other side for this long and why it didn’t come out when the two of you first got together.”

She shrugged, “I don’t know. I guess I just didn’t need it until today.”

I shook my head, “Well, either way, I am going to let you know now so that you don’t go homicidal when she gets here, Anna Marie is on her way. When she gets here you and I are going to go with her to my bedroom while the guys glare at each other down here.”

“Your doctor? Why is she coming and why do we have to go anywhere with her?”

“For one, to see if you’re pregnant. The other reason is she might be able to help us figure out why your other nature took this long to show itself.”

“Fine, but if she pisses me off I won’t be held responsible for what I do.”

“That is why we are here instead of your place.” I looked at Ja` Lynn, “And you. If you got my friend pregnant then you had better marry her.”

Mary Ann’s voice was a deadly caress when she said, “Yari. Please don’t threaten him again.”

I looked in her direction and saw a slightly glazed look in her slited eyes. I knew she was at the point that if I moved too fast she would be murderous. I smiled a slow smile and quieted my other side, who was screaming to get out and fight. I was careful not to meet her gaze, but I wasn’t about to back down.

I let the same deadly caress infect my voice when I said, “I won’t unless I need to. If you want to lose control that bad then you should understand that I won’t hold anything back. Now get a hold of yourself before I slap you and start this dance.”

It took a visible effort, but she was able to pull herself back from the edge. I breathed an inner sigh of relief. Ja` Lynn took Mary Ann’s hand and that helped her calm down even more. She was nearly civil when Anna Marie let me know she was at me door.

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Luckily I was able to keep the forms straight. I found an unexpected sense of balance to the entire routine. I found myself pushing harder then I did with anything else. My favorite instructor was, strangely enough Sy` Kahn. I tried to call him Sir one day and still regret it. He beat me so thoroughly that I had to miss the rest of the day and most of the next. He said the next time I insulted him by calling him a title given to the ‘lesser species,’ as he called us, he would make sure I did not get back up.

It took me a week to learn how to regain enough respect in his eyes for him to start teaching me again. After trying to apologize and feeling like I was just insulting him further, I decided that I would look him in the eye and show him just as much arrogance as he showed me. I treated him as if he were insignificant, which was rather hard to do when I had to look up to look down on him. He found it amusing and started teaching me again.

I did everything I could to learn about the Order and Sy` Kahn’s culture so that I would be ready when I arrived at the Order. Sy` Kahn was fascinating to me. I could tell that the energy I felt rolling off of him was only what he didn’t have shields strong enough to contain. I had the feeling that if he wanted to take out my city all he would have to do is drop all of his shields.

Most of his lessons were about not just knowing the forms, but letting myself feel them. At first I didn’t understand what he meant. I knew all of the steps of the forms, at least all of the ones for the Inokahn, but I couldn’t figure it out. He finally got fed up with repeating him self so he had me spar with him.

He did a series of steps then looked at me, “Form and steps.”

“Third Form sixth through ninth steps Sy` Kahn.”

“Good. I am going to do them again, only this time I am going to strike you unless you counter with ninth Form fifth, ninth, and third steps.”

I reviewed the steps in my head and picked myself off of the ground. I hadn’t even realized he had moved yet. I glared at him and he laughed, “I even told you how to counter it. That is why I say you must let yourself feel the Forms.”

I stood ready, “Again.”

He smiled, “Good. You have teeth after all.”

He moved and I just managed to counter. He nodded, “This time I want you to watch my body. See my foot work, the way I shift my weight, the way I move my head, and how I hold my hands to identify the steps and Form at a glance, then counter. We will work on this until you learn to feel the Form.”

It was harder them it seemed at first. My biggest motivation was to not get hit. Every time he landed a hit he would laugh and it would take me a few minutes to stand back up. I set a goal to be able to feel the Forms for all of the Elements by my birthday. I made the Forms the first thing I did when I woke up and the last thing I did before I went to bed. I noticed a vast improvement in my Forms by doing this. I finally got to know the other Elements as well as I knew the Inokahn Forms.

One day I decided to try meditating while going through the Forms. I didn’t let myself sink all the way into meditation, just enough to feel the energy. I started with the first Form of the Ashentok and moved as if I were dancing rather then fighting. I felt the Earth energy separate from the rest of my energy and flow with me as I did the steps. I noticed that when I did it this way the last step of each Form pushed the energy from the last Form to a specific place and flowed into the next.

I continued on through the Forms of the Ashentok until I took the last step and pushed the energy down around me. I brought myself out of meditation and looked around. I was standing in the center of the symbol for Ashen. I reached out with my energy to the edged of the Rune and brought it in until it was only just below me. I then raised it up and pushed it to the wall in front of me and tied it there with Earth energy.

I noticed that it glowed a deep green color then started on the Forms of the Ethasian. With each set of Forms I only drew on the energy of that Element. As I danced through each one I could feel what each one invoked inside of me. Ashen gave me the sense of being firm on the ground and steady with my energy. Ethas gave me insight to myself and a better understanding of what I had become and glowed a deep golden color.

Inok took me through joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain. I began to understand how we were able to mold our bodies. Each Form whispered to me the secrets of the flames. I finally knew what it was to feel the Form. When I finished the Forms of the Inokahn I held the Rune of Inok just a bit longer then the others then sent it to the wall. It burned a deep red.

I continued to dance through the others and learned what each Rune was. Ociana glowed a deep blue and taught me how to balance the emotions sparked by Inok as well as how to balance my energy within myself. Usina taught me how to have peace within while I felt chaos around me. It also taught me how to see things for what they were rather then what they wanted to be and glowed a beautiful silver. Yenia took me through my life from where it began to the end and not just my physical life. It showed me when I really started to live rather then just go through existence. It taught me how to balance my past against my future and guide myself down the paths I needed to go. I finished it and pushed it to the wall where it glowed a deep black.

I could feel each element flowing together but separate for the first time in my life. I decided to continue and did the Thirteen Forms of the Kier in the same way that I had done the Elements. When I was done with that I brought the other six Runes together and laid them over the Circle created by the Thirteen Runes. I felt the energy flash and burn into my being. I pulled the energy in and brought it in front of me.

I found myself looking at an image of a crescent moon surrounding a banded planet with a dragon skull set in the planet. That was encompassed by a Circle woven from all six elements and the raw energy that had created the rune cloth. I felt six others that seemed familiar embrace each of the six elements. A claymore was formed by Ashen and slid into the top of the moon, through the planet, and out the bottom of the moon.

A scimitar of Ethos and one of Inok were formed and crossed under the claymore followed by a punching dagger of Ociana and Usina that were crossed then set above the moon to crown it. The words ‘By the Blade we Live. By the Blade we Die. Until we all come Home.’ were written by Yenia and set to either side of the moon and just below the scimitars.

By this time I was struggling to hold the entire thing together. I felt all six of the others push the symbol toward me so I pulled it in. I felt it burn into my core and become a part of who and what I was. I dropped to my knees to catch my breath and steady myself then looked at my right arm. Sitting on my wrist was the symbol of the Order of Saleen.

I looked up and saw my instructors standing in front of me dressed in the color of the Element they taught me. Anna Marie stepped forward and said, “Stand, Yarianna Nicole De` Ekar. Knight of the Thirteenth Order of the Order of Saleen. Stand and be welcome as a Knight.”

I slowly stood up and stepped forward. Ja` Sair stepped forward and strapped sheathes on me that were woven with the element of Time. There was a back sheath for a claymore. That went over my shoulder and hooked to a belt that had sheaths for twin scimitars and twin punching daggers. As soon as they were set he slapped me hard enough to put me back on my knees.

I stood back up and received a punching dagger made with Spirit and Water from Amy and Anna De` Cain. They each slapped me hard enough to put me to my knees. Sy` Khan and Anna Marie were next with the scimitars made by Fire and Air followed by slaps that put me on my knees. I stood back up and Lady Ca` Fain stepped forward with a claymore made of Earth.

She walked around me then gently slid the blade in its sheath then slapped me even harder then the others.. She stood in front of me, “This day you have become a Knight. This day you have been made to kneel after receiving your gifts of Knighthood. This day I ask that you kneel on your own and pledge yourself to the Oath of the Order of Saleen.”

I was still on my knees so I said, “By the Blade I Live. By the Blade I Die. Until we all come Home.”

She smiled and offered her hand to help me up. I stood and while still gripping my forearm she said, “By my Honor I raise this Knight. Are there any who dispute?” After a moment of silence she continued, “By my Honor it is done.”

I pulled each blade and the sheaths into my mark and looked at Anna Marie, “Have I passed the basics to your satisfaction Ma’am?”

She nodded, “Yes you have.”

“Good, but I’m not done yet. There is still something I would like to do before you send the instructors back to the Order.”

“Very well. What is it you would like to do?”

I looked at Sy` Khan and gave a half bow of respect then said, “Sy` Khan Dr` Agon. Will you Dance the Forms of the Inokahn with me?”

He looked at me and laughed. He stepped forward and returned the bow, “I would be honored to Dance the Forms of the Inokahn with you this day.”

We took our places in the center of the room and the rest of the instructors walked to the edges of the room. They layered the strongest shields they could and nodded saying they were ready for us to begin.

I went into my half meditation and called in Inok then stood ready with flames playing at the end of my fingers. Sy` Khan took a ready stance and with his natural flames running along his body. He grinned and attacked. I let the flames whisper to me and was able to block and counter his attack.

Block, counter, dodge, attack, counter, fall back, rush forward. High kicks, low strikes, fists, feet, body, head. We danced in perfect harmony, neither one of us able to gain any ground with the other. He stepped up his effort and I followed suit. The only sounds in the room were the sounds of strikes and blocks with the pleasant roar of flames drug through the air.

We continued our dance until we both were starting to get a bit slower. It pissed us both off that the other slowed down so we started using the flame itself to fight with. He was larger and stronger, but I was able to get inside of his reach, being smaller and faster. He finally knocked me back a ways then launched a blast of Dragon’s Fire at me. I rushed toward it and became one with my inner Fire. I let the blast enter me and pulled enough from it to rejuvenate me then let the rest pass the rest of the way through me. I felt something inside shift when I drew on his energy. It was like the Fire I had been using was asleep and suddenly awoke. I saw a slight spark of surprise cross his face when I grinned at him with eyes the color of molten rock and landed a flying punch laced with the new energy of Inok to his jaw.

The blow knocked him back a few feet and we stood facing each other. He rubbed his jaw then started laughing. He grinned and said, “Finally, someone worth Dancing with. You play things may want to double your shields now. This is going to get fun.”

He was right. It did get fun. Every blast we threw at each other sent the other one flying. It still turned out that neither one of us was able to get the advantage over the other, but several hits connected on both sides. It would have hurt more if we both weren’t using Fire to fight with, but as we were only using the Forms of the Inokahn we were able to use the energy used against us to heal ourselves.

I don’t even know how long it lasted. We finally had to stop when Ja` Sair sent the thought, “I hate to cut this short, but if you hit the shields too much harder that are going to fail and your city will turn to dust.”

I stepped back and smiled at Sy` Khan, “I have enjoyed this dance and look forward to the next one. Perhaps when we are in a place that the shields won’t fail so readily.”

He nodded and smiled, “Well done, child. It has been a long time since the last time I was struck and the one striking was able to continue for so long. Next time we Dance I will remember to hit you with something a bit more solid the first time so that it doesn’t pass through your meager frame.”

I grinned at him, “And I will have to hit you harder the first time so as to stop you laughter.”

He chuckled some more, “It is good you finally you feel the Forms as they were meant to be Danced. I will enjoy the day we meet on less friendly terms.”

“As shall I. Good day, Sy` Khan.”

“Good day, Yarianna.”

He stepped into the flames that were still burning on the shields and vanished. The shields lowered and Anna Marie walked up to me with Lady Ca` Fain. Lady Ca` Fain looked me up and down then looked at Anna Marie, “How is it that you find one of the few Kier who can still Dance with the Children of Dr` Agon?”

Anna Marie shook her head, “If I knew I would search more. Truly this is a good day.”

“Truly.” Lady Ca` Fain turned toward me, “I shall look forward to seeing you soon within the halls of the Order.”

I gave her a nod of respect, “I look forward to walking those halls, Lady Ca` Fain.”

She nodded then left with the De` Cain twins. I looked at Anna Marie and Ja` Sair, “So my birthday is tomorrow. I think I could really use some time to relax. Would the two of you like to join me tomorrow evening?”

Anna Marie smiled, “I wasn’t sure if you would want me there. I would be happy to join you. I have to get back to work now though. You made me proud today.”

I pulled her into a hug and laughed at the look of surprise on her face. She walked out of the room and I was left with Ja` Sair. He seemed slightly lost, as if he was torn between pride and longing.

He looked me up and down then sighed, “I suppose there isn’t really a way to get your pupils back to being black is there?”

I gave him a curious look, “They aren’t black?”

He shook his head, “No. They look a lot like Sy` Kahn’s eyes.”

“Huh. I guess drawing on his Dragon’s Fire wasn’t the brightest idea I ever had.”

“You were able to draw on his energy when it passed through you? The fact that it passed through you at all is something, but drawing on it? That’s unheard of.”

“Leave it to me to stumble on a way of doing the impossible.”

“You do seem to have a habit of doing that.”

We stood in silence for a few minuets. Neither one of us really seemed to know what to do. We tried to make small talk but the conversation kept dieing before it got started. Finally I sighed and walked up to him.

I wrapped my arms around him and said, “Thank you for teaching me, Dad.”

He slowly put his arms around me and whispered, “Your welcome.”

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

He apperated out and left me to my business. I looked back over the land toward my city for a few moments then apperated to the Court House and met with Skyler and Sasha. I sent a thought to Ja` Lynn and asked him to meet me in my office. H let me know he would be there.

I looked at Skyler and Sasha, “I need to talk to both of you about a personal matter.”

They looked at each other then back at me. Skyler asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong. I just need to let you two know a few things.”

“Ok. I suppose you want to apperate us to your office?”

“Yes. Unless you want to just shift there.”

Sasha sighed, “I guess I can go with you. Skyler?”

He held out his hand. I smiled and took it then put a hand on Sasha’s arm. I found that it was a lot harder to take more then one, but I didn’t let them see it. While they recovered I walked around my desk and sat down.

Sasha recovered first so she sat down in one of the other chairs and said, “Ok, so spill. What’s going on?”

I looked from her to Skyler then said, “I am going to be leaving for a school soon that will teach me how to control this gift I seem to have. For some reason I am able to channel all six elements. Ja` Sair told me about a special school that has been set up for people like me. While I am gone at the school Ja` Lynn is going to be my steward only because he is the next in line after me. I haven’t told him this yet, but he should be getting here soon so that I can let him know.”

Skyler looked at me, “Well, then I will get my things together. How long are we going to be there?”

“We are not. I am not sure how long I will be there. Unfortunately it is the kind of place that can only be reached by those who can channel all six elements.”

“So that’s it? Just like that you are going to leave for who know how long? Did it even cross your mind that maybe I really don’t want you to go?”

“Sasha, can you give us a few moments?”

Sasha nodded and left. I looked back at Skyler, “Why don’t you want me to go?”

“I never see you as it is. How is this dating thing going to work out when I will se you even less? How am I supposed to guard you if you are there and I can’t be? What if something happens while you are there? Why do you even have to go to this place anyway? Are your own people not good enough for you?”

I stood up and my chair flew across the room and crashed into the wall. I hadn’t even realized I had picked it up and threw it until I saw the pieces explode against the far wall. I glared at Skyler, “You would dare to ask if my people are good enough for me? You would dare? Your right. I don’t know how long I will be gone. I don’t know how this dating thing will work out when I am there. Hell its not even working out when I’m here. If something happens while I am there I guess I will just have to pull on my big girl pants and deal with it myself. It’s not as if I really need you to guard me.”

“Careful the words you speak. You may not be able to call them back Sa` Tain.”

“I may not want to call them back De` Cain.”

He reacted as if I had slapped him. He looked like he might start backing down when he said, “Yari…”

I couldn’t have him back down yet. I walked around the desk, locked eyes with him and really did slap him with claws extended. I hissed, “Do not ‘Yari’ me Sk` Yler De` Cain.”

It was finally enough to push him over the edge. I saw him move a split second before his claws connected with my cheek just below my eye. I tasted the blood that ran down my cheek and grinned. I attacked, slashing, biting, kicking, clawing, and anything else that came to mind. This was not a controlled fight where there are forms and moves to follow. This was the total rush of unvented anger.

I slammed him into my desk as he knocked me to the floor. He followed me down and just missed sinking his teeth into my arm before I sent him into the wall. He used his wings and claws to catch himself on the wall then launched back at me. I snarled at him and uppercut him just as he got to me.

The blow sent him into a back flip that he wasn’t quite able to recover from. He slammed into the floor then rolled into the far wall. I shifted into Kier form and let him get back up. I rushed him and put the full force of my punch into his jaw. His head snapped back into the wall. His eyes went to slits then glazed red. He jerked his head forward into my face.

I managed to tuck my chin just enough to avoid a broken nose, but I was still dazed a bit when our foreheads met. I felt my head slam against the wall and felt a growl escape from my throat. We both moved toward the other at the same time and our lips met.

The meager clothing we were wearing provided no resistance to our claws as we shredded each other’s clothing. I still wasn’t done fighting so I dug my claws in to his shoulder, kneed him and used my wings to push myself away from him, letting my claws slice down his chest.

I used my wings to cover myself and took a good look at him. The sight of him standing in all his glory with blood running down his chest stirred me in a way that I can’t describe. I could see lust and rage warring and mixing in his eyes and could feel the same welling up in me. I folded my wings back as he came at me.

We continued to fight as he pressed me back into my desk. His claws dug into my back as he pulled me to him so I ran mind down his back. I saw a question flash across his eyes asking if I wanted to continue. I answered him by sinking my teeth into his neck and wrapping one leg around him.

I never would have imagined my first time would be quite so violent. It was full of such painful rapture that all I could do was hold on as my body screamed for more. We had just finished when I felt Sasha ask if we were ready to see Ja` Lynn. I looked around the room and laughed.

I formed a light robe that would at least cover me and told Skyler to do the same. When we were both at least covered I sent back to Sasha that they could come in. I was sitting on my desk with Skyler standing beside me, both of us still with bloody marks visible, when they walked in. The slowly glanced around the room then looked at me and Skyler.

Ja` Lynn nodded to me, “You wanted to see me?”

I smiled, “Yes. I am going to a school that will teach me how to channel all six elements. You will be my steward while I am gone. Do you have any problem with this?”

He looked around at the damage to the room and shook his head, “None at all. Will you want me to sit in at Court with you tomorrow?”

“Yes. You are free to go about your business until then.”

“Thank you, my Lady. I will be going now.”

I nodded and he left the room. I looked at Sasha, “There seems to be a bit of cleaning needed in my office. Do you think you can arrange it?”

Sasha nodded, “I will have someone in here shortly. Do you want me to have the kitchen send your meals to your room?”

I let a slow smile spread across my face, “That would be wonderful.”

“Ok. Well, if it’s all the same to you I will be going now. Just send a thought if you need me.”

“I will.”

Sasha left the room and I looked up at Skyler, “As for you. I’m not done with you yet.”

I apperated us to my bedroom where we continued where we left off. I told him that if he got me pregnant I would rip his manhood off so that was the only thing he was careful about.

I woke up early the next morning blissfully sore. Skyler tried to pull me back into bed but I pushed him away with a smile. He sat up and looked at me, “I know why you have to go. I just wish you didn’t have to.”

I sighed, “Me too, Sky. I have the feeling that I am going to need what I can learn there, though.”

“I know. I can see it in your eyes. I stand a better chance of stopping the sun in the sky then stopping you from going. Well, If I can’t stop you, then I will help you get there and back as soon as possible. Tell me what you want me to do.”

I grinned, “Keep me company at night?”

He smiled, “I would be happy to do that.”

“Good. I will see you tonight then.” I kissed him and went into my bathing room to wash up.

I met Anna Marie in the Alter room where she instructed me to wrap the rune cloth around my waist. I immediately felt myself cut off from the natural strength I got from my Kier nature. I looked at Anna Marie and she smiled.

She led me to another room and said, “I believe you already know what to do. You will know when you are ready to do it. Do not do it too soon or it will kill you.”

I nodded and got started with the steps to the first and second runes. It was significantly harder to make my body stretch far enough to do the steps with out my Kier strength. All I could do was grit my teeth, feel the bite of Anna Marie’s whip, and carry on.

My mornings were filed with training and pushing myself entirely too hard my afternoons were spent making sure Ja` Lynn would be ready when I left, and my nights were filled with Skyler. Thankfully he didn’t ask me anything about my training though I could tell he wanted to.

Anna Marie pushed me hard. As I tried to do each step she would have me explain the rune. I tried and failed to keep my momentum going when I would miss a step because she would require me to repeat my explanation word for word.

She was starting to piss me off a bit so when she had me start over with the first rune when I was most of the way through the second I had enough with trying to explain it. When she asked me again to explain the first rune I said, “Sight beyond Senses.”

She smiled, “It’s about time you get it right, now do the steps.”

My feet were already moving to start the steps when it sank in. While still moving I asked, “So that was all I had to say?”

She chuckled, “Can you think of a better or more accurate way of describing it?”

I thought for a moment, “I guess not.”

I finished the steps for the first rune then moved on to the second. It took the same amount of force to do it this time as it did the first time. When I could finally do both runes with a fair amount of ease I brought up the 3-D image for the third rune.

I took the first two steps and wished I hadn’t. I had thought the second rune was hard. The third one nearly dropped me to my knees. I barely made it through the entire rune. I just managed to stand back up and identify the rune as meaning Strength of Body.

Each of the next four runes presented their own challenges in addition to the challenges of the rune before. The fourth, Stillness of Mind, was indeed the most challenging. The fifth, sixth, and seventh, Clarity of Motion, Fortitude of Purpose, and Flexibility of Action respectively, were only easy comparatively.

Anna Marie explained that the first seven runes were known as the Major Runes. They were used to test the resolve to make absolutely sure the student wanted to go on and had the ability to go on. They were the Unchangeable Laws, the things that must always be there. She went on to explain the next six were the Minor Runes and their attributes were much more fluid.

The eighth rune was Speed. As I studied I learned that Speed was more then just moving fast. It was moving with precision. Just enough speed to be accurate, and just slow enough to conserve energy.

The ninth rune was Silence. I discovered that it wasn’t always a good thing to be absolutely silent. There were times that silence would cause more noise then a slight bit of sound. It also took more energy to be absolutely silent then to let just enough sound out.

Agility and Will, the tenth and eleventh runes, were about knowing when to show it. Sometime it would be better to move with less grace then you are able to in order to throw off you enemy, but not to the point of appearing weak. Just as there would be times when bending others to you will would be best and other times when letting yourself bend would be better.

The twelfth and thirteenth runes were Past and Future. It took me a bit to find how they were fluid. The connection came when I realized they were each governed by the Present. Each decision made paved the road of the past and built the foundation of the future.

As I completed the test of each rune the pattern on the rune cloth grew more intricate. The labyrinth pattern grew more complex and beautiful. I also began to notice wisps of power flowed from one rune to the next along the pattern.

Anna Marie left me zero room for error. If I made any mistake it was immediately corrected usually in a painful manner. I went from hating her, to understanding, to respecting, to liking her. I found myself looking forward to the training, not just to get it done, but to learn from her.

She wouldn’t let me move on to the Elements until I could go an entire training session without a single misstep. If she said a rune number I would have to say the meaning and do the steps. If she said the meaning I would say the number and do the steps. If she displayed a rune I would say the meaning and the number then do the steps. I felt a sense of pride when she grudgingly said I was passable and we would be starting the Elements in the morning.

I woke up even earlier then usual. I made my way to the Alter room to meditate a bit before Anna Marie came to get me and found that she was in the room meditating. After we meditated we got up and walked to another hall. We walked into the first room and I felt a sense of solidity and could smell fresh grass and trees.

Anna Marie turned toward me and asked, “What will you be learning in this room Yarianna?”

I smiled, “The basics of the Element of Earth, Ma’am.”

“You are correct and not quite accurate. This is the Room of Ashen, or the Element of Earth. In here you will learn the Forms of the Ashentok, or the Earth Stompers. The only ones who know the name Ashentok are the Earth Stompers and the Order or Saleen. There are thirteen forms that you will learn for each of the Elements. Each Form translates to a Rune. These are important to remember. Each Rune invokes an aspect of the Element. For now you will only learn the Forms. We don’t have the wards here that will let you put those Forms into practice. Let’s go on to the next room.”

As we walked from room to room she explained what the room was called and the name of the Forms. The next room was the Room of Ethas, or the Element of Air, and the Forms were called the Ethasian, or the Wind Weavers. Following that room was the Room of Inok, or Fire with the Forms or the Inokahn, which was the Flame Blazers. The next was Ociana, or Water, and the Forms of the Ocianatan, or the Wave Runners. Then came the Room of Usina, or Spirit and the Forms of the Usinason, or Spirit Fighters. Last was the room of Yenia, or Time and the Forms of Yenianas, or Time Spinners.

Anna Marie took me back into the first room and told me that she expected me to remember exactly what each room was and what would be learned in it. I told her that I would. She smiled and told me to wait in the room for my instructor.

I looked at her, “You are not going to teach me, Ma’am?”

She smiled, “I will teach you the Element I am most gifted in. For the other Elements you will learn from those who are most gifted in that Element. You will be training for an hour in each Element every day until you have mastered the basics. I would caution you now not to get the Forms mixed up. It will be painful for you if you do.”

I nodded and waited for my instructor. She walked in a few minutes later. She was just shy of five feet tall and very petite. She had her hair pulled back into a braid that hung to her knees and clicked from the short bladed whip she had braided into the end of it.

She walked up to me and looked up, “You are Yarianna De` Ekar?”

I nodded, “I am, although I go by Sa` Tain, Ma’am.”

“Bah, Sa` Tain is not as strong as De` Ekar. While you are with the Order you will be known as De` Ekar. Understood?”

I nodded, “Yes Ma’am.”

“Good. I am Aliana Ca` Fain. You will call me Lady Ca` Fain. I here you are the Heir to Clan Sa` Tain. I don’t care. To me you are Initiate De` Ekar. Understood?”

“Yes, Lady Ca` Fain.”

“Good. Let’s begin.”

Lady Ca` Fain may have been small, but she made Anna Marie seem as if she were pampering me. Every misstep was punished by a switch she carried with her. That wouldn’t have been too bad, but she pushed her Element into the strike so that it felt like I was being switched by a tree. I thanked every God and Goddess I could think of when that hour was up.

Anna Marie was my instructor for the Forms of the Ethasian. I walked in and slimed, “You have no idea how glad I am to see you.”

She laughed, “Lady Ca` Fain is quite the firecracker isn’t she? Don’t tell her I said that though. She out ranks me by a long shot. To work though, Initiate Dr` Ekar.”

That hour passed rather quickly and I went on to my Inokahn instructor. This one surprised me. He was standing near the center of the room with flame rolling off of his body. He stood about just shy of seven feet and his head was shaved. His eyes looked like twin pools of molten rock. When he spoke it was deep and gravelly.

“Greetings Initiate Dr` Ekar. I am Sy` Khan Dr` Agon. I am not one of your kind and I consider you to be an abomination. Regardless of my personal feelings toward your kind you are still Children of Kier and I will respect that. Keep in mind that I am one of the few who will and you are my natural enemy. That being said, I agreed to teach your kind what I know of Inok so that you will provide some amusement to my kind when they decide to erase you from existence. Now let us begin.”

My next two instructors were Amy and Annie De` Cain. They were identical twins and chose to teach me together on both Ocianatan and Usinason Forms. If there was a way to tell them apart I didn’t know it. When one hour ended they just started the next with a new set of forms. I finally got to Ja` Sair and the Yenianas forms. By the time the day was over I just wanted to lay down and pray I could remember everything the next day.

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

The next morning I woke up to the sight of Anna Marie grinning. Picture the most deadly predator you can think of. Now imagine opening your eyes to see it grinning at you because it knows it just found it’s breakfast. It was kind of like that. Thankfully I didn’t squeal. I did groan though.

She laughed, “Good morning to you too Yarianna. It is time for you to start hating me. I have been going easy on you because of the conflict that has been going on, but since it is over it is time to really get started.”

“Ok. Give me a moment and I will be up.”

“I don’t believe so. You have been pampered enough. You need to be in top form before you ever go into training with the Order. Luckily Ja` Sair is here to work with you on you Time Spinning. I have to admit Time is not my strong point. Well, Lets go.”

She grabbed my ankle and started dragging me out of bed. I threw off my blankets and scrambled out of bed. She let go just before I would have landed on my but. I looked at her, “Do I have time to change out of my pajamas?”

“If you can change in one minute. After that you are going through the portal dressed in whatever you have on.”

I swore and striped off my pajamas and just managed to pull on a pair of sweats and a shirt before she shoved me through a portal into the alter room where I had left my book from the Order of Saleen. She smiled, “Grab your rune cloth, wrap it around your neck, and follow me..” I did and when I wrapped it around my neck I felt it seal completely smooth and shift so that it wasn’t visible. I immediately had a bad feeling about this whole thing but I followed her down the hall through another portal that I hadn’t even realized was there.

She led me into a room where Ja` Sair was waiting. She stopped next to him then directed me to stand in the middle so I did. I faced the two of them and listened while she spoke. “From now until I decide you have passed the basics to my satisfaction I rule every moment of your life. I understand that you still have other responsibilities and I fully expect you to see to them. That being said, since I was the one who gave you the initial test I am responsible for ensuring that you begin training at the Order with a knowledge of the basic Runes. That means you will know the basic Runes for each of the six elements as well as the thirteen that are on that cloth you have around your neck. Ja` Sair has agreed to teach you the basics for Time Spinning. I can allow this because he is your father. While you are training with us you will refer to his as ‘Sir’ and me as ‘Ma’am.’ Do you understand so far?”

I nodded, “Yes.”

Pain unlike anything you can imaging flowed through my body. I found myself laying on the floor shaking with Anna Marie kneeling over me. She smiled, “You forgot to say ‘Ma’am’ Yarianna. Don’t let it happen again. Do you understand?”

I looked up at her, “Yes Ma’am.”

“Good. Stand up and we will get started.”

I slowly started dragging myself up when another wave of pain dropped me to the ground again.

Anna Marie said, “When I tell you to do something you will do it immediately. Do you understand?”

I glared at her, “Yes Ma’am.”

“Good. Now stand up so we can get started.”

I stood up and glared. She smiled, “Good girl. Ja` Sair, explain to your daughter why she felt the pain and why we have the rules we do.”

Ja` Sair stepped forward, “Throughout your training with us you are going to feel pain. A lot of it. You will hate both of us while we train you, but you will appreciate how thorough we are when you enter the Order for further training. As a member of the Order you are an Elite Warrior of a Warrior Race. You will be required to show proper respect to those of higher rank then you. You will also have to learn to do anything you are told exactly when you are told to do even if it doesn’t make sense to you. This is not negotiable. One misstep at the wrong time can kill everybody around you. The rune cloth around your neck is the Order’s way of mitigating that damage as much as possible. It is not a matter of trust. It is a matter of necessity. You will make mistakes while you learn. With the rune cloth we will be able to stop the flow of your energy before you destroy everything around you. One last thing. When you get to the Order and begin training with them, what we do will seem child’s play. Do you understand?”

“Yes Sir.”

“Good. Anna, I am going to leave her to you. Let me know when you need me.”

Anna Marie nodded, “I will Ja` Sair. Yarianna, Show me the first Rune of the Kier and tell me the meaning.”

I started to do the moves for the first rune. She let me take the first few steps before the pain hit. I picked myself back up and started again. This time I tried explaining what I had learned about it. “The first rune is about Seeing. Not just on a physical level. It is about the ability to See with out sight. It is about having the Vision to see things on a deeper level. It could also…”

Pain flooded through me again. Anna Marie smiled, “You missed a half step. Start again.”

I started the steps again. “It could also…”

More pain poured through me. I could barely make out Anna Marie’s voice, “I said start again. Not pick up where you left off.”

I stood up again and started the steps. “The first rune is about being able to See…”

Pain again followed by Anna Marie’s voice, “That is not what you said the first time. I want it word for word.”

I stood up and said through gritted teeth, “How am I supposed to remember exactly what I said, Ma’am?”

“Why, you could always try to See what you said,” she said with a smile on her face just before she dropped me again.

This went on for a few more hours and by the time she told me I could go see to my city I realized that she was right. I did hate her. I made my way back to the alter room and into my bedroom.

Sasha smiled when I walked in, “Anna Marie said that you would be starting intensive training this morning. You have enough time to was up and get presentable before the funeral services for the ones who have died.”

I just grunted and started washing. We had a full ceremony and gave my personal guard a Clan Head’s funeral. Luckily the other Heir’s and Clan Head’s helped me with it because I was nearly wiped out before we even started. I still did the majority because it was my city they died to defend.

I had to spend most of the rest of the day in court trying to settle disputes that had come up during the battle but had been put off so that we could focus on surviving. Quite a few of the issues had to do with reimbursement for food, land, and other supplies.

After court I met with the Heirs and Clad Heads to discuss who was going to stay and who was going to return to the crater. Come to find out quite a few warriors from the other clans wanted to stay in my city. I didn’t have a problem with it as long as the other Clan Heads appointed a liaison for their clan.

After the meeting Ja` Sair pulled me aside to work with me on apperating. At first I was going to refuse, but I really wanted to be able to do it on my own so I went with him. By the time I was done for the night I had just enough time to eat before I passed out.

I felt like I had just fallen asleep when I was drug out of bed by Anna Marie for another day of torture. I discovered that your day tends to turn to crap when you wake up to the feel of pain. After making even less progress then the day before I saw the Clan Heads and Heirs off with all the warriors that were going to return with them and help Valora retake her throne.

Before he left I pulled Le` Than aside and told him that in the near future I was going to have to go to a school that could train me in using all six of the elements and that I was going to appoint Ja` Lynn as my steward until I got back. I tried to ask too many questions about it at first, but I told him that Ja` Sair was my real father and he would be watching over me. He reluctantly agreed and left so I went to sit in court until it was time to train with Ja` Sair.

There was very little variation to the routine from day to day. Skyler and Mary Ann tried to spend as much time as they could with me, but I was so tired by the time I was done for the evening that I usually fell asleep in the middle of whatever we were doing.

Each day I got a little bit worse and made more mistakes then the day before. Anna Marie was nearly ruthless in her punishments. Each day I was forced to dig a little deeper into my own energy to keep going because the rune cloth cut me off from every other source. I even tried to meditate to restore my energy. I couldn’t get up for a few minutes because of the pain after that.

I became increasingly volatile until I finally lost control of my temper during training with Anna Marie. I hadn’t even realized that I had tried to lash out with my energy until my vision went white and I dropped to the ground because of the pain.

I slowly picked myself up and restarted the training. I had to restart four times due to mistakes and I lost control again. This time I felt something give inside of me. Energy that felt very similar to the energy the rune cloth was made of flooded through my body. I felt it explode from my core and fill me nearly to the point of intoxication. I felt the swirl pattern on the rune cloth shift to a labyrinth pattern as I lashed out with the new energy. I could see the nimbus that surrounded me as the rune cloth struggled to contain the energy.

The pain hit and the energy consumed it, growing even stronger. I could feel the new energy try to take control of me. I felt the second rune start to burn on the cloth and knew what I needed to do. I formed the rune in my mind and projected it in a 3-D image under me. As I did with the first rune I used the second rune as a pattern for my steps. As I took each step the nimbus withdrew a little farther into me and made each following step that much harder. My entire body was on the brink of muscle failure by the time I finished the last step of the rune.

It felt like fire and ice rushing through my body. I could barley breathe. It was all I could do to hold the image of the rune in my mind. The rush of energy slowly subsided and the rune cloth released from my neck. I could still feel the new energy mingling with my own, but it felt natural and was as contained as my own energy was.

Anna Marie knelt down beside me and quietly asked, “What is the meaning of the second rune?”

I looked up at her and said, “Endurance of Spirit, Ma’am.”

She smiled, “Very good, Yarianna. You may rest now.”

“I still need to attend to my other duties Ma’am.”

“Not during your training time. I will wake you when it is time for you to attend to your other duties. Now go rest.”

I smiled, “Yes, Ma’am.”

I made my way to the room I had stayed in before and laid down on the bed. I had just gotten comfortable when Anna Marie came in and woke me up. I groaned and drug myself up. My clothing didn’t feel quite the same so I looked down. I must have fallen into a deep sleep because not only was I wearing different clothes, my hair had also been braided. I looked up to see Sasha standing in the doorway.

Sasha smiled, “About time. You have Court in a few minutes so Ja` Sair is waiting down the hall to take you. We have been trying to wake you up for nearly an hour. I finally just said to hell with it and had Anna Marie levitate you so I could make you look presentable.”

“Thank you. Are you going to go with me to Court?”

“Do I look like I enjoy being turned inside out and shoved through a tick’s back end?”

“Well, now that you mention it. You do a bit.”

“Funny. I’ll remember that when my itch powder accidentally finds it’s way to your sheets sometime.”

I laughed and headed down the hall to where Ja` Sair was waiting. The rest of the day was rather uneventful. It was as if everybody in the city was told to stay out of Court.

After waiting for an hour for anybody to show up I finally looked at the herald, “Did I miss something today?”

He gave me a curious look, “Not that I am aware of.”

“Huh. I wonder where everybody is. It’s been packed in here for weeks.”

“There is nobody scheduled to see you to day, my Lady. Likely they don’t have a reason to be here.”

“Nobody scheduled to see me? Do you mean that the past few weeks have all been scheduled appointments?”

“Yes and until just now I was under the impression that you had arranged it like that. Would you like for me to send for the one who makes your appointments?”

I thought about it for a moment then smiled, “That won’t be necessary. Do send for a messenger though. I may as well eat a bit while I am here.”

He nodded and soon I had a messenger on the way to the kitchen to get me some snacks. I took the time to meditate. This time when I meditated I found myself in the same clearing, but everything was more vibrant and alive. My other side seemed to have a nimbus around her. The one thing I did notice was there seemed to be a spring near the edge of the clearing. I walked up to it and found that instead of water it had raw power flowing out of it.

I looked at my other side, “This showed up earlier today, didn’t it?”

She nodded, “Yes. The finally pushed you to the breaking point. I was nearly able to take control with the surplus of energy you flooded me with. I may have even let you have control again after I was done separating them from their skin for the pain they caused you.”

I smiled, “I may have let you have control if you had told me what you intended.”

She calked her head to the side then smiled, “I shall remember that for future reference.”

“What will happen if I drink from this spring while here in meditation?”

“You will feel better. Outside of that nothing as it is our own energy.”

“Have you been watching the lessons in apperating?”

“Yes. I find the practice quite fascinating. Of course, I don’t have much use for it here as I am where I decided I want to be at any given moment. You will find it to be easier on you now though. This new energy is more closely related to the power required for such an act of displacement.”

“Can you show me?”

“Yes.”

I watched as she drew on the well of energy and used it to move herself to the other end of the clearing. I noticed that rather then moving her body she gave it to the energy and moved the energy to where she wanted to be then took her body back from the energy.

I looked at her, “That isn’t how we have been learning.”

“True. This way is better and easier. It does require you to know yourself completely though. You already know the other way. You have done it without flaw. Now you know how to take another with you. I can show you that if you wish. Though it is more painful it requires less knowledge of self and more knowledge of where you are and wish to be.”

“Please do.”

She showed me what she had observed when we apperated and I was able to see how to do it. I thanked her and left meditation. No one had come in during that time so I closed Court early. I found Ja` Sair waiting for me outside of the main entrance. I held my hand out to him and he took it. I apperated both of us to the place he had been teaching me.

I smiled, “Is that good enough?”

He grinned, “I was wondering when you were going to pick it up. You must have passed the second rune test.”

“I did just this morning. Please tell me that that was the hardest one.”

He shook his head, “They each provide a challenge in their own way. Some challenges are easier for some people and others are easier for others. I couldn’t tell you even if I wanted to.”

“Was that one the hardest for you?”

“No. my hardest was the fourth for reasons you will understand when you get there.”

“If I never have to repeat the second test it will be too soon.”

“Do you understand why we had to be so hard on you?”

“I understand it. It will take me a while to trust either of you again, but I do understand. Can you tell me about the new energy?”

“I can. That is the true power of the Kier race. It is rather rare that someone outside of the Order is pushed far enough to bring it out, but it has happened. Has it started mixing with your own energy yet?”

“Yeah. Was it not supposed to?”

“No, it was. When we start on you basic knowledge of the elements we will teach you how to separate your energy and only use what is relevant to the spell.”

“You and Anna Marie keep talking about how you are only going to teach me the basics as if you expect me to go to the Order. What if I either can’t go or don’t want to?”

“If you truly don’t want to then that is your call. I keep saying that you will because if you are anything like your mother you will not be able to resist. The curiosity will be too much for you.”

“How long will I have to be there and will I be able to come back here to see to my city at all or will I have to leave it to someone else’s care?”

“You will have to appoint a steward to over your city while you are gone. During your time there you will only be a student. When you are let out for breaks you may choose to either return here to run you city for the short time you have or stay there and enjoy the time you have to just be you. As far as age is concerned you will actually be among the youngest. It‘s not often that the students discover they can channel all of the elements this early in life.”

“What if I decide that I don’t like it and don’t go back after a break?”

“You won’t. If you do though they will send one of the Knights to find out why. After that it is up to them what they will do.”

“So I take it that it wouldn’t be a good idea to skip out on school.”

“No. Not a good idea at all. When will you know if you are going or not?”

“I decided during training with the second rune when I thought it was going to be completely torturous. That is why I want to get back to training with the runes as soon as I can. The sooner I finish the basics the sooner I can get there to learn the more advanced things.”

“You have already chosen your steward and cleared it with Le` Than?”

“Yeah. Like I said. I already made up my mind.”

“Well then. I thought I was going to have to argue you into it for another month. I that case we had better get you back so you can get your sleep. You will need it.”

“I was counting on that. See you later. I still have to let my steward know what I have planned.”

“Sk` Yler and Sasha don’t know yet. Do they?”

“Not yet. I am going to let them know tonight. Neither of them are going to like it, but I am going anyway.”

He smiled, “Good luck when you tell them. I am going to inform Anna Marie of you decision.”

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

We ran out of the cavern screaming. Most of the ravine had been roofed over so it was a long, sun-less, fight. Skyler and Ja` Lynn kept me toward the back so that I could direct the waves. At first it chaffed that I wasn’t able to be on the front line fighting, but soon I had as much as I could handle.

Sasha returned with the Stompers after they finished sealing off the upper vents so I had them go down the wall of the ravine and pick the Imperials off until I gave the word to collapse the ceiling. I had another patrol show up so I sent them to retrieve and replace the ones that were injured and help drag them back to the healers that showed up. I had a Patrol of Blazers show up but I held them in reserve because we were close to the cavern entrance by that time.

Even with the extra Kier that arrived we still slowly gave ground until we were in the cavern. I gave Sasha the go ahead on collapsing the ceiling. The roof of the tunnel came crashing down and half filled the ravine with bodies and debris.

I had the Blazers cover the entrance while everybody took a few minutes to rest. As soon as the first wave was ready I had the Blazers and Stompers clear the path back to the Imperial line. As soon as we got back to fighting I had the Blazers and Stompers cover the top of the ravine so that we weren’t cut off and didn’t have any get behind us. As more people would show up I would create another wave and when we lost enough to injury I would take away a wave until the injured were well enough to fight again.

We kept this pattern up until we pushed all the way to the mouth of the ravine and didn’t find anymore Imperials to fight. We could see what was left of the Imperial army quick-marching in the direction of West Fork. I became aware of a roaring sound around me. It took a few moments to realize it was my people cheering. I soon found myself cheering with them. We did a head count and realized that we didn’t loose a single person in the entire fight. There wasn’t anybody that hadn’t visited the healers at least half a dozen times including me, but all of us had survived.

We made our way back into the city. And found the entire city had lined the streets that led to the Court House. As we passed by the crowd saluted us with a fist over their hearts. We got to the Court House and found Le` Than standing with the aid of two healers.

He saluted us and said, “Because of each of you all those in this city are alive. I am the most healthy of the Clan Heads and the Heirs so I ask you to excuse them for not being here. These healers say that I need to return to my bed so I will just say this, thank you.” Slowly he kneeled and spread his wings then bowed at the waist, letting the tips of his wings touch the ground. We turned back around and saw that the entire city had done the same.

There wasn’t a dry eye among any of us. It takes a great deal for a Kier to bow to anyone. To receive a bow where the wings touch the ground is an honor far greater than any I could imagine. We slowly returned the bow to the city and made our way to our separate destinations. I helped Le` Than stand up and helped him back to his bed.

After getting him situated I asked him, “How many did they kill?”

“At last count there were three Divisions and two Wings dead and another three Divisions recovering. One Division of those recovering requires twenty-four hour watch and they might not make it. We are trying to figure out what that poison is so we can make an antidote for it. Some of the Clan Heads think the price is a bit high for keeping one city.”

“Then they don’t have to come back to this city when they leave. Speaking of which. The Emperor has invited all Clan Heads and Heirs to the Capital in order to work out negotiations. I told him that West Fork would be a better place. Oh, and Solstice is now it’s own Kingdom again. I’m going to have to let Valora know that she can go back to her Kingdom.”

“That’s good to know. I’m sure she will be happy. I do need to rest now, Yari. I’m one of those under twenty-four hour watch.”

“Ok, Le` Than. Get better soon.”

“I will.”

I left him to the care of the healers and went in search of Valora. It took me a while to find her. I tried to sense her but for some reason I couldn’t pick up anything. I finally found her just outside of one of the upper vents. She was looking toward West Fork when I landed next to her. She glanced in my direction then turned back toward the city. I sat down and waited. She remained standing foe a few more minutes then sighed and sat next to me.

She gave me a look then said, “Are you sure you are in the right place? I don’t see a single Kier Sona up here besides you.”

I sighed, “Ok, I deserved that. How long are you going to be mad at me, Grandma?”

She looked at me and I saw a slight bit of shock flicker across her eyes. She sighed, “Well, I had planned on making you feel guilty for a few more days but how can I when you call me Grandma? I guess you should tell me what’s on your mind.”

I smiled, “I don’t even know where to begin. I guess I should start by letting you know that the Emperor released Solstice back to your bloodline.”

“Really? Why did he do that?”

“I made it one of the conditions of his survival.”

“Ha! That’s funny. That’s not the thing that is troubling you though.”

“What can you tell me about Ja` Sair Dr` Ekar?”

“My court Wizard? Not a lot. Why do you want to know about him?”

“Because he is my father.”

“How sure are you in this?”

“As sure as I can be with a Power Sink. Is there any way that one of those tests can lie?”

“No. There isn’t. That is why it was used back in the day to determine legitimacy in the Royal Bloodlines. More then one civil war has been prevented that way. I don’t get it though. How can he be your father? He doesn’t even show up at all in your mother’s Memory Stone.”

“He is a Time Spinner. He has a way of blocking the stone so that it doesn’t record him.”

“Well, that’s news to me. Like I said, I don’t know much about him, but if he is still the same kind of man he was when I ruled Solstice then he is a good person. He was very private and seemed to be searching for something. I don’t know what it was or if he found it, but he was the reason that I made it out of that castle alive.”

“That’s good to know. I’m still trying to decide if I am going to trust him or not. There have been too many things lately that aren’t what I thought they were. I’m afraid that if too many more things turn out to be something else I’m going to be a paranoid as you.”

She gave me a look and I laughed, “It was a joke. On a more serious note, when are you going to talk to Le` Than? You two have a lot of history that needs to be straightened out.”

She sighed, “I know. It has been a long time since I even thought about him. I know that he is on a very close watch and I keep meaning to get down there to see him, but I don’t know if it will be a good thing or not. What if I talk to him and I become the reason he doesn’t make it? What if I go down there and I become the reason he does make it? Which one do I really want to be? Le` Than has been my reason to live for a long time. At first it was because I loved him. Then he left and it was so that I could get revenge on him. Now? I just don’t know.”

“I’m sorry, Grandma. You’ll figure it out though. I’m sure of it.”

She smiled at me and put her arm around me. We watched the sun set then got up and went inside. I was greeted by Skyler and Sasha. Sasha looked at Valora and said, “Hi, Grandma. I hate to pull her away, but Yarianna is going to relax for a bit now.”

Valora smiled, “By all means. Tie her up if you need to. She can be stubborn about things like this.”

Skyler laughed, “Tell me about it. I don’t think I’ve seen her relax in the entire time I’ve known her.”

I looked at the three of them, “I’m standing right here you know. I think I am very capable of relaxing without help.”

The three of them looked at me then back at each other. Sasha continued as if I hadn’t spoken. “I agree, Skyler. I’ve see drawn bowstrings more relaxed then she is.”

Valora laughed, “That is a rather accurate description. Well, I don’t want to stand in the way. You all have fun.”

Skyler and Sasha both said, “We will.”

I looked at the three of them, “Don’t I get a vote in this?”

All three of them said, “No.”

Valora walked off and Skyler and Sasha each took an arm and started leading me toward my living quarters. We got there and Skyler waited in my front room while Sasha drug me to the bathing room. Sasha looked me up and down then said, “Shift out of that armor and strip. Your going to take a bath first.”

I looked down, “Why?”

“Yarianna, you have been fighting and training in those same clothes for nearly two months and it had been at least that long before you were injured enough to have to change your clothes. If you don’t do it yourself I will sink your feet into the floor and do it for you. Now strip.”

I shifted my armor out and noticed that my white undershirt wasn’t so white anymore. I shrugged and finished peeling off the rest of my clothes. I soon found myself sitting in a bath tub with attendants scrubbing dirt off of my body and out of my hair. At first I was uncomfortable because I was perfectly capable of washing myself, but when I tried to protest Sasha just ignored me. I tried to do it myself but I got my hand slapped so I leaned back and just let them wash me.

I will have you know that I did not enjoy it in the least. As if I wasn’t perfectly capable of washing myself. That was not a sigh of comfort. It was exasperation at the indignity of, mmmm fingernails on the scalp feels sooo gooood, someone else washing me. Imagine the insult. Treating me like, where are you going? No, I think my hair still has dirt in it. Was it again. Mmmm feels sooo gooood. Treating me like a little girl that can’t bathe herself. What? I was not snoring. I was trying to clear my nose.

After that horrendous bath I was forced to let the girls dress me. I tried to do it myself, but got my hand slapped again. I tried to draw the line when Sasha started fussing with my hair and brought out the make-up. Can you believe that she actually pulled out some rope? I asked her where we were going since she was going to get me all dolled up and she smiled and said, “Nowhere. You’re a girl and for now the battle is over so you are going to look like a girl no matter where you are.”

I gave her a shocked look, “I’m a girl!? Really? And all this time I thought I was a boy. Gee golly, I sure am glad you’re here to let me know these things. Ouch! What the hell?”

“Gee, I’m so sorry. Your hair is just so tangled. You really do need to start taking care of it better.”

I glared at her reflection in the mirror, “You can take the halo off now. It is starting to dig into your horns.”

“Yeah, but then the horns flair out and it is so unattractive. That halo is the best horn scrunchy ever.”

She finished dressing me up and doing my hair then led me out to the main room. Mary Ann was there along with Skyler, Valora, Ja` Sair, Le` Than, Ja` Lynn, and Anna Marie. I saw that Mary Ann had brought several board games and was trying to explain the rules to one of them to everybody else.

Sasha looked at everybody then said, “This is a stress free evening everybody. You are all here because you can’t seem to relax without help. I have left strict orders with my girls that if any one of us starts stressing about anything they are to hang us up-side down from the ceiling until we can behave. If the offender continues to stress they are then to be tortured by feathers until they wet themselves. A picture will be taken and laughter will abound throughout the city. Do I make myself clear?”

I smiled, “Do you include yourself in this mess?”

“Yes. I also need to relax a bit.”

I looked at Skyler and grinned, “He he… Begin operation ‘Stress Sasha.’ I want to see her pee her pants.”

She punched me in the arm as everybody laughed. We settled down with everybody else and discussed the rules of the board game. The attendants kept a constant flow of refreshments going and soon we were too involved in the game to worry about too much.

It was getting brighter outside of my window by the time I started getting yawning. Skyler started heading out so I grabbed his arm and looked at everybody, “You all have fun. Eat my food. Drink my alcohol. I am out.” I led him to my bedroom and smiled, “I would really like for you to hold me while I fall asleep, Skyler. It would do me a world of good.”

He smiled back, “The benefit will be mutual Yari.”

We both laid down and our arms went around each other. Our lips met and the rest of the world went away for a few moments. I snuggled up to him as close as I could get and sighed. I don’t remember actually falling asleep, but it was the best sleep I think I have ever had.

I woke up the next morning feeling warm and safe. Skyler was already awake and watching me. He smiled, “Afternoon.”

I picked my head up and looked out the window, “So it is.”

I laid my head back down on his arm. He put his other arm around me and kissed me. After some time we broke the kiss and got out of bed. I made my way into the dining area and found a breakfast laid out on the table. We started eating and Le` Than came in. He grabbed a tray and piled up a breakfast for two. I looked at him and he shrugged, “Valora always did like breakfast in bed even if it was afternoon when she woke up.”

I shook my head and smiled. It seemed like him and Valora finally made up. A short time later Ja` Lynn came in followed a bit too close for coincidence by Mary Ann. I noticed that Mary Ann had a particular glow about her and she just happened to glance at Ja` Lynn a bit too often. I caught her eye and gave her a look that said we needed to talk later. She blushed and nodded and I went back to eating. Ja` Sair and Anna Marie walked in and sat down to eat. Sasha stumbled in and poured herself a large mug of coffee.

We all mutually decided that last night’s stress free time would extend into tomorrow. I sent Skyler off to entertain himself and corned Mary Ann. I took her arm and pulled her into my bedroom then shut the door. I plopped on my bed and looked at her, “Ok, spill. What happened last night between you and Ja` Lynn?”

She blushed, “Well, You and Skyler went to bed and we all joked a bit about that. Then everybody else started drifting to separate rooms and Ja` Lynn and I were still sitting up talking. I think he said something about how attractive he found me but the next thing I remember we were kissing. I don’t remember how we got to the bedroom.” She smiled, “He kissed me on my neck and I felt his teeth drag against my skin. I thought I would die on the spot.”

She drifted off a bit with a smile on her face. I prompted her, “And?”

She shook her head slightly, “And what?”

“Well, did you?”

She turned red, “Yes. We did. Several times.”

“How was it?”

She smiled, “Definitely something I am going to be doing with him again. Sooner rather then later.”

I grinned, “Good for you. I’m glad you found somebody your are comfortable with.”

“Me too. So did you and Skyler yet?”

“No. Not yet. I fell asleep last night. I wanted to though.”

“You will when the time is right.”

“Yeah. Anyway, what do you think of my city?”

“I like it down here. Any chance of getting citizenship now that you are no longer part of the Empire?”

“I think we can work something out. I will have to talk it over with Le` Than”

“That conversation will be short. ‘Le` Than, your going to give my friend citizenship right?’ ‘Why of course I will because if I don’t said friend will tell Valora on me.’”

I laughed, “ ‘Grandma! Le` Than won’t make my friend a citizen.’ ‘Tell him if he wants to keep his anatomy intact he will.’”

We both laughed until our sides ached. We went back in to the main room and spent the rest of the day being lazy. I have to admit that Sasha was right. I did need to relax a bit more. It was a good thing I did because it would be a while before I had the time to relax like that again.

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

It took almost a month to get the Emperor to the point that he could survive on his own. We set up a small camp in the clearing so that we didn’t have to move him any more then absolutely necessary. I stayed in the camp and trained with Anna Marie any time she wasn’t working with the Emperor.

Ja` Sair would sit in on the training every once in a while, but for the most part he avoided the Emperor. Although he did tell me of several uprisings throughout the Empire that were looking fairly serious. He told me that he had heard from a reliable source that large resistance forces throughout the Empire had heard of the Emperor’s near death experience and subsequent defeat of his army and had decided that it was time to take their kingdoms back. From what he told me they were doing quite well in that regard.

Re` Than and I started spending more and more time together, to Skyler’s annoyance. I didn’t feel the same attraction to Re` Than that I did with Skyler, but there was definitely something there. I couldn’t tell if Re` Than was also attracted to me or not, but he seemed to find excuses to spend time around me.

When the Emperor finally recovered he sent a message for me to speak with him. I was training at the time so I finished what I was doing and made my way to him. I didn’t bother to shift my blades away when I walked into the Emperor’s tent and some of the guard started forward. The Emperor sat up and said, “Let her in. We all know that she is as dangerous with those blades and she is without.”

They backed off and I walked up to the Emperor. I gave him a nod, “You wanted to see me?”

He nodded back, “Yes. I wanted to ask you why you chose to save my life. I would have just let you die and negotiated with whoever was named Emperor in my place.”

“Whoever was named in your place would have either been a puppet for someone else or would have felt a need to avenge you. Neither one of those scenarios were what I would call idea. By saving your life I would know who I was dealing with and you wouldn’t feel the need to call my bluff. You already know that if I say I will do something I’m not bluffing.”

He chuckled, “You have a good point there. How do you know that I won’t just take you prisoner and declare the treaty I just signed with you void? How do you know that I won’t just continue the invasion until I have satisfied the blood debt with Clan Sa` Tain?”

I smiled, “Because you know that if you do I will kill you. I have already proven to you that I am more then willing to sacrifice my life if need be. What you need to be asking yourself is this: Are you willing to risk your life to see any of that done?”

“You already know that answer, Lady Sa` Tain. I value my existence too much. Not everyone you meet will have that restraint though. I am sure your Captain has advised you of this, but you need to be there for your people. You have to stop being so willing to throw your life away if you ever want to truly lead them. It is their job to give their lives for you. It is your job to provide the leadership that inspires them to want to do so. I am going to withdraw my army and return to the Capital in a few days. I would like to invite you and the Clan Heads with their Heirs to go there in order to begin the negotiations that will determine how our separate lands will deal with each other.”

“I don’t think it would be such a good idea to have the negotiations in your capital. Especially not with all of our leaders. It could too easily turn into hostage negotiations. I suggest we have them a bit closer. West Fork, for example, might be a better place.”

“A good choice, however if we meet there it will have to be postponed for a time. I have other business that needs attended to.”

“I can imagine. I am sure the rumors of your imminent death sparked all kinds of trouble for you.”

“You seem remarkably well informed. Should I assume this information comes from a certain Wizard that was, until recently, in my employ?”

“You may assume that if you wish. Who am I to correct the assumptions of an Emperor?”

“There is a time and place for sarcasm, Lady Sa` Tain.”

“I agree with you. The time seems to be whenever I draw breath and the place happens to be wherever I am standing at the moment. On the day of my funeral I will most likely sit up one last time and make some sarcastic comment about how bright it is on the other side.”

He shook his head, “Well, before I decided that your sarcasm offends me, I am going to call an end to this conversation. I will be in touch with you in regards to the date of negotiations.”

“I look forward to it.”

I left and found Anna Marie packing away her supplies. She looked up as I approached. She looked around at the camp that was getting packed away and ready to move then said, “I hope you made the right decision in sparing the Emperor’s life, Yarianna. I think it may have done more good to let him die with all of these rebellions springing up all over the place.”

“I feel as though it was the right thing to do. If it turns out that I was wrong then the next time they come against us there will be no quarter. I don’t think it will come to that though.”

“Well, let’s hope not. I know that you didn’t come over here to talk about if you made a good choice or not. What’s up?”

“Ja` Sair, actually. He said that he is my father and there was a way for you to test that. Would you be willing to?”

“Sure. Is there any reason for you to believe that he is telling the truth?”

“Up until a few days ago I was under the impression that my father was human.”

“Well, that is not possible unless your father was a latent Kier. If your mother was aware of her nature before they married then it would have woken your father’s Kier side. Is there any way that he was latent?”

“I don’t know. If he was he kept it hidden from my mother’s Memory Stone.”

“Well, that would have been next to impossible unless he was aware of his nature before hand and kept it on a tight leash. It is very difficult to suppress that side when two Kier, well…”

“I get the point. I would still like for you to check.”

“I will. I can do it right now if you would like.”

“I would.”

I cast out my senses until I found him then gave him a nudge to let him know I wanted to talk to him. He appeared next to me a short time later and said, “You rang?”

I looked at him, “Yeah. I thought it was a good time to see if you are father or not.”

“Fair enough. Is this the one testing us?”

I nodded, “Yes. I trust her to tell the truth.”

“Good.” He looked at Anna Marie, “Do you know the Power Sink method?”

She smiled, “Is there any more sure way?”

“Doubtful. Shall we begin?”

Anna Marie looked at me, “Give me the word and I will start the test.”

I took a deep breath and nodded, “Go ahead.”

She traced a symbol in the air that looked like it was a combination of several runes. It vanished too fast for me to make out which runes were in it. Suddenly the area we were standing in seemed to shift. Outside of the circle of normal under our feet seemed to be nothing but raw power, as if we were standing in a vein of power that was coursing through the planet.

Anna Marie traced another symbol in the air and I felt that power seep up through the ground and wrap around me. I could feel small streams of the power enter my body and rejoin the larger rope above my head. The rope wound back down my body and seemed to pool in front of me.

She traced a third symbol and the pool in front of me shifted to form an image. It formed the design that was on the front of the book Anna Marie gave to me with a few slight changes. Rather then the scimitars it had the keris style blades and in place of the claymore it had a bladed staff. The design was set into the forehead of a dragon skull that had drops of blood running from the symbol. I could clearly see Dr` Ekar written just above the design. Just below the design was written my name then Ja` Sair and my mom. I looked over to Ja` Sair and saw that he had an identical symbol in front of him with the exception of the names that were written.

Anna Marie traced a fourth symbol in the air and we were back in front of the stuff she was packing away. She looked at me, “The Power Sink doesn’t lie, Yarianna. This man is your father.”

I looked at Anna Marie, “Thank you. I will leave you to your packing unless you want some help.”

She shook her head, “None is needed. I will see you tomorrow in my office to continue training.”

“Looking forward to it. You did guarantee that I would hate you. I’m still waiting for that.”
“Who said I was done with you yet?”

I smiled then looked at Ja` Sair, “I have never had a father figure and frankly don’t really feel the need to have one now. It will take me some time to get used to the idea of actually having a living parent before I will even consider the idea of calling you dad. In the mean time I do want to start working on apperating with you, if you wouldn’t be opposed to teaching me.”

He smiled, “On that same note, I have never been a father figure. Hell, until I saw you in the Emperor’s tent that first time I wasn’t even sure that I was a father. So, while you are getting used to the idea of having a living parent I will be getting used to the idea that I am a parent. In the mean time, I will be happy to teach you because if you are anything like me you are going to try and learn on your own if I say no. Am I right?”

I blushed slightly because he had hit it dead on. I still gave him my best imitation of an innocent look and said, “No. Of course I wouldn’t.”

He snorted, “Yeah, bullshit. When do you want to start?”

“How about later this afternoon?”

“That will work for me. Your days are going to be busy, you know.”

“I know.”

“Good. I have some stuff I need to take care of. I will find you later.”

“Ok.”

He walked off and I looked at Anna Marie, who had a grin on her face, “I don’t want to hear it.”

She laughed, “It was like hearing someone talking to an older version of themselves. Hell, I didn’t need the Power Sink. All I would have had to do is sit in the same room as the two of you.”

“I said I don’t want to hear it. I’m going to go get my stuff gathered up and moved. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I left and she was still chuckling. Skyler and Ja` Lynn were waiting with Sasha outside of the tent. They all had grim faces. I looked at Skyler, “What’s wrong?”

“We found the bodies of the other members of your personal guard. Ja` Lynn and you are the only two left that fought for Heir.”

“Where are they and what happened?”

“Over here.”

They led me to a tent set up just outside of the main camp. I opened the tent to find the three bodies of the rest of my personal guard. I knelt down to examine them as Ja` Lynn explained.

“We were separated for a time during the last skirmish before we were asked to do guard duty on the command tent. They had told me that they were ambushed by a Patrol carrying war bows. I tried to sent them to get checked out, but they refused, insisting that they were fine. I have been keeping a close eye on them and noticed that they seemed to be getting worse. I tried to tell them to stay behind and get seen by a healer, but they refused again. Last night I sent them to bed early. When they didn’t report this morning I took the first opportunity to tell you.”

I used energy to carefully raise them up and remove their armor. I found the places they had been struck by arrows because there were black lines radiating out from the infected cut.

I looked at Skyler and Ja` Lynn, “Did either of you get cut or shot at all? Don’t lie to me on this.”

Skyler shook his head and Ja` Lynn said, “I had an arrow graze my back, but that was it.”

“Remove your armor and let me see.”

He shifted his armor out and raised his shirt. I looked at his back and swore. Along an infected cut he had small black lines beginning to radiate out.

I sent a thought, “Ja` Sair I need you now.”

He apperated into the tent, “What’s wrong?”

“Ja` Lynn. I need you to take him to Anna Marie now.”

Ja` Lynn looked at me, “There isn’t any need for that. I feel fine.”

“I’m sure they did too, just before they died. No arguments. Go.”

Ja` Sair didn’t wait for him to agree. He took Ja` Lynn’s arm and apperated out.

I sent out another thought, “Le` Than, I need everybody that was cut of struck by any weapon of the Empire to get checked now. I just lost three of my guard and might lose a fourth to what looks like poison.”

He responded that he would see to it and broke the connection. I looked at Skyler, “We need to get back to the city now. Gather what is left of the Patrol and meet me by Anna Marie’s tent.”

He nodded and left. I turned to Sasha, “Gather all of your attendants and send them to assist the healers then get your Stompers together. We may need to seal off the city in a hurry.”

She sank into the ground and I headed toward Anna Marie’s tent. Ja` Sair apperated next to me. “Anna Marie swore something fierce when she saw his back, but she said that he would be ok.”

“Good. I need you to tell me if the Imperials are moving toward my city or not.”

“Ok. I will meet you at Anna Marie’s tent unless I see you sooner.”

“That will work. Before you go, how many can you take with you when you apperated?”

“One at a time unless you link with me and share your energy. With that I should be able to shift everybody still living back to the city.”

“Good. Get going. I will meet you in a moment.”

He vanished and I arrived at the tent. Ja` Lynn was lying on her work table with his back exposed to the air. Anna Marie looked at me, “I was able to get all of the poison out and he should be back up in a few minutes. I hate to think what would have happened if you wouldn’t have discovered it for another hour. I’ve seen this kind of poison. It numbs the area around it so that you don’t feel the damage it is doing until it hits your heart or brain, whichever is closer. It is one of the few that will actually work on our kind.”

Skyler walked in, “We are ready to leave when you are. Sasha has some Stompers moving the bodies back to the city.”

I nodded and Ja` Sair walked in, “The Imperials and on the move. They should be at your city within twenty minutes.”

I swore and looked at Skyler, “This is going to make most of us feel uncomfortable, but it is the fastest way back to the city.”

“Then what are we waiting for?”

Anna Marie and I lifted Ja` Lynn off of the table and carried him outside. The rest of the Patrol was waiting for us and took Ja` Lynn. I linked my energy with Ja` Sair and had everybody grip forearms. I nodded to Ja` Sair and he apperated all of us to the city.

Sasha was just coming out with a small group of Stompers. I looked at them, “I need you all to seal the city as tight as you can get it and send out everybody well enough to fight. The Imperials are on the way.”

The saluted and rushed back into the city. The Patrol was just getting back up. Ja` Lynn looked at me as he called his armor back in, “I don’t know which felt worse, getting the poison sucked out of me or that apperating thing.”

“I hear it gets easier the more you do it. Are you well enough to fight?”

“Yes, I am. Bloody Imperials. They couldn’t beat us in a fair fight so they had to use poisons.”

“Yeah, I’ll be sure to feel proud about that after we kill them.” I looked at the rest of the Patrol, “All of you check for poison now before the Empire gets here. I want to trip over their corpses, not your’s.”

They stared checking as reinforcements arrived. In all we had a two Wings that weren’t poisoned. I swore again. I had to send all but a Quad back of the Patrol I had with me. I looked over the Kier that had gathered. “The only way I can think to do this is fight in waves. We can bottleneck them in the ravine and fight our way back into the city. We will give ground only grudgingly and use the first cavern entrance to further bottleneck them. We cannot let them get into the city itself. I want three waves of channelers and archers and three waves of blades. Channelers, do not wear yourselves out. If they get inside the first cavern entrance you and the archers will be picking up blades.”

Ja` Sair appeared next to me, “They are in the ravine. Maybe another ten minutes until they get here.”

I turned to my people, “We ready to die?”

The shouted they were and I smiled, “Then lets give these Imperial dogs something to break their teeth on!”