by Kate Sander
Finally, Eris dropped her guard. Seeing the opening, Akira spun and caught her lightly in the mouth, pulling her punch at the last second.
"Don't drop your guard," Akira said, puffing.
Eris smiled at her and held out her hand. "Well played."
Akira shook it. They sheathed their weapons and walked over to the water bucket, smiling and enjoying each other's company.
"Tell me, Eris," Akira said, throwing water over her head. Senka, Tory, Ujarak and Kai were still on deck. They'd been watching the entertainment all day. "Why did you leave the Ampulex? You said they were like your family."
"They are... were," Eris said quickly, glancing over at Akira. "Sorry. They are really the only family I have ever known."
Akira shrugged, "Yeah, that's a thing with Zoya. We always took them in. A bunch have woken up by my house."
"Yeah. So I woke up and they were there," Eris said. "They took me in, gave me food, shelter..."
"Love," Akira piped up, remembering Tomo. How much she'd loved Tomo.
"Yes. Love," Eris said. "They loved me. I truly believe that. Anyway, I stopped agreeing with what they were doing."
"Which was?"
"Taking people's choice away," Eris said. "Yah know, I did terrible things for them, but I didn't mind. Shit, even on that farm right at the end I didn't mind. Like I led the mission, led the charge. It was when I realized that they were taking peoples' choices away. That's what got me."
Akira went white.
The farm.
She was at the farm.
The scream of her mother echoed through her head. She'd been told to run. She didn't know who had come and killed her parents and kidnapped Tomo. Hiding in the forest for hours until she was sure they'd left, Akira had vowed revenge. Revenge on all the Ampulex.
But... Eris was there. Eris was at the farm. It made sense. Eris had been following Tomo. Because Eris was in charge of Tomo. Eris was still an Ampulex.
"Akira?" Eris said, bringing her back to the present. "Akira? You okay?"
Akira needed to be sure. White hot anger burned through her. "Farm?" she coughed out, trying desperately to keep it together.
Eris blanched, "Well, yes. I went to a village then to a farm looking for someone."
That was it. That's all Akira could take. She unsheathed her katana and attacked with a fury she didn't know she had.
10
Senka
They were watching the kids play on the deck.
The thought crossed through Senka's head and she had to laugh at herself. Akira and Eris were sparring hard, sweat dripping from their eyes, puffing and gasping between rounds.
Her version of playing. Senka hoped her kid would like to fight. She'd sure have a lot to show her.
Her. The thought popped into her head for the first time.
There were no ultrasounds in this world, no testing. Senka would get what she got, there was no finding out early.
Her.
Tory was flipping through The Lord of the Rings. Also known as The Book of All.
"I really don't understand why the Ampulex want to kill for that," Senka said.
Tory shrugged, "They seem to be a step ahead of everything we do. I wouldn't be surprised if they had a Zoya who could see the future or something."
"Can't you see the future with that stone of yours?"
Tory laughed, "It's not really that simple. The stone shows me what it wants to show me. It's tied to Cass and her memories. I don't really control it."
"Who is Cass?"
"Well, apparently my great-great-great grandmother or something," Tory shrugged. "My mother was a Zoya. Cass' blood runs through my veins. Not really sure when she had a kid, from what I've seen she'd never had one."
"You sure she's your relative?"
"The shaman said her blood runs in my veins," Tory said.
"Maybe she had a sister or something," Senka said. "Be the same blood, would it not?"
Tory nodded. "That is true."
"So your mom was a Zoya?"
"Yes," Tory said. "And she died when I was young. My father... well my father was broken. The Ampulex got to him while he was studying in Anzen. He came back and..."
"And?"
Ujarak walked up and sat down heavily beside Tory.
"Well, apparently the Ampulex wanted me dead. Even as a child. So they told him to kill me."
"They turn him?"
Tory sighed, "Sure looked that way. He tried to fight it, but his eyes got white and he poisoned my drink. Hell, I hadn't seen him for twenty years. He abandoned me so young. Apparently because he was fleeing."
"So he got control back?"
"I think... Okay, don't quote me, but I think they kind of forgot about him and he got control back eventually. Like he killed a different child because he couldn't kill me, then he fled north. Once he saw me alive, it triggered something and Malin got control back. It was weird."
"Hm," Senka agreed. "It is weird. I wonder why they wanted you dead?"
"Yeah. I've been wondering the same thing."
They sat in a comfortable silence for a while, the only sounds were that of the sailors chatting lowly, the sparring match between Eris and Akira, and the deep snores of Kai asleep on the deck.
"So, why don't you trust Eris?" Tory asked her.
"She's a Zoya," Senka said. Kai padded in front of them and lay back down, chasing the sun on the deck.
"You're a Zoya," Tory said. "You don't trust yourself?"
Senka laughed, "Do you trust me?"
Silence.
"See? Exactly," she took a knife out and started chipping away at a chunk of wood. Whittling helped her ignore the nausea, even if just for a short amount of time.
"I used to trust you," Tory said. "Back in the day."
"Yeah, when I couldn't speak and was, what? Twenty years old? Not even? We were young, man, naive."
"I guess," Tory said. "Still trusted you."
"Well, where did that get us?"
Silence again.
"See? Shouldn't have trusted me- Fuck," she nicked her finger with the knife.
"But why don't you trust Zoya?"
"'Cause we're all fucking crazy man. Something happens in our heads," she tapped her temple a few times, and put her finger in her mouth to stop the bleeding. "We're not supposed to be here, and we go crazy."
Ujarak nodded slightly.
"See? He's seen it," Senka said. "I'm fucking angry. All the time. I make bad calls," she shrugged. "I don't care about that, either. I can kill any of these fuckers on board, and I wouldn't bat an eye. Sleep like a baby."
Tory shook her head, "What happened to you?"
The ringing of the girls' swords stopped. They were heading for a bit of water.
"Shit," Senka said. "I've seen shit. And you know what the fucked up part is?"
"What?"
Tory never found out.
"YOU BITCH," Akira yelled from beside the water.
Senka sprang to her feet and ran, Tory, Ujarak right behind her. Kai was faster than them all and got there first, leaping at the girls whose swords were now aiming for death.
Akira was swinging at Eris' head, over and over and hard as she could. Eris looked terrified and was barely getting her khopesh up to block the blows.
Kai leapt on Eris and Senka tackled Akira. Being careful not to get stabbed by the sword, Senka landed on top of the girl. Quickly, she grabbed Akira's wrists and pinned them to the deck.
"Get off me," Akira sobbed. Tears poured down her face. "I want to kill her. Let me kill her." Akira arched her back and sobbed. Senka held her down, heart breaking at the look of distress on the kid's face.
Akira was just a kid. No kid should ever feel like this.
"Akira," Senka said softly. Tory and Ujarak finally arrived and went to tend to Eris. "Akira, look at me."
The kid stopped yelling and thrashing and listened. Akira looked at her, sobs wracking her body, but trusting. As trusting as anything could ever b
e. Kai padded up beside them and lay down beside her, nuzzling her head.
"Akira," Senka said softly. "I'm going to let you up, okay." Senka eased up on the girl's arms. Slowly, Senka sat up, taking her weight off the girl.
Akira sat up and buried her head in Senka's shoulder, weeping. Senka held her and looked back at Ujarak and Tory. They were dusting Eris off and speaking with her quietly.
"Akira, what happened?"
"She was there," Akira howled.
"No, I wasn't," Eris snapped, overhearing her. "I have no idea what she's talking about."
"You said that you were at the farm," Akira yelled. "You said that."
"There are a lot of farms," Eris yelled. "Yeah, I've been to a few. But I didn't kill your parents."
"Why were you following Tomo?" Akira sobbed. "Why were you following her if you didn't know her?"
"I escaped," Eris yelled. "I escaped and followed some of the Generals."
"Akira," Tory said calmly. "I know you've been through a lot-"
"She was there," Akira yelled. "She killed my parents. I know she did."
Senka was holding Akira back from launching herself again at Eris.
"Can you prove it?" Tory asked.
"Oh come off it," Senka snapped. "How the hell is she supposed to prove it? Akira is saying that she killed her entire family. And you want her to prove it."
"Well she can't go around just making accusations," Tory responded.
"I didn't kill her family," Eris said firmly.
"Akira, did you see her there?" Tory asked.
"No," Akira sobbed, "But she said she went to a farm. She said that she didn't agree with what happened there."
"So what? It could be any farm," Eris snapped. "I didn't kill your family kid," she strode away.
Tory looked pained.
"You're telling me that you believe her?" Senka yelled. "She's an Ampulex. Of course she's going to lie about it. We're in the middle of the ocean, what are her options if she came clean?"
Tory shook her head, "Look, Akira. I know you've been through a lot of stuff but you don't know actually what happened on your farm. You said yourself that you didn't see who was there or who killed your family." Tory turned to follow Eris below deck. "I know it's not what you want to hear, but it could have been anybody."
Akira yelled and buried her head into Senka's shoulder, sobs wracking her whole body. Kai sat beside them, nuzzling the girl in the neck.
"What do you have to say?" Senka snapped at Ujarak, who was staring at the trio, caught in between the two women.
Ujarak paused, thinking. Then he slowly shook his head and turned to follow Tory down below deck.
"I know it's her," Akira said. "I know it. She killed them. She took Tomo. I didn't even get to say goodbye."
Senka hugged her fiercely.
"I know, kid. I know."
"I never... I never got to say goodbye."
11
Sol
The marketplace glowed in the morning. It was really the only way to describe it. Beauty, peace, gold and pink rays of the morning highlighting the colours of the rainbow in the tents.
Sol breathed deeply, savouring the smell of caffé and sand.
This was home now. Artesia, the capital of Carabesh, was more of a home to him than Solias had ever been.
Elefteria gave a small chirp from the railing outlining the balcony he was sitting on.
"Of course, my darling," Sol said, holding out another piece of bread to the final gift his mother had given him. His beautiful mother, now long dead. His father was dead. He had no confirmation that his brother was dead, but he'd have to assume that he was.
Langundo was a disaster. Sol was glad that he'd gotten out of that hell hole.
Now he could relax in peace. Never take over a Kingdom. Never have to play King or politics.
Rest.
A loud knock on the door pulled him away from his caffé on the balcony.
“Too early for a summons from the president,” he said softly to Elefteria. She chirped and swooped at him and nipped his ear.
Message received. She was telling him to be careful.
Since saving the President’s life from that big Melanthios oaf, Sol had rocketed up the political ladder. A rise that hadn't been seen in someone so young. Going from a bum on the street to a trusted adviser in less than two months was unheard of. Now, as the President’s right-hand man (and often used as an example to show the poor and destitute what they could do if they only tried harder) Sol was getting used to early morning summons. But never before dawn, like this.
Plus, no one here knew he was a King.
Well, not a King yet. He hadn't taken the crown. And, as his family was dead, he really didn't see a point of going back to Solias at all.
There was no happiness to be found there.
Opening the door, still lost in thought, it took him a moment to process how frazzled Master Venice looked.
"Master Semper," Venice said. "You need to come, now. The President has summoned the entire council."
"Slow down," Sol said, still not used to his pseudonym. There used to be a price on his head, after all, and it was needed. But the name hadn’t stuck in his head. "Why? It's very early."
"There's a man here," Venice said. "He's here with some highly trained soldiers. They arrived in the middle of the night. They want a meeting and said that the President was in no position to argue."
"What did they mean by that?" Sol asked as he grabbed his coat from the hanger beside the door. Carabesh was chilly in the mornings.
Venice hurried away, forcing Sol to rush to catch up with him.
"I don't know," Venice said, "but the men he brought are well trained."
"Do we have a backup plan?" Sol said. "We can't just let these guys come in to a council meeting without our own guards present."
Cobblestone crunched under their feet as they walked quickly through the still sleeping city.
"We don't have guards present in meetings," Venice retorted. "You know this, do you think we're going to change thousands of years of tradition for one man?"
"Listen to yourself talk," Sol said, trying desperately to keep his voice level. "Yes, I do think that we change tradition. I'm going to meet the President. You go and warn the army. I want them outside the door as soon as the meeting starts."
"Look, Master Semper, you may be a rising star, but you cannot just tell me what to do or mobilize an army."
Sol grabbed his arm and turned Venice to face him. "I am no mere councillor," he barked. "I am Prince Sol the nineteenth and most likely current King of Solias. These people have come from my country. Nothing good is going on there. You will do as I instruct, or the blood of Artesia is on your hands."
Venice looked like a fish. Mouth gaping, eyes wide. Staring at Sol, frozen.
"Do you understand?" Sol whispered.
"Y-Y-Yes," Venice said.
"Good. Go, now. You don't have much time."
Venice turned and fled. It would take him a good hour to get to the barracks, rouse the army, get them geared up and headed to city hall. Sol had to keep the President alive until then.
"Idiot," he cursed himself while taking big strides across the city, "Why did you tell Venice? You've put your life on the line."
About time you did, his father's voice popped into his head. The King of Solias, King Sol the 18th, had been a hard man and a worse father. It had been almost five years since he'd seen him last, and still, when he was chastising himself, it was always in his father's voice.
You're letting a lot of people die to save your own skin.
"Shut up, you drunk," Sol said. One more block. The sun was starting to rise.
You're no King. You're no Prince. This wasn't a fictional voice. That was a memory. Words often chosen by his father after coming home drunk. You're too much of a pussy to rule. Your brother, I wish he came first. Now I have to pass the throne off to some skinny runt.
His mother would always come
to his defense, swearing and yelling at his father until he apologized.
But the truth hurt.
"Elefteria," he called softly at the gate of city hall. The raven, always flying above him, swooped down and sat on his outstretched arm. Beautiful jet black iridescent feathers with bright blue eyes, Elefteria was always a sight to behold. Much like his mother had been. Sol brushed her head softly. "You're the only one I can trust, love," he said. She nibbled his finger affectionately. "Tell me when the army is outside the door. Tell me when I can move."
Elefteria cawed and flew off into the sky.
Sol took the stairs up to city hall two at a time. Two guards, not Carabesh, but of this new group, black armour with purple edging, stood motionless outside the door.
Sol was glad he'd gone with his gut and sent Venice to get the army. They were going to need it.
Ignoring the guards completely, Sol strode through the doors and into city hall.
It was quiet.
Usually, before a meeting, men were milling about and discussing the upcoming meeting. Carabesh saw themselves as more advanced than Landundo, with their democratic system of government and each citizen having a vote.
Sol didn't see it that way. They talked a lot, no one listened, only men had a say and councilors, though voted in, made alliances and enemies. Sure, the people thought they had a voice, but the real power lied with this small number of men.
It was closer to Solias than they thought. At least the queen had a say in Solias.
Sol walked in to an eerily quiet room filled with silent councillors.
"Ah," the President said, trying to fill the room with confidence, but failing miserably when his voice cracked. "The last of us is here."
Sol nodded quickly and walked to his seat on the right-hand side of the President. The rest of the councillors kept their eyes lowered and picked at their fingers nervously.
"Now that you're here," the President said, "I want to introduce our guest. Master Kapre of the Ampulex army has a few words to say."
A bald man with dark skin, gold patterns painted on his bald head, and purple flowing robes strode into the room. Six soldiers in black armour followed him in and surrounded the table as he walked towards the President.
