by Kate Sander
"Okay, maybe the eggs are for you..."
Needing no more invitation, Jules pulled the plate towards him and dug in. He'd barely finished the last spoonful of eggs when Titus and Stillman bolted into the door.
"Something is wrong," Titus said, turning to run upstairs. "There are ships. At least a hundred of them. They're landing."
Jules left the plate and ran after Titus to his room. Skidding on his knees, he grabbed his sword and some leather chest armour from under his bed.
Titus ran by his room, carrying his own sword and yelling something incomprehensible. Following the teenager, Jules managed to keep up with him to the kitchen.
"Go underground with Stillman," Jules said to Big Mamma, who was clutching her smallest son in her arms looking terrified. The last battle was still too close in her memory. "Don't come out. Not for anything."
Big Mamma nodded, tearing up.
Jules kissed her cheek, "We will be alright."
"Let's go!" Titus yelled impatiently from the door.
Jules ran towards him and, together, they ran into the street outside. Adults, the ones that weren't too old or too hurt, were grabbing their own weapons and meeting in the street.
"What do we do?” a woman called from behind them in panic.
"Hans and the others are still out to sea? Is this all we have?" a man answered, looking with terror at the measly fighting squad.
Shamrock was situated on the top of a cliff overlooking the ocean. Jules could see the sails approaching. Hundreds of purple, billowing sails emerged from the horizon and were moving fast. They'd hit shore any minute.
Jules wasn't the only one to have seen the ships. Men and women yelled around him, pointing and crying out at the sheer number of ships sailing directly for them under colours they had never seen before.
Jules had seen them before, however. When he and Titus were in Solias, the army that would only attack if they were attacked first stood silent and still, in purple and silver.
"People!" Titus shouted from behind him.
Jules turned with the rest of the village, taking a quick count of everyone in the center. Fifty. Fifty people versus an entire army.
They were all going to die.
"People!" Titus shouted again. His voice didn't crack and carried with authority. A Prince was finally speaking out of the teenager's body.
Titus swung up to the top of the well to gain height on the feeble crowd.
"People! I am Titus, Son of King Sol the 18th, brother to King Sol the 19th, and the future heir to the throne."
Compelled by the voice of a Prince, the people stopped screaming and yelling and listened in rapt silence.
"We are outnumbered against an enemy we do not know! We will all die if we take up arms. So I leave it up to you? Do you fight or do you surrender?"
"What will you do?" Someone shouted from the crowd.
A grim look passed over Titus' face. "That throne in Solias is my birthright. I will neither give it up nor will I kneel. I will fight to the death, if need be. These people cannot come into my country and take my family’s birthright!"
"Then you're asking us to die for you?" A woman this time, voicing the opinion of everyone around them.
"No! I will face them alone, if need be. Run. All of you. Make for the trees. Let my sacrifice be the time needed to get to safety."
"You will not fight alone!" Jules found himself yelling. It was odd, as if he were a puppet and, though he desperately wanted to live, his puppeteer was volunteering him for slaughter. "I would be happy to die beside you, my Prince." And he knelt in the dirt to the young man he'd raised over the past four years. His best friend. He'd never had children. Senka had died too early. But Titus was his son.
Titus acknowledged his sacrifice with a bob of the head. Others called out with similar sentiments. Soon, the entire village was kneeling in front of the young man who'd just become a Prince. In actions more than title.
"We are the first line of defense for Solias," Titus yelled. "Let's take as many of those bastards with us as we can!"
The village roared, as loud as fifty soldiers can yell. Jules let out a guttural cry with the rest.
Clapping reached them from the edge of the village. It carried to every person. They stopped in unison, staring down the street.
A man and a woman stood in the center of the street watching the show. They were tall and blonde. Regal. The woman wore a white dress and ruby encrusted jewelry. The man wore silver and purple armor. The woman was clapping and, strangely, it carried.
"What a wonderful speech," the woman said, wiping an eye. "Brings me to tears."
"Who are you?" Titus demanded.
"How rude of us. My name is Malin, this is Roald. We have come to be your King and Queen."
Jules stepped between the rest of the village and the two foreigners. "We have a King. We don't need you here."
Roald smiled and lifted an open hand. The well that Titus was standing on started to shake. Titus jumped off, barely escaping it as the bricks rose into the air.
"We've heard otherwise." Malin said. "We've come to bring peace to this land. You only have to bow."
"I bow only to my true King," Jules said, voice wavering. Cursing himself when his arm showed a tremor, he held up his sword.
"Then you've made your choice," Malin said sweetly.
Roald pulled his arm towards Jules. The bricks from the well shot towards him so fast he didn't have time to react.
Pain. All he felt was pain as they crushed him beneath their weight.
His mouth filled with blood. Focusing on a sliver of light above him he heard the village scream.
"Now," the voice of Malin drifted towards him as he blacked out. "Who's next?"
5
Senka
Fire.
Senka loved it. These traders had some strong alcohol on board this vessel. Taking another sniff from her flask, she leaned her head back against a crate and relished the burn in her sinuses. A glorious cross between vodka and rye, the murky liquid was a staple for the trip.
"A staple for life," she muttered to herself. She'd have to be sure to fill some bottles before they landed. This stuff was way better than the crap beer they had on Langundo. She couldn't drink it, not with the kid on board, but she could smell it. Or line her mouth and spit it out. It wasn’t drinking it, but it was something.
And something helped.
The sound of small footsteps reached her and she took another whiff. Senka was in the hold amongst the cargo, waiting for the kid to make the first move. It had been a few nights now, and Senka was glad she finally trusted her enough to come forward. Of course, Kai had been keeping her safe. It wasn't the worst plan in the world to keep the giant panther away from the crew. So, the crew was scared of the hold, and everyone left the little stow-away in peace.
A couple more footsteps. The kid was quiet, Senka would give her that. But there wasn't much that Senka couldn't pick up.
"Hey, kid," Senka said, not turning her head. A little gasp from behind her was all it took to make Senka feel bad. She'd scared her. "Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you. I've been waiting for you to come say hello."
A small purr answered. Kai giving the kid a nudge. Followed by a couple hesitant steps. A little girl of about nine or ten, too skinny, face pale, stepped into view in the dark hold.
Senka nodded to her, acknowledging her bravery. She held the flask out to her.
"Drink?"
The kid shook her head. Kai padded past her and settled in beside Senka, head in her lap.
"Yeah, I missed you too, buddy," she said, scratching his ears and taking another big smell.
"You know him?" the kid stammered.
"Yes ma'am. This is Kai. He saved my life and I saved his. Now we're buddies."
"He's yours?"
Senka smiled as Kai purred his enjoyment. "Kai is his own. We are just friends. Best friends."
"He's my only friend," the kid said.
"He's
a good friend, though, isn't he?"
"He got me on this ship. He's been bringing me food and stuff. I figured I should follow you because-" her voice hitched.
"Because you saw us burn Tomo."
"You knew I was watching?"
Senka nodded. "Have a seat, kid." Digging around in her coat, she found a hunk of bread she'd saved from supper and tossed it the kid’s way. The little girl took one look and devoured it. "I'll get you more food when you're done that."
The kid nodded.
"What's your name, kid?"
"Akira," she said between mouthfuls. "And yours?"
"Senka. It sure is nice to meet you, Akira. Although I'm concerned about what brought you my way."
"I was following Tomo," Akira said, licking her fingers. Senka whispered in Kai's ear. He stood and stretched, then padded towards the door, disappearing into the dark.
"He's going to get us more food," Senka said. "The crew is terrified of him, so they give him what he wants. So, you were following Tomo. Why?"
Akira shrugged. "She's family. She's a Zoya, right. And we have a place by our farm where Zoya sometimes show up. Anyway, Tomo showed up one day. She stayed with us a few months but she helped out my moth-"
Painful memories flooded the kid and she fell silent, staring at her feet.
Senka gave her a quick smile. "Your parents die?"
Akira nodded, clenching her fist. "They came to our farm. I don't know who. My mother saw them coming and told me to run, so I did. The Ampulex. They came and killed my parents and took Tomo. I was trying to save her." She sniffled and rubbed her nose.
Senka held her arm out to the side. Akira scurried over and dug her head into her shoulder. Senka kissed the top of her head.
"I couldn't save Tomo," Senka said. "And I'm a Zoya. I've known her for years. She was my best friend and I couldn't save her. You did good to even follow her without dying."
Akira wept, sobs shaking her shoulders. Senka fell silent and let her. Thoughts of her mother and brothers flashed through her head. She took another sniff of the booze. Numbness. That's all she wanted. She craved it. Smelling the booze wasn't cutting it, but she couldn't drink.
The kid stopped sobbing around when Kai padded back, a full cooked chicken in his mouth.
"You just want the rest for yourself," Senka said when he dropped it in the girl's lap. Akira sniffled and ripped off a leg. Poor kid was hungry. Kai purred and took his place on Senka's other side, head in her lap.
"So, you knew Tomo," Akira said, mouth full of chicken. "How?"
The resilience of children always astounded Senka. One minute, the kid was weeping for her dead family, the next she was eating chicken and trying to get answers.
"We worked together, in another world," Senka said. "That's what Zoya are. People from another world." Or time, she thought. But that was too complicated to explain to a nine-year old. "We died trying to fight the Ampulex over there."
"So, you don't like the Ampulex either?" Akira asked, ripping off the other chicken leg. Grease dribbled down her chin and she wiped it off with the back of her hand. "I hate them. I vowed to kill them all if I could."
Senka nodded. "I hear you, kid. So tell me what happened. They took Tomo, then what?"
"I followed them. They left lots of tracks. Tomo killed one at our house. They must've surrounded her though. Never seen anything get the drop on Tomo. So I tracked them. They were ahead of me by quite a bit though... I had to bury..."
Senka nodded, showing she understood.
"So I caught up with them at a big camp. Thousands and thousands. Figured I'd never get Tomo out of there alive, so I waited. A day later, the camp packed up and Tomo and another guy, the one you killed, headed into the woods."
"You catch where the camp was going? They say anything?"
"Sounded like... Soliat? Sowhys?"
"Solias?"
"Yeah!" Akira smiled. She gestured at the chicken. Senka shook her head and she tossed the rest to an appreciative Kai. "Yeah. I heard a couple guards say something about going to Solias. That it was across the sea."
Senka nodded. "That's where we are headed."
Akira shrugged. "Figured. I'm okay with that. I have to kill them all anyways."
"You just said there were thousands..."
"I'll just kill them one at a time."
Senka had to laugh. "Well, leave some for me, alright? I promise I'll help you get revenge for Tomo. I loved her too."
Akira was about to say something when Senka held up her hand, silencing her. "Someone's coming," Senka muttered.
There were footsteps coming down the stairs. Akira reached for the sword hanging on her hip, but Senka shook her head. She recognized those footsteps.
"Nice of you to join us, Tory," Senka called before she could make her way towards them. "I was beginning to worry you'd replaced me with your new best friend there."
Tory emerged into the small space they were occupying in the hold. "She's fifteen, Senka. Grow up. You can't tell me you never made mistakes at fifteen."
Senka had to agree and a bit of guilt managed to rise through the constant nausea. "You're right, I guess. I still don't trust her."
"You don't have to. It should be enough that I do."
"What does your little stone say about the matter?"
Tory shrugged. "Honestly? Nothing at all. Even it can't get a read on her. Must be one of her Zoya powers. I see no future with her, yet none without her. Does that make any sense?"
"No, not at all," Senka held out the flask. A peace offering between old friends. One Tory took. She grimaced as the booze burned her throat. "This is Akira. Akira, this is Tory. She's a very old friend of mine, one I trust with my life."
Akira nodded, but didn't say anything.
"I was wondering where Kai went," Tory said, taking another shot. "You're telling me a panther managed to sneak a kid on board."
"He's an exceptional panther."
Kai purred his agreement.
"Akira was just telling me that the Ampulex were headed to Solias. Tell me you were able to get your ghost friend to contact you. I need to speak with Carter."
"Haven't heard a peep," Tory said. "And the Remiel isn't helping at all either. Something is blocking my visions."
"There are probably a lot of Zoya over here now," Senka said. "They had pills, could be hundreds. Wouldn't shock me if one of them could block your visions of the future."
Tory shrugged. "I haven't thought of that, but it's annoying that you're probably right."
More footsteps. Senka's eyes narrowed.
Eris moved into the now cramped spaced between crates.
"Hello, little girl," Senka snapped. "Here to challenge me to a fight? Or maybe imply that I'd kill one of my best friends again?'
Tory slapped Senka on the arm.
Eris blushed, inhaled, then, looking Senka in the eyes, said, "I came to apologize. My father- Sorry, the King," she stuttered, "always said I avoid conflict. I've been working on meeting it head on. I thought my friend was in trouble. As you haven't talked to me since we met, other than to make fun of me, I wrongly assumed you were here to hurt her." Eris held out her hand. "I'm sorry."
Senka held her gaze. This was probably one of the most surprising things she'd ever seen. Standing, she took Eris’ hand and shook it, "Apology accepted. It takes a real adult to admit when they are wrong."
Tory cleared her throat.
Senka took the hint, "And I'm sorry that I've been less than hospitable towards you. We don't have to be best friends, but, if you're actually here to help us defeat the Ampulex, then we are going to have to work together."
Eris nodded. "Okay. I just wanted to say that. I didn't want to interrupt." She backed away.
"Wait," Senka said, holding out her flask. "Have a drink. We will have to find more booze, but stay awhile. I want you to meet my friend Akira."
Akira nodded to Eris.
"We need to get to know each other if this rag tag group is goi
ng to work," Senka said. "Might as well start now."
They drank in near silence, getting used to the physical presence of being in the same space. Senka was watching and learning, trying to get a vibe from the people around her. And the person inside her.
"Where's Ujarak?" she asked Tory, trying to break the tense silence.
"Puking in his room," Tory said. "Funny, the big man can't handle the sea."
Thankfully, Senka's nausea was passing. Sniffing the booze was helping. The kid was getting bigger. MY kid, she reminded herself. The thought scared her more than anything.
What if she fucked all this up?
Akira snuggled into her shoulder and closed her eyes. Senka tensed a little at the touch, then relaxed. Kai purred happily in her lap.
Senka leaned back and closed her eyes, moving slowly so she didn't wake the two. Breathing deeply and ignoring the impending war. The impending doom. Leaning her head back, she fell asleep in between the girl and cat. A few moments of peace.
Before all hell was going to break lose.
6
Carter
Chaos.
That was the only word to describe what Carter was seeing.
Absolute chaos.
Carter walked into his office, where the entire ZTF was sitting around the large table. All of them bickering with the nearest person. Six Zoya in the same room, with their handlers, the poor bastards tasked to keep them alive. And out of trouble. Black Eyes took her place in the corner of the room, invisible to everyone but him.
"I don’t see why we are having a meeting," Igor said in his thick Russian accent as soon as Carter walked into the room. Everyone else fell silent to listen. He was ex-KGB, and his attitude said as much. "Matty goes in, makes a big boom. I go in, heal Matty. We go home, sleep like a baby. No meeting."
"Where do you even think you're going, Sherlock?" Igor's handler, John snapped. "You don't even know where you need to "make a big boom".” John was British and ex MI6. John and Igor knew each other before the ZTF and before Igor was a Zoya. They were best friends from back in the spy days. Apparently they'd tried to kill each other multiple times, and developed a bond over time. Their relationship was... complicated. But to John's credit, he was the only person who Igor would actually listen to.
