by Bethan Johns
“Why take this?”
“This was the first large battle I have fought with the Rustlavayne. I have worked very hard for over a century to win them, to train them, and to earn and keep their respect. It feels like a culmination of that. The ring is simply a pretty trinket, a reminder of what I have gained, what I have lost, and what others gave up for what they believed.”
I tore my eyes from where I had been watching my Howelltie mercs dancing as I spoke to watch Gaelen’s face as his brows furrowed staring at the ring.
“Does it bother you?” I asked him.
He dragged his thumb straight up my spine harder now causing me to bow my back and gasp lightly, his eyes raised to meet mine with a fire in them I was unprepared for.
We stayed frozen like that for a few heartbeats when he broke the eye contact and muttered “No. I suppose not.”
I was still recovering from the shock he had given me. I had never felt a chemistry like that with anyone in my life. I studied him and could read nothing from his expression.
Burying the feelings that had just nearly overwhelmed me, I stood in front of his chair straddling his legs and moving slightly to the music, I watched as his eyes roamed lazily, unashamedly up my body. “Dance with me.”
“It’s not an excuse; this is not my style of music,” he said not even bothering to catch my eyes.
I pulled on his hands trying to remove him from his chair. “Elliot told me you took him to parties. Why now are you being a morose drunk?”
“Did he now?” His eyes darkened as he looked over to Elliot.
I followed his gaze to see the tall, lithe figure of Elliot dancing.
“He is beautiful, isn’t he?” I asked.
When I looked back Gaelen was staring at me. “You are lovers with him are you not?” I asked.
He shook himself “Yes, from time to time.”
“I heard that you and your lover are fighting on opposite sides of the war.” He said.
I thought for a moment of Sylek.
“Stop! Gaelen. You’re being maudlin.” I put his hands on my hips and moved them back and forth. His eyes followed the movement like he a snake and I the charmer.
“Dance with me.” I whispered.
He stood, I pressed myself along his body still dancing.
He closed his eyes. “Not my type of music.”
I felt him pulling away as though he was going to rift and I anchored myself holding his hand to stop him from rifting. I had never attempted something of the sort before, but I knew that it would be possible if I wanted it to be.
His eyes widened as he felt the change “So change it” I whispered.
“How?” he asked, breathless now.
I laid my hands on his chest. “Your body is magic Gaelen, simply will it so.”
He watched me for a moment. The music became louder, more drums appeared, playing a deeper, more rhythmic beat, violins arrived and pianos. The pulsing of the song was insistent, faster, racing. It sped my heart up.
He smirked at me wryly and swung me into a dance; it was fast, it was like nothing I had ever danced to before. I let Gaelen and my body take over the dance, feeling the rhythm of his hands as they roamed over my body like waves over stones.
I opened my eyes and let my hands drift over his wings I tugged softly on his feathers. He growled lightly, and I bared my teeth in return, he spun me around, so I danced in front of him.
I leaned my head back against his shoulder and opened my eyes to see Elliot dancing in front of us. I put my hands on his chest as his eyes sparkled down at me. I saw them lift to Gaelen’s eyes behind me and I quickly slipped away watching them drift together like magnets.
I smiled as I watched them mold against each other. I felt arms wrap around me, I leaned back into Reves chest as he breathed into my ear “Are you trying to make me jealous?”
I shook my head.
His chest rose and fell.
“You definitely did.”
I turned in his arms quickly and kissed him roughly, his hands tightening around me. I pushed him away. “You don’t own me” I said angrily. “We fuck, but you don’t own me. No one does.”
I turned and walked away ignoring Gaelen and Elliot’s stares.
Throwing myself on the rug in front of the fire beside a Howelltie male I asked him his name.
“Karel”
“Well Karel, it is nice to finally get drunk with you.”
He smirked at me. “where did your slippers go?”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t know, I always lose them.”
Chapter 10 – Witness
Year 10,332 A.C.
Sierade
Another day, another battle.
This one would not be the same though. I paced back and forth in the command tent. Our armies were ready, there was nothing more to do but wait.
“You brought your strongest psychics?” I asked Bryln for the tenth time.
His response was to roll his eyes and walk out of the tent.
This battle was with Elliot and Gaelen’s forces. It had been found that we worked well together. The battle was not on a beach with a cliff and an ocean. No, this one would take place in a large valley.
Equal footing on both sides.
Their army was larger, as is often the case in the battles where my Rustlavayne are called in. This was the largest battle my mercs had fought yet. We had twelve thousand of my mercenaries here. Fifteen thousand of Gaelen and Elliot’s.
None of those reasons though were the cause of my discomfort, the cause of my stress.
Faust sat calmly at the table watching me pace back and forth, we were alone in the command tent.
Gaelen strode purposefully through the heavy flap that acted as the door and moved directly up to me gripping my shoulders and putting a halt in my state of constant movement.
“Why?” I sputtered angrily.
He shook me lightly. “You are causing everyone great amounts of anxiety. Stop this!”
I shook my head. “I’m fine. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
It was a lie I knew exactly what he was talking about. I was completely on edge.
He sighed and let go of me. I started to buzz with energy almost immediately.
“Look, I know Sylek is here. I know you are concerned for his safety -“
I scoffed loudly and looked at him incredulously. “Concerned for his safety?”
He looked confused. “Is that not why you are upset Si?”
I laughed outright then.
“Tundra no Gaelen. I am stressed that Sylek is here. I am not scared for his safety. I’m scared for all of yours.”
He went pale. I had fought many battles with Gaelen. I had never seen him go pale. Though for that matter I am certain he had never seen me stressed going into a battle. I was usually just a brick wall of cocky swagger.
“He is truly that powerful?” Gaelen spoke quietly.
I took a deep breath and steadied myself. This was happening, no matter what we did. I refused to use the power of the Tundra during battle. I may be a lean, mean, killing machine, but they were MY kills. I was selfish about my bloodshed. I wanted all of it and would not share.
I willed myself to calm and it worked. Sort of. At least I stopped buzzing like a hummingbird.
“You will find out Gaelen. All I will say is that if he breaks in, there is no getting him out. You can probably survive it, but get your prince the fuck out of here.”
I walked away to the tent flaps leaving Gaelen looking stricken. He knew that if I was willing to retreat it meant something devastating was approaching us. Something far more dangerous than we had faced so far.
“Faust, with me!” I shouted behind me. I felt him stand and join me as we exited the tent.
The smells and sounds were astounding. This was not a fresh battlefield. This was a territory that Sylek and his troops had been holding for a stretch of time, they had won many battles here and the hills were not enough to cover
the stench of burning bodies beyond them.
I picked my way through mercs who were taking a moment to eat while they waited for Gaelen’s troops to get in formation.
I sat on a rock and closed my eyes. Faust stood near.
Sylek? I sent it out. A question, though I already knew the answer.
Siera
I smiled, it felt almost like he had been waiting for me.
I miss you Sylek.
My throat burned with it, the ache.
And I you, are you ready?
Of course. Don’t you hold back because I’m here.
I could feel his amusement leaking through our bond
Have I ever? I wouldn’t dare. Watch yourself. Stay alive.
I smirked.
Since when do I take orders from you? You keep yourself alive.
It was a few moments before he responded.
Good luck.
I withdrew and I opened my eyes to find Gaelen and Elliot standing before me watching me.
“Hello males.”
Elliot grimaced. “Hello female.”
“Were you just speaking with Sylek?” Gaelen asked bluntly.
“I was”
He growled and took a step forward.
Faust responded in kind.
“Stop Faust. Relax Gaelen. I was merely wishing him luck, if you truly think I would risk my mercenaries for a male, you have not learned nearly enough about me.”
I stood and pushed Faust’s stubborn body out of the way so I could walk straight up to them.
“Shall we get this over with then?”
Elliot and Gaelen exchanged a glance and both nodded.
I sent a psychic message to Hulion: Ready.
My mercs stood as one and turned their bodies this and that way, falling into formation in less than thirty seconds.
I raised my eyebrow at Bryln who had just joined us.
He smiled. “I will never get used to that.”
I winked at him and made my way to my front lines.
We would not shout this time, this battle was largely going to be fought in our heads. We needed to remain calm and steady. This was no time for blood rage, this was time for the Howelltie tradition of silence in adversity.
Silence that says “Just try to fucking break me.”
I knew they would. I knew he would. I hoped we were strong enough.
Speaking through the interconnected psychic channel that Hulion had open I addressed my legions.
Remember who you are. Remember where you came from. There is no place like Rustlavayne.
I turned back around and faced the army of Howelltie that were now in formation at Sylek’s command. I knew his army. A massive number of them were psychic. They only needed physical fighters to last long enough to break through their enemies’ shields. Then the physical no longer mattered.
I tried to lightly scan their psychics and received nothing but static. They were good.
We were so fucked.
FIRE
I screamed it into the channel and immediately the dragons roared into the sky and began to rain down fire upon the enemy.
I raised my sword and pointed at the front line facing us.
FISTS
The Howelltie front line behind me took off like an avalanche, running around me like I a stone in a stream.
This battle I would need to be more careful. I would need to keep a close eye on our shields. I trusted my army. It was Gaelen’s I was unsure about. Their psychic abilities had me concerned. I would not be fighting hand-to-hand in this battle. I watched as my front line found theirs and they started battling violently. Blood sprayed high into the air.
I looked at Faust where he stood not far from me, and nodded. He inclined his head. I knew he would take care of things on the front line.
I rifted.
Hulion was leading both armies in creating one massive psychic shield to cover all of our men.
It was risky, I didn’t like it. It made us far too vulnerable. If one crack appeared, we would all sink.
Not liking it is a light statement. I absolutely hated it, but I had been vetoed.
I looked out over our sea of psychics and knew it would never be enough, Sylek alone could take down this wall after a time. Let alone and entire army of psychics individually picked by him.
“Too many cooks in this kitchen” I muttered to myself as I walked up to stand beside Hulion.
I grabbed his hand and dove in head-first.
✽✽✽
Gaelen
The battle was raging. The front lines clashing hard. The Rustlavayne seemed to be fighting harder than usual, their flames burning brighter. I wondered what it was that Sierade had said to them to rile them up so.
This was different than our other battles. They were not bloodthirsty like they usually were. I watched their faces as they fought. This was passion. Deep, dark remembrance. Passion as pure as it got.
I marvelled, how did she pull this out of them? Tundra, she made the most brutal monsters into the most beautiful warriors.
Sierade for autumn. Gwaynten for spring. She absolutely left a wake of change in her stead.
My Fae warriors were speed and grace visualized on the killing field. I had rifted a special force far into enemy lines to start slicing away at their extensive psychic force. I was keeping a close eye on them as they fought, ready to change them out for a new unit if they faltered. If they tired.
I looked back at our psychics and saw Sierade grip hands with Hulion. I knew she had just added her power to the shield. She had been strongly against the armies joining forces to build one large shield.
Unfortunately, the plan had been made before we even arrived, when Reves and other commanders were at the planning meeting. It had been called after learning we were to face Sylek’s forces.
“This is suicide” she had claimed.
I had remained silent throughout the meeting. I rarely spoke up at these things. She kept looking at me to back her. I turned my eyes away and shrugged. It was not my place.
“There is no way that Prince Castor’s forces can shield without the help of the Rustlavayne.” Eris had responded.
“Then send only the Rustlavayne, why would I risk my men for Elliot’s cannon fodder?”
Elliot huffed at that. “Cannon fodder?” he asked incredulously.
I also felt incredulous at the proclamation. My armies? Cannon Fodder? I stood up and began pacing.
They continued to argue.
Finally, Siera had stood up saying “Fine. I need to speak with my commanders, I am not sending my mercs on a suicide mission without their consent.”
She had rifted.
I assumed she must have received their consent. They had arrived for battle and were right now linking with my soldiers to create a psychic barrier the likes of which I had never before witnessed.
The intimidating thing about a psychic battle is that it is mostly unseen, the true evidence of the destruction able to be wrought by Sylek’s mostly silent and still army was the huge pyres of burning bodies far across the hills.
I rifted down and took my unit out of their ranks and was readying the next one when I felt it. A snowflake, thick and icy, land upon my brow.
My brows furrowed and I looked up. The sky was completely clear, stars burning brightly where they had been since they came out earlier this evening. Yet snow was falling in dizzying circles. Growing thicker by the minute.
It was hot out. Summer. There should be no snow. I looked to the ground. The flakes weren’t even reaching it.
I put my hand out and a large fluffy flake landed in my palm and immediately disappeared. It didn’t melt. It just didn’t exist anymore.
My eyes widened, was this an illusion?
It must be powerful indeed for me to see it, I couldn’t recall the last time an illusion had worked on me. I looked around and saw that many of my troops were also distracted by it.
I rifted to Sierade. She opened her eyes as I landed
in front of her.
“Here we go.” She whispered.
