by Auryn Hadley
I need to know where out territory ends, Sal thought while the politicians began with their rhetoric. Blaec, can you see it?
Yeah. Jase will send to you.
Landmarks before her became suddenly more clear in her mind. Got it, thanks.
Sal looked over at the 112th. They sat right across the line, carefully respectful of their distance. Captain Tolan saw her and raised an eyebrow. Sal sighed, and turned her head back to the Representative listing the reasons why humans were not included in the recently passed legislation. After a few moments, she glanced back to Tolan, hoping he'd stepped his line up. He was waiting.
Their eyes met, and he once again lifted a brow. She pointedly glanced at the ground just before him, and he reined back. Sal sighed, wishing she could make him understand, and he halted. Tilting his head slightly, Captain Tolan nudged his horse one step forward. That's exactly what she'd wanted, and Sal felt a smile creep onto her lips. With the crook of a finger, he gestured for all of his men to move just inside Anglian lands. Sal dropped her eyes in thanks, then turned back to the politicians.
"Enough," She said, cutting off the litany of platitudes. "You follow the Treaty of Ogun, correct?"
"Yes, Kaisae, of course," Representative Anis said.
Grauori? Sal asked. Be gentle with the 112th Mounted. We owe them respect. Then, without any indication she'd been distracted, Sal asked, "So what is the problem?"
"An entire unit of humans was reported to have defected!" Berrik snapped, her eyes boring into Sal. Toth, sitting the horse beside her, reached over for her arm as if holding the woman in place.
"I see," Dominik said. "When did you notice this?"
"When we sent officers to arrest them for treason. These same soldiers helped her and her kind defect."
Sal sighed, annoyed at the woman's vehemence. "No, Berrik." Close them in. "You signed that law willingly. We just used it. The Devil Dogs requested asylum late last night, claiming that with the failure in our treaties, they would suffer for their humanitarian efforts on our behalf." She paused, looking at the nearly rabid woman to make her point. "Since I am personally grateful for the kindness they showed me - repeatedly I might add - I asked the King to please consider it."
Dom took up the line of thought without hesitation. "I was more than happy to. By the Conventions, any soldier who is willing to renounce citizenship in his or her efforts to seek asylum shall be granted such if they are under the threat of death." He smiled. "Regardless of their clearance level or any classified or sensitive knowledge they may have gained while loyal to their former country."
"They were not threatened," Berrik yelled back.
"I see," Sal said coldly. "Could you tell me again what the penalty for treason is?"
Representative Anis sighed, raising a hand to halt Berrik's tirade before the woman could begin. "Death by hanging. Halin, there's nothing we can do about this."
A deep vibration suddenly began to pulse in their chests. The horse's heads went up, and Sal calmly stroked her new mare's neck. Through the yellow stalks of wild grass, a pale line pushed toward them. Hundreds of grauori, each with its lips raised high enough to show a mouthful of sharp teeth, emitted a growl too low for human ears to hear. Like a wave, they crept forward, their dense manes standing thick, their eyes intent on the group of humans before them. Horses began to shift nervously at the predators, some threatening to bolt.
"You can not intimidate us," Berrik sneered. "We will not sign your treaty, scrubber."
Sal shrugged, and still the grauori crept closer. "I really don't care. I have Viraenova, and Myrosica is begging us not to forget them. I think it's you that doesn't really understand this, Halin."
"That's Madam Representative, Luxx."
Sal shrugged at her. "Whatever. Here's how this happens. Terric is slamming against your eastern border. Deal with it. We'll take care of the rest of the world. We won't step a foot onto CFC lands. We won't raise so much as a dagger to assist you, either. You decide you want to play nice, then come see me, but you're not the bad-ass on the continent anymore. You fucked up when you called me a scrubber, Halin." Sal glared at the annoying woman, and her lip began to curl with a snarl. "I did my time. I scrubbed, I bled, and I served you humans, and you didn't give a fuck then. You're going to have to show me why I should give a fuck now, Ace."
"You can't talk to me like that!" Berrik shot back.
"I can," Sal assured the woman. "You see, Halin, I'm your equal now. Just like you, I've been chosen to lead my people. Unlike you, I actually care about more than my personal prejudices. Otherwise..." She gestured to grauori around them. "My friends think you smell sweet. Very, very sweet."
Halin pointed across the distance at Sal. "Your threats - "
"Shut it, Halin," Anis demanded. "Try to act like you're representing the Conglomerate for once!"
Unlike Berrik, this woman had never been anything but proper. Maybe she hadn't always been nice, but that wasn't her job. Sal could respect that. She'd voted against Tharp in most things and had been the person responsible for giving Blaec his promotion so long ago. If any of the Representatives held promise, it would be Anis.
Sal focused on her. "If that woman is elected out of office, we can talk. If you decide to shut her up, we can talk. Regardless of which it is, our terms are the same. Grauori, iliri, and nuvani are sentient and sovereign species. You want us to help on your land, you give us diplomatic immunity for all of our soldiers, regardless of species, and permission to cross. That's it. Do that, or figure out how to close the passes through the mountains. They're still pouring through up there, and you don't have the Black Blades to clean up your mistakes anymore."
"I understand, Kaisae," Anis said professionally. "But as you well know, the Conglomerate of Free Citizens is governed by the vote of our people. We’re just here to represent them."
"But only the free people, right?" Sal asked. "And you wonder why we left."
Anis paused, pressing her lips together. "I thought your goal was to defeat Terric?"
"Oh, it is," Sal assured her. "And now, that has nothing at all to do with the CFC. You can't bully us to work with you. You can't toss out slurs and expect us not to be offended. You can't think we'd even care what happens to a country that spends so much effort on offending every other nation on this continent, yet does so little to improve the lives of the people who live there."
"Your people," Anis countered. "Are you saying you're just going to ignore the thousands of iliri in the CFC? Are you going to stand by helplessly and watch while the Emperor slaughters them and packs their heads up to ship back to your big northern castles?"
"No," Sal assured her. "Representative Anis, I'm going to make sure that my people have a home. You signed the law. You gave us a way out. Don't be surprised when some of us take it and never look back."
Now.
The human soldiers all turned, their weapons snapping to present arms. At the same moment, the grauori marched forward. The sudden change caused horses to spook and jump. Sal settled her own mare and watched Dominik's grey react as if nothing had happened. When she glanced up at Captain Tolan, she found him grinning as he kicked his foot back into a stirrup. He caught her eye and nodded. The grauori formed a line just behind his horse's tail. They were the only ones not moving. All the rest were slowly pushing the politicians back toward the CFC base.
"You are on Anglian soil, Representatives of the Conglomerate," Sal called out. "I think it's time for you to go home. You can leave, or we will make sure you leave."
Ok, Devil Dogs. Time to come look pretty.
In a line, they rode around the edge of the camp, their grey uniforms now showing the Anglian triad on their shoulders. Without a spoken order, the Devil Dogs formed up beside the Verdant Shields and the Black Blades. Together, the white, grey, and black units began to move forward, falling into place beside Sal. The infantry closed in behind them. Anglia didn’t ask again, they just backed their visitors from their land, stopping ha
rd at the line. Parliament muttered among themselves for a moment and then turned, cantering back toward their small base. Sal waited, knowing the grauori would tell her when they'd truly entered the encampment. The 112th waited, guarding the backs of their rulers, all eyes watching the Anglians. After two minutes had passed, Captain Tolan nodded.
They pulled their horses into a tight line before Sal, Dom, and the elite riders. Eye to eye, the 112th sat no more than a horse's body length away from the Black Blades. Tolan pulled his helm from his head, and hung it on his saddle, looking across at Sal. He raised his hand to the corner of his eye in a slow and precise salute, then smiled. Sal smiled back. Together, the Anglian elites saluted, their fists to their heart, their heads bowed in respect.
"May we never meet in the field, Anglia," Tolan muttered under his breath, "but I know the word. We will not forget."
"Sit deep," Sal called back, raising her voice so their humans ears could hear. She smiled at the moment of surprise on his face. That was his unit's mantra for how a man made his own luck.
"We will. Tell the Emperor I said hi when you get there, sir. Sit deep." He spun his horse, and the 112th Mounted turned to their own lands.
One man on a black horse hung behind. He turned back and pulled his helm, smiling at her. "I'm glad it worked out," Blaz said softly, well aware that she could hear. "I hope we meet again, Kaisae."
Sal nodded at him and gestured with her hand. His eyes flicked to it, recognizing his own unit's symbol for a life saved. When he looked back at her, Sal pointed at her own chest, and he nodded.
"It matters," Sal yelled to him.
He patted Rax's neck and nodded. "Yes, sir" he called back. "It certainly does." Then he turned his stallion and raced to catch up with the rest.
Sal relaxed the men behind her and nudged them to take the afternoon easy. "We move out tomorrow!" she yelled. "Myrosica's in Zaqala, Viraenova's with us, and the Conglomerate can kiss my white ass!"
The men cheered, and one by one, they all made their way back inside the camp. The little display may not have accomplished much, but it had shown her soldiers that their place in the world had changed. Anglia used to be known for having the largest army, even if it wasn't the best. Now? Not even the CFC wanted to pick a fight with them.
Chapter 47
Dominik slammed his fist on the table, making the glass of whiskey slosh. No one else in the room moved. For a moment, the only sound was that of the soldiers outside the pavilion going about their daily routine. Dom's fingers clenched, his nails digging into the flesh of his palm. Then he just relaxed, letting out all of his frustration in a blast of air. Arctic gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Ok, sire. Let's try this again," Arctic said calmly.
Sal wondered how he could keep his patience. They'd tried four times now, and Dominik still couldn't quite grasp the link. She could see that he was frustrated. Every time the line slipped away from his grasp, he got worse. No matter how she tried to calm him, he railed against it, as if putting in more effort would make this work better. His mental grasp slipped against Arctic's tether like grauori claws on marble floors.
"Dom?" Sal asked.
"I'm fucking trying, Sal," he snapped, shooting her an exasperated look.
She tilted her head in acknowledgment, trying to keep herself calm. "Yeah, I can see that. I just had an idea, sire. Can we try something? I don't know if it will work or not, but, doing the same thing over and over isn't making this easier, and the more you struggle, the harder it gets. That's why we usually don't tell someone before we pull them in."
Dom threw up his hands and leaned back in his chair. "I'm open to anything. I'm one of five men in the damned camp that can't hold a fucking link. Am I an idiot or something?"
Sal chuckled. "No, Dominik Jens. You're human. None of you are supposed to do this. Not easily, not with difficulty. You're not supposed to be able to do this at all. Get over it."
He let his head flop forward and chuckled once, well aware that she was right. It didn't make him less angry, but he couldn't deny it. "Just try it, Sal. It can't exactly hurt. Is there a limit to how many times I can try?"
"Nope," she assured him. "Let me get Zep." Hey, big brother, I need you in the King's tent. Can I borrow your mind?
Zep's amusement came back clearly. You can borrow anything of mine you want, demon. Why me?
Because you struggled through this.
On my way, kid.
"What's the plan, Sal?" Arctic asked.
"Link me; link Zep. Let's see if experience is any help."
Arctic nodded, thinking that over. "Not a bad idea. If anyone knows how to do this, it's Zep. Took him long enough."
"Really?" Dominik asked. "Longer than me?"
"Oh yeah," Arctic groaned. "Two years. We tried about ten times every night. He would not let that shit alone either."
Dominik took a sip of his whiskey and sighed. "Good. He's pretty strong in his mind, right?"
Sal and Arctic looked at each other, wondering how to answer that. "Yes and no," Sal said.
Dom wagged a finger at her. "Nope, explain."
"He didn't start out strong. It didn't come naturally to him, Dom. Zep had to work for it," Arctic said.
"When I met him," Sal added, "he sounded like he was always yelling at me from a long way away."
"Yeah, then you showed me how to do it better, Sal," Zep said ducking in the door. "Your voice came through clear as a bell, not muffled like theirs, so I followed it back and realized I'd been working too hard at it."
"Ah," Arctic said, nodding. "So you have any ideas how to link him in?"
Zep shrugged. "Never done it with anyone's mind but my own. Hit me, bro."
Arctic opened Zep and Sal to him, and gave the three of them a moment to settle. When Zep's mind met Sal's, it flowed into hers easily, maybe too easily. Arctic shot a quick glance at him.
"What?" Zep asked.
"You're leaking. Close that down."
"Leaking?" Dom asked.
"Don't worry about it," Zep said, smiling like a fool. "Gimme a sec, Arctic." He glanced up at Sal and sighed, his mind changing to one that was battle ready. "I get it, bro?"
"Yeah, you got it. Sal, you with me?" Arctic asked, his awareness shifting to Dominik's mind.
"Yeah, but talk me through it."
"K. You see any of this?" Arctic concentrated on the shapes of the King's mind.
"No," Zep said.
"Wait," Sal whispered. "Almost. Hang on. Look there."
Arctic followed her attention and focused even more. Shapes and shadows began to clarify in her mind. She couldn't see them, and it wasn't that she felt them. Somehow, she just knew they were there. The sensation was odd, almost disturbing, but something stood out like it was important. Arctic focused harder on it, feeling her awareness growing.
"Zep," Sal said. "Follow me."
"I am. That's crazy shit."
"Yeah," Arctic said. "This is what I do. I see the sounds. Jase touches the sights. None of our gifts make any sense."
"No," Sal said. "Guys, look."
Arctic cocked his head to the side, a trait so Grauoran Sal couldn't help but notice it. "Fuck off, Sal." he chuckled.
"You slip every so often," she teased, dismissing it. "You see that, though?"
"Yeah. Lemme..." He concentrated, and let the sentence die unspoken. In Dominik's mind, things seemed to be set up wrong. Both Sal and Arctic had been in enough iliri and human minds to know how they felt. Both were very different. Dominik's was a blend of the two. Sharp edges of his mind met rounded ones. The caverns of his secrets were narrow and deep, not shallow and wide like in most human minds. His emotions were at the front, but his senses crowded between them.
"Dom, how well do you see in the dark?" Sal asked, suddenly wondering.
"I dunno," Dom said. "Nothing like you can."
"Better than your friends when you were growing up?"
Dom nodded. "Yeah."
"What a
bout you, Zep?" she asked.
"Yeah, I guess. Used to sneak out from the roof and not think anything of it. What are you getting at, demon?"
"I don't know."
"Ok," Arctic said. "Dom, let's try this again."
"Zep," Sal said softly. "Watch him. I need you to guide me to where he needs to go to make this link work, ok?"
"Didn't you do this when he brought you in?" Zep asked her.
"No," Sal and Arctic said together.
Sal clarified, "I came with the switch on. That's why I stumbled in."
"Ah. Ok. You see the thread, Sal?"
She nodded. "Yeah, that little thing?"
Arctic shrugged. "That's as good as it gets. Don't call a man's junk small."
Dominik laughed, and Sal grabbed Arctic's shoulder, wanting him to wait. "You know how sometimes I just know things?"
"Yeah," both Zep and Arctic murmured.
"This is one of those times," Sal said. "Can I play with your junk?"
Arctic chuckled. "I don't know, Sal. Can you?"
"Dom, tell me if anything changes," she said, grabbing the thin blue tendril Arctic dangled in his mind, making it thicker, longer, and stronger.
Arctic's hand grabbed the arm of the chair, and he sat up straighter. "Whoa. That's weird."
"Bad weird?" she asked.
"Yeah, uh. Well," Arctic stammered.
Zep tapped her arm playfully. "Cold hand on the dick weird, Sal. Nice, but not."
"Yeah, bro. Exactly," Arctic agreed.
Sal just shook her head, struggling not to laugh at their boyish jokes. "Well, it is my first time, you know. Ok, Dom. You see that now?"
Dominik sighed in mock disgust. "Yeah. Wow. Not sure I want to grab that now, you three." The Blades all laughed, but the King looked very serious. "Yeah. I think I got that."
"Ok. Hang on, then. Like seriously hang on," Arctic said and began pulling Dominik's mind.
"Wait," Zep said. "Wrong way. You see this?" He pointed out sharp edges and points in Dom's mind. "That shit will knock him right off. I know it's longer, but can you go that way?" He gestured to a maze of rolling thoughts and emotions. "That's the way Sal showed me to make it work better."
