Her mind began to race. All different kinds of energy. Flashbomb bugs. Bugbombs. Mousebombs. Cosmic energy bubblebombs to take down shields.
A bird flew overhead.
Tomorrow, she’d try to replicate a bird. Cosmic energy construct birdbombs. And she could change the construct from energy, to flesh, and back to energy again, at will–once she became adept enough at the manipulation.
She would get better.
That’s enough progress for today, Naero. We have to get to your sparring sessions back on Thanarra.
Aww…man!
What about your next free day? We could spend the entire day practicing replication and startapping?
Maybe. It’s very tempting, Om. We can do a little of that, but not the whole day. I want to catch up with everyone. I can’t wait to see Jan and all the others. And I miss my ship, my quarters.”
All of the Chaos adepts were lined up, waiting for her that day with strained looks on their faces–including the two stuck-up prime adepts, Zhii and Fel.
Daiyana and Arnall, the contraries, were off to one side, ignoring them all.
“Goodbye, N!”
“Farewell, my enemy!”
Naero laughed. “Goodbye to you goofs, too!” She turned back to the others. “What the heck is all of this about now?”
Gaviok strode up, his powerful carapaced arms behind his midsection. He was light blue in color, usually meaning that he was amused or very pleased with himself. “The other adepts have something they wish to ask of you, N.”
She glanced over at them. “Alright, let’s have it.”
Fel Wilde spoke first. “If you would be willing,” she began hesitantly. “Uhh…we know that you have helped all of the adepts from the other orders…increase the effectiveness of their Cosmic and psyonic abilities. What we wish to know, is…is–”
Zhii Kim took over impatiently, blurting the matter out bluntly. “Can you quicken our abilities in the same way, even teach us new ones, if possible? More than half of us cannot summon or use the techniques of the third psyonic eye. Would you be willing to assist us in this manner, for the good of our order, and the advancement of the Mystic orders as a whole? What makes one of us stronger, makes all of us stronger. It is only logical.”
Naero held up both hands. “All right, all right. Enough of the hard sell. I can see it’s difficult for you folks, and the word ‘please’ doesn’t seem to exist for you. You want the same favor I’ve done all the other adepts, but it burns you guys to have to depend on someone else, or ask nice for something.”
Pharrah Decker got angry and nearly stormed away. “See, I told you the tricky bitch was going to make us beg for her help! I won’t do it. I won’t beg!”
“Hey, hey, calm down, Pharrah. I’d be glad to help you guys. Gaviok, talk her down.”
“Listen to reason, Pharrah.”
“She hates Chaos adepts, because of Master Vane. She doesn’t like any of us. Why should she do anything to help us?”
“That’s not it. You’ve got me all wrong. I try not to hate anyone,” Naero said. “I’m not a Chaos adept. I don’t know what else I am yet, but I know I’m not a follower of Chaos Wisdom. But I don’t have to be. Look, all of you guys, I just want to come to an understanding. I can have respect for you. We can all have respect for each other and work together, whatever we choose to believe. Isn’t that the point of the Harmony, that all three Wisdoms should compliment each other and work together?”
Pharrah looked confused. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying nothing says that we have to hate each other. We can all get along. Gaviok and the contraries are Chaos adepts–we get along just fine. We’re all stronger if we help each other, not constantly competing and trying to screw each other over!”
“But…Master Vane.”
Naero rolled her eyes. “Screw Master Vane; to hell with him! Come on–admit it–we all know what a major assbag he can be.”
“She’s right,” Gaviok said. “I respect his knowledge and wisdom regarding Chaos energy, but he is a major bag of ass.”
Even a few of the Chaos adepts chuckled at that.
Naero clapped a hand on one of the mantid’s broad shoulders. “Gaviok, you didn’t quite get that right, my friend–but I like your spirit.”
The contraries couldn’t help adding their two creds.
“How dare you!” Arnall said. “Why, High Master Vane is the most wonderful man there is. He is good-natured and kind…like a big friendly bunny.”
“Yes, I love him,” Daiyana said in a robotic voice. “He is so nice, I wish I could marry him, and give him many bug-eyed children from my urgent loins.”
Naero spluttered with explosive laughter and nearly choked on her own breath and mirth. Several of the other adepts were laughing so hard by that time, they could barely stand.
Poor Gaviok. He alone looked around in clueless confusion.
“I don’t understand? Does she really wish to have Master Vane fertilize all of her eggs with his seed spray?”
Now everyone roared with laughter, faces turning red. They could not breathe.
“Yes, yes,” Daiyana insisted. “I want his seed spray on my eggs more than the breath of life itself!”
“Oh,” Gaviok said, with a characteristic dip of his head. “Very well, then.”
Everyone roared again.
The Mantid looked around at them all. “What is so hilarious?” he honestly asked.
Trevor waved his hands in surrender. “No more…please! My head hurts…my sides are splitting!”
Naero spent the rest of that day quickening and working with the other Chaos adepts, helping them improve their various abilities.
After lunch, Naero and her band made their way to the Thanarran docks again. A private trading vessel was contracted to take them to the cliffs of the Maedo, for Naero and her companions to meet with the strange and elusive Amazons. The lowland areas of Maedo on the coast were a no-man’s land–literally–contested by Vaedo, the Kall, and the Thanes. All had fought over it. The Maedo could barely trade, and only inhabited the unassailable heights of their city state.
But their lethal archers and blowgunners slipped down in the lower areas to snipe at any enemy invaders they could find, and make them pay a heavy toll.
On this day, Naero took six others with her: Pharrah and Kenden from Chaos, Rinaldo and Karabella from Order, and Perra and Hanta from Change. The winds were up and the waters of the bay looked rough.
More surprises. A strange warship and three heavily armored barges hugged the coast and pulled up to the docks.
They flew the rippling, golden dragon banners of Vaedor.
Bells rang out from the city walls. Then horns.
Ranks of warriors rushed to the dockside area, taking up defensive positions, as if it were an invasion.
Maybe it was. Naero scanned the barges and saw them to be loaded with heavily armed Vaedo troops.
Trumpets sounded. Naero heard harps playing. A large, powerful-looking man came to the railing of the ship, surrounded by guards. He wore golden robes and his fists bristled with golden and jeweled rings. On his head he wore a golden dragon crown with four points.
His skin was very pale–white even. His eyes were sapphire blue, and his shoulder-length hair was golden. His golden beard was neatly trimmed and edged in actual, dazzling gold. His broad chest was bare beneath his gilded robes. About his waist, he wore a broad belt of what looked to be gold-plated skulls, a jeweled scimitar–and a golden codpiece that nearly reached to the deck of the ship.
Yet his eye was cruel and cold, his bearing proud and haughty, and his doughy-face and thick pink lips sneered obscenely, like one steeped in violence and debauchery.
The golden dragon god’s trumpets blared.
The golden man lifted his muscled arms, and his slaves fell to their knees around him.
“I am the god of this world. I am the golden dragon of the Vaedo. I am Emperor Vauk, and I demand that you holy one
s meet with me this day.”
Naero bowed her head slightly. “Forgiveness, milord. But that is impossible. We are already scheduled to meet with the Maedo today.”
“Impudence! You dare defy my will?”
“We serve the will of the gods, and they direct us to speak with the Maedo, milord.”
“I am a god as well. And I command you to come away with me, so that we may speak together. I must know what lies you have been told, by all these others–these petty upstarts and mortal rulers who defy my divine authority.”
“We have heard no lies, milord. Everywhere we hear only of your greatness. And thus we have reserved the true place of ultimate honor for you.”
“The place of ultimate honor?” Vauk asked, looking suspicious.
“Yes, is it not customary among the gods to speak to the greatest last? On this world, you are the greatest potentate among all the city states. Your realm is the largest and most magnificent, your armies the greatest and most numerous. We knew that you would be greatly offended if we did not give you your place of highest honor, and come before you last, as is only right and proper.”
“You are the mediator sent by the gods? The ones my spies have told me so much about?”
“Yes, milord. I am–”
He waved one hand in boredom. “As one of the celestials, I do not care for names, least of all yours. I will call you Mediator. That is enough. You and these so-called holy ones claim to have been sent by the gods?”
“Yes, milord.”
“And why would my radiant kin fail to inform me of such a mission?”
“I’m certain they know how very busy you are, milord.”
“Well said. You are polite enough, at least, Mediator. I give you that. But so young…and a pretty thing, too.”
Naero did not enjoy the gleam in Emperor Vauk’s eyes as he appraised her form and face.
“Mediator, it is said that you can read the hearts and minds of mere mortals. Surely you could not do so with a god.”
“I would not dare to do so, lord. Lest I be overwhelmed by your great splendor and magnificence.”
“Oh,” he said with a grin. “Oh, yes. I do like your ways with words. But I warn you, Mediator. Many others have tried to flatter me. They now hang from my walls along its full length, and feed the crows and gulls–both the short-lived, and the dead. They die, singing to my name for forgiveness. Sometimes…I take mercy on a few of the wretches, and have them dropped into the sea or onto the rocks for a quick end. Other times, I give them water, and keep them singing and praising my name for weeks at a time–or until the birds strip them clean. The crows and gulls always go for the eyes. Eyeballs must be a delicacy.”
Naero bowed. “It has been a pleasure speaking with you, milord. But our chartered ship awaits.”
“Why don’t you let my ships take you to the Cliffs of the Maedo, Mediator? We can dine and talk more along the way. I assure you. You will not gain audience with Warrior Queen Aijarri and her Amazons this day. I am certain of it.”
Naero was curious. “And why is that, milord?”
“Because I have convinced them to go on…let us just say, a tiny errand for me. One that will benefit us both, greatly.”
Om, get our cloaked spyfixers all over that area. I want to know what is afoot.
Will do, Naero.
“I thought the Vaedo and the Maedo were currently in a state of perpetual war, since the fall of the Maedo lowlands to your illustrious armies, milord?” Naero said.
Emperor Vauk grinned again. “I see that the gods do indeed keep you surprisingly well-informed, Mediator. Yes, we are still at war. But I happen to have the queen’s second born–her young son Tavul as one of my guests. My agents just happened to capture him, recently. He is currently still alive, but only at my whim. He hangs from a golden cage, thrust out from my very own balcony. My guards keep the birds away from him…most of the time, for now. If the warrior queen serves my will well enough–I may even keep my own word…and let him go free. Or, since he is a shapechanger, perhaps I will see if the young prince can turn into a bird, and fly away.”
“You must excuse us, great lord,” Naero said. “But our word has been given, and we must keep it or be dishonored. If we cannot meet with the Maedo today, we will do so this evening. And then with you upon the morrow. This I promise.”
“Very well, then. We shall return here to pick you up around this same time, tomorrow…Mediator.” He gave her his back and walked out of sight. His guards closed in behind him.
Naero and her people reached the Maedo cliffs in less than two hours.
The Maedo lowered a message to them, saying that the queen had taken ill, and would need to meet with them another day.
Naero and her people had their ship move further down the coast, out of sight.
Word came to her from Om.
Naero, a warrior matching the Maedo queen’s description is leading a large band of warriors secretly through the dense trees along the coast.
Where are they heading?
The Kall have a secret shipyard less than three hours away, on the coast, near the backside of the Maedo mountain forts. The Maedo are carrying many crude incendiary bombs.
They mean to burn the shipyard and the partially constructed ships there.
And a large quantity of cured lumber, that the Kall have been hiding and preparing there for years.
The Kall need ships to survive; one of their weaknesses. The Vaedo must have found them out somehow. Emperor Vauk’s spy network seems to be very extensive. Why waste their forces on taking that shipyard out, when they can blackmail the Maedo into doing it for them? Om, do you have eyes on the captured Maedo prince, Tavul?
Yes. These coordinates, you can view the area directly through our spyfixer vidlinks.
Naero went below decks and made plans with the other adepts.
“Three of you cloak, transport, and use gravwings and stun needles as needed–but rescue Prince Tavul and bring him safely on board our ship.”
Pharrah nodded. “Will do; leave it to us. See you back here…N.”
Naero turned to the other three adepts. “You guys with me. We’re going to stop that attack. We’ll flash stun both sides if we have to.”
“Why are we interfering?” Kenden asked. “Are you certain the High Masters would want us to do this?”
Naero shook her head. “They sent me here to attempt to negotiate a peace. I am acting as I see fit. How can I do anything if these people are constantly at war? If we rescue Prince Tavul, there is no reason for the Maedo to attack the Kall, and Vaedor’s plot will be foiled.”
Naero transported and placed herself directly in the path of the Maedo Queen, and her eleven hundred Amazon warriors. The vast majority of them were in fact, women.
Why were there so few men among the Amazons? How could they possibly maintain a breeding population?
We have not had time to go over that, Naero. The Maedo are indeed near-human shapechangers. Some of them in mated pairs can change into male form, as needed, for purposes of procreation. Some few are actually born male and prefer to remain so. The vast majority of the population, however, is normally female.
Very…unusual.
The reptilian sentients on Shongo-5 have a similar ability, if males are needed. But they actually transform by shedding their old forms, like a husk.
Anything else I need to know?
The Maedo are extremely warlike, much like their other Thanoran cousins. They are acrobatic, they are expert climbers in trees or mountain rocks. They travel very quickly along swing and zip lines maintained throughout their forests and mountains. They use poison-tipped javelins, arrows, and blowgun darts, both to stun, and to kill. They have long fighting knives, and curved sabres with handguards, that can be used one or two-handed. They move quietly and only wear light, leather armor at most. Their laminate bows have the longest range of any bows on the planet–over a klick on a windless day.
Thanks, Om.
“Here they come,” Hanta Cheyenne whispered.
Naero strode forward and raised both hands over her head. She openly called out. “I am the mediator, sent by the gods. I have come this day to speak with Aijarri, Warrior Queen of the Maedo!”
Numerous poison arrows and blowguns darts, firing right at you all!
“Shields up!” Naero cried.
18
Naero and the adepts deftly deflected arrows and javelins with their arms and hands.
The Maedo blowgun darts bounced off their personal shields.
Queen Aijarri stepped out of the shadows of the forest, as her warriors quickly encircled the four adepts, training weapons on the four all the while.
Naero nearly gasped, seeing these people for the first time, other than descriptions in reports.
The Maedo warriors were all breathtakingly beautiful. They were also tall–damn them–none under 1.83 meters. The queen herself was 1.91 meters, about the same height as Naero’s good friend, Chaela.
They had finely chiseled features, and their skin was jet black–blacker even than the near-human Naivatch. Even the lips of the Maedo and their palms were black.
But their eyes were mostly golden and amber in color, like the eyes of lions–predator eyes. Their hair was various shades of blue, from pale blue to midnight blue, so dark it seemed blue-black, much like Naero’s own hair.
They wore their long hair in low ponytails, with ornate wooden, metal, and lapis hair bands, set at the base of their neck in back, or in a knotted bun. The Maedo were long of limb, slender and athletic, with narrow hips and broad backs. Soft leather gloves and moccasins or sandals covered their hands and feet, which looked slightly larger, possibly from them being climbers.
Their clothing and armor consisted of a leather tunic, belted at the waist. They wore studded leather battle harnesses or baldrics for their gear and weapons–and what looked to be padded leather arming caps. They had small bedroll packs on their backs, and each carried several weapons. The laminate bow seemed to be the predominate weapon. Next came a slender bamboo spear, that was socketed and could be broken down into two equal pieces. One piece could double as a blowgun. Then came various javelins, the sabre, and numerous fighting blades–even what appeared to be a small tomahawk or fighting axe.
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