by Angela Timms
A guard had been stationed by the bodies and Kyla ran to him. “Have you seen the King and Queen?”
The guard looked down at her, his face was streaked with smoke where he had been helping with the fire. “They are over there.” He pointed to the corner of the room. The King and Queen were there, comforting a family. The Queen’s robes were stained with blood and soot and her immaculate make up was now streaked by tears. The King was beside her with his arm around her and they were both clasping the hand of an elderly woman who was standing in front of one of the covered bodies.
It seemed quiet outside now but more bodies were coming in and being left in neat lines on the floor. Joniel looked wildly about. “I’m sorry, I’m going to have to take my leave of you. I’ll check about outside but I can’t stay in here with all this blood.” He put his hand on Kyla’s arm, squeezed it. “I won’t be far away and if there’s more trouble I will get you out of here my dear.” He then disappeared.
Kel caught Kyla’s other arm. “Come on, let’s go out with him and see what we can do.” They followed Joniel out into the courtyard and then outside the castle. It was hard to move as there were lots of hysterical people milling about. Some were looking at the skies, some were looking at the blasted buildings, and others just walked with their heads down and looked shocked.
Kyla heard a toddler crying, she was sitting by the side of the road with her fingers in her mouth. Kyla scooped her up. “Where is your mummy little one?” The child looked at her, her blue eyes watery as she took her wet hand out of her mouth and pointed to the alleyway. Kyla handed the girl to Kel who held her like she was a bomb about to explode and stepped into the alley. There was a body on the floor, it had been mostly blown to bits but it was recognizable as a woman. There was a little boy dead beside her. Kyla pulled the woman’s cloak out from under her and laid it over them and went back to the street. “Come on little one, I’m going to take you to the castle and they will look after you there.”
Kel hastily handed the girl over as Kyla looked at him and shook her head. He put a hand on the little girl’s head and ruffled her curls. “We’ll take you there and someone will look after you.”
Rennon was helping a man to stand up. His leg had been shattered but it had been bound and he was able to limp along. He had been knocked over by the crowd and was finding it difficult to get his footing without someone else knocking him over. He leant on Rennon’s arm, his other hand on a stick someone had given him and they all made their way back to the castle.
They made many more trips out to the town and back with survivors and every time they got back the body count was growing and the bodies on the floor were now piling up two high. The King and Queen had retired to their rooms to tidy themselves up ready to talk to the people and the guards were rallying people to bring them to the main square ready for the Royal Proclamation.
About half an hour later the crowd in the square fell silent as the King and Queen stepped out onto the balcony. The King looked around at the people below and cleared his throat. “My People, this has been a sad night for our town and for our Kingdom. Good souls have left us tonight and our town will be the lesser for their passing. But, those of us who remain must carry on. We must rebuild and we must bring vengeance down upon our enemies. Where we have been content to sit back and let others do our work for us, now it is our time to take to the skies. It is our decision to join with the allies to stand against the Followers who were the perpetrators of this foul act.
Tonight has also seen other foul acts. Our High Magus has been murdered by Follower spies who have been active in our town. But, he did not die in vain as we have evidence now of who they are. They have been arrested and will now be brought out in front of you.”
The guards came out on a lower balcony, pushing five men in richly adorned robes in front of them.
The King looked down on them. “These murderers cannot be allowed to live within our walls. Tonight I have consulted with the Magi and it has been decided that our laws must change. These men are guilty of treason as well as murder and the punishment for this shall be death. Captain of the Guard will you execute these men for me.”
The Captain of the Guard stepped forwards as the men looked about them in horror. He pulled out his blaster and went along the line, shooting each one in turn, in the head, at close range. One by one they fell forwards until they were all dead. The crowd roared its approval.
The King then raised his hand and there was silence. “We are living in exceptional times and when the murder was discovered a Council of the Magi was called to elect a new High Magus so that there can be continuity. For the first time in our history there was a unanimous decision on the first vote. I am pleased to announce that Gerdan Menias has been elected as the new High Magus. If he would kindly step out onto the balcony so that you may meet him.”
A tall thin man dressed in long purple velvet robes stepped out onto the balcony beneath the one the King stood on. He bowed to the people and then stepped back.
The King held his hand up to silence the loud applause. “Order will come out of this chaos but for tonight we must survive as best we can and take our rest where we can. We rest much safer in our beds tonight now that these traitors have been eliminated. They were also the perpetrators of this attack as the Terrinial Shield was turned off. We have footage that it was one of their number who did this act. Sadly this plot was put into action before we were able to apprehend the perpetrators. It has now been reinstated so please my people, find rest where you can and tomorrow we will begin to rebuild our town.”
The King and Queen stood together on the balcony as the crowd applauded and cheered. They then turned and went inside.
Kel slipped his arm around Kyla’s waist and she looked up at him. She smiled and whispered. “I’d better get inside and see if I can help any of the injured.”
Kel wiped a smudge off of her forehead. “I’ll come in with you and see what I can do to help. Rennon, how about you?”
Rennon was looking about in disbelief. “I can’t believe how fast and furious that attack was. They didn’t stand a chance if that thing came in cloaked but I’m just amazed that the shield was all that protected them. They are supposed to have star bases up there.”
Kel thought a minute. “Well if they weren’t looking or they didn’t have the scanner on at the time. I’ve had a bad thought, what if there are spies on the bases?” Just as he said that there were flashes of light in the sky which lit up the square. Six in all then everything fell silent. Kel dragged Kyla inside and Rennon followed. “I would hazard a guess that those explosions were the star bases going up. If they have saboteurs on board the Followers could have done that. If they did then its possible there is going to be another cruiser attack.”
They all nearly jumped out of their skin when Joniel appeared beside them and grabbed Kyla around the waist. “I’m taking her back to your ship. Stay here and I’ll be back for the rest of you. This place is about to come under attack by four Kerillian Cruisers.” Kyla opened her mouth but the words were lost.
Joniel appeared with Kyla in the Hopper and put her down and was gone again. He returned with Kel and then with Rennon and then sat down himself. His robe was stained with soot. Kyla moved to sit next to him. “Can I take a look?” She said quietly as she saw the wet blood on his hands. Joniel looked at her a little bit stunned. “Yes, er, thank you.”
She opened the front of his robe. His chest was a mass of burns and embedded shrapnel. “How did you get this?”
He looked down and winced. “I got the King and Queen out but I couldn’t save their daughter, she was trapped under falling masonry. We were in that tower that exploded. I shielded them from the explosion.”
Kyla got the medical kit out from the Hopper storage compartment as Rennon started the preflight checks. She pulled out a large pair of tweezers and began to gently remove the broken metal shards that were stuck in Joniel’s chest. As she watched he was visibly looking tired a
nd he had begun to go grey. She pulled out a blood bag from the medical chilled cabinet and poured him a beaker full. He drank it down. It helped a little. Then she carried on with pulling out the pieces. She pushed him back so that he lay down on the bench which made her job a lot easier. She disinfected the skin and put a dressing over the whole of his chest. He made to get up but she put a hand on his shoulder and pushed him back down again. “Now it’s Rennon’s turn to get us all out of here. How are we doing?”
Rennon was just lifting the Hopper off and he already had it in stealth mode. “We’re doing just fine. I bet you are glad we didn’t bring our own horses or we’d be doing a rescue mission at the moment to get them out.” Kyla smiled. “I’m very glad, we were lucky to get ourselves out. Joniel, how do you feel.”
Joniel looked up at her, his eyes tired and strained. “I feel like I’ve just had a building fall on top of me. I need living blood my darling, that was helpful but it won’t allow me to heal those wounds.”
Kyla got up and shut the connecting door between the cockpit and the main bay. She helped Joniel to sit up as he was struggling and sat down beside him. She offered him her wrist but he pushed it down gently. He brushed her hair back with his hand so very gently and leant forwards. He brushed his lips over her cheek and then ran his mouth down her neck. He held her hand, his other hand clasped around the back of her head as he bit into her neck. She tensed as she felt the first flush of the pain but the bite numbed it and she felt nothing other than his skin against hers. He forced himself to let go and he fell back against the wall, his eyes wild and blood red, his pupils elongated to cat like slits, his extended fangs still had not retracted and tiny drops of blood hung on their tips. He licked them and they retracted back into his jaw. His eyes were back to normal and the colour had returned to his cheeks. “You died?” He caught her hand.
She tilted her head on its side. “Technically I died three times. I got shot. How did you know?”
Joniel smiled and took a deep breath. “Because the binding is broken, you are no longer bound to me.” He looked down.
Kyla smiled back at him. “And?”
Joniel looked lost. “And now you are free to do as you wish, then you have been for a long time.”
She bent forwards, put her arms around him and kissed him. “Indeed. And I have thoughts on our other problem too. I have shared our secret with Kel, as I had to. I would share it with Rennon too if you would give me your permission.”
Joniel looked confused. “Why my love would I need to give you my permission?”
Kyla smiled thoughtfully. “Because it could change everything.”
Joniel looked away. “In what way.” He made to stand up but she pushed him back. He was too weak to resist.
Kyla looked down, she looked somehow serene despite the smoke marks on her face and her tangled hair. “I cannot go on living like this, not any more. I want to ask Rennon to find a way… But, I need to know, how do you feel?”
Joniel looked back at her. “For so long now I haven’t known how I feel. I’m not a man of feelings so my answer to you is simple. I feel and that says it all. Do what you can. If you can find an answer come to me, be with me. If you can’t we’ll find a way to survive. We have for so long. Is that enough of an answer for you? You changed me Kyla, you made me who I never thought I could be. It hurts.”
Kyla smiled. “I know.”
Joniel choked. “No I mean it hurts, physically, now. Help me…” He choked again and blood gushed out of his mouth.
Kyla pushed him back onto the seat and ripped the dressing off of his chest. She pulled out the medical bag and scanner. It bleeped and flashed as she turned it on. Joniel was convulsing on the seat. “No you don’t, I’m not going to lose you. None of the holes were big enough for a shard to have passed through. I don’t understand.” She ran the scanner over him again. Nothing came up. She increased the intensity, still nothing. “Nothing, ok so we’ll have to do this the old way.” She pulled on gloves and began pushing Joniel’s skin in at different points until he cried out. She the grabbed a scalpel from the medical box and cut a slit big enough to get her hand inside. She poured disinfectant over her hands and reached inside. Her fingers touched something hard and sharp, she grabbed it between thumb and first finger and pulled gently but firmly and pulled out a needle shaped lump of plastic. She then poured disinfectant over the wound and dressed it.
Joniel was choking, his eyes had rolled back. She took the scalpel and cut across her wrist, dripping the fresh blood into his mouth. He was convulsing so much that the blood sprayed around the cabin. She pinned his shoulders down with her knees and held his head steady with one hand while forcing her wrist over his mouth. The blood flowed fast from the severed artery until he stopped convulsing and lay still. She climbed off of his shoulders and sat on the floor beside him, her wrist still pouring blood into his mouth until she passed out.
Joniel came around moments later and saw her on the floor and instantly realised what she had done. “No, I can’t have this, I can’t do this.” He lifted her from the floor and bound her wrist. Immediately a red rose of blood flowered on the bandage. He laid her back onto the bench and tipped her head back. She was barely breathing and he could feel her life ebbing away. He bit deeply into his own wrist and let the blood drip into her mouth. A gag reflex made her swallow.
Kel’s voice came over the intercom. “Is everything alright in there?”
Joniel didn’t hear him, he could only hear one thing, Kyla’s heartbeat getting stronger. “There has always been an answer my love, I just never wanted to give you the choice. Now there is no choice.”
Kyla came round almost instantly and tasted the blood in her mouth. “What have you done?”
Joniel looked guilty. “I had no choice. But at least now we can be together. I don’t know what this will do with your standing with the White Lady though. Please don’t be angry. If there could have been any other way you know I wouldn’t have done this.”
Kyla’s eyes reflected her anger. “All these years! All these lonely years you could have done this, you could have let us be together?”
Joniel’s face was without expression. “You aren’t angry with me?”
Kyla almost screamed. “Of course I’m angry with you. You could have done this years ago.” Kyla moved along the bench to where she could reach the interconnecting door and opened it. Joniel relaxed and she guided him gently down so he lay flat on the bench, his head on her lap. She stroked his hair as he fell asleep and they glided through the darkness of space on their way back home as the wound on her wrist closed up.
17
They were barely out of planetary orbit when the next star base exploded. It was close to them and the shock wave knocked them sideways. Rennon had to think really fast on his feet to keep them from crashing. All the systems went down and they were blown off course. He compensated for the knock on effect and managed to get them back on track.
Down on the planet flowers of fire from the explosions blossomed as the Star Bases started firing on their own planet and also on the Hopper. Rennon got the shields up in time but they were buffeted and knocked about as the blaster beams hit against their shield damaging it. The shields were holding but barely.
Joniel sat up, clutching his chest which Kyla had now re-bandaged. “Well it looks like it’s going to be a bumpy ride.” He stood up and staggered a little into the cockpit. “Rennon, you are a good pilot but it’s not a specialty of yours. Would you like a hand?”
Rennon was concentrating hard and beginning to panic. “You would be welcome.”
Kel got up and Joniel painfully climbed into his seat and began flicking switches and pushing buttons. “She’s a good craft, just compensate for the blasts, bring her gently back momentum drift her back on track thrusters and you will be back where you should be. There you go and we should be just outside the range of those blasters now. What they really need are”. He paused and seemed to be looking around for som
ething. “Ah yes, a little late but not bad.” He smiled.
He looked up and pointed to a huge battleship that had just appeared above them. It was almost as big as the planet and arrived all guns blazing, firing green bolts at the star bases. Joniel smiled. “Stun blasts. A very cunning creation as they stun everyone on board so we can then go and find out who we need to punish and who is innocent. Lovely shooting, not a blast wasted. May I invite you to visit my flagship?” He waited for an answer but there was silence as they watched the ship stun to where she was and let the and very, very carefully tip the each star base in turn.
Kyla leant on the back of Joniel’s chair. “Well, that is impressive.”
Joniel raised an eyebrow. “I am rather pleased with her. That should solve the problem and the people down there should be suitably grateful so you might still get all those things they promised you. No, you can’t have one of those, that is the only one at the moment and I’m not going to tell you what I had to do to get her. The silver lining here is that anyone with Follower allegiances has now shown their hand and can be dealt with.” He altered their direction and flew them up underneath the ship after sending his personal code. The bay doors opened, they glided inside and the doors closed as Joniel guided the Hopper up to dock. He clicked on the radio and keyed in the frequency.
A silky male voice filled the cockpit. “Welcome home Sir.”
Joniel smiled. “Thank you Jazz. Get the guest rooms ready and let’s crack out some of the good wine tonight. Is the Prince comfortable?”
Jazz’s voice sounded like he was laughing. “The Prince is quite comfortably making our life a misery.”
The Prince chipped in. “Just need to get back there and do something.” Joniel smiled. “I told you not to worry, when will you listen to me? We have it in hand. I trust that Jazz has looked after you.”
