Hashiko snapped at her. “You’re an ignorant fool, Maeris. You must always do something so that you can then try to make yourself feel good about it. You can never just let things be as they are. To let them turn out on their own as they will. No matter the outcome. To let things be!”
“Then I am a fool. I will never stand by and just let things happen when there is a chance that I can help. What, the sum total of Chaos Wisdom is to be an indifferent, selfish asshole? To never care about anything or anyone else but myself? Then no, I suppose I shall never be a Chaos Master. And quite frankly, I have no desire to be.”
Master Vane called over his shoulder.
“Very well, Maeris. You’ve had your customary little self-righteous rant. Run along now and help the rats if you so desire. Let them come running to you constantly and waste your time. Just don’t let them bother us any further. Or I promise you–there will be a few less of them to do so.”
As tired as she was, Naero saw to her friends after Vane and Hashiko left them.
Tua remained tough overall. Bahan and Iika were battered and bruised, but showed no permanent injuries.
They brought her to Lenna, just as the young mother started bleeding very badly. Weak fear and sorrow in her pleading eyes.
“Naero…please…my kits–”
“Shhh…” Naero told her, doing her best to be re-assuring. “Just rest and stay strong. We’re going to do everything we can to save you all.”
Naero worked with Lenna and Iika and the other midwives and women. Naero studied Lenna’s swollen abdomen with her healing sight.
Ugh. One of the three kits was jammed up transverse in the birth canal, with the other two packed in behind.
Even the Tua midwives were helpless against this. The baby could not be turned.
A tragic recipe for death in child birth if there ever was one.
Just the il-luck of the draw for Lenna and her young.
Not if Naero had anything to say about it.
Despite the fact that she was close to passing out herself.
Yet only she with her sight and her fumbling, halting biomancing could keep the bleeding in check.
Using telekinetics to do what needed to be done, without harming either the mother or her three infants.
After an hour of very tough, exacting work, Naero finally managed to unplug the strained birth canal. And re-position the young.
All three infants delivered naturally.
The only other choice would have been an emergency C-section. But Naero wasn’t a skilled surgeon like Zhen. She didn’t have a medbed or any equipment either.
She wasn’t a doctor in any way shape or form, and any such attempt most likely would have ended very badly.
As it was, Lenna passed out in the end. Weak but still alive, with her three kits nursing and sleeping at her teats.
Naero could no longer stand up herself. The Tua females needed to carry her out, and give the news to the waiting men and others of the tribe.
Immediately, the Tua rejoiced, and burst out singing their song of birth and rejoicing.
Naero smiled and listened, but faded off to unconsciousness with the sound ringing in her ears.
Too tired to sing along.
Sha dii ah kahnii, ahluu-nii-vah, kahnii, kahnii, kahnii, jah loh ah-kahnii!
30
Months into her third year, Naero laughed with Lenna and Iika. Lenna’s kits grew rapidly, climbing and playing happily all over Naero.
Squealing with joy when she tickled or kissed them.
Lenna put her hands to her face.
“Each day is a gift of great gladness. Each day I love my little ones and watch them laugh and grow beneath the sun, moon, and stars–I think of you, of your gift of life to us. Thank you Naero, my dear sister.”
Naero hugged her briefly.
“I was glad to help. I did my best to help another who was in great need. As I hope that someone would do for me, if I was in such dire need.”
“Ahh…the great gift,” Iika said. “The greatest of all the great truths. To care for another as you would have them care for you. To give of yourself, all that you can, as you would have others give to you. You have grown as wise and mighty, as you are beautiful, halaena. And that only adds to your glory. The Tua have never known another like you. You do us great honor.”
“It is an honor to know the Tua and to be accepted into their homes. I only do what I think is right. Just as you all do. There’s no need to make much about it. It is the way that things should truly be.”
But Lenna would not let it go.
“I and my people accept you as one among us, sister. You will always have a place among us. And wherever you go among the stars, you shall always take a part of us with you. No matter what happens. We shall never forget you.”
Naero looked at the sky. A bright, brilliant peaceful day.
She laughed. “Don’t worry so much. Nothing’s going to happen.”
Lenna looked into the same sky and sadly shook her head. “No, sister. Even you as one of the great among the halaena know better than this. Things always happen that we have no power over. That is why we must cherish each moment. For we know not what shall come.
“Yet I say this to you. That even if all the world should fall into the sun this moment, I would hold my kits close and be glad–thankful for the time I have been given with them. And for knowing you, and all the faces I love to see each day. I will never stop thanking you.”
Naero had no words to reply with.
*
Naero’s sessions with Hashiko continued.
Master Vane trained closely with her more and more, for longer and longer periods of time as her endurance and her mastery of the energy fields increased.
At times he took her onto the Astral Plane where they could do less planetary damage with their contests. Unleashing great destructive techniques.
He relentlessly punished and challenged her in every way.
And despite Naero remaining at a severe disadvantage against him–a Mystic Master with centuries of experience–she strove to do the same.
That was the secret with Vane.
She could never bore him. But he couldn’t resist a challenge. His one major weakness, as Naero saw it.
On top of being a major ass-bag.
More months ticked by. And she continually found peace, and healing, and good will and solace among the simple, gentle Tua.
Until she thought them to be among the greatest cultures she had ever learned about, in all her years of education and searching.
Nearly three long, punishing years on Janosha passed.
Each day a continuing struggle in nearly every way.
Yet finally the day came at last.
Today.
This day was the day.
Naero felt certain about it.
Despite the fact that she kept telling herself that every day.
Every day for the last several months of her third year on Janosha.
Each day she got a little closer.
But with less than two months before her three year ordeal was over, she grew more certain and hopeful with each dawn and dusk that passed.
She shook her head and limbered up.
It still boggled her mind somewhat that in the end, only three months had passed in the outside universe, beyond Janosha.
The time dilation concept still freaked her out somewhat. But no matter now
This was the new day that was given. A bright beautiful autumn day, cool and crisp on the savannahs of Janosha.
And the Tua greeted the dawn as they always did each day, with their song of welcoming.
Naero stood with her feet planted firmly on the earth itself, drinking in the energy and strength all around her. Girding herself for the challenge to come.
And she sang with them.
Sha nii hah, ahluu-nii-ha-ah! Mah nah-hii, jah ah-loh, ah-dii!
One hour exactly after dawn, Mystic Adept Naero Amashin Maeris appro
ached the Mystic sparring circle and raised one fist high in defiance–to challenge Prime Adept Mitsubishi Hashiko for the right to enter the circle and do combat.
Hashiko turned to face her, gray togs form fitting just like Naero’s, covering almost their entire bodies, even their hands and feet.
Only her fierce black eyes glared through the slit in her tight, Nytex hood and mask, pulled up for formal, ritual combat.
As soon as Naero closed her black Nytex hood over her face and head in the same formal fashion, Hashiko nodded.
Eyes focused. Unblinking.
Naero charged in. Focusing all of her speed and strength.
She adjusted her density, her champion parents’ secret fighting ability from their Clans.
Naero and Hashiko stood toe to toe, punching and kicking in a flurry of combinations and honed techniques for nearly an hour. Blows thundering, cracking, and rocketing as they clashed and split through the air.
Until the entire area rocked and thrummed with the weight and impact of their close-in battle. They grunted and shouted as they fought and endured.
The Tua themselves lined the outer ring of galu trees, watching in wonder. They sang their song of struggle and trouble.
Thanduu zoh ganuu, Peng shiikah vah kongo, Tur-rah-gah ziiko, Tur-rah-gah mah-duu…
Then Master Vane flashed in on one of the old benches.
The Tua gasped.
The Great One had never come to witness one of the halaena battles yet, no matter what had transpired.
The shock of the impacts continued to shatter the air and rumbled the very ground with tremors.
Yet both contestants held fast and did not budge or retreat. Regenerating injuries as best they could as they fought on.
Finally they both withdrew slightly and took up their stances, circling one another.
They charged in once more, lines of force and rings and spheres of psyonic, Chaos, and Cosmic energy erupting and expanding around them as they fought their way through each other’s traps and defenses.
At last Naero staggered Hashiko with a solid punch that snapped the Prime adept’s head violently to one side, spraying blood.
Haisha! Did that feel good!
Naero had never experienced anything so intensely satisfying.
Landing a good solid blow on the ruthless adept who had tormented and punished her day-in and day-out for nearly three years.
But Hashiko could take a punch, and countered with a sweeping back-wheel kick.
It smashed into the side of Naero’s head and sent her staggering back to the edge of the sparring circle of dark black sand.
One step more spelled defeat.
The Tua shot to their feet as one, necks craning.
They cried out in their song of danger, shrieking to a near fevered pitch.
Ahti! Ahti! Ahti! Zah, Zah, Zah! Pahn duu, Pahn duu, Pahn duu!
Hashiko broke the rules again and hit Naero with a massive sonic blast. Attempting to drive Naero out of the circle.
Naero dug her feet in and and strode forward into the withering teeth of the heavy attack, countering with a mindblast that gutted Hashiko’s assault.
And then rocked her with Naero’s own sonic counter-attack.
Hashiko deflected the blast around her with a thick, glass-like Chaos shield all over her body that only lasted an instant. Shattering into a spray of dust and shards, absorbing the intense damage.
Then she went on the offensive to overpower Naero and crush her.
Fists and feet blazing with the rampant flames of pure Chaos energy.
In dismay, Naero stepped back slightly, struggling to come up with a way to counter such an all-out assault.
Too late.
Hashiko roared at her like a freight hauler on fire, set to explode.
At the last instant.
Naero used every ounce of speed merely to flip herself to one side.
Out of the way.
Hashiko hurtled right by her, unable to stop herself.
Right out of the sparring ring.
For the first time in nearly three years.
Naero won a match.
Hashiko shrieked in frustration and rage.
She struck the earth with her fiery fists until the ground split and the energies snuffed out at the impact.
“You tricked me!” Hashiko railed.
Naero grinned, chuckling.
“I’m guessing you don’t know me very well.”
“That doesn’t count! You didn’t defeat me in proper combat.”
“Oh, it counts all right…adept. You can’t keep changing the rules any longer to suit yourself. Not after today. So suck it up.”
Hashiko screamed and charged at her again.
Naero flip-kicked her twice, wheeling impossibly fast in mid-air.
Then a sweeping spin kick to one side.
To throw her off balance.
Naero maxed out her density and double spin-kicked her back to the opposite side.
Hashi reeling and partially dazed.
A double front flip kick.
Prime Adept Mitsubishi Hashiko soared out of the sparring field as if shot out of a cannon.
She smashed into the galu trees in an explosion of splintering wood and Chaos energy.
The Tua scattered, and then went wild, singing their song of praise. Rejoicing at Naero’s long overdue triumph.
Naero fell to her knees, raised her hands to the bright sky and sang with them in exultation.
Yah-duu Ah Shah Lah! Shah hah lah shah-dae! Yah Jhah Vah Shah-Lae! Ae duu vah. Ae duu vah shah lah!
High Master Vane clapped his hands together and split the very air with a peel of deafening thunder.
The shock wave alone nearly tore up the trees and knocked the Tua flat on their backs in every direction.
Naero had to use all of her remaining strength to keep standing.
Vane went on to clap slowly.
“So, Maeris. After three years of constant failure, you’ve manage to win a single match.” He yawned. “Indeed…Bravo!”
Naero ignored him. He would not lessen her victory. Not this day.
Hashiko flashed in behind Vane and stood defiant, her arms crossed in front of herself, hood pulled back.
But she still had galu wood splinters and stray leaves in her mussed up hair. She wiped the smeared blood from her bruised and battered face.
Vane turned to Naero again.
“Very well, Maeris. You have your little victory. What will you do with it? Tell us? The sparring field is yours…for the moment.”
Naero kept her face impassive and bowed her head ever so slightly to High Master Vane.
Then she held out her hand.
“Adept Hashiko is a worthy opponent. She still has much to teach me and many others after me. I welcome her back into our sparring circle, if not as friends, then at least as comrades.”
Hashiko’s mouth fell open slightly. She looked slightly confused and at a loss.
Now Vane rolled his eyes.
“If you haven’t figured it out, Maeris is being dramatic again, Hashi. You’d better shake her hand or we could be here all the ding dong day. Try and be gracious for once.”
Hashiko cast her normally proud glance down for a moment, her fierce eyes still roving, back and forth, staring at the ground. Cold and unyielding, she still looked slightly bewildered. In shock and disbelief.
She barely took Naero’s hand and shook it before letting it drop.
“Now,” Naero stated. “Now that we are comrades, we shall decide together what the rules of the sparring circle are. All of this superior and inferior adept crap ends right here and now. Agreed?”
Hashiko hesitated, and nodded.
“Agreed. So be it.”
“Good. Now we’re all just good, committed practitioners of the Wisdom of Chaos. Master Vane, I have a feeling somehow that the Tua are going to have one of their feasts this night. Why don’t you and Hashiko join me at the celebration? And for once we can all
just cut the crap and really talk. Openly and honestly. Just the three of us.”
Both of them stared at her like she was insane.
“Why, hell. I’d bet even the Tua have a few things they’d like to say to you two, if you would ever take the time to listen.”
Master Vane cocked his head. “Seriously? You win one match and we’re all good buddies, Maeris? Pass.”
He dismissed her with a wave of his hand like he usually did.
“Go laugh and play with the rats. Gorge yourself on their bland, shitty fare. I have too many other things that are actually worth doing.”
He transported away the very next instant.
What a dickhead.
Hashiko just glared back at her.
“This changes little, adept. I still do not like you. And at one hour past dawn tomorrow, I shall challenge you again. As I shall do each day until the natural order of things is restored, and this circle is mine once more.”
Naero smiled fiercely. “Hashiko. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“I will always be better than you in every way that counts. You will never be my equal, let alone my superior.”
Naero shook her head sadly.
“Make no attempts to pity me, Maeris.”
“Unbelievable. You still don’t get it, do you, Hashiko? I never said you couldn’t beat me. Some days you’ll beat me. Some days I’ll beat you. That’s the way life is. That’s the way Chaos is–if you really think about it. But we don’t have to have contempt for each other. It doesn’t have to be like that.”
Naero looked her right in the eyes.
Hitting her with Chaos logic had Hashi off guard again.
Naero smiled. “And, like I told you before. You might beat me, but you’ll never defeat me.”
Hashiko turned without another word and stalked away.
Naero stood in the circle, folded her arms in front of her, and watched Hashi depart.
While the Tua sang with joy at Naero’s triumph.
31
Naero sat the small, battered little wooden stand in between her and Master Vane.
He monitored everything she did very closely.
Naero sat in the secret mountain complex chamber with her legs crossed. Arms relaxed to either side, resting on her knees.
Spacer Clans Adventure 2: Naero's Gambit Page 21
