by Vi Voxley
The Lord Templar wasn't simply an idiot with a power-complex, his malevolence ran much deeper.
As Doraton disappeared from sight, taking the kicking and fighting Joanna with him, Rago turned to Eredin with the other Templars slowly and carefully closing the noose around them.
"Fight?" he asked quietly.
"Yes," Eredin replied tersely, his golden eyes still fixed on the retreating back of the Lord Templar. "As soon as he's gone."
"He won't take our escape out on her?"
"Not if we don't embarrass him by attacking right on. She's too valuable to him until he believes he can use the Orb's power. And he knows we can't touch him until she's in danger."
They didn't even bother to lower their voices. The Templars around them, at least those close enough to hear, were looking rather perplexed. One of them even had the gall to speak up.
"Lord Greole," the Templar said, turning to Eredin. "How can you do this? She is your fated, we understand, but the Orochis are our natural enemies. If she can help to –"
"Help?" Eredin asked, still motionless as he clearly waited for the right moment to attack.
The sword in his hand was gripped tightly. Rago kept him in sight as he prepared to break through the ranks of the highly trained Templars. Men who were supposed to have been their brothers in arms.
"You think we need help from a female to win a battle against the Orochis?" Eredin asked.
"No," the Templar recoiled at once. "But the Lord Templar has the best interests of the Haverins at heart. The Orb could be used. If she is a host, she can do us much good."
"The Lord Templar has nothing but his own interests at heart," Eredin snapped and Rago saw that it made quite a few expressions drop and frown.
It was still highly unusual for a Greole to speak up against his own like that. They took notice. After all, it was a very touchy problem, given that the Templars had both Merives and Greoles in their ranks.
Speaking of which...
"There are no Greoles here, are there?" Rago asked at once.
His voice and words were the first thing to make Eredin move after a long time. The eyes of the warrior took in the Templars around him and by the deepening hatred on his face, Rago guessed he'd been right.
"Gods, he's right," Eredin growled, raising his sword on guard. "Have I not told you this for ages? The Lord Templar is insane. The only things he cares about are himself and his family. Right now, the only men I see here are Merives or men who aren't either.
"Don't you see? My dear uncle prepared for the chance Rago and I would try to fight you. That's why he sent those who don't matter to him. You're cattle, not Templars to him. And that is the man you want to follow?"
There was a heavy, strained silence around them all of a sudden and Rago realized they'd just broken something in the ranks of Templars. He didn't know whether to curse or congratulate themselves for that. With the enemy coming for Joanna, discord in the ranks of the Templars wasn't what they needed, while change definitely was.
The inner debate wasn't a long one. A Haverin always bet on himself.
"I see your faces," Rago said, letting his deep voice carry over the hundred Templars surrounding them. "You noticed this before and no one knew whether to point it out. We are still prisoners of our old ways. The kings were right. This needs to end. Eredin is correct as well. The Lord Templar needs to be taken down for the Templars to return to what you were supposed to be.
"This is the hour to choose. With our enemies closing in, do you want to be one or do you want to create a weakness for us we don't need? The Lord Templar wants you to start thinking of whether to save the Haverin next to you judged by what family they belong to! This is madness. You have the chance to end this now."
It had hurt to say you instead of us. No matter what they'd told Joanna, the truth was that being denied a place in the holy order still hurt. Especially Rago, who knew now that he would have ended up at the front lines of some hopeless battle if he'd been successful in the honor duel.
In fact, he was beginning to think that Doraton had had a hand in the gods "choosing" him. As a high-ranking son of the Merives, Rago's death would have definitely suited his purposes.
That man has been plotting my death since I was two years old.
Where did that leave Eredin then? Rago's best guess was that Doraton had wanted to make an heir for himself out of the boy and Eredin simply hadn't cooperated. It explained why the Lord Templar bore such an unreasonable hatred for the two of them. They'd thwarted his maniacal plans, whatever they were.
The truth was dark but it felt good. With a sword in his hand, Rago felt like himself again. That was the way for a Haverin to live.
We're coming for you, Joanna. Hold on.
The Templars charged. Not all of them attacked Eredin and him.
The golden sword flashed in his hand as Rago fought back-to-back with Eredin. It was oddly reminiscent of their honor duel, only this time the stakes were much higher.
The tension that had riddled the Templars for so long had been unleashed. It hadn't slipped Rago's attention that certain groups in the ranks had struck the first blow. He had no doubt they were men who Doraton trusted, meant to keep the others under control. Men who had been deluded by the Lord Templar into believing they were doing the will of the gods.
He pitied them, but showed no mercy. Haverins made up their own minds and took responsibility for it. Betrayal was punished harshly and Rago knew both sides thought they were in the right.
The fighting was harsh and brutal. When it came down to actual combat, the Templars could match any Haverin soldiers in their efficiency. The honor duels were meant to test the skills they truly displayed now.
Rago pressed on, his sword cutting through the mass of bodies surrounding him. His body morphed at his will, becoming stronger and faster than the others could match. The speed with which he could move was well-restrained, however, unlike Eredin.
Where Rago was a carefully balanced blade in the midst of the battlefield, Eredin was a raging tornado, his powers lashing out. More than once, he lashed out such a blow that it took the entire torso off his opponent, but it left him vulnerable for the second where he recovered from such a blow.
Despite not approving, Rago covered him, allowing Eredin to crash into the crowd again, sending men flying through air, screaming.
He could understand, after all. It was all for Joanna. Every second they didn't see her flooded their minds with horrors Doraton could have been doing to her.
"We have to get to her!" Eredin called to him over the grunts and curses and screams of the battle. "He'll take her to the temple! That will be the first place the Orochis strike at!"
The same thought had occurred to Rago. The scavengers considered their gods false and the temple was also the most natural place to house the Orb they considered sacred.
Realizing that, Rago let go of any notions of trying to spare the men who chose to follow the Lord Templar. His opponents fell before him, their feet cut and heads bleeding as he took out one after the other, sparing no one who stood in his way.
He and Eredin were almost free of the battle when the sirens began.
All fighting stopped and men looked up to the sky, knowing they couldn't spot the Orochi ships yet. The proximity warnings were meant for civilians to get into shelters before the attack began.
Rago dashed to the Templar who seemed to be leading the attack against them. He grabbed the man by the throat, lifting him off the ground in his fury. The green-gold eyes of the man burned as he struggled in Rago's grip.
"Is the Lord Templar taking the female to the temple?" Rago demanded. "Speak!"
The man tried to stab him with his sword in response, only to have Eredin rip it out of his grip, along with pulling his arm out of its socket. The Templar grunted in pain.
"I suggest you give us the answer," Eredin said with false calmness. "Or I will make sure you live a very long life, being of use to no one, a shadow of your for
mer self when I've cut all the tendons in your body."
"Start with his spine," Rago suggested.
The Templar looked horrified when Eredin's sword cut through the back of his armor, edging into his flesh. Blood trickled to the ground, leaving no mark on the already crimson surface.
"Temple, yes," he gargled.
Rago dropped him. Eredin pulled his sword out, none too gently. The man coughed on the ground before their feet.
When they turned away to chase the Lord Templar, the man started laughing.
"It's too late," he whispered. "Too late for her. The Lord Templar knows more than you could ever guess. She has a pattern on her flesh, yes? Then it has begun. The change has taken ahold of her."
Rago watched on as Eredin walked back and removed the man's laughter from the world, along with his head.
You're lying. She can be saved.
Sixteen
Joanna
"Don't touch me!" Joanna growled at the Lord Templar, pulling her hand away.
The hovership was speeding, making for a bumpy ride. Luckily she seemed to be more used to the twists and turns of a small ship than the man in front of her.
The smile stayed on Doraton's face as he backed away, holding up his hands in a gesture of peace.
"As you wish," he said. "I won't help you, then."
"You've done plenty of "helping", yes," Joanna said angrily. "You're a lunatic. The Orochi are coming and the only thing you're thinking of is your own good. What kind of a leader are you? People look to your gods for hope and guidance and you give them your own manipulations. You're vile!"
Doraton shrugged as if her words meant nothing. Possibly they didn't, Joanna thought. It wasn't as if he needed to concern himself with her opinions. He didn't answer to her and if she gathered it correctly, the Lord Templar really answered to no one.
Except your people. Eredin and Rago will make them see you for who you really are.
"You are just a female, so I will forgive you that," Doraton said in the most maddeningly condescending voice. "A Terran, no less. Your people aren't particularly gifted in anything, are they? That's why you need the messengers to run your errands.
"Very well. If you won't let me heal you, I will simply tell you what's going on with you."
Joanna glared, backing away from him in the cramped interior of the hovership. There were no other people there. It seemed Doraton didn't care for company – or he didn't trust his Templars completely.
It made little difference. He may have been old, but Doraton had proved he could easily overpower her.
An alarm started ringing in the ship. Doraton paid it no heed.
"What's that?" Joanna asked, unable to resist her curiosity.
"The Orochis," Doraton said with cruel glee. "They're here. We will soon see how useful you are in battle."
Joanna wished she really was a weapon of some sort in that moment. She didn't enjoy being made helpless, especially by that maniac in front of her.
"You see, female," Doraton went on as if his world wasn't under attack. "The Orb is a weapon. Your fateds didn't let me see correctly, but that pitiful healer told me everything. The fool couldn't interpret the markings correctly but luckily I've read of it before. I've had a long life and now it's paying off.
"I have to give it to the Orochis. They are our enemies and no doubt they're hated by the gods, but it is a rather clever little thing. That also makes you rather remarkable, for some reason. If the Orb chose you, it must have had a reason even if I can't see it."
"You could charm the paint off walls," Joanna replied.
Perhaps being quiet would have been a better idea in her situation, but she couldn't stop herself. Doraton seemed to be more amused than angry, though. He glanced at the comm link that had just started beeping on his wrist and smirked.
"You have spirit," he said then, leaning against the wall of the hovership. "I'll give you that. I see why my nephew would want to keep you at all costs. Would it please to know you that despite you being in danger, your fateds chose to butcher my men? There is no saving them now. Killing one Templar is a crime punishable by death. They've earned it in droves."
Joanna felt her lips curl into a sneering smile.
"They are coming for me," she said. "And your men deserved it if they chose to stay loyal to you."
Once again, it didn't seem that Doraton was particularly sorry for the loss of his men. Joanna was beginning to think he really had no sympathy for anyone but himself.
This is the type of man who would gladly rule over a graveyard if he had a crown on his head to call himself king.
"Do you want to know what it is you carry, then?" Doraton asked instead.
"Yes," Joanna admitted reluctantly. "Give me your version of the truth."
Doraton laughed, the sound hollow and insincere.
"Just because you think I'm your enemy, female, doesn't mean I'm lying," he said. "Wouldn't that be a comfortable way to live?"
That is true. It really would be. I just can't bring myself to trust a word out of your mouth.
"As I said, you are the host to the Orb's power," Doraton went on like a man who really loved the sound of his own voice. "The patterns match ancient descriptions. You are the carrier of the Orochi plague."
"What does that mean?" Joanna asked. "That I'm Patient Zero for some alien virus? Won't I kill you too, then?"
"It means you can bend the world to your will," Doraton said. "The Orochi plague is a curious thing. It's designed to protect its owner and repel all others. That's why there have always been wars around it. The Orb protects itself. And you now possess the power to take control of anyone, with that little hand of yours. You can infect their mind and turn them into puppets.
"Did you ever wonder why the Orochis feared it? Or why they were so obsessed with taking it back? Any warlord of theirs would want it, that's why they're risking even coming here – to the home world of Haverins – for it! It's a suicide mission, you understand that, but the temptation is too great. Imagine that, a whole portion of species driven by the will of one. Incredible!"
That can't be real. I don't want this.
Joanna considered very quickly. Doraton was calmly looking at his comm link again, disinterested as soon as he'd finished his speech.
She was only going to get one chance. To test it out and to try and escape the Lord Templar.
Joanna dashed forward, her hand reached out to touch Doraton's hand. The man caught her easily, twisting her hand behind her back. Joanna whimpered in pain, refusing to let it become a scream as the Lord Templar held her against him.
"I knew you'd try that," Doraton said, amusement plain in his voice. "So predictable. I understand, of course, the temptation. Who wouldn't succumb to the desire to force their will upon the world? I envy you, little female. I would have given everything to be the one chosen by the Orb, even if I had to risk almost certain death to try it out.
"No matter. If I can't rule the world myself, I'll rule the one who can."
"If it does what you said it does," Joanna managed, her hand crawling with pain. "Why didn't it work on Rago and Eredin? And the healer?"
"You didn't want it to," Doraton replied, shrugging. "It did work, however, even if you didn't notice it. The Orb protects itself, I told you. It made your fateds so defensive of you. It made the healer run scared to me, afraid your condition was an affront to the gods."
"Is it making you into a maniac too?" Joanna asked through gritted teeth.
"Possibly," Doraton admitted with no shame. "It's entirely likely that it has brought out desires I didn't even know I had."
He finally released her and Joanna stumbled away, grasping her hand and gasping. Then she turned and slapped the Lord Templar as hard as she could.
This time, there was no laughter in his eyes. Doraton stared at her, frowning as if he was trying to determine whether he was still himself. Then he growled deeply.
"You lack conviction, female," he said, but he was sta
ying away from her now.
Joanna winced when he twisted her hand behind her again. Doraton opened one of the two doors in the hovership and pushed her into the small, tight cargo hold. It was barely large enough to stand in.
Before Doraton slammed the door shut behind her, Joanna heard the comm link jump to life.
"Lord Templar, two warriors are chasing us –"
Doraton cut the link and the door closed with a bang, but Joanna had everything she needed. Her fateds were coming and all she had to do was get to them.
How?
She looked around. There was barely room to turn with all the crates and gear Doraton had stashed there. It was so packed there was a small gap where the loading hatch was supposed to touch the hull.
Joanna began to climb. She didn't know what she had in mind, but some determination in her kept her moving. When she got closer, she saw that the gap wasn't as small as it had looked from the door. If she squeezed, she could almost squeeze through.
And then what? she thought. I'll jump from a speeding hovership?
There was no question about it, though. Doraton was right and she needed to get away from him. If he really planned to use her to rule over people, there was only one chance to escape before she'd be locked up in some cage and had to pet people through bars.
Cold air rushed in her face as Joanna pushed her hands and head through the gap between. Her heart was rushing wildly, thinking of whether Doraton had set a trap for her. If the heavy doors decided to close, she'd be split in half in a heartbeat.
Then she saw something that gave her hope. She couldn't be sure that it was Eredin and Rago in the ship right on Doraton's tail, but she knew it was them in her heart.
She could imagine their horrified looks, seeing her climb on top of a speeding ship.
As she pushed herself through the gap, trying to hold on was getting harder. Outside, the call of the sirens was getting stronger. Joanna thought she could see the first Orochi dropships and their fast fighters.
