“It’s going to be a mess,” he said turning away and unsheathing Xersis. With a twist of will he transformed the weapon into a band on his arm. The shaladen clamped down with a warm snap as the flowing metal took on a rigid form. He unbelted the sheath and tossed it on the benches. “I tell you, after fighting a pack of Lokori, skirmishing with a bunch of Baronians and Daergons will seem like a damn vacation.”
She let out a breath and shook her head. “Isn’t that the truth?” She seemed to consider that image in her head for a moment before giving herself a shake. “All right—stinging stance.” She dropped into a crouch, knees bent and one fist forward the other curved up like the striking tail of a wyvern. Beside her, Vera flourished and dropped into the same position.
Bannor tried not to think about it, but let the body memory guide him. He slipped back with his weight over his rear leg, shoulders turned, hands relaxed and in position.
“Good,” Wren intoned.
Together the three of them went through different cadences, sometimes Wren leading, other times Vera. The moves grew more complex as the two G’Yakki, master and student, saw that he could keep with them.
Though physical exertion was required, he found the rhythm and the focus soothing. Nothing existed outside of the universe of G’Yakki movements. It was a purity of motion, precision for precision’s sake, a unity of mind, body, and eternity.
They slid into the final move and saluted. Bannor let out a breath. In his old body he would have been winded. Now, he felt revitalized, his mind clear.
Vera pushed back her hood and smiled up at him. It was hard to imagine this cute olive-skinned little girl as a stone-hard G’Yakki warrior. “Wren’s friend Bannor is very good learner—good control, good focus.”
“It’s that freak pattern memory,” Wren remarked hands on hips. “Him and Ziedra, see something once and they can do it.” She sniffed. “It’s not fair.”
“Freak?” He responded. He bumped his shoulder against Wren. “Which one of us sticks to walls, hmmm?”
She sighed and rolled her eyes. “I haven’t climbed a wall in moons.” Her brow furrowed. “In fact, I’ve never done it in front of you. How do you know about that?”
He wiggled his eyebrows at her. “Your friends tell tales on you.”
She sighed. “Ah.” She put hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Well, freak or not, since we’ve met you’ve always come through for us. I hope I can be there for you when you need it.”
He put his hand on top of hers, gazing into bluish glow of her eyes. “Wren, you have been. The universe was opened up to me, mostly because of you. I was a hermit hiding away in a cabin, lonely and bitter. Now, we’re doing something that matters to a whole lot of people.”
Wren let out a shuddering breath. “Bannor, the scale of this thing gives me the shakes.”
He pressed his lips to a line. “I’ve tried not to think about it. I’ve tried to just stay focused on the goals.” He shook his head. “Just protecting Sarai and the family is hard enough without thinking about the rest.”
“Yes,” Wren agreed. She looked down at Vera. “Doesn’t any of what’s been happening bother you?”
The little G’Yakki stared at Wren with dark serene eyes. “Worry not help. Be with friend, support, do what I can.” She shrugged. “I feel good.”
He laughed. “She’s smarter than both of us.”
Wren grinned. “Yes, she is.”
He heard footsteps in the hall and Sarai leaned in. “So, this is where you are. Having a tryst are we?” His wife-to-be must have been in a red mood because her blouse and leggings were both the same shade of scarlet fringed in white fur. Even her boots were red.
“Sarai, my you’re—” Wren paused. “Red—this morning.”
“Why, yes, I am,” Sarai answered with a smile, flipping a few strands of silvery hair. “Thank you for noticing.” She nodded to Vera. “Lady Vera.”
Vera bowed. “Arminwen.”
His brow furrowed. “I thought red was bad or something…”
“Only at a formal dinner, my One. So, did I miss the workout?”
“It was more like ‘get to know your inner G’Yakki’ but I think we’ll have time for more. We’re in that terrible wait time now.”
“Yes,” Sarai answered, drawing out the word. She tilted her head. “Your inner G’Yakki? Do I want to know what you mean?”
He glanced at Wren who smiled back. He shrugged. He turned to Vera and gave a deep and sincere bow. “Mistress.”
The little woman colored and returned the bow. He patted Wren on the shoulder, went to the bench and grabbed the sword sheath and belted it on. He joined Sarai in the doorway. “Where for milove?”
She grinned. “To eat, Dearest.”
“Repast it is,” he answered, taking her hand. He waved to Wren and Vera again and turned up the hall. “Hie us to it.”
They walked down the corridor hand-in-hand toward the east wing and the dining hall. The citadel felt different today. More alive. Perhaps the surroundings hadn’t changed as much as he had. The garmtur was back in him, making the colors brighter and the sounds sharper. Even the warmth of Sarai’s hand seemed more vibrant and inviting.
He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.
She grinned up at him. “What was that for? Especially after all that gloom last night?”
He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it. “It’s for me getting my head straight; a few moments with Wren and Vera just moving and clearing away bad thoughts.”
“Well, I like it,” Sarai said, giving his hand a squeeze. “Maybe I should get them to knock sense into your head more often.”
“I suppose,” he said. “I think it’s just my own lack of discipline. I always thought of a regime like that was just practicing to fight. I’m realizing it’s more than that. It’s getting your mind and body focused.”
Sarai looked up at him with a raised eyebrow, glowing violet eyes gleaming. She didn’t say anything but the knowing expression on her face said more than enough.
He rolled his eyes and sighed. “And yes, you’ve been trying to get that in my head for moons.”
She squeezed his hand and gave him a little satisfied smile.
Being the hub for most of the citadel’s activities since the war with the Baronians began, the stone walls of the tiered dining hall echoed with the sound of activity. Since regular deliveries of foodstuffs had begun arriving through Marna’s agents, the newly appointed cooks from the Karanganoi subnet seemed to work all night and all day. The buffet had been moved to one side and had been modified so that some of the dishes prepared could be kept warm. As they walked in, he gazed across the way surprised that were now about twelve different kinds of food in the oil heated ceramic containers. He recognized fish, poultry, beef, and lamb, vegetable dishes, tubers, and others. It all looked very appetizing and smelled excellent.
Sarai stared at the arrangement with hands on hips. “That’s clever. That should keep our hungry defenders inspired.”
He grinned. “After this is over, maybe the citadel should run a hospice business on the side.”
“Actually,” he heard Janai say coming up behind them. “After I saw that, I was thinking about it.”
The second princess came and put an arm around Bannor’s waist as they looked down the terrace into the dining hall, and across valkyries, Kriar, mecha, Shael Dal and Felspars conducting business, consulting, and socializing. The always vivacious second princess was dressed in shades of gold and silver this morning, her long dark hair loose and glistening on her shoulders. Her amber eyes were glowing particularly bright this morning.
“Good morning, Janai,” he greeted. “You seem well.”
She rolled her eyes. “Lords, of course I’m well. I wasn’t a Lokori scratching post yesterday. How are you?”
He glanced at Sarai and let out a breath. “Better.”
“Good,” Janai chirped. She came around him and leaned back to look at Sarai.
She put fists on hips with brow furrowed. “Okay, attractive—bright—flashy. All right, who are you, and what did you do with my sister?”
“I—”
“How very bright, Sister,” Ryelle said coming up on Sarai’s left and leaning around her. The willowy first princess swayed in, nodding to Janai and to him. Dressed in the plain dark blue of a Malanian administrator she was still quite striking with her translucent hair pinned with jewels and flowing over her shoulders. She, like Janai, was glowing with vitality. “What’s the occasion?”
Sarai let out a breath in exasperation. “I felt like wearing red. I look good in red don’t I?” She glanced up at him.
“Star, you look good in an old tuber sack,” he answered.
“I don’t know if I’d go that far,” Janai said. “I agree that you are in fine form.”
“Pardon my saying it,” he said. “Janai, you and Ryelle seem really up—more than usual.”
“It’s the shaladen,” Ryelle said. “I feel so strong—so—” She struggled to put a word to it. “Alive. You should have seen mother in the bath this morning, she was bouncing around in the altogether like she was fifty again. It’s hard not to grin like a jester when it feels good just to breathe.”
“Really?” Sarai said with a furrowed brow. She looked down at the band on her arm. “Oh, that’s why I didn’t notice. I was already feeling that way from how Mercedes designed this body.”
“And you kept that a secret?” Janai said. “Don’t you love us anymore?”
Sarai rolled her eyes.
“I wonder what’s going on with the shaladens,” he said. “I felt different this morning too. I thought it was just from healing overnight.”
“There’s Megan,” Ryelle said pointing back behind them. “Let’s ask her.”
The lead Shael Dal swayed down the hall, chain armor glinting, and rainbow wings shimmering on her back. The normally serious and methodical air maiden seemed to have considerably more bounce in her step as she made her way down the citadel passage. Adwena, her sister, the one who Sarai had posed as for a short time, strode along at her side, wings gleaming with color.
“Greetings arminwens,” Megan said with a grin. She nodded to him. “And Bannor.”
Adwena nodded to them all.
“Good morning, Lady Megan,” Sarai said. “Do you have a moment?”
“Certainly!” Megan clapped her hands together and rubbed them. “What can I do for you?”
Ryelle leaned close. “Are they doing something to the shaladens?”
Megan nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes, they most certainly are, quite—uplifting isn’t it? After the little avatar demonstration between Bannor and Gaea, Koass thought they should tune the host / shaladen energy a bit.”
Janai tilted her head. “I’m guessing the full Shael Dal are feeling it a wee bit more strongly than we are…” Her voice trailed off.
“Yes!” Megan lauded. She rubbed the side of her head. “I haven’t felt like this since I first became one of Ukko’s Chosen.” She let out a breath. She raised a finger. “I need to do something productive with my hands, so if you’ll pardon me.” She pointed to the buffet. “That looks fabulous. Arminwens.” She nodded to them. “I’ll be over there if you need me.” She took her sister by the hand.
Adwena nodded to them again and the two air maidens literally skipped over to the food counter.
“Tune?” Bannor wondered. “Why is everything strange blamed on me?”
“Because everything strange is your fault, Brother-to-be,” Janai laughed.
Sarai rubbed the back of her neck, gaze following Megan. “Why would they turn up the power in the shaladens? They’re already so ludicrously powerful we can’t even use the tiniest fraction of the energy. It doesn’t make sense.” She turned back and peered up at him. “That must be what’s going on though, the shaladen adjusting our bodies to accommodate for the extra potential.”
“I tell you,” Janai said. “I’m starting to hope this drags on a while. This feels pretty nice.”
Sarai sniffed. “Good feelings aside, Koass wouldn’t increase the power unless he thought there would be a need.”
“I don’t think he added more power,” he determined, giving it more thought. “I think what you feel is a stronger bond to your eternals. If they were impressed by Gaea’s performance through the shaladen, I’m guessing up until now, the Shael Dal haven’t had all the abilities of a true avatar. When Gaea was in me, she actually gained powers she doesn’t have in her own body.”
“I’m just glad she didn’t burn you up, Brother,” Ryelle said. “We were all watching that fight and feeling so helpless.” She cast a sympathetic look to Sarai and rubbed her shoulder.
His wife-to-be’s eyes glazed over for a moment and she seemed to stare through him. She had been there with him, in his mind, sharing in everything that happened. There had been no way to stop her, even if he had been able to concentrate on something besides defending himself.
“I’m here,” he said. “It stung a lot, but I got through it. Thinking of getting through, we better hurry or Megan won’t leave us anything to eat.”
The four of them strolled up to the buffet. As they picked up plates and waited for Megan, Adwena, and a couple of Kriar seargas to furnish their plates Bannor turned to Janai. “Jan, where’s Daena?”
“Still in bed I imagine,” Janai answered. “She got pretty cut up. We sometimes forget that she’s really still just a little girl. That was a lot of pressure. After princess Doom here,” she cuffed Sarai on the shoulder. “Went and spouted off about her being my One. She’s afraid to get close to me.”
Sarai put hands on hips. “Princess Doom? She deserved worse than she got. The little snot needed to be pulled down off that ascendant high horse that you encouraged I might add.”
Janai started spooning vegetables and meat onto her plate. “All right, I admit I spoiled her a little…”
“A little?” Ryelle remarked, putting a formidable stack of mashed tubers on her plate. “Jan you have lavished more attention on her than both your previous husbands combined.”
Janai shrugged. “What can I say? She does have slightly more potential than they did.”
“Just a little,” Bannor murmured with a roll of his eyes. He glanced over to Ryelle whose plate looked ready to overflow from the comestibles stacked on it.
The first princess caught him looking and colored, a guilty expression on her face. She looked down at her plate. “Would you look at that? You’d think I was a voracious broadpaw or something.” She turned her gaze to the jeweled band on her arm. “It’s this silly shaladen. I’m always hungry.”
“I love it!” Janai said, throwing a few more wheat-cakes on her plate, and spooning a liberal dollops of butter on top of them. “I eat like six times a day, sweets and anything I want, and I’m actually getting thinner.” She put a thumb in the waistband of her skirt. “That’s on top of being stronger than a horse and having beautiful smooth skin.”
Sarai shook her head. She was however putting a healthy heaping of food on her plate. She glanced up at him. “What? I’m supposed to eat well. I’m eating for two you know.”
He rubbed his shoulder against her. “I know.”
“Good morn,” he heard Senalloy’s familiar heavy voice. The silver haired woman patted him on the shoulder. She was dressed only in a short bathing robe, her silver hair hanging uncombed down around her face. The Baronian lady stopped at the end of the buffet, yawned and stretched. “Uhhm.” She blinked and smiled. “This looks good.”
“Sen, couldn’t you have at least dressed?” Ryelle said with a frown.
“Arminwen, I am sooo hungry. Surely you wouldn’t want your favorite guardian to starve.”
The first princess rolled her eyes. “I suppose not.”
Senalloy started heaping food on her plate. She glanced at Sarai. “Mmmm, nice, in a red mood?”
Sarai sniffed. “Exactly. Everyone else is making a scene over it.”
>
Senalloy shrugged. She hacked off a sizable chunk of beef, then clomped a mass of mashed tubers on top of it. “I get those kinds of moods all the time.”
“Well if it happens to Sen, it must be normal,” Janai said with a laugh.
The five of them located a table and sat down. There was silence for a little while as the three sisters and Senalloy focused on breakfast. While he was hungry, he didn’t feel much like eating with so many things going through his head. Still, he knew that he must eat. The eggs and wheat cakes both tasted excellent. The mecha from the subnet had put some unusual spices on the food that made the flavor stand out.
A short time later he saw Wren and Vera enter. They served themselves from the buffet and sat down with a small group that Bannor recognized as members of the Felspar clan. Only a few moments later, dressed in black halters and tight pants Sindra and Drucilla came in along with their gold-skinned protégés Cassin and Annawen who were dressed in the red skin-tight Kriar uniforms. Eyes shining, Sindra waved to him with a big smile. He gave her a weak wave back, sinking down in his chair.
Sarai frowned at him. “What’s that about?”
He coughed. “Nothing. I saved them from a dread—that’s all.”
Her brow furrowed. “This isn’t anything like the dragons is it?”
“Uhhm.” He glanced down to Sindra. The giant D’klace woman had her plate heaped full of food. She looked up and waved again. Her mate Cassin elbowed her in the side. The big woman didn’t seem to notice.
“I—don’t—think—so,” he murmured.
The four went to sit with Wren and Vera at the Felspar gathering. He let out a sigh of relief.
Senalloy had her chin in her palm. Her violet eyes were fixed on him. “Say you didn’t get one of those big hussies interested in you.”
He made a helpless gesture. “What? We were rushing to get to the vault. A dread appeared out of no-where. I had to stop it. I couldn’t let it pound everyone.”
“Riiight,” Senalloy shook her head. “Luthice has told me some stories about those two.” She sighed. “Sarai, keep an eye on him. Don’t let them get him alone.”
Reality's Plaything 5: The Infinity Annihilator Page 27
