Josaph nodded slowly. “Yes, sir, it is the truth as I have seen it with my own eyes.”
In that instant, Josaph Pierce saw a complete and perplexing change. With one swift motion, Captain Porter swung his left arm over the contents of his desk, sending papers, memorabilia, trinkets and other items flying through the office with force. Some of these things hit Josaph as he covered his face instinctively. He watched the calm seriousness leave Captain Porter’s face. In its place was boundless, unrestrained fury as redness bombarded his features. The veins protruded from his forehead and neck as he set his sights on Josaph. “You are a stupid, ignorant, son of a bitch! Young goddamn whelp! I should have you detained, no, executed for your blindness!” The curses poured savagely from Captain Porter. Josaph was completely stunned. He didn’t understand this sudden change of character. However, he knew better than to say anything else and provoke worse. Captain Porter threatened to throw Josaph in jail, and also with death. And most of this he did with his face inches from Josaph. The stench and the spittle that sprayed from his breath were almost unbearable.
Captain Porter then turned from Josaph, kicking his desk before going back around it, the tip of his boot eating into the fine wood finish. Porter fumed as he faced the window a moment longer. When he turned back around his face looked as if nothing had just transpired. He was calm once more, save for his labored breathing. In seconds, Captain Porter transformed back into the person he was when Josaph had entered the room and sat.
Wordlessly, Captain Porter sat back in his chair, taking up a file folder and examining its contents. His eyes left Josaph, and when he spoke once more he held complete control of his emotions. “You appear to be a smart man, Private Pierce. I know your father. I know he is very proud of you, and I am certain you would want him to continue in that. Perhaps it is time for you to reassess just what you hold dear in your life.” Porter's eyes bore into Josaph as he continued. “So, I will ask you one more time, private, what again did you see out there?”
Josaph barely managed to swallow back the emotion. He was still knocked back on his heels, but he knew beyond all knowledge that he needed his wits at this very second. Holy crap, what the hell do I do now? Think, Josaph. Think! Josaph did his best to look at the captain in the eye in return. Okay, he is doing this for a reason. Captains don’t just lose their nerve like that for nothing. If he did this and said this to you, then maybe, just maybe, he is giving you a chance. Josaph thought about his life in that instant. He thought about his family, friends, and what he held most dearly. It was a single thought that kept him grounded to reality and the gravity of the situation. That thought was Elisha.
Josaph took a quick breath to calm his nerves. He almost fooled himself with the sincerity in which he replied. “I was forced to see everything that those Vallance bastards wanted me to see, sir, nothing more. They murdered good men and for that, they must pay.”
At this, Captain Porter smiled easily enough. “You’re a good man, Pierce. And you will go far in this military.”
“Thank you, sir,” said Josaph, now wondering just how far the military of his country had gone to usher in the coming bloodshed.
Porter stood again absently. “Now I am sure you will want to catch up on some rest. Go get cleaned up. In an hour, I’ll send some people who will want to ask you some questions. I am sure you know what to say. When they are finished with you, hit the infirmary and get looked over. You can’t be too careful. After that, you had better grab some chow and some sleep. Consider yourself off duty until told otherwise.”
Josaph Pierce stood soundly. “Thank you, sir. That is very kind of you.”
“Hop to it, private. Get some rest. Dismissed.” Captain Porter threw a quick salute that Josaph returned. Josaph did an about-face and headed to the door. He had never wanted to be away from anywhere more than he did right now. Somehow, he had a feeling that he had almost lost his freedom or life.
Josaph had the door open and was almost out. “Private Pierce.” He wasn’t out of the fire yet.
Josaph turned slowly. “Yes, sir?”
Porter was sitting again. “We’re going to war, son, and war’s not pretty. There is going to be loss, sacrifices. And each of us is going to have to give up something for our country because, in the end, we have got to win. What you think or what I think is irrelevant. It’s what we can do and offer our country. Remember that, soldier.”
“I will, sir.” With that, Josaph J. Pierce escaped the office of Captain Porter.
Josaph walked through Fort Mire with a head bombarded with thoughts. He had absorbed too much in a short period and was overwhelmed. However, the new revelations did little to help in concocting a plan for what to do next. Josaph wandered silently for several minutes until the full gravity of the situation crashed upon his conscience. In moments, all his hopes, all is dreams, everything that he had been taught or trained to do suddenly lost all meaning. A new perspective on truth and life assaulted his mind, wiping the entire contents of the previous slate clean. Josaph had, in fact, become party to a terrible and deadly fraud.
Josaph had endured an attack made by a military unit from the same army he served in an effort to bolster the war effort. Josaph had survived that incident due primarily to warriors from a land that his training told him to hate and fear. In addition, what made matters especially worse was the fact that Captain Nicolas Porter, his commanding officer, knew about it all. It was even possible that Porter was part of the whole scheme. Josaph had discovered his superiors were responsible for the murder of their own men, a knowledge that placed Josaph in the gravest of danger.
{14}
Serra threw another stone into the depths of the River Lorne. Her father had said it had been a long day at the meeting hall. Nevertheless, he told her to take heart. Soon the combined leaders of Vallance would arrive during the Grand Harvest. They would convene and discuss the recent issues with Thorne. Her father had hoped that the event would go better than the one with the Corzons two days earlier. The sun was poised for its descent at the end of the day. For now, it was content to dance shimmering light off the water. It put Serra's mind at ease while she waited for Norryn to make his way out to her.
A section of Bannar shared the bank of the Lorne River. As wide as it was alluring it had always been an even flow of tranquil beauty. It supplied Bannar with many necessities, including water, fish, and energy. While the town utilized solar power, Bannar was designed with many fail-safes and backup power reserves. Some of the river’s flow was diverted off underneath Bannar’s Gate into generators, creating power from the river current before returning it to the main stream.
Serra was watching this event when sounds from behind told her she had company. She was about to ask Norryn why he hadn’t snuck up on her today when she realized it was not Norryn. The footsteps were too heavy and there was more than one pair. Judging by her luck today, she thought that it might have been Vonack and his little herd. She turned around and found with great dismay that she was right. With grudging respect, she wished she had some of Norryn’s abilities. She would have been gone from here minutes before their arrival.
Vonack made his way down to the river where Serra had been sitting. His face wore an expression of renewed vigor. His smart-aleck smile had returned, and it made Serra want to get sick in the stream. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction, nor would I do that to old Lorne. Of course, the mindless three were with him. Wherever Vonack went in Bannar, they were his fifth, sixth and seventh appendages. It appeared that Relphis, Dronsen and Willeth had no lives either, or they all shared one with Vonack. Either way you slice it, it’s not as if I have a choice here in dealing with them.
Vonack stopped about six feet from Serra. Still smiling, his freckles danced on his big face as he looked around the river’s edge. “Wow. This is different. You are out without your boyfriend today. You two must have fought.” He shook his head slowly, his voice filling with mockery. “Poor little Serra, separated from her littl
e freak.”
Serra stood her ground. The curves of her hair covered the ends of her face as she stared back in fierce hues of blue. “The rocks are better company to me than you, Vonack.” She balled her fists and did what she could to ease them. “There are better things to do than deal with the four of you.” Serra made her way to leave, for she was in no mood for Vonack or any of his stupid games.
The larger boy blocked her path. “Oh, not so fast. I think you owe us an apology. You were really mean the last time we saw you.”
Serra almost lost it then, throwing her hands up in disgust. “Owe you? You had just beaten down someone half your size and you want to speak of apologies? What will it take to get you stop and leave me alone? I want nothing to do with you, Vonack or any of these other lost souls. Stay away from me!” She pushed her way past Vonack.
Vonack grabbed her by her left arm. “Maybe you didn’t hear me. You are going to take back what you said, or I’m sending you for a swim,” he said. Vonack then smiled at the others as they chortled along.
“Let go of my arm, Vonack and be quick about it!”
“Or else what, Serra?” He was practically purring.
“Or else someone will make you let her go.” Norryn’s voice came across with firm resolve. He made his way down to the bank, pushing past the three watching boys. As he passed by, they grabbed him, Dronsen and Willeth at his arms while Relphis locked his neck. Relphis managed a cheap shot, slapping Norryn on the face. They all laughed as the young boy kept talking to their would-be leader. “Please. Vonack, don’t do this.”
Vonack laughed at him, still holding Serra by the wrist. “You make me sick, freak. Hell, I am glad you get to watch this.” With that, he picked up Serra onto his shoulder and headed for the water. Serra thrashed furiously until she managed to free herself. Vonack grabbed her again for a second attempt at lifting her. She leveled her free hand and slapped him for all she was worth. With eyes brimming with surprise, Vonack's hand covered where Serra had just hit him. Suddenly, he lashed out, pushing Serra away from him and onto the ground. She fell to her side, hitting her head on one of the large rocks. She was clearly dazed from the impact.
Vonack stood there a moment, breathing heavy and staring at Serra. He couldn’t believe what he had just done. His face stung but hurt more was his pride. This made him angrier still. Vonack was so absorbed that he did not hear the sound emitting from Norryn at first. Finally, he was drawn to it. Turning, for the first time in his life he witnessed the boy’s rage. Nothing could have prepared him for what happened next.
Twisting his wrists and arms, Norryn moved so that Dronsen and Willeth crashed into each other headfirst. As they fell to the ground, Relphis tightened his grip on Norryn’s neck from behind. The young boy simply rolled forward, taking Relphis with him. The momentum made Relphis hit his head as well. He released his grip as Norryn finished the roll on his feet and proceeded toward Vonack.
In the first moments, Vonack was too stunned to do anything but watch in disbelief. Norryn had just gotten past all three of his friends and the look in his eyes unnerved him. Finally drawing his wits, he hauled back for a swing at Norryn’s cheek. The punch never connected. Sidestepping it with ease and blocking with his left, Norryn drove his right fist into Vonack’s belly in unison with his parry. Though it only traveled a very short distance, the strike’s impact resounded audibly and painfully.
Vonack instantly doubled over. As he did, Norryn’s elbow raised, catching him firmly under his jaw. As Vonack’s head lurched back, Norryn finished the motion by driving the same elbow down on Vonack’s chest. The larger boy quickly found himself on the ground unable to breathe. Vonack would speak of that first punch for years, swearing to all the gods that afterwards he checked for a hole in his back.
Norryn watched him for a moment as the other three boys recovered. They charged at Norryn in a blind fury meaning to overtake him in force. None of them succeeded. Relphis caught a quick, snapping jab to his chin as Norryn sidestepped. Dronsen caught Norryn’s knee in the stomach as the smaller boy stepped to the left of his punch. Willeth had been the closest to getting to Norryn. It wasn’t much but he still was the closest. Willeth had ducked his head, attempting to tackle the young Ashener to the ground. As he lunged, Norryn took a step back and buried his elbow into cluster of nerve endings in Willeth’s back, just below the shoulder. Upon impact, Willeth’s entire arm went numb as the force sent him face down on the ground. He dared not get back up with Norryn standing over him.
Norryn surveyed his surroundings once more before returning his attention to Vonack. The older boy was still curling on the ground searching for breath. Vonack struggled and gasped, yet no air found purchase in his lungs. Norryn approached him. The look of anger on his face had not left. Bending forward he grabbed Vonack by the back of his neck and brought him to his knees. With his grip firm, Norryn’s eyes bore into Vonack. He raised his hand at the choking boy, and Vonack prepared for another hammering strike.
Norryn’s hand came down with great speed but it never connected. At the last second, Norryn’s open palm stopped a half an inch away from Vonack’s abdomen. Pausing for only an instant, Norryn let out a breath as he ran his hand from the bully’s stomach toward the ground. As he did so, the majority of the pain and build-up in Vonack’s stomach subsided, allowing him to draw breath once more. However, there was not time for relish in the thought. Norryn grabbed him by the shirt collar and pulled him an inch from his face. “Leave. Now.”
He didn’t have to tell Vonack twice. Dragging himself to his feet, Vonack headed with haste back inside Bannar’s walls and away from Norryn. His cronies were not slow in following. Norryn watched them as they went, his anger finally subsiding. At last, he could spare more than a glance to Serra. Turning, he discovered that Serra had witnessed the entire fight despite being stunned. Norryn could see she was still trying to focus while a trickle of blood sputtered from the head.
Norryn wasted no time in going to her. As he pulled her up in a sitting position, she could do nothing but watch him silently. Serra continued to gaze at him as he squatted down in front of her. Neither spoke. Serra could see that it pained him to see her hurt. However, she had trouble thinking about that now. In all her life, she had never seen such ability, nor had anyone ever stood up for her in such a way.
For just a moment, his lips quivered, but then he concealed it as quickly as it had appeared. Norryn wanted to say something but stopped. He raised a slow hand to her face, moving the curls out of her eyes. Both stared at the other for some time, neither daring to break the silence. At last, he got to his feet and helped her to do the same. Serra continued to stare at her friend as he stood before her.
“Norryn, how did you do that? Are you. . ." As she spoke, Norryn placed one of her arms over his shoulders and started a slow walk back to Bannar. He said not one word, nor was Serra able to read his face now. He merely walked in silence as the sun gave its last breaths into the day. Before Serra realized it, she was safely in the comfort of her home.
As tired as she felt, it was some time before she could sleep. She replayed the scene repeatedly in her mind, still waiting to wake from some daydream. But the stone had not muddled her thoughts enough to deceive her. Norryn faced and defeated four larger boys in her protection. Boys he would not defend himself against but was quick to do so for her. She was convinced that she had to have been dreaming. That was the only logical explanation. The throb in her head reminded her otherwise.
She and Norryn never spoke of it again. After only a day, they went back to the way that they were, giving hell again to Bannar. Nevertheless, something in them both had forever changed that afternoon. To Serra, it seemed that they had become more distant and closer at the same time. Both had realized the depth of their friendship that day. No matter where one went, a part of the other would always be there.
In addition to that and the days that followed, Vonack and his cronies never bothered Norryn and Serra again.
{15}
Shan Fellar started the morning as the leader of a Vallance scouting party and was now ending the morning running for his very life.
Shan cursed his folly in not seeing the trap sooner. At 35 years old he should have known to trust in his instincts. The fire that had burned down a small village had been set to lure him and his men into enemy territory. Waiting for them on the outskirts of town was at least twice their number. As he and his men sifted through burning buildings for survivors, troops had set up a perimeter around them. Half his men perished in the initial 15 seconds of the ensuing laser fire that followed.
It didn’t even matter that the villagers in the crossfire were part of Thorne. No one inside that perimeter was spared. Blue bolts sliced through the air relentlessly, tearing through bodies, drowning out screams and fueling throes of death. Shan saw enough horror in that first 15 seconds to last ten lifetimes. Whether he would survive to see more was still uncertain.
Shan gathered his remaining troops and attempted a desperate escape. There was simply no other choice. The chance at survival was growing bleaker by the second. Sending a volley from his quadbow, Shan lead a charge through the line in a desperate attempt to see another day. Four-inch arrows spat out of their pump action weapons, vainly answering the overwhelming hunger of Thorne’s rifles.
Shan grunted as he advanced on the enemy line. His men were well trained but still green. Shan noted that in the panic, many of their shots missed their mark. To his frustration, he discovered that even the ones that did hit were not felling their enemies. Shan knew that a good portion of his men could evade a shot or two, but the savagery of the assault was too much for any of them to survive longer than a few seconds.
Shan would have wondered how any human could fight like this, but many of the assailants appeared to be scarcely human. Shan had seen a few Thorne citizens with mechanical limbs before, but this went far beyond anything he had ever witnessed. The soldiers he could see were near uniform with mechanical augmentation. Shan surmised that their fate was one accepted willingly. It horrified Shan to think that there were people who would sacrifice their own flesh and bone so freely. They were more machine than men now and it was a transformation that rested easily on their emotionless faces.
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