The Broken Reign

by Jeremy Michelson

  "We need the red-haired man alive," Fortune said.

  Dovd shrugged. “Sure, but you don’t need the other two, right?”

  “No, of course not.”

  Dovd grinned. “Well, let’s do it. Maybe if I kill that bitch, the nightmares will stop.”

  Fifty-Eight

  The Red Witch

  The Red Witch sat cross-legged before the fire. All around her the grasses of the meadow whispered with the evening breeze. She threw a bundle of lavender on the fire and closed her eyes as the fragrant smoke washed over her bare skin.

  The time to leave was close at hand. The men were getting restless. Though perhaps at least one of them would be reluctant to leave. Dr. Ramirez had taken to sneaking off with Levay into the tall grasses in the evening. The wind had brought the distant sound of Levay’s giggle to her more than once.

  Approaching footsteps brought her out of her reverie.

  “I thought the smoke didn’t tell you anything anymore?” Javanae asked.

  The Red Witch opened her eyes. Javanae stood on the other side of the fire, arms crossed over her breasts. There were lines on her beautiful face. The presence of the men had only added to her stress. The Red Witch wondered if any of the men had tried to seduce her.

  “It doesn’t speak anymore, but I still find comfort in it sometimes,” The Red Witch said.

  Javanae stepped around the fire and stood behind her. For a moment The Red Witch wondered if her sister was contemplating killing her. She didn’t move, and, after a few moments, Javanae knelt in the grass behind her. One delicate hand, then another, touched The Red Witch’s shoulders. Her skin tingled at the touch, and The Red Witch closed her eyes. She shouldn’t allow Javanae to touch her. It gave her sister power that she could not afford to lose right now.

  The hands moved over her shoulders, up to her neck, caressing her face. They ran through her hair.

  “It is still so strange to see you with your hair grown out, sister,” Javanae said.

  Her hands trailed down The Red Witch’s neck, down her bare back.

  “Mother wanted you to keep dyeing it, but you chose to shave it off instead,” Javanae said.

  Her hand came back up to The Red Witch’s shoulders. The delicate fingers kneaded her muscles. The Red Witch suppressed the moan that tried to escape her throat.

  “Why have you come out to see me, sister?” The Red Witch asked.

  “You don’t believe I would come just to visit you?” Javanae asked.

  “No.”

  Javane's hands moved from The Red Witch's shoulders to her chest. Javanae's warm hands cupped her breasts and The Red Witch hissed with sudden pleasure. She wanted to pull away and strike Javanae. Her sister was trying to steal control back from her. But The Red Witch didn't want the touch to stop.

  Janvanae leaned up against her. The Red Witch could feel her sister’s breasts pressed up against her back. Javanae’s lips touched her neck and electricity shot through her loins. Javanae’s mouth moved to her ear.

  “Mother is awake,” Javanae whispered, “She is asking for you.”

  Javanae pulled her hands and body away. The Red Witch’s body cried out for more, but she did not let the cry touch her lips. Javanae stood and walked away into the gathering night.

  The Red Witch stayed still for several minutes, making herself breathe. The lavender smoke swirled around her, bringing her calm. She gathered it, washing away the emotions Javanae had deliberately tried to stir up. She wanted The Red Witch rattled and distracted for her audience with mother. No doubt she saw it as an opportunity to grasp control of the situation back to her.

  Breathing. Calm. The Red Witch centered her soul, reminding herself of everything that depended on her making the right decision. Father’s trust rested on her.

  She took the red book from the folds of the robe laying beside her. She turned to the last page and in the dim light of the fire, read the last two lines on the next to the last page.

  I am so proud of you, Saven. I know you will succeed.

  She turned to the final page. Her father’s neat handwriting continued for another five sentences. She made herself read them.

  My dear Saven, remember that your mother loves you. Her love sustained me all these years. It shall sustain you, too, now that you are ready. Her love hides between her words, between her actions. You will see it if you chose to look.

  They were the only words in the book she doubted.

  Fifty-Nine

  Joshua

  Joshua looked over at his companions. Lou, the spaceman from Florida, was pushing through the snow with a determined look on his face. Behind Lou, Vazsa, secret agent from the forest and killer robot pilot, trudged on with a grim look on her face.

  Ahead of all of them, Kojanza glided over the snow. Somehow she had gotten a pair of skis. And, of course, was skilled at using them. She floated along, weaving around the smaller trees of the outer forest. With her white clothes, he could barely see her. The cold air burned Joshua's lungs, but the clean scent of the evergreens was a relief compared to the raw sewage stench of the dungeon they had escaped from.

  He was still having a hard time believing he wasn’t still there. There were a million questions he wanted to ask Kojanza. But she was more interested in getting far away from Hurdroth’s army. Not that he could blame her.

  “So is that your girlfriend?” Lou asked. His breath puffed out in white clouds.

  He looked over at them. Vazsa was giving him a frowning look. She seemed angry.

  “Um, I guess so,” Joshua said, “I’m not sure what they would call it around here, but girlfriend is probably close enough.”

  “Have you mated with her?” Vazsa asked.

  Joshua felt his face go warm. “Well...I”

  “Is she with child?” Vasza asked, “Or is she just fat?”

  Joshua stumbled, dropping to his knees. Lou and Vazsa stopped. Lou helped him up. Joshua brushed snow off and tried to avoid Vazsa’s eyes. Was Kojanza pregnant? They had never used any birth control–that he knew of anyway. The idea of her getting pregnant never occurred to him. In the back of his mind, he had just assumed she had taken care of things somehow.

  He shook his head. What an idiot he was.

  Suddenly he wanted to run up to her and ask. What would he do if she told him she was? What if they actually found a portal and he could go home? Would he be able to convince her to go with him? Why would she want to? His world would be even more alien to her than hers was to him. What kind of future would that hold for her? Settle down in the suburbs, have a couple kids? Maybe she'd get a part-time job as a checker at Wal-Mart?

  No, because the first customer who annoyed her would get his head lopped off.

  So what was the alternative?

  Him staying in her world? It wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t for all the crazy people running around with giant knives. Sure, he’d miss cable TV and the internet. He’d miss bacon cheeseburgers and pizza.

  On the other hand, he was in the best shape of his life, and he never had to be to work on time. There wasn’t any commute, no supervisors. No crazy clients to placate. No going home to a lonely apartment every night.

  And best of all, there was Kojanza.

  He realized he was standing in one spot, staring at her. Then he realized Lou and Vazsa were staring at him. His face got warm again as he realized that Kojanza had stopped and was staring at all of them.

  Joshua shook his head. He made a terrible barbarian warrior. If being a barbarian warrior was a club he would have gotten kicked out of it. No, he would have never been able to get into it in the first place, much less get kicked out of it.

  “Hey, buddy, we better get going,” Lou said, “My feet are going to freeze solid if they stop moving for too long.”

  He almost told Lou to try putting them next to his face. The heat from his burning cheeks would warm them up. Instead he started forward, pushing through the snow again.

  Minutes later they were resti
ng in a small clearing where Kojanza had stopped. The three of them were breathing hard from plowing through the deep snow. Kojanza was looking calm and rested. With her pale skin and hair, and her white clothes, she seemed like some kind of winter goddess.

  Lou pointed at her skis. “I sure wish I had learned to ski,” he said, “Those things would come in real handy right now. Wasn’t too much opportunity for snow skiing in South Florida, though.”

  Joshua had grown up within a few miles of Mt. Hood in Oregon, but he had never gone skiing in his life. Never even thought of it. What did I do with myself all those years? TV, computers, movies. He was an indoor activities kind of guy.

  And I’m thinking of staying here?

  Then he looked into Kojanza’s clear blue eyes. She didn’t smile. He could probably count on one hand the times he had seen her smile. But when she looked at him his heart beat faster. It didn’t matter if he didn’t make the grade as a barbarian warrior. She was warrior enough for both of them.

  “You’re bleeding,” Vazsa said.

  For a moment he wasn't sure who she was talking to. Then he noticed the red spot on Kojanza's coat. Alarmed, he hurried to her. Up close he could see the pain etched on her face. He touched her arm and felt the small trembles running through her. He stared into her eyes.

  “Kojanza, are you all right?” he asked.

  As soon as he said it, he wanted to slap himself. Of course she wasn’t all right. She had been shot with an arrow only a few days ago. It was a testament to her strength and will that she was even out of bed, much less driving through the snow after rescuing his sorry ass.

  She looked away. “I will be fine, Joshua,” she said, “But we must make decisions now.”

  He looked at the red spot where the blood had soaked through her coat. “That doesn’t look fine,” he said, “We need to get you somewhere safe where you can rest and get better.”

  Kojanza shook her head. “Things are in motion. The birds have told me that The Gray Witch has found the three wise men. Soon she will bring them here to the forest. To the Night Blood. Hurdroth will be coming too. Hemsdells knows of it also. His forces are massing at the eastern edge of the forbidden area.”

  Joshua blinked. There was a lot to decompress in her statement. He wasn’t quite sure where to begin. Lou beat him to it.

  “Birds? You talk to birds?” he said. He turned to Joshua. “Does your lady friend have some mental health issues?”

  “My father taught me how to speak to the animals,” Kojanza said.

  “That really doesn’t make me feel better,” Lou said.

  Kojanza gave him a look that would have frozen a polar bear. She turned, looking up to the trees. She pursed her lips and gave a trilling call. From a high branch came a flutter of wings and a bluejay glided down. Kojanza raised her arm and the bluejay settled on it.

  There was something odd about the bird. Joshua bent closer. It looked...fake.

  “Report,” Kojanza said.

  The bluejay cocked its head to one side. “Two males on horseback are moving west. Large groups of men are camped at the eastern edge of the forest. There is activity to the north in the region labeled as Lord Kanreb’s land.”

  Joshua looked at Lou and Vazsa. Vazsa looked frighted, but Lou’s mouth was hanging open.

  “It’s a frigging drone!” Lou said. He moved closer to look at the bird. “How the hell did they miniaturize everything?”

  He raised his hand to touch it and the bird pecked at him. He snatched his hand away.

  "Self-defense capabilities, too," he said, "Man, I'd love to disassemble that and see what's in it."

  Joshua had to admit he wanted to do the same. The thing had to be a marvel of engineering.

  “What are the identities of the two males riding our way?” Kojanza asked.

  The bird was still for several seconds. Then it cocked its head from side to side. “Database matching indicates high probability for Lord Fortune and Dovd of the forest people,” the bird said.

  “Shit, they’re following us,” Joshua said.

  Lou looked back. “We can wait and ambush them,” he said.

  “Dovd is an excellent shot with bow and arrow,” Vazsa said.

  “I am very much aware of that,” Kojanza said.

  Vazsa’s eyes widened.

  “Dovd and Fortune attacked us,” Joshua said, “That’s how I got captured in the first place. Dovd killed Kojanza’s father, wounded her. It’s strange that it’s just them this time. Last time they brought an army with them.”

  “They want to get the prize before Hurdroth,” Kojanza said. She looked at the bird. “Return to surveillance.”

  It flapped its wings and jumped off, disappearing up into the canopy.

  “What’s the prize?” Lou asked.

  Kojanza gave him another freezing look. “Your people seek it, too,” she said.

  Joshua looked from her to Lou and back again. “Am I missing something here?”

  Vazsa stepped up. “Your mate has been acting as an informant for Lou and his people,” she said, “And now I see how they have done it. Her father created these unliving creatures to spy on everyone.”

  “Father did not create them,” Kojanza said.

  “Then who did?” Lou asked, “Because I’d really like to meet them.”

  Joshua held up his hands. “Wait, I think we’re getting off the subject here,” he said, “Is this prize the same thing Fortune is after? Amaya’s weapon’s cache?”

  Kojanza nodded.

  “Amaya left weapons behind?” Vazsa asked. Suddenly she had a wild look in her eyes. “Where are they?”

  Lou put his hand on her shoulder. “Calm down kid,” he said, “Let’s keep you away from the big guns for a while.”

  She pulled away from him. “Hurdroth needs to pay for what he has done. Dovd must pay.”

  Joshua pulled back from both of them. Was there a way to ditch them? He wasn’t sure he wanted either of them anywhere near Grams’ secret weapons stash. What else had Kojanza told him? Something about a gray witch and some wise men.

  “Who is the Gray Witch?” Joshua asked.

  Kojanza shook her head. “We do not have time for questions,” she said, “We must decide.”

  “Decide what?” he asked.

  Kojanza looked at him with her intense stare. “Run or fight,” she said.

  “Is there a third choice?” he asked, “Couldn’t we just get to Gram’s portal and get out of here?”

  “Do you know where it is?” Lou asked, a little too eagerly.

  Kojanza shook her head. “I don’t know where the portal is,” she said, “And I do not want to leave my world.”

  Lou turned to Joshua. “So do you know where these weapons are?” he asked.

  Joshua nodded. “Fortune drew me a map. But I think Kojanza knows where it is, too, don’t you?”

  Kojanza’s brisk nod confirmed his suspicion.

  “What about this Gray Witch and the three wise men?” Lou asked, “What’s that all about?”

  “The Gray Witch reads the smoke to divine the future,” Kojanza said, “She and her sisters live in the great gorge. Or they did. They disappeared a year ago.”

  “So who are the three wise men?” Joshua asked.

  Kojanza shook her head. “I don’t know. It was one of the Gray Witch’s prophecies.”

  Joshua shook his head. “Alright, we’re not getting anywhere with this. Let’s go to Gram’s secret stash of stuff. Maybe she left us some hand warmers. Or maybe some chicken soup.”

  They were all looking at him like he was crazy. Maybe he was. He quirked an eyebrow at Kojanza.

  “Can you take us there?” he asked.

  She gave Lou and Vazsa icy looks. “I do not recommend taking them along,” she said, “We should take them back to their own vessel.”

  “You know where our ship is?” he asked. “Dang it, I thought we had it hid really well.”

  Joshua had a thought. “Do you have any weapons
at your ship?” he asked.

  Lou gave Vazsa a sour look. “Well, we had a working Bipedal Armor Unit before someone went crazy and blew the thing up.”

  “The magic in it wasn’t very good if it failed after such a short run,” Vazsa said.

  Lou’s face went red and he clutched at his hair. “Damnit woman, I told you, it’s not magic. It’s a machine! And you exceeded Betsy’s design parameters by a huge factor. It’s no wonder the old gal gave it up after the whipping you gave her.”

  Joshua raised his hands. “So, back to the original question: Do you have any other weapons at your ship? Rifles? Handguns? Grenades? Sharp objects of any kind?”

  Lou rubbed the back of his neck. “We have some plasma rifles and a couple stun pistols.”

  “Great. Plasma rifles sound nice and lethal,” Joshua said. He looked to Kojanza. “Which is closer, their ship or Gram’s stash?”

  “Their vessel,” Kojanza said.

  “Okay, it’s settled,” Joshua said, “We’ll go there first, arm ourselves, and then Kojanza and I will continue on to the stash while you hold back the armies of doom or whatever.”

  “Wait, that doesn’t sound okay at all,” Lou said, “Why should I let you lead the bad guys to my ship? We don’t have the kind of defenses to hold off a horde of hairy guys with swords and battle axes.”

  “So what do you have?” Joshua asked.

  Lou sighed, putting his hands on his hips. “I told you, we have some rifles, that’s about it.”

  “What about people? How many people do you have?”

  Lou stared at him for a moment. Joshua realized he was asking for sensitive information, but he didn’t care at this point. Finally Lou looked away.

  "We only have two techs who aren't going to be much use in a fight," he said, "And a doctor who's always pissed off, but she's not going to fight."

  “Cray is still there,” Vazsa said.

  “He’s still a kid,” Lou said.

  "He's more of a warrior than Pete or Tony," Vazsa said.