Wartorn Obliteration

It was well past curfew. Bryck was in his bunk, behind his screen of painted birds in flight. He hadn't eaten, unwilling to risk vomiting again. As with most nights, sleep wasn't coming easily. He had tried repeatedly to clear his mind, but such efforts only seemed to spur his thoughts faster. He knew the only thing to do was to wait for physical fatigue to overcome the mental agitation.

After some long while he felt the first threads of dreams poking through his tiring consciousness. These were odd nonsensical intrusions that vanished the instant he focused his mind on them. Some he recognized fleetingly as memories, mostly from his distant past, incidents from his boyhood distorted and reshuffled into strange episodes.

It was dark in the room, and there were others in here, already sleeping. It might be time for the Circle to find new, bigger lodgings. Or perhaps they could spread their numbers out to different locations.

Inevitably an erotic image of Quentis surfaced in his dwindling thoughts. It was a fantasy Bryck had visualized before, often enough apparently for his mind to mistake it for a memory. It played out familiarly, and he felt a vague pang of shame for the arousal he was experiencing.

But when he distantly heard the screen around his bunk being softly jostled and felt the warm hands searching under his blanket, Bryck responded as he would in the fantasy, drawing the visiting body onto the bunk and pressing himself eagerly against it.

Until a sudden alarming thought cut through him.

'Quentis?' he breathed, his heart pounding in the darkness. 'It is you, isn't it?'

'Yes,' she said. 'It's me.' And her mouth closed tightly over his.

As the fantasy became reality, the fabrication became a true memory; and when she left his bunk later that night, after the full satisfaction of the event, Bryck clutched that memory and did not let go.

RAVEN (4)

The two agents stared at her with cold eyes. Raven didn't flinch.

'We are officers in the Internal Security Corps,' the taller of the two of them repeated. Then he added, with emphasis, 'We report directly to Lord Abraxis.'

'Show me your orders,' Raven said, standing her ground. These two had appeared out of a portal just a few moments ago, without much warning. She had come as soon as she'd heard.

The shorter agent slapped a scroll grudgingly onto her palm. 'And who are you to question us?'

She returned them a mild gaze, one full of the sort of passive sexual confidence that she had discovered unnerved so many men. It was as if she were allowing these males this glimpse of her beauty, deigning to let them stand in her presence, but if they thought for an instant they could attain her, in any fashion, she would cruelly crush their dreams.

'I am the chief of Military Security,' she said, tone almost nonchalant.

'Military Security?' The tall one sniffed. 'Yes, we've heard about you.'

'Lord Abraxis made it quite clear to us that you have no official authority,' said the shorter one.

'Did he?' Raven purred, taking her time reading the orders. She finished and handed back the scroll. 'Well, what do you two want here in this camp?'

The two agents glanced at each other, incredulously.

'Didn't we just say you have no authority over us?' asked the short one.

'No.' Raven shook her head. 'You said Abraxis said Military Security has no authority over you. However, you two aren't in Felk now, or skulking about in some conquered city-state. This is the field. And it's my jurisdiction, whether you want to acknowledge it or not.'

They gaped at her. Hers was a simple tactic. She was simply refusing to bow to these Internal Security officers, however rightful their authority might be. Weisel had almost certainly overstepped himself by creating his Military Security agency and appointing her as its head, but that didn't mean she was willing to cede her position just because these two had shown up.

'I ask again,' she said. 'What do you want here?'

They traded another uneasy glance. The tall one cleared his throat and said, somewhat contritely, 'We're here to investigate the disappearance of Mage Kumbat.'

'Surely you've heard the report we relayed to Lord Matokin, via Far Speak,' Raven said.

'We have.' The shorter one nodded.

'And? It was unclear that Kumbat was Far Moved from this location and failed to arrive at his destination?' Raven shrugged. 'My understanding is that Far Movement magic isn't entirely trustworthy... though that's kept hushed up for obvious reasons.'

'We've heard the report,' the tall one said firmly. 'But we are here to investigate, nonetheless. I hope, for your sake, that you don't intend to impede us in any way.' His tone turned subtly threatening.

Raven didn't respond to it. She merely nodded. 'Very well. The two of you will have the cooperation of Military Security, assuming you don't make nuisances of yourselves. Remember, this is military territory. These brave men and women and wizards have been fighting this war step-by-step, while types like you have probably been luxuriating back at the Palace. If you treat these soldiers and magicians respectfully, you'll have fewer problems. Understood?'

The two nodded mutely, plainly undone by her very convincing bluff.

Raven all but dismissed the pair and walked off.

That was well done, Vadya said.

Thank you. Raven, too, was proud.

She strode along, noting the preparations under way. Scuttlebutt had it that the army was going to move east, against the city-state of Ompellus Prime. It would probably happen soon, by the look of things.

Raven hadn't been officially informed, but, then again, she wasn't really a part of General Weisel's senior staff. Her position was unique. Evidently, Weisel didn't think she needed to be notified about the tactical movements of this army, and he was probably right in that judgment.

Besides, Weisel always seemed to call for her at night, receiving her alone in his pavilion. Those visits, of course, weren't all business.

Raven smiled to herself, even as she stifled a small yawn. Weisel was a fine lover, but lack of sleep was taking its toll on her.

Even so, she was more than alert enough to carry out her duties, including the special one that Vadya had conceived—to keep an eye on both Weisel and Matokin, to see that neither man, through stubbornness or stupidity, sabotaged the efforts to establish an Isthmus-wide Felk Empire.

Of course, the arrest and subsequent cover-up of Mage Kumbat was certainly an unorthodox move on Weisel's part. Raven had appeared to accept Weisel's charge of treason against the powerful wizard at face value, but she had wondered what machinations were involved. Surely this was something she should report immediately to Lord Matokin.

Then why haven't you? Vadya asked.

Raven was startled. She hadn't been aware she had 'spoken' the thought so that Vadya could hear it. Then again, their affinity was strong.

I want to know what General Weisel is doing before I report, Raven said.

Is that entirely wise? Vadya asked.

Maybe not. But there has to be a reason he wanted Kumbat.

It may merely be as I've warned, Vadya said. Men like Weisel create trouble for themselves and those around them simply because it's their nature.

Raven found that strangely annoying. She walked on. Finally, she reached the small guarded tent that was her destination. The guards saluted and held open the flap for her. She stepped inside.

Kumbat was bound and gagged, sitting in a chair. His bleary, frightened eyes opened wide at the sight of her. He made urgent muffled noises under the gag.

Weisel had decided to take no chances. Restrained like this, the mage wouldn't easily be able to enact any magic. Raven regarded him a moment. Then she came forward.