Then he pulled back from me and looked at me with awe in his eyes.
“Vania…”
I smiled. “Thank you for catching us.”
“Didn’t want to kill you before I have to send you to war.”
I laughed and then grabbed him quickly as the lights flashed in the cabin, and the sounds changed in the entire aircraft. A ten-second counter began.
Jase sprang up and pulled me to my feet. “Put your clothes on! We are getting ready for liftoff!”
Sixteen
Tarsine
"There's word that King Kajo mobilized troops two hours ago." Rotcher shifted from side to side, had to force himself to make eye contact, kept his hands far away from his knives as if he were afraid I might misconstrue a motion and tugged at the sleeves covering his elbows. I had never seen him look so uncomfortable. Then I remembered… One of the spies in the Capital had been his son… I wondered who it was that had messed up. I remembered his son being a relatively competent young fellow, smart, and good with a blade. Top of his class at school. Couldn't have been him. I also didn't know if Rotcher would tell me if it were his son.
I also, in this moment, didn’t care.
“Why are we only hearing about it now?”
“It took our spies that long to be able to access a transport’s radio. The one who managed to get word to us, who is hopefully still alive, said he is being watched. He said he believes he has been made, and that he is being given misinformation.”
“Then how do we know the troops are actually gone?”
“He said he saw them with his own eyes, but that he was left behind.”
“Does he know where they are going?”
“He says they went East and word is they are traveling to defeat the Delk Clan before they can join us here to help out winning against Emerona.”
I slowly lowered my fist onto the burning candle and smashed my closed hand into the burning flame and hot wax until it spilled down the sides of the stick and swelled into a gushing flow on the table, white resin soaking into the wood.
“Have the Emerona troops all arrived?”
“I believe so. They have settled in a semi-circle to our Northwest. No sign of Alpha Jase, yet.”
“How is the storm?”
"It seems to be getting even stronger. There is hail, now. Our tents are not doing very well in the storm, and our troops that have been out searching have mainly returned. Two of the Sevens remain unaccounted for."
I lifted up my fist and let the wax dry until it began to flake off, the ridges of my skin burned into little lines of identity in its smooth design. My stomach hurt and my mouth was dry. Anger was gripping at my chest, but I didn't know where to direct it. I twisted the burning wicks of the other two candles between my thumbs and pointer fingers until they extinguished and it was just the lantern hanging from the wind-shaken tent ceiling that illuminated the area with inconstant flashing.
“Get the ducks and the yellow flowers ready, Rotcher.”
“Yes, m’Lord.” Rotcher took a deep breath and whipped back out into the storm again, pulling his hood up as he left. The wind nearly ripped off my own hood as I gathered it closer about my neck in a tent that was inside, yet not warmer at all than being outside.
I looked out at the rolling lightning through the clear tent window, tired of hearing thunder, having it spike the hackles on my neck. At least dawn was starting to glow in the East, despite the angry clouds and icy rocks falling from the sky. That was also the direction of my allies, the Delk Clan, who were soon to be devastated by the Beast King.
Oh well, in my experience, friends didn’t last long in the business of war.
Not unless you kept winning
And I was going to win because I had ducks and yellow flowers.
Seventeen
Jase
"Ready to drop into the tents at your command, Alpha," Axis shouted. The wind was roaring, and the aircraft was weaving a bit with the brutality of the storm. It wasn't raining at present, but sure to drop at any moment. The side exit was open, the Seawards all ready to jump and float themselves into the camp. Hundreds of Emerona aircraft hovered over Tarsine's camps, waiting for Jase's craft to make the first move. The pilots were already firing on all SAM units, and threats were being taken out as they presented themselves, but Tarsine seemed to be scrambling, troops more amassed for the ensuing ground fight than prepared for taking out any strafing by aircraft.
I looked at Vania. My heart was thumping. Did I risk it? I wondered if I had taken the ring prematurely. I knew she had needed me to; she had been losing trust in herself. But, I didn't realize or understand all its power.
No. I understood it enough, and I could sense Vania’s strength.
"I want to try something." I signaled for Vania to come over closer to me. She abided, looking confused. "I want you to flatten all these tents below and light them all on fire with the fires they have inside them," I whispered into her ear so the others couldn't hear.
“What?” She pulled back from me, eyes wide. “Like, with the telekinesis?”
“Yes. With your wind power.”
“But it’s raining and windy!”
“Conquer it!” She looked out over the tents as the aircraft dropped a bit from turbulence. Everyone steadied themselves. I raised an eyebrow at her and leaned in again, touching her gently. “You can do it. I know it. But, we are kinda racing the clock and everyone is waiting.” I nodded to her and jerked my head toward the
