Destiny (33 page)

"Jovvi, I suggest that we make our prisoners kneel at the foot of the dais," Rion murmured to his sister. "We don't want them to get the idea that they're in charge."

"They already have that idea, but I agree with you," Jovvi murmured back as the prisoners were brought forward. "They need to have their defeat waved in their faces, otherwise they'll hold back on everything they can."

Rion nodded his understanding. The invaders
were
strong High talents, and unless they were completely enslaved they would resist being controlled to a certain degree. Complete enslavement would make them answer all questions fully, but only the questions put to them with no additional comments. And it was the unguarded comments that would give him and his Blendingmates the most information…

"That's fine," Jovvi said as the prisoners were lined up in front of them. "Now you five may kneel."

The five former leaders did as they were told, and then Jovvi released a certain amount of control. The five all made sounds of outrage at the same time, and then seemed to be struggling.

"You won't be allowed to stand, so you might as well stop trying," Jovvi told them calmly while the audience of their associates quieted. "And we also won't bother asking your names. Only people who matter have names."

"We more than matter, because we're of the Blessed Ones," the man in the middle grated, the words slipping in and out of a growl. "Whatever trick you used to defeat us won't work the next time we face you."

"Your defeat wasn't a trick, so stop lying to yourselves," Tamrissa put in, her voice even harder than the man's. "You lost because we're better than you, and there won't
be
a next time that we face you. How did you fools get started with ruining people's lives?"

"We were born to rule in our own lands, and then were chosen to extend those lands," the man answered, pride and anger fighting in his tone. "The lives of lesser beings are unimportant when compared to our desires, as it is we who will civilize the rest of this barbarian-ruled world."

"I'll bet you were taught to say that when you were very young," Tamrissa commented with a sound of ridicule, the very thing Rion had also been thinking. "How many more of your kind were sent here to take over?"

"One group of mate-equals has always been enough to make any barbarian land ours," the man answered, arrogance back in his voice. "If your tricks are able to keep us prisoner, however, more than one group of mate-equals will follow after us. Tricks will
not
be successful with
them
."

"How long will it take those others to come after you?" Vallant put in, his tone making the question casual. "They should be givin' you enough time to kill or take over everyone in your path, I'd guess, so any followin' shouldn't be happenin' for a while."

"It was expected that this land would be ours within the half year," the man replied, this time sounding reluctant. "If we haven't announced our complete victory by then, the others will come after us."

"Which will give the High Blendings in this country more than enough time to practice and grow as strong as necessary," Jovvi said, looking out into the audience where the Gracelian Blendings sat. "And by then we ought to have things settled down enough in our own country to lend some High Blendings as support. How does that sound to
you
people?"

"It sounds like pure relief," Rangis Hoad, a member of one of the Gracelian Blendings said with a shaky smile. "We were worrying about how we would face one of these invader Blendings on our own, but we
have
been growing stronger every day. By the time any more of them show up… We
should
be strong enough to handle it, don't you think?"

"Yes, we do think so, as long as you're not stupid about the matter," Rion said, feeling it was time to underscore a particular point. "If you behave as your predecessors did and limit the number of Blendings in this country, you could well have a problem when the next wave of invaders appears. If, however, you continue to encourage the formation of as many Blendings of all strength levels as possible, you should have no difficulty coping."

"Why do you consider Blendings of other strength levels necessary?" Alesta Vargan, another Blending member, asked. "Won't it only be High Blendings who defend our country?"

"Countries require more than just defense if they're to prosper and grow," Lorand said, giving the woman an encouraging smile. "If you have nothing but High Blendings to look after things, chores will pile up and important matters will accidentally be left undone. Besides, don't you think that others are entitled to experience what
you
have? Even if they aren't able to do very much with their Blending?"

"He's right, but not just for those reasons," Hoad said to the woman wryly. "I don't know about you, but I spent a lot of time resenting the fact that there were only fifteen Blendings I might be able to force my way into - if one of the major talents didn't decide to cheat in some way. If we get to run this country, even for a little while, we'd be foolish to start out with the same kind of resentments piled up against
us
."

Most of the others around the two who had spoken nodded their agreement with what Hoad had said, Rion was pleased to see. If the Gracelians didn't suddenly come down with the "privileged noble" disease, they might make really good allies after all.

"It might eventually be worth our while to look into where these people are comin' from," Vallant said once it was clear the discussion with the Gracelians was over. "If and when a second wave of them gets here, we can see if we're in a position to take their ships back to where they started to make sure there's never a third wave. But we have time before that decision has to be made."

Most of their audience seemed to take Vallant's suggestion with interest, which brought the five invaders a good deal of agitation. Rion watched them begin to struggle again only harder, and then they all went completely still.

"I think they finally accepted the fact that they weren't bested by trickery," Tamrissa observed as she looked at the five people who were now completely controlled again. "The idea seemed to send them into a frenzy, as if their entire world was collapsing around them. I certainly hope they're right."

Rion chuckled his agreement along with everyone else who had heard Tamrissa's words, and then it was time to get to other things. There were a lot of slaves standing around waiting to be freed, and what happened after that would probably be the hard part.

The five leaders of the invasion were put into a small and dirty shed that had probably been used for storage of some kind, and then Rion and his Blendingmates joined everyone else in gathering up the slave forces. The slaves from the road had been ordered to continue on to the village and then await further orders, but it was Rion and his Blendingmates who had to fetch the first group. They were still hidden in the nearby countryside, and had to be ordered back.

"And since you were the one who ordered them out there, Vallant, you ought to be the one who initiates the Blending this time," Tamrissa said with a wide smile. "But don't worry, I'm confident that you won't have any trouble."

"We're definitely goin' to have to do somethin' about that cruel streak of yours, Tamrissa," Vallant told her with a frown that Rion suspected wasn't entirely playacting, and then he sighed. "All right, I suppose it
is
my turn to try. And since you ladies did it first, I only have to follow
your
examples."

Rion joined Lorand in murmuring something encouraging while the ladies merely smiled. Rion had the feeling he would be just as uneasy when
his
turn came to initiate the Blending, and Lorand seemed to feel the same. Naran, however, looked far too calm and confident, which most likely meant she'd Seen something she hadn't mentioned.

In spite of Vallant's faint unease, however, the Blending formed with no trouble whatsoever. The Rion entity found himself fully prepared to do what was necessary, a mild and distant amusement present for some reason. The Rion entity reflected on the amusement for an instant, and then floated into the woods to see to his chore. The amusement was, for the most part, anticipatory, as well as an enjoyment of very satisfactory progress.

The slave flesh forms hidden in the woods were easily located and ordered to the village, and then the Rion entity took itself directly back. Rather than dissolving, however, there was an … adjustment within himself, the sort of adjustment the Rion entity had experienced only once before. There was the sense of increased satisfaction, and then his Vallant part spoke.

Yes, that's much more like it
,
the Rion entity heard.
This is the way it should have been all along.

And you did it exactly right
,
Rion's Tamrissa part said.
Just as I knew you would. Aren't you glad you tried?

Yes, I certainly am glad, but now it's time we gave
the others a hand
,
the Vallant part answered.
If we make
them
do all the work, we could have a revolt on our hands.

And then the Blending dissolved, leaving Rion alone again and fairly puzzled.

"Did any of you understand why that happened?" Jovvi asked, sounding as confused as Rion felt. "I experienced a change of some kind when Vallant adjusted our places in the Blending, and then it seemed that he and Tamrissa were no longer
part
of the Blending - even though they were. How did it feel to
you
, Vallant?"

"It felt as if the entity disappeared, and all that was left was me," Vallant said with raised brows as he looked at Tamrissa. "But you were right there
with
me, and I knew who you were and that you were there. It wasn't like hearin' everyone in the Blendin', it was somethin' else entirely."

"I think we need to find out just where all this is leading," Jovvi mused, then she glanced at what their associates were doing. "The first group of slaves has been freed, and there isn't anywhere near as much trouble as we were expecting. Let's tell someone that we're going to take an experimentation break, and then see what happens."

Since it was obvious that none of them disagreed, Vallant went over to tell their associates what they would be doing, and then Rion and his Blendingmates returned to the house they'd been using. The rain had stopped, leaving the day merely overcast, but an excitement of sorts crackled back and forth among all of them.

"All right, who wants to be next?" Jovvi asked once they were all settled on their sleeping pads. "It can't be me, because I have the definite feeling that I have to go last."

"Because of all the time you've
already
spent initiating the Blending," Rion said, distantly wondering how he knew that. "With that truth in mind, I volunteer to be next."

Lorand made no effort to put his own offer forward and Naran merely smiled again, so the matter was decided. Rion found the need to deliberately relax his body as he reached out to his Blendingmates, and then it was the Rion entity who looked about.

Are you able to tell how far away the balance of us
are?
the Rion entity's Tamrissa part asked.
Once you perceive the distance, you must draw us all closer.

The Rion entity did indeed look about himself, and quickly saw that what had been said was true. His parts certainly were far too distant from him, therefore he drew them closer - and once again the world shifted.

Nice going, Rion,
Tamrissa said, and Rion knew that she smiled at him.
And don't you two look handsome now.

You're not exactly an eyesore yourself
,
Vallant came back, and Rion somehow saw his grin. In fact he somehow
saw
both of them, as themselves with no entity involved.

Where has the entity gone?
Rion asked, now even more puzzled.
I can tell that what we've done is proper, but where did the entity go?

Maybe we'll find out after the rest of us have had a
turn,
Tamrissa suggested.
Why don't you dissolve the Blending now so Lorand can join us?

That was the logical course of action, so Rion did indeed dissolve the Blending. How odd that had been, to first be the entity and then -

"I don't know if I'm ready to try this," Lorand said after taking a deep breath. "I had a lot of trouble forcing myself to keep up with the rest of you, and I'm just afraid I might not be ready to take the next step."

"If you're not ready, then it won't work," Tamrissa said before Rion could think of something supportive to put in. "If it doesn't work, then we'll be no worse off than we are right now. What can we lose by trying?"

"Nothing, I guess," Lorand answered, clearly responding to Tamrissa's lack of accusation before he shrugged. "And since we have nothing to lose, I might as well give it a try."

Rion could see that Lorand wasn't quite as unconcerned as he'd tried to sound, but a moment later it was the Rion entity who looked about. There was a short delay as the Lorand part adjusted his perceptions and viewpoint, and then a jarring twist changed the picture entirely. It was now Rion, Vallant, Tamrissa, and Lorand who regarded one another, and then Lorand laughed an instant before the Blending dissolved.