Keeper: First Ordinance, Book 2 (25 page)

"What?" Justis whirled to stare at the Larentii.

"I'll explain about the Larentii Wise Ones later,"
Kaldill raised a hand. "If they say this will work, how much time do we
have?"

"Less than two clicks, as the Alliance measures time,"
Daragar replied.

"This hinges upon you and your guards," Ildevar
turned to Justis. "If you say no, then we stand down."

Berel stood with me, looking from one to the other. He was
determined to go, no matter what Justis decided. "The answer is no,"
Justis said, his voice cold. "The King will never agree to this." He
turned with a rustle of feathers and stalked away.

My breaths shaky, I turned to Berel. "I'm coming with
you," I said. "Justis made his decision, I'm making mine."

"Dearest, are you sure about this?" Kaldill asked.
He sounded worried.

"I'm sure." At that moment, I was furious with
Justis, but didn't say it. The black glass feather I had meant nothing, after
all. The guard—and Justis—were refusing to stand with me as promised.

"How do we get to the airship?" I turned to Berel. "I'll
fly if there's no other way."

"An airchopper will be here soon," Berel said with a
determined nod. "I sent for it earlier. We have little time, and it will
take longer than the time mentioned to arrive at the battle."

"I know." I hung my head, already grieving for those
about to die.

* * *

The commanders and troops aboard the Alliance airship only
spoke Alliance common, so I had to translate their words for Berel to
understand. Within minutes, he was determined to learn their language. He
communicated with his father often on the trip to the border between Sectors
Two and Three; Edden instructed him to make records of what he observed.

Berel and the High President hoped that the mere presence of
an alien airship would force both sides to stand down. The ship's commander
shook his head when I asked whether he could use the main weapon he had onboard
to disable only the wartanks without also disabling other vehicles.

I worried about the ones working to save the lives of the
wounded; if they or their vehicles were disabled, then even more people would
die.

"It's all or nothing," the Commander shook his head
when I asked. "Those ships in the waters would be easy, but when you mix
in those bent on saving lives instead of taking them, the onboard weapon will
disable all indiscriminately."

"Thank you for you explanation; I'll make sure Berel
understands," I told him.

He nodded—he'd seen uprisings before and knew what was coming.

"He says he can't employ the onboard weapon to disable
the wartanks without disabling all the vehicles, the airsavers included,"
I said. "I imagine anything in the air will immediately stop working and
fall to the ground."

"This is impossible," Berel shook his head. I could
see he was just as concerned as I was.

"I agree. Justis and the Black Wings could have taken the
handheld disablers and taken out the wartanks individually. We no longer have
that option, and ten times as many will die because of it."

"I don't know what to do at this point—Father has sent
for an airchopper squad equipped with anti-wartank missiles," Berel said. "When
those are deployed," he shook his head.

I understood, although he didn't say it. There would be no
saving of the lives inside the tanks, once those missiles were fired. They were
designed to destroy a wartank and anything in or around it.

"Ten clicks away," the Commander called out.

We were nearly there.

I was desperate.

"Is there a way for me to leave the ship easily?" I
asked the Commander.

"The same way you came aboard—through the small passenger
hatch on the second level."

"Then I want to leave," I said.

"What?" Berel sputtered.

"I have to try to stop this," I said.

"Only one Avii, with one disabler will not make much
difference," the Commander snapped.

"I'm not taking a disabler," I snapped back before
turning and walking toward the lift that would take me to the second level
hatch. "And I'm not Avii."

Chapter 13
 

What I was about to do was foolish—the most foolish thing I'd
ever done or dreamed of doing. Whether I had the strength or capacity to
accomplish this task remained to be seen.

Berel was terrified; I hoped he didn't attempt to hold me
back—this was my bit of foolishness and if I died, it would be from a decision
I'd made for myself.

"Quin, are you sure?" Berel pleaded as the visitor's
hatch opened slowly before us. Siriaa's sun gleamed on metal steps as the door
yawned wide and I looked at the sky beyond. Airchoppers could be heard in the
distance—they and the weapons they carried would be in range of the wartanks
very soon.

"The rest of you, clip your safety belts," the Commander
ordered, his voice terse, his body tense. I handed Berel's safety belt to him,
my fingers brushing his. Giving him a shaky smile, I nodded. He had no idea
what I planned, and truthfully, neither did I.

Yes, I had wings and could fly, although that hadn't been for
long. Justis and his guards had drilled at tucking in wings and rolling in
midair to avoid projectiles. My flight would be awkward at best—I had little
experience, no evasive techniques and less guile.

With a trembling breath and shaking limbs, I nodded to Berel
and the Commander, took three steps and leapt through the visitor's hatch,
snapping out my wings and catching the winds that rushed about the airship.

* * *

Kondar

Personal Report to the High President

From: Berel Charkisul, Ambassador to the Avii

Father, I wish I could write this report without emotion as
I've seen Melis do in the past, but that I cannot do and I am sorry.

My terror increased the moment Quin left the airship
behind—the appearance of such a large, alien ship did nothing to stop the
battle going on at the border below.

As you know, Sector Three has been an enemy of the Sector
Two leadership for some time—their disagreements in Council meetings have often
been remarked upon in the newsvids. Therefore, once they were engaged in this
battle, neither were willing to back down and call their troops away, although
that would have been the prudent thing to do.

The airchoppers were very close and almost within firing
range—with the planned attack, all inside the wartanks and any around them
would be killed when the weapons deployed.

The worst things, of course, was the number of Sector Three
civilians caught in the crossfire—so few of them were able to get safely away
before the battle began. I know many hoped it was merely a show of force, but
that, as we both know, was foolish.

The airship Commander, once Quin left his ship, had no way
of effectively communicating with me and we were reduced to a pantomime of
sorts to make ourselves understood.

How I wished for the mind communication that Quin had with
others. I know that no Kondari has ever had such, and that left me hopelessly
isolated aboard the ship.

Nevertheless, the Commander motioned me toward a nearby
monitor, where I could view Quin's progress as she flew just above the wartank projectiles
firing between both sides.

What she intended to do I had no idea—until I saw her begin
to shine—she projects a golden haze when she heals anyone. Was this an attempt
to heal everyone engaged in the battle?

I know not—although after a few moments, the flying
projectiles became less, and then less than that as time passed until they'd
almost stopped completely. The Commander, who now stood at my shoulder, drew in
a breath as Quin, believing the battle over, began to descend.

One last projectile fired, and while it didn't make a
direct hit, it burst nearby, hurling Quin far away, like a wild bird struck by
an airchopper.

When her body stopped tumbling through the air, it dropped
to the ground and lay still in a pile of feathers.

Father, I wept.

* * *

Kondar

Sector Three

Wartank after wartank opened its hatch and their inhabitants
peered out at the ten tall, blue men who gathered about the dead, winged girl.
None ever admitted firing the shot that killed her—most of them, feeling peace
and contentment like they'd never known, had already stopped firing.

It had only taken one projectile to destroy the beautiful,
flying creature. Some men and women wept openly when they exited their wartank,
but the appearance of the strange, blue men held them back from approaching the
winged creature's body.

When the light began to form about the ten and the soothing
hum started, all combatants relaxed with a sigh and waited for an outcome they
couldn't comprehend.

* * *

Avii Castle

"If you'd gone and taken those Black Wing guards with
you, this could have been avoided," Kaldill glared at Justis. Justis,
angry enough that Quin had taken the situation into her own hands, glared back.

"The Wise Ones have done what they could; she is
breathing and her heart beats again, but she won't wake," Daragar sounded
frightened. "Berel refuses to leave her side. I know not what to do."

"At least the idiots stopped firing on each other,
although I hear nearly two thousand civilians are either dead or wounded,"
Kaldill snapped. "It is times like these that I curse the non-interference
rules. We are allowed to protect our mates, but when they involve themselves
directly in a conflict such as this, the mate protection rules become murky."

Kaldill then began to curse in his native language. Justis
didn't understand, although his name was mentioned several times. Daragar did
understand and nodded upon occasion as Kaldill's rant continued.

* * *

Le-Ath Veronis

Queen Lissa's Private Journal

I was and wasn't surprised that Kaldill appeared in my study,
and less surprised that he was cursing rapidly when he arrived.

"Kaldill, calm down," I said, rising from my chair
and moving cautiously toward him. He wanted to blast something, and I wasn't sure
what he might target if he were startled.

Regardless, I kept a very strong shield up as I approached.
The moment I put my arms around him, however, he broke down.

* * *

"What if she doesn't want to wake? The Wise Ones changed What
Was to bring her back, but she's not waking."

"Kaldill, perhaps she is dreamwalking," I suggested.
"You know that can happen."

"Reah didn't," he pointed out. "When they made
the attempt to wake her, she woke."

"Look at my sister," I countered. "It took
days."

"Yes, but that's different," he huffed and turned
away.

In all the time I'd known Kaldill, I'd never seen him weep
like this—not even after losing three of his four sons. It made me want to
weep, too; I felt Quin had a part to play in all that now threatened the
worlds, but Kaldill would likely think that just as I did.

"I'm hoping that time will take care of this," I
said. "But let me know if you want me to come."

"Yes. I should get back—Berel isn't having an easy time
of it, while Gurnil and Ordin are at a loss. I care not what Justis thinks—he
could have avoided this altogether if he'd just said yes. Daragar says the Wise
Ones saw no loss of life among his guards if he'd agreed to Quin's plan."

"This is what makes me think she is very important to any
solution we may find to our poison problem," I sighed. "We need her.
All of us do. The Wise Ones believe that, too."

"It would seem that way, and I'm more than grateful. The
combatants will never forget their first sight of the Larentii, with all five
Wise Ones and their Protectors arriving as they did and performing a miracle,
by their standards."

"What idiot fired that last shot?" I asked.

"Somebody who was so entranced by what he saw—Quin flying
above him, as she was—that his finger slipped. At least that's the story I hear.
All would have gone perfectly had that not happened."

"You can't always predict the human element, even when
they're witnessing something amazing," I agreed. "Poor Quin, pouring
out her healing ability to keep people from fighting."

"I believe she only recently realized she might do it,"
Kaldill shook his head. "Desperation drives strange decisions, at times."

"I can attest to that—more than once," I agreed.

"I should get back and see about Berel—poor child, he's
caught up in her and will always be. It's unusual—to find the one you want so
early in your life." I watched as he folded away with a sad, confused
expression on his face. If Quin were destined to wake again, she needed to do
it soon. The King of the Elves needed her.

* * *

Avii Castle

I woke in Ordin's healing suite, three days after the battle.
I was surprised to wake at all; the last things I remembered were brief visions
as I fell, numb with pain and unable to move wings or limbs. Whatever had been
fired toward me had badly battered my body.

"Thank Liron," Ordin breathed. Berel, who sat on a
chair beside my bed, shouted with joy when my eyes turned toward him. I could
see what he'd known after I'd been injured—that the repercussions of the blast
near me had shattered my bones, rendering me helpless.

I'd been dead after I'd fallen to the ground. Now, that was no
longer true, thanks to the many Larentii who'd come. I had no recollection as
to where I'd been after my life was restored; I only had memories before my
injuries until now, when I woke after three days of unconsciousness.

Kaldill and Daragar appeared almost simultaneously, both
smiling broadly at me. The missing one?

Justis
.