The Chronicles of Heaven's War: Burning Phoenix (61 page)

NoazOhfehr, ‘the fearless young deer’, had
grown up in the wild cold of what was called the ‘Outer Ranges’, a
string of planets in the far western reaches of the Empire known
for very short, warm seasons and long, harsh winters. He was much
younger than many of Lowenah’s children, but his exploits had made
him well known. That same reputation carried over into his
leadership during the Rebel Wars. At times, he appeared to be
almost reckless in his combat strategies, yet he had the skill to
carry his tricks off. Noaz was one of Trisha’s four generals.

DinChizki, ‘justice is my strength’, was one
of Lowenah’s much younger children. He and Noaz had been selected
for these positions because it was felt the younger ones were more
willing to endure the wars to their success than many of the older
children. Din’s corps had been trapped at Memphis. After his
superior officer was killed, he took command. Ordering a daring,
almost suicidal counter attack, he managed to temporarily breach
the north passage wall, in what was later called the ‘Battle of the
Tower Gate’. This daring move secured escape for over half his
corps plus thousands of others also trapped there. As a note: this
was the battle Darla referred to as the ‘Gap’ where a missile
wounded her and killed a companion.

The one woman among Trisha’s leading
generals was a relative newcomer to the First Realm
.
TolmetesRhedEpi, ‘the daring chariot rider’,
‘Tolmetes’ for short, had lived during the dark years after the
ancient empire of Trisha’s day crumbled from existence. She had
resided in a place called the ‘Sudan’ and, when a young woman,
raced horses and chariots on which her master wagered. Lowenah
handpicked Tolmetes for this post, saying she had been delivered to
the First Realm for that very purpose.

Trisha’s top-ranking staff officer was known
by the name ‘Tizrela’. She had been one of Lowenah’s personal honor
guards at the Prisoner Exchange and was nearly as old as Gabrielle.
Few possessed more wisdom, and none were more loyal than Tizrela.
There were few of Lowenah’s children better equipped to represent
her presence than this child. Trisha deeply respected this woman’s
opinions, feeling at times as though they came directly from
Lowenah.

Tabitha Copeland had lived in the Second
Realm around the same time Jebbson did, but in the island homeland
from which his mother migrated. Her formal education and desire to
learn domestic history and war’s personal experiences provided
Tabitha precious insight into warmongers and other pompous
egotists. This, combined with a highly analytical mind and
phenomenal mathematical cognizance, made Tabitha valuable in
deciphering an enemy’s strategies. Already, during the thirty odd
years of her existence in the First Realm, she had served on many
councils and held staff positions for high-ranking officers.

Richard Finhardt was an interesting person,
to say the least. Like Jebbson, he was no stranger to war while
still living in the Second Realm, but the war machines of his day
were much more refined than in Jebbson’s. Richard was educated to
become a mechanic and he took those skills to the skies. By the age
of seventeen, he had earned the status of fighter pilot. He
remained in aviation after that war, flying gliders and such like
aircraft. Later, in a nasty little civil war, he reached the rank
of wing commander and distinguished himself with the title of
‘ace’. Crippling injuries, caused when an experimental ship he was
testing exploded, forced him into a secluded retirement. During his
few remaining years in that realm, Richard took up the study of
sociology and philosophy, eventually becoming a deeply religious
man.

BarkaiNofech was Mihai’s next oldest
sibling. In the peaceful days before the Rebellion, he was known as
Mihai’s herald and would often be escort for her at special
occasions and festivities, thus the name given him by Lowenah,
which meant, ‘my jewel who announces the dawn star’. Barkai had
served on Gabrielle’s, Mihai’s and even Lowenah’s councils from
time to time since the Rebellion. He had a knack for seeing the
whole picture quickly, assimilating seemingly unrelated information
and making logical sense of it. During the Great War, Barkai not
only was one of Mihai’s staff officers, he also flew in her fighter
squadron.

These eight people, HoiO, Noaz, Din,
Tolmetes, Tizrela, Tabitha, Richard
,
and
Barkai, would soon help change forever the lives of those in the
First Realm. Cities would melt and armies would vanish before the
gods of war would grow weary. The generations of the after-days
would recognize the value of the slaughter and destruction. But
that was in the future. It had been placed on the shoulders of
Trisha and her lieutenants to make that future possible. And that
was going to require convincing Lowenah’s children to not only
support the coming wholesale fratricide, but also to willingly
participate to bring its success. All eight people knew the
importance of coming events and all accepted the price they would
forever pay for their role in its accomplishment.”)

* * *

A foul curse rent the cabin as a missile of
crumpled paper smashed harmlessly against its outer wall, tumbling
ingloriously to a floor strewn with earlier similar wreckage.
Groaning in frustration, Mihai angrily tossed her quill aside,
burying her face in tired hands supported by elbows carelessly
resting on sheets of her finest linen stationary scattered across
her tiny desk. Filled with self-loathing, she went on to excoriate
every aspect of her very being.

What a fool she had been! Throwing away the
beautiful treasures they had brought was only an embarrassment
compared to the total stupidity of her other actions. Then to top
it off, she had disregarded the very person Ma-we provided to
advise Mihai at the exchange, discounting her as unstable and
possibly dangerous! And yet, Trisha’s actions secured the safe
release of the prisoners. And now, faithful to Mihai’s orders, that
same selfless servant was departed EremiaPikros on a cattle barge
when it was she who deserved little more, if as much.

Coming events would require a leader to have
the unquestioned trust of the people. Mihai’s fiasco at the
exchange certainly didn’t engender much of that. If her heart
hadn’t ached so, she probably would have broken down and cried.
What good was she, anyway? Just a failure, yes, always had been
just a failure...

A soft knock came at Mihai’s cabin door and
a sweet, almost cheerful voice called out from the other side, “My
dear, may I please come in?” Mihai remained silent. She buried her
head further into her hands, wishing to be able to shrink into
nothing and disappear.

After a moment, the sound of the latch
turning and rollers moving on their tracks sounded the warning of
an opening door. Mihai did not look up. A gentle swirl of air
lightly brushing the woman’s face made her aware of an intruder’s
uninvited entry. The door slowly closed, the castle’s wall
breached. Mihai stiffened in anticipation of the coming onslaught…
something that did not occur.

As she sat there, face buried in hands,
Mihai could hear soft, rhythmic breathing playing a soothing tune
upon her ears, quickly followed by the nearly imperceptible sound
of quiet footfall from naked feet on metal deck plates. Her muscles
tensed up in dreaded anticipation of what might follow, so much to
be craved, but so repulsive because of the mood she was in. Then it
struck, the magic touching of Mother’s fingers, and all Mihai’s
resistance to Ma-we’s presence melted away. Ever so gently, Ma-we
undid her child’s blouse. Then pulling it down off tired shoulders,
she began to dance her fingers across Mihai’s naked skin.

Mihai’s heart attempted to ignore the
rapturous tingles racing down her back and flooding her
extremities, but she quickly surrendered to Mother’s lenitive
touch. With a weeping moan from the intoxicating pleasure and a
crying heart, Mihai sighed, relaxing, dismayed.

“Please, please don’t… don’t…” Mihai’s lips
attempted a coup against Ma-we’s sensuous onslaught only to fall
victim to Mother’s witching powers. Tipping her head back, she
reveled in the emotion, becoming lost in the innocence of
long-forgotten childhood memories.

Ma-we leaned close, whispering wistfully in
her child’s ear, “I’ve missed you, your company these several days
since the Prisoner Exchange. I worry sometimes you know, about you.
So I ventured over here to see my darling daughter.”

Mihai reached over, placing her right hand
on her left shoulder, covering Ma-we’s hand with hers as she did.
Craning her head until she looked into her mother’s eyes, Mihai
bemoaned, asking, “How can you still love me, still care for this
worthless brattling when she has failed you so? This wicked child
deserves nothing but the whip and wheel! Indeed, they are too good
for her... Look, that rebellious child stole from you gifts most
precious and cast them before swine, even worse, nearly cost you
the lives of your younglings.”

Cocking her head, troubled eyes staring into
Mihai’s, Ma-we asked, confused, “So, which one of my children do
you speak of? No message has arrived upon my ears regarding such a
catastrophe.”

Mihai frowned, exasperated. “Don’t fool with
me this day! The jester with stolen crown danced upon Salem’s
walls, gleefully tossing all her peoples’ treasures to the enemy
below, all the while casting aspersions upon the valiant warriors
holding the gate before the foe. Again, the
hero
of Memphis
showed her mettle under duress, trusting to the wisdom of a
frightened waif while ignoring the counsel of valiant officers. You
gave to me a treasure beyond measure, one of the Three of Prophecy
and through insult and derision, I threw the treasure away. Now I
cannot find the words to express my regrets regarding my
actions.”

Looking toward the ceiling, she cried, “And
what did I do in all my selfish pride?! Sent the
gift of God
given to me away in a cattle barge...
A cattle barge!”

Ma-we stepped back, aghast, her eyes
twinkling deception. In mock surprise, she exclaimed, “My! My! Oh
what a
wicked
child. Or do we merely feel sorry for
ourselves? Why, if I was in the mood to please my little
brattling,
I’d leave right now. But I’m in no mood to grant
any wishes at the moment.”

Mihai threw her hands to her face. “Mother,
why do you do this to me?!”

Ma-we cooed, surprised, “What? What am I
doing to my little darling?”

Mihai stood and spun around, taking hold of
Ma-we’s arms. “Enough of this! You do not fool me at all! Your act
of naivety is wasted with me. Do not think I could not see your
face, feel your piercing gaze, as I played folly with innocent
lives. So easy it is to see my stupidity in all of this.”

Looking into her child’s eyes, Ma-we asked,
“Stupidity?”

Mihai’s exasperation reached its limit.
“
Must I spell it out?!”

Ma-we frowned as if perplexed, puzzling over
having missed something too obvious. “Well, yes, I confess that you
must.”

“Oh, you...!” Mihai’s frustrated reply
carried on it an icy tinge of anger, Ma-we silently ignoring it. “A
fool I am, and you know well that to be the case. No secrets can
hide from your gaze, but seeing you wish to play the ignorant waif,
I shall humor you. A fool I am for not accepting your gifts in
councilors and their wisdom. Had I been successful, my entire
company may well have been exterminated in heated contest while the
prisoners murdered before your eyes. If not for the far-sighted
action of the field marshal, Lord Trisha, and her personal
bodyguard, the Witches of KordianHasur, the day would have ended in
total disaster.”

Mihai slammed her fist into an opened palm.
“I walked into a trap with my eyes wide open, refusing to accept
the visions of impending doom they screamed out to me! And I having
no excuse this time! Unlike Memphis where, for want of knowledge, I
slaughtered my people, the outcome of this day was shouted out to
me even at the last great council meeting. She I pushed away,
proclaiming her birth to this world illegitimate, accusing her of
having a twisted, demented mind, lifting her up as a greater enemy
of mine than even the Snake.” Sitting back down, Mihai rested tired
arms on the writing desk and lowered her head in sullen
remorse.

Ma-we again stepped up close to her child
and returned to softly massaging weary shoulders. After a long
interlude, she quietly answered, “Why, yes, that is exactly what
you did. Very foolish! Very foolish, indeed! Not one thing right
did you do, not one! Mistake upon mistake, countless they were, oh,
and with foreknowledge you did them.”

There was a long pause, the room falling
silent except for the distant throbbing of the ship’s engines.
Mihai was about to burst into tears, knowing everything Ma-we had
spoken was true, but not having expected those truths to be so
blatantly expressed and so openly. Yet even more shocking were the
following remarks that fell upon her ears.

Ma-we continued to stroke Mihai’s shoulders.
“To do the right thing may not always be the
correct
thing
to do. A master of the game may misjudge his opponent if he
believes the person greatly inferior. Your brother believed he
faced an opponent far his inferior, and you did little to
disappoint. Yes, indeed, everything done wrong, all the wrong
moves, or at least he felt it so, but for the
true
Master of
the game, your moves were on the mark, and he fell right into my
trap.”

Ma-we wrapped her arms about Mihai in a big
bear hug, whispering in her ear, “To defeat your opponent at the
game, it is better to know the weaknesses of the players rather
than their strengths. Search first for your own faults, for you
must control the board. Then search out the others of your players,
and look afar to the opponent who stands the contest against you.
When you control the board, your adversary must always be playing
catch up, following your whims. Do not give up the chase, even in
defeat, and always stay on the hunt despite the hounds nipping at
your heels.” She stood back. “It is a lesson you must learn,
especially now that you will not be playing the field, but shall be
watching the players.”