| Phase 12 � Okay, Sig. I want the truth. Right now. How do you know that guy I fought in Bledavik and why did he threaten Kris?� Sig�s head fell slightly. � I suppose I should tell you.� All of the sudden, it was open to me. He�d come from Solaris. I didn�t bother to wait for the rest. Solaris was my sworn enemy and one person I trusted wholly was from that cursed place. Citan was one thing; I�d always known he was from Solaris. But Sig . . . � How could you?� I asked in a whisper. They all heard anyway and turned to me. � What are you talking about, Kris?� Bart questioned, tilting his head. � He hasn�t said anything yet.� I ignored Bart and stared at Sig, who refused to look at me. � How could you do this?� I demanded angrily. � You lied to me!� He flinched at my yell. � You told me you hated Solaris, that you�d never seen it before and now . . .!� I attacked the dividing wall with a flurry of ill-aimed, tear-blocked punches. When that did nothing to soothe the betrayal, I ran from the house and over the bridge to the other side, where I pounded on the stone wall until my hands were slick with blood and the pain was unbearable. Leaving pink-red smears on the stone, I sat down and cried some more. *>*<* Fei spun to follow his sister as the questioning finished, but miscalculated the space between him and the wall. He hit face-first and keeled over backwards onto the floor. Bart stood and looked at him, checking to make sure he was still alive, then watched the door. � . . . I�m going to go find Kris. Maison, reserve the town hall for us. We need to plan.� *>*<* � Kris, don�t be mad. He was just trying to protect us.� I looked up at Bart. � How can you say that? You have no idea what Solaris has done to me before.� Huh? What was I saying? � You weren�t exactly forthcoming with the information,� he shot back gently, trying to calm me yet trying to defend himself. � They ran test after test on me. It was torture. They didn�t understand my power. They feared me and wanted to kill me. I tried to escape twice, but they caught me. I got away again, but I�ve hated Solaris ever since. I wish that place would crumble up and disintegrate.� Where in the world was this coming from? Since when did I remember so much of my youth? � Well first, Sig�s not from Solaris. He was a test subject too. Citan is from Solaris.� � But he didn�t keep it from me. Sig could�ve said something to us before.� � Agreed.� He narrowed his eyes at the wall, then turned back to me. � Kris, your hands.� � They�re just fine.� � Kris . . .� I sighed and held my hands up for him to see. The blood had caked mostly, but the cuts still bled and dripped down my fingers. � Damn it, Kris!� He pulled me to my feet and led me back to the house, knocking the door open. � Citan! Kris ripped her hands up!� Citan�s head appeared. � Fei had a slight collision with the wall. I will be there shortly.� After a minute, he came out and looked my hands over. � Sit down, Kris. This will take a while.� I sat as ordered and for the next hour had to endure tweezers in my flesh as bits of rock were removed and dropped into a tray. The desk light that was fixed low over my hand burned the wound and caused more pain. � Ow!� I cried at one particularly painful rock removal. I jerked my hand to the safety of my chest and glared at the doctor. � Kris,� he said patiently, � I have to get the stone out. If you do not let me�--he took my hand and placed it back under the light--� extract them, your hands will become infected and swell up and be, in general, an ugly nuisance.� � But it hurts!� He returned to his work. � Then maybe you have learned your lesson and will not abuse yourself on walls next time?� � Maybe. Ow! Ow ow ow!� � Kris, settle down or you will make it worse.� No wonder he�s a doctor. I�ve never met a person, besides Maison, who could keep his head and not blow up at me. Wow. That�s two people now. Never thought I�d meet one like that, let alone two. � Ow!� � Kris, what did I just say?� � That rankars dance when the moons are full---I don�t know!� He sighed. � Forget it.� � Hey, Kris, are you feeling okay? You�re giving off tremendously nervous signals.� � No, Fei. I�m fine. Slightly sick, but actually I�m just fine.� My brother saw my hands. � Whoa, Kris. What---� He collapsed before he was able to finish. I stared at his prone form a moment. � Oh yeah. Thanks a lot, Fei. Now we have to put your heavy ass back in bed.� � I�ll get him,� Bart told me. � You just sit still.� � There.� Citan set the tweezers down and picked up a cloth, then carefully cleaned away the blood. � Thanks,� I said, flexing my hand carefully. � I am not done yet. Lord Maison?� He was handed two long, straight pieces of cloth. � One hand, Kris.� � Are you kidding? How�m I supposed to fight with my hands all wrapped up like that?� � You will not be fighting.� � What?!� He used my shock to his advantage and expertly wrapped my hands. � I cannot let you fight injured the way you are. You could cause permanent damage and possibly even cripple yourself.� � Then how long until I can fight again?� � A minimum of two weeks to a month.� � A month?!� I whined. � Doc!� Fei woke for real a moment later and we migrated over to the town hall over a period of about ten minutes because he looked about ready to a) pass out, or b) puke up his guts. I supported him by putting his one arm around my neck and placing my own arm around his waist. � Man, Fei. Did you hit the wall that hard?� � I didn�t think so,� he replied. � He was running,� Citan countered. � Yeah,� Bart added. � Got about five sharls and then pow!�--he slammed his fist into his other hand for emphasis--� right into the wall.� Once we got into the town hall and quit moving, Fei�s condition improved right away. I checked him over anyhow; his cheeks were flushed and warm from the threat of impending sickness, but that was fading quickly. Sig finished saying something about the table and Bart smiled ruefully at recalled memories. � Whenever I borrowed stuff before, I got in trouble.� � What did you take?� Fei asked. � A toy boat. I�d stuff fireworks on it and set it loose out onto the cathedral�s lake. I guess I was trying to play navy. I always imagined that the lake was the open sea and I was the fleet commander . . .� He shook his head. � Enough of that. It was forever ago.� I snorted. � You never got in trouble until you set off the fireworks.� � You gave me the matches!� � When temptation reveals itself,� I began philosophically, � sometimes it�s best to avoid it like the plague.� � But you dared me!� � So? I didn�t make you. Nobody said you had to. Besides, it was your idea to set the whole thing on fire to make sure all of the �works went off.� He snorted back at me and gave me a soft bop on the head. � It was a sound idea until the thing sank.� He smirked. � But they all went off, didn�t they? So it wasn�t a complete failure.� � Complete enough. You were nearly grounded for life.� He waved me off. � Yeah yeah.� His focus went to the map finally. Shifting from immature boy to wise captain. � Anyway, we should concentrate on Shakhan, then deal with Gebler. Right now, we can hold off the royal guard. Unfortunately, Gebler will move at Shakhan�s request.� Citan looked closely at the map. � We need Gebler to leave until we can take over Bledavik. Their current positions are a west border guard, the royal capital defense force, and the front lines at the border with Kislev. All are a mixture of Aveh and Gebler troops, but only the royal capital and front lines are of any concern. The western guard is little more than a surveillance team.� � We could recapture the royal capital by drawing the defense forces away,� Sig suggested. � Do we have any Kislev Gears?� � Caught some earlier,� Bart confirmed. � Then we can raid the west guard at the Nisan border.� � Draw them out by pretending Kislev�s attacking?� Sig nodded. � The main problem will be attacking enough to set the center in motion.� Citan thought a moment. � Nisan will have to appear to �align� with Kislev. Seeing that should make them move.� Bart grew uneasy. � Use Nisan as bait?� Fei drew back. � Doc?!� � Shakhan is sensitive to Kislev�s and Nisan�s actions and if Nisan moved, he would leave it up to Gebler, but . . .� Sig trailed off uncertainly. Citan shook his head. � I do not wish that from the start, but we must be willing to go that far.� Now it was Bart�s turn to think. � . . . Let�s infiltrate the capital first and meet our agents that�re already there to take out Shakhan.� Citan looked up from the map. � You forgot one thing. The front lines at the border with Kislev.� This took Bart by surprise. � ! . . . Oh yeah.� � Aveh�s main strength is the Kefeinzel. It has been in service since the last reign and its firepower makes it known as the �invincible fleet�.� � Didn�t yesterday�s intel report say it was near the border?� I questioned. He nodded and Bart cursed. � Everything�s in jeopardy!� � Do not worry. I just wanted to point out the current distribution of force in the area. Even if they are there, we can still pull off the feint.� � What do you mean?� � There is some information on the border fleet. Aveh�s supreme commander was transferred there recently . . . More like demoted. His name is Vanderkaum.� The name made me shudder. I didn�t like him already. � Vanderkaum?� Sig echoed. � Not the one in Jugend?� � The very same. Young one, he cannot adapt to the tactical changes, particularly concerning Gears. He will always rely heavily on large naval guns.� � He�s stubborn. All size and no power. An excellent target for pirates.� Bart smirked. � Young Master!� Maison reprimanded. � This is no act of piracy!� � I�m kidding, Maison.� � Actually,� Citan put in, � Gear numbers to the fleet have been reduced greatly. Even so, that is very self-righteous of him.� � He�s a muscle-head?� Bart continued. � Taunting him�ll be fun.� � Young Master!� Maison said again. � I know, I know! Do you think he can strike our Gear forces, Citan?� � It is not a problem. However, we should not underestimate our opponents.� Sig stared at the mapped plans. � Now that we know, this is what we should do. Apart from our Bledavik unit, we must hold off the Kislev fleet.� � Another unit?� Bart guessed. � A few effective soldiers to keep them at bay,� Citan confirmed. Sig turned to him. � A small force?� Citan nodded. � What if Fei takes some Gears?� My brother balked momentarily. � . . . Me?!� � Hold on now!� Sig barked. � There�s no reason to involve you in all this!� Fei shook his head, then nodded. � . . . I�ll do it. Yes, I�ll do it. When do we leave?� Bart looked at him. � You sure?� <--Phase 11 Phase 13--> |