| Phase 15 I was lying in a partially-curled ball on the counter, talking to Maison (I did that a lot when I was little) as he looked over his wares. Abruptly, a cup fell from one of the shelves and smashed on the floor. A chill ran though me as I recognized the design on it. Bart . . . Maison stared at the cup�s remains in surprise. � The young master�s cup.� He looked up at me. � Is this an omen?� I hopped off the counter. Let�s not wait to find out. � I have an idea. But it will take a little bit of time to pull off. Can you go ahead of me?� Sure. But I�ll need to stop by the weapons unit in the bay. I went down to the Gear bay and dug around through the multitude of weapons before finding what I was looking for near the bottom. Weapon in hand, I climbed up onto the top deck and released the wings. I stared at Bledavik for a moment, then took off for the castle. I glided up and over the side and then down into the castle bailey. Flaring the wings, I stopped right over Bart and the others and flung one end of the weapon over my shoulder. Back-up has arrived! � Isn�t that a little excessive?� Sig asked, eyeing my weapon. Bart grinned. � That�s my girl! Blow �em away!� I glared at Shakhan and the woman who had been with the Gebler officer that Sig seemed to know (it was glancing; she was re-entering the castle). But my focus for now was Shakhan. Don�t move, asshole. He didn�t seem worried. � Flower . . . I remember you.� You better! And if you make one wrong move I�ll show you that this little �flower� isn�t afraid to use a gun! � Kris, that�s not a gun,� Sig reminded me quietly. � Damn right it�s not!� Bart told him. � That�s my Gear-issue beam gatling cannon!� � Isn�t it a little small?� He shrugged. � It�s the handgun size.� � For a Gear?� � Yup.� Sig looked up at me, concerned. There was the sound of something arriving from the air, but I already knew who it was. I backed off until I was standing just in front of the ladder that led to the spring. The land crab landed roughly in front of me, but I continued to sight under it in case Shakhan tried something. I provided cover as everyone got into the land crab. Bart, being Bart, made a very rude, very . . . vulgar . . . gesture and said, � I�m not done yet, ya bald geezer! Until then, go get your head waxed!� But as they prepared to take off, I heard a cling. Citan heard it too. � This is not good.� The propeller blades took off on their own and the land crab sank back down. Shakhan was caught off guard momentarily. � . . . Is this some kind of joke?� He stepped forward as he reached into his robes and I leapt into the air, automatically pulling the trigger to the cannon. There was a hum as the energy coalesced into a beam and then a short burst fired with a roar, throwing me into a single back-flip and putting a cute hole in the stone right in front of Shakhan. I regained my balance quickly and refocused my aim on Shakhan again, who backed into the doorway where he had been. I told you not to move, you bastard! Next time I�ll blow your head off! The land crab got up and began to walk around the bailey. After several circuits, Bart said, � Maison, you�re going in circles.� Maison�s only answer was, � Leave it to me, Young Master.� At that point he stopped the land crab and had it jump at the wall. The land crab bounced off and landed on top of the spring�s little shelter, then leapt up to the roof and continued that way right out of Bledavik. I kept the cannon on Shakhan. You have no right to be here. I�ll take the country back. It isn�t, and never has been, yours. It belongs to the prince and I will do anything that�s necessary to get it back for him. With that said as clear warning, I lowered the gun and took off. Shakhan fumed. � What are you morons waiting for?! Shoot her!� But I was already gone. *>*<* � You need to come to the bridge as soon as possible!� � Wait! Where�s Kris?� � She checked in at the Gear shop when she returned the cannon. I assume she�s in her room.� Bart frowned. �Why did she go to her room? That�s weird . . .� He looked up. � Sig, I don�t like that. Get us out of here. We have to get to the others. I�m going to check on Kris.� � Young Master, I�m sure---� � No! Kris never would�ve gone to her room if she didn�t have something to hide! Get us out of here! I�ll be back in ten minutes, tops.� � Yes sir.� Sigurd sighed heavily and left. *>*<* The door opened, but I pretended I was asleep to avoid questions. � Yeah right. I�m supposed to believe you�re asleep? After everything that�s happened today?� I didn�t move. That was the idea. I opened my eyes and looked up at him as he knelt beside the bed. So what did you come down here for? � I want to know where you�re hurt.� What makes you think I�m hurt? � Because you don�t hide away from everyone else unless you�re scared or hurt and I know you�re not scared.� I�m okay. � Damn it, Kris!� He then paused, removed his patch, and squinted suspiciously. � Move your head.� I shifted it backward a bit. � Kris . . .� he warned. I sighed and rolled my head to the right, revealing the burn marks on the left side of my face. He touched one lightly and I winced. � Kris,� he whispered, � this is bad. Did you put anything on it yet?� Yeah. Some burn ointment I found in Axyl�s cockpit. � How did you get these?� I forgot the cannon superheated. It just gave me a little blister, that�s all. � I would call �little� an understatement, but it looks like you got to it in time. I�d say to just put some more on every two or three hours. Whenever your face starts to feel like it�s falling off.� He pushed the cuff of his glove up and glanced at his watch for a second. � I have to get back up to the bridge.� Why? � It was a trap. We�re trying to round everybody up before they do.� I caught his hand as he turned to go. He stopped and looked back at me, meeting my gaze. He nodded slowly and gave my fingers a gentle squeeze to reassure me. � Knowing him, he�s all right. They�re probably on their way back now.� I let him go and he left. With my face still stinging, I rolled onto my right side and fell into a restless sleep. ~It was a cool day. The sky was clear and there was just enough of a breeze to keep the desert sun from being unbearable. He walked in a seemingly random direction, though he was only a few kelts from Bledavik. With a whip and a braid of long blond hair, he could have been mistaken for someone else. � Roni!� He turned to the woman who ran toward him. She reached him and stopped, panting heavily. � Are you all right, Lyn?� She snorted. � It would have . . . been easier if you . . . had been in the castle . . . when I needed you.� � I�m sorry. What do you need?� � I need you to come with me! It�s dintime and your mother is having fits!� � Oh?� He looked up at the sun briefly. � I wasn�t even pay---Ack!� Lyn grabbed his arm and ran back for Bledavik. � She said that if I didn�t get you back in fifteen minutes she was going to declare a state of emergency and send the castle guard out!� He rolled his eyes. � Mother worries too much. There is very little in the desert that can hurt me.� A wyrm suddenly rose from the sand and hissed. Lyn skidded to a stop and freed Roni, calling up a Chi power. � . . . Gale Force!� A funnel of sand rose under the wyrm, then swallowed it and collapsed back into the ground. � Thank you very much.� She snagged his wrist and continued toward Bledavik. � Thank me later!� � Lyn, you�re taking this way too seriously.� � Your mother scares me! I�m afraid she�ll do it!� � Well she scares me too, but I don�t think she�d go so far as to declare a state of emergency.� Lyn finally let him go as they reached Bledavik. The streets were mostly empty, since everyone else was eating as well, so there was little worry of traffic jams popping up. They made it into the castle and to the dining hall just before Roni�s mother summoned a messenger. � There you are!� Roni gently admonished his mother. � Come now, Mother. You know that I can take care of myself just fine without an escort.� � It�s dintime! You should have been here over half an hour ago!� � Mother, I cannot remain cooped up inside all day. I need some time to be alone every once in a while.� � Yes, but you could�ve told someone.� He frowned. � I did. I told Lyn.� � She didn�t believe me,� Lyn muttered to him. � Mother . . .� � What? You expect me to take everything a commoner says as truth?� � Mother!� Lyn rolled her eyes. � No, Roni, it�s all right.� � No, it�s not all right. Mother, Lyn is my guest and commoner or not, you will treat her with respect.� � Why? I have no need to when she will not address you as King.� � She doesn�t because I told her not to.� His mother turned to Lyn angrily. � Why did you listen to him? You know you are supposed to bow and address your king accordingly!� Lyn shrugged and replied, � He is King. He told me not to. If I disobeyed, would I not be breaking the law?� Roni put his hand over his mouth to hide his smile. Lyn was so clever and it drove his mother crazy. True to form, his mother did the only thing that would retain most of her dignity. She waved dismissively at Lyn. � Away.� Lyn bowed exaggeratedly. � As you wish, Your Majesty.� Roni caught her arm as she left. He tilted his head down so his mother could not see and whispered, � I need to speak with you later. Where will you be?� Lyn nodded and answered in the same whisper, � I should be in my room.� He let her go and sat down across from his mother. � Mother, please leave Lyn alone. She doesn�t take deliberate aggravation well.� � If she�s going to be Queen,� his mother returned, � she best get used to it right now before it becomes necessary.� Roni dropped his fork. � Who told you she would be Queen?� � No one. I�ve been watching you. I�ve seen the way you look at her. The way you treat her. It�s only a matter of time.� � That doesn�t automatically mean she�s going to be Queen,� Roni said defensively. � Yes it does,� his mother assured him. � My mother told me the same thing when your father was courting me. I didn�t believe her until it happened.� � You are too much of a romantic, Mother. Lyn and I are best friends, not secret lovers.� � Marriage sometimes starts out as friendship,� his mother reminded him with a point of her finger. � I don�t mind if Lyn becomes Queen, but she needs to learn some manners. If only she were more like Lacan . . .� � Mother, Lyn has beautiful manners. You just don�t let her prove herself. And as for being like Lacan, that�s unnecessary. She�s plenty like him. Almost annoyingly so, sometimes.� � Oh?� � She�s his younger sister.� � Oh! I didn�t know he had a sister.� � I didn�t either, until I met her. He worries about her a lot, so he doesn�t talk about her much.� � Why? What does he have to be afraid of?� � He thinks Solaris is after her . . .�~ <--Phase 14 Phase 16--> |