chapter 35

Ash vani looked on from the dark corner of the tent. A spectator, she witnessed Min approach the blind Queen.
She appeared to recognise her presence as she turned her ear and her gaze to roughly where her eyes sat neath the blindfold. “Is there someone else here?” she inquired in an uneasy voice, that was less than mighty.
Sticking her beak up into the space above her head, she seemed to adhere to a straw that had nostalgic cogitations “that smell, it reminds me of.” a petite slither of hope shone through as she began to believe, but faded as she continued… “No! it doesn’t matter!” she said feebly unable to conjugate the two or make the volt of faith necessary as the formerly great monarch seemed to be bowed by the significance of her regret.

Min drew closer to the matriarch, as elusive as a shadow on a dreary day as her hands found their way to suggestively stroking her platinum tresses, and her cheek, as they had done so often before…. long ago, in Catalunia.

She spoke in raised whispers, not so softly as to be unheard by eavesdroppers and just intimate enough to be personal and felt “Giddy!” she said. “Do you remember?”
“Min is that you!?” she pleaded as to her surprise she manifested her sentiments of embarrassment humiliation, anger and finally relief.
“Do you remember, the pact we made when we were but fledgelings,”
The Queen sat in the moments quiet as her face revealed the history of something delicate to reminisce. “Yea!” she murmured as she blushed “I remember,” looking outwardly embarrassed. “What was it?” asked Min. “You know very well… but we vowed to never utter it ever again!”
“Queens promises are not made lightly…… it’s in the past…” she hesitated as she managed a half-smile “life, was different then, perhaps brighter and truer, you were my bestest friend in the whole of the world… an’ that boy you liked, the one you gave a black eye to, he was less,” she sought for her words and chose them carefully, until finally, she concluded the best word to describe him would be, “well, complicated,”
“you mean Kay,”
“yes!” she acknowledged
“it was an unusual introduction I’ll warrant you that your majest… Giddy,” she said calling her by her childhood nickname, that dated before her inauguration.
“he got more than he bargained for… But! he got his kiss, always was smart that one,”
“I never knew that he received your approval,”
Min looked toward Ash Vani as she nodded.
“Min… I’m sorry,”
“What…!”
“Can you forgive me!” she asked
“We don’t have time,” Unabowed she pulled her up to her feet and replied “let’s live through today, shall we,”

Beyond Vani, she heard the twitter of a solitary starling Trailing in her wake, she felt a shadow grow in magnitude as Min lunged forward and wailed “DUCK!,” as she plucked a dagger from her boot.

Using her peripheral vision, Vani saw the tall lank frame of a woman, that had attributes of a bird, it filled her full of dread as she peered down behind her and spied long jagged talons for fingernails. That could slit you asunder with ease and black feathers running along the entire length of her arms.
Vani hit the ground with a thud and rolled, as Min launched the short knife across the room and into the harpies’ eye socket, with the accuracy of a marksman. The creature reeled backwards, as a streamer of dis-charge erupted like a fountain. However, it did not stop the beast.
It screamed out in anguish and made a terrible noise, murmuring like the low rumble of a growl, and then it cried in anger and moved across the room like an abomination sent by Tiamat herself. As Min dodged and whirled her sabre in one fell stroke, the creature lost its head.

headless its body continued as it lurched again towards them and collapsed in a slump on the ground.
Vani looked at Min in awe it was true, what they said about her, she was that good.

“They’ll be more coming!” remarked Min “we have to go now,”
Min though not lofty herself, scooped up the Queen and instructed her to hold on to her shoulders, as she piggy-backed her and carried her out into the open-air. Precisely how they used to play, in their Childhood “Leftenant, stay tight. And if we get cut off. I’ll wait for you, n’ if I should fall behind…. wait for me.” She Insisted.
“That was part of OUR pact,” blurted the Queen as she smirked. “my legs still work Y’know,” she added “shut up Giddy,” said Min, as if scolding her like a small child.
When they emerged from the tent, the smoke outside was thick, acrid and dark as it wafted toward the township “Vani call the Tillas!” she ordered As she coughed
It was difficult whistling with the ash and smoke. The Trio trudged on with their best sword handicapped, as a worry of Changelings waited at the exit closest to Town. The earth between them was muddied and cinders lay on the ground like dark snow along with the otherworldly remains that flitted through the air of the first casualties of war.

They stood black terrifying Shapes with fierce blue eyes an epitome of the unknown. As the three females stared up at them, they seemed to be aroused and incensed by the murder of their brethren as Min stood with their contempt that she still drew breath.

She stood with the Queen at a provisional flagpole and told her to not move. She clung onto the beam and nodded.
The ensemble of Changelings waited for them at the entrance to the encampment, big Changelings. Ugly looking, they were, one of them was arrayed in some sort of ritual habit that signified status, although he still looked dishevelled as he leaned heavily against his staff. He must be the Warlock, she guessed, they were two to the left, and three to the right, five without the wizard.

She wondered if she might seduce them into fighting before the mage used his magic? If she could set them between her, she may be able to conceivably use them as a shield.

“Oh, really 3 against ”1,” she cited, making herself appear pitiful and ripe for predation.
The Shae were notorious for being cruel, wicked, and bad-hearted. They disliked beauty in any shape or form.
The fairest amongst them, spoke as he glanced around his brothers in arms, “not very intelligent are you there’s six of us,”
“There’s not six,” she said chuckling and rolling her eyes, “you realise the first three will jump in, but when you see what I do to the first three, the rest…. they will all bail and then that’ll leave me and the Warlock,”
“And I will put a magic arrow in your HEART,” he said in a darker Huskier voice than his peers.

She looked at Vani, gritted her teeth and said: “Defend the Queen!”

As she accepted the Magician’s challenge.

She advanced as the braver of them approached.
They looked upon her as an easy conquest, a small thing, with a beauty that they could torment and uglify and have their sport.
It was promptly put to rest as the Captain wielding her sabres, made her mark quickly and spun herself to the next mark as she lined up her next adversary in the lines of engagement.

A tall brute of a creature came next, Lunging clumsily and bringing down a lengthy cleaver that required the handling of two hands, Min folded herself Forward and swerved underneath the hulk as she uppercutted and dug her blade between his larynx and his jawbone. He choked and fell to his knees clutching her blade. he looked back and pleaded with his eyes not to relieve it but she did sharply as it bit into the digits of his fingers, he let out a blood-curdling cry.

The 3rd changeling, the one fair of face, looked into the captains gaze that was unswerving and broadcast dread “You don’t have to die,” said Min. He was clearly young and had much life ahead of him.
“What else, could I do,” he jibed with indifference.
“Save yourself…. runaway. There’s no dishonour in it!” she said as if it were that easy.

Irregardless of the advice he raised his weapon against her and was run through before his sword fell. Min felt the burden on her blade as she looked beyond him and indeed observed that the other two had vanished.

only the stubborn old mage remained.

The next sensation she felt was the weight of her dead adversary thrown against her as a bolt of energy hit them and bowled her right over. Momentarily she lay on her back on the ash-covered ground as she began to rise and shake the soot from her hair “The Heart,” she said mockingly “got to go for the heart” as she moved swiftly and closed the range before she saw him fire another magic arrow from his staff as if he were firing a rifle.

At the banner pole, Ash Vani and the Queen stood as the sovereign asked “who’s winning, Leftenant”
“hard to say, your Majesty,”

Min narrowly evaded the next bolt of plasma, it was impossible for the spectator to see if she’d avoided it at all. As she re-arose lazily and was now standing meer feet away from him.
“I won’t miss next time,” he said citing the undeniable facts. She knew even if she could strike quicker than him, her lone sabre was lying low and at her side.

A smile burst out upon her face. The old gnarly changeling had overlooked one thing. … It was terrible and black and had fierce red compound eyes.

As Ibliss, Una’s Mantilla was looming behind him like a dark demonic praying mantis as it skewered him with his claw as the blood-splattered mins face. “The Heart…!” she echoed “Dumb Hucklebuck!” she said as if cursing. “let’s get back to HQ,” she said whilst gathering her things.

Sage appeared punctually as Ash Vani and the Queen saddled up hurriedly and rode out.
____

Meanwhile in the underpass, away from the conflict in the village.

The Deep fulfilled another purpose. The Civilians sat line by line in the gloom of the underground grotto as Looty did her best to lighten their spirits. The old stalwart Handed out blankets and worked tirelessly helping and dishing out semolina stew to the hungry. Ūna and Vee watched over them as a quietness permeated and swept through the ancient grotto, enough to hear a pin drop.
They sat quietly as hopelessness sat on their right shoulder and the unknown sat to their left.

It wasn’t a hostile place, it was just, well, eerie. The people and a cache of casks of fermented milk and moon-flower, beyond that a maze of tunnels and of course the subterranean Chanel that flowed beneath the mountain, bouncing starlight in its turquoise tranquil waters.
Lifrinsvere the natives called it meaning the veins of the lonely mountain.

“Are you ready?” asked Vee nervously. His voice shattering the silence like a sharp needle pricking a balloon. Una nodded as she studied the curious box, it lay on a flat rock and she peeped inside through the narrow slats in its housing, she was mesmerised by it …. it was where Emrys infamously was locked away.
“What time is it?” asked Vee as if spooked by the lateness of the hour “what does it matter?” she answered jaggedly. Isolation sometimes had a subtle way of bringing the blood up. Making heads and judgments more irrational and further away from reason, farthest from sobriety. “If you must know it’s almost 3 am,” she said
“oh no!” he gasped as the harmony of the underground stream and the intermittent drip, drip, drip came forth from far away and met them in the foul clutches of circumstance “the hour of the spirit,” he declared solemnly.
“What!,” remarked Una as she held her face in check and gave nothing away but secretly she knew it well. “three am,” he clarified “when the body’s at low tide,”
“that’s just superstition,” said Una dismissing his opinions out of hand. “surely you can’t believe that nonsense,” he quivered as good sense would dictate that she was undeniably right, but instead he just affirmed his demons as he said “I’m sorry oon, but… I. I do,”
She looked around the grotto… There unquestionably was, an eeriness about the place as if the refugees were as chattel waiting to be culled, you could read the look upon their faces. Now it was the time that the spirit moved, nightmares loomed and teased at the strings of your soul. It spelt out hopelessness, if you were able, you’d silence those cries, you’d rise up and slaughter them without hesitation or thought. But heartache waited, playing the long game, circling vulturelike in the night, as you lay breathless beneath the ground staring into your own abyss and the moons flitted above beaming down their lunacy, the old ones called it Folie à deux …. it was a long way from sundown, and even longer to the dawn.

Then there was the box! the creature that inhabited in there Emrys. What on Mars was he? some say he’s a being of magic, some questioned if he was from this world or reality at all.

She found her eye attracted to the box in her reverie she jumped and her heart skipped a beat as she perceived the earthy tones of Tumjai call her name “Ūna!”
She turned to look at him she could scarcely believe he was here. “Jai …!” She said blinking “is that you?” As she cast her eye again at the aptly named black Executioner.
He looked worried plagued by some matter.

“Hey oon!” He said as he not uncharacteristically gave her a big hug, the red witch smelt moonflower cider on his breath “have you been?” drinking she asked with an air of disappointment in her voice. Before he could answer Vee could be heard “Jai, o’ I’m so glad you’re here!” And before he said anything else, he continued with “Y’know about three am being the hour of the spirit don’t you,” Una frowned and said “oh grow up vee,” He looked at her with those sad puppy dog eyes as he found the chink in her armour “Yeah, you’re tetchy because you’re as uncomfortable as me, admit it!” He said sharply as Tumjai looked at the two of them “stop it!” He Said, “you’re bickering about nothing.” “Anyway, it’s time,”
“Is it?” Said Una
They looked upstream to a small path that ran parallel with it and then turned off and followed its own path. “Let’s wake the sleeping giant then, “said Vee as he grabbed the box where Emrys was stored as he readied himself and proceeded with trepidation etched on his face… Jai said one more thing “if you’re going down there…. be careful,”
Vee looked at him as if he shared a secret and simply nodded.

“maybe one more drink before we go, eh?”