Bhavacakra
Eighteen
(9/15/06 0900, Guadalupe, Chihuahua, Sunshine League)
The major came to attention and saluted. “You summoned me, Coronel?”
Coronel Rodolfo Tomas Navarette Ruiz nodded and pointed at a chair. “Sit, Major Garcia.” He returned to looking disgustedly at the piece of paper in his hand.
Major Antonio Garcia sat. They’d worked together for nearly a decade and he knew immediately that something was wrong. “What is it, sir?”
“I have received orders from Mexico City to proceed with Operation Liberacion. We are to advance on the rebel capital immediately and claim all of Texas from the Indigos.” He glared at the paper. “Immediately! Ha! How long will it take to get the battalion moving?”
Garcia frowned thoughtfully. “We’re still integrating the new company we received from Juarez and I’m not sure they’re up to the standards of the others. Frankly, sir, we weren’t expecting these orders, and so we’re currently configured for remaining undiscovered, not for mobility. It’ll take time. I’d estimate at least a week, with every day less than that a gift from God.”
“Then start praying, major. I want us on the road in four days.”
“Yes sir. I’ll pass on your orders to the company commanders after the morning briefing.”
Ruiz got up and headed for the command tent, with the major trailing behind him. Inside his officers were waiting. There were no pokegirls. Sunshine League doctrine was that they were weapons and weapons had no place in the headquarters. “Good morning, gentlemen. I have good news. We have finally been released to finish the rebels, and in doing so we’re going to claim the rest of Texas as our rightful heritage.” An air of hungry excitement swept the room. “However, we must still have the usual briefing. Please begin, Captain Davidson.”
Captain Alex Davidson stood up. While a Sunny, he’d been recruited out of Las Vegas and it showed in his heavily accented Spanish. However, the man knew his job, and that’s all Ruiz really cared about. “The rebel units are continuing in their sweep to find the company that we had holding them in El Paso. As far as they are concerned, that company was all of our forces in the area and it retreated deeper into Mexico. They are not headed in our direction. In light of our new orders, I’ll have the scouts observing them recalled. If they remain on schedule, 3rd Company will rejoin us in two days.”
“What about the land just over the Rio Grande?”
“We’ve only done light scouting to the north in an attempt to avoid tipping off the rebels as to our presence. There has been no contact with anyone except some wild pokegirls that were captured and brought back for taming. The scouts indicate that the entire region is uninhabited, which is both good and bad for us. It’s good because there isn’t anyone to warn them that we’re coming and it’s bad because there’s nothing to use to feed our units on the route. We’ll be on our own except for our very slender supply lines. If the rebels get behind us, we’ll be in trouble.” He consulted his notes. “Ammunition supplies are good for one or two firefights in all companies, but the rebels don’t have any manufacturing at all and will be at a serious disadvantage in any gunfight.” He grimaced. “Unfortunately, they have an advantage in pokegirls since almost all of their fighters are tamers, but they have no large military units with which to use them effectively. We have nine hundred men and two hundred pokegirls. Wherever we chose to engage, we’ll have our foes heavily outnumbered.”
“What about our other supplies?”
“We have wagons pulled by pokegirls carrying enough supplies for a month, but as far as forage for our pokegirls, we only have enough for a week. We’ll have to scrounge more on the way.”
“What if we fed the pokegirls from our supplies?”
“Then we have supplies for a little over three weeks, sir.” He pulled a solar powered calculator from his pocket and moved to the doorway of the tent for light. “We’d have twenty five days of supplies if we let the pokegirls use up their food before we start feeding them from the soldier’s supplies.”
The coronel frowned. “That may be cutting things a little close, but there’s little we can do. Operation Liberacion is supposed to be a dash for Texas, but we all know that without mechanized transport that dash isn’t going to very fast. As you all know, before the war we were a mechanized infantry battalion, that’s no longer the case. Have the men gather everything edible in the area until we actually leave and we’ll forage as needed on the way to Austin.” The captain made a notation on his notepad. “What about the pokegirls?”
“I’d be happier if we had more flying ones, but all are relatively healthy and I’m told they’re in good spirits, sir.” The captain suppressed a grimace. It was common knowledge that he hated pokegirls for what they’d done during the Revenge war, but it didn’t keep him from doing his job. He just stayed away from them.
Ruiz nodded. “I want more flying ones too, but it takes flying pokegirls to catch flying pokegirls.” Everyone nodded at the adage. “We’ll keep scouts out in front and on the flanks as we advance, but if we need them we still have the helicopters.”
The battalion had one military and one civilian helicopter. Both had dedicated maintenance crews and ran. In addition, they’d managed to acquire enough aviation gasoline to fly both of them for a couple of days. To husband that avgas, until they were needed, they’d been put on wheeled flatbeds and would be towed by pokegirls with enhanced strength. They had one fully qualified pilot for the attack helicopter and a fast learner for the civilian job.
Coronel Ruiz clapped his hands confidently. “As I’ve told the major, I want to leave in four days, gentlemen.” His eyes chilled. “I do not want to have to explain to Mexico City about any delays. Am I clear?” Everyone nodded around him as faces grew grim. They understood that Mexico City would expect someone’s head if things didn’t go the way they wanted them to, and that it would not be the coronel’s or major’s that would be chopped off to provide one.
(9/15/06 0900, Wolf Lodge, Texas League)
Kerrik ducked as something large flew just over his head. Laughter filled the air. “Look at me!” It was Misery. The Mini-top slowed to a hover and grinned down at him. “I learned a flying spell! I’m Superbunny!” Then she raced off, heading for the closest ridge as she climbed to skim the crest.
Raven landed next to him as the rabbit pokegirl vanished from sight. “I think perhaps increasing her mobility so much was a mistake on my part.”
“You’ve made her very happy, Raven. That’s a good thing in and of itself. Besides, better mobility is always an asset. It looks like she flies fairly well. How’s she on landing?” He smiled slightly. “It’s been my experience that landing is the hardest part of flying.”
Raven’s amethyst eyes glittered with suppressed laughter. “Let’s just say that the first couple of times she came in way too fast and I got to see her do cartwheels and watch her clothing get turned into rags when she skidded. However, she’ll get better. For the record, she is never to carry you unless I say she’s improved enough to. I don’t mind pokeballing her pancaked remains for healing, but you’re a bit more problematic.”
“That’s very true. I won’t let her carry me until you clear her unless it’s an emergency.”
“Thank you.” She took off and hovered as she rotated to look at him. “I probably need to make sure she’s not painting the mountainside with her blood.”
His ears flicked. “Thanks. I suddenly have a visual of a bug smeared on a windshield. A big black bug with really long ears.”
“Me too.” The Archmage chuckled and zipped off in pursuit of her harem sister.
(9/15/06 0900, Wolf Lodge, Texas League)
Kerrik stirred and rubbed his eyes. “I don’t know why, but dreamtime gives me a screaming headache.”
I think it may have something to do with your automatic defenses trying to interfere with the link during dreamtime, when you’re the closest to asleep that you can be and still be conscious.
He blinked and suddenly looked thoughtful. “What an interesting idea.”
Misery slid to her feet and looked out the window of the dining room they’d used as a training center. “Now that’s over, I’m going to go practice flying some more.” She smiled. “I need to be as proficient as possible.
Raven shook her head. “You’ve had enough practice on my time. Right now I want you to work with Morwen. Fly during your free time.”
Raven shook her head. “You’ve had enough practice on my time. Right now I want you to work with Morwen. Fly during your free time.”
The Vampire grimaced. “What, I can’t practice alone? I’m not a kid.”
“No, you’re not,” the Archmage agreed. “However, you’re not anywhere near proficient with any attack. Right now you can levitate and you can use cocoon of darkness. You’ll practice with Misery.” Her eyes twinkled. “Honest, I’m not using it to punish either of you.”
Autumn touched Kerrik on the arm. “Could you help me with training?” In the three days since giving birth, her body had almost completely returned to what he presumed she looked like before parthenogenesis had taken place. He’d known she was an attractive woman, and it showed even more so with her shapely body. “I’m woefully out of practice and although I don’t want to fight ever again if I can avoid it, we both know it won’t last. It was a human who said ‘if you want peace, prepare for war’.”
“It was attributed to Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus, a Roman, and he said that in his De Re Militari, a treatise on war. I have a copy if you’re interested in reading it. I’ve a fairly extensive library of military science and tactics, but only a portion of it was written by humans. You’re welcome to all of it.”
Autumn’s eyes lit up. “That’s an incredible gift.”
“It is, but I freely offer it to you. What kind of training did you want to do?”
“I want to find the right kind of tree for living bows. Then I can make me one and teach the others how to do it. After that we can practice.”
“Living bow?”
She nodded. “I can call a bow, quiver and arrows from a tree. All are still alive and can only be used by the Elf who called them or anyone she allows. Some elves prefer to make spears or swords, but the principle is the same. I think arrows are more versatile and I like attacking from a distance. Traditionally, the bow is called from a tough tree that is native to the region in which the elves live.”
He gave her a curious look. “Autumn, I’m slightly confused about something. Pokegirls were essentially created by Sukebe seventeen years ago and I’ve heard mention before of traditions that pokegirls follow. Even if you were part of that first batch, just how much tradition can you have?”
The Elfqueen looked surprised. “I,” she paused and Kerrik could almost see the thoughts bouncing around in her head. “I’m not sure. It just feels like certain things make sense, and one of them is asking the local trees to contribute to making bows for the elves that will be protecting her.”
His ears flicked. “So Sukebe gave you genetic traditions. Instant culture, all you have to do is add sperm. That explains a lot.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“Not really, but hopefully it’s not so strong that it reduces your adaptability or won’t allow you to make new traditions that are uniquely yours. Elf pokegirls have enough problems with their feral state.”
“Yes, that reminds me that I wanted to talk to you about what will happen when the inevitable happens and a group of elves arrive with one or more ferals with them. They will be my subjects and I their queen, but I am loathe in asking you to return them from the Nothing. I know you don’t like us.”
Kerrik sighed. “My prejudice against elves is almost as old as I am, and nothing about it is the fault of you or anyone else on this world. It’s time I grew up and jettisoned that problem, if only with the elves of this world.” He raised a hand as she started to speak. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not interested in a relationship with any other elf pokegirl but you.”
“Good. I’m not interested in you having one with anyone but me either.”
“May I continue?” She flushed slightly and nodded. “As I was saying, however, I am willing to awaken any ferals. After that, they become your problem. Fucking a pokegirl does not mean she’s joined my harem.”
“I should certainly hope not. If so, then the corollary would also be true and Morwen would not be happy to find she’s not in the harem.” Autumn smiled. “I like her.”
“I do too.”
Autumn gave him a coy look. “We’ve noticed. She likes you a lot and we both know that you won’t have a problem getting her to your bed when the time comes. I must admit that at first I didn’t understand your rule until Whisper explained it to me, but now I’m glad you established it. It’ll help to ensure that pokekits aren’t raped because it’s ok to do so.”
His ears flicked as he nodded. “If nothing else, it’ll help establish that aware pokegirls are people and deserve as many of the same rights as possible.”
“You don’t like the word tamed?”
He shook his head. “It’s imprecise and inaccurate. A tame Dark Lady is still a stick of dynamite with a short fuse. A tame Dark Queen is still plotting to usurp the power her tamer has and control the harem for herself and that’s the not only breed that pulls that shit. Raven is no more tamed than I am and would be just as insulted at the idea as I would be if someone were stupid enough to call me tamed. I thought about using the word sane, but there are a few functional pokegirl breeds where that term may not be applicable, like the FarFuck’D. The existence of a reduced feral state makes the use of wild or feral and domesticated just as bad. In any case it’s a discussion for the philosophers. It sounds like you need a tree first.”
The Elfqueen nodded. “I do. Do you have a species in mind?”
“I think so. The mesquite tree is a survivor. It fixes nitrogen in the soil and provides seeds which are edible and tasty. It grows to forty feet and has very tough wood. New growth can have really long, sharp thorns on it.”
“I have never heard of this tree. Could I see one?”
“Come with me.” He led her outside and looked around briefly before heading for a scraggly looking bush. Dark red seed pods were festooned all over the upper branches. “This is a mesquite.”
Her eyes darkened. “Is this some kind of joke?”
“No, it’s not.” He twisted a seed pod from the plant. “Now we have to pick a place for it. Since it’s going to be your tree, do you have any ideas as to a location?”
Autumn looked from him to the seedpod and back. “You haven’t led me wrong yet. I do have a location for the tree. It may change later, and if it does, I’ll move it.” She headed for the small stand of fruit trees that she’d created earlier. She stopped in the center of the grove and made a mark in the soil with her boot. “I want the tree to go here. If it fixes nitrogen in the soil, it’ll help all the other trees.”
“You may have to move the others back a bit, but sure.” He peeled the pod and stuck one of the seeds a fingers length into the dirt. “Do your thing.”
She was giving a curious look. “You have become complacent about my abilities much more quickly than William ever did.”
“I grew up around magic and it’s been part of my life ever since. You have a wonderful power that the people where I came from would do just about anything to have.”
“What about you? What would you do to have this power?” She focused her will and the seedling poked above ground and swelled rapidly, climbing for the sky.
He grinned. “I’d sleep with you. Oh, the sacrifices I make, sleeping with a beautiful woman just so I can have fresh fruit year round.”
The tree’s growth stopped as her will fragmented when she began laughing. Autumn tried to glare and failed. “Stop distracting me. I don’t know how much time I have before the kits will need fed again.” He pressed his lips together and made a locking motion in front of them. She laughed again. “You are so childish sometimes.” He made muffled speaking noises without opening his mouth and she shook her head. “Fine, go ahead and talk.”
He made a motion like he was unlocking his lips. “Thank you. As I was saying, I do act childish sometimes, but that’s because I somehow never got around to growing up.”
“Well, please let me work.” The tree shot upwards and in seconds was forty feet tall. The base swelled outward until it was a yard in diameter. “All this came from that ugly bush? I am impressed.”
“Later I think we’ll plant and harvest mesquite for lumber. Stuff made from it has been known to last for over a century without any problems.”
Autumn looked around. “You’re right. I’ll have to move the other trees back to get out from under the mesquite’s canopy.” She pressed her hands against the trunk and closed her eyes for several seconds. “This will do nicely for living weapons. Thank you for the suggestion.”
“I’m glad to help. Can I watch you make your bow?”
“Yes, you can, as long as you understand that I’m not going to make anything. What we do is magically entreat the tree to offer part of itself to protect us both.”
“Why aren’t the rest of your elves watching this?” They’d been put in the lodge as a temporary measure, but had been instructed to proceed into Fort Davis and glean for supplies.
“I want to makes sure I remember how to do this before I teach it to them.” She grimaced. “None of them knows how to do this or has even heard of it and all of them came from Prime. I wonder if any of them know this method.”
Kerrik shrugged. “I hadn’t heard of it there, but the Elfqueens there tended to squash independent thought. Gwyneth was actually considered very liberal by the others and most of the time she is. She just backslid a bit when we moved here and I hope she’ll come around soon.”
“Is that another example of absolute power corrupts absolutely?”
He snorted. “Some people are corruptible. Power just lets them become corrupted faster. Do you have to be nude to call your bow?”
She nodded and reached for the fastenings of her dress. “I do. Why, does my being nude bother you?”
He grinned. “Quite the contrary. I enjoy it a great deal. I was just checking to see if I get to ogle you without clothes.”
A pleased look crossed her face. “Thank you. I’ll admit I’d wondered if you’d find me attractive when I was no longer pregnant or maybe because you’d been my midwife. I’m sure I didn’t present my best side during that.”
“You were a beautiful woman during your pregnancy and you’re a beautiful woman now.”
She dropped the dress on the ground and smiled at him. “Feel free to keep the flattery coming.”
“I will.”
Autumn put her hands on the tree as he openly stared at her body and closed her eyes. A moment passed and she shook her head before looking at him. “I’m not sure how you’re doing it but you’re making me horny and I can’t concentrate.”
“Oh. Sorry about that.” He leaned back against the lemon tree and relaxed. “Better?”
“Much. I’ll still want you for a quickie after I’m done. Would you mind?”
“I’d say something trite, but that would be really close to lying. Besides, the truth is that I’m honored if you want to spend time with me.” He chuckled. “And that fact that there are five women who want to be with me and there’s no fighting about it is rather special.”
Autumn smiled. “We know a good thing when it fucks us. I’m just glad you don’t share. William did. It was an easy way for him to screw other pokegirls while their tamers screwed me.” She blinked and scowled gently. “And stop distracting me.”
He tipped an imaginary hat. “Yes ma’am.”
She put her hands back on the tree, closed her eyes and began to sing in a soft voice that slowly grew in strength. Kerrik’s ears flicked as he listened. The song wasn’t in any language that he knew, but his translation spell was still operative and the song she was singing praised the tree and asked its help in protecting the tree, Autumn and the lands that both inhabited.
He came upright when he felt the pulse of agreement from the tree. Autumn’s song changed and became a spell as glowing amber lines spread from her hands to cover the entire tree in a tracery that picked out the focal points for the tree’s life energy and channeled them in new directions. He felt the changes in the tree as it sprouted a single bean pod from a low hanging branch that quickly swelled until it was over a yard long. It thickened and ripened, turning a bright red that quickly dulled as next to it a second seed pod grew and ripened.
Autumn continued singing as she moved to the first pod and gathered it into her arms. The husk peeled away at her touch to reveal a dull golden recurve bow. She slung the bow over her shoulder and took the second seedpod, which flaked away to reveal a matching quiver filled with arrows.
Kerrik found himself stepping forward as his voice joined Autumn’s. Her dark brown eyes showed no surprise as she held the bow out, holding it horizontally as if presenting it for inspection. He drove a claw tip into his thumb and spread the blood over the length of the bow. The blood sank into the wood and spread to leave burgundy traceries as the bow began to thrum with power. Wordlessly, Autumn slung the bow and presented her quiver, which he also smeared with his blood. She slung it too and then wrapped her arms around him and pulled him against her greater height. Slowly their voices died away as the song wound down and ended.
Autumn tilted his head up and kissed him gently. “What did you do?”
“Autumn, for me, sometimes magic feels right, even if I don’t understand it. This time was like that. I think it’ll make your weapons more powerful for when you need them.” His ears canted sadly. “And somehow I know that you will need them before too long.”
She nodded. “I felt it too. When that time comes, I’ll be ready.”
He shook his head. “We will be ready. You won’t ever have to face things alone, Autumn, unless you want to.”
“I know, and that means the world to me, Kerrik.” She slowly let him go and stepped away, wobbling slightly until he grabbed her. “That was incredible. I feel weaker than I did when I gave birth.”
“Both you and the mesquite contributed energy to the creation of your weapons. It’s a marvel you can still stand.”
“I think I need to rest, but I don’t think I can make it to the lodge.” She made a surprised noise when he scooped her up and cradled her against his body. “I keep forgetting how strong you are. Can you take me someplace comfortable with a lot of sunlight?”
He knelt and grabbed her dress before heading off. “I know just the place.” Once she was comfortably ensconced in a lawn chair on the balcony outside his room, he went looking for the others to see how their training was going.
Morwen and Misery were on the edge of the parking lot and as he approached, Misery’s ears flicked slightly, making the ends slap against the backs of her knees. “Kerrik’s here, so you’d better get this right.”
Morwen gave him a glance filled with panic and he wrapped his arms around her to hug her from behind. “You don’t worry about me being here, you just focus on what you should be doing.”
She relaxed into his arms. “Thanks. Misery is pushing me hard and making it hard to concentrate.”
The Mini-top shrugged. “Your enemies won’t give you any breathing space and I’m not being as forceful as my teachers were. I haven’t knocked you down once for failing.”
“They really did that?”
“Yes, Morwen, they did. Pain is an effective teacher, but I think there are better ways to teach you, little sister.”
Kerrik let Morwen go. “I’m glad to hear that.”
“I’m trying to consider this training for me.” Misery smirked at Morwen’s surprised expression. “Someday the kids I’m nursing will be from my body and I’ll have to teach them without making them afraid of me or looking like an idiot.”
Kerrik’s ears flicked. “What about our current crop of kids?”
Misery blinked. “You want me to help train them? I don’t think Autumn would like that.”
“The girls are yours just as much as they’re Autumn’s or mine. They’ll call you mother, too. It only makes sense that you’ll help by teaching them the things that Autumn doesn’t know.”
The Mini-top snorted. “And what do I know that she doesn’t?”
“Your breed has a special proficiency with sex techniques and I’ve looked at both of your deep scans. You know a lot of techniques she doesn’t.” Kerrik reached out and stroked one of her ears. Misery hummed happily at his touch. “You are part of this family and you are one of her mothers and that’s that. You feed them, you clean them and you are going to raise them with the rest of us. That goes for you two, Morwen. Nobody here is going to be an aunt or whatever with our girls.”
Misery nodded. “I needed to hear that. Thanks. Now, Morwen, show him what you can do. She’s actually managed to accidentally create an energy blade once, now we’re trying to recreate the event.”
Morwen nodded her head. “Here goes.” She clasped her hands in front of her like she was holding an imaginary sword and her brow furrowed as she focused her will. Suddenly she grunted like she’d been punched. Misery leaned over and looked before shaking her head and laughing softly. “Next time, little sister, you want the blade to go away from your body.”
Kerrik stepped around the Vampire and watched blood begin to stain the stomach of her shirt. “She needs healing.”
Morwen gasped as the pain hit and Misery shook her head again. “Yes, but I want her to use her cocoon of darkness and heal herself. Focus, little sister!” She grabbed Morwen and shook her violently as the Vampire’s eyes began to flutter shut. “THIS IS A FUCKING FLESH WOUND! COCOON OF DARKNESS, NOW!”
Morwen’s eyes shot open and darkness crept around her body. She took a deep breath as the pain eased. “I did it.” She sounded surprised.
Misery kissed her full on the lips. “Good job, little sister. You’re going to fight and you’re going to get hurt. You have to learn to reach beyond the pain and keep fighting until your foe is dead.” She glanced at Kerrik. “Or she’s in whatever state he orders you to put her in. Later we’ll work on some mental techniques to control pain, but a powerful enough mage or psychic pokegirl can sometimes strip that control away, so you have to learn to live through pain.”
Morwen lifted her shirt and looked at the red mark on her stomach before dropping it and turning to Kerrik. She gave him an innocent look. “Do I get a kiss from you, too?”
Misery started laughing again. “I’ve never seen someone so eager to be thrown to the wolves.”
Morwen turned bright red and then squared her shoulders before rounding on the Mini-top. “I’m only interested in being thrown to one wolf, sister, and you can throw me to him any time you want.” Her eyes flickered at Kerrik and she relaxed when she realized he was smiling.
“Ooh, someone is growing claws.” Misery grinned. “And it’s about time, too.”
“Misery.” Kerrik’s hand squeezed Morwen’s shoulder. “Personally I’m glad she wants to be thrown to me. Now I just have to be careful not to catch her until her birthday.” He kissed Morwen gently and pulled away as she started to lean into him. “She is right, though. You need to project the blade away from your body and you need to learn to focus through pain, fear and lust.”
“Lust?”
“A lot of pokegirls use sexual techniques in fighting. Lust dust is one of the common ones and it’s really hard to avoid when it’s deployed in a battle.”
Misery blinked. “They use orgy powder in a fight? That’s interesting.”
“Orgy powder?”
“That’s what it was used for during the war. It was used to get military units of pokegirls to tame together so they’d all be on the same taming schedule and to catch anyone sneaking away without being tamed regularly. Since you pass out if you don’t get laid, it was easy to spot anyone trying to keep to away from the fun. Some pokegirls either didn’t like the girls around them or were trying to prove how tough they were by getting as close to feral as possible without going over the line. They were total idiots, but pokegirls will use anything to gain status on each other.”
Kerrik nodded. “I heard about them competing to see how many wounded they could collect after a battle.”
The Mini-top grinned. “Did you also hear that sometimes the collecting pokegirls would injure passersby so they could up their count?”
Morwen stared. “That’s insane.” She frowned. “And I guess it makes sense. Stupid sense, but sense nonetheless.” She put her hands together again. “Ok, I’ll get it right this time.”
Misery yelped and jumped sideways. “Don’t fucking point that at me.”
The Vampire gave her an innocent look. “Oh, sorry. How could I have been so thoughtless?”
Kerrik started laughing. “That’s the kind of stunt you’d pull, Misery. I don’t know if we can survive two pokegirls with your sense of humor.”
The Mini-top blinked as Morwen successfully created a shimmering multicolored energy blade. An evil smile crept over her face. “Little sister, we’re going to have so much fun together.”
Kerrik backed away when Morwen’s grin matched Misery’s. “And on that note I’m going someplace safer than here. I wonder what Italy is like right now.”
(9/16/06 0900, El Paso, Texas League)
Raven is not happy about this.
Kerrik’s ears flicked as he shrugged. “She’s the one who insisted that only the harem would feed our daughters. If she didn’t consider the fact that it meant that most of the harem would be staying home if I have to go someplace, maybe she needs to rethink that decision.”
Whisper’s ears canted sideways. Raven is not going to be happy with you for not being more understanding.
“I understand quite well. She made a fiat pronouncement and she’s living with it. Besides, one of the Terrible Trio should be adequate protection here. It’s not like we’re not going to be staying long. I want to touch base with the volunteers fighting the Sunshine League and maybe check up on Margaret Hennessey.”
She prefers to be called Maggie.
“She hasn’t told me that and giving people nicknames is a rather personal thing to Tirsuli. It’s just not done without permission unless the people involved are rather intimate.”
Speaking of intimacy, Morwen thinks it would be a good idea to link her and Autumn into the harem with the delta bond spell until they form their own delta bonds with you. Raven thinks it would be an excellent idea, but she’s unsure what you might think about it.
“Then I guess she needs to find a way to approach me about it. Sometimes she worries too much.”
She told me to discuss it with you.
He chuckled. “Raven probably didn’t want you to admit that to me.”
I am a complete telepath. Lying is very difficult and I would never try to lie to you and I won’t hide much from you, either. Raven knows this, and still she asked me to talk to you. Her ears flicked. People are staring at me.
“I’m almost sure it’s all appreciative staring. I doubt they see many beautiful green and gold Cabbits around here. And then there’s the fact that you’re topless. Up until recently, women didn’t go around like that.”
Whisper gave him a grin. Am I beautiful?
“You’re fishing for a compliment, that’s what you are. As for the question, you are delightfully beautiful and desirable.”
She held her head up primly. You should tell me that more often. I shouldn’t have to look in your mind to see what you think of me.
He laughed and grabbed her hand. “I tell you plenty of times every day. Come on.”
Ellen Stratham lay stretched out on the faded couch with the leather and steel rod monstrosity that passed for a cast for her broken leg propped up with a pillow. “So, Ranger Wolf, what can I tell you?”
“My name is Kerrik. I’m just here so I can get a feel for Sunny activity around the area.”
He watched as a gray skinned lizardlike pokegirl as tall as Autumn came in and handed her mistress a plate of cookies. She turned to him and Whisper and spoke in a surprisingly feminine voice. “Would you like some, sir?”
Ellen chuckled. “Just give them some of mine, Carolyn. You brought me too many again. Are you trying to make me fat?”
The Dodongo flashed a smile full of teeth. “Mistress, I just want you to heal so we can go after those Sunny bastards some more.”
“I’m working on it as fast as I can.” She held out the plate. “Please take some, Kerrik.”
He helped himself to a handful. “Thanks. If you’d like, Whisper can heal your leg in a trice.”
Ellen and Carolyn’s heads whipped around with almost identical expressions of glee. “That would be wonderful,” the human said, “but how?”
“I told you that some of us have healing powers.” Carolyn’s voice was gently chiding. “I even went looking for some here in town, but I’m not sure who can do what.”
It will be faster if I remove your cast first. Whisper waited until Ellen nodded before beginning to unfasten the buckles on the cast. While I am not a healing pokegirl like some, I have some healing powers because I was usually detailed to work alone.
Carolyn cocked her head. “I remember rumors about an assassin called Whisper who hunted rogue pokegirls.”
The Cabbit glanced up. I don’t do that anymore. Her fingers flew as she removed the cast. I did what we all did during the war. I followed my orders. I know better now and I am with Kerrik, who appreciates me for who I am, not how many I can kill.
Carolyn grinned again. “I’m just glad you’re on our side.”
The cast slipped free and Ellen sighed in relief. “Oh, that feels good, even though you haven’t done anything yet.”
Whisper ran her fingers over the bare leg and Ellen’s face twisted as it tickled. You have a closed fracture of both the fibula and tibia. Without my aid or the aid of a pokegirl with healing powers, you will never walk properly again. Her fingers glowed gold. Slowly the glow spread up and down Ellen’s leg until it encompassed everything from the knee to the toes. Ellen gasped once as the leg convulsed and Whisper clamped her hands around her calf to hold it still. Then the glow faded away. You have been immobilized for a few weeks. Although you may not believe me, you will need to proceed slowly until the muscles regain their lost strength. In another week you should be almost back to your previous mobility.
Ellen sat up and rubbed her leg. “This is wonderful. I don’t suppose you’ll be opening a clinic here?”
No, we are not.
“Pity.” She sat up and put her foot carefully on the floor.
Before she could get up, Kerrik leaned forward. “Since you’re probably about to go running off to test your leg, how about you tell me about the Sunny forces now.”
She smoothed her skirt over her legs and nodded. “There’s not a whole lot to tell. The Sunshine League tends to deploy units a lot like the ones they had before the war. They deploy platoons in a combined arms concept, with pokegirls taking the place of the tanks they used to have. Treating them like armored vehicles severely limits their tactical flexibility, but it gives the men a practical concept that they can work with. They’ve had a company hanging around and avoiding a confrontation with our tamers for the last couple of months, but recently they’ve pulled back deeper into Mexico.” She reached for a cookie. “Some of us think they’re serious about leaving, but I’m not so sure. They’ve had somebody watching us ever since we, as they put it, rose up in open rebellion. Why change that now?” Her eyes met his as she nibbled. “I think they’re up to something.”
“Do you have any idea what they might be doing, or is this just a hunch?”
She shrugged. “I was a Sunny for a year and a bit, serving in the women’s auxiliaries in the military. I left when I realized that they still had the whole machismo thing going and that, as a woman, I’d be expected to pop out babies until I died instead of doing what I do best and fight.” She nodded when his ears flicked. “Yes, I’m fertile. I have a daughter who is three. Considering that what I do is kind of hazardous, she’s living with her father in Arizona. I miss her, but I’ve almost convinced him to move here.” She finished the cookie and brushed the crumbs from her fingers. “The Sunnys are still smarting over losing Texas back in 1836 and, while they’re not happy about having to split it with Indigo, they’ll take all they can get to rebuild the old empire. The fact that we’ve got a lot of already drilled oil wells is just an added incentive to crush us. Mark my words; it’ll be a cold day in hell before they give up on claiming Texas.”
Ellen was very convincing. Whisper glanced over her shoulder at him as they headed for Hennessey’s Market. She believes what she said about the Sunshine League.
“If they’re as heavily influenced by Mexico as they seem to be, she could be right. Mexico lost a rich province and a good chunk of their property during the Texas Revolution. On many worlds, they’ve never really accepted that loss and have been angry about it ever since.”
What’s it like to see so many different places? There was a definitely wistful tone to her question.
“Later, you’ll get the chance to find out. I usually stay on a world for a century or two before moving on and you and anyone still with me will be going along on the trip.”
That’ll be wonderful.
He just chuckled at the glee in that thought and pulled out his com link. “Vice, begin detailed scanning of western Texas. Focus on the region along the border with Mexico and Arizona. I want you to be looking for large numbers of human sized infrared sources, especially those headed from Mexico into Texas, but note anything a hundred miles inside Mexico as well. I’m looking for potential military units, so keep that in mind. My information is that the Sunshine League runs company sized and larger elements with pokegirls as an ad hoc combined arms force with the pokegirls providing the heavy weapons element.”
Vice’s soft soprano sounded through the unit. “Yes sir. Do you wish updates as I find things or would you prefer periodic updates?”
“Use your own discretion.”
“Yes sir. I’ll begin preliminary surveys right away.”
Hennessey’s Market was a store located on the eastern side of El Paso. It was a storefront with residential quarters above it. Margaret Hennessey was a fiftyish woman, stout without being fat and with steel gray hair that framed intense blue eyes which watched her store like a hawk.
She appeared out of the back as soon as the bell on the door rang, giving Whisper a suspicious look until she recognized Kerrik. A broad smile appeared on her face. “Mr. Wolf, it’s good to see you again.” Margaret didn’t like pokegirls and, while she would let them in her store to buy things, she preferred to deal with their tamers. She nodded at Whisper. “Ms. Whisper.”
Kerrik would have picked someone else to do business with, but Whisper had used her criteria to pick Mrs. Hennessey. She was scrupulously honest and wouldn’t mark the stuff he sold her up so high that it would give his equipment a bad name. “Good morning, Mrs. Hennessey. I was in town and thought I’d drop by to see how you were doing.”
Hennessey’s eyes lit up. “I’m glad you’re here. I’ve sold out on the pistols you sold me and I can sell more if I can get them. I put together a list of the items I need more of. Let me go get it.” She disappeared into the back and quickly returned with a sheet of paper. “Most of the items on this list are part of what you already sold me, but I also added a wish list of things people have been requesting. A lot of it is ammunition of various calibers with your armor piercing qualities.”
Kerrik looked over the list as he pulled his pokedex from his belt. Hennessey watched with undisguised jealousy as he scanned the list and hit a couple of keys. “That shouldn’t be too hard to get for you.” He dropped his pack and pulled a small printer out of it. The wireless transmitter in the pokedex quickly linked up with the printer and it printed the price sheet, which he handed to Mrs. Hennessey. “Let me know what you can afford and I’ll make arrangements for delivery. I’ve also added the price for a pokedex and printer of your own since you can’t take your eyes off of mine.”
Hennessey gave a rueful laugh. “That’s true enough.” She looked over the list and smiled. “I can afford it all. I’ll pay on delivery, as we agreed.”
“I’ll have it for you either tomorrow or the next day.” They shook on the deal and he jerked his head at Whisper. “Let’s get home. You’ve got a hungry kit that is probably ticked off that she’s missing her teat.”
I miss her at my teat, Kerrik. Once they were outside, Whisper took his hand and they vanished.
As they appeared in the parking lot, he continued the conversation as if nothing had happened. “I’m glad to hear that.”
I’m not sure you will be. I’ve sampled Autumn’s thoughts about her pregnancy and birth. I have decided that the discomfort will be worth having kits of my own.
“What about your dietary issues? I won’t be able to research a genetic modification until I get my powers back in twenty years.”
I am not Raven and my children will be able to survive quite well on a raw protein diet. I see no reason to wait the twenty years before my first pregnancy.
His ears flicked. “I think you’re right. Our daughters will be fine.” He reached out and took her hand. “Now you just have to convince Autumn to accept the Earth Mother T2 and get you pregnant.”
She is a reasonable woman. I am sure that we can reach an accommodation that is not only satisfactory to each of us, but also beneficial. After all, she is the most junior member of the harem.
“No threats.”
Now you would take tools out of my hands? I thought you wanted kits from each of us. According to your data on Hunter fertility rates, in every case except perhaps Morwen’s, it will require her agreement and participation for us to have children in any reasonable time frame. However, if it makes you happier to know this, I do not expect that I will have to resort to anything as crude as threats. Instead I will offer a limited use of my ability to read minds so that she can vet new arrivals as to their sincerity in their desire to live under her unusual rules as well as their potential loyalty to her queendom and us.
(9/16/06 1430, Wolf Lodge, Texas League)
Kerrik was looking at a holographic display of his office and planning out the installation of the new computer systems when a flashing red wolf’s head appeared in the corner of the display. He reached into the hologram and touched it. It expanded to open a window that held a message from Virtue. He scanned it quickly. “Save my work, clear screen and accept the call.”
The display changed to show a man staring out at him. He had a slightly frustrated look overlaid with heavy weariness. Kerrik examined him closely as he gave the traditional half bow that had evolved as the greeting between people communicating over long distances. “Caradoc, I greet you.”
Caradoc Bishop bowed back. “Kerrik, I greet you. I apologize for disturbing you in this way, but I need advice and I trust yours.” He stopped speaking, waiting for Kerrik to allow him to continue or to turn away the request.
Kerrik’s ears flicked. “I will try to bring wisdom to your request.” He smiled slightly. “Now that formalities are done, what’s the problem?”
Bishop relaxed slightly. “I’ve left the Tropic League. Unfortunately, the circumstances were a bit unpleasant, so when I arrived here in Haven, there is some concern that it will hurt the developing relations between Haven and Tropic. However, the real problem is that although I have been told I may settle here, there are some conditions to the offer that I find unacceptable.”
Kerrik shook his head. “This is about Naomi, isn’t it? Gwyneth wants you to get rid of Naomi and then you’ll be free to stay, right?”
“You appear to understand the situation between Naomi and Gwyneth perfectly, but there’s also the fact that I’d have to swear allegiance to the rulers here. I need someplace else to go and I was hoping you could point me in a direction. I don’t know much about this world yet or I wouldn’t be bothering you about it.”
“You don’t have much time, do you?”
Caradoc shook his head. “We arrived yesterday, so two of the three days are gone. I can stay longer if I need to, but I’ll have to pay my way at that point.”
“What are you looking for?”
Bishop clasped his hands in front of him. “We want to have someplace to call home that I don’t have to worry about losing in a few months or years. I’m tired of moving. We all are. I’d really like someplace like Tirsul, but I’m not sure a place like that exists around here, so I’ll take what I can get.”
Kerrik looked thoughtful. “I just purchased over two thousand square miles of land here in Texas. What if I brought you to my home and let you see if you’d like to purchase a square mile or two from me? I like it here and I’m not going anywhere for at least a couple of centuries.”
Caradoc blinked in surprise. “That’s a very gracious offer and I wish I was in a position to refuse it. However, I’m not and I accept gratefully.”
“Don’t worry, Caradoc, I assure you this is not charity. You’ll pay and you’ll pay well if you find something you like. I should warn you that you may also be walking into a shooting war between Texas, the Sunshine League and the Indigo League.”
“I won’t be fighting my erstwhile allies, right?”
“Nope. The Texans are pretty good people.”
“Then I accept your offer.” He grimaced. “Unfortunately, I do not know where you live.”
“I’ll come get you. Send me your location on Haven and I should be there in less than two hours.”
“Thank you, Kerrik. We’ll be waiting for you. I bid you farewell.”
“I bid you farewell, Caradoc.” The screen blanked. Kerrik stared through the display at the cliff edge where he was sitting before shutting the pokedex down. “Virtue, contact Raven and Autumn and ask them to meet me here. If it’s going to be a while just let me know.”
“Raven says she’s on her way and she’ll pick up Autumn en route. I estimate their arrival in approximately three hundred seconds.”
He was watching a hawk float by on a thermal when Raven flew up the cliff face and dropped Autumn off beside him before landing on his other side. Autumn unslung her bow and laid it down next to her. “You called us?”
“How are you doing?”
The Elfqueen smiled slightly. “Ever since my twee woke up this morning, I’ve been a bit distracted. It’s very interesting and useful too. Will my elves be able to have them?”
“I don’t see why not.”
Raven poked him gently. “You didn’t call us up here to disturb your scheduled privacy for a chat. What is it?”
“I received a call from Caradoc Bishop. You’ve met him, but Autumn hasn’t. He is looking to move somewhere else and I’ve suggested that I let him buy some land from me and settle here. He’s a good man, but there are some things about his harem that we needed to discuss before he arrives.”
Raven blinked. “Oh, I hadn’t considered that.”
Autumn took his hand. “I suspect this is about me.”
“It is. You’ve accepted elves into your queendom, but Caradoc has an Elfqueen named Naomi who is his alpha. I want you to think about that and decide if you can accept her presence.”
Autumn smiled. “I’ve already considered it since hopefully it would only be a matter of time before the first Elfqueen arrives. She’s welcome here just as long as she’s willing to follow the same rules everyone else does. If she challenges me, I’ll crush her. If she has a court of her own, they get to leave her if they wish to. This is my queendom and she will be a subordinate queen with her own court if she wishes. However, if I request her help and Naomi does not have a good reason to refuse me, when I get the chance we will have a reckoning. However, I will not ask for her help unless the situation is dire indeed since under your philosophy it would obligate me to her. Finally, you are mine and I do not share.” She stretched slowly. “Are you going to go and get them or are they coming here on their own?”
“I’m going to get them, why?”
“Then I’d like to meet Naomi on neutral ground so she and I can discuss my rules.”
“That sounds like an excellent idea. Raven, do you have any problems with them coming here?”
“They can’t have our mountain. Other than that, I’d prefer not to have to look at them every day, but maybe I’ll change my mind after I meet them again.”
Kerrik chuckled. “Personally, I hope that he likes someplace on the other side of our property. I suspect he’ll feel the same way about the situation.”
“When do we go to get them?” Autumn ran her fingers over her bow.
Kerrik stood. “We leave as soon as we get Whisper.”
(9/16/06 1540, Kingdom of Haven)
Kerrik watched as Whisper set her construct down into a hover a foot off the ground. Caradoc and Naomi were waiting expectantly. He hopped down and headed for them just as Naomi’s face fell when she saw an Elfqueen behind him. Then it went carefully blank. Kerrik stopped in front of her. “Greetings, Naomi. Before you say or do anything, I want you to know that my Elfqueen is not like Gwyneth. She wants to talk to you before we leave, so you understand just how different she is.”
Naomi’s eyes were filled with disbelief, but she remained silent as Autumn joined them. Kerrik smiled. “Naomi, this is Autumn Wolf. Autumn, this is Naomi, alpha of Caradoc Bishop.”
Autumn gave him a pleased look. “You give me your name. That is another wonderful gift you offer that I’ll gleefully accept.” She held out her hand to the other Elfqueen. “I’m afraid I have never heard of you, but then there were a lot of Elf types running around during the war.”
Naomi blinked and slowly took the offered handshake. “Are you the Autumn?”
Autumn smiled. “Which Autumn is the Autumn?”
Naomi smiled back at the teasing tone. “Are you General Autumn?”
Her smile vanished. “I was. I’m not anymore. Now I’m just Autumn.”
Kerrik’s ears flicked. “I don’t think you’re just anything. You’re my Autumn and the mother of our daughters.”
“Couldn’t that be part of being just Autumn?”
“I suppose so.”
“Thank you. Now please let Naomi and I get to know each other.”
Kerrik regarded her for several seconds during which she met his gaze levelly. Finally he turned away. “Caradoc, why don’t you tell me what’s been going on since we last saw each other.”
Whisper and Autumn exchanged a look. Apparently he does not like getting orders from you.
Raven shook her head as she watched Kerrik and Caradoc talking quietly. “He doesn’t take orders well from anyone. I’d suggest you not do that again.”
Autumn nodded. “I’ll remember that. At least he didn’t dress me down in front of Naomi.” She turned to the surprised looking Elfqueen. “What? If you’re going to be living nearby, you’ll see us being ourselves. We might as well start now.”
“I, I guess so.” Naomi sighed. “So what restrictions will you have for me?”
Autumn nodded at the sudden change of topic. “First, you need to understand that Raven is my maharani. I’m not in charge of anything except my queendom, which extends over all of his lands. Do you have a court?”
Naomi nodded. “I think so. I don’t call it that, but I’ve got some Eves, some Avariel and some Milktits and a Minotaura. We’ve also got some Milktit kits. I’m the alpha and the queen, and Caradoc’s harem includes Shima, a Nightmare and Veronica, who is a Valkyrie. Shima has a daughter named Winona. You should also know that I intend to get pregnant as soon as we get settled.”
Autumn frowned. “How do you plan something like that?”
“I have learned the Earth Mother technique. It lets me make women fertile and pokegirls undergo parthenogenesis. It came from Haven.”
Raven shook her head. “It came from Kerrik and I want Autumn to learn it so we can have kids later.”
Autumn smiled broadly. “I would be happy to help you get pregnant, Raven. I will also use it on my Elves.” She looked at Naomi. “The reason I wanted to know about your court is because my rules are that pokegirls are free to leave if they choose to and you will have to follow that rule with your court.”
Naomi shrugged. “I don’t see where that’s a problem.”
“I have put forth my Call and if Elves wander through, you are not to snatch them up until I determine if they want to join my court. If they do not, then you may see if they wish to join yours.”
“That sounds reasonable enough. What else?”
“I am Kerrik’s Elfqueen. No other Elf will join his harem.”
“I feel the same way about Caradoc.”
“Good. If you know who I am, you may have an idea of what I am capable of. If you ever challenge me, I will rise to it and I do not intend to ever lose. I do not want to fight ever again, but if I am challenged, I will respond with the full fury of my rage and with everything in my arsenal.”
Naomi nodded slowly. “I was but a lowly Elf during the war, but even then I had heard of Autumn. I will not challenge you, for you have nothing that I want.”
Autumn regarded her for a few seconds. “The rules under which I and Kerrik live state that if I ever request your aid, I will be indebted to you. For that reason, I will not make that request unless the situation is so extreme that I have no other choice. In that case, if you refuse to aid me without a satisfactory reason, I will kill you. In return, if you call upon my aid I will respond promptly unless I too am beset and have nothing to spare.”
Naomi nodded slowly. “I accept those terms. Unless it would directly endanger my family, I will come with such help as I can muster and we will discuss any debts afterward the situation is stable, not before or during.”
Autumn grinned. “Then, Queen Naomi, you and yours are welcome within my lands and the lands of my family.”
Naomi went to one knee. “I am Naomi, and I am your subordinate queen with my own court. I accept you as my liege with the stipulations that we have agreed upon.”
Autumn pulled her to her feet. “I have learned from Kerrik that one’s word is either good or it isn’t, Naomi, and because of that I require no binding oath from you.” She looked at Raven. “Have I stepped on your authority in any way in this?”
Raven flashed fangs in a grin. “Several times, but nothing that I can’t forgive. After all, you have just given us more forces with which to safeguard our home. As Kerrik’s maharani, I welcome you, Naomi.” She nodded to Whisper. “This is Whisper, whom some have heard of. She is ours too, as is the infamous Misery.”
Naomi paled. “The reputation of your harem proceeds you, Raven, and if you are the maharani, you must be exceptional yourself.”
“I was called Death once, before Kerrik ensnared my body and my heart.”
“I have suddenly acquired rather powerful allies.” She looked in the direction of her tamer speculatively. “I’ll have to find a way to express my gratitude to Caradoc for contacting Kerrik.”
“Be careful your gift isn’t as bountiful as mine,” Autumn said with a rueful smile. At Naomi’s inquiring look the smile grew. “I gave him quintuplets.”
“Oh. I’ll be happy with a single daughter for him.” Her mouth snapped shut as Caradoc and Kerrik headed there way.
Kerrik looked the group over. “Anything we need to know about, ladies?”
Raven shook her head. “No.”
He smiled gratefully. “That’s excellent. Whisper, how about we take them home now?”
Kerrik Wolf
Harem
Raven: Archmage
Whisper: Cabbit
Misery: Mini-top
Morwen: Vampire pokekit
Autumn: Elfqueen