Neko-laus 2 : Toy Tiger

Tiger, Tiger – Burn Bright

This was my element. I sounded loud and uncoordinated like a wounded animal crashing through the brush but that was to my own ears. As it was I was able to circle around behind the squad to begin my attack unannounced. I crouched low to the ground as I came up behind the last trailing soldier. The grey of their uniform made it easier for them to blend in with the surroundings, more so than my solid black, and if they had only adapted to their surroundings they might have gotten closer to Mags and Wendy and the rest of the Wild boys but they walked as if they were on a flat city street. I burst up out of the underbrush as he solider passed by. I slashed the back of his knees as I twisted my upper torso swinging the second blade up to his throat. The solider dropped heavily to the path minus his head. I was gone on to the next target before the blood spray started.

Soldiers five and four were close enough together, less than a pace apart to make the next attack pure speed. I wouldn’t have dared tried this under my own strength. The sheer power coursing through me right now was Mags and there was nothing else to be said other than it was fucking amazing. This was his personal power. This was made him a King Tiger. From what I could tell this sharing of his with me cost him nothing. He expected this intensity of energy from his Latents so it was only natural to draw what he was used to. No wonder those poor bastards before me died.

Soldier five was taller but the length of my blade made up for any height differences. My blades were always razor sharp. Sometimes all you got was one chance and if you missed it you were the one staring sightless up at the blue sky. My blade sliced half way through his neck as I raced passed him. He made a gurgle that turned my next target back towards me. I had to change my angle of attack on the fly. I twisted my wrist slightly so I skewered him through the Adam’s apple and silently prayed that my blade cut through the spinal cord cleanly without getting embedded in bone. Slamming into the body I drove it off the path then rode it to the ground before pulling my blade free.

Three down. Three to go.

I was about to start forward when my tattoo pulsed once with a searing heat. Instinctively my hand slammed up against my chest pressing hard against the lingering sensation. What did that mean? Were my Tigers in danger? Was Mags at his limit at sharing his energy and this was a warning? Gritting my teeth I forced myself to stop waffling. If they were in danger they were still Mages and surprisingly I trusted Wendy to keep my man safe. If Mags was running out of juice...I better get my ass moving. Quickly I wiped my blades on the grey of the uniform at my feet then moved out in a crouch after soldier number three.

The game trail swung close to the forest and paralleled for a bit then moved back into the high grassy clearing again. I took an arc that ran straight into the woods and I moved as quickly as I could without tripping over exposed roots or stepping on downed tree limbs. Glancing over I could see Soldier three parallel with me. I moved quickly ahead to see the progress of one and two. Never pass up an opportunity. They had stopped and were talking while pulling out cigarettes and a lighter.

“...I never thought that fucking wild cat would have made it this far. There is no way he could have done it with out help.”

Soldier two pulled out a tracker and stared down at the small screen as he puffed on his cigarette. “You’ve only read Neko’s file, you’ve never seen him in action.”

“He’s just a Latent.”
“He’s more than a Latent. He’s a cult of personality. The medics are in absolute terror of him. The Brass are salivating over the thought of getting their hands on him now that it’s been confirmed that King Tiger Magnus and King Wendell have perished in the crash. That little Neko ran one of the biggest gangs on this planet.”

“Backwoods is backwoods.”

“Why the hell would a backwoods thug have a security file then? Tell me that. Neko didn’t take anyone’s help. He’s out here and he’s injured based on the intermittent readings his chip is giving off. It must hurt like hell to have that amount of damage. It might even be leaking into his cortex...wait a minute. The signal is clearing. He’s not that far away.”

I started my run by the time soldier one brought the tracker around to face me. I chopped his hand off as he raised it. It was a flash of whiteness that staggered me slightly as I remembered the pain those MI white coats gave me by activating the citizen chip with something like that tracker. He screamed sending birds flapping hard to the skies. I regained my equilibrium in time to thrust my other blade up under the chest protector burying the point deep into his heart. I heard a loud snap behind me and I whirled leaving my blade stuck in soldier two.

My knees were knocked out from under me as two darts hit me in the chest and electricity wrested control away from me. I landed hard on my knee caps then fell backwards twisting my legs under me. The pain of my twisted ankle came back to me full force and began throbbing in sheer agony. I was hit with another wave. My fingers twitched and my last blade fell from my grasp. I lay on my back staring up at the blue sky. I could still feel Mags connection but those two darts had restrained me.

Soldier three walked up and filled my field of vision as he stood above me. He was a mountain of a man. I knew those shoulders. I’d been draped over them enough times. “Elway.”

The big man stepped on my chest pressing down with enough force to indicate that he was more than a little pissed. His eyes flicked forward and saw one man down and the other rolling on the ground holding his bleeding arm. “I always knew you were a dangerous little fucker. The soldiers behind me, they dead too?”

When I didn’t respond Elway leaned forward and tried to grind my rib cage into my lungs and through my back spine. My reply was a strangled oxygen lacking moan.

“Moda!” Elway yelled at the wounded man.

I had enough survival instinct to try and push his foot off me. I got electrocuted again for my effort. This time I lost consciousness for a few moments. I woke up hanging in the air from the end of his ham hock of a fist. His face was clouded with anger. He shook me and it felt like every joint in my body ground against each other. “I wasn’t even assigned to this detail. Mackie came crying to me almost in hysterics when the scans came back that you were still alive. They had to sedate him. If he came down here, you would have killed him too, wouldn’t you. These soldiers were your comrades. It’s your job to protect them. The Mages and the Latents go in first to secure the area and then we come in. You slaughtered your brothers.”

Each statement was accented with a bone jarring rattle. “...Elway?”
“Neko-laus.” His voice was hard but hesitant.

“My head hurts...can’t find...can’t find my Toy Tiger.” I might be drawing him in with the poor lost kitten routine but when he dropped me back to my feet I wasn’t faking in when I crumpled. My thinking was razor clear but my body was all tingles and weakness from the darts and the lingering charge. “...can’t find...tiger...”

Elway actually made the ground shake as he dropped to one knee in front of me. His massive hand closed around my shoulder to hold me still as he pulled the darts out of my chest. “Neko, your Tiger, Arthur Magnus died in that crash. So did Grant Wendell. Your citizen chip is damaged and you need to see the medics to get it fixed.”

“White coats?”

“Something happened to your chip. It only sends out signals once in a while but they think it might be leaking. That’s why they sent us down here to find you before that chip does something to your head. You are our priority.”

“He fucking killed Hendricks!” The man without the hand was still bleeding all over himself. His face was ashen as he clenched his arm to his stomach.

Elway looked up. “Not mission priority.” The big man could move faster than someone his size should. He pulled his side arm and fired a single shot at the wounded man. A new hole drilled it’s way into the man’s skull.

I guess I rated pretty high for mission priority. Elway retracted the stun gun that had dropped me then returned his sidearm back to its holster. He reached down and picked me up a little more carefully than before with an arm across my back and the other under my knees. “...my Tiger...”

“Don’t worry Neko. Mackie’s waiting for you and I think they are going to give you a new Tiger to play with. The rumor is there is going to be an all out battle for King Tiger Rank One. You’re the prize that goes with the Rank.”

“White coats will fix my head?”

“Medics are on standby.”

I reached out towards Elway’s chest. My hand actually shook with the effort. Mags connection was still strong but the lingering affects of the stun was hard to shake off. “They can keep standing by.”

Energy. Everybody’s got it. I yanked Elway’s out of his heart then slammed it back in again intermixing some of the power Mags was sending. Elway’s face screwed up in agony as a strangled gasp broke from his throat. I yanked it out of his chest again and this time he dropped to his knees. I scrambled out of his grasp then rolled as his huge body hit the ground. He was dead before he dropped. I sat there for a few breaths. So I was a mission priority and all the King Tigers, all four of them, were coming from across the Empire to scavenge what was let of the last King Tiger’s domain, including his little wild Neko-laus. Medics are on standby my ass.

I gathered my blades then made sure that the last two soldiers were dead then started back towards the clearing. I pulsed Mags’s on the tattoos to tell him that I was fine. I don’t know what Ryder was doing bringing these kids with him. I could pinpoint every single of them as I walked up to Wendy. I patted his shoulder. “They’re dead.”

Mags ducked his head as I lifted my blades and slide them back into their scabbards. When he straightened he caught me up in his arms and tried to hug the air out of my lungs. “You’re all bloody.”

“You should see the other guys. My chip is still working. That’s what they were tracking. Wendy’s going to have to short it out.”

“We got it.”

“What do you mean...” I went into spasm as I felt Wendy press fingers up hard against the underside of my skull and he did something. I felt my face bounce off of Mags’s shoulder and then there was nothing. At this moment, I liked nothing very much.


Consciousness faded in and out. Snapshot one – arms draped over shoulders, my face buried in waves of gold. I opened my eye and saw Mags walking beside me. Beside me? Who the hell was I...on...

Snapshot two – the night was surrounding us. The air was a little cool but I was warm...too warm. I was wrapped in warm arms with my face curled onto a wide chest with my forehead pressed up against warm skin. Gold hair tickled my nose. I knew this scent in my nostrils. There was even a hand splayed across my ass. A semi woody was pressed up against the crack of my ass...wait...wait. Mags was pressed into my hip. Glancing over my shoulder more golden hair was spread over my back and Wendy’s hand was on my stomach as he did his impression of a Mage inspired blanket. He was snoring into my shoulder blades. My eyes drifted closed. He carried me all day; he could warm me up all night. I had Mags under me as a pillow.

Snapshot three – the Fade was back and my head hurt worse than a hangover from substandard beer. Mags was talking and I could feel the vibrations through his chest right into my skull. It was vibrating my brain. My arm was slow to move but I got it working and slapped my hand over his lips to shut him up. I felt fingers stroke through my hair then a hand cupped the back of my head urging me backwards. I opened my eyes and saw the blue of his orbs looking down at me. They looked sad and he still had a black eye. I loved my hand over to his eye. My fingertips traced his golden eyebrow. I winced as his fingers brushed the base of my neck. “Sorry, it still hurts, doesn’t it.” I frowned as I saw his eyes begin to glisten with tears. Mags held me tight and tucked my cheek against his chest. “Nicky...I got you. I’ll look out for you. Just sleep. I got you.”

I woke up alone in a strange room. The roof was wooden timbers and the walls were painted red. I was on a wide bed cradled in softness with a narrow neck roll behind my head. The weight of a down stuffed blanket kept my body warm. My naked body warm. Where the hell was I? Why...why wasn’t I still Faded? I sat up and felt a flat green disk slip down from my throat to settle on my breastbone. Picking it up, I noticed it was wrapped in silver that was carved to resemble bark from a tree. This looked familiar but I couldn’t place it. It was warm to the touch. I let it slip back down the chain and it hit my body almost dead center of the cat and crown tattoo. Where was Mags?

Every joint in my body ached but it didn’t stop me from pulling the heavy blanket back so I could sit up. My head still ached but nothing like before. My stomach gave a loud growl. As if on cue a wooden door opened and a cadre of Wild men and women came in. A large round wooden barrel was rolled in behind them then set almost dead center of the room. It was only then that someone noticed that I was awake and staring at them.

“Prince Nicholas, I am glad to see you awake.” I stared over at a brown haired man who had silver shot through his hair. He bowed his head to me then I noticed everyone one else was bowing lower from the waist.

I frowned. That Kellen kid called me that out there in the woods. “You’re mistaken. I’m no prince.”

“Lady Witch has confirmed that you are her son. We are glad that you have finally returned to your home, Prince Nicholas. Food and drink will be brought to you immediately. Once you have had a proper bath, Lady Witch wishes to speak to you.”

“Where’s my Tigers?”

“Tigers, my Prince?”

“The Mages...er, the two witches that brought me here.”

The man glanced warily over to the others and they suddenly began to work quickly on preparing the wooden bath tub for use. I jerked the rest of the cover off me and swung my legs over the side. I felt weak but nothing remotely comparable to the weakness of the Fade. I stood up lost my balance then hit the bed and ended up sprawled on the cool stone floor.

“MY PRINCE!” The brown haired man came rushing towards me his hands out to pick me up. The look on my face or the glare in my eyes forced him to a stop.

“Where are my Tigers?”

“Lady Witch has your companions as her...” He swallowed hard, “special guests.”

Special guests? Special guests. Anyone and everyone who was a part of the Court of that bastard I killed knew that special guest was a term for a prisoner with some redeeming status. A prisoner in the Wild is different than a prisoner of the Empire. I was locked in a cage and tucked out of the way. Here, a prisoner would be subdued and on display to show the might of the tribe. I climbed back to my feet and waited for a moment to make sure I wasn’t crashing again.

I called on the tattoo to assure Mags, and indirectly Wendy that I was all right. Nothing happened. I glanced down at my chest, the tattoo was still there. I splayed my hand over it and encountered the stone necklace. Why wasn’t this working? Was he dead? Did the Wild hunters kill them?

“Prince...your Highness, please....” Each step towards the door got steadier and quicker. “Prince Nicholas, don’t shame your mother any more than you have already done.”

Everyone stilled and their collective breath was held. “I can only think of one instance when I may have embarrassed my mother. Why don’t you enlightenment me on all my transgressions?”

“Your Highness, I only meant to point out that the Lady Witch as commanded us to make you presentable as befitting your station. All the Heads of Clans have come to the Commons to witness the return of the lost Prince.”

“Where are my Tigers?”

“They are special guests of the Lady Witch. They sit at her feet and await your arrival as we all do.”

Damn it. I ran my hand through my hair and found out just how greasy it was. “Just get me a basin, I’ll wash up in that.”

“Water has been warmed and is on its way, your Highness.”

“Don’t...don’t call me that.”

“Prince Nicholas.”

“Don’t call me that either.”

The door opened and a brigade of men carrying steaming buckets of hot water came in. The brown haired man opened his arms wide as he approached me hiding my nakedness from the new entries. Soon the sound of pouring water into the tub covered our conversation. “Your...tigers, as you call them, are well taken care of. Lady Witch has postponed all judgement over them until you are well enough to come to court.”

“What do you mean judgement? Mags and Wendy came here with me, because of me.”

“Raids from the skies and attacks by the Black Shirts have been increasing over the past few months. Lady Witch has been called on to bring down the black birds but none of the men inside have survived to question.”

“Has Mags been questioned?” I knew what questioned meant. It was torture at the basic level. There was no bright clean sterile room attended by white coats involved in this. It was blood and fire and missing limbs. Dead was a reward. I felt myself blanch and sway. The man caught my shoulder but once I had my legs steadily under me again he pulled his hand back as if he had been burnt.

“As I have said, My...Highness...” The man stumbled over his words.

“Nicky. My name is Nicky.”

“I cannot call you by such a familiar name, Prince Nicky.”
I knew when to fight my battles and this one was a lost cause. Prince Nicky didn’t grate as much as Nicholas did.

“What’s your name?”

“I’m just a lowly servant.”

“You want to be known as ‘hey you?’”

“I am called Baret. I have been asked to serve you.”

I slapped a hand to my forehead. This was the Wild version of a Groom. What the hell? I thought I was a dangerous sort of individual but lately it seems every time I turn around someone is stepping up to try and take care of me. Now Mags I extended the invitation to but enough was enough.

“Your bath is ready, Prince...Nicky.” Two men were beside the tub. One got on the floor on his hands and knees to act as the first step up to the tub. The second one leaned over and braced his hands against his knees to make the second step. What the hell was this?

“My Prince?” Baret questioned me when I came to a stop before the tub. They fully expected me to use them as a set stairs to get into a bath tub.

“Get everyone the hell out of here.”

“They are here to attend to your needs, Prince...”

“I need privacy.” Nobody moved.

I felt more like my old self if a little weak but this was nothing compared to the way I felt while trapped in the Fade. I stepped around the human staircase, set my hands against the chest high tub and pulled myself up and over. I made a hell of a splash as I landed less than a little gracefully in the warm water but I was in. Bottles were unstopped and held near my face. These people were bound and determined to make me less shame worthy before the Court. The first two stank like something wicked. The next one was something I could live with so they poured the fragrance into the warm water. I killed the idea of a girl climbing into the tub via the human stairs by taking the sponge from her. It was larger than my hand, almost two hands in size. We, my mother and I, were not poor as I grew up; but politically dangerous to be around. Sponges came from the ocean far to the east of the forest and their possession was a status symbol. Mom had one but it was only about the size of my palm.

When I killed the man who killed my father Mom had partially moved to the Commons the palace of the King while I stayed in our modest home out the outskirts of the town. Things for the house were solid and sturdy but nothing elaborate. We didn’t have a tub to bathe in just a shower out the back with water warmed by the sun. I had questions but I didn’t want any answers from Baret. The faster I got clean the faster I would be getting those answers and I quicker would be getting closer to Mags.

When I deemed myself clean enough I climbed out of the tub into warmed drying cloths. Women again were stroking my body, my arms and back down my spine to my...okay, enough of that. I snapped a towel away from the woman who was taking liberties with my taut ass and wrapped the towel around my waist. They had already seen me naked but there was no need to throw fuel on the fire. The man who killed my father was King. Technically my father would have been a prince but that didn’t mean I was. Once again my cynicism was kicking in hard and fast. I don’t even know how long I’ve been here and I’d already become a prize to snag. To bad I was already all snagged up over a golden haired mage.

Fighting for my black clothes would have proven to be nothing but a waste of time and breath so when green leather pants with soft tan boots appeared I wriggled into them. Baret didn’t give me a shirt it was an open leather vest that exposed my tattoo and the heavy necklace that was still around my neck.

“Where’s my blades?”

“Prince Nicky, edged weapons are forbidden within the Golden Hall. They will be returned to you after your audience.”

I fingered the stone then turned towards the door again. Enough time was wasted.

“Prince Nicky you need to eat.”

“Enough of this. I want to see Mags.”

“Then please put this on.”

A young boy stepped up to Baret and lifted up a wooden case. He turned and lifted the lid. I watched his back flex as he reached into the box to pull something out. He twisted back towards me his hands holding something precious and frightening. It was a golden representation of twist of vines, interwoven with each strand representing how all the clans were connected and together they were stronger and more of a force. It was a symbol of power that every child born in the Wild knew of. This golden circle was the symbol of the next king.

I backed away from him. There was no fucking way that I was going to be King. This was ridiculous. How could anyone even consider me as a prince much less a king? I was the bastard child of the King’s brother and Witch. I killed the king after he raped me, his own nephew. I was guilty of regicide so there was no way that I could even be a well thought-out candidate.

I headed out of the room to the cries of “Wait, Prince Nicky.”

I’d waited enough. I’d caved to his demand because of the guilt I still felt because I had to kill the man who killed my father and I left Mom to deal with the fallout. I couldn’t hide behind the fact that I was young when this happened. These were my actions. I’d been told to never be alone with the man who killed my father. It was my fault. The man who killed my father had never hid his absolute disgust for me. Even at sixteen, I wore my father’s face. I represented everything he hated. I knew, not suspected, I knew that he would have killed me long ago if he could. He didn’t because he needed my Mother to keep his rule over the rest of the clans.

My feet travelled paths I barely remembered but I quickly ended up where everyone wanted me to be. The large wooden doors to the Golden Hall were open and the long rectangular room was filled with clan representatives with their entourage of guards. I never noticed before but the Golden Hall was built directly over an energy line. The axis ran north to south. Allowing my mind’s eye to trace the invisible line brought my attention right to the carved ornate stone throne of the King. The throne was empty but a wooden chair set on the dais below it and off to the right.

A woman sat there leaning over to talk to someone in a guard’s uniform. My throat constricted as my lungs forgot how to breathe. I never thought I’d see her again. Standing there in the cold rain still in pain from that assault she pressed a pack of food, a medical kit and blades stolen from the armoury into my possession. “I should have killed him long ago...you wouldn’t have had to suffer. Run, Nicholas. Run as far away from this place as you can. I might have failed you as a mother but I will see you’re protected as a prince.”

Hmmm, my memories were coming back sharper now.

“Announcing Prince Nicholas Ojislayer!” All heads turned towards me.

My eyes greedily drank in my Mother’s face as she rose to her feet. The years have been kind to her. She didn’t look much older than the last time I saw her. Then I saw it. Whatever mixed emotion welling inside me ceased and froze as I stared at the places of honor reserved for the ‘special guests’. Mags was on his knees. His hands were behind his back but because he was a Mage another strap was pinning his arms tight to his sides to prevent him from ‘powering’ up with magical gestures. A wide leather blindfold hampered his vision. Everyone knew that if a witch couldn’t see, they couldn’t cast. As if the indignity wasn’t enough a black gag sealed his mouth from speaking spells. Mags blond head lifted up and instinctively he turned his face towards me.

Ice cold anger settled in my core. I had to force myself to tear my eyes from Mags and search for Wendy. He looked like hell. His face was gray with pain. Broken arm or not, he was restrained in the same way. These were Mages of the highest caliber. Mags only got us here to my homeworld because he believed it when I said that there were witches out here that could help them, that could teach them. Instead they were treated like common enemies.

“Prince Nicholas, welcome home.” Mom lifted her hand towards me.

What would I have done if we had met in private? Probably what I wanted to do right now. I wanted nothing more than to gather her up in my arms and hold her tight. Just the memory of her strength and compassion for others got me through tough times while I wandered towards the lights of the far distant city. It was her steadfast resolve to see things to the end even if it meant screaming and dismemberment of the enemy that gave me the core to be the leader of my Shambles gang the Skullz and to be the Lieutenant the right hand man to the Grim Reaper of the RIPpers. My mother had given me the building blocks to stand here before her but it was that blond headed ass that was bound and gagged and forced to bow on his knees that honed me. I was a blade. He was my sheath. My heart skipped a beat. He was my home.

I walked toward making sure that I stood in the golden flow of the energy line. About halfway to the dais I stopped. I never tried to split my catch before but if I thought about it, this behaved like water. A stream can be diverted into a different direction. I looked my Mother in the eye and saw the puzzlement there when I came to a stop. That was the thing, it wasn’t my Mom standing there on the dais – it was the Lady Witch of the Wild. The chair she was sitting in was reserved for a Regent when the ruler was absent. This was not a family reunion. This was power feeling out power. So be it.

I drew from the line beneath my feet letting it pool within me, gently raising it within me more because I had just come out of a Fade and I wasn’t too sure at how well I could channel the energy. It felt stable within me. There was unease in the atmosphere and they were right to react to it. Those with the witch spark in them could feel the draw. If they were like Mags and Wendy they couldn’t see the energy but they could definitely feel it.

“King Tiger, Tiger Mage get up. You’re not here to cower at anyone’s feet.” I called the energy into my arms dividing it into two streams then I sent the power out. “Catch.”

I could feel my Mother’s eyes on me. They were not maternal as she assessed what I was doing. She had said that she had drawn from Father. She would know the feeling if not the mechanics.

The reaction in Mags was like flipping a switch. The energy stream entered him and all the power glyphs around his body began to glow. A King Tiger didn’t need his arms to cast spells. A King Tiger didn’t need his mouth to spout incantation. In this instance, Mags didn’t even need his eyes to find me. I felt a pull on his stream as if he were reeling in the power. He had enough energy to climb to his feet and walk towards me. I only had eyes from him as he walked without hesitation to stop right before me. Reaching up I pulled the gag out of his mouth then pushed the blindfold up off his forehead. His eyes blinked at the sudden change in light intensity. His lips were dry and slightly cracked. He hadn’t been given water to drink. I worked my hands into his hair untying the knot on the gag while allowing my fingers to sweep the skin of his neck searching for...ah. I pulled the slim blade free of the sheath and hid it in the dark cloth that had gagged him. Sleeves would have been nice right about now.

“You’re back from the Fade.” Mags bent over and rested his head against mine for a moment more to give me more time to hide the blade than he needed to lean on me. “You smell fruity.”

I strangled a laugh in my throat. Mags was fine if he was up to making inappropriate comments at less than idea times. “You’re okay?”

“Grant needs help.” Shit, Wendy. His complexion was ashen but he had got to his feet but even from this point I could tell that he wasn’t going to make over here.

“Keep your cool. Don’t kill us all.” I whispered back to Mags as I started forward to get Wendy off of display. Leaving Mags with his hands tied and that strap around his upper arms was more of a calming gesture even if it was a false one. The only reason Mags was trussed up was because he allowed the guards to do it. If Mags wanted to unleash magical chaos he could do it blind folded and hanging upside down. Wendy on the other hand...he wasn’t doing so well.

“Stop right there. These are prisoners meant to stand trial.” A brawny man with the look of someone who knew how to use the spear he was holding stepped forward but he placed himself between the Lady Witch and Wendy.

“I understood that Magnus and Wendell were held here as ‘special guests’ until I was well enough to stand with them.” I kept my anger out of my voice. Give nothing away about my intentions. It was rather disturbing how quickly the law of the Wild was coming back to me. Everyone here in this Golden Hall were seasoned warriors and hunters with blades about 50 times the size of mine.

“There is no need for you to stand with these black shirts, your Highness.” Wendy’s head turned in my direction but he really was at the end of his stamina. If I pulled the energy back from him he was going to crash to the ground.

“This man is injured. I know that I have never been officially acknowledged in this hall but I thought that medical attention was needed it was offered even to special guests...or does that only extend to those born in the Wild?”

I grabbed Wendy’s good arm and pulled him closer to me. He was cold and his shirt was clammy. I pulled the gag down and saw how tight his skin was around his mouth. “Don’t fall over on me, I’ll never get you up again.” I shoved his blindfold taking his eye patch with it.

“...Neko...”

“Come on, we got to get back to Mags.” I pulled at the buckled strap around his upper arms and then barely caught him as his legs dropped out from under him. The strain of the position of the strap had supported his arm a bit and my sudden releasing of it was a little too much for my pampered wounded Tiger Mage. I didn’t bother hiding the small blade as I cut his hands free. His arms were numb because he allowed me to pull his arm around him so he could cradle it against his stomach. Mags moved forward so all three of us were together, a sad attempt at a defensive stand. I could tell from the body language around us, we did not intimidate anyone.

“The hospitality of the Commons is known throughout the land and is expected. Yes, I should have allowed Healers to see to his injuries no matter how concerned I was for another injured man.” Mom pointedly looked at me with her pale green eyes evenly matching mine. “I see my treatment was successful.”

“Then I thank you for your assistance.”

“Yet you stand with the Black Shirts.”

“My clothes were gone when I woke up otherwise you would have seen that I’m a black shirt too.” I turned and unbuckled Mags upper arms then sidled around him to cut his wrists free. “That is my Mother up there.”

“Charming woman.” His tone was dry.

“If it turns out bad can you knock out the back wall without killing her? We’ll have to make a run for it.” Mags hands dropped and he pulled them to his front and tried to rub some feeling into his wrists.

“What about Grant?”

“Don’t you worry about me.” Grant climbed to his feet and stood on unsteady legs like a new born fawn.

“Prince Nicholas, you will answer the Lady Witch.”

I stepped back ground my Tigers taking up point. “That is another thing, since when have I been a Prince? I was an unwanted complication around the Commons when I was growing up. I was never acknowledged and my name was forbidden.”

Baret’s voice sounded off to my right but I never took my eyes off my Mother. She held the power in this place and she was the power. If she decided to pass judgement on us, Mags would counter and there would not nothing left of this place but rubble and dead bodies. This was worse than juggling a live grenade after you pulled the pin. “You have always been a prince, Nicholas. Your father Nikola was a Prince though he chose to live outside of the Commons. We are glad to have you back among your people.”

I almost let a cynical laugh loose. I took one step backwards and opened my arms wide. “Allow me to introduce my people. King Tiger Battle Mage, Arthur Magnus, retired. Tiger Battle Mage Grant Wendell, retired.” I splayed my hand over my chest, “Panzer Mage, Neko Magnus, retired.”

There was a loud murmur at my announcement but it was Baret’s voice that cut through the hub bub. “But a witch cannot sit on the throne!”

He distracted me. Mom cast fast and efficiently sending out an attack on us. Mags kicked into high gear certain glyphs glowing above the collar of his shirt. He raised one hand and easily deflected the attack high across the width of the Hall. The wooden shudders exploded and blew out wooden shrapnel into the courtyard. Grant slammed a shield down around him and me as Mags deflected another attack.

What the hell?

Mags was drawing easily from the energy. I shifted my weight and Wendy caught my arm. “Don’t break his concentration.”

I followed the energy up to Mom but she was radiating a bluish aura and it was pale in intensity. It wasn’t a full out attack, it was a test. She was poking the wounded tiger who see how it would react. Mags was powering up to a full out fry everyone in sight attack. This is what he was trained to do. Nothing was done with half measures with the Empire. It was all or nothing. Damn. I’ve never done this before then again...this was an all or nothing moment. Mom was standing in the energy line but she wasn’t drawing from it. I laid my palm flat on the floor and flowed toward her. I could feel her energy, it was softer and warm. I shook off the feeling of comfort that triggered within me.

“Shit...” Grant’s curse forced me back to the here and now.

I simulatiously stripped energy from both of them. Mags crumpled like a house of cards landing hard enough on his ass that I winced from the sound it made. Mom staggered backwards and slammed into the wooden throne sitting down heavily as her legs gave out. The thing was that I had dropped the power line as soon as I yanked it away from both of them. I could only watch with mounting horror as Mom’s blue energy streaked towards me. Desperately I wrenched up a shield of yellow energy that the blue slammed into me hard sending me skittering across the stone floor until I hit the legs of bystanders who toppled on me. I took a knee to the forehead and someone landed hard on my shoulder.

A wave of warm air enveloped me and suddenly limbs were slipping off me as I was lifted off the cold stone floor. Mags was still flat on his back but he had has hands stretched out pulling me towards him. This was good because there was no way in hell I was going to be getting up from that toss across the room. My vision was wonky. My hearing wasn’t that great either. Mags sat up when I was almost to him and then wrapped me in his arms. The warmth vanished. “Nicky...” I winched as Mags fingers brushed my hair out my eyes.

“You are no Mage, Nicholas!” Mom stood up and swayed. The man with spear grabbed her to steady her but she slapped his hands away. “Nikola could do that but not to that extent. You are a Latent, just like your father.”

Wendy wrapped a shield around all three of us. I felt like I just survived a ship wreck. A soft tingle on my chest actually made me grimace in a smile. Mags fired me up. His hand came down and pressed against my tattoo. “Lady Witch, we ask for asylum. All three of us are fugitives from what you call the Black Shirts. They want us dead but they want Neko back because he is a Latent.”

“Drop your shield.”

Wendy glanced over at Mags who must have nodded because Wendy quit drawing on the energy line and dropped it back to the stream.

“You are Black Shirts.”

Mags just stroked my hair as he looked down at me. Wendy paused then continued on with the negotiations. “Yes, we were but we have never come to this world before.”

“How do we know that he’s telling the truth?” This question was shouted from outside my line of vision.

“Because if I was deployed, there would be nothing left here.” Mags voice was loud and just a statement. There was no bravado or boasting. Just a simple statement of fact. “The Empire could care less about Grant and me, but they do want Nicky and they are coming here because they think your forests are just teeming with Latents.”

“What is my son to you, King Tiger Battle Mage?” Mom crossed her arms under her breasts and waited for her answer.

“Everything. If he wants someone dead, I’ll kill him. If he wants something safe, I’ll protect it. If he needs my last breath to continue to exist, I will give it to him. That is everything.”

Oh my god. Oh my fucking god. I started sniffling and tears began to sting my eyes. I had a concussion but I don’t think that this was part of it. “Really?”

“Nicky, if you have to question me, I’m not doing it right.”

“You going to kill us, Mom?” I tried to blink her into focus.

There was a big dramatic pause then she dropped her arms. Her own eyes were a little moist as she stared down at me. “You are grounded, Nicholas. You two, you are restricted from using magic until witch’s council convenes and looks at your case. All of you are under house arrest. You go no where without an armed escort. A Healer will be sent to your chambers.”
“No matter how much I want to act like a mother right now, I am still Regent Lady Witch. Go with your escorts for now.” Mom stepped back as large burly and healthy men moved forward to get this poor pile of Black Shirt mages off the floor. “Nicholas.”

I slowly turned my head back to her. “When you walked into the Hall with that purposeful stride I thought I was looking at Nikola again. He was the brother to the King and he was a legitimate Prince even though he wanted nothing of this place. As his son his rank is now yours, Prince Nicholas. We’ll talk about the coronation later.”

“Okay, yah...”

I waved her off as one of the large men reached down and pulled me to my feet. Damn, I really felt worked over. Mags was holding his back as he shuffled ahead of me. Wendy was being half dragged and walked behind me. We made a gruesome parade. Baret was shifting around us in his glory to have three wards to look after. I ended up back in the same red room that I woke up in. There was a curfluffal at the chamber door then Mags walked in. I was already nuzzled all snug under my blanket but I reached over and tried to flip a side down but my coordination was off. Mags didn’t even bother to try to get under the covers he just dropped on the bed then rolled towards me, one arm over my chest and his blonde head pressed against my arm, using it like a pillow. He was snoring before Baret had a chance to say boo.

I got him here. The Empire thought he was dead. They thought I was dead or I just hoped they did. Elway said that I had been transmitting and even if they signal was gone, they would want to know why it was gone. They’d want a body to drag back and probably dissect. We’d deal with it when we had to. No worries about it until then. It felt good to really feel Mags beside me. I crooked my elbow and cupped the back of his head. I want him to grow it long. I think he’s look damn fine with long hair. Hell, I’d been willing to sit there with a brush everyday and play with those strands of gold.

I laid back on the pillow and a flash of gold caught my eye. That damned golden vine circlet was sitting on the bedside table.

Ah, wait. Did Mom say coronation?


______________________________________

End of Act Two - December 29, 2010 – I did it in one year!

Here is a teaser book cover snippet. One of these days, I’ll get around to writing Act 3 then edit the whole thing. I commissioned artwork from RomanticFae who also did the cover art for my book “The Black Tower” As I said, this is just a little crop of the full thing. One day...one day...

http://kiix.deviantart.com/#/d35qm47