Striker (24 page)

If he met those responsible, he swore he would kill them with his bare hands and eat their livers.

Warm, calloused hands stroked his face, but the tender touch merely hurt him more. The sound of the kits mewling again made him realize he had to pull himself together. He could not change what would come; his lovers were warriors. He could only conduct himself in a manner befitting the two most important males in his life. They did not need him to come undone and then send them off to battle conflicted. They all had roles to play. His responsibility lay with the safety of the kits. If Zeus and Alpha failed, he would be the last line of defense.

"I'm sorry, Dargon, so sorry." The litany caught his attention and he grasped the hand that lovingly stroked his cheek.

He opened his eyes, ashamed he was responsible for Zeus’s expression of anguish. Careful to only move his arm, he cupped Zeus’s face with his palm.

"Sorry. I had a moment of weakness and I panicked." Dargon did not know what to say to give Zeus back the confidence he would need to go into battle.

"Loving us, worrying about us, is not a weakness," Zeus replied, kissing Dargon's palm.

"If I go with him, my presence and expertise will increase his chances of coming back,"
Alpha whispered.

Dargon swallowed thickly. "Of course."

Zeus leaned forward, pressing his lips to Dargon's and he immediately opened his mouth, encouraging Zeus to take the kiss deeper. He did not want the soft brush of lips to end. He wanted to give Zeus a reminder of why he had to return. When Zeus left the cabin, Dargon wanted Zeus’s lips to be numb. When he faced the enemy, Dargon wanted the lingering sensation to be a flag, a badge, a promise of what waited for him.

Dargon felt Alpha leave his skin and yet he did not let up on the onslaught of Zeus’s mouth. He devoured. He conquered. He made love to Zeus with his lips, teeth, and tongue. Dargon swallowed Zeus’s whimpers and soft moans, drank them down like nectar.

When Zeus finally pulled away, they were both breathing hard. Zeus’s silvery eyes were swallowed by dark pupils; his lips swollen and glistening with their combined saliva.

Dargon gave Zeus what he hoped was a genuine smile. "When you return, we must have make-up sex. I have never experienced such a phenomenon, but everyone assures me it is wonderful."

Zeus barked out a loud laugh. "Do we now?"

He noticed Alpha completely covered Zeus’s throat from the base of Zeus’s ears,along the bottom of Zeus’s jawline, and down the column of Zeus’s neck to disappear beneath the collar of the uniform.

"Make sure Mayra gives Alpha the last shot. It contains nutrients and vitamins he will need."

Dargon's fingertips brushed Zeus’s faltering grin. "I am sorry, it is time to go."

Dargon slid his hand down to Alpha, so that he touched them both at the same time. "I love the two of you."

After a firm caress, he gently pushed Zeus’s chest; he could not put any real power into the shove without moving his body. Zeus backed up without jostling him, his gaze never leaving Dargon's face.

"Oh, and another thing," Dargon pasted on a flirty grin he did not feel, putting as much heat into his gaze as he could. "When this is all over, you are not leaving my side for any reason. I do not care if I have to climb the mountain to retrieve the twin's birth beds with you when we get back to Atlainticia. Decades. Count them. It will be decades before I will let you out of my sight."

Humor lurked behind Zeus’s returned smile and Dargon breathed a sigh of relief.

"You will climb a mountain, huh? It sounds like a love song to me."

This time Dargon was able to give him a genuine smile. "Oh, now you want to be serenaded. We Dar Massagas are excellent singers."

Zeus snorted then he followed it up with a strangled imitation of a cat's yowl. Dargon was strangely turned on, either by the off key screeching or Zeus’s laughter. At the present he did not care which.

At the door Zeus sobered. His gaze intensified. "I love you, Dargon. I promise we will come back to you, even if I have to kill every V'Saar myself."

Before he could reply, Zeus hit the switch and was out the door, leaving him alone in the cabin for the moment, at least.

Zeus promised. Zeus did not make vows he could not keep because his word, when he gave it, had meaning, weight. Dargon began to pray to all the gods he knew of, but especially to Zeus’s Poseidon.

Zeus paused outside the cabin amongst the gathered Monticore and Hadon. Alpha sent him soothing waves of calm reassurance. Walking out of the room had been the hardest thing he had ever done. Every instinct in him demanded he stay.

"You have done all you can to ensure they are protected while you are gone
." Zeus nodded, acknowledging Alpha's words as he glanced around at the warriors before him.

How long had it been since the Mar'Sani had gone to war? When was the last time a Mar'Sani royal left his family in the care of his most trusted guardsmen? Atlainticians were a contradiction. A warrior race that lived in and valued peace. They had their military, but like Valespia, their primary goal was to protect the skies above the planet. They lived in a coalition of planets, but those planets did not comprise the whole of the universe. There were other lone galaxies and smaller coalitions who occasionally threatened border planets such as Atlainticia, requiring them to have a strong spaceborne military force. But it had been generations since someone of his station had led a contingent of warriors against an enemy on the ground.

Now, not only was Zeus leading men into battle, but his father, his meme, and brothers were all embroiled in separate skirmishes. This was unprecedented. If they all failed, House Vondorian would fall. The newly born young behind the door were the only future of the royal house and had to be protected at all costs.

Meeting the gaze of each male that Sohm'lan had selected to guard Dargon and his young, he recognized most of them. He had seen them at Azaes's side many times in the past.

"Thank you." Zeus’s knew his voice was low and rough. "I am honored to be able to leave my family in your care."

The Monticore saluted as a group. "We will not fail."

He cleared his throat and nodded his acceptance, only then noticing Hadon stood with Mayra and Amlyn.

Mayra indicated Alpha where he snuggled Zeus’s neck. "I grabbed supplies from the infirmary. If he is going with you, I need to give him his post-birth booster."

He obediently squatted down and held still as Mayra administered the injection. Alpha quietly grumbled he would be fine without the need for a needle. Knowing all too soon there would be no room for such levity, Zeus grinned fondly and held on to the moment.

With Hadon staying to guard Dargon and the kits, Mayra and Amlyn's assistance would not necessarily be needed. Zeus wanted as many of Dargon's crew members who were not being utilized to be transported to Haven. Too many stayed as his behest as it was. "The shuttle should be back soon—"

Amlyn interrupted before Zeus could say more. "We stay, Prince Zeus." Her unrelenting, russet gaze told him without words the matter would not be up for debate.

"Madux, Axis, and Abechan are preparing one of the empty bays for triage," Mayra said, putting the empty needle in a cylinder case and snapping the lid closed.

Before Zeus could climb to his feet, Mayra leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, then slipped around him to enter the cabin.

Amlyn approached with an eyebrow raised, as if to say he would wait a century if he expected her to kiss him as well. Instead, she elbowed his shoulder as he rose to his feet. Taking a couple of steps through the door, she swung her arms and sprang easily back up to the mezzanine walkway dissecting the upper half of Dargon's room.

Hadon was dressed in body armor that looked as if it came from the Ursid brothers, their family sigil embroidered on the upper sleeve of the jacket. The impressive amount of weaponry he carried clinked when he stopped next to Zeus and gave him a wry grin, clasped Zeus’s forearm, and then stepped into the cabin. The sold metal rods securing the captain's quarters could be heard as they engaged and slid into place. The access panel went from green to black, notifying Zeus that Hadon had already dismantled the mechanism.  Dargon and the kits were as safe as he could make them.

Zeus acknowledged the salutes as he made his feet move down the corridor to the lift. His chest ached with every step, even knowing there was no other way. Having promised Dargon they would return, he meant to keep his vow even if he had to crawl back.

The trip from the captain's cabin to the external ramp of the open bay was a blur. Looking down at his small army of just over three hundred and fifty stirred something primal within him. His vision blurred, then sharpened. Painted faces turned towards him, and the murmuring fell into a hush as they moved into place and formed ranks. A sea of polished scaled faces marked for war stared back at him, unflinching and proud.

Warlord Sohm'lan took his place at Zeus’s right shoulder. The Ursid brothers stood off to the side next to two massive battle mechs. Carrying more mass than a shuttle and taller than four males combined, the massive torso of the two-legged machines supported various artillery from plasma cannons to laser guided rockets. Four extendable arms sported enough weaponry to hold off a small army.

Zeus widened his stance and clasped his hands behind his back. The sky appeared clear, the wind carried a clean salty scent, and his men waited for him to lead them in the fiery chant of war. After his entrance to the academy was blocked, he had never once thought he would be in such a position. In all fairness, Warlord Sohm'lan should have been the one to lead, but yet again, Sohm'lan stepped behind Zeus, handing the responsibility over to him.

He lifted his head, breaking the silence with words he had memorized when he turned ten summers old.

"Mar'Sani! With our every step, we cause the earth to tremble.

A warning to our enemy that we are not easy prey!"

The Monticore's hands slapped against their sword hilts and stomped their right feet in accord. The continuous sound made Zeus think of rolling thunder. In unison, they responded.

"My life is mine to give!

I will not be defeated!

I will not be easy prey!"

Tall, fluffy rain clouds began to gather, obscuring the horizon, matching the rolling tension trapped in Zeus’s chest. He projected his voice, loud and clear.

"We are born of a distinguished people.

We swim in the Waters of Poseidon."

The Monticore responded.

"God of the Water, bless our younglings.

May we be worthy of your rewards."

The wind whipped up, pulling the scent of the sea into their midst. Before Zeus could continue, the Monticore started again, Warlord Sohm'lan repeating with them so that Zeus heard every shouted word of the antiphon.

"We walk abreast as we are lead into battle by the Invisible

By the overlooked,

By the son who hides in plain sight.

We are led by the Striker!

His sting is deadly.

When the enemy finally sees him,

They overlook him,

Only to die by the hand of the Lord of Thunder."

The sound of the Monticore stomping was accompanied by true thunder: the rainclouds built swiftly, darkening the once clear skies with their bulky mass.

Alpha made a proud noise of approval. Humbled by the honor the males had given him, Zeus’s eyes stung. Rarely did soldiers add to a responsive chant. In all of their history, only a few additions—less than the number of fingers on his hand—were recorded.

He straightened, blinking the grit from his eyes and continued.

"We are the seed sown in the past.

We are the unbroken link never to be lost.

We are of an honorable race!

Beware of us our enemy!"

The Monticore responded.

"Today we will make the earth tremble.

Our enemy will hear us and know despair.

They will flinch at the sight of us and know fear."

The wind lashed at them, but instead of drowning out their voices, they were amplified as Zeus and the Monticore chanted together.

"We are going to eat you,

Our mouths water for the taste of your flesh,

With your last breath

I will inhale your soul as I claim your life!"

The slapping of scabbards and the stomping of feet suddenly stopped; the wind died down and true thunder rolled once again while lightning crackled above them in the dark rolling clouds.

As one, they threw their heads back and released a long hissing roar. The utter quiet when they finished lent an eeriness to the moment, broken only when the males closest to the sea began to whisper and gesture.

Zeus filled with hope and expectation, turned toward the water. "Thank the Gods," he whispered as he moved swiftly down the ramp toward the sea. He had not dared to believe when he sent the call. Maybe, just maybe, all would not be lost this day.

Canry waded slowly out of the water, clad in an odd blue-green armor comprised of what appeared to be shells. The yellow and green scaled stripes of Canry's skin blended well with the armor. He gave Zeus a sharp-toothed grin and planted the butt of the three-pronged trident in the sand next to his booted feet.

Zeus held out his hand and Canry clasped his palm, pulling Zeus into a warm and surprisingly dry embrace.

"I was unsure if you would come," he confessed.

Canry pushed him back, grasping his shoulders and pinning him with an amused green gaze. "I told you I would. I would have been here sooner, but moving an army through the Waters took longer than I anticipated."

Zeus followed Canry's glance. Barely hidden by the swells of the waves were hundreds of people, the crowns of their heads and eyes the only features Zeus could make out.

"Why do they not come out?" he asked.

"We are being watched from the tree line and do not wish to reveal ourselves yet. My people cannot completely leave the sea, but they will still be able to help."