The Chronicles of Heaven's War: Burning Phoenix (80 page)

“You are a great Sword, one of the Three.
One day, like me you will become, with my powers and my glory...one
day. For now, you live or die by the mercy of
my
kind. We
care not for love or hate, or good or bad! Our devotion is to the
One we love and to Her success. The game she has placed on the
board and its victorious finish
we
-
my
kind - will
see to. You are but a player in the game. We are the
masters
moving you about. Just so that you should know: the Evil One did
not notice you skulking about in his world because you stink with
that same evil, which cloaks the Third Element dwelling within your
heart. Do not be fooled into thinking he could not scent you out,
should he discover the truth about you. Do be careful! His naivety
regarding you is not everlasting...”

RosMismar frowned, but the twinkle in his
eyes belied his true feelings. “Your Lowenah is quite fond of your
kind, of you. For what reason, is beyond me...” He sat down on one
of the ship’s lounge chairs, sighing. “That being the case, I guess
my kind will have to remain extra vigilant, taking care to see to
your welfare… at least until you manage to grow up and take care of
your own. Can’t leave you go about getting chopped up or captured
now, can we? Wouldn’t look good to have Lowenah’s captains made
fools of, especially by the biggest
fool
of them all...”

Leaning forward, he cautioned, “You feel a
power percolating deep within you, but its hour has not yet come to
awake. Worry not, it will. Until the Hour of the Seraph has come to
its finish and Gradian’s Clock chimes a new day, it will sleep.
When it finally does wake, you will eventually become like our
kind, knowing good and bad. Be patient, it will grow in its own way
and at its own pace. You cannot hurry it. Let your wisdom mature,
along with your glory ahead of it. For wisdom you may abound in at
any time, there being no chains upon it other than your own
foolishness.”

Yes, it had been quite a time for lessons
taught and learned. Trisha and Sarah were changed by the
experience, but still needed time to embrace the truths and
revelations RosMismar delivered. Today they would begin, having
promised the Cherub just this morning when departing Lowenah’s
trade ship in the nearby hills east of Palace City.

Trisha snuggled up in Zadar’s embrace,
openly showing her affection for him. Heaven had not played false
for her in regard this man. Zadar loved her and she loved him, and
could freely express that love without fear of ridicule or
reprisal. She looked up at him, a smile breaking across her face. A
wince instantly followed, and then a quiet groan.

Zadar reached over and tenderly touched
Trisha’s face. “You look more beautiful than ever, but it will take
some time for the nerves to completely heal. The dear fellow who
assisted in your repair chose to leave a friendly reminder for a
little while just so, you know...”

Trisha nodded in agreement. “To help teach
me a lesson not to be so full of myself, and to remember the pain
when others I order through Hell’s gate. I will take my medicine.
It has already rewarded me in many ways.” She reached over and took
Sarah’s hand.

Sarah smiled sheepishly, squeezing Trisha’s
hand. Her heart was badly damage from living so many years in
violent slavery. Rare was the companion she learned to trust or
even care for, and only a small handful of them were men. For
several years, she had wandered these worlds alone, seeking the
company of others when necessity was forced upon her. A tall woman
whose stature was equal to Euroaquilo’s she was, easy to notice in
a crowd. So to the nightly shadows and back streets she often
stayed, using her cloaking powers to remain hidden from others.

Romance? Little did Sarah care for it, the
price she paid for the cruelty heaped upon her for so many years.
She would slowly murder her opponent in the private arena, knowing
how the revelers enjoyed it, possibly buying her a night free of
groping hands. Often times she would be forced to have relations
with her male combatant in front of the gathered crowd before
fighting him to the death. Since arriving in this world, she had
rarely romanced any man, and then only for a needed dream-share or
when the heat was heavy upon her, which was very rare.

Admiral Euroaquilo and Captain Asarel were
acquaintances of Sarah, tending to clandestine activities while
keeping her presence secret. She had developed a close relationship
of sorts with each. When her animal within awoke to its sybaritic
passions, the arms of one of these two men the woman would trust
to, they knowing her need to satisfy the carnal beast while leaving
her heart unfettered of obligation.

Seeing Trisha’s reassuring glance, Sarah
relaxed a bit. No longer would she be hiding in the shadows of this
world. Very soon her name was to be broadcast across the Empire. In
just a few days, there was to be a great council and she was to be
revealed at that time. It felt good that she would not be a lone
stranger in the room - that Trisha would also be with her, giving
her support.

A shudder ran down Sarah’s back as she
recalled her previous encounter with Trisha. Just how precious a
treasure she had become over the past few days was profound. Trisha
made her feel wanted, cared for… beautiful, which the woman truly
was, but refused to see. While resting in Trisha’s arms, she could
forget all the evils of her past and become the innocent girl,
wishing only to be touched with love. Yes, she believed, Trisha was
the first and only person she ever was in love with.

Zadar called out to some acquaintances
passing nearby, introducing them to the others. While they politely
chatted, Sarah watched Zadar. She liked him very much, loved him,
too, in a way - more like a brother she never had. He was fun,
charming and very handsome, but also caring and gentle. Sarah
watched the way he treated Trisha, fawned over her, the sweet love
they made together. As much as her heart wished for a man to care
for her needs in such a way, she was not ready to accept those
advances, and Zadar understood that. Well he respected her, not
even offering a flirting glance, yet always surrendering the divan
to private shadows when she wished for his lover’s embrace.

Zadar was not left unchanged by his recent
adventures either. RosMismar spent an extraordinary amount of time
with the fellow, sharing tales of wonder and delight, explaining
the history of his kind in ways never revealed. Some of the secrets
of Lagandow and his mistress mentor, Gabrielle, were also
disclosed. RosMismar wagged a finger to emphasize what he was
telling. “You must remember these things for future days. As great
as the Lord of the Crystal Skies is, she will need you in the
coming hour. Gentle is the woman, more fragile than a flower
blossom. Badly broken she is, too. The time is soon to arrive when
you, alone, will be able to sustain her constitution until the
calling of the crow.”

Zadar was filled with so many questions.
RosMismar patiently answered all he could. The hours of waiting
while Trisha and Sarah healed were filled with the Cherub’s
often-whimsical remedies and anecdotes. The fellow was such a great
story teller, Zadar was just forced to hang on his every word. The
time was not wasted on Zadar. When finished, the man was
well-learnt in the history of Trisha, Sarah, Ishtar, and Gabrielle.
Regarding Gabrielle, RosMismar warned, “Tell no one, and do not let
the Lady know what secrets of her heart have been revealed to
you.”

Zadar promised and, with his newfound
knowledge, attempted to put it to wise use. He played in Trisha’s
dreams to arouse her senses for love while shading the aches of
past abuses. With Sarah, he covered any amorous desires he might
harbor, for Sarah was a woman beautiful in the extreme. His eyes
did not wander her comely form, nor did his words ever carry
sensual music upon them. When he held her in an embrace, it was for
her comfort of heart with no hint of passion or desire for her
body.

While they stood there talking in casual
conversation, Zadar’s and Sarah’s eyes met, Zadar feeling a flutter
in his heart. Could it be? Was he also falling in love with this
woman like he had with Trisha? For sure he did not know, but it
felt good to think it might be so. Maybe this kind of love was
catching. Was it possible a man could be this deeply in love with
more than one woman...with many women? Zadar hoped so, because it
felt so right for it to be that way.

Zadar’s acquaintances were just departed and
the trio started for the North Concourse doors when someone shouted
out to Zadar’s name. “Hey there, old fellow! Wait up!”

A tired, opened-top lorry filled with
raucous merrymakers slowly wheezed to a stop beside the curb. As
the porter hurried about getting luggage and packages from the
machine - long in need of proper repair - the crowd aboard
scrambled out through the doors and over the sides. Off they
scampered, making their way toward festivities going on within the
lower palace complex.

Searching the crowd for the person behind
the voice, Zadar spied his old friend, Crilen, as he crawled over
the side of the lorry and dropped into the street near the curb.
Extending his arms, Crilen called up to a woman struggling to do
the same. “C’mon, Chesse, you gonna take all day?”

Chesse grumbled something about her clothing
being hung up. At that moment, another person slid over the side of
the machine, catching up the woman’s feet in passing. With a cry,
Chesse slipped and fell, her blouse caught fast on a rail hook.

“
Omph!”
Chesse moaned, her body
slamming against the side of the lorry, feet dangling several
inches above the street.

Rr-rr-i-ii-pp!
She suddenly came free
of the blouse, crashing backward and down, falling into Crilen’s
arms. Zadar hurried over while Crilen checked Chesse for injuries.
Shaken a bit, Chesse looked herself over, examining a bloodied
bruise on her elbow. “Just a little scratch is all...” She offered
reassuringly, fussing over Crilen’s undue concern.

After taking a quick look for himself, Zadar
agreed that the injury was minor, but encouraged Chesse to get some
ice for possible swelling. Someone shouted down to the others,
tossing the torn blouse to a half-naked Chesse. “You look much
better without it!” the man exclaimed. “Hoped you’d stay aboard
until the spaceport. Then I could have helped you out of the rest
of those duds.”

“Next time! Next time!” Chesse grinned,
shouting up, flirtingly. Holding up the damaged garment, she sang
out a woeful ode to it...

“
A poor man’s shirt I’ll never be,

For my master hanged me from a tree.

My blow is mortal, my time has come.

I shall be cast away in the morning sun.”

She tossed the ruined blouse back into the
lorry, calling out to the man, “Take this token of my love and keep
it safe under your pillow. When you are bedding another, think of
the rapturous love you’d wished to have. It’ll make your romance a
bit sweeter, dreaming of me and what might have been.”

The man clutched the blouse, throwing kisses
while feigning love lost. He extolled his desires to share more
than dreams, expressing his wishes in waxing prose of not so subtle
terms. Chesse threw him back a kiss, promising her eternal devotion
should their paths cross again. The lorry jerked to a start, the
man grabbing hold the machine’s side rail for fear of tumbling
over. Everyone laughed, waving as the fellow continued to blow
kisses until the lorry rounded a corner and disappeared from
sight.

Trisha and Sarah arrived just after the
lorry was gone. Zadar wasted no time introducing the women to his
friends. “This is midshipman Crilen, newly appointed to the
imperial frigate, Shikkeron. We’ve been on countless adventures
together. We shared the same fire and ate from the same mess. If
you’re ever in need of a good pack mule for a long journey, ask
this fellow to accompany you. He rarely complains, doesn’t eat
much, and will work hard all day for a little ale and a horse
blanket.”

Crilen bowed politely, taking first Trisha’s
and then Sarah’s hands, giving each a kiss. “Field Marshal Trisha,
may I commend you on your brilliant and masterful successes at the
Prisoner Exchange! Such a strategy needs be written in the
Officers’ Training Manual
for all of us to study.” He then
offered his salutations to Sarah.

After the women returned their greetings,
Zadar introduced Chesse. “This is Colonel ChasileahUUnooNiemie, a
precious and treasured companion of mine.”

Embarrassed by Zadar’s comments, Chesse
quickly extended a hand. “Field Marshal Trisha, a pleasure to make
your formal acquaintance. We first met at the Spaceport Diner, if
you recall, me delivering packages. I… I work with the Postal.”

Trisha politely shook Chesse’s extended
hand. “Yes, yes I do remember you, though we were not properly
introduced then. Chess, I recall.”

Zadar broke in, his face beaming with a huge
grin as he wrapped an arm about Chesse’s shoulders. “She’s too
modest, she is. Saved my life, she did. There I lay, all torn up
and bleeding badly. The colonel here dove over me to shield me from
the crashing missiles and then began dragging me up the hill for
some three furlongs to get me out of harm’s way. All the while, she
was nursing a wound from a jillson bolt slammed through her ribs
and a broken ankle.”

“Zadar, please...” Chesse’s face clouded
with shades of disquiet.

Zadar ignored her request. “Got me into a
blasted out bombproof and tended to my needs, keeping me alive
while she slowly bled, nearly to death. The medics thought us both
dead when they found us crumpled up together the following morning.
She’s my angel, I tell you.”

Chesse lowered her head, letting go of
Trisha’s hand. Then looking up, she replied haltingly, “You know,
things done when… it wasn’t anything special.”