[LNH/LNH2/Acra] Vel #5

[cabbagewielder at yahoo.com]

I hear the burning of bone and flesh, though I am nowhere present.  I
see the flesh being torn from Haz's body.   I smell the blood as it
rains down upon the ground.   I feel the touch of sand and blood on the
bare feet of half a dozen Dorfan warriors.   I emit one gut wrenching
sound.   A laughter that would echo through the ages to come and change
them.  Not very much mind you...but just enough that a world would live
again.  Or rather, would never have died.

With a slow controlled breath, I return to my cave.  I douse the fire
with my hand.   The last of the burned up C'rn leaves crumble in my
fingers.   They are quickly grabbed by the wind.    In ancient times,
or rather the present, the C'rn leaves were smoked by the Dorfan
elite caste.  It was said to give one psychic abilities to view battles
that were yet to happen or wars all the way on the other side of the
world.   At first, I didn't believe it.   Having just initiated the
ritual practice, I'm certain it works.

"I thank Moakonzi for letting me see the universe through his
eyes," I say.

That's when a six foot tall dorfan woman blocks the door to my cave.
She looked like she is in her late twenties.  Her body is nicely
curved and not muscular for a Dorf.   She is dressed in large body
armor.   She was aiming a Dorfan Bastard  sword at me.

"I am X'zchi of the Order of Golyez," she says.  "You killed
my husband.  Savior or not, prepare to die."
"Your husband?" I say.
"Shaman Haz," she says.

I know the Order of Golyez.  My mother was once a member.  They are an
elite group of warriors.  They resemble the ancient Norse Valkyries.

"Intriguing," I say.  "but I say let's make this really
interesting.  I wish to invoke the P'ron hascor."
"The Wedding battle? You can't be serious," she says.
"I'm always serious," I nod.

Vel #5
Schroedinger's Planet Part Two
Was, Is, Will Be
By Jesse N. Willey

The battle is invigorating.   She charges with her sword.  I dodge out
of the way and she bangs into the cave.  I grab a large rock and throw
it at her.  She quickly turns and hits the rock like a baseball.  It
hurtles back toward me and I simply duck.  We pound on each other with
our fists.

"Give up, Dishonorable blasphemer.  What I do, I do for the honor of
my clan," she says.
"What I do, I do for the honor of all the Dorfan empire," I say.
"I will have no more of your lies," she says.

I see my barrel of C'rn leaves.  I reach down and grab for them.
She kicks me in the jaw.  The lid flies off and the barrel goes flying
into the fire.   At first it is a struggle to breath.  I see her eyes
go completely white and now my mind isn't far behind.

"What is this?" she says.
"I don't know.  Everyone's vision is different," I say.
"Tell me what you see?"

=========================================================

Kaalix wished his father were here.  He'd know how to deal with
dozens of renegade Dorfan shock troops.   At least he thought they were
renegades.  They seemed to be shooting at the embassy guards though it
was possible that there was a coup on the homeworld that he wasn't
aware of.   It wasn't until he saw them using disintegrator rifles
that he knew they weren't imperial troops.  No true Dorf used weapons
that despicable.

There he was with no weapons to speak of and out numbered fifteen to
one.  There could be no better battle for a dorf than an honorable
death.  Carrying nothing more than the knife he had on his belt he went
charging forward.

"GRRRRRAAAAAAAAAHHHHA!" he screamed.

Blasts of super hot plasma flew past him.   It was only a matter of
time before one of them hit.   He stabbed one of the troops with his
knife.   To his shock, electricity blast out along with a rainfall of
blood.   These shock troops were cyborgs.  Such enhancements were
dishonorable.

"You can not destroy me.  I am Dorf!" the trooper shouted.
"What the frig?" Kaalix shouted.


=========================================================

Her teeth are about to sink into my neck as I grab the latch on her
armor.  I can't tell if she wants to hurt me, or something else.  I
can see nothing but anticipation in her eye.  Her smile betrays neither
lust of blood or of body.   Perhaps she is still lost in her vision.  I
can't take that chance.  I pry off the armor and kick her in the
stomach.

"I... see my son... A son I don't have.  His name is Kaalix.  He
is aquitting himself well in battle.  He is out numbered but his foe is
dishonorable," she says.
"So, Kaalix will have been your son.  Mine as well.   I guess we
know the outcome of this battle," I say.
"Not yet, scum," she says.

Smoke begins to get to me.  I feel hazy and I blink.


=========================================================

I awake in a desert.  It is scorching hot.  I am not me.  I am Zara...
my original mate from a time in my past, which others consider the
future.   Despite my fully Dorfan body, She was nearly dehydrated.
She approached a large dune.   She made one small misstep.  The dune
collapsed.   She hit the bottom of a large pit.   Giant sand crabs
charged her.  It is fortunate for her.  It means there is water nearby.
In her dazed state, she inevitably tried to defend herself.  There was
nothing she could do.   The crabs used their strength and snap off her
left foot.   The quick snap cauterized the wound.  She felt practically
nothing.  Then a small door opened behind her.  Little arms came out
and grabbed her and pulled her through the door.  Her destiny led her
to safety.  Until she turned around.   Then she discovered that the
'friendly hands' were not from an ally.  They were a sanitation
robot picking up garbage from the sight.  The robot activated its
blaster and prepared to fire.

"Halt!" a voice shouted.

The robot did as it was told.

"Who the...?" Zara will say.

A man stepped out of the shadows.  He was a tall older looking Dorf.
The symbol of the imperial house was draped across his sash.  Zara
stared into his teal grey eyes.   Almost immediately the teenage dorf
wanted him.

"My name is Taup," the man said. "I am.."
"The chief intelligence advisor to the Emperor," she will say.
"What are you doing here?"
"I could tell you, but then I would have to kill you," he will
say.  "And where is the fun in that?"
"You expect me to have fun?" she says.
"I expect us to have lots of fun.   Until I get bored with you and
tell you what we're doing here," he said.

=========================================================

The smoke clears and I come to.   I was definitely back in my cold
damp cave.   I smile.

"T-that was odd," I say.
"What was?" my blushing bride says.
"My vision... it seemed almost tangential to my life," I say.

She looked at me in the dim afterglow of the night.

"Haz used to say that Moakonzi works in mysterious ways," she
says.
"Now is not the time to compare me to the ex," I say.

She turns her head and stares at me.

"What were those horrid creatures with wires for muscles and
electricity for blood?" she asks.
"Things I have only read about in the Forbidden Tomes," I say.
"You've read the Forbidden Tomes?"
"I'm the friggin savior.  How am I supposed to learn about what
I'm supposed to save you from if I don't read the friggin Forbidden
Tomes," I say.
"Well, what are they?"
"Something akin to another race that lived on Dorfia in the vaguely
historic era.  Some say they were dorfs who sought to use prosthetics
as treatments for injuries only they got greedy and actually enhanced
themselves.  When they beat their opponents, they would force these
enhancements on others.    All that is known for certain is that the
regular Dorfs fought them off," I say.
"Then what happened?" she says.
"No one knows.  I've heard that that they were either assimilated
into, or evolved into the Cascaders," Vel said.  "But that's just
a rumor."

She remained silent and I went back to sleep.


=========================================================

I awake in the past... or future.  I am Zara again.   My torn off foot
is now shiny and metal.  I feel the wires where someone has removed my
eye.   Taup is standing before me.   He drunk a glass of champagne and
smiled.

"So, Zara, are you ready to remake a world?" Taup said.
"It's not like I have much choice, you dishonorable son of a
bitch," she said.
"Come now, we get to kill your former betrothed... twice," he
said.
"I don't hate him," she struggled.  "He's a honorable
man."
"You'll learn to hate him," Taup said.  "But his dream will be
fulfilled.  Haven would not have been destroyed.  Just conquered by the
Dorfan Empire."


To Be Continued...

___________________________________________________________________
All created by Jesse N. Willey. The Cascaders were created by Jef
Kolodziej.  This document copyright Jesse N. Willey.characters