Rash'Tor'Ri (Soulguard Book 4), page 6
"Sounds like a plan," I said.
Chapter 10
I could see the Soul of Pelin coming down the hallway toward my office. We had finally made it back to Kansas. Lyrica was back to work at the hospital with Pickney, the doctor who was training her. I had a great deal of paperwork to work my way through.
"Enter," I said as she reached my door.
"Master, I bring a report from your Clans."
"Don't call me master."
"Yes, Master," she answered with a grin.
I sighed, "How are things over there?"
"Relatively quiet, Sir," she said. "The most recent additions to your Clan are still in the facility at the moment. There has been no attempt, yet, to move another Clan into the facility. I don't know how long it will last before a new Clan makes their move. Most who have been near have seen what happened to the others. They want no part of this world."
"That's a good thing," I said.
"In some ways, maybe. The reputation is spreading of Rash'Tor'Ri, and the world that destroys Kresh of all ranks. There are some truly enormous Clans with powerful Farrara'Ti. This may draw their attention and that could be very bad."
"I see your point. How is Kil'Sin'Deres coming along with allies?"
"He has found several Clans who have similar views as he did when he came to you. There is some hesitation on their part. Kil'Sin'Deres says they will come around."
"Any news from Rictor?"
"The Prophet continues his mission on Kresh. Where he travels, people soon disappear. The Kresh have no idea where he keeps all of these people. To be honest, we don't know where he keeps people before he brings them to the Cerres facility. We could find out if you wish it."
"Leave him be," I said. "If he chooses to share where he's keeping folks, then we'll know."
"You are a strange one, Master. Much trust you put in a being who does not bear your Mark."
"I'd trust him with my life," I said. "In fact, I have. Many times."
"Understood, Master."
"Don't call me master."
"Yes, Master."
I sighed again and she laughed.
"Any word from Gorvelis?"
"The last group of people you sent over made it, safely," she said. "The cadre of teachers and scientists that were sent over have begun to work with Gorvelis and his men to begin modernizing the technology on Cerres. It's amazing how fast those on Cerres learn. They accepted the knowledge easily. As if they had just been waiting for it."
"They may not even know it, but they've been waitin' thousands of years for this."
"You could be correct, Master."
"Just from what we've learned in the last few years, I'd say it's about time for the Human Race to make a comeback. It's our job to make it happen."
"We will change the face of Kresh and the Colonies," Pelin stated with a fervor that, frankly, unnerves me. Those that I mark have a well of faith in me that is quite disturbing.
"We have seen what you have done, Rash'Tor'Ri," Pelin said. "We have seen inside of you at what you are capable of and we know you will succeed."
She had read my mind as I had worried. It was something I didn't think I would ever get completely used to.
"The next group of folks going over to Cerres ready?" I asked, changing the subject.
"They are ready, and will be making the trip in two days."
"Good," I said. "I know Kalib will be glad to see Dreanna and the kids."
"He is a warrior born," Pelin said. "But the girl has him well and truly caught."
I chuckled, "Her and the kids all do. Kalib seems to have a weakness to children."
"He's not the only one," she said.
"You know what would happen if I had children," I frowned. "This DNA is turning me into a monster. How do I curse a child to the same fate?"
"You win this war, and make it where the child doesn't have to do what you have," she answered. "Then he only contends with what any Shak'Tar must."
"That simple, eh?"
"Yes."
"Then let's see about winnin' this damn war."
She nodded.
***
There weren't as many of us sitting at the table at this restaurant as there normally were. Only seven people this time. Lyrica had been working late at the hospital. Paige and the Kid were in Montana. Jacobs had managed to show up with Gina in tow. They sat across from me. Kharl and Kyra were sitting on my right. Reyna and Adaya sat to the left.
"So what've you two been up to?" I asked Kharl.
As soon as I said it I saw a scene flash across his aura and my mouth dropped open.
"You didn’t!" I exclaimed. "You didn't invite anybody? Just ran off and got married!"
The table went silent as all eyes turned to the couple.
"We been together for thirty years, boy," Kharl said. "Just decided to make it official."
"Congratulations!" Adaya said.
"Conflatulations!" Jacobs exclaimed. "This is great! Beer's on me tonight!"
"Condolences," Reyna said, sadly, to Kyra.
"I know," Kyra said. "I don't know what came over me."
"I can't believe you guys didn't invite me," I said.
"You were in Scotland."
I just shook my head.
An argument from the back of the store interrupted our moment.
"…not serving that…"
"…alien halfbreed…"
These two fragments of an argument caught my attention.
"We don't get to pick and choose who we serve, here, Ashley. I don't want to serve his kind either but we do our job."
"His aliens killed my brother!"
His kind. The two words were like punches to the stomach.
"What is it, son?" Kyra saw the flush spread across my face.
"We just have to do our job," the other voice continued. "To think he was welcomed here before the truth came out."
Rage began to boil under the surface of my thoughts. I stood up and walked toward the back of the restaurant. The two girls stood at the door to the kitchen.
"Let me relieve you of the burden of serving an alien halfbreed," I said a little more savagely than I intended. Rage was rolling off of me in waves. "Neither of you need worry about serving 'my kind'"
I turned around and strode out of the restaurant that I had spent so many evenings with my friends. The rest of the table followed me out.
"What the hell happened?" Jacobs asked.
I dropped a short replay of the last few minutes into their minds, "I couldn't stay in there."
They were pissed. But none so angry as Kyra. She turned around to go back in but Kharl grabbed her.
"Nothin' to be done about it," he rumbled.
"I'll burn this place to the friggin' ground!" she growled.
"Stop," I said. "I knew this sort of thing was comin'. I've been expectin' it, just wasn't really expectin' it here."
She stopped dragging Kharl toward the restaurant, "I'll leave it be for now. But, mark my words, I am not done here."
"Let's go to Hooters or, better yet, just order take-out from somewhere," I said.
"You guys head back in," Jacobs said. "I'll bring pizza and beer back with me. There's still a marriage to celebrate. Boss, you don't worry about these people. We always got your back."
"Thanks Ivan," I said. "Alright, back to my house for a celebration!"
The rest of the evening went well, but there was something hanging over the celebration. It wasn't just the seething rage inside me. I could see it in Kyra, as well. She had taken the waitress' snubbing of me much worse than even I had.
I had known this was likely coming at some point, but it didn't make it hurt less. People are going to find something or someone to hate. At the moment, I was an easy target. The news hadn't let the issue rest since the information had leaked to the public. I'd discovered that the majority of the Press would always look for the bad in any situation, even make it up if it couldn't find a bad side. They didn't have to make up much to report the bad side of me. The torture of a Kresh Soul was replayed many times, and somehow, a video clip from the soldiers gear in Africa had made its way into the public. The world watched as I, with a smile on my face, sent Kresh after Kresh back home through a portal.
Chapter 11
It was late and I stood in the darkness staring at the spot where the Gateway had opened twice before. I couldn't help but wish it would open again. There was so much firepower on this side of the Gate, the Kresh would be crazy to come through here. I would be foolish to believe they didn't know that. I'm sure there were spies amongst us who served them. There were none close to me, I was certain. There were advantages to being a telepathic Soullord. I could see treachery at a glance and feel it with my mind.
I pulled my MP3 player from a pocket and attached it to my shoulder with a shield. Placing the earbuds in my ears and securing them with small shields of their own, I heard the beginning of another Five Finger Death Punch song begin to pound my ears. I drew the twin swords and began the Dance, my rage release. I had plenty of that built up.
I was hearing more and more about my Kresh DNA from, both, civilians and military. I had spent the day on base because of a situation I had run into in town the day before, similar to the restaurant from the previous week. They didn't even have to say it, I could hear their minds screaming their thoughts out. It was a little better on base, but there were some who hated me with a vehemence I hadn't expected from the soldiers I spent time with. Most weren't soldiers I had physically served with, but it cut me deeper than I would like to admit.
I continued my dance for several hours, with my rage at the world in general feeding the thing inside me. Sometimes I could feel it rumble inside. It wasn't just rage, it was something hard to describe. A well of power I could feel, down deep, power I dared not release. It was fed by the Purple Soulstream that led off to the east. Any time my mind got too close to that Source, I could feel the inhuman parts inside of me twist and turn.
My way of taking out Farrara'Ti didn't help my situation. When I touched one of their Souls, even briefly, the otherness in me gained strength. That cold alien feeling, inside, terrified me. I didn't want to lose who I was to that being of hate, fire, and a coldness that didn’t feel human at all.
I stopped the dance with my breath heavy and sweat coating my body. Shaking my head to try to stop the musings inside, I sheathed my swords in the scabbards crossed on my back. It did me no good to wallow in the fear of what is in store for my future.
I turned and walked back toward the base to the south of the enormous clearing where we had destroyed two armies in the last few years. The clearing where I had lost friends, thought I had lost my best friend, and lost a piece of the humanity I held so dear. The very spot I walked across was the spot where I had ripped the Soul out of a Farrara'Ti and tore it in ragged pieces before releasing it back into its own Source. One of my earliest glimpses of that being inside of me.
"Why does he go out there all the time?" I heard one of the National Guardsmen ask his partner from a distance they didn't realize I could hear from.
I toned most of it out.
"…waitin for buddies…"
"…was here last time… damn sure weren't friend…"
"…halfbreed…"
"…screw you…"
I walked out of range of the pieces of conversation. The accusations hurt, but there was something else I saw in the conversation. The other guy defended me. It wasn't everyone who judged me, and it was the ones who defended me that made the others bearable.
I continued back toward the residences. Lyrica should have made it home by then. She had spent a lot of time in the Hospital over the last few weeks. Pickney was accelerating her education during the time while we were at peace. He said there was no telling when the Kresh would hit us again and he wished her to be as prepared as he could make her for it.
I saw the dark Soul approaching out of the night. The Shak'Tar all had Souls with the dark purple and black of the Kresh interlaced with the myriad colors of the Human Soul. I had noticed the changes that were taking place since I had Marked them. The human side was brighter and the darkness was less than before. They claim the Mark was voluntary to follow but I can see the changes in their Souls. The Mark changed them into someone who would willingly follow the Mark of the one placing it. It had to be the case since they willingly served the Kresh before me. Some, a very few, had broken free of the Mark's changes to initiate their first meeting with me. Gorvelis was unlike most of his cohorts at the time, and his Soul changed the least when my Mark was placed on him. Perhaps, because he was already someone who would be willing to follow me.
The one approaching me was one like Gorvelis had been. Pelin had been one of the few that had overcome those changes her former master had placed with his Mark.
"Pelin," I said in greeting.
"Master," she returned, "I bring word from Gorvelis."
"What's going on over there?"
"The peace continues, for the moment," she said. "He said there are rumors of a Clan from the Western Plateau talking of Doran."
"We knew it couldn't last," I said.
"There is still some time, but if they come, it will be bad."
I sighed, "How bad are we talkin'?"
"He is an Elder Kresh," she said, "One of the first generation. His Clans are enormous. He rules more Kresh than the combined Clans in all of Hub. The last Clan numbered around twelve million, a large Clan. Hal'For'Radolin rules over ten times that many. If he moves into Hub, the rest of the Clans will flee. Kil'Sin'Deres will have to pull all of his forces into the Cerres Facility and Cerres itself. Your forces number around twenty five million at the moment. There are seven Farrara'Ti Kil'Sin'Deres has brought together that are willing to join us. They will bring our numbers almost double what they are now."
"That sounds promising," I said. "What's the catch?"
"They will not accept your Mark as a Proxy. They will not subject themselves to Kil'Sin'Deres rule. They wish to be his equals in your Clan. If Kil'Sin'Deres is the one to place the Mark, they feel they will not be his equals."
"You have no idea how much our races are truly alike," I said. "Even Kresh worry about the appearance of power."
She chuckled as she saw in my mind the politicians I'd seen in the past.
"It seems I'll have to make another trip to Cerres," I said. "Probably pretty soon, if this Hal'For'Radolin is deciding to make a move on Earth."
"Very true, Master."
I sighed again and she chuckled.
"Any news on Ric?"
"Your Prophet has been busy," she said. "He has, your term would be, married."
"Married?" I exclaimed, "When did this come about?"
"He married the daughter of a Chieftain on the world of Parlais."
"I thought he was working on Kresh."
"We did, as well," she said. "You ordered us to leave him be and let him do his thing."
"So how did you find this out?"
"He arrived in Hub, a day before Gorvelis sent his update. Your Prophet is requesting some things from you."
"What's he need?"
"Trainers," she said. "He wishes trainers to return to Parlais and begin building a Soulguard presence there. If you smile any wider, I believe your face might break, Master."
"I've realized somethin'," I said. "Even if we fail, here, the Kresh are doomed. We have Soulguards on three worlds plus their own home world. The knowledge is spreading to the other worlds of how to fight 'em. Especially if I can do this thing on Cerres. Fifty million Kresh will be forever changed. Even more after the Mark is done and they see how it is done. Can you imagine anything standing against that many using their combined might? All we need to do is hold long enough for the changes to take effect. I wish I knew how long until that particular gem will surface. Have any of you seen any of the Kresh combine their power on their own?"
"Not that I have seen, Master."
"This is something I want you all to keep watch for," I said.
"Kresh would never do that," she said.
"Before," I said, "That would be true. I see the changes in their Souls. It's not somethin' I can coach them to do. They'll never change if it's my order to do it. It's gotta be done by them. We've shown some of them the way. If they'll only take the path we marked for them. Gorvelis started this and I'll continue it. Maybe, just maybe, we are accomplishing the impossible."
"You have great dreams, Master," she said. "I find that I wish them to come true. What of those arrayed against us? What if they discover this?"
"They can't, just like those I've marked couldn't before they were marked. The Mark changes them. I just hope it changes them enough."
She nodded.
"I'll see about setting up another expedition," I said. "I'll have to meet with Paige and set this up. She was a little upset with the last trip I made across to the other side of the Gate."
"I heard something about a fiery death."
"I did too," I said. "You don't think she meant me do you?"
Pelin chuckled.
"Send word that we're on it," I said. "We'll send another messenger when we get close to ready for the trip. We need to know if there is anything Gorvelis, Sam, or Darrel need, as well. This may be the last trip through we get to pull off. Depends on Hal'For'Radolin and whether he's serious or just talkin'."
"Some Kresh are slow to act," Pelin said. "Some are not. I would proceed under the assumption he will not be."
"Probably the best idea."
"I will go prepare the messenger, Master."
"Don't call me Master."
"Yes, Master," she laughed as she walked back into the darkness.
I stood there for a few minutes. Rictor, married? Wow. That had caught me completely by surprise. To a Princess, no less. What the hell was goin' on? Kharl and Kyra, now Rictor.
